Xi replies to letters from student representatives of Chinese language education project in UAE Xinhua) 08:00, May 27, 2024 BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently replied to letters from student representatives of the "Hundred Schools Project" of Chinese language education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), encouraging them to master the language and know China, and contribute to promoting friendship between the two countries. "I have read each letter from you," Xi said in his reply, "from the lines and drawings, I felt all your love for Chinese culture and your expectation for friendship between the two countries." Xi recalled that five years ago, he and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan jointly launched the "Hundred Schools Project" of Chinese language education in the UAE. "Now seeing that learning Chinese has become a new trend in the UAE, and a group of little ambassadors for China-UAE exchanges, like you, have been cultivated, I'm very pleased," Xi said. "In your letters, you say China and the UAE have 'held hands' for 40 years, and hope that our two countries will always be good friends," Xi noted, "the Chinese people also share the same wish." Noting that the youth represents the future of the China-UAE friendship, Xi welcomed the students to visit China to see the pandas and climb the Great Wall, and study at Chinese universities when they grow up. The Chinese president also welcomed more UAE teenagers to learn Chinese and know more about China, hoping that they and their Chinese counterparts can exchange with and learn from each other, planting the seeds of friendship in their hearts, and contributing to a better future for China-UAE relations. In July 2019, witnessed by Xi and Sheikh Mohamed, then crown prince of Abu Dhabi of the UAE, the two countries signed a memorandum in Beijing, officially launching the "Hundred Schools Project" of Chinese language education in the UAE. Up to now, there are 171 schools in the UAE offering Chinese language courses, with 71,000 students learning Chinese. Recently, 40 elementary and middle school student representatives from two demonstration schools of the "Hundred Schools Project," the Hamdan Bin Zayed School and the Yas School in the UAE, wrote letters respectively to Xi in Chinese, expressing their longing and love for Chinese culture and their aspirations to be ambassadors of the China-UAE friendship. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Du Mingming) China Development Bank ups support for sci-tech companies Xinhua) 09:04, May 27, 2024 BEIJING, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The China Development Bank (CDB), a major policy bank in the country, has stepped up its medium- and long-term financing support for science and technology enterprises. From January to April this year, the CDB issued science and technology loans worth 40.6 billion yuan (about 5.7 billion U.S. dollars), among which 16.5 billion yuan went to supporting the development of integrated circuits, mechanical equipment and industrial automation, basic materials, new energy technology applications, biomedicine and other fields. Since 2021, the CDB has set up special loans for scientific and technological innovation and basic research. To date, it has issued more than 277 billion yuan to support the research and development of key technologies and basic frontier technologies, help promote the layout and construction of major scientific and technological infrastructure, and serve to enhance national strategic scientific and technological developments. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) A staff member welcomes passengers for intercity railway at Machong Station in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, May 26, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Two sections of railway in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area were put into operation on Sunday, marking the opening of the longest intercity railway route in the area. The line, linking cities including Huizhou, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Foshan, and Zhaoqing from the east to the west, is 258 kilometers long with a total of 39 stops for ordinary trains, but fast trains only stop at 14 of them. The maximum speed of a train is 200 kilometers per hour, while the average interval between trains is 26 minutes. Passengers can either buy tickets using the official railway ticket-booking app 12306 or swipe their public transportation cards. Zhang Qiao, a senior engineer with the Guangdong Intercity Railway Operation Co., Ltd., noted that the railway will bring convenience to local people, who will be able to take it like taking a subway. China has, in recent years, boosted the connectivity of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. According to the Guangzhou Metro, it is expected that by 2035, the operational scale of rail transit in the Greater Bay Area will reach 7,500 kilometers, covering all cities above county-level and 80 percent of the towns with a planned population above 50,000. KPMG Private Enterprise and the STEP Project Global Consortium have teamed up to bring together personal insights from the experiences of top family business leaders combined with data on the impact of family legacies in its latest The Global Family Business report. The report, which was launched at the Global Family Business Summit The pathway to good: Sustaining family business legacy for wellbeing, in Amalfi Coast, Italy provided insights that reveal many business families are overcoming the legacy paradox - the trade-off between being a source of identity and inspiration versus a liability if so, entrenched in tradition it stands in the way of innovation and change. For the report, KPMG and the STEP Project Global Consortium had compiled data from 2,683 family businesses across 80 countries, territories, and regions to study the impact of family legacies on their business performance. The survey data, which uses both qualitative and quantitative research, revealed that of the 45% that reported strong legacies, the same cohort also reported strong business performance, and an even higher 53% reported high sustainability scores - a powerful combination for the success of the business and the family today and for generations to come, and a reminder that legacy alone may be insufficient. The annual report reinforces the importance of transgenerational entrepreneurship as a key driver of sustained performance in family businesses, with legacy alone insufficient to guarantee long-term progress from generation to generation. The report advocates that legacy is a process, not an outcome, with the source of legacy originating from many different factors. Legacies are often amplified by transgenerational entrepreneurship among younger generations who compel their predecessors to communicate openly about what matters to them and to reinforce their business legacies and bridge what can sometimes appear as a generational divide. The report takes a closer look at the true essence of legacy in todays world and provides a future-centric perspective where tradition and innovation co-exist and considers where change must be embraced for the business to remain resilient, competitive, and relevant. The report confirms that legacy may need to focus less on the past and be treated instead as a crucial building block for the future because of the positive contribution it makes to business performance and environmental, social, employee and supplier sustainability. Andrea Calabro, STEP Project Global Consortium Academic Director, and Director, IPAG Chair for Sustainable Family Business & Entrepreneurship, IPAG Business School, said: "Not only does legacy connect generations and ensure the continuity and heritage of entrepreneurial success, but it also shapes the long-term vision of the familys business and guides their strategic choices." "But in todays environment, it is presenting new challenges to family business leaders who find it necessary to learn how to blend traditional values with modern business strategies to build a dynamic legacy with future generations in mind," he added. Differing perspectives and priorities can shape how different generations perceive the importance of their legacy and the strategies they employ to build and sustain it. These generational differences can also enrich the family businesss legacy by incorporating diverse perspectives and approaches that reflect the evolving dynamics of the business and of broader society. The participants attending the summit were among the first in the world to receive the report, representing leading family business practitioners, scholars and PhD students with nationalities from Asia, the Middle East, the European Union, Eastern Europe, the UK, and North and South America. With social legacy heralded as the strongest legacy component from our research findings, the message was clear and served as an undeniable call to action for family businesses to harness their natural instincts to generate sustained performance and develop a dynamic legacy. The report emphasizes how important it is for family businesses to embrace their legacy, as it may be key to future successes: share the essence of your legacy with the family and executive team, and finally, give the family businesss subsequent generation the freedom to create their own legacy. Robyn Langsford, Global Leader, KPMG Private Enterprise Family Business, KPMG International, and Partner in Charge, Family Business & Private Clients, KPMG Australia, said: "Differing perspectives and priorities can shape how different generations perceive the importance of their legacy and the strategies they employ to build and sustain it. These generational differences can also enrich the family businesss legacy by incorporating diverse perspectives and approaches that reflect the evolving dynamics of the business and broader society." "And with the increased focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities across the world, younger generations will likely be more concerned with the social and entrepreneurial legacies of their family businesses versus older generations who may continue to place more value on material legacies and the family bloodline," sated Langsford. "History doesnt necessarily repeat, but it rhymes. It is imperative for founders to establish the beat for subsequent generations to follow," he added. The study indicates that while regional similarities exist, data points vary across regions due to the influence of transgenerational entrepreneurship. This supports the notion that legacy alone will likely not suffice legacies should become dynamic to help maximize business outcomes. Harish Gopinath, Partner, Head of KPMG Enterprises for the Middle East, South Asia and the Caspian (MESAC) region pointed out that the report highlights key issues in terms of opportunities and challenges that were also discussed in the 2024 KPMG Family Business Summit hosted in the Kingdom of Bahrain earlier this year. Family businesses have been a significant force in the marketplace across the MESAC region for decades, and some of the major family businesses have even transitioned across four generation successfully and are still thriving in the marketplace while being positive contributors towards the economy and the community, noted Gopinath. "Given the rapidly evolving landscape in relation to emerging risks, and digital transformation, leaders within family businesses must engage with the future generation to be able to rethink and redesign their growth strategies," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Bayanat, an Abu Dhabi-listed public company and leading provider of AI-powered geospatial solutions, has reported a 12% jump year-over year (YoY) in its revenue for the first quarter which soared to AED113 million ($31 million), while its net profit registered a 9% growth. Announcing its financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, Bayanat said its revenue increased primarily due to the expansion of its market presence and its strong product range and service offerings. The company remains focused on deploying world-class AI solutions and enhanced geospatial services for its clients, it stated. Gross Profit reached AED32 million in Q1, representing a gross margin of 28%. Profits were largely driven by Bayanats continued focus on key segments, namely its Smart Operations Solutions (SOPS), Smart Mobility Solutions (SMOS), and Smart Geospatial Solutions (SGS). Aimed at delivering unique use cases, the HAPS technology by Mira Aerospace, a joint venture between Bayanat and UAVOS, and the companys AI- and geospatial solutions were another major driver of this quarters results. Ebitda reached AED8 million, representing a 7% margin. Bayanat deployed significant efforts in R&D and talent acquisition. These strategic initiatives, while having a short-term negative impact on the EBITDA, will contribute to expanding the companys product portfolio and future revenue growth, which aligns with its IPO strategy. Net Profit after tax reached AED10 million, representing a net margin of 9%. Besides its ebitda performance, the company has continued to receive significant financial income from investing its excess cash into responsibly managed financial instruments. The Abu Dhabi group said during the period it had made significant strides toward its strategic goals, highlighted by the establishment of expansive agreements and partnerships. Notably, the company signed several deals at DRIFTx, an international summit dedicated to the future of smart and autonomous mobility. At the event, Bayanat showcased its latest technological advancements across the firms SMOS segment, reaffirming its dedication to innovation and leadership within the mobility space. Additionally, Bayanat continued its support and operations for the Abu Dhabi Smart Mobility project further, which underscored its commitment to advancing smart infrastructure solutions. In the first quarter also, Bayanat bolstered its R&D efforts to optimize and broaden its product offering, one of which is the companys AI-enabled disaster management platform, AID. The platform has proven vital during heavy rainstorms in the UAE by providing valuable data and analytics to the relevant authorities. The platform was developed to leverage space data and AI technologies to address global climate and environmental challenges. An additional key highlight of the quarter was the strategic AED5.5 billion ($1.5 billion) investment by Microsoft in G42, the pioneering Abu Dhabi-based AI technology holding company and Bayanats majority shareholder. This investment significantly bolsters Bayanats position, granting it direct access to Microsofts advanced AI services, and putting it at the forefront of the geospatial intelligence sector with next-generation AI solutions that continue to redefine industry standards for innovation and operational efficiency. Hasan Al Hosani, Managing Director of Bayanat, said: "Our ability to not only sustain but significantly build upon last years exceptional financial milestonesurpassing AED1 billion in revenues for the first time in our history - is a clear indication of our teams strength and our forward-thinking strategic vision." "The significant growth in our revenue highlights our solid market positioning. Importantly, we have continued to achieve robust profitability while strategically amplifying our investments in R&D. This focus is pivotal as it enhances our product offerings and operational excellence, fully aligning with our steadfast commitments to innovation and the investor community," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Smart home devices are becoming more prominent in Saudi Arabia and the UAE as a total of six million smart devices are integrated into the everyday lives of Alexa customers, who are enjoying the benefits of a connected smart home, according to a report by Amazon. Customers are turning to Alexa to control lighting, air conditioners, TVs and cameras - among the most popular smart home devices categories, stated the report. In 2023 alone, Alexa customers in KSA and UAE have initiated nearly 130 million smart home actions and over 100 million requests to listen to music, Quran and podcasts, totaling more than 70 million hours of listening. Throughout 2023, Alexa turned the lights on and off over 24 million times in homes across the UAE and KSA. Customers in these two countries turned to Alexa nearly 9 million times to control their air conditioners only by using their voice, the second-most frequently used device category, it stated. Customers from the Middle East usually have multiple compatible devices connected to Alexa, demonstrating the growing adoption of voice-enabled home automation. There was a +50% YoY increase in Smart Home customers in 2023 vs 2022, with a +90% YoY increase in number of smart home devices connected to Alexa. No wonder Alexa heard I love you over 2 million times in 2023, and received 60,000 marriage proposals! Dr. Raf Fatani, Regional General Manager, Alexa, Amazon Mena said: "The UAE and Saudi Arabia are embracing cutting-edge technologies with palpable excitement. We're humbled by the adoption pace of Alexa and our smart home devices, welcoming ambient intelligence into daily lives across the region." "Ambient intelligence weaves together AI, devices, and services for an experience greater than the sum of its parts. We've invested in local talent and resources to tailor our products for these markets, ensuring Alexa and our devices cater to unique customer needs. We're excited to be at the forefront of AI advancement in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with an unwavering passion for customer obsession here," he added. According to him, Alexa seamlessly integrates with a large number of smart home devices to simplify and automate customers lives. Amazon has recently added a new feature for customers in UAE and KSA to enable the multi-view option. This allows customers to see live feeds from up to four cameras, including Ring, on their multimodal devices. Customers can also ask Alexa to show their recently active cameras or all those belonging to a specific group, with a command such as Show my Living Room cameras, he added. Mohammad Meraj Hoda, VP of business development MEA, Ring said, Ring is driven by the goal to provide our customers with peace of mind. We continue to focus on making homes more intuitive, as well as making it easier to connect and control devices so that everything works together effortlessly. Alexas customers in the UAE and KSA are making use of integrated smart home hub in Echo devices, with support for a variety of standards like Zigbee, Sidewalk, Thread, Bluetooth, and Matter, enabling easy control of compatible lights, locks and sensors. The most commonly used lighting brands in smart homes in the KSA are Smart Life, Tuya, and Sonoff. In the television segment, the top brands connected to Alexa are Samsung, LG and Broadlink IR Remote, said Hoda. For cameras, Ring, EZVIZ and Tapo reign supreme. When it comes to climate control, customers in KSA turn to Broadlink IR Remote, Smart Life, and Midea, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Ducab Metals Business (DMB), a leading supplier of metals solutions in the region, has signed a lease agreement with Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Kezad Group for expanding its existing manufacturing facility in Kezad. The 50-year lease agreement, signed in the presence of Mohamed Al Khadar Al Ahmed, CEO Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Kezad Group, and Khaled Lootah, Chairman of Ducab Group, at the Make It In The Emirates Forum 2024, will see DMB adding 51,015 sq m to its existing 50,000 sq m facility in Kezad for increasing high-quality copper and aluminium industrial products capacity. This expansion brings DMBs presence in Kezad to over 100,000 sq m. The project will offer several strategic benefits, including the company's use of their proprietary best-in-class research and development to help enhance Abu Dhabis reputation as a hub for the new varieties of advanced metal products. The facility will certainly also create new jobs in the process. Metal manufacturing Al Khadar said: "DMB is a reputable name in the industry. Kezad Group is spearheading the progress in metal manufacturing as one of the leading industrial and economic zones in the UAE. "Kezad Group is helping to pave the road for sustainable growth and innovation in the UAE's metal sector through Abu Dhabi's business-friendly policies for the advances of metal industries and investment in associated infrastructure. Mohamed Al Ahmedi, CEO of DMB, spoke about the expansion of their facility in Kezad. He stated, "Our expansion in Kezad marks a significant milestone for DMB. This move will enhance our production capabilities and enable us to service new industries such as Energy, Transport and Transformers and meet the growing demand more effectively. The strategic location and world-class infrastructure provided by Kezad is important in driving our future growth and operational efficiency." DMB, a renowned brand in the metals industry, has been a model of innovation and quality with two state-of-the-art facilities and a total installed capacity of over 235,000 tonnes of copper and aluminium metal per annum, supplying over 75 countries globally. DMB is a leader in industry and is part of Ducab Group a frontrunner in the energy sector.--TradeArabia News Service Edge Group entity Lahab, the UAEs sole ammunitions manufacturer, and PT Pindad, an Indonesian state-owned enterprise and one of Asias leading defence manufacturers, have signed a Heads of Agreement. The agreement seeks to explore collaborative opportunities in establishing defence manufacturing capabilities the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to supply defence equipment. Under the Heads of Agreement, signed in the presence of Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, at the Indonesia-UAE Business Week 2024 in Bali, Lahab will explore opportunities to enhance industrial collaboration between the two defence industries. Under the MoU, Lahab will supply defence equipment for production purposes to PT Pindad. The agreements are part of an ongoing effort between both countries to bolster the capabilities of the Indonesian defence industry, and increase bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2030 under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.--TradeArabia News Service With around 14% of food worldwide lost due to a lack of effective refrigeration, enough to feed 1 billion people, Danfoss is calling for more attention on the need to establish sustainable and energy-efficient cold chain infrastructure. The required investments in sustainable cold chains are even more evident in Sub-Saharan Africa where up to 40% of food is lost between farms and markets, with two-thirds of this in the first mile. "Building sustainable cold chain infrastructure is not only a necessity for reducing food loss but also a critical step towards enhancing energy efficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa. Robust systems By adopting state-of-the-art technologies and fostering partnerships across the content, we can create robust systems that support local economies, ensure food security, and contribute significantly to global climate goals," highlighted Ziad Al Bawaliz, Regional President at Danfoss Turkey, Middle East and Africa. The need to spur on global action on energy efficiency will be one of the focuses of the International Energy Agencys (IEA) 9th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, taking place in Nairobi, Kenya this week. Increasing temperatures, population growth, urbanisation and rising incomes are driving the increased need for cooling. According to the first ever Global Cooling Watch Report, launched at last years COP28, cooling demand could triple by 2050. This would lead to a doubling of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which is equivalent to more than the total annual greenhouse gas emissions of the US today. Driving efficiency The same report shows that driving efficiency in cold chain and refrigeration through minimum energy performance standards and passive cooling can deliver 30% of the required energy savings by 2050 while greatly reducing food loss and waste. This large energy saving is due to the 24-hour, year-long operation of refrigeration. Astrid Mozes, President, Regions, Danfoss says: The good news is that near zero emission cooling is possible. In fact, emissions in 2050 could be cut by 97% with readily available technology including state-of-the-art energy efficiency. Kenya is one country where sustainable business models and financing solutions are key to delivering sustainable and reliable cold chains. The Loss2Value Project in Kenya, launched by Danish Church Aid and Danfoss, is one such example of important work being done locally to establish a secure cold chain. The projects objective is to reduce post-harvest losses by emphasising the concrete value of energy-efficient cold storage to smallholder farmers and traders in Kenya and creating the ecosystem to make it a sustainable business case. By implementing sustainable business models and financing solutions, the initiative is empowering Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and farmers to make positive change. This initiative not only addresses the immediate challenges, but also contributes to creating a lasting and resilient impact on the agricultural landscape in Kenya.--TradeArabia News Service The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) has announced a key partnership with Emirates Development Bank (EDB) that will see the bank provide a $100 million financing solution for the new artificial intelligence (AI) innovation programme. The announcement was made during the third edition of the Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) Forum which opened today (May 27) at the Abu Dhabi Energy Center and organized by MoIAT in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and Adnoc. The AI Innovation Program aligns with the ministrys efforts to boost innovation, accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies in industry and create new industries underpinned by cutting-edge technologies under the umbrella of the technology transformation program. It also aligns with EDBs development mandate focused on advancing economic growth and industrial innovation across its five priority sectors of manufacturing, advanced technology, food security, healthcare, and renewables. The programme aims to foster collaboration between prominent industry players and technology developers to harness cutting-edge AI technologies to help solve the most pressing industrial challenges within national industry. It will also focus on creating opportunities for local and global technology developers and startups by providing a platform to showcase their expertise and contribute to solving industrial challenges. By leveraging novel AI technologies, it addresses a broad range of challenges across industry, enhancing efficiency, productivity, and sustainability as well as facilitating access to finance which is critical to driving industrial transformation. Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, said: "As an early mover in the field of Advanced Technology and AI, the UAE is committed to pioneering policies, frameworks and programs to pave the way for the integration of novel Advanced Technology and AI solutions in industry." "The country has already crossed important milestones in this space and the AI Innovation Program will help UAE industry to unlock a new wave of value in efficiency, productivity, and investment. Through linking industry demand and technology supply, this program will help developers, startups and industrial partners foster stronger synergies, ensuring greater alignment among businesses and technology developers when it comes to introducing innovative solutions to industrial challenges," stated the minister. The AI Innovation Program participants will gain access, at no cost, to a diverse network of technology developers, she noted. The initiative enables knowledge sharing and removes financial barriers to expedite the development and implementation of customized and novel AI solutions, supporting the development of cutting-edge technologies and novel solutions to address the UAEs most pressing industrial challenges, as well as positioning the country as a competitive player within the technology development space, she added. Emirates Development Bank CEO Ahmed Mohamed Al Naqbi said: "The AI Innovation Program is poised to transform manufacturing and specialized industries, amplifying EDBs economic impact. This strategic program and our $100 million AI financing solution are significant milestones in building a future-ready, globally competitive industrial sector for the UAE." "By harnessing AI's power and fostering collaboration, we unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation, and sustainable development across our five priority sectors," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Investopia, in partnership with EMIR, an emerging market research specialist, held the first meeting of the Next50 initiative, which aims to promote dialogue and knowledge sharing among leading companies in the UAE, and stimulate investment in emerging sectors in the private sector, a report said. The meeting was held in the presence of Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of Investopia, Hadi Badri. CEO, Economic Development at Dubai Department of Economy, Dr Jean Fares, CEO of Investopia, and Trevor McFarlane, CEO of EMIR, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said. The Next50 initiative launched by Investopia in its third edition comes under the umbrella of Investopia Communities, which brings together 50 founders and CEOs of UAE companies in finance, construction, tourism, services and other sectors. Their combined revenues exceed tens of billions, which represent success stories achieved by the private sector. The initiative provides them with a valuable platform to share experiences, explore opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, and review investment opportunities in new economy sectors in promising markets. Bin Touq said that the Next50 initiative reflects Investopia's commitment to supporting the private sector in accordance with the UAE governments efforts to enhance the competitiveness of leading companies that have achieved considerable growth in the UAE market. He added that the Next50 initiative opens up new prospects for cooperation, fostering continued dialogue between investors; facilitating knowledge exchange, financing, stimulating capital flows, and expansion of partnerships at local and global levels. Bahrain has secured the second position in the Arab World and the third place in the Mena region on the Global Youth Development Index (YDI) 2023. With the YDI cementing itself as an established resource for researchers, policymakers, and civil society to effectively track progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) associated with youth development, Bahrains significant achievements underscores its vested commitment to nurturing and empowering its youth and talent. The Commonwealth Secretariat and the Institute for Economics and Peace recently published the 2023 Global YDI Report, which identified encouraging progress and outlined critical priorities for enhancing the well-being and empowerment of youth worldwide. Very High Youth Development The Index, which assesses youth development across 183 countries across several pillars, including health, education, employment opportunities, and Equality & Inclusion, classified Bahrain as a Very High Youth Development country. Marking the highest out of 4 classifications, this achievement reflects the ongoing investments in its future leaders. The 2023 YDI additionally analysed the performance of countries across key domains, Bahrain ranked 1st in Mena in Equality & Inclusion and 1st within the Gulf in terms of Employment & Opportunities. For both pillars, Bahrain ranked 11th globally signalling the island nations robust framework for gender parity and youth development that has been cultivated over the years. Nada AlSaeed, Chief of Strategy at Bahrain Economic Development Board, stated: "We are proud of Bahrain's demonstrated success in fostering an environment where our youth can thrive. Securing top rankings on both a GCC and Mena level reflects Bahrains inclusive workforce policies and progressive government outlook. YDI and SDG correlation There is a strong relationship between the YDI and most SDGs, wherein countries that perform well on youth development also tend to have made greater progress towards the SDGs. Bahrain continues to invest in its talent, recognising that youth development is integral to the kingdom's sustained progress, economic growth and prosperity. Businesses operating in Bahrain benefit from a young, tech-savvy population and insight from a future-ready workforce combining highly skilled, bi-lingual, driven Bahraini nationals and a diverse talent pool offering a global perspective. AlSaeed added: Talent is the bedrock of our nation, and Bahrains performance on key metrics on the YDI 2023 clearly indicates that the Kingdoms investments in youth development are yielding positive results. This milestone reinforces the influence of Bahrain's long-term vision for the sustainable development of its youth, which has prioritised government-backed investments in the reskilling of its talent pool to create a future ready workforce and fostering a culture that promotes gender parity, thereby contributing to the nation's socioeconomic prosperity. Honeywell has entered several Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) with the Iraqi government and private sector, helping to support the local infrastructure as it faces increasing demand for energy and electricity. These agreements allow Honeywell to explore strategic collaborations for Iraqs oil and gas fields, including the cessation of gas flaring and the provision of development, automation, remote control and monitoring services. The MoUs were signed by Ken West, president and CEO of Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions (ESS), who attended, along with members of his leadership team, a meeting hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce. Prime Minister of Iraq, Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani, participated in the meetings, along with high-level Iraqi government officials and prominent private sector firms. West said: Honeywell has done remarkable work in Iraq, and I look forward to what we can do with these agreements. While there has been significant development within the energy sector locally, there is still tremendous potential for growth and cooperation, all aimed at providing a more reliable and sustainable energy sector for Iraqis throughout the country. The agreement is a part of Honeywells commitment to provide the best solutions and global expertise to help drive better efficiencies and sustainability within the countrys energy sector. This also demonstrates Honeywells alignment and support of its portfolio to three compelling megatrends, including the energy transition. Mohamad Shaboot, President Honeywell Iraq, said: These agreements show a clear commitment by both Honeywell and the Iraqi public and private sectors to continue the modernization and development of local industry. The focus on the energy sector is only continuing to grow and it is incumbent upon all of us to put in place the necessary technology and rigor to help realize a better energy future for the entire region. Honeywell has been operating in Iraq since the 1970s and recently appointed Shaboot as country president. The company supports local industry across multiple pillars, including energy, smart buildings and aerospace. --OGN/TradeArabia News Service China's Ministry of Education is working with higher education institutions across the country to facilitate employment for college students graduating in 2024. The ministry launched a weeklong campaign on Monday. During the campaign, higher education institutions across the country will host a plethora of activities such as job fairs under the ministry's guidance. Their aim is to provide students with greater opportunities to land satisfying jobs. The ministry said that during the campaign, 175 on-campus job fairs, featuring nearly 17,000 enterprises, are expected to be held across the country. A job fair co-organized by the ministry and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will be held on Tuesday at Beijing Jiaotong University. A total of 122 employers from different fields including information technology, finance, manufacturing, and construction, will attend the fair. According to an estimation made by the ministry last December, the year 2024 will see 11.79 million students graduating from colleges, marking an increase of 210,000 from 2023. Leading UAE developer Arada has welcomed an influx of dining outlets and retail brands at East Boulevard, the shopping and lifestyle destination at the centre of the AED35 billion ($9.52 billion) Aljada megaproject in Sharjah. In total, 87 new shops, cafes and restaurants are now open at the popular 2.2-km-long avenue, making it one of the hottest new social spots in the UAE, said a statement from the Sharjah developer. Recent completions to the East Village and Nest residential communities adjacent to East Boulevard mean that open leasable space has grown by 80% to 130,000 sq ft, providing a wide, walkable street lined with trees for an enhanced customer experience. Newly opened outlets include Berenjak, the hit Persian home-cooked cuisine concept that has taken Londons Soho by storm, and Sharjahs first edition of Home Bakery, the popular cafe and dining concept, it stated. La Brioche, the French patisserie, has also made its Sharjah debut in Aljada, as has TBK, which has opened its second location following the Italian-American restaurants first outlet in Dubai, while trendy fast-food joint Pickl has brought its famous burgers to East Boulevard. Upcoming outlets include colourful Indian restaurant Rang, which is opening its second location after Dubai Mall; Chef Eyad, which specialises in delicious smoked meats, the Late Lounge coffee shop and Mara Lounge, the popular world-cuisine concept that has a number of branches across the UAE. These new outlets join a large range of existing F&B brands at East Boulevard, including Bosporus, Five Guys, Starbucks, Hoof Cafe, Moon Slice Pizza and Origami. These are complemented by a wide range of shops and services, including Spinneys, Carrefour, Maple Bear Nursery, Mumuso, First Abu Dhabi Bank and the Artal fashion outlet, as well as pharmacies, salons, florists and cleaners. On the new openings Group CEO Ahmed Alkhoshaibi said: "The expansion of East Boulevard not only cements Aljadas position as Sharjahs most vibrant community, it also underscores Aradas commitment to enhancing the Emirates lifestyle offerings, contributing to its ongoing growth and economic development." Im pleased to say that commercial demand for our retail space has been extremely high, allowing us to curate the perfect blend of outlets for our residents and visitors, he added. According to Arada, East Boulevard welcomed 2.4 million visitors in 2023, with that number set to increase substantially following the raft of new openings in the first half of this year, and the recent completion of homes at Aljada. In total, over 7,500 homes have now been finished at the megaproject, alongside a host of amenities that includes the SABIS International School-Aljada, a Wellfit flagship gym, the Zad food truck park and the Aljada Skate Park, all of which are complemented by extensive green landscaping.- Brands For Less, a leading retail conglomerate, has announced the opening of its 34th branch at Al Medina in Saudi Arabia, expanding across seven cities throughout the kingdom. This new store is strategically located in Al Manar Mall, 11 minutes away from the Al Medina Haram. This expansion signifies the group's continued commitment to providing exceptional retail experiences across the kingdom. The new branch marks a significant milestone in BFL Groups growth strategy, reinforcing its presence in the Saudi market. The group's extensive network is designed to cater to the diverse needs of its customers, offering a wide range of high-quality products at competitive prices. Second branch in Makkah In addition to the Al Medina store, Brands For Less is set to unveil its second branch in Makkah. This new location will further enhance the group's ability to serve the local community and visitors, offering convenient access to its extensive product range. "We are thrilled to expand our footprint in Saudi Arabia with the opening of our 34th branch in Al Medina, and our upcoming branch in Makkah," said Toufic Kreidieh, Executive Chairman of the Board and Group CEO of BFL Group. "Our goal is to bring high-quality products at competitive prices, as well as exceptional customer service to our customers across the kingdom. This expansion is a testament to our commitment to growth and excellence in the retail sector." The new branches are part of BFL Group's broader strategy to strengthen its market presence and deliver an unparalleled shopping experience. With a focus on convenience, quality, and value, BFL Group continues to set the standard for retail excellence across GCC and Europe.--TradeArabia News Service Jeddah Historic District Program (JHD), under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, and Cruise Saudi, a fully-owned Public Investment Fund company, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to help cruise visitors explore authentic sites of the historic district. This agreement aligns with the ambitious development goals of Saudi Vision 2030. Central to the goals of both Jeddah Historic District Program and Cruise Saudi is preserving the area's distinctive cultural identity and historical landmarks while stimulating local economic growth. This collaboration encourages local entrepreneurship and investment, drawing on the private sector's innovative capacities to enhance the visitor experience. This proactive involvement aims to boost job creation, foster small businesses, and promote sustainable economic activities that benefit the entire community, said a statement. Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim Al-Issa, Director General of Jeddah Historic District Program, stated: The tourism sector is experiencing growth and prosperity, which contributes to enhancing the Kingdom's presence on the global tourism map in line with Saudi Vision 2030. Our strategic partnership with Cruise Saudi is not only to drive economic growth but also to actively engage in the regeneration of the district. We are committed to protecting both the tangible and intangible heritage that earned the district its Unesco status, recognising its profound cultural impact. This partnership is pivotal in the strategic regeneration and sustainability of the district. With this alliance, we are dedicated to presenting Cruise Saudi tourists with an experience that inspires the visitors with the district's enriched heritage." Jeddahs Historic District is one of our most popular Shorex destinations, and we continue to witness just how much international passengers enjoy exploring its unique historic sites through the tours and experiences we offer. This MoU represents our shared vision and marks an exciting new chapter, paving the way for collaborative efforts to draw even more visitors to this enchanting destination while protecting its heritage and authenticity, stated Lars Clasen, CEO, Cruise Saudi. -TradeArabia News Service Bangkok-based Minor Hotels, a hotel owner, operator and investor, has named a new Vice President of Development for the Middle East, who will oversee development strategies and management of assets across Minor Hotels portfolio of hotels, including the Anantara, Avani, NH Hotels, NH Collection, Oaks and Tivoli brands. Lokesh Kumar expertise in business process enhancement will also contribute to commercial effectiveness across all the brands projects. Kumar brings over 23 years of strategic business leadership experience and a proven track record in managing owner and key government relationships whilst executing strategic public-private partnerships to maximise revenues and optimise costs. He joins Minor Hotels from his most recent management consulting role, where he demonstrated his prowess in developing tourism offerings along the 1,600 km Coral Highway from Jezan to NEOM, whilst creating futuristic hotel concepts for the tourism authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He also offered feasibility and development strategy for mixed-use city development projects across multiple asset classes including hospitality, commercial, residential and education. Additionally, Kumar provided advisory services for operator selection and joint venture evaluation for a sovereign fund entity in KSA that aimed to develop 4,000 hotel rooms in key cities. His exceptional track record in managing key responsibilities of development, asset management and commercial with hospitality companies including Movenpick, Unison Hotels and The Oberoi Group, puts him in an ideal position to drive Minor Hotels future growth initiatives and expansion in the Middle East. We are delighted to welcome Lokesh to Minor Hotels, said Amir Golbarg, Senior Vice President of Middle East, Africa and India for Minor Hotels. His sterling reputation in developing and managing strategic business operations across the GCC and India aligns seamlessly with Minor Hotels vision for our future. Lokeshs astute thinking and expertise in the market will be invaluable as we move forward with our plans for the future. Kumar said: I am indeed privileged to join Minor Hotels. Its an exciting time for the company, which has witnessed impressive growth in recent years. Im eager to contribute to its continued success, with new openings across the Middle East. The entrepreneurial approach of the company aligns with my professional goals and I look forward to working with the team to further accentuate growth. Lokesh holds an MBA from the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management in India after completing hotel school at the Institute of Hotel Management, Goa. TradeArabia News Service Cruise Saudi, a 100% Public Investment Fund-owned company, has signed a membership agreement with the Fleet research consortium, as it joins in their mission to improve the economic and environmental competitiveness of the aviation, road, and marine sectors. Founded by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) and Oil Sustainability Program (OSP), Fleet (Fuels, Lubricants, and Efficient Engine Technologies), aims to bring together key stakeholders of the energy and transportation sectors within Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and internationally to collectively respond to the need for more sustainable energy solutions. As a member, Cruise Saudi joins other private entities of the energy and transportation sectors, to work together on the common goal set by Kausts Clean Combustion Research Center to collectively develop technologies that are both economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Dr Ahmed Alsaggaf, Executive Director of Sustainability & Innovation at Cruise Saudi, said: Sustainability and innovation are at the core of everything we do at Cruise Saudi, and we are continually looking to identify and implement the most innovative practices which promote sustainability not just reducing our carbon footprint but across the entire value chain of the cruise industry that we are developing in Saudi. As such, we are looking forward to playing a part in the important research Kaust is doing to improve sustainable energy in the maritime sector and beyond. It is an exciting new chapter for both Cruise Saudi, and wider Saudi, as we work towards a more sustainable future. TradeArabia News Service Oman has announced that the plan for building six new airports across the country is gathering pace with the work on the consulting designs currently under way, reported Muscat Daily. These new airports are set to begin operations between 2028 and 2029, stated the report, citing a senior official. "Through this planned expansion, Oman aims to increase the number of airports in the country to 13, facilitating domestic aviation and bolstering tourism," stated Naif bin Ali al Abri, the Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority, while addressing the media on the sidelines of the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh. "With the completion of these projects, we are expecting a significant surge in airport passenger traffic, projected to reach 50 million by 2040 from the current 17 million," he noted. The upcoming airports are strategically planned to attract more international traffic and bolster logistics and tourism in specific regions, stated the top official. These new facilities will connect passengers with Omans industrial areas in Sohar, Salalah and Duqm, he added. JACKSON In his first interview about wolves since a Daniel man brought an injured, muzzled wolf into a Sublette County bar, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signaled support for criminalizing the killing of wolves with snowmobiles. I dont think theres any reason why people need to run over animals, Gordon told the Jackson Hole Daily at the Wyoming Sportsperson Conservation Forum, held Wednesday in Dubois. So can we stop that entirely? Gordon said. No. But if that happens, we should be able to do something penalty-wise around that. Gordons statement Wednesday was the first time the governor has spoken with a reporter about the incident. It was also the first time Gordon indicated what he was thinking about policy reform, other than his belief that the Wyoming Legislature should lead any reform effort a belief that he reiterated Wednesday. But Gordon said he doesnt believe that Wyomings wolf management is flawed writ large. Wyomings wolf management is a success, the governor said. In contrast, the incident in Daniel is about an individual that did something that nobody felt good about, Gordon said. Gordons comments came about a week after a legislative committee formed a working group to study enhanced penalties for possessing a live wolf and penalties for displaying a live animal. The chair of that committee, Rep. Liz Storer, D-Jackson, has, however, said she sees the groups task a bit more broadly. Her framing question is, Are Wyoming statutes adequate to ensure the humane treatment of predators while recognizing the need to address the predation of livestock and other issues related to predator management? On Friday, Storer told the Daily she is still hammering out some details before the committee first meets, ideally in June. Shes consulting with the Ruckelshaus Institute at the University of Wyoming to get advice on how to facilitate the group, making sure other members of the group agree with her framing question, confirming who will participate, and finding a time, place and schedule for a series of meetings. Her goal is to make recommendations to the Legislatures Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee by its September meeting in Cheyenne. The co-chair of that committee, Rep. Sandy Newsome, R-Cody, tasked Storer with leading the wolf group. In late February, Daniel resident Cody Roberts captured a wolf in Wyomings predator zone, brought it into his residence and later into a local business the only details that the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed about the case. Wyoming laws protect people who kill wolves legally, and the state has said those laws apply. Game and Fish fined Roberts $250 for possessing a live wolf. Subsequent reporting from WyoFile and the Cowboy State Daily, however, alleged that Roberts ran the animal over with his snowmobile, disabled it, and brought it inside the Green River Bar in Daniel. A photo surfaced showing Roberts with the wolf, mouth duct taped shut, and a video shows him kissing the wolf. Another video shows the wolf shock collared, muzzled and leashed, lying on a floor. The incident has spurred international outrage and calls for Wyoming to reform policies that allowed Roberts to get off with such a small fine. Running predators over with a snowmobile is currently legal, and the state has said animal cruelty laws dont apply to predators. Wildlife advocates, former Game and Fish biologists, and a host of onlookers have called on Wyoming to apply animal cruelty statutes to all animals, and ban people from killing predators with vehicles, a practice known as coyote whacking. In response, some influential legislators have called for expanding penalties for possessing a live wolf, but stopped short of endorsing environmental groups advocacy. The Wyoming Legislature defines not only which species are predators, but also how predators can be killed, where wolves are considered predators, when animal cruelty statutes do and dont apply to predators, and fines for possessing live wildlife. Wyoming considers wolves trophy game animals, closely monitors their population and closely regulates hunting in the northwest corner of Wyoming outside of national parks and the Wind River Reservation. In the remaining 85% of Wyoming, the state deems wolves predators and allows them to be killed with few restrictions and no limit. While Gordon has said he wants the Legislature to take the lead, he said Wednesday that he is a part of the conversation. Members of a separate group that he assembled after the incident went public have spoken in unison, urging legislators to avoid a knee-jerk reaction; to view the issue as separate from hunting or predator management; and to ensure the response didnt undermine Wyomings wolf management. Gordon said his team is not hands off. Were very much engaged in the conversation, he told the Daily. Well continue to work on ways to make an adjustment. Gordon, however, said he alone cannot make laws. That has to be done by the Legislature, he said. Over 49,000 criminal suspects of telecom and internet fraud have been handed over to Chinese custody by Myanmar since July 2023, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Monday. Several notorious criminal groups linked to the fraud have been dealt crushing blows with a number of major criminal suspects arrested, the ministry said at a press conference. Since the beginning of 2023, the number of telecom and internet fraud cases in north Myanmar involving Chinese citizens had remained high, often resulting in other criminal acts such as illegal border-crossing and detainment. The MPS had prioritized the situation and launched high-pressure crackdowns on such crimes, yielding significant results. Over the last five years, public security agencies across the country have cracked more than 1.94 million cases of telecom and internet fraud, the ministry said. Notably, the monthly number of new cases of such fraud has been declining for eight consecutive months, indicating that the rise in such crimes has been effectively curtailed, according to the MPS. 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. HUMPHREY IN SUPPORT: Mickela Panday, political leader of the Patriotic Front, and former parliamentarian John Humphrey pose at the opening of her Patriotic Front party headquarters at Twin Walls, South Trunk Road, La Romaine, on Saturday. Photo: TREVOR WATSON It took a woman to solve the big municipal problem in Broken Arrow in the early 1930s, a problem that other communities probably faced, too. Unpaid water bills. Phenie Lou Ownby, the wife of a doctor, got the bills paid when she served as mayor from 1931 to 1933. Her solution was simple: Turn off the water to the customers who failed to pay their bills. That policy was considered radical and tough, but Broken Arrow gained national attention from her action. It was the first time that a mayor of any gender in an American city had taken such action to collect past due bills, according to a 1932 Tulsa World story. Ownby, known in Broken Arrow as Miss Phenie Lou, became mayor almost by accident. She had no political aspirations and was surprised when she saw her name on the ballot in the 1929 city election. She hadn't filed as a candidate and thought someone might have been playing a practical joke on her. She didn't win but she received enough votes that she decided to be a real candidate two years later and won by 40 votes, becoming the first woman mayor in Oklahoma and only the sixth in the nation. She took her job seriously and set about examining the city government and issues facing the town of about 2,000. Shortly after taking office, she told the City Council that the city was in debt because many residents were not paying their water bills. "Many of our best citizens are ignoring our water bills. What do you propose to do?" she asked. In today's vernacular, the eight councilmen didn't have a clue. Mayor Ownby said she dreamed of a solution cutting off water supplies to those who owed bills and got up in the middle of the night to write it down. Because the local newspaper wouldn't publish a news story about her proposed action, the mayor bought an ad in the next edition, telling residents, "Some people seem to think the world owes them something. Maybe it does, but they won't get it from this administration." And then she gave a list of 50 delinquent water customers to Street and Water Commissioner J.E. Chism with instructions to cut off water to those customers. One delinquent customer objected and began to fight Chism. The city marshal called the mayor and asked what he should do. "Well, arrest him, of course," she replied. "What did you think we would do? We have the law on our side and in this case, we will show the people that we mean business." The customer was arrested and was fined $19.75 the next day in municipal court. Her campaign was effective. Water receipts in March 1931, when she took office, totaled $802.34. The receipts for the same month a year later had risen to $1,624. The mayor said that some of those whose water was cut off were her best friends, and they remained friends. "The elite have been frankly told that if they don't pay up, they will find themselves after a party some night with stacks of china and glass and silver and not a drop of water to wash the stains away," a St. Louis newspaper wrote. "And we pause to say that Miss Phenie is right." She had no further political aspirations, despite the publicity she received from her two-year term. "No," she said, "I will not run for the office again. I have tried my best to serve my city during this term, and I feel that I have done some good. But it is too much work. My telephone rings constantly and there is always something to worry about." Photograph research by Rachele Vaughan Like this column? Read all the columns in the Only in Oklahoma series from the Tulsa World Archive. The world is facing a shortage of seven million metric tons of rice as this year's global rice output is significantly lower than the expected consumption, smoothing the path for rice exporters, including Vietnam, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade. The ministry made the remarks in its recent report sent to the prime minister on rice imports in the past and in the coming months. The ministry cited a forecast from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicting that the global rice supply will no longer be abundant, which is owing to a projected drop in India's rice yield by four million metric tons compared to the previous crop, despite India accounting for 40 percent of global rice exports. Other rice exporters such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia were forecast to have their outputs decrease due to the El Nino weather phenomenon and climate change. The global rice supply in 2024 was estimated to reach nearly 518 million metric tons, while the total consumption might amount to 525 million metric tons, resulting in a lack of seven metric tons. The shortage is expected to open a wider door for Vietnam and other rice exporters to increase their rice shipments. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the rate of countries and territories that fail to guarantee food security reaches as many as 30.4 percent of the global population. Nearly 30 nations have either restricted or banned food exports to ensure domestic consumption. The Vietnamese ministry said that Vietnam is negotiating with its import partners to sell rice and build a sustainable rice trading environment for enterprises. In addition, Vietnam is expanding its negotiation and cooperation on rice trading activities with new markets. Despite multiple common global challenges such as extreme weather, downpours, floods, and natural disasters, Vietnam is expected to overcome the hardship to access several markets and become their main rice supplier. However, a headache for the Southeast Asian nation is severe salt intrusion in the Mekong Delta region, Vietnams largest rice-growing hub, said the ministry. The saline intrusion will affect the output of the summer-spring rice crop this year. Amid global economic uncertainties, the ministry urged relevant agencies and local exporters to keep a close watch on the global situation and determine the needs of major markets such as the United States and the European Union before pricing and shipping rice. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An area of land along a swamp in Tan Tao Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City is littered with medical waste, including glass bottles containing liquid and bearing a corrosive warning label. The land plot is surrounded by a few houses, and is about 800 meters from Tay Lan Street. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters observed on Sunday that the land lot was filled with various types of medical waste, emitting a foul smell. A dense layer of waste, paired with ashes, turned the area into a mucky land. Many fluid bags with yellow and red liquid inside were scattered over the surface of the plot. Thousands of glass bottles and vials were piled on the land, particularly, several bottles bearing corrosive or flammable warning labels. Many of the glass bottles are broken. Some locals nearby said that they have been suffering an unpleasant odor from the dump. Glass bottles and medical waste litter an area along a swamp in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Multiple broken glass bottles and ashes cover an area of land along a swamp in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Several glass bottles bearing corrosive warning labels lie on an area along a swamp in Binh Tan Province, Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to turning the plot into a dumpsite. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre It is unknown when the medical waste was dumped on the land plot. If I had seen someone disposing of it, I would not have allowed them to do so, a local resident said. A representative of the Tan Tao Ward Peoples Committee said on Sunday afternoon that the administration would examine the area and handle the illegal dump. Medical waste encroaches on a nearby swamp in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre A swamp in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City is packed with broken glass bottles and burned medical waste. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Plastic bags and vials litter an area of land near a swamp in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre A two-meter pile of medical waste at an area along a swamp in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre A tree is pictured being charred in the dumpsite. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre An area along a swamp in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City is crammed with thousands of vials and glass bottles. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre An illegal dumpsite contains batteries, used electric wires, and bulbs. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre The dumpsite (marked in a circle) is covered with medical waste. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre A map details an illegal dumpsite (marked in a circle), only 300 meters away from Tham Luong - Ben Cat Canal and 800 meters from Tay Lan Street in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Multiple drink shops in Vung Tau City of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam have shared images and videos to expose a foreigner who engaged in fraudulent behavior by intentionally causing confusion during minor transactions. Hanh, an employee at a beverage shop on Vo Truong Toan Street in Vung Tau City, said a foreigner swindled her out of VND470,000 (US$18.4). She narrated that the foreigner entered her shop to ask for a bottle of beer priced at VND30,000 ($1.2) and gave her a VND500,000 ($19.6) banknote at 4:30 pm on Thursday last week. She gave the customer the beer and VND470,000 as change. However, the customer later spoke in a foreign language and asked for another bottle of beer. Although he did not pay for the second beer bottle, he asked for change. Hanh became confused and gave the foreigner another VND470,000. When she realized that there was something wrong, the foreigner had already left the scene. A screenshot from camera footage shows an employee at a shop in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province giving the foreigner a VND500,000 ($19.6) banknote. At 9:55 pm on the same day, the foreigner conned another drink shop on Trung Nhi Street in Vung Tau City out of VND463,000 ($18.1). The shop owner said the customer asked for a glass of strawberry tea and gave his employee a VND500,000 banknote. The customer later pointed wildly at the menu and did not want to buy the tea anymore. The employee had to return him the VND500,000 banknote. After taking back the banknote, the customer said he changed his mind and wanted to buy the drink. The shops employee gave the foreigner VND463,000 as change, but he had not received any money from the foreigner. Many other vendors in Vung Tau have also faced scams by this foreigner. The foreigner seemed to target shops with only one sales employee. The foreigner swindles a vendor while his friend is waiting for him in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam. Camera footage at these shops showed that the customer went with another foreigner who waited for his friend on a motorbike outside the shops. Previously, local police had pressed charges against an Iranian individual for fraudulently exchanging foreign banknotes for Vietnamese banknotes, said Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Luyen, head of the Vung Tau City Police. Luyen affirmed that police would strictly handle fraud cases in line with the law. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nine CEO Mike Sneesby has pledged to hold an investigation into the behaviour and concentration of power in the Nine newsroom. The review will be executed with external partners to ensure independence and follows complaints around former news boss Darren Wick, who departed in March. Speaking at an extraordinary meeting in the Nine newsroom on Monday afternoon, newly-installed news boss Fiona Dear was flanked Sneesby in a bid to quell staff dissent. I acknowledge the distress and frustration the substance of these reports has caused, Sneesby wrote in an all-staff email. I believe we have taken positive steps in recent years at Nine to improve our culture but the recent reports that detail alleged serious failings of leadership in television news clearly tells me more work needs to be done to ensure we have a safe and inclusive workplace throughout Nine. Sneesby (pictured above) said an investigation by an external law firm into the complaint against Wick began as soon as it was received, with actions based on limited information available at the time. Since then there have been a series of media reports about multiple complainants, he wrote. At this stage we have not directly received any information about those complaints so I would encourage those individuals, or anyone else with information, to provide it so it can be independently investigated. Nines own Sydney Morning Herald has heard allegations from three unnamed women linked to events such as the Logies and Christmas parties. There are also complaints about a toxic environment in the newsroom. I worked in the newsroom over that period, Fiona Dear told Nine News staff yesterday. I know what its like to decide to get a different taxi, to walk away rather than say something, to move to another table. I know why you didnt say something at the time. Several staff members told the Herald they no longer had any faith that their complaints would be handled efficiently. Sneesby also denied signing any non-disclosure agreements regarding any employees inappropriate behaviour, including Wicks, but did not say whether Nine had issued any NDAs signed by others. A key part of this is ensuring everyone feels safe to raise concerns and to speak up when they see something inappropriate happening in the workplace, he wrote. We want to listen, we want to hear about your experiences and we want to support you. I am very proud of the work we do at Nine. It is critical we face up to any failings with integrity. Former Nine CEO Hugh Marks also told the Herald, I am really sorry that people have had terrible things happen to them. I am sorry that has occurred as a result of that decision (to return Wick after a drink-driving conviction), he said, adding that this is the Darren Wick I didnt know. In hindsight we should have asked more questions, rather than wait for information to come to us. Source: Sydney Morning Herald, Guardian SnappyMail is een snelle en overzichtelijke webmailclient die ook nog eens integreert als app binnen Nextcloud. Het is ontstaan als een afsplitsing van de populaire RainLoop Webmail, dat echter niet actief meer wordt ontwikkeld. SnappyMail werkt goed in alle moderne browsers en ook op mobiele apparaten. Een demo van het programma is op deze pagina te vinden. De changelog van de afgelopen paar versies kan hieronder worden gevonden. SnappyMail version 2.36.3 Changed UserAuth prevent plugin errors (like the Nextcloud plugin did) or else login fails Fixed Undefined variable $aTokenData #1567 SnappyMail version 2.36.2 Added "copy to" action in menu's for #1559 Log signal info for #1569 OpenPGP.js automatically import backup keys from server Changed Improved "remember me" cookie handling Update Basque Update Portuguese Fixed "Account already exists" #1561 Properly escape path separator in tar.php file list regex Prevent mkdir() error #1565 SCRAM Exception when trying to log in to SMTP #1575 Error when redirected back to instance after Gmail OAuth #1580 Uncaught TypeError: hasPublicKeyForEmails(...).then is not a function #1589 Undefined variable $sFilename GPG/PGP exec() return false handling SnappyMail version 2.36.1 I've released the login-gmail extension so that you can use OAuth2 for login. Follow the instructions how you can set this up here. The added "Have I Been Pwned" class can be used with the "change password" extension. When enabled it disallows passphrases that are known in the Have I Been Pwned database. Also a new extension is in development so that users can check if their email address is also pwned. It is still a work in progress and to use it, you must have a key subscription. More info. Added Autoconfig detect through DNS SRV (RFC 6186 & 8314) and disable MX Have I Been Pwned class to check breached passwords and email addresses Handle RFC 5987 in Content-Disposition header Ignore text/x-amp-html Show SMTP error to user #1521 OAuth2 for login using gmail (and others) Changed logMask all AUTHENTICATE requests ErrorTip use white-space: pre Simplify LoginProcess handling ES2020 everywhere (require Safari 13.1) Modified Squire to be more in line with v2.2.8 CSS set min-width for .attachmentParent and .flagParent to line them up cPanel use extension login-cpanel instead of login-remote Improved login credentials handling Speedup Knockout a bit Update Belarusian Update Chinese Update French Update Polish Update Portuguese Fixed Content encoding and type detection in JavaScript could fail due to case-sensitivity. Extensions set logger failed GnuPG check open_basedir and if shell_exec is disabled #1385, #1496 and #1555 Hide pagination when search result has no messages Prevent mbstring error before setup.php Prevent MessagesPerPage Infinity #1540 Reseal CryptKey failed #1543 You are here: World Flash Children carrying containers of water walk past destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 13, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 35,984, health authorities in the Palestinian enclave said in a press statement on Sunday. The Israeli army killed 81 Palestinians and wounded 223 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 35,984 and injuries to 80,643 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in October 2023. The statement noted that some victims remained under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of rescue crews. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on social media X that the war in Gaza continues to be a war on civilians, noting that "civilian casualties, displacement, the destruction of homes and essential civilian infrastructure continue unabated." "Nowhere is safe in Gaza, we need a ceasefire now," UNRWA added. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage. With few signs of Syria solution, EU pledges more support to refugees Syrian refugees are seen at the Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq By John Irish and Andrew Gray BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union pledged more than 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) on Monday to support displaced Syrians, but it dismissed any notion of them being able to return home because of instability under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Before an EU-led donor conference on the 13-year-old war, Jordan's foreign minister said that the international community was abandoning Syrian refugees as funding to support them in host countries dwindles, suggesting that ways had to be found to ease voluntary returns to Syria. The EU conference aims to keep the war on the agenda, as well as support for the millions of refugees it has created. But as the economic and social burden on neighbouring countries mounts the bloc is divided and unable to find solutions, diplomats say. Refugees returning home is not yet one of them however, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell made clear at the start of the conference. "While the European Union would wish that returning home could be a realistic option for all refugees, everywhere and always, we concur with the United Nations system that currently the conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified returns to Syria are not in place," Borrell said. "We insist that it is the Assad regime that bears the primary responsibility for putting in place these conditions." Borrell said the bloc was pledging 560 million euros in 2024 and 2025 to support refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan and a further 1 billion euros for Turkey. Syria has become a forgotten crisis that nobody wants to stir, amid the Israeli war in Gaza and tensions growing between Iran and Western powers over its regional activities. Although Assad has long since reasserted control over most of Syria in a war that began with a 2011 uprising against him, more than 5 million refugees mostly in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan and millions more displaced internally still have little prospect of returning home. "We're going to be sending a very clear message from Jordan as a host country that we feel that refugees are being abandoned," Ayman Safadi told reporters on arrival in Brussels. "Host countries are being abandoned." Jordan is hosting around 1.3 million Syrians. Safadi said the issue "can only be solved by them going back to their country. So we need to focus more on creating conditions conducive for them to return voluntarily." Funding to support refugees is dropping with the likes of the World Food Programme reducing its aid. Countries say hosting refugees is an increasing burden, notably in economic crisis-hit Lebanon, where the discontent has seen forced deportations. "We expect our partners to uphold international law, including the principle of non-refoulement, and reject and condemn any forced deportations," Borrell said. The 8th Syria conference brings together European and Arab ministers along with key international organisations, but beyond vague promises and financial pledges there are few signs that Europe can take the lead, diplomats said. The bloc has no ties with the Assad government and Monday's talks come just ahead of the European elections on June 6-9 in which migration is a divisive issue among the EU's 27 member states. With far-right and populist parties already expected to do well, there is little appetite to step up refugee support. An upswing in migrant boat arrivals from Lebanon to Europe, with Cyprus and Italy major destinations, has prompted some EU countries to warn of a big new influx into the bloc. "We'll continue to do everything we can. But unless we're helped, unless the international community shoulders its responsibility, there will be a decrease in services and there will be more suffering for refugees," Safadi said. ($1 = 0.9211 euros) (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Peter Graff and Hugh Lawson) By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's ambassador to Dublin warned on Monday that a crisis in bilateral ties over Ireland's plan to recognise a Palestinian state sends the wrong message about Ireland as a tech hub and is worrying Israeli investors in the Irish IT services sector. Speaking in Jerusalem, where she has held Foreign Ministry consultations after being recalled in protest, Ambassador Dana Erlich voiced hope of returning to Ireland, though she saw its government as siding with the Palestinians against Israel. The statehood recognition is due to be formalised on Tuesday by Ireland in conjunction with Spain and Norway. The United States and some other European countries favour first reviving negotiations on resolving the conflict. The move by Ireland, Spain and Norway was denounced as a "reward for terrorism" by Israel, which is waging a devastating Gaza war and knock-on fighting on other fronts in response to the Oct. 7 cross-border rampage by Hamas, the dominant Palestinian Islamist faction. Erlich said all aspects of Israeli-Irish ties were under review but stopped short of predicting further action by her government, which has continued sparring with Madrid. "Ireland is not neutral or an honest broker in this case, because they are very supportive of the Palestinians. But what we are saying (is): This is not the time for such announcement on recognition," Erlich told Reuters in an interview. The Irish government says that recognition of Palestinian statehood may benefit Israel by reviving stalled peacemaking. Many Irish sympathise with Israel "behind the scenes", Erlich said: "I think there is a lot of potential in our bilateral relations, if it's cybersecurity or health care, climate change. I hope to be given that opportunity to continue that." But she said a public mood of hostility, which some Jews deem antisemitic, is making Israelis question their place in Ireland - a threat to tech services that account for the lion's share of some $5 billion in annual trade between the countries. "We are getting more and more phone calls and conversations of concerned people - if it's Israelis who invest in Ireland and are concerned about their investment, if it's Israelis who have relocated to Ireland into different tech companies and either are requesting to be relocated somewhere else or asking to return to Israel," Erlich said. "I think it sends the wrong message about the location and the centrality of Ireland as a tech hub when there are more and more people who are concerned about moving to Ireland. I don't think that this is the message that Ireland wants to send to the world ... And this is not what we want to see." The business connection has already been hit by the decision announced on Feb 5 by Israel's national carrier, El Al, not to renew direct flights to Dublin that were launched last year, citing changes in customer demands since the Gaza war. The Irish government has rejected calls by pro-Palestinian activists to impose sanctions or an economic boycott on Israel. But on April 5, Ireland said its 15-billion-euro sovereign investment fund would divest from six Israeli companies, including some of its largest banks, over their activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Gaza war broke out a month after Erlich arrived in Dublin, plunging her into 24/7 crisis-management and outreach. "There are many similarities between Ireland and Israel that I'm curious to learn more about - if it's a reviving of an ancient language, if it's the diaspora, if it's the different scenic options," she said. "And I hope to be given that opportunity to continue exploring Ireland. But right now, we need to address our concerns." (Writing by Dan Williams, Editing by William Maclean) TASHKENT (Reuters) -Russia will build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the first such project in post-Soviet Central Asia, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Monday at a meeting with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The nuclear deal, if implemented, will showcase Russia's ability to export not only energy, but also high-tech products to new Asian markets, at a time when the West is increasing pressure on it through sanctions. Putin said Russia would put $400 million into a joint investment fund of $500 million to finance projects in Uzbekistan. Mirziyoyev also said Tashkent was interested in buying more oil and gas from Russia, a reversal of decades-long practice where Moscow imported hydrocarbons from Central Asia. The Uzbek president described Putin's visit as "historic". "It heralds the beginning of a new age in the comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance relations between our countries," he said. Putin also called Tashkent Moscow's "strategic partner and reliable ally". According to documents published by the Kremlin, Russian state nuclear firm Rosatom will build up to six nuclear reactors with a capacity of 55 megawatts each in Uzbekistan, a much smaller-scale project than the 2.4 gigawatts one agreed in 2018 which remains to be finalised. There are no nuclear power plants in any of the five ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, although Uzbekistan and its neighbour Kazakhstan, both uranium producers, have long said their growing economies needed them. The Kazakh project, however, can only move ahead after a national referendum which has not yet been scheduled. "Nearly all the leading countries of the world ensure their energy security and sustainable development with the help of nuclear energy," Mirziyoyev said. ENERGY SUPPLIES Taking advantage of Russia's campaign to redirect its gas exports to Asia amid a rift with the West over Ukraine, Uzbekistan last October started importing Russian natural gas via the same pipeline which had previously pumped it in the reverse direction. Although its own gas production remains substantial at about 50 billion cubic metres a year, Uzbekistan struggles to fully meet domestic demand, and Russian supplies have allowed it to avert an energy crisis. "(Gas) exports are running well ahead of schedule and we are ready to increase their volume if needed," Putin said. According to Mirziyoyev, Tashkent is also keen to increase imports of Russian oil. The two leaders also said their governments were working on large projects in mining, metals, and chemicals. Uzbekistan, whose economy depends heavily on remittances from migrant labourers working in Russia, has maintained close ties with Moscow after it invaded Ukraine in 2022. However, Mirziyoyev and other leaders in the region have never spoken in support of what the Kremlin calls its special military operation in Ukraine, and all countries in the region are also working with the West on projects such as cargo shipping routes designed to bypass Russia. (Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Mark Potter) By Belen Carreno MADRID (Reuters) -Spain has pledged to provide military support to Ukraine worth 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) this year under an agreement signed on Monday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid. "It is more important than ever to redouble our support," Sanchez told a press conference. The pact, which covers the next decade, calls for the supply of modern military equipment for ground, aerial, naval and other uses, "prioritising Ukraine's key capacity needs", and an emphasis on maritime means to protect Ukraine's food export routes, but gave no specifics. El Pais newspaper reported earlier on Monday that Spain would commit to send Ukraine a dozen U.S.-made Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, 19 second-hand German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks, as well as other Spanish-made weapons such as anti-drone gear and ammunition. Government officials declined to comment on the El Pais report. Sanchez said Ukraine was asking its allies for Patriot missile launchers and that, while such shipments from Spain were not possible for now, they were working to see how many could be sent to Kyiv. He added that Spain was already providing the missiles and was also weighing the delivery of alternative air defence systems. Zelenskiy said Ukraine needed at least seven more Patriot launchers to defend itself and would put pressure on its allies to obtain them. As his country reeled after another deadly strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Zelenskiy said Russian forces used around 3,200 guided aerial bombs this month. "How do you fight that? There aren't enough air defence missiles to stop thousands of bombs a month... Those partners who are afraid to give us this or that weapon should understand that air defence is defence, not offence," he added. Zelenskiy told Reuters this month Western allies were taking too long to make key decisions on military support for Ukraine. He said he was pushing partners to get more directly involved in the war by helping to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine and allowing Kyiv to use Western weapons against enemy military equipment amassing near the border. Before the meeting with Sanchez, Zelenskiy was greeted on the tarmac at Barajas airport by King Felipe of Spain, a gesture underlining the importance of the visit for Madrid. Zelenskiy will next visit the Portuguese capital Lisbon, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Tuesday and is expected to sign a similar 10-year agreement. ($1 = 0.9219 euros) (Reporting by Belen Carreno, Inti Landauro, David Latona in Madrid and Anastasiia Malenko in Kyiv; Writing by Andrei Khalip; Editing by Charlie Devereux, Nick Macfie, William Maclean and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Latest missile barrage on Tel Aviv sends many messages to Israel The real battle for Gaza is in Rafah and its being orchestrated carefully while the Israeli army only knows how to bomb civilians and their shelters Monday May 27, 2024 8:28 PM , Dr Marwan Asmar The latest barrage of missiles on Tel Aviv from Rafah, the first since January, sends many messages to Israel from Hamas that the Palestinian resistance will not be beaten. The launch of the 12 rockets, Sunday, by the Izz Al Din Al Qassam Brigade and which landed on different towns and cities of greater Tel Aviv comes at a time when the Israeli army is preparing to militarily intervene in Rafah and on a large scale under its slogan of eradicating Hamas and its armed wing. But the timing of the firing of the rockets a firing distance of 140 kilometers from Rafah and with the longest missiles so far used is a warning to the Israeli military and politicians that the Palestinian resistance movement remains steadfast despite the hard bombs and missiles thrown on Gaza in the past eight months. In addition on Gaza 75,000 tons of explosives so far and the equivalent of 37 atom bombs the rockets are a signal that the Palestinian resistance still have lots of fighters, rockets, guns, machine guns and ammunition in their depositories across Gaza and which are yet to be unleashed and cant be found by the Israeli army. They are a message from the resistance such military paraphernalia will continue to be used to attack the Israeli army, its soldiers, tanks and troop carriers for a longtime to come if the need be. The rockets show Hamas will continue to use them sparingly and as the battle requires. Now, the fight is against Israeli soldiers in Gaza but they could be fired into the Israeli depth whenever it suits the resistance. The rockets fired after about four months of tense calm and all the way to the north of Tel Aviv, the major political, financial, economic, industrial and knowledge capital of Israel are devastating to politicians, military personnel, economic leaders and ordinary people who are asking what more can be done after a total and sustained war has been launched on Gaza since 7 October. Videoclips on the social media are showing the timing when the missiles were launched and heard in Kfar Saba, Herzliya, and Raanana, north of Tel Aviv were sirens blasted off to the panic of ordinary Israelis, quickly trying to find a place of safety who can be heard stating the tense and jittery all days are back. This time the surprised rockets are expected to deepen and rattle the psychology of Israelis especially since they were fired 100s of meters away from an Israeli army units infiltrating Rafah which means resistance fighters are effectively mingling among soldiers and/or near them. This should of deep worry to the Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi who is not happy about the state of his soldiers in Gaza and the fact that they are being forced to continue to fight in bloody situations that ultimately requires political solutions and mediation and where soldiers are being killed and maimed by the day to ghost Palestinian fighters. The real battle for Gaza is in Rafah and its being orchestrated carefully while the Israeli army only knows how to bomb civilians and their shelters. Indeed, although a full scale invasion is yet to materialize in Rafah, the Israeli army is already bombing different parts of the city and has been doing so for the last 18 days. So the war there has already started. The missiles into Israel, over Tel Aviv, cities in the center and in settlements around Gaza are an addition and pressure to the real fight inside the enclave which is being helped by Hezbollah missiles into the north of Israel, the Houthis from Yemen and the occasional firing, also into Israel, from islamists groups deep inside Iraq. Finally, the Hamas message to the Netanyahu government is dont invade Rafah for the cost of doing so will be greater than you think for the city will be the final graveyard of Israel soldiers and the over 100 hostages who are held in captivity by Hamas. But Netanyahu may not be thinking at all about that since he wants the war to continue to lengthen his time out of prison and play into the hands of the extreme right wing while claiming to want to eradicate Hamas. [The writer, Dr Marwan Asmar, is Amman based writer.] Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Maharashtra SSC Result 2024 Announced, 187 students state toppers MSBSHSE declared Monday May 27, 2024 SSC result 2024 (Class 10 Result 2024) of all the nine dvisional boards including Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, Kolhapur, Latur, Nagpur and others Monday May 27, 2024 5:19 PM , ummid.com News Network Maharashtra SSC Class 10 Result 2024: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has declared on its official website mahresult.nic.in the result of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Class 10th board exams 2024 held in the month of Feb/March today i.e. Monday May 27, 2024. Overall Pass Percentage The Maharashtra state recorded an overall pass percentage of 95.81% - an increase by over 1.98% as compared to 2023 when the pass percentage was 93.83%. "A total of 15,49,326 students had appeared in the 2024 board exams. Out of them, a total of 14,84,441 passed with an overall passing percentage of 95.81%", the board said. Pass percentage of girl students 97.21% and that of boys is 94.46%. 187 students Maharashtra SSC toppers The state board did not release the 10th Merit List and toppers name. But, according to the Maharashtra Class 10 result data 2024 released by the state board, a total of 187 students from different districts of the state score a perfect 100% score in the state board 10th exams. The board did not reveal the name and identity of the SSC topers. A total of 81,991 students have scored more 90% marks, 1,28,772 scored from 85 upto 90%, 1,66,396 students scored from 80 upto 85% and 1,82,033 scored from 75 upto 80%. Out of more than 23,000 schools, a total of 9,382 have registered 100 percent result. Maharashtra SSC District Topper 2024 Among the nine divisions, Konkan again topped the list with 99.01 per cent result while Nagpur division was at the bottom with 94.73 per cent. The Mumbai division recorded the pass percentage of 95.83, Pune 96.44, Latur 95.27, Amravati 95.58, Nashik 95.28, Kolhapur 97.45 and Aurangabad (C Sambhajinagar) 95.19. Maharashtra Class 10 Result 2024 Date and Time Students should note that Maharashtra 10th SSC result 2024, result analysis, overall percentage, school wise and districtwise result were announced at a press conference held at 11:00 am today. However, students checked their individual result and score via link on the official as well as partner websites made available at 01:00 pm today. The Maharashtra SSC 10th result 2024 will be available on official website mahresult.nic.in, and a number of other websites including hsc.mahresults.org.in, hscresult.mkcl.org and others. Steps to Check Maharashtra SSC Result 2024 Students can use the direct link given below to check Maharashtra 10th Result 2024. Click here to go to result website: website: mahresult.nic.in Click on "SSC Examination March - 2024 RESULT" Enter Exam Seat Number, Date of Birth and Mother's name Click on Get Result button to check your score Maharashtra 10th results will also be available on other websites including the board's mirror sites like result.mkcl.org. Steps to check SSC result via SMS Maharashtra students can also check their result of March 2024 board exams on their smartphone via SMS. Maharashtra students can also request their results through SMS. For this, they are required to type MHSSC followed by on their mobile phones and send to: 57766. The Maharashtra SSC Class 10th result of all 09 divisions including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Konkan, Nagpur, Amravati and Latur will be declared today at 01:00 pm, the Maharashtra board headquartered in Mumbai and Pune has officially confirmed. 10th Board Exam Results of Past Few Years In 2023, the Maharashtra state recorded an overall pass percentage of 93.83% - a decline by over 3.11 as compared to 2022 when the pass percentage was 96.94%. in SSC Class 10 exams. The Maharashtra state board had announced Class 10 result in 2021 on July 16 .In 2021, the SSC result was prepared based on internal assessment because of Covid-19 and most of the students were declared passed. In 2020, the state board declared the result on July 29 when it recorded an overall pass percentage of 95.30 - an improvement by over 18.20 as compared to 2019 when the pass percentage 77.10. In 2019, SSC result was announced on June 08 whereas in 2020 and 2021 they were delayed because of the Pandemic. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Myanmar: Rohingya Muslims' Repression Continues Unabated Latest reports from Myanmar, speak of new atrocities and crimes being committed in a concerted campaign of violence and destruction by Myanmars military against the largely Muslim Rohingya people in northern Rakhine state Monday May 27, 2024 11:44 PM , Asad Mirza Latest reports from Myanmar, speak of new atrocities and crimes being committed in a concerted campaign of violence and destruction by Myanmars military against the largely Muslim Rohingya people in northern Rakhine state. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported of receiving frightening and disturbing reports from northern Rakhine state in Myanmar of the impacts of the conflict on civilian lives and property. Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Friday 24 May in a briefing to journalists in Geneva, that Some of the most serious allegations concern incidents of killing of Rohingya civilians and the burning of their property, has been received by the UN, noting that tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced in recent days by fighting in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships. She said that the information gathered in testimony from victims, eyewitnesses, satellite images, and online video and pictures over the last week indicate, Buthidaung town has been largely burned. We have received information indicating that the burning started on May 17, two days after the military had retreated from the town and the Arakan Army claimed to have taken full control, she said. Speaking in Bangkok, James Rodehaver, head of Myanmar Team, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said his team had spoken to many sources on the ground and reviewed numerous materials, many of which were deemed to be credible. Our offices are corroborating information further, particularly in establishing who were the perpetrators of the burning. One survivor described seeing dozens of dead bodies as he fled the town. Another survivor said that he was among a group of displaced persons numbering in the tens of thousands, who attempted to move outside of the town to safety but were blocked by the Arakan Army, Rodehaver said, pointing out that the Arakan Army had abused survivors and extorted money from them as they fled the town. Earlier History The latest fighting comes in the context of a civil war in Myanmar that began after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, leading to an armed resistance opposing military rule. The pro-democracy fighters are allied with several of the ethnic minority groups that have been fighting for greater autonomy for decades, and have well-trained military forces. The Arakan Army is an armed ethnic group fighting as part of an alliance against the Myanmar military. The AA says it is fighting for more autonomy for the ethnic Rakhine population in the state, which is also home to an estimated 600,000 members of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority, who have chosen to remain in the country. The Arakan Army had a loose cease-fire with the military government until last October, when it joined with two other ethnic armed groups to capture territory in northeastern Myanmar. The Rohingya were the targets of a brutal counterinsurgency campaign incorporating rape and murder that saw an estimated 740,000 flee to neighbouring Bangladesh as their villages were burned down by government troops in 2017. Rohingya have lived in Myanmar for generations, but they are widely regarded by many in the countrys Buddhist majority, including members of the Rakhine minority, as having illegally migrated from Bangladesh. The Rohingya face a great amount of prejudice and are generally denied citizenship and other basic rights. Latest Incidents In the weeks leading up to the burning of Buthidaung, the Myanmar team of the UN human rights offices has documented renewed attacks on Rohingya civilians by both the Arakan Army and by the military in northern Rakhine state, including many by aerial strikes and drones. He said his office also has received reports of shooting at unarmed fleeing villagers, multiple disappearances and burnings of homes, and has confirmed four cases of beheadings. Rodehaver said the military has been actively targeting the Rohingya for years and has actively enforced draconian and discriminatory restrictions affecting all aspects of their lives. It is one of the reasons why the Rohingya, whenever they were asked to leave Buthidaung and other villages, have been very reluctant to move because they have needed special permission to move outside of their township of residence. They also have nowhere else to go. They, of course, have learned very hard lessons in 2017, knowing that whenever movement starts, it usually ends with them leaving their homes, never to see them again, he said. The Myanmar junta, which has been at war with its people for decades, recently has suffered many defeats. One consequence is young men have been conscripted from the Rohingya to fight its battles, by promising them many benefits, such as more food rations for their families and a promise of citizenship. Rodehaver calls that an insidious ploy by military leaders. Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, warned Thursday of ominous signs of another Rohingya bloodbath in Rakhine state if the international community were to continue to turn a blind eye and fail to take action to save the lives of thousands of Rohingya. Once again, the world seems to be failing a desperate people in their hour of peril, while a hate-driven unnatural disaster unfolds in real time in Myanmars Rakhine state, he said. Mirroring that assessment, UN human rights chief Volker Turk is calling for an immediate end to the violence, and for all civilians to be protected without any distinction based on identity. Prompt and unhindered humanitarian relief must be allowed to flow, and all parties must comply fully and unconditionally with international law, he said. More than a million Rohingya have taken shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh after fleeing Rakhine, including hundreds of thousands in 2017 during an earlier crackdown by the military that is now the subject of a United Nations genocide court case. What perplexes one here is the ominous silence of the so-called Muslim states against the Myanmars junta, for targeting the Rohingyas. Even the Muslim organisations like the OIC have not moved beyond passing resolutions against the massacre of Rohingyas, and have refrained from taking any firm action at the ground level to force the junta to put a stop to these inhuman massacres. The same applies to the plight of Uyghur Muslims in China. (Asad Mirza is a Delhi-based senior political and international affairs commentator.) Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Flash A dance performance during this year's Africa Day celebration held in Beijing, May 25, 2024. [Photo courtesy of African Union Representative Office in China] "Africa Day is an important annual event in celebration of the African people's struggle for independence and unity," noted Chen Xiaodong, vice minister of foreign affairs, at the Africa Day celebration held in Beijing on Saturday. Themed "Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century," this year's event highlighted the significance of education and skill development in shaping Africa's future. To promote Africa's education system, China has contributed substantial investments for the building of schools, vocational training facilities and other educational infrastructure across the continent. Apart from education, strengthening unity and cooperation with Africa in various fields is also an unwavering strategic choice for China, Chen emphasized. In terms of economic collaboration, China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for the last 15 years. Chen noted that in the first four months of this year, China-Africa trade reached $95.4 billion, up by 4.1% year on year, with Chinese imports from Africa standing at $39.5 billion, up by 11.4% year on year. Chen also mentioned the importance of recent growth in people-to-people exchange programs, saying that events such as the China-Africa Youth Festival and "Here is Africa" tourism promotion campaign have further enhanced mutual understanding and affinity between the Chinese and African people. He added that, through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and African Union's (AU) Agenda 2063, China will continue to work in solidarity with Africa toward a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. Martin Mpana, dean of the foreign diplomatic corps in China and Cameroon's ambassador to China, stressed the leading role China has played in empowering Africa's human resources. He encouraged Chinese state-owned and private enterprises to welcome African students and trainees to undertake practical internships that would complement the theoretical knowledge they have learned in educational institutions. Mpana perceived the upcoming summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is scheduled to take place in Beijing in September, as a good opportunity to discuss how to enhance Africa's educational strength and transfer related Chinese-produced technologies to Africa. Additionally, Mpana applauded China's move to become the first G20 member to clearly and unequivocally declare its support for membership of the African Union. Africa Day falls on May 25 every year. The event was set to mark the establishment of the Organization of African Unity, the predecessor of the AU, on May 25, 1963. HA NOI Last year can be considered the time that the Food & Beverage industry finally recovered from the COVID-19 hardship, as large coffee chains such as Highlands Coffee, Phuc Long and Katinat began running tirelessly to capture market share. A recent report from iPOS.vn, on the 2023 F&B market showed that there were 317,299 coffee and tea shops in Viet Nam by year end, an annual increase of 1.26 per cent. This increase was lower than predicted at the beginning of the year, because many chains closed stores and downsized. Although the overall number of stores did not increase by much, revenues were still racing, into double digits, up 11.6 per cent, reaching VN590 trillion (US$24.1 billion). Highlands was still in number one spot, with 777 stores operating in many provinces and cities nationwide according to the latest update its business website. The number was an increase of more than 170 stores compared to 605 at the end of 2022, while the company also operates more than 50 outlets in the Philippines. Highlands has a policy of expanding by the number of places it runs, so widening the brand itself, rather than developing a diverse menu like its competitors. The chain also invested down the chain, spending VN500 billion into building a coffee roasting factory in Ba Ria - Vung Tau with a capacity of nearly 10,000 tonnes of coffee per year in the first phase, planned to increase by 75,000 tonnes a year from now on. Phuc Long also had a busy year, opening around 25 flagship stores in the last six months of 2023, aiming to make the brand the second largest beverage chain in Viet Nam. To date (May 15) Phuc Long has 157 stores and about 45 integrated kiosks in the Winmart+ stores. Trung Nguyen of 'coffee king' ang Le Nguyen Vu has a different business approach, although it has almost as many stores as Highlands. It currently has about 700 stores, including 108 Trung Nguyen Legend stores, 548 E-Coffee stores and many stores overseas. That overseas expansion is a key plank in Trung Nguyen Legend's business strategy. The VTC News online newspaper quoted Trung Nguyen as saying that the business was planning to develop 1,000 Trung Nguyen Legend coffee spaces in China and about 100 stores in the US. The most unexpected new name on the street is the young chain Katinat Saigon Cafe. It has opened many new stores in prime locations in the centre of HCM City and Ha Noi. Katinat remains a small coffee chain and at the end of 2021, it had just ten stores in HCM City, but over the past year it has been accelerating fast. The pace of new store openings is only just behind that of Highlands Coffee and Phuc Long. The Coffee House also surprised the market, but in the opposite direction. This chain seemed to be on the defensive as its number of stores decreased. At the end of 2022 it had 155 coffee shops, while today it only has 133. As for Starbucks, it currently has 108 stores, after 11 years entering the Vietnamese market, seemingly taking a slow and steady approach to expansion. VNS HA NOI Firms should keep an eye on global trade moves by major economies to figure out how best to promote the consumption and export of products made in Viet Nam, in the context of a glut of cheap Chinese goods flooding the world market, according to experts. The US and EU are talking tough actions to curb cheap Chinese exports. US President Joe Biden directed increases in tariffs across strategic sectors such as steel and aluminium, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes and medical products to protect US manufactures from Chinas unfair trade practices. An article in the The New York Times noted that Bidens China tariffs are the end of an era for cheap Chinese goods. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen earlier this week called for the EU to join the US in curbing imports of cut-price Chinese goods, warning that a surplus of cheap products from China could threaten the survival of factories elsewhere. The EU has taken actions to tackle Chinese subsidies in various industries, triggering fears of a trade war. Le Tien Truong, Chairman of Viet Nam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), said that the competitiveness of Chinese goods is not only dependent on prices but also on the trade policies of the US and the EU. The US and EUs moves to raise tariffs on Chinese products might provide opportunities for Vietnamese goods to compete in foreign markets. However, Truong said it is difficult to compete with China in making popular products, especially when labour costs are no longer a competitive advantage for Viet Nam. He pointed out that Vietnamese companies should go into niche markets instead. According to Vu Kim Hanh, Chairwoman of the Business Association of High Quality Vietnamese Products, in order for Vietnamese goods to be more competitive in the global market, further improvements to the business environment are needed, along with more efficient policies to promote the development of domestic enterprises. With an overcapacity and a slowdown in domestic consumption, China is increasing exports to revive its economy. The surfeit of cheap Chinese goods is also threatening major industries in Viet Nam. For example, soaring imports of hot rolled coil (HRC) from China in recent months have created significant pressure on domestic manufacturers. Statistics from the General Department of Customs show that HRC imports reached 890,000 tonnes in April alone, 1.5 times higher than the domestic total output. Of these imports, HRC from China accounted for 71 per cent. Le Quoc Phuong, former Deputy Director of the Trade and Industry Information Centre under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that firms need to look for ways to compete with Chinese products not only in the domestic market but also internationally. The focus should be on upgrading production technology to improve quality and lower costs. VNS HA NOI Live hog prices in the domestic market have experienced a bullish trend since the beginning of the year, raising investors' expectations for pig farming business profits. Statistics show that the local live hog prices rose about 30 per cent since the start of 2024. Vietcombank Securities Company (VCBS) said that there are some primary factors contributing to this surge in prices, with the limited pork supply in the northern region running low, while the price equilibrium of live hogs across the three regions has resulted in weak pig transportation from the central and southern regions to the north. Also, although domestic pig prices are higher than those in Thailand, pigs are not yet being imported into Viet Nam from the nearby country. Speaking at the General Meeting of shareholders this year, Nguyen Nhu So, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dabaco Group, said he expects pig prices to continue inching higher, primarily due to a significant decline in supply compared to demand last year. And it will take at least 18 months to overcome the supply shortage, he added. Positive results Given a higher price environment, many enterprises in the industry reported bullish changes in business activities. In the first quarter of 2024, Dabacos net revenue reached over VN3.25 trillion (US$127.6 million), marking 40.6 per cent growth year-on-year. Despite a rise in the cost of goods sold, the pig farming enterprise in Bac Ninh Province recorded a remarkable gross profit of VN348 billion during the same period. Last year, it posted a loss of over VN70 billion. After deducting expenses, its profit after tax was VN72.6 billion, while it lost VN320.7 billion in the same period last year. In a quarterly financial statement, BAF Vietnam Agriculture JSC also reported a robust business performance, witnessing a strong gain in net revenue of 58.2 per cent over last year to VN1.29 trillion. The companys profit after tax was over VN118.6 billion in the first quarter, 30.4 times higher than that of the first quarter of 2023. However, Hoang Anh Gia Lai JSC has missed the rising wave of live pig prices. The company's pig segment generates less than VN6 billion in gross profit. In the first quarter, Hoang Anh Gia Lai reported a net revenue of VN1.24 trillion, down 27 per cent year-on-year. Fruit sales constituted the majority of its revenues, amounting to VN887 billion and experiencing a notable 25 per cent increase. But there was a significant drop of 48 per cent in revenue from pig sales, reaching only VN292 billion. The company explained that the delay in rebuilding its pig herd since 2023 was due to allocating resources to other business areas. On the stock market, shares of the three pig-raising companies hit ceiling prices on May 27 and extended rallies at the beginning of this week. The surging momentum of livestock stocks has been recorded since mid-April. In just over a month, the stock prices of Dabaco (DBC), Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) and BAF Vietnam Agriculture (BAF) have all experienced increases of around 20 per cent. Notably, DBC stock has reached its highest price in over a year, approaching the historical peak achieved in early March 2022. BAF is also currently trading at a 21-month high, while the price of HAG stock is at its highest level since the start of February. Accelerating herd restocking Amid the upward trend in pork prices, numerous livestock enterprises have been intensifying their efforts to restock their herds, anticipating price increases throughout the year. Since the end of April, Dabaco has imported a new batch of breeding pigs, which were transported to Viet Nam by airplane. The expansion of the breeding pig population has led to the highest level of pig farming productivity in the company's 28-year history. Last year, despite a challenging disease situation, Dabaco took a bold step by importing 10,000 breeding pigs. "If we hadn't taken the initiative to import pigs last year, Dabaco could have faced a difficult situation this year," the Dabaco Chairman said. He also said that the companys target is to secure enough land to expand the sow herd to approximately 90,000 heads and the fattening pig herd to about 1.5 million by 2025, at the latest by 2026. BAF has announced its intention to swiftly launch seven additional farm projects. Of these, the Hai ang farm cluster, consisting of 5,000 breeding sows and 60,000 fattening pigs, the Tan Chau farm with 30,000 fattening pigs, and the Tam Hung farm with 5,000 breeding sows have already started operating as of March. The company also plans to initiate seven more projects in 2024, including six livestock farms and one animal feed production factory in Binh inh Province. As a result, BAF aims to double its total herd size by the end of 2024, reaching 75,000 breeding sows and 800,000 fattening pigs compared to last year. Meanwhile, HAGL, although progressing at a slower pace, possesses advantages in terms of farm area and self-sufficiency in banana feed supply. It has resumed investing in expanding its herd, utilising existing infrastructure and farms. Products are expected to be available within the next four to five months. The company has significant ambitions for 2024. With the support of LPBank, HAGL anticipates recording profits starting at the end of this year. If pork prices remain favourable in 2025, the company is confident it will reap substantial benefits. HAGL is beginning herd expansion with the financial support of LPBank, including a loan of VN300 billion for increasing pig numbers, said oan Nguyen uc, the company's Chairman. VNS HA NOI Bac Giang Province is focusing on developing a high-skilled workforce to bring in investments in the semiconductor industry and seize the chance to make the most of developments in a digital era. The important role of the semiconductor industry in global economic development has been recognised. The province has organised a special forum to discuss how to get a bigger and better local workforce. There are three enterprises operating in the semiconductor industry in the province, including Hana Micron Vina and Si Flex Viet Nam, with Korean part investment and Synergie Cad Viet Nam, which has French investment. Together, the companies employ more than 8,000 workers, predominantly degree and college graduates, with majors in automation, electronic engineering, information technology, mechanical engineering and chemical technology. Nguyen Xuan Ngoc, Deputy Head of Bac Giang Provinces Management Board of Industrial Parks, said that more companies in the semiconductor sector are expected to arrive in local industrial zones and the workforce will be expanding. It will need an additional 1,866 employees by the end of 2024 and 6,300 in the 2025-30 period. Because the semiconductor industry is a relatively new venture for Bac Giang in particular and Viet Nam in general, the number of employees with the right skills remain limited. Thus, Vietnamese employees typically require on-the-job training upon starting work in the semiconductor sector. According to Chung Won Seok, general director of Hana Micron Vina Limited Liability Company, Hana Micron, the company has ambitious growth plans for the new semiconductor industry ecosystem in Viet Nam. By 2025, the company plans to increase investment in Bac Giang from US$600 million to $1 billion and provide jobs for nearly 3,000 people, with 70 per cent being Vietnamese. The company forecasts revenues of around $800 million. Solutions Bac Giang currently has a working-age population of 1.1 million, with 76 per cent having received training, including graduates from local colleges. Bac Giang Viet Nam Korea College of Technology is one of the local colleges that has collaborated with Hana Micron Vina for training students, organising internships and running recruitment drives after graduation. On November 11, 2023, 62 students from the college of technology, started work at Hana Micron Vina. Nguyen Cong Thong, the college's principal, said the college has recently earmarked a separate area for training, research and development and technology transfer just for semiconductor enterprises. The local authority is also asking the college to focus on skills training for the semiconductor industry, to serve both companies in the northern province and even send workers to other localities and even international markets, the principal added. Vo Xuan Hoai, Deputy Director of the National Innovation Centre under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, urged Bac Giang to strengthen international cooperation with the countries who excel in the semiconductor industry such as the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. He asked training and education establishments to enhance their capacity for education and training, as well as to upgrade their facilities to promote research and development. Standing Deputy Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Mai Son said that agencies and organisations should work with the provincial Department of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs to develop a plan to create a suitable workforce for the semiconductor industry and artificial intelligence by 2030. The plan should be completed and submitted for consideration in June. VNS AN GIANG Tran Van Thanh who lives near Mount Co To in Tri Ton District in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang has been caring for a group of Indochinese silvered langurs (Trachypithecus Germaini) for many years. Thanh said in 1996, while he was in the forest gathering vegetables, he stumbled upon a langur hiding in a tree. Its fur was a blend of grey matching the mountain rocks and forest trees, making it quite difficult to spot, he said. Initially, he mistook it for a monkey, which were abundant in the mountains, but upon closer inspection, he noticed its longer, larger tail and more beautiful fur. After that, the langur disappeared but whenever Thanh went into the forest to gather vegetables or fruits, he always kept an eye out to try and spot the creature. One day, when he encountered a langur again, he did not chase or trap it, the Nhan dan (People) online newspaper reported. Instead, he spoke gently, calling it 'Mai, Mai' and tried to entice it by offering bananas, jackfruit, instant noodles and bread. At first, the langur remained wary and kept its distance, but eventually, it grew bolder, coming down from the trees to collect the food that Thanh threw to it. When it became even more used to him, it would come closer to take the food. It was a male Indochinese silvered langur. Shortly afterwards, while Thanh was in his house near Vo Hoi Lon area, he heard noises and went outside where the langur had arrived along with a group of five individuals, including two young ones. He went back inside to get some packets of instant noodles for them to eat and after that the visitors would come regularly to his home and ask for food. Gradually, local residents and forest rangers knew about Thanh and his story with the langurs. When the forest rangers went up the mountain to check, they saw the group of animals with grey-faced, black-legged fur, confirming that they were Indochinese silvered langurs, a rare and endangered species listed in the Viet Nam Red Book. The forest rangers told local residents about the importance of protecting the rare animals, prohibiting hunting, trapping or any form of captivity. Aware of their responsibility, the local residents have been voluntarily taking care of the langurs since then. Whenever they spotted poachers with guns, traps, or anyone who might hunt the langurs, they would report to them to the authorities. Nguyen Thanh Liem, head of the Forest Protection and Nature Conservation Office of the provincial Forest Protection Division said that the langurs were carefully protected so far. Since their appearance, there had not been any resident hunting them for meat or capturing them. The langurs often returned to the areas around Vo Hoi Lon area, Vo Hoi Nho area and Tien Yard, which were the highest points on the mountain to ask for food. So the forest protection division has sent food, including fruits and instant noodles, to Thanh, so that he could give the food to the langurs for years. Additionally, protection efforts include regular patrols and checks to prevent hunting and trapping the langurs. According to Thanh, there are currently 14 langurs in the mountain. The province has 37 mountains and hills but Mount Co To is the only place where this species of langur resides. Extinction risk The provincial Natural Resources and Environment Department said that it had six individual langurs in 2014 and nine in 2020, all living on the mountain. That is an ideal habitat for them, with natural forests consisting of large and small trees, combined with shrubs and leafy bushes. The mountain also has caves with small hollows and shady canopies that the langurs can shelter in. However, with the still extremely low number of existing populations, the risk of extinction is very high, so they need protection at every level. Liem said the current worry was finding another langur group to bring to the mountain to mate with the existing langurs. They are now the only langur group in the mountain, so prolonged inbreeding may lead to genetic stagnation and a very high risk of extinction, he said. Under the 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature, Indochinese silvered langurs are 'critically endangered'. Under Government Decree No. 06/2019/N-CP, the langur species is classified under Group IB - endangered forest animals. In the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the species is listed in Appendix II. VNS Flash Pakistan's National Counter-Terrorism Authority Coordinator Muhammad Tahir Rai said Sunday that security forces have arrested 11 suspects accused involved in an attack on Chinese nationals in March this year. Addressing a joint press conference here with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, he said the arrested are in police custody on physical remand, adding that they would face trial in local anti-terrorism court where charge sheets would be submitted after completing legal formalities. Naqvi said that foreign land had been used to attack Chinese nationals in Pakistan, which is a "matter of great concern for Pakistan." The authorities have all the evidence that the attack was planned and operated from Afghan soil by the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the minister said, adding that "the adversary intelligence agencies" funded them heavily for the attack. Pakistan has raised this issue with the Afghan interim government, he added. No official response has been made by the Afghan side. On March 26, a suicide bomber riding on an explosive-laden vehicle attacked a convoy of Chinese nationals heading towards a hydropower project, killing five Chinese and their Pakistani driver in the Besham area of Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. PARIS A photo and document exhibition named Ho Chi Minh - Desire for national independence opened in Paris, France on May 26. In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to France inh Toan Thang said that the exhibition recounts President Ho Chi Minh's life and career, from his youthful years searching for a way to save the country to when he became the beloved leader of the Vietnamese people. Each artefact, photo, and document shows the sacrifices and hardships that the President had gone through, and the glorious victories that he and the Vietnamese nation had achieved. Thang affirmed that under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese people went through sacrifices and hardships, and finally won glorious victories in the two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the US imperialists, realising the aspiration for national liberation. On display are nearly 200 photos and documents featuring the late leaders background, life, and career. The exhibition, part of a series of activities to mark the 134th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh, remains open to visitors until the end of June 3. VNS Nguyen Phuong Nam, the climate change assessment expert of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, talks to Vietnam News Agency reporter about how to promote the carbon market. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued Directive No. 13/CT-TTg, to enhance management of carbon credits in order to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) programme. How do you evaluate the potential development of the carbon credit market in Viet Nam? The carbon market in Viet Nam will have significant developmental potential. Firstly, Viet Nam, as a developing country, has high production demands, resulting in increased greenhouse gas emissions due to environmentally-unfriendly technologies. Thus, there are considerable opportunities when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the country. Additionally, the geographical location plays a crucial role, as Viet Nam, a tropical country, has more potential for diversifying renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, compared to other nations. Moreover, Viet Nam has ample opportunities to attract green financial resources, not only focusing on climate change adaptation and extreme weather phenomena resistance, but also in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the demand and opportunities for establishing a carbon credit market are closely linked to Directive 13/CT-TTg issued by the Prime Minister. However, it is crucial for ministries, sectors, localities and relevant agencies to evaluate the current status of greenhouse gas emissions, allocate greenhouse gas emission quotas and operate the market smoothly and attractively for investors to engage in carbon credit trading. How does the implementation of the carbon market contribute to Viet Nam's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050? This is an ambitious goal requiring the involvement of various stakeholders, including ministries, sectors, localities, Vietnamese enterprises and support from international organisations, to channel green finance into helping domestic enterprises transition to green. Green capital, with many preferential incentives supporting enterprises, ensures profit recovery and contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, moving towards Viet Nam's stated goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The most significant challenge currently for Viet Nam is to accurately determine the greenhouse gas emissions of major emitting enterprises, because if we fail in this, it will pose a significant obstacle for State management agencies. Allocation of greenhouse gas emission quotas to enterprises needs to be carried out so that enterprises know and can reduce emissions, creating surplus quotas for carbon credit trading. Therefore, the most crucial task in Viet Nam is to determine the allocation of greenhouse gas emission quotas for domestic enterprises currently in operation and production. How will Vietnamese export enterprises face carbon credit barriers? For Vietnamese export enterprises, they must deal with several issues related to trade and export barriers, especially after the European Union introduced the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in 2023. Therefore, goods in some of the sectors regulated by the European Union, such as iron, steel, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity, exported to the EU, if they are not taxed in the host country, will also be taxed at Europe's borders, equivalent to nearly US$100 for a tonne of CO2. Vietnamese enterprises within the global supply chain, with customers in Europe, are at risk of this tax. Apart from the European Union, other countries worldwide like the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have implemented similar mechanisms. This means Vietnamese enterprises need to equip themselves with knowledge and calculations of greenhouse gas emission intensities per product to avoid trade barriers, thereby enhancing competitiveness and brand recognition. Sustainable brands are not only good and affordable but also have social and environmental significance. Therefore, Vietnamese enterprises need to prepare now so that in the next five to ten years, any trade is smooth and they can establish a certain reputation in the global market. The Ministry of Finance is proposing a carbon credit trading platform. In your opinion, how should the platform be operated? The Ministry of Finance is the appropriate authority to lead the construction and management of a carbon credit trading platform. The project is being accelerated and in principle, a trading platform should be easily approved, especially given the current trends in information technology, it should make exchanges and transactions relatively easy and convenient. However, to establish a complete ecosystem, involving stakeholders from units of depository and registration of credit trading entities to order match units or brokers, requires in-depth understanding of the specific product. Carbon credits are an intangible commodity similar to stocks and require many legal regulations to clearly define ownership units or asset values for smooth trading. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam has dispatched more than 800 officers and soldiers to UN peacekeeping missions over the past ten years, said Colonel Pham Manh Thang, director of the Viet Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, on Monday. The department and its Engineering Unit Rotation 1 were honoured to receive the third-class Fatherland Defence Medal on the tenth anniversary of the foundation during a ceremony held in Ha Noi. The Level 2 Field Hospital No 4 and Colonel Mac uc Trong, captain of the Engineering Unit Rotation 1 were awarded certificates of merit from the Prime Minister. Based on assessments from UN agencies and the mission commander, Colonel Thang said the Vietnamese peacekeeping force has done a great job of completing the task. The team members have impressed mission commanders, foreign friends and colleagues with their professionalism, inventiveness, and high level of discipline. Among 800 professional officers and soldiers deployed on UN peacekeeping missions were two engineering unit teams to Abyei, five teams of Level 2 Field Hospital personnel serving on the South Sudan mission, and 114 individual officers, he said. The proportion of Vietnamese officers who successfully finished their assignments is far greater than the UN average, he said. In addition to providing medical examinations, treatments and health consultations, the Vietnamese engineering units in Abyei have helped the local government and people with road construction and repair, classroom construction and renovation, volunteer teaching, and drilling water wells for local residential areas and schools. Numerous patients, including locals and United Nations employees, have received excellent medical care and treatment from the Viet Nam Level 2 Field hospitals in South Sudan. They also used innovative methods for identifying and treating patients in line with real-world circumstances. They performed intricate surgeries and air ambulance transfers of numerous risky situations with success. Hoang Xuan Chien, deputy minister of national defence and head of the interdisciplinary working group, asked the department to intensify research and strategic consultation with leaders at all levels to progressively expand the number of forces, areas, and participating positions, particularly command positions at the UN headquarters, in nations and missions where Viet Nam excels, including engineering forces, military police, communications, and military transportation. It is necessary to continue to maintain and increase the rate of female soldiers participating in peacekeeping activities while working with relevant domestic agencies and international organisations to take advantage of support in terms of resources and sharing experiences, Chien, who is also head of the ministrys steering committee on UN peacekeeping activities, said. The force has also been ordered to enhance its capacity to well perform the national peacekeeping coordination task. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Ha Noi on Monday for visiting Vice President of the World Bank (WB) Manuela V. Ferro and WB Country Director Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia Mariam J. Sherman, along with their associates. PM Chinh expressed his appreciation for the WBs contributions to Viet Nam's socio-economic development since 1993, with total funding of up to US$24 billion, especially in poverty reduction. Highlighting Viet Nam's commitment to a deeper partnership, he requested the WBs continued support for programmes and policies promoting sustainable growth, green, digital, circular, sharing and knowledge-based economies. Ferro, for her part, noted that the WB has shown trust by establishing its regional office for Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia in Hanoi. She affirmed that the lender is eager and ready to work closely with Viet Nam to ensure that the regional office operates efficiently, benefiting all the three countries. She underlined ongoing collaboration with Vietnamese ministries and agencies to review existing projects and develop a new phase of the Viet Nam-WB Country Partnership Framework. Expressing readiness to welcome the WB President to Viet Nam, the Vietnamese leader hailed the proposed $11 billion in WB lending for Viet Nam over the next five years, focusing on large-scale infrastructure, energy and agriculture. He encouraged the WB to consider flexible capital management models and adjust its approach to provide preferential loans for critical infrastructure projects. These projects, he emphasised, should have a broad impact, connect regions, create development space and effectively address climate change concerns. Specifically, he mentioned the North-South high-speed railway, the HCM City-Can Tho railway, the Ha Noi metro line, and the development of 1 million ha of quality rice in the Mekong Delta. According to him, Viet Nam has made changes in governance, investment structure, procedure reform, and a people-centric approach. This will ensure a harmonious balance of interests among the people, the State, and businesses. The host hoped that the WB would continue assisting Viet Nam in accessing the global carbon credit market, creating new avenues to finance Viet Nam's climate commitments and goals. The WB Vice President pledged the WB's continued partnership with Viet Nam to achieve its development goals for 2030 and 2050 through concrete actions and projects. The WB, she assured, would collaborate with Viet Nam to discuss and adopt solutions to expedite and enhance the efficiency of their joint work, as expected by the PM. VNS HA NOI The top legislators of Japan and Belarus have sent letters of congratulations to Tran Thanh Man over his election as Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) at the 15th legislature's 7th sitting. In his letter, President of the House of Councillors of Japan Otsuji Hidehisa expressed his hope that through promoting parliamentary exchanges between Japan and Viet Nam, the relationship between the two countries will grow stronger. Meanwhile, Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Nukaga Fukushiro emphasised that Japan has been building close relations and deepening its friendship with the Vietnamese NA through opportunities for cooperation between the two sides. Japan and Viet Nam celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations in September 2023. Fukushiro hoped that he and Man will make joint efforts to strengthen the relations and promote friendship and cooperation between the two countries in general and their legislative bodies in particular. In her letter, Speaker of the Council of the Republic of Belarus Natalya Kochanova affirmed that over the past 30 years, Belarus and Viet Nam have actively cooperated bilaterally as well as at international forums on the basis of mutual understanding and constructive dialogue. The two countries have enhanced mutual respect and trust, and achieved significant progress in developing bilateral trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations. She believed that, with the support of Vietnamese NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man, the connections between the legislative bodies of the two countries, including within the framework of inter-parliamentary organisations, will be strengthened and contribute to promoting effective bilateral cooperation for the benefit of their people. VNS HA NOI Leaders of Indonesia, Canada, Kuwait and Sweden have sent their congratulations to To Lam on his election as the State President of Viet Nam at the 15th legislatures seventh sitting. Congratulating Lam, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that he believes Viet Nam will make many socioeconomic development achievements. He affirmed that Indonesia wishes to further promote its strategic partnership with Viet Nam for the benefits of the two countries' people as well as the development and prosperity of Indonesia and Viet Nam. Governor General of Canada Mary May Simon congratulated President To Lam, affirming Viet Nam-Canada friendship will keep developing with increased bilateral trade and investment, close relations between their people as well as close coordination at multilateral forums. She wished President To Lam success in his new position. Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf also sent congratulatory messages to President Lam. President Droupadi Murmu and Speaker Om Birla of the Lok Sabha of India also cabled letters of congratulations to To Lam and Tran Thanh Man on their elections as the State President and Chairman of the National Assembly of Viet Nam respectively. In their letters, the Indian leaders emphasised that the Viet Nam-India comprehensive strategic partnership has been developed based on time-tested friendship, trust and deep mutual understanding. Noting the two countries relations are developing fruitfully in many areas, the Indian leaders said they wish to promote cooperation and deepen bilateral relations. VNS HA NOI More and more foreign patients are choosing Viet Nam for healthcare, as the country is considered a bright spot in specialised medical examination and treatment. The top dermatological examination facility in the nation, the National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology, has seen an increase in foreign patients in recent years, as well as in Vietnamese nationals who have lived and worked overseas but are seeking dermatological examination and treatment in Viet Nam. Foreign patients are choosing Viet Nam in part because it can take a long time to see a dermatologist abroad. Some patients had already seen their family physicians, but experienced unsatisfactory outcomes from their medical treatment abroad. In one particular case, a five-year-old boy who had grown up in Japan was identified at four months old as having atopic dermatitis. In a year, the illness returned numerous times. In a Japanese hospital, the patient received care and examination. But lately, he has experienced an increase in severity of his symptoms, with several severe eczema lesions and dry skin all over the body. The patient was admitted to the National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology's Department of Skin Disease Treatment for Women and Children. Following seven days of therapy, the patient's skin was less dry, he had no eczema lesions, and he was allowed to leave the hospital. Doctor Nguyen Doan Tuan, Department of Skin Disease Treatment for Women and Children, said the growing number of foreign patients seeking medical care in Viet Nam indicates that the nation's healthcare system is on par with that of developed nations worldwide. At the National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology, we regularly update new medical knowledge and modern treatment techniques, as well as upgrade facilities to serve medical examination and treatment for people," he said. Numerous other healthcare establishments, like Central Military Hospital 108 and Bach Mai Hospital, have also drawn international patients for diagnosis and care. After ingesting chemicals used to clean toilets resulting in burns to her upper digestive tract, 23-year-old female patient K.V.S. from Laos has had difficulty eating or drinking for a year. By the time she was admitted to the hospital, the patient had dropped from a healthy 74 kg to just 34 kg. She had lost the ability to swallow solid food and was unable to even drink water. The patient underwent numerous therapies, including stent implantation and esophageal dilatation, at numerous medical facilities in Vientiane, Laos, but none of them were successful. Associate Professor Tran Manh Hung, head of the General Surgery Department at Bach Mai Hospital, said the patient was hospitalised in a state of severe malnutrition and suffered burns to the entire upper digestive tract as a result of a corrosive substance that caused the entire esophagus to contract, narrow, and tighten. The patient underwent a major eight-hour operation, recovered well, and was able to eat porridge on her own eight days later. Improved service quality The Central Military Hospital 108 recently successfully treated a 42-year-old foreign man who suffered from urethral damage due to a traffic accident. After undergoing laparoscopic surgery to implant a self-expanding urethral stent, as recommended by physicians, he was able to recuperate quickly. He said I sincerely appreciate the physicians at Central Military Hospital 108. I was given committed care as soon as I arrived at the hospital. I think the facility offers excellent medical care. The Ministry of Health estimates that each year about 300,000 people from abroad come to Viet Nam for medical examination and treatment. This is one of the goals stated in the ministry's Project to attract foreigners, Vietnamese living abroad and high-income Vietnamese to receive high-quality medical examination and treatment in Viet Nam during the 2020-2030 period. The enhanced quality of healthcare services in Viet Nam, along with much lower expenses compared to overseas treatment, are two factors drawing a large number of patients. Vietnamese physicians possess skills comparable to those of physicians in affluent nations. VNS QUANG NAM A community's collaborative marine conservation efforts in recent years have provided sustainable livelihoods for the residents of the Cham Islands in Quang Nam Province. Lying 18km offshore from Hoi An Ancient Town, the Cham Islands (named locally as Cu Lao Cham) enjoy a rich diversity of estuarine and coastal ecosystems, including seven islets and the main Cham Island with 2,400 inhabitants. They have 1,500ha of tropical forests and 6,700ha of waters, home for a wide range of marine fauna and flora. Recognised as a World Biosphere Reserve since 2009 by UNESCO, the Cham Islands-Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve covers the ancient town of Hoi An and the lower area of the Thu Bon River. Concerned about the potential extinction of local land crabs, the Management Board of the Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area, together with Hoi An authorities, initiated conservation measures in 2006 which also helped create sustainable livelihoods for the islands residents, the Tai Nguyen & Moi Truong (Natural Resources & Environment) online newspaper reported. By 2008, these efforts had led to the formation of a community land crab-catching group dedicated to both harvesting and protecting crab populations. According to Nguyen Duy Khanh, head of the Cu Lao Cham land crab cooperative, each hunter is allowed to harvest about 50 land crabs per month, with each crab being at least 7cm wide. Harvesting takes place from January to the end of the seventh lunar month, with a ban during the remaining months to protect the crabs during their breeding season. Only crabs with a carapace width over 7cm and not carrying eggs, are labelled for market sale, while those that don't meet the criteria are released back into the wild. Le Vinh Thuan, deputy director of the Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area Management Board, said that the community's work in harvesting and protecting land crabs is a model of how to harmonise conservation and livelihoods within the Cu Lao Cham Biosphere Reserve. Recent surveys indicate a gradual increase in the land crab population, contributing to the islands ecosystem diversity. Another model is the co-managed marine conservation sub-area in Bai Huong village, Tan Hiep Island commune. Locals are entrusted with over 19 hectares of marine protected area waters, allowing them to manage, control fishing activities and develop services independently. After a decade in operation, the model is working well. Initially, livelihoods were unstable, but now fishermen in Bai Huong have increased their income through fishing and organising tourism tours. Following the sub-area's success, residents of Tan Hiep Island commune continue to grasp technology, assisting the marine protected area in establishing nurseries and restoring over 4000sq.m of hard coral reefs. This is the first model in the country where the community manages, exploits and develops livelihoods in tandem with the goals of the marine protected area. Tran Thi Hong Thuy, deputy head of the Cham-Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve, told Vietnamplus.vn that the site has developed a comprehensive management system. This system integrates various approaches, including creating an ecosystem, river basin, coast and island management, aiming to preserve and enhance local and globally significant values in line with UNESCO's expectations. These efforts have established Cu Lao Cham-Hoi An as a trusted and beloved destination for tourists and international visitors, motivating residents and authorities to further beautify Hoi An. The city is renowned for its stunning landscapes and rich natural and cultural resources. A highlight of the reserve sites environmental protection efforts is the effective implementation of the Hoi An City environmental protection plan 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030. The residents of Cham Islands have adopted a plastic bag free initiative to reduce single-use plastics citywide. Conservation projects, educational programmes and awareness campaigns about the biosphere reserve are integrated into the local middle school curriculum. These initiatives have significantly increased Hoi An's appeal to both domestic and international tourists, Thuy said. Under the pressure of socio-economic development, rapid tourism growth, extreme weather and climate change, there's an increasing threat to various habitats and ecosystems. Methods and optimal solutions are necessary to conserve natural resources within and beyond the protected area, she said. Tran Van Khoa, director of Jack Tran Tours, said that Hoi An, including destinations like Cu Lao Cham, Cam Thanh, and Cam Kim, has made significant strides in development, particularly in tourism. The residents living on Cu Lao Cham have shifted from traditional agriculture and unsustainable fishing practices, to sustainable resource use to move over to income from tourism. This transition has stabilised and improved residents' quality of life, fostering active participation in conserving the invaluable natural heritage. A resident of Tan Hiep island commune, Tran Nhat Sinh, said that the most prominent socio-economic development in Tan Hiep is its rapid shift from fragmented fisheries to tourism services. The Marine Protected Area and Biosphere Reserve continuously enhances the lives of island residents, who now recognise that such resources are their lifeline. Many fishermen who once used explosives and harvested corals and trees illegally have transformed into active collaborators in marine conservation activities. They now participate in patrolling, controlling fishery and forestry exploitation and engaging in activities such as reforesting, coral transplantation and seabed cleaning, Sinh said. Quang Nam's provincial plan for 2021-2030, looking ahead to 2050, designates the Cham Islands-Hoi An Biosphere Reserve as the focal point of a network of coastal wetland reserves. The government strategy emphasises activities aimed at restoring biodiversity on both a national and international scale. The province aims to translate these efforts into concrete sustainable development initiatives, aligning with global environmental objectives like the UN's Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. This strategic move not only fulfils Viet Nam's commitments to international biodiversity agreements, but also acts as a catalyst for overall development in Quang Nam province. VNS HCM CITY One of the crucial aspects of language education is making it accessible to everyone by embracing innovative approaches and leveraging technology, experts said at a conference in HCM City last Saturday. Reputable scholars in the field of English Methodology and Teaching on May 25 discussed the topic Nurturing Open Minds, Shaping Inclusive Futures In Language Education during the 12th OpenTESOL International Hybrid Conference held by the HCM City Open University. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Ha, president of the HCM City Open University, said that this year, the conference also emphasised that a crucial aspect of language education is cultivating an environment that fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and a willingness to embrace diverse perspectives. The conference welcomed more than 300 scientists, managers, researchers, teachers, lecturers, graduate students, masters students, students majoring in English, Chinese and Japanese Teaching and Applied Linguistics of more than 150 universities, educational institutions and training institutions from more than 30 countries around the world. It equipped the participants with the latest theories, practical strategies, and tools so that they can build classrooms that are not only effective but also inclusive and empowering for a future where language learning opportunities reach everyone, regardless of geographical boundaries, socio-economic backgrounds, and abilities, he said. It also featured more than 60 presentations and papers on the topics of the application of artificial intelligence to personalise the learning experience and meet diverse learning needs; creativity and innovation in language teaching methods; and the impact of technology on language learning and teaching in the current context. Dr. Nina Kang, a lecturer in Academic and Professional Writing and Coordinator of Assessment and Testing at the American Language Institute of the US-based University of Southern California, shared about adapting English language teaching practices in the era of Artificial Intelligence. The approaching use of AI for teaching needs clear expectations, and prompt design and engineering, she said. It is necessary to articulate to students what skills theyre learning for each assignment and how theyll use the skills in a real word context. She said trends in language learning include personalised learning, micro-learning (bite-sized learning in the form of videos, digital content), mobile learning (IMs, podcasts, Duolingo), gamification (Kahoot, Quizlet, WhatsApp), and extended learning (XR) (avatars, simulations via AR/VR). The exciting possibilities of AI are personalised learning experience, adaptability (adaptive technology), improved feedback mechanism, increased access and support, and enhanced language practice. Educators must empower instructors and students, be inclusive and student-centred, and focus on literacy and fluency, she said. Prof. Howard Nicholas, a lecturer at Latrobe University in Australia, said teaching and learning are intimately connected. "So we cannot talk about learner agency without first looking at teacher agency." Teacher agency sets the context for learner agency, he said. People are not born with a fixed or pre-determined amount of agency because of their genes or family circumstances. We can grow our own agency through the experiences that we have, and teachers can create opportunities and experiences through which learner agency can grow, he said. "When the students make a joke, they are being agentive. So teachers need to laugh with your students, be interested in the things that they are NOT saying, encourage them to ask another question. Its as simple as that to promote agency, he added. The HCM City Open University is a higher education institution offering a variety of programmes ranging from on-site to distance, online learning and learning at satellite academic centres promoting a society with active learning by offering the most flexible and obtainable methods to enrich the countrys human resources. It has hosted the OpenTESOL International Conference series annually since 2012. Since then, the conference has always been a platform for continuous growth in language education, attracting both Vietnamese and international practitioners and researchers. It offers a valuable platform for sharing effective teaching methods across diverse learning environments. It fosters a network of educators and language professionals, and bridges the gap between local communities and international language education institutions and associations. VNS Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha chairs the conference on May 27. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi The Ministry of Construction (MoC) has been demanded to coordinate with other ministries and sectors to minimise processes and procedures for implementing social housing projects. This is among the requests Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha made while speaking at a hybrid national conference on May 27 that discussed the draft decree on social housing development and management. He underlined the importance of building the decrees detailing the realisation of the 2024 Land Law, the 2023 Law on Housing, and the 2023 Law on Real Estate Business, noting that they are related to people, enterprises, as well as State management at both central and local levels. Given this, ministries, sectors, localities, experts, and business associations should give opinions to perfect the drafts so that once the decrees are issued, no bottlenecks or difficulties will appear during the implementation of the three laws, he added. Talking about certain issues, Ha asked the MoC to work with the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Vietnam to devise a mechanism for mobilising and using resources for social housing development in a consistent manner. In this mechanism, the State should play the main role while funding should also come from investors of commercial housing projects and other social sources so that commercial banks do not have to bear all the financial burden when engaging in the preferential credit package for social housing. The Deputy PM also assigned the MoC to coordinate with other ministries and sectors to simplify the criteria for recognising beneficiaries of social housing, along with the conditions for renting and buying this type of housing. The MoC also needs to encourage private businesses to invest in social housing, develop a mechanism for post-construction inspection of such projects, and supplement the regulations on diverting land or projects for resettlement into social housing ones, according to the official. The MoC reported that the draft decree on social housing development and management consists of seven chapters with 78 articles that give detailed guidance on 18 contents related to the social housing policy in the 2023 Law on Housing. It inherits the current regulations that are still implemented effectively while institutionalising new and breakthrough policies to address recent obstacles to the assistance for social housing development. Land zoned for social housing expands to over 8,390ha: ministry The land area zoned for social housing development has increased by 5,031ha from the 3,359ha reported in 2020, said the Ministry of Construction (MoC). Social housing needed to boost capital in real estate Amid a gloomy real estate market, experts have pointed out that the affordable housing segment is the key to mobilising capital. Dong Nai eyes 10,000 units of social housing by 2025 The southern province of Dong Nai targets some 10,000 units of social housing built by 2025, the provincial Department of Construction said at a meeting on March 21. You are here: World Flash Israeli Channel 13 reported Monday that an "unusual incident" occurred between the Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing. Israel is currently "investigating" the incident, said the report. EVNNPT mobilise 800 people to accelerate the 500kV transmission line circuit 3 from Quang Trach to Pho Noi According to Vietnam Electricity (EVN), the weather is currently changing, so erratic rain, sunshine, and thunderstorms are causing difficulties for the construction of the 500kV circuit 3 line Quang Trach - Pho Noi project. However, ministries, localities, EVN, and National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) are working together with contractors to try to overcome the problems and are determined to complete projects according to schedule. To date, all column foundation positions and most anchorages have been handed over. The investor urged contractors to import enough input materials, install more and optimise production lines, and increase human resources to work all days and nights. For contractors who work behind schedule, EVN/EVNNPT and the project management boards request contractors to add more capable subcontractors to speed up progress. For contractors who are overloaded and behind schedule, the investor also asked to add more capable subcontractors to speed up the production and supply of columns. For imported steel column packages, contractors worked with manufacturing partners to increase production and speed up production and delivery of products before May 30, 2024. The investors set the target to finish putting up all the columns on June 15, complete the installation of insulation, accessories, and wire pulling on June 20, and perform testing, acceptance, and energisation from June 20-30. To ensure the progress of the 500kV circuit 3 Quang Trach - Pho Noi line project to be completed in June 2024, EVNNPT mobilised 800 skilled human resources from power transmission companies across the country to participate in construction. These engineers and skilled workers are mobilised from Power Transmission Company No.4, Power Transmission Company No.3, Power Transmission Company No.2 and Power Transmission Company No.1. Nguyen Ba Dung, deputy director of Quang Ngai Power Transmission under Power Transmission Company No.2, said, Immediately after the request of EVNNPT, the National Power Transmission Company No.2 took about 120 engineers and skilled workers to establish five construction teams to erect poles and pull ropes to support construction contractors. Huynh Quang Thinh, head of Technical Department at Power Transmission Company No.3, said, For each position assigned to erect a pole, in favourable weather conditions, we will carry out construction within 15 to 20 days to complete a column position with a column erection volume of over 100 tonnes. Each engineer and worker determined to complete the column erection will work synchronously with other units. 500kV transmission line project from Quang Trach to Pho Noi Investor: National Power Transmission Corporation (under EVN) Total investment: about VND22 trillion ($916.6 million) Scale: 2 circuits of 500kV transmission line, about 519km long. Starting point is 500kV Quang Trach switchyard (Quang Binh), ending point is 500kV Pho Noi substation (Hung Yen). Engineering consultant: Power Engineering Consulting JSC 1, 2, 4 and Institute of Energy Project Management Board for Northern Power Projects on behalf of EVNNPT manages two sections: Nam Dinh I Thermal Power Plant Thanh Hoa and Nam Dinh I Thermal Power Plant - Pho Noi. Project Management Board for Central Power Projects on behalf of EVNNPT manages two sections: Quang Trach Quynh Luu and Quynh Luu - Thanh Hoa EVNNPT in solid position after 15 years National Power Transmission Company (EVNNPT) has made significant achievements and contributed greatly to ensuring national energy security in the 15 years since its establishment. EVNNPT accelerates construction of Nho Quan-Phu Ly-Thuong Tin transmission line National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) is expediting the construction of the 500/220kV Nho Quan-Phu Ly-Thuong Tin transmission line. EVNNPT to loan $675 million for Quang Trach-Pho Noi 500kV line National Power Transmission Corporation will mobilise loans worth $675 million for part of the construction of the Quang Trach-Pho Noi 500kV transmission line project. EVN and EVNNPT to upgrade power transmission lines in Thai Binh Vietnam Electricity (EVN) will co-operate with National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) and Thai Binh Peoples Committee to resolve the issues relating to the power transmission lines in the northern province. The aforementioned report found that approximately half of the banks credit portfolios are allocated to firms that are highly or very highly dependent on one or more ecosystem services. Meanwhile, according to the State of Finance for Nature in the G20 report, over half of the worlds GDP moderately or highly depends on nature and ecosystem services. Linh Nguyen, Finance lecturer RMIT University Vietnam These services, classified into 21 different categories by ENCORE under the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services, refer to the benefits that humans receive from nature. Such benefits enable and facilitate our business production processes. Examples include bio-remediation which provides us with clean air and water, or flood and storm protection which helps reduce damages and avoid costs for our society. A 2022 report by the Network for Greening the Financial System and the International Network for Sustainable Financial Policy Insights, Research, and Exchange study group on biodiversity and financial stability emphasises the exposures of the financial systems towards the degradation of ecosystems. They categorise biodiversity-related financial risks into physical and transition risks. According to the report, physical risks are related to the degradation of ecosystem services on which economic actors depend. Examples of physical risks include land use changes leading to adverse impacts on business operations, which in turn influence the ability to pay by borrowing firms and consequently the credit risks of financial institutions. Sea level rises and changes in the coastal habitats can also affect coastal assets and companies operating near coastal areas, leading to significant business and financial risks. On the other hand, transition risks result from the misalignment between the impacts on biodiversity associated with financial institutions portfolios and developments aimed at reducing or reversing the damage to biodiversity and ecosystems, as explained in the report. Examples of transition risks include changes in policy or consumer preferences affecting firms, especially those that have a negative biodiversity impact, which in turn influence financial institutions. Additionally, there can be other subsets of biodiversity-related financial risks including liability risks and reputational risks, according to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report from 2023. For example, when the public awareness about biodiversity increases, firms with a negative impact on the biodiversity can face a huge pressure as well as reputational loss, potentially leading to financial losses. Although such risks can threaten the stability of the financial system, they are still poorly understood and unpriced by market participants. There have been countless efforts from numerous institutions, governments, and individuals to address this grand challenge. Almost 100 nations around the world have incorporated biodiversity values into their national accounting systems, and financial resources available for biodiversity through international flows doubled between 2011 and 2020, according to the Convention on Biological Diversity. In 2022, representatives of 188 governments finally approved the historic package of measures to address biodiversity loss. Notably, the main targets for 2030 include mobilising at least $200 billion per year in domestic and international biodiversity-related funding from all sources, both public and private, and raising international capital flows from developed to developing economies to a minimum of $20 billion per year by 2025 and $30 billion per year by 2030. Financial institutions, especially banks, play an important role in this capital mobilisation towards a biodiversity-positive economy. There are several important suggestions for banks/financial institutions to consider. Firstly, raising awareness about biodiversity risks and their relevance in the banks/financial institutions is essential. To achieve this, we need collaboration from multiple stakeholders across sectors including the government, relevant organisations, financial institutions, universities, and media. Secondly, before making biodiversity-related decisions, financial institutions/banks need to properly measure relevant biodiversity risks. This is a vital step for financial institutions to better understand, assess the risks, and then make relevant decisions such as evaluating their borrowers loan applications. However, this is not an easy step. Biodiversity itself is difficult to measure, thus, measuring biodiversity risks is even more challenging. Also, according to the report, there is a lack of a consistent framework for firms and market participants to disclose and measure biodiversity risks. The good news is there is a continuous effort from numerous organisations and governments worldwide to develop the biodiversity risk disclosure and measurement framework. Thirdly, financial institutions/banks should develop appropriate valuation models of natural capital. According to the System of Environmental Economic Accounting, natural capital can be defined as the supply of renewable and non-renewable resources that provide benefits to people. Banks/financial institutions should embed the natural capital as well as biodiversity-related risks into their project valuation, risk management, as well as credit assessment. Lastly, appropriate monitoring of the execution of biodiversity-related strategies/actions is also important. This is usually conducted at a board of directors or top management team level. Indeed, governance plays a vital role in corporate sustainable outcomes, as a study by our research team shows that appropriate corporate governance bundles or combinations of multiple governance mechanisms are associated with enhanced performance. Over 20,000 children in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh were supported during the pandemic After more than two years of implementation, the project has supported over 20,000 children in primary and secondary schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City through communication activities, and training on child protection topics. 13 school counselling rooms have been established and capacity building for teachers in charge of the counselling rooms. The project also supported 627 young people, including 207 migrant youths aged 16-25 from neighbouring provinces working in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, through career orientation programmes and soft skills development, vocational pieces of training and business startups. Among the benefited youths, there were 62 that received vocational training, and 20 business startup models developed. Brenda Candries, programme manager, EU Delegation in Vietnam said Protection and promotion of the rights of the child is a core objective of the European Unions work. It is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, which guarantees the protection of childrens rights in implementing Union law. Le Thi Thanh Huong, a representative of Save the Children International in Vietnam said, The sharing of results and successful models of the project as well as the contributions of all stakeholders will help to promote good practice to create lasting and sustainable changes for children and young people. The projects overall objective is to effectively contribute to the governments COVID-19 response and support the most affected children and youth. Save the Children is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to ensuring the survival, protection, development, and participation rights of children worldwide. It currently operates in 22 provinces and cities nationwide and maintains partnerships with government agencies, social organisations, the business sector, and research institutes. CHIASE is a scientific and technological organisation under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations. The centre's activities aim to support the poor and disadvantaged in society, especially ethnic minorities in poverty alleviation and natural resource conservation. UNESCO helps Vietnam strengthen vocational education for out-of-school children The UNESCO Office in Vietnam in coordination with the Centre for Vocational Education and Training under the Trade Union of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province on February 26 launched a project on facilitating access to vocational and transferable skills for out-of-school children and youth in Vietnam. $5.2 million to go to marginalised children The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the Nippon Foundation announced a $5.2 million grant on March 21 to improve access to quality and inclusive education for underprivileged and minority students across Vietnam. Millions of children in Vietnam protected by vaccination over 40 years: UN agencies Millions of children in Vietnam have been protected by immunisation over the past 40 years, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF offices in Vietnam on April 25 when they mark the World Immunisation Week from April 24-30. SCG provides career opportunities, creating sustainable future for children with disabilities SCG is continuing its collaboration with Ba Ria - Vung Tau School for Children with Disabilities through the My Career Dream initiative, in celebration of International Children's Day 2024. GS25 plans to develop more than 500 establishments in Vietnam by 2025. (Photo: pulsenews.co.kr) Seoul GS25, a leading convenience store chain in the Republic of Korea operated by GS Retail, recently opened its 300th store in Vietnam, six years after breaking into the Southeast Asian country. The 393-square-metre mega store in Ho Chi Minh City, called GS25 Dien Bien Phu, sells a variety of Korean food such as ramyeon (instant noodle) and Kkwabaegi (twisted doughnuts), and Vietnamese snacks. GS25 plans to focus on strengthening its operational know-how and multipurpose infrastructure functions accumulated in Vietnam, and to develop more than 500 establishments by 2025 to become the No.1 convenience store in the country. It also targets to open its 500th store in Mongolia next year and operate 1,500 overseas ones by 2027. Since setting foot on Vietnam in January 2018 with the first store in Ho Chi Minh City, GS25 has provided products and services through a localisation strategy that properly combines local food culture and Hallyu and K-food craze. It has quickly gained popularity in Vietnam thanks to convenient location, sound shopping environment and friendly services. According to Jeong Chae-oh, head of GS25s overseas business operation team, its 300th store in Vietnam is a tangible achievement that reflects the success of brand competitiveness and localisation strategy. GS25 will continue efforts to grow into Vietnams leading convenience store in both reputation and reality, and become a global brand, he added. GS25 opens 100th store in Vietnam GS Retail from the Republic of Korea (RoK) has opened its 100th GS25 store in Vietnam, at the Becamex Binh Duong building in the southern province of Binh Duong, according to RoK broadcaster KBS. Trident will undertake the development and processing of these mines, providing the necessary manpower, capital, technology, equipment, and other support. In collaboration with Vietnam's Hung Hai Group, Trident will commence its new mining operations in Vietnam later this year. Hung Hai Group, which already owns three mines and mineral exploration licenses in north Vietnam's Lai Chau Province, will contribute its assets, includingthe Bac (North) Nam Xe, Nam (South) Nam Xe, and Dong Pao mines, which boast confirmed reserves totalling several million tons. Going forward, Hung Hai Group will handle mining-related tasks, while Trident will oversee the development and processing of rare earth minerals. The Bac Nam Xe and Nam Nam Xe mines, housing the largest rare earth reserves in Vietnam, are located in Lao Cai province. These two expansive mines, each spanning over 300 hectares, are set to be jointly developed by Trident and Hung Hai Group. Current confirmed reserves stand at approximately two million tonnes and three million tonnes, respectively. The development plan includes ongoing verification of these reserves and an ambitious expansion of the mining areas through extensive exploratory drilling. The Dong Pao mine, in which Hung Hai Group holds a 20 per cent stake, is being developed by Lai Chau Rare Earth JSC. This ambitious project involves the mining and processing of rare earth ore across an expansive area of approximately 1,000 hectares. It boasts estimated reserves of about 1.5 million tonnes. According to current London Metal Exchange (LME) prices, the value of these rare earth deposits is projected to increase exponentially to hundreds of billions of dollars. "This partnership marks a milestone as the first instance of a Korean company led by an American CEO, directly investing in the ownership and development rights of an overseas rare earth mine. This is especially significant given the skyrocketing demand for rare earth elements, which are crucial in the electronics, medical, chemical, and defence industries," said Sam Chi, American CEO of Trident Global Holdings. "These materials are essential for the production of electric vehicles, batteries, LCDs, semiconductors, MRI machines, reaction catalysts, and much more. Furthermore, this collaboration will create Vietnam's position as one of the leaders in the next generation of leading technology providers, establishing Vietnam as one of the key countries to contribute to the world's generation to come." Over time, Trident and Hung Hai Group aim to establish a comprehensive value chain that extends beyond mining. This integrated approach will encompass refining, smelting, processing, and the distribution of final products, thus solidifying their position in the rare earth elements market. As part of its commitment to sustainability, Trident intends to develop and deploy new, environmentally responsible technologies for extracting and processing rare earth materials. Vietnam sets out green ambitions with bold targets for solar, rare earth HANOI: Vietnam plans to more than triple the amount of electricity it produces from renewable sources and push for a 26 per cent increase in household solar energy usage by 2030, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told Reuters in an interview. LS Eco Energy diversifies its rare earth supply to Vietnam On January 10, South Korea's LS Eco Energy announced that it has signed a rare earth oxide purchase agreement with Vietnamese mining company Hung Thinh Minerals. This future will be created through knowledge accumulated over the years, with financially stable daily practices. When financial knowledge is planted early, the seeds of optimism grow strongly, creating a solid foundation for the next generation. This is what motivated Sun Life Vietnam to launch the "Finance for yourself" campaign. Understanding finances is a journey, and the first steps can be taken in school. Early access to financial education helps children develop a sound mindset and good financial management habits as they grow. To support this, Sun Life has launched the campaign "Finance for Yourself, Optimism for Yourself", with a series of extracurricular activities aimed at educating elementary and middle school students about financial literacy. The campaign's first activity took place at Thang Loi Primary and Secondary School in Kon Tum. With professional advice from MC Quoc Khanh and the Vietsuccess team, students engaged in lively and interactive activities such as "Ring the Golden Bell" and "The Rice Pounding Game". Through these activities, guided by experts Quoc Khanh and Mai Trang, students learned the basics of financial education and how to manage their finances in everyday life, laying the groundwork for a stable future. At the same time, Sun Life Vietnam coordinated with the Vietnam Red Cross to donate "Optimistic Finance" books to 20 schools in 10 provinces and cities across the country. The first donation was made at Thang Loi Primary and Secondary School in Kon Tum city. "Optimistic Finance" includes books suitable for students of all ages, such as Being smart with money - Avoiding troubles, Understand finances, Step into the future, and Social skills for elementary school students. These books offer basic, easy-to-understand and practical knowledge on topics like finance, financial management, investment, independence, and self-control from an early age. Luc Nhon Ly, CEO of Sun Life Vietnam, expressed his enthusiasm about the recent engagement with students, stating, "We have had very interesting experiences with students through various financial-themed games. These activities, along with direct interactions and the provision of educational books to schools, will play a significant role in fostering appropriate financial management skills and methods among the younger generations. This will ultimately empower them to approach life's journey with confidence and optimism, ensuring a stable future." In addition to numerous activities that have positively inspired customers and the community, bringing good things to their spiritual lives, promoting health, and offering financial protection, in 2024 Sun Life Vietnam plans to intensify its efforts to equip individuals with financial knowledge. This initiative aims to serve as a foundational pillar in Sun Life Vietnam's commitment to supporting the community towards a brighter and more prosperous future for all. Sun Life Vietnam charts sustainable path to long-term client and community value Sun Life Vietnam, part of Canadian insurance giant Sun Life, is navigating a sustainable path by offering enduring value to its clients while making contributions to the larger Vietnamese community. Igniting creativity: inside Sun Life Vietnam's innovative workspaces In its mission alongside embracing cultural and artistic expressions, Sun Life Vietnam pays special attention to cultivating creative workspaces to enhance the experiences of its staff, advisor and clients. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is set to host its Asia-Pacific Dialogue 2024 on May 28-29, promising to be a linchpin event this year at the JW Marriott Hotel. The conference aims to weave together human resource development, economic cooperation, and sustainable development, creating a cohesive strategy for regional unity and laying the groundwork for shared prosperity across the region. Forward-thinking strategies will be pored over at the ACCA Asia-Pacific Dialogue 2024, Photo: Shutterstock In the context of ongoing global economic flux, marked by geopolitical unrest and evolving social paradigms, the event seeks to forge resilience and spearhead growth breakthroughs. By facilitating pivotal knowledge exchanges and nurturing strategic connections, the event is poised to sculpt a new narrative for the Asia-Pacifics role on the global stage. To Quoc Hung, ACCA country manager for Vietnam, emphasised the conferences role as a catalyst for transformative economic and human resource development strategies. We are at a critical juncture where collaborative efforts and bold initiatives are essential to shaping a brighter, more sustainable future, Hung said. The conference theme, Giao, which draws inspiration from the sleeves of the traditional Vietnamese Giao Linh costume, encapsulates the spirit of interconnectedness and mutual growth that the event aims to promote. The ACCAs Asia-Pacific director Pulkit Abrol noted the critical role of advanced educational frameworks in the development of financial and accounting professionals. By integrating cutting-edge technology and fostering innovative educational practices, we can equip professionals to effectively lead in the face of emerging global challenges, stated Abrol. As the Asia-Pacific region continues to navigate the intricacies of a rapidly changing economic landscape, the ACCA Asia-Pacific Dialogue 2024 stands as a beacon of insight, collaboration, and forward-thinking strategies designed to empower leaders and educators across the region, Abrol added. On May 28, the conference will discuss the potential from the perspective of a foreign powerhouse, redefining global trade, policy innovation for a green and digital Asia-Pacific, and sustainable growth through collaboration. What is more, as human resources play an important role in growth, especially in a digital world, experts will highlight some of the challenges and opportunities coming from digitalisation advances; innovating in the transition from brown to green; and fuelling growth through talent transformation. The ACCA Asia-Pacific Forum 2024 will be held on May 28-29 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hanoi. Organised by the ACCA, the forum aims to address global economic, political, and social fluctuations by focusing on human resource development, economic promotion, and sustainable development. The event seeks to build a unified strategy for shared prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region by fostering knowledge exchange and strategic relationships, challenging traditional views of the regions global role. The forum will receive attendance from government officials, corporate leaders, and experts from various fields, particularly from the Asia-Pacific region. Discussions will centre on promoting green and sustainable economic growth and the future of education through sustainable digital and technological innovations. Renowned speakers will provide insights on leveraging technology for regional trade and using AI in sustainable education. ACCA and VACPA renew cooperation The Vietnam Association of Certified Public Accountants (VACPA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) have extended their MoU, closely and effectively coordinating through training activities and improving knowledge for members for the next five years (2022-2027), thus contributing to the development of accounting and auditing professions in Vietnam. ACCA honoured by MoF for contribution to Vietnam The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has received a certificate of merit from the Ministry of Finance for its contributions to the country's development in a ceremony to mark 20 years of operations in Vietnam. ACCA Vietnam New Member Ceremony 2023: Shaping a brighter financial future The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) held its 2023 New Member Ceremony with the theme Shaping the Future for A Better World in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi on October 19-20. ACCA partners with VINASME to empower businesses in Nghe An province The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) joined forces with the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (VINASME) on January 13 to organise comprehensive workshops in Vinh city, Nghe An province, a locality near the northernmost part of Vietnams north central coastal region. An overview of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand (Photo: VNA) Bangkok Thailands National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has urged the government to facilitate the countrys transition to high-tech industries to attract investors as the second largest economy in the Southeast Asia is lagging behind others in the region in terms of growth rate and foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction. In the economic outlook report for the first quarter of 2024 published recently, the NESDC revealed that Thailands gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.5% in the first quarter, the lowest among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It noted that Thailand was in the last place on the list of 2023 FDI flows into ASEAN, with total investment of 2.96 billion USD. Indonesia topped the list with 21.7 billion USD, followed by Malaysia 18.5 billion USD and Vietnam 8.25 billion USD. The NESDC said that Thailands FDI showed a downward trend throughout 2023, with significant drops in traditional industries such as petroleum for the first time in three years. The council held that the industries that have been driving the Thai economy in the past have started to play a diminishing role in the manufacturing and export sectors. The declining FDI affected the countrys exports, which contracted 1% in the first quarter of 2024, while the Manufacturing Production Index also went down by 3.7%, falling for six consecutive quarters, it continued. Despite increases of 6.9% in private consumption and the service sector, 2.5% in exports and 4.6% in private investment, the NESDC has lowered its annual GDP growth projection from 2.2 - 3.2% to 2 - 3%, citing risks from the ongoing US - China trade war and geopolitical conflicts. The council advised the government to offer incentives and promote manufacturers to upgrade production technology towards innovative and advanced technology products. Priority should be given to industries related to raw material production and intermediate goods within the country, as well as to training skilled labour to meet the needs of targeted industries. Thailand faces credit card default risks The risk of default on credit card loans rose significantly in the first quarter this year in Thailand, driven by the Bank of Thailand (BoT)'s mandate for a higher minimum payment rate. Thailand okeys 10-year EEC visa for foreigners Thailands cabinet has approved a special 10-year visa for executives and experts working in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to support the development of targeted industries in the country. Since the middle of last year, the EU has been applying a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM). Vietnams exports of cement, steel, aluminium, and fertiliser to the EU market has faced two major barriers including safeguard measures and the CBAM. There still exists a gap between foreign businesses ESG expectations and actual progress in some areas, Photo: Shutterstock The CBAM is aimed to levy a carbon tax on all goods imported into EU markets, based on the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions in the host countrys production process. At present, this mechanism is in phase 1 when exporters have to declare emission levels. However, when the CBAM mechanism embarks upon the next stage, exporters from Vietnam will have to buy CBAM emission certificates from 2026. This will affect exports from Vietnam, especially the steel industry, said Jennifer Pham, a regional advisor on sustainable value chains at the Danish Embassy to Vietnam, at a May discussion on decarbonising the Vietnamese steel industry held in Hanoi. Currently, steel is one of the biggest carbon emitters in Vietnam. It is estimated that the steel sector will emit about 122.5 million tonnes of CO2 by 2025 from an estimated 120 million last year, and 132.9 million by 2030, accounting for about 17 per cent of the countrys total emissions. Figures from the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed that last year, Vietnam exported over 2.5 million tonnes of assorted steel products to the EU, doubling 2022, and accounting for 23 per cent of the countrys total export volume. According to experts, such a policy will be among many others that the EU, a key export market of Vietnam, will apply in the future, and the same is also true for many other export markets of Vietnam. Thus, businesses must well prepare for meeting the EUs new requirements if they want to continue exporting to this large market, Pham said. Many solutions can be applied by businesses, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, which are now being globally paid attention to by all stakeholders including managers, customers, investors, and consumers. ESG incarnates the three key pillars for a company conducting its business sustainably and responsibly. It covers a wide range of issues, including climate change and resource efficiency, human rights, labour relations, cybersecurity and privacy, anti-bribery and corruption, and transparency and disclosure. ESG standards typically derive from international law, local law, and soft law standards, for example agreements and declarations that are not legally binding. At the RIS.ER 24 conference themed ESG Motivations & Breakthroughs on May 23 in Hanoi by Worldbasesys Co., Ltd in collaboration with VIR, experts said that the world is facing complex climate, social, and geopolitical issues and addressing ESG priorities is more important than ever. They also underlined that promoting adoption throughout the value chain can encourage greater private investment in sustainable development, resulting in greater impact. In the landscape of modern business, ESG considerations have become key factors shaping corporate strategies and decisions. Major benefits In the dynamic Vietnamese business environment, many companies are increasingly acknowledging the importance of employee wellbeing and social equity. They have been earmarked part of their budget specifically for ESG initiatives. For example, over the past 15 years, TH Group has been operating a $1.2 billion farm cluster project in the central province of Nghe An, featuring a state-of-the-art dairy cow farm and fresh milk production plan. TH Group has carried out many different programmes and projects on nutrition and health protection. Such initiatives include the Nutrition Scheme; the School Milk Programme, the School Health Programme; and a model on school meals with ensured nutrition in combination with an increase in physical exercise for pupils. In addition, TH Group also established the For Vietnamese Stature Foundation, which embraces the sponsorship and protection of children. It has also accompanied a television programme in a bid to expand communications and provide useful information for children and the public about how to take care of and protect the children, contributing to forming and developing the young generations physical and mental health. We are considering sustainable development including ESG as a prime priority in our business and production activities, a representative from TH Group told VIR. The ESG conference last week reported that enterprises should begin applying ESG as soon as possible as external and internal risks are increasing fast. Over the past years, many companies in Vietnam like TH Group have been developing ESG as a priority in their activities, and this has helped them improve their competitiveness and ensure sustainable development. ESG matters are among key priorities for foreign businesses in Vietnam to facilitate business expansion while meeting sustainable development goals, said Vietnam Briefing, a subsidiary of consultancy firm Dezan Shira & Associates. However, there is plenty of scope for companies and government stakeholders to work together to deliver optimal economic development outcomes. Differing perspectives According to Dezan Shira & Associates, as Vietnam steadily attracts foreign direct investment, manufacturers and foreign invested enterprises have begun actively participating in the countrys ESG initiatives to foster sustainable growth as well as meet high compliance standards in key export markets. However, challenges persist in Vietnamese firms effectively implementing ESG strategies, partly due to differing perspectives on the governments commitment to ESG and the nascent market-based mechanisms, Vietnam Briefing said. The Vietnam Business Forum a few months ago initiated a study with over 650 responses, aiming to gather and analyse the ESG perspectives of foreign companies operating in Vietnam. Among factors impacting foreign businesses ESG initiatives in the country, a comprehensive and transparent regulation framework plays an important role. Currently, Vietnam faces room for improvement in this area. What is more, there still exists a gap between foreign businesses expectations regarding government support for ESG and the actual progress. Only a quarter of businesses express confidence in Vietnams commitment to sustainable and green development. When seeking government backing for their ESG efforts, financial incentives and regulatory relief rank high on their list of expectations. As Vietnam continues its journey towards sustainable development, addressing these challenges and aligning expectations with tangible actions will be pivotal, Vietnam Briefing said. Many have pointed out a series of difficulties and obstructions for the application of ESG. They said that enterprises now are in critical need for initial investment to implement ESG priorities. ESG will also change peoples habits, which will cause difficulties during deployment, especially in the context that the companies have got used to focussing on their traditional habits. In addition, pursuing ESG values will require big and strong determination, but after heavy investment on ESG, companies will be able to reduce risks and improve their prestige. This will also help enterprises find it easier to obtain bank loans and expand exports, said Dang Dinh Quyet, vice director of Hoang Ngoc Trading Company in Hanoi. Many companies in the EU, Japan, South Korea, and the US have required their overseas partners, including those from Vietnam, to apply ESG standards. For example the EUs CBAM will greatly pressurise many exporters from Vietnam, Quyet said. Professor Bui Anh Hoa, head of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said that though ESG is the key for businesses to boost exports and improve competitiveness, challenges remain. For example, under the CBAM, the biggest impediments now for the steel industry is to change heating materials. This would mean a significant change from coal to other types of environmental-friendly energy such as hydrogen, Hoa said. But production of hydrogen energy remains limited in Vietnam due to the high costs and high technologies used, in addition to policy difficulties. Thus, it is almost impossible for the industry to become carbon-neutral over the next decades. The deal is estimated to be worth around 12 million ($15.3 million) to the sector over the first five years of trade. It follows a lengthy process of audits and negotiations led by the UK government, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and wider industry, including the UK Export Certification Partnership, to open another new market for the UKs pork sector. Ouafa Doxon, senior market access manager of AHDB, said, "This is fantastic news for our pork sector and the culmination of a magnificent collaborative effort between industry, the UK government and AHDB to secure access to another priority market for the pork sector. UK pork is known around the world for its high quality and reputation, and we look forward to our exporters developing opportunities in this new market." Jonathan Eckley, head of International Trade Development at AHDB, said, "One of AHDBs key strategic objectives is export development, working collaboratively with industry and government, to cultivate further opportunities for our red meat and dairy sectors. This announcement further illustrates how this collaborative approach successfully delivers tangible results for our levy payers." Vietnam emerging as market for British agriculture companies Vietnam presents a great opportunity for UK businesses to boost their exports of agriculture, food, and drink products. Vietnam, UK expand climate change cooperation Vietnam and the United Kingdom are expanding cooperation in response to climate change, with a new multi-year climate programme in the pipeline. Iain Frew, British Ambassador to Vietnam, spoke to VIRs Bich Thuy about how this expanded climate collaboration supports Vietnam on its net-zero path. International investors have bought out Vietnamese properties through M&A deals. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Foreign investors are buying into the Vietnamese resort and hotel realty market, lured by the prospect of a full market recovery, according to experts. The Vietnam Association of Realtors (VARS) said that up until recently, the resort realty market was gloomy, with nearly 3,200 products launched into the market in 2023, falling 80 per cent year-on-year, and only 700 apartments absorbed. However, international investors have bought out Vietnamese properties through mergers and acquisition (M&A) deals, they said. Foreign investors are in the market for top-notch hotels and resorts in urban hubs like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. International hotel brands have steadily expanded their presence in Vietnam, increasing from under 50 branded hotels in 2013 to nearly 200 today. Last year, Marriott International, Inc. signed agreements with Vinpearl, Vietnams largest hospitality and leisure chain, for an additional seven hotels and resorts, comprising more than 2,500 rooms. Three of them were conversions, namely Nha Trang Marriot Resort & Spa, Renaissance Hoi An Resort & Spa, and Da Nang Marriott Resort & Spa.Meanwhile, four new builds comprising more than 1,200 rooms are expected to become operational by 2028. According to Rajeev Menon, President of Marriott Internationals Asia Pacific Excluding China, the move aims to strengthen the corporations presence and better meet demand in the country. It currently operates 16 hotels and resorts in the Southeast Asian nation, with a strong development pipeline, he said, adding debuts of several exciting brands are expected in the country in the coming time, including the Ritz-Carlton, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Element by Westin, and Courtyard by Marriott. Besides, Singaporean-based Lodgis Hospitality Holdings joined hands with Hanwha Group from the Republic of Korea to invest in hotel projects in several Asian countries, including Vietnam. Lodgis hopes to operate 10,000 rooms by 2025 as compared to the current 1,950 under the Maida Resort, Ixora and Hiive brands in Vietnam and Cambodia. Experts said foreign firms have taken aggressive positions in Vietnam by taking advantage of the attracting pricing of hospitality properties to bolster investment, waiting for the market recovery and development. . , . , . , . . As another school year approaches its conclusion, the IMPACT Youth Center in downtown Winona will forever consider this particular school year very special. God is good! says executive director John Mullen as he reflects on year one of center operations. The way our program grew so quickly and continued to develop and mature over the course of the year was even more than we could have had hoped for. Not only did our enrollment grow throughout the year, but so did the maturity of our children. Many of our older ones especially started taking ownership of the program and becoming proud of the fact that they were part of IMPACT. My assistant director, Ms. Alfreda Green, and I have often told the kids: 'This program was created for you. This is your youth center. We need you to help us build this program into all it can be.' Some of the most memorable highlights from IMPACT Centers first year include a program called College Bound. This was a program in which middle and high school students were taken on campus tours of Winonas college institutions and introduced to the opportunities available to them in local higher education. Creating Vision Boards with some of the students was another fun project that encouraged them to artistically display some of their goals on boards. These boards help serve as visual reminders of things that they are working to accomplish in their lives. Another special highlight for some of the middle and high schoolers was working with Ms. Kathy Sublett on the Culture on Canvas project. This was a great opportunity for the students to express themselves to the Winona community through canvas art and then having their canvases distributed to different locations throughout the community for viewing. Fun adventures outside of the youth center were had this year as well. IMPACT Center field trips included horseback riding, roller skating and volunteering at the Feed My Starving Children food pack event in April. These trips, in addition to a huge Christmas party, helped lay the foundation for an amazing first year that Green and Mullen hope to build upon in Year 2. This year was so special for us. We learned so much. We feel that we have a good formula here for our program going forward, and we are going to keep refining that formula. Structure and routine are big parts of that formula, says Mullen. I think kids are at their best when they have structure and a routine. Our program is built around that concept. Free time for the children is certainly a part of our daily routine, but so are organized activities that promote an orderly environment and help the children grow and develop in many important ways. A few of the high school students will now be employed by IMPACT Center over the summer months. They will be helping with IMPACT Centers summer program geared toward younger children, called,Camp IMPACT. Session 1 of Camp IMPACT, which runs June 17-July 18 is already full, but Session 2 registration opens up on June 16. To find out more information about the IMPACT Center, all of its programming and ways you can support this nonprofit organization, visit its website at www.impactyouthcenter.com. You can also keep up with all IMPACT Center happenings by following the IMPACT Center Facebook page. VALLEY VIEW, Texas (AP) Powerful storms killed at least 15 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where dozens sought shelter in a restroom during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S. The storms inflicted their worst damage in a region spanning from north of Dallas to the northwest corner of Arkansas, and the system threatened to bring more violent weather to other parts of the Midwest later in the day. By Monday, forecasters said, the greatest risk would shift to the east, covering a broad swath of the country from Alabama to near New York City. Seven deaths were reported in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, where a tornado Saturday night plowed through a rural area near a mobile home park, officials said. Storms also killed two people and destroyed houses in Oklahoma, where the injured included guests at an outdoor wedding. Tens of thousands of residents were without power across the region. Its just a trail of debris left. The devastation is pretty severe, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington told The Associated Press. The dead included two children, ages 2 and 5, the sheriff said. The Texas county includes the small community of Valley View, which was among the hardest-hit areas. Three family members were found dead in one home, Sappington said. Hugo Parra, who lives in Farmers Branch, north of Dallas, said he rode out the storm with 40 to 50 people in the bathroom of the truck stop near Valley View. The storm sheared the roof and walls off the building, mangling metal beams and leaving battered cars in the parking lot. A firefighter came to check on us and he said, Youre very lucky, Parra said. The best way to describe this is the wind tried to rip us out of the bathrooms." Multiple people were transported to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter in Denton County, Texas, also north of Dallas. But officials did not immediately know the full extent of the injuries. At least five people were killed in Arkansas, including a 26-year-old woman who was found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, according to Daniel Bolen of the countys emergency management office. Another person died in Benton County, and two more bodies were found in Marion County. In Oklahoma, two people died in Mayes County, east of Tulsa, officials said. Elsewhere, a man was killed Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky, when a tree fell on him, police said. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg confirmed it was a storm-related death on social media. A DEADLY SERIES OF STORMS The destruction continued a grim month of deadly severe weather in the nation's midsection. Tornadoes in Iowa this week left at least five people dead and dozens injured. The deadly twisters have spawned during a historically bad season for tornadoes, at a time when climate change contributes to the severity of storms around the world. April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country. Meteorologists and authorities had issued urgent warnings to seek cover as the storms marched across the region late Saturday and into Sunday morning. If you are in the path of this storm take cover now! the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Harold Brooks, senior research scientist researcher at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, said a persistent weather pattern of warm, moist air is to blame for the string of tornadoes over the past two months. Brooks recommended that travelers passing through threatened areas over the Memorial Day weekend should have a plan for a weather emergency. Travelers who have already chosen where to get food and other essentials "probably ought to be thinking about what could I do if theres a dangerous situation to save my life, Brooks said. HOMES DESTROYED, ROADS BLOCKED Daybreak began to reveal the full scope of the devastation. Residents awoke Sunday to overturned cars and collapsed garages. Some residents could be seen pacing and assessing the damage. Nearby, neighbors sat on the foundation of a wrecked home. In Valley View, near the truck stop, the storms ripped the roofs off homes and blew out windows. Clothing, insulation, bits of plastic and other pieces of debris were wrapped around miles of barbed wire fence line surrounding grazing land in the rural area. Kevin Dorantes, 20, was in nearby Carrollton when he learned the tornado was bearing down on the Valley View neighborhood where he lived with his father and brother. He called the two of them and told them to take cover in the windowless bathroom, where they rode out the storm and survived unharmed. Some of his Dorantes neighbors werent so lucky. As he wandered through the neighborhood of downed power lines and devastated houses, he came upon a family whose home was reduced to a pile of splintered rubble. A father and son were trapped under debris, and friends and neighbors raced to get them out, Dorantes said. They were conscious but severely injured, Dorantes said. The fathers leg was snapped. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES The severe weather knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the path of the storms. More than 100,000 customers in Arkansas were without power Sunday. In neighboring Missouri, more than 100,000 were also without power along the southern state border. Texas reported 57,000 outages while 7,400 were reported in Oklahoma, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us. Inaccessible roads and downed power lines in Oklahoma also led officials in the town of Claremore, near Tulsa, to announce on social media that the city was shut down due to the damage. MORE SEVERE WEATHER IN FORECAST The system causing the latest severe weather was expected to move east over the rest of the holiday weekend. The Indianapolis 500 started four hours late after a strong storm pushed into the area, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate about 125,000 race fans. The weather put a years worth of planning in jeopardy when the band of thunderstorms swept through ahead of pre-race festivities. More severe storms were predicted in Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky. The risk of severe weather moves into North Carolina and Virginia on Monday, forecasters said. (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.) The Washoe County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for an alleged burglary. On Wednesday, May 22, deputies were called to Mesa Park Road after a report of a burglary at a home. The homeowner told deputies they arrived home to find a man they didn't know. They said they confronted the man and then escaped through the back door. Deputies say the man who was in the home was identified as 32-year-old William Signer III, who they found in a nearby neighborhood. Signer was booked into the Washoe County Detention Facility and faces charges of residential burglary (second offense) and possession of stolen property. Update, July 15: The new Washoe County School District superintendent, Joseph Ernst, officially started in his new position this week. The Washoe County School District shared this picture on its X page: --- May 28: The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved a contract for the district's new superintendent, Joseph Ernst. ORIGINAL ARTICLE The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees is expected to discuss the new superintendent's contract at a public meeting on Tuesday. The WCSD chose Joseph Ernst as its new superintendent on May 14th. Ernst currently serves as the Chief Continuous Improvement Officer for the Washoe County School District, a position he has held since 2021. Board members will discuss his contract at its May 28th, 2 p.m. public meeting inside the WCSD Administration Building at 425 E. Ninth Street in Reno. Board members are also expected to discuss the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year tentative budget for all district funds and school lunch programs and possible approval of the child nutrition programs cost-reimbursable contract with Aramark Educational Services, LLC. If you can't make it, the WCSD is offering a livestream of the meeting at this link. Written public comments may be submitted before and during the meetings at publiccomments@washoeschools.net Xian eyes closer China-Central Asia trade ties after milestone summit 09:06, May 27, 2024 By Zhao Juecheng and Liu Yang ( Global Times A special train loaded with new-energy vehicles is ready to depart from the Xian International Inland Port on May 25, 2024. Photo: Liu Yang/GT Among a series of fully loaded freight trains in the Xian International Inland Port, in Northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province, one particularly prominent train stands out a huge red double-decker train specialized for vehicle transportation. It is about to start a journey to Kazakhstan, carrying 261 domestic new-energy vehicles (NEVs). The scene at the Xian inland port reflects closer economic and trade relations between China and Central Asian countries. Since the first China-Central Asia Summit was held in Xian last year, the inland port has been able to send five to eight new trains for NEVs per month, becoming a highlight in the increasingly deep trade ties between China and these five countries. In 2023, trade volume between China and Central Asia reached $89.4 billion, a year-on-year increase of 27 percent. Shaanxis foreign trade with these countries totaled 5.79 billion yuan ($799.4 million), soaring 178 percent compared with the previous year. The province has become the frontier of Chinas opening-up to Central Asia. The Xian branch of China Railway Special Cargo Logistics Co has a huge parking lot at Xian International Inland Port, with a 250,000-square-meter operation area that can simultaneously park nearly 10,000 unlicensed new vehicles, some of which will soon be running on Central Asian soil. These vehicles will be transported to Horgos and other ports by special trains, and then sent to Central Asian countries and Russia, said Cao Ping, head of the automobile logistics department of the logistics company, to the Global Times on Saturday. Cao said that the business initially started last year and was only able to ship one to two trains per month. This year we have made a qualitative leap, shipping thousands of NEVs every month, Cao said, noting that Chinese sport-utility vehicles are the most popular products. In addition to NEVs, demand for trucks and auto parts in Central Asia is also growing rapidly. Shaanxi Automobile Group, which mainly produces heavy trucks, exported more than 7,500 vehicles to Central Asian countries in 2023, up 110 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the company. Shaanxi Konka Intelligent Home Appliances Co, the only intelligent kitchen appliance production base of Konka Group in Northwest China, has received overseas orders for over 10,000 dishwasher units this year, with the main export destinations including Germany, France, and Italy. Currently, the company is exploring the market in five Central Asian countries, with washing machines already exported to Kazakhstan and preparations underway to export the first batch of dishwashers to Central Asia, Chen Zhao, general manager of the company, told the Global Times. "Central Asia has more potential," Chen said, adding that more Kazakhstani merchants have zoomed into the Chinese market to book orders. Wheatmeal from Kazakhstan Photo: Liu Yang/GT Nursuru Zholbaskanova, CEO of the Russian logistics company SMARTLOG, is from Kazakhstan and was appointed by the headquarters in Moscow to open a branch in Xian in 2022. According to Zholbaskanova, the goods her company currently transports to China are mainly agricultural products such as barley, wheat, and millet. Our business is growing very fast, and the economic and trade ties between China, Central Asian countries, and Russia are getting closer, she noted. Liu Dongmeng, deputy general manager of Xian Aiju Grain and Oil Industrial Group, told the Global Times that the companys trade volume with Central Asia has gradually increased, and the import category has expanded from grains and oils to all kinds of food products, thanks to the deepening of China-Central Asia cooperation as well as the smoothness of trade channels between the two sides. This has helped diversify Chinas food import routes and brought high-quality foreign products to Chinese consumers. This cooperation is a win-win situation, Liu said, noting that the company has not only invested in Kazakhstan but also brought Chinese equipment, technology, and management experience to the country. Ice cream from Kazakhstan Photo: Liu Yang/GT (Web editor: Tian Yi, Wu Chaolan) Copper Hills Highly Prospective Circular Magnetic Targets Perth, May 27, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Venus Metals Corporation Limited ( ASX:VMC ) is pleased to announce the granting of tenement E45-6437 (Copper Hills) located in the highly prospective Paterson Orogen, host to the world-class Telfer Au - Cu mine. The Paterson Orogen has attracted considerable exploration attention following significant new discoveries including the Winu Cu-Au deposit (608 Mt @ 0.4% Cu, 0.3 g/t Au; 2022) and the Havieron Au-Cu deposit (92 Mt@ 1.9g/t Au:2022). The Copper Hills tenement is located in the relatively under-explored southern sector of the Orogen (Figure 1*) which in addition to Copper-Gold is also considered to be prospective for Uranium mineralisation. - Core Geophysics Consultants were engaged to review the previous geophysical surveys at the Copper Hills Project (E45/6437), including compilation and processing of available open file airborne surveys. - Three-dimensional magnetic inversion modelling has been completed by Core Geophysics over two magnetic features of interest within the south east of the Copper Hills Project (Anomalies 1-2) (Figure 2*) - Anomaly 1 is visible as an ovoid shaped magnetic ring with an extent of 1.3km, interpreted to represent a potential intrusive with magnetic aureole (located at depth of 100m beneath recent cover, extending to considerable depth 800m), prospective for magmatic/ hydrothermal Cu-Au/Mo mineralisation. - Historical exploration has identified numerous potential prospect areas in the northern part of the tenement with rock chip assay results up to 48.9% Cu (Wamex report A105133).The southern and SE parts of the tenement is underexplored. Project background: The Copper Hills Project E45/6437 (221.4 km2) is in the southern section of the Palaeo- to NeoProterozoic Paterson Orogen in Western Australia. The area covers Palaeo-proterozoic metasediments of the Tabletop Terrane within the Rudall Metamorphics and is in close proximity to the Camel-Tabletop Fault Zone, a major crustal-scale structure that has been interpreted as the collisional boundary between the Tabletop Terrane and the western Talbot and Connaughton Terranes of the Rudall Complex. The Paterson Orogen hosts a number of atypical, 'world-class' mineral deposits/mines including the Kintyre Uranium deposit , the Nifty Copper Mine, the Telfer gold mine, the Winu Copper-Gold deposit and the Havieron Gold-Copper deposit. Review of historical data identified numerous potential prospect areas. Historical rock chip assay results of 2376 gpt Au, 3424 gpt Pt, 4904 gpt Pd, 1387gpt Ag and 20.9% Cu have been recorded from sampling of mineralised outcrops at the main PM Prospect and it is reported that secondary copper minerals occur over a semi-continuous strike length of more than two kilometres (refer Wamex report A42764). The rock chip samples, from old pits and trenches over a 1km strike has given very high Copper and Silver grades. The sample assays average 14.1% Cu and 26.6g/t Ag, with peak values of 48.9% Cu and 115g/t Ag (refer Wamex report A105133). The Copper Hills Project has undergone sporadic levels of exploration since the early 1970's where several prospects have been defined via mapping, geochemistry, geophysics and drilling with the most notable being Copper Hills/PM and Gazza/ Black Forest. Review of recent and historical geophysical surveys highlight: - - Untested AEM/FLEM plate models south west of PM Prospect - Structures evident in AMAG controlling mineralisation. - Untested AEM anomalies present to west of Gazza and in the central south. - Copper Hills trend as highly chargeable, other trends evident to south west. - Gravity delineating shear zone/structure associated with Copper Hills trend. - Cover appears relatively thin to south east of project. - Ultramafic rocks interpreted in south of project prospective for Cu-Ni-PGE. Three-dimensional magnetic inversion modelling has been completed in order to improve existing geological models, aid better interpretation of structure and lithology, and assist in planning of follow up works, over two magnetic features of interest within the southeast of the Copper Hills Project using open file 1986 Canning Aeromagnetic survey data (flown by CRA Exploration A55579 100m line spacing at an altitude of 70m) (Figures 3a-3c*). The Anomaly 1 feature visible as an ovoid shaped magnetic ring with an extent of 1.3km, interpreted to represent a potential intrusive with magnetic aureole (located at depth of 100m beneath recent cover, extending to considerable depth 800m) which may represent intrusives or potential sources prospective for magmatic/hydrothermal Cu-Au/Mo mineralisation. Anomaly 2 is visible as a circular magnetic feature approximately 900m in diameter and has a more diffuse surrounding magnetic ring which may be a combination of lateritic material in a palaeodrainage and recent cover. 3D modelling suggest a shallow depth (50m) to the magnetic ring with depth extent for several hundreds of metres. With the approval of the tenement, The Company is planning a program to test the anomaly 1 and 2 areas by drilling when further exploration has identified the most prospective drill targets. *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/J6OK7SG7 About Venus Metals Corporation Limited Venus Metals Corporation Limited (ASX:VMC) is a West Australian based Company with a focus on gold, base metals, vanadium and lithium exploration projects. The Company aims to increase shareholder value through targeted exploration success on its projects. The Company's major gold project is the Youanmi Gold Mine, located 500km north-east of Perth. The Youanmi Gold Mine is now jointly owned by Venus Metals (30%) and Rox Resources Limited (70%); Indicated and Inferred Resource of the mine is in excess of 3 million ounces of gold. Related Companies loading......... Quebec, May 27, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - In this segment of Ellis Martin's MoneyTalk Radio we speak with Terry Lynch, CEO of Power Nickel ( CVE:PNPN ) ( PNPNF:OTCMKTS ). Power Nickel's Lion Discovery assays report 15.4 Metres of over 9.5% Copper Equivalent. Additional multiple high-grade polymetallic intersects were also reported in the recent news release dated May 21, 2024. The companies strategic advisor Dr. Steve Beresford has compared this project to the beginning of what became the Norilks Mine, the world's largest nickel mine. Listen to this compelling interview with Power Nickel's Terry Lynch. To Listen to the Interview, please visit: https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/664D6R47 About Power Nickel Inc. Power Nickel Inc. (CVE:PNPN) (OTCMKTS:PNPNF) (FRA:IVV) is a Canadian junior exploration company focusing on developing the High-Grade Nisk project into Canada's first Carbon Neutral Nickel mine. On February 1, 2021, Power Nickel (then called Chilean Metals) completed the acquisition of its option to acquire up to 80% of the Nisk project from Critical Elements Lithium Corp. (CVE:CRE). Subsequently, Power Nickel has exercised its option to acquire 50% of the Nisk Project and delivered notice to Critical Elements that it intends to exercise its second option to bring its ownership to 80%. The last remaining commitment to exercise the option was the delivery of a NI-43-101 Technical report which has now occurred. The Nisk property comprises a significant land position (20 kilometers of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts. Power Nickel is focused on expanding the historical high-grade nickel-copper PGE mineralization with a series of drill programs designed to test the initial Nisk discovery zone and to explore the land package for adjacent potential Nickel deposits. In addition to the Nisk project, Power Nickel owns significant land packages in British Colombia and Chile. Power Nickel is expected to reorganize these assets in a related vehicle through a plan of arrangement. Power Nickel announced on June 8, 2021, that an agreement had been made to complete the 100% acquisition of its Golden Ivan project in the heart of the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle has reported mineral resources (past production and current resources) in 130 million ounces of gold, 800 million ounces of silver, and 40 billion pounds of copper (Resource World). This property hosts two known mineral showings (gold ore and Magee) and a portion of the past-producing Silverado mine, reportedly exploited between 1921 and 1939. These mineral showings are Polymetallic veins containing quantities of silver, lead, zinc, plus/minus gold, and plus/minus copper. Power Nickel is also 100 percent owner of five properties comprising over 50,000 acres strategically located in the prolific iron-oxide-copper-gold belt of northern Chile. It also owns a 3-per-cent NSR royalty interest on any future production from the Copaquire copper-molybdenum deposit sold to a subsidiary of Teck Resources Inc. Under the terms of the sale agreement, Teck has the right to acquire one-third of the 3-per-cent NSR for $3 million at any time. The Copaquire property borders Teck's producing Quebrada Blanca copper mine in Chile's first region. About The Ellis Martin Report The Ellis Martin Report (TEMR) is an internet based radio program showcasing potentially undervalued companies to an audience of potential retail investors and fund managers that comprise our listening audience. TEMR is broadcasted on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel and The Opportunity Radio Network. CEO and company interviews are paid for by those represented on the program. Related Companies FCB/SIX India, the data-driven digital media and customer experience agency, has been awarded the digital media mandate for Plum, Indias first 100% vegan beauty brand. The agency is tasked with the responsibility of creating and implementing strategies to fast track the brands growth. With a strategic focus on Plum's branding, FCB/SIX India is set to propel the brand's growth and solidify its position in the cosmetics industry. Leveraging its extensive experience with brand growth, FCB/SIX India is excited to take Plums success story to the next level. The agencys data-driven expertise fuelled by its creative media prowess is what propelled Plum to collaborate with FCB/SIX India. FCB/SIX India is affiliated with FCB Kinnect and leverages the latters digital-first creative expertise to seamlessly integrate creativity into its media solutions using creativity as an economic multiplier. The account was won post a multi-agency pitch and will be handled by FCB/SIX Indias Delhi office. Shankar Prasad, Founder and CEO, Plum, said, "It's still Day One at Plum, and it's still Day One for the digital ecosystem in this country. We are seeing waves of changes that put choice in consumers' hands, as well as the ability for brands to connect with consumers in a million different ways. In this context, we hope that Plum's partnership with FCB/SIX India will help us tell the brand story and connect with Plumsters more effectively, efficiently and distinctively." Ankit Banga, Chief Business Officer, FCB/SIX India, added, The team at FCB/SIX India is excited to join forces with Plum on its incredible growth journey. The brand has cultivated a deeply loyal and cherished customer base, and we are committed to enhancing this relationship by leveraging our core strengths of data, creativity, and media to tell Plum's unique brand story and add new customers. On bagging the account, Rohan Mehta, CEO, FCB Kinnect and FCB/SIX India, said, We are excited to partner with Plum in their growth journey. The brand is ripe for growth and the team internally is committed to expand on the base that has been created." The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), with UNICEF as the knowledge partner, is set to host a knowledge session on Gender Sensitisation in Advertising and Media on May 30 at 10:15 am at the Goafest 2024 in Westin Mumbai Powai Lake. The theme is Gender-Sensitive Marketing: Navigating the New Consumer Landscape. Industry leaders will discuss the importance of dismantling stereotypes and promoting diverse and inclusive gender depiction in advertising and media. The knowledge session at Goafest, Indias biggest advertising festival, co-hosted by the Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club, aligns with the theme The Age of Adaptability. It addresses the intersection of evolving consumer mindsets with the need for a gender-positive approach in advertising communications. Industry veterans, Rajdeepak Das (CCO, Publicis Groupe SA), Chandni Shah (COO, FCB Kinnect), Ram Madhvani (Ad and film director/ producer), Darshana Shah (Head of Marketing & Customer Experience, Aditya Birla Capital), and Kailashnath Adhikari (Business Head, Sri Adhikari Brothers Group) will share their insights on this critical issue in a panel discussion moderated by Kranti Gada (Managing Committee Member, IAA India Chapter & Founder of Neown.in). Speaking about the initiative, Avinash Pandey, President, IAA India Chapter, commented, As a leading industry body, the IAA is committed to champion the cause of diverse and inclusive gender portrayal in advertising and communication. The IAA: Voice of Change movement creates awareness and empowers stakeholders across the industry on inclusive gender representation in media. At this knowledge session, we are honoured to collaborate with Goafest 2024, where visionary personalities will unite to drive this crucial initiative at an industry level. Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Chairperson, IAA Women Empowerment Committee, said, There is a collective cultural shift towards a more gender-equitable and inclusive society. As creators of narratives with the ability to shape and influence societal perceptions, the industry must recognize their roles in breaking biases and challenging stereotypes. The IAA Voice of Change knowledge session at Goafest 2024 will empower content creators towards a more progressive and inclusive gender portrayal in content across the spectrum. Megha Tata, Immediate Past President IAA India Chapter & Co-Chair, IAA Women Empowerment Committee, added here, IAA VOC has been a gratifying journey ever since it started around four years ago. It has grown to become a movement and to see all the key stakeholders of our industry actively participating in this dialogue makes me very hopeful of the real impact this can make in our social fabric. Voice of Change, an IAA initiative focused on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity with UNICEF as the knowledge partner, started as a behaviour change communication initiative aimed at addressing the skewed portrayal of gender in advertising and communication. Through the years it has become the definitive forum to inform and sensitize the Indian advertising and media industry on equitable and inclusive gender depiction spanning the entire creative spectrum, from a 30-sec TVC to a 3-hour movie and everything in between. IAA is committed to sensitizing creative minds and industry forces to drive significant change through nationwide summits, conferences, and workshops with leading communication agencies and brand custodians. News18 Hindi has secured its position as the number one digital news platform for Hindi language in April 2024, according to the latest ComScore data, staying ahead of other Hindi platforms like Aaj Tak, Navbharat Times, and NDTV. At a staggering 57.7 million Unique Visitors (UVs), News18 Hindi reached the top spot, whereas other news platforms such as Navbharat Times was at 56.73 million UVs, followed by Aaj Tak at 56.48 million UVs and NDTV at 54.58 million UVs. To emphasise the platforms dynamic performance, an ad campaign has been launched across digital media and print. As part of this campaign, a front-page advertisement was issued in The Economic Times on May 27, highlighting News18 Hindis leadership. News18 Hindi's remarkable accomplishment can be attributed to its comprehensive coverage during the election season. The platform reached audiences across the nation with its in-depth coverage of important election-related topics from a variety of viewpoints. Commenting on the remarkable performance, Mitul Sangani, CEO Indian Languages, News18 Network said, We owe our position as the leading Hindi news platform to our dedicated viewers, who made us their first choice during this crucial election season. Our viewers trust drives us to persistently enhance our coverage and deliver news that not only informs but also empowers. News18 Hindis extensive coverage of Lok Sabha elections with a commitment to accurate information, in-depth analysis and product enhancement strengthened our performance and we are confident that the numbers will continue to grow as we enter the counting phase of elections. News18 Network is an undisputed leader in terms of viewership both on TV and digital platforms. With undivided attention of viewers in every segment, the group has emerged as the go-to source for news. UNIQLO, the Japanese global apparel retailer, is gearing up to celebrate its Arigato Festival from May 31 to June 6. During the festival, UNIQLO expresses its appreciation to its customers, offering limited-time deals and promotions along with new collection launches. Additionally, during this seasons Arigato Festival UNIQLO also celebrates its Global 40th Anniversary, marking four decades since its founding in Japan. The Arigato Festival, from the Japanese word meaning thank you, serves as a sincere expression of our gratitude towards the community who have embraced UNIQLO and LifeWear in their daily lives. We look forward to welcoming our customers with exciting in-store experiences, enticing novelty products, and offering LifeWear essentials at attractive prices, said Nidhi Rastogi, Marketing Director, UNIQLO India. During this season's Arigato Festival celebration, customers can enjoy special, limited-time offers on popular summer favorites such as the UNIQLO U AIRism Oversized Crew Neck T-shirt, Womens Linen Blend Jumpsuit, Womens Satin Blouse, and more. Throughout the festival, customers can also discover unique novelty items and take part in engaging in-store activities. Special novelty item: During the Arigato Festival, UNIQLO will be offering a special tote bag as a novelty gift for purchases above INR 7,000. This exclusive UNIQLO tote bag will feature iconic designs from the Hokusai collection. Engaging in-store experiences & free gifts: Customers shopping at UNIQLO Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj can also get personalized notes in traditional Japanese writing from an exclusive calligraphy artist. UNIQLO Live Station UNIQLO will amplify the Arigato Festival experience through both digital and offline channels. This will also include a special broadcast of UNIQLO Live Station on UNIQLO Indias Instagram handle, where customers can get an insight on all items on offer, and different ways to style them wherever they are. New UT Launches: During the Arigato Festival, customers can explore the Kaiju No. 8, Edo Graphics, and Find Your Treasure UT (UNIQLO graphic T-shirt) collections, which will launch both in-store and on UNIQLO.com/in starting May 31. These collections seamlessly blend high-quality LifeWear with unique creativity, making them ideal for the summer season. For further information regarding UNIQLO and the Arigato festival, please visit the website or download the UNIQLO India Official Application. UNIQLO India Website: www.uniqlo.com/in UNIQLO India Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniqloin/ UNIQLO India Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uniqloin UNIQLO India Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/UniqloIn Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports Bern, 27.05.2024 - On Monday 27 May, Swiss president Viola Amherd and Bulgarian president Rumen Radev discussed bilateral relations between their two countries, European policy, the security situation on the continent and the strengthening of multilateralism. The meeting took place in Bern. Bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Switzerland are healthy and diverse, as both sides have recognised. Contacts in many areas are actively cultivated; bilateral trade is growing steadily and Switzerland is the fourth largest foreign investor in Bulgaria. Switzerland welcomes the ongoing preparations for Bulgaria's accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and sees this as an opportunity to build up economic relations. The second Swiss contribution to selected EU member states also helps boost political and economic cooperation; Bulgaria was the first of the partner countries to sign the bilateral implementation agreement. The ongoing negotiations between Switzerland and the EU were also on the agenda. Ms Amherd reiterated Switzerland's intention to find solutions to stabilise and progress the bilateral path with the EU. The expansion of the Schengen area to include Bulgaria and Romania was also discussed. Air and sea border controls between the two countries and the Schengen area were lifted at the end of March. Other topics of discussion on Monday included Switzerland's and Bulgaria's involvement in the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as well as the situation in the Middle East. The security situation in Europe, in particular the war in Ukraine, was also a key topic. Ms Amherd reported on the work being done in the run-up to the high-level conference on peace in Ukraine, which Switzerland is organising in mid-June at the Burgenstock Resort. Over 70 countries have already confirmed that they will attend, including Bulgaria, which will be represented by the countrys prime minister, Dimitar Glawchev. The conference provides a platform for all participating states to contribute their ideas and vision for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Address for enquiries DDPS Communications +41 58 464 50 58 kommunikation@gs-vbs.admin.ch Publisher Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports http://www.vbs.admin.ch A congressman who represents Californias north coast has sent a letter to federal regulators asking that they urgently place a senior official in the state to respond to tribal needs as wind power is developed offshore. U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman sent the letter as the U.S. offshore wind industry begins to take shape and as tribal communities in California and Oregon express frustration with what they say is a lack of consultation on proposals that affect culturally significant waters and land. Regional tribal nations are asking for the opportunity to help influence the way in which offshore wind is executed off the shores of the West Coast, said Heidi Moore-Guynup, director of tribal and government affairs for Blue Lake Rancheria, in an interview Friday. Theyve been the stewards of the waterways, bays and oceans since time immemorial and want to ensure that the health of such waterways and the species that live among them is preserved. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has its Pacific office in Camarillo, California. It is responsible for the development of offshore energy and mineral resources for the entire region. Huffman said tribes need someone dedicated to working solely with them, given the scale of the offshore wind planned and the level of consultation needed. They just feel like no one is home in California, he said. BOEM said that while it does not publicly comment on congressional correspondence, it will continue to refine the way it engages with tribes. The agency said the renewable energy leasing process will be comprehensive and transparent, and incorporate indigenous knowledge and tribal perspectives. The U.S. held the first-ever auction of leases in December 2022 to develop commercial-scale floating wind farms in the deep waters off the West Coast. The auction featured five lease areas two in northern California off Humboldt County and three in central California near Morro Bay. The Interior Department has approved eight commercial-scale offshore wind projects in the U.S. They are the first such projects in the nation. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Humboldt Bay in March and met with tribal leaders. Many of the 13 tribes represented in the room, including Blue Lake Rancheria, said the engagement with BOEM has been inadequate. I want to make sure we do this right, so we can include the tribes in a very meaningful way and not as some sort of ministerial consultation that just checks the box, Huffman said in an interview. The letter, sent earlier this month, was first reported by The Associated Press. Huffmans district includes more than two dozen federally-recognized tribes. In California, Jacque Hostler-Carmesin said having a senior federal official to work with would be a really good first step, but its not enough. Hostler-Carmesin, chief executive officer of the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, said a government coordinating council on wind energy should be created to bring together federal, state, local and tribal governments. In order to have tribal chairs and tribal leaders at the table, there has to be a structure, she said. The tribe is currently opposed to the development of offshore wind. But that could change if tribes are truly part of the decisions, not just informed of them after the fact, Hostler-Carmesin said. Earlier this year in Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians objected to the federal government finalizing two areas off that states southern coast for floating offshore wind farms. The two areas span nearly 195,000 acres (78,900 hectares), with one located 32 miles (52 kilometers) off the coast of Coos Bay, and the other 18 miles (29 kilometers) from the shore of the small city of Brookings, near the California state line. The areas, which have been proposed for offshore wind energy auctions, have the capacity for powering more than one million homes, according to the Department of the Interior. The federal agency said it had robust engagement with tribes as it finalized the areas for offshore wind in Oregon. But the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians refuted this, saying they were extremely disappointed that areas of cultural and historic importance were identified for offshore wind. Negotiations in other parts of the country, however, have gone well. In Massachusetts earlier this year, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe entered an agreement with Vineyard Offshore, which is developing wind power off the states southern coast. The tribe said in a news release that there has been a significant emphasis on collaboration since it first began discussing the project with the company in 2016. The agreement creates a fund for the tribe for workforce training, scholarships, language reclamation and wastewater projects. The money will also support the tribes efforts to engage with offshore wind projects. A 30-day public comment period on BOEMs environmental assessment of the Oregon proposals ends May 31. By CLAIRE RUSH and JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press. Rush reported from Portland, Oregon. McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island. A second man has died following the Friday morning shooting inside The Quest nightclub on Birminghams Southside. Birmingham police said they were notified Sunday by the Jefferson County Coroners Office that the second victim had died. Police identified him as 32-year-old Shane Gady. Terrell Brown, Jr., also 32, died on the scene Friday. Officer Truman Fitzgerald said both Birmingham men shot each other during a physical altercation. Officers were called to the club at 416 24th Street South just before 6:30 a.m. Patrons and police rendered aid to both men until Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service arrived. Brown was pronounced dead on the scene at 6:44 a.m. Gady was taken to UAB Hospital where he remained until his death. Investigators recovered two guns from inside the nightclub near the shots fired area. The Quest has been a popular dance club since the 1970s. Fitzgerald said its important to point out that multiple incidents of violence have taken place at The Quest. In less than three years, at this establishment, we have had a Birmingham police officer shot, a homicide inside the nightclub where two people were shot, an officer had to fight with an individual at the nightclub with a max officer emergency put out because that individual was armed and fast forward to this morning we have another homicide where someone was killed inside the club, he said. We are not in this to destroy anyones livelihood by taking their business. However, we are in this to bring as much light as we can when you have incidents taking place at one establishment that is affecting our community safety, he said. We as a city, a government, a community have to meet with the business owners and we have to give the same energy that weve given to other establishments throughout our city, he said, noting recent lawsuits against two businesses on Third Avenue West and a downtown nightclub. Our patrol officers have said this is an address where they are regularly responding to calls to assist security and break up all sorts of disturbances, he said. In 2022, Michael David Lyle, 45, of Blount County, was an innocent bystander when an argument inside the club led to shots fired. Lyle was pronounced dead on the scene. Months before Lyle was shot, a Birmingham police officer was shot during a struggle with an armed man at the Southside club. Gady is Birminghams 57th homicide of 2024. Of those, five have been ruled justifiable and therefore arent deemed criminal. There were 51 homicides as of May 26, 2023, in Birmingham. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 80 homicides including the 57 in Birmingham. On this date last year, there had been 68 killings countywide. Alabamas largest city need its own postal processing and distribution facility following complains of delays and lost packages, U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, wrote in a letter to Postmaster General Loius DeJoy. For the entirety of the 118th Congress, USPS casework has been the most demanding of my constituent services department due to the substantial volume of residents voicing their experiences with shortcomings of the once-reliable USPS system, Strong wrote in the letter dated May 23. Through my involvement with hundreds of these cases, it has become apparent that a major cause of these inefficiencies originates from the overburdened P&DF in Birmingham, Alabama. The letter, reported by FOX54, noted that Huntsville used to have its distribution center until 2011 before its operation was consolidated with Birmingham. The Birmingham P&DF does not have the capacity to efficiently process and deliver mail within the state of Alabama, the letter said. The congressman noted that since the 2010 census, the Huntsville area has experienced unprecedented growth. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city grew from 180,000 to 226,000 people between 2010 and 2023. Currently, all mail in Huntsville is sent to Birmingham for processing, Strong wrote. Most Postal Service issues reported to my office involve the timeliness of priority mail and package processing in the Birmingham P&DF. People informed Strongs office that there are times when backlogs are so severe that the Birmingham processing facility recruits outside help and reroutes mail to other distribution centers, the representative wrote in the letter. Post Office clerks from various locations in my district have communicated to constituents that these delays are solely due to mail being lost or stalled in Birmingham because the facility is lacking the operational capacity to process the current volume of mail, Strong said. If the federal government moves forward with a plan to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, some worry that it will cause further confusion about whats legal and not legal in states like Alabama. While nearly half of states now allow recreational marijuana, Alabama is not one of them. And while Alabama legalized medical marijuana in 2021, efforts to get the program up and running have been bogged down in court. Weve introduced a lot of confusion into what the law is at this point, said Leah Nelson, research director at Alabama Appleseed. And I actually think in some ways... its possible thats going to result in even more confusion. For reasons of fairness and clarity, its really important for Alabama to take a hard look at what purpose it serves to make possession of marijuana a felony. The federal policy change would not change state law, said Tim Douthit, chief trial attorney at the Madison County District Attorneys office. Itll still be illegal at the same levels it always was in Alabama under state law, Douthit told AL.com Nelson said shes seen confusion over the issue play out before, as more states legalized medical marijuana, seeing people arrested in Alabama for possession of medical marijuana they got legally with a prescription from another state. She pointed to the case of Sean Worsley, a Purple Heart decorated Iraq War veteran who brought his medical marijuana from Arizona to Alabama and found himself in prison. After his case drew national scrutiny, Worsley was released on parole after spending over eight months in prison for felony possession. You read a headline that medical marijuana is now legal in Alabama or because you got a prescription from another state and it was mailed here or because you got a prescription in another state and you drove from there to here with your medicine, Nelson said. I know people who have been charged with and convicted of felonies for all of those things. Nelson and advocates from the Southern Poverty Law Center said they hope lawmakers will decriminalize marijuana so that people dont face such harsh consequences. Decriminalization is not the same as legalization. It changes the punishment from a criminal offense with the potential for jail time to a civil offense and a small fine. Its time to decriminalize marijuana, said Aiden Cotter, senior policy counsel at the SPLC. By leaving it in the Controlled Substances Act, were still leading to criminal enforcement where there are large racial disparities. In Alabama, this is quite pronounced where Black people are about four times as likely to be arrested than white people for marijuana offenses. But Nelson said she doubts Alabama will decriminalize marijuana anytime soon. Theres certainly a perennial ball that comes out to decriminalize marijuana, at least possession of a certain amount or under certain circumstances. But I think any momentum with that has really stalled out with this nonsense that were seeing around bringing medical cannabis to market, Nelson said. Under Alabama law, marijuana possession can be enforced as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on whether police think the amount is for personal use. There is no listed amount under Alabama state law to determine what qualifies as personal use. The sale of any amount of marijuana is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If the sale is to a minor, the felony can see a conviction of up to 99 years in prison. Certain cities in Alabama, however, namely Bimingham and Tuscaloosa, have made low-level marijuana arrests a simple ticketed offense. Mobile announced last month that they were considering a similar move. Under federal law, marijuana is currently a schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Other drugs in this classification include heroin, LSD and quaaludes. The Federal Drug Administration first recommended a move to Schedule III last year, saying evidence also exists showing that the vast majority of individuals who use marijuana are doing so in a manner that does not lead to dangerous outcomes to themselves or others. Last month, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency issued a proposal to reclassify the drug, recognizing that marijuana has less potential for abuse than other Schedule I drugs. The move to reclassify marijuana on the federal level still needs to be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, undergo a public comment period and be reviewed by an administrative judge before it can be adopted. The move would likely give dispensaries and other marijuana businesses tax breaks they are not yet entitled to because its considered a harmful drug under the law. But it would not have any impact on individuals or otherwise legalize or decriminalize the drug. Policymakers need to be mindful of regulatory confusion. We talk a lot about wanting to cut red tape and make sure that regulations are clear for businesses and we should be doing the same for individuals, Nelson told AL.com. As NASCAR drivers and more than 80,000 fans got ready for the start of the Coca-Cola 600, Donald Trump was part of the excitement before Sundays big race. The Republican presidential candidate met with Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 car for Richard Childress Racing on the track. Fans and potential voters cheered and showed their admiration for Trump, while taking pictures on their cell phones. As he made his wat toward Dillions pit box the crowd chanted USA, several times. Trumps visit marks the first time a sitting or former president has attended a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It also shows the importance of North Carolina in the 2024 election as Trump campaigns to get back into the White House. North Carolina is considered a swing state in the election and NASCARs fanbase has long been perceived as conservative-leaning. The motorcade arrived Sunday evening after his Trump Force One flew over the racetrack before landing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Before he came to the track, Trump met with Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Christopher Tolley one of four officers shot in a deadly shooting in east Charlotte on April 29. He also spent time with the family of CMPD officer Joshua Eyer, one of four officers killed during the incident. Trump also met with Gold Star families of service member who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The Coca-Cola 600 is one of NASCARs major races. The others are the Daytona 500, the Southern 500 at Darlington, and the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. 2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Johnny Wactor, an actor best known for his role as Brando Corbin in General Hospital, was shot and killed during a suspected catalytic converter theft attempt in downtown L.A. on Saturday morning. He was 37. Wactors talent agent David Shaul confirmed the actors death to Variety on Sunday. Johnny Wactor was a spectacular human being. Not just a talented actor who was committed to his craft but a real moral example to everyone who knew him. Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never give up attitude. In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be, Shaul said in a statement. Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever. According to the L.A. Police Department, a man was fatally shot by one of three suspects attempting to extract the catalytic converter from his vehicle at about 3 a.m. Saturday in the area of Pico Boulevard and Hope Street. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Wactor portrayed Brando, son of Gladys Corbin (Bonnie Borroughs) who was married to drug addict Sasha Corbin (Sofia Mattsson), in the ABC soap opera from 2020 to 2022. He appeared in more than 160 episodes. Wactor made his television debut in the Lifetime drama series Army Wives, in which he appeared as different guest roles between 2007 and 2009. He also guested on the series Westworld, The OA, Station 19, Siberia, Agent X, Vantastic, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Girl, Training Day, Criminal Minds, Struggling Servers, Age Appropriate, NCIS, The Passenger and Barbee Rehab. After his stint on Army Wives, Wactor worked on several short films beginning in 2010, including The Grass Is Never Greener, GoldenBox, The Con-Artist, Flyover States, A Most Suitable Applicant, The Interrogation, Anything for You, Abby The Relic and We Wont Forget, among others. He wrote and starred in the 2022 short Broken Riders. Wactor also appeared in multiple feature films, most notably 2016s USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, directed by Mario Van Peebles and starring Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore and Thomas Jane. Additional film credits include Menthol, Ever, Trappers Edge, Supercell and Dead Talk Tales: Volume I. He is survived by his mother Scarlett and brothers Lance and Grant. 2024 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC An updated tornado watch was issued by the National Weather Service on Monday at 3:51 a.m. in effect until 8 a.m. for Cullman, DeKalb, Jackson, Madison, Marshall and Morgan counties. Tornado watches and warnings: What you need to know When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the distinction between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Here's a breakdown: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation. It's your cue to review and discuss your emergency plans, check your supplies, and locate your safe room. While it doesn't mean a tornado is imminent, it's a heads-up that you should be ready to act quickly if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Watches come from the Storm Prediction Center and often cover a large area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal there's an immediate threat to life and property. Your response should be quick: seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or by trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches. Prepare for a tornado Stay weather-ready: Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings Sign up for alerts: Familiarize yourself with your community's warning systems. Some places have outdoor sirens, while others rely on media and smartphone alerts for severe storm notifications. Establish a communication plan: Create a family emergency plan that includes a designated meeting place and important contact information. If your home lacks a basement, identify a nearby safe building, like a church or a relative's house, that you can reach quickly. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room within your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor without windows. Establish a communication plan: Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go there when tornado warnings are issued. Don't forget pets if time allows. Secure your home: Consider having your safe room reinforced. You can find plans for reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Help your neighbor: Encourage your neighbors and loved ones to prepare for possible tornadoes. Consider taking CPR training to be of assistance in case of injuries. Tornado safety: What to do when the twister hits When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: Remain vigilant and stay updated by listening to local news broadcasts or a NOAA Weather Radio for tornado watches and warnings. At home: If you find yourself under a tornado warning, immediately seek refuge in your basement, safe room, or an interior room without windows. If there's enough time, bring your pets with you. At work or school: Follow your tornado drill and proceed to your tornado shelter location quickly and calmly. Stay away from windows and do not go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums. Outdoors: If you're outdoors and a tornado is approaching, seek immediate shelter inside a sturdy building. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe. If there's time, make your way to a secure structure. In a vehicle: It is not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. The recommended action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Always keep in mind that taking swift action and following established safety procedures are crucial for your well-being when a tornado threat is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. On Monday at 3:30 a.m. an updated tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service in effect until 4 a.m. for Cullman, Marshall and Morgan counties. "At 3:30 a.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 9 miles east of Falkville, or 12 miles east of Hartselle, moving southeast at 50 mph," states the weather service. "Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely." Prepare for the tornado to impact Arab around 3:40 a.m. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include High Point, Baileyton, Horton, Hulaco, Cole Springs, Eva, Douglas, Eddy, Ryan Crossroads, and Joppa. The weather service comments, "Take cover now! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris." Tornado watch vs. Tornado warning: Know the difference When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the difference between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Let's break it down: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch serves as an early warning that conditions are conducive to tornado formation. It's your cue to review and discuss your emergency plans, check your supplies, and locate your safe room. While it doesn't indicate an imminent tornado, it's a heads-up to be prepared to take swift action if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Tornado Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center and often encompass a broad area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal there's an immediate danger to life and property. Your response should be swift: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or by trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches. Get ready for tornadoes Be weather-ready: Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings Sign up for notifications: Familiarize yourself with your community's warning systems. Some places have outdoor sirens, while others rely on media and smartphone alerts for severe storm notifications. Create a communication plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room within your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor without windows. Practice your plan: Conduct regular family drills for severe thunderstorms so everyone knows what to do when a tornado threat arises. Ensure that all family members are aware of the safe location to seek shelter, and don't forget about your pets if time permits. Secure your home: Consider having your safe room reinforced. You can find plans for reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Extend a helping hand: Encourage your neighbors and loved ones to prepare for possible tornadoes. Consider taking CPR training to be of assistance in case of injuries. Tornado safety: What to do when the twister hits When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: Stay vigilant and stay informed by tuning in to local news broadcasts or using a NOAA Weather Radio to receive updates on tornado watches and warnings. At home: If you find yourself under a tornado warning while at home, head to your basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Ensure your pets are safe if time permits. At work or school: If you are at your workplace or school, adhere to tornado drill procedures. Move promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter, avoiding large open areas like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and steer clear of windows. Outdoors: If a tornado is on its way, seek shelter inside a solid building immediately. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe places to be. In a vehicle: It is not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. The recommended action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Always keep in mind that taking swift action and following established safety procedures are crucial for your well-being when a tornado threat is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. An updated tornado watch was issued by the National Weather Service on Monday at 3:11 a.m. in effect until 8 a.m. for Blount, Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker and Winston counties. Tornado watches and warnings: What you need to know When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the difference between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Let's break it down: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation. It's your signal to review your emergency plans, ensure your supplies are in order, and identify your safe room. While it doesn't indicate an imminent tornado, it's a heads-up to be prepared to take swift action if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Tornado Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center and often encompass a broad area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal there's an immediate threat to life and property. Your response should be swift: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, seek the nearest substantial shelter and shield yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or by trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches. Prepare for a tornado Be weather-ready: Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings Sign up for alerts: Know how your community sends warnings. Some communities have outdoor sirens. Others depend on media and smartphones to alert residents of severe storms capable of producing tornadoes. Create a communication plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room within your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor without windows. Practice your plan: Conduct regular family drills for severe thunderstorms so everyone knows what to do when a tornado threat arises. Ensure that all family members are aware of the safe location to seek shelter, and don't forget about your pets if time permits. Prepare your home: Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Help your neighbor: Encourage your neighbors and loved ones to prepare for possible tornadoes. Consider taking CPR training to be of assistance in case of injuries. Tornado safety: What to do when the twister hits When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: Remain vigilant and stay updated by listening to local news broadcasts or a NOAA Weather Radio for tornado watches and warnings. At home: If you find yourself under a tornado warning, immediately seek refuge in your basement, safe room, or an interior room without windows. If there's enough time, bring your pets with you. At work or school: In the workplace or at school, adhere to tornado drill procedures and proceed promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter. Avoid areas with large, open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and stay away from windows. Outdoors: If a tornado is on its way, seek shelter inside a solid building immediately. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe places to be. In a vehicle: Being in a vehicle during a tornado is highly unsafe. Your best option is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching shelter is not possible, either stay inside your car, covering your head, or abandon the vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Remember, acting swiftly and following safety protocols are essential for your well-being when a tornado is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. On Monday at 5:10 a.m. the National Weather Service issued an updated tornado watch in effect until 8 a.m. for Blount, Cherokee, Etowah, Fayette, Lamar and Walker counties. Tornado watches and warnings: What you need to know When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the difference between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Let's break it down: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch serves as an early warning that conditions are conducive to tornado formation. It's your signal to review your emergency plans, ensure your supplies are in order, and identify your safe room. While it doesn't indicate an imminent tornado, it's a heads-up to be prepared to take swift action if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Tornado Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center and often encompass a broad area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal there's an immediate danger to life and property. Your response should be swift: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or through reports from trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches. Get ready for tornadoes Stay weather-ready: Check the forecast regularly to see if you're at risk for tornadoes. Listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings. Sign up for notifications: Familiarize yourself with your community's warning systems. Some places have outdoor sirens, while others rely on media and smartphone alerts for severe storm notifications. Establish a communication plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room within your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor without windows. Establish a communication plan: Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go there when tornado warnings are issued. Don't forget pets if time allows. Prepare your home: Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Extend a helping hand: Encourage your neighbors and loved ones to prepare for possible tornadoes. Consider taking CPR training to be of assistance in case of injuries. What to do when a tornado strikes When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: Stay vigilant and stay informed by tuning in to local news broadcasts or using a NOAA Weather Radio to receive updates on tornado watches and warnings. At home: If you are at home and a tornado warning is issued, make your way to the basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Don't forget to ensure the safety of your pets if time allows. At work or school: If you are at your workplace or school, adhere to tornado drill procedures. Move promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter, avoiding large open areas like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and steer clear of windows. Outdoors: If you're outdoors and a tornado is approaching, seek immediate shelter inside a sturdy building. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe. If there's time, make your way to a secure structure. In a vehicle: It is not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. The recommended action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Always keep in mind that taking swift action and following established safety procedures are crucial for your well-being when a tornado threat is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. English News China sees continuous development of comprehensive bonded zones Alwihda Info | Par People's Daily - 27 Mai 2024 Last year, the total import and export value of goods in China's CBZs surpassed 6 trillion yuan, accounting for approximately 15 percent of the country's total foreign trade, almost twice the amount five years ago. By Qiu Haifeng, People's Daily Comprehensive bonded zones (CBZs), known for their high-level openness and streamlined customs clearance procedures, are special customs supervision areas established by the Chinese government. Many preferential policies are available in China's CBZs, including tax refunds upon entry, bonded imports, and free movement of goods within the zones, which can significantly reduce the institutional costs of transactions. Over the past decade, the number of CBZs in China has been steadily growing since the first one became operational in 2007. So far, over 160 CBZs have been set up in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country. The Beijing Zhongguancun comprehensive bonded zone (hereafter referred to as "Zhongguancun CBZ"), the first one in China featuring research and development (R&D) and innovation, has passed acceptance review in April. The bonded zone has a planned area of 0.4 square kilometers and an industrial space of 660,000 square meters. It will develop integrated circuit and pharmaceutical industries as the core, and artificial intelligence and technology service industries as the focus. Besides, it aims to expand bonded service formats, including headquarters economy, cross-border e-commerce, among others. The first phase of the Zhongguancun CBZ involves an industrial space covering 100,000 square meters, which will accommodate the main facilities of 11 enterprises, including HyperStrong, Naton Technology Group, and Agile Robots. "The Zhongguancun CBZ is a crucial experiment to examine how CBZs can contribute to sci-tech innovation," said Feng Bin, deputy head of Beijing Customs. According to Feng, by leveraging the policy advantages, the Zhongguancun CBZ aims to cultivate new business models that integrate bonded trade with other elements, drive technological innovation and foster new quality productive forces within the zone, while also strengthening industry collaboration inside and outside the zone. Here is a vivid example to showcase the efficiency of China's CBZs. In the past, Suzuki cars manufactured in India had to pass through South Korea before being exported to Central and South America, which involved multiple transfers, customs declarations, and other intricate processes. Today, things are not the same anymore. The vehicles can be temporarily stored in the Yangshan special comprehensive bonded zone (hereafter referred to as "Yangshan special CBZ") in east China's Shanghai municipality, and later shipped to their final destinations. Shou Shunyang, an official with Yangshan Customs, used a recent batch of goods as an example to illustrate the bonded vehicle transit business within the zone, where the production and market ends are both outside of China. On April 26, a total of 2,687 Indian-made Suzuki vehicles arrived at the Nangang terminal of Shanghai and were immediately transferred in bulk to the adjacent Yangshan special CBZ for bonded storage. Among them, 1,379 were shipped to Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras on May 5, while the rest were destined for Chile and Nicaragua. It is reported that since starting independent customs operation in May 2020, the Yangshan special CBZ has made continuous breakthroughs in building a new type of trade demonstration zone, a global shipping hub, and an incubator for innovative business. Additionally, the dense shipping routes and frequent sailings at the ports in Shanghai provide more options for consolidated shipping, significantly improving efficiency and reducing costs for businesses. It is estimated that compared to traditional routes, this shipping route can reduce the logistics cost of exporting these vehicles by 12 percent and shorten the shipping time by 25 percent. After four years of development, the number of registered enterprises in the Yangshan special CBZ has reached 1,591, with a total import and export value exceeding 780 billion yuan ($107.73), and an average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 40 percent. The continuously growing and upgrading CBZs are bringing new opportunities and injecting new momentum into the development of foreign trade across China. For instance, there are 13 CBZs in south China's Guangdong province. According to the Guangdong sub-administration of China's General Administration of Customs, in the first quarter of this year, the import and export value of bonded logistics in Guangdong's CBZs reached 139.42 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.8 percent. The total import and export value of all CBZs in the province exceeded 170.98 billion yuan, accounting for 8.4 percent of Guangdong's total foreign trade. Besides, the Yantai free trade port zone in east China's Shandong province has strengthened information exchanges and resource sharing with customs, ports, and other authorities. It has improved supporting facilities and developed new business models such as cross-border e-commerce, international transit of commercial vehicles, and bonded blending of mineral products, creating more new growth drivers for foreign trade. In the first quarter of this year, the import and export volume of the Yantai free trade port zone exceeded 20 billion yuan, accounting for about a fifth of the city's total foreign trade. According to industry insiders, China's special customs supervision areas represented by CBZs have emerged as important platforms driving the development of an open economy. Last year, the total import and export value of goods in China's CBZs surpassed 6 trillion yuan, accounting for approximately 15 percent of the country's total foreign trade, almost twice the amount five years ago. 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) Lets face it: most of us inhabit a dream world, a place where fairness, dignity, honor, and love for your fellow man reign. Most of all, we wish for a safe world. We need to feel at least marginally safe to stay sane. But imagine suddenly realizing that there are dark forces aligned against you and lurking everywhere, ready and willing to take you down for the tiniest offense, real or imagined, against the state. In other words, imagine youre Donald Trump. Lets say youve been successful in life. Youre wealthy, famous, beloved by members of both political parties, and blessed with a beautiful wife and five children. You decide to run for high office. And thats when the nightmare begins. Powerful people in the shadows spring into action, doing everything in their power to destroy you. Their media mouthpieces go into overdrive, publicly slandering you as a deadbeat, a fraud, a wife-beater, and a sex fiend. They make fun of your speech patterns, your hair, and the hue of your skin. They call you a Russian pawn, imply youve been paid off, and then weave sordid tales of prostitutes urinating on a bed in Moscow for you. Meanwhile, your political opponent, a frumpy, shrill harridan whose main claim to fame is simply staying married to her philandering, Epstein-bro husband, and whose laugh could shatter glass, knowingly concocts and funds the fiction of your traitorous Russian connections. The corrupt, lying media then shout these lies from the rooftops, as does every politician from the opposing party. Your own nominal political party is deafeningly silent. Yet, somehow, the man on the street loves you, believes in your desire to make our country great, and happily elects you to the highest office in the land. Immediately, the FBI begins conspiring in sundry ways to take you down. They sneak into the White House and spring a perjury trap against one of your national security advisers, forcing you to let him go and ruining the mans life pour encourager les autres. Funny Business, Inc. proceeds to present false evidence to FISA courts who, later, are none too upset about it allowing bent Feebs to spy on your administration, your confidential communications with foreign leaders, and every aspect of your personal life. The rather tall but amazingly soft-looking head Feeb, who deployed pretzel logic to allow your presidential opponent to skate on mishandling classified info and destroying subpoenaed evidence, then leaks memos to a friend to start a special counsel investigation into your possibly being compromised by the Russians. This investigation, based on zilch from the start, is fronted by yet another bent G-man, albeit a terribly sad and senile one. Once again, the silence of your own political party is deafening, their passivity simply shocking. This total sham of a farce of a swindle lasts for two years. It does incalculable damage to everything youre trying to accomplish until the fried figurehead supposedly running the show finally admits that, although theres absolutely no there there, he cannot in good conscience exonerate you. Meanwhile, other slithery creatures hatch plans to destroy you. A Ukrainian-born member of your national security council lies about what should have been a confidential call to a foreign leader, and all of a sudden, youre being impeached. While the media and the opposing party loudly trumpet fairy tales of your supposed perfidy, you release the transcript of the call, more than proving your righteousness. And although the phony impeachment about nothing dies with not a bang, but a whimper, the process is the punishment, and youve once again been thoroughly abused. And as your own supine party continues letting you twist in the wind, the state and their lapdog media continue to hound you. They tell lies about you badmouthing veterans, praising the KKK, and overfeeding koi. They diss and publicly abuse your beautiful wife, this after lavishly kissing the considerable derriere of the previous angry-looking, America-hating first lady. They abuse your adult children, even going so far as to speculate about the intelligence and possible mental issues of your underage son. Half-wits, sluts, and porn stars looking for attention, and no doubt funded by your enemies, come up with half-remembered tales of debauchery at your hands to belittle you. They are applauded. Hell, your head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff places calls to perhaps our most worrisome geopolitical foe and promises it a heads-up on any military actions you might be planning against it! You promise to build a wall on our southern border, and then every level of government, including speakers of the House ostensibly belonging to your own party, steps in to prevent you. But, despite your having to go it alone in historic fashion, your term in office is a success. Illegal immigration has at least been limited; no wars involving the U.S. have been started; and the economy has flourished, helping millions of Americans finance their dreams. Thanks to you, minorities enjoyed historic increases in employment and personal wealth. The state, however, never quits. It doesnt get tired or hungry or depressed, it doesnt feel pain, and you cant reason with it. In addition to arguably funding, covering up the origin of, and tragically bungling the public health response to a laboratory-enhanced virus that killed millions, minions of the state then utilize that very virus to make it incredibly easy to commit voter fraud. Talk about making lemonade out of lemons! And all the while, our supposed watchdogs, the laughably named justice system, simply look the other way. Running for re-election, you proceed to set a record for the number of votes received by an incumbent president. And on Election Day night, you go to bed comfortably ahead in the race, only to find in the days to come that some votes have come, and some have gone, some are found, some are disqualified, and some appear seemingly out of thin air! And when all the chicanery is finally complete, youve somehow lost to a burnt piece of toast whose very nomination was fraudulent. While the vile media celebrate this obviously dirty election, the courts and your own party continue their slumber. But, as I said, the state never rests. They send an unknown number of agitators and federal agents into an unruly demonstration by your righteously enraged supporters and turn it into a riot. Behind the scenes, the security you requested for that day is denied, and someone tells police to open the doors to the Capitol, setting naive entrants up for federal charges and long prison sentences. The only person killed that day is a small, unarmed woman, shot by a cop whos later exonerated and then promoted. The despicable state media then turn a relatively small riot, especially compared to the many lives previously lost or ruined by the 2020 BLM riots, into an insurrection, a day of infamy worse than Pearl Harbor or 9/11 according to some. They make a shirtless bozo wearing cow horns the public face of said insurrection. And then, presto-chango, you, now simply an American citizen, are being impeached for the second time, this time for fomenting an insurrection that was certainly aided if not also dreamed up, planned, and paid for by your enemies. This second bogus impeachment, of course, goes nowhere, but, as I said before, the process is the punishment. You, however, never give up. You never surrender. You realize that despite all the crap the state has thrown at you, the American people still love you. And theyve come to despise the shallow shell of a human being supposedly running the show. So you resolve to run for the Oval Office again and promise to right our floundering ship of state which immediately sets all the worst sort of people into action. Dirty politicians conspire to keep you off various state ballots. Evil judges elevate looney-tune accusers and try to jail or bankrupt you. The National Archives and Funny Business, Inc. collude to storm your home, ransack it, and stage phony photos for the despicable press to run, all while empowered to shoot dead anyone who gets in their way. Multiple court cases involving novel theories of criminality heretofore unknown are brought against you hoping to demean, bankrupt, or jail you. They certainly prevent you from campaigning while your brain-dead opponent stumbles from event to event, mangling words, spouting nonsense, and calling your followers dire threats to democracy. And all the clowns in the media, Hollywood, and academia lap it up and clap in unison for him. Big Tech, truly one of the Devils handmaidens, openly conspires to muzzle your voice and amplify that of your lying, hysterical opposition. Cries of Youre a fascist, a racist, a sexist, a dictator, and still possibly a Russian asset! echo in the halls of government and academia and emanate loudly from your TV set. And all thats heard from our watchdogs, fact-checkers, and the politicians of your own party is heavy snoring and the occasional harrumph. And you have to wonder. Will I again be cheated out of a win? Will the vile denizens of the state who never sleep ruin me? Jail me? Perhaps even kill me? Theres no doubt theyd like to. And should you prevail, and be re-elected, will you have even a moment of peace when evildoers, like Funny Business, Inc.; the D.C. swamp; and our vile, forked-tongue media arent actively organizing coups against you? Um...no. Sorry! By now, readers may well be depressed by my incomplete list of all the injustices perpetrated against Donald Trump. But that was not my intent. No, my goal in writing this was simply for you to realize that if they can do this to Trump, they can do it to you. Vote and act accordingly. Image via Raw Pixel. Monday May 27, 2024 is Memorial Day, when we remember the soldiers that gave their lives in Americas wars. But it is well to remember that, despite the skepticism of Wikipedia, Memorial Day began as Decoration Day, organized by the women of the South to decorate the graves of the soldiers killed in the failed war of secession. Yes. Whatabout the men and women who gave their lives for nothing? I read recently that the Bolsheviks started killing people, just because, in 1918. Then, to implement the collectivization of agriculture, they sent the kulaks into the interior of Russia where they died -- from execution, from concentration camps, or just starving without the means to grow their own food. Then there was the Holodomor in 1932-33, the specific deaths in Ukraine of millions from famine caused by the collectivization of agriculture in the Soviet Union. We should remember all those who died in the Soviet Union, for nothing. Then there were the million or so killed in the Soviet Great Purge of 1936-38. People were starting to criticize the failures of Stalins five-year plans and forced collectivization. So millions were arrested and dispatched by the NKVD. We should remember those who died, for nothing. We remember the six million Jews gassed, shot, and starved to death in the Holocaust. But then there were the 20 million Russians who died in World War II, and seven million Germans, and six million Poles. And on and on. Guess how many died in China in World War II? Wikipedia says 7-8 million military deaths and 20-25 million deaths overall. We honor the 407,000 United States service members that gave their lives for victory in 1941-45, and we should. We should also remember the tens of millions in World War II who gave their lives, for nothing. Very well. But who can forget the intellectual devotion of social science Professor Mao, and his double-blind experiment remembered as the Great Leap Forward of 1958-62, in which an estimated 15-55 million Chinese people died to prove that socialism does not work? Given that experts still agree that top-down social experiments -- from COVID to Climate Change -- are a Good Thing, we are forced to realize that the 15-55 million died for nothing. It is, I suppose, obvious that political leaders would celebrate glorious victories and constantly remind us all that our sons died that we might live. What else could they do? Admit it was all a mistake? Experts agree that it is natural and physical for political leaders -- and for philosophers -- to assure their followers that all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. It turns out that it was Leibniz that came up with the best-of-all-possible-worlds Narrative in order to solve the problem of evil. But I have a different take. It arises from my lived experience. My dad was born in Russia and left as a teenager in 1918 as recommended by the British consulate in St. Petersburg. My mother was born in Kobe, Japan, and left in 1940 on the recommendation of her sister in India. I was born in India and my parents left shortly after independence in 1947 when the Indians decided to kill each other rather than the settler-colonialist Brits. I dont believe in the best-of-all-possible-worlds. I dont believe in philosophical solutions to the problem of evil. I believe in blind luck and the roll of the dice, and I thank God every day that my parents moved when they moved and just happened to end up in the right place at the right time. On this Memorial Day and other national remembrances, I remember the fallen and the veterans that survived. And I also remember those who lived and died for nothing. I honor them all. But I also remember the stupidity rather than the glory of the leaders that caused it all. Suppose North and South had cooled their jets for twenty years. You think we would have had to go to war over slavery in the 1880s? Suppose that Germany and Austria-Hungary and Italy hadnt formed a Triple Alliance in 1882. Suppose the Brits hadnt signed an Entente Cordiale with France in 1904. Suppose the Brits and the French and the Russians hadnt formed a Triple Entente in 1907. You think that maybe Europe would have escaped the bloodbath of the Great War in 1914? And if genius President Wilson hadnt joined the fight against the Germans in 1917, you think that maybe World War I might have ended in a draw? And if genius Princeton University president Wilson -- what is it about university presidents? -- had pushed back against a punitive Treaty of Versailles we might have been spared Literally Hitler? And so on. I know. How about a new annual holiday? We should call it Fuhrungdummheittag. But dont lets be beastly to the Germans. Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also get his American Manifesto and his Road to the Middle Class. Image: Pixabay On Monday, May 27 (our Memorial Day), the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly (WHA) will meet and begin the process of approving the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Treaty and the amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR). Many objections to these proposals have been raised to date, and powerfully-worded letters have been signed urging Biden not to sign the globalist power grab. But a not-much-talked-about document has been released by the White House that may indicate what Biden is likely to support. The two documents overlap in many ways but do appear to have some distinguishing features. The Pandemic Treaty appears to be a business deal that is designed to redirect billions of dollars of public and private funds to dramatically expand the Pharmaceutical Hospital Emergency Industrial Complex (PHEIC) into poor countries in order to access more of Big Pharmas drugs and injections. The IHR, according to the WHO website, is an instrument of international law that is legally-binding on 196 countries, including the 194 WHO Member States. These amendments aim to establish control over member nations on things like vaccines, medical treatment protocols, laboratory diagnostics, tests and medications; onsite investigations; the implementation of lockdowns; access to health services and products; surveillance; and censoring misinformation and disinformation, to mention a few. Fortunately, these sovereignty-killing agreements have been strongly opposed in the United States and abroad. On May 1, a letter signed by all 49 GOP senators was sent to President Biden urging him not to sign the WHO Pandemic Agreement and IHR amendments or, at the very least, to submit them to the Senate for approval as is appropriate under the Constitution. On May 8th, another letter was sent to Biden from 22 state attorneys general opposing the federal governments plans to concede national sovereignty to the WHO. The letter defiantly indicated that: Ultimately, the goal of these instruments isnt to protect public health. Its to cede authority to the WHO -- specifically its Director-General -- to restrict our citizens rights to freedom of speech, privacy, movement (especially travel across borders) and informed consent We will resist any attempt to enable the WHO to directly or indirectly set public policy for our citizens. [emphasis added] And just last week on May 22nd, 24 governors of largely red states affirmed that public health policy is a matter reserved for the states and not the government or international bodies like the WHO. It also stated clearly that, We are committed to resisting any attempts to transfer authority to the WHO over public policy affecting our citizens or any efforts by the WHO to assert such authority over them. It should also be noted that in March the Louisiana Senate passed Bill No. 133 barring the WHO, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum from enforcing any rule, regulation, fee, tax, policy from having authority over the states citizens. And on May 11, governor of Florida Ron DeSantis signed what is probably the strongest packet of bills for medical freedom with Senate Bill 252, House Bill 1387, Senate Bill 1580 and Senate Bill 238. In addition to addressing a broad spectrum of related medical control issues, the legislation prohibits globalized public health institutions, like the WHO, from determining public health policy in Florida. Such defiant reactions to the planned WHO health tyranny are certainly appropriate and appreciated by those of us who wish to retain our medical freedoms and informed consent. But what is Biden going to do in light of such rejections? Well, well soon find out. But the White House has already left some crumbs that may signal where its allegiance lies. On April 16th, the White House released a fact sheet regarding the launch of the U.S Global Health Security Strategy (GHSS) to protect the health, lives, and economic well-being of the American people and people throughout the world. It broadly articulates a new global health whole-of-government, science-based approach to strengthening global health security. And although the WHO is not mentioned, it does mention that policies will be implemented that will Continue to drive efforts to strengthen global policies, including through negotiations on a Pandemic Accord and targeted amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR). The real meat of the GHSS will be found in the 64-page U.S. Global Health Strategy 2024document. Here support for the WHO is mentioned multiple times along with the Pandemic Treaty. The United States is supporting efforts to strengthen global policies and legal preparedness, including negotiating a Pandemic Agreement and targeted amendments to the IHR, as these two instruments have the potential to provide the international community with the opportunity to establish a shared path forward for preventing, preparing for, and responding to international health emergencies. The document is long and rather detailed in terms of its set goal of establishing legal frameworks, preparedness and response policies, funding and financing mechanisms, global and regional ties and surveillance. Indeed, the aim is ambitious. And if you were to glance over the GHSS document, it would appear that the Biden administration is advancing to implement a WHO-like treaty before he even signs it, bypassing Senate approval. It's not clear what role this GHSS is going to play in conjunction with or apart from the WHO treaty considered next week. But it seems to me that a lot of thought and preparation went into the document for this not to be somehow significant. Perhaps it will be a means to enact some of the above draconian health policies despite strong opposition just as the Biden administration has announced that it will forgive 7.7 billion dollars in student loans in defiance of the Supreme Courts ruling on student loan forgiveness. So here we are. Solid responses of disapproval and non-cooperation have been forwarded by U.S senators, attorneys general, and governors. We also have House and Senate bills H.R. 1425 and S.444 which require the Biden administration to receive 2/3 majority approval before he signs the WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty. So there is hope and legitimate grounds to stop the WHO. And both sides have made their preliminary moves. The stage is now set. Victor Fernandez is a former Logic/Philosophy of Science adjunct and retired math teacher. Image: UN Perhaps the most startling quality of world leaders today is that they do not believe in much beyond their own wants and needs. Many will feign a belief in God for the sake of appearances, but true believers are hard to find. In the West, where Christianity has shaped society for two thousand years, it is more common to find governments punishing Christians for their faith than to see biblical doctrine defended. Finnish Member of Parliament Paivi Rasanen, a rare Christian politician in our overwhelmingly secular times, has spent the last several years defending herself against criminal hate speech charges for quoting the Bible. Prosecutors claim that her religious convictions concerning marriage and morality are insulting and degrading and violate sexual rights. Furthermore, her accusers insist that the State can limit freedom of expression in the outward expression of religion. Such despotic statements amount to nothing less than full-throated attacks against religious freedom. Faithful Christians are not Christian for merely an hour or two during church service each week. They do not slip in and out of their Christian identity as a worker might put on overalls and gloves. Believers walk the walk in everything they do. For Finnish authorities to demand that Rasanen hide her faith is to demand that she no longer be a practicing Christian. Only a government that believes in nothing beyond its own power would command a citizen to obey the State by disobeying God. Finland is far from the only Western nation putting God on trial. During the Reign of COVID Terror, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States, and most of Europe waged a perverse kind of spiritual war against churches and congregations. Priests, pastors, and rabbis were threatened with criminal charges for opening their doors to a suffering public, and government agents tracked mobile phones and recorded license plate numbers of faithful parishioners who attended religious services. Amid a horrendous global effort to prevent people from praying together, Canadas Justin Trudeau distinguished himself as a tyrant par excellence by sanctioning the repeated arrest of Polish-Canadian Pastor Artur Pawlowski. His crime? He continued to hold church services for those seeking salvation in defiance of Canadian officials attempts to shut him down. Video of Pastor Pawlowski throwing armed police out of his church during an Easter service back in 2021 remains one of the most inspiring examples of regular citizens rejecting State tyranny. Comparing Canadas militant authoritarianism to what he witnessed growing up under a communist dictatorship behind the Iron Curtain, under the boots of the Soviets, Pawlowski repeatedly implored Westerners: We as lions should never bow before the hyenas. Because the good pastor possesses moral courage, Trudeau and his government of Cheka thugs have done their best to ruin him. Abusing Christians has become an obsession for American leftists. Catholic-in-name-only Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garlands Department of Religious Persecution have spent the last three years targeting pro-life Americans who pray near abortion clinics. Heavily armed agents of the Gestapo FBI have executed pre-dawn raids against Christians with no criminal records because they offend the pro-abortion sensibilities of the State. While federal authorities do next to nothing to investigate attacks on churches and pro-life organizations, they throw grandparents in prison to serve multi-year sentences for the crime of having peacefully protested outside of notorious abortion businesses. Similar arrests and prosecutions of pro-life Christians regularly take place in the United Kingdom, too, where police officers have been filmed asking citizens whether or not they are silently praying on public sidewalks. If so, its off to the hoosegow! Praying outside is now forbidden! The UK government has been shamefully clear that God is permitted only in certain designated areas where He may be best hidden from the public. He is unwelcome everywhere else. Unfortunately, that is also the case in France, Germany, and much of Europe, where Christians are regularly demonized as being fascist or far-right. The continent that is home to the Vatican and the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation has become hostile to biblical teachings and discriminatory against all those who belong to a Christian church. As Douglas Murray has pointed out in his insightful book, The Strange Death of Europe, European nations seem determined to destroy their shared civilization. In abandoning God and criminalizing Christians, they will surely succeed. Nowhere are leftists more committed to burying Christianity than in the United States. Why is that? For the same reason that the Chinese Communist Party tortures, enslaves, and murders Christians living within its domain: Christians understand that Gods authority supersedes that of the State. China must prevent Christianity from growing within its borders because a population faithfully obedient to God will not remain mindlessly obedient to a communist dictatorship. Likewise, American Marxists must first dismantle American Christians spiritual faith before they can cultivate a widespread dependence upon and deification of D.C.s Deep State. Unlike every other nation in the world, the United States was founded on the principles that all people possess God-given rights and that legitimate government exists only so long as faithful citizens provide their continuing consent. The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights explicitly encourage the American people to construct forms of government that secure their freedoms and Gods blessings. Under such a system, no president, lawmaker, or judge can dismiss anothers natural rights without violating his sworn duty to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. Faithfully protecting the peoples natural liberties must take precedence over any government officials wants or needs. It is why Benjamin Franklin suggested that the motto, Rebellion to Tyrants is obedience to God, be used for the official Seal of the United States. It is also why Thomas Jefferson chose this same motto for his personal seal. Our Founding Fathers placed Gods will far above their own. Consequently, Marxist saboteurs inside the United States have understood for well over a century that the only way to deprive Americans of their inalienable liberties is to first separate them from God. Without actively seeking Gods guidance, Americans cannot expect to enjoy Gods blessings. It is a sure-fire and diabolical path toward tyranny. In pursuit of this wicked agenda, Marxists have used litigation and cultural revolution to attack Christianity and remove it from the public square. They have adopted an apocryphal understanding of the First Amendments prohibition against the establishment of a State religion to radically abridge Americans First Amendment right to exercise their own religion. Utilizing this false imperative to separate church from State as a battering ram to demolish religious conviction, Marxists have steadily undermined Americans relationship with God. They have purged religious teachings and moral education from public schools. They have sued towns and local officials for making any gesture that recognizes the truth of a loving God. They have ostracized true believers and made it nearly impossible for them to serve as elected leaders while simultaneously adhering to the principles of their faith. The consequences have been as monstrous as they were predictable. As Marxists have mocked virtue and glorified sin, they have promoted widespread loneliness and moral decay. They have replaced strong and supportive families with a grab bag of welfare handouts from the State. They have enfeebled young adults to such a degree that most are aimless and psychologically unmoored. They have pushed transgender madness and sexual promiscuity at such an early age that adolescents struggle to understand themselves or how to form healthy relationships. Marxist globalism is an evil religion that justifies theft, violence, and the elevation of the State over God and families. Such narcissistic nihilism brings only misery and death and must be thoroughly destroyed. This Memorial Day, remember all those fighters who would eagerly do so, if only they were still here. Image via Pexels. Hunter Bidens gun trial is set to begin sometime next month, and newly-filed court documents appear to reveal what strategy his lawyers intend to use in his defense; heres what Bart Jansen at USA Today reported on the matter: Hunter Bidens lawyers are sparring with prosecutors in his federal gun case over the definition of drug addict, as they prepare for trial to begin June 3. The presidents son is charged with lying on a federal form and to a gun dealer about whether he was addicted to drugs when he bought a pistol in 2018. But in court filings this week, Bidens lawyers suggested he might deny being an addict at the time of the purchase because he had just completed a stint in rehabilitation. The terms user or addict are not defined on the form and were not explained to him, defense lawyer Abbe Lowell wrote in a filing Thursday. Someone, like Mr. Biden who had just completed an 11-day rehabilitation program and lived with a sober companion after that, could surely believe he was not a present tense user or addict. The referenced form is ATF Form 4473, or Firearms Transaction Record, and its what you fill-out anytime you go to an establishment operating under an Federal Firearms License and purchase a firearm over-the-counternow Hunter allegedly checked the no box for this question: Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance? Of course the honest answer for someone like Hunter Biden is a resounding yes, but as his lawyers argue, the FFL didnt hand him a dictionary, and no one explained to him what it meant to be an addict, and now that they think about it, addict is actually a pretty vague term making it up for interpretationat least when youre the child of a corrupt Democrat anywayso really its somebody elses fault for sure, and Hunter is not guilty of lying on the form because he was only filling it out to the best of his ability. Isnt Hunter Biden a lawyer himself? Couldnt one reasonably conclude that he has a decent enough grasp of the English language to understand what an addict is? And this is the loser that Joe Biden, the apparent president of the United States, asserted was the smartest guy he knew. How absurd. So in an alternate reality where Hunters been clean for five minutes, hes no longer an addict? Whats next? Youre no longer an alien (language used in some of the questions as well) as soon as you step foot into the nation, even though you entered illegally and you hold foreign citizenship? Funny enough, the lawyers didnt even try to claim he wasnt using at the time he bought his gun, they simply say hed completed a rehab program and lived with a sober companionseems perfectly gray to me. Now to be fair, Hunter did just lose the sugar daddy paying his legal bills, so he probably lost his best lawyers too and got stuck with a couple of quacks, but this is the stupidest excuse I think Ive ever heardwhich doesnt necessarily mean it wont workbut since none of them seem to grasp what an addict is, allow me to help them out, pro bono: If you catch yourself digging through dirty carpet fibers and smoke old parmesan cheese shavings because you think its crackyou might be an addict. If your drug habits are so shamefully notorious that one of the biggest hip-hop artists from the late 1990s and early 2000s explodes back onto the scene because he writes a viral hit called Hunter Got High and its all about your criminal behavioryou might be an addict. BREAKING: This is officially the best and most important song of 2024 Pure fire Hunter Got High By Afroman pic.twitter.com/BOwDhb9Kjn George (@BehizyTweets) April 29, 2024 If you record yourself on video squabbling with a prostitute about the weight of crack cocaine on a scale, so out of your mind on who knows what that you misread 20.7 as two-point-seven without the bag...you might be an addict: If youre the first person who comes to the minds of the entire nation when news hits that cocaine was discovered in the White Houseyou might be an addict. If there is a plethora of video and photographic evidence of you doing hard and illegal drugsyou might be an addict. If youre splitting hairs over the difference between a meth pipe and a crack pipe as an attempt to cast reasonable doubt on a photo of you blitzed in a bathtub with some kind of drug pipe hanging out of your mouthyou might be an addict. If sweaty, jittery antics followed by bullet sniffs is normal behavior for you in publicyou might be an addict. Remember that one time (roughly six weeks ago) when Hunter ripped a snort of cocaine from a device (generally referred to as a 'bullet') on the Truman Balcony of the White House...on the 4th of July with cameras rolling, and right next to children. Class act, that kid. pic.twitter.com/Whrz6n6SLp AwakenedOutlaw (@AwakenedOutlaw) August 14, 2023 If you go on national television and call yourself an addictyou might be an addict. What am I forgetting? Image from X. When you first heard of the massacres of October 7, what was the first thing that came to mind? If you're like me, you might have thought: Haven't we had enough of this crap for one lifetime? Terrorists commit unspeakable atrocities on innocent people going about their business, dance around with glee, preening and parading for the cameras and waving their guns, and then use the whole ugly specter to recruit more gooberheads just like themselves to go out and commit more atrocities. It's disgusting. We saw it with al-Qaida, we saw it with ISIS, now we see it with Hamas. How much more of this is going to come? Enough is enough. A new poll from Issues & Insights and TIPP show that most Americans appear to feel the same way. According to Terry Jones, writing for TIPP's website: The national online poll, taken from May 1-3, asked 1,435 adults the following question: "Do you support or oppose Israel taking tough actions, such as eliminating Hamas to ensure its security within its borders?" Of those responding, 54% said they either "strongly" supported (29%) taking such action, or "somewhat" supported it (25%). By contrast, only 21% said they either "strongly" opposed (9%) or "somewhat" opposed (12%) Israel's fight (the poll has a margin of error of +/-2.7 percentage points). Overall, 24% described themselves as "not sure," a sign that many Americans have yet to fully sort out the issues involved. And yes, more than two-thirds of Republicans supported this fight to get rid of these terrorists and just under half of Democrats did, which is still a sizable number. Only about a quarter of Democrats actually oppose Israel's war. What's more, Americans oppose a Palestinian state. That bunch is not ready to have their own state. They had their chance with a self-governing state dating from 2005, they elected terrorists, what happened happened, so let's just say they blew it. No state for them, not until their values change and their education system is reformed so that Jew-hate isn't the only thing they teach in their miserable schools. Common sense says you punish terrorism to get less of it. You don't reward terrorism so as to get more of it. All in all, it's a striking contrast to what we read in the press. That's because so many of our elites -- in the CIA, among the campus protestors, and at various museums and other government agencies, are loud and proud about supporting Hamas and opposing Israel. Remember this CIA charmer with the crazy eyes? She's not the only one. Yet that's the demographic Joe Biden is going for as he tailors U.S. policy to satisfy them in time for elections. He's taking a namby pamby stance on Israel, going hot, going cold, and in the end, advocating for the tired status quo, which is to say, that Hamas can stay where it is and keep doing what it's doing, while the reward of a state is on the table. It really is a dramatic report, because so much of the media coverage would have you think that the public is against the Israel war based on campus protests and indeed favors a Palestinian state. We have seen some European states such as Spain, Ireland and Norway move to support a Palestinian state. Spain is famous for caving when confronted by terrorist violence as they did in 2004 when they elected an antiwar socialist just days after al-Qaida launched a terrorist attack on their trains in Madrid, killing nearly 200. Norway has been out of it for years on the peacenik track, and Ireland is just a sad story. But the U.S. is not them. We have lived through terrorism, too, and know at least something of what Israel is going through. Most Americans see Israel as an ally and Hamas as evil. That's as it should be. It's heartening to see that the efforts of Hamas and their elitist allies are going nowhere here in the states. We've seen this act before and have the graves to go to on Memorial Day as a result. Biden, though, seems oblivious of this reality, and TIPP points out ways it could swing the election. Image: TIPP, by permission The Memorial Day weekend is on us, so quite a few people were surprised to see Joe Biden tweeting about this instead of our selfless servicemen who paid the ultimate sacrifice: George Floyd should be alive. He deserved so much more. Today, I join all those who loved him and all those touched by the civil rights movement he inspired in remembering the tragedy and injustice of his death. He changed the world. Now, let's act in his memory. pic.twitter.com/uPSCkxFMRs President Biden (@POTUS) May 25, 2024 George Floyd? Who was never in the service, let alone someone who gave his life for his country? He changed the world? If one could call it that. Most people don't see the riots and looting that followed his sadly predictable death with fentanyl in his system, complicated by his own decision to resist arrest as 'changing the world.' Is Biden telling the public to take fentanyl and to disobey police orders? As for act in his memory, what again is the old fool talking about? Go rioting? Go looting? Expand DEI programs to unsustainable levels? Accuse all cops of racism to the point of cops retiring at their desks? Nothing good came of the death of George Floyd, a career criminal whose death, while a tragedy for him, was a pretty preventable one. As for the public, his death and the radical response, driven to some extent by Cuban and Venezuelan agents, was a disaster. Yet even though someone called May 25 "George Floyd Day," it's outrageous to see it cut into the Memorial Day weekend, which is a period of solemn observance for those servicemen and servicewomen who gave their lives for something good -- our country. Biden's nattering on about Floyd at the most inappropriate of times calls to mind that he's been pretty hellish as commander in chief. He has yet to make right the COVID vaccine mandate which drove many topflight members of the service from the service. Military housing remains dilapidated, while military paychecks have been ravaged by Bidenflation. Biden lost Afghanistan, leaving that country in shambles and in the hands of the Taliban while our enemies snickered. Worse still, thirteen U.S. servicemembers lost their lives at the hands of these monsters and Biden stared at his watch as their coffins were brought into the U.S. He silenced the families of these servicemembers who paid the ultimate sacrifice at his State of the Union address. And as Memorial Day rolls around, he has yet to bring up these casualties of his military incompetence, who ought to be honored on Memorial Day. He has since lost a major military base in Niger while U.S. troops were held hostage, gotten the U.S. mired in a war in Ukraine, and foolishly schemed to use the U.S. military to build a pier to Gaza for humanitarian aid has since seen broken off and fallen away and washed onto some Gaza beach, $350 million down the drain. Memorial Day is a special day, it's not to honor veterans, or first responders, however worthy they genuinely are. It's to honor the fallen in U.S. wars and nothing else. That Biden has yet to understand this, and instead demonstrates that it's somehow about George Floyd only goes to underscore how unfit he is as commander in chief. Of course he knows it's Memorial Day. He'd just rather just pander to the woke and the black vote with this, the latter of which he is losing by huge percentages. On Memorial Day, he's out politically campaigning with a big pander instead of remembering the dead. May this be his last Memorial Day with which he can offend us and insult our sacred national holiday. Image: Twitter screen shot Fidelity Month is an initiative launched by Princeton professor Robert George, the pro-religious liberty/pro-life activist, to showcase the importance of fidelity towards God, family, and community. George has been concerned about how our society is becoming unglued, how bonds once thought critical with respect to God, to family, and to community are increasingly dissolving. In lieu of these relationships, Americans are becoming ever more isolated (and lonely) individuals, clinging to some atomized autonomy that thinks freedom is being free of relationships. Thats why we bowl alone, we live alone, and increasingly as we saw during COVID, we die alone. He thinks we need to fix that. Hes not looking for a national campaign: virtues arent built or distributed by campaign. Theyre acquired one man and one deed at a time: one man, because virtue is about character, and character belongs to individual men; one deed, because virtues are only built up by repetitive actions, one deed at a time. Fidelity Month is neither sectarian nor partisan. It is interfaith and ecumenical, at least in the assumption we share fidelity to Someone above us. Fidelity to Deity, home, and society are not religious or partisan preserves. What relationships are under pressure? God. Family. Community. God. We say we are one nation under God but, increasingly, we dont act that way. John Adams said our constitution is made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. But what happens not when the Constitution changes but its citizens do? What happens not just when people somehow get the (false) idea in their heads that they must abandon their religious convictions in public life, but when people actually abandon their religious convictions in their own lives? Its not then -- to borrow Richard John Neuhauss description -- that the public square is naked as much as the citizens filling that public square arrive as so many Lady Godivas. George does not offer grandiose solutions to the God problem. Grandiose solutions generally dont work. Hes a lot more practical. Did you go to church or synagogue this week? No? Well, then how about doing that next week? Did you pray today? No? Then pray tonight. Do you believe in God? Yes? Well, how about acting like you do? (See James 2:14-24). Family. Fidelity here might not mean avoiding adultery -- although adultery seems to be growing. Theres a push out there for polyamory -- what used to once be called swinging or polygamy or fooling around. Fidelity to family means putting family first. Being there for family. Not babbling about quality time but providing time, period. Being there for kids. Again, George does not suggest grandiose solutions. Time, effort, involvement. Community. To the degree that people have retreated into themselves, theres still some hope for families, but its no secret the larger sense of community spirit in America has atrophied. Fidelity to community means involvement in community. This year that means to vote. There are still states holding primaries, not just for President but for congressional seats and state government. It can mean throwing in a few bucks to the candidate whom you think can really make a difference. And that candidate need not be for President of the United States of. It might be for your nobody-ever-heard-of neighbor whos decided to run for school board because hes tired of being called a domestic terrorist for opposing the pornification of children. Or maybe it means you volunteering for an advisory board in your town, a committee seat in your local political party, or some volunteer role, like maybe occasionally babysitting a single moms kid so she can study for her GED. All these are practical ways of fidelity to our community that yield great dividends, though they call on us to make an investment, most often of time. Professor George hopes to make Fidelity Month not some great national celebration as much as a reminder of the need to recover the value of the concept of fidelity in our relationships and, in that process, recover those relationships that are essential to building a human family, community, and world under God. Why not commit to doing your share this June in Fidelity Month? [For more information on Fidelity Month, see the Fidelity Month Public Group.] Image: RawPixel.com I will never leave a fallen comrade. -- U.S. Army Soldiers Creed The governments lies are devastating to those whom they harm. For soldiers conducting post-armistice operations near and within the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), fears of reigniting resumption of the Korean War led our government to shroud those killed and wounded by the North Korean Army and its landmines in lies and deceit. This was done for political expediency (e.g., unpopular overseas interventions, hopeful negotiation of a Korean War peace treaty, presidential campaigns, etc.) and budgetary constraints. I believe it is time to make this outrage public. Surprisingly, the Department of Defense does not have a standard definition of combat. For example, the United States Army thinks combat only existed after the discovery of gunpowder and explosives. For the United States Marine Corps, it is up to the hierarchy to decide whether you are in combat using a sliding scale based on political expedience. Marines who are under indirect fire (artillery or mortars) are not normally eligible for the CAR (Combat Action Ribbon) unless they actively engage the enemy in counter-fire actions; or being awarded the Purple Heart does not automatically make a service member eligible for the CAR, nor does merely serving in a combat area or being exposed to enemy fire or threat of enemy fire. This Memorial Day, it is time to recognize the following soldiers whose deaths in Korea should be categorized as killed in action and not non-hostile dead or accident. A look at the Defense Casualty Analysis System or the U.S. Army Casualty Information System available at the National Archives provides an insight into how service members killed by the North Korean People's Army (NKPA) or their landmines are categorized: Interestingly, Major Bonifas was posthumously promoted and awarded the Bronze Star with Valor device and the Purple Heart, a decoration for being combat wounded. CWO Hilemon also received the Purple Heart. So which is it, combat or not? Often, as in the case of the deaths of MAJ Bonifas and 1LT Barrett, or as far back as a 1963 ambush where two U.S. soldiers were killed when their jeep was ambushed by the North Korean Peoples Army (NKPA), they are characterized as murders. It is insulting to Korean DMZ veterans that the deaths caused by enemy actions are listed as accidents, non-hostile dead, and murders and not as killed in action. A legal opinion to determine captured CWO Bobby Halls (CWO Hilemons co-pilot) status written in 1994 for the legal counsel of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated: Army International and Operational Law and the Department of State agree that since the United States, as a member of the United Nations Forces in Korea, is still engaged as a matter of law in an ongoing armed conflict against North Korea... Although active hostilities have been suspended for over forty years under a formal armistice agreement, the state of armed conflict between the United States and North Korea still exists. These soldiers have been left behind. It is long past time for their deaths to be properly recorded as killed in action. History demands it. Image: National Archives What exactly is Memorial Day all about? It's about remembering the fallen or the ones who paid the ultimate sacrifice. This is from We remember Nathan Aguirre , the young man from our church killed in Iraq This is from the obituary Nathan was born December 11, 1984, in San Antonio, Texas. His family later moved to Carrollton, where Nathan met his best friend, Joseph Posenecker, at a church gathering. Joseph described Nathan as a leader and a responsible person. Always keeping us in line, Joseph said of his friend, He was very outgoing and wanted to be the best at everything. Nathans family remembers his always adventurous spirit. He enjoyed rock climbing so much so that he volunteered at his local climbing gym in order to climb for free. He later became a rock climbing instructor at the gym. Nathan was also passionate about being a Boy Scout, said his mother, Mary. He even designated the Boy Scouts as one of his life insurance beneficiaries. Boy Scouts presented him with structured adventures and learning along with teaching him leadership skills, responsibility, integrity and loyalty that he embraced with such happiness, his mother said. Nathan always longed to serve his country. He joined the Army Reserves while still in high school, putting off plans to attend Texas A&M University to study architecture. He didnt want to wait four years to go into the service, Nathans father, Louis, said about his son. He wanted to serve. SPC Aguirre blogged about his experiences in Iraq on his MySpace page. Since his death, his page on the social networking site has turned into an online memorial. Nathan's death reminds us that we live in a dangerous world. I know his parents well and thank them for raising a wonderful young man like Nathan. Nathan's death reminds us that we live in a dangerous world. I know his parents well and thank them for raising a wonderful young man like Nathan. We are grateful that young men like Nathan are willing to serve their country. The management agency does not enjoy destroying beekeepers livelihoods, said Niharika Long, the bureaucrat who ordered $2 million worth of Springbank Honeys inventory to be destroyed despite a conclusive reason to do so. Heres the story, from a report by Katie Oliver at The New Zealand Herald: A New Zealand beekeeper said he is $2 million out of pocket after being ordered to destroy thousands of hives, by authorities that found traces of American foulbrood disease (AFB). North Canterbury company Springbank Honey was forced to burn thousands of bee boxes by the National American Foulbrood Management Agency. Springbank Honey director Steven Brown said they faced criminal prosecution if they didnt destroy the affected hives - even though the disease itself wasnt detected. They ran six tests, two of them came back as having AFB spores... they did not find any clinical disease there, he said. Long declined to be transparent regarding the spore count (and the facts of the case) citing commercially sensitive privilege, but per Brown, the NAFMA detected spores in just two beehive boxes, yet the business was forced to burn ten thousand of them which contained more than two million dollars worth of honey, with only one week to do so. Now Brown is a veteran of the apiary industry with more than 30 years of experience under his belt (he was an inspector himself too at one point), and heres this, from an item at Newshub: Brown says AFB does nothing to the honey, it only affects bee larvae. Brown says he spends up to $50,000 every month testing his product, and he believes he's been unfairly targeted. I know they werent diseased. They had no disease in them. These were disease-free boxes that had no problems that are now burnt, he said. And, as Oliver also reported: Brown does not believe that the number of spores detected justified the amount of boxes burned. The issue is not that we dont believe in trying to get rid of AFB out of beehives, we have no problems with that, Brown said. He believes the spore levels were well below the infecting level. Im no scientist, but a 33% spore detection rate doesnt seem like a conclusive finding, and certainly doesnt make obliterating Springbanks business justified. I mean, how reliable are these tests? Forgive me if I dont exactly trust the reliability of scientific testing methods in a post-Covid world. From the NAFMAs website: Spores are the only form of the disease that can infect healthy larvae. As well, the spores can only increase in number by infecting a larva. They do not multiply in any other environment (e.g. honey or beekeeping equipment). AFB spores will only multiply inside a larva. AFB was first discovered in New Zealand in 1877, and by 1906 the government had authorized itself to control disease managementnow Springbank has been in business for more than 70 years, and if anyone doesnt want to see the bee populations destroyed by a disease from which bees cannot recover, its the business that counts these bees as their livelihood, not the quasi-government outfit with administrative control. Brown worries that those acting as bureaucrats arent necessarily the most qualified and competent peopleIm going to just go out on a limb here and wager that hes rightbut I have to wonder, since Long asserted that many of the inspectors are beekeepers themselves whose only goal is to protect their industry by which they earn a livelihood, how many of them arecompetitors too? I mean, doesnt Brown have a vested interest in protecting the industry too? He also needs thriving and healthy bee colonies to keep his business, in business, so its a little hard to believe that hed risk the entire enterprise and industry to foolishly cut corners; after all, Brown is running an outfit that has a spot in the global marketplace, and he already invests tens of thousands of dollars every month to ensure his colonies and products are healthy and disease-free. I hate to be a conspiracy theorist but since bioweapons are a very real thing, how can one be sure that the big government demanding total and tyrannical control of the people isnt doing something shady? Especially concerning bees, which are a critical part of the biospherewithout pollinators, would the world eat? Hardly. And, isnt the culling of the human herd kind of the goal of the unelected globalist regimes, some of which have their tentacles in New Zealand? Sure, darling of the World Economic Forum Jacinda Ardern is no longer prime minister, having resigned from the post last year, but does her departure mean the rest of the swamp has been drained? Again, hardly. Lastly, from Oliver: Long wants to acknowledge the compliance of Springbank Honey. Theyre showing a huge amount of bravery and theyre essentially protecting the rest of the sector... The management agency does not enjoy destroying beekeepers livelihoods, she said. War is peace freedom is slavery ignorance is strength and forced compliance with tyranny is bravery. Image: Free image, Pixabay license. One of Trumps most profound moments came when he said, Theyre not after me; theyre after you. Im just in the way. He was correct, and the same can be said regarding most initiatives coming from the Democrat party and its hard-left supporters. The latest proof of that premise comes from a Memorial Day Parade at Princeton, which saw pro-Palestine activists swarm the parade upon sight of an American flag, at which point they turned it into a Free Palestine event. Nothing shows more clearly that theyre not just after Israel; America is their real target. Whats happening on campuses across America after decades of anti-Western indoctrination is a generation of young people that despises America. For them, Israel, because of its association with Biblical principles and its pro-Western values, is just the first target. America, once the bastion of freedom in the post-WWII world, is the ultimate target. In an ironic way, Israel is lucky because the enemy is an outsider. In America, though, the enemy is a fifth column. Its soldiers arent Hamas terrorists. Instead, theyre our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, colleagues, bosses, co-workers and neighbors. We say hello to them all the time, and think that theyre just like us, only a little more radical, confused, or idealistic. And of course, theyre those nice foreign exchange students we welcomed into America, the land of opportunity: This is not a university in Gaza. This is not a university in Rafah. This is the 16th best ranked university in the World. This is the Princeton class of 2024. pic.twitter.com/5dtsj226v9 Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 27, 2024 Our sense that these people are just like us, only they are politically confused, is false. These people are as hostile to America as the Soviets were and the Chinese are, but Biden desperately needs their votes. They are his people. Here are the videos of Americas Fifth Column, attacking a parade to honor those who died in service to America and the Constitution and screaming their praise for the so-called Palestinian people (who are actually Jordanians and other flotsam and jetsam from the Muslim world at the end of the Ottoman Empire). Those Palestinians, in turn, owe fealty and give love to Hamas, a misogynistic, homophobic, anti-Christian, anti-American cohort that is open about its genocidal intentions towards Israels people: Are you kidding me?!? Pro-Hamas THUGS (rumored to be Princeton students) were seen RUSHING a Memorial Day parade that was honoring our fallen soldiers. They were screaming FREE PALESTINE pic.twitter.com/t42RoLsd3N Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) May 27, 2024 Shameful Princeton students rush to stop a MEMORIAL DAY parade after spotting American flags coming towards them. Hundreds of activists charged onto the road and sat down while shouting Free Palestine at the parade marchers who were honoring fallen service members & veterans. pic.twitter.com/dSQWK0J4YD Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 26, 2024 As an aside, since this was an obviously permitted parade, the protesters actions were illegal. They need to be arrested, prosecuted and, if justice is served, imprisoned. At his Bronx rally, Donald Trump read the lyrics to Al Wilsons 1968 song, The Snake, which musically re-tells Aesops fable about the farmer and the viper. It seems appropriate to end this post with that song: Image: X screen grab. Nobody should be surprised that San Francisco, the city that's going downhill, has a lot of thugs and thieves on its public payroll. That's what the city's annual whistleblower report of employee malfeasance has to show, according to the San Francisco Chronicle: Sleeping on duty. Stealing city property. Hiring family members. A new whistleblower report detailed allegations that San Francisco city employees engaged in these inappropriate practices, among others, this year. Every quarter, the San Francisco Controllers Office publishes a detailed report on its whistleblower program. This quarters report spanning from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2024 showed there were 192 reports of improper behavior, misuse of funds, wasteful government practices or poor delivery of services by city employees, 174 of which have been resolved. Nearly a quarter of the closed investigations resulted in a city department or contractor taking corrective or preventive actions. The number of complaints is small compared to the number of city employees and contractors more than 35,000 people work for the city, as do thousands more contractors most of whom work diligently and perform their duties appropriately. Most of the complaints that were substantiated detail eyebrow-raising behavior by city employees. Data from the report shows that a vast majority of the whistleblower complaints came from five city departments, with the Department of Public Health the citys largest department topping the list with 53 reports. The Municipal Transportation Agency had 19 reports, the Department of Public Works had 13, and the San Francisco Human Services Agency and the Police Department had 12 each. The total number of reports per year has been trending upward for the past decade, but there was a considerable dip in the number of reports after the peak in 2022, according to data from the report. Which is pretty disgusting when one considers that payrolls, while down 5% in the past five years (which may be linked to resident flight), according to its 2023 Workforce report, have seen salaries go up, up, up, with the average employee take-home package soaring 22% in just four years, topping all the other counties. In 2018 the average hourly rate for all CCSF [City and County of San Francisco] employees w as $47.23 ($98,235 annually), which increased by 22 percent in 2022 to $57.51 ($119,626 annually ). According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, workers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward area had an average hourly wage of $41.63 in 2021. As a result, in 2022, CCSF employees had an overall average hourly rate 32 percent higher than other employees in San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward areas combined. And what do they get for that extra 32% premium compared to that of other Bay Area cities (which likely are more highly paid than surrounding areas)? Better services? No, just lots more criminals. The Chronicle hastens to add that most employees are honest and hardworking, but they presented no proof of that. It could have just as easily been that investigators refuse to investigate and workers engaged in the same activity are reluctant to snitch. The money part of the quote is that the criminality among city employees is going up. Is the quality of city services going up, too? Not if you ask anyone who lives there. Here are some violations that were partly substantiated by the Controller's office, while the parts that weren't were simply "not proven." One complaint said an employee driving a city vehicle nearly hit a member of the public and the employee then yelled obscenities at that person. While the investigation found the driver indeed almost hit a pedestrian, the probe could not find evidence that the employee yelled obscenities. The department counseled the employee in writing and reminded them of city vehicle policies, the report says. Another complaint said a city contractor inappropriately hired a family member to conduct mandatory training, a violation of the contract. The investigation found that the training was conducted by a family member, though the training wasnt mandatory simply encouraged. A manager let a worker sleep on the job while the worker was on call, and the manager allowed them to violate parking restrictions on multiple occasions. An investigation found that an employee had been verbally abusing staff on multiple occasions. One manager claimed to be working from home on one occasion but was actually on vacation. So the more you pay them, the worse they behave, no doubt the result of having a lot of unearned income well beyond their worth in the free market. The natural result is an emerging entitlement mentality not unlike that of princelings. It's interesting that the largest number of violations were concentrated within just four departments, such as the Department of Public Works, whose agency head, Muhammad Nuru, went to jail for corruption, and who had been carrying on an affair with San Francisco's mayor, London Breed. That suggests a festering culture of corruption, if nothing else. And this report mentions nothing of the carjacking crew on the city payroll, in this incident here. The bottom line here, is that as the city goes downhill, so does its ruling elite. Apparently stealing, whether of time, resources, or actual money, is how things are done in that city, even as residents flee and the homeless multiply, buttressed by some very generous city handouts to the NGOs who enable them. And as City Journal notes in a piece published a few years ago, it amounts to a blown windfall. The City should have had a gargantuan windfall based on the income it was taking in from Silicon Valley enterprises, but like Hugo Chavez and a barrel of oil, the bounty was quickly squandered. We can see the same thing in the going-downhill quality of San Francisco's city employees, where money is flowing and the crooks are multiplying. The rest of us can think of that next time a leftist suggests another spendathon for an expansion in the size of government. Image: Pexels / Pexels License For decades, the Libertarian Party was the edgier conscience of the Republican Party. It was louder and prouder about wanting a small government rather than the behemoth that Republicans helped birth. However, libertarians still recognized that smaller government must be grounded in the Constitution and morality. For example, Ron Pauls pro-life stance reflected the fact that constitutional liberty starts with the first spark of life. This year, however, the Libertarian Party abandoned the Constitution and nominated a presidential candidate indistinguishable from the most radical people in Bidens base. Thats good for Trump. Frankly, most people really dont think about the Libertarian Party. Depending on their political orientation, they either resent or celebrate it when the 2-3% of votes it gets in every election harm a Republican candidate in a close race. Mostly, though, its considered a political backwater. Conservatives are wary of the Libertarian Party because, while they appreciate its small government focus and decry the size of the current federal government, some of its positions are unrealistic. For example, the libertarian position on trade is that there should be no limits whatsoever. However, in a world in which China subsidizes its trade, conservatives understand that free trade is a myth and, in Chinese hands, an alternative form of warfare. Warfare does require government intervention. Likewise, Republicans have recognized that drugs are a scourge, destroying communities. The libertarian approach, which would see all drugs legalized, is immoral. Equally silly is the libertarian belief in an open border, which effectively erases America entirely. Thats taking small government notions to suicidal extremes. Summed up, the core Republican ideology believes in a small, moral government that defends Americas interests. By contrast, the core libertarian ideology believes in a small government, end of story. No wonder most people dont take it too seriously. Still, the Libertarian Party found itself in the news this weekend when Donald Trump accepted its invitation to speak at its convention. While the mainstream media celebrated the fact that many at the convention booed Trump, others, both conservatives and independents, were impressed. First, Trump showed political courage in going there in the first place. Second, they liked his riposte when he was booed: JUST IN: Donald Trump makes fun of libertarians at the Libertarian Party Convention after they start booing him, says they can keep getting your 3% every four years. Amazing. Win only if you wanna win. Maybe you don't wanna win win. Maybe you don't want to win. Keep pic.twitter.com/QRHKjZcaAE Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 26, 2024 My friend, the Unpolled Conservative, perfectly illustrates what happened when Trump did that: Now, the Libertarian Party has gone even further down the path to irrelevance because of its chosen presidential candidate, a guy named Chase Oliver. Oliver is essentially a rehashed far-left Democrat. Indeed, he was once a Barack Obama supporter. He is gay, pro-trans, pro-abortion, pro-open borders, pro-drugs, and pro-Hamas. However, hes all in for big government when it comes to masks, vaxes, and lockdowns. In other words, Oliver is indistinguishable from any other member of the Democrat party. Hes not supporting a small, moral, pro-American government; hes just a radical leftist whos found a welcoming new niche. The tweets, of course, are awesome, whether because of their photos or their commentary: LIBERTARIANS: By nominating Chase Oliver the LP just alienated every Silicon Valley libertarian I know. Their presidential nominee supports: - Transitioning children - Mask & Vax mandates - Men in womens sports - Open borders pic.twitter.com/gdds7SGpY3 @amuse (@amuse) May 27, 2024 Libertarian nominee Chase Oliver: 99% of drag queen story hours are fine for kids. If he had children, he says he'd bring them to one and leave them there. "It's just like the Wiggles" pic.twitter.com/grNYFtAVHQ End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 27, 2024 (All I can say is thank God he doesnt have children.) Earlier this year Chase Oliver, the Libertarian Party Nominee, went to the border to advocate for open borders. With everything we've seen happen to our country because of Biden's policies, this guy is arguing to open the border even more. Naive. Foolish. Anti-American. pic.twitter.com/rAZvtVVZVw MAZE (@mazemoore) May 27, 2024 This is Chase Oliver, the presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party. He supports: The woke agenda Transitioning children Masks & mRNA gene therapies Exposing minors to drag queens He doesnt support: Scientific evidence Anti-woke libertarians like me pic.twitter.com/GPI4buUrgc Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddeketal) May 27, 2024 Im sort of sorry to see this happen to the Libertarian Party because it used to be the small-government conscience of the Republican Party. Now, as this meme shows, its not: Libertarianism The theory: The reality: pic.twitter.com/EW2j40mFrY End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 27, 2024 However, once one accepts the new status quo, what happened is great. In the upcoming presidential race, there are effectively three Democrats running for the presidency (Biden, RFK Jr., and Chase Oliver). I couldnt be happier. The more fragmented the left, the better. UPDATE: Well, that was fast! A top libertarian influencer has already thrown his weight behind Trump: Yesterday, I held up this sign calling Donald Trump supporters socialists. Tonight, the Libertarian Party nominated a gay race communist for president. With those choices, I'm standing with Donald Trump. https://t.co/016sd7Wb4i pic.twitter.com/gNA9lVSv8k Jeremy Kauffman (@jeremykauffman) May 27, 2024 Image: X screen grab. By the rude bridge that arched the flood, their flag to Aprils breeze unfurled, Here once embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot heard round the world Ralph Waldo Emerson They came from the countryside, in the beginning, many of them carrying muskets they used for hunting game or chasing varmints, and shortly after the sun dawned on a bright April day, one of them fired the shot that was heard round the world. At that precise moment, as a puff of smoke and the smell of spent powder still wafted in the early-morning spring breeze, notice was given: Americans were free people; they would fight to defend their liberty and would sacrifice their lives to discard the yoke of tyranny. And fight they did. A bedraggled army of citizen-soldiers, mostly poor and poorly trained, battled and died until, in the end, they chased the British to the city of Yorktown, in the colony of Virginia, and forced the surrender of the occupying army. What was perhaps most remarkable was that they were, and we still are, a people united not around racial or tribal identities, but around an idea and a faitha belief that our destiny, and the destiny of mankind, is to be free. We began our nations history by defending that premise with our lives, and we do so to this day. Memorial Day is not about ideas, thoughit is about people. It is about the men and women who left their homes and loved ones but never returned; their mortal remains interred in a simple grave, their headstone a simple cross. It is about the people who gave, as Abraham Lincoln described it, their last full measure of devotion. What makes America uniqueand exceptionalis that no member of our military ever died in a war of conquest. Every American who ever fought, whoever perished on the field of battle, did so in the cause of freedom. Greed, misguided religious fervor, lust for powerany one of these diseases can grip the minds of men and hang on tenaciously, and that is why the American military exists and that is why we fight. We are blessed to be defended by such magnificent men and womenordinary Americans with extraordinary souls. History has never seen the likes of the American fighting man, and probably never will again. At some time during the course of this weekend, I ask that you take just a moment to say a silent prayer of thanks to those fallen Americans. They died not for kings or potentates, not for plunder or riches. They died conquering tyrants and occupiers, and when those Americans who survived completed their task they laid down their arms and helped the vanquished rebuild, because that is what Americans do. That is the kind of nation we are. Image: Free image, Pixabay license. Way back in 1969, the historian Barbara Tuchman said in an address at Californias Pomona College: Indeed, I believe we are witnessing something of the same phenomenon of the treatment of Israel at the U.N. compared with its tolerance of Arab attacks. Anti-Semitism is very old, very convenient, latent in states as well as people, and evidently impossible to exorcise. I suspect the Jews will survive if only because the world needs them as the scapegoat of guilt of one kind or another. If they disappeared, the world would feel obliged to re-invent them. Just about the first official act of the United Nations was to impose the partition of the state of Israel. Almost immediately, refugee camps were established to house the Arabs who fled from fear of Jewish nationalism. Several generations have lived in these camps as wards of the U.N., and they remain a fertile recruiting ground for terrorist organizations. It also so happens that several of the villains who participated in the unprovoked slaughter of October 7th were also on the U.N. payroll. An old saying is that a camel is a horse that was designed by a committee. The Middle East is the camel and the U.N. is the committee. Its really hard to see how the world is now a better place because of the U.N., but its also hard to prove a negative. Another old saying is that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. And, speaking of horses, the modern horse is an Arab invention -- at least according to military historian John Keegan. Centuries of selective breeding of what we might have called "ponies" led to the large animal of today -- this was so they could be more effective in combat, in such ways as by pulling chariots. A thumbnail history of the modern Middle East should focus on the First World War. Prior to that cataclysm, the Ottoman Empire was mostly in control of the area -- which, by the way, was left as a backwater after the conclusion of the Crusades. First the Suez Canal and then the discovery of and need for petroleum brought the area back into global importance. Zionist Jews enjoyed their residence in the segment of the Ottoman province of the Hejaz known as Palestine. However, Turkey joined the Central Powers and wound up on the losing side of the war. It so happens that Ms. Tuchmans maternal grandfather was the U.S. ambassador to Turkey during that period -- hence her particular interest in and insight into the area. Without the Turks in control of their former empire, the flabby democracies of Europe had their hands more than full with Middle Eastern issues. Immediately after Germanys WW II surrender in 1945, France and Britain more or less went to war against each other over Syria and environs -- this is known as the Levant Crisis of 1945. Eventually, the United Nations tried to fill the void left by the Turks. And, here we are -- watching European bureaucrats trying to tell the Israelis how they should go about defending their land and their lives. This spectacle is beyond obnoxious. Former British officer Andrew Fox, writing in the Tablet, carefully explains the serious thought behind the IDFs methods in Gaza. For the U.N.s entrenched numbskulls to issue commands for a nation that is fighting for its life to back off from its defense should be nothing less than a fatal gesture. This, of course, remains to be seen but the shark has been jumped. And, to wrap this all up, can whatever essential humanitarian work currently attributed to the U.N. be done at least as well by unaffiliated governments, religious groups, and other NGOs? I think its safe to say Yes and most likely with better accountability and financial efficiency. That big ol U.N. building in New York could probably be converted into condos and other useful purposes. Sounds like something Trump would be interested in when he retires from politics. Image: UN Apple is preparing to make its foray into mobile AI next month. The company is expected to announce several new AI features for iPhones at WWDC, which kicks off on June 10. Leaks have already revealed a few new AI tools that will debut with iOS 18 at the upcoming event. A credible source has revealed more of those, including AI-generated custom emojis and AI transcription of voice memos. An OpenAI partnership is also on the cards. Apple to introduce AI-generated emojis with iOS 18 Unlike its rivals, Apples AI journey will reportedly begin on a slow note. The company doesnt plan to make a splash with showy AI features. Instead, it is betting on its massive user base to give it a competitive edge in the long run. The idea is to impress users with simple but practical AI tools that help them with various tasks in their daily lives. The iPhone maker doesnt want to focus on whiz-bang features, Mark Gurman said in his latest Power On newsletter. According to Gurman, Apple will spend a lot of time talking about AI at WWDC. It has prepared many new features under Project Greymatter, its AI suite for iPhones. The suite includes various tools integrated into core apps like Safari, Photos, and Notes. Most of those tools will run on the device itself. However, a few resource-hungry features will work over the cloud. That is what Samsung does with its Galaxy AI for Galaxy smartphones and tablets. However, since Apple is late to the AI party, its AI suite may not have many bells and whistles. Features like AI-powered editing of photos, transcription of voice memos, and AI reply suggestions to emails and text messages are already prevalent in the mobile industry. The company will look to convince customers with an improved Siri, making the personal assistant capable of interacting in natural-sounding language. It will also introduce an advanced Siri. One of the standout AI features on iOS 18 will be AI emojis. Apple will let iPhone users create custom emojis based on what they are texting. This likely means the tool will use text prompts to create emojis as you type out your message. It is unclear whether you can save these emojis for later use or if they will be automatically created and appear as suggestions during conversations. The AI feature will certainly make conversations more fun. Customizable homescreen icons & more With iOS 18, Apple also plans to let users customize homescreen app icons. You can add any color to an app icon. For instance, you can make all your social icons blue or finance-related ones green and they wont need to be placed in the standard grid that has existed since day one in 2007, Gurman states. The new iOS version will also introduce AI-powered smart recaps or summaries of missed notifications, messages, and more. Additionally, Apple is teaming up with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iOS 18. The company also held talks with Google over a potential partnership. The two parties were close to a deal in March. However, OpenAI eventually snapped it up. This partnership will reportedly be announced at WWDC next month. Interestingly, Apple is still pursuing Google to come on board, offering Gemini as an alternative to ChatGPT on iPhones. It remains to be seen if it can integrate both chatbots into iOS 18. Samsung has launched the Galaxy F55, a rebranded Galaxy M55 with a vegan leather back. Yes, that is the only difference between the two devices. Everything else remains the same, including the specs and design. The new premium mid-range phone will go on sale today. Galaxy F55 is for those who like a vegan leather finish The Galaxy F55 is a phone Samsung made for people who like a vegan leather finish. The company offers the phone in two color variants, named Apricot Crush and Raisin Black. Both feature a stitched design that runs vertically on the left and right sides of the rear panel. The former uses a matching thread color, while the latter has a blue shade. Everything else is a copy of the Galaxy M55 launched in March. We are talking about a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120HZ refresh rate, 1,000 nits of HBM brightness, and a Full HD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) resolution. The display boasts Vision Booster technology for enhanced visibility under sunlight. The Galaxy F55 is powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, a 4nm chip with a peak speed of 2.4GHz. It is paired with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. For photography, Samsung offers a 50MP camera on the front and back. Both can record 4K videos at 30fps (frames per second), while the rear camera also boasts PDAF (phase-detection autofocus) and OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). You will also find an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro shooter on the back. We do not expect excellent photos from these two cameras, though. The Galaxy F55 gives you stereo speakers, so content consumption or gaming without headphones wouldnt feel bland, at least not audio-wise. Other highlights include an under-display fingerprint scanner, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, USB Type-C 2.0, a 5,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging, and Android 14 with Samsungs Knox Security. The device will get four major Android updates and five years of security patches. Price & availability Considering the similarities between the Galaxy F55 and Galaxy M55, we expected Samsung to charge the same amount for both phones and the company has done precisely that. Pricing one cheaper would cannibalize the others sales. It would be hard to justify a higher price tag for just a vegan leather back panel. As of this writing, Samsung has only announced the Galaxy F55s price and availability details for India. The phone will cost 26,999 (approx. $325) for the 8GB+128GB model, 29,999 (approx. $361) for the 8GB+256GB model, and 32,999 (approx. $397) for the 12GB+256GB model. Sales begin in India today. The device is unlikely to arrive in the US but Samsung may sell it in a few other countries. The internet never sleeps, giving us a never-ending news cycle. While we ought to keep you posted with all the latest happenings in the tech world, a few gems slip through the cracks. Fear not, because weve got you covered. Welcome to our first edition of News You Probably Missed and Shouldnt Have!the weekly roundup of stories that deserve the spotlight. So, buckle up, because while these headlines may not have made the front page, theyre definitely worthy of a glance, or maybe twoand a chuckle. Prepare to be entertained by the tech news that somehow evaded your social media feeds (we know social media is your ultimate news destination). Lets get started! Samsung & ARM start laying the foundation for 6G Smartphone giant Samsung and processor IP maker ARM are gearing up for the next big thing in mobile data: 6G. Yes, while most of us are still trying to find a decent 5G signal or even 4G in some places, these tech titans are already plotting the future. The two firms have started laying the foundation for the next generation of wireless communication technology. Current estimates are that it will take another five or six years for 6G to be available commercially. Tell you what, there might be a pattern here4G debuted in 2009 and 5G in 2019. Is anyone betting on a 6G launch in 2029? We arent. But people say AI will revolutionize the tech landscape in the years to come. Who knows the so-called faster internet will come to us faster. For now, lets hope 6G doesnt stand for 6th Generation of Disappointment! Samsung appoints a new head of its semiconductor division Samsung has appointed Young Hyun Jun as the new head of its Device Solutions Division which incorporates its semiconductor business. With a career spanning over two decades across various roles within the companys semiconductor unit, the 64-year-old Young is stepping into a key position responsible for advancing the Korean firms chip technology. Given the sub-par performance of its Exynos chips in the past, lets hope he brings a secret sauce to finally spice things up. TSMC would kill itself rather than live under Chinese control TSMC, the worlds largest semiconductor foundry, has contingency plans against a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan that could hand over its controls to Beijing. While the US is already scared about the implications of such an event and rightly so, the Taiwanese company itself doesnt want to live under Chinese control. It has worked with its Dutch chip machine supplier ASML on a tech that would remotely disable the chip machines and render them useless in the event of an invasion. Imagine the chaos: Chinese invaders storming in only to find TSMCs factory turned into a high-tech ghost town. It would be no less than a scene from a sci-fi movie where the robots revolt. But in this case, the machines pull the plug on themselves rather than attacking the attackers. TSMCs influence in the tech industry is an example of why regulators want to break big internet companies like Google. When things go bad, it could send the world into disarray. Installing PWAs and Android apps made easy on Chrome OS Google has introduced an Add to Chromebook badge and ChromeOS app URL to make it easier for Chrome OS users to install Android apps and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). The badge takes users to the Play Store listing of an Android app. In the case of PWAs, those can be installed from anywhere. You no longer have to be inside a PWA in a browser tab to get an install button. Thanks, Google! You finally figured out that users were fumbling around, asking, PWA (Please, Wheres the App)? Humane is looking for humans to buy it out After a delay, Humane finally started selling its much-hyped Ai Pin last month. It was supposed to be a revolutionary AI companion to assist you with various tasks, potentially replacing your smartphone in some. However, the voice-controlled wearable device with a built-in digital assistant had poor word of mouth and never took off. Barely a month after Humane started selling its first and only product, it is now seeking buyers for itself. The AI startup hasnt officially announced that it is looking for humans willing to buy it. However, people familiar with the matter say Humane will gleefully hand over its reigns to a new owner for anything between $750 million and $1 billion. If this sale goes through within the next few months, it might set a new record for a startups first product launch to a potential buyout. The AI landscape isnt all sunshine and roses, it seems. TikTok to lay off over 1,000 employees Ahead of a potential reduction in its user base (a US ban would cut affect over 170 million users), TikTok is shrinking its workforce. The ByteDance-owned company is planning a major layoff affecting over 1,000 employees. The job cut will hit various internal teams and departmentsprobably not the legal department (it needs a lot of legal experts to work in tandem if it were to live on in the US beyond January 2025). So, while TikTok dances its way through the courts, some of its employees may be soon left doing the cha-cha slide out the door. Windows PowerToys unleashes advanced AI copy-paste PowerToys for Windows 11 has just added a new AI tool: Advanced Paste. It lets you convert your clipboard content on the fly, speeding up your workflow. You can copy code in one language and paste it in another. You can also run other types of conversions before pasting, including summarizing text, translating it to a different language, and rephrasing it to change its tone. Gone are the days of accidentally pasting cat memes into serious work documentswhat you paste is always on point. But hey, this tool is super useful, so you have to pay us. Not us, but those who brought it to you. Available with PowerToys version 0.81, you can enable Advanced Paste using the key combination Windows Key + Shift + V. But to use it to its full potential, you need to link your OpenAI account and buy OpenAI API credits. Nah, a paid ChatGPT account doesnt give you API credits. YouTube is testing a redesigned layout, again YouTube regularly tests UI redesigns and tweaks to give users a pixel-perfect viewing experience thats smoother than a cats nap. It keeps what works and discards what doesnt. The company appears to be preparing another redesign. On the desktop version, it is moving the video title, description, comments, and other buttons to the right side. The video appears on the left, with recommendations showing up with bigger thumbnails directly under it. This redesign has been in the works for a while now but hasnt shown up for many. We certainly dont want it in its current statethose big thumbnails under the video are massive distractions. How come YouTube UI designers do not see that? Or they just turned a blind eye to it? Come on Google, you are better than this (or at least the world thinks you are). Xiaomi to make its own smartphone chipsets Xiaomi seems to be fed up with the lack of choices when it comes to smartphone processors. It is making its own. Codenamed Ring, the chipset is currently in development with the high-end segment in mind. The chip may still be far away but the Chinese firm appears determined to make a groundbreaking entry in a few years and shake the flagship SoC market currently captured by Qualcomms Snapdragon and MediaTeks Dimensity chips. Samsung also makes Exynos-branded flagships SoCs, but those have always been sub-par. Wouldnt it be amazing if Xiaomi came along and made a better chip than Samsung right away? Adaptive Audio for Google Meet Google Meet is stepping up its audio game with the introduction of Adaptive Audio. It is a game-changing feature that ensures your virtual meetings sound as clear as a bell. The new feature can detect the presence of multiple laptops in the room (and multiple people shouting at their bosses at oncejust kidding, you shouldnt shout at anyone, unless your boss is a clod) and synchronize the microphones and speakers to eliminate echoes and audio feedback. This allows you and your colleagues to participate in meetings from anywhere. Bluesky adds DMs, finally BlueSky, Twitters decentralized dream, is finally adding DMs. You can now send messages to your friends and families via the app. If they are on it, of course (dont be surprised if some of them point upwards when you ask them what Bluesky is). DMs work on the app and website but only support text conversations in one-to-one chats. No group chats and media support, oh, really? The company says these features, along with end-to-end encryption, are planned for later. Snapseed gets a rare update Snapseed, the Google-owned photo editing software tool for mobile devices, recently picked up a minor update. This is the first update for the app in nearly eight months. It brings version 2.22 with no user-facing changes or functional improvements. Considering how rare updates for Snapseed are (feature updates are even rarer), Google seems to be losing interest in it. The company acquired the tool in 2012 and appears to have little incentive to support it further. We wouldnt be surprised if the app ends up in the Google Graveyard in a few years. Help yourself to disabling Chromes Help me write AI tool Are you fed up with AI tools interrupting you unnecessarily? Some Chrome users may have been. Google recently started actively pushing a Help me write: Powered by Google bubble in Chrome to promote its experimental writing assistant. Thankfully, if you are annoyed by this bubble, you can disable it. To do that, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Content > Additional content settings > Offer writing help (at the bottom). Google couldnt have made it more difficult to disable this tool. WhatsApp is working on AI-generated profile photos AI is coming everywhere and you cant do anything about it. You may be able to disable some AI tools (like Googles Help me write for Chrome), but you will encounter more of them in other places. WhatsApp may soon introduce one. The Meta-owned messaging app is working on AI-generated profile photos (but why?). Because who needs a regular selfie when you can have an AI-generated masterpiece, right? No, we dont need a virtual Picasso painting our profile pictures. But then again, all tech firms have to show that their products boast the latest AI tools. While AI is undeniably powerful, it feels like tech companies sometimes rely too heavily on it as a buzzword rather than focusing on meaningful advancements. Its like promising a gourmet meal and delivering a reheated TV dinnerunderwhelming and lacking that wow factor. Someone at X doesnt like to show likes publicly X, the social media platform we knew as Twitter before the Elon Musk era, will soon stop showing the posts you have liked to other users. The company is making likes private because public likes are incentivizing the wrong behavior. People avoid liking some posts fearing retaliation from trolls. While liking posts on X may not be as nerve-racking as navigating a minefield, this move from X will certainly help people maintain a pristine online image while still enjoying the content they love. Its like a digital self-care package. AI is coming to Amazon Alexa too, but at a price Amazons Alexa voice assistant is getting an AI makeover. The company is working on new generative AI capabilities for the decade-old assistant. However, unlike most other companies, it wont make the AI features free. The e-commerce giant would charge a monthly subscription for it. Worse yet, it wont be included in an Amazon Prime subscription. The question is, how many people would be willing to pay Amazon for AI features available free elsewhere? Its like inviting a brainy friend to the party but having to pay a cover charge for their wit and wisdom. But hey, maybe Amazon will pave the way for an AI subscription model in the virtual assistant realm, and everyone will follow, leaving users with no other choice. Only time will tell. TikTok disrupted over a dozen covert influence campaigns this year TikTok has disrupted more than a dozen covert influence campaigns since January this year. The company has placed measures to detect such campaigns where several accounts coordinate to sway political discourse. It removes accounts engaging in these kinds of practices. It has already detected 15 influence campaigns this year, including one originating from China. These campaigns spanned 3,000 accounts that had millions of followers combined. Great job, TikTok. We dont get many chances to say that, do we? HMD Aura is an incredibly affordable Android smartphone HMD has launched Aura, an incredibly affordable Android smartphone. Priced at AUD 180 (approx. USD 120), it offers a decent set of specs for its price. It appears to be currently limited to Australia, where potential buyers can find it on local retailer JB Hi-Fi. There is no word on its availability elsewhere. It is unclear if HMD will showcase Auras aura in other parts of the world. As for its specs, the phone has a 6.56-inch HD+ display, a 13MP main camera, a 5MP selfie camera, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, a Unisoc SC9863A1 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage (supports microSD cards up to 256GB), dual SIM support, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It packs a 5,000 mAh battery and supports 10W wired charging. YouTube Music lets you hum to find songs YouTube Music is bringing a musical genie to your phone. Even if you have forgotten a songs lyrics, title, artists, and all, you can still magically find the song thats playing in your mind. Just hum its tune, and prestoyour phone magically finds the song for you. With Hum to search, you dont have to make multiple Google searches with vague descriptions to find that one song. The new feature is available with version 7.02 of YouTube Music for Android, though it may take a while before this ability reaches everyone. Anthony Martial bade an emotional farewell to Manchester United after confirming his nine-year stay at Old Trafford was over. The 28-year-old France international joined the club in a 36million move from Monaco in September 2015, but has not played a senior game since December after undergoing groin surgery and his departure was widely expected. In a statement on his official Instagram account, he said: Its with great emotion that I write to you today to say goodbye. After nine incredible years at the club, the time has come for me to turn a new page in my career. Since I arrived in 2015, I have had the immense honour of wearing this shirt and playing in front of you, the best supporters in the world! You have been an unwavering support, through the good times and the difficult. Your passion and loyalty have been a constant source of motivation for me. Id like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything youve done for me. Your songs, your encouragement and your love for the club are memories that will remain engraved in my heart forever. I would also like to express my gratitude to all my team-mates, technical staff and all the members of the club I have met during my nine years here. I am proud to have been able to share these experiences with you. Manchester United will always be in my heart. This club has left its mark on my career and offered me an incredible opportunity to play in front of you. Im leaving to take on new challenges, Ill always be a Red Devil and Ill continue to follow the clubs results with passion. 2017 Europa League Winners Manchester Unitedpic.twitter.com/7eCv9O4Zk6 #MUFC Manchester United (@ManUtdUpdates_) May 24, 2017 Thank you again for everything and see you soon. With all my affection, Anthony Martial. During his time in England, Martial has won the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa League, but has struggled for consistency and slipped out of the reckoning under current boss Erik ten Hag. In 2019 during Ole Gunnar Solskjaers reign, he signed a contract up until this summer with the option of a further 12 months. Britains Got Talent co-host Anthony McPartlin praised Simon Cowell live on-air for his gift after the birth of his son Wilder, before quipping he was still waiting for gifts from judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli. The first live semi-final kicked off on Monday and saw South African opera singer Innocent Masuku and South Korean taekwondo group Ssaulabi Performance Troupe voted through to Sundays final. The pair will compete with the winners of the semi-finals from the rest of the week for the 250,000 prize and a spot at the Royal Variety Performance. Its finally here, the live semi-finals of Britains Got Talent, McPartlin said in a footage shown at the beginning of the show. Co-presenter Donnelly said: Shall we check the checklist, make sure weve got everything. Nappies, baby wipes hang on this is your list. The pair found the correct checklist, ticking off a brilliant audience, the greatest red carpet in the history of red carpets and top notch talent. After the duo introduced the judges to the audience, judge Cowell said: By the way, can I just say congratulations to you Ant. I really am happy, to which the crowd cheered loudly. Anthony McPartlin and Simon Cowell (Matt Crossick/PA) McPartlin said: I know you are, I can tell. Thank you for your lovely gift judges still waiting on yours. Cowell said: Its from all of us. It was signed by you, not them, McPartlin joked. During the ITV talent show, the duos golden buzzer act Ssaulabi Performance Troupe appeared on stage to widespread acclaim, and were later voted through to the final. I thought I was proud when me son was born, but now how proud am I now, McPartlin quipped. A fortnight ago, the TV presenter announced his wife Anne-Marie Corbett had welcomed their first child. McPartlin and Corbett were married in 2021 in a ceremony in a rural church in Hampshire. The antiquities dealer who first raised the alarm over thefts from the British Museum has said he was absolutely certain he was providing incontrovertible evidence, but his claims were initially dismissed by the institution. Dr Ittai Gradel, who is also an academic and a collector, alerted the museum to his suspicions of thefts in 2021 but did not receive a reply for months and an initial internal investigation incorrectly concluded there was no basis to the claims. It ultimately emerged some 2,000 items were found to be missing, damaged or stolen. Dr Gradel told BBC Breakfast: Initially the British Museum didnt say anything. I waited for months and I wrote back to get an answer several times but it took, I think, five months before they finally replied that everything was was fine. Nothing was missing. Asked how certain he was that he was correct, Dr Gradel said: I was absolutely certain, 100%, the evidence I sent them was incontrovertible. There was absolutely no mistaking it. Some of a total of 626 items returned to the museum (British Museum/PA) The only alternative explanation would have been that I had actually falsified the documents I sent them, photoshopped them or something, because I was some attention-seeking nutter. The British Museum has since apologised to Dr Gradel and the director and deputy director left their posts. Some 626 items have since been returned and BBC News reported the FBI is investigating the sale of possible British Museum treasures to US buyers. The US law enforcement agency has also assisted with the return of 268 items, which the museum claims belong to it, that were sold to a collector in Washington DC, the BBC reported. The British Museum declined to comment on the FBIs involvement to the PA news agency. Legal proceedings were launched in March against former curator Dr Peter Higgs, who was dismissed in July last year. Dr Higgs, who worked within the department of Greece and Rome for more than 30 years, has been investigated by the Metropolitan Police but not charged. The High Court heard Dr Higgs intends to dispute the claim and Mrs Justice Heather Williams ordered him to return any stolen items he may have. Five Labour MPs, including shadow ministers, have announced that they will stand down from parliament at the General Election. Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party John Cryer joined Kevin Brennan, Barbara Keeley, John Spellar and Virendra Sharma in announcing on Monday that he would not be contesting his seat. Mr Cryer said he wanted to spend more time with his young children and that the next parliament was likely to be extremely busy. The MP for Leyton and Wanstead added that the next government would inherit a very tough situation. A Statement from me about Standing in this General Election. pic.twitter.com/PjJrld19g3 John Cryer (@JohnCryerMP) May 27, 2024 In a letter to his constituents, posted on social media, Mr Cryer said: This has been an extremely difficult decision, perhaps the most difficult I have ever had to make. It has been an immense privilege to have served as your MP for the past 14 years. As you may know, I have two young children and I feel I should try to spend more time with them. Mr Cryer, who was MP for Hornchurch from 1997 to 2005, is married to Labours deputy national campaign co-ordinator and MP for Lewisham West and Penge Ellie Reeves. Labours shadow minister for victims and sentencing Mr Brennan said he had initially intended to stand again, but decided to step down after discussing it with my family over the bank holiday weekend. Im announcing my decision to stand down as Cardiff West MP after 23 years thank you to local Labour members and constituents for your friendship and support pic.twitter.com/7hLQslViD1 Kevin Brennan MP (@KevinBrennanMP) May 27, 2024 The Cardiff West MP said in a statement: The job of a Member of Parliament is immensely rewarding but hugely demanding for the individual and their loved ones. I have always enjoyed its intensity and challenge, but after surgery for prostate cancer a small seed of doubt was sown as to whether I should continue in such a full-on role. Standing again would mean making a commitment to perform the demanding duties of an MP close to my 70th birthday. This has led me to conclude that this is the right moment to stand down. Labours shadow minister for music and tourism Ms Keeley said it had been an honour to serve as a government whip and deputy leader of the House of Commons during the last Labour government. A personal update from me: pic.twitter.com/sixGRslb4q Barbara Keeley (@KeeleyMP) May 27, 2024 The MP for Worsley and Eccles South said in a statement posted on social media: Recently, I have had treatment in hospital in London after which I was meant to have a six-week recovery period. I was back at work in Parliament within two weeks but then the General Election was called unexpectedly early. Thinking about the demands of the campaign, including supporting Labour colleagues in battleground seats, has made me realise that now is the time to step aside for a new Labour candidate for the constituency. Warley MP Mr Spellar said it had been an honour and pleasure to represent the people of Smethwick and Oldbury for over 30 years. Mr Spellar served in various ministerial roles during Tony Blairs government, with his briefs including the armed forces, transport, and Northern Ireland. Outgoing Ealing Southall MP Virendra Sharma said Labour had gone from our worst result in a century, to the edge of government. In a letter to his local party, he said: As a British-Indian and as a Hindu, as a Labour member, councillor and MP I have never struggled to reconcile those different, but complimentary, identities. Over nearly 50 years I have served the party in one form or another. Now I believe the time has come for another chapter to begin. Learning about different dog breeds can be a great way to educate yourself before bringing home a new BFF, but it's also important to realize that breed standards can only predict so much. You could meet a purebred Siberian Husky, for example, who is as calm and quiet as can be! Your dog won't perform every behavior their breed is known for, and they may even look a little different than other dogs of the same breed. This is all normal, and it's just another reason why dogs are each so special! Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds may be known for their work ethic, high energy, and love of activity, but one lucky Florida radio host got to meet a sweet shelter pup who marches to the beat of her own drum. Lucy is a beautiful young Shepherd mix waiting for a home at the Humane Society of Broward County, and Jade Alexander of Hits 97.3 hopes that their May 23 TikTok collab helps the right person come her way. What a precious girl! It seemed like it would be impossible to resist Lucy's calming cuddles, and the smitten radio host confirmed my suspicions! Jade even said she's the most "chill German Shepherd Belgian Malinois mix I have ever met in my life," and that's saying something. This rescue advocate meets a lot of dogs! She makes weekly appearances on @humanebroward's social media channels to meet shelter dogs just like Lucy, but she rarely lies down for cuddles like this! Related: Belgian Malinois' Tender Reaction to Meeting New Baby Is So Moving Since four-year-old Lucy was found abandoned, not much is known about her life before she came to the shelter. But what shelter staff does know about her they absolutely love! She's a very well-rounded dog who has no trouble staying calm in her kennel and running to her heart's content outside. She's known to entertain her friends with a few rounds of the zoomies or even by throwing her own toy to play! Why Are There So Many Shepherds at the Shelter? It's also meaningful when Jade says that Lucy is the most chill Shepherd she's met, because there are a lot of Shepherd dogs in the shelter. Jade tries to meet and promote dogs of different breeds, of course, but she's seen a lot of shelter Shepherds, too. Why is this? In many cases, the adopters who come to the shelter are more open to small or medium-sized dogs. German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois need lots of space and time to exercise, but even that might not be enough. These working dog breeds also need jobs to do so they don't become understimulated and destructive, and not everyone can provide this. However, there are also lots of people who can provide everything a Shepherd needs to thrive, and I know I'm not the only one keeping my fingers crossed that one of those people will find their way to Lucy soon. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. Comedian and TV host Patrick Kielty and former Irish president Mary Robinson are set to receive honorary doctorates from Ulster University. Artist Oliver Jeffers and Samantha Barry from US Glamour are also among this years cohort being honoured to inspire the universitys graduates. It comes during a year of celebrations marking 175 years of the Belfast School of Art at the university. Mr Jeffers said he is proud to return to Belfast School of Art this summer for the honour. He described the Belfast School of Art, where he once studied design for visual communication, as a facility that is intrinsic to the citys artistic and cultural heritage. Now dividing my time between Belfast and New York, this award strengthens my connection with the place where I grew up and I am grateful to Ulster University for the honour, he said. However, I do hope Im never on a flight when they ask if theres a doctor on board!. Ms Barry, originally from Co Cork and now based in New York where she is Glamours global editorial director for the Americas and transformed the titles annual women of the year awards to champion diversity, is being celebrated for her achievements in journalism. I am delighted to have been recognised by Ulster University for my work and so excited to be visiting this summer to join the occasion with thousands of graduates as they celebrate after years of hard work and prepare to embark on their careers, she said. Eamonn Mallie is being recognised for his significant contribution to journalism and broadcasting, Betty Carlisle is to be recognised for her work promoting shared education and empowering women from disadvantaged and deprived areas, and Sister Nuala Kelly for her outstanding contribution to the local community after transforming St Louisas College in west Belfast. Mary Robinson is being given an honorary doctorate by Ulster University (Brian Lawless/PA) Ulster University vice-chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew said they are aiming to celebrate inspirational local people making a global impact. Graduation is a special time of year as we celebrate our outstanding graduates as they come together with friends and family to mark their wonderful achievements, he said. We are committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders who will go on to make a genuine difference in their communities and respective professions in the years that follow their time at Ulster University. With that future in mind, it is a joy to celebrate the work of those inspirational and acclaimed local faces already making a global impact, and we are thrilled to bestow these honorary doctorates. These individuals are leaders in their fields and demonstrate great talent, creativity and integrity. We hope they will be an inspiration to the whole Ulster University community. The honorary doctorates will be conferred during summer graduations which take place from July 1 to 9 across Belfast, Coleraine and Londonderry. The Liberal Democrats can become the third biggest party in the Commons after the General Election, overtaking the SNP, the partys leader has said. Speaking ahead of the launch of the Scottish Lib Dems election campaign, Sir Ed Davey said he thought there could be more liberals than nationalists in the new parliament. Despite Sir Eds optimism, polling for the Lib Dems has remained fairly stable in recent years both in Scotland and the UK as a whole. The party has spent almost a decade in fourth position, following the SNPs landslide 56-seat rout in 2015 and the Lib Dem disintegration following five years in coalition. Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland on Monday, Sir Ed pointed to four seats north of the border his party were targeting all of which are currently held by SNP MPs. These include Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire a portion of which was held by ex-leader Charles Kennedy before he lost it to the retiring former SNP Westminster boss Ian Blackford and Mid Dunbartonshire, the successor to the seat lost by former Lib Dem chief Jo Swinson to the SNPs Amy Callaghan in 2019. We are a big part of the change thats happening, Sir Ed said. I think there is a massive desire to get rid of the Conservatives in Westminster and also, actually, to get rid of the SNP. I think we have a real chance, when we get to July 5 the day after polling day there will be more liberals than nationalists in the next parliament. I think the Liberal Democrats can be the third party in UK politics again. Seats won by the party, he said, would have fantastic local champions, who would make such a difference at Westminster and could lead to an increase to funding for the health service. Alex Cole-Hamilton said dentists are being driven away from the NHS (Michael Boyd/PA) On Monday, the party will launch its Scottish general election campaign, with Sir Ed joining Scottish party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton. The launch will focus on the provision of NHS dentistry a devolved matter with the pair set to claim the service has been neglected by the Scottish and UK governments. Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Cole-Hamilton said: People are resorting to DIY dentistry and buying tools off Amazon to do the job themselves because they cant get an NHS dentist. Some Ukrainians have even travelled back to Kyiv for dental care because the air-raid sirens, drone strikes and cruise missiles are less daunting than the waits in Scotlands NHS. The SNP promised to scrap dental charges, but instead they have introduced new charges and doubled the price of some procedures. Dentists are being driven away from the NHS because working with this SNP government is harder than pulling teeth. Dr Lucy Beattie, SNP candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross said: Voters in constituencies such as Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross havent forgotten that the Lib Dems worked along with the Tories to impose huge austerity cuts and cut household incomes. We need to get rid of the Tory Government. The way to do that in Scotland is to vote SNP, because we are the main challengers in every Tory-held seat. Voters can only rely on the SNP to put the the interests of Scotland first. Mike Tyson is doing great after an apparent medical scare while aboard a flight on Sunday, representatives for the former world heavyweight champion have said. According to reports, the 57-year-old was flying from Miami to Los Angeles when he became unwell and appeals were made to find passengers with medical experience to provide assistance. Paramedics then came on board after the plane landed, delaying passengers from disembarking for around 25 minutes. Tyson is set to face Jake Paul in July (Zac Goodwin/PA) Tysons representatives told the New York Post in an email: Thankfully Mr Tyson is doing great. He became nauseous and dizzy due to an ulcer flare up 30 minutes before landing. He is appreciative to the medical staff that were there to help him. Tyson is due to return to the ring when he fights YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Dallas on July 20. Teddy More than 300 million children a year are victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse, according to research. In the first global estimate of the crisis, researchers at the University of Edinburgh found one in eight of the worlds children has been victims of non-consensual talking, sharing and exposure to sexual images and video during 2023-24, amounting to about 302 million young people. In addition, 12.5 per cent of children globally (300 million) are estimated to have been subject to online solicitation, such as unwanted sexual talk which can include non-consensual sexting, sexual questions and sexual act requests by adults or other youths. Offences can also take the form of sextortion, where predators demand money from victims to keep images private, an abuse of AI deepfake technology. While problems exist in all parts of the world, the research suggests the United States is particularly high risk. The universitys Childlight initiative, which aims to understand the prevalence of child abuse, includes a new global index, Into The Light, which found one in nine men in the US (almost 14 million) admitted online offending against children. Surveys found 7 per cent of British men, or 1.8 million, admitted the same, as did 7.5 per cent of men in Australia. Many men admitted they would seek to commit physical sexual offences against children if they thought it would be kept secret. Paul Stanfield, Childlight chief executive, said: This is on a staggering scale that in the UK alone equates to forming a line of male offenders that could stretch all the way from Glasgow to London or fill Wembley Stadium 20 times over. Child abuse material is so prevalent that files are on average reported to watchdog and policing organisations once every second. This is a global health pandemic that has remained hidden for far too long. It occurs in every country, its growing exponentially and it requires a global response. We need to act urgently. Children cant wait. Deborah Fry, a professor of international child protection at the university, said the issue affects children in every classroom, in every school, in every country. She said: These arent harmless images, they are deeply damaging, and the abuse continues with every view and the failure of taking down this abusive content. Stephen Kavanagh, executive director of Interpol, said: Online exploitation and abuse is a clear and present danger to the worlds children, and traditional law enforcement approaches are struggling to keep up. We must do much more together at a global level, including specialist investigator training, better data sharing and equipment to effectively fight this pandemic and the harm it inflicts on millions of young lives around the world. Frida, whose name has been changed, is a survivor of online child sexual abuse and exploitation who was targeted through social media from age 13 to 18 by a man in his 30s. She said: It was a deeply isolating experience. I felt ashamed and that I had done something wrong. Childlights figures show that not only am I not alone in my experiences, but that more and more children are experiencing horrific abuse and exploitation online each day. Currently our understanding of abuse is often limited to what tech platforms are willing to share, rather than the reality of being exploited online. In order to understand and prevent harm we need to see ambitious regulation to hold these platforms to account and to see regulators equipped to work with the millions affected by this harm year on year. Grace Tame, another survivor, leads the Grace Tame Foundation which works to prevent and respond to sexual abuse of children. She said: Child sexual abuse is a global public health crisis that is steadily worsening thanks to advancing technologies which enable instantaneous production and limitless distribution of child exploitation material, as well as unregulated access to children online. A centralised global research database is essential to safeguarding children. Narrative and knowledge are frequently weaponised by child sex offenders to groom, offend and evade justice. Childlight will restrict their capabilities by restoring power to the rest of the community. Natalie Don, Scottish children and young people minister, said: Keeping children and young people safe from sexual abuse and exploitation is of the utmost importance to the Scottish Government and we are working closely with key partners to improve our knowledge of and response to these deeply concerning issues. These are global problems which require global solutions and I welcome the much-needed work of Childlight to harness worldwide data to help develop tangible action to protect children. Lord Hayward Support for Sir Keir Starmer is overestimated and it is possible for the Conservatives to overturn Labours lead, a leading pollster has suggested. Lord Hayward, who coined the term shy Tories in 1992 after his partys unexpected general election victory, said he was worried fellow election experts were getting it wrong in trying to project the result on July 4. The Telegraphs poll of polls shows Labour has an average lead of around 20 percentage points across major pollsters, suggesting Rishi Sunak has a mountain to climb if his party is to secure a historic fifth term in Downing Street. But speaking to the Guardian, Lord Hayward said: About 33 years on, I am yet again convinced that a statistical bias exists in the polls. The biggest problem for me is how you allocate the Conservative 2019 voters who are now dont knows. The dont knows will vote in fairly large numbers, and the indications from local council results is that they are beginning to break towards the Conservatives. Major won a shock majority Labour was widely expected to form a government ahead of the 1992 general election under Neil Kinnock. But voter doubts about whether he had sufficiently changed his party, and a weak end to the campaign including a rally at Sheffield Arena where Mr Kinnock was derided after triumphantly exclaiming were all right! saw Sir John Major win a shock majority. Lord Hayward has previously cast doubt on whether Mr Sunak could pull off a similar surprise, suggesting he did not have the wisdom or indeed the normality of Sir John. But he has also said in the past there were strong parallels between two, adding: It wasnt until the election that voters took a liking to John Major with his soapbox Do I think the polls are like 92, and the polls are wrong? Yes, I do. More recently, YouGov was almost alone in predicting a hung parliament after Theresa May entered the campaign with a lead of around 20 points over Jeremy Corbyn, only for the gap to tighten significantly following a series of high-profile missteps. Andy Street lost the mayoralty at the start of May after losing to Labour's Richard Parker by just 1,508 votes - Getty/Anthony Devlin Andy Street, the former Tory mayor of the West Midlands, has ruled out running as an MP in a blow for Rishi Sunaks hopes of attracting high-profile candidates to fill vacant seats. Mr Street lost the mayoralty at the start of this month after losing to Labours Richard Parker by just 1,508 votes. The Conservatives were said to have needed to fill more than 150 seats at the start of this week amid a record exodus of Tory MPs. There had been speculation Mr Street would run for Parliament and his spokesman last weekend said he was considering his options. But in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday night, Mr Street said: I have always said that I never wanted to go into Westminster, and that the job as mayor of the West Midlands was the right political role for me. But the truth is since losing that mayoral election earlier this month, I havent been able to shake the overwhelming sense of duty to continue to serve in a public role. I have therefore thought long and hard about whether to try to stand for Parliament at the forthcoming general election and become an MP. Ultimately, however, I have decided against it. Being an MP is a job of great importance, but it has just never been for me. Moderate and inclusive Mr Street, a former managing director of John Lewis, added he would find it extremely difficult to step back from executive leader roles. He said: I do, however, still believe strongly in my brand of moderate and inclusive conservatism and will continue to use my voice ferociously to champion that approach whatever happens on July 4. The 60-year-old belongs to the moderate One Nation wing of the Conservative Party and in the run-up to the local and mayoral elections accused Mr Sunak of allowing too much noise from the Right wing. Mr Street had been convinced to enter politics by Theresa May, the then prime minister, in 2016 after he was initially approached by her predecessor David Cameron. Last month, he told The Telegraph the Conservative Party was at its strongest when it is the broadest church and wins in the middle ground, observing that the same was true of Labour. Relations between Mr Street and Mr Sunak have sometimes been fraught and threatened to boil over at the annual Conservative conference in October. He considered quitting over Mr Sunaks decision to scrap the northern leg of HS2, having vocally warned against such a move and met with the Prime Minister on a number of occasions to advise him against the policy. Despite his last-ditch attempt proving unsuccessful, Mr Street ultimately remained in post as mayor of the West Midlands until his defeat on May 2. Mr Street on Monday opened the door to entering another political role away from the Commons, saying: Many will assume now that I am destined to go back into business. But I still feel I have much to contribute to public life in a leadership role, and I look forward to exploring opportunities to do just that. During his time as West Midlands mayor, opinion polls suggested that he was significantly more popular than either Mr Sunak or the national Conservative Party brand, which was borne out by the ultra-narrow margin of his defeat. Marina Gibson, a fly fishing instructor and guide, has asked to be allowed into The Flyfishers' Club in Mayfair - Angler Marina Gibson Britains oldest fly-fishing club is facing a Garrick-style protest from women anglers over its men-only policy. Marina Gibson, a fly-fishing instructor and guide, has asked to be allowed into The Flyfishers Club in Mayfair, which counts the King as its patron. Established in 1884, it is a club for gentlemen interested in the art of fly fishing and currently has around 600 members. It also has a male-only guest policy, except in the case of events. Ms Gibson, who has written a book about her passion for fly fishing, has called on the club to embrace change. Her plea comes weeks after the Garrick Club bowed to pressure and voted to admit women members. I would absolutely love to join The Flyfishers Club, she said during an appearance at the Hay Festival. I dont go to London that often but if I did, I would just love to go and sit and read a book and talk about fishing to other fishermen. I think a lot of people have a difficult time with change and I completely understand that people want to keep it as it is, but I think that there are so many really hardcore women anglers out there and they would all love a chance to go and sit there at lunchtime because were not allowed in at lunch and just chill. Marina Gibson has written a book about her passion for fly fishing - Jay Williams Ms Gibson is not the only woman to lobby the club. Lucy Mantle, chairman and co-founder of the City Flickers fly-fishing organisation, has written an open letter to the club president that reads: In light of the recent press reports on the Garrick Club, I thought the timing might be right to raise my concerns. I am of course aware that the club was founded in 1884 as a gentlemens club for fly fishers, but it now seems increasingly anachronistic and archaic to continue to ban women given the vast societal changes that have occurred. There are many of us both men and women who view the policy as indefensible, unsustainable and, above all, unwise for a whole series of reasons. Ms Mantle said that the ban on women would deter younger people from participating in the fly-fishing world, and would propagate the notion in Britain that fly fishing is only for old fogeys or wealthy, elderly men unlike in North America and Australasia, she said, where it is in vogue for all. She assured the club: Whatever the fears of some members, I can confidently assert that, although we may sometimes wear colourful dresses, most women anglers know how to behave. She signed off: I am sure this issue has arisen on several previous occasions. But, as the Garrick experience has shown, it wont go away and momentum is building. Please help do the right thing. And yes, I would have liked to join. Ms Gibson said she would absolutely love to join The Flyfishers' Club Alastair Collett, president of the club, told The Telegraph that the matter is under consideration and may be put to a membership vote. The rules are the rules, and until someone changes them, they remain the rules, Mr Collett said. The matter is under consideration by the general committee. No decision has been taken. We were already discussing the matter before the Garrick changed their rules. Women can come for any event which is open. They can come to lunch on an event day if invited. The club boasts King Charles, who is known to enjoy fishing, as a patron - Anwar Hussein As for Ms Mantles reference to old fogeys, Mr Collett said: She is entitled to her own opinion, of course. But we have young members and old members. The matter was last discussed by the general committee in 2013 but was not put to a vote and the men-only rule remained. Ms Gibson raised the issue at the Hay Festival during a talk to promote her memoir, Cast Catch Release. She is a certified FFI (Fly Fishers International) casting instructor who founded the Northern Fishing School at Swinton Park in North Yorkshire. After being introduced to angling by her mother, Ms Gibson set up in business in her 20s and said she is one of only half-a-dozen women who are full-time guides or instructors in the UK. Women are just as capable as men when it comes to fishing, she told the audience. Really, you dont have to be strong to fish. Its timing, finesse, its application of power but you dont need a lot of it. Its a sport for everyone. Yet women are not attracted to the pursuit, she said. Im trying to figure out why so many women are shooting but not fishing. Ms Gibson said she had asked women who have attended her school and they said that fishing doesnt look glamorous. Whenever they see fishermen, its normally in the rain underneath an umbrella. I said its not like that, and you dont have to go fishing in the rain. I think shooting right now is, in a way, quite sexy because there are so many brands out there. You can look the part. Whereas fishing is probably a bit more chilled. Its also harder. In 2020, the BBC was ridiculed for referring to fisherpeople rather than fishermen. Ms Gibson said she was perfectly happy with the latter description. The BBC started it it was fisherperson and this year Sam Smith [the non-binary pop star] said he was a fisherthem. But I quite like to say Im a fisherman because its only really changed recently. And I dont get offended either, she said. Sadiq Khan says weapons shipments should be halted immediately - Toby Melville/Reuters Sadiq Khan opened up a fresh rift with Sir Keir Starmer on Monday as he defied the Labour leader to call for a ban on arms sales to Israel. The Mayor of London said weapons shipments should be halted immediately following Israeli strikes in Rafah which reportedly killed dozens. More than half a dozen backbench MPs echoed his call, heaping pressure on the Labour leader who has faced dissent over his stance on Gaza. Mr Khan said: Devastating and heartbreaking scenes in Rafah following yet another Israeli attack in flagrant breach of the International Court of Justice ruling and international law. Our own governments lack of leadership is beyond shameful. They must finally halt arms sales and put real pressure on to end this horror. His intervention once more revealed the deep-rooted splits within Labour over Gaza which threaten to dog Sir Keirs general election campaign. The Labour leader has come under huge pressure to toughen his stance towards Israel after the party haemorrhaged Muslim votes at the local elections. More than half a dozen MPs, including senior figures on the Left, stepped up their calls for an arms embargo in light of the latest Rafah strikes. Richard Burgon, a former shadow cabinet minister, said: Our government must not stand by while Israel ignores the World Court. It must act. Starting by ending arms sales to Israel. Sarah Owen, who quit a shadow ministerial role last November as part of a rebellion against Sir Keir over his refusal to call for a ceasefire, added her voice. Many of us have argued that continuing arm sales to Netanyahu against civilians in so called safe zones needs to be halted. This is why, she said. Earlier in May, David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, inched the party closer to calling for an arms embargo over the scenes in Rafah. In a Commons question to Andrew Mitchell, the deputy foreign secretary, he suggested Israel had breached international humanitarian law. That would mean that legal advice which advised against arms sales kicked in, he said. But Labour has now openly called for such a ban, instead largely echoing the Government line that UK arms sales to Israel are a tiny proportion. Sir Keir is under pressure to go further as MPs in seats with larger Muslim populations face a battle to get elected against independent pro-Palestine candidates. They include frontbench figures such as Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, and Shabana Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary. Benjamin Netanyahu admitted to a tragic mistake after an Israeli strike on a tent camp full of Palestinians in Gaza triggered global condemnation. Israel admitted to striking a tent camp full of displaced Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday night, killing dozens and triggering calls from global leaders and senior Israeli officials for an end to the fighting. Thousands were taking shelter in Tel al-Sultan having fled from the east of the city where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued evacuation orders and began a ground offensive earlier this month. Israel admitted civilian casualties in Rafah but said its forces were aiming at a Hamas compound, killing two senior commanders. The airstrike killed Yassin Rabia, who was responsible for funding and overseeing Hamas operations in the West Bank, and Khaled Nagar, a senior officer in Hamass West Bank wing, according to the Israeli military. On Monday, Mr Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament: In Rafah, we evacuated a million uninvolved residents and, despite our best efforts, a tragic accident happened yesterday. He said an investigation was underway. Fire rages in Tel al-Sultan, a western Rafah neighbourhood, after an Israeli strike - Reuters The overnight attack came a few hours after Tel Aviv was targeted with a rare barrage of missiles from Rafah, the first one in months. Meanwhile, scores died and many more were injured when the Israeli airstrike hit the Tel al-Sultan neighbourhood, in western Rafah, on Sunday night, causing a blast at the camp and killing many, including women and children inside, local health officials said. Eyewitnesses told Reuters the tents were melting from the bombardment, burning people alive. At least 35 people were killed and dozens were injured, most of them women and children, a spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said in the early hours on Monday. Israels top military prosecutor described the bombing in Rafah as very grave. The details of the incident are still under an investigation, which we are committed to conducting to the fullest extent, Maj Gen Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi told a conference hosted by the Israel Bar Association. The IDF regrets any harm to non-combatants during the war. On Monday, Egypt condemned what it called the deliberate bombardment by Israeli forces of displaced peoples tents. People search among burning debris after the strike on Rafah - Mohammed Salem/Reuters Jordan also expressed its condemnation, accusing Israel of committing ongoing war crimes. Qatar, meanwhile, said the bombing could hinder a ceasefire and hostage deal. The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, through the use of precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamass use of the area, IDF said in a statement early on Monday. The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review. Rare criticism of the ongoing Israeli offensive came on Monday from Gadi Eisenkot, a much-respected minister in the war cabinet and close ally of Israels most popular politician Benny Gantz. Mr Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff well-connected with the Biden administration, said on Monday Israel needs to halt the fighting in Rafah and prioritise ceasefire talks with Hamas to secure the release of the Israeli hostages who have been in captivity for over eight months. [Israel] should reach the finish line in the fighting in Rafah and move forward with the hostage deal as an obligation and as a strategic necessity of the State of Israel, Mr Eisenkot said. Children were among those wounded in the Israeli strike - Reuters The senior official, whose son died fighting in Gaza last year, also echoed a widespread belief among Israel watchers that Mr Netanyahus stated goal of a total victory over Hamas is an illusion. Reports and medics on the ground in Rafah reported widespread scenes of death and devastation, with many bodies charged and barely identifiable from blast impact on plain tents. Sir Keir Starmer has said he was shocked by the overnight scenes from Rafah and said the Israeli offensive must stop. Asked what he would tell Mr Netanyahu if he were prime minister, the Labour leader said: Stop. Those scenes, those reports, are horrifying and what makes it worse was this was a safe zone with women and children and families that have already fled a number of times. Its horrifying to see that. Ive been saying for some time the Rafah offensive should not take place. He added: I was shocked by what I saw overnight, I think any human being would be shocked by what they saw. Its got to stop. Hisham Mhanna, of the International Committee of the Red Cross, spoke of hospitals overwhelmed by dealing with the injured. A deadly night in Rafah, he tweeted. The ICRC field hospital has dealt with an influx of casualties with injuries and burns. Leaders in France, Germany, Spain have condemned the bombing - dpa picture alliance / Alamy Live News The UNs agency for Palestinian refugees said on Monday it had lost contact with its employees on the ground and could not immediately establish their location. On Monday, the EU foreign policy chief called on Israel to adhere to the International Court of Justice ruling that specifically ordered Israel to stand down in Rafah while the prime minister of Spain said he will urge his counterparts to pass a joint appeal on Israel to comply with the ruling. The foreign ministry of Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas in talks to release Israeli hostages from Gaza, said on Monday the Rafah attack could hinder its mediation efforts. Mediated talks are expected to resume this week. Sunday nights attack was the single biggest loss of life in Rafah since Israel launched an operation there despite overwhelming global calls, urging against what many predicted would be a bloodbath. The US, Israels key ally, has spoken vehemently against the Rafah offensive but US officials in recent days indicated that what they had been seeing in Rafah so far is quite limited and does not cross their red lines. Garrick Club Now that womens lives have been transformed by the prospect of joining the Garrick Club, the reformers have turned to the Beefsteak, Brookss and the other 10 remaining all-mens clubs. Some 30 female academics, lawyers and MPs, including the granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst and Tory MP Caroline Nokes have written to them as follows: As we celebrate the Garrick Clubs decision to move out of the dark ages and finally admit female members, we remind other elite all-male clubs that their sexist membership policies raise similar questions of power, class privilege and discrimination. Not to be outdone, Marina Gibson, a flyfishing instructor, is campaigning to be allowed into Mayfairs Flyfishers Club for gentlemen interested in the art of flyfishing. Is nowhere safe? They just dont get it, do they. These clubs are not available to all male comers but men who are sufficiently well connected to know someone wholl put them up for election and second them. They need to pay the membership costs 1,200 a year for Brookss and about 2,000 for the Garrick. Were not talking about joyously egalitarian institutions, but places where people who know each other can see each other in well-staffed grand buildings which cost a fortune to maintain. Nothing wrong with that, I say. Let them. But how does a club become less elite by being open to women with contacts and money? Beats me. Can we not just accept that people might like to hang out with other congenial souls, which may mean men and not women? This, folks, is what diversity looks like. The reformers should be careful what they wish for. One repugnant tactic used against the Garrick was for female barristers to say that they wouldnt feel comfortable bringing gender-specific cases before judges who are Garrick members. That principle could go much further; how about others refusing to bring cases involving poor people before judges privately educated at, say, St Pauls School for Girls the old school of Amelia Gentleman, the journalist who started the Garrick crusade? That might be tricky. Meanwhile, I look forward to Stephen Fry and Jonathan Sumption being buttonholed in the Garrick by the likes of Cathy Newman and Mary Ann Sieghart wanting to use their new networking opportunities. Enjoy! Heir and spare While were on the subject of equality, how worked up are you on the subject of male primogeniture? Me, not a jot. The subject has surfaced with the forthcoming nuptials of Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster and his bride, Olivia Henson. Campaigners are using the wedding to push for a change in the law so that if the couple are blessed with children, the eldest, regardless of gender, would inherit the title and estate. There was recently a bid by Harriett Baldwin MP to change the law but her Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill wont now be passed. Reform sounds fine, but as Thomas Paine said, primogeniture knows only one child. If the eldest of either sex gets the prize, it still leaves excluded younger siblings. Its hardly fair, but then hereditary titles arent fair and may as well be anachronistic. Wouldnt you love to know what the Dukes elder sisters, Lady Tamara and Lady Edwina, think of it all? Children play after school outside of the occupied Cissie Gool House in Woodstock, Cape Town. Photograph: Julie Bourdin A picture of Nelson Mandela watches over the dimly lit room where Maggie Mothemba has lived for six years. Hes like my father, says the 57-year-old, who remembers the day in April 1994 that she voted for Mandelas African National Congress in South Africas first democratic election. She was then full of hope to be on the list for a government-subsidised house to raise her two children a key ANC election promise. But Mothemba is still waiting, along with 2.5 million households languishing in a housing crisis. In 2017, facing eviction from a private rental , she moved into a derelict hospital in Woodstock, a Cape Town neighbourhood, squatted by people protesting the slow pace of affordable housing development. While the government has accommodated almost 5 million households in 30 years, delivery has slowed drastically over the past decade. As South Africa holds a general election this week, campaigners say there has been a failure to redress the effects of spatial segregation entrenched by apartheid. There are millions of people on the housing waiting list and many more living in inadequate housing its a massive issue, says urban policy researcher Nick Budlender, of Ndifuna Ukwazi, a nonprofit which supported the occupation of the Woodstock hospital now nicknamed Cissie Gool House after an anti-apartheid activist. At its peak, in 1998-99, South Africas government built more than 235,000 fully subsidised houses a year. In 2022-23, the number was 34,000. According to the Department of Human Settlements, the recent decrease was mainly due to budget cuts and the Covid-19 pandemic. The government will not abandon its citizens, but we fully understand the frustration of those who are yet to be assisted, spokesperson Nozipho Zulu said in a statement to the Guardian. Mothemba and her neighbours have grown disillusioned with the ANC and the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, that runs Cape Town and the Western Cape province. We are used to these empty promises. Many people have died on the waiting list, says Faghmeeda Ling, 57, one of the leaders at Cissie Gool House. Lings family history is marked by evictions, starting with her mothers forced removal from District Six in one of the apartheid regimes most infamous mass evictions. She eventually moved back to Woodstock, one of the last few grey (racially diverse) inner city areas. But in 2017, Lings landlord decided to sell their building. The city offered residents alternative accommodation in Wolwerivier, a settlement about 20 miles from the centre. What theyre doing with us now is the same as under apartheid, its just called by the fancy name gentrification, Ling says. It is hard to comprehend the kind of wealth-destroying power of having to pay half your income on transport every day Nick Budlender, Ndifuna Ukwazi Policies have not disrupted spatial apartheid, says Budlender: Our cities were shaped so that the white minority would live in nice, sparsely populated areas close to jobs, schools and services, and the black, coloured and Indian majority would commute in and out every day to service them. And that structure remains tragically unchanged. This legacy is at its most visible in Cape Town. While mainly white residents and tourists enjoy trendy restaurants and beachside strolls around the inner city, on the outskirts, the spacious houses give way to tightly packed shacks and informal settlements where overwhelmingly black and coloured people live. The municipalitys housing needs register lists more than 375,000 applicants. Yet, while several projects are under way, 30 years after the end of apartheid not a single affordable housing unit has been completed in the inner city. Related: This is apartheid: Cape Town slum residents condemn forced removals The consequences of this spatial dysfunction are humongous, says Budlender: a 2022 Harvard study found that South Africas lowest-earning workers spent more than 37% of their income on transport. It is hard to even comprehend the kind of wealth-destroying power of having to pay half your income on transport every day: the way that limits peoples upward mobility, the schools their kids can go to, the jobs they can apply for and keep, Budlender says. Ndifuna Ukwazi has been advocating for public land to be released to build social housing. Across the Cape Town municipality, the NGO identified 128 sq km of underutilised public land. The mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, says various municipal-owned properties in central Cape Town had already been released, adding that the city has 6,500 social housing units in the pipeline at over 50 well located land parcels. Cape Towns entire spatial policy is aimed at unstitching [apartheids] legacy over time, he says. The Woodstock hospital would have long been released for affordable housing were it not for the building hijacking by Ndifuna Ukwazi, he says. Seven years after the initial occupation, the building now houses more than 1,000 people. In the corridors, named after the streets families were evicted from, colourful murals cover moulding wallpaper. Children play under posters and slogans, a reminder that there remains a threat of eviction. For Budlender, while the occupation isnt perfect, it does something that no sphere of government has ever come close to: provide a home predominantly for evictees in well located areas. Among residents, hope still runs deep that each family will one day have their own home. I want to die knowing my children are in a house of their own, says Ling: Not going to bed thinking they might wake up to an eviction letter. Cezary Tomczyk, deputy defence minister, presents the East Shield at the General Staff headquarters in Warsaw, on Monday - Marcin Obara/Avalon Poland has unveiled plans for a line of anti-tank ditches, bunkers and minefields along its borders with Belarus and Russia. Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, announced a 10 billion zloty (2 billion) defensive line to make Natos eastern flank impassable to a potential enemy, earlier this month, but provided few details. Visualisations released on Monday show a network of concrete anti-tank hedgehogs, palisades and steel barriers integrated with earthworks along 434 miles of frontier. Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Polands defence minister, told reporters: The East Shield deterrence and defence plan is the largest operation to strengthen the eastern border of Poland, the eastern flank of Nato, since 1945. It will be a combination of terrain conditions with fortifications and modern technology. He added that the government would also apply for European Union funding for the border wall. Work will start this year and should be completed by 2028. East Shield, dubbed the Tusk line by Polish media, has been billed as a deterrent to discourage attack from Russia. The plans are said to be in collaboration with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It is separate from a border wall built to keep out migrants trying to cross from Belarus. The plans show a deep network of bunkers, trenches and tank traps. Mines would only be laid if war appeared imminent. Poland shares a 130-mile frontier with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and a 170-mile border with Belarus, Russias close ally. The border with Belarus has become a security flashpoint, with thousands of migrants and refugees, mostly from the Middle East, crossing it into Europe. Mr Tusk has dubbed this a hybrid war of migration facilitated by Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus. Those are not refugees, those are less and less migrants, families, poor people needing help, Mr Tusk added. In 80 per cent of the cases, these are organised groups of men, aged 18 to 30, very aggressive. As the weather warms, Poland is seeing an increase in crossings, up to 200-300 a day in May. Poland was part of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact during the Cold War but joined Nato after Communism fell in the 1990s. Paula Vennells, the former Post Office chief executive, gave evidence to the inquiry - Carl Court/Getty Post Office scandal victims may have to wait until 2026 before any criminal charges are brought against those who could be responsible, it has been reported. Sources have told The Guardian that at least 20 potential suspects have been identified by a team of 80 detectives handling the criminal inquiry. More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted because faulty Fujitsu software incorrectly recorded shortfalls in their branch accounts. A public inquiry into the scandal is set to finish hearing evidence by the end of September with a report by Sir Wyn Williams, the chairman, expected to be published next year. The Met Police first launched a criminal investigation in January 2020, focused on offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice. Since then it has been working through millions of documents in parallel with the inquiry both manually and with the help of specialist software. Two people have been interviewed under caution but nobody has yet been arrested. Sources told The Guardian that police will not seek charging decisions from the Crown Prosecution Service until the inquiry concludes next year and suspects may not be charged until 2026, with victims facing an even longer wait for any criminal trials. Jo Hamilton, who was prosecuted over an alleged shortfall of 36,000 in 2006, said she was happy to wait, to ensure nobody would slip through the net. Speaking to The Telegraph, Mrs Hamilton said: It [the investigation] must be thorough and no stone left unturned in order to cast the net as far as it can go. This will take time, so I have no problem with a 2026 date. She added: We have waited this long for justice and we dont want anybody that should be charged slipping through the net because the process is rushed. Police will examine whether any senior leaders at the Post Office or Fujitsu may have committed perjury or perverted the course of justice over the 16 years sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted. Among other questions, the inquiry and officers will be looking to find out to what extent the faults in the software were known at both organisations. The criminal investigation will be split into four regional hubs, with staffing and resources similar to a major terror probe. Police have asked the Government for a special grant of at least 6.75 million to fund the investigation, according to the newspaper. Last week Paula Vennells, the Post Offices former chief executive, gave evidence to the inquiry over a highly anticipated three days of hearings. There is no suggestion Ms Vennells is a suspect in any criminal investigation. They will certainly investigate Alan Bates, the sub-postmaster whose High Court victory against the Post Office inspired the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office attended the first day of Ms Vennells evidence Speaking to journalists outside Aldwych House in central London, where the inquiry is taking place, he explained how he had met senior Met Police staff on Wednesday morning to discuss possible prosecutions. He said: They certainly are going to investigate, Ive had that assurance and I think the group (of sub-postmasters) needs that as an assurance and its something that weve never been certain of until today. Commander Stephen Clayman, who oversees the Met Police investigation, said it was very time consuming but the force could not cut corners or risk overlooking evidence. Widespread and devastating He said: We understand the widespread and devastating impact the Post Office IT Horizon scandal has had on hundreds of sub-postmasters across the country. Mr Clayman added: Given the significant scale of the investigation, it has been agreed by the National Police Chiefs Council that the next phase of the investigation will be a national policing effort, coordinated by the Met, with the pursuit of justice at its heart. We do not underestimate the seriousness of the task at hand and we are determined to carry out a full investigation with independence, precision and integrity. The Telegraph approached the Post Office and Fujitsu. Andrei Belousov (left) has been charged with reducing corruption within Russias military. Photograph: Dmitry Harichkov/Russian defence ministry Press Service/HAND/EPA In the weeks since Vladimir Putin sacked his longtime defence minister Sergei Shoigu, Russias FSB security service has pursued a series of high-level corruption cases against a deputy minister and department heads in what many insiders are now calling a purge in the defence ministry. Andrei Belousov, the technocrat economist appointed to replace Shoigu, has a mandate to reduce corruption in the defence ministry and streamline military production for a long war against Ukraine that could largely be decided by industrial output. But former defence and Kremlin officials, ex-officers and foreign observers have said it was likely the exit of Shoigu and loss of his protection that has allowed the FSB, the Russian security department responsible for internal investigations, to take down powerful officials in a power struggle that could have knock-on effects for how Russia fights the war in Ukraine. Related: Putins war machine reshuffle reveals his deepest fear the rise of Kremlin rivals | Samantha de Bendern The FSB finally got their teeth in the defence ministry and general staff, said Capt John Foreman, the UKs former defence attache to Moscow, who said he believed the arrests could continue after Putins patience had finally snapped. Shoigu and Gerasimov provided a buffer, but now Putin decided he had to do something, he said. Shoigu kept the FSB largely away from the ministry throughout his tenure, there were very few arrests. Once the FSB has their teeth in you, who knows how far they will go. Throughout the war in Ukraine, Shoigu and Gersasimov have come under fire from pro-war advocates for the militarys setbacks and their failure to eradicate pervasive corruption within the armed forces. Last summer, this dissatisfaction reached its peak when Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner paramilitary group, initiated an unsuccessful rebellion against the militarys leaders. Interagency rivalries run deep in Russia, and Shoigus ouster may have given investigators in the FSB and investigative committee an opportunity to brush off criminal cases against the top brass in an effort to seek promotions and praise. Its the dream of any investigator to put a real live deputy minister of defence in prison, its cool, its the dream of a lifetime, said one former Kremlin official. You get new epaulettes for that, a promotion, some kind of award. You can earn a reputation for that. In the case of high-level prosecutions, the official said, Putin would probably be informed before an arrest was sought. But, the official added, he said it was unlikely the corruption cases were being initiated by the Kremlin itself. In the span of a month, four top defence officials were arrested on corruption charges, marking the most significant crackdown in the defence ministry in years. The purge began on 23 April with the shock arrest of the veteran deputy defence minister Timur Ivanov for suspected bribe-taking. Addressing the recent series of arrests, the Kremlin on Thursday denied any suggestion of a crackdown within the defence ministry. The fight against corruption is consistent work, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday. It is not a campaign, it is constantly ongoing work. Ivanov was a long-term confidant and protege of Sergei Shoigu. His detention is believed to have laid the groundwork for Shoigus dismissal, who was subsequently replaced as defence minister by Belousov. In the weeks that followed, additional high-ranking officials were detained. These included Yuri Kuznetsov, the head of the ministrys personnel department, and Vadim Shamarin, the head of the communications department of the Russian general staff. Hours after Shamarins arrest on Thursday, Russias investigative committee also reported detaining another defence ministry official Vladimir Verteletsky, who headed a division in the state defence procurement department of the ministry. While the Kremlin announced earlier this month that Russias top general, Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, would retain his position, the arrest of Shamarin, a direct deputy of Gerasimov, could weaken the generals standing within the military hierarchy. The probability of Gerasimovs dismissal has gone up. I would sell my shares in him right now, said Foreman. A former defence official said the arrests showed that the balance of power had swung in favour of Russias security services, while its military appears in disarray. The FSBs department of counterintelligence operations (1st division) is becoming increasingly powerful. They currently hold all the cards and are tightening the screws, said the official, who worked closely with Ivanov and Shoigu. It is not that Belousovs arrival led to the purges, but the departure of Shoigu and his strongmen resource that enabled the arrest, the official continued. Shoigu in the end was a silovik [member of the security elite] and had their backing. Russian prosecutors have also gone after a senior general best known for his criticism of Shoigu and Gerasimov. Maj Gen Ivan Popov, who commanded the 58th Combined Arms force, said last summer that he had been fired after he brought up problems on the battlefield, including the lack of counter-battery fire, and deaths and injuries the army was suffering from Ukrainian attacks. Popov, who Russian media said stood accused of stealing 100m roubles (868,569) of metal, was arrested on Tuesday and placed in a pre-detention facility. Gleb Irisov, a former Russian air force lieutenant who left the military in 2020, said he had spoken with an FSB source before the arrests who told him that the purge in the defence ministry would be prompted mainly by its failures in Ukraine. Under Sergei Shoigu, the defence ministry became heavily influenced by his personal network, said Irisov. From senior commanders to lower staff, key positions were filled with Shoigus picks friends or friends of friends. He even created numerous deputy positions specifically for his allies. Those have included a reported mistress of Sergei Shoigus who headed companies that earned millions of pounds from contracts with the defence ministry. Irisov said he regularly discovered substandard equipment in the military, including lightbulbs that melted at supersonic speeds while flying Russias modern Su-35 air-defence fighter, as well as shoddy trucks and air defence systems unable to shoot down modern drones. He said in part their deficiencies were the result of corruption under Shoigu. The overall quality of the military suffered because funds were routinely embezzled, he said. Military exercises often existed only on paper, as the allocated money was siphoned off. Although cases have risen substantially, improvements in early diagnosis and treatment have doubled melanoma survival times in the past 50 years. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA Rates of melanoma skin cancer have reached an all-time high in the UK, according to analysis that highlights a substantial rise in the number of cases over the past decade, particularly among older people. New diagnoses increased by almost a third from 21 to 28 in every 100,000 people between 2007-09 and 2017-19, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK) figures, with a 57% rise among the over-80s and a 7% rise in those aged 25 to 49. The difference in trends is thought to reflect a greater awareness among younger people of the link between ultraviolet (UV) light and skin cancer risk. Older people knew less about the dangers of tanning and were the first generation exposed to the cheap package-holiday boom that began in the 1960s. CRUKs chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said it was concerning to see the number of people being diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer across the UK. The fact that the majority of these cases are preventable underlines the importance of people taking sun safety seriously. The charitys projections suggest a record 20,800 cases will be diagnosed in the UK this year, about 17,000 of which are preventable. Almost 90% of melanoma is caused by too much exposure to UV light, which can damage DNA in the skin. Other factors, such as a growing and ageing population, and better awareness of the signs of skin cancer, have contributed to the rising figures. Related: Real hope for cancer cure as personal mRNA vaccine for melanoma trialled Despite the steady rise in cases, deaths from melanoma are expected to continue to fall, the charity said. Improvements in early diagnosis and treatment have doubled melanoma survival times in the past 50 years, with almost nine in 10 adults diagnosed with the cancer in England now surviving for 10 years or more. Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of developing skin cancer, compared with never being burnt, said Dr Claire Knight, a senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK. Whether you are enjoying the good weather abroad or here at home, its important to protect yourself from too much sun, especially if you burn easily. Remember that sunburn doesnt only happen when its hot, she added. It can happen on cooler or cloudier days too. The charity advises people to spend time in the shade, particularly between 11am and 3pm; to cover up with clothes, a wide-brimmed hat, and UV-protection sunglasses; and regularly apply a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and four or five stars. The warning comes a month after doctors at University College London hospital launched a phase-three trial into a potentially game changing mRNA-based cancer vaccine for melanoma. The personalised treatment, which primes the immune system to attack the patients cancer cells, is in further trials for lung, bladder and kidney cancer. Ukrainian army medics treat a wounded soldier in Donetsk - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images Russia says its forces have captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine one in the Donetsk region, and another in the northeastern Kharkiv region. The defence ministry said its troops had liberated the village of Netailove in the Donetsk region and Ivanivka in the Kharkiv region, the latest in a string of Russian territorial gains over recent weeks. Russia launched a major new ground assault on the northeastern Kharkiv region two weeks ago, though the latest claim of captured territory is in a part of the front line further east, where fighting has been raging for months. Moscow is looking to press its advantage on the battlefield while long-awaited US weapons are making their way to Ukrainian troops on the front lines. Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, urged Western partners last night to allow Kyiv to strike military targets in Russia to help it defend from the Kremlins forces. We see every point of concentration of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and combat aircraft are launched, Mr Zelensky said. 05:29 PM BST Thank you for following todays coverage On May 27, Russia said its forces had captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine one in the Donetsk region, and another in the northeastern Kharkiv region. As more troops amassed on the border, Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western partners to allow Kyiv to strike military targets in Russia to help it defend from the Kremlins forces. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg weighed into the debate, also calling on leaders to end the ban. If (Ukraine) cannot attack military targets on Russian territory then it ties one hand of the Ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct defence, he said. The Kremlin condemned his appeal, accusing Nato of increasing the degree of escalation. Other key developments from the day were: Russia is amassing its forces on the border with Kharkiv and Sumy as Moscow prepares for a new attack. Ukraines top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said he had signed paperwork allowing French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres. Poland will restrict the movement of Russian diplomats, the foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said, calling it a response to what he termed Moscows hybrid warfare. A Russian attack on a village in the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv left three people dead, including two teenagers, and wounded six more, the regional governor said. Russia will build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the first such project in post-Soviet Central Asia, the Uzbek president said at a meeting with visiting Vladimir Putin. Russian forces have dropped about 3,200 guided aerial bombs on Ukraine this month, according to Mr Zelensky. Spain will grant one billion euros (850 million) worth of military equipment to Ukraine throughout 2024, according to a bilateral deal signed Mr Zelensky and prime minister Pedro Sanchez. A Ukrainian drone hit a Russian radar station capable of tracking nuclear missiles for the second time in three days. A German former soldier was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for sharing secret military information with Russia in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine. 05:12 PM BST Watch: Russian soldiers raise flag in captured village 05:11 PM BST Zelensky to visit Portugal tomorrow Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Portugal on tomorrow, at the invitation of the countrys leadership. The office of the Portuguese president said that Zelenskys visit is part of a common intention to deepen excellent relations between the two countries, with a special emphasis on strengthening cooperation in the field of security and defence. During the visit, Mr Zelensky will hold working meetings with Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro and meet with president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. 05:03 PM BST Kremlin condemns Nato bosss appeal for Ukraine to use Western arms in Russia The Kremlin scolded Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg for suggesting alliance members should let Ukraine strike deep into Russia with Western weapons. Mr Stoltenberg told The Economist that Nato members supplying weapons to Ukraine should end their prohibition on using them to strike military targets in Russia. Nato is increasing the degree of escalation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian daily Izvestia when asked about the remarks. Nato is flirting with military rhetoric and falling into military ecstasy, Mr Peskov said, adding that the Russian military knew what to do. When asked if Nato was approaching a direct confrontation with Russia, Peskov said: They are not getting close; they are in it. 04:48 PM BST Ukraine commander says French instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres Ukraines top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said he had signed paperwork allowing French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres soon. I am pleased to welcome Frances initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian servicemen, Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app. I have already signed the documents that will enable the first French instructors to visit our training centres shortly and familiarize themselves with their infrastructure and personnel. 04:38 PM BST Poland to curb Russian diplomats movements Poland will restrict the movement of Russian diplomats, foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Monday, calling it a response to what he termed Moscows hybrid warfare. I just announced a Polish decision in connection to Russias participation in hybrid warfare against the European Union, including Poland: a restriction of movement for Russian diplomats in our country, Mr Sikorski told reporters in Brussels after meeting with his EU counterparts. The minister said the new measures will restrict the movement of consular staff to the Warsaw region, but will not impact the Russian ambassador, Sergei Andreyev. 04:31 PM BST Three killed and six wounded in Russian strike on south Ukraine A Russian attack on a village in the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv has left three people dead, including two teenagers, and wounded six more, the regional governor said. Three people were killed and six injured in the Russian attack on Snigurivka. Two of the victims are a 17-year-old girl and boy, the official, Vitaliy Kim announced on social media. 03:22 PM BST Pictured: Zelensky welcomed by Spains royals Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia welcome Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky - BALLESTEROS/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 03:02 PM BST Zelensky rejects Russian participation in Switzerland peace summit Volodymyr Zelensky has excluded Russias participation in an upcoming peace summit in Switzerland, which he said dozens of foreign leaders would attend. We do not see Russia there, because Russia will block everything. Its clear, he said, adding that Moscow does not benefit from peace. It wants to destroy Ukraine and move on. 02:34 PM BST Russia to build Central Asias first nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan Russia will build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the first such project in post-Soviet Central Asia, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Uzbek president, said on Monday at a meeting with visiting Vladimir Putin. The nuclear deal, if implemented, will showcase Russias ability to export not only energy, but also high-tech products to new Asian markets, at a time when the West is increasing pressure on it through sanctions. Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoye - SERGEI BOBYLYOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Mr Mirziyoyev also said Tashkent was interested in buying more oil and gas from Russia, a reversal of decades-long practice where Moscow imported hydrocarbons from Central Asia. The Uzbek president described Mr Putins visit as historic. 02:13 PM BST Kremlin says Nato is in direct confrontation with Russia over Ukraine The Kremlin said on Monday that Nato was already in direct confrontation with Russia and that the US-led military alliance was escalating the Ukraine conflict with military rhetoric. The Interfax news agency cited Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, as saying that comments made by Jens Stoltenberg, Natos secretary general, were contradictory. Mr Stoltenberg told the Economist that Nato members supplying weapons to Ukraine should end their prohibition on using them to strike military targets in Russia. 02:01 PM BST Listen: Exclusive interview with Sir Lawrence Freedman 01:43 PM BST Zelensky says Russia dropped 3,200 bombs on Ukraine in May Russian forces have dropped about 3,200 guided aerial bombs on Ukraine this month, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. Speaking at a press conference in Madrid, he added that Ukraines military does not have enough air-defence missiles to stop Russia from dropping thousands of bombs per month. 01:41 PM BST Russian forces massing on Ukrainian border Russia is amassing its forces on the border with Kharkiv and Sumy as Moscow prepares for a new attack, experts say. The Institute for the Study of War said the move is likely intended to fix and draw Ukraines army to the area and prepare for operations that aim to expand the Russian foothold in the international border area in northeastern Ukraine. Russia sent troops across the border north of Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, earlier this month, and have been slowly making gains. Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western partners last night to allow Kyiv to strike military targets in Russia to help it defend from the Kremlins forces. We see every point of concentration of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and combat aircraft are launched, Mr Zelensky said. US and German officials have repeatedly said that they do not support Kyivs strikes with the Western-supplied arms inside Russia, but the tide appears to be shifting. Jens Stoltenberg, Natos secretary general, was one of the latest high-profile Western leaders to call for an end to the ban. If (Ukraine) cannot attack military targets on Russian territory then it ties one hand of the Ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct defence, he said. 01:27 PM BST Russia invites Taliban to major economic forum Russia has invited Afghanistans Taliban to its biggest annual economic forum as Moscow moves to remove a ban on the Islamist movement, a senior Russian diplomat was quoted as saying on Monday. Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as US-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war, Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban, though the movement is still officially outlawed in Russia. Russias foreign and justice ministries have reported to president Vladimir Putin on the issue of removing the ban, Zamir Kabulov, director of the Second Asia Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told state news agency TASS. Zamir Kabulov, director of the Second Asia Department at the Russian foreign ministry was quoted as saying that an invitation to attend the June 5-8 St Petersburg international economic forum had been extended to the Taliban. Afghan leaders, he said, were traditionally interested in the purchase of oil products. The St Petersburg forum, which once hosted Western CEOs and investment bankers from London and New York, has changed significantly amid the Ukraine war which has triggered the biggest crisis in Russias relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Western investors seeking a slice of Russias vast resource wealth have now been replaced by businesses from China, India, Africa and the Middle East. 01:15 PM BST Spain to grant 1 billion euros worth of weapons to Ukraine this year Spain will grant 1 billion euros (850 million) worth of military equipment to Ukraine throughout 2024, according to a bilateral deal signed between president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and prime minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday. 12:58 PM BST Sweden indicates support of Ukraine striking targets on Russian soil Sweden has indicated that it supports Ukraine in striking targets on Russian territory with Western-made weapons. US and German officials have repeatedly said that they do not support or encourage Kyivs strikes with the Western-supplied arms inside Russia. But the tide appears to be shifting as leaders say that the ban stopped Ukraine from attacking Russian forces building up before crossing the border into Kharkiv Oblast in early May. Ukraine has the right to defend itself through military actions aimed at the enemys territory as long as the military actions comply with the laws of war, Pal Jonson, the Swedish defence minister, said in answer to a question about the possible use of Swedish arms against Russian territory. Mr Jonson added that Sweden stands behind international law and Ukraines right to defend itself. 12:30 PM BST Zelensky in Madrid to sign Spain security deal Volodymyr Zelensky is welcomed by prime minister Pedro Sanchez upon his arrival at La Moncloa Palace in Madrid - OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images Volodymyr Zelensky has landed in Spain for talks with prime minister Pedro Sanchez, with the pair due to ink a deal increasing Madrids military aid to Kyiv. As he touched down at Madrids Barajas airport, Mr Zelensky was met on the tarmac by King Felipe VI before heading straight into the Spanish capital to meet Mr Sanchez. The two leaders are expected to sign a security agreement and then hold a news conference. Later, Mr Zelensky is due at the Royal Palace for talks followed by a lunch in his honour hosted by King Felipe and Queen Letizia, a palace statement said. The visit had initially been planned on May 17, but was postponed after Russian troops began a major assault on the Kharkiv region. According to El Pais newspaper, the deal will include 1.1 billion euros worth of military aid and new Patriot missiles and Leopard tanks. 12:15 PM BST EU sanctions Voice of Europe, Czech ministry says The European Union has added Voice of Europe and two businessmen connected to the news website to an EU-wide sanctions list, extending sanctions imposed by the Czech Republic, its foreign ministry said on Monday. The sanctions on the two individuals, Viktor Medvedchuk and Artem Marchevskyi, and the website will consist of travel bans and asset freezes, the ministry said. In March, the Czech Republic sanctioned the Prague-based company, which runs the news website voiceofeurope.com, alleging it was a tool of Russian propaganda. It said the pro-Russian Ukrainian politician and businessman, Mr Medvedchuk, who was exiled to Russia in 2022, had been covertly financing the Voice of Europes influence operations ahead of this years European parliamentary election, including financial support for European politicians. Mr Marchevskyi led the news website for Mr Medvedchuk, it has said. Voice of Europe did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 11:56 AM BST Pictured: Attack on hypermarket in Kharkiv Firefighters remove rubble after a Russian attack on May 27 - Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images An aerial view of a hypermarket destroyed by a Russian aerial bomb attack in Kharkiv - Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images 11:45 AM BST Kyiv hampered by limits on using Western arms in Russia, says Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of Nato, has said that Western powers should reconsider restrictions on Ukraine using weaponry they supply to strike inside Russia as it is hampering Kyivs ability to defend itself. The time has come to consider whether it will be right to lift some of the restrictions which have been imposed because we see now that especially in the Kharkiv region the front line and the border line is more or less the same, Mr Stoltenberg told Nato lawmakers. If (Ukraine) cannot attack military targets on Russian territory then it ties one hand of the Ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct defence. Jens Stoltenberg speaks during the spring session of the Nato Parliamentary Assembly in Bulgaria - ASSIL DONEV/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Ukraine has been pressing its Western backers to allow it to use the longer-range weaponry they supply to hit targets in Russia. Washington, and other allies, have been reluctant to permit Kyiv to strike over the border out of fear that it could drag them closer to direct conflict with Moscow. Mr Stoltenberg said some allies have lifted restrictions enabling the Ukrainians to better defend themselves, without giving details. It is clear that Ukraine has the right to defend themselves, the secretary general of the Western alliance said. Self-defence includes the right to also attack legitimate military targets inside Russia. 11:33 AM BST Russia captures two villages in eastern Ukraine Russia says its forces have captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine one in the Donetsk region, and another in the northeastern Kharkiv region. In a daily briefing, the defence ministry said its troops had liberated the village of Netailove in the Donetsk region and Ivanivka in the Kharkiv region, the latest in a string of Russian territorial gains over recent weeks. Russia launched a major new ground assault on the northeastern Kharkiv region two weeks ago, though the latest claim of captured territory is in a part of the front line further east, where fighting has been raging for months. 11:31 AM BST Ukrainian drone hits second Russian nuclear radar station A Ukrainian drone has hit a Russian radar station capable of tracking nuclear missiles for the second time in three days, Ukrainian sources have said. The unnamed intelligence service source told Ukrainska Pravda that the drone had travelled more than 1,000 miles across Russia to strike the Voronezh-class radar station in Orsk on the border with Kazakhstan. Russian media also quoted a regional government official confirming the drone attack and saying that there had been no civilian objects damaged and no threats to residents. Last week, satellite images showed that a Ukrainian drone had hit a Voronezh-class radar station in Krasnodar, southern Russia. Voronezh-class radars are some of the Kremlins most sophisticated radars and are tasked with providing an early warning alarm against a nuclear attack. The attacks have worried Ukraines Western allies as they debate whether to give Kyiv permission to strike targets in Russia with Western missiles. They are worried that Ukraine will use Western missiles to escalate the war in Ukraine. 11:23 AM BST Pictured: Funeral of child killed in Russian war Mother Nadiia and father Vyacheslav bury their five-year-old daughter Zlata Rostochil, who was seriously wounded during a Russian missile attack - REUTERS/Nina Liashonok The memorial service for Zlata Rostochyl who died in hospital from wounds sustained in a Russian missile attack in Odesa - Nina Liashonok / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images 11:05 AM BST German ex-soldier sentenced to 3.5 years for spying for Russia A German former soldier has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail for sharing secret military information with Russia in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine. A court in Duesseldorf found the defendant, named only as Thomas H., guilty of passing on information on his own initiative from his post in the military procurement service. The 54-year-old had admitted the crime during his trial, claiming he was hoping to obtain information in return that would help him get his family to safety in time in the event of the conflict escalating into a nuclear war. The espionage case is one of several uncovered in Germany since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Prosecutors had accused Thomas H. of photographing old training documents related to munitions systems and aircraft technology and dropping the material through the letterbox of the Russian consulate in Bonn. The defendant approached the Russian general consulate in Bonn and the Russian embassy in Berlin and offered his cooperation in May 2023, prosecutors said. He passed on information he had obtained in the course of his professional activities for it to be passed on to a Russian intelligence service. Thomas H. admitted at the opening of his trial in April that the accusations against him were broadly accurate. Thomas H. said his concern about a possible escalation in the war in Ukraine led him to reach out to the Russian side. 10:43 AM BST Russia issues journal instructing soldiers to mortally hate the enemy Russias Ministry of Defence has issued a new journal for the political education of soldiers, according to the UKs Defence Intelligence. The journal draws heavily on the legacy of Soviet era military publications and cites Stalin on the need to mortally hate the enemy, said the UKs Ministry of Defence. The journal emphasises that the enemy in Ukraine today is the same as the enemy the Soviet Union was fighting, namely the Nazis, the statement reads. A map of Ukraine published in the journal is used to support arguments, casting doubt on the authenticity of Ukrainian statehood, and hence to justify the invasion. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 27 May 2024. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/YKHA9tW6JW#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/YBadCUTRXH Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) May 27, 2024 10:31 AM BST Scholz: Russian casualties amount to 24,000 soldiers per month Around 24,000 Russian soldiers are killed or seriously injured each month of war, German chancellor Olaf Scholz has said. While the exact numbers have not been independently verified, Ukraines military said that Moscows losses throughout the full-scale war recently hit half a million killed or wounded. There is a figure that says there are 24,000 killed or seriously injured Russian soldiers per month, Mr Scholz said during a citizens dialogue. All of this for the Russian presidents imperialist megalomania. 10:16 AM BST Pictured: Russian prisoners of war Security guards search captured Russian soldiers at the prisoner of war detention center in Ukraine's Lviv region - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Russian prisoners of war eat lunch at the detention center - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka Russian prisoners of war shelter during a potential rocket attack. AP visited the center as part of a small group of journalists on the condition that its exact location be withheld - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka 09:59 AM BST Spain to send Patriot missiles and Leopard tanks to Ukraine Spain plans to send Patriot missiles and Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of a 1.13 billion euro weapon package announced last month, El Pais newspaper has reported. Spain will hand over a dozen crucial Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine and 19 second-hand German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks and other Spanish-made weapons, such as anti-drones gear and ammunition, the newspaper said. The new weapon delivery commitment will be announced during an official visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Madrid on Monday, where he will meet with prime minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe, the paper said. The worth of the package was approved last month by the government, though it did not specify which weapons were included. 09:37 AM BST Nato nations plan drone wall to protect from Russian aggression Six Nato nations have agreed to build a drone wall along their borders to defend themselves against Russian threats. Norway, Poland and Finland will work with the three Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to prevent Russian aggression, including forcing migrants across the border. This is a completely new thing. A drone border from Norway to Poland, Agne Bilotaite, Lithuanias interior minister, told broadcaster Baltic News Service. This will allow us to protect ourselves from provocations by unfriendly countries. EU countries bordering Europe have become increasingly nervous that an emboldened Vladimir Putin will turn his sights on Russias Western neighbours if he succeeds in his war in Ukraine. In anticipation, Poland has spent billions upgrading its border defences with Belarus, Estonia has built a network of frontier army bunkers and Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia, has joined Nato. Read the full article here 09:35 AM BST Hungary systematically obstructing support for Ukraine, says Lithuania Hungary is systematically blocking all efforts at the European Union level to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielis Landsbergis said on Monday, adding the bloc must find a way to work around this. We have to start seeing this as a systematic approach towards any efforts by the EU to have any meaningful role in foreign affairs, Landsbergis said, adding: It has gone very, very far. His statement comes the day after president Gitanas Nauseda was elected to a second term, with voters overwhelmingly backing continuity in foreign policy and a hard line on the threat of Russian aggression. Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda was elected to a second term on Sunday - AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis Mr Nauseda won 74 per cent of the vote in a runoff against his political rival Ingrida Simonyte, Lithuanias prime minister, according to electoral commission. Russias war in Ukraine dominated the presidential campaign. Lithuanias independence, Lithuanias freedom is a fragile thing that we must cherish and prevent from cracking, the president told reporters on Sunday. This is the reason why a lot more needs to be done for collective security. 09:31 AM BST Ukraine drone attacks Russian early-warning radar at record distance, Kyiv source says A Ukrainian drone attacked a Russian Voronezh M early-warning radar near the city of Orsk in the Orenburg region at a record distance, a Kyiv intelligence source said on Monday. The source told Reuters the attack was conducted by Ukraines military spy agency on Sunday and did not say whether it caused any damage. Russian news outlets reported that a UAV went down near Orsk and that the drones target may have been a military facility. The city of Orsk lies around 1,500 km from the nearest parts of Ukrainian-controlled territory. John Boardman with Queen Elizabeth II and the art historian Kirsten Piacenti in 2008 - David Parry/Avalon Sir John Boardman, who has died aged 96, was Lincoln Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Oxford and Britains most distinguished historian of ancient Greek art. He was most often associated with the study of ancient Greek vase-painting and gem engraving, topics that require attention to minute detail. A former pupil once neatly summarised the Boardman method as consisting of lightning raids on the librarys periodicals shelf, brief and pithy note-taking, questioning of published authority, suppression of romantic speculation and, before everything else, speed, efficiency and thoroughness. Yet in works such as The World of Ancient Art, published after his retirement, Boardman demonstrated his flair for the grand sweep of history. Eschewing the traditional divisions between ancient cultures, Boardman classified the art of the ancient world into three environmental zones the nomadic peoples of the north, the farmers and city-dwellers of the temperate zone and the peoples of the tropics. Nomads, he found, whether in Asia, Europe or America, tend to have an art based on small, portable figures, often animals; monumental architecture is largely confined to the temperate zone, while in the tropics art largely based on the human form, with an emphasis on ancestors. John Boardman was born on August 20 1927 in Essex into a family with no tradition of scholarship. His interest in ancient Greece was sparked at Chigwell School by a classics teacher who introduced him to Homer. He observed later that he had learned more about the classics at school than he was to learn in three years at Magdalene College, Cambridge, though he recalled enjoying having his breakfast tray brought up to his room by college servants. The World of Ancient Art, published in 2006, demonstrated Boardman's flair for the grand sweep of history A turning point came in his second year when he attended a course of lectures by the numismatist Charles Seltman, who showed how the literature of the ancient Greeks could be related to objects sculpture, coins and vases. His interests switched from Greek poetry to classical archaeology, and after graduation he was awarded a two-year studentship at the British School in Athens, where he studied a group of vases from Eritrea hidden in the basement of the National Museum, the subject of a later article. After National Service in the Intelligence Corps, Boardman returned to the British School and became involved in excavations at Emporio on the island of Chios with the schools director Sinclair Hood and Michael Ventris (who would become famous for deciphering Linear B). In the 1960s Boardman would lead the Schools excavations at Tocra in Libya, unearthing much Greek material from the 7th and 6th centuries BC. He also carried out excavations at Smyrna in Crete. In 1964 he published The Greeks Overseas, about the ancient Greek diaspora throughout the Mediterranean. In 1955, after three years as assistant director at the British School, Boardman arranged a temporary job exchange with Llewellyn Brown of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. When Brown died shortly afterwards Boardman was offered a permanent job as assistant keeper, acquiring study pieces for the museum. Boardman's 1964 book in which he explored the ancient Greek diaspora through the Mediterranean Boardmans name was often linked with that of JD Beazley, Lincoln Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art at Oxford, who was known for his classification of Attic vases by artistic style. While Boardman absorbed Beazleys approach to attribution involving the examination of characteristic minor details, and wrote handbooks on Greek sculpture and vases, his own special interest was in Greek gems and finger rings. His reputation as an authority on this began during his time in Athens, when he came across Adolf Furtwanglers three-volume history Die Antiken Gemmen (1900) and was transfixed by Furtwanglers scholarship and by the beauty of the gems themselves. Boardman went on to catalogue the ancient gems in the Royal Collection, having been invited to do so by Sir Anthony Blunt, then surveyor of the Queens Pictures. I like to think, Boardman reflected, that I am one of the few Cambridge graduates he recruited, but not to spy for the Soviet Union. Boardman recognised the value of new technology and was instrumental in setting up on the internet photographs of the entire collection of 15,000 sulphur impressions of famous gems made by James Tassie, and catalogued by RE Raspe in 1791. Later, he reconstructed the great gem collection of the earls of Arundel and Bessborough which, in the 18th century, were merged with that of the Duke of Marlborough, a huge project which involved locating hundreds of cameos and intaglios which had been dispersed by auction over the years. The Marlborough Gems was published in 2009. In his 2009 book, Boardman reconstructed a great gem collection that had been dispersed by auction over the years As Reader in Classical Archaeology from 1959 and then Lincoln Professor from 1978 to 1994, Boardman taught many generations of students, from Britain and overseas. He regretted the decline in teaching of Greek in British schools, regarding knowledge of the language as a valuable prerequisite for the study of ancient art. On the whole Boardman steered clear of academic politics, but in later life he took issue with a group of archaeologists who argued that not only is it wrong for individuals and museums to acquire artefacts with no documented provenance, on the grounds they may have been looted, but such works should not even be published, perhaps not even conserved. In an essay in Who Owns Objects? The Ethics and Politics of Collecting Cultural Artefacts, Boardman argued that legislation designed to control the sale of antiquities had failed to curtail the looting of sites and museums, and that by driving trade underground it has led to the destruction of objects, such as gold and silver coins which simply get melted down. Boardman was a Fellow of the British Academy, from whom he received the Kenyon Medal for Classical Studies in 1995. He was awarded the Onassis Prize for Humanities in 2009. He was knighted in 1989. In 1952 he married Sheila Lyndon Stanford, who died in 2005; he is survived by their daughter and son. Sir John Boardman, born August 20 1927, died May 23 2024 The new aid pier in Gaza, emplaced by the US military. It is also being used to try out new US anti-drone systems - Maxar Technologies/AP Its no secret the US Army has a drone problem. Russias wider war on Ukraine, beginning in February 2022, has compelled both sides in the wider conflict to invest heavily in tiny, explosives-laden drones. More than two years into the war, the Ukrainians are lobbing as many as 100,000 small drones every month at Russian troops all along the 700-mile front line, a quantity sufficient to overwhelm any armys existing air defences. Its not for no reason Russian casualties exceeded 1,700 on May 12 a record bloody day in the 27-month war. The Russians are launching only slightly fewer drones and to only slightly less devastating effect. Anticipating future battlefields humming with tiny aerial drones, the US Army is scrambling to develop new air-defences that it can deploy in sufficient volume to block swarms of tiny drones. The Armys main drone-killer, its new M-SHORAD air-defence vehicle, is still years away from large-scale deployment. So in the meantime, the Army is counting on an interim system: the Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System or M-LIDs. Itd better work. For a few years, its the best defence the worlds leading army can deploy against arguably its biggest threats tiny drones. Happily for the Americans, the M-LIDS a pair of four-wheel Mine-Resistant All-Terrain Vehicle armored trucks, or M-ATVs, together mounting a missile-launcher, guns, a radar and a drone-grounding radio-jammer is getting an early workout. A pre-war test, if you will. In Gaza. When the US Army sailed some of its coastal landing ships to Gaza as part of the US militarys humanitarian flotilla, the ships carried along with a floating pier for food aid one of the initial M-LIDS vehicle sets. As the humanitarian pier took shape in early May, at least one M-LIDS vehicle rolled down the pier and took up station at the edge of the beach alongside a heavylift truck packing a radar-guided 20-millimetre auto-cannon a land-based version of the US Navys main anti-missile gun. The land-based version of the naval 'Phalanx' radar-controlled gatling cannon system, capable of shooting down fast-moving aerial targets automatically - Heathcliff O'Malley The M-LIDS is meant to include two vehicles: one armed with Coyote radar-cued anti-drone missiles, and another with a suite of radio-jammers intended to block the signals that connect drones to their controllers on the ground, potentially miles away. Last Wednesday, a video circulated online depicting the 20-millimetre naval gun engaging a target over the Gaza beach in a test of the humanitarian air-defence system. The M-LIDS didnt take part in the test; if it did, it mightve engaged the target drone if and when the gun missed by attempting to ground the drone by blocking its control signal. A complete M-LIDS system would include a vehicle with a missile-launcher, meaning it could do more than just ground an incoming drone it could shoot it down. But even half an M-LIDS could be a significant capability. If it works. And if the Americans can deploy it widely enough to cover front-line forces. Scale is the main problem. The million-person US Army needs many hundreds, if not thousands, of counter-drone systems to make any difference in a major war. It currently has just a handful that it can deploy alongside a depleted force of Cold War-vintage air-defences. Apparently aiming to expand M-LIDS coverage ahead of the wider deployment of the more sophisticated M-SHORAD thats manoeuvre short-range air defence, for you English-speakers the Army is combining the main components of the two-vehicle M-LIDS into a single vehicle, an eight-wheel Stryker. A 20-ton Stryker is a bigger and more capacious vehicle than a 13-ton M-ATV is. Its potentially a better counter-drone vehicle. The Army is seeking funding to collapse its drone-defences into a single vehicle, rather than a pair of them, ahead of the wider deployment of improved M-SHORAD vehicles toward the end of the decade. The single-vehicle M-LIDS might be the US Armys best bet if a major war breaks out in, say, the next five years and American brigades must suddenly contend with tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of tiny enemy drones. The single set or half-set of M-LIDS in Gaza is a small, early test of this drone-defence. Anyone hoping for a Western victory over foreign drone hordes should hope it works. Sir Keir Starmer has said the General Election amounted to a choice about whose side are you on as he promised to stand up for working people and restore trust in British politics. The Labour leader said 14 years of Conservative chaos had led to a crisis in the national culture. In his first major speech of the campaign, he sought to persuade voters that he could be trusted to deliver economic stability and protect national security. Speaking in Tory-held Lancing, West Sussex, he said: Elections are about more than individual changes and policies, but about values, temperament, character and a bigger question: whose side are you on? Who do you hold in your minds eye when you are making decisions? Everything I have fought for has been shaped by my life, every change I have made to this party has been about a cause, the answer to that question, the only answer: The working people of this country delivering on their aspirations, earning their respect, serving their interests. Sir Keir acknowledged that despite Labours commanding opinion poll lead, many voters were not fully persuaded about his party. I know there are countless people who havent decided how theyll vote in this election. Theyre fed-up with the failure, chaos and division of the Tories, but they still have questions about us: has Labour changed enough? Do I trust them with my money, our borders, our security? My answer is yes, you can, because I have changed this party, permanently. In an attack on the Tory record, he said: For a long time now, working people have believed opportunity in Britain is stacked against them. POLITICS Election But now we are at a dangerous new point, close to crossing a Rubicon of trust, not just in politics but in many of the institutions that are meant to serve and protect the British people. A moment where people no longer believe their values or interests carry the respect of those in power. When you put that alongside a Government that over 14 years has left living standards in this country worse than when they found them, that has torched any semblance of standards in public life, Westminster parties that broke the rules they put in place to save lives and rules they expected you to follow but ignored themselves, then you get a crisis in nothing less than who we are as a nation. Sir Keir dismissed Rishi Sunaks plan for a new form of compulsory national service as a teenage Dads Army. He said the policy would be paid for by cancelling levelling-up funding and money from tax avoidance that we would use to invest in our NHS. All elections are a choice and this is a clear one: levelling-up and the NHS with Labour or more desperate chaos with the Tories. Not a single plan for the future. Our country needs bold action, not waffle. https://t.co/wNLo2jToFe Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 27, 2024 Mr Sunak responded to the speech by saying: Our country needs bold action, not waffle. Tory chairman Richard Holden dismissed Sir Keirs speech as wearisome and rambling with no policy, no substance, and no plan. But Conservative ministers continued to come under pressure to give details about Mr Sunaks national service scheme. Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan did not rule out the possibility of parents facing prosecution if their adult children refused to take part in the scheme. The mandatory nature of the scheme has been compared by the Conservatives to the requirement for children up to 18 to be in education or training. Parents are liable for fines if pupils do not show up to school. Asked on Times Radio whether parents would face prosecution if their legally adult 18-year-olds refuse to sign up for the military or volunteering activity, she said: Im not going to write the detailed policy now. Thats what a royal commission programme of works will be for. I dont like to be pedantic but a Government policy would have been developed by ministers on the advice of officials and collectively agreed. I would have had a say on behalf of NI. But this proposal was developed by a political adviser or advisers and sprung on candidates, Rt Hon Steve Baker FRSA (@SteveBakerFRSA) May 27, 2024 The 2.5 billion policy is not expected to be fully implemented until 2028-29 if the Tories win the election. Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker has said the national service plan was sprung upon Tory candidates. Writing on social media, he suggested had it been a government policy, he would have had a say because of the particular sensitivities around Northern Ireland. He said: Government policy would have been developed by ministers on the advice of officials and collectively agreed. I would have had a say on behalf of NI. But this proposal was developed by a political adviser or advisers and sprung on candidates, some of whom are relevant ministers. In a sign of wider unease at the policy, he added: History has proven time and time again that liberty under law not compulsion and planning is the surest road to peace and prosperity. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey was on the campaign trail in Scotland (Andrew Milligan/PA) Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey was targeting voters in Scotland, where the SNPs John Swinney was also on the campaign trail. Sir Ed had his sights set on SNP-held seats with the hope of replacing the party as the third biggest at Westminster. Scotlands First Minister Mr Swinney was focused on ousting Tories, saying: If people want to get rid of the Conservatives then theyve got to vote SNP. Bea Arthur served in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve. Lennox McLendon/AP Photo Women have been serving in the military, officially or unofficially, since the Revolutionary War. Just as there are famous men who are veterans, there are famous women vets as well. "Golden Girl" Bea Arthur was one of the first members of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve. Women have been an important part of the armed services since the beginning, with icons like Harriet Tubman participating in the Civil War. While being female in a traditionally male-dominated space hasn't always been easy, these women have stuck it out and served their countries. In 2022, the US Department of Defense reported the percentage of women serving in active and reserve capacities was growing. In 2021, 17.3% of active-duty roles and 21.4% of the National Guard and reserves were women, up slightly from the year before, it reported, citing the 2021 Demographics Profile of the Military Community. Ahead of Memorial Day this year the official marker of summer and one of the biggest holidays in the US here are 12 famous women who have served in the military around the world, including Bea Arthur, Queen Elizabeth, and more. Melina Glusac contributed to a previous version of this article. Harriet Tubman was a military leader and Union spy during the Civil War. Harriet Tubman. MPI/Getty Images Most know Harriet Tubman for her groundbreaking work with the Underground Railroad and, later, as an abolitionist, but as National Geographic reported, Tubman was also an integral part of the Civil War. In 1863, Tubman and Colonel James Montgomery led a group of soldiers in freeing slaves from plantations in South Carolina, making Tubman the first woman in US history to lead a military expedition, according to National Geographic. Her work continued as a spy and recruiter for the Union Army. This operation was so covert that only President Lincoln knew about it. Tubman received compensation for her military contributions decades later, in 1899. Thomas B. Allen, the author of "Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent," called Tubman "one of the great heroines of the Civil War." Queen Elizabeth was a military truck driver during World War II. Queen Elizabeth outside a first aid truck during World War II. Keystone/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth was only 18 years old when she begged her father, King George VI, to take part in helping out during World War II. She joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service in England that same year and was known as "Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor," according to the National Archives. While serving, the young queen drove military trucks and trained as a mechanic making her, to this day, the only female member of the Royal Family to enter the armed forces. NASA's Eileen Collins was one of the first female pilots in the Air Force and in space. Eileen Collins. NASA Eileen Collins broke several barriers during her career: Not only was she NASA's first female shuttle commander, but at 23, she became the Air Force's first female flight instructor, according to the agency. She joined the Air Force in 1978, becoming one of the first four women to go through pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. She wrote in Time, "The Air Force was testing whether women could succeed as military pilots. We obviously were living in a fishbowl everyone knew who we were, our personal business, our test scores and our flight performance. My philosophy was to be the best pilot I could be." Her military training directly led her to test-pilot school, where she "knew" she would go on to be the first female space shuttle pilot and succeeded in doing so. "Golden Girl" Bea Arthur was one of the first members of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve. Bea Arthur. Lennox McLendon/AP Photo Before she was Dorothy Zbornak on "The Golden Girls," Emmy Award-winning actor Bea Arthur was a Marine. As reported by The Daily Beast, Arthur enlisted into the Women's Reserve when she was just 21 years old, first serving as a typist and truck driver. She worked her way up to staff sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1945. Official documents show that Arthur's supervisors thought she was "argumentative," which is not a far cry from the feisty persona she became known for on both "The Golden Girls" and "Maude." "Stranger Things" actress Jennifer Marshall served in the US Navy for five years. Jennifer Marshall as Susan Hargrove on "Stranger Things." Netflix Before Jennifer Marshall scored the role of Susan Hargrove on Netflix's hit show "Stranger Things," she served in the United States Navy from ages 17 to 22. According to Marshall's website, during her time in the service, she was a forklift operator, aircraft handler, and logistics specialist, and also worked for the USS Theodore Roosevelt's Sexual Assault Victim Intervention (SAVI) program. Marshall was awarded many honors and medals for her time in the Navy. Now, in addition to acting, she works with Pin-Ups For Vets, a nonprofit organization that aids hospitalized veterans and deployed troops. Food Network star Sunny Anderson was in the Air Force. Sunny Anderson. Jim Spellman/Getty Images Anderson, who hosts "The Kitchen," "Cooking for Real," and "Home Made in America," grew up around the military because of her parents. As an adult, she enlisted in the US Air Force as a radio broadcaster and journalist, working in Seoul, South Korea, and in San Antonio. "I knew that there were radio stations, television stations, newspapers, and magazines, for the military, by the military, and I wanted to be a part of that," Anderson told ABC News in 2013. She also wanted to train in something that would be useful when she left the military. "My transition from the Air Force started before I even got in the Air Force," she said. Radio talk show host Robin Quivers was a captain in the Air Force. Robin Quivers. Walter McBride/WireImage via Getty Images Robin Quivers has co-hosted "The Howard Stern Show" for over 30 years, but before that, she served as a captain in the US Air Force. Quivers got her degree in nursing from The University of Maryland and put it to use by joining the military as a second lieutenant after college. She quickly climbed the ranks, and when she was discharged in 1978, her official title was captain, according to Biography.com. She served as a reserve in the Air Force until 1990, per military records, after which she fully pivoted to her career in radio. But Howard Stern hired her for his show in 1981, which means that Quivers though she was "inactive" was still technically serving while she was on the air. Actress Zulay Henao served in the US Army for three years. Zulay Henao. JB Lacroix/ Getty Images Colombian-American actress Zulay Henao has appeared on the show "Army Wives," but few know that she herself served in the US Army before becoming an actress. Henao enlisted after completing high school and, after three years of serving, went on to enroll at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. She previously spoke to the paparazzi about her time in the military, saying: "I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing, and I wouldn't have the perspective I have of the world, if it weren't for the Army." Olympic medalist Shauna Rohbock was in the National Guard. Shauna Rohbock. Harry How/Getty Images Shauna Rohbock is an Olympic bobsledder and won the silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. But before that, according to Team USA, Rohbock joined the Utah Army National Guard and was part of the National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program. Olympian Amber English competed while still in the military she won gold in women's skeet shooting at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Amber English at the 2020 Olympics. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images At her first Olympics, First Lt. Amber English took gold with an Olympic record score of 56, NBC reported. Technically not yet a veteran, she's a logistics officer and member of the Army Marksmanship Unit, according to Military.com. After English's win, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin congratulated her on Twitter, now known as X. "Your country is extremely proud of you today, and I'm so glad you're representing us," he wrote. She joins an illustrious list of medal winners, both male and female, with military backgrounds. "Wonder Woman" Gal Gadot served in the Israel Defense Forces for two years. Gal Gadot. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images After Gal Gadot was crowned Miss Israel in 2004, and before she became Wonder Woman in 2017, she served her mandatory two years in the IDF. During Gadot's assignment, she worked as a "physical fitness specialist," teaching things like gymnastics and calisthenics to the soldiers, Pop Sugar reported. Pro-Palestine groups have criticized her service, as well as her support of the Israeli military and cause in social media posts. "I think much of it comes from ignorance and people not understanding what most people do in the army in Israel or what I did in the army during my service in the military," she told The Jakarta Post in May 2021. She added: "Being an Israeli and going to the army is an integral thing. It's something you have to do. It's mandatory." Ruth Westheimer, better known as the sex therapist Dr. Ruth, trained as a sniper in the IDF. Dr. Ruth. Donna Svennevik/Walt Disney Television/Getty Images Dr. Ruth is a Holocaust survivor, and after World War II ended, she moved as a teenager to what would become Israel. During her time there, she trained as a sniper due to her small size. She told The New Yorker in 2013, "I have no idea what the experience would be if I had to show it. But I was a very good sniper." Read the original article on Business Insider A 17-year-old boy died and several others were shot early Monday morning in Lansing, Michigan, according to police. Lansing police responded to the incident downtown at approximately 2:50 a.m., according to a news release from the department. "When officers arrived, they found a large crowd of people and multiple shooting victims," said the release. "The Lansing Fire Department responded to treat and transport several of the victims to a local hospital." Members of the Lansing Police Department at the scene of an early morning shooting on Monday, May 27, 2024, in the 300 block of Riverfront Drive. Seven people between the ages of 15 and 20 were shot, according to police. A teenage boy, 17, died at a local hospital and at least one person is in critical condition, police said. Seven people between the ages of 15 and 20 were shot, according to police. The 17-year-old died at a local hospital and at least one person is in critical condition, said the release. 'Dangerous out there': 15 dead as tornadoes slam multiple states in the South: Updates Lansing mayor: 'This is a case of people using guns to settle arguments' No arrests had been made Monday morning. The shooting "is believed to be an isolated incident," said the release. The investigation is ongoing. Lansing Mayor Andy Schor issued a statement calling for more state and federal action on gun control, local station WILX reported. This is a case of people using guns to settle arguments. My thoughts to go out to the victims and their families," Schor's statement read. This is a breaking story. Check back for updates. Contributing: Kinsey Crowley This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lansing, Michigan shooting leaves 7 shot, 1 teenager dead: Police May 27, 2024 at 1:14 AM A Carnival Cruise Line ship responded to a call from the U.S. Coast Guard and rescued 25 people stranded in a small boat off the coast of Mexico, the company announced Saturday. The 2,984-passenger Carnival Radiance had left Long Beach, California, on Friday and was heading toward Ensenada Mexico for a three-day sailing when the cruise ship's officers were informed by the Coast Guard "about a distress call involving a small vessel," a news release said. The ship immediately routed toward the location of the vessel, provided by the USCG, and "quickly" rescued all 25 people on board, including three children, the company said. The U.S. Coast Guard did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. The Carnival Radiance team rescued 25 people on a stranded boat on Saturday. The rescued group was welcomed onto the cruise ship and given food, water, and medical assistance. Carnival coordinated with the Coast Guard to hand off the group. The incident did not disrupt the Carnival Radiance's schedule, the company announced. A roller coaster in the ocean: What Carnival Cruise Line's BOLT ride is like Another Carnival ship rescued a group of 28 Cuban nationals stuck at sea as it was sailing the Caribbean and saw people signaling for help in late April. The cruise ship was headed from Tampa, Florida, to Roatan in Honduras at the time. Also last month, a Celebrity Cruises ship sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to multiple destinations in the Caribbean rescued a small vessel adrift between Mexico and Cuba. Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carnival Cruise Line ship rescues 25 people stranded off Mexico coast 2024 is already shaping up to be another banner year for nudity around the world with a nude cruise and nude beach weddings on the horizon. Earlier this year, tour and travel company Bare Necessities announced an 11-day voyage from Miami to the Caribbean in collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line. Its due to set sail in February 2025. With stopovers in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, The Big Nude Boat is billed as a once in a lifetime experience with amenities designed to fit everyones style of bare cruising. And couples will soon be able to tie the knot sans clothes at Is Benas Beach in Sardinia, which has a naturist-designated area. The news was confirmed in May by Luigi Tedeschi, mayor of San Vero Milis, the closest town to the beach. Nudity has nothing to do with sex. For [naturists], its a philosophy of life, and is linked to nature, Tedeschi said. It should be respected so why not? Meanwhile, there are more places than ever to sun, swim or build sandcastles au naturel at clothing-optional beaches around the world. From rocky coastlines to talcum-powder fine sands and big city bays to secluded shores, there are now hundreds of beaches where its perfectly legal (or at least de facto legal) to frolic beside the sea in nothing more than your birthday suit. Soft, smooth sand, warm ocean breeze, gentle ocean waves and lots of other naturists makes for a great clothing-optional beach, says Nicky Hoffman of The Naturist Society, whos also the managing editor of Nude & Natural magazine and co-author of The Worlds Best Nude Beaches & Resorts. While clothing-optional beach destinations may seem like a modern invention, its actually quite an old idea, a product of the otherwise prudish Victorian era. During the 1880s, American poet Walt Whitman extolled the virtues of the Adamic air bath his nude walkabouts and swims along Timber Creek in New Jersey, writing of the free exhilarating ecstasy of nakedness in Nature. Channeling that same vibe, the naturist movement took off in Europe and North America during the first half of the 20th century, with city parks, camp grounds and eventually beaches established for those who wanted to experience nature nude in their most natural state. One of the spin-offs of the socially and sexually liberal 1960s was a free beach movement that saw a proliferation of nude beaches around the world. And their popularity continues today, with more and more popping up each year. Here are 24 of the best nude beaches you can visit around the world in 2024: Playa Naturista Chihuahua, Uruguay Located about a 30-minute drive from Punta del Este, Uruguays best-known nude beach overlooks Portezuelo Bay on the Atlantic coast. Photogenic dunes and water temperatures that reach 25 Celsius (77 F) and higher even in the Southern Hemisphere winter add to the strands allure. After decades as an unofficial naked getaway, Chihuahua finally achieved legal status in 2000. Since then, amenities have expanded to include the Hotel El Refugio Nudista Naturista clothing-optional resort. Playa Naturista Chihuahua, Avenida Las Amarras, 20003 Chihuahua, Uruguay Nida Nude Beach, Lithuania The chilly Baltic Sea may not seem like the most obvious place to skinny dip. But this gorgeous strand on the long, sandy Curonian Spit offers one of Europes most picturesque spots to take it all off. With its wildflower-covered dunes (among the highest in Europe) and shoreline forest, the beach was the focus of a 19th-century artists colony that attracted many of the leading painters, poets and writers of the time. Walk far enough south along the strand and you eventually come to a fence that marks the Lithuania-Russia border. Nida Nude Beach, Nidos-Smiltynes pl., Nida, Lithuania Agesta Beach, Sweden Sweden may be home to many beaches where nudity is accepted, but Agesta Beach, located roughly 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Stockholm, is its only official nude beach. Based in the southern end of the lake Magelungen, Agesta Beachs sandy shores are popular with locals as well as visitors looking for an escape from the bustling capital city. Open from May to September, this beach is very well looked after, with picnic tables, BBQ areas, public bathrooms and play areas for children available. Agesta Beach, Huddinge, Sweden Little Palm Beach, Waiheke, New Zealand Little Palm Beach is situated on Waiheke Island in New Zealand. - Getty Images/iStockphoto Although its technically legal to go naked on any beach in personal-liberty-loving New Zealand, the nations naturists tend to congregate at well-known clothing-optional spots like Little Palm Beach on Waiheke Island. Reaching the secluded strand entails a 40-to-60-minute ferry ride from Auckland, a taxi or rideshare to the islands north shore, and then a short downhill hike. You can top or tail your beach adventure at Waihekes many wineries, restaurants, and art galleries. Little Palm Beach, Miro Road, Waiheke Island 1081, New Zealand Nugal Beach, Croatia Flanked by sheer cliffs and shades by pine trees, this remote beach on the mainland opposite Brac island is reached via a narrow path that seems ready made for goats rather than people seeking an apparel-free escape on the Adriatic. Be sure to bring a thick towel or even a beach chair like many Croatian beaches the surface is pebbles rather than sand. Nugal is about a half-an-hour walk from the nearest town, although it can also be reached by boat or sea kayak from Makarska or Tucepi. Nugal Beach, 21300 Makarska, Croatia Moshup Beach, Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts Moshup Beach can be found on the west side of Martha's Vineyard. - Loop Images/Universal Images Group Editorial/Getty Images Perched at the islands western extreme, Moshup is a long curving strand that wraps around a headline crowned by the historic Gay Head Lighthouse (built in 1799). Located right below the ancient light, the clothing optional portion lies beneath rust-colored sandstone cliffs that were declared a National Natural Monument in 1966. Moshup is open free of charge to anyone who wants to take their clothes off, as opposed to Lucy Vincent, the islands private nude beach. Moshup Beach, 71 Moshup Trail, Aquinnah, MA 02535 Blacks Beach, La Jolla, California Set beneath the high cliffs of Torrey Pines, Blacks has been the Golden States favorite place for all-over tans for more than 50 years and was once the only legal nude beach in the entire United States. Long, wide and blessed with great surf, the beach is reached via the zig-zag Ho Chi Minh Trail from La Jolla Farms Road or the Citizens Trail from Torrey Pines Gliderport near the University of California, San Diego. Blacks Beach, Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, San Diego, CA 92037 Lady Bay Beach, Sydney, Australia Lady Bay Beach was first granted legal status in 1976. - Evelyn Proimos/Flickr Although it sometimes seems like just about any beach in Australia is clothing optional, there are a number of official nude beaches here such as Lady Bay. (also known as Lady Jane Beach.) Perched just inside the South Head of Sydney Harbour, its small and narrow, but incredibly secluded for such a big city location. The rocky ledges around South Head are also used for nude sunbathing. Lady Bay Beach, Watsons Bay, Sydney, Australia Buhne 16, Sylt, Germany Grin and bare it might well be the motto for nudists on this North Sea island, where the average water temperature in summer is a chilly 17 C (63 F). Technically all of the beaches on Sylt are clothing optional, but Buhne 16 was the first and is still the foremost location for nude sunbathing along the German shore. Its a place where beachgoers can chill in the famous blue and white striped wicker beach chairs or let it all hang out at summer beach parties. Buhne 16, Listlandstr 133b, 25980 Kampen (Sylt), German Wreck Beach, Vancouver, Canada Billed as one of the worlds longest nude beaches at 7.8 kilometers (4.9 miles) long, Wreck Beach is actually a series of sandy strands, pebble flats and rocky outcrops wrapped around the end of Point Grey. With the University of British Columbia just across the street, a steady stream of students and teachers have shed their clothes on this beach since the early 1970s, when it first became popular. Evergreen trees along the shore and snowcapped peaks across the water complement the Canadian ambiance. Wreck Beach, Vancouver, British Columbia; Canada Red Beach, Crete, Greece This secluded shore on the south side of Crete is a hotspot for nude sunbathing in Greece. Named after its ocher-colored sand and cliffs, Red Beach (or Kokkini Ammos) is reached via a 20-minute hike from Matala or a very short boat ride from the village waterfront. Pioneered by Euro hippies during the 1960s, the beach offers chair and umbrella rentals and is home to a funky little bar called Yiannis thats renowned for its mojitos. Note: the mysterious rock carvings at the end of the beach are a modern creation and definitely not ancient Minoan relics. Red Beach, Matala, Crete 702 00, Greece Callantsoog Beach, Netherlands Callantsoog is the oldest nudist beach in the Netherlands, having been officially recognized as a nudist beach since 1973. Situated 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Amsterdam, near the coastal town of Callantsoog, this beautiful stretch of sand enjoys Blue Flag status and is a great place to spot seals. Its designated nudist section is marked between two poles. Those keen to get even closer to nature can pay a visit to the nearby Zwanenwater, a protected nature reserve and home to the largest natural dune lakes in Europe. Callantsoog Beach, Strandslag Dorpsplein, 1759 Callantsoog, Netherlands Anse de Grande Saline, St. Barts While the Caribbean may be full of wonderful, chilled out beaches, this wild, white sand strand on the rear side of St. Barts is one of the few places on the islands where public nudity is tolerated (although sunbathing naked is technically prohibited in St. Barts.) Anse de Grande Saline (or Saline Beach) is another self-catering beach. Visitors will need to bring along everything they need for a day at the shore, especially sunscreen, as there is no shade to speak of. LEsprit, an excellent French restaurant, is within walking distance of Grand Saline and well worth a visit. Just make sure to put your clothes back on before heading over. Anse de Grande Saline, St. Barthelemy Platja des Cavallet, Ibiza, Spain Set between the deep blue Mediterranean and multicolored salt pans near Ibizas southernmost point, official nudist beach Es Cavallet is separated into various different sections, including a beach club party section, a gay scene and a more secluded, middle section where the clothing-free crowd hang out. However nude sunbathers arent the only beings who frequent this area. Those bright pink things youll see pacing in the background arent sunburned tourists, but rather flamingos that like to gather in the shallow salines. Platja des Cavallet, 07818, Balearic Islands, Spain Little Beach, Maui, Hawaii Little Beach -- a clothing-optional beach in Maui's Makena State Park. - Shutterstock Flanked by ancient lava flows and backed by a volcanic cinder cone, Little Beach would be super-cool even if you didnt take your clothes off. Like many such beaches, going sans swimsuit is not officially sanctioned here and citations are possible. Part of Makena State Park on the islands southeast coast, the beach overlooks a national marine sanctuary renowned for its sea turtles, dolphins, whales and tropical fish. Gnarled trees behind the sand provide a modicum of shade and the cove is well protected for swimming. Additionally, a drum circle and fire dancers entertain the crowd during Sunday sunsets. Little Beach, Makena State Park, Makena Rd, Kihei, HI 96753, USA Cap dAgde beach, France Cap d'Agde -- an iconic nudist resort town in Southern France. - Shutterstock Sometimes called the Naked City, Cap dAgde Naturist Village is the worlds largest clothing-optional beach resort, attracting as many as 40,000 guests on any given day during high season. Visitors are free to be naked wherever they want restaurants and stores, post offices or banks, sailing their boat or lounging on the long public beach (where nudity is obligatory, even for those not staying at the resort). Non residents can stay overnight at the naturist hotel, camp ground or rental units. Cap dAgde Naturist Village, Rond-Point du Bagnas, 34300 Agde, France Is Benas Beach, Sardinia, Italy Situated along Sardinias west coast close to the town of San Vero Milis, Is Benas is known for its remoteness and pristine environment. The idyllic beach has had a partially hidden naturist-designated area for the past two years. Mayor Luigi Tedeschi of nearby San Vero Milis recently confirmed that local authorities had given the go ahead for couples to say their vows there au naturel at Is Benas in the future. We have this beach, a place that lends itself brilliantly to naturism, Tedeschi told CNN. And then we thought, lets make a beach for weddings. If people want to marry nude, they can. The beach is right next to the more famous Is Arenas Beach, while the ruins of Tharros, a Roman city dominating a thin peninsula, can also be found nearby. Is Benas Beach, Province of Oristano, Sardinia, Italy Mpenjati Beach, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Mpenjati Beach was awarded official nudist beach status in 2014. - Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images South Africas only official nude beach and perhaps the only legal clothing-not-obligatory strand on the entire African continent is located in the Mpenjati Nature Reserve south of Durban. Its legal status was achieved in 2014, but this came with a list of prohibitions including no staring, no photography, no suggestive behavior, etc. Local clergy and others continue to mount protests (legal and otherwise) against the naked designation. Mpenjati Nature Reserve, Palm Beach, Port Edward, South Africa Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca, Mexico Zipolite Beach in Mexican is tolerant of nude sunbathing. - Shutterstock Live your Y Tu Mama Tambien fantasies at the beach where so many of the scenes from the sensuous 2001 Mexican movie starring Gael Garcia Bernal were shot on location. Pioneered by Mexican and American hippies during the 1960s, the strand stretches about two kilometers with rocky bluffs at either end, and is famed as a clothing-optional beach (although it isnt legal here.) While the main beach here is backed by budget hotels and cafes, a tiny sliver of sand at the eastern end called Playa del Amor offers far more privacy. Playa Zipolite, San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico Metsoke Dragot, Israel Float nude in the warm, ultra-buoyant salty water and smear your entire naked body with soothing, mineral-infused black mud at this rocky beach on the western shore of the Dead Sea. Perhaps the only place in the Middle East where any kind of public nudity is tolerated, Metsoke Dragot is located about an hours drive from Jerusalem and requires a short but rough drive along an unpaved road to reach the shoreline. Primitive camping is aloud along the shore. The only nearby hotel and bar is the cliff top Metzoke Dragot Travelers Village. Metsoke Dragot, Highway 90, Dead Sea, Israel Praia Massarandupio, Bahia, Brazil Naturist beach Praia Massarandupio in Bahia. - Fred Schinke/Flickr The string bikinis on Copacabana may expose an awful lot of Brazilian flesh, but not nearly as much as this naturist beach along the Bahia coast. A two-hour drive north of Salvador, the nude beach is about a one-kilometer walk from the parking lot along the shoreline flanked by coconut palms, rolling dunes and very surfable waves. Praia Massarandupio, Bahia, Brazil Spiaggia di Guvano, Vernazza, Italy Spiaggia de Guvano has been popular with nude bathers since the 1960s. - Shutterstock Located on the gorgeous Cinque Terre, this primo Italian nude beach looks like something out of a movie (think Swept Away the 1974 version directed by Lina Wertmuller.) Adding to the beachs mystique is the fact that it can only be reached via kayak or motorboat or hiking down a steep and somewhat treacherous trail that involves scrambling over rocks. Guvano is totally primitive, with no facilities of any kind, so bear this in mind when planning your visit. The beach is also pebble rather than sand, but the water is clear, clean and gorgeous. Spiaggia di Guvano, 19018 Vernazza, SP, Italy Vecaki Beach, Riga, Latvia Edged with pine trees, this Latvian beach is as calming as it is beautiful. Based close to the capital city of Riga and a relatively short walk from Vecaki train station, its known for its shimmering waters, stunning sunsets and of course, its nudist section. The zone, which happens to be the biggest nudist beach area in the country, includes a beach volleyball area thats a big hit with local residents. Vecaki Beach, Selgas iela 20, Riga 1030, Latvia Haulover Beach Park, Miami, Florida The most popular public nude beach in the United States, Haulover attracts more than 1.3 million bare bottomed people to its white sands and warm water each year. The clothing-optional portion, marked at either end by picket fences, offers rental beach chairs and umbrellas, as well as lifeguards. Given the stellar weather in south Florida, theres usually someone in the buff on any given day. But the biggest crowds gather during National Nude Recreation Week in July and whenever Haulover is trying to set a new Guinness World Record for skinny dipping. Haulover Beach Park, 10800 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33154 Editors note: This story was updated and republished in May 2024. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday called on China, Japan and South Korea to uphold the spirit of strategic autonomy, maintain bilateral relations, promote a multipolar world, and oppose playing bloc or camp politics. Li made the call here during his opening remarks at the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. Sarah Matthews, an ex-spokesperson for former President Trump, criticized former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley for choosing to bend the knee and vote for her former boss. She was building momentum, and she really could have been, maybe in a post-Trump Republican Party, been the leader, but instead, she chooses to bend the knee, kiss the ring, like every other Republican seems to do, Matthews said Sunday in an interview with MSNBCs Jen Psaki. I mean, Donald Trump said it best: They always bend the knee. And its just disappointing, but again, not surprising, she added, referencing the former presidents comments after securing the endorsement of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) in January. Haley, who ran the most successful challenge to Trump and outlasted all of the other GOP primary contenders, said last week shell vote for the former president over President Biden in November. Since then, several former Trump aides and Republicans have criticized her for the decision. Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said she had no backbone, and former Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) called the decision pathetic. Matthews was among some of the most vocal former Trump supporters who wanted to see Haley take on Biden in the fall. Many have argued that her decision to back Trump, someone she sharply criticized throughout her campaign and who targeted her with his attacks, was made to secure her political future. Even with her announcement last week, Matthews isnt sure Trumps fan base would ever support the former South Carolina governor. She also noted she never expected Haley to outwardly endorse Biden, but she could have declined to support the 45th president. She has criticized Donald Trump time and time again, Matthews said. It goes all the way back to 2016 and shes flip-flopped numerous times on it. And so, I think they have already rejected her, she added, referencing the former presidents loyalists. Haley, who suspended her campaign in March, initially refused to give the presumptive GOP nominee her endorsement. Instead, she said Trump would have to earn the support of her voters. Her announcement last week was largely seen as a reversal of her position. Matthews argued that Haleys supporters were really excited to see her challenge Trump. But, she added, its unknown if those voters will follow her lead and give the former president their support or steer clear of him entirely. Haleys decision, the former Trump aide said, creates this permission structure for those kinds of normie Republicans then to follow her. And in an election thats going to be decided on the margins, even if its not the majority of those supporters, just having those few who might then end up following her and supporting Donald Trump could make the difference in some of those key battleground states, she added. 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 The Hill. Johnny Wactor is dead at 37. Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images Johnny Wactor, who played Brando Corbin on "General Hospital," was shot and killed in LA. His family confirmed that he was shot after confronting three people involved in a robbery. "General Hospital" said it was "heartbroken" about Wactor, who left the show in 2022. Johnny Wactor, best known for his role as Brando Corbin on "General Hospital," was shot and killed in Los Angeles, family members of the actor told media outlets. Wactor's brother confirmed to local station KTLA that the 37-year-old actor was shot and killed early Saturday morning in a theft that turned deadly. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Business Insider that around 3:25 a.m. Saturday morning, a victim was shot and transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The victim was shot after confronting three suspects who tried to remove a catalytic converter, the LAPD said. One of the suspects produced a gun, shot the victim, and later fled with the other two people at the scene, the LAPD said. The LAPD could not confirm to BI if Wactor was the victim, though a law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times he was. The LA Medical Examiner did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Wactor spent two years on "General Hospital" before leaving in 2022. In a statement on X, the account for the medical soap opera gave their condolences to the actor and his family. "The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor's untimely passing," the account said. "He was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time." Marco Cuadros, Wactor's manager, told BI in a statement that he was a "kind soul, a talented actor and an inspiration." "His professionalism, his enthusiasm and love for his craft was infectious and made him such a joy to work with," Cuadros said. "He pursued his dreams and achieved them, all the while remaining a good human being caring for others." Update: This story was updated with a statement from Wactor's manager. Read the original article on Business Insider The House GOP effort to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress is in limbo, with Republicans unsure whether they have the votes to pass the measure. Two committees last week easily passed resolutions to censure Garland, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has since projected confidence, saying he expects the measure to pass handily once lawmakers return from their weeklong Memorial Day recess. But a source familiar with behind-the-scenes discussions said there are at least two Republican members who have privately said they will not vote for the measure. Thats a problem given the razor-thin House GOP majority, which leaves Republicans only able to pass bills with one or two defections, if Democrats are unified. Leadership was whipping the Garland vote this week as some GOP members suggested some of their colleagues are not yet on board. Were not gonna do it unless we know we can pass it, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told The Hill, adding theres more than one GOP colleague who has reservations. He said dynamics could shift over the break as people figure out how to get comfortable with it. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) said some members may be squishy on the issue. If they got problems, theyre from squishes, not me, he said when asked about the timing of the vote. The fact the House did not vote on the Garland matter over the past week was notable. Johnson has called the vote timing a calendar issue, and while a delay isnt unheard of, leadership typically schedules votes on such matters while they still have momentum coming out of committee. Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.) the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said matters were complicated by the rowdy May 15 Oversight meeting to consider the matter, which descended into chaos with a lengthy sidebar over whether to censure Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) after she commented on Rep. Jasmine Crocketts (D-Texas) use of fake eyelashes. Chaos erupts in hearing as Greene, Ocasio-Cortez clash over fake eyelashes jibe at Crockett Some of the members on the other side were saying that Chairman Comer presided over so much chaos and dysfunction in our committee that they lost the thread of what they were doing there, Raskin said. I mean, the whole country was looking at Marjorie Taylor Greene talking about fake eyelashes, but nobody was focused at all on their outlandish claim that the attorney general of the United States is in contempt of Congress. GOP lawmakers have presented a confusing case about the need to hold Garland in contempt after he refused to turn over the audio recordings of President Bidens interview with special counsel Robert Hur. Lawmakers already have a transcript of the interview, and on the eve of the committees meetings, Biden claimed executive privilege over the tapes. Impeachment investigators have claimed the recording is an important part of their probe, even as the transcript makes clear topics from their impeachment probe were not covered in the course of a two-day interview squarely centered on how classified documents ended up in Bidens home and a prior office. Some of the GOPs more moderate members have said they dont see any connection between the tapes and the impeachment investigation, even as they likewise argue Garland should turn over the tapes. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), a target for Democrats in this falls elections, was noncommittal about how he would vote while being critical of Garland. Theyre not tied together. Its two separate issues, he said of impeachment and the tapes. The Department of Justice has a responsibility to comply with lawful subpoenas. You dont get to pick and choose which ones are lawful, he said, telling reporters well see when asked about his vote. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who also represents a swing district, cast it as an important election year issue. Were entitled to have that tape, bottom line, he said, answering not really when asked if he saw the audio as connected to the impeachment probe. He said voters should be able to hear the tapes given Hurs comments about Bidens mental acuity and remarks that jurors might view him as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. The prosecutor made a decision not to prosecute because he said he wasnt mentally up to the trial Im using my own words. So we should know whats on that tape, because thats an important thing. We have an election going on, Bacon said. That is one of the top concerns from Democrats, who have argued the GOP only wants the tapes to slice and dice for campaign commercials. They want the audio tape, and thats obviously for political TV commercials, Raskin said Thursday. Garland defended his decision at a Thursday press conference, saying he went to extraordinary lengths to accommodate Congresss request. I have released the full and unredacted report of Mr. Hur, we permitted Mr. Hur to testify for over five hours on everything that happened in connection with its investigation, and we provided the transcripts of the interviews in which the committee is interested, Garland said. But on the other side, the president of the United States has exerted executive privilege in order to protect the Justice Departments ability in future investigations to get cooperation in high-profile cases, particularly involving the White House. My job is to protect the Justice Departments ability to conduct those investigations, my job is to protect the rule of law and thats what Im doing. If leadership brings the contempt resolution to the floor when it returns, it will happen within days of Garlands June 4 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Many in the GOP are eager to get to a vote, even as the chairs of the two committees that lead the effort the Houses Oversight and Judiciary committees were unclear on timing. House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told reporters Thursday he had been given no assurances on the timing of any vote but said he assume[d] itll come to the floor. And House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said he expected a vote shortly after recess. The case is as compelling as it gets. So Im all for doing it. And I think its gonna happen as soon as we come back, he told The Hill. Im for doing it as soon as possible. Mychael Schnell contributed. 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 The Hill. Controversial South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's visit to Cape Canaveral drew Democratic protesters who opposed her giving the keynote speech a Brevard County Republican Party event. Noem was invited to speak at the local party's annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner amid backlash from both sides of the aisle this past month for writing in her book about an incident in which she shot and killed a family dog after it attacked a neighbor's chickens and displayed other aggressive behaviors. I hated that dog, Noem wrote in the excerpt from "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward." The dog, a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer named Cricket, was "untrainable" and "dangerous to anyone she came in contact with," Noem added. Shortly after the dog's killing was reported, all nine Native American tribes in South Dakota voted to ban Noem from their reservations citing comments she had made asserting that some tribal leaders are benefiting from drug cartels as well as other disparaging comments. Noem has repeatedly doubled down on her controversial statements and been reported as a possible running mate for Donald Trump. But her comments have drawn condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans and sparking the formation of a bipartisan "dog-lovers" congressional caucus. Chairman of the Brevard Republican Executive Committee Rick Lacey said he didn't see any issue with inviting Noem. He noted the hundreds of tickets that had been sold to the dinner. Tickets for the fundraising event were more than $100 per person. "They're worried about a person who put down a vicious dog 22 years ago, but were they protesting Barack Obama when he wrote in his book that he cooked and ate a dog in Indonesia?" Lacey said outside the event Saturday evening. In Obama's 1995 memoir, the former president recounts how as a child in Indonesia his stepfather at the time had exposed him to dog meat along with other animal products including snake and grasshopper. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, considered to be contender for Donald Trumps running mate, was the guest speaker at the Radisson at the Port Saturday evening for a Republican event. Across the street, a small group of protesters gathered in the rain and lightning. The group was protesting having her as a speaker after she claimed in her book that she killed her dog Cricket. She said the dog was dangerous. Leading the protest across from the Cape Canaveral Radisson, Brevard Democrats chairwoman Pamela Castellana said the group of around a dozen protesters standing in the rain had received plenty of support from passersby. "Our sheriff, one of the highest elected officials in our county, makes a point against animal cruelty every day," Castellana said, noting Sheriff Wayne Ivey's hard stance against anyone facing animal cruelty charges. She said that created a sense of cognitive dissonance within the Republican party locally over the invitation of Noem to speak at the GOP gathering. "A lot of rational Republican voters are not necessarily connected with the Brevard Republicans who toe that line," Castellana said. Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County and North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Kristi Noem draws crowds and protesters to Brevard County GOP event By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dan Williams CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -An Israeli airstrike triggered a fire that killed 45 people in a tent camp in the Gazan city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court order to halt Israel's assault. Palestinian families rushed to hospitals to prepare their dead for burial after a strike late on Sunday night set tents and rickety metal shelters ablaze. Israel's military, which is trying to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, said it was investigating reports that a strike it carried out against commanders of the Islamist militant group in Rafah had caused the fire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike had not been intended to cause civilian casualties. "In Rafah, we already evacuated about 1 million non-combatant residents and despite our utmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something unfortunately went tragically wrong," he said in a speech in parliament that was interrupted by shouting from opposition lawmakers. Survivors said families were preparing to sleep when the strike hit the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood where thousands were sheltering after Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over two weeks ago. "We were praying... and we were getting our children's beds ready to sleep. There was nothing unusual, then we heard a very loud noise, and fire erupted around us," said Umm Mohamed Al-Attar, a Palestinian mother in a red headscarf. "All the children started screaming... The sound was terrifying; we felt like the metal was about to collapse on us, and shrapnel fell into the rooms." Video footage obtained by Reuters showed a fire raging in the darkness and people screaming in panic. A group of young men tried to haul away sheets of corrugated iron and a hose from a single fire truck began to douse the flames. More than half of the dead were women, children, and elderly people, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise from people with severe burns. Medics later said an Israeli airstrike on Monday on a house in Rafah had killed seven Palestinians, with several others wounded. Israel's military said Sunday's strike, based on "precise intelligence", had eliminated Hamas' chief of staff for the second and larger Palestinian territory, the West Bank, plus another official behind deadly attacks on Israelis. That followed the interception of eight rockets fired towards Israel from the Rafah area in Gaza's southern tip. Israel has kept up its offensive despite a ruling by the top U.N. court on Friday ordering it to stop, saying the court's ruling grants it some scope for military action there. The court also reiterated calls for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. The U.S. urged Israel to take more care to protect civilians, but stopped short of calling for a halt to the Rafah incursion. "Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians," a National Security Council spokesperson said. "But as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians." French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" over Israel's latest attacks. "These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians," he said on X. Several thousand demonstrators later gathered in Paris to protest against the offensive in Gaza. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the International Court of Justice ruling must be respected. "International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war," Baerbock said. Canada's government said it was "horrified" by the deadly airstrike in Rafah, and called for an immediate ceasefire. "Canada does not support an Israeli military operation in Rafah," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a post on X. "This level of human suffering must come to an end." Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also condemned the Israeli attack and Qatar said the Rafah strike could hinder efforts to mediate a ceasefire and hostage exchange. NO SAFE ZONE More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. By daylight, the camp in Rafah was a smoking wreckage of tents, twisted metal and charred belongings. Women wept and men held prayers beside bodies in shrouds. Sitting beside bodies of his relatives, Abed Mohammed Al-Attar said Israel lied when it told residents they would be safe in Rafah's western areas. His brother, sister-in-law and several other relatives were killed in the blaze. "The army is a liar. There is no security in Gaza. There is no security, not for a child, an elderly man, or a woman. Here he (my brother) is with his wife, they were martyred," he said. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs based in the West Bank condemned "the heinous massacre." Egypt also condemned Israel's "deliberate bombing of the tents of displaced people", state media reported, describing it as a blatant violation of international law. On Monday, the Israeli military said it was investigating reports of an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers close to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. Egypt's military spokesperson said that shooting near the Rafah crossing led to the killing of one person and authorities were investigating. Israeli tanks stepped up the intensity of bombardments of eastern and central areas of Rafah on Monday, killing at least eight, local health officials said. Two medical workers were killed by a missile fired from a drone as they left the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah, medics said. In Al-Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip, an Israeli attack killed three Palestinian police officers, Gaza's Hamas-run interior ministry said. Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in the area. (Additional Dan Williams and James Mackenzie in Jerusalem; Jana Choukeir and Clauda Tanios and Mohammed Salem; Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber in Geneva; Tassilo Hummel, Jarrett Renshaw and Adam Makary; Writing by Ros Russell, Sharon Singleton and Deepa Babington; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Timothy Heritage, William Maclean and Jonathan Oatis) A series of powerful storms swept over the central and southern U.S. over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, killing at least 22 people and leaving a wide trail of destroyed homes, businesses and power outages. The destructive storms caused deaths in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky and were just north of an oppressive, early season heat wave setting records from south Texas to Florida. Forecasters said the severe weather could shift to the East Coast later Monday and warned millions of people outdoors for the holiday to watch the skies. A tornado watch was issued from North Carolina to Maryland. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who earlier declared a state of emergency, said at a Monday press conference that five people had died in his state. The fifth death was a 54-year-old man who had a heart attack while cutting fallen trees in Caldwell County in western Kentucky, the governors office said. The death toll of 22 also included seven deaths in Cooke County, Texas, from a Saturday tornado that tore through a mobile home park, officials said, and eight deaths across Arkansas. Two people died in Mayes County, Oklahoma, which is east of Tulsa, authorities said. The injured included guests at an outdoor wedding. The latest community left with shattered homes and no power was the tiny Kentucky town of Charleston, which took a direct hit Sunday night from a tornado that the governor said appeared to be on the ground for 40 miles (64 kilometers). Its a big mess, said Rob Linton, who lives in Charleston and is the fire chief of nearby Dawson Springs, hit by a tornado in 2021. Trees down everywhere. Houses moved. Power lines are down. No utilities whatsoever no water, no power. Further east, some rural areas of Hopkins County hit by the 2021 tornado around the community of Barnsley were damaged again Sunday night, said county Emergency Management Director Nick Bailey. There were a lot of people that were just getting their lives put back together and then this, Bailey said. Almost the same spot, the same houses and everything." Beshear has traveled to the area where his father grew up several times for ceremonies where people who lost everything were given the keys to their new homes. The visits came after a series of tornadoes on a terrifying night in December 2021 killed 81 people in Kentucky. It could have been much worse, Beshear said of the Memorial Day weekend storms. The people of Kentucky are very weather aware with everything weve been through. More than 400,000 customers across the eastern U.S. were without power Monday afternoon, including about 125,000 in Kentucky. Twelve states reported at least 10,000 outages earlier in the day, according to PowerOutage.us. The area on highest alert for severe weather Monday is a broad swath of the eastern U.S., from Alabama to New York. President Joe Biden sent condolences to the families who had people killed. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the ground conducting damage assessments and he has contacted governors to see what federal support they might need.. It's been a grim month of tornadoes and severe weather in the nations midsection. Tornadoes in Iowa last week left at least five people dead and dozens injured. Storms killed eight people in Houston earlier this month. The severe thunderstorms and deadly twisters have spawned during a historically bad season for tornadoes, at a time when climate change contributes to the severity of storms around the world. April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country. Harold Brooks, a senior scientist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, said a persistent pattern of warm, moist air is to blame for the string of tornadoes over the past two months. That warm moist air is at the northern edge of a heat dome bringing temperatures typically seen at the height of summer to late May. The heat index a combination of air temperature and humidity to indicate how the heat feels to the human body neared triple digits in parts of south Texas on Monday. Extreme heat was also forecast for San Antonio and Dallas. In Florida, Melbourne and Ft. Pierce set new daily record highs Monday. Both hit 98 F (36.7 C). Miami set a record high of 96 F (35.5 C) on Sunday. For more information on recent tornado reports, see The Associated Press Tornado Tracker. ___ Schreiner reported from Louisville, Kentucky. Associated Press reporters Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas, and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report. Authorities in Louisiana are searching for two inmates who escaped from the Tangipahoa Parish Jail, just north of New Orleans, after catching two others who escaped at the same time and three of the four are homicide suspects, the parish sheriff's office said. Sheriff Daniel Edwards said in a statement that they got out through the jail's perimeter fence during recreation time in the yard. Later inspection showed that "a section of the fence was ... vulnerable and easily maneuvered in such a way that a small statured body could slide through." The three homicide suspects were identified as Omarion Hookfin, 19, of Hammond, La.; Avery Guidry, also 19, of Natalbany, La.; and Travon Johnson, 21, also from Natalbany. The fourth escapee was Jamarcus Cyprian, 20, of Amity, La., the office said. Johnson and Guidry were found hiding in a dumpster behind a Dollar General store, authorities said on social media Monday morning. Hookfin and Cyprian are still at large. Hookfin, Guidry and Johnson were behind bars for their alleged roles in a 2022 homicide in Hammond, and Cyprian was doing time on armed robbery and weapons charges, the office said, with more time tacked on for alleged aggravated battery while he was locked up in Catahoula Parish. CBS New Orleans affiliate WWL-TV reports that the counts against Johnson, Hookfin and Guidry stemmed from a 2022 home invasion in Hammond that ended with a 33-year-old man dead and his 12-year-old daughter hospitalized. Sen. Chris Murphy says the civilian death toll in Gaza is a "boon" to terrorist organizations Daria Kasatkina, the world's bravest tennis player Recording World War II veterans for posterity 2024 college graduates already land 3.76 million jobs 09:25, May 27, 2024 By Chen Qingrui ( Global Times China created a total of 3.76 million jobs for newly graduated college students as of Saturday in 2024, thanks to the government's intensified efforts to expand job opportunities for them, according to media reports. Chinese experts highlighted China's robust economic development in the first five months of 2024 as well as the government's firm policy support as major favorable factors for stabilizing the employment of fresh college graduates. The 3.76 million jobs for college graduates also indicates that China's business activity has continued to gain momentum, which creates new job opportunities, Dong Shaopeng, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China, told Global Times on Sunday. Dong said that China's manufacturing sector and high-tech industry such as new-energy vehicle making are currently experiencing robust growth, which requires a significant influx of new talent, offering more potential for fresh college graduates. And, responsible departments can facilitate precise matchmaking between employers and graduates which will also promote their employment, Dong noted. Li Chang'an, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies of the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Sunday that local governments' financial support is also indispensable in helping college graduates to land jobs, such as providing accurate job information to them. On Friday, China's Ministry of Education said that it will continue to offer strong policy support to promote employment for college graduates, including the early alignment of graduates with potential job positions. In 2023, the number of employed people in China reached 740.41 million, official data showed. The year saw 12.44 million newly created jobs, 0.38 million more than the previous year. In 2024, China aims to create more than 12 million jobs in urban areas and to keep the surveyed urban unemployment rate at about 5.5 percent. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said in late April that 3.03 million new jobs were created in the first quarter. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Wu Chaolan) by Nurul Fitri Ramadhani JAKARTA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Adinda Ratna Riana, 32, is very excited because this year she will soon have her very first electric car, with the Chinese-made four-seater Wuling Cloud EV being her choice. She hopes to enhance her efficiency by switching to an electric vehicle and bidding farewell to her fuel-powered car, which she found "wasteful of petrol." What made her choose a Chinese EV was its attractive price and design. "Chinese EVs are very cute in terms of designs and colors. The Cloud EV that I will buy is relatively small, which is suitable for a married person with no kids like me. Even if I have a kid later, the car will still suit us," said the woman who owns a clothing business in Tangerang, Banten province. "Also, I think Chinese EVs offer competitive prices that the middle class can afford," she told Xinhua on Saturday. Similar to Riana, 29-year-old Stefano Adrianus has just bought his first EV, the Chinese Wuling Air EV, in April. He said he did not consider any non-Chinese electric cars because other brands were unreasonably pricey. "I only consider Chinese cars because they come with affordable prices but have good quality," Adrianus said. He said that his Wuling Air EV was suitable for daily mobility because of its compact dimensions, practicality, efficiency, ease of use, and advanced features. "Not to mention that it has a unique, futuristic design. Other EVs offer luxurious designs, but who needs the luxury we cannot afford?" Adrianus told Xinhua. The surge in electric car adoption in Indonesia has captivated numerous individuals in this Southeast Asian nation. Over recent years, EVs have proliferated on the streets, facilitating everyday transportation needs. Chinese EV brands, in particular, have become increasingly popular among urbanites, especially the younger generation. According to the Association of Indonesia Automotive Industries (GAIKINDO), the demand for new electric cars in Indonesia continues to increase following the presence of many new electric car models at affordable prices. For instance, the 2024 Periklindo Electric Vehicle Show (PEVS) from April 30 to May 5 in Jakarta recorded transaction values of more than 400 billion rupiahs (24.9 million U.S. dollars). GAIKINDO's data has shown that in April, electric cars from Chinese manufacturers topped wholesales, with Cloud EV becoming the best-selling model, followed by Omoda E5 and Binguo EV. Throughout the month, as many as 597 units of Cloud EV cars were distributed. Cloud EV and Binguo EV are manufactured by China-based Wuling Motor, with prices ranging from 350 million to 400 million rupiahs (21,785 to 24,897 dollars) per unit, while the Omoda E5 is produced by Chery, another leading Chinese automaker. In the first quarter of this year, Wuling's Air EV became the most popular choice for young buyers. With an estimated price of 200 million rupiahs (12,448 dollars), the series contributed around 64 percent of electric vehicle sales in Indonesia, exceeding 5,000 units. Wuling Motors Public Relations Manager Brian Gomgom said that Wuling focused on producing EVs that could win the hearts of Indonesian young generations. "It can be seen from our compact designs that provide comfort in mobility while protecting the environment," he said. Among the newest Chinese EV brands coming to Indonesia is NETA, with its specific series NETA V-II. The series costs an affordable 299 million rupiahs (18,698 dollars). "Competition among electric cars in Indonesia will be tighter because consumers will have more choices of models and prices," GAIKINDO chairman Jongkie Sugiarto said. Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said recently that the government wanted to make Indonesia an EV production base for the Southeast Asia region. He invited EV producers to invest in the country known for its rich reserves of nickel ore, the main component for making steel and EV batteries. "We encourage electric car manufacturers to immediately deepen the structures and make Indonesia a production base for ASEAN, in addition to encouraging the domestic market to continue to grow," Hartarto said. SAN DIEGO (AP) Luis Arraez and Fernando Tatis Jr. had consecutive RBI singles in the four-run sixth inning and the San Diego Padres beat the New York Yankees 5-2 on Sunday to avoid being swept in consecutive home series. Joe Musgrove pitched well for the Padres in his second start back from the injured list and Jeremiah Estrada (2-0) struck out five straight for the win. Alex Verdugo homered in the ninth off Robert Suarez, the Yankees' sixth long ball this series. Suarez was summoned in the eighth after Wandy Peralta walked two with two outs, and punched out Aaron Judge. Suarez allowed his first run since March 28, but remained perfect in 15 save chances. The Yankees struck out 12 times. The Padres raved about the performance of Estrada, who relieved Musgrove after he allowed Juan Soto's RBI double with one out in the sixth and then struck out Judge who homered both Friday and Saturday nights and Verdugo. After the Padres rallied to take the lead, Estrada then struck out the side in the seventh, starting with Giancarlo Stanton, who homered Friday night. Hes nasty," Tatis said of Estrada, who was claimed by the Padres in November after being waived by the Chicago Cubs. "Hes locked in right now, hes pounding the zone, hes not afraid of whos coming to the plate and the guys believing in himself right now. Im really happy for him where hes at right now. Estrada has struck out 15 of the last 18 batters he has faced since May 17 at Atlanta. He is the first Padres pitcher to strike out 10 consecutive batters, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The previous high was nine by Jake Peavy on April 25, 2007, the season he won the NL Cy Young Award. There's not really much to think about, Estrada said about his mindset Sunday. I think when you get ready before the game there's a lot to think about, but once I have that baseball, man, it's just more of knowing that me and the catcher are ready to go to war. Joe did a great job today and seeing how Joe was just shutting them down, that builds confidence in a team and that gets you thinking, like, Weve got this game,'" Estrada said. The Padres trailed 1-0 entering the sixth and scored four runs on three singles, an error and two walks. It was their first lead at home since beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on May 12. They never had the lead in being swept by the Colorado Rockies who have the NL's worst record from May 13-15 before losing to the Yankees 8-0 and 4-1. The Padres' sixth-inning rally began with an error when second baseman Gleyber Torres let Jake Cronenworth's grounder go between his legs. Starter Clarke Schmidt (5-3) walked Manny Machado and made way for Victor Gonzalez, who loaded the bases with a walk to pinch-hitter Donovan Solano. Jackson Merrill hit into a forceout that brought in Cronenworth, and Ha-Seong Kim's bunt single scored Machado for the lead. With two outs, Arraez hit an RBI single to center and Tatis greeted Dennis Santana with a swinging bunt for an RBI single. Just keep putting the ball in play. That's how we're going to win ballgames over here, Tatis said. Cronenworth and Machado hit consecutive doubles in the seventh. Musgrove went 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run and six hits, while striking out five and walking none. Musgrove was chased when Anthony Volpe singled with one out in the sixth, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games, and scored on Soto's double to right-center. Schmidt allowed two runs, one earned, and three hits in five innings, with six strikeouts and three walks. Yankees starting pitchers have allowed two runs or fewer and thrown five-plus innings in 14 consecutive games, tying a major league record since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893, Volpe's hitting streak is the longest for the Yankees since Derek Jeter's 19-game streak from Sept. 4-25, 2012. The sellout crowd of 45,731 helped the Padres set the record for a three-game series at 134,081. The old record was set just two weekends ago with 133,970 against the Dodgers. TRAINER'S ROOM Yankees: Manager Aaron Boone said reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole will probably throw another batting practice sometime midweek in Tampa. The ace threw two 15-pitch innings in a simulated game on Saturday as he works to come back from a right elbow injury. It seems like everything went according to plan yesterday, so we keep moving, Boone said. UP NEXT Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (3-4, 3.29 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels. Padres: RHP Michael King (4-4, 4.28) is scheduled to start Monday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins and LHP Trevor Rogers (1-6, 6.11). ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB Russian President Vladimir Putins signaling this week that he is open to peace talks should be viewed with vast, overshadowing caveats, and the weight of Ukraines - and the Wests - past experience of Russian diplomacy. Friday saw a wealth of noise about negotiation, in the same month Moscow launched a third invasion of Ukraine from the north of Kharkiv. The Reuters news agency cited four sources, in a report from two deeply experienced and connected Russia reporters, that Moscow was willing to consider peace talks which would freeze the current Russian occupation of about a fifth of Ukraine. Putin responded to that report by suggesting Russia was willing to talk peace, based on earlier agreements. He hinted at an aborted deal in Istanbul, just after the war began, in 2022, which fell apart, mostly because Moscows forces were still rampaging across Ukrainian territory, and massacres around Kyiv had come to light. The idea floated in the Reuters report would stop short of Moscows stated goal of capturing all of eastern Donetsk, but also eradicate Kyivs insistence it should not surrender any territory. The context of Putins remarks was key. They came during a visit to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko - something which in the past occurred moments before the Kremlin used Belarusian territory for military moves into Ukraine, while on Friday took place during joint tactical nuclear weapons drills between the two countries. Putin was talking peace with a backdrop that was anything but. Putin questioned the legitimacy of Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky, who Moscow has repeatedly assailed, after Kyiv had to delay elections because of the very war Putin started. At the same time, there were unconfirmed reports that the private jet of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich had landed in Belarus. The pro-Russian Yanukovich fled Ukraine in 2014 after forces loyal to him shot dead dozens of protestors in central Kyiv. The mere possibility of his presence while Putin and Lukashenko met led to speculation Moscow was again hoping to engineer the return of a proxy to power in Ukraine. Unconfirmed reports allege that Viktor Yanukovich, the former president of Ukraine who was ousted by street protests and fled to Russia in 2014, has landed in Belarus. - Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters The Kremlins less brutal goal in Ukraine short of full or partial occupation has involved a president in Kyiv it considers loyal, who will stop the countrys march towards the European Union and NATO. It was fanciful before the 2022 invasion, and came up during the aborted 2022 Istanbul talks. But now it would likely need an occupying Russian force to impose it on a population seething at the Kremlins brutality. So why the talk of peace, particularly when Russia appears to be having its most successful moment on the frontlines in months, if not since the invasion? Diplomacy has always been a military tool for the Kremlin. It talked peace over Syria in 2015, as their jets pounded civilians in rebel-held areas. It talked peace in 2015 with Ukraine, while Russian troops and their proxies were in the throes of a full assault against the strategic Ukrainian town of Debaltseve. It is not cynical to distrust Russias sincerity when it negotiates, but a practical necessity. Experience shows it considers talks worth pursuing in case they unexpectedly produce a useful outcome without violence, or give their opponent cause for pause in fighting to try and encourage a deal. Moscow may also be talking peace again now for two reasons. Firstly, Ukraine and its allies are convening a peace summit in Switzerland in June, where it will discuss, without Russia, what sort of deal it might accept. It is likely aimed at building momentum for an off-ramp the Kremlin can take when its forces are finally militarily exhausted or in a stalemate. Zelensky has said he hopes China - Russias most potent ally but only partial supporter in the Ukraine war - will attend. Putin may be talking peace now to suggest to Beijing to not be involved in diplomacy about Russia without Russia present. There is little serious chance the Switzerland summit will end the war, but it might concretize minds in the West as to how serious a threat Moscow poses to an actual peace deal by laying out the bones of what damage Ukraine might have to absorb to its territorial integrity to stop the bloodshed. Russian troops have taken advantage of a weakened front line in Ukraine, and have advanced towards Kharkiv. - Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters Ukraines Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said Friday that Putins hints at peace talks were directly aimed at sabotaging the summit. Putin currently has no desire to end his aggression against Ukraine, he wrote on X, adding this is why he is so afraid of the Switzerland summit. Secondly, and most importantly, Putin is messaging governments in the West and the current American presidential campaign. He is trying to opaquely suggest perhaps to populists in Europe, or MAGA Republicans in the United States that a simple deal is in hand, one in which frontlines, on which Ukraine is currently losing with significant casualties, can suddenly freeze. Western support for the war is costly, and increasingly unpopular although the recent $61 billion passed by Congress has perhaps given the issue a reprieve from being at the mercy of electoral opinion for about a year. The Reuters report permits those in the West who want to see an end to the war to believe the Kremlin could stop the war, as it stands, immediately. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov made the report sound like it reflected Russias permanent position. But ultimately it may sound new and interesting to key Western figures: Donald Trump - who has failed to explain how he would enact his claim he could stop the war in 24 hours and other NATO members who are less bullish than France, the UK and the Baltic states, about the need to never trust Russia at the negotiating table. Putin is a pragmatist. He started the war thinking it would be easy. He continued it thinking his tolerance for pain, autocratic security, and patience for victory would triumph. He might be right, just now. He now sees a moment of electoral weakness in the US, and other European states, which he has met with a vague, opaque signal that there might be a time for diplomacy. It will likely gain some traction among those who desperately hope the war in Ukraine will just go away, and who are less mindful of the existential threat a victorious and hyper-militarized Moscow poses to NATOs eastern members. But it should be viewed through the lens of the deep cynicism of Moscows earlier diplomacy in Syria and Ukraine: used as a time to ferociously pursue the same military objectives, but with the illusory backdrop that peace might be just around the corner. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Cheapism The Heat Is On Hot sauce is a more-than-$1-billion industry in the United States, and it's only expected to get more popular. Chile heads shake and pour their favorite sauces on anything, not just cuisines known for spicy foods. If you've ever wandered through the hot sauce aisle at the grocery store and wondered, "Which store-bought hot sauce is the best?", this story is for you. We lined up 25 popular hot sauces that you can find at many grocery stores and big-box chains and tasted them. Here are the good, the bad, and the clear winner, ranked from best to worst. Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change. Cheapism Winner: Marie Sharp's Belizean Heat $6 from Amazon Shop Now Heat rating: 5 out of 10 Best for: Caribbean cooking, breakfast potatoes Marie Sharp's, a line of sauces from Belize, is extremely popular among hot sauce enthusiasts and for good reason. It's chunky with a bright and fresh vegetal flavor from habaneros, carrots, and lime juice. The balance of acidic tang and sweetness from the carrots is just right. If any hot sauce could be called refreshing, it's this one. I had never tried Marie Sharp's before this taste test, and I'm definitely going to keep a bottle around all the time. I can see shaking this one on anything from Jamaican food to fancy cheeses and scrambled eggs. Cheapism 2. El Yucateco Hot Sauce $2 from Walmart Shop Now Heat rating: 6 out of 10 Best for: Anything Mexican El Yucateco is a habanero-based sauce from a Mexican brand on the Yucatan peninsula where habaneros are used extensively. This is a good choice to have around because it's nice and hot with a good drizzling consistency for things such as tostadas and nachos. The habaneros give it a fruity sweetness without sugar. Because habaneros are so hot, tomato tempers this one out, though the chiles are the dominating flavor. Cheapism 3. Crystal $9 from Amazon Shop Now Heat rating: 4 out of 10 Best for: Chicken wings, gumbo Love Buffalo-flavored anything but don't want Frank's? Crystal is a good alternative thats possibly better and its also made with aged cayenne peppers, vinegar, and salt. It's got a pronounced, pepper-forward flavor that hits you right on the top of your tongue. The heat, which is that Goldilocks level of not too hot and not too mild, lingers at the back of your throat. This is a favorite all-purpose hot sauce that's good for shaking on almost anything, especially Cajun food. Cheapism 4. Yellowbird Habanero Condiment $6 from Meijer Shop Now Heat rating: 6 out of 10 Best for: Hot dogs and burgers Yellowbird calls itself a condiment, and the thick, smooth texture (and the squeeze bottle it comes in) certainly reinforces that. The heat sneaks up on you and then burns your tongue for a few minutes. Carrots are the number one ingredient, which gives it its thick consistency but it doesn't have as much flavor complexity as its ingredient list which includes tangerine juice concentrate lets on. For more taste tests of popular products, please sign up for our free newsletters. Cheapism 5. Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce $9 from Meijer Shop Now Heat rating: 5 out of 10 Best for: Nachos, tacos Secret Aardvark has a devoted following, and it's one of the more interesting sauces on this list. The first ingredient is fire-roasted tomatoes, and habaneros don't come in until after carrots, onions, and other ingredients, so it's more like a tomato-based salsa than most of the other sauces. Mustard is also an interesting ingredient, giving it some tangy complexity. The aftertaste is heavy on garlic, though it's a much more pleasant fresh garlic flavor than the garlic powder so many other sauces feature. Cheapism 6. Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce $4 on Amazon Shop Now Heat rating: 3 out of 10 Best for: Anything Buffalo flavor This popular hot sauce has become the standard buffalo flavoring for anything you can think of but especially chicken wings. It's pretty mild, but the heat that it does have sneaks up on you after the initial vinegar acidity. Cutting it with melted butter for wings is ideal since it tempers the tang and saltiness. It's also got a slight hint of garlic from garlic powder. Lots of people really do put this on everything, myself included. Lacey Muszynski / Cheapism 7. Old Bay Hot Sauce $5 from Target Shop Now Heat rating: 2 out of 10 Best for: All kinds of seafood, bloody marys The hot sauce in this bottle is exactly what you expect it to be, and if you're a fan of Old Bay seasoning, then that's a fantastic thing. Like the infamous dry seasoning, it's heavy on celery seed and paprika, but this has an added dimension of heat from aged cayenne peppers and vinegar acidity. It's one of the more unique hot sauce flavors on this list, though some more heat would be welcome. It's custom made for any kind of seafood, from fried fish to crab boils, but don't sleep on it as a bloody mary seasoning, either. Lacey Muszynski / Cheapism 8. Trader Joe's Yuzu Hot Sauce $5 from Trader Joe's Heat rating: 3 out of 10 Best for: Dumpling dipping sauce, salad dressing This Trader Joe's yuzu hot sauce is for citrus lovers. It's made with yuzu kosho, a Japanese condiment of fermented chiles, salt, and yuzu citrus rind, giving it a bright citrus flavor that's similar to lemon. It's a great combination of sour, spicy, and salty with heat that creeps up on you. It's very thin and watery though, so be careful when pouring. Add it to any kind of dumpling sauce, cold Asian noodles, salad dressings, or chicken. Cheapism 9. Famous Dave's Wilbur's Revenge Sauce $7 from Famous Dave's Shop Now Heat rating: 7 out of 10 Best for: Smoked meats, chicken tenders I once made the mistake of thinking Wilbur's Revenge was just a spicy barbecue sauce and poured it all over a pork sandwich. It is very much a hot sauce, though with a surprising intensity. It's based on Famous Dave's Devil's Spit spicy barbecue sauce, and like that sauce, it's heavy on the black pepper flavor in a tomato-heavy base. This is an excellent choice for heating up any too-mild barbecue sauce or dipping smoked sausages. Lacey Muszynski / Cheapism 10. Slap Ya Mama Cajun Hot Sauce $4 from Walmart Shop Now Heat rating: 4 out of 10 Best for: Jambalaya Slap Ya Mama is a popular Cajun seasoning, so I was expecting this hot-sauce version to have Cajun flavors as well, but it's really just an aged pepper sauce like other Louisiana-style hot sauces. Still, it's a great version that's a cross between Tabasco and Frank's, with less acidity and a little more heat that sneaks up on you. It's much more well-rounded than Tabasco, and thicker, too, which is a plus in my book. Cheapism 11. Nando's Hot Peri-Peri Sauce $5 from Meijer Shop Now Heat rating: 3 out of 10 Best for: Any kind of chicken Nando's is a worldwide restaurant chain that originated in South Africa and is known for its chicken basted in peri-peri hot sauce. This sauce, which is available in many supermarkets here, is one of the more complex on this list, with a big hit of citrus from 6% lemon puree, according to the ingredients list. You'll want to use this relatively mild sauce as its own flavor component instead of merely a heat conduit. Lacey Muszynski / Cheapism 12. Marie Sharp's Nopal Green Habanero Pepper Sauce $6 from Walmart Shop Now Heat rating: 5 out of 10 Best for: Fajitas, tacos al pastor This is an interesting take on a green hot sauce since it's made with nopales, or cactus paddles, instead of the typical tomatillos. It's a little chunky but not quite as thick as our winner, the Belizean Heat of the same brand. It's simple and fruity thanks to the habaneros, with a lot of lime and garlic flavor. Using nopales ensures that this hot sauce is less acidic than its green tomatillo-based cousins. Cheapism 13. Valentina Extra Hot $12 (2-pack) from Amazon Shop Now Heat rating: 5 out of 10 Best for: Steak tacos, burritos Valentina extra hot, also called black label for obvious reasons, is Valentina's answer to those wanting sauce that's hotter than the original. The flavor and consistency is the same as the original, but it's much spicier. It doesn't seem that way at first, but the heat hits you in the back of the throat after you swallow, and lingers warmly for quite a while. I recommend the black label over the original if you want a true hot sauce. Cheapism 14. Huy Fong Sriracha $4 from Target Shop Now Heat rating: 3 out of 10 Best for: Chinese takeout Sriracha, in particular the Huy Fong Foods brand, is practically synonymous with Asian food in America. The popular hot sauce and its green cap that never really works right is so well-liked that it's a pop culture icon. It's thick and full of sugar, which might contribute to its mass appeal, but adding a bunch of sugar to your food gets old fast, if you ask me. Still, it's a comforting favorite for dipping everything from eggrolls to pizza. Cheapism 15. Valentina Salsa Picante $2 from Target Shop Now Heat rating: 2 out of 10 Best for: Enchiladas This is a thick, smooth sauce, and it's easy to use in place of ketchup or other condiments. It's a Mexican hot sauce brand, and it is smoother and more rounded in flavor than the Louisiana-style hot sauces. There's a familiar sweetness and tang to it, but the heat level is quite low, so it's good for beginner hot-sauce heads and children. It reminds me of canned enchilada sauce. With that price point and its middle-of-the-pack placement on this list, it's one of the better cheap hot sauces you can heat your face up with. Cheapism 16. Louisiana The Perfect Hot Sauce $2 from Target Shop Now Heat rating: 4 out of 10 Best for: Cajun food Here's another cheap hot sauce clocking in over others that are three times its price on our list. Compared with the other Louisiana-style hot sauces made with aged cayenne peppers, this one has heat that really lingers on your lips as opposed to your tongue. It's quite thin and drips through the holes in saltine crackers, but it's got a simple, classic, fermented-pepper flavor, and not too much vinegar. Cheapism 17. Cholula Hot Sauce $4 from Target Shop Now Heat rating: 2 out of 10 Best for: French fries We're calling it: In the ongoing Cholula vs. Tabasco debate, we land firmly on the side of Cholula. It isn't made with cayenne peppers like a lot of sauces on this list, but instead with Mexican chiles de arbol and piquin, both of which are small, hot dried peppers. It definitely makes a difference in flavor, and this sauce is deep, mellow, and slightly smoky, though a little bland overall. It's also pretty mild, but it has a smooth and viscous consistency that makes it great for dipping. Cheapism 18. Tapatio Hot Sauce $3 from Target Shop Now Heat rating: 4 out of 10 Best for: Cheese-covered Tex-Mex Tapatio is another popular hot sauce that seems to regularly compete against Tabasco. So, Tapatio vs. Tabasco? Definitely the former. Tapatio is a simple, unassuming sauce. The first ingredient is water, followed by "red peppers," and indeed it tastes like the generic ideal of a red pepper. It's also very light on acidity and vinegar, which in combination with it being a pepper puree and not much else makes it very reminiscent of Mexican salsa. Cheapism 19. Texas Pete Hot Sauce $4 from Walmart Shop Now Heat rating: 2 out of 10 Best for: Adding acidity to rich foods Texas Pete is vinegar-forward it's the first ingredient, after all and a little bitter, like the peppers weren't ripe when they were aged. It's also pretty bland, thin, and has little heat, making it unremarkable at best. At least it's still better than Tabasco, I guess? Cheapism 20. Melinda's Original Habanero Hot Sauce $9 from Amazon Shop Now Heat rating: 3 out of 10 Best for: Mixing into the Papa John's Garlic Sauce Though this one lists habaneros as the main ingredient, it's pretty mild and rather uninteresting. The ingredients list is similar to other great sauces, including carrots, onion, and lime juice, but it's the garlic that really pops out and sticks with you, similar to the aftertaste you experience the morning after you ate too much garlic bread. Cheapism 21. Tabasco Pepper Sauce $4 from Target Shop Now Heat rating: 2 out of 10 Best for: People who are afraid of hot sauce Tabascos popularity remains a mystery. A lot of people want to know which is the best Tabasco sauce, and if we had to make a pick, it's this one but don't consider that a ringing endoresement. It's so thin that it doesn't stay on a cracker at all, and it tastes more like vinegar than anything else, let alone a pepper. There are flecks of pepper throughout the thin sauce base, which makes it seem like it's never actually pureed or emulsified all the way. If you're new to hot sauce, don't even bother with Tabasco despite the brand recognition. Lacey Muszynski / Cheapism 22. Firelli Italian Hot Sauce $5 from Walmart Shop Now Heat rating: 2 out of 10 Best for: Meatball subs I'm a sucker for a beautiful bottle, and Firelli does not disappoint in that aspect. The sauce itself doesn't reach the same standards, though. Thanks to porcini mushroom powder, the first flavor (and smell) you notice is mushrooms, which is pretty off-putting in a hot sauce. Once you get past that punch of earthiness, you get a sweet, complex sauce full of roasted red peppers, balsamic vinegar, and Calabrian chiles. It's complex, deep red in color, and almost like an Italian barbecue sauce since it's not very hot. Cheapism 23. Cholula Chipotle Hot Sauce $4 from Target Shop Now Heat rating: 2 out of 10 Best for: Beans, barbecued meat This is not a good alternative Cholula. The smokiness is acrid, and that hits your tongue instantly. It mellows out into a familiar chipotle flavor, but the lingering aftertaste is more like inhaling campfire smoke than delicious smoked chiles. Cheapism 24. Tabasco Cayenne Garlic Pepper Sauce $5 from Walmart Shop Now Heat rating: 2 out of 10 Best for: Gifting to your vampire enemies While the garlic version of Tabasco solves the consistency problem because it's a much thicker sauce, it somehow tastes even more terrible than the original. The garlic is acrid and sharp, and it's all you can detect on the lingering, relentless aftertaste. Cheapism 25. Dave's Insanity $7 from Meijer Shop Now Heat rating: 10 out of 10 Best for: Using a drop to heat up a chili Heed the warning on the bottle of Dave's Insanity which says it's a great cooking ingredient that should be used one drop at a time. Unless you're a serious chile head, you're not going to be using this like a condiment. Thats good, because there's not much flavor to speak of that gets through the wall of heat. This article was originally published on Cheapism Cheapism More From Cheapism Republicans are increasingly optimistic they can end their four-year stint in the Senate minority and topple the incumbents Democrats are relying on to carry the cycle with less than six months until Election Day. Top Republican party figures are quick to note they only need a single victory on top of an all-but-certain win in West Virginia with a pair of ruby-red states and a hoard of purple states where they are within striking distance on the table. Still, they are publicly downplaying that confidence after being burned in each of the past two cycles. We never said it was going to be a piece of cake, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said last week. Here are 10 Senate seats that could change hands later this year. West Virginia To keep it short and sweet: Unless something drastic happens, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) will replace retiring Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) next year. The only question is how big his victory will be. Montana The battle in Big Sky Country is one of the most important races on the map, with Sen. Jon Tester (D) and businessman Tim Sheehy locked in a battle that could go down to the wire. Tester has attempted to burnish his border bona fides as the issue continues to be a top concern and potential headache in his quest to win over supporters of former President Trump, who carried the state by more than 16 points. Staring down GOP ads on the topic, the three-term senator in recent weeks has confronted Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over the unacceptable situation at the border and became the first Democrat to sponsor the GOP-led Laken Riley Act (despite voting against it as an amendment). He also voted for the bipartisan border bill that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) brought to the floor. Whether that will be enough to overcome popular conceptions about Democrats and the border is an open question. Few Democrats take border security as seriously as Jon Tester, but he and other battleground state Democrats are fighting an uphill political battle given the Democratic Partys abysmal brand on this issue, said John LaBombard, a Democratic strategist with Rokk Solutions who previously served as a top aide to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). Every opportunity to remind voters of his record, and that he is independent from the party base on this issue, will help on the margins, LaBombard said. And in this race, the margins will matter. Ohio The other unquestioned top-tier race is in the Buckeye State, where Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) is attempting a high-wire act in order to defeat Republican Bernie Moreno and secure a fourth term in office. Despite Ohios rightward turn during the Trump years, Brown remains the rare Democrat voters still view in high regard. A March poll showed Brown holds a double-digit net-positive approval rating, giving him a leg up in what was once the most prominent battleground state in the country. But the national political environment is doing Brown no favors this year. Democratic operatives expect Biden to fall in the state by at least 8 percentage points, with that figure potentially hitting double digits. That would create a big mountain for Brown to climb, requiring hundreds of thousands of ticket splitters. For now, Browns game plan centers on using his big-money operation to bruise Moreno. One Democratic operative noted that outside of Trumps endorsement of the GOP nominee, not much is known about the Republican nominee. Despite the states red hue becoming redder by the year, Republicans know they are in for a fight in November. Its a tough challenge. Sherrods a popular incumbent. People know who he is, said Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). I think that Bernies going to win, but its not going to be an easy race. Pennsylvania When McConnell was asked recently about the states the GOP has in its sights, he name-checked Pennsylvania, where Republicans are looking to David McCormick to topple Democratic Sen. Bob Casey. Republicans are largely united on two points: that McCormick is doing everything he possibly can to put himself in position for a November win, but that actually beating Casey, the scion of a formidable political family in the state, is one of the most difficult tasks at hand this cycle. Hes doing everything right. Hes running the campaign he should have run the first time around against [Mehmet Oz], one Pennsylvania GOP strategist said. Smartly, hes actually fundraising instead of self-funding, and, most importantly, hes been super visible. Republicans fear that all Casey needs to do to win is be mistake-free, with the GOP strategist in the state saying he is Teflon and nothing sticks. Republicans are increasingly of the belief that the most likely avenue for McCormick to get across the finish line is a bottoming out by Biden ahead of November. According to the Pennsylvania-based GOP operative, internal polling across the state is showing Democrats ahead of Republicans across down-ballot races, including at the local and congressional levels. But the one constant is that Biden is underwater everywhere, they added. Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosens (D-Nev.) bid for a second term is running into national turbulence. Rosen, a first-term senator, has long been considered a difficult opponent for Republicans. With little to effectively attack her personally, the GOP has been forced to tie her to larger Democratic narratives and hope the political environment can carry the day and they might just get that this cycle. Southwestern states are feeling the brunt of the economic pain more than anywhere, the Democratic operative said. And its hard to see what the Biden campaign is doing to change the narrative. Most surveys of the state show a tight race at the top of the ticket, with Trump either leading Biden narrowly or a deadlocked race. The question is whether the former president can help likely Republican Senate nominee Sam Brown rise in the Senate race. Brown, the prohibitive favorite for the states June GOP primary and the choice of national Republicans, was buoyed by a recent New York Times/Siena College poll that showed the race tied, though a second survey by Emerson College/The Hill shows Rosen holding an 8-point advantage. Arizona Its been a rollicking couple of months in Arizona. Republican Kari Lakes fortunes fell precipitously as Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) gained an early advantage in the key battleground state. Lake, who lost the 2022 gubernatorial contest, has experienced a tumultuous stretch in recent months. On abortion, one of the hot-button issues of the 2024 cycle, Lake criticized state officials for not enforcing a Civil War-era abortion ban that the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated (it was later overturned by the state Legislature), despite having initially called for it to be repealed. She has also been on the back foot on the airwaves and has been unable to catch up to Gallegos fundraising. Gallego raised $7.5 million in the first fundraising quarter compared to $3.6 million for Lake, who continues to struggle to pull moderate Republicans and independents into her fold. Multiple surveys show Gallego in the drivers seat to replace Sinema, who decided against seeking a second term. Polls conducted by CBS News and Noble Predictive Insights show him with 13- and 10-point leads over Lake. Michigan Both parties are keeping a keen eye on the battle in Michigan as Republicans look to nab their first Senate win there in more than two decades. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is the slight favorite to replace Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the No. 3 Senate Democrat who is retiring after four terms in office. But Republicans are putting their best foot forward after they successfully recruited former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), something party leaders have tried and failed to do since he left the House a decade ago. Rogers has widespread institutional support, including Trumps endorsement and the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. But Michigans primary isnt until August, leaving the door slightly ajar to a challenge from businessman Sandy Pensler, which has yet to materialize. According to an Emerson College/The Hill poll taken in the last month, Rogers holds a commanding lead over the primary field, which also includes former Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.). While the race remains an uphill climb for Republicans given the dynamics of the state, Democrats are watching how much national GOP groups spend on the race in the coming months in order to keep a lid on Slotkins favorables, and how money on each side of the aisle moves in and out of the state. Where does the map shift late? Slotkin is the favorite, but in past cycles there are shifts late where states that are percolating around edges either fall off or come online, the Democratic operative said. If Ohio and Montana look out of reach for Dems, do Republicans get greedy and try to pick up a state like Michigan? Wisconsin It hasnt been the easiest couple of months for Eric Hovde. Hovde, the likely GOP nominee, is set to face off with Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) in November, but has found himself behind the eight ball early on in multiple ways. The wealthy businessman found himself in hot water last month when he said that older voters living in nursing homes have a five-, six-month life expectancy and that almost nobody in a nursing home is at a point to vote. Democrats immediately seized on those comments, with Baldwin saying Hovde does not have a clue what hes talking about. Hovde also has found himself behind in early polls. Five surveys released since mid-April have shown Baldwin leading by between 3 and 13 percentage points. He needs to win every month, and I dont know that hes won one yet, one national GOP operative said. But Baldwin is not out of the woods by any means. She, like many others on this list, is contending with the Biden factor, but has thus far found herself running far ahead of him in what will be one of the hardest-fought battleground contests this year. Maryland Democrats are breathing easy after Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) defeated Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) in what ended up being one of the bloodiest primary fights on either side of the aisle. But the work on the left is far from over, as Alsobrooks will square off with former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in November. Democrats are squarely in the drivers seat given the states dark-blue hue, with Biden carrying the state by 32 percentage points four years ago the third-biggest win margin of any state he carried. But they are not underestimating the super-popular Hogan, who enjoyed sky-high approval ratings during his eight years in Annapolis that follow him today. Still, top Democrats remain confident. She will beat him. She will absolutely win this election, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told The Hill. But this is going to be a tough race, and she will take nothing for granted. None of us are taking anything for granted in this race. Hogan has made waves in recent weeks by declaring himself pro-choice and saying abortion rights should be codified, which Democrats say is a pure flip-flop. Now people are asking: Which Larry Hogan am I talking to today? Van Hollen said. Texas Its become a familiar refrain: A much-derided Senate Republican runs for reelection in a red state, prompting Democrats and progressives to flood the state with money in a bid to take them down. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was the subject of such a push six years ago, but survived a real challenge from former Rep. Beto ORourke (D-Texas). Now, Democrats are trying again with Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas). Despite their high hopes, Cruz remains in pole position to win a third term, with his supporters seeing little in common between his 2018 challenger and the Democrat looking to unseat him this go-around. Beto fancied himself the next JFK. He really played up that image, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. [ORourke] was just kind of like the next coolest thing, but I dont think Allreds got that going for him. 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 The Hill. Passengers on a Spirit Airlines flight from Jamaica to Florida were told to prepare for a water emergency Saturday after a possible mechanical issue. Flight NK270 took off from Montego Bay on Saturday afternoon, headed to Fort Lauderdale, before returning to its origin shortly after takeoff "following a suspected mechanical issue," the airlines said in a statement. Passengers were told to put on life vests and prepare for a water landing out of an abundance of caution, the airline said. The Airbus A321 landed safely at Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport (MBJ) and guests deplaned normally, the airline said, adding that "the mechanical issue did not affect flight safety." Passengers were put on a new flight to Fort Lauderdale, where they arrived just under 45 minutes behind schedule, according to FlightAware data. "The pilot told us to prepare for a water landing and the highest emergency activated at MBJ," one passenger told the Jamaican daily newspaper The Gleaner, adding, "We were told the aircraft lost pressure." The passenger added: "It was nerve racking." The airline said the aircraft would be thoroughly evaluated by its maintenance team. "We apologize to our guests for any inconvenience," the airline said. Kathryn Krupnik contributed reporting. Trump's defense delivers closing argument in "hush money" trial Major retailers rolling out deals as summer starts Sentencing for another American arrested in Turks and Caicos over ammo in luggage Mr Zelensky said satellite imagery showed Russian forces deployed on Ukraine's border close to the city of Sumy - AFP Russia is amassing troops on Ukraines northern border, triggering fresh pleas from Kyiv for permission to strike with Western missiles. The Institute of War Studies said it had identified new formations of soldiers and expanded activities at depots and warehouses in settlements north of Ukraines second city of Kharkiv. Volodymyr Zelensky warned that thousands of Russian troops were being prepared for a fresh assault, although the ISW, a US think tank, concluded the build up may also be to stretch and fix Ukrainian forces, which are struggling to hold positions across the front lines. Mr Zelensky again pleaded with the West to allow it to fire Western missiles into Russia to halt another advance. We can see every point where Russian troops are concentrated. We know all areas from which Russian missiles are launched and combat aircraft take off, he said. Ukrainian officials are frustrated that they are not allowed to strike targets inside Russia with Western missiles, essentially giving Russian forces a safe area to prepare ground attacks and to fire missiles at Ukrainian cities. They have warned since a Russian attack towards Kharkiv on May 10 that the Kremlin also plans to attack Sumy, which lies 100 miles from Ukraines second city. Pressure is building on the US to follow Britain and allow Ukrainian forces to strike targets inside Russia, despite concerns that this will escalate the war. Over the weekend, Poland and Sweden gave permission for Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia and Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of Nato, has also backed the policy change. If [Ukraine] cannot attack military targets on Russian territory then it ties one hand of the Ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct defence, he said at a Nato meeting in Sofia on Monday. But Joe Biden has not yet been persuaded and Germany and Italy have both ruled it out. On a visit to Spain on Monday, Mr Zelensky secured another 850,000 military aid package but Pedro Sanchez, Spains prime minister, didnt give Ukrainian commanders permission to fire Spanish weapons at Russia. Spain has been supporting Ukraine for two years. Unfortunately, Russian aggression continues and we have to increase our support, Mr Sanchez said at a joint press conference. Ukraine has been using domestic drones to hit targets across Russia, mainly oil refineries, railways and military airfields, but on Monday sources confirmed that it had struck a Russian nuclear radar station near the border with Kazakhstan, 1,000 miles away. It was the second Ukrainian strike against Russias nuclear missile infrastructure in four days to the concern of Kyivs Western allies, who are worried about further escalation. On the front lines in Ukraine, Russia claimed it had captured two more villages, one north of Kharkiv and one near Donetsk. Vladimir Putins forces have launched a sustained assault on Ukrainian lines since the autumn, suffering around 900 casualties a day but also slowly advancing. This has bolstered Putin and restored his credibility amongst Russias traditional allies after his armies suffered a series of defeats in 2022 and he looked relaxed on Monday during a visit to Tashkent as Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistans president, lauded his historic trip. It heralds the beginning of a new age in the comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance relations between our countries, said Mr Mirziyoyev after announcing a deal for Russia to build Uzbekistans first nuclear power station. The West had hoped to break the Kremlins influence over the five Central Asian states, formerly part of the Soviet Union, after Putins invasion of Ukraine but its advances have generally been dismissed. 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. Tim Cook is reported to be seeking a partnership with OpenAI or Google to bring AI to iPhones. Andrej Sokolow/picture alliance via Getty Images Tim Cook is preparing to announce Apple's AI plans at WWDC next month. Reports suggest he's planning to announce a partnership with OpenAI or Google. Recent developments highlight how they offer no easy choice. When Tim Cook takes the stage in Cupertino for Apple's big summer convention next month, there are high expectations that he will spotlight another company: OpenAI or Google. Ahead of Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, there have been strong suggestions that the company plans to partner with one of the two competitors to bring cutting-edge AI to iPhones. The latest indications suggest it will be OpenAI. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple had "closed in on an agreement" with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, with the two businesses "finalizing terms for a pact to use ChatGPT features in Apple's iOS 18." But talks with Google seem to be rumbling away, too. Apple was reportedly in talks with Google in March over an arrangement for the search giant's Gemini AI built into iPhones. Gurman's report this month said Google talks are ongoing. Cook seems to have options, then. As an excited ChatGPT user, he is clearly interested in what OpenAI offers. Apple's lucrative deal with Google to bring its search product to iPhones a deal that net Apple $20 billion in 2022 gives it reason to keep going with them. But recent developments show Cook doesn't have a clear-cut choice: both OpenAI and Google have problems with AI that could cause him headaches down the road. A difficult decision Scarlett Johansson was not pleased by OpenAI's voice chat. NBC Take the ChatGPT maker. This week, it was dragged into controversy after Scarlett Johansson published a statement accusing it of using a voice "eerily similar" to hers for a new voice feature equipped with its latest AI model, GPT-4o. OpenAI boss Sam Altman who had tweeted a reference to the movie in which she voiced an AI assistant denied using a similar voice without her permission. Despite this, the affair has revealed a deeper issue with OpenAI that gives reason to cause Apple concern. Several artists, publishers, and more are worried that ChatGPT's success has been built off the use of others' work without their consent. OpenAI is already facing difficult legal battles over this, with the Authors Guild suing the company over concerns that writers' work is being used in models to generate profit. Google offers no easy alternative either. Over the past week, a new feature called "AI Overviews," introduced at the Google I/O conference earlier this month, has been disastrously rolled out in the US. Countless users have taken to social media to share outrageous examples of Google's failed attempt to use AI to generate context-led summaries in response to search queries. In one instance, it told a user to put "non-toxic glue" on pizza to fix the issue of cheese not sticking to it. In another instance, Google's AI Overview said the US has had one Muslim president "Barack Hussein Obama" in response to the question, "How many Muslim presidents has the US had?" This puts Apple in a tough spot. Apple desperately needs an AI strategy to give its iPhones a fresh revamp at a time when sales are declining in key markets like China. But few hints of its own work on large language models AI seem to have put it in a position where it is being pushed to weigh up a strategic partnership with one of two companies who have their own problems with AI. There are no easy choices for Cook. Read the original article on Business Insider Rubber, squeaky chickens were handed out this weekend at the Libertarian Party convention in Washington, D.C., to call on former President Trump to debate independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The rubber chickens, which had the words Debate Bobby on them were passed out by the pro-Kennedy American Values 2024 super PAC at the weekend convention, where Trump was met with a raucous crowd and a mix of boos and cheers. Tony Lyons, the co-chair of American Values 2024, confirmed to The Hill that the group distributed the rubber chickens to attendees Saturday. Biden and Trump are scared to death to debate Bobby because they know what the voting public is learning rapidlythat Bobby Kennedy can win, that he alone will end the corruption, end the wars, end the chronic disease epidemic and rebuild the middle class, the engine of our democracy, Lyons said in a statement. In one video of Trumps Saturday address, an apparent silhouette of a rubber chicken could be seen being held up by an audience member. CNN reported that Secret Service agents confiscated some of the rubber chickens ahead of Trumps speech. Nate Herring, a spokesperon for the U.S. Secret Service, told The Hill the agency often publishes a list of prohibited items that are not permitted in protected sites. Although this list specifically identifies several objects that are not allowed in secure areas, the list also includes a general prohibition on any items determined, at the agents discretion, to be a potential safety hazard or disruptive to the event, Herring wrote in a statement. Both Trump and Kennedy were speakers at the convention in an attempt to shore up Libertarian support ahead of November. Photo provided by American Values 2024 Earlier this month, Kennedy began his calls for Trump to formally debate him at the convention, calling it perfect neutral territory for the two presidential candidates. You yourself have said youre not afraid to debate me as long as my poll numbers are decent, Kennedy wrote in a lengthy post on the social platform X earlier this month. Well, they are. In fact, Im the only presidential candidate in history who has polled ahead of both major party candidates in head-to-head races. Both President Biden and Trump, who are their respective parties presumptive nominees, have already agreed to two general election debates, both of which Kennedy has been left out of. This could change if he meets the debate threshold, which requires 15 percent support in four national polls and making the ballot in enough states to hypothetically secure 270 electoral votes. Kennedy argued being left out of the two general election debates undermines democracy, writing, Presidents Trump and Biden are colluding to lock America into a head-to-head match-up that 70% say they do not want. Trump said he would have no problem having Kennedy join the presidential debate stage with Biden if he meets the threshold. Neither Kennedys nor Trumps campaign immediately responded to The Hills request for comment. The environmental lawyer, who switched to an independent ticket last fall following a failed primary bid as a Democrat, has argued the presumptive party nominees are unfit to continue serving. While he is looking to appear uniformly against Biden and Trump on the ballot in all 50 states, political strategists predict he likely only needs a few significant states to create a spoiler effect. Most national polling has recently suggested Kennedy could damage Bidens numbers more than Trumps in a hypothetical general election scenario. Kennedy still trails far behind Biden and Trump, securing about 8.3 percent of the vote, compared to Trump with about 41.8 percent and Biden with 40.1 percent, according to a polling index by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ. Kennedy spoke at the convention a day ahead of Trump, making a series of attacks against the former president over his administrations handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Filip Timotija contributed Updated at 9:05 pm. 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 The Hill. US lawmakers vowed to bolster Taiwans deterrence against China on Monday during a bipartisan congressional visit to the self-governing democracy just days after Beijing surrounded the island with massive military exercises. Last weeks drills were the largest China has launched in more than a year and came days after Taiwan swore in its new president, Lai Ching-te, who is openly loathed by Beijing for championing the islands sovereignty and distinct identity. In a news conference in Taipei, US Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the drills an intimidation tactic to punish democracy and vowed to bolster Taiwans defense by speeding up the delivery of defensive weapons from the US. Citing recent foreign military financing for Taiwan approved by the US House, McCaul pledged to get Taiwan the weapons it purchased from the US as soon as possible. We are moving forward on those weapons systems. Id like to see them faster, but they are forthcoming, he said. The US maintains close but informal relations with Taiwan and is bound by law to supply the island with weapons to defend itself. However, Taiwan has repeatedly raised concerns about delays in US weapon deliveries, particularly after Russias invasion of Ukraine. President Lai and I have always had a very sobering and yet very direct conversation about the threat that this island faces from its neighbor to the north, McCaul said, referring to China. Chinas ruling Communist Party views Taiwan as part of its territory, despite never having controlled it, and has vowed to take the island by force if necessary. Chinas military kicked off two days of exercises last Thursday, sending warships and fighter jets around Taiwan and its outlying islands in what it called a strong punishment for separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces. It said the drills were designed to test its ability to seize power over the island. Beijing has long denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist and decried his inauguration speech, during which he called on China to cease its intimidation of Taiwan. The vast majority of Taiwanese have no desire to live under Chinese rule. But under Xi Jinping, Chinas most authoritarian leader in a generation, Beijing has grown more assertive and ramped up diplomatic, economic and military pressure on its democratic neighbor. In the often bitterly polarized atmosphere of Capitol Hill support for Taiwan has become one of the few bipartisan points of agreement. Without deterrence, Chairman Xi has bold and aggressive ambitions, and we just need to do everything we can to make it possible for him to see that the risk outweighs the reward, that the risk is too high. I do think the deterrence we will provide, and were providing by our presence here today, will help prevent that, McCaul, a Republican, said. Chinas Foreign Ministry said it firmly opposed the visit and had lodged stern representations with the US. It urged the American lawmakers to stop playing the Taiwan card, stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs, stop supporting and condoning Taiwan independence separatist forces, and stop undermining Sino-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular news conference Monday. US Representative Michael McCaul, Republican-Texas, has vowed to bolster Taiwan's deterrence against China. - Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA/AP Gesture of solidarity Taiwans Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung called the visit by US lawmakers a powerful display of the strong bipartisan support of Taiwan in the United States. Its also an important gesture of solidarity that shows America stands firmly with democratic Taiwan, and for this, we are deeply grateful, Lin said at the news conference alongside McCaul, vowing to advance the rock-solid partnership between the two sides. Chinas military drills, he said, were to express their displeasure with President Lai, a president democratically elected by the people of Taiwan. But he added they had another objective. I believe the military exercises were also the PRC way of welcoming this delegation, he said, referring to Chinas official name the Peoples Republic of China. The delegation also met with Lai, Taiwans new leader, on Monday morning. Calling McCaul Taiwans longtime friend, Lai thanked the delegation for their firm support for Taiwan and vowed to deepen cooperation with the US and other like-minded countries to maintain regional peace, stability and prosperity. I deeply admire former US President Ronald Reagans concept of peace through strength. Therefore, moving forward, Ill enhance reform and bolster national defense, showing the world the Taiwanese peoples determination to defend their homeland, Lai said. With your support, I hope that the US Congress through legislative action will continue to assist Taiwan in strengthening its self-defense capabilities, thereby advancing bilateral exchanges and cooperation. In response, McCaul congratulated Lai for assuming the presidency, saying Taiwan has the right man at the right time in the right place. We must make sure no one in the right mind will try to upset the peace that let you thrive, McCaul told Lai. American is and will always be a reliable partner, and no amount of coercion or intimidation will slow down or stop the routine visits by the congress to Taiwan. McCaul last visited Taiwan in April 2023 and met former President Tsai Ing-wen. China responded with a show of military force and later imposed sanctions on McCaul. In August 2022, China staged massive war games around Taiwan to show its displeasure with then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taipei. Beijing fired missiles into waters surrounding the island and simulated a blockade with fighter jets and warships, in its largest show of force in years. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Christian in Sargodha, Pakistan who was critically wounded in a mob attack on Saturday (May 25) due to false allegations of blasphemy is in stable condition, sources said. The mob of rioting Muslims beat Nazeer Masih Gill, 74, vandalized his house and burned his shoe factory in Sargodha citys Mujahid Colony after mosque loudspeaker incited people to gather where he had burned wastepaper, a relative said. Gill underwent head surgery and is in stable condition now, Inspector Shahid Iqbal of the Sargodha Urban Police Station told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. His family is safe and is being kept at a government guesthouse due to security concerns. They may return to their home when the situation normalizes. Gill had burned wastepaper in the street outside his home and gone inside when someone threw a copy of the Quran into the fire, his nephew Irfan Gill said. A Muslim neighbor accused him of desecrating the Quran and instigated local Muslims to attack him, he said. A tense calm prevailed in Sargodha on Sunday (May 26) following a day of violence in Mujahid Colony triggered by the blasphemy allegations, with police arresting 26 Muslims in a case registered against 44 named suspects and 300 to 400 unidentified rioters, sources said. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Iqbal said the case against the rioters was registered under various sections of the ani-terrorism laws and Pakistan Penal Code, including attempt to murder, obstructing public officials in discharging their duty, assaulting a public official and mischief by fire or explosive material with intent to destroy a house or cause death or hurt. Iqbal, who was among the first to respond to the emergency call, said police and members of the Sargodha Peace Committee had tried their best to calm the mob, but the rioters set fire to Nazeer Gills shoe factory and attempted to enter his house from the adjoining buildings. The mob destroyed electricity meters and outdoor AC units outside Gills home and set them ablaze, Iqbal said. We rescued Gill from the burning building, but as soon as we brought him out, the mob started throwing stones at us and snatched him from our custody. They then proceeded to beat him with stones and sticks and also attacked us when we tried to intervene. At least 10 policemen were injured while trying to save the man and transport him to the hospital. Raids on suspects followed police reviews of CCTV footage and social media videos, he said. We will make all efforts to arrest and prosecute all those who took the law into their hands, Iqbal said. No one will be allowed to challenge the writ of the state. He rejected criticism of the police for not stopping the mob from assaulting Gill, saying his colleagues injuries showed that they had made all possible efforts. Several Muslim residents and clerics also played a positive role in the situation due to which we were able to rescue Gills family, otherwise they too could have fallen victim to the violent mob, he said. A blasphemy case has been registered against Nazeer Gill, but police were conducting a thorough and fair investigation into the allegations and would ensure that due process of law is followed, Iqbal said. Another police official of the Sargodha police said on condition of anonymity that local residents told them the victim and his family enjoyed a good reputation in the area and had never been involved in religious conflict. Its quite possible that the incident was used by someone to trap Gill and his family, and we are determined to find the truth and hold the perpetrator accountable, he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. Security Beefed Up More than 1,000 police personnel on Sunday were deployed at churches and Christian-populated areas in Sargodha District as officials began enforcing a seven-day ban on protests and sit-ins. Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, a Christian politician from Sargodha, said that several Christian families who had fled their homes on Saturday had started returning, assured by the heavy police deployment. I appreciate the local police and district officials for deploying adequate personnel in our areas which has given confidence to our people, Chaudhry. However, this is the ninth incident related to blasphemy in Sargodha since 2023, and I urge the government to make sure that whoever is trying to disrupt peace and cause communal discord is identified and punished according to the law. A prominent Islamic cleric and chairman of the Central Moon Sighting Committee, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, along with Islamic scholars of various schools of thought and Christian leaders, held a press conference at the Sargodha commissioners office on Sunday (May 26). Maulana Azad said that honoring and protecting all divine books was their responsibility and a part of their faiths. Islam orders the protection of the rights of the minorities, and the Constitution of Pakistan is the guarantor of the rights of all minorities, Azad said. No one can be allowed to set up his own court in the country. He added that anti-national forces wanted to harm national unity by creating unrest in Pakistan through religious riots and chaos. Respect for humanity, a violence-free society, religious harmony and the promotion of the message of Pakistan were the responsibilities of all citizens, he said, commending timely notice of the attack by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Catholic Archbishop of Lahore Sebastian Francis Shaw said that Christians were peace-loving citizens and respected all faiths. Inter-ethnic and inter-faith harmony is the most important need of the hour, he said. Punjab Minority Affairs Minister Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora in a video statement said the countrys law and the constitution were meant to protect minorities. The minister stated that damaging property based on blasphemy allegations was improper. Such incidents are an attempt to bring Pakistan into disrepute, he said. When there is law, no one will be allowed to violate it. Action will be taken against those responsible. Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year. YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. The UN calls on Israeli authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the airstrikes on the Rafah tent camp and to hold the perpetrators accountable. Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peacele.Process, condemned the airstrikes, underscoring the need for a thorough and transparent investigation. I call upon the Israeli authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into this incident, hold those responsible for any wrongdoing to account, and take immediate steps to better protect civilians, Mr. Wennesland said in a statement. YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS.The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan on Monday received the delegation headed by Georges Siffredi, the President of the Hauts-de-Seine of France, the foreign ministry said. The interlocutors discussed issues f the multi-layered bilateral partnership between Armenia and France, including decentralized cooperation. Minister Mirzoyan noted that the Armenian-French relations are developing effectively in a number of key areas, in different levels and formats. It is noted that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia noted that along with the high level of political dialogue projects are implemented which are aimed at fostering the resilience of Armenia and ensuring tangible results for the beneficiaries of specific programs. In this context, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and the President of the Hauts-de-Seine Department touched upon ongoing projects of decentralized cooperation and prospects for further expansion. According to the ministry, stressing that the economic development and capacity building of the bordering regions of Armenia are one of the imperatives of the Government of Armenia, minister Mirzoyan noted that Armenia values the cooperation of the Hauts-de-Seine Department with the Tavush region as well as Georges Siffredi's personal contribution in that direction. Ararat Mirzoyan also presented the consequences of the floods in the northern regions of Armenia, including Tavush. New Delhi, Kushinagar, Ballia, Chandauli: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will lose his job after the Lok Sabha poll results are announced on June 4, but Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will not be blamed for the defeat, and instead the party will say it lost due to EVMs. Addressing back-to-back rallies in Kushinagar, Chandauli and Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, he said: I have the details of the first five phases. In five phases of the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Modi has crossed 310 seats. Rahul will not cross 40 and Akhilesh Yadav will not get even four seats on June 4. Kharge will lose his job as bhai behen (Rahul and Priyanka) will not be blamed for the defeat, he asserted. Hitting out at the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, he said while Narendra Modi was born in the house of a backward, both Rahul and Akhilesh were born with a silver spoon and do not know about the problems being faced by the people of Purvanchal (eastern UP). They did not like the weather of the country. Rahul used to go to Thailand on leave every six months. They did not tolerate the heat of Purvanchal while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not taken a single leave in his tenure, he said. Accusing Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav of being involved in corruption, the home minister said Modi has never faced any such allegation. As chief minister and Prime Minister, no allegation of corruption of even 25 paise was levelled against Modi while the two shehzade (Rahul and Akhilesh) were involved in corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crores, he alleged, without elaborating it. Referring to the Sahara group, Shah claimed: Akhilesh's party used to run from Saharas fund. The scam was done in their (SP) regime. We have ensured a refund of the peoples money and the process has started. If you people make them (Opposition) win, they will take away reservations of Dalits, backwards and tribals and give to Muslims They did the same in Karnataka, Hyderabad and Bengal, but the high court did not allow it. Muslim reservations cannot be given constitutionally, the senior BJP leader said while addressing the gathering. Claiming that the Opposition has decided to make one Prime Minister every year during the five-year tenure, he asserted that when there will be five Prime Ministers in five years, the Opposition will again implement Article 370, bring back instant triple talaq and start talking to the terrorists. Raising the Ram mandir issue, the home minister said the SP government had opened fire on Ram bhakts while the Congress had stalled the temple issue for 70 years. Modi ji not only did the bhoomi pujan of the temple but also attended the pran pratishtha ceremony, renovated the Kashi Vishwanath temple and worked towards gold plating of the Somnath temple, he said. Referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars Pakistan atom bomb remarks, Shah said: The BJP people are not afraid of atom bombs. PoK (Pak-occupied Kashmir) is ours and we will take it back. Also addressing the poll meetings in Ballia for Salempur constituency and in Chandauli, he continued his blistering attacks on the Opposition alliance, terming it as a gathering of dynasts. Their aim is to make their son, daughter and nephews the chief minister. Can those who work for their sons and daughters do any good to you? Only the one who has a 130 crore family can do good to you, and he is Narendra Modi, he said. On Article 370, he said: "Rahul (Gandhi) used to threaten him about the revocation of Article 370, saying if it was revoked, there would be bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir. But after it was revoked, no one could dare to pelt a single stone there. He said in the previous Congress government, terrorists came from Pakistan and did blasts in the country and left. Earlier, talking to a news agency, Mr Shah said no family member of any terrorist nor close relatives of stone-pelters will get government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir. In Kashmir, we have taken a decision that if someone joins a terrorist organisation, their family members will not get any government job, he claimed. Voting for these seats will take place in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1. Mumbai: Maharashtra minister and leader of Ajit Pawar-led NCP Chhagan Bhujbal, on Monday said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to face consequences in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections as the oppositions narrative of the saffron party changing the constitution after coming to power had negative impact on voters. The BJP gave the slogan of 400 par, when only 272 seats were required to come to power. The opposition built a narrative that the saffron party wanted a brute majority to amend the constitution, which instilled a fear in Dalits. The impact of that narrative was so significant that it proved challenging for us to address that concern, said Bhujbal while addressing This resulted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarifying repeatedly that the BJP will not change the constitution. The resonance of this narrative within the electorates consciousness was clearly felt in the recent polling, he added. Bhujbal, who was considered to be loyal to NCP founder Sharad Pawar, has sided with Ajit Pawar following the split in the party. He has previously criticised the Maharashtra governments decision to extend reservations to Marathas. Another NCP leader Sunil Tatkare also concurred that 400 paar s;ogan gave a wrong impression to people and it became difficult to convince them. However, he expressed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance will win maximum Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar reiterated that his party will not abandon its ideology despite joining hands with the BJP. The party will not compromise on its ideology no matter how big a price it will have to pay, Pawar said. The ideologies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jotiba Phule, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar are the core of our party and we will not deviate from these ideologies, even if it means paying a hefty price for it. The best decisions for minority communities were taken during the Mahayuti governments tenure, he added. The NCP leader also appealed to party workers to focus their attention on the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections saying that the ground level cadre is the backbone of the party and they should be preserved and strengthened. Elections are a test for party workers and one should not get carried away by the victory or be disheartened by defeat, he added. Rebutting his uncles claim that had Chhagan Bhujbal been made the Chief Minister in 2004 the NCP would have split, Ajit said, If the NCP had taken the post of Chief Minister in 2004, the party would have been in a position to keep the Chief Ministers post as long as the Congress and NCP alliance remained in power. Chhagan Bhujbal, R. R. Patil and other leaders could also have become the chief minister. In 2004, the NCP had given the CMs post to the Congress despite emerging as the biggest party in the state assembly. NCP had won 71 seats and Congress had won 69 seats in the 2004 assembly elections. Ajit said the reason for Sharad Pawar giving the CM post to Congress was his experience with Sudhakarrao Naik in 1990. After making Sudhakarrao Naik the CM, he stopped listening to Sharad Pawar within only one year. He also removed 17 people from the cabinet. All this mess started from there, he said. The Bharatiya Janata Party is Indias largest political force but its ideology is not properly understood. Some aspects of it the opposition to dynasty, the promise of economic development are clear, even though these may not be adhered to by the party fully. The largest component of the ideology, what is called Hindutva, or Hindu nationalism, is quite vague. What does it mean and what is it intended to achieve? Devanura Mahadeva, a famous Karnataka writer, explores this with his work on the parent body of the BJP. In the book RSS: The Long and Short of It, Mahadeva attempts to understand what the RSS is and what it wants through the simple device of reading Hindutvas primary texts. These are V.D. Savarkars works and M.S. Golwalkars Bunch of Thoughts. The writer describes his motivation to do this through a parable. A sorcerer who spread turmoil was invincible because his life was stored in a parrot in a distant cave. He thus remained untouched by action against his own person. The only way to get at him was to go after this life-soul, in that hidden parrot. Mahadeva thus goes on this quest to see what lies behind Hindutva. In his encounter with Golwalkar, he finds the RSS head worshipped caste and asked that the rest of us worship it. In Bunch of Thoughts, Golwalkar says the Hindu people are his god and this god manifests itself through caste. Meaning the organisation of Hindu society in the way Manu described it (Brahmin head, Kshatriya arms, Vaishya thighs and Shudra feet) is the entity that is worthy of worship. In 1960, Golwalkar said caste could be used for cross-breeding superior humans, like it was done in animals. This was done by Hindus earlier, through upper caste men fathering the first child of a woman married to someone else. It may interest readers to know that Europe in the feudal period may have had something similar called droit du seigneur (right of the lord), allowing feudal lords to have sexual relations with subordinate women on the wedding nights of the women. That this was straight exploitation of the weak and not some noble thing does not appear to have occurred to Golwalkar. If such things are not pushed forth by the RSS cadre or the BJP, it is not because these statements have been withdrawn but because they are likely confident that few people will do what the author has done and actually read the primary texts. It would be interesting to see a television debate today on whether or not the caste system should be worshipped and ossified as the RSS wants it to be. Mahadeva makes a number of original observations. He says the RSS has defanged the religions that sprang out of India but rejected the caste that he wants worshipped. The RSS tries to pull out the teeth and nails of Jaina, Bouddha, Sikh, Lingayat and other dharmas that were born in India and rejected the Chaturvarna order. By merely saying that these are Hindu faiths, it is sought to subsume them. There is no resistance to this internally, he writes, because the RSS in fact does not encourage thinking. Of the title Bunch of Thoughts itself, he says there is not much thinking in the work, only a series of random, dangerous beliefs and that too from a bygone age. Thinking is discouraged in the RSS through the insistence on order over diversity. The RSS tames its volunteers, Mahadeva writes, and quotes Golwalkar as saying that they must do what is told if told to play kabaddi, play kabaddi, told to hold a meeting, then hold a meeting their discretion is not required. Among the things this cadre is taught is that the Constitution is flawed. The very idea of states is offensive to them, because there can be only one Bharat Mata, and the existence of a Karnataka, Gujarat or Bengal is wrong. The stress for homogeneity over diversity shows, the author writes, in such things as nomenclature. The RSS and the BJP refer to Adivasis as vanvasis (forest dwellers), this eroding their indigenous identity. Mahadeva calls Hindutva a cow-faced tiger, an entity that is eating at Indian society from within. The Prime Minister, he says, is popular but is only an utsava murti, a replica of an idol that is led out at a procession. The real deity sits in Nagpur, inside the RSS shrine. The only qualifications required of the utsava murti are the ability to put up a show and mesmerise people. Mahadeva asks: Dont we see all of this today? What does he offer as a solution? He gives the example of a village that is overrun by thieves. First, the entire town wakes up. At night youth take turns patrolling and keeping watch in mohallas. Women carry chilli powder with them. This is the kind of awakening and vigil we all need. Because these thieves can come in different guises; they may come for temple maintenance, for instance. Fake news can be spread. Hymn singing can be organised. The only way out is to first uncover the plot. This requires us to be vigilant. Further, at least now, the sane voices which are a scattered few need to speak up about right and wrong. Words like love, tolerance, justice need to be heard from within our society. The intellectual content of books is sometimes judged by how long they are. Mahadeva himself refers to his work as a booklet. Let this description not mislead the potential reader. This is a first-rate work and the most important intellectual attack on the times we are going through, and for that reason has also become the most popular. by Shafique Khokhar The victim, 72-year-old Nazir Masih, was beaten by an angry mob. His business and home were set on fire, as police failed to intervene. His family is on the run, while he lays in hospital in critical condition. Nine months after violence in Jaranwala, the Christian community in Punjab province continues to be the victim of the same hostility. Sargodha (AsiaNews) The latest case of anti-Christian violence was reported on Saturday in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, on the border with India. This represents yet another instance of violence against Christians in the province, a trend of Islamic intolerance towards the minority that has been escalating since August 2023 when more than 20 churches and nearly 100 homes were attacked. A mob brutally attacked and beat Nazir Masih, 72, a Christian man, setting fire to his home and business in Mujahid Colony, Sargodha, capital of Sargodha Division. The mob acted following blasphemy allegations against the Christian. It also tried to beat the victims son Sultan Gill and his family, who fled. The latters shoe shop was also set on fire. Due to the beatings he received, Nazir is currently in critical condition in hospital. The family, which includes 15 members, narrowly escaped further attacks, fleeing before the mob could strike again. Numerous pictures and videos have been posted on social media, showing an angry crowd, including teenagers and children, with the bleeding man lying on the ground, repeatedly hit, despite vain attempts by some to stop the attacks. Several uniformed Punjab police officers are seen mingled with the crowd, watching without intervening. Eventually, the police dispersed the mob in front of the victims' home, but 15 officers were reportedly injured, some seriously, as they tried to contain people. Police have filed First Information Reports against 44 known and 450 unknown persons under the Terrorism Act. As a result of this episode of violence, many Christians have fled the area to avoid further attacks by extremists. For their part, local Church leaders have expressed deep concern over the incident, noting that this attack once again highlights the failure of the government and law enforcement agencies to curb the growing extremism and violence in society, despite the directives of the Supreme Court. They urge Punjab law enforcement agencies and the local administration to ensure the safety of the Christian community and bring those responsible to justice, stressing the need for swift and impartial justice to restore trust in the legal system. They call for a judicial inquiry to be entrusted to Dr Shoaib Suddle, who is already committed to defending the rights of the country's minority communities to determine who was responsible for the mob attack and hold police officials accountable for their failure to act. In addition, they demand that false accusations of blasphemy against Christians not be recorded, and that Christians be provided with protection. It's alarming that people feel compelled to take the law into their own hands, indicating a severe loss of trust in the police and judiciary, said Joseph Jansen, a human rights activist. In his view, such incidents are reminiscent of the August 2023 violence in Jaranwala, sparked by an alleged desecration of the Qur'an; for this reason, he urges the government to take immediate action to implement legal and administrative measures to curb the trend towards mob justice and to promote a tolerant and law-abiding society. I am deeply saddened and with a broken heart I condemn this horrific incident in Sargodha, said Fr Khalid Rashid Asi, diocesan director of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), speaking to AsiaNews. No Christian can humiliate the Holy Qur'an, he added. Sadly, Christians are just implicated in such incidents to settle personal scores and for personal grudges, he explained. The mob has no right to lynch any person; there is the police and the legal system to provide justice to everyone. In his view, rising violence in the name of religion is due to the government's failure to de-radicalise extremists as well as the lack of political will to introduce substantial legal reforms in religious defamation cases. Ultimately, for Fr Asi, Serious action must be taken against those involved in such violence. The European Leadership Forum (ELF) 2024 has kicked off with more than 800 Christian leaders from all over the continent meeting from May 25-30 in Wisla, Poland. It is the 22nd annual ELF that aims to unite, equip, and resource evangelical leaders to renew the biblical church and evangelize Europe, according to organizers. Keynote speaker during the opening session was Australian author, professor, and historian John Dickson who talked about the attitude that Christian leaders should espouse in the post-Christian culture that is prevalent in Europe today. Dickson, who now lives in the United States and teaches at Wheaton College but spent most of his life and ministry in his native Australia, pointed out that already in 1975, historian Patrick OFarrell described Australia as the first genuinely post-Christian society. What does post-Christian mean? He recalled the experience of a public debate in 2008 as his personal turning point in understanding what it means to live in a formerly majority-Christian country where more than 50% of the population today no longer identify with any branch of Christianity. With the topic We'd be better off without religion in front of an audience of a thousand people and broadcasted on national television in Australia, three panelists brought arguments in favor and three against. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Dickson said that despite brilliant arguments by John Lennox and two other panelists, polls before and after the debate clearly showed that the result was a resounding defeat for those highlighting the important contributions of Judaism and Christianity to society. A significant majority of the Australian public agreed that religion is bad. This is the night I came away able to put my finger on something that have been percolating in the back of my mind for years, Dickson said, and explained that he realized post-Christian society still retains certain Christian values but disconnects them from the Church. It [became] clear that values traditionally thought to be Christian, like humility and compassion and equality were actually presented as secular values, Enlightenment values, he said. Similarly, the culture still holds a generally high view of Jesus and retains a sense of spirituality and belief in a higher being. Yet, paradoxically, it is mixed with a strong skepticism against Christianity accusing it of being immoral and dangerous. Another sign of this seeming contradiction is a survey that asked Australians about their perception of Christians, and among the Top 10 were five negative attributes, such as traditional, judgmental, old-fashioned, opinionated, and hypocritical. Yet at the same time, the five highest scoring attributes were positive ones, including caring, loving, kind, honest, and faithful. In post Christendom, it's as if people had two Christianities sitting in their heads at the same time, Dickson commented, saying that there may be a public perception of hypocrisy but then people might remember good aunty Judy who is loving and nice. It is important for Christians to understand this mixture of perspectives in order to effectively engage with culture today, he argued. Four temptations for Christians He then went on to name four common responses among Christians who live in a post-Christian society, describing them as temptations. The first one is dooming where believers would only dwell on bad news and regard the entire world with an attitude as if it's all going to hell. This is theologically problematic because it downplays the grace and power of God, and no one knows how God might suddenly turn the situation around, Dickson argued. And he warned that it also paralyzes believers who then end up doing nothing to meaningfully contribute to society. The second temptation which may also result from the first one is compromising where believers dont want to annoy people. Therefore, they only highlight the parts of Scripture that resonate with society and leave out other elements of faith that might cause offense. He lamented that some Christian churches or ministries even consider this an effective mission strategy. Thirdly, Dickson cautioned not to fall into retreating where Christians would live a life isolated from society, like withdrawing into a monastery. And fourthly, the opposite attitude of attacking, where Christians try to reclaim a Christian heritage and highlight that hospitals, schools and other institutions were originally Christian inventions and should therefore be protected from secular influences. None of the four attitudes could ever succeed at redeeming a post-Christian society as they do not reflect the Biblical way of engaging with culture, Dickins emphasized. Cheerful confidence to stand up for Christ and to lose well Reading the well-known passage in 1 Peter 3:8-16, Dickins highlighted that despite the fiery trials that the early Church experienced during Roman times, the Apostle Peter does not endorse dooming or compromising or retreating or attacking. Instead, he offers what I've described as a double demeanor, perfectly suited for his pre-Christian context and our post-Christian context. Firstly, Peter urges a cheerful confidence to stand up for Christ in every situation. And [secondly], less popular: a cheerful humility to lose well if we must. The first one is evident in that the Apostle says believers should always be ready to share their hope with everyone, Dickins said, highlighting that both terms are absolute. But in the original Greek, that sentence is connected with the previous one where it says, in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. (Verse 15) Therefore, Dickins argues, Christians should not be made feel guilty about their failure or hesitation to share their faith, rather they should be inspired and reminded that Christ is exalted over everything and that he is Lord over all. Out of this conviction and joy, they can share their hope with everyone always, Dickins said. The second demeanor is equally important and speaks about losing well. In arguments with others, there may be a misconception that confidence could mean to be ready to attack and overpower. Dickins, however, said that the Bible teaches us that a truly confident Christian knows that Christ has won, and so we can lose. Pointing again to the passage in Peters letter, he commented, Notice there was no attack in this message, not a hint of attack. Just a cheerful humility. This is the image that Jesus Christ himself showed as he loved his enemies and prayed for forgiveness for those who crucified him, Dickins said. Losing well is not an attitude of defeat or resignation when people slander or persecute Christians, instead it is endurance in confidence and hope. It is about knowing that after the cross there is resurrection and that God can use bad situations for His good, he said. Dickins also gave examples of his personal life, such as a time when one of his books was banned in Australian schools because an atheist group said it reflected Christian values that are unwelcome. Rather than fighting back when media interviewed him about the ban, he just commented that he stood by what he wrote and believed that the truth will prevail. This then led to unexpected conversations with the education minister who called him and expressed his appreciation that Dickins didnt publicly fight back. It also opened opportunities for Dickins to share the gospel with the minister, and a few weeks later, the book ban was lifted as well. Learning from the Church Fathers Finally, Dickins also pointed to the Church Fathers in the first three centuries and their response to pressure from Roman society. While there are many examples, he specifically highlighted Lantatius, a scholar at a secular university who lost his job and had to flee for his life during a time of great persecution. Dickins said Lantatius modeled this cheerful confidence in his Divine Institutes, where he wrote: Do they [Romans] try to compel us by talk, or by offering any kind of argument? Not at all: they use violence and torture. But worship cannot be forced; it is something to be achieved by talk rather than blows. If their reasoning is sound, let them argue it! If they have any confidence in their truth, let them teach it to us: let them engage in debate of some such sort with us. Religion must be defended not by killing but by dying, not by violence but by endurance. And he goes on to add: There is a further reason why [God] lets persecution come upon us: it increases the number of Gods people, and it is not difficult to show why or how that happens. [] They want to know what that good is which is defended even unto death and which is preferred to all the happy precious things there are in this life. [] Some people standing by hear us say amidst the tortures that we do not sacrifice to stones shaped by human hands but to a living God who is in heaven. Believers should be inspired by those who effectively shared the gospel in the pre-Christian world, imitating the same two-fold attitude, Dickins concluded. Public Christianity for a post-Christian world requires of us a cheerful confidence to stand up for Christ to everyone always. And a cheerful humility to lose when we must, knowing the Father can take painful losses and turn them into a wonderful gospel witness. More than 2,000 people may have been buried by the huge landslide that hit the village of Yambali, while a UN agency speaks of 670 dead. The presence of conflict between local tribal groups makes aid operations more difficult. Food and psychological support are needed. AsiaNews sources: "there are Lutheran and Adventist churches" in the area, while "there are few Catholics". Port Moresby (AsiaNews) - More than 2,000 people may have been buried alive by a huge landslide that hit a remote area of Papua New Guinea on 24 May, while the treacherous terrain and the difficulty of bringing aid to the area diminish the possibility of finding survivors. There is still a great deal of uncertainty about the real number of people who have died: a UN agency in the country speaks of around 670 dead, while the Disaster Management Team (Dmt) Secretariat of Png speaks of a much larger number, over two thousand. The discrepancy in the estimate reflects the difficulties in formulating a reliable and accurate balance sheet, as well as the problems related to the isolation of the affected area. The landslide hit the village of Yambali, in the north of the country, around 3am on 24 May, while most of the community was sleeping. More than 150 houses were buried by debris nearly two storeys high. Rescuers told local media that they heard screams coming from underground, but search and rescue operations for the missing are complicated. AsiaNews sources in the country report that the village is "part of the parish of Kasap" and is located "along the road that leads to the Pogera mine" and it is precisely the mining operations that could be the cause of the disaster, also because there have been no weather emergencies. Also in the area, the source continues, 'there are Lutheran and Adventist churches', while 'there are few Catholics'. "I have 18 members of my family buried under the rubble" and "many other members of the village that I cannot contact," Evit Kambu, a resident of the area, told Reuters. He says he feels "helpless" because he is unable "to recover the bodies". More than 72 hours after the landslide, residents are still using spades, sticks and bare hands to try to move debris and reach any survivors or missing people. The arrival of heavy equipment and aid has been slow because of the remote location but also because of the dangers of a conflict between local tribal groups that is taking place nearby. Clashes and violence are forcing aid workers to travel in convoys escorted by soldiers and to return to the provincial capital, some 60 km away, at night. In the tribal war, eight people were killed and 30 houses burnt on 25 May, a UN official reported. Today, aid convoys passed the remains of the still smouldering houses. The first excavator only reached the site late yesterday evening, and so far, only six bodies have been recovered. Contact with other parts of the country is difficult due to patchy reception in communications due to power restrictions at the site. In a note, the Dmt communications office emphasises that 'the UN continues to work with local authorities to verify preliminary estimates of the injured, missing and dead. The UN humanitarian coordination team has reached Wabag and is working with the provincial committee to coordinate the response'. "Clean water, food, clothing, shelter items, cooking utensils and medicine remain urgent priorities for survivors. Materials for the safe and dignified disposal of bodies are also needed,' the statement concludes, 'and psychosocial support remains a top priority. According to Matthew Hewitt Tapus, a pastor from Port Moresby whose home village is about 20 km from the disaster zone, many people are not even sure where their loved ones were when the landslide struck. Indeed, among the inhabitants, it is common practice to stay at the homes of friends and relatives. "It is not that everyone is in the same house at the same time, so," explains the Christian leader, "there are fathers who do not know where their children are, mothers who do not know where their husbands are. It is chaos'. Prime Minister James Marape's office said that the disaster was being handled by the Png emergency authorities and that the head of government is in the capital Port Moresby to prepare for the return of Parliament tomorrow, where he will face a motion of no confidence. Even now there is a risk of the ground and debris moving again and more than 250 homes have been abandoned as officials encourage people to evacuate. More than 1,250 people have been displaced, while some locals do not want heavy machinery and excavators to enter the village and interrupt the mourning. Today's News: Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing talk about the denuclearisation of North Korea while Pyongyang announces the launch of a new rocket; Brazil wants to apologise for Japanese human rights violations after World War II; With the boom of 5G and artificial intelligence n China in 2023 data production will grow by 22.44%; Turkmenistan wants to become the world's first tobacco-free country. GAZA-ISRAEL Dozens of people were killed or injured in Gaza in an extensive fire in a refugee camp after an Israeli Air Force raid on the Rafah area. Israeli Defence Forces said they targeted two senior Hamas leaders in one of the group's compounds; from there the flames reportedly spread to the shelters. The attack came hours after Hamas fired eight rockets from Rafah towards Tel Aviv, the first long-range strikes on the city since January. KOREA-JAPAN-CHINA Japan, South Korea and China jointly declare the importance of the denuclearisation of North Korea. This is the position expressed during the ongoing trilateral summit in Seoul, just hours after Pyongyang announced plans to launch a rocket capable of carrying satellites by 4 June. The launch could involve the use of ballistic missile technology, a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. CHINA China generated 32.85 zettabytes of data in 2023, an increase of 22.44% over the previous year. This was revealed in a report released at the 7th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, in the southeastern province of Fujian. The survey points to explosive growth in unstructured data production, linked to the rapid development of 5G and AI technologies, along with the widespread use of smart devices. JAPAN-BRAZIL The Brazilian Commission for Historical Truth about the Past is considering an official apology for human rights violations in the internment of immigrants and people of Japanese descent after World War II. The issue will be examined on 25 July, but President Enea Almeida has already expressed a positive opinion in an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun. An estimated 2.7 million people of Japanese descent currently live in Brazil, home to the largest community of Japanese outside the country. PAKISTAN Pakistani authorities said they arrested 11 Islamic militants involved in the suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers in March in the north of the country, on the border with Afghanistan. The arrested men belong to local Taliban groups, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a formation that brings together dozens of Sunni Islamists and sectarian militant groups. TURKMENISTAN In Turkmenistan, which plans to become the first completely tobacco-free country in the world next year, cigarette prices have been doubled. A packet of Mond International, the most popular brand, has risen from 50 to 100 manat (more than 26 euro), partly because of the floods that devastated the warehouses in Asgabat, and ruined ones sell for 35-40 manat. RUSSIA The court in Omsk in Siberia has decided to permanently close the Greek-Catholic parish of the Most Holy Mother of God, in which 57-year-old priest Igor Maksimov had placed an icon with the figure of Stepan Bandera and other Ukrainian nationalists, with the sentence of 'open and untestable violations', while Fr Igor is on trial for 'rehabilitation of Nazism' and 'vilification of religion'. by Sumon Corraya The Bangladeshi prime minister claims that Christians want to "carve out a Christian state on the border with Myanmar. Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze, head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh, calls the idea absurd. In a statement, he defends the sovereignty of Bangladesh. Dhaka (AsiaNews) Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is accusing Christians and foreign interests of hatching a plot to "carve out a Christian state like East Timor between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Ms Hasina made the allegations during a meeting with the leaders of the 14 parties that are part of the ruling alliance. The prime minister, who heads the Awami League, said that in January, before the election, she was offered a safe re-election if she allowed a foreign country to establish an air base in Bangladesh. Hasina did not reveal more details but was probably referring to Saint Martin Island, the southernmost part of the country. In the past, she had accused the opposition, represented by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, of planning to cede the coral island to the United States, a claim the latter has always denied. Hasina vowed to resist any attempt to destroy regional stability, saying that she was determined to fight such conspiracies. Without giving any further information, she said the offer came from a white man. Yesterday, Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze of Dhaka, chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh, issued a press release in which he expressed surprise and concern at the prime ministers accusation. The renowned daughter of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu, the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, tirelessly works to safeguard our nation's freedom and development. She has been playing a steady and courageous role in protecting the sovereignty of Bangladesh. We, the Christians of Bangladesh, gratefully recognize and support her efforts, the archbishops statement reads. We, the Christians of Bangladesh and our leaders, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh and the United Forum of Churches, are surprised and worried by this news. In today's globalized and secular world, the notion of a 'Christian state' is absurd, the press release went on to say. Archbishop Bejoy, who also heads the United Forum of Churches in Bangladesh, adds: We agree with the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and support her efforts to safeguard the sovereignty of Bangladesh. We also pray for her continued success in this regard. The prelate also spoke of the possibility that some people will exploit the prime minister's statement to undermine communal harmony; for this reason, he calls on the authorities to ensure the safety of the Christian community. Such a view is echoed by Christians in Bangladesh. We Christians in Bangladesh live peacefully and maintain brotherhood. We oppose any foreign intervention in our country, said Sukumar Gomes, an NGO worker. The Thai government has been criticised for the decision, forcing Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai to show the rice is still edible in the presence of officials and journalists. However, according to expert opinion, old rice loses much of its nutritional value. A dozen African countries import thousands of tonnes of rice from Thailand every year. Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) Several African ambassadors have expressed concern at reports that the Thai government plans to auction 15,000 tonnes of unsold rice harvested in 2013-14. Despite government reassurances that the rice is edible, many Thais and several food experts have criticised the decision. Yesterday, Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai announced that a committee would be set up to oversee the sale. The rice is expected to be exported to Africa. We hope the auction will fetch a good price," he said. Revenue from the sale will be returned to state coffers. I am glad the controversy over the rice has ended. The minister went on to say that bidders will be allowed to check the quality of the rice, in line with criteria set by the Ministry of Commerce. Last week, Thailand said it would auction off 150,000 bags of rice, from which it expects to earn between 200 and 400 million baht (US$ 5.4 million to US$ 10.8 million). However, the rice has been sitting in two warehouses in the northeastern province of Surin for about 10 years after the failure of a programme established by the administration of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. From 2011 to 2014, the government purchased rice from local farmers at a price above the market price, without setting any limit on the amount purchased. When the programme stopped in May 2014, about 18.6 million tonnes of rice remained unsold, most of which was put on the market in 2018 during Prayut Chan-o-cha's administration. As a result of criticism, Minister Phumtham went with a group of officials and journalists to inspect the warehouses, in front of whom he ate freshly cooked rice to prove that it was edible. The government added that a test carried out by a private laboratory on samples taken from the two warehouses in Surin did not show the presence of chemical residues. According to some, however, rice, which undergoes dozens of fumigation cycles (a process through which parasites are eliminated with gases) still poses risks to people's health. In addition, James Marsh, a food safety expert, noted that 10-year-old rice probably contains very few (or zero) nutrients. The most you can store grain, especially rice, should not exceed five years, Marsh explained. Data from Statista shows that Thailand is the worlds second-largest exporter of rice, with 8.2 million tonnes sold abroad. The top 10 African importers of Thai rice in 2023 were South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon, Mozambique, and Cote d'Ivoire, which together imported 2.48 million tonnes. The next on the list are Zimbabwe with 55,691 tonnes, Algeria with 76,747 tonnes, Angola with 135,909 tonnes, Benin with 139,206 tonnes, and Togo. Rice is often smuggled from Benin and Togo into Nigeria, where government policies are in place that limit imports to boost local production. A high-level delegation of Korean mission leaders spoke at the European Leadership Forum (ELF) 2024 in Wisla, Poland held from May 25-30, about their desire to see dialogue and collaboration between Korean missionaries and the local churches in Europe. Leading a session titled How Can the European Church and the Korean Church Work Together?, three Korean leaders shared about principles and some initial recommendations how the 2,000 Korean missionaries serving in Europe and the European Church could better cooperate for the renewal of the church and evangelization of Europe. The delegation included Dr. Dae heaung (Jonas) Kang, General Secretary of the Korea World Missions Association (KWMA) and Head Chair of the Asia Missions Association, Rev. Choong-hee Hahn, Executive Director of TIM (Tyrannus International Mission) and Associate Pastor in Onnuri Church in Korea, and Rev. Sung Choon Lee who has served as a missionary and pastor in Frankfurt, Germany for over 23 years. Lindsay Brown, who served with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) for many years and formerly led the Lausanne Movement as International Director, facilitated the session on behalf of the ELF. Dr. Kang first introduced the work of KWMA, an association that brings together a wide range of more than one hundred mission organizations and agencies, conducts mission research and provides resources and training to Korean missionaries overseas. As the second-largest missionary sending force today after the United States, there are currently an estimated 22,000-35,000 missionaries sent out by Korean churches who are serving in every region of the world. While the vast majority of Korean missionaries serve in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, there are approximately two thousand missionaries that have been dispatched to countries across Europe, a continent where Christianity has seen significant decline in numbers in recent decades. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Dr. Kang expressed the desire of KWMA to engage in dialogue with European church leaders to strengthen the collaboration between Korean missionaries and European denominations and churches, seeking to foster the integration of missionaries into existing local church contexts. He recommended to explore several potential areas of collaboration, such as prayer initiatives, sharing of resources, serving diaspora communities and refugees, among several others. He gave examples from the United States and the United Kingdom where Korean missionaries would lead prayer initiatives together with native churches to rekindle the fire for the gospel. He pointed to an article titled Reverse missionaries: how the migrant Church is shaping European Christianity by the Evangelical Alliance of the United Kingdom (EAUK) that reported about one such prayer initiative at that time. This Prayer Mission has created a very powerful prophetic picture of the global Church uniting with the British Church for the reviving of Christianity across these isles. This is not the end for what God wants to do, but the start as the legacy of the Korean visitors is being lived out in the 30 towns and regions they have visited, the EAUK quoted Pastor Jonathan Oloyede, convenor of the UK National Day of Prayer, as saying. Following Dr. Kangs address, Rev. Hahn spoke about the gratitude of the Korean believers to the churches in the West for bringing the gospel to their nation many years ago. He shared that the Korean Church was built on the foundation of sacrifice of Western missionaries from the United States and European countries who came to Korea. They laid down their lives to share the good news of Jesus Christ with a nation far away from their homes. In the early 20th century, the country experienced unprecedented revival centered around Pyongyang, todays capital of North Korea, which was then called the Jerusalem of the East. Nowadays, the global Church landscape has changed significantly, however, with missions no longer led by the Western countries to the rest of the world. Instead, the Global South has increasingly started to dispatch missionaries, which led to a new era of polycentric mission with missions going from everywhere to everywhere. The large number of Korean missionaries today is an example of this shift that has taken place over the last century. Regarding the relationship of Korean missionaries and European churches, Rev. Hahn echoed the recommendations by Dr. Kang and expressed that he hopes the upcoming Lausanne Movement's Global Gathering in Seoul, Korea in September would offer an opportunity for further dialogue. He also shared that Korean churches would welcome joint prayer for the reunification of Korea, as Christians continue to suffer under oppression in the North. The third Korean speaker was Rev. Lee who talked about his personal experience in Europe, sharing his testimony of serving in Germany for more than two decades. He expressed the Korean missionaries deep desire to serve the country they are dispatched to. While many first-generation missionaries struggle with language and cultural adaptation, he said he has great hope for the second generation that grows up in the local context and can serve as pastors who are fully fluent in the national language bringing strength to the local churches and communities. Lindsay Brown concluded the session with prayer and expressed his sincere gratitude to the Korean delegation for coming all the way from Korea to begin these important conversations. As a next step, he emphasized the need to convene a group of key European leaders who could engage in strategic dialogue with the Korean leaders. A potential outcome of these follow up discussions could be a joint statement that outlines principles of collaboration between Korean missionaries and European churches, which could then serve as the basis for practical recommendations. 27 May 2024 21:00 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The process of signing a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is progressing rapidly. The meeting held by the foreign ministers of the two countries in Almaty on May 10-11 indicates successful negotiations towards peace, with concrete agreements reached on continuing and accelerating delimitation and demarcation work. However, differences of opinion persist, necessitating more frequent meetings to resolve them. Achieving peace in the region aligns with the interests of partner countries, promising innovations and developments in political, economic, social, and infrastructure aspects. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia stand to break free from the long-standing conflict, allowing countries like Turkey and Kazakhstan to implement new projects. Some imperialist states oppose Armenia's intention to end the conflict, with France particularly concerned. Recently, the French government has emphasized that its cooperation with Armenia is solely based on business interests and not aimed at the welfare of the Armenian people. Since the end of the Second Karabakh War, the Macron government has actively worked to prevent the signing of a peace agreement in the South Caucasus. These efforts have led to occasional tensions in Armenia and baseless accusations against Azerbaijan. France's attempts to cover up the failure of its foreign policy by labeling Azerbaijan as a "dictatorship" should be reconsidered in light of its own activities, including international legal violations, neo-colonial policies, racism, discrimination, Islamophobia, and restrictions on human rights. Before labeling Azerbaijan as a dictatorship, France should learn from its own actions. The first step towards normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and France should be taken by Macron. While previous French presidents may have openly shown sympathy for Armenians, they did not escalate tensions with Azerbaijan or make anti-Azerbaijani statements. However, since Emmanuel Macron was elected president, he visited Armenia but did not visit Azerbaijan. Macron and his team have elevated their anti-Azerbaijan policy since the Second Karabakh War. Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty over Karabakh. The Armenian government seems interested in signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, as borders are being defined and direct negotiations between the parties are yielding positive results. In this situation, the Armenian government does not need France's anti-Azerbaijan policy. On the contrary, this policy may create unnecessary problems between the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments through negotiations. May 28th is Republic Day in Azerbaijan. Many state leaders have sent congratulatory letters to President Ilham Aliyev on this occasion. However, there is no news of a congratulatory letter from the French president to the Azerbaijani president. This indicates that Macron is not yet ready to normalize relations. Despite all of France's provocations, a return to relations between Baku and Paris is possible. For this to happen, the French president and members of the government should reconsider their policy in the South Caucasus, especially putting an end to their campaign against Azerbaijan and baseless accusations. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 20:17 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more The Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising Committee of the Azerbaijan Milli Majlis convened on May 27 to deliberate on amendments to the Law "On the State Budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2024," Azernews reports. The discussions highlighted crucial adjustments required to navigate evolving economic landscapes and address emerging challenges. Revenue and Expenditure Adjustments: The revised 2024 state budget anticipates a significant revenue surge, reaching 36 billion 353 million manats, a commendable 6.4 percent increase from the original projection. However, this expansion necessitates a proportional rise in expenses, slated to climb by 8 percent to 39 billion 707.3 million manats. Such adjustments invariably widen the budget deficit to 3 billion 354.3 million manats, emphasizing the imperative of prudent fiscal management and resource allocation strategies. The substantial increase in both revenues and expenditures underscores the government's proactive stance towards addressing economic exigencies while ensuring sustainable financial stability. State Oil Fund Budget Projections: The State Oil Fund's revised budget reflects a robust revenue forecast, with an expected surge of 16.9 percent to 14 billion 109.2 million manats. This uptick heralds positive economic prospects, albeit necessitating vigilant oversight to prevent misappropriation and ensure optimal utilization of resources. The projected revenue boost underscores the critical role of the State Oil Fund in driving economic growth and resilience amidst volatile global oil markets. Foreign Trade Performance: Azerbaijan's foreign trade exhibited resilience, with transactions totaling 9.9 billion US dollars and a favorable trade surplus of 2.5 billion dollars. Such performance underscores the nation's competitiveness and resilience in global markets, necessitating sustained efforts to diversify trading partners and bolster export-oriented industries. The positive trade balance reflects Azerbaijan's capacity to leverage its strategic geographical location and robust export sectors to mitigate external economic shocks. Oil Sector Revenues and Export Prices: The notable surge in the average export price of "Azeri Light" crude oil to 87.3 dollars per barrel in January-April 2024 presents lucrative revenue opportunities. However, it also underscores the inherent volatility of oil markets, necessitating prudent fiscal planning and diversification efforts to mitigate risks associated with overreliance on hydrocarbon revenues. While the surge in oil prices presents short-term revenue windfalls, sustainable economic growth hinges on diversification efforts aimed at reducing dependency on oil revenues. Shift Towards Non-Oil Revenues: The upward trajectory of non-oil revenues, accounting for 51.1 percent of the state budget, signifies the success of diversification initiatives. Such a shift underscores the resilience of non-oil sectors and underscores the imperative of fostering an enabling business environment to sustain momentum and spur long-term economic growth. The ascendancy of non-oil revenues signals a paradigm shift in Azerbaijan's economic landscape, necessitating sustained efforts to bolster the competitiveness of non-oil sectors and attract diversified investment. Conclusion and Strategic Imperatives: The amendments to the 2024 state budget epitomize proactive measures to adapt to evolving economic realities and promote sustainable development. To capitalize on emerging opportunities and mitigate risks, policymakers must prioritize fiscal prudence, enhance transparency and accountability mechanisms, and pursue structural reforms to diversify the economy. Strategic imperatives include fostering innovation, investing in human capital development, and fostering robust institutional frameworks to sustain economic resilience and drive inclusive growth. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 19:51 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva North Korea has informed Japan that it will launch a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit between May 27 and June 3, Azernews reports. The points where the remnants of the rocket that will lift the satellite into orbit are likely to fall are outside Japan's exclusive economic zone at sea. The authorities have informed about this ship. A special group of the Japanese Government is currently analyzing the data. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed various departments to be prepared for any situation. It should be noted that on November 21 last year, the DPRK successfully launched the Mulligan-1 reconnaissance satellite into orbit using the Cholima-1 launch vehicle. Pyongyang said its reconnaissance satellite photographed the White House, the Pentagon and the U.S. Navy base, as well as important facilities in South Korea. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 20:39 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more YARAT Contemporary Art Space is pleased to announce the group exhibition "Monument to Freedom", hosted at the Museum of Azerbaijani Painting of the XX-XXI Centuries, Azernews reports. The exhibition brings together in one space works of painting, graphics, sculpture, graffiti, as well as video works commissioned by YARAT by artists Nazim Babayev, Kamal Ahmed, Toghrul Sadigzade, Sirus Mirzazade, Shahpalang Mammadov, Rasim Babayev, Ashraf Murad, Malik Aghamalov, Mir Nadir Zeynalov, Rashad Babayev, Museib Amirov, Adil Yusifov, Adil Shikhaliyev, Sabina Shikhlinskaya, Leyla Gabulova, Elnara Nasirli, Arzu Rzayev, Amrulla Israfilov, Emil Majnunov and Elturan Mammadov. Beneath the dominant narratives of history rest untold stories, suppressed voices, and concealed truths. The expansive Soviet Empire, founded on socialist promises and Marxist-Leninist principles, profoundly influenced the 20th century. Its utopian dreams juxtaposed with authoritarian governance impacted countless lives, culminating in a legacy of tragedy post-dissolution. "Monument to Freedom" addresses the aftermath of Soviet influence, scrutinizing its effects on individuality, recollection, national identity, and collective psyche. In the Soviet epoch, dissident artists significantly challenged ideological constraints and expanded artistic freedoms. These individuals served as both covert resistors and regime adversaries, endeavoring to reclaim and reinterpret their cultural legacy amidst Soviet dominance. They navigated the complexities of Azerbaijans history and identity. Contemporary artists, through photography, video, and installations, engage in critical dialogue with their predecessors, dissecting the paradoxes of socialist dogma and its stance on nationality, culture, and tradition. YARAT-commissioned artworks probe the scars of past injustices and their enduring impact on personal and communal memory. The "Monument to Freedom" group exhibition delves into Azerbaijanis historical, societal, and political tapestry, revealing a path to liberty that is intricate, harrowing, and steeped in sacrifice. The exhibition features works from the collections of the National Art Museum of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan State Art Gallery, Union of Artists of Azerbaijan, Nar Gallery, and Unibank. The exhibition is curated by Farah Alakbarli. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 10:18 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more A reception was held at the "Le Pavillon Dauphine" center in Paris to mark the Independence and Armed Forces Days of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. The reception began with the performance of the national anthems of Azerbaijan and France. Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva spoke about the path our country has taken towards independence. She stated that 106 years ago, on May 28, the first parliamentary democratic state in the Muslim world, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), was established. Despite facing significant internal and external challenges during a turbulent period coinciding with the fall of empires, the ADR succeeded in establishing effective state institutions, protecting the rights of its citizens, and gaining the trust of the international community. The independence of the ADR was recognized here, at the Paris Peace Conference. Although the lifespan of the first republic was short, lasting only 23 months, during this time, the state achieved significant progress in nation-building, identity formation, and democracy. One of its greatest achievements was granting voting rights to women in 1918, long before Western countries. The Ambassador recalled the tumultuous years of Azerbaijan's restoration of independence in 1991 and the struggle the country endured to preserve its statehood. She noted that as a result of military aggression by a neighboring country, one-fifth of our territory was occupied. She emphasized that the radical reforms implemented by the Great Leader and the well-defined strategy turned Azerbaijan into a dynamically developing modern state. Thanks to President Ilham Aliyev's wise policies, our country has earned its deserved place on the international stage. Azerbaijan has become the author of numerous projects in energy, infrastructure, and transportation sectors, transforming into a leading platform on the global stage. She pointed out that Azerbaijan, situated at the crossroads of East and West, reflects the values of both civilizations, harmoniously uniting diverse cultures. "Azerbaijan works tirelessly for continuous peace and development in the region. The liberation of our territories and the restoration of sovereignty over all our lands have created new realities throughout the entire Caucasus region. After the war, Azerbaijan embarked on a new era - an era of peace, harmony, and rebuilding the region. The 'Great Return' to our liberated lands began after 30 years. While hundreds of families have returned to their ancestral homes, 750,000 internally displaced persons still await their return. There are significant challenges ahead, but today the most important task is the signing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both countries are now very close to reaching a final peace agreement. In recent weeks, Baku and Yerevan have made significant progress towards normalizing relations. Azerbaijan's tireless efforts are aimed at ensuring continuous peace, stability, and cooperation in the Caucasus," Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva said, announcing that Azerbaijan will host the COP29 global conference at the end of this year. The Ambassador noted that hosting COP29 is not only a source of pride for Azerbaijan but also a significant responsibility and call to action. She emphasized that Azerbaijan pledges to work with all countries in an inclusive and cooperative manner on COP29 and believes that the conference will successfully address the most crucial issue of our time. Permanent Representative to UNESCO Elman Abdullayev and the military attache of the embassy, Colonel Javid Abdullayev, also spoke, discussing President Ilham Aliyev's leadership in establishing constructive partnerships with international organizations, the role of our Armed Forces in the struggle for independence, and the importance of the upcoming COP29 climate conference in Baku. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 11:13 (UTC+04:00) By Mazahir Afandiyev Azerbaijan is going to celebrate one of the most important days in its history: the 106th anniversary of the creation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), the first democratic and secular state in the Muslim world with a parliamentary form of government. This is one of the best pages in the history of the Azerbaijani people, evoking its unity. Our brave grandfathers, who loved their country most of all, and the National Council of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic signed the Declaration of Independence on May 28, 1918. This led to the formation of the first Parliament and Government of Azerbaijan, the delineation of the nation's borders, the creation of state attributes, the proclamation of the national language as the official language, the establishment of the Institute of Azerbaijani citizenship, and an increase in the nation's sense of independence. The legislation passed by the recently formed Parliament was crucial in creating democratic values, guaranteeing political, economic, and cultural advancement in the nation, and bolstering national independence. The primary emphasis on the principles of democratic participation was the representation in Parliament of all national political parties, peoples, and ethnic and religious groupings. Without a doubt, the primary predictor of a future democratic and multicultural state is the high degree of representation in Parliament. The ADR government enacted several laws and implemented political, military, judicial, and economic reforms in a span of twenty-three months. The people's literacy and education levels were raised to the appropriate level as a result the newly formed Republic's initial actions. Baku State University and numerous other educational establishments were founded in 1919 with this goal in mind. The development of an open legal and judicial system also received a boost during the same period. Considerable effort was made to safeguard national interests in the diplomatic sphere and acknowledge the Republic in the context of international relations. Our country was able to become a subject of international law during a period when the political order of the world was being rebuilt. This was the result of steps taken by the Democratic Republic, which the international community recognized. Additionally, after the Bolshevik occupation, Azerbaijan as a state was kept from being completely removed from the political map of the world. May 28th ought to be a significant day for the people of Azerbaijan as well as all other nations honoring Republican and Democratic principles. The values that the ADR upheld during its formation remain aligned with the objectives of the current global goals that humanity seeks to realize. Even though the ADR, which was founded on the ideas of people's power and equality, only lasted 23 months, the people's desire for independence has persisted since its inception. Thus, on October 18, 1991, 71 years later, the constitutional act "On the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan" was ratified. A constitutional act referred to the 1918 May 28 Declaration of Independence and announced that the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic had been replaced by the Republic of Azerbaijan. As the great leader Heydar Aliyev emphasized, Preserving and protecting independence is much more difficult than gaining it. The founder and architect of independent modern Azerbaijan is Haydar Aliyev, who came back to power by the adamant demands of Azerbaijani people in a trying period when our fates were determined. For the first time, the national leader chaired the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic's Supreme Majlis session on November 17, 1990. He took our Tricolor flag, which we gained from the Democratic Republic, to the meeting room in the then-Soviet state. Our identity, nationality, and morals are represented by this flag. He approved it without hesitation as the official state flag. Our Tricolor flag, which spans more than 30 years of Azerbaijan's independence, has given us moral strength on all fronts and further solidified our resolve to defend Azerbaijan's independence, restore its sovereignty, and guarantee our successes. President Ilham Aliyev provided an enduring testament to statehood for future generations with the raising of the Azerbaijan flag in Shusha, Khankendi, and all other sovereign Azerbaijani areas. 2018 was proclaimed by the head of state to be the "Year of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic" in our nation. This shows how highly the traditions of statehood and the first parliamentary republic in the East are valued, as well as how significant and honorable this particular chapter in our nation's history is. On October 15, 2021, the Republic of Azerbaijan's law "On Independence Day" was approved by the Milli Majlis of the sixth convocation, a sign of the assembly's respect for statehood customs. This law established May 28 as Azerbaijan's Day of Independence and October 18 as the Day of Restoration of Independence. This demonstrates that the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, founded in 1918, is fully succeeded by the current Azerbaijan, which has regained its state sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Azerbaijani people will come together around their leader at this time of global political change and make sure that the gains and Triumph will last forever. As President Ilham Aliyev said, "Our independence is eternal, irreversible, indestructible! Long live strong, independent Azerbaijan!" Mazahir Afandiyev is the Member of the Milli Majlis (the Azerbaijani Parliament). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 18:17 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan maintains long standing relations with Uzbekistan.Both countries have a rich cultural heritage and have been working together to strengthen their ties and promote cultural exchange. In recent years, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have cooperated to enhance cooperation in the fields of culture, education, and tourism. This includes joint cultural events, exchanges of artists and cultural groups, and collaborations on preserving and promoting their shared cultural heritage. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1995 between the two countries, bilateral ties have forged deep bonds. Numerous documents have been signed between the two countries until today. The holding of the Uzbek Culture Days in Baku in 2023 was another step towards strengthening Azerbaijani-Uzbek relations. The large-scale event featured gala concerts, theatre performances, book presentation, exhibition and other events that aimed to highlight Azerbaijani-Uzbek relations. Operating since 2019, Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre in Tashkent also contributes to the development of ties between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. 27 May 2024 14:52 (UTC+04:00) The Emperor of Japan, His Majesty Naruhito, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Azerbaijan Independence Day. Azernews presents the letter: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan On the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I have great pleasure in sending Your Excellency my heartfelt congratulations and sincere good wishes for your happiness and for the prosperity of the people of your country. His Majesty Naruhito Emperor of Japan" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Violinist Paloma So has shared her musical journey and how it was a proud achievement for her as a young musician to have an opportunity to shine in the music industry. So was only eight years old when she started to be interested with classical music and has not stopped ever since. The violinist made her stage debut in Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 in 2014, playing solo with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. At 18, So is now studying economics and music at Harvard University and the New England Conservatory on full scholarship. She has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. Recently, the HK Phil went on a mainland China tour. The Post interviewed her when she returned to Hong Kong for a few days after performing the 'Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto' in Wuxi and Shanghai. "Whenever I perform in mainland China, I feel an obligation to spread classical music. I really believe young people can and should go for classical music, not necessarily as a career but as a great hobby," she said. So realized early that she wanted to focus on music and pursue professional training. She had to convince her parents for quite some time before they finally gave in when she was 10. She said her parents knew how narrow the field would be, so there was some resistance at first. However, eventually, they realized how much she was into it and how passionate she was about music. Furthermore, she shared that she think they saw that although the journey would be hard, she had the fortitude to pave her through it. She proudly said that her parents are now her biggest supporters. 26 May 2024 18:39 (UTC+04:00) President of Paraguay Santiago Pena has congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Azerbaijan Independence Day, Azernews reports. The letter reads as follows: His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Dear Mr. President, On behalf of the people and government of the Republic of Paraguay, and on my own behalf, I am pleased to extend my sincere fraternal greetings to Your Excellency on the occasion of May 28 - Independence Day. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I wish the brotherly people of Azerbaijan peace, happiness, and prosperity, and I hope for the continued strengthening of the friendship and cooperation that unite the Republic of Paraguay and the Republic of Azerbaijan. I renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration and esteem. Santiago Pena President of the Republic of Paraguay --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 14:15 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 Independence Day. Azernews presents the letter: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, With great pleasure, I extend, on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Indonesia, our heartiest congratulations on the occasion of the 106th Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan. As we commemorate this anniversary, allow me to express my sincere appreciation for the friendly relations between Indonesia and Azerbaijan. These achievements are a testament to the vision and leadership of your government. I believe that our nations have much to offer each other, and I am confident that our collaboration will yield significant benefits for both our countries. Availing myself of this fine occasion, I once again offer you the renewed assurances of my highest consideration. Joko Widodo President of the Republic of Indonesia" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 May 2024 16:50 (UTC+04:00) President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Azerbaijan Independence Day, Azernews reports. The letter reads as follows: His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Uganda, and on my own behalf, I am pleased to extend to you and the Government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan greetings and congratulations on the occasion of May 28 - Independence Day. Our two countries are working together to advance common goals, and we look forward to further opportunities for cooperation, including our strong people-to-people ties. I am optimistic that the traditionally close relations between our two peoples will continue to grow and strengthen in the years ahead. Best wishes for good health and well-being to you, and for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan as you celebrate this important day in the history of your country. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni President of the Republic of Uganda --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 13:39 (UTC+04:00) Droupadi Murmu, President of the Republic of India has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 Independence Day. Azernews presents the letter: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, On behalf of the Government and the people of India, as well as on my own behalf, I extend warm greetings and felicitations to Your Excellency, the Government, and the friendly people of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the occasion of your Independence Day. India and Azerbaijan share historical and cultural links. Our multifaceted bilateral cooperation has registered significant consolidation in all spheres. I am confident that our engagement will expand to cover new areas of cooperation, demonstrating mutual respect for sensitivities and shared interests. I avail myself of this opportunity to convey to Your Excellency my sincere wishes for your good health and well-being, as well as for the continued peace, progress, and prosperity of the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration. Droupadi Murmu President of the Republic of India" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 18:00 (UTC+04:00) Bajram Begaj, President of the Republic of Albania, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Azerbaijan Independence Day, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Honorable Mr. President! As your country celebrates its Independence Day, let me convey my warmest congratulations to you and the friendly people of Azerbaijan. With particular pleasure, I consider the great progress that Albania and Azerbaijan have made in promoting friendship and cooperation. We remain very interested in expanding our friendly relations and bilateral cooperation, and I take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of advancing these ties to further levels, in the interest of both our countries. I would also like to express my heartfelt acknowledgment for the hospitality extended to me during my visit to Azerbaijan in March. I wish continued success, progress, well-being, and happiness for Your Excellency and the people of Azerbaijan. Sincerely, Bajram Begaj President of the Republic of Albania" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 17:20 (UTC+04:00) Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Republic of Maldives, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Azerbaijan Independence Day, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Excellency, The Government and the people of the Maldives join me in conveying warm felicitations and sincere good wishes to Your Excellency, the Government, and the people of Azerbaijan, on the joyous occasion of the Independence Day of Azerbaijan. Let me also extend, Excellency, my personal best wishes for your good health and happiness, and for further progress and prosperity of the people of Azerbaijan. Mohamed Muizzu President of the Republic of Maldives" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 May 2024 12:56 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accepted the credentials of newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italian Republic Luca Di Gianfrancesco on May 25. Azernews reports that the ambassador presented his credentials to the head of state. President Ilham Aliyev then had a conversation with the ambassador. Expressing satisfaction with his appointment as ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ambassador Gianfrancesco conveyed the greetings of President Sergio Mattarella of Italy to President Ilham Aliyev. President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the greetings and asked the ambassador to relay his own greetings back to the Italian President. During the conversation, they emphasized the special character of the relations between the two countries, which are developing within the framework of strategic partnership. The ambassador noted the successful development of relations in various areas, including science and education, and praised efforts to open Italian universities in Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted Italy's status as one of Azerbaijan's main trading partners within the European Union. They hailed the dynamic development of political, humanitarian, economic, and educational cooperation between the two countries. They mentioned that relations between Azerbaijan and Italy began with the energy sector and expanded to cover various areas, including culture, information and communication technologies, transportation, and others. The conversation also emphasized the active involvement of companies from Italy, a friendly and partnering country, in reconstruction and restoration works in Azerbaijan's liberated territories. The meeting discussed the development of the Middle Corridor and explored prospects for cooperation in this context. Furthermore, the meeting addressed Azerbaijan-EU relations and Italy's support, as an EU member, to Azerbaijan in this process. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 19:29 (UTC+04:00) King of Jordan Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, has sent a letter of congratulation to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28-Azerbaijan's Independence Day. According to Azernews, the letter reads: His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, On behalf of the people and government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, I would like to extend to Your Excellency, and the great people of Azerbaijan, our sincere congratulations on the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan. I avail myself of this opportunity to wish Your Excellency good health and happiness, and to the brotherly people of Azerbaijan continued progress and prosperity. Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein King of Jordan --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 19:55 (UTC+04:00) The President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, has sent a letter of congratulation to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28-Azerbaijan's Independence Day. According to Azernews, the letter reads: His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Dear Mr. President, Please accept my heartfelt congratulations for peace and prosperity of the Azerbaijani people on the occasion of the National holiday of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Allow me to express my satisfaction with the fruitful interaction and cooperation between our two countries and peoples and to reaffirm that the Republic of Bulgaria highly values its excellent relations of friendship and strategic partnership with the Republic of Azerbaijan. I am confident that following our latest talks and the signing of the Joint Declaration on Strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Azerbaijan on 8 May this year in Baku, the intense bilateral political dialogue of recent years will acquire new dimensions. I believe that the pragmatic approach followed by us in our bilateral relations will continue its positive dynamics in the future. Wishing you good health and success in your highly responsible work, please accept, Dear Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration. Sincerely, Rumen Radev President of the Republic of Bulgaria --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 19:58 (UTC+04:00) Milorad Dodik, President of the Republic of Srpska, has sent a letter of congratulation to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28-Azerbaijan's Independence Day. According to Azernews, the letter reads: His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Honourable President, Your Excellency, On behalf of people and institutions of the Republic of Srpska and my own behalf, it is my honour to convey sincere regards and best wishes on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Due to your leadership, the Republic of Azerbaijan grew and developed into a regional leader and economic power, and I am proud to say that the Republic of Srpska and the Republic of Azerbaijan share warm and friendly relations, full of understanding and mutual respect. In times of major tectonic geopolitical changes, and challenges in both political and economical arena, understanding and respect for internal affairs as well as foreign policy of each and every country, is of extreme importance. The fact that Your country proved its independence at the global scene by refusing to support unjust moral disqualification of the Serbs at the voting that took place on 23 May 2024 at the session of the General Assembly of the UN is the proof of Your sovereign politics and deep awareness of the necessity to fight together against liberal terror and re-establishment of the unipolar world. The Serbs will never forget this historical decision of the Government of Azerbaijan and we remain deeply grateful for your most honourable stance in this matter! With pleasure I do underline my firm belief that our bilateral cooperation in many areas and segments will mark growth and will have upward trends. I honestly do believe that our relations will develop in the years to come in a way to be of use and advantage of both of our nations. My firm intention is to further develop our friendship and support by keeping and respecting it. Honourable President, Your Excellency, Allow me to reiterate expressions of deep appreciation and good wishes for your personal health and general well-being, as well as for prosperity and development of friendly people of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Sincerely, Milorad Dodik President of the Republic of Srpska --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Golden Globe-winning actress Brooke Shields was elected president of the Actors' Equity Association, representing over 51,000 professional stage actors and managers. She succeeds Kate Shindle, the union's president since 2015. Shindle declared last month that she would not seek re-election. The position of Equity president is a volunteer job, and Shields was elected to a four-year term. The position has formerly been held by several well-known actors, including Ron Silver, Colleen Dewhurst, Ellen Burstyn, and Burgess Meredith. Shields won with around half the vote. The remaining votes were divided between Equity vice presidents Wydetta Carter and Erin Maureen Koster. The union announced her victory on Friday and also reported in the Broadway Journal newsletter. A union representative said that the actress was not available for an interview. In a campaign video posted on YouTube, Shields said that one of her top goals would be advocating for increased government funding for the arts. She claimed she understands the real need to support live theater and has a history of being able to open doors and help. Shields is best known as a screen actress in 'The Blue Lagoon,' 'Endless Love,' 'Suddenly Susan.' Her Broadway credits include 'Chicago,' 'Grease,' and 'Cabaret.' Furthermore, about 51,000 members of Equity represent them in contract negotiations across the country. The union was just granted the authority to represent a variety of Disneyland performers last week. The Broadway League and the union have a conflict over a new contract that governs developmental work or how artists are paid when participating in workshops for shows still in production. Currently, the union is negotiating a new deal for Off-Broadway workers. Equity has threatened to have its members stop working on such developmental projects if a settlement is not reached by mid-June. 28 May 2024 01:00 (UTC+04:00) "Azerbaijan has always been in solidarity with the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and promoted their legitimate interests and concerns." According to Azernews, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, said in his address to the participants of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity held in Antigua and Barbuda. "During the 4-year-long Azerbaijani Chairmanship to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), we spared no effort to advance the Movements agenda. Leading the NAM gave Azerbaijan an opportunity to better understand the needs and concerns of all its Member States, including SIDS," the head of state noted. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 28 May 2024 00:41 (UTC+04:00) "SIDS are the most vulnerable nations to climate change," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in his address to the participants of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity held in Antigua and Barbuda, Azernews reports. Emphasizing that climate change also impedes Small Island Developing States' progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the head of state added: "During our COP29 Presidency addressing the challenges posed by climate change to SIDS will be among our priorities. We are planning to hold SIDS Summit during the Baku COP. We will do our best to ensure that the voices of small island developing nations are heard loud and clear." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 10:55 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan reached $150.6 million from January through April this year, Azernews reports. Access to paid information is limited Find the plan that suits you best. 27 May 2024 22:17 (UTC+04:00) Delegations from Tajikistan and South Korea discussed the results of the first stage of studying the possibilities of building a metro in Dushanbe, Azernews reports. According to the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan, an expanded meeting of delegations of specialists and companies' representatives from Tajikistan and South Korea was held under the leadership of the Minister of Transport of Tajikistan, Azim Ibrohim. Representatives from the Korean National Railway Company noted that Dushanbe, with a population of over 1.2 million people, is in urgent need of such safe and environmentally friendly transportation routes. They proposed building an underground metro using the Light Rail Transit system. At the same time, both parties expressed interest in continuing to the next stage of the metro construction project in the city. On March 14, 2022, a memorandum of understanding on studying the possibilities of metro construction in Dushanbe was signed online between the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan and the Korean National Railway. Based on this document, specialists from both countries analyzed and studied the organizational and legal aspects of metro construction in Dushanbe for 11 months. On August 22, 2023, the Ministry of Transport signed a memorandum of understanding with the Export-Import Bank of South Korea for financing the preliminary study and technical-economic justification of the project. It was also agreed to finance the detailed project development. To note, a permanent working group consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan, the executive body of state power of the city of Dushanbe, and the Korean National Railway was previously established to timely discuss metro construction issues. Within the framework of the working group, 17 meetings have already been held, including the current one. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 22:48 (UTC+04:00) French authorities are lifting the state of emergency in New Caledonia, declared on May 15 following the protests, the office of the High Commissioner of New Caledonia said, Azernews reports. The decision to lift the state of emergency was made due to the stabilization of the situation. The state of emergency is lifted effective May 28, 5:00 local time, while the curfew will still be in effect. Additionally, law enforcement will maintain a state of heightened readiness. To note, protests recently occurred in New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the Pacific Ocean, highlighting issues such as social unrest, unemployment, and discrimination. A clash between protesters and police resulted in the deaths of two police officers and three protesters. Despite being located 16,000 kilometers away from France in the Pacific Ocean near the Australian continent, New Caledonia remains a French colony and is subject to exploitation, leading to protests from the local population. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 21:15 (UTC+04:00) The Polish Glinik Drilling Tools company plans to implement an investment project on the production of drilling equipment for the mining industry in Uzbekistan, Azernews reports. The matter was discussed at a meeting between Ambassador of Uzbekistan Amirsaid Agzamkhodjaev and the president of Glinik Company, Wojciech Tomkiewicz. The head of the Polish company noted that he is ready to open a joint venture in Uzbekistan. As a result of the meeting, the sides reached agreements on working out the issue of opening a joint venture with representatives of Uzbekistans Ministry of Mining and Geology, Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company, and Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine, as well as organizing a visit of the company's delegation to Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Uzbekneftegaz (Uzbekistan's oil and gas company) and Russia's Gazprom launched a drilling control center. The creation of centralized organizational and digital management allows the company to reduce the duration of drilling wells by 45 percent and reduce the cost of their construction by 3 percent. It will be possible to save from 4 billion soums to 10 billion soums (from $316,702 to $791,756) on the construction of each well. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 27 May 2024 18:45 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva On May 27, South Korean President Yun Seok-yeon, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold a trilateral meeting in Seoul, Azernews reports. This is the first joint meeting of the leaders of the three Asian countries after December 2019. The sides discussed deepening trade and economic cooperation, cooperation in the field of healthcare, science and technology, disaster management, as well as exchange between peoples. At the meeting, 2025 and 2026 were declared the Years of Cultural Exchange between China, Japan and South Korea. According to media reports, regional and international issues were also on the agenda of the meeting. A joint statement is expected to be adopted following the meeting. The leaders will also take part in a business forum, which will be organized with the participation of businessmen from all three countries. The bilateral meetings took place on May 26. It should be noted that although trade and economic cooperation between China, Japan and South Korea, which are economically large Asian countries, is quite widespread, there are dissatisfactions between the parties from a political point of view. China is a trading partner of both South Korea and Japan, and the United States is a political and even military ally of Tokyo and Seoul. In addition, Seoul and Tokyo want China to put pressure on North Korea, with which it has close relations, to stop its nuclear missile activities. Beijing, on the other hand, opposes an increase in the military presence of the Western bloc in the region, led by the United States through South Korea and Japan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Commentary: In what could become a landmark decision in the future, Justice Clarence Thomas has articulated a very convincing case that courts should stay out of legal issues that have traditionally been reserved for state cases. And he picked one of the most hotly contested issues with which to make his argument. If the reason eventually becomes a majority opinion, as it well could with this conservative court, it will be an earthshaking decision. Matthew Vadum, writing at the Epoch Times, reports: Justice Clarence Thomas criticized the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling this week days after its 70th anniversary, suggesting in a redistricting case that the Supreme Court used faulty reasoning when it declared that it was unconstitutional to separate schoolchildren by race. This is a problem because the same defective thinking appears in the courts redistricting decisions, according to the courts longest-serving justice. Brown was actually two decisions. In the first ruling on May 17, 1954, the court unanimously overturned the separate but equal principle established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) in a challenge to public school segregation in Topeka, Kansas. The court held that government-sanctioned separation by race violated the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a decision that bolstered the civil rights movement. On May 31, 1955, in a decision known as Brown II, the court unanimously ordered the states to go ahead with desegregation plans with all deliberate speed. Some constitutional scholars criticized the decision for upending precedent and writing new law on the basis of data presented by social scientists. There was considerable resistance in some states until 1957, when Republican President Dwight Eisenhower, who had personally been lukewarm to Brown, decided he was constitutionally obligated to enforce the rulings. He federalized the Arkansas National Guard and used it to protect minority high school students in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Democrat Gov. Orval Faubus had been resisting desegregation. Liberal Justices Dissent From Supreme Courts Ruling Upholding New South Carolina Election Map Justice Thomass statement came in a concurring opinion filed May 23, which upheld a congressional redistricting plan in South Carolina. The court found in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP that the map was adopted because of political considerations and was not a product of race-based discrimination. The Supreme Court treats racial gerrymandering as constitutionally suspect but allows partisan gerrymandering. The ruling benefits Republicans who face voters in November as they defend their razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat in South Carolinas 1st congressional district is currently held by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). The majority opinion (pdf) in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP was written by Justice Samuel Alito. It was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts along with Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. The court majority held that challengers failed to demonstrate that race was the main factor in the redistricting, as opposed to more mundane partisan considerations. Redistricting, which the Constitution primarily entrusts to state legislatures, is an inescapably political enterprise, Justice Alito wrote. Justice Clarence Thomas joined the majority opinion except for one part and filed his own separate opinion concurring in part. Justice Elena Kagan filed a dissenting opinion that was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Kagan wrote the courts majority has gone seriously wrong. The majority ignored existing precedent by not showing due deference to the trial court in a decision that will make it more difficult in the future to prove racial gerrymandering, she added. Courts Shouldnt Handle Gerrymandering Claims: Justice Thomas In his concurring opinion, Justice Thomas suggested that courts should not be involved in adjudicating gerrymandering claims at all. Racial gerrymandering and vote dilution claims lack judicially manageable standards for their resolution. And, they conflict with the Constitutions textual commitment of congressional districting issues to the state legislatures and Congress. They therefore present nonjusticiable political questions, he wrote. If a question is nonjusticiable, it means that it cannot be assessed according to legal principles by a court. The Court should extricate itself from this business and return political districting to the political branches, where it belongs, the justice added. Citing various court decisions in his opinion, Justice Thomas wrote that the court here in Alexander overstepped its authority by embracing a view of equity [that] emerged only in the 1950s, he wrote. In law, equity refers to the power that courts possess to provide fairness outside the technical requirements of the law. The Supreme Courts impatience with the pace of segregation caused by resistance to Brown led the court to approve extraordinary remedial measures. In Brown II, the court took a boundless view of equitable remedies, describing equity as being characterized by a practical flexibility in shaping its remedies and by a facility for adjusting and reconciling public and private needs. That approach justified temporary measures to overcome resistance at the time, but as a general matter, [s]uch extravagant uses of judicial power are at odds with the history and tradition of the equity power and the Framers design. Federal courts have the power to provide only the equitable relief traditionally accorded by courts of equity, but not the flexible power to invent whatever new remedies may seem useful at the time. The remedies in redistricting cases rest on the same questionable understanding of equitable power, Justice Thomas wrote. No court has explained where the power to draw a replacement map comes from, but all now assume it may be exercised as a matter of course, he added. The lack of a historically grounded map-drawing remedy is an enormous problem for districting claims, because no historically supportable remedy can correct an improperly drawn district. Meanwhile, on May 23, in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, the Supreme Court ordered part of the case remanded to a three-judge federal district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. The results of the 2024 Libertarian convention should be helpful to President Trump as they have nominated a presidential candidate much more likely to take Democrat votes than Republican. Nominee Chase Oliver is a former Democrat and Obama supporter who is stressing support of Gaza and opposition to Israel in his campaign. He is openly homosexual and supports open borders, men in womens sports, gender transitioning of children, mask and vax mandates, and decriminalizing all drugs. The Libertarian Party is split into two wings, and Oliver narrowly edged out the choice of the more Republican friendly wing, while another large faction supported not running a candidate at all. Oliver's left-Libertarians stress anti-war, anti-military, pro-drug, gay rights, and open borders issues, while the right-Libertarians stress low taxes, less government, and personal freedom. Both groups support some things strongly like gun rights. The division within the Libertarian Party was shown by the mixture of cheers and booes received by President Trump and Vivivek Ramaswamy when they spoke at the convention. By narrowly choosing a left-Libertarian nominee, the party not only motivates its right-Libertarian members to vote for Trump but it will now challenge Biden for some of his own base. The pro-Gaza theme Oliver showcased in his acceptance speech shows that the party is targeting disgruntled pro-Hamas Democrats for their fall campaign. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/05/libertarian-party-chooses-openly-gay-former-democrat-chase/ https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/05/libertarian-party-nominee-oliver-chase-is-radical-leftist/ The Libertarian vote in November will come at Biden's expense, not Trump's., and that is a good thing for America. Today's college students are being educated into imbecility By Craig DeLuz web posted May 27, 2024 The upheaval happening on college campuses today is no accident. It is the fruition of a long-standing trend towards Marxist indoctrination within our universities. For decades, prestigious institutions such as Columbia, Harvard, New York, Yale, MIT, and Princeton have been favoring applicants who display the appropriate "social justice" opinions and hiring faculty who promote these ideals. They have solidified this mindset by pushing the language of identity and the "oppressed vs oppressor" narrative. Few have played a greater role in this transformation of education than a little known Brazilian educator named Paulo Freire. Paulo Freire transformed modern day education by emphasizing the importance of political education. He believed that true education was not just about passing on facts and information, but rather about empowering individuals to challenge "oppressive systems" and work towards social change. Through his influential work, such as "Pedagogy of the Oppressed," Freire challenged traditional teaching methods and advocated for a more "participatory and democratic" approach to education that de-emphasized reading, writing and arithmetic in favor of encouraging students to become "agents of change in their communities." He showed that education is a powerful tool for Marxist transformation. His impact on education continues to be felt worldwide. Instead of fostering critical thinking and open-mindedness, his ideas have led to a narrow-minded and often destructive mentality in some students. This has far-reaching consequences, as seen in the current issue surrounding Israel and Palestine. And let me tell you, my heart aches for the Jewish students who, in the year 2024, in America no less, are now living in fear on their own campuses. We have reached a point where Rabbi Elie Buechler of Columbia University has advised Jewish students to stay home because the university and the police cannot guarantee their safety. How have American Jews found themselves caught up in this turmoil? It is no surprise, as the Left has labeled Israel as the "oppressor" in the narrative of the Middle East. And it seems to not matter that just one year ago, on October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and ruthlessly massacred 1,200 people, the majority of whom were innocent civilians, including women and children. But this is what happens when a simplistic "us vs them" ideology prevails and justifies any cruelty. The version of Marxism that is now rampant on U.S. campuses has evolved from its original economic roots, first formulated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 1848 Communist Manifesto. Katharine Cornell Gorka, and Mike Gonzalez have titled their latest book NextGen Marxism because what they see now has undergone a cultural transformation in Europe and has been further distorted here in America, with other elements such as race, sex and climate being added. But make no mistake, the "oppressor vs oppressed" paradigm is the essence of Marxism. In the opening lines of the Manifesto, Marx and Engels state that "the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles," and they proceed to list various groups as the oppressed and their oppressors. This mentality has been dressed up in the language of "social justice" by the revolutionaries who seek to fundamentally change our society, as President Barack Obama so famously promised. But we must be wary of this idea of "social justice" because the goal is not to improve the lives of those they claim to help. In fact, many Marxists have come to realize that capitalism actually improves the lives of the poor. For example, Max Horkheimer, the German intellectual who devised the culturally Marxist critical theory approach, stated in 1969 that capitalism does not impoverish workers but rather helps them towards a better life. But here in America, the torch of revolution has been passed to racial and sexual minority groups who are deemed by the Marxists as the "most oppressed" and therefore the most deserving of a revolution. This is evident in the Black Lives Matter movement, whose leaders openly state that their goal is societal reconstitution. The leaders of BLM are all self-proclaimed Marxists, and their ideology is deeply rooted in the American version of critical theory, known as critical race theory (CRT). Yet these so-called revolutionaries fail to see that capitalism is not the enemy. Melina Abdullah, the head of BLM Grassroots, even went as far as to say that "when we feed capitalism, we feed racism" and claimed that "white capitalism feeds itself through the exploitation of Africa and black people." It is no surprise that this movement, fueled by Marxist ideas, has found common cause with the Palestinian cause and views Israel as an oppressor. It is a sad reality that universities have allowed this poison to seep into their halls, and now we are seeing the dire consequences in the year 2024. Perhaps it is time to reconsider where our taxpayer dollars are going and demand that these universities cleanse themselves of this destructive ideology and cease the process of educating students into imbecility. Project 21 Ambassador Craig J. DeLuz has almost 30 years in public policy and advocacy. He currently hosts a daily news and commentary show called The RUNDOWN. You can follow him on X at @CraigDeLuz. This first appeared at The Washington Times. Co Down tax consultancy making major investment in Dublin office and staff A tax consultancy based in Bangor has announced a 500,000 expansion into the Republic as its client list of Irish businesses seeking support with R&D Tax Relief continues to grow. The Momentum Group is investing in Dublin city centre offices and expanding its team as part of the companys commitment to supporting SMEs in Ireland. The announcement comes as the latest figures from Revenue reveal that Irish companies have claimed over 1.1bn in R&D Tax Relief with experts predicting more than three-quarters will go to large businesses. The provisional statistics for 2022 also reveal claims have been lodged by over 1,551 companies across Ireland. With processing of returns continuing, these figures may fluctuate but when the final tally is revealed, experts predict a similar picture to the previous year when 77% of claims came from large companies (250 employees and over) and smaller businesses accounted for just 23%. Founded in 2009, the Momentum Group has a strong track record of working with businesses across multiple sectors in the Republic, Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK. Managing director Tom Verner said the time is right for the company to continue its growth and expand into the Republic of Ireland market. He said: We already work with a number of Irish businesses, so it is right that we establish a real presence in the Republic of Ireland. Irelands SMEs need support to help the country become a global economic powerhouse in technology and this investment, over three years, is evidence of our commitment to providing that expert support. The Momentum Group stands ready to help these businesses save time and money by identifying, analysing and optimising R&D opportunities. The Governments Impact 2030 strategy seeks to put the full spectrum of research, development and innovation at the heart of addressing some of the countrys biggest challenges. To support this strategy, the Irish Government has made some headline changes to the R&D Tax Relief scheme such as increasing the rate to 30%. Despite the incentives, its clear SMEs are still not availing of tax credits in sufficient numbers, while the larger companies, who have the resources to devote to making claims for their qualifying R&D expenditure are. If the Government is to realise its ambitions and make Ireland an R&D powerhouse, then more needs to be done to encourage smaller businesses to be even more innovative and to claim for the work they are doing. The tax expert said SMEs report a number of barriers when it comes to compiling tax relief claims, but the two biggest are the complexity of putting a claim together and knowing what does or doesnt qualify. The average energy bill in Northern Ireland for gas and electricity has increased by around 1,250 over the past two years, Belfast Telegraph can reveal. And electricity supply is facing a shake-up after our third biggest supplier, Electric Ireland, announced its exiting the domestic market. But Aodhan ODonnell, the founder of price comparison website Power to Switch, said the companys decision could turn out to benefit consumers here. He spoke as Power to Switchs annual home energy survey showed the average household energy bill for electricity and gas had increased by 550 over the last year, according the report. The energy price comparison services report found that people are taking a range of measures to try to save on rising bills. Three-fifths of people said they have turned off the heating even when their home is cold. The price rises are biting for all types of households in Northern Ireland, with six in 10 monthly payment and keypad households finding it more difficult to pay energy bills. The specifics of challenges vary depending on the type of heating used. One issue highlighted by the survey is self-disconnection, where households with keypads run out of credit and cannot afford to top up their meter either right away or in the longer term. Three-quarters of keypad customers said they were not able to afford a top-up two or more times in the previous years. And one in 10 respondents said this had happened to them 10 times in the preceding year. Most rural homes in Northern Ireland use heating oil, and prices for oil remain high in historical terms, according to Power to Switch. One in five people reported going without any oil top-ups at all due to the price rises, while just under half of people said they have been topping up with smaller amounts of oil. Mr ODonnell said that in response to the high price of full-tank refills, some heating oil suppliers have started to offer payment options such as direct debit or PayPoint facilities. The financial and personal stresses of these price increases were reflected in respondents anonymous comments on the survey. A number reported considering making sacrifices to cover basic bills, while one respondent summed up their concerns as having less to spend on fun things, eating into savings if I want to continue with the same lifestyle. People are also worried about the health impact of rising costs, with one person saying that, as a pensioner who already suffers from poor health, I fear for the future. The electricity market in Northern Ireland has gone through a turbulent time in recent years. Energy supplier Electric Ireland announced this month that it will be leaving the NI market, with its customers to be taken on by Power NI as the default supplier. But Mr ODonnell said he does not expect this withdrawal to negatively impact the overall stability and pricing of the energy market here. Electric Ireland exiting the market is unlikely to have a direct impact on overall prices within the market. Its fair to say that over the past few years, Electric Ireland did not have the most competitive deals in the market, so you could actually save money by switching. However, other suppliers may see an opportunity to attract some of the 50,000-plus customers from Electric Ireland who will now be on the lookout for a new deal. NI may also prove an attractive market for a new supplier to enter. At its high point in 2022, Electric Ireland had 96,000 customers, so if a supplier has a strong offer and good customer service, it is possible to build a substantial customer base in NI, which would be good for competition and consumer choice. The survey found that the rate of increase in energy prices slowed in the past 12 months compared to the 12 months before that, where prices increased, on average, by 694. Mr ODonnell said he considers it unlikely that prices will fall to the levels they were at before the Covid pandemic. Instead, he believes that the percentage increases in prices year-on-year may fall back to where they were before 2022. There have also been positive developments for consumers in the energy market here in recent months. Mr ODonnell said: Over the past year weve seen energy suppliers offer more discounts and more competitive deals. He is encouraging people to shop around for better deals on their energy bills and to use offers from other suppliers to renegotiate their tariffs with their current supplier. Mr ODonnell explained that suppliers do want you to stay on past the initial discounted rate, offered in the first year, and are open to extending discounts to avoid losing customers. All of the three main electricity suppliers, for example, offer a variety of rates, with many households on standard rates. A standard rate tariff is really suppliers default tariff, Mr ODonnell explains. Usually, they do not have an exit fee, contract term or fixed end date. But watch out for the cost: they are often the most expensive rates offered by your supplier. These rates are very often higher, for both keypad and bill-paying customers, than the discount tariffs offered to first-year customers. The best annual standard rates for the three biggest suppliers here excluding Electric Ireland are 951 from Power NI for bill pay, and 927 for its keypad customers. SSE Airtricity offers 1,181 for bill pay and 1,152 for keypad, while Budget Energy offers 1,233 for bill pay and 1,223 for keypad. By contrast, the best discount tariffs of the three companies are Power NIs 894 for bill pay and 927 for keypad. At SSE Airtricity, its 815 for bill pay and 980 for keypad. Budget Energys discount rate, meanwhile, is 842 for bill pay and 907 for keypad. The potential to switch suppliers is available for nearly all energy customers, including keypad customers. Power to Switch NI urges people to be aware of the different deals available to customers. Mr ODonnell advises customers to make sure to compare your energy deal to be sure that youre not paying more than you have to. He adds: Typically, switching your energy supplier every 12 months helps save money. On average, people who switched supplier using Power to Switch saved 42. He also advised people struggling to pay their bills to contact their energy supplier and he encourages people to be aware of various grants and schemes available to help cut down costs or simply help financially. In early 2022, a series of national and international factors came together to create huge spikes in energy prices. Demand for energy was increasing at this time as lockdown measures were relaxed following the height of the Covid pandemic. Another key cause of the price rises was the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which disrupted the supply of natural gas and oil from Russia into Europe. This created a situation where some customers were hit with 20% jumps in the overall cost of their energy bills. Mr ODonnell said that the war has led nations to review their energy policies and to increase their focus on securing domestic energy supplies. The impact of the war in Ukraine made clear the extent to which energy supply was still centred on fossil fuels, despite the increasing role of renewable energy. Figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) show that in 2023, 45.8% of Northern Irelands electricity consumption was generated from renewable sources. Mr ODonnell said that this growing figure was environmentally very welcome and improved energy security, as renewable sources are often located within individual countries, unlike fossil fuels which are often sourced from abroad. He added that issues still remain with renewable energy sources, namely that the amount of energy they generate can vary greatly. For example, the amount of power generated by a wind turbine varies depending on how much wind there is on any given day. UK If you want your new puppy to get along with your cat, introduce them gradually The family of junior stock car champion Jack Morrow have paid tribute to their pride and joy at his funeral in Co Down. Mr Morrow was killed in a single-vehicle crash near Rathfriland in the early hours of Saturday morning. Another teenager was seriously injured. The 17-year-old was a well-known stock car racer and described as one of the most talented drivers on the scene. Tributes flooded in following his death on Saturday. Before the service at Rathfriland Presbyerian Church, stock cars belonging to the teenager led his funeral precession. A tribute penned by his mother and father, Andrew and Jill, and sister Amy, was read out at the funeral. "Our Jack the Lad - well, where do we begin? Such a short life but so much accomplished in those 17 years, the tribute read. From he arrived on the first of May, 2007 he has been our pride and joy from those big blue eyes to that beautiful smile that would just light up any room. "His dads sidekick and best friend and, as Amy would tell you, mummys wee soldier and he was the best big brother Amy could have had. Typical brother and sister relationship teasing and tormenting each other but best friends always. Jacks family said it was at stock car racing where he really excelled and made us proud, winning numerous championships over the year. Jack Morrow. Photo: Hardie Race Promotions/Facebook. Having gone to watch Ivan Elliott race he caught the bug and his dad and Ally built him his first Ninja Kart. There was never any question as to what his race number would be had to be the same as Ivan - 924, they said. The tribute continued: So much more we could say about our boy but for now fly high son, it was an honour to be your parents and sister, keep watch over us with Granda Jack - together again, you were truly one of kind, love you always - 924 simply the best. News Catch Up: Monday 27th May 2024 Election is an opportunity to choose brighter, more positive politics, says Alliance leader DUP leader Gavin Robinson and Alliance leader Naomi Long are to battle it out in east Belfast. Alliance leader Naomi Long has confirmed she will be contesting the East Belfast seat in the upcoming General Election. Mrs Long, who sensationally unseated then DUP leader and First Minister Peter Robinson in the constituency in 2010, will challenge the partys leader Gavin Robinson as she vies for votes on July 4. Its understood that given the short nature of the six-week campaign period, Mrs Long intends to remain in the Executive in the run-up to polling day. However, she will resign both as an MLA and Justice Minister if successfully elected. In 2019, there were fewer than 2,000 votes between Mrs Long and Mr Robinson. DUP interim leader Gavin Robinson (PA) The DUP boss has held the seat since 2015 when he ousted Mrs Long, although the former Lord Mayor was aided by an electoral pact with the UUP to deliver the much-craved win. The significance of the battle ahead was also highlighted on Saturday with the forecast by poll analyst Electoral Calculus believing that the constituency is effectively too close to call. Meanwhile, the most recent LucidTalk Westminster election poll also suggested the DUP has lost over a third of its support since the 2019 election. Mrs Long described the upcoming election as a chance for her party to return more MPs. It is always an honour to be the East Belfast candidate in any election, and this time, Alliance has a real opportunity to return several MPs and send a message that, as a society, we are moving forward beyond traditional divides to seek the best outcomes for everyone, she said. Gavin Robinson in The King's Hall after taking East Belfast from Naomi Long in 2015 The party is also hoping its sole current MP, Stephen Farry, will be able to defend his North Down seat. Both in East Belfast, and across Northern Ireland, we have an opportunity to choose a brighter, more positive politics, focused on growing a dynamic, sustainable economy, delivering fair funding for public services through the block grant, and ending political instability by reforming our institutions to remove vetoes, Mrs Long added. Thats what my colleagues and I are offering voters their votes plus our commitment adds up to a better future. While others are already focused on constitutional fear-mongering and division, Alliance is focused on issues such as health, education, the economy, climate, and the cost of living, seeking practical and innovative ways to improve peoples lives. If the people of East Belfast elect me as their MP on July 4, I am committed to leading that change at Westminster. Her decision to run will heap pressure on her rival who was only appointed DUP leader in March following the arrest of Jeffrey Donaldson in connection with historical sex offences. Mr Robinson polled 19,575 votes to Mrs Longs 16,978 to take the seat in 2015. Both candidates increased their votes in 2019 to 20,874 and 19,055 respectively. However, a broader field this year could significantly change the numbers. The DUPs return to Stormont with the Protocol still in place has allowed the TUV to set out an alternative, anti-Irish Sea border stall, which may appeal to some constituents and split the unionist vote, leaving Mr Robinson vulnerable. Jim Allister Jim Allisters party, which has entered a partnership with Reform UK, has not yet announced its list of candidates who will run on an anti-Protocol platform to challenge unionists who have supported post-Brexit trading arrangements agreed by the DUP. However, when asked yesterday if the party will contend for the East Belfast seat, he said: Why would I even think about not doing so? Mr Allister dismissed the idea that such a move could dilute Mr Robinsons share of the vote, making it easier for Mrs Long to win the seat. Has somebody got a given right to this seat, is this not the peoples seat? he said. We really need to get beyond this propaganda mindset that unionists who dare to oppose the Protocol should not have the right to vote against it and be compelled to vote for someone who will implement it. NI mans hospital ordeal: I was taken into a storeroom for medical examination while paramedic held door Eamon (86) says he never wants to go back to Altnagelvin as review announced of link-up between hospitals in Enniskillen and Derry Eamon McCaffrey (86) had a medical exam in a store room in Altnagelvin Liam Tunney Mon 27 May 2024 at 07:00 A Co Fermanagh man had a medical examination in a storeroom at Altnagelvin Area Hospital in Derry while a paramedic held the door. Rishi Sunak defended his bold plan to bring back a form of compulsory national service amid a ministerial backlash and Tory confusion about the policy. The Prime Minister said the policy, which will see 18-year-olds forced to either sign up to the military or cyber defence force or undertake community volunteering work, would make society more cohesive and strengthen the UKs defence. But a serving minister complained he was not consulted on the 2.5 billion policy and senior Tories faced questions over whether parents would be liable for fines if their adult children refused to take part. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Under the Tory plan, due to be fully in place by 2029-30 if Mr Sunak wins the election, all 18-year-olds will be legally required to take up either a 12-month placement in the armed forces or cyber defence or give up the equivalent of one weekend a month to volunteer in their communities. Around 30,000 full-time military placements will be on offer, with the vast majority of 18-year-olds expected to do the compulsory community roles instead, working with organisations such as charities, the NHS, police or fire services. Mr Sunak told reporters on a campaign visit in Buckinghamshire: This modern form of national service will mean that young people get the skills and the opportunities that they need which is going to serve them very well in life. Its going to foster a culture of service which is going to be incredibly powerful for making our society more cohesive and in a more uncertain and dangerous world its going to strengthen our countrys security and resilience. For all these reasons I think this is absolutely the right thing to do. Yes, it is bold, but thats the kind of leadership I offer. But Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker publicly criticised the way the policy had been sprung on Tory candidates. He suggested had it been a government policy rather than a Tory proposal, he would have had a say because of the particular sensitives around military service in Northern Ireland. But this proposal was developed by a political adviser or advisers and sprung on candidates, some of whom are relevant ministers, he said. In a sign of wider unease at the policy, he added: History has proven time and time again that liberty under law not compulsion and planning is the surest road to peace and prosperity. Broadcast interviews by senior Tories also demonstrated that key points of the policy were yet to be worked out, with a royal commission promised to develop the details. Ministers compared it to the requirement for children to be in education or training up until the age of 18, which can leave parents liable for fines if their children do not show up to school. Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan did not rule out the possibility of parents facing prosecution if their children refused to take part in the scheme. Asked on Times Radio whether parents would face prosecution if their legally adult 18-year-olds refuse to sign up for the military or volunteering activity, she said: Im not going to write the detailed policy now. Thats what a royal commission programme of works will be for. Tory deputy chairman James Daly said Ms Trevelyan certainly doesnt have responsibility for this area and asked: Why would you think that a parent of an 18-uyear-old would go to jail because of the actions of an 18-year-old? Tory peer Lord Goldsmith, an ally of former prime minister Boris Johnson, hit out at Mr Sunak and indicated he believed the Conservatives were on course for an electoral disaster. I understand the anger towards Sunak who has damaged the party almost beyond repair and all but guaranteed the majority of his MPs will lose their job next month, the former minister said. But its hard to muster much sympathy given that none of this would have happened without the complicity of a majority of the party and what is now unfolding was entirely predictable indeed predicted. The hope is that when Sunak disappears off to California in a few weeks there are at least some decent MPs left around which to rebuild. Labour stepped up attacks on the national service plan, with Sir Keir Starmer calling it a teenage Dads Army. Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: Tory MPs are arguing among themselves about whether they are going to arrest parents, whether it will apply to Northern Ireland and how much it will cost. It is a shambles, total chaos, and the country deserves so much better. TUV leader Jim Allister has dismissed as nonsense speculation that he might switch constituencies to challenge the interim leader of the DUP in East Belfast. The North Antrim MLA said while his party would be running in Gavin Robinsons Belfast constituency, he said there had never been any consideration that he might be the candidate. His comments came after Alliance Party leader and Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long confirmed she would run against Mr Robinson in East Belfast. Ms Long was formerly the MP for the area between 2010 and 2015 but has lost the last three general election polls to Mr Robinson. The DUPs interim leader Gavin Robinson (Liam McBurney/PA) However, the race is tipped to be a close one on July 4, with the prospect of the TUV securing votes from disaffected DUP supporters unhappy with the deal the party struck with the UK Government on post-Brexit Irish Sea trade barriers that facilitated the return of Stormont earlier this year. Mr Robinson assumed the leadership of the DUP on an interim basis in March after the shock resignation of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson following his arrest and charge on historical sex offence allegations charges he denies. On Monday, Mr Allister dismissed any notion he would be his partys candidate in East Belfast. I really am astounded by the ignorance of those who put themselves forward as political commentators to make such a suggestion, he told BBC Radio Ulsters Nolan Show. It has never been in my mind to run in East Belfast. He added: It really is a poor reflection on the state of political commentary in Northern Ireland if such a rogue and nonsense suggestion would even be ventilated. At the last general election in 2019, Ms Long was just under 2,000 votes behind Mr Robinson. The current Stormont Justice Minister described the July 4 poll as an opportunity for her party to return a number of MPs. She plans to remain in post as minister during the election campaign, insisting it will not distract her from her ministerial duties. Her approach is different to that taken by UUP Health Minister Robin Swann, who is stepping down as minister to focus on his bid to win a Westminster seat in South Antrim. Naomi Long was the MP for East Belfast between 2010 and 2015 (Liam McBurney/PA) Alliance is hoping its sole current MP, Stephen Farry, will be able to defend his North Down seat, and the party is also aiming for gains in other constituencies, including Lagan Valley, where former DUP leader and outgoing MP Donaldson has been the long standing Westminster representative. DUP Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley is running as the partys candidate in Lagan Valley. Ms Long said: Both in East Belfast, and across Northern Ireland, we have an opportunity to choose a brighter, more positive politics, focused on growing a dynamic, sustainable economy, delivering fair funding for public services through the block grant, and ending political instability by reforming our institutions to remove vetoes. On Monday, Mr Allister also reiterated his willingness for the TUV to step aside in the Fermanagh South Tyrone constituency to facilitate a non-party unionist candidate running in an effort to take the seat from Sinn Fein. DUP interim leader Mr Robinson has also backed this approach in the UKs most westerly constituency. We believe in co-operation across the unionist family and maximising the pro-union vote, Mr Robinson said on Sunday. Weve been speaking to all shades of unionism about more than one seat. The DUP would step aside in Fermanagh and South Tyrone if there was a non-party pro-union candidate. However, Mr Allister said the strategy would only work if the UUP also stood aside in favour of a non-party unionist. Fermanagh and South Tyrone has a particularly unique history in terms of a single candidate and the suggestion that a non-party unionist could bind together all unionist voters is a good idea and its one that I am prepared to endorse, he said. But its one which can only fly if all unionist parties endorse it. UUP leader Doug Beattie has insisted he does not favour pacts and on Sunday he highlighted that a candidate from his party was fewer than 60 votes short of winning the seat in the last election. The UUP candidate for Fermanagh-South Tyrone is set to be local councillor Diana Armstrong. Mr Beattie told the PA news agency on Sunday: The UUP came within 57 votes of beating Sinn Fein at the last Westminster election and therefore represent the best chance of returning an MP who will show up and represent constituents. Online censorship's institutional power By Joshua Moon web posted May 27, 2024 A person's most valuable asset is their reputation, and there's no better place to build one's cachet than online. For this reason, there is a convergence of extreme wealth, power, and influence building up around the backbone of the Internet like a cancer. Without immediate organization and reaction from the atomized groups considering themselves "anti-censorship", we will soon live in a less free world with a less open Internet where rich and influential people can dictate their own trustworthiness and slander their opposition with impunity. In the 11 years I have managed my forum, the Kiwi Farms, I have seen firsthand the power in allowing people to talk about people. Anyone who is permitted to freely share what they'd like about another is enabled to punch far above their own weight. When a forum organized like the Kiwi Farms hosts stories, media, and documents that never go away, it can become a permanent blight on a diligently maintained reputation belonging to surprisingly important people. When that demerit is made on someone rich and well-connected, they may dedicate years of their life to trying to erase it. Liz Fong-Jones is a transgender multi-millionaire, formerly employed by Google, but now involved in at least two San Francisco tech startups: Honeycomb and Tall Poppy. His resume and portfolio has been leveraged to try and deplatform the Kiwi Farms since 2017. What started with a single email has expanded over seven years into a conspiracy targeting the most sensitive and important components of what makes up the Internet. The story of Liz Fong-Jones trying to take down the Kiwi Farms is indicative of what will soon be done to all controversial web content if there is not coordinated effort made to make the Internet, and the companies which compose it, more neutral and accountable. Fong-Jones Liz Fong-Jones and Trans LifeLine On August 18th, 2017, Liz Fong-Jones used his company's email address to send a complaint. The targeted provider hosted my website's email service. At the time, we used Cloudflare's security services, and a common way to bypass Cloudflare was to look at the mail server. Cloudflare does not protect email, and often the unprotected mail server for websites will be the same server or provider as the actual protected web server. Fong-Jones complained we hosted personal information, hoping that this would cause our website to go down. The information in question was about Trans LifeLine, a hotline for transgender people in crisis staffed by transgender volunteers. At the time, Trans LifeLine was operated by Greta Gustava and Nina Chabaul. These organizers would post extravagant lifestyle photos on their public Instagrams, meanwhile the Trans LifeLine hotline service rarely had anyone online to accept emergency calls. This led Kiwi Farms users to suspect they were stealing from their charity, so we began documenting both their lifestyle and their hotline's performance (or lack thereof). Documents leaked to us by people who had worked with them showed that there was almost no organization, no internal support structure, and no training. Transgender people recruited by TLL to be call agents would then be put on lines to deal with immediately at-risk suicidal transgender people with scant information on how to actually help. Some callers reported being hung up on. Operators reported trauma from having to answer life-or-death phonecalls without any idea of what to do or say. Years later, and thanks to information made available only on the Kiwi Farms, they would be ousted from the organization for fraud. Trans LifeLine's operators would later file under penalty of perjury that Greta and Nina had inured hundreds of thousands of dollars. Liz Fong-Jones tried to cover this up while it was happening by silencing the only people who were, at this point in time, both aware of and capable of discussing transgender issues in a less-than-flattering way without being banned. This would begin the long trend of transgender activists saying "ignore the bad things on Kiwi Farms, they're made up" with the punchline being that we'd end up proven right over time, and with damage done that could have been mitigated if we were trusted sooner. It would take Fong-Jones 6 years to admit that Trans LifeLine was a scam at the time he was supporting them. He explains he now only donates money to causes where he can directly influence the way it operates. Liz Fong-Jones should be thanking us, but he still holds a vicious grudge because we reported the abuse of his Google work email. It's necessary to be non-anonymous to the organisations that intermediate your giving in order to get a seat at the governance table and ensure that funds are being appropriately spent. That was a very very painful lesson I learned from the fiasco that was the early days of Trans Lifeline, where the inexperienced initial board did not meaningfully keep the founders in check / insist on audits, and the major donors (including myself) didn't think to ask for board seats to provide oversight, leading to us all getting defrauded. You will never hear the story of how Kiwi Farms identified fraud in a charity, because it is not written about. There is not a single article from a supposedly trustworthy media source about this scandal. No journalist in the world can catalog what the Kiwi Farms gets right, because the truth is a secondary concern to them, sitting under what is politically expedient. Liz Fong-Jones from Google to Honeycomb Fong-Jones would continue working at Google for another 2 years. Anonymous reports regarding internal politics within the company where Fong-Jones worked paint a picture of a continuous menace, always looking for new victims to cause problems for. Fong-Jones even finds himself named in the famous James Damore discrimination lawsuit against Google for discriminatory posts made on internal Google forums. He claims to have resigned in 2019, after the Google Walkout protests he helped organize. Insiders reported that Google does not give severances, unless you are asked to quit. This indicates that Fong-Jones was likely paid to leave, as opposed to his claims he resigned. Trying to fire a person in such a politically protected category, especially when they are as litigious and disruptive as Fong-Jones is, would cost more than the $90,000 he was given just to go away. A report from tech forum Y-Combinator. That name is important. During his employment with Google, he had acquired cryptocurrency and stake in the company. It is assumed that Fong-Jones's net worth is in the millions. Indeed, Fong-Jones has stated he has an interest in finance and wants to make wealth building a part of his career. After leaving Google, he joined tech startup Honeycomb as Chief Field Technology Officer. Honeycomb is a business-to-business software company that sells 'solutions' directly to major tech companies, such as Dropbox and Slack, video game companies including CCP (EVE Online) and Behaviour (Dead by Daylight), and finance companies like Vanguard, which is one of the largest investment firms in the world. Honeycomb is extremely progressive and has stood by Liz Fong-Jones for years, even after he inexplicably announced to the world in November 2019 that he had been credibly accused of sexual assault, which he chooses to refer to as a "Consent Accident". Liz Fong-Jones explaining how he was accused of rape, downplaying it as a misunderstanding about dog hair. You won't find any information about this online, no matter which search engine you use. Instead, you will find gushing articles, portfolio websites, Wikipedia entries, and more talking about what a successful, important person Fong-Jones is. How can someone accused of rape simply walk way from this without any of the progressive organizations around them caring? Liz Fong-Jones and Tall Poppy's Coverup Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of Liz Fong-Jones's other personal interests, as he enjoys a perfectly pedicured digital footprint. He is an investor and board member of Tall Poppy, a reputation management company. This company is also business-to-business, and advertises itself as "proactive action against online harassment and personal security threats". The name comes from an expression in Australia and New Zealand, and means that successful people get unfairly criticized: 'the tall poppy gets cut down'. They have a decent list of investors and advisors, with two names jumping out. Y-Combinator has invested in them. Y-Combinator is the forum which had hosted negative posts about Liz Fong-Jones quoted in this article, that I am having trouble finding now on the live version of the site. Inner Loop Capital is also interesting, as Tall Poppy is outside the usual scope of their portfolio. They list on their website that they invest in "digital infrastructure", which are generally low-level companies silently contributing to how the Internet runs. These infrastructure companies will be relevant later. Tall Poppy boasts its customer list, which includes large companies like Spotify, viciously litigious associations like the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), NGOs like the Global Disinformation Index, and Amazon's extremely influential streaming platform Twitch. They have received glowing endorsements from Ellen Pao, former CEO of Reddit, Anita Sarkeesian of GamerGate fame, Katherine Maher, former CEO of Wikimedia, and Liz Lee, who has been involved with Twitter and Morgan Stanley (one of the most powerful wealth management organizations in the United States). Ellen Pao was an interim CEO for Reddit in 2015. She was the head of the company when it decided to ban r/FatPeopleHate. Reddit traditionally had a policy of tolerating free speech, even when upsetting. It may be hard to believe, considering the state of Reddit today, but this was a very unpopular decision. Ellen Pao was even forced to couch these reforms in language like: "we're banning behavior, not ideas". There were many changes she made, all unpopular. Her stay at Reddit was very brief. She was removed and Reddit apologized, saying they would make things right. This never happened. It was clear that Pao was hired to make sweeping changes, setting the stage for the new Reddit moving forward, then step aside during the outrage so that she would take the fall. Not a single policy Ellen Pao implemented was ever reversed by Reddit's corporate, and they have since been compounded and expanded upon. Ellen Pao married an openly gay black man, but has been going through an incredibly scandalous divorce since 2019. Details on this divorce are hard to come by online. It raises questions as to what exactly Ellen Pao has been paying for. Katherine Maher is a former Wikimedia CEO and current CEO of NPR. She is an avid ideologue whose reputation is so incredibly poisonous that her position on the Signal Foundation has raised serious concerns if the beloved privacy app Signal is fundamentally compromised. This direct connection helps explain how Liz Fong-Jones is able to generate significant positive press for himself, and is permitted to craft narratives on Wikipedia articles he is directly affected by and has incredible conflicts of interests with, including for his company Honeycomb and for the Kiwi Farms. His contributions are made by suggestion only (via the "Talk Pages"), but since he is direct friends with Wikipedia admins who manage these pages, they are always included in as favorable a light to him as possible. Wikipedia is supposed to be a "free and open" platform for cataloguing the knowledge of mankind. Katherine states here that this is no longer useful, and that "free and open" perpetuates a "White, male, Westernized construct" and is exclusionary to communities "without written tradition". "These ideas of radical openness did not live up to the intention". Wikipedia is by no measure a free and open platform. You are only permitted to edit Wikipedia using specific IP addresses, meaning anyone concerned about their privacy may not edit Wikipedia. Since Wikipedia admins and Wikimedia C-Level executives may be friends with people trying to ruin your life, this necessitates de-anonymizing yourself to hostile actors to even create an account. Then, you will discover that almost every important Wikipedia page is under special protections, especially controversial pages like the Kiwi Farms, living people such as Liz Fong-Jones, and his companies like Honeycomb. You will need a certain level of reputation within the Wikipedia community to even attempt editing these pages. Protected and high-risk pages like the Kiwi Farms's are watched for changes by hundreds of bureaucrats continuously. Your edits will be critically scrutinized, whereas the edits of Liz Fong-Jones and his personal Wikipedia admin friends will pass with rubber stamps. One major reason your edits may be reverted is for "original research". Original research is anything extrapolated from a primary resource. This includes government websites and the Kiwi Farms itself, if you're writing about the Kiwi Farms. What Wikipedia likes is secondary resources from trusted publications. Trusted publications are explicitly whitelisted news media websites. Kiwi Farms users in 2022 asked Wikipedia to start being impartial on the subject and stop trusting biased news articles. This prompted 10-year Wikipedia veteran editor Bilorv to state, "If Wikipedia had existed when expert consensus was that the Earth is flat then we would have asserted that position as fact". The men who burned Giordano Bruno at the stake for discrediting geocentrism now write for Wikipedia. At least Bruno's executioners got paid; Bilorv's 38,828 edits were made to Wikipedia for free purely for the self-satisfaction and ego. So, in practice, Maher's revolutionary "not free, and not open" Wikipedia means that any wealthy technocrat may buy fluff pieces from legacy news websites, and can request these articles be added to Wikipedia articles by their admin friends, specifically to accomplish political goals. Incidentally, the Wikipedia article for the Kiwi Farms is nothing but sloppy accusations citing articles which contain no evidence themselves. Whatever the news writes becomes the truth, and the news writes what Liz Fong-Jones tells them to write. He is often directly contributing to the news articles, or is the subject of favorable interviews with these publications, which he then personally passes through to Wikipedia admins to complement and grow articles in the direction he pleases. Wikipedia's true power comes in its presence on search engines. It is almost always the first result of any search, its contents are fed into the infobox summaries found on search results, and its data is accepted uncritically by AI chatbots. If I ask Google Gemini to describe the Kiwi Farms in a sentence, it tells me "a controversial web forum known for its users' online harassment and stalking campaigns against various individuals and communities", despite the Kiwi Farms having explicit and enforced rules against contacting people off-site (i.e. harassment). To the average person, Wikipedia is the truth, and whatever is written on Wikipedia is what will be believed. Liz Fong-Jones's reputation management looks like this: Crafts a media narrative with contacts in the press. Cements this narrative as publicly held truth using his Wikipedia contacts. Sends links to these articles directly to ISPs himself as proof of abuse. Remove from search results, or the Internet completely, any upsetting pages. In this way, he can "prove" criminal behavior through a line of "reputable sources", despite no actual evidence for criminal behavior, because no criminal behavior exists. This works both to harm websites like mine, and to his benefit in crafting his and his company's reputation to his liking. It works especially well because he's very low-profile and not known outside of his fields, where there is no political crossfire to hold Wikipedia accountable. Instead, the only voice identifying this behavior is the Kiwi Farms, which has already been thoroughly maligned. This email from Blake Willis of Zayo Paris exemplifies the trust in Wikipedia and the power of Liz Fong-Jones's connections within the industry. I must stress that the decision to terminate Internet service at the level suggested in this email exchange is unheard of. This is the equivalent of the power company cutting off an abortion clinic or coal mine because they are too controversial. A mere ten years ago, a decision like this would have been completely unthinkable. #DropKiwiFarms: The Censors are Taking Notes There is a sentiment I want to overcome: that the Kiwi Farmsas only a moderate sized, niche community that is often times mean-spiriteddoes not effectively act as a canary in the coal mine for the broader Internet. I will demonstrate that the lessons being learned from this meddling are testing a broader strategy applicable to all. In 2022, after disgraced fraudster Clara "Keffals" Sorrenti would falsely claim the Kiwi Farms had orchestrated a swatting of his domicile in Canada, Liz Fong-Jones would lend his talents to try and finally destroy the Kiwi Farms. This included Liz Fong-Jones appearing in person at Syndey to protest Cloudflare, which provided security services to us. The idea was that by getting our security service to abandon us, we would be opened up to illegal cybersecurity attacks that would bring us down. It worked, and very powerful people took notice. Liz Fong-Jones hoped to achieve total censorship of a community made of tens of thousands of users. His efforts, and his achievements, are now being used as a proof-of-concept for academic research. If Liz Fong-Jones succeeds, the model he is constructing will be applied to easier targets than the Kiwi Farms. I also stress that the Kiwi Farms has been unusually flexible and able to resist deplatforming, in no small part because I as an individual am very unusual. Most people would have the good sense to quit and abandon their projects well before it gets to the point it has with the Kiwi Farms. This is doubly true for websites which must operate cash positive as a successful business, whereas the Kiwi Farms lives off cryptocurrency donations, a privilege unique to dedicated communities with very tech-savvy users. Liz Fong-Jones personally gave a presentation at Cambridge, concisely detailing his own efforts to deplatform the Kiwi Farms at every conceivable technical level. Shockingly, the most effective targets were the most important to the broader Internet, such as T1 Internet backbone company Cogent, based out of D.C., who to this day will block any of their own customers who allow the Kiwi Farms to use them. I think even Liz Fong-Jones was surprised at how quickly the Internet backbones began censoring at his request, because it took months for him to even try. Once he realized they would do what he asked, it became his go-to strategy. Why bother with the small, conscientious companies at the bottom when you can threaten to kneecap their entire business out the gate with top-down censorship? The following Cambridge academic paper was released, which directly follows the deplatforming efforts made against the Kiwi Farms. Interestingly, it also follows the impact on user numbers and post participation in the community using publicly available data. It accurately details how post rates slowed due to low availability. For instance, while we almost always were available on Tor, many users chose not to download special browsers to continue accessing the forum. Cambridge sees that as a win. This figure is extrapolated over a very nice timeline figure that outlines precisely the long-lasting, enduring attacks made at every level of infrastructure, including illegal attacks aimed at putting the site offline by directly compromising our software. The Kiwi Farms is so central to these researchers and their work, they have appeared on a cybercrime podcast Hackting Out to discuss the Kiwi Farms (albeit indirectly). They have also delivered this report to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) just this year. The IEEE is an incredibly important organization whose members decide international standards for technological development. It works together with, and has significant membership crossover with, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). These groups publish RFCs proposing changes to how the Internet works. Liz Fong-Jones and his friends in academia would hope to persuade the IEEE and IETF make the entire world smaller, more centrally organized, more brittle, and easier to break apart. These changes could be implemented at a technical level so innate to how the Internet works, that it would be almost impossible to explain to a layman what has even happened. The Cambridge study is oriented to persuade important engineers that they must break the Internet so that mean websites can effectively be removed everywhere, and these studies are being made off where Liz Fong-Jones is currently failing to bring down the Kiwi Farms. Their political pressures conflict with the First Amendment, as we do nothing illegal. Now, they apply pressure inside academics, corporations, and trade organizations to instead circumvent our rights. Liz Fong-Jones and Litigiousness A slide from Liz Fong-Jones's presentation at Cambridge. Liz Fong-Jones sued Vincent Zhen, the owner of Flow Chemical Pty Ltd, in Australia for AU$400,000 for defamation. To demonstrate how insane this is, I will chart the distance between Vincent and the posts which Liz Fong-Jones alleges defame him. Vincent, an Australian, owns Flow Chemical, an Australian company. Flow Chemical has IP addresses through APNIC, an Australian non-profit. Flow Chemical leases some IP addresses to 1776 Solutions, LLC in Wyoming. I, a Floridian, own 1776 Solutions, LLC. 1776 Solutions, LLC has provided service to my other company, Lolcow LLC. Lolcow LLC (West Virginia) owns the Kiwi Farms's assets and licenses for posts. Users of the Kiwi Farms, who are mostly American, made posts about LFJ. LFJ alleges these posts are both untrue and defamatory. Therefore, the courts believe Vincent personally owes half a million dollars. I know Vinny and speak to him maybe four times a year on average. We live on different continents in completely different timezones and it is hard to maintain a friendship over that sort of distance. As a result, Vincent knows almost nothing about the Kiwi Farms or what I do, and has no say in how I use the IP addresses I pay for. In affidavits supplied to Australian court, Liz Fong-Jones has promised under penalty of perjury that these IP addresses are critical to the Kiwi Farms's operations, uptime, and (most importantly) ability to deliver mean posts about him to the world-wide Internet. We have not used these IP addresses in a year, and only used them publicly for less than a year. How critical these IP addresses are can be easily determined by the fact that the Kiwi Farms remains available to the world-wide Internet, and that we do not use any Flow Chemical IP addresses in doing so. It would be accurate to say that we enjoy more uptime without using Vinny's IP addresses, due to very technical reasons that Liz Fong-Jones has learned to exploit broadly, how to complain to ISPs and get entire networks removed from the Internet. Vinny is very stubborn. He trusted the Government to recognize the flagrantly spurious and fallacious nature of these accusations and dismiss them on its own, sua sponte. He also is a busy person who has better things to do with his time and money than be sued by a lunatic. I continually advised him against inaction, perhaps once a month every month, until he was guilty by default. He is working on the slow and expensive process of overturning the default. The real victory of this judgment is that Liz Fong-Jones can now pretend it says the Kiwi Farms is illegal and/or creates civil liability for its hosts. Indeed, it has appeared in numerous articles published by the usual suspects who tend to polish Liz Fong-Jones, and these articles have somehow found their way to the Kiwi Farms's Wikipedia page, despite zero direct involvement between Kiwi Farms and Flow Chemical or Vincent. Liz Fong-Jones is nothing if not incredibly spiteful. The money and resources he has acquired are merely tokens for him to purchase human misery. The Anti-Censors are Falling Flat Last month, Sony released a video game called Stellar Blade to the PS5, which had featured a protagonist in very revealing clothing, which the developers had promised would not be modified when released to the West. Sony did end up tailoring her outfits to be less revealing, and this decision prompted outrage. A petition to undo this cosmetic defect accrued 84,000 signatures in two weeks. Stellar Blade's petition is the largest outcry against censorship in recent memory, and it has so far failed to get Sony's decision reversed. This failure highlights to me what I believe should be obvious: public outcry and petitions do not get things done. Money does. Whatever monied power convinced Sony to make these changes outweighs the perceived economic threat of gamers promising not to buy their game. The anti-censors rallied around this cause en masse, no doubt thanks to how easy it is to complain on social media and sign a petition. Meanwhile, there is a vine of thorns wrapping around the esophagus of the Internet. Our ability to even communicate is at risk of being destroyed, and the people who intend to destroy them have networked an obscene amount of wealth and power without being noticed. Indeed, the monied powers actively working to destroy the Internet find themselves intertwined with supposedly anti-censorship entities without trouble. For instance, the closest thing to institutional power online for anti-censorship is Rumble, which has recently started a cloud service that consists of a single datacenter, a single ISP (Cogent), and a single security service (Path). Rumble highlights, in particular, the anti-censor's total and complete inability to learn lessons from other anti-censors. I have personally attempted to communicate to Rumble by email, to CEO Chris Pavlovski, and to Head of Product Rick Racela the imminent and urgent danger that relying solely on Cogent and Path presents to their companies, and all of their customers. Cogent has taken unprecedented, deranged steps to stop the Kiwi Farms from being able to operate, including threatening to disconnect entire datacenters in Poland for allowing us to continue to host there. The decisions to prohibit the Kiwi Farms and my company 1776 Solutions from operating on Cogent networks come from the very top. Two separate sales representatives from Cogent have confirmed to me that a C-level decision was made to stop me from acquiring a hookup with them. I have attempted to call in on Cogent investor meetings during public Q&A and was screened out of the caller pool. I stress that, even a few years ago, a T1 ISP making waves to try and censor online content would have been international news, a terrible blow to their reputation within the industry, and no company would possibly trust them with supplying transit. Path's CTO is Corey Barnhill (now August Heart), a pedophile. Corey is on record admitting to watching a 9-year-old girl be sodomized. His company, Path, has attempted to illegally seize my hard drives by sending fake Canadian court orders to my datacenters. Path proudly advertises they were the first ISP to disconnect the Kiwi Farms at an ISP level, and boasted about this directly to Liz Fong-Jones. Despite this, Rumble still uses them. What's worse, Rumble's video site apparently uses Path for application level mitigation as well, which means Path (a mismanaged, near-bankrupt "security" company currently being evicted from datacenters for missing months of payments ) is probably the SSL endpoint for Rumble. If true, it means Path & Corey Barnhill can intercept and read all communications to Rumble's website. I have warned them about this for months! At a very basic and fundamental level, the key players in anti-censorship are fractured and isolated from one another. They do not have cohesive goals and frequently allow irrelevant personal issues divide them. At best, their efforts are split and duplicated, and at worst, they are openly hostile to one another. No such issues exist in the pro-censorship crowd. Drowned in capital from megacorporations, which they share between friends like bottles of wine, they plot a web of academic journals, media publications, and presentations at important international organizations to achieve their goals. They live in penthouse suites outside of San Francisco callously deciding which small, atomized, defenseless component of anti-censorship they will tie up in litigation and defame next. There is no equivalent for anti-censorship. No one stands at the IEEE or IETF and discusses how the Internet is about to collapse into dystopia. The few who do merely cheer it on. Anti-censorship does not network and ignores the lessons already learned. They are too afraid of what will said about them in the media, when the media is already a demonstrably poisoned network of people who can't wait to strangle the life out of them. The most important anti-censorship organization was the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). The one time the EFF tried to write in defense of the Kiwi Farms, they had to anonymize their authors because the two women who wrote it were threatened by a transgender mob. To this day, the EFF will take the side of the mob who threatens them and hates them, over any organization in genuine need of defense which may lack a favorable Wikipedia article. At the time the Kiwi Farms deplatforming was starting to show cracks in the Internet backbones, the EFF even launched a petititon website called "Protect the Stack", dedicated to trying to preserve the neutrality of the Internet. They have never contacted the Kiwi Farms directly to learn about where the stack is in danger, and as a result they have accomplished nothing! Despite the size, prestige, and financial support of the EFF, Protect the Stack has accomplished nothing! It is no wonder, when they are staffed with the likes of Cooper Quinton, a senior security researcher with the EFF whose hobbies include wishing death on users of a website who have openly supported the EFF for years. Quinton is proof-of-concept that anti-censorship wastes its breath trying to involve itself with the existing, rotting structures of the past's anti-censorship. Those organizations are subverted and only new ones with renewed purpose can work. In Conclusion I would like to end this article with a call to action. "Here is the problem, here is the solution." While I would generally encourage intelligent cooperation between Anti-Censorship movements, I have no hope for that. Anti-censorship is inherently individualistic, as those types benefit from freedom the most. Some cohesion is necessary. The anti-censorship crowd is mostly preoccupied with lining their own pockets. Every anti-censorship startup seems hellbent on being the first person to "solve" the censorship issue, without any cooperation from others, so that they may take in all the "glory". There is no conservative think-tank doing what the pro-censorship camps do every day: combining intelligence, power, and money. Instead, we each run our own race, and make less progress overall, falling further behind in our endeavors every day, winning only superficial victories with video games and in local jurisdictions, while pro-censorship wins on the big stage and behind the curtains of the international organizations who actually make decisions. There will be no participation trophies at the gallows. For those with resources, I emphasize that confederation is required to survive the next decade. There are companies making up the Internet which are toxic and needing to be scraped out, and companies which are principled and needing to be built up. The good is out there, and good people are trying, but they don't get the attention they need. A serious person with serious aspirations could start a pro-free speech trade organization or coalition, but it needs to be done in earnest and with resources out the gate, and it cannot exclude members and what they would bring to the table simply by the negativity of their Wikipedia article. For the average person, instead of asking you to do a specific thing, I ask you to consider something: Every day, Liz Fong-Jones wakes up and dedicates the whole of his existence to making the world a worse place. He decides how he is going to enrich himself, who he is going to exploit, where he's going to invest his wealth and grow his personal power, and how he's going to expand his network of nepotistic friends. What are you doing? Are you spending your days productively? Are you putting effort into growing your own wealth and improving your own standing? Are you waking up each day to a personal situation that is better than yesterday's? Anti-censorship, in general, appears most sensitive to pop culture changes, like media localization, video game outfits, and movie race swaps. I fear this may be because anti-censorship has become complacent and defeatist. It appears to many that perhaps the only achievable victories are keeping a movie remake's character White. I think many are spending their time absorbed in media because our real situation seems so dire. The plane is crashing and everyone just wants a nice in-flight movie. I ask that everyone makes their every day more productive than Liz Fong-Jones and his friends have made theirs. Joshua Moon is the proprietor of Kiwi Farms. Footnotes: Fong-Jones, Liz. "You *can* be successful as a trans person. I wish there were more of us." Your First Million. 8 Jun. 2019. podchaser.com/podcasts/your-first-million-871354/episodes/3-liz-fong-jones-you-can-be-su-40565976 (archive.is/w2IJc) Moon, Joshua. Liz Fong-Jones: Harassing people for hosting my email. Kiwi Farms. 18 Aug. 2017. kiwifarms.net/threads/2017-08-18-liz-fong-jones-harassing-people-for-hosting-my-email.33411/ (archive.is/NsbHz) An Update on the Trans Lifeline Leadership Transition. Trans LifeLine. 9 Jul. 2018. translifeline.org/a-joint-statement-from-the-founders-and-current-leadership/ (archive.is/OgCCq) Glavinic, Anthony. ANNUAL REGISTRATION RENEWAL FEE REPORT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA. State of California Department of Justice. 1 Feb. 2019. web.archive.org/web/20190221114026/http://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Download.aspx?saveas=CA+Returns+SIGNED.PDF&document_id=09027b8f8037295d Fong-Jones, Liz. Episode 169: Liz Fong-Jones. Gender Reveal. 18 Mar. 2024. Minutes 25:35 and 34:07. gender.libsyn.com/episode-169-liz-fong-jones (archive.is/vZa71) Fong-Joes, Liz. Some philanthropy thoughts. Cohost. 18 May. 2023. cohost.org/lizthegrey/post/1520523-some-philanthropy-th (archive.is/Gis40) Bokhari, Allum. Damore Lawsuit: Google Internal Communications Reveal Anti-White, Anti-Male Attitudes. Breitbart. 9 Jan. 2018. breitbart.com/tech/2018/01/09/damore-lawsuit-google-internal-communications-reveal-anti-white-anti-male-attitudes/ (archive.is/tn8FP) Fong-Jones, Liz. Consent accidents do occasionally happen. It's part of the risk-aware of "risk-aware consensual kink". Twitter. 22 Nov. 2019. twitter.com/lizthegrey/status/1197696672106721280 (archive.is/vDFg0) Fong-Jones, Liz. Grants & Investments Liz Fong-Jones. lizthegrey.com/grants-investments/ (archive.ph/iohy0) Accessed 16 May. 2024. About Us. tallpoppy.com/about-us (archive.is/GSioU) Accessed 16 May. 2024. Make digital safety the company culture. tallpoppy.com (archive.is/2rG51) Accessed 16 May. 2024. Hern, Alex. How Reddit took on its own users and won. The Guardian. 30 Dec. 2015. theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/30/reddit-ellen-pao (archive.is/HxcTe) Rufo, Christopher. Quotations from Chairman Maher. City Journal. 17 Apr. 2024. city-journal.org/article/quotations-from-chairman-maher (archive.is/p2tbN) Doffman, Zak. WhatsApp And Signal Messages Not 'Verifiably Private,' Claims Telegram. 10 May. 2024. forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2024/05/10/telegram-issues-whatsapp-and-signal-warning-for-iphone-and-android/ (archive.is/juxhF) Lizthegrey - Talk:Kiwi Farms - Top Edits - XTools. xtools.wmcloud.org/topedits/en.wikipedia.org/Lizthegrey/0/Talk:Kiwi_Farms (archive.is/GVfip) Accessed 16 May. 2024. Perinneal Sources List. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reliable_sources/Perennial_sources. Accessed 16 May. 2024. [Bilorv]. Talk:Kiwi Farms. Wikipedia. 18 Jun. 2022. en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Kiwi_Farms&oldid=1093798584 (archive.is/KXB70#selection-3244.0-3247.124) Fong-Jones, Liz. Say No to Cloudflare. nocloudflare.com (archive.is/DAmbd) Prince, Matthew. Blocking Kiwifarms. 9 Aug. 2022. blog.cloudflare.com/kiwifarms-blocked/ (archive.is/X40H8) Fong-Jones, Liz. Reverse engineering hate: Liz Fong-Jones, on behalf of End Kiwi Farms. Cambridge. 7 Nov. 2023. www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/fongjones.pdf. (web.archive.org/web/20240329170818/www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/fongjones.pdf) Vu, Anh V., et al. No Easy Way Out: The Effectiveness of Deplatforming an Extremist Forum to Suppress Hate and Harassment. Cambridge. May. 2024. www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/vu2023no.pdf (archive.is/Hbt38) Vu, Anh V., et al. Hackting Out: Defacement and Hate Online amid Global Conflicts. Hackting Out. 1 May. 2024. cybercrimeology.com/episodes/hackting-out-defacement-and-hate-online-amid-global-conflicts 45th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy. IEEE. May. 2024. www.ieee-security.org/TC/SP2024/program.html (archive.is/6dmkM) Bogle, Ariel. Defamation in the internet age: could a $400,000 Australian court ruling silence the notorious online forum Kiwi Farms? 22 Oct. 2023. theguardian.com/society/2023/oct/23/defamation-in-the-internet-age-could-a-400000-australian-court-ruling-silence-the-notorious-online-forum-kiwi-farms (archive.is/bA55U) Kern, Mark. Free Stellar Blade. 26 Apr. 2024. change.org/p/free-stellar-blade (archive.is/elK51) Corey Shiratori (formerly Corey Ray Barnhill / August Heart) / [Lulz] Xyrix / RuxPin / Zoom / Internet GodSpeed. Kiwi Farms. 5 Aug. 2018. kiwifarms.st/threads/corey-shiratori-formerly-corey-ray-barnhill-august-heart-lulz-xyrix-ruxpin-zoom-internet-godspeed.46297/ (archive.is/hOItN) Path.net Drama 2.0 - 5 or more Exchanges suspend them for unpaid bills. LowEndTalk. 14 Mar. 2024. lowendtalk.com/discussion/193400/path-net-drama-2-0-5-or-more-exchanges-suspend-them-for-unpaid-bills (archive.is/TeikJ) "@chrispavlovski Hi, please look into dropping Equi, Path, and Cogent from your upstream blend." Twitter, 15 Dec. 2023, twitter.com/XJosh/status/1735698917759619259. (archive.is/3MzXY) "ISPs should not police online speech-no matter how awful it is." 29 Aug. 2023. eff.org/deeplinks/2023/08/isps-should-not-police-online-speech-no-matter-how-awful-it. (archive.is/qz39x) Protect the Stack. EFF. 2 Dec. 2022. protectthestack.org (archive.is/1UWFO) EFF's Staff and Contributors. EFF. eff.org/about/staff (archive.is/WSSje) Cooper, Quinton. I wish everyone involved with kiwi farms a very merry getting hit by a bus. . 30 Aug. 2023. twitter.com/cooperq/status/1696716256748224641 (archive.is/G90rR) Home The poll indicated a majority across the island don't believe there will be a united Ireland in the EU over the next decade A Belfast-born Church of Ireland rector has said talk of a border poll within the next decade is too soon as people still have memories of the suffering caused as a result of the Troubles. Five Labour MPs, including shadow ministers, have announced that they will stand down from parliament at the General Election. Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party John Cryer joined Kevin Brennan, Barbara Keeley, John Spellar and Virendra Sharma in announcing on Monday that he would not be contesting his seat. Mr Cryer said he wanted to spend more time with his young children and that the next parliament was likely to be extremely busy. The MP for Leyton and Wanstead added that the next government would inherit a very tough situation. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content In a letter to his constituents, posted on social media, Mr Cryer said: This has been an extremely difficult decision, perhaps the most difficult I have ever had to make. It has been an immense privilege to have served as your MP for the past 14 years. As you may know, I have two young children and I feel I should try to spend more time with them. Mr Cryer, who was MP for Hornchurch from 1997 to 2005, is married to Labours deputy national campaign co-ordinator and MP for Lewisham West and Penge Ellie Reeves. Labours shadow minister for victims and sentencing Mr Brennan said he had initially intended to stand again, but decided to step down after discussing it with my family over the bank holiday weekend. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Cardiff West MP said in a statement: The job of a Member of Parliament is immensely rewarding but hugely demanding for the individual and their loved ones. I have always enjoyed its intensity and challenge, but after surgery for prostate cancer a small seed of doubt was sown as to whether I should continue in such a full-on role. Standing again would mean making a commitment to perform the demanding duties of an MP close to my 70th birthday. This has led me to conclude that this is the right moment to stand down. Labours shadow minister for music and tourism Ms Keeley said it had been an honour to serve as a government whip and deputy leader of the House of Commons during the last Labour government. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The MP for Worsley and Eccles South said in a statement posted on social media: Recently, I have had treatment in hospital in London after which I was meant to have a six-week recovery period. I was back at work in Parliament within two weeks but then the General Election was called unexpectedly early. Thinking about the demands of the campaign, including supporting Labour colleagues in battleground seats, has made me realise that now is the time to step aside for a new Labour candidate for the constituency. Warley MP Mr Spellar said it had been an honour and pleasure to represent the people of Smethwick and Oldbury for over 30 years. Mr Spellar served in various ministerial roles during Tony Blairs government, with his briefs including the armed forces, transport, and Northern Ireland. Outgoing Ealing Southall MP Virendra Sharma said Labour had gone from our worst result in a century, to the edge of government. In a letter to his local party, he said: As a British-Indian and as a Hindu, as a Labour member, councillor and MP I have never struggled to reconcile those different, but complimentary, identities. Over nearly 50 years I have served the party in one form or another. Now I believe the time has come for another chapter to begin. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to make her first speech of the General Election campaign (Yui Mok/PA) A Labour government will be both pro-business and pro-worker, Rachel Reeves is set to promise in her first major election speech on Tuesday. The shadow chancellor is expected to tell business leaders that, having brought business back to Labour, the party can now bring growth back to Britain. She will say: By bringing business back to Britain we can deliver a better future for working people. Under Sir Keir Starmer, Labour has tried to woo businesses as a way of demonstrating it can be trusted with the economy. Sir Keir Starmer has promised to stand up for working people (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Those efforts have brought success, with business attendance at recent party conferences higher than under Jeremy Corbyn and wealthy businessmen donating more to Labours war chest. But in her speech on Tuesday, former Bank of England analyst Ms Reeves is expected to stress the need for a partnership with business, government and workers. She will say Labour offers a government that is pro-worker and pro-business, in the knowledge that each depends upon the success of the other. Her remarks come after Labour faced a backlash over an apparent rebranding of its New Deal for Workers, with Britains largest trade union Unite warning that the party must stick to its guns on workers rights. Labour insisted it had not watered down its commitments, adding the proposals had followed agreement with the unions. The Conservatives have argued that Labours proposals would cost jobs and place unnecessary burdens on businesses, but the opposition have claimed good businesses will welcome the plans. Ms Reeves is also expected to stress Labours commitment to economic stability, a key message of the campaign, and urge voters to pass judgment on 14 years of economic chaos and decline under the Conservatives. Her speech is the second major intervention from Labour of the week, following Sir Keir Starmers address on Monday, in which he promised to stand up for working people. Treasury Chief Secretary Laura Trott said Labour would tie businesses in red tape. The bosses of Asda, Marks and Spencer, Currys and the Confederation of British Industry have all warned that Labours French-style union laws risk damaging the economy, costing jobs, she said. Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan that businesses can rely on. We took the bold action to deliver the biggest business tax cut in modern history. Labour would tie businesses in red tape and raise taxes by 2,094 on hardworking families. SNP Westminster economy spokesman Drew Hendry said: The latest speech by Rachel Reeves cynically ignore the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom Britain is broken and Brexit broke it. The Libertarian Party has nominated Chase Oliver for US president, rejecting Donald Trump and Robert F Kennedy Jr after they each spoke at the partys convention. Third parties have rarely been competitive in US presidential elections and the Libertarian candidate four years ago won 1% of the vote. But the partys decision is getting more attention this year due to the rematch between Mr Trump and US President Joe Biden, which could hinge again on small vote margins in a handful of contested states. We did it! I am officially the presidential nominee, Mr Oliver posted on Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. Its time to unify and move forward for liberty. Donald Trump speaking at the Libertarian National Convention (AP/Jose Luis Magana) Mr Trump appeared on Saturday night in Washington at the convention to give a speech that was repeatedly booed by many in the room. It did not pay off with the endorsement he requested, though his Republican allies praised him for choosing to go before an unfriendly crowd. Mr Kennedy got a friendlier reception when he spoke on Friday and attacked both Mr Trump and Mr Biden for how they addressed the Covid-19 pandemic. He had talked up his support for the Libertarians and an endorsement could have helped him expedite the process of gaining ballot access in all 50 states, perhaps the biggest hurdle he faces in qualifying for the first presidential debate in June hosted by CNN. Libertarians prioritise small government and individual freedoms, with a mix of policy positions that could be seen as liberal, conservative or neither. Mr Oliver is an activist from Atlanta who previously ran for the US Senate and US House of Representatives from Georgia. His campaign website calls for major cuts to the federal budget with an eye towards balancing the budget, the abolition of the death penalty, and the closure of all overseas military bases and ending of military support to Israel and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Madrid where he is expected to sign a bilateral security agreement with Spain. The deal will help his country fight its more than two-year war with Russia amid a recent offensive by the Kremlins forces. Spains King Felipe VI met Mr Zelensky at the capitals Barajas airport. The Ukrainian leader is holding talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez about what local media reported is a planned 1.1 billion euro (940 million) agreement for Spain to supply Ukraine with more weapons. Mr Zelensky had been due to visit Spain earlier this month but he postponed all his foreign trips after the Kremlins forces launched a cross-border offensive in the north-eastern Kharkiv region and left Ukrainian troops reeling. Mr Zelenskyy, left, talks with Mr Sanchez in Madrid (AP Photo/Paul White) That push has further strained Ukraines already depleted army, which in recent months has been fighting Russias intense drive deeper into the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region. Mr Zelensky said on Sunday that the Kremlins army is mustering at another point in Russia, farther north but close to the approximately 600-mile front line, presumably to try to crack Ukrainian resistance in the area. A Western intelligence assessment suggested that Russias Kharkiv offensive has subsided. The northern Kharkiv front has likely stabilised with Russian territorial control fragmented and not joined up, the UKs Ministry of Defence said. Russias gains in this axis will be limited in the coming week, as Russias initial momentum has been contained by Ukrainian resistance. That is in line with Mr Zelenskys claim last Friday that Ukrainian forces have secured combat control of areas where Russian troops entered the Kharkiv region. The onslaught unfolding as the weather improves has brought Ukraines biggest military test since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. Slow deliveries of support by its Western partners, especially a lengthy delay in US military aid, have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russias bigger army and air force. Spanish newspaper El Pais, citing unidentified sources familiar with the bilateral deal, said it would include another batch of US-made Patriot air defence systems that Ukraine has long pleaded for to help it fend off Russian missile attacks. Other items include more Leopard tanks for Ukraine and 155mm artillery shells that are the most used by Ukraine on the battlefield, El Pais said. Spain will also continue training Ukrainian troops and treating its wounded soldiers. Files uncovered from the Kew Archives in London have revealed new information about the politics behind getting the IRA to destroy their weapons IRA decommissioning is an historic political event that has been clouded in secrecy for decades. After a lengthy process, the IRA agreed on a method of decommissioning its arms in September 2001. The IICD, which was made up of delegates from Canada, Finland and South Africa, oversaw the process, monitoring arms dumps and meeting with IRA representatives. Files uncovered by the Belfast Telegraph, in The National Archives at Kew, reveal new details about how the road to decommissioning weakened first minister David Trimble, fuelled the rise of the DUP, and almost collapsed the Good Friday Agreement. Why did the IRA take so long to decommission, what part did foreign spy satellites play in the process, and what was the final push that made the IRA drop their weapons? Sam McBride joins Ciaran Dunbar with some of what he has found in the archives. This episode of the BelTel is part of a series on the Kew Files. Episode 1 uncovers secret files on Martin McGuinness, the IRA and the SDLP. Episode 2 revealed files on Ulster Resistance, the DUP and the UDA. The Kew Files: Sam McBride on IRA decommissioning and how it almost collapsed the Good Friday Agreement Loyalists newfound Christian faith a ruse to stop task force breathing down his neck South East Antrim UDA members are also publicly backing a mental health group despite its drugs being responsible for a spate of overdose deaths and suicides Tommy Kirkham Sunday Life Reporter Mon 27 May 2024 at 07:25 A South East Antrim (SEA) UDA adviser is claiming to have found God as its leaders desperately try to show they have turned their backs on criminality. No Second Amendment, No First: God, Guns, and the Government John Zmirak Calamo Press HC, 291 pgs. ISBN: 1-9586-8204-7 New book explains how the Second Amendment came from our Judeo-Christian heritage By Rachel Alexander web posted May 27, 2024 John Zmirak, one of the most powerful and inspiring conservative writers of this era, has published another book , No Second Amendment, No First: God, Guns, and the Government. The Yale-educated journalist and former college professor shows how gun control efforts are misguided, damaging and incompatible with church teaching, in contrast to the right to keep and bear arms, which flows from "the very heart of Biblical faith and reason." The ambitious book digs deeply into the history of the Christian church, American history and its precursors in ancient history where the Founding Fathers got their principles. The right to keep and bear arms comes from natural law. Zmirak dedicated it to three people who lost their lives after around 2020 due to the left's "anarcho-tyranny:" Jake Gardner, Ashli Babbitt and Rosanne Boyland. It begins with a quote by former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard explaining why she had to leave the Democratic Party. Bestselling author and talk show host Eric Metaxas provided a foreword, where he relayed how he attended Yale when Zmirak did, but was warned by progressives to stay away from the "conservative Christian fascist." After becoming miserable listening to his friends' advice and views in the college full of elitists, he became a Christian, which changed his political views. In his introduction, Zmirak stated, "The most effective practical tool these elites are using is a weaponized perversion of the concept of 'public health.'" He cited New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham declaring a public health emergency last September in order to suspend laws that allow open and concealed carry of firearms in Albuquerque for 30 days. He pointed at the abuse Kyle Rittenhouse and Gardner endured through the legal system for defending themselves with guns from progressive rioters. The Iraq War veteran killed himself after realizing he could end up spending the rest of his life in prison. Zmirak dedicated a heartbreaking epilogue to him. Zmirak said three legal scholars concluded after an in-depth study, "The historical record shows that, almost without exception, genocide is preceded by a very careful government program that disarms the future victims." He went over the danger of Red Flag laws, where the burden of proof is wrongly placed on the gun owner. The first part of the book "explores the degeneration of the Judeo-Christian worldview that made possible the founding of a self-governing, free republic such as the United States of America." Instead, "we now see ourselves and our neighbors as termites in a hive dependent on top-down management and constant protection by our 'betters.'" The second part of the book offers solutions, and the third part goes over the historical background of "how the biblical view of man helped create (unique to the West) a philosophy of freedom." He derisively observed that "journalists, leftist flaks, and massively funded anti-gun activists might as well have a template on their computers, so interchangeable do the statements seem whenever a mass shooting occurs." They act like there is an "awakening of common sense" in the face of "an epidemic of gun violence." Zmirak denounced the "sold-out churches;" the mainline Protestant religious congregations that issue a "long list of Woke buzzwords" after mass shootings. Cleverly, he crafted his own draft statement that churches should issue instead, which emphasizes the victims and how to stop the societal problems that create dangerous killers, instead of focusing on "gun violence." He discussed the history of Christianity in the U.S., and how the state began replacing God as the source of salvation including as the source of defending yourself. He said the last great Christian moment was the Civil Rights movement. The book is full of the classic lines Zmirak is known for, like this one regarding wokism: "Go deeper into the cult and the disciplines get more rigorous." In reference to the Second Amendment, he sarcastically said, "Aristocrats warn the commoners that we are unworthy of the liberties our forefathers deeded us," so the government must control all the weapons so "we sheep may safely graze." He derisively referred to a "brilliant piece of marketing" by Black Lives Matter, which was "weaponizing a perfectly legitimate biblical sentiment in service of a Marxist sect of street thugs and corporate shakedown experts." It didn't work. "The rate of homicides with black victims increased 53% since the protests after the death of George Floyd," Zmirak said. Florida State University criminologists Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz estimated that defensive use of guns, which includes merely brandishing one, occurs by Americans between 2.2 million to 2.5 million times each year. Zmirak recommended legal scholar David Kopel's book , The Morality of Self-Defense and Military Action: The Judeo-Christian Tradition, for more information on Jewish scriptural support for the Second Amendment. Kopel cited Exodus 22:2, which states, "If a thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him; but if the sun has risen upon him, there shall be bloodguilt for him." Zmirak denounced weak pastors in Hitler's Germany who used Romans 13 to justify capitulating to the Nazis. While the Apostle Paul said Christians must be subject to the governing authorities, Zmirak clarified, "If your reading of a Bible verse leads to outrageous consequences that violate Natural Law or vitiate the Old Testament, or that seem to condemn the behavior of many saints . . . then you are indeed reading it wrong." Zmirak provided a fascinating account of The Crusades, pointing out that the atrocities were committed by "disorganized bands of commoners who attached themselves to the crusaders," attacking others "[a]gainst the explicit orders of local bishops and Christian nobles." Zmirak didn't just cover the Second Amendment, but related topics to provide context. The book is full of so many fascinating, little known historical facts and spot-on analysis that it is a must read in order to understand our history and how we got to where we are today. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home Both Memorial Day and Taps, the bugle call most associated with the day, arose from the U.S. Civil War As we celebrate with friends, family, and community during Memorial Day weekend, Id like to encourage all of us to remember that Memorial Day is dedicated to those Americans who have fallen while serving in our nations military to preserve our freedoms, our way of life, and our nation. Decoration Day As important and solemn as this national holiday is to many Americans, its origins are surprisingly disputed and not completely clear. But what is undisputed is that it originated as a day to remember and honor U.S. military service members who died in the Civil War and was originally called, Decoration Day, because people went to cemeteries and put flowers on soldiers graves. Origins Decoration Day officially was established in 1868 by Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, the Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, the primary organization representing Union veterans of the Civil War. Logan called for May 30th to be an annual day nationally to decorate war graves. But a Presidential Proclamation in 1966 gave credit to Waterloo, NY, as the birth place of Memorial Day (Decoration Day) on May 5th, 1866. But according to historian David W. Blight, the first recorded act of honoring Union Civil War dead occurred in Charleston, SC on May 1st, 1865. The Charleston Daily Courier reported at the time that former slaves African Americans honored 257 dead Union soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. They reburied the bodies and gave them each a proper burial as gratitude for giving their lives for freedom. A parade, led by several thousand African American children followed. Thousands of people marched, sang and celebrated. Although the fact of this extraordinary event is undisputed, there is no agreement that this event led to todays Memorial Day. An Evolving Holiday After World War I the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars. Memorial Day was generally observed on May 30th, the date Logan had declared for the first Decoration Day, until 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May; the law went into effect in 1971 and legally declared Memorial Day a federal holiday. Official Memorial Day ceremonies call for the President of the United States to lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery and Taps is played. Origin of Taps This year is the 154th anniversary of the creation and first playing of Taps, played by a 22 year-old Union Army bugler during the Civil war in July 1862 just 24 notes that have become part of our nations soul. It was used to signal lights out at the end of the day but also started to be used at military funerals that same year. Taps was a bugle call that was revised from earlier bugle calls having their roots in European armies, particularly the French. Taps may have originated from a Dutch term associated with the end of the day for soldiers. You can hear the shared European origins of the Taps bugle call in the performance of Il Silenzio The Silence which is played in the Netherlands on Liberation Day. In the Netherlands, on Liberation Day, just like Memorial Day in the U.S., there are memorial services across the country honoring Allied troops who died liberating The Netherlands. Much like Americans on Decoration Day, Dutch families still adopt graves of those troops and maintain them in their honor. As Taps is played at Memorial Day ceremonies in the U.S., since 1965, the Dutch memorial services conclude with the playing of Il Silenzio. Remembering the True Meaning of Memorial Day I had the humble honor of serving in our military. But my service was a privilege, not a sacrifice. But I had friends with whom I served who made the ultimate sacrifice. To them and their fallen brothers and sisters I am forever grateful. On Memorial Day, may we keep in our hearts the memory of those who are forever silenced, that we may speak and live and love. Safe and free. Joel L. A. Peterson is CEO of Student Planning Services, LLC, a national provider of comprehensive educational support services. Concurrently, he is Managing Partner and CEO of Pintoresco Advisors, LLC and he recently became an award-winning author of the book, Dreams of My Mothers. Both defendants were involved in protests that roiled Thailand in 2020-21, demanding reform of the monarchy and constitutional amendments. Chonthicha Jaengraew, a Move Forward Party MP, speaks to the media after hearing the verdict in her case for royal defamation. Courts in Thailand on Monday jailed a lawmaker from the opposition Move Forward Party and a pop star-turned-activist for violating the nations strict law against insulting the monarchy. Chonthicha Jaengraew, 31, a member of parliament for the Pathum Thani constituency, was sentenced to two years in prison without suspension for a speech she made in September 2021. The defendants speech can be understood as implying that the King used the peoples taxes for his personal expenses and that the government of General Prayuth Chan-o-cha amended the law to transfer public assets to the Kings personal property, judges from Thanyaburi Provincial Court said in their ruling. This damaged the Kings reputation, causing him to be insulted and hated, the judgment said, adding the original three-year sentence was reduced by a third because of Chonthicha's helpful testimony. Thailands royal defamation law, better known as Lese-Majeste, shields the countrys all-powerful monarchy from criticism and is framed under Article 112 of the criminal code. Critics of the law say it is frequently misused to stifle dissent. Chonthicha arrived at the court with Move Forward leader Chaithawat Tulathon, her legal team and a number of fellow MPs. About 30 observers from human rights organizations and foreign embassies attended the hearing. After the verdict, Chonthicha who was a key strategist in the youth-led democracy protests that roiled Thailand in 2020-21 said she would challenge the decision in the appeals court. The verdict is not unexpected because, statistically, 88% of Lese-Majeste cases result in convictions. I have been granted bail, but there are many others who are currently in prison, she told reporters. According to Chaithawat, the Move Forward Party has at least three MPs being prosecuted under Article 112. Musician and activist Chaiamorn Ammy Kaewwiboonpan receives roses as he arrives to report himself over royal insult charges at the Attorney General's office in Bangkok, Thailand Feb. 17, 2021. [Reuters] The Move Forward Party won a surprise victory in Thailands general election in May last year, campaigning on a progressive platform that included reforming the countrys royal insult law and military-drafted constitution. The policies antagonized Thailands conservative establishment and the Constitutional Court in January ordered the party to stop all activity aimed at amending Article 112 of the criminal code. In a separate case, the Criminal Court in Bangkok sentenced Chaiamorn Ammy Kaewwiboonpan, a Thai pop star-turned-activist, to four years in prison without suspension for setting fire to a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in front of the Klong Prem Central Prison on Feb. 28, 2021. The court had scheduled the verdict to be read in Chaiamorns case earlier this year, but two previous hearings were postponed due to illness. Chaiamorn did not comment to the media after the ruling, but his lawyer said they would apply for bail. He was transferred to the courts detention center while judges weighed the application. Advocacy group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said at least 1,954 people have been prosecuted in 1,295 cases related to protests or expression of political opinions since mid-2020. More than 270 are facing charges under Article 112. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Among the law's provisions is a boost to the annuity granted by the state to Gold Star parents and spouses those who have lost their loved one in the service stepping up the grant to $2,500. Its annual $2,000 rate had not been updated in decades. Berkshire harm reduction advocates had 'tears of joy' over national data showing improvement in drug overdose deaths, but say the work isn't over Preliminary data shows a decrease in the number of national overdose deaths for 2023. In Berkshire County, an all-hands effort to increase naloxone availability and outreach has spurred local improvement, but advocates say it must continue. Weve used this space to highlight the terrible toll that drug addiction and overdoses are exacting from our Berkshire communities and the nation writ large a toll that has grown alarmingly in recent years. New national data offers a badly needed glimpse of hope. According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fatal overdose rates fell about 3 percent over 2023 the first time in half a decade that America has suffered fewer drug fatalities than the previous year. The initial figures for Massachusetts are hopeful, too, indicating an 11 percent year-over-year reduction in statewide OD deaths. (The state Department of Public Health typically publishes its own data in June, at which point the numbers will be confirmed.) In the world of worry and heartache brought on by the nations opioid crisis, good news is hard to come by but more than welcome. And it bolsters the cautious optimism we expressed last year when state data showed a significant drop in Berkshire County opioid deaths in 2022. Like the addiction crisis itself, the responses to it at the community, state and federal level have been multifaceted. This dip in OD deaths represents but one point of data, and we hope it becomes a trend. As we pray for that trend to manifest over the coming years, its worth taking a look at the proverbial laboratory of approaches taken by different regions. In which corners of the country have fatal ODs decreased the most, and are they employing any particular programs or methods that might prove replicable and effective elsewhere? The CDCs data show varying levels of progress across the 50 states. The rest of New England saw a similar drop in fatal ODs as Massachusetts did. Neighboring New York also saw a small decrease. Nebraska saw the biggest decrease with about 25 percent fewer fatalities in 2023 compared to 2022. Not every state saw better numbers, though, with increases in OD deaths borne by both deep red (Texas) and deep blue (California) states. The worst numbers were in Alaska, which saw a 44 percent spike in OD deaths, though the states low population means this didnt add much to the sum total of national overdoses. Oregon had the second-highest increase, likely augmented by that states ill-considered experiment in total drug decriminalization that was begun with a 2020 ballot initiative and halted by state lawmakers earlier this year after surges in overdoses and homelessness. Most experts, along with more and more Americans across the ideological spectrum, agree that addressing addiction primarily as a public health crisis is not only more compassionate but more efficacious than the misguided war on drugs. That campaign, first named in the 1970s and waged for decades, clogged the criminal justice system but didnt do much to limit addictions damage, as trends from the 1980s crack epidemic to todays long-building opioid crisis clearly demonstrate. By our lights, this long overdue attitude shift is a requisite of seriously grappling with the reality of Americas drug problem. Oregons total decriminalization disaster suggests radical experiments with total permissiveness go too far in the other direction. In the Berkshires and throughout the Bay State, though, weve seen thoughtful changes in policy and posture that we believe have made a difference in the lives of people suffering in addictions grip. Dalton police to begin administering Opvee, a new drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses The Dalton Police Department received 108 units of Opvee, a long-acting drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdose, last week. Its officers will carry both Opvee and naloxone to respond to overdoses. More and more first responders are carrying naloxone, the opioid antagonist often branded as Narcan that can save lives by reversing overdose effects like respiratory failure when seconds count. In fact, Dalton police are equipping themselves with a new tool: Opvee, an easy-to-administer OD treatment like naloxone with an increased potency specifically targeted at reversing ODs triggered by powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Its worth noting that the sustained surge in drug fatalities in recent years is driven largely by the proliferation of such drugs like fentanyl, which now kill more Americans per year than all other illicit drugs combined did 10 years ago. Community-based programs that would have been considered anathema even a decade ago now play a critical role in harm reduction. Hospitals like Berkshire Medical Center offer drug-testing services to screen for dangerous additives like fentanyl or xylazine. Naloxone is promoted on billboards and distributed publicly via Nalox-boxes. Two Berkshire communities, North Adams and Pittsfield, are part of a long-term federal study across four states Helping to End Addiction Long-term, or HEAL to assess and explore harm-reduction methods. This shift in collective attitude the reduction of stigma, the clear-eyed assessment of addiction as public health crisis truly does matter. But what matters even more is action, and among our Berkshire neighbors are heroes who get up every day to fight on the front lines of a brutal fight against the scourge of addiction. Berkshire Harm Reduction. The Brien Center. Second Street Second Chances. BMC. Emergency responders like Dalton PD who meet the call and find new ways to serve and protect. They all see folks who have fallen through the widening cracks of our society, often landing at the intersection of great pain and unimaginable struggle, and they help them. If we are pushing the numbers in the right direction, we owe these advocates, care workers and first responders not only a great deal of thanks but a willingness to put our money where our mouths are and give them the needed resources to keep up this hard but good fight. And as those advocates will tell you, even if the tide is turning in this battle, its far from over. Seeing fatal ODs decrease for the first time in years is a good thing; the fact that we are still losing 100,000-plus people a year to this scourge is not. But if we can see light from within this darkest of tunnels, we must push in that direction. Does the Palestinian Authority really want to return to Gaza? By Khaled Abu Toameh web posted May 27, 2024 While some in Israel and the United States are fixated on the question of who would govern the Gaza Strip after the current war, many Palestinians, including the Palestinian Authority (PA), seem less concerned about what will happen to the coastal enclave once Hamas is removed from power. Although the PA has publicly indicated its desire to return to the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials in Ramallah say they know that this could not happen as long as Hamas' military capabilities have not been completely destroyed. PA President Mahmoud Abbas is not thinking about returning to the Gaza Strip, the officials say. His top concern right now is ensuring that Hamas does not win on the battlefield or in the arena of public opinion. All he can do on the battlefield front is silently hope that Israel vanquishes Hamas and puts an end to the terrorist organization's rule over the Gaza Strip. The growing popularity of the Iran-backed Hamas among Palestinians and the terrorist organization's prominence in international affairs following the October 7, 2023, massacre of Israelis appear to be the primary concern of Abbas. The PA president is apparently not happy with all the attention that Hamas has been getting since October 7, 2023. He is also upset that since the attack, Hamas has become more popular among Palestinians as well as other Arabs and Muslims. Abbas, in addition, is worried about the fact that Hamas leaders continue to be accepted by many in the international community as legitimate actors in the Palestinian arena. At meetings of the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, Abbas has avoided bringing up the issue of returning to the Gaza Strip. He is aware that this a very delicate subject and that Hamas and his political enemies could use anything he says to label him as an Israeli collaborator. Since the October 7 massacre, Abbas has been cautious not to challenge Hamas directly. However, he has sharply criticized Hamas not for the heinous crimes it committed, but for providing Israel with a pretext to invade the Gaza Strip. Abbas knows quite well that if he criticizes Hamas, especially when it is at war with Israel, he will lose favor with many Palestinians. At the May 16 Arab summit in Bahrain, Abbas accused Hamas of giving Israel pretexts and justifications for waging war against the Gaza Strip, but he stopped short of denouncing the crimes committed by Hamas terrorists against Israelis. "The military action that Hamas carried out, at its own decision, on that day, October 7, gave Israel even more excuses and reasons to attack in the Gaza Strip, an attack it has continued with full force, with murder, destruction, and uprooting," Abbas told the 33rd Arab League Summit in Manama, Bahrain. The Day After According to the Palestinian officials, Abbas and the PA leadership do not have a plan for the day after the war. The new PA government led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa has still not come up with a strategy to expand its authority to include the Gaza Strip, primarily because Hamas objects to Abbas's "unilateral" decision to name a prime minister without first consulting with the terrorist group. It is, therefore, unlikely that Mustafa's government will take up its duties in the Gaza Strip anytime soon, given the fact that Hamas remains in control of many parts of the coastal enclave. In the past few weeks, Mustafa has been busy trying to find a solution to the PA's financial crisis. His top priority is to pay full salaries to PA employees and not return to the Gaza Strip. As part of its effort to prevent the return of Abbas loyalists, Hamas militiamen have been keeping an eye on the whereabouts and behavior of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who are recognized to be associated with the PA and its ruling Fatah faction. Hamas security personnel dressed in civilian clothes are patrolling the streets of several Gaza Strip communities, occasionally stopping individuals and requesting to verify their personal documentation. Last month, Hamas announced that its men detained several PA intelligence officers who had "infiltrated" the Gaza Strip while posing as humanitarian assistance workers. Hamas claimed that the officers were on a covert mission organized and supervised by Majed Faraj, commander of the Palestinian General Intelligence Service (GIS), in coordination with Israel and some Arab countries, presumably Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. In the past few months, Hamas has issued numerous warnings declaring that it will not allow any foreign party to be present in the Gaza Strip. The warning was issued in reaction to information circulating about the possible deployment of an Arab peacekeeping force in the Gaza Strip. The warning was also directed against Abbas and his close advisers, including Faraj and Hussein al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee, who is touted as a potential successor to the 88-year-old Palestinian rais (president). There is hardly any meaningful debate among the Palestinians when it comes to who should lead the Gaza Strip if Hamas is overthrown. But many Palestinians are attentively monitoring reports in the Israeli and foreign media concerning the controversy surrounding the PA's return to the Gaza Strip. The majority of the information they receive on this matter is sourced from Israeli and foreign journalists, with Palestinian officials, political analysts, and commentators rarely discussing the topic in public. In the Gaza Strip, many Palestinians are frequently unwilling and afraid to bring up the subject, at least not in public. They are aware that despite the significant losses Hamas has sustained during the war, it still maintains many eyes and ears throughout the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, many Palestinians do not seem to care about who would rule the Gaza Strip after the war. The two main concerns that the majority of the West Bank Palestinians have these days are whether the PA will pay its employees fully or partially and whether or not Israel will ever permit Palestinians (from the West Bank) to work in Israel again. More than 100,000 Palestinians from the West Bank had permits to enter Israel for commercial and work purposes prior to Hamas's October 7 attack. The International Criminal Court In the absence of a plan and a genuine intention to return to the Gaza Strip, Abbas and the PA leadership have intensified their diplomatic war against Israel in the international arena, exemplified by the International Criminal Court's prosecutor Karim Khan requesting arrest warrants from the court's judges for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The offensive also involves renewing the Palestinians' application for full United Nations membership, gaining more nations to recognize a Palestinian state, and convincing numerous governments and international organizations across the globe to boycott and punish Israel. Instead of preparing the PA for regaining control of the Gaza Strip, Abbas has opted to focus his efforts on delegitimizing and isolating Israel and achieving symbolic victories, including persuading more countries to recognize a Palestinian state. His main goal is to show the Palestinians that the PA remains as relevant as ever. His message to the Palestinians: "While Hamas is fighting Israel on the streets of the Gaza Strip, I'm also waging another type of war against Israel in the international arena. My war is no less painful to Israel than the Hamas attacks against Israel." Abbas is hoping that his diplomatic offensive will help him regain legitimacy and the confidence of Palestinians, many of whom, according to public opinion polls, prefer Hamas to his corrupt and incompetent PA. For now, he would rather remain in Ramallah, continuing his diplomatic warfare against Israel and efforts to win recognition of a Palestinian state, than return to the Gaza Strip and face a potential bloodbath consisting of his own blood, courtesy of Hamas. Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning Israeli Arab journalist, lecturer, and documentary filmmaker specializing in Palestinian affairs. A Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and a Fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, he has also worked as a senior producer for NBC in the Middle East and has reported on events in the West Bank and Gaza for several media outlets. Home Genome sequencing has significantly advanced our understanding of cancer at an individual level Bengaluru-based informatics startup G-KnowMe has entered into a partnership with researchers at the University of Cambridge and the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), United Kingdom (UK) to develop an automated workflow for interpreting data from sequencing the entire genome of cancers. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of cancers is emerging as the new paradigm in cancer management as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology scales and the cost of sequencing drops. But timely interpretation of the data to make informed clinical decisions is the challenge. Clinical interpretation of WGS data for the breast cancer patient management will be developed under this collaboration, commented Professor Jean Abraham, Director of the Precision Breast Cancer Institute at the University of Cambridge. To achieve this at scale, she added, we need to rely on cutting-edge automation and natural language processing tools powered by artificial intelligence." Tumour profiles carry information that can personalise treatment plans, predict response or resistance to approved therapies, suggest off-label therapies or relevant clinical trials for a patient, and at the same time identify any inherited basis for the cancer. G-KnowMe is leveraging its combined expertise in AI and cancer biology to develop solutions that enable adoption of large panels in clinical management of cancer. While our platform G-KnowMiner is already in use by large diagnostics labs the Indian market to interpret data from NGS panels used for cancer diagnostics, expanding its scope to interpreting WGS data, within a clinically relevant time frame is what we aim to achieve through this partnership, commented Nimisha Gupta, Founder, G-KnowMe. Brazil, France, Germany, Norway, and Qatar declare support for the fit-for-future financing strategy The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched its first-ever Investment Round, as part of a broader plan to transform the way the Organization is funded heading into an era of climate change, mass migration, pandemic threats, an ageing world population, and turbulent geopolitics. The launch marks the start of a year-long series of engagements and events, co-hosted by countries, where Member States and other donors will be invited to contribute funds to WHOs strategy for 2025 through 2028 and show high-level political commitment to WHO and global health. The Investment Round will culminate in November with a major pledging event to be hosted by Brazil around the G20 Leaders Summit. The Government of Brazil announced that as part of its G20 presidency, the country will host high-level events including at the Leaders Summit in November to support the Investment Round and rally countries to join the initiative. Qatar Minister of Health Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari announced a contribution of $ 4 million in fully flexible funds to the Investment Round, and an intention to contribute further. France, Germany, and Norway announced that they would serve as co-hosts for the Investment Round. Further statements of support for the Investment Round came from Dr Gabriel Leung representing the Institute of Philanthropy, and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is WHOs Ambassador for Global Health Financing. Holding an Investment Round was one of the key recommendations put forward by the Member State-led WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing and approved by Member States to make WHO a predictably, sustainably, flexibly funded organization. Member States have also approved an increase in their assessed contributions, on the pathway to providing 50% of WHOs base budget by 2030. With the Investment Round, WHO is seeking to expand its donor base by mobilising new contributions from the WHO Member States that have not yet provided voluntary contributions and by tapping into new private sector donors through the WHO Foundation. To play a crucial role in monitoring and regulating industrial emissions US-based Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced the commencement of manufacturing of Air Quality Monitoring System (AQMS) analysers in India. The analysers will be engineered, manufactured and validated at Thermo Fishers facility at Nasik, Maharashtra. Thermo Fisher has been supporting leading players in cement, metals, mining, oil and gas, power, chemicals and other industries in India with these analysers, manufactured at its facilities in the USA and China. The analysers are then assembled into Make in India Class 1 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) at its Pune facility. By now manufacturing these analysers in India, Thermo Fisher has further fortified its commitment to Indias localisation and environmental stewardship efforts. Designed to provide accurate data on air pollutants and gases, the AQMS analysers play a crucial role in monitoring and regulating industrial emissions, contributing to the governments efforts in curbing air pollution. According to Jatinder Singh Kamyotra, former Member Secretary and Director of Central Pollution Control Board, The localisation will minimise downtime for the availability of these analysers and enable stakeholders to provide better quality data to formulate policies to positively impact the environment. Dr Nihar Sahoo, Chief Environmental Engineer, State Pollution Control Board and Head of the National Clean Air Programme, Odisha, further added, The National Clean Air Programme aims at reducing air pollution by 20-40% with a focus on reduction of Pollutants PM10 and PM2.5. To ensure that we achieve these ambitious targets, there is a need for high-quality equipment that provides accurate and consistent baseline data on the particulate and gas pollutants." Srinath Venkatesh, Managing Director, India & South Asia, Thermo Fisher Scientific, said Air pollution remains a major challenge in India, impacting the health and well-being of millions. By investing in localised capabilities, we strive to strengthen our partnership with government and regulatory stakeholders for action-oriented measures for a healthier, cleaner and safer India. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Chinese language skills contest for high school students held in Hanoi Xinhua) 09:28, May 27, 2024 A contestant performs drumming during the final round of the northern and central section of the 17th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign High School Students in Hanoi, Vietnam, May 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali) HANOI, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The final round of the northern and central section of the 17th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign High School Students concluded here on Sunday. The event was held by Hanoi University and co-organized by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation under China's Ministry of Education and the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam. The final round was divided into four parts, including a themed speech, a Chinese knowledge quiz, an impromptu speech and a talent show, held offline at the meeting hall of Hanoi University. Nguyen Tuong Anh from Foreign Language Specialized School, Vietnam National University won in the final round, with 16 students from nine high schools contesting. Nguyen Tuong Anh performed the Chinese sword dance Huamulan, hailed by the audience. "I have learned Chinese since I was young, I will go to China during this summer holiday to know more about Chinese culture," she told Xinhua. Nguyen Thi Cuc Phuong, vice president of Hanoi University, said that Vietnam and China are friendly neighboring countries, share similar cultures and have profound friendships, which should be inherited by younger generations. There are over 10,000 primary and middle school students, and 20,000 college students learning Chinese in Vietnam, according to Zheng Dawei, educational counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam. A contestant gives a speech during the final round of the northern and central section of the 17th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign High School Students in Hanoi, Vietnam, May 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali) A contestant plays guzheng, a traditional Chinese musical instrument, during the final round of the northern and central section of the 17th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign High School Students in Hanoi, Vietnam, May 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali) A contestant performs painting during the final round of the northern and central section of the 17th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign High School Students in Hanoi, Vietnam, May 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Returning to the Old Country, twenty-two years ago By Mark Wegierski web posted May 27, 2024 Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada of Polish immigrant parents, I have had, over the decades, a deep relation with the land of my forebears. Having visited Poland a number of times as a child and adolescent in earlier decades, I returned over four fairly extensive visits from 2002 to 2004. The places I stayed at during those more recent visits included Ciechocinek, Nieszawa, Torun, Czestochowa, and Grudziadz, among others. I always flew in to Warsaw from Toronto on a direct flight on Polish LOT airlines, which usually takes about nine hours. When one travels in the direction of Torun from Warsaw by car, one normally goes by the Wislostrada (the Vistula Highway). Looking to the west, one can see the various landmarks of Old Warsaw, such as the Royal Castle, the Old Town, and the so-called New Town (dating from the eighteenth century). During my first trip of the recent time, in May 2002, my relatives travelled to Torun not by the Wislostrada, but by a more circuitous route that led along a two-lane road through various picturesque villages. I still remember the look and aroma of the acacia that bloomed prodigiously by the side of the road. Ciechocinek lies about 200 kilometers northwest of Warsaw near Torun, the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, in the Kujawy-Pomorze (Kuyavia-Pomerania) region. It is a spa and resort town of about 14,000 permanent residents, known for its unique titration towers large wooden structures with thick layers of bramble, through which water from nearby salt springs is filtered, producing a healthy microclimate, which approximates that of sea-air. In Ciechocinek, I mostly stayed at a large, elegant spa known as "Pod Tezniami" (By the Titration Towers), which has won awards as one of the best such resorts in Poland. Nieszawa, which is about 10 kilometers southeast of Ciechocinek, is a picturesque small town of about 2,200 inhabitants, which lies on a few hillsides above the Vistula River. Standing at the top of the hillside, one can see clear across the broad river to the verdant forests on the other side. Nieszawa has existed on its current site since the fifteenth century, and has a beautiful church dating back to that era, known especially for its original frescoes. Grudziadz is a town of close to a hundred thousand inhabitants, further north along the Vistula, where I recall attending a funeral in 2004. My father's eldest sister had passed away. The town dates back to the Early Middle Ages, and contains a variety of architectural styles. It was known as a fortress throughout much of its history. The funeral ceremony was carried out with full formality. There were extensive prayers by the open coffin in the basement of the church; then a long funeral mass in the church above, to which the closed coffin had been carried; and then the coffin was conveyed by hearse, for interment at the gravesite, in a large historic cemetery in another part of the town, where the son of the deceased also gave a short eulogy. Obviously, the persons attending the funeral travelled in cars, in a quite impressive motorcade. This was followed by the wake or stypa -- which had been arranged at a particularly elegant restaurant in the town. I also stayed at a few small places to the northeast of Torun, notably a tiny hotel on a lake near Brodnica, and a renovated manor-house itself called Owieczkowo. I had also traversed by car the route from Torun to Bydgoszcz, as well as from Torun to Warsaw, a considerable number of times. On occasion I was driven from Torun southwest to Lodz and then to Czestochowa. Some of the places I saw along the way included Piotrkow Trybunalski, which was the seat of Poland's Royal Tribunal for hundreds of years (hence the second part of the name), and Zarnow, a small town that has a church, the oldest parts of which date back to the tenth century. In one of my most notable trips to Czestochowa, I attended a 60th Wedding Anniversary, including a commemorative ceremony at the famous Jasna Gora monastery, with its glorious image of the Virgin Mary. (An earlier version of this article has appeared in Polonez: Canadian-Polish News (16-31 July 2007), p. 11.) Mark Wegierski is a Toronto-based writer and historical researcher. He was born in Toronto of Polish immigrant parents. Home State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Over three quarters (77 per cent) of firms in Ireland plan to increase their investment in research, development and innovation (RDI), a recent survey has found. Research by the Innovation Index reveals 60 per cent of businesses cite a lack of funding as the primary barrier to increasing innovation. Advertisement Over 40 per cent of businesses identified the time-consuming nature of grant administration as a significant obstacle to RDI activities. The research also found 77 per cent of businesses plan to increase RDI spending in response to challenges like AI and talent shortages. Just over half of multinational corporations feel that Irelands RDI grants and R&D tax credit support compare equally or favourably to other countries, while 13 per cent said the Irish system compares negatively, and 36 per cent were not sure. Ireland ranks 22nd on the Global Innovation Index, behind leading countries like Switzerland (1st), Sweden (2nd), the US (3rd), the UK (4th), and the Netherlands (5th). External maintenance and biodiversity company Ground Control has announced plans to create 150 new jobs across the island as part of a 5 million investment. Ground Control delivers a range of external maintenance and energy solutions services, including grounds maintenance, pothole repair, winter gritting, arboriculture, solar, and electric vehicle charging point installation. Advertisement The firm currently employs 1,100 people across its UK and Irish operations. The company will establish its Irish headquarters in Dublin, with a second office in Belfast, but will also be recruiting for various roles across the island. Ground Control said the new roles will be a "blend of employees and local field-based teams", with the firm looking to collaborate with local and micro-businesses. "In doing so, local partners will benefit from Ground Controls in-house expertise, technology infrastructure, brand assets, and training resources to support their business growth," the company said. "Our decision to launch the business in Ireland is an informed and strategic one, supported by the renewed commitment to sustainability on the part of both the Irish public and private sector," Ground Control's country director for Ireland Declan O'Gorman said. "We are eager to commence our recruitment efforts and engagement with local Irish businesses as part of our commitment to growing our local footprint and empowering new talent from across the Island as we embark on this exciting journey." The number of children admitted to paediatric critical care units (PCCUs) increased by 14 per cent in 2021 and 2022, according to a new report. The Irish Paediatric Critical Care Audit, conducted by the National Office of Clinical Audit, examined data on 7,575 infants and children admitted to the State's two PCCUs Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin and Temple Street between 2018 and 2022. Advertisement The research looked at bed days, length of stay, age breakdown, diagnosis and mortality trends over the five-year period. PCCUs had high occupancy rates (above 85 per cent) in 2021-2022, the report found, "particularly in winter months", reflecting the 'winter surge' seen across the health system. However, the report authors noted: "A detailed analysis of these admissions shows that an increasing majority were secondary to seasonal viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pathogen." The development of new vaccines for RSV could be a factor in reducing these types of admissions, the report added. Advertisement CHI Crumlin had occupancy rates consistently over 95 per cent, above the recommended national standard of 85 per cent, while the number of qualified nurses per bed at CHI Temple Street remained below the recommended standard. While Temple Street saw a 34 per cent increase in PCCU admissions in 2022 compared to 2018, Crumlin accounted for 76 per cent of bed days in each of the years examined. The report also highlighted that most PCCU admissions were unplanned in 2021 and 2022. "Developing regional Paediatric High Dependency Unit (PHDU) capacity would ease the strain on PCCUs. Advertisement "The plan to expand paediatric regional surgical units to Model 4 hospitals means that children can be treated at a local level for non-specialist surgical procedures. However, this needs to be backed up by the provision of PHDU to allow for enhanced postoperative care in a PHDU if required," the authors added. Looking at 'crude mortality rate', the research found deaths among PCCU patients remained very low (4 per cent), the majority of which were in the neonatal age group. Cardiovascular diagnosis were the leading factor in mortalities at Crumlin, while "external causes of accident or injury" was the most common factor of those recorded at Temple Street. The report's recommendations echo issues being seen across the wider health service, with the report authors calling for an emphasis to be placed on workforce, particularly regarding recruitment and retention. Tesla CEO Elon Musk waves as he arrives at the annual political festival Atreju, organized by the Giorgia Melonis Brothers of Italy political party, in mid December in Rome. On Sunday, his xAI said it had raised $6 billion for research. Alessandra Tarantino/AP A group of investors will put up $6 billion to fund development of artificial intelligence by Elon Musks xAI, pushing its valuation to about $24 billion and marking further escalation in the AI arms race. The company said on its website Sunday that the funding round will be used to take xAIs first products to market and speed up research. xAI said it has made significant strides during the past year in developing the technology, which will continue in the coming months. Investors in the latest round include Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Fidelity Management & Research, Valor Equity Partners, Vy Capital, Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and Kingdom Holding. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Musk wrote on the social media site X that before the investment, xAI had a valuation of $18 billion. There will be more to announce in the coming weeks, he said. The funding should help Musks company compete in the race to develop artificial intelligence against more established and better-funded rivals such as Microsoft and Open AI, which created ChatGPT, and Anthropic, another startup. An early supporter of artificial intelligence, Musk co-founded and backed OpenAI before it launched ChatGPT in late 2022. He withdrew his support from the venture last year after a dispute over control and has advocated caution, citing the technologys potential dangers. He was among a group of industry leaders urging a pause in AI development last year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Musk announced formation of xAI in July. In November, it launched a rival to ChatGPT, a product called Grok that was trained on and integrated into the social media network X. Grok so far has been the most visible product of xAIs work, which is led by executives with prior experience at Alphabet Inc.s DeepMind, Microsoft Corp. and Tesla Inc., the Texas-based automaker also led by Musk. Work on AI is also occurring at Tesla. In January, Musk said he wants 25% voting control of the electric vehicle maker before expanding its artificial intelligence and robotics efforts. Without such a stake, he said, he would prefer to build products outside of Tesla. The threat has caused concern among investors in Tesla, which has been working on a number of related projects, including the Tesla Full Self-Driving chip and a humanoid robot. The initiatives could eventually lead to development of fully self-driving cars and robots that perform routine tasks. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Musk has also promoted Teslas Dojo supercomputer to train AI models, which Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said in September could boost its market value by almost $600 billion by helping to speed up its foray into robotaxis and software services. The legality of the provision of courtesy cars to paying guests by hotels may ultimately have to be addressed in the High Court according to a district court judge. The comments were made by Judge Colm Roberts at Midleton District Court where he convicted Xiu Lan Hotels Ltd. operator of the Fota Island Resort in County Cork of operating a courtesy car where the driver did not have a licence to drive a small public service vehicle. Advertisement The prosecution was brought by the National Transport Authority under Section 46 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 in relation to a courtesy car from the Fota Island Resort that was stopped at Killahora, Glounthane County Cork. Brian Hallissey, defence barrister for the hotel said that the practice of providing courtesy cars was common throughout the country and that this decision would ultimately impact hotels across Ireland. He said that his clients business was well run and proper in all respects an that there was no suggestion of underhand dealings of any sort. Judge Roberts said that he sympathised with the hotel and agreed that the conviction would have far reaching implications. He said: I do have sympathy for the hotel and their employees, they were acting on advice. I also accept that the NTA had to take the case and I have to convict. Ultimately this may have to go to the High Court to be clarified, I do understand this has national consequences. Judge Roberts convicted Xiu Lan Hotels Ltd. and fined them 500 and also ordered a 1,000 contribution towards the prosecution legal fees. He fixed recognisance for an appeal on the defendants own bond of 1,000. Israel's ambassador to Ireland warned on Monday that a crisis in bilateral ties over Ireland's plan to recognise a Palestinian state sends the wrong message about Ireland as a tech hub and is worrying Israeli investors in the Irish IT services sector. Speaking in Jerusalem, where she has held foreign ministry consultations after being recalled in protest, ambassador Dana Erlich voiced hope of returning to Ireland, though she saw the Government as "siding with the Palestinians against Israel". Advertisement The statehood recognition is due to be formalised on Tuesday by Ireland in conjunction with Spain and Norway. The United States and some other European countries favour first reviving negotiations on resolving the conflict. The move by Ireland, Spain and Norway was denounced as a "reward for terrorism" by Israel, which is waging a devastating Gaza war and knock-on fighting on other fronts in response to the October 7th cross-border rampage by Hamas, the dominant Palestinian Islamist faction. Erlich said all aspects of Israeli-Irish ties were under review but stopped short of predicting further action by her government, which has continued sparring with Madrid. "Ireland is not neutral or an honest broker in this case, because they are very supportive of the Palestinians. But what we are saying (is): This is not the time for such announcement on recognition," Erlich told Reuters in an interview. Advertisement The Government says that recognition of Palestinian statehood may benefit Israel by reviving stalled peacemaking. Many Irish people sympathise with Israel "behind the scenes", Erlich claimed: "I think there is a lot of potential in our bilateral relations, if it's cybersecurity or health care, climate change. I hope to be given that opportunity to continue that." But she said a public mood of hostility, which some Jews deem antisemitic, is making Israelis question their place in Ireland - a threat to tech services that account for the lion's share of some 4.6 billion in annual trade between the countries. "We are getting more and more phone calls and conversations of concerned people - if it's Israelis who invest in Ireland and are concerned about their investment, if it's Israelis who have relocated to Ireland into different tech companies and either are requesting to be relocated somewhere else or asking to return to Israel," Erlich said. Advertisement "I think it sends the wrong message about the location and the centrality of Ireland as a tech hub when there are more and more people who are concerned about moving to Ireland. I don't think that this is the message that Ireland wants to send to the world ... And this is not what we want to see." The business connection has already been hit by the decision announced on February 5th by Israel's national carrier, El Al, not to renew direct flights to Dublin that were launched last year, citing changes in customer demands since the Gaza war. The Government has rejected calls by pro-Palestinian activists to impose sanctions or an economic boycott on Israel. But on April 5th, Ireland said its 15 billion sovereign investment fund would divest from six Israeli companies, including some of its largest banks, over their activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. Advertisement The Gaza war broke out a month after Erlich arrived in Dublin, plunging her into 24/7 crisis-management and outreach. "There are many similarities between Ireland and Israel that I'm curious to learn more about - if it's a reviving of an ancient language, if it's the diaspora, if it's the different scenic options," she said. "And I hope to be given that opportunity to continue exploring Ireland. But right now, we need to address our concerns." Three people have been arrested following 32,750 of cash, 15,000 worth of suspected cannabis and 40,000 of designer clothing was seized in Dublin. This was part of an operation conducted as part of ongoing investigations into organised criminality in the Coolock area on Monday morning. Advertisement Various units were involved in search operation including the Emergency Response Unit, the Garda National Immigration Bureau, the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, the Garda Dog Unit, the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Public Order Unit. Locations in Coolock, Balbriggan and Finglas were searched as part of the operation which focused on suspected money laundering, the sale and supply of drugs, possession of weapons, immigration offences, illegal waste disposal and suspected theft. 241,000 of assets were also frozen in various bank accounts. The three people were arrested for immigration offences by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. All three people remain detained at this time and will be deported from the State in due course. This search operation also forms part of the investigation into an incident of violent disorder that occurred at a premises in Balgriffin, County Dublin on 13th January 2024. Gardai say investigations are ongoing. Palestinian medics said an Israeli air strike killed at least 22 people when it hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and numerous others were trapped in the debris. The strike came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gazas population had sought shelter before Israels recent incursion. Advertisement Tens of thousands of people remain in the area while many others have fled. Footage from the scene showed heavy destruction and flames. There were no immediate details on the target. The Israeli army said it was unaware of anything occurring in the area. Advertisement Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was in Rafah on Sunday and was briefed on the deepening of operations there, his office said. Advertisement A spokesperson with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the death toll was likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continued in Rafahs Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood about 1.2 miles northwest of the city centre. The society asserted that the location had been designated by Israel as a humanitarian area. The neighbourhood is part of areas that Israels military ordered evacuated earlier this month. The airstrike was reported hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israels massive air, sea and ground offensive. Advertisement There were no immediate reports of casualties in what appeared to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January. Hamas military wing claimed the attack. Palestinian militants have sporadically fired rockets and mortar rounds at communities along the Gaza border, and the military arm of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group later on Sunday said it fired rockets at nearby communities. The Israeli military said eight projectiles crossed into Israel after being launched from Rafah. Advertisement It said a number of the projectiles were intercepted, and military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the launcher in Rafah was destroyed. Earlier on Sunday, aid lorries entered Gaza from southern Israel under a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of it earlier this month. But it was not immediately clear if humanitarian groups could access the aid because of fighting. Egypt refuses to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until control of the Gaza side is handed back to Palestinians. It agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Israels Kerem Shalom crossing, Gazas main cargo terminal, after a call between US president Joe Biden and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. But the Kerem Shalom crossing has been largely inaccessible because of Israels offensive in Rafah. Israel says it has allowed hundreds of lorries to enter, but United Nations agencies say it is usually too dangerous to retrieve the aid. With the humanitarian operation near collapse, the secretary-general emphasizes that the Israeli authorities must facilitate the safe pickup and delivery of humanitarian supplies from Egypt entering Kerem Shalom, the spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement. Demonstrators burn fire during a protest against Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahus government, and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip (Ariel Schalit/AP) The war between Israel and Hamas has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count. The Health Ministry said the bodies of 81 people killed by Israeli strikes had been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in dense, residential areas. Around 80% of Gazas 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. Hamas triggered the war with its October 7th attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds some 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a ceasefire last year. Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas remaining battalions and achieve total victory over the militants, who recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza where the military has operated. The war has also heightened tensions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian authorities on Sunday said Israeli forces shot dead a 14-year-old boy near the southern West Bank town of Saeer. The Israeli army said the Palestinian male was shot dead after trying to stab Israeli forces at Beit Einun Junction. Tens of thousands of demonstrators held a protest on Sunday in Yerevan, Armenias capital, to call for prime minister Nikol Pashinyans resignation after the European nation agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan. The demonstration was the latest in a weeks-long series of gatherings led by a high-ranking cleric in the Armenian Apostolic Church Bagrat Galstanyan, archbishop of the Tavush diocese in Armenias northeast. Advertisement He spearheaded the formation of a movement called Tavush For The Homeland after Armenia agreed to cede control of four villages in the region to Azerbaijan in April. Armenian archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan (Stepan Poghosyan/AP) Although the villages were the movements core issue, it has expanded to express a wide array of complaints about Mr Pashinyan and his government. Advertisement Movement leaders told the rally on Sunday that they support Mr Galstanyan becoming the next prime minister. The decision to turn over the villages in Tavush followed the lightning military campaign in September in which Azerbaijans military forced ethnic Armenian separatist authorities in the Karabakh region to capitulate. After Azerbaijan took full control of Karabakh, about 120,000 people fled the region, almost all of its ethnic Armenian population. Ethnic Armenian fighters backed by Armenian forces had taken control of Karabakh in 1994 at the end of a six-year war. Azerbaijan regained some of the territory in fighting in 2020 which ended in an armistice that brought in a Russian peacekeeper force, which began withdrawing this year. Advertisement Mr Pashinyan has said Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. Israeli air strikes have killed at least 35 people and hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and numerous others were trapped in flaming debris, according to Palestinian health workers said. Gazas Health Ministry said women and children made up most of the dead and dozens of wounded after the attacks on Sunday. Advertisement They came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gazas population had sought shelter before Israels incursion earlier this month. A makeshift tent camp in Rafah (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) Tens of thousands of people remain in the area while many others have fled. Advertisement Footage from the scene of the largest air strike showed heavy destruction. Israels army confirmed the strike and said it hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior militants. It said it was investigating reports that civilians were harmed. Defence minister Yoav Gallant was in Rafah on Sunday and was briefed on the deepening of operations there, his office said. A spokesperson with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the death toll is likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continue in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood. The society said the location had been designated by Israel as a humanitarian area. It is not included in areas that Israels military ordered evacuated earlier this month. Advertisement The air strike was reported hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israels massive air, sea and ground offensive. Advertisement There were no reports of casualties in what appeared to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January. Hamass military wing claimed responsibility. Israels military said eight projectiles crossed into Israel after being launched from Rafah and a number were intercepted, and the launcher was destroyed. Earlier on Sunday, dozens of aid trucks entered Gaza from southern Israel under a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of it earlier this month. Israels military said 126 aid trucks entered by the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing. It was not immediately clear if humanitarian groups could access the aid including medical supplies because of fighting. The crossing has been largely inaccessible because of Israels offensive in Rafah. Advertisement United Nations agencies say it is usually too dangerous to retrieve the aid, and the World Health Organisation last week said an expanded Israeli incursion in Rafah would have a disastrous impact. Palestinians waiting for aid trucks to reach the Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) With the humanitarian operation near collapse, the secretary-general emphasises that Israeli authorities must facilitate the safe pick-up and delivery of humanitarian supplies from Egypt entering Kerem Shalom, the spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement. Egypt refuses to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until control of the Gaza side is handed back to Palestinians. It agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Kerem Shalom, Gazas main cargo terminal, after a call between US president Joe Biden and Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. The war between Israel and Hamas has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in dense, residential areas. Around 80% of Gazas 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. Hamas triggered the war with its October 7th attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized 250 hostages. Hamas still holds about 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a ceasefire last year. The Libertarian Party has nominated Chase Oliver as a candidate to become the next US president, rejecting Donald Trump and Robert F Kennedy Jr after they each spoke at the partys convention. Third parties have rarely been competitive in US presidential elections and the Libertarian candidate four years ago won 1 per cent of the vote. Advertisement But the partys decision is getting more attention this year due to the rematch between Mr Trump and US president Joe Biden, which could hinge again on small vote margins in a handful of contested states. We did it! I am officially the presidential nominee, Mr Oliver posted on Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. Its time to unify and move forward for liberty. Donald Trump speaking at the Libertarian National Convention (AP/Jose Luis Magana) Advertisement Mr Trump appeared on Saturday night in Washington at the convention to give a speech that was repeatedly booed by many in the room. It did not pay off with the endorsement he requested, though his Republican allies praised him for choosing to go before an unfriendly crowd. Mr Kennedy got a friendlier reception when he spoke on Friday and attacked both Mr Trump and Mr Biden for how they addressed the Covid-19 pandemic. He had talked up his support for the Libertarians and an endorsement could have helped him expedite the process of gaining ballot access in all 50 states, perhaps the biggest hurdle he faces in qualifying for the first presidential debate in June hosted by CNN. Libertarians prioritise small government and individual freedoms, with a mix of policy positions that could be seen as liberal, conservative or neither. Mr Oliver is an activist from Atlanta who previously ran for the US Senate and US House of Representatives from Georgia. His campaign website calls for major cuts to the federal budget with an eye towards balancing the budget, the abolition of the death penalty, and the closure of all overseas military bases and ending of military support to Israel and Ukraine. Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda has secured a second five-year term in a landslide victory over prime minister Ingrida Simonyte. Preliminary figures by Lithuanias Central Electoral Commission showed that Mr Nauseda won 74.5 per cent of the votes and Ms Simonyte 24.1 per cent. Advertisement The 60-year-old Mr Nauseda is a moderate conservative and has been a strong backer of Ukraine, a position shared across most of the political spectrum. During his time in office, Lithuania has also given refuge to many who have fled an authoritarian crackdown in neighbouring Belarus and increased repression in Russia. Lithuanias independence and freedom is like a fragile vessel that we must cherish, protect and prevent from cracking, Mr Nauseda said on Sunday night after the ballots had been counted, the Baltic News Service reported. Speaking of the Baltic countrys allies the United States, Germany, Poland, among others, he added: We have a very similar position on fundamental issues, like support for Ukraine, the attitude towards the Russian threat. Advertisement Gitanas Nauseda has won a landslide election victory in Lithuania (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) Mr Nauseda, a former banker, entered politics with his successful presidential run in 2019. He and Ms Simonyte won the first round but failed to muster the 50 per cent of the votes needed to win the presidency outright. The election comes as Russian gains in Ukraine are fuelling greater fears about Moscows intentions, particularly in the strategically important Baltic region. Lithuania is north of Poland and south of the two other Baltic countries, Latvia and Estonia. It separates Belarus, an ally of Russia, from Kaliningrad, a heavily militarised Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea that is separated from the Russian mainland. Advertisement The presidents main tasks in Nato-member Lithuanias political system are overseeing foreign and defence policy, along with acting as the supreme commander of the armed forces. Given that Lithuania is strategically located on Natos eastern flank, the presidency of the relatively small nation has added importance as tensions rise between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine. Before the votes were counted on Sunday evening, Ms Simonyte conceded defeat and congratulated her opponent. Both Mr Nauseda who ran as an independent candidate, and Ms Simonyte who became prime minister in 2020, have voiced support for Ukraine. The pair also ran against each other in a presidential runoff in 2019, when Mr Nauseda won with 66% of the votes. Advertisement Mr Nauseda will be sworn in for a new five-year term in July. Ms Simonyte said she will return to work as prime minister in Lithuania, a country of nearly three million people on Monday, Lithuanian television said. Turnout in Sundays election was 49.15 per cent. Rishi Sunak defended his bold plan to bring back a form of compulsory national service amid a ministerial backlash and Tory confusion about the policy. The UK prime minister said the policy, which will see 18-year-olds forced to either sign up to the military or cyber defence force or undertake community volunteering work, would make society more cohesive and strengthen the UKs defence. Advertisement But a serving minister complained he was not consulted on the 2.5 billion policy and senior Tories faced questions over whether parents would be liable for fines if their adult children refused to take part. I dont like to be pedantic but a Government policy would have been developed by ministers on the advice of officials and collectively agreed. I would have had a say on behalf of NI. But this proposal was developed by a political adviser or advisers and sprung on candidates, Rt Hon Steve Baker FRSA (@SteveBakerFRSA) May 27, 2024 Advertisement Under the Tory plan, due to be fully in place by 2029-30 if Mr Sunak wins the election, all 18-year-olds will be legally required to take up either a 12-month placement in the armed forces or cyber defence or give up the equivalent of one weekend a month to volunteer in their communities. Around 30,000 full-time military placements will be on offer, with the vast majority of 18-year-olds expected to do the compulsory community roles instead, working with organisations such as charities, the NHS, police or fire services. Advertisement Mr Sunak told reporters on a campaign visit in Buckinghamshire: This modern form of national service will mean that young people get the skills and the opportunities that they need which is going to serve them very well in life. Its going to foster a culture of service which is going to be incredibly powerful for making our society more cohesive and in a more uncertain and dangerous world its going to strengthen our countrys security and resilience. For all these reasons I think this is absolutely the right thing to do. Yes, it is bold, but thats the kind of leadership I offer. But Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker publicly criticised the way the policy had been sprung on Tory candidates. Advertisement He suggested had it been a government policy rather than a Tory proposal, he would have had a say because of the particular sensitives around military service in Northern Ireland. Advertisement But this proposal was developed by a political adviser or advisers and sprung on candidates, some of whom are relevant ministers, he said. In a sign of wider unease at the policy, he added: History has proven time and time again that liberty under law not compulsion and planning is the surest road to peace and prosperity. Broadcast interviews by senior Tories also demonstrated that key points of the policy were yet to be worked out, with a royal commission promised to develop the details. UK ministers compared it to the requirement for children to be in education or training up until the age of 18, which can leave parents liable for fines if their children do not show up to school. UK foreign office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan did not rule out the possibility of parents facing prosecution if their children refused to take part in the scheme. Asked on Times Radio whether parents would face prosecution if their legally adult 18-year-olds refuse to sign up for the military or volunteering activity, she said: Im not going to write the detailed policy now. Thats what a royal commission programme of works will be for. Tory deputy chairman James Daly said Ms Trevelyan certainly doesnt have responsibility for this area and asked: Why would you think that a parent of an 18-uyear-old would go to jail because of the actions of an 18-year-old? Tory peer Lord Goldsmith, an ally of former prime minister Boris Johnson, hit out at Mr Sunak and indicated he believed the Conservatives were on course for an electoral disaster. I understand the anger towards Sunak who has damaged the party almost beyond repair and all but guaranteed the majority of his MPs will lose their job next month, the former minister said. But its hard to muster much sympathy given that none of this would have happened without the complicity of a majority of the party and what is now unfolding was entirely predictable indeed predicted. The hope is that when Sunak disappears off to California in a few weeks there are at least some decent MPs left around which to rebuild. Labour stepped up attacks on the national service plan, with Sir Keir Starmer calling it a teenage Dads Army. Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: Tory MPs are arguing among themselves about whether they are going to arrest parents, whether it will apply to Northern Ireland and how much it will cost. It is a shambles, total chaos, and the country deserves so much better. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Madrid where he is expected to sign a bilateral security agreement with Spain. The deal will help his country fight its more than two-year war with Russia amid a recent offensive by the Kremlins forces. Advertisement Spains King Felipe VI met Mr Zelensky at the capitals Barajas airport. The Ukrainian leader is holding talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez about what local media reported is a planned 1.1 billion euro (940 million) agreement for Spain to supply Ukraine with more weapons. Mr Zelensky had been due to visit Spain earlier this month but he postponed all his foreign trips after the Kremlins forces launched a cross-border offensive in the north-eastern Kharkiv region and left Ukrainian troops reeling. Mr Zelenskyy, left, talks with Mr Sanchez in Madrid (AP Photo/Paul White) Advertisement That push has further strained Ukraines already depleted army, which in recent months has been fighting Russias intense drive deeper into the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region. Mr Zelensky said on Sunday that the Kremlins army is mustering at another point in Russia, farther north but close to the approximately 600-mile front line, presumably to try to crack Ukrainian resistance in the area. A Western intelligence assessment suggested that Russias Kharkiv offensive has subsided. The northern Kharkiv front has likely stabilised with Russian territorial control fragmented and not joined up, the UKs Ministry of Defence said. Russias gains in this axis will be limited in the coming week, as Russias initial momentum has been contained by Ukrainian resistance. That is in line with Mr Zelenskys claim last Friday that Ukrainian forces have secured combat control of areas where Russian troops entered the Kharkiv region. Advertisement The onslaught unfolding as the weather improves has brought Ukraines biggest military test since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. Slow deliveries of support by its Western partners, especially a lengthy delay in US military aid, have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russias bigger army and air force. Spanish newspaper El Pais, citing unidentified sources familiar with the bilateral deal, said it would include another batch of US-made Patriot air defence systems that Ukraine has long pleaded for to help it fend off Russian missile attacks. Other items include more Leopard tanks for Ukraine and 155mm artillery shells that are the most used by Ukraine on the battlefield, El Pais said. Spain will also continue training Ukrainian troops and treating its wounded soldiers. KSAT TVs parent company has reportedly offered buyouts to senior staff at its seven local news stations. Last week, KSAT said six on-air employees were leaving this summer. Monte Bach Staff buyouts offered by KSAT-TVs Virginia-based owner appear to have prompted the departures of at least six on-air employees at the station. The San Antonio ABC affiliate is owned by Graham Media Group, which operates seven stations in four states. In the past month, several employees at other Graham-owned stations have reportedly taken buyout offers. KSAT announced last week that anchors Mark Austin and Ursula Pari, meteorologist Mike Osterhage, anchor-reporter David Sears, and reporters Jessie Degollado and Marilyn Moritz will be departing the station in late June and July. Advertisement Article continues below this ad All are long tenured at KSAT, with employment histories ranging from 25 to more than 40 years. It was unclear if other behind-the-scenes staff will be leaving the market-leading newscast but that has been the case at some other Graham Media stations. Asked if the departures were the result of a buyout offer from Graham Media, a spokesman for the station declined to comment. KSATs announcement cast the departures as a collective decision by the employees to retire. A buyout is an agreement for an employee to voluntarily end a relationship with an employer in exchange for compensation. They are commonly used to cut higher-paid senior staff and sometimes followed by involuntary separations if the buyout offer fails to reach the employers goal for reductions. Local television news operations like KSAT are struggling under the same financial pressures as many other forms of media, with declining audience and revenue. Popularity of television news has also been waning, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. In 2024, it said, 32% of consumers preferred to get their news through TV newscasts rather than sources such as newspapers or social media. Thats down from 41% in 2018. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In its fourth-quarter earnings report, Graham Holdings Co., the diversified parent of Graham Media, said its TV revenue was down 19% from the same period in 2022 mostly due to a decline in political advertising. Operating income was down 43% amid declining revenues and higher network fees. Through the first three months of 2024, Graham said its TV arms revenue was flat while operating income was up 3%. IN APRIL: KSAT investigative reporter Leigh Waldman says goodbye to San Antonio station TV news veteran Rick Gevers of Rick Gevers & Associates, which recruits on-air talent for client stations, said in a recent report that Graham Media is seeing shakeups across its markets with many veteran employees taking a buyout. Among them is Bernice Kearney, a former news director at KSAT and current news director at Graham Medias KPRC Houston, Gevers said. Kearney moved to KPRC after a 29-year career at KSAT, the last nine years of which were spent as news director, according to her LinkedIn profile. She has been at KPRC for about 18 months. Kearney is not the only KPRC employee saying goodbye. A report Thursday from Houston media journalist Mike McGuff said a total of 12 employees had accepted buyouts and are departing the station July 1. McGuff reported KPRC Chief Meteorologist Frank Billingsley is one of the dozen departing with a buyout. Billingsley announced he will leave the station after June but did not specify whether he accepted a buyout. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Buyouts at Graham Medias WDIV in Detroit are also expected to affect multiple TV personalities, the Detroit Free Press reported. In March, the station began offering a voluntary retirement incentive program, the stations general manager told the newspaper. IN JANUARY: KSAT bids farewell to anchor Tim Gerber after 20 years News insider website FTVLive reported the buyouts in Detroit were offered to employees 55 years and older with at least 25 years at the station. The package offers 18 months of pay and extended benefits packages, including a year of health insurance, according to the publication. Several employees at WJXT, one of Graham Medias three stations in Florida, also have taken buyouts. They include anchor Tom Wills, according to the Jacksonville Times-Union. Graham Media also owns Jacksonvilles WCWJ. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Broadcast industry publication Radio+Television Business Report reported Friday it had been rumored for some time that Graham Medias longtime staffers were being offered buyouts and the reality is now being seen. Exiled Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui likes the finer things in life, like superyachts and custom-made Italian suits, but that isnt against the law, his lawyer told the jury in his billion-dollar fraud and racketeering trial. Being shallow or rich does not make for a criminal, defence attorney Sabrina Shroff said in her opening statement Friday at Guos trial in New York. Guo Wengui is accused of tricking investors into handing over $US1 billion for what they thought were promising investment opportunities. Credit: Reuters The case involves the intriguing background and wealth of a businessman who amassed a strong online following criticising the Chinese Communist Party and was an associate of former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Also known as Miles Guo and Ho Wan Kwok, he is accused of stealing more than $US1 billion ($1.5 billion) from investors after tricking them into funding four bogus schemes. He has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan allege that Guo, who referred to himself as Brother Seven in online videos before his arrest in March 2023, spent the funds on lavish gifts for himself and his family, including a $US26 million New Jersey mansion, a $US37 million yacht and a $US60,000 TV. Kicking off the openings, Assistant US Attorney Micah Fergenson told the jury Guo gained popularity showing off his wealth and speaking out against the Chinese leadership, provoking it to seize his assets. We brought word last week that former prime minister Scott Morrison had sought to bathe his overthrow of Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal leader in a divine light. But it now looks like ScoMo might need some help from on high with the underwhelming local sales of his memoir. Loading The blaze of free publicity accompanying the publication of Plans For Your Good: A Prime Ministers Testimony of Gods Faithfulness, had CBD thinking the man dubbed Scotty from Marketing had not lost his touch. So youd think after that deluge of free plugs in print TV, radio and online, copies of the thing would be flying off the shelves, right? Well, chatter among publishing types that the book has been a flop in Australian mainstream retail and online outlets, sent us searching for hard data. The rise of influencer beauty culture has supercharged the demand for prescription skincare. Once a more niche category, internet skincare forums are full of posts about accessing medical treatments to treat cosmetic concerns such as ageing or pimples. In our beauty-obsessed culture, the line between aesthetic and medical concerns is increasingly blurred. But what exactly is prescription skincare? And who is it for? Prescription skincare is on the rise. Credit: iStock What is prescription skincare? The most common skincare ingredient that requires a prescription are retinoids a kind of vitamin which can be taken orally, such as Accutane, or applied topically. Some online services also prescribe ingredients such as vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, which are not classed as drugs and do not need a doctor to be administered. More from question time, where Greens leader Adam Bandt asks the prime minister if he will condemn Peter Duttons comments on the ICC and reaffirm Australias support for the court, including the commitment to arrest anyone with an outstanding warrant, even if that includes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The ICC was a hot-button issue last week, with the government insisting there is no moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas, while backing the ICCs role in upholding international law after the courts top prosecutor sensationally requested arrest warrants for the leaders of both Israel and Hamas. Albanese avoids most of the question, responding by rattling off Labors lines on the issue: This government and indeed this parliament has been very clear from the beginning. We joined together, most of us, to condemn the terrorist attacks of October the 7th. We regard Hamas as a terrorist group. We have called upon Hamas to immediately release all hostages, and there is no equivalence between Hamas and Israel. We said in a motion, carried last October, that we recognise Israels right to defend itself, but we also reiterated this parliaments stance, that Australias consistent position in all context is to call for the protection of civilian lives and the observance of international law. We have been consistent; I note as well the impact that has occurred recently in Rafah. We consistently have opposed the ground offensive in Rafah. We expressed our concern that the impact that that would have, given that more than half of Gazas 2.3 million people were sheltering in Rafah, and were told to go to Rafah, where they would be safe. We must have a humanitarian ceasefire so that civilian life can be protected. We must have increased humanitarian assistance delivered to Gaza. Every innocent life matters, whether it is Israeli or Palestinian, and my government consistently, and will consistently, support a two-state solution, which recognises the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security with prosperity. We brought word last week that former prime minister Scott Morrison had sought to bathe his overthrow of Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal leader in a divine light, now it looks like ScoMo might need some help from on high for the underwhelming local sales of his memoir. Scott Morrison says his prayers. Credit: John Shakespeare The blaze of free publicity accompanying the publication of Plans For Your Good: A Prime Ministers Testimony of Gods Faithfulness had CBD thinking that the man dubbed Scotty from Marketing had not lost his touch. So youd think after the free plugs in print and on TV, radio and online, copies of the thing would be flying off the shelves, right? Well, the chatter among publishing types is that the book has been a flop in mainstream Australian retail and online outlets, and that sent us searching for hard data. Saturdays were spent at the local cinemas where she escaped a difficult home life and fell in love with the big screen. In years to come she would meet many of her celluloid heroes. A Bondi neighbour who was known as an up-and-coming bookmaker one day asked Patricia if she could come over to mind his phones for the afternoon while he went out. Young Pat obliged. That neighbour later became well known as one of Sydneys most colourful identities, Abe Saffron. Mike Walsh (left) Dame Edna Everage (Barry Humphries) Pat Lavelle, David OToole (audio engineer) The Mike Walsh Show 1977 Patricia was educated at St Patricks, the local Catholic school, but did not relish the stewardship of a particularly venomous scrum of nuns and left at 14 for a job at radio 2SM in the city. Its where her love of working in the media was born. As a teenager, Pat joined the Eastern Suburbs Dramatic Society, and later the New Theatre in Darlinghurst. Pats stage debut was playing a French maid. In true self-deprecating style, she would tell friends that her first and only line was Oui, oui. On the first day of rehearsal, she strode out on to the stage saying Oy, oy and the rest of the cast couldnt hold back their mirth. Like other young people who could see the rise of fascism in Europe, she was drawn to the Communist Party. Though she later admitted that she really joined because she, had a crush on the cartoonist Les Tanner, and he was a member. She eventually met Paul Lavelle, the son of a former Labor MP. Pat and Paul married just after her 20th birthday in 1949. Mike Walsh Show Production Team: Bill Wallace (writer) Pat Lavelle (Segment Producer) Mike Walsh (Host and Executive Producer) John Chapman (Producer), the author (Segment Producer), David Price (Executive Producer) 1977 They went on to have three daughters and live in public social housing on the lower north shore at Lane Cove. Pat wrote radio plays for the ABC, studied acting and performed at the Ensemble Theatre, most notably as Mama Bear in Robyn Moases Goldilocks and the Four Bears, alongside Tony Sheldon, Col Hughes, and Virginia Portingale. Pat supported her family by working at various jobs: at a printing house, a union, and later, in PR for Grace Bros in Chatswood. It was there that Pat first worked with Barry Humphries. He was at the store to judge the Miss North Shore Quest. Years later, when Humphries appeared on one of Pats shows to promote his autobiography, he inscribed a copy to her: To sign a book of Pats would/Never make me wince/I met her once in Chatswood/And have loved her ever since. Pat with former prime minister Gough Whitlam 1992 Once her teenage daughters had all left home Pat left her marriage. In her early 40s, the independence and professional life she craved beckoned. In 1975 she answered David Price and Mike Walshs advertisement for a writer/researcher and began her new career. Pat brought her people skills and empathetic character to the shows team, many times convincing people who would not have otherwise been prepared to share their personal stories. One particularly heart-wrenching interview was with a young mother, Fern Smith, who had killed her baby in the depths of postpartum depression. Actor Michael Douglas, who was watching the segment from the green room and used to the light fare of US chat shows, refused to follow that segment. Pat also persuaded a sitting prime minister to appear on the show with his wife. Gough and Margaret Whitlam created television history by trading personal stories with Walsh, and it wasnt long before Malcolm Frasers press secretary was offering Mal and Tammy for a similar chinwag. Pat Lavelle in 1998. Over the years, Pat produced memorable interviews with feminists Germaine Greer, Kathy Lette, Shere Hite, Judy Mundey and Eva Cox. She also had great rapport with actors such as Lauren Bacall and Michael Crawford and the great actor/writer/director/raconteur Sir Peter Ustinov. Pat was a once co-guest of honour alongside Ustinov at an arts luncheon at the Art Gallery of NSW. Sir Peter had held the esteemed gathering in thrall with his hilarious stories of Hollywood when the host called on Pat to speak about her career. She told of her work in radio and retail and now as a senior producer on The Mike Walsh Show. With so many people unwell, the Red Cross was calling for 400 new blood donors across Brisbane last week, as blood donations dropped to critical levels. Azithromycin in liquid form is the preferred antibiotic to treat mycoplasma pneumoniae in children because it requires just one dose a day. The bacterium, which damages the lining of the lungs, throat and windpipe, is naturally resistant to penicillin because it lacks a cell wall. Dr Paul Griffin says people have lost sight of how important it is to stay home when they are unwell. Credit: Justin McManus Weve got such a high number of cases that I did a webinar for some GPs around the country and one of the resounding points from that was that they cant even get their patients the antibiotics that they need, Griffin said. Additional antibiotics supplies have arrived in Queensland, but parents are still advised to call their pharmacy ahead of time. There have been more than 1500 recorded cases of mycoplasma pneumoniae in Queensland since the beginning of the year. Mycoplasma is a huge challenge for us, said Griffin, who has been fielding calls from intensive-care clinicians from around the state treating patients with severe cases on intubators. The number of different things going around at once is unusual. Dr Paul Griffin, infectious disease expert The latest data from Queensland Health shows a 17 per cent rise in COVID-19 hospitalisations in the past fortnight: about 214 people with the virus were being treated in the states public hospitals. At the same time, 43 people were in hospital with influenza, most of whom were aged 65 years or more. Of the 1400 people who have been hospitalised with the flu this year, 98 per cent were not vaccinated. There has also been a significant rise in cases of RSV, which mostly affects young children and can lead to breathing problems in babies. Across the state, 17,628 cases of RSV have been recorded so far this year a 58 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, the number of recorded whooping cough infections in Queensland is 12 times as high as average. For most of April, Queensland Health received more than 200 reports of the highly contagious respiratory infection, formally known as pertussis, every week. That is roughly as many cases as it would normally record in the year to date. There have also been more whooping cough infections reported in infants so far this year than were reported in all of 2023. But more than 31,000 Queensland children are considered overdue for the whooping cough vaccine, and about half of those children are under the age of two. Brisbane GP and former Queensland president of the Australian Medical Association, Maria Boulton, is concerned about vaccination rates. As a GP Ive seen entire families come down with illness and theres nothing worse than having to care for sick children when youre sick yourself as well, Boulton said. We know that Queensland Health is also concerned. They have been sharing a lot of data with all the medical stakeholders. Queensland does fall behind when it comes to vaccine rates. If there was a State of Origin with vaccine rates, Queensland wouldnt normally win that. Only 20.3 per cent of Queenslanders have received their flu vaccine so far this year, and only 10.4 per cent of children under the age of five. Griffin said people had also forgotten all those basic things we did during COVID to stop the spread of infection. I believe people have lost sight of how important it is to stay home when they are unwell, he said. Brisbane has the most expensive off-street parking of any CBD in Australia, according to a new analysis that reveals carpark fees in the Queensland capital have overtaken Sydney in the past 12 months. As the state government prepares a major advertising campaign to promote its trial of 50 public transport fares, Brisbane motorists are being hit with higher fees and charges. Brisbane has the most expensive fees for off-street parking of any CBD in Australia. Credit: Dan Peled An analysis by Ray White Corporate shows the maximum daily fee for a parking spot in a Brisbane CBD centre is now $79.67. That is higher than any other CBD, albeit with Brisbane offering the highest online discount and second-highest early bird discount. Ray White head of research Vanessa Rader said the governments cheap fares could force carpark operators to reduce their fees to compete. Calls have amplified in recent weeks for Australian social media age limits to be raised from 13 to 16. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas announced the state would examine legal and technical pathways around imposing a ban. The e-safety commissioner has recommended age verification on social media through the Online Safety Act. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has weighed in. To add to the momentum, activist parent groups such as 36 months have come out saying a ban is the only way to protect our kids. But is it? The proposed ban would mean that youths under 16 wouldnt be able to create accounts on social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok. For many Aussie parents this horse has already bolted, because kids as young as 10 already have accounts on the sly. Credit: Cameron Myles/ iStock/ Supplied As a parent of two teen boys I understand the fear attached to social media, but because I also work in the industry, I believe this will be like kryptonite to teens. Thank you for joining us today. It has been a big day of news, and a heartbreaking one too as weve learned more about what led up to the tragic deaths of two women who lived in Floreat. We heard how Mark Bombaras daughter made a frantic triple-zero call after he rang her while storming their house. And we published the words of the CEO of White Ribbon Australia on how men behaving respectfully is important, but why they must do more to fight domestic violence. A court was told an aged care worker who strangled a 70-year-old WA woman to death had a fixation on serial killers, and that even his defence lawyer didnt understand how he was able to get a job caring for elderly people. Finally, Paddy Sweeney wrote about West Coasts away game curse and how the handball happy Dockers need to find the boot. Good night and we look forward to keeping you informed tomorrow. Liz Teitz covers environmental news and the Hill Country for the San Antonio Express-News. She writes about the San Antonio Water System, news in New Braunfels and Comal County and water issues around Central Texas. She can be reached at liz.teitz@express-news.net. Liz joined the Express-News in June 2023. She has been a reporter for eight years, covering housing, government, education and other topics for the Ouray County Plaindealer, Hearst Connecticut Media Group and the Beaumont Enterprise. Liz grew up in Rhode Island and graduated from Georgetown University. The airstrikes burnt the tents, the tents are melting and the peoples bodies are also melting, said one of the residents who arrived at the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah. Loading The Israeli military said eight projectiles had earlier been identified crossing from the area of Rafah, the southern tip of the Gaza Strip where Israel has continued operations despite a ruling by the top UN court that ordered it to stop attacking the city. A number of the projectiles bound for Tel Aviv were intercepted, it said. There were no reports of casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was convening his war cabinet to discuss continued operations in Rafah. Israel argues that the UN courts ruling allows room for some military action there. In a statement on its Telegram channel, the Hamas al-Qassam Brigades said the rockets were launched in response to Zionist massacres against civilians. Rafah is located about 100 kilometres south of Tel Aviv. Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in the area, but its assault has worsened the plight of civilians and caused an international outcry. Israeli tanks have probed around the edges of Rafah, near the crossing point from Gaza into Egypt, and have entered some of its eastern districts, residents say, but have not yet entered the city in force since the start of operations in the city earlier this month. Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said the rockets fired from Rafah prove that the [Israel Defence Forces] must operate in every place Hamas still operates from. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant held an operational assessment in Rafah where he was briefed on operations above and below the ground, as well as the deepening of operations in additional areas with the aim of dismantling Hamas battalions, his office said in a statement. Loading Itamar Ben Gvir, a hardline public security minister who is not part of Israels war cabinet, urged the army to hit Rafah harder. Rafah with full force, he posted on X. Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israels offensive, Gazas health ministry says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on October 7 last year, killing about 1200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Fighting also continued in the northern Gaza area of Jabaliya, the scene of intense combat earlier in the war. During one raid, the military said it found a weapons storage site with dozens of rocket parts and weapons at a school. It denied Hamas statements that Palestinian fighters had abducted an Israeli soldier. Hamas media said an Israeli airstrike on a house in a neighbourhood near Jabaliya killed 10 people and wounded others. Efforts to agree a halt to the fighting and return more than 120 hostages have been blocked for weeks, but there were some signs of movement last weekend following meetings between Israeli and US intelligence officials and Qatars prime minister. Loading An official with knowledge of the matter said a decision had been taken to resume the talks this week based on new proposals from Egyptian and Qatari mediators, and with active US involvement. However, a Hamas official downplayed the report, saying: It is not true. Netanyahus war cabinet would discuss the new proposals, his office said. A second Hamas official, Izzat El-Reshiq, said the group had not received anything from the mediators on new dates for resuming talks as had been reported by Israeli media. Aid trucks enter Gaza Loading Reshiq restated Hamas demands, which include: Ending the aggression completely and permanently, in all of Gaza Strip, not only Rafah. While Israel is seeking the return of hostages, Netanyahu has repeatedly said the war will not end until Hamas, which is sworn to Israels destruction, is eliminated. Israel has faced calls to get more aid into Gaza after more than seven months of a war that has caused widespread destruction and hunger in the enclave. Khaled Zayed of the Egyptian Red Crescent said 200 trucks of aid, including four fuel trucks, were expected to enter Gaza on Sunday through Kerem Shalom. It follows an agreement between US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday to temporarily send aid via the Kerem Shalom crossing, bypassing the Rafah crossing that has been blocked for weeks. In Tel Aviv, people hold flags as they walk behind an ambulance carrying the body of Hanan Yablonka, who was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7. His body, along with two others, was recovered from north Gaza by IDF soldiers. Credit: Getty Egypts state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV shared a video on social media platform X, showing what it said were aid trucks as they entered Kerem Shalom; before the conflict, it was the main commercial crossing station between Israel, Egypt and Gaza. The Rafah crossing has been shut for almost three weeks, since Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing as it stepped up its offensive. Canada too said it was horrified and announced it would issue visas to 5000 Gazans, five times more than originally pledged. While movement out of Gaza is not currently possible, the situation may change at any time. With this cap increase, we will be ready to help more people as the situation evolves, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said. A screenshot of footage from southern Israel that shows flames and smoke rising from what Palestinian medics say is an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. Credit: AP The Foreign Office of Germany, which has been a staunch supporter of Israel for decades, said the images of charred bodies, including children, from the airstrike in Rafah are unbearable. The exact circumstances must be clarified, and the investigation announced by the Israeli army must now come quickly, the ministry added. The civilian population must finally be better protected. Qatar, a key mediator in attempts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, said the Rafah strike could complicate talks. Negotiations, which appear to be restarting, have faltered repeatedly over Hamas demand for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, terms Israeli leaders have publicly rejected. Israel insists it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the worlds top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt the offensive in Rafah. Netanyahu did not elaborate on the error. Israels military initially said it had carried out a precise airstrike on a Hamas compound, killing two senior militants. As details of the strike and fire emerged, the military said it had opened an investigation into the deaths of civilians. The attack on Monday, which appeared to be one of the wars deadliest, helped push the overall Palestinian death toll in the war beyond 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and noncombatants in its tally. Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night there was a tragic mistake, Netanyahu told Israels parliament. We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy. Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in the north-western neighbourhood of Tal al-Sultan, said rescuers pulled out people who were in an unbearable state. We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal, he said. At least 45 people were killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service. The ministry said the dead included at least 12 women, eight children and three older adults, with another three bodies burnt beyond recognition. We were praying ... and we were getting our childrens beds ready to sleep. There was nothing unusual, then we heard a very loud noise, and fire erupted around us, said Umm Mohamed al-Attar, a Palestinian mother in a red headscarf. All the children started screaming ... The sound was terrifying; we felt like the metal was about to collapse on us, and shrapnel fell into the rooms. Video footage obtained by Reuters showed a fire raging in the darkness and people screaming in panic. A group of young men tried to haul away sheets of corrugated iron and a hose from a single fire truck began to douse the flames. Palestinians react next to the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah. Credit: AP In a separate development, Egypts military said one of its soldiers was shot dead during an exchange of fire in the Rafah area, without providing further details. Israel said it was in contact with Egyptian authorities, and both sides said they were investigating. An initial investigation found that the soldier had responded to an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants, Egypts state-owned Qahera TV reported. Egypt has warned that Israels incursion in Rafah could threaten the two countries decades-old peace treaty. Israel has kept up its offensive despite a ruling by the top UN court last week ordering it to stop, saying the courts ruling grants it some scope for military action there. The court also reiterated calls for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency closed meeting for Tuesday afternoon (Wednesday AEST) on the situation in Rafah at the request of Algeria, the Arab representative on the council, two council diplomats told The Associated Press ahead of an official announcement. Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city and on the border with Egypt, had housed more than 1 million people about half of Gazas population displaced from other parts of the territory. Most have fled once again since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion there earlier this month. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps in and around the city. Elsewhere in Rafah, the director of the Kuwait Hospital, one of the citys last functioning medical centres, said it was shutting down and that staff members were relocating to a field hospital. Dr Suhaib al-Hamas said the decision was made after a strike killed two health workers at the entrance to the hospital on Monday. Netanyahu says Israel must destroy what he says are Hamas last remaining battalions in Rafah. The militant group launched a barrage of rockets from the city towards heavily populated central Israel on Sunday, setting off air raid sirens but causing no injuries. Loading The Israeli militarys top legal official, Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, said authorities were examining the strike in Rafah and that the military regrets the loss of civilian life. Hamas triggered the war with its October 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds about 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. About 80 per cent of Gazas 2.3 million people have fled their homes. Severe hunger is widespread, and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. The extreme levels of homelessness mean the demand for this type of service is greater now than ever, and we have plans to start our next Safe Home very soon. Once completed, this new development will provide women with an additional 1820 nights of safety per year. Fraudulent activities and sentencing Ali pleaded guilty on May 23 to five counts of fraud. His fraudulent activities included using investor funds to purchase a BMW for an associate, real estate for himself and his wife, and to cover personal expenses. He also used the funds to pay returns to other investors. To give you perspective, Azura Financial won top non franchise brokerage in NSW in 2024. Out of our 12 brokers, only six wrote more than $65 million and we are one of the top brokerages in the country. Furthermore, the author is implying that brokers do not have costs and that every dollar of revenue is profit. I wish. We are small businesses just like a cafe or a real estate agency. We have staff, rent, marketing costs and fixed over heads. Comparing top line revenue is a ridiculous argument. A group rides down the tube chute on the Comal River during Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of tubing season. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer People enjoy tubing on the Comal River at Prince Solms Park during Memorial Day weekend. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer A group rides down the New Braunfels tube chute on the Comal River during Memorial Day weekend. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer People enjoy tubing on the Comal River at Prince Solms Park during Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of tubing season. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Ghalle Biedermann, who's from the Netherlands but currently is living in Houston, navigates the Comal River on a stand-up paddleboard with son Maui, 6, and daughter Fiji, 4, at Prince Solms Park during Memorial Day weekend. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer People enjoy tubing on the Comal River at Prince Solms Park during Memorial Day weekend. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer People enjoy tubing on the Comal River at Prince Solms Park during Memorial Day weekend. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Jenna and Andrew Powers from College Station enjoy tubing on the Comal River with Cass, their 1-year-old red nose pit bull, at Prince Solms Park during Memorial Day weekend. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Texans headed to New Braunfels this weekend for the traditional start of summer and the kickoff of the tubing season. This years Memorial Day weekend brought a heat wave that provided another reason to grab a tube and cool off on one of the two rivers floating through the city the Comal and Guadalupe rivers. Here are some things to know if youre planning to go tubing on either river. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Comal River At 2.5 miles, its the states shortest river and one of the nations shortest navigable waterways. Its considered the calmer of the two rivers in New Braunfels. The entire river is in New Braunfels city limits. The temperature of the spring-fed river is 70-72 degrees year-round. Its headwaters come up from the Edwards Aquifer in Landa Park. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its tube chute a concrete waterslide is one of the citys biggest attractions from March to September. An excessive heat warning is in effect through 8 p.m. Monday. In addition to tubing, river-goes also can take canoes and kayaks. READ MORE: New Braunfels OKs summer curfew for popular City Tube Chute Park Guadalupe River The 230-mile-long river goes from the headwaters near Kerrville to the San Antonio Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. The lower Guadalupe starts at the Canyon Lake dam and goes to New Braunfels. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Most of the tubing on Guadalupe happens outside of New Braunfels city limits, including the Horseshoe Bend west of Sattler. River conditions are dependent on how much water the Army Corps of Engineers releases from Canyon Lake. According to Texas Tubes website, the water is 52-54 degrees because the water thats released into the river comes from the deepest part of Canyon Lake. When the river flow is below 100 cfs, tubers may have to carry their tubes and walk along the riverbed because the water level is too shallow, according to Texas Tubes. Flow of 175 cfs or higher can lead to rapids in portions of the river. In addition to tubing, river-goers can go rafting, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding and fly-fishing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad River rules in New Braunfels Ayleen Gonzalez interacts with students at Irving Dual Language Academy, where she completed her clinical residency. As a child, Gonzalez pretended to grade papers like her mother, a school teacher. Recently, she graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree to teach, just like her mom. Photo courtesy of UTSA Each school day before she left the house, student-teacher Ayleen Gonzalez said a prayer. It was a silent appeal to be the best educator she could be for her third-grade students. The idea of opening young minds to new concepts first materialized when she was the youngsters age. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As a child, Gonzalez would stand in her bedroom and pretend to grade papers, just like her mother, Ariana Gonzalez, an elementary school teacher. Standing at the front of the make-believe class, she portrayed her mom. She conjured the imaginary sessions after brief desires to become a dancer or dentist melted away like warm candle wax. I had always been drawn to the school setting, Gonzalez, 21, said. Always to being a teacher. Recently, Gonzalez was among more than 5,000 University of Texas at San Antonio students who received degrees during the annual commencement ceremony season inside the Alamodome. She graduated with a bachelors in interdisciplinary studies and a bilingual education supplemental certification. About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. In the fall, Gonzalez plans to start as a full-time teacher at Irving Dual Language Academy, where she completed her clinical residency. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Gonzalez said the commencement ceremony wasnt her last walk across the stage. She plans to continue her studies at UTSA for a masters degree to support students further and contribute to bilingual education. She prepared through workshops offered by the universitys College of Education and Human Development. She took practice exams and interacted with peers, administrators and teachers. She improved her skills in reading, writing and speaking in Spanish, which she grew up speaking at home. The sessions bolstered her confidence in her language abilities, which shed share with future classes. Ayleen Gonzalez interacts with students at Irving Dual Language Academy, where she completed her clinical residency. As a child, Gonzalez pretended to grade papers like her mother, a school teacher. Recently, she graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree to teach, just like her mom. Photo courtesy of UTSA On her first day at Irving, Gonzalez followed the lead of adviser Mayela Ravelo. The mentor guided Gonzalez as she worked with the students at the school near the Basilica of Little Flower. The children had diverse backgrounds. Some had immigrated from other countries, and most shared different abilities in the dual language classes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We have students who dont speak English or dont speak Spanish, she said. They have a very positive attitude for the language that they are learning. Before venturing into academia, Gonzalez had to convince her mother she was serious about following her career path. Her mother reminded her how taxing the work could be and extra hours were required to do the job well. Seeing her daughters determination, the veteran teacher offered her full support. She knows Ive had this calling to be a teacher since I was young, Gonzalez said. She knew this is where I was meant to be. Through the years, shes had support from former instructors such as her kindergarten teacher, Lisa Galvan. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As a child, Ayleen Gonzalez pretended to grade papers like her mother, a school teacher. Recently, she graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree to teach, just like her mom. Photo courtesy of UTSA In 2020, Gonzalez thanked the educator when she graduated summa cum laude from Reagan High School. Earning the high academic distinction allowed Gonzalez to honor a teacher who helped guide her through her academic journey she chose Galvan. Her walk across the stage was bittersweet. Because of the pandemic and safety precautions, the high school auditorium was empty except for immediate family members. She felt a bit disappointed that after all the years of study and hard work, she received her diploma in a sparsely filled hall. That wasnt the case several days ago at the crowd-packed Alamodome. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cheers rang out as a speaker announced the graduates names. She felt the thrill of stepping on stage in her cap and gown with thousands of fellow Roadrunners. She also felt a sense of peace knowing her parents, brother and sister were looking on in the domed coliseum. Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 9:22AM Image: Microsoft At its recent Build conference, Microsoft introduced a new feature called "Recall" for Copilot+ PCs. Designed to boost user productivity, Recall allows Windows 11 users to search and retrieve past activities on their devices. Recall leverages the advanced processing capabilities of Copilot+ PCs to capture snapshots of the user's screen periodically. These encrypted snapshots are stored locally on the PC's hard drive. Users can then search for specific content by using keywords or by navigating a timeline of captured snapshots. Recall offers additional functionalities beyond simple screen capture. Users can search through past teleconferences thanks to an AI-powered feature that transcribes and translates spoken content. This allows for efficient retrieval of information from meetings. While Recall promises increased productivity, it raises significant privacy concerns. The feature's reliance on continuous screen capture creates a digital record of everything a user does on their PC. This includes activities in apps, communications, and even websites visited. Microsoft acknowledges user concerns and emphasizes that the Recall index remains private and encrypted on the user's device. The company assures users that screenshots are not shared with other users, Microsoft itself, or for advertising purposes. Users can pause, stop, or delete captured content and exclude specific applications or websites from being monitored. It won't take snapshots of InPrivate web browsing sessions on Edge or DRM-protected content. But it won't actively hide sensitive information like passwords and financial account numbers on screen either. Recall is currently in preview and requires a Copilot+ PC equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, which houses the necessary neural processing unit (NPU) for running the feature. Additionally, there are minimum storage requirements, with 25GB allocated by default to store approximately three months of snapshots. Users can adjust this allocation in their settings. As Microsoft refines Recall through its preview phase, it will need to address user concerns and ensure a strong balance between functionality and privacy. Source If theres one car that can be considered as the king of reinvention, its the Hyundai Santa Fe. In the five generations its been around, e... Eva Longoria accepts the Courage and Civility Award on stage during the 2024 Bezos Courage and Civility Awards in March in Washington, D.C. The Texas-born actress plans to use the award funds to help change Hollywood by creating more opportunities for diverse creatives. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Bezos Courage a Award-winning actress and Corpus Christi native Eva Longoria is on a mission to change Hollywood for the better and shes got the money to do it. Earlier this month, Longoria was awarded a $50 million diversity grant from Jeff Bezos and his fiancee, Lauren Sanchez. The Desperate Housewives alum shared her plans for the funding in a recent interview with Deadline. The current paradigm of how our business works is the first thing thats diluted out of the development process is diversity, she told the media outlet. We want to see the industry shift from quantity back to quality, but not lose diversity in the process. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Last year, Longoria launched Hyphenate, a media group aiming to provide more opportunities for diverse creatives, with TV producer Cris Abrego. She told Deadline the company operates from a disruptor point of view because were in an industry that wants to keep us in our lanes, as creatives, as people, as Mexican Americans, and any other type and nationality as well. She said the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes were necessary to reset the industry and allow creators to take back their power from archaic and expensive systems that dont produce a creative environment. Longoria criticized production companies for putting diversity programs on the chopping block when money gets tight. She said if companies want to grow, they must figure out how to attract Generation Z, half of whom are not white and 25% of whom are Latino. Companies are going to have to make undeniable, inclusive content for the most diverse generation weve ever seen and Hyphenate is here to do that, said Longoria. Weve decided to create content for the growing market, not the shrinking market. When it comes to the $50 million Bezos Courage & Civility Award, Longoria said it came as a shock. The actress and director had given a speech at a Women in Film dinner ceremony and encouraged them to support women when they can, telling the audience, You know who helps women? Other women. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Unbeknownst to her, she said, Sanchez was in the audience and later told Longoria I can help. Longoria plans to use the money to help build a pipeline of skills and talent through Hyphenate, the Eva Longoria Foundation, which provides education and mentorship resources for Latina students, and the Latino Victory Fund, which works toward the representation of Latinos in politics. The award is bigger than any industry award I could ever get, Longoria told Deadline. It allows us to continue to scale what weve been doing at the foundation with STEM education for girls, microloans and an infrastructure of opportunity. Its the most important work I can do, she added. CEMEX extends Regenera to Egypt Suzanne Starbuck By 27 May 2024 CEMEX has signed an agreement with Gharbia Governorate to operate the first Regenera facility in Egypt. Through this agreement, CEMEX will treat more than 800tpd of municipal solid waste received to generate alternative fuels and produce compost, ensuring minimal residual waste to landfill. According to the company, this agreement supports circularity as well as the wellbeing of the governorate citizens by ensuring that all the daily collected waste is safely treated while avoiding the negative impacts associated with landfilling. Through Regenera, CEMEX aims to conserve natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit communities by promoting sustainable development and reducing the environmental impact of industrial activities. Published under Jesse Plemons poses for photographers at the photo call for the film "Kinds of Kindness" at the 77th Cannes Film Festival Saturday in southern France. The Dallas-born actor won best actor honors at the international film festival. Scott A Garfitt/Associated Press Texas native Jesse Plemons won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival Saturday for his performance in Kinds of Kindness," a new anthology film by director Yorgos Lanthimos. The winners were determined by the 2024 Cannes jury led by president Greta Gerwig, the first female American director ever to assume that role, according to Vogue. Plemons beat out stars like Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump in The Apprentice, Ben Whishaw in Liminov: The Ballad and Adam Driver in Megalopolis. Kinds of Kindness" is a three-part anthology starring Plemons and Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone. In the first segment, Plemons plays a lackey trying to escape the tyrannical rule of his boss, played by Willem Dafoe, who discovers a woman (Emma Stone) in the same position, Vogue writes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Plemons then plays a policeman who questions the demeanor of his wife, played by Stone, after her return from a supposed drowning. In the final story, Plemons and Stone play two cult members seeking a savior to bring people back to life. All these things that we are taught as a human to just accept, theres no thought, not much questioning that goes into these institutions and these constructs that we build as people to make us feel safe and secure, Plemons told IndieWire. And Yorgos seems to be taking these simple things that weve been conditioned to put all our faith in and not question, hes examining all of these things in a way that no one else seems to be doing like him. READ MORE: San Antonio native Robert Rodriguez receives star at Austin's Paramount Theatre The best actor award could signal an Oscar in the Dallas-born actors future. Plemons has never won an Oscar but was nominated in 2022 in the supporting category for his performance in The Power of the Dog. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Plemons is known for his roles in television's "Friday Night Lights" and "Breaking Bad," as well as the films "Killer of the Flower Moon" and "The Irishman." On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic issued the following order Gen. Order No. 11: "The 30th day of May, 1868 is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit." General Logan was correct in his assertion that nearly every sector and American bore the scars reflective of the terrible and tumultuous time which was the Civil War. Remembering that great struggle, and those who had fallen, became a way not only to honor them but to bind up the wounds of the nation, as President Lincoln so eloquently urged the nation to do at his second inaugural. From the private cemeteries in the South, to the thousands of former slaves who gathered at the Washington Race Course and Jockey Club in Charleston, South Carolina on May 1, 1865, to remember and pay homage to the "Martyrs of the Racecourse," Memorial Day has become an occasion where we honor fallen service members with our most earnest thanks; our most indebted gratitude; our most respectful acknowledgement that the dedication and sacrifice was a great measure of devotion worthy of remembrance. The Philadelphia 15 is just one example of fallen service members we pause to remember during this year's Memorial Day. On Sept. 23, 1940, 15 sailors assigned to the USS Philadelphia (Ernest Bosley, Arval Perry Cooper, Shannon Goodwin, Theodore Hansbrough, Byron Johnson, Floyd Owens, John Ponder, James Ponder, James Porter, George Rice, Otto Robinson, Floyd St. Clair, Fred Tucker, Robert Turner, Jesse Watford) released a public letter that described the discrimination and disparate treatment they faced aboard the vessel. For this they would receive undesirable discharges. Nevertheless, their courage served as an impetus which led to the desegregation of the military. On June 16, 2023, the Department of the Navy announced the exoneration of the 15 African-American sailors who served aboard the USS Philadelphia. Members of the Ponder family, native to Chattanooga, recently traveled to Washington D.C. to receive the official correction of records on behalf of their descendants, which was presented by Franklin R. Parker, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. The Ponder family hopes to be able to contact the descendants of the other members of the Philadelphia 15 to share information of the correction of records with them. May God Bless the memory of the fallen and dedicated service members everywhere. The Ponder Family Rev. Ann Jones-Pierre, President, Chattanooga Hamilton County NAACP Eric Atkins Co-Chair Unity Group of Chattanooga A single-family detached home residential subdivision is being planned at Hixson Springs Road by Roberts Mill Road. Rocky Chambers, civil engineer, told the Planning Agency, "We are hereby applying for rezoning the property located in Hamilton County from A-1 & R-5 to A-1 PUD. "While development is allowed in the current zoning, we are aiming to create a more creative community while preserving the natural beauty of the properties concerned. An A-1 PUD will help us create a new development with more attractive open spaces and safe circulations. "In addition to the multiple open spaces in the project, we are proposing 185 single-family homes. Adjacent properties are zoned A-1. "Our intent is to harmoniously integrate our development while preserving the existing natural value and beauty of the property." The Tennessee STEM Innovation Network announced the winners of the Excellence in STEM awards, a series of competitive awards that recognize outstanding teachers, leaders, and advocates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Excellence in STEM Teaching Award was given to Emily Ann McDonald, mathematics teacher at University High in the Hamilton County School District. Nominations were open to the public in the spring of this year and recipients were recognized at the 2024 Tennessee STEM Innovation Summit at Music City Center in Nashville. We are thrilled to recognize the outstanding individuals that have demonstrated exceptional dedication to advancing STEM education in Tennessee, said Brandi Stroecker, network director of TSIN. Their innovative approaches and unwavering commitment to excellence are not only transforming the lives of students but also setting a benchmark for STEM education statewide. These awards celebrate their achievements and highlight the critical role of STEM in shaping a brighter future for our communities." The Excellence in STEM Teaching Award acknowledges a teacher who embodies integrated, STEM-infused teaching strategies, classroom innovation, and whose efforts have resulted in positive student learning outcomes. These are the educators who pave new paths and ignite curiosity in their students. Ms. McDonald a mathematics teacher at University High in Hamilton County Schools, is revolutionizing the way students perceive math and STEM. This new and innovative school is a product of a partnership with UTC, and it is already making an impact, said officials. Ms. McDonald "captivates her students by presenting them with real-world scenarios and relevant problems, while also fostering their independence. She not only empowers them with voice and choice but also values their diverse perspectives and interests. By emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of STEM fields, she illustrates how mathematics intertwines with technology and practical applications. She equips her students with problem-solving skills that set them up for success in their future educational and career choices." Tennessee on Monday learned the three teams that will join them in the Knoxville Regional. They are Northern Kentucky, Indiana and Southern Miss. There are 16 Regionals in all. Five will be hosted by SEC teams. Elizabeth Beth Ryan Varn of St. Simons Island, Georgia, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 20, 2024, surrounded by her family. Beth was a wonderful mother, wife, sister and friend. Beth was born in Chattanooga, on May 31, 1955, to the late John Cameron Ryan and Jenny Lou Jeffreys Ryan. She spent her childhood on Lookout Mountain where she made lifelong friends. She cherished her memories of Lookout Mountain and always spoke with great pride of her hometown. She attended Girls Preparatory School (GPS), graduating in 1973. She then traveled to Athens, Ga., to attend the University of Georgia, where she received a degree in interior design. While in Athens, she met her future husband, William Will F. Varn, Jr. They began dating during the summer of 1975, and upon Wills completion of graduate school, they were married at The Church of the Good Shepherd on Lookout Mountain on Aug. 2, 1980. After honeymooning in Bermuda, the Varns moved to St. Simons Island, Ga., where they happily lived for their 43 years of marriageraising two children, Katie and Will, and many beloved dogs. Beth enjoyed a successful, lifelong career as an interior designer, creating many lasting friendships among her clients. Beth was dedicated and passionate wherever she served. She was the co- chairman of the Sea Island Cancer Ball for the American Cancer Society in 1988; she served on the Frederica Academy Board of Trustees; and she was a Board Member for the Friends of Coastal Georgia History, as well as a member of the St. Simons Cotillion Club. Beth was a long-standing member of Christ Church, Frederica, and an active member of several committees, including the Annual Christ Church, Frederica, Tour of Homes. Beth especially enjoyed teaching Middle and Upper School Sunday School in her latter years. Those who remember Beth best knew she loved being outdoorswhether hiking with Will all over the country or on the many trips with her treasured Canoe Group of fellow canoers or on family ski trips with close friends. Perhaps her most memorable trip was to New Zealand with son, Will, to skydive and bungee jump. Indeed, she loved an adventure. When Beverley Schottenstein was 93-years-old, she decided to teach her grandsons a lesson about elder fraud. She won $19 million in her arbitration case against J.P. Morgan, the biggest bank in the U.S., and her grandsons, Avi and Evan Schottenstein, who were brokers there for five years. They had been mismanaging her $80 million fortune, making unauthorized transactions without her knowledge. Beverleys fortune is from a multibillion-dollar retail empire her late husband helped to create. The stores included Value City, Big Lots, and American Eagle Outfitters. She was also lucky enough to be born into wealth that she inherited from previous generations. Her grandsons were able to make hundreds of transactions by refusing to talk to her about the investments they were making. Every time she asked about the state of her finances, they simply told her that she was in good hands. After she insisted that they get her approval before making any trades, she stopped receiving brokerage statements. She also noticed unexplained credit card charges and shredded documents. She reached out to Jamie Dimon, the CEO of J.P. Morgan, but no help was offered to her. Finally, she went to arbitration through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) because investors cannot take their brokers to court. According to Cathy, Beverleys granddaughter and the first cousin of Avi and Evan, her grandsons had falsely claimed Beverley had dementia, causing J.P. Morgan to lock her out of her own account. Beverley won the case against the bank and her grandsons in February of 2021. Evan and the bank were found guilty of fraud and elder abuse. They were ordered to pay Beverley $19 million for damages, legal fees, and repayment of the funds they stole from her. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. While many of us are lucky enough to be close to members of our extended families, like cousins, some other people arent as fortunate and either never see their cousins or actively dislike them. One woman recently had to cut off her cousin and aunt after they accused her of stealing bridal jewelry at her cousins wedding. She and her cousin, Emma, are around the same age but have never been particularly close. However, they have always been civil. Her relationship with her cousin was something she didnt worry about often, as she lives abroad for work. However, everything changed after Emma got engaged in 2022. After getting Emma a thoughtful engagement gift, she was invited to her wedding this past April and flew home to attend. Emma asked me to be part of her wedding entry, and despite our not being very close, I agreed, hoping it would help us build a better relationship, she explained. However, just a week before the wedding, I found out shed been talking negatively about me and my career as a project manager. It stung, but I didnt want to cause drama before her big day, so I kept quiet. She was asked by Emma and her aunt, Emmas mom, to help Emma get ready. Emma had a traditional Hindu wedding, which required her to wear special jewelry. Her aunt instructed her to pack away some bangles in the brides changing room as shed deal with them later. The wedding and reception both went by quite smoothly. After hearing about the negative things she was saying about her, she chose not to get Emma a gift and figured shed wait until all the wedding hoopla had passed to address them. Just days after the wedding, Emma asked if she had seen any of her bridal jewelry, claiming that things were missing. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. SAPD officers take a suspect into custody Sunday evening after a shootout claimed the life of an 80-year-old female caught in the crossfire near Indianola and East Cesar Chavez. Ken Branca An 80-year-old woman was killed Sunday after she was caught in the crossfire during a shooting downtown. Ken Branca Gunfire erupted between two groups of men downtown, killing an elderly woman in a passing car, San Antonio police said Monday. Heidi Silkworth, 80, of Euless, a small city west of Dallas, was in the back seat of the vehicle Sunday night and was struck in the head by a stray bullet, police said. This was a random act by two groups of young men carrying guns who decided to shoot it out with no regard to anyones safety in the area, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said Monday. Weve seen this happen too many times. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The shooting happened around 10 p.m. near Indianola Street and Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Police said a fight broke out and a 19-year-old man was the first to be shot. More shots were fired as the fighting continued down the 500 block of Cesar Chavez, police said. READ MORE: Mission family arrested after son accused of killing pedestrian Police detained nine people after the shooting but did not have enough probable cause to charge anyone, McManus said. He said investigators are looking into leads and hoping to make arrests that will lead to a murder charge. The 19-year-old was hospitalized in critical condition, police said. Attempts to contact relatives of Silkworth, who was pronounced dead at the hospital, were unsuccessful. McManus said Silkworth was returning from a graduation at the Alamodome when she was shot. The last of three such events scheduled there Sunday by the North East Independent School District was the Churchill High School commencement, which began at 7:30 p.m. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The area where Sundays shooting occurred isnt considered a hot spot for crime and is regularly patrolled by bike officers, McManus said. He compared it to a shooting melee last month at Market Square, when two people were killed and four were injured during the conclusion of a Fiesta event. McManus said that, too, was an isolated incident between two individuals who had some kind of beef, and then decided to take it to Market Square among all those people. All too often, young people with guns with no regard for anyone elses safety are shooting indiscriminately in open areas where other people can easily be hurt. That was the case last night and in Market Square, McManus said. Staff writer Liz Teitz contributed to this report. I know so many people who had to get braces when they were kids or avoided getting them for a long time, didnt wear their retainers, only to end up wanting to get braces or something like Invisalign when they got older because they didnt like how their teeth look. One woman is refusing to pay for her 20-year-old daughters braces because she turned them down when she was a kid, and now theyre extremely expensive to get. Shes 40-years-old and a divorced mother of three kids. Her eldest is her 20-year-old daughter, who is in college and lives on campus in a dorm. When her daughter doesnt have school for a while, she usually goes home. I pay her expenses of cell phone, car insurance, and a couple of other small things, she explained. I give her gas money and money for other things if she needs it. She has a job on campus working 15 hours a week or so, so she doesnt usually need money. She got two years of college paid for, some partial scholarships, and I am taking out parent loans as I want to be able to help her earn a bachelors degree with no student loans. Recently, her daughter has been complaining about her teeth. While her teeth arent a disaster, theyre a bit flawed, and she has an overbite. When her daughter was 11, while she was still married to her husband, she tried convincing her to get braces, but she didnt want to for years. Then, right before the pandemic a few years ago, her daughter felt ready, and they had appointments booked with an orthodontist. However, she backed out at the last minute, and the pandemic hit. Its been four years ago, so I cannot remember exactly what I said to her, but it was something along the lines of if she ever got braces, she needed to get them while she was still a minor, she recalled. Now, she finally wants to get braces this summer. Her dad and I divorced three years ago, and right now, I have really [bad] health and dental insurance. She got a consult, and its going to cost nearly $400 a month for 18 months after insurance. I asked her how she would pay for that since she was home for the summer, and she looked at me like I had two heads. I do not. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. In 1998, Steven Spielbergs film Saving Private Ryan was released. The movies realistic portrayal of the events that occurred during World War II never fails to tug at heartstrings. It is about a group of American soldiers searching for their comrade, Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. While the film is a work of fiction, its premise was inspired by the true story of the Niland brothers. The Nilands were from Tonawanda, New York. Three of the brothers were killed, prompting the U.S. War Department to track down the remaining sibling, Frederick (Fritz). During World War II, four brothersEdward, Preston, Robert, and Fritzwere spread out among various units. Fritz and Robert were in the 501st and 505th Parachute Infantries, Preston was in the 22nd Infantry, and Edward was in the Air Force. A month before D-Day, Edward was captured by the Japanese and brought to a prisoner camp in Burma. His team never heard from him again and assumed he had died. On D-Day, Robert was killed in Normandy, France. He had volunteered to stay behind with two other men to hold off the German advance, giving the rest of their team time to escape. The following day, Preston was killed after storming Utah Beach. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Home News Christian convert unlawfully imprisoned in Egypt denied medical treatment as health fails An unlawfully detained Christian convert awaiting trial for more than three years in Egypt has been denied medical treatment despite his deteriorating health. On Dec. 15, 2021, Yemeni refugee Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo was arrested inside his home after Cairo police stormed his property. During the raid, no one was shown necessary legal warrants or required paperwork, and authorities locked Abdos children and wife away in a room. He was not told the reason for his arrest, said a Coptic lawyer and rights activist who has worked on Abdos case for several years and spoke with Global Christian Relief on the condition of anonymity. They did not allow him to contact a lawyer. They refused to show any official papers or answer any questions. They searched the house and seized their laptops, phones and documents. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe After the arrest, Abdos wife went to several police stations asking about his status but was unable to locate him. For more than two weeks, the family was unable to obtain any new information until they received a call identifying which prison Abdo was housed in and were told they wouldn't be allowed to visit. Abdo was placed in a high-security underground prison in Giza and brought before prosecuting lawyers without a defense attorney. He was first accused of being an apostate, then later of proselytizing and contempt of religion. Abdo was eventually charged with joining a terrorist group, contempt of Islam, and discrimination against Islam. Since his arrest, Abdo has been subjected to multiple rights violations, including frequent interrogations by the prosecution, and being forced to sign documents that he did not fully understand. His detention has been lengthened three times by the courts, most recently on April 6, during rulings that were decided without his presence. Abdo has exceeded the maximum limit of pretrial detention allowed by our criminal codes, said his attorney. His continued imprisonment constitutes unlawful detention. Abdos poor health has reportedly deteriorated further while in prison, as authorities have failed to provide him with adequate care for his heart and liver conditions. In April, he was denied medical treatment after reporting chest pains. He has also been locked away in the prison ward reserved for the most severe criminals, where he has dealt with beatings and threats. An Arabic teacher, Abdo first became a Christian in 2008 in Yemen. He practiced his faith in secret for several years, concerned by the dangers of leaving Islam in the country. However, as a passionate follower of Jesus, he used his skills to translate the Bible and other Christian literature into the local Arabic dialect. In 2013, Abdos community learned of his conversion, and persecution immediately followed. He was fired from his job and his car was damaged. His house was set on fire, causing the death of his first wife and injury to one of his sons. Afraid for his familys safety, he and his five children moved to Egypt, and applied for asylum and refugee status. Due to Egyptian law, Abdo was unable to change his religion to Christianity on official papers and ID cards, leading to mistrust with the church. Abdos arrest followed an appearance on a Christian TV channel where he discussed his conversion and the persecution faced by Christians in Yemen. He was also involved with Facebook groups for Christian converts. Home News Dutch honor legacy of American liberators who helped defeat Nazis in World War II Netherlands American Cemetery reflects generational bond between American and Dutch families Originally published on May 30, 2022 Far from Americas shores, U.S. war heroes who fought and died defeating Nazi Germany have found an eternal welcome among the Dutch people. Located in the town of Margraten, near the famous Cologne-Boulogne highway built by the Romans and used by Caesar and other historical figures, the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial is the only American military cemetery located in the Netherlands. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Spanning nearly 66 acres, the cemetery includes a burial area divided into 16 plots, where more than 8,300 American soldiers most of whom lost their lives nearby are laid to rest amid a sea of white crosses, ornamental cherry trees and flowering rhododendron shrubs. Their headstones are set in long curved rows, many of them adorned with American and Dutch flags in honor of their service and sacrifice. A wide, tree-lined mall stretches out to the flagstaff that crowns the cemetery's crest. Beyond the burial area, a tall memorial tower casts a long shadow over the site. Engraved on the tower are the words In Memory of the Valor and the Sacrifices Which Hallow This Soil. At its base, a somber reflecting pool graces the Court of Honor, where 1,722 names of those missing in action are recorded on the Tablets of the Missing, with rosettes marking the names of those fallen who have since been recovered and identified. Facing the reflecting pool, a statue representing all the women who have suffered the loss of a father, husband or son stands watch as three doves of peace take flight over her shoulder. The tranquility of this place stands in stark contrast to its history, when it was liberated on Sept. 13, 1944, by the U.S. 30th Infantry Division, forcing the withdrawal of German troops after a four-year occupation. In December 1944, American forces suffered massive losses in the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) when the Germans placed a counter-attack near Bastogne. By the following March, Operation Varsity pushed the U.S. Army further into Germany, all the way to Berlin. Months later, Germany would surrender unconditionally, ending the second global conflict of the 20th century. Ton Hermes with the Foundation for Adopting Graves American Cemetery Margraten told The Christian Post that after U.S. troops crossed the Dutch border on Sept. 12, 1944, they remained in the area for five months, staying in schools, barns and private residences. The local population had a very warm and friendly connection with their liberators, Hermes said via email. Indeed, every grave at Netherlands American Cemetery has been adopted by a local citizen. Since 1945, residents have brought flowers to the cemetery and partnered with the foundation, which created a program known as The Faces of Margraten. When a resident received the news that "their soldier" the soldier they had staying in their home, those who ate and drank with them was killed, Hermes said they adopted his grave as if he was a part of their family. The Faces of Margraten collects photos of fallen soldiers and sponsors a bi-annual event at the cemetery during Dutch Memorial Day weekend, during which more than 3,000 photos are on display next to headstones and the Walls of the Missing, bringing visitors face-to-face with their liberators, said Hermes. He said during that time, its not uncommon to see people in World War II-era military vehicles or placing a state flag at the grave of all American soldiers from that particular state. Decades after the end of the war, Hermes says locals continue to have an unbreakable bond with the fallen. One day, the NATO commander from Brussels visited the American cemetery in December during Christmastime. It was snowing and freezing cold. He expected to find an abandoned cemetery, he said. But instead, said Hermes, he saw people wandering between the graves and he asked them what they were doing under these weather conditions. They all answered that they visited their soldier at Christmastime to bring flowers and say a prayer, 75 years after World War II," said Hermes. In 1948, when the American cemetery in Margraten was appointed the only American military cemetery in the Netherlands, all American next of kin received a letter asking whether they wanted their son or husband repatriated. Many American families decided to leave their husband or son in Margraten: 8,301 were reburied at the cemetery, while 10,000 remains were repatriated back to the States. Since then, Hermes said many graves have been adopted by families and passed on from one generation to the next. This is how they show their respect and gratitude for the sacrifice of these boys, he added. He says even today, Americans are surprised when they hear about the adoption program. Many of them hope to get in touch with the adopting family and families feel comforted that someone is tending the grave of their father or grandfather, Hermes said. Claudia Welzen-Holsgens can see the Netherlands American Cemetery from the farm where she works in Margraten, but her connection to the site is far deeper than that. She and her sister, Lucinda, and brother, Patrick, are the third generation in their family to care for the grave of a U.S. soldier. Their grandfather fought against the Germans and their grandmother was a nurse at a hospital in Maastricht. The two met after their grandfather stepped on a German landmine and lost his leg. When the war was over, the Netherlands asked if they would adopt a grave of an American soldier, Welzen-Holsgens said. In 1945, they adopted the grave of T Sgt. John H. Barnhart of Kansas, who was serving in the 354th Infantry when he was killed in Germany. Since then, Barnharts final resting place has been entrusted to Welzen-Holsgens' grandparents, then her parents, and now she and her siblings and their children. We visit the grave almost every week and on special days, like Memorial Day, all the people who adopted a grave get an invitation to this special day to come to the American Cemetery in Margraten, she said. Airplanes fly over the cemetery [on] that day and the cemetery is covered with flowers. Following the death of their grandmother and grandfather in 2002, Barnharts grave passed to their mother, Ria Holsgens-Coeymans (and her husband Al Holsgens). She, in turn, began a search to locate Barnharts family, even writing to the U.S. Embassy for assistance. After years of searching, Welzen-Holsgens' mother was contacted by Melissa Barnhart, managing editor of The Christian Post, in 2015 after she learned of the adoption program and sought to discover who had adopted her grandfather's grave. She wanted to thank the family for caring for a man they had never met, an American soldier who they lovingly call "their boy." Sadly, after only a few short years of correspondence, Holsgens-Coeymans died from cancer. Welzen-Holsgens has since adopted a second soldier, John P. Mullen of Pennsylvania, and said she is still searching for Mullens family. Some families never had the chance to make the expensive trip to Europe, leading to stories like those of David Marshall, a WWII U.S. Army veteran and friend of Benedict G. Schmitt ("Smitty"), who is buried in Margraten. Marshall was a member of the 84th Infantry Division and met Schmitt when he was assigned to the 334th Infantry Regiment. The two trained together in the heavy weapons battalion and ended up both sailing to the United Kingdom. When they arrived, they trained for two more months and then landed at Omaha Beach, before moving to the vicinity of Gulpen in the Netherlands. It was there the 84th Infantry including Marshall and Schmitt were drawn into the fight. The first day of combat involved a joint U.S.-British operation to clear a narrow path for the 334th to advance. As they moved forward, a German heavy artillery barrage ensued. Within 15 minutes of their first action, Marshall says Schmitt was hit by an enemy shell. He went out in front of me, we had six squads in our platoon, his squad went out before my squad, Marshall said in the 2018 documentary Remember. When I went out, thats when I found him. Marshall says his family didnt want Schmitts body sent back to the U.S., so he was laid to rest at the Netherlands American Cemetery. Decades later, Marshall says he continues to visit his friend and comrade Schmitty and salutes the Dutch people for honoring American soldiers who paid the ultimate price. I think its wonderful, he said. When I first heard about it, taking care of American graves, this is beyond the realm of what you have to do. According to Hermes, Dutch popular sentiment toward the U.S. remains high, with a waiting list of over a thousand would-be adopters. Nowadays, the popularity of adopting is bigger than ever, said Hermes. Hermes attributed the Dutch bond to a long relationship with the U.S., with many Americans having family roots in Europe or the Netherlands, including former U.S. Ambassador in The Hague Pete Hoekstra. In 2018, board members of the Adoption Foundation were invited by the American World War II Orphans Network to come to Washington for a celebration, along with a mens choir from Margraten. Hermes said the choir performed at several locations including Arlington National Cemetery and, along the way, thanked the people that never knew their fathers because they were in Europe and never came back home. Home Books Ed and Lisa Young discuss the loss of their daughter, God's faithfulness amid grief: 'He doesn't waste pain' As the longtime leaders of Fellowship Church in Texas, Ed and Lisa Young have extensive experience in guiding others through the challenges of loss, addiction and pain. For decades, theyve consistently shared a clear message with others: God is present in suffering, there is a meaningful purpose even in the midst of pain and healing is always possible. But in January 2021, the couple were forced to reflect on whether they genuinely believed the very message they had been preaching for years when they experienced every parents nightmare: the death of their eldest daughter, LeeBeth. In an interview with The Christian Post, the Youngs remembered LeeBeth as a devoted daughter, sister and friend who actively served on church staff. Yet, she struggled with a dependency on alcohol and Adderall as a way to manage her battles with anxiety and depression. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe She was a wonderful person and a great Christ follower; she loved the church, Lisa said. She began self-medicating for the pain of anxiety and depression and some poor choices that she made. The night LeeBeth passed away, she was at the Youngs family home to sober up after a particularly severe period of binge drinking. She was binge drinking along with Adderall, and I went and picked her up, Ed recalled. We took her to a great Christian therapist, and the therapist recommended that she stay at our home that night to sober up and come down off of her high. Ed recounted the moment he laid LeeBeth down in a bed in their playroom, saying, "I love you" and kissing her on the forehead before retreating to his office. He was working on a message about Abraham and Isaac when tragedy struck. I was writing in cursive, and I wrote this line Genesis 22:9. It says, And Abraham laid Isaac on the altar. I just finished the altar, put a period down, and heard a sound. I ran into the playroom yelling her name. And in essence, she was dead," he said. Amid their pain, it was Abrahams tremendous act of faith, offering Isaac on the altar, that led the Youngs to metaphorically place their own story on the altar, saying, "God, however You want to use it, we will do what You want us to do." In their latest book, A Path through Pain: How Faith Deepens and Joy Grows through What You Would Never Choose, the Youngs candidly discuss their family's journey from sorrow and anger to hope and healing following LeeBeths death. Sharing their story, they said, has been cathartic for them but is also a way to honor their daughter and equip others to find healing amid pain. As a young father, I would have these nightmares and these horrible, fleeting thoughts: What if something happened to my family? Could I go on? What if something happened to Lisa or the kids? Would I turn my back on everything? When this happened, I cant describe to you the grace and the mercy and the love and the compassion of God, Ed said. Lisa added that throughout their ministry, they've always been open about their lives, both the good and the challenging moments. They wanted to honor LeeBeth's memory and openly discuss her struggle with addiction, emphasizing that addiction is an illness. This is a messy death; it's an out-of-order death, she said. It just seems so surreal that your child would die before you do. As pastors, we have a daughter who struggled with addiction. That's a messy thing for anybody, but let alone someone who's teaching and preaching on the goodness of God, parenting, all of those different things. But the day she passed away, we came to the conclusion, which was not a difficult conclusion to make, that God doesnt waste pain. We didnt want to sugarcoat it. In the book, Lisa writes, If I weren't anchored to my Savior, my boat would have capsized long ago. She emphasized the importance of spiritual growth and building a strong foundation through daily engagement with God a bank account of faith" for when suffering inevitably comes. People will say, You're never prepared for something like this, Ed said. Lisa said, Yes,' at first, and then she thought, No, you can prepare for this. We are prepared because every time we have those times with God, we read His Word, we talk to Him in prayer, no matter what it is. We're just building that bank account. Following LeeBeths death, the Youngs gifted their other children a piece of anchor jewelry to remind them of the truth found in Hebrews 6:19: We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. The Youngs outline four biblical steps for healing in their book: Admit you can't process pain on your own; Believe Jesus is your loving God and anchor; Choose Him daily through daily devotion, prayer, and Bible study and discover hope and healing in community, leaning on the support of the Body of Christ. You cannot stay isolated; you've got to lean into community and that's the Body of Christ, the local church, Lisa said. Ed and I were on the receiving end of prayers, of texts, of emails and phone calls, all those things that we have given to others. The Body of Christ is a Petri dish for healing. The couple also stressed the importance of shifting from asking "Why me?" to "What now?" when dealing with pain, recognizing that God can use their pain for a greater purpose. Its natural to say why, Why did this happen to us? Why? We've been faithful in ministry for all these years. LeeBeth was beautiful. She had such confidence about her on the one hand, and not on the other. Why us? And if you're not careful, you can stay in why, why, why me. And thats me focused. Eventually, you have to come to a point where you go, OK God, what now? What do you want to do with this pain? Because you're not going to let it count for nothing. That shift from, Why me? to God, what now? is a very, very important shift. The New York Times bestselling authors said they pray their story helps others navigate any kind of pain, from addiction and divorce to financial difficulties and illness. They highlighted the need for a theology of suffering and the overriding goodness of God in difficult times: Any healthy theology has to have a theology for suffering and pain, Ed said. And many, many times, people don't really talk about that suffering is part of the will of God. Already, the Youngs said they're able to see purpose amid their pain. Their journey through grief has galvanized and anchored their family closer to the Lord, to worship and to one another. They shared how its changed the face of Fellowship Church and expanded their recovery program. It's opened doors that we would have never, ever walked through, Ed said. Prior to this, when people went through pain, I definitely felt empathy, but then I would kind of just move on. Now, its a whole nother level as far as dealing with that. Though they can clearly see God working throughout their story, the Youngs admitted they grieve every day and would give anything to have LeeBeth back. Yet, they do not grieve as those without hope. We really trust [God] with eternity, Lisa said. We dedicated LeeBeth to the Lord when she was 6 months old on the stage at our father-in-laws church. And we said, Thank you, God, for this gift of a child and we will be great stewards of her. And at the time that she was no longer ours for us to be stewards over, she went to be with her Heavenly Father, which is hard to say, but that's her home. "We've preached for 32 years and shared for 32 years of Fellowship Church; now people are watching and saying, Do they really mean what they said? Do they really believe that God is there even when you're suffering? The New Testament paints a beautiful picture of that; the Apostle Paul lived it. Were a small visual, if you will, for the world, as far as how to navigate that. A Path through Pain: How Faith Deepens and Joy Grows through What You Would Never Choose was released on Nov. 7. Home News Pastor Ed Young resigns from Houston's Second Baptist after 46 years, vows to 'stay in battle' H. Edwin Young, the senior pastor of Second Baptist in Houston and one of the most prolific Southern Baptist pastors in the United States, announced his resignation Sunday morning, ending his 46-year tenure. The 87-year-old preacher closed his sermon at the church's Woodway Campus with the news that his son Ben Young will succeed him as senior pastor, The Houston Chronicle reported. "We're not stepping down, we're stepping up to use our primary spiritual gifts," Young said. "I'm stepping up to maximize what God has given me and what God has given to my great wife, Lisa." Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "I will be 88 years old this August," Young added. "Two weeks ago, I thought I was in the red zone and maybe in the two-minute zone because I know I'm in the last quarter of my life. But Lisa and I have gone through all kinds of medical things, and amazingly. So I stand up here happy and reasonably healthy and ready to serve God." Young, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, grew Second Baptist into one of the largest churches in the Houston area after taking on the senior pastor role in 1978, according to the church's website. In 1999, Second Baptist became one church in two locations and today has six campuses across the city with an estimated 18,000 members. His resignation comes just two weeks before the SBC's annual conference in Indianapolis on June 9. Born in 1936 in southeastern Mississippi, Young studied at Mississippi College and Southeastern Seminary. A prolific writer and speaker, Young has a longstanding broadcast ministry called The Winning Walk. Young served two terms as SBC president starting in 1992. In a letter sent to his congregation over the weekend, Young said he and his wife are "eager to use our primary spiritual gifts of evangelism and encouragement within this family of faith" and vowed to "stay in the battle" despite stepping down as senior pastor. "Evangelism has always been my heart's desire, and Lisa may do it better than anyone I know. I am committed to following Andrew's example in the New Testament. Lisa is a natural Barnabas with the gift of encouragement and is also teaching me to expand that cheerleading spirit in my ministry. We will stay in the battle," he wrote. "Please know I love you collectively, and I love the individuals in this Body of Christ with all my heart. Long ago, I pledged to God that I would give Him all that I am and all that I will ever be. Though I am the chief of sinners, God has graciously allowed me to live out that calling with you. Serving you has been the great privilege of my life. You are family to Lisa and me." According to The Chronicle, Ben Young previously served as an associate pastor at Second Baptist and served as a chaplain for the Houston Astros. He has also hosted a radio talk show and likes to surf and practice Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In addition to Ben, Young is the father to two other children: Ed Young, pastor of Fellowship Church, a megachurch in Grapevine, Texas; and Cliff Young, director of Second Films and member of the contemporary Christian music group Caedmon's Call. In recent months, Young has made headlines for his comments on immigration and for referring to President Joe Biden as "godless" after he declared Easter to be Transgender Day of Visibility. "By presidential proclamation, Joseph Biden selected this past Easter as a time in which there is a coming out of whatever that means and I guess honoring and affirming those who feel like God made a tragic mistake when they were brought into this earth as male or as female," Young said in an April sermon, according to The Chronicle. "I've never known a more godless attack on Christianity by the president of the United States in all the history of our land." Home News European bishops accuse Turkey of diluting historical roots of Christian presence in the country European bishops have condemned the recent decision by Turkish authorities to convert the Church of Saint Savior in Chora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Istanbul, into a mosque, calling it an effort to dilute the historical roots of Christianity in the country. This step further dilutes the historical roots of the Christian presence in the country. Any interreligious dialogue initiative promoted by Turkish authorities loses credibility, the Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the European Union, or COMECE, said in a statement. The transformation of the Church of Saint Savior in Chora into a mosque earlier this month came four years after the similar conversion of the Hagia Sophia Basilica, another iconic Byzantine Christian site, into a mosque. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally inaugurated the Chora church for Islamic worship earlier this month. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe This is a step further in diluting the historical roots of the Christian presence in the country, and it is a regrettable decision that will make religious coexistence more difficult. With this action, any initiative regarding interreligious dialogue promoted by the countrys authorities will inevitably lose credibility, stated Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, Secretary General of COMECE. The Church of Saint Savior in Chora, built in the fourth century, is an emblem of Eastern Christianity and a significant historical marker of the Christian presence in Turkey. It was converted into a mosque in the 16th century during the Ottoman Empire. It was designated a museum in 1945 and reopened for public display in 1958 after extensive restoration efforts by American art historians. The Greek Foreign Ministry issued a strong condemnation, stating that the decision to operate the Chora church as a mosque distorts its character as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and undermines its universal cultural significance. The maintenance of monuments universal character and compliance with international standards for the protection of religious and cultural heritage is a clear international obligation binding on all States, the Ministrys statement read. The inauguration ceremony of the Chora church as a mosque, held remotely by President Erdogan from Ankara, was broadcasted nationally. The event included prayers led by local worshipers and speeches by prominent religious figures, such as Istanbuls mufti, Safi Arpagus. The General Directorate of Foundations in Turkey organized the ceremony, which saw significant attendance from the community. The U.S. State Department also expressed concern. A spokesperson encouraged the Turkish government to preserve and ensure access to sites that have hosted different religious communities, respecting their diverse histories. We encourage the Turkish government to preserve and ensure access to sites and buildings that have hosted different religious communities in a way that respects their diverse histories, the spokesperson told the state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency. The conversions of churches are viewed as strategic efforts by the Turkish president to consolidate support from his conservative and religious base amid the countrys ongoing economic challenges. In 2020, President Erdogan and hundreds of worshipers participated in the first Muslim prayers held at the Hagia Sophia in 86 years, marking its redesignation as a mosque despite widespread international disapproval. COMECE had called the change of status of the Hagia Sophia a blow to interreligious dialogue. On that occasion, the bishops also pointed out Turkeys ongoing issues with hate speech and threats against national, ethnic and religious minorities. Home News Hundreds of hostages rescued from Boko Haram in Nigeria Hundreds of hostages, primarily women and children, have been freed by the Nigerian army from the grip of Boko Haram militants who held them captive in northeastern Nigeria for months or even years, according to a report. The rescue operation marks a significant victory in the countrys ongoing fight against the Islamic extremist group. The Nigerian military, in a coordinated effort, rescued 350 captives from the Sambisa Forest, a notorious stronghold for Boko Haram, The Associated Press reported. The group, which has waged an insurgency since 2009, has used this forest as a base for launching attacks. Maj. Gen. Ken Chigbu, a senior army officer, presented the freed hostages to authorities in Borno state this week. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Among the rescued were 209 children, 135 women and six men, all of whom appeared exhausted and wore worn-out clothes, the newswire said, adding that many of the young girls had infants, likely born from forced marriages during their captivity. I always wanted to escape but couldnt because of the children. If they caught you trying to escape, they would torture you and imprison you indefinitely, Hajara Umara, one of the rescued hostages, was quoted as saying. Some extremists were killed and their makeshift houses were destroyed during the operation. The Nigerian army said it was a days-long military operation in the area that was once a bustling forest reserve that stretches along the border with Cameroon and Niger. Now, it serves as an enclave from where Boko Haram and its breakaway factions carry out attacks, targeting both people and security forces in neighboring countries. The freed hostages have been transported to the Borno state government house where authorities will look after them until they can return to their homes. Boko Haram, Nigerias homegrown jihadi rebels, seeks to establish Islamic Shariah law in the country. According to U.N. agencies in Nigeria, the extremist violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 35,000 people and the displacement of 2.1 million people. Since the 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, Boko Haram has abducted at least 1,400 students from Nigerian schools, primarily in the countrys conflict-battered northwestern and central regions, noted the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. The Christian community in Nigeria has also been significantly affected by Boko Harams violence. A recent report by Aid to the Church in Need drew attention to the captivity of Leah Sharibu, a captive who turned 21 on May 14, six years after being abducted from her school in Nigeria for refusing to renounce her Christian faith. Its not yet known if she was one of the 350 freed captives. On her birthday, a pastor close to Sharibus family called on the Nigerian government and the international community to end their unfathomable and strange silence and help secure her release. Leah ought to have been released by now but here we are, Gideon Para-Mallam, president of Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, was quoted as saying. Sharibu was kidnapped along with 110 other schoolgirls from the Dapchi Girls Secondary School in Yobe State on Feb. 19, 2018. While all the other girls were released through negotiations with the Islamic terrorist group, Sharibu was not, as she reportedly chose to remain faithful to her Christian belief despite being forced to convert to Islam. Nigerians need to unite across faiths to raise their voices in advocacy to free Leah and others in captivity, the Rev. Para-Mallam said. We are in this together. Persecution to one is persecution to all. Home News At least 19 killed after tornados hit multiple states Memorial Day weekend A series of violent tornadoes tore through Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas over Memorial Day weekend, leaving at least 19 people dead, hundreds injured and thousands without power. The storms also flattened homes and caused widespread damage across the central United States. The worst damage occurred in a region from north of Dallas to the northwest corner of Arkansas, The Associated Press reported, adding that authorities warned that the dangerous weather system could bring more storms to the Midwest and East Coast in the coming days, impacting areas from Alabama to near New York City. In Texas, seven people were killed in Cooke County, near the Oklahoma border, as a tornado tore through a rural area near a mobile home park on Saturday night. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed the fatalities, which included two children, ages 2 and 5. Three family members were found dead in one home, according to the county sheriff. In total, about 100 people were injured and more than 200 homes and structures were destroyed. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Speaking from a devastated truck stop near Valley View, Abbott described the destruction: The hopes and dreams of Texas families and small businesses have literally been crushed by storm after storm. The truck stop, located in a small agricultural community, was among the hardest-hit areas, with winds reaching an estimated 135 mph. The governor issued a disaster proclamation for Denton, Cooke, Montague and Collin counties in Texas. The National Weather Service teams were assessing the damage in these counties, as well as in Montague, Cooke, Denton and Collins counties, to determine the strength of the tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The storms also claimed lives in other states. At least eight people were reported killed in Arkansas, including a 26-year-old woman found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, according to Daniel Bolen of the countys emergency management office, CBS News reported. In Marion County, two more bodies were found, and in Benton County, three people died. In Oklahoma, two people died in Mayes County, and in Kentucky, a man was killed when a tree fell on him in Louisville. The death toll across the three states had reached 19 as of early Monday morning, according to CNN. The destruction left tens of thousands without power across the region. Arkansas saw over 80,000 customers without power by late Sunday, while Missouri had more than 90,000 outages, Texas had 27,000 and Oklahoma had 3,000, according to poweroutage.us. In Oklahoma, the town of Claremore, near Tulsa, was effectively shut down due to inaccessible roads and downed power lines. Local officials issued warnings and urged residents to seek shelter as the storms moved through the area. If you are in the path of this storm take cover now! the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma, posted on social media. The severe weather follows a grim month of deadly storms in the Midwest. Tornadoes in Iowa the previous week left at least five people dead and dozens injured, adding to the historically bad tornado season. April saw the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the United States. The National Weather Service continues to issue warnings and assess the damage caused by the tornadoes. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, and the death toll may rise as more areas are surveyed. Home News Pakistani Christian man in stable condition after mob attack; police arrest 26 of 44 suspects LAHORE, Pakistan A Christian in Sargodha, Pakistan, who was critically wounded in a mob attack on Saturday due to false allegations of blasphemy, is in stable condition, sources said. The mob of rioting Muslims beat Nazeer Masih Gill, 74, vandalized his house and burned his shoe factory in Sargodha citys Mujahid Colony after an imam speaking on a loudspeaker at a mosque incited people to gather where he had burned wastepaper, a relative said. Gill underwent head surgery and is in stable condition now, Inspector Shahid Iqbal of the Sargodha Urban Police Station told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. His family is safe and is being kept at a government guesthouse due to security concerns. They may return to their home when the situation normalizes. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Tehreek-e-Labbaik Extremists are vandalizing Nazir Masih's house, setting his shoe factory on fire, His factory goods have also been looted by Muslims and attempting to break into his home. The situation is extremely tense. #blasphemy#Sargodha#Pakistan#TLPpic.twitter.com/RwibjlIPWj Faraz Pervaiz (@FarazPervaiz3) May 25, 2024 Gill had burned wastepaper in the street outside his home and gone inside when someone threw a copy of the Quran into the fire, his nephew, Irfan Gill, said. A Muslim neighbor accused him of desecrating the Quran and instigated local Muslims to attack him, he said. A tense calm prevailed in Sargodha on Sunday following a day of violence in Mujahid Colony triggered by the blasphemy allegations, with police arresting 26 Muslims in a case registered against 44 named suspects and 300 to 400 unidentified rioters, sources said. Iqbal said the case against the rioters was registered under various sections of the ani-terrorism laws and Pakistan's Penal Code, including attempted murder, obstructing public officials in discharging their duty, assaulting a public official, and mischief by fire or explosive material with intent to destroy a house or cause death or hurt. Iqbal, who was among the first to respond to the emergency call, said police and members of the Sargodha Peace Committee had tried their best to calm the mob, but the rioters set fire to Nazeer Gills shoe factory and attempted to enter his house from the adjoining buildings. The mob destroyed electricity meters and outdoor AC units outside Gills home and set them ablaze, Iqbal said. We rescued Gill from the burning building, but as soon as we brought him out, the mob started throwing stones at us and snatched him from our custody. They then proceeded to beat him with stones and sticks and attacked us when we tried to intervene. At least 10 policemen were injured while trying to save the man and transport him to the hospital. Raids on suspects followed police reviews of CCTV footage and social media videos, he said. We will make all efforts to arrest and prosecute all those who took the law into their hands, Iqbal said. No one will be allowed to challenge the writ of the state. He rejected criticism of the police for not stopping the mob from assaulting Gill, saying his colleagues injuries showed that they had made all possible efforts to calm the rioters. Several Muslim residents and clerics also played a positive role in the situation due to which we were able to rescue Gills family, otherwise they, too, could have fallen victim to the violent mob, he said. A blasphemy case has been registered against Nazeer Gill, and police claimed they were conducting a thorough and fair investigation into the allegations and would ensure that due process of law is followed, Iqbal said. Another official with the Sargodha police said on condition of anonymity that local residents told them the victim and his family had a good reputation in the area and had never been involved in religious conflict. Its quite possible that the incident was used by someone to trap Gill and his family, and we are determined to find the truth and hold the perpetrator accountable, he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. Security beefed up More than 1,000 police personnel on Sunday were deployed at churches and Christian-populated areas in Sargodha District as officials began enforcing a seven-day ban on protests and sit-ins. Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, a Christian politician from Sargodha, said several Christian families who fled their homes on Saturday had started returning, assured by the heavy police deployment. I appreciate the local police and district officials for deploying adequate personnel in our areas which has given confidence to our people, Chaudhry said. However, this is the ninth incident related to blasphemy in Sargodha since 2023, and I urge the government to make sure that whoever is trying to disrupt peace and cause communal discord is identified and punished according to the law. A prominent Islamic cleric and chairman of the Central Moon Sighting Committee, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, along with Islamic scholars of various schools of thought and Christian leaders, held a press conference at the Sargodha commissioners office on Sunday. Maulana Azad said that honoring and protecting all divine books was their responsibility and part of their faiths. Islam orders the protection of the rights of the minorities, and the constitution of Pakistan is the guarantor of the rights of all minorities, Azad said. No one can be allowed to set up his own court in the country. He added that anti-national forces wanted to harm national unity by creating unrest in Pakistan through religious riots and chaos. Respect for humanity, a violence-free society, religious harmony and the promotion of the message of Pakistan were the responsibilities of all citizens, he said, commending timely notice of the attack by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Catholic Archbishop of Lahore, Sebastian Francis Shaw, said Christians were peace-loving citizens and respected all faiths. Inter-ethnic and inter-faith harmony is the most important need of the hour, he said. Punjab Minority Affairs Minister Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said in a video statement that the countrys law and constitution were meant to protect minorities. The minister stated that damaging property based on blasphemy allegations was improper. Such incidents are an attempt to bring Pakistan into disrepute, he said. When there is law, no one will be allowed to violate it. Action will be taken against those responsible. Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year. Originally published at Christian Daily International and Morning Star News Bungie Wins Lawsuit Against Destiny 2 Cheat Software Creator, Distributor AimJunkies Bungie, the creator of Destiny 2, has gained a landmark legal victory after a Seattle jury found AimJunkies, a cheat software creator and distributor, liable for copyright infringement. The jury also ordered the company and its three owners to pay damages to the video game company. Furthermore, there is an independent cheat developer whose counterclaim, which alleges that Bungie "hacked" his computer, was denied. Bungie Wins Lawsuit Against Cheat Maker The company first filed a complaint at a federal court in Seattle three years ago where it accused AimJunkies of copyright and trademark infringement, among others. The same accusations were made against Phoenix Digital Group, which is the operating company behind the website, and third-party developer James May. The cheating software creator and distributor denied the claims and argued that cheating is not against the law. On top of this, it refuted the copyright infringement allegations, saying that they lacked substance because some of the referenced copyrights were registered well after the cheats were first made available, according to TorrentFreak. The case went to trial this week after years of legal twists and turns and had both sides presenting their arguments in court. AimJunkies stressed, among other things, that the defendants never touched any of Destiny 2's copyrighted game code. The jury, on top of deciding over the copyright infringement claims, also had to rule on the counterclaim from May. The third-party developer denied being responsible for coding the cheat and alleged that Bungie "hacked" his computer. Read Also: Super Mario Run Adds New Missions in Collaboration With Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Following the finalization of the hearings, the jury in the case released its verdict late Friday, where it found all defendants liable for direct, vicarious, and contributory copyright infringement. It also ordered Phoenix Digital Group and all individual defendants to pay Bungie totaling $63,210. Bungie counsel James Barker released a statement saying that the video game company was committed to its players and will continuously work to protect them against cheats, including the one that AimJunkies made and future cases all the way to trial, said The Verge. Jury Finds Defendants Liable of Copyright Infringement In 2021, the case between Bungie and AimJunkies went to arbitration and saw the video game company winning $4 million. The latest development also includes Phoenix Digital Group founder David Schaefer saying that he will move to dismiss the jury's verdict and appeal if needed. Bungie's legal win may only mean pocket change but it does put a jury on record regarding the legality of creating cheats. This is what makes the latest decision more significant than the $63,210 that the company was awarded. Video game developers suing cheat makers is not something that is new and Bungie has led the charge in lawsuits against these services. The latter has become professionalized in recent years, where cheats are sold for specific games on a subscription basis. Cheat manufacturers typically have folded immediately in the face of legal pressure similar to what the Destiny 2 developer has brought. The main issue with these kinds of lawsuits is that cheating itself is not against the law, This means that developers who sue cheat makers will have to prove that reverse engineering a game to produce the cheats violates a developer's copyright, according to PCGamer. Related Article: Assassin's Creed Shadows Displate Metal Poster Now a Best Buy Exclusive Home News Seattle school-based health center offers students cross-sex hormones, 'gender-affirming care': report A watchdog group has obtained emails showing that a healthcare organization operating inside Seattle Public Schools is offering "gender-affirming care services" to students, including dispensing cross-sex hormones. Parents Defending Education, a national grassroots organization that raises awareness about potentially harmful policies and curricula impacting children's education, released emails earlier this month from Neighborcare Health, which operates clinics inside Seattle Public Schools' middle and elementary schools. The manager of the health program operating in the largest school district in Washington wrote in an email on Jan. 25, 2023, that "beginning February 6th [2023], our program will begin offering comprehensive, evidence-based, gender-affirming care services to our students and families who need them." Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The email states that this expansion is part of the organization's goal of providing "100% access and zero health disparities" to students and families. The manager wrote that the latest initiative aligns with the school district's goal of supporting LGBT-identifying students. In addition to services like counseling, the email boasted that the program now offers "important medical interventions, including hormonal treatments." The email states that giving children cross-sex hormones is "an informed and private decision made between a parent, their child, and their healthcare provider." As Parents Defending Education noted, the Seattle Public Schools policy regarding trans-identified students states that staff should not disclose a child's self-declared gender identity unless they are required to by law or the student has given them permission. The email explains that Neighborcare Health planned to initially offer services through "a small pilot available to students and families within the existing schools we serve." "Most families will be referred by Neighborcare and SPS staff and will be served by a small subset of our School-based Health provider team through a flexible mix of in-person and telehealth services at the start of care," the email continued. "After that, the students will transition back to long-term health management with their own School-based Health Center provider. Depending on the demand and success of the program, we will evaluate further opportunities to expand access further in future school years." In a statement to The Christian Post, a spokesperson for Neighborcare Health said its health centers abide by all applicable laws and regulations pertaining to the provision of healthcare, including "parental/guardian consent and patient confidentiality." "Neighborcare Health's school-based health centers provide students with access to comprehensive primary care and behavioral health services," the spokesperson stated. "Access to these services enables the early intervention, prevention, and treatment of health-related barriers to learning with the goal of promoting school attendance, improved academic performance and improving overall well-being of youth." "Gender-affirming care in its many forms is life-saving for many of the youth and their families who choose it," the spokesperson claimed. "Neighborcare Health offers care for transgender and non-binary students that align with best practices defined by regional and national pediatric care authorities and is aimed at meeting needs expressed by the students and families we serve. " According to a 2024 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, "gender or sex dissatisfaction is most common at around the age of eleven, and the frequency of this symptomatology then decreases with age. The clear majority of minors show no persistent gender or sex dissatisfaction over the course of their lives." Over two dozen states have enacted laws to ban surgical and hormonal interventions for minors struggling with gender dysphoria. Some European governments and doctors are also beginning to take a more cautious approach to the provision of puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones to minors. Earlier this month, the German Medical Assembly comprised of 250 delegates from 17 medical associations passed two resolutions related to gender dysphoria, one of which warns about the potentially life-long consequences of allowing youth to transition. They called the provision of cross-sex hormones and puberty-blocking drugs "experimental medicine." Chloe Cole, a young woman who underwent a double mastectomy as a teen and was prescribed cross-sex hormones, has spoken publicly about the side effects transitioning had on her mental and physical health. Cole has also filed a lawsuit against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, the Permanente Medical Group and affiliated healthcare professionals, accusing the medical groups of performing a "mutilating, mimicry sex change experiment" on her when she was only a teen. A spokesperson for Seattle Public Schools also told CP that community health agencies independently operate school-based health centers in spaces provided by the district. The spokesperson stated that the district does not supervise or participate in the provision of services offered at these clinics. "These clinics provide students with access to comprehensive primary care and behavioral health services. Access to these services enables the early intervention, prevention, and treatment of health-related barriers to learning with the goal of promoting school attendance and improved academic performance," the school district spokesperson stated. "School-Based Health Centers follow all applicable laws and regulations pertaining to the provision of health care, including those relating to parental consent and patient confidentiality." Earlier this month, Parents Defending Education released documents highlighting an Illinois boarding school's "Gender Support Process and Plan." The documents stated that the Illinois Math and Science Academy's plan is "informed by and modeled after similar plans from Gender Spectrum, Laurie's Children's Hospital, and Chicago Public Schools." The support plan instructed staff to disclose a student's self-declared gender identity to parents only if the student gives permission or if the staff receives authorization from the law department. According to the report, support for trans-identifying students might include, but is not limited to the following: "access to [opposite-sex] restrooms, locker rooms, affirmation of student's chosen name and pronouns, disclosure of students identity as requested by the student, confidentiality of gender identity as requested by student, social-emotional supports, staff training, and other supports expressed by the student.'" In a statement to The Daily Wire, the school's Chief Public Affairs and Development Officer Tami Armstrong said the plan was initially rolled out in October 2022 but remains "under development." She claimed it "has not been fully implemented due to resource limitations." A report released by Parents Defending Education last year states that at least 1,040 districts representing more than 10.7 million students have policies that tell employees they can or should keep a student's gender identity status hidden from parents. Home News Tribunal to weigh firing of theology lecturer from Methodist college over tweet on homosexuality An employment tribunal in Sheffield, England, will review the controversial dismissal of Dr. Aaron Edwards, a theology lecturer at Cliff College in Derbyshire who was terminated after he tweeted about Christian sexual ethics, which sparked backlash. The hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, will assess claims of harassment, discrimination and unfair dismissal, seeking damages, reinstatement and a declaration under the Equality Act 2010, according to the rights group Christian Concern. Christian Concern's legal arm, Christian Legal Centre, represents Edwards and will argue that Cliff College violated Edwards' rights under Article 9 and Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe In February 2023, as the Church of England debated same-sex blessings, Edwards tweeted: "Homosexuality is invading the Church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this b/c they're busy apologising for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it's true. This is a 'Gospel issue,' by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour." Following the tweet, a "Twitter storm" ensued, prompting Edwards to clarify his stance, asserting that his message was doctrinal, not personal. He stated at the time, "That is the conservative view. The acceptance of homosexuality as 'not sinful' is an invasion upon the Church, doctrinally. This is not controversial. The acceptance is controversial. Most of the global Church would agree. It is not homophobic to declare homosexuality sinful." Cliff College's response was swift and unequivocal. The Methodist institution asked Edwards to retract his statement, alleging it violated its social media policy a claim Edwards contested. His refusal was based on a belief that retracting the tweet would compromise his conscience and his role as a Christian educator. This led to his suspension and subsequent dismissal for misconduct. Edwards was accused of bringing the college into disrepute and potentially breaching the Prevent program Britain's counter-extremism measure. The response from the Methodist Church in Britain was also mixed, with significant figures expressing concern that the tweet could harm the college's core mission and its standing with staff and church members. Some students and Evangelical leaders supported Edwards, reflecting a division within the community over the expression of conservative views on sexuality. During a disciplinary hearing at the college, Edwards was allegedly told that he could be reported to a government counter-extremism program and was interrogated about how he would pray for a same-sex attracted student if one ever asked for a prayer. Following his dismissal, the 39-year-old father of six and his family have faced significant personal and financial strain, according to his lawyers. Edwards reported hospitalization due to cardiac symptoms induced by stress and had to rely on crowdfunding to sustain his family. "It feels like everything I worked for at the college (and for the college) over the last seven years has gone up in smoke," he said ahead of the hearing. Christian Legal Centre CEO Andrea Williams contends that Edwards was "sacked because he challenged the church to uphold God's teaching on human sexuality." "Contending for that truth publicly meant that he lost the job that he was so good at, as well as his family's home," Williams said in a statement. "It is deeply saddening to see a once renowned Bible college losing its way by no longer upholding the truth about marriage. What message does Aaron's sacking send to the next generation of leaders and pastors, and the future of Christian witness?" Williams argues that the case "exposes a collapse in confidence in biblical truth in one of the very places where the next generation of Christian leaders is being trained." "Our churches, and our society, desperately need courageous leaders," she concluded. "Aaron was committed to raising faithful preachers and pastors for the church. We need more lecturers and trainers like Aaron, not less, to build-up the next generation of Christian leaders to be unashamed of the gospel." Home News Turkey orders Hagia Sophia, ancient seat of eastern Christianity, be turned into mosque Correction Appended Religious and political leaders worldwide on Friday criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for officially declaring that the Hagia Sophia site, one of the world's most prominant Christian cathedrals, is now a mosque open to Muslim worship. Turkish people have no less right to Hagia Sophia than those who built it first 1,500 years ago, Erdogan said in a televised speech Friday after signing a decree transferring the management of the sixth-century UNESCO world heritage site from the Ministry of Culture to the Directorate of Religious Affairs, The Wall Street Journal reported. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Istanbuls Hagia Sophia, built in A.D. 537 as a Greek Orthodox church, was the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for 900 years before the city was seized in the 15th century by Sultan Mehmed II, the Conqueror, who converted it into an Ottoman mosque. In 1934, modern Turkeys founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, banned worship in Hagia Sophia and designated it as a museum. Erdogans declaration came within an hour after the Council of State, Turkeys highest administrative court, on Friday ruled that the edict that converted the structure into a museum was illegal. Erdogan said Hagia Sophia would reopen to Muslim prayer as a full-fledged mosque this month. Like all our mosques, the doors of Hagia Sophia will be wide open to locals and foreigners, Muslims and non-Muslims, he said, according to BBC. Greece, where millions of Orthodox Christians live, condemned Turkeys move. The countrys Culture Minister Lina G. Mendoni called it an open provocation to the civilized world. The nationalism displayed by President Erdogan... takes his country back six centuries, she said in a statement, adding that the court ruling absolutely confirms that there is no independent justice in Turkey. The United States also responded to Erdogans decision. We are disappointed by the decision by the Government of Turkey to change the status of the Hagia Sophia, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement, according to Reuters. We understand the Turkish Government remains committed to maintaining access to the Hagia Sophia for all visitors, and look forward to hearing its plans for continued stewardship of the Hagia Sophia to ensure it remains accessible without impediment for all. U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch, R-Idaho, and ranking member Bob Menendez, D-N.J., called the move a deep affront to Christians around the world who look to Hagia Sophia as a shining light and deeply revered holy site, The Hill reported. We strongly denounce President Erdogans decision to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque, they said in a joint statement. At points in its history, Hagia Sophia served as a place of worship for Muslims and Christians, and for decades has been an extraordinary and welcoming center to people of all faiths. The European Unions foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called Turkeys decision regrettable. The ruling by the Turkish Council of State to overturn one of modern Turkeys landmark decisions and President Erdogans decision to place the monument under the management of the Religious Affairs Presidency is regrettable, Borrell said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera, a Qatari government-run news outlet. The U.N. cultural body Unesco called on Turkey to open a dialog without delay in order to avoid a step back from the universal value of this exceptional heritage whose preservation will be reviewed by the World Heritage Committee in its next session. It is regrettable that the Turkish decision was not the subject of dialog nor notification beforehand, it said. Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida told the Russian news agency Interfax that the concern of millions of Christians has not been heard. Todays court ruling shows that all calls for the need for extreme delicacy in this matter were ignored, the spokesperson said. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Istanbul-based spiritual head of about 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, had said that the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque would disappoint millions of Christians around the world, according to Reuters. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had urged Turkey to continue to maintain the Hagia Sophia as a museum, as an exemplar of its commitment to respect the faith traditions and diverse history that contributed to the Republic of Turkey, and to ensure it remains accessible to all. The United States views a change in the status of the Hagia Sophia as diminishing the legacy of this remarkable building and its unsurpassed ability so rare in the modern world to serve humanity as a much-needed bridge between those of differing faith traditions and cultures, Pompeo had said in a statement. Many believe Erdogan made this decision as an attempt to gain support among his conservative base at a time when the opposition party has called for early elections. Correction: This original version of this article has been corrected to reflect that Hagia Sophia was the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The structure was built prior to the Great Schism in 1054 which led to the split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. This story was corrected on June 1, 2023. Home Opinion How should we respond to European recognition of a Palestinian state? On May 22, the nations of Norway, Spain and Ireland announced their intentions to recognize a Palestinian state. As reported in the Epoch Times, the announcement prompted Israel to immediately recall its ambassadors to the three nations. How should we respond? As described by the leaders of these three countries, they are calling for, Two states, living side by side, in peace and security (Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store), with mutual security guarantees (Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez), and with Irelands dream being that the Israeli and Palestinian children of May 28th 2024 will grow up to be neighbors at peace (Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris). Israels response was harsh and swift, referencing the Irish-Norwegian folly, in the words of Israels Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Katz claimed in a post on X that the announcement undermined Israeli sovereignty and endangered its security, stating, Todays decision sends a message to the Palestinians and the world: Terrorism pays. After the Hamas terror organization carried out the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, after committing heinous sexual crimes witnessed by the world, these countries chose to reward Hamas and Iran by recognizing a Palestinian state. This distorted step by these countries is an injustice to the memory of the victims of 7/10, a blow to efforts to return the 128 hostages, and a boost to Hamas and Iran's jihadists, which undermines the chance for peace and questions Israels right to self-defense. Then, speaking directly to Ireland, he posted, Ireland, if your goal was to reward terrorism by declaring support for a Palestinian state, youve achieved it. @SimonHarrisTD , Hamas thanks you for your service. Accompanying the post was a 19-second video depicting some of the horrors of the October 7 massacre with the caption, Hamas: THANKS IRELAND. Why this extreme reaction from Israeli leadership? After all, the Irish government called for the unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas and full, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza. Prime Minister Sanchez said that recognition of the Palestinian state was a necessary step to empower the Palestinian National Authority against Hamas, a terrorist group that must disappear. In addition, dont most Israelis share the dream of living side by side in peace and prosperity with their Arab neighbors? What, then, was so wrong with this formal recognition of a Palestinian state? First, these nations have no authority whatsoever, legally or morally, to tell Israel what to do with the disputed territories, territories that were acquired in the midst of defensive wars. Who appointed these three countries the arbiters of the Middle East? Second, as the old saying goes, the devil is in the details, in this case, the details of what, exactly, constitutes a Palestinian state. Palestinian leadership in Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank) has made it clear that no Jews could live in a Palestinian state (in contrast with Israel being home to more than two million Palestinian Arabs). As noted by Eric Mandel in the Forward in 2018, with reference to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbass speech to the United Nations Security Council, Abbas put forth a serious proposal for a two-state solution if your goal is a Palestinian state ethnically cleansed of every Jew. There are now reportedly more than 500,000 Israeli Jews living in the West Bank, all of whom would have to go based on this pollyannaish vision. To repeat: who gave Norway, Spain, and Ireland the right to expel half a million people from their homes? Third, the announcement is completely unrealistic, envisioning a peaceful way to oust Hamas from power as well as envisioning Abbas and the PA as serious peace partners for Israel. As Mandel noted in 2018, In 2014, he told the Arab League, We will never recognize the Jewishness of the state of Israel. In 2016 in Sudan, he reiterated that he will recognize the State of Israel, and that is it. However, a Jewish state is not my affair. I will not recognize it at all and I will not accept it. In December, his chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said Palestinians need to strive to reclaim historic Palestine, from the river to the sea. And this January, clearing up any ambiguity, Abbas asserted from the safety of his West Bank compound that the state of Israel is a colonial project that has nothing to do with Judaism, and rejected any Jewish ties to the land. As for accepting Israels legitimacy and right to a state, Abbas asserts that Israels occupation started in 1948, not 1967. This clearly means that he believes Israel proper to be occupied, not just the West Bank and Gaza. This is Israels wonderful peace partner? And to the extent that Abbas and other Palestinian leaders call for a one-state solution, they do so with the caveat that it must include the right to return for multiplied millions of descendants of Palestinian refugees, thereby overwhelming the demographics and effectively ending the idea of a Jewish state. As for the popularity of Hamas, it actually surged in the West Bank after October 7. As the Irish Times reported regarding a major poll conducted last December, In the survey, 72 percent of respondents backed the Hamas-led attack of October 7th in which 1,200 people were killed, according to Israel, and some 240 taken hostage. Support for the attack was higher among Palestinians in the West Bank, at 82 per cent, than in Gaza (57%). Additionally, About 44% of West Bank residents support Hamas, the survey found, an increase from 12 percent in September, while 42 percent of Gazans (up from 38%) expressed support for the militant group, which runs Gaza. Some 60% in Gaza expressed support for the armed struggle against Israel, as did 70% in the West Bank, where 490 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers since the Gaza war began. Clear enough? Fourth, the announcement undermines Israels efforts to eliminate Hamas from power, instead encouraging the violent Palestinian resistance with the idea that, with perseverance, they will achieve their goals, as support for Israels offensive wanes. By all means, let us continue to work towards and dream about the peaceful and prosperous coexistence of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. But announcements like this are as unhelpful as they are untimely. Israel had good reason to react so sharply. Home Opinion The worst way to think about Jesus In his book Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat sums up the mood of our culture by saying narcissism has waxed and empathy has waned. Ill buy that, how about you? To back up his assessment, Douthat provides the following evidence: In 2010, researchers at the University of Michigan reported that contemporary college students scored about 40% lower than their predecessors in the 1970s on tests assessing their ability to themselves in other peoples shoes. They were more likely than their parents generation to agree with statements like other peoples misfortunes do not usually disturb me a great deal, and less likely to agree with prompts like I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective and I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Douthat goes on to quote similar work by sociologists Christian Smith and Patricia Snell Herzog who found that people in their study felt, nobody has any natural or general responsibility or obligation to help other people they are innocent of any guilt, respondents said, if they ignore other people in need. Even when pressed what about the victims of natural disaster or political oppression? What about helpless people who are not responsible for their poverty or disabilities? No, they replied. You might be tempted to say that such feelings are ones of hate, but actually, theyre something else thats uglier its indifference. Oxford defines indifference as lack of interest, concern, or sympathy; unimportance. You see indifference expressed in the movie The Equalizer when the main bad guy summarizes how he feels about Denzel Washingtons character by saying: I have no feelings about you one way or another. You are like lint or a bottlecap; just a thing to remove. With all the indifference directed toward other people, its not surprising to find it aimed at God and Jesus also. A research study done by George Barna found that apatheism (a dont know/care attitude towards religion in general) is much larger than anyone thought: slightly more than one out of four Boomers and Builders (28%) qualify as Donts that is, people who do not know, believe, or care if God exists and roughly the same proportion of Gen X adults can be characterized as such (31%), closer to half of all Millennials (43%) are Donts. Hate Him or love Him In the Gospels, you dont see a lot of indifference towards Jesus except perhaps by the Roman authorities who crucified Him. Instead, you see much more of the only two correct responses expressed by people who understood who Christ is and what He was saying to them: hate or a sense of awe/love. On the negative side, Jesus teaching sunk deep inside many of the religious leaders who hated him so much that they murdered Him. Quasi-disciples whod had enough of His Bread of Life discourse remarked in politically correct fashion, This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it? (John 6:60). Even His family, early on, thought Hed gone off the rails and tried to take custody of Him (Mark 3:21). There are some today who feel the same way. For example, when Professor Virginia Stem-Owens asked her college students whod never read Jesus Sermon on the Mount to write an essay on it, some of the responses were: I did not like the Sermon on the Mount. It was not only hard to read, but it makes me feel I have to be perfect and nobody is. The things asked for in the sermon are absurd. Its killing to have a grudge? Its wrong to look at a woman like that? These are the most extreme un-human statements Ive ever heard. This stuff is extremely strict and allows for almost no fun in life without thinking, is this a sin, or isnt it? There is an old saying that you shouldnt believe everything you read and it applies in this case. Then you have the exact opposite response to understanding who Christ is, which I think is illustrated best by Peter who, seeing Jesus miracle of filling a boat with fish, initially said, Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man! (Luke 5:8). And later, when other disciples were bailing because of Jesus hard teaching, Christ asked the 12 if they were leaving too, and Peter exclaimed Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life (John 6:68). You can hate Him or love Him, but the absolute worst thing you can do is be indifferent about Him. The hate-or-love response represents Jesus teaching hitting the bulls-eye of the heart, and in my opinion, theres more hope for someone who hates Jesus now than one who is comfortably indifferent about Him. Why? Because they understand what Hes proclaiming. Owens agrees saying this about the students response to her assignment: I find it strangely heartening that the Bible remains offensive to honest, ignorant ears, just as it was in the first century. For me, that somehow validates its significance. Tim Keller puts it this way: Any thoughtful person who comes to the Sermon on the Mount and begins to understand what God wants you to do, what kind of life we ought to live, does not walk away saying, What a beautiful teaching, what wonderful thoughts. No a thoughtful person looks to Heaven and says, God, save me from the Sermon on the Mount! Is that you? If so, then I still think youre closer to Heaven than the person who shrugs off Christ and is indifferent to His instruction about this life and the next. Being offended at Christ is how many Christians started, but over time Gods Spirit came upon them (John 3) and finally, they came to see the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). If that hasnt occurred in your life, I hope it happens to you soon. And someday, thinking about Jesus and your past life, youll echo Peter and say: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. Taking on the giant of pornography This year the Naked Truth Project (NT) celebrates 10 years of opening eyes and freeing lives from the damaging impact of pornography. The organisation, based in Manchester, has been recognised widely for the work it does to break the cycle of porn addiction and bring restoration to the lives of many. Christian Today spoke with Ian Henderson, founder and CEO, to hear about how the church has been tackling pornography over the last decade, new challenges with the rise of AI, and what parents can do to safeguard their children from adult content. NT set out to 'open eyes and free lives from the damaging impact of pornography through awareness, education and recovery programmes.' Do you think the Church is more aware of the problem 10 years on and have churches got better at discussing and addressing porn addiction? Yes, I think we have definitely seen change. I certainly remember over 10 years ago when we began having some conversations and doing a few pilot initiatives to see what response that might have. In those early days, I think talking about pornography in the church context was taboo - no one even wanted to hear the 'P' word being said. By contrast in mainstream culture it was becoming taboo to even suggest there might be anything harmful about pornography. Since then, thousands of leaders have attended our conferences and events, and 10 years on we are still engaging with churches that want to talk about and tackle this issue. Increasingly, we are being asked by theological colleges and Bible colleges to come and speak to leaders in training about this issue. I think that's quite significant because it may be that one of the reasons why porn was so difficult for churches and church leaders to address was because they didn't feel trained and equipped to talk about it. As many as 93 per cent of church leaders identify that porn is a significant problem in their congregation, but only 7 per cent of church leaders have any programmes or ways to support people. There is a big gap there - or there was - and I think we are seeing that gap beginning to close. I also think that we are seeing changes in wider society as well. A few years ago it was taboo to suggest that porn was harmful, but I think more and more people are beginning to recognise the addictive nature of porn and the negative impact it might have on relationships and young people's understanding of relationships. The Online Safety Bill was recently passed here in the UK which I think is a reflection of people beginning to understand that we need to protect young people around this issue. The rise of AI has created a new sector within pornography, 'deep fake' porn. Is a new strategy needed to address these emerging challenges? For us as a charity the majority of our work is education and recovery so, we're helping those that are struggling with the impact of porn on their lives, or the lives of their loved ones. The reality is that while the kinds of porn that people consume or download may change, what remains the same is its destructive nature. It's still something that is unrealistic and creates toxic views of others. A dictionary definition of porn would define it along the lines of writings, pictures and films that have been designed to stimulate sexual desire, often for profit, so even in that dictionary definition you have a 'what' and a 'why'. The 'what' could be films, magazines, or a deep fake AI-generated picture, or it might be a hand drawn anime manga cartoon. The 'what' can look different but the 'why' remains the same - creating something to stimulate sexual excitement in order to generate a profit. The porn industry is still seeking to leverage people's vulnerabilities, their brokenness and weakness, to make money. That is why we as an organisation often talk about rescuing people downstream who are drowning. People will be drowning regardless of how the porn is actually created. Having said that, a small percentage of our work is in partnering with and supporting organisations who work primarily around changing legislation and law. There is a lot of work happening in that space, including around the question of whether there needs to be some legislation for AI. What are your thoughts on age verification controls on porn sites? I think it's been a long time coming. It's frustrating that it took so long, but we can celebrate that age verification has finally passed into law. The question now is to see how well it's regulated by Ofcom. It's important to understand that this is about protecting young people. It's not a conversation about consenting adults and freedom; it is an agreement that young people under the age of 18 shouldn't accidently be exposed to porn. We should be able to have things in place that mitigate against that. What can parents do to protect their children in a world where porn seems to be prolific? It does massively depend on the age of the child but in general terms, there need to be both controls and conversations. When they are younger it is easier to have more control. When they get older, it's more about a conversation. It's helpful to think of the internet as a city and think about how parents would raise their children in that kind of environment. My two kids grew up living in the centre of Manchester. When they were little we wanted them to experience what was good about the city. We wanted them to go to places, experience things, enjoy things and we were normally with them, making sure that they were safe. When they were crossing the road, we were holding their hands. When they became teenagers we didn't do that. They would go into town on their own and be with their friends, so it became much more about having conversations around where they were going and what they were doing. I think the internet is a similar thing. It's natural and healthy for children to have independence in their real life and I think probably in the digital world we need to be working on that too. When they are younger we need to make sure that we are holding their hands and some parents don't know how to do that because the internet feels overwhelming to them. We have a parents' pack with lots of advice about how parents can put in some controls when with younger children and have conversations if they are older. That would be a good starting point for lots of parents. We would also encourage parents to have a conversation with the whole family in which they reach an agreement about each other's digital use. That can help teenagers particularly because it makes it less about them. You've reached your 10-year milestone. What's next for NT? We hope to be able to continue the work we are doing because it is needed now more than ever. We have already engaged with around 100,000 pupils in schools but we want to talk to more schools and more young people, and in other countries, not only the UK, because the problem is so huge - 56 billion hits on one porn site in one year tells me 100,00 pupils in 10 years isn't quite enough yet! That's another reason why it's important that our resources are accessible to people, whether they have a faith or not. What we've seen is that as people start their recovery, they also start exploring and coming to faith because they've joined a community where there are Christians who are often struggling with the same thing. I'd love to see more of that. We are inspired by Isaiah 40's language of 'levelling mountains, lifting valleys, preparing the way for the Lord, clearing a way so that the goodness of God could be revealed to all people.' Pornography is a mountain that needs to be levelled. Our part is to ask how we can stand against this huge giant of pornography, and see more people discover - or rediscover - God. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Yemen's Houthis unilaterally release 113 detainees: ICRC Xinhua) 09:40, May 27, 2024 Detainees attend a press conference on their release by the Houthi group in Sanaa, Yemen, May 26, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SANAA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group unilaterally released 113 detainees in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. "We are pleased to see that humanitarian considerations are being prioritized, particularly for the families eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones, especially with the approach of the Eid al-Adha celebrations in a few weeks," said Daphnee Maret, the ICRC's head of delegation in Yemen. "We hope this paves the way for further releases," Maret said. The ICRC said it had conducted private pre-departure interviews with the detainees to confirm their identities, and "listen to any concerns they may have about the release process, ensure they have been in contact with their families, and gather the necessary information to follow up on their condition if needed," said Alessia Bertelli, protection coordinator of the ICRC in Yemen. The ICRC said the latest release, as well as previous ones in 2023 and 2020, is a positive step towards reviving negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis. In April 2023, nearly 900 prisoners were released following UN-sponsored negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group. High-profile figures, including Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and Mahmoud Al Subeihi, the country's former defense minister, were among those who were freed. The UN has been making efforts to release all detainees, mostly political opponents, human rights activists and journalists, and reach a political settlement between the Yemeni warring parties. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed internationally-recognized government out of Sanaa. Detainees walk to attend a press conference on their release by the Houthi group in Sanaa, Yemen, May 26, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Texas and Arizona experienced the fastest population growth by percentage of any other American state this century, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau data. Between July 1, 2000, and July 1, 2023 Michigan and Illinois recorded the smallest population upticks at just 0.9%, followed by Louisiana at 2.3% and New York at 3%. The population in Nevada soared 58% in the time to more than 3 million people. All U.S. states except West Virginia recorded some population growth over this period. West Virginia's population dipped 2%. Key factors in population change are more births, births exceeding deaths, internal migration from within the nation, and immigration from other countries, Prof. Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire, told Newsweek. Johnson said Utah generally has a high population growth due to high birth rates. Between 2000 and 2023 population in the U.S. increased from approximately 281 million people to about 333 million, according to the census data. Johnson said that the Great Recession, which lasted from December 2007 to June 2009 in the U.S., had a significant impact on American population growth and migration, significantly reducing fertility rates and generally slowing migration. Never ask for a 20 million [SGD] investment without proving the value that will be generated with that investment, he says. So start small with the quality experiments, pilot, [or] prototypes that will show value. And its not the value of technology its the value that it delivers to your business. According to Nita, this approach will ensure that AI becomes an enterprise-level initiative and not just one driven by the IT team in isolation. Jaksic also believes change should be driven from the top down, beginning with the CIO, who must be willing to lead by example. As a leader, you must demonstrate your own willingness to embrace the AI and participate in its integration. It inspires confidence and motivates others, he says. When dealing with board-level leaders or investors, Sun recommends beginning with use cases that have a clear return on investment. For example, Collectius operates in several markets across Asia Pacific, each with its own language that can make cross-cultural communication difficult. The company has started to use generative AI to help with translating business communications. Now, with the help of generative AI, Thai colleagues can now more confidently write business correspondence in English, Sun says, noting that use cases such as this are helpful because there is a clear gain with minimal investment. Its obvious. People can see the benefit itself, he says. But if you are looking to build an agent for your company, for your specific business context, that requires some effort and resources. This advice plays into Nitas recommendation that CIOs must not forget to consider the overall data maturity of their organization in favor of focusing only on employee change management, which may be a case of losing sight of the forest for the trees. He emphasizes that the company must have a strong foundation in data processes, stewardship, and governance. Apart from individual employee sentiments, gaps in these areas are a major reason that the adoption of AI is sometimes not as successful as expected. To accelerate AI adoption no matter what stage of data maturity, Nita advises CIOs to take advantage of already established best practices for driving change within that particular organization. Take them, learn from them, and advance further in the enterprise, he says. Aboneaza-te la rubricile dorite si primeste zilnic notificari pe email cu link-uri la articolele care au fost adaugate in ultimele 24 de ore. Notificarile vor fi expediate la adresa indicata mai jos. Daca doresti sa schimbi adresa - o poti modifica editand informatia de profil aici. ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Memorial Day in the United States means family get-togethers, picnics, photos and many ceremonies featuring speakers, high school bands and children carrying little American flags. It is all to remember the soldiers who gave everything, right up to the end of their lives -- soldiers who had hoped to come home from war but never made it. On Memorial Day in Rocky River, it is customary to come to Lakewood Park Cemetery on Detroit Road and receive bundles of American flags to place on the graves of soldiers who died in military service. On May 25, dozens of people came early in the morning to take part in the effort. Organizations put together the event to make sure everyone had the supplies they needed to spread out over the broad acreage of the cemetery to look for tombstones featuring a rank and date of service and to then put one of the American flags into the ground at the brave soldiers last resting place. American flags waved in a gentle breeze all over Lakewood Park Cemetery on the morning of May 25 in honor of Memorial Day.Linda Gandee The Joint Veterans Council of Lakewood and Rocky River volunteered to help all the other volunteers that were putting flags on the graves of veterans laid to rest in the lovely, manicured cemetery. The temperature was not a problem -- not too hot of a day and not too cold. However, as volunteers found the veterans graves, the ground was only giving a little -- the sticks on which the flags were mounted had to be pushed down reasonably hard. But the volunteers, including troops of Scouts with their leaders, kept up the pace until all of the more than 4,000 flags were laid, once again, on the graves of the soldiers buried in the cemetery. Read more from the West Shore Sun. Cybersecurity experts are warning that Russian hackers will likely try to disrupt a planned Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland next month, according to reports Sunday. "International events of this kind often attract the attention of state-supported hacker groups, in this case especially Russian state-supported groups," said Samir Aliyev, a lecturer in cybersecurity at the Swiss University of St. Gallen, according to the SwissInfo website, which cited the Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag. Swiss politician and cybersecurity expert Franz Gruter also told NZZ that anyone attending the two-day conference at the Burgenstock resort outside Lucerne should take appropriate precautions. "I would not log into a public Wi-Fi network at the Burgenstock," Gruter said. Unidentified sources in the Swiss Federal Office of Cybersecurity reportedly confirmed to NZZ that Russia was probably planning to disrupt the summit. Representatives of 70 countries are scheduled to attend the conference on June 15 and 16 but Russia wasn't invited and has said the summit offered "no prospect of getting at least some tangible result." "Without Russia, discussing security issues that concern us is absolutely futile," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Russian newspaper Izvestia earlier this month. Sunday's cybersecurity warnings came as the Swiss Senate is set to vote Monday on a measure approved by the House of Representatives to toughen the country's stance on expelling foreign spies, according to SwissInfo. Switzerland hasn't removed any Russian representatives since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion and ongoing war against Ukraine in February 2020, the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung reported Sunday. But Russia has reportedly dispatched dozens of new diplomats to the Swiss cities of Bern and Geneva since then, according to Bloomberg, which said Switzerland now hosts 217 Russian diplomats. About one-third of Russia's diplomatic contingent is suspected of secretly working with its military, foreign or domestic intelligence units, a Swiss intelligence official told SonntagsZeitung. Russia's Foreign Ministry didn't immediately return a request for comment, Bloomberg said. At least 35 Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded on Sunday when Israeli airstrikes hit a "humanitarian area" in the Gaza city of Rafah where thousands fled a ground offensive by Israel's military, according to reports. The attack struck tents in a camp for displaced people, leaving "numerous" victims trapped in the flaming debris, the Associated Press reported. "The air strikes burnt the tents, the tents are melting and the people's bodies are also melting," a resident who arrived at the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah told Reuters. Women and children comprised most of the casualties, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry. A spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said more fatalities were expected as search and rescue efforts continued in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood about a mile northwest of Rafah's center. The society also said Israel had designated the site as a "humanitarian area" and it wasn't among the places that the Israeli military ordered evacuated earlier this month, AP said. Israel's army confirmed the strike, saying it hit a Hamas compound and killed the group's chief of staff for the West Bank and another senior official responsible for deadly attacks on Israelis. The Israeli army also acknowledged reports of civilian casualties and said it was investigating. Video footage from the scene showed heavy destruction, AP said. The carnage came two days after the United Nations' International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its operations in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population fled before the ground offensive began earlier this month. It was also reported hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time since January. There were no reports of casualties from what Israel said were eight projectiles launched from Rafah. Some of the rockets were intercepted and the launcher was destroyed, according to Israel. Israeli tanks have probed around the edges of Rafah and entered some of its eastern districts but haven't pressed further into the city since the start of a ground offensive there earlier this month, Reuters said, citing local residents. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was in Rafah on Sunday and was briefed on "operations above and below the ground, as well as the deepening of operations in additional areas with the aim of dismantling Hamas battalions," his office said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to discuss continued operations in Rafah with war cabinet later Sunday. About 36,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since Netanyahu vowed to vowed to destroy Hamas over its Oct. 7 surprise attack in which about 1,200 people in Israel were killed and 250 were taken hostage. About 120 hostages, including some Americans, are believed to still be held by Hamas. Memorial Day can be an eventful holiday - with parades and parties but also more solemn events like flag plantings and ceremonies. With so many options, it can be hard to keep track of events in your community. In an effort to streamline the process, the Veteran's Administration has compiled a database of more than 200 events being held both online and in person, across the country. "VA is hosting ceremonies in honor of Memorial Day at VA National Cemeteries and invites everyone to join with Veterans and their families at these events taking place on and around Memorial Day weekend," the federal agency wrote on their website. "A full listing of free events at ceremonies and other community Memorial Day events can be found [in the database.]" Notable events include: May 27, 2024, 10 am - 11 am PT: Memorial Day Ceremony - Los Angeles, CA May 27, 2024, 10 am - 11 am PT: Memorial Day Ceremony - San Diego, CA May 27, 2024, 11 am - 12 pm PT: Memorial Day Ceremony - San Francisco, CA May 27, 2024, 1 pm- 2 pm ET: 2024 Memorial Day Ceremony at The Wall - Washington, DC May 27, 2024, 11 am - 12 pm ET: Memorial Day Ceremony - Baltimore, MD May 30, 2024, 11 am - 12 pm ET: Memorial Day Ceremony - Baltimore, MD May 27, 2024, 11 am - 12 pm ET: Memorial Day Ceremony - Philadelphia, PA May 27, 2024, 12 pm- 1 pm CT: Memorial Day Ceremony - Nashville, TN May 27, 2024, 9 am - 10 am CT: Memorial Day Ceremony - Houston, TX May 27, 2024, 11 am - 12 pm CT: Memorial Day Ceremony - Dallas, TX SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - MAY 26: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (3rd, L) talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (2nd, R) during a bilateral meeting at Presidential Office on May 26, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Ahn Young-Joon - Pool/Getty Images) China on Monday urged Japan and South Korea to reject "protectionism" and uphold free trade as leaders of the countries met in a trilateral summit in Seoul. Chinese Premier Li Qiang said he opposed turning economic and trade issues into "political games or security matters," Chinese state media reported, as he met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. Li said the three countries should see one another as "partners and opportunities for development," Xinhua reported. This is the ninth such trilateral summit between China, Japan and South Korea, but their first in more than four years as they seek to reinvigorate economic and security ties. In a joint statement released after the summit, the three leaders agreed to "institutionalize" three-way cooperation by regularly holding the trilateral summit and ministerial meetings. They also agreed to continue talks for "speeding up negotiations" for a free trade agreement aimed at being "fair, comprehensive, high-quality, and mutually beneficial." The summit was critical to stabilize relations between the three countries even if it doesn't "transfer into some kind of concrete initiative," said Stephen Nagy, a professor at International Christian University in Tokyo. China wants to lure both South Korea and Japan away from the initiatives that the United States has put on the table, he told CNBC's "Capital Connection" on Monday. "Under President Biden, there's been tremendous success in terms of bringing Seoul, Tokyo and Washington together through the Camp David principles," he said, adding China is wary of this cooperation and wants to drive a "wedge" between the U.S. South Korea and Japan. Lots of people will be getting their sea legs this summer. Ports have been packed with cruise ships over the last few years, as vacationers flock to ever larger vessels and operators race to accommodate a surge in post-pandemic bookings many of them from first-time passengers. The industry expects even more this year. Benjamin Xiang, a San Francisco-based flight attendant, went on his first cruise last August, setting aside his reservations about "cruise people" and a type of trip he'd imagined would be "not my travel style." Taking advantage of a Virgin Voyages promotion that let him use credit card points to cover the $2,500 bill, Xiang booked a weeklong, all-inclusive, adults-only cruise from Barcelona, with stops at Mallorca, Ibiza and along the French Riviera. "I invited my best friend, we prepaid a $600 bar tab, and we were like, 'We'll just hang by the pool, read a book or something,'" said Xiang, 35. "Turned out we partied every single night and had a blast." He's among the many cruise newbies who've helped power the industry's recent growth. Some 27% of cruise passengers over the past two years have been first-timers, up 12% from the prior two-year period, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), a trade group. "Will I go back? I think yes," Xiang said. "Will I pay this time? Yes." That's exactly what cruise operators are hoping for, and so far they're getting it: 82% of all cruisers say they'll book again, CLIA's latest report found. After welcoming 31.7 million passengers last year, 7% more than in 2019, the industry expects volumes to swell to 34.7 million by the end of 2024. Experts say a combination of newcomers, repeat bookers and younger travelers are powering the uptick. Like Xiang, many first-time cruisers are groups of friends traveling together, said Jennifer Klaussen, who owns Sundari Travel in Malibu, California. "Once they get on a cruise and realize it's not what they thought it would be, they're usually interested in future cruises and diverse destinations," she said, adding that newer operators have managed to "reduce the stigma associated with cruising that it's only for the elderly." Kamylle Mourao's life and career has taken her around the world: She's originally from Brazil and has lived in Peru, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. Her day-to-day is all about helping workers on the move, too: She works as the global mobility lead at Deel, a global HR and payroll company, where she develops and expands the business's operations in 43 countries and counting. Mourao's nomadic career may strike a chord with many U.S. job-seekers who, seeing a cooling hiring market, are expanding their search overseas. The number of American workers hired by international companies grew 62% last year, according to a global hiring report from Deel. They're primarily moving to Portugal, Spain and the U.K., where many expats say they're highly satisfied with their personal, financial, social and work lives abroad. Here, Mourao and Masha Sutherlin, Deel's head of immigration, share their best advice for those curious about moving their careers and lives overseas. Check your company's policies First, if you work for a global company, see what relocation programs already exist, Sutherlin says. You might be eligible for a rotational exchange program where you spend some time in a partner office overseas. For something more permanent, you could make a case to transfer abroad, or apply to an internal job that would take you to a new country. Find out if your company offers full relocation help, which would include a stipend to cover moving costs and help with finding housing. If a program doesn't already exist and you want to go abroad on your own, you may be able to work out an arrangement with your employer where they sponsor your visa but leave the moving costs and logistics up to you. Build new opportunities that can take you abroad If an opportunity doesn't already exist, you could also try creating one. That's what Mourao did. She started working at Deel in 2022 as a digital nomad in Portugal and "living in the clouds traveling the world," she says. Seeing that her work involves expanding the business to the 120-plus countries where Deel has clients, she wanted to put its mobility products to the test. Kamylle Mourao is the head of mobility at Deel and works nomadically across many countries. Courtesy of Deel Mourao worked with her boss to create an arrangement where she can work as a digital nomad and relocate to new markets in order to help the business expand. She's since visited more than a dozen countries, including France, Egypt, Singapore and others. "Each new country and region that I need to focus on opening creates the opportunity to move abroad either short- or long-term," she says. Mourao currently has a digital nomad visa in Portugal and continues to travel around the world. She's also already thinking of the next country where she'll apply for a digital nomad visa by September this year: The United Arab Emirates and Japan are both at the top of her list. When pitching a new location to her boss, Mourao says she highlights the benefits of being there. For example, while in Portugal, she's in a central time zone that makes it easy to communicate with colleagues in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. She meets colleagues in-person when she visits a new region, and she ensures she's compliant with her work contract where she's fully responsible for liabilities on tax-related issues. "It's important to have a clear plan in mind, an idea of the costs vs. benefits to your employer, think ahead to address compliance and risks, and have data to back up your suggested plan," she says. Ask colleagues who've moved abroad before As you start brainstorming ways to make moves, Sutherlin suggests connecting with colleagues and your network about how they've moved abroad for assignments. Ask: How did they seek out or create their own opportunities? Was it worth it? What challenges and benefits have they experienced? Sutherlin often gets LinkedIn requests from people who want to ask about her own experience moving for work. Sometimes, those conversations turn into job opportunities. "Most of these opportunities happen if you're actively looking for ways to meaningfully connect with people," she says. Seeking genuine connection shows you're curious and can take initiative, she says, even if it feels like a long shot. "If you're scared to approach me but you do it anyway, I'm thinking, wow, I want to talk to you." Prove why you're suited to work abroad Americans are leaving paid time off on the table. A majority, 78%, of U.S. workers say they don't use all of their PTO, according to a new Harris Poll survey of 1,170 American workers. People cited busy schedules, heavy workloads and a persistent "pressure to always be available" as the biggest impediments to taking more time off. It doesn't help that flights, hotels and other vacation amenities have gotten more expensive. Overall, travel costs are up 15% versus 2019, according to a NerdWallet analysis. Still, paid time off is a sought-after benefit among U.S. workers, with 48% saying they would rather have more PTO than a higher salary, the Harris Poll found. To stave off burnout and improve employee retention, some companies many of which are in the travel industry are handing out four-figure stipends for employees to see the world. Others are offering to help offset the cost of employees' vacations, either with flight or hotel credits. If you're looking for a flexible job that will allow you to work remotely and help you afford to travel more, these seven companies are hiring for remote and hybrid roles and help pay for employees' vacations, according to FlexJobs: Pilots of the "Sharp Kartuza" division of FPV kamikaze drones prepare drones for a combat flight on May 16, 2024 in the Kharkiv region, 8 km from the border with Russia. Six NATO countries neighboring Russia are joining forces to build a "drone wall" to protect their borders, Lithuania's interior minister announced on Friday. "This is a completely new thing, a drone wall stretching from Norway to Poland, and the goal is to use drones and other technologies to protect our borders," Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said in an interview with local news agency BNS. "Not only with physical infrastructure, surveillance systems, but also with drones and other technologies, which would allow us to protect against provocations from unfriendly countries and to prevent smuggling," she said. The other states taking part are Lithuania's Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia, as well as Poland, Finland, and Norway. Details such as funding, timeline and technical aspects of the project were not provided, but Bilotaite said EU funds could play a role and that each country had to do its "homework." In an interview with Finnish television channel Yle, cited by the Financial Times, Finland's Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said that the drone wall plan would "improve in time." Finland, which joined NATO in 2023, shares an 832-mile border with Russia. The interior ministers of the six countries taking part in the drone wall project met in the Latvian capital of Riga on May 23 and 24. They discussed security threats as well as the issue of non-military tactics such as "instrumentalized migration", citing past instances where Russia or Belarus sent masses of undocumented asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East over their borders. "Our goal is to ensure that Finland has effective means to tackle situations where instrumentalized migration is used to put pressure on Finland," Rantanen said in a statement during the event. "The phenomenon of instrumentalized migration on the EU's external borders is a common challenge for our countries. Finland also aims to find EU-level solutions to combat this phenomenon." As the price of gold hits new all-time highs and silver rallies to a multi-year high, Bank of America has identified four exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that offer attractive exposure to precious metals. The top-rated ETFs include abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF (ticker SIVR), iShares Silver Trust (SLV), Invesco DB Precious Metals Fund (DBP) and abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (GLTR). Bank of America rated all four ETFs "more attractive" in comparison to other ETFs with similar assets. The Wall Street bank also has a "favorable view" rating on the sectors represented by the ETFs. These funds reflect baskets of physical precious metals, with varying allocations to silver, gold, palladium, and platinum. Bank of America's research also suggests that a portfolio with 40% exposure to broad commodities would have outperformed a portfolio with 40% U.S. Treasury bonds by 0.8% per year since 1945. Despite strong performance since the Covid-19 pandemic, long-term commodity returns are still near all-time lows, according to BofA. Broad commodity indexes returned 20% per year in the 1970s and averaged 5-10% returns during the 1990s to 2000s, but post-global financial crisis returns were the lowest on record since the Great Depression. Bank of America believes that commodities are poised for a reversion to the mean, with its ETF strategist Jared Woodard adding, "commodities are still at all-time lows relative to financial assets, and this ratio would likely move higher in a sustained shift to a 5% world." abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF SIVR is the cheapest silver fund in Bank of America's coverage, with a total expense ratio of 0.50%. Bank of America's commodity team is also bullish on silver and expects spot prices to end 2024 at $26.46 per ounce and $32.50 per ounce at the end of next year. It was trading at $30.50 per ounce at the end of last week. "The silver market has rebalanced on production discipline and demand from new applications including solar panels," said BofA's strategists. @SI.1 1Y line iShares Silver Trust SLV, while larger than SIVR by assets under management, could offer higher liquidity and a lower bid-ask spread for investors prioritizing liquidity, according to Bank of America. SLV SIVR 1Y line Invesco DB Precious Metals Fund DBP, with an 80% allocation to gold and 20% to silver, is also favored by the bank's commodity team. However, it is also the most expensive ETF among BofA's picks with a 0.77% total expense ratio. "DBP's high weight towards gold has contributed to its outperformance relative to GLTR," said the BofA strategist. abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF GLTR offers a more diverse exposure, with over 60% in gold, over 20% in silver, and the remaining 10% in platinum and palladium. "The fund is [more than] 60% gold and [more than] 20% silver, and our commodity team is bullish on both," said BofA. "In our view, weights to palladium and platinum are not large enough to have a material impact." CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting. Two key European Central Bank figures on Monday threw their weight behind the prospect of an interest rate cut next week, indicating that it is practically a done deal. In a speech on Monday, Olli Rehn, ECB governing council member and head of Finland's central bank, stressed that inflation in the euro area was falling in a "sustained way." Inflation in the euro area held steady at 2.4% in April, marking the seventh straight month it has been below 3%, despite a slight rebound in December. The figures for May are due on Friday. "Thanks to this disinflationary process, inflation is converging to our 2% target in a sustained way, and the time is thus ripe in June to ease the monetary policy stance and start cutting rates," Rehn said in a speech published on the website of the Finnish central bank. "This obviously assumes that the disinflationary trend will continue and there will be no further setbacks in the geopolitical situation and energy prices." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that his military killed 45 Palestinian refugees in Rafah, describing the incident as a "tragic mistake." The fatal airstrike on the besieged city of Rafah has been condemned by the international community. The United Nations described the aftermath as "horrifying;" Italian officials said that Israel's actions in Gaza are "no longer justifiable;" French President Emmanuel Macron expressed "outrage;" Ireland's foreign minister called the incident "barbaric" and multiple Arab states described Israel's actions as "war crimes." Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of Gaza's Hamas-run government media office said that the Israel Defense Forces "called on citizens and displaced persons to go to these safe zones," which were then attacked by missiles. The IDF disputed these claims, claiming they "carried out an intelligence-based precise strike that targeted senior Hamas terrorists in Tal as Sultan." The United States has warned Israel for months to not invade Rafah without a plan to mitigate civilian harm. Israel defied those requests and bombarded the city with missiles. "We've been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians," a U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said after the attack. "We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened, and understand that the IDF is conducting an investigation." Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, DC, May 25, 2024. Presidential candidate Donald Trump was booed and heckled by many in a raucous audience at the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday night, a marked change from the adulation he receives at rallies from his fervently loyal supporters. Libertarians, who believe in limited government and individual freedom, blame Trump, a Republican, for rushing through the creation of a COVID-19 vaccine when he was president and for not doing more to stop public health restrictions on the unvaccinated during the pandemic. When Trump took to the stage in Washington, there were loud boos and jeers. A smaller section of the crowd, Trump supporters, cheered him. Shortly before he appeared, one Libertarian Party member shouted: "Donald Trump should have taken a bullet!" Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the hostile reception. Libertarians garnered only 1.2% of the national vote in 2020, or about 1.8 million votes, but November's election could be decided by just tens of thousands of votes in a handful of battleground states, so Trump is seeking to peel away some libertarian support. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who also spoke to the convention on Friday, was hoping to rally support. Libertarian Party Chair Angela McArdle ruled Sunday that Trump was not qualified to be the party's nominee for president, because he did not submit nominating papers. "The reason I didn't file paperwork for the Libertarian Nomination, which I would have absolutely gotten if I wanted it (as everyone could tell by the enthusiasm of the Crowd last night!), was the fact that, as the Republican Nominee, I am not allowed to have the Nomination of another Party," Trump said on Truth Social. The party selected Chase Oliver, Georgia Senate election candidate in 2022, as the presidential candidate, it said on Sunday in a post on X. Trump, who was president between 2017 and 2021, immediately highlighted in his speech Saturday his total 88 felony charges he faces in four federal and state prosecutions. "If I wasn't a libertarian I am now," he said on Saturday. He denounced the administration of President Joe Biden, his challenger in the Nov. 5 election rematch, and Biden's fellow Democrats as being part of a "rise in left-wing fascism". Only the late, great Gilbert Gottfried would have taken such delight in telling Howard Stern in 2007, Ive got a great bombing moment! Given Gottfrieds penchant for stunts like telling jaw-dropping 9/11 jokes within days of 9/11, hes probably got dozens of great bombing moments, but heres the story he decided to share with Stern. The first clue that Gottfrieds show wouldnt go well? It was a corporate gig. Its too late to pass along a note to company event planners at this point, but who hires Gilbert Gottfried for an annual meeting keynote address? (The answer: People who lose their jobs.) Don't Miss Of course, the guy says to me beforehand, We have to work clean here, Gottfried told Stern. Are you capable of that? Stern asked, an entirely reasonable question. Of course, Gottfried replied. But then came another red flag. The companys representative told Gottfried the group was also Christian so he needed to watch it with potentially offensive material. This was essentially daring the comic to do his worst. So I opened up with crucifixion jokes, Gottfried laughed. Stern, no stranger to shock himself, was aghast. Why would you do that? I don't know, the comic confessed. But he assured the Stern staff that they would have loved this gig as the ultimate in awkward. In fact, someone from the company had to rush the podium because Gottfried refused to stop telling his offensive jokes. A guy physically got on stage and pulled me off, cackled the comic. So youre up there doing your act, said Stern, trying to recreate the scene. Is the audience booing you? Advertisement Theyre all staring at each other, angry, said Gottfried with genuine glee. Theyre complaining. And this guy starts storming toward the stage. Stern was fascinated. How do they eject you from the stage? he wondered. You say he physically grabbed you. Did he grab you by the arm? Or does he tackle you? A simple grab of the arm was all it took, said the 5-foot-5 Gottfried, a comic too small in stature to put up much of a fight. He also would have been laughing too hysterically to resist. What do you say? wondered Stern. Do you say, Excuse me, what are you doing up here, sir? Gottfried had a better response. I yell out, Youve been a great crowd! Spain pledged one billion euros worth of military support to Ukraine, on Monday, as Russian forces continued their assault on the eastern European country's northeastern borders. "It will allow Ukraine to boost its capabilities, including its essential air defense systems to protect its civilians, cities and infrastructure, which are still suffering indiscriminate attacks as seen this weekend in Kharkiv," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Moscow's ground assault on Kharkiv marked one of the biggest losses of territory for Ukraine since the outbreak of total war in 2022. Ukrainian soldiers are reportedly overwhelmed and stretched thin across the 620-mile front line, while Russian soldiers continue to bombard their troops. Zelenskyy traveled to Madrid to ink the deal with Spain, after spending several weeks calling on Ukraine's allies to provide more aid. The Ukrainian leader also met with members of Spain's parliament and its King Felipe VI. Zelenskyy expressed "gratitude to all the Spanish people and to the Prime Minister personally for the tangible and truly vital support of Ukraine in this time of war," in a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "Spain is a reliable partner and has supported our defense since the first days of the criminal Russian invasion." In a screenshot of a video provided by Randall Kallinen, officers chase Aundre Howard following a July 7, 2019, traffic stop. One of the officers has since left the Houston Police Department. Courtesy Randall Kallinen A Houston police officer previously accused of assaulting a man during a traffic stop is set to return to his job and receive three years of back pay, having recently won an arbitration hearing against the department, documents show. An arbitration examiner ruled that the department didnt prove officer Lucas Vieira committed assault and that department leaders didnt issue a suspension notice within the required 180 days after the alleged attack. MORE ON CASE: Ex-HPD officer indicted on aggravated assault charge linked to 2019 traffic stop Advertisement Article continues below this ad Victor Senties, a spokesman for Houston Police Department, on Friday confirmed Vieira was listed as active duty with the West Side Patrol Division. Senties referred further questions to his legal representatives. J. Scott Siscoe, Vieiras attorney, said the officer is scheduled to return to work June 3. Im thrilled for officer Vieira and his family, Siscoe said. Vieira at one time was charged with one count of aggravated assault by a public servant in connection with a July 7, 2019, conflict involving Aundre Howard. But a Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled in 2023 that the case should be dismissed because charges werent brought until July 9, 2021, beyond the two-year statute of limitations. A grand jury indicted Vieira in 2021, about three months after he was suspended by the Houston Police Department. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The charge stemmed from an accusation that he struck a handcuffed man during a traffic stop. The man allegedly ran away and Vieira and two other officers gave chase, with Vieira shouting for another officer to shoot the fleeing man. In the House of Lords last week, Labour's Tom Watson launched a diatribe against the Press during a debate on the media, boasting he had cancelled lunch with rock star Bruce Springsteen to speak in it. Baron Watson of Wyre Forest to give him his full moniker became chairman of industry body UK Music after he left the Commons in 2019. He name-dropped 'The Boss', as Springsteen is known, more than once. But surely the name he should have mentioned in any debate on the media was Lord Bramall, the former head of the Armed Forces. Or Lord Brittan, the former Tory Home Secretary, or Harvey Proctor, the ex-Tory MP. For it was Watson who shamefully promoted the false allegations of historical child abuse levelled by fantasist Carl Beech against these distinguished individuals. Police raided their homes as a result of Beech's lies, and Bramall's wife died in July 2015 without knowing he would not be charged, while Lord Brittan went to his grave before his name had been cleared. Labour's Tom Watson launched a diatribe against the Press during a debate on the media, boasting he had cancelled lunch with rock star Bruce Springsteen to speak in it Baron Watson of Wyre Forest to give him his full moniker became chairman of industry body UK Music after he left the Commons in 2019. He name-dropped 'The Boss', as Springsteen (pictured in cartoon) is known, more than once It was the Press that helped expose Beech and his claims of a paedophile ring in Westminster. Needless to say, many other peers were outraged by Watson. Baroness Fleet, a former newspaper editor, summed up the mood when she said: 'I heard the attack of Lord Watson on newspapers. I wonder what Lord Brittan might have replied.' The Krays and a job at the Treasury Political quote of the week from Kelvin MacKenzie: 'With his grandfather being a chum of the Krays and jailed for armed robbery and his grandmother doing time in Holloway, surely Wes Streeting (Shadow Health Secretary) would make a better Chancellor than Rachel Reeves, as thieving would be in his DNA.' Kelvin MacKenzie (pictured in 2007) was editor of The Sun from 1981 to 1994 Wes Streeting, Shadow Health Secretary, on the BBC on May 19, 2024 There was a timely episode in Dr Who on Saturday featuring a General Election, albeit in 2046, when fictional Welsh Prime Minister Roger Ap Gwilliam said in his victory speech: 'I will go to His Majesty and prepare for government.' Reminded me of 1981 when, at the Liberal Assembly in Llandudno, the Liberal leader David Steel told delegates: 'Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government.' The Tories won by a landslide two years later. Liberal leader from 1976 to 1988 David Steel pictured in 1981 With current Mother of the House Harriet Harman stepping down, who will become the longest-serving female MP? If re-elected it'll be Diane Abbott, suspended from the parliamentary Labour Party but expected to run as an independent. If re-elected Diane Abbott will become Mother of the House. Pictured on April 28, 2024 Ms Abbott entered parliament in 1987. Pictured: Keith Vaz, Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott and Bernie Grant at Labour Party conference in 1987 The July 4 election date is bad news for cross-dressing actor Eddie Izzard. Having twice failed to be selected as a Labour candidate, he was looking for a constituency. But he is booked for a one-man show of Hamlet in London until June 30. Eddie Izzard takes opening night bows at Hamlet in New York in February 2024 Spare a thought for Labour's Chris Webb, elected MP for Blackpool South on May 2. He's back on the campaign trail, and unlikely even to make a maiden speech before Parliament winds up on Thursday. Labour's Chris Webb (right) welcomed to parliament by Sir Keir Starmer on May 7 Joke of the week James Corden, at a charity gala at London's Natural History Museum, said: 'There are dinosaurs in this museum that are younger than the two men trying to be President of the United States.' James Corden made the joke at a charity gala at London's Natural History Museum (pictured) Farage's favour for Lammy Many Labour MPs are deeply sceptical about whether loose-lipped David Lammy has got what it takes to be Foreign Secretary. He's described Donald Trump as a 'racist Ku Klux Klan and Nazi sympathiser'. So it's ironic that, on Lammy's recent trip to the U.S., Team Trump agreed to meeting him only after a call to the ex-President's chum Nigel Farage, who gave the OK. Prepare to be driven to distraction by the deliberate vagueness of Sir Keir Starmer when, over the next weeks of the election campaign, he is asked how, exactly, a Labour government will meet its promise to 'change' the country. But in an otherwise narcoleptic interview with the BBC's Mishal Husain last week, the Labour leader made one hard commitment: charging 20 per cent VAT on school fees in the independent sector would be 'a day one priority'. Or as Starmer described it: 'Ending tax breaks for private schools so we can have [an extra] 6,500 [state school] teachers.' But the fact that VAT has never been applied to the fees paid by families for their children's education is not a 'tax break'. Across what is sometimes termed 'the civilised world', it has been understood that as education is a public good, it should not be subject to this form of taxation. This is a principle held not just across Europe, but also the US and Australia. For the same reason, VAT is not charged on university fees. Threat I am old enough to remember that when bidding for his party's leadership in 2020, Sir Keir said he would 'build on' Jeremy Corbyn's legacy, and that 'we should treat the 2017 manifesto as a foundational document'. In an otherwise narcoleptic interview with the BBC 's Mishal Husain last week, the Labour leader made one hard commitment: charging 20 per cent VAT on school fees in the independent sector would be 'a day one priority', writes Dominic Lawson It is not the 'super-rich' who will find an extra 20 per cent cost very hard to cover. Nor will the policy be much of a problem for schools such as Eton (pictured), and indeed Winchester, supported as they are by very large endowments The threat to apply VAT to school fees was in both of Labour's manifestos under Corbyn a long-standing demand from the Left of the party, but which had never been indulged by Tony Blair or Gordon Brown. In Starmer's eyes, this 'legacy' from the man he caused to be expelled from the Labour Party has one very specific political purpose. It is designed to remind voters that Rishi Sunak was sent by his parents to Winchester College (which now charges almost 52,000 a year for boarding pupils), and that the PM had made a six-figure donation to his ancient alma mater. Yet Starmer was himself the beneficiary of a bursary, which enabled him to continue to attend Reigate Grammar School when it went independent. The current head of that school, Shaun Fenton, says of the policy now adopted by its most well-known ex-pupil: 'Attacking independent schools won't help . . . I would support an increase in state school funding, but this proposal may not raise any money at all, with the movement of many families out of the independent sector, back to being educated at the cost of the taxpayer in the state sector.' Mr Fenton is right. Labour's implausible claim is that, faced with a 20 per cent extra charge, no parents will withdraw children currently in independent schools, and that it will not even cause a decline in future applications. On that basis, the party boasts that it will raise an extra 1.7 billion a year, which it would use to fund the 'extra' 6,500 teachers in the state sector. (By the way, even this would pay for less than one-third of a teacher per school, given there are 25,000 state schools.) I have spoken to one headmaster who is budgeting for a 20 per cent drop in applications this is actually starting to happen and he says that other heads talk of an even steeper attrition rate. The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) produced a paper which demonstrated that if there were a 25 per cent decline, and equivalent 'migration' into the maintained sector, this would actually cost the Treasury 1.6 billion a year. Which means, given Labour's claims that all of its spending commitments will be 'fully funded', it would have to raise additional taxes elsewhere to fund the 'extra 6,500 teachers'. Overwhelmed The ASI also noted: 'In 2015, Greece applied 23 per cent VAT on independent school fees. Schools closed [and] the state sector was overwhelmed.' Bridget Phillipson, Labour's Shadow Education Secretary, makes it clear where she is coming from, describing the policy as part of 'ending tax advantages for the super-rich'. Yet it is not the 'super-rich' who will find an extra 20 per cent cost very hard to cover. Nor will the policy be much of a problem for schools such as Eton, and indeed Winchester, supported as they are by very large endowments. Despite the caricature presented by the likes of Phillipson, the grand old all-male boarding schools, such as Eton, are absolutely not typical of the independent sector. I am old enough to remember that when bidding for his party's leadership in 2020, Sir Keir said he would 'build on' Jeremy Corbyn 's legacy, and that 'we should treat the 2017 manifesto as a foundational document' (pictured: Sir Keir Starmer and Corbyn in 2019) The great majority of private schools are co-educational day schools, on average charging around 15,000 a year. And they need to be good because, as the head teacher of one such school told me: 'We are competing with free.' He fears that in order to keep his school solvent, in the wake of an exodus, he and others in his position would need to cut back on bursaries for families with gifted children who can't afford the fees. Those like Keir Starmer's parents, in other words. And what of the more than 100,000 children who attend special schools in the private sector but who do not, at the moment, receive state funding under the category of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)? Lord (Alistair) Lexden, the President of the Independent Schools Association, declared in the House of Lords last month: 'How on earth would the state sector cope with the large number of special needs students in independent schools who would be forced to leave them, with grave damage to their education, by Labour's education tax?' The Labour Party insists that its 20 per cent VAT charge will not affect pupils with special educational needs whose places at such independent establishments are state-funded via Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP). But of the 111,154 pupils at special schools in the private sector, just 7,646 are under the EHCP umbrella. Exodus I have a certain knowledge of these matters, as our younger daughter has Down's syndrome. She was educated in the state sector, in a secondary school which made a special effort to take on children with the condition, and was given extra subsidies via EHCP (funding speech therapy, for example). Yet the state sector is far from well-placed to do this on a much larger scale, as will be necessary if there is a significant 'migration' from private special schools whose parents, already financially on the edge, cannot absorb a sudden government tax charge of 20 per cent. Sue Peacock, a consultant in the field of special educational needs, told the i newspaper this month that 'most of the parents who I know are already struggling to meet the fees', and had only turned to the private sector often 'out of desperation' because their children had been unhappy, or worse, in mainstream schools. As Lord (Alistair) Lexden, the President of the Independent Schools Association, declared in the House of Lords last month: 'How on earth would the state sector cope with the large number of special needs students in independent schools who would be forced to leave them, with grave damage to their education, by Labour's education tax?' In Starmer's eyes, this 'legacy' from the man he caused to be expelled from the Labour Party has one very specific political purpose. It is designed to remind voters that Rishi Sunak was sent by his parents to Winchester College Bridget Phillipson, Labour's Shadow Education Secretary, makes it clear where she is coming from, describing the policy as part of 'ending tax advantages for the super-rich' Yes it is, or will be, an education tax. And there are many other ways in which Labour could fund '6,500 extra state school teachers' for example by marginal tweaks to capital gains tax if it wanted to avoid increasing the burden on what it always calls 'ordinary working people'. But, instead, Sir Keir has chosen a method designed to offer socialist red meat to Left-wing party members requiring appeasement following the expulsion of their beloved Jeremy Corbyn. What a sordid stratagem. My mate Simon has a glittering new career ahead of him, if he can only stay out of prison long enough to attend the job interview. In his old role as a thief, druggie and all-round social menace, Simon has been prosecuted for more than 80 criminal offences. He keeps getting arrested for being homeless though, as he points out, he can't really help it since the council refuses to give him anywhere to live. But Simon ticks almost all the boxes on the application form to be the chief executive of Camden People's Theatre in North London. It's offering 50,000 a year for the right person to be the new artistic director and joint CEO. Preference was to be given to candidates with little or no formal education, and those who 'identify' as being 'working class, benefit class, criminal class and/or underclass'. Applications were encouraged from members of the 'global majority', which was called 'BAME' until recently and refers to people from African, Asian and other ethnically diverse backgrounds, along with those with a Romany or Irish Traveller heritage. Simon will swear on his gran's grave that he's descended from a long line of Inuit fisherfolk if it improves his chances of landing that 50 grand. The Camden People's Theatre is offering between 45,000 and 50,000 for the role of artistic director and joint CEO The Camden People's Theatre in North London Preference was to be given to candidates with little or no formal education, and those who 'identify' as being 'working class, benefit class, criminal class and/or underclass' The ad also stipulated that anyone who is deaf, LGBTQ+ or 'neurodiverse' that is, autistic, dyslexic or those with other cognitive conditions would also be automatically guaranteed an interview. Like many offenders, Simon has a litany of mental health problems so that's another box ticked. I would love to see him turn up for the first day's rehearsals with a skinny soya milk latte in one hand and the Complete Shakespeare under his arm, ready to impose his vision on an interpretative dance restaging of King Lear. Simon, though, is likely to struggle to create a stage adaptation worthy of an Olivier award as he's functionally illiterate as are 50 per cent of the prisoner population. What else are the theatre trustees expecting to achieve by placing this ridiculous advert, which is not so much woke as wide-eyed and raving mad? Who do they think the 'criminal classes' are? Do they picture Reggie and Ronnie Kray in their tailored suits, breaking the fingers of patrons who fail to keep their phones on mute during the performance? That's like a Monty Python sketch. Arts Council England funnelled a quarter of a million quid of taxpayers' money into Camden People's Theatre during the pandemic. If the modern-day Krays get their hands on the finances, it's unlikely that subsidised tickets for the unemployed and immigrants will be their first priority. On Friday, the theatre belatedly removed the offensive and patronising language from the advert. But the damage had already been done. The obvious fact is that none of the luvvies has any idea what Britain's 'criminal class' looks like. I certainly didn't when, eight years ago, as an Oxbridge-educated filmmaker convicted of tax fraud, I was sentenced to five years in prison. Chris Atkins was sentenced to five years in prison for tax fraud in 2016 The front entrance of HMP Wandsworth Until then, my conception of career criminals came entirely from TV and the movies. One favourite was The Sopranos, a mafia epic set in the New Jersey underworld, starring actors such as Tony Sirico who played henchman Paulie Walnuts and was once a member of the Mob himself. I loved Guy Ritchie's gangster romp Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, which spawned an entire genre of copycats. Ritchie is still repeating the formula with his Netflix series The Gentlemen, and actors such as Danny Dyer and Jason Statham have made a lucrative living from playing lovable villains with a few rough edges quaffing red wine and quoting Keats. But when I found myself in HMP Wandsworth, there were no characters like Dyer or Statham. Most of my fellow prisoners were mentally ill drug addicts who could barely read and write. The education system had failed them, leaving them unable to negotiate the benefits labyrinth, let alone apply for work. Perhaps Camden People's Theatre is offering English literature classes to bring their new joint CEO up to speed. Or, more likely, there is no substance behind their empty virtue-signalling and their advert is nothing but a condescending joke. Real crime is not masterminding a diamond heist or hijacking a multi-million-pound transfer between Albanian drugs barons. That makes a great plot for a TV thriller but the reality is heroin addicts mugging people for their phones to pay for a fix, and alcoholics lashing out at police officers in the hope of spending a couple of nights in a warm cell instead of a shop doorway. I've spent the past eight years writing about repeat offenders for my book, Time After Time, and I know plenty of people who describe themselves without irony as 'criminals'. Ed is one, a drug dealer I met in HMP Spring Hill. He was serving ten years and eight months for drugs and firearms offences. 'The state sees me as a criminal, so that's what I am,' he told me. 'They've made sure I can't do anything else.' But I've never seen a census or a government form that offers an option to identify as 'criminal class' or 'benefits class'. It's indicative of how remote and high the ivory towers in Camden must be if they suppose anyone actually 'identifies' that way. Prison guard behind a locked gate at HMP Pentonville in Islington, north London Surely people on benefits will be deeply insulted, even mortified, to be lumped together with criminals. There's an implicit, almost Victorian assumption in the advert that the two are interchangeable, and that the same applies to working class and disabled people. One wonders if staff there have met anyone who withholds their pronouns, let alone an actual criminal. There's no doubt that the arts are run by people like me public school-educated, from middle-class families, articulate, well-connected and living in London. That's a narrow demographic and it makes for an unhealthy culture. The plays, ballets and operas we stage lack broad appeal and so audiences dwindle, and theatre becomes a minority hobby. The industry needs to encourage actors, writers and stagehands from every background, regardless of colour, gender or politics. That's the only way theatre can attract more talent. Box-ticking exercises do the opposite: they ensure that only the applicants who mirror all their smug Left-wing prejudices will be considered. Most jobs in theatre are precarious at best, unable to guarantee a steady income. So it's no surprise that most schemes to help convicted criminals turn their lives around do not focus on the arts. It's also a highly competitive field: successful actors and directors have often dreamed of doing nothing else since their schooldays and come from a life of wealth and privilege. Why should they lose out to an ex-criminal who has been shoehorned into a role he didn't particularly want and can't do very well? The great majority of prisoners, about 80 per cent, are released with no job to go to. That inevitably means they need money simply to survive and are more likely to reoffend. It's a vicious cycle. The surest way to prevent reoffending is to help people into real jobs, as companies including Pret A Manger, McDonald's and Iceland do. Last week I was in HMP Brixton to meet its employment board to discuss exactly those initiatives. Timpson, the High Street key-cutters, has been doing this with great success for many years. As a result, it has a loyal, hard-working, reliable pool of employees thanks to a policy that makes a real difference to society. The surest way to prevent reoffending is to help people into real jobs, as companies including Pret A Manger do James Timpson, CEO of Timpson Group Camden People's Theatre makes a mockery of genuine schemes. Its advert was selfish, self-deluding and shameful. I'd like to invite everyone on its board to join me on a series of prison visits not to perform Shakespeare, which wouldn't be widely welcomed, but to meet some of the inmates and listen to them. Perhaps then they will see how rude and patronising the arts can be. Time After Time: Repeat Offenders The Inside Stories by Chris Atkins is published by Atlantic Books. Sick of the election already? I don't mean bored to tears, increasingly grumpy and shouting at the TV before hurling the remote at the flatscreen. No, we're talking physically sick. Blinding headache, palpitations, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, hot and cold running night sweats, loss of libido. Heart-stopping, brain-numbing, bowel-loosening, hands-trembling, Get-Me-To-Dignitas panic stations. A week in, you could be suffering from some or all of these warning signals. I know I am. I thought it was simply the after-effects of my recent bout of the adult '100-day' whooping cough, which has been sweeping the country, and the industrial-strength antibiotics which eventually battered it into submission. Turns out, though, I could be a victim of acute electionitis. So, if any of you are similarly afflicted, before you reach for the razor blades or the jumbo Costco-sized bottle of Swedish triple-distilled falling-over fluid and a handful of sleeping tablets, you can take comfort in the fact that you're not alone. Elections should come with a Government health warning. Don't take my word for it. That's the conclusion of a study published in the journal Health Economics. Researchers have identified a range of illnesses which they say should be filed under 'election stress disorder' or 'election syndrome'. They found that demand for health services rose by 19 per cent during major election campaigns. Some victims had to be admitted to hospital. Symptoms included acute chest pains, respiratory infections, gastro-intestinal disorder and even physical injuries -presumably from people banging their heads against a brick wall in frustration. First-time voters were particularly affected, which may give Labour pause before rushing to introduce votes for 16-year-olds, already allegedly suffering from a serious Mental 'Elf epidemic. Stress was induced by the pressure of having to decide who to vote for and the anxiety of being bombarded with political adverts during the campaign. All this led to fatigue and weakened immunity and put voters at risk of picking up contagious diseases such as Covid at polling stations. Volunteers manning polling booths were more likely to die young because of the trauma involved in dealing with 'disorderly or confrontational' voters. (Not sure how they knew that unless they had a crystal ball or the volunteers were dropping like flies on the spot, but we'll take their word for it.) The 2023 study was based on the records of 900,000 people during four election cycles in Taiwan, who these days must be slightly more concerned about an impending Chinese invasion. During these elections there was a 30 per cent increase in hospital admissions for anxiety attacks and related disorders. Spending on respiratory infections rose more than 16 per cent. These findings could equally be applied to Britain, although with six million patients waiting for more than 7.5 million treatments on the NHS your chances of being rushed into hospital with a dose of electionitis range from pretty remote to less than zero. Perhaps instead of being forced to do National Service, young people could be press-ganged into helping the Army build some more Covid-style Nightingale Hospitals to cope with thousands of emergency admissions for election anxiety between now and July 4. Put me down for a bed at the ExCel Centre, in London's Docklands. I'm not sure I can cope with another five weeks of this self-indulgent, intelligence-insulting political gabfest, especially when there's no doubt about the eventual result. I heard someone complaining on TV the other night that the campaign was far too short this time around. The politicians wouldn't have enough time to get their messages across. Sorry, come again. If you can't convince voters in six weeks, you're in the wrong job. The first General Election I covered was Grocer Heath's 'Who Runs Britain?' gamble in 1974, which ended with a minority Labour government under Harold Wilson. That lasted three weeks from start to finish, the same length as the subsequent election campaign later that year which secured Wilson a majority. The seminal 1979 election, which saw Mrs Thatcher swept to power, only ran for a month. So did the 1987 election which gave Mrs T a third term and a 102-seat victory over Labour's Neil Kinnock. I spent the entire four weeks on Kinnock's campaign bus. Four weeks? It felt more like four years. And despite Kinnochio's grandiose self-delusion, the result was never in doubt. This time round, the Tories have already given up the ghost and are running for the exit in droves. Like it or not, we're in for a period of Labour government, so we might as well get on with it. What are the next five weeks of repetitive wall-to-wall political showboating supposed to achieve, apart from boring us all to death? If anyone wants me, I'll be in the acute electionitis wing for the duration. Wake me up for meals. The cost of a high street salad can be upwards of 15 in the UK's capital We're all being encouraged to be more health conscious, so it's no surprise that salad businesses are booming across the UK as Britons swap their lunchtime sandwiches for a lighter option. London's 'plant-focused grain bowls and salads' brand Atis, for example, revealed the opening of its sixth site next month, with a further four planned this year. Meanwhile, Farmer J secured a 5.5million investment in February, thanks to its ever popular salad trays. There's no doubt that the nation has an appetite for nourishing salad bowls, but the new lunchtime trend has a major setback - extortionate price tags. Unlike the relatively low cost of a sandwich, salad bowls can cost upwards of 10, which has led to outrage on social media, with customers complaining that while their salad might taste 'delightful', the prices are too expensive. Salads have become an increasingly popular lunch choice for UK workers, but how much are you willing to pay? Pret remains a lunchtime staple for workers looking for a quick yet healthy fix on their lunch hour. Their summertime menu introduced four new salad options, including a salmon and mango salad bowl, a chargrilled pepper and feta pasta salad, and a chicken satay salad bowl. But the good news is paired with bad. The cheapest new salad costs 8.30, while the most expensive - salmon and mango - is priced at 8.40. But the nationwide chain comes in relatively low on the price scale. One of London's trendy salad companies, Urban Greens, charges an eye-watering 14.35 for its 'Beef Saigon' salad bowl when ordering on Deliveroo. Elsewhere, the Salad Project is all the rage in the UK's capital, with the brand attracting half-an-hour long queues on a regular basis. Their success is reflected in the 4,000 salads they sell each day in London alone. 'These are indulgent salads,' James Dare, The Salad Project's co-founder, claimed in conversation with The Times. He added: 'Yes, they are more expensive than a salad you might buy from Pret. But they'll keep you full. You won't need to have a sandwich immediately after.' They might keep you full, but an opposite effect is to be expected for your bank account, should the Salad Project become a regular lunchtime stop off. Their vegan 'Super Green Bowl' with pearl barley, rocket, spinach, green beans, broccoli, croutons, edamame, tamari tofu, and avocado, will set customers back 14.95. Hungry customers can grab a 'Beef Saigon' salad (pictured) from Urban Greens for price of 14.35 And should one want a drink and a snack with their salad, the Salad Project offers a Deliveroo meal deal for 17. Elsewhere, Farmer J has proven to be an increasingly popular choice for workers wanting a healthy bite. Content creator Stephanie Jane Oakes, from London, remarked on TikTok, 'Do you even work in London if you haven't queued in Farmer J's ridiculously long queue,' before sharing her order. Stephanie opted for the 'Charred Grass-Fed Flank Steak' salad tray, which costs a staggering 15.75 on Deliveroo. Other options at the chain include a salmon 'Farmer's Catch' tray for 12.95 and a Harissa Chicken tray for 13.95. Farmer J's success in London led the chain to receive a 5.5 million investment in February, with the chain planning further expansion in the UK and overseas in the US, according to RestaurantOnline. Elsewhere, Atis' 'Azteca' house salad, filled with lettuce, baby corn, and black beans, costs 12 when ordering on Deliveroo, and that's without the protein. Should one want to add harissa chicken, it's an added 5.50, or an even higher 6.90 for salmon. Lauren Tanner shared her experience of visiting Atis' Old Street, London, branch, where she paid an 'irresponsible' amount of 16 for a salad. Lauren claimed it to be 'delightful', but the price tag led her to add: 'First and last time I order a salad.' Meanwhile, Whole Foods - a supermarket known to offer high-end items at an equally high-end price range - surprisingly comes at the lower end of the spectrum. While customers can build their own salad bowl at most chains for a varying price, pre-mixed ones are also available. For instance, their Mediterranean chicken salad costs 7.49. The cost of lunchtime salads have nonetheless led to outrage on social media with customers taking to X to share their disapproval. The price of salads has caused outrage on X, formerly Twitter, with users taking to social media to complain One said: 'Salad place next door to us in east London is doing a Caesar (no protein just bareback lettuce and a couple croutons) for 9.80 in east London.' A second added: 'The dude at the tills in Pret just now was like: "How can I help you, my friend" and then charged me 8.40 for a tiny box of salad. Friends don't do that to each other. They just don't.' 'God I love London. Where else in the world can you buy the most bland salad youve ever tasted for 18', a third wrote, A fourth questioned: 'Why are salads so expensive? Its just leaves, I can walk outside and find thousands of them. How can a salad justify costing 13' A young family has revealed how they save a fortune each year by using loyalty programs - as experts prove why using them properly is a 'no-brainer' during the cost-of-living crisis. Speaking to FEMAIL Alexandra and Zach Cain from Melbourne's western suburbs revealed they have been feeling the pinch despite earning a combined income of $190,000 per year. The couple, who have three children under eight at home full time, and two teenagers, 14 and, 17 from Zach's previous relationship, use loyalty programs to help manage their budget. At first glance the programs save them 'about $600-$700' a year - but once the rewards are calculated on a 'per-shop' basis the family actually end up saving thousands of dollars and hours of time. 'We use Flybuys because we shop at Coles and OnePass because it gives us unlimited delivery from all the shops we like for $4-per-month,' they said, adding most of their shopping can be done from home. Alexandra and Zach Cain from Melbourne have revealed how they save money using loyalty programs and other budgeting strategies like cooking in bulk Australia's leading independent customer loyalty specialist Adam Posner told FEMAIL there's been a trend towards Australians using the programs as the cost of living crisis continues. He says the trick to maximising savings is to 'stop shopping around'. Alexandra, 39, and Zach, 38, are the perfect example of how to use the programs to save not spend. 'We really have to plan ahead, buy in bulk and have a plan because it can be a struggle sometimes,' Zach said. He has learned how to budget under the watchful eye of Alexandra who 'did it long before she had kids'. Zach is naturally a spender so trips to the shop are often much more expensive than they need to be. By shopping online he can't make impulse decisions. 'With five kids a quick trip to the shops to get a few things turns into hours, and way more expensive then they need to be because they all want something. Then by the time your finishing up they are hungry, so you need to buy food,' he said. Alexandra is much more savvy than her husband, she has always been good at saving, and said she would prefer to go on a holiday than to blow the budget on everyday items. Expert reveals the top ten Australian loyalty programs Adam Posner says using loyalty programs is a no-brainer for savings 1 - Flybuys 2 - Woolworths: Everyday Rewards 3 - OnePass 4 - Amazon Prime 5 - American Express Membership Rewards 6 - Medibank Live Better Rewards 7 - ANZ Rewards 8 - Petstock Rewards 9 - eBay Plus 10 - Uber One Source: For Love or Money Advertisement She explained they use OnePass which gives them free shipping on anything from Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Catch and Officeworks (to name a few), and Flybuys, the Coles loyalty program. 'We get most of the kids clothes from Target, buy everyday items and snacks in bulk from Catch and often pick things up from Kmart or Office works as we need them,' she said. A recent Catch haul set them back $313 - and was delivered free as part of their OnePass membership. Buying the same or similar items would have cost them $544 at Woolworths, and they would have received 60 fewer dishwashing tablets. The family use Flybuys which is Coles' free program and paid service OnePass which allows them to get unlimited shipping from retailers like Kmart, Target, Priceline and Catch for $4 per month 'We also do shopping for things like Christmas and birthdays on there,' Zach said. The family get a delivery a week in quiet periods but can have 'many more' before birthdays or in busy school periods. 'Average delivery would be $8-10 a pop but we pay $4 a month. It is super handy because we can just get one thing delivered without having to think about what else we need to save on shipping. And it stops us from spending more money to get free shipping,' Alexandra said. The couple cook in bulk and plan ahead as much as possible to make the most of their savings. They admit their garage is more of a stock cage for their bulk goods. 'We went through Maccas recently and it cost over $120 and it was disappointing,' Zach said. This dash through the drive-thru hit home for the budget savvy couple who typically cook cheaper meals like spaghetti Bolognese in bulk for their family. The family usually shop at Coles earning Flybuys each time, they then try to fuel up at Shell service stations to maximise their points. 'We usually save all of the rewards for Christmas time - then we use it for the catering. It is usually about $300 worth of vouchers which is great at that time,' they said. Mr Posner explained how he, as an expert, uses loyalty programs for maximum benefit. Zach is the natural spender in the couple - while Alexandra would prefer to save money on the basics to 'go on a holiday' The couple use Catch - which is part of their unlimited $4 delivery - for things like school snacks and cleaning supplies which they buy in bulk a couple of times each year saving hundreds each time 'Personally, I choose loyalty programs that are based on our shopping behaviour where there will be maximum benefit both financially and an easy experience. For me, Amazon Prime provides a simple one-click order experience, quick free delivery and hours and hours of movie streaming,' he said. 'Based on the volume of orders we do and shows we watch, the value is a no-brainer.' In his For Love or Money consumer research study Mr Posner found more Australians are leaning on loyalty programs as the cost of living crisis continues. Flybuys came up on top in Mr Posner's loyalty program experience study followed closely by Woolworths: Everyday Rewards and OnePass. Amazon Prime and American Express Membership Rewards completed the top five. 'Consumers should look for the brands they really prefer shopping at to maximise their opportunities to save at that brand through their loyalty program, if they have one,' the expert said. 'For example OnePass provides their members, for a small monthly subscription, free delivery from some of Australia's most popular retailers such as Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks, Target and Priceline.' The couple use Catch - which is part of their unlimited $4 delivery - for things like school snacks and cleaning supplies which they buy in bulk a couple of times each year saving hundreds each time Mr Posner says there's no 'maximum' amount of loyalty programs people should have - people should simply build them around how they already spend. The Cain family said they put their savings toward making memories with their children. They have also been known to sign up for fruit and vegetable subscriptions though admit they only work if you are flexible with what you want. They've also gone three-ways in a cow from their butcher - splitting the cuts and costs with family members and popping it in the chest freezer. Alexandra is also sure to keep an eye on the spending and makes sure they are only bulk buying necessities. 'Its usually the school snacks, toiletries and cleaning products. Things we always uses,' she said. One in five Australians have taken second jobs to keep their heads above water during the cost of living crisis. A young mother has revealed she and her partner decided to ditch living in Australia and return to New Zealand because Kiwis value the work-life balance much more. Cassidy Skelton, 28, moved into an apartment in Melbourne's CBD in December with her one-week-old son, affectionately known by his online persona Nugget, and partner Nicolas, 32, so he could start a new job. Ms Skelton told Daily Mail Australia that while the city was big and beautiful, it lacked the 'fun culture' they were seeking, not to mention they were spending very little time together as a family. Nicolas's Melbourne job offered a pay package worth a whopping $120,000 more than what he was earning in New Zealand and provided an ideal oppourtunity for Ms Skelton to raise their child without working. But despite the windfall, the couple's 'honeymoon period' as new Melburnians wore off after about six months. The young parents realised separately they weren't enjoying life in the concrete jungle - but were hiding it from each other. 'We both realised we just weren't excited about our future in Melbourne,' Ms Skelton said. 'We realised we would be happy to go back to less money if it meant we could spend more time together.' Kiwi mother, Cassidy Skelton (pictured), has revealed why she and her young family decided to ditch life in Melbourne and return to New Zealand Ms Skelton said both she and Nicholas loved the country on prior trips and had their foreseeable future all mapped out. 'Our plan was to move out to the suburbs; buy a car, furniture, set up a life and we both just kept putting it off,' she said. 'I thought Nic was feeling happy and fulfilled by his new job and Nic thought I was happy with the financial freedom of not needing to go back to work but when we talked about it we realised we weren't happy. 'All we wanted was to work from home so we could share every moment of our son.' They both 'felt like little kids' after arriving in Melbourne, enticed by the broad culinary options and better access to cheaper groceries and health care. The first six months of Nugget's life and their time in the city shot by however, and the ugly parts of Aussie culture started to become more apparent. 'I didn't realise how much I took Kiwi culture for granted until we moved,' she said. 'I also felt like staff were always grumpy and treated poorly, I witnessed multiple men speak so badly to their staff. 'My cousin worked temporarily at a bagel shop and her boss said to her on the first day 'if you don't fit with my vision you need to get the f*** out'.' Ms Skelton and her partner, Nicolas (both pictured), jumped at the opportunity to move to Melbourne after he was offered a new job with a huge salary They were initially happy after starting their life across the ditch with a one-week-old baby in tow, but it all started to fall apart about six months later The couple were also shocked by the lack of mate-ship in Australia after Nicolas was attacked by a drunk man in the middle of the city. 'Like, it's 6pm in Melbourne CBD with hundreds of people walking past and this dude just attacks him out of no where and not a single person stopped or saw if Nic was okay,' Ms Skelton said. 'This was wild to Nic cause he was raised in a little town in NZ and he would never just walk by something like that so it was this real feeling of being like this is not our forever home.' To make matters worse, Nicolas' full bonus structure they had uprooted their lives for 'wasn't honoured' because his employer later said it wasn't in his contract. There were some positives to their time in Melbourne however, that Ms Skelton said 'really helped us grow as a couple and a family'. Separated from their families by the Tasman Sea, they would spend more time together on weekends and would splurge on items thanks to the larger salary. 'We really leaned into the city living ... we tried to embrace and enjoy the differences of living in Australia,' Ms Skelton said. The family's poor experience in Australia also helped them weigh up what they cherished in life and chase financial independence on their own terms 'I think the main reason we moved home was to just start living the life we wanted and stop talking about it,' the young mum said. 'We decided to bet on ourselves and start our marketing agency we'd been talking about for so long.' Ms Skelton said they were put off by the lack of culture compared to New Zealand and quickly became homesick while separated from their families Their poor experience with employers and Aussie culture did however spur the young couple into starting their own marketing agency Having returned to New Zealand, the young family are now enjoying a road trip and have to 'keep pinching ourselves' in disbelief of how much better their lives are She noted the couple may have been able to juggle living in Melbourne while starting Nugget Creative but added they wouldn't have enjoyed it. 'We needed our support system to ensure this journey into business ownership was enjoyable. It's also so motivating living in a beautiful place surrounded by your family,' Ms Skelton said. The happy family have since returned to New Zealand and enjoying a road trip to become reacquainted with their home country. 'We start each day with a walk on the beach then take turns having our son while the other works and finish up around 3pm for another walk on the beach or dinner at a family member's,' the mum said. 'We just keep pinching ourselves that this is our life now.' She added that returning to New Zealand instilled them with a 'new found faith' and are now motivated to run their agency with their 'baby boy being at the sweetest age, we don't want to miss a second'. A photo of Jose Joe Campos Torres sits on the hood of his sisters car Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Houston. He was a Mexican American veteran. In 1977, he was beaten by Houston police officers and dumped in Buffalo Bayou. He was found dead three days later. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Janie Torres, sister of Jose Joe Campos Torres, cries as she talks about the death of her brother Saturday, May 11, 2024, on a bridge over Buffalo Bayou in Houston. Campos Torres was a Mexican American veteran. In 1977, he was beaten by Houston police officers and dumped in Buffalo Bayou. He was found dead three days later. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Janie Torres, sister of Jose Joe Campos Torres, cries as she talks about the death of her brother Saturday, May 11, 2024, on a bridge over Buffalo Bayou in Houston. Campos Torres was a Mexican American veteran. In 1977, he was beaten by Houston police officers and dumped in Buffalo Bayou. He was found dead three days later near the bridge. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Janie Torres, sister of Jose Joe Campos Torres, prepares for a memorial ride for her late brother Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Houston. Campos Torres was a Mexican American veteran. In 1977, he was beaten by Houston police officers and dumped in Buffalo Bayou. He was found dead three days later. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Janie Torres, sister of Jose Joe Campos Torres, talks with kayak guide David Urias about the death of her brother Saturday, May 11, 2024, on a bridge over Buffalo Bayou in Houston. Campos Torres was a Mexican American veteran. In 1977, he was beaten by Houston police officers and dumped in Buffalo Bayou. He was found dead three days later near the bridge. Urias said he talks about the killing on his tours. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Janie Torres, center, sister of Jose Joe Campos Torres, gets a hug from David Smith, left, and his wife Rona Smith before a memorial ride for Campos Torres on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Houston. Campos Torres was a Mexican American veteran. In 1977, he was beaten by Houston police officers and dumped in Buffalo Bayou. He was found dead three days later. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer For the past nine years, the family of Jose Joe Campos Torres, a Mexican American veteran who was beaten by Houston Police Department officers and left to die in a downtown bayou in May 1977, has painstakingly retraced his last night step by step on the anniversary of his death. His sister and other relatives have organized an annual commemoration, officially called the Joe Campos Torres Solidarity Walk for Past and Future Generations, since 2016 to honor Torres and share how police brutality can harm communities and families. This years occasion began in the East End with Torres relatives following the trail of events that led to the veterans fatal beating more than 45 years ago. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Who was Joe Campos Torres? Born in Houston in 1953, Torres was a 23-year-old veteran from the East End who had served two years in the U.S. Army before returning to his hometown in 1976. He had served in Vietnam while in the military but struggled to find a steady job as a civilian upon his return to Houston. He had planned to earn his GED and get his drivers license to begin working, and he dreamed of opening a karate studio in his neighborhood after being brought up in poverty. The young man was one of seven siblings born to Margarita Torres and Joe Luna Torres. Advertisement Article continues below this ad How did he die? On the night of May 5, 1977, less than a year after being discharged from the Army, Torres was arrested for disorderly conduct at an East End bar and was taken by HPD officers to a spot along Buffalo Bayou east of downtown known as the Hole. There, several white officers beat Torres so severely that an official declined to book him when he was eventually brought to the city jail later that night. The jailer urged the officers to take Torres to the hospital for treatment, but they instead uncuffed him at the Hole and threw the 23-year-old into the water. Torres body was found in the bayou days later. The medical examiner ruled Torres death a homicide after finding bruises and said he died from drowning. REMEMBERING JOE CAMPOS TORRES: Family of Joe Campos Torres shunned HPD for years. Now they offer sensitivity training to cadets Advertisement Article continues below this ad What happened to the officers? Carless Elliott, Jerome Skolnick and Stephen Orlando were later identified as the police officers who arrested Torres. They were joined that night by fellow officers Terry Wayne Denson, Joseph Janish, Louis Kinney and Glenn Brinkmeyer at the spot where Torres was killed. Elliott, a rookie cop and the son of a former police officer, later spoke up about Torres fatal encounter with HPD, eventually leading to the firing of those involved in the beating. Janish, Kinney and Brinkmeyer were charged with misdemeanors in Torres death. Denson and Orlando were charged with murder but were later found guilty by an all-white jury of negligent homicide, also a misdemeanor. Orlando and Denson were sentenced to probation and fined $1. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The U.S. Department of Justice later accused Denson, Orlando and Janish of violating Torres civil rights, and the three were sentenced to a year and a day in prison after being found guilty in a January 1978 federal trial. The outcomes sparked an uproar and protests in Houstons Mexican American community. What has happened since then? After being discovered dead in Buffalo Bayou, Torres was buried with full military honors at Houston National Cemetery in a service that included nearly 300 attendees. Tensions between Houstons Mexican American communities and police remained high in the aftermath. But they turned violent in May 1978 when residents celebrated Cinco de Mayo and protested against police brutality at Moody Park in the Near Northside. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Although how the Moody Park Riot began remains unclear, demonstrators, inflamed by the trial results and lenient sentences handed down to Torres killers, clashed with police officers who showed up in riot gear to quell the protests. Dozens were arrested after the skirmish escalated, and the unrest led to $500,000 in property damage that came in the form of burned buildings, destroyed cars and looted stores. More from Jhair Romero: Recent storms highlight flood risk in Houston-area development Colony Ridge Recent years have brought renewed attention to Torres death, especially after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in 2020. In 2021, then-Police Chief Troy Finner publicly apologized to Torres relatives and called the veterans killing a straight-up murder. Then-Mayor Sylvester Turner also apologized to the Torres family in private. My Lady Jane, a radical retelling of royal history, is out on June 27 on Prime Video With its promise of fight scenes, seduction and secret romances, My Lady Jane is set to rival the raunchiest regency show of the year so far, Bridgerton. Set in an alt-fantasy Tudor world, Prime Video's new historical series, available from June 27, is a radical retelling of English royal history, which completely reimagines the life of Tudor queen Lady Jane Grey. Edward, the sickly first son of Henry VIII, does not succumb to tuberculosis while Henry's niece, Lady Jane Grey, notoriously remembered as the 'nine-day queen', is not beheaded at 17 to make way for Mary I. And, where Bridgerton boasts spicy scenes between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington - played by gorgeous Luke Newton and stunning Nicola Coughlan - My Lady Jane appears to be a worthy competitor in the saucy stakes. From Lady Jane Grey (newcomer Emily Bader) and Guildford Dudley (Sex Education's Edward Bluemel) erotically-charged dagger fights to shirtless shower scenes and stolen kisses, viewers looking for their next royal romp will not be disappointed. Lady Jane Grey and Guildford Dudley (both pictured) get caught up in steamy fight scenes Jordan Peters plays King Edward (left), Abbie Hern and Kate O'Flynn play Princess Mary (second from left) and Princess Bess (right) while Dominic Cooper plays Lord Seymour My Lady Jane, with Dominic Cooper (centre) and Roby Brydon (right), starts on June 27 Fast-paced and quick-witted, the show is billed as 'an epic tale', where the irrepressible Jane ultimately triumphs over her detractors to 'save herself, her true love, and then the Kingdom.' While, as the trailer says, 'history remembers Jane as the ultimate damsel in distress known for her death rather than her life', the new series paints a very different picture of the royal as a 'hero', 'rebel' and 'warrior'. Laser-focused on achieving independence - something few Tudor women could aspire to - Jane takes on those holding her back, including her evil parents who chortle as they tell her 'nobody cares what you want'. My Lady Jane is inspired by the New York Times bestselling book by US author Cynthia Hand. Speaking to Publishers Weekly, Hand said: 'I wanted to write a novel about Lady Jane Grey, who was a strong-willed, bookish teenage girl in 16th-century England. 'She had the misfortune to become Queen, but only for nine days and then had her head chopped off. 'I always loved studying Jane Grey's story in history except for the ending. So, I thought,"Hey, I'm a writer. I can give her a different ending".' Emily Bader plays Lady Jane Grey in the new series. Whilst the real-life Jane was beheaded at 17, the Jane of the new series fights to save herself and the Kingdom My Lady Jane, set in an alt-fantasy Tudor world, is a radical retelling of English royal history which completely reimagines the life of Tudor queen Lady Jane Grey Rob Brydon (left) plays Lady Jane's lover Guildford's father while Henry Ashton (right) plays Guildford's brother L-R: Newcomer Emily Bader as Lady Jane Grey, Robyn Betteridge as Margaret Grey, Isabella Brownson as Katherine Grey and Anna Chancellor as Frances Grey The dashing Guilford Dudley (Sex Education's Edward Bluemel) is Lady Jane Grey's love interest King Edward is played by Jordan Peters (pictured), best known for his roles in Pirates and Everything I Know About Love Who was Lady Jane Grey? The nine-day queen who was imprisoned in the Tower of London and sentenced to death as a teenager for treason Often described as one of the most tragic figures in Tudor history, Lady Jane Grey was a grandniece of Henry VIII and first cousin once removed of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. She was the eldest daughter of Henry Grey and his wife, Lady Frances Brandon. Through her mother, she was also the great-granddaughter of Henry VII. Lady Jane had two younger sisters, Lady Catherine and Lady Mary. When the 15-year-old king Edward lay dying he nominated Jane as successor to the Crown in his will, ahead of his half-sister Mary. But Lady Jane had the shortest reign in England's history, from July 10 until July 19, 1553, when the Privy Council then proclaimed Mary as Queen. Jane was then imprisoned in the Tower of London. She and her husband Lord Guildford Dudley were both charged with high treason, found guilty and sentenced to death, though their lives were initially spared. She was still a teenager at the time of her death on February 12, 1554, and was posthumously viewed as a protestant martyr. Her father, the Duke of Suffolk - the son and heir of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset - was also found guilty of treason and executed days after his daughter was beheaded. Advertisement The star-studded cast includes Jordan Peters (Pirates; Everything I Know About Love) as King Edward and Dominic Cooper (Preacher) as Lord Seymour. Jane's mother, Lady Frances Grey is played by Anna Chancellor (Pennyworth) and Guildford's father is played by Rob Brydon (The Trip). Jim Broadbent (The Duke) plays the Duke of Leicester, Jane's uncle. Henry Ashton (Creation Stories) is Guildford's brother, Stan, and Isabella Brownson (Napoleon) and Robyn Betteridge (Wheel of Time) are Jane's sisters. Kate O'Flynn (Landscapers) and Abbie Hern (Enola Holmes 2) portray the King's sisters Princess Mary and Princess Bess respectively. The highly-anticipated show has already become a talking point online, with fans taking to X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit to share their excitement for the upcoming series. One Reddit user seemed to have Bridgerton in mind when they enthused: 'Another true costume series that's actually a raunchy sex comedy. I am so here for it.' The highly-anticipated My Lady Jane has already become a talking point online, with fans taking to X (formerly Twitter ) and Reddit to share their excitement for the upcoming series Within its first four days, Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 reportedly scored 165.20 million viewing hours, equating to 45.10 million views Netflix described the views from the opening four days as 'only the beginning' and teased more raunchy 'carriage-style' scenes to come Someone else commented on X: 'Oh enemies to lovers you will always be loved by me'. A third person said: 'Just saw a pic of a new series that will be coming to Prime at the end of June and I'm SEATED'. A fourth, who had clearly enjoyed the book, wrote: 'I saw the 'My Lady Jane' trailer last night and absolutely lost my mind over it.' And, a fifth joked that the show was not going to be suitable for the target age bracket. According to What's On Netflix, the latest episodes of Bridgerton pulled in a shocking 45.1M views within just four days of going global on Netflix. Within its first four days, Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 reportedly scored 165.20 million viewing hours, equating to 45.10 million views. With part 2 coming out on June 13, Netflix described the views from the opening four days as 'only the beginning' and teased more to come. Designer earplugs are becoming the unlikely hottest accessory for summer as Gen Z are forking out as much as 60 on a pair to protect their hearing at gigs and festivals. While for years, earplugs have been made of foam, come in an unflattering colours, and are sold in packs of 100 for around 5, sleeker silicone models have taken social media by storm as music fans vow to prioritise hearing wellness and say they help everyday life. TikTok and Instagram is filled with people showing off their Loop Earplugs - which could be mistaken for jewellery - with some people revealing they have multiple pairs. While for years they were primarily worn by partners of snorers, sound technicians, and roadies, sleek silicone mode, people are now wearing them to gigs, raves and festivals - with people sharing they have multiple pairs for different activities. Others on TikTok, who describe themselves as 'neurospicy' - meaning they may live with ADHD or Autism - say it helps with the anxiety of everyday noise. Designer earplugs are becoming the unlikely hottest accessory for summer as Gen Z are forking out as much as 60 on a pair to protect their hearing at gigs and festivals TikTok and Instagram is filled with people showing off their Loop Earplugs - which could be mistaken for jewellery - with some people revealing they have multiple pair People have shared examples of having multiple pairs of the earplugs Loop - which is the market leader in upscaled headphones - has four models ranging from 19.95 to 54.95. The Quiet (19.95) - best for sleeping - the Engage (29.95) - best for conversations, social gatherings, parenting and noise sensitivities. There's also the Experience 2 (29.95) - best for concerts and festivals and the Switch - which is '3 in 1' and controlled by a switch which allows customers to change between engage, experience and quiet modes. The main difference in each earbud is how much noise they block out. The quiet model reduces sound by 24 decibels signal noise ratio, this effectively means in an environment that's 100 decibels, you will only hear 86 decibels. The average noise volume at a concert or festival is around 100 decibels, while a normal conversation is around 55 decibels. Sounds above 70 decibels will damage hearing if listened to for a sustained period over time, according to the Heading Health Foundation. The Loop engage product is said to 'filter out background noise' by blocking up to 16dB, while allowing wearers to still hear others speak. The experience plus is said to filter noise by 17dB, meaning you can hear music at gigs but it filters out some of the crowd noise. They block much less than typical foam earplugs, which filter around 37dB, however many have complained this can make you feel like you're underwater and muffle the sound of a live concert. With Loops, each pair comes in an Airpod-style, sleek case, with different sizes to allow customers to change the ear tip to find the perfect fit. Some users are even forking out an extra 20 on a 'Loop link' - a lanyard that helps keep them from getting lost. Others have shared they have multiple pairs in different colours, with Loop even collaborating with Tomorrowland festival to offer special edition colours for festivalgoers. Loop - who is the market leader in upscaled headphones - has four models. Two of which are the Quiet - best for sleeping - and the Engage - best for conversations, social gatherings, parenting and noise sensitivities People have shown off their earplugs - with many saying they are an accessory like jewellery Others have listed Loops as an 'Eras Tour essential' leading to thousands of Taylor Swift fans buying them ahead of attending her record breaking $1billion World Tour Can you get hearing loss on a night out? According to Loop two in three people who regularly go clubbing have experienced hearing loss. Hearing can be damaged when exposed to sounds of 100 decibels - around what the average concert is - for just 15 minutes without protection. Festivals are usually around 97 decibels meaning it could take just 30 minutes before you sustain hearing damage. Nightclubs are even louder, at 100 decibels and rock concerts are the loudest at 104 decibels. The WHO has recently reported that 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. Long-term or repeated exposure to these sound levels can cause permanent hearing damage, and even hearing loss. Public transport and everyday environments can also be very loud, with the London Tube often reaching 100 decibels. Advertisement One rival brand to Loop is Eargasm, whose earplugs cost 63.45 a pair, and has similar marketing. Its products offer around 21dB of noise reduction. There's also Set NZ, whose offering is 17.00 a pair and come in a sleek metal case among the dozens of other brands. The move towards ear health comes as The World Health Organisation warned that a billion people under the age of 36 are at risk of losing their hearing to live music and other activities. The move towards the so-called 'experience economy' after the pandemic is also partially to thank for the rise in earplug businesses. Loop Earplugs co-founder Maarten Bodewes said the success is certainly down to this. One fan shared a snap of herself wearing Loops while watching racecar driving Others have shared themselves wearing earplugs while in nighclubs and at fesivals Loop say they are the 'holy grail' for festivals Pictured: How loud different objects are 'Think about it: When you ask older people what matters most in life, it's always the moments they've shared and the bonds they've formed that light up their memories, not the things they've bought,' he told Entrepeneur magazine. Bodewes and his co-founder Dimitri O, who have been friends since childhood, founded the company after both suffering from tinnitus after a lifetime of going to see live music. They said they tried 'every earplug on the market' and couldn't find any that could deliver 'protection, comfort and style'. The gamble clearly paid off. The business brought in $100million in sales in 2023 and was named number 18 on Fast Company's list of the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. Others have listed Loops as an 'Eras Tour essential' leading to thousands of Taylor Swift fans buying them up ahead of attending her record breaking $1billion world tour. Women's Health named them 'Eras Tour essentials' while hundreds of reviews say they were able to 'still enjoy the concert' without damaging their ears. One TikToker called KC Davis, a podcaster from the US, said she wears them 'around her children' - while others say they wear them to sleep. Another US mother, Shannon Noelle, said she wears them while driving which helps protect her ears when her children scream. Another, called Zoe, from Singapore, says she wears them out to cafes because noise is 'overwhelming' and recommended buying pairs for gigs. Over the past few years working shifts in A&E dealing with patients with mental health problems, I've been struck by the growing number who have come in under the influence of the illegal 'rave drug' ketamine. From something I hardly ever saw when I first started working as a doctor, it has become, in the past decade or so, a regular occurrence. I was working last weekend and saw three patients in one single night shift. All of them were students and all of them had been brought in after they took too much ketamine and became unresponsive in effect, passed out. It's shocking how quickly it has become the drug of choice among young people, yet most of the older generation know very little about it. Indeed, the latest figures, put out last week, show ketamine use among 16 to 24-year-olds was at record levels last year, with almost one in 25 in this group in England having taken it. This is a jump of a fifth on 2020's figure, and also stands four times higher than the levels of a decade ago. Ketamine also called 'ket' or 'special K' on the streets is sometimes referred to as a horse tranquilliser, and when taken in small doses is supposed to induce a sense of euphoria in the user and a light, relaxed sensation. Ketamine is sometimes referred to as a horse tranquilliser and when taken in small doses is supposed to induce a sense of euphoria in the user and a light, relaxed sensation It was first used as an anaesthetic during the Vietnam War, but it's only been used recreationally since the 1980s. Back then, it was a niche, underground drug mainly used by hardcore clubbers, and thus it remained for decades. When I was at university 25 years ago, I didn't ever hear of anyone taking it. Now everyone seems to be. The problem, of course, is that it comes with serious risks. I often see patients in what's colloquially called a 'k-hole', when the drug has the effect of detaching them from reality. They feel trapped inside their body, aware but unable to move or communicate. They dissociate and can hallucinate. It can be a terrifying experience, grossly distorting their sense of time, so hours can pass and yet feel like minutes. This doesn't happen to all users, of course, although judging from the numbers I have seen in k-holes in A&E, it clearly happens with startling regularity. Ketamine has been implicated in the deaths of 41 people since 1991, with seven alone in 2021. Many are students who have taken too much, or mixed it with other drugs, or fallen to their deaths while under its influence. However, when I speak to younger people about it, despite its potentially lethal effects, they don't consider it a serious drug. I think that's at least in part because it is still categorised as a Class B drug, which gives a false impression of harmlessness. Even when people are with friends who have fallen into a khole, they often shrug it off, saying they'll come out of it soon and failing to realise they are comatose and could easily die. Ketamine can also have a profound and long-term effect on memory and thinking. It's shocking how quickly ketamine has become the drug of choice among young people, yet most of the older generation know very little about it, writes Dr Max It is associated with dreadful bladder problems, too. It can cause open, weeping wounds inside your bladder and urinary tract and make it shrink in size. This can be so bad the bladder has to be removed entirely. The pain from these symptoms can lead some to use more and more ketamine to numb it, creating a devastating downward spiral. Why has it become so popular? Price, no doubt, plays a large role. At 20 a gram, and with 100 mg enough to send someone into a k-hole, you can see how cheap it is. I wonder whether it's potential use as an antidepressant, when prescribed properly, is generating interest, too. Its use for depression is still quite experimental and not mainstream at all, but it helps give it an air of legitimacy, especially among the younger generation who are so obsessed with mental health but fail to realise that getting it prescribed in a clinical setting is a world away from snorting it in a club toilet. Campaigners are pushing for it to be made a Class A drug in the hope this will clarify how dangerous it is. But in the meantime, what do you do if you find someone who has taken ketamine? If they are distressed or acting erratically, then move them to a quiet place and get them to sit and sip water while you reassure them. Talk to them about where they are and try to 'ground them' in reality by describing their surroundings. If they remain very distressed or are hallucinating they may need to go to hospital to be assessed. Never make them vomit as they can choke. If someone isn't moving or able to communicate, they can probably still understand you, so offer lots of reassurance and move them somewhere safe if you can. If the person has stomach cramps, trouble passing urine or blood in their urine, they need to go to hospital immediately. This is also the case if their breathing becomes shallow or less frequent, or they have chest pain. If they appear to be fluctuating in and out of consciousness or are unconscious, call an ambulance. Put them in the recovery position to keep their airway open. Stay with them and do not leave them with friends (who might also have taken drugs). Have a very low threshold for calling an ambulance and don't be put off by others saying this has happened before and that they haven't taken very much; neither you, nor they, know exactly what their friend has taken, how much or what it was cut with. If they have a seizure, move them somewhere safe. Do not put them in the recovery position while they are fitting, but put an item of clothing under their head to act as a cushion. And call an ambulance. Newly trained dentists are to be forced to work in the NHS under new government proposals to tackle the dentist crisis. At present it costs the tax payer 200,000 to train each dentist, but when they graduate they are under no obligation to work for the health service and can work privately immediately. This does seem incredibly sensible and one wonders why it has taken so long. I think the same should apply to doctors. More and more are leaving the NHS and I think we should shake up the way that we fund dentists' and doctors' training. I think that it is only reasonable for the tax payer to expect that, in return for subsiding their training, doctors and dentists are required to work for the NHS for a minimum period say, 7 years. Of course, they are at liberty to leave at any point they want, but then theyd be required to repay a proportion of their training. This would not only help to manage workforce issues, but also seems a fair return on the tax payer money that has been invested in them. Gio's mental health will be suffering Giovanni Pernice has promised to co-operate fully with the BBC investigation into his conduct on Strictly, and thereby clear his name. But what has he done exactly? We know Sherlock star Amanda Abbington has claimed he stamped on her foot, and that he's alleged to have reduced others to tears. Beyond that, we don't know. While he is being investigated, his career is in the balance and he may lose his livelihood. Giovanni Pernice has promised to co-operate fully with the BBC investigation into his conduct on Strictly Come Dancing With accusations of this nature, there's a tendency to assume there's no smoke without fire. Of course, I have no idea if they are true or not, but I know everyone's mental health suffers when caught up in a horrible situation like this. It's easy to see people in the public eye as fair game; we love to pass judgment and gossip, but it's important to remember that behind the showbiz glamour are real people with real feelings. Diagnoses of type 2 diabetes before middle age have risen by 40 per cent. The tragedy is people still don't understand the severity of this disease. The prognosis for those with type 2 is actually much worse than those with HIV, a condition which still strikes fear into people's hearts. Overall, those with diabetes die 12 years sooner than those without. People also think it can be easily fixed with tablets. But this is wrong, too. The public needs to be educated about the reality of diabetes. We don't want to scare people unduly, but this complacency has to end. Dr Max prescribes... Matcha Tea Yes, I know it's not as nice as a cup of PG Tips, but this drink, loved by celebrities from actor Zendaya to Kourtney Kardashian and Bella Hadid, contains a compound called L-theanine, which has been shown to help with period cramps as well as fight gum disease. A small study has also shown it boosts memory, attention and reaction time. There is something endearing about Leah Washington's quiet defiance. At first, she thought she would choose a wedding dress that disguised her prosthetic leg. 'I wanted to cover it up and look normal,' is how she phrases it. 'Then I tried The Dress on and thought, 'I don't care!' Everyone at the wedding knows I'm an amputee so why hide it? 'You could see the outline of my prosthetic leg and a slight ruck at the side. And then I wore a white mini dress for the evening. I wanted to be able to dance and say, 'This is me!' It was a beautiful cream confection: a corset top studded with seed pearls and a figure-hugging skirt. 'It also had an A-line overskirt so if I'd wanted to cover up my leg I could have. But why would I do that?' she asks. On Saturday Leah, 26 and Joe Pugh, 27, her boyfriend of nine years, were married at a glorious country house hotel in Yorkshire, with Leah joking to Joe days before the ceremony: 'If you don't cry when you see me walk up the aisle I'll turn back.' On Saturday, Leah Washington, 26, and Joe Pugh, 27, her boyfriend of nine years, were married at a glorious country hotel in Yorkshire. Here they share their first kiss. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Leah and Joe were teenagers and were just getting to know each other when they were injured in a catastrophic rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers in 2015. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Leah lost her right leg when their carriage on The Smiler ride smashed into an empty one in front. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Their wedding day was a blur of happiness that was also punctuated by tears of joy. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Leah joked to Joe days before the ceremony that if he didn't cry when he saw her walking up the aisle she would 'turn back'. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings The two of them fall quickly into easy banter but early experience of shared trauma has given them a maturity few their age possess. They were teenagers, just getting to know each other when they were injured in a catastrophic rollercoaster crash at Staffordshire theme park Alton Towers. It was their first big day out together, on June 2, 2015. Leah lost her right leg when their carriage on The Smiler ride smashed into an empty one in front. 'It was,' says Joe, 'like crashing into a brick wall at 90 mph.' Sitting next to Leah, he watched helplessly as she drifted in and out of consciousness, a hair's breadth from death. His injuries which have left him virtually unable to run were less severe: both knee caps were shattered; a finger severed but reattached, another snapped. A devastating injury such as Leah's could have fractured their relationship, yet it actually brought them closer. Joe was at university in Huddersfield; she was poised to start a teaching degree in Leeds: 'If I hadn't lost my leg I probably wouldn't be with Joe now. 'We'd have been living miles away from each other. We'd probably have drifted apart.' Joe adds: 'We've both shared an experience no one else can relate to. We've been through more trauma together than most couples do in an entire marriage. We've made the best of a bad situation.' The day's monochrome theme - men in tuxedos and bridesmaids in black - gave the event an aura of old Hollywood glamour. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Joe proposed to Leah on a holiday in Venice in 2022. Leah said yes then revealed they 'got drunk in a rooftop bar' afterwards. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Leah's wedding dress was a glorious cream confection: a corset top studded with seed pearls and a figure-hugging skirt. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Bonded by their shared experience and a capacity to look on the bright side, they both intend to keep wringing every drop of joy out of life. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Leah decided that she didn't want her wedding dress to hide the fact that she is an amputee. Joe and Leah dance the night away together on the dancefloor at their wedding party 'You can't change what's happened so there's no point in dwelling on it and being negative. You just move on,' says Leah. Today, welcoming me to their bungalow in Barnsley, South Yorkshire all neutral tones and light-flooded rooms with large windows they talk about the day they took their marriage vows. 'I knew Leah's entrance song (The Vow by RuthAnne), the timings, exactly when she would be coming in and I tried to compose myself, but I couldn't stop crying,' says Joe. 'I was blown away.' The day was a blur of happiness for Leah, too, punctuated by tears of joy: as she caught the first glimpse of her proud dad looking at her, as her eyes locked with Joe's when he saw her in her dress, when before the wedding she read a letter he had written to her. The day's monochrome theme men in tuxedos; bridesmaids in black gave the event an aura of old Hollywood glamour. Instead of a tiered wedding cake they had a champagne fountain and guests let off a confetti cannon as they began their first dance. 'It was a bit of a dream, just perfect,' says Leah. She carries the legacy of her injury with grace. Tall 5ft 9in long-limbed and slender, she greets me wearing tiny shorts and a crop-top; unselfconscious after years of hiding her prosthesis under trousers or long skirts. The pair have an easy banter with each other but their early experience of shared trauma has given them a maturity few their age possess. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings On the day of the crash, Joe remembers sitting next to Leah on the ride and watching helplessly as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings A devastating injury like Leah's could have fractured her relationship with Joe but it actually bought the couple closer. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Wedding guests lift the married couple onto their shoulders as the party gets under way Joe takes in the night as guests lift him up on the dancefloor while seated on a chair Leah smiles happily as her bridesmaids, wearing black to match the monochrome theme, walk along beside her holding bouquets. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings 'Leah has grown into herself,' says Joe, an account manager. 'She really lacked confidence when she first got her leg. Now she knows what suits her and wears it with style. She's improved. Her leg does not define her.' 'Of course I felt self-conscious to start with,' says Leah, a teaching assistant. 'I wanted to hide my prosthetic leg. For five years I wore it with a silicon cover, which made it look just like a real leg. But it was also very heavy and restricted function in my knee. 'So I told my prosthetic centre I didn't want to wear the cover. I said, 'I'm doing what's best for me. If people don't like it, tough'.' 'And now she wears shorts and little tops,' says Joe, approvingly. 'And a bikini. Either you go on holiday and hide or you enjoy it. I think confidence makes me more attractive,' adds Leah, who now swims without her prosthetic. 'I stopped wearing my leg for swimming in 2019. I take it off at the poolside. Kids stared at me the first time I did it. I just faced them and smiled. 'Young children have no inhibitions. They're just innocently interested. It doesn't bother me. The kids at school (aged four and five) are curious. I call it my robot leg and tell them it has a computer in it. Instead of a tiered wedding cake, the couple had a champagne fountain and guests let off confetti canon as they began their first dance. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Joe's injuries have left his virtually unable to run as both his knee caps were shattered, one finger was severed but reattached while another snapped. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Leah carries the legacy of her injury with grace. She's tall 5ft 9in long-limbed and slender. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Leah is finally unselfconscious of her injuries after years of hiding her prosthesis under trousers or long skirts. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Both Leah and Joe have been back to Alton Towers since the crash, but only to try to reconstruct events of that awful day, much of which their memories have obliterated. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Leah and Joe, who met through mutual friends, had been on a couple of dates before they had settled on a day out at Alton Towers for their first big outing. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Leah says she is a 'big believer that everything happens for a reason, even if we don't know what the reason is'. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings 'They're more intrigued by the leg than how I lost it. I've never told them. I don't want to put them off going to theme parks.' I wonder if she will ever go to one again. 'I would,' she says. 'If we have kids of our own how could we never take them to Peppa Pig World when all their friends are going? 'I think I'd go to Alton Towers, too. I'd even get on the ride again. But I probably wouldn't get past just sitting on it. Unless I was put in that position I don't know what I'd do,' muses Leah, adding: 'It's probably the safest ride in the world now that all the safety changes have been made.' 'People have serious car accidents and drive again,' adds Joe. 'But I wouldn't say it's a necessity to go to a theme park.' Both have been back to Alton Towers since the crash, but only to try to reconstruct events of that awful day, much of which their memories have obliterated. 'When I looked up at the rollercoaster I thought, 'How did I ever come out alive?' says Leah. It was touch-and-go that she did. Her leg was so mangled it was amputated to save her life. Both Leah and Joe have voids and gaps in their memory of what happened during the rollercoaster crash. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings Despite her life-changing injuries, Joe didn't want to end his relationship with Leah after the accident. Pic from Emily Jayne Weddings After the crash, Leah spent eight weeks in the Royal Stoke University Hospital and Joe was there for a month Today they thread together the remnants of their memories. Leah and Joe, who met through mutual friends, had been on a couple of dates and had settled on a day out at the theme park for their first big outing, 'almost on a whim,' says Joe, who had just broken up from university for the summer vacation. 'And I'd seen The Smiler ride on telly. I liked the thrill of rollercoasters, the adrenalin rush,' recalls Leah. 'But it had broken down when we got there. By the time it got going again we were at the front of the queue. 'My brother had said we should be at the front or the back. I was so close to saying to Joe, 'Let's go to the back'. And it would have been an entirely different story. 'But I don't let myself regret that. I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason, even if we don't know what the reason is. 'It was a chilly, windy day and we set off, then we stopped on an incline. I remember feeling really cold and wondering out loud if anyone would come to get us off. 'We'd been up there 20 minutes or so when a voice over a loudspeaker said, 'We're having technical difficulties. Don't panic',' continues Leah. 'We looked out over the whole park, perched on this incline, ready to go over the edge. Then it set off again. There was no announcement, no, 'We've fixed the problem'. We went round a couple of loops...,' she recalls. 'And then we went round a corner, cambered over into a dip and were sitting sideways on a slope, racing downwards when we rounded a corner and saw the stationary car just sat there ahead of us,' adds Joe, taking up the story. There are voids in their memory that will never return. 'I don't remember the actual impact, only a huge bang. I screamed. There were people screaming all around us,' says Leah. 'I looked down at my thigh and my leg seemed to be all bunched up. I asked Joe to call an ambulance but he couldn't. Two of his fingers were hanging off. Leah lives permanently with discomfort, cannot walk further than about three miles and rough terrain is difficult Leah, in a coma for more than 24 hours after the crash, woke to find her whole family parents, grandparents, uncle and aunt and brother Luke gathered round her hospital bed Leah's life was in the balance following the crash. Her leg was so mangled that it was amputated to save her life Joe and Leah, circled, on the Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers on the day of the accident in June 2015 which changed their lives forever 'I remember seeing lots of blood and flesh and skin, splattered on the stationary carriage in front of us. I think it was mine.' 'You seemed to lose consciousness,' Joe looks across at Leah. 'The safety bar was embedded in your leg but we couldn't see the lower parts of our bodies. 'I looked at my hands and the middle finger had bone sticking out. It had snapped and was hanging on by skin and tendon.' They waited four hours or so while scaffolding was erected, and paramedics wearing harnesses clipped to the frame, climbed up to rescue them. 'I couldn't feel my feet,' says Leah. 'A first aider said, 'Wiggle your toes'. I felt I could move them, but I couldn't. I remember a raging thirst and the paramedics cutting me out of my black bomber jacket. I thought, 'Please don't cut it. It's new'.' A main artery in Leah's leg had been severed. She was given three blood transfusions: 'I remember noises, the scream of a chainsaw as they cut the bar from the carriage embedded in my leg and the tight pressure of a tourniquet.' She was placed in an air ambulance while Joe was rescued by paramedics in a cherry-picker. 'I remember being in the helicopter thinking, 'Is Joe OK?' then arriving at hospital and just seeing the ceiling as they wheeled me down a corridor.' Tears choke her. Leah, in a coma for more than 24 hours, woke to find her whole family parents, grandparents, uncle and aunt and brother Luke, now 29 gathered round her hospital bed. 'They thought I was going to die. When I came round they were all there wearing sunglasses. They'd been crying so much and wanted to hide it from me. 'The doctors had no choice but to amputate my leg. I'd have died otherwise. Normally you make the decision with them, but I was unconscious. So I didn't know. 'It was my brother who told me.' She cries again. 'He said, 'You'll be OK. You'll be fine'. 'I just kept screaming, 'No, no, no'. I didn't want to know, to hear the words.' At that moment, would you rather have died? I ask. 'No,' she says, emphatically. 'It was just fear of the unknown. I didn't know what it meant, how my life would be. I'd just begun to get my independence, I'd begun a new relationship. I'd just passed my driving test. I was going to university. And then there was this big blur of uncertainty. 'I was living day-to-day in hospital. I thought, 'Joe will not want to be with me any more'. I was not the person he'd met. My life had changed completely. I thought he'd walk away.' EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Alton Towers crash amputee Leah Washington ties the knot with fiance Joe Pugh in a dazzling ceremony Advertisement Meanwhile Luke was talking to Joe. 'He came and sat with me and said, 'If you don't want to be with Leah now we won't judge you. We get it'. 'But I thought, 'I'm going to stick it out. There was no reason to split up'. It would have been weak. 'I wouldn't even have learnt what it was like to be with her. She was still the same person. If further down the line I'd thought, 'I can't actually cope', that would have been a reason. But to go then it would have been a coward's way out. 'I told Luke, 'I don't want to end it. Everything will be all right'.' Leah, getting used to the radical shift in her life, says: 'At that point my relationship with Joe was the last thing on my mind. I was just learning to live with my injuries.' She spent eight weeks in the Royal Stoke University Hospital; Joe was there for a month. Joe says: 'We had no chance to rebuild our relationship. Even months down the line Leah's parents were always with her. Our conversations felt almost forced. 'Until we could go out without being chaperoned it was not a relationship. Then the first time we went for a meal, three weeks after the accident, we were both in wheelchairs. We had our picture taken together. It felt relatively normal. 'But afterwards we were back to the everyday round of counsellors, solicitors, therapists,' says Joe. 'It still didn't feel like real life.' 'My friends were all going off to Magaluf, then university while I was busy with physio, learning to walk again. I didn't have time to see Joe though we only lived ten minutes apart,' adds Leah. A breakthrough came when Joe was able to drive again. He bought a new car. Says Leah, 'I thought, 'We're actually going to do things together now'.' Then he and Leah went on their first holiday just the two of them, to Munich, she wearing her 60,000 prosthetic leg. 'And we just got on so well.' She lives permanently with discomfort, cannot walk further than about three miles and rough terrain is difficult: 'But I'm used to pain and it's not there every day. I don't want to moan.' Joe proposed to Leah on a holiday in Venice in 2022. 'I hate gushing and public displays of affection so I found a quiet alleyway, private, and we had a nice moment together. Leah said yes, then cried and we got drunk in a rooftop bar.' Bonded by their shared experience and a capacity to look on the bright side, they both intend to keep wringing every drop of joy out of life. 'I'm a spender. Joe is a saver. These days I think, 'Let's just do it',' says Leah. 'We both think that. After all, you never know what's around the corner,' adds Joe. A debate broke out on Good Morning Britain as guests clashed over whether ice cream vans are a noisy nuisance. Big Brother star Kerry Riches claimed the chimes are 'sinister' and 'creepy', while Masterchef's Theo Michaels said they are the 'tapestry of the British culture.' The debate comes after an ice cream van owner was threatened with court action over his 'too noisy' Blue Peter-style chimes. Kerry said: I'm not a fan of the ice cream van music, I find it sinister and a bit creepy like a horror film. I don't like it. An ice cream van used to be a weekend treat, now they are parked outside the school every day. They are there every single night when you are trying to cook dinner and they want an ice cream. A debate broke out on Good Morning Britain as guests clashed over whether ice cream vans were a noisy nuisance. Masterchef's Theo Michaels (left) said they are the 'tapestry of the British culture' My son left school the other day, he got a lemon ice for 5.50. If youre a family of four you're not able to all get one for 20, that unacceptable.' However Theo disagreed saying ice cream vans are a traditional part of British culture. Theo argued: 'It's tapestry of the British culture, we have ice cream vans for 60 years on our streets and the sound permeates. They have to be annoying sounds, you don't want trendy music. You want annoying sounds that get through the sound of your own kids. When it goes off in our house our kids turn into feral wild cats. "The ice cream van, the ice cream van,". There is this awe and wonder that I think it amazing. I love the community aspect, it goes off outside our house, all the kids run outside, all the other kids run outside as well, we all get together, there is this collective spirit, its a thing of beauty. Host Charlotte Hawkins said she had a tip for parents, saying they should tell their children that vans have run out of ice cream when they play the music. Many viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to leave their own thoughts on the controversial topic. Oe person said: 'It's a British institution. We loved it as kids in the 70s. Even now I love the sound. Where else in the world do they have this?' Big Brother star Kerry Riches (right) claimed the ice cream chimes are 'sinister' and 'creepy' Host Charlotte Hawkins said she had a tip for parents, saying they should tell their children that vans have run out of ice cream when they play the music Many viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to leave their own thoughts on the controversial topic Another said: 'As an ex long term night shift worker (NHS) they certainly wake you up!' Someone else said: 'The one that comes down our cul-de-sac is too loud.' Meanwhile a fourth wrote: 'Weve never been bothered before. When did we become so soft? Why are we always trying to change things that have been around well for every.' It comes after John Barton, 33, who runs Harrison's Ices, based in Lincolnshire, was left stunned when he received a council letter saying they had got complaints about his jingles. East Lindsey District Council said there had been reports of 'undue noise' caused by the 'misuse/overuse of the chimes' from his bright pink and white van. The letter warned him they had a duty to investigate the complaint and he could face possible prosecution at court under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. The council wrote: 'It is alleged that when the weather is nice the van is in the area nearly every evening from between 6pm and 7pm. 'It has been alleged the chimes are overly loud and are used excessively between the above times. John Barton (pictured), 33, who runs Harrison's Ices, based in Lincolnshire, was left stunned when he received a council letter saying they had got complaints about his jingles 'It is alleged the Blue Peter style chimes are sounded too often/frequently and potentially for too long.' But Mr Barton has claimed he is not breaking any rules and that his vans stick to the required 45 decibel limit when playing their favourite chime in 12 second bursts. The company has four vans that serve ice cream across the Louth, Grimsby and Cleethorpes areas of Lincolnshire. The letter sent on April 25 stated the complaints centered around streets in Louth including Eastfield Road, Park Avenue and Chestnut Drive. Mr Barton says he doesn't even go down some of those streets and he sounds his distinctive chimes in line with government guidelines. The 33-year-old, who has been running the company for ten years, said: 'I have come across some weird things in my time and I have to say this is one of the weirdest. 'The letter basically told us someone had complained that we play our chimes too loud and are claiming we are breaking the law. 'They're not too loud, I can barely hear it in my van - it's 12 second of music and it's not in your ear. If I'm in my living room you can't hear the vans. 'It really depends on the chime, Just One Cornetto is loud and high pitched.. It's the Blue Peter chime we use, which isn't. 'In the middle of the summer season, you don't expect to get that sort of complaint. 'Someone has got too much time on their hands.' The father-of-three has vowed to continue sounding his chimes around the streets of Louth despite the complaint. He added: 'Initially I was annoyed but we're going to carry on going to Louth. We've been doing it for ten years. 'The street that made the complainant, we don't even go down that street. I know for a fact you can't hear mine two or three streets away. In 10 years I've never had a complaint about my products. We are about to enter peak new haircut season. Is there some ancient human rhythm dictating this? When winter sets in, I love growing my locks. The moment the sun comes out, I find myself longing for a chop: something flirty and flighty to emphasise what's left of my bone structure. Priyanka Chopra, 41, availed herself of precisely this sort of spring fling in Rome last week. Modelling a 200-carat Bulgari choker, she sported a boxy, choppy bob tousled and current to show off her rocks. The next day, she was back to tumbling tresses, so it must have been a wig or extensions. Still, the star looked so stunning with her shorter do, a cut may well be on the cards. Priyanka Chopra, 41, rocking a bob - which helped show off her Bulgari necklace - in Rome George Northwood says: 'Big, blown-up bobs look great - and slightly ironic - on Zendaya (pictured) because she's young and cool. But, that is quite a middle-aged hairstyle' In the 1960s, one didn't say 'bob' without thinking Vidal Sassoon and his severe, angular incarnation, suiting fabulous beauties. Today, one does not utter the term without conjuring George Northwood, king of the fluid, universally flattering 21st-century bob. Spring skin scents Acne Studios x Frederic Malle (200, libertylondon.com A sparkling and sublime, cystalline fragrance with sweet and floral notes. Maison Crivelli Iris Malikhan (from 90, Selfridges An exquisite iris offset by verdant musk, mimosa and amber elements. Experimental Perfume Club Pistachio Haiku (from 45, experimental perfumeclub.com) A nutty opening evolving into a base of cedarwood and resin with real neck appeal in summer. Narciso Rodriguez for her Musc Nude (50.40, look fantastic.com) Musky skin scent imbued with jasmine, rose and tonka bean. & Other Stories Plants Illustrated (29, stories.com/en) Green, with underlying earthiness; pear and black pepper yield to musky woods. Advertisement Asked to define his take, George says: 'My bob is always slightly undone even if it's straight and smooth nothing too set or dated, but with a natural, effortless feel.' Or, as we know it, 'The Alexa', named after his long-time muse, Alexa Chung. But what is it about the style that obsesses Northwood? 'What fascinates me is that a bob is a kick-ass, powerful statement cut,' he enthuses. 'I love the power of the bob. I love its timelessness and that it's easy to grow out. It's a great way to make impactful change, while being a cut that is easy to maintain. Alexa's was iconic, and now we have Zendaya's. The bob is always a defining moment in someone's career.' So how to do it? George maintains that there's a bob for everyone: 'If you have hard features, go for a softer, looser, choppy bob. But if you have soft features, you can take a harder, blunt bob, which will add definition and frame the face. 'Then, if you have a round face, avoid a fringe [which cuts the shape in half], and keep it one length.' Back in 2021, George was championing the 'Flob', or flat-iron bob, for which he created a YouTube tutorial should you wish to have a go at home yourself. This summer, we have a number of options. Indeed, Vogue has charted 11: the princess, Italian, emo, mermaid, glam, mob, bubble, micro, beachy, shaggy and sleek. George simplifies matters: 'There are basically two ways to go the extreme chopped-into, hacked-into bob. Or what I call a 'purist bob', which is natural, quite graphic, one length all the way round, but worn in an undone way.' When I tell him that I adore Zendaya's voluminous, less structured, S-shaped, Hollywood legend version, he cautions: 'Big, blown-up bobs look great, and slightly ironic, on Zendaya because she's young and cool. But, that is quite a middle-aged hairstyle. 'On someone who is middle-aged it's going to look dowdy. Granny chic looks different on a 50-year-old.' Point taken. If you're after a glassy look a la Hailey Bieber, then Color Wow's Dream Coat Supernatural Spray (now 22.95, lookfantastic.com) is the key. This one-sold-every-minute wonder boasts heat-activated droplets that crosslink to form a water-resistant veil for a smooth finish which lasts up to two to three shampoos. For those taking their bobs on tour: invest in tiny travel straighteners. I have a pair that must be almost a quarter-of-a-century old, yet they sorted me out when I had a brand new bob that I couldn't yet control amid crazed humidity. Stylocks Mini Hair Straightener (13.72, amazon.co.uk are a bargain). Race you to it! Beauty Pie Holly Willoughby's On-the-Glow Edit (members, 55; non-members, 133, beautypie.com) launched last week. This collection features the presenter's 'no-mirror needed' kit, her favourites for lips, cheeks and lashes, housed in a chic, transparent case. My icon of the week: Gillian Anderson Actress Gillian, 55, declares Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser (42, spacenk.com) 'a big part of my life'. Make-up artist Florrie White used British midlife brand Reeson Bronzing Balm (38, reesonbeauty.com) on the film star to great success. Gillian also loves Sarah Chapman Skinesis products (from 13, sarahchapman.com) Advertisement Cosmetic craving Legions of us sigh over our slumped and drooping eye areas, especially as we get older, and correcting this is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures today. By comparison, eye creams can feel much of a muchness an act of faith rather than something that makes a visible difference. This is why Dermalogica Phyto Nature Lifting Eye Cream (115 for 15ml, dermalogica. co.uk) feels so revolutionary. After a single nights use, next morning you look at yourself and see discernible lift. Powerful peptides, botanical blends, and CoQ10 (an antioxidant used for growth, levels of which decline with age) deliver an immediate firming and tightening effect, and defend against free radicals. Its not cheap, but it does offer serious bang for your buck. A forensic scientist spoken about the worst cases she has ever seen in a revealing interview - which includes details of how she identified one of the 7/7 London bombers. Jo Millington, a blood spatter specialist who has worked for police forces across Britain for the past 25 years, shared details about some of the stomach churning crime scenes she has worked on. The expert, from Reading, also revealed the common mistakes murderers make when killing, and explained why you can never totally clean up a crime scene. Speaking to LADbible TV, Jo, who set up Spattered Ltd in 2020, revealed she managed to identify one of the 7/7 London bombers by testing a packet of peanuts for DNA. The July 7 bombings, in 2005 - also referred to as 7/7 - were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamist terrorists, targeting commuters travelling on London transport during the morning rush hour, and killing 56 people. According to Jo: 'The London bombings happened, it was all hands on deck for that incident, but the thing that I was involved with was the examination of the car that the bombers had used to travel down to Luton airport. 'And it had been subjected to a controlled explosion to ensure it was safe. That car was then transported to London Laboratory where I examined it in a really secure environment. 'What we were trying to establish was who's driven it. So you naturally swab the steering wheel, and the gear lever, and the hand brake, and the bits and the bobs that people touch when they're driving. 'But when I went into the driver's side and looked down into the pocket of the door - there was a little peanut packet. 'You know, when you buy a bag of peanuts, it's got that little cut so that you can tear the packet. Well that was torn and it was empty. And when I looked at the little tear, it looked a bit gnawed a little bit, [there was a] teethy mark, something like that. 'And I thought to myself, "do you know what, if I was driving this car, and I got myself a packet of peanuts, how might I open it? I might tear it open with my teeth". 'We examine this peanut packet, and we swabbed around this little tear, and it generated a DNA profile that identified one of the bombers, beause he'd literally just eaten a packet of peanuts.' Jo Millington (pictured) is a blood spatter specialist who has worked for police forces across Britain for the past 25 years Elsewhere, the blood spatter specialist pointed out some of the common mistakes made by murders. She said: 'They go to quite extreme efforts sometimes to get rid of the evidence. But in every single case, every contact leaves a trace, right? 'So it's impossible, frankly, to eradicate every single jot of evidence in a crime scene. 'So the mistakes that they make, apart from not really fully understanding the potential of forensic science, is they forget that they're leaving traces of themselves on every surface that they touch, on every path that they take. Jo continued: 'You know, we've known about fingerprints for centuries, and yet it's probably one of the main ways in which people are identified. So you kind of think to yourself, "how did you forget that you leave fingerprints?".' She recalled how one murderer used the blood of his victim to write 'something horrible' on the wall with his fingers and put an exclamation point at the end which had his finger print in it. Recalling some of the worst cases she has ever seen, Jo described an 'absolutely horrific' murder which had a lot of blood evidence for her to analyse. The expert also revealed common mistakes murderers make when killing - and explained how you can never totally clean up a crime scene She said: 'I once dealt with this scene which was absolutely horrific actually. The guy had got really catastrophic head injuries, and the weapon was like a machete. 'The reason why the scene had come to the attention of the police, was because...there was a business which had rooms underneath this flat, and the blood was dripping through the ceiling into their office. 'So you can get a feel for the amount of blood that's available, and it was pretty horrendous.' However, surprisingly, Jo admitted that it wasn't the most shocking crime scene she has attended. Looking back, she said: 'So I went to the scene, it was in east London, and the suspect, ultimately, he was a really troubled individual. He was very seriously mentally ill, actually, but he was on a day release from his facility. 'And he befriended this chap and he went back to his flat, and he ended up killing him. He dismembered his body and then he took his brain, and he cooked it up in a frying pan.' Recalling some of the worst cases she has ever been to, Jo said she was called to an 'absolutely horrific' murder with a lot of blood evidence for her to analyze Elsewhere she remembered another horrific crime scene, where a chopped up body was found in a freezer - but Jo was confused to find no visible blood at the scene. She said: 'When I walked in, I remember thinking, "where's the blood? Why am I here?". Because there was literally nothing visible to the naked eye. 'And so we applied a chemical to enhance blood staining, and what it did was pick up traces of blood, which were indicative of a clean-up. 'So there had been blood there, she had been dismembered in that space, but there'd been sufficient clean-up that none of that was really obvious anymore. 'But it was only when we enhanced it with chemicals that we could see the traces that were left.' The 29-year-old royal arrived in Greece on Sunday for an official visit Princess Kako of Japan looked elegant as she delivered a speech to mark the 125th anniversary of Japan-Greece diplomatic relations today. The niece of Emperor Naruhito, 29, arrived in Athens on Sunday, where she is currently undergoing an official visit to celebrate diplomatic ties between the two countries. Princess Kako's visit is also in honour of the 2024 Japan-Greece Year of Culture and Tourism, aiming to bring the people of Japan and Greece closer together through travel. Today, the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko appeared in high spirits as she offered her words of wisdom at the National Gallery in Athens. The royal looked effortlessly chic in a baby blue kimono with orange floral embellishments. Princess Kako of Akishino delivered a speech at the National Gallery in Athens today to mark the 125th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-Greece diplomatic relations Kako styled her dark tresses into a sleek low bun for the occasion and opted for a simple makeup look, revealing her natural beauty. After the royal delivered the speech on Japan-Greece relations, she greeted members of the audience. The event took place at the National Gallery in Athens, which is home to over 20,000 artworks, including paintings and sculptures, according to its website. Elsewhere on her trip, Kako also paid a visit to the Acropolis to view the architecture of the ancient citadel. Kako's visit to Greece comes amid a troubling time for Japan's royal family as the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy, is facing a succession crisis - because women still aren't allowed to take to the throne. Emperor Naruhito, 64, has just one daughter by his wife Empress Masako, Princess Aiko, who was born in 2001 after the royal couple underwent fertility treatment. Female births have far outweighed male births in recent generations of the Japanese royal family and the dynasty currently has three male heirs. There's Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino, 58, who is the Emperor's brother, Prince Hisahito - Fumihito's 17-year-old son, and third-in-line Prince Hitachi, who is 88 and the brother of former Emperor Emeritus. Princess Kako of Akishino was later snapped leaving The National Gallery of Greece after giving the speech The 29-year-old's visit is also in honour of the 2024 Japan-Greece Year of Culture and Tourism, which aims to foster relations between the people of Japan and Greece The royal smiled as she shared her thoughts on Japan-Greece relations in the National Gallery today The niece of Emperor Naruhito cut an elegant figure in a baby blue kimono with floral embellishments After delivering the speech at the National Gallery, Princess Kako went on to greet members of the audience It's been five years since Naruhito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1st 2019 following the historic abdication of his father Emperor Akihito at the age of 87. The question of who's up next continues to perplex both the royal family and the country's political parties, which last week began discussing revamping the succession rules. Being a young woman in the country's Imperial House isn't an entirely enviable role; A Japanese princess can currently never by Empress and must lose her royal title if she chooses to wed a commoner. Who is Princess Kako of Japan? Princess Kako is a grandchild of Japan's former Emperor Akihito and the younger daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko. Her father and younger brother Prince Hisahito, 12, became the first and second in line to the throne, respectively, when the Emperor, 85, abdicated. Her uncle Emperor Naruhito now sits on the Chrysanthemum Throne. Princess Kako's full title is Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako of Akishino, and she's declared her wish to support her uncle rather than continuing her education or taking up a career. When her uncle became Emperor, her father Prince Akishino became Crown Prince, and her brother became second in line to the throne even though he is younger. The royal family will not consider the idea of an Empress being the sole ruler. Advertisement Her children with said commoner would also never form part of the Imperial House. Emperor Naruhito's daughter Aiko, now 22, already lives a life moulded by the dynasty she's part of - surrounded by intense levels of security and unable to have political views or vote. The young royal lives with her parents at The Imperial Palace in Edo Castle in Tokyo and works as a newsletter editor for the Japanese Red Cross Society, a role she combines with her royal engagements. For now wedded to a life of public duty, Aiko, might yet look to the path her first cousin, Princess Mako, has taken; the former royal enjoys an upper-class quiet life in New York. In 2017, Crown Prince Fumihito's eldest daughter, 32, sent shockwaves through the country when she announced she was giving up her royal title to marry Kei Komuro, her long-term boyfriend. Mako and Komuro met at Tokyo's International Christian University in 2013 and became engaged in secret, before announcing their intention to marry in September 2017, which sparked huge scrutiny. A furore erupted a few months after the news they were to wed broke, with tabloids reporting a financial dispute between Kei Komuro's mother and her former fiance, with the man claiming mother and son had failed to repay a debt of about $35,000. Komuro later said the money had been a gift, not a loan. But in 2021, he submitted a 24-page explanation and later reportedly said he would pay a settlement. Their subsequent wedding in October 2021 was distinctly low-key. It was met with protests, held behind closed doors without any of the pomp and pageantry of other Japanese royal weddings, which traditionally include a reception, banquet, and a parade through the streets of Tokyo. Mako was simply dressed in a blue dress and carried a bunch of white flowers, and the nuptials took placeat a registry office, away from cameras and the public. Reading out a prepared statement, Mako defended her decision to marry, describing Kei as 'irreplaceable' and saying 'our marriage is a necessary step for us to be able to protect our hearts.' Mako also surrendered a 1million payment she was entitled to according to Japanese tradition, becoming the first imperial family member since World War II to not receive the payment. The royal was all smiles as she left the venue, which is home to over 20,000 pieces of art work, including paintings and sculptures Princess Kako accesorised her floral ensemble with a practical yet chic patterned white clutch bag Kako, who is the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, appeared in high spirits at the event The royal, who arrived in Athens on Sunday for the official visit, looked animated as she spoke to the audience Princess Kako opted for a simple makeup look for the occasion, revealing her naturally flawless complexion Crowds gathered at the National Gallery in Athens to listen to Princess Kako's speech on Japan's relations with Greece Now living simply as Mako Komuro, the former Princess lives in a luxurious but modest - at least according to the proportions of the Imperial Palace - apartment in the Big Apple, with the pair regularly pictured on shopping trips together in the city. Current Imperial Household Law, established in 1947, states that only a male descendant of a male emperor can succeed to the throne. Japan has had eight female monarchs between the sixth and 18th centuries, however none came through a female line of descent. One option for reform would be allowing women to keep their imperial status after marrying, regardless of their husbands' status, so that any future sons could join the line of succession. This is opposed by traditionalists who argue that legitimate succession can only pass through the male line. During her visit, Princess Kako met with Greece's Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni (pictured left) The pair appeared in high spirits as they chatted with one another in the Athens National Gallery Greece's Minister for Culture, Lisa Mendoni, accompanied Kako out of the hall after she gave her speech Only male heirs descended from a male emperor are eligible to become Emperor. The family currently has three male heirs: Crown Prince Akishino, who is the current Emperor's brother, Prince Hisahito - Akishino's 17-year-old son, and third-in-line Prince Hitachi, who is 88 Another possibility to be raised by the panel relates to former aristocratic families, whose imperial status was abolished during the U.S. Occupation of Japan following the empire's defeat in the Second World War. The proposal suggests that scions of these families could be adopted into the emperor's family. The Japanese imperial family is considered to be the world's oldest monarchy, with an unbroken line of male succession that can be traced back two millennia. Mythology, recognised by the Imperial House, has the legendary Emperor Jimmu, said to be a descendant of a sun goddess and a storm god, as the first of 126 Japanese emperors leading up to the current Emperor Naruhito. Kendall Jenner may have just spilled the beans on Hailey Bieber's latest Rhode Skin release after leaving a cheeky comment under one of her friend's posts. This week, the pregnant beauty brand founder posted a series of snaps, one of which included a selfie of her wearing a small strawberry sticker on her forehead. The strawberry design may have looked a bit familiar to some, as Bieber, 27, sent customers a sheet of the stickers when they ordered her strawberry glaze Peptide Lip Treatment upon its release last summer. But the one that she was sporting in her Instagram post was much smaller, with Jenner pointing out in the comments: 'R these rhode pimple patches or am I tripping?' Her observation sent Rhode fans into a tizzy, as they enthusiastically replied to The Kardashians star, 28. In a new series of snaps, Hailey Bieber posted a picture of herself wearing a strawberry sticker on her forehead - which Kendall Jenner believes may be a part of her latest Rhode Skin drop Jenner commented on the photo, writing, 'R these rhode pimple patches or am i tripping?' 'ABSOLUTELY,' one user wrote. Another agreed, 'Omgeeeee good catch @haileybieber can I place an order.' 'Right?! Kendall thinking what I was thinking!!!!' someone else chimed in. One more person even seconded, 'The design is TOO CUTE TY KENNY FOR SAYING LMAO.' Bieber herself even replied to Jenner, leaving her with a cheeky string of side-eye emojis. Jenner and Bieber have been friends for more than a decade, and even 'sealed' their friendship by molding a pot to the shape of their bodies during a pottery class earlier this year. The pals posted the adorable moment on their Instagram stories. 'Friendship sealed @haileybieber,' Jenner captioned the video at the time. The strawberry design may have looked a bit familiar for some, as Bieber sent customers a sheet of the stickers when they ordered her strawberry glaze peptide lip treatment Jenner's observation sent Rhode fans into a tizzy, as they enthusiastically replied to The Kardashians star Jenner and Bieber have been friends for more than a decade, and even 'sealed' their friendship by molding a pot to the shape of their bodies during a pottery class earlier this year Jenner was even featured as a guest on Bieber's YouTube series, What's In My Kitchen?, and taught her friend how to make a layered dip Bieber is also close with Jenner's younger sister, Kylie Jenner, 26 - who she has apparently been turning to for parenting advice, according to Us Weekly. Jenner is mom to daughter Stormi, 6, and son Aire, 2, who she shares with ex Travis Scott. Bieber announced her first pregnancy earlier this month in an adorable Instagram video post with her 30-year-old husband, Justin Bieber. The clip showed the two of them renewing their vows in Hawaii, as they hugged and kissed each other. The videographer then zoomed in on her stomach, showing that she was expecting. Bieber wore a skintight, long-sleeved white lace dress that came with a matching head scarf to debut her bump to the world. Bieber announced her pregnancy earlier this month, and is reportedly already six months along Bieber announced her first pregnancy earlier this month in an adorable Instagram video post with her husband, Justin Bieber Bieber wore a skintight, long-sleeved white lace dress that came with a matching head scarf to debut her bump to the world In another picture that she included in the post, Bieber cradled her belly, as her husband appeared behind the camera. Bieber is rumored to be about six months along. And, in her latest series of Instagram snaps, Bieber also made a sweet reference to her growing belly. 'Little cherry blossoms on my nails little cherry blossom in my belly,' Bieber captioned the post, nodding to her pregnancy - and her nails, which featured tiny cherry blossoms painted on them. Queen Letizia looked elegant as she welcomed Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Palace in Madrid today, alongside her husband King Felipe. The royal, 51, put her best fashion foot forward and donned a two-piece pinstripe navy suit, with an oversized blazer and wide legged trousers. She paired the ensemble with a dark blue frilly lace blouse and black flat pumps that looked both stylish and practical. The former journalist kept things simple when it came to her jewellery, sporting a pair of silver statement drop-earrings with pearls on the bottom. Letizia wore her shiny signature brunette locks down in a straight, sleek blow dry and opted for glamorous makeup, featuring sparkly eyelids and pink lip gloss. President Volodymyr Zelensky (centre) sported casual clothing as he attended the royal Palace in Madrid today Queen Letizia was snapped chatting to President Zelensky at the Palace today, as the politician and royals posed for photographs Letizia put her best fashion foot forward and opted for a matching pinstripe navy suit, consisting of a chic blazer and smart trousers President Zelensky opted for a more casual look, pairing a khaki t-shirt - which had Ukraine's flag on the sleeve - with some brown cargo trousers and a pair of trainers. King Felipe looked dapper in a black suit which he paired with a crisp white shirt, polished shoes and a blue patterned tie. The leader of Ukraine was welcomed to the Palace by the Spanish royals today where they posed for pictures ahead of a lunch. Today, Spain pledged one billion euros in military aid to Ukraine as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and President Zelensky signed a security deal in Madrid. The deal 'includes a commitment for one billion euros in military aid for 2024,' Sanchez told a joint news conference. Zelensky's visit comes as Ukraine has been battling a Russian ground offensive in the Kharkiv region, which began on May 10, in Moscow's biggest territorial advance in 18 months. Sanchez said Spain had already pledged to supply Patriot missiles, but what Zelensky needed from Ukraine's allies was for 'the systems to launch these missiles'. Spain would also send 'another batch of Leopard tanks and above all ammunition,' Sanchez said, pledging to keep working with Kyiv 'to understand how else - and with what other alternative systems - we can help ensure Ukraine's air security.' President Zelensky went for a more casual look, and opted for a khaki t-shirt - which had Ukraine's flag on the sleeve - with some brown cargo trousers and a pair of trainers King Felipe (pictured, left) looked dapper in a black suit which he paired with a crisp white shirt , polished shoes and a blue patterned tie, as he showed Ukraine's President (pictured, centre) where to stand for the photos Last month, Spain pledged to send an unspecified number of Patriot air defence missile systems to Ukraine; it previously sent 10 Leopard tanks. Until now, Madrid has only provided limited military aid to Kyiv. Queen Letizia was snapped chatting to President Zelensky at the Palace today, as he stood in between the royal couple for the pictures. It comes as rumours continue to swirl around the state of Queen Letizia and King Felipe's marriage. These follow her brother-in-law making shocking claims that he had once been romantically linked to her - comments that the royals have not commented on. President Zelensky shakes hands with Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles (pictured L-R: Queen Letizia; Volodymyr Zelensky; King Felipe; Margarita Robles) Queen Letizia (pictured, left) smiles as she welcomes Ukraine's President (pictured, right) into the Palace today Jaime Del Burgo, 53, who is based in the UK, has shockingly alleged that he and the Spanish King's wife had an affair after the former journalist's 2004 nuptials to Felipe VI. The 'affair' rumours first rocked the Spanish monarchy in November after Del Burgo contributed to a tell-all book about the Queen of Spain, titled Letizia y Yo (Letizia and I) by journalist Jaime Penafiel. Neither Spain's Royal Family nor Letizia - who recently celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary - have made any comment about the claims repeatedly aired by Jaime del Burgo or Jaime Penafiel. Referring to the scandal last year, a spokesperson for the Spanish Royal Family told FEMAIL: 'We have no comment to make about this.' Earlier this month, Del Burgo took to X to claim that he had abandoned plans to publish his own tell-all book and instead would be producing an eight-part documentary, titled 'Nothing but the Truth'. A group of Galveston Island Beach Patrol trainees head over to the end of the pier at Galveston Seawall to practice jumping from the pier during an afternoon of rough weather, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. It was the first time the trainees did the jump as part of their training. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Another person died in Galvestons dangerous tides this holiday weekend, the Galveston Beach Patrol chief told the Galveston Daily News Sunday. The city has been flying a red flag warning this weekend due to harsh wind conditions that have created deadly rip currents. The woman, 19 year-old Yamileth Ramirez from Houston, was found dead early Sunday, after having drowned in waters off the beach, according to the news story. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ramirez was pulled out of the water by her brother and a bystander and was found unresponsive by the Galveston Beach Patrol around 6:30 a.m. She was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, marking the second death of the weekend and the year from drowning in Galveston surf. On Saturday, Joshua Acevedo, a 26 year-old man from Louisiana, also died after he and four others were caught in the strong currents while swimming too far from the beach. Lifeguards had tried to get the groups attention, but were unable to get them to swim closer to shore before the rip current took them in. Three of the swimmers were rescued, and one came to shore independently, but Acevedo was pulled under and resurfaced face-down in the water near Murdochs Gift Shop. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rough wave conditions have been a concern for officials this holiday weekend, and the red flag warning is still in effect Sunday afternoon. His followers were impressed by her generosity and raised over $40,000 for her He asked a woman living on the streets for food, and she offered him tons A woman living on the streets who captured the heart of thousands online has been rewarded for her generosity after a TikTok creator's interaction with her went viral. In his video, Jimmy Darts films himself asking Linda, a woman who had been living on the streets for almost a decade, for food. In response, the 76-year-old woman offers Jimmy most of her food, insisting he take it without asking for anything in return. After Linda, who lives on the streets in Costa Mesa, California, gives him a stack of food, she assures the 28-year-old that she still has something to eat 'I have $1,000 for you,' Jimmy then tells a bewildered Linda. 'I was just helping out the first person to help me.' The internet has raised more than $44,000 for homeless woman after her kind gesture for TikTok creator Jimmy Darts went viral Linda, who is seen getting emotional in the video, tearfully responds by saying she was going to use the money to sleep in a motel for the night rather than the tent she had been sleeping in - even in the stormy weather. Overwhelmed by her generosity and kindness, thousands of TikTok users donated to her cause via a GoFundMe page, initially aiming to raise more than $30,000 for her - a goal that was surpassed. Jimmy reunited with Linda to share the news, and documented her reaction in a TikTok, which has been viewed more than 7.2 million times. 'I can get a van,' she said emotionally. 'That's my next step from getting up off the street. 'I need to get a van where I can sleep, I can work, I can take care of myself, I can be mobile.' 'I know which one I'll get,' she added. 'I know which one - I've been watching one.' In a follow-up video, Jimmy added that $44,000 had been raised through the GoFundMe page in the end, which allowed Linda to move into her own place and buy a van. 'The only word I can think of - but it's not big enough - is humbled that I am in this group, that you have helped,' she gushed. Overwhelmed by her generosity and kindness, thousands of TikTok users donated to her cause via a GoFundMe page, which she said she was using to buy a new van On the GoFundMe page for Linda, Jimmy shared more of her story. 'She told me that she's been homeless since 2015 and that she became homeless so that she could help understand and help them more,' he said. 'Her mission is to help the homeless in a deeper way and help them get the real sustainable help they need.' 'I love that this is her mission and I want her to have more than enough to help the homeless,' he wrote compassionately. 'Let's make sure that she is taken care of and more and if she ever wants to stay at a hotel or get a small place of her own to go in and out of.' 'Linda is my hero,' he concluded on the GoFundMe page. According to figures from 2023's U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Annual Homeless Assessment Report, California accounted for 49 per cent of all unsheltered people in the country, which is around 123,423 people. This is nearly eight times the number of unsheltered people in Florida, the state that has the next highest number. Additionally, at 75 per cent, California had the second-highest rate of homeless people staying in unsheltered locations. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was chic in a floral frock as she attended an annual event at The Nordic Museum in Stockholm earlier today. The 46-year-old royal stunned in a Summer ensemble, sporting a baby blue floral dress midi dress with matching blue heels. Her frock, which featured a gathered design around the lower waist and short sleeves, bore an elegant botanical print with pink flowers and green leaves. Mother-of-three Victoria co-ordinated her dress with a simple pair of heeled pumps in a matching shade of blue. She wore her brown locks pulled into a chic low bun, and opted for a natural make-up look, with a clear complexion, light eye-make-up, and a pink lip. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (pictured) was stylish in a baby blue dress featuring a botanical print as she visited The Nordic Museum in Stockholm today The royal (pictured) paired the elegant midi dress with a pair of simple heeled pumps in the same shade of blue The finishing touches to her ensemble included a few pieces of carefully curated jewellery. Among them were a classic silver wrist watch, a platinum ring on her ring finger, and a pair of colourful statement earrings, which matched the palette of her dress. Victoria was greeted at the museum's entrance by its director Sanne Houby-Nielsen, ahead of her attendance at the Friends of The Nordic Museum and Skansen at The Nordic Museum meeting. The royal has been a member and First Honorary Member of the association since 1997. Skansen describes itself as 'the world's oldest open-air museum, showcasing the whole of Sweden with houses, animals and traditions from every part of the country'. Carrying a bouquet of delicate white flowers, the Princess was snapped as she shook hands with Sanne Houby-Nielsen, along with Skansen director Maria Groop, Russel, director of operations Clara Block-Hane, and chairman Hans Malmsten. The Summery look complements her outfits from previous years where she has worn a similarly floral frock of varying colours. Last year, she looked perfectly chic in a matching floral white and grey blouse and skirt from the Scandinavian fashion brand, Malina. The royal opted for natural make-up and a simple, stylish low bun to complement her floral frock during her outing today The mother-of-three (pictured, left) is photographed while being greeted by Sanne Houby-Nielsen, director of the Nordic Museum (pictured, right) Her appearance today follows another recent outing. Last week, the Crown Princess attended World Wildlife Fund (WWF) event with her dog Rio. The organisation, which focuses its work on protecting the environment and nature, hosted in annual event in Stockholm. Dressed casually in a purple parka jacket and fitted green trousers, the royal rode the ferry where she visited the Namdoskargarden National Park on the archipelago of Namdo. Once slipping off her parka, the Princess revealed a magnificent queen silk blouse which was open necked. As a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme, Victoria has long been committed to causes including sustainability and climate action. Victoria of Sweden, left, greeting Clara Block-Hane director of operations, pictured one from the right Crown Princess Victoria was welcomed by Sanne Houby-Nielsen, (left) museum director of the Nordic Museum, Skansen director Maria Groop Russel (one from the left), director of operations Clara Block-Hane (one from the right) and chairman Hans Malmsten (right) Earlier this month, as she opened the 2024 Eurovision song contest in a surprise video clip, versatile Victoria stunned in a pale pink power suit. In attendance for the final on Saturday 11 May, she opened the ceremony with a pre-recorded speech to the hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. The royal appeared to be following in the footsteps of the Princess of Wales, who opened the song contest in Liverpool last year with a touching piano performance tribute to Ukraine. Victoria looked chic in a pale pink suit, which she paired with a white blouse and stilettos in the short clip. She appeared to be standing in one of the main rooms in the Palace, revealing the opulent decorations and a large bouquet of flowers placed behind her. Amanda and Dan Kayser designed the project and added $1M in value An Australian couple has transformed an outdated brown brick home into a 'modern American style farmhouse' in just 18 months. Amanda Kayser, 43, and her husband Dan, 46, bought the riverside Perth property in November 2022 after six months of searching for the 'right one' and quickly got to work. The two-storey house was trapped in the late 80s with its scattered floorplan of multiple small rooms, salmon pink bathrooms, shabby curtains, and dark terracotta tiles. Now the property, which sits on a 950sqm block, looks picture perfect with features including a pool, outdoor deck, four bedrooms, a huge backyard, high ceilings and a stone fireplace. It's estimated the couple have added an eye-watering $1million in value following the 'mammoth' renovation and it's now their family residence. Before: The two-storey Perth home was one stuck in the late 80s and early 90s before being purchased by Amanda and Dan Kayser After: The couple transformed the home into a stunning modern masterpiece It's estimated the couple have added an eye-watering $1million in property value following the 'mammoth' renovation and it's now their house of residence 'When we first saw it and stepped inside we knew exactly what we wanted to do,' Amanda told FEMAIL. 'We know the style we like and know how to make a house feel homey by using different colours, materials and textures.' The Perth couple are not beginners when it comes to renovating properties - in fact, this is their twelfth conversion. In 2020 they spent the 'whole year renovating' to transform a 1940s house into a spacious three-level oasis. Before starting the project, the family-of-four were living in a rental. Comparatively this latest project was far more challenging due to the size and structure. 'This is definitely the biggest project we've ever tackled,' Amanda said. 'We had a deadline to move out of our rental and had to get the house ready for us to move in, but my husband and I thrive under pressure.' Before: The entrance once had 'ugly' terracotta tiles, wooden beams and an open archway leading to the living room As you step into the home you're greeted by the staircase and through the barnyard sliding doors on the left awaits a living room Amanda has an interior design business and experience in project management while Dan has building skills Amanda has an interior design business and experience in project management while Dan has building skills - making them the prefect team. Amanda's dad, who's a retired builder, also helped with construction. 'I project managed the whole thing and we chose the colours, tiling, material and cabinets we wanted,' Amanda said. When curating the look, she used mood boards to pull all her ideas together and took inspiration from Pinterest. To keep costs low, they did some construction and DIY work, such as removing the 'ugly' terracotta tiles. The floorplan was tweaked slightly and the plumbing was barely touched to minimise costs further. 'The home was very grand for its time but functionally it didn't make sense anymore. There were lots of small rooms and we wanted to streamline the floorplan a bit better,' Amanda said. Eight doors were removed and walls were removed to create an open-plan living space. Upstairs a big indoor spa room was demolished and turned into an office space. The floorplan was tweaked slightly and the plumbing was barely touched to minimise costs further (pictured: old kitchen) The new kitchen features a double oven and stovetop, ample bench space, a large island and double fridge The home also once had salmon pink bathrooms (pictured) The bathrooms were transformed into chic, modern spaces As you step into the home you're greeted by the staircase and through the barnyard sliding doors on the left awaits a living room. Natural white was used throughout the home on walls and cabinets with accents of oak and stone. The new kitchen features a double oven and stovetop, ample bench space, a large island and double fridge. The kitchen is part of the open plan dining space which looks out to the backyard. The styling choices make the home feel lush and luxurious, and the big windows welcome in natural sunlight to make the rooms appear larger. All four bedrooms have built-in wardrobes The pool was once an odd curvy shape and was changed to a rectangle When asked what advice she would give to other Aussies looking to renovate, Amanda listed a few key points. 'Do you research and plan as much as you can. A lot of people underestimate how much work and money goes into renovating and it can be really overwhelming,' she said. 'Be clear on your vision and get quotes from different tradespeople. Find people you can trust to work with.' If you opt for a full renovation, also make sure the design is 'cohesive'. 'You need to go the extra mile with full renovations because you want the house to feel like a new built, not an existing build with an extension,' she added. King Frederik has honoured his wife Queen Mary with a rare and priceless gift on the morning of his 56th birthday - amid rumours their relationship is in trouble. The King honoured his Australian-born Queen with the Grand Commander's Cross of the Order of the Dane. The honour has been given sparingly throughout history - with just seven title holders alive today including Queen Margrethe and Prince Joachim. King Frederik and his brother, Prince Joachim were the last recipients of the rare prize, and were awarded it in 2004. Only eight people are admitted to the order at any one time - now Queen Mary has been given the honours just one place remains. The Order of the Dannebrog honours the faithful servants of the modern Danish state for meritorious civil or military service, for a particular contribution to the arts, sciences or business life, or for working for Danish interests. Once known as the 'White Knights', the order was initially limited to royal and noble men - before Christian the 8th broke the tradition in 1840 by awarding it to his aunt Queen Marie Sophie Frederikke. King Frederik has honoured his wife Queen Mary with a rare and priceless gift on the morning of his 56th birthday - amid rumours their relationship is in trouble The King's mother, Queen Margrethe and his children Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine appeared alongside the royal couple The royal couple appeared to be at ease as they appeared on the balcony of Amalienborg castle together in hounour of Frederik's first birthday as King. Queen Mary stunned on the balcony in a pink puff-sleeved dress by numero ventuno, (Number 21), she wore her hair down and wore a simple gold watch, necklace and earrings for the occasion. Her daughters Princess Isabella and Princess Josephine both wore hand-me-downs courtesy of their very fashionable mother. Princess Isabella wore the Aliane Wrap Midi Dress by Zimmermann, worth $1100. While Princess Josephine opted for the Belted Burnout Viscose Linen Dress by Paul and Joe Paris. The couple appeared more familiar than they have in months, as they waved from the balcony The King's 56th birthday is his first since taking the top job Both Princesses opted to keep their accessories light, and their hair out mimicking their mum's relaxed look. Royal watchers appeared pleased to see the popular royal couple hand-in-hand as they smiled at the crowd below. They jittered in excitement when the Queen brushed past her husband gently and in their once signature 'tactile and care-free' style. 'Congratulations on your birthday, lovely to see the whole family on the balcony,' one woman said. The King honoured his Australian-born Queen with the Grand Commander's Cross of the Order of the Dane 'They feel warm again,' said another. The couple's relationship has been under the microscope since Last November when the then Crown Prince was pictured on a night out in Madrid with socialite Genoveva Casanova. Lecturas reported that, during their night out, Prince Frederik and Ms Casanova visited a Pablo Picasso exhibition, walked through El Retiro Park and later went out for dinner. At around 7pm, Lecturas claimed both Frederik and Genoveva went to her apartment building separately, and both re-emerged at around 9pm, two hours later, both having changed their clothes into evening wear. In the photos, Genoveva had ditched her chic camel coat with a tie belt in favour of a white shirt, black wide-leg trousers and a black jacket worn on her shoulders. Meanwhile Frederik appeared to have changed from a navy jacket and brown trousers into a white shirt and dark trousers with a smart dark jacket. Again, they were reported to have emerged from the building separately, but got into the same white car. The magazine claimed the pair watched a flamenco performance at a Spanish restaurant, El Corral de la Moreria, which finished at midnight. It also claimed they remained at their table, which had been flanked by two of the Danish Prince's bodyguards, while other customers left, waiters finished up their shifts and the lights were being switched off. Lecturas claimed the pair did not emerge from the restaurant until 1am, when they walked out onto the street and got in a car. In a 'gesture of courtesy', Lecturas reports Prince Frederik opened the car door for his dinner companion. Next day, the magazine claims the heir to the Danish throne was taken to the airport via car where he flew home to Denmark. When most people think back to their wedding day, they are teary-eyed with nostalgia, wishing they could re-live the celebrations. But Christy Aaron draws a blank. Just two and a half weeks after she married husband Jake Aaron in September 2018, the small business owner, from Alabama, suffered a catastrophic brain bleed. Doctors gave her a 10 percent chance of survival. She did survive, but can remember nothing of the three years leading up to the deadly attack. 'Jake shows me videos and pictures of the wedding, but they don't jolt my brain into remembering. To me, the pictures look like a woman at a wedding and nothing more,' she said. Christy and Jasper Aaron married in September 2018, but 17 days later Christy suffered a brain bleed that robbed her memory of the special day Christy was rushed to University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital by helicopter after doctors discovered the bleed Mrs Aaron, now 31, hopes to say 'I do' to her husband again in a wedding she will remember. Her ordeal began with one evening in September 2018, when she noticed a migraine coming on. She thought little of it, until she woke up the next morning feeling like her head was about to explode. 'I was having migraines...I woke up burning up, so I jumped into the shower and stood under cold water,' she told The Lede. She had a very high temperature and her right leg felt numb. They pitched up at Walker Baptist Medical Center, where doctors told Mrs Aaron her blood pressure was 'through the roof.' Drugs to try and bring her blood pressure down did not appear to work. Doctors decided to do a CT scan, as Mrs Aaron began slipping into a coma. GOT A HEALTH-RELATED STORY? EMAIL: Health@dailymail.com Advertisement 'By this point she didn't have much control over her body,' her husband wrote in a Facebook post recounting the ordeal. 'It was very difficult for me to hold her still enough for the scan.' A doctor him that his wife had a bleed in her brain caused by a ruptured aneurysm and must be seen by a neurosurgeon as soon as possible. She was rushed to University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital by helicopter, and after spending 57 days there and undergoing multiple surgeries, she was able to leave. But the hard work was just beginning, as she had to relearn to talk and walk again. Nearly six years after the aneurysm, she is still in physical and speech therapy, and has been left with vision issues. The pair hope to redo their wedding but plan to wait until Mrs Aaron is back to full health. A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning blood vessel. It can leak, causing bleeding in the brain, which can be life threatening. Symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm include a sudden, severe headache, nausea and vomiting, a stiff neck, blurred or double vision, sensitivity to light, seizure and loss of consciousness. An unruptured aneurysm may not have any symptoms and could not require treatment. The causes of brain aneurysms are often unclear, as was the case with Mrs Aaron's. Risk factors for brain bleeds include high blood pressure, smoking, heavy drinking and old age. Treatment may include surgery or medication to restore blood flow and relieve pain. Twin Dallas doctors have pleaded guilty to scamming insurance firms out of $45million by giving thousands of patients pricey pain-relief shots that didn't even penetrate the skin. Brothers Deno Barroga and Desi Barroga, 51, claimed that the injections they offered contained corticosteroid injections - anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat a host of conditions including arthritis, sciatica and back pain. Thousands of patients would attend their clinic on a monthly basis, with treatment funded by major insurers including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare. But a legal investigation revealed that the twins, who specialize in rehabilitation, were pressing needles against patients' skin without injecting, and rubbing the spot with a local anesthetic, presumably to mimic the uncomfortable feeling of a shot. Brothers Deno Barroga and Desi Barroga, 51, admitted to defrauding health insurance companies by submitting claims for corticosteroid injections - anti-inflammatory drugs to treat arthritis - which they never gave In 2016, Dr Deno Barrogas (pictured) was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and undergo a physician prescribing course after the board found he wrongly prescribed controlled substances and other medications to his patients The Barrogas told insurance companies that they performed up to 80 corticosteroid injections per patient, per visit. The twins made fake medical records, which were typically often cut and pasted, or cloned, from patient to patient with minimal changes. They also told patients to include false statements about the injections and other treatments in the record. The Barrogas admitted to billing insurers at least $45million and were paid at least $9million between early 2016 and late 2022. The men are now awaiting sentencing and face up to 10 years each in federal prison. As part of the scheme, the doctors would ask patients to visit their office monthly to receive pain management drugs, including hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine They have both given up their DEA registrations and been forced to forfeit their medical licenses at least 14 days prior to sentencing. The doctors, whose office was at 7515 Greenville Ave in Dallas, Texas, have previously come under scrutiny. In 2021, Desi was put on a remedial plan - a settlement to resolve an investigation - after the Texas Medical Board found he did not properly maintain medical records, patient history, and examination details. It was also ruled that he failed to provide an acceptable rationale for prescribing controlled substances, including fentanyl patches, to a patient. Meanwhile, in 2016, Deno was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and undergo a physician prescribing course after the board found he wrongly prescribed controlled substances and other medications to his patients. Men in Yorkshire are the most likely in England to need a bit of assistance in the bedroom, NHS data suggest. Official data shows nearly 3.5 per cent of men in the East Riding were prescribed Viagra, also known by its generic name sildenafil, in 2023. This was followed by men in Northumberland and Dorset who each came second and third for prescription rates of the erectile dysfunction drug at around 3.2 per cent each. The Yorkshire region appears to be particularly hard-hit by impotency with its cities and towns Rotherham, Barnsley, Harrogate, Scarborough and Whitby, featuring in the top 10 areas for Viagra prescriptions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, men in Leicester City appeared to be the least likely to need help from the little blue pill to maintain an erection, with a prescription rate of only 1.6 per cent. This map shows the areas where people were most and least likely to be prescribed sildenafil the key ingredient in the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra on the NHS Other areas In England with low similarly low prescription rates were North West London (1.7 per cent) as well as Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (1.9 per cent). For comparison, the national rate for sildenafil prescriptions is 2.5 per cent across England. These figures were calculated by examining NHS prescription data collected from England's 106 Clinical Commissioning Groups, the Sun reported. In total, last year about 750,000 men in England got 4.3million prescriptions for the drugs, costing the NHS 16.4million. However, the data might not give a true indication of where men are most reliant on the little blue pill. Men can buy a course sildenafil over the counter for as little as 15 and tablets also readily available online for as little as 1.30 per pill. Such private purchases of the drug wouldn't be included in the NHS data. Sildenafil also isn't just prescribed for erectile dysfunction. Such medications also, less famously, treat pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure in the arteries that supply the lungs. The same mechanism by which the drugs increase blood flow to the penis also relaxes blood vessels in the chest helping to treat pulmonary hypertension. London Bridge Hospital consultant urologist Gordon Muir suggested the data may also not reflect solely the need for the drugs, but also where people were most comfortable taking to their GP about sexual health. 'Discussing sexual problems with a GP may be more difficult for some religious or ethnic groups, and some regions may be more sympathetic than others,' he said. 'Drugs such as sildenafil are safe, cheap and effective. 'Men using them, and their partners have a significant increase in wellbeing.' Impotency is no laughing matter and men suffering from the problem frequently are urged to seek advice from their GP. Not only can it impact their sexual and mental health erection problems can also be potential sign of serious health problems like cardiovascular disease. However, not all men are advised to take drugs like sildenafil, for example those with heart problems are warned against taking it. About one in 100 people taking sildenafil will experience common side effects from taking sildenafil. These include headaches, nausea, hot flushes, indigestion, a stuffy nose and dizziness, according to the NHS. Those taking the pills for longer periods, such as for pulmonary hypertension, are more likely to experience these effects than those taking the pills on an 'as needed' basis for erectile dysfunction, the health service says. Where men were least likely to be prescribed Viagra Leicester City: 1.582 per cent North West London: 1.665 per cent Cambridgeshire and Peterborough: 1.877 per cent North East London: 1.891 per cent South West London: 1.924 per cent Berkshire West: 1.937 per cent Thurrock: 1.956 per cent North Central London: 1.989 per cent Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes: 1.993 per cent Oxfordshire: 1.993 per cent Advertisement Where men were most likely to be prescribed Viagra East Riding of Yorkshire: 3.406 per cent Northumberland: 3.227 per cent Dorset: 3.207 per cent Fylde and Wyre: 3.170 per cent Bassetlaw: 3.143 per cent Barnsley: 3.140 per cent North Yorkshire: 3.138 per cent Rotherham 3.136 per cent Wirral: 3.112 per cent St Helens: 3.045 per cent Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. More serious side effects requiring urgent medical care are estimated to affect less than one in 1,000 people. These include seizures, suffering a prolonged and potentially painful erection especially for over two hours, chest pain, and in very rare cases a life-threatening allergic reaction to the medication called anaphylaxis. Earlier this year MailOnline revealed that popular erection pills such as Viagra have been linked to more than 200 deaths in Britain. None of the fatalities all of which have occurred since 1998 are proven to have been caused directly by the drugs. Melanoma skin cancer rates are expected to reach a record high in the UK this summer, with experts issuing a warning to sunworshippers. Rates of the cancer, which is usually caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or tanning beds, have increased by almost a third in a decade. And with summer holidays fast approaching, research suggests that 20,800 cases of the disease could be expected this year. The figures, revealed by charity Cancer Research UK, have prompted an appeal for people to use high-factor sunscreen, spend time in the shade and cover up rather than risk sunburn. It has also sparked a fresh warning about the dangers of using a sunbed to get a tan before going on holiday. Melanoma frequently starts as a new mole, or a change in mole you already have. Here, MailOnline reveals the simple, ABCDE checklist that doctors use to spot melanomas... A - asymmetrical This refers to the symmetry of your mole. Looking for moles with an uneven or irregular shape could help you spot an early sign of a melanoma. That's because, unlike normal moles which are usually round with smooth edges, melanomas are often not symmetrical. They may have two different shaped halves and uneven edges, according to the NHS. If a mole stands out and looks different to your other moles, it's advised to get it checked by your GP. B - border This refers to the shape of the edges of your mole. Melanomas are also more likely to have irregular edges or might have blurred or jagged edges, Cancer Research UK says. For comparison, Macmillan says ordinary moles 'usually have a clear, smooth-edged border'. They can appear on any part of the body. In men, melanomas are most commonly found on the back and in women the most common site is the legs, the charity says. C - colour This refers to the colour of your mole. A mole with different shades and colours could be a melanoma. Melanomas can have different shades from a mix of brown and black to red, pink, white or even a blue tint, says Macmillan. However, normal moles are usually only shades of brown. Some people with pale skin or fair hair get melanomas which are red and pink, but not brown, says Macmillan. The charity adds that this is called amelanotic melanoma and is rare in comparison to other types of melanoma. D - diameter This refers to the size of your mole and how wide it is. Usually moles are only the size of the end of a pencil or smaller. But if you spot a mole that is more than 6mm wide it could be a melanoma. Macmillan says that for people with lots of moles, including some that are above 5mm, they are likely to have been there for years without changing. 'It is recommended that people with lots of moles or bigger moles get them checked by a dermatologist,' the charity says. 'This is important if you have had changes to moles in the past.' E - evolving This refers to how your mole might be evolving and changing. Most harmless moles stay the same shape over time, but melanomas often get bigger change shape and even colour. The change in shape can include the area becoming raised or dome-shaped, says Macmillan. If the mole is flat, it may stay that way but become wider, it adds. It's not just size and shape to watch out for melanomas can also become swollen and sore. This can cause them to become itchy or tingly, bleed and also appear crusty, the NHS warns. Some melanomas develop from existing moles and grow on what was previously normal skin, says Cancer Research UK. So, it is important to keep an eye on changes and if any 'normal moles' become itchy, swollen or start to become irritated. But the earlier a melanoma is found the easier it is to treat, so it is important to see your GP as soon as possible if you have these skin changes, warns Cancer Research UK. Sun-loving Brits have been urged to do all they can to avoid getting melanoma this summer. Melanoma is one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer, accounting for four out of five deaths due to the disease but only 1 per cent of total cases. With the cancer is extremely treatable if caught in early, experts have urged people to keep an eye out for any potential signs of the disease. It comes as Cancer Research UK warns melanoma skin cancer rates are expected to reach a record high in the UK this summer. Rates of the cancer, which is usually caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or tanning beds, have increased by almost a third in a decade. And with summer holidays fast approaching, research suggests that 20,800 cases of the disease could be expected this year. Here, dermatologists to break down the early warning signs of skin cancer you need to know to help you protect yourself. Signs of skin cancer range from innocuous to obvious, but experts warn that treating cases early is key to making sure they do not spread or further develop Asymmetrical moles Dermatologists follow the ABCDEs when diagnosing melanoma; that is, asymmetry, border, colour, diameter, and evolving. Most melanomas, the rarest but most dangerous form of skin cancer that is most likely to spread, present as moles that have uneven edges. It looks different from common moles, the round, brown or tan spots on the skin caused by growing clusters of cells in the skin called melanocytes. Dr Nayoung Lee, a dermatologist at NYU Langone Health said: If you cant fold the mole in half, if edges dont line up that could be melanoma. Irregular borders of a mole, the B in ABCDEs, can also indicate melanoma. The edges of a normal mole are uniform and smooth. Charity The Skin Cancer Foundation advises people to look out for ugly ducklings - unsightly moles that very clearly stick out from the pack all over the body. The foundation says: This recognition strategy is based on the concept that most normal moles on your body resemble one another, while melanomas stand out like ugly ducklings in comparison. Moles of uneven colours Colour, the C in ABCDEs, is a strong indicator of dangerous melanoma. Healthy moles are typically a single colour, from dark and light brown to pink and flesh-toned. Some moles become cancerous and change colours gradually. Roughly 20 to 30 percent of melanoma cases develop in existing moles. The other 70 to 80 percent of the time, cancerous moles arise on otherwise healthy-looking skin. But a suspicious mole often contains several shades of brown, black, or tan, as well as spots of pink, red or purple. It becomes more colourful as cancer progresses, so early action is crucial. In fact, 99 percent of patients who detect and begin treating their melanoma early survive five years or more after their diagnosis. Dr Zaineb Makhzoumi, a dermatologist at the University of Maryland who specialises in a type of surgery to remove cancerous moles, said: Once you start to get two, three, four colours fused within one mole, that should be a warning sign and you should have that mole evaluated by a board-certified dermatologist. Moles larger than a pea Size matters when it comes to suspicious moles. Melanomas typically present a bit bigger than a pea or a pencil eraser, about six millimeters or a quarter inch. Dr Makhzoumi said: Most moles, if they're benign, are smaller than a pencil eraser. If you have a mole that's bigger than a pencil eraser that is not in and of itself a warning sign and concerning. But rather when taken with the other constellation of signs, that's something that you want evaluated by a dermatologist. Not all melanomas subscribe to the D in ABCDEs where D means a diameter of at least six millimeters. In 2013, doctors in Queensland, Australia treated a 38-year-old woman with invasive melanoma on her arm that measured just 1.6 mm in diameter. Dr Nayoung Lee (left), a dermatologist at New York University, said that moles with multiple different colours within them can be a warning sign. Dr Zaineb Makhzoumi (right), a dermatologist at the University of Maryland, warned that multi-coloured moles are a sign of cancer The small cancerous mole also did not appear asymmetrical, the woman's doctors noted, but it was darker that those around it What is malignant melanoma? Malignant melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, cells found in the upper layer of skin that produce melanin, which gives skin its colour. While less common that other types of skin cancer, it is more dangerous because of its ability to spread to other organs more rapidly if it is not treated at an early stage. Symptoms A new mole or a change in an existing mole may be signs of melanoma. Melanomas can appear anywhere on your body, but they're more common in areas that are often exposed to the sun. Some rarer types can affect the eyes, soles of the feet, palms of the hands or genitals. Check your skin for any unusual changes. Use a mirror or ask a partner or friend to check any areas you cannot see. In particular, look for: Moles with an uneven shape or edges Moles with a mix of colours Large moles - melanomas often tend to be more than 6mm wide Moles that change size, shape or colour over time Causes Ultraviolet (UV) light is the most common cause of melanoma. It comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds. Melanoma is more common in older people, but younger people can also get it. You're also more likely to get melanoma if you have: Pale skin that burns easily in the sun Red or blonde hair Blue or green eyes A large number of freckles or moles Had a lot of sun exposure and you've had sunburn a lot in the past Used sunbeds a lot A history of skin cancer in your family or you've had skin cancer before If you have black or brown skin, you have a lower chance of getting melanoma, but you can still get it. Prevention Staying safe in the sun is the best way to lower your chance of getting skin cancer (both melanoma and non-melanoma). Do the following: Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day (11am to 3pm in the UK) Keep your arms and legs covered and wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that provide protection against ultraviolet (UV) rays Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and at least 4-star UVA protection make sure you reapply it regularly Make sure babies and children are protected from the sun their skin is much more sensitive than adult skin Treatment Melanoma skin cancer can often be treated. The treatment you have will depend on where it is, if it has spread and your general health. Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma. Radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used. Surgery could involve removing the melanoma and an area of healthy skin around it, swollen lymph nodes if the cancer has spread to them and other parts of the body if it has spread to them. If a large part of skin has to be removed, a skin graft might be needed which could see kin taken from another part of the body to cover the area where the melanoma was. Radiotherpay is sometimes used to reduce the size of large melanomas and help control and relieve symptoms. Targeted medicines and immotherapy are used to treat melanomas that can't be dealt with by surgery, or have spread to lymph glands or other parts of the body. Chemotherapy, which kills cancer cells, is sometimes used to treat advanced melanoma when it has spread to another part of the body. It does not work as well as other treatments, but can be used if you are unable to have them. How dangerous is it? Generally for people with melanoma in England: almost all people (almost 100%) will survive their melanoma for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed around 90 out of every 100 people (around 90%) will survive their melanoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85%) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed Sources: NHS, the Skin Cancer Foundation and Cancer Research UK Advertisement Doctors must also monitor how a mole evolves over time. This is the E in ABCDEs. Changes in the size, shape, colour, or elevation of a spot or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching, or crusting, may be a warning sign of melanoma. Dr Makhzoumi said: Moles tend to go through an evolution, but the evolution of moles tends to be that that they shrink, or they disappear. If you have a mole that's evolving in that it's growing, it's getting darker, it's elevated, that's really, really key for melanoma, Melanoma grows in two phases, horizontal and vertical. The horizontal phase can last years before the mole becomes dangerous and invasive, meaning it spreads to lymph nodes and organs. But in a later phase, the lesion grows vertically, at which point it becomes a tumor with the ability to spread elsewhere in the body, potentially proving fatal. Dr Makhzoumi added: Once melanoma enters that vertical growth phase, they actually accelerate very rapidly. So if you have a spot that all of a sudden starts to develop a lump to it, that is highly concerning for malignant melanoma. Bleeding or scaly patches These will often appear on areas of the skin most often exposed to sunlight, such as the face and the top of the head. Precancerous squamous cell carcinoma leads to actinic keratosis leads to a skin disorder that causes rough, scaly patches. The patches can sometimes bleed and become ulcerous. Dr Lee said: 'They just feel scaly so you can feel them more than see them.' People that have a history of heavy sun exposure are most likely to experience this type of skin cancer. With every bad, blistering sunburn comes a heightened risk of squamous cell carcinoma. Fair-skinned people and those with light eyes who are more prone to sunburn are also more vulnerable to SCC. More often than not, though, squamous cell carcinoma is curable when treated early. In fact, the survival rate is as high as 98 percent. A sore that bleeds may indicate another type of non-melanoma skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma which, like SCC, has a high survival rate. Still, people should treat it aggressively once its detected. Dr Lee said: Depending on location they can grow deeper in muscle and bone, so they do become problematic if left to grow for a long period of time. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of cancer overall and the most common type of skin cancer more specifically. The number of new cases in the US exceeds 4 million cases each year. Dr Lee added: Basal cell carcinomas, we dont even stage them because survival rates are good. Dark patches on genitals Melanoma can present as dark lesions on the mucous membranes, meaning the inside of the nose, mouth, vagina, or anus, or the fingers and toes. This subtype of aggressive cancer is exceedingly rare and accounts for less than two percent of all melanoma cases. Unlike other types of melanoma, mucosal melanoma is not affected by sun exposure. About half of the mucosal melanomas start in the head and neck, typically the nose, mouth, windpipe, or esophagus. Smoking, ill-fitting dentures, and ingesting or inhaling carcinogens all greatly compound the risk of sarcomas in the mouth. Most of the remaining 50 percent of melanomas begin in the anus or rectal region and the female genitals. Spots on mucosal areas might not be melanomas but rather squamous cell carcinomas. Dr Lee said: 'Initially when its early it kind of looks like a whitish bump or ridge on the mucosal surface. So as it grows it starts to look more like an ulcer, it can look fungated [like a fungal infection in appearance], or other things. While doctors have not pinpointed the exact cause of mucosal membrane melanomas and non-melanoma cancers, some believe they are linked to a viral strain of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV strains 16 and 18 are those deemed high risk and cause the vast majority of cervical cancers. But strains six and 11, lower risk varieties, are more commonly associated with non-UV-linked skin cancers inside our bodies' orifices. Dr Makhzoumi said: 'The subtypes that are causing a cervical cancer are not the same subtypes that are causing skin cancer.' Patients can sometimes mistake nonmelanoma cancers in the genital region with a sexually transmitted infection, but doctors want to drive home the fact that this type of cancer is not a sexually transmitted disease. Waxy, pearly bumps on skin Basal cell carcinoma, which typically appears on sun-exposed parts of the body like hands, neck, arms, and legs, often present as a waxy lump or a small, smooth, shiny, or pale growth. It does not always appear raised, though, and could resemble a flat scar. Dr Makhzoumi said: You really want to look for a basal cell skin cancer, one of the really specific signs is that when you stretch the edges, it looks pearly. There's an opalescence to it, there's an opalescence to basal cells, they do really look like shiny or pearl-like. Hundreds of NHS hospitals will roll out Martha's Rule in a major patient safety shake-up and MailOnline can reveal the full list of hospitals already signed up to take part. The new guidance puts in writing for the first time patients' rights to a medical second opinion described today by NHS boss Professor Sir Stephen Powis as 'one of the most important changes to patient care in recent years.' It was named after 13-year-old Martha Mills who died while under the care of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London in 2021. Speaking on the BBC's Today programme Martha's mother, Merope, said the large number of hospitals that had willingly volunteered to take part was 'really encouraging' and showed 'the need for this is widely recognised by doctors.' The new rules would play a role in 'changing the culture of the NHS' and challenge 'deference' towards doctors that exists in some hospitals, she added. The move follows the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills in 2021. She developed sepsis while under the care of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London Martha died of sepsis, a dangerous overreaction by the body's immune system to an infection which causes it to attack healthy tissue, after a pancreatic injury following a fall from her bike. But a coroner ruled she would most likely have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs of her rapidly deteriorating condition, and transferred her to intensive care, earlier. Her death came despite her parents expressing concern about her deteriorating condition to her medical team on multiple occasions. In the wake of her death her grieving parents campaigned for Martha's Rule, an established formal right for families to get a second opinion from medics, if they feel their concerns aren't being taken seriously. Her death came despite her parents expressing concern about her deteriorating condition to her medical team on multiple occasions. Ms Mills said: 'It's just as important that Martha's Rule plays a part in changing the culture of the NHS. 'We hope it will do an immense amount of good by improving communication and encouraging doctors just to be more open and to listen to patients more carefully.' 'We also want patients to be able to challenge this culture of deference that we have, this sense that [the] doctor always knows best, because I personally have come to believe that a more equal relationship is a safer relationship.' Ms Mills hoped the hotline, staffed by a critical care outreach team, would be seen as 'a bit like 999 or 111, within a hospital setting, that you can call if you feel something is going wrong.' Here, MailOnline explains how patients and their loved ones will be able to access help under Martha's Rule. A total of 143 NHS hospitals will be taking part in the initial rollout, the full list of which we have published below. An NHS announcement stated this first phase will see Martha's Rule in place at the 143 sites from now until March 2025 at the latest. A wider rollout across the entirety of the NHS in England is also planned. Martha's Rule itself will consist of three components: Firstly, an 'escalation process' where both patients and their loved ones can contact a specific outreach team 24/7 via telephone hotline number if they have concerns over their care, and want an 'urgent review', better known as a second opinion. This team, who Ms Mills said would be 'very used to dealing with very ill patients' will then independently assess the case and 'escalate care if necessary'. The hotline number will be advertised throughout the hospitals on posters and leaflets, with each number unique to each hospital. Secondly, NHS staff themselves will also have access to the same team to raise the alarm if they feel a patient in their care is not being escalated adequately. One example of this could be junior medic having concerns over a patient but having these dismissed by a senior colleague. Lastly, medics will also formally be required to record any insights and information about a patient's health that is noted by a patient's family. This, the NHS states, will ensure 'any concerning changes in behaviour or condition noticed by the people who know the patient best are considered by staff'. The exact form of the leaflets and posters to advertise Martha's Rule hasn't been confirmed. Martha Mills' mother, Merope, said she was pleased the need for 'Martha's Rule' it has been so widely recognised But the NHS said it was working with Martha's parents, Merope Mills, an editor at the Guardian, and her husband Paul Laity, to develop these materials. On the announcement of the NHS sites taking part in the roll-out Martha's parents said: 'Martha's Rule... will save lives and encourage better, more open, communication on hospital wards, so that patients feel they are listened to, and partners in their healthcare.' NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis, called Martha's Rule 'one of the most important changes to patient care in recent years'. He added: 'While thankfully the need for escalation of care will hopefully only be needed in a limited number of cases, this three-step safety net has the opportunity to truly transform patient care and safety.' NHS Providers, a membership organisation for NHS trusts in England, welcomed the rollout. Its deputy chief executive, Saffron Cordery, said: 'Leaders across the NHS know more needs to be done to improve patient safety and the importance of creating an open and learning culture as the foundation of safe and effective care. 'This is a further helpful step to support that important goal.' Houston Police Chief Troy Finner addresses a class of cadets in May 2022. Finner resigned Wednesday night amid the dropped cases scandal that has led to disciplinary measures for two other HPD administrators. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Months before former Chief Troy Finner abruptly retired amid a growing scandal over dropped cases, his relationship with one of the police unions had frayed over discipline, an attorney for the Houston Police Officers Union said. Though the overall number of discipline letters handed out to officers declined to around 350 per year with Finner, from over 450 during former Chief Art Acevedo's tenure, Aaron Suder, general counsel for the union, said the percentage of lengthy suspensions remained roughly equivalent, around 21% to 26%. There are 6,239 police department employees. Finner could not be reached for comment. Attorneys representing disciplined officers have had a high rate of success fighting those decisions in arbitration, costing the department and officers money and resources, Suder said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Houston police dropped 264k cases. The officers union says the chief should stay out of the investigation. At what point will HPD leadership realize that they are simply not exercising good judgment or good decision-making when it comes to discipline? Suder said. But some civil rights advocates argue that the increased accountability is important, especially for those who've been injured by police, and that discipline hasn't been as harsh as the union claims. Next chief will also have to navigate discipline with union Though Finner is gone, whoever steps in as his replacement will face many of the same challenges with the union. Representatives for the Houston Police Department declined comment, saying they were prohibited from discussing officer discipline. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But Suder provided data showing that starting under Acevedo, the number of discipline letters filed each year increased significantly, along with the number of suspensions from around 350 letters and 43 suspensions in 2017 to a peak of 462 letters in 2018 and 119 suspensions in 2021. While the overall number decreased somewhat in recent years, Suder said the percentage of suspensions longer than five days has remained consistently more than 20%. To be honest, morale around the department is extremely low right now, said Douglas Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union. And a lot of it is due to heavy-handed discipline. In particular, he said more officers have been cited for department infractions over scene management and sound judgment. This is the departments effort to justify disciplining people for what they believe were infractions but werent tied to any specific general order, Griffith said. They argue the officer should have known better. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mayor John Whitmire said Thursday that, given their separate responsibilities, there have always been issues between the union and the chiefs. When asked if he thought a new chief might be able to smooth over some of those differences, Whitmire pointed to issues between the fire department chief and that union as an example of the issues not being isolated. Civil rights group: Discipline measures there for a reason Alfredo Dominguez, Houston Policing Project manager for the Civil Rights Corps, said it's not uncommon for police unions to chide against accountability measures but that they're important, given the power officers hold over residents. "Police can often harm people with impunity," he said. "You can't have a system like that without strong, powerful accountability measures." Leaders at many departments across the country spoke out after the murder of George Floyd about more accountability and transparency in the law enforcement profession, Dominguez said. But few seem to have followed through with real action. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Gregory Fremin, a retired captain from the Houston Police Department and now a professor at Sam Houston State University, said another issue that began under Acevedo is that officers were being cited for infractions that arise not from a specific complaint but from reviews of body camera video for a separate issue. For instance, maybe someone complained about an officers conduct, but the video shows that the officer didnt behave inappropriately, but something was found that was completely unrelated during the review, Fremin explained. The department's public accountability dashboard, established in the wake of the Floyd murder, shows that the majority of 835 disciplinary actions from the beginning of 2022 to May 24, 2024, were described as procedure, and most received zero days of suspension. For the 15 officers disciplined for excessive force, most received five days of suspension or none. The largest suspension listed is 30 days, which two officers have received since 2022. The dashboard shows that in that time period, there were 11,367 use-of-force incidents. The majority of the 21 officers disciplined for improper actions toward a citizen also received no suspension. According to Suder, the majority of complaints against officers are generated internally, usually by a supervisor, with only a minority coming from residents. There is a provision in the existing bargaining agreement allowing officers disciplined with suspensions of less than five days to give up their ability to take the matter to arbitration in exchange for converting the suspension to a written reprimand. Officers can do that twice in their career. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Union disagreements with chiefs nothing new Suder said the relationship between the departments brass and the rank-and-file officers has been smoother at times, saying former Chief Charles McClelland navigated the relationship well. In a May 1 essay penned for the union, Suder wrote that the frequent wins in arbitration by the organizations attorneys show the ineffectiveness of the uptick in discipline. According to union data, of the 46 people the union represented in arbitration between April 1, 2021, and May 1, 2024, 40 had their discipline overturned or reduced, with 20 having it overturned entirely. Disciplinary actions cost the department money, and leaders would be better served by coming up with alternatives to suspending and terminating officers, Suder said. Fremin agreed that discipline seemed to increase during Acevedos tenure as chief. But he argued that Finner did a better job balancing discipline with treating officers fairly and that the union acted too harshly against him. Lung cancer can now be diagnosed and treated at the same time using a new type of robotic surgery. Margaret Kirkham, 77, a retired careers officer from Chiswick, West London, was the first patient in the world to have the new two-in-one procedure, as she tells ADRIAN MONTI. The patient Just over two years ago, I suddenly became more breathless and would even have to stop talking mid-sentence to catch my breath. My GP examined me and sent me to A&E for tests, including a chest X-ray. I got a call the next morning to come straight back for a CT scan as it looked as if part of my lung had collapsed. I was quite shocked. A doctor explained that a large mass had been found on my left lung, which looked like cancer. Luckily, they told me, it had not spread. Margaret Kirkham, 77, was the first patient in the world to be treated with the 2-in-1 method I used to be a smoker but had given up 20 years before, and although I was told my cancer was probably not caused by tobacco because of its molecular structure, I still felt guilty. My tumour measured 7cm by 6cm by 6cm: I pictured it as a large solid rectangle. It couldn't be surgically removed as it was close to my heart and entwined in the main airways to the lung. This sounded dreadful, but my consultant reassured me that it was slow-growing and could be controlled with treatment. In April 2022, I began chemotherapy and radiotherapy and it worked quickly, with my lung reinflating, making breathing much easier. A scan that July showed the tumour had shrunk dramatically. I then had monthly immunotherapy until last August. By then, the original tumour had gone but there was a small new nodule, on my left lung. It wasn't safe to have any more radiotherapy, though, and I couldn't have surgery. But my consultant mentioned a new technique was being trialled for smaller, hard-to-reach lung tumours. This involved ablation, where heat is used to destroy cancer. I was referred to Professor Pallav Shah, the lung specialist responsible for the trial. He explained I'd be given a general anaesthetic, then a flexible tube would be guided down my windpipe. Attached to a sophisticated robotic system, it could navigate deep into my lungs to take a biopsy and then they'd use a tiny ablation tool to use heat to destroy tiny cancerous nodules. After the surgery in November, I felt fine and with no pain. It put a smile on my face to learn that I was the first to have this procedure. I'd never been first at anything before! Scans showed the tumour was successfully ablated and I was back to my usual life within a week. I have slight breathlessness due to scar tissue from the ablation and radiation, but that's a small price to pay. I'm not on any medication and feel well and positive and I am making up for lost time I've just been on a painting trip to Cadiz. I'm extremely grateful to have been on this trial, which will hopefully benefit many others. The specialist Professor Pallav Shah is a consultant physician in respiratory health at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. Lung cancer is the UK's third most common cancer, with 40,000 cases diagnosed annually and a very low survival rate. (Just 20 per cent of patients live five years or longer). This is because it does not cause obvious symptoms so is generally picked up at an advanced stage, often during investigations for complaints such as persistent cough, weight loss or chest pain. But if we can treat tumours when they're smaller than 10mm, the cure rate is 92 per cent. Currently, most people are diagnosed when the cancer spot, or nodule, is above 30mm, where the cure rate is 68 per cent. Since April last year, we've been using a pioneering robotic-assisted system, the Ion Endoluminal System, at the Royal Brompton. Using a robotically-controlled catheter system, it can reach nodules as small as 6mm. This allows us to carry out a minimally-invasive biopsy on any part of the lung, even in places normally very hard to reach within the tiny bronchioles, or branches, of the airway 'tree'. Lung cancer is the UK's third most common cancer, with 40,000 cases diagnosed annually We can also now use the Ion system with a new ablation tool, using heat to destroy the cancer, for patients who are not suitable for conventional surgery or radiotherapy, Currently, a standard lung cancer biopsy involves inserting a needle through the chest wall and into the lung, using a CT scanner for guidance. This is done under general anaesthetic, and results take a week. There is a risk of lung puncture (this occurs in 25 per cent of cases), which can lead to bleeding, clots, stroke and even death. It's inappropriate for patients with poor lung function (e.g. those with severe emphysema), or nodules in a difficult location. The robotic approach, also carried out under general anaesthetic, has a less than 10 per cent risk of pneumothorax collapsed lung. We biopsy to check the nodule is cancerous before ablating. First, a CT scan of the lungs is uploaded on to the Ion system, giving a very detailed 3D roadmap of the inside of the lungs. The system automatically plots a route to the nodule. What are the risks? Some patients are unsuitable due to fitness for anaesthesia or the size and location of their tumour. Less than 10 per cent risk of a punctured lung. Dr Samuel Kemp, a consultant respiratory physician at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, says: 'The robot is clearly a better way of navigating to nodules [cancer spots] in the lung and gives you confidence that you have got a good biopsy before you ablate the tissue. 'The ablation tool is a game changer. You can use it with less risk of causing a complication. 'We're increasingly seeing older patients who do not want lung surgery or are unsuitable due to other health issues. This could offer an alternative.' Advertisement An ultra-thin, flexible tube (catheter) is then passed into the patient's airway via their mouth, while we monitor progress on a screen. Once the catheter reaches the nodule, the needle is deployed to collect a tissue sample. Not only does it enable us to target smaller nodules more precisely, but the robotic catheter is much more flexible than the conventional bronchoscope (a flexible camera used to examine the airways). The bronchoscope can only reach 65 per cent of spots smaller than 20mm, but the robotic system reaches more than 90 per cent of spots smaller than 10mm. We can also now treat the patient during the same session. Margaret was the first patient in the world to have a biopsy and robotic microwave ablation done in a single 45-minute procedure, sparing her a subsequent 3045 minutes of ablation treatment. This is thanks to another technological advance a new type of ablation tool called the MicroBlate Flex, developed by UK company Creo, which is just 1.8mm in diameter. This goes via the same robotic catheter through which the biopsy was performed, so you biopsy and treat the exact same spot. This could not be done with standard ablation tools, which have to go through the chest wall. Margaret's lung nodule measured under 10mm but we also ablated a margin to ensure all cancerous tissue was destroyed. It took three minutes to ablate. The beauty of microwave energy is we can repeat it if necessary, which isn't the case with radiotherapy, where you can only administer a certain amount because of damage to tissue. Doing two procedures at once is a game-changer, saving time for both clinicians and patients, who are also spared a delay between biopsy and ablation, during which their cancer continues to grow. Patients on the trial stay in overnight but it should be a day procedure in future. We aim to use it to treat small, early cancers in patients not suitable for surgery they may, for instance also have heart disease. Although we need to send biopsy samples taken using the Ion to be analysed, which can take a week, in future we hope to use AI to analyse them within a few minutes, enabling us to ablate straight away. In Margaret's case, we were already confident her nodule was cancerous (because of previous treatment) so we did a biopsy immediately followed by an ablation to demonstrate the two-in-one technique could successfully be performed. We have so far performed the ablation on nine patients, with no serious side-effects. The tragic death of 13-year-old Martha Mills following poor, possibly negligent care at a major London hospital brought back bitter memories of the death of one of my own patients. It also confirmed for me why, sadly, the plan to introduce Marthas rule which would give every patient in hospital the right to a second opinion from other experts at the same hospital wont help. In February, the Government announced that hospitals in England were to be offered funding to roll out the rule. Already 143 have signed up, it was reported today, and should be operating the scheme by 2025. Marthas parents have been heroic in their efforts to try to spare others the awful, needless loss of a loved one. Martha's rule follows the tragic death of 13-year-old Martha Mills, who died after developing sepsis in 2021 under the care of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in South London But Marthas rule, while laudable, cannot, I am afraid, do one thing thats vital to its success: and that is to change our hospital culture. I dont mean just that people are afraid to speak up, to challenge the hierarchy of senior doctors, for that is still an issue (although it is improving, slowly). I mean the lack of continuity of care no longer taking full responsibility for a patient for their whole hospital journey which came when the structure of hospital care changed from the late 1990s. Theres no doubt that when you have concerns, questioning the doctor is an entirely acceptable and justified approach. And it can save lives. I have never forgiven myself for not intervening more aggressively on one of my own patients behalf, with hindsight knowing that if I had, he would have survived. The only way to stop preventable deaths occurring in the NHS is to change our hospital culture, writes Dr Martin Scurr Hed taken himself to A&E as in Marthas case, to a top London hospital (although a different one) on a Friday night with a high temperature, rigors (sweating and shivering) and severe pain down one side of his abdomen. Yes, he was nearly 90 and had type 2 diabetes and a history of heart surgery, but until the day he fell ill with a kidney infection, hed been able to work full time. Always dressed in a three-piece suit and the upright bearing of a gentleman, he was the image of how many of us would like to be seen at that seniority: elegant and cognitively intact. But when I went to the hospital to see him on the Monday afternoon after my morning appointments with three days beard growth, desperately ill with developing sepsis, dehydrated and now slightly confused he was lying parked in a corner bed, where hed spent all weekend on a small dose of an antibiotic, by mouth: with sepsis he should have been on an antibiotic drip. I was worried about his state and I phoned the consultant (the ward staff were unhelpful, but I found the name of the consultant over the head of the bed). The consultant told me that as it was nearly 5pm, the patient would now be handed over to a new team. That was where I should have intervened even though as just his GP, I had as much authority as any loved one. What my patient needed was immediate intensive care, but as I suspect many medics would do, I deferred to the hierarchy I was treading on territory where I had no mandate, hoping instead that the consultant would inform the colleague who was about to take over, about my concern. But I should have stepped over that invisible line. For while those who cared for him in the real world knew this man in his normal, healthy and magnificent self, the hospital team clearly viewed him as a pre-terminal geriatric with a urinary infection. He died the next day having received minimal care with nobody keeping an eye on him to witness his rapid deterioration. I took his death very badly. I felt very guilty that I had not intervened more successfully. As I see it, a major contribution to this sort of tragedy is fragmentation of care lack of continuity under one single hospital team. This is the result of the loss of the old system where care was provided by a traditional firm, a team headed by one or two consultants with senior registrars (just below the level of consultant), registrars, senior house officers (two to three years out of medical school) and housemen (recent graduates from medical school). In the old firm system there was accountability going up through each level of the team: the most junior members saw the most of the patients and when things went badly, they aired their concerns with the next level up; for example, to the registrar, who may well discuss with the senior registrar, and at times the consultant was then involved. This might sound like a recipe for group think, a sort of mindless consensus of opinion but my argument would be that the recurrent audit and introspection about whether the right action is being taken countered that. Also, it was not unheard of for a consultant or senior registrar to make a decision to ask another team to come and have a look a sort of joint team meeting. The sense of responsibility of the firm meant you would often see the senior doctors pop in on the weekend if they were worried about a particular patient. But in my patients case, the old type of firm had long gone (the victim of the shift in power to management and new restrictions on working hours). It was a weekend and so there was probably only one harassed junior doctor around, there was no Saturday ward round, probably nobody came to see my patient at all unless maybe one of the nursing team called the duty doctor to come along, who may have then shrugged their shoulders and noted that this was an old person on their way out The old tight-knit team caring for patients right through the duration of their period of treatment, holding full responsibility has evolved into what we have now, with experience and increasing responsibility (and full accountability) lost. We will never get the genie back into the bottle and no amount of increased regulation or Care Quality Commission inspections and sanctions can possibly achieve the diligence of the past. Nor will a legal framework, Marthas rule, enforcing the option of a second opinion when requested. Despite its undoubtedly good intentions, driven by such heartbreaking and needless tragedy, I believe that such a rule will be a non-starter: fiddling while Rome burns. The British maker of Flora sunflower oil and Branston Beans has been bought by an Italian food giant for 700million. Liverpool-based Princes Group has been sold by Mitsubishi Corporation to Newlat Food. A merger would create a food giant with revenues of 2.4billion with a plan for turnover to top 4billion within five years. It follows more than a year of takeover talks that attracted interest from global private equity firms. Tasty takeover: Some of the items made by Liverpool-based Princes Group The tinned fruit and fish firm has annual sales of around 1.5billion and employs 7,000 workers. It also sells household staple brands including Napolina tinned tomatoes and Batchelors soup. Princes has factories in Belvedere, Bradford, Cardiff, London, Glasgow, Lincolnshire, and in Europe. It did not comment on whether any British jobs are at risk due to the takeover. Newlat Food makes pasta, milk and dairy, instant noodles and bakery products. Princes chief executive Simon Harrison said: This is an exciting prospect for Princes and we are delighted that Newlat share our confidence in the groups strategic growth plans. A violent war has erupted between motorcycle gangs and Middle Eastern crime syndicates over the illegal trade of black market vapes - with dozens of tobacco shops going up in flames. There's been more than 40 arson attacks across Australia that are understood to be related to the sale of black market tobacco, with Victoria copping the worst of the violence. Two men, one understood to have links to the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang, were even gunned down in separate incidents in Melbourne over what's believed to be conflict over the vape trade. Four tobacco stores in Victoria were set alight between Christmas and January 12, with one store hit twice in two consecutive nights. The situation has gotten so bad that Victoria Police has set up Taskforce Lunar to investigate, leading to the arrest of five members of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang in January. A violent war has erupted between motorcycle gangs and Middle Eastern crime syndicates over the illegal trade of black market vapes - with dozens of tobacco shops going up in flames (pictured is burnt tobacco shop in Caulfield, Melbourne) Last month two tobacco stores within just one kilometre of each other in Ballarat were vandalised Robert Issa, who is understood to have links to the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang, was shot dead while sitting in a luxury Mercedes SUV, outside Melbourne's Craigieburn Central shopping centre in October last year 'Taskforce Lunar investigators believes the current situation is a result of criminal syndicates in conflict due to competition for profit derived from the illicit tobacco market,' Victoria Police and the AFP said in a shared statement. 'The current conflict includes both the physical placement of illicit tobacco into stores, as well as demands for stores to sell the syndicate's illicit product and to pay a 'tax' per week to operate. 'Police believe the syndicates are comprised of personnel from Middle Eastern Organised Crime groups and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, who are then engaging local networked youth, street gangs and other low-level criminal to carry out the offending.' As part of the operation Victoria Police has distributed a letter to landlords to highlight current risks around businesses operating who are engaged in illicit activity. This includes the risk to current insurance arrangements as well as the potential for nearby businesses and properties to be adversely impacted by the fires and other criminal activity. Two letters are being distributed, one for properties where warrants have been executed and illicit products have been seized, while the second is more general. Landlords of properties currently rented to businesses selling tobacco should expect to receive a letter in the next fortnight.' Brian Marlow, the Director of Legalise Vaping Australia, said the violence over black market e-cigarettes was a 'direct consequence' of the Federal Government's ban on disposable vapes. Health Minister Mark Butler introduced a nationwide ban on the importation of disposable vapes on January 1. Access to e-cigarettes for therapeutic purposes requires a prescription from a medical or nurse practitioner. The shooting of Mr Issa was believed to be related to the underworld war for control of the illegal tobacco trade. Another man in the car was also injured and hospitalised READ MORE: Single picture reveals extent of Australia's vaping habit Advertisement Mr Marlow pointed to New Zealand where vapes were once legal but heavily regulated. Across the ditch, vape retailers had to be at least 300metres away from schools, while they can also only be generic flavours. The maximum nicotine strength can also only be 20mg/mL, making them less addictive. However, the New Zealand government at the end of last month announced they would be imposing a ban on vapes and e-cigarettes to minors, as well as raising financial penalties for those who sell them to children. Under the new laws, retailers that sell vapes to those under 18 can be fined the equivalent of $91,000. 'We have the most expensive cigarettes in the world, smokers are working class people who don't have money on hand and if they can't afford cigarettes they'll turn to the black market,' Mr Marlow told Daily Mail Australia. 'The black market is huge in this country, 90 per cent of vapers buy from the black market which creates billions in revenue.' Mr Marlow said turf wars were erupting between stores being set up in Victoria, as the state did not require retailers to hold a licence. Pictured is the debris from a tobacco store that went up in flames in Caulfield South, in Melbourne on February 9 One store at the intersection of Little Bridge Street and Peel Street in Bakery Hill, Ballarat, was set alight, taking two neighbouring buildings with it READ MORE: Albanese government seize huge haul of vapes Advertisement 'These crime syndicates looking at vapes and illicit tobacco are effectively selling them like hard drugs,' he said. 'They're happy to kill people, happy to use stand over tactics. In other areas where there is licencing, gangs will roll in and say ''sell our stuff or we're going to hurt you''. Health Minister Mark Butler said in a statement: 'The only groups who want to regulate and sell vaping products are those who profit once people get hooked on nicotine Big Tobacco and tobacco retailers. 'That's why our government is taking on Big Tobacco so they can't continue to get a new generation addicted to nicotine. 'This policy is not prohibition. Once the legislation passes the Parliament later this year anyone from July 1 who is in genuine need of a vape, will purchase a regulated vape from a pharmacist.' Robert Issa, who is understood to have links to the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang, was shot dead while sitting in a luxury Mercedes SUV, outside Melbourne's Craigieburn Central shopping centre in October last year. The shooting was believed to be related to the underworld war for control of the illegal tobacco trade. Another man in the car was also injured and hospitalised. Mohammed Akbar Keshtiar, 53, died in August last year after being shot several times in South Yarra. The Mongols bikie club member had reportedly been a major player in the illicit tobacco trade before his death. Mr Marlow said regulating vapes would help stamp out the black market and prevent further violence. There has been several tobacco stores go up in flames around Victoria (pictured in Caulfield South, Melbourne) 'You'll never get rid of vaping but we shouldn't push bans that allow criminals to sell these products to kids and shoot people and use standover tactics on law-abiding citizens,' he said. Melbourne has been rocked by dozens of tobacco store fire-bombings in recent months. Police believe the arson attacks are a combination of rival groups attacking each other and syndicates sending a message to tobacco stores that have refused to stock their products. 'This conflict includes both the physical placement of illicit tobacco into stores as well as demands for stores to sell the syndicates' illicit tobacco products and pay a tax, or in other words an extortion, on a weekly basis,' Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly, the head of the Luna Taskforce, said in January. Victoria Police have set up a taskforce to investigate the spate of recent suspicious firebombings in the state Often these fire bombings are carried out by youths or low-level criminals. Earlier this year, two tobacco stores within just one kilometre of each other in Ballarat were vandalised. One store at the intersection of Little Bridge Street and Peel Street in Bakery Hill was set alight, taking two neighbouring buildings with it. A car then smashed into the front of another vape shop in nearby Central Ballarat just minutes later, with the driver fleeing the scene. On March 15 a suspicious fire erupted inside the Flavour House vape shop in Epping, in Melbourne's north. Nobody was inside at the time. Four teenage boys were arrested in March by detectives from Taskforce Lunar for their alleged role in incidents relating to tobacco wars. The boys, aged between 14 and 17, were interviewed by police in relation to an aggravated burglary in Wonga Park, as well as two arson attacks at a Mill Park restaurant and a tobacconist in Ballarat last month. Four children, two boys aged 14 and 15, and two 16-year-old girls were also charged in relation to the incidents. Melania has not been among the family members to support Trump in court As the trial of Donald Trump over hush money payments to a porn star heads into its final stage, Trump's wife Melania Trump has been noticeably absent from the courtroom. Over the course of five weeks, a series of Trump supporters including Republican lawmakers, former administration officials, vice presidential hopefuls and a few of his own kids have been in court. They've sat through hours of salacious testimony as the ex-president stands trial on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment for pornstar Stormy Daniels. Melania Trump, however, has remained far away from the New York criminal court room home in Florida. Melania Trump with former President Trump as they arrive at a GOP fundraiser in Palm Beach, FL on April 6 just over a week before the hush money trial began in New York Legal experts tell DailyMail.com that while it is often beneficial for a jury to see defendants with their spouse by their side in the courthouse, in this unique case it doesn't matter. 'Generally speaking, jurors pay attention to who is seated in the courtroom,' explained Anna Cominsky, Managing Attorney of New York Law School Legal Services. 'Defense attorneys usually like to have 'support' for their client evidenced by friends and family - it's something that humanizes the client. That said, this is a very different case. The jurors know that this is the former president.' Cominsky also pointed out that this particular courtroom is 'completely packed with people from both sides.' She said it makes it hard for the jury to distinguish who is there for whom. Ex-president Trump seated in the Manhattan criminal courtroom on May 21 as he stands trial on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records Berkeley Law professor John Yoo also said he did not think her absence matters much and may perhaps have a benefit to the defense. 'I could see how some jurors would ask where Melania Trump was. Perhaps her presence would show her support for Trump's story that his fling with Stormy never happened,' he added. 'But her presence would also buy into the prosecution's underhanded effort to make the trial about Stormy [Daniels], and not about whether any bookkeeping misdemeanors occurred and whether they concealed some greater crime.' Yoo argued Trump's defense team has done a good job of attacking the failure of the prosecution to prove its case on the law. He said they were smart to keep the focus on that and not alleged affairs. Cornell law professor Randy Zelin believes no one would care and 'it would look contrived anyway.' On Tuesday, both sides are set to give closing arguments before the case goes to jury for deliberations. While Melania has not traveled to New York to stand by her husband's side as he came face-to-face with Daniels or others testifying about the hush money payment, the former first lady has been spotted along side her embattled husband elsewhere. Earlier this month, the two sat side-by-side at their son Barron's high school graduation in Florida and the former first lady was seen smiling and clapping as Barron's name was called. Court in New York was recessed early for the week so the ex-president could attend. Former First Lady Melania and Trump were all smiles at the ceremony as their son Barron graduated from high school on May 17 Melania attended the Republican fundraiser hosted by billionaire John Paulson that raised more than $50 million as Trump runs for a second term in the White House The Trumps arriving to vote in Florida on March 19. When asked if she would be joining Trump on the campaign trail she responded 'stay tuned.' The former first lady has not attended any of Trump's 2024 rallies or primary election night celebrations to date Melania was also in attendance last month in a stunning purple jumpsuit for a campaign fundraiser hosted by John Paulson in Florida where the ex-president raised more than $50 million for his presidential bid. The former first lady jumped back into politics to speak at a fundraiser for the pro-conservative LGBT organization Log Cabin Republicans last month. But she has not hit the campaign trail for her husband as he holds rallies in battleground states across the country or celebrated his primary nights in early contest states. When asked if she would be joining him on the campaign trail in March while joining her husband to cast ballots in the Florida GOP primary, Melania responded 'stay tuned.' DailyMail.com has inquired with the Trump campaign about any future plans for Melania to hit the campaign trail. While Melania has not been spotted in court, both of Trump's older sons Don Jr. and Eric and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump have been in attendance for some of the many hours of testimony. His sons could be seen arriving and leaving the court with their father's large entourage and sitting a few rows behind him in the courtroom. His adult daughters Ivanka and Tiffany Trump's names have come up in the testimony during the hush money trial, but they have not appeared in the courtroom to support their dad. Both live in Florida. Trump's son Eric and daughter-in-law Lara Trump returning to the courtroom from a break in the hush money trial on May 14 Eric Trump has been a regular in the Manhattan criminal courtroom to support his father. Here he is returning to court behind the former president and lawyer Todd Blanche on May 6 Don Jr. looking on in the Manhattan criminal court as his father speaks before the media on May 21 Don Trump Jr. speaking in support of is father with other Trump supporters outside the Manhattan criminal court on May 21 Even without Melania's support in the courtroom, her name has surfaced across testimony from multiple witnesses. During her days of lurid testimony, Daniels recalled Trump telling her in 2006 before their alleged sexual encounter that Trump told her the couple slept in separate bedrooms. Michael Cohen claimed Trump was not worried about Melania leaving him over the Daniels affair story and even claimed the then presidential candidate said 'how long do you think I'll be on the market for?' But other witnesses painted a picture of a very different relationship between the former first couple during testimony. Stormy Daniels leaving the Manhattan criminal court on May 9 after testifying on her alleged affair with Trump and the hush money payment in Trump's trial Madeleine Westerhout leaving the Manhattan criminal court after testifying in the Trump hush money case. Westerhout served as Trump's executive assistant while he was president A sketch of Westerhout breaking into tears on the stand as she testified about her regretful action that led to her exit from the Trump White House. She also testified about observing Trump and Melania's 'special' relationship up close Trump and Melania departing the White House to board Marine One a last time in January 2021 Trump's White House executive assistant said during her tearful testimony that Donald and Melania had a 'special' relationship. Madeleine Westerhout told the court she believed they had a relationship of mutual respect and Trump cared a lot about Melania's opinion. 'There was no one else who could put him in his place,' Westerhout testified. She also recalled Melania texting her asking when Trump would be coming up for dinner while they were in the White House and Trump calling Melania from the Oval Office while he was president to chat. Alongside the bald eagle, the wild mustang is one of the greatest symbols of American freedom. But charities are raising the alarm over the 'egregious' treatment of thousands of the free-roaming horses that are rounded up and held by the Bureau of Land Management under a population management scheme. Nonprofit American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) estimates that hundreds of America's wild horses die every year during round-ups or end up sold for slaughter through the unscrupulous adoption process. Amelia Perrin from AWHC told DailyMail.com: They are rounded up with helicopters and funneled into holding facilities where they languish for the rest of their lives. Horses die in round-ups, they die in holding.' Once caught, the Bureau puts the horses up for adoption, paying new owners $1,000 a horse, but AWHC say there are very few checks, meaning many of the horses end up in so-called 'kill pens' and are sold for slaughter. Charities are raising the alarm over the 'egregious' treatment of thousands of America's free-roaming wild horses Nonprofit American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) estimates that hundreds of America's wild horses die each year during round-ups or end up sold into slaughter through the unscrupulous adoption process There are currently around 73,000 wild horses and burros living across the US on sprawling tracts of land from Texas to Nevada and Oregon. In 1971 they were given federal protection and the Bureau of Land Management was tasked with keeping their numbers at a sustainable level to 'restore a thriving natural ecological balance'. Each year since, the Bureau has gathered up thousands of horses and transported them to holding facilities, where they are either put up for adoption, or held indefinitely. There are currently 64,000 horses and burros in holding facilities across the US at a cost of over $100million a year to the taxpayer. Charities have slammed the scheme, citing videos of round-ups showing terrified horses and foals being chased by helicopters or ATVs. One video, that emerged in January, showed wild horses being roped and dragged through the dirt by contractors hired to remove the animals from public land in Nevada. The footage, obtained by Wild Horse Education, shows an animal being towed by an ATV. Another clip shows a helicopter nearly colliding with a herd as they try to evade it. Perrin told DailyMail.com: 'Its chasing horses, who are prey animals, with a monster in the sky, for an undisclosed number of miles. Babies are chased by helicopters into holding facilities. 'Theres a lot of deaths that happen in the round up, they break their legs, their necks, those deaths arent the only ones. The deaths dont stop when the helicopters do.' Shocking video of the round-ups has emerged, showing terrified horses and foals being chased by helicopters or ATVs Perrin told DailyMail.com: 'Theres a lot of deaths that happen in the round up, they break their legs, their necks, those deaths arent the only ones.' On a recent tour of a Bureau holding facility, the nonprofit said they saw 'a dead or dying' foal left lying in a pen Using freedom of information requests, the AWHC has also uncovered a pattern of deaths in holding facilities. In April, the nonprofit revealed that 267 wild horses died in 2023 at the Bureau's largest facility in Nevada, Fallon Off-Range Corral. Of those, 106 died in their pens from unknown causes, 23 died before they even made it to the facility, and 49 horses died from traumatic injuries. On a recent tour of the facility, AWHC saw 'a dead or dying baby' left lying in a pen. Perrin said: 'They spend the rest of their lives separated from their families, from their freedom and put in these dirt pens. They dont have sprinklers, shade - its shocking to see.' There are also outbreaks of diseases in the facilities with AWHC reporting that 23 wild horses died in just 24 days due to suspected botulism poisoning at another Nevada holding facility last year. In Colorado in 2022, they uncovered a 'shocking mass casualty event' where 145 unvaccinated wild horses died from an outbreak of Equine Influenza Virus. Horses that survive are put up for adoption, with prospective new owners paid $1,000 per horse if they keep them for a year. In April, the nonprofit revealed that 267 wild horses died in 2023 at the Bureau's largest facility in Nevada, Fallon Off-Range Corral The issue, according to the AWHC, is that there are very few checks on who can adopt the horses and where they end up. Perrin said: 'Thousands of horses have been funneled into the slaughter pipeline and taken to Mexico to be slaughtered and sold. 'Worse than that we found groups of people who are conspiring to adopt mass numbers of horses and get the cash to then sell them to slaughter.' The charity said many of the adopted horses end up in so-called 'kill-pens' where horses are sold off en masse or loaded into trucks and shipped off to slaughter facilities in Mexico. AWHC has documented over 2,100 wild horses and burros in kill pens since 2019. The kill pens share photos of the horses, with their Bureau brands visible, on social media with captions that say if someone does not step in to buy them, they are 'shipping to Mexico on the next truck'. AWHC is advocating for several changes to the Bureau's program, including using fertility control to limit numbers while enabling the horses to remain wild and removing the financial incentives to adoption to prevent the system being abused. Perrin said the current system is 'incredibly wasteful and cruel'. She added: 'They dont view the wild horses as an integral part of the Western landscape, they view them as livestock to be managed.' DailyMail.com contacted Bureau of Land Management for comment. A MailOnline investigation found more than 70 rogue officers have been granted anonymity since 2023 despite committing gross misconduct, including paedophiles and domestic abusers. Research by MailOnline identified at least 71 police officers found to have committed gross misconduct who have been granted full anonymity in hearings since last January, including those who have committed serious sex offences. This includes a Met Police officer, known only as Officer A, who admitted to sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl before joining the force. An analysis of media reports identified 24 anonymous officers found to have committed some form of sexual misconduct, ranging from serious sexual offences to officers pursuing sexual relationships with vulnerable crime victims. Another 29 officers were allowed to keep their anonymity after sending grossly offensive messages, and a further two officers were found to have domestically abused or used coercive control against former partners. Some of the officers were granted anonymity over concerns for their mental health, or even the mental health of family members who were not involved in proceedings. Co-Founder of Reclaim These Streets - the group which had organised a vigil for murdered marketing executive Sarah Everard - Jamie Klingler told MailOnline the findings showed that misconduct processes 'are designed to protect officers and not the public'. At least 71 unnamed officers have committed gross misconduct since 2023, with more than a third involving sexual misconduct Co-founder of Reclaim These Streets Jamie Klingler (pictured at Clapham Common shortly after the murder of Sarah Everard) is calling for a radical overhaul of the misconduct process for police officers 'Every single misconduct should be public, it should be fully transparent, especially if they are found guilty,' she said. Who decides whether a police officer gets anonymity? When a police officer is accused of misconduct, a hearing is held in front of an independent panel, chaired by a lawyer or other 'legally qualified' individual. Home Office guidance states all misconduct hearings should strive to be completely transparent. But a police officer, or their representative, can ask to remain anonymous. It is the decision of the head of the misconduct panel whether or not the officer's request is granted. On anonymity for officers, Home Office guidance states: 'There may be certain circumstances where it would not be appropriate for an officer to be named, for example, a firearms officer where a court has made an anonymity order, or where the officer is an undercover officer and their identity should be protected. 'Similarly, where the naming of an officer or notice of the subject matter of an investigation could risk the identification of a vulnerable victim or complainant against their wishes, this should be considered by the person chairing or conducting the hearing.' There is no reference to a need to protect an officer's identity for their own welfare if they are found to have committed misconduct. Advertisement 'We have to trust that police officers will do the right thing. We're supposed to have them in our houses when we are at our most vulnerable. 'It's putting us in harm's way. Why is their reputation more important than my physical and mental safety? That's where the nature of the imbalance of power comes in.' Met Police officer A, who admitted to sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl before joining the force, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after admitting to counts of indecent assault of a child in court. Despite already having admitted the offence, he remained protected due to reporting restrictions preventing him from being identified. Among those given anonymity at hearings since the beginning of 2023 was Officer X, from East Sussex. The former policeman, who resigned in November 2021, was found to have harassed female colleagues, sexually touched two of them and committed voyeurism against a third. Sussex Police told MailOnline he was granted anonymity after 'making legal representations before the hearing.' Officer J, from Northumbria Constabulary, sexually assaulted a 'vulnerable' woman while she slept. He was also found to have pursued an inappropriate relationship with her after she made a crime report for criminal damage. A panel found he visited the woman five times after the end of the investigation, sexually assaulting her while she slept on the sofa. She told the hearing she had woken up to find the officer trying to have sex with her while her young daughter was in the house. And in Hertfordshire Constable B was struck off after a panel ruled he had 'deliberate, intentional and premeditated' sex with a woman he knew was heavily intoxicated. The report stated: 'The panel further considered that [the victim]was vulnerable in the context of the night in question and her capacity.' Officers found to have committed domestic abuse were also granted anonymity, including a Met Police officer who a panel ruled conducted a campaign of 'horrendous physical and psychological abuse' against his ex-partner. MailOnline understands that the police officer applied to remain anonymous due to concerns for his 'welfare'. The chair of the misconduct panel agreed to his request. Police officers are usually named in misconduct hearings, which have a 'presumption of transparency' - except in certain circumstances, with the lawyer or other 'legally qualified' chair having the power to impose anonymity orders. Home Office guidance on police misconduct proceedings states: 'There may be certain circumstances where it would not be appropriate for an officer to be named, for example, a firearms officer where a court has made an anonymity order, or where the officer is an undercover officer and their identity should be protected. 'Every single misconduct should be public, it should be fully transparent, especially if they are found guilty,' Ms Klingler told MailOnline 'Similarly, where the naming of an officer or notice of the subject matter of an investigation could risk the identification of a vulnerable victim or complainant against their wishes, this should be considered by the person chairing or conducting the hearing.' But MailOnline found examples of cases in which officers were granted anonymity which seemed to breach these guidelines - often to protect the officers themselves. We found multiple cases of officers committing gross misconduct in which they were not identified due to concerns about how it would affect their mental health. Constable Z from North Yorkshire Police was sacked in September after being found to have subjected three different women to coercive control over nearly twenty years. One of the women recounted how he held a knife to her neck in one assault, and threatened to put her eight-year-old son 'in a body bag'. The panel chair decided to grant the officer anonymity because a number of people involved in proceedings were 'vulnerable'. They added the officer had 'mixed depressive and anxiety disorder' and 'reasonable adjustments' were made to ensure he could contribute to the hearing. At Kent Police, a hearing for PC M heard the officer committed sexual assault when he groped a colleague at a Christmas party - but he was not identified because his mother had mental health difficulties at the time of the hearing. Other cases which saw rogue officers go unnamed included: A Dorset Inspector who pursued inappropriate relationships with three student officers and sent them 'flirtatious and sexualised' messages; Two Hertfordshire Police officers who had sex with each other on duty on police premises - the female officer later claimed it was rape; A Leicestershire Police officer who sent multiple videos of himself engaging in sex acts to female colleagues; A South Wales Police officer who had sex with a vulnerable domestic abuse victim he had met in the course of his work ten times while on duty - then claimed overtime pay for it; A West Mercia officer who told a colleague he was 'blacking up' for a promotion board and joked 'put a jihad on him' about a senior officer; A Merseyside PCSO who exploited a vulnerable woman for money to fund his gambling problem. Last week MailOnline revealed that disgraced former Cambridgeshire officer Mark Coteman had an abuse-filled public Twitter account which police vetters missed when they hired him 'The general inclination is that police officers are boy scouts worthy of a badge, but they have repeatedly shown that they are not,' Ms Klingler said. 'The lack of accountability, of learning from mistakes, there is no intention of making any of this better. They don't want to to fix it, they have no intention of making it safer, of making it easier for women to know if their abusers have been police officers. 'So often it comes down to officers' mental health. What about the mental health of the victims? 'The most dangerous thing is to put ex-officers [who have committed misconduct] out on the streets without naming them, where they can use their history to get other jobs in public facing roles.' The findings come after MailOnline revealed last week that a former Cambridgeshire Police officer sacked over racist, sexist and ableist messages had a public Twitter account filled with abusive content which pre-dated his appointment to the force. Mark Coteman sent disgusting messages about Jimmy Savile and Katie Price's son Harvey, who has multiple disabilities. He was sacked alongside fellow officer Oliver Austin, with whom he exchanged the messages. MailOnline asked the Home Office whether it would investigate cases of anonymity which appeared to contravene its own guidance. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Decisions on whether to hold a misconduct hearing in private are entirely a matter for the Chair of the hearing and any individual dismissed from policing is placed on the police Barred List, preventing them from re-joining policing in the future. 'In addition, we are supporting the police to conduct regular screening of all their officers, staff and volunteers to identify any individuals who require criminal or disciplinary investigation.' MailOnline contacted the Met, Hertfordshire Police, North Yorkshire Police, Kent Police and Northumbria Constabulary for comment. A Met Police spokesperson said: 'Upholding high standards is one of our New Met for London priorities and as part of this, we are hearing more cases and dismissing more officers and staff, at a faster rate. 'As part of our aim to be open and transparent, our misconduct hearings are held in public in order to demonstrate that those officers who breach the standards of behaviour are held accountable for their actions. 'In line with Home Office Guidance, the chair of the hearing may consider relevant representation and determine that it should be held in private or that the subject of a hearing may be anonymised. Each case and representations are considered on a case by case basis.' Meanwhile, the real black market continues to grow since decriminalization Retired couple Corrine and Doug Thomas thought they had found their 'forever' home when they bought a rustic property nestled in the middle of a redwood forest in Humboldt County, California. It put an end to their three-year stint living in a motorhome, forced upon them after their previous home in Los Angeles was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire of 2018. Instead, they had simply opened the next chapter in an ongoing nightmare. Less than a week after moving in, Corinne, 70, and Doug, 74, who are both disabled and on fixed incomes, were slapped with fines that eventually grew to more than $1million because the previous owner had used the property for an illegal cannabis grow. Astonishingly, they are among dozens of unwitting homeowners to have been targeted by Humboldt County, whose officials have been accused in a class action lawsuit of trying to 'squeeze every dollar' it can out of legalized marijuana 'at the expense of innocent people'. Retired couple Corrine and Doug Thomas are facing fines of more than $1million because the property they bought in 2021 was used by the previous owner to grow weed illegally Likewise, Rhonda Olson, 64, has been hit with a fine of more than $7million because of an illegal cannabis grow operated by the previous owners of her property Blu Graham, 51, faced fines of around $900,000 after Humboldt County accused him of using a greenhouse to grow cannabis without a permit, whereas he was actually using it to grow vegetables for his restaurant Retiree Rhonda Olson, 64, faces fines of more than $7million because someone else grew weed on her property before she bought it. And Blu Graham, 51, was hit with penalties of around $900,000 based on 'unfounded and uninvestigated allegations' that he was growing cannabis in his greenhouses, whereas in reality he was growing vegetables for his restaurant. Similarly, a chicken farmer was prosecuted by the county for growing cannabis in a greenhouse in which he was in fact rearing chicks. The extraordinary claims are laid bare in a lawsuit filed by the Institute for Justice (IfJ). Attorney Jared McClain told DailyMail.com that officials were 'lashing out' in an attempt to reap the promised financial rewards of legalization, which are yet to materialize. But while law-abiding citizens are being caught out by this avaricious approach, the real black market in California continues to boom, with unlicensed grows now believed to outnumber legitimate farms by tenfold. The county even acknowledges that homeowners such as Corrine, Doug and Rhonda have never grown cannabis. But, according to McClain, the county position is that the current occupants are somehow responsible for any past violations at their property. 'It's obvious that we aren't involved with cannabis,' Doug told DailyMail.com 'We don't even drink alcohol. We're just old senior citizens. The county knows it, but they're still coming after us. 'They are at war with the community.' He and and his wife, who run the non-profit Miracle Run Foundation for Autism, used insurance money from the 2018 fire to buy their new home in Humboldt, which sits on top of a ridge above the Avenue of the Giants. Behind the home, there is a detached garage alongside a three-story building that the listing referred to as a workshop. When the couple purchased the property, the workshop was empty and the electrical wiring inside had all been cut. It is in this ramshackle barn that the county says was used to illegally grow cannabis two years earlier. Corrine and Doug are part of a class-action lawsuit that claims Humboldt County is trying to 'squeeze every dollar' it can out of legalized marijuana 'at the expense of innocent people' They were slapped with mammoth fines that grew by $12,000 per day because their barn (pictured above) was used by its previous owner to grow weed illegally The Thomases were told that if they didn't demolish the building within ten days, they would face fines of $12,000 per day. But they didn't have the $180,000 they were told it would cost to destroy the barn - and are now facing $1,080,000 in fines. The couple are one of more than 1,200 Humboldt property owners charged with cannabis-related code violations since it was legalized for personal use in 2018, levying hundreds of millions of dollars in fines. Of these, at least 48 landowners have appealed their penalties, but many more who have been unfairly targeted have chosen to settle, according to McClain. This is because the county makes accused landowners 'wait indefinitely' for a hearing, while fines continue to accumulate, the lawsuit claims. Blu Graham, for instance, asked for an appeal in 2018, and the county only agreed to finally schedule his hearing 4.5 years later when he was preparing to file the lawsuit. The mess stems from officials' 'dragnet' approach to cannabis law enforcement, it is claimed. Satellite images are used to show 'harmless things like greenhouses on a property', which are deemed sufficient evidence to accuse the landowner of growing marijuana illegally, the document states. 'The entire system is designed to generate money for the County as efficiently as possibleby forcing accused residents to pay the County even when they have done nothing wrong,' it adds. McClain said that financial gains from legalization had not materialized as expected in Humboldt County, part of the Emerald Triangle in Northern California, the largest cannabis-producing region in the US. This, in part, was because people no longer needed to be in the Humboldt mountains to grow weed, and cultivation spread south. The county's indiscriminate approach to cannabis prosecution is an attempt to recover the 'missing money', McClain claims. Yet the strategy appears to be doing little to tackle the real illicit weed market, which has flourished in the wake of legalization. Legislators had hoped that the creation of a commercial market in 2021 would generate $5.3billion in taxed sales. The Institute for Justice, which represents the plaintiffs, claims that the county has taken the view that innocent homeowners like Rhonda are responsible for past violations on their land Blu Graham asked for an appeal in 2018, but the county only agreed to finally schedule his hearing 4.5 years later when he was preparing to file the lawsuit But it failed to account for the reality that decriminalizing a vast and highly profitable industry would open the floodgates to organized criminals and opportunists, for whom the reduced risks of prosecution incentivized their growth. Mexican cartels have pounced, leading to massacres and worker exploitation tied to illegal grows in the state. Meanwhile, enforcement efforts have been sporadic and under-resourced. The plaintiffs in the Humboldt case suffered a setback in May last year, when a federal judge sided with the county and granted its motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The IfJ lodged an appeal, which has recently been heard by the Ninth District Court of Appeals. A decision is pending. Livelihoods rest on its outcome. 'We lost our home of 35 years in the wildfires,' Doug said. 'If we lose this, we'll lose everything.' DailyMail.com has contacted Humboldt County for comment. Progressive Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is rallying Michigan Democrats against President Biden in the upcoming election over his Israel policy. 'You are an enabler, President Biden,' she told a crowd at the Peoples' Conference for Palestine. 'Each year, our country, and I say our country because it is our country, sends billions of dollars to maintain an apartheid government and support the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians,' said Tlaib. 'It is disgraceful that the Biden administration and my colleagues in Congress continue to smear them for protesting to save lives, no matter faith or ethnicity,' she said, referring to the pro-Gaza protesters that have popped up at universities and elsewhere throughout the country.' Tlaib was behind a group of Arab activists who convinced Michigan Democrats to vote 'uncommitted' in the state's primary to protest the Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Palestine war. 'You are an enabler, President Biden,' she told a crowd at the Peoples' Conference for Palestine Tlaib also tore into Biden for saying Israel is not committing 'genocide' as its defense forces push further into the southern city of Rafah. It comes as Hamas fired rockets from Rafah toward Tel Aviv for the first time in four months, signaling the militant group is still capable of threatening Israel. All of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses. 'The International Court of Justice just ruled that the Israeli government must stop its invasion of Rafah, but President Biden says what's happening [in Gaza] is not a genocide,' the 'Squad' member said. 'Where's your red line, President Biden?' 'Attacking the authority of the International Criminal Court and interfering in the legal process is nothing more, nothing more than an attempt to prevent the genocidal maniac Netanyahu and his senior Israeli officials from being held accountable for those crimes against humanity.' 'You are an enabler,' Tlaib said to Biden. 'But we're not going to forget in November, are we?' Tlaib and a handful of her progressive colleagues refused to clap during Biden's March State of the Union address, instead holding up signs that said 'stop sending bombs.' At least 45 people were killed, including women and children, in an Israeli airstrike on a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah over the weekend, the Hamas-run health ministry said. Israel, meanwhile, said it killed two 'senior Hamas terrorists' there and is investigating the circumstances of the deaths of civilians in the area.' Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, said the rockets fired from Rafah proved 'the IDF must operate in every place Hamas still operates from, and, as such, the IDF will continue to operate wherever necessary.' Close to 36,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict since October 7, when Hamas killed some 1,160 Israelis and kidnapped over 200. Biden has in recent months grown more vocal about Palestinian deaths in the Israel-Gaza conflict but staunchly defended the U.S. ally after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan last week announced he is seeking arrest warrants for the prime minister and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in addition to Hamas' Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, political chief Ismail Haniyah, and as Mohammed Deif, who is behind its armed wing. 'We don't recognize their jurisdiction the ICC the way it's being exercised,' Biden told reporters last week during a press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto. 'It's that simple. We don't think there's an equivalence between what Israel did and what Hamas did.' Biden has in recent months grown more vocal about Palestinian deaths in the Israel-Gaza conflict but staunchly defended the U.S. ally after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan last week announced he is seeking arrest warrants for the prime minister and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Pro-Palestine demonstrators march holding a banner expressing their opinion in the neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, N.Y., in mid-May 'Contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what's happening is not genocide,' Biden had said earlier. 'We reject that. And we'll always stand with Israel and its in the threats against its security.' In an olive branch to progressives and Arab-American voters, Biden publicly touted a pause on the shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel on May 8 in protest of the IDF pushing into Rafah, where some 1.4 million Palestinians took shelter as many of their homes in the northern part of Gaza had been razed. But shortly after that the Biden administration announced a $1 billion arms deal with Israel - and the U.S. will continue to supply Israel with weapons even as they push into Rafah. That package includes $700m in tank ammunition, $500m in tactical vehicles and $60m in mortar rounds. His fiercest critics including Michael Cohen have shared their dreams of seeing Donald Trump behind bars. But a far more realistic outcome if he is convicted in New York is he ends up having weekly phone calls to check in with a probation officer or has to visit Bronx school kids to teach them about crime, legal experts say. The defendant who complains he is a victim of 'sham' prosecution in a 'rat's nest' of corruption may even get to design his own community service program. Convicted criminals and lawyers agree probation is far better alternative to jail time but it has its inconveniences and shouldn't be minimized. 'You definitely dont want it. Who wants to have to check in? Its like checking in with your mom and dad on a date,' said prominent New York attorney Arthur Aidala. It means once a week, Trump would have to check in, usually by phone, then once a month to answer a series of questions. He would have to tell his court-designated officer if he has been rearrested, if he has been working, and whether he's been having any other difficulties. Former President Donald Trump likely won't get any jail time even if is convicted in the Stormy Daniels trial. A more likely outcome would be probation or community service since he is charged with a non-violent and he has no previous convictions For a former president who has been admonished inside a courtroom that he complained was 'freezing' cold, even those tasks could be onerous. And failure to meet the terms of probation has landed thousands of New Yorkers in jail. For Trump, 'Probation would be an absolute waste of time and energy,' he said. 'This guys got to to be watched? Youve got to know where he is? What hes doing?' Aidala, a criminal lawyer who represented Harvey Weinstein, told DailyMail.com. A far better sentencing option to him if Trump were convicted would be for the judge to impose community service, he said, or ask Trump and his team to generate some ideas on how to help the city. Trump held a campaign rally in the Bronx and has complained throughout the trial about crime in the Big Apple and people fleeing the city. 'Talk to him about the Trump Organization setting up some sort of food bank or senior citizens loneliness center, something that our society needs that he could use his platform' to address. 'I dont see Donald Trump going to the park and cleaning graffiti,' he added. But probation is no cake walk. 'One of the things that probation looks for is whether or not someone admits their wrongdoing and shows any kind of contrition or responsibility. 'I cant imagine what that conversations going to be like if Trump is convicted and meets with a probation officer,' said Adam Shlahet, a former public defender and prosecutor who teaches at Fordham law school. Experts don't expect Trump to get handed some typical community service activities like cleaning up trash or getting rid of grafitti Judge Juan Merchan has wide latitude to consider fines, community service, probation, or jail if Trump is convicted Michael Cohen chafed at conditions of supervised release and tried to get them lifted, he testified 'Probation involves some real responsibilities. You have to meet with your probation officers, check in with your probation officer. There are limits to your travel. 'I have no idea how the department of probation will handle monitoring potentially the president of the United States. I can't imagine anybody ever accounting for that,' he told DailyMail.com. It is a regimen that Trump, who has been fined $10,000 by Judge Juan Merchan for violating a gag order, might not be able to meet. 'Probation and parole is a serious burden. There are a lot of people incarcerated because they violated their probation and parole. The revolving door of criminal,' Shlahet said. But it is something the city's probation department says it is capable of handling. 'We have media cases all the time. Its New York,' said Shamira Gambrell, director of Juvenile Operations for the New York City department of probation. Merchan has spoken at the trial of the importance of treating Trump like an ordinary defendant when it comes to punishments or protecting his rights. 'The last thing I want to do is to put you in jail,' Merchan told Trump this month. 'You are the former president of the United States, and possibly the next president as well. There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for you.' But that statement came before the jury was given its chance to weigh in. And Merchan, while appointed to his post, may someday have to face the voters himself. One ex-con who appreciates the burden of post-release reporting requirements is star witness Michael Cohen. He told prosecutors of how he tried to shorten his sentence even after it got shifted to at-home detention, with limitations on how much he could travel and obligations to check-in with authorities. Defense lawyers suggested it was part of a motive to lie about Trump. New York state and its counties spent $280 million on a probation system between 2002 and 2011, according to the Council of State Governments. Seventeen percent of adults who went to prison committed a crime or a violation while out on probation. In 2011, 6,100 people on probation got resentenced to jail for violating their terms while being supervised. 40 killed in Israeli bombing on camp in Gaza's Rafah Xinhua) 09:43, May 27, 2024 GAZA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. Israeli forces fired about eight rockets toward the tents in a newly established camp crowded with thousands of displaced people near the warehouses of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), WAFA added. Local sources told Xinhua that it was a "severe and unprecedented" Israeli airstrike on the densely populated area of displaced families, igniting tents made of plastic and tin, as well as civilian vehicles. Video clips circulated on Facebook showed flames rising intensively in the area and fires engulfing tents still inhabited by many, including children and women. The sources mentioned that the Civil Defense and ambulance crews face significant obstacles in retrieving the bodies due to the difficult terrain. Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that crowded with Gazans, the area had been classified by the Israeli military as a "safe area" before the strike. In a statement released Sunday night, Hamas slammed the bombing as "complete defiance and disregard for the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that demanded it to stop its aggression against Rafah." It also noted that Israel would not have committed without the U.S. support and green light, saying to hold the U.S. administration fully responsible for the deadly attack. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that "an IDF aircraft struck a Hamas compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating." "The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, using precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area," it added. The Israeli airstrike came hours after Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, launched a large rocket barrage from Rafah towards the coastal city of Tel Aviv in central Israel for the first time in months. On May 7, the Israeli army announced that it had taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, situated south of the Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt and in the eastern area of Rafah, which resulted in a halt in aid entering Gaza. Israel considers Rafah a last stronghold for Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) A student walks to join the Students for Justice in Palestine to protest the Baker Institute's 30th Anniversary Gala at Rice University on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Spring. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Rice University students occupied a grassy area of campus for four days in April, keeping up their pro-Palestinian protests as school leaders kept tabs nearby. As many colleges and universities across the country broke up pro-Palestine demonstrations for alleged violations of their policies, resulting in more than 2,000 arrests, Rice administrators cautiously allowed them to continue protesting at the entitled Liberated Zone. That decision came with concessions from both parties: The students did not attempt to camp overnight, and no one was arrested. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For the most part, it went on as we had planned, said Matti Haacke, a junior and organizer with the Rice chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. There was definitely a lot of push and pull, and we pushed a lot. The demonstrations occurred at the end of an emotional two semesters on campus, where Israeli, Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian students navigated differing opinions on the war and tensions related to how their identities were being received by classmates and administrators. Some students and alumni opposed the protests taking place, yet the participants got together daily to eat, study and rally their support behind nationwide calls for higher education institutions to divest from companies that do business with Israel's military. The week of protests at Rice set an example of a more cooperative approach between students and the administrators they are pushing for investment changes, despite continued disagreements and an understanding that much more remains to be done. The Rice students shared their demands with university leaders just ahead of the demonstrations, though not with overwhelming success, and subsequent interactions focused on how to hold the protests without invoking disciplinary or police action. Discussions at Rice did not appear as drawn out as the negotiations that emerged from encampments at Northwestern, Brown and other universities, and they also avoided the heavy police responses seen at institutions like Columbia and the University of Texas at Austin. Advertisement Article continues below this ad My focus is always, in the current case of this, is to make sure that we honor what's really the bedrock of universities freedom of expression and freedom of speech while also making sure that the students are conducting themselves in a way that allows us to continue with our teaching and research mission and abide by the code of conduct, President Reginald DesRoches said. Even in that case, you may have donors that are upset on either side of this issue. But ... I feel if we do the right thing, then it's going to work out for us. Students involved in the protests have still distanced themselves from the presidents decision-making, even though they acknowledge the universitys role in allowing them to host the events without law enforcement interference. Nearly 40 students were present at the Liberated Zone at all times, said Haacke, a pro-Palestinian protester who is also Jewish. Genuinely, the Liberated Zone was the best thing I've ever seen happen on Rice campus, the community that was built there, the community that was fostered, the care, the support, Haacke said. Thats something that Rice admin is attempting not necessarily to claim credit for, but attempting to kind of celebrate in a way that they really don't really have a right to, because in their ideal world, it probably wouldnt have happened. Tensions on campus The Students for Justice in Palestine chapter has been vocal about the administrations response to the war since Oct. 7, pointing to university statements that they felt were one-sided or failed to properly ascribe blame over the deaths of Palestinians. Advertisement Article continues below this ad University officials described their work as active, including by beginning a weekly Monday morning meeting of top leaders with a discussion of the war and the response on campus. Rice has also faced pressure from Jewish and Israeli students who are upset with the protesters and their rhetoric, and one of the largest questions remains about differing interpretations of pro-Palestinian chants and phrases and whether they are antisemitic. The university has brought those questions to academics on campus, who have not found agreement, DesRoches said. Other responses have included a faculty-led educational series on topics surrounding the Middle East; several statements explicitly denouncing antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of hatred; and a reporting process that has yielded timely investigative responses, Rice officials said in a prior statement. The approach has been personal, they said, with DesRoches and others speaking to stakeholders via phone or in-person. The same was true for hashing out concerns over the latest pro-Palestinian protests, which Rice administrators have referred to as teach-ins. We certainly don't agree with everything today, but we worked with them on this latest set of teach-ins that they had, DesRoches said. And so we will constantly communicate with them. We keep the communication lines open. Whenever they send us an email or question, they want to meet, we're ready to do it. The pro-Palestinian protesters said they were involved in several meetings about the war last fall but stopped attending because they didn't feel productive. Haacke said that many protesters feel that Rice has approached them from a fear-based perspective, and that the university aggravated the situation when the universitys equal opportunity office advised the Rice Student Association to table a resolution to boycott and divest its funds from Israel-aligned companies. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The issue is stuck in a legal process over concerns that the withholding of funds from certain student groups would run afoul of federal anti-discrimination laws, DesRoches said. Representatives from the SJP chapter urged the president, provost and others during an April 22 meeting to allow a vote on the resolution, marking the first time they sat down to specifically discuss the groups eight demands surrounding the war in Gaza. They also raised concerns about their harassment on campus. The students said they walked away with one of their demands fully met, in Rice agreeing to establish a scholarship and scholars-at-risk program for Palestinian scholars and students in Gaza. Other demands were not so cut and dry. Those had included a request for Rice not to oppress students for engaging in peaceful protests, including with suspensions or arrest; a promise to revisit complaint procedures to ensure they are not weaponized as a tool of harassment; and a promise to drop investigations on student activists. The students also asked the administration to issue a statement in support of the Palestinian people, naming Israel as a perpetrator and calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. And they discussed their main request, aligned with the national movement, for Rice to divest its research ties, academic partnerships and sponsorships with corporations complicit in human rights violations; to divest its endowment from those corporations; and to commit to transparency in their investments. Advertisement Article continues below this ad DesRoches told the Chronicle that divestment was not on the table. Most endowments dont use it as a political instrument, and that's been our posture in general, with our endowment, he said. Concessions When Rice students set up their liberated zone one day after their meeting with administrators, university leaders were clear that they would have to remain in a certain location and shut down by 10 p.m., DesRoches said. Rice officials said they were careful not to involve police, especially after hearing students concerns about police interactions only a day before. The protesters hadnt planned to camp overnight, citing time constraints in organizing the event and a lack of numbers needed to create safety in the case of arrests, Haacke said. The group agreed not to use amplified sound and moved a planned band performance indoors, he said. They also tussled over how to display their artwork, and one mural was eventually moved to Rices multicultural center. We felt that the liberated zone would kind of provide this similar enough space and contentious enough space, Haacke said. Even though it wasnt an encampment, it was still an occupation." Universities are considered a foundational location for free speech, but public universities in particular can set limitations on time, place and manner so that such expressions dont disrupt the functioning of the university, said Sahar Aziz, professor at Rutgers Law School. Private universities like Rice have more freedom to restrict speech because they are not bound by state or federal constitutions. But the many that receive federal funding have to adhere to federal anti-discrimination statutes, meaning if opportunity is given to one side, it has to be given to the other, too, Aziz said. Some universities dispersed protests on the claims that they were disruptive and had prevented the university from being able to function, but in many cases those facts were simply not there, she added. Theyre peaceful, theyre multiracial, theyre interfaith, said Aziz, who authored the book The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom. DesRoches acknowledged that Rices population played a role in allowing the protests to continue. The group was smaller and easier to manage, he said, and Rice benefits from a residential culture where people know each other well. Haacke said the group had to make many decisions on the spot, but attempted to balance the perspective of the national movement and what would preserve their own longevity on campus. Its not something that's going to change tomorrow, it's this big movement that we're building on Rice campus that we're building across the nation, Haacke said. How can each of these decisions kind of build up this movement, increase pressure broadly both in this specific moment that we're seeing also keeping in mind the larger movement context? Some negotiations with administrators, like at Northwestern, have proven where a step-by-step approach can be valuable, said Wendy Pearlman, a professor of Middle East Studies in the universitys department of political science. Students there did not attain promises of divestment, but they did get a commitment to full transparency in the universitys investments. And in exchange for bringing down their sleeping tents, the Northwestern protesters were allowed to continue activities during the day. They also succeeded in their asks for full-ride scholarships to students from Gaza, and their push for the university to create a new meeting and prayer space for Muslim students. Pearlman added that the political pressures have been immense, but schools like Northwestern held firm. Aziz said that some might have benefited by watching the fallout at other schools, where arrests were numerous, and took a different approach. Cases of melanoma skin cancer are expected to reach a record high in the UK this summer, with experts issuing a warning to sunworshippers. Rates of the cancer, which is usually caused by too much exposure to the sun, have increased by almost a third in a decade. And with summer holidays approaching, research has suggested that 20,800 cases can be expected this year. The figures revealed by Cancer Research UK have prompted an appeal for people to use high-factor sunscreen, spend time in the shade and cover up rather than risk sunburn. The research also highlights the dangers of using a sunbed to get a tan before going on holiday. Older age groups have had the highest rises in sun-linked skin cancer rates, with a 57 per cent increase in those over the age of 80 in the decade to 2019. Figures revealed by Cancer Research UK have prompted an appeal for people to use high-factor sunscreen, spend time in the shade and cover up rather than risk sunburn (Stock Photo) Experts believe many people are suffering from years of sunbathing after cheap package holidays boomed in popularity in the 1960s, when the risks were not so widely understood. Younger generations are well aware of the link between UV radiation and cancer, but there has been a 7 per cent increase in cases in people aged 25 to 49. Around 17,000 melanoma cases in the UK could be prevented every year, according to the researchers, with almost nine in ten caused by excess UV rays. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, described the figures as 'concerning'. She said: 'Survival from cancers including melanoma continues to improve. But it's vital that people try to reduce their risk of getting the disease in the first place. 'Contact your GP if you notice any unusual changes to your skin whether a new or changing mole, a sore that doesn't heal, or an area of skin that looks out of the ordinary. 'Spotting cancer early can make all the difference.' Although cases have boomed, so too have survival rates over the past 50 years. Today, almost 90 per cent of people diagnosed with the cancer in England will survive for ten years or more. With warmer weather expected, experts have advised spending time in the shade between 11am and 3pm, covering up, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and slapping on sunscreen of at least factor 30. The research also highlights the dangers of using a sunbed to get a tan before going on holiday (Stock Photo) Dr Claire Knight, of Cancer Research UK, said: 'Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of developing skin cancer. Whether you are abroad or here at home, it's important to protect yourself. 'Remember, sunburn doesn't only happen when it's hot it can happen on cloudier days too.' Last month, it was revealed that the first personalised mRNA jab for melanoma is being tested in British patients. Anti-Trump attorney George Conway says that it's unlikely that the 12 jurors in Donald Trump's hush money trial will vote to acquit him. The case, one of four criminal cases facing Trump, centers around the claim he tried to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. The seven men and five women on the jury include a corporate lawyer, an investment banker, a software engineer and a teacher. Conway, who is now going through a divorce to Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway, appeared to discuss the jury in the case, which is heading toward a conclusion this week, where he says its unlikely Trump will be unanimously acquitted. 'The defense has its work cut out for it. But all the defense has to do is convince one juror to hang the group. I don't think they can get an acquittal. I don't think they're going to get 12 votes unanimously to acquit him,' he said. Anti-Trump attorney George Conway says that it's unlikely that the 12 jurors in Donald Trump's hush money trial will vote to acquit him The case, one of four criminal cases facing Trump, centers around the claim he tried to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels He told Katie Phang of MSNBC that the defense's best hope is that there's someone who refuses to convict him. Conway believes that's unlikely because of former President Trump's signature on the various checks as well as attempts to conceal evidence. 'I'm not sure how a good outcome, other than a luck of the draw mistrial on a hung jury - 11 to 1, or 10 to 2 - I don't see a good outcome for Donald Trump from this.' Conway tried to explain what he thought the jury would have seen during the course of the blockbuster trial. 'All of the testimony that we've heard just has Trump neck-deep in all of this,' Conway said. 'And it's going to be hard for the jury not to conclude that he didn't cause all of this. And it's going to be hard for the jury not to conclude that the purpose of it was to aid the election campaign, in which case, it was a campaign finance violation.' The case has been branded a political witch hunt by the former president, designed to keep him off the campaign trail. It is also the only one likely to have come to trial by the time of November's general election. Conway, who is now going through a divorce to Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway, appeared to discuss the jury in the case, which is heading toward a conclusion this week, where he says its unlikely Trump will be unanimously acquitted The case involving Daniels (pictured) has been branded a political witch hunt by the former president, designed to keep him off the campaign trail Judge Merchan, who has repeatedly clashed with Trump's defense team and issued a series of gagging orders on the former president, will deliver his instructions to the jury after both sides have concluded their summing up. Habba said the instructions serve as the 'road map' for the jury and are the most critical part of the trial. 'Judge Merchan is severely conflicted,' she claimed. 'At this point I have zero confidence that this person, who shouldn't be sitting on the bench right now, will give jury instructions in an appropriate manner without any persuasion towards the prosecution. 'The last resort for this prosecution is this judge.' The former president was given a rousing reception when he became the first Republican presidential candidate in 40 years to hold a rally in the Bronx on Thursday. And the Sunday Morning Futures host told his guest he was more optimistic than her about the jury. 'I want to tell you what, there's a silver lining in this, Alina,' Duffy said. Trump has claimed Judge Juan M. Merchan 'can't stand me', and said the trial is a political witch hunt designed to keep him off the campaign trail 'I don't want a juror on Thursday or Friday going into Memorial Day weekend to go, you know what? I got a party going on. I want to end this case early. 'I think it could bode well for President Trump, for those people on the jury who understand the law and the facts to fight for him and fight for justice.' Alina Habba, who represented Trump in his civil fraud case, slammed judge Juan Merchan for not sequestering the jurors in a hotel for what could be the final weekend of the six-week trial. 'For them to be able to be out and about on a holiday weekend with friends and families who have opinions, who are watching the news, TV's on the background at the pool party, I have serious concerns,' she told Sean Duffy on Fox News. 'If they're left-winging and they're watching MSDNC, as my client calls it, or CNN, they're not going to get fair news. 'I have worries about them going back to whatever friends might have, Trump derangement syndrome, forgetting all sense of reality and coming back and sitting in that box and saying, you know what, I've got to do, you know, take one for the DNC. 'I want law to fact, because if we can get that, we will win. We will not just get a hung jury. We will get an acquittal.' The twelve jurors were sworn in on April 22 after three days of wrangling between prosecution and defense lawyers. A high-profile ABC presenter has come under fire for labelling Australia 'racist' and been accused of bias after pinning the blame on the Opposition. The national broadcaster's chief political correspondent Laura Tingle made the comment during a discussion panel for the Sydney Writers' Festival on Sunday. 'We are a racist country, let's face it. We always have been and it's very depressing,' she told her audience at Carriageworks. Tingle repeatedly accused Liberal leader Peter Dutton of fanning the flames after he called for a reduction in immigration to ease the strain on the housing market. Her comment has sparked criticism with Tingle accused of breaking her responsibility of remaining impartial as a political reporter. Tingle was appointed to the ABC board as the staff-elected director in 2023 and is obliged to 'act in good faith at all times and in the best interests of the ABC'. In March, ABC chair Kim Williams shared a blunt message saying staff should leave if they broke the national broadcaster's code to be balanced. Laura Tingle (pictured), the ABCs chief political correspondent and staff-elected board member, called Australia a 'racist country' Tingle said she couldn't remember the last time a major party leader was seen 'to be saying everything that is going wrong in this country is because of migrants'. '[I] had this sudden flash of people turning up to try and rent a property or at an auction and they look a bit different - whatever you define different as - (and) that basically he (Dutton) has given them licence to be abused, and in any circumstance where people feel like they're missing out,' she said. Tingle accused Mr Dutton of 'dog whistling' and said his call to cut immigration didn't make 'rational sense'. Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price told 2GB Ben Fordham Live on Monday that Tingle's comments 'create division'. 'I'm really disappointed in this continued narrative that is being pushed within our country that does not provide any sense of pride for our children,' she said. Tingle took aim at Peter Dutton's comments about high migration worsening the housing crisis, saying he 'has given them licence to be abused' (pictured, queue to view an apartment in Sydney) 'It absolutely creates division and we had enough of it during the referendum. 'Leading journalists, well supposedly leading journalists, like Laura Tingle should know better than to use that sort of rhetoric.' Senator Price also accused Tingle of political bias, despite her duty to be impartial as a political reporter. 'She says "we're a racist country, let's face it, we've always been, it's very depressing",' she said. 'That is not a reflection of the country, that is her opinion. 'Laura has demonstrated her bias and I think Kim Williams (chairperson of the ABC) needs to explain why having someone so blatantly partisan sitting in the top political commentator position is acceptable.' Fordham went on to read a list of comments sent in by listeners who unanimously disagreed with Tingle. 'I live in a block of units with neighbors of Indian Filipino, Chinese and African backgrounds, not an issue, just sensational people. Laura is wrong,' one of the comments read. Another added: 'Laura tingle's warped and miserable view of this country ignores the fact that people come here in drones because it's the opposite of the picture painted by her'. Listeners of Sydney 2GB radio slammed Tingle (pictured) for making the 'divisive' comments Environment and Water minister Tanya Plibersek told Channel Seven's Sunrise program she did not believe Australia was racist. 'I think it's a fantastic multicultural country but we have to protect against incidents of racism which occur in our community as they do in every community,' she said. 'My parents came to Australia after the Second World War from Europe and I am so grateful every day that Australia took them in and that we were born here and able to grow up in this fantastic country. 'Of course, there are Australians who have experienced racism. Of course that is absolutely true.' Tingle also attacked shadow treasurer Angus Taylor's address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, which she moderated. 'I said to him (Taylor), "so you are saying we're relying on migration for growth what does that imply about growth if you are going to cut migration?",' she said. 'He (Taylor) said something about Labor and the unions buying up all the houses, which I really didn't follow.' Tingle also appeared at the Melbourne Writers Festival this month during which she accused Australian journalists of asking 'questions that are simply unanswerable, in the name of political or media sport'. She appeared less critical of Labor: 'It's not just about whether they got rid of Scott Morrison, they are actually trying to govern, they are trying to run a government, they are actually trying to do policy. 'Whether you think the policy is s**t or not, that's another issue. 'We are not running the sort of stupid ideas that we are seeing out of the Coalition now from the platform of government. 'All of this absolute crap that used to run from government on a day-to-day basis, don't underestimate the value of not having to put up with that.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted the ABC for comment. Lavish lunch came just days before he understood cost-of-living pain Anthony Albanese enjoyed an expensive lobster lunch with billionaire Justin Hemmes just days before he claimed he hadn't forgot 'what it's like to struggle'. The Prime Minister joined the Merivale boss at his new restaurant Good Luck in Sydney's CBD on Tuesday, where a kilo of lobster costs an eye-watering $250. The pair feasted on three live lobsters just hours after Mr Albanese opened a new affordable housing project in Westmead, western Sydney, The Australian reported. The Prime Minister was joined by Housing Minister Julie Collins and Treasurer Jim Chalmers as he announced that 400 affordable dwellings would be built at the site. Days later, Mr Albanese said he knew there were 'people doing it tough right now' during his address at the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue on Friday. Anthony Albanese joined Justin Hemmes at his new restaurant Good Luck in the heart of Sydney's CBD on Tuesday (Mr Hemmes is pictured with head chef Mike Eggert) The PM's lobster lunch came just days before he knew what it was like to struggle amid a cost of living crisis (he is pictured at the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue) 'We understand that there are still people doing it tough right now,' he said. 'And I know that when you are living week to week, it's hard to even find the time to think about the future, let alone plan for it with confidence. 'That's where economic security from fair wages to reliable services - is not just about making ends meet, it's the foundation for aspiration. 'And that's why last week's Budget was about delivering on the two things that have driven our Government for two years. 'One: helping people with their cost of living. Two: making our future here in Australia. These are the priorities that drive us and the balance that defines us.' Mr Albanese lashed Opposition leader Peter Dutton in his address, comparing his rival to former prime minister Scott Morrison. 'We've seen what happens when the only test that politicians apply is their political self-interest,' he told the crowd. 'We saw it with Scott Morrison, we're seeing it again with Peter Dutton. 'Saying no to everything is the easiest thing to do in Opposition - but it builds nothing, it helps no-one and it takes our country nowhere. 'Governing Australia requires more than soundbites - you need substantial propositions.' Mr Albanese lashed Opposition leader Peter Dutton in his address, comparing his rival to former prime minister Scott Morrison (pictured, Mr Hemm's restaurant Good Luck) Mr Albanese said he knew there were 'people doing it tough right now' during his address at the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue on Friday (pictured) Mr Albanese made no mention of Indigenous Australians or the failed Voice referendum in his address. Instead, he spoke about the efforts his government was taking to combat the cost-of-living crisis with the Budget and more affordable housing. It comes as a new employment survey reveals one in five Australians have been forced to take on a second job amid rising prices. The survey found two in three are staying in their job rather than seeking better pay elsewhere and only 12 per cent had received a pay rise that matched rising costs. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Albanese's office for comment. Shocking CCTV footage shows the moment Russian rockets strike a DIY hypermarket in Kharkiv in an attack that left at least 14 dead and many others wounded. Russia has suggested the Epicentre outlet was a military target linked to Ukrainian military intelligence. But a video shows a normal store selling DIY equipment and household goods such as toilets and sinks as suddenly one of two Russian guided bombs exploded through the roof in what appears to be a terrorist attack on civilians in eastern Ukraine. An eight-year-old boy called Mykhailo has tragically been pictured giving a DNA sample so rescuers can identify his father, who is among seven people who remain missing in the rubble and are feared to have died. Serhiy Bolvinov, head of the regional police investigative department, said: 'It is clear that people were completely unprepared for such an attack, they were at work and minding their own business. A CCTV video shows a normal store selling DIY equipment and household goods such as toilets and sinks as suddenly one of two Russian guided bombs exploded through the roof in what appears to be a terrorist attack on civilians in eastern Ukraine Black smoke is billowing into the sky after two Russian rockets struck the DIY hypermarket in Kharkiv, killing at least 14 people An eight-year-old boy called Mykhailo (above) has tragically been pictured giving a DNA sample so rescuers can identify his father, who is among seven people who remain missing in the rubble and are feared to have died Devastated people are being comforted by police as they grieve their loved ones who died in the attack 'Investigators and criminologists were looking for something that can be recognised as a human body all night long in this charred area, the ruins of the Epicentre. 'We are afraid that we will have to sift through the ashes in order to find the remains and identify the dead.' One comment on the cruel strike said: 'As usual, [the Russians] are taking revenge on civilians for the failure of the offensive in the Kharkiv region. They take out their anger. Russia is a scum state.' 'Some workers died because they were evacuating people,' said the director of the construction hypermarket. A Russian source posted that this was not a regular DIY store but 'a military base with weapons. All employees serve in the Main Intelligence Directorate, only military personnel are visitors.' The footage immediately before the strike appears to dispel this theory with toilets, sinks, taps and other normal household goods plainly in view. A Russian source had said: 'The tactic of human shields is being used in Kharkiv. 'They [the Ukrainians] have set up a military camp and a command post in a shopping centre, which was discovered by our intelligence service.' Up to 200 people and 15 staff are believed to have been inside the Epitcentre hypermarket - which sells household and DIY goods - at the time of the attack Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said that according to the store's owner, they had lost contact with several store employees Bomb remnants were seen on the ground where the attack violently struck in the Kyiv district A man watches as smoke rises from the hypermarket after being hit by a Russian air strike There was extensive damage to the building, which was engulfed by intense flames following the attack Around 120 people had been in the hardware store when the bombs struck, though earlier estimates suggested it was closer to 200 The strikes caused a massive fire, which ravaged the hypermarket in Kharkiv on Saturday Russia currently occupies around 18 per cent of Ukraine, including Crimea which it annexed in 2014 Firefighters wade through the wreckage on Sunday, hours after the building was hit by a Russian airstrike It took emergency workers 16 hours to fully extinguish the fire at the hypermarket, which had raged over an area of 13,000 square metres Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said around 120 people had been in the hardware store when the bombs struck, though earlier estimates suggested it was closer to 200 One witness said: 'There were many families in the Epicentre. People came to buy because the summer season has started.' Some 200 people were in the store, according to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. The attack was 'another manifestation of Russian madness', he said. He again pleaded with Ukraine's allies to supply air defence systems to protect its civilians. Kharkiv is only 18 miles from the Russian border and is one of the worst-hit cities in Moscow's illegal bombing campaign since Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putin sees the city as a prize for invasion, and he again masses fresh troops attempting to push the frontline further into Ukrainian territory, despite losing tens of thousands in recent months in the Kharkiv direction. Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said: 'The attack targeted the shopping centre, where there were many people - this is clearly terrorism.' 'I was at my workplace. I heard the first hit and... with my colleague, we fell to the ground. There was the second hit and we were covered with debris. Then we started to crawl to the higher ground,' said Dmytro Syrotenko, 26, who had a large gash on his face. Police body-cam footage of the first minutes after the attack shows salvage workers sifting through the debris for human remains. A girl aged 12 was among the civilians who died as authorities have identified six of the 16 killed in the savage attack. Another 14 women and 30 men were injured. Videos posted by witnesses on social media show a huge column of black smoke billowing into the sky from a fire in the store Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said: 'The attack targeted the shopping centre, where there were many people - this is clearly terrorism' Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov arrives at the scene to inspect the aftermath of the attack Emergency service workers climb through the wreckage after Russia carried out a strike on a crowded DIY hardware store in Kharkiv, on Saturday afternoon Twelve people have been reported dead and at least 16 are still missing following the strike on Epicentr DIY hypermarket in Kharkiv The strikes caused a massive fire which sent a column of thick, black smoke billowing hundreds of metres into the air Forty-three people were injured, while 10 of the twelve dead had still not been identified, the local prosecutors' office said. Pictured: Emergency service workers look for 16 missing people Police head Bolvinov spoke of the tragedy of the Russian onslaught. 'The whole family of a 20-year-old woman went shopping today to the place where two aerial bombs landed,' he said. 'Her 12-year-old sister and mother no longer answer the calls, they did not return home. 'The father was with them - now he is in hospital with concussion. The woman returned to the mall late in the evening. 'She has already given DNA samples. Unfortunately, we will look for her relatives among the dead.' A hypermarket worker survived and was looking for his missing wife, a department head at the store. READ MORE: NSW construction business goes into liquidation owing millions A couple were left stunned after claiming they accidentally received a reply-all email from a construction company where they were described as 'nuts'. Property owner Don Jollie and his wife signed a $479,00 with Melbourne-based custom residential builder Holbrook Homes in 2022. The couple claim they are still waiting for their project to be finished at Sunbury, about 38km north-west of Melbourne's CBD. Mr Jollie reached out to Holbrook Homes director Marcel Nassour explaining he would not be making any further payments. A couple were left stunned after claiming they accidentally received a reply-all email from a construction company where they were described as 'nuts' (stock image) Property owner Don Jollie and his wife signed a $479,00 with Melbourne-based custom residential builder Holbrook Homes in 2022 (stock image) An email from the company was originally written to engineers, before Mr Jollie claimed it was accidentally sent to him, news.com.au reported. 'I really need your help please, this client is wanting to ensure his frame is 100 per cent up to scratch before he makes any further payments,' the email read. 'Clients have driven me to the brink of insanity because they are scared that if they pay me I will take off. 'These guys are nuts and I just want to pay my bills and move on.' Mr Jollie explained the bank would not pay another instalment on the build as the second floor of his home had yet to be started. 'They've all been coming to my house knowing that (the company) has to get it to a stage where I can give them $70,000,' Mr Jollie said. Mr Jollie believes the company could be on the brink of liquidation. He also fears there would be no more work on his home after a port-a-loo was removed from the property last month. Mr Nassour explained a progress payment for Mr Jollie's home was 'due and payable' as the frame was now complete. He also claimed the port-a-loo would be returned to the site. The Holbrook Homes boss denied claims his business was on the brink of collapse and assured customers all its contractual obligations would be fulfilled. Mr Jollie reached out to Holbrook Homes director Marcel Nassour explaining he would not be making any further payments (stock image) 'Once I have finished all my jobs, I must leave the company 'running' for the balance of the warranty insurance period,' Mr Nassour said. 'But I will not be doing any building works, just maintaining the insurance requirements.' The construction business started in 2016 and advertises services for Aussies wanting to build their dream home as well as taking over projects from liquidated builders. Mr Nassour became the sole director 18months ago and claims managing the firm become especially difficult after his business partner died of a heart attack in 2023. Two payment claims totalling $65,000 were lodged against Holbrook Homes last year, according to a CreditorWatch report. A concrete company registered a $28,000 payment default in December after Holbrook Homes failed to pay their debts owed two months prior. The matter was taken to court in February and a decision was made for the concreting firm to be paid the amount owed. Holbrook Homes started in 2016 and advertises services for Aussies to build their dream home as well as taking over projects from liquidated builders (pictured, image from the company's website) In March, another company received a default judgement order for Holbrook Homes to pay it's unpaid bill of $37,000. Meanwhile, two Holbrook Homes' customers won their case against the building firm in September last year. The case was taken to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and centred around defects within the customers' homes, with the firm ordered to pay $306,000 to the two clients. More than $830,000 has been raised for a nine-month-old baby who was stabbed in the Westfield Bondi Junction massacre which tragically claimed the life of her mother. Baby Harriet was with her mother Ashlee Good, 38, at the shopping centre on the afternoon of Saturday, April 13 when they were the first people to be attacked at random by crazed knifeman Joel Cauchi. One of Dr Good's final acts was to thrust Harriet into the arms of strangers begging them to 'please help, help'. Dr Good, an osteopath, tragically died but Harriet miraculously survived and was released from hospital on Sunday April 21. Kind-hearted Australians have since donated $830,040 to give Dr Good's partner, Dan, and little Harriet 'the freedom to go forward into the future without financial burden or worry'. 'Ash was a ray of sunshine and positivity in every aspect of her life and died a hero saving her little girl from the most unspeakable evil,' GoFundMe organiser Steven Foxwell wrote. The donations are still pouring in from friends and strangers alike, often accompanied by heartbreaking messages. Harriet was with her mother Ashlee Good (pictured), 38, at the shopping centre on the afternoon of Saturday 13 April when they were attacked by crazed knifeman Joel Cauchi Kind-hearted Australians have donated $830,040 set up to give Dr Good's partner, Dan, and Harriet 'the freedom to go forward into the future without financial burden or worry' (pictured) 'Although I did not know Ashlee, I was deeply touched by her bravery and great maternal love, and my heart goes out to all of you at this difficult time,' wrote one. 'I'm so sorry for your horrific loss. I hope the money raised here gives you the freedom to go forward and continue living your lives in a way that would make Ash proud,' a second added. 'As a mother of two, this really truly caused my heart to ache in a way I haven't felt for a long time,' a third said. 'I wish for this little girl so much happiness and light in her future. I can't even imagine all the different ways the family are feeling right now.' Nicola Britton, the Regional Director for GoFundMe Australia, said that the fundraiser is currently the second-largest in Australia for 2024, trailing only behind another fundraiser focused on humanitarian relief for Gaza. People lay flowers at a memorial set up inside the Bondi Junction Westfield Shopping Centre to honour the victims of Cauchi's stabbing rampage 'The Good family fundraiser has benefitted from over 12,000 donations, donated from more than 30 countries around the world with the top donor countries being Australia, the United States and Great Britain,' she said. Dr Good was one of six people killed during the horrific attack in Sydney's eastern suburbs last Saturday. Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, and Yixuan Cheng, 27, and security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, were the other five victims killed. Cauchi, 40, stabbed 12 more innocent shoppers during the terrifying rampage. Baby Harriet will continue to receive treatment following her release from hospital. 'In a positive development, I can confirm the child who has been receiving care at Sydney Children's Hospital following last weekend's tragic events at Bondi Junction has been discharged home,' NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said in April. 'She continues to receive care from the expert clinicians at Sydney Children's Hospital.' Why won't the Prime Minister do his job and sack his most incompetent frontbencher, immigration minister Andrew Giles? As we all know, Giles presided over the release of rapists and child sex offenders from immigration detention into the community. He failed to heed warnings from the High Court and his own department which could have prevented their release, or at least ensured it was better managed. The bungles continued as authorities lost sight of many of these offenders after they walked from detention. A number allegedly went on to commit further criminal offences, including the bashing of an elderly Perth woman. Now we find out that convicted rapists and other criminals from overseas who are living in Australia are allowed to stay, rather than be deported as they were in the past. Why? Because of a direction from Giles that these offenders be shown leniency if they have family ties to Australia. Immigration minister Andrew Giles (pictured) is under pressure after allowing a child rapist to stay in Australia because of family ties Anthony Albanese (pictured) continues to stand by his immigration minister, but for how long? That includes a child rapist who attacked his stepdaughter while his wife was giving birth. He gets leniency to stay on family grounds. Hard to believe, but true. Thanks to Giles, the child rapist is entitled to stay because of Ministerial Direction 99. What is that I hear you ask? It is Giles' instructions to his own department about how to administer visas, when to cancel them and when not to. As it turns out, it's also a leave pass for convicted criminals to abuse a system now tilted in their favour. Immigration ministers issue directions from time to time about how visas should be assessed. In January last year Giles issued this new one - Direction 99. A new primary consideration when assessing visas was added that never existed before: Ties to Australia can out-rank crimes committed. Even ones as serious as child rape. The incompetence is staggering. So why won't Albo simply sack Giles to send a message that he expects more from his ministers? Is it loyalty to his friend over prime ministerial responsibility to the nation? Giles and Albo are extremely close, hailing from the same faction within the Labor Party. He's one of the PM's closest friends in the parliament. The Australian community has been forced to deal with the release of dozens of convicted criminals from immigration detention Immigration minister Andrew Giles (pictured) is a close personal friend of the PM. Is that why he hasn't been sacked? Does Albo agree with the decisions Giles is making? The PM stood next to former New Zealand PM Jacinta Ardern when changes to immigration rules were announced that prevented long-term Australian residents from NZ from being shipped back home when they had been living here for decades with ties that bind. But is this latest example really how the PM intended this policy shift to operate? And does he really believe the population that elected him to The Lodge agree with his judgment if that is the case? The policy change doesn't only apply to Kiwis by the way. It applies to virtually any resident who comes here. There have been a dozen Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) cases where criminals who have previously been deported can now stay, thanks Giles' Direction 99. Which member of the AAT authorised this latest criminal - a child rapist of a family member - to stay because of family ties to Australia? Former Labor Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anna Burke. Remember when the Labor Party complained that the Coalition was appointing too many of its own partisan allies to the AAT? Oh the irony. Former Labor Speaker Anna Burke (pictured) was the AAT member who approved a child rapist to stay in Australia because of family ties to the community Perhaps Albo won't dump Giles because of pride: not wanting to admit he made a poor choice with his first selection of a first-term immigration minister. Someone who in a past life was an activist for causes in the same policy space. It was a bad decision, evoking plenty of murmurings within Labor at the time. Albo probably has concerns that if he dumps Giles it will only add to calls for other ministers to fall on their swords too. Such as Giles' senior minister in cabinet, Home Affairs minister Clare O'Neil. The PM would also worry that dumping Giles might reek of hypocrisy, given Albo's championing of changes to immigration laws when standing alongside Ardern shortly after becoming PM. After all, would Giles have made such directions without at least tacit prime ministerial support? Whatever the reason Albo won't sack this failure of a minister, the risk is that by not doing so the failures will only continue, the government will lose the faith of voters who once supported it, and Australia will continue to welcome with open arms just the sort of people most of us would rather were deported for their crimes. Is defending Giles really the hill this PM wants to die on? The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle has been forced to close after nearly 30 staffers, about half of the museum's workforce, walked out in protest at its new 'Confronting Hate Together' exhibit. The walkout meant the tourist had no other option but to close. The staffers are unhappy with the type of language used in the exhibit claiming parts of it 'conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism.' The workers walked off the job on opening day of the exhibit, forcing the museum to close. They are vowing to remain on strike until their demands are met and the displays are changed. The disgruntled staffers, who work at the only pan-Asian art and history museum in the United States, wrote, 'Zionism has no place in our communities and being anti-Zionist goes hand in hand with our own liberation as AA/NHPI. Our solidarity with Palestine should be reflected in our AA/NHPI institutions.' Nearly 30 staffers at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle walked off the job forcing the closure of the museum The staffers who walked off were protesting the new 'Confronting Hate Together' exhibit The 26 striking workers are now demanding the removal of any language from the exhibit that attempts to frame Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism as antisemitism. They are also calling for the museum to acknowledge its 'limited perspectives', conduct a community review, and center voices and perspectives that align with the museum's mission and values,' the group wrote on social media. The exhibit had been designed to explore hate against Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander communities, as well as black and Jewish communities. It was supposed to run from Wednesday through June 30, according to the museum's website. The Confronting Hate Together Organizers of the exhibit at the Wing Luke Museum The workers are calling for the removal of language equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism The staffers, comprising about half of the museum's workforce, shut down the museum on the exhibit's opening day and vowed to strike until their demands are met One panel in particular from the Jewish Historical Society said: 'Today, antisemitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism' - but such a view is a point of contention for the striking staffers, who argue that it conveys Zionist perspectives. 'What is happening in Palestine directly reflects violent colonization and imperialism that has and continues to impact Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander (AA/NHP) diaspora for generations,' the disgruntled workers wrote online. The group raised concerns that the exhibit's portrayal of Zionism contradicts the museum's purpose of addressing the impacts of colonization and imperialism on AA/NHPI diaspora communities. 'Our Museum's exhibits, education and programs have brought together communities, shared hard histories and conversations and helped create joy and light among the darkness of what AA/NHPI diaspora often feel and experience,' they stated. The museum remains empty of visitors until portions of the exhibit are reworked The staffers who walked out argue that Zionism contradicts their mission and that solidarity with Palestine should be reflected in their institution The staffers suggest that 'antisemitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism' The workers outlined why they were unhappy with the exhibit in a series of Instagram posts Zionism is a movement that advocates for the establishment and support of a Jewish homeland in the historic land of Israel, but critics, including many Palestinians argue that the establishment of Israel led to the the displacement of Palestinian Arabs. Following the staff walkout, the museum issued a statement in support of its employees, acknowledging their right to express their beliefs and engage in dialogue. 'Members of Wing Luke Museum's staff held a respectful walk-out in protest of content on display in a new exhibit,' the museum said. 'As an organization rooted in dialogue, we acknowledge and support the right of our staff to express their beliefs and personal truths and to this end, we are holding space for a careful and thoughtful process of listening with intent to hear multiple perspectives in pursuit of a mutual way forward. Pro-Palestinian protestors chant as they occupy Dodd Hall at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles earlier this month 'After closing the Museum this week to listen and earnestly engage in dialog with our staff, the Museum looks forward to opening our doors at a future date so that we can continue serving our community in other needed capacities during this time. Please look for updates from us.' The museum closed temporarily to listen and engage with its staff and is aiming to find a way forward that includes multiple perspectives. The museum plans to offer free admission to the community to experience the exhibit once it reopens. The girlfriend of a man accused of murdering three tourists in Mexico is alleged to have been found with meth and one of the men's phones after a routine stop. The remains of Perth brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were found dumped in a 45metre-deep well in the Mexican province of Baja California earlier this month. Mexican authorities allege the perpetrators saw the trio's Chevrolet Colorado and wanted to steal the tyres, with the victims murdered when they resisted. Three Mexican nationals have been arrested; the alleged ringleader Jesus Gerardo, his brother Cristian Alejandro and Gerardo's 23-year-old girlfriend Ari Gisel. Gisel was stopped by cops on a routine patrol in Ensenada on May 1, when when she allegedly threw a small bag containing 100g of meth on the ground and tried to run away, Telediario reported. Perth brothers Callum (left) and Jake (right) are pictured Jack Carter Rhoad, from the US, joined the Perth brothers on the surfing holiday in Mexico Ari Gisel (pictured) was arrested following a routine patrol on May 1 An iPhone belonging to Mr Rhoad was also allegedly found following an inspection of the vehicle. It was previously reported Gisel had come to the attention of authorities after she turned on Mr Rhoad's phone which then pinged a local mobile tower. A Baja California investigator said they had contacted US authorities in San Diego to obtain the victims' phone numbers. 'We tracked down the devices, until one of them was turned on and we had a location,' they told The Daily Beast. 'That's when we found this woman who was in possession of the American's cellphone.' Gisel previously told a court Gerardo had admitted to killing the three men after he returned home from the campsite where they were last seen alive on April 27. The court heard Gerardo told Gisel: 'I essentially f***** up three gringos'. Gisel asked what he meant by that, with Gerardo telling her: 'I killed them'. She claimed he then showed her his vehicle, which was sporting tyres that had been allegedly stolen from the white Chevrolet Colorado the trio had been driving. The Attorney Generals Office is now tasked with proving Gisel was in possession of methamphetamine with the intention of selling the illegal drug. Gerardo will remain in custody until his next hearing in November. Mexican authorities allegedly discovered an iPhone belonging to Mr Rhoad and 100g of methamphetamine in Gisel's vehicle during a patrol on May 1 The remains were found in a well (pictured) more than 15 metres (49ft) deep next to a cliff at Punta San Jose in Santo Tomas, in the municipality of Ensenada Baja California investigators previously said the trio were killed after their pickup truck was set upon by thieves. 'The tourists refused and tried to fight back, but the robbers were armed,' they said. 'When the criminals took out their guns the three [tourists] tried to de-escalate things, but it was too late, they beat them and then shot them in the head.' The brother's parents Martin and Debra Robinson travelled to the region and spoke from San Diego where they shared their heartbreak over their sons' deaths. 'It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Callum and Jake have been murdered,' Ms Robinson said. 'Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us. 'We also mourn the loss of Carter Rhoad, a close friend. 'They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together. 'Now it's time to bring them home to family and friends - and the ocean waves in Australia. Please live bigger, shine brighter and love harder in their memory.' Baja California has been plagued by cartel violence in recent months. In 2015, two Australian surfers, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were killed in western Sinaloa state, across the Gulf of California from the Baja peninsula. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens during a news conference, April 12, 2024, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. Wilfredo Lee/AP The claim: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is promoting a bill that he says will ensure only U.S. citizens can vote. He says that although the practice already is banned, the government has not established safeguards to prevent it from happening. Noncitizen voting poses a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system, Johnson said May 8 during a news conference as he advocated for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Johnson, R-La., referred to voter registration forms that ask applicants to check a box noting that they are U.S. citizens. 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, Johnson said. Thats it. Thats all thats required. And theres a very small chance that illegal would get caught. President Joe Biden has welcomed millions and millions of illegal aliens and the millions that have been paroled can simply go to their local welfare office or the DMV and register to vote, Johnson said. PolitiFact ruling: False. If a noncitizen granted parole submits a voter registration application, election officials would vet it; just submitting a form doesnt automatically register a person to vote. Noncitizen voting is rare and Johnson provided no data to prove its a widespread problem. Discussion The Biden administration has admitted about 1 million people into the U.S. through different humanitarian parole programs that grant people temporary legal permission to live and work in the United States. But the people participating in these programs are not U.S. citizens, and it would be a crime for them to register to vote in federal elections. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In 1996, Congress banned noncitizen voting in federal elections as part of a broader toughening of penalties for people in the country illegally. States banned it decades earlier. Noncitizens includes people legally and illegally in the U.S. Safeguards already exist to prevent noncitizen voting. Think tanks, academics, courts and journalists have analyzed claims about noncitizen voting for years and have found only sporadic cases that wouldnt swing federal elections. Johnson did not say how many noncitizens had illegally voted. We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections. But its not been something that is easily provable, Johnson said at the May 8 news conference. We dont have that number." The Republican bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. However, in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an Arizona case that states must permit people to register for federal elections using a federal form that does not require documentary proof of citizenship. States may have their own form, but they must also accept the federal form. Peoples eligibility for public benefits or drivers licenses doesnt mean theyre allowed to register to vote. Humanitarian parole beneficiaries qualify for certain federal benefits, such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid and Medicare. But to qualify for the benefits, many need to have lived in the U.S. with parole, or another qualifying status, for at least five years. Once theyre in the U.S., parole program participants must apply for a legal status, such as asylum. Generally, people under humanitarian parole programs qualify for drivers licenses, though rules vary by state. Still, only U.S. citizens can register to vote. A Johnson spokesperson pointed us to a news article about a letter a South Carolina state representative sent the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division requesting an investigation after a refugee received voter registration forms at the South Carolina Medicaid Office. But receiving a voter registration form does not mean someone is registered to vote, John Michael Catalano, South Carolina State Election Commissions public information officer told PolitiFact. The commission told PolitiFact it found no incidents in which non-U.S. citizens with state IDs or drivers licenses had voted. A South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said even though the agency provides voter registration forms, the states election commission reviews them. The news article mentioned the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which says that any office providing public assistance must offer voter registration. However, the law also says voter registration applications must specify that only citizens can register and applicants must affirm that they are citizens under penalty of perjury. This affirmation is a big deal not just checking a box like Speaker Johnson suggested, said Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the Brennan Center Voting Rights Program at New York University school of law. Making a false claim of citizenship on a voter registration form is a federal criminal offense that carries steep penalties, including deportation. Fraudulent voter registration is often a result of misunderstandings or errors. For example, some noncitizens accidentally register to vote when applying for a drivers license. But the number of people who fall into this category is minuscule, Rutgers University political science professor Lorraine Minnite previously told us. Nationwide, from 2020 to 2022 about 55% of voter registration forms were filled out at motor vehicle departments, the Election Assistance Commission data shows. About 1.4% of voter registration applications came from public assistance offices. The other registrations were largely submitted online, via mail or in person. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The federal database Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, lets states check someones immigration or citizenship status. But only a few use it to check for voter registration purposes. Georgia found that there were 1,634 noncitizens who tried to register to vote over 25 years there were about 7 million people on the voter rolls in 2022 when the state released this data. But none of the 1,634 were registered. States often use drivers license records to vet eligibility, but this method isnt foolproof. People illegally in the country can get drivers licenses in some states. Also, noncitizens with drivers licenses may later become naturalized citizens. Bank Holiday Monday will be a washout for millions of Brits after the Environment Agency issued 26 flood alerts following flash flooding in County Durham. The alerts are in place predominantly across the south of England, especially between London and Bristol. But a warning remains in place near County Durham in the north east after shocking images taken on Sunday showed residents wading in thigh-high water near the village of Wynyard. Residents in affected areas have been warned to please avoid using low-lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses. They have also been told not to attempt to walk or drive through flood water. A flood warning remains in place near County Durham in the north east after shocking images taken on Sunday showed residents wading in thigh-high water near the village of Wynyard The Met Office has also issued a yellow rain warning for parts of the Western Isles in Scotland and for parts of Northern Ireland. The east of Scotland and parts of the Highlands also have a yellow warning for thunderstorms on Monday. The flooding comes after some areas of Britain received an inch of rain overnight amid torrential downpours and thunderstorms. The Met Office has also issued a yellow rain warning for parts of the Western Isles in Scotland and for parts of Northern Ireland for Monday. The east of Scotland and parts of the Highlands also have a yellow warning for thunderstorms on Monday. Brits are warned to expect difficult driving conditions and possible flood damage to homes and businesses. Some areas could become cut off if roads are flooded and people are advised to be prepared in case of power cuts due to lightning. Other areas with heavy thunderstorms included eastern Wales, across the Midlands and into eastern England, where visitors went punting on the River Cam using umbrellas to keep themselves dry. Other areas with heavy thunderstorms included eastern Wales, across the Midlands and into eastern England, where visitors went punting on the River Cam using umbrellas to keep themselves dry People laugh as they shelter under umbrellas to avoid being soaked by the thunderstorms soaking the UK over the bank Holiday weekend the Environment Agency issued 26 flood alerts following flash flooding in County Durham, predominantly across the south of England, especially between London and Bristol A warning remains in place near County Durham in the north east after the area was flash flooded on Sunday However Dorset's Lyme Regis basked in the sunshine on Sunday, as less than 30 miles away nearly a third of a month's rain fell within the space of an hour. The Met Office said Yeovilton, Somerset just 29 miles from the packed beach at Lyme Regis had the highest hourly rainfall total of early Sunday afternoon, recording 18.8mm (0.75ins) between 1pm and 2pm. Between the showers, temperatures reached a high of 20.6C (69.1F) at Writtle, Essex. The mercury at St James's Park, central London, also rose into the 20s. Met Office spokesman Marco Petagna said of yesterday's conditions: 'The best of the weather was across parts of southern England and parts of North East Scotland. 'Showers were progressing eastwards and there was quite a lot of thunder around.' Mr Petagna said that the worst of the showers today are likely to move north into Scotland, leaving England and Wales with 'much more scattered and lighter' downpours. However Dorset's Lyme Regis (pictured) basked in the sunshine on Sunday, as less than 30 miles away nearly a third of a month's rain fell within the space of an hour The mercury at St James's Park (pictured), central London, also rose into the 20s over the weekend 'There's a chance some areas may get away with a dry day,' he added. Britain's warmest spots are predicted in eastern and north eastern parts of England with maximum temperatures of 19C (66F), whereas southern regions are only set to reach 17C (63F). Mr Petagna said average temperatures for this time of year are 14 to 15C (57 to 59F) in northern areas and 16 to 18C (61 to 64F) in the south. The month so far has been wetter and duller than average, with 103 per cent of the normal rainfall for England and Wales an average of 63.2mm (2.48ins) having fallen by Friday. There had only been 137 hours of sunshine by Friday, 69 per cent of the normal total for the whole of May, when the figure would normally be between 70 and 80 per cent for the time of the month. Unsettled weather is due to continue into the coming week, with showers and longer spells of rain moving east tomorrow and further showers on Wednesday. Channel Ten has billed Bruce Lehrmann for $2.5million over his failed defamation case. Lehrmann suffered a massive legal loss against the TV station and Lisa Wilkinson in April when Federal Court Justice Michael Lee found he had, on a balance of probabilities, raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in March 2019. He had sued for defamation over a February 2021 episode of The Project, during which Ms Higgins aired her rape claims for the first time in an interview with Wilkinson. The former Liberal staffer, who had denied the assault claims, wasn't named in the broadcast but claimed friends and colleagues were able to identify him as Ms Higgins' rapist. As the loser of the trial, Lehrmann is expected to cough up 90 per cent of Ten and Wilkinson's costs for the successful truth defence, and 70 per cent of the costs associated with running the failed qualified privilege defence. Daily Mail Australia understands Network Ten sent the hefty bill to Lehrmann ahead of a case management hearing in the Federal Court at 9.30 on Monday. During the hearing, Justice Lee said Wilkinson had also handed Network Ten a bill for $1,815,000, inclusive of GST, 'give or take a few cents'. Channel Ten has billed Bruce Lehrmann for $2.5million over his failed defamation case Wilkinson's fees were amassed when she hired top defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC - who charges $8000 per day - to represent her in the legal battle against Lehrmann. She could have used Network Ten's lawyers, but she didn't feel her employer had her best interests in mind and opted to hire her own. The network was ordered to pay her legal fees, on a reasonable basis. However, Ten has disputed whether it should pay for multiple lawyers to attend court for Wilkinson during the cross-examination of witnesses on issues relating to the truth defence, with was led by Ten. It argued Wilkinson's lawyers did not need to be in court during the truth defence, and therefore should not have to cover those costs. On Monday, the network's barrister Zoe Graus told the court there were also issues relating to the clarity in which Wilkinson is seeking costs. 'There are certainly costs which we do not dispute are recoverable by Ms Wilkinson,' she said. 'It's more a matter of being able to identify those costs on a line item basis.' Ms Graus said it was not clear which of Wilkinson's invoices related to the truth defence and which did not. Lisa Wilkinson is pictured, left, leaving the Federal Court with her barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC on April 15 'For example, ideally costs line items which specifically said "Ms Wilkinson solicitors were reviewing the evidence prepared by my clients in respect of the truth defence, for the purpose of assessing Ms Wilkinsons legal rights" that would be one matter. 'Then, if there was a separate line item indicating the active involvement by Ms Wilkinson on the cost on the truth defence that would be another matter.' Justice Lee said two 'sensible solicitors' with a blue and yellow highlighter should be able to work out the relevant costs by looking at a timeline. 'I really do think that if two sensible solicitors got into a room together, you should be able to go through with a yellow and blue highlighter and work out by reference to the yellow ones where there isn't any dispute,' he said. The judge said he had hoped Network Ten would go to Wilkinson and detail what amount it was prepared to pay, and what was disputed. Had that happened, Justice Lee said he could have issued a partial recovery order for Wilkinson so she 'could get some money', and that they refer the rest of the claim to the referee. Wilkinson's lawyer told the court a 'sensible amount of money' could have been recognised as being payable, and that Network Ten had an 'ongoing reluctance to pay us anything'. Justice Lee found, on a balance of probabilities, that Brittany Higgins (left, with her partner David Sharaz) was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in 2019 Referring to Lehrmann's hefty legal fees, the substance of which were not detailed in court, Justice Lee said he was aware that preparing detailed reports could be a 'completely futile exercise' because it's unlikely the bills will be paid. 'I suspect Ten will be paying for the costs of the process,' he said. Lehrmann has not had a job since he was accused of rape in 2021 and could be forced into bankruptcy. Justice Lee was going to appoint an independent referee to determine the appropriate costs of the matter, but he is also prepared to accept a lump sum costs order at a future date. Earlier in May, the court heard Lehrmann does not have a secret financier who bankrolled the case. His solicitor Paul Svilans told the court his client had nothing to produce because there were no agreements. The only agreement Lehrmann had was with defamation law firm Mark O'Brien Legal, which ran the case for him on a no-win, no-fee basis. Wilkinson's lawyers have been ordered to file any additional material in relation to her claim by June 21. Ten has been given the same deadline to serve any material they relied upon to seek a lump sum costs order. Prison and probation staff took the equivalent of more than 770 years of mental health sick leave last year, data shows. In the year to March 2024, a record 282,457 working days were lost to the illness in HM Prison and Probation Service. This is equivalent to 774 years according analysis by the Labour Party, which also warned the number of sick days among prison and probation workers has increased by 148 per cent since 2018. More than 40 per cent of all the sick days logged are now a result of mental ill health. While the overall number of sick days has decreased from approximately 753,000 in the year to March 2023 to 712,000 over the past year. In the year to March 2024, a record 282,457 working days were lost to the illness in HM Prison and Probation Service (stock image) Shadow justice secretary Ms Mahmood (pictured) said Labour would 'get a grip of the prison and probation service' Mental health sick days stood at 113,820 in 2018, but had more than doubled by 2022 to 228,276. Labour justice spokesman Shabana Mahmood vowed that Labour would 'get a grip' of the prison service, adding: 'These revelations are damning and point to a workforce on the brink.' While HMPPS says the average number of sick days across its estate is 11, Labour pointed to sickness rates within Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) as being particularly higher than average. Staff at YOI Werrington took an average of 18 days of sick leave last year, while staff at YOI Feltham took 17.6 days on average. Other prisons with particularly unwell staff were HMP Liverpool, where staff took 19 days off on average, HMP Wandsworth with 16.6 days on average, and HMP Wymott, 16.1 days on average. Prison violence has been on the rise in recent years, with assaults on staff increasing across the near-full estate. A crack prison riot squad, the National Tactical Response Group, has meanwhile seen more frequent deployment in 2023 than the previous year. The prison officers' union has now warned it could take the Government to court if the overcrowding crisis in jails gets worse (stock image) And the chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, has warned dangerous criminals have been freed from jail early as part of the Government's early release scheme. The prison officers' union has now warned it could take the Government to court if the overcrowding crisis in jails gets worse. The POA fears prisons, which are near capacity, could be full by June and said it may launch a legal challenge under health and safety laws if safe capacity levels are breached because guards have no 'right to strike' in England and Wales. Shadow justice secretary Ms Mahmood said Labour would 'get a grip of the prison and probation service', and said: 'These revelations are damning and point to a workforce on the brink. Our hard-working prison and probation staff have been driven into the ground by 14 years of Conservative mismanagement.' She claimed prisons had become 'drug-addled, rat-infested colleges of crime which march to a drumbeat of violence and misery' under the Conservatives. The Labour frontbencher added: 'Just days ago Rishi Sunak proclaimed himself as the man to keep Britain safe, but he can't keep the public secure if prisoners are being let out early on his watch and a truly demoralised workforce is being left to pick up the pieces of Conservative chaos. 'It's no wonder that this is taking a toll on the mental health of staff, but the public are the real losers here. Failing prisons lead to more re-offending and crime.' A 52-year-old man who broke into Buckingham Palace claimed he did not know where he was and that he was only searching for somewhere to urinate. Thuraisingham Kumanaraj scaled the gates of the royal residence in August last year and managed to reach the courtyard, according to The Sun. After setting off the security system at 9:30pm, the Met police took 'around four minutes' to arrive at the scene. When questioned, Kumanaraj claimed he did not know where he was and that he was simply looking for somewhere to urinate. Officers seized his phone and found he had been searching the internet for Buckingham Palace as well as for several members of the royal family. Thuraisingham Kumanaraj scaled the gates of Buckingham Palace in August 2023 Kumanaraj claimed he did not know where he was and that he was simply looking for somewhere to urinate Last week Kumanaraj, 52, admitted trespassing on a protected site. Prosecutor Frances McCormack told Westminster magistrates: 'He claimed in interview the reason he entered the location was to urinate and denied knowing the site was, in fact, Buckingham Palace.' Buckingham Palace is the official residence of King Charles III and the opulent property stretches over 39 acres. There are 775 rooms, 19 staterooms and 78 bathrooms within the royal residence. A month after breaking into Buckingham Palace, Kumanaraj was caught peeing outside a primary school in London's Brick Lane. The 52-year-old then assaulted four cops, punching one of them on the chin and throat. Two days later, Kumanaraj attempted to steal a woman's handbag. He grabbed it from around the victim's neck, dragging her across the ground outside Epping Station in north London. Buckingham Palace is the official residence of King Charles III and the opulent property stretches over 39 acres Kumanaraj admitted four counts of assaulting an emergency worker. He denied the charge of attempted theft but was later convicted. Alongside rehabilitation and a suspended jail term, Kumanaraj is banned from going near protected sites and will wear an electronic tag for six months. This weekend we heard yet another activist opinion by the ABC's chief political correspondent, Laura Tingle. The 7.30 reporter used a platform at the Sydney Writers Festival to declare Australia is a 'racist country'. But her self-described 'little rant' didn't stop there. Tingle went on to suggest that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's new policy on immigration has given 'licence' to white Australians to abuse anyone who looks a little different to them at property auctions. Tingle told her audience she had 'this sudden flash of people turning up to try and rent a property or at an auction and they look a bit different, whatever you define different as, that basically he [Peter Dutton] has given them licence to be abused'. Talk about a long bow. It is an extraordinary slur, not one she'd ever direct at the other side of politics by the way. ABC's chief political correspondent Laura Tingle (above) has stated that Australia 'is a racist country and always has been' Don't forget Tingle has form when it comes to dishing it out to one side of politics and not the other in her spare time. In a late night tweet during Scott Morrison's leadership she accused the then PM of 'ideological bastardry'. At least she had the good grace to remove the tweet the following morning. New ABC chair Kim Williams has boldly declared activism is out now that he's in at the ABC. Williams said in March that anyone who wants to keep practicing activist journalism should find employment elsewhere. So will the new ABC chair act on his words and pull Tingle - one of his most senior correspondents - into line, ensuring it doesn't happen again? Or is Tingle - also the staff elected representative on the ABC board - simply too senior to follow the rules set down for others? While truth is a defence when it comes to throwing barbs in public, are the utterances of Tingle even true? That this nation is racist to its core? Did she cite any data or international comparisons as evidence of her certainty that a nation of 26million people is unequivocally racist? No. 'We always have been', apparently, according to Tingle. Or is Tingle simply reflecting the private musings of her own friendship circle? Her own family even? Or perhaps privately held views of her own, heaven forbid? Of course not. I suspect she means to slur others, not herself and those around her. Tingle and her close circle would no doubt feel aggrieved by even the tongue-in-cheek insinuation that they are a bunch of racists. And that is the point. New ABC boss Kim Williams (left) joins Anthony Albanese at Parliament House when his appointment was announced The great Australian unwashed who live in suburbs that actually ARE diverse rather than just trumpeting diversity from up high in the nation's capital also have a right to feel aggrieved by the unsubstantiated and generalised insult by Tingle - a paid up employee of the public broadcaster they fund with their tax dollars. Australia is an internationally recognised beacon of successful multiculturalism. Compared to the goings on globally that see racial hatred bubble to the surface in violent and unimaginable ways all too frequently, here in Australia the population has a track record to be proud of. There is always room for healthy debate for and against new policies put forward by political parties. That includes Dutton's immigration policy announcements in his Budget reply speech. But it should be rational, evidence based and - certainly when it comes to the taxpayer funded public broadcaster - it MUST be balanced and free from personal bias. Especially when the rant comes from the most senior political journalist at the ABC. Luckily 7.30 is hosted by Sarah Ferguson - a professional well-rounded master of the political interview who is prepared to give it to both sides, which she again highlighted in her post-Budget interviews. Tingle could learn a thing or two from her colleague. Tesla shareholders are being urged to reject a $46 billion pay package for Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, which if passed would be the largest compensation package for a CEO in corporate America. Over the weekend, proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis produced a 71-page report citing various reasons including the 'excessive size' of the pay deal. Glass Lewis also noted how Musk's proposed compensation could also dilute shareholders' existing holdings in Tesla. The report also raised concerns mentioning Musk's 'slate of extraordinarily time-consuming projects' which have expanded with his high-profile purchase of Twitter, now known as X. Tesla shareholders are being urged to reject a $46billion pay package for Elon Musk The pay package was proposed by Tesla's board of directors, which has repeatedly come under fire for its close ties with the billionaire. The package does not give Musk a salary or cash bonus but sets rewards based on Tesla's market value rising from $50 billion to as much as $650 billion over the 10 years from 2018. The company is currently valued at about $571.6 billion, according to LSEG data. In January, Judge Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware's Court of Chancery voided the original pay package which had originally been approved in 2018. In the ruling, Judge McCormick cited Musk's 'extensive ties' with board members and agreed to rescind the package, which had once been valued as much as $55.8 billion. The package proposed by Tesla's board, rewards Musk based on Tesla's market value There also concerns over Musk's 'slate of extraordinarily time-consuming projects' which have expanded with his high-profile purchase of Twitter, now known as X Musk then sought to move Tesla's state of incorporation to Texas from Delaware. Glass Lewis also criticized the proposed move to Texas as offering 'uncertain benefits and additional risk' to shareholders. Proxy advisers' recommendations are able to influence how shareholders vote, as institutional shareholders look to them for advice. Last month, Tesla then re-proposed the pay package that consists of a 10-year grant of stock options. The company has urged shareholders to reaffirm their approval of the compensation at the June 13 meeting. Shareholders who support the compensation say Musk deserves to be rewarded for hitting performance goals. In order for the pay package to be approved, a majority of shareholders must vote to support it, excluding Musk's roughly 13 percent stake and a smaller and far smaller stake owned by his brother Kimbal Musk. Glass Lewis had previously advised against voting for the pay package in 2018 with similar concerns remaining in 2024. A proxy advisory firm has shared concerns citing the pay package's 'excessive size' and is advising shareholders to vote against it in a June 13 meeting 'The excessive size of the award, both on a pure dollar basis and in terms of the dilutive effect upon exercise, remains very much top of mind,' the analysis reads. 'The company's provided rationale does little to combat these concerns given their proportionate magnitude.' In an interview earlier this month, Tesla's board chair Robyn Denholm told the Financial Times that Musk deserves the pay package because the company hit ambitious targets for revenue and its stock price. Musk became Tesla CEO in 2008. In recent years, he has helped improve results, taking the company to a $15 billion profit from a $2.2 billion loss in 2018 with seven times more vehicles having been produced. The proxy advisor recommended shareholders vote against the reelection of board member Kimbal Musk, the billionaire' s brother while former 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch re-election was recommended. Musk currently holds a net worth of $197.3 billion, putting him at number three on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List with most of his assets tied up in shares of his companies. Musk owns 13 percent of Tesla stock but announced a bid earlier this month to secure a quarter of its voting stock. 'I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control,' he wrote on X. 'Enough to be influential, but not so much that I can't be overturned.' READ MORE: Teen killed and two friends left fighting for life after horror rollover Mr Duong's son, 10, was also in the car and taken to hospital A Toyota Ute collided with the sedan causing it to roll A father and daughter who were killed in a crash involving a rideshare service in Sydney's south west have been identified. Thai Duong, 41, and his 12-year-old daughter Haili died after the DiDi vehicle they were in crashed with another car on Milperra Road, Milperra, at 7.40pm on Sunday. Emergency services rushed to the crash site, near the Bankstown Aerodrome following reports a white Toyota Ute collied with a black Toyota sedan, causing it to roll and trap its passengers. The 41-year-old father was sitting in the backseat of the sedan, along with his daughter Haili and 10-year-old son. Critical care paramedics and doctors tried to free the rideshare passengers from the sedan, however Mr Duong and his daughter died at the scene. Thai Duong was in the backseat of a DiDi rideshare car along with his 12-year-old daughter Haili and 10-year-old son when it collided with a white Toyota Ute Mr Duong and his daughter Haili died at the scene (pictured, paramedics and doctors workiing to free passengers from the sedan) His 10-year-old son was treated by paramedics at the scene and was taken to Westmead's Children's Hospital in a stable condition. The family were members of St Brendan's Catholic Primary School in Central Bankstown. St Brendan's Catholic Primary School principal Patricia Laidler sent an email to parents on Monday informing them of the 'tragic' accident. 'It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that the accident being reported in the news this morning involved a member of our school community,'Ms Laidler wrote. 'Tragically, Haili Duong from Year 6 died in the accident along with her father Thai Duong last night. 'At this time we send our deepest condolences to the whole family as they grieve this loss. The school will work closely with the family to ensure they have the support and care they need during this time. 'Death is tragic, no matter how it occurs and it leaves hind many loved ones who need our support more than anything during this time. As a school community, we pray for Haili and her family and she is deeply in our thoughts and prayers.' The 52-year-old male driver of the DiDi sedan was also treated at the scene and was rushed to Westmead Hospital in a serious but stable condition. The driver of the ute, a 19-year-old male, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Liverpool hospital for mandatory testing. The 52-year-old male DiDi rideshare driver and Mr Duong's son were rushed to hospital The 19-year-old male driver of the Ute suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital for mandatory testing NSW Ambulance Acting Superintendent Dylan Snape described the crash as a 'severe collision' and 'highly emotional' for first responders NSW Ambulance Acting Superintendent Dylan Snape described the crash as a 'severe collision' and 'highly emotional' for first responders. 'It is safe to say this is a highly emotional scene for all first responders involved, not only NSW Ambulance but for Fire and Rescue firefighters and NSW Police, and we certainly want to recognise them for their efforts tonight,' Supt Snape said Police established a crime scene, with officers from the Crash Investigation Unit launching an investigation into the exact circumstances surrounding the crash. Anyone with dashcam footage, CCTV vision or information about the crash is being urged to contact Bankstown police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The mother of a three-year-old boy who suffered a brain injury after driving his toy tractor into a Utah river has revealed the incredibly tough decisions her family is facing. Levi Wright, son of rodeo star Spencer Wright, was initially declared brain dead after driving his toy tractor into a fast-moving river in Beaver County on Tuesday. His mother, Kallie Wright, dived in to save him and raced to the hospital where doctors restored his heartbeat, but warned the Wrights that Levi's brain was too damaged for him to survive. Levi miraculously showed signs of brain function on Friday, but now his mother is warning the hardest part of their journey has yet to come. The parents of Levi Wright (pictured) shared a gut-wrenching update on their son's health following near-death incident that left him with a brain injury His parents, rodeo star Spencer Wright (left) and Kallie Wright (right) are weighing medical advice and exploring different therapy options for their son's recovery Kallie shared a gut-wrenching update on the health of her son on Sunday. 'Our doctor is nothing short of outstanding and I believe with all of me that her heart is invested into him, as she has provided us the most precious gift of time. Something we almost did not have,' she wrote. 'Whether that is time to see if God provides a miracle to us or whether it's time for us to research, learn and process this all in order to make the most informed decisions. 'Every decision that Levi's Dad and I will make will be made based on what, we the two people who know him best believe he would want. In all this, he comes first.' Kallie said they were now weighing up her son's future medical needs. 'We are exploring the therapies that have been mentioned, engaging with those we feel can be of support for us and getting as many professional eyes on this as possible,' Kallie said in a Facebook update. 'We still just need the prayers. We will need them for years to come as I fear we haven't even reached the hardest part of this. Kallie said on Sunday that the experience has been soul-destroying for her family. Levi Wright (pictured) was initially declared brain dead after driving his toy tractor into a fast-moving river in Beaver County on Tuesday Levi miraculously showed signs of brain function on Friday, but now his mother, Kallie Wright (left) is warning the hardest part of their journey has yet to come 'This is an experience, I pray deep in my soul you never have to know the way I am beginning to,' she wrote. 'This is a roller coaster that you go on unwillingly & blindfolded, you do not know what's coming next. You just get to wait & ride it out. We are taking it day by day.' 'The term "Brain Injury" is very broad, there are ranges and different severities. No two brain injuries are alike, even if the accident is similar. No two brains recover or don't recover the same. There is a lot Medical Professionals don't know, but what they do tell you is based off legitimate medical literature and history.' Late on Thursday night, Levi woke up, according to his mother who is by his bedside at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City with her husband Spencer. 'LEVI WOKE UP! I am shook, we don't know much but the doctor said it was okay for me to get excited about that and I AM! My baby is so tough!' she said. 'He got a little wild so we had to settle him down again but my heart!' On Friday, they received the devastating news that an MRI gave a poor prognosis for the youngster. Kallie Wright dived in to save her three-year-old son when he drove his toy tractor into the raging river Late on Thursday night, Levi woke up, according to his mother who is by his bedside at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City with her husband Spencer They then clarified Levi wasn't 'fully coherent' or talking yet. 'He opened his eyes for a period of time, wiggled with purpose and less like just a reflex as before,' Kallie said. 'We still have a very long and tremendous road ahead of us, full of unknowns. Spencer and I felt like he knew we were there and could hear us.' When Levi drove into the river, the person who called 911 frantically told the dispatcher that they couldn't see him under the fast-moving currents. Kallie realized he had sneaked off and ran to the river, and jumped into the currents to save him, with her friend saying she 'was the one who found him, she got him out'. A huge response of rescue teams from the Beaver County Sheriff's Office, the Utah Highway Patrol, the Beaver County Search and Rescue team, and Beaver firefighters were quickly on the scene. The crews administered life-saving efforts before an ambulance raced him to Beaver County hospital, and he was later airlifted to Salt Lake City via helicopter. On Friday, they received the devastating news that an MRI gave a poor prognosis for the youngster Spencer Wright's (pictured) family is among the most prominent in the history of rodeo and he is ranked 35th in the world Spencer Wright's family is among the most prominent in the history of rodeo, and his father, Bill Wright, was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Spencer is ranked 35th in the world, and his siblings are also renowned athletes in the sport. ProRodeo chief executive Tom Glause said in a statement, 'The entire ProRodeo communitys heart aches for the Wright family. We will continue to hold them in our thoughts and prayers.' Busey said that she has a 'verbal lease' with the former owner's granddaughter A woman who claims she is not a squatter has been living in a half-million-dollar home in Colorado for more than a year without paying rent. Mecca Busey has resided in a 102-year-old home worth about $482,000 in Lakewood since the previous homeowner, who did not have a will, died in January 2023. Though she is not listed on the lease, Busey told 9News that instead of a written lease, she has a 'verbal lease' with the homeowner's granddaughter, who told her that she can live in the home rent-free. Records revealed that the granddaughter, who has not been named, moved out of the home to live in a facility for people with disabilities just before her grandfather died. The granddaughter could possibly be the inheritor of the property and now she wants Busey to move out of the home. When asked if she is a squatter, Busey said: 'Absolutely not, I'm not a squatter.' Mecca Busey has resided in a 102-year-old home worth about $482,000 since January 2023 Busey said that the former owner's granddaughter told her she could stay in the house if she made renovations to it. The previous owner died and did not have a will Busey said that her husband used to work for the deceased homeowner and that the granddaughter agreed to let her live there if she made home improvements, with plans to later buy the property from her. The disabled granddaughter is considered a 'vulnerable adult,' who might not have the mental capability to make a decision like that, according to court and police records. Busey claims that she has invested more than $200,000 into renovations on the house, including cleaning up the yard and re-modeling the kitchen. 'That's what I'm saying, I actually thought I was getting the house, or I would not have done that,' Busey said. She added that she felt completely blindsided by the granddaughter's request to leave the property. 'I get here and I make it look nice and all of the sudden they want me out without even coming to talk to me,' Busey said. 'I mean, this was a total sideswipe.' Records showed that neighbors have made allegations and called the police on Busey multiple times in the past year. Busey claims that she has invested more than $200,000 into renovations on the house (pictured: The before and after of the home's lawn after Busey cleaned it up) 'That's what I'm saying, I actually thought I was getting the house, or I would not have done that,' Busey said. (pictured: The before and after of the home's kitchen after Busey renovated) The Lakewood Police Department responded to the home 19 times for complaints about code violations, 'unwanted party,' trespassing and harassment, 9News reported. In response to the neighbors' claims, Busey said: 'Theyre saying things that are completely untrue. There has been no criminal activity here.' Busey said that she 'absolutely' regrets not getting a written lease for the home. In Colorado verbal leases can legally exist, but they only last for less than a year. Verbal leases are also harder to prove in court, leaving the argument to be made based on the credibility of the witnesses. Busey has at least two felony convictions of identity theft in the state. In 2020, she was arrested after she was found in a vehicle with IDs, bank account paperwork and tax forms that belonged to 'up to 40 different identities,' court records showed. Busey has at least two felony convictions in the state, both for identity theft. According to her social media accounts, Busey is a Retail Merchandiser at SAS Retail Services During that arrest, Busey was on parole for a previous felony conviction. When confronted about her criminal history, Busey said that she isn't currently stealing anyone's identity, and she is who she says she is. 'This has nothing to do with that, and yes, I've done my time so I have no problem speaking on it,' Busey said. According to her LinkedIn, Busey is a Retail Merchandiser at SAS Retail Services. She said that she will vacate the house if she is legally forced out, but for now, she plans to fight for the home. Busey said: 'If things change and I can have the house, then absolutely, yeah. I want the house.' A special administrator has been appointed to the case by the Jefferson County court system, and will assist in figuring out who the home belongs to. A New Jersey mother who has been devastated by the untimely deaths of her two sons is fearing for the wellbeing of her third child and only daughter, after she went missing 'under suspicious circumstances.' Danielle Lopez, 37, of Burlington, New Jersey, has not been seen or heard from since April 13 when she was spotted at a Wawa convenience store in Vincetown, New Jersey. Lopez, who is 5-foot-4, and weighs 135-pounds, disappeared shortly after telling her family that she was planning to go on a camping trip. There is cause for concern after her 2008 two-door blue Hyundai Accent was found abandoned on Lost Lane Road in Penn State Forest, a sprawling 3,366-acre state park. Danielle Lopez, 37, of Burlington, New Jersey, has not been seen or heard from since April 13 Lopez was last spotted at a Wawa convenience store in Vincetown, New Jersey on April 13 Her mother, Sue Quackenbush, 63. who is originally from Eatontown, New Jersey but now lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania, believes her daughter may not return and even wrote about her in the past tense. 'Unimaginably, tragedy has struck our family again' Quackenbush posted on Facebook. 'Danielle was sweet, creative, and loving. She was a wonderful daughter and a vibrant light in my life.' She said police told her that Danielle's disappearance was 'suspicious'. New Jersey State Police have not provided any further information regarding the investigation other than to state how they are 'seeking assistance' from the public. The New Jersey State Police Missing Person's Unit and its Human Trafficking Unit are both assisting in the search. 'The reason I used my daughter in the past tense in my statement is because police have reason to believe that harm has come of her,' Quackenbush told Fox News. Sue Quackenbush posted about her missing daughter, Danielle, in a heartbreaking posting The family appear to have endured one tragedy after another in recent years - with the thought of losing all three of her children now a horrifyingly real prospect. Pictures, the siblings are seen in their younger years Danielle had told her family that she had been planning to camp out in Wharton State Forest, which spans more than 124,000 acres across three counties - but then she vanished There has been no sign of her Danielle Lopez, 37, since she was reported missing on April 13 Lopez told her family that she had been planning to camp out in Wharton State Forest, which spans more than 124,000 acres across three counties - but there has been no sign of her since. 'I went out to where her car was found, I've been to the campground, I've been looking for about six weeks now,' Quackenbush explained. She notes how in the final photo of her daughter, pictured on surveillance camera as she left the Wawa store, she did not appear to be in any danger. 'She's smiling walking out of that store. She looks put together, has her purse. She's functioning,' Quackenbush explained. The family appear to have endured one tragedy after another in recent years - with the thought of losing all three of her children now a horrifyingly real prospect. 'God is working in this and I am blessed to have been their mother for all this time. Some mothers don't hold on to their children they have that long, and there are some mothers that harm their children. So I'm going to say I was blessed,' Quackenbush said. 'I just need a miracle and everyone's prayers and wishes.' Mom, Sue Quackenbush is pictured alongside her two sons, Eric, left, and Michael, right. Both are now dead Eric died by suicide after he 'threw himself in front of a train' in Pennsylvania in December 2015 Brother Michael Lopez was a Marine and was killed in a car crash. He had only just returned from Afghanistan when he died Michael is pictured alongside his two children shortly after his return from the Middle East Quackenbush lost her son Eric to suicide after he 'threw himself in front of a train' in Pennsylvania on Christmas Day 2015. Eric's brother, Michael Lopez who was a Marine, was killed ten months later after he was fatally injured in a car crash in Florida. He had only just returned from Afghanistan when he died. Eric and Danielle's father Guy and Quackenbush's ex-husband had a heart attack and died in June 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, while his father Fred Lopez Sr. also died in May of that year from COVID. 'It's a pretty heavy duty reality,' said Quackenbush's brother, Fred Lopez, 58, said to the New York Post. 'Danielle had a very difficult life and never quite recouped from all the deaths and the tragedies in our family. 'Every member of my family has had tragedy. I think my family may have been cursed,' Lopez said. Boeing's annual safety report has recorded a surge in employee safety and product quality concerns amid regulatory crackdowns on the company's aircraft issues. In a press release on Friday, Boeing noted a 500% increase or six-fold more employee reports on product safety and quality during the first two months of 2024. The company angled the increase in reports as part of its redoubled efforts following the 737-9 accident last January where one of the plane's door plugs detached mid-flight. The uptick comes in as the Federal Aviation Agency mandated a comprehensive plan to improve the company's quality-control issues. It can be remembered that the FAA found several production flaws on the 737 aircraft, failing 33 planes out of the 86 product audits made. This is not to mention another safety probe on the Boeing 787 and 777 Dreamliner planes after an engineer-turned-whistleblower told officials that the aircraft could "break apart" midflight. Also Read : Boeing May Face Criminal Charges for Breaking 2021 Safety Agreement, DOJ Says Boeing Shares Drop as Criminal Probe Continues Amid the federal crackdown, Boeing's shares have started to feel the brunt of the scrutiny and delayed promises. Last Thursday, Boeing's shares recorded a 6.2% drop as investigations and incidents continued. As of writing, Boeing's stocks reported a 77.24% drop since the year started. The Department of Justice is currently pursuing criminal charges against the aerospace manufacturer for breaking its promises to improve plane safety to waive previous charges. In 2021, the DOJ charged Boeing with defrauding officials after it failed to report safety issues in the 737 planes that resulted in two air crashes in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 passengers. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced earlier to step down as chief executive by the end of this year in response to the growing concerns about the company's safety culture. Related Article : Boeing CEO to Step Down Amid 737 Max Fiasco Reported Incidents Continue to Rise As the world's attention on the embattled company rises, so do the reported incidents of flight accidents that involve Boeing's planes. A United Airlines Flight 625 bound for Boston was forced to an emergency landing at Denver International Airport last Thursday after the crew reported mechanical issues midflight. The flight was operating under a Boeing 737. Earlier this month, three more Boeing planes also made emergency landings due to technical problems shortly after takeoff or before landing. Lawyers billed her for every email and phone call Lisa Wilkinson's $1.8million itemised legal bill has been laid bare in a series of eye-watering invoices from her lawyers. And while she dropped the bill on Network Ten, she could still be left thousands of dollars out of pocket. The television host won a bid in the Federal Court in February to have Ten cover about a year's worth of legal fees after she hired her own team to defend her in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case. Wilkinson opted out of using Ten's lawyers due to a relationship breakdown with her employer that left her feeling as though the network did not care enough about her reputation to represent her properly Her firm of choice was Gillis Delaney Lawyers, where the supervising partner charges $750 per hour, and top defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC, who charges $8,000 per day. Following a case management hearing before Justice Michael Lee on Monday, a bundle of documents tendered to the court showed itemised invoices from Gillis Delaney to Wilkinson between February 2023 and May 2024. Gillis Delaney sent the monthly invoices to Wilkinson, who then forwarded them to Network Ten for payment - but a letter from Ten's lawyers last Friday, also released by the court, reveals the network disputes 'every entry in the bundle'. Among the thousands of charges in the invoices, the documents show Wilkinson was charged $214 for two phone calls by her lawyers, $1,430 for a 'general time task' watching court proceedings and $550 for a review of a screenshot of text messages. Lisa Wilkinson is pictured outside the Federal Court on the day of the judgement, April 15 Pictured: A screenshot of several expenses on an invoice sent to Wilkinson from Gillis Delaney Spotlight complaint and personal PR According to the invoices, Wilkinson has billed Ten for issues outside the Lehrmann matter - including a formal complaint she lodged against Network Seven's Spotlight program, and personal publicity issues involving her celebrity agent Nick Fordham. Wilkinson's complaint to the Australian Communications and Media Authority was over an episode of Spotlight last June which featured a recorded meeting between her and a Channel Ten producer, Ms Higgins and her partner David Sharaz. The group could be heard gossiping about federal MPs, Parliament House staffers and journalists during the five-hour conversation, and it was highly embarrassing for Wilkinson and Ten. Also included in the bill was a combined amount for more than $3,000 for Wilkinson's lawyers to attend court dates for Lehrmann's rape case in Toowoomba, Queensland, which did not form part of the defamation proceedings in NSW. Another issue outlined in a letter from Ten's lawyers, Thomson Geer, included an associate at Gillis Delaney charging $650 per hour, despite a previous costs agreement for $450 per hour. There were also duplications of time entries for invoices in February and May 2023, and February 2024, according to the letter, and there was no costs agreement with Ms Chrysanthou. Ten also pointed out that Wilkinson's invoices began on October 19, 2022, even though Mr Lehrmann would not launch defamation proceedings until four months later, on February 7, 2023, and she hired her lawyers seven days later. Pictured: Some of the items on an invoice sent to Lisa Wilkinson from Gillis Delaney Pictured: Items on an invoice from Sue Chrysanthou, who charges $8,000 per day in court. The bill was sent to Wilkinson's lawyers, before it was sent to her Why Lisa Wilkinson could be left out of pocket Justice Lee had ordered Network Ten cover costs that were 'reasonably incurred' by Wilkinson, which means the broadcaster would not be required to pay for anything outside the Lehrmann matter. The broadcaster also argued it should not have to pay duplicate legal fees, where Wilkinson's lawyers were in court but did not need to be because Ten's lawyers ran that portion of the case. However, the invoices show Wilkinson racked up hefty fees on tasks the broadcaster argues were either duplicates, or not directly related to the Lehrmann case. In the letter last Friday, Ten said the fact Wilkinson had three solicitors present in court, along with two counsel, during case management hearings and the trial was 'not reasonable'. Ten asked Wilkinson to omit sections of the invoice that were common to both parties. Bruce Lehrmann is pictured outside the Federal Court on the day of the judgement In court on Monday, Network Ten's lawyer Zoe Graus said they had not been able to distinguish what tasks were duplications and which were not. 'There are certainly costs which we do not dispute are recoverable by Ms Wilkinson,' she said. 'It's more a matter of being able to identify those costs on a line item basis.' She said, ideally, invoices would specify whether the task was in relation to a duplicate task or not. Justice Lee said 'two sensible solicitors' with two highlighters could go through the invoices and work out which expense belongs where by referencing a timeline. If Ten does not pay those fees, it is likely Wilkinson will have to cough up the money herself. How Lisa racked up an $1.8million bill According to the letter, Wilkinson's costs as per the invoices actually amount to $1.6million - which is $200,000 less than she suggested. Wilkinson's lawyers charged roughly $82 for reading an email, $120 for a phone call, about $700 for a video call, and hundreds of thousands of dollars for court appearances. The invoices from Gillis Delaney included thousands of entries for drafts, reviews, meetings and phone calls, which were all billed at the hourly rate of the lawyer who completed the task. A managing partner charged $715 for a call with senior counsel about affidavit evidence, and there was a further $1,400 for a meeting in Ms Chrysanthou's chambers. Brittany Higgins is pictured with her partner David Sharaz A teleconference call cost $1,072, an affidavit draft cost $1,215, and an item called 'preparation generally for hearing' was billed at $2,288. Ms Chrysanthou's costs, which were sent as invoices to Gillis Delaney before they were sent to Wilkinson, were substantially higher. One invoice from May 2023 included a $3,200 charge for four hours' worth of reviewing material and drafting defence, $600 for conferring with client, and a further $1,000 for 1.25 hours of reviewing material and preparing evidence. Ms Chrysanthou's invoice between October 2023 and May 2024 alone amounted to more than $405,000. Wilkinson's lawyers have been ordered to file any additional material in relation to her claim by June 21. The defamation case Lehrmann suffered a massive legal loss against Ten and Wilkinson in April when Justice Lee found he had, on a balance of probabilities, raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in March 2019. He had sued for defamation over a February 2021 episode of The Project, during which Ms Higgins aired her rape claims for the first time in an interview with Wilkinson. The former Liberal staffer, who had denied the assault claims, wasn't named in the broadcast but claimed friends and colleagues were able to identify him as Ms Higgins' rapist. As the loser of the trial, Lehrmann is expected to cough up 90 per cent of Ten and Wilkinson's costs for the successful truth defence, and 70 per cent of the costs associated with running the failed qualified privilege defence. However, it is unlikely Lehrmann will be able to pay the multi million-dollar bills. If Lehrmann goes bankrupt and the bills are unpaid, Network Ten will have to cover its own costs, and Wilkinson's reasonable costs. At least 18 people, including two children aged two and five, were killed after tornadoes and severe storms ripped through Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma over Memorial Day weekend. Seven of the fatalities, including the children, were in Cooke County, Texas, as a deadly twister ravaged through a trailer park on Saturday night. According to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the two children who died were apart of the same family. 'When they woke up yesterday, they had no way of knowing the family would be literally crushed by this horrific storm,' Abbott said. During a news conference on Sunday, Abbot said that about 100 people were injured by the tornado and that the exact death toll is 'hard to tell with certainty.' A home is seen filed with rubble after part of the roof was ripped off from the intense twister in Claremore, Oklahoma A car's windshield was seen completely shattered and left with a gaping hole on Sunday morning in Valley View, Texas A giant tornado is seen forming in Windhorst, Texas is seen on Saturday in the middle of dark skies The mayor added that more than 200 homes and buildings were demolished with over a 100 others left damaged. 'I'd be shocked if those numbers do not increase,' he said. Texas residents were seen sifting through their homes that were mangled by the weekend tornado. A car's windshield was seen completely shattered and left with a gaping hole on Sunday morning in Valley View, Texas. At least eight people were killed in Arkansas, including a 26-year-old woman who was found dead outside a demolished home in Olvey, a small community in Boone County. Three people died in Benton County, Arkansas, CBS reported, with officials confirming that multiple others were injured. Two people were also killed in Mayes County, Oklahoma due to the severe weather overnight, though details weren't immediately provided by the county's deputy director of emergency management Mike Dunham. Six others were injured. People were pictured staring in awe at damage at First Baptist Church in Claremore, Oklahoma on Sunday morning. People were pictured staring in awe at damage at First Baptist Church in Claremore, Oklahoma on Sunday morning A woman is seen trying to salvage what's left of her home as she finds a Guadalupe Virgin statue in the rubble in Valley View, Texas Cars are seen piled on top of each other amongst loads of other rubble after the tornado rolled through in Texas Kevin Dorantes, 20, was on his way back to the Valley View neighborhood to search for his father and brother when he came across a family who lost their entire home. He saw a father and son trapped under a pile of debris as other rushed to help them. 'They were conscious but severely injured. The father's legs were snapped,' Dorantes told AP News. By Sunday evening, more than 80,000 customer in Arkansas were left without power, while Missouri had more than 90,000 without power. Texas reported about 27,000 power outages, while 3,000 were reported in Oklahoma, according to poweroutage.us. Across the central US and the Midwest, the severe weather has downed power for over 480,000 people and over 110 million Americans are under warnings for the calamitous fronts. Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said that most of the deaths in Texas occurred in a mobile home community called FRF Estates in Valley View, where crews continue to conduct search-and-rescue operations amid 'major damage,' WFAA reported. The twister also decimated the AP Travel Center in Valley View, where 60 to 80 people had driven to take shelter in the parking lot, in the bathrooms or in the Shell gas station that the storm has since reduced to rubble. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick shared a statement late Sunday morning, announcing that state emergency response units had been activated. He also gave his condolences to the victims. 'Jan and I are praying for the first responders, families in all impacted areas, and victims who tragically lost their lives,' Patrick wrote on X. Outside of Cooke County, millions of Americans in mid-Mississippi and the Ohio and Tennessee River valleys are at risk of large hail storms, high-speed winds and tornadoes. An aerial shot of extensive storm damage is seen in a shopping center in Rogers, Arkansas and distraught residents look around The Home Town Flea Market in Roger, Arkansas is seem completely destroyed on Sunday People in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas were also the victim of extreme weather on Saturday night, with more than 250,000 homes throughout the Plains and surrounding areas having lost power. Currently, nearly 500,000 customers in the lower-central US and the Midwest are without electricity, with the most affected state being Kentucky as the stormy weather moves east. More than 15 million Americans are under enhanced storm risk, most of them in big population centers like Indianapolis, Nashville, and Cincinnati. The 108th annual Indianapolis 500 was delayed by the impending thunder and lightning, and fans were asked to exit the grandstands. Meanwhile, local officials in Texas are picking up the pieces and continuing to search for possible victims. Sappington told WFAA Sunday morning that he expected the number of dead in Cooke County 'to go up.' The nearly 80 individuals at the AP Travel Center in Valley View were trapped until the storm passed further east, Sappington said. Some of the 20 total people that were injured were at the gas station within the travel center, but none of the injuries were life threatening. People's vehicles in the parking lot of the travel center were damaged or destroyed, leaving about 40 people stranded, though a bus eventually came and transported them somewhere else so they could be picked up by family members. Other parts of Texas around the Dallas Fort Worth area saw catastrophic destruction, including nearby Denton County, where a possible tornado injured an unknown number of residents, flipped 18-wheelers and knocked down trees and powerlines, CNN reported. Officials responded to a series of different locations, including 'homes and RV trailer parks,' Denton County spokesperson dawn Cobb said in a news release. Multiple homes in the neighboring city of Celina were also damaged by Saturday's 'apparent tornadic activity,' officials there said. Fox Dallas Fort Worth spoke with a Celina resident Kim Weston, who came home after the storm only to find that her home was destroyed. Damage is seen at a truck stop the morning after a tornado rolled through in Valley View, Texas Weston's mother, who also lives in the area, was trapped in her home at the time but was later rescued, Fox reported. 'We have heard that everyone on the street is OK and unfortunately our house was a total loss, but you know we're grateful that we're ok,' Weston said. 'It was a godsend we weren't home. the neighbor across the street had an RV and it landed on our house the only part that's standing is where we would have been sheltered.' A probable tornado also swept through Rogers County, Oklahoma, near the city of Tulsa. The city of Claremore, a major municipality in that county, had 'a lot of damage,' authorities said, adding that electricity would be out for most residents for 'an extended period of time. WFAA obtained dramatic footage from two people driving straight through the tornado. They were identified as Valenia Gill and Brenda Procter Dance, and were driving south along I-35 toward the Texas town of Sanger at around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday. 'We're right in the middle of the tornado Brenda, what do I do? The car is shaking,' Valenia says, as the wind whips debris into their car. The gusts get stronger within seconds and the ladies stop the car, with Brenda repeating, 'Cover your head, cover your head.' Once the twister starts to die down a bit, Valenia keeps the car stopped and says, 'I don't want to go anywhere yet. I'm shaking.' As the various storms move into the Midwest, forecasters are saying there is a Level 3 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms over parts of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys into Monday morning. That area could experience anywhere from EF2 to EF5 tornadoes as well. Foundations of home and thrown around wood and rubble are seen in a community in Texas on Sunday A man is seen seating amongst piles of rubble on Sunday morning looking through tools However, severe weather is lingering in the middle of the country, with a Level 4 to 5 risk of thunderstorms remaining in parts of Central and Southern Plains through Sunday morning. The thunderstorms forecasters expect to see in the Midwest by Sunday afternoon will grow and reach areas farther south and east through the evening and the nighttime hours. The width of the storm could stretch as north as the Great Lakes and as south as bits of Louisiana and the panhandle of Florida. This means major airport hubs in Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Nashville could be battered with heavy rain and lightning, leading to canceled and delayed flights on Memorial Day Weekend. Record-breaking heat waves will also be coming to the southern US during the holiday weekend. Houston, New Orleans, Miami, Mobile, Alabama; Tampa, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina, are cities where temperatures will feel more like July than late May, CNN reported. Daily highs exceeding 115 degrees are possible in some areas, the Storm Prediction Center said. Orders from Immigration Minister allow him to stay A man who raped his 14-year-old stepdaughter while her mother gave birth to her sibling in hospital will be allowed to stay in Australia under new orders. The 37-year-old New Zealand man, known as CHCY, was found guilty in 2022 of nine counts of 'indecent treatment' including rape against the teenager. On two occasions after he had raped his stepdaughter, the man went into her room, climbed into her bed and rubbed her body. At his sentencing, the judge told CHCY that he would lose his Australian visa and that he 'may well be deported', Sky News reports. Acting on orders Immigration Minister Andrew Giles issued in January 2023, the Australian Appeals Tribunal (AAT) reversed a March decision to cancel CHCY's visa. Mr Giles' direction compels decision-makers to take into consideration whether a non-citizen who commits a crime has spent their formative years in Australia. A man who sexually assaulted his 14-year-old stepdaughter will be allowed to stay in Australia under orders from Immigration Minister Andrew Giles (pictured) Given the offender had first moved to Australia when he was 17-years-old, AAT ruled the New Zealand man had spent his formative years overseas. 'The Tribunal finds CHCY has lived for the majority of his life in Australia working full time, making a contribution to the taxation system, the community and his family,' AAT said in its findings. 'The Tribunal places weight on this consideration noting the Direction (99) clearly articulates tolerance should be given to non-citizens in CHCY's circumstances.' Direction 99, issued by Mr Giles in January 2023, asks that the AAT to make 'ties to Australia' a primary concern during visa determinations. Since then, 35 offenders - including CHCY - have had their AAT findings overturned and have been allowed to remain in Australia. It prompted shadow immigration minister Dan Tehan to call on Mr Giles to explain to the Australian public why he refused to rescind Direction 99. 'To rape a stepdaughter while your partner is giving birth in hospital what is shows is that ministerial direction (99) is clearly failing,' Mr Tehan said. 'I don't think that you could get a worse example that that ministerial direction is clearly failing and that is why it needs to be rescinded. 'And it's why Andrew Giles needs to come out today and explain why he won't rescind it.' A 29-year-old man who walked free from immigration detention following a successful appeal to AAT allegedly committed murder just weeks later (pictured, Villawood Detention Centre) It comes after a man who walked free from immigration detention following a successful appeal to AAT allegedly murdered a man just weeks later. Emmanuel Saki, 29, who arrived from Sudan with his family aged 12, was charged with murder after the stabbing death of Bosco Minyurano, 22, on May 12. Given Saki arrived in Australia as a child, the tribunal determined he had 'considerable' ties to Australia and reversed the cancellation of his visa. 'The Minister accepted that considerable weight should be given to the fact that the Applicant has been ordinarily resident in Australia during and since his formative years and accepted that this primary consideration weighs in the Applicant's favour,' AAT deputy president Stephen Boyle wrote. 'I agree that that is the case.' Police will allege in court that Saki stabbed Mr Minyurano in a park on Mortimer Rd at Acacia Ridge, in Brisbane's south shortly after midnight on Mother's Day. Saki's visa was initially cancelled after he failed the character test, prompted by several violent attacks which resulted in jail time in 2017 and 2018. He had been convicted of choking a person unconscious, assault occasionally actual bodily harm and assault. Mr Giles is openly sympathetic to the plight of refugees, having acted as a solicitor representing 433 asylum seekers trying to get to Australian territory aboard the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa In 2001. The mother of the three girls who were stabbed alongside their friend while watching a movie inside a Boston theater said that the knifeman was 'laughing the whole time.' The suspect, Jared Ravizza, 26, stabbed four girls, aged 9 to 17, at an AMC multiplex in Braintree, Massachusetts around 6pm on Saturday. Ravizza, dressed in a blonde wig, got into the theater without paying and attacked the girls unprovoked, without saying a word. Lisa Dembowski said that her three daughters and their friend were the only one's inside the theater when he attacked them. 'My oldest was leaning over to get something, he got her in the back, and then my other daughter in the top chest, and then, my last daughter across her arm, laughing the whole time and then got their friend, and then ran off,' Dembowski told NBC Boston. Lisa Dembowski, the mother of three of the girls who were stabbed on Saturday night at an AMC multiplex in Braintree, Massachusetts, said that the knifeman was 'laughing the whole time' The suspect, Jared Ravizza, 26, was arrested and taken into custody. He got into the theater without paying and attacked the girls unprovoked, without saying a word After getting a call from her sister, she rushed to the movie theater and immediately saw her children while their friend was already taken to the hospital. They all suffered non-life threatening injuries. 'The movie theater was still open and people were like buying tickets and it was just as if, I don't know. It was crazy to me that that was still going on,' the mother recalled. A witness at the scene, Matteo Rojas, told CBS, 'It's so heartbreaking that's what I'll be thinking about the rest of the night is seeing those kids coming down the steps and just crying. They looked really stunned like they just saw a horror movie, not a kid's movie.' After fleeing the movie theater, Ravizza went to a Route 3 rest area in Plymouth where he allegedly stabbed two McDonald's employees around 7pm. According to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office, Ravizza reached through the drive-thru window and stabbed a 28-year-old man. When she arrived at the theater, she immediately saw her children while their friend was already taken to the hospital. They all suffered non-life threatening injuries He reportedly parked his black Porsche in the parking lot and ran inside where he stabbed a 21-year-old woman before fleeing that scene. The man was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess-Plymouth Hospital and the woman was taken to South Shore Hospita. Both suffered non-life threatening injuries. After reviewing surveillance footage police released a description of the suspect's car. They located him in Sandwich, but after he failed to pull over, Ravizza led police on a car chase that ended in a car crash. He was arrested around 7.15pm and taken into custody. Ravizza was also taken to South Shore Hospital and is being treated for non-life threatening injuries. Police said that Ravizza might be connected to a death investigation in Deep River, Connecticut, NBC10 Boston reported. The mother-of-three is relieved that Ravizza was found and taken into custody. 'I think its a pretty sick individual to harm children,' Dembowski said. 'I hope he gets what he deserves.' Authorities located Ravizza him in Sandwich, but after he failed to pull over, he led police on a car chase that ended in a car crash She said that her daughters are recovering and that her eldest has taken the incident the hardest. 'The older one is very protective of them and she is just more worried just in general about them and how theyre gonna be doing.' She called her eldest and her friend heroes for protecting and calming her younger daughters down and calling the police for help. A spokesperson told NBC10 Boston: 'We are saddened by this senseless act of violence,' the AMC spokesperson said. 'We are heartened to learn the victims are recovering, and we are reaching out to their families privately.' Parts of Britain faced a washout Bank Holiday Monday today with up to an inch of rain expected along with warnings of flash flooding and thunderstorms. The Met Office said most areas of the UK will see a mixture of sunny spells and scattered showers at the start of what is the last week of meteorological spring. But slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms could cause flooding and travel disruption in Scotland where 1.6in (40mm) of rain is set to fall in just a few hours. Temperatures will be around average for this time of year with maximums of 19C (66F) today, although forecasters said it would feel fresh under any cloud or rain. It comes on a busy day to travel , with the RAC estimating 3.4million drivers will be on the roads today on the final day of the three-day Bank Holiday weekend. Rail passengers faced major disruption on Avanti West Coast between London Euston and Milton Keynes today with all lines blocked due to a signalling problem. That came on top of pre-planned engineering work on the route including bus replacements between Preston and Carlisle, and Carlisle to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Elsewhere, London Overground trains faced delays due to object stuck in overhead power cables, while DFDS Ferries warned customers of a 'busy day' at Port of Dover and told them to allow 120 minutes to complete border control and check-in. Alexandra, seven, Edward, five, Dexter, six, and Georgina, three, enjoy the sand on Bank Holiday Monday at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside today Tynemouth Beach car park in North Tyneside at full capacity on Bank Holiday Monday today Families out on their bikes on a sunny day at Eton Wick near Windsor in Berkshire today Cyclist go for a ride on a country lane in the morning sunshine today in Dunsden, Oxfordshire A group of ramblers at Eton Wick near Windsor in Berkshire on Bank Holiday Monday today And thousands of Britons were stuck in queues for hours at Birmingham Airport amid 'shambolic' and 'terrible' scenes while families fly away on half-term holidays. The Met Office said low pressure would remain slow-moving across the British Isles today, maintaining a changeable theme that was also seen over the weekend. However it will be feeling cooler today than over the weekend - which saw highs of 21.6C (70.9F) in London - with a brisk breeze in the South and West. The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for northern and eastern areas of mainland Scotland from 11am until 10pm today. Greg Dewhurst, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'There are some subtle differences - I think generally, England and Wales will see less frequent and less heavy showers compared to Sunday, so there should be some longer, drier spells in between. 'But it is worth, if people are heading out, having a brolly and raincoat as there is a chance almost anywhere of having a shower, true for Northern Ireland too, actually.' Thicker cloud is expected move in across south-west England by the end of the day with the chance of patchy rain, but any lingering showers should fade as the evening progresses. The Environment Agency has issued 22 flood alerts for England, all in southern areas Another frontal system will move in tomorrow from the West and rain will spread across many areas following a bright start in the east, with temperatures staying around average. By Wednesday, low pressure will continue to dominate the weather with many areas seeing a mix of sunshine and showers, which could be heavy and thundery in places. This low pressure will then begin to move away to the east on Thursday, but it will again be sunny and wet for many areas although western areas could turn drier. Eastern areas will still be under the influence of low pressure by Friday which will continue the showery theme, but western parts will likely see a drier day. The Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye had a separate warning for rain in place from midnight to 9am this morning but it is not expected to be as heavy. The Environment Agency has issued 22 flood alerts for England, all in southern areas. A secret operation has been launched to stop Albanian gangsters flooding the streets of British with cocaine and bring down their criminal empires linked to people smuggling and sex trafficking. Officials at the Foreign Office and Home Office have jointly launched 'Crime State Nexus' to target organised criminals and the crooked Balkan politicians assisting them. Details of the operation were revealed in Government court papers relating to a legal battle over a decision to ban former Albanian president Sali Berisha from the UK. Albanian gangs were described in the legal documents as an 'acute threat' to Britain by being 'highly prevalent across serious and organised crime' through their involvement in the UK cocaine market, people smuggling and sex trafficking. The papers also cited data showing Albanians are by far the biggest foreign nationality in UK prisons, making up in one eight of all incarcerated criminals. Albanian gangster Selamet Mehmetaj called himself 'the Devil' and was jailed for four-and-a-half years in August 2023 Dritan Rexhepi, the ringleader of the Kompanio Bello drug cartel that flooded Britain with cocaine, was recently arrested during a raid in Turkey The UK banned former Albanian president Sali Berisha from entering the country in July 2022 Mr Berisha has been appealing at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in London over a move by former home secretary Priti Patel to ban him from the UK with a decision due next month in the case, reported The Times. Documents relating to the appeal claim that links between politics and crime in Albania create a 'permissive environment in which serious criminals and OCGs (organised crime gangs) can operate and benefit from the political protection of corrupt politicians from law enforcement activity'. The papers also say political protection gives gangs more options to launder money and means Albania can be used as a 'safe haven from which to operate'. These gangs can then buy votes or intimidate voters during elections to help politicians, the documents claim. The Crime State Nexus project tries to take action against politically exposed people in Albania, which can include banning them from Britain. The basic aim is therefore to break the links between politics, business and illicit activity. Mr Berisha's appeal has taken place at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in London People cross a street in front of a banner reading 'Welcome Lord Cameron' and Union flags on Tirana's main boulevard last week ahead of the planned visit by the Foreign Secretary Mr Berisha, 79, who served as Albania's prime minister from 2005 to 2013 and as president from 1992 to 1997, is being investigated over a land deal. He was charged with corruption last October for allegedly abusing his post to help his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi, buy land in Tirana owned by both private citizens and the defence ministry, and to build 17 apartment buildings on the property. Mr Berisha and Mr Malltezi have both proclaimed their innocence, alleging the case was a political move by the ruling Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Mr Berisha, who was re-elected as a lawmaker for the Democratic Party in 2021, has been under house arrest since last December while he is investigated. Prosecutors have said that if is convicted, he faces a prison sentence of up to 12 years. The US government in May 2021 and the UK in July 2022 barred Mr Berisha and close family members from entering their countries because of alleged involvement in corruption. Albanian gangs are known for sharing photos of flash cars, drugs and money on social media A TikTok video showing Albanian migrants crossing the English Channel in 2022 Last week, Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron visited Tirana to discuss initiatives to help Albania crack down on gangs smuggling people across the English Channel and fuelling drugs crime in the UK. However the visit was cut short after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a surprise summer election for July 4. After a spike in 2022 in the number of Albanian nationals arriving in the UK in small boats, the governments of both nations struck an agreement to work together to prevent people from making the journey. This included placing UK Border Force staff in Tirana airport, the exchange of senior police officers and the creation of a joint migration taskforce. It is likely this contributed to a 93 per cent drop in Albanians crossing the Channel, down from 12,658 in 2022 to 922 between January 1 and November 29, 2023. Under the returns agreement, the UK has removed 26,000 people over the last year including nearly 6,000 Albanians, the Foreign Office said. After a spike in 2022 in the number of Albanian nationals arriving in the UK in small boats, the governments of both nations struck an agreement to work together to stop people getting in Earlier this month, Britain handed Albania 1.6million of cameras and drones in a bid to catch Channel people-smuggling gangs. But the number of migrants arriving in the UK has continued to rise despite the Government's efforts to curb crossings. Provisional Home Office figures show 10,170 people have arrived in the UK in 2024 up to and including last Friday after making the journey from France. This was a new record for the first five months of a calendar year since records began in 2018. In 2023, it took until June 17 to reach the figure of 10,000. Passengers who experienced brutal turbulence on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin yesterday have told of the chaos on board as the plane suddenly plummeted hundreds of feet without warning. Twelve people were hurt in the incident, eight of whom were taken to hospital upon landing in Dublin with shocked travellers describing how flight attendants were tossed into the air and hit the ceiling of the aircraft. 'There was panic, the look of panic everywhere,' Emma Rose Power said. 'Some of the flight attendants had scratches to their face, ice to their face... one girl had a sling on her arm.' 'It was just atrocious... never again,' one traveller named Cathal told RTE, showing the Irish broadcaster how his shorts had somehow ripped apart as he was thrown around the cabin. And another passenger named Eileen said she had never had a worse experience onboard a flight, explaining how her partner Tony was forced to hold her down to stop her from being launched out of her chair as she had been sleeping without a seatbelt. 'It was so scary... I am not in a hurry to get back on a plane I can tell you,' she added, holding back tears. It comes just days after a 73-year-old British man died and more than 100 people were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight encountered major turbulence flying over Myanmar last week. 'There was panic, the look of panic everywhere,' Emma Rose Power said. 'Some of the flight attendants had scratches to their face, ice to their face... one girl had a sling on her arm' Eileen said she had never had a worse experience onboard a flight, explaining how her partner Tony was forced to hold her down to stop her being launched out of her chair as she had been sleeping without a seatbelt. One traveller named Cathal showed the Irish broadcaster RTE how his shorts had somehow ripped apart as he was thrown around the cabin It was really scary. Passengers on a flight from Qatar to Ireland describe the moment they experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey during the food and drinks service. Six passengers and six cabin crew were injured during the turbulence | https://t.co/XkruwzQHZa pic.twitter.com/PfX3vKbCF9 RTE News (@rtenews) May 26, 2024 Firefighters and a fire engine outside the a plane at Dublin airport which experienced turbulence over Turkey resulting in 12 people being injured Ambulances gathering around the plane which landed safely in Dublin airport at around 1pm. Eight passengers were taken to hospital after being checked over by medical staff Dublin Airport announced that six passengers and six crew members were injured in the turbulence, which it said occurred as flight QR17, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operated by Qatar Airways, passed over Iraq and into Turkish airspace. Eight people sustained injuries that required hospitalisation and they were shuttled to medical centres in Dublin by emergency services who were waiting on the tarmac to receive the victims. Several passengers told Irish broadcaster RTE how the cabin was suddenly plunged into chaos as it entered turbulence just as flight attendants were serving food. Conor Buckley, who was travelling back from holiday in Thailand, said: 'We felt the plane dip for about five seconds and next to us we saw the flight attendant just go up in the air and come straight back down.' Paul Mocc explained how people had hit the roof during the chaos and that refreshments had ended up scattered all over the cabin, but commended the crew for continuing to work despite injuries. 'You could see people hit the roof, food and things everywhere... they were serving food at the time so a lot of the crew were injured, but they did a really good job of continuing the service despite limping round with bandages and everything.' Adam Dalton, a game developer, described the moment of turbulence as 'like a rollercoaster drop'. One man, who was on his way back from Perth, Australia, said that food and drink was scattered everywhere after the incident. He told RTE: 'I had to grab the seat in front, I had to put my seatbelt on.' The flightpath taken by the Qatar Airway plane. IT experienced turbulence over Turkey and 12 people were injured but have been attended by emergency crews at Dublin Airport Dublin airport has said it is continuing to provide medical assisstance to everyone on board Adam Dalton, a game developer was on the flight and described it as 'a bit of a shock' Tom took to Twitter/X to describe his experience saying that the captain was slow to explain what was happening but the air stewards were very helpful The flight experienced turbulence over Turkey a spokesperson for the operator of Dublin Airport said In a statement, Dublin Airport said the Qatar Airways flight landed safely as scheduled shortly before 1pm on Sunday. Emergency services, including ambulances, were seen on the ground around the plane after it landed in the Irish capital. Passengers described food flying around and panic rippling through cabin but praised the air stewards on board. Kevin Cullinane, Deputy Director of Communications at daa, the operator of Dublin Airport said: 'The Dublin Airport team continues to provide full assistance on the ground to passengers and airline crew.' In an updated statement at 3pm, Dublin Airport said all passengers were assessed for injury before disembarking the plane, and eight were taken to hospital. 'Qatar Airways flight QR017 from Doha landed safely as scheduled at Dublin Airport shortly before 1300 on Sunday,' they said. 'Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including airport police and our fire and rescue department, due to six passengers and six crew (12 total) on board reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey. 'All passengers were assessed for injury prior to disembarking the aircraft. Eight passengers were subsequently taken to hospital.' A spokesperson for Qatar Airways said: 'Qatar Airways can confirm that flight QR017 a Boeing B787-9 from Doha to Dublin has landed safely. A small number of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries in flight and are now receiving medical attention. 'The matter is now subject to an internal investigation. The safety and security of our passengers and crew are our top priority.' The incident follows an even more devastating bout of turbulence that befell a Singapore Airlines flight from Heathrow to Singapore last week that resulted in the death of a British man and saw some 80 people hospitalised. Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old musical theatre director from Gloucestershire, died from a suspected heart attack, officials said. At least one person died after a Singapore Airlines (SIA) SQ321 flight from London Heathrow to Singapore got into severe turbulence The interior of Singapore Airline flight SG321 is pictured after the emergency landing Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, ran the Thornbury Musical Theatre Group in Bristol The 73-year-old died from a suspected heart attack, Thai officials said. His wife is believed to be in hospital Pictured: Passengers are seen in the cabin after the incident today, with belongings strewn across the floor and oxygen masks dangling from above More than 70 people were injured in the incident, with Mr Kitchen's wife Linda placed in intensive care after she suffered serious spinal injuries. The retired insurance worker and his wife were heading abroad on a six-week holiday of a lifetime to South East Asia, Indonesia and Australia when disaster struck around 11 hours into their flight from Heathrow. The aircraft hit an air pocket and plummeted an astonishing 6,000ft in just three minutes, with the sudden drop unleashing mayhem onboard and forcing the plane to make an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport. Terrified passengers have described how they had little to no warning to put their seatbelts on before the aircraft suddenly dropped while the crew were serving breakfast, with one passenger saying people were 'launched into the ceiling' as the plane fell through the sky. Of the 211 passengers and 18 crew on board, Thai authorities said 71 people had been sent to hospital, with 20 placed in intensive care. More than 100 people sustained injuries that required medical attention. The ICU patients included six Britons, six Malaysians, three Australians, two Singaporeans and one person each from Hong Kong, New Zealand, and the Philippines, hospital authorities said. Doctors performed emergency surgery on nine people in the hours after the aircraft landed on May 21, with five more operations conducted the following day. One passenger named as Jerry, who was travelling to his son's wedding aboard the ill-fated flight SQ321, told BBC: 'Suddenly the plane plunged... there was no warning at all, and I ended up hitting my head on the ceiling, and my wife did. 'Some poor people walking around ended up doing somersaults. It was absolutely terrible.' A probe into the incident is now underway, with officers from Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau deploying to Bangkok. The US National Transportation Safety Board also sent an accredited representative and four technical advisors to support the investigation because the incident involved a Boeing plane. A well known building company has gone bust after almost two decades in business, adding to a growing list of thousands of collapsed builders. Stevens Construction, based on New South Wales' Central Coast, announced on Monday that it had gone into voluntary administration having faced 'unprecedented disruptions' during recent constructions. In its 18 years of operation, the business has undertaken projects for companies including Woolworths, Dan Murphy's and the NSW Government. It now leaves behind 10 unfinished projects as administrators from BRI Ferrie, Jonathon Keenen, Andrew Cummins and Peter Krejci, assess the company's future. However, the company's 40 staff members will not be laid off in the meantime. A major NSW builder, Stevens Construction (pictured, worksite) has been placed into voluntary administration after failing to overcome industry-wide issues after the pandemic In a statement released on Monday, the company said issues plaguing the industry since the pandemic resulted in its collapse. 'Unprecedented disruptions have led to skyrocketing building costs, reduced productivity, and critical shortages of materials and skilled labour,' the statement reads. 'These factors have collectively placed immense pressure on Stevens Construction, making continued operations unsustainable.' The statement added they wished to 'express our profound gratitiude' to those affected by the insolvency. 'We are acutely aware of the distress this news will cause to all those involvedour valued staff, suppliers, subcontractors, design consultants, and principals,' it reads. 'Our priority now is to work closely with the appointed administrators to explore all possible avenues for a viable way forward.' Mr Keenan said appointed administrators will work with the company 'to investigate what has occurred and seek to identify options that may be available to clients, employees, subcontractors and suppliers of the company'. Stevens Construction said their 'primary focus' was to restructure the business, but didn't write off selling the business to 'maximise returns for creditors'. The company's collapse is just the latest casualty in a horror period for the industry which has been left shaky amid skyrocketing build costs and employee shortages. The company leaves behind 10 unfinished projects having previously been hired on projects for companies such as Dan Murphy's (pictured, a Stevens Construction project) Between July and March, 2,142 construction companies went into administration, comprising 27.7 per cent of the 7,742 firms that became insolvent, Australian Securities and Investments Commission data showed. Should that trend continue, Australia is on track to have 10,000 companies go under for the first time since 2012-13. Insolvencies in the first nine months of 2023-24 were 36.2 per cent higher than the corresponding months of 2022-23. Metricon chief executive Brad Duggan said a labour shortage is adding to problems in the building sector, that has battled higher materials costs for several years. 'There's a lot of structural change needed to be made to achieve goals and trying to get more breadth and capacity in the workforce is a critical component of that,' he told News Corp. 'These skills are not developed overnight. These people are professionals and it takes a long time for them to get to a level to deliver a quality home,' he said. Thousands of anti-tourism protesters paraded through the streets of Majorca this weekend, booing and jeering at foreign visitors in the first of many mass demonstrations planned by furious activist groups. An estimated 15,000 locals joined the protest that snaked through the capital Palma and headed for Weyler Square, where holidaymakers were out in force for dinner and drinks. Marchers were heard chanting 'Tourists go home' as they passed through the central square on the 20-minute route from a nearby park, carrying banners emblazoned with the message: 'Salvem Mallorca, guiris arruix' which in Catalan Spanish means 'Let's save Majorca, foreigners out'. The colloquial expression 'Guiri' is used to describe the likes of British holidaymakers renowned for partying and heavy drinking, typically in a mildly offensive way. Another placard said in Catalan: 'Wherever you look, they're all guiris.' The Palma protest was organised by Banc del Temps, a group which hails from the inland Majorcan town of Sencelles and is outraged by the struggles locals face in affording homes on the island due to the higher prices owners can get for holiday rentals. Following Saturday's protest, Banc del Temps spokesman Javier Barbero issued a chilling warning. 'This is just the start of things. If measures aren't taken we will continue taking to the streets until we see action.' Protesters shout at shocked holidaymakers enjoying dinner and drinks in Palma An estimated 15,000 locals joined the protest that snaked through the capital Palma and headed for Weyler Square, where holidaymakers were out in force for dinner and drinks The colloquial expression 'Guiri' is used to describe the likes of British holidaymakers renowned for partying and heavy drinking, typically in a mildly offensive way Protesters carrying banners with anti-tourism slogans and banging drums gathered in the centre of the capital Palma Thousands of protesters overran the streets of Palma on Saturday evening Protesters hold a banner reading 'Mallorca is not for sale' during a demonstration to protest against the massification of tourism and housing prices Another campaign group that took part in Saturday's demo, held under the slogan 'Majorca is not up for sale,' described the organisers afterwards as 'heroes', saying: 'You are heroes and you have made history. 'Now our government should open its doors wide open to you and call you to a meeting so that you can present your and our demands. 'With 25,000 people behind you, you are an organisation that should be received this week by Balearic Islands' government president Marga Prohens. 'She should take note and put urgent measures in place.' The manifesto Banc del Temps made public when protestors had finished marching through Palma included a demand that only people who had been living in the Balearic Islands for five years should be able buy property, and also called for a moratorium on holiday rentals. One of its speakers said: 'This island should be a place where our children can grow up with safety and dignity, with controlled tourism that doesn't condition our lives.' Some members of the Banc del Temps group told MailOnline how tourism has transformed once idyllic Spanish sun-spot, with residents now unable to rent or buy their own homes due to the spiralling cost of property. Mother-of-three Patri Vecina told MailOnline: 'We have lived in the same rented house for ten years. But in December the owner told us that he was selling the property to foreigners and that we had to move out. 'I work in the hotel industry and my husband is a builder. We cannot afford the inflated price of property in Majorca so we were never able to buy our own home. 'Now we cannot afford to live in Majorca anymore we are moving to Asturias in the north of Spain. 'It was our dream to bring up our children in Mallorca but that cannot happen.' Patri and her husband were initially paying 500 per month for the rural three-bedroom house in the centre of the island. This increased to 690 per month before their landlord put the house up for sale. The country house on the outskirts of the town of Sencelles is now for sale for 383,000. The spike in the property prices has been fuelled foreign investors, many of whom have turned family homes in tourist rental accommodation, local campaigners claim. Laura Lau, of Banc del Temps, told MailOnline: 'Houses and apartment that were family homes have been bought by foreign investors who rent them out to tourists and leave nothing for local people. This is why property prices in Majorca have reached unaffordable levels. 'We need to make people aware of the problem of housing in Majorca which already affects us all. 'Every day there is someone looking for new housing because their rent has gone up or they are kicked out of their home because it has been put up for sale to foreigners. 'We are in a housing emergency. The government needs to regulate the price of housing - there is no future for Majorca if the island is solely for the benefit of property speculators.' Property prices in Majorca have more than doubled in the past ten years, making the Balearic islands the second most expensive region in Spain after Madrid. Waiters and diners look on as thousands of protesters march past a restaurant Thousands of people demonstrated in the Spanish city of Palma de Mallorca against excess tourism, one of the main sources of wealth in the area, under the slogan 'Mallorca is not for sale' Protesters hold signs reading 'For rent and I can't pay' Protesters hold signs reading 'Let's save Mallorca' and 'Foreigners out' Thousands of people demonstrated in the Spanish city of Palma Protesters hold a banner reading 'Mallorca is not for sale' during a demonstration to protest against the massification of tourism and housing prices This weekend's protest, the largest of its kind since last month's Canary Islands' demos against mass tourism, was the second in 24 hours in the Balearic Islands. On Friday night around 1,000 protestors took part in a demo in Ibiza to vent their anger over the effects of mass tourism. Campaigners held up banners saying 'We don't want an island of cement' and 'Tourism, yes but not like this' as they massed outside Ibiza Council's HQ. The organisers of the Ibiza demo, a group called Prou Eivissa, met with Ibiza's president Vicent Mari before taking to the streets as British tourists across the other side of the island in San Antonio drank themselves silly and dismissed a street drinking ban which could see them hit with fines of up to 1,300 if caught. The protesters' demands included a limit on the number of vehicles that can enter the island in summer and a ban on using taxpayers' cash to promote Ibiza as a tourist destination. A letter was read out at the end of the protest from an Ibiza-born woman who linked her decision to leave the island with her family and move to the Spanish mainland to a 'destructive' tourist model that had led to 'more cars, more tourists and more incivility.' Another Majorcan-based association, called Menys Turisme, whose slogan is 'Less Tourism, More Life', is currently taking proposals for another more radical protest which could involve mass gathering outside hotels or on an iconic island beach. The idea of an airport protest in the peak tourist season which involves collapsing Palma Airport with cars has also been discussed. Anti-tourist graffiti has appeared in both Majorca and Tenerife in recent months. Some foreign holidaymakers have shown their support for the issues raised by campaigners, while others have accused them of biting the hand that feeds them. But the spiralling cost of property in Majorca is unquestionable. People take part in a protest against mass tourism and gentrification in the island ahead of summer season in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, May 25, 2024 People take part in a protest against mass tourism and gentrification in the island ahead of summer season in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, May 25, 2024 Protesters hold a banner reading 'Mallorca is not for sale' during a demonstration Protesters hold a sign reading 'No to massification, less tourism, more life' Thousands of people demonstrated in the Spanish city of Palma de Mallorca against excess tourism, one of the main sources of wealth in the area In 2014 a typical 80 square-metre home cost an average of 126,000 but this has gone up 208 per cent to an average 263,000, according to Spanish property website Fotocasa. The national increase across the whole of Spain was just 29 per cent during the same period. The average salary in Majorca is about is about 1,277 per month or 15,324 per year, although the island's minimum wage is just 965 per month or 11,580 per year. Teacher Marga Gari told how her children will never be able to afford to buy their own homes because of the spiralling cost of living. Marga, 50, told MailOnline: 'Quite simply there are too many tourists. My children will never be able to buy their own homes because foreigners have pushed to price of property up. 'Everything is more expensive than it should be because of tourists food in the market, clothes in stores, everything. 'You can hardly walk down the streets here in Palma because of the number of visitors. We do not blame the foreigners; we blame the government for letting things get this bad. 'There needs to be limits; limits on the number of planes, a limit of one cruise ship per day and a limit on the number of rental cars.' Ms Gari claims many items in Palma's historic Mercat de l'Olivar central food market are now beyond the reach of local people. Hamas has claimed that an Israeli airstrike overnight killed 40 people at a refugee centre in Rafah, while the IDF says it targeted a 'terrorist compound' in its latest round of military action against the Gaza Strip. Gaza's civil defence force said this morning that the death toll from the devastating overnight strikes on Rafah rose to 40. The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza said the attack hit a centre run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees near Rafah, branding it a 'horrific massacre'. But Israel said its aircraft 'struck a Hamas compound in Rafah', killing Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar, two senior officials for the Palestinian militant group who primarily work in the occupied West Bank. The IDF added that it was 'aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review.' The strike came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population had sought shelter before Israel's recent incursion. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its ambulance crews transported 'a large number' of people killed and injured in the strikes. The Palestinian Authority presidency in the West Bank called it a 'heinous massacre', accusing Israeli forces of 'deliberately targeting' the tents of displaced people. Fire rages following an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced Palestinians Palestinians observe the destruction caused by the attacks of Israeli army on tents of displaced Palestinians Palestinians search for food among burnt debris in the aftermath of an Israeli strike The attack, caught on tape by refugees on the ground, resulted in heavy destruction and flames last night. It left civilians reeling this morning, with photos showing Palestinians searching through burned out tents and makeshift camps for food. Israel's allies further condemned its methods of warfare in the region, with the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell saying this morning as EU ministers met their Arab counterparts that a ruling made by a UN court for Israel to stop its invasion of Gaza immediately must be implemented. Borrell said today: We have to express not only respect, but to ask for the implementation of the decision of the court. 'This is really a dilemma how the international community can... force implementation of the decision.' He added that EU ministers were also set to discuss relaunching a mission suspended back in 2007 to monitor the crossing after calls for it to do so from regional players including Israel. The attack, caught on tape by refugees on the ground, resulted in heavy destruction and flames last night Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah The EU's top diplomat said he expected to get a preliminary mandate from ministers to press ahead with planning for the mission. 'But it's not only us who have to decide - the Egyptians, Palestinian Israelis,' he said. 'We need to increase the number of staff and we need to have an agreement with everybody involved.' Washington has also taken a tougher line with its close ally as outrage over the war and US support for Israel has become a major issue for President Joe Biden, seeking re-election in a battle against Donald Trump. The United Nations has warned of looming famine in besieged Gaza, where most hospitals are no longer functioning. Last Monday, the prosecutor at the ICC said he was seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defence minister as well as for three top Hamas figures. And on Friday, the UN's International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt any operation in Rafah that could bring about 'the physical destruction' of the Palestinians. Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 people in the area Israel's army confirmed Sunday's strike and claimed it hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants Hamas's armed wing said Sunday that it targeted Tel Aviv 'with a large rocket barrage in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians'. 'Hamas launched these rockets from near two mosques in Rafah,' Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. The salvo sent people scrambling for shelter but there were no reports of injuries. Israel's army said Sunday at least eight rockets were fired towards central areas of the country from Rafah, with strikes targeting the commercial hub of Tel Aviv for the first time in months. Fighting has recently centred on Rafah, where Israel's military launched a ground operation in early May despite widespread opposition over concerns for civilians sheltering there. Netanyahu vowed to pursue Israel's offensive ahead of a war cabinet meeting amid intense diplomacy to forge a truce and a hostage-release deal. The October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli army raid on a camp at an area designated for displaced people in Rafah Hamas militants took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead, from Israel He has long rejected Hamas's demand for a permanent end to the conflict triggered by the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack. A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the war cabinet would 'discuss a hostage release deal' on Sunday. Before the meeting, Netanyahu's office said Hamas's chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, 'continues to demand the end of the war, the withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and leaving Hamas in place, so that it will be able to carry out the atrocities of October 7 again and again'. 'Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly opposes this,' a statement said. EU members Ireland and Spain, and also Norway, have said they will recognise a Palestinian state from Tuesday, drawing furious Israeli condemnation. 'In order to make peace, we need a strong Palestinian Authority, not a weaker one,' said the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who met in Brussels with Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Mustafa. Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp area housing internally displaced people in Rafah Around 80 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes As the war grinds on, the families of hostages still held by militants have piled pressure on Netanyahu to secure a deal to free them Mustafa, whose government is based in the occupied West Bank, said the 'first priority' was to support the people in Gaza, especially through a ceasefire, and then 'rebuilding the institutions of the Palestinian Authority' in the territory after Hamas seized it from the PA in 2007. The Israeli official had said Saturday that 'there is an intention to renew these talks this week' after negotiations involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators stalled in early May. Around 80 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. Hamas triggered the war with its October 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,984 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. As the war grinds on, the families of hostages still held by militants have piled pressure on Netanyahu to secure a deal to free them. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas' remaining battalions and achieve 'total victory' over the militants, who recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza where the military has operated. Microsoft Windows 10 is facing a new ransomware vulnerability that could put millions of users and businesses at risk. Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reported on Friday a surge in threat actors repurposing operating system encryptors to transfer malware into computers and steal decryption keys. According to Kaspersky, the exploit was made possible by abusing the Windows system's BitLocker feature, the built-in safety net to prevent hackers from reading or modifying data. The exploit hinges on the BitLocker improvements Microsoft first rolled out in Windows 10, manipulating the cipher texts that supposedly protect users from such attacks. The threat actors then compress the malware in the BitLocker's texts, allowing hackers to transfer huge sizes of malware into people's computers easily. As of writing, the exploit, dubbed "ShrinkLocker," has already been reported as being used in Mexico, Indonesia, and Jordan. It is uncertain if the exploit has already stemmed in the US. Windows 10 remains the most commonly used Windows system in Microsoft's catalog, contributing to 67.23% of Microsoft's overall users. Also Read : Avira Antivirus is Causing Windows PC to Freeze While Booting Windows Vulnerabilities Highlight Safety Concerns on Microsoft The "ShrinkLocker" exploit was not the first time Microsoft's BitLocker was used to breach Windows computers. Microsoft reported a similar exploit in 2022 Iranian-backed ransomware groups used to target foreign adversaries and vulnerable targets. Reports of the exploit come in as Microsoft faces federal scrutiny following multiple data breaches resulting in the company's source code getting accessed. Data Privacy Concerns for Windows 11 Mount Up While upgrading to Windows 11 might seem a much safer option, however, safety and data privacy concerns are also becoming more evident on the latest operating system. AI experts have called out recently against one of the features Microsoft introduced to Windows as part of integrating its Copilot chatbot to PCs. The criticized feature refers to the "Recall" function allowing the Copilot AI to remember "what you have seen or done on your PC" a la photographic memory. Microsoft claimed that all data collected by the AI will remain in the computer's offline storage. Given Microsoft's history of protecting its users' data, people and other safety experts are hesitant about the technology's security. This video is no longer available This video is no longer available Young royals including the future king George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would be expected to do National Service alongside regular teenagers when they turn 18, a senior minister suggested today. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said 'the vast majority of our young people' would be expected to turn out for the mandatory programme under Rishi Sunak's new election proposal. It would see all 18-year-olds do either a paid year in the military or spend a weekend a month doing unpaid work in the community. The manifesto pledge has ignited the first major row of the election campaign. Writing for MailOnline today Ms Trevelyan said that those volunteering for the military would not be sent to fight, and that the scheme would teach practical and soft skills 'which cannot be taught in the classroom or the lecture theatre'. But critics from across the political divide have dismissed the plans as unserious while leading military figures expressed skepticism about how they would work and suggested the money would be better spent on Armed Forces investment. Asked about whether young royals would be made to take part, or teenagers with caring responsibilities, Ms Trevelyan told Sky News it would be down to a Royal Commission to decide the scope. But she added: 'Fundamentally the Prime Minister has been clear this would be for the vast majority of our young people, our 18 year-olds, this would be a mandatory part of both their continued education and journey to adulthood.' Anne-Marie Trevelyan said 'the vast majority of our young people' would be expected to turn out for the mandatory programme under Rishi Sunak's new election proposal. Asked about whether young royals would be made to take part, or teenagers with caring responsibilities, Ms Trevelyan told Sky News it would be down to a Royal Commission to decide the scope. Prince George, 10, would be the first young royal made to undertake the scheme when he turns 18 in July 2031, followed a year later by Princess Charlotte, nine, and three years later by Prince Louis, six. Princess Beatrice and Eugenie also have young children who would be eligible to take part once they reach the age of 18, as well as Prince Edward's son, the Earl of Wessex, 16. Rishi Sunak made the first major policy announcement of the general election campaign on Sunday, vowing to bring back National Service for 18-year-olds - a scheme that has not been seen in the UK since 1960. When would young royals do National Service? Prince George: July 2031 Princess Charlotte: May 2032 Prince Louis: April 2036 James, Earl of Wessex: December 2025 Sienna Mozzi: September 2039 August Brooksbank: August 2039 Ernest Brooksbank: May 2041 Advertisement The Prime Minister received backlash after launching the proposal but said he wanted the change to instill a 'shared sense of purpose' in today's youth. The Royal family has a long history of serving in the military with Prince William a Sandhurst graduate before he spent seven-and-a-half years in full-time military service. Home Secretary James Cleverly said yesterday that the service would be compulsory, adding: 'We will look at what the appropriate response will be. 'There's not going to be a criminal sanction for this, the same way people are compelled to be in education or training between 16 and 18. He clarified details of the scheme saying the military part will be paid, but the voluntary section would not be. The Tories also revealed plans on how they would encourage teenagers to apply for the military scheme, including participants being potentially favoured over other applicants when applying for jobs. One of the options is the introduction of fast-tracked routes into graduate schemes and the civil service for those who have served. Another is that employers are encouraged to consider Armed Forces recruits during the hiring process and that participants are given the opportunity to highlight their military experience on their UCAS applications for university and apprenticeships. However, the Armed Forces option would be selective with only around 30,000 placements for 'the brightest and best'. But some ex-top brass questioned its usefulness. Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy who is a Labour peer, told the Guardian: 'I'm delighted if more young people become aware of defence and are involved but this idea is basically bonkers. 'We need to spend more on defence, and by doing what he's suggesting money will be sucked out of defence.' And General Richard Dannatt, the former head of the General Staff, branded it 'electoral opportunism', adding: 'The costs of this would be considerable in terms of trainers and infrastructure. This task cannot just be imposed on the Armed Forces as an extra thing to do.' File image shows the Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, at RAF Fairford last year A family portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including (back row, left to right) Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, (middle row, left to right) Lena Tindall, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Prince Louis, and (front row, left to right) Mia Tindall holding Lucas Tindall and Savannah Phillips taken at Balmoral Palace. The young royals will not be exempt from national service The Royal family has a long history of serving in the military On Sunday, Mr Sunak said: 'National Service schemes in countries around the world show just how fulfilling it is for young people. 'We want to make sure Britain's future generations can get the most out of National Service, that's why we're looking into ways it can open doors they wouldn't otherwise get in work or education. 'Only the Conservatives will take the bold action required to deliver a secure future for the next generation.' Mr Cleverly said the plans show the Tories are investing in young people and trying to address some of the challenges that today's youth face. 'In other countries that we've looked at that do this, this is a very, very popular scheme, parents particularly very, very keen for their children to be involved in this kind of stuff,' he said. A Labour Party spokesperson said the announcement was 'another desperate 2.5billion unfunded commitment from a Tory Party which already crashed the economy, sending mortgages rocketing, and now they're spoiling for more. 'This is not a plan it's a review which could cost billions and is only needed because the Tories hollowed out the armed forces to their smallest size since Napoleon,' the spokesperson said. The Lib Dems have also slammed the announcement with leader Ed Davey describing it as a 'desperate' and 'pathetic' attempt. In European nations with national service, members of the royal family are expected to take part. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway recently began her 12-month military placement with the Engineer Battalion. Spain's Crown Princess Leonor is undergoing three years of military training, although the country no longer has national service. Studies from Norway and Israel, which have national military service schemes, suggest they give youngsters a 'leg up' into subsequent careers, the Tories said. The Conservatives have promised to establish a Royal Commission, bringing in expertise from across the military and civil society to establish the details of the programme. It will be asked to look at models in other countries to design incentives for those taking part in Britain. The party said the commission would be tasked with bringing forward a proposal for how to ensure the first pilot is open for applications in September 2025. After that, it would seek to introduce a new 'National Service Act' to make the measures compulsory by the end of the next Parliament, the party said. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway recently began her 12-month military placement with the Engineer Battalion Spain's Crown Princess Leonor is undergoing three years of military training, although the country no longer has national service After the Second World War ended in 1945, the government felt it was necessary to maintain high levels of military presence across the world, including in parts of the British Empire and in Germany. To address this, the National Service Act, requiring all physically fit male British citizens between 18 and 26 years old to serve in the armed forces for 18 months from January 1949, was passed by Clement Attlee's Labour administration in 1947. This compulsory service included varied roles at home and abroad such as fighting on the frontline or clerical work and did not extend to women. Certain groups including students and apprentices were allowed to defer their service until they had completed their education or training. National service was abolished in 1960 with the last servicemen discharged in 1963. According to the Royal British Legion, between the end of the Second World War and May 1963, more than two million men took part in national service. Many countries across the world currently have some form of national service, including military and non-military models. All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve in the armed forces for a period of 18 to 21 months under a conscription system set up in response to the threat from North Korea. Members of K-pop band BTS made headlines around the world over the last year as they began to fulfil their mandatory duties. In Israel, military service is compulsory for the majority of both men and women over 18 years old, with men expected to serve for a minimum of 32 months and women a minimum of 24 months. In Switzerland, 18 weeks of military service training is mandatory for all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 30, along with yearly refresher courses. Longer, civilian service is also possible for those unwilling to serve in the military due to their conscience and mainly involves assignments focused on social welfare, healthcare and environmental protection. In Sweden, all citizens must complete a military enlistment form the year they turn 18 and, if selected, are obliged to enrol in basic military training. The number of people buried alive by a devastating landslide that struck Papua New Guinea on Friday has tripled to more than 2,000, according to the latest figures by the government as fears grow that few survivors will be found. The National Disaster Centre raised the number suspected buried to 2,000 in a letter to the U.N. released on Monday but dated Sunday. A separate U.N. agency put the possible death toll much lower, at more than 670 people. The variance reflects the remote site and the difficulty getting an accurate population estimate. PNG's last credible census was in 2000 and many people live in isolated mountainous villages. The landslide crashed through Yambali village in the country's north at around 3 a.m. on Friday while most of the community slept. More than 150 houses were buried beneath debris almost two stories high. Rescuers told local media they heard screams from beneath the earth. The government figure is roughly triple the U.N. estimate of 670 killed by the landslide in the South Pacific island nations mountainous interior Relief workers gather around provisions to be distributed, in the aftermath of a landslide in Enga Province This picture shows a demolished house at the site of a landslide at Yambali Village 'I have 18 of my family members being buried under the debris and soil that I am standing on, and a lot more family members in the village I cannot count,' resident Evit Kambu told Reuters. 'But I cannot retrieve the bodies so I am standing here helplessly.' More than 72 hours after the landslide residents are still using spades, sticks and their bare hands to try and shift the debris and reach any survivors. Heavy equipment and aid has been slow to arrive due to the remote location while tribal warfare nearby has forced aid workers to travel in convoys escorted by soldiers and return to the provincial capital, roughly 60 km away, at night. Eight people were killed and 30 houses burnt down on Saturday, a U.N. agency official said. Aid convoys on Monday passed the still smoking remains of houses. The first excavator only reached the site late on Sunday, according to a U.N. official. Six bodies have been retrieved so far. Contact with other parts of the country is difficult due to patchy reception and limited electricity at the site. Many people aren't even sure where their loved ones were when the landslide hit because it's common for residents to stay at the homes of friends and relatives, according to Matthew Hewitt Tapus, a pastor based in Port Moresby whose home village is roughly 20km from the disaster zone. 'It's not like everyone is in the same house at the same time, so you have fathers who dont know where their children are, mothers who dont know where husbands are, it's chaotic,' he told Reuters by phone. Locals gather at the site of a landslide at Mulitaka village Locals and members of United Nations (UN) take part in search and rescue efforts, led by Papua New Guinea's Defense Force Prime Minister James Marape's office said the disaster was being handled by PNG emergency authorities and Marape was in the capital Port Moresby preparing for the return of parliament on Tuesday, where he faces a no-confidence motion. Even when rescue teams can get to the site, rain, unstable ground and flowing water is making it extremely dangerous for residents and rescue teams to clear debris, according to Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the U.N. migration agency's mission in PNG. There is still a risk the soil and debris could shift again and more than 250 homes have been abandoned as officials encourage people to evacuate, he said. More than 1,250 people have been displaced. Some local residents also don't want heavy machinery and excavators entering the village and interrupting the mourning, he said. 'At this point, people I think are realising that the chances are very slim, that anyone can basically be taken out alive,' he said. Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles told the media that his office has been working with their Papua New Guinea counterparts since Friday's disaster. 'The exact nature of the support that we do provide will play out over the coming days. We've obviously (have) airlift capacity to get people there. There may be other equipment that we can bring to bear in terms of the search and rescue (and other matters) ... that we are talking through with PNG right now,' he said. Papua New Guinea is a former Australian colony, achieving independence in 1975. An influencer dubbed 'China's Kim Kardashian' for his lavish life-style has been banned from Chinese social media for bragging about his wealth and opulence. Wang Haongquanxing is not the only Chinese social media star who has disappeared from social platforms, as China's government cracks down on 'excessive wealth flaunting' in its latest campaign to maintain its dominance over the country's social media culture. Wang and other influencers, known for posting pictures and videos of their extravagant way of life, were banned by several Chinese social media platforms last week after the Cyberspace Administration of China, the internet regulator, announced an effort against 'creating ostentatious personas,' last month. Wang, who had around 4.3 million followers on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, has been known to boast about the level of his wealth, with his posts often featuring designer clothing ands accessories and frequent appearances at luxury fashion events. He even said once in an interview that he never goes out unless he is wearing an outfit and jewels worth at least 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million). Chinese influencer nicknamed 'China's Kim Kardashian' Wang Haongquanxing has been banned from social media for showing off his opulent lifestyle. The social media star has been known to brag about his wealth, claiming he owns seven homes and won't leave the house in outfits that cost less than US$1.4 million. Wang Haongquanxing is not the only Chinese influencer banned from the internet for bragging about their wealth. He has also posted content of himself covered in diamonds, boasting about his seven homes in the flashy Beijing complex, Star River. He first rose to fame in 2022 when he posted a video of himself lying on all fours asking his mother for money. Another influencers to fall victim to China's wealth ban were Sister Abalone - a wealthy socialite from Guangdong Province, who would show off her mansion on Douyin. According to Singaporean news channel, Channel News Asia, several of the country's social platforms, such as Tencent, Douyin, Weibo and Xiaohongshu have backed the concerns raised by the internet watchdog. On May 15, Weibo made a statement saying it was committed to creating a 'civilised, healthy and harmonious' environment. The social media ban comes as the Chinese regulator aims to weed out 'ostentation and materialism'. The social media platform also stated that it has 'cleaned up' 1,1100 posts that flaunt wealth. This is not China's first crackdown on influencers. Back in 2021 China's 'queen of livestreaming' was fined 160million for tax evasion as Beijing aimed to tackle celebrity culture. Internet celebrity Viya, whose real name is Huang Wei, was fined for hiding personal income and other offences in 2019 and 2020, according to the tax bureau in Hangzhou, a city in southern China. The e-commerce livestreamer's accounts on Weibo, Taobao Live and Douyin went offline as a result. Thousands of Britons have been stuck in queues for hours at Birmingham Airport amid 'shambolic' and 'terrible' scenes as families fly away on half-term holidays. Passengers reported having to wait for more than an hour, with some said to have been pulled out of the line because the gate for their flight was closing. It comes after airport officials insisted travellers would experience a 'simpler and streamlined experience' after it rolled out a new security hall on Saturday. Passengers had also reported big queues in the days before the new security hall opened due to building works, which meant normal queueing routes were changed. While the main security search area is now operational, there are some queuing space and other areas yet to be completed - hence the continued building works. The new search area uses screening machines that mean passengers no longer need to remove liquids that are up to 100ml in size from their hand luggage or have them in separate liquid bags. Electrical items can now also stay in hand luggage. Bosses expect 221,500 customers to travel out of Birmingham Airport over the nine-day period from May 24 until June 2, which is 15 per cent up on the same period last year. The top destinations are Palma, Dublin, Amsterdam, Dubai and Antalya. Passengers reported having to wait for more than an hour at Birmingham Airport last night Families wait outside the terminal at Birmingham Airport yesterday as they queue to get inside The airport previously insisted it had 'fully resourced' their teams with 'additional colleagues from across the business' to help passengers get through the terminal. But among those stuck in the queueing chaos was Hannah Wright, a mother from Peterborough, who told The Sun: 'Security is a shambles - anyone can come this far. 'We've been waiting an hour to fly to Majorca. Our son is claustrophobic so it's hard for him. 'It's put a dampener on the start of our holiday. There is nothing in place for children who might struggle in situations like this.' Phil Adams, from Worcester, added: 'It's been terrible. We've been queuing over an hour. It's really tiring and hot. 'We are flying to Orlando for a holiday of a lifetime so this is not the best start.' Others posted about the chaos on social media last night, with Isabella Boneham saying: 'Very busy at Birmingham Airport this evening with queues forming outside for the lifts - and once inside queues for security! Some passengers were said to have pulled out of the line at Birmingham Airport yesterday Thousands of Britons were stuck in queues for hours at Birmingham Airport yesterday 'May be more busy due to half term and bank holiday but if you're flying from the airport this evening leave plenty of time.' Kieran Parmar added: 'Birmingham Airport, you're a joke of an airport, please take some lessons from Heathrow. Ridiculous how you treat people.' Posting a picture of the queues, he added: 'The below picture is after waiting almost one hour. Then another hour on top, even your own people were complaining!' Others described the process as a 's*** show', with one saying: 'Birmingham Airport queues took 1 hour 20 today for a 16.45 flight!' And passenger Trevor Bartlett told Birmingham Live yesterday: 'At 3.30pm this afternoon the queue for the 3 (yes only 3) lifts stretched back as far as M&S shop in snake fashion and wasnt moving very quickly. Hope it is better in the morning.' A Birmingham Airport spokesman told MailOnline today: 'Birmingham Airport has over 221,500 customers travelling out this half term and, as previously predicted, the airport would be busy during this time. May 7 -- Huge queues at Gatwick Airport during to a UK-wide issue with Border Force e-gates May 7 -- Big queues at London Gatwick Airport during to a problem with Border Force e-gates 'Customers are queuing in areas that are unfamiliar to them as we do still have building works going on. The queue for security has been continually moving and our colleagues are in the terminal assisting passengers in the area.' It comes after a nationwide issue with Border Force e-gates caused significant disruption at airports across the country on May 7. Airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and Manchester were impacted by the failure. Border officials were left to manually process travellers instead, with images and footage shared on social media showing long queues forming at passport control at several airports. E-gates are automated border gates that use facial recognition to check the identity of a person in order to let them enter the UK without talking to a Border Force officer. The disruption came after Border Force workers staged a four-day strike at Heathrow in a dispute over working conditions the previous week. The pilot who was tragically killed in a Spitfire crash during a Battle of Britain memorial show said he could not wait to fly the iconic aircraft just weeks before he died. Squadron Leader Mark Long's plane crashed a few minutes after taking off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on Saturday afternoon. The father-of-two was taking part in an airshow nine miles away from the base to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain - a show he was due to take over next year. The Spitfire belonged to Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), which are based at the station. The RAF paid tributes to the Typhoon pilot in a touching statement, describing him as 'a great friend, colleague and a passionate, professional aviator' who will be 'sorely missed'. In an Instagram post date March 4, the Squadron Leader shared videos of Hurricane and Spitfire airplanes in flight as he spoke of his his excitement about the upcoming show. Squadron Leader Mark Long shared footage of a World War II-era plane in flight just weeks before his tragic death. In the post, he said he 'cannot wait' to fly the vintage aircraft in a few weeks The RAF said in a touching statement that he was 'a great friend, colleague and a passionate, professional aviator' Pictured are floral tributes and handwritten notes left at the scene yesterday Tributes left by supporters at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, for renowned pilot Mark Long Grief-stricken supporters Nicki Housam, 53, a former prison officer and partner Andy George, a construction manager, pay their respects to the pilot He captioned the social media post: 'We are only a few weeks away from getting back flying in these iconic aircraft. Cannot wait!!!' In an older post, the experienced pilot shared a video explaining why they have to be careful about the conditions they fly the vintage aircrafts in. 'We have landed here with the Hurricane and Spitfire ready for react later this afternoon. The reason we landed in Gloucester is actually for cross winds. 'I'll show you around the aircraft and you will see what we are operating and why we are so precious about how we pick our winds, surface and flying conditions.' From under the Hurricane, Long said: 'What a lovely summer we are having right now as temperatures are soaring. The unique element of the Hurricane is that it gets really hot inside but it actually does quite well at keeping itself cool, 'So you have got the massive propeller at the front of the 17-litre Merlin engine but that on the ground forces the air through the radiator'. Leading tributes to the pilot yesterday, Gp Capt Robbie Lees, commander of the RAF's Display Air Wing, said: 'Mark was a Typhoon pilot here at RAF Coningsby and for the last four years he has been a pilot with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. 'A great friend, colleague, and a passionate, professional aviator he will be sorely missed by all that knew him.' He said an investigation into the cause of the 'tragic event' was now underway. 'I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the RAF personnel, and our emergency services colleagues who responded so swiftly yesterday. The scene where the pilot died in a crash during a Battle of Britain event near RAF Coningsby A Spitfire flown by the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight pilot Mark Long in April Squadron Leader Mark Long pictured pictured beside an RAF aircraft 'Our thoughts remain with Mark's family and friends to whom we offer our deepest sympathies. We ask that their privacy be respected at this tragic and shocking time.' This was the first fatality involving a BBMF aircraft since its creation in July 1957, a retired RAF leader told the BBC. BBMF operates six Spitfires, two Hurricanes, a Lancaster, a C47 Dakota, and two Chipmunk aircraft. The pilot qualified to fly Spitfires in 2021 and was lined up to take over running the BBMF next year. His most recent RAF posting was as a flight commander flying Eurofighter Typhoons. He joined the Air Force in 2003, having graduated from the University of Warwick. During his career, Sqn Ldr Long was posted to 11 Squadron at Coningsby, deploying to the Baltics and the South Atlantic. A spectator who witnessed the horrific moment the Spitfire plane nose-dived to the ground, killing the pilot instantly, said: 'Sadly he didn't stand a chance.' The former RAF air craftsman, speaking after the death of the experienced and respected flier during a Battle of Britain event, said: 'I've seen a lot of terrible things in my life but this is up there with the worst.' Sqn Ldr Long flying the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire MK356 last weekend Mark, who declined to be fully named, saw the horror unfold as he was plane spotting with his partner and her RAF fan 10-year-old son from a car park overlooking the base. Recalling the tragedy, he said: 'There was an event going on and I saw a Spitfire taking off and flying at about 300 feet towards East Kirkby. 'It was in the distance and suddenly it turned round and was coming back to base. It was swaying and swaying from one side to the other. He would have known there was a problem with the craft and it was awful to watch. 'The pilot would have realised there was a fault and was coming back to try and land safely but suddenly it just plummeted from about 150 feet. 'It just nose-dived, sadly the pilot didn't stand a chance. The way it went down so quickly and people were watching from the car park in horror and disbelief. 'I was hoping it would be a different outcome but I knew there was no surviving that. 'I was there with my partner and her son, who was beside himself with sadness, like many of us. It was devastating to watch. 'You just don't expect something like this to happen .' Tony, speaking yesterday as he lay flowers at the much loved RAF base along with dozens of air enthusiasts and supporters, added: 'A Hurricane was going to take off after the Spitfire but his flight was aborted.' He said the pilot 'must have known there was a problem and he was in difficulty' and would have raised the alarm, saying: 'He would have radio called because in less than a minute the fire service and ambulances were there. 'The whole episode from take off to crash probably only lasted two and a half minutes. Tributes left by supporters at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire to the deceased pilot Dozens of flowers have been left lined up along the fence by the airfield Heartwarming handwritten notes accompany some flowers, reading 'fly high' The location where the Spitfire crashed in a field on on Langrick Road at RAF Coningsby Emergency services arrived following reports of a crash of a single-occupant aircraft in a field on Langrick Road (stock image) 'It is too difficult to estimate the speed.' 'I couldn't clearly see the spot it came down but pictures show it was right beside a house and a tractor so no doubt other people witnessed it too. It is a terrible tragedy.' The man, who lives locally, told how he often took his step son to watch the planes in action at the airfield. He paid warm tribute to the pilot as a 'remarkable and wonderful man' and thrilled children with his 'pep talks.' He recalled: 'At the end of a flight Mark would always make a point of coming up to the big wire fence and give the kids a pep talk through it. 'He'd still be in his uniform, and he'd still have his flight maps pinned to his trousers, above the knees and would pass them to the children through the fence. 'I didn't know him personally but I knew him by reputation as a great pilot and a remarkable and wonderful man. 'He always made time to speak to people so I had to come here today to pay my respects. 'He told the kids that it was dream to become a pilot but he had failed four or five times. 'His message to them was never to give up and that you can always live your dream. 'It is such a terrible tragedy that it was to end in this way for him.' The Spitfire came down at around 1.20pm on Saturday during a display at RAF Coningsby. File image shows the Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, at RAF Fairford last year Photos from the scene show emergency services gathered around the wreckage of the plane just feet away from a house. It had been taking part in a civilian airshow just nine miles from the base to commemorate the RAF's role in fending off German attacks during the Second World War This year represents the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared their condolences, saying they were 'incredibly sad' to hear of the tragedy. Kate and William, who himself served as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, said in a joint statement that it was 'incredibly sad to hear of the news' and added that their 'thoughts this evening are with the pilot's loved ones, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the wider RAF family.' Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote on X: 'Awful news to see the life of a serving RAF pilot cut short in this tragic event. My thoughts are with their family and loved ones.' Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was 'deeply saddened' by the news, and thanked the emergency services for their response, adding 'my thoughts are with the pilot's family at this awful time.' The crash has been described as a 'tragic accident' by officials but an investigation has been opened into the cause. Police and ambulance crews raced to the scene and a rescue helicopter was scrambled from neighbouring Humberside. A statement from the Ministry of Defence stated: 'It is with great sadness that we must confirm the death of an RAF pilot in a tragic accident near RAF Coningsby today [Saturday]. 'The pilot's family has been informed and we ask that their privacy is respected at this time.' The pilot who was tragically killed in a Spitfire crash during a Battle of Britain event has been named as a Squadron Leader Mark Long (pictured) due to take over the memorial fight next year Spitfires played a crucial role in the war, especially during the Battle of Britain which earned the plane's power status. Designed as a short-range, high-performance plane, over 20,300 Spitfires were built to secure British success during WW2. It proved to be a watershed moment for the Nazis' territorial aims as they then shifted their focus to conquering Britain. Aware of the resilience of the RAF, German aircrafts bombarded British airfield bases until the autumn of 1940. France's First Lady Brigitte Macron shared a joke with her German counterpart as the pair accompanied their husbands to a wreath laying ceremony at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial on Monday morning. French President Emmanuel Macron laid a wreath at the site of the memorial to the six million Jewish people who perished at the hands of the Nazis during World War II alongside his wife as well as German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his partner, Elke Budenbender. As the couples walked through the concrete blocks which make up the memorial, Brigitte and Budenbender were seen holding hands and laughing as they made their way to the ceremony. Macron made the gesture as part of his state visit to Germany, the first presidential visit by a French leader in 24 years. The wreath laying took place at the start of the second day of the trip. The memorial is located not far from the Brandenburg Gate in the German capital. Macron and Steinmeier took turns laying wreaths wrapped in the colours of each nation. French President Emmanuel Macron pictured at the wreath laying ceremony in Berlin on Monday morning France's First Lady and Brigitte Macron and Germany's First Lady Elke Buedenbender holding hands while walking through the memorial to the six million people killed by Nazi Germany during World War II First Lady Elke Budenbender is a member of the board of the Germany-Israeli Future Forum After a brief ceremony, the two couples went inside the accompanying museum commemorating the six million people killed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The visit will be watched as a checkup on the health of the German-French relationship that drives EU policymaking, at a time of major challenges for Europe - from the Ukraine war to the possible election of Trump in the US. 'This state visit comes at a key moment for Europe,' Macron said, pointing to the war in Ukraine among other challenges. 'We have to face an imperialist desire in Europe ... this supposes boosting the Franco-German relationship,' he told journalists after he was received by his German counterpart Steinmeier at the presidential palace, Schloss Bellevu. Steinmeier, who holds a largely ceremonial role, said Germany and France can get through the geopolitical challenges Europe is facing, such as Russia's war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza, and the U.S. election if the two countries work together. Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have very different leadership styles and have publicly clashed on issues from defence to nuclear energy since the latter took power in late 2021. However, they have reached compromises on various fronts of late, from fiscal reform to changes to power market subsidies, allowing the EU to strike deals, and put on a more united front. 'There are tensions in the German-French relationship but in part precisely because they have dealt with some difficult topics,' said Yann Wernert at the Jacques Delors Institute in Berlin, noting the two countries had also converged on the need to expand the EU eastwards. The visit is 'an attempt at the highest political level to demonstrate that the relationship is working,' said Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at the Eurasia Group think tank. 'But there are still fundamental gaps on major questions that are looming over the EU.' After a brief ceremony, the two couples went inside the accompanying museum commemorating the six million people killed by Nazi Germany during World War II Macron's visit was originally meant to take place last July but was postponed at the last minute due to rioting in France following the killing of a 17-year-old by police While Macron is a frequent visitor to Germany as Paris and Berlin try to coordinate their positions on EU and foreign policy, this is the first state visit with full pomp since Jacques Chirac came in 2000 One key such gap is on European defence, in particular if Trump wins the Nov. 5 election. Defence experts view him as a much less predictably reliable ally for Europe than his Democratic rival, President Joe Biden. Earlier this year the Republican former president not only said he would not protect NATO members from a future attack by Russia if those countries' contributions to the defence alliance were lagging, but that he would encourage Russia 'to do whatever the hell they want.' France, which has nuclear weapons, has pushed for a more self-reliant Europe on defence matters and has been aggrieved by Germany's decision to buy mostly American gear for its European Sky Shield Initiative air defence umbrella. Germany says there is no credible alternative to the U.S. military umbrella and that Europe does not have time to wait for a homegrown defence industry to be prepared for threats such as Russian hostility. After meeting Steinmeier, Macron, accompanied on his trip by his wife Brigitte, will walk through the landmark Brandenburg Gate with the city's mayor, Kai Wegner. On Monday, he will head to Dresden, where he will make a speech in front of the Frauenkirche which was destroyed by Western allies during the Second World War, before heading on Tuesday to Muenster. But perhaps the most significant part of his trip will be the cabinet meeting on Tuesday in Meseberg, just outside Berlin, where the two governments will then get down to business seeking to find common ground on the two main issues they have struggled to see eye-to-eye on, namely defence and competitiveness. The two countries will also try to find common ground on the EU agenda for the next five years, in view of the expected strong showing for the far-right in the parliamentary elections on June 6-9, making EU decision-making more difficult. Rahman said the EU would have a clear window to push forward with more ambitious plans - between the parliamentary elections and establishment of the new leadership, and next summer before the German elections. This would be especially important if Trump won the election, he said. A gorilla lost his head, an American YouTuber risked death and a German man tumbled his way to victory today - in what could only be Gloucestershire's historic annual cheese-rolling event. Hundreds of daredevil competitors today threw themselves into the iconic race on Cooper's Hill. The men's race was won by Tom Kopke from Germany who told the BBC he was 'buzzing' and would be back next year to defend his title. Mr Kopke, who runs his own YouTube channel, said: 'I love this event and it's just crazy. The day before I went cliff diving and I am all for these crazy events. 'I promised my grandma I am going to give it to her, so she is going to get the cheese.' American YouTuber and rapper Speedy, or IShowSpeed, came fourth in this year's cheese-rolling event but injured himself on the way down. He vowed to try again at next year's event, proclaiming he 'knows how to win now'. Josh Shepherd from Brockworth won the third men's race of the day and told the BBC he had to 'bring it home for Brockworth'. Competitor Ollie, who was dressed in a gorilla costume, lost his head and feet on the way down and jokingly compared the challenge to yoga. There was a false start to the women's race at 1pm, where participants started to tumble down the hill, but no cheese had been rolled. But after a slight hiccup, the women's race was won by Abby Lampe from North Carolina who took home the trophy for the second time after her win back in 2022. Hundreds of daredevil competitors through themselves into a cheese-rolling race Two competitors come tumbling down the hill during the event near Brockworth, Gloucester A man chases cheese during the contest, which was won by Tom Kopke from Germany Participants take part in the annual cheese-rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire today Participants in the women's cheese-rolling race today as they tumble down the hill The Gloucester event attracts people from around the globe to roll down the steep Coopers Hill Participants chase a 7lb Double Gloucester cheese down the hill. The women's race had a false start after people started rolling before the cheese Tom Kopke, from Munich, winner of the first race, lifts a Double Gloucester cheese after taking part in the annual cheese-rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth Abby Lampe, winner of the women's annual Cooper's Hill cheese-rolling competition (pictured) - she won previously in 2022 Dylan Twiss, from Perth Australia, celebrates after winning race two, at the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill American YouTuber and rapper, Darren Watkins Jr, known online as IShowSpeed or Speed, at the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth People compete in the annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling competition today The rapper came fourth in this year's event and told the BBC he 'knows how to win now' The winner of the first men's race today, Tom Kopke from Germany, can be seen wearing hi-vis in the front of the pack Participants tumble down Cooper's Hill this morning as they take part in the annual cheese-rolling event despite earlier safety warnings by police Participants threw themselves into the thick of things in today's opening race Men tumble and fall down Cooper's Hill during today's first contest won by Tom Kopke Mud flies everywhere as groups of people hurtle themselves down the hill People compete in the annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling competition in Brockworth People at the top of the hill ready to roll down it after wheels of cheese in the quirky competition One cheese roller dressed as a gorilla lost his head as he took the tumble down the hill The event sees competitors chase a 3kg Double Gloucester cheese rolling down the steep 180m hill, tripping and tumbling as they go. Hundreds of people gather to speculate every year, with the event dating back to the 1800s. The steep gradient means the event is not for the faint-hearted and the cheese can reach speeds of up to 70mph, with the first runner to catch it crowned the winner. Concerns were raised by Tewkesbury Borough Safety Advisory Group who said last year's event put a strain on emergency services after a number of people suffered injuries. Organisers cleared the hill for stones, rocks, brambles and other potential hazards for today's event but couldn't guarantee they had cleared everything. Participants do not need to register online or pay a huge entrance fee to take part. Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson from Gloucestershire Police said the event is a 'unique tradition and we have no desire to stop it'. But police had a duty to tell the public that the council's safety group had declared it unsafe. 'Those intending to go should consider the risk they might be putting themselves at' he said. The Safety Advisory Group said it has made 'numerous attempts' to engage with organisers but they have not shared how they plan to keep people safe this year. The group, which is made up of multiple agencies, said they were concerned about how emergency services would be able to respond if there was a major incident, after ambulances struggled to access the site in 2023. A person holds the cheese at the annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling competition A photo showing a competitor's feet after taking part in the cheese rolling competition Participants, including American YouTuber and rapper, Darren Watkins Jr, known online as IShowSpeed or Speed, take part in the annual cheese rollin Participants can be seen sliding down the hill as they take part in this year's competition Participants falling and tumbling as they take part in the cheese-rolling competition today The women's cheese-rolling race took off just after 1pm after a delayed start Winner of the men's race Tom (pictured right) can be seen storming ahead in the first men's race today Participants, including American YouTuber and rapper, Darren Watkins Jr, known online as IShowSpeed or Speed, take part in the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth A competitor leaves after competing in the annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling competition A group of competitors rolling down the hill in today's event One very muddy competitor taking part in today's cheese-rolling event A dog waits with his owner as people compete in the annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling competition The winner of last year's women's race was knocked unconscious at the finish line and she only discovered she'd won when she woke up in a medical tent. The start of the men's race this morning - the first event of a packed day's schedule Spectators walk up the hill to watch the start of the races today amid sunny conditions The cheese is let loose at the start of the men's race - followed by a horde of competitors Participants in the men's race stumble and fall over as they chase the rolling cheese Winner of the men's race, Tom (pictured centre), can be seen leading the way during today's men's race Abby Lampe celebrates after winning her race at this year's Cooper's Hill competition Spectators were seen waiting patiently at the bottom of the hill for the races to begin today Spectators gather for the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling competition to start in Brockworth The traditional event attracts people from around the globe who come to chase a 7lb Double Gloucester cheese down the steep Coopers Hill People were today advised they would 'attend this event entirely at your own risk' Despite yearly warnings about the event, people travel from all over the world to attend. There are multiple races and the rules are simple - get to the bottom of the hill first. Gravity does most of the hard work, as competitors run - or in most cases tumble - down the steep slope. Volunteers are ready to help catch runners at the bottom but injuries are almost inevitable. The history of Cooper Hill's Cheese-Rolling event The ceremony originally took place on Whit Monday, but was later moved to the Spring bank holiday. The first evidence of cheese rolling is found in a message written by the town crier in 1826. But even then, the writing suggested it was an old tradition, believed to be about 600-years-old. Two possible origins have been proposed for the event. Some believe it may have evolved from a requirement for maintaining grazing rights on the common, while others believe it has pagan origins from the custom of rolling objects down a hill. It is understood that bundles of burning brushwood were rolled down the hill to represent the birth of the New Year after winter. It is also believed to have links to a traditional fertility rite where buns, biscuits and sweets are scattered from the top of the hill by the Master of Ceremonies (the official host). This in turn encourages the fruits of the harvest. Advertisement Two possible origins have been proposed for the event. Some believe it may have evolved from a requirement for maintaining grazing rights on the common, while others believe it has pagan origins from the custom of rolling objects down a hill. It is understood that bundles of burning brushwood were rolled down the hill to represent the birth of the New Year after winter. It is also believed to have links to a traditional fertility rite where buns, biscuits and sweets are scattered from the top of the hill by the Master of Ceremonies (the official host). This in turn encourages the fruits of the harvest. In 1993, fifteen people were injured in the event, four of them seriously injured. In 2009 and 2011 it was cancelled due to safety concerns but despite this the event continued unofficially. But in 2020 and 2021 the event was cancelled as a result of the Covid pandemic and returned on Sunday, June 5 2022, ending its two-year absence. On the official Facebook page, organisers say both spectators and participants attend at their own risk. One senior police officer said: 'If a major incident were to occur, if people were to slip at the top of the hill and fall, we would have a crush, we would have multiple casualties and we would have a requirement to respond.' The 'lack of appropriate planning' means that emergency services would struggle to respond, he added. The Safety Advisory Group said it was willing to help the organisers get the right documentation and insurance in place. 'We would like to see evidence of safety documentation and risk-assessment processes' said Tewkesbury Borough Council. It attracts competitors from around the world. In 2006, the American National Library of Medicine published a report from The Australian headlined 'Dozens injured as cheese roll goes crackers. 'Twenty five people were injured at an annual cheese rolling competition in which daredevils chase giant cheese wheels down a steep slope in western England. 'Dozens took part in the bizarre event at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, before a crowd of about 3,000 cheering spectators. Signs have been put in place ahead of the event which was taking place today Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust say they are not involved in the organisation of the event despite it taking part on land managed by the charity. Picture taken today ahead of the event Organisers attempted to clear the hill for stones, rocks, brambles and other potential hazards for today's event Participants were spotted rehearsing their tumbling abilities ahead of the event Where did the cheese rolling tradition come from? Some say it was all about claiming grazing rights on the common and land around Cooper's Hill, others believe it could have been a fertility ritual. The cheese used is 3-4-kilogram Double Gloucester, a hard cheese traditionally made locally in a circular shape. Each is protected for the rolling by a wooden casing round the side, and is decorated with ribbons at the start of the race. The cheese can reach speeds of up to 70mph. Contestants run down the hill and the first runner to the bottom wins and the cheese is the prize. Chris Anderson first competed in 2004 at the age of 17, coming second, and he won his first race in 2005 and beat the record. Florence Early, from Stroud, first ran the race when she was 17 and is the four-time champion of the ladies' race. Advertisement 'They raced for 200m down the slope after wheel-shaped Double Gloucester cheeses, decorated in a blue and red ribbon. 'Many slipped, somersaulted, and tumbled their way to the bottom during five bone-crunching races over two hours. 'Of the 25 people hurt, 12 were spectators, one of whom was hit by one of the hard, 4kg, dinner plate sized cheeses used in each race, but only two people were taken to hospital for further assessment.' The event has been celebrated for centuries and is thought to have its roots in a heathen festival to celebrate the return of spring. Cheese Rolling on Cooper's Hill was painted by Charles March Gere in 1948, but the first written evidence is found from a message written to the Gloucester town crier in 1826, however even then it was apparent the event was an old tradition, and is believed to be at least six hundred years old. Chris Anderson first competed in 2004 at the age of 17, coming second, and he won his first race in 2005 and beat the record. He has now claimed the title 23 times. The father-of-three plans to compete for another few years - until his eldest son can take over the baton. 'It's all over so quickly,' he said. 'The first time I won I broke my ankle and had to get stretchered away. 'I'm from the local village, so it's good to keep the record in the village. 'For the locals, it's a massive event for us.' Preparations for the competition took place all through last week - trimming away stinging nettles, picking up litter and cutting the grass. The winner of each race gets to keep the Double Gloucester cheese wheel. Little Zlata's hand was cold to the touch, but her mother, Nadiia, never wanted to let go. She knew that this would be the last time she would ever feel her daughter's palms. Nadiia and her husband, Viacheslav Rostochyl, made sure to bury their daughter with as many flowers, dolls and teddy bears as her casket could carry. The young girl, born in November 2019, was buried in the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, southern Ukraine, on May 26, three days after her heart, pierced by a Russian missile fragment, stopped beating. Though she was unbearably young, she fought for her life for nearly an entire month, after the ballistic missile with illegal cluster munitions dropped on her home city on April 29. But her strength and determination brought little comfort to her family, who all grieved deeply as they buried her in the Orthodox church. Nadiia stared deeply into her daughter's eyes, knowing that they would never open again. Little Zlata's hand was cold to the touch, but her mother, Nadiia, never wanted to let go Though she was unbearably young, Zlata fought for her life for nearly an entire month The young girl, born in November 2019, was buried in the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, southern Ukraine The Russian strike saw Vladimir Putin's forces take out a university building, the Odesa Law Academy, leading to the deaths of eight people, including Zlata. More than 30 people were injured, including a pregnant woman and another child. Odesans could only stand by and watch as the university building crumbled in on itself after being set alight by the missile, with local firefighters desperately trying to put the fire out. Video footage from the time showed roiling smoke and flame licking the sky as it consumed the building. A student at the academy who identified herself by her first name, Maria, said the blaze was caused when the missile was intercepted. 'In front of my eyes, a missile was shot down, this was just in front of me. My doors were blown open and the glass was shaking. And then I saw this,' she told Reuters at the time. The Russian strike saw Vladimir Putin's forces take out a university building, the Odesa Law Academy Zlata's heart was pierced by a fragment of a Russian missile Zlata was born in November 2019 Her mother and father (pictured) were seen mourning the loss of their daughter Family members grieved for the loss of little Zlata 'Just before this happened, we wanted to go down there for a walk, but thank God we weren't there when it happened.' Odesa, home to a major Ukrainian port, has increasingly found itself in Russian crosshairs, with drone and missile attacks becoming more and more frequent as Russia uses dirtier and dirtier tactics to try and get an edge over Ukraine. And children in particular have been affected by Russian efforts to attack critical infrastructure. As of last month, around 600 children have been killed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while more than 1,350 have been injured, according to official UN data. International organisations have accused Russia of deliberately targeting children in its invasion of Ukraine, with the International Criminal Court last year seeking an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights, for allegedly deporting and transferring Ukrainian children to Russia illegally. Children in particular have been affected by Russian efforts to attack critical infrastructure As of last month, around 600 children have been killed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine International organisations have accused Russia of deliberately targeting children in its invasion of Ukraine More than 1,350 children have been injured during Russia's invasion of Ukraine according to official UN data Odesa, home to a major Ukrainian port, has increasingly found itself in Russian crosshairs Ukrainian president Volodmyr Zelensky, leading the charge against Putin, is seeking more aid from the West to battle the despot, and is set to be received Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Spain today at noon. The Spanish royal family said in a statement that King Felipe VI will also receive the Ukrainian leader at the palace, which usually happens after seeing the prime minister on state visits. 'Afterwards, King Felipe and Queen Letizia will host a lunch in his honour,' it added. It is Zelensky's first official visit to Spain since he came to power in 2019, and comes more than two years after the Russian invasion of his country. The Ukrainian president was due to visit Spain in mid-May, according to the Spanish palace, as well as Portugal. But he postponed his trip because of the Russian offensive in northern Ukraine, according to media. Sanchez told the Spanish parliament on Wednesday that the two countries are preparing to sign a bilateral cooperation agreement. 'We have made decisive progress in our bilateral relations with the Ukrainian government,' the Socialist leader said. 'So much so that I can announce to you today that, as soon as the situation on the front allows, we will sign an agreement with Ukraine that will increase economic, social and institutional cooperation between our countries,' he added. Children have fallen seriously ill with a parasite bug after visiting petting farms with one 11-year-old girl hospitalised for four days. Health experts have issued an urgent warning to families over the risk of cryptosporidium - a bug that was also recently detected in the water supply in Devon. Amy Chappell, from Banbury in Oxfordshire, said her daughter Poppy fell seriously ill and spent four days in hospital following a day out to a farm during lambing season. Poppy - who has still not completely recovered - picked up the cryptosporidium bug which can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea. It comes as 80 visitors who fell ill after visiting a farm in Worcestershire have sought legal advice. Ms Chappell said of her daughter: 'She was constantly being sick every few minutes and this went on for days. 'After seeing the out of hours GP I took her to A&E and she was admitted straight away and put on a drip as she'd lost so much fluid and was given anti-sickness drugs regularly. 'She was so drained and withdrawn she couldn't even get out of bed for the toilet, it was really worrying for all of us.' Has YOUR child fallen ill after visiting a petting farm? Email: olivia.christie@mailonline.co.uk Georgia Powell, 4, who fell ill after a visit on Easter Monday and was unable to return to nursery Sophie Enright, 14, (pictured) visited a farm with her mum Emma Cleverley, 38, on April 3 and became ill with diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting by April 9 Families visit Gannow Farm in Worcestershire before falling ill with severe stomach bugs Poppy's mother added: 'It has really affected her psychologically. 'She was sick so much that she is now really anxious about eating as she thinks it will make her sick and she has problems with her digestive system. 'This has had a huge impact on the whole family - we had no idea how serious this bug could be. 'We made sure we washed our hands after touching the animals and before we ate, and Poppy even wore gloves, but must have picked it up after that.' The scare comes after cryptosporidium was detected in the water supply in Devon earlier this month with at least 57 people falling ill with the bug. South West Water (SWW) urged people to boil their tap water after hundreds were struck down with diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pains linked to cryptosporidium, a parasitic bug that causes severe stomach issues. People who contracted the bug told MailOnline that it was the 'worst illness' that they have ever had. Now experts from the UK Health Security Agency have warned families planning on visiting petting farms about the potential risk of infections. Charlotte Flynn, a consultant in health protection with UKHSA South East, said: 'Visiting a farm is a really fun day out which is an enjoyable and educational experience for many people, particularly children. Amy Chappell, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, said her daughter Poppy fell seriously ill and spent four days in hospital following a day out to a farm during lambing season The bug can be picked up from petting farms during lambing season Sophie was prescribed anti-sickness medication and medication to ease her stomach cramps but four days later her symptoms had not improved Last month, it emerged that 20 visitors had contacted public health lawyers asking them to investigate their case following their ordeals 'However, it carries a small risk of catching infections from animals or the environment. 'Farm animals can be the source of several bugs that can be passed from animals to humans and cause illness. 'Some can be particularly serious for children or pregnant women. Cryptosporidium and how to protect yourself Cryptosporidium is a bug that can cause severe stomach infections. Animals can carry the bugs without appearing ill themselves and you can catch them by direct contact with an animal or with surfaces they have touched. Washing hands with soap and water is also important as hand gels and wipes do not remove all gastrointestinal bugs. Infections can be picked up from the animals body, its faeces or from areas where animals have recently been. If the germs are on your hands, you could accidentally pass them to your mouth. Muck on boots, clothing and pushchairs can easily be transferred to hands and other surfaces too. You cant see the germs, so your hands may appear clean. If you are diagnosed with cryptosporidium you must not go swimming until two weeks after you are free of sickness or diarrhoea as the bugs are resistant to chlorine. Tests may be required to confirm that a child is free from some infections. Source: UK Health Security Agency Advertisement 'Sadly, this year we have already seen a significant number of cases linked to farm visits right across the country, including in some instances children being hospitalised.' The alert comes after more than 80 people, including children, also fell ill after visiting Gannow Farm in Worcestershire over the Easter holidays. They were left with severe gastric illnesses and some were hospitalised with sickness and diarrhoea. Last month, it emerged that 20 visitors had contacted public health lawyers asking them to investigate their case following their ordeals. Sophie Enright, 14, from Hollywood in Birmingham, visited the farm with her mum Emma Cleverley, 38, on April 3 and became ill with diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting by April 9. As Sophie's condition deteriorated, Emma called a GP on April 11 who said she was fourth person he'd seen that day with the same symptoms after visiting the farm. Sophie was prescribed anti-sickness medication to ease her stomach cramps but four days later her symptoms had not improved. She was given a stronger dose of medication, plus nutrient shakes and co-codamol and was diagnosed with cryptosporidium following tests. Sophie's mother said: 'Even now I can't believe what has happened to Sophie since the farm visit back in April. 'She's like another girl after what has been a frightening and uncertain experience. 'Having visited the doctors, she just never seemed to improve and as the weight fell off her, we became really concerned. 'We thought it was just a bug that would clear up but when they said it was cryptosporidium, terrible thoughts go through your mind. 'Sophie still isn't well and she was devastated to have missed school in the run up to her mock exams and as suffered with her mental health as a result. 'Our focus has been on seeing Sophie make a full recovery but, given all of the people who've been so ill, I think there are questions to answer.' Mother Michelle Powell, 41 from Redditch, Worcestershire, said her daughter Georgia was also struck down with severe sickness and diarrhoea about a week after visiting the farm. Ms Powell said: 'Easter Monday was meant to be a fun day out for Georgia to see the farm animals. I never dreamed it could turn into such a nightmare. 'To see your four-year old so sick was just devastating. 'You feel like there's nothing you can do and as time goes on with no improvement, you begin to be really concerned. 'Looking back, I did have some concerns when we arrived at the farm. 'It was obviously busy that day and I thought at the time there were too many people for each slot with the animals and not a lot of supervision. Residents are seen queueing in a car park in South Devon to pick up bottled water during the recent outbreak of cryptosporidium South West Water workers are pictured unloading crates of bottled water to distribute to locals in south Devon earlier this month Cryptosporidium can be found in the intestines and faeces of infected humans and animals The scare comes after cryptosporidium was detected in the water supply in Devon earlier this month with at least 57 people falling ill with the bug 'The lambs looked lethargic and unwell compared to previous visits and their faeces were everywhere, including the bails of hay set out for sitting on. 'Right now, our focus in seeing Georgia make a full recovery but we feel we really deserve some answers concerning what happened. 'There were so many in those pens that day, that I'm not surprised to hear we're not alone in having fallen sick.' Jatinder Paul, head of the specialist public health team at Irwin Mitchell, who is supporting the families, said: 'Since being initially approached by 20 people who had fallen seriously ill following visits to Gannow Farm, it's deeply concerning that over 80 people have now come forward - all with similar stories to tell of being diagnosed with cryptosporidium following their visit. 'Cryptosporidium is known to cause gastrointestinal illness and can be a serious condition for many vulnerable groups, including children and older people. 'A type of microscopic parasite, cryptosporidium can cause illness in both humans and animals alike. 'It's vital that people take the proper precautions to protect themselves and their families from the risk of infection. 'While welcome that the UK Health Security Agency is investigating, we're committed to supporting our clients through what has been a terrible ordeal and securing for them the answers they deserve. 'If during the case of our investigations any issues are identified, it's vital that lessons are learned to improve public safety.' In a Facebook post, the farm said: 'We at Gannow Farm take the welfare of our visitors very seriously and for that reason we have decided to close for the remainder of the 2024 Farm Experience. 'This is a decision taken by the team and not by governing bodies however we are working closely with them as always. 'We would like to wish anyone that is poorly a speedy recovery.' MailOnline has contacted Irwin Mitchell for further comment. The Duchess of Edinburgh has called for justice for victims of wartime sexual violence following her visit to Ukraine. Sophie, 59, last month became the first member of the royal family to visit the country since Russia's invasion in February 2022. Her visit to Kyiv, which is understood to have been at the request of the Foreign Office, aimed to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children who have been impacted by Putin's war. The Duchess, after listening to survivors of sexual violence bravely share their stories, condemned the 'heinous crimes' that are being used to 'demean, destroy and control' citizens, The Daily Telegraph reported. She argued that during war 'women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human costs' and called for more prevention safeguards to be put in place, as well as measures to support victims of sexual violence. Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, called for justice for victims of wartime sexual violence while speaking at a reception at the home of Martin Harris, UK ambassador to Ukraine, in Kyiv on April 29, 2024 (pictured) Sophie , 59, last month became the first member of the royal family to visit the country since Russia's invasion in February 2022. She and the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Martin Harris are pictured visiting the Car Cemetery on April 29, 2024 in Irpin, Ukraine 'Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy. And we have to get better at trying to prevent that from happening,' Sophie reportedly said while speaking at a reception at the home of Martin Harris, UK ambassador to Ukraine, on April 29. 'Where we cannot prevent it from happening, what we must do is put measures in place to support those who have fallen victim to such crimes.' The Duchess, who announced her commitment to champion survivors of conflict related sexual violence in 2019, said that while 'others in positions of leadership engage with the politics of war' she aims to put 'conflict-related sexual violence on the table as a devastating consequence'. Sophie's visit to Ukraine saw her meet with survivors of sexual violence, both male and female, as well as well as female IDPs - internally displaced persons - and volunteers who help their communities cope with the trauma of the invasion. She also met with children who have now been safely returned to Ukraine, after being forcibly separated from their families and deported by Russia as part of a sustained campaign to erase Ukrainian culture. During her speech, Sophie added that in a world with 'so many current and threatening crises' it is 'my hope is that where conflict does occur more consideration is given to creating well-funded early systems of support for survivors and those who have been internally displaced'. She called for accessible medical and psychological interventions and a 'collation of evidence for future prosecutions and the de-stigmatisation of victims'. Sophie travelled to Kyiv at the request of the Foreign Office. The visit saw her spend time with Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska. The pair are pictured together on April 29, 2024 Sophie is understood to have delivered a letter from King Charles III to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president is pictured greeting Sophie ahead of their talks in Kyiv on April 29, 2024 Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Martin Harris, left, visit the Romanivska Bridge in the town of Irpin on Monday, April 29, 2024 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine Sophie and children look at an Ukrainian flag as she visits the Family centre Save Ukraine in the Irpin town on April 29, 2024 Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine, Martin Harris, visit the UNFPA office to meet with war victims in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 29, 2024 Sophie travelled to Kyiv at the request of the Foreign Office. The visit saw her deliver a letter from the King to President Volodymyr Zelensky and spend time with Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska. Meeting with President Zelensky and First Lady Zelenska, Sophie discussed how to best to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and the women peacebuilders who have a vital part to play in ensuring Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction is effective and long-lasting. She also paid her respects to those who lost their lives in Bucha, two years on from its liberation from Russian forces, and visited the 'Road to Life', a bridge which became a key part of the Ukrainian resistance when it was blown up to stop Russian troops proceeding to Kyiv and later became a vital route for people to flee to safety from the Russian occupation. Buckingham Palace last month issued a statement about the visit, saying: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh is visiting Ukraine at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war and in a continuation of her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. 'Her Royal Highness this morning met the President and First Lady of Ukraine and delivered a message to them on behalf of His Majesty The King.' Since 2022, the UK has pledged over 4.7billion in non-military support to Ukraine. The Duchess of Edinburgh (second right) and the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Martin Harris (right) visit the memorial to the victims of the Russian occupation in the town of Bucha on April 29, 2024 Sophie meets with children as she visits the Family center of the NGO "Save Ukraine" in the town of Irpin on April 29, 2024 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine The Duchess of Edinburgh (left) and Olena Zelenska, (right) wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, talk during their visit the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv on April 29, 2024 Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska (left) and Britain's Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (right), visiting the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv on April 29, 2024 This includes over 660million of bilateral assistance that prioritises the needs of women and girls, for example by funding vital services for survivors of Gender Based Violence, as well as working with the Office of the Prosecutor General to put survivors at the centre of approaches to prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence crimes. The UK is also working with international partners to hold those responsible for atrocities to account. Sophie announced her commitment to UKs Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the UNs Women, Peace and Security Agenda on International Womens Day in 2019. She has visited several countries - including Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia - since then as part of her initiative to champion the cause. Memorial Day is a celebration of all the brave women and men who sacrificed their lives in service of the nation. These days there are various ways to honor our heroes like visiting cemeteries, memorials, and watching parades. While most of the commemoration is forced on outdoor activities, you can still celebrate the day in the comfort of your home. Whether you are staying with your family or celebrating alone, you can always rely on streaming services to give you the best movies for any occasion. From war conflicts to stories of heroism, here are some binge-worthy movies that you can stream this Memorial Day: 'Black Hawk Dawn' "Black Hawk Dawn" is a 2001 film based on the book by Mark Bowden. The story follows the events of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. The film centered on the attempts of the U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force soldiers to capture top-ranking Somali warlords. The story was lauded for its portrayal of the unpredictable nature of military missions, urban warfare, and the dangers constantly faced by soldiers in the field. The film also surprised its audience with its realistic narrative and cinematography. "Black Hawk Dawn" is available on Netflix until May 31. 'Midway' "Midway" is a 2019 film based on the historical events leading up to and including the Battle of Midway. The naval battle in the Pacific Theater during World War II was a pivotal moment for the U.S. Several historical moments were included in the film such as the Battle of Midway in 1942, the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, and the intelligence efforts of the U.S. Navy to counter the Japanese attack. "Midway" is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. 'Fury' "Fury" is set during the final days of World War II in 1945. The story follows the U.S. Army sergeant Don 'Wardaddy' Collier who commands the Sherman tank called Fury. During the mission, Wardaddy is joined by his tank crew consisting of four other members. Aside from its war narrative, the story also shows brotherhood between soldiers, the brutality of war, and the importance of leadership to survive on dangerous missions. "Fury" is available to stream on Hulu. '13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi' "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" is a 2016 film based on the book of Mitchell Zuckoff. The film is the dramatization of the 2012 Benghazi attack wherein Islamic militants attacked the American diplomatic compound. The story centers on how a team of six CIA security contractors fought their way out, despite being heavily outnumbered. The team struggled to defend the American outposts but managed to rescue the survivors within a 13-hour mission. "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" can be streamed on Hulu. 'The Finest Hours' "The Finest Hours" is an adaptation of the book by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman. The film recounts the events of one of the most successful sea rescues in the U.S. Coast Guard history in 1952. The story portrayed the efforts of the Coast Guard to rescue the crew of SS Pendleton, a T-2 oil tanker, that was split in half during a violent storm. The film was applauded for its depiction of how sea rescues happen and how challenging it is. "The Finest Hours" is available to stream on Disney+. Parents may be fined if their adult children fail to do their National Service when they turn 18, a minister suggested today. Anne-Marie Trevelyan declined to rule out financial penalties linked to Rishi Sunak's election pledge to make teens spend a year in the military or do unpaid weekend community work. The proposal, which was unveiled yesterday has triggered a major row, the first of the nascent general election campaign. Ms Trevelyan, the Foreign Office Minister, said today that many details of the scheme would be set out in a Royal Commission, and refused to rule out punishing parents if their adult offspring refused to take part. She also suggested carers and young member of the Royal family would be expected to take part. However criticism of the scheme has increased. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer branded it a 'teenage Dad's Army' in a speech today. And in perhaps the most striking criticism, a second senior Tory minister suggested the proposal had been sprung on them. Writing on social media, Steve Baker, the Northern Ireland Minister, suggested had it been a government policy, he would have had a say because of the particular sensitives around Northern Ireland. He said: 'Government policy would have been developed by ministers on the advice of officials and collectively agreed. I would have had a say on behalf of NI. 'But this proposal was developed by a political adviser or advisers and sprung on candidates, some of whom are relevant ministers.' Asked about whether young royals would be made to take part, or teenagers with caring responsibilities, Ms Trevelyan told Sky News it would be down to a Royal Commission to decide the scope. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer branded it a 'teenage Dad's Army' in a speech today. Writing on social media, Steve Baker, the Northern Ireland Minister, suggested had it been a government policy, he would have had a say because of the particular sensitives around Northern Ireland. The manifesto pledge would see all 18-year-olds do either a paid year in the military or spend a weekend a month doing unpaid work in the community. Writing for MailOnline today Ms Trevelyan said that those volunteering for the military would not be sent to fight, and that the scheme would teach practical and soft skills 'which cannot be taught in the classroom or the lecture theatre'. But critics from across the political divide have dismissed the plans as unserious while leading military figures expressed skepticism about how they would work and suggested the money would be better spent on Armed Forces investment. Asked about whether young royals would be made to take part, or teenagers with caring responsibilities, Ms Trevelyan told Sky News it would be down to a Royal Commission to decide the scope. But she added: 'Fundamentally the Prime Minister has been clear this would be for the vast majority of our young people, our 18 year-olds, this would be a mandatory part of both their continued education and journey to adulthood.' Prince George, 10, would be the first young royal made to undertake the scheme when he turns 18 in July 2031, followed a year later by Princess Charlotte, nine, and three years later by Prince Louis, six. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said 'the vast majority of our young people' would be expected to turn out for the mandatory programme under Rishi Sunak's new election proposal. Princess Beatrice and Eugenie also have young children who would be eligible to take part once they reach the age of 18, as well as Prince Edward's son, the Earl of Wessex, 16. Rishi Sunak made the first major policy announcement of the general election campaign on Sunday, vowing to bring back National Service for 18-year-olds - a scheme that has not been seen in the UK since 1960. When would young royals do National Service? Prince George: July 2031 Princess Charlotte: May 2032 Prince Louis: April 2036 James, Earl of Wessex: December 2025 Sienna Mozzi: September 2039 August Brooksbank: August 2039 Ernest Brooksbank: May 2041 Advertisement The Prime Minister received backlash after launching the proposal but said he wanted the change to instill a 'shared sense of purpose' in today's youth. The Royal family has a long history of serving in the military with Prince William a Sandhurst graduate before he spent seven-and-a-half years in full-time military service. Home Secretary James Cleverly said yesterday that the service would be compulsory, adding: 'We will look at what the appropriate response will be. 'There's not going to be a criminal sanction for this, the same way people are compelled to be in education or training between 16 and 18. He clarified details of the scheme saying the military part will be paid, but the voluntary section would not be. The Tories also revealed plans on how they would encourage teenagers to apply for the military scheme, including participants being potentially favoured over other applicants when applying for jobs. One of the options is the introduction of fast-tracked routes into graduate schemes and the civil service for those who have served. Another is that employers are encouraged to consider Armed Forces recruits during the hiring process and that participants are given the opportunity to highlight their military experience on their UCAS applications for university and apprenticeships. However, the Armed Forces option would be selective with only around 30,000 placements for 'the brightest and best'. But some ex-top brass questioned its usefulness. Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy who is a Labour peer, told the Guardian: 'I'm delighted if more young people become aware of defence and are involved but this idea is basically bonkers. 'We need to spend more on defence, and by doing what he's suggesting money will be sucked out of defence.' And General Richard Dannatt, the former head of the General Staff, branded it 'electoral opportunism', adding: 'The costs of this would be considerable in terms of trainers and infrastructure. This task cannot just be imposed on the Armed Forces as an extra thing to do.' File image shows the Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, at RAF Fairford last year A family portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including (back row, left to right) Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, (middle row, left to right) Lena Tindall, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Prince Louis, and (front row, left to right) Mia Tindall holding Lucas Tindall and Savannah Phillips taken at Balmoral Palace. The young royals will not be exempt from national service The Royal family has a long history of serving in the military On Sunday, Mr Sunak said: 'National Service schemes in countries around the world show just how fulfilling it is for young people. 'We want to make sure Britain's future generations can get the most out of National Service, that's why we're looking into ways it can open doors they wouldn't otherwise get in work or education. 'Only the Conservatives will take the bold action required to deliver a secure future for the next generation.' Mr Cleverly said the plans show the Tories are investing in young people and trying to address some of the challenges that today's youth face. 'In other countries that we've looked at that do this, this is a very, very popular scheme, parents particularly very, very keen for their children to be involved in this kind of stuff,' he said. A Labour Party spokesperson said the announcement was 'another desperate 2.5billion unfunded commitment from a Tory Party which already crashed the economy, sending mortgages rocketing, and now they're spoiling for more. 'This is not a plan it's a review which could cost billions and is only needed because the Tories hollowed out the armed forces to their smallest size since Napoleon,' the spokesperson said. The Lib Dems have also slammed the announcement with leader Ed Davey describing it as a 'desperate' and 'pathetic' attempt. In European nations with national service, members of the royal family are expected to take part. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway recently began her 12-month military placement with the Engineer Battalion. Spain's Crown Princess Leonor is undergoing three years of military training, although the country no longer has national service. Studies from Norway and Israel, which have national military service schemes, suggest they give youngsters a 'leg up' into subsequent careers, the Tories said. The Conservatives have promised to establish a Royal Commission, bringing in expertise from across the military and civil society to establish the details of the programme. It will be asked to look at models in other countries to design incentives for those taking part in Britain. The party said the commission would be tasked with bringing forward a proposal for how to ensure the first pilot is open for applications in September 2025. After that, it would seek to introduce a new 'National Service Act' to make the measures compulsory by the end of the next Parliament, the party said. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway recently began her 12-month military placement with the Engineer Battalion Spain's Crown Princess Leonor is undergoing three years of military training, although the country no longer has national service After the Second World War ended in 1945, the government felt it was necessary to maintain high levels of military presence across the world, including in parts of the British Empire and in Germany. To address this, the National Service Act, requiring all physically fit male British citizens between 18 and 26 years old to serve in the armed forces for 18 months from January 1949, was passed by Clement Attlee's Labour administration in 1947. This compulsory service included varied roles at home and abroad such as fighting on the frontline or clerical work and did not extend to women. Certain groups including students and apprentices were allowed to defer their service until they had completed their education or training. National service was abolished in 1960 with the last servicemen discharged in 1963. According to the Royal British Legion, between the end of the Second World War and May 1963, more than two million men took part in national service. Many countries across the world currently have some form of national service, including military and non-military models. All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve in the armed forces for a period of 18 to 21 months under a conscription system set up in response to the threat from North Korea. Members of K-pop band BTS made headlines around the world over the last year as they began to fulfil their mandatory duties. In Israel, military service is compulsory for the majority of both men and women over 18 years old, with men expected to serve for a minimum of 32 months and women a minimum of 24 months. In Switzerland, 18 weeks of military service training is mandatory for all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 30, along with yearly refresher courses. Longer, civilian service is also possible for those unwilling to serve in the military due to their conscience and mainly involves assignments focused on social welfare, healthcare and environmental protection. In Sweden, all citizens must complete a military enlistment form the year they turn 18 and, if selected, are obliged to enrol in basic military training. A BBC weather forecaster whose family were kicked off a flight after a row over her daughter's nut allergy has said the experience was 'humiliating and desperate'. Georgie Palmer, 49, her husband Nick Sollom, 48, and daughters Rosie, 12, and Annie, 14, were ordered off the SunExpress flight from London Gatwick to Dalaman, Turkey on Tuesday after telling the crew Rosie had an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts. It came after Ms Palmer said staff refused to make a standard announcement requesting passengers not eat peanuts because they had 'updated' their allergies policy. Instead she politely asked passengers around her not to consume any peanuts and pass the message on, which they did happily. But she says this enraged the 'angry little' captain who demanded they leave before the flight would take off. Georgie Palmer, 49, (centre) her husband Nick Sollom (left), 48, and daughters Rosie (right), 12, and Annie, 14, were ordered off the flight after they asked passengers to not to eat peanuts because of her daughter's allergy Ms Palmer speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain where she called for greater clarity over nut allergy protocols for airlines after her family were ejected from a flight Ms Palmer has 20 years of experience in broadcasting including working as a weather forecaster for the BBC The family had to be removed from the SunExpress flight from London Gatwick to Dalaman, Turkey on Tuesday after the captain ordered them off (stock photo of SunExpress plane) In an interview on Good Morning Britain, the BBC presenter said the whole experience was 'absolutely humiliating and desperate for my daughter'. She said that anaphylaxis is 'terrifying' and called on airlines to improve their allergy policies. She added there is a 'deep lack of clarity' about allergy policies but that after a decade of flying, this was the first time they had had such a difficult experience. The BBC forecaster explained to Charlotte Hawkins and Richard Madeley that she had tried to contact the airline in advance but was unable to get through. Ms Palmer said in previous years she would call beforehand, follow the rules on the website and let cabin crew know as they boarded. But this time she was unable to speak to anyone and the captain refused to talk to them. After sitting down and politely requesting passengers didn't eat peanuts Ms Palmer said the captain became enraged and ordered them off the plane. Describing the incident she said: 'How we were treated was disgusting. The captain decided because of my daughter's allergy he didn't want to fly with her on board. 'When he found out I had spoken to the other passengers he was screaming at me from the cockpit. He was so angry, the next thing I knew we were told to get off the plane. Ms Palmer said she politely asked passengers around her not to consume any peanuts and pass the message on, which they did happily Ms Palmer and her daughter Rosie posing in their hotel. The mother said: 'Rosie is in a terrible state about this. It has ruined her holiday' The weather presenter said that in ten years of flying, the family had never had such a terrible experience and described their treatment as 'humiliating' 'It is really beautiful how every passenger on that plane was so wonderful but nobody working on that plane showed one ounce of compassion.' 'We have spent the last 12 years trying to teach people about the allergy and to use epi-pens. It's a volatile allergen and even if Rosie didn't come into direct contact with a peanut, if somebody was eating one on board she could die. Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, OBE, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the UK's food allergy charity, said: 'Food allergies are an illness not a lifestyle choice, and the experience of this family on board a plane is shocking and unacceptable. 'The airline should immediately re-appraise the way they engage with food allergic customers and make their policies clear on their website. 'Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. We often hear from families with food allergies who tell us their awful stories about airline travel. This is worrying as the world is becoming ever more allergic.' Nadim added: 'Latest figures from the Food Standards Agency show there are now 2.4 million adults in the UK with a diagnosed food allergy, in addition to huge numbers of children with food allergies. Airlines need to recognise that people with food allergies are their customers and take action to ensure everyone can travel safely.' Meanwhile, the family took an EasyJet flight to the holiday resort the following day and said crew happily made several announcements asking passengers not to open packets of peanuts on board. But the family was forced to spend an extra 5,000 booking the additional flights, an airport hotel and other costs. The family were attempting to travel to Dalaman, Turkey (pictured), before the peanut row broke out The family was forced to spend an extra 5,000 booking the additional flights, an airport hotel and other costs Ms Palmer said her family were treated 'disgustingly' by the captain at Gatwick Airport (pictured) after he decided because of my daughter's allergy he didn't want to fly with her on board Ms Palmer said: 'Rosie is in a terrible state about this. It has ruined her holiday. 'We don't go away all the time, we maybe fly once a year and have never had problems with other airlines. 'If we had known that policy we would never have booked with them but we have been through the website with a fine-tooth comb and there is nothing. 'There was no way to tell the airline beforehand so how many people with peanut allergies will fly on SunExpress this summer not knowing the policy. 'It's been three days and we haven't heard anything from SunExpress. Our insurance says the captain has the discretion to remove people for no reason.' In an Instagram post, Ms Palmer added: 'We gently asked the passengers at the front of the plane to share our request, and, row by row, as swift as a carefully crafted toppling domino trail, all the passengers turned back to kindly ask the row behind to please not eat nuts on the flight. 'It was calm, earnest & with an overwhelming sense of solidarity & empathy. 'There's no beef with simple asks like these. People get it! The hand holding, tears & emotion from the passengers as we were hoofed off the plane after the angry little captain shouted at us from the cockpit.' A spokesman for SunExpress said: 'We take the safety of our passengers very seriously. Shortly after boarding our flight from London Gatwick, the passenger raised a concern about one of his family group having a serious peanut allergy and requested an announcement to other passengers. 'We refrain from making these kinds of announcements as, like many other airlines, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment on our flights, nor prevent other passengers from bringing food items containing allergens on board. 'Due to the insistent behaviour of the passenger to others on board that they should not consume nuts, the captain decided it would be safest if the family did not travel on our flight. 'When this was explained to the passenger, he did exhibit aggressive behaviour towards our crew members, and tried to gain access to the cockpit. The family took an EasyJet flight to the holiday resort the following day and said crew happily made several announcements asking passengers not to open packets of peanuts on board Last year a British Airways passenger was left feeling 'completely devastated' when she and her family were removed from a plane because there were no meals with nuts onboard for her severely allergic son Alice Smith's 14-year-old son is allergic to all nuts - including 'tree nuts' - and must carry an emergency adrenaline pen in case of an allergic reaction (Stock photo) 'To ensure the safety of our crew and our passengers on board, we cannot tolerate aggressive and unruly behaviour on our flights. 'Additionally, our website states that passengers must notify us 48 hours in advance of any special care required due to a medical condition and no such notification was received from the passengers in this instance. 'However, we are fully aware that this was an upsetting situation for the family, and we are taking the incident as an opportunity to conduct a review of the information provided during our booking process to ensure more effective solutions for passengers with allergies.' In response Mr Sollom said that while he was 'irked' by the decision to end the family's holiday before it had started, 'at no point did I behave aggressively towards any of the crew'. He added that after being told his bags were to be offloaded, he asked to speak to the captain to plead his case and knocked twice on the cockpit door before leaving the plane. It's not the first time a passenger has been removed from a flight due to a peanut allergy. Last year a British Airways passenger was left feeling 'completely devastated' and 'physically sick' after she and her family were 'removed' from a flight - because her son has a severe nut allergy and there was a meal with nuts on board the plane. Alice Smith, 43, had spent days in conversation with BA arranging for her cabin on the August 24 flight from London Heathrow to Dubai to be nut-free. Yet when BA staff discovered that a cashew nut meal had been delivered to the galley for the meal service, Smith claims they decided to remove her group from the flight instead of the nut dish. So Smith and her family were forced to disembark. They weren't placed on another flight to Dubai until the following day. As a result of the debacle, the family lost a whole day of their 10-day trip in Dubai, which had been booked along with their flights through BA Holidays. To compensate, an extra day was added on to their trip 'free of charge'. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, died in 2016 after suffering an anaphylactic shock to sesame seeds in a Pret a Manger baguette she had bought at Heathrow before catching a flight to Nice. Her death brought about a new food safety law known as 'Natasha's Law' which requires full ingredient and allergen labelling on all food made on premises and pre-packed for direct sale. ** Have YOU ever been kicked off a plane for having a nut allergy? Email elizabeth.haigh@mailonline.co.uk ** Local Labour members in Jeremy Corbyn's seat have vented their fury at party bosses over the way their general election candidate was chosen. They accused Labour HQ of overseeing an 'egregiously undemocratic selection process' after Praful Nargund, who runs a private IVF firm, was picked as the party's hopeful in Islington North. He faces a bitter battle against Mr Corbyn, who has been Islington North MP since 1983, with many local Labour members still supportive of the veteran left-winger. Mr Corbyn, the ex-Labour leader, was barred by his successor Sir Keir Starmer from standing as a parliamentary candidate for the party after being suspended in 2020. He has now been fully expelled from Labour after confirming he will stand as an independent candidate at the 4 July general election. In a sign of the intense battle to come between Mr Corbyn and Mr Nargund over the coming weeks, Labour are facing a mutiny by local party members. Local Labour members in Jeremy Corbyn 's seat have vented their fury at party bosses over the way their general election candidate was chosen They accused Labour HQ of an 'egregiously undemocratic selection process' after Praful Nargund, who runs a private IVF firm with his mother Geeta, was picked as the party's hopeful Mr Corbyn, the ex-Labour leader, was barred by his successor Sir Keir Starmer from standing as a parliamentary candidate for the party after being suspended in 2020 In a strongly-worded statement, officers of Islington North Constituency Labour Party (CLP) condemned Sir Keir and his team over the appointment of Mr Nargund In a strongly-worded statement, officers of Islington North Constituency Labour Party (CLP) condemned Sir Keir and his team over the appointment of Mr Nargund. They accused Labour bosses of showing 'contempt' for local activists in the north London seat. 'On 24 May Islington North CLP members learned via a London Regional Labour Party post on X that the CLP's parliamentary candidate had been appointed,' the statement said. 'This decision was not communicated directly to CLP members and CLP officers. 'The CLP was not given the opportunity to meet the appointed candidate nor to understand what his policy positions are. 'This is the final stage in an egregiously undemocratic selection process. 'Once again, the national Labour Party has shown contempt for hard working and dedicated members who campaigned relentlessly to re-elect the London Labour mayor Sadiq Khan. 'The Labour Party defines itself as a democratic socialist party. On this basis all members, including those in Islington North, have the right to genuine input into democratic decision making, including the right to select their parliamentary candidate. 'In the case of the Islington North CLP selection process, the actions of the Labour Party have fallen far short of its stated democratic standards.' Speaking on Friday, Sir Keir said Mr Corbyn's days of influencing Labour are 'over' following the former leader's expulsion from the party. Asked for his response to suggestions he was 'cherry-picking' candidates, including Mr Nargund, Sir Keir told broadcasters: 'Jeremy Corbyn's days of influencing Labour Party policy are well and truly over. Jeremy Corbyn's decision is his decision. 'What I'm intent on doing is putting first class Labour candidates in Islington North, which we have now done.' Sir Keir defended his decision to ban Mr Corbyn from standing for Labour as part of his efforts to 'tear antisemitism out of our party by the roots'. Mr Corbyn has been sitting as an independent MP since 2020 after refusing to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission's findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge. He said allegations of antisemitism had been 'dramatically overstated for political reasons'. Mr Nargund could face an uphill battle in Islington North, as Mr Corbyn gained a majority of 26,188 in the seat at the 2019 election when running as a Labour candidate. Keir Starmer made a major pitch to win over suspicious Middle England today as he vowed Labour can be trusted with the UK's 'money, borders and security' at the next election. In his first major speech of the campaign the opposition leader waxed lyrical about 'this England' outside of his party's typical urban strongholds. Speaking on the Sussex coast he referenced his own upbringing and the hardship his family faced growing up, saying they had their phone cut off when they decided it was the one bill they could live without paying. In a village hall in Lancing - a Tory seat - he said the transformed Labour Party is ready to meet the 'core tests' that voters set for government 'economic security, border security and national security'. Earlier this year a poll revealed that almost a third of voters were undecided about who is best to lead the country out of Sir Keir and Rishi Sunak, while another survey suggested a fifth of those who plumped for the Conservatives in 2019 were not sure who to vote for this time. Despite Labour's consistent polling leads of 20 points or more in recent months, Sir Keir will acknowledge there are 'countless people who haven't decided how they'll vote in this election'. 'They're fed up with the failure, chaos and division of the Tories, but they still have questions about us,' he said. 'Has Labour changed enough? Do I trust them with my money, our borders and our security? 'My answer is, yes, you can because I have changed this party. Permanently. This has been my driving mission since day one. I was determined to change Labour so that it could serve the British people.' He also threw shade at the 'politics of protest' espoused by his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, who has since been expelled from Labour and will run against it as an independent at the election. But in a tweet, PM Rishi Sunak said: 'Not a single plan for the future. Our country needs bold action, not waffle.' In his first major speech of the campaign the opposition leader waxed lyrical about 'this England' outside of his party's typical urban strongholds. In a village hall in Lancing he said the transformed Labour Party is ready to meet the 'core tests' that voters set for government 'economic security, border security and national security'. Despite Labour's consistent polling leads of 20 points or more in recent months, Sir Keir will acknowledge there are 'countless people who haven't decided how they'll vote in this election'. Pictured: Migrants crossing the English Channel on a small boat in March The Labour leader this month unveiled the party's 'first steps' to change in government. They included slashing NHS waiting lists, recruiting 6,500 teachers and economic stability (stock image of NHS waiting room) Sir Keir said 14 years of Conservative 'chaos' had damaged trust in politics and British institutions, and led to a 'crisis' about 'who we are as a nation'. 'For a long time now, working people have believed opportunity in Britain is stacked against them,' he said. 'But now we are at a dangerous new point, close to crossing a Rubicon of trust, not just in politics but in many of the institutions that are meant to serve and protect the British people. 'A moment where people no longer believe their values or interests carry the respect of those in power. 'When you put that alongside a Government that over 14 years has left living standards in this country worse than when they found them, that has torched any semblance of standards in public life, Westminster parties that broke the rules they put in place to save lives and rules they expected you to follow but ignored themselves, then you get a crisis in nothing less than who we are as a nation.' The Labour leader this month unveiled the party's 'first steps' to change in government. They included slashing NHS waiting lists, recruiting 6,500 teachers and economic stability. But Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden said: 'He has been Labour leader for four years but has failed to set out a clear plan to secure Britain's future. 'All he has managed is to break the ten promises he made when he ran for the leadership and create a 38.5 billion black hole in his spending promises, meaning Labour would have to put up taxes by 2,094 on every hardworking family.' Yesterday Labour's Rachel Reeves raised questions over how the party plans to fund its plans for power after ruling out tax rises while vowing not to 'bring back austerity'. The shadow chancellor made the pledge after saying both she and leader Sir Keir Starmer want taxes on working people to be lower, although she noted she would not put forward 'unfunded proposals'. Speaking to BBC One's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Reeves also said she did not want to make any cuts to public spending but was unable to give cast-iron guarantees and instead pointed to the need to conduct a spending review if she was in the Treasury. She later also declined to put a timeline on when a Labour government would increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of the size of the economy. The Conservatives have recently committed to reaching 2.5 per cent by 2030. Ms Reeves also said there is 'not going to be a return to austerity' under Labour with commitments to boost frontline services a 'down payment on the changes that we want to make'. She said: 'But in the end we have to grow the economy, we have to turn around this dire economic performance.' The shadow chancellor added: 'I don't want to make any cuts to public spending which is why we've announced the immediate injection of cash into public services. 'So that money for our NHS, the additional police - 13,000 additional police and community officers - and the 6,500 additional teachers in our schools, they are all fully costed and fully funded promises because unless things are fully costed and fully funded, frankly, you can't believe they're going to happen.' After being pressed repeatedly on her tax plans, Ms Reeves said: 'What I want and Keir wants is taxes on working people to be lower and we certainly won't be increasing income tax or national insurance if we win at the election.' She added: 'We opposed the increases to national insurance when Rishi Sunak put those forward as chancellor. The devastated family of Mark Bombara have broken cover for the first time since he slaughtered a mother and daughter before taking his own life - as the government launches a new crackdown on guns in the wake of the tragedy. Bombara, 63, shot Jennifer Petelczyc, 53, and her 18-year-old daughter Gretl inside their Floreat home, in Perth's western suburbs, on Friday afternoon before turning the gun on himself. The property developer, who was the registered owner of 13 guns, had been searching for his ex-wife and mother of his four adult children, Rowena, who had been staying at her friend's Berkeley Crescent home on and off since the couple separated on April 1. As the two families come to terms with the tragedy, the Bombaras - including children Candice, Ariel, Isaac and Eden - have remained out of the public eye. However, Candice and Isaac were spotted outside her East Freemantle home on Monday as they ventured out to run errands. Returning to the property clutching a Woolworths shopping bag, Isaac respectfully declined to comment, saying he 'didn't care' to talk about what happened. Gunman Mark Bombara's daughter Candice is pictured leaving her East Freemantle home on Monday with her husband to run errands Isaac Bombara is pictured leaving his sister's home on Monday to go grocery shopping The sighting comes as the Western Australian government on Monday announced new gun laws, set to be put to parliament in the coming days, could be further tightened after it was revealed Bombara owned more than a dozen firearms. In October, the WA government revealed proposed firearm law reforms that would limit the number of guns someone can own. Under the Firearm Act review, recreational shooters would only be allowed five guns, while farmers and competitive shooters would be restricted to 10. Gun owners would also have to undergo mental health checks and could lose their firearm licence automatically if a violence or family violence order is taken out on them. If the bill passes through parliament, Western Australia will have the strictest gun legislation in the country. However, authorities are now considering clamping down on gun owners even further as questions are raised over whether the deaths could have been prevented. Speaking to media on Monday, Police Minister Paul Papalia revealed Bombara had 11 firearms under a recreational shooter's licence and two handguns under a collector licence. It is understood the weapon used on Friday was one of the handguns. Mark James Bombara had been hunting for his ex-wife Rowena, who had been staying with Ms Petelczyc following their bitter divorce (Bombara and Rowena are pictured together) Mark and Rowena's adult children are (left to right) Isaac, Eden, Candice and Ariel Bombara Premier Roger Cook said the Floreat tragedy highlighted the need for tougher laws surrounding gun ownership. 'There is no reason a person living in Mosman Park should be able to legally own 13 guns,' Premier Roger Cook said. 'It's hard to fathom. One man, 13 guns, legally owned, right in the suburbs of Perth.' Mr Papalia said Bombara had no prior convictions and only became known to police after his ex-wife contacted them on March 31 to request their help as she vacated the former couple's marital home in Mosman Park the following day. Mr Papalia said she asked for officers to be present at the home while she packed her belongings due to 'Family Domestic Violence [FDV] related matters' which had not been previously reported to police. Under both current gun laws and the proposed reforms, officers would still not have had the power to strip Bombara of his weapons when the FDV matters were first raised to police eight weeks ago. However, while Bombara was not subject to a restraining order, Mr Papalia said the new laws would have restricted the number of weapons he owned to five. Mr Papalia said he and the police commissioner would now look at whether any more changes could be made to those reforms. 'I think there is. I think we'll be acting earlier to remove firearms from premises where there's potential for harm to be done,' he said. 'We need to address every part of the law to make them tougher but particularly around this seizure of firearms, and what point that seizure is made in relation to incidents of this nature. Mark Bombara, 63, stormed Jennifer Petelczyc's Floreat home at about 4.30pm on Friday, looking for his estranged wife Rowena. Unable to find her, Bombara instead fatally shot her 53-year-old friend Jennifer Petelczyc and her daughter Gretl, 18, (pictured together) before turning the gun on himself Two young women lay a floral tribute at the murder scene 'At the current time, clearly, people are allowed to retain their firearms longer than potentially we could In the future.' It comes after a friend of Ms Petelczyc's told Daily Mail Australia the mother-of-two had confided she feared for her family's safety after learning Bombara was driving around with a Glock under the seat of his car while in search of his ex-wife. The friend said Bombara had been growing increasingly erratic over the past six months after suffering from mini strokes and diabetes but failing to get treatment, which had led to significant personality changes. The family friend said Ms Petelczyc, a widow, had been frequently visiting his parents, seeking legal advice from his lawyer father about ways she could protect her daughters and Ms Bombara. He said the last time his parents saw Ms Petelczyc, which was two weeks ago shortly before they left for a holiday, his father yelled out to her as she walked down the driveway 'don't forget to report it [Bombara driving around with a gun] to police'. Ms Petelczyc called back, 'I will,' before turning around and heading home. Pictured: mourners comfort one another after leaving floral tributes outside the murder scene The family friend said they were unsure whether or not Ms Petelczyc had reported the matter to police. Daily Mail Australia understands WA police have been unable to locate records indicating Ms Petelczyc made a report to cops. Ms Bombara had been staying at the Petelczyc home since leaving her ex-husband last month, but was not at the property when he stormed the home at about 4.30pm on Friday. Daily Mail Australia understands Bombara shot each woman in separate rooms of the house before taking his own life, with police officers hearing the final shots as they raced up the road towards the scene. The tragedy leaves eldest daughter Leisl Petelczyc, 23, who was not home at the time, as the only surviving member of the family after her father Jon died from pancreatic cancer in August 2019. Lifeline 13 11 14 1800 RESPECT Determined gypsy travellers today set off on their journey to Appleby Horse Fair - despite locals planning to close every pub in town for the first time and board up shops after disorder at last year's event. Videos posted to TikTok show travellers from far and wide riding horses and towing trailers to Appleby-in-Westmoreland, Cumbria, where the historic annual fair is held. Locals in the neighbouring market town of Kirkby Stephen have taken action after chaos last year including claims of shoplifting, threats and urine being squirted through car windows. Roadside verges on both sides of the A685 into the town become ad hoc campsites, bursting with caravans, tethered horses, dogs and children. The town's main street is used for showing horses which are set to be traded - with some onlookers saying the animals tethered to railings outside pubs make the area look like 'the Wild West'. Bank Holiday traffic on the A650 in Bingley, West Yorkshire, on Saturday included gypsy caravans travelling towards the annual Appleby Horse Festival Travellers and their horse-drawn caravans in Shipley, West Yorkshire, are seen heading north Motor traffic backs up behind a convoy of horse-drawn bow top caravans on Valley Road in Shipley, West Yorkshire, on Saturday - with preparations for the festival well under way But things will be different this year as every pub in Kirkby Stephen closes for the first time in living memory, with only one community-owned club serving alcohol. Staves have been hammered deep into roadside verges with signs making it clear that horses and caravans are not welcome. And in case the staves are uprooted, as has happened in previous years, deep trenches have been cut into the verges to make it impossible to park a caravan without the risk of it tipping over. Railings along the high street have been covered by boards decorated with artwork so horses cannot be tied up outside the town's most popular coffee shop. But one local businessman, who wished to remain anonymous through fear of reprisal, warned: 'Things seem to have started badly this year already and even earlier than usual.' Overnight camping areas are being set up across County Durham for people making their way to Appleby Horse Fair Warning signs to potential flytippers have been put up ahead of the festival At the beginning of May, farmer Mark Scott found himself besieged by travellers who surrounded his JCB as he tried to seal off a country lane with boulders to make it impossible for them to settle there. Mark was subjected to insults and intimidation, with one traveller yelling, 'Kirkby Stephen is on fire, lads' - taken by some in the town as a thinly veiled threat. On Saturday, travellers who had camped illegally on a field en route to the fair were moved on while four stolen caravans were seized by police. Cumbria Police arrested two men yesterday as part of the operation targeting stolen vehicles being brought into the county ahead of the fair. They recovered a Toyota Hilux pick-up truck in the Brough area which they suspected was stolen from the Essex area in southern England. Trading Standards officers have warned Appleby Horse Fair traders to ensure their goods are genuine and safe this year after they found some evidence of counterfeit goods last time. Unprecedented restrictions are awaiting travellers descending in their thousands on Kirkby Stephen for this year's Appleby Horse Fair Staves have been hammered deep into roadside verges with signs on making it clear that horses and caravans are not welcome If the staves are uprooted, deep trenches have been cut into the verges to make it impossible to park a caravan Railings along the high street have been covered by boards decorated with artwork so that horses cannot be tied up outside the town's most popular coffee shop The Appleby Horse Fair has been a mainstay of the Gypsy calendar since the early 20th century - and its roots can be traced even further back. But according to local historian Andrew Connell, it does not have its origins in a 1685 charter issued by King James II, as some have claimed. In his book, Appleby Gypsy Horse Fair: Mythology, Origins, Evolution and Evaluation, Mr Connell reveals how the story of the 1685 charter dates from 1945, when two Appleby councillors who disliked the fair tried to stop it. 'There's no evidence for it, the claim first surfaced in 1945,' Mr Connell told MailOnline. The fair in fact began in 1775, but did not come to be primarily associated with the traveller community until more than a century later. Travellers set up their modern and traditional caravans at last year's Appleby Horse Fair A travelling man and two children ride their horses through the river during last years fair Police officers walk past a travelling man on his horse during last year's fair 'It was a trading occasion for droved cattle and sheep, and of course horses. There's not much evidence of gypsy association with it,' Mr Connell said. 'The main market was local farmers, buying and selling sheep and cattle at good prices. 'It morphed into a horse fair with the coming of the railway when cattle and sheep droving ended. 'By the 1880s it's more of a horse-trading event. Horse-dealing did have strong gypsy-traveller associations, because historically it was easier to own horses without owning land. 'As it became a horse fair in the 1880s, the links with gypsy-travellers became stronger and stronger because they were the main dealers in horses. 'So by the 1890s, certainly by the 1900s, it is seen as an occasion where the people who come are by a large extent gypsy and Romany travellers.' So-called 'trotting' - the practice of running horses up and down to show them off to buyers - began in the inter-war years. Travellers heading to last year's Appleby fair in their eye-catching traditional caravans A boy rides his horse through the river Eden to wash it, as part of traditional customs Travellers are pictured arriving at the Appleby Horse Fair last year, parking up their caravans ahead of the festivities which involved some disorder - hence this year's local backlash Similarly, the tradition of gypsies and travellers washing their horses in the River Eden stems from the 20th century. After the end of the Second World War, the fair received a further boost as the evolution of transport allowed gypsies and travellers to come from further afield with ease. The fair has survived successive attempts to close it down, including in 1967, when the local authority cited poor sanitation. Increased attendance has brought controversy too, with locals complaining about congestion and poor behaviour in the past. A horse which drowned in the Eden as it was being washed in 2007 triggered an investigation by the RSPCA. Cumbria Police have struggled in recent years to ensure the safety of the event, as a town that ordinarily has around 2,500 residents is overwhelmed by up to 30,000 visitors. Superintendent Dan St Quintin, Gold Commander for the event, said: 'As we head towards the 2024 Appleby Horse Fair, officers are working to identify and take enforcement action against the minority who either come to the county intent on committing offences or come here after committing offences elsewhere. 'This will enable the vast majority of people coming to the Fair who are law-abiding to enjoy it.' The First Lady of Nigeria has warned the country's women not to 'lose who they are' in a speech given shortly after Meghan Markle's visit where she also slammed the 'nakedness' of US celebrities. Speaking at an event in Abuja to mark the first year of her husband's administration, the wife of President Bola Tinubu urged its teenagers and young people to dress more demurely and not 'try to emulate film stars from America'. Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who is nicknamed 'mummy' by some Nigerian citizens, said: 'We have to salvage our children. We see the way they dress. We are not having the Met Gala. And everyone, the nakedness, is just everywhere and the men are well-clothed. 'So we have to do something. Tell them we don't accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful. It's not beautiful at all'. The First Lady did name Meghan in her speech but was not criticising the Duchess, who met with young women herself in the West African nation on Saturday two weeks ago where she called Nigeria 'my country' and announced she is 43% Nigerian. Meghan Markle gestures as she and Prince Harry visit children at a school in Abuja on May 10 Harry and Meghan at a polo fundraiser event in Lagos on May 12 The Duchess of Sussex, co-hosts an event of Women in Leadership with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization in Abuja on May 11 First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, warned in her speech (pictured) that Nigerian children are at risk of losing their identity due to the influence of some stars in the US Senator Tinubu gave the warning on Saturday at an event in Abuja tagged 'Celebrating the Woman' (pictured) In her own message to Nigeria's women on Saturday in the wake of Harry and Meghan's cultural visit to also promote Invictus, Senator Tinubu said: 'They do not want to mimic and try to emulate film stars from America. 'They don't know where they come from. 'Why did Meghan [Markle] come here looking for Africa? That is something we have to take home with [us]. We know who we are. Don't lose who you are'. Meghan and Harry's trip to Nigeria was hailed as a success but the Duchess of Sussex has faced some disapproval from some experts over her ultra-expensive choice of clothing on her 'faux royal tour' with Prince Harry this month in a country with high unemployment and poverty. The former actress and influencer described it as a homecoming and revealed she is 43% Nigerian according to a DNA test. Harry playfully said at one event that the Nigerian audience were his 'in-laws'. One fashion expert said that Meghan, who wore a number of stunning outfits including some backless and sleeveless dresses, could have shown 'more modesty in clothing' because Nigeria is predominantly a Muslim country. Another suggested Meghan 'bared too much skin' and would have covered up more had Buckingham Palace been planning the trip. Senator Tinubu said in a speech broadcast by Arise News said of Nigerian women: 'They're all beautiful girls, but they should be confident in who they are'. She added: 'They keep forgetting that Nigeria, we are beautiful. You can see what they showcase on the stage, I said, 'We are fashionable, we see what is going on'.' Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet with the Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on May 10 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, greets students at the Lightway Academy in Abuja on May 10 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan at a sitting volleyball exhibition match in Abuja on May 11 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured on May 11) visited Nigeria on a three-day tour earlier this month to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive at the Lagos airport for Official State Welcome on May 12 Nigeria's Chief of Defense Staff Christopher Musa (L), his wife Lilian Musa (2ndL), Lagos State Governor wife, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu (3rdL), Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (3ndR), Britain's Prince Harry (2ndR), Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan (R), Duchess of Sussex, pose for a photo at the State Governor House in Lagos on May 12 The First Lady urged Nigeria's women to become unifying forces in their homes and communities to drive greater prosperity for the nation. She said: 'When mothers stand with you, the house is in order. Looking ahead, we must endeavour to become the unifying force in our homes and our communities, to bring about greater prosperity for our nation. 'To all our mothers here today, and to those who have supported and keep touching our lives in countless ways, I say thank you. Thank you for your love, strength, and unending sacrifices'. The First Lady's Officer later clarified her comments, saying they were not about Meghan. A spokesman told AFP: 'She meant Meghan appreciates the people we are and hence her coming here. At no point did she say anything about Meghans dressing. Last week it emerged that Prince Harry got 'goosebumps' over plans for a new Invictus Games centre in Nigeria. The Prince, 39, said the new centre, which will help war veterans with physical and mental rehabilitation in Abuja, Nigeria, shows servicemen and women will not be 'defined by their injuries'. Speaking at a reception hosted by the Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff Christopher Musa during the Duke and Duchess' 'royal' tour of the country earlier this month, Harry said: 'Seeing the plans for the new Invictus Centre gives me goosebumps'. He told guests he was glad Nigeria had joined the Invictus Games, and that athletes at the last competition 'represented their service and this country, extraordinarily won medals and came back with smiles on their faces.' It came as he and wife Meghan Markle, 42, made their first official trip to Africa since quitting the royal family as working royals and moving to California, where they now live with their children Princess Lillibet and Prince Archie. The prince, 39, said the new centre, which will help war veterans with physical and mental rehabilitation in Abuja, Nigeria, shows servicemen and women will not be 'defined by their injuries' Prince Harry said that seeing the plans for the new centre (pictured) gave him 'goosebumps' Architect Kobina Banning told People the centre 'will be a healing place for veterans.' Nigeria is the first nation in the whole of Africa to join the Invictus Games. He added Nigeria has the largest army in Africa and that soldiers can serve with the security of knowing 'there is this facility to fall back on'. 'Here...soldiers embark on a transformative journey of healing, hope, and renewal.' In a description for the new centre, which is yet to be completed, organisers said: 'The Invictus Centre stands as a testament to the unwavering courage and fortitude of wounded, injured or sick soldiers, offering them a sanctuary of healing, hope, and empowerment. 'Here, amidst the embrace of nature and community, lives are transformed, and the human spirit soars ever higher, undaunted by the challenges that lie ahead.' The Sussexes travelled to Nigeria for a three-day trip to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, the sporting event set up by Prince Harry for injured servicemen and women around the world. The Sussexes travelled to Nigeria for a three-day trip to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games Meghan and Prince Harry were flown around Nigeria for free by an airline whose chairman is a fugitive wanted in the US The Sussexes also enjoyed cultural events, a trip to a polo club, meeting injured soldiers at a military hospital and playing adaptive sports Meghan is pictured stodd next to five other female dinner guests as she attended a lunch with Minister of Defence in Abuja Nigeria During the trip, Prince Harry also visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, in Kaduna, where he met and spoke with Nigerian veterans. The Sussexes also enjoyed cultural events, a trip to a polo club, and playing adaptive sports. During the trip, the couple were flown around Nigeria by airline Air Peace, founded by Dr Allen Onyema. This caused controversy after it was revealed that Dr Onyema is wanted by the US as he faces multiple charges linked to millions of dollars worth of alleged fraud set down in a federal indictment filed in November 2019. There is no suggestion that either Harry or Meghan were aware of Onyema's history before they met him. After the trip royal insiders claimed that the King and Prince William would have been left 'absolutely furious', due to its royal tour status in all but name. Author Tom Quinn pointed out that the programme of events, extravagant gifts and meetings with the county's top brass meant the couple's trip was highly reminiscent of visits made by working royals. The tour was intended to promote mental health for soldiers and empower young people and the couple attended events related to Harry's Invictus Games, which Nigeria is seeking to host in future. The next Invictus Games is being held in February next year in Vancouver, Canada. But the criticism did little to spoil the Sussexes spirits, with Meghan telling one reporter on the trip: 'We're just doing great. And happy to be watching our family grow up and evolve. Of course, I'm happy. We're really happy.' She also described the tour as 'really meaningful', saying such trips were 'about us being able to go out and go and focus on the things that mean so much to us'. Harry added: 'You know what Africa means to me over the years. It is a very, very special place, and to be able to include Nigeria now, I'm very happy.' At least 10 people have died and a further 39 have been left injured after a horrific bus crash in Turkey. An official confirmed that the incident occured on the Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep (TAG) highway in Yenice on Sunday, according to reports. Police, ambulances and fire services rushed to the scene in Turkey's southern Mersin province after the bus skidded into the opposite lane and collided with oncoming traffic. The intercity passenger bus reportedly veered into the wrong lane due to rainy weather causing it to slip, however an investigation has been launched by authorities and the reasons for the crash are yet to be clarified. Two other cars and a truck were involved in the pile up that followed, reports the Ihlas News Agency and Xinhua. At least 10 people have died and a further 39 have been left injured after a horrific bus crash in Turkey Police, ambulances and fire services rushed to the scene in Turkey's southern Mersin province after the bus skidded into the opposite lane and collided with two cars and a truck The bus was reportedly travelling from Diyarbakir to Istanbul when the tragic incident took place Two other cars and a truck were involved in the pile up that followed Shocking images show the aftermath of the accident, as emergency workers surround the scene. In one photo, a white truck is seen smashed up behind the yellow bus, with the wreckage of a car laying next to it. The bus was reportedly travelling from Diyarbakir to Istanbul when the tragic incident took place. Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the death count on X (formerly Twitter) and paid tribute to the victims. He wrote: 'A passenger bus going from Diyarbakr to Istanbul collided with 2 passenger cars and 1 truck on the highway in Yenice District, Tarsus District, Mersin Province. 'According to initial findings, unfortunately, 10 [of] our citizens lost their lives and 39 [of] our citizens were injured. 'May God have mercy on our citizens who lost their lives in the accident and patience to their families; I wish a speedy recovery to our injured. My condolences to our nation.' A grieving mother whose daughter took her own life to escape her abusive ex-boyfriend has called for changes in the education system and tougher domestic violence laws. Sharon Holland's calls come after it emerged jailed Marc Masterton, 26, had also terrorised another one of his former girlfriends. Ms Holland, 51, told how 23-year-old daughter Chloe took her own life after suffering a year of torment at the hands of her ex-partner Masterton. She now wants a separate charge of manslaughter by coercive control for offenders whose victims kill themselves as a result of domestic abuse. She also believes lessons about coercive and controlling behaviour should be taught in schools so 'every child' can recognise the dangers. Masterton had already been serving a 45-month prison sentence for abusing Chloe but last week he was jailed for a further 43 months for assaulting Zoe Castle. Zoe, 24, was in a relationship with Masterton before Chloe but it was only after Chloe's death in March last year she felt the strength to report him to police. Chloe Holland (pictured) took her own life after suffering a year of torment at the hands of her ex-partner Marc Masterton Sharon Holland (left) pictured with her daughter Chloe on her 18th birthday Marc Masterton (pictured) had already been serving a 45-month prison sentence for abusing Chloe but on Thursday he was jailed for a further 43 months for assaulting Zoe Castle Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Zoe, who was just 18 when she was with Masterton, was subjected to a similar string of 'despicable' psychological and physicals assaults as Chloe. Miss Holland, from Portsmouth, has launched a campaign called 'Her Name Was Chloe Holland' in memory of her daughter. Commenting on the latest sentencing, she said: 'I'm very happy he's got more time. 'I'm even happier that it's run consecutively and not concurrently because that was a massive worry. 'Obviously it's still not enough time - it will never be enough time for what he did to Zoe and my daughter. 'I'm glad Zoe got the justice but for what he did, it's not enough. He killed my daughter - not physically killed her, but mentally what he put her through should be murder. 'I'm just glad Zoe is still here, but the trauma is going to take her so long to get over. 'I'm very grateful to her for coming forward as it helps the campaign.' Zoe Castle, 24, was in a relationship with Masterton before Chloe, but after Chloe's death in March last year she mustered up the courage to report him to police - she is pictured here outside Portsmouth Crown Court Masterton controlled Chloe's appearance, put a tracking device on her phone, isolated her from her friends and family and encouraged her to kill herself. On one occasion, Masterton assaulted Chloe with a dumbbell before handing her a knife and ordering her to harm herself. Masterton subjected Zoe to similar abuse and also strangled her, trapped her in freezing cold baths and forced her to get a tattoo of his name. Miss Holland said her campaign group now plans to write an open letter to government to use the Criminal Justice Bill to toughen up punishments. Under current UK legislation, the most serious perpetrators of coercive control can be sentenced for up to five years in prison. In comparison, Queensland in Australia recently passed laws to criminalise coercive control and impose a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail. Reflecting on the difference between the two systems, Miss Holland said: 'I think it's disgusting - I think it's a pathetic sentence for the psychological damage it causes.' Miss Holland pointed out that because Masterton's 45-month sentence after abusing her daughter included four months for aggravated vehicle-taking, his sentence for coercive behaviour towards Chloe only amounted to 41 months. Sharon Holland (pictured) has called for information about coercive and controlling behaviour to be taught in schools so 'every child' can recognise it 'If you look, he got more time for Zoe than he did for my daughter - and she died,' she said. 'He still didn't get the maximum. He will carry on because I don't believe that he can be reformed.' Miss Holland said she had met Victims and Safeguarding Minister Laura Farris and urged her to make changes to legislation. 'I told her, it will be on you if something happens to another girl,' she continued. 'He will kill someone, I'm convinced of it. He already has, he has with my daughter.' Miss Holland said she was worried existing laws were not doing enough to protect vulnerable women and men stuck in abusive relationships. Asked if she had concerns for women across the country, she answered: 'Very much. 'I cannot help the survivors, it's already happened - now, my mission is to stop it happening to other people. 'I want it taught in schools. I want every child to know what coercive and controlling behaviour means. 'I want everyone to be doing their job and singing off the same hymn sheet and doing what they can to prevent it.' On her continued grieving for her daughter, she said: 'The pain is still just as bad, it doesn't go away - it's never going to go. 'Out of this heartbreak of losing my girl, something positive has got to come of this - maybe get "Chloe's Law" in place so no one will forget what happened.' For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support. The mayor of the French town of Agde, the unofficial capital of swinger culture in Europe, is behind bars following a bizarre scandal which saw him accused of lavishing gifts on a local clairvoyant, at the taxpayer's expense. The town is located 30 miles south of Montpellier along France's idyllic Mediterranean coastline. The fortune teller, Sophia Martinez, is accused of embezzlement while the town's mayor, a former MP, Gilles d'Ettore, 55, is accused of squandering local citizen's money on the self-proclaimed medium. The mayor has been in office since 2001. According to reports, d'Ettore asked Martinez to make contact with his deceased father which she apparently was able to do, even mimicking his voice with her extraordinary ventriloquist skills in order to further the con. The rouse lasted for four years with Martinez regularly impersonating d'Ettore's father's voice both in person and over the phone. His father died in 1996. Sophia Martinez, shown here, is accused of using her influence over the mayor to secure jobs for her family in the local government, get lavish holidays paid for as well as home renovations Gilles d'Ettore, the mayor of Agde since 2001, began using Sophia Martinez as a clairvoyant in 2020 and as a result, lavished gifts upon her, prosecutors allege The idyllic town of Agde on the Mediterranean coast was rocked with a recent scandal involving the mayor and a clairvoyant The whistle was blown on the bizarre story by d'Ettore's estranged wife, Geraldine, who told the police that the mayor was 'bewitched' by Martinez in October 2023. He was arrested in March. D'Ettore was finally convinced that he was the victim of a scam when he was shown a video of Martinez modifying her voice. Prosecutors say that during the interactions, Martinez was able to convince the mayor to hire her family members for government jobs, pay for holidays to exotic locations such as Polynesia and Thailand, pay for her wedding and to renovate her home using businesses that had contracts with city hall. Among the benefactors was Martinez's husband, who received a job as the town's director of technical services. Since the arrests, he has been put on leave. On her Facebook page, Martinez calls herself a 'medium, hypnotherapist and healer.' She goes on to describe herself as a 'specialist in the cleansing of energy for people and places.' Her Instagram page promises a book about her skills is forthcoming. Both d'Ettore and Martinez, a mother of six, are being held in custody while they await trial due to fears regarding witness tampering. Earlier this year, Martinez was moved into protective custody after she was attacked in prison by other inmates who were accusing her of witchcraft. 'Protect Sophia, protect Sophia, take care of her and her people,' the voice told d'Ettore, prosecutor Raphael Balland said in an interview with The Times in March. 'Her strategy consisted of modifying her voice, including with members of her family and close friends. By using this male-sounding, hoarse voice, she succeeded in making them think they were talking with a supernatural being from the beyond,' Balland continued. Now, d'Ettore is facing calls to resign as he remains behind bars due to prosecutor's worries over jury tampering A local police officer quoted in The Times story said Martinez's ability to mimic voices was 'astonishing' adding that she readily demonstrated her talents during interviews with investigators. A French report called the voice: 'Masculine-sounding, calm and husky.' The story has become such a big deal in France, even the d'Ettore's lawyer, Jean Marc Darrigade, has become a celebrity. 'Its a crazy story. Its incredible because you have a man in politics, mayor and former MP who is very intelligent. And you discover that a man like that can be manipulated by a woman,' Darrigade told the BBC in a recent interview. 'This is a woman who came into his life and said I can speak to your deceased father. She found a mental weakness in him and exploited it for personal gain. It took a long time before he accepted he had been conned,' he added. Contrarily, Martinez's lawyer, Luc Abratkiewicz, told the BBC that his client has 'owned up' to her misdeeds involving the mayor but that others, including doctors, say fact that she has 'mystical powers.' The attorney said that Martinez has revealed details to her clients that she would have no way of knowing. Given the town's association with sex and swinging, one local told the BBC that the scandal must also have a carnal element. 'For me, sex is at the heart of the scandal. Where there is money involved, then it means sex is part of it too. They kind of go together,' a local told the BBC. Among those leading the criticisms against d'Ettore is rival politician, Fabienne Varesano, one Marine Le Pen's charges and member of the right wing Rassemblement National Party. 'He can be generous, in love with lots of different women, thats his personal life. But using taxpayers money, that is a different story. He has made a mockery out of our town,' Varesano said recently. 'He has made a mockery out of our town.' Varesano has been leading calls for d'Ettore to resign. A local counsellor, Thierry Nadal, described the events as causing a 'real tsunami' in the town. 'To find some oxygen, there are only two solutions: the resignation of Gilles d'Ettore, that's obvious, then that of the municipal team,' Nadal said. According to one French report, there is no legal reason for d'Ettore to resign, even if he's behind bars. 'Theoretically, he can be in prison and remain mayor of Agde and president of the urban community. No one can force him, as long as he is not deprived of his civil rights. And only the judge can ultimately do that,' law professor Sebastian Denaja said. D'Ettore was previously an MP for the region between 2007 and 2012. He was a member of Jacques Chirac's Union for a Popular Movement party. Space X is targeting to launch its next Starship rocket at the Starbase facilities in southern Texas by June 5, only months after Flight 3 launched last March. The space agency also shared an outline of their learnings from Flight 3, the mission objectives of Flight 4, and the differences between the two missions. Read Also : Boeing's First Crewed Flight Postponed Due to Valve Problem SpaceX to Launch Starship Flight 4 on June 5 In a statement, the agency revealed that Flight 4 will shift the focus from achieving orbit to demonstrating the ability to return and reuse Starship and Super Heavy. It will also not include any additional flight items that were present during Flight 3. "The primary objectives will be executing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico with the Super Heavy booster, and achieving a controlled entry of Starship," SpaceX announced. While SpaceX plans to launch Flight 4 on June 5, the agency clarified that they have yet to receive the regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The scheduled launch might still change but it will be the earliest possible date for now. SpaceX Reports Lessons From Flight 3 In a blog post, SpaceX detailed some learnings from Flight 3, including the successful and lacking parts of the mission. One of the successes includes the completion of the propellant transfer demonstration which could be used by returning astronauts under the NASA Artemis program. Flight 3 also experienced a successful ascent of the rocket through stage separation, a consistent feat from Flight 2. However, the recent flight had an early shutdown of six Raptor engines during the boost backburn. SpaceX shared that they are working on more hardware improvements concerning the oxygen tanks. Flight 4 also aims to show further improvement in the propellant filtration capabilities. The space agency completed the launch rehearsal for Flight 4 last May 21. A Tory minister today slammed Nigel Farage over his 'ignorant and offensive' claim that young British Muslims 'loathe much of what we stand for'. Steve Baker accused the former UKIP leader, who is now honorary president of Reform UK, of 'clear and intolerable bigotry'. The Northern Ireland minister hit out after Mr Farage told Sky News yesterday there were a 'growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British values'. Mr Baker said in an social media post this morning: 'It is not right that good British people should be slandered like this and I will defend them.' The Wycombe MP praised the contribution of British Muslims in his Buckinghamshire constituency, where he is seeking to defend a 4,000-vote majority at the general election. Tory minister Steve Baker today slammed Nigel Farage over his 'ignorant and offensive' claim that young British Muslims 'loathe much of what we stand for' Mr Farage, who is honorary president of Reform UK, was accused of 'clear and intolerable bigotry' The Wycombe MP praised the contribution of British Muslims in his Buckinghamshire constituency, where he is seeking to defend a 4,000-vote majority at the general election 'I am proud that in Wycombe, British Muslims are councillors, mayors, council chairs and parliamentary candidates, justices of the peace and the present High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire,' Mr Baker added. 'They are teachers and headteachers, doctors and pillars of our society. These are my colleagues, friends and supporters and I am glad. 'They deserve much better than to be the object of this clear and intolerable bigotry. This is why I have always fought Islamophobia and why I will continue to do so, supporting the creation of a practical definition.' Mr Farage, who has decided not to stand in the general election for his Reform party, stirred up the backlash after appearing on Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips show. He branded PM Rishi Sunak's plans to revive a form of compulsory national service for 18-year-olds - which are in part aimed at building a 'stronger national culture where everyone shares a commitment to improving our country' - as 'a joke'. Mr Farage added: 'It's totally impractical. The Army has shrunk from 100,000 to 75,000 in 14 years of conservatism. 'And most interestingly, we have a growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British values. In fact, loathe much of what we stand for.' Challenged over who he was referring to, Mr Farage replied: 'Oh, I think we see them on the streets of London every Saturday.' Pressed on whether he was referring to Muslims, he added: 'We are.' Asked about Mr Farage's comments on LBC today, Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said she disagreed and said the 'vast proportion' of British Muslims were 'peace-loving, community-minded people'. But she added there was a 'very small proportion' that wanted to challenge the 'values that we hold dear in the UK'. 'The vast proportion of British Muslims are wonderful, peace-loving, community-minded people, certainly in the North East where I'm based, we have fantastic communities and they are a really important part of our social fabric,' Ms Trevelyan told the radio station. 'There are a very small proportion for whom they want to challenge those values that we hold dear in the UK, which are British values, and there we need to continue to work in community to bring those people to this. 'The UK has incredible values of freedom of speech, freedom of choice these are incredibly important values, but they have to be nurtured and looked after, and where there are those who would threaten them we need to make sure that we deal with that.' She said it was not a problem specific to any religion, adding: 'There are people who do not wish to stand alongside the values and laws that we have, and we continue to have to defend those.' Part of the reason for the national service programme was to ensure 'our young people, as they move into adulthood, going forward, will understand that', Ms Trevelyan continued. She said: 'It's about all of us, all our young people, whatever their cultural background, their personal religious faith or none they work together in community through volunteering, or through joining the armed forces for a year's commission to be part of building their future UK.' Home Secretary James Cleverly has suggested the reintroduction of national service was aimed at getting teenagers 'out of their bubble' because too many 'don't mix with people of different religions, they don't mix with different viewpoints'. Labour's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson branded Mr Farage's comments as 'incendiary rhetoric'. She told LBC Radio: 'What I see when I visit schools, colleges, universities the length and breadth of the country is young people who are really hopeful and optimistic about the future, but also people who will often be making an enormous contribution to their own community whether that's through volunteering, young carers, people who are really committed and dedicated individuals. 'I think what we need in this election is a sense of how we bring our country together, how we focus on a more positive and hopeful mission for what our country can be not this kind of division.' Mr Baker also used social media today to distance himself from Mr Sunak's plans to revive national service and claimed the proposal had been 'sprung' on Tory candidates at the start of the general election campaign. He suggested, had it been a Government policy, he would have had a say because of the particular sensitives around Northern Ireland. Mr Baker posted: 'Government policy would have been developed by ministers on the advice of officials and collectively agreed. I would have had a say on behalf of NI. 'But this proposal was developed by a political adviser or advisers and sprung on candidates, some of whom are relevant ministers.' A spokesman for Mr Farage told MailOnline: 'Perhaps Steve Baker should listen to Foreign Office Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan.' This is the moment a suspected shoplifter throws chocolate bars at Tesco staff after being forced out of the supermarket in front of horrified children. A security guard and Tesco staff are seen wrestling the man out of the shop on Staines Road, Bedfont, west London in the footage recorded on May 23. As the man in a green jacket with a black rucksack is shoved out of the store, he shouts: 'Get your f**king hands off me', as confectionary falls to the ground. A second uniformed Tesco worker comes to the aid of his colleague and the security guard in a hi-vis jacket before the alleged shoplifter starts to throw large chocolate bars at the staff members. Another shopper intervenes and says: 'Leave it, leave it, leave it'. While someone else is heard saying: 'back the f**k up, there are kids here'. The security guard wrestles the alleged shoplifter out of the supermarket as a customer with a bicycle tries to leave A Tesco worker in blue uniform helps the security guard as the man is shoved out of the shop Confectionary bars are littered all over the supermarket's entrance following the incident The man then starts flinging chocolate bars at the staff from outside the main entrance of the shop MailOnline has contacted Tesco and the Met Police for comment. The horrifying footage comes after statistics published last month revealed shoplifting has risen to the highest level on record. A total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023, up by more than a third (37%) from 315,040 in the previous 12 months. The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Retail bosses accused ministers of allowing shoplifting to become effectively decriminalised, with many police forces failing to attend the majority of reports and failing to gather any evidence when they do. Under 40 per cent of shoplifting reports were attended by the Met between April 2022 and April 2023, recent figures revealed. The shocking footage was captures in the Tesco Express on Staines Road, Bedfont, West London (pictured) A total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023. The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003 Two 'shoplifters' brazenly steal products from a Boots store just yards from a police station last month Separate data suggests a similar - and often worse - situation in the rest of the country, with forces sending out an officer for just one in five calls related to shoplifting. Last month, Home Secretary James Cleverly said shoplifting has a 'corrosive effect' on people's confidence and that police should attend every incident and pursue every line of inquiry to send a message that 'you don't just get away with it'. Asked about the soaring number of shoplifting offences, the Home Secretary told reporters: 'We do take it very seriously. 'There is no such thing as a sub-threshold crime. Crime is crime. It's black and white. Criminal activity should be policed. 'The crimes that people see have a corrosive effect on their confidence and a lack of confidence to be able to live your full life is really important. Because when people see videos of shops being robbed, that has a corrosive effect, so we have to deal with it, which is why we've made it absolutely clear they (police) will pursue every reasonable line of inquiry.' He said it is key for officers 'to say you will attend, you will pursue reasonable lines of inquiry. You will deal with this. When you get people, we will put tags on them, we will make sure that we send a very, very clear message that you don't just get away with it. 'We want the public realm - high streets, parks, open places - to be safe, for people to feel safe. And that requires the police taking action.' This security-protected bar of Dairy Milk Wholenut was seen at a Co-op in Codsall in Staffordshire A Tesco branch in Theydon Bois, Essex, has slapped security tags on shopping baskets Commenting on the latest crime figures, Nick Stripe of the Office for National Statistics said: 'In the past 12 months, police recorded crime shows notable increases in robbery, theft from the person and shoplifting. 'The latter has risen by more than 100,000 offences, while the police have been dealing with the highest levels of theft from the person offences recorded in two decades. 'While levels of headline crime measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales remain relatively stable, there are variations when looking at individual crime types. 'The survey indicates that incidents of fraud and criminal damage are both decreasing, but computer misuse has been on the rise.' The epidemic of shoplifting has seen shops resort to desperate measures to protect stock, with shoppers left stunned this week after spotting a 2 chocolate bar locked inside a security box in a Co-op supermarket in Codsall, Staffordshire. Shocking video filmed at a Greggs in Archway, north London shows a 'shoplifter' walking out holding three sandwiches and two bottles of orange juice Meanwhile, one Tesco branch in Theydon Bois, Essex, has even begun putting security tags on shopping baskets due to a rise in the number of people helping themselves to 'five-finger discounts'. Another Tesco in Bristol has started checking customers on CCTV before letting them into the store in a 'nightclub-style door policy'. The branch in Southville has also moved their shopping baskets away from the doors to stop thieves piling them up with shopping and running out. It leaves the automatic doors shut until customers are viewed on camera to see if they are suspected or well-known thieves. Staff say the policy is in operation between 6am and 9am and in the late evenings when no security guards are on duty. Separate figures that emerged earlier this month show convenience store thefts have soared to 5.6million from 1.1million in just one year. A black bear mauled a teenage boy with a rare neurological condition after walking into an Arizona holiday cabin through an open door. Brigham Hawkins, 15, was caught off guard by the predator which snuck inside while he was relaxing at the retreat in the Apache National Forest. His family say he accidentally left the cabin door open, allowing the beast to get inside. Brigham's rare neurological disorder means he isn't able to move quickly, so he had little hope of defending himself against the three-year-old bear. Brigham Hawkins, 15, was caught off guard by the predator which snuck inside while he was relaxing at the retreat in the Apache National Forest. Carol said he was watching videos on YouTube with the back door open when the black bear crept in and pawed at his face from behind. 'He hadn't realized it because it came in from behind, and it reached over and like swiped at his face twice,' Carol told AZ Family. 'Got him on the nose and the cheek and then went ahead and got his forehead and the top of his head.' Carol said the bear left the cabin after the first swipe - but then came back to launch a second attack. Luckily, Brigham's brother Parker was close by outside and heard him screaming. He ran to the cabin and was able to chase the bear away. Brigham's rare neurological disorder means he isn't able to move quickly, so he had little hope of defending himself against the three-year-old bear His mom, Carol Hawkins, said the family has been holidaying in the cabin near Blue River Road for years and she never thought something like this could happen. (Pictured: the Apache National Forest in Arizona where the bear attack happened) Arizona Game and Fish Department Law Enforcement Supervisor Shawn Wagner said Parker likely saved his brother's life. 'It was thanks to the quick reaction by his brother and his family that they were able to distract the bear from what very easily in a matter of seconds could have turned into a real tragedy there,' he told AZ Family. Officials were also called to the scene, where they tracked down the bear and killed it. Its body has been taken to the state health lab where it is being tested for rabies. Brigham was taken to the hospital where his wounds were treated and he was given a precautionary rabies vaccine. He is expected to make a full recovery. 'Never in our wildest dreams did we think (a bear) would come in the home,' Brigham's mom, Carol Hawkins (pictured) told AZ Family 'Everybody that came into help him, he had a big thank you and so he's handling it well. And he'll be okay,' his mom told AZ Family. Wagner said the incident is only the 16th bear attack on people in Arizona since 1990, and of those attacks only two were deadly. 'Having an attack is extremely rare,' he said. Arizona Game and Fish Department advises people vacationing in areas where bears also live to be alert to their surroundings. Officials advise securing stowing away food or anything else which could attract a bear, and avoiding leaving any remnants in tents or grills. The department also advises pitching camps away from places where bears usually forage like lakes and other bodies of water. They recommend hiking in groups rather than alone, making noise, and avoiding wearing scents which could attract bears like lotions, scented deodorants or perfume. If you encounter a bear, you should back away slowly while maintaining eye contact - do not run. Officials advise making yourself appear as big as possible if a bear approaches by flapping your arms or pulling your shirt higher than your head. If attacked, the department advises throwing items, yelling and fighting back. Labor has been slammed for pledging just $2.5 million in humanitarian aid to Papua New Guinea after a landslide buried up to 2,000 people - despite proposing to shell out over $600million on a new footy team in the country. A massive landslide crashed through Yambali village in the country's north in the early hours of Friday while most of the villagers slept. More than 150 houses were buried beneath debris almost two stories high and the United Nations estimates that around 675 were killed. But PNG's disaster agency estimated in a letter to the UN that 'more than 2,000 people' could be buried alive under the rubble. Rescuers, who have been using shovels and even their bare hands to dig desperately at the earth, told local media they could hear screams from below. The Australian government announced on Monday night it would provide $2.5 million in humanitarian aid in the wake of the disaster. A massive landslide crashed through Yambali village in the country's north in the early hours of Friday while most of the villagers slept More than 150 houses were buried beneath debris almost two stories high and the United Nations estimates that around 675 were killed 'All Australians will be thinking of Papua New Guinea at this very difficult time,' Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said. 'The Australian Government will provide an initial $2.5 million in humanitarian assistance to support PNG's response to the landslide in Enga Province.' But the announcement was met with widespread criticism online, with many questioning the paltry figure. 'Australia has had 40 years to give a dammed about PNG & hasn't,' wrote ex-Australian Federal Police agent Brad Turner, who served in PNG. 'Throwing chump change in now for PR and zero Infrastructure and turning a blind eye to Human rights violations by the PNG Govt since 1979 does not make Australia a good neighbour.' Others compared the $2.5 million aid figure to the government's proposed $600 million investment to fund an 18th NRL team in PNG. Anthony Albanese has declared his support for the plans , which are expected to cost the federal government $60 million a year for at least a decade. 'I am very supportive of an 18th NRL team in PNG,' the prime minister said last year. Labor has been slammed for pledging just $2.5 million in humanitarian aid after the landslide buried up to 2,000 people - despite proposing to shell out over $600million on a new footy team in the country (pictured) 'This is a game changer for the relationship with Papua New Guinea.' The supposed double standards were highlighted by one X user who simply wrote: '$2.5 million for humanitarian aid. $600 million for a footy team. Righto.' Daily Mail Australia approached the Department of Defence for comment. The government has indicated it would consider providing additional support. 'Today's package will assist the urgent needs of those affected by this devastating landslide, and we stand ready to consider additional support,' Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. Rescuers, who have been using shovels and even their bare hands to dig desperately at the earth, told local media they could hear screams from below In some cases, rescuers have even been using sticks to try and dig for potential survivors The $2.5 million will help provide shelter, hygiene kits and care for women and children affected by the disaster. As part of the support packaged, Australian technical experts will be sent to the region to assist with the recovery and geohazard assessments. The relief effort is hampered by the village's remote, mountainous location. In some cases, rescuers have been using sticks to try and dig for potential survivors. 'As we speak, 300 plus lives are buried there. The boys are struggling,'Local lawyer Andrew Ruing told the ABC. 'They are not using bulldozers or anything they are trying to remove big rocks with sticks. Therefore we are asking anybody who can help we really need assistance.' A theater in Massachusetts issued an apology to customers following an appearance by Richard Dreyfuss on Saturday night which caused many to boo the Oscar-winner while many walked out on the performance. Dreyfuss, 76, was appearing at The Cabot in Beverly, Massachusetts, for a question and answer session followed by a screening of Jaws, the mega hit which launched his career in 1975. It's unclear exactly what the actor said, but some of those present say he made 'sexist, homophobic' remarks. The Hollywood Reporter cites others who say he made disparaging remarks about Barbra Streisand, his co-star in the 1987 movie Nuts, and about young people transitioning. Dreyfuss, 76, was appearing at The Cabot in Beverly, Massachusetts, for a question and answer session followed by a screening of Jaws, the mega hit which launched his career in 1975 After the event, the theater issued an apology to all those who had bought tickets. 'We deeply regret that Mr. Dreyfuss's comments during the event were not in line with the values of inclusivity we uphold at The Cabot,' the press release began. We understand that his remarks were distressing and offensive to many of our community members, and for that, we sincerely apologize.' 'At The Cabot, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community. The views expressed by Mr. Dreyfuss do not reflect our beliefs, and we do not endorse them in any way.' 'We take full responsibility for the oversight in not anticipating the direction of the conversation and for any discomfort caused.' According to some audience members, Dreyfuss made disparaging remarks about Barbra Streisand, his co-star in the 1987 movie Nuts Dreyfuss pictured alongside his now-deceased Jaws co-stars Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw Dreyfuss pictured with his wife, Russian-born Svetlana Erokhin in April 2023 In response to the controversy, one attendee, Rogue Mama, tweeted: 'Came here to see if Richard Dreyfuss had been cancelled tonight after appearing at #TheCabot in Beverly.' Another person tweeted an alternative title for the evening: 'An Evening of Misogyny and Homophobia With Richard Dreyfuss. Disappointing doesn't even begin to cover it.' Ironically, on May 28, three days after Dreyfuss's appearance, the theater is hosting an event titled How Discrimination Shows Up in Our Community and What We Can Do About It. On May 24, Dreyfuss appeared for a similar session at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. An attendee wrote on Facebook: 'Wow. He was awful. Sexist, mean, arrogant. I walked out as did many others even before the Jaws screening. Awful.' Just 12 months ago, Dreyfuss was widely criticized for his remarks on the new diversity and inclusion requirements at the Academy Awards and said 'they make me vomit.' Dreyfuss made those remarks during an episode of PBS' Firing Line, which aired on Friday, and claimed the Academy was treating people like children by implementing the new criteria. The actor also defended Laurence Olivier's performance in the 1965 film Othello in which he played the lead character in blackface. The Cabot Cinema's management issued a full apology to customers who attended Dreyfuss's appearance Host Margaret Hoover asked Dreyfuss what he thought about the incoming inclusivity rules and he replied: 'They make me vomit. 'No one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is. What are we risking? Are we really risking hurting people's feelings? 'You can't legislate that. You have to let life be life and I'm sorry, I don't think there is a minority or majority in the country that has to be catered to like that... This is an art form. It's also a form of commerce, and it makes money, but it's an art. 'And no one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is.' The actor has long been outspoken about his belief in the constitution. In 2008, he founded The Dreyfuss Initiative, a nonprofit that promotes teaching about American democracy in classrooms nationwide. The initiative, among other things, provides teachers with videos and educational tools. In a 2014 interview with The Associated Press, calling for a 'civil strike' in support of the U.S. Constitution to encourage civic participation. 'I'm going to send you a copy of the preamble to the Constitution,' he said. 'If there's anything in it that you don't agree with, don't sign it; just send me back an explanation. You will agree with everything, because it's beautifully crafted and it's meant for all. And if I get 500,000 signatures, I'm going to call for a civil strike. Police are appealing for information after discovering grim evidence a mother had given birth on the banks of a river in Sydney's south-west. Emergency services were called to the Cooks River near Wardell Road, Earlwood, at about 4.30pm on Monday following reports 'evidence of a birth' had been located. Officers attached to Burwood Police Area Command arrived to find evidence a child had been born near the water. Police hold serious concerns for the welfare of the child and its mother. Emergency services were called to the Cooks River near Wardell Road, Earlwood, at about 4.30pm on Monday following reports 'evidence of a birth' had been located. Later that evening, officers swarmed the scene for a thorough search, including the use of police dogs Officers attached to Burwood Police Area Command arrived to find evidence a child had been born near the water Police hold serious concerns for the welfare of the child and its mother The search for evidence continued by torchlight late into the night on Monday Detectives have established a crime scene and have launched an investigation into the incident. Officers are urging the mother to attend her nearest hospital to receive urgent care for herself and her child. As inquiries continue police are urging anyone with CCTV vision or information about the incident to contact Burwood Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages. Officers are urging the mother to attend her nearest hospital to receive urgent care for herself and her child Sniffer dogs assisted with the search as the crime scene was plunged into darkness She claimed she had cancer and needed money to foot her housing bills A glamorous Canadian doctor has been banned from practicing medicine and shamed by friends who say she scammed them out of $160,000 with a fake cancer diagnosis. Monica Kehar is accused of fabricating the illness to bilk friend Dr. Meaghan Labine out of money after mysteriously vanishing. The pair met in 2018 when both were chosen to sit on the national body representing the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Labine says Kehar preyed on her conscience, asking her for the money after lying about a breast cancer diagnosis and claiming she was struggling to afford housing for a residency program in Calgary. 'It just seemed like no matter how much I lent, it was never enough,' Labine told CBC News. Monica Kehar is accused of scamming a fellow doctor out over $160,000 CAD after faking a cancer diagnosis and asking for money Labine plied Kehar with contracts that she signed, promising to repay her, but the requests didn't stop. 'I felt absolutely humiliated,' Labine told the outlet. 'How could I be so stupid as to be led on like this?' She would later learn that Kehar had not only lied about the illness, but had not been accepted into a residency program in Calgary, either. In fact, Kehar was expelled from her medical program following a series of infractions that culminated with the fabrication of a 'serious medical condition.' On November 13, 2020, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba Investigation Committee censured Kehar 'as a record of its disapproval of her conduct.' According to documents reviewed by DailyMail.com, Kehar registered with the College and enrolled as a first-year family medicine resident at the University of Manitoba in February 2019. Kehar was expelled from a program in Manitoba following a series of infractions that culminated with the alteration of documents and the fabrication of a serious medical condition Administrators later learned that Kehar defrauded 'substantial sums of money' from two medical colleagues after lying about the state of her health 'to garner sympathy and support' However, she began participating in an elective in Saskatchewan without the necessary license. Kehar would later claim that this slip-up was 'inadvertent.' After she was alerted to the problem, Kehar immediately stopped practicing and altered an email she had received from the College before forwarding it to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan. 'This was an apparent attempt by Ms Kehar to remedy the situation and to deflect responsibility for this error from herself onto the College,' the document reads. The College discovered the alteration on February 14, 2019 and reported to the University of Manitoba the same day. The finding prompted both the College and University to conduct months-long investigations into Kehars behavior. She denied altering the email, but was placed on paid leave of absence pending further review. Meaghan Labine says she has yet to be paid back despite winning a default judgement against Kehar in 2022. Kehar has a lengthy history of lying, as evidenced by documents from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba Investigation Committee Kehar later contacted administrators claiming 'she had received an email from another person who confessed to hacking her account and altering the February 13, 2019 email.' Around March 13, Kehar was allowed to return to her resident duties, and around two days later, the University provided her with a report showing there was no evidence to support the hacking claims. Kehar ultimately took responsibility for altering the document, blaming 'a brief episode of mental exhaustion.' She claimed the decision had arisen from 'fear, stress, exhaustion and nervousness.' Also in 2019, Kehar had her English bulldog, Django, registered as an 'emotional support dog' for 'stress related' reasons in Alberta, records reviewed by DailyMail.com show. She later admitted that she had altered the offending email and was expelled from the University of Manitoba's Family Medicine Program on May 7. 'Her expulsion was based on her admission to having altered the e-mail in question, and the Faculty's finding that Ms Kehar had been dishonest in relation to certain other academic events, which she denied,' the document states. Just weeks later, Kehar appealed her expulsion to the University's Local Discipline Committee. In the appeal, she 'described a concern that she might have had a serious health condition...and that she underwent a surgical procedure to address the concern in January of 2019.' The document quotes her as saying, 'Though I am not comfortable discussing this issue, I now understand that it is relevant to this matter and had an impact on me and my actions during this time.' On May 28, seven days after filing the appeal, Kehar was interviewed by the College Investigator. She described 'going through a very difficult time' beginning at the end of 2018 and 'feeling extremely stressed at the time.' Following her expulsion from a residency program at the University of Manitoba, Kehar opened up an electrical muscle stimulation clinic in Surrey, British Columbia Records show Kehar had her English bulldog, Django (pictured), registered as an 'emotional support dog' in Alberta for 'stress related' reasons Kehar also insisted that she had undergone surgery on January 8, but failed to provide documentation. The appeal of Kehars expulsion was heard and dismissed that June - but she filed again in July. In August, Kehar provided the College with a letter purportedly written by the office manager of her surgeon's clinic as proof of the aforementioned surgical procedure. Her lawyers claimed that there was no documentation from the hospital because Kehar 'did not stay overnight.' Subsequent investigations by the College found no evidence to support Kehar's assertion of a diagnosis, nor her claim of having undergone surgery at the hospital she named. Moreover, an investigation found that the letter she provided had been written much earlier and about a different matter, but Kehar altered it. The surgeon she identified confirmed that the only procedures he had ever performed on Kehar were in October 2017 and February 2018, and neither were related to the supposed 'serious medical condition.' The second appeal of her expulsion was heard on January 24, 2020, and dismissed five days later. The College later learned that Kehar had lied to two colleagues about her personal circumstances, including the state of her health, 'to garner sympathy and support.' Those colleagues loaned Kehar 'substantial sums of money in response to requests from her for assistance on multiple occasions,' according to the document. Despite being barred from practicing medicine, former clients insist Kehar presented herself as a licensed medical practitioner Business cards for Prestige Body Lab advertise 'M.D. provided services' Kehar 'acknowledged that her conduct was a serious mistake and expressed remorse over her actions in retrospect,' and 'acknowledged that she has demonstrated an unfitness to practice.' Her expulsion was upheld, meaning she was barred from practicing medicine in the country. Despite this, Kehar moved to British Columbia and founded Prestige Body Lab, an electrical muscle stimulation clinic, billing herself as a doctor all the while. Business cards viewed by DailyMail.com promise 'M.D. provided services' at the clinic in Surrey, which has since shuttered. Per Canadian regulations, Kehar is still allowed to refer to herself as a doctor or MD, but cannot mislead the public into believing she is licensed to practice medicine. And some former clients insist this is just what she did. On the clinic's Instagram page, which has since been taken down, Kehar advertised 'free MD consultations' and services in exchange for honest reviews. One comment beneath a testimonial from May 2023 asserts that Kehar 'lied to thousands of women by presenting as an active doctor.' 'Just giving you a friendly heads up as many influencers have had to put out public, apologies to the women in the greater Vancouver area as they were being held responsible for promoting this particular businesswoman in return for free sessions or discounted sessions,' the commenter wrote. Another user claimed they were 'one of her victims' and thanked the original commenter for 'saving lots of people from her.' Despite winning a default judgement against Kehar in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 2022, Labine has yet to be reimbursed for the thousands of dollars lost. She recently filed a lawsuit in British Columbia in an attempt to get her hands on the money. While Kehar has promised to pay her back, Labine has her doubts. 'When pressed for specifics or meeting with my lawyer, she provides nothing,' she told CBC News. Theresa May has admitted she should have met Grenfell Tower survivors sooner after the 2017 tragedy when she was prime minister. The ex-premier, who is standing down from the House of Commons after 27 years, told a new ITV documentary she 'should have gone and met the victims'. Mrs May also took ultimate responsibilty for the Windrush scandal, which saw more than 80 people wrongly deported despite living in Britain for decades. She acknowledged there should have been a 'greater sense' of who might be caught up in the Home Office's 'hostile environment' policies when she was in charge. The outgoing MP for Maidenhead described Donald Trump - who was in the White House when she was in No10 - as an 'unpredictable' president, adding that 'unpredictability is difficult to deal with'. Theresa May has admitted she should have met Grenfell Tower survivors sooner after the 2017 tragedy when she was prime minister The ex-premier, who is standing down from the House of Commons after 27 years, told a new ITV documentary she 'should have gone and met the victims' Mrs May faced an outcry after she initially did not meet survivors of the Grenfell Tower blaze, which claimed 72 lives, in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy on 14 June 2017 Mrs May faced an outcry after she initially did not meet survivors of the Grenfell Tower blaze, which claimed 72 lives, during a visit in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy on 14 June 2017. This was in sharp contrast to then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who greeted and hugged local residents the day after the fire. Speaking during an ITV doumentary on her 2016-2019 premiership, Mrs May said: 'I should have gone and met victims. I recognise that.' Her former chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, told 'Theresa May: The Accidental Prime Minister', which will air on ITV1 at 10.25pm tonight, that her team 'got that call badly wrong' in the wake of the 2017 snap general election. He added: 'We served her very badly because it played on the perceptions that people already have from the election campaign, that she wasn't comfortable with that kind of face-to-face contact.' Discussing those caught up in the Windrush scandal, which followed her hostile environment policies while home secretary, Mrs May said: 'Should we in the Home Office have had a greater sense of trying to identify whether there were other people, people who were going to get caught up in this way? 'I don't believe that question was ever asked. And that's what lay behind the problems.' Asked if she was home secretary when this was the case, she said: 'I was. And as home secretary, you take responsibility.' Mrs May, who served as David Cameron's home secretary between 2010 and 2016, also admitted that sending out vans with 'Go home or face arrest' written on them as part of a Home Office advertising campaign in 2013 targeting illegal immigrants was 'wrong'. Ms May said: 'It was wrong, and we stopped it. We realised after a short period of time that we needed to stop that.' During the documentary, directed by Sam Collyns, Mrs May recounted the time Mr Trump took her hand while they walked outside the White House in 2017. She said: 'We literally were just walking along and he said, 'There's a little slope around the corner. Take care.' 'And I thought, well, it's fine. My heels are not that high. I'll be fine. 'And next thing I knew, he was holding my hand as we walked up, and of course, I wasn't able to reclaim my hand before we got the television cameras of the world upon us.' Mr Barwell said the 'most disheartening conversation' with the former US president was over the 2018 poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, adding: 'His initial reaction was, well, why should I do anything?' During the ITV documentary, Mrs May recounted the time Donald Trump took her hand while they walked outside the White House in 2017 In the documentary, senior minister Penny Mordaunt said she was told that a key part of Mrs May's Brexit deal was already set in stone after being agreed with former German chancellor Angela Merkel before Cabinet went to Chequers in 2018 to discuss it. Asked if she felt politically-damaging resignations from her Cabinet over Brexit were a betrayal, Mrs May said: 'Politics is politics. People had a different view. 'They, I think there were many Brexiteers who, not to put too fine a point on it, didn't like a Remainer being in charge of Brexit.' Mrs May said comments made by her 2016 Conservative leadership election rival Dame Andrea Leadsom that being a mother made her a better candidate in comparison to the then-home secretary were 'unfortunate'. Former chancellor Sir Sajid Javid told the documentary that Mrs May's 2017 election campaign, which attempted to highlight her 'strong and stable' leadership, was 'a total disaster from day one' with the Conservatives ultimately losing their small overall majority at the polls. Sir Sajid also gave an insight into Mrs May's possible thinking during the 2016 EU referendum campaign, which preceded her becoming PM. He said: 'This might go horribly wrong for David Cameron. He might end up resigning. And then I'm going to go for the leadership. 'And if I stay out of it and sort of sit on the fence, then I might be a more appealing candidate to both sides.' Amber Rudd, Mrs May's initial home secretary, said her reputation had been enhanced in comparison to the conduct of subsequent prime ministers. Ms Rudd said: 'Given what's followed, her reputation is enhanced. 'I didn't know at the time that truth and decency wasn't always going to be part of a prime minister's make-up.' Former home secretary Suella Braverman told the documentary: 'I think history will remember Theresa as a dedicated public servant who was probably in the wrong job at the wrong time.' Have YOU been a victim of romance fraud? Have YOU been a victim of romance fraud? Email freya.barnes@mailonline.co.uk A single mother-of-three has lost her 6,000 life savings after a crypto 'Tinder Swindler' she met on the dating app tricked her into handing it over. Natalie Foster, 42, matched with a man who went by 'James' on Tinder three weeks ago. The pair hit if off immediately before James began talking incessantly about cryptocurrency. He persuaded Natalie to get a crypto wallet - a virtual wallet which allows you to buy and keep cryptocurrency. She was convinced to upload money and 'trade' crypto - with the scammer initially making it look like she had made profits of up to 67,000. Natalie Foster, 42, matched with a man who went by 'James' on Tinder three weeks ago But this sum quickly dropped to zero before she was able to withdraw any of it as real cash and she found herself down by 6,000. Natalie, from Windsford, Cheshire, said: 'I feel stupid, I feel ridiculous - I can't believe I'm one of these women I read about in magazines.' Natalie, who is signed off work due to her multiple sclerosis (MS), said James was very forward with her from the moment they matched on Tinder. She added: 'He looked like a really good-looking guy, he had nice dogs, and was being very forward - I wasn't that into that.' A week into their chats, James brought up that he had an uncle who had made a fortune in the crypto world. Natalie said: 'I'm not a gambler but he was very convincing. 'He told me to put in 300 and then transfer it to a trading platform. I did it and then made 80 profit.' Natalie, from Windsford, Cheshire, said she feels 'stupid' and can't believe she is now one of the women she has read about in magazines who have been scammed in the same way Natalie then invested another 100 on the trading platform and made another 93 - though she would never receive the money. A few days later, James said the following evening would be 'a very big night'. She said: 'He convinced me to put in even more money, so I put 2,000 down. 'He then said he had been in touch with his uncle who had told him there was a once-in-a-century deal about to go down and I could make 800 per cent profit.' Natalie then withdrew all the money she had left from her savings and transferred it to the crypto trading account - totaling 3,500. She was then added to a WhatsApp group with a man purporting to be her Tinder match's uncle and another person. According to Natalie, they then did a trade which bagged $86,000 (67,000) profit on her trading platform account. When she went to look at it herself it briefly said she had exceeded the amount she could hold in it before her total funds suddenly changed to zero. Natalie said: 'I then contacted customer services who said I owed them 20 per cent tax to a New York bank account totalling 20,000.' But then James transferred $5,000 (4,000) into her trading platform account. Natalie said: 'At this point I thought it was still legit but I then talked to my ex-partner and he gave me a reality check. 'I realised I had literally fallen for a textbook crypto scam.' None of the profits from the trades ever went back to her apart from the initial 80, with Natalie losing 6,000 in total. She went back to James to confront him about the scam - only for him to tell her she should 'go and die quickly'. He then unmatched her and vanished without trace. When Natalie went back to James to confront him about the scam he told her to 'go and die quickly' Natalie says looking back there were 'all these red flags' including James saying he was German, but not having a German accent, and even getting the names of his own pet dogs mixed up. And she said his pictures were 'clearly just downloaded from somewhere online'. She has since reported what happened to her to Action Fraud and has instructed a solicitor who is hopeful Natalie will be able to get her money back. Natalie said: 'It was my whole life savings which I inherited off my grandad - it's left me totally distraught. 'I just feel stupid and ridiculous. 'It's so awful - I don't know how they can do this to to other people'. MailOnline has approached Tinder and Action Fraud for comment. Natalie's case comes after the unlucky victim and star of the Netflix Tinder Swindler documentary blasted British police earlier this month after figures revealed less than one per cent of romance scammers are ever charged Figures uncovered by the Daily Mail show only 53 charges were brought following 23,685 reports of romance fraud over a three-year period. Cecilie Fjellhy, 34, who has lived in London for seven years, said the tiny prosecution rates showed the UK remained a 'free for all' for fraudsters. Cecilie Fjellhy and Tinder Swindler fraudster Simon Leviev who posed as a wealthy heir to dupe his lovers out of small fortunes Ms Fjellhy told how, despite being conned out of 200,000, she was 'treated as a suspect not a victim' by the Met Police while they investigated her case Ms Fjellhy was scammed by the now-infamous fraudster Simon Leviev who posed as a wealthy heir to dupe his lovers out of small fortunes. The Norwegian told how, despite being conned out of 200,000, she was 'treated as a suspect not a victim' by the Met Police while they investigated her case. Detectives eventually let her off after two years but also dropped all charges against Mr Leviev. Ms Fjellhy last night revealed she has since made an official complaint to the Met Police over their handling of her case, which is still ongoing. She said: 'What does that say about police when they can't even get the most famous romance scammer in the world? 'What sort of message are they sending the rest of the fraudster community? That it's a free-for-all. They could have sent a message but they didn't, they let him go free.' The latest statistics, uncovered in a Freedom of Information request, reveal nearly 8,000 romance frauds are reported to Action Fraud every year yet just a fraction are ever charged. Experts said police often struggled to go after romance scammers because the majority were from abroad, particularly West Africa, which was outside their jurisdiction. Over 92million was lost to romance fraudsters across Britain last year leaving thousands of hopeful and trusting single people distressed. Rishi Sunak tonight defended his 'bold' plan to make teenagers do National Service amid a deepening Tory election campaign row over the policy. The Prime Minister said the policy, which will see 18-year-olds forced to either sign up to the military or cyber defence force, or undertake unpaid community work, would make society 'more cohesive' and strengthen the UK's defence. Speaking on a campaign visit to Buckinghamshire he said it was 'bold, but that's the kind of leadership I offer.' He added: 'This modern form of national service will mean that young people get the skills and the opportunities that they need which is going to serve them very well in life. 'It's going to foster a culture of service which is going to be incredibly powerful for making our society more cohesive and in a more uncertain and dangerous world it's going to strengthen our country's security and resilience.' But the 2.5billion manifesto pledge, which could see parents fined if their adult children fail to take part and members of the Royal Family told to sign up, prompted criticism as well as support from within Tory ranks Some party members questioned the logic of landing the Armed Forces with 'a bunch of yobbos' and 'unfit reluctant teenagers'. And others threatened to move their support at the election to Reform UK because of the effect the policy could have on their own teenage children. The remarks were made in a Conservative Party Facebook group that includes several serving MPs, though they were not among the critics speaking out. Meanwhile Steve Baker, the Northern Ireland Minister, broke ranks today to suggest the policy unveiled at the weekend was 'sprung' on candidates with little or no warning. Some former military chiefs have also criticised it, while Labour has branded it the 'teenage Dad's Army'. But other ministers have spoken up in support of the measure today. The Prime Minister said the policy, which will see 18-year-olds forced to either sign up to the military or cyber defence force, or undertake unpaid community work, would make society 'more cohesive' and strengthen the UK's defence. Speaking on a campaign visit to Buckinghamshire he said it was 'bold, but that's the kind of leadership I offer.' Steve Baker, the Northern Ireland Minister, broke ranks today to suggest the policy unveiled at the weekend was 'sprung' on candidates with little or no warning. But other ministers have spoken up in support of the measure today. Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, a former soldier, said: 'Anything that unites communities with a sense of service and awareness of what the other organisations do is great.' Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, a former soldier, said: 'Predictable reaction to the National Service policy from the usual quarters. 'Anything that unites communities with a sense of service and awareness of what the other organisations do is great. And it gives pride and purpose and challenge to those that often feel most left behind.' And Writing for MailOnline today FCDO minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said that the scheme would teach practical and soft skills 'which cannot be taught in the classroom or the lecture theatre'. In the Facebook group for Conservative Party members, criticism seen by MailOnline was blunt, saying it was 'an ill thought out idea to try and appeal to a boomer demographic' of retirees born in the two decades after the Second World War. One member wrote that the proposal was 'bonkers', adding: '[National Service] was cancelled because it was unpopular both with the military as well as the conscripts.' 'This policy is political suicide both for the PM and for the party. We'll be out of power for at least a decade.' Another said: 'Drafting a bunch of yobbos isn't going to improve the military, which is why the main opposition to National Service has always come from the military chiefs.' And a third added: 'The armed forces don't want a lot of unfit reluctant teenagers dumped on them for God's sake, how does this become a key initiative with all we are facing?' Another suggested the kickback against the proposal meant the rest of the manifesto might not be taken seriously, with a fifth adding: 'I personally am thinking of voting Reform now, as I have three 16-year-olds that could be impacted [by] this.' Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan this morning declined to rule out financial penalties linked to Rishi Sunak's election pledge to make teens spend a year in the military or do unpaid weekend community work. The proposal, which was unveiled yesterday has triggered a major row, the first of the nascent general election campaign. Asked about whether young royals would be made to take part, or teenagers with caring responsibilities, Ms Trevelyan told Sky News it would be down to a Royal Commission to decide the scope. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer branded it a 'teenage Dad's Army' in a speech today. Ms Trevelyan, the Foreign Office Minister, said today that many details of the scheme would be set out in a Royal Commission, and refused to rule out punishing parents if their adult offspring refused to take part. She also suggested carers and young member of the Royal family would be expected to take part. However criticism of the scheme has increased. Writing on social media, Mr Baker responded to a government statement from last week saying National Service was not a good idea. He said: 'Government policy would have been developed by ministers on the advice of officials and collectively agreed. I would have had a say on behalf of NI. 'But this proposal was developed by a political adviser or advisers and sprung on candidates, some of whom are relevant ministers.' The manifesto pledge would see all 18-year-olds do either a paid year in the military or spend a weekend a month doing unpaid work in the community. But critics from across the political divide have dismissed the plans as unserious while leading military figures expressed skepticism about how they would work and suggested the money would be better spent on Armed Forces investment. Asked about whether young royals would be made to take part, or teenagers with caring responsibilities, Ms Trevelyan told Sky News it would be down to a Royal Commission to decide the scope. But she added: 'Fundamentally the Prime Minister has been clear this would be for the vast majority of our young people, our 18 year-olds, this would be a mandatory part of both their continued education and journey to adulthood.' Prince George, 10, would be the first young royal made to undertake the scheme when he turns 18 in July 2031, followed a year later by Princess Charlotte, nine, and three years later by Prince Louis, six. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said 'the vast majority of our young people' would be expected to turn out for the mandatory programme under Rishi Sunak's new election proposal. Princess Beatrice and Eugenie also have young children who would be eligible to take part once they reach the age of 18, as well as Prince Edward's son, the Earl of Wessex, 16. Rishi Sunak made the first major policy announcement of the general election campaign on Sunday, vowing to bring back National Service for 18-year-olds - a scheme that has not been seen in the UK since 1960. When would young royals do National Service? Prince George: July 2031 Princess Charlotte: May 2032 Prince Louis: April 2036 James, Earl of Wessex: December 2025 Sienna Mozzi: September 2039 August Brooksbank: August 2039 Ernest Brooksbank: May 2041 Advertisement The Prime Minister received backlash after launching the proposal but said he wanted the change to instill a 'shared sense of purpose' in today's youth. The Royal family has a long history of serving in the military with Prince William a Sandhurst graduate before he spent seven-and-a-half years in full-time military service. Home Secretary James Cleverly said yesterday that the service would be compulsory, adding: 'We will look at what the appropriate response will be. 'There's not going to be a criminal sanction for this, the same way people are compelled to be in education or training between 16 and 18. He clarified details of the scheme saying the military part will be paid, but the voluntary section would not be. The Tories also revealed plans on how they would encourage teenagers to apply for the military scheme, including participants being potentially favoured over other applicants when applying for jobs. One of the options is the introduction of fast-tracked routes into graduate schemes and the civil service for those who have served. Another is that employers are encouraged to consider Armed Forces recruits during the hiring process and that participants are given the opportunity to highlight their military experience on their UCAS applications for university and apprenticeships. However, the Armed Forces option would be selective with only around 30,000 placements for 'the brightest and best'. But some ex-top brass questioned its usefulness. Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy who is a Labour peer, told the Guardian: 'I'm delighted if more young people become aware of defence and are involved but this idea is basically bonkers. 'We need to spend more on defence, and by doing what he's suggesting money will be sucked out of defence.' And General Richard Dannatt, the former head of the General Staff, branded it 'electoral opportunism', adding: 'The costs of this would be considerable in terms of trainers and infrastructure. This task cannot just be imposed on the Armed Forces as an extra thing to do.' File image shows the Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, at RAF Fairford last year A family portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including (back row, left to right) Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, (middle row, left to right) Lena Tindall, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Prince Louis, and (front row, left to right) Mia Tindall holding Lucas Tindall and Savannah Phillips taken at Balmoral Palace. The young royals will not be exempt from national service The Royal family has a long history of serving in the military On Sunday, Mr Sunak said: 'National Service schemes in countries around the world show just how fulfilling it is for young people. 'We want to make sure Britain's future generations can get the most out of National Service, that's why we're looking into ways it can open doors they wouldn't otherwise get in work or education. 'Only the Conservatives will take the bold action required to deliver a secure future for the next generation.' Mr Cleverly said the plans show the Tories are investing in young people and trying to address some of the challenges that today's youth face. 'In other countries that we've looked at that do this, this is a very, very popular scheme, parents particularly very, very keen for their children to be involved in this kind of stuff,' he said. A Labour Party spokesperson said the announcement was 'another desperate 2.5billion unfunded commitment from a Tory Party which already crashed the economy, sending mortgages rocketing, and now they're spoiling for more. 'This is not a plan it's a review which could cost billions and is only needed because the Tories hollowed out the armed forces to their smallest size since Napoleon,' the spokesperson said. The Lib Dems have also slammed the announcement with leader Ed Davey describing it as a 'desperate' and 'pathetic' attempt. In European nations with national service, members of the royal family are expected to take part. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway recently began her 12-month military placement with the Engineer Battalion. Spain's Crown Princess Leonor is undergoing three years of military training, although the country no longer has national service. Studies from Norway and Israel, which have national military service schemes, suggest they give youngsters a 'leg up' into subsequent careers, the Tories said. The Conservatives have promised to establish a Royal Commission, bringing in expertise from across the military and civil society to establish the details of the programme. It will be asked to look at models in other countries to design incentives for those taking part in Britain. The party said the commission would be tasked with bringing forward a proposal for how to ensure the first pilot is open for applications in September 2025. After that, it would seek to introduce a new 'National Service Act' to make the measures compulsory by the end of the next Parliament, the party said. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway recently began her 12-month military placement with the Engineer Battalion Spain's Crown Princess Leonor is undergoing three years of military training, although the country no longer has national service After the Second World War ended in 1945, the government felt it was necessary to maintain high levels of military presence across the world, including in parts of the British Empire and in Germany. To address this, the National Service Act, requiring all physically fit male British citizens between 18 and 26 years old to serve in the armed forces for 18 months from January 1949, was passed by Clement Attlee's Labour administration in 1947. This compulsory service included varied roles at home and abroad such as fighting on the frontline or clerical work and did not extend to women. Certain groups including students and apprentices were allowed to defer their service until they had completed their education or training. National service was abolished in 1960 with the last servicemen discharged in 1963. According to the Royal British Legion, between the end of the Second World War and May 1963, more than two million men took part in national service. Many countries across the world currently have some form of national service, including military and non-military models. All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve in the armed forces for a period of 18 to 21 months under a conscription system set up in response to the threat from North Korea. Members of K-pop band BTS made headlines around the world over the last year as they began to fulfil their mandatory duties. In Israel, military service is compulsory for the majority of both men and women over 18 years old, with men expected to serve for a minimum of 32 months and women a minimum of 24 months. In Switzerland, 18 weeks of military service training is mandatory for all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 30, along with yearly refresher courses. Longer, civilian service is also possible for those unwilling to serve in the military due to their conscience and mainly involves assignments focused on social welfare, healthcare and environmental protection. In Sweden, all citizens must complete a military enlistment form the year they turn 18 and, if selected, are obliged to enrol in basic military training. The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann claimed that his statements on introducing AI in game production had been misrepresented during his interview with Sony. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Druckmann claimed that the intent and context of his statements on AI "were unfortunately lost" during the post-interview editing. In the supposed unedited interview transcript, The Last of Us director only noted how the growing trend of series adaptations of video games helped boost the growth in the industry. In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with SONY, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost. Well, here's the full long rambling answer for the final question about our future game... pic.twitter.com/tVuxX3LYJF Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) May 25, 2024 The statement did not include Druckmann saying that AI "could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming." Druckmann's post came after a huge wave of backlash was sent against Druckmann and Naughty Dog for planning to use AI in the next The Last of Us and Uncharted games. Sony Leverages Towards AI in Game Development Whether Druckmann's claims are true, one thing remains clear: Sony is pushing for more AI presence in game development and distribution. PlayStation executive Asad Qizilbash asserted that the introduction of AI into game development could provide more "personalized experiences and meaningful stories for consumers." The PlayStation head will prove beneficial to attract more Gen Z and Gen Alpha gamers, the company's current target demographic, to have "personalization across everything." While being the largest consumer of AI-based services, younger generations are often the first to push back against the rampant spread of generative AI in the industry, as well. The publication of Qizilbash's interview with Sony came at the same time as Druckmann's, depicting a clear picture of the direction the gaming giant may take in the future. More Game Publishers Turn to AI Sony is not the only major game publisher notably taking the side of AI, accepting the technology as part of its development and distribution process. Square Enix announced earlier that it will soon leverage AI-powered tools for its future projects, including upcoming Final Fantasy titles, for development and marketing processes. Even Steam walked back on its policies prohibiting games made with AI on its platform as more major developers advocate for AI use despite pushbacks from players, employees, and voice actors. A British tourist told MailOnline exclusively this week that a massive anti-tourist protest in Majorca was 'intimidating' as she witnessed locals telling foreign diners outside of restaurants to 'go home'. An estimated 15,000 locals joined the protest that snaked through the capital Palma and headed for Weyler Square on Saturday, where holidaymakers were out in force for dinner and drinks. Polly Taylor, who was dining with three friends, said that she initially had no idea what the crowd were doing until they started to come closer to the restaurant as armed police began to show up on the scene. 'It was like a storm was coming but we didnt know what the storm was about....then the noise from the protestors just got louder and louder and we were swamped with them', Taylor said. Eventually, as the small group with whistles and drums began to get louder and louder, a Majorcan who was dining nearby attempted to engage with the agitators. Protesters shout at shocked holidaymakers enjoying dinner and drinks in Palma Polly Taylor told MailOnline that she and a group of pals were unwittingly caught up in an anti-tourism protest in Majorca this weekend Taylor described the crowd as 'intimidating' as the blew whistles and banged drums, even shouting down a local who tried to reason with them The group responded by blowing whistles in his face and taunting him, Taylor said. The intimidating atmosphere continued as Taylor said the noticed signs reading: 'Go home tourists'. 'At that point, between the sea of people and..., it felt very intimidating to the point we discussed trying to leave and get out in case it turned nasty. We eventually managed to move into the restaurant to get off the street before any trouble could start'. One protestor walked through the dining area on the street while 'clapping and shouting'. The Londoner said that she asked her waiter what the protest was about but he said that he didn't know. 'Clearly he did, but he seemed embarrassed,' she added. Now, Taylor said that she won't be visiting Majorca again. 'I will take my money elsewhere until they sort this all out. I understand their cause, being priced out of their own country owing to tourism, but they were targeting the wrong people.' 'They never to target their government and the huge holiday companies. We were simply contributing to their economy by holidaying for a few days,' Taylor said. An estimated 15,000 locals joined the protest that snaked through the capital Palma and headed for Weyler Square, where holidaymakers were out in force for dinner and drinks Earlier reports said that marchers were heard chanting 'Tourists go home' as they passed through the central square on the 20-minute route from a nearby park, carrying banners emblazoned with the message: 'Salvem Mallorca, guiris arruix' which in Catalan Spanish means 'Let's save Majorca, foreigners out'. The colloquial expression 'Guiri' is used to describe the likes of British holidaymakers renowned for partying and heavy drinking, typically in a mildly offensive way. Another placard said in Catalan: 'Wherever you look, they're all guiris.' The Palma protest was organised by Banc del Temps, a group which hails from the inland Majorcan town of Sencelles and is outraged by the struggles locals face in affording homes on the island due to the higher prices owners can get for holiday rentals. Following Saturday's protest, Banc del Temps spokesman Javier Barbero issued a chilling warning. 'This is just the start of things. If measures aren't taken we will continue taking to the streets until we see action.' Another campaign group that took part in Saturday's demo, held under the slogan 'Majorca is not up for sale,' described the organisers afterwards as 'heroes', saying: 'You are heroes and you have made history. 'Now our government should open its doors wide open to you and call you to a meeting so that you can present your and our demands. 'With 25,000 people behind you, you are an organisation that should be received this week by Balearic Islands' government president Marga Prohens. 'She should take note and put urgent measures in place.' The colloquial expression 'Guiri' is used to describe the likes of British holidaymakers renowned for partying and heavy drinking, typically in a mildly offensive way Protesters carrying banners with anti-tourism slogans and banging drums gathered in the centre of the capital Palma Thousands of protesters overran the streets of Palma on Saturday evening Protesters hold a banner reading 'Mallorca is not for sale' during a demonstration to protest against the massification of tourism and housing prices The manifesto Banc del Temps made public when protestors had finished marching through Palma included a demand that only people who had been living in the Balearic Islands for five years should be able buy property, and also called for a moratorium on holiday rentals. One of its speakers said: 'This island should be a place where our children can grow up with safety and dignity, with controlled tourism that doesn't condition our lives.' Some members of the Banc del Temps group told MailOnline how tourism has transformed once idyllic Spanish sun-spot, with residents now unable to rent or buy their own homes due to the spiralling cost of property. Mother-of-three Patri Vecina told MailOnline: 'We have lived in the same rented house for ten years. But in December the owner told us that he was selling the property to foreigners and that we had to move out. 'I work in the hotel industry and my husband is a builder. We cannot afford the inflated price of property in Majorca so we were never able to buy our own home. 'Now we cannot afford to live in Majorca anymore we are moving to Asturias in the north of Spain. 'It was our dream to bring up our children in Mallorca but that cannot happen.' Patri and her husband were initially paying 500 per month for the rural three-bedroom house in the centre of the island. This increased to 690 per month before their landlord put the house up for sale. The country house on the outskirts of the town of Sencelles is now for sale for 383,000. The spike in the property prices has been fuelled foreign investors, many of whom have turned family homes in tourist rental accommodation, local campaigners claim. Laura Lau, of Banc del Temps, told MailOnline: 'Houses and apartment that were family homes have been bought by foreign investors who rent them out to tourists and leave nothing for local people. This is why property prices in Majorca have reached unaffordable levels. 'We need to make people aware of the problem of housing in Majorca which already affects us all. 'Every day there is someone looking for new housing because their rent has gone up or they are kicked out of their home because it has been put up for sale to foreigners. 'We are in a housing emergency. The government needs to regulate the price of housing - there is no future for Majorca if the island is solely for the benefit of property speculators.' Property prices in Majorca have more than doubled in the past ten years, making the Balearic islands the second most expensive region in Spain after Madrid. Waiters and diners look on as thousands of protesters march past a restaurant Thousands of people demonstrated in the Spanish city of Palma de Mallorca against excess tourism, one of the main sources of wealth in the area, under the slogan 'Mallorca is not for sale' Protesters hold signs reading 'For rent and I can't pay' Protesters hold signs reading 'Let's save Mallorca' and 'Foreigners out' Thousands of people demonstrated in the Spanish city of Palma Protesters hold a banner reading 'Mallorca is not for sale' during a demonstration to protest against the massification of tourism and housing prices This weekend's protest, the largest of its kind since last month's Canary Islands' demos against mass tourism, was the second in 24 hours in the Balearic Islands. On Friday night around 1,000 protestors took part in a demo in Ibiza to vent their anger over the effects of mass tourism. Campaigners held up banners saying 'We don't want an island of cement' and 'Tourism, yes but not like this' as they massed outside Ibiza Council's HQ. The organisers of the Ibiza demo, a group called Prou Eivissa, met with Ibiza's president Vicent Mari before taking to the streets as British tourists across the other side of the island in San Antonio drank themselves silly and dismissed a street drinking ban which could see them hit with fines of up to 1,300 if caught. The protesters' demands included a limit on the number of vehicles that can enter the island in summer and a ban on using taxpayers' cash to promote Ibiza as a tourist destination. A letter was read out at the end of the protest from an Ibiza-born woman who linked her decision to leave the island with her family and move to the Spanish mainland to a 'destructive' tourist model that had led to 'more cars, more tourists and more incivility.' Another Majorcan-based association, called Menys Turisme, whose slogan is 'Less Tourism, More Life', is currently taking proposals for another more radical protest which could involve mass gathering outside hotels or on an iconic island beach. The idea of an airport protest in the peak tourist season which involves collapsing Palma Airport with cars has also been discussed. Anti-tourist graffiti has appeared in both Majorca and Tenerife in recent months. Some foreign holidaymakers have shown their support for the issues raised by campaigners, while others have accused them of biting the hand that feeds them. But the spiralling cost of property in Majorca is unquestionable. People take part in a protest against mass tourism and gentrification in the island ahead of summer season in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, May 25, 2024 People take part in a protest against mass tourism and gentrification in the island ahead of summer season in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, May 25, 2024 Protesters hold a banner reading 'Mallorca is not for sale' during a demonstration Protesters hold a sign reading 'No to massification, less tourism, more life' Thousands of people demonstrated in the Spanish city of Palma de Mallorca against excess tourism, one of the main sources of wealth in the area In 2014 a typical 80 square-metre home cost an average of 126,000 but this has gone up 208 per cent to an average 263,000, according to Spanish property website Fotocasa. The national increase across the whole of Spain was just 29 per cent during the same period. The average salary in Majorca is about is about 1,277 per month or 15,324 per year, although the island's minimum wage is just 965 per month or 11,580 per year. Teacher Marga Gari told how her children will never be able to afford to buy their own homes because of the spiralling cost of living. Marga, 50, told MailOnline: 'Quite simply there are too many tourists. My children will never be able to buy their own homes because foreigners have pushed to price of property up. 'Everything is more expensive than it should be because of tourists food in the market, clothes in stores, everything. 'You can hardly walk down the streets here in Palma because of the number of visitors. We do not blame the foreigners; we blame the government for letting things get this bad. 'There needs to be limits; limits on the number of planes, a limit of one cruise ship per day and a limit on the number of rental cars.' Ms Gari claims many items in Palma's historic Mercat de l'Olivar central food market are now beyond the reach of local people. Rishi Sunak has sparked a nationwide debate after announcing his bombshell plan to introduce compulsory National Service for all 18-year-olds if the Conservatives win the General Election. The shock move, unveiled by the Prime Minister in an article for The Mail on Sunday, means school-leavers would be obliged to spend a year in a full-time Armed Forces role or volunteering with organisations such as the police or NHS. While the idea sounds outlandish to some and has gathered mixed reactions from voters, similar systems are already modelled in other places around the world. Going into detail about the controversial plan, Home Secretary James Cleverly said: 'I know that other countries do the exact same thing, in particular the Norwegian countries. I think it's a good thing to have people do a service for your country, whether it's voluntary work or military work and I think it's beneficial overall.' Roughly 80 countries have already implemented some form of National Service or conscription according to the World Population Review. Here, MailOnline looks into how it works in a selection of places elsewhere in the world. Scroll down for the full list of countries... Rishi Sunak has sparked a nationwide debate after announcing his bombshell plan to introduce compulsory National Service for all 18-year-olds if the Conservatives win the General Election Roughly 80 countries have already implemented some form of National Service or conscription according to the World Population Review (stock image) Switzerland In Switzerland, all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 30 have to undergo 18 weeks of compulsory military service training. While it is mandatory, it does come with three options to choose from. Meanwhile, for women, serving is voluntary. After completing the basic training, Swiss men remain a member of the Armed Forces for nine years and within this time they complete six refresher courses, lasting three weeks each One of the options, according to the World Population Review, is a repetition course, which is 18-23 weeks of training followed by the rehearsal courses, totalling 245 days of service. The second is long service, where 300 days are performed at once, lasting around 11 months, and the third is civilian service, which takes longer to complete but you instead serve mainly in the areas of social welfare, healthcare, or environmental protection. Russia If you're a man in Russia, you are required to complete 12 months in the military service when you turn 18, or undertake equivalent training while you're in higher education. Once you have completed your service, you go on to become a reserve until the age of 50. The Russian Ministry of Defence describes the service as a 'good way to gain lots of experience and discipline,' but many men try to avoid being called up. In July, Russia's lower house of parliament voted to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted to 30 from 27. Conscripts cannot legally be deployed to fight outside Russia and were exempted from a limited mobilisation in 2022 that gathered at least 300,000 men with previous military training to fight in Ukraine. Pictured: Russian conscripts called up for military service line up before their departure for garrisons as they gather at a recruitment centre in Simferopol, Crimea, April 25, 2023 Israel In Israel, military service is compulsory for the majority of both men and women over the age of 18. Men are expected to serve for a minimum of 32 months and women a minimum of 24 months. Once their service has ended, male soldiers become reserves until they are 41 and female soldiers until they are 24 - they can be called up for emergencies at any given time. Norway Norway also has mandatory military service for both men and women who are aged between 19 and 44, or between 18 and 55 during times of war. It lasts for 19 months - 12 months of service plus four or five months worth of refresher stints later on. Conscientious objectors, alongside those who are not medically fit, are exempt from the duty. Everyone must enlist, but crucially not everyone must serve. It has a large pool of potential recruits to choose from, so not everyone makes it to the next stage of the process. The country also become the first member of NATO to introduce the concept of gender-neutral conscription, with women first being called up in 2015 - before this, women could volunteer but it was not mandatory. Those who succeed go on to do training and a placement, joining the reservist list for 10 years afterward. South Korea All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve in the armed forces for a period of 18 to 21 months under a conscription system set up in response to the threat from North Korea. Members of K-pop band BTS made headlines around the world over the last year as they began to fulfil their mandatory duties. People with physical and mental issues can instead carry out their duties at non-military facilities such as welfare centres, community service centres and post offices for 21 months. Active duty soldiers are required to begin their service with five weeks of basic military training at boot camps. Those performing alternative service are subject to three weeks of basic military training and can choose when to take it, according to the Military Manpower Administration. All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve in the armed forces for a period of 18 to 21 months under a conscription system set up in response to the threat from North Korea Active duty soldiers in South Korea are required to begin their service with five weeks of basic military training at boot camps Under the suggested new scheme - which has prompted both support and a backlash - only one in ten of 18-year-olds would be expected to opt for a full-time military commission for 12 months Denmark Once men in Denmark turn 18, they are required to take part in training that lasts between four months and one year. While there is no immediate service required, soldiers remain eligible for further conscription until they reach the age of 50. It was announced in March of this year that Denmark is planning to conscript women and increase the length of national service. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said: 'We do not rearm because we want war, we are rearming because we want to avoid it'. She went on to say that Denmark's government wants 'full equality between the sexes' as she made the announcement. The country currently has up to 9,000 professional troops on top of the 4,700 conscripts undergoing basic training, according to official figures. The government wants to increase the number of conscripts by 300 to reach a total of 5,000. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (C) meets conscripts during a visit to Air Base Karup Sweden There are three types of National Service in Sweden, with the country having a similar system in place to Norway. Sweden also reintroduced gender-neurtral conscription in 2017, meaning both men and women can be called upon to serve. Young conscripts will join the army at 18 and spend approximately 11 months with the service, before going on to become reserves until they reach 47. However, in a similar fashion to Norway, only a portion of those who register are selected for service. Fewer than 10% of teens earn a place on the conscription system, making it more competitive than Oxford University. Lithuania In 2015, Lithuania reintroduced its compulsory military service, with men aged between 18-26 required to serve a minimum of nine months. Both men and women aged between 18 and 38 are also invited to enlist on a voluntary basis. The Lithuanian Armed Forces website explains that an automatic electronic selection system is used to make the draftee list from the pool of all the potential candidates. It adds: 'From Spring 2015 when the conscription service has been reintroduced in the Lithuanian Armed Forces, vast majority of youth have chosen to perform the military service voluntarily. 'Others are draftees who expressed their will to be conscripted on the priority basis.' The devastating landslide that buried more than 2,000 people under a torrent of rocks and earth in Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Friday has left Buckingham Palace 'deeply shocked and saddened', King Charles has declared. The landslide crashed through Yambali village in the country's north at around 3am on Friday while most of the community slept. Hundreds of houses were buried beneath debris almost two stories high as rescuers told local media they heard screams from beneath the earth. Initial reports put the estimated number of casualties at more than 670, but updated figures released by the government's National Disaster Centre this morning raised the shocking toll to more than 2,000. Delivering an official statement today, King Charles said: 'I have witnessed first-hand and have great admiration for the extraordinary resilience of the peoples of Papua New Guinea and the Highlands. I have faith that your communities will come together to support the survivors and the recovery in these heartbreaking circumstances. 'My wife joins me in sending our most heartfelt condolences to the families and communities who have suffered so much as a result of this appallingly traumatic event. Papua New Guinea is very much in our special thoughts and prayers.' People are seen digging at the site of a landslide at Mulitaka village in the region of Maip Mulitaka, in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea More than 2,000 people have been buried in a Papua New Guinea landslide that destroyed a remote highland village In this image supplied by the International Organization for Migration, villagers react after a body was discovered amongst the debris form a landslide in the village of Yambali in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, Monday, May 27, 2024 This handout photo taken and received on May 27, 2024 from the International Organization for Migration shows locals digging at the site of a landslide at Mulitaka village in the region of Maip Mulitaka, in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea King Charles III sent his condolences to the people of Papua New Guinea following news of the landslide PNG's last credible census was in the year 2000 and many people live in isolated mountainous villages, meaning the exact toll will be extremely difficult to calculate More than 72 hours after the landslide residents are still using spades, sticks and their bare hands to try and shift the debris and reach any survivors PNG's last credible census was in the year 2000 and many people live in isolated mountainous villages, meaning the exact toll will be extremely difficult to calculate. But the remote location of the disaster and the treacherous terrain over which it occurred have impeded the delivery of aid and means the chances of rescue for any remaining survivors are very low. 'I have 18 of my family members being buried under the debris and soil that I am standing on, and a lot more family members in the village I cannot count,' resident Evit Kambu told Reuters. 'But I cannot retrieve the bodies so I am standing here helplessly.' More than 72 hours after the landslide residents are still using spades, sticks and their bare hands to try and shift the debris and reach any survivors. Heavy equipment and aid have been slow to arrive due to the remote location while tribal warfare nearby has forced aid workers to travel in convoys escorted by soldiers and return to the provincial capital, roughly 35 miles away, at night. The official statement from the Palace is pictured The government figure is roughly triple the U.N. estimate of 670 killed by the landslide in the South Pacific island nation's mountainous interior Relief workers gather around provisions to be distributed, in the aftermath of a landslide in Enga Province This picture shows a demolished house at the site of a landslide at Yambali Village Eight people were killed and 30 houses burnt down on Saturday, a U.N. agency official said. Aid convoys on Monday passed the still smoking remains of houses. The first excavator only reached the site late on Sunday, according to a U.N. official. Six bodies have been retrieved so far. Contact with other parts of the country is difficult due to patchy reception and limited electricity at the site. Many people aren't even sure where their loved ones were when the landslide hit because it's common for residents to stay at the homes of friends and relatives, according to Matthew Hewitt Tapus, a pastor based in Port Moresby whose home village is roughly 12 miles from the disaster zone. 'It's not like everyone is in the same house at the same time, so you have fathers who don't know where their children are, mothers who don't know where husbands are, it's chaotic,' he told Reuters by phone. Locals gather at the site of a landslide at Mulitaka village Locals and members of United Nations (UN) take part in search and rescue efforts, led by Papua New Guinea's Defense Force Prime Minister James Marape's office said the disaster was being handled by PNG emergency authorities and Marape was in the capital Port Moresby preparing for the return of parliament on Tuesday, where he faces a no-confidence motion. Even when rescue teams can get to the site, rain, unstable ground and flowing water is making it extremely dangerous for residents and rescue teams to clear debris, according to Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the U.N. migration agency's mission in PNG. There is still a risk the soil and debris could shift again and more than 250 homes have been abandoned as officials encourage people to evacuate, he said. More than 1,250 people have been displaced. Some local residents also don't want heavy machinery and excavators entering the village and interrupting the mourning, he said. 'At this point, people I think are realising that the chances are very slim, that anyone can basically be taken out alive,' he said. Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles told the media that his office has been working with their Papua New Guinea counterparts since Friday's disaster. 'The exact nature of the support that we do provide will play out over the coming days. We've obviously (have) airlift capacity to get people there. There may be other equipment that we can bring to bear in terms of the search and rescue (and other matters)... that we are talking through with PNG right now,' he said. Papua New Guinea is a former Australian colony, achieving independence in 1975. America's super-wealthy are still risking their lives on deep sea adventures even after the catastrophic implosion of OceanGate's Titan last year that killed all on board. OceanGate's Titan submersible disappeared on June 18, 2023, after it plunged into the sea to explore the wreck of the Titanic - killing all five people on board, including the company's CEO, Stockton Rush. The cost of the expedition was $250,000. The company was slammed for flouting warnings of the risks and offering cut-price tickets to some of those on the trip. But despite the catastrophic implosion, rich thrill-seekers are still spending thousands on similar expeditions. One of the companies still operating deep sea dives, including an expedition back to the Titanic wreck, is Triton. Its operators insist their submersible is safer than Titan, which was criticized for having no official safety certification. America's super-wealthy are still risking their lives on deep sea adventures even after the catastrophic implosion of OceanGate 's Titan last year, that killed all on board (Pictured: next-generation Triton submersible, the Triton 660/9 AVA, called the Scenic Neptune II) They refused to share the per-person cost for a seat on their sub, or tell DailyMail.com when they plan to plunge to the depths of the Atlantic to reach the Titanic wreck. Triton's subs have been used in the past for the 'world's deepest dive' to Australia's Great Barrier Reef in July 2023 with British biologist Sir David Attenborough. This year, Triton subs were used for expeditions to the Mariana Trench, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Arctic Ocean. Influential individuals have recognized how the tragic implosion could impact the investment in deep ocean research, said Sophie Bentham-Wood, Executive Director of Global Marketing and Sales Strategies for the leading submarine company Triton. 'Some have already approached us to discuss the build of deep-diving submersibles purely to counteract any negative impact those events could have had and maintain momentum in the ocean space,' Bentham-Wood told Dailymail.com. Ohio real-estate investor and businessman, Larry Connor, is one of them. He is planning to be on the first sub to dive back to the titanic wreckage since the Titan imploded last June. Ohio real-estate investor and businessman, Larry Connor (left) says he is signed up for an expedition to the Titanic later this year OceanGate 's Titan submersible (pictured) disappeared on June 18, 2023, after it plunged into the ocean to explore the wreck of the Titanic. The cost of the trip was $250,000 The sub diver is determined to prove submersing down 12,500 feet to the 112-year-old titanic wreckage is perfectly safe - and he has the money to do so. Connor is set on taking a two-person submersible down to titanic wreck depths to show people worldwide that 'while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way,' he told the Wall Street Journal. He is planning the dive with Patrick Lahey, President and co-founder of Triton Submarines, one of the leading submersible companies in the world. The two have worked together previously diving to some of the ocean's deepest depths. Triton clients have already made various dives this year, from exploring the Mariana Trench, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Arctic Ocean. Despite OceanGate's catastrophic implosion last June, the pair aims to prove to the world that such an expedition can be carried out safely. Connor, who has previously explored the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench on Earth, said they plan to undertake the journey in a two-person vessel called the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer, named '4000' for the depth in meters it can reach. It's unclear when the trip will take place or how much it will cost. Triton clients have already made various dives this year, from exploring the Mariana Trench, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Arctic Ocean (Pictured: TRITON 660 AVA) Despite OceanGate's catastrophic implosion last June, Larry Connor and Patrick Lahey aim to prove to the world that such an expedition can be carried out safely Connor, who has previously explored the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench on Earth, said they plan to undertake the journey in a two-person vessel called the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer, named '4000' for the depth in meters it can reach With respect to the lives lost last June, Bentham-Wood said the 'continued exploration of the deep ocean in manned submersibles is essential to understanding the ocean environment, which is a key component of our future on this planet' Lahey was among many industry figures who criticized OceanGate before and after the disaster, accusing it of questionable safety standards. 'If there is any positive to draw from the situation, the legacy will be that there is further investment being made in deep ocean submersibles,' she told Dailymail.com (Pictured: Project Hercules, a collab between Triton Submarines and Espen ino International, a luxury sub) Historically, submersibles have successfully dived deeper than the Titanic for decades (Pictured: The world's first and only submersible certified 'Depth: Unlimited') The TRITON 660 AVA series employs our revolutionary Advanced Versatile Acrylics to create the world's first submersibles with a free-form acrylic pressure hull (Pictured: TRITON 660 AVA) The worlds deepest dive to Australias Great Barrier Reef was achieved by Sir David Attenborough in a Triton submersible Lahey was among many industry figures who criticized OceanGate before and after the disaster, accusing it of questionable safety standards. After the implosion, he described Rush's recruitment tactics use to convincing people to get on board as 'quite predatory' and emphasized that certified submersibles are generally safe. Lahey emphasized that this tragedy wasn't reflecting of the industry as a whole. 'In that sense, OceanGate didn't make the industry look bad,' McCallum told the WSJ. 'It made us look good.' Lahey said that after the implosion, Connor called him saying, 'You know, what we need to do is build a sub that can dive to [Titanic-level depths] repeatedly and safely and demonstrate to the world that you guys can do that, and that Titan was a contraption.' With respect to the lives lost last June, Bentham-Wood said the 'continued exploration of the deep ocean in manned submersibles is essential to understanding the ocean environment, which is a key component of our future on this planet.' 'If there is any positive to draw from the situation, the legacy will be that there is further investment being made in deep ocean submersibles,' she told Dailymail.com 'Plus everyone realizes the deep ocean is no place for compromise therefore, the need for programs to solely employ submersibles with full classification certification in their operations is not an option, but a prerequisite.' Before Titan, the only major sub disaster included the USS Thresher's 1963 implosion, killing 129 crew members Dakar - World's Record Deep Sea Dive (1954) Historically, submersibles have successfully dived deeper than the Titanic for decades. When the wreck of the Titanic was first first discovered in 1985, submersibles had already been diving to greater depths for several decades. The first to do so was the FNRS-3 bathyscaphe in 1954, setting a record by reaching 4,050 meters. In 1960, the Trieste descended 10,916 meters in the Mariana Trench. Since then, at least 16 submersibles have repeatedly taken people deeper than the Titanic over the past 69 years. The US submersible Alvin made the first dives to investigate the Titanic in July 1986, followed by the French submersible Nautile in 1987, which returned in 1993 and dived to the wreck 47 times in total. Today, ten submersibles in service can reach Titanic depths and beyond. According to the Marine Technology Society's submarine group, OceanGate was the only company operating a submersible capable of reaching Titanic-wreck depths that was not certified, raising industry concerns. 'There are only 10 submarines in the world that can go 4,000m or deeper and all of them are certified except the OceanGate,' Will Kohnen, chair of the Marine Technology Society's submarine group told CBC News in June 2023. OceanGate was conducting deep-ocean expeditions since 2009, with over 200 successful dives using its three submersibles in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico. The Titan was designed to reach deeper depths of over 13,000 feet, according to the company. Before Titan, the only major sub disaster included the USS Thresher's 1963 implosion, killing 129 crew members. British explorer Hamish Harding was among those killed in the 'catastrophic implosion' French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) was in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition But after the implosion, many in the industry called for extra caution around any future trips to the titanic wreckage. Other have called for greater oversight of the submersible industry as a whole. Last year, titanic expert Tim Maltin said trips to the wreckage should be paused until more is discovered about what occurred to the Titan sub. 'We need to make sure that any vessels that go down there carrying fee-paying passengers[are] certified to greater depths than they will be put through,' said Maltin. Caroline Heaven, a member of the British Titanic Society, said the dangers outweigh any benefits. 'I see no point in even considering the perilous journey to the wreck,' she told the BBC. 'The dangers involved are too great, the conditions are too cramped, and visibility is limited when the wreck is reached. Debris from the Titan submersible recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from a ship 'Out of the entire population of submersibles, 90 to 95 per cent are certified. There's a five to 10 per cent fringe, so in that aspect they are an outlier, but sure, in the deep submersibles they really stand out.' 'Our apprehension is that the current 'experimental' approach adopted by OceanGate could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic) that would have serious consequences for everyone in the industry,' he said. On June 18, the OceanGate's Titan was launched around 8am in the Atlantic Ocean above the site of the Titanic shipwreck. The five passengers, tourists Hamish Harding , 58, Shahzada Dawood , 48, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, French Navy pilot Paul-Henry (PH) Nargeolet and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, started to descend as Rush piloted the vessel. At 9:45am, the ship lost contact with its mothership, the Polar Prince, during a descent to the wreck of the Titanic 12,500 feet beneath the surface. Days later, its debris was recovered. It was said to have suffered a 'catastrophic implosion'. All on board died on the submersible. The US Coast Guard confirmed the victims' deaths four days later and an investigation into the implosion is ongoing . Because OceanGate's titan completely imploded, researchers will likely never determine the exact location of the flaw that caused the tragic event. Furious Menorcan residents living in a resort town known as 'Spain's Mykonos' have chained up their streets in their latest bid to stop holidaymakers intruding on their private properties. The nearly 200 homeowners of Binibeca Vell, which lies on the south of the island of Menorca, say they do not want any visitors before 11am or after 8pm. Anti-tourist signs attached to thick rope and chains have been hung up throughout the holiday hotspot. Locals have long complained of rowdy tourists disrespecting their homes by climbing stairs, scaling private balconies and even entering doorways to locals' homes as they hunt for picture perfect spots. Binibeca, famed for its whitewashed cottages and twisting alleys, can accommodate just 500 permanent residents in the summer, but every year around 800,000 tourists pile in and cause havoc for locals. But recent images show the small town almost completely deserted as several alleyways have ropes and chains hanging between the entrances with round signs indicating no trespassers. The nearly 200 homeowners of Binibeca Vell say they do not want any visitors before 11am and after 8pm Known for its whitewashed cottages and twisting walkways, Binibeca can only accommodate 500 permanent residents in the summer Nearly 800,000 people visit the town every year The new blockades are Binibeca's first anti-tourist measure before residents take a vote on whether to ban holidaymakers altogether in August, The Telegraph reported. Oscar Monge, president of the residents association, blamed Menorca's authorities for failing to regulate tourism in the area and leaving locals to take matters into their own hands. He said: 'Binibeca is promoted by the administration and tourism companies, but what benefit do we get out of it? 'We pay dearly for being the most potent tourist attraction in Menorca'. The residents organisation receives 25,000 annually to repair and touch up the outside painting of the town's houses but Monge believes the amount is insufficient and has demanded a plan to manage the area sustainably. He said: 'It's outrageous that the politicians who run local tourism are telling us that the only alternatives we have to keep the place clean are to close it, privatise it or start charging.' In a post on Binibeca's website, locals asked visitors to refrain from 'entering homes' and 'climbing balconies'. A popular Menorcan resort known as 'Spain's Mykonos' has chained up its streets to prevent holidaymakers from overcrowding them as they take selfies Binibeca Vell is a popular holiday hotspot because of its winding alleyways and whitewashed homes Angry locals have attached no trespassing signs to ropes and chains around the town n a bid to deter visitors The message included a series of pictures showing one tourist splayed out on a stairwell and another sitting in a chair belonging to one of the locals. There are 1.2million permanent people in the Balearic Islands, which are home to Menorca, the smaller neighbour of popular tourist destinations Majorca and Ibiza. In 2023, the islands saw about 18million tourists arrive, hitting a record for the archipelago. And 14.4million of these were foreign visitors, the majority of whom were Germans and Brits. It comes as Brits headed to Majorca this Bank Holiday weekend faced major disruption as thousands of people took to the streets in anti-tourist protests. The protests were held on Saturday evening, starting at 7pm, and were centred on the capital of Palma. Organisers said they were astounded by the number of groups and organisations which had pledged their support. 'Initially, we thought there would be about 2,000 people but now it is going to be considerably more,' said a spokesman for the organising group, Banc de Temps de Sencelles. Last week, a group under the slogan 'Mes turisme, menys vida', which translates to 'More tourism, less life' said it intended to cause chaos at Palma Airport over the coming weekend. Recent images show the idyllic town almost completely deserted Oscar Monge, president of the residents association, blamed Menorca's authorities for failing to regulate tourism in the area and leaving locals to take matters into their own hands Binibeca can only accommodate 500 permanent residents in the summer, but every year some 800,000 tourists pile into its pristine alleyways Mes is calling for a reduction in the number of flights at Palma airport, saying: 'Majorca is no longer overcrowded, Majorca is experiencing collapse. You cannot have airports that, year after year, break records.' The Balearic government says it is willing to change the tourist model and has started a round of talks with the public. As yet, no concrete measures have been agreed. Banc de Temps de Sencelles has labelled its campaign 'Majorca is not for sale!' and is so surprised by the promised support that it has asked the government to lay on more buses and trains so people from all over the island can attend. 'The demonstration aims to highlight the problem of access to housing in Mallorca, a general problem, but not isolated, because it cannot be separated from tourist saturation, the purchase of properties by foreigners,' said Carme Reynes of Banc de Temps de Sencelles. The group says the protest will be followed by 'other actions' over the coming weeks. Your browser does not support iframes. Protesters flood the streets of Tenerife last month (pictured), calling on local authorities to temporarily limit visitor numbers to alleviate pressure on the islands' environment, infrastructure and housing stock, and put curbs on property purchases by foreigners 'Tourist Go Home' is seen scrawled in English over a wall underneath a real estate promotion billboard in Nou Llevant, Majorca, a neighbourhood that has seen a massive influx of foreign buyers over the past few years. It is one of many instances of anti-tourism graffiti Protests in Majorca come after more than 50,000 people took to the streets of Tenerife back in April to protest against tourism on the island in the Canaries. Demonstrators were seeing brandishing 'you enjoy, we suffer' placards, claiming that the huge influx of tourists to the island is causing major environmental damage, driving down wages and squeezing locals out of cheap affordable housing, forcing dozens to live in tents and cars instead. British visitors to Tenerife are also set to be hit with a controversial 'tourist tax' from next year, local authorities recently confirmed. The proposal is part of the island's new tourism strategy and is seen as an eco tax, but the level of charge and the formalities are yet to be agreed by Parliament. It will apply to all of Tenerife's most famous protected sites, including the volcano Mount Teide and several rural parks and hamlets like Masca. A spokesman for the Tenerife government said the introduction of this eco tax was necessary due to the vast increase of people visiting protected sites, visitors and locals alike. Travellers aged 16 and over already pay a daily charge of up to 4 (3.45) when visiting the equally popular Balearic islands, such as Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza. The FBI is investigating the sale to US buyers of hundreds of treasures suspected of being looted from the British Museum. The BBC spoke to an antiquities buyer in New Orleans who revealed a FBI investigator had contacted him regarding two pieces he had bought from an eBay trader using the name sultan1966. The agent said he was assisting the Metropolitan Police. Last year, a senior curator in the museum's Greece and Rome department, Dr Peter Higgs, was sacked after an investigation found 1,500 items in its collection had been stolen or damaged. The Museum believes he has stolen, damaged, melted down or sold the items on pocketing around 100,000 in the process - and is bringing a civil case against him. According to court documents seem by the BBC, it believes he was stealing items for at least a decade, selling mostly unregistered items from the museum's storerooms. Dr Higgs, 56, from Hastings, East Sussex, denies the allegations. A senior curator at the museum Dr Peter Higgs (pictured), was sacked after an investigation found 1,500 items in its collection had been stolen or damaged. The Museum believes he has stolen, damaged, melted down or sold the items on pocketing around 100,000 in the process The British Museum has now launched a civil case against their former employee who they believe may have been stealing artefacts for as long as ten years Tonio Birbiglia, the New Orleans buyer, said he was 'completely shocked' when the FBI contacted him about an amethyst gem depicting a Cupid - the Roman god of love - riding a dolphin, which Mr Birbiglia bought for 42 in 2016. The agent was also interested in an orange scarab-beetle gem he bought for 170. Mr Birbiglia sent his payment for this item to a PayPal account registered under Dr Higgs' personal email address, but said he no longer possessed the two items. He said neither the FBI or British police followed up with him and said it seemed the FBI agent 'didn't try very hard'. The British Museum has not yet examined these items, and so has not determined whether they were from its collection. The BBC reported that the US law enforcement agency has also assisted with the return of 268 items sold to a collector in Washington DC, which the museum claims belong to it. Dr Ittai Gradel, a Danish antiquities expert, had raised concerns with the museum about potential thefts two years earlier but staff initially failed to properly investigate. He told the BBC he first had suspicions that parts of the department's collection was being sold online as long ago as 2016, when a piece of a cameo gemstone featuring Priapus - the Greek god of fertility was briefly posted for sale on eBay by the sultan1966 account. The Dane, who has a photographic memory, remembered he had seen the gemstone in an old British Museum gems catalogue he owned. He began monitoring the eBay account, and later established it belonged to Higgs', who had given buyers the name Paul Higgins. One of the artefacts which may have been involved in the trade online of British Museum treasures The curator used an online profile called sultan1966 to sell the precious gems through and American buyers have said Dr Higgs admitted the account belonged to him According to the court documents, the museum says Dr Higgs admitted the account sultan1966 belonged to him. Nobody has been arrested or charged with any offence. The British Museum declined to comment. The Metropolitan Police said a criminal investigation was opened in January 2023, following an internal museum audit. A spokesman said: 'A man was interviewed on Wednesday, 23 August 2023 under caution having voluntarily attended a police station. We will not be providing any further information at this time. Enquiries continue.' Thief at the British Museum is on BBC iPlayer. This video is no longer available This video is no longer available Dramatic footage has captured the moment a driver performed high-speed burnouts before his car later crashed into a tree and burst into flames. Police were called to a street in the suburb of Woodville West, in Adelaide's north west, at 1.45am on Monday after reports that a Holden sedan was on fire in the middle of the road. The car had smashed into a tree before spinning out into the street where it had leaked a trail of petrol that soon caught alight. CCTV footage captured the driver hooning through the deserted streets before the collision. CCTV footage captured the driver hooning through the deserted streets before the collision The car erupted into a fireball after doing burnouts on the quiet suburban street Witnesses, who reported hearing a 'blast', told police they saw the driver flee the scene as the vehicle went up in flames. CCTV from nearby homes shows a figure walking away down the street as the fireball erupts. Officers traced the registered owner to an address just a few streets away where he allegedly returned a breath test nearly twice the legal limit. Witnesses, who reported hearing a 'blast', told police they saw the driver flee the scene as the vehicle went up in flames 'He was reported for drink driving, driving without due care and leaving the scene of an accident,' a spokesperson for SA Police said. 'He lost his licence on the spot for six months.' Police also confirmed the driver will be summonsed to appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court at a later date.' A man remains behind bars after allegedly indecently assaulting a child at a popular fast food restaurant. Marhdu Andrew Rosas, 29, was remanded on custody in his first appearance before Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday over the alleged incident. He is accused of assaulting the child at the Hungry Jacks in Firle, East Adelaide, on Friday before fleeing when confronted by the kid's parent. Police arrested Rosas the following day at a home he shares with his mother in Mile End, about 8km west of the restaurant. He was charged with aggravated indecent assault and aggravated gross indecency. A 29-year-old man accused of indecently assaulting a child, Marhdu Andrew Rosas (pictured in handcuffs) Rosas allegedly assaulted the child at the Hungry Jacks in Firle, East Adelaide, (pictured) on Friday before fleeing after being confronted by the their parent Rosas broke down in court after spotting his mother, Melinda, in the gallery and wailed 'I love you mum' and 'I'm so sorry', 7News reports. Melinda told reports outside of court that she believed her son innocent because he comes from a 'big family'. 'We're a big family, kids everywhere, running around everywhere. There's no way he would've done this,' she said. 'He's innocent. He's a beautiful boy. He works hard. He loves family.' Rosas' lawyer didn't apply for bail and he was remanded in custody until his next court appearance in September. President Joe Biden stopped to see Hallie Biden, the widow of the late Beau Biden and son Hunter's ex, on his way back to Washington D.C. on Sunday night, just a week before she is scheduled to testify in his son's trial. Biden spent about 15 minutes at her home in Wilmington, Delaware. His motorcade stopped there in route to the Delaware National Guard Station, where Biden would lift off on Marine One to return to the White House. White House spokesman Andrew Bates said the president didn't discuss the trial with Hallie Biden during the visit. 'No,' he replied. 'He visited her because of the approaching 9th anniversary of Beau's passing.' May 30th marks the anniversary of Beau Biden's death from cancer. In addition to Hallie Biden, Hunter's ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and his ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan will also testify in the trial, where Hunter faces three charges related to illegal possession of a gun. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty. The trial is scheduled to begin in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 3rd. Special counsel David Weiss alleges that Hunter Biden unlawfully purchased and kept a Colt Cobra 388PL revolver in October 2018 and made false statements on a form used for gun purchases, claiming he was not an unlawful drug user. Then Vice President Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Beau and Hallie Biden in February 2012 None of the women were named in the court papers but they do state that 'Witness 1 was previously married to the defendant' and that 'she would check his vehicle from time to time because she did not want their children in a vehicle with drugs.' Hunter and Kathleen separated in October 2015, five months after Beau Biden's death. Witness 3, according to the filings 'was in a romantic relationship with the defendant in October 2018, and before and after.' And it also references Witness 2, a woman who 'was previously in a romantic relationship' with Hunter and 'observed the defendant using crack cocaine frequentlyevery 20 minutes except when he slept.' Hallie and Hunter dated in 2017, two years after Beau Biden died of brain cancer. Hunter has said the relationship developed out of their shared grief over Beau. In May 2019, Hunter wed South African filmmaker Melissa Cohen. Their son Beau was born in March 2020. Witness 1 is alleged to be Buhle, 2 to be Hallie Biden and 3 to be Kestan. It's unclear if Hunter will take the stand in his own defense. It's expected the trial will last up to nine days. Hunter Biden has acknowledged an addiction to crack cocaine during the period in which he purchased the gun but his lawyers have said he didn't break the law and the case is politically motivated. But prosecutors won a victory on a key point as U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika found that they wouldn't have to prove that he specifically used drugs on the day of the purchase. Judge Noreika, however, agreed to a defense push to keep out other details about his past, including a child-support case in Arkansas and his dismissal from the Navy after a positive drug test. Hunter Biden and Hallie Biden started dating two years after Beau Biden died Hunter has said the relationship developed out of their shared grief over Beau President Joe Biden visited Hallie Biden's house in Wilmington, Delaware Hunter Biden's trial begins June 3. He is seen outside court last week for a pre-trial appearance Also next month, Hunter Biden could go to trial on the opposite coast for the case involving tax evasion. That trial is scheduled to start June 20. He's accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over four years while living an 'extravagant lifestyle' during a period in which he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. The back taxes have since been paid. If convicted in the case, Biden faces a maximum of 17 years in prison. A female Fort Campbell soldier has been found dead in her off-base residence, triggering a murder investigation. Private First Class Katia Duenas-Aguilar, 23, was found around 8:30pm in a locked bedroom at the Tennessee residence on May 18. Detectives believe that the young mother had been killed. An investigation is now underway, with a $55,000 reward being offered by the private's family. Her killer remains at large. On Saturday, officials with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), said the organization is standing in solidarity with the woman's grieving mother, who hinted that someone within the military may have been responsible. She joined the Army in 2018, completing basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Eisenhower. She was then assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's (Air Assault) Combat Aviation Brigade, stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky for the past five years Private First Class Katia Duenas-Aguilar, 23, was found around 8:30pm in a locked bedroom at the Tennessee residence on May 18, after which detectives discerned she had been killed 'The problem is inside! The problem is inside and you [the reporter she had been speaking to] know too!' an emotional Carmen Aguilar shouted when asked is she thought someone within the Army could have killed her daughter. 'We're not all good. We want to believe that it's a nightmare, that we can wake up and she will still be there,' added Duenas-Aguilar's younger sister, Cecilia Ruiz-Aguilar, as she and other members of the family addressed the crowd in the victim's hometown in Texas. 'We're not okay right now.' The family added in an additional statement: 'We want to know what happened, who did it and we want to make sure that person or people are brought to justice.' Ruiz-Aguilar, meanwhile, hinted her sister - a mom-of-one - was not so happy while stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky right across the border, telling her local CBS affiliate in Texas: 'She would already tell me that she's not happy over there. 'I wanted her to come back so we could make more memories.' Not offering any more detail, she asked for help in finding the person who killed Duenas-Aguilar at her Clarksville apartment a few miles from her base. She joined the Army in 2018, completing basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Eisenhower. She was then assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's (Air Assault) Combat Aviation Brigade, whose Lt. Col. Tony Hoefler issued a statement to Military.com in the wake of the discovery. Pictured, the Clarksville apartment complex where the mom-of-one lived and was found, a 14 minutes' drive from Fort Campbell across the border 'We're not all good. We want to believe that it's a nightmare, that we can wake up and she will still be there,' said Duenas-Aguilar's sister Cecilia Ruiz-Aguilar (left), as she and other members of the family addressed a crowd in the victim's hometown in Texas. 'We're not okay right now' 'We are stunned by the death of Pfc. Duenas-Aguilar,' the brigade spokesperson said. 'In the meantime, we will continue to cooperate with Army and local investigative authorities on this matter.' The website with which he spoke reported that Duenas-Aguilar was awarded two Army Achievement Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon during her six years of service. During that span, she also fathered a four-year-old son, but as her sister mentioned, had also may have been planning to leave the Army. Reports indicate she gave birth while still stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky - located a 14 minute's drive from Duenas-Aguilar's apartment on Tiny Town Road in Clarksville, Tennessee. As of writing, it remains unclear who the father is. Police have yet to issue a statement as to a suspect. Carmen, meanwhile, issued a plea to both the Clarksville and Fort Campbell communities to help with the investigation, as she and others crowded around a podium for the press conference in Dallas, pleading for the public to provide any information that may lead to an arrest and conviction. 'We are destroyed,' the tearful mom said, nearly crying at points. 'My heart breaks.' 'I ask for justice. As everyone knows, this is not the first [case], there have been several others,' Carmen said Saturday in reference to other high-profile cases of Latina soldiers who've lost their lives, like Vanessa Guillen, who was killed at Fort Cavazos, formerly known as Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas, in 2020. There, in addition to her post in the brigade, she worked as an information technology specialist, positions she had held for the past five years, the family said. Reports indicate she gave birth while still stationed in Kentucky - at base six miles from the apartment where she was found. The boy's father has not been named, nor has a suspect. The boy was not a victim in the killing, cops confirmed 'She is not the first one.' Her daughter, meanwhile, was originally from Mesquite, Texas, she revealed - stating how she had been stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky since 2019. There, in addition to her post in the brigade, she worked as an information technology specialist, positions she had held for the past five years, the family said. She was found by a friend at her apartment six miles away, with very little other information offered by local cops. The girl's younger sister added how after the victim told her she was thinking about retirement, she suddenly changed her mind - citing a meeting with a counselor at the base. The family did not go into detail about why she was unhappy and considering leaving, nor did they say whether these feelings were somehow tied to the case. Cops, meanwhile, confirmed her son was not a victim in the crime, nor did they offer any insight as to where he was at the time of his mother's killing. They ruled the death a homicide, but have declined to say how she was killed. A $55,000 reward from the family and LULAC was subsequently announced for any information that may help the Clarksville Police Department solve the case, as military law enforcement helps as well. Analuisa Carrillo-Tapia of the LULAC National Military and Veterans Committee on Saturday said: 'This is a human being. This is a Latina. This is a young lady that signed on the dotted line to serve our country. 'We want to know what happened, who did it and we want the person or people who did it brought to justice.' DailyMail.com has reached out to the Clarksville Police Department for comment. (Photo : Unsplash/Matt Noble ) Tesla Inc. is hiring over a dozen Autopilot and artificial intelligence positions, marking its initial sign of workforce expansion following its weeks of layoffs. Tesla's Massive Overhaul Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on April 15 that the company would lay off over 10% of its global workforce to streamline operations and cut overhead costs as it strives to recover from substantial revenue declines during the first quarter of 2024. The first round of layoffs affecting Bay Area employees is scheduled to begin on June 14, followed by a second round on June 20. Each round is expected to take approximately two weeks to be fully executed. While the timing of when workers will be informed about their employment status remains uncertain, some may already be aware of their situation. Tesla's Open Positions in Autopilot and Robotics Division The company's career page displayed 17 job openings in the San Francisco area under its Autopilot & Robotics division as of May 23. It mainly focuses on engineering for Tesla's driver-assistance projects, with two positions specifically for AI research. Amid widespread job cuts expected to affect at least 10% of the company and extend through June, Tesla's career site has been notably sparse. In recent weeks, only three openings were listed for a manufacturing development program available in Texas, California, and Nevada. In addition to the roles based in Palo Alto, California, Tesla also advertised several positions in various states linked to a service center training program. READ ALSO: Tesla Continues Slashing Jobs, Adds 601 More in California, Government Notice Says The Growing Competition of EV, Robotics and AI Engineers Tesla CEO Elon Musk initiated the job cuts mainly due to a recent decline in electric vehicle sales, which has impacted the broader auto industry. Alongside reducing staff, Musk intensified his efforts in developing a robotaxi, as he now primarily sees Tesla as an AI, robotics, and sustainable energy company. During a remote appearance at the VivaTech conference in Paris on May 23, the CEO mostly sidestepped questions about introducing a low-cost electric vehicle to the market. Before the layoffs, Musk also asserted in a series of posts on X that competitor OpenAI had been aggressively recruiting Tesla engineers. Tesla had to raise compensation for its AI engineering team, which he stated comprised over 200 excellent engineers. The new Autopilot and robotics job postings include salary estimates ranging from $104,000 to $360,000 per year, in addition to cash and stock awards and benefits. Tesla's Contradicting Roadmap Tesla currently offers a product called Full Self-Driving, which requires users to keep their hands on the steering wheel and remain attentive to the road. While Musk has consistently promised that cars will soon achieve complete autonomy, he has also admitted that perfecting the technology has proven more challenging than initially anticipated. Musk has also changed direction after dismissing senior director Rebecca Tinucci and her entire 500-person EV charging team, stating that the company remains dedicated to investing well over five hundred million dollars to expand its flagship network of Superchargers. RELATED ARTICLE: Tesla Faces Another Setback as Bid to Dismiss Fraud-Based Self-Driving Lawsuit Gets Rejected 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Israeli forces earlier today exchanged gunfire with Egyptian troops along their shared border that resulted in the death of at least one Egyptian soldier. The IDF this afternoon reported a 'shooting incident' at the border close to the crossing into Gaza, adding that it was discussing the issue with the Egyptian authorities but revealed no further information. 'A few hours ago, a shooting incident occurred on the Egyptian border. The incident is under review and discussions are being held with the Egyptians,' the military said this afternoon in a statement. Cairo quickly confirmed the shooting as a military spokesman said authorities had opened an investigation into the incident. The shooting comes hours after the IDF conducted an airstrike on the city of Rafah in Gaza which killed at least 45 Palestinians according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Smoke rises from the region following the Israeli attacks on various areas in Rafah city, near the Egyptian border, Gaza on May 25, 2024 Fire rages following an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced Palestinians Palestinians observe the destruction caused by the attacks of Israeli army on tents of displaced Palestinians Gaza's civil defence force said this morning that the death toll from the punishing overnight strikes on Rafah rose to 40 before later upping that total again to 45. The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza said the attack hit a centre run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees near Rafah, branding it a 'horrific massacre'. The strike caused a fire that blazed through the camp in the Rafah governorate's Tal Al-Sultan area, reducing tents and shelters to ashes. Footage released by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society showed chaotic nighttime scenes of ambulances racing to the attack site and evacuating the wounded, including children. As Palestinians cleared the site on Monday, only blackened metal sheeting and charred planks remained, the tent shelters having been all but obliterated. Israel meanwhile said its aircraft 'struck a Hamas compound', killing Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar, two senior officials for the Palestinian militant group who primarily work in the occupied West Bank. The IDF added that it was 'aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review.' The strike came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population had sought shelter before Israel's recent incursion. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its ambulance crews transported 'a large number' of people killed and injured in the strikes. The Palestinian Authority presidency in the West Bank called it a 'heinous massacre', accusing Israeli forces of 'deliberately targeting' the tents of displaced people. Palestinians search for food among burnt debris in the aftermath of an Israeli strike The attack, caught on tape by refugees on the ground, resulted in heavy destruction and flames last night. It left civilians reeling this morning, with photos showing Palestinians searching through burned out tents and makeshift camps for food. Israel's allies further condemned its methods of warfare in the region, with the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell saying this morning as EU ministers met their Arab counterparts that a ruling made by a UN court for Israel to stop its invasion of Gaza immediately must be implemented. Borrell said today: We have to express not only respect, but to ask for the implementation of the decision of the court. 'This is really a dilemma how the international community can... force implementation of the decision.' He added that EU ministers were also set to discuss relaunching a mission suspended back in 2007 to monitor the crossing after calls for it to do so from regional players including Israel. The attack, caught on tape by refugees on the ground, resulted in heavy destruction and flames last night Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah The EU's top diplomat said he expected to get a preliminary mandate from ministers to press ahead with planning for the mission. 'But it's not only us who have to decide - the Egyptians, Palestinian Israelis,' he said. 'We need to increase the number of staff and we need to have an agreement with everybody involved.' Washington has also taken a tougher line with its close ally as outrage over the war and US support for Israel has become a major issue for President Joe Biden, seeking re-election in a battle against Donald Trump. The United Nations has warned of looming famine in besieged Gaza, where most hospitals are no longer functioning. Last Monday, the prosecutor at the ICC said he was seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defence minister as well as for three top Hamas figures. And on Friday, the UN's International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt any operation in Rafah that could bring about 'the physical destruction' of the Palestinians. Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 people in the area Israel's army confirmed Sunday's strike and claimed it hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants Hamas's armed wing said Sunday that it targeted Tel Aviv 'with a large rocket barrage in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians'. 'Hamas launched these rockets from near two mosques in Rafah,' Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. The salvo sent people scrambling for shelter but there were no reports of injuries. Israel's army said Sunday at least eight rockets were fired towards central areas of the country from Rafah, with strikes targeting the commercial hub of Tel Aviv for the first time in months. Fighting has recently centred on Rafah, where Israel's military launched a ground operation in early May despite widespread opposition over concerns for civilians sheltering there. Netanyahu vowed to pursue Israel's offensive ahead of a war cabinet meeting amid intense diplomacy to forge a truce and a hostage-release deal. The October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli army raid on a camp at an area designated for displaced people in Rafah Hamas militants took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead, from Israel He has long rejected Hamas's demand for a permanent end to the conflict triggered by the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack. A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the war cabinet would 'discuss a hostage release deal' on Sunday. Before the meeting, Netanyahu's office said Hamas's chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, 'continues to demand the end of the war, the withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and leaving Hamas in place, so that it will be able to carry out the atrocities of October 7 again and again'. 'Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly opposes this,' a statement said. EU members Ireland and Spain, and also Norway, have said they will recognise a Palestinian state from Tuesday, drawing furious Israeli condemnation. 'In order to make peace, we need a strong Palestinian Authority, not a weaker one,' said the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who met in Brussels with Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Mustafa. Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp area housing internally displaced people in Rafah Around 80 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes As the war grinds on, the families of hostages still held by militants have piled pressure on Netanyahu to secure a deal to free them Mustafa, whose government is based in the occupied West Bank, said the 'first priority' was to support the people in Gaza, especially through a ceasefire, and then 'rebuilding the institutions of the Palestinian Authority' in the territory after Hamas seized it from the PA in 2007. The Israeli official had said Saturday that 'there is an intention to renew these talks this week' after negotiations involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators stalled in early May. Around 80 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. Hamas triggered the war with its October 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,984 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. As the war grinds on, the families of hostages still held by militants have piled pressure on Netanyahu to secure a deal to free them. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas' remaining battalions and achieve 'total victory' over the militants, who recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza where the military has operated. The huge police inquiry into the Post Office scandal will use 80 detectives and be on the scale of a 'major murder or terrorism investigation', it has been reported. But while over 20 potential suspects at both the Post Office and Fujitsu have already been identified, decisions on whether charges will be brought are unlikely before 2026, The Guardian first reported. And while the police have already asked for extra funding from government to the tune of 6.75m to fund the huge operation, investigators are yet to be recruited to staff the probe, it added. Scotland Yard's Commander Stephen Clayman said in a statement: 'We understand the widespread and devastating impact the Post Office IT Horizon scandal has had on hundreds of sub-postmasters across the country. Ex Post Office boss Paula Vennells broke down in tears while giving evidence to the inquiry Ms Vennells struggled through a press pack on her way into the hearing for a three-day grilling Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance founder Alan Bates talks to the media outside the inquiry 'The Met began a criminal investigation in January 2020 focused on offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice. 'A team of detectives has been painstakingly working through millions of documents manually and with the help of specialist software, in parallel with the Public Inquiry. 'This is very time consuming and we cannot cut corners and risk missing evidence. 'Given the significant scale of the investigation, it has been agreed by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) that the next phase of the investigation will be a national policing effort, coordinated by the Met, with the pursuit of justice at its heart. 'We do not underestimate the seriousness of the task at hand and we are determined to carry out a full investigation with independence, precision and integrity.' Perjury and perverting the course of justice have been been identified as possible offences in a scandal which resulted in more than 900 Post Office operators being prosecuted for theft, fraud and false accounting between 1999 and 2015 due to the faulty Horizon software wrongly making it look as though money was missing from their branches. And while many had to wait decades to clear their name - or even died before they could see it happen - the further wait for any potential criminal trials is due to police having to take into account the full conclusions of the inquiry before finally handing over their files of evidence to prosecutors. The inquiry says it plans to issue its report in 2025, and the police will need until the following year to complete their work, they say. Even if the CPS do bring charges, there will then be a further wait for any charges to reach trial. Last week, former Post Office boss Paula Vennells wept while giving evidence at the Horizon inquiry after insisting that she 'loved' the company. The shamed 65-year-old also told the hearing in London that there are 'no words' that will make the 'sorrow and what people have gone through any better'. Ms Vennells - who insisted she 'worked as hard as I possibly could' - broke down in tears today, after doing the same on the first day of her evidence on Wednesday. She became emotional as she told the inquiry: 'I loved the Post Office, I gave it I worked as hard as I possibly could to deliver the best Post Office for the UK. 'What I failed to do was I failed to recognise the imbalance of power between the institution and the individual. I let these people down - I am very aware of that.' But Ms Vennells was accused of being in 'la-la land' and responsible for her own downfall during questioning by Edward Henry KC. Also last week, MPs finally approved a Bill to quash the convictions of theft, fraud, false accounting and other offences against sub-postmasters, and scrub cautions frmo their records. The Bill will apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, affecting those who were prosecuted by the Post Office, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) or Northern Ireland authorities in the years 1996 to 2018. The Scottish Parliament will pass its own law to a similar effect north of the border, because of Scotland's distinct legal system. Members of the Justice For Subpostmaster Alliance protest outside Aldwych House last week The SNP are trailing Labour by five points in Scotland at the start of the General Election campaign, a poll has found. A More In Common survey showed John Swinney's embattled party on 30 per cent support among Scots, compared to 35 per cent for Sir Keir Starmer's Labour. According to the pollster, if such a result were repeated at the 4 July vote, Labour would gain more than 25 seats in Scotland in a massive boost to their hopes of a House of Commons majority. The latest polling blow for the SNP came as Mr Swinney, the First Minister, faced fresh pressure over his 'shameful' support for disgraced former Scottish Government minister Michael Matheson. A Holyrood committee last week recommended the ex-health secretary be suspended from the Scottish Parliament for 27 days and suffer a 54-day loss of wages. Mr Matheson was investigated by the committee after attempting to get taxpayers to cover a near-11,000 data roaming bill, incurred on his iPad during a Moroccan holiday, on expenses and office costs. The Falkirk West MSP has refused to stand down from the Scottish Parliament despite the finding against him, while Mr Swinney has contested the committee's decision. The SNP leader claimed the group was 'prejudiced' by the prior comments of one of its Conservative members. A More In Common survey showed John Swinney's embattled party on 30 per cent support among Scots, compared to 35 per cent for Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross today campaigned in the constituency of disgraced former minister Michael Matheson - who tried to charge taxpayers for his iPad bill First Minister John Swinney has contested a Holyrood committee's 'prejudiced' decision against Mr Matheson Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey was also on the general election campaign trail in Scotland today Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross today campaigned in Mr Matheson's constituency as he hit out at Mr Swinney's support for the former SNP minister. Speaking at the Kelpies, Mr Ross confirmed his party would push ahead with their bid to force a vote in Holyrood calling on Mr Matheson to resign as an MSP. He told LBC: 'This is Michael Matheson's constituency, a constituency he should resign as the MSP for. 'He tried to claim 11,000 from the taxpayer to pay an iPad roaming charges bill, he then lied about it, he's been found guilty by a cross-party committee of parliament for breaching the code of conduct. 'But he clings on to his job with the full support of John Swinney. In any other line of work Michael Matheson would have been sacked - he's not even been suspended by the SNP. 'So, if John Swinney won't do the right thing, the Scottish Conservatives will take forward a vote in parliament this week urging Michael Matheson to resign so we can have a by-election here in Falkirk West on the same day as the general election.' Asked about Mr Swinney's claim the process was 'prejudiced' against Mr Matheson, Mr Ross added: 'It is a shameful position for John Swinney to take.' But the SNP leader defended his stance as he campaigned in Dumfries today, telling reporters: 'I think a First Minister's job is to make sure there is fairness for everybody in Scotland, that is everyone is treated fairly whoever they are. 'When I said I would be the First Minister for everybody in Scotland, that is what I meant. 'So, what sort of First Minister would I be if I just ignored the fact that there is a prejudicial process that is going to be put to Parliament?' He insisted the 'process that has been undertaken has been prejudiced' because Scottish Tory MSP Annie Wells made comments on Mr Matheson's case, but then remained on the committee as it ruled on the matter. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey was also on the general election campaign trail in Scotland today, as he sets his sights on SNP-held seats in the hope of replacing the party as the third biggest at Westminster. Speaking at the party's launch in North Queensferry, Fife, Sir Ed said: 'We have got great MPs. 'But I think we also have a great number of candidates who can beat the SNP in places like Dunbartonshire with Susan Murray, in places like Inverness, Skye and West Rossshire with Angus MacDonald. 'I believe we can make gains here in Scotland just as we're going to make gains against the Conservatives in England. 'I think we can have more liberals in Parliament after this election.' He added: 'We've seen people in Scotland rejecting the SNP, we're seeing that in our polls and in canvassing, and in places like Dunbartonshire and West Ross-shire, they're turning to the Liberal Democrats, so I think we can gain seats here in Scotland. 'The SNP are going to lose a lot of seats in Scotland, we're going to win seats here.' A pro-natalist influencer dad has given a wild theory about why he thinks hitting children is good for them in the long-run after he slapped his toddler in the face in front of a journalist. Malcolm Collins, 37, left a Guardian journalist 'appalled' after he smacked his two-year-old son in the face as they dined at a restaurant in his hometown of Valley Forge on the outskirts of Philadelphia on Saturday. The boy, called Torsten Savage, knocked the table with his foot, causing it to wobble, and his influencer father reached over and smacked him in the face so loudly it was caught on the reporter's tape recorder. At the time, they had been discussing father-of-eleven Elon Musk, who shares Malcolm's enthusiasm for pronatalism - an ideology promoting high birth rates. After hitting his child he continued the conversation as though nothing had happened. But the next day, Malcolm revealed the Guardian article detailing this interaction triggered a wave of calls to child welfare services by concerned members of the public. A pro-natalist influencer has explained why he thinks hitting his children in the face is good for them in the long-run, based on his observations of wild tigers At the time, he justified the controversial parenting style to the journalist by drawing parallels with tigers and how they deal with their misbehaving cubs. He said that he and his co-influencer wife Simone, 36, who is pregnant with their fourth child, observed the wild cats reacting to unruly cubs with a quick swipe of the paw. They tried this with their own kids and found it very effective, he explained. 'I was just giving you the context so you don't think I'm abusive or something,' Malcolm told the reporter, who said the slap was not 'heavy', but it was loud enough to hear in her voice recording. Malcolm's explanation for the physical response didn't satisfy some readers, who raised concerns to child protection officials. 'Multiple people called [child-welfare services] over this,' Malcolm told the New York Post on Sunday. 'There's now an active movement to take our kids away.' Malcolm Collins (pictured with his family), 37, left a Guardian journalist 'appalled' after he smacked his two-year-old son in the face as they dined at a restaurant in his hometown of Valley Forge on the outskirts of Philadelphia on Saturday Malcolm said that he and his co-influencer wife Simone, 36, observed the wild cats reacting to unruly cubs with a quick swipe of the paw. They tried this with their own kids and found it very effective, he explained The Pennsylvania couple are leading advocates of the theory that large families are necessary for the future of civilization through their charity, The Pragmatist Foundation. Known as pronatalism, the ideology promotes having a large brood of children as a means of tackling declining global birth rates, which believers say will lead to the collapse of the economy as retirees eventually dwarf the working population. The Collins couple have had child welfare services called on them before due to their unconventional parenting style. Malcolm told the Guardian they were called 'because our kids were wearing used clothes, because they were sick too frequently'. 'This was when we had them in daycare; of course they were sick all the time and because they were seen playing outside without us being outside. 'It's a locked-in, gated area that you can see from the house.' 'Pretty much all high-fertility families have had it happen to them,' he added. 'The government says, if you raise your kids in a cultural context that's different from ours, that's child abuse.' The Pennsylvania couple are leading advocates of the theory that large families are necessary for the future of civilization through their charity, The Pragmatist Foundation Simone is currently pregnant with their fourth child, a girl they plan to call Industry Americus The Collins couple have three children currently and they plan on having seven overall Malcolm and Simone Collins have three children: six-month-old daughter Titan Invictus, and sons Octavian George, four, and Torsten Savage, two. They use IVF to have their kids, and they hope to have seven children in total. Simone is currently eight months pregnant with their fourth child, a girl they're going to call Industry Americus Collins. Both parents are also autistic, which they see as a strength. When conceiving Titan Invictus - a name the decided upon because they feared a feminine name would be taken less seriously - they used genetic testing and embryo selection to eliminate genes connected with conditions like obesity and depression. It is one of the many reasons the pro-natalist movement is controversial, with many viewing it as a form of eugenics. Indeed, the Collinses have been called 'hipster eugenicists' - a label they denounce. 'We don't think humanity can be perfected, we just want to give our kids the best possible roll of the dice,' Simone told The Telegraph earlier this year. Pictured: the Collins couple picking raspberries in a photograph shared on Instagram Malcolm working in his Pennsylvania home with two of his three children Malcolm playing with his children at their Pennsylvania family home Preimplantation genetic screening is unregulated in the US, but there are several companies which will test embryos for risks of certain conditions. They include the Sam Altman-backed Genomic Prediction, which the Collins couple used for their childrens' health scores. For what they call 'the controversial stuff' they took data from this company and employed a team of scientists who say they can predict the likelihood of an embryo being happy in the future. On the topic of pronatalism, Malcolm said Tesla tsar Elon Musk, 52, has been 'fantastic' for the movement, describing him as 'our version of being the king'. 'I mean the most powerful, most wealthy person in the world advocating for your cause helps a lot,' he told the Guardian moments before smacking his toddler. 'Within this time period, he's our version of being the king, or something. He's to an extent disconnected from ' Malcolm said before pausing momentarily to hit the two-year-old. 'What Elon stands for, largely, I support,' he continued after. 'Our politics are very aligned.' The father wore matching red pajamas with his children and wife in photographs shared on Instagram The Pennsylvania couple are leading advocates of the theory that large families are necessary for the future of civilization through their charity, The Pragmatist Foundation The couple have become the face of the pro-natalist movement in America Musk's ex-girlfriend, and the mother of three of his children, follows Malcolm's wife Simone on X. The richest man in the world has had 11 children with three different women. 'If people don't have more children, civilization is going to crumble. Mark my words,' Musk told a business summit in December 2021. He described population collapse as 'the biggest danger' to humanity, even more so than climate change. Musk went as far as to say that Japan, where birth rates are the lowest in the world, 'will eventually cease to exist'. The tech mogul has six children with first wife Justine Wilson, who he divorced in 2008, three with on-again/off-again girlfriend Canadian musician Grimes and twins with his employee Shivon Zilis. Sunbathers have been left in shock after a Majorca beach revealed it was charging holidaymakers up to 60 a day to use beach facilities. Cala Major, a public beach in Palma, on the island of Majorca, is charging up to 70 (60) per day to use premium facilities, including luxury deckchairs and beach umbrellas. A normal set of two deckchairs and an umbrella would still set back a holidaymaker 25.50, or just under 22, for an entire day. Lawyer Toni Bennassar, who shared a picture of the signs showing the extortionate prices at Cala Major, said that the move would price out regular Majorcans. '[The City Council of Palma] has guaranteed that Majorcans occupy the beaches for as little time as possible, so that they remain unoccupied for foreigners who can pay these prices', he wrote on X. Cala Major, a public beach in Palma, on the island of Majorca, is charging up to 70 (59) per day to use premium facilities A tourist enjoys the weather at Magaluf beach Last month, Palma's ruling political party, the People's Party, was criticised for extending private businesses' right to monopolise public beach space (File image) Last month, Palma's ruling political party, the People's Party, was criticised for extending private businesses' right to monopolise public beach space until at least April 2025. Neus Truyol, a spokesperson for the Mes per Palma party, told local media that Cala Major 'has been affected by the massive placement of sunbeds and umbrellas, leaving no space for the fundamental right to enjoy the beach without paying.' He added: 'We demand that the PP inspect the occupation of sunbeds and umbrellas in Cala Major. 'We cannot subject the entire beach to the private tourist business.' Tensions between locals and holidaymakers flared over the weekend, when thousands of anti-tourism protesters paraded through the streets of Majorca, booing and jeering at foreign visitors in the first of many mass demonstrations planned by furious activist groups. An estimated 15,000 locals joined the protest that snaked through the capital Palma and headed for Weyler Square, where holidaymakers were out in force for dinner and drinks. Protesters hold a banner reading 'Mallorca is not for sale' during a demonstration to protest against the massification of tourism and housing prices Protesters carrying banners with anti-tourism slogans and banging drums gathered in the centre of the capital Palma An estimated 15,000 locals joined the protest that snaked through the capital Palma and headed for Weyler Square, where holidaymakers were out in force for dinner and drinks Protesters shout at shocked holidaymakers enjoying dinner and drinks in Palma Marchers were heard chanting 'Tourists go home' as they passed through the central square on the 20-minute route from a nearby park, carrying banners emblazoned with the message: 'Salvem Mallorca, guiris arruix' which in Catalan Spanish means 'Let's save Majorca, foreigners out'. The colloquial expression 'Guiri' is used to describe the likes of British holidaymakers renowned for partying and heavy drinking, typically in a mildly offensive way. Another placard said in Catalan: 'Wherever you look, they're all guiris.' The Palma protest was organised by Banc del Temps, a group which hails from the inland Majorcan town of Sencelles and is outraged by the struggles locals face in affording homes on the island due to the higher prices owners can get for holiday rentals. Following Saturday's protest, Banc del Temps spokesman Javier Barbero issued a chilling warning. 'This is just the start of things. If measures aren't taken we will continue taking to the streets until we see action.' President Joe Biden paid his respects to fallen service members on Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The commander-in-chief, 81, honored veterans, his late son Beau and honored the Americans who landed at Normandy on D-Day ahead of the 80th anniversary of the operation next week. Biden was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at Arlington National Cemetery for the annual ceremony before delivering remarks to an audience of current and former service members. Austin took part in the the annual tradition just three days after he had to temporarily pass on his duties to have a medical procedure at Walter Reed Medical Center. It came as millions across the country paid tribute to the men and women who have served and were filled fighting for their country. Donald Trump marked Memorial Day with a Truth Social post tearing into 'human scum' that's 'working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country'. President Joe Biden paid his respects to fallen service members on Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier He wrote: 'Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesnt count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for DEFAMATION. 'She didnt know when the so-called event took place - sometime in the 1990s - never filed a police report, didnt have to produce the dress that she threatened me with (it showed negative!), & sung my praises in the first half of her CNN Interview with Alison Cooper, but changed her tune in the second half - Gee, I wonder why (UNDER APPEAL!)? 'The Rape charge was dropped by a jury! Or Arthur Engoron, the N.Y. State Wacko Judge who fined me almost 500 Million Dollars (UNDER APPEAL) for DOING NOTHING WRONG, used a Statute that has never been used before, gave me NO JURY, Mar-a-Lago at $18,000,000 - Now for Merchan!' The former president later took a more somber tone and wrote: 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13.' Biden reflected on the loss of his own son Beau as he delivered remarks honoring military members at the auditorium at Arlington. 'I know how hard it can be. It brings you back to the exact moment you got that phone call, heard that knock on the door, or held the hand when the last breath was taken. 'I know, it hurts. 'This week marks nine years since I lost my son, beau. Our losses are not the same. He didn't perish in the battlefield. He was a cancer victim next to being a burn pit. Biden said he remembers Beau's pride in his sense of 'duty'. The commander-in-chief, 81, was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at Arlington National Cemetery for the annual ceremony Donald Trump marked Memorial Day with a Truth Social post tearing into 'human scum' that's 'working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country Austin (right) took part in the the annual tradition just three days after he had to temporarily pass on his duties to have a medical procedure at Walter Reed Medical Center Biden honored veterans, his late son Beau and honored the Americans who landed at Normandy on D-Day ahead of the 80th anniversary of the operation next week. The trio bow their heads as a Marine carries the wreath during the ceremony Biden reflected on the loss of his own son Beau as he delivered remarks honoring military members at the auditorium at Arlington Biden honored veterans who have served the U.S. throughout history during the solemn ceremony 'That was the code of my son lived by and the creed you all lived by,' he said referencing the veterans in the audience. 'The creed generations of service members have followed into battle on the grounds around us by fallen heroes from every major conflict in history. 'To defend our Independence, to preserve our union, to defeat fascism, build powerful alliances, forge the fires of two world wars. 'Members of the greatest generation 80 years ago next week took to the beaches of Normandy and liberated a continent and literally saved the world. 'Others who stood against communism in Korea and Vietnam.' 'They made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan and Iraq. Who signed up to defeat terrorists, protect our homeland after 9/11. 'Decade after decade, tour after tour these warriors fought for our freedom and the freedom of others. 'Because freedom has never been guaranteed. Every generation has to earn it, fight for it, defend it in battle. 'Between the greed of a few and the rights of many. It matters. 'Our democracy is more than just a system of government. It is the very soul of America. This week marks nine years since Biden's son Beau died of brain cancer. He was an Army Captain exposed to toxic burn pits Sarah Schumann rests at the gravesite of her husband, Army Specialist Jordan Schumann, at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., May 27, 2024 Families visit Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, where the service members who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq have been laid to rest Kim Hoan Nguyen, of Falls Church, Va., who is originally from Vietnam, sets up ritual offerings in the Vietnamese tradition at the gravesite of her son, Marine Corporal Binh N Le, who died serving in Iraq in 2004 Two men and a little girl walk between the gravestones in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery 'It is how we've been able to constantly adapt through the centuries and why we've always emerged from every challenge stronger than when we went in and how we come together as one nation united. 'And just as our fallen heroes have kept the ultimate faith with our country and democracy we must keep faith with them.' Trump be back in Manhattan court on Tuesday for the start of closing arguments in the hush money trial. He spent the weekend campaigning with a speech at the Libertarian Party Convention and then an appearance at a NASCAR race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Biden spent his Saturday at West Point speaking to graduates at the military academy's commencement. A Chicago mother who spent ten years in Switzerland and learned their relaxed parenting style shocked her US neighbors by letting her young daughter walk to school alone. Author Chantal Panozzo moved back to the US from Switzerland when her daughter was three years old. While she was abroad she said she picked up the Swiss approach to parenting which prioritizes a child's self-sufficiency and independence. So when she moved back to Chicago to care for a sick parent, she started letting her daughter walk to school alone. She said: '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.' Chantal Panozzo shocked her US neighbors by letting her young daughter walk to school alone Panozzo said that in Switzerland parents take a 'benign neglect' approach to raising children, giving them the space to 'learn to manage themselves'. She said brought the approach back to the US and said it has given her daughter 'freedoms that many of her coddled American peers' don't have. But Panozzo said she has been criticized by the community for her hands-off approach. One neighbor who saw her daughter setting off to school alone even reportedly told her 'we'd be happy to drive her in the morning'. Despite the criticism, Panozzo said she and her her husband 'can't bring ourselves to join' the 'seemingly never-ending' school car line. She said: '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. Panozzo said that in Switzerland parents take a 'benign neglect' approach to raising children, giving them the space to 'learn to manage themselves' '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.' Panozzo compared the American approach to Switzerland where 'children as young as 5 walk or bike to school alone'. She added: '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.' Chantal Panozzo is the author of Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I'd Known and the founder of Cross Border Content. All flights were grounded at New York's JFK this afternoon - an occurrence attributed to ongoing thunderstorms seen across much of the US, the FAA said. The travel chaos comes as citizens in Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee were all hit over Memorial Day Weekend by a bevy of twisters, heavy winds and flooding, which, so far, have killed at least 21 people. Among them were four children, spurring a statewide emergency declaration in Kentucky as the mass of severe weather was set to move east. As a result, more than 100million across the East Coast are now at risk, with 4,600 flights delayed. This includes the well-traveled Tristate, where thunderstorms - and even the odd tornado - could be in the forecast. Another 409 flights were canceled. New York City residents were already told to brace for a red alert from 6pm Monday due to the threat of incoming storms, while the FAA's ground stop is expected to last through 3:45pm. The red alert, meanwhile is expected to last into the early hours of Tuesday, during which New Yorkers will be bombarded torrential rain, hail, and gusty winds, which may produce flash flooding. Scroll down for video: All flights were grounded at New York's JFK this afternoon - an occurrence attributed to ongoing thunderstorms seen across much of the US, the FAA said. Some halted flights are seen there Monday afternoon The travel chaos comes as citizens in Texas , Arkansas , Kentucky , Missouri and Tennessee were all hit over Memorial Day Weekend by a bevy of twisters, heavy winds and flooding, which so far have killed at least 21 people. Seen here, a tornado in Eddyville, Kentucky, Sunday Seven have already died in Texas, eight in Arkansas, two in Oklahoma and four in Kentucky, while a fifth person was said to be 'fighting for their life' by the Blue Grass State's governor in a press conference Monday. 'Sadly we can confirm that we have lost at least four Kentuckians from last night's storm,' Gov. Andy Beshear said at the emergency conference from the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center. 'That means we know that there are at least four families this morning that have suffered the loss of a loved one less than 24 hours ago that are hurting. 'We ought to rally around them and do everything we can to carry them and the days the weeks and the years to come,' he added - before revealing the uncertain fate for the fifth person. In New York, flights were grounded at JFK early in the afternoon, the FAA said. The agency thus issued a ground stop at JFK - the city's most trafficked airport - around 2:30pm, as rain began to stream down after some showers in the morning. The stop, as of writing, is expected to last late into the afternoon, while not-so-nearby LaGuardia saw all its flights grounded around 1 pm - though that order has been lifted. Officials there, however, still warned to expect an average of 100-minute delays to last through the night, something they said could last as long as three and a half hours. At Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, flights were experiencing 15 minute delays around 11:30 am, the FAA further confirmed. Those delays ceased around 1pm, but more are expected not only at Newark, but at JFK and LaGuardia through 7 pm. At around 2:45pm, a Special Weather Statement was issued for Queens & Brooklyn, where city leaders instructed residents to stay indoors amid 'strong thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 40 mph. 'Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects,' the alert added. 'If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside of a building.' In New York, flights were grounded at JFK early in the afternoon, the FAA said. The agency thus issued a ground stop at JFK - the city's most trafficked airport - around 2:30pm, as rain began to stream down after some showers in the morning The stop, as of writing, is expected to last late into the afternoon, while not-so-nearby LaGuardia saw all its flights grounded around 1 pm - though that order has been lifted. One of JFK's runways is seen soaked Thursday afternoon .@NWSNewYorkNY Special Weather Statement for Queens & Brooklyn: Strong thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 40 mph are expected. Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside of a building. NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) May 27, 2024 At another transit hub located along the Mid-Atlantic, Chicago, a planes engine literally caught fire in Chicago OHare Airport just before 3pm - shortly after two rounds of severe storms led to Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and even Tornado Warnings in parts of the city. The incident - which is currently being addressed - saw all airport operations suspended, after only 28 flights had been canceled beforehand due to increment weather. Meanwhile, more than 4,000 flights nationwide currently delayed, with no flights canceled at Chicago's alternative airport Midway International. Before the unspecified plane caught fire on a runway at O'Hare, a total of 1,024 flights had been delayed. At Midway, 162 flights were delayed in a span of 24 hours. In the South, the four fatalities so far confirmed included a 67-year-old woman in Mercer County, a 62-year-old woman in Hardin County, a 48-year-old woman in Hopkins County, and a 34-year-old man in Jefferson County - all of whom went unnamed. This brings the nationwide death toll over the Memorial Day Weekend up to 21, after a woman and two of her children saw their home struck by a tornado Saturday night in Valley View, Texas, killing all three. 'It was a really terrible thing,' Benito Esparza, the sole survivor's brother, told CNN in Spanish Monday, of the fate of sister-in-law Laura Esparza and her children Marco, 10, and Miranda, 16. His brother, Refugio Esparza, survived the tornado, but suffered a broken leg and pelvis. 'He lost three people, his wife and two kids,' Benito Esparza said. 'It's not easy.' The mass of severe weather had been forecast to move east, affecting more than 100million across the East Coast. New York City (seen here Monday Morning) is among the metros at risk Meanwhile, seven people are dead in northern Texas, wreckage was strewn across a property Sunday the day after a deadly series of tornados hit Valley View and much of the rest of the central United States One of at least 20 powerful tornadoes spotted Saturday and Sunday - this one seen in North Texas later Saturday in Cooke County Another eight have died in Arkansas, two in Oklahoma and four in Kentucky - with a fifth person 'fighting for their life' in the Blue Grass State, Gov. Andy Beshear revealed in a press conference called Monday. The update brought the nationwide death toll over the Memorial Day Weekend up to 21, after a woman and two of her kids saw their home struck by a tornado Saturday night in Valley View, Texas. Pictured: Laura Esparza (center) and kids Miranda, 16, and Marco, 10 He added how two of Refugio's older children were not at the home at the time of the tornado, which first surfaced outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area overnight Saturday, and saw at least seven killed. That made it the deadliest tornado in state history since 2015 - leaving residents to dig through the tons of rubble and debris left behind. That distinction was not lost on Benito, who spent Monday morning sifting through the remains of his brother's home for what was left. 'It's a very big disaster for everyone, as you can see,' said Esparza of storm's ongoing effect, as recovery efforts to continue. He further recalled how his three family members died after their trailer was thrusted across a street - a scene that was sadly not unique across the country Saturday and Sunday. There were more than 20 tornado reports within that span ranging from Texas to Missouri, bolstered by several detailing the damage left behind and, of course, the casualties. Elsewhere in Texas, violent storms overtook 18-wheelers, destroyed homes, and brought down power lines - even crushing a Shell station in Cooke County. This left 125 people trapped for a period Saturday night, officials said - revealing how all miraculously were retrieved uninjured. Several of the deaths were reported in Valley View in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, where a tornado Saturday night plowed through a rural area near a mobile home park That made it the deadliest tornado in state history since 2015 - leaving residents to dig through the tons of rubble and debris left behind. The area as it was Sunday, as recovery efforts persist Also hit was nearby Denton County, where search and recovery efforts are still underway There, the storms inflicted some of their worst damage - in a region spanning from north of Dallas to the northwest corner of Arkansas. The system then threatened to bring more violent weather to parts of the Midwest, affecting counties in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky. A slew of deaths in those states were recorded Sunday, mostly from falling trees. One such death was confirmed in Mercer County early Monday, before the governor confirmed four overall had died. That person was pronounced dead along with another in Louisville, where Mayor Craig Greenburg confirmed it was a storm-related death. Hours later, the state's governor revealed the tally was up to four - a number that very well could still rise, he said. The trees and homes damaged in those states were hit not only by tornados, but by winds that reached 135mph in some places, leaving some 500,000 without electricity across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Texas. Out of the 21 who died, seven of the storm-related deaths came from Cooke County, Texas, as well as eight across a range of areas in Arkansas. Juana Landeros, who rode out deadly tornado with her husband and her 9-year-old son when it rolled through the previous night, salvages items from her destroyed home Sunday More damage in Denton county is seen here, as much of the central US was not spared by the twisters A man looks at a damaged car after a tornado hit the day before, Sunday in savaged Valley View The storms left a wide trail of destruction Sunday, before moving northeast into Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky Guadalupe Virgin statue lays among the rubble of a destroyed home in Valley View, which was one of the town's most affected by the tornados and more than 100pmh winds Wreckage is strewn across a property the day after a deadly series of tornados hit the central United States, in an aerial view over the north Texas town near Oklahoma Several cars are seen heavily damaged outside the remains of a Shell gas station, after it collapsed in on itself trapping more than 100 people taking shelter. Miraculously, they all survived unscathed, officials said Another two were recorded in Oklahoma's Mayes County, where trees have been uprooted by twisters all over town, with powerlines down and structures flattened. In Arkansas, The National Weather Service in Tulsa said a survey team found EF-3 damage near the town of Decatur, where at least one tornado hit. Another two hit Beaver Lake and others in Benton County, where three of the eight casualties were recorded. A 26-year-old woman, moreover, was found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, as recovery efforts in all four states continue. In addition to the incident described by Esparza, the dead in Texas included two other children, ages 2 and 5, and three other family members also found together in a tornado-struck home in Cooke County. The severe weather, meanwhile, is not over, after it pushed east into the Midwest and the Ohio Valley over the course of Sunday. Missouri was the state hit hardest Sunday, where residents of Mehlville reported a violent storm and possible tornado that destroyed dozens of houses. This saw cities like Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville, Tennessee, St. Louis, and Cincinnati hit by strong showers and damaging winds, but no tornados, as of writing. It is set to finish off today over the East Coast, where risk of severe weather was issued to mid-Atlantic strongholds such as Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina. Damage is seen to Tom Jones' home after the roof blew off during a storm Sunday in nearby Claremore, a community just across the border in Oklahoma view storm damage to their next door neighbor's home in the small town, which is located in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains People view more of the storm damage Sunday in the same community, after the weather moved east to other states Two deaths were recorded in Oklahoma's Mayes County (seen here Sunday), where trees have been uprooted by twisters all over town, with powerlines down and structures flattened People view the damage at the town's First Baptist Church, after a curfew was put into effect the night before Businesses in Arkansas were also damaged from the storm, with Home Town Flea Market in Rodgers left in ruins Sunday Eight people overall died as a result of the weather in the state, which left the city in Benton county 'unrecognizable', officials said Missouri was the state hit hardest Sunday, where residents of Mehlville reported a violent storm and possible tornado that destroyed dozens of houses Meanwhile, clean-ups in several counties in those five states continue, as officials continue to look for any others hurt by the disasters There, 27 million people are at risk of strong to severe thunderstorms, with more than 110 million people are at risk of severe weather in general. That includes south of New England, where there is a level 2 out of 5 threat. Meanwhile, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC, are at risk for tornadoes, but the chances for any to develop are low, officials said. The travel hubs of Atlanta, New York, and Philadelphia will now have to contend with the prospect of damaging storms and even tornados - though the latter is more unlikely. This led to the litany of delayed and canceled flights Monday, just as Memorial Day winded to a close. Travelers are urged to check the current weather conditions of the states they are heading to. Russia's most modern tank has been seen suffering a 'disco head' glitch that sends its turrets spinning out of control while on the battlefield under fire. The bizarre fault has struck the T-90 tank - a third-generation Russian main battle vehicle that has been dubbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the 'best tank in the world.' But the impressive machine has been hit with an embarrassing bug, 'spinning turret syndrome', where any minor damage causes the turret to begin rotating uncontrollably, making it incapable of any further combat. The worst example of the flaw came during a battle in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region when Ukrainian troops in two US-supplied M2 Bradley fighting vehicles came face-to-face with one of the Russian T-90s. The Bradley's hit the Russian tank with rapid 25mm cannon fire which was expected to cause little damage to the T-90s due to their heavy frontal armour. The Russian T-90 tank was seen spinning out of control due to a bug dubbed 'spinning turret syndrome' Ukrainian troops in two US-supplied M2 Bradley fighting vehicles came face-to-face with one of the Russian T-90s (pictured) before it malfunctioned Another piece of footage captured the moment another T-90 began spinning out of control The machine crashed into a tree which stopped the rotating However, after a few hots the tank's turret started rapidly spinning in a clockwise direction meaning the Russian's had no chance of accurately returning fire. In footage of the humiliating incident, the turret was seen rotating in a frenzy without any end in sight until the gun barrel ultimately slammed into a tree which stopped the spinning. Unable to return any fire to the Ukrainian's, the tank's crew fled on foot before the tank was demolished by a Ukrainian first-person view attack drone. The 'spinning turret syndrome' was also seen on another occasion on May 10 after a T-90 came under attack by a series of FPV kamikazes. When the second one hits, the turret begins spinning clockwise before pausing briefly as the crew attempt to get it under control. But to no avail, the rotating starts again and continues until the tank halts and the engine appears to be switched off. In recent weeks, several abandoned T-90Ms have been destroyed by grenades dropped from Ukrainian drones. One theory behind the mysterious flaw is that minor hits are penetrating the turret and killing or injuring an operator who then ends up slumping forward over the controls. This theory says the position of the levers to control the turret mean that someone pitching on to them always causes clockwise rotation. A second theory shared online is that the issue is related to the first control system. The impressive T-90 has been hit with an embarrassing bug where any minor damage causes the turret to begin rotating uncontrollably, making it incapable of any further combat One theory behind the mysterious flaw is that minor hits are penetrating the turret and killing or injuring an operator who then ends up slumping forward over the controls The T-90 tank is a third-generation Russian main battle vehicle that has been dubbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the 'best tank in the world' Similar to other modern tanks, the T-90's gun has automated aiming which rotates the turret to keep the gun locked on to a target. The theory suggests that the damage to the optics sends a false signal to the fire control system, causing the turret to spin uncontrollably. A third explanation revolves around the tank's defensive suite as the tank has a laser warning receiver which sounds an alarm when the tank is illuminated by a laser on the battlefield. As well as the alarm, the system automatically twists the turret around so the gun is facing the threat and shoots off special flares to confuse laser guidance. But as the sensors are external, any incoming damage may cause a false signal leading to the turrets spinning. A former British Army tank commander, Hamish de Bretton-Gordan told The Telegraph, however, that the problem likely lies with inexperienced crews and poor electronics. He added: 'It's very easy for inexperienced people to become very disoriented in a tank because a tank's hull can move in one direction, the turret could be in another direction and the commander's sight could be in a completely other direction, which is why we get the term 'disco head' because people can easily become disoriented and the tank spins out of control. 'It could also be an electronics failure. Western tanks have a quite sophisticated fire control system, and the Russians don't appear to have got it right'. Iran is continuing to enrich uranium to near weapons-grade after UN talks have stalled, the UN's nuclear watchdog has warned. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran's estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached more than 30 times the limit set out in the 2015 agreement between Tehran and world powers. According to a confidential IAEA report, the country's total enriched uranium stockpile was estimated at 13,671.5 pounds as of May 11, up by 1,489.9 pounds from the last quarterly report in February. About 313.2 pounds of the uranium is enriched up to 60 per cent - an increase of 45.4 pounds. Uranium enriched at 60 per cent purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. It comes as talks aimed at improving its cooperation with the IAEA and monitoring by the watchdog in Iran are stalled, a second confidential report has revealed. In this picture released by the Iranian Defense Ministry on Thursday, May 25, 2023, Khorramshahr-4 missile is launched at an undisclosed location, Iran Head of Iran's atomic energy department Mohammad Eslami waves to media at the conclusion of his joint press conference with International Atomic Energy Organization, IAEA, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, left, after their meeting in the central city of Isfahan, Iran, on May 7, 2024 'There has been no progress in the past year towards implementing the Joint Statement of 4 March 2023,' it stated. 'The Director General reiterates to the new government of Iran his call for, and disposition to continue with, the high-level dialogue and ensuing technical exchanges commenced ... on 6-7 May 2024,' it added. In its current report, the IAEA also said Tehran has not reconsidered the agency's September 2023 decision of barring the most experienced nuclear inspectors from monitoring its nuclear program but added that it expected Iran 'to do so in the context of the ongoing consultations between the Agency and Iran.' The IAEA said that the deaths of Iran's President and Foreign Minister in a helicopter crash have caused the pause in the UN nuclear watchdog's talks with Tehran over improving cooperation. In its current report, the IAEA said that Iran suggested in a letter dated May 21 that discussions related to the cooperation between the IAEA and Iran 'be continued in Tehran "on an appropriate date that will be mutually agreed upon".' Iran has maintained its nuclear program is peaceful, but the IAEA chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has already warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make 'several' nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. He has acknowledged the agency cannot guarantee that none of Iran's centrifuges may have been peeled away for clandestine enrichment. The IAEA said that the deaths of Iran's President and Foreign Minister in a helicopter crash have caused the pause in the UN nuclear watchdog's talks with Tehran over improving cooperation (pictured: the memorial at the Iranian Embassy in Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 20, 2024) The Iranian uranium enrichment facility at Fordow near Qom, in northern Iran Iran trials a medium-range surface-to-surface missile, the Sejil-2, in northeastern Iran in 2009. Then-President Ahmadinejad said Iran was capable of sending any aggressor 'to hell'. Iran and the United Nations' nuclear watchdog are still negotiating over how to implement a deal struck last year to expand inspections of the Islamic Republic's rapidly advancing atomic program. The IAEA's acknowledgment shows the challenges his inspectors face, years after the collapse of Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers and the wider tensions gripping the Mideast over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In December last year, the UK government warned that Iran's stockpiles 'are unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme', denouncing the 'deplorable state' of its commitments to a 2015 deal in which Tehran agreed to slash stockpiles and enrich only to 3.67 per cent. According to the UK government, 'Iran has continued to violate the terms of the JCPOA agreement' since May 2019. The JCPOA refers to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an agreement made between Iran, the EU and the P5+1 in 2015 to limit Iran's enrichment programme. Iran agreed to cut its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98 per cent, limit its enrichment activities and convert facilities to avoid further risk of nuclear proliferation. By 2018, the IAEA was reporting that Iran was committing to its agreement after installing surveillance across plants. But two years later, Iran said it would no longer abide by the terms of the deal but would continue to work with the IAEA, leaving the door open for a revised agreement. Iran has been developing nuclear technology since 1957, backed at first by the American 'Atoms for Peace' programme which provided adopters with nuclear technology in return for a commitment to only using it for civilian purposes. (Photo : Unsplash/Scott Webb) Citigroup, on Friday, requested 600 eligible US employees to return to the office full-time, as regulatory demands make it challenging for Wall Street banks to permit remote work, particularly for trading roles. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Rules The regulator's temporary halt on disclosing and inspecting home offices and other locations where brokers and traders conduct substantial securities business, implemented during the pandemic, expires on May 31. However, in the upcoming weeks, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the primary watchdog for US brokerage firms and exchange markets, plans to reinstate these rules again to oversee workplaces. Earlier this week, private securities industry regulators resisted banks, stating that their new rules offer member firms more flexibility to permit eligible registered persons to work from home after the temporary COVID-19 relief measures expire. READ ALSO: Companies Compete Over Flexibility, Now Offering Competitive Paychecks to Workers Opting for a Five-Day Workweek Major Banks' Stances on The Upcoming Changes More major banks are summoning employees back to their offices full-time as the remote work days of the COVID-19 pandemic fade into memory. Citi cited the conclusion of FINRA's COVID-related relief as the rationale behind its decision to recall workers and stated in an email that the majority of its employees would adopt a hybrid schedule, which would entail working at least three days per week in the office and up to two days remotely. Barclays also mentioned that its return-to-office initiative aligns with FINRA's new regulatory policies. Michael Roberts, HSBC's chief executive officer for the US and the Americas, echos this sentiment, indicating the bank's intention to avoid imposing a full-time mandate. According to the report, UK banking giant Barclays announced in a memo reported by Bloomberg that thousands of its investment banking staff worldwide will be required to work from the office full-time, except when traveling to meet clients, starting on June 1. Roberts told Bloomberg TV on Thursday that the company would adjust to FINRA rules and ensure that those required to be present five days a week would comply. However, he expressed a preference for a voluntary return to the office, emphasizing the importance of employees feeling productive and content about coming back. HSBC is in discussions with approximately half of its workforce in New York, comprising around 530 employees, regarding potential regulatory changes. HSBC's head of human resources, Mabel Rius, informed Bloomberg that the bank strives to accommodate as many staffers as possible to maintain their hybrid schedules. However, she emphasized that HSBC is not enforcing a mandatory five-day in-office workweek for all employees. According to the report, the lender is endeavoring to provide as many people as possible with the option to work from home if they desire. All three firms have implemented some of the most flexible post-pandemic working policies compared to their counterparts on Wall Street. RELATED ARTICLE: Walmart Enforcing In-Office Mandates, Requires Relocation to Central Offices While Slashing Hundreds of Campus Roles 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A father and his two children were saved by heroic passersby after they got marooned on rocks in choppy waters off the Cornish coast over the bank holiday weekend. The holidaymakers were trapped by the rising tide near a harbour wall in Newquay, a popular tourist hotspot, yesterday evening. The family of three became stuck on the rocks while trying to get to a beach before the waves started crashing around them. Fortunately, a quick-thinking onlooker, named locally as Matt Sherring, managed to pull them to safety using a rope and a flotation ring. Footage of the dramatic rescue shows how he and another man made their way onto a ridge below the wall and threw the ring to the struggling family. A family of three was saved by heroic passersby after they got marooned on rocks in choppy waters off the Cornish coast The dad and his two children became stuck on the rocks while trying to get to a beach before the waves started crashing around them Mr Sherring, who lives locally, then successfully pulled the family to safety with the help of the other man. An RNLI lifeboat filled with crew can be seen bobbing nearby, with its crew monitoring the situation as the men pulled the family back to shore. The group managed to clamber onto the wall and get to the stairs even as big waves crashed against the wall, knocking one person back into the water. The dramatic rescue happened yesterday at 5pm as holidaymakers were enjoying their bank holiday in the coastal town. Staff at Milk Coffee shop witnessed the rescue, and shared video of it on their Instagram. 'Local hero Matt Sherring saves the day. Be careful with the tides guys it creeps in super quick.' The 'local hero' managed to pull the family back to shore by flinging a flotation ring to them Rising tides elsewhere in the UK also got beachgoers into trouble, with rescuers in the northwest saying they had to assist dozens who were cut off. More than 50 people were led to safety over the bank holiday after becoming cut off by the tide at Morecambe Bay, rescuers have said. The incoming tide quickly surrounded a family, which included a baby in a buggy and two toddlers. Gary Parsons, commanding officer of Bay Search and Rescue, warned people to check tide times and leave plenty of time to get off the sand. More than 50 people were led to safety over the bank holiday after becoming cut off by the tide at Morecambe Bay, rescuers have said. File image shows Silverdale in Lancs He also cautioned people to be wary of quicksand on the beach, which he said is currently 'the worst I have ever seen it' in the 35 years he has been stationed there. 'My biggest fear is if somebody gets stuck in quicksand with the tide coming in,' he said. 'Please be careful, the Bay can be one of the most beautiful but dangerous places in the world so treat it with respect as it bites,' The White House on Monday issued a warning to Israel over an air strike that killed dozens of people in a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah. 'The devastating images following an IDF strike in Rafah last night that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians are heartbreaking,' a spokesperson for President Joe Biden's National Security Council said. 'Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians. But as we've been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened, and understand that the IDF is conducting an investigation.' At least 45 people were killed by the blast and subsequent fires, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, including 23 women, children and older people. The ministry said that 249 people were wounded. Israel's strike on Rafah killed at least 45 civilians Yassin Rabia, a Hamas commander, and Khaled Nagar, another senior Hamas official, were the targets and were killed. Israel's military said it was investigating the civilian deaths. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the civilian deaths were a 'tragic accident.' Netanyahu said the Israeli Defense Forces tried to minimize civilian deaths by asking Gazans to evacuate, but 'despite our supreme effort not to harm uninvolved civilians, a tragic accident occurred to our regret last night.' He accused Hamas of hiding among the general population, saying: 'For us, every uninvolved civilian who is hurt is a tragedy. For Hamas it's a strategy. That's the whole difference.' The strike caused a fire that blazed through the camp in the Rafah governorate's Tal Al-Sultan area, reducing tents and shelters to ashes. Footage released by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society showed chaotic nighttime scenes of ambulances racing to the attack site and evacuating the wounded, including children. As Palestinians cleared the site on Monday, only blackened metal sheeting and charred planks remained, the tent shelters having been all but obliterated. The strike came after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to immediately halt its offensive of Rafah and officials are trying to restart ceasefire negotiations. A Palestinian man and his children sit in a destroyed room following the targeting or a residential building by an Israeli airstrike in Rafah in the southern Gaza President Joe Biden's administration admonished Israel over the attack It caused caused international outrage. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was 'outraged' over Israel's latest attacks. 'These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians,' he said on X. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the International Court of Justice ruling must be respected. 'International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war,' Baerbock said. Additionally, Israeli forces exchanged gunfire with Egyptian troops along their shared border that resulted in the death of at least one Egyptian soldier. The IDF this afternoon reported a 'shooting incident' at the border close to the crossing into Gaza, adding that it was discussing the issue with the Egyptian authorities but revealed no further information. 'A few hours ago, a shooting incident occurred on the Egyptian border. The incident is under review and discussions are being held with the Egyptians,' the military said this afternoon in a statement. Cairo quickly confirmed the shooting as a military spokesman said authorities had opened an investigation into the incident. A man and a woman have been arrested over the fatal Irish petrol station explosion which tragically claimed the lives of ten people - including a father and his five-year-old daughter. Four men, three women and three children, with ages ranging from five to 59, died in the devastating blast on the afternoon of October 7 2022 in the village of Creeslough, County Donegal. Police investigating the explosion at the Applegreen Service Station said the man and woman, both aged in their 40s, were arrested on Monday for alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. Both are currently being questioned at separate police stations in Co Donegal. The investigation at a building complex in Creeslough continues to be co-ordinated from Milford police station, where an incident room was established under the direction of a garda (Irish police) senior investigating officer (SIO). A man and a woman have been arrested over the fatal Irish petrol station explosion which tragically claimed the lives of ten people. Pictured: The scene of destruction after the explosion Four men, three women and three children, with ages ranging from five to 59, died in the devastating blast on the afternoon of October 7 2022 Pictured are the victims. Top row, left to right, Leona Harper, 14, Robert Garwe, 50, Shauna Flanagan Garwe, five, Jessica Gallagher, 24, and James O'Flaherty, 48, Bottom row, left to right, Martina Martin, 49, Hugh Kelly, 59, Catherine O'Donnell, 39, her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, and Martin McGill, 49 The investigation continues to be led by local officers, supported by a number of different agencies. Father James O'Flaherty, 48; designer Jessica Gallagher, 24; Martin McGill, 49; Catherine O'Donnell, 39, and her 13-year-old son James; farmer Hugh Kelly, 59; shop worker Martina Martin, 49; Robert Garwe and five-year-old daughter Shauna; and talented rugby player Leona Harper, 14, were killed in the explosion. At the time, another nine people were being treated for injuries. In the days after the explosion, heartbreaking details emerged of the final moments of the victims. Mr Garwe and his young daughter Shauna had been inside the shop to buy a birthday cake when the tragic blast took place. They were given a lift to the petrol station by local farmer Hugh Kelly, who was waiting outside but also died. The little girl, the youngest victim, had wanted to buy a cake for her mother after recently celebrating a birthday. But she and her father, a Zimbabwean who had been living in Johannesburg before moving to Ireland, were killed moments later. A friend told MailOnline at the time: 'It's a tragedy, she was only going to the shop to get something nice got her mum. And Hughie gave her and her dad a lift to the shop. He waited in his vehicle outside while she and her dad went in. The investigation continues to be led by local officers, supported by a number of different agencies Robert Garwe, 50, was described as a devoted father to five-year-old Shauna and he was holding her in his arms when their bodies were found The coffin of five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal is carried into St Michael's Church on October 15 2022 'There was a big explosion and Shauna and her father were killed and Hughie also died despite not even going in the shop. 'The girls mother is absolutely devastated that she's lost her only child and her partner, Bob, who had been living in Africa before he came to Ireland and has two other children. This is only a small community, this has ripped the heart out of it.' On October 15 2022, eight days after the blast, a funeral was held for Shauna and her father at St Michael's Church - with Irish president Michael D Higgins among the mourners. Among the other victims was teenager Leona Harper who died while choosing an ice cream from the fridge at the petrol station, which was reduced to rubble. Jessica Gallagher, a designer who recently moved back to her hometown of Creeslough after spending several years living in Paris, was also among the victims. Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted 'tragic mistake' after an Israeli strike in Rafah has allegedly killed 45 people including displaced people who burned alive in tents. The Israeli Prime Minister said Jerusalem was investigating Sunday night's strike in which the IDF targeted a 'terrorist compound', killing senior Hamas officials Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar. Hamas claims the strike killed 45 people at a refugee centre by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees near Rafah, branding it a 'horrific massacre'. The IDF said earlier today that it was 'aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review.' The strike came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population had sought shelter before Israel's recent incursion. Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted 'tragic mistake' after an Israeli strike in Rafah has allegedly killed 45 people including displaced people who burned alive in tents Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Monday, May 27, 2024 Fire rages following an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced Palestinians Palestinians view the destruction after Israel bombs their tents and shelters in Rafah, Gaza on May 27, 2024 Palestinians observe the destruction caused by the attacks of Israeli army on tents of displaced Palestinians Palestinians search for food among burnt debris in the aftermath of an Israeli strike The Palestinian Red Crescent said its ambulance crews transported 'a large number' of people killed and injured in the strikes. The Palestinian Authority presidency in the West Bank called it a 'heinous massacre', accusing Israeli forces of 'deliberately targeting' the tents of displaced people. Sunday night's attack, which appeared to be one of the war's deadliest, helped push the overall Palestinian death toll in the war above 36,000, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. 'We pulled out people who were in an unbearable state,' said Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in the north-western neighbourhood of Tel al-Sultan. 'We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal.' The Gaza Health Ministry said around half of the dead were women, children and older adults. On Monday, barefoot children poked at the blackened debris as searches continued. The Israeli military's top legal official said authorities were examining the strikes and that the military regrets the loss of civilian life. Military Advocate General Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi said such incidents occur 'in a war of such scope and intensity'. Speaking to an Israeli lawyers' conference, Tomer-Yerushalmi said Israel has launched 70 criminal investigations into incidents that aroused suspicions of international law violations, including the deaths of civilians, the conditions at a detention facility holding suspected Palestinian militants and the deaths of some inmates in Israeli custody. She said incidents of 'violence, property crimes and looting' were also being examined. Israel has long maintained it has an independent judiciary capable of investigating and prosecuting abuses. But rights groups say Israeli authorities routinely fail to fully investigate violence against Palestinians and that even when soldiers are held accountable the punishment is usually light. Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah on May 27, 2024 The attack, caught on tape by refugees on the ground, resulted in heavy destruction and flames last night Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah The attack, caught on tape by refugees on the ground, resulted in heavy destruction and flames last night. It left civilians reeling this morning, with photos showing Palestinians searching through burned out tents and makeshift camps for food. Israel's allies further condemned its methods of warfare in the region, with France saying it was 'outraged' by the violence. 'These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire,' French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said that bombings like the one in Rafah will have long-standing repercussions for Israel. 'Israel with this choice is spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchildren. I would have preferred another decision,' he told SKY TG24. Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas in attempts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, said the strikes could 'complicate' talks. Negotiations, which appear to be restarting, have faltered repeatedly over Hamas's demand for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, terms Israeli leaders have publicly rejected. Neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, which made peace with Israel decades ago, also condemned the Rafah strikes. Egypt's Foreign Ministry described the strike on Tel al-Sultan as a 'new and blatant violation of the rules of humanitarian international law'. Jordan's Foreign Ministry called it a 'war crime'. The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said this morning as EU ministers met their Arab counterparts that a ruling made by a UN court for Israel to stop its invasion of Gaza immediately must be implemented. Borrell said today: 'We have to express not only respect, but to ask for the implementation of the decision of the court. This is really a dilemma how the international community can... force implementation of the decision.' He added that EU ministers were also set to discuss relaunching a mission suspended back in 2007 to monitor the crossing after calls for it to do so from regional players including Israel. Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 people in the area Israel's army confirmed Sunday's strike and claimed it hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants The EU's top diplomat said he expected to get a preliminary mandate from ministers to press ahead with planning for the mission. 'But it's not only us who have to decide - the Egyptians, Palestinian Israelis,' he said. 'We need to increase the number of staff and we need to have an agreement with everybody involved.' Washington has also taken a tougher line with its close ally as outrage over the war and US support for Israel has become a major issue for President Joe Biden, seeking re-election in a battle against Donald Trump. The United Nations has warned of looming famine in besieged Gaza, where most hospitals are no longer functioning. Last Monday, the prosecutor at the ICC said he was seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defence minister as well as for three top Hamas figures. And on Friday, the UN's International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt any operation in Rafah that could bring about 'the physical destruction' of the Palestinians. Hamas's armed wing said Sunday that it targeted Tel Aviv 'with a large rocket barrage in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians'. 'Hamas launched these rockets from near two mosques in Rafah,' Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. The salvo sent people scrambling for shelter but there were no reports of injuries. Israel's army said Sunday at least eight rockets were fired towards central areas of the country from Rafah, with strikes targeting the commercial hub of Tel Aviv for the first time in months. Fighting has recently centred on Rafah, where Israel's military launched a ground operation in early May despite widespread opposition over concerns for civilians sheltering there. Netanyahu vowed to pursue Israel's offensive ahead of a war cabinet meeting amid intense diplomacy to forge a truce and a hostage-release deal. The October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli army raid on a camp at an area designated for displaced people in Rafah Hamas militants took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead, from Israel He has long rejected Hamas's demand for a permanent end to the conflict triggered by the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack. A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the war cabinet would 'discuss a hostage release deal' on Sunday. Before the meeting, Netanyahu's office said Hamas's chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, 'continues to demand the end of the war, the withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and leaving Hamas in place, so that it will be able to carry out the atrocities of October 7 again and again'. 'Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly opposes this,' a statement said. EU members Ireland and Spain, and also Norway, have said they will recognise a Palestinian state from Tuesday, drawing furious Israeli condemnation. 'In order to make peace, we need a strong Palestinian Authority, not a weaker one,' said the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who met in Brussels with Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Mustafa. Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp area housing internally displaced people in Rafah Around 80 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes As the war grinds on, the families of hostages still held by militants have piled pressure on Netanyahu to secure a deal to free them Mustafa, whose government is based in the occupied West Bank, said the 'first priority' was to support the people in Gaza, especially through a ceasefire, and then 'rebuilding the institutions of the Palestinian Authority' in the territory after Hamas seized it from the PA in 2007. The Israeli official had said Saturday that 'there is an intention to renew these talks this week' after negotiations involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators stalled in early May. Around 80 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. Hamas triggered the war with its October 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,984 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. As the war grinds on, the families of hostages still held by militants have piled pressure on Netanyahu to secure a deal to free them. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas' remaining battalions and achieve 'total victory' over the militants, who recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza where the military has operated. It has earnt a reputation for its trash-filled, rat-riddled sidewalks but New York is not America's dirtiest city, according to a new study. Research published by LawnStarter ranked the filthiest metros across the country, taking into account factors such as air quality, infrastructure problems, and the number of pests scurrying around in people's homes. Its findings showed Houston, Texas, is now the dirtiest city in the US after overtaking Newark, New Jersey, from last year. Newark, which is across the Hudson River from New York City, still ranked in second place. And while the Big Apple didn't claim the number one spot, it did secure 12th place. Your browser does not support iframes. Houston surpassed Newark as the dirtiest city in 2023, largely due to issues with pollution and cockroach infestations Across the 152 cities that were analyzed, Houston was the third most polluted overall and had the third worst greenhouse gas emissions from large industrial facilities. The city of 2.3 million also has the biggest cockroach problem, according to data LawnStarter's sister site PestGnome pulled from the Census Bureau. Southern states in general appear to have far more cockroach-infested homes as San Antonio, Texas and Tampa, Florida rounded out the top three. And Americans terrified of mice or rats should steer clear of Boston, Philadelphia or Baltimore, which were the top three cities for rodents to populate in homes. California also had a number of bad showings on the list despite its billions of dollars of spending to clean up homeless shelters over the last five years. By comparison, San Francisco spent a record $72.5 million on street cleaning in 2019 and has been ranked among the cleaner half of cities in the US. Since then, the street cleaning division of the city's Department of Public Works received a $16.7 million budget increase in 2023, CBS reported. The Golden Gate Bridge tower with San Francisco cityscape in the background Afternoon view of the downtown skyline of San Bernardino, California, which was the fourth dirtiest city in America due to its poor air quality. Many other cities in the Golden State have bad air quality from pollution Ontario, California is pictured from overhead. The city is tied with San Bernadino for the worst air quality in the country Riverside, California, also has the worst air quality in the country alongside Ontario and San Bernadino. All three cities are east of Los Angeles and near many factories and warehouses San Bernadino, colloquially known as the 'armpit' of California among locals, was the fourth dirtiest city mostly because of its poor air quality. Riverside and Ontario, which are also in the Los Angeles metro area, were tied with San Bernardino for the worst air quality in the country. These LA adjacent cities, once filled with orange groves and grape vineyards, have largely been replaced with pollution-heavy warehouses. About 1 billion square feet of warehouse space to be exact, The Verge reported in 2022. Residents of San Bernadino were the most dissatisfied with the cleanliness of their city for the second year in a row, according to data from the study. The LawnStarter study also claimed the southwestern US had problems with drinking water contamination. 'Except for Salt Lake City, every Southwest city we ranked violated the Safe Drinking Water Act at least once in 2020, the year of the most recent EPA data,' according to the study. Las Vegas - the 19th dirtiest overall - had the most unsafe water in the southwest. Las Vegas had the most unsafe water in the southwestern US, according to the study Salt Lake City, Utah, was the only city in the southwest that didn't have major drinking water violations in 2020, per the most recent EPA data Virginia Beach, Virginia was ranked the cleanest city in the US. It was tied with three other cities in California and New Jersey for having the fewest greenhouse gas emissions from large facilities per capita However, the most obvious image that comes to mind when one thinks of a dirty city is littering. Interestingly, the authors of the study claim that Ohioans specifically has a unique habit of flicking their used cigarettes on the ground. Local media in northeast Ohio has picked up on the sheer amount of discarded cigarette butts in the state, with cleveland.com reporting on information campaigns back in 2021 to discourage people from littering. Five Ohio cities that LawnStarter ranked were among localities with the highest share of smokers in the US. Many cities that were close to water in California, Virginia and North Carolina were the cleanest on the list. Virginia Beach, Virginia was ranked the cleanest city in the US, though the study said being on the coast isn't the end all be all to having a metro free of waste. In fact, inland cities such as Fremont, California and Winston-Salem, North Carolina were also among the most immaculate. Junior rodeo stars gathered this weekend to rally for the recovery of Spencer Wright's three-year-old son, who is fighting for his life after a catastrophic toy tractor river accident. Levi was found about a mile downstream and was unresponsive when first responders pulled him out of the fast-moving creek near his home on Tuesday. He was airlifted to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City. The little cowboy was initially considered brain-dead but miraculously woke up from a coma. His devastated parents, Kallie and Spencer are praying for a miracle. Many in the community have been organizing fundraisers for Levi. On Saturday, the Junior Roughstock World Finals, Desert Region Rodeo, posted that each of the kids 'rode a little extra strong for Levi Wright.' Heartbreaking pictures showed the young riders on one knee, bowing their heads with cowboy hats in hand for a moments silence for little Levi. The young cowboys are pictured holding their hat and kneeling on the dirt in prayer for Levi Levi Wright, 3, the son of rodeo star Spencer Wright, has been fighting for his life, since his toy tractor dove into a creek in Utah and he was found unresponsive 'Each of the kids wore blue rode for Levi,' the post read. 'They say this is the first rodeo of the entire season that each and everyone of the kids young roughstock riders had a little extra grit and try.' On the day of the ordeal, Kallie was outside watching her son playing on his tractor trailer, and ran into the house to check on her 9-month-old. Within that split second Levi had disappeared from sight. The frantic mother dove into the creek to look for her son in the raging river. Levi's devastated parents were preparing for the worst and said they planned to 'stop care and hold him close until his last breath on earth.' But, miraculously Levi woke from the coma on Thursday night, two days after he was initially expected not to survive. 'LEVI WOKE UP! I am shook, we don't know much but the doctor said it was okay for me to get excited about that and I AM! My baby is so tough!' she said. 'He got a little wild so we had to settle him down again but my heart!' On Friday, they received the devastating news that an MRI gave a poor prognosis for the youngster. At the advice of a new doctor, the parents were told to give their son some time. 'We have time for a miracle!' the family wrote on their Facebook after their son woke up. 'Levi's heart is beating on its own, he has a will to breathe but his sweet little brain was without oxygen too long and there is no coming back from that,' an earlier update read. Heartbreaking pictures showed the young riders on one knee, bowing their heads with cowboy hats in hand for a moments silence for little Levi Young cowboys are seen placing a plastic dinosaur on a barrel at the fundraiser for Levi Kids placed little toy dinosaurs on the contained during the rodeo final T-Rex Strong Like Levi - the precious illustration was made by a family friend Photos on social media show Kallie in her son's hospital bed cradling him in her arms, as his father stands nearby. On Sunday she wrote: 'This is an experience, I pray deep in my soul you never have to know the way I am beginning to. 'This is a roller coaster that you go on unwillingly & blindfolded, you do not know what's coming next. You just get to wait & ride it out. We are taking it day by day.' She shared the type of brain injury her son may sustain, and the unknowns that are ahead. 'The term 'Brain Injury' is very broad, there are ranges and different severities. No two brain injuries are alike, even if the accident is similar. No two brains recover or don't recover the same. 'There is a lot Medical Professionals don't know, but what they do tell you is based off legitimate medical literature and history.' Kallie Wright dived in to save her three-year-old son when he drove his toy tractor into the raging river Levi miraculously showed signs of brain function on Friday, but now his mother, Kallie Wright (left) is warning the hardest part of their journey has yet to come Kallie expressed how grateful she is for the guidance from her doctor, she said 'has provided us the most precious gift of time. Something we almost did not have.' 'Our doctor is nothing short of outstanding and I believe with all of me that her heart is invested into him. 'Whether that is time to see if God provides a miracle to us or whether it's time for us to research, learn and process this all in order to make the most informed decisions. In the heartbreaking post, she continued to ask for prayers and 'for years to come.' She said, as 'I fear we haven't even reached the hardest part of this.' 'Every decision that Levi's Dad and I will make will be made based on what, we the two people who know him best believe he would want. In all this, he comes first. 'We are exploring the therapies that have been mentioned, engaging with those we feel can be of support for us & getting as many professional eyes on this as possible.' Questions around whether the royal family should be made to partake in National Service have arisen after Rishi Sunak announced plans to revive the scheme. Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte will be expected to undertake the scheme when they turn 18, with details confirming that there will be 'very limited exceptions' to get out of the service and that the young royals will not be exempt. Today, senior minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said 'the vast majority of our young people' would be expected to turn out for the mandatory programme under Rishi Sunak's new election proposal. It would see all 18-year-olds do either a paid year in the military or spend a weekend a month doing unpaid work in the community. The manifesto pledge has ignited the first major row of the election campaign. But speaking to Sky News about whether royals would be made to take part, Trevelyan said it would be down to a Royal Commission to decide the scope. File image shows the Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, at RAF Fairford last year Kate joined Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire Asked about whether young royals would be made to take part, or teenagers with caring responsibilities, Trevelyan told Sky News it would be down to a Royal Commission to decide the scope But she added: 'Fundamentally the Prime Minister has been clear this would be for the vast majority of our young people, our 18 year-olds, this would be a mandatory part of both their continued education and journey to adulthood.' Prince George, 10, will be the first young royal made to undertake the scheme when he turns 18 in July 2031, followed a year later by Princess Charlotte, nine, and three years later by Prince Louis, six. Princess Beatrice and Eugenie also have young children who would be eligible to take part once they reach the age of 18, as well as Prince Edward's son, the Earl of Wessex, 16. Rishi Sunak made the first major policy announcement of the general election campaign on Sunday, vowing to bring back National Service for 18-year-olds - a scheme that has not been seen in the UK since 1960. The Prime Minister received backlash after launching the proposal but said he wanted the change to instill a 'shared sense of purpose' in today's youth. The Royal family has a long history of serving in the military with Prince William a Sandhurst graduate before he spent seven-and-a-half years in full-time military service. The Princess (pictured left), who is patron of the Air Force Cadets, wore her brunette locks swept back behind her right ear, showing off a pair of intricately patterned Grecian-style hoop earrings Home Secretary James Cleverly said on Sunday that those who refuse would not receive 'criminal sanctions'. He also that the service would be compulsory, adding: 'We will look at what the appropriate response will be. 'There's not going to be a criminal sanction for this, the same way people are compelled to be in education or training between 16 and 18. He clarified details of the scheme saying the military part will be paid, but the voluntary section would not be. The Tories also revealed plans on how they would encourage teenagers to apply for the military scheme, including participants being potentially favoured over other applicants when applying for jobs. One of the options is the introduction of fast-tracked routes into graduate schemes and the civil service for those who have served. Another is that employers are encouraged to consider Armed Forces recruits during the hiring process and that participants are given the opportunity to highlight their military experience on their UCAS applications for university and apprenticeships. However, the Armed Forces option would be selective with only around 30,000 placements for 'the brightest and best'. But some ex-top brass questioned its usefulness. Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy who is a Labour peer, told the Guardian: 'I'm delighted if more young people become aware of defence and are involved but this idea is basically bonkers. 'We need to spend more on defence, and by doing what he's suggesting money will be sucked out of defence.' A family portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including (back row, left to right) Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, (middle row, left to right) Lena Tindall, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Prince Louis, and (front row, left to right) Mia Tindall holding Lucas Tindall and Savannah Phillips taken at Balmoral Palace Spain's Crown Princess Leonor is undergoing three years of military training, although the country no longer has national service Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway recently began her 12-month military placement with the Engineer Battalion And General Richard Dannatt, the former head of the General Staff, branded it 'electoral opportunism', adding: 'The costs of this would be considerable in terms of trainers and infrastructure. This task cannot just be imposed on the Armed Forces as an extra thing to do.' But a Labour Party spokesperson said the announcement was 'another desperate 2.5billion unfunded commitment from a Tory Party which already crashed the economy, sending mortgages rocketing, and now they're spoiling for more. 'This is not a plan it's a review which could cost billions and is only needed because the Tories hollowed out the armed forces to their smallest size since Napoleon,' the spokesperson said. The Lib Dems have also slammed the announcement with leader Ed Davey describing it as a 'desperate' and 'pathetic' attempt. In European nations with national service, members of the royal family are expected to take part. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway recently began her 12-month military placement with the Engineer Battalion. Spain's Crown Princess Leonor is undergoing three years of military training, although the country no longer has national service. Studies from Norway and Israel, which have national military service schemes, suggest they give youngsters a 'leg up' into subsequent careers, the Tories said. National service was abolished in 1960 with the last servicemen discharged in 1963. According to the Royal British Legion, between the end of the Second World War and May 1963, more than two million men took part in national service. Many countries across the world currently have some form of national service, including military and non-military models. A Los Angeles council member has been filmed blaming Toyota for the increasing catalytic-converter theft ravaging the city - while opposing a motion to hold criminals accountable. Nithya Raman, who has been a member of the City Council since 2020, blamed Toyota, accusing the company of making their cars so 'easy to steal'. The video, which was filmed in 2023, has attracted widespread criticism as residents accuse LA Democrats of neglecting to target thieves as car theft continues to surge. The video comes as actor and General Hospital star, Johnny Wactor, was shot and killed on Saturday when he interrupted thieves breaking into his car attempting to steal a catalytic converter. He was only 37. In 2023, nearly 8,000 catalytic converter components stolen in a single year, a staggering 728 percent increase from 2018. In an attempt to crackdown on theft LA City Council passed a 8-4 motion vote that made it illegal to possess a detached catalytic converter unless you had valid documentation. A viral video has resurfaced revealing Los Angeles council member Nithya Raman blaming Toyota for the increasing catalytic-converter theft ravaging the city - while opposing a motion to hold criminals accountable This comes as the latest victim, actor and General Hospital star, Johnny Wactor, was shot and killed on Saturday in LA when he confronted thieves breaking into his car attempting to steal a catalytic converter But Raman opposed the motion and placed the blame on the car company, Toyota, claiming they should not make their cars so 'easy to steal.' 'In this case, I think one of the things that infuriates me is that we have a company whatever, Toyota who makes the Prius, that essentially has a device on their cars which is super easy to remove. It's basically the value of a MacBook, right?' said Raman in the 2023 Council meeting. 'That is put in a place that is incredibly easy to access in your car, and all the costs of the thefts are given to us to bear instead of them [Toyota] having to manufacture a car that actually is not so easy to be stolen,' she continued. Fellow Democrat, Eunises Hernandez, agreed and said the ban on possessing a catalytic was 'racist'. 'Criminalizing the mere possession of a catalytic converter, I think is the wrong way to go, because we know which communities are gonna be the ones most criminalized because of this,' Hernandez said. 'This makes it a misdemeanor, it creates a fine of $1000, you can go to jail for six months.' 'Even a short incarceration of a couple of days can destabilize someone's life forever, and leads to collateral consequences that they have to carry until they can get an expungement, if they can get that I'm not in agreement with creating more opportunities to criminalize our communities,' Hernandez continued. According to a KTLA report, police officers reported to the area of Pico Boulevard and Hope Street around 3:25am Around 600,000 catalytic converters are stolen each year. Most cars are equipped with one converter but those with a dual exhaust system require two. Larger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks may have more than two. According to the New York Times, stolen catalytic converters are passed through 'middlemen, smelters and refineries in the United States and overseas.' They can be stolen in under a minute and cost around $1,000 to replace. LA has seen a sharp increase in car thefts since the Covid-19 pandemic - with the rate of thefts increasing every year since 2019. There were more than 25,000 auto thefts across the city in 2023, a staggering 64 percent increase as compared to pre-pandemic numbers. The LAPD reported Friday that, as of the end of April, the city's rise in the number of murders in 2024 continued to decline and, as of April 27, was only 4.2 percent above the number of murders reported at this time in 2023, NBC Los Angeles reported. The last time the force updated robbery statistics, at the end of March 2024, thefts were up 9.5 percent, according to ABC 7. Wactor, who appeared in 164 episodes of the soap opera from 2020 to 2022, was leaving his side job at a rooftop bar with a female colleague at around 3:25am Saturday in the area of West Pico Boulevard and South Hope Street, when he saw the three men, believing he was being towed. Police said that one of the three men, all of whom were wearing masks, shot Wactor before fleeing in a separate vehicle. Paramedics got to the scene shortly after and took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The masked suspects remain at large and have yet to be identified or described. Wactor's mother Scarlett told TMZ that her son saw three men trying to steal the catalytic converter off of his car Scarlett Wactor, Johnny's mother, said that her son didn't attempt to fight them or even stop them from stealing but they still shot him and got away. Johnny's younger brother Grant confirmed to DailyMail.com that Johnny was shot in the chest as he came upon the suspects who were trying to steal the catalytic converter from his truck. He said his brother and his co-worker had to park about two blocks from the restaurant, so they were walking to their cars after they finished their shift. Grant said they were brought up as 'Southern gentlemen,' so he was not surprised his older brother was walking his female co-worker to her car. 'We're Southern, born and raised, and we would never let a female walk to their car by herself.' The National Park Service is reversing a planned ban on rangers attending Pride festivals in uniform after fierce backlash. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued a directive earlier this month prohibiting rangers from openly participating in Pride month events this June. But on Friday she reversed the decision following widespread condemnation by prominent gay rights campaigners including outspoken drag queen Pattie Gonia. The initial memo issuing the ban said 'requests from employees asking to participate in uniform in a variety of events and activities, including events not organized by the NPS' breached official policy. Drag Queen Pattie Gonia (pictured) led protests against the National Park Service Pride ban Environmentalist and gay rights activist Pattie Gonia spearheaded protests against the move on social media and in national parks. 'National Park Service, this is not what allyship looks like,' the drag queen wrote in an Instagram post. They said 'brave Queer park service employees' had been fighting the ban 'on the inside' for a month before it came into action. 'This year Pride really is a protest,' Pattie Gonia added, sharing a photograph of a demonstration involving dozens of people waving rainbow flags gathered in a national park. After the ban was lifted, the activist congratulated 'queer park service employees on the great lengths they have gone to' to secure the reversal. Pictured: A park ranger places rainbow flags at the Stonewall National Monument, the first LGBTQ national monument, dedicated to the birthplace of modern lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer civil rights movement on June 4, 2019 in New York City The National Park Service is reversing a controversial ban on rangers attending Pride festivals in uniform after facing a fierce backlash by activists and LGBTQ employees Environmentalist and gay rights activist Pattie Gonia spearheaded protests against the move on social media and in national parks 'We thank the National Park Service and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland for listening to their employees as well as the general public,' they added. 'This is proof that when queer people fight we win,' Pattie Gonia added. 'This is proof that it is never too late to do the right thing.' Haaland rowed back on the decision on Friday in an email to employees obtained by the Advocate. 'I want to ensure that every employee has the opportunity to thrive in a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment. 'One way in which we support and celebrate who we are at the Department is through programs organized around Special Emphasis Months, which have been identified by Presidential Proclamation, Executive Orders, and public law to ensure that federal agencies take affirmative steps to provide equal opportunity in all areas of employment,' she added. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (pictured) issued a directive earlier this month prohibiting rangers from openly participating in Pride month events this June - but she reversed this on Friday 'In addition to events and activities organized by the Department and/or individual bureaus and offices, sometimes there are externally organized events and activities that further the same goals as those in the Special Emphasis Months.' Special Emphasis Programs include events to celebrate Native American cultures, black employment, disabled veterans, women's equality day and LGBTQ Pride. Haaland clarified that the reversal allowed for 'marching units in parades, booths at parades, events, etc.' 'This would allow employees to participate in uniform representing their respective bureau,' she added. 'This direction takes effect immediately.' A former employee at New York City's largest migrant shelter has claimed that hotels involved in resettlement are profiting off the city's shelter program. Carlos Arellano previously worked at Row NYC, which was converted from a four-star hotel into the city's biggest temporary shelter for migrants just under two years ago. Speaking from personal experience, Arellano claimed the hotel staff at such shelters were expensing the city 'for any little thing they can.' 'And when you see 10 workers on the first floor of the lobby of the hotel, only two of them are really working,' Arellano told Fox and Friends guest host Rachel Campos-Duffy. 'Meanwhile, the hotel will still charge the city for all 10 staff members, and you really dont know whats going on in there until you work in one of these places, but the costs just keep being driven up by the hotels.' Carlos Arellano, a former employee at Row NYC Hotel, claimed hotel owners were profiting off the city's migrant crisis During an appearance on Fox and Friends, Arellano claimed hotel staff were expensing the city 'for any little thing they can' Arellano, who appeared on Fox News last year to raise allegations of dismal conditions inside the hotel, asserted that politicians and hotel owners were 'loving this because the money is just going around and around.' The 1,300-room Row Hotel is among the Big Apple's Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers, or HERRCs. The city inked a $40 million contract in October 2022 to buy out the building until mid-April 2023, making it one of the first Midtown hotels to shelter only migrant families. It is now overseen by the citys Health and Hospitals system. He previously appeared on Fox News to lift the lid on grimy conditions inside the hotel, which has become the city's largest temporary migrant shelter Towards the end of 2022, the city entered into a contract of up to $980 million with a trade group to pay hotels that offered to house migrants. Participants would be granted up to $185 a night per room, whether or not the rooms were occupied - an attractive deal for hotels still struggling to recover from the post-pandemic slump in numbers. Around 135 of the citys roughly 680 hotels entered the Sanctuary Hotel Program. However, this proved to be a temporary solution to a much larger problem - there simply wasn't enough space, and now there was even less to accommodate tens of millions of tourists. Last October, the city implemented a 60-day limit on shelter stays for families with children. Those who hadn't found alternative housing were redirected to the Roosevelt Hotel, the citys main intake center, to reapply for placement. Last October, the city implemented a 60-day limit on shelter stays for families with children, driving dozens of families from the Row Hotel While the order would have initially evicted families around Christmas, it was postponed until January 9. Dozens of families began leaving the Row Hotel that month, around the same time that New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced an investigation into the implementation of the 60-day shelter limit. In a letter sent to City Hall, Lander cautioned against 'the potentially harmful impacts of the policy on families seeking asylum, especially on children who may be displaced from their public school as a result of being transferred to a shelter far from their school.' He blasted the Eric Adams administration for 'implementing one of the cruelest policies to come from City Hall in generations, evicting families from shelter in the middle of winter, and displacing kids from their schools in the middle of the school year.' Lander vowed to look into the use of funds for busing and transferring migrants and the order's impact on the effort to secure work authorizations, among other issues. More than 100,000 asylum seekers have made their way to the Big Apple since April 2022, when busloads began arriving from the southern border. Adams projects the city will spend more than $12 billion through Fiscal Year 2025, with the figure reflecting the total cost accrued since 2022. His administration has been attempting to roll back the city's decades-long right to shelter rule, which guarantees housing for those without shelter, since last May. In the context of the migrant crisis, this rule placed additional strain on an already overburdened city as tens of thousands of new arrivals flooded in without a clear path to employment. New York City Mayor Eric Adams anticipates that the city will spend more than $12 billion through Fiscal Year 2025, with the number representing the total cost accrued since 2022 The city reached an agreement with the Legal Aid Society in March, imposing 30-day limit on shelter stays for some adult migrants with no opportunity to reapply for placement In March, the city reached an agreement with the Legal Aid Society, imposing 30-day limit on shelter stays for some adult migrants without offering them a chance to reapply for placement. The development came after 10 months of back-and-forth discussion between city representatives and the group, which represents people living in shelters. Those two conditions permitting a shelter extension are if a migrant is disabled or has an 'extenuating circumstance,' though the definition of that term remains open to interpretation. Young adults, classified as those under the age of 23, will be given 60 days to stay in city shelters. According to the Legal Aid Society, the terms only apply to single adults and do not alter the underlying right to shelter decree. In a statement, Adams acknowledged that New York City had 'led the nation in responding to a national humanitarian crisis' by providing care to over 180,000 migrants since spring 2022. However, he continued, 'we have been clear, from day one, that the Right to Shelter was never intended to apply to a population larger than most U.S. cities descending on the five boroughs in less than two years.' (Photo : Unsplash/Omurden Cengiz ) While pregnancy discrimination permeates every aspect of the workplace, employers cannot ask about the family plans of pregnant individuals, which, on the other hand, they are not obligated to disclose. Three Main Types of Pregnancy Discrimination: Discrimination during the hiring process Discrimination during pregnancy Discrimination upon returning to work Pregnancy discrimination covers termination, retaliation, or denying time off for pregnant employees. Discrimination During the Hiring Process As outlined in the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, hiring managers are prohibited from asking about a person's pregnancy status or future family plans, even if a candidate is visibly pregnant during an interview. On the contrary, moms who are working while pregnant can inquire about the company's insurance, benefits, and maternity leave policies, and in certain states, short-term disability can also be applied to pregnancy. Discrimination During Pregnancy Employees are not obligated to disclose their pregnancy to employers unless they need specific benefits related to pregnancy, such as accommodations or maternity leave. In such instances, they may need to inform their employer and, in some cases, provide a doctor's note as evidence of their condition. Discrimination Upon Returning to Work Employers are generally not allowed to alter the job or role of a pregnant employee, except in cases where the change involves a promotion or a position with equal or higher pay that may be more manageable for the employee. READ ALSO: What Working Mothers Need to Achieve Work-Life Balance Know Your Rights: 7 Things to Know About Pregnancy Discrimination The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) bars discrimination in various employment aspects, such as hiring, firing, promotions, pay, and benefits. It outlaws policies that restrict women from certain roles due to pregnancy or age and those that disproportionately affect women based on pregnancy or potential pregnancy. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) applies solely to workplaces with 15 or more employees. For organizations with fewer than 15 employees, local Department of Labor Women's Bureau offices must be consulted to explore potential assistance from state or local agencies. Employers are prohibited from terminating employees for filing a complaint against them under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, provided the complaint is made in good faith. Being pregnant cannot be grounds for bypassing someone for a promotion. If you take pregnancy or maternity leave, your employer is required to keep your position open for the same duration as they would for an employee on sick or disability leave. You are not obligated to disclose your pregnancy or family plans to potential or current employers, as refusal to hire based on pregnancy is illegal as long as you can fulfill the job requirements. Unmarried pregnant individuals may face different treatment, depending on the workplace. Some courts have ruled that religious or youth-focused organizations can discriminate against employees for violating principles against premarital sex. However, these employers must show equal treatment regardless of gender, and pregnancy benefits cannot be restricted to married employees in most organizations. RELATED ARTICLE: The Motherhood Penalty: The Price Mothers Have to Pay for Growing a Family While Working 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A treasure hunter, 85, has found a golden ring belonging to 18th century British Prime Minister George Grenville in a field while trying his new metal detector for the first time. Tom Clark came across the historic item while sweeping the device over a muddy sheep field near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Once the great grandfather had brushed the dirt off the 250-year-old ring, Mr Clark realised it had the name 'Grenvil' engraved around its edge and immediately made the connection with Grenville Manor, the ancestral home of the Grenville family. Now the 24 carat ring is set to fetch around 8,000 at London auctioneer's Noonans Mayfair after further research found that the ring originally belonged to George Grenville, who served as Prime Minister between 1763 and 1765. The main give away was that the artefact had the Whig MP's coat of arms on it - a shield quartered with a central cross bearing five roundels and a helmet above. Tom Clark (pictured), a treasure hunter, 85, has found a golden ring belonging to 18th century British Prime Minister George Grenville in a field while trying his new metal detector for the first time Mr Clark came across the historic item (pictured) while sweeping the device over a muddy sheep field near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire The fascinating item, which has the dual purpose of sealing letters and documents, was dug up very close to the residence of Grenville's son, also named George, who was passed down the ring. Some believe the piece of jewellery had been stored in a secret desk compartment and was initially lost in a house fire which caused a lot of ruined furniture to be buried on the estate. Mr Clark said: 'The land used to be a very large country estate that is now used for grazing. 'I have been metal detecting for 55 years but I had just got a new top-of-the range model and lo and behold the first time I used it I found three items on the same day, including the ring. 'I got a strong signal so thought it was either silver or gold. 'It was about ten inches down and the thing about gold is that it doesn't matter how long it has been in the ground, soil doesn't stick to it, so it was still so shiny. 'The arms on the bezel of the ring are those of Grenville, of Wotton Underwood and of Stowe in the county of Buckinghamshire. This is a shield quartered with a central cross bearing five roundels, a helmet placed above the shield has a crest of a sheaf of corn. 'An inscription around reads "Sigillum Georg de grenvil". 'The Grenvilles came here after 1066 and the family grew and prospered as landowners. They were very wealthy until the Great Depression in 1929. 'It is a truly exciting discovery.' Mr Clark, who found the ring last May, will split the proceeds of the sale evenly with the current landowner. Nigel Mills, artefact and coin expert at Noonans Mayfair, said: 'Just as the country focuses on who will be the next Prime Minister, we are pleased to be looking back to who was in power 260 years ago. Now the 24 carat ring is set to fetch around 8,000 at London auctioneer's Noonans Mayfair after further researched found that the ring originally belonged to George Grenville (pictured), who served as Prime Minister between 1763 and 1765 A closer look at the historic item, which some believe had been stored in a secret desk compartment and was initially lost in a house fire which caused a lot of ruined furniture to be buried on the estate 'The ring dates from the 18th century and originally belonged to George Grenville who was Prime Minister from 16 April 1763 to 10 July 1765. 'He tried to reduce Britain's growing debt by raising revenue in the American colonies with the introduction of the Sugar Act, the Currency Act, and the Stamp Act.' The ring will be sold on June 11. Rishi Sunak insisted he took responsibility for the Conservatives' election campaign after a leaked memo criticised MPs for going on holiday and refusing to knock on doors. Staff at Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) accused MPs of focusing on ministerial responsibilities rather than the election effort. News of the leak emerged as Government minister Steve Baker defended going for a break in Greece rather than campaigning in his constituency. The memo, obtained by The Times, said a 'key theme' was that candidates had failed to 'get behind' the campaign after Mr Sunak surprised Westminster by calling a July 4 General Election. The document was accidentally emailed to MPs by a senior campaigning figure at CCHQ, the newspaper reported. Rishi Sunak insisted he took responsibility for the Conservatives ' election campaign after a leaked memo criticised MPs for going on holiday and refusing to knock on doors Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker defended going for a break in Greece rather than campaigning in his constituency The message had two attachments - a constituency breakdown with sanitised comments and another containing the unguarded comments of Conservative staff. The document reveals seats which are short of funding and singles out some MPs for criticism over their efforts. In Plymouth Moor View, the seat of veterans minister Johnny Mercer, staff said there was a issue with 'MP co-operation with CCHQ' and 'funding issues - currently 2,000 in bank' and support had been offered. Environment minister Rebecca Pow, who is standing in Taunton and Wellington, was 'still too focused on 'ministerial business' and non-committal on time she will spend in the seat now and during the campaign', the memo said. In Cheadle, Mary Robinson is 'away for seven days on holiday' during the campaign, the memo said. A 'lack of co-operation' was also noted for Northern Ireland minister Mr Baker. The Daily Mirror revealed that he continued with his holiday plans during what was supposed to be the parliamentary recess. 'The Prime Minister told everyone we could go on holiday and then called a snap election,' he told the Mirror from Vasiliki. 'So I've chosen to do my campaign work in Greece.' The Wycombe MP added: 'I've been campaigning for months and my wife deserves to have her husband go away for a much needed break. It's the only holiday we've got planned for the summer.' Asked about the start of the campaign, the Prime Minister told ITV News: 'Of course this is my responsibility, and I actually enjoyed the last few days. 'A few days into this and I've been in the East Midlands and West Midlands, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland here in the South East.' Asked why CCHQ was blaming MPs, Mr Sunak dodged the question: 'What I'm doing is talking to people everywhere, about the choice of this election, and I was very clear that I've got a clear plan that I'm working through and you can see that that is happening with the economy.' It comes as Tory MP Lucy Allen tonight quit the party in order to support a Reform UK candidate to replace her in her Telford constituency. Ms Allan, who is standing down at the general election, endorsed Reform's Alan Adams to succeed her in the Shropshire seat. Following her public declaration of support for Mr Adams, the Conservatives took immediate action and suspended Ms Allan from the party. Tory MP Lucy Allen tonight quit the party in order to support a Reform UK candidate to replace her in her Telford constituency But, in the latest blow to Rishi Sunak during a bumpy start to the PM's general election campaign, she claimed she had already quit the Tories in order to back Mr Adams' bid. Ms Allan claimed the Reform hopeful was 'genuinely the best person for the job' and warned against allowing the Labour candidate a 'walkover' in Telford. She said: 'I have resigned from the Conservative Party to support Alan Adams to be Telford's next MP. And last night, Rishi Sunak was forced to defend his controversial plans to revive National Service in the UK. Amid unanswered questions about the details of the plan and how it would work, the Prime Minister assured voters that it would open doors for teenagers that they wouldn't otherwise get through. Under the plan, 18-year-olds will be given a choice between a full-time placement in the Armed Forces for 12 months or spending one weekend a month for a year volunteering' in their community. The policy announcement sparked a heated debate over the weekend with Labour branding it 'desperate' and even some Conservatives worried that it was akin to a 'grown-up Boy Scouts'. But others in the party backed the PM, as did former defence chiefs. Last night, it was revealed that teenagers would be incentivised to sign up for the scheme with fast-tracked interviews for graduate schemes in both the private and public sectors, and the opportunity to highlight National Service on their UCAS applications to help them getting into university. Pope Francis has allegedly shocked bishops in Italy by using an offensive slur when saying that homosexual men should not be admitted to church seminaries because there is already 'too much' gay sexual activity. The pontiff told a closed-door meeting at an episcopal conference at the Vatican that homosexual men should not be allowed into colleges to train for the priesthood, Italian media reports. Bishops at the meeting were reportedly taken aback by the language the 87-year-old used to make the statement - the derogatory word 'frociaggine', which roughly translates to f*****ry. Italian news agency Adnkronos, citing sources, reported that the Pope said in the speech: 'Look: there is already an air of f*****ry around that is not good. There is today's culture of homosexuality with respect to those who have a homosexual orientation [who] are better off not being accepted [into the seminary].' The remark was met with 'incredulous laughter', bishops told newspaper Corriere della Sera. Some suggested that it was an honest mistake by the Pope, for whom Italian is a second language, and that he 'did not know' how offensive the word was. The alleged comments, which seem to go against recent moves to amend seminary admission rules, have come as a surprise to some in the church as Francis is known for taking a more liberal view than his predecessors on LGBT rights. Pope Francis is pictured during a meeting with the Italian Bishops' Conference at the Vatican The comments were allegedly made in a closed-door meeting ahead of the conference. Pictured: The opening session of the 79th general assembly of the Italian Bishops Conference When asked about his views on homosexuality in 2013, he famously said: 'If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?' Last year, he described laws that criminalise homosexuality as a 'sin' and an 'injustice', and allowed Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples in a significant advance for LGBT rights in the church. However, the Pope delivered a similar message on gay seminarians - minus the reported swear word - when he met Italian bishops in 2018, telling them to carefully vet priesthood applicants and reject anyone suspected of being homosexual. Political gossip website Dagospia was the first to report on the alleged incident, said to have happened on May 20, when the Italian Bishops Conference opened a four-day assembly with a non-public meeting with the pontiff. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis's native language is Spanish, and though he is fluent in Italian he has made a number of linguistic faux pas in the past. He has previously said that if a boy is unsure about his sexuality and is facing mental health challenges he might need 'psychiatric' support. It widely believed he instead meant 'psychological' help, words he has also confused on other occasions. Francesco Lepore, a former priest who is now a gay rights activist, said he was 'stunned' by the comments allegedly made by Francis, who is also known by his birth name Jorge Mario Bergoglio. 'Despite being accustomed by now to the type of direct language on the part of Bergoglio, speaking of 'f*****ry' in the seminaries seems more like a bar and a tavern than a Pontiff,' he told la Repubblica. 'This expression would never have appeared on the lips of Paul VI, John Paul II or Benedict XVI, who also took damning positions towards homosexuality. He added: 'The Pope is right that the number of homosexual seminarians and clerics is very high. But the simplicity of language has nothing to do with vulgarity.' Reports about the pontiff's remarks at the meeting come after bishops approved a document regulating admission to Italian seminaries, according to Corriere. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis' first language is Spanish, and though he is fluent in Italian he has made a number of linguistic faux pas in the past The paper reported that members 'approved by majority vote an amendment that recognized the distinction between simple homosexual orientation and 'deeply rooted tendencies.' This, it suggests, means 'in substance, that a homosexual person could be admitted to the seminary if, like the heterosexual, he gave the guarantee that he knows how to live the discipline of celibacy.' However, it reportedly implies 'that it is more difficult for homosexuals because they will be living in an all-male community for many years.' Francis's latest remarks seemingly suggest he is taking 'a more radical' view on the issue, by preventing gay men from being allowed to join altogether. The Holy See has not approved the document, according to reports, and the issue is still under discussion. The 2005 Vatican document, released under Pope Benedict XVI and endorsed by Francis in 2016, states that the Church 'cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture.'' There is so far no official record of the Pope's latest comments on the issue and the Vatican has not commented. His lifelong love of Scotland has left him with an equal fondness for traditional Highland dress. Now King Charles has commissioned a Scots textile designer to create an official tartan for his home at Balmoral. Araminta Birse-Stewart has been given the responsibility of creating a bespoke tartan which will tell the story of Balmoral Castle and Estate. Inspiration for the design will be taken from the landscape of the 50,000-acre estate where the monarch spends his summers. King Charles is famously a fan of tartan The tartan will be available to buy from Balmoral Castle from July when tourists are set to flock to the Aberdeenshire retreat. Mrs Birse-Stewart, whose business is known by her maiden name of Araminta Campbell, is based in South Queensferry, near Edinburgh. The 36-year-old described the commission as a personal dream come true. In a statement, Balmoral Castle and Estate said: In this tartan, in its colours and its threads, lies the essence of Balmoral itself a timeless sanctuary where history and majesty converge, and where the spirit of Scotlands Highlands lives on. Balmoral Estates and Araminta Campbells mutual respect for the environment and natural world is ingrained into each element of this tartan, with natural colours and materials sourced from natures own palette and inspiration drawn from the grounds of Balmoral Estate and the surrounding Scottish Highlands. This creation is a symbol of dedication to well-made craft, a celebration of cultural heritage and a promise to uphold the highest standards of quality in every aspect of its creation.' The statement adds: Each thread, each check, is a testament to both the Monarchs and Araminta Campbells unwavering commitment to Scotland, its people, and its traditions. Mrs Birse-Stewart is designing a Balmoral tartan for King Charles Balmoral said the tartan would be made at artisan weaving mills across Scotland as part of the Kings efforts to preserve these rural skills. The castle at Royal Deeside has long been a holiday home for the Royals and the late Queen died there aged 96 in September 2022. Last month new tours of Balmoral which allow people to see parts of the Royal Familys private home for the first time sold out in a day. The tours in July and August cost 100, or 150 with afternoon tea. Balmoral said it was the first time that private interior room tours were being opened up to visitors. The tours will take place before King Charles arrives at the castle for his summer break. Another accolade this year for Araminta Birse-Stewart was her inclusion on the Walpole Power List. The list was set up to recognise key business people who are seen as setting the future course for the contemporary luxury scene in the UK. Scots voters have a once in a generation chance to beat the SNP and end its relentless demands for independence for good, the leader of the Scottish Tories will claim today. Douglas Ross will launch his partys General Election campaign in John Swinneys back yard of Perth, where he will bid to rally pro-Union voters. He will also highlight the new SNP leaders record of failure as Alex Salmonds finance secretary, Nicola Sturgeons deputy and Humza Yousafs most prominent supporter and condemn his copy and paste approach to forming a Cabinet. The Tories are targeting a dozen constituencies where they believe they can beat the SNP, including the new Perth and Kinross-shire seat, which is being contested by the longest-serving Nationalist MP, Pete Wishart. Mr Wisharts former Perth and North Perthshire seat has been renamed after its boundaries were redrawn. Douglas Ross is fighting back Mr Ross will claim that inflicting heavy losses on the SNP at the General Election will force ministers to focus on real priorities like the economy, the NHS and schools instead of the constitution. He will also insist that Mr Swinney, who was campaigning in Dumfries yesterday, is just as divisive a Nationalist as Nicola Sturgeon and just as beatable an opponent as Humza Yousaf. At an event in Perth, Mr Ross will say: Were here in John Swinneys back yard to put him on notice that the Scottish Conservatives are coming for SNP seats like this one. Like so many seats across Scotland, this one is a straight contest between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP. In this election, the opportunity is there to finally end their independence demands for good. For more than a decade, ever since that once-in-a-generation referendum, the SNP have focused only on independence at the expense of everything else. Voters have a once-in-a-generation chance to beat the SNP by voting Scottish Conservative in key seats up and down the country. He will insist that by beating the SNP voters can get all of the focus over the next five years onto creating good jobs, reducing NHS waiting lists and investing to improve our public services. Mr Ross will tell activists: Scotland has had enough of the SNPs non-stop demands for independence and the way they overlook the issues that really matter. Lets get out there and fight for the neglected patients, pupils, parents, workers who have been let down by the SNP. Lets get out there and win in key seats right across Scotland. Lets get out there and beat the SNP. The 12 seats being targeted by the Scottish Tories include the six its MPs won in 2019. Former MP Luke Graham is standing against Mr Wishart in Perth and Kinross-shire. Other key targets include the new Angus and Perthshire Glens constituency, where Nationalist MP Dave Doogan is seeking election; Brendan OHaras new Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber constituency; Allan Dorans seat in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock; Kirsten Oswalds in East Renfrewshire; and the new Gordon and Buchan constituency which is being contested by Richard Thomson. Turning his focus to Mr Swinney at todays event in Perth, Mr Ross will dismiss his claims that he offers a fresh start for the SNP and a new way of doing politics. He will say: John Swinney is just another nationalist leader from the SNP, at a time when Scotland needs national leadership. And what did we expect? He was Alex Salmonds finance secretary, Nicola Sturgeons deputy and Humza Yousafs most prominent supporter. He is the supposedly safe pair of hands who as economy secretary signed off on the Ferguson ferries, who as education secretary tried to introduce the named persons scheme and presided over Scotlands schools falling down international league tables. And as Covid secretary he wasted taxpayer money on the botched vaccine passport scheme. How could we hope for him to change course when John Swinney has been at the heart of the nationalist cabal that has run Scotland for the last 17 years, when they were warned that continuity wont cut it. He condemned the party for choosing the only man who is even more of a continuity candidate than Humza Yousaf as its new leader. Mr Ross said: John Swinney just represents more of the same. He was so unimaginative, that he decided to reappoint the bastion for competency that is Humza Yousafs cabinet. Talk about a copy and paste approach. Nationalist MP Amy Callaghan, who is campaigning in Mid Dunbartonshire, said: Only a vote for the SNP the main challenger in every Tory seat in Scotland can bring down this Tory government that doesnt have Scotlands interests at heart. You might remember Lorna Slater the Green MSP who was until recently a minister in the SNP Government and is now consigned to the backbenches. On Friday, she appeared on BBC Radio 4s Any Questions, where she was asked about the benefits of tax raids undertaken by the Nationalists and enthusiastically backed by the anti-growth Greens. Ms Slater replied, presumably straight-faced, that one of the bonuses was the baby box an idea which pre-dated the Greens disaster-strewn stint in office. One wonders how many more times the baby box crammed with taxpayer-funded products including clothes, a thermometer, books and muslin cloth will be wheeled out by the SNP and Greens over the course of this already gruelling election campaign. The baby box scheme, launched by former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in 2016, has cost at least 90 million but has failed to improve infant health It emerged in 2023 that around 90million had been spent on the initiative over the past six years but damning research shows it has failed to improve infant health. The baby box is an appropriate symbol of the SNPs wasted time in office an expensive failure but, together with other freebies, its the fig leaf justification for a series of tax-grabs. If you take away what is supposedly one of Nicola Sturgeons proudest achievements, or maybe her only one, theres precious little left to show for the SNPs 17 calamitous years in power. Yesterday, John Swinney was out on the stump talking about his back-to-basics message the ABC of austerity, Brexit and cost of living: all evils, as he sees them, of Tory rule. But how does he define austerity what about the 400billion spent on Covid pandemic aid by the UK Government? Its a strange type of austerity that helped salvage businesses and keep Scots in jobs. The demonisation of malign Tory overlords, squeezing the life out of the Scottish economy, is a tired trope that Mr Swinney will regurgitate at every turn. Then theres the inconvenient fact that Scots benefit from 1,521 more net expenditure per person than people across the UK the Union dividend; is this also Tory austerity? If it is, then it might not be quite the bogeyman Mr Swinney claims. But it hasnt stopped him pledging that his partys doomed independence crusade will be the centrepiece of the SNPs forthcoming manifesto. His deputy Kate Forbes admitted on Friday that the SNP securing a majority of Scottish seats in July unlikely, according to the polls would trigger discussions with the UK Government about independence (although if Rishi Sunak is re-elected its bound to be a short conversation). Delusional Sir Keir Starmer, on the other hand, might well be tempted to strike up a nightmare alliance with the SNP to get him into Downing Street regardless of his insistence that he wouldnt do a deal with Mr Swinney. Independence would pave the way for turbo-charged austerity, light years away from the socialist Utopia envisaged by delusional separatists. Any austerity that Scotland is suffering was inflicted by the SNP, which demanded new powers for Holyrood and then used them to make Scotland the most heavily taxed party of the UK. Its a move that has crippled businesses and contributed to moribund growth rates which have been running at roughly half the UK level for the past decade. The destination of any extra cash from tax increases is unclear given the lamentable state of public services including the NHS, which was supposed to be the principal beneficiary of the latest tax hike on higher earners orchestrated by Mr Swinney as stand-in finance secretary in 2022. Waste has been endemic, from the near-400million on ferries that have never sailed to pointless quangos run by fat-cat placemen. Yet taxpayers have been endlessly short-changed saddled with a police service which by its own admission can no longer afford to investigate minor crimes beyond a cursory phone call and a reference number for the insurance company. Local government warns that its on the edge of bankruptcy, leading to cuts across the board with teachers and libraries in the firing line. Mr Swinneys recurring theme during his short time as First Minister has been the challenging economic climate and the claim that the SNP is grappling with the fallout of Tory fiscal mismanagement. The narrative is that the Scottish budget has been squeezed to the point where difficult decisions have had to be made. Yet the UK Government has provided a record block grant to Scotland averaging 41billion a year and the SNP Governments borrowing limit has been increased to 3.05billion in 2024-25, enabling further investment in schools, hospitals, roads and other key infrastructure at least in theory. The SNPs depute leader Keith Brown suggested at the weekend that his candidates were struggling to raise money for their campaigns because of a Tory-delivered cost of living crisis. He didnt mention the fact that his party is at the centre of an ongoing police probe into how crowd-funded donations were used, which you might think is hardly likely to inspire supporters to dig deep. And yet this is the party which claims it can be trusted to run the economy, and is once again attempting to reset its relationship with entrepreneurs and employers the ones who havent upped sticks to escape the SNPs punitive taxation and sky-high business rates. As for Brexit, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack says the UK is doing more trade in goods and services with the EU now than when we were members. The SNPs big plan is to beg for readmission to the EU, which is a pipe dream and in any event would cede key economic decisions to Brussels bureaucrats. Devastating Once hes done with his ABCs, when will Mr Swinney get round to talking about Low Emission Zones, now spreading across the country after being introduced last year in Glasgow apparently to negligible effect in terms of cleaner air? The impact on the rundown city centre has been devastating, with businesses clinging to survival or forced to close their doors for good. Now Scotlands other cities are set for similar treatment turned into no-go areas for drivers who cant afford costly environmentally-friendly vehicles. The fact that they pay council tax to maintain services some of which they cant use because of this doesnt seem to feature in the debate, such as it is. Theres also the looming spectre of the Workplace Parking Levy which could turn out to be another cash cow for town halls in coming years, but one that will send more businesses to the wall. The dead hand of the SNP has held back the Scottish economy for too long and rhetoric about Tory austerity cannot change the bleak truth that Scotland is paying a heavy price for nearly two decades of waste and incompetence. Thousands of college graduates are entering adulthood and may need to start thinking more about money management. Author, self-made millionaire, and host of the I Will Teach You to be Rich podcast Ramit Sethi revealed the 'simple' step for college graduates to be financially successful in the future. According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, Sethi's advice for college graduates to achieve financial success is 'invest 10 percent' of their salaries every year. 'At the end of the year, increase that by one percent. Do this for as long as you can and you will be a multimillionaire,' he told CNBC Make It earlier this month. Sethi, who also starred in the 2023 Netflix docuseries How to Get Rich, has years of professional experience and is the founder of IWT. Author and self-made millionaire Ramit Sethi suggests that college students look into investing 10 percent of their salaries every year to be financially successful in the future Sethi, who starred in the 2023 Netflix docuseries How to Get Rich, is the founder and CEO of IWT - a website that hosts over one million readers a month According to Sethi's LinkedIn, his parents immigrated to the US in the 1970s from India. 'With four kids and one income, they couldn't afford to send me to college so I built a system to apply 60+ scholarships,' he wrote in his profile description. He went on to receive a full scholarship to Stanford University, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in 2004 and 2005. However, after graduation, he admitted that he took his first scholarship check, invested it in the stock market, and lost around half of it almost immediately. This incident inspired him to learn about money and that what he learned during his schooling was 'irrelevant.' Today, he runs IWT - a website that hosts over one million readers a month that are interested in learning more about business, careers, negotiation, psychology, and money. His 2009 New York Times Best Seller I Will Teach You To Be Rich is a six-week finance program for individuals between the ages of 20 to 35. However, the steps he discussed with NBC 10 Philadelphia on how college graduates will be successful may be simpler for former students to understand. Sethi's 2009 New York Times Best Seller I Will Teach You To Be Rich is a six-week finance program for individuals between the ages of 20 to 35 The first thing a college graduate must do to get started is open their own brokerage account, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or any other kind of investment account. In order to do so, the college graduate must provide information such as a driver's license and a social security number. Once the account is open, the owner of it can begin depositing money and select what kinds of funds they would like to invest in. NBC 10 Philadelphia also suggests that the account holder look into setting it up so that their investment account will receive automatic deposits. The investment will continue to grow and work well for the college graduate that is looking to be financially successful. Despite Sethi's suggestion in investing 10 percent of a salary every year, college graduates may not have to start doing that right away. It's best for college graduates to begin investing early on so that their money will have longer time to grow through compound interest. According to Fidelity, compound interest is when interest you earn in a savings or investment account earns interest of its own. This means that the investment account holder can earn interest on its initial balance and the interest that is added to the total amount of money over time. An example of this would be if a college graduate was to invest $1,000 and earn an annualized return of 7 percent. This would result in their investment growing to $1,070 by next year and earn 7 percent of their entire balance the year after that. If college graduates were to begin contributing $100 toward an investment account that generates a 7 percent annual return rate when they're 21-years-old, their total could be over $1.4 million by the time they're 65. 'By starting at your college graduation with your first job, you will set yourself up for a lifetime of living a rich life,' said Sethi. A 25-year-old woman who claims she was knocked unconscious and left bleeding from the mouth after going on a ride at Typhoon Lagoon's Water Park is suing Disney World for more than $50,000. Laura Reyes-Merino had visited the Orlando, Florida park on May 11 and went on the the Humunga Kowabunga ride, the lawsuit says. The high-octane rides features an enclosed body slide that is on a 60-degree angle, and drop 214 foot downhill in the dark before they are splashed with water. Reyes-Marino alleged in the lawsuit filed in Orange County last week she lost consciousness after 'banging inside the side,' and when her fiancee found her she was limp and bleeding from the mouth. The suit claims the woman's family frantically asked nearby attendants to help and were told they were not lifeguards, and would have to find lifeguards. Typhoon Lagoon water park is a popular Disney attraction but the site were Reyes-Merino claims she was knocked unconscious and bleeding from the mouth When a lifeguard was finally located, they were unable to help or touch Merino-Reyes and called an ambulance, as per the suit. 'Had defendant had lifeguards at the end of the ride to watch and help guests coming off the ride, plaintiff's brain injury would not have occurred as she wouldn't have been drowning in the water coughing up blood,' according to the suit. It further stated that Typhoon Lagoon failed to keep the premises safe and did not warn her about dangers. More than 58 million visitors visit Walt Disney Land annually. It is considered the most visited vacation resort in the world, according to Magic Guie. Disney Land is located in Orlando, Florida, and averages 58 million visitors a year, and considered the most visited vacation resort Disney faced another lawsuit last year when a woman who went to the park to celebrate her 30th birthday suffered a 'painful wedgie' on the same ride as Reyes-Merino. She filed a lawsuit claiming that the impact of the slide caused her swimsuit to 'be painfully forced between her legs and for water to be violently forced inside her,' Click Orlando reported. According to her suit, she went to the hospital, and suffered injuries including, severe lacerations, damage to her internal organs and a hernia. DailyMail.com reached out to Disney but no one was available for comment. An Aussie applying for a customer service role at an insurance company was left shocked after the hiring manager opened the interview with a Welcome to Country. The applicant shared the 'weird' experience on Reddit, saying the hiring manager at the Brisbane-based company 'took it upon himself' to perform a Welcome to Country at the start of a 'very small' group interview with less than five candidates. 'I wanted to get others' opinions on this as I thought it was peak Australian corporate culture,' the candidate wrote. 'At the time I didn't give it a second thought but in retrospect it's pretty weird and unnecessary. 'I understand companies doing these for big/important meetings with higher-ups, but at a job interview it just felt pointless.' A candidate for a customer service role at a Brisbane insurance company was left confused after the hiring manager opened the meeting with a Welcome to Country (stock image) A Welcome to Country can only be delivered by traditional owners or custodians of the land on which the event takes place. It is usually performed by a local Aboriginal elder to acknowledge and give consent to events taking place on traditional lands. If a traditional owner is not available to do a Welcome to Country, an Acknowledgement of Country can be delivered instead. Aussies were quick to share their thoughts, with many agreeing the Welcome to Country had been unnecessary at the job interview. 'I'd say I'm a pretty progressive guy in terms of Aboriginal rights, don't mind a Welcome to Country at a formal or sporting event,' one man wrote. 'However I think Acknowledgement of Country in the workplace for anybody below the CEO (and even then) is the most cringey load of bull**** of all time.' 'Cringe. Did he get up and sing the National Anthem too? Stinks of virtue signalling,' a second commented. 'Do that s*** and I am walking right back out the door,' a third said. 'Interview be damned. I'm not going to work somewhere full of virtue-signalling woke leftist bobble-heads.' Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin is seen performing a Welcome to Country at the A-League Women Grand Final match between Melbourne and Sydney on May 4 Others shared their own experiences of the Aboriginal ceremony. 'I went to a function the Labor Party threw for small businesses to meet a number of Federal MPs,' one person wrote. 'Not only was there a 20 minute Welcome to Country, literally every speaker spent a few minutes doing an Acknowledgement of Country before speaking. 'It's reaching a f****ing bizarre level of performative quasi-religious theatre.' 'I had a photography award night with my local council EVERY person who spoke acknowledged and welcomed... made me not want to participate again just say it once and move on,' a second said. A third shared: 'My experience has been that any meeting I've had that involves HR or similar, will almost always include an Acknowledgement to Country. They seem to take it very seriously, often more so then the 'purpose' of the meeting.' A 51-year-old Colorado rancher tragically lost his life Saturday in a lightning strike that also killed 34 of his cows and three calves. Mike Morgan was feeding his cattle from a trailer when he was struck. He died on the scene after emergency responders tried to resuscitate him, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said. Morgan's wife, Niki, was approximately 200 feet away from Morgan when the lightning bolt struck and it was strong enough to knock her off her horse, according to a Facebook post from His Cavvy Foundation, a nonprofit helping ranchers with serious medical issues. Morgan's father-in-law was also reportedly near the blast but survived. The strike bowled over around 100 head of cattle that had crowded around the trailer that Morgan was feeding them out of, county coroner George Crocket said. Mike Morgan was killed in a freak lightning strike over the weekend, Jackson County officials revealed Monday Morgan, 51, was a rancher in the town of Walden, Colorado, a tight-knit community outside of Denver Morgan's family was recently able to afford 300 cattle of their own, and it was their dream to own their own animals 'All but the 34 got up,' Crocket added. The lightning bolt struck a pasture outside the town of Rand, which is about 80 miles northwest of Denver, NBC reported. Morgan is survived by his wife Niki and his 17-year-old daughter, Dallas, both of whom are involved in the ranching occupation as well. The His Cavvy Foundation described Morgan and his family as 'an upstanding pillar' in the town of Walden, Colorado. The foundation's post explained that Morgan had always been working on a local ranch, which recently afforded the family the opportunity to purchase 300 pairs. Pairs refer to a cow and her calf. 'Mikes wife, Niki, has spent all winter calving these pairs out while Mike held down a job at Silver Spur Ranches,' the post said. 'They do what we all do, whatever it takes to make a living, and they do it by doing what we are all passionate about. Ranching...' The His Cavvy Foundation wrote that Morgan's family has donated time, resources and finances to its various causes throughout the years. 'Mike was a loving father and a tender, intentional husband,' the post said. 'We will all miss that big ole smile he always carried.' Senior CPC official tours New Zealand Xinhua) 09:55, May 27, 2024 Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Phil Mauger, mayor of Christchurch, attend the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Rewi Alley in Christchurch, New Zealand, May 24, 2024. Liu led a delegation of the CPC to visit New Zealand From May 22 to May 25. (Xinhua/Guo Lei) WELLINGTON, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee led a delegation of the CPC to visit New Zealand From May 22 to May 25. Liu, during the tour, had in-depth exchanges with Gerry Brownlee, parliament speaker, Winston Peters, the leader of New Zealand First party who is also the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Simeon Brown, the deputy leader of the House and minister for transport, energy and local government, Todd McClay, minister for trade, David Parker, parliament member of the Labour party and spokesperson of the foreign affairs, Phil Mauger, mayor of Christchurch, and David Carter, former parliament speaker and honorary chairman of the New Zealand China Friendship Society. The CPC senior official also attended the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Rewi Alley and related commemorative activities. The two sides, during Liu's visit, expressed the willingness to take the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership as an opportunity to strengthen party exchanges, promote cooperation in various fields, expand people-to-people exchanges, and push forward the relations to achieve greater development. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) State-run company eyes bullion coins as new growth engine in transition to cashless society By Yi Whan-woo Korea is moving faster toward a cashless society, which poses both risks and opportunities for Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp. (KOMSCO). The risk comes from KOMSCOs waning profitability due to the falling use of cash, whereas opportunity comes from its extensive know-how and expertise that it accumulated as the countrys sole manufacturer of banknotes and circulating coins for over seven decades. Against this backdrop, KOMSCO CEO Sung Chang-hoon is committed to ushering in a sweeping transformation of the state-run corporation into a versatile business entity in three areas information and communications technology (ICT), export and creative cultural content. Reinventing our expertise in printing, minting and engraving is essential to make a breakthrough into new industries and step up as a global leading company, and thats the vision Ive been underlining ever since I took office, the CEO told The Korea Times during an interview at his office in Seoul, May 16. He explained KOMSCO boasts world-class counterfeit deterrent technologies in currency production, which are applied in a range of businesses after it started in October 1951 at a shabby wood building in Busan in the middle of the Korean War. Nevertheless, the relevant technologies will be obsolete and there will be no future for KOMSCO if we do not make progress in using them, Sung said. In that regard, the vision for a new KOMSCO oriented toward ICT, export and creative cultural content can help laying groundwork for a new, sustainable business ecosystem and overcoming challenges coming from declining profits. Technological value chain Headquartered in Daejeon, KOMSCO operates under the Ministry of Economy and Finance but also works closely with the Bank of Korea (BOK). Its conventional businesses include identity documents such as national identification cards and passports, security papers such as paychecks, postage stamps and gift certificates, brand and quality certification for commercial goods, as well as precious or commemorative metals such as medals and gold bars. These businesses are at a transitional stage toward digitalization, to cope with higher demand for mobile and other forms of digital payments and a subsequent decline in production of money. According to KOMSCO, the rate of cash payments out of all financial transactions in Korea dropped to 14.6 percent in 2021 from 17.4 percent in 2019. Correspondingly, 50 percent fewer banknotes are being produced this year compared to 2014, while 90 percent fewer circulating coins are made over the 10 years. Under the circumstances, KOMSCO has developed a value chain that allows KOMSCOs craftsmanship in manufacturing to spread into new industries, Sung said. He assessed that the transition is going well, noting that digital technology-based businesses account for more than half of KOMSOs annual sales of $450 billion won ($330.39 million). The technological transition is especially inevitable as it is linked to our broader, future goal concerning ICT, export and creative cultural content, he added. For instance, the technology used in identity documents has made a mobile driver's license available in 2022. Plus, a mobile national identification card is planned to make its debut in 2025. Furthermore, consultation is underway between KOMSCO and its peers from developing countries on exports of mobile identity as an intangible asset. In relation to ICT, KOMSCO is mobilizing its expertise to develop a central bank digital currency (CBDC). An envisioned virtual form of money, a CBDC is different from cryptocurrencies as it is created by a central bank and therefore gives consumers guaranteed protection. The BOK is among 100 central banks worldwide that have been working on CBDCs, including those from the United States, the European Union, China and Japan. The CBDC ecosystem is expected to have a two-tiered structure: "institutional central bank currency" traded between the BOK and financial companies and "tokenized deposits" between financial companies and the public. KOMSCO is seeking a role in the latter. KOMSCOs blockchain technology is used on "chak," an online payment system for gift certificates exclusively distributed by provincial governments to nurture spending and growth in regional economies. The case of CBDC-linked blockchain technology is an excellent example of KOMSCOs transition from a manufacturing business to an ICT-focused enterprise, Sung said. Well faithfully carry out our role to complete a CBDC network and successfully be reborn as a digital currency manufacturer. With regard to creative cultural content, KOMSCO is building on its manufacturing skills on circulating coins, medals and gold bars in order to produce bullion coins. Made of precious metals such as gold and silver, bullion coins can have a higher value than commemorative coins or gold bars for their rarity in relation to the cultural power of a respective country. A bullion coin is distinguished for containing a national symbol, such as a bald eagle of the U.S., giant panda of China or Vienna Philharmonic of Austria. The international bullion coin market is estimated to be worth over 20 trillion won, and it is considered nearly untapped as only seven countries compete worldwide. The seven also include Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Spain. All these countries are cultural powerhouses, and thus making their bullion coin an attractive collectors' item, Sung said. And considering Koreas cultural power as seen from the popularity of K-pop, I believe our bullion coin will certainly have competitiveness if it is released. In the meantime, the CEO reckoned that shifting toward a horizontal organizational structure is crucial for the companys business transformation. He noted the so-called "MZ Generation, a Korean term referring to Millennials and Generation Z, makes up about 40 percent of the companys entire 1,400 employees. Efficiency based on fairness, challenge mindsets and flexibility are crucial to embrace these young employees who will be at the center of KOMSCOs future after all, the CEO said. He said he accordingly has stressed management based on five principles open communication, active participation in decision-making regardless of rank, a shared, unified image of the companys vision, constructive knowledge-building experiences and wider use of digital tools. Who is Sung Chang-hoon? Sung was formerly a career financial bureaucrat and held various key positions as he climbed up the ladder after passing the rigorous national civil service exam in 1993. He was the director of the Ministry of Economy and Finances division on long-term economic strategy before being assigned to the division on economic structural reform. Before he was appointed the KOMSCO CEO, Sung oversaw the support board of the National Economic Advisory Council, a presidential advisory body providing advice to the president on various economic issues. Born in 1967, he studied economics at Korea University and earned a master's degree and a doctorate in economics at the Paris Institute of Political Studies in France. A Brazilian in a global murder hunt has been freed to walk British streets because a judge feared jails in his homeland would breach his human rights. South American prosecutors told a London court that Nicolas Gomes De Brito, 25, was a drug dealer who had a rival shot dead. He then fled to Britain and was arrested two years ago after an international police request and held in jail. Yet despite an extradition treaty and what a British judge accepted was 'a strong case' against him, De Brito was freed in January. He claimed he would face discrimination in Brazil because he is gay, to the surprise of police who say he left his wife there. Nicolas Gomes De Brito, a Brazilian in a global murder hunt has been freed to walk British streets because a judge feared jails in his homeland would breach his human rights (pictured: the murder scene) South American prosecutors told a London court that De Brito (pictured), 25, was a drug dealer who had a rival shot dead. He then fled to Britain and was arrested two years ago after an international police request and held in jail But he won his freedom by arguing Brazilian prisons were crowded and he faced torture in custody. Judge Briony Clarke ruled there were insufficient assurances of his safety if extradited, saying she was swayed by evidence on the poor conditions in the jail be would be held in. Now De Brito is understood to have melted away into London, where he previously lived in a semi in Wembley. He remains on global most-wanted lists. De Brito is accused of being in a feud with rival William Pereira De Paiva since 2016 after surviving an attempt on his life. De Brito is accused of being in a feud with rival William Pereira De Paiva (pictured) since 2016 after surviving an attempt on his life When a close friend of De Brito was shot and left paraplegic in 2018, he named De Paiva as being behind the shooting (pictured: the car at the murder scene) Prosecutors told Westminster magistrates that De Brito began working with one of De Paiva's former henchmen, a teenager known as JR. When a close friend of De Brito was shot and left paraplegic in 2018, he named De Paiva as being behind the shooting. De Paiva was arrested but was set free the next year when De Brito is said to have arranged for JR to kill him. After jumping bail, De Brito is understood to have entered Britain as a tourist before overstaying illegally. Two progressive 'Squad' members scrambled to delete posts about Memorial Day highlighting how little the lawmakers know about the longtime U.S. holiday. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Cori Bush of Missouri both posted tributes to soldiers on X Monday but quickly worked to delete their own posts after recognizing a fatal flaw in their tweets. Both progressives 'Squad' members used the holiday to advocate for housing and healthcare reform, demanding that veterans get the treatment they deserve. But unbeknownst to them - or at least their inept communications teams - Memorial Day celebrates the lives of fallen soldiers, not ones that are still living. 'Squad' members Ilhan Omar and Cori Bush seemed to celebrate Veterans Day on Memorial Day in now-deleted social media posts The federal holiday for veterans is, well, Veterans Day, which is observed on November 11 each year. 'On #MemorialDay, we honor the heroic men and women who served our country,' Omar posted before quickly wiping the statement from her X account. 'We owe them more than our gratitude - they have more than earned access to quality mental health services, job opportunities, housing assistance, and the benefits they were promised.' Her advocating for reforms for soldiers' benefits does not make sense as those who are celebrated on Monday's holiday are no longer alive and therefore would no longer need jobs, housing, healthcare or other benefits. And the same mistake was made by her fellow 'Squad' member Bush. 'This #MemorialDay & every day, we honor our veterans in St. Louis,' Bush wrote on X before quickly deleting the post. In the post she went as far to say she honors 'our veterans,' clearly indicating that she or her team believed Memorial Day was for soldiers still living. Her post continued on advocating for progressive goals. 'We must invest in universal health care, affordable housing, comprehensive mental health services, and education & economic opportunities for our veterans as we work to build a world free of war and violence.' It is unclear, however, how universal healthcare, education and economic opportunities would benefit America's finest who have passed on. Visitors rest near gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., May 27, 2024 Sarah Schumann rests at the gravesite of her husband, Army Specialist Jordan Schumann, at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., May 27, 2024 Gravestones adorned with American Flags are seen at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., May 27, 2024 To their credit, their celebration of U.S. veterans is a nicety not normally expressed by the anti-war lawmakers. Usually the pair of progressives is outspoken about 'genocide' being enacted on Palestinians by Israel or the brave resolve of pro-Gaza protestors that recently set up illegals camps on college campuses nationwide. The offices of Omar and Bush did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A couple were told to hand over their children to social services after a doctor mistook their baby daughter's bruise for a sign of abuse during a 'three-minute consultation'. Little Robyn Parker-Briggs suffers from an extremely rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) which causes her fragile skin to bruise and burst open at the slightest touch. The two-year-old has been in and out of hospital since birth and has been cared for by devoted parents Louise Parker and Mark Briggs, who have given up work to look after her. But the parents were thrown into a nightmare lasting three months when they were reported to social services after a routine hospital visit. Ms Parker, 39, said the doctor, who had been called in to examine Robyn by a fellow medic, looked at the bruising and slight swelling behind her ear and stated: 'We are getting social services involved.' Robyn was nine months old at the time. Ms Parker, from South Shields, said: 'I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I always carry Robyn's extensive medical notes with me, but the doctor wasn't interested in looking at them. Louise Parker (right) was ordered to hand over her children to social services after a doctor wrongly accused her of abusing her poorly daughter Robyn Parker-Briggs (left) Robyn suffers from an extremely rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) which causes her fragile skin to bruise and burst open at the slightest touch 'The doctor made a snap decision that changed our lives for ever.' The property sales adviser along with Mr Briggs, 43, a warehouse worker, refused to hand over Robyn and her brother Mason, then aged three. But they were forbidden from being alone with their children and had to move in with relatives. South Tyneside Council only dropped the case when Robyn was given a diagnosis of EDS by specialists. The toddler's variant is so rare and extreme that medics are still learning how to deal with it, and she cannot even wear shoes for fear of damaging her feet. Ms Parker said: 'All the doctors who had treated Robyn since birth and knew our family understood how wrong this was. They tried their best to stop this happening. They pushed for extra tests...to get answers we all hoped would end this nightmare.' The ordeal began in July 2022 after Ms Parker noticed swelling behind her daughter's ear, and feared she may have been stung by an insect. She took her to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where Robyn had been treated since birth but had not received a formal EDS diagnosis. The parents were thrown into a nightmare lasting three months when they were reported to social services after a routine hospital visit They were discharged after four days of tests and scans to check for signs of abuse, but they could not return home alone. At that point a social worker told them to hand over the children until the conclusion of court proceedings. The couple refused and fought the demand, though they were warned against this. Ms Parker said: 'There was no chance I was going to allow them to take away my children. Not even for a day.' The family was subjected to detailed checks until the ordeal was ended by the formal diagnosis. Ms Parker said: 'You'd imagine I would feel a sense of relief, but I don't. I feel angry and traumatised.' Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust said: 'We are very sorry to hear of the distress this family has experienced. If they would like to raise any issues about their child's care, we would encourage them to get in touch.' South Tyneside Council added: 'We appreciate the distress such proceedings may cause any family but take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously.' Police respond to fears the newborn could be in the water The urgent search for a mother and a newborn continues after 'signs of birth' were discovered on a riverbank as police respond to fears the baby could be in the water. Emergency services were called to the banks of the Cooks River in Earlwood, southwest Sydney, at about 4.30pm on Monday after a passerby walking a dog spotted a placenta and an umbilical cord. Search teams, boats and divers returned to the river at first light on Tuesday after a large-scale search of the river and surrounding areas was conducted overnight. When asked whether police were concerned the day-old baby could be in the water, Detective Chief Superintendent Christine McDonald said the whereabouts of the mother and child was her main priority. 'At this stage our main concern is for the whereabouts for the mother and the child, we see that as a real urgent matter for us to find her and her child, hopefully safe and healthy,' she said on Monday night. A passerby spotted 'evidence of a birth' on the banks of the Cooks river in Sydney's southwest (police and detectives are seen at the scene on Tuesday as the search continues) A placenta and umbilical cord found on the riverbank was confirmed by police to be human Police are seen searching the area near the Cooks River for clues on Tuesday morning Superintendent McDonald said it remained unclear whether the baby was born on the banks of the Cooks River or elsewhere. 'All we know is that a placenta and an umbilical cord were located. Obviously, our search will identify what has taken place,' she said. 'Whether that birth or delivery of that child occurred at this location, or another location, is yet to be determined.' Police have urged the mother and child to present at a hospital and said she doesn't need to speak to police if she doesn't want to. 'It is very important, and it is extreme urgency that we find the mother and child as soon as we can. Obviously, we will be contacting hospitals, we ask that she goes to a hospital,' Superintendent McDonald said. 'If any family and friends have any information, our request is that she gets to a hospital as soon as possible.' Detectives are hopeful a busy walking track near the riverbank will mean there are witnesses who may have seen a pregnant woman or a 'woman in distress'. It remains unclear whether the child was born on the banks of the Cooks River or elsewhere Police are also seeking CCTV footage from Lang Road, Wardell Road, Ewen Park or Tennent Parade in Earlwood, about 10km southwest of Sydney's CBD. As inquiries continue police are urging anyone with CCTV vision or information about the incident to contact Burwood Police or Crime Stoppers. An Indiana wedding descended into chaos which saw the groom and another man in jail, while a third man ended his night in the hospital with a gunshot wound to his hand. The groom, Corey Parker, was arrested on May 18 outside the Cornerstone Hall, in Salem, Indiana, shortly after celebrating his nuptials. But the party saw police arrive at the reception after a guest called 911 to report how Parker had shot her boyfriend following a confrontation and fight with another man, Jonathon Goff. Parker told police how the drama kicked off after his bride, Bethany Parker, had left the wedding venue to go back to the Cobblestone Hotel with Goff's wife, Morgan. Groom, Corey Lee Parker, pictured, ended up in jail following his wedding reception after fighting with another man and shooting a third through the hand Jonathon Goff was seen fighting in the venue's parking lot with Parker when a gun went off The groom, Corey Parker, left, was arrested on May 18 outside the Cornerstone Hall, in Salem, Indiana, shortly after celebrating his nuptials with his wife, Bethany, right Parker explained how Goff had argued with his own wife after being accused of flirting with the wife of the shooting victim, Patrick McIntosh. Just as Parker was about to leave, he and Goff began fighting one another in the parking lot. Parker was in his car when Goff approached him aggressively. Parker claimed he thought Goff was trying to grab his gun from the car's center console. It was during the struggle while both men had their hands on the gun when it suddenly went off, shooting McIntosh in the hand. He was not seriously injured. Parker said he did not know where McIntosh had appeared from but assumed he was trying to intervene in the struggle over the gun. Corey Parker now faces charges of battery and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. Marriage records reveal that Corey and wife Bethany have been legally married since 2022 The wedding reception was held at Cornerstone Hall banquet and wedding venue in Salem, Indiana The fight allegedly kicked off after Goff's wife and Parker's bride both went back to the Cobblestone Hotel & Suites in Salem, Indiana, after Goff flirted with another man's wife Parker said that he did not pull the trigger but had reached for the weapon because Goff was 'beating the c**p' out of him. 'In all the rustle and bustle, the gun went off,' Parker said. McIntosh's girlfriend was the one to call 911 and explained to the Indiana State Police how she believed it was a drunken mishap and that she and everyone else were all drunk. Parker has continued to maintain that the shooting was accidental and faces charges for punching Goff in the face and for the reckless shooting. Both men were arrested and taken to the Washington County Jail. Parker now faces charges of battery and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. Marriage license records reveal that Parker and his wife have been legally married since 2022. Parker pleased not guilty in court and released on a $3,000 cash bond. Goff was also arrested on the very same charges of battery and criminal recklessness. He has also pleaded not guilty and received a $3,000 cash bond. Both men had visible injuries and witnesses stated that they had been fighting. The pair will go on trial in September but are due back in court next month. Barbecue season's just around the corner but you might have to hold fire on your burgers, beer and even your baps. For grocery prices are set to soar due to the stormy spring weather. Crops have been devastated and livestock unable to graze after downpours this month flooded swathes of farmland. Now food supply analysts Lynx Purchasing estimate that the knock-on effects will include a surge in the prices of summer essentials. The cost of wheat which is used to make bread, pasta and pastry could rise by eight per cent while barley needed to brew ales and lagers could soar by seven per cent. Barbecue season's just around the corner but you might have to hold fire on your burgers, beer and even your baps. For grocery prices are set to soar due to the stormy spring weather (Stock Photo) Crops have been devastated and livestock unable to graze after downpours this month flooded swathes of farmland (Stock Photo) Potatoes, onions and peppers are all expected to go up by six per cent, while carrots are in line for a five per cent hike. The prices of lamb and beef are tipped to go up by six per cent and four per cent respectively. The estimates are based on what pubs, restaurants and other retailers are expected to face at a wholesale level, with experts saying the increase will be passed on to consumers. A spokesman for Lynx Purchasing said: 'The estimates are based on the lower crop yields expected due to extended wet weather and the higher costs of relying on imported produce for longer. 'High rainfall levels over winter took their toll on winter crops in all parts of the UK, with condition sharply lower, year on year. 'The wet weather has also affected livestock, with an impact on feed costs, as well as lower yield due to lack of pasture feeding.' The prices of lamb and beef are tipped to go up by six per cent and four per cent respectively (Stock Photo) The cost of wheat which is used to make bread, pasta and pastry could rise by eight per cent while barley needed to brew ales and lagers could soar by seven per cent The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said further support for farmers affected by flooding and extreme wet weather was available through the Farming Recovery Fund, with 50million to cover farms across the country. A Defra spokesman added: 'The new eligibility criteria opens up the scheme to thousands more farmers who have suffered significant damage to their land... and will help support UK food security.' Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tomorrow promise to lead the most pro-growth Treasury in history in a bid to attract business back to Britain. In a speech to business leaders she will vow that a Labour government will give companies a bedrock of stability in which to operate. She will also propose tough fiscal rules to create a pro worker and pro business environment. Labour has come under fire from trade unions after watering down its workers rights package in what was seen as a betrayal of the partys traditional voter base. But tomorrow in the Midlands, Ms Reeves will say that Labours pro-business pivot over the past four years can deliver a better future for working people. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tomorrow promise to lead the most pro-growth Treasury in history in a bid to attract business back to Britain Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner has drawn up a new deal for workers that she wants to introduce in the first 100 days of a Labour government If we can change this party to bring it back to the service of working people; if we can return it to the centre ground of politics; if we can bring business back to Labour, then I know we can bring business back to Britain. Ms Reeves time as Shadow Chancellor has been notable for her courting of businesses, especially when compared to the previous Labour leadership. Tomorrow she will say: Labours plans for growth are built on partnership with business. It is clearer than ever that in this election, in the face of Tory chaos, stability is change. Stability, so that we never again see a repeat of the mini budget and the damage it did to family finances. 'Stability, so that families and business can plan for the future. Stability of direction, so we can bring together government, business and working people in common purpose, to meet the great challenges of our time. The general election, Mrs Reeves will say, is a chance for the British people to pass judgment on 14 years of economic chaos and decline under the Conservatives. She will also claim that Rishi Sunak would never have called the July 4 vote if he believed in his own plan for the economy. But, despite her pro-business rhetoric, senior Tories have accused Labour of undermining firms by introducing French-style union laws. Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner has drawn up a new deal for workers that she wants to introduce in the first 100 days of a Labour government. Some major business leaders, however, have warned that the legislation may make it more expensive to hire workers. Laura Trott MP, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: The bosses of Asda, Marks & Spencer, Currys and the Confederation of British Industry have all warned that Labours French-style union laws risk damaging the economy, costing jobs. Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan that businesses can rely on. We took the bold action to deliver the biggest business tax cut in modern history. Labour would tie businesses in red tape and raise taxes by 2,094 for hardworking families. It comes as Labour was last night warned over its plan to hand more powers to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Ms Reeves has promised to strengthen the remit of the OBR so it can decide when it is appropriate to break fiscal rules. But economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies said such questions are inherently political. A group of Tory MPs recently urged the Government to look to end its unhealthy dependence on the OBR following forecasting errors. Ben Zaranko, senior research economist at the IFS, said: Choices over how much to tax, spend and borrow are not narrow technical questions, but are inherently political. Elected politicians should be responsible for making them. Ms Reeves earlier this year pledged to strengthen the OBR with a new fiscal lock, guaranteeing in law that any government making significant and permanent tax and spending changes will be subject to an independent forecast from the OBR. Labour's tax raid on private schools would force nearly half of fee-paying pupils into the state system, a report reveals today. Sir Keir Starmer yesterday refused to back down on his pledge to charge 20 per cent VAT on independent school fees in the event of Labour winning the General Election. But a survey of parents with children at private schools suggests as many as 224,000 pupils could leave as a result double the number previously estimated. The report said the figures 'seriously undermine Labour's argument that the sector would go through an imposition of VAT on school fees 'largely unscathed'. It suggests the policy, which could be implemented in time for the start of the new school year, will drive up costs for the taxpayer and create even more competition for the best state schools. Sir Keir Starmer yesterday refused to back down on his pledge to charge 20 per cent VAT on independent school fees in the event of Labour winning the General Election Labour's school fees plan would have a devastating effect on schoolgirl actress Isla Buchanan (bottom right) who has already appeared in a touring production of Les Miserables and a Nintendo Switch advert Education Secretary Gillian Keegan last night said: 'This is just more proof that Keir Starmer's party hasn't changed. This is the same old Labour Party, playing party politics at the expense of children's education. 'Their tax hike will overwhelm our state schools, driving tens of thousands of pupils into the state sector potentially costing taxpayers 1.6billion. 'The choice is clear: stick with the clear plan that is working, taking bold action to drive up school standards with Rishi Sunak. 'Or go back to square one with Keir Starmer and the politics of envy.' The polling of 30,000 parents of children at independent schools, conducted by education consultancy Baines Cutler over the past two years, suggests previous estimates of how many would drop out if fees were hiked may have been much too low. It showed 42 per cent would have to leave the private sector which has 500,000-plus pupils within the next five years, including 14 per cent who would leave immediately. A further 16 per cent said they would find paying the higher fees hard, including 6 per cent who would need financial support from the school. Sir Keir yesterday said the tax break currently given to private schools 'has to go'. After delivering his first keynote speech of the campaign, the Labour leader said: 'I completely understand that many parents work hard and save hard to be able to send their children to private schools. 'I know that, I respect that and I understand that. 'But there are difficult choices to be made.' Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves had earlier said private schools must make cuts to cope with the VAT raid. Dismissing concerns over the policy, she told the Daily Telegraph: 'I'm sure that private schools can make efficiencies in the same way that state schools have been making efficiencies this last decade or so.' Labour's school fees plan would have a devastating effect on schoolgirl actress Isla Buchanan. The 12-year-old, who has already appeared in a touring production of Les Miserables and a Nintendo Switch advert, could be forced to leave her private school and its theatre if VAT is added to fees. Her parents, supermarket manager Grant, 52, and marketing executive Lana, 47, earn less than 90,000 a year between them and would be unable to afford the hike. The couple who also have a nine-year-old son Beau in a state primary school already sacrifice holidays and meals out to send their daughter to an independent school. Mrs Buchanan, from Bridgwater in Somerset, said the policy was 'absolutely disgusting', adding: 'Labour just doesn't support aspiration. It's devastating that a political party is using my children as pawns and targeting one area of education.' Shocking new border statistics have revealed the surprising countries spawning an influx of migrants to the US. While Chinese migrants continue to dominate the list, thousands are also pouring in from India, Vietnam, Turkey, Uzebakistan and the West African nation of Mauritania. About 62% of all Chinese migrants arriving at America's borders are entering the country through San Diego, according to US Border Patrol statistics. At least 48,501 Chinese migrants have crossed into the US illegally- mostly surrendering to Border Patrol with the hopes of seeking asylum- from Oct. 1 through April. Chinese migrants wait to be processed after crossing the border with Mexico Wednesday, May 8, 2024, near Jacumba Hot Springs, Calif. San Diego became the busiest corridor for illegal crossings in April, according to U.S. government data 'Its an 8,600% increase over all of fiscal year 2021, when just 342 Chinese nationals crossed illegally - across the entire southern border,' Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin tweeted. NEW BORDER NUMBERS 48,501 - China 8,900 - India 7,800 - Turkey 2,900 - Uzbekistan 4,400 - Mauritania 3,000 - Vietnam 5,600 - Guinea Advertisement Of those, 27,135 entered the country either in San Diego or in the area east of the city, which is all considered the San Diego sector by the Border Patrol. On Saturday alone, at least 118 Chinese citizens illegally cross into the region, Fox News reported. While most of the border sees most of its migrants from countries like Mexico and Venezuela, the area near San Diego attracts migrants from around the world. Since the start of the fiscal year, more than 8,900 migrants from India have arrived there. Another 7,800 from Turkey, 5,600 from 5,600+ Guinea and 4,400 from Mauritania have also entered the country there. 'There is now an orchestrated, well organized cartel smuggling operation of Chinese into Southern California,' Melugin stated. As DailyMail.com was first to report, Chinese migrants are being smuggled into the US with the help of Chinese gangs known as 'snakeheads' who are operating in synchrony with Mexican cartels. Asian criminal organizations have been working in Mexico for many year in drug trade and money laundering, but have recently moved into human trafficking business as Chinese migrants have started showing up at the border, cartel expert Robert Almonte told DailyMail.com. 'The Chinese (smugglers) just can't go over there and cut the Mexican cartels out - that just doesn't happen. They've got to be paying the Mexican cartel some kind of a percentage, quota or tax,' he said. The global arrivals in Southern California helped to propel the San Diego sector as the busiest in the nation. At least 37,370 migrants entered the US through the San Diego sector, which includes all of Southern California except for El Centro on the Arizona state line, according to the US Border Patrol. A Chinese migrant camp near Jacumba, California has signs showing Chinese asylum seekers where to turn themselves over to US Border Patrol agents In April, the San Diego region surpassed Tucson, which had been the nation's busiest, and fell to second with 31,219 border encounters. El Paso sector, which includes the West Texas city and all of New Mexico, rose to third with 30,393. San Diego's rise as the number one border hot spot had been expected, as the area had been getting bombarded with as many as 6,000-8,000 border crossers a week in the last few months. 'Unfortunately, I'm not surprised,' San Diego County Commissioner Jim Desmond told DailyMail.com last month. 'Texas is clamping down and other areas are clamping down. Here in California, they're allowed to walk in unimpeded. They're going to follow the path of least resistance, and the least resistance is in California.' A $13 billion business of trafficking humans from Mexico into the US has been described as whac-a-mole by border experts- where one area flares up as others quiet down. Migrants who are arrested in San Diego sector are vetted by US Border Patrol are being released onto the streets. The county migrant shelter closed a few months back, after local leaders decided they did not want to the $18 million dollars a year to keep running it. However, the county has been promised $20 million by the Biden to open up a shelter in the coming weeks. 'It was costing us, at that point in time, about $1.5 million a month to basically be their travel agent. Border Patrol was their Uber, bringing them to those drop off areas, and then we were their travel agent,' Desmond quipped. Without the local shelter, migrants are either being let loose at a transit station or at the airport by the feds. Migrants have been known to spend as many as five days crashing at the airport while they wait for a flight out of town, Desmond added. Like other border communities across the country, San Diego's airport does not add extra flights simply because there's a spike in migrant crossings. Often times, there aren't available seat to fly out or migrants, with limited means, wait a day or two until ticket prices drop and they can afford to travel to their final destination. Many reports of untimely deaths in the US have been linked to aliens, sparking theories that these individuals may have been murdered by the third kind. They include a US Air Force pilot who died shortly after claims he witnessed a flying object and a Brazilian man who was 'zapped in the head by an extraterrestrial.' Nigel Watson has written about the cases in a new bookazine, the UFO Files, which includes a chapter Death By UFO dealing with these mysterious deaths. UFO believers are on a missions to prove that aliens were behind many high-profile murders in the past few decades Watson has spent years researching UFO reports worldwide and published several books and reports about his findings. Fatal encounter in the skies One of the cases explored in the book is the death of U.S. Air Force Captain Thomas Mantell who was asked to investigate a silvery, conical flying object in 1948. Reports have claimed that Mantell, who was a 25-year-old Second World War hero, and three other pilots were conducting training exercise when the request came in to investigate a high-flying silvery object tipped with red. 'It appears to be a metallic object or possibly the reflection of the sun from a metallic object, and it is of tremendous size,' Mantell reported as he flew in the skies above Fort Knox in Kentucky. The three planes soared 22,000ft into the air to intercept the object. Captain Thomas Mantell died after he followed a mysterious metallic object in his jet At 2.45pm, Mantell radioed the tower that he had spotted the object. 'The object is directly ahead of me and above me now, moving at about half my speed,' he said. He provided another update 30 minutes later: 'It appears to be a metallic object or possible reflections of sun from a metallic object, and it is of tremendous size. Im still climbing. The object is above and ahead of me moving at my speed or faster. Im trying to close in for a better look.' Shortly after, the two other planes had to aborted the mission due to a lack of oxygen supplies. Mantell, however, continued soaring higher and higher - reaching around 25,000ft. But at 5pm, debris from his plane was discovered in Shelby County, south-east of Louisville. The U.S. Air Force first claimed he was chasing the planet Venus, but then said the object was a secret CIA-sponsored Skyhook balloon launched in Southern Ohio. UFO believers still maintain that Mantell met his demise at the hands of a murderous UFO, Watson said - with the Skyhook explanation not being revealed until the late 1960s. Zapped by 'death ray' Brazilian man Inacio de Souza and his wife were returning to their home in August 1967 when they saw an object shaped like an inverted wash basin - and three men wearing skin-tight clothes. Souza reflexively shot one of the men with his rifle It seemed to have no effect, but a green ray of light shot out at Souza's head from the UFO. De Souza fell unconscious and suffered numbness and tremors in his head and hands. A doctor suggested that Souza had merely suffered hallucinations - and a few days later was diagnosed as having leukemia. The illness progressed quickly and he died on 11 October 1967. Watson wrote: 'While some ufologists think the encounter and de Souza's illness are simply a tragic coincidence, others prefer to believe that the green light from the UFO was an intense beam of deadly radiation.' 'Heavy rain' from a UFO In 1947, Harold A Dahl along with his son Charles and two crewmen were in a tugboat off Maury Island in Puget Sound between Seattle and Tacoma. The men said they saw six golden and silver doughnut-shaped objects above them - with one 'wobbling' before releasing a rain of thin metallic strips and black lumps. Harold Dahl was in a tugboat with his sons when he saw mysterious golden and silver objects above them One struck the boy's arm, burning it, and their dog died. Dahl's boss Fred Lee Crisman visited the site and claimed some of the debris. Dahl was then confronted by a dark-suited man driving a black sedan who drove him to a diner in Tacoma and warned him to keep silent. Kenneth Arnold - who had spotted 'flying saucers' just days earlier - asked for help from Air Force Intelligence. On 31 July 1947, Captain William Davidson and Lieutenant Frank M Brown were dispatched to Tacoma, but found no evidence of a rain of molten lead, and thought the sample fragments were slag from a smelting plant. Davidson and Brown died when their B-25 crashed on their way back to base - and many of the samples and photographs associated with the case vanished. Watson writes: 'To many, this all smacked of a military-intelligence cover-up. When, in October 1968, District Attorney Jim Garrison brought Clay Shaw to trial for his suspected involvement in the assassination of John F Kennedy, a Fred Lee Crisman was subpoenaed to attend. Kenneth Arnold, who saw the first 'flying saucers' A B-25 bomber aircraft similar to the one the men rode in 'Garrison believed Shaw and Crisman were long-standing CIA employees involved in a range of dubious activities including the JFK killing. 'As they were returning to their base at Hamilton Field, California, the port engine of their B-25 aircraft caught fire and they were killed when he crashed near Kelso, Washington State. An anonymous caller to the local newspaper, named the victims before the crash was made public and claimed the aircraft was shot down by a 20mm cannon because it was carrying fragments of a flying saucer.' 'When Kenneth Arnold took off from Tacoma, his engine failed and he had to make a crash landing. On checking his aircraft, he found that his fuel valve had been switched off. Paul Lance, a reporter for the Tacoma Times, who covered this story, died suddenly two weeks later of meningitis.' 'Many of these stories sound outlandish and many of these deaths do have credible explanations. So they don't go much beyond the UFO community. Government agencies or the notorious Men in Black, could be at work but it seems very extreme to murder people, especially over decades, when there are easier ways to discredit UFO researchers..' 'Frozen' near a UFO New York UFO researcher Jennifer Stevens was contacted by two boys in February 1968 who claimed to have seen a 'glowing fireball' over the Mohawk River. The boy's friend thought he saw a white-suited humanoid in bushes. Another 16-year-old boy's body was found nearby after leaving a note with his grandparents to say he was going for a walk. Watson writes: 'The coroner's verdict was death from exposure, but Stevens was convinced that his death was connected to UFO activity in the area. She noted that the boy's tracks in the snow indicated he had been running at first, then it seemed as if something had dragged him from above.' After the sighting, Stevens husband was accosted by a man who said, 'People who look for UFOs should be very careful.' When her husband died suddenly, Stevens gave up her UFO investigations. The UFO Files bookazine by Fortean Times is available here. South Korea's military on Monday staged an air exercise near the border with North Korea in response to North Korea's planned launch of what it claims to be a military spy satellite. Around 20 fighter jets, including F-35A stealth fighters, conducted the drills in a central region south of a no fly-zone near the inter-Korean border, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, hours after the North notified Japan of its plan to launch a space rocket carrying a satellite between Monday and midnight of June 3. "This strike package exercise was conducted to demonstrate the resolve and capabilities to punish immediately, strongly and until the end if the enemy undertakes a provocation," the JCS said in a statement. North Korea's notice came before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Monday, where Yoon and Kishida called on the North to cease its launch plan. The North designated three areas where debris will fall two west of the Korean Peninsula and the other east of the Philippines' island of Luzon, according to Kyodo News. Pyongyang has made public a plan to launch three more satellites this year following its first military reconnaissance satellite launch in November. The launch plan comes despite international criticism that any launch using ballistic missile technology is in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. "North Korea's purported military spy satellite launch is a provocative act that breaches the U.N. Security Council resolutions, and our military will implement measures that demonstrate our powerful capability and determination," Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said in a regular press briefing. Last week, the South Korean military said it had detected apparent signs of Pyongyang preparing for a military spy satellite launch at a launch site on its west coast. Observers said that the North appears intent to secure intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets as it is far behind the allies in ISR capabilities despite its focus on developing an array of formidable weapons systems, including submarine-launched ballistic missiles and tactical nuclear arms. (Yonhap) They're often regarded as a taboo subject. But a new report is finally lifting the lid on sexual fetishes and what they might look in the future. Sexual wellness brand, LELO, has worked with futurologist, Tom Cheesewright, to predict the future of love, sex, and relationships. As virtual reality becomes more widespread, Mr Cheesewright suggests that our fetishes will veer away from the more traditional options of nurses and firemen. Instead, Britons will be fantasising about 'realistic elves and aliens', he claims. This proliferation of VR technology will create 'interesting opportunities', according to Mr Cheesewright For the report, LELO asked Mr Cheesewright how he thinks love, sex and relationships will evolve over the next 50 years. Writing in the report, he explained: 'I used a modified Scenario Planning process. 'Starting with some of today's prevailing trends I stretched them out to the fifty year horizon and imagined how the world might look at that point if those trends persist, in the uneven way that trends tend to do.' One of the futurologist's key predictions is that Britons will have more sex in a virtual environment. 'The continuing integration of technology into our daily lives will see us spending the majority of our days in a semi-digital environment,' he predicted. VR will allow people to rewrite their surroundings for the 'ultimate fantasy' roleplay, the futurologist says, with 'realistic elves and aliens' (artist's impression) just two of the possibilities 'Likely a mixed reality, this will feature digital objects, avatars and artificial intelligences projected into our physical surroundings via smart glasses or lenses. 'Inevitably, there will be a huge amount of sexual content.' This proliferation of VR technology will create 'interesting opportunities', according to Mr Cheesewright. 'To date, most of the exploration of virtual reality in a sexual context has been for immersive pornography,' he added. 'But the integration of physical and digital creates new possibilities.' VR will allow people to rewrite their surroundings for the 'ultimate fantasy' roleplay, the futurologist says, with 'realistic elves and aliens' just two of the possibilities. 'We can build characters around toys, robots and AIs. There will be a lot of temptation,' he added. The report comes shortly after a survey by LELO found that one in three Britons would like to have an intimate relationship with a robot. LELO surveyed 4,000 participants about their sexual experiences and desires in 2023. While a third of Britons said they'd like to have sex with a robot, the results revealed a huge split among genders. Almost half (43.9 per cent) of the men surveyed said they'd be up for a robot romp, while just 21 per cent of female respondents said the same thing. The first English settlers to arrive in North America ate dogs to survive an extreme period of starvation, according to a gruesome new study. Researchers at the University of Iowa discovered the remains of 16 indigenous dogs at an archaeological site in Jamestown, Virginia, that strongly suggest the 17th Century settlers ate at least six canines. Their remains showed hallmark signs that the colonists had skinned the animals, dismembered their limbs and removed the flesh from their bones between 1609 and 1617 AD, the team said. The events occurred during the 'Starving Time', when food shortages, fractured leadership, disease and violence with the Indigenous tribes wiped out the Jamestown community. Archaeologists found the remains of 16 Indigenous dogs and confirmed that English settlers killed them for food in the early 17th Century. The canines were found in the Jamestown, Virginia settlement Archaeologists excavated roughly an acre of land within the boundaries of the James Fort. They recovered 181 canine bones from trash deposits in a former workshop, two wells and within a construction trench for the fort's defense walls. The 'butchered dog remains... unquestionably date to Jamestown's Starving Time during the winter of 16091610, indicating that Indigenous dogs were eaten during this period of severe famine,' the study said. Archaeologists said the practice was not uncommon at the time. 'Although the consumption of dog flesh in modern Western societies is considered taboo, there is a long history of eating dogs during periods of stress in England and other parts of Europe,' they wrote. The Starvation Period killed 80 to 90 percent of the English colonists because of food shortages, contaminated water supply and a harsh winter. Archaeologists found 181 canine bones belonging to 16 dogs, and said that at least six had been eaten by English settlers between 1609 and 1617 By the spring of 1610, only about 60 of the original colonists were still alive and George Percy - one of the original settlers - authored an account of what occurred in the wake of the starvation period. 'Now all of us at James Town, beginning to feel that sharp prick of hunger which no man truly describe but he which has tasted the bitterness thereof. '... Then having fed upon horses and other beasts as long as they lasted, we were glad to make shift with vermin as dogs, cats, rats, and mice,' Percy wrote in excerpts of his account called 'Starving Time,' archived by the National Humanities Center. He added that the settlers turned to cannibalism as a means to survive and dug up 'dead corpses out of graves and to eat them, and some have licked up the blood which has fallen from their weak fellows.' The archaeologists reported that the dogs' DNA was of Native American ancestry, sharing similarities with the Hopewellian, Mississippi and Late Woodland period dogs from eastern North America. This signified the social issues that arose between the colonizers and Indigenous communities, according to the study. It 'suggest(s) complex forces at play before, during, and after the Starving Time that influenced the presence of these dogs in the fort and led the residents of Jamestown to consume dogs with Indigenous ancestry,' the study said. A suspected oil spill has caused blobs of tar and oil-coated birds to wash up on US beaches. The pieces of tar are roughly the size of a sand dollar, measuring two to four inches in diameter, and are baffling officials as they rush to find the source. Hundreds of them have been found less than a week after local officials received reports of oiled birds found along a 150-mile stretch from Long Beach, Washington, to Lincoln City, Oregon. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) confirmed on Sunday that the tar is 'petroleum-based,' indicating that the substance came from an unknown oil spill. The agency received 10 reports of oil-coated birds but recovered four - two were found dead and one later had to be euthanized. The pieces of tar (pictured) are roughly the size of a sand dollar, measuring two to four inches in diameter, are hard on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. Local officials have warned that the public should not touch the tar and instead should report it to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The US Coast Guard has searched for the source of the oil off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, but they have been unable to officially locate the source. Beachgoers first found the tar blobs at Cannon Beach last week which are typically formed when the wind and waves from the sea stretch and break apart oil from a larger spill into smaller pieces. The tar is hard and crusty on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside - much like a toasted marshmallow. But they can be hazardous for anyone who comes in contact with them. Both Washington and Oregon state agencies are conducting beach surveys and shoreline assessments as well as flights over the Pacific as they search for evidence of an oil spill or oil wildfire. Officials sent samples of the tar to a lab for analysis and some images show evidence of an oil sheen off the coast of Cannon Beach. There are no oil rigs or cargo located in the Oregon region - all sources of crude oil in the state is shipped from outside sources. 'The latest thing we've seen right now is a sheen that's about 1.5 miles in length near Haystack Rock,' Kevin Chan, emergency response coordinator for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality told KGW8 News. About four common murres (pictured) were found coated in oil on the beaches in Washington and Oregon. Two of the birds had died when they were recovered and one had to be euthanized after responders analyzed its injuries Tar can mat and separate the bird's feathers, making it difficult to fly and removes the protective coating against water which helps the birds stay buoyant. Pictured: A common murre that was rescued and taken to a rehabilitation center in Oregon All of the birds found coated in oil were common murres which stay close to land when they aren't breeding but travel up to 20 miles offshore when they are. Breeding season hasn't yet started for the murres, two of which died shortly after they were rescued. Oil can cause the bird's feathers to mat, separate and lose their protection against water, making it difficult for them to fly or stay buoyant in water and it can make them severely ill if ingested. 'The main thing we're seeing (is) all of our birds are coming in emaciated,' Jolene Magee, who works as a rehabilitation technician for Wildlife Center of the North Coast told KGW8. 'They're preening so they're consuming the oil that's on their feathers,' she continued. 'It's kind of a balancing act between getting them to feel better but acting quickly enough to where they're not consuming too much of the oil.' The US Coast Guard reported that four murres were recovered, including two that had already died and one had to be euthanized after evaluating its injuries. Local officials have warned the public not to approach the birds if they spot one but instead report them to 1-800-22-BIRDS (1-800-22-2477). 'Birds are often very stressed as a result of being oiled,' a WDFW spokesperson told KGW8. 'This is part of the reason we ask the public not to attempt to capture oiled wildlife, as it may increase the stressors on the animal.' The ODFW asked the public to 'please leave cleanup to professional responders who are trained and equipped to handle this type of material,' but if they do touch the substance, it's important to wash yourself with soap or dish detergent and water immediately. DailyMail.com has reached out to local wildlife agencies for comment. The 'holy grail' of shipwrecks remains at the bottom of the ocean stocked with billions of gold and jewels - but the Colombian government has claimed it for itself. The legendary San Jose galleon, which sank off Colombia's Caribbean coast over three centuries ago, is believed to hold $20 billion in gold, silver and emeralds. Colombia declared the site a 'protected archeological area' and has now launched an undersea expedition to assess 'long-term preservation and the development of research, conservation and valuation activities' needed to secure the historic find. The first stage of this process will focus on imaging the ship via 'non-intrusive' remote sensors, according to the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History. The institute added that results of this fact-finding mission could pave the way for future explorations, which could recover archaeological materials from the wreck. The equipment used for searching of the remains of the galleon San Jose submerged almost 3,100 feet under the Colombian Caribbean Sea. It was operated by naval officials Researchers with the institute explained that they intend to deploy an underwater vessel equipped with sonar-like acoustic positioning technologies, as well as a submersible drone to explore the depths of the site. 'This government is doing something that is unprecedented,' according to Colombia's Culture Minister Juan David Correa, 'exploring the sinking of the galleon as the possibility of understanding history and culture.' The boat, dubbed the 'holy grail' of shipwrecks because of its abundant treasure, was heading back from the New World to the court of King Philip V of Spain when it plummeted to the bottom of the ocean. The 62-gun galleon was sailing from Portobelo in Panama at the head of a treasure fleet of 14 merchant vessels and three Spanish warships when it encountered the British squadron near Baru. The San Jose was a 62-gun galleon that went down on June 8, 1708, with 600 people on board An intact Chinese dinner set and other crockery were amongst the ship's treasures In 2015, the Colombian government announced that a team of navy divers had discovered the legendary ship lying in nearly 3,100 feet of water. Colombia announced the discovery of the San Jose that same year - but by that point, it had already caught the eye of adventurers. Last year, another team brought back jaw-dropping images of its perfectly preserved cargo. The Colombian government previously claimed that the ship would be raised before President Gustavo Petro ends his term of office in 2026. However, there is set to be a grand fight over who owns the ship - with a US firm claiming that it discovered the vessel and is demanding a portion of the treasure. The Spanish government and an indigenous group are also claiming ownership of the shipwreck. Gold coins were also picked up on the video released by the Colombian government Colombian Culture Minister Juan David Correa said the first attempt would be a 'dry run' for retrieving the rest of the treasure and the ship itself The San Jose galleon was owned by the Spanish crown when it was sunk by the British Navy near Cartagena in 1708, and only 11 of its 600-strong crew survived American research company Glocca Morra claims it found the San Jose in 1981 and turned the coordinates over to the Colombians on the condition it would receive half the fortune once the vessel was recovered. But the company's claim was countered in 2015 by Colombia's then-President Juan Manuel Santos, who said the Navy had found the boat at a different location on the seabed. Glocca Morra, now called Sea Search Armada, is suing for half the treasure - around $10bn according to current estimates - under the US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, according to Bloomberg. But the Colombian Minister of Culture Juan David Correa said the government's team had visited the coordinates given by Sea Search Armada and found no trace of the San Jose. Complicating matters further, there are competing claims from the Spanish - whose Navy the vessel belonged to - and Bolivia's indigenous Qhara Qhara nation which says its people were forced to mine the gold and jewels, so the treasures belong to them. Meanwhile, Colombia has hailed the find as a huge historic and cultural achievement. Correa told Bloomberg: 'This is one of the priorities for the Petro administration. The president has told us to pick up the pace.' Advertisement Many visitors to the USA go on a road trip or two to get under the skin of the country. Not Tim Voors. He decided to explore it by walking north to south from one side to the other - and he discovered a 'parallel universe' along the way. His journey along the 3,100-mile (4,989km) Continental Divide Trail from Montana to New Mexico is charted in a captivating new book titled 'The Great Divide', published by Gestalten. Voors took four and a half months to complete the trek, which he says is equivalent to 15 round trips of summiting Mount Everest. During this time, he went through five pairs of shoes, 50 hamburgers and 100 beers, and encountered 100 chipmunks, one grizzly bear, three black bears, 12 wolves, five moose, five elk, 50 deer, one bald eagle, five snakes and 'one million mosquitoes'. He reveals that for periods it was a life of 'no pizzas, no cappuccinos, no nothing', adding: 'Living in the wilderness was like living in a parallel universe. I hadn't been disturbed by any incoming phone calls for five months. Sure, I had been in sporadic contact with my loved ones and clients, but only with very delayed voice messages or weekly emails. 'This parallel universe had, for a short period, become my home, and it was with wonder that I saw how quickly I had adapted to it.' Breathtaking photographs, useful maps and charming illustrations help to recreate Voors' journey in the tome. Scroll down to see MailOnline Travel's handpicked selection of images from among its pages... Tim Voors passes through the South San Juan Wilderness in Colorado while hiking The Continental Divide Trail and recalls seeing 'endless shades of yellow stretched over the vast range'. He adds: 'It was a beautiful blend of color, stretching out as far as the eye could see, filling my heart with joy throughout the day. Due to the remoteness, there were no roads, no day hikers, no hunters, no internet, no cell reception, no ski lifts, no pizzas, no cappuccinos, no nothing. This was the wild open expanse I had longed for the past four years' 'The Scapegoat Wilderness stretches out in front of us with some easy grasslands,' writes Voors as he recalls reaching the 289th mile of his journey. The area comprises 239,936 acres spread across three national forests in Montana. Voors continues: 'Countless spring flowers blossom along the trail as it winds up and over the ridges. It's as if we're walking across the back of a sleeping dragon as it goes down the length of the Rocky Mountains' The trail disappears under a snowfield in this mesmerising picture taken near Leadore, Idaho 'Yellowstone had a surprise in store for us,' writes Voors, recalling the moment he came across this steaming river at Yellowstone National Park, which 'called for one thing only: a swim'. He recalls the 'clear creek' flowing 'gently' down through the valley with 'bubbling geysers' on both sides. 'It was a scene straight out of a fairytale or apocalyptic sci-fi movie,' he adds. 'I couldn't quite comprehend that this entire river was so hot' A picture taken as Voors absorbs a view of Yellowstone National Park, which 'lays far in the distance', with the trail leading walkers down into a 'magical, magical valley' As Voors hikes further south, he notes how everything is 'continuously in motion' around him and 'forever changing'. He writes: 'Days were becoming noticeably hotter, and I saw at least three snakes a day. The grass slowly turned golden, with dry orange flowers, and the occasional tree glinted gold.' Pictured: Part of the trail in Wyoming, which 'meanders past countless magical lakes' Voors finds 'the perfect spot to camp', pictured, high in Wyoming's Wind River Range. 'I have to stop and take it all in every once in a while,' he writes. 'The chances of me ever returning were quite slim.' Voors describes the area as 'a towering, flat monolith' rising above a 'turquoise, opaque river'. He adds: 'The trail wound through a meandering bed of blue-mauve sage. Late summer had dried out all the flowers. The sweet smell of sage in the morning never disappointed' Behold one of the spots where Voors stops for a swim during a 'stunning day' hiking through the Wind River Range, Wyoming During his time trekking through the Wind River Range, pictured, Voors is woken up by a fellow camper calling out 'Moose', he writes. 'It was 6am and I quickly poked my head out of my tent to see what was going on,' he continues. 'To my astonishment, a large male moose with its heavy antlers was looking straight at me. No more than 8ft (2.5m) away from my tent' The road to Lordsburg, New Mexico. In his chapter titled 'The Final Push', Voors describes seeing 'the outstretched golden desert with pale mountains in the distance'. He adds: 'Perhaps I was fantasizing, but it felt like I could see Mexico on the horizon. I didn't know if it was physically possible to see 100 miles away, but somehow it felt like I could see the end of my journey' Would YOU consider getting married naked? Vote in our poll below... The four-mile beach has been a popular nudist hotspot for years Is Benas Beach on the Sardinian coast is set to host nude wedding ceremonies If it's your naked ambition to get married in the nude, then this Italian destination wants to hear from you. Italian authorities announced plans for Is Benas Beach, a designated naturist area located on Sardinia's southwest coast, to become a destination for nudist weddings. Luigi Tedeschi, the mayor of the nearby town San Vero Milis, said the four-mile beach had been a popular nudist hotspot for years. After it officially opened as a nudist beach in 2022, he claimed naturist weddings were the next logical step. Tedeschi, who is credited with having the idea to designate part of the beach nudist, said authorities decided to open it up to nude weddings when a German couple wrote to ask whether it would be possible to marry on the beach in their birthday suits. Naturist couples will soon be able to get married in the buff on Is Benas Beach (pictured) in Sardinia. The four-mile beach has been a nudist hotspot for years He told CNN: 'Nudity has nothing to do with sex. For [naturists] it's a philosophy of life, and is linked to nature.' 'It should be respected - so why not? We have this beach, a place that lends itself brilliantly to naturism. And then we thought, let's make a beach for weddings. If people want to marry nude, they can.' He added: 'If anyone has a problem, they can walk on past or look at the sea.' CNN, however, reported that out of the 2,500 residents in the nearby town, there have been no complaints. Sardinian authorities decided to open Is Benas Beach up to nude weddings when a German couple wrote to ask whether it would be possible to marry on the beach in their birthday suits (file image) The only query raised, Tedeschi joked, is if he would have to be clothed to officiate or wear the fascia, the mayoral sash. While there were reports that brides would still have to wear veils, Tedeschi confirmed: 'People can wear what they want.' The mayor said the aim of hosting nudist weddings at the beach is part of a greater initiative to provide more nudist spaces on the Italian island. He hopes it will attract a 'respectful' kind of tourism, unlike the clothed areas of the beaches, which he said are often left covered in rubbish. The proposal was backed by Gabriele Rosetti, head of the Italian Federation of Naturists, according to The Times. 'This is a first for Italy and we are totally here for it,' he said. According to the website, Rossetti said Italy was ready for nudist beach weddings, but claimed that other European nations were far ahead of Italy when it came to naturist culture. 'I had a house guest from Holland who came to breakfast naked,' he said. 'We dont all do that.' Nash began her career in 1957, when she was 21 years old and flights cost $12 Bette Nash, the world's longest-serving flight attendant, has died at the age of 88. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, American Airlines said: 'We mourn the passing of Bette Nash, who spent nearly seven decades warmly caring for our customers in the air. 'She started in 1957 and held the Guinness World Record for longest-serving flight attendant. Bette inspired generations of flight attendants. Fly high, Bette.' Nash was associated with American Airlines for 67 years and never officially retired from her role, ABC News reported. She died on May 17 in hospice care after a recent breast cancer diagnosis, according to the outlet. Bette Nash (above), the world's longest-serving flight attendant, has died at the age of 88 Nash began her career in 1957, when she was 21 years old, with Eastern Airlines, which later became American Airlines. She started flying when tickets cost just $12 (9) and schedules were written on chalkboards The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the union representing flight attendants in the U.S, also posted a tribute to Nash on Facebook. 'It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of DCA-based Flight Attendant Bette Nash, the world's most senior flight attendant. 'Bette's remarkable career spanned over six decades, during which she touched countless lives with her warmth, dedication, and unparalleled service. 'Her passion for flying and her commitment to her passengers were truly inspiring. Bette's legacy will forever be remembered in the aviation community and by all who had the privilege of knowing her.' Nash began her career as a 21-year-old with Eastern Airlines, which later became American Airlines. Nash was associated with American Airlines for 67 years and never officially retired from her role, ABC News reported She died on May 17 in hospice care after a recent breast cancer diagnosis She started flying when tickets cost just $12 (9) and schedules were written on chalkboards, MailOnline previously reported. Nash used to fly with the Kennedys and serve lobster and carved meats on platters. In 2022, she gained the Guinness World Record title as the world's longest-serving flight attendant. She primarily worked the New York-Boston-Washington D.C routes so she could make it home every night to care for her son, who has Down syndrome. Over the years, Bette made several lasting relationships with customers aboard the shuttle. One of her regulars, Simon Johnson, told MailOnline in 2017: 'I think what is most amazing and impressive about Bette is the way she warms up the entire aircraft. 'You walk on, you meet her, she knows your name, she remembers the conversation that she was having with you yesterday or last week or a month ago.' Springwatch star Michaela Strachan is one of the UK's most beloved wildlife presenters. The 58-year-old has become a familiar face for Britons after appearing on a whole host of programmes alongside Springwatch - these include Countryfile, Wildlife Rescue, The Really Wild Show, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch. Most recently the television star was one of the seven celebrities who took part in the BBC Two reality show Pilgrimage, which saw her take a personal journey along the North Wales Pilgrim's Way. Michaela has also had a turbulent life away from the cameras, opening up in March about her 'shocker' of a year after three devastating losses and a battle with breast cancer. Here, MailOnline looks at the life of the wildlife presenter, from a little-known career change to relocating to Cape Town, ahead of Springwatch's return on Monday 27 May... Springwatch star Michaela Strachan is one of the UK's most beloved wildlife presenters (Pictured on Winterwatch in 2022) What is Michaela Strachan's surprising career history? Michaela is best known for presenting the UK's most-loved wildlife programmes, with a huge fondness and enthusiasm for the animal species. However, most people won't know that television is not how her showbiz career began. The presenter actually had a brief but successful music career under the name 'Michaela'. She released two UK hit singles - a cover of Edwin Starr's H.A.P.P.Y. Radio which was number 62 in 1989, and Take Good Care of My Heart, which peaked at number 66 in 1990. Michaela's first presenting job was on the children's morning TV programme The Wide Awake Club, which she fronted from 1986 alongside Timmy Mallett and Tommy Boyd. She continued her career in kids TV by appearing on Wacaday and Michaela on Sunday, before kickstarting her passion of the outdoors and animals on OWL TV between 1989 and 1992. The star moved from ITV to the BBC in 1992 to present The Really Wild Show - a children's wildlife programme that she went on to host for 15 years. From Michaela's Zoo Babies to Michaela's Animal Road Trip (pictured above) , the animal enthusiast became a household name who pooped up on TV screens fronting a host of different shows Michaela is best known for presenting the UK's most-loved wildlife programmes, with a huge fondness and enthusiasm for the animal species (Pictured at a penguin rescue sanctuary on Animal Rescue Squad) She went on to present a series of other animal themed programmes, such as Wildlife Rescue, Orangutan Rescue, and Elephant Diaries (pictured above in 2007) Michaela joined the BBC Two Springwatch, Autumnwatch, and Winterwatch team in 2011 with Chris Packham and Martin Hughes-Games On her website, Michaela gushed: 'I absolutely loved working on the series and got to travel all over the world. 'In fact I managed to tick off all seven continents in six months one year. Towards the end of the RWS, my role was presenting animal issues, anything from shark finning to the bushmeat trade to circus animals.' She went on to present a series of other animal-themed programmes, such as Wildlife Rescue, Orangutan Rescue, and Elephant Diaries. Her career went up a notch when she joined the Countryfile team in 1999, which she remained in for 10 years. From Michaela's Zoo Babies to Michaela's Animal Road Trip, the animal enthusiast became a household name who pooped up on TV screens fronting a host of different shows. Michaela joined the BBC Two Springwatch, Autumnwatch, and Winterwatch team in 2011 with Chris Packham and Martin Hughes-Games. Martin left the presenting trio in 2018 and the core team is now made up of Michaela, Chris, Iolo Williams, Gillian Burke and Megan McCubbin, with a new series kicking off on May 27. When did Michaela Strachan relocate to South Africa? Unlike her Springwatch costars, Michaela does not reside in the UK and actually relocated to Cape Town, South Africa back in 2002. She moved her life more than 8,5000 miles away alongside her husband and children and hasn't looked back since. Unlike her Springwatch costars, Michaela does not reside in the UK and actually relocated to Cape Town, South Africa back in 2002 (Pictured on Springwatch this year with Chris Packham) She moved her life more than 8,5000 miles away alongside her husband and children and hasn't looked back since The star lives in the coastal town of Hout Bay with her partner Nick Chevallier who is a cameraman and producer, her son Ollie, her three stepchildren, Jade, Tom, and Sam, and the family's dog Rio. She recently made headlines for revealing she only showers twice a week, rarely washes her hands and once ended up with a worm under her skin after eating a sandwich with grubby fingers. The TV personality has since adopted a casual attitude towards personal hygiene since making the big move. Appearing on Loose Women in April - filmed at The Eden Project to mark Earth Day - Michaela admitted her laissez-faire approach to cleanliness came from the need to conserve water while living in South Africa during a drought. Asked if she considered herself a 'nature girl' because of her rugged surroundings, she said: 'I think, if you've got kids, if they come home really dirty, you know they've had a good day. I'm not the sort of mother that looks at a child and thinks, 'Oh get them washed.' It's like no, you've had a great day, you've got down, you've got dirty, brilliant.' Strachan also admitted she's not fussy about basic hygiene, adding: 'I'm not fastidious about washing hands and things, I think we're way too clean, all of us. 'I went through a country with major, major droughts, and we so we learned to only have a shower every three days.' She recently made headlines for revealing she only showers twice a week , rarely washes her hands and once ended up with a worm under her skin after eating a sandwich with grubby fingers Appearing on Loose Women in April - filmed at The Eden Project to mark Earth Day - Michaela admitted her laissez-faire approach to cleanliness came from the need to conserve water while living in South Africa during a drought When was Michaela Strachan diagnosed with breast cancer? Michaela opened up in March about the 'shocker' of year she had, after experiencing three devastating losses and a battle with breast cancer. She was diagnosed at the beginning of 2014 after a routine mammogram, but went on to make a full recovery after a double mastectomy which was followed by reconstructive surgery. The presenter told The Mail On Sunday at the time: 'I couldn't get my head around the fact that on Monday morning I'd been apparently healthy, by Tuesday I had cancer, and by Wednesday I was talking about a double mastectomy.' She went onto have reconstructive surgery and has worked as an ambassador for the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, stressing the importance of having regular mammograms. Michaela also struggled with grief after losing her sister-in-law to cancer. On top of this, one of her friends lost her son at 35, her partner Nick's best friend had a heart attack, and one of her close friends died. Speaking to The Express at the time, Michaela said: 'These were people our age. I know I'm getting on but I'm 57 I shouldn't know this number of people who have died. She grew close to former Springwatch producer Lucy Bowden when Lucy was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years after Michaela. The star recalled: 'After Lucy's diagnosis we became very close and I helped her through it, but her cancer came back in 2021. 'I was with her three days before she died. We started filming Pilgrimage last September a week after her funeral, so I was grieving.' Michaela opened up in March about the 'shocker' of year she had, after experiencing three devastating losses and a battle with breast cancer (Pictured in 2018) As well as contuiting to present Springwatch, the outdoorsy television personality most recently appeared on BBC Two's faith-based series Pilgrimage The reality show saw Michaela and six other celebs tackle the Pilgrim's Way, which links churches honouring early Celtic saints What is Michaela Strachan doing now? As well as continuing to present Springwatch, the outdoorsy television personality most recently appeared on BBC Two's faith-based series Pilgrimage. The reality show saw Michaela and six other celebs tackle the Pilgrim's Way, which links churches honouring early Celtic saints. They travel on foot and by bus 220km through Wales's slate landscape and Snowdonia. Speaking about her stint on the programme, she revealed: 'The point of a pilgrimage is to explore your emotions. 'We had conversations on the show that were triggering for me. I found it emotionally challenging and sneaked off a lot on my own. Normally I'd join in with the group, but I had a lot to process.' Michaela was joined on the show by reality star Spencer Matthews, Plebs' Tom Rosenthal, Traitors contestant and practising Catholic Amanda Lovett, Paddy McGuinness's ex-wife Christine, stand-up comic Eshaan Akbar, who's Muslim, and Escape To The Country's Sonali Shah, who was raised in India's Jain religion. Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales aired on March 29 on BBC Two and is available to watch on iPlayer now. BBC Springwatch returns to iPlayer and BBC Two from Monday May 27 for three weeks of live programmes. READ MORE: Can you guess who the beloved TV host from this throwback is? He recently hosted one of the most prestigious soirees of the year This comedian and writer was recently left red-faced after being forced to joke about his wife's sensational figure on TV. He has made a name for himself as a joker and host of one of the most prestigious soirees in the past year. The Harvard-educated comic has been wed to an Oscar-nominated actress for nearly four years, with the loved-up duo frequently making red carpet appearances. He's transformed into a suave A-lister in recent years, but he wasn't so clean cut in years past. So, can you guess who this shaggy-haired funny guy is? The Harvard-educated comic (seen left in 2018) has been wed to an Oscar-nominated actress for nearly four years, with the loved-up duo frequently making red carpet appearances He's transformed into a suave A-lister in recent years, but he wasn't so clean cut in years past. Pictured in 2008 He is Saturday Night Live comedian Colin Jost! Back in the day, the 41-year-old sported a long head of hair. He also boasted some scruff and a mustache, with his long locks swept across his forehead. Colin's previous look is much different to his current appearance, which sees him donning a more groomed look. The SNL Weekend Update host has switched up his style. Colin has made a few changes by chopping his flowing hair, and trading his T-shirts and jeans for a suit and tie. The comedian is married to actress Scarlett Johansson, with the lovebirds sharing a two-year-old son. Colin first met the 39-year-old Her star during an episode of the iconic comedy show. They soon became embroiled in a whirlwind romance and started to make red carpet appearances together. He has made a name for himself as a joker and host of one of the most prestigious soirees in the past year This comedian and writer was recently left red-faced after being forced to joke about his wife's sensational figure on SNL He is Saturday Night Live comedian Colin Jost. Pictured at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April this year The comedian and writer was most recently left red-faced when he made a joke about his spouse's body on live air. Weekend Update co-anchors Colin and Michael Che continued their annual tradition of 'making each other read jokes live on the air that the other person has never seen before' during the 49th season finale of Saturday Night Live. 'The idea is, of course, to give each other fun jokes, almost supportive jokes that would never ruin our summer or our career,' Colin said ominously. The 41-year-old Staten Island native was then surprised to see his famous wife Scarlett appear onscreen, giggling before reluctantly delivering the joke off the teleprompter. 'ChatGPT has released a new voice assistant feature inspired by Scarlett Johansson's AI character in Her,' Colin began. 'Which I've never bothered to watch because without that body, what's the point of listening?' At that, Colin lowered his head and covered his face in embarrassment. The 14-time Emmy nominee is the third husband of Scarlett, who was previously married to IF actor Ryan Reynolds and French journalist Romain Dauriac. The comedian and writer was most recently left red-faced when he made a joke about his spouse's body on live air Colin fathered two-year-old son Cosmo with Johansson and he's stepfather to her nine-year-old daughter Rose from her two-year marriage to Romain, which ended in September 2017 In April, Colin was given the honor of hosting the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. He's seen here with Joe Biden Colin fathered two-year-old son Cosmo with Johansson and he's stepfather to her nine-year-old daughter Rose from her two-year marriage to Dauriac, which ended in September 2017. The comedian - who graduated from Harvard University in 2004 - previously romanced Angie Tribeca star Rashida Jones from 2013 to 2016. In April, Colin was given the honor of hosting the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, at which DailyMail.com welcomed guests Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright. The comedian rubbed shoulders with a host of Hollywood heavyweights as he was surrounded by political figures and celebrities. Sonia Kruger is know for her incredibly youthful visage and glowing complexion - with many desperate to know how she stays ageless in her late fifties. And now the popular TV host has revealed the secrets to maintaining her flawless face and body in the cold winter months. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the 58-year-old said she swears by rich moisturisers and LED light masks, as well as a good fake tan to give you a year-round glow. She insists the key to smooth and plump skin is hydration, hydration, hydration. 'Winter can also be harsh on your skin, hair, and overall beauty routine,' she said. Sonia Kruger has long been known for her incredibly youthful visage and everlasting glowing complexion - with many desperate to know how she stays ageless in her late fifties 'Incorporate hydrating face masks and LED light masks into your routine once or twice a week to boost moisture levels.' Sonia swears by a humidifier for added moisture in the air of your home, which also helps prevent your skin from drying out. The mother-of-one also suggests cutting out things that suck moisture from the skin and hair, such as limiting heat styling. 'Reduce the use of heat styling tools to prevent further drying out your hair. In the wintertime, experiment with styles and air drying,' she said. And while she never bakes in the sun, Sonia recommends a year-round glow courtesy of top quality fake tan to make you feel and look good. Sonia's go-to fake tan is Three Warriors, an Australian-born product conceptualised by founder Corbin Halliday (right) 'Wash your hair less frequently to retain natural oils and moisture.' And while she never bakes in the sun, Sonia recommends a year-round glow courtesy of top quality fake tan to make you feel and look good. Sonia's go-to fake tan is Three Warriors, an Australian-born product by founder Corbin Halliday. Halliday's mission was to reformulate the beauty industry with certified organic, high-performing formulations containing luxe, nutrient-rich ingredients for glowing, radiant skin. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the 58-year-old swears by moisturisers and LED light masks in the cooler months, as well as a good fake tan to give you a year-round glow Three Warriors fake tan was created to eliminate the harsh chemicals found in fake tanning products, replacing them with natural ingredients, prioritising health and wellbeing without compromising on colour. Model Ashley Hart is also a big fan of the brand Three Warriors fake tan was created to eliminate the harsh chemicals found in fake tanning products, replacing them with natural ingredients, prioritising health and wellbeing without compromising on colour. To cut back on makeup on her days off, Sonia opts for a spritz of Three Warriors Face Tan Aqua Mist - an organic water based face tan mist. And in the winter months she swears by Three Warriors Gradual Tan, which is loaded with olive oil and is incredibly moisturising. Italy to celebrate National Day on June 2 By Kim Hyun-bin Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto says her country seeks faster approval processing for key Italian agricultural exports, citing significant delays attributed to strict sanitary and phytosanitary regulations. Within the European Union-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which is the legal framework of bilateral trade between Italy and Korea, there are a number of sanitary and phytosanitary barriers, Gatto said during an interview with The Korea Times at the Embassy of Italy in Seoul, Thursday. The Korean government imposes a series of long procedures before certain agri-food products from Europe Italy in this case have access to the Korean market. Gatto identified three products of particular interest for export to Korea: beef, processed pork and oranges. She noted that while progress has been made, it is not moving as swiftly as desired. For beef, the procedure is ongoing but not as fast as we would like, Gatto said. We have finalized the technical questionnaire and now the Korean authorities need to analyze and verify all the technical details. This is taking some time, and we want to speed this process up. After that, there will be further steps, including inspections by Korean sanitary authorities in Italy and parliamentary approval before we can export Italian beef. Discussing the potential for exporting oranges, Gatto indicated that technical discussions are progressing. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Italian Ministry of Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies are in dialogue and waiting for approval from the Korean authorities to conduct surveys and inspections in Italy. The situation for processed pork, particularly Italian ham, is more complex due to recent cases of African swine flu in some Italian regions. Because of very strict rules from the Korean authorities, we have faced a temporary export ban for three years, which is a very long time, Gatto said. These three products from Italy are somewhat hostage to the sanitary and phytosanitary barriers. We would like the Korean authorities to be a little bit faster in analyzing our documents and replying to our market access requests. The ambassador spoke to The Korea Times ahead of Italy's National Day on June 2, which she says is of "immense importance for Italy." She explained that the day commemorates the historical referendum that took place 78 years ago, when Italians, for the first time, voted universally, including women, to choose a republican system over a monarchy. This decision has shaped the democratic foundations of Italy, and Italians celebrate it everywhere with pride and joy. Territorial diplomacy The ambassador has set territorial diplomacy as one of her priorities to better connect regions and further strengthen the ties between Italy and Korea, highlighting how territorial diplomacy can foster deeper cooperation and mutual understanding between the two nations. Territorial diplomacy is about more than just national governments working together. It involves regions, cities and local communities engaging in direct dialogue and collaboration, Gatto said. The ambassador emphasized that this approach can lead to more meaningful and practical outcomes by addressing the specific needs and opportunities of local areas not only between capitals but also other major Italian cities, including Milan, Terrin, Florence and Venice. The partnership between the Lombardy region in Italy and the Gyeonggi Province in Korea is a testament to the potential of such collaborations. This regional cooperation has led to significant advancements in technology exchange, cultural programs and economic development, she said. Gatto also mentioned the importance of cultural exchanges in territorial diplomacy saying cultural diplomacy plays a crucial role in bridging gaps and fostering mutual respect, and that such initiatives like the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul and various exchange programs have been pivotal in bringing people closer together. The ambassador also highlighted the role of innovation and technology in territorial diplomacy. Innovation districts in Milan and Seoul have been collaborating to promote smart city initiatives, digital transformation and startup ecosystems. These efforts not only drive economic growth but also enhance the quality of life for our citizens, she said. Cuisine and culture The ambassador also expressed her deep admiration for Korean cuisine and culture, emphasizing her commitment to promoting culinary exchange between the two countries. "There is a lot to do because, first of all, I love Korean food. I'm one of your fans, one of the reasons why I really wanted to come here," Gatto said. "It was my first choice to come here, and I was lucky. Korean food is not known enough in Italy, but I really think it will be overwhelming everywhere one day." Gatto drew parallels between Italian and Korean culinary philosophies, noting that both emphasize high-quality ingredients and essentialism. "Your food is completely different from ours but has more or less the same philosophy: good products, not too many creams, but really the product and essentialism. Taste is important, and there is a sort of elegance in presentation. We have a completely different elegance in presentation, but we appreciate yours also," she said. Addressing the mutual exchange of culinary traditions, Gatto pointed out that while Italian food is well-appreciated globally, Italian wine still has room to grow in international markets, including Korea. "Italian wine has a special philosophy. We are a country based on small and medium enterprises, more than 90 percent of our GDP, and very few conglomerates. This results in an enormous variety of wines. We are the number one producer in the world of wine and have the most variety of wines in the world," the ambassador said. She acknowledged the challenges faced by small Italian wine producers in marketing their products internationally. "Being many, it's difficult to agree on a marketing policy. Each one is a little bit going their way. We are trying to help them get together and be more effective in marketing. One weakness, which is also a strength, is that being small means if a Korean wants to import a lot of a particular wine, there isn't a lot available. But we don't want mass production because mass production means lower quality," Gatto said. Gatto plans to blend Italian cuisine with Korean liquors, or vice versa, during the annual Italian Cuisine in the World Week held in mid-November to better promote the synergy between the two nations' cuisines and beverages. "I intend to showcase Italian dishes paired with 'makgeolli' (Korean rice wine) and other Korean beverages. We'll maintain the integrity of Italian cuisine while complementing it with suitable Korean drinks. My mission is to promote both Italy and Korea together, embodying the essence of my efforts," she said. The ambassador recently emphasized the profound cultural similarities between Italy and Korea, highlighting how these connections can strengthen bilateral relations. "As I have discovered more and more, Koreans and Italians are really similar. Initially, I had a little understanding of this, but my experience here has deepened my appreciation for our shared traits," she said. "Many colleagues might say this, but I genuinely believe it to be true in our case." The ambassador pointed to the geographical similarities as a starting point for this connection, with both countries having peninsular morphologies with seas all around, as well as strong points of contact in the character of the people. She described the initial shyness of Koreans compared to Italians, but noted that this is quickly overcome. "Koreans might be more shy at the beginning, whereas we Italians are less so. However, once you move beyond this initial shyness, which stems from good education and manners, you discover that Koreans are very warm," she said. "In Europe, there is a general perception that Asians are quite reserved, but it's not like that at all. Koreans are very passionate and love to have fun, which makes us very similar." Rob And Rylan's Grand Tour (BBC2) Rating: Pay attention. This is a basic lesson in how to be a celeb. You'll never make the A-list if you don't learn the difference between 'peacocking' and 'boating'. Strutting between the fountains of Rome, the city they called 'a narcissist's paradise', Rylan helpfully explained the finer points of showing off to Rob Rinder, on their Grand Tour. 'Peacocking,' he said, 'is when you try and lord it about, just to prove to everyone what you are.' Boating was rhyming slang, he explained, a term for flashing your wealth and swaggering as though everyone knows your 'boat race', or face. Rob and Rylan have been boating with a vengeance ever since they arrived in Italy, and I'm not talking about their gondola ride in Venice As they arrived in Rome for the final episode of their arts-and-sparkles travelogue, they were riding in a horse-drawn carriage If I've understood him right, peacocking is a way of getting noticed, boating is for those who are already sure of being seen. Rob and Rylan have been boating with a vengeance ever since they arrived in Italy, and I'm not talking about their gondola ride in Venice. They've glammed up in drag, stripped off to model for a life painting class, conducted a chamber orchestra, and had the Uffizi Gallery all to themselves. As they arrived in Rome for the final episode of their arts-and-sparkles travelogue, they were riding in a horse-drawn carriage. This, Rob insisted, was in homage to Lord Byron, who passed through the city shortly before his death 200 years ago. I wonder if there's a word for madly pretentious boaters who want to convince us that their souls are overflowing with poetry. Bull-shippers, perhaps. Thanks to their desperate need to impress, however, this series has taken us to some splendid palaces, museums and churches. Rome featured the most breathtaking of all, with visits not only to the keyring-and-teatowel sights such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon, but to lesser known wonders, too. One was the Chiesa del Gesu, an early baroque church with spectacular murals that create the illusion of falling upwards into heaven. Rylan, who hides behind a persona of camp flippancy, was moved to be in such a beautiful sacred space. 'This smells like my childhood,' he said. 'I was an altar server in a Roman Catholic church.' To use a Church of England metaphor, he's like the Vicar of Dibley's famous puddle: appears shallow, might have hidden depths. The two of them posed as David and Goliath for a photo modelled on Italian Renaissance artist Caravaggio's gory masterpiece Thanks to their desperate need to impress, however, this series has taken us to some splendid palaces, museums and churches He was delighted by the church's special attraction, a painting of St Ignatius that creaks downwards into a recess every afternoon at 5.30, to reveal a gilded and melodramatic statue of... St Ignatius. It couldn't be more camp if it played a selection of Abba hits. Rob made a great display of disdain for such frippery, but he's not above a bit of gilded melodrama himself belting out Lionel Richie's Endless Love at a karaoke bar. Quite the party animal after two Babychams, I suspect. The two of them posed as David and Goliath for a photo modelled on Italian Renaissance artist Caravaggio's gory masterpiece. Rob brandished a sword in one hand and Rylan's head in the other. To copy Goliath's haircut, Rylan combed his quiff forward into a fringe. He looked like Claudia Winkleman with a beard. James Packer made a rare appearance at Cannes Film Festival last week, but it was the woman on his arm who really sparked intrigue. The Australian billionaire, 56, walked the red carpet with his rumoured new girlfriend Renee Blythewood, a glamorous model and philanthropist from Nashville, Tennessee. Renee, who previously used the last name Blythewood-Hall, has carved out a successful modelling career for herself since the age of 10, and often makes appearances at exclusive red carpet events. Her Instagram page shows a lifestyle of jetsetting opulence, with the socialite regularly sharing photos of herself modelling glitzy designer outfits around the world. Among the place she has recently visited include Tokyo, a French ski resort called Courchevel, Paris, Aspen and Argentina - where Packer keeps his polo ranch Ellerstina. Who is Renee Blythewood? Inside the glamorous life of James Packer's American model girlfriend - after the couple debuted their romance at Cannes Film Festival (both pictured) Renee is a single mother to 16-year-old son Levi, who she reportedly welcomed during a past relationship with a photographer. While she has never spoken publicly about her love life, Renee is thought to have briefly dated American TV presenter Ryan Seacrest back in 2015. No secret to the celebrity scene, Renee is also former friend of Amber Heard, but the pair reportedly had a falling out in 2017. Renee, who previously used the last name Blythewood-Hall, has carved out a successful modelling career for herself since the age of 10, and often makes appearances at exclusive red carpet events Her Instagram page shows a lifestyle of jetsetting opulence, with the socialite regularly sharing photos of herself modelling glitzy designer outfits around the world Before finding success as an international model, the glamazon appeared as a child actor in roles on Disney and Nickelodeon. She also worked as a preschool teacher in her late teens and early twenties. More recently, Renee dedicates her free time to philanthropy, volunteering for charities such as the Children's Oncology Support Fund and Gabrielle's Angel Foundation, which raises funds for paediatric cancer research. Among the place she has recently visited include Tokyo, a French ski resort called Courchevel, Paris, Aspen and Argentina - where Packer keeps his polo ranch Ellerstina Renee is a single mother to 16-year-old son Levi (left), who she reportedly welcomed during a past relationship with a photographer She has also worked with international youth-focussed charity Global Volunteers and Rising Academies, which focusses on supporting schools in Africa. Renee recently visited Poland to work with Ukrainian refugees, transforming a warehouse into a home and school facility. Speaking to Glamour about her passion for helping women and children, Renee said: 'I was a very young mother and venturing out into the world, I understand the challenges that come with being a single mum.' Renee dedicates her free time to philanthropy, volunteering for charities such as the Children's Oncology Support Fund and Gabrielle's Angel Foundation, which raise funds for paediatric cancer research She has also worked with international youth-focussed charity Global Volunteers and Rising Academies, which focusses on supporting schools in Africa. (Pictured volunteering at a school in Rwanda in 2023) Recently speaking to Glamour about her passion for helping women and children, Renee said: 'I was a very young mother and venturing out into the world, I understand the challenges that come with being a single mum' 'I think that fuelled my passion for helping women, single mothers and children in particular.' Renee has also undergone quite a physical transformation in recent years, as photos taken as recently as in 2019 show her looking noticeably curvier. Renee is believed to have started dating James at the end of 2023. The pair went public with their relationship last week when they were spotted at the star-studded Cannes Film Festival, with photographs shared to Renee's Instagram showing them on the red carpet together. Renee has also undergone quite a physical transformation in recent years, as photos taken as recently as in 2018 show her looking noticeably curvier. (Pictured left in 2018 at the amfAR Gala in Beverly Hills, and right on Friday at Cannes Film Festival) She appears to have lost a significant amount of weight in recent years. (Pictured left in February 2019 at the Hollywood For Science Gala, and right on Friday at Cannes Film Festival) Renee was seen smiling alongside the mega-wealthy businessman as they posed for a picture with a group of friends on the amFAR red carpet on Friday night. Looking like a movie star, Renee cut a glamorous figure in an extravagant silver jewelled gown which showed off her incredible figure as she posed for the cameras. James cut a dapper figure in a navy suit as he posed with his arm around Renee for the group photograph at the annual AIDS fundraiser event. The pair went public with their relationship last week when they were spotted at the star-studded Cannes Film Festival, with photographs shared to Renee's Instagram showing them on the red carpet together Renee had posed on the red carpet solo before joining James and their other friends at the event, which also saw A-list starts including Heidi Klum and Bella Hadid attend. The pair have reportedly enjoyed a string of low-key dinners together during their time in Cannes, while Renee is said to have joined James on his luxury yacht. The lavish yacht has reportedly been moored off Antibes, France, for the past week after travelling over from Barcelona earlier this month for the esteemed film festival. James - the former director of Crown Resorts - is currently sailing around Europe on his annual luxury Mediterranean voyage James was previously married to Erica Packer. They got married in 2007 and split in 2013, but continue to co-parent their children - Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle. Erica reportedly received a $100million divorce payment, and purchased a family home in Los Angeles shortly after the break-up. James also bought an $80million Los Angeles mansion so he can be closer to Erica and their children whenever he is in town. James was previously married to Erica Packer (pictured in 2012). They got married in 2007 and split in 2013, but continue to co-parent their children - Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle When Erica visits Sydney, she often lives with her former husband and their children at James' $72million Crown penthouse home. Erica has since found love again with Shannon Bennett and they have reportedly bought a house together. Shannon shares kids Phoenix, Hendrix, Xascha, Xanthe, Xahlia and Margaux with ex partner Madeleine West. Before his relationship with Erica, James was married to Jodhi Meares and they have remained friends ever since their split. They tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Sydney in 1999, where around 750 guests attended and Elton John performed. However, they separated three years later in 2002 and divorced shortly after. Britain's Got Talent viewers all thought the same thing as they watched Scottish dancer LeightonJay Halliday's performance on Sunday night. LeightonJay, 23, from Douglas, took to the audition stage in Manchester with a fusion of streetdance and contemporary performed in a puddle of water. But viewers complained that it was too similar to that of previous winner George Sampson. George was just 14 when he won the talent show in 2008 with his remixed Singing In The Rain routine and he went on to have a successful career as both a dancer and actor. Sunday's episode of BGT saw Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli blown away by LeightonJay's performance, giving him a standing ovation. Britain's Got Talent viewers all thought the same thing as they watched Scottish dancer LeightonJay Halliday's performance on Sunday night George Sampson was just 14 when he won the talent show in 2008 with his remixed Singing In The Rain routine and he went on to have a successful career as both a dancer and actor Ahead of the performance, the dancer revealed that his goal was to help children feel like they have the space to be their authentic selves. Speaking to LeightonJay after his audition, Simon said: 'You'll be really interested to here this story. That music was sang by somebody that came on to our American show who is blind and autistic, and he wrote that song. 'He is going to be so blown away when I call him and say "Someone has just done the most unbelievably good audition to your song".' But despite the judges' praises, viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to voice their frustrations at the similarities between LeightonJay and George's water-based dance routines. They said: 'I'm getting a George Sampson vibe with this Scottish Bloke,'; 'Didn't we have someone dance in water years ago?'; 'Fake George Sampson,'; 'Similar to George Sampson's winning routine,'; 'George sampson wannabe? sorry hunny you'll never be our george,'; 'He just did what George Sampson did a while ago,'; 'Leighton Jay: I love this style of dance. The only negative I have is that George Sampson has done this before. I hope he changes things up if he gets to the Semi finals. Love this kind of act though so I hope he does well,'; But despite the judges' praises, viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to voice their frustrations at the similarities between LeightonJay and George's water-based dance routines LeightonJay, 23, from Douglas, took to the audition stage in Manchester with a fusion of streetdance and contemporary performed in a puddle of water After becoming only the show's second winner in 2008, George went on to have a flourishing career (Pictured in 2008) They said: 'I'm getting a George Sampson vibe with this Scottish Bloke,'; 'Didn't we have someone dance in water years ago?' Later that year, he made his stage debut in the West End musical Into the Hoods, and went onto release his first single Get Up on the Dance Floor/Headz Up (Pictured winning the show in 2008) 'George Sampson is on the phone - he wants his "Singin in the Rain" routine back!' However not all viewers felt the same, as many were blown away by LeightonJay's talent. They wrote: 'Love this boy dancing.. so different from other dancers,'; 'You can feel his passion,'; 'Well he can dance! Brilliantly done!'; This guy is amazing!!'; 'Ok, this is good, its not the usual stale stuff. This lad is a very good dancer.' After becoming only the show's second winner in 2008, George went on to have a flourishing career. Later that year, he made his stage debut in the West End musical Into the Hoods, and went onto release his first single Get Up on the Dance Floor/Headz Up. However not all viewers felt the same, as many were blown away by LeightonJay's talent While George has continued to perform and even released his own dance DVDs, he's delved more into acting during the latter stages of his career (Pictured in Waterloo Road in 2011) While George has continued to perform and even released his own dance DVDs, he's delved more into acting during the latter stages of his career. In 2011, he joined the cast of Waterloo Road, and went onto star in Mount Pleasant, Casualty, and Emmerdale. In 2019, he made a return to BGT to compete in its international show The Champions, but missed out on a spot in the final. Robert De Niro earned high praise as a loving and attentive father from actor and director Tony Goldwyn. The Ghost alum was able to get an up-close and personal look at the two-time Academy Award winner's father-daughter relationship with 12-year-old daughter Helen Grace De Niro while shooting their new film Ezra. Describing the preteen as 'incredible', Goldwyn told People that 'she was around a lot' on the set of the comedy-drama that he's directing, producing and starring with De Niro. 'It was really beautiful to see how Bob is with her. She was, I guess, 10 or 11 when we filmed, so now she's 12 or 13. But they have the most dear relationship.' He went on to reveal how he thinks De Niro's love for his daughter translated to his performance onscreen in the movie that also stars Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson and William Fitzgerald. Tony Goldwyn, 64, thinks Robert De Niro, 80, is a great dad after seeing him with his 12-year-old daughter Helen on the set of their new comedy-drama film Ezra 'It was very interesting because he was playing, in our story, a grandfather to the 11-year-old boy Ezra ... and so much of [his relationship with Helen], I feel, influenced his relationship with Ezra. It was a very beautiful thing,' the Los Angeles native gushed. The legendary actor and his estranged-wife Grace Hightower, 69, welcomed Helen to the world through a surrogate in late December 2011. The former couple began dating after meeting at a Mr. Chow restaurant in London, where Hightower was working in 1987, and eventually were married a decade later. They would see their family expand with the addition of their son Elliot, now 26, in 1998, but the Raging Bull star would file for divorce the following year. They were able to work out some of their personal issues to the point that they dropped the divorce proceedings, which led to them to renewing their vows and the birth of Helen. Ultimately, the former couple separated in November 2018 after 20 years of marriage, but have not yet finalized the divorce. In all, De Niro has seven children: daughter Drena, 52, and son Raphael, 47, with first wife Diahnne Abbott; twin sons Julian and Aaron, 28, with former girlfriend and actress Toukie Smith; and one-year-old Gia with his current partner, Tiffany Chen. The New York City native also has four grandchildren: one from his daughter Drena, who tragically passed away in 2023 at the age of 19, and three from his son Raphael. Robert with his daughter Helen on May 7, 2022 in New York City The two-time Academy Award winning actor shares his daughter Helen with his estranged wife, Grace Hightower, whom he separated from after 20-years of marriage 'It was really beautiful to see how Bob is with her. She was, I guess, 10 or 11 when we filmed, so now she's 12 or 13. But they have the most dear relationship,' the Ezra director said of De Niro's relationship with his daughter Helen Goldwyn thinks De Niro's love for his daughter translated to his performance onscreen in Ezra Ezra centers on Max Brandel (Bobby Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father Stan (De Niro), who struggles to co-parent his autistic son Ezra (William Fitzgerald) with his ex-wife Jenna (Rose Byrne). When faced with difficult decisions about their son's future, Max and Ezra set off on a cross-country road trip; they for stars are pictured in a scene When it comes to rearing a child, De Niro maintains that the best thing a parent or grandparent can do is push their kids to try and live out their dreams. 'For my kids, I tell them, 'If you want to be an actor or you want to do this or that, that's fine as long as you're happy. Just don't sell yourself short,"' the iconic leading man told People in January 2020. 'That's the most I would say push yourself a little more and reach for what you really think it is you want to do. Don't be afraid.' The story of Ezra centers on Max Brandel (Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father Stan (De Niro), who struggles to co-parent his autistic son Ezra with his ex-wife Jenna (Byrne). When faced with difficult decisions about their son's future, Max and Ezra set off on a cross-country road trip. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, Ezra, which was written by Tony Spiridakis, is set to drop in theaters in the U.S. on May 31. Peter Overton is reportedly feeling the pressure amid rumours of a Nine newsroom shakeup following the drama unfolding at rival network Channel Seven. The 9News Sydney anchor, 58, is said to be 'concerned about his future' as the network prepares to make some staffing changes after Melbourne's Tom Steinfort and Alicia Loxley were promoted to co-host the city's 6pm bulletin. Nine News Gold Coast also has two co-hosts, Eva Milic and Paul Taylor, while Overton has always hosted 9News Sydney solo. 'Pete has been solo at that desk for 15 years and like a good wine, at 58 he just seems to get better with age but big bosses always have one eye on what their competitors are doing,' an insider told Woman's Day. 'For now, management will be doing everything to assure Pete that he's safe but he's right to be feeling worried.' Peter Overton is reportedly feeling the pressure amid rumours of a Nine newsroom shakeup following the drama unfolding at rival network Channel Seven 'There is the argument that if they win the ratings year after year with just one newsreader, then why change it, but Pete would be worried all the same,' the source continued. 'But knowing Pete, if this is how the industry is shifting, then he will adapt if he wants to remain current, he'll have to adjust and go with the flow.' The 9News Sydney anchor, 58, is 'feeling worried' and 'concerned about his future' as shakeups and staffing changes occur among his peers In March, fans called for the veteran anchorman to co-present the nightly news program after performing the role solo for 15-years. 'Such a pity Sydneys still doing the one anchor at the Desk, I wish they [would] do two,' penned a fan on industry blog Media Spy. It comes after Channel Seven's staffing bloodbath took a twist earlier this month, days after reports claimed Mark Ferguson will be 'shafted' as the weeknight newsreader. It also follows the successful move within his own company as Melbourne's Tom Steinfort (right) and Alicia Loxley (left) co-host the city's 6pm bulletin Nine News Gold Coast also features two presenters, Eva Milic and Paul Taylor (both pictured News Corp previously reported Seven bosses had 'warmed' to the idea of replacing Ferguson, 58, with the network's weekend team, Michael Usher and Angela Cox. However, a Seven insider has since told Daily Mail Australia this is not the case. Instead, the source was informed Seven bosses are set to axe Usher, leaving Cox to present the Friday and Saturday night bulletins solo. Executives hope to 'save money and boost the gender balance' with Cox as a one-woman show on weekends. It comes after Channel Seven's staffing bloodbath took a twist earlier this month, days after reports claimed Mark Ferguson (pictured) will be 'shafted' as the weeknight newsreader News Corp previously reported Seven bosses had 'warmed' to the idea of replacing Ferguson with the network's weekend team, Michael Usher (left) and Angela Cox (right). A Seven insider has since told Daily Mail Australia this is not the case The insider also believes that, unlike prior reports, Ferguson remains safe in his role. 'Mark [Ferguson] is the ultimate professional and loved in the newsroom,' the Seven source said. 'It would be ratings suicide to replace Mark now, and it would be brave for a new news boss - who has no television experience - to replace the 6pm reader as his first move,' they added. Seven denied the claims when approached by Daily Mail Australia. The rumoured nightly news shake-up comes as the bloodbath continues at Channel Seven in the wake of the Bruce Lehrmann sex-and-drugs allegations that hit the network's flagship current affairs show Spotlight. Seven confirmed last month that then-news director Craig McPherson - partner to Dancing with the Stars host Sonia Kruger - had suddenly left his position as network director of news and public affairs after nine years in the job. In the month of April alone, the network lost McPherson, managing director James Warburton, commercial director Bruce McWilliam, and Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn. Jasmine Pineda accused her fiance Gino Palazzolo of trying to control her and of sabotaging her dream of competing in a beauty pageant on Sunday's episode of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? on TLC. 'I believe that he is trying to control me,' Jasmine, 27, said in a confessional. 'And I don't like it. I'm not a submissive person.' The episode titled Weeping Beauty opened with Jasmine, from Panama City, Panama, going with her fiance Gino, 54, from Canton, Michigan, to the gym to train for her pageant. 'I'm going to be a beauty queen and you are going to be a beauty king,' Jasmine said. Jasmine told Gino that he needed to lose 15 pounds. Jasmine Pineda accused her fiance Gino Palazzolo of trying to control her and of sabotaging her dream of competing in a beauty pageant on Sunday's episode of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? on TLC 'Especially the ones that are all accumulated in your gut after eating frozen dinners for years,' Jasmine said. Jasmine said it felt good to get out of the house and have a goal. Jasmine asked Gino why he hadn't paid the fee yet for the pageant. 'It is a lot of money,' Gino said. 'You have to go back to work,' Jasmine said. 'This money thing is stressing the heck out of me.' 'I was expecting to marry a provider, not to be married to a jobless man,' Jasmine said. Gino wanted to leave the gym despite Jasmine wanting to stay. When they left the gym, Gino insisted on stopping for a smoothie. 'It's just what you want, when you want it, all the time,' Jasmine said. Gino got Jasmine a smoothie, but she was not in the mood for it The episode titled Weeping Beauty opened with Jasmine, from Panama City, Panama, going with her fiance Gino, 54, from Canton, Michigan , to the gym to train for her pageant 'You have to go back to work,' Jasmine said. 'This money thing is stressing the heck out of me' Gino wanted to leave the gym despite Jasmine wanting to stay 'Why are you so b****y today?' Gino said. 'Is it that time of the month?' 'You are the b****,' Jasmine said. 'You are a f***ing idiot for saying that. I wish you had your period through your a** to see how you will feel.' 'In Panama no one controlled me,' Jasmine said. 'But now Gino controls the money.' Gino sat down to drink his smoothie and Jasmine exploded that they always had to do what he wanted. 'You are acting crazy,' Gino said. Jasmine explained how much the pageant meant to her and Gino claimed he told her that he would find a way to pay for it. Jasmine told Gino that she was sick and tired of him 'You are acting crazy,' Gino said Jasmine explained how much the pageant meant to her and Gino claimed he told her that he would find a way to pay for it 'You want to sabotage it!' Jasmine yelled. 'You don't appreciate anything!' Gino said. 'You are f***ing nuts!' Jasmine stormed off. 'Don't be so dramatic,' Gino said. 'No creature on earth except for my dog is ever going to control me!' Jasmine said. Jasmine threw her smoothie on the ground and then took off the shoes that Gino gave her and said she would walk home. 'But I f***ing love him,' Jasmine said to the camera. 'I wish I had a choice. If I had the power, I would choose not to love him.' Jasmine threw her smoothie on the ground and then took off the shoes that Gino gave her and said she would walk home 'But I f***ing love him,' Jasmine said to the camera. 'I wish I had a choice. If I had the power, I would choose not to love him' In Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Angela, 57, from Hazlehurst, Georgia, was upset she didn't go with Michael, 35, from Lagos, Nigeria, to his visa interview. 'I should have just been more understanding,' Angela said. Angela sat at a table shaking and smoking waiting for Michael to show up. Michael finally came back and said he didn't get the visa. 'Nothing goes right for us,' Angela said. 'Nobody goes through what we go through!' Angela stormed off and said she was over it. 'I'm done!' Angela said. In Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Angela, 57, from Hazlehurst, Georgia, was upset she didn't go with Michael, 35, from Lagos, Nigeria, to his visa interview Michael finally came back and said he didn't get the visa 'I should have just been more understanding,' Angela said Ed Brown, 58, from Bentonville, Arkansas, was coping after Liz went back to San Diego. He said he didn't know when Liz was coming back to get her stuff. He said he was lonely but still was confident in his decision not to marry Liz. 'Nothing wrong with Liz, it's just not her,' Ed said. Liz Woods, 31, and her daughter Ryleigh arrived back in San Diego. 'After I decided to cancel the wedding, I decided to leave Arkansas for a little bit,' Liz said in a confessional. 'These last two weeks have been really hard but it's been nice to spend them here with my daughter.' Liz, who said she only had her daughter on school breaks, took her to the airport to send her home to her father. 'Sorry this summer didn't go as planned,' Liz said. 'There are moments where I wish I never met Ed,' Liz said. 'If I didn't give my time to Ed, maybe I could have met someone who could have treated me better.' Liz called her mother and cried. 'I feel like the worst mom ever,' Liz said. 'I don't even have a home for my kid.' Ed Brown, 58, from Bentonville, Arkansas, was coping after Liz went back to San Diego 'I feel like the worst mom ever,' Liz said. 'I don't even have a home for my kid' Patrick, 33, from Las Vegas, also was shown working on his relationship with Thais, 27, from Montes Claros, Brazil. Patrick's brother John flew in and planned to stay with Patrick. Patrick said he met Thais' father Carlos and it was awkward. Thais did not seem happy to see John after they came home smelling of alcohol on her birthday. Thais told them to be quiet because their baby was sleeping and stormed off to bed. Ashley, 33, from Rochester, New York, who was engaged to Manuel, 26, from Puyo, Ecuador, told her cousin that she was stressed and confused. She got an IV treatment that she said would make her feel better. She told her cousin that Manuel came into her room and demanded that he needed money for his family. Ashley said she put $1,000 in his bank account. Her cousin asked her how much money she had given Manuel. 'Since he's been here, thousands,' Ashley said. Ashley, 33, from Rochester, New York, who was engaged to Manuel, 26, from Puyo, Ecuador, told her cousin that she was stressed and confused In a confessional, Ashley shared that her mother had her when she was 16 and years later when she learned who her biological father was that he committed suicide. She said Manuel was triggering those wounds by not being open with her and secret about how he was spending the money. Her cousin told Ashley to look into getting a postnuptial agreement. 'I have glossed over red flags in the past,' Ashley said. 'And I don't want to gloss over red flags here.' Ashley later confronted Manuel at lunch. She told him she had trust issues and wanted to get a postnuptial agreement. 'You don't trust me?' Manuel said. 'I married you because I loved you.' Manuel said he was upset but agreed to go see a lawyer with her. Alexei, 35, from Israel, helped Loren, 35, from Hollywood, Florida, at their home after her elective surgery. Alexei invited Loren's mother over to help them prepare a Rosh Hashanah family meal. In a confessional, Ashley shared that her mother had her when she was 16 and years later when she learned who her biological father was that he committed suicide Ashley later confronted Manuel at lunch and told him she had trust issues and wanted to get a postnuptial agreement Alexei, 35, from Israel, helped Loren, 35, from Hollywood, Florida, at their home after her elective surgery Alexei was worried how Loren was going to cope with not being a supermom when she had six to eight weeks to recover from the surgery. 'Yes, I chose this,' Loren said. 'Yes, I wanted it. Yes, I knew it was going to be painful. Did I know how painful? Did I know how hard it would be to come home with three kids and realize just how much I can't just stop and do nothing?' The parents of Emily, 31, from Salina, Kansas, were worried that Kobe, 36, from Cameroon referred to their daughter as property. Emily's parents then gave Kobe's family a dowry list. 'It's like a dream come true that this is happening now with all my family,' Kobe said when everyone was getting along before their wedding. Emily told Kobe she still had questions on whether he had a girlfriend when he met her. She said she wanted to meet his ex-girlfriend. The parents of Emily, 31, from Salina, Kansas, were worried that Kobe, 36, from Cameroon referred to their daughter as property 'It's like a dream come true that this is happening now with all my family,' Kobe said when everyone was getting along before their wedding Emily told Kobe she still had questions on whether he had a girlfriend when he met her 'Will you please just text her?' Emily said. Kobe invited his ex to lunch. 'I just want to know when they broke up,' Emily said. 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? will return next week on TLC. Lisa Armstrong appeared in good spirits on Saturday as she enjoyed a night out with pals after vowing to fight for custody of the pet Labrador she shared with ex Ant McPartlin. Make-up artist Lisa, 47, showed off her glamorous sense of style in a pair of semi-sheer black lace trousers which she teamed with a black blouse with a white floral design. She was seen holding a drink and smiling as she stood alongside two friends. Lisa later posted a quote on her Instagram which read: 'If it makes you happy then it's not a waste of time.' It comes after the fallout of her messy break-up from Ant continues to spill after the birth of his first son. Lisa Armstrong appeared in good spirits on Saturday as she enjoyed a night out with pals after vowing to fight for custody of the pet Labrador she shared with ex Ant McPartlin Lisa has had one constant source of support by her side - loyal Labrador Hurley. She shares joint custody of the beloved canine with Ant but reports say she wants sole possession of him The Saturday Night Takeaway star split from Lisa in 2018 after 11 years of marriage and went on to marry his former personal assistant, Anne-Marie Corbett, in 2021. This month Ant, 48, announced he and 46-year-old Anne-Marie had welcomed son Wilder Patrick McPartlin into the world - and the news is said to have shattered Lisa, who remains childless at 47 following her acrimonious divorce from the presenter. 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!' Since the split, Lisa has had one constant source of support by her side - loyal Labrador Hurley. She shares joint custody of the beloved canine with Ant but reports say she wants sole possession of him - something he is said to have resisted. But she has reportedly vowed to fight on for sole custody of the chocolate Labrador, who regularly features in her Instagram posts, where she refers to him as 'Mama's baby boy'. Ant - known best as one half of presenting duo Ant and Dec alongside Declan Donnelly - and Lisa adopted Hurley in 2013 following struggles to have a child of their own. Ant is said to have refused to surrender full custody of Hurley to his ex during their reported 31million divorce battle, reportedly telling lawyers: 'She can have anything she wants except the dog.' Hurley was adopted by the former couple in 2013 after they struggled to conceive a child together They now share custody of Hurley - seen here with Ant, wife Anne-Marie Corbett and their m Lisa regularly shares pictures of herself with Hurley on Instagram, where she refers to him as 'Mama's baby boy' The former couple reportedly agreed to take it in turns to look after Hurley (Ant is pictured with the dog in 2017) Ant pictured with Anne-Marie at Wimbledon in 2021. The couple got together in 2018 after he divorced Lisa Britain's Got Talent star Ant announced the arrival of his first child with wife Anne-Marie on Tuesday - alongside a family tree tattoo on his shoulder Ant revealed the name in his social media post, writing: 'Welcome to the family Wilder Patrick Mcpartlin' Lisa was said to have expressed a wish to care for the Lab full-time in February - and friends close to the make-up artist say that desire is stronger than ever following the birth of Ant's first-born. 'She felt very betrayed by both Ant and Anne-Marie and felt that none of this has been handled sensitively, especially the announcement of the baby,' sources have told The Sun. 'The one thing that has got her through it and been by her side constantly is Hurley she doesn't know what she would do without him. He's more than just a dog to her and has been a lifeline at times.' They added: 'Ant obviously loves Hurley as well but he now has a lot of other responsibilities and things going on in his life and Lisa can't see why she can't have full custody of him. She needs Hurley by her side.' The former couple reportedly agreed to take it in turns to look after Hurley, with the arrangement seeing Ant's chauffeur ferrying the dog between them so they did not have to see each other. Ant has made Declan Donnelly the godfather to his newborn son and told his friends that he is 'beyond thrilled' to be a dad, according to a new report Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong pictured together at the National Television Awards in 2017 Ant will now not return to work until May 27 when the BGT live semis begin as he takes some paternity leave alongside Anne-Marie (pictured on April 17) But the news of Wilder's birth is said to have hit Lisa hard - particularly after she spent years supporting Ant during a tumultuous period that saw him battle a prescription drug addiction and a drinking problem. His struggles with alcohol only became public in March 2018 - two months after he and Lisa divorced - when he was involved in a car crash and charged with drink-driving, for which he was fined 86,000. He checked into rehab again and voluntarily disappeared from TV screens for months following talks with his presenting partner and ITV bosses. After revealing he has become a dad 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 father. He had previously given interviews while still with Lisa about his desire to have children but it never came to pass. Ant told Radio Times in 2013: 'There's a rumour that I'm holding off having kids till (co-host Declan Donnelly) 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.' Dec is now happily married to wife Ali Astall with whom he shares daughter Isla, five, and one-year-old son Jack. Ant and Dec hit the pause button on weekend primetime fixture Saturday Night Takeaway after the 20th series, which finished airing last month, in order to spend more time with their families. The Geordie duo said the milestone achievement was the 'perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath'. Lisa, who split from new beau James Green last year after three years, is said to be in Portugal on holiday this week, after sharing a cryptic post on Instagram about going through 'silent battles'. It featured a motivational quote meme reading: 'Be proud of how you've been handling these last few months. 'The silent battles you've fought, the moments you had to humble yourself, the times you've wiped your own tears. Celebrate your strength.' MailOnline has contacted Ant's representatives for comment. Travis Scott was seen embracing dad duty as he took his daughter, Stormi, to the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco on Sunday. The Sicko Mode rapper, 33, sat comfortably inside a boat in Monte-Carlo during the festivities - just days after reportedly 'getting into a fight' with Kylie Jenner's ex, Tyga, and also Cher's boyfriend, Alexander 'AE' Edwards, in Cannes on Friday. Scott dated the TV personality on-and-off from 2017 until their official split in January 2023, and share Stormi as well as son Aire, two. Jenner also dated Tyga from 2015 until they ended their relationship in spring 2017. Brushing aside the recent incident, the music artist was seen spending time with his six-year-old daughter while watching the race. Stormi wore a pair of noise-blocking headphones, and Scott sported a dark gray jacket as well as a brown cap that was placed on top of his head. Travis Scott, 33, was seen embracing daddy duty as he took his daughter, Stormi, six, to the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco on Sunday The performer additionally wore a T-shirt underneath and accessorized his look for the day with flashy, silver necklaces and small earrings. Travis and his daughter were spotted sitting towards the front of a sleek, dark brown boat on the water in Monte-Carlo. And later, the two stood close to each other during the race which was held at the Circuit de Monaco, with the rapper showing Stormi a classic Rubik's cube. The father daughter outing comes after Scott reportedly got into an altercation with Tyga, with Alexander Edwards also getting involved in Cannes, France around 5 a.m. on Friday. The brawl reportedly began after Travis and Tyga's pal Edwards began taking swings at each other at Richie Akiva's 'The After,' an annual party he throws during the iconic French film festival that was held at the Domaine La Dilecta estate. The fight took place shortly after Travis and Tyga were awkwardly introduced together on stage, according to TMZ. Sources told Page Six that the fight appeared to kick off when Scott snatched a microphone out of Akiva's hand after he announced Tyga and Edwards by saying, 'We got T-Raww and A.E.' on stage. Travis Scott's reps declined to comment. DailyMail.com has also reached out to Tyga and Edwards for comment. Stormi wore a pair of noise-blocking headphones, and Scott sported a dark gray jacket as well as a brown cap that was placed on top of his head Travis and his daughter were spotted sitting towards the front of a sleek, dark brown boat on the water in Monte-Carlo The father daughter outing comes after Scott reportedly got into a brawl with Tyga, with Alexander Edwards also getting involved in Cannes, France around 5 a.m. on Friday According to TMZ, the 808 Mafia producer Southside also stepped into the onstage brawl. Sources said the hostilities began after Travis and Tyga were both behind the DJ booth. After Akiva introduced Tyga and Edward, he also reportedly shouted out Travis, which seems to have rubbed the Sicko Mode rapper the wrong way. Travis is said to have taken the microphone from Akiva, prompting Edwards, who was chumming up with Tyga earlier in the evening, to say something to him. A source told Page Six that Edwards told Scott to 'Let him show love.' The Goosebumps rapper than reportedly began approaching Tyga's security and shouting threats and insults. 'Y'all [N-word] wanna die?' he shouted, according to Page Six. 'Travis was the aggressor,' a source alleged. 'He and his team were being neurotic, erratic and crazy. He was there looking for a fight with anyone to be honest.' He was seen leaving the stage in a huff, only to allegedly return with Southside by his side. TMZ's sources say Southside and Edwards began shoving each other, before Edwards landed multiple punches. Grainy video of the brawl appears to show Travis pulling Edwards off Southside, and sources added that Kylie's ex appeared to nearly fall off the stage in the process. Sources told Page Six that the fight appeared to kick off when Scott snatched a microphone out of Akiva's hand after he announced Tyga and Edwards by saying, 'We got T-Raww and A.E.' on stage' After Akiva introduced Tyga and Edward, he also reportedly shouted out Travis, which seems to have rubbed the Sicko Mode rapper the wrong way; Tyga (far left) and Edwards (middle) seen in Cannes on Thursday 'Travis was the aggressor,' a source alleged. 'He and his team were being neurotic, erratic and crazy. He was there looking for a fight with anyone to be honest'; Scott seen in February in Las Vegas A source claimed to Page Six that the Astroworld rapper did fall off the stage after being dragged by Edwards. Travis and Tyga reportedly have simmering tensions due to their past histories with Kylie, but an insider told Page Six that the Kardashians star was not the spark that set off the violence. 'The history is there [but] it's not like that's necessarily what was the cause [of this fight],' they claimed. Although social media accounts that initially shared videos of the fight described it as a brawl between Travis and Tyga, sources for both publications claimed that Tyga was not directly involved. He reportedly stayed put by the DJ booth, and a source for Page Six claimed he looked 'chill' despite the fighting on stage. Instead, his and Edwards' assistants were involved in the fight with Scott. Luckily, there were reportedly no serious injuries, and security guards were able to separate the parties quickly. Akiva jumped in on the microphone after the music cut out, and he urged the brawlers to 'respect' him after interrupting his party. Scott dated the TV personality on-and-off from 2017 until their official split in January 2023, and share Stormi as well as son Aire, two; seen in 2018 in NYC Jenner also dated Tyga from 2015 until they ended their relationship in spring 2017; the former couple seen in 2017 in NYC Shortly before his recent appearances at Cannes and Monaco, Travis announced 2024 European and UK dates for his Utopia: Circus Maximus tour - which will include a total of 12 dates Shortly before his recent appearances at Cannes and Monaco, Travis announced 2024 European and UK dates for his Utopia: Circus Maximus tour - which will include a total of 12 dates. The Goosebumps rapper is slated to kick off the string of concerts on June 28 in the Netherlands, and will make other stops in cities such as London, Manchester, Milan and also Zurich. The summer tour is set to conclude on July 27 with a performance in Frankfurt, Germany. He announced the concerts on his main Instagram page and penned in the caption to his fans: 'Europe we on the way. Tickets on sale Friday May 10. Bringing circus Maximus over the pond. Let's make this one the best. Can't wait to see you alllll.' Nicole Kidman is not impressed with her husband Keith Urban's latest stunt. Last week, the 56-year-old country music star performed an acoustic cover of Ariana Grande's hit single We Can't Be Friends at an intimate gig, posting a video of the show to his social media and captioned his post, 'this song is audible heroin.' The Australian rocker doubled down on the line in an interview with People where he equated the track to the illicit drug again. 'I don't know what is going on with that song, but I cannot stop playing it. It's like audible heroin. Literally, I have to have another hit,' he said. 'I play that thing over and over and over.' Nicole Kidman is not impressed with her husband Keith Urban 's latest stunt The bizarre connection raised eyebrows not only of fans, but his Hollywood actress wife, also 56, who has supported and stood by him during his drug and alcohol addiction battles in the past. 'Nicole would never ask him to take down a post but she was disappointed,' an insider told Woman's Day magazine. 'It brought back a very dark time for them when they almost split, but worse than that is she doesn't want her kids to start thinking it's cool or OK or something you can easily "fix".' Last week, the 56-year-old country music star performed an acoustic cover of Ariana Grande 's hit single We Can't Be Friends at an intimate gig He posted a video of the show to his social media and captioned his post, 'this song is audible heroin' The insider added that the couple - who share daughters Sunday, 15, and Faith, 13 - 'went through hell because of Keith's addictions'. Ariana, however, was flattered by Keith's gushing post and performance, writing on Instagram, 'this is so beautiful'. Urban publicly battled drug and alcohol addiction, and entered rehab on several occasions, last checking himself into the Betty Ford Center in October 2006 just months after marrying Nicole. The bizarre connection raised eyebrows not only of fans, but his Hollywood actress wife, also 56, who has supported and stood by him during his drug and alcohol addiction battles in the past Keith once recalled the moment his wife Nicole staged an intervention for his addiction issues, in an extract from the book Keith Urban by Jeff Apter. Keith told Rolling Stone magazine back in 2016 that he would have understood if Nicole chose to leave him after his 2006 rehab stint as the couple had only married that year. 'I was very, very blessed to have Nic call an intervention on me,' Keith said, adding that his reckless behaviour 'caused the implosion of my fresh marriage'. He also reflected on the intervention with Oprah Winfrey, admitting to the famed talk show host that he 'went off the rails' and 'needed help and a new direction' in his life. Nicole, who was working in Rome at the time of his bender, flew back to the States and rounded up his friends to stage an intervention. 'The love in that room in that moment was just right,' Keith told Oprah. 'To see love in action in that way... I'd never experienced anything like that before.' Keith has been open about his past struggles with alcohol addiction, and revealed at the South By Southwest conference in Texas in 2018 that he wished he'd got sober earlier in his life. 'I wish I'd gotten sober many years earlier than I did, but it is what it is,' he said. 'I knew I wasn't at my full potential, and that's what was starting to get to me. I was enslaved... I was living a very, very small life.' Keith also admitted he 'sucked at relationships' prior to meeting Nicole, and that his song lyrics about love were far from his reality. 'I would write these songs about love and relationships; I remember writing Somebody Like You and playing it for my girlfriend at the time and she just looked at me and said, "You're a f**king hypocrite," and I couldn't argue that,' he said. Keith and Nicole met in 2005 and tied the knot a year later. They are parents to daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. An unlikely bond is growing between two of Australia's most eligible celebrity singles, reports claim. According to New Idea magazine, actress Isla Fisher, 48, has struck up a 'secret online friendship' with Channel Seven hunk Dr Chris Brown, 45. Isla is newly single following the breakdown of her 13-year marriage to British star Sacha Baron Cohen, while Chris recently confirmed his single status in an interview with Stellar magazine following an on-off romance with model Brooke Meredith. 'Isla is a self-confessed animal lover and really values her private life. She is very much Chris' type,' one insider told the publication. 'Isla is currently filming in the UK, so they are likely texting or messaging each other via social.' Newly-single Isla Fisher, 48, (left) has reportedly truck up a 'secret online friendship' with Channel Seven hunk Dr Chris Brown, 45, (right) Shacking up with an Aussie bloke seems right up Isla's alley, given that she has previously spoke about how much she loves Australia's down-to-earth lifestyle. 'I feel like I can be myself in Australia. I miss it so much when I'm away and I have a very Australian sensibility,' Isla told Marie Claire magazine in 2021. 'I miss it so much when I'm away and I have a very Australian sensibility. Whenever I meet another Aussie, I always think, "Oh my gosh, we're twins!"' she gushed. Isla is newly single following the breakdown of her 13-year marriage to British star Sacha Baron Cohen (left) It is also thought that one of the catalysts behind her split from Sacha was her desire to spend more time in Australia, while her husband did not. Isla owns an apartment in Sydney's Woollahra while Chris lives nearby in Coogee. While neither Isla nor Chris have spoken about each other publicly, they do follow each other on Instagram, with Isla previously liking several of the celebrity vet's posts. Chris recently confirmed his single status in an interview with Stellar magazine following an on-off romance with model Brooke Meredith Isla and Sacha announced in April that they had quietly separated last year. They are parents to daughters Olive, 17 and Elula, 13, and son Montgomery, nine. Insiders have claimed their marriage had been 'shaky' for years, with Sacha reportedly struggling after making the 'sacrifice' to relocate their family to Australia back in 2020. They had moved from Los Angeles to Sydney in 2020, then to Perth where Isla's family live in September 2021, to escape Sydney's strict Covid lockdown rules. Shacking up with an Aussie bloke seems right up Isla's alley, given that she has previously spoke about how much she loves Australia's down-to-earth lifestyle At the time, they said the switch to Western Australia would be permanent. However, their move from the US to Australia was said to be 'difficult' for Baron Cohen because he was settled in Hollywood, and it was a shorter flight to London from there, too. Meanwhile, Chris confirmed his single status in May, telling Stellar magazine that he was looking for 'the right girl' to start a family with. 'I would still like to have kids I still feel that's very much a priority... I feel like it will happen when it happens' he said. 'In a perfect world I'd have liked to have had kids, but it's just not the way it's worked out. I feel that the right girl will be there at the right time'. Chris said he didn't want to rush into a relationship that isn't right but said he definitely has babies on the brain. 'Maybe my biological clock is ticking harder. I don't know' he said. Chris split with longtime girlfriend Liv Phyland in 2019 and was last linked to stunning Sydney model Brooke Meredith from 2020 until 2022 - although they were rarely seen together - and they are believed to have broken up late in 2022. In 2023 he was linked to The Project's Sarah Harris and KISS FM's Jackie 'O' Henderson, but both women have denied they dated the vet. North West made her acting debut as Young Simba during The Lion King's 30th Anniversary concert on Friday - but online trolls have since lashed out at the ten-year-old's nepo-baby advantage. The eldest child of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West - who were also in attendance at the concert - took to the stage at The Hollywood Bowl to perform I Just Can't Wait To Be King. After belting out lyrics at the crowded venue, North received a standing ovation from the audience. However, some social media users on X (formerly known as Twitter) shared their thoughts on Kim and Kanye's daughter snagging a coveted role in the musical concert. One noted: 'Nepotism is literally the best thing to be born with,' while another added, 'The worst case of nepo I have witnessed.' North West made her acting debut while performing as Young Simba during The Lion King's 30th Anniversary concert on Friday (seen above) - but online trolls have since lashed out at the ten-year-old's nepo-baby advantage One typed out on the platform, 'Nepotism is literally the best thing to be born with,' while another added, 'The worst case of nepo I have witnessed' Another penned, 'Nepotism and the synonym next to it is KARDASHIANS,' followed by laughing face emojis. 'Nepotism is so crazy lol,' one wrote. 'Someone else's more talented, probably voice and dance trained kid didn't get it because his/her family isn't famous enough.' One social media user penned, 'She looks great and it seems like she's having a lot of fun, but I'm definitely not gonna bypass the fact that we all know she wouldn't be there if it wasn't who her parents were. This is classism at its finest!' Another chimed: 'Aw man...I feel bad for the kids there that are actually talented who could've nailed this. 'I'm sure her mom's influence (or money) is the only reason she got this leading/singing role.' One also shared, 'I don't like that fact that she got this solely based on her mom or dad. 'There's a kid out there with real talent that should've been given this opportunity. And no I'm not a hater I actually like the "Kardashians."' It's unclear if North went through a standard audition process. DailyMail.com has reached out to a Kardashian spokesperson for comment. Earlier this month, it was announced that North was cast in the live-to-film concert event which ran for two nights on May 24 and May 25. The Hollywood Bowl can notably hold up to 17,500 people and tickets for the concert began at $60. The eldest child of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West - who were also in attendance at the concert - took to the stage at The Hollywood Bowl to perform I Just Can't Wait To Be King Another penned, 'Nepotism and the synonym next to it is KARDASHIANS,' followed by laughing face emojis 'Nepotism is so crazy lol,' one wrote. 'Someone else's more talented, probably voice and dance trained kid didn't get it because his/her family isn't famous enough' One social media user penned, 'She looks great and it seems like she's having a lot of fun, but I'm definitely not gonna bypass the fact that we all know she wouldn't be there if it wasn't who her parents were. This is classism at its finest!' One also shared, 'I don't like that fact that she got this solely based on her mom or dad. There's a kid out there with real talent that should've been given this opportunity. And no I'm not a hater I actually like the "Kardashians"' Earlier this month, it was announced that North would join the cast for the live-to-film concert event which ran for two nights on May 24 and May 25 North joined other stars on the stage, such as Jennifer Hudson, Billy Eichner, Bradley Gibson, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Jeremy Irons and also Nathan Lane. Kanye West was in attendance at the concert to support his daughter, as well as Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian and her husband Travis Barker. Kim also cheered on North from backstage, sharing photos to her Instagram Stories from North's dressing room. The proud mom posted snaps of their all-access passes on lanyards, along with some character-inspired cupcakes. She also thanked Kris and grandmother Mary Jo 'MJ' Campbell for sending flowers, sharing video of the orange arrangements. The SKIMS founder later uploaded a clip of herself watching the concert with daughter, Chicago, six, propped up on her lap. The TV personality also shared a snap as North sweetly combed her younger sister's hair while spending time backstage. She later posed with some of the other cast members during the concert, such as with the actor who played Zazu. North also flashed a cheerful smile as she stood next to Jason Weaver for a memorable photo. The ten-year-old joined other stars on the stage, such as Jennifer Hudson, Billy Eichner, Bradley Gibson, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Jeremy Irons and also Nathan Lane; seen with Hudson above She also thanked Kris and grandmother Mary Jo 'MJ' Campbell for sending flowers, sharing video of the orange arrangements The SKIMS founder later uploaded a clip of herself watching the concert with daughter, Chicago, propped up on her lap The TV personality also shared a snap as North sweetly combed her younger sister's hair while spending time backstage She later posed with some of the other cast members during the concert, such as with the actor who played Zazu North also flashed a cheerful smile as she stood next to Jason Weaver for a memorable photo And on Sunday, the mother-of-four uploaded more behind-the-scenes snaps on her Instagram stories, including one where North was seen with Jennifer Hudson. 'The Queen @iamjhud,' was added towards the bottom of the image. She shared a picture of a Lion King-inspired bouquet that contained small studded animals of the characters from the movie. Kim also snapped a photo of North flashing an excited smile as she mingled backstage with some of the cast. North earned a standing ovation as she took the stage to perform I Just Can't Wait to Be King from the 1994 Walt Disney animated movie. The Elementary School Dropout artist donned a much more casual version of the usual Broadway costumes, sporting a yellow hoodie and matching shorts with a fuzzy hood and slippers. North's acting debut came after she announced her first album Elementary School Dropout in March, a nod to her dad's 2004 debut The College Dropout. The preteen was also featured on 'Talking / Once Again', from Vultures 1, Ye's collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign. The track made North one of the youngest artists to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at No. 30 in February. And on Sunday, the mother-of-four uploaded more behind-the-scenes snaps on her Instagram stories, including one where North was seen with Jennifer Hudson She also shared a picture of a Lion King-inspired bouquet that contained small stuffed animals of the characters from the movie Kim also snapped a photo of North flashing an excited smile as she mingled backstage with some of the cast She repeatedly performed live with Kanye during various album release events for Vultures 1, including in Miami in December and Paris in February Although she made her acting debut on Friday night at the Hollywood Bowl, North is no stranger to the stage, thanks to her collaborations with her father. She repeatedly performed live with Kanye during various album release events for Vultures 1, including in Miami in December and Paris in February. The rising musical artist - as well as her siblings Chicago, six, and Psalm, five - also joined their father onstage at the Rolling Loud Festival in California this March. North opened up about her love of singing on the cover of i-D last October, explaining that 'performing is my favorite,' and the passion comes 'mostly from me... and then a little bit of my dad.' Bethenny Frankel let her social media followers believe she wanted to take the plunge and get a tattoo that she deemed to be 'meaningful.' The outing in Long Island, New York comes just days after she blasted Chanel for being 'elitist' after refusing her entry into a store in Chicago without an appointment, which she thinks was due to her being dressed down at the time. Appearing to troll Chanel, the reality star and entrepreneur made her way to Vibes Ink Tattoo in Riverhead, New York on Sunday, a town situated on the north shore of Long Island, where she got a fake, painted body tattoo. Opting to document the experience in two TikTok videos, the Skinnygirl mogul set up the clips by standing outside the establishment. 'Come with me to get a tattoo. Let's do this,' she announced off the top, while looking stylish in a form-fitting white tank top, denim skirt, cowboy boots, and a light tan cowboy hat over her long dark locks. Bethenny Frankel, 53, announced she wanted a 'meaningful' tattoo when she went into the Vibes Ink shoppe in Riverhead, New York on Sunday After playing the mystery game, eventually The Real Housewives Of New York City alum walked out of the Vibes Ink with a drawn on tattoo of the Coco Chanel logo, which comes days after she blasted the luxury brand for not allowing her in a store in Chicago From there, Frankel walks into the shoppe and rings the front desk bell and is greeted by the co-owner Janita, who runs the shoppe with her husband and lead artist, Taboo. They proceed to walk past several customers and tattoo artists in the front room, and again in the second room, until she meets up with Taboo, another artist Emma, and then Taboo and Janita's son, who also works at the family-owned business. 'Family business: husband, wife and son... respect,' Frankel, 53, shared in a selfie shot that showed her standing in front of the third room where she's will momentarily get her tattoo done. She then shows her viewers various shots of the different artists at work on their clients. Eventually, The Real Housewives Of New York alum sits down for her consultation with Taboo, and tells him: 'I want something meaningful.' The owner and artist asks her where she's planning to have the body ink done on her body, which she quickly answers by tapping on her right upper arm. Taboo reassures Frankel with a little theatrics by pulling on one of his latex gloves to make a sound and then tells her: 'I got you.' As the work begins to grab all the essentials out of the shelves and on to his work table, the pair start moving to the groove of the hip-hop music being played in the shoppe's sound system. There's also a close-up look at Taboo appearing to get his gear, including what looked like a tattoo gun, along with black ink into small cups. After all the preparations were done and in order, Taboo asked Frankel, 'You sure about this?' And she didn't hesitate in responding confidently, 'Yes.' 'Come with me to get a tattoo. Let's do this,' she announced off the top, while looking stylish in a form-fitting tank top and light tan cowboy hat over her long dark locks From there, Frankel walks into the shoppe and rings the front desk bell and is greeted by the co-owner Janita, who runs the shoppe with her husband and lead artist, Taboo While making her way to the back room of Vibes Ink, she passes a number of customers and employees, including Emma, one of the artists, and the shoppe owner's son Eventually, Vibes Ink owner Taboo greets Frankel before sitting down to do her piece Frankel and Taboo do a little mock-dancing as the hip-hop music plays in the shoppe Eventually, The Real Housewives Of New York City alum sits down for her consultation with Taboo, and tells him: 'I want something meaningful' Without revealing what kind of body ink design she's getting, Taboo begins the work, but viewers never get to hear and see the tattoo gin plunge in and out of her skin Eventually, Taboo declared, 'That's it we are done,' which prompted the New York City native to thank him and give him a hug Taboo proceeded to clean her upper right arm and then began his work on her piece. Mind you, viewers never get to hear and see the sounds of the device plunging in and out of her skin. Eventually, Taboo declared, 'That's it we are done,' which prompted the New York City native to thank him and give him a hug, although she doesn't give a look at the finished piece. The mystery would be answered when Frankel walked out of the Vibes Ink shoppe past her friend, giving a clear and up-close look at the finished temporary tattoo. One glaring sign that she got a drawn-on tattoo is that there wasn't a bandage with a thin layer of tattoo jelly or moisturizer over the artwork, which is then covered with plastic wrap over the area. After dropping part two of her Chanel troll on TikTok, many fans and followers couldn't resist commenting on it, with most people praising her for being funny and clever. 'This is hilarious! Girl you had me believing you seriously went to get a tattoo.' one person wrote, while another similarly shared, 'This is HYSTERICAL. Well played.' Many other users also got in on the joke, writing, 'Omg that's freaking hysterical love it' and 'Just when I think you can't top the last one... well played ma'am, well played.' After giving thanks and saying her goodbyes, the New York City native plays coy and does reveal what she got tattooed on her arm As Frankel emerges outside to the street, viewers get a first-look at her tattoo, which strangely enough is the Coco Chanel logo, albeit a fake, painted on version Frankel was almost laughing when she walked past the camera with her Coco Chanel tattoo These two videos come in the wake of her not being allowed into a Chanel store in Chicago this past week, which she called 'elitist' and 'exclusionary,' because she didn't have an appointment The second video ends with her leaving the shoppe and walking across the street After dropping part two of her Chanel troll on TikTok, many fans and followers couldn't resist commenting on it, with most people praising her for being funny and clever One person called the videos and her scheme 'hysterical' and 'well played' Other people also revealed they thought this was 'hysterical' Fans of Frankel also praised her for being 'well played' Then there were people who weren't sure if her tattoo was real or not, but others would clarify that this was indeed another staged act by the Skinnygirl mogul Then there were others who weren't completely sure whether this was another of Frankel's antics. 'Wait did u really get a Chanel tattoo I'm dying love,' one person asked, for which a fellow user responded, 'No it's one of her staged acts. He drew it on.' In the end, Frankel got the Coco Chanel logo painted on her upper right arm, which is 'meaningful' to her because a few days earlier she labeled the brand 'elitist' and 'exclusionary' after not being allowed into that Chicago store without an appointment. 'I didnt realize we weren't allowed to walk into stores anymore,' Frankel, who wore a white t-shirt, joked in her TikTok video on Wednesday. 'Gotta get a pap smear appointment and all to walk into Chanel. No big deal.' The Bethenny Ever After star surmised that she wasn't allowed in because she was dressed fashionably down after landing in Chicago and going straight to the area where the store is located without changing into more high-end attire. Then, the next day, Frankel returned to that same store in a chic, all-black head-to-toe Chanel outfit. And this time, she maintained she got into the establishment without an issue, which her friend documented in another TikTok video. Frankel shared a video four days earlier blasting Chanel for refusing her entry into a store in Chicago, which she attributes to her being dressed down in the cloths she wore for her flight 'I'm going into Chanel now dressed much differently than I was dressed yesterday. If they let me in because of how I look, Christmas is canceled,' the Skinnygirl mogul said The reality star maintains she was allowed into the store without an appointment 24 hours later because she was all dolled up in the high-end brand 'No problem today,' she quipped to her camera person, after leaving the boutique. 'Chanel field trip...' she wrote in a text overlay on the clip, shared to both her Instagram and TikTok. Again, many of her fans were amused by the experiment, with some quoting Julia Roberts' character Vivian Ward from the hit romantic-comedy film Pretty Woman (1990), for which she starred opposite Richard Gere. In the movie. Roberts returns to a posh boutique on Rodeo Drive a day after being treated dismissively by the sales staff, who judged her appearance. The Today Extra hosts were left in hysterics during Monday's show when an unexpected 'call of nature' happened live on-air. In a segment promoting 'puppy yoga', hosts David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys were lying on yoga mats as a group of puppies played about them. The hosts and crew began laughing when one of the puppies started defecating behind them. 'We're dropping a two, we're dropping a two,' Campbell announced. 'We've got a toilet situation,' screeched Jeffreys, as the tiny pup began pooping on the floor of the studio. The Today Extra hosts were left in hysterics during Monday's show when an unexpected 'call of nature' happened live on-air. Pictured: Sylvia Jeffreys In a segment promoting 'puppy yoga' on Monday's show, hosts David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys were lying on yoga mats as a group of puppies played about them. However, things took an unexpected turn when one puppy started defecating behind them. Pictured David tried to move the segment on, but the puppy was still in the middle of its business. 'Why is so much coming out of you?' he said, addressing the pup. 'It's like half your body weight!' The clip was later to shared to the morning show's Instagram profile and amused fans sounded off in the comments. 'We're dropping a two, we're dropping a two,' Campbell announced 'We've got a toilet situation,' screeched Jeffreys David then tried to move the segment on, but the puppy was still in the middle of its business. 'Why is so much coming out of you?' he said, addressing the pup. 'It's like half your body weight!' 'Sylvia's reaction is hilarious!' wrote one, while another said 'Live TV is so much fun.' Celebrity veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren then replied with a witty quip: 'A crappy situation.' Married At First Sight's 'hottest bride ever' Evelyn Ellis found it more charming than funny. 'Awww so cute,' she said. 'I could not stop laughing. All I could think of was the smell of poop,' wrote someone else. Channel Seven is reportedly on the hunt for a new co-host to join Dr Chris Brown on their home renovation series, Dream Home. After the first season left network executives less than impressed, insiders suggest a major shake-up is on the horizon for the popular show. Brown, 45, known for his charming on-screen presence, seemed a perfect fit for the hosting gig. However, well-placed insiders have told Woman's Day that his solo performance didn't quite hit the mark. The network is now searching for a co-host with a background in renovation and building, someone reminiscent of the much-loved Carrie Bickmore. Channel Seven is reportedly on the hunt for a new co-host to join Dr Chris Brown on their home renovation series, Dream Home 'They felt it was obvious he needed a co-host,' an insider told the outlet. 'Shelley Craft does that role really well next to Scotty Cam on The Block,' the source continued. 'While they chose not to put a female co-host with Dr Chris as they structured the new series, it would seem that will be corrected.' After the first season left network executives less than impressed, insiders suggest a major shake-up is on the horizon for the popular show The network is now searching for a co-host with a background in renovation and building, someone reminiscent of the much-loved Carrie Bickmore The insider further explained that the chemistry and dynamic a co-host brings is essential for a show like Dream House. 'He needs someone to bounce off. He kind of looks a bit out of place by himself.' It comes as producers for the series recently announced a casting call for season two. According to the casting notice, creators are seeking couples who have dreams of renovating their home. 'Not only will your house be transformed into the home of your dreams - for free, you'll also be competing for a life-changing cash prize!,' the notice said. 'You don't need to be a tradie or even have any experience - just someone with an eye for design and a drive to get your hands dirty.' This season's winner will receive their own 'dream home' and a top prize of $100,000. Renovator Lana Taylor, buyer's agent Simon Cohen and interior designer Rosie Morley will join Brown as judges for the debut series. James Packer is continuing his romantic French getaway with new girlfriend Renee Blythewood, after the pair debuted their romance at Cannes Film Festival The Australian billionaire, 56, was spotted partying with model Renee aboard the Coral Ocean Megayacht on the the French Riviera to celebrate the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. Posting to Instagram, Renee shared several photos of herself posing alongside James and a group of friends on the lavish vessel. Looking svelte in a tight white zip-down mini dress, Renee was all smiles as she posed arm-in-arm with her gal pals during the festivities. The mother-of-one slicked her blonde hair back into a bun and completed her race-day look with a pair of tortoise-shell sunglasses, gold earrings and a black leather clutch. James Packer, 56, was spotted partying with his new model girlfriend Renee Blythewood and a group of friends aboard the Coral Ocean Megayacht on the the French Riviera to celebrate the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday (all picture) James didn't appear to realise the photos were being taken, and was seen chatting away with a male pal while standing above Renee on a staircase. Renee is believed to have started dating James at the end of 2023. The pair went public with their relationship last week when they were spotted at the star-studded Cannes Film Festival, with photographs shared to Renee's Instagram showing them on the red carpet together Looking svelte in a tight white zip-down mini dress, Renee was all smiles as she posed arm-in-arm with her gal pals during the festivities The mother-of-one slicked her blonde hair back into a bun and completed her race-day look with a pair of tortoise-shell sunglasses, gold earrings and a black leather clutch Renee was seen smiling alongside the mega-wealthy businessman as they posed for a picture with a group of friends on the amFAR red carpet on Friday night. Looking like a movie star, Renee cut a glamorous figure in an extravagant silver jewelled gown which showed off her incredible figure as she posed for the cameras. James cut a dapper figure in a navy suit as he posed with his arm around Renee for the group photograph at the annual AIDS fundraiser event. The pair went public with their relationship last week when they were spotted at the star-studded Cannes Film Festival, with photographs shared to Renee's Instagram showing them on the red carpet together Looking like a movie star, Renee cut a glamorous figure in an extravagant silver jewelled gown which showed off her incredible figure as she posed for the cameras Renee had posed on the red carpet solo before joining James and their other friends at the event, which also saw A-list starts including Heidi Klum and Bella Hadid attend. The pair have reportedly enjoyed a string of low-key dinners together during their time in Cannes, while Renee is said to have joined James on his luxury yacht. The lavish yacht has reportedly been moored off Antibes, France, for the past week after travelling over from Barcelona earlier this month for the esteemed film festival. James - the former director of Crown Resorts - is currently sailing around Europe on his annual luxury Mediterranean voyage Renee, who previously used the last name Blythewood-Hall, has carved out a successful modelling career for herself since the age of 10, and often makes appearances at exclusive red carpet events. Renee is a single mother to 16-year-old son Levi, who she reportedly welcomed during a past relationship with a photographer. While she has never spoken publicly about her love life, Renee is thought to have briefly dated American TV presenter Ryan Seacrest back in 2015. James was previously married to Erica Packer. They got married in 2007 and split in 2013, but continue to co-parent their children - Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle. Erica reportedly received a $100million divorce payment, and purchased a family home in Los Angeles shortly after the break-up. James also bought an $80million Los Angeles mansion so he can be closer to Erica and their children whenever he is in town. James was previously married to Erica Packer (pictured in 2012). They got married in 2007 and split in 2013, but continue to co-parent their children - Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle When Erica visits Sydney, she often lives with her former husband and their children at James' $72million Crown penthouse home. Erica has since found love again with Shannon Bennett and they have reportedly bought a house together. Shannon shares kids Phoenix, Hendrix, Xascha, Xanthe, Xahlia and Margaux with ex partner Madeleine West. Before his relationship with Erica, James was married to Jodhi Meares and they have remained friends ever since their split. They tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Sydney in 1999, where around 750 guests attended and Elton John performed. However, they separated three years later in 2002 and divorced shortly after. Just hours after it was revealed that former General Hospital star Johnny Wactor was tragically killed over the weekend, many of his co-stars are honoring him. The 37-year-old actor was leaving his job at a rooftop bar in downtown Los Angeles on early Saturday morning, walking a female employee back to her car. He noticed three masked men attempting to steal his vehicle's catalytic convertor when he confronted them, and one of the men shot him at roughly 3 AM. After word of his death spread, many of his co-stars took to social media to honor Wactor, including his General Hospital co-star Kirsten Storms, who has played Maxie. 'I'm in a state of disbelief and complete sadness. I dont typically do posts like this, but Johnny was such a special person and it feels important (for me) to put these words out there,' she began. Just hours after it was revealed that former General Hospital star Johnny Wactor was tragically killed over the weekend , many of his co-stars are honoring him Kirsten Storms films a scene with Johnny Wactor on the set of General Hospital 'To @johnnywactors mother and family, I am so sorry for your loss. I cant imagine what you must be feeling right now. You are in my thoughts and prayers,' she said. 'Johnny was one of those rare real individuals that you almost never come across. I was fortunate enough to have some really good conversations with him where we discussed things I dont typically open up about,' she admitted. 'For some reason, we talked about the deep stuff. He was a safe space for those conversations and, in turn, he would talk about his life,' she added. 'He genuinely cared about people and their journeys in life. During his time on GH I witnessed him work hard and truly have respect for every single person in our building,' she said. I just cannot believe that his life was stolen from him the way it was. My heart hurts. RIP Johnny,' Kirsten concluded. Sofia Mattsson, who played Sasha Gilmore on General Hospital, added, 'My heart is so utterly broken Johnny was the absolute best. So genuine. So caring. Incredibly hard working and humble. With a huge heart that spread so much kindness and joy.' 'He always made sure everyone around him felt seen, heard and loved. I admire the man he was so much and Im a better person for having known him,' she added. 'We shared so many special moments, both on and off screen, and I will forever cherish them deeply in my heart. You will be so incredibly missed Johnny Im sure youre already busy taking care of everyone up there,' she concluded. 'I'm in a state of disbelief and complete sadness. I dont typically do posts like this, but Johnny was such a special person and it feels important (for me) to put these words out there,' she began. Kirsten Storms with Johnny Wactor on the set of General Hospital Sofia Mattsson, who played Sasha Gilmore on General Hospital, added, 'My heart is so utterly broken Johnny was the absolute best. So genuine. So caring. Incredibly hard working and humble. With a huge heart that spread so much kindness and joy' Laura Wright (Cathy Corinthos) took to her Instagram story with a snap of Wactor, captioned, 'In shock. My heart breaks for Johnny's family. He was an incredible man.' Parry Shen (Brad Cooper) added on his Instagram, '@johnnywactor and I had never worked together during our time on GH. It was only until this past October that we got to know each other doing a multi-city event on the East Coast.' 'Our flights both got in early, so we walked through Boston together for 5 hours, had a dinner together, talked drink recipes (he was also a bartender extraordinaire),' he said. 'Shared our career & life stories. I was really excited to have a new person in my life that I instantly and effortlessly connected with,' he continued. 'Johnny Wactor was a beautiful, beautiful soul. So talented. No ego. And as you can see from the promo clip, always up for anything. Funny as all heck,' he said. 'Fit as all hell but also loved ice cream and ate all the junk I did as well. He also got me excited about live theater again after watching a Mamet play,' he added. 'I was truly looking forward to so many more years hanging out with him. We all were cheated of many years with him. To his mom and brothers, Johnny talked so lovingly of you all during our walk. My heart goes out to you,' he concluded. Inga Cadranel (Harmony Miller) said shared a snap of Wactor on her Instagram story, adding, 'I'm gutted. I just learned that this shining beautiful light my friend has passed. We started #GH @generalhospitalabc around the same time. We had so many deep talks about love, life and family together. My heart aches @johnnywactor. My heart aches.' Laura Wright (Cathy Corinthos) took to her Instagram story with a snap of Wactor, captioned, 'In shock. My heart breaks for Johnny's family. He was an incredible man' Inga Cadranel (Harmony Miller) said shared a snap of Wactor on her Instagram story, adding, 'I'm gutted. I just learned that this shining beautiful light my friend has passed. We started #GH @generalhospitalabc around the same time. We had so many deep talks about love, life and family together. My heart aches @johnnywactor. My heart aches.' Kelly Thiebaud (Dr. Britt Westbourne), added, 'I can't believe the news about Johnny... I can't... Not him. He was a beautiful special person. To take him away from his family and people who loved him so you can sell a catalytic convertor on the black market for 300 bucks angers me so much!!!! I am in shock.' Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis), tweeted, 'Just tragic, enraging & heartbreaking. What a lovely man Johnny was.' Ashton Arbab (Dev Cerci) tweeted, 'absolutely heartbroken while typing this. Johnny Wactor was not only my tv dad for more than 25 episodes on General Hospital but he was a great human, a kind soul, an inspiration and a one of a kind actor. May your soul rest in peace. Heaven gained an Angel.' #generalhospital #gh Lydia Look (Selena Wu) said, 'Johnny, Im crying and will be for a bit. I knew you were talented when you simply just took your shirt off when the rest of us were trying to outdo each other with our skits. I also knew there & then that you were fine as wine. I also saw how youd let others take the spotlight whilst confident & loving in your own space. Most of all, I learnt what a magnificent human you were in our long car rides between fan events. I will cherish our chats. Thank you. My deepest condolences to the family of @johnnywactor I am so sorry for your loss. My heart is with my @generalhospitalabc family' Bonnie Burroughs (Gladys Corbin) said, 'I am heartbroken and sickened by this terrible loss. Johnny I love you. My heart breaks for your real mom and your whole family. The world is darker now.' Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) said, 'Gutted. sending my deepest condolences to his family I feel I must add to this post. The shock is so terrible, for such a genuine young man to be taken so violently. I am incredibly sad for his family. He was a very hardworking person, kind and extremely respectful to his fellow cast members. I am so sorry for his loss Johnny Wactor xxx.' Jon Lindstrom (Dr. Kevin Collins) said, 'When the tears slow down, I am literally sick to my stomach at this news. Johnny was one of those rare young men in this business who was kind, unassuming, humble, and always thought about other people. A talented young guy who just wanted to share that talent with the world. I wish I had enough love to fill the hole that his loved ones must feel right now, but I know thats impossible. Johnny will be missed on this plane. For a long time to come. R.I.P.' Jeff Kober (Cyrus Renault) added, 'Farewell to our friend and fellow actor, JohnnyWactor. A beautiful man with a big beautiful heart. One of the kindest most thoughtful and gentle actors Ive ever worked with. A tragic loss for all who had the gift of knowing him. My most sincere condolences to his family.' Kelly Thiebaud (Dr. Britt Westbourne), added, 'I can't believe the news about Johnny... I can't... Not him. He was a beautiful special person. To take him away from his family and people who loved him so you can sell a catalytic convertor on the black market for 300 bucks angers me so much!!!! I am in shock.' Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis), tweeted, 'Just tragic, enraging & heartbreaking. What a lovely man Johnny was.' Ashton Arbab (Dev Cerci) tweeted, 'absolutely heartbroken while typing this. Johnny Wactor was not only my tv dad for more than 25 episodes on General Hospital but he was a great human, a kind soul, an inspiration and a one of a kind actor. May your soul rest in peace. Heaven gained an Angel.' #generalhospital #gh Lydia Look (Selena Wu) said, 'Johnny, Im crying and will be for a bit. I knew you were talented when you simply just took your shirt off when the rest of us were trying to outdo each other with our skits. I also knew there & then that you were fine as wine I also saw how youd let others take the spotlight whilst confident & loving in your own space. Most of all, I learnt what a magnificent human you were in our long car rides between fan events. I will cherish our chats. Thank you. My deepest condolences to the family of @johnnywactor I am so sorry for your loss. My heart is with my @generalhospitalabc family' Bonnie Burroughs (Gladys Corbin) said, 'I am heartbroken and sickened by this terrible loss. Johnny I love you. My heart breaks for your real mom and your whole family. The world is darker now' Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) said, 'Gutted. sending my deepest condolences to his family I feel I must add to this post. The shock is so terrible, for such a genuine young man to be taken so violently. I am incredibly sad for his family. He was a very hardworking person, kind and extremely respectful to his fellow cast members. I am so sorry for his loss Johnny Wactor xxx' Jon Lindstrom (Dr. Kevin Collins) said, 'When the tears slow down, I am literally sick to my stomach at this news. Johnny was one of those rare young men in this business who was kind, unassuming, humble, and always thought about other people. A talented young guy who just wanted to share that talent with the world. I wish I had enough love to fill the hole that his loved ones must feel right now, but I know thats impossible. Johnny will be missed on this plane. For a long time to come. R.I.P.' Jeff Kober (Cyrus Renault) added, 'Farewell to our friend and fellow actor, JohnnyWactor. A beautiful man with a big beautiful heart. One of the kindest most thoughtful and gentle actors Ive ever worked with. A tragic loss for all who had the gift of knowing him. My most sincere condolences to his family.' Actor Johnny Wactor was a 'southern gentleman' who was protecting a female co-worker from the armed thieves who fatally shot him Saturday, his brother Grant told DailyMail.com. Wactor, 37, was leaving his job at a rooftop bar with a co-worker in the early hours of Saturday morning when he saw three men attempting to steal his catalytic converter. Johnny's younger brother Grant and grandmother Barbara said that Johnny was working at a downtown LA restaurants, as he often picked up side gigs as a bartender. They didn't know which bar he was working that night. He said Johnny and his co-worker had to park about two blocks from the restaurant, so they were walking to their cars after they finished their shift. According to Grant, he and his brothers were brought up as 'Southern gentlemen,' so he was not surprised his older brother was walking his female co-worker to her car. Fans of Farmer Wants A Wife have expressed their frustration over Sunday's reunion episode, branding the editing 'appalling'. The reunion, filmed just a month after the show's finale, brought together all six farmers Joe, Tom, Dean, Dustin, Todd, and Bert. The episode aimed to reveal whether the farmers were still with the women they chose. Notably Bert, who left the show without choosing any of his finalists, hinted at a rekindled connection with Caitlin. However, viewers were left infuriated by the prolonged pauses and the show's apparent manipulation of suspense. Fans of Farmer Wants A Wife have expressed their frustration over Sunday's reunion episode, branding the editing 'appalling' The reunion, filmed just a month after the show's finale, brought together all six farmers Joe, Tom, Dean, Dustin, Todd, and Bert. (Todd pictured with his finalist Daisy) 'What's with the pauses and twists?' a disgruntled Facebook user asked. 'Worst season ever. Scripted and disappointing. I used to love this show. What a waste,' wrote a second. Another viewer echoed the sentiment, saying, 'Come on... just ask if you're still together and get this done... we don't need to see all the replays, we just want to see who's still together.' However, viewers were infuriated by the prolonged pauses and the show's apparent manipulation of suspense A third critic added: 'The show should be called a few Bachelor farmers want to be Married at First Sight as it's become a joke! It's not at all organic and natural... so disappointed.' '90 minutes of scripted, manufactured, selective post-filming reporting... why was I expecting something different,' another fan lamented. One viewer also stated: 'Can I just say... That was painful' while another said: 'The editing in this is appalling!' Many fans speculated the farmers were deliberately instructed to draw out their responses. 'They were all told to say 'ummm' when asked if they were together. It was so obvious,' one pointed out. 'So tacky and predictable, can someone please tell the producers to stop treating the viewers like idiots,' another pleaded. ' 'The long pauses and pretending they're not good, then go to a commercial break, just stupid.' 'Talk about dragging it out,' commented another, while one more wrote, 'Driving me nuts, get to the chase for god's sake lol.' A trans influencer has issued a stern warning to Married At First Sight Australia's producers ahead of casting next year's season. The reality dating show looks set to cast transgender participants in its 2025 season, but Sydney-based trans activist Zaylee Doll worries that the show will focus on the 'negative.' Speaking to Yahoo Australia, TikTok star Zaylee said the program has a 'responsibility' when it comes to casting trans participants. 'The media usually feed off the negative because that's what gets views and attention so I do believe they could portray a trans participant this way, but [this just perpetuates hate],' she said. The trans influencer, who recently shared candid videos of her recovery from complicated gender reassignment surgeries on Tiktok, stated that trans people must 'forever defend themselves'. A trans influencer has issued a stern warning to Married At First Sight Australia's producers ahead of casting next year's season. Pictured: MAFS experts John Aitken, Mel Schilling, Alessandra Rampolla The reality dating show looks set to cast transgender participants in its 2025 season, but Sydney-based trans activist Zaylee Doll (pictured) worries that the show will focus on the 'negative' However, the social media personality does recognise the program's potential to represent the transgender experience. 'One of the hardest obstacles myself and other trans people face in our journey through life is finding love,' she added. 'I've never experienced love and my main goal in life is to have a loving family so it's great Nine want to give us the opportunity at finding love just like everyone else.' Married At First Sight UK cast Ella Morgan last year, the franchise's first ever trans participant. 'The media usually feed off the negative because that's what gets views and attention so I do believe they could portray a trans participant this way, but [this just perpetuates hate],' she said The trans influencer, who recently shared candid videos of her recovery from complicated gender reassignment surgeries on Tiktok, stated that trans people must 'forever defend themselves' A source interviewed by Yahoo Lifestyle earlier this month said that MAFS Australia are out to diversity after producers in the UK version of the show cast Morgan. Morgan entered the experiment as a bride in 2023 which stimulated massive media attention as a result, the insider said. 'Producers are now under immense pressure to raise the bar on our version to keep the format fresh,' the source claimed. Channel Nine's Married at First Sight appears to be setting out to diversify in 2025. An insider close to the ratings juggernaut has revealed that the show's producers are 'actively' pursuing applicants who identify as transgender. Pictured: experts John Aiken, Mel Schilling and sexologist Alessandra Rampolla Contestants are being questioned on whether they would be willing to be matched with gender neutral partners as part of the experiment. Pictured: MAFS couple Michael Felix and Stephen Stewart The casting process for the new season also asks applicants on whether they identify as non-binary and transgender. Applicants have also been asked about their 'same-sex' experiences and whether they have had any cosmetic surgery. The insider said that producers are also pressing applicants on intimate details, including whether they would engage in sex same experiences during filming - no matter their own gender identity. MAFS Australia has featured three same sex couples to date - Michael Felix and Stephen Stewart, Craig Roach and Andy John and Amanda Micallef and Tash Herz. Countryfile presenter Adam Henson's wife has admitted to 'getting complacent' in their relationship before she was diagnosed with cancer. In December 2020, Charlie Gilbert became ill but believed it to be nothing serious - initially thinking that she had caught something from handling one of their couple's farm animals. However, Charlie was still showing worrying symptoms three months later and went for further tests which found a four-and-a-half centimetre tumour on her pancreas. The news was all the more shocking for the couple as each of them had known people who had passed away from pancreatic cancer. After being told of the tumour, Charlie shared how the news made her realise she wanted to marry Adam, 58, having been in a relationship with him since the pair were teenagers. Countryfile presenter Adam Henson's wife has admitted to 'getting complacent' in their relationship before she was diagnosed with cancer (pictured in 2019) What is pancreatic cancer? Pancreatic cancer is a cancer that's found anywhere in the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ in the top part of your tummy. It helps you digest your food and makes hormones, such as insulin. How serious pancreatic cancer is depends on where it is in the pancreas, how big it is, if it has spread and your general health. Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to treat. The treatment you have will depend on: the size and type of pancreatic cancer you have, where it is, if it has spread, your general health. It may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and supportive care. Surgery - your treatment will depend if the cancer can be removed or not. Recovery from surgery to treat pancreatic cancer can take a long time. Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. One reason for the poor outlook for pancreatic cancer is that it is often diagnosed late. The cancer is very often quite advanced. Only around 10 in 100 people (around 10%) can have surgery to remove pancreatic cancer, which gives the best chance of cure. Source: NHS Advertisement In an interview with The Mirror in October 2023, Charlie said: 'After 28 years together you do get a bit complacent, but getting married was suddenly really important - we didn't know how long we had left, and I wanted Adam to know I was committed to him.' Adam said he was 'terrified' and felt 'totally lost' following Charlie's diagnosis, and accepted her proposal immediately but feared that their impending marriage could be cut short in brutal fashion. On the day of their wedding, which took place in September of the same year, Adam found himself overcome with emotion as the couple exchanged vows. As Charlie said 'I do' at Stroud Registry Office in Gloucestershire in front of her closest family and friends, the new bride was just hours away from undergoing a complex operation. Recalling the events of the big day, Adam said: 'We cried a lot. Those vows cemented my emotions and let me say from the heart how I feel about Charlie. 'The registrar wasn't aware of our situation and said she'd never had such an emotional couple. For us, it was a way of saying goodbye to everyone.' He continued: 'There were a lot of tears and a lot of emotion in the room. Charlie wore an ivory dress and looked stunning when she walked in with her mum. 'We were both crying through the vows, and the next very emotional time for me was giving a speech at the reception. Charlie was booked in for surgery on the day after the wedding and the whole family drove down to London for the operation. She recalled how she prepared for the worst: 'Saying goodbye to them all at the hospital was horrible. 'Cancer is so lonely - you get all this love and support from everyone, but you're still on your own. It's so hard. 'I'd written letters to Adam, the children and my sisters, and left them in my bedside table for them to find. 'All I could do now was cling on to the fact that I still had a chance, however tiny.' The pair first met in their teenage years in sixth-form and live together on the 1600-acre Cotswolds farm where Adam grew up (pictured in 2023) Charlie underwent the surgery, which was successful, and is now in 'ongoing recovery' and has scans every six months, while she admits she still finds waiting for the results 'absolutely terrifying'. Charlie has now returned to work in television and is hoping to travel more with Adam. The TV star is best known for his presenting role on Countryfile, which he has held since 2001 when Charlie - who is a location manager with the BBC - encouraged him to go for the role. Pancreatic cancer is a cancer that's found anywhere in the pancreas. One reason for the poor outlook for pancreatic cancer is that it is often diagnosed late. The cancer is very often quite advanced. In addition, only around 10 in 100 people (around 10 per cent) can have surgery to remove pancreatic cancer, which gives the best chance of cure. Recovery from surgery to treat pancreatic cancer can take a long time. Jack Tyerman has signed with Roxy Jacenko's digital and creative talent agency The Ministry of Talent. The handsome tradie, 30, who's been seen spending a significant amount of time with radio star Jackie 'O' Henderson of late, will be joining the likes of Getaway presenter Matty Mills, Nick Kyrgios' girlfriend Costeen Hatzi and The Block star Sharon Johal. The Ministry of Talent welcomed Tyerman to their team in a statement. 'Jack is well-known for his international modelling career,' it began. 'We are very pleased to announce he is now available for digital collaborations via The Ministry of Talent.' Jack Tyerman has signed with Roxy Jacenko's digital and creative talent agency The Ministry of Talent. Pictured: Jack and Jackie 'O' Henderson The handsome tradie, 30, who's been seen spending a significant amount of time with radio star Jackie 'O' Henderson of late, will be joining the likes of Getaway presenter Matty Mills, Nick Kyrgios ' girlfriend Costeen Hatzi and The Block star Sharon Johal Tyerman has 25,000 followers on Instagram and often shares jaw-dropping shirtless photos of him flaunting his gym-toned body and rock hard abs. The Ministry of Talent said Jack, who frequently showcased 'his healthy and active lifestyle' with fans, was open to brand collaborations. Tyerman shot to fame last year after he was spotted enjoying a night out with radio queen Jackie 'O' Henderson, 49. Jackie recently addressed the pair's relationship on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show, when co-host Kyle Sandilands questioned her about another recent date. 'We went together to the restaurant and I didn't want to drive and told him to drive [my car],' she explained, adding that Jack lives close by. 'He is cute but no there is nothing going on. We went out with his sister and her husband. We were just catching up.' PR queen Roxy Jacenko (pictured) founded the Sydney-based agency in 2012 She also spoke about the relationship in August - While Jackie admitted she was 'dating' at the time, she said she and Jack were 'just friends'. 'No, Jack is not my boyfriend. We're not in a relationship. He is not my boy toy,' Jackie told her radio co-host Kyle. 'Jack is a good friend of mine. I know him through a friend of ours. We didn't meet on a dating app or anything like that.' Tyerman has 25,000 followers on Instagram and often shares jaw-dropping photos of him flaunting his gym-toned body and rock hard abs The Ministry said Jack frequently showcased 'his healthy and active lifestyle' with fans and was open to brand collaborations The media personality went on to say she was ultimately 'to blame' for the romance rumours after she told Daily Mail Australia she was dating someone during a Logies interview. 'In my mind, I'm dating and I've been on a few dates, so I said "maybe" [I'm dating], but I probably should have said, "Maybe, we'll see what happens",' she confessed. Not long after that, the pair were seen enjoying what appeared to be a romantic moonlit date on the balcony of her Clovelly mansion. Sydney-based Jack, who stands at a lofty 6'1' and boasts more than 25,000 Instagram followers, has found success both in the construction and modelling industries. He was also scouted as a model back in 2012 and has since found considerable success in the fashion industry, walking catwalks and starring in photoshoots across the globe. Sahara Ray was testing the Instagram censors with her latest post. The Australian glamour model worked her angles and showed off her flexibility in a wild photo that left little to the imagination on Monday. The 31-year-old got even racier in her second image, which showed her suffering a nip slip as her ample bust threatened to spill from the swimwear. The daughter of Aussie surfer Tony Ray wore a bright blue bikini and a face full of natural but glamorous makeup with a pink lip. It comes after Sahara opened up about a recent health condition that has left her in a wheelchair. Sahara Ray (pictured) was testing the Instagram censors with her latest post. The Australian glamour model worked her angles and showed off her flexibility in a wild photo that left little to the imagination on Monday The 31-year-old got even racier in her second image, which showed her suffering a nip slip as her ample bust threatened to spill from the swimwear She posted to social media to reveal she is suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome, a condition that sees the immune system attack the nerves. 'My whole life changed in an instant,' Sahara wrote alongside a series of clips of her journey with the disease. In a TikTok video posted earlier this month, the model explained that she is currently paralysed from her upper thighs down to her feet. Sahara added that she is relying on a wheelchair and cannot walk without the aid of a walker. It comes after Sahara opened up about a recent health condition that has left her in a wheelchair. She posted to social media to reveal she is suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome, a condition that sees the immune system attack the nerves Sahara added that she is relying on a wheelchair and cannot walk without the aid of a walker She explained that she was hit by a drunk driver travelling at 80m/h on April 8. 'It basically sent my body into shock which sent my body into this crazy sickness,' she revealed. 'I got really really sick for like a week and a half to two weeks. During that time I barely ate any food because I couldn't keep it down and my body got really weak,' she continued. Following her sickness she began to feel tingling and numbness in her feet which progressed to her legs. The model was promptly rushed to the emergency room. 'This has been really hard to deal with and I've been trying keep a good attitude and be hopeful that my feeling comes back,' she told her social media followers. 'Any advice would be amazing or just like love and support and your prayers because I want to be able to walk again,' she added. Ella Rae Wise has confirmed that she has split from Dan Edgar. It comes after it was revealed that Dan, 33, cheated on Ella, 24, with his ex Hannah Rally while she was on holiday in Dubai. Essex beauty Ella told her followers she is 'happily single' during a Q&A on her Stories on Sunday and also took a savage swipe at her love rival Amber Turner and her co-stars. One fan asked: 'Are you single?' She replied: 'Yes and happily single. Focusing on myself and my brand'. TOWIE's Ella Rae Wise confirmed on Instagram on Sunday that she has split from Dan Edgar Dan and Ella's short-lived romance, only took off on a recent TOWIE cast trip to Bali as they were seen packing on the PDA while filming series 33 While another follower asked: 'Thoughts on some of the other TOWIE girls comments on you?' Ella hit back and replied: 'All I will say is they think they're bl**dy perfect. The sun doesn't shine out of their a**** trust me.' Dan and Ella's short-lived romance, only took off on a recent TOWIE cast trip to Bali as they were seen packing on the PDA while filming series 33. The pair were reportedly open to continuing their romance over the summer as they discussed their future while filming their final scenes for the latest series. The romance had followed Dan's messy and emotional split from Amber, who was also on the trip. He later got together with Hannah. A source has since told The Sun: 'Dan was dating Hannah for around nine months, they got together shortly after he split from Amber. 'Things were going really well and he even told her he loved her but he said he wasn't ready for anything serious. Next thing he is in Bali for Towie filming and is getting with Ella. Essex beauty Ella told her followers she is 'happily single' during a Q&A on her Stories She also took a savage swipe at her love rival Amber Turner and her co-stars, she wrote: 'All I will say is they think they're bl**dy perfect. The sun doesn't shine out of their a**** trust me' Dan and Ella were reportedly open to continuing their romance over the summer as they discussed their future while filming their final scenes for the latest series The romance had followed Dan's messy and emotional split from Amber (pictured), who was also on the trip 'Hannah was obviously really shocked, but she just didn't want the drama to decide to wash her hands of him. But they ended up getting together again when Ella was out of town in Dubai.' After returning to the UK, Ella was reportedly 'furious' with Dan's behaviour, the source added: 'Ella ended up finding out what happened between Dan and Hannah and was furious. 'She confronted Hannah about it and called her embarrassing as well as some other choice words. It got pretty nasty but was really was the last straw for Hannah. Ella seems to have forgiven him for now.' Tom Holland's return to the West End stage in Romeo & Juliet has divided critics after it's opening night at the Duke of Yorks Theatre last week. The Marvel star, 27, who one reviewer branded 'uncharismatic' stars alongside Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as the star-crossed lovers in the edgy and modern production directed by theatre whizz Jamie Lloyd. But while some declared the show 'mesmerising' others branded it 'lifeless', however Tom's co-star Francesca, who previously appeared in BBC Three's Bad Education, was unanimously praised for her role as Juliet and hailed as the play's 'saving grave'. This comes following the actress receiving a 'barrage of deplorable racial abuse' after her casting was announced in April. The BBC's Hugh Montgomery wrote in his two star review: 'It's a depressingly lifeless affair, which somehow manages to be both overstated and underpowered'. Tom Holland 's return to the West End stage in Romeo & Juliet has divided critics after it's opening night at the Duke of Yorks Theatre last week The Marvel star, 27, who one reviewer branded 'uncharismatic' stars alongside Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as the star-crossed lovers in the edgy and modern production directed by theatre whizz Jamie Lloyd '[Tom] has definite stage presence, but a habit of acting out one mood at a time, rather than making his Romeo convincingly psychologically rounded, and towards the end he is reduced to snarling disaffection, Romeo's emotional tenderness all but forgotten'. 'Relative newcomer Amewudah-Rivers, by contrast, transcends her glum surroundings and is the real saving grace: she has a conversational command of the verse common to the best Shakespearean actors'. While Daily Mail's Patrick Marimon was much more enamoured and gave the play a whopping four stars saying Tom kept the audience wrapped up in his 'dreamy gaze'. Praising the Spider Man star: 'Although its stillness he does best, the shy smiles he scatters on his beloved are in Hollywood terms worth a million dollars. In the circumstances, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers holds up well as Juliet'. The Express' Neil Normal branded the show 'absolute drivel' in his scathing one star review. Saying: 'As Romeo, Tom Holland is a charisma free zone, achieving the unlikely feat of being both buff and weedy. While this may be the right combination for Peter Parker/Spiderman it leaves Romeo dangling as a background character'. Meanwhile The Guardian's Arifa Akbar wrote: 'Holland and Amewudah-Rivers are perfectly cast, wired with an awkwardly cool teen energy, she a mix of innocence and streetwise steel, he jittering with sweaty-palmed earnestness'. Giving the show three stars she said: 'The chemistry is most definitely there, even if it feels deliberately restrained in Jamie Lloyds turbo-stylised production, which comes with all his theatrical signature marks: alluring visuals, dark glamour and a tonne of atmosphere'. But while some declared the show 'mesmerising' others branded it 'lifeless', however Tom's co-star Francesca, who previously appeared in BBC Three's Bad Education, was unanimously praised for her role as Juliet and hailed as the play's 'saving grave' The Hollywood Reporter's Demetrius Patterson wrote: 'For the most part, Hollands Romeo is a subdued, teary, vulnerable, underwhelming fellow; its hard to see why Juliet would go to such lengths for him'. 'While Holland does get to show his puppy-like sweetness and buffed Spiderman physique, he surely has a better Romeo in him than this one'. Before adding: 'In contrast, this deserves to be a star-making turn for Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who has triumphed over the torrent of online racial abuse she received when cast'. In another two star review i News' Fiona Mountford said Tom Holland fans may regret forking out 275 a ticket. 'Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is a radiant Juliet with a luminous stage presence whose performance single-handedly elevates the entire show; no wonder Romeo is instantly shaken from his self-indulgent solipsism and Holland comes vividly and convincingly alive to display the rawness of fresh emotion'. 'It all goes downhill after this, and not just from a plot perspective. The use of cameras and microphone stands prevails, to the detriment of the sense of the text: even the most intense dialogue is conducted without the two actors looking at each other'. In contrast The Telegraph gave a five stars branding the play 'mesmerising' and a 'once-in-a generation production'. Dominic Cavendish gushed: 'Amewudah-Rivers, 26, is a huge find, by turns understated, coy, comically off-hand, and defiantly passionate. But eyes rivet, inevitably, to Holland beefy of bicep, but pale, achingly tender, at times teary and then cheery, all hormonal vulnerability'. This comes following the actress receiving a 'barrage of deplorable racial abuse' after her casting was announced in April 'Together, they help subvert expectations that because this is about young, doomed love, the evening must be giddy and hectic'. The Financial Times' Sarah Hemming was also full of praise and gave the show four stars: 'Hollands riveting Romeo is wan, pinched, lost in thought when we meet him, his tightly cropped hair making him look young and vulnerable. He seems stranded between youth and adult, traumatised by the simmering violence around him and desperately in search of love'. 'On meeting Juliet, he transforms, suddenly dissolving into smiles, stuffing his fist in his mouth to stop from shouting out with joy when she first speaks his name'. Before adding: 'Theres a lovely chemistry between him and Amewudah-Rivers: her Juliet is a beacon of honesty, resolve and sharp wit'. Robert Irwin and his mother Terri Irwin are known to be very close. On Monday, the mother and son duo posed together in multiple images shared to Instagram during their travels overseas in May. In two of the photos, Terri, 59, and her son, 20, were pictured together, beaming for the camera. And some detractors complained that the pair are frequently seen together. 'Is Robert and his mother joined at the hip. She is in every pic you see of him,' one person wrote in the comments while another said, 'He's 20 now!' Robert Irwin (left) and his mother Terri Irwin (centre) are known to be very close. On Monday, the mother and son duo posed together in multiple images shared to Instagram during their travels overseas in May Some detractors complained that the pair are frequently seen together However there was plenty of support for their close relationship, with one person replying, 'He's a lucky young man to have her.' Another wrote: 'People saying why Robert has he's mum in so many photos. Remember every day is precious. Life is fragile. The Irwin's like millions of other families have experienced loss on a monumental scale. 'Steve was larger than life. It's lovely that they do spend so much time with each other. Don't be so critical.' One more said: 'What is wrong with someone having a close relationship with their mother?' 'Is Robert and his mother joined at the hip. She is in every pic you see of him,' one person wrote in the comments while another said, 'He's 20 now!' 'Who cares? It's his mom and they seem to be a very tight-knit family,' yet another said. The pair did nothing to dispel talk about their closeness when they stepped out together in Oregon earlier this week. The mum and son were in the region visiting family members and appeared in great spirits as they strolled together. It comes after an I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! producer expressed concerns about host Robert's decision to bring his protective mother Terri on set. Terri accompanied her son on his trip to South Africa as he films his debut season of the popular Channel 10 program alongside co-host Julia Morris, 55. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, an anonymous producer has admitted that Terri's presence on set every day is 'a little creepy', saying: 'It is giving 'bringing your-mum-to-school-camp vibes.' The pair did nothing to dispel talk about their closeness when they stepped out together in Oregon earlier this week (pictured) The mum and son were in the region visiting family members and appeared in great spirits as they strolled together It comes after an I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! producer expressed concerns about host Robert 's decision to bring his protective mother Terri on set Terri, who has been in charge of Robert and his big sister Bindi's showbiz careers since the death of their father Steve in 2006, has apparently kept a close eye on everything Robert does while working on the program. 'The two have an excellent relationship and Terri couldn't be nicer but there are not many situations where employees will have their mum at work with them, just to make sure everything is above board,' the insider said. Comparing Terri to the Kardashians' famous 'momager' Kris Jenner, the producer claimed Robert Irwin's contract even included a section that allowed him to bring his family on set. 'The deal was done when Robert signed on as host late last year. He wanted his family to come with him,' they alleged, adding: 'Maybe it will be just for this series, but maybe Terri will always be standing in the wings. Who knows'. Robert previously confirmed that the entire Irwin clan would be joining him in South Africa, telling The Daily Telegraph in January: 'I've got everyone, including my little niece Grace, coming over, so the whole family are there'. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, an anonymous producer has admitted that Terri's presence on set every day is 'a little creepy', saying: 'It is giving 'bringing your-mum-to-school-camp vibes' While Terri is said to be 'in her element' watching Robert win over audiences on the show, the producer cast some doubts about the zookeeper's protective attitude - especially when it comes to her son's dating life. Robert recently split from girlfriend Rorie Buckey after nearly two years of dating, with reports claiming Terri's opinions of the relationship may have contributed to the break-up. 'The rumour on set is that Robert has been withholding information from his mum on his dating life, which is pretty standard for most 20 year old boys,' the source spilled, claiming that 'cracks will continue to appear' if Terri continues to get involved in his love life. It comes after reports surfaced claiming Bindi has urged Terri to let Robert 'live his life' following his split from Rorie in February. According to Woman's Day, Bindi has rallied around to support her brother as he navigates the break-up by himself, and is said to have 'unbreakable loyalty' towards him. TV presenter Hayley Palmer has been left 'heartbroken' after The Chase star Mark Labbett broke up with her on Saturday. Mark, 58, blamed their 16-year age gap for the end of their romance, leaving Hayley, 42, bereft just two days after they celebrated their one-year anniversary with a trip to the beach. The couple both shared the same picture on Instagram of them both looking loved up by the sea, with Hayley placing her arm lovingly around Mark. The caption they both shared was written by Hayley and said: 'One Year Anniversary - Same Beach, Same Bench :) @markthebeastlabbett.' And unaware that anything was wrong, Hayley had written in the comments of Mark's post: 'So happy.' Hayley Palmer, 42, is 'heartbroken' following her split from The Chase star Mark Labbett, 58, as he blamed 14-year age gap for break-up despite celebrating their anniversary two days before Unaware that anything was wrong, Hayley had written in the comments of Mark's post: 'So happy' on Thursday Confirming news of their break-up on her Instagram Stories on Saturday, Hayley wrote: 'It is with regret I announce that myself and Mark have gone our separate ways' But then the split shocked fans on Saturday when Hayley announced that it was all over between them She penned: 'It is with regret I announce that myself and Mark have gone our separate ways. 'We had the best year together and I truly wish him all the best for the future.' She added: 'Off I go to listen to Taylor Swift,' with a broken heart emoji. A source told The Sun: 'Mark had a lovely time with Hayley and has a lot of respect for her but they wanted different things. 'She loves getting dressed up and going out to parties and showbiz events, whereas he prefers to stay at home. 'Mark felt there was too much of an age gap between them for long-term success. They are still friendly. 'Away from his job on telly and filming, Mark enjoys a quiet life and spending time with his son. He is still hopeful he can meet someone to settle down with one day.' Quizzer Mark, 58, is best known as The Beast on iTV game show, The Chase Prior to their anniversary celebrations last week, Mark had spoken about what he had planned for their date on the special day Mark, known as The Beast on The Chase, and Hayley spoke about their one year anniversary during an appearance on Loose Women earlier this month. The pair, who met through their work, said the fact they didn't see each other too often meant they felt their bond was stronger. He said: 'Because we live quite a bit apart - I live up in Sheffield, Rotherham, she's a Chelsea girl - we tend to look at our diaries and see if we can sync up together. 'The good news is we see each other every few weeks, but we make the most of it when we're together so we get the best of both worlds.' Hayley added: 'The good news is we see each other every few weeks, but we make the most of it when we're together so we get the best of both worlds. 'We don't see each other and then I'm like: "Actually, we're really looking forward to coming together..."' Hayley playfully elbowed Mark before finishing: '...And not sharing our chips!' And the audience roared with laughter.' Prior to their anniversary celebrations Mark spoke to The Sun about what he had planned for their date on the special day. He said: 'We found a bench in a peaceful spot by the beach and spent hours talking and getting to know each other, so weve decided to go back to celebrate our anniversary. 'As luck would have it, theres a rather nice Beefeater near to where her parents live. They already know Hayleys order nachos and chips.' Hayley said at the time she could not wait for the date and would make their anniversary 'last a month' if she could. The pair had been dating since early 2023, with Mark previously admitting he was a 'very very lucky man' to be with her. Sources claimed the star wooed the TV presenter on a string of dates after being 'friends for some time', following his split from his wife Katie in 2020. Hayley previously admitted to Good Morning Britain: 'I don't watch The Chase, no offence, but I'm never in at 5pm. The pair had been dating since early 2023, with Mark previously admitting he was a 'very very lucky man' to be with her A source said 'Mark likes staying in, whereas Hayley prefers to be out partying', which is part of her career In a further blow, a source said : 'He is still hopeful he can meet someone to settle down with one day' 'I did come and watch Beat The Chasers and he got everything right and I was like, "Wow that's really sexy".' Mark admitted the relationship had its challenges due to the distances between them, with him living in Rotherham, whereas Hayley is London-based. Speaking about the long distance, he said: 'We consult a lot with our diaries, so for example we've both worked out that we are in Southampton next month for a few nights, so we've arranged a few dates while we're down there.' Hayley added: 'I think it's healthy sometimes. When you meet someone, it's too much too soon but we both really look forward to seeing each other in a few weeks.' Amy Poehler has opened up about the surprising gift she received from Hugh Jackman in 2001, after he appeared alongside her on Saturday Night Live. The American comedian, 52, who attended the Sydney premiere of Inside Out 2 on Monday, revealed Jackman, 55, holds a special place in her heart. 'You know who was one of my faves, Hugh Jackman, an absolute prince and so talented,' she told The Daily Telegraph. 'He gave everyone in the cast a case of Fosters beer.' Jackman was a guest host on the long-running American sketch comedy show in December 2001, and hammed it up alongside Poehler and Maya Rudolph. Amy Poehler has opened up about the surprising gift she received from Hugh Jackman in 2001. Pictured: Amy Poehler in Sydney on Monday night The American comedian, 52, who attended the Sydney premiere of Inside Out 2 on Monday, revealed Hugh Jackman, 55, holds a special place in her heart. Pictured Poehler added although she was no longer with SNL when Chris Hemsworth, 40, guest hosted in 2015, she heard he had a 'powerful' presence and his 'essence remained' long after he left. Amy cut a dashing figure at the Inside Out 2 premiere, in a three piece cream suit which consisted of a sleek blazer, waist coat and wide leg trousers, and she added a pair of stacked patent heels to the look. She accessorised with a black flower pinned to her lapel, as well as a pair of dainty earrings. For makeup, the comedian chose a rosy, glowing look with a satin pink lipstick and wore her blonde hair off her face. 'You know who was one of my faves, Hugh Jackman, an absolute prince and so talented,' she told The Daily Telegraph. 'He gave everyone in the cast a case of Fosters beer' Amy is visiting Australia for a special Vivid Ideas event at the Sydney Opera House. The Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actress fronts Vivid Sydney Presents - In Conversation with Amy Poehler plus a special first look at Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2, in which Poehler stars as the emotion Joy. 'I'm really looking forward to taking part in Vivid Sydney this year, a place that welcomes Joy in every way,' said Poehler in a statement before her visit. 'I can't wait to share a little of Inside Out 2: a movie that lets Joy and Sadness, Anxiety and Envyall try to work together in hilarious and touching ways,' she added. It is the American star's first Sydney appearance since 2015. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's son Pax was spotted leaving a smoke shop in LA on Sunday, as the A-list couple's messy divorce continues to rage on. The 20-year-old, who is one of the former couple's six children, cut a casual figure in a white T-shirt and jogging bottom as well as a black hoodie which he later removed. Pax kept a low profile and donned a beanie and a large backpack following the shopping trip before jumping on his $3K electric dirt bike. It comes after Brad and Angelina's daughter Vivienne dropped the last name Pitt from her moniker in The Outsiders Playbill. The 15-year-old helped the veteran actress, 48, produce the show and according to People, the former couple's daughter was listed as Vivienne Jolie in the literature, instead of Vivienne Jolie-Pitt. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's son Pax, 20, was spotted leaving a smoke shop in LA on Sunday The outing comes amid his famous parent's ugly divorce continuing to rumble on (pictured together in 2014) It's unknown if she has legally changed her name. The move comes after last week Angelina was ordered by a judge to turn over every NDA agreement that she signed with a third-party over an eight-year period amid the ex spouses' ongoing legal battle. Vivienne's name change comes after her older sister Zahara made a similar choice in public. Last November, when she was inducted into the AKA sorority at Spelman College, the 19-year-old student appeared to drop her father's last name as she introduced herself. In a video clip shared by Essence magazine, she stated, 'My name is Zahara Marley Jolie.' Pitt has also faced scorn from his son Pax, 20, who called him a 'world-class a**hole' and a 'despicable person' in an explosive instagram rant revealed by DailyMail.com. Angelina and Brad, 60, split over seven years ago, but the exes have been embroiled in a contentious feud over custody, the circumstances under which their relationship ended, and their ongoing business affairs. Vivienne's is credited as a producer assistant for The Outsiders play. Pax, who is one of the former couple's six children, cut a casual figure in a white T-shirt and jogging bottom as well as a black hoodie which he later removed Pax kept a low profile and donned a beanie and a large backpack following the shopping trip before jumping on his $3K electric dirt bike It comes after Brad and Angelina's daughter Vivienne dropped the last name Pitt from her moniker in The Outsiders Playbill According to People, the former couple's daughter was listed as Vivienne Jolie in the Playbill literature, instead of Vivienne Jolie-Pitt; Brad pictured in February Angelina pictured with her six children in New York City in 2019. Her daughter Zahara (second to right) seemingly dropped 'Pitt' from her last name at her AKA sorority initiation at Spelman College last year Pitt has also faced scorn from his son Pax who called him a 'world-class a**hole' and a 'despicable person' in an explosive instagram rant revealed by DailyMail.com; Pax is seen with Jolie in December in NYC Meanwhile, Angelina's blurb reads: 'Angelina is thrilled to be working on her first theatrical producing venture alongside her daughter, Vivienne, who is a theatre student and supporter of the arts.' The Hollywood fixture announced her plans to produce the show an adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film in August 2023. The proud mom gushed about her daughter to People during the production's opening night in April, 'She saw an early workshop a few times and then invited me to it.' The Mr. and Mrs. Smith actress added, 'Viv is a young artist who focuses her efforts on her support of others. 'She has been there to assist in any way she can and has learned so much from Justin Levine and the whole creative team.' In addition to Vivienne and Zahara, Angelina and Brad share sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, daughter Shiloh, 17, and Vivienne's twin brother Knox, 15. Angelina filed for divorce from the actor in 2019 after five years of marriage. The union ended on a contentious not and their children appear to have taken sides, straining the relationship with their father. The two filmmakers have been locked in a bitter battle over their French vineyard and home after the Tomb Raider star sold her $64 million stake to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in 2021. Pitt has branded his ex-wife a hypocrite for claiming he wanted to use an NDA in the sale of their French vineyard to 'control' her, despite regularly gagging her own staff with similar contracts. The Chateau Miraval estate, which produces an award-winning sparkling rose, is at the center of a long-running court battle between the pair. Pitt's lawyers argue that disclosure of her NDAs will ultimately discredit Jolie's arguments over why she abandoned the talks with her estranged husband Angelina and her kids Shiloh, Zahara, Vivienne, Maddox, and Knox in 2021 The rant was accompanied by a photo of Pitt receiving an Oscar for best supporting actor and posted on Pax's private Instagram story on Father's Day 2020 Pax, who Brad and Angelina adopted from Vietnam, called his father a 'world class a**hole' who makes his four youngest children 'tremble in fear' in an explosive Instagram rant posted for Father's Day 2020. DailyMail.com obtained the post, which had originally been shared privately, in November 2023. In the cutting post four years ago, Pax wrote: 'You have made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell. 'You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want but the truth will come to light someday.' He sarcastically added, 'So Happy Father's Day, you f*****g awful human being.' Mel Schilling has shared an update on her cancer battle. The Married At First Sight relationship expert says she is going through chemotherapy and it's gotten difficult to cope with the side effects. The therapist announced she had been diagnosed with the disease in December and has subsequently undergone surgery and chemo. 'It's getting tough now,' the 52-year-old admitted to The Mirror on Monday. 'I'm about halfway through and it's getting hard. Feeling fatigued and nauseous is a bigger part of my everyday life. Mel Schilling (pictured) has shared an update on her cancer battle 'It feels like I'm hungover or pregnant every day, which is not fun,' she continued. Mel added she's been undergoing treatment during her move to the UK with her husband Gareth. 'I don't do things by halves. It's been a tricky time as I've been adjusting to going through that and moving house,' she said. Mel, who is an ambassador for the colorectal charity Occtopus, recently spoke to UK's Magic FM about her health. 'It's getting tough now,' the 52-year-old admitted to The Mirror. 'I'm about halfway through and it's getting hard. Feeling fatigued and nauseous is a bigger part of my everyday life' 'I'm feeling a little flat today actually, to be totally honest with you,' she said. Mel added that she is now on her third cycle of chemotherapy. 'It sort of feels like being hungover, like I've been drinking all night.' Despite this, the media personality expressed her determination to keep working and has no intention of slowing down. 'I'm just now trying to find the way to juggle everything, because I'm not stopping working. This thing is not beating me, I'm here to fight, I just need to make some adaptions,' she continued. It comes after Mel told of the agony she was left in before her cancer diagnosis. Mel added she's been undergoing treatment during her move to the UK with her husband Gareth. 'I don't do things by halves. It's been a tricky time as I've been adjusting to going through that and moving house' she said Speaking to New! magazine, Mel recalled the severe pain she was in while at work, saying: 'I was doubled over and shouting - the pain was so intense.' Her doctors originally thought her symptoms were simply constipation but she soon became concerned after losing her appetite. On a trip to Ireland with her husband Mel said she was in 'so much pain' and struggled to hold down food or water. Knowing something was still wrong, she went to see a gastroenterologist after returning to London who was 'concerned' about her unexplained weight loss. Mel had a CT scan and returned a few days later to get her results, recalling the heart-breaking moment she was told she had cancer. She said: 'We were sitting in his office and the doctor had a blank look and I thought, 'This doesn't seem right,' and he said, "It's cancer." I think I was numb, I didn't process it and I went into work mode, that's all I could focus on.' The reality TV host revealed her shock health battle in December and underwent colon surgery just before the end of the year. She explained that her tumour - which she has named 'Terry' - was removed by UK doctors. However, as the cancer spread through her colon into the muscle, Mel discovered she needed chemotherapy and began treatment at the end of February. Sophie Monk took to social media on Monday to share the hilarious results of her fake tan. The Love Island Australia presenter, 44, shared a clip to Instagram which captured her flaunting her recently spray tanned long legs to the camera. Unfortunately, rather than having the uniform bronzed colour she was aiming for, Sophie's trim pins were haphazardly splotchy. Monk did not look impressed in the footage, but appeared to find humour in the situation as she burst out laughing. 'Does this look natural?' she cheekily asked husband Joshua Gross. Sophie Monk took to social media on Monday to share the hilarious results of her fake tan. Pictured The Love Island Australia presenter, 44, shared a clip to Instagram which captured her flaunting her recently spray tanned long legs to the camera The blonde bombshell captioned the clip with some telling words: 'Badly timed spray tan', and added a rain emoji. Sophie has developed a reputation for being one of the most glamorous presenters in the industry. In 2021, the stunner revealed her top beauty hack for getting the perfect golden glow every time. Monk explained on The Kyle and Jackie O Show that she gets her partner Joshua to spray fake tan on her while she is naked in the shower. 'You know what we've started doing, because I'm so white, he started spray tanning me. I got a spray-tanning machine and he is out-of-control good,' she said. The amusing post follows rumours Monk may replace Hamish Blake as the host of Lego Masters Australia, as he is said to be considering an exciting new opportunity. Monk did not look impressed in the footage, but appeared to find humour in the situation as she burst out laughing. 'Does this look natural?' she cheekily asked husband Joshua Gross Sophie has developed a reputation for being one of the most glamorous presenters in the industry Comedian Hamish, 42, has been helming the LEGO building competition ever since its 2018 launch, and has become a firm fan favourite. However, it has been claimed that Hamish is considering moving on in a huge shake-up and is now being considered by Channel Nine for a brand new quiz show. Love Island host Sophie could step in to replace Hamish as the host of hit show Lego Masters if he secures the exciting new hosting gig, according to Woman's Day. Actor Bobby Cannavale was left squirming in his seat during an appearance on Today on Monday morning as host Craig Melvin grilled him about his 'imminent wedding' to Rose Byrne. Bobby, 54, joined Craig, 45, in the studio to promote his new movie Ezra - which also stars his partner Rose - and the host couldn't resist asking The Watcher actor about working with her, and also their wedding plans. In a rather awkward moment, Craig said: 'I read that she gave an interview last year where she said, "the wedding is imminent, it's going to happen..."' to which Bobby replied: 'She said that? I didn't see that interview.' 'Do you want me to read it to you?' Craig replied as Bobby fired back: 'Nah, that's alright!' before bursting out laughing and admitting: 'We're good,' as he shrugged his shoulders and glanced around the studio looking rather uncomfortable before adding: 'Yeah, sure.' Craig clearly took the hint and said: 'Okay, alright,' before quickly wrapping up the interview and telling Bobby: 'Film looks good, again. Bobby Cannavale, always a pleasure.' Bobby Cannavale (right) looked rather awkward on Monday morning as Today host Craig Melvin grilled him about his 'imminent wedding' Bobby and his partner Rose Byrne have been together since 2012 and share two young sons The movie Ezra, which also stars Robert De Niro and Whoopi Goldberg, sees Bobby and Rose play divorced couple Max and Jenna, and Craig was keen to know how they balance working together with being a real-life couple and parents to their two young sons. Referring to their latest film, Bobby revealed: 'The nice thing about this is like we shot it here in New York and New Jersey, and the kids know where we are at all times when we're working together so that's nice. 'Our life is really just... aside from raising the kids, it's just scheduling, everything is scheduling. And so we try our best to really stay together, we always say, "we've got to keep the band together", so we take the kids with us wherever we go and we try and work here as much as we can. 'So whenever there is an opportunity to work together, we know that we're gonna have the kids close by and it sort of all revolves around that. But it's always a good time working with Rose, she makes me laugh like no one else.' The couple, who have been in a relationship since 2012 and share two sons, have worked together on several occasions on films such as Adult Beginners, Spy, and Seriously Red. In an interview with People, which was published in May 2023, Rose admitted that she and Bobby already call each other husband and wife. 'I'm more married to him than anybody I've ever been with my whole life,' the Bridesmaid actress said, before confirming that she and Bobby will 'absolutely' tie the knot, but 'scheduling' makes it hard to find the right time to do it. 'Definitely something that we will do,' she told the publication and added: 'I love going to weddings. I've been a bridesmaid twice, I loved it. Everyone else is so over being a bridesmaid and I'm like, I loved it. I found it so entertaining.' Bobby squirmed in his seat when host Craig (left) asked him about his future wedding In a 2023 interview, Rose said that she and Bobby - pictured here in 2021 - already call each other husband and wife Rose and Bobby star alongside Robert De Niro and William A. Fitzgerald in their new film Ezra Prior to meeting Bobby, Rose was in a relationship with Australian actor Brendan Cowell for over six years, but they parted ways in January 2010. Meanwhile, Bobby was married to actress/screenwriter Jenny Lumet from 1994 to 2003 and the couple had a son named Jake, who is now 29 and works as an actor. Bobby and Rose welcomed their first son Rocco in 2016, and their second son Rafael the following year. Kelly Rizzo was seen visiting a farmer's market in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. The 45-year-old TV star cut a very casual figure in a light beige hoodie and black joggers as she purchased flowers and made her way through the marketplace. The media figure - who was recently spotted with her current boyfriend Breckin Meyer - also wore a pair of running shoes and completed her outfit with a brown purse from Gucci and a beige Saint Laurent cap. Rizzo's beautiful blonde locks fell onto her shoulders and chest during her trip to the farmer's market. The social media personality's trip took place not long after she shared a touching tribute to her late husband, Bob Saget. Kelly Rizzo smiled while visiting a farmer's market in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon Rizzo tied the knot with the late Full House star in 2018 after several years of dating. The performer was formerly married to Sherri Kramer from 1982 until 1997, and they shared daughters Aubrey, 37, Lara, 34, and Jennifer, 31. He eventually moved on with the television figure, and they remained married until his death at the age of 65 in 2022. The performer passed away after suffering blunt force trauma caused by a fall in a Florida hotel. Rizzo commemorated what would have been Saget's 67th birthday by sharing a video on her Instagram account in which the late comedian was presented with a cake on his special day. The television figure went on to pen a lengthy message in her post's caption to speak about the love she still felt for the actor. 'Forever celebrated, forever loved, forever remembered, forever in all of our hearts. Happy Birthday. Forever grateful for these memories, and this last birthday celebration together. Forever happy I got to see a smile on his face and happiness in his eyes. Look at how happy he was,' she wrote. Rizzo continued: 'I will tell you a cute story about this night. See the little band-aid on his arm? During dinner he got a mosquito bite and kept scratching it until it bled. The 45-year-old television personality cut a very casual figure in a light beige hoodie and black joggers as she purchased flowers and made her way through the marketplace The media figure - who was recently spotted with her current boyfriend Breckin Meyer - also wore a pair of running shoes and completed her outfit with a patterned purse and a beige cap The social media personality's trip took place not long after she shared a touching tribute to her late husband, Bob Saget Rizzo commemorated what would have been Saget's 67th birthday by sharing a video on her Instagram account in which the late comedian was presented with a cake on his special day 'So he went up to the front desk and like four different restaurant workers frantically got him a Band-Aid and they all put the Band-Aid on him as if they were performing surgery-and it caused such a scene,' she added. 'He came back to the table with this little Band-Aid and we both laughed because it was so silly,' she recalled. Rizzo has since moved on with Breckin Meyer, with whom she was first seen at a Grammys viewing party this past February. The media figure and the Garfield star made their relationship Instagram official earlier this month. Ant McPartlin returned to work for Britain's Got Talent's first live semi finals at London's Hammersmith Apollo on Monday. The new father, 48, reunited with TV partner Declan Donnelly, also 48, for rehearsals after confirming he had welcomed his first child, son Wilder, with wife Anne-Marie two weeks ago. Ant cut a casual figure in a blue jacket and jeans as he was spotted arriving at the theatre with a script in hand. Meanwhile Dec donned a dark sweater and trousers and followed his pal while sipping from a takeaway cup. Announcing the news Ant shared a Instagram snap sweetly cradling his baby boy writing: 'Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54am. Baby is beautiful, Mummy's a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad's a mess!'. Ant McPartlin, 48, (L) returned to work for Britain's Got Talent 's first live semi finals at London's Hammersmith Apollo on Monday (pictured with Declan Donnelly) The new father (L) reunited with TV partner Declan Donnelly (R) also 48, for rehearsals after confirming he had welcomed his first child, son Wilder, with wife Anne-Marie two weeks ago Announcing the news Ant shared a Instagram snap sweetly cradling his baby boy writing: 'Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54am. Baby is beautiful, Mummy's a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad's a mess!' 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. It comes after Ant set the record straight and addressed fans' accusations that he 'snubbed' his dog Hurley in his new tattoo. The presenter took to X to thank fans for their 'kind messages' after announcing the birth of his son. In his post, Ant also addressed fans' concerns that he'd 'snubbed' Hurley in a new tattoo paying tribute to his family after the dog's name appeared to be absent from the design. Ant wrote: 'Hey all, I just wanted to say thank You so much for the kind messages of love and well wishes for our baby Wilder. Hes doing great. 'Glad you loved the tattoo as well. For all you dog lovers who asked why my beloved Hurley wasnt on the family tree..he was!! He was just covered by our newborn. All my love, gratitude and heartfelt thanks A.' Ant then shared a snap showing the full tattoo on his shoulder, with Hurley's name visible on the tree design. Ant cut a casual figure in a blue jacket and jeans as he was spotted arriving at the theatre with a script in hand Dec donned a dark sweater and trousers and followed his pal while sipping from a takeaway cup Ant and Anne-Marie pictured together in 2021 Ant's ex-wife Lisa Armstrong has returned to social media for the first time since the presenter welcomed Wilder. The makeup artist shared a cryptic post on her Instagram Stories stating that 'behaviour never lies'. Over the weekend Ant hit back at speculation he'd snubbed his beloved dog Hurley - who he shares with ex-wife Lisa - from a new tree tattoo paying tribute to his family. It's also been reported that Lisa has vowed to fight for custody of their pet Labrador as the fallout of their messy break-up continues to spill. Lisa re-posted the quote, originally said by Winston Churchill, that stated: 'I no longer listen to what people say, I watch what they do. Behaviour never lies.' She also shared a snap of four labradors, including her beloved dog Hurley, along with the caption: 'Got the band back together.' Lisa's previous post had been to mark the fifth anniversary of her father's death, just 24 hours before Ant announced the arrival of his son. It comes after Ant set the record straight and addressed fans' accusations that he 'snubbed' his dog Hurley in his new tattoo Ant's ex-wife Lisa Armstrong has returned to social media for the first time since the presenter welcomed Wilder The makeup artist shared a cryptic post on her Instagram Stories stating that 'behaviour never lies' She also shared a snap of four labradors, including her beloved dog Hurley, along with the caption: 'Got the band back together' It comes just hours after reports surfaced that Lisa has vowed to fight for custody of their pet Labrador as the fallout of their messy break-up continues to spill after the birth of his first son. The Saturday Night Takeaway star split from Lisa in 2018 after 11 years of marriage and went on to marry his former personal assistant, Anne-Marie, in 2021. Ant's baby news is said to have shattered Lisa, who remains childless at 47 following her acrimonious divorce from the presenter. Ant shared an Instagram snap sweetly cradling his baby boy, revealing he'd been born earlier that day, writing: 'Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54am. Baby is beautiful, Mummy's a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad's a mess!' Since the split, Lisa has had one constant source of support by her side - loyal Labrador Hurley. She shares joint custody of the beloved canine with Ant but reports say she wants sole possession of him - something he is said to have resisted. But she has reportedly vowed to fight on for sole custody of the chocolate Labrador, who regularly features in her Instagram posts, where she refers to him as 'Mama's baby boy'. Ant - known best as one half of presenting duo Ant and Dec alongside Declan - and Lisa adopted Hurley in 2013 following struggles to have a child of their own. Ant is said to have refused to surrender full custody of Hurley to his ex during their reported 31million divorce battle, reportedly telling lawyers: 'She can have anything she wants except the dog.' 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. Anne-Marie was said to have expressed a wish to care for the Lab full-time in February - and friends close to the make-up artist say that desire is stronger than ever following the birth of Ant's firstborn. 'She felt very betrayed by both Ant and Anne-Marie and felt that none of this has been handled sensitively, especially the announcement of the baby,' sources have told The Sun. 'The one thing that has got her through it and been by her side constantly is Hurley she doesn't know what she would do without him. He's more than just a dog to her and has been a lifeline at times.' They added: 'Ant obviously loves Hurley as well but he now has a lot of other responsibilities and things going on in his life and Lisa can't see why she can't have full custody of him. She needs Hurley by her side.' The former couple reportedly agreed to take it in turns to look after Hurley, with the arrangement seeing Ant's chauffeur ferrying the dog between them so they did not have to see each other. But the news of Wilder's birth is said to have hit Lisa hard - particularly after she spent years supporting Ant during a tumultuous period that saw him battle a prescription drug addiction and a drinking problem. His struggles with alcohol only became public in March 2018 - two months after he and Lisa divorced - when he was involved in a car crash and charged with drink-driving, for which he was fined 86,000. Georgia Kousoulou shared a heart-warming clip of her son, Brody, helping her get an ultrasound scan, after revealing she is expecting a baby girl. The TOWIE star, 32, took to Instagram on Thursday and broke down in tears in a video taken during her IVF treatment, alongside with the announcement. The joyful news comes just over a year after Georgia - who is married to Tommy Mallet, 31 - suffered a devastating miscarriage. And on Saturday, Georgia emotionally admitted to be feeling 'so blessed' as Brody, two, stood by her side during the ultrasound scan. In the sweet video, Brody is seen holding the sonographer while helped by the nurse, who showed him the newborn on the screen. Georgia Kousoulou, 32, shared a heart-warming clip of her son Brody helping her get an ultrasound scan, after revealing she is expecting a baby girl Georgia emotionally admitted to be feeling 'so blessed' as Brody, two, stood by her side during the ultrasound scan Adding Ruelle's I Get To Love You in the background, Georgia captioned: 'I have dreamed about this. 'Brody you are going to make the best big brother. 'Thank you.. what an amazing experience Feeling so blessed.' Fellow celeb pals rushed to show her support, including Lucy Mecklenburgh and Amelia Murs who inundated her with hearts and a loved-up emoji. Taking to Instagram to announce her pregnancy, the former TOWIE wrote alongside the new video: 'Our little rainbow baby due December. Words cant express the emotions we have, we have prayed, wished & with a little help its happened.. 'I cant thank my team enough. Rehan Salim you are the best IVF specialist - Im so blessed we met you & Michelle my amazing nurse who helped me every step of the way! 'These guys made my experience with IVF so much better than I could of [sic] even imagined. In the sweet video, Brody is seen holding the sonograph while helped by the nurse, who showed him the newborn on the screen Fellow celeb pals rushed to show her support, including Lucy Mecklenburgh and Amelia Murs who inundated her with hearts and loved-up emoji On Thursday Georgia broke down in tears in a video taken during her IVF treatment as she revealed she is expecting a baby girl The sweet moment she and Tommy Mallet held up a picture of their scan was also documented in the video Georgia shared this post alongside the video of the highs and lows of her IVF treatment 'I was so scared as all the things I had heard beforehand but they were simply the best & held my hand the whole way through. Thank you for giving us the best gift of all. 'To anyone watching who is suffering... I am with you & I know how you feel. I pray this post doesnt trigger you. I know how hard it is seeing announcements. Please know you are not alone & please dont give up hope.' Georgia previously said she will 'never get over the feeling' of losing her baby after she suffered a devastating miscarriage at 12 weeks. The star, who shares son Brody with husband Tommy, had started having therapy after struggling with emotional triggers and feeling 'drained' by grief. And Georgia's sadness was brought back to the surface as she reflected on her trauma while writing new book I Wish I Knew, where she speaks openly about the heartache of baby loss. After almost a year since since the nightmare, Georgia says she's 'distracted' by 'dream child' Brody but often experiences negative thoughts, especially when she's on social media. But she wants to try to have four children with Tommy, who she married in a surprise ceremony last year, as she's always visualised having a big family, like it was when she grew up with two siblings. She said: 'I don't think you ever get over the feeling. 'I have just started therapy, I'm much better, luckily for me I have Brody who's the love of my life, he's a dream child and keeps me distracted - but there are still triggers. The problem with baby loss is there are triggers everywhere. 'All my Instagram is either babies or weddings. The hardest thing I have learned is that it's okay to feel sad but happy for other people. Georgia previously shared moments from her IVF journey She shared the moment the family dicovered they are having a little girl Georgia previously said she will 'never get over the feeling' of losing her baby after she suffered a devastating miscarriage at 12 weeks The former TOWIE star has started having therapy after struggling with emotional triggers and feeling 'drained' by grief 'I really struggled with that... I thought I was a bad person. 'The aftermath is draining, it is hard. Hopefully one day I will be pregnant again and maybe that will make me feel better, but I don't know. 'I really want a big family; I see us having three or four children. When you're old, you look at your table and it's full of people, that's what it comes down to.' North West has earned an army of defenders online following brutal backlash for her performance as a Young Simba during The Lion King's 30th Anniversary concert on Friday. While trolls blasted the eldest child of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, others have taken to social media to push back against the vitriol. 'North West's Lion King performance was so cute - she's a child, like y'all need to calm down,' wrote one. Y'all don't like Kim, so y'all take it out on North? Why are people posting videos of her Lion King performance talking about how much better it would be it was actually a talented kid??? That's a baby! Why are y'all being weird?' asked another. One wrote, 'The world is really so cruel sometimes. North performed for some Hollywood Lion King play, and they are ripping that little girl apart online. She is a child...' North West has earned an army of defenders online following brutal backlash for her performance as a Young Simba during The Lion King's 30th Anniversary concert on Friday While some trolls blasted the youngster, others have taken to social media to push back against the vitriol and to urge people to stop 'bullying' North North made her acting debut when she took to the stage at The Hollywood Bowl to perform I Just Can't Wait To Be King on Friday night - with her famous parents proudly watching on from the audience. After belting out lyrics at the crowded venue, she received a standing ovation from the audience. However, some social media users on X (formerly known as Twitter) shared their thoughts on Kim and Kanye's daughter snagging a coveted role in the musical concert. One noted: 'Nepotism is literally the best thing to be born with,' while another added, 'The worst case of nepo I have witnessed.' Another penned, 'Nepotism and the synonym next to it is KARDASHIANS,' followed by laughing face emojis. 'Nepotism is so crazy lol,' one wrote. 'Someone else's more talented, probably voice and dance trained kid didn't get it because his/her family isn't famous enough.' One social media user penned, 'She looks great and it seems like she's having a lot of fun, but I'm definitely not gonna bypass the fact that we all know she wouldn't be there if it wasn't who her parents were. This is classism at its finest!' North has been the victim of brutal online trolling since her performance on Friday Some naysayers said that the 10-year-old only got the gig because she's the daughter of Kim Kardashian (pictured) and Kanye West Another chimed: 'Aw man...I feel bad for the kids there that are actually talented who could've nailed this. 'I'm sure her mom's influence (or money) is the only reason she got this leading/singing role.' One also shared, 'I don't like that fact that she got this solely based on her mom or dad. 'There's a kid out there with real talent that should've been given this opportunity. And no I'm not a hater I actually like the "Kardashians."' It's unclear if North went through a standard audition process. DailyMail.com has reached out to a Kardashian spokesperson for comment. Earlier this month, it was announced that North was cast in the live-to-film concert event which ran for two nights on May 24 and May 25. The Hollywood Bowl can notably hold up to 17,500 people and tickets for the concert began at $60. The eldest child of Kim and Kanye - who were also in attendance at the concert - took to the stage at The Hollywood Bowl to perform I Just Can't Wait To Be King Another penned, 'Nepotism and the synonym next to it is KARDASHIANS,' followed by laughing face emojis 'Nepotism is so crazy lol,' one wrote. 'Someone else's more talented, probably voice and dance trained kid didn't get it because his/her family isn't famous enough' One social media user penned, 'She looks great and it seems like she's having a lot of fun, but I'm definitely not gonna bypass the fact that we all know she wouldn't be there if it wasn't who her parents were. This is classism at its finest!' One also shared, 'I don't like that fact that she got this solely based on her mom or dad. There's a kid out there with real talent that should've been given this opportunity. And no I'm not a hater I actually like the "Kardashians"' Earlier this month, it was announced that North would join the cast for the live-to-film concert event which ran for two nights on May 24 and May 25 North joined other stars on the stage, such as Jennifer Hudson, Billy Eichner, Bradley Gibson, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Jeremy Irons and also Nathan Lane. Kanye was in attendance at the concert to support his daughter, as well as Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian and her husband Travis Barker. Kim also cheered on North from backstage, sharing photos to her Instagram Stories from North's dressing room. The proud mom posted snaps of their all-access passes on lanyards, along with some character-inspired cupcakes. She also thanked Kris and grandmother Mary Jo 'MJ' Campbell for sending flowers, sharing video of the orange arrangements. The SKIMS founder later uploaded a clip of herself watching the concert with daughter, Chicago, six, propped up on her lap. The TV personality also shared a snap as North sweetly combed her younger sister's hair while spending time backstage. She later posed with some of the other cast members during the concert, such as with the actor who played Zazu. North also flashed a cheerful smile as she stood next to Jason Weaver for a memorable photo. The ten-year-old joined other stars on the stage, such as Jennifer Hudson, Billy Eichner, Bradley Gibson, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Jeremy Irons and also Nathan Lane; seen with Hudson above She also thanked Kris and grandmother Mary Jo 'MJ' Campbell for sending flowers, sharing video of the orange arrangements The SKIMS founder later uploaded a clip of herself watching the concert with daughter, Chicago, propped up on her lap The TV personality also shared a snap as North sweetly combed her younger sister's hair while spending time backstage She later posed with some of the other cast members during the concert, such as with the actor who played Zazu North also flashed a cheerful smile as she stood next to Jason Weaver for a memorable photo And on Sunday, the mother-of-four uploaded more behind-the-scenes snaps on her Instagram stories, including one where North was seen with Jennifer Hudson. 'The Queen @iamjhud,' was added towards the bottom of the image. She shared a picture of a Lion King-inspired bouquet that contained small studded animals of the characters from the movie. Kim also snapped a photo of North flashing an excited smile as she mingled backstage with some of the cast. North earned a standing ovation as she took the stage to perform I Just Can't Wait to Be King from the 1994 Walt Disney animated movie. The Elementary School Dropout artist donned a much more casual version of the usual Broadway costumes, sporting a yellow hoodie and matching shorts with a fuzzy hood and slippers. North's acting debut came after she announced her first album Elementary School Dropout in March, a nod to her dad's 2004 debut The College Dropout. The preteen was also featured on 'Talking / Once Again', from Vultures 1, Ye's collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign. The track made North one of the youngest artists to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at No. 30 in February. And on Sunday, the mother-of-four uploaded more behind-the-scenes snaps on her Instagram stories, including one where North was seen with Jennifer Hudson She also shared a picture of a Lion King-inspired bouquet that contained small stuffed animals of the characters from the movie Kim also snapped a photo of North flashing an excited smile as she mingled backstage with some of the cast She repeatedly performed live with Kanye during various album release events for Vultures 1, including in Miami in December and Paris in February Although she made her acting debut on Friday night at the Hollywood Bowl, North is no stranger to the stage, thanks to her collaborations with her father. She repeatedly performed live with Kanye during various album release events for Vultures 1, including in Miami in December and Paris in February. The rising musical artist - as well as her siblings Chicago, six, and Psalm, five - also joined their father onstage at the Rolling Loud Festival in California this March. North opened up about her love of singing on the cover of i-D last October, explaining that 'performing is my favorite,' and the passion comes 'mostly from me... and then a little bit of my dad.' Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans were pictured shooting a scene for their upcoming film The Materialists in New York. The 34-year-old actress and the 42-year-old actor shared a bottle of wine as they sat side-by-side while outdoors. The Madame Web star - who was recently spotted locking lips with one of her costars - stayed comfortable in a loose-fitting white button-up shirt and light blue jeans. Johnson accessorized with a single necklace and kept much of her gorgeous brunette hair tied back into a bun. Evans opted for a plaid button-up shirt, slim-fitting pants and boots. This comes after she was seen kissing Pedro Pascal on the lips for the same film on the streets of NYC on May 8. Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans were pictured while working on the set of their upcoming film The Materialists in New York this past Wednesday The 34-year-old actress and the 42-year-old actor shared a bottle of wine as they interacted with several members of the project's crew Development on The Materialists was initially revealed to the public this past February. At the time, it was reported that Celine Song would be directing the feature from a script she wrote, per Deadline. The filmmaker received much attention following the 2023 debut of her first effort as a director, Past Lives. The Materialists will be centered on a matchmaker who balances her new relationship with a wealthy man with her still-lingering feelings for her actor-waiter ex-boyfriend. It was later revealed that both Evans and Pedro Pascal were in talks to join the project, and they went on to sign on to appear alongside the Fifty Shades Of Grey star. The cast of the project will also be rounded out by Dasha Nekrasova, Marin Ireland and Zoe Winters. Production on the upcoming project kicked off in New York City this past April. The Materialist's prospective release date is currently being kept under wraps. The Madame Web star - who was recently spotted while locking lips with one of her costars - stayed comfortable in a loose-fitting white button-up shirt and light blue jeans Johnson accessorized with a single necklace and kept much of her gorgeous brunette hair tied back into a bun during her time on set Evans opted for a plaid button-up shirt, slim-fitting pants and boots while he worked with the actress Development on The Materialists was initially revealed to the public this past February The Materialists will be centered on a matchmaker who balances her new relationship with a wealthy man with her still-lingering feelings for her actor-waiter ex-boyfriend The cast of the project will also be rounded out by Dasha Nekrasova, Marin Ireland and Zoe Winters Production on the upcoming project kicked off in New York City this past April The Materialist's prospective release date is currently being kept under wraps She was seen kissing Pedro Pascal on the set of Materialists in Manhattan on May 8 Evans is also currently preparing for the release of the upcoming Christmas comedy film Red One, in which he will appear. The performer is set to star alongside Dwayne Johnson in the film, which will also star Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka and J.K. Simmons. Filming for the film kicked off in Atlanta October of 2022, and its crew continued working on the project until the following February. Red One is currently scheduled to make its official debut on November 15. A signed copy of Kanye West's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is going up for auction. The record was autographed by the 46-year-old rapper in February on a trip to Paris, during which he wrote 'f*** Adidas' on the front portion of the LP. The performer's trip took place just a few days after he went on a tirade against the clothing company, whom he accused of releasing Yeezy sneakers without his official approval, reported TMZ. The record is currently scheduled to be auctioned through Gotta Have Rock and Roll starting on June 19, although Moments In Time is currently considering any offers above $500,000. West also signed the record under his Ye moniker, which has been his legal name ever since 2021. A signed copy of Kanye West 's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is going up for auction The fan who obtained the record spoke to Moments In Time and stated that they received the rapper's signature after hours of waiting in front of his hotel. They recalled that, although the performer was protected from the swarm of fans by security, he emerged from his van and encouraged the crowd present to yell 'f*** Adidas' at the top of their lungs. According to the fan, he eventually came face-to-face with the rapper and had his record signed, and he claimed that the photo of the hitmaker personalizing his vinyl went viral, after which he was bombarded with offers to buy the record. The fan went on to describe the signed album as 'a piece of American rap history.' West's collaboration with Adidas began in 2013, when he confirmed that he had signed a deal with the company. The first Yeezy clothing line was released to the public two years later and quickly became a hit with the rapper's fans. The performer went on to sign an extension with Adidas in 2016, when it was also announced that he would be making a move into the sportswear industry. However, Adidas terminated their contract with West after he made numerous antisemitic comments in 2022. The record was autographed by the 46-year-old rapper this past February on a trip to Paris, during which he wrote 'f*** Adidas' on the front portion of the LP; seen in March The record is currently scheduled to be auctioned through Gotta Have Rock and Roll starting on June 19, although Moments In Time is currently considering any offers above $500,000 The fan went on to describe the signed album as 'a piece of American rap history' West's collaboration with Adidas began in 2013, when he confirmed that he had signed a deal with the company; seen in March However, Adidas terminated their contract with West after he made numerous antisemitic comments in 2022; seen in March The performer's professional relationships with both Balenciaga and Vogue were also severed at the time. The company issued a statement and remarked via TMZ that the hitmaker's inflammatory comments were 'unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.' They added that the comments 'violate the company's values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.' Adidas went on to reveal that they expected to lose nearly $250 million as a result of the end of their professional relationship with the rapper Jane Seymour is setting the record straight on her personal history with plastic surgery. The Somewhere in Time actress, 73, revealed that when she was 40, she was told she had 'bulgy eyes' and was encouraged to do something about it. And 'to set the record straight because people were getting it wrong - they attempted to do something to my under eyes when I was 40 because photographers kept saying that I had bulgy eyes,' she told People. 'The doctor told me it's actually a muscle, so there's nothing I can do about it,' she explained. Jane got cheeky, adding that she's had 'quite a good career considering the bulgy eye' and said she never wants to 'do anything permanent.' Jane Seymour is setting the record straight on her personal history with plastic surgery; pictured in 2020 The Somewhere in Time actress, 73, revealed that when she was 40, she was told she had 'bulgy eyes' and was encouraged to do something about it, seen here in 2020 But she's not against plastic surgery and in fact, at the same time she went in to have her eyes done, she had a breast augmentation. 'The guy who did it said to me they didnt make the implants that small. I had to get a special order,' she said last year. 'I thought I had made a big mistake but I think that was probably, you know, after breastfeeding a bunch of children' And when it comes to Botox, she admitted: 'I have tried it, But as an actress I dont think it works. I dont have anything against it. 'I've been playing a lot of amazing roles, recently two women with Alzheimer's with very emotional scenes, and if you're going to be that emotional, you need every muscle in your face,' Seymour told People. 'So I have nothing against people doing anything they want to do, but for me personally, it is not helping me in my craft, unless I'm playing somebody who's had Botox, in which case, I would be all over it.' And she has one tip for beauty everyone can follow: smile. 'The best facelift is a smile,' she said. 'If you want to look young, just smile from ear to ear.' Previously the Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman star said eschews plastic surgery in favor of 'temporary enhancements' as she wants her face to remain natural and expressive for her acting job. 'I'm a temporary enhancement person, rather than a permanent enhancement person. If I need eyelashes, I stick them on. If I need more hair, I clip some in. 'Because I'm an actress, I am sometimes required to play roles much younger than me and then in the same show very much older than I am, so I keep my face mobile. 'That's why I don't do the things a lot of people are doing because I'm a blank canvas. I'm an actress,' Jane explained. 'I want to be able to play every emotion there is because it would be like having a string instrument and taking a few of the strings off or numbing them.' The British-American beauty has also been very vocal about the ageism in Hollywood. And 'to set the record straight because people were getting it wrong - they attempted to do something to my under eyes when I was 40 because photographers kept saying that I had bulgy eyes,' she told People, seen in 1995 'The doctor told me it's actually a muscle, so there's nothing I can do about it,' she explained, pictured in 1979 Jane got cheeky, adding that she's had 'quite a good career considering the bulgy eye' and says she never wants to 'do anything permanent,' pictured in 1985 But she's not against plastic surgery, she just hasn't felt like it's the right decision for her personally 'I've been playing a lot of amazing roles, recently two women with Alzheimer's with very emotional scenes, and if you're going to be that emotional, you need every muscle in your face,' Seymour said 'So I have nothing against people doing anything they want to do, but for me personally, it is not helping me in my craft, unless I'm playing somebody who's had Botox, in which case, I would be all over it' In an interview with Hello! magazine she said: 'The world is against aging. We hate aging. We look at aging and we go, "Oh, no, there's a wrinkle, oh my God. Get rid of it. Grey hair. No. Terrifying!" 'Whereas you can look at it the other way and you can say actually, I now have time in my life to do things I really want to do,' she explained. Maybe I can now become the person I want to be. 'Menopause is a taboo subject, no one wants to talk about aging, especially women because they're doing everything they can to look 20 or 30 years younger. 'So the last thing they want to do is to talk about that and there's always been this whole thing that when you turn 50, you're not having babies anymore, so now you're kind of useless. You're on the fence, you're done.' Matthew Wolfenden has spoken out about co-parenting with his former Emmerdale co-star ex-wife Charley Webb. The actor, 44, who played David Metcalfe on the ITV soap insisted during an appearance on Loose Women on Monday that he and Charley are still good friends and they work well together to find the best way to care for their three children. He said: 'I think we're still finding our way, the good thing is me and Charley we're still best mates. 'That's fantastic. It's all quite new to us still at the moment but we're still finding our feet, finding a way to do it and do it well. I think we are.' The couple were married for five years after tying the knot in 2018 and share their three children, Buster, 14, Bowie, eight, and Ace, four. Matthew Wolfenden has spoken out about co-parenting with his former Emmerdale co-star ex-wife Charley Webb (seen on Loose Women on Monday) The actor, 44, insisted on Loose Women on Monday that he and Charley are still good friends and they work well together to find the best way to care for their three children (Charley and Matthew pictured in 2017) They announced their split in November last year, writing on Instagram at the time: 'It is with love and respect that Matthew and I have decided to separate. 'We remain friends and our priority is the love for our children. For their sake we would appreciate privacy at this time.' Signs of trouble in their marriage first emerged earlier in the month of their split announcement when Matthew unfollowed his Charley on Instagram. Signs of trouble in their marriage first emerged earlier this month when Matthew unfollowed his wife on Instagram. A source told The Sun: 'Charley and Matthew were in very different places in their lives when they first got together. 'Three kids later and with new careers in the mix, everything has changed and perhaps they are no longer the unit they once were.' A month later, Matthew was seen stepping out with love interest Heather Scott-Martin on a date in London. Heather was appearing in the West End's Elf The Musical as the Swing / Dance Captain, with Matthew also starring in the production as Buddy. The couple were married for five years after tying the knot in 2018 and share their three children, Buster, 14, Bowie, eight, and Ace, four Matthew reportedly enjoyed a string of dates with Heather before his split from wife and former co-star Charley was publicly announced. A source told The Sun: 'They looked like honeymooners, or loved-up teenagers. The pictures will prove a shock to the heart for poor Charley, even as her relationship with Matthew unraveled.' Former couple Charley and Matthew met on the set of Emmerdale back in 2006 when he joined the soap, and became engaged three years later, in 2009. The couple previously split in 2013 for two years, before having a surprise wedding in 2018 at Ripley Castle, Yorkshire. Friends thought they were attending a party to celebrate her 30th birthday Charley gushed: 'That moment when we announced what we were doing and seeing everybody's reaction is the best moment of my life.' In December last year, a month after announcing his split from Charley, Matthew was seen stepping out with love interest Heather Scott-Martin (pictured) on a date in London Matthew added: 'We couldn't have had a better response. People just screamed for about ten minutes!' Back in February 2020, following the birth of their third child, Charley admitted to OK! magazine: 'I don't feel like I'm finished. I don't know how many kids I want, but I think I'll know when I'm done. 'I may not be able to have anymore, so who knows? I feel blessed with three healthy boys so sometimes I feel like it's greedy having another.' Speaking of her and Matthew's parenting styles, she revealed: 'I'm definitely the strict one. He's the more laidback, the fun one. He's very hands on as a dad and so involved with the kids.' Will Smith posed with Martin Lawrence at the premiere of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die in Berlin on Monday. The actor, 55, has teamed up with Martin, 59, once again for the fourth instalment of their buddy comedy franchise and looked in good spirits as he took to the red carpet with his co-star. Will opted for an oversized grey suit for the glitzy event, whist Martin went for a more fitted look made up of a smart black suit. The former Fresh Prince of Bell Air star completed his own look with an oversized white T-shirt and styled it all out with a silver chain around his neck. At one point, Will threw a peace sigh to the cameras as he smiled at the opening of his new film. Will Smith posed with Martin Lawrence at the premiere of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die in Berlin on Monday Will opted for an oversized grey suit for the glitzy event, whist Martin went for a more fitted look made up of a smart black suit Martin looked smart in the loose-fitting black shirt and dark jeans which he complemented with a pair of matching shoes Will and and Martin made their respective debuts as Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett in the first Bad Boys movie, which was released in 1995. The pair went on to reprise their roles in Bad Boys II and Bad Boys For Life, which were released in 2003 and 2020, respectively. It was announced that development on the fourth film in the action-comedy franchise was underway just after the release of the third movie. Smith confirmed that both he and Lawrence would return for the new movie in February of 2023, when it was also revealed that El Arbi and Fallah, who directed the third installment in the franchise, would also direct the fourth film. Performers such as Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Rhea Seehorn rounded out the movie's cast. Production on the new film commenced in April of last year, with much of shooting taking place in Atlanta and Miami. Although filming was briefly paused due to the onset of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, the cast and crew reconvened earlier this year and wrapped in March. Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is currently scheduled to premiere in the United States on June 7. The actor threw a heart sign to the cameras at one point and looked in good spirits at the German premiere The Hollywood stars also posed with their co-stars Bial ah Fella (left) and Adil El Arbi (right) at the European premiere The trailer for Bad Boys 4 was released earlier this year and saw the two Hollywood stars team up together in Miami, Florida The Fresh Prince of Bel Air alum stars in the fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise as Detective Lieutenant Mike Lowrey opposite Lawrence as Detective Lieutenant Marcus Burnett The actor - who recently opened up about one of his own 'ride-or-dies' - looked sharp while wearing a patterned gray three-piece suit, as well as a sparkling necklace and tinted sunglasses, to the premiere Jada's outfit exposed her toned upper arms, as well as her legs as she posed for a few photos on the red carpet. She also accessorized with a set of sparkling earrings Just days ago, Will and his estranged wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, posed for several glammed-up photos during the world premiere of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, which was held in Dubai on Wednesday evening. The actor - who recently opened up about one of his own 'ride-or-dies' - looked sharp while wearing a patterned gray three-piece suit, as well as a sparkling necklace and tinted sunglasses, to the premiere. Pinkett Smith turned heads in an eye-catching black-and-white dress, which exposed her toned upper arms, as she posed for a few photos on the event's red carpet. The actress completed her look for the evening with several earrings and sparkling high-heeled shoes. Gavin & Stacey star Mathew Horne confirmed he has secretly fathered a son with wife Celina Bassili during an appearance in London over the weekend. The actor, who is set to reprise his best known role in a forthcoming Christmas special, is said to have welcomed the child with set designer Bassili shortly after their wedding in September 2021. In pictures obtained by The Sun, Horne, 45, is seen pushing an empty buggy while his wife cradles the infant as they make the most of the bank holiday weekend weather. Close friends, among them Gavin & Stacey co-stars James Corden and Joanna Page, are understood to be aware of the birth - which was not made public by the couple at the time. A source told The Sun: 'Mathew is a brilliant dad and he and Celina love being parents. Gavin & Stacey star Mathew Horne confirmed he has secretly fathered a son with wife Celina Bassili during an appearance in London over the weekend (pictured here on May 7) The actor is said to have welcomed the child with set designer Bassili shortly after their wedding in September 2021 (pictured) 'Celinas brother has a son who is a similar age and they loved spending time together. 'Mathew also kept the news quiet because he prefers to live his life out of the spotlight, even though hes a household name thanks to Gavin & Stacey. 'All his Gavin & Stacey co-stars know about him being a dad, including James Corden and Joanna Page. 'They all have kids so you can imagine the talk on set for the Christmas special is going to centre a lot on their kids.' Horne travelled to Bassili's native Norway for their wedding ceremony in 2021, with the couple tying the knot in the 15-acre grounds of a 1930s mansion. The actor was first seen kissing the set designer during a night out in Wales two years earlier, while they were busy filming the last Gavin & Stacey Christmas special. Bassili, who graduated from University Of Arts London with a first class degree in set design, lists the Gavin & Stacey special on her online CV. With the kiss, he appeared to confirm his relationship was over with Casualty actress Evelyn Hoskins, who he proposed to in October. A spokesperson later told MailOnline: 'Mathew and Evelyn separated amicably in October 2018.' Mathew was first seen kissing set designer Celina in a Burger King in 2019, which confirmed the end of his nine-month engagement to actress Evelyn Hoskins (pictured) James Corden and Ruth Jones have written the last ever episode of Gavin And Stacey, set to air on Christmas Day The BBC is reportedly set to treat Gavin & Stacey fans with a double helping of the show this Christmas In addition to the grand finale, BBC bosses have commissioned a special behind-the-scenes documentary which will look at the programme's 17-year history The BBC is reportedly set to treat Gavin & Stacey fans with a double helping of the show this Christmas. Earlier this month, the sitcom's stars Corden, 45, and Ruth Jones, 57, announced that it was returning for one last episode. And in addition to the grand finale, BBC bosses have commissioned a special behind-the-scenes documentary which will look at the programme's 17-year history. Cameras have been following the cast, including titular stars Horne and Page as they film scenes for the last ever instalment. A TV insider told The Sun: 'The Beeb view this as a momentous occasion and wanted to give Gavin & Stacey a suitably auspicious send-off. 'The fact that the documentary will be made by Fulwell 73, which is co-owned by James and is a co-producer of the sitcom, means theyll enjoy full access on set and get all the biggest chats. 'It is likely to be made in tandem with the show itself, filming the creative process of delivering the finale from the first to the last day.' MailOnline has contacted a representative for further comment. Chloe Sevigny showcased her incredibly toned legs in a pair of tiny black shorts while enjoying Memorial Day Weekend with her family. As she stepped out with her husband, Sinisa Mackovic, and their son, Vanja, four, in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, the 49-year-old actress appeared in high spirits as she strutted down the sidewalk in a pair of black Birkenstocks. For their laid-back outing, the Golden Globe winner wore a white criss-cross top, a floral crossbody purse, calf-length socks and oversized black shades. As her spouse pushed their tot's stroller, Vanja could be seen sweetly holding onto his mother's hand. Mackovic, who works as the director of Karma Art Gallery in New York City, wore a light blue button-down over a white t-shirt and jeans. Chloe Sevigny showcased her incredibly toned legs in a pair of tiny black shorts while enjoying Memorial Day Weekend with her family The couple's little boy wore a bright red graphic t-shirt and matching shorts. Sevigny married her husband Sinisa Mackovic in May of 2020 in a secret ceremony in New York's City Hall. Less than two months later, they welcomed their son. Two years after their marriage, they celebrated with their loved ones by throwing a bash in Darien, Connecticut, where the Big Love alumna grew up. According to Vogue, the pair was introduced through a mutual friend but did not meet in person until they crossed paths later at a Gagosian opening. They saw each other at social settings various times before they started dating. When they found out they were expecting, Sevigny and Mackovic celebrated with a couple's getaway in Turks and Caicos. It was there her now-husband proposed and, shortly thereafter, the couple eloped in New York City. As she stepped out with her husband, Sinisa Mackovic, and their son, Vanja, four, in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, the 49-year-old actress appeared in high spirits as she strutted down the sidewalk in a pair of black Birkenstocks Sevigny is best known for her role as Nicolette Grant on the HBO series Big Love, which she starred on from 2006 to 2011 (seen in March 2024) Though Sevigny has chosen to keep many details about her family life private, she did open up to The Cut ahead of her son's arrival, talking about when she learned her child's gender. 'When I found out I was having a boy, I had to wrap my head around that, as I am so girly. I don't even have that many boy friends; all of my friends are girls. I just relate better to girls. I'm like, what the hell am I going to do with a boy?' she shared. Despite her initial hesitation, she shared that she was 'thrilled and so excited about the whole thing.' Sevigny previously admitted that their pregnancy was not planned in an interview with LA Magazine in 2020, saying 'It was a real shocker. This was an accident. I didn't think I'd ever have kids. I just acquiesced that it was not going to happen for me.' Sevigny is best known for her role as Nicolette Grant on the HBO series Big Love, which she starred on from 2006 to 2011. Over her career, she's won a Golden Globe, Satellite Award and Independent Spirit Award. Additionally, she's been nominated for an Oscar and three SAG Awards. Jenna Dewan showcased her growing baby bump in photos that were shared on her Instagram account on Monday. In her first shot, the 43-year-old actress donned a red bikini that exposed her stomach as she prepared to take a dip in a pool. The performer - who is currently working through a legal battle with her ex - later switched into a bright white bikini as she soaked up the sun while celebrating Memorial Day. Dewan's voluminous brunette hair remained free-flowing and cascaded onto her shoulders and chest in both of her photos. The Step Up star went on to include several snaps featuring her family, and her fiance Steve Kazee was seen while relaxing with their dog in one of her shots. Jenna Dewan showcased her growing baby bump in a pair of photos that were shared on her Instagram account on Monday The performer - who is currently working through a legal battle with her ex - later switched into a bright white bikini as she soaked up the sun while celebrating Memorial Day She also took a photo of her son Callum, four, in mid-air as he jumped into a pool. Dewan included a shot that showed her posing with Kazee, 48, Callum and her daughter Everly, 10, as they attended a monster truck rally. The performer shares her eldest child with her former husband, Channing Tatum, whom she met while working on Step Up. The pair went on to tie the knot in 2009 and welcomed Everly four years later, although they ultimately divorced in 2019. Dewan ultimately moved on with Kazee, and they became engaged in February of 2020. The happy couple went on to start a family with Callum's birth, which took place the following month. The performer revealed that she was pregnant with her third child by sharing a post on her Instagram this past January. The professional dancer has since provided her followers with regular updates on her pregnancy by sharing photos and videos on her account. Her kids were seen in her pretty blue-bottom swimming pool The Step Up star went on to include several snaps featuring her family, and her fiance Steve Kazee was seen while relaxing with their dog in one of her shots She also took a photo of her son Callum, four, in mid-air as he jumped into a pool Dewan included a shot that showed her posing with Kazee, 48, Callum and her daughter Everly, 10, as they attended a monster truck rally Her daughter had a white floral hair clip on with a denim jacket Although she is currently preparing to welcome her third child, Dewan is also embroiled in a legal battle with Tatum regarding earnings from his Magic Mike film franchise. The performers have both included each other on a 'preliminary witness list' for an upcoming trial regarding the matter, reports People. A representative for the actress told the media outlet that she was 'just looking for a fair resolution of community assets of the marriage, under California State Law.' However, a source close to Tatum claimed that the reason the former couple's cast has 'dragged on is because Jenna's actions and claims continuously contradict themselves.' Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor's daughter Ella received support from her parents while graduating from New York City's prestigious The Juilliard School on Friday. While marking the milestone on Instagram, the 22-year-old newly minted college grad, who earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, shared photos wearing her cap and gown as she celebrated with friends and family. 'YOU WOULDN'T LAST AN HOUR IN THE ASYLUM (@juilliardschool) WHERE THEY RAISED ME (No, like, really),' she captioned the post, which included a nod to Taylor Swift's song, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?, off The Tortured Poets Department. She continued: 'Yesterday I got my BFA in Acting from Juilliard. I couldn't be happier to be done or prouder to have survived or more grateful to my family for the unwavering support that got me there and through.' 'I have a degree in playing pretend!!! Yay!!!' the Los Angeles native concluded. Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor's daughter Ella received support from her parents while graduating from New York City's prestigious Julliard School over the weekend (seen last week) For the occasion, she added green rhinestones around the trim of her graduation cap and wore a white and yellow patterned maxi dress. Among the cute snaps she posted from her big day, Ella included one of her sharing a laugh with her dad as they crossed the street together. Another showed her beaming next to her brother, Quinn Stiller, 18, as she proudly held up her diploma. Last week, Ella made a rare appearance alongside her mom and dad at the Gordon Parks Foundation. The family also recently attended a showing of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club on May 3 in New York City. In 2022, Ben admitted that Ella called him out for not being present enough in her life during her more formative younger years. 'She's pretty articulate about it, and sometimes it's stuff that I don't want to hear. It's hard to hear,' the Reality Bites star and director told Esquire. He added: ''Because it's me not being there in the ways that I saw my parents not being there. And I had always thought, Well I won't do that.' While marking the milestone on Instagram, the 22-year-old newly minted college grad, who earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, shared photos wearing her cap and gown as she celebrated with friends and family Among the cute snaps she shared of herself with loved ones, Ella included one of her sharing a laugh with her dad as they crossed the street together Another showed her beaming next to her brother Quinn Stiller, 18, as she proudly held up her diploma 'YOU WOULDN'T LAST AN HOUR IN THE ASYLUM (@juilliardschool) WHERE THEY RAISED ME (No, like, really),' she captioned the post, which included a nod to Taylor Swift's song, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?, off The Tortured Poets Department Stiller continued: 'But then it's that thing that, like, I was trying to navigate my own desire to fulfill the hopes and dreams I had, too. And that doesn't feel great, but it's important to acknowledge.' During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ben and his wife reconciled after the former couple agreed it would be best that they live together during quarantine in 2020. 'Then, over the course of time, it evolved,' the actor and comedian said, adding, 'We were separated and got back together and we're happy about that. It's been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic.' Being apart from his kids, whether it be due to his professional ambitions or his initial split with his wife in 2017 after 17 years of marriage, has had a lasting impact on Stiller and the family. 'What I've learned is that your kids are not keeping score on your career,' he confessed. She continued: 'Yesterday I got my BFA in Acting from Juilliard. I couldn't be happier to be done or prouder to have survived or more grateful to my family for the unwavering support that got me there and through' 'I have a degree in playing pretend!!! Yay!!!' the Los Angeles native concluded Back in 2016, Ben recalled he and Taylor entered their relationship when they were 'both on the rebound.' They ended up jumping in and 'got married pretty quickly.' 'I was single. I'd come out of a long relationship with [actress] Jeanne Tripplehorn,' he told Parade. 'Christine was coming out of a relationship too. We went on a date and it clicked.' The pair met while she was auditioning for the 1999 thriller, Heat Vision and Jack. 'My wife came in to audition for the role of the sexy sheriff. She had been in the Brady Bunch movies and they were pushing her on me. She came in and she was great,' he told the outlet. The children of a late guitarist who played lead for Bob Dylan in the mid-late 1960s have sued his widow over allegations of alleged elder abuse. The adult offspring of the renowned Robbie Robertson filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court, naming Janet Zuccarini, a well-known Toronto restaurateur, as a defendant. She wed Robertson months before his death this past August at age 80, and now the late musician's kid claims she was taking advantage of him in his waning years, especially when it came to the ownership of a Beverly Hills 'trophy home'. That residence once belonged to the producer of Little Shop of Horrors David Geffen, and was purchased by the pair based on an agreement that they would share ownership of the home equally However, the lawsuit claims Robertson - one the founding members of famed Americana group The Band - covered the $1.8 million down payment in full, and cites how within two years, Xuccarini allegedly convinced him to elope. The children of Robbie Robertson, a renowned guitarist who played lead for Bob Dylan in the mid-late 1960s before dying last year, have sued his widow - 58-year-old Janet Zuccarini (seen with the guitarist in 2019) over allegations of 'elder abuse' Delphine, Alexandra and Sebastian Robertson filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court, naming Zuccarini, a well-known Toronto restaurateur, as a defendant This, the suit states, happened in a private ceremony 'kept secret' from the artist's kids, while Robertson's health and mental capacity was in decline. Prior to the 2023 wedding, Zuccarini, 58, allegedly had Robertson sign a prenup, as well an amended Tenant In Common agreement that stated if one of them died, the estate of the deceased would continue to pay half of the mortgage. This left the guitarist's estate and trust, Adriane Hibbert and David Jackel, on the hook, and led them to wage the current case against Zuccarini. Robertson's three kids, fellow musician Sebastian, Delphine, and Alexandra, are now part of the suit, which alleges Zuccarini financially abused their father to inherit part of his estate. 'A great time for marriage,' the suit states of Zuccarini's alleged mindset at the time, arranging a private wedding away from the musician's family in March 2023 She then had Robertson, who played with The Band from their inception until 1978, sign the prenuptial agreement, knowing he 'was no longer able to read and would not comprehend the true import of what he was signing.' She then saw an 'opportunity to embark on a marriage with a sick and dying man,' before getting Robinson to spend some $175,957 on renovations and $3,381.31 on 'furniture and furnishings' on the Beverly Hills three-bedroom. A five-time Grammy nominee who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Robbie is seen here shredding with Dylan back in 1972, before he went on to become one of the founding members of The Band The suit centers around the pair's purchase of this Beverly Hills home, which they said was Zuccarini's handiwork. The home was bought less than two years before Zuccarini wed Robertson in March 2023, a ceremony held months before his death this past August The late musician's kids claim she was taking advantage of him in his waning years, unbeknownst to them, old friends like Dylan, and the guitarist's ex-wife Dominique Bourgeois. The trio are seen together in 2022 The suit slams this as 'financial elder abuse' and 'tortious interference with inheritance', citing how Zuccarini pursued the prenup and wedding in secret so that neither they nor his ex-wife, Dominique Bourgeois, would 'be able to review' it. They claim they only learned about the marriage - allegedly only attended by Zuccarini's sister and brother-in-law - hours after it happened, showing up to the new house for what they assumed was an anniversary party. The trio went on to discern it was a wedding party, after which Robertsons children said they were told, straight from their father, that 'nothing in his estate plan had changed'. They were further told that they would 'receive all of his property upon death' - a promise that did not pan out following the five-time Grammy nominee's death. The suit, which seeks to cancel the amended Tenancy In Common agreement while also seeking unspecified damages, is currently grinding its way through the California courts. Robertson, who had a professional and personal bond with Dylan that stretched back more than half a century, died of complications created by pancreatic cancer on August 9. When Dylan controversially went electric in the mid-1960s, it was his The Band that provided his onstage backing. Two days after Robertson's death, Dylan told Billboard: 'This is shocking news. Robbie was a lifelong friend. His passing leaves a vacancy in the world.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that a tragic mistake had been made after a strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and killed at least 45 people, according to local officials. Israel has faced surging international criticism over its war with Hamas, with even some of its closest allies, particularly the United States, expressing outrage at civilian deaths. Israel insists it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the worlds top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt the offensive in Rafah. Israels military had earlier said that it launched an investigation into civilian deaths after it struck a Hamas installation and killed two senior militants. Palestinians react next to the destruction after an Israeli strike in Rafah (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Sunday nights attack, which appeared to be one of the wars deadliest, helped push the overall Palestinian death toll in the war above 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and noncombatants in its tally. Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake, Mr Netanyahu said in an address to Israels parliament. We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy. Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in the north-western neighbourhood of Tel al-Sultan, said rescuers pulled out people who were in an unbearable state. We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal, he said. At least 45 people were killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service. The ministry said the dead included at least 12 women, eight children and three older adults, with another three bodies burned beyond recognition. In a separate development, Egypts military said one of its soldiers was shot dead during an exchange of fire in the Rafah area, without providing further details. Israel said it was in contact with Egyptian authorities, and both sides said they were investigating. Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt, had housed more than a million people about half of Gazas population displaced from other parts of the territory. Most have fled once again since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion there earlier this month. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps in and around the city. Mr Netanyahu says Israel must destroy what he calls Hamas last remaining battalions in Rafah. The militant group launched a barrage of rockets on Sunday from the city toward heavily populated central Israel, setting off air raid sirens but causing no injuries. The strike on Rafah brought a new wave of condemnation, even from some of Israels close allies. Outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 27, 2024 These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire, French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X. Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto, in a TV interview, said such bombings are spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchildren. Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas in attempts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, said the Rafah strike could complicate talks. Negotiations, which appear to be restarting, have faltered repeatedly over Hamas demand for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, terms Israeli leaders have publicly rejected. Neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, which made peace with Israel decades ago, also condemned the Rafah strike. Egypts Foreign Ministry called it a new and blatant violation of the rules of humanitarian international law. Jordans Foreign Ministry called it a war crime. The Israeli militarys top legal official said authorities were examining the strikes and that the military regrets the loss of civilian life. Military Advocate General major general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi said such incidents occur in a war of such scope and intensity. Speaking to an Israeli lawyers conference, Ms Tomer-Yerushalmi said Israel has launched 70 criminal investigations into incidents that aroused suspicions of international law violations, including the deaths of civilians, the conditions at a detention facility holding suspected Palestinian militants and the deaths of some inmates in Israeli custody. She said incidents of violence, property crimes and looting were also being examined. Israel has long maintained it has an independent judiciary capable of investigating and prosecuting abuses. But rights groups say Israeli authorities routinely fail to fully investigate violence against Palestinians and that even when soldiers are held accountable, the punishment is usually light. Israel has denied allegations of genocide brought against it by South Africa at the International Court of Justice. Last week, the court ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, a ruling that it has no power to enforce. Separately, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants against Mr Netanyahu and Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, over alleged crimes linked to the war. Israel says it does its best to adhere to the laws of war and says it faces an enemy that makes no such commitment, embeds itself in civilian areas and refuses to release Israeli hostages unconditionally. Hamas triggered the war with its October 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds about 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a ceasefire last year. Around 80% of Gazas 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and U.N. officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. For the first time in six years of activist life, Mabinta Djiba dares to openly say that his leaders are on the wrong track. The trained teacher, loyal to Pastef (African Patriots of Senegal for work, ethics and fraternity), the party founded by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, is alarmed at the little space made to women by the new Senegalese executive. Among the 25 ministers appointed on April 5, there are only four. As if we dont have women as capable as men! , laments this elected representative from Pastef in Bignona (south), imprisoned twice in the last years of Macky Salls mandate; a first time in Dakar, in 2021, with 17 other activists, and the second in March 2023, after defending Ousmane Sonkos children, banned from school due to their fathers imprisonment. Barely 18% of the positions of senior civil servants and heads of state companies announced during three waves of appointments are occupied by women. There is an imbalance that is growing, laments a leader of Mojip, the Pastef womens movement. The words are measured, but the anger expressed marks a rupture in a party known to be united around its leaders. Opacity Pastef reflects society and other Senegalese parties. He complied with the law on parity for local elections without further pushing for the feminization of positions internally. There are very few women at the top of the movement, underlines Alassane Ndao, political science researcher at Gaston-Berger University in Saint-Louis. Faced with this beginning of rebellion, a list of womens names was sent to the executive duo with a view to the next appointments, according to several sources within Pastef. But the criticisms that emerge internally do not only relate to parity: the opacity which surrounded certain appointments is surprising, while Pastef has made transparency one of its hobbyhorses. What about tenders? , calls out a party activist, in reference to repeated promises to open public service positions to applications. The Diomaye President program, which served as the basis for the Pastef campaign, in fact promoted a reform of the recruitment method in the administration, which would notably involve a systematic call for applications. Although a draft decree and a draft law on access to the civil service, to jobs and functions in the administration were discussed on April 17 in the Council of Ministers, no timetable has been set. For the moment, this is not the priority, says a close friend of the president, even if we want to move towards transparency and the end of nepotism. A practice associated, among Pastef supporters, with former president Macky Sall. In a book published in 2017, Ousmane Sonko, then a land inspector and trade unionist, notably accused the brother of the former president, Aliou Sall, of being responsible for embezzlement and tax fraud. For the supporters of the new power, there is an urgent need to stifle the denial trials. We cannot put the country on hold to launch calls for applications, explains Ibrahima Diallo, communications manager at Pastef. We place men in whom we trust to manage emergencies and we must ensure the continuity of the State. Loved ones and allies While the formation of a government built on skills had been welcomed, the latest batch of appointments at the head of public companies, Wednesday May 15, left more than one editorialist speechless. A doctor, an executive from Pastef, was thus appointed to manage the National Lottery, and it was a teaching unionist who was appointed to manage the company managing the infrastructure of the new town of Diamniadio. They are caught between two fires: on one side citizen control, which calls for respect for campaign promises, on the other the aspirations of their supporters and allies, who wish to be associated with the exercise of power, notes Elimane Haby Kane, public policy analyst. With the exception of the secretary general of the presidency, who retained his title after the transfer of power between Macky Sall and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, it is relatives and political allies of the executive tandem who now occupy the key positions at the top of the presidency. State. Men like Ousmane Sonkos head of security, Waly Diouf Bodian, appointed head of the Autonomous Port of Dakar, or Habib Sy, candidate in the last presidential election and supporter of Pastef, appointed director of Senelec, the national electricity company. It remains to fill the strategic functions of the customs directorates, the Treasury and, above all, the General Directorate of Taxes and Lands (DGID), the original body of the president, the Prime Minister and their opponent in the presidential election, the former -head of government Amadou Ba. Diplomacy as a bulwark against Russian influence in Africa. After the opening of the Ukrainian embassy in Kinshasa on Wednesday April 10, it was in Ivory Coast that kyiv inaugurated its new chancellery on Thursday. Ribbon cutting, flag raising and national anthem: embassy after embassy, ??Ukraine hopes to fight against the Russian narrative, widely spread on the African continent, summarizes Yurii Pyvovarov, Ukrainian ambassador in Dakar, responsible for ensuring the interim representation of Abidjan while awaiting the appointment of an ambassador assigned to Cote dIvoire. In total, six new chancelleries will see the light of day in Africa in the space of two weeks, inaugurated by Ukraines special envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Maksym Soubkh. Following the Ivorian opening, Ghana, Botswana, Mozambique and Rwanda will follow, bringing the number of Ukrainian diplomatic representations on the continent to 17. The objective is to reach 20 embassies, explains Yurii Pyvovharo from the new chancellery in Abidjan, a plush 1,200 m2 building located a stones throw from the Russian embassy. With the support of the Ivorian government since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, kyiv intends to rely on the leading French-speaking economic power in the sub-region to make it a pivotal country from which to deploy its strategy of influence in West Africa, estimates political analyst Sylvain NGuessan, director of the Abidjan Institute of Strategies. Not enough to compete, in the short and medium term, with the vast network of Russian influence deployed on the continent via its information agencies, cultural centers and military partnerships. But kyiv cannot ignore the weight of Africa in a redefining multipolar world. Food offensive The trigger for this awareness was the vote on March 2, 2022 at the UN General Assembly, during which only 28 of 54 African countries condemned Russian aggression. Determined to stay away from a war which, they believe, does not concern them, 17 states on the continent abstained, the African Union (AU) having failed to bring about a consensus. Divergences are particularly visible in West Africa, where countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and now Niger Russian instructors arrived in Niamey on Wednesday unabashedly display their support for Moscow. From March 1, 2022, the Ivorian state took a clear position against the invasion of Ukraine. Ambassadors to Ivory Coast from European Union countries, the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland were received by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kandia Camara, to assure them of support of President Alassane Ouattara in the vote on UN resolutions condemning Russia. Support reiterated in July 2022 during a telephone conversation between the Ukrainian and Ivorian presidents, and reinforced two months later during Alassane Ouattaras speech in New York. Before the United Nations General Assembly, the Ivorian head of state called for the immediate and definitive cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. In October of the same year, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also visited Abidjan. The challenge for Ukrainian diplomacy today is to counter the food offensive which allows Vladimir Putin to influence the positions taken by African states dependent on Russian wheat. This war may seem very distant to you, but the catastrophic rise in food prices has already affected the lives of millions of African families, recalled Maksym Soubkh from Abidjan, referring to the Russian blockade in the Black Sea, which complicates delivery of cereals destined for the continent. Eight African countries, including Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, benefited from the Grain of Ukraine humanitarian food program launched by Kyiv in November 2022. As of the end of February, 7,665 tons of Ukrainian wheat flour are arrived in Sudan, 25,000 tonnes in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt. If for the moment Seed of Ukraine does not count Ivory Coast among its beneficiaries, Yurii Pyvovharo says he hopes for its participation soon. Communication battle In addition to this wheat diplomacy, kyiv wishes to strengthen bilateral trade. With the opening of the Abidjan embassy, ??she hopes for the support of Cote dIvoire during upcoming international meetings, starting with the next high-level conference on peace in Ukraine, which is to be held in Switzerland around mid-June. In the economic chapter, Wautabouna Ouattara, Ivorian Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs, welcomes the boost that this inauguration brings in view of the enormous economic potential between the two countries, kyiv being particularly interested in Ivorian cocoa and its derived products, and Abidjan by cereals, iron, steel, vegetable and animal fats from Ukraine. In 2023, the volume of trade between Ivory Coast and Ukraine will be around 90 million euros. According to Wautabouna Ouattara, Ivorian exports to Ukraine have increased by more than 40% compared to 2022 and imports by 18%. Strengthening cooperation between the two States should notably involve the rapprochement between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Cote dIvoire and that of Ukraine. Ambassador Yurii Pyvovarov pledges that trade between the two countries will represent between 350 and 400 million euros within five years. But what can an embassy do in the face of Russian propaganda? , asks Sylvain NGuessan, emphasizing the importance of the communication battle in this war for influence of which Africa is one of the main theaters. If, for the researcher, this inauguration allows Abidjan to show that it is not seduced by Russia and remains in line with the position of Paris, he believes that Ukraine will have to deploy other tools to rally to its cause a certain Ivorian youth tired of the French colonial heritage and increasingly inclined to be tempted by pro-Brics [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] thinking. In this regard, Ukrainian diplomacy intends to develop agreements in the field of education and wishes to bring to [its] Ivorian friends [its] experience in spotting Russian lies, announces Yurii Pyvovarov. The security aspect was not addressed, while Ukrainian forces are today active in Sudan, where they have targeted positions of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by General Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemetti. , who benefit from weapons and training provided by the Russian mercenary group Wagner, present in the country since 2017. A commitment which leaves Kievs allies skeptical. Gurudev drew heavily from Buddhas teachings on non-violence and respect for all life, which resonate deeply in a world starved for peace, offering tranquillity The relevance of Buddhas teachings in the contemporary world is profound. His principles of non-violence and compassion offer a path toward greater harmony in a world often plagued by conflict. The Buddhas teachings also emphasise respect for all forms of life and interdependence, principles crucial for addressing todays environmental challenges. Embracing these values fosters sustainable practices and a deeper connection with nature. Ethical living, as outlined in the Buddhas Eightfold Path, remains pertinent in personal, professional and societal contexts, promoting integrity and cooperation. Practitioners of this philosophy such as the Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, alias Thay have advanced the principles of non-violence, compassion and mindfulness to promote global peace. Their Engaged Buddhism encourages integrating mindfulness into everyday life and social activism, advocating for peaceful conflict resolution and environmental care. His teachings on deep listening and loving speech, help bridge divides and heal communities. Similarly, the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama promotes interfaith dialogue, compassion and ethical responsibility, inspiring global movements for human rights and sustainability. These leaders illustrate how ancient Buddhist principles can address modern challenges, fostering a culture of peace and understanding worldwide. Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore drew inspiration from Buddhism, which can be seen in his work. His vision of universal humanism aligns with the Buddhas teachings of compassion and loving-kindness. Tagores works often reflect themes of inner peace and self-realization, akin to Buddhist concepts. His holistic approach to education also emphasised the development of the whole person and mirrored the Buddhist focus on the cultivation of wisdom. Buddhas teachings emphasise inclusivity, compassion and the inherent potential for enlightenment in everyone, regardless of social status. He rejected the caste system, asserting the importance of ethical behaviour over birthright. British Historian and author Karen Armstrong notes that Buddha challenged the social and religious norms of his time by not endorsing the caste system. Even Buddhas monastic community, the Sangha, welcomed individuals from all backgrounds, promoting spiritual equality and inclusiveness. In one of his plays Chandalika, Tagore articulates the notion of oneness through the character of Prakriti, a woman from the untouchable caste and Ananda, a revered Buddhist monk. Drawing inspiration from Buddhist scriptures, Tagore reimagines the narrative to explore the enduring struggle against societal divides, particularly the historical plight of untouchables in ancient India. Anandas humble acceptance of water from Prakriti poignantly rejects caste prejudice and acknowledges her intrinsic dignity. Despite Prakritis attempt to ensnare Ananda with a spell in a desperate bid for affection, his unwavering faith in Buddhas teachings serves as a beacon of purity. Divine intervention ultimately frees Ananda from the enchantment, symbolising the triumph of spiritual integrity over worldly desires - which is one of the characteristics of meditation in Buddhism. Through Tagores lyrical prose, the story transcends its narrative framework, evolving into a profound meditation on the enduring power of love, redemption and the unity that connects all souls. This legacy, left by Buddha, urges his followers to break free from societal constraints, form a Sangha, and become messengers of peace. Further, Tagore uses Prakritis character elevating her to question societal norms restricting the freedom of women and thereby restoring her own identity. In his bid, Anandas compassionate attitude a specific characteristic of the Buddhist philosophy rekindles Prakritis sense of self-worth, asserting that all humans are fundamentally equal. The water she pours on Anandas hands symbolises her purity and love, as well as his boundless benevolence and humanity. Tagore explores the themes of spirituality and untouchability through the symbolic union (read elevation) of Prakriti through the medium of Ananda. This (union) represents the harmony between man and woman, purity and impurity and spirituality and passion. Tagore uses this synthesis to depict a balanced and civilised society. Similarly, the Buddha emphasised the importance of compassion (karuna) and loving-kindness (metta) towards all beings, advocating for empathy and support within the community, especially towards those who are suffering or marginalised. His First Noble Truth, addressing dukkha (suffering), underscored the universal human experience of suffering, fostering a shared commitment to alleviating it for everyone. To this, Thich Nhat Hanh reflects, Understanding suffering gives rise to compassion and from compassion, understanding deepens (The Heart of the Buddhas Teaching). Buddhas teachings on right livelihood and ethical behaviour promoted social justice and fairness, contributing to a more inclusive and compassionate society. In Buddhist philosophy, the Middle Way focuses on avoiding extremes and finding balance, a principle reflected in Rabindranath Tagores works. For example, in his play The King of the Dark Chamber, (Raja in Bengali), Tagore explores the themes of light and darkness and ignorance and enlightenment, mirroring the Buddhist search for harmony. The main characters journey to understand and accept both the light and dark aspects of life represents the Middle Ways emphasis on balance. (The writer is Programme Executive, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti; views are personal) Over three million mourners gather in Mashhad to honour the late President Raisi. The hold of hardliners in the country is much stronger than the West might think Over three million Iranians have gathered in Mashhad, Irans second-largest city, to honour the late President Raisi, who tragically perished in a helicopter crash along with eight others. The massive turnout, which filled the streets to capacity, reflects the deep respect and admiration many citizens held for Raisi, contradicting assertions by Washington that he was widely despised. Raisis interment at the holy shrine of Imam Reza, a significant and unprecedented honour for a political leader, accentuates his esteemed status in the country. This unprecedented event defies the distorted and often misunderstood sentiments of the Iranian populace towards their leaders. Often, those who are demarcating the enemies, forcing others to accept their version of the story as gospel truth, are met with a ground reality that tells us the exact opposite. The circumstances of the incident, however, have fuelled a wave of conspiracy theories. Moments after the crash, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared there was no evidence of foul play, citing intelligence officials, despite Irans rescue teams not yet having reached the crash site. Subsequently, some blame the secret organisation of Irans arch-enemy State, Israels Mossad. Others speculate that the death was the result of an inside job. However, this tragedy marked a significant event not only in Iranian politics but in the constantly growing West versus Rest dynamic, which is now more strongly questioning the partiality of international organisations while strengthening the established strong alternatives such as BRICS and the New Development Bank. Iran is playing a pivotal role in this. Meanwhile, a segment of Western media recently published a series of stories about the helicopter crash suggesting that American sanctions have severely hindered Irans ability to maintain its fleet of American-manufactured helicopters. It was suggested that a technical failure caused the crash, but so far theres no evidence to support this. The helicopter was one of three Bell 214 models; the other two returned safely, but President Raisis did not. An Iranian defence firm, under the Iranian Aviation Industries Organisation (IAIO), specialises in maintaining and reverse-engineering US-model helicopters for Irans military and the IRGC. Added to the US Department of the Treasurys SDN list in January 2018, its assets under US jurisdiction are frozen and transactions with US parties are prohibited under Executive Order 13382, targeting WMD proliferators. However, contrary to suggestions that Raisis helicopter was overloaded and that this put undue strain on its engines, the aircraft was not operating beyond its capacity. The helicopter was carrying nine passengers and crew combined, well within its maximum capacity of 15 persons. The notion that the helicopters age contributed significantly to the crash is also questionable. While the media has painted the Bell 214 as ancient, in reality, it was built in 1994 by Bell Helicopter Textron in Canada. With a global average age for commercial helicopters at around 23 years, Raisis helicopter, though slightly older, was not exceptionally outdated. Moreover, helicopters used for presidential transport typically receive meticulous maintenance. As Stephen D. Bryen, a leading expert on technology security who led the Pentagons technology policy efforts during the Reagan administration, pointed out, the engines of Raisis helicopter, Pratt and Whitney PT6Ts, are also Canadian-made and widely regarded for their reliability. The implication that the helicopters maintenance was compromised due to sanctions lacks substantiation, especially considering the high-profile nature of the passengers. The critical question of whether Canada currently supplies spare parts to Iran remains unclear, adding another layer of complexity to the narrative. Nonetheless, the assertions of technical failure due to sanctions remain speculative without concrete evidence and the focus should be on a thorough and unbiased investigation into the actual causes of the crash. President Raisi was focused on cooling down border tensions and extending his diplomatic outreach to neighbouring Arab countries. His chosen Foreign Minister, Amir-Abdollahian, who also passed away with him, was instrumental in reengineering Iranian foreign policy. A notable example of this effort was the steps taken to normalise Iran-Saudi Arabia diplomatic relations. This Chinese-backed diplomatic initiative is crucial for reshaping the West Asian diplomatic terrain. Similarly, the recent irrigation project constructed across the Aras River, which Raisi jointly inaugurated with his counterpart in Baku, is a demonstration of this new diplomatic approach. The Aras River, spanning 1,072 km, originates in Eastern Turkey and flows along several borders: Turkey and Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan, Iran and Azerbaijan and through Azerbaijan into the Kura River. This region, a small riverine area in the Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, has witnessed numerous tragedies, including the often-overlooked Armenian Genocide, which claimed around 1.5 million lives. The 689 km Iran-Azerbaijan border, demarcated by the Aras River, highlights the geopolitical sensitivity and strategic importance of this area. After the Soviet Unions collapse in 1991, Azerbaijan gained independence and assumed control of part of the Iran-Soviet border, leading to escalating disputes. The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War saw Azerbaijan seize full control of the western border with Iran, heightening tensions. Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan slightly improved under President Hassan Rouhani, but Baku never hesitated to provide Israel with a strategic opportunity. Israel strengthened its alliance with Azerbaijan, turning it into a significant market for advanced weaponry. The 2020 conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh resulted in approximately 5,700 deaths, with Israel supplying a significant portion of Azerbaijans arms, highlighting the deepening strategic ties between the two nations. As a result, Azerbaijan was able to absorb the Artsakh Republic, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, a self-proclaimed republic dissolved in January this year. In exchange for Israeli weapons, Azerbaijan provided oil. Ilham Aliyev, president since 2003, was re-elected for a fifth term on February 7 with over 92 per cent of the vote. Aliyev, who succeeded his father, Heydar Aliyev, a former Soviet KGB officer, has strengthened Azerbaijans ties with Israel. Aliyev amended the constitution in 2009 to permit unlimited presidential terms and, in 2016, extended the presidential term from five to seven years. Azerbaijan can be seen as a family-run State prioritising clan interests, yet Aliyev has skilfully navigated relations with Eastern and Western powers to serve his political aims. It is not hyperbole to say Aliyev is a skilled Machiavellian politician in contemporary politics. An investigation by Israeli media outlet Haaretz published recently detailed the strategic relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan, through which Tel Aviv has supplied Baku with billions of dollars worth of weapons in exchange for oil and access to Iran. This extensive military cooperation underscores the depth of the strategic alliance between the two nations. Azerbaijan has reportedly permitted Israels Mossad intelligence agency to establish a presence in the country to monitor Iran, its southern neighbour. Additionally, Azerbaijan has facilitated the setup of an airfield for Israel to potentially strike Iranian nuclear facilities from its territory. In exchange, Azerbaijan receives the most advanced weapons, including ballistic missiles, air defence systems and kamikaze drones. However, as Yossi Melman, a noted Israeli writer and journalist who is an expert on intelligence and strategic affairs, affirmed, it is unlikely for Israel, particularly Mossad, to be involved in such an assassination as it never targets such individuals. But one should not forget that it was under President Raisi that Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel, the single largest drone attack ever carried out by any country. President Raisi and his top diplomat left a legacy far greater than what they achieved while in power. Their deaths are more impactful than the assassination of President Mohammad Ali Rajaei and Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar, who were cut short in an explosion set by the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation, in August 1981. Despite expectations of seclusion and controversy, Raisi navigated international relations adeptly, maintaining uranium enrichment and escalating tensions with the West, but also restoring ties with Saudi Arabia, which advanced peace talks in Yemen and prevented military escalation. This diplomatic success, seen as strategic pragmatism, opened dialogue with other regional powers and reduced tensions. Raisi revived the Chabahar port deal with India, defying US sanctions and facilitated a major prisoner exchange with the US, demonstrating diplomatic flexibility. Though Iran was blamed for supporting Hamas in the October 2023 attacks on Israel, no concrete evidence linked Iran directly, yet its backing of such groups has increased its regional influence and garnered support for Palestinians from other Arab countries. Iran lost two great politicians, but it is hard to assume it will change the Iranian political structure rather it will be strengthened. (The writer is a Sri Lankan journalist and author. Views are personal) On 18 and 19 May, 120 comrades of Revolution the French section of the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) met for this years National Conference in Paris. [Originally published at marxiste.org] World perspectives Saturday morning was devoted to a discussion on the evolution of the economic, political, social and military situation on a global scale. In his introduction, Jules Legendre discussed the most important events of our time in particular the wars in Ukraine and Gaza in the general context of the organic crisis of capitalism. The relative decline of American imperialism is a central part of the world situation. In the Middle East, for example, the United States is more dependent than ever on its ally Israel. This allows Netanyahu to brush aside Biden's hypocritical calls for moderation in the massacre of Gazans. In Ukraine, US imperialism is facing bitter humiliation. Jules recalled the IMT's internationalist position on this war, which is nothing but an imperialist war on both sides. He stressed that in France our central task is to fight against the propaganda of French imperialism. As Karl Liebknecht pointed out in 1915: the main enemy is at home! From the IMT to the RCI On Saturday afternoon, Francesco Merli, from the IMT's International Secretariat, introduced the discussion on the Manifesto of the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI), which will be discussed at the founding conference of the RCI in mid-June. Francesco detailed the spectacular progress made by our International in recent years. Everywhere, our successes stem from our firm orientation towards the youth, but also and above all from our implacable defence of the genuine ideas of Marxism. Young people, radicalised by the crisis of capitalism, want to fight, but they also want to understand. They are looking for ideas and a serious programme. The Revolutionary Communist Party On Sunday morning, the Conference discussed, amended and adopted the document presented by our national leadership, Perspectives and Tasks. In his introductory speech, Guillaume Eudeline described the various symptoms of the decline of French capitalism and the crisis of its political system. To defend its profits, the French bourgeoisie urgently needs budget cuts and drastic counter-reforms. But on the one hand, growing political polarisation is causing a deep crisis in the establishment parties and, on the other hand, the bourgeoisie's attacks on the living conditions of the masses will not go unanswered. Major struggles are on the agenda, despite the extreme moderation of the official leaders of the left and the trade union movement. In this respect, the Yellow Vest movement in 2018 and 2019 was a crystal clear warning. Guillaume and all the speakers defended the central proposal of discussion: the transformation of Revolution into a Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP). The founding congress of the RCP will take place next autumn. Between now and then, we'll be launching a major recruitment campaign and explaining our approach in a series of articles. Introduced by Jerome Metellus, the final session of the National Conference on Sunday afternoon was entitled: Their communism and ours. Jerome defended genuine communism that of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky against the various forms of revisionism: Stalinism, Maoism, libertarian communism, ultra-leftism, so-called academic Marxism and, finally, the reformism of the French Communist Partys leadership. Enthusiasm and determination The decision to found the RCP was taken unanimously by the delegates at the National Conference. The enthusiasm of the comrades was electric and the political level of the discussions was very high. The confidence and determination of our comrades was shown by the fund-raising event on Saturday evening. The initial target was 45,000 euros. At the start of the Conference, comrades had raised 40,000. But after a presentation by Charles Royer on the methods of financing a revolutionary organisation, the comrades were gripped with enthusiasm and a further 20,000 was raised in just a few minutes. In total, 60,000 was collected to help us fund the growth of the French section, almost double last year's figure. This enthusiasm is based on solid confidence in our ideas, in our methods and in the colossal power of the working class. In France, as elsewhere, young people and workers will be mobilising en masse on several occasions in the years to come. To defeat and overthrow capitalism, they will need revolutionary parties and an International that is up to the task. To help us in this task, join us! Establishing a National Science Archives Centre in India is crucial to safeguarding our scientific heritage for future generations As an ever-evolving discipline, science continually shapes our understanding of the world and our place within it. Each discovery, innovation and technological advancement contributes to the present and builds the foundation for future generations. Most scientific activity in our laboratories may become part of tomorrows history. People who have seen and overcome the COVID-19 pandemic may understand the hardships people faced during the pandemic. The innovations and discoveries developed to combat the global pandemic are now part of scientific history. Similar is the case with most of our scientific discoveries and inventions. Scientific knowledge is inherently cumulative. Each generation of scientists builds upon the work of their predecessors, advancing our understanding of complex phenomena. For instance, the development of quantum mechanics in the early 20th century paved the way for modern advancements in quantum computing. Scientific developments also help in driving the economy and civilisations. We can see the imprint of the scientific strength of our pre-historic period through archaeological pieces of evidence. Science is a critical component of our cultural and intellectual heritage. It reflects our collective curiosity, ingenuity and drive to understand the world around us. Historical scientific documents, such as Darwins notes on evolution or Einsteins manuscripts on relativity, are valuable for their scientific content and cultural artefacts that highlight the intellectual milestones of humanity. Preserved scientific materials handled by great scientists serve as invaluable research and educational resources. Original research papers, laboratory notebooks, communications with contemporary researchers and policymakers, email communications and prototype instruments can highlight the pain the researchers undertook during that time. It can act as an inspiration for future researchers to move forward. Unfortunately, we dig into the past of a scientist only when their work gets global recognition. By this time, we might have lost all resources related to the discovery except for the research publications available on the public database. Science archives are essential for preserving human knowledges vast and intricate tapestry. They store various materials, including research notes, correspondence between scientists, experimental data, publications and even artefacts such as laboratory equipment and specimens. This preservation is critical because it ensures that valuable scientific information is not lost over time. For example, the archives of the Royal Society in London contain records dating back to the 17th century, chronicling the early days of modern science. These documents provide insights into the times experimental techniques and intellectual debates, allowing historians and scientists to trace the evolution of scientific thought and practice. In India, the Archives at NCBS (https://archives.ncbs.res.in/) serve as a novel initiative to preserve the scientific history of modern India. The centre has over 250,000 processed objects across 30+ collections in various forms, ranging from paper-based manuscripts to negatives to photographs, books, fine art, audio recordings, scientific equipment, letters and field and lab notes. The documents stored in volatile electronic or digital storage are susceptible to being permanently erased by a single button press or the malfunction of a hard drive. If these artefacts are not systematically conserved, they will be permanently lost, leading to what has been referred to as the Digital Dark Age. The Government should also make it mandatory for every researcher to periodically submit the documents to archives so that age and memory dont fade the significance of their research work. (The writer is an adjunct faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru; views are personal) The alarming frequency of medical mishaps in Keralas Government hospitals paints a dire picture of the States healthcare system The day is not far off when all the Government-run hospitals in Kerala will spot the hoarding Patients, enter at your own risk. This is not an exaggerated Statement as botched-up surgeries and wrong diagnoses have become the hallmarks of State-run hospitals. Recently, a four-year-old girl was admitted to Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode for the removal of her sixth finger. However, the doctor who performed the surgery operated on her tongue while leaving the finger untouched. Though her parents alerted the hospital authorities, the initial reaction was denial of the faux pas by the latter. Remember, the Kozhikode Medical College and Hospital is a most sought-after institution by prospective medical students! The police have filed a FIR against Bejohn Johnson, the doctor who performed the surgery and has slapped charges on him under IPC Sections 336 (endangering the life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others). In all probability, the general public would forget this incident as more and more cases like this come up daily from the Government hospitals. Controversies are not new to the GMCH Kozhikode. In 2023 July, it was reported that a woman who underwent a caesarian in the hospital in 2017 developed severe pain in her abdomen. It was found that a pair of forceps was accidentally left in her stomach after the 2017 surgery and she was living with the same till acute pain made her approach the hospital in 2023. The hospital authorities found to their surprise that Harshinia, the patient, had a pair of mosquito artery forceps in her stomach post the caesarian which was caused by medical negligence. The police as well as the investigating doctors confirmed the finding and sent their reports to the minister for health Veena George. The minister, a former newsreader in a private TV channel who made a lateral entry into the CPI(M) is yet to take any action on the incident while Harshinia is staging a sit-in in front of the medical college hospital demanding solatium. The standard reply given by the Department of Health is that it was an isolated incident that is being blown out of proportion by vested interests. In yet another shocking incident, a patient admitted to the ICU post-surgery was raped and molested by a hospital employee who is a trade union leader affiliated with the CPI(M). The nursing officer who reported the matter to the higher authorities was shunted out to a far-off hospital while the rapist is walking free in search of his next victim. Even doctors and nurses are not free from attacks by patients and their relations. In May 2023, Vandana Das, a 22-year-old doctor working as an internee in Kottarakkara Government Hospital was stabbed to death by a drug addict suffering from withdrawal paranoia while the police and her colleagues remained mute spectators. Even as this article is written, here comes a report from GMCH Kozhikode about a complaint from a patient. The implant meant for another patient was wrongly inserted into the complainants hand. These events are sufficient to prove the CPI(M)s claim that Kerala is the State with the best healthcare facilities is a blatant lie. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan exhorts people from other States and countries to visit Kerala for world-class health care. The authenticity of the Kerala Model of Development and Health Care has come down like a pack of cards. According to senior doctors who have been in Government service for more than three decades, the ruling CPI(M) itself is behind the collapse of Keralas health sector. The CPI(M) owns super specialty hospitals across the State named after its late leaders. Since the State-run hospitals have collapsed, the party can make a giant kill by forcing the patients to these party-run hospitals which are no different from corporate hospitals. The CPI(M) is the leader of the hospital mafia in Kerala, said a veteran doctor. There are not enough specialist doctors to meet the requirements of patients. The trust deficit between doctors and the Government has reached a point of no return. Kerala is one of the States that saw maximum casualties during the COVID-19 pandemic though the Government managed to cover up the details with its carrot-and-stick policy. The claims by both the ministers K K Shylaja (2016-2021) and Veena George (2021-till date) were found to be stranger than fiction as nearly one lakh deaths have been reported from the State since the pandemic was detected for the first time in 2020. Though the Kerala Government declared time and again that the State would develop its vaccine, K-Vaccine, the announcement remains on paper. The State of health in Kerala is such that whenever he is afflicted with a common cold, Pinarayi Vijayan takes the first available flight to the USA where Mayo Clinic is his favourite destination. The same is the case with ministers as well as CPI(M) leaders who have an inherent weakness for anything associated with the imperialists. While the chief minister himself asks people from other countries to come to Kerala for medical treatment, he is not sure about the quality of treatment in the State-run hospitals. (The writer is a special correspondent with the Pioneer, views are personal) With temperatures soaring as high as 47 degrees Celsius in some areas of the national Capital, Delhi, and in North West States like Rajasthan, Punjab, Chandigarh, and Haryana, as well as in Central parts of the country, people are grappling with intense heatwaves that have made outdoor activities nearly impossible. This challenging situation is expected to persist for at least the next three days, with the weather department issuing a red alert for heatwaves in several northern Indian cities, including Rajasthan. The Union Health Ministry has already advised employers to take essential heat safety measures at the workplace. From providing hydration stations to scheduling outdoor tasks during cooler hours, lets ensure our workers stay cool, healthy, and productive, the Ministry said in a post on social media platform X. It also advised employers to train workers to recognise symptoms of heat-related illness. Relief from the blistering weather is anticipated from June 1, thanks to a fresh western disturbance, according to forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The oppressive heat has driven residents indoors, resulting in public spaces being virtually deserted, particularly during the afternoon hours. In response to the ongoing intense hot weather in the national Capital, the Haryana Government has announced the advancement of summer vacations in both State-run and private schools to begin on Tuesday. Additionally, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj announced on Monday that 26 State Government-run hospitals will reserve two beds each for heatstroke patients, with an additional five beds reserved at the LNJP Hospital. The Centre Government operated RML Hospital has already set up a heat stroke unit to tackle the likely heat-illness related cases. As large parts of North West and Central India experienced a punishing heatwave straining power grids, States are ready for disaster preparedness, like situation on Sunday. In Maharashtras Akola, authorities took proactive measures by imposing Section 144 until May 31, effectively banning public gatherings as a precautionary measure against the extreme weather conditions. At least eight places in Delhi recorded maximum temperatures above 46 degrees Celsius, with Mungeshpur and Najafgarh logging a sweltering 48.3 degrees Celsius and 48.1 degrees Celsius, respectively. Haryanas Narnaul simmered at 47 degrees Celsius and Punjabs Faridkot at 47.4 degrees Celsius. According to IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Rajasthan and Gujarat saw nine to 12 heatwave days, with temperatures reaching 45-50 degrees Celsius. Delhi, South Haryana, South West UP and Punjab recorded five-seven heatwave days, with maximum temperatures ranging from 44 degrees Celsius to 48 degrees Celsius, said the IMD chief. Assam also experienced a heatwave with record breaking temperatures on May 25-26. The IMD attributed the heatwave in northwest India and some parts of the Central region in the second half of May to the lack of rainfall, stronger dry and warm winds and an anti-cyclonic circulation over southwest Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat. Mohapatra said only two of the five western disturbances that affected north India were active. However, three days now, Northwestern and Central parts of the country are likely to get some relief from scorching heat after three days due to a fresh western disturbance, said the IMD. On their part, authorities in the heatwave affected regions are taking measures to address the health risks posed by heat related illness, including reserving beds for heatstroke patients in Government-run hospitals. With temperatures remaining high even at night, many people are struggling to find relief, especially those without access to air conditioning or proper cooling facilities, said the officials. Doctors are urging people to take precautions to stay safe during this challenging period, emphasising the importance of staying hydrated and avoiding prolonged exposure to the sun. They warn that the situation could worsen if the heat wave persists. Some doctors said there has been a significant rise in urinary tract infections and kidney stones in adults due to sweltering heat conditions. Hence, one should drink water at regular intervals during hot weather, and urine colour should be like clear water. Yellow urine indicates dehydration, they said. Similarly, cases of patients suffering from heat-related illness such as dehydration, fever, nausea and abdominal pain too are being reported from some hospitals in Lucknow. According to an order issued by the Directorate of School Education in Haryana on Monday, all schools in the State will observe summer holidays between Tuesday and June 30. Earlier, it had ordered the closure of schools from June 1 to 30. However, in view of the prevailing severe heatwave conditions in the State, it has been decided to declare summer holidays from Tuesday, officials said. During the past few days, most places in Haryana have witnessed blistering heat, with maximum temperatures hovering in the 44-46 degrees Celsius range. In a major development in the Porsche car crash case, two senior doctors and an employee from the State-run Sassoon Hospital have been arrested for allegedly "tampering" with the blood samples of the minor accused in the case. The arrests of the two doctors Dr Ajay Taware, Head of the Forensics Department, Dr Shrihari Halnor the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital and Atul Ghatkamble, an employee who works under Dr Taware came after the police established that the blood samples tested at the Sassoon Hospital did not match with that of the accused Porsche car crash. The three arrested persons including two doctors were on Monday produced before Pune's Judicial Magistrate First Class (Small Causes) AA Pande, who remanded them in police custody till May 30. Dr Taware, Dr Halnor and Atul have been charged with the alleged "manipulation" of blood samples and destruction of evidence in the case While seeking police custody of the three persons, the police told the court that some financial transactions had taken place to "tamper" with the blood samples and they needed to search the homes of the 17-year-old accused in connection with it. The police told the court that the juvenile's blood samples were thrown into a dustbin and replaced with the blood samples of another person on the instructions of Dr Taware. It may be recalled that in the small hours of May 19, the 17-year-old boy after partying with his friends at a Pune bar who had driven off in his Porsche car in his inebriated state at a speed of some 200 kmph and rammed into a motorcycle killing killing Ashwini Koshta and Aneesh Awadhiya (both aged 24 years) who were returning home after a reunion with friends. Earlier, talking to media persons after the arrest of the two doctors, Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar said on Monday: "The blood samples analysed at the Sassoon Hospital did not match that of the minor accused in the mishap case The blood samples belong to a 'third person' . We are investigating the matter". "We had taken a second blood sample of the minor accused which we had given to another hospital for analysis with the intention of carrying out a DNA test later. Now, we have come to know that the Sassoon Hospital blood forensic report was of some other person," Kumar said. The arrest of two senior doctors should be seen in the context of the fact that the blood report of the accused minor boy, son of Pune's prominent builder Vishal S Agarwal had given a clean chit to the accused boy prompting Pune"s Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) to grant him a bail on May 20, a day after the ghastly mishap. The incident had triggered massive protests in Pune so much so that a chastened the Pune JJB -- which had earlier granted bail to the minor -- revised its order on May 22 and remanded him to Observation Home till June 5. The juvenile boy, involved in the mishap, is currently lodged in a Juvenile Correctional Home in Pune, his father Vishal Agarwal is in judicial custody. The boy's grandfather Surendra Kumar Agarwal -- who was arrested on Saturday for allegedly threatening and confining the family driver Gangaram Poojari and forcing him to take the blame for the Porsche car accident on his head in return for a monetary consideration - is in the police custody in the same case. Poojari is a witness in the case. In a stark reminder of Delhi's BMW hit-and-run case, a similar incident in Pune, Maharashtra, has recently caught attention. This comes a week after the case took an interesting turn, with the latest developments occurring on Saturday. The Pune police on Saturday arrested Surendra Kumar Agarwal, grandfather of the accused minor boy who mowed down two IT professionals on May 19. Surendra has been booked for allegedly threatening and confining the family driver Gangaram Poojari and forcing him to take the blame for the Porsche car accident on his head in return for a monetary consideration. Poojari is a witness in the case. Earlier, Vishal Agarwal - the father of the minor boy was arrested on Tuesday. He is being investigated for offences registered under sections 75 (wilful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses) and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act (supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs. The Agarwal family owns the Brahma Group, a real estate and construction company, which was founded by Brahmadatt Agarwal, in Pune. It may be recalled that in the small hours of May 19, the 17-year-old boy after partying with his friends at a Pune bar who had driven off in his Porsche car in his inebriated state at a speed of some 200 kmph and rammed into a motorcycle killing Ashwini Koshta and Aneesh Awadhiya (both aged 24 years) who were returning home after a reunion with friends. The incident had triggered massive protests in Pune so much so that a chastened Pune Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) -- which had earlier on Monday granted bail to the minor -- revised its order on Wednesday and remanded him to Observation Home till June 5. Briefing media persons about the arrest of the accused boy's grandfather Surendra Agrawal, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said the Agarwals allegedly tried to lure the driver, Gangaram Poojari with cash to claim responsibility for the accident committed by the minor boy. "When the driver didn't agree to take the responsibility for the mishap, they threatened and confined him for 2 days at their home," he said. Kumar said the driver, a prime witness in the case, was forced to make a statement that he was at the wheel of Porsche PUNE car at the time of the accident in an effort to save the minor boy, but the latter refused to oblige Agrawals. The senior-most Agrawal who was arrested after interrogation around 3 am, was produced before a Pune court which remanded him in police custody till May 28. The Pune police chief said after the mishap, Surendra Kumar Agarwal and his builder son Vishal Agarwal - who is currently in judicial custody for 14 days - went and picked up the driver (Pujari) who was going home. They took away his mobile, confined him to a room, prevented him from going out or speaking with anybody. "The Agarwals tried to lure Pujari by offering him cash and asking him to take responsibility for the mishap. But, the driver did not agree to their request. Later, Agrawals confined Pujar to their home and threatened him with dire consequences," Kumar said. When Pujari did not return home the next day, his anxious wife and some other relatives went to the Agarwal home, where she screamed and created a scene prompting Agrawals to let the driver go home. Subsequently, the Pune police summoned Pujari to the police station and recorded his statement. In his statement, Pujari told the police that the Agrawals forced him to accept responsibility for the crime in place of the accused minor boy. Following the statement by the driver, the police arrested the accused boy's grandfather in the early hours of Saturday. The Pune police had on Friday suspended two police officials - Police Inspector Rahul Jagdale and Assistant Police Inspector Vishwanath Todkar, both attached to the Yerawada Police Station for their alleged inept handling of the case at the initial stages. In the aftermath of the deadly fire at a neonatal hospital that charred seven newborns and injured five others in the national Capital on Saturday night, the Delhi Government on Monday sprung into action directing all hospitals to complete a fire audit by June 8. Police investigations revealed severe lapses including the hospital operating on expired licence and no clearance from the fire department. On Monday, the Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj convened a meeting of the Health Department officials to discuss the incident in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar area. Following the high-level meeting, Bhardwaj said the Delhi Government will issue directions to all private and State-run hospitals to complete a fire audit by June 8 and submit a compliance report. "On April 24, we had issued directions to all hospitals for fire preparedness. On May 8, we had asked them to conduct a fire audit. We will ask all private and Delhi Government-run hospitals to complete a fire audit by June 8 and submit a compliance report to the health department," Bhardwaj said. He declared that no culprit will be spared, irrespective of their status and announced stringent new safety regulations for nursing homes over nine metres tall, mandating water sprinklers and smoke detectors, and directed all CDMOs to conduct random inspections. The owner of this hospital also runs another similar hospital in Paschim Puri. Cases have been registered against him twice in different incidents. These cases are going on against him in Karkardooma Court and Tis Hazari Court. A surprise inspection was done in which deficiencies were found, so a case was registered against him. Once he was found running the hospital without registration, a case was registered against him. It is expected that soon the court will give its verdict against the owner of this nursing home in these cases and he will be given a severe punishment, he added. Bharadwaj, while pointing out a very shocking thing regarding the incident, said there is a suspicion that the work of refilling oxygen was going on on the lowest floor of the nursing home. We are also investigating this, if any such work was going on there, then does the hospital administration have its license and if not, then on what basis was this work going on in the hospital and by whom was this work being done, this is being investigated. Because fire spreads very quickly due to oxygen, therefore the work of refilling oxygen cannot be done everywhere, there are some provisions for this, permission has to be taken from the government for this. Bodies of five of the seven newborns killed in the hospital fire have been handed over to their families after post-mortem while the other two bodies will be handed over after autopsy. Additionally, a Delhi court allowed the Delhi Police's plea seeking three days of custodial interrogation of the owner Dr Naveen Khichi and on-duty doctor Dr Aaksh of the hospital. Additionally, the District Magistrate of Shahdara, Rishita Gupta, has submitted a factual report to the divisional commissioner regarding the incident on Sunday. In the report it was revealed that out of the seven dead newborn babies, four were male and three female. Barring one 25 days old boy, the rest were 15 days old infants. A detailed report in the matter is awaited. He also said two nurses and some locals rescued the babies without worrying about their lives. "We will recommend their names for bravery awards," he added. He also informed that the revenue department will be asked to expedite the process of compensation to the families of the babies killed and injured in the fire. The meeting at the Delhi secretariat, where health department officials including the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Special Secretary of Health were present, also discussed the ongoing heatwave conditions. In view of the ongoing heatwave conditions, 26 Delhi Government-run hospitals will reserve two beds each for heatstroke patients while five beds will be reserved at the LNJP Hospital, the Health Minister said. The Delhi Government had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire tragedy. In an order issued on Sunday, Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar directed the district magistrate of the Shahdara district to inquire into the fire tragedy that occurred on Saturday night. "And whereas it is essential to cause a magisterial inquiry into the aforesaid incident. Now therefore, district magistrate (Shahadra)/ chairman, District Disaster Management Authority is hereby directed to inquire into the said fire tragedy so as to ascertain the circumstances that led to the fire tragedy, to fix the responsibility on the persons for the said incident, and to suggest measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future," it said. The order directed that the inquiry report be submitted "as expeditiously as possible". A case has been registered at Vivek Vihar police station under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life and personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence), 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide). Both the arrested persons were produced in a Karkardoma court in the afternoon. Forensic teams and an inspector from the Electricity department visited the spot on Monday to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. As the mercury soars, Executive Director of AIIMS Bhopal Professor (Dr.) Ajai Singh has directed to take proactive steps to ensure the well-being of patients amidst the sweltering heat. With temperatures rising steadily over the past few days, there has been a notable surge in patients presenting with symptoms such as dehydration, fever, fatigue, weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Statistics from the Medicine Department's Outpatient Department (OPD) paint a concerning picture, with 653 patients on 24th, 462 on 25th and 723 on May 27 seeking medical attention alone. In response to the escalating patient numbers, the dedicated medical professionals of the Medicine Department at AIIMS Bhopal are working tirelessly to address the needs of every individual. To ensure seamless patient care from the moment of arrival, the hospital staff is extending their support, guiding patients through the registration process and assisting them in reaching the appropriate healthcare provider promptly. Professor (Dr.) Rajneesh Joshi, Head of the Department of Medicine, underscores the importance of preventive measures during this scorching summer season. He emphasized on staying covered while outdoors, staying hydrated, engaging in light physical activity, and avoiding unnecessary sun exposure, particularly crucial for individuals with co-morbidity conditions such as diabetes or hypertension. Executive Director, Professor (Dr.) Ajai Singh, urged the community to prioritize their health by embracing these simple yet effective precautions amidst rising temperatures. Through collective efforts and mindful actions, individuals can safeguard their well-being and contribute to a healthier community. On the instructions of Jhalasa Ranchi and on the directions of PDJ cum District Legal Services Authority Chairman Rajesh Sharan Singh and Secretary Ravi Chaudhary, a drug eradication campaign was run in Garhwa. Under this campaign people are being made aware at all public places including schools, bus stands, railway stations in Garhwa to prevent children below 18 years of age from consuming drugs. Under the aegis of District Legal Services Authority Garhwa, a program was organized on Monday in Sadar Hospital regarding the campaign for drug eradication. Civil Surgeon Dr. Ashok Kumar was present as the chief guest on the occasion. In the program, the Civil Surgeon said that the main role in keeping children away from drugs is of their parents. We need to keep an eye on our children. Whereas even if we know that a child is consuming drugs or he is working as a puppet of a drug peddler, then it is our responsibility to bring him on the right path. For this, he will be sent to the de-addiction center for counseling. If needed, people who consume drugs are also treated with medicines. He said that at present a drug de-addiction center is running in Medinirai Medical College Hospital, Palamu. Many kinds of problems are arising in society due to drug addiction. Marital relations are breaking. Many families are getting ruined due to drug addiction. It is our social responsibility to participate in drug eradication. In the program, PLV Murali Shyam Tiwari said that for legal assistance to children who need a drug de-addiction center or medical treatment to get rid of drug addiction, provide information to the District Legal Services Authority through PLV. All possible help will be provided free legal assistance to children addicted to drugs or involved in selling them. In the program, doctor of Sadar Hospital Garhwa Dr. T Piyush, member of Permanent Lok Adalat Rakesh Kumar Tripathi, advocate Rahul Rishi, secretary of Janak Vikas Dhara Organization Ramashankar Choubey etc. also expressed their views. Many people including PLV Umashankar Dwivedi and Sangeeta Sinha, DDM of Health Department Sujit Kumar Munda, Vimlesh Kumar, Sanjay Kumar were present on the occasion. The Delhi BJP on Monday alleged the suspicious role of Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwajs OSD Dr RN Gupta in the illegally running childrens hospital in Vivek Vihar where seven newborn babies died in a fire incident. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva in a statement alleged that the health department during an inspection in 2021 found the childrens hospital capable of admitting five newborns only but the officer on special duty (OSD) of the Health minister on an application of the hospital owner tried to approve the capacity to treat 10 babies. Bharadwaj said that nobody will be spared if found guilty. He claimed that Sachdeva was lying and the hospital was given permission of five beds only. The Health department had earlier also lodged cases against him that are pending in the courts, he said.Bharadwaj said that the hospital was inspected and registered in 2021 while he became the Health minister in 2023. Any attempt to link him with registration of the hospital will be dealt with legal action, he warned. In 2021, during an inspection, the health department found this child hospital capable of caring for only five children, but then Dr. R.N. Das, based on the hospital owners application, tried to approve the capacity to treat 10 children and infact allowed deposit of 10 bed fees, Sachdeva said. He accused the AAP led Delhi government of protecting the hospital running in an unauthorised manner. Despite this, there were 12 children admitted to the hospital during the fire, indicating that the hospital was operating continuously in an unauthorised manner and was under the protection of the Delhi government, hence no action was taken even on the local Residential Welfare Associations (RWA) complaints, he said. Further, Sachdeva claimed that Dr. R.N. Das has been very close to former Health Minister Satyendra Jain since 2021 and also to the current Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj. The roles of Satyendra Jain and Saurabh Bharadwaj in this hospital case are also suspicious, and an investigation into their roles in running the hospital illegally is necessary, he alleged. Sachdeva also claimed that Bhardwajs OSD, along with the hospital owners, are responsible for such an incident. It is necessary to register a case of collusion and negligence against Dr. R.N. Das along with the hospital owner and to investigate and arrest him as well. An investigation into the Fire Department is also necessary in this entire matter because in the past few years, there have been several major fire accidents and every time cases of unauthorised factories, warehouses, etc., have come to fore in Delhi, he said. He claimed that during the tenure of Delhis Fire Department Head Atul Garg many cases of corruption has come to light. Since 2016, Atul Garg has been the head of the Fire Department in Delhi, and during this time, cases of corruption in the Fire Department have come to light, and even in the case of the children hospital, an illegal gas filling plant was operating due to the negligence of the Delhi Fire Department, he said. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister for Urban Housing, Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Puri on Sunday said that the Congress party was yet to apologize properly for the Operation Bluestar at the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, Golden Temple, even after 40 years of the operation. Congress Party was responsible for Sikh massacre which took place after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, said Puri, while talking to reporters in Chandigarh on the occasion of the release of the BJP Chandigarh Manifesto. He said that the Congress had been describing it as anti-Sikh riots whereas this was a massacre and not a riot because in a riot, two sides are involved. In the massacre, only one community, that is the Sikhs were targeted. Puri ridiculed Congress partys promise of putting Rs one lakh in the bank accounts of a woman member of every family. This will be a drain of around Rs 32 lakh crores and is practically impossible to implement. It is clear that the Congress was trying to push a false narrative. AAPs scheme of supplying 300 units of free electricity was also part of the same revdi culture about which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had frequently spoken. Modi ji believes that good governance is good politics, added Puri. Union Minister said that Chandigarh was among the top cities of not only India but also of the world and it must be represented in the Parliament by a person of the caliber of Sanjay Tandon who was familiar with the citys ethos and its problems. Wait for June 4 for peoples mandate on my balance sheet: Tandon to Tewari In a sharp retort aimed at Congress candidate Manish Tewari, the BJP's candidate for the LS seat in Chandigarh Sanjay Tandon on Sunday said: It's regrettable and surprising that Tewari, who has been hopping from one constituency to another, leaving behind a trail of neglect, is now demanding a report card from me. Tandon, attributing Tewaris statements to frustration and the fear of losing the election, said: As he is tired of giving hollow speeches in his rallies, he has resorted to irrational statements in order to brush his past follies under the carpet. Tandon asserted, "I want to remind Tewari that the people of Chandigarh know me and my work and have decided to endorse it on Jun 1 by voting for meThose seeking my report card, will get their befitting response on June 4, as the discerning and educated electorate of the City Beautiful will vote for PM Modis development model and my proven track record. A city court here on Monday dismissed the bail plea of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals close aide Bibhav Kumar who is accused of assaulting AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the CMs residence. Additional Sessions Judge Sushil Anuj Tyagi of Tiz Hazari court rejected the bail plea of Kumar, a personal assistant of the CM, after hearing arguments from both sides. During the proceedings, Rajya Sabh MP Maliwal told the court that there was a threat to her life and grave danger to her family if Kumar was released. According to AAP, Kumar will approach the High Court after a city court rejected his bail plea in Swati Maliwal assault case. Kumar will move the High Court against the lower courts decision, the AAP said in a statement. Delhi BJP President Shri Virendra Sachdeva welcomed the rejection of the bail application and said that the day is not far when it will be clear why Kumar mercilessly beat up Maliwal. From police inquiry so far its clear that Bibhav Kumar had no personal reason to beat up Maliwal and obviously he has acted on CMs instruction. Its very obvious that both Arvind Kejriwal & his family were present in the house when Kumar beat up Maliwal but they both did not react as he was pressuring Maliwal to resign from her Rajya Sabha seat, he said. Earlier, during the hearing, Senior Advocate Hariharan representing Kumar said that she came to CMs residence with without invitation and trespassed into the property. Who called her? Was she invited? Can anyone enter in this manner? This is the official residence of the CM. She barged in and tresspassed in CMs residence, the Court was told. The counsel questioned why Maliwal did not file a police complaint the same day and why she was not examined at any Delhi government hospital but AIIMS. Everything was pre-planned to suit the story. He added that there was a trespass and a report was also filed. He claimed that accusations by Maliwal are false and that the FIR was lodged after three days. He also stated, How such an incident could take place at this place (CMs residence) where many people were present? There is no grievous injury on the vital part, so where is the question of culpable homicide not amounting to murder? Injuries can be self-inflicted. Kumars counsel said that since the CCTV has already been recovered, there is no question of tampering. Maliwal, who countered these arguments, broke down in court and said, They (AAP) have an army of trolls. The entire party machinery has been deployed. Continuous press conferences were held against me. This man (Bibhav Kumar) is not normal. He gets facilities that even Ministers dont do. If released, my life and my familys life is under grave danger, the Rajya Sabha MP said. Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava, representing the police said that prior to this incident, Maliwal never asked to take prior appointment. He also said that since she was allowed to sit in the waiting room, it implied permission and the question of trespass doesnt arise. All the people at the place of occurrence were reporting to Bibhav Kumar. It shows that he is influential. He can tamper with the evidence, he stated. Advocate Madhav Khurana, representing Maliwal, said that the victim has the right to be heard, referring to a judgement on whether he could address the court or not. He said that Maliwal is receiving rape and murder threats. The accused was found at the place of occurrence. He was interrogated but was evasive in answering. The accused allegedly assaulted a public servant earlier. If the accused is innocent, then why format his phone, tamper with the CCTV, and file a complaint on May 17? he said to the court. With the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab just a week away, the farmers on Monday called for a gherao of BJP leaders at 16 locations across the state on Tuesday. Despite arrests and police action, the farmers announced their intention to surround the homes of BJP leaders in protest, demanding the release of farmers detained at the BJPs behest. The decision emerged from a meeting of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM non-political), who are leading the ongoing farmers agitation. The Delhi Chalo andolan, which has reached the 105-day mark on the borders of Punjab and Haryana, shows no signs of abating. In the face of rising temperatures, the farmers resolve remains strong. They have vowed to continue their protest until the Central Government meets their demands. As Punjab prepares to vote on June 1, the farmers' anger towards the Modi government is becoming increasingly evident. On May 28, the farmers plan to besiege the homes of BJPs Lok Sabha candidates and leaders at 16 locations across the state to demand the release of their detained leaders. Additionally, they will encircle the residences of BJP Ministers in Haryana. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the main demand is the release of arrested farmers. The protest will take place from 12 pm to 4 pm outside the residences of BJPs Patiala candidate Preneet Kaur Moti Mahal; at Bathinda Urban against Parampal Kaur Maluka; at Faridkot against Hans Raj Hans; at Amritsar against Taranjit Singh Sandhu; at Mianwind Residence in Khadoor Sahib against Manjit Singh Manna; at Pathankot against Dinesh Singh Babbu; at Jalandhar against Sushil Kumar Rinku; at Hoshiarpur against Anita Som Prakash; at Sangrur against Arvind Khanna; at Ludhiana against Ravneet Singh Bittu; at Ferozepur and Mamdot against Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi; at Fatehgarh Sahib against Geja Ram Valmiki; at Anandpur Sahib against Subhash Sharma; and at Fazilka against Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar. Emphasizing that it is not a crime to question representatives in a democracy, Pandher urged the Aam Aadmi Party not to act as the BJP's B-team and undermine democratic principles. He criticized the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister for avoiding farmers questions and warned that such behaviour would cost the BJP votes in the upcoming elections. Pandher assured that the farmers would continue to question BJP leaders peacefully and constitutionally in the days ahead. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Monday hit out at the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, terming his application to extend interim bail by seven days to the Supreme Court, citing his deteriorating health as a reason, as a melodrama. He said that the reason cited by AAP supremo as excuse to extend his interim bail. During the entire election campaign, Arvind Kejriwal remained perfectly healthy, but when its time to go to jail, his health has started deteriorating. Kejriwal only runs a shop of excuses and lies, so now he is creating new excuses to extend his interim bail, he claimed. Questioning the AAP convenor, Sachdeva said, If he was so concerned about his health, then why did he campaign in Delhi for the INDIA alliance or Aam Aadmi Party candidates and why did he go to Punjab for a 3-day election campaign. Kejriwals health was fine for election campaigning in Delhi, but when its time to go to jail, his health has deteriorated. He also said that after campaigning in Delhi, Kejriwal has now gone Punjab and took a jibe at him by saying that he can play any trick there and may also be admitted to any hospital in Punjab. In the coming two-three days, it is possible that Kejriwal may fall while speaking on a stage or in a roadshow vehicle in Punjab, and we will be told that his sugar has dropped a lot or his ketones have worsened. The people of the country have now understood Kejriwals trickery very well, and the people will vote for the development of Punjab as well, he alleged.He said that when Kejriwal applied for extending his interim bail in the Supreme Court, he got a medical certificate from a private hospital, not from any government hospital of Delhi. Kejriwal, who claims his governments healthcare system to be world-class, has never visited any government hospital in Delhi when he felt unwell, the public is now seeing all this. No matter how many excuses Kejriwal makes to extend interim bail, he will have to go to jail. He said that those who have been looting Delhis treasury and Delhiites will not be spared now, he said. State President of Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party and Khajuraho MP Vishnudatt Sharma, while addressing a public meeting in Sridhar of Rajmahal Lok Sabha constituency on Monday, the fourth day of his stay in Jharkhand, said that Congress and Indi alliance are doing politics of lies, fraud and deceit. The British left the country, but Congress and the dynastic parties included in the Indian alliance want to move forward on the policy of divide and rule, but the people of the country will not accept it. Mr. Sharma said that before 2014, there were no roads in Jharkhand and people were worried about drinking water. After becoming the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has done the work of laying a network of roads in Jharkhand and providing tap water to every house. He said that to end corruption in Jharkhand, make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for the third time. People should give their blessings to BJP to save Jharkhand from the loot of Soren family. Before the public meeting, State President Sharma addressed the booth level workers meeting in Rajmahal and Dumka Lok Sabha constituency. BJP state president and MP Vishnudutt Sharma, while addressing the public meeting, said that remember Jharkhand before 2014 and look at the present Jharkhand. Before 2014, there were no roads in the entire Jharkhand and especially in the Santhal area and Rajmahal Lok Sabha constituency. It was not known whether there were potholes in the roads or roads in potholes. After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, a network of roads has been laid throughout Jharkhand. Now tap water is being provided to every house. The Congress Party, which ruled the country for years after independence, never did any good to the poor. The Congress party only gave the slogan of eradicating poverty, but did not do any work to eradicate poverty. When Narendra Modiopened Jan Dhan accounts for the welfare of the poor after becoming the Prime Minister, the leaders of Congress and opposition parties were raising questions. Today, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sending the amount of beneficiary schemes in the same Jan Dhan accounts and there is not even a single rupee of corruption. Whereas Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi, when he was the Prime Minister, had said that if I send one rupee from Delhi to the poor, 15 paise reaches the poor and 85 paise goes to corruption. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking action against this corruption, then everyone is unitedly protesting against corruption. Narendra Modi is providing free ration to 80 crore people for the welfare of the poor, along with gas connections for cooking to poor mothers and sisters under Ujjwala scheme, free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh to crores of people of the country under Ayushman Bharat scheme. Are running the plan. Now, after the formation of the government, the work of providing free treatment worth Rs 5 lakh to all senior citizens above 70 years of age and construction of Rs 3 crore Prime Minister's residence is starting. This is the guarantee of Modi ji, all of you make Narendra Modi ji the Prime Minister for the third time and make BJP candidate Tala Marandi victorious from Rajmahal Lok Sabha seat with a historic majority. As soon as Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister for the third time, Rs 3 crore PM Awas will be built and all senior citizens above 70 years of age will start getting free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. Senior leaders including party candidate Tala Marandi were present in the public meeting.BJP state president Vishnudutt Sharma said that in the corruption case in Jharkhand, a few days ago, Rs 35 crore was found from the house of a servant close to a minister. From this it can be estimated to what extent people's money is being looted in Jharkhand. Madhya pradesh High Court has serviced notice to BJP leader and former minister Imarti Devi, by accepting theplea of State Congress preident Jitu patwari for quashing the FIR lodged by her at Dabra police station in Gwalior. Imarti Devi had lodged a complaint on the controversial remark on her by State Congress President Jitu Patwari. He had filed a petition in the High Court challenging the police registering the case under other sections including the SC-ST Act. While hearing the petition, a single bench of High Court Justice Sanjay Dwivedi has issued a notice to former minister Imarti Devi seeking her reply. The next hearing on the petition has been scheduled for July 2. In the petition filed on behalf of petitioner Jitu Patwari, it was said that the statement he had given, in which he had not made any kind of caste based comment. Apart from this, there was no such intention, which has been mentioned in the FIR. Eight hours after giving the statement, he also publicly apologized. Hours after apologizing, an FIR was lodged against him. Not only this, complaints were also made in other police stations of the state. The FIR lodged is completely politically managed.Advocate Vibhor Khandelwal, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, told the single bench that an offense is not made out against the petitioner under the SC-ST Act, which is non-bailable. Other sections registered in the case are bailable. In his statement, Patwari did not make caste based statements against anyone and did not make any indecent gestures, which has been mentioned in the FIR. A case has been registered against him under SC-ST Act on the basis of no evidence. After hearing the petition, the single bench has issued a notice to Anavedika Imarti Devi and sought her reply. The single bench has given freedom to the State Congress President to file a petition in the High Court for anticipatory bail against the registration of FIR. Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused it of prioritizing the interests of a few wealthy individuals over the needs of farmers and ordinary citizens. In a powerful speech at Nahan in Sirmaur district while addressing rally in favour of Congress candidate from Shimla Vinod Sultanpuri, minced no words to accuse the Prime Minister of waiving off Rs 16 trillion in loans for 22 billionaires over the past decade while neglecting the needs of farmers and failing to provide Rs 9,000 crore in disaster relief to Himachal Pradesh after the monsoon floods. While Modi is busy helping his millionaire friends, he has ignored the plight of farmers and ordinary citizens, said Rahul Gandhi, while also criticizing the media for focusing on trivial matters such as Anant Ambani's wedding instead of pressing issues like the farmers distress, accusing it of being complicit in the BJP's agenda. He lambasted the BJP Government for its economic policies, particularly demonetization and the flawed implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). These policies have crippled small businesses and led to widespread unemployment, he said, accusing Modi of favouring businessman Gautam Adani as he controls crucial sectors like apple storage facilities in Himachal, leading to unfair pricing that harms local farmers. The Prime Minister is working for the benefit of 20-25 individuals, not for the common people, he said, adding that Modi has given Adani control over seven airports and the arms manufacturing industry. Outlining the Congress party's vision, Rahul Gandhi promised a series of pro-farmer and pro-poor measures. If Congress comes to power, each poor woman will receive Rs one lakh annually in her account. Farmers will be guaranteed a minimum support price (MSP) by law. Additionally, the Congress promises to provide three million government jobs and increase Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) wages to Rs 400 per day, he said. Graduates will be assured their first job in government companies and institutions under the Pehli Naukri Pakki Adhikar program. Along with waiving farmers debts, the income of Anganwadi and ASHA workers will be doubledThese are not free gifts but rights that will be granted if Congress forms the government, he added. Accusing the BJP of attempting to undermine the democratic process by buying votes and legislators, he said: The BJP is trying to seize power through corruption and money, not through genuine public support. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, echoing these sentiments, urged the voters to reject the BJPs tactics and support Congress candidates. Sukhu highlighted the Congress Government's achievements in implementing the old pension scheme, providing pensions for women, and supporting orphans. Rahul Gandhi also emphasized the importance of protecting the Constitution, which he claimed is under attack by the BJP. The Constitution is not just a book; it represents India's ancient wisdom and the voice of the nation, he said, urging the Congress workers to defend it against BJP's alleged assaults. He stressed that the Congress party stands for honesty, truth, and righteousness, which he believes will ultimately prevail. "The Constitution is the voice of India, which the BJP is attacking," he said, adding that Congress workers will fight against these attacks. The Congress leader also highlighted his and his sister Priyanka's connection to Himachal, describing themselves as foot soldiers of the people who would amplify their voices in Delhi. He appealed to voters to support all four Congress candidates in the state's Lok Sabha constituencies Mandi, Shimla, Hamirpur, and Kangra and the six assembly seats going to bypolls. My sister lives here in Shimla and Rahul and Priyanka are your soldiers in Delhi, he asserted. Rahul Gandhi also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not assisting when a natural disaster struck Himachal Pradesh, affecting 22,000 families. The Central Government is yet to provide several crores of rupees in disaster relief, he added. Congress leader, addressing a rally in favour of Congress Hamirpur Lok Sabha candidate Satpal Raizada in Una, also claimed that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi openly announced during his rallies that he would topple the Himachal Pradesh government through corruption and use of money. His claims came days after Modi, during his rally in Mandi on Friday, had claimed that the state's Congress government would not last. Rahul Gandhi also accused Modi of increasing unemployment by helping people like Adani, finishing small and medium businesses, through demonetization and implementation of the GST. Addressing a gathering in Una known as the heartland for army jawans, Rahul Gandhi said that the country does not want two kinds of soldiers and scrapping the Agnipath scheme will be the Congress' first priority once it comes to power. The All India Sikh Students Federation, in collaboration with the Bistupur Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, is set to honour talented Sikh children in a special ceremony on Sunday, June 2. The event will take place at the Gurdwara premises. Satnam Singh Gambhir, the Federation's Eastern India Head, announced that the initiative aims to recognize and encourage Sikh students who have excelled in their CBSE and ICSE examinations. "The Federation is committed to celebrating the achievements of these bright young minds. By honouring their hard work and dedication, we hope to inspire them to continue striving for excellence," Gambhir stated. To ensure that no deserving student is overlooked, the Federation is meticulously gathering data and reaching out to schools. Students who have secured top positions or scored 80 percent and above in their exams are encouraged to contact the Federation directly at 7739111007 to provide their information. Gambhir emphasized the significance of respecting and nurturing talent. "Our sole objective is to motivate these children by recognizing their achievements, thereby bringing pride to our country and community. It is crucial to honor and respect their talents," he added. The announcement event saw the presence of notable community leaders, including former president of Mango Gurdwara Committee Inder Singh, Inderjit Singh Panesar, Manjit Singh Gill, and Amarjeet Singh Bhamra, who all echoed the sentiment of fostering and acknowledging academic excellence among Sikh youth. This initiative by the All India Sikh Students Federation underscores the importance of academic achievement and aims to foster a culture of excellence and recognition within the community. The Special Judge for CBI Vyapam Cases, Bhopal on Monday convicted eleven accused including Avinash Jayant, Rajesh Prajapati, Lokendra Dhakar, Bhoora Rawat, Radheshyam Yadav and Vikas Rawat (all 06 candidates of PCRT-2012) and Naresh Prajapati, Hariom Singh Tomar, Hemant Singh Jat, Rambir Rawat & Sarvesh Kumar Jha (all 5 accused impersonators in PCRT-2012) to 07 years Rigorous Imprisonment with combined fine of Rs. 1.10 lakh in a case related to Police Constable Recruitment Test-2012 (PCRT-2012) conducted by Vyapam, Bhopal. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case on August 03, 2015 in compliance of the orders of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India dated July 09, 02015, by taking over an FIR registered, vide Crime No. 05/14 dated March 13, 2014 at STF PS, Bhopal on the allegations of illegal selection of candidates (Avinash Jayant, Rajesh Prajapati, Lokendra Dhakar, Bhoora Rawat, Radheshyam Yadav & Vikas Rawat) who were allegedly involved in cheating through impersonation in connivance with middlemen/solvers and others in the Police Constable Recruitment Test-2012 (PCRT-2012) held on September 30, 2012. It was also alleged that the accused were involved in forgery of valuable security, using forged documents as genuine, criminal conspiracy, using unfair means, etc. After investigation, STF, Bhopal had filed initial charge sheet on 07.06.2014 and a supplementary charge sheet on September 14, 2014. Further, 2nd Supplementary charge sheet dated January 26, 2015 was also filed by STF, Bhopal. STF had kept further investigation open with regard to other absconding/ untraced persons. During the CBI investigation, absconding accused were traced. Thereafter, a supplementary chargesheet was filed by CBI on September 28, 2016. After completion of further investigation, CBI also filed another supplementary chargesheet on June 30, 2017. The Court, after trial, held 11 accused guilty and sentenced them accordingly. Thousands of tearful eyes bid a last farewell to Badshahpur MLA Rakesh Daulatabad on Sunday. He died of a cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Gurugram on Saturday morning. He was about 44. He is survived by his wife and two sons, aged 21 and 17. The last rites were performed on Sunday with full state honours in the ancestral village Daulatabad. Several senior politicians paid their condolences to the bereaved family. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini, former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and several others posted their condolences on social media platform X. Daulatabad had contested elections from Badshahpur assembly constituency thrice in 2009, 2014 and 2019 but won the Assembly election in 2019. Badshahpur falls under the Gurugram Lok Sabha constituency. In 2019, Daultabad, who contested as an independent candidate had defeated BJPs Manish Yadav by a margin of 10,157 votes. Being an independent MLA, he had supported the BJP in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. He was given the responsibility of chairman of Haryana Agricultural Industries Development Corporation. It has been learnt that Daultabad was unwell for the past few days. He was admitted to Manipal hospital late on Friday evening after he complained of chest pain. He suffered a cardiac arrest and the doctors declared him dead Saturday morning. He was known for his social works in the Badshahpur assembly segment. From providing free ambulance services to the patients to financing the education of the poor and downtrodden were among a few of the works that Daultabad was known for. With Daulatabads death, the current strength of Haryana Vidhan Sabha has further been reduced to 87. In the 90-member Haryana state legislative assembly, two MLAs, including Manohar Lal Khattar and Ranjit Singh, had earlier resigned from their respective seats. Both are contesting the Lok Sabha elections on BJP tickets from Karnal and Hisar, respectively. As per the current strength of the House, the majority mark is 44. The BJP, which has 40 MLAs and the support of two others Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat of Prithla and Gopal Kanda of Haryana Lokhit Party, stands two short of the magic number. The Congress has 30 MLAs, the Jannayak Janta Party has 10 and the Indian National Lok Dal has one. Apart from that there are four other Independents not supporting the BJP. Fire has taken 55 lives and injured more than 300 people in the national capital so far this year, according to the official data revealed on Monday. According to the data by Delhi Fire Services (DFS), 16 people were killed in fire in January, another 16 in February, 12 in March, four in April, and seven till May 26. Fire incidents led to 51 injuries in January, 42 in February, 62 in March, 78 in April, and 71 till May 26. From January 1 to May 26, the DFS received 8,912 fire-related calls. According to the data, 36 people had lost their lives during the same period in 2023. "The number of fire calls increased to 32.26 per cent this year. According to the data, a total 6,436 calls related to the fire were received from January 1 to May 26, last year, but this year the number has gone up by more than 32 per cent with 8,912 fire related calls during the same period," an official of the Delhi Fire Services said. "Last year 36 people had lost their lives, this year total 55 people have so far lost their lives," the official added. On Sunday, six newborn died after a massive fire broke out at a private children's hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar. The blaze broke out at the Baby Care New Born Hospital at around 11.30 pm on Saturday and soon spread to two other adjacent buildings. Sixteen fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze and a massive rescue operation went underway to bring out 13 children from the hospital. Six of them died. Police had said that one child had already died before the fire broke out. DFS chief Atul Garg told PTI Videos, "The neonatal hospital has no fire NOC and has not even proper fire combat arrangements. Besides that, oxygen cylinders were also kept there which had exploded." "Be it NOC required or not, everyone must ensure proper fire safety arrangements in all types of buildings. Installing sprinklers is one of the best ways to combat fire initially and to inform firefighters," he said. The incident also drew the attention of President Droupadi Murmu, who prayed for the babies and condoled with the bereaved parents. Police on Sunday arrested the owner of the hospital which was being operated with an expired licence. It also did not have qualified doctors and had no clearance from the fire department. According to the FIR copy accessed by PTI, police when inspected the spot, found 27 oxygen cylinders lying inside and outside the premises of the two-storey hospital building. The Delhi Police booked two doctors, Dr Naveen and Dr Akash, under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life and personal safety of others), 304A (causing death by negligence), 304 (culpable homicide), and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide). "Teams from forensic science, and crime branch and local police had visited the hospital and collected samples to know actual reason behind the fire," a senior police officer said requesting anonymity. On the same day, three people died in a fire in a four-storey residential building in Krishna Nagar area of east Delhi. On February 15, 11 people died in an explosion and subsequent blaze in a paint factory at Dayalpur market in outer Delhi's Alipur. Four people were injured in the incident. The charred bodies of the 11 victims, one of them a woman, were recovered from the factory, which doubled as a chemical godown. The fire, which was preceded by a blast, had spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation centre and eight shops. In another incident in February, an 83-year-old woman died and her granddaughter sustained injuries after they jumped off the fourth floor of a residential building in southwest Delhi's Dwarka when a fire broke out in their apartment. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of threatening to topple the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab after the Lok Sabha polls and claimed that the country is under dictatorship. Union Minister Shah at a poll rally in Ludhiana on Sunday asked people to ensure the victory of the BJP's Lok Sabha candidates in Punjab and said "the Bhagwant Mann government will not last long after the BJP's victory". On Monday, Kejriwal, while addressing a gathering of traders in Amritsar, said, "Have you heard Amit Shah's statement? He gave a threat. Initially, he abused Punjabis a lot. He issued a threat that after June 4, the Punjab government will be toppled. Bhagwant Mann will no longer remain the chief minister after June 4." "We have 92 seats (MLAs). How can you topple (government)? There is a dictatorship (in the country)," Kejriwal said and alleged that the BJP leaders were openly saying that they would threaten the legislators with the CBI and the ED and then "buy" them. "I want to tell him... Do not threaten the people of Punjab. Otherwise, they will make it difficult for you to enter Punjab," the Delhi chief minister added. Later during an interaction with reporters in Bathinda, Kejriwal asked Shah to explain what "conspiracy" has been hatched to topple the AAP government in Punjab. "Such language was never used by any home minister," he said and alleged that Shah had openly threatened the people of Punjab. Pointing out that in the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the AAP has 92 MLAs and the BJP just three, Kejriwal asked, "What plan do you have to topple the government? Will you scare the people of Punjab with ED and CBI? Or will you impose president's rule?" The AAP national convener alleged that the BJP wants to end the free electricity facility in Punjab and said, "I want to tell the people that give 13 seats to the AAP if you want continuation of free electricity." Taking on the Narendra Modi government, Kejriwal claimed it has done no work in the last 10 years to show to the people. In Abohar, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann too slammed Shah over his remarks and said, "Do you have the courage to topple the government? We have 92 seats. They are threatening us. Are you coming (here) to seek votes or threaten to topple the government?" Later during the press conference in in Bathinda, Mann asked, "What do you think of us? Do you think we are for sale? I want to tell the home minister that we have high regard for you as you are the Union home minister. But telling a CM of any state that he will be removed.. Such threat will not work. Punjabis are angry over this." Mann accused the BJP of playing politics of hatred and polarization and said that the AAP was seeking votes in Punjab based on the work done by his government in the last two years. "After 10 years, the prime minister is unable to talk about building schools and giving jobs. He just speaks about 'mangalsutra', meat and 'Pakistan. They practise politics of hatred," the Punjab chief minister said. Mann said PM Modi asked why did he go to meet Kejriwal in jail. "He is the party's national convener. Cannot I go and meet him?" he asked. About the BJP terming his move of seeking an extension of his interim bail to undergo medical tests as a "drama", Kejriwal said, "They earnestly wish that Kejriwal die." "Those people who know me are aware that I have lost weight. If anybody loses seven kg in one month without any apparent reason, then it is a serious problem. Doctors have prescribed many tests. I sought only one week for tests. Unexplained weight loss is a serious thing. There can be some serious disease inside which remains undetected," Kejriwal said. Kejriwal was arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam in March and is currently out on interim bail till June 1. Pakistan on Sunday asked Afghanistans Taliban government to hand over banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistans (TTP) terrorists involved in a deadly attack on Chinese workers to Islamabad, according to a media report. Five Chinese were among six persons killed when an explosives-packed vehicle rammed into their bus in the troubled province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in March, in the second suicide attack on the personnel working on the China-backed hydropower project since 2021. The Chinese were working on the Dasu hydropower project, which is about 300 km to the north of Islamabad. The 4,320 MW project is being constructed by China Gezhouba with funding from the World Bank. Whether Afghanistan try the terrorists (in the court of law) or not, it should hand over the militants to Pakistan, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said while addressing a joint press conference flanked by officials of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority. In view of the investigation report, the minister said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistans (TTP) operated the terror attack on Chinese citizens from inside Afghanistan, Geo TV reported. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of Pakistans Cabinet on Thursday decided to pay USD 2.58 million to the families of Chinese workers killed in the attack. The approval of compensation for five Chinese workers of China Gezhouba Group (contractor) was approved at the rate of USD 5,16,000 per head, as a goodwill gesture. Thousands of Chinese personnel are working in Pakistan on several projects being carried out under the aegis of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Some have been attacked in recent years by militants who accuse them of exploiting mineral resources. Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban to take action against the TTP fighters who are using Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. However, Afghanistan has shown reluctance to take action against the rebels, who in the past fought shoulder-to-shoulder with them against the NATO forces. Pakistan had provided support to the Afghan Taliban with the hope that after coming to power, they would take action against elements using the Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistan. But its hopes floundered when the Afghan Taliban refused to take any action and instead asked Pakistan to hold talks with the TTP. The talks failed and the TTP launched a ruthless campaign of terror against Pakistan. The TTP is an umbrella group of several militant outfits formed in 2007. P Feature: Auckland students showcase talents at wondrous Chinese Bridge language competitions Xinhua) 10:26, May 27, 2024 AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A series of exhilarating Chinese language proficiency competitions were held on Saturday by the Confucius Institute in the New Zealand city of Auckland, bringing together students from various age groups and backgrounds. The Chinese Bridge branded Auckland Regional Speech Competitions 2024 showcased the participants' linguistic talents, cultural appreciation and passion for the Chinese language. Students from over 30 schools across the wider Auckland region gathered to demonstrate their Chinese language skills and cultural understanding. From Chinese songs to Chinese crosstalk and tongue twisters, from Chinese paintings and calligraphy to Tai Chi and Wushu demonstrations, talented students were able to put together a rich Chinese culture exhibition for onlookers. The applause echoed through the auditorium, celebrating their talents and bridging cultural boundaries. Caleb Jenkins, a 12th-grade student from Selwyn College, emphasised the importance of learning Chinese in his speech. "Chinese opens doors for me to understand China's history and culture," he said, "As China's economic and cultural influence grows globally, fluency in Mandarin becomes essential." Jenkins also prepared a Chinese pop song with guitar accompaniment, which lyrics he self-learnt from online. "Learning Chinese is like having wings to soar between different cultures and languages," Jenkins said in Mandarin confidently. Having learnt only four months of Chinese, 10th-grade student Henry Tran from Northcote College was encouraged by his teacher to participate in the competition. While busy taking photos of her son in traditional Chinese costume, Yuna Tran was very proud of her child and believed that learning Chinese is important for communication. "There are many Chinese people in our neighborhood, and everyone speaks Chinese. It is good to learn some Chinese," she said. Julie Mana'o, the lead teacher at the New Lynn School, enthusiastically watched her six pupils' culture performances, Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon, at the competition. She was very supportive of her school's Chinese teaching and learning activities. The competition gave students from different backgrounds, especially disadvantaged groups, a good opportunity, believed Mana'o. "We love our students learning Chinese and participating in such competitions. It is a good opportunity for our students, two of them from refugee backgrounds, to perform and showcase their talent to a wider audience," said Mana'o. Zhang Suhang, a graduate student from East China Normal University's Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages program, has been working in Auckland as a Mandarin language assistant (MLA) for four months by now. The New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement supports the placement of MLA in New Zealand schools to facilitate the teaching and learning of Mandarin and to raise the quality of Mandarin language provision in New Zealand schools. Zhang tirelessly helped her students prepare for the competition and was overwhelmed by her students' enthusiasm for learning the Chinese language and culture. "The students practised a lot during their spare time. They really like Chinese cultural activities," said Zhang. Participants at the Chinese language competitions on Saturday were grouped into three competitions for primary, secondary and college students. Top students selected from the Auckland Regional Speech competitions will have the opportunity to represent Auckland with winners from other parts of New Zealand for the final competition in China. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Gardai detected some 50 people attempting to enter Ireland from the UK illegally last week. An Garda Siochana said they were refused leave to land and were returned to the UK across four days of action. The force said officers conducted 11 days of action in quarter four of 2023, and up to May 20, a further 10 days of action had taken place. Across that period, 107 people had been detected without the correct visas or identity papers. They said four additional days of action took place on the week commencing May 20, when a further 50 people were detected without the correct visas or identity papers. During these operations, persons entering Ireland illegally and were refused leave to land (RLTL) and returned to the UK by ferry from Dublin Port to Holyhead or returned to Belfast, as appropriate depending on the individual circumstances, they said. In a statement, gardai said officers carry out immigration checks along the border on a regular basis to detect breaches of immigration legislation and detect abuses of the Common Travel Area (CTA). These include checkpoints on roads and checks on the train line through Co Louth, close to the border with Northern Ireland. Gardai said they have significant operational co-operation with the UK Border Force, UK policing services and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, supported organisationally by the Cross Border Joint Action Task Force. Our Immigration officers work in close collaboration with personnel operating buses and trains in the area, they added. A human rights-based approach is adopted in relation to every individual stopped. Immigration officers will clearly identify themselves to all passengers on buses or trains. All Garda members have completed training in the Garda Code of Ethics and the Garda Decision Making Model. All checks carried out are lawful, objective and respectful. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The head of a new information recovery body which has taken on responsibility for hundreds of unresolved Troubles deaths has insisted that commitment to human-rights principles will be paramount in its work. Sir Declan Morgan, chief commissioner at the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), has visited the Council of Europe in Strasbourg to explain his work. The new ICRIR became operational earlier this month. It is led by retired judge Sir Declan, a former lord chief justice for Northern Ireland. The ICRIR was created by the Governments controversial Legacy Act which received royal assent last year despite widespread opposition from political parties, victims organisations in Northern Ireland and the Irish Government. All new civil litigation and inquests into Troubles deaths which had not completed oral evidence have been stopped. Bereaved families, victims and certain public authorities can instead request the ICRIR carry out an investigation. However, opposition to the new commission led to a protest in Belfast on its first day of work, with relatives of bereaved Troubles victims claiming that it has shut down access to justice. Sir Declan presented to a number of state delegations in Strasbourg and met with the Council of Europes commissioner for human rights Michael OFlaherty and Christos Giakoumopoulos, director general of human rights and rule of law. He also outlined details on the Enhanced Inquisitorial Proceedings (EIP) which enables the commission to complete investigations into Troubles deaths previously subject to advanced stage inquests. Sir Declan said: Our commitment to human rights is paramount and is about so much more than just lip service, but through presenting our proposals for scrutiny, obtaining feedback and listening to it, we can improve our approach to delivering answers for all those who request that we conduct an investigation. Our ongoing dialogue with Strasbourg and the UN is important to demonstrate our commitment to human rights and to obtain the trust of the victims and families who experienced such trauma during the Troubles/conflict. Mr Giakoumopoulos said: From several meetings with the ICRIR, it is clear that intensive efforts are being made to ensure the commissions work is articles two and three compliant. In February, the High Court in Belfast ruled that one of the central parts of the Governments Legacy Act, the provision for conditional immunity from prosecution for Troubles offences, was unlawful and struck it out. The Government is appealing against that finding. However, the court also ruled the ICRIR is able to carry out human rights-compliant investigations and is independent. Taiwan's renewable goals clash with nuclear revival calls Over the past eight years, Taiwan's government has spearheaded an ambitious energy transition, boosting renewable energy generation by a striking 110% since 2016. However, the arrival of a new administration has reignited the debate over nuclear power, with some advocates pushing for a revival of nuclear energy or extending the lifespan of existing plants. Cheng-Wen Wu, the newly appointed head of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), indicated that while he doesn't oppose nuclear energy personally, it requires broad societal consensus. With the new government in place, nuclear energy has emerged as a pivotal issue for multiple ministries, including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Economic Affairs(MOEA), and NSTC. Pegatron Chairman Tzu-Hsien Tung has consistently voiced his support for nuclear energy through various media channels, and business groups have echoed these calls. A legislator recently underscored Taiwan's ambitious target of sourcing 60-70% of its energy from renewables. When questioned on the feasibility of this goal, Wu candidly responded, "It is very difficult." Pressed further on his stance on nuclear energy, Wu maintained that while he isn't opposed to it, any nuclear solution must be clean, safe, and backed by public support. Minister of Economic Affairs JW Kuo is scheduled to present a report to the Legislative Yuan next week, addressing the contentious nuclear issue. Ministry officials have clarified that the RE100 initiative, which promotes 100% renewable energy, does not encompass nuclear power. They emphasized the government's commitment to a "nuclear-free homeland" and its green energy efforts remain steadfast. MOEA highlighted the urgent need to meet the green electricity demands of Taiwan's supply chain, predicting a significant peak by 2030. Whether it's achieving the initial RE30 target (30% green electricity) or ensuring advanced manufacturing processes exclusively use green energy, the need is pressing. Green electricity is deemed essential for industrial exports. The Ministry's position is to comply with legal requirements regarding the operational lifespan and decommissioning of nuclear plants. Executive Yuan spokesperson Shih-Kai Chen reiterated the unwavering goal of a nuclear-free homeland, framing it as a responsibility to the planet and future generations. The government aims to foster a stable economic development environment while ensuring a continuous and safe power supply and advancing green energy initiatives. Yageo to acquire 20% stake in PMIC firm uPI Passive component maker Yageo has disclosed plans to take part in uPI Semiconductor's impending private placement. uPI Semiconductor is an affiliate of Asustek Computer specializing in Power Management ICs (PMIC) and power discretes, such as MOSFETs. Assuming the purchase goes through, Yageo will become the largest shareholder of uPI. Yageo announced it will fully participate in uPI's private placement for 21 million shares, following a mutual resolution passed at a board of directors meeting on May 24. After the transaction, Yageo will become uPI's largest single strategic shareholder with a 20.23% stake. According to Yageo, this strategic investment in uPI will extend the share of both parties in the future high-growth market of electronic components by facilitating the mutual integration of global sales channels and joint development. "We believe uPI's strong design capabilities across many different important semiconductor products, especially in its multi-phase VCore (core voltage) controller ICs and its highly integrated power stages, will best complement our existing portfolio," said Yageo founder and chairman Pierre Chen. "Given the nature of having to work closely with CPU, GPU, and memory for VCore controller ICs and power stages, this strategic investment into uPI will further strengthen our relationships with world-leading IC design companies to be even earlier in the customers' design cycle." "In addition, we will be able to provide more value-added products and services to our customers by enhancing our one-stop-shop model with differentiated products such as power modules and others," Chen continued. "This strategic move is another testament to YAGEO's unique position in the global electronic supply chain with premium channels and strong customer relationships in all the most highly anticipated markets such as AI, high-performance computing, industrial and automotive." Other shareholders of uPI include UMC's investment arm Triknight Capital, and TXC. "The key rationale behind the private placement is to accelerate and to open up more opportunities through leveraging YAGEO's strengths in its brand and channels in high-end applications like high-performance computing, automotive, industrial, and medical, as well as premium markets like North America, Europe, Japan, and Korea," said uPI's chairman S. Y. Hsu. "The additional capital obtained from the private placement will also provide uPI with more flexibility to look for more immediate opportunities to expand its business and operations to maintain and improve its competitive advantage." In 2023, uPI's net profits decreased by 95.6% year-on-year to NT$50.5 million (US$1.57 million). The company attributed the substantial profit decline to inventory adjustments and the loss that resulted from the decreasing value of its inventory. Non-operating income boosted uPI's profitability in the first quarter of 2024, resulting in net earnings of NT$115 million, which exceeded those for the entire year of 2023. South Korea looks to bolster IC design sector, currently 1% of global market South Korea has unveiled a support package to strengthen its semiconductor industry and catch up with international rivals. The plan aims to support large companies and weaker sectors, particularly in the IC design and foundry sectors. According to reports from the Korea Economic Daily and Hankyoreh, on May 23, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a KRW 26 trillion (US$19.1 billion) support package to strengthen the country's semiconductor industry. This initiative aims to boost competitiveness in weaker areas such as IC design and foundry, particularly since South Korea holds only a 1% share in the global IC design market. The public in South Korea has expressed concerns that the support plan primarily serves as a tax break for large companies. In response, Yoon emphasized that over 70% of the benefits from this comprehensive plan will go to SMEs. He highlighted the essential role of semiconductors in daily life. He argued that tax incentives for corporate investment would help expand the semiconductor ecosystem, boost corporate revenue and tax income, and create more quality jobs. Yoon highlighted that South Korea's global market share in IC design is only 1%, and its wafer foundry sector still lags behind industry leaders such as TSMC. As a result, he instructed the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) to devise additional measures to bolster the competitiveness of the system semiconductor industry. The Comprehensive Semiconductor Industry Support Plan includes financial aid, infrastructure development, R&D, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). South Korea will launch a KRW17 trillion financial support program to assist semiconductor companies with large-scale equipment investments. This program facilitated through banks aims to help companies manage cash flow issues from significant capital expenditures needed for building new factories or expanding production lines. In addition, Korea will establish a KRW1 trillion Semiconductor Ecosystem Fund to support promising companies in IC design, materials, components, and equipment sectors. The government will also extend investment tax credits set to end in 2024 to support companies in R&D and equipment procurement. South Korea will handle essential infrastructure and accelerate construction for building its KRW622 trillion semiconductor clusters. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix welcomed the package. Notably, SK Hynix announced the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster project in 2019 but faced delays due to issues with water supply and permits, with the first fab expected to be completed only by 2027. Liquid cooling set to double market growth by 2025, but Auras chair warns of impending industry shakeout Liquid cooling technology is projected to double the cooling market's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) by 2025. However, the substantial capital and sophisticated technology required will likely lead to the first wave of eliminations in the cooling industry, according to Lin Yu-shen, chairman of Taiwan's thermal solutions provider Auras Technology. Lin made the remarks in response to media questions at the end of the company's recent shareholders meeting. He also noted that the rapid advancement of water cooling could result in shortages of many components, such as quick couplers and pumps. A single server cabinet requires 300-400 quick couplers, and the current production capacity is insufficient, causing skepticism among existing manufacturers about this business opportunity. Lin highlighted that the launch of Nvidia's Blackwell-architecture GPUs has ushered in a new era of liquid cooling, distinct from traditional air cooling, with cloud service providers, system manufacturers, and component manufacturers embracing liquid cooling solutions. Liquid cooling necessitates new designs, components, certifications, and responsibilities, disrupting the cooling market and creating fresh opportunities. This shift is attracting new players, particularly with the surge in demand for liquid cooling driven by Blackwell GPUs. However, while many are currently rushing into the liquid cooling arena, it will become evident by the second half of 2024 to 2025 who truly has the capabilities to succeed in this field, Lin said. Lin noted that liquid cooling technology is not easy. It currently uses a Liquid-to-Air (L2A) cooling method with a sidecar design, which will eventually evolve into Liquid-to-Liquid (L2L) cooling. The timeline for this transition hinges on the pace of data center construction. Furthermore, the cold plate for liquid cooling is particularly challenging to manufacture. He explained that liquid cooling components must meet stringent quality standards, necessitating zero defects, unlike other mechanical components that may tolerate a few parts per million (PPM) defects. In addition, while demand for individual components like quick couplers and pumps was previously limited, the surge in demand from AI servers has made shortages inevitable. Auras can now independently manufacture all major components for liquid cooling and is expanding its capacities in Taiwan and Thailand to meet growing customer demand. Lin revealed that the company plans to raise funds soon to support this expansion, adding that its Thailand plant is integrating automation to enhance production efficiency and quality. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. A group of Irish paranormal investigators believe they caught a ghost on camera at a pub in recent days. The team at Paranormal Supernatural Investigations Ireland say they caught the 'glaistig' ghose manifesting in a picture taken at a pub in Scotland recently. The group took to social media to share side by side images of the same spot in the pub with one purporting to show the rare ghost. The Irish paranormal group explained: "The glaistig is a ghost from Scottish mythology, a type of fuath. It is also known as maighdean uaine (Green Maiden), and may appear as a woman of beauty or monstrous mien, as a half-woman and half-goat similar to a faun or satyr, or in the shape of a goat. "Paranormal Supernatural Investigations Ireland visited the Scottia Bar in Glasgow, reputedly haunted by the Green Lady, and captured this image of her manifesting in the green light of the exit sign. Entities use different mediums as methods to show themselves to us," they added. "The timeline on these photos show clearly this process happening. The image is in the top left showing nothing at 18.43 and the manifesting at 18.47." You can see both of the timestamped images below and make up your own mind below: An Irish passenger on board the turbulence-hit flight from Doha to Dublin yesterday told of the chaos on board as the plane suddenly plummeted hundreds of feet without warning. Twelve people were hurt in the incident, eight of whom were taken to hospital upon landing in Dublin according to Dublin Airport, with shocked travellers describing how flight attendants were tossed into the air and hit the ceiling of the aircraft. The incident occurred five days after a British man died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of people were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight from London encountered severe turbulence. Abbie Clare, who was returning home to Dublin from a holiday in Qatar with her mother and sister, said the experience caused her to "fear for her life". Abbie was quick to take a photo of the chaotic scenes aboard the flight following the turbulence, which happened shortly after passengers had been served food. Describing the mess, Abbie said that most passengers did not have their seatbelts on at the time as they were eating, and many of the flight crew were standing in the aisle serving passengers. "I had literally just gotten up to use the bathroom, gone to strap myself back into the seat, and I had my belt in my hand when the plane dropped," Abbie said. "I couldn't put the belt on in time". "It didn't feel like a short drop either, it was out of nowhere. Boom, straight down. Next moment, I was up in the air, I was literally hit off of the roof of the plane." Explaining that she had been bruised in the incident, Abbie continued, saying she "landed back down on the ground, and there was others around being thrown up into the air. As the sounds of screams rang out throughout the plane, Abbie described how many of the staff "were standing at the time, so when it dropped due to the turbulence they were lifted off of their feet. It was so scary". "I think a few got scalded from the hot food and drinks everyone had at the time, and I believe there was some broken wrists aswell". A warning of turbulence had been issued to passengers, but according to Abbie the seatbelt sign ad not been turned on. "Whatever happened, I'm not sure, but I have to thank the pilot, because I genuinely feared for my life like never before. I thought "I'm dead, this is how I'm going to go." In a statement on the latest incident, Dublin airport said the Qatar Airways flight landed safely as scheduled shortly before 1pm on Sunday. Emergency services, including ambulances, were seen on the ground around the plane after it landed in Dublin. In an updated statement at 3pm yesterday, Dublin airport said all passengers had been assessed for injury before disembarking the plane, and eight were taken to hospital. Abbie's mother and sister were not among the injured, but Abbie suffered bruising across her arm, back and left leg, and still has serious pain in her ribs. "I'm going to the doctor today to get it all checked over. I travel a good bit and its put me off flying long haul for a good while because it was just so scary," Abbie said. "It was mad after the chaos happened because some people were horrible to the staff, who had been shaken and injured just as much as us. It was just a really bad experience." FAQ on cash Will cash disappear in the near future? No. Cash will remain the default means of payment for the foreseeable future. Cash carries value, can be reliably authenticated and does not require a third party to settle payments. No other payment instrument ticks these three boxes as effectively as cash. Will the rise of electronic payments make cash obsolete? No. The unique features of cash ensure that it will remain relevant in the future. Digital means of payment may be convenient for many people, but they do not suit everyone. Electronic payments will not replace cash as a payment instrument, but rather exist alongside it. Are retailers allowed to reject cash as a means of payment? In March 2010 the European Commission issued Recommendation (2010/191/EU), based on a report by the Euro Legal Tender Expert Group, which states the following with regard to the obligation to accept cash. Retailers cannot refuse cash payments unless both parties have agreed to use a different means of payment. Displaying a label or posters indicating that the retailer refuses payments in cash, or payments made in certain banknote denominations, is not enough. The retailer must provide a legitimate excuse, such as a difficulty maintaining sufficient cash reserves to provide change or concrete physical security risks due to the presence of large amounts of cash. Public entities providing essential services to citizens cannot apply restrictions or refuse cash payments altogether without sufficient reason. Doing so would undermine the legal tender status of euro banknotes and coins protected by EU law. Do national central banks have competences over banknotes and coins? Yes. The competence for euro banknotes lies with the ECB and the national central banks of the Eurosystem. In contrast, the competence for issuing euro coins lies with the individual Member States, although the ECB approves the volume of coins that Member States may issue. All national central banks are involved in the logistics of coin supply and the storage of reserve stocks. Does a commercial bank have the competency to determine if a banknote is a counterfeit? No. If a commercial bank has doubts about the authenticity of a euro banknote it will hand it over to the national central bank (or competent national analysis centre), which makes the final decision on whether a note is real or not. Is there more than one series of euro banknotes? Yes. The first series (5 to 500) of euro banknotes was issued in 2002 and remains legal tender. Between 2013 and 2019 the ECB and the national central banks of the Eurosystem introduced a second series of euro banknotes, also known as the Europa series, ranging from 5 to 200 (the 500 banknote is no longer issued). The Europa series banknotes include a refreshed design and enhanced security features. Do all retailers have to offer cashback and cash-in-shop services? Are these services available in every country? Cashback and cash-in-shop services are alternative ways of withdrawing cash, complementary to ATMs and bank branches, and it is up to retailers to decide whether to offer these services to their customers. According to our survey, in 2021 11% of retailers in the euro area provided cashback services and 6% of retailers offered cash-in-shop services. However, there are still some euro area countries where these services are not available yet. Can I catch the coronavirus from banknotes? The amount of the virus that might be transferred is so small that the risk of infection is insignificant compared with that from other surfaces that people come into contact with on a daily basis. The ECB is working closely with European laboratories to assess the behaviour of coronaviruses on different surfaces so that we can ensure that handling cash remains as safe as possible. Please read our blog post for more information. UNIVERSITY College Cork has appointed Dr Darina Allen, of Ballymaloe Cookery School fame, as Adjunct Professor to Adult Continuing Education and the Department of Folklore and Ethnology. Through her food education programmes, writing, cookery books, television work, and ongoing food activism, Darina has revised and revitalised the ways in which we view, understand, and value Irish food. As a champion of Irish food and Irish food culture for over 40 years, she has raised the profile and reputation of Irish food at home and throughout the world and has been a guiding light in learning to value Irish produce as some of the best the world can produce. Darinas extensive food knowledge and her in-depth understanding of the Irish food system will be of invaluable benefit to UCCS MA in Food Studies and Irish Foodways and the students who undertake the programme. Speaking of her appointment, Director of Adult Continuing Education, Dr Seamus O Tuama, said: Darina is one of Irelands most esteemed food advocates. Her experience and work at grassroots level with food production and industry provides new and fresh inspiration and direction to guide our students on the MA in Food Studies and Irish Foodways. Her advice and her sharing of her well-informed and on-the-pulse knowledge enables Adult Continuing Education to be best-positioned in aligning our MA programme with future food trends and industry needs. To mark Darinas appointment, University College Cork will host her inaugural lecture on Wednesday, June 5, from 6.30-8 pm, titled Do We Know the Story Behind the Food We Eat? This year also marks the 100th birthday of Myrtle Allen and the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Yeats Room in Ballymaloe House. After Darinas lecture, a panel discussion of the contribution of Myrtle to Irish food and cooking with take place with Rory OConnell, of Ballymaloe Cookery School; Wendy Whelan, Ballymaloe House, and Ballymaloe House Head Chef, Dervilla, OFlynn. In response to her appointment, Darina said: I am honoured to be appointed as Adjunct Professor to UCCs food studies programme. Food education has been at the heart of my work in both formal and informal settings for over 40 years. The cookery school provides students with essential life skills to choose and control how they build relationships with food and food producers. It is very encouraging to see that academic institutions are beginning to realise the crucial role food education plays in the health of students plus safeguarding the wellbeing of people and the planet as we face into a future of uncertainty. Our energy, vitality, and ability to concentrate and achieve is influenced by the food we eat. How wonderful would it be for UCC to lead the way with an organic food campus? Informed and powerful education results are best produced by combining the academic with the practical, and I am eager to contribute such insights to UCCs Masters programme and I hope that this reciprocal relationship will be of benefit to both our institutions. The appointment will align to UCCs MA, which has been running since 2019 and it has seen successive cohorts of students expand and professionalise their knowledge of economic, political, social, and cultural aspects of Irish food and food production. Speaking of the unique nature of the MA in Food Studies and Irish Foodways, Programme Manager Regina Sexton says, the university took a unique approach in designing this food studies programme. As an emerging field of academic interest, food studies programmes are increasing in education institutions in the global north, but most spread the net very wide in attempting to explore food in a very general or global sense without delving deep into the intricacies of local and domestic aspects of food and food production. The UCC programme provides an in-depth analysis of Irish food culture by exploring how the Irish food system works; analysing the environmental dimensions of food production in Ireland; examining aspects of nutrition and health, alongside providing a deep exploration of Irish food history, folklore, tradition, and heritage. The event, including Darina Allens inaugural lecture and the panel discussion, is a free event open to the public, but spaces are limited. Book your spot via Eventbrite. THE invaluable service provided by the chief executive of the Cork Alliance Centre Sheila Connolly to support and rehabilitate people who have been to prison has resulted in her nomination as the Cork Person of the Month for May. Ms Connolly has been working with the Cork Alliance Centre since 2003 and has played an instrumental role in the development and provision of a range of services to support people who have been to prison to make a fresh start and bring change into their lives. Warm Tribute The co-host of the Two Norries podcast James Leonard, himself a past user of the Cork Alliance Centre, paid a warm tribute to Ms Connolly and the contribution she has made to the lives of both those who have been to prison and those around them. Over the past 25 years Sheila has helped thousands of Cork men and women rebuild their lives following a spell in prison, he said. She has been key in breaking family cycles of offending and also reducing crime, which has in turn led to less victims of crime and a safer society for all. She has been instrumental in my life, my wifes life, my friends lives, and the lives of thousands across Cork city and county." The organiser of the Cork Person of the Month awards, Manus OCallaghan, said the work carried out by Ms Connolly and the Cork Alliance Centre had positively impacted countless lives in Cork, providing ex- offenders with invaluable guidance and tools to allow them to rebuild their lives after spending time in prison. By exemplifying everything that is good about the Cork community, Sheila is most deserving of a Cork Person of the Month award." Ms Connolly has a vast portfolio of work in volunteering and active citizenship to complement her role with the Cork Alliance Centre. In August 2023, she made an expert presentation to the Citizens Assembly on Drugs Use, using her knowledge and experience to contribute to the important forum. She did this alongside past Cork Alliance Centre service users who had successfully made the transition to the workforce and became her colleagues a testament to the effectiveness of the centres services. Volunteering She also spent more than a decade volunteering with St Vincent de Paul, helping to alleviate poverty, and more than seven years on the board of Corks Sexual Health Centre. Ms Connolly also spent four years as an advisory group member for Men Overcoming Violence Ireland, an organisation which addresses domestic violence against women and children. Ms Connolly has also volunteered abroad, having worked for Concern following the Rwandan genocide and also as an aid worker in East Africa and Laos. Her name will now go forward alongside the other monthly winners for possible selection as the 2024 Cork Person of the Year. A Labour Party candidate for Cork City Council has spoken about a voter who told her she couldnt stand for election because she wasnt Irish by blood, while another candidate from an immigrant background spoke about receiving horrible, horrible abuse online. Lekha Menon Margassery is, she told The Echo, a Corkonian since 2008 and stood as an Independent in the 2019 local elections. Ms Margassery, who is from India, became a Labour Party candidate in the Cork City South Central ward in April. Ms Margassery had been putting up her posters when she was approached by one guy who told her she could not stand for elections because she wasnt Irish by blood. He specifically mentioned that you can work in other areas, education or anything, but what are you doing in politics, why are you entering the Government?, we want Ireland to be Catholic, those kind of things, said Ms Margassery, who works in University College Corks School of Microbiology. He also threatened that he would pull down my posters but theyre fine as of now. Online messages When the candidate posted about this incident on her X profile, she received more anti-immigrant messages, she said. I got some hate comments when I posted about this, like go back to your country and do you think your country would be welcoming if we stood for political office in your countries, said Ms Margassery, remarking that there had been a lot of hateful comment on her social media profile which she would not speak about. Apart from that incident, the response Ms Margassery has been receiving on the doorstep has been very positive, and she added that she was undaunted and not discouraged by her negative experiences. The response has been very good they take my leaflet and say they will read about me and they will make a decision based on that. Others say that its nice that you come and knock on my door people are welcoming so far. Election candidate Honore Kamegni said he had been getting 'horrible, horrible stuff online. Picture: Jim Coughlan. Ms Margasserys online experience is also shared by Green Party candidate in Cork City South East, Honore Kamegni, who also spoke with The Echo. Experience Mr Kamegni, who has been canvassing since April last year in his effort to become a city councillor, said that there was a very positive response as he went from door to door in his ward. Its been a good experience on the doorsteps, Im not getting any kind of hostile or aggressive reaction. All the abuse Im getting is online, said Mr Kamegni. Im getting horrible, horrible stuff online, he said, describing those who are abusing him as hiding behind a keyboard so they can say anything they want to say. Im focused on my campaign, I just ignore what is going on online, Im focused to talk to the real people on the doorstep. Election candidate Olga Shevchenko, said she has been experiencing a 'positive reception on teh doors'. Olga Shevchenko, who arrived in Ireland from Ukraine in 2001, is running for Fianna Fail in Cork City South West. She told The Echo that she has received a very positive response on her canvass though she said that some voters told her they would be voting for a different party. The Ballincollig resident said she had canvassed in that town and in Bishopstown. I experienced a really positive reception on the doors, she said. There were no questions whatsoever about that I am a migrant and why am I running, absolutely nothing. A number of other candidates with immigrant backgrounds were also approached by The Echo but were unavailable for comment. A RESIDENT of Mogeely near Midleton has welcomed the positive message to residents affected by flooding following a visit by minister of state with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Kieran ODonnell, and his department representatives. Mr ODonnell met with Midleton Chamber of Commerce and visited businesses in Midleton town and residents of Mogeely and Castlemartyr who were affected by the flooding last October. Gleann Fia Residents Association secretary Vivienne Jeffers said residents of the estate have been facing a dangerous situation whereby they are threatened with flooding with every drop of rain that falls. I want to thank minister ODonnell, Cork County Council, the OPW, deputy David Stanton TD, and all other representatives that brought with them the very positive message of hope and reassurance to residents in the area, she said. Mr Jim Casey from the OPW agreed to fund a nature-based flood protection survey and groundwork in association with Professor Mary Bourke of Trinity College Dublin, who had been in talks with the residents association to use Mogeely as her next pilot project. Mr John Slattery of Cork County Councils Flood and Coastal Department will start work immediately on a suite of interim measures, including a comprehensive hydrology survey of Mogeely in order to protect the whole community. For all this we are eternally grateful. Cork East Fine Gael TD Mr Stanton said that Mr ODonnell had a very constructive meeting with officials from the OPW, Cork County Council, and Arup to scope out possible interim measures and advance works of the major scheme. Mr Stanton said the timeframe for the major scheme had also been discussed. Social Democrats councillor for East Cork, Liam Quaide, said that Mr ODonnells visit was very welcome. Its essential that the OPW and council give greater consideration to natural flood defences and land use changes that could be implemented in some parts of East Cork in the short to medium term, said Mr Quaide. CORK County Council is working towards completing two social and affordable housing developments that will deliver 151 new homes in the county. Developed in partnership between Cooleeney Developments Ltd and Cork County Council, the Crann Ard development, located in Fermoy, is a 48-unit social housing development with a mix of two, three and four bedroom properties. These properties will be made available for letting in phases later this year and throughout 2025. The project will also see the construction of the necessary infrastructure to open up the adjoining 18 acres of zoned lands for future development. Planning permission will then be lodged by VB Developments Ltd for a further 300 homes through the LRD process. Mayor of the County of Cork, councillor Frank OFlynn said he was delighted to see works recommence in Fermoy. I look forward to seeing the development progress over the coming months. I also look forward to residents moving into these turnkey properties in the near future. The second development, Cluain Ard in Cobh, is a 103-unit development, consisting of 54 social and 49 affordable homes, with a mix of two and three bedroom properties, which are expected to be complete this summer. It is being developed between Sirio Homes and Cork County Council. The 49 affordable homes will be sold to approved purchasers, with all sales being subsided by a 75,000 subsidy per house provided by the Affordable Housing Fund under the Governments Housing for All plan. The on-site infrastructure in Cobh has been delivered by the Housing Infrastructure Services Company (HISCo), a joint venture between Cork County Council and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). CEO of HISCo, Niall Morrissey said, This project builds on our successful projects that are ongoing across the country and augurs well for our plans to deliver similar supporting infrastructure for new homes across Ireland. Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Valerie OSullivan said the progression of these new homes in Cobh and Fermoy is a key part of its Housing Delivery Action Plan which sets ambitious targets for the delivery of housing during the 5-year period between 2022 and 2026. "These developments build on recently completed schemes in Carrigaline, Bandon, Macroom, Doneraile, Courtmacsherry and Mallow," she added. IRELAND Souths 21 EU election candidates have listed their replacement candidates who will take over if they need to leave their seat. Unlike in the Dail, there are no by-elections in the European parliament, so every person who runs must supply up to six replacements to the returning officer. Last term, Chris MacManus, Sinn Feins MEP in Midlands North West took over from Matt McCarthy when he won a Dail seat, and Fine Gaels Dublin MEP Colm Markey filled the seat left by Mairead McGuinness after she was appointed Irelands EU commissioner. Aontu leader Peadar Toibin, who is running in Midlands North West, has already said he plans to contest the next general election and said if his seat is retained, then his sister Emer, a councillor in Navan, will be co-opted to his EU seat. Members of parties standing two candidates in the region, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein, have each listed their running mate as first in line to replace them. Other parties have chosen councillors, senators or even sitting TDs, such as Grace OSullivan, who has listed Green Party TD for Waterford Marc O Cathasaigh as number one to replace her if needed. Some candidates, such as Independent Christoper VS Doyle of Wexford have listed their family members as their replacements, while Derek Blighe listed his brother Tommy, who is also running in the local elections, as his third choice. Independent Michael McNamara, a TD for Clare, has listed Mairin McGrath, a Tipperary councillor and daughter of Independent TD Mattie McGrath first on his list. Cork North East councillor Ken OFlynn is first choice on the list for Independent Irelands Eddie Punch. Councillor Oliver Moran appears fourth on the Green Party replacement list. Fine Gaels list contains several Cork elected reps, Senator Jerry Buttimer in fourth, county councillor Eileen Lynch sixth and city councillor Garrett Kelleher eighth. Padraig Rice, is first choice on the Social Democrats list, and Peter Horgan is second on Labours replacement list after the partys Youth National Executive chairperson, Tadgh Quill-Manley. Margaret Murphy OMahony, who is running in the local elections in Bandon-Kinsale, appears fifth on the Fianna Fail list, while Aontu has candidates Becky Kealy, Mona Stromsoe and Anna Daly as second, fourth and fifth replacements. Cork councillor Lorna Bogue has chosen two of her Rabharta party members, both from Limerick and then Workers Party candidate Rachel Hurley Roche as her third replacement while Sinn Feins Odran Corcoran, senior advisor to Sinn Fein MEP MacManus, is in eighth place on Sinn Feins list. Full details of the candidates running and their replacements is available here. A PATIENT lying on a trolley at the accident and emergency unit of Mercy University Hospital had her jacket stolen as she waited, and yesterday the culprit was jailed for five months, for what the sentencing judge described as an extremely nasty crime. Judge Mary Dorgan imposed the sentence on Donna Dineen, 29, of Fellowship House, Spur Hill, Cork, at Cork District Court. The woman pleaded guilty to carrying out the theft. Sergeant Dave Delea said the same woman had 67 previous convictions. They included carrying out thefts 15 times before. She also had nine previous convictions for assaults and seven for engaging in threatening behaviour. Sgt. Delea outlined the background to the offence: A female patient on a trolley had her jacket stolen by Donna Dineen while both of them were attending the A&E. Ms Dineen took the jacket belonging to the injured party and left the hospital. The defendant was arrested and questioned subsequently and she made full admissions to stealing the jacket. Defence solicitor, Michael Quinlan, said, She is on remand since March. Her sister died while [Donna Dineen] was in custody in September. Judge Mary Dorgan took this mitigation into consideration but commented, This was an extremely nasty thing to do when a person was at their most vulnerable. AN emergency vigil took place in Cork city centre this evening in response to the violence in Rafah. The vigil, titled All Eyes on Rafah, was organised by local activists from both Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Cork Rebels for Peace and took place on Grand Parade. Organisers had encouraged attendees to bring candles as a symbol of hope and remembrance for the victims. The vigil was organised to draw attention to the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and to honour the lives lost in the recent attacks. In a statement to The Echo, Cork Rebels for Peace said they abhor the violence that Israel is carrying out in Rafah. This violence is being perpetrated on a civilian population of mostly children. It is barbaric and wrong to enact such cruelty and violence on civilians. And while Israel will tell us they must enact such cruelty because Hamas fighters live amongst the civilian population, it is never appropriate to punish an entire people for the actions of the few, the group said. Emergency vigil "All Eyes on Rafah" organised in response to the violence in Rafah, organised by local activists from Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Cork Rebels for Peace, on the Grand Parade, Cork. Cork Rebels for Peace said it also wished to emphasise the importance of global attention and action to bring about an end to the conflict. In the words of Mother Jones, Remember the dead but fight like hell for the living. Cork Rebels for Peace are for human rights, for the rule of law, and for peace. Ceasefire, sanctions, expulsions, and the occupied territories bill, now. Taoiseach Simon Harris said on Monday that sanctions on Israel should not be off the table, as he accused the nations officials of ignoring international courts. It comes after an attack on Rafah in which dozens of people were killed at a camp for displaced people. It followed a Hamas rocket attack on Tel Aviv. Last week, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah. Emergency vigil "All Eyes on Rafah" organised in response to the violence in Rafah, organised by local activists from Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Cork Rebels for Peace, on the Grand Parade, Cork. The Taoiseach condemned the attack in Rafah as absolutely unimaginable and unconscionable. He told Ireland AM: In relation to sanctions, I dont think anything can be off the table when it comes to Israel, particularly with what were seeing currently happening in Rafah now, when were seeing the international community being ignored, when were seeing international courts being ignored. Mr Harris said Ireland would intensify its calls for trade arrangements between Israel and the EU to be reviewed. Ireland, Norway and Spain will formally recognise Palestinian statehood on Tuesday. I WAS out walking recently on a promenade. It was a beautiful sunny day with a bit of a breeze and my nostrils detected the smell of smoke. I looked around and, sure enough, there was a guy behind me smoking a cigarette. He wasnt that close to me either, so it surprised me that even in the open air I was able to catch it because there was a time when I wouldnt have noticed it unless I was on fire. Smoking was so common back in the 70s and 80s that it was difficult to draw a breath of uncontaminated air at times. I often wonder how we survived at all because most of us lived in a nicotine-fuelled smog, and we thought nothing of it. Hard to believe now, but nearly everyone smoked back then. It seems incredible in these health-conscious times, but it wasnt unusual to have a bunch of smokers puffing away in the confined space of a car or an office. Pubs were so smoke-filled that the ceilings were yellow, and our clothes smelled like dirty ashtrays, but it didnt bother us. In our ignorance, we didnt care - but we do now. The Tobacco-Free Life Organization is a U.S group with a mission to save lives by ending worldwide disease, damage and death caused by tobacco. Their website details the long history of tobacco and tobacco-related products. In 1492, Christopher Columbus was warmly greeted by the Native American tribes he encountered when he first set foot on the new continent. He received gifts of fruit, food, spears, and more, and among those gifts were dried up leaves of the tobacco plant. As they were not edible and had a distinct smell to them, those leaves, which the Native Americans had been smoking for more than two millennia for medicinal and religious purposes, were thrown overboard. Columbus soon realised though that dried tobacco leaves were a prized possession among the natives. By the end of the 16th century, tobacco plant and use of tobacco were introduced to virtually every country in Europe. Tobacco was snuffed or smoked, depending on the preference, and some doctors even claimed it had medicinal properties. Sir Walter Raleigh is credited with bringing it to England from Virginia, and one legend tells of how his servant, seeing him smoking a pipe for the first time, threw water over him, afraid he might go up in flames. In 1604, King James I wrote A Counter Blast To Tobacco, in which he described smoking as a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black and stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless. Bob Newhart, the U.S comedian, had a sketch where he played the part of the head of the West Indies Company in England in an imaginary phone call with Sir Walter Raleigh, who tries to convince him that a load of leaves he loaded onto his ship in the American colonies would be worth buying. You can only hear Newharts side of the conversation, and he is incredulous as Raleigh explains how the tobacco leaves are used. He tells Newhart how the leaves are rolled in paper, put between the lips, and then set fire to. He said you could also put it up your nose and snuff it and it would make you sneeze. Newhart in fits of laughter replies, I imagine it would, Walt. The clip is available on YouTube and well worth a listen. As daft as that sounded though, smoking caught on, and cigarettes came to the height of their popularity during the two world wars. Tobacco companies sent millions of packs of cigarettes to soldiers on the front- lines, creating hundreds of thousands of faithful and addicted consumers in the process. Cigarettes were even included into soldiers C-rations - which contained mostly food and supplements. In Great Britain, snuff users were warned about the dangers of nose cancer as early as 1761, while German doctors started warning pipe smokers about the possibility of developing lip cancer in 1795. In the 1930s, American doctors started linking tobacco use to lung cancer and a General Surgeons report from 1964 definitively states that smoking causes lung cancer in men. We know a lot more now. According to the Irish Cancer Society, smoking is the single biggest risk factor for lung cancer and a contributory risk factor in a number of other cancers. It also damages the heart and causes hardening and narrowing of the arteries, and smokers are more likely to have a stroke than non-smokers. Its responsible for a multitude of other health issues too, so with all this knowledge available to us, youd wonder why the habit remains so popular. Even more confusing is why anyone would deliberately set out to defend it. However, it was reported recently that pro-smoking campaigners have vowed to fight government plans to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes and tobacco from 18 to 21. Smokers rights group Forest (Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco) said it would challenge what it called creeping prohibition following confirmation that the Health Minister plans to seek government approval for the move. Simon Clark, the director of Forest, claimed the proposal to raise the age of sale will drive young adults into the arms of criminal gangs and illicit traders. If you can drive a car, join the army, purchase alcohol, and vote when you are legally an adult at 18, you should also be allowed to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products, he said. Im all in favour of democracy, free speech and freedom of choice, but its hard to support their argument in this case. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. The PREFIRE mission launched the first of two CubeSats depicted in this artists concept orbiting Earth into space on May 22, 2024, to study how much heat the planet absorbs and emits from its polar regions. These measurements will inform climate and ice models. NASA / JPL-Caltech For the first time, a NASA satellite has been launched with the purpose of improving the ability to predict climate change by measuring the heat that escapes from Earths poles. The satellite the first of a pair is in orbit following lift-off from Rocket Labs Electron rocket in Mahia, New Zealand, on Saturday, a press release from NASA said. This new information and weve never had it before will improve our ability to model whats happening in the poles, whats happening in climate, said Karen St. Germain, Earth sciences research director at NASA, as AFP reported. The two cube satellites in NASAs Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) mission called CubeSats are each the size of a shoebox, the press release said. They will measure how much heat our planet radiates from two of its coldest and most remote regions. Technicians integrate NASAs PREFIRE payload inside the Rocket Lab Electron rocket payload fairing on May 15, 2024. Rocket Lab / NASA Kennedy Space Center St. Germain explained that, since small satellites answer precise scientific questions, they can be seen as specialists, while larger satellites are generalists, reported AFP. NASA needs both, St. Germain said. DATA from the mission will assist researchers in better predicting how Earths weather, seas and ice will change as the planet warms, the press release said. NASAs innovative PREFIRE mission will fill a gap in our understanding of the Earth system providing our scientists a detailed picture of how Earths polar regions influence how much energy our planet absorbs and releases, St. Germain said in the press release. This will improve prediction of sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise, creating a better understanding of how our planets system will change in the coming years crucial information to farmers tracking changes in weather and water, fishing fleets working in changing seas, and coastal communities building resilience. Communications have been successfully established with the satellite by ground controllers. After the other CubeSat is launched, scientists and engineers will conduct a 30-day period of checks to ensure both PREFIRE satellites are working properly, after which they are expected to be in operation for 10 months. At the heart of the PREFIRE mission is Earths energy budget the balance between incoming heat energy from the Sun and the outgoing heat given off by the planet. The difference between the two is what determines the planets temperature and climate. A lot of the heat radiated from the Arctic and Antarctica is emitted as far-infrared radiation, but there is currently no detailed measurement of this type of energy, the press release said. The atmospheres water vapor content combined with the presence, composition and structure of clouds influences how much far-infrared radiation escapes from the poles. This is critical because it actually helps to balance the excess heat thats received in the tropical regions and really regulate the earths temperature, said Tristan LEcuyer, principal investigator for PREFIRE and a researcher at University of Wisconsin, Madison, as AFP reported. And the process of getting the heat from the tropical regions to the polar regions is actually what drives all of our weather around the planet. PREFIRE data will allow researchers to locate when and where far-infrared energy is radiating from the Antarctic and Arctic environments into space, the press release said. The PREFIRE CubeSats may be small, but theyre going to close a big gap in our knowledge about Earths energy budget, said Laurie Leshin, director of Southern Californias NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in the press release. Each of the satellites carries a thermal infrared spectrometer an instrument which uses specially shaped sensors and mirrors to measure infrared wavelengths. Our planet is changing quickly, and in places like the Arctic, in ways that people have never experienced before, LEcuyer said in the press release. NASAs PREFIRE will give us new measurements of the far-infrared wavelengths being emitted from Earths poles, which we can use to improve climate and weather models and help people around the world deal with the consequences of climate change. Payment partly in Newlat shares, with Mitsubishi becoming the second shareholder of the group after the Mastrolia family. After months of negotiations the deal fell through and it looked like Newlat's takeover of Princes was over (see EFA News article). But evidently the communication channels had not been interrupted and now the Reggio Emilia group has announced the strategic operation of acquiring 100% of Princes Limited, a historic canning food group based in the United Kingdom (and with an important plant in Foggia for the tomato processing). The investment, as specified by president Angelo Mastrolia to Class CNBC, is 700 million pounds (800 million euros), of which 650 million in cash and the rest in Newlat shares. The Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi, owner of Princes, becomes the second shareholder of Newla Food, after the Mastrolia family. According to the president, Princes' excellent first quarter 2024 performance convinced Newlat of the opportunity to close the deal. With the acquisition of Princes, Newlat Food achieves a consolidated turnover of approximately 2.8 billion and a strong position in new categories in the UK market. "The group will double the offering of product categories to its customers, becoming one of the leading multi-brand and multi-product companies in the food sector in Europe, thanks to increasingly exclusive industrial know-how and production capacity, thanks to its 31 factories , one of a kind", reads a note from Newlat Food. The closing of the transaction, subject to obtaining antitrust authorizations from the competent authorities and consultation with the European and Dutch works council within the Princes group, is expected by the end of July 2024. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers has already confirmed that the operation does not fall within the scope of application of the "golden power" regulations referred to in the legislative decree of 15 March 2012, n 21. Angelo Mastrolia (photo), president of Newlat Food, expresses great satisfaction with the success of the acquisition, which, in his opinion, "marks a fundamental stage in our growth strategy. Princes Limited is a prestigious company and the integration of Its activities with Newlat Food allow us to further consolidate our position as a leader in the food sector." Upon completion of the acquisition, Newlat Food expects to become "one of the largest food companies listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, strengthening its role as an international protagonist. The economic prospects of the new group give us confidence in a future of sustainable growth, ready to create value for all stakeholders. The new group will offer a wide range of high quality products, responding to the needs of an increasingly demanding and diversified global market", claims Mastrolia, "will allow us to enter new segments of market and to better serve our customers with an even more complete, innovative and unique product offering." Square Enix has largely kept its lips sealed about the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake since announcing it three years ago, but the publisher has now revealed which platforms it's coming to. When it eventually arrives, you'll be able to play it on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam). Since Square Enix started using its distinctive HD-2D tech with Octopath Traveller , the company has put it to use in a string of titles, including that game's sequel , Triangle Strategy , the Live A Live remake and Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster 's opera scene. Based on the reveal trailer from 2021 , the HD-2D engine is set to give Dragon Quest 3 a serious visual upgrade, nearly three decades after the original game arrived in 1988. The new version may not be too far away either. The teaser suggested that the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake "draws near," several months after series creator Yuji Horii said he was playtesting it . With Summer Game Fest and all its associated events just around the corner , we could find out more details about the remake very soon. Square Enix released the teaser on Dragon Quest Day, which marks the anniversary of the very first game in the series debuting in Japan in 1986. Horii took the opportunity to provide an minor update on the next mainline entry as well. Square Enix announced Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate back in 2021, but there's been no sign of a release date as yet. That said, Horii wants it to live up to the legacies of key Dragon Quest creatives Akira Toriyama and Koichi Sugiyama. 4 La Xunta alega que la llegada de poblacion del exterior "influye directamente" en el aumento de castellanohablantes French president calls for ceasefire in Gaza Xinhua) 10:27, May 27, 2024 PARIS, May 25 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron called for a ceasefire in Gaza and opposed Israeli operations in Rafah as he received an Arab delegation here on Friday. "Ceasefire in Gaza, release of hostages, humanitarian aid, two-state solution: there is no alternative for lasting peace," said Macron on X, formerly Twitter, after he met with members of the contact group of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the situation in the Middle East. The meeting focused on the effective implementation of the two-state solution, the only way to guarantee the peace and security of the State of Israel and to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, said a press release from the Elysee. "The President of the Republic reiterated France's support for a strengthened Palestinian Authority and its return to the Gaza Strip with the support of the international community," the press release said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Monday, May 27, 2024 Much of the suffering that we witness in the world today is caused by other peoples insatiable appetite for wealth and power. The degree of misery varies based on geography, local politics, and a host of other factors. In Africa, weak institutions enable the gluttonous elites to loot in a manner that poses an existential threat to the downtrodden. State coffers in many parts of the continent are wiped clean, which means the poor are left with little to survive on. Large numbers of people actually die of starvation in some African countries. While conditions are not as dire in the rich world, it cannot be assumed that life for those at the bottom of the economic ladder there is easier. People in this group tend to have little to no savings, so even a temporary slip into unemployment can sharply raise the risk of homelessness and hunger. In a place like America, access to healthcare for the poor is a perennial problem. It is understandable if those who live in destitution, whether they are in rich or poor countries, feel that they have little to be thankful for. But the overwhelming majority of the rest of us dont have that excuse. Yet, we are often as unhappy as those who actually have a reason to be. That is because we have a tendency to ignore what we have, and focus too much energy pursuing whatever it is that we think is missing. As I observe the increasingly heightened level of mass discontent in America today, I get the sense that much of the dejection is due to our inability to appreciate what we have. We seem to be the most despondent people on the planet, despite our nation being the wealthiest. We are proof that money doesnt buy happiness. Economic inequality is certainly a huge problem that needs to be addressed in this country, but I often wonder whether the way we look at it is good for our health and sanity. I grew up in extreme poverty in Ghana. My illiterate parents had fourteen children so at times there were as many as sixteen people living in our tiny house in the remote village where I was born. I was hungry all the time because there was never enough food to feed all those mouths. One of my most enduring memories of my childhood was having to share one towel with multiple people in the family. Towels were luxury items in my village. After all the heavy-duty chores we did each morning, every one of us needed to take a bath before school. It was always a mad rush to get access to that one towel because we couldnt be late for school. If we were, we received lashes from our unforgiving teachers. I was constantly under stress. Thankfully, I have never lost that ability to survive on modest means. And because of that childhood experience, ever since I left the village, I have always been extremely grateful for every little thing I have. I have found that attitude to be profoundly liberating. I generally dont spend mental energy on things that are not truly essential for my survival. That gives me the emotional capacity I need to deal with the rancorous world we live in today. I had a Pakistani colleague when I worked at Caterpillar in Indiana a couple of decades ago. At the time, we both faced many of the normal challenges that new immigrants confront in America. During a conversation one day, he asked me how I was able to project such calmness always. In essence, what he was witnessing was a person who had endured so much hardship early in life that he had, over time, become programmed to take most difficult situations in stride. I was an insanely ambitious child. At one point, I decided that I wanted to grow up to become the president of Ghana. By nature, I always set the bar extremely high for whatever I set out to accomplish. I do the same for people around memy two children can attest. So I am generally not someone who settles for low-hanging fruits. I never quit when I am pursuing a goal that is important to me. I keep probing until I find ways around whatever obstacles I encounter along the way. But occasionally, time runs out on me, as in when the referees whistle blows to signal the end of a game. Because of this knowledge that sometimes even my best will not be enough, I never beat myself up when I dont get everything I want. I am always at peace, knowing that I did the very best that I could. And sometimes I realize after the fact that some failures were due to my own mistakes. I learn from them and move on. We are consistently told that the way to achieve success in life is to work hard, make sacrifices, and play by the rules. Those are things that I strongly believe in. But I have also learned that they tell only half of the story. My best friend in primary and middle school in Ghana followed those rules strictly and still went nowhere. Our destinies are never fully in our own hands. These days, I am happy whenever I get slightly more than fifty percent of anything. And sometimes I am content with ten or twenty percent, because I know there is always the chance that it could be zero. That was the case for my childhood friend. As I have gone through life, I have learned that success should not always be measured by how much we achieve in terms of wealth and power. It should mostly be gauged by how content we are with whatever we have. In America and most parts of the rich world, economists tell us that there is some optimal level of taxation that would keep businesses thriving while maximizing public welfare. That is a highly contentious debate however. Corporations and the rich are reluctant to part with more of their wealth because they say they already pay enough taxes. The rest of us vehemently disagree with them. We have become so locked in that tense standoff that we completely forget about the things we have that we should perhaps focus a bit more attention on to enjoy. This is not meant to say that we should go on with our merry lives and leave the indigent to wallow in their misery. Collectively, we should continue to do what we can to help alleviate their suffering. That includes using our persuasive powers to appeal to the affluent to spread the wealth a bit more. Or perhaps gently shame them if we have to. But we should be careful not to be too accusatory because being rich is not a crimeunless we have reason to believe that someones fortune was illegitimately acquired. I dont believe that anyone needs to have endured extreme poverty, or been under such constant duress as I experienced in my childhood, to maintain a sense of gratitude. It is a mindset that everyone can develop. We all know that life is highly unpredictable, and that being comfortable today doesnt guarantee safety tomorrow. That simple reality should be enough for anyone to realize that they need to appreciate what they have in hand. Crows are able to count. Crows can count to four Experts have discovered that the clever birds have a basic understanding of numbers on a similar level to human toddlers. The researchers have found that the birds are able to control the number of vocalisations they produce and can 'count' to four in response to cues. The skill to count out loud requires numerical knowledge and vocal control, a complex ability that is developed in childhood by human beings. A team of researchers at the University of Tubingen in Germany said: "Producing a specific number of vocalisations with purpose requires a sophisticated combination of numerical abilities and vocal control. "Whether this capacity exists in animals other than humans is yet unknown. We show that crows can flexibly produce variable numbers of one to four vocalisations in response to arbitrary cues associated with numerical values." Tea saved lives during the 1700s. Tea saved lives in the Industrial Revolution New research has found that the drink's surge in popularity was connected to a fall in deaths in England during the Industrial Revolution - a period when sanitation was often poor. Experts think that the boiling water used to make the beverage killed off bacteria and parasites that were responsible for deadly illnesses such as dysentery. Professor Francisca Antman, an expert at the University of Colorado Boulder, explained: "The nice thing about this setting is that it occurred before we knew the importance of clean water. "The evidence suggests that tea became affordable to nearly everyone in England in the late 1780s, during the Industrial Revolution. "Population density was rising, cities were really growing, people were being packed tighter and tighter. That should actually be a period where we see a lot of increasing mortality. But we end up seeing this surprising decline in mortality that can be explained by the introduction of tea and, more specifically, the boiling of water." Bruce Dickinson's third marriage is the "calmest" he's "ever had". Bruce Dickinson is loving life with his new wife Leana Dolci The 65-year-old Iron Maiden frontman had been dating French fitness instructor Leana Dolci, 48, since 2019, and they tied the knot last year. He was initially married to Jane Dickinson from 1983 until 1987, and was then married to the late Paddy Bowden - with whom he has Austin, 33, Griffin, 31, and 29-year-old Kia - from 1990 until 2019, but she was found dead the following year at the age of just 58 in what was described as a "tragic accident." He told The Big Issue of married life this time around: "Because Ive just got married for the third time. All I can do is just talk about my relationship right now because its the calmest Ive ever had. And its great. We have fun, we laugh, but were not manic. We can be in the same room and not feel the need to go are you all right? We are happy just breathing the same air. And getting married hasnt changed that." The musician and pilot has come a long way since his days of roughing it. He said of his Isle of Dogs home in London: "There was polythene on the windows, they were all big pot smokers, so theyd all sit around smoking bongs then go back to their bedrooms and I used to roll myself up in a sheet and sleep on the couch. Luxury! It was one of these 1930s apartment blocks, and in a terrible state. Years later, after Id joined Iron Maiden we did a song called 2 Minutes to Midnight. The video director said, were going to have these mercenaries holed up in a really disgusting flat. He showed me the picture of it, and I said, I used to live there!" Johnny Wactor has died at the age of 37 after being shot. Johnny Wactor has been shot and killed at the age of 37 The actor was best known for starring as Brando Corbin in the ABC daytime soap opera 'General Hospital' but was killed in downtown Los Angeles early on Saturday morning (25.05.24) , his mother Scarlett has confirmed to TMZ. She explained to the outlet that Johnny was with a colleague when they saw three men "messing with Johnny's car" and that the suspects "allegedly tried to steal a catalytic converter". Scarlett noted that Johnny "did not try to stop" the alleged suspects in their actions, and that even though paramedics rushed to the scene shortly after the shooting, he was pronounced dead in hospital. On Sunday evening, Johnny's agent David Shaul remembered his late client as being "a spectacular human being." He told People: "Not just a talented actor who was committed to his craft but a real moral example to everyone who knew him. Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never give up attitude. In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be. "Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever." In the US soap opera, his character was married to Sasha Corbin and actress Sofia Mattsson also paid tribute to her late co-star. She wrote: "What oh my god Johnny died nooo not fair. Hate this Johnny was just the best... oh my goodness can't believe Johnny is gone." Johnny - who had also starred in 'Criminal Minds' and 'Siberia' - joined the cast of 'General Hosptial' in early 2020 as the ex-con mechanic and stayed with the show until 2022, when his character was stabbed and woke up in the hospital only to suffer a fatal seizure. Claire Gaydon was inspired by Britney Spears to write about data protection in her new play. Piece of Me runs at Camden People's Theatre in London until June 1 The London-based playwright has written and stars in 'Piece of Me' - which is named after the pop megastar's 2007 hit about the pitfalls of being famous - at the Camden People's Theatre in London and explained that the whole idea came about after discovering just how personal data is handled in the modern world. She told BANG Showbiz: "Back in 2019 I learnt that according to data protection law, if you request footage of yourself from the owner of any CCTV camera they have to give it to you. I decided to do an experiment where I walked around London, miming the lyrics to Britneys song 'Radar', and then requested the footage so I could make a kinda arty music video. I chose 'Radar' because the lyrics are about watching someone (and it's also an underrated banger!). "Less than 50% of the camera owners I approached for the footage adhered to data protection law and that got me thinking and researching about how our data is handled, and privacy in general. " In the play, Claire plays a version of herself in scenes with her school friends as they form a pop band in an attempt to emulate their idol but has recently developed a "newfound appreciation" for her anonymity as she explored her own concerns regarding the rise of facial recognition in society. She said: "Watching the video back, I also started to think about how when I was a kid, I wanted nothing more than to be a famous pop star like Britney. But now, seeing everything that Britney went through I have a newfound appreciation for my privacy and anonymity. For me, privacy invasion on UK citizens can feel intangible, its hard to explain and understand. "Privacy invasion on celebrities on the other hand is something we all know about. So I figured if I could marry the two together in the show, I could offer a different perspective on it." As part of the play - which features one of Britney's signature tracks - Claire has incorporated the original version of her own pop songs she and her friends wrote when they were at school together and they are executed as a series of high-energy dance numbers. Claire also noted that nostalgia features heavily in the piece as she recalled "relating" to the 'Toxic' hitmaker as soon as she hit the charts with her debut single. She said: "I was eight years old when Britneys '...Baby One More Time' came out and I just remember thinking it was a really big deal. There was such a buzz around it and it felt so exciting. I think something about the fact that the video was set in a school and it looked like she was having so much fun - and I guess I felt like it could be me and my friends in that video. She felt relatable. "I think recording artists and music in general hits you differently when youre a teenager. Its such a pivotal time of exploration and discovery, and the music you listen to can feel like a big part of that. There was a Forbes article recently by a psychologist explaining the mental health benefits of music nostalgia. I can definitely relate to that!" 'Piece of Me' runs at the Camden People's Theatre in London until June 1. For tickets and more information, go to https://cptheatre.co.uk/whatson/piece-of-me. It was indeed a joyous night for Kolkata Knight Riders owned by Shah Rukh Khan last night as they lifted the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy for the third time. KKR has been one of the most consistent teams this season and they proved their mettle in the Finals too. Sunrisers Hyderabad has been a phenomenal team this season, however, last night things did not click for them. While many stars took to their social media to congratulate KKR, Amitabh Bachchan penned down some thoughtful words in his blog. He expressed his disappointment to see SRH lose as they have played incredibly well too throughout the tournament. It read, The IPL Final is over and KKR have WON a most convincing victory .. SRH were simply outplayed .. disappointing in many ways because SRH is a good team and one has seen their very grand performances over the days when they played other matches. Furthermore, he added, But what was most touching to observe was the pretty young lady, .. the owner of SRH, in the Stadium, get emotional after the loss and break into tears, turning her face away from the cameras, so as not to display her emotion. I felt bad for her !! Never mind .. tomorrow is another day .. my dear !! Extremely kind of him to share such kind words for SRH while congratulating the winners too. 1. Annie - Manisha Koirala 2. Nandini - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 3. Paro - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 4. Chandramukhi - Madhuri Dixit Nene 5. Michelle - Black 6. Leela - Deepika Padukone 7. Mastani - Deepika Padukone 8. Kashi Bai - Priyanka Chopra Jonas 9. Gangubai - Alia Bhatt 10. Bibbojaan - Aditi Rao Hydari The mega director Sanjay Leela Bhansali never fails to impress his audiences with his unique storytelling, perfect aesthetics and larger-than-life sets. The filmmakers portrayal of women according to his imagination depicts them as beautiful, confident and independent women who seek control of their destiny. In addition to the mettle of their unique personalities, Bhansali allows his leading ladies to explore their sexuality and be unapologetic about their beauty. While Gangu proudly calls herself a chand, Leela boldly kisses Ram the very first time they meet, driven by the intense attraction she feels towards him.From Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Devdas, to Alia Bhatt in Gangubai Kathiawadi, SLB has given us multiple female characters who have become iconic by their distinctive ideologies, powerful minds and immense willpower. Recently the director has grabbed attention worldwide with his spectacular series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, a magnum opus indeed!Take a look at the top 10 iconic characters and the actresses who brought them to life:Annie, portrayed by Manisha Koirala is a character in the director's film, Khamoshi-The Musical. Known for women taking centre stage in his films, Annie is a dutiful and loving daughter who has resigned to her fate of being a caregiver to her physically challenged parents. However, when she falls in love and becomes pregnant before marriage, her parents leave her side, throwing her out of the house. The character of Annie laid the ground for all Bhansalis feisty female protagonists who followed, calling out to her the toxic behaviour of parents in a country where the latter is revered and put on pedestals.Nandini, the protagonist in the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, was played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Raised in an orthodox patriarchal family, she hasnt blindly accepted her parents values and beliefs as her own, instead followed her own instincts and thoughts, making her a powerful yet feminine character.An immensely righteous, powerful and gorgeous woman, Paro is not afraid to stand up for the right stance and fight for it. She is self-preserving, true to her roots and blunt when it comes to protecting her feelings and family. A protagonist in the iconic blockbuster Devdas, the character is played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.Chandramukhi, portrayed by Madhuri Dixit Nene is the perfect blend of strength and fragility from the film Devdas. She possesses awe inspiring conviction, willing to fight for her rights and presents herself proudly. An exemplary embodiment of feminism, central to the directors films, Chandramukhi is powerfully fragile, proving that both can coexist in a woman.Michelle from the film Black is played by Rani Mukherjee. Though blind and deaf, she has the ability to understand everything but doesnt want to do so. Initially, she is wild, arrogant and stubborn, primarily due to the inability of her loved ones to understand her but later develops opposite traits thanks to a teacher who understands her needs and behaviour patterns. A character with immense willpower, strength and courage, Michelle is the epitome of prowess and conviction.Bhansalis interpretation of Romeo Juliet, Leela is a character from the film Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram - Leela. The character of melting loveliness, sensuality and bristling wit is played by Deepika Padukone. Simply strong and beautiful, Leela falls in love with a man from a man outside her cast. She then navigates herself through determination, wit and resilience to fight against all odds to be one with him.The character is played by Deepika Padukone in the film Bajirao Mastani. Mastani, a fierce and powerful woman who follows her heart, travels to Pune to pursue the man she loves and considers herself married to him. She is fearless and is not concerned with being disliked or acting contrary to the moral standards of that time period.Bajiraos first wife, Kashi, played by Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a woman of strength and dignity, one who is fierce, bold and loyal. Though she has been raised in a traditional Brahmin family and conditioned to specific behaviour and domesticated, she takes a stand for herself when she cant accept the fact that her husband has an extramarital affair. In Bhansalis interpretation of this tale, Kashi tells her husband that he has humiliated her with his behaviour and ends his right to have conjugal relations with her.Gangubai, a character that embodies fierce determination, unwillingness to bow down to wrongdoings resilience is depicted as a strong woman who fights against oppression and rises to a position of power and authority in the underworld. A firecracker of a human being, she navigates her life as an ordinary girl to being the madame in the red light area of Kamathipura. Portrayed by Alia Bhatt from the film Gangubai Kathiawadi, Gangu calls herself the chand very proudly.Bibbojaan, a courtesan in Heeramandi, is a graceful, seductive and strong woman who uses her charm and beauty to seduce the nawabs, using the money they give her to fund and fuel the freedom movement. While she entertains the nawabs and serves them, she uses her body to spy and extract secrets related to the state in order to initiate the national movement in the city. The character was portrayed by Aditi Rao Hydari in the filmmakers recent drama series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.Sanjay Leela Bhansali has never failed to amuse the audience with his distinctive portrayal of women. They freely express their diverse emotions and thoughts, uniting them in the directors land. These characters have deeply etched themselves in the minds of viewers making them some of the most iconic characters Hindi cinema has ever witnessed. Be it Mastani or Gangubai, each character has an inner fire burning inside it, the one which strives to make a change in society and redefine the qualities of women in Indian society. Actor Johnny Wactor, best known for his role in General Hospital, was shot and killed during a theft attempt in Los Angeles. He was 37 years old.As per reports on a leading news portal, around 3 am on Saturday, Johnny Wactor was with a colleague when they witnessed three masked suspects attempting to steal a catalytic converter from his car.According to the police, Wactor was fatally shot by one of the thieves although he did not put up a fight. The suspects then fled the scene. The actor was pronounced dead upon arrival at the local hospital.Reports also mention that Wactors mother, Scarlett revealed key details about the tragic incident. The actor was bartending and was walking towards his car with his colleagues. When they reached his car, Wactor initially thought it was being towed by the authorities. However, when he went close and attempted to speak to one of the suspects, he shot him and escaped.Johnny Wactor played Brando in General Hospital. He was a series regular and appeared in 160 episodes between 2020 to 2022. After making his TV debut with Army Wives, he also made guest appearances in shows like Westworld, The OA, Criminal Minds and more. InsFollowPro acquires Statigr.am, enhancing Instagram analytics and growth solutions. This integration offers users advanced metrics, improved engagement tools, and seamless service, empowering them with comprehensive insights to optimize their Instagram strategies and achieve social media success. Oakland Park, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - May 26, 2024) - InsFollowPro, an innovator in social media growth and analytics solutions, announced the acquisition of Statigr.am, a platform known for its advanced Instagram analytics and user engagement tools. This strategic acquisition marks a significant milestone for InsFollowPro as it continues to expand its footprint in the rapidly evolving social media landscape. With the integration of Statigr.am's sophisticated analytics capabilities, InsFollowPro aims to enhance its service offerings, providing users with more comprehensive insights and tools to optimize their social media strategies. Statigr.am has been a pioneer in delivering actionable data to Instagram users, helping them to grow their followers, increase engagement, and understand audience behavior in depth. This acquisition aligns perfectly with Statigr.am's mission is to empower individuals and businesses to achieve their social media goals through data-driven insights. Statigr.am's technology and expertise will undoubtedly bolster the platform, offering users unparalleled analytics and growth opportunities. The acquisition will bring several new features and enhancements to the InsFollowPro platform, including: - Advanced Instagram Analytics: Users will gain access to more detailed metrics and insights, enabling them to track performance, identify trends, and make informed decisions. - Enhanced User Engagement Tools: Improved tools for managing and increasing user engagement, helping users to build a more active and loyal following. - Seamless Integration: A smooth integration process ensuring that current users of both platforms experience uninterrupted service and benefit from the combined strengths of InsFollowPro and Statigr.am. Joining forces with InsFollowPro is an exciting development for Statigr.am and the users, Statigr.am share a common vision of leveraging analytics to drive social media success. This partnership will provide the users with access to even more powerful tools and resources, helping them to achieve their growth objectives more effectively. InsFollowPro is committed to maintaining the high standards of service that Statigr.am users have come to expect. The company plans to invest in further development of the platform, ensuring it remains at the forefront of innovation in social media analytics. For more details, visit InsFollowPro's blog post. About Statigr.am: Statigr.am is a premier Instagram analytics platform that offers users detailed insights into their Instagram performance. With tools designed to enhance user engagement and growth, Statigr.am has been a trusted resource for Instagram users worldwide. About the company: InsFollowPro is a pioneering provider of Instagram growth and analytics solutions, dedicated to helping users amplify their Instagram presence. By delivering actionable insights and cutting-edge tools, InsFollowPro empowers individuals and businesses to achieve their Instagram goals with precision. With a focus on enhancing user engagement and performance, InsFollowPro leads the way in Instagram analytics, driving success for its users across the platform. Contact Info: Name: Trevor Jim Email: support@insfollowpro.com Organization: InsFollowPro Address: InsFollowPro, AI Boost LLC, W Oakland Park Blvd, Oakland Park FL 33311, US Phone: +1 205 390 1845 Website: https://insfollowpro.com/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/210618 SOURCE: Plentisoft SINGAPORE, May 27, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - MMI Asia Pte. Ltd. (MMI Asia), the regional subsidiary of Messe Munchen GmbH, is proud to announce the launch of the ASEAN Stone exhibition in addition to its line-up of trade exhibitions, taking place from 11 to 13 December 2024, at the prestigiousSaigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to support in helping Southeast Asia countries and Vietnam deliver the 2050 Vision. The event is supported by Marmomacchine Servizi srl, a service company of Confindustria Marmomacchine (Associazione Italiana Marmomacchine).ASEAN Stone 2024 is the first dedicated exhibition of stone, allied machinery, tools, chemicals and materials in Southeast Asia e.g granite, quartz, marble slabs, mosaic and natural stone, stone processing and cutting devices, quarrying machines and polishing equipment. The exhibition will be co-located with ASEAN Ceramics 2024 in Vietnam. The stone and ceramics industries go hand in hand with the broader manufacturing and construction industries to support the expansion in Southeast Asia. Both events will address growing demand for raw materials, machinery, tools, equipment and other related services and technologies necessary to produce high-quality building products in the region's USD 450+ billion construction sector. The move will allow two distinctive forums the opportunity to foster greater crossover while maintaining the branding and identity of each community in two distinct halls.Trade visitors will have access to both show floors affording the unique opportunity to engage, collaborate, learn, and acquaint themselves with the latest advancements. The synergy of co-location provides an extremely powerful and significant avenue for networking at an incredibly important time for our industry where technology and knowledge from both industries can be shared whilst specific programming and events will continue to serve each show thus providing a brand-new set of experiences and solutions to attendees.With an exhibition space of 6,600sqm, almost double the size of ASEAN Ceramics 2023 in Hanoi, an expected turnout of over 300 exhibitors and brands and over 5,000 trade visitors, these events promise to bring together the most influential stakeholders in the stone and ceramics industries in the region.As an example of market growth according to regional analysis, the natural stone market in Asia-pacific region generated a revenue of $19,907.20 million in 2021 and is expected to reach up to $35,170.00 million by 2030 (Source). Also, Vietnam's ceramic industry soars and ranked as the world's 4th largest tile production and one of the top 10 largest construction ceramic-producing countries. With this evident surge in the natural stone and ceramics market, the exhibition will play a key role in accelerating network building between local and international brands and associations to meet the growing requirements and demand, a great platform for exhibitors to offer solutions to address current challenges on digitalization & automation and to demonstrate the future of each industry from manufacturing, production and technologies to 10 countries in Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei and Myanmar.Michael Wilton, CEO & Managing Director of MMI Asia, expresses his anticipation for this event, "We decided to co-locate these events after analyzing the market requirements and potential synergies afforded by the cross-industry integration. The exhibition will welcome all exhibit profiles and suppliers from around the world to give access for ASEAN's distributors, suppliers, manufacturers, architects, designers, contractors and developers to the latest most innovative technologies and services. This will be in addition to extensive experience and knowledge base enabling a positive difference in the value chain of both stone and ceramics."Several supporting programs will provide a highly interactive, knowledge platform for the industry for regional buyers to meet global suppliers. Highlights of the 3-day exhibition include academic seminar, product showcasing, hosted buyer program, buyer-seller forum, pre-event factory tour, networking dinner, and over 50+ conference sessions hosted by renowned experts at both events.ASEAN Stone will focus on applications for building & monumental while 8th ASEAN Ceramics, with co-organizer Vietnam Building Ceramic Association (VIBCA), will remain its focus on raw materials as well as technology and machinery for the production of refractory materials, bricks, tiles, sanitary ceramics, tableware and advanced ceramics - the perfect gateway to meet the ASEAN regional buyers and global suppliers, establish trade relationships and expand geographic reach. "Leveraging on the great success of ASEAN Ceramics 2023 in Hanoi, the team promises to deliver the best experience for all professionals in the stone industry. For more information, please visit website https://aseanceramics.com/asean-stone-2024/."About ASEAN CeramicsASEAN Ceramics is Southeast Asia's leading international exhibition of machinery, technology and materials for manufacturing, white-ware, heavy clay, and advanced ceramics, and the only in the region that unites the whole ceramics community. The exhibition brings together manufacturers, suppliers, professionals, and industry experts from around the world to showcase the latest products, technologies, and ideas. For more information, visit www.aseanceramics.com.About Messe Muenchen GmbHMesse Muenchen GmbH is one of the world's leading trade fair organizers with more than 50 trade fairs for capital goods, consumer goods, and modern technologies. Every year, Messe Muenchen organizes more than 200 events in Munich, Germany, and abroad, attracting over 30,000 exhibitors and 2 million visitors. The company's mission is to create innovative, sustainable, and profitable platforms for its customers to do business and connect with their target markets.About MMI Asia Pte LtdMMI Asia is a full subsidiary of Messe Munchen GMBH (MMG) established in 1992 and one of the world largest and leading exhibition organizers. MMI Asia was set up as the regional headquarter and a wholly owned subsidiary of MMG to promote global trade expansion by facilitating participation of Asian exhibitors in Messe Munchen fairs worldwide. MMI Asia also provides consultancy in professional trade fairs and conference management to government bodies, international trade and promotion organizations, and trade associations.Contact:ASEAN Stone & ASEAN Ceramics TeamMMI Asia Pte LtdEmail: aseanceramics@mmiasia.com.sgMobile (Whatsapp): +65 8150 1614Source: MMI Asia Pte Ltd (MMI)Copyright 2024 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Regulatory News: TME Pharma N.V. (Euronext Growth Paris: ALTME) (Paris:ALTME),a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapies for treatment of cancer by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), announced today that the annual general meeting of shareholders (the AGM) of the company is convened at 01.30 p.m. CEST on June 27, 2024, at the offices of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Strawinskylaan 10, 1077 XZ in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The annual accounts for the year ending December 31, 2023, and the report of the board of directors for 2023, the convocation to the AGM, the agenda and the explanatory notes to the agenda, the instructions and documents for participation and voting in person or by proxy at the upcoming AGM are available on the company's website, in a dedicated section of the Corporate Governance page. These documents are also available at the company's offices at Max-Dohrn-Strasse 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany, for shareholders and persons entitled to attend the meeting who, upon request, will receive a copy free of charge. One item on the agenda at the AGM will be voting on the new supervisory board member nomination. Considering the current development, performance and strategy of the company, the supervisory board has made the binding nomination of Dr. Lee Schalop as the fourth member of the supervisory board. Dr. Lee Schalop (New York, USA; 60) has a unique combination of biotech development expertise specific to brain cancer and deep financial industry knowledge. He was co-founder of Oncoceutics, a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company with a novel brain cancer drug, and as Chief Executive Officer led a transformative acquisition of the company by Chimerix in January 2021 for $78 million plus up to $360 million in contingent milestone payments and royalties of 15-20% on sales. In addition, Dr. Schalop served as Oncoceutics' Chief Operating Officer from 2016 to 2020 and as the Chief Business Officer from Oncoceutics' founding in 2009 until 2016. Prior to co-founding Oncoceutics, Dr. Schalop attended the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, graduating with a doctor of medicine degree in 2008. Before attending medical school, Dr. Schalop spent more than 19 years in the financial industry at a number of major Wall Street firms, including Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Credit Suisse and Banc of America Securities. From 1985 to 1993, he was an investment banker, and his fund-raising activities included more than 10 initial public offerings, the largest of which raised over $700 million. From 1993 to 2004, he served as a research analyst and authored more than 1,000 reports covering more than 50 different publicly traded companies, earning a reputation for groundbreaking research. Dr. Schalop serves as a Board Observer at Chimerix Inc. and sits on the advisory board of the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he earned dual degrees from the University's Wharton School and College of Arts and Sciences. Under Dutch law and the company's Articles of Association, persons entitled to attend and to vote at the AGM are shareholders of the company (which for the purposes of this notice includes holders of a Dutch law right of usufruct) who (i) were registered as a shareholder in one of the administration records of the intermediaries that are (indirectly) participants in Euroclear France on May 30, 2024 (the Registration Date) after all debit and credit entries have been handled as per the Registration Date and (ii) have notified the company by 05.00 p.m. CEST on June 20, 2024, of their attendance in writing or electronically (contact details are available on the company's website). About TME Pharma TME Pharma is a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel therapies for treatment of the most aggressive cancers. The company's oncology-focused pipeline is designed to act on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer immunity cycle by breaking tumor protection barriers against the immune system and blocking tumor repair. By neutralizing chemokines in the TME, TME Pharma's approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses and enable greater therapeutic impact. In the GLORIA Phase 1/2 clinical trial, TME Pharma is studying its lead drug candidate NOX-A12 in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients who will not benefit clinically from standard chemotherapy. TME Pharma has delivered top-line data from the NOX-A12 three dose-escalation cohorts combined with radiotherapy of the GLORIA clinical trial, observing consistent tumor reductions and objective tumor responses. Additionally, GLORIA expansion arms evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in other combinations where the interim results from the triple combination of NOX-A12, radiotherapy and bevacizumab suggest even deeper and more durable responses, and improved survival. US FDA has approved the design of a randomized Phase 2 trial in glioblastoma and TME Pharma was awarded fast track designation by the FDA for NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy and bevacizumab for use in the treatment of the aggressive adult brain cancer, glioblastoma. NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy had also previously received orphan drug designation (ODD) for glioblastoma in the United States and glioma in Europe. TME Pharma has delivered final top-line data with encouraging overall survival and safety profile from its NOX-A12 combination trial with Keytruda in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients, which was published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer in October 2021. The company has entered in its second collaboration with MSD/Merck for its Phase 2 study, OPTIMUS, to further evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in combination with Merck's Keytruda and two different chemotherapy regimens as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The design of the trial has been approved in France, Spain and the United States. The company's second clinical-stage drug candidate, NOX-E36, is designed to target the innate immune system. TME Pharma is considering several solid tumors for further clinical development. Further information can be found at: www.tmepharma.com. TME Pharma and the TME Pharma logo are registered trademarks. Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp Dohme Corp. Visit TME Pharma on LinkedIn and Twitter. About the GLORIA Study GLORIA (NCT04121455) is TME Pharma's dose-escalation, Phase 1/2 study of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in first-line partially resected or unresected glioblastoma (brain cancer) patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter (resistant to standard chemotherapy). GLORIA further evaluates safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 three additional arms combining NOX-A12 with: A. radiotherapy in patients with complete tumor resection; B. radiotherapy and bevacizumab; and C. radiotherapy and pembrolizumab. About the OPTIMUS Study OPTIMUS (NCT04901741) is TME Pharma's planned open-label two-arm Phase 2 study of NOX-A12 combined with pembrolizumab and nanoliposomal irinotecan/5-FU/leucovorin or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in microsatellite-stable metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. Disclaimer Translations of any press release into languages other than English are intended solely as a convenience to the non-English-reading audience. The company has attempted to provide an accurate translation of the original text in English, but due to the nuances in translating into another language, slight differences may exist. This press release includes certain disclosures that contain "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are based on TME Pharma's current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the risks inherent in oncology drug development, including clinical trials and the timing of and TME Pharma's ability to obtain regulatory approvals for NOX-A12 as well as any other drug candidates. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and TME Pharma undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240526935010/en/ Contacts: For more information, please contact: TME Pharma N.V. Aram Mangasarian, Ph.D., CEO Tel. +49 (0) 30 16637082 0 investors@tmepharma.com Investor and Media Relations: LifeSci Advisors Guillaume van Renterghem Tel. +41 (0) 76 735 01 31 gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors.com NewCap Arthur Rouille Tel. +33 (0) 1 44 71 00 15 arouille@newcap.fr The Asia-focused mid-market buyout fund, which had an initial target size of USD 750 million, closes with USD 1.6 billion in total fund commitments, of which USD 1.4 billion is fee-generating The Mid-Market Growth strategy - which focuses on the technology, services, and healthcare sectors across Asia, prioritising India, South East Asia, Japan and Australia - is a natural extension of EQT's established large-cap buyout platform in Asia EQT's Private Capital strategies across the world have now completed fundraises in 2024 that combine to nearly USD 29 billion in total commitments STOCKHOLM, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT is pleased to announce that the BPEA EQT Mid-Market Growth Partnership (the "MMG Fund" or the "Fund") has held its final close at USD 1.6 billion in total fund commitments, of which USD 1.4 billion is fee-generating. The fundraise more than doubled the Fund's original target size of USD 750 million. The MMG strategy invests in high-growth mid-market companies across Asia. The region is the epicenter of global growth, expected to contribute 60 percent of global GDP by the end of 2024. Yet Asia's private markets are relatively underserved - for example, in 2023 just 9 percent of capital raised globally went to Asia-focused funds. This dedicated strategy aims to help address this financing gap. MMG is a natural extension of EQT Private Capital Asia's large-cap buyout strategy and one of the few scaled pan-Asian investment strategies dedicated to mid-market control buyouts. It employs the same thematic investment approach, centered on the technology, services, healthcare, and technology services sectors. It leverages EQT's pan-Asian presence - with more than 100 investment professionals across eight offices - with a particular focus on India, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Australia. And MMG is similarly dedicated to thematic control investments, allowing it to fully deploy EQT's active ownership approach that integrates digitalization and sustainability throughout the investment lifecycle. "We have been investing in Asia for the best part of three decades and now have a fully-scaled and established large-cap platform. Following this growth, we found that we no longer had a dedicated pool of capital to invest in compelling mid-market companies," said Jean Salata, Chairman of EQT Asia and Head of the EQT Private Capital Asia advisory team. "With EQT Private Capital Asia Mid-Market Growth we return to our roots. We already had the track record, local expertise and global capabilities to identify the champions of tomorrow while they are still mid-sized. Now we have the capital to execute." Nicholas Macksey, Partner in the EQT Private Capital Asia advisory team who heads the Mid-Market Growth strategy, added: "The team has hit the ground running with this new fund, having made four investments to date. In a testament to the dynamism of Asia's mid-market segment, as well as our scale and network, the pipeline is strong and we're excited for what's ahead. We would like to thank all our investors for their trust and support, and look forward to making this pan-Asia mid-market buyout strategy a success in the years to come." The Fund welcomed a diverse range of investors from across the world. Existing investors in the flagship Asian large-cap buyout funds made up over 80 percent of the total commitments. The majority of the remaining commitments came from investors in other EQT funds, which were allocating to the Asian platform for the first time. A significant portion of the commitments also came from EQT employees. The final close of the Fund brings the combined total of fundraises completed in 2024 by EQT's global Private Capital strategies to nearly USD 29 billion in total commitments, following the USD 24 billion close of EQT X in February and the USD 3.3 billion close of EQT Future in March. Contact Finn McLaughlan, Communications Associate Director, finn.mclaughlan@eqtpartners.com EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com Olof Svensson, Head of Shareholder Relations, olof.svensson@eqtpartners.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/eqt-private-capital-asia-s-mid-market-growth-fund-closes-at-more-than-double-its-target-size--raisin,c3988277 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/87/3988277/2821368.pdf PR_EQT announces MMG final close_240527 https://news.cision.com/eqt/i/hong-kong,c3303888 Hong Kong View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/eqt-private-capital-asias-mid-market-growth-fund-closes-at-more-than-double-its-target-size-raising-usd-1-6-billion-in-total-fund-commitments-302155889.html Original-Research: THE NAGA GROUP AG - from NuWays AG Classification of NuWays AG to THE NAGA GROUP AG Company Name: THE NAGA GROUP AG ISIN: DE000A161NR7 Reason for the research: Update Recommendation: Kaufen from: 27.05.2024 Target price: EUR 1.20 Target price on sight of: 12 Monaten Last rating change: Analyst: Frederik Jarchow EGM approved merger with CAPEX chg est. & PT Topic: During the recently held extraordinary general meeting, NAGA received the approval for the merger with CAPEX with a 99.81% majority. As the pending regulatory change of control process is rather a formality, we adjust our estimates, now fully reflecting the merger with CAPEX. For FY24 we now expect: Sales of EUR 77.8m, resulting from 15.9m transactions (eNuW) and an avg. revenue per trade of EUR 4.9 (eNuw). Apart from the technical impact of the merger, the stronger trading figures from peers that indicate an upswing of customer activity in the market, paired with cross-selling potentials between NAGA and CAPEX, are driving sales. The number of active customers (eNuW: 46k) and trading volumes (eNuW: EUR 340bn; EUR 21.4k per trade) should develop accordingly. EBITDA is expected to come in at a solid EUR 10.1m, thanks to the strong topline development as well as anticipated synergy effects. While management expects an OPEX reduction of some EUR 10m, we are a bit more conservative, anticipating only EUR 8.5m (eNuW: marketing spending: EUR 4m, personnel expenses: EUR 2.5m, other operating expenses EUR 2m). EBT is seen at negative EUR 0.7m. Despite the fact, that the merger looks like an unfavourable deal for existing shareholder due to its dilutive nature(existing shareholders possess only 25% of all outstanding shares post merger and the outstanding convertible bond as well as management's long-term incentive scheme could dilute them further), the growth potential of the joint Group is huge: In 2026, management plans to generate USD 250m in sales with 40% EBITDA margins. While we think this is a rather optimistic scenario, the past has already shown that an incremental positive change in the sentiment could have an enormous effect on the P&L of NAGA. The leverage of the joint Group could even scale this effect. Still, in our base case scenario we conservatively only anticipating EUR 98m in sales and an EBITDA EUR 20m (20% EBITDA margin), leaving room for positive surprises. In light of the revitalization of customer activity in the brokerage space, paired with cross-selling and synergy effects arising from the merger, we see significant growth potential again. BUY with a new PT of EUR 1.20 (old: EUR 1.30), based on DCF. You can download the research here: http://www.more-ir.de/d/29889.pdf For additional information visit our website www.nuways-ag.com/research. Contact for questions NuWays AG - Equity Research Web: www.nuways-ag.com Email: research@nuways-ag.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuwaysag Adresse: Mittelweg 16-17, 20148 Hamburg, Germany ++++++++++ Diese Meldung ist keine Anlageberatung oder Aufforderung zum Abschluss bestimmter Borsengeschafte. Offenlegung moglicher Interessenskonflikte nach 85 WpHG beim oben analysierten Unternehmen befinden sich in der vollstandigen Analyse. ++++++++++ transmitted by EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this research. The result of this research does not constitute investment advice or an invitation to conclude certain stock exchange transactions. CHICAGO, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Market by Chemistry (Acrylic, Rubber, Silicone), Technology (Water-Based, Solvent-Based, Hot-Melt), Application (Tapes, Labels, Graphics), End-Use Industry (Packaging, Automotive), and Region - Global Forecast to 2029", size is projected to grow from USD 13.8 billion in 2024 to USD 16.0 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 3.0%. Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) represent a critical class of bonding materials that exhibit a permanently tacky nature at room temperature, enabling them to adhere to various surfaces upon the application of slight pressure. This class of adhesives is distinct in its ability to effectively bond a diverse array of materials, including paper, plastic, metal, wood, and glass, without the need for a chemical reaction to activate the adhesive properties. The intrinsic balance between adhesion and cohesion within PSAs is paramount; adhesion refers to the ability of the adhesive to bond to external substrates, while cohesion refers to the internal strength of the adhesive's components. The utility of PSAs extends beyond traditional adhesive applications, offering a viable alternative to mechanical fasteners such as screws, rivets, and bolts. This characteristic is particularly advantageous in manufacturing processes where speed and ease of application are critical, making PSAs an optimal choice for point-of-purchase displays and general-purpose graphics. Browse in-depth TOC on "Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Market" 170 - Tables 70 - Figures 300 - Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1135 The water-based segment is expected to account for one of the largest shares in 2023. Water-Based PSAs dominate the market due to their environmentally friendly nature, lower cost, and safety. These adhesives involve dissolving acrylic polymers and other additives in water, which is then coated onto a substrate. Upon evaporation of the water, a solid adhesive layer remains. Water-based PSAs offer performance comparable to solvent-based adhesives while mitigating safety and environmental concerns. They cater to a wide range of applications, including tapes, labels, and graphics, and are compatible with various chemistries such as rubber, vinyl, and acrylic. The acrylic segment is expected to account for the largest share in 2023. Acrylic PSAs are known for their excellent balance of properties, including high adhesion, durability, and resistance to environmental factors. These adhesives are typically used in applications requiring long-term performance, such as in automotive and construction industries. Acrylic PSAs can be formulated to provide excellent UV resistance, making them suitable for outdoor use. They also offer good chemical resistance and can be tailored to adhere to a wide range of substrates, including metals, glass, and plastics. The ability to customize acrylic formulations allows manufacturers to create adhesives with specific properties, such as enhanced tack or shear strength. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=1135 Asia Pacific is expected to account for the largest share in 2023. The Asia Pacific market is expected to experience significant growth during the forecast period. Economies in this region, including India, China, South Korea, Brazil, and Argentina, are investing heavily in industrial development, driving demand for pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs). In contrast, growth in the European market is being constrained by stringent environmental regulations, which are reshaping the PSA market. These regulations are compelling manufacturers to innovate and develop eco-friendly alternatives, impacting market dynamics. Key Players The key players in the pressure sensitive adhesives market include Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), Dow (US), Avery Dennison Corporation (US), H.B. Fuller (US), 3M (US), Arkema S.A. (France), Sika AG (Switzerland), Scapa Group PLC (UK), and Wacker Chemie AG (Germany). Browse Adjacent Market: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Adhesive & Sealants Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tapes Market - Global Forecast to 2030 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insights: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/pressure-sensitive-adhesives-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/pressure-sensitive-adhesives.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/pressure-sensitive-adhesives-market-worth-16-0-billion-by-2029--exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302155884.html GUANGZHOU, China, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- News report from GDToday Organized by Guangdong, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Europe (France) Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference was held in Paris on May 24 (local time). More than 400 representatives from French industrial and commercial circles attended the conference. "This is a very important event, which put in contact with different companies, even new companies," said Gilles-Henry Garault, Vice-President and President of the International Commission, Encouragement Society for Industry in France. He indicated that the GBA can be one of the first economic centers in the world. At present, about 1/3 of the French companies in China have chosen to settle in Guangdong, including EDF Energy, Danone and Sanofi. In Garault's opinion, the GBA is the first choice for foreign companies to enter China. According to the data published by Guangdong Sub-Administration of General Administration of Customs of China, in Q1 this year, trade volume between France and the province of Guangdong reached 24.86 billion RMB, increasing 11.1% year-on-year. "I have been to the GBA many times since I became the CEO of Airbus China in 2003." said Norbert Ducrot, President of Wavelandes, "I discovered that the GBA is a fantastic region with a huge population and market. This year is very important because it's the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and France." In the beginning of May, both China and France made a joint declaration on enhancing global governance cooperation on artificial intelligence. According to a ranking published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou science and technology cluster has been listed the second for the past 4 years. Ducrot indicated that the GBA is the best place for both France and China to launch projects in the fields of software and hardware, electronics domains, and artificial intelligence, as this region has developed tech businesses and abundant resources of talents. "The conference reflects the remarkable achievement of economic development in China," said Roger Sebbagh, Special Adviser of French President. He indicated that he would like to play a role in bridging France and China in the future. In his opinion, cooperation between France and China is a win-win cooperation and he believes that the collaboration will bring positive influence to other countries and promote their development. According to preliminary statistics, 36 bilateral investment and trade cooperation projects between France (and Europe) and Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are reached with a total value of 3.22 billion US dollars in this conference. Among them, France (and Europe) will invest 1.59 billion US dollars in the GBA, while the GBA will invest 1.47 billion US dollars in France (and Europe). Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2422054/1.mp4 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/thrive-with-gba--greater-bay-area-held-conference-in-paris-to-further-ties-with-french-companies-302155971.html CHICAGO, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Battery Thermal Management System market size is projected to grow from USD 3.7 Billion in 2024 to USD 8.5 Billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 14.7%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The increasing demand for electric vehicle and battery safety is expected to increase the demand for BTMS. Additionally, continuous innovation in BTMS components will boost the demand for BTMS. Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=184479896 Browse in-depth TOC on "Battery Thermal Management System Market" 100 - Tables 100 - Figures 400 - Pages Battery Thermal Management System Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 USD 3.7 Billion Estimated Value by 2030 USD 8.5 Billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 14.7% Market Size Available for 2019-2030 Forecast Period 2024-2030 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Propulsion (BEV, PHEV, FCEV), Offering (BTMS With Battery, BTMS Without Battery), Technology (Active, Passive, Hybrid), Battery Type, Battery Capacity, Vehicle Type and Region Geographies Covered Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest Of The World Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Growing potential of modular design Key Market Drivers Innovation in EV battery system BEV segment is expected to have largest share in the global BTMS market The BEV segment is expected to grow the largest in terms of value. The region accounts for the largest BEV market, with countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea leading BEV sales. Strong government support and favorable policies are the major factors for the fast growth of BEVs in the region, along with the fast popularization of the BTMS market. The cost of the BEV of local players in this region is low compared to that in other regions, leading to a high demand for various low-cost BTMS in this market. For instance, in January 2024, XING Mobility (China), a company known for its innovative approach to EV technology, has recently introduced its latest advancement in battery technology with the debut of the Next-Gen Immersion Cooling Battery. These advancements will further drive the BTMS market in the BEV segment. <100 KWH battery capacity segment is estimated to exhibit the largest growth in global BTMS market <100 KWH battery capacity segment is expected to have significant growth opportunities in the BTMS market during the forecast period. This battery capacity range offers a balance between range and practicality. It satisfies the needs of consumers who desire an EV capable of longer distances without the added cost or weight of extremely high-capacity batteries. The infrastructure development supports the adoption of EVs with larger battery capacities and proper thermal management as consumers feel more confident about long-distance travel and quick charging options. With the improving range, the sales of vans falling under the segment are estimated to rise, which will boost the EV battery market in the <100 kWh segment. For instance, the 2024 Audi e-tron GT is a sedan with a 93-kWh battery pack that provides a range of around 300 miles (483 kilometers; it uses liquid-cooled systems for its batteries to provide optimum performance. Thus, the launch of EVs with a battery capacity of <100 kWh will drive the segment. US to lead the BTMS market in North America The US is predicted to lead the North American BTMS market. The US is a leading market in the automotive industry, renowned for its innovation, technology adoption, and vast network of manufacturers, suppliers, and consumers. With a diverse landscape ranging from the cold winters of Alaska to the scorching summers of Arizona, the demand for effective BTMS is paramount. As EV adoption continues to rise, driven by environmental concerns and government incentives, the importance of efficient thermal management solutions becomes even more pronounced. The climate across the US varies significantly from region to region, presenting unique challenges for automotive thermal management systems. In northern states such as Minnesota and Maine, frigid temperatures during winter months can severely impact battery performance and longevity. Conversely, in southern states such as Texas and Florida, extreme heat poses similar challenges, accelerating battery degradation and reducing overall efficiency. The growing demand for EVs in the US presents a significant opportunity for companies specializing in BTMS. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=184479896 Battery Thermal Management System Market Dynamics: Drivers: Innovation in EV battery system Restraints: Complexities associated with design components. Opportunities: Growing potential of modular design Challenge: Irregular operation of BTMS in extreme temperature Key Market Players of Battery Thermal Management System Industry: Prominent players in the Battery Thermal Management System Market include Robert Bosch (Germany), Gentherm (US), Continental AG (Germany), Denso (Japan), BorgWarner Inc. (US), Webasto Group (Germany), among others. The break-down of primary participants is as mentioned below: By Company Type: OEMs - 24%, Tier 1 -67% and Tier 2 & 3 - 9%, OEMs - 24%, Tier 1 -67% and Tier 2 & 3 - 9%, By Designation: CXO - 33%, Managers - 52%, and Executives - 15% CXO - 33%, Managers - 52%, and Executives - 15% By Region: North America - 26%, Europe - 30%, Asia Pacific - 35%, and ROW-9% Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=184479896 Automotive Battery Thermal Management System Industry Recent Developments: In February 2024, Denso Corporation's collaboration with Betterfrost and the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network represents a significant advancement in addressing the range limitations of EVs in extreme heat and cold. In February 2024, The acquisition between Modine and Scott Springfield Manufacturing to diversify its product offerings by incorporating air-handling units into its portfolio. In February 2024, The partnership between GM and LG Chem underscores a commitment to advancing state-of-the-art battery technology. By prioritizing thermal management solutions, they aim to address key challenges such as battery degradation, overheating, and safety concerns. Automotive Battery Thermal Management System Market Size - Key Benefits of Buying the Report: The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall BTMS market and the subsegments. This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to position their businesses better and to plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the market pulse and provides information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. This report provides insights on: Analysis of key drivers (Rising adoption of Electric Vehicles, Innovation in EV battery system, and Stringent regulatory and safety standards), restraints (Complexities associated design components and Inadequate infrastructure for EV charging in emerging market), opportunities (Growing potential of modular design, Increasing R&D investment for advance battery thermal solution, implementation of BTMS for optimal battery performance, and innovation within e-compressor by key OEMS), and challenges (Safety concerns associated with battery reliability and irregular operation of BTMS in extreme conditions) influencing the growth of the BTMS market. (Rising adoption of Electric Vehicles, Innovation in EV battery system, and Stringent regulatory and safety standards), restraints (Complexities associated design components and Inadequate infrastructure for EV charging in emerging market), opportunities (Growing potential of modular design, Increasing R&D investment for advance battery thermal solution, implementation of BTMS for optimal battery performance, and innovation within e-compressor by key OEMS), and challenges (Safety concerns associated with battery reliability and irregular operation of BTMS in extreme conditions) influencing the growth of the BTMS market. Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product & service launches in the BTMS market. Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyses the BTMS market across varied regions. Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyses the BTMS market across varied regions. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products & services, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the BTMS market. Exhaustive information about new products & services, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the BTMS market. Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, and service offerings of leading players like Robert Bosch (Germany), Gentherm (US), Continental AG (Germany), Denso (Japan), BorgWarner Inc. (US), Webasto Group (Germany) among others in the BTMS market. In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, and service offerings of leading players like Robert Bosch (Germany), Gentherm (US), Continental AG (Germany), Denso (Japan), BorgWarner Inc. (US), Webasto Group (Germany) among others in the BTMS market. Strategies: The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the BTMS market and provides them information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities Related Reports: Wireless Charging Market for Electric Vehicles - Global Forecast to 2030 Electric Vehicle Market - Global Forecast 2030 Automotive Terminal Market - Global Forecast to 2025 EV Battery Market - Global Forecast to 2033 Get access to the latest updates on Battery Thermal Management System Companies and Battery Thermal Management System Industry Growth About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC 630 Dundee Roa Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/battery-thermal-management-system-market-worth-8-5-billion-by-2030--marketsandmarkets-302155894.html GMINF All amounts are in USD unless stated otherwise Project remains on schedule and on budget for commercial production in H2-2024 Total project progress of 93% with construction 95% complete Total spend of $447 million (98% of project total) Industry leading safety record, with LTIFR of 0.04 after 5.2 million person-hours worked 1.5 Mt of ore at 0.85 g/t stockpiled to date ahead of schedule Site energized on the national grid with all balance of plant infrastructure commissioned; process plant commissioning in focus and progressing according to the plan and schedule BROSSARD, QC, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - G Mining Ventures Corp. ("GMIN" or the "Corporation") (TSX: GMIN) (OTCQX: GMINF) is pleased to provide an update on progress made at GMIN's 100%-owned Tocantinzinho Gold Project ("TZ" or the "Project") currently under construction in the State of Para, Brazil. With the spot gold price trading close to $2,400 /oz (LBMA Gold Price as at May 21, 2024), the Project is 93% complete and remains on track and on budget for commercial production in H2-2024. Recent Highlights (All updates are dated as of April 30 th, 2024, unless stated otherwise.) Health & Safety - Industry leading safety record of Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate (" LTIFR ") of 0.04, and Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate (" TRIFR ") of 0.31 after a total of 5,174,356 person-hours worked. - Industry leading safety record of Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate (" ") of 0.04, and Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate (" ") of 0.31 after a total of 5,174,356 person-hours worked. Budget - Total spend to date of $447 million with open commitments of $11 million for a total committed to date of $458 million and are tracking in line with the Feasibility Study (defined hereafter). Total spend to date of $447 million with open commitments of $11 million for a total committed to date of $458 million and are tracking in line with the Feasibility Study (defined hereafter). Schedule -Total Project is currently 93% complete and trending on time for commercial production in H2-24. -Total Project is currently 93% complete and trending on time for commercial production in H2-24. Construction Progress - Construction is 95% complete, with favourable project-to-date productivity factor of 1.14. Mill installation is imminently mechanically complete. - Construction is 95% complete, with favourable project-to-date productivity factor of 1.14. Mill installation is imminently mechanically complete. Pre-production Mining - Pre-production mining continues to progress above budget, having excavated 12.4 million tonnes (" Mt ") of material from the starter pit, including 1.5 Mt of ore to the stockpile. - Pre-production mining continues to progress above budget, having excavated 12.4 million tonnes (" ") of material from the starter pit, including 1.5 Mt of ore to the stockpile. Powerline - 193-km 138 kV transmission line from Novo Progresso to TZ and associated substations are complete and energized. - 193-km 138 kV transmission line from Novo Progresso to TZ and associated substations are complete and energized. Operational Readiness - All operations personnel hired, training ongoing, consumables/inventory parts procured. - All operations personnel hired, training ongoing, consumables/inventory parts procured. Human Resources - 1,507 employees and contractors are currently employed by the Project, after peaking at 2,220 in August 2023. Reductions are mainly in earthworks, civil, structural, architectural and site services. - 1,507 employees and contractors are currently employed by the Project, after peaking at 2,220 in August 2023. Reductions are mainly in earthworks, civil, structural, architectural and site services. Site Drone Footage - Recent aerial drone footage of the site can be found here. Tocantinzinho Project Update Area Progress to Date (at April 30, 2024 unless otherwise noted) Health & Safety o Total of 5,174,356 person-hours worked with industry leading Health and Safety performance. o LTIFR of 0.04. o TRIFR of 0.31, compared to global industry average of 0.80. Budget o Project remains on budget and on schedule. o Project commitments total $458 million, including expenditures of $447 million (98% of project total). o Budget is tracking in line with the Feasibility Study dated February 9, 2022 (filed under GMIN's profile on Sedar, entitled "Feasibility Study - NI 43- 101 Technical Report, Tocantinzinho Gold Project."). Schedule o Total Project progress is 93% and remains on schedule for commercial production in H2-24. Construction Progress o Total construction is 95% complete. o The Mine Maintenance Facility is complete and in use. o Mill installation is progressing well, with imminent mechanical completion. o The following support facilities for the Process Plant are completed: o Assay Laboratory o Reagent Storage Buildings o Mill Office o Process Workshop o Process Security Gate o Control Room o Primary crusher o Ore Reclaim system o Pre-Leach Thickener o Industrial Water o Gland Water o Flotation Tailings Storage Facility main dam reached final elevation of 150 metres for Phase 1: o Spillway excavation and geocell channel complete. o Downstream rockfill of the spillway complete. o Placement of the downstream filter material complete. o Piezometer installation 50% complete. o Carbon-in-Leach ("CIL") Tailings Storage Facility construction complete: o Completed liner. o Leak detection system installed. o Revegetation of the external slopes with hydroseeding and geomembranes 50% complete. Pre-Production Mining o12.4 Mt of material excavated from the starter pit to date, ahead of schedule, unaffected by rain events and now entering the dry season. o Owner-operated mining operations started in September 2022, with pre- production mining rate exceeding 50 ktpd. o Grade control assays performed in GMIN's on-site laboratory, using blasthole sampling. o Grade reconciliation has been positive, with unplanned ore identified outside of the Feasibility Study reserves model, in the andesite unit and additional mineralized saprolite. o A total of 1.5Mt of ore has been stockpiled, grading 0.85 g/t. o Mine dispatch system (MS4M) implementation including high precision for primary loading units and production drills is underway and expected to be fully operational in June 2024. Powerline o 193-km 138 kV powerline from Novo Progresso to TZ and associated substations are commissioned and energized. o Drawing electricity from the national grid at favourable rates, per the power purchase agreement signed with CEMIG, large Brazilian energy group, as previously announced on June 1, 2023. Operational Readiness o Personnel is recruited in accordance with the training and commissioning requirements, using current construction personnel when qualified and available. o The plant team is working together with the commissioning team to optimise the commissioning and start-up of the Plant and to ensure that the plant team is aware of all operational and maintenance requirements and to take ownership of the Plant once commissioning is complete. o All plant employees are receiving plant operational training sessions including Flotation, Crusher and Stockpile, Gravity and Intensive Leach, Pre-Leach Thickener, CIL, and Detox operations. Reagents Preparation and Flotation training is ongoing. o The International Cyanide Management Institute ("ICMI") Kick-off meeting was held with committee members to start activities in each area with the objective to have Tocantinzinho compliant with the ICMI Cyanide code. Commissioning o Commissioning of the process plant is progressing according to the plan with the following areas commissioned and handed over to operations: Transmission line, main substation, primary crusher, ore reclaim, pebble recirculation, pre-leach thickener, CIL, detox, water reclaim, plant water and air services, reagent preparation, etc. o All balance of plant infrastructure is commissioned and handed over to operations. Human Resources o 1,507 employees and contractors are currently employed by the Project with 94% of the workforce comprised of Brazilians. o Majority of senior positions (Managers and Senior staff) have been filled during construction with only the Process Plant positions being recent additions. Project Development Timeline The Project remains on track and on budget for commercial production in H2-2024. Virtual Site Tour and Feasibility Study Presentation Updated satellite imagery and 360 photography showing the site progress is available through the corporate presentation at: https://vrify.com/decks/14338. A 3D presentation of the Project Feasibility Study is available at: Feasibility Study 3D VRIFY Presentation. Both presentations can be accessed by visiting GMIN's website at https://www.gminingventures.com. Timetable and Next Steps Upcoming key milestones include: June 3, 2024: Record Date for GMIN's Annual General and Special Shareholders Meeting July 9, 2024: GMIN's Annual General and Special Shareholders Meeting (for the approval of transaction with Reunion Gold Corporation and annual corporate matters) Q2-24: Process plant commissioning commence H2-24: Commercial production Update Photos Qualified Person Louis-Pierre Gignac, President & Chief Executive Officer of GMIN, a QP as defined in NI 43-101, has reviewed the press release on behalf of the Corporation and has approved the technical disclosure contained in this press release. About G Mining Ventures Corp. G Mining Ventures Corp. (TSX: GMIN) (OTCQX: GMINF) is a mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal projects, to capitalize on the value uplift from successful mine development. GMIN is well-positioned to grow into the next mid-tier precious metals producer by leveraging strong access to capital and proven development expertise. GMIN is currently anchored by its flagship Tocantinzinho Gold Project in mining friendly and prospective State of Para, Brazil. Additional Information For further information on GMIN, please visit the website at www.gminingventures.com. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, those related to (i) the Project remaining on schedule and on budget for commercial production in H2-2024; (ii) the Project's commitments tracking in line with the Feasibility Study; (iii) the pre-production mining activities progressing ahead of schedule, with positive grade reconciliation; (iv) the commissioning activities progressing in accordance with plan; (v) the operational readiness being well advanced; and (vi) more generally, the horizontal bar chart entitled "Project Development Timeline" as well as the sections entitled "Timetable and Next Steps" and "About G Mining Ventures Corp.". Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Such assumptions include, without limitation, those relating to the price of gold and currency exchange rates, those outlined in the Feasibility Study and those underlying the items listed on the above sections entitled "Timetable and Next Steps" and "About G Mining Ventures Corp.". Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that, notably but without limitation, the Corporation will (i) continue to progress on all fronts at the Project, (ii) maintain an industry leading health and safety record, (iii) keep its expenditures and schedule in line with the Feasibility Study, (iv) carry its next steps as per the above timetable and effect the transition to commercial production as contemplated, (v) complete mill installation and, more generally, commissioning and operational readiness as planned, (vi) bring the Project into commercial production in the H2-2024, or at all, (vii) use TZ to grow GMIN into the next intermediate producer, or (viii) complete its transaction with Reunion Gold Corporation, as currently contemplated or at all (notably, that the shareholders of both parties will approve it), as future events could differ materially from what is currently anticipated by the Corporation. In addition, there can be no assurance that the State of Para, in Brazil, will remain a mining friendly and prospective jurisdiction. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in the Corporation's other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the relevant sections of the Corporation's (i) Annual Information Form dated March 27, 2024, for the financial year ended December 31, 2023, and (ii) Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. SOURCE G Mining Ventures Corp BEIJING, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 25th, HONGQI officially delivered the E-HS9 to Frankfurt Airport in Germany, providing VIP services for Europe's third-largest airport. Located in the heart of Europe, Frankfurt Airport is not only the largest airport in Germany but also one of the most important aviation hubs in Europe, frequently hosting dignitaries and VIPs from around the world. The VIP service at Frankfurt Airport demands high standards in brand prestige, luxury experience, and product reliability. Previously, the airport's fleet included vehicles from top luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley. The addition of the HONGQI E-HS9 as a VIP vehicle signifies the recognition of HONGQI's luxury attributes and product quality by relevant authorities. The warm and thoughtful service that the HONGQI brand provides to its users will now extend to Germany and spread across the globe. The HONGQI E-HS9 is the brand's first product exported to Europe, debuting in the Norwegian market in 2021. With the robust development of HONGQI's international business in recent years, the brand has achieved remarkable growth, doubling its sales for three consecutive years and establishing an extensive sales network with 82 offline points in countries like Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden. This has garnered increasing praise from European customers, showcasing the excellence of the Chinese automotive industry and national automotive brands. In 2024, HONGQI's new energy vehicles, the EH7 and EHS7, will soon be entering the European market, continuing to offer European customers a "better ride, better life", exclusive to the HONGQI brand. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2422576/image.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hongqi-e-hs9-officially-becomes-vip-service-vehicle-at-frankfurt-airport-302156022.html Achieving Highest Year-on-Year Global Market Share Growth in Q1 2024 SHANGHAI, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinix, a trendy tech brand crafted for young consumers, reports exceptional growth in Q1 2024. According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Infinix achieved the highest year-on-year global market share growth amongst all major smartphone brands worldwide. Infinix's year-on-year market share growth increased from 1.7% to 3.7% in Q1 2024, and its global smartphone shipments surged by a remarkable 150.6% year-on-year, achieving four consecutive quarters of rapid and sustained growth. "We are absolutely thrilled with our exceptional performance in the first quarter of 2024," said Tony Zhao, General Manager at Infinix. "Our entire dedicated team has worked tirelessly to bring young, tech-savvy consumers around the world the very best products at attainable price points. The launch of our highly acclaimed Infinix NOTE 40 Series and Infinix GT 20 Pro this year has been instrumental in our success, as we have strategically focused on addressing key consumer pain points, particularly in areas of charging capabilities and gaming performance. This has helped Infinix earn widespread positive acclaim and cement our position as a leading innovator in the global smartphone market." Infinix's exceptional performance has been pronounced in key markets such as Africa and Southeast Asia, and the brand has secured top 5 positions in smartphone market share in over 20 countries around the world and recorded impressive year-over-year growth rates. This remarkable achievement underscores Infinix's unwavering commitment to making advanced technology accessible to a broader global audience. Leading the Market with Q1 2024 Triumphs In 2023, Infinix earned a spot in Kantar and Google's Top 50 Chinese Global Brand Builders Report. Additionally, Fast Company ranked Infinix sixth in the World's Most Innovative Companies of 2024 within the Asia-Pacific sector, making it the only smartphone brand on this prestigious list. Behind Infinix's robust global market share performance lies its alignment with the preferences of young individuals, evidenced by its innovative products and creative marketing. During the first half of 2024, Infinix captured significant attention from young people and gaming enthusiasts worldwide with the launch of the Infinix NOTE 40 Series and the GT 20 Pro. These offerings included the introduction of the All-Round FastCharge 2.0, which aimed to address consumers' demands when it comes to charging capabilities. Some of these remarkable features include 100W Multi-Speed FastCharge, Wireless MagCharge, and the Cheetah X1 chip supporting multi-functioning charging modes. Infinix GT 20 Pro, being the only smartphone in its price segment that offers a dedicated gaming display chip, strives to offer users an immersive gaming experience. Looking Forward Infinix's remarkable achievements in Q1 2024 reflect its commitment to delivering innovative and affordable products, leveraging a multi-faceted marketing approach, and driving technological advancements. The brand's diversified and youth-oriented marketing strategies have contributed to its excellent global performance and reputation. Moving forward, Infinix aims to provide users with superior products and services, setting new benchmarks and striving for even greater success in the coming quarters. About Infinix: Founded in 2013, Infinix is a trendy tech brand crafted for young consumers. With a presence in over 70 countries, Infinix delivers cutting-edge technology, stylish design, and outstanding performance. Our product lineup includes smartphones, TWS earbuds, smartwatches, laptops, and smart TVs. In 2023, Infinix was recognized in Kantar and Google's top 50 Chinese Global Brand Builders Report and ranked sixth in Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies of 2024 in the Asia-Pacific sector. For more information, please visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2422648/Largest_YoY_Growth_Global_Smartphone_Market_Share_Q1_2024.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2316423/Infinix_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/infinix-soars-to-new-heights-with-exceptional-global-market-share-growth-in-q1-2024-302156076.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / Regions Bank Associates share their reflections and experiences. By Evelyn Mitchell May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. At Regions Bank, we recognize and honor the rich history, culture and traditions of these diverse communities and their many contributions to the United States. I AM. WE ARE. - Celebrating Regions Associates Our collective history is part of who we are, and Regions is a stronger company today because of our associates. Meet Austin Austin, an analyst at Highland Associates, a subsidiary of Regions Bank, shares his I AM story. Meet Sara I AM I AM a Consumer Banking Manager at Regions Bank. I AM a daughter, a proud sister, and a friend. I AM an immigrant. I was born in Azad Kashmir, which literally translates to Free Kashmir, a historically disputed region between India and Pakistan. Urdu is my native language, and I proficiently read Arabic. I AM a perpetual learner. Upon arriving in Yonkers, NY, in 1998, I was blessed by opportunity, enrolling in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program. This quickly became my favorite class as it ignited my passion for reading - a habit I have maintained throughout my life. I AM connected. I have a strong support system, encompassing my immediate family, teachers, mentors, and peers. Their invaluable contributions profoundly influenced my personal and academic journey, and I am deeply grateful. I AM an optimist. I envision a future where the bonds of our common dreams, experiences, and aspirations shine brighter than the barriers of our differences. During AAPI Heritage Month, I AM grateful for the richness and complexity of our culture and its traditions. WE ARE REGIONS Because of who I AM, WE ARE more dynamic, collaborative and resilient. Did you Know? The United States Congress established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week in 1978. The observance was expanded to a full month in 1992. May was chosen to celebrate the first immigration of Japanese Americans on May 7, 1843, and to honor the Chinese Americans who contributed to the transcontinental railroad which was completed on May 10, 1869. The AAPI community numbers 22 million from more than 20 countries and over 50 ethnic groups. This diversity covers a wide region from East and Southeast Asia to the Indian subcontinent to islands in the central Pacific. Send a Free Ecard Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Ecards are available to celebrate and raise awareness throughout the month. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Regions Bank Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are important to Regions. Our commitment is reinforced through our ongoing efforts to reflect, anticipate and adapt to the changing demographics of the communities where we live and work. DEI activities at Regions are focused on three areas of impact: workforce, workplace and marketplace. Workforce: We view diversity as a competitive advantage that enhances business performance and generates innovative solutions by fostering a broader range of perspectives and ideas. We view diversity as a competitive advantage that enhances business performance and generates innovative solutions by fostering a broader range of perspectives and ideas. Workplace: We create and maintain a work environment that is inclusive, and where associates are encouraged to collaborate across differences. We create and maintain a work environment that is inclusive, and where associates are encouraged to collaborate across differences. Marketplace: We leverage DEI and social responsibility focus to strengthen our relationships with communities, clients, customers and external stakeholders. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Regions Bank on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Regions Bank Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/regions-bank Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Regions Bank View the original press release on accesswire.com Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial. Im kostenlosen, exklusiven Spezialreport prasentieren wir ihnen 5 innovative KI-Unternehmen, die bahnbrechende Entwicklungen in diesem Sektor pragen konnten. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird. Nutzen Sie die Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 5 KI-Aktien das grote Potenzial zur Vervielfachung besitzen. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen die aussichtsreichsten Investments im KI-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! Future Market Insights reports a surging citrus aurantium extract market, driven by the growing demand for weight-loss products, natural bodybuilding supplements, and organic beauty solutions. The increasing use of the extract in pharmaceuticals due to its potential health benefits further bolsters market growth. The United States holds the largest market share, with South Korea exhibiting the fastest growth rate. NEWARK, Del., May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The citrus aurantium extract market value is expected to rise from USD 3.9 billion in 2024 to USD 5.7 billion by 2034. Global sales are anticipated to soar at a CAGR of 3.8% over the next decade. Download the Sample PDF report to explore key market insights and trends: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-19659 The citrus aurantium extract market is reaching new heights. With people paying more attention to their appearance, products and services associated with weight reduction and aesthetics are widely bought. Obesity, which has had a massive population in its clasp, is goading consumers to buy appetite suppressants and weight-loss-aiding products. The use of citrus aurantium extract, the scientific name for bitter orange, in these products, is consequently raising the market's value. Bodybuilding supplement manufacturers are also incorporating bitter orange for its organic ingredients and perceived benefits. A large portion of fitness enthusiasts is also keen on consuming organically made supplements. Thus promoting the use of bitter oranges. The essential oil sector is also embracing the use of bitter orange extract due to its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Salons and spas are thus incorporating the use of bitter orange to rejuvenate and refresh the customers. Widening applications of citrus aurantium extract in the pharmaceutical sector are likely to boost sales growth. Due to the useful properties of bitter orange extract, it is recommended to restrict the growth of cancer and degenerative cells. These properties are imparted by the presence of flavonoids, phenolics, vitamins, and essential oils. More research is going on to prove the benefits of citrus aurantium extract to increase its application for rehabilitation purposes. This is likely to benefit the industry during the assessment period. Key Takeaways from the Citrus Aurantium Extract Market Report The citrus aurantium extract market is set to total USD 5.7 billion by 2034. By application, the essential oil segment accounted for a share of 34% in 2023. Based on end use, the pharmaceutical sector is poised to record a CAGR of 3.4% through 2034. The United States is set to experience a 4.2% CAGR through 2034. Sales in the United Kingdom are predicted to total USD 229.7 million by 2034. South Korea is projected to register a CAGR of 6% between 2024 and 2034. "Players are promoting the health benefits and responsible use of citrus aurantium extract to increase its acceptance among consumers."- says Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.). Who is Winning? Key players are concentrating on achieving consistent quality standardization and control. This involves the execution of stricter manufacturing processes and providing standardized extracts with certain p-synephrine content. Participants are targeting certain citrus aurantium extract variations customized for specific uses. This involves the optimization of extracts for pharmaceutical applications, cosmetic uses, or weight management supplements based on desired properties. Players are educating consumers about the various benefits of using citrus aurantium extract while emphasizing responsible use and promoting its benefits as opposed to synthetic alternatives. Purchase now and gain full access to the Citrus Aurantium Extract Industry report, featuring comprehensive Market Forecast, Company Share Analysis, Competition Intelligence, DROT Analysis, Market Dynamics and Challenges, and Strategic Growth Initiatives. Get More Valuable Insights Future Market Insights (FMI), in its new offering, provides a thorough, detailed and unbiased analysis of the global citrus aurantium extract market, presenting historical demand data for the years 2019 to 2023 and forecast statistics for the years 2024 to 2034. The study provides compelling industry insights based on application (essential oil, appetite suppressant, and weight loss aid, among others) and end use (pharmaceutical, food, and personal care, among others) across several regions. About the Food & Beverage Division at Future Market Insights (FMI) FMI's Food & Beverage team offers comprehensive business intelligence services, with a vast array of reports and data points analyzed across 50+ countries over a decade. The team provides consulting services and end-to-end research, offering expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations to clients worldwide. Contact them to explore how they can assist with your unique business intelligence needs. About the Author: Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. She advises industry leaders and explores off-the-eye opportunities and challenges. She puts processes and operating models in place to support their business objectives. She has exceptional analytical skills and often brings thought leadership to the table. Nandini has vast functional expertise in key niches, including but not limited to food ingredients, nutrition & health solutions, animal nutrition, and marine nutrients. She is also well-versed in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, retail, and chemical sectors, where she advises market participants to develop methodologies and strategies that deliver results. Another feather to her cap manifests in the form of process automation. She is vocal about bringing automation to the fore to bring a 360-degrees-round revolution in manufacturing sector Her core expertise lies in corporate growth strategy, sales and marketing effectiveness, acquisitions and post-merger integration and cost reduction. Nandini has an MBA in Finance from MIT School of Business. She also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University, India. Nandini has authored several publications, and quoted in journals including Beverage Industry, Bloomberg, and Wine Industry Advisor. Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Food and Beverages Domain: Weight Management Supplement Market by Fat Burners and Appetite Suppressants, from 2024 to 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. by Fat Burners and Appetite Suppressants, from 2024 to 2034. - Demand Forecast of Essential Oil and Oleoresin in Asia Pacific by Cardamom and Turmeric through 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. by Cardamom and Turmeric through 2034. - Essential Oil Isolates Market by Product Type, End Use, Flavors, Sales Channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. by Product Type, End Use, Flavors, Sales Channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. Citrus Oil Market Forecast by Oranges, Tangerines/Mandarins, and Other Sources from 2024 to 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. Forecast by Oranges, Tangerines/Mandarins, and Other Sources from 2024 to 2034. - Powder Induction and Dispersion System Market Analysis by Batch and Continuous Process through 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. Analysis by Batch and Continuous Process through 2034. - Organic Salad Dressing Market Analysis by Ranch Dressing and Vinaigrettes through 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. Analysis by Ranch Dressing and Vinaigrettes through 2034. - Cupuacu Butter Market Analysis by Refined and Unrefined through 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. Analysis by Refined and Unrefined through 2034. - Digestion Resistant Maltodextrin Market Analysis by Spray-dried Powder and Instantized/Agglomerated through 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. Analysis by Spray-dried Powder and Instantized/Agglomerated through 2034. - Pea Starch Market Analysis by Conventional and Organic Through 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. Analysis by Conventional and Organic Through 2034. - Eubiotics Market Analysis by Prebiotics and Probiotics through 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample Report. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting service provider, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai and has delivery centers in the UK, the U.S., and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. Contact Us Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/3531122/FMI_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/citrus-aurantium-extract-market-soars-to-usd-5-7-billion-by-2034--fueled-by-weight-loss-beauty-and-pharma-demand-302155859.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 27, 2024) - Nevada Organic Phosphate Inc. (CSE: NOP) ("NOP" or the "Company), a B.C. based company engaged, in Nevada, in exploration for organic, sedimentary raw rock phosphate, announces that on May 10, 2024 and May 24, 2024, an aggregate of 27,575,240 warrants exercisable to purchase the same number of common shares of NOP at a price of $0.10 have expired in accordance with the applicable provisions of the warrant certificates related thereto. In addition, as a result of the expiration of the 27,575,240 warrants outstanding since 2022, NOP is providing the below updated capitalization table on a fully diluted basis. Total issued and outstanding common shares 44,627,705 Total options outstanding 4,325,000 Total warrants outstanding 7,722,465 Total issued and outstanding - Fully Diluted 56,675,170 Nevada Organic Phosphate Inc. NOP is a junior exploration company with a sedimentary rock phosphate property (the "Murdock Property") hosting a nearly flat lying sedimentary bed of known phosphate mineralization in NE Nevada. The increasing interest in organic and sustainable agriculture practices has contributed to the demand for organic fertilizers, including those derived from rock phosphate. Organic rock phosphate is often marketed as a fertilizer that not only provides phosphorus but also contributes to overall soil health. The Issuer aims to be one of the only certified organic rock phosphate producers with large scale potential in North America. The Murdock Property is situated adjacent to a main highway and the rail head to California. For More Information Robin Dow, CEO T: 604.355.9986 E: robin@dowgroup.ca Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulations services providers have reviewed or accept 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/210692 SOURCE: Nevada Organic Phosphate Inc. CARGOTEC CORPORATION, STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE, 27 MAY 2024 AT 9:30 PM EEST Cargotec publishes new long term financial targets for Hiab business area and information on planned management for standalone Hiab Cargotec publishes new long term financial targets for its Hiab business area and information on planned management for Cargotec as a standalone Hiab company ahead of the capital markets day, which will be held on 28 May 2024 starting at 2:30 pm (EEST). As announced earlier, Cargotec is carrying out a structure change where there would be three separate businesses emerging from the current Cargotec group. Kalmar is planned to be demerged to form a separate listed company as from 1 July 2024, and Cargotec is looking for a solution for MacGregor during 2024. If the planned actions are completed, current Cargotec would comprise of Hiab as a standalone business. Cargotec announced in conjunction with its January-March 2024 interim report that due to the high certainty of standalone listing of its business area Kalmar by means of a partial demerger, the combined financial targets set in November 2022 for Kalmar and Hiab are no longer valid. Therefore, separate long term targets have been set for Hiab and Kalmar. Kalmar's new long term targets were published on 22 May 2024 when the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority approved the prospectus concerning the proposed partial demerger of Cargotec and listing of Kalmar's class B shares. Cargotec's Board of Directors has set the following financial targets for Hiab to measure success by 2028: Annual sales growth over seven percent over the cycle Comparable operating profit 18 percent (1 Return on capital employed over 25 percent (2 1) as business area of Cargotec 2) as business area of Cargotec, defined as (Operating profit / Operative capital employed) In addition to the Hiab-specific long term targets, Cargotec's climate target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all three emission scopes by at least 50 percent by 2030 compared to a 2019 baseline remains valid. The target is validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In its planned standalone future after the solution for MacGregor has been found, Cargotec (future Hiab) is planning to publish a new climate target and applying its validation from SBTi. Cargotec also aims for a growing dividend of 30-50 percent of EPS and to keep gearing below 50 percent. "Hiab has a strong track record of profitable growth. We aim to reach even higher with our new strategy, which our new targets demonstrate. We continue to shape the essential industries we serve with our innovative lifting and delivery solutions and increase customer's productivity, safety and sustainability. Setting our own financial targets is also a major milestone on our journey to become a standalone company," says Scott Phillips, President Hiab. If the planned demerger of Kalmar is completed and a solution to MacGregor is found so that MacGregor would not thereafter be part of the Cargotec group, Cargotec's Board of Directors is planning to propose to Cargotec's General Meeting of shareholders that the company's name would be changed from Cargotec to Hiab. Should such actions be carried out as planned in the leadership of the current President and CEO of Cargotec, Casimir Lindholm has announced his intention to step down as President and CEO at such point. The Board of Directors would then appoint the President of the Hiab business Scott Phillips as the President and CEO of the renamed company being the current Cargotec. Cargotec currently estimates that these changes to transform into standalone Hiab could take place during 2025. Current Cargotec CFO Mikko Puolakka would continue as CFO of standalone Hiab. More detailed information on the new financial targets will be provided at the Capital Markets Day which can be followed online at https://cargotec.videosync.fi/hiab-cmd-2024, starting at 2:30 pm. For more information, please contact: Mikko Puolakka, CFO, tel. +358 20 777 4105 Aki Vesikallio, Vice President, Investor Relations, tel. +358 40 729 1670 Cargotec Forward-looking Statements The release includes forward-looking statements, including expected performance targets, and are based on present plans, estimates, projections and expectations and are not guarantees of future performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks relating to Cargotec's industry, business, the risk that Cargotec's actual results of operations in future periods may differ materially from the performance targets discussed, or suggested, herein. These forward-looking statements reflect knowledge and information available at, and speak only as of, the date they are made, which, even though they seem to be reasonable at present, may turn out to be incorrect. Except as required by law, Cargotec undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. HELSINKI, Finland, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Finnish restaurants were awarded two new stars at the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony 2024, held tonight in Helsinki. This brings the total amount of Finnish star restaurants to nine, out of which six are in the capital. Additionally, one restaurant in Helsinki was recognised with a Green Star and two with the Bib Gourmand award. In line with the City of Helsinki's catering policy, the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries served, for the first time in its history, no red meat at the prize ceremony. On Monday night, top chefs from all over the Nordic region gathered in Helsinki to participate in the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony, where this year's prestigious MICHELIN Stars were awarded. The event saw the announcement of not just the renowned MICHELIN Stars, but also the MICHELIN Green Stars, which recognise pioneers in the field of sustainable gastronomy. A range of Special Awards celebrating outstanding industry professionals was also presented. Finnish restaurants were awarded two new stars. In Helsinki, The ROOM by Kozeen Shiwan, which the guide describes as "unique and theatrical", gained its first star only five months after opening. At the restaurant, the chef and owner Kozeen Shiwan tells his life story through a creative menu. Elsewhere in Finland, Tapio in Ruka, which brings high-level dining to the popular ski resort, with an emphasis on natural flavours and exceptional ingredients, also got its first star. Restaurant Nokka was awarded the Green Star, bringing Helsinki's total score to four - an important recognition for the sustainable profile of the city's restaurant scene. According to the guide, the team at Nokka is "doing a great job of explaining the origins of the local, seasonal produce." A total of 85 star restaurants are included in The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries 2024. In addition to them, 36 restaurants have the MICHELIN Green Star. Finland now has a total of nine star restaurants, out of which six are located in Helsinki. Restaurant Palace has two stars, while Finnjavel Salonki, Demo, Gron, Olo and The ROOM by Kozeen Shiwan have one each. Two new Helsinki restaurants - 305 and plein - also received the Bib Gourmand award, highlighting restaurants offering great quality, great value cooking. Restaurant 305 was lauded for its "rustic, unfussy cooking", and according to the guide, "the experienced chef's skill shines through in the cleverly composed dishes that incorporate some international elements ranging from dashi to ravioli." Regarding restaurant plein, the guide was impressed by its generous and homely feel, combined with skilled cooking. A historic ceremony displaying the best of Finnish food and sustainability The event, first of its kind in Helsinki, brought a host of international guests to the Finnish capital, including more than 120 chefs from the Nordic countries as well as more than 60 domestic and international journalists and influencers. The ceremony took place in the historic Savoy Theatre, followed by a cocktail dinner highlighting Finnish and Nordic food at Helsinki City Hall. For the host city, the ceremony and dinner are a fantastic occasion to present the local gastronomy and food culture to a wider, influential audience. The guests were treated to a 12-course menu displaying the best of Finnish food and produce, largely sourced in the Helsinki region. In line with the City of Helsinki's catering policy, no meat was served - a first in the MICHELIN Guide ceremonies' history. The menu included, among other dishes, pan fried scallops and pea salad with brown butter and wild herbs freshly picked from Helsinki's Ullanlinna district, pike perch from Vuosaari with black kale, Rossini caviar beurre de blanc and puikula potato puree, as well as choux filled with oxalis lime curd, poached rhubarb and sour creme parfait. Guests were also able to see local Helsinkian chefs in action thanks to an open show kitchen built especially for the event at the City Hall. The MICHELIN Guide normally asks chefs from different countries in the region to participate, but this year, the show kitchen team was entirely composed of chefs from the Helsinki area. Eero Vottonen, head chef at renowned Helsinki establishment Palace Restaurant, was one of them. "For us, it is a great pleasure and honour to be part of this year's Nordic Michelin event and show everyone the best of our unique and beautiful city. It is a huge opportunity for Helsinki and our fantastic restaurants and industry people", Vottonen said. The ceremony was organized by the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries and hosted by the city in cooperation and Visit Finland as well as the Finnish food and drink industry firms of Fazer, The Helsinki Distilling Company, Kespro and Valio Aimo. For more information, please contact: Sara Jantti Senior Manager, PR & Communications, Helsinki Partners +358 40 709 2913 sara.jantti@helsinkipartners.com The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony is being arranged jointly by the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries, the City of Helsinki and Visit Finland. The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries is a branch of the multinational tyre manufacturing company Michelin. Visit Finland, part of Business Finland, is a national-level industry expert that works to promote tourism to Finland from abroad. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/helsinki-partners/r/michelin-stars-unveiled-in-helsinki---one-new-star-and-one-green-star-for-the-finnish-capital--bring,c3989103 The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/helsinki-partners/i/michelin-guide,c3304331 MICHELIN Guide View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/michelin-stars-unveiled-in-helsinki--one-new-star-and-one-green-star-for-the-finnish-capital-bringing-the-total-amount-of-stars-to-six-and-green-stars-to-four-302156202.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 27, 2024) - Newfoundland Goldbar Resources Inc. ("Company") announced that, on May 23, 2024, it entered into a binding letter agreement (the "Letter Agreement") with Rhino Digital Inc., a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Nevada ("Rhino"). The Letter Agreement outlines the proposed terms and conditions pursuant to which the Company and Rhino will effect a business combination that will result in a reverse takeover of the Company by the securityholders of Rhino (the "Proposed Transaction"). The Letter Agreement was negotiated at arm's length. Rhino is a Florida-based company that operates an all-inclusive Bitcoin financial services platform and mobile application which offers a range of financial services, allowing users to trade, save, and spend Bitcoin or USD along with conducting global money transfers. "We are absolutely thrilled about our upcoming merger with Newfoundland Goldbar Resources Inc. This pivotal move not only marks a significant milestone in our growth journey but also opens up an array of incredible opportunities. With the increasing global adoption of bitcoin and the surge in demand from major financial institutions, this merger will enable us to expand our reach, innovate faster, and deliver even greater value to our customers and shareholders. The future has never looked brighter, and we are excited to lead the way in the bitcoin financial services industry," said Rhino's Chief Executive Officer Lyle Hauser. Terms of the Transaction The Proposed Transaction will be structured as an arrangement, takeover bid, share purchase or other similar form of transaction or a series of transactions that have a similar effect, with the Company directly or indirectly acquiring all outstanding securities of Rhino. The final structure for the Proposed Transaction is subject to satisfactory tax, corporate and securities law advice for both Company and Rhino. Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, which include receipt of all necessary securityholder and regulatory approvals, and conditional approval of the listing of the subordinate voting shares of the resulting issuer (the "Subordinate Voting Shares") on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). In connection with the Proposed Transaction, the Company will be required to, among other things: (i) change its name to Rhino Digital Inc. or such other name acceptable to applicable regulatory authorities; (ii) consolidate its outstanding common shares at a ratio of 400 pre-consolidation common shares for 1 post-consolidation common share; (iii) complete a private placement offering of subscription receipts of a newly incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company; (iv) complete a private placement offering of convertible debentures; (v) replace all directors and officers of the Company on closing of the Proposed Transaction with nominees of Rhino; (vi) amend its articles to create a new class of multiple voting shares and super voting shares; and to (vii) amend its articles to convert its common shares into Subordinate Voting Shares and cancel the existing class of preference shares of the Company. A special meeting of Company shareholders to approve these and other matters relating to the Proposed Transaction has been scheduled for June 26, 2024, with further details in respect of the Proposed Transaction to be included in the management information circular. Further details of the Proposed Transaction and the business and operations of Rhino (including applicable financial statements) will be included in a listing statement to be prepared and filed with the CSE, and in subsequent news releases and other public filings. Closing of the Proposed Transaction is expected to take place in late second quarter of 2024. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the listing statement to be prepared in connection with the Proposed Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Newfoundland Goldbar Resources Inc. Binyomin Posen, CEO, CFO & Director For more information please contact: Company: Binyomin Posen, CEO, CFO & Director Phone: (416) 481-2222 E-mail: bposen@plazacapital.ca Rhino: Lyle Hauser CEO (888) 854-3824 investor@rhinobitcoin.com About Rhino Digital Inc.: Rhino Digital Inc., based in Florida, operates a comprehensive financial services application that allows users to manage Bitcoin transactions and pay bills, allowing users to trade, save, and spend Bitcoin or USD along with conducting global money transfers. Rhino's mission is to educate consumers on Bitcoin and improve the user experience in accessing different Bitcoin services. All information contained in this news release with respect to Rhino was supplied by Rhino for inclusion herein and the Company has relied on the accuracy of such information without independent verification. As noted above, completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including listing of the Subordinate Voting Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange. There can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or listing statement of the Company to be prepared in connection with the Proposed Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Company should be considered highly speculative. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the Proposed Transaction nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 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 the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements. Forward-Looking Information and Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein may include, but are not limited to, information concerning the Proposed Transaction, expectations regarding whether the Proposed Transaction will be consummated, including whether conditions to the consummation of the Proposed Transaction will be satisfied, the timing for holding a special meeting of shareholders of the Company to approve matters relating to the Proposed Transaction, expectations for the effects of the Proposed Transaction or the ability of the combined company to successfully achieve business objectives, expectations regarding the availability of additional financing, ability of the Company to complete the contemplated private placements, and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward- looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward- looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/210715 SOURCE: Newfoundland Goldbar Resources Inc. From Smart Devices to Chipsets, Explore the Full Range of Wi-Fi HaLow Solutions at Wireless Japan With Newracom and Partners IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / Since the certification of the first IEEE 802.11ah Wi-Fi HaLow System-On-A-Chip, Newracom has been working towards developing an ecosystem of solutions to enable Wi-Fi HaLow technology. At Wireless Japan, Newracom will showcase the results of its efforts with its partners, offering a complete suite of Wi-Fi HaLow-based IoT solutions. This collection of Wi-Fi HaLow-enabled devices, modules, and SoCs will be on display at Wireless Japan in the 802.11ah Promotion Council's (AHPC) booth (W-64) from May 29 to May 31, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. "Shaking up the connectivity landscape with Wi-Fi HaLow has been driving innovation in IoT solutions," stated Frank Lin, Vice President of Marketing & Sales at Newracom. "By offering a combination of long range, low power, and higher throughput, we have redefined what is possible for IoT devices. Our partners have been a testament to this transformation." "Newracom has been actively participating in the regularization of HaLow in Japan since the founding of AHPC," said Tadao Kobayashi, Chairman of AHPC. "Newracom has significantly contributed to AHPC activities by providing technical support for experimental stations essential for regularization, modifying chip specifications to comply with Japan's 802.11ah regulations, and supplying overseas information. Without Newracom's contribution, the current Japanese HaLow business would not have started. AHPC is looking forward to Newracom expanding the HaLow business in Japan in the future." "At Brickcom, we are thrilled to collaborate with Newracom and integrate their groundbreaking 11ah SoC solution into our upcoming product line. This partnership underlines our commitment to delivering top-tier technology and exceeding customer expectations," remarked Ebony Huang, CEO of Brickcom. "Sunmi is very excited to work with our strategic partner Newracom to integrate this breakthrough 11ah-based technology into commercial information equipment. This is fully in line with Sunmi's vision of advancing BIoT and provides robust support for it," commented Eric Zhou, Vice President of IoT Products R&D Center at Sunmi. "In our constant pursuit to support IoT devices, we have worked with Newracom to bring Wi-Fi HaLow to Sony's Spresense platform," said Yoshinori Oota, Spresense Project Manager of Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, System Solutions Business Division. "Newracom has been a key community member and collaborator in helping develop the full potential of Wi-Fi HaLow." To discover the full range of Wi-Fi HaLow-based smart solutions with Newracom, please visit the Newracom booth at W-64 at Wireless Japan, May 29-31, 2024, or reach out to sales@newracom.com to schedule a meeting. About Newracom, Inc. Newracom, Inc., located in Irvine, California, U.S., has rapidly become a leading developer and supplier of IoT-enabled wireless connectivity chipsets. We specialize in providing a broad range of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11ah and IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ac/ax) that covers various connectivity needs in our lives. With our extensive and diverse Wi-Fi solutions, NEWRACOM enables customers with a "one-stop shop," offering a comprehensive solution that can serve multiple IoT applications, including Smart Grid, Wearables, Smart Home and Office, Healthcare, and Industrial Automation. For more information, please visit online at https://www.newracom.com. Contact Information: Frank Lin Vice President of Marketing & Sales frank.lin@newracom.com +1-408-649-1612 SOURCE: Newracom View the original press release on newswire.com. Personal loans are an alternative to Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), offering fast access to upfront funding and predictable repayment structures that take the stress out of big purchases. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / The Federal Government recently requested submissions on the exposure draft legislation to regulate Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) products, in a move to better protect borrowers. As their name suggests, BNPL products allow Australians to buy an item and then pay for it in interest-free instalments. However, these products are not currently subject to the same regulations banks and lenders abide by, including dispute resolution and hardship support. According to non-bank lender Liberty, a personal loan could be a good option for borrowers seeking funds for multiple purchases or larger amounts. Manager - Group Communications Kate Jenkinson says personal loans can provide fast funding for a variety of purposes and typically offer a higher limit. "Personal loans support Australians to fund big purchases or projects that might have otherwise been out of reach," Ms Jenkinson said. "This means borrowers can not only reach their goals faster, but the fixed repayments could make ongoing budgeting easier to manage." Personal loans can help borrowers achieve various goals, from debt consolidation to buying a new car or caravan. Loans could also fund home renovations, overseas holidays, unexpected medical expenses, or bridge cash flow gaps. "Personal loans provide quick access to funds while also offering borrowers a clearer understanding of the exact costs involved." Liberty's free-thinking personal loans offer tailored rates based on several factors such as credit score and financial history. While some traditional lenders might not accept borrowers that have had past financial hiccups or bad credit, Liberty takes a more holistic approach. "At Liberty, we know not everyone fits into the same box. We look at a range of factors and take a more personal approach to helping borrowers secure the funding they need. Our goal is to help individuals reach theirs," Ms Jenkinson said. About Liberty As one of Australia's leading non-bank lenders, Liberty offers innovative solutions to support customers with greater choice. Over more than 26 years, this free-thinking approach to loan solutions has seen more than 850,000 customers across a wide range of home, car, business and personal loans, as well as SMSF lending and insurance products. Liberty remains the only non-bank lender with an investment-grade credit rating offering custom and prime solutions to help more people get financial. Approved applicants only. Lending criteria apply. Fees and charges are payable. Liberty Financial Pty Ltd ACN 077 248 983 and Secure Funding Pty Ltd ABN 25 081 982 87 2 Australian Credit Licence 388133, together trading as Liberty Financial. Contact Kate Jenkinson Manager - Group Communications P: +61 3 8635 8888 E: mediaenquiries@liberty.com.au SOURCE: Liberty View the original press release on accesswire.com Phoenix, USA, May 27th, 2024, Chainwire Apu Apustaja, a new memecoin making waves in the industry, has announced impressive support from its rapidly growing community, including over 11,650 coin holders and more than 13,000 Telegram channel members. Leading a revolution in the sector, which sees frog memecoins replacing dog-themed coins. Behind its sudden surge in popularity are a highly enthusiastic community and an expert development team. Apu also announced it has purchased APU.COM, which will become its official website with an imminent move from the former Apu.community domain. The event marked an important milestone in the projects development as the new, ultra-rare domain will help it surge in brand awareness, authenticity, and recognition. Apu Apustaja is a popular internet meme that translates to Help Helper in English and originates from a Finnish imageboard. Those with lesser knowledge of meme characters may mistake Apu for Pepe, another famous frog meme that spurred the now highly popular memecoin, Pepecoin. While the two characters have similar designs, Apu bears evidently different features, including softer lines, a somewhat sad expression, and a childlike appearance. Some would say that Apu is to Pepe what Shib is to Doge. Moreover, the project secured listings for the $APU coin on MEXC, Bitget, Bitmart, Gate.io, BingX, CoinEx, and LBank Exchange. The team notes a partnership with a market maker and also that they passed an audit with Metatrust. Now, the team is actively focusing on its marketing efforts and building Apus presence on social media and beyond. Since the project did not have a marketing-dedicated wallet, most of its brand-building marketing comes from Grassroots campaigning and community funding. Other important achievements for Apu include launching The Book of Apu, a comprehensive story of the memes lore developed by the community. The project also published its official whitepaper. The $APU coin has a total supply of 420.69 billion coins, with 82.79 billion already burned. The coins tokenomics model does not charge any BUY or SELL taxes and reserves 100% of the total supply for liquidity providers. About Apu Apu, also known as Helper, is a new memecoin project seeking to establish a standout presence in the increasingly competitive memecoin niche. Apu has no IP or copyright. The project is quickly developing a loyal fan base, including memecoin enthusiasts, investors, liquidity providers, and contributors. The team refers to this growing community as frens and pledges its commitment to a fair and transparent evolution for Apu. Apu Coin has an ambitious four-phase roadmap ahead. In fact, the project has already completed the first phase, which included the projects launch, DEX listings, reaching 1,000+ holders, and community takeover. Now, the project is in the second phase, which includes CEX listings, strategic partnerships, and boasting over 10,000 holders. In the future, Apu aims to release original merch, an NFT collection, and reach over 100,000 holders. The $APU token is currently for sale on Uniswap, where interested buyers can purchase it for ETH simply by connecting their wallets. Users can follow the project and stay up to date with its development at these links: Website | X (Twitter) | Telegram | Instagram Apu is the source of this content. This Press Release is for informational purposes only. The information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest. Contact Jim Jonestown [email protected] In our competitive business landscape, customer loyalty is more valuable than ever. Consumers have a variety of choices at their fingertips, and positive word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted sources hold immense power. This is where customer advocacy comes in a strategic approach that empowers your most loyal customers to become vocal brand ambassadors. Through their positive reviews, social media mentions, and referrals, advocates can significantly influence purchase decisions and drive brand growth. However, building a successful customer advocacy program requires a well-defined strategy and ongoing effort. This guide will walk you through the essential steps involved, from fostering a customer-centric culture to measuring program performance. Preparing to Build Your Customer Advocacy Program Before diving into the nitty-gritty of program creation, take a moment to answer these key questions: What are your program goals? Do you aim to increase brand awareness, boost customer loyalty, or generate new leads? Defining clear objectives will guide your program structure and allow you to measure success effectively. Who is your ideal advocate? Identify the customer profile that embodies your brand values and is passionate about sharing their positive experiences. What resources are available? Consider your budget, staff expertise, and existing technology infrastructure to determine how youll support your program. Steps to Building Your Customer Advocacy Program Now, lets delve into the eight crucial steps to building a thriving customer advocacy program: Step 1: Cultivate a Customer-Centric Culture A successful customer advocacy program thrives on a foundation of genuine customer focus. Heres how to cultivate this culture: Prioritize customer satisfaction: Gather feedback through surveys, reviews, and support interactions. Actively listen to your customers and demonstrate a commitment to resolving their issues promptly. Deliver exceptional customer experiences: Go beyond simply meeting expectations a surprise and delight your customers with unexpected gestures of appreciation. Step 2: Identify and Recruit Advocates Not every happy customer is automatically an ideal brand advocate. Look for customers who possess these qualities: Passionate about your brand: They are enthusiastic about your product or service and readily share positive experiences with others. Active online presence: They have a strong social media following or engage in online communities relevant to your industry. Strong communication skills: They can articulate the benefits of your brand in a clear, compelling manner. Customer advocacy software like Mention Me can help you identify potential advocates by analyzing customer reviews, social media mentions, and website interactions. Once youve identified potential advocates, personalize your outreach. A genuine invitation to join your program, highlighting the benefits of participation, will resonate far better than a generic email blast. Step 3: Develop Advocacy Program Guidelines and Policies Clear guidelines ensure your advocates understand their role and operate effectively. Your program guidelines should address the following: Program objectives and benefits Expectations for advocate behavior (e.g., types of content to share, brand messaging consistency) Brand voice and messaging guidelines Content moderation policies Incentive programs and reward structure Step 4: Provide Training and Resources for Advocates Equip your advocates with the knowledge and tools they need to be successful brand ambassadors. Offer training on: Brand knowledge: Ensure advocates deeply understand your brand values, product features, and unique selling propositions. Advocacy program specifics: Explain the program structure, expectations, and available resources. Content creation strategies: Guide advocates on crafting compelling social media posts, writing reviews, or participating in online discussions. Step 5: Implement Advocacy Program Tools and Platforms Technology plays a crucial role in streamlining program management and maximizing advocate engagement. Here are some key tools to consider: Customer advocacy platform: Choose a platform that facilitates advocate identification, program management, communication channels, and performance tracking. Mention Me offers a comprehensive suite of features to manage your entire customer advocacy program from a single platform. Social media management tools: Schedule social media posts, track brand mentions, and engage with advocates and followers across different platforms. Email marketing tools: Design and send personalized email campaigns to nurture advocate relationships and encourage program participation. Content management system (CMS): Create and maintain a central hub for brand assets, program guidelines, and advocate resources. Step 6: Foster Engagement and Community Building A thriving customer advocacy program should foster a sense of community among advocates. Heres how: Create an exclusive online space: This could be a private forum, a Facebook group, or a dedicated online community where advocates connect, share ideas, and support each other. Host regular challenges and campaigns: Motivate advocates with engaging campaigns that encourage content creation, product reviews, or social media mentions. Consider incorporating loyalty programs or gamification elements to incentivize participation. Recognize and acknowledge contributions: Publicly acknowledge top performers and highlight valuable contributions from advocates. This fosters a sense of appreciation and motivates continued participation. Step 7: Incentivize and Reward Advocates While intrinsic motivation (passion for your brand) is powerful, offering incentives can further boost advocate engagement. Here are some options for you to consider: Tiered loyalty programs: Reward advocates with points or badges based on their level of participation. These points can be redeemed for exclusive discounts, early access to new products, or personalized experiences. Social recognition and badges: Publicly acknowledge top performers in your advocate community. This recognition is valuable for advocates who build their online reputation and personal brand. Exclusive experiences and gifts: Offer unique rewards like early access to product launches, invitations to industry events, or personalized merchandise. Remember, the key to successful incentivization is to offer rewards that are relevant and meaningful to your advocates. Focus on building relationships and appreciation, not solely on transactions. Step 8: Measure and Analyze Program Performance Tracking and analyzing your programs performance is crucial for demonstrating value and identifying areas for improvement. Use key metrics such as: Advocate acquisition rate: Track how many potential advocates join your program. Advocate engagement rate: Measure how actively advocates participate in program activities. Social media reach and impressions: Monitor the reach and engagement of advocate-generated content. Website traffic and referral conversions: Track the impact of advocate promotions on website traffic and sales conversions. Customer acquisition cost (CAC): Analyze how your advocacy program contributes to reducing customer acquisition costs. Customer advocacy software like Mention Mes Customer Advocacy Intelligence Platform can provide comprehensive reporting tools that help you track these key metrics and gain valuable insights into your programs effectiveness. Regularly reviewing your data allows you to optimize strategies for even better results. Case Studies of Successful Customer Advocacy Programs Several brands have leveraged customer advocacy to achieve remarkable results: Sephora: Sephoras Beauty Insider program incentivizes customer loyalty through tiered memberships, exclusive offers, and personalized experiences. This program fosters a strong community of brand advocates who actively share positive reviews and recommendations. Airbnb: Airbnbs Host Club empowers Superhosts (highly-rated hosts) to share best practices and insights. This fosters a sense of community and motivates hosts to provide exceptional guest experiences, ultimately strengthening the Airbnb brand. Common Challenges and Solutions Building a successful customer advocacy program is not without its challenges. Here are some common roadblocks and solutions: Identifying the right advocates: Utilize customer advocacy software to analyze customer data and identify potential brand champions. Motivating advocate participation: Develop engaging campaigns, offer meaningful incentives, and foster a strong sense of community. Measuring program ROI: Focus on tracking key metrics that demonstrate the programs impact on brand awareness, customer acquisition, and revenue growth. By implementing effective solutions and continuously monitoring program performance, businesses can overcome challenges and unlock the full potential of customer advocacy. Best Practices for Sustaining and Scaling Your Program Building a thriving customer advocacy program is an ongoing process. Here are some key practices to ensure the long-term success and growth of your customer advocacy program: Continuously nurture relationships: Regularly engage with your advocates through personalized communication, exclusive content access, and recognition for their contributions. Gather feedback and iterate: Actively solicit feedback from advocates to understand their needs and preferences. Use their insights to refine your program structure, incentives, and communication strategies. Embrace new technologies: Stay updated on the latest customer advocacy tools and platforms. Customer advocacy software is constantly evolving, offering new features and functionalities to enhance program and advocate engagement. By fostering a culture of appreciation, continuously optimizing your program, and utilizing the right technology, you can transform your customer advocacy program into a powerful driver of brand growth and long-term success. In conclusion, building a successful customer advocacy program requires a strategic approach, ongoing effort, and a deep commitment to fostering strong customer relationships. By following these steps, leveraging the power of customer advocacy software, and cultivating a passionate advocate community, you can amplify your brand voice, generate authentic word-of-mouth marketing, and achieve your business goals. Remember, your most loyal customers are your greatest brand assets. Empower them to become vocal advocates, and watch your brand loyalty and market reach soar! Rain AI, a San Francisco, California-based AI chip startup, raised $8.1m in Series A Extension round. Epic Venture Partners made the investment. Led by CEO William Passo, Rain AI creates energy-efficient AI hardware using in-memory compute technology, enabling advanced AI models to run locally on various devices. The company is addressing this core problem via its in-memory compute proprietary technology that will bring the AI technologies of tomorrow, from personalized robotics to putting models the size of ChatGPT on your phone. The company is now in talks with major hyperscalers and semiconductor companies to license its IP, with plans to launch its first chip ready for customers in 2025. The use-cases will span across multiple industries, including drones, VR goggles, smartphones, robotics, wearables, and more. Founded in 2017, Rain AI quickly gained recognition after being accepted into Y-Combinator in 2018. The company secured a $5m seed round led by Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, and subsequently relocated to Silicon Valley to further its research and development efforts. In 2022, Rain AI raised a $25m Series A round. The company has now raised over $40m from notable investors including Sam Altman, co-founder/CEO of OpenAI; Jeff Rothschild, a founding engineer at Facebook; Daniel Gross, co-founder of AI startup Cue (acquired by Apple); Oliver Cameron, Founder of autonomous vehicle startup Voyage (Acquired by Cruise); Jaan Tallinn, founding engineer at Skype; and Scott Gray, an AI hardware expert and early member of OpenAIs technical team. Rain AI has also assembled an advisory board which includes Dr. Jackson Hu, the former CEO & Chairman of UMC, and Dr. Arijit Raychowdhury, an expert of in-memory compute and Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Georgia Tech university. FinSMEs 27/03/2024 While passengers angry and shocked reactions are natural as they perceive it as unethical fleecing, there is also another side to the story read more Cyclone Remal caused significant destruction in West Bengal and also disrupted air travel. The Kolkata airport was closed for 21 hours as a safety measure leading to a steep increase in airfares. According to the Times of India, tickets from Kolkata to Mumbai soared to as much as Rs 79,403. Airlines took advantage of the situation, raising prices significantly. This practice has led to questions about the fairness and ethics of such price hikes during emergencies. Advertisement The Canadian experience In August last year, Canadians took to social media to express their frustration over the significant increase in flight prices out of Yellowknife coinciding with evacuation orders due to severe wildfires. The cost of flights reportedly surged up to ten times the usual rates. A Reuters report highlighted that airlines determine ticket prices based on factors such as the timing of the purchase and the level of demand. Chris Amenechi, the founder of SeatCash, a startup that forecasts future flight prices for subscribers, explained that airlines allocate a certain number of seats to each fare tier. When demand spikes the lower-priced seats quickly sell out leaving only the higher-priced options available. Amenechi, a former commercial airline executive noted that pricing systems are not designed to recognise disasters, necessitating manual intervention by airlines. In a region like Yellowknife, where flights are limited, the scarcity of available seats can lead to exorbitant prices. In some cases, only a single first or business class seat may be available, which significantly drives up the cost. Despite these automated systems, airlines still retain the ability to adjust prices during emergencies. For instance, several US carriers recently offered $19 fares for evacuation flights from Maui to Honolulu to assist those fleeing wildfires. This effort, where at least 114 people died, was described by US aviation analyst Robert Mann to Reuters as an example of airlines acting as good neighbours by manually capping fares to facilitate evacuation efforts. Advertisement Soaring airfares during Jat protests In 2016, a parliamentary committee criticised the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for not taking action while airlines charged excessive fares during the Jat agitation in Haryana and for last-minute bookings. According to a Hindustan Times report, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance expressed concerns about the governments readiness to address issues like cartelisation, price parallelism and abuse of market dominance. The committee noted that although the CCI has the authority to investigate anti-competitive behaviour within India and internationally it had been passive until prompted by external complaints. Only after these concerns were highlighted did the CCI start examining the issue of the steep increase in airfares as acknowledged by the parliamentary panel. Advertisement Why tickets become expensive suddenly Airline ticket prices often spike in response to natural disasters due to several factors primarily driven by increased demand and operational challenges. During such events, airlines face a surge in passengers needing immediate travel either to evacuate affected areas or to return home. This heightened demand can lead airlines to increase fares significantly, a practice sometimes criticised as price gouging. For instance, during Hurricane Irma in the US, airlines dramatically increased their prices, with reports of tickets rising from around $547 to over $3,200 for flights out of disaster-hit areas. This price hike is a result of airlines leveraging the urgent demand for flights coupled with limited availability. However, not all airlines adopt this approach. Some like JetBlue during the same hurricane capped their prices at $99 to assist evacuees reflecting a strategic use of game theory to balance profit with public relations and corporate responsibility. Advertisement Operational challenges also contribute to fare increases. Natural disasters can disrupt airport operations, damage infrastructure and necessitate rerouting of flights all of which increase costs for airlines. Moreover, the principles of supply and demand heavily influence ticket prices. When natural disasters occur the demand for flights out of the affected regions skyrockets while the supply of available seats remains limited naturally driving prices up. Airlines also use automated pricing systems that adjust fares based on real-time demand leading to rapid increases as more people book flights in response to an impending disaster. A video that has gone viral on social media shows the security guards cold and condemnable behavior towards the star and fans are furious read more As much as people are celebrating the Cannes Film Festival 2024 for all its razzmatazz and women making the globe proud, the festival has also come under fire for a security guards mistreatment to at least three stars that walked the red carpet. They were Kelly Rowland, Massiel Taveras, snd K-Pop sensation YoonA. A video that has gone viral on social media shows the security guards cold and condemnable behavior towards the star and fans are furious. Advertisement Finding out that security racist woman at Cannes did the same thing to yoona on the red carpet??? Like why is she still there and not fired after Kelly rowlands situation ???? pic.twitter.com/X3JnpLUXAd Rockville (@4lynnie_NY) May 25, 2024 A user wrote, Kelly Rowland, Massiel Taveras, Yoona - Theres a pattern here. @Festival_Cannes should terminate her. Another netizen commented, Kelly Rowland, Lim YoonA and Massiel Taveras all of them have one thing in common YoonA was NOT happy with that ladys behavior, and its so rare to see her like this. @Festival_Cannes you know what you have to do. Dominican actress Massiel Taveras was moved out of the carpet as she posed for photos at the Cannes Film Festival. The same security guard was involved in an incident with Kelly Rowland. https://t.co/O3Q1788tjy Pop Crave (@PopCrave) May 25, 2024 A third comment on X read, Finding out that security racist woman at Cannes did the same thing to YoonA on the red carpet??? Like why is she still there and not fired after Kelly Rowlands situation???? The film bagged the award, which is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme dOr, during the closing ceremony of the 77th edition read more Filmmaker Payal Kapadia on Saturday scripted history as her spellbinding drama All We Imagine as Light won the Grand Prix award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The film bagged the award, which is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme dOr, during the closing ceremony of the 77th edition. The Film and Television Institute of India tweeted to congratulate the filmmaker for the honor and wrote- As we witness a phenomenal year for Indian Cinema at 77th Cannes Film Festival, FTII cherishes the glorious achievements of its Alumni at this Mega International Stage of Cinema. Advertisement It is a moment of pride for FTII as its Alumni create history at Cannes. As we witness a phenomenal year for Indian Cinema at 77th Cannes Film Festival, FTII cherishes the glorious achievements of its Alumni at this Mega International Stage of Cinema.#cannes2024 #cannesawards pic.twitter.com/3fFURhzuSK FTII (@FTIIOfficial) May 26, 2024 Replying to their tweet, Ali Fazal wrote- Please dont. Just dont. Uhhh please dont. Just dont. https://t.co/UcBzjUp4GO Ali Fazal M / / (@alifazal9) May 26, 2024 What happened? Back in 2025, Payal led a students protest against the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as the FTII president after which a disciplinary action was taken against the award-winning filmmaker Kapadias feature directorial debut, which screened on Thursday night and has received glowing reviews in the international press, already registered its name in the history books after it became the first Indian film in 30 years and first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition. The screening of the film received an eight-minute standing ovation from the audience members. All We Imagine as Light , a Malayalam-Hindi feature, is about Prabha, a nurse, who receives an unexpected gift from her long estranged husband that throws her life into disarray. Advertisement With added inputs from agencies According to reports Rose Hanbury has become very close with one of the most controversial members of the royal family, Queen Camilla. Royal experts at Daily Mail claim hes blossoming in Camillas court. This month alone, Hanbury was seen with the Queen at Badminton House in Gloucestershire for the horse trials. Her name has started making noise all over again in the prolonged absence of Kate Middleton. The Princess of Wales , who is undergoing cancer treatment has halted her royal duties and is spending time with her husband, Prince William and kids at Windsor Castle. According to reports published in the Daily Mail, The Marchioness of Cholmondeley, who lives next door to Prince William and Catherines Norfolk retreat, Anmer Hall, is said to have become close to Queen Camilla. Advertisement Last weekend, the marchioness, former model Rose Hanbury, 40, was pictured curtsying to the Queen at Badminton House in Gloucestershire, where they attended the horse trials. The reports further said that just a few days later, one of Roses twin sons, Lord Oliver, held the royal robes at St Pauls Cathedral, where he was page of honour to the King and Queen at a service of dedication for the Order of the British Empire. Rose s husband, David, the Marquess of Cholmondeley, who turns 64 next months, is a Lord-in-Waiting to the King. One of the X users said, Lady Rose Hanbury is now front and centre in Royal Family affairs whilst Kate Middleton is still nowhere to be seen. Shes hanging out with Queen Camilla, her son is holding King Charles robe, and shes wearing Kates hat. She couldnt have timed this better if she tried. Few months back there were rumours that Hanburys daughter, Iris, is actually Williams child. Rose Hanbury s royal connection Rose Hanbury , who is rumoured to be Prince Williams mistress, attended the coronation of King Charles III, an appearance we predicted would cause some tension among the Royal couple. Her links to the royal family go back generations: her maternal grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Lambert, was one of eight bridesmaids to the late Queen Elizabeth IIs wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh. Her father Timothy Hanbury was a website designer, and her mother Emma Hanbury was a fashion designer. Lady Sarah Rose started modelling when she was 23. Advertisement (With inputs from agencies) Her film bagged the award, which is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme dOr, during the closing ceremony of the 77th edition read more Filmmaker Payal Kapadia on Saturday scripted history as her spellbinding drama All We Imagine as Light won the Grand Prix award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The film bagged the award, which is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme dOr, during the closing ceremony of the 77th edition. The Film and Television Institute of India tweeted to congratulate the filmmaker for the honor and wrote- As we witness a phenomenal year for Indian Cinema at 77th Cannes Film Festival, FTII cherishes the glorious achievements of its Alumni at this Mega International Stage of Cinema. Advertisement However, back in 2015, when actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan was appointed as the institutions president, she led a four-month long protest against the appointment. This led to the cancellation of her scholarship and a FIR against her. Replying to FTIIs tweet, Ali Fazal wrote- Please dont. Just dont. Kapadias feature directorial debut, which screened on Thursday night and has received glowing reviews in the international press, already registered its name in the history books after it became the first Indian film in 30 years and first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition. The screening of the film received an eight-minute standing ovation from the audience members. All We Imagine as Light , a Malayalam-Hindi feature, is about Prabha, a nurse, who receives an unexpected gift from her long estranged husband that throws her life into disarray. How many lies does it take to conceal a murder? In the tangled web of ZEE5s upcoming movie, House of Lies, deception knows no bounds. Prepare to be enthralled by a sinister tale of betrayal, greed and malice as ZEE5 , Indias largest home-grown video streaming platform and a multilingual storyteller, unveils the trailer of its latest murder mystery, House of Lies. Produced by Kali Movies Private Limited and Sebhariya Pictures, and directed bySaumitra Singh, this gripping thriller will premiere on ZEE5 on 31st May as part of its free-to-stream library. Advertisement https://youtu.be/xsOmELAaBUw Starring Sanjay Kapoor, Ssmilley Suri, Simran Kaur Suri, Hiten Paintal and the late actor Rituraj K Singh among others, House of Lies is an intriguing murder mystery that unravels the suspicious death of Albert Pinto, the morning after his birthday party. Investigators Rajveer Singh Choudhary and Abhay along with officer Sashi from Enforcement Directorate interrogate the guests - Alberts wife Ragini, brother Anthony, sister-in-law Aastha, lawyer Karan Sinha, doctor Fernandis, friend Col. Verma, and house help Zaid and try to uncover the many layers of complexities. With conflicting statements from all witnesses, officer Rajveer and Sashis old rivalry adding friction and betrayal, greed and malice at the centre of it all, the investigation grows complex as motives of the suspects start to emerge and entangle the case further. Director Saumitra Singh said, As an ardent admirer of the murder mystery genre, from the mind-bending classics by Agatha Christie to edgy modern noir thrillers, I have always been captivated by their ability to challenge and thrill audiences. Bringing House of Lies to life in collaboration with ZEE5 and my writer, Abhiraj Sharma has truly been a dream project, allowing me to craft a twisted psychological ride that will keep viewers guessing until the end. We have meticulously crafted each character as a deliciously layered and deceitful puzzle piece, brought to life by an extraordinarily talented ensemble cast. This flick is a delirious descent into the darkest depths of human nature that will have you clinging to the edge of your seat. From start to finish, I can guarantee that viewers will be utterly transfixed, unable to take their eyes off the screen as the shocking truths are revealed." Advertisement Actor Sanjay Kapoor said, Playing Rajveer Singh Chaudhary in House of Lies was an incredibly enriching experience. This character is relentless and deeply intuitive, traits that are essential when navigating through such a convoluted mystery. The complexity of the plot and the depth of the characters make this film a must-watch. I believe that ZEE5 viewers will be hooked from the very first scene and will enjoy every twist and turn that the story takes. Brace yourselves for a twisted tale of deception and murderwith House of Lies premiering on ZEE5 on May 31st! Turbulence left 12 people, including six crew, injured on a Qatar Airways flight just a week after one person was killed and many seriously injured on a Singapore Airlines aircraft. Experts say passengers underestimate the dangers of turbulence and that a seat belt can protect the body from moving or being thrown forward read more Air safety experts say passengers are often too casual about wearing seatbelts, leaving them at risk. Last week, one person was killed and dozens seriously injured due to turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight. Now, its happened again. Twelve people, including six crew, have been left injured after a Qatar Airways flight was hit by turbulence. Singapore Airlines has said it will take a more cautious approach to managing turbulence and has tightened its seatbelt rules. In addition to the suspension of hot beverage service when the seatbelt sign is on, the meal service will also be suspended, the carrier said in a statement to AFP. Advertisement SIA will continue to review our processes as the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance. But can wearing a seat belt on a flight really keep you safe from turbulence? Lets take a closer look: A brief history of the seat belt First, lets briefly look at the history of the seat belt. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, Major General Benjamin D Foulois is thought to have invented the first airplane seat belt in 1911. Foulois was one of the US first pilots. He was just the fifth person to be given the title of military aviator. The idea behind the seat belt was for pilots to avoid being thrown out of the plane. While his seat belt was good at this, it did not protect pilots during crashes. The US by 1914 the beginning of World War I began installing seat belts in army planes. The US in 1926 passed the first aviation regulation. The law, known as the Air Commerce Act of 1926, mandated safety belts or equivalent apparatus for pilots and passengers in open-cockpit airplanes carrying passengers for hire or reward. By 1928, all aircraft were required to have seat belts though it was not compulsory for passengers to wear them. The fasten seat belt sign. Image courtesy: FAA By the 1940s, the focus of authorities had changed from restraining passengers during crashes to keeping them safe. In the 1970s, the FAA changed laws to make it compulsory for passengers to wear seat belts during take-off and landing. Advertisement How do they work? Can they keep you safe? According to Skybrary.areo, seat belts stop the body from moving during a crash or turbulence. They do this by Stopping people from being thrown around the aircraft and into hard objects or other persons Stopping people being thrown out of the aircraft in case of a hull breach, either in flight or during a high impact crash Experts say the answer to the question is an unequivocal yes. Certain events, such as clear air turbulence, can occur without warning, and can cause unexpected changes in movement to aircraft, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was quoted as saying by The Telegraph. Seat belts are required and designed to ensure passenger safety and reduce the risk of injury, particularly during deceleration, turbulence and unplanned or difficult to predict events. We know that in the rare event of an accident, seatbelts save lives, added a British Airways spokesman. Thats why we always advise our customers to wear them and our cabin crew carry out regular checks. Advertisement They say turbulence puts passengers most at risk for physical injury. Air safety experts told AFP that passengers are often too casual about wearing seatbelts, leaving them at risk if the plane hits unexpected turbulence. Experts say people dont understand what happens to those who arent buckled up when a plane loses altitude as a result of turbulence. Heather Poole, an American air stewardess, explained to _The Telegraph, _The reason you must wear a seat belt, flight crew included is because you dont want the plane coming down on you. Advertisement People think theyre lifted up in the air during turbulence. The truth is the plane drops. It comes down hard and it comes down fast and thats how passengers get injured - by getting hit on the head by an airplane. Passengers also underestimate the dangers of being injured during turbulence. Advertisement According to Travel and Leisure, people have been known get concussions, broken bones, and injures that are even worse. As per Time Magazine, turbulence caused 22 passengers from the Singapore Airlines flight to be treated for spinal damage. Another six suffered skull and brain injuries. Twenty people are in intensive care, while 17 have undergone surgery. The Guardian quoted Keith Davis, an Australian passenger aboard the Singapore Airlines flight, describing the chaos aboard, as saying, It was absolute carnage, instantly. It was absolutely surreal. You know, theres no warning. Before we knew it we were on the ceiling. And then bang, were on the ground. And you dont know what is going on. Davis said his wife Kerry suffered a severe spinal injury. She now has no feeling below the waist. People also underestimate the prevalence of turbulence. NDTV quoted a 2021 study by the US National Transportation Safety Board as saying that turbulence-related airline accidents are the most common type of accidents. The agency also found that turbulence comprised over a third of airline accidents from 2009 to 2018. It usually left one or more person seriously injured. Rohan Laging, deputy director of emergency services at Melbourne hospital group Alfred Health, told Time Magazine passengers it can be as dangerous as falling headfirst off a ladder or diving into a shallow concrete swimming pool. But others say serious injury and death from turbulence is rare enough that airlines are unlikely to make permanent changes. Ron Bartsch, an ex-safety chief at Qantas Airways Ltd, told Time Magazine, I cant remember the last fatality associated with turbulence. Its not as though its a common occurrence. People dont like to be told to have their seatbelt fastened as a requirement and return to their seats. I dont expect any major changes to the way airlines operate. Regardless, Poole said passengers must keep themselves safe. You never know when its going to happen, and it happens, even when the sign is off. That is what is called clear air turbulence. Turbulence is no joke. People get hurt. With inputs from agencies The past few weeks have seen a number of high-profile witnesses including Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen take the stand and offer dramatic testimony in Donald Trumps hush money trial. Now, closing arguments will be made Tuesday after which judge Juan M Merchan will deliver instructions and the jury will adjourn to begin deliberations read more Donald Trump is accused of falsifying business records to buy the silence of porn star Daniels about a 2006 sexual encounter between them that could have damaged his 2016 presidential bid. The end is nigh in Donald Trumps hush money trial. The past few weeks have seen a number of high-profile witnesses including Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen take the stand and offer dramatic testimony. Trump is accused of falsifying business records to buy the silence of porn star Daniels about a 2006 sexual encounter between them that could have damaged his 2016 presidential bid. Now, closing arguments set to take place on Tuesday. After that, the jury will begin to deliberate and then perhaps render a verdict. Advertisement Lets take a closer look at what happens next The final say Tuesday offers prosecutors and defence lawyers one last chance to address the jury. Judge Juan Merchan has said he expects the closing arguments to take up all day. Interestingly, arguments made by the lawyers are not evidence. Instead, the lawyers on either side will attempt to sum their cases for the jury. The prosecution will stress on the paper trail and the witnesses statements. Daniels, one might recall, offered graphic and memorable testimony about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Cohen, the ex-presidents former fixer, testified that Trump was intimately involved with the entire scheme. Remember, its not up to the defence to prove Trumps innocence. Instead, all the defence need is one juror to say that the prosecution hasnt proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. A single juror is all Trumps team needs to provoke a hung jury and a mistrial. A guilty or not guilty verdict requires all jurors to vote unanimously. Michael Cohen worked as a lawyer and fixer for Trump. Reuters The defence is likely to assail Daniels credibility when it comes to her alleged encounter with Trump. Advertisement The defence is also likely to point the finger at Cohen who made the $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels. The defence is also likely to argue that Trump was simply trying to protect his family and not win the election. However, it is the prosecution which opened the trial that will ultimately have the last word. Jury instructions All eyes will be on judge Merchan, who will deliver his instructions to the jury after arguments end. Merchan is likely to spend about an hour explaining to the jury the law governing the case. Merchan will also tell the jury what it can and cannot examine as it considers the former presidents guilt or innocence. Advertisement The importance of the instructions can be gleamed from the fact that the prosecutors and defence lawyers had it out about the type of instructions Merchan ought to give. The Trump team urged Merchan to tell the jury that the types of hush money payments made in this case are not inherently illegal. The prosecutor called this totally inappropriate and Merchan said it would go too far and is unnecessary. Advertisement The team also urged the judge to ponder the extraordinarily important nature of the case while issuing instructions. They asked him to tell jurors to reach very specific findings. This too drew the prosecutors ire. Merchan again said it would not be appropriate to deviate from the standard instructions. Former US president Donald Trump smiles to the jury pool as he is introduced to them, at the beginning of his trial before Justice Juan Merchan over 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. Reuters When you say its a very important case, youre asking me to change the law, and Im not going to do that, Merchan said. Prosecutors, on the other hand, asked Merchan to tell the jury someones status as a candidate doesnt need to be the sole motivation for making a payment that benefits the campaign. Defence lawyers asked for jurors to be told that if a payment would have been made even if the person wasnt running, it shouldnt be treated as a campaign contribution. Advertisement In the jurys hands As ever, the deliberations will be kept under wraps. The jurors will adjourn to a room reserved for them and hash it out. However, they can reach out to the judge if they have any questions or to have parts of testimony read back to them. How long will they take to decide? No one knows. It could be hours, days, weeks or even a month. The jury has all the time in the world. Remember, theyre examining 34 separate counts of falsifying business records. That could take some time, so dont expect a verdict by the end of the week. What happens if they cant agree? The defence will rejoice and seek an immediate mistrial. Merchan will likely summon the jurors and ask them to keep going. However, if the jury still cant reach a consensus, Merchan can declare a mistrial. With inputs from agencies Payal Kapadia scripted history at the 77th Cannes Film Festival with her debut feature film All We Imagine as Light as it bagged Indias first Grand Prix award on Saturday. However, the 38-year-old directors path to glory wasnt smooth. As a student, she led the protests against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) chairman in 2015, faced disciplinary action and had an FIR against her read more Payal Kapadia, winner of the grand prize for 'All We Imagine as Light,' poses for photographers during the photo call following the awards ceremony at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, 25 May 2024. AP Filmmaker Payal Kapadia has become the talk of the town recently. The 38-year-old is receiving love from across the country for scripting history at the 77th Cannes Film Festival with her debut feature film, All We Imagine as Light. At the gala, which concluded on Saturday, Kapadia won the Grand Prix Award, becoming the first Indian to bag the honour. Notably, the film was the first Indian movie in 30 years to compete in the competition, since Shaji N Karuns Swaham (1994). Advertisement However, as with independent filmmaking in India, veteran artist Nalini Malanis daughter Kapadias path to glory wasnt always smooth. As a student, she received no institutional support from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and faced disciplinary action and an FIR against her. Heres all we know about it. The protest In 2015, Kapadia was at the forefront of protest against appointing actor-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhan as the institutes chairperson. It was the longest protest (139 days) in the institutions history, which has witnessed numerous student agitations. According to the protesting students, the Mahabharata actor did not match the vision and stature of past chairmen of the FTII governing council, and his appointment appeared politically coloured." Despite being one of her batchs outstanding students, Kapadia was denied the chance to participate in a foreign exchange programme and a scholarship for Rs 22,000, as per The Times of India. Chhaya Kadam, from second left, director Payal Kapadia, Divya Prabha, and Kani Kusruti upon receiving the grand prize award for All We Imagine as Light, alongside Viola Davis, far left, during the awards ceremony of the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, 25 May 2024. AP In the August 2015 incident, the then-institute director, Prashant Pathrabe, was reportedly forcibly detained after he notified the 2008 batch to vacate the hostel on the grounds of overstaying. They approved an assessment order for their largely unfinished film projects. The students, labelling it as irrational and unjustified, rushed to his office seeking clarification. This also led to the police entering the campus and arresting some of the protesters. Kapadia is one of 35 students booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 143, 147, 149, 323, 353 and 506, dealing with offences, some of them non-bailable, related to unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and rioting. Advertisement The case, in which the chargesheet was filed in 2016, is currently being reviewed by the Pune magistrate and remains unresolved. The defence lawyer, representing the students, said the next court hearing is scheduled for 26 June. Later in 2017, when her 13-minute film Afternoon Clouds was chosen for the Cannes Film Festival, FTII decided to support her. Subsequently, FTII director Bhupendra Kainthola stated that they chose to back her after witnessing Kapadia being disciplined on campus. Our decision to support students or deny them scholarship previously was based on how their conduct has been on the campus. Few days after the protest got over, many students came to me and said they never realised that their past actions will haunt them through their life. Some of them even cried and regretted their actions, he told Hindustan Times. Advertisement These protests served as the inspiration for several student-produced independent films, including the absurdist satire Eeb Allay Ooo! (2019) by Prateek Vats and the Cannes Loeil dOr-winning documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing (2021) by Kapadia. FTII claims a piece of the pie Although the production of Kapadia is a French tale, FTII and India are currently vying for a cut of the Cannes winning. It is a moment of pride for FTII as its Alumni create history at Cannes. As we witness a phenomenal year for Indian Cinema at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, FTII cherishes the glorious achievements of its Alumni at this Mega International Stage of Cinema, FTII said in a post on X. Advertisement We congratulate Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix Award, Santosh Sivan for receiving the Pierre AngAnieux Tribute Award, Maisam Ali for his debut at ACID & Chidanand S Naik for winning La Cinef. Their achievements are taking Indian Cinema to greater heights, the institute added. It is a moment of pride for FTII as its Alumni create history at Cannes. As we witness a phenomenal year for Indian Cinema at 77th Cannes Film Festival, FTII cherishes the glorious achievements of its Alumni at this Mega International Stage of Cinema.#cannes2024 #cannesawards pic.twitter.com/3fFURhzuSK FTII (@FTIIOfficial) May 26, 2024 Advertisement Actor Ali Fazal was quick to call out the institutes hypocrisy by saying, Uhhh please dont. Just dont. Uhhh please dont. Just dont. https://t.co/UcBzjUp4GO Ali Fazal M / / (@alifazal9) May 26, 2024 FTII criticised Oscar-winning Indian sound designer Resul Pookutty in his post on social media said the mainstream Indian film industry has nothing to do with this glory and they only looked at us as outcasts. The only reason they won is also not because we had inspiring teachers, there were some but not all, he said. He added, Payal (Accused No.25) comes back from Cannes and next month, will have to go for her court case hearing that FTII lodged against her for striking against the appointment of Chouhan as the Chairperson! Interesting isnt it?! Ameya Gore, one of the 35 students who were booked in the case, said that after the incident, the majority of the students faced issues with scholarships and obtaining passports. Imagine - Gajendra Chauhan, a C-grade actor, best-known for soft porn and mythologicals, was arbitrarily appointed as #FTII Chairman by #Modi Govt, given the power to run FTII and play havoc with the creative talent the institute should have been nurturing instead! Shameful. pic.twitter.com/psKjq7oOrC @rakeshfilm (Rakesh Sharma) (@rakeshfilm) May 26, 2024 The case is still ongoing in the Sessions Court, but there has been no progress from the prosecutions side. The trial has not started yet. Hearings are generally scheduled every two to three months, but nothing happens because nobody from the prosecution shows up, Gore said, as per PTI. Advocate Chinmay Inamdar, who is defending the students, said the prosecution has filed the chargesheet but not submitted the video file in the form of CD/DVD or pen drive of the incident of the director being gheraoed in 2015. We have moved an application before the court to get a copy so that we can file a discharge application for the students and the matter is pending for this. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on June 26, he said. The need for public universities When her documentary won at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, Payal Kapadia highlighted the need for public universities like FTII in a country like India. She told the Indian Express, We owe a lot to public education to make us the filmmakers we are Universities are spaces of freedom. This is why we needed to make this film. As students who have been part of them, it is our responsibility to protect what they stand for so that the next generation can benefit. Grand Prix winner All We Imagine as Light stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, and Hridhu Haroon. Shot by Kapadias FTII batchmate and partner cinematographer Ranbir Das, the film is about friendship about three women and oftentimes women are pitted against each other. This is the way society is designed and it is very unfortunate. But for me friendship is a very important relationship because it can lead to greater solidarity, inclusivity, and empathy towards each other," Kapadia told the newspaper. With inputs from PTI As the investigation continues into the Delhi hospital fire tragedy, shocking details of negligence on the part of the owner have emerged. Officials say the hospitals licence was expired, it did not have a clearance from the fire department and doctors are not qualified to treat the newborns. Locals allege the building was better known for its unauthorised oxygen refilling centre. The hospital also faced allegations of nurse abuse in the past read more A forensic expert collects samples from site of the fire at the New Born Baby Care Hospital, in east Delhi, Sunday, 26 May 2024. PTI A massive fire broke out at the Baby Care New Born Hospital in east Delhis Vivek Vihar on Saturday night and soon spread to two adjacent buildings. At least seven newborns were killed and five were injured in the incident. The hospitals owner, Dr Naveen Khichi and an on-duty doctor were arrested. Most of the parents learned of their childs death and the incident on Sunday through the news or via friends or family, as neither the police nor the hospital notified them, as per Mint. Advertisement As the investigation continues, shocking details of negligence on the part of the owner have emerged. Lets take a look. Expired licence According to officials, the private neonatal hospital was allegedly operating illegally with an expired licence and no clearance from the fire department. The licence issued to the Baby Care New Born Child Hospital by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Government of Delhi, had already expired on 31 March 2024. Interior of the Baby Care New Born Hospital at Vivek Vihar where a fire broke out on Saturday night, in New Delhi, Sunday, 26 May 2024. PTI Even the expired licence issued to the said hospital allowed for five beds only, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary said, as per PTI. However, at the time of the incident on Saturday at around 11.30 pm, 12 newborns were admitted to the hospital. The police said during the course of the investigation it was also found that the Baby Care New Born Child Hospital has three more such branches in branches in Delhis Punjabi Bagh and Haryanas Faridabad and Gurugram. No clearance from the fire department The police said that there was no fire extinguisher installed in the hospital for any emergency in case of fire. There was also no emergency exit. According to officials of the Fire Department, the hospital also did not have a clearance from the department. The building has no fire NOC. We will also check documents related to the NOC on Monday, an official of the DFS said, requesting anonymity, as per the news agency. Advertisement Oxygen cylinders kept in the two-storey building exploded due to which the adjacent buildings were damaged, he said. Unauthorised oxygen refilling centre A resident, Mukesh Bansal, claimed that an unauthorised oxygen refilling cylinder work was being carried out in the hospital building. We had complained about it to the local councillor as well. But nothing was done. It was all happening under the nose of the police, Bansal alleged. Bansal also said that he used to live next to the hospital but due to the illegal work of refilling cylinders, he shifted to the next lane. Devansh Gupta, 21, told ThePrint, also claimed that through there was the NICU on the first floor, the hospital was known for the oxygen refilling centre on the ground floor. Advertisement Police personnel stand guard outside a childrens hospital where a fire broke out on Saturday night at Vivek Vihar area, in New Delhi, Sunday, 26 May 2024. PTI Another resident, Iti Malik, 40, told ThePrint said that the NICU had been operating there for at least four years. A third unnamed resident told the outlet that the buildings land may have been disputed, thus, enabling the NICU owner to rent out the building and run two businesses at once. The police said they are also investigating the aforementioned claims. Unqualified doctors The senior official also said the duty roster of the said hospital included BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) doctors who were not qualified to care for children. During the investigations, we got to know that the doctors are not qualified/competent to treat the newborn children in need of neonatal intensive care, as they are BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) degree holders only, said the DCP. Advertisement A member of Sewa Dal claimed the hospital staff ran away soon after the hospital building caught fire. Charred remains of medical equipments and other items at Baby Care Hospital, in east Delhi, Sunday, 26 May 2024. PTI Nurses abusive behaviour The Delhi hospital reportedly faced allegations of abuse to a newborn child in the past. In 2021, hospital owner Dr Kichi moved the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him over the allegation that a hospital nurse had beaten a newborn infant, according to News18. In the mistreatment case, he contended that he had nothing to do with the allegations and that the CCTV footage only showed the nurse abusing the newborns. He withdrew his plea later when the police chargesheet didnt name him as an accused or as a witness. Advertisement The resident of Bhairon Enclave in Paschim Vihar was granted anticipatory bail by the high court in the case in December 2021. The incident Officials of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said the blaze broke out at the Baby Care New Born Hospital at around 11:30 pm on Saturday. The owner Naveen Khichi is an MD in Pediatric Medicine and runs this hospital with his wife Dr Jagriti, who is a dentist, Choudhary said. A newborn baby being rescued from the Baby Care New Born Hospital after a fire broke out, in New Delhi, Saturday, 25 May 2024. PTI Another fire official said two boutiques, a portion of IndusInd Bank operating from an adjacent building and a shop on the ground floor were also damaged besides an ambulance and a scooty parked outside the building. According to eyewitnesses, locals and members of an NGO, Shaheed Seva Dal, were the first to rush to help. Ravi Gupta, a resident, said some locals climbed from the back side of the building and evacuated children one by one. Sixteen fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze, Divisional Fire Officer Rajendra Atwal said. According to a report submitted by the District Magistrate (Shahdara) to the Delhi Divisional Commissioner, there were 12 babies admitted in the hospital at the time of the incident. While one died on the spot, 11 were shifted to a hospital in the vicinity where six were declared dead on arrival. The deceased children included four boys and three girls. All were 15 days old except one boy aged 25 days. The bodies have been shifted to the GTB Hospital for postmortem, the police said. A case has been registered at Vivek Vihar police station under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life and personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence), 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide). The initial cause of the fire is stated to be a short circuit but a probe is on, DCP Choudhary said. After the incident, District Magistrate (DM), Shahdara, Ritisha Gupta who reached the GTB Hospital faced the anger of distraught family members who shouted hume insaaf chahiye (we need justice). Charred remains of a vehicle outside a childrens hospital at Vivek Vihar area where a fire broke out, in New Delhi, late Saturday, 25 May 2024. PTI Magisterial probe on The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial probe into the fire tragedy. In an order, Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar directed the district magistrate of Shahdara to inquire into the incident. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lt Governor VK Saxena and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed grief over the tragedy. PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to the parents of the injured. Delhi CM Kejriwal said those responsible for negligence will not be spared. State health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also said the strictest punishment will be given to those found negligent or involved in any wrongdoing. With inputs from PTI Below-average rainfall has left Mexicos lakes and dams bone dry and the city of 23 million facing a water crisis for months. Experts say that Mexico City has historically struggled with water and that climate change, urban sprawl and poor infrastructure have pushed it to the edge of collapse read more Civil Protection members hand out bottles of cold water during a heat wave, in Monterrey, Mexico. Reuters For Mexico City, Day Zero is looming. The city of nearly 23 million people has been facing a water crisis for months that too amid a scorching heatwave and severe drought. But now North Americas biggest city may simply run out of water altogether and it may happen as early as 26 June. But why is this happening? And could Mexico City really run out of water? Lets take a closer look: As per The New York Times years of poor water management compounded by scarce rains" brought on by extended drought is to blame for the current mess. Advertisement The newspaper blamed climate change, urban sprawl and poor infrastructure for the city being pushed to the edge. According to the Washington Post, the city gets around a fourth of its water from the Cutzamala system. This system, a series of reservoirs, water treatment plants and lengthy canals and tunnels, is nearly dry. The system, which uses mostly surface water, has seen its levels constantly decrease due to reduced rainfall. Below-average rainfall throughout almost all of Mexico has also left its lakes and dams dried up. Almost 40 per cent of the countrys dams are below 20 per cent capacity. Another 40 per cent are between 20 and 50 per cent full. As per QZ, certain neighbourhoods have gone without water for hours. When water comes it is dark brown and foul smelling. An ex-political leader is begging the public to prioritise essential actions for survival. The people have had enough. In recent months, residents of some Mexico City neighbourhoods have regularly taken to forming human chains to block boulevards to demand water. In April, complaints about contaminated water sparked a weeks-long crisis in one upscale neighbourhood. Advertisement A man on a bicycle drinks water on a hot spring day amid a nationwide drought and heat waves that have sent temperatures soaring across much of the country, in Veracruz, Mexico, Reuters The Washington Post quoted Raquel Campos as saying her buildings troubles began in January. Her building manager said the city simply stopped sending water. Campos has lived in the tony Polanco neighbourhood for nearly two decades. She said her husband went to a nearby hotel to shower. The water in her building returned, but at a much lower pressure. Though water is delivered every two weeks, they have to pay for it. Campos building isnt alone. Many buildings in the capital have to get water brought in by tanker trucks, but they have been in short supply and are expensive. Nationwide, authorities have had to truck in water for everything from hospitals to fire-fighting teams. Low levels at hydroelectric dams have contributed to power blackouts in some parts of the country. Advertisement Were suffering because the city is growing immeasurably and it cannot be stopped, Gabriel Martinez, 64, told the New York Times. There arent enough resources. The city also has a major problem with leakage. According to Grist, Mexico City loses nearly 40 per cent of its municipal water to leakage from pipes and canals among the highest rates in the world. But experts say struggling with water isnt new for Mexico. Dario Solano-Rojas, a professor of geological engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, told Al Jazeera, I was born with this problem existing. I thought it was normal everywhere, but its not. Advertisement As per Al Jazeera, things were fine in Mexico when the Aztecs had built their civilisation amid a network of lakes. But the arrival of the Spanish who demolished the existing city of Tenochtitlan and built their own changed everything. Its a historical problem, Elena Tudela Rivadeneyra, a professor of architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico told Al Jazeera. Ever since we decided to dry out the lake system that we had here and that started [shortly after the Spanish arrived] around 1608 we started having a difficult relationship with water. What can Mexico do? Gabriel Quadri de la Torre, a federal congressman for the Mexico City district of Coyoacan, told Washington Post the leakage could be brought to as low as 10 per cent by simply fixing the pipes. Advertisement However, Gabriel admitted that this would cost billions of dollars. It is very difficult to think that the Mexico City government will have this amount of money to invest in the network, he added. The leakages are quite difficult to deal with, added Tudela Rivadeneyra. Even if you replace them with new materials and more elastic and technical and technological solutions, you still have quite an issue. While South Africa notably had success with its Day Zero campaign, experts say it will be tough to replicate. A view of dead aquatic plants on the dry bed of the Zumpango Lake, which used to provide water to agricultural centres in the region and served as a place for local tourism, in Zumpango Reuters Manuel Perlo Cohen, a professor who studies water infrastructure at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, told Grist the government will likely have to restrict water. It wont work here, because theres a lack of confidence in the government, Cohen told the outlet. People dont believe in most of what the government says, even if its the truth." Alejandra Lopez Rodriguez, a policy advocate at the Nature Conservancy in Mexico City, told Grist the government could fix Mexicos leakage issue and built wastewater treatment projects. We have resources and we have access to financing, Rodriguez told Grist. There are resources available. It just also takes a will and an interest to want to invest in these issues. Others are pushing a slightly different approach. Public-private partnerships will be needed to solve this problem, Gabriel told Washington Post. The new project to bring water to Mexico City should be a project that is not affected by climate change, by drought. Residents, meanwhile, are worried. Annika Rahia, also from Polanco, told the outlet I was more surprised that it had never affected us before. But this year, it already reached us here too. Raiha said she and her husband are very worried about the future with the climate change. I dont think a Day Zero is going to come, Solano-Rojas told the outlet. Day Zero has already happened. Meanwhile, the heatwave has been so bad that in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco, howler monkeys are falling from the trees due to apparent heat stroke. At least 138 of the midsize primates, who are known for their roaring vocal calls, were found dead in Tabasco since 16 May according to the Biodiversity Conservation of The Usumacinta group. Doctors warn that as many as one-third of all children in urban India who are between the ages of five to 15 years are expected to suffer from myopia by 2030. Prolonged exposure to television and mobile screens and an increased sedentary lifestyle are termed as the biggest culprits read more As many as one-third of all urban children in India aged 5-15 years are expected to suffer from myopia by 2030. Image for represenatation/ Reuters If youre a parent encouraging your kids to play outdoors instead of video games, heres another reason to keep trying. Experts at Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital, an eyecare chain, predict that by 2030, up to one-third of all urban children in India aged 5-15 years are expected to suffer from myopia. In a News18 report, Dr. Vijay Parbatani, a consultant ophthalmologist at Manipal Hospital in Kharadi, Pune, described the surge in myopia or short-sightedness cases among children as an epidemic. Advertisement He stated, Now, myopia has become an epidemic among children in India. Just a decade ago, the percentage of myopia amongst children was 5 to 7 per cent and today it has jumped to 20 to 25 per cent. And now, it is expected that by 2050, every third child might be suffering from myopia in India. But why are children at risk and how can one prevent it? Lets take a closer look What is myopia? According to the Mayo Clinic, myopia, or nearsightedness, is an eye disorder where individuals can see nearby objects clearly but struggle to see objects at a distance. This condition occurs mainly due to the elongation of the eyeball, which disrupts the eyes ability to focus light properly, resulting in the need for glasses to see comfortably. Gregory Schwartz, an associate professor at the Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, explained in Readers Digest India, Eyes have a stop signal so that they grow proportionally with the head. The signal, however, can get interrupted by genetic and environmental factors. That leads to our eyeballs growing a bit too much, making them too big for the optics (lens and cornea). This mismatch between the eyeballs and optics leads to far-off objects looking out of focus. Though myopia is a fairly common disorder, categorised by symptoms including blurry vision, difficulty seeing distant objects, eye strain, headaches, and fatigue, it is becoming a significant public health issue worldwide. Advertisement According to a study published in the US National Library of Medicine in 2021, more than fifty percent of the worlds population will have myopia by 2050. Why are myopia cases on the rise? Experts believe increased sedentary lifestyles and reduced outdoor activities are contributing to the rapid rise in myopia cases in children with prolonged exposure from early children to television and mobile screens being the biggest culprit. Excessive screen time stimulates the eyes, retina, and brain of children, leading to accelerated myopic changes due to rapid eyeball growth, Smit M Bavariya, Cataract Surgeon with Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, Thane, Mumbai explained to IANS. Advertisement Our predictions, based on the slope of 0.8 percent every year, indicate that the prevalence of myopia among urban children will increase to 31.89 percent in 2030, 40 percent in 2040 and 48.1 percent in 2050 This means one out of every two children in India will be suffering from myopia in the next 25 years, up from one in four currently, Smit added. Echoing similar concerns, Dr. Himika Gupta, a consultant ophthalmologist at Mumbai-based SRCC Childrens Hospital, told News18 that the prevalence of short-sightedness among urban children has tripled, from 4.44 per cent in 1999 to 21.15 per cent in 2019. Advertisement An increased screen usage from an early age is biggest contributor to increase in myopia cases in children. Image for representation. Reuters Experts acknowledge that while genetics contribute to the onset of myopia, environmental factors also play a significant role. Mahipal Singh Sachdev, Chairman and Managing Director, of Center for Sight, New Delhi told IANS, that the lack of exposure to essential natural light due to being indoors also affected eye health. Natural light is crucial for healthy eye development, particularly in children. Exposure to natural light regulates the release of dopamine in the retina, which helps control eye growth and prevents myopia. That is why encouraging outdoor activities, especially during daylight hours, is vital for promoting healthy eye development, Dr Savitha Arun, senior consultant, anterior segment and electrophysiology, Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospital, Bengaluru told India Today. Advertisement How to prevent myopia? We think that outdoor time is the best form of prevention for nearsightedness, Dr. Noha Ekdawi, a pediatric ophthalmologist National Public Radio. As per guidelines published by All India Ophthalmological Society, even 40 to 120 minutes of outdoor time and sun exposure is associated with reduced incidence of myopia, Dr Parul M Sharma, head of the department, Fortis Eye Institute, Gurugram told _News18. _ Thus, schools should include the specific period for outdoor activities in their curriculum. Children on screen for study purposes should learn to take frequent eye breaks from the screen and follow the 20-20 rule close your eyes for 20 seconds every 20 mins," she said. In addition to outdoor activities, experts stress the importance of educating children about the risks and advantages of regular outdoor play, the significance of limiting screen time, ensuring adequate lighting during reading, and scheduling regular eye examinations. Beginning next month, the tickets for visiting the Eiffel Tower will cost 20 per cent more. The city council says this will help cover urgent renovation costs and the financial losses incurred during the COVID-pandemic read more The iconic Eiffel Tower, a symbol of romance and grandeur in the heart of Paris, is making headlines once againbut this time, its not for its breathtaking views or architectural splendor. Rather, visitors to the famous landmark are in for a surprise as ticket prices are set to climb by a staggering 20 percent starting June 17. From spiraling renovation costs to coping with financial losses, the Paris City Hall last week voted in favour of increasing ticket prices at one of the worlds most visited monuments. Advertisement When Gustave Eiffel unveiled his masterpiece back in 1887, he wisely recommended a paint job every seven years to fend off the relentless advance of rust. However, it seems this sage advice has fallen by the wayside. The French monument has languished without a fresh, complete coat of paint for over a decade. So, whats behind this delay? Lets take a closer look What are the new ticket prices? An adult ticket including an elevator ride to the summit of the Parisian landmark will cost 35.30 euros ($38.31) from next month, rising from 29.40 euros ($31.91), French news broadcaster BFMTV reported. The same ticket for children aged between 12 and 14 years old will cost 17.70 euros ($19.21) and the price for children between four and 11 years old to reach the towers summit will be 8.90 euros ($9.66), the broadcaster further said. The price increase has been brought about, BFMTV reported, in part because of a significant loss of revenue caused by the health crisis between 2020 and 2022 and rising renovation costs. How much did COVID-19 impact tourism? The impact of COVID-19 on global tourism was profound, and the Eiffel Tower was no exception. Visitor numbers plummeted as closures and travel restrictions took their toll. In 2020, less than 1.6 million people visited Frances iconic Iron Lady, a sharp decline from the nearly 6.2 million visitors recorded the previous year. The following year saw a slight improvement, with just under 2.1 million visitors, still far below pre-pandemic levels. These drastic reductions had severe financial implications, the SETE reported. It said the operating costs during the pandemic were around three times the landmarks overall turnover. In 2020 alone, operating expenses amounted to a staggering 84.43 million euros. Advertisement Operating costs at Eiffel Tower during the pandemic were around three times the landmarks overall turnover, as per SETE. Reuters However, the tide began to turn as restrictions eased. Visitor numbers rebounded to 5.9 million in 2022 and climbed to 6.3 million in 2023, signaling a promising recovery in tourism. Yet, as visitor numbers surged back, so did the costs associated with maintaining and renovating at the 300-metre long iconic monument. Raising funds for renovation The Paris city council has approved a recapitalisation plan for the Eiffel Towers operator, Societe dExploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), simultaneously slashing the annual fee it charged to the operator for managing the Parisian monument. As per BFMTV, the painting work at the tower is expected to last until 2027 while work is also planned on the elevators, which will lead to occasional closures ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Advertisement Tourism numbers had taken a hit during COVID-19, leading to the Eiffel Tower facing a daunting 120 million euros ($130 million) shortfall. In response, its operator received a capitalisation injection of 60 million euros from authorities in 2021. However, unions called a strike earlier this year arguing that the high leasing fee charged by the city hall and the given sum falls short of what was needed, especially considering the pressing maintenance requirements of the monument. Operators received a recapitalisation of 60 million euros from authorities in 2021 for maintenance of the iconic landmark. Reuters In a joint statement, the CGT and FO unions had called on the city of Paris to be reasonable with their financial demands to ensure the survival of the monument and the company operating it. In 2022, the French magazine Marianne released a confident report that stated that the 60 million euros was just a cosmetic makeover before the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and that the monument was in a poor state, riddled with rust, and needed full repair. Advertisement If Gustave Eiffel visited the place he would have a heart attack, the manager at the tower had told Marianne. With input from agencies In less than 24 hours, two big fire tragedies in India claimed more than 30 lives including at least 16 children. The gaming zone in Rajkot and the Delhi hospital both flouted several fire safety guidelines. Does India take fire protection lightly? read more A firefighter moves among burnt debris the day after a fire broke out in an amusement park in Rajkot on Sunday. A massive fire damaged a large part of the park on Saturday, killing 28 people and injuring some others, news reports said. AP Two days, three fire tragedies and more than 35 fatalities including children. On Saturday evening, a massive fire broke out at a gaming zone in Gujarats Rajkot. Hours later, another incident was reported at a childcare unit at a Delhi hospital. And a third one at a residential complex in the capital. The mishaps happened within hours of one another, in two different cities. But what tied them together? The lack of regard for fire safety. Advertisement We take a look at the three incidents and how India continues to flout rules on fire protection. From Rajkot to Delhi, the big lapses The fire at Rajkots gaming zone , called TRP, claimed the lives of 28 people including nine children. The centre was packed with visitors since it was a weekend and it was offering discounted tickets at Rs 99. CCTV footage of the incident shows that the fire started when wielding work was underway on the premises of the amusement and theme park. The footage, which could not be independently verified by Firstpost, shows sparks emitting during wielding. Some of them fell on a nearby pile of plastic, triggering a fire which became impossible for the workers to control. They panicked and swung into action but their attempts to douse the fire failed. Gujarat: CCTV footage of the Rajkot TRP gaming zone fire has emerged. The fire started due to welding in the extension area. pic.twitter.com/LBSWlkeD0H IANS (@ians_india) May 26, 2024 As the blaze spread, a temporary structure at the facility collapsed near the entrance, leaving several people trapped. The accident has raised concerns about the safety standards at the facility. Advertisement The gaming zone had only one emergency exit when most public buildings are required to have more. It was also operating without a no-objection certificate (NoC) for fire clearance from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, according to a report on NDTV. Firefighters douse a fire which broke out in an amusement park, in Rajkot in Gujarat. AP The story at the Delhi hospital was no different. The Baby Care New Born Hospital in Vivek Vihar, where seven infants died after a massive fire, is also under the scanner for now following safety rules. It lacked adequate safety measures and was operating on an expired licence, according to the Delhi Police. There were no fire-fighting arrangements at the Baby Care New Born hospital. There is no fire extinguisher installed. There were no proper arrangements for entry and exit, and there was no emergency exit, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary was quoted as saying by India Today. Advertisement Relatives gather outside the Baby Care Hospital after a fire broke out that killed seven newborns, in East Delhi, on Sunday. PTI A third incident took place five kilometres from the hospital. Fire at a residential complex in Delhis Krishna Nagar left three people dead and more than 10 injured in the early hours of Sunday. The blaze started at an illegal scooter godown in the parking space of the building and spread to the upper floors. Families of the victims allege that the building was constructed illegally and had five floors with eight flats instead of four. The three mishaps have put the spotlight on fire safety rules in the country. Also read: Expired licence, unqualified doctors, nurse abuse: The many lapses at Delhi hospital where 7 newborns died in fire Advertisement Indias fire safety rules According to the XII Schedule of the Constitution under Article 243(W), the fire services in India are under the purview of the state and are listed as a municipal function. The National Building Code (NBC), published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), serves as the central standard for fire safety in the country. Published in 1970, it was last updated in 2016. The NBC provides guidelines on the construction, maintenance and fire safety of buildings. It is a mandatory requirement for all states to incorporate the recommendations in their local building bylaws. The Code specifies the demarcation and restrictions of buildings in fire zones to ensure that industrial and hazardous structures do not co-exist with residential, business and institutional buildings, according to a report in The Hindu. Advertisement Buildings are classified into nine groups residential buildings are in Group A, hospitals in Group C and marriage halls, nightclubs, and multiplexes in Group D. The NBC mentions the material to be used in construction to reduce the threat in case of a fire and minimise danger before evacuation. It also provides guidelines on height for buildings, floor area ratio, open spaces and provision of openings in walls and floors to prevent the spread of fire, The Hindu reports. People look at the burnt building of the hospital in New Delhi. The medical facility flouted several fire safety norms. AP The Code lays down guidelines for electrical installation, stating that it is desirable that wiring and cabling have flame retardant property. The electric distribution cables/wiring shall be laid in a separate shaft. The shaft shall be sealed on every floor with fire-stop materials having the same fire resistance as that of the floor. High, medium and low voltage wiring running in the shaft and in false ceiling shall run in separate shaft/conduits, it says. The guidelines specify the exit gates and access to buildings. It says that exit access, exits and exit discharge shall be properly identified with adequate lightening so that all occupants can leave the facility safely. It also recommends technologies like alarm systems, automatic fire detection, automatic sprinklers and water sprays and firemans lifts for buildings. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also chalked out fire safety requirements for public buildings like hospitals. They recommend having a minimum open safety space, exit mechanisms, dedicated staircases and essential evacuation drills, reports News9. A man breaks down as he waits with others for information about family members at a government hospital hours after the massive fire that killed revellers who were enjoying a weekend visit to an amusement park. AP Following fire safety guidelines Despite the guidelines, residential and commercial buildings do not abide by the rules. Eight out of 10 Indians said their homes and workplaces were not compliant with fire safety norms. A survey conducted by the social media platform LocalCircles revealed only 18 per cent of respondents said the fire safety equipment in their residential area undergoes annual inspection. Of those surveyed, 19 per cent were unsure if their fire extinguishing systems worked; 27 per cent admitted to never ensuring compliance; three per cent had a fire extinguisher but lacked other safety measures; 21 per cent hadnt considered fire safety; and 12 per cent didnt provide a clear response. When it comes to workplaces, just 27 per cent of 11,000 respondents said the firefighting equipment is checked annually, reports News18. Eleven per cent mentioned having access to fire extinguishers despite lacking complete compliance. Policemen outside a childrens hospital where a fire broke out on Saturday night at Vivek Vihar area, in New Delhi. PTI The frequency of fire accidents According to the National Crimes Bureau of India (NCRB), a total of 3,375 fire incidents were reported in the past two years in 2021 (1,808) and 2022 (1,567) due to electrical short circuits. Three hundred and thirty deaths were reported in commercial building fires in 2019 and 6,339 deaths were reported due to fire incidents in residential buildings across India. Thirty-five people were killed every day due to fire in five years between 2016 and 2020, as per NCRBa data on Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India. Family members cry at a mortuary where bodies of newborns, who died in a fire at childrens hospital in East Delhis Vivek Vihar, are kept, at GTB hospital in Delhi. PTI Indias big challenge While guidelines are in place, local authorities do little to ensure they are followed. Fire audits are rarely conducted. State authorities have been pulled up by courts for not implementing fire safety rules, reports The Hindu. But the apathy continues. Between the Uphar cinema fire that claimed 59 lives in 1997 and the Rajkot and Delhi fires, it seems like not much has changed. With inputs from agencies Founded on 8 January 1912, in Bloemfontein, the African National Congress reached lofty highs under Nelson Mandela after the end of apartheid. As the country goes to polls on 29 May, we take a look at the challenges ANC faces and the other parties in the fray read more Cyril Ramaphosa rose to become the country's president in 2018 after Jacob Zuma resigned after a raft of corruption allegations. AP Is the African National Congress time at the helm in South Africa over? Founded on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfontein, the ANC reached lofty heights under Nelson Mandela after the end of apartheid. But the once mighty party, which has ruled South Africa for 30 years, has been buffetted by unemployment, corruption and poverty. Now, most opinion polls predict that the ANC will, for the first time, lose its parliamentary majority in the upcoming 29 May polls. Advertisement But what happens next? Can the ANC work in a coalition government? Lets take a look at the main players in the upcoming polls. Cyril Ramaphosa President Cyril Ramaphosa was once thought of as a Mandela protege. Though he rose up in the ANC in the early 1990s, he left the party to become a successful businessman. Politics eventually lured him back in 2014 when he returned as South Africas deputy president. Ramaphosa rose to become the countrys president in 2018 after Jacob Zuma resigned after a raft of corruption allegations. To be fair, Ramaphosa has tried to rebuild the reputation of the ANC. He has cracked down on government graft But South Africa, which has an unemployment rate of 32 per cent the highest in the world is in a full-blown crisis. Poverty is also rife, while an electricity crisis has left much of the nation of 62 million in the dark. These events have dented the economy as well as hit Ramaphosas reputation as a problem solver. Though the ANC is still predicted to win the largest vote share, it will likely need partners to help it remain in power with Ramaphosa as the head. John Steenhuisen Steenhuisen is the head of the Democratic Alliance, the main South African Opposition. The party, which has vowed to save South Africa from what it claims is the ANCs corruption and mismanagement, has an uphill battle. Advertisement Never has the DA even come close to winning a national election. The party took just 22 per cent of votes in the previous 2019 general election compared to the ANCs 62 per cent. The DA entered a pre-poll alliance with smaller Opposition parties. They hope to combine their votes and win a majority. John Steenhuisen the leader of the Democratic Alliance, is the sole white face in South Africas mainstream parties. Reuters File However, this looks extremely unlikely as all of them would have to massively increase their vote share. Interestingly, Steenhuisen is the sole white face in mainstream politics in South Africa. Advertisement In a country where race is still at the forefront of the national consciousness, that has led to charges that the DA represents the interests of the white minority more than the 80 per cent of South Africans who are Black. The dark horse The Economic Freedom Fighters has become the countrys third largest party in little over a decade. The party was founded in 2013 by ex-ANC leader Julius Malema. Advertisement Malema, 43, who was thrown out of the ANC, is South Africas most controversial politician thanks to his fiery, far-left rhetoric. Malemas claims that the ANC has failed poor, Black South Africans is becoming increasingly popular with the unemployed and disillusioned youth. The EFF has called for mines to be nationalised. They also want poor Blacks to receive land. Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malemas claims have found resonance in the disaffected youth. AP The party, which follows a Marxist ideology, says an economic inequality based on race persists decades after apartheid, with whites generally rich and Blacks still poor. Malema and other EFF lawmakers have regularly interrupted speeches by opponents in Parliament and been involved in scuffles with security guards in the chamber, bringing a militant brand of politics to the heart of South Africas democracy. The EFF is a possible coalition partner for the ANC, although neither party has said if there is any agreement. Advertisement The former president Zuma in December threw many for a loop. The former president, ousted ignominiously in 2018, announced that he was back with a new party. While Zumas MK Party is not in the running, it will likely eat into the ANC support. The 81-year-old Zuma still has many followers, especially in his home KwaZulu-Natal province. His reemergence also raised security concerns for the election after his conviction for contempt of court and prison sentence in 2021 sparked a week of rioting and looting that led to the deaths of more than 350 people in the worst violence in South Africa since the troublesome last days of apartheid. Former South African president Jacob Zuma addressing his supporters of the UMkhonto WeSizwe, (MK) party outside the high court in Johannesburg. AP Zuma is involved in a court battle over whether his criminal conviction prevents him from standing as a candidate for Parliament. There are concerns over unrest if he is disqualified. Even if he isnt, his new reputation as an agitator is likely to increase tensions around a pivotal election. With inputs from agencies British PM Rishi Sunak has said Tories would bring back mandatory national service if they win the 4 July general elections. He said the scheme would help unite society in an increasingly uncertain world, giving young people a shared sense of purpose. What is the plan about and why is it being criticised? read more United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that his Conservative Party would reintroduce mandatory national service if it wins the general elections in July. This is the first major policy plan unveiled by Sunak since he announced a summer election in a surprise move last week. The 44-year-old said the proposal would promote a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country. Advertisement But what is this national service scheme? How will it work? Lets understand. History of the UKs national service National service was first implemented in the UK in 1947 by the Labour government led by Clement Attlee. As per a BBC report, men between the ages of 17 and 21 had to compulsorily serve in the armed forces for 18 months. They also remained on a reserve list for four years. This military conscription was struck down in 1960. A similar scheme was introduced by the then-Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010. Known as the National Citizen Service, the plan entailed encouraging 16-year-olds to take part in activities like outdoor education-style courses. It did not include a military component, noted The Independent. What is Sunaks national service scheme? At this point, not many details are known about the national service Sunak has announced. The proposed plan would require 18-year-olds to participate in some form of national service for a period of twelve months, reported BBC. They will have the option to apply for full-time military placements or spend one weekend a month volunteering in their community. So, the 18-year-old Brits can volunteer for 25 days over a year with organisations like NHS, fire service, ambulance, search and rescue, and critical local infrastructure. They can also apply for one of 30,000 selective military placements. As per Tories, teenagers who sign up for armed forces training would learn and take part in logistics, cyber security, procurement or civil response operations. Advertisement Rishi Sunak has unveiled the first major policy proposal of Tories ahead of the UK general elections. Reuters File Photo The UK PM said this would help unite society in an increasingly uncertain world and give young people a shared sense of purpose, as per The Independent. Sunak stated, This is a great country but generations of young people have not had the opportunities or experience they deserve and there are forces trying to divide our society in this increasingly uncertain world. He said that the proposed scheme would help youngsters learn real world skills, do new things and contribute to their community and our country. Is it conscription? No, according to BBC, as conscription mandatorily requires people to join the armed forces for a period. Advertisement UK home secretary James Cleverly said the proposed scheme would not force anyone to join military training. Speaking to Sky News, he said Tories would ensure the plan fits with different peoples attitudes and aspirations. Theres going to be no criminal sanction. Theres no-one going to jail over this, he added. However, there would be non-criminal punishments for those who do not take part in the scheme, Cleverly told BBC. These sanctions are yet to be known. ALSO READ: Germany mulls compulsory military service: Is conscription returning to Europe? How will the scheme work? The Conservatives plan to establish a royal commission comprising experts from military and civil society to design the programme. The team would chalk out details so that the first teenagers can take part in a pilot from September 2025, reported BBC. Advertisement The Tories plan to bring the scheme under the National Service Act, making the measures mandatory. British Army soldiers from Badger Squadron, The Royal Tank Regiment part of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team, are seen on a Challenger 2 tank during Exercise Immediate Response as one component of NATOs Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, in Drawsko Pomorskie training area, Poland on 15 May 2024. Reuters File Photo The proposal would cost about 2.5 billion a year and the Tories plan to raise 1 billion through plans to crack down on tax avoidance and evasion. The remaining amount of 1.5bn will come from the funds previously used for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), as per The Independent. Criticism of the proposal Labours have lambasted the proposal as a desperate attempt by the Tories. This is another desperate, 2.5bn unfunded commitment from a Tory party which already crashed the economy, sending mortgages rocketing, and now theyre spoiling for more, a spokesperson said, as per The Guardian. Advertisement This is not a plan its a review which could cost billions and is only needed because the Tories hollowed out the armed forces to their smallest size since Napoleon. Britain has had enough of the Conservatives, who are bankrupt of ideas, and have no plans to end 14 years of chaos. Its time to rebuild Britain with Labour. Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson Richard Foord MP accused the Conservatives of reducing the British troops. If the Conservatives were serious about defence, they would reverse their damaging cuts to our world class professional armed forces, instead of decimating them, with swingeing cuts to the number of our regular service personnel. Our armed forces were once the envy of the world. This Conservative government has cut troop numbers and is planning more cuts to the size of the Army, Foord was quoted as saying by BBC. The Conservatives move seems to be aimed at older voters. The proposal could, however, boomerang for the party ahead of the 4 July general elections. As much as you try to dress it as a way for young people to gain skills, or to bolster the armed forces in an uncertain world, for many it will just be seen as a cruel way of trying to appeal to retirees. This could further motivate the younger vote against the Tories, sending up turnout and worsening their defeat. It will also make it harder to win those voters back in future elections, according to The Spectator piece. Do other countries have such a scheme? Yes. Sweden, Denmark and Norway have the concept of national service. In Sweden, teenagers serve in the armed forces for nine to 15 months after they pass physical and mental tests. Denmark has a military conscription for men for four months. The country is planning to increase this to 11 months and make enlistment mandatory for women in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, noted The Independent. Norway has a mandatory military service. However, it is highly selective, with less than 10,000 people admitted last year. With input from agencies The campaign is urging tech giants to make their auto-correct feature less western and white-focused. It highlights the plight of Indian, Irish and Welsh people, whose name is often deemed wrong and not accepted by Microsofts English dictionary read more 'I Am Not A Typo' is now urging tech giants to update their dictionaries and make them 'less white-focused'. @Iamnotatypo Drutee, Dirty, and Dorito: These are just a few versions that Dhruti Shah, a journalist in UK, frequently encounters when typing her name on a phone or computer. Its frustrating. Like why is a commercial brand of tortilla chips considered more important than my name? Shah expressed her anguish on CBCs news podcast, As It Happens. Dhruti, is not alone, this persistent misinterpretation of many non-Western names by autocorrect algorithms has become a headache among the UKs diverse communities. The campaign called I am not a Typo is now urging tech giants to correct the autocorrect and make it less white-focused. Advertisement How did the matter unfold? Lets take a closer look Savan turns to Satan Savan-Chandni Gandecha, a 34-year-old British Indian content creator is one of the victims of autocorrect. Savan said he is irked by the feature as it changes his name to Savant and even worse- Satan. Its time for tech companies to fix this! This push for improvement aims to ensure autocorrect respects the intended language, not just blindly Anglicise everything, he was quoted as saying in The Guardian. He further added, My name has been autocorrected to Savant, Savan, or even stripped of its hyphen, which irks me. Even in India, it becomes Sawan. Its not just an English issue; its multi-lingual. The campaigns research estimated that four out of 10 names of babies born in England and Wales in 2021 were deemed wrong or not accepted when tested on Microsofts English dictionary, particularly those with Indian, African, Welsh, and Irish identities. Numerous text software, ranging from Microsoft Word to smartphone apps, feature an autocorrect function that suggests corrections for words it deems misspelled. Some programs underline suspected errors with a red line, while others automatically alter the word to what they assume the user intended to write. The campaigns research estimated that four out of 10 names of babies born in England and Wales in 2021 were deemed wrong or not accepted by Microsofts English dictionary. Image for Representation/ Pixabay Dhruti who is supporting the campaign wrote on its website, My first name isnt even that long only six characters but yet when it comes up as an error or its mangled and considered an unknown entity, its like saying that its not just your name thats wrong, but you are. Advertisement A professor at Northeastern University in the US, Rashmi Dyal-Chand, often finds her name autocorrected to Rush me and Sashimi while writing an email said, The autocorrect incorrectly changes the name I have typed, I feel responsible and I email back to apologise. Autocorrect communicates for me that I dont care, or Im thoughtless, or I dont respect the person Im writing enough to get their name right. She has backed the latest campaign, For people with names like mine, autocorrect is not convenient and helpful. It is unhelpful. And yes it is harmful, she wrote on the website. Dyal-Chand emphasised that the assumption that non-white names are incorrect creates a barrier, making technology more cumbersome for racialised people to use. It leads to cultural devaluation of non-Anglo individuals and communities, she argued. Advertisement A call for tech giants The campaign group, formed by individuals in the creative industries in London, has written an open letter to technology companies, urging them to update their dictionaries so everyones names are treated equally. It pointed out that between 2017 and 2021, 2,328 people named Esmae were born, compared with 36 Nigels. Esmae gets autocorrected to Admar, while Nigel is unchanged. There are so many diverse names in the global majority but autocorrect is western- and white-focused, Gandecha said. The letter mentions non-English names, such as Zarah, Priti, Matei, Rafe, Ayda, Ruaridh, Eesa and Otillie that are marked with a red zig-zag line, suggesting that they are incorrect. Advertisement Last year, People Like Us, a non-profit organisation, ran a billboard campaign highlighting autocorrect bias in favour of British heritage and linked the issue to the ethnicity pay gap. The final of the People Like Us 'Autocorrected Pay Gap' campaign on display in Kensington. The billboard itself was created by the late @zahahadiddesign. Our campaign used real autocorrect examples. If your name gets autocorrected, chances are your pay packet might too. pic.twitter.com/ZcETd8TWUh Sheeraz Gulsher (@WanderSheeraz) May 2, 2023 Karen Fox, whose children are named Eoin and Niamh, expressed her frustration with autocorrect: The red line bothers me I didnt choose the wrong name for my child. Tech companies update dictionaries with slang all the time, so this should be an easy task and definitely a priority. Our children should not be othered by the technology that is integral to their lives. And its up to the arbiters of that technology to fix it, the letter mentioned. Randy Goebel, a professor of computing science at the University of Alberta, told CBC News that solution to the problem is simple as tech companies could add names to their dictionaries, But as far as I can tell, the urgency of the consequences havent landed", Goebel added. With input from agencies From past instances it has been evident that the present NDA government has also considered merit, not just seniority, when making key military appointments read more Speculation abounds regarding the governments intentions following its announcement of a one-month extension for General Manoj Pande, who was slated to retire this month. The government has further fuelled suspense by not naming Gen Pandes replacement, leaving everyone to speculate about its motives. While the situation is somewhat unusual, its not entirely unexpected. Why the move is unusual? Terms like unusual and rare have been used in the media and by some experts for the army chiefs one-month extension. Here are three likely reasons: Advertisement Succession: The move will have an impact the line of succession in the army. The two seniormost officers after Pande - vice chief Lt-Gen Upendra Dwivedi (Jammu and Kashmir Rifles) and Southern Command chief Lt-Gen Ajai Kumar Singh (Gorkha Rifles) are both set to retire on 30 June. The Army, Navy and IAF chiefs can serve till 62 or for three years, whichever is earlier, while a Lt-Gen rank officer retires at 60 unless he is approved for the four-star rank. Although unusual, this has not happened for the first time. In 2016, General Bipin Rawats selection as the army chief resulted in superceding two senior officers Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, the then eastern army commander in Kolkata and Lt Gen PM Hariz, who commanded the southern army from his headquarters in Pune. This happened after a gap of many years when former prime minister Indira Gandhi overlooked Lt Gen SK Sinha to make General AS Vaidya the army chief in 1983. General Rawats appointment was the second time in 33 years when the government didnt follow the tradition of choosing the seniormost general for the top post. It was then said albeit not officially that Lt Gen Rawat was best suited among the generals to counter the challenges the country currently faced during that time. Another important factor that was discussed quite a lot during that time was that Lt Gen Bakshi did not belong to the infantry. Advertisement Timing: What is surprising that the announcement came just six days before General Pandes slated retirement on 31 May. The announcement must have taken even the army by surprise because recently Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi felicitated General Pande during the Retiring Officers Seminar for his glorious and meritorious service for over four decades. #LtGenUpendraDwivedi #VCOAS felicitated General Manoj Pande #COAS during the Retiring Officers' Seminar #ROS, for his glorious & meritorious service dedicated to the Nation spanning more than four decades. General Manoj Pande #COAS will continue to be an inspiration for current pic.twitter.com/xVqiPV2R15 ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 21, 2024 Advertisement However, it has to be mentioned that the government has not made any announcement on the successor of General Pande so far. Model Code? Although some quarters are pointing out that the government has refrained from high level appointments because of the Model Code of Conduct in place, it has to be said that the government announced the appointment of Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi as the next Navy chief on 19 April which was in fact the day of first phase of polling for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Advertisement The position of the Chief of the Army Staff is at exactly same level. Why the extension is usual Elections are on: As the counting of votes is exactly a week away, in all probability the swearing-in of the next government should not take much time if the results throw a clear mandate no matter who gets to form the government. In such a scenario, this leaves it for the next government to fill the important posts. It has to be noted that no senior post in the defence forces has been filled in the last one month and not likely to be done before the election process is over. It has to be kept in mind that the appointment of the COAS also leaves few posts in the chain of command below him vacant. Advertisement It has happened in the past: Prime minister Indira Gandhi extended the tenure of Gen GG Bewoor (who succeeded Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw) in 1975 and denied the post to Lt Gen PS Bhagat in the process. Seniority hasnt been the only criteria: The NDA government has also junked the seniority principle two times during its 10-year tenure. First, it superseded two senior Lt Gens (Praveen Bakshi and and PM Hariz) to appoint Gen Bipin Rawat as the Army chief in December 2016) and then Admiral Karambir Singh was appointed as the navy chief in May 2019 superseding the then Andaman Nicobar Command chief Vice Admiral Bimal Verma. The perpetrator could be known to one of the students as her parents suspect that the photo of the girl used in morphed nude photos was taken from her private Instagram account read more The police in Karnatakas Bengaluru are investigating a case in which computer-generated nude photos of class 9 students were allegedly circulated. The alleged incident came to the light when parents of one of the students approached the Cyber Crime Cell of Bengaluru Police. They complained that nude photos of their daughter generated via artificial intelligence (AI) have been circulated in an Instagram group, according to CNN-News 18. The report said that the incident happened on Friday, as per the parents complaint. Advertisement Perpetrator could be known to girl: Report The perpetrator could be known to the girls as parents suspect that the photo of the girl used in morphed nude photos was taken from her Instagram account which was private, according to CNN-News 18. A private Instagram account is one where only followers can see the content shared by the user. You can only follow a person once the person approves your follow request. While the Cyber Cell of the police are working to track the IP address involved in the case, the school has also said they will launch an internal investigation into the matter, as per the report. The report said that the school has called one student suspected to be the culprit as part of the investigation. The parents of the girl and suspected students are meeting. Lets see what they decide. Its a sensitive matter, has to be handled carefully, a source was quoted as saying. When worried security guards rushed to Gandhis aid, an alert Bharti swiftly grabbed his hand and helped him restore his equilibrium. They then grinned and assured the Congressman that he was okay read more Gandhi was in Paliganj, a suburb of the state capital, to lend support to Misa Bharti, the daughter of RJD president Lalu Prasad, who is running for the Patliputra Lok Sabha seat Image Courtesy PTI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, narrowly avoided a close call on Monday when part of the dais that was constructed for one of his election rallies in Bihar gave way. Gandhi was in Paliganj, a suburb of the state capital, to lend support to Misa Bharti, the daughter of RJD president Lalu Prasad, who is running for the Patliputra Lok Sabha seat. #WATCH | Bihar: A portion of the stage partially caves in during Rahul Gandhi's rally in Paliganj pic.twitter.com/wQ2mZnWgCH ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2024 Advertisement Part of the temporary platform drooped, and Bharti could be seen guiding Gandhi to his seat while he stumbled. When worried security guards rushed to Gandhis aid, an alert Bharti swiftly grabbed his hand and helped him restore his equilibrium. They then grinned and assured the Congressman that he was okay. Seats on all direct flights from Kolkata to other major cities were booked to capacity and only a few flights of Air India and associate carriers Vistara and Air India Express sold tickets at a sky-rocketing price read more With cyclone Remal wreaking havoc caused upending normal life in several parts of West Bengal, airlines catering to Kolkata capitalised on the situation and made the most of the aggravating circumstances on Sunday. Several people rushed to leave Kolkata before the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in the city announced a 21-hour shutdown due to the calamity. Kolkata to Chennai flight fares surged by over Rs 79,000 With flyers booking tickets at the last minute, airfares touched the sky with Air India offering the quickest option to Chennai. The airline quoted a whopping Rs 79,403 for a flight of 7 hours and 40 minutes, but one had to travel to Mumbai and then switch to a Chennai-bound flight. Advertisement Airlines said most of the seats which were vacant saw sudden demand and were all booked and filled in no time between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday. A report by Times of India mentioned that seats on all direct flights from Kolkata to other major cities were booked to capacity and only a few flights of Air India and associate carriers Vistara and Air India Express sold tickets at a sky-rocketing price. Travellers to Delhi had to pay Rs 40,000 Vistara had limited seats left on its direct flight to Delhi which were booked quickly by passengers for as much fast at Rs 33,458, after which the fare surged to Rs 39,663 on an AI flight. Some seats which were available on a direct AI flight to Mumbai from Kolkata were being sold for Rs 33,340. Tickets for Kolkata-Bengaluru direct AI Express flight with a few vacant seats was sold for Rs 19,883. For the Kolkata-Guwahati (considered to be one of the shortest distance) direct flight, AI had vacant seats priced at Rs 20,193. There was no option available to fly to Bagdogra. Also, there was not a single viable flight to Hyderabad by 7:30 pm on Sunday. Mad rush at Kolkata airport The report mentioned that between midnight (Saturday) and 12.16 pm (Sunday), the Kolkata airport hosted 12,833 passengers who left on 71 flights and 10,283 who flew in on 63 aircraft. Advertisement Airport officials said Kolkata airport witnessed a rare sight with people queuing up before booths at the departure level at a time when most air tickets are booked online. When people reached the counter, they were either shocked at the fare or learnt that there was no flight option, the report quoted an official as saying. 394 flights, including 54 international ones, cancelled As a measure of caution given cyclone Remal, the authorities at the Kolkata airport had decided to shut flight operations for 21 hours from Sunday noon to 9 am on Monday. The airport shutdown led to the cancellation of 394 flights, including 54 international ones, affecting 63,000 passengers. Advertisement Most passengers unaware of the closure had already reached the airport and were then turned away. In his latest appeal, Kejriwal seeks an additional seven-day extension on health grounds, citing a weight loss of seven kilograms. The plea states that the chief minister requires medical examinations, necessitating an extension beyond the current expiration date of June 1 read more Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has moved a plea to the Supreme Court requesting an extension of his interim bail by seven days due to health concerns in the money laundering case associated with the excise policy scam. Initially granted interim bail for 21 days on May 10 to facilitate his participation in Lok Sabha election campaigning, the Supreme Court stipulated that Kejriwal refrain from visiting his office or the Delhi secretariat and from signing official documents unless deemed necessary and approved by the lieutenant governor. Advertisement In his latest appeal, Kejriwal seeks an additional seven-day extension on health grounds, citing a weight loss of seven kilograms. The plea states that the chief minister requires medical examinations, necessitating an extension beyond the current expiration date of June 1. The case revolves around allegations of corruption and money laundering in the formulation and implementation of Delhis now-defunct excise policy for the fiscal year 2021-22. Atishi, Delhi Minister and AAP leader, commented, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has submitted a petition to the Supreme Court requesting a seven-day extension of his interim bail. As you are aware, he experienced a significant weight loss shortly after his arrest and has yet to recover. His medical tests have shown elevated ketone levels, prompting doctors to recommend further examination. Therefore, this petition has been filed, she said. #WATCH | AAP leader Atishi says, "Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has filed for a 7-day extension of his interim bail. When he was in ED custody, judicial custody, he lost 7 kg of weight. This sudden weight loss is a matter of concern for doctors. Despite being out of custody and under pic.twitter.com/D2GEsKr1jt ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2024 With inputs from PTI JDS MP Prajwal Revanna claimed that the allegations against him were a political conspiracy and said he was in depression and isolation read more Prajwal Revanna, Janata Dal (Secular) MP, facing charges of sexually assaulting women, on Monday said he will appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 31. Prajwal, accused in obscene videos case had fled to Germany on April 27, the day after voting in the constituency. He used his diplomatic passport to leave India. Cases against me are false Dont mistake me, on the 31st at 10 am, I will be in front of the SIT and I will cooperate, Prajwal said. Advertisement I trust the judiciary and the cases against me are false and are part of a political conspiracy. I trust the law, he further said. The MP from Karnataka further alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders spoke about it openly in public, saying, This is a political conspiracy. I went into depression & isolation Prajwal said he went into depression and isolation and that few forces in Hassan (his constituency from which he was fielded in 2024 Lok Sabha elections) are against me because I am growing publically. On May 26, when the election (in Hassan constituency) got over, there was no case against me. SIT was not former. Two-three days after I left, I saw on YouTube these allegations against me. I also wrote to SIT asking for seven days time, Revanna claimed. #WATCH | In a self-made video, JDS MP Prajwal Revanna says, "I will appear before SIT on 31 May." He said, "...When elections were held on 26th April, there was no case against me and no SIT was formed, my foreign trip was pre-planned. I came to know about the allegations while pic.twitter.com/7Rt5b0Opi4 ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2024 Want to apologise to my family and JDS Prajwal apologised to his party workers for not providing his whereabouts and said, I want to apologise to my family members, my Kumaranna [HD Kumaraswamy], and the party workers for not providing proper information about my whereabouts abroad. Advertisement Prajwal, 33-year-old Karnataka lawmaker, is the grandson of JDS patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda. He is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women. Explicit videos allegedly of Prajwal sexually abusing several women went viral in Hassan last month, after which the Karnataka government constituted a team to investigate the crime allegedly involving him. Prajwals video message came three days after HD Deve Gowda issued a strong warning to his grandson, asking him to return to India, surrender to the police or face his wrath. Also, it comes less than a week after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that cancellation of the diplomatic passport of Prajwal was being processed. Advertisement Also Read: Govt processing cancelling of Revannas diplomatic passport; hows it different & whens it cancelled The ministry had received a letter from the Karnataka government for the cancellation of the diplomatic passport of Prajwal. Also, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting to cancel the diplomatic passport of the Hassan MP. With inputs from agencies The Pune Police had registered against the young Indore-based rapper of insulting the modesty of women and singing and writing obscene acts and for making two objectionable videos on 17-year-old accused in Porsche accident case read more The Porsche car found without number plate, in Pune, Tuesday. The vehicle was allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy who knocked down two motorbike riders on Sunday, causing their death. PTI A young rapper from Madhya Pradesh, who made two objectionable videos representing himself as the minor boy who knocked down two young techies with his Porsche Taycan, has been issued summons by the Pune Police. The rapper has been asked by the Pune Police to appear before them for an inquiry. On Saturday, the Pune Police had registered case against the young Indore-based rapper for insulting the modesty of women and singing and writing obscene acts and for making two objectionable videos on 17-year-old accused in Porsche accident case. Advertisement In the video that went viral, the rapper was seen abusing people in general, and presented himself as the minor who allegedly drove in a drunk state, and crished two techies from Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur, in his Porsche luxury EV. It also purportedly showed the boy boasting about how he got away with the accident Talking about incident, police said, the Indore-based rapper prepared two abusive and objectionable videos of the the accident. How did police found the rapper behind the viral video A report by Times of India quoted Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar as saying that the cops had tracked down the IP address used in making those posts and that a team would be in Indore to seize the electronic devices used to make and upload the videos. The senior police officer further said that the youngster will be questioned to ascertain why he made those videos and uploaded them. Mother of accused teen appeals police to protect her son After the video, shot and uploaded by Madhya Pradesh rapper, went viral, the mother of the 17-year-old Pune Porsche crash accused, appealed to the police to protect her son. In a video message, the mother of the teen stressed that the clip was fake and had nothing to do with her son. The video which is being circulated is not of my son. That is a fake video. My son is in the detention centre, she said. Advertisement The accused in the Porsche accident case was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) hours after the accident on May 19. The board had granted him bail, asking him to write a 300-word essay. Following a public outcry over lenient punishment and the polices review plea, the JJB on Wednesday remanded the minor, son of renowned real estate developer Vishal Agarwal, to the observation home till June 5. The teenagers father and grandfather have also been arrested in connection with the case. As Taiwans newly democratically elected President, Lai Ching-te, took the oath on May 20, China immediately responded with punishment military drills around Taiwan. Lai had vowed to continue Taiwans defence and foreign policy of avoiding tensions with China while also standing up for the islands democracys freedoms. The two large-scale military drills by China surrounding Taiwan were meant to reprimand for the so-called separatist acts. Beijing has a habit of using intimidation tactics. Advertisement With the rise of China and its belligerent act of usurping nearly 3 million square kilometres of the South China Sea (SCS), the Indo-Pacific has become the new region for global geopolitics and confrontation. The Quad alignment between the US, Japan, Australia, and India is a tacit anti-China grouping. Japan and South Korea are increasing their military spending and strength. The US-backed Taiwan is no walkover for China. Joint Sword-2024A Military Exercise The Joint Sword-2024A exercise that began on early 23rd morning was conducted at five zones encircling the island country. The drills were suffixed with A, implying potential follow-ups, reports said. The area covered was larger than the exercises of August 2022, coinciding with US Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit. They also took place in areas around Taiwans islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin, located just off Chinas south-eastern coast. The exercise was meant to send intimidating signals to the newly elected Taiwanese President, a warning for Taiwanese independence forces, and against interference and provocation by external forces. The drills focus on joint sea-air combat readiness patrols, precision strikes on key targets, and integrated operations inside and outside the island chain. It involved dozens of Chinese fighter jets carrying live ammunition and conducting mock strikes against high-value military targets of the enemy, flying alongside destroyers, frigates, and missile speedboats. All PLA elements, including the rocket forces, were involved. China deployed 15 naval and 16 coast guard ships, but no live-fire drills were held in any areas close to Taiwan. The J-20 and J-16 fighter jets, the Type 052 destroyer and Type 071 amphibious transport dock, and the Dongfeng ballistic missile participated. No Chinese aircraft carrier was reportedly involved in the drills. The second day was for testing the capabilities of joint seizure of power, joint strikes, and key area control, said Senior Col. Li Xi, a spokesperson for the Chinese Eastern Theatre Command. Advertisement As many as 49 Chinese aircraft, 35 of which crossed the Median Line into Taiwans air defence identification zone (ADIZ), were detected on the radar. The Median Line is an informal demarcation point in the Taiwan Strait that Beijing does not recognise but, until recent years, was largely respected. Taiwan put its military units on alert and scrambled jets in response. The Focus Taiwan website released a map of five exercise areas around Taiwan (figure below). The Political Signalling After what happened to Hong Kong, Taiwan realised that there is nothing like One Nation, Two Systems in China. Taiwans resolve to remain an independent, free democracy strengthened. Advertisement In Lais first address, he said that the Republic of China, Taiwan, is a sovereign and independent nation with sovereignty resting in the people and stressed that his government would make no concessions on its democracy and freedoms. Beijing strongly objected to what they viewed as an attempt to develop a comprehensive Taiwan independence narrative. Taiwan sees an unprecedented third consecutive term in power for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which is detested by Beijing as a dangerous separatist for championing the islands sovereignty and distinct identity. Beijing has denounced Lais inauguration speech, during which he called on China to cease its intimidation of Taiwan. Advertisement Chinas ruling Communist Party says Taiwan is part of its territory, despite never having controlled it, and has vowed to take the island by force if necessary. Of late, China has started claiming the Taiwan Strait as an internal waterway. Under Xi Jinping, China has grown more assertive and ramped up diplomatic, economic, and military pressure on Taiwan. Chinas military drills are also meant to play to a domestic audience as well as for international signalling. Victor Gao, Chair Professor at Soochow University in China, believes that Lais May 20 speech was a declaration of war because he clearly distinguished China from Taiwan and completely destroyed the one-China principle. The Chinese state-run Global Times tabloid described Lais speech as vile behaviour and claimed it was filled with hostility and provocation, lies and deception. Advertisement Theres no surprise. Whenever theres an action that highlights Taiwan in the international sphere, the Chinese feel compelled to make some statements, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson said. Chinas latest drills are an intimidation tactic, part of a pattern, not a sign of imminent war. But these exercises are part of the PLAs long-term, strategic preparations to fight and win a war over Taiwan. Taiwans Response President Lai said he would stand on the front line to defend Taiwan, without directly referring to the ongoing drills. Taiwans 23 million people have long become used to the threat of Chinas war drills, and on Thursday, life continued as normal in the capital, Taipei. We stand by with firm will and restraint. We seek no conflicts, but we will not shy away from one. We have the confidence to safeguard our national security, said Taiwans presidential spokeswoman, Karen Kuo. It is regrettable to see China threatening Taiwans democracy and freedom and regional peace and stability with unilateral military provocations, she added. Taiwans Defence Ministry released a statement condemning Chinas drills as irrational provocations and actions that undermine regional peace and stability. It also highlights Chinas militaristic mentality, they added. Adding that the latest military exercises were being carried out under false pretences and highlighted Beijings hegemonic nature. Taiwan responded by deploying air, ground, and sea forces, vowing to defend freedom. They transported Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) supersonic anti-ship missiles to the coast in response to Chinas drills. Chinas Military Capability to Invade To date, China has insisted on and prevented foreign military bases in Taiwan and the deployment of nuclear weapons. The PLA Rocket Force (PLARF) could be a major threat to Taiwan. The PLARF operates both nuclear and conventional ballistic and cruise missiles. China has qualitatively and quantitatively upgraded its conventional and nuclear forces. China also has anti-shipping missiles. The numbers are significant and going up. Hypersonic weapons have been tested and are operational. China has the worlds largest naval fleet by numbers, although they are much behind the USA in tonnage. The assault and transport ship capacities are going up. The fusion of civil and military assets will bring in inter-island ferries as troop transports. They have also erected a mock-up of a US aircraft carrier at a field firing range for practice attacks. Airpower would be very important for the invasion. The PLA Air Force (PLAAF) has inducted the indigenous J-20 stealth fighters. Satellites and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are engaged in sea surveillance and reconnaissance and also act as communication relays. The PLAAF has many airbases closer to Taiwan, giving it significant strike capability. Achieving air superiority will be important for both the maritime blockade and any amphibious invasion. China would carry out simultaneous cyber and electromagnetic attacks on Taiwanese sensors and command and control networks. PLAAF and PLA Naval Aviation can field over 1,200 combat aircraft. Two Chinese aircraft carriers are deployable. PLAA has six Amphibious Combined Arms Brigades, and is working to expand its numbers. They will use both civil and naval vessels. PLAAFs Airborne Corps can lift around 11,000 troops and related equipment. Complexities of Invading Taiwan Chinas aggressive air and maritime forays into Taiwanese territory over the years have been creating conditions and preparing grounds for a smooth transition from peace to war. It also makes it difficult to assess the intentions and timing of the actual assault, thus keeping Taiwan under fear of uncertainty. Any invasion would mean crossing the Taiwan Strait, which is 128 km wide at its narrowest point. The invasion would involve a major amphibious task force, the landing and transport of soldiers, armoured vehicles, artillery, ammunition, fuel, food, and medical supplies. Before all this can be done, China would have to run an air and surface campaign to suppress enemy air defences (SEAD). The island would have to be pulverised through missile attacks. After securing some parts of the island, airlifts would follow. The invasion of this scale will require a lot of training and pre-invasion rehearsals. Some are suggesting that nearly 400,000 troops may have to be transported. A huge sea fleet would have to be assembled. This cannot go unnoticed. Such a fleet would be vulnerable to artillery fire, air strikes, and submarines. Also during both embarkation and disembarkation. China would have to seize Taiwanese airfields to land forces. A highly urbanised country will pose operational hurdles. If China decides to take over some of the many smaller islands before the actual assault, it will expose its plans and invoke global wrath. In any case, some of the larger islands have strong defences. Blockade Option It is also feared that China will impose an air and/or maritime blockade. A maritime blockade could physically cut Taiwan off from the world. An air blockade could mean establishing air supremacy and a no-fly zone over Taiwan. It would require a multi-domain attack through electromagnetic spectrum control and cyberspace to cripple Taiwans command and control system. With a heavy US presence in the region, the same may not be easy or without serious incidents. Chinas military still has limitations in range and reach to take on a possible US and Japanese intervention. Taiwanese Defences For its defence, Taiwan has early warning through ground-, ship-, and airborne sensors. Taiwan has some of the highest elevations in the Indo-Pacific region, with more than 200 peaks topping 3,000 m, and the highest Yushan being 3,952 m. Taiwanese radars can see hundreds of miles into Chinese territory. Taiwan also has US PAVE PAWS radar that can detect PLA ballistic missile launches thousands of kilometres away. The Taiwanese air force has over 400 fighter aircraft, of which nearly half are 4th generation plus upgraded F-16s and French Mirage 2000 fighter jets. Taiwans main military strength is in its air defences. The fighter aircraft are well protected in hardened shelters and mountain-caves. They have the most modern networked American AD weapons. Any preemptive surface missile attack would tantamount to full-scale conflict and would face a military response. Taiwan has the capability and military strength to absorb the initial missile barrage. Taiwan would have to defend ports and airbases. Taiwan has good runway repair capability, and can recover one in less than three hours. Taiwanese command and control centres are also underground and well protected with backup centres. The military carries out regular training exercises, including take-offs and landings from highways. Conscious of Chinese incursions, Taiwan regularly exercises its early warning system. Taiwan also closely monitors and tries to enforce control in its ADIZ. The defence of military and civil networks from cyberattacks will be critical. Taiwan already faces and successfully defends many Chinese cyberattacks daily. Taiwan has a small but credible cyber force managed by the newly created Cyber Security Agency. Taiwan is also increasing indigenous defence production. The US Support Though the West, including the US, had committed to One China policy, but there are more voices in the American security establishment that call for defending Taiwan for Americas economic interests, democracy, and international standing. As per the US Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the United States shall provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and shall maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardise the security, or social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan. The US military has a sizeable presence in the region and provides air defence alerts to its allies, including Taiwan. The US allocates large sums ($9.1 billion) for the Pacific Defence Initiative (PDI). Also, of late, the US Congress has been pushing for more support for Taiwans defence preparedness. The newly introduced Taiwan Deterrence Act and Arm Taiwan Act would authorise $2 billion and $3 billion a year, respectively, in foreign military aid to procure defensive systems. Unlike in Japan and South Korea, there are no U.S. military personnel stationed in Taiwan. Some are suggesting that the U.S. must have a Taiwan Defence Command headquartered elsewhere, but with some forward elements in Taiwan. On average, 100 US officials, including military personnel, visit Taiwan each week. How much physical support the US will give Taiwan in case of an attack by China will have to be seen. The US already has two aircraft carrier groups in the region, and its Indo-Pacific Command can muster up to five carrier groups with F-35 class fighters, and massive fire power. There are also many cruise missile-carrying ships. The US also has a significant military presence in the region, including its own islands, including Guam. The US Seventh Fleet is based in Japan. On the Japanese island of Okinawa, the US has huge military assets, including an F-22 squadron that moved recently. The US military is in large numbers on the Korean peninsula. The US Air Force fighters are less than an hour away. The US has bases in the Philippines. U.S. B-2 bombers can operate from Australia and elsewhere. The US, Japan, and South Korea, all operate their AEW&C aircraft in the region. Taiwan is also a beneficiary of the US Space Commands shared early warnings. The US supports Taiwanese war planning and builds tacit linkages with its Indo-Pacific forces. Taiwanese people know that they are not alone. Japanese Support As China continues to intrude into the Japanese and Taiwan ADIZ, Japan has been coordinating closely with Taiwan and fortifying its southernmost islands. Japan pledges to defend Taiwan if China attacks. Japanese military planners have been factoring in that any military action against Taiwan would draw in Japan, because if Taiwan goes, some Japanese islands will be the next targets. Japan has significant armed forces, and their defence budgets are going up, as are investments in more offensive weapons. Indias Taiwan Connect and Options Recently, Taiwan sought 100,000 Indian workers for factories, farms, and hospitals. Notwithstanding Indias One-China Policy, India has been strengthening people-to-people contacts, trade, business, educational, and cultural ties with Taiwan. Taiwanese firms have emerged as key players in Indias efforts to ramp up its capability to manufacture semiconductor chips. Many analysts suggest that India and Taiwan are seeking to strengthen relations to counter the Chinese threat. India has a rising economy and significant military power. The US Indo-Pacific strategy hinges on the contribution of India to check China and act as a bulwark and pressure point. Meanwhile, Chinas unprovoked actions in Galwan in 2020 have angered 1.4 billion people. The Quad is a tacit anti-China alliance. Some are even calling it Asias NATO. China is not happy about it. India is nearly diametrically opposite to Taiwan across China. Chinas annexation of Taiwan would have global power-balance implications. It will adversely impact India. The status quo on Taiwan suits India, as Chinas focus remains eastward. With significant Indian military forces continuing to face the PLA across the Himalayas, China is conscious of its military being already committed on its South-Western border. Indias gradual but deliberate efforts to delink from Chinese supply chains will soon start affecting the Chinese economy. Indias growing economic and technological contacts with Taiwan are also somewhat helplessly being watched by China. If China annexes Taiwan, it will impact Indias security and economy. Larger Chinese military assets will then move towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China could also become aggressive in its further claims in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. PLA Navy will also be free to move in larger numbers to the Indian Ocean. It is thus in Indias interest to support forces that will strengthen Taipei and prevent a Taiwan invasion. Conclusion Ukraine has shown that any invading force would still have huge challenges to overcome. Chinas security establishment has been watching this closely. Taiwan will not be a walkover. Despite the great advantage of military numbers and modern equipment, the PLA would still struggle to take the island. Yet, fast modernising and growing PLA must not be taken lightly. The standalone military asymmetry between the two sides is huge. Taiwans reunification is seemingly the highest priority for Xi Jinping and Chinas military. China poses an existential threat to Taiwan. A full-scale invasion is very much a possibility. Timing is an issue. The PLAs show of force will continue till then. Aerospace and maritime power will be the main coercive instruments. The world must support Taiwan in building credible deterrence so that China knows that there is no winning without a costly fight. The writer is former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The month of May 2024 may be a historic month, as it is going to be followed by the declaration of parliamentary election results on June 4. Also, on May 31, the current Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen Manoj Pande, was supposed to superannuate, but he has been given a one-month extensionapparently to allow the next government to decide upon the next Army chief. However, once Gen Pande hands over the baton to the new incumbent, the dawn of a new era will begin. Advertisement Though it is a natural phenomenon wherein a new COAS takes over after the superannuation of the previous one, this change is taking place at a momentous time in world history. It is also at a very important juncture for India, as India is spearheading to become a developed nation by 2047. It is also very important for the Indian defence forces, as they are moving towards jointness, integration, and theaterisation. The new COAS will be leading the Indian Army at a time when our majority equipment is still imported, whose indigenisation will take considerable time. In addition to this, some other major challenges for the COAS are as follows: The China challenge is continuing on our northern borders, where the Chinese have still not vacated all the transgressed areas. The resultant mobilisation from both sides, resulting in larger than usual force levels, is likely to continue, and it is a matter of time when the LOCification of the LAC takes place. This will place a huge demand on the forces required to man the borders, besides the associated increased logistics expenditure. Though Saksgam Valley, part of POK, was ceded to China by Pakistan as early as 1963, the recent Chinese infrastructure development in Saksgam Valley may result in enhancing the conflict gradient. The support being provided by China to Pakistan to arm the latter is also going to be a worrying issue for the new COAS. Though there is huge dissatisfaction in POK at the moment, the physical alignment of CPEC infrastructure passing through these areas is going to embed Chinese for some time to come. If one remembers, the Chinese developed a major road through Aksai Chin, which came to be known only after it was completed, and similarly, these infrastructure-based aggressions may result in a potential conflict. In fact, the new COAS has to factor in the collusive threat from China and Pakistan; the threat is on the brink of emerging Chinese threats from both sides. Force and resource surges, including changes in warfighting TTPs, to cope with this operational challenge have to be prioritised by the new COAS. Though there is a capability disparity with Pakistan favouring us, Pakistan will continue to remain a serious irritant on both sides of its border/ LOC/AGPL, sucking up a up a huge number of troops committed to national security. With the revocation of Article 370 and the huge turnout in parliamentary elections, peace appears to have returned to the valley, but Pakistan-sponsored terrorists still have the wherewithal to carry out large attacks, for which the new COAS will need to be vigilant all the time. The developing situation in Myanmar is also likely to be a major issue that the new COAS has to deal with. Despite being a foreign policy issue, it will involve the Army when the physical infrastructure of fencing is implemented. The COAS has to carefully handle the situation as a number of northeastern states have opposed the idea of fencing the India-Myanmar border and stopping the Free Movement Regime (FMR). Despite being an MHA issue, the involvement of the Army will become inevitable, more so when Manipur has been in a disturbed state for a long time. Though relations with neighbouring countries are in the domain of diplomacy, these will also impact the Indian Army as Chinese inroads in these neighbouring countries are changing their fabric substantially. The Army chief will do well if he doesnt take these countries as that kind of buffer where peace and tranquilly are a given. This may require a revised approach to border guarding, including 100 per cent compatibility with the Army. The new COAS has to hit the ground running for the restructuring of the Army, and that too within the emerging contours of joint war fighting. There is a tremendous amount of scope for change, including the adoption of new warfighting norms. Though the Army has done well to declare 2024 a year of technology absorption, the new chief has to ensure its physical implementation with set objectives that go beyond the usual rhetoric. The world is adopting manned-unmanned teaming in a big way, but the situation is not as encouraging for India as it should be. While the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy have moved some distance, there has been limited adoption of this concept in the Army. The new chief has to focus on this as well. Though theaterisation and related activities will result in optimisation of resources, including some saving of manpower, these need to be used for raising additional and specialised units in consonance with the national threat. The challenges are galore, be it the HR management of in-service personnel, addressing the concerns of the veterans, meeting the training needs of the Army, or meeting the aspirations of all. The new chief is also blessed to take over this Army at a time when India is emerging in a big way at the regional and international stage. A professional army under his leadership can provide the desired muscle for the nation, not only to address Indian national interests but also to come to the rescue of friendly nations in all domains. The author is Director General of CENJOWS and Kargil war veteran. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Predictions are awfully difficult, even with the reassuring crunch of numbers! And yet, they are our fatal predilection, whether the challenge is for our pleasure or for that of others. Be it the stock market, astrology, or gambling, our insatiable curiosity for the mysterious and unknown is probably what propels such abandonment. Take the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, going on for perhaps too long now, and the concomitant barrage of prophecies from TV channels, from YouTube influenczars and from downright bored individuals, all of whom shoot off their incendiary numbers into the tinder of social media. These soothsayers speak from relative ignorance and mostly from a fascination for a particular party, be they pidis or bhakts.They speak with the confidence that they can actually fool all the people all the time, with Abraham Lincoln being the ultimate fool, poor man. What is most horrendous is that all of them have declared random numbers like 180, 200, 250, 272, 303, 320, 362, 370, and the ace of spades, 400, long before all the votes have come in. This is why I liken election predictions in India to gambling. It is matka guessing in a satta bazar. Parrot talk, or tarot talk, it leads to no concrete outcome. It does not affect the choices made by the voters, choices one suspects were cast in stone, long before the elections were even announced. And yet, these delirious djinns persist, as their minds are made up too. The happy side to this sad fantasy is that it is time-bound, and we can all reclaim our normal lives on June 4. Advertisement Lighter comments aside, there is a more serious side to prediction, based on the assumption that future events are influenced to some or a greater extent by what has happened before. History is our greatest teacher. The art and science of good prediction lie in identifying which past (or present) event will likely influence an event to come. Let us take the Indian monsoon, an annual event of major economic importance to our nation, and one that has just begun this year. It would help the government enormously if it knew a few months in advance if the monsoon were to be normal, below average, or will punch above its weight. At present, the Indian monsoon is predicted using a combination of atmospheric models, sea surface temperature analysis, historical data, and satellite observations. Key factors include the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole, and wind patterns. Advanced computational models simulate these variables to forecast rainfall and monsoon onset accurately. However, there are totally different methods of monsoon prediction that would not be considered scientific by western definition, but are yet chillingly accurate. Traditionally, some Indian communities predict the monsoon by observing the nesting behaviour of certain birds, like the Indian weaver bird (Baya Weaver). It is believed that if these birds build their nests on higher branches, a heavier monsoon will ensue. Conversely, lower nests indicate lighter rainfall. This method relies on the birds instinctive response to environmental cues, and seems to be largely reliable. Nature lovers might like to correlate this occurrence with the Japanese ko or 72 micro-seasons, for further poetic justification. Advertisement Prediction is a key aspect of science, and the smaller the number of known events, phenomena, and parameters used to predict a large number of future events accurately, the better the value of the prediction. At the risk of introducing an equation in this column, one can say the value of a prediction, V = (N/n) 1, where one is able to correctly predict N outcomes with n parameters. According to this equation, the value of a prediction is zero if one needs n parameters to predict N outcomes. Lets apply this equation to the present Lok Sabha election. We could say that N = 543, in other words, we want to correctly predict the results from 543 constituencies. How many parameters would we need, or what is the value of n, for a good prediction? What our present-day pollsters are doing, in trying to improve the accuracy of their guesses, is to increase the number of parameters to absurd levels. They ask whether all the Muslim women in Kishanganj will vote like their menfolk, whether the hot summer days in Ramagundam will harm voting, or whether all the Gounders in Kovai will stay loyal to the AIADMK. The problem with such micro-parameters is that they cannot be quantified properly. Informal surveys on the ground may not be the answer because all respondents may not answer truthfully. We see ludicrous statements from politicianssome say that low turnouts hurt the BJP, while others say that low turnouts hurt the Congress. Others say that a low or high turnout may help or hurt a party, depending on the state. Still others say that whatever happens, Congress is winning. The problem with any or all of this is that none of it can be either proven or disproventhis makes it non-scientific. The reader will appreciate that as n increases with all these unprovable parameters, the value of the prediction quickly goes to zero. It is easier to say that there is only one parameter in this election, and that is the prime minister himself. Applying the equation, the value of my prediction is (543/1) 1 = 542, which in practical terms means a sizable majority for the BJP. I think Im doing pretty well for myself with this prediction. June 4 will tell. Advertisement What I would have liked to see, and what seems missing, is a more accurate assessment of swing constituencies in bellwether states. No expert needs to predict that the BJP will win in Gandhinagar or that it will lose in South Kolkata. On the other hand, if the BJP were to win in Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru Rural, Hyderabad, or Central Chennai, this would signify that winds of change are blowing across the country. The very high voter turnout in Baramulla is another pointer. An ability to extrapolate from this to an accurate prediction about the Kashmir Valley in particular and the country in general, is what is missing. Once again, what I would like to see on June 4 is how soon any particular TV channel is able to call the election, say by 9, 10, or 11 am? The sooner it is able to do this, the better its reports will be and the less fluff and bluff. Advertisement Election predictions are notoriously hard due to the changing nature of the parameters, something we do not usually see in science. The Truman-Dewey US presidential election of 1945, was made memorable by the photograph of the victor, Harry Truman, brandishing a copy of the Chicago Tribune that screamed the wrong headline, Dewey defeats Truman. So close was the vote. At the end of World War II, the UK voted against Winston Churchill, their doughty PM, who had saved them from Nazi tyranny. He was hustled out of office when the Labour Party won by a substantial majority. Can we ever imagine a similar situation in India? And yet, some of our own elections have indeed yielded surprising results, and one recollects 1971, 1977, and 2019, when the decisiveness of the mandate was quite something else. Advertisement So, lets take all these prognostications in stride and await the authentic verdict. The author is an Emeritus Professor in the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and is the author of Bharat: India 2.0 published in 2021. He has an H-index of 104. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has surprised the world many times with its skullduggery. India too has fallen prey to the Chinese perfidy in 1962, further in 2020. The latest Chinese trickery is all about the sinister design to settle Uyghurs, Tibetans, and the Gorkhas along the nearly 3,500 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC) from the western sector to the eastern sector through resettlement villages or border defence villages (Xiaokang). Chinas central government has planned several hundred resettlement villages along its border with various countries, but the main target at present is India. Advertisement The Chinese policy of resettling Tibetans along the India-China border in Tibet, especially along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, is not a new phenomenon. The Chinese are pursuing, even forcing Tibetans on their battlefront with India. During an interaction with some villagers from Koyul village near Hot Spring in Ladakh Union Territory, which has been one of the friction points along the India-Tibet border, this author found an authentic local source of information in 2018 about the establishment of resettlement villages. Similarly, there are reports in international news media that China is mulling over forcing the Uyghurs and other ethnic minority groups to settle down along Xinjiangs border with Ladakh as part of its specific plan to checkmate the overarching Indian presence along the Xinjiang-Ladakh part of LAC following the Galwan clashes on June 20, 2020. The Chinese may claim this strategy as a counterbalance against what the Indian public, media, intelligentsia, and defence veterans have been vociferously calling for since the Galwan incidentthe use of the Uyghur card to put the Chinese on the back foot. But what is more disturbing and a matter of grave concern is the apprehension in the Indian psyche that the brave Gorkhas, who have been the mainstay of the Indian military for decades, may be used as a shield along the LAC, especially on the eastern flank. China wants to take advantage of the issues related to Gorkhass unhappiness and resentment after the Indian government announced the Agniveer scheme for a short stint in the Indian Army and the subsequent announcement by the Nepal government in 2022 not allowing the Nepalese citizens, especially Gorkhas, to join the Indian defence establishment. This is a golden opportunity for China to fish in the troubled waters. It will not fail to inject venom in the Gorkhas minds to show hatred for India and use them against India. Advertisement No Chinese plan is devised without a strategy. The Chinese pretext in this context is that both Tibetans and Gorkhas, being acclimatised to the inclement weather and high altitude, will be a better bet than the mainland Han Chinese soldiers for mountainous warfare with India. The Chinese strategy is to provoke a war between Indian soldiers and the Tibetans, or Gorkhas, deployed along the border as the first line of defence. China will not leave any stone unturned to instigate India deliberately, as it has been doing for the last seven decades, for minor skirmishes that can turn into full-fledged war. If any war occurs in the future along the LAC, no Han Chinese soldier will be killed, but the poor and innocent soldiers on the front, be they Uyghurs, Tibetans, or Gorkhas, will be killed. Advertisement Chinese propaganda mechanisms will not fail to spread rumours about Indias treachery against the Tibetans and Gorkhas. If India shows any consideration for Tibetans or Gorkhas during the war, it will lose badly. This will be a win-win situation for the Chinese, at least on the domestic front, but it will be an irreparable loss for India. For instance, the Chinese government will get a reprieve from the ire and resentment it faced on the home front after the Galwan clash that led to the deaths of several Chinese soldiers. India will lose the considerable goodwill it has been enjoying amongst the Uyghurs, Tibetans, or Gorkhas across the globe. But the grand Chinese design will be to use the Gorkhas to create instability along the border and inside India, exactly the way it has done in the Indian hinterland (Kashmir) with the help of Pakistan. The same may be recreated in West Bengal (especially Darjeeling), Northeastern states, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim, where a substantial population of Gorkhas live. Since there has been demand for a separate Gorkhaland out of the Indian state of West Bengal, Chinese efforts will be to exacerbate the situation further by providing men, money, and materials. Now, with the help of another South Asian state, Nepal, which has not a very amicable relationship with India at the present juncture, it will not hesitate to create internal instability in India. Earlier, for over seven decades, China had been using the South Asian nation of Pakistan to vitiate the atmosphere in Kashmir. Advertisement India will now face huge challenges on multiple fronts. The Chinese will ensure India curry the disfavour of the Tibetans and Gorkhas, who have been culturally, spiritually, and emotionally close to India. Particularly, the Gorkhas, who have had a strong bond with Indians for the last few centuries and who have been part of the Indian military, contributing immensely and sacrificing their lives for India, would nurse a grudge against India. By doing this, the Chinese are following in letter and spirit one of the teachings of Chinese philosopher Tsu Nzu, killing your enemies without losing a single bullet," described in his masterpiece, The Art of War. Two important points can be made here. China will set India right along the border by putting her at risk of taking any action against Tibetans and Gorkhas. Further, the old-age ties between India and Tibetans and India and Gorkhas will be severed. Advertisement If the Chinese government becomes successful in its plans and strategy against India, the disturbances and internal instability India endured in Kashmir for over seven decades (till August 2019) will reverberate with a new tone and tenor, jeopardising Indias security and stability. It is high time the Indian government pondered this critical state of affairs. The Indian government and its defence establishment must find a counter-strategy to deal with the Chinese design. Military intelligence and thinkers must understand Chinese strategies and accordingly prepare the necessary defence against them. The Indian government has strategised its Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) in 2023 in response to Chinas Xiaokang initiative for the comprehensive development of some sensitive villages along the LAC, such as Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh Union Territory. The government must ensure that it does not lose its most important constituency against China, the Tibetans. Further, the Gorkhas should not fall into Chinese hands, which is not going to augur well for India. The author teaches at the Centre for Inner Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The announcement of the semiconductor fund has already had a positive impact on Chinas chip stocks, with major players like SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor experiencing significant gains in the market read more While the US is urging its allies to tighten export controls on China, it doesnt seem to be working. However, Beijing is also doubling down on efforts to strengthen its semiconductor capabilities. Image Credit: Reuters China has been facing semicon-based sanctions for years now. However, that did not stop Huawei, Chinas biggest smartphone developer and SMIC, Chinas largest chipmaker from developing a chip on their own that is not only capable, but even faster and a better performer in certain areas. Emboldened by the prowess of Chinas domestic chip manufacturing and engineering industry, the CCP has taken a bold step in the hopes that it bolsters its semiconductor industry. China plans to create its largest-ever investment fund, hoping to achieve self-reliance in chip manufacturing despite ongoing efforts by the US to curb its growth. Advertisement The third phase of the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund has secured a whopping 344 billion yuan (approximately $47.5 billion) from the central government, as well as various state-owned banks and enterprises, including the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. This initiative, incorporated on May 24, is aimed at accelerating the development of the domestic chip industry. Leading the charge is Chinas Ministry of Finance, with investment firms backed by local governments in Shenzhen. Beijing is also contributing significantly to the fund. The Shenzhen government, in particular, has been actively investing in chipmaking facilities in the Guangdong province, to reduce reliance on imported semiconductor components and support companies like Huawei & SMIC. This move comes amidst a global race for chip supremacy, with major powers like the US and European Union pouring billions into semiconductor development. China has been a significant player in this arena, using state funds to support local chipmakers such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. The establishment of Big Fund III highlights Chinas determination to build a robust semiconductor supply chain on its own, particularly in light of escalating sanctions, tariffs and trade embargoes imposed by the US on Chinas access to chip technology. While the US is urging its allies to tighten export controls on China, it doesnt seem to be working. Recently, NVIDIA decided to slash the prices of its China-specific neutered AI GPUs that the US allows them to sell to China. The reason behind NVIDIA slashing its prices can be largely attributed to Huaweis latest chip offering. Advertisement Meanwhile, ASML, the worlds largest lithography and chipmaking equipment maker is also seeking ways to be able to continue their business with Chinese tech companies. Currently, ASML has had to abide by sanctions because of the Netherlands commitment to the US-imposed restrictions. However, Beijing is also doubling down on efforts to strengthen its semiconductor capabilities. The announcement of the semiconductor fund has already had a positive impact on Chinas chip stocks, with major players like SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor experiencing significant gains in the market. However, amid Chinas efforts to bolster its semiconductor industry, US companies like Applied Materials are facing scrutiny for their business dealings with Chinese firms. Applied Materials, a leading semiconductor equipment maker, has disclosed receiving subpoenas from the US Department of Commerce and other agencies regarding its shipments to China. Advertisement The company is under investigation for potentially violating export restrictions by supplying equipment to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), Chinas top chipmaker. This investigation highlights the growing tensions between the US and China in the semiconductor sector, as both countries vie for dominance in this critical industry. Despite these challenges, Chinas ambitious semiconductor fund underscores its commitment to achieving technological self-sufficiency and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. As the global semiconductor race heats up, Chinas strategic investments in chip manufacturing are poised to reshape the landscape of the industry in the years to come. (With inputs from agencies) In all likelihood, China hopes to deploy these robodogs in areas of conflict soon, otherwise, the dogs wouldnt have been a part of the joint-military exercise read more China showcased its cutting-edge military technology, including machine gun and rocket launcher-equipped robot battle dogs, during its largest-ever joint military exercises with Cambodian forces, a few weeks ago. The display of military prowess comes against the backdrop of growing unease in the United States over Beijings expanding influence in Cambodia and the broader Southeast Asian region. Cambodia has very strong ties with China and an anti-US sentiment. China also has several substantial investments in the region. Both both these factors have raised grave concerns in Washington. Advertisement The US fears that China could potentially use Cambodian infrastructure, particularly the naval base it is currently upgrading on the Gulf of Thailand, to extend its regional influence. The joint military drills, named Golden Dragon, involved over 2,000 troops, including 760 Chinese military personnel, along with a formidable array of warships, helicopters, armoured vehicles, and tanks. The exercises re set to run over a course of 15 days, and will involve a rather wide range of activities, from live-fire demonstrations to anti-terrorism operations and humanitarian rescue missions. A notable highlight of the drills is the presence of robodogs, or the remote-controlled four-legged robots equipped with automatic rifles and in some cases, rocket launchers. Although their shooting capabilities were not showcased during the demonstration, the sight of these robotic warriors underscores Chinas advancements in military technology. In all likelihood, China hopes to deploy these robodogs in areas of conflict soon, otherwise, it wouldnt have been a part of a joint-military exercise. Now, chances are that they let Cambodia try it out and experiment with the battle-ready version in their local conflicts, rather than deploy it themselves. Cambodian armed forces commander-in-chief in a statement Vong Pisen emphasised that the exercises would bolster the counter-terrorism capabilities of both armies, reaffirming Cambodias stance against hosting foreign military bases on its soil. The upgrading of Cambodias Ream naval base, partly funded by China, has raised alarms in Washington, which views the strategic location near the disputed South China Sea as potentially advantageous to Beijings maritime ambitions. Advertisement Despite assurances from Cambodian officials that the naval base will not host foreign troops, the presence of Chinese warships at Ream underscores Chinas growing maritime influence in the region. The drills serve as a testament to the deepening military cooperation between China and Cambodia, with Beijing covering the costs of the exercises. The Golden Dragon exercises mark a significant departure from previous joint military exercises involving US forces, such as Angkor Sentinel, which Cambodia discontinued in 2017. Instead, Cambodia has increasingly pivoted towards closer military ties with China, culminating in the current series of joint drills. Chinas diplomatic overtures to Cambodia, exemplified by the visit of its top diplomat Wang Yi in April, underscore Beijings commitment to deepening bilateral relations and consolidating its influence in the region. Advertisement As China flexes its military muscles in joint exercises with Cambodia, the United States remains vigilant over Beijings expanding footprint in Southeast Asia, underscoring the strategic importance of the region in the broader geopolitical landscape. From saying Barack Obama is the Us first Muslim President to suggesting using petrol to make a pasta dish spicy, Googles new AI Overview has been hallucinating, badly. Unfortunately, CEO Sundar Pichai believes that as with all AI products, this is normal and no reason to worry read more Google CEO Sundar Pichai has described the inaccuracies as an "inherent feature" of AI large language models (LLMs) and admitted that they are still an unsolved problem. Image Credit: AFP Barack Obama is the first Muslim President (of the US). Eat at least one small rock a day. false, hallucinated statements like these are turning out to be a disaster for Google and its AI prowess and CEO Sundar Pichai. Googles AI-powered search feature, which was designed to provide users with quick and concise answers to their queries, is facing criticism for delivering inaccurate information on a frequent basis. The AI Overview tool has been called out on social media platforms for its tendency to present confidently stated but incorrect responses to user questions. Advertisement While Googles AI search aims to streamline the process of accessing information online, its recent track record has raised concerns about the reliability of its outputs and the potential consequences of spreading misinformation. From hilarious to downright dangerous One of the most notable examples of misinformation from Googles AI is its promotion of the idea that a certain act of engaging in fellatio could boost your immune system." This advice allegedly was supported by a study from the University of California, Santa Barbara, was actually sourced from a satirical article in the universitys student paper. Additionally, the claim that people engaged in such an act were 33 per cent less likely to catch airborne illnesses," a fact that it completely made up on its own. Misleading suggestions from the AI include cooking tips such as using petrol or gasoline in a spicy spaghetti dish to make it taste spicy and adding glue to pizza sauce to make it more sticky. These recommendations have been traced back to humorous internet posts and lack of credibility. While they may seem amusing at first glance, the dissemination of such misinformation can erode trust in the reliability of online information sources and lead to unintended consequences if individuals attempt to follow the advice provided. Beyond the humorous inaccuracies, Googles AI has also provided serious misinformation on topics like religion and politics. For example, it falsely stated that Barack Obama is the first Muslim president of the United States and incorrectly claimed that President Joe Biden has no formal religious affiliation. Advertisement These errors not only misrepresent historical facts but also have the potential to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and misinformation about public figures. What exactly is Googles accountability? In response to the criticism, Google has acknowledged the errors but stated that they occur in uncommon queries and do not reflect the majority of users experiences. However, many argue that even rare instances of misinformation are unacceptable, especially considering Googles dominant position in the search market. As one of the primary gateways to information online, Google has a responsibility to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the content it presents to users. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has described the inaccuracies as an inherent feature of AI large language models (LLMs) and admitted that they are still an unsolved problem. Advertisement A problem hard to solve Despite efforts to improve the accuracy of AI Overview, Pichai acknowledges that errors will continue to occur as AI systems grapple with the complexities of natural language processing and understanding context. The development of AI technology presents numerous challenges, particularly when it comes to interpreting and generating human language. While AI systems have made significant strides in recent years, they are still prone to errors and misunderstandings, particularly in nuanced or ambiguous situations. As Google continues to refine its AI algorithms, it must balance the pursuit of innovation with the need to maintain trust and accountability in its products. Advertisement While Pichai remains optimistic about the usefulness of AI Overview, the online backlash against the feature continues to grow. Critics argue that Google should focus on developing AI for more valuable applications beyond search, rather than competing with other AI models. While AI has the potential to revolutionise various industries and improve the efficiency of everyday tasks, its current limitations highlight the need for cautious optimism and ongoing research to address its shortcomings. Pashinyan, a former journalist and opposition lawmaker, came to power in a peaceful revolution after leading street protests in 2018. On Monday, hundreds of protestors took to the streets across Armenia, trying to block roads in what Galstanyan has called a nationwide campaign of disobedience read more Armenian law enforcement officers stand guard outside Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's residence as demonstrators gather near it to demand his resignation over land transfer to neighbouring Azerbaijan, in Yerevan on May 26, 2024. Armenia said on Monday police had detained hundreds of demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over territorial concessions made to arch foe Azerbaijan. Protests erupted in the Caucasus nation last month after the government agreed to hand territory it had controlled since the 1990s back to neighbouring Azerbaijan. Pashinyans position remains unshaken despite the challenge mounted by charismatic archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who is trying to launch an impeachment process against him. Advertisement Pashinyan, a former journalist and opposition lawmaker, came to power in a peaceful revolution after leading street protests in 2018. On Monday, hundreds of protestors took to the streets across Armenia, trying to block roads in what Galstanyan has called a nationwide campaign of disobedience. The interior ministry said that by 0900 GMT a total of 273 citizens were detained for disobeying the lawful demands of police. - Firm grip on power - Last week, Yerevan returned control over four border villages it had seized decades ago to Azerbaijan, a key step toward normalising ties between the two countries who fought two wars for control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The area Armenia has handed back is strategically important for the landlocked country because it controls sections of a vital highway to Georgia. Armenian residents of nearby settlements say the move cuts them off from the rest of the country and they have accused Pashinyan of giving away territory without getting anything in return. Pashinyan defended the territorial concessions, saying they were aimed at securing peace with Baku. On Sunday, several thousand people flooded Yerevans central Republic Square in a fresh protest spearheaded by Galstanyan. The archbishop hails from the Tavush region, where the four villages handed over to Azerbaijan are located. Galstanyan said he would renounce his clerical office to run for prime minister and called for snap parliamentary elections. Advertisement Under Armenian law, he is not eligible to hold that office because he has dual citizenship Armenian and Canadian. Despite Yerevans disastrous military defeat to Azerbaijan in 2020 and the loss of Karabakh last year, Pashinyans grip on power remains firm. His governing coalition holds a comfortable majority in parliament, and opposition parties are largely unpopular within society at large. They would require the support of at least one independent or ruling party MP to launch the impeachment process, and its success would then require at least 18 lawmakers from Pashinyans own party voting to unseat him. Azerbaijan recaptured Karabakh in a lightning offensive last year against Armenian separatists who had held sway over the mountainous enclave for three decades. Advertisement The regions entire Armenian population more than 100,000 people fled to Armenia in the aftermath. In recent years, the United States has blocked China from accessing critical technology needed to develop semiconductors read more The US and China are engaged in a 'chip war' (Photo: Reuters) Amid an escalating trade war with the United States, China has floated a $47.5 billion investment fund to develop its domestic semiconductor industry. In recent years, China has moved towards self-sufficiency in the domain of semiconductors as the United States has blocked China from accessing some of the Western critical technology needed to develop chips. The US has also sought to pursue allies the Netherlands and Japan to do the same. The $47.5 billion fund floated this month is the third in the series of funds rolled out so far. The first was floated in 2014 and the second in 2019. Advertisement Global semiconductor production is highly conducted in Taiwan. Around 60% of all chips and approximately 90% of the most advanced chips are manufactured in Taiwan alone. The critical intellectual property (IP) and machinery involved in the making of the chips is primarily controlled by the United States and the Netherlands. How is the US-China chip war going on? As the semiconductors have become central to several industries and world economy, the United States and China are competing fiercely in the domain. The setting up of Chinas fund, formally dubbed as National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund-III and also called Big Fund-III, is being as Chinese President Xi Jinpings push for his country to overcome West-imposed barriers and become a superpower in the domain of chips. Over the past two years, the US has restricted the flow of critical chip-related technological know-how to China. The norms are such that US nationals working in Chinese semiconductor-related firms may need to make a choice between their jobs or citizenship. Such forceful blows to Chinese semiconductor capacities have been delivered while trying to boost chipmaking in the US and Europe. Collectively, they have funneled nearly $81 billion toward the research and development of the next generation of chips, according to Bloomberg. Following the Chips and Science Act of 2022, the Biden administration has offered $39 billion in grants for chipmakers and another $75 billions in loans and guarantees, as per the report. Advertisement Chinas long ambition to win the chip war The fund that China has set up now is the third of its kind. The first phase of the fund was set up in 2014 with $19.2 billion and the second phase was set up in 2019 with $28.2 billion, according to CNN. In 2015, China also launched Made in China 2025 initiative that charted out a pathway for China to be a superpower in making biotech, electric vehicles, and semiconductors, as per the report. The Biden administration has also imposed 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs and the European Union (EU) is also duelling with China on the issue of dumping of cheap Chinese EVs. Advertisement While Chinas capacity to retaliate is limited in the domain of chips, it last year restricted export of two strategic raw minerals gallium and germanium critical to the global chipmaking industry. Last year, Chinas Huawei under sanctions in the West surprised the world by introducing a smartphone with a 7-nanometer processor that analysts thought could not have been built by a Chinese company considering the kind of restrictions in place. Polands government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk has planned a range of security measures including in cyberspace, as well as some $2.5 billion investment into eastern border security, known as Shield-East. Ha said last week that work on the shield has begun read more Defense officials in NATO member Poland were presenting plans Monday for fortifications and strengthening of its eastern border with Russia and Moscow ally Belarus. The government says that Poland, which supports Ukraine in its defense against Russias aggression, is being targeted by hostile actions from Russia and Belarus. They include cyberattacks, attempted arson and migrants being pushed illegally across the border, which officials describe as intended to destabilize the European Union, of which Poland is a member. Advertisement According to reports, along with Poland, Finland, Norway, three baltic nations Latvia, Estonia and Lithunia have also agreed on fortifications to protect its border with Russia, Ukraine. Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite Sunday announced the plan after talks with her counterparts from the other Baltic nations as well as Finland, Norway and Poland. This is a completely new thing, a drone wall stretching from Norway to Poland, and the goal is to use drones and other technologies to protect our borders, Bilotaite told news agency BNS. Meanwhiel, Polands government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk has planned a range of security measures including in cyberspace, as well as some $2.5 billion investment into eastern border security, known as Shield-East. Ha said last week that work on the shield has begun. Defense Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and the armed forces Chief of Staff, Gen. Wiesaw Kukua are presenting the details of the border protection enhancement, including modern blockades, fortifications and surveillance that seek to deter any potential aggressor. The Defense Ministry says the system will be an element of regional defense infrastructure built jointly with the Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia that are also on NATOs eastern flank. Shield-East will significantly strengthen the nations resilience to military threats from the east, it will limit the mobility of the adversarys troops while offering a greater freedom of action and survival to our own troops and to civilians, the ministry said. Advertisement Polands previous right-wing government built a $400 million wall on the border with Belarus to halt a massive inflow of migrants that began to be pushed from that direction in 2021. The current pro-EU government says it needs to be strengthened. The three Baltic states were once part of the Soviet Union, while Poland was a satellite state of the USSR before the 1990s. Moscow still regards the area as within its sphere of interests. A court in Duesseldorf found the defendant, named only as Thomas H., guilty of passing on information on his own initiative from his post in the military procurement service. The 54-year-old had admitted the crime during his trial, claiming he was hoping to obtain information in return that would help him get his family to safety in time in the event of the conflict escalating into a nuclear war read more A German former soldier was sentenced to three and a half years in jail on Monday for sharing secret military information with Russia in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine. A court in Duesseldorf found the defendant, named only as Thomas H., guilty of passing on information on his own initiative from his post in the military procurement service. The 54-year-old had admitted the crime during his trial, claiming he was hoping to obtain information in return that would help him get his family to safety in time in the event of the conflict escalating into a nuclear war. Advertisement The espionage case is one of several uncovered in Germany since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Prosecutors had accused Thomas H. of photographing old training documents related to munitions systems and aircraft technology and dropping the material through the letterbox of the Russian consulate in Bonn. The defendant approached the Russian general consulate in Bonn and the Russian embassy in Berlin and offered his cooperation in May 2023, prosecutors said. He passed on information he had obtained in the course of his professional activities for it to be passed on to a Russian intelligence service. Thomas H. admitted at the opening of his trial in April that the accusations against him were broadly accurate. It was wrong. I stand by that, he said. Thomas H. said his concern about a possible escalation in the war in Ukraine led him to reach out to the Russian side. More precisely, he was worried about the possibility that deliveries of heavy weapons systems by Berlin to Ukraine would draw Germany into the conflict. The former soldiers aim was to obtain information before a possible nuclear escalation in the conflict in order to bring his family to safety in time, he said. The apocalyptic concern was the reason he landed on the stupid idea to reach out to Russian authorities. As per the reports, the gunmen reportedly rode into Kuchi on motorbikes and even spent time cooking food, making tea and looting houses. read more At least 10 people were killed and 160 were abducted from a remote village in Nigerias central Niger state. A large number of armed men who were suspected to be part of Nigerias militant Islamist group Boko Haram invaded a village named Kuchi and caused a major rampage in the area. Local official Aminu Abdulhamid Najume told BBC that most of the people who were kidnapped in the area were mostly women and children. Najume also mentioned that those who were killed in the incident were mostly local hunters who were providing security to the area. Advertisement As per the reports, the gunmen reportedly rode into Kuchi on motorbikes and even spent time cooking food, making tea and looting houses. They left 2 hours after creating the ruckus. Najume, who chairs the Council of the Munya Local Government Area, also mentioned that the Kurchi community had been left traumatised and anxious to hear the news about those who were abducted in the incident. Condemnation poured in Reacting to the incident, Amnesty International took to X, formally known as Twitter to express its deep concerns at the mass abduction. Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the abduction of over 160 people by gunmen in Kuchi village, Munya local government area of Niger State. The invasion of the village by the gunmen is yet another indication of the Nigerian authorities utter failure to protect lives, the humanitarian body wrote on X. Amnesty International is calling on the Nigerian authorities to end these spate of abductions and bring suspected perpetrators to justice. Frequent mass abductions and killings are clear evidence of the failure of authorities to protect the people, the body furthered. During hours of rampage, in addition to killing 7 people, the gunmen went from house to house; subjecting families to inhuman and degrading treatment. The Nigerian authorities have left the rural communities of Niger state at the mercy of gunmen who kill and abduct people daily. Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) May 26, 2024 The Nigerian wing of Amnesty International also mentioned that since 2021, gunmen from the militant group have contact attacked the Kuchi village and even raped women and girls. From time to time, the gunmen demand millions of Naira as ransom from the people to avoid being kidnapped, the body mentioned. Tragic attacks in Niger have become an increasingly common phenomenon. Last month, several villages in the region were targeted by armed gangs kidnapping people for ransom. The town of Rafah is at the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt read more An Egyptian soldier was killed on Monday in a shooting incident at the countrys border with Gaza Strips Rafah town, said the Egyptian military. The confirmation of the fatality came as media reports said that the Israeli and Egyptian soldiers had exchanged fire earlier in the day near the Rafah border. The town of Rafah is on the southern tip of Gaza and borders Egypt. In a separate statement, the Israeli military also said that a shooting incident on the Egyptian border took place. Advertisement Neither of the countries have so far named the other in their statements so far. They have said that they are conducting investigations into the incident. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Israeli military said, A few hours ago, there was a shooting incident on the Egyptian border, the subject of the investigation, a dialogue is taking place with the Egyptian side. , , (@idfonline) May 27, 2024 On its part, Egyptian military in a post on X said, The Egyptian Armed Forces are conducting an investigation through the competent authorities regarding a shooting incident in the border area in Rafah, which led to the martyrdom of one of the personnel in charge of insurance. #_ : . :https://t.co/gCrygjzhkH :https://t.co/nQnX4C54Wb pic.twitter.com/gsfwWX2sPJ (@EgyArmySpox) May 27, 2024 The development comes at a time when tensions between Israel and Egypt are running high over reports of Egypts duplicity in the hostage talks and the Israeli seizure of the Rafah border crossing. There have been reports that Egypt has even considered downgrading the diplomatic relationship with Israel amid tensions. Previously, on Sunday, an Israeli airstrike in Rafah killed at least 45 people, most of whom were civilians. The strike came at a time when Israel stands more isolated than ever at the international stage and has been ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt its operation in Rafah. Separately, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim AA Khan has also sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. At least 45 Palestinians were killed and several dozens were wounded in Israeli strikes in the tent city in Gaza Strips Rafah read more As condemnation poured in over the Israeli strikes in Rafah that killed dozens, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regretted the loss of life and termed the strikes a tragic accident. Drawing a contrast between Israel and Hamas, Netanyahu said that while the incident in Rafah was a tragedy for Israel, it was a strategy for Hamas. Israeli warplanes on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday struck Rafah in which the Hamas-run Gazan authorities said at least 45 Palestinians were killed and 249 were injured. While the Israeli military said it targeted two Hamas leaders, most of the casualties are said to be of civilians. Footage from the tent city of Rafah housing displaced Palestinians from months of war in Gaza showed large swathes of the tent city up in flames triggered by the strikes. Advertisement Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians are sheltering in Rafah, the only Gazan town that has not yet seen major ground-level fighting. Initially, around 1.3-4 million Palestinians had taken shelter in Rafah, which is located at the southern tip of Gaza and borders Egypt, but around 900,000 of them have left in recent days as Israel launched limited and phased operations in the town. Horrific images from Rafah overnight where Israeli forces struck an area filled with Palestinian civilians. The Israeli military has launchd an investigation into the strikes. pic.twitter.com/eUR5F5Iad8 Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 27, 2024 The Sunday nights strike in Rafah come two days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to immediately stop the operations in Rafah. Following the strikes, the United Nations (UN) agency for Palestinians called Rafah hell on Earth. Netanyahu regrets strikes but vows to continue war In a statement in Israels parliament, Netanyahu on Monday termed the strikes in Rafah a tragic incident but vowed to continue the war. Netanyahu said that he has no intention to end the war before every goal has been achieved. He had announced the war with the twin goals of defeating Hamas and freeing all the hostages. Those who say they are not ready to stand up to the pressure raise the flag of defeat, I wont raise any such flag, I will keep fighting until the flag of victory is raised. I dont intend to end the war before every goal has been achieved. If we give in, the massacre will return. If we give in, we will give a huge win to terror, to Iran, said Netanyahu, as per The Times of Israel. Advertisement In his address, Netanyahu also noted that Israel had evacuated 1 million people from Rafah, but the Sundays incident happened despite our efforts not to hurt them. Despite our efforts not to hurt them, there was a tragic mishap. We are investigating the incident. For us its a tragedy, for Hamas its a strategy, said Netanyahu. Israeli military reviews Rafah strikes as condemnation pours in As condemnation poured in from the international community over the killing of civilians in Rafah, the Israeli military said it was reviewing and investigating the strikes. The Israeli militarys General Staffs Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism will investigate the strikes, according to The Jerusalem Post. Advertisement The military called the situation in Rafah very difficult and further said it regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians during combat, as per the newspaper. After the strikes, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was outraged and added that the Israeli operation in Rafah must stop. He also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 27, 2024 Advertisement Josep Borrell Fontelles, the foreign policy chief of the European Union (EU), said that he was horrified with the strikes and called for the attacks to stop. Horrified by news coming out of #Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of displaced persons, including small children. I condemn this in the strongest terms. There is no safe place in Gaza. These attacks must stop immediately. ICJ orders & IHL must be respected by all parties, said Borrell in a post on X (formerly Twitter). In the strongest statement from the country so far, Italys Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the Israeli attacks were no longer justifiable. Advertisement There is an increasingly difficult situation in which the Palestinian people are being squeezed without regard for the rights of innocent men, women, and children who have nothing to do with Hamas and this can no longer be justified. We are watching the situation with despair, said Crosetto, as per Al Jazeera. While giving an update on the matter, the Israeli military claimed that its air force struck a Hamas compound read more Fire rages after an Israeli airstrike on an area designated for displaced Palestinians in Rafah. Source: Reuters At least 35 people were killed after Israel conducted a retaliatory airstrike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The attack came hours after Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv for the first time in months. The Israeli airstrike became devastating after rockets hurled by the Jewish nation hit tents that were housing displaced people. While giving an update on the matter, the Israeli military claimed that its air force struck a Hamas compound. Authorities maintained that the strike was carried out with precise ammunition and on the basis of precise intelligence," The Guardian reported. Advertisement Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) noted that the Sunday airstrike took out Hamas chief of staff for the West Bank and another senior official who was behind the deadly October 7 attacks that triggered the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. They also acknowledge that they are aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review. Death toll is likely to rise A spokesperson from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society noted that the death toll in the Sunday strike was likely to rise as search and rescue operations are currently underway in Rafahs Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood. The humanitarian body also maintained that the location where the Israeli airstrike took place was designated by the Jewish nation as a humanitarian area. Hence, it was not an area where the Israeli military called for evacuation. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri even went on to describe the attack in Rafah as a massacre, and said the United States was responsible for aiding Israel with weapons and money. What happened in Tel Aviv? The attack came hours after air raid sirens echoed the skies of Tel Aviv and across central Israel as Hamam launched a barrage of rockets towards Israel. This was the first time the terror group launched an attack into the Israeli territory for the first time since January this year. Advertisement The IDF claimed that a salvo of eight rockets was fired from the Rafah area. The attack came as a surprise since it was believed that the groups ability to fire rockets and drones toward Israeli territory had significantly diminished over the eight months of the war. After the attack, the Israeli authorities informed that most of the rockets were intercepted. However, reports are emerging that two women suffered minor injuries from the strikes and were taken to a shelter for treatment. Several flights from Ben Gurion airport were delayed or cancelled due to the attack. With inputs from agencies. The count which was published by the countrys electoral commission reflected that Nauseda won 74.6 per cent of votes with 90 per cent of ballots counted after polls read more Lithuanias President Gitanas Nauseda won re-election with a landslide, cementing his power in the Baltic nation. The 2024 presidential election in Lithuania was significant since the voting was marked by defence concerns over neighbouring Russias growing assertiveness in Ukraine. According to AFP, the count which was published by the countrys electoral commission reflected that Nauseda won 74.6 per cent of votes with 90 per cent of ballots counted after polls. The polling closed on Sunday in the second round of voting. Advertisement Voters have handed me a great mandate of trust and I am well aware that I will have to cherish this, Nauseda, 60, told journalists in Vilnius. Now that I have five years of experience, I believe that I will certainly be able to use this jewel properly, first of all, to achieve the goals of welfare for all the people of Lithuania, he added. What lies ahead? Nausedas opponent Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, won 23.8% of the vote in the electoral contest and went on to congratulate Nauseda for his landslide victory. It is pertinent to note that while the Lithuanian president steers defence and foreign policy, attending EU and NATO summits, he still must consult with government officials and parliament when it comes to appointing the most senior officials. While both the candidates agree on defence, they share diverging views on the Eastern European nations relations with China. The ties between the two have strained significantly amid Chinas growing aggression in Taiwan. Stance on defence policies It is important to note that both the candidates agreed that NATO and the European Union should boost their defence spending to counter the perceived threat from Russia, and to that end, the government recently proposed a tax increase. Lithuanias independence and freedom are like a fragile vessel that we must cherish, protect and prevent from cracking, Nauseda told journalists late Sunday. Ever since the commencement of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Lithuania feared that it could be the next target of Russia if the country ended up conquering Ukraine. Advertisement As a result of this, the Eastern European nation has become a significant donor to Ukraine. The China factor When it comes to Lithuanias ties with China, the two candidates debated the matter to a great extent. Bilateral ties between the two nations deteriorated in 2021 when Vilnius allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy under the islands name. This was a major departure from the common diplomatic practice of using the name Taipei for the countrys capital to avoid any sort of bitterness with China. The decision led to Beijing downgrading its ties with Vilinius and blocking its exports. In light of this, several Lithuanian politicians called for the restoration of ties between the two countries for the sake of the economy. While Nauseda advocated changing the name of the representative office, Simonyte pushed back. Advertisement Interestingly, voters also cited personal differences between the candidates over economic policies and human rights. With inputs from AFP. Hungary does not give lethal aid to Ukraine and has argued that the EU policy of giving arms to Kyiv is misguided and will prolong the war read more Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis lashed out at Hungary on Monday for blocking European Union decisions on foreign affairs, including military aid for Ukraine, and said the bloc had to find a way to circumvent Budapests veto. Landsbergis strongly worded criticism appeared to reflect mounting frustration in the EU with Hungary. Estonia and Italy also expressed dissatisfaction with Budapests blocking tactics. I think we have to be transparent as to what Hungarys position currently is, Landsbergis told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. Advertisement Almost all of our discussions and needed solutions and decisions by (the) EU are being blocked by just one country. So we have to start seeing this as a systematic approach towards any efforts by (the) EU to have any meaningful role in foreign affairs. EU decisions on foreign policy require the unanimous backing of all 27 member states. Hungarys foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, did not speak to reporters on his way into Mondays meeting. Hungary does not give lethal aid to Ukraine and has argued that the EU policy of giving arms to Kyiv is misguided and will prolong the war. Landsbergis said Hungary was blocking decisions on EU military aid to Ukraine, the start of EU membership talks for Kyiv, and on Georgia and Armenia. Diplomats say Hungarys stance is often in line with Russias foreign policy interests. We looked into this and apparently about 41% of resolutions by (the) EU on Ukraine have been blocked by Hungary, he said. It has it has gone very, very far, Landsbergis added. We have to find a way, really, as a community to work around this. Frustration Frustration with Hungary is normally expressed behind closed doors or in off-the-record conversations rather than in public. Echoing Landbergis criticism in softer tones, Estonian Foreign Margus Tsahkna said: Every time we are coming here, we have to convince Hungary about not blocking very important initiatives. Diplomats say Budapest is blocking a variety of measures linked to the European Peace Facility (EPF), an EU-backed fund that has provided billions of euros in military aid to Ukraine. Advertisement This is crucial now for Ukraine, and also for Europe, to use these EPF funds, Tsahkna said. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters: We are against the blocking. We want to move on. A senior diplomat from another EU country, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: Whats happening is outrageous. At every turn you see the Hungarians hampering Ukraines ability to fight an aggressor. Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - Dozens of people are believed to have died in an Israeli overnight attack on a camp for displaced Gazans in Rafah in the south of the enclave, the latest gruesome development in more than seven months of war between the Israeli military and Palestinian fighters, UN humanitarians said on Monday Since mid-May, tens of thousands of Rohingya are thought to have fled for safety to neighboring Bangladesh, which is unwilling to take in any more refugees. Many of the Rohingya who are still in Rakhine are in desperate need of humanitarian relief read more The Rohingya have faced decades of persecution and, after a 2017 crackdown by the military, nearly one million fled to Bangladesh, where many now live in crowded refugee camps Image Courtesy Reuters The UN and relief organizations report that as violence between a strong ethnic army and the countrys ruling junta intensifies in the western state of Rakhine, Myanmars Muslim-minority Rohingya community is once again in danger of attacks and relocation. Since mid-May, tens of thousands of Rohingya are thought to have fled for safety to neighboring Bangladesh, which is unwilling to take in any more refugees. Many of the Rohingya who are still in Rakhine are in desperate need of humanitarian relief. Advertisement In the aftermath of battle in which the ethnic army was charged with selecting out Rohingya community members, the Arakan Army (AA) declared possession of Buthidaung town earlier in May. The AA refutes the accusations. With the Myanmar junta likely to try to retain Maungdaw, a border town with a sizable Rohingya population, under attack from the AA, there is a risk of further severe carnage. We see clear and present risks of a serious expansion of violence as the battle for neighbouring Maungdaw town has begun - where the military maintains outposts and where a large Rohingya community lives, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. The Rohingya have faced decades of persecution and, after a 2017 crackdown by the military, nearly one million fled to Bangladesh, where many now live in crowded refugee camps. Mohammed Taher, a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh, said he had recently spoken to a friend in Maungdaw, who described the community living in fear. Many want to flee from Rakhine but Bangladesh is not opening its door for Rohingya, Taher said. Recent fighting has forced some 45,000 Rohingya to flee to an area along the Naf river on the border, according to a UN estimate. No Rohingya will be allowed to enter Bangladesh, a senior Bangladesh border guard official told Reuters last week. Advertisement Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 military coup, which spurred a grassroots armed resistance that is fighting the junta alongside long-established ethnic minority rebel groups. The fighting in Rakhine broke out last November when a ceasefire between the AA and the junta collapsed, leading to a string of battlefield successes for the rebels. Faced with mounting losses in Rakhine, the regime has resorted to arming members of the Rohingya ethnic minority to counter the Arakan Armys advance, Morgan Michaels of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said in a May report. The AA has reacted with inflammatory rhetoric and violence directed at the Rohingya. Advertisement Amid the renewed conflict, Rohingya civilians are increasingly being caught in the middle, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest report last week. The agency estimates that over 350,000 people are displaced across Rakhine after years of conflict, many of whom do not have access to basic services. We are witnessing a near total absence of humanitarian assistance for communities who rely on it, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said, adding that hospitals in Buthidaung and Maungdaw were closed. The AA, which has a goal to form an autonomous state, has warned that more battles are coming, asking civilians in Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Thandwe to dig bomb shelters or evacuate to safer areas. Advertisement The group, which has denied it has targeted the Rohingya, has also asked for international aid for some 200,000 internally displaced people that it says are sheltering in areas under its control in Buthidaung and Maungdaw. The situation is incredibly fraught and dangerous, said Scot Marciel, a former U.S ambassador to Myanmar. In some ways, this is an early test of whether a post-military-rule Rakhine State with significant autonomy can work. (With agency inputs) Illegal mines are rife in the countrys fledging industry as corruption among regulatory officials is common and the mineral deposits are located in remote areas with minimal government presence. Officials say profits from illicit mining practices has helped arm militia groups in the north of the county read more Nigerias government is cracking down on illegal mining, making dozens of arrests of unlicensed miners since April for allegedly stealing the countrys lithium, a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, smartphones and power systems. The recent arrests come as Nigeria seeks to regulate its mining operations of critical minerals, curb illegal activity and better benefit from its mineral resources. The clean energy transition, a shift away from coal, oil and gas and toward renewable energy and batteries has spiked global demand for lithium, tin and other minerals. Advertisement Illegal mines are rife in the countrys fledging industry as corruption among regulatory officials is common and the mineral deposits are located in remote areas with minimal government presence. Officials say profits from illicit mining practices has helped arm militia groups in the north of the county. In the most recent arrests in mid-May, a joint team of soldiers and police conducted a raid on a remote market in Kishi, in the countrys southwestern Oyo State. Locals said the market, once known for selling farm produce, has become a center for illicit trade in lithium mined in hard-to-reach areas. The three-day operation resulted in the arrest of 32 individuals, including two Chinese nationals, local workers and mineral traders, according to the state government and locals. Loads of lithium were also seized. Jimoh Bioku, a Kishi community leader, said there had been clandestine searches for the mineral at remote sites tucked away in the bush in the past years by Chinese nationals before they engaged people to dig for them and turned the market into a transit point. The community was particularly worried about the insecurity that usually follows illegal mining and that was why we reported to the state government, he said. China is the dominant player in the global EV supply chain, including in Nigeria where China-owned companies employ mostly vulnerable people leaving Nigerias far north ravaged by conflicts and rapid desertification to work in mining operations throughout the country. Chinas nationals and companies are frequently in the spotlight for environmentally damaging practices, exploitative labor and illicit mining. There have been at least three cases of illegal mining arrests involving Chinese nationals in two months. Advertisement President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly blamed illegal mining for the worsening conflicts in the countrys north and asked the international community for help to stop the problem, which provides armed groups with the proceeds needed to sustain and arm themselves. The Chinese embassy in Abuja did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment on the arrests and claims of illegal operations. But in a statement last year following a report by The Times of London alleging Chinese miners were bribing militants for access, the embassy said it always encouraged and urged the Chinese companies and nationals in Nigeria to abide by the laws and regulations of Nigeria. Advertisement Nigeria is emerging as a new source of lithium in Africa as the worlds largest producers, like Australia and Chile, are unable to fulfill the growing demand worldwide. But illegal activities thrive in Nigerias extractive sector, denying the government due revenues, said Emeka Okoro, whose Lagos-based SBM Intelligence firm has researched illicit mining and terrorism financing in northern Nigeria. And the combination of conflict and climate change effects, such as once fertile land rapidly turning into useless arid sand in northern Nigeria, has produced a cheap workforce for mining sites. The arrests of both Chinese nationals and young Hausa boys from conflict-affected regions underscore a troubling pattern, Okoro told the AP. The socioeconomic strain stemming from conflict and the repercussions of climate change has given rise to a vulnerable demographic desperate for survival. Advertisement To fight resource theft that causes losses of $9 billion to the government annually, according to the countrys extractive industry transparency watchdog, the West African nation has set up a 2,200-strong corps of mining marshals earlier in the year. While existing law enforcement agencies are still combating the problem, the new corps is geared at curbing the nefarious activities of illegal miners, said Segun Tomori, spokesperson for the solid minerals ministry. Before the Kishi raid, the mining corps arrested two trucks laden with lithium on the outskirts of the capital Abuja in April. Later that month, the corps raided a location in Karu, Nasarawa State, near Abuja, leading to the arrest of four Chinese nationals and the seizure of tons of lithium. Tomori said the cases are now in court. Advertisement On April 22, a federal court in Ilorin, in the north-central region, convicted two Chinese nationals for illegal mining and sentenced them to a one-year jail term, although with an option of a fine. Nigeria has long neglected the solid minerals sector, which allows some communities like the northern-central town of Jos which is tin-abundant to depend on subsistence mining for their livelihood. For those communities where livelihood is tied to mining, Tomori said the government is encouraging artisanal miners there to form cooperatives and operate legally. The notice providing the eight-day window came as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are scheduled to hold a rare trilateral meeting read more Amid the brewing tensions in the Korean peninsula, reports are emerging that North Korea has notified Japan about its plans to launch a space rocket carrying a satellite. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the hermit nation notified that the launch will take place on Monday midnight of June 3. The notice providing the eight-day window came as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are scheduled to hold a rare trilateral meeting. The South Korean authorities noted that the evolving North Korean threats are likely to be a major topic of discussion between the three world leaders. Advertisement North Korea designates areas where debris will fall In the notification to the Japanese Coast Guard, Pyongyang mentioned that the debris from the satellite launch will fall in three designated areas. The two are west of the Korean Peninsula and the other east of the Philippines island of Luzon, Yonhap reported. Earlier this year, North Korea announced its plans to launch three more satellites in 2024 following the launch of its first military reconnaissance satellite in November last year. The plan also comes amid growing international criticism which states that North Koreas decision to launch their satellites and ballistic missiles goes against the UN Security Council resolution. North Koreas purported military spy satellite launch is a provocative act that breaches the U.N. Security Council resolutions, and our military will implement measures that demonstrate our powerful capability and determination, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said in a regular press briefing. North Koreas dismay with South and the US It is important to note that the latest notification on the matter came a day after North Koreas defence ministry accused the United States and South Korea of flying spy planes and ships near its territory. According to the North Korean news agency KCNA, the warning came on Sunday from the hermit nations Vice Defence minister Kim Gang Il. The defence official maintained that the US had flown at least 16 of its RC-135 and U-2S strategic reconnaissance planes and RQ-4B drone over the Korean peninsula. Advertisement Pyongyang eventually called this whole ordeal a dangerous provocation. Even now, the US and South Korean puppet air forces are continuously mobilising various aircraft with little or no time gap throughout the day, carrying out aerial reconnaissance activities at a level comparable to war-time situations, Kim said in a statement on Sunday, KCNA reported. He insisted that their provocative activities seriously infringe on North Koreas national sovereignty and the countrys security. We will act immediately when the nations sovereignty and security interests are violated, Kim added. With inputs from agencies. Such discussion is an insult never to be pardoned and a declaration of war against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), however, a spokesman for North Koreas foreign ministry said in a swift riposte. To discuss the denuclearisation today constitutes a grave political provocation and sovereignty violation, the unidentified spokesman said in the statement reported by the Norths state media read more Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang attend the business summit at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on May 27, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. Reuters North Korea condemned China, Japan and South Korea on Monday for committing to denuclearise the Korean peninsula, describing their joint declaration after a rare summit in Seoul as a grave political provocation that violates its sovereignty. The North has given notice of its plans to launch a rocket by June 4 to deploy a satellite, prompting the three countries to urge a halt to the move that would aid the isolated nations ability to deliver a nuclear strike. Advertisement At their first three-way summit in Seoul since 2019, the three countries sought to co-operate on security, reiterating positions on regional peace and stability and denuclearisation of the peninsula, they said in a joint statement. Such discussion is an insult never to be pardoned and a declaration of war against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), however, a spokesman for North Koreas foreign ministry said in a swift riposte. To discuss the denuclearisation today constitutes a grave political provocation and sovereignty violation, the unidentified spokesman said in the statement reported by the Norths state media. Such a move denies the Norths inviolable sovereignty and constitution reflecting the unanimous will of all the Korean people, he added. Chinese Premier Li Qiang did not single out North Korea for criticism, but rather called on all parties to reduce tension. While South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged Pyongyang to scrap its plans to launch a second spy satellite into orbit, Li made no mention of the expected launch. China angered North Korea when it signed on to UN Security Council resolutions sanctioning Pyongyangs nuclear weapons and missile program from 2006 to 2017, but in recent years Beijing has joined Russia in blocking new sanctions and calling for existing measures to be eased. North Korea launched its first military spy satellite into orbit in November, after two earlier attempts failed in 2023. Fierce gales and crashing waves battered the coast as Cyclone Remal made landfall on Sunday night. By Monday afternoon, it had weakened into a storm, but winds and rain still lashed the coast. Heavy rains unleashed by the cyclone are going on, and the wind speed is also high, said Showkat Ali, government administrator of Barisal district, where seven people died read more Trees sway in the wind following the landfall of Cyclone Remal, at a beach in Kuakata on May 27, 2024. AFP The death toll from a cyclone that smashed into low-lying areas of Bangladesh has risen to at least 10 people, with more than 30,000 homes destroyed and tens of thousands more damaged, top local officials said Monday. They mostly died after they were crushed under fallen houses or collapsed walls, said Showkat Ali, government administrator of Barisal district, where seven people died. Three others died in neighbouring districts, some by drowning. Fierce gales and crashing waves battered the coast as Cyclone Remal made landfall on Sunday night. Advertisement By Monday afternoon, it had weakened into a storm, but winds and rain still lashed the coast. Heavy rains unleashed by the cyclone are going on, and the wind speed is also high, Ali added. In Khulan district, two people died, government administrator Helal Mahmud told AFP. The cyclone has damaged more than 123,000 homes in the division, and among them some 31,000 homes were completely damaged, he said. Another person died in Chittagong, where more than 40,000 people are still in cyclone shelters due to heavy rains and strong wind, administrator Tofael Islam told AFP. Power was knocked out to more than 12.5 million people, said Biswanath Sikder, chief engineer of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board, the countrys largest state-run power distribution company We will resume power supply after the cyclone situation improves, he said. Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as US-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war, Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban, though the movement is still officially outlawed in Russia read more Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov shakes hands with a representative of the Taliban delegation Mawlawi Shahabuddin Dilawar before the beginning of international talks on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russia, October 20, 2021. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS Russia has invited Afghanistans Taliban to its biggest annual economic forum as Moscow moves to remove a ban on the Islamist movement, a senior Russian diplomat was quoted as saying on Monday. Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as US-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war, Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban, though the movement is still officially outlawed in Russia. Russias foreign and justice ministries have reported to President Vladimir Putin on the issue of removing the ban, Zamir Kabulov, director of the Second Asia Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told state news agency TASS. Advertisement Some questions remain, Kabulov was quoted as saying, though he said that an invitation to attend the June 5-8 St Petersburg international economic forum had been extended to the Taliban. Afghan leaders, he said, were traditionally interested in the purchase of oil products. The St Petersburg forum, which once hosted Western CEOs and investment bankers from London and New York, has changed significantly amid the Ukraine war, which has triggered the biggest crisis in Russias relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Western investors seeking a slice of Russias vast resource wealth have now been replaced by businesses from China, India, Africa and the Middle East. The Taliban, which means students in the Pashto language, emerged in 1994 around the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. It was one of the factions fighting a civil war for control of the country following the withdrawal of the Soviet Union and subsequent collapse of the government. It originally drew members from so-called mujahideen fighters who, with support from the United States, repelled Soviet forces in the 1980s. In 2003, Russia formally labelled the Taliban a terrorist organisation, though it had periodic informal contacts with the movement. The ministry said that Spains consulate in Jerusalem is authorised to provide consular services to residents of the consular district of Jerusalem only, and is not authorised to provide services or perform consular activity vis-a-vis residents of the Palestinian Authority read more People display items for sale on a roundabout in the Palestinian refugee camp of Baqa'a near Amman on May 22, 2024. Ireland, Norway and Spain said they would formally recognise the State of Palestine on May 28, drawing praises from Palestinian leaders as well as many countries in the Arab and Muslim world, and fury from Israel. (Photo by Khalil MAZRAAWI / AFP) Israels foreign ministry said Monday it had told the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem to stop offering consular services to Palestinians from June 1 over Madrids recognition of a Palestinian state. The ministry said that Spains consulate in Jerusalem is authorised to provide consular services to residents of the consular district of Jerusalem only, and is not authorised to provide services or perform consular activity vis-a-vis residents of the Palestinian Authority. The directive is effective from June 1, the ministry said in a statement. Advertisement Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a separate statement that today, I implemented preliminary punitive measures against the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem following the Spanish governments recognition of a Palestinian state. We will not put up with harming Israels sovereignty and security. Spain is one of the European countries that has been most critical of Israel over the war in Gaza. Last week, Spain, Ireland and Norway announced their decision to recognise the State of Palestine from Tuesday, May 28, drawing a strong rebuke from Israel. Now in its third year of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has been begging for more arms for its outgunned and outnumbered troops, especially in order to compensate for its lack of air defense equipment read more Zelensky has already ratified bilateral security accords with a number of nations, such as the UK, Germany, and France Image Courtesy AFP As President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain inked a security agreement in Madrid on Monday, Spain promised to provide one billion euros in military assistance to Ukraine. At a joint press conference, Sanchez stated that the agreement includes a commitment for one billion euros in military aid for 2024. It will allow Ukraine to boost its capabilities including its essential air defence systems to protect its civilians, cities and infrastructure which are still suffering indiscriminate attacks as seen this weekend in Kharkiv, he said, referring to a Russian strike on the northeastern city that killed at least 16 people. Advertisement Zelenskys visit coincides with Russias largest territorial advance in eighteen months, a ground attack in the Kharkiv region that started on May 10 and is currently being fought by Ukraine. Now in its third year of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has been begging for more arms for its outgunned and outnumbered troops, especially in order to compensate for its lack of air defense equipment. Leopard tanks and modern Patriot missiles would be included in the agreement, the daily El Pais reported. Zelensky has already ratified bilateral security accords with a number of nations, such as the UK, Germany, and France. According to Sanchez, a variety of topics would be covered under the security agreement. The agreement is based on a comprehensive overview of security and covers various areas such as military, humanitarian and financial support, as well as collaboration between Spanish and Ukrainian defence industries, as well as help with reconstruction and de-mining among other things, he said. Madrid hasnt given Kyiv much military support up until now. The Kiel Institute, which keeps track of the weaponry that have been promised and shipped to Ukraine since the Russian invasion, reports that Spain has only committed 330 million euros in military aid to date, making it a negligible European contribution. In contrast, the numbers indicate that London has contributed 9.22 billion euros, and Berlin, Paris, and Rome have contributed 18.61 billion, 5.65 billion, and 1.0 billion euros, respectively. Advertisement Spain promised to transfer an quantity of Patriot air defense missile systems to Ukraine in April. Additionally, ten Leopard tanks were deployed. The relationship between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the United Nations (UN) has been tense in recent years read more The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that talks with Iran over the countrys nuclear programme have been suspended, as per AFP. In recent years, the relationship between Iran and IAEA, the Unite Nations (UN) nuclear energy watchdog, has been tense as the IAEA has said that Iran has stopped the agencys inspectors from accessing Irans nuclear facilities and has also deactivated monitoring devices there. The AFP further quoted the IAEA as saying that Irans enriched uranium stockpile is now over 30 times the limit set in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Advertisement The Iran nuclear deal refers to a landmark deal signed by Iran with the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany. The deal relaxed sanctions on Iran in lieu of Iran limiting its sensitive nuclear activities and allowing inspectors to monitor its nuclear facilities. In 2018, former US President Donald Trump exited the deal and then, in 2019, Iran also breached the terms of the deal. In its quarterly report earlier this year, the IAEA said that Iran had an estimated 121.5 kg of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, according to VOA News. This was just one step below weapons-grade uranium of 90% purity. Iran has long had a tense relationship with the West over its nuclear weapons programme. The West has long suspected that Iran is working towards a nuclear weapon. In March 2023, General Mark Milly, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, said Iran could develop a nuclear weapon within months of arriving at such a decision. Milley said, From the time of a national decision, Iran could produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon in approximately 10-15 days and it would only take several months to produce an actual nuclear weapon. The United States remains committed, as a matter of policy, that Iran will not have a fielded nuclear weapon. The United States military has developed multiple options for our national leadership to consider, if or when Iran decides to develop a nuclear weapon. The US Senator from South Carolina made these provocative remarks while he was highlighting why black voters should cast their vote for Trump in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections read more As the race to the White House intensifies, former US President Donald Trumps leading candidate to be his VP running mate, Tim Scott, falsely claimed that President Joe Biden is trying to resegregate public schools. The US Senator from South Carolina made these provocative remarks while he was highlighting why black voters should cast their vote for Trump in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections. While speaking to CNN, Scott claimed that the 81-year-old US President is a supporter of educational segregation. We need four more years of common sense under Donald Trump, and not four more years of segregation under Joe Biden, Scott told the American news outlet. In the past, the conservative leader has expressed his desire to be on Trumps ticket. Advertisement The elimination of charter schools under Joe Biden resegregates schools in America Scott justified when asked if making such claims is going too far. He added that schools in the largest cities were being resegregated by Joe Bidens Department of Education which has halted the growth of charter schools that provide greater diversity. Scott uses Harris criticism to defend his attack During the interview, the South Carolina governor brought up comments that Vice President Kamala Harris made in 2019, while she was running against Biden for the Democratic ticket. Harris at that time highlighted Bidens opposition to school busing in the 1970s and his recollections of working with segregationist senators in an environment of civility. The only person I have seen restraining Black folks economically is the Joe Biden economy, Scott remarked without going much into details. Charter schools are publicly funded and are outside the purview of the state school systems. They are backed by federal government grants through the Charter Schools Program to the tune of $440 million a year. The relationship between charter schools and segregation has always been a matter of debate. While some claim that the schools emerge as a strong means of desegregation, there are researchers who argue that they increase segregation. The funding to these schools remained unchanged since 2019 under the Trump administration. The Biden administration has also set stricter rules for charter schools applying for federal grants. Not only this, Bidens most recent budget proposal called for decreasing funding for charter schools while increasing funding for the Education Department overall. China New Growth: Ascending local brands make their mark on rising robots Xinhua) 10:34, May 27, 2024 BEIJING, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The dawn of the industrial robot era began in 1959 with the debut of the hydraulically powered Unimate, marking a significant leap in automation technology. Over the subsequent decades, the market was dominated by the "Big Four" including Japan's FANUC and Yaskawa. These titans have leveraged their extensive technological heritage and industrial production experience to maintain a market share consistently above 50 percent. However, the landscape is shifting as Chinese players break through the ranks. With the world's largest manufacturing sector at its disposal, China has emerged as the largest consumer market for industrial robots globally. In 2013, it overtook Japan to claim the top spot and has maintained this position for 11 consecutive years. Data from the research institute GGII indicates that domestic Chinese brands have seen a sustained and rapid increase in sales of industrial robots, surpassing foreign brands with over 160,000 units sold in 2023. This is the first time the home-made share has exceeded 50 percent. The growth in market share is paralleled by the rise of domestic excellence, as innovative homegrown enterprises are having more market presence in producing the core components of robots, once a field dominated by foreign brands. An example is Shanghai STEP Electric Corporation, which has spearheaded collaborative research and development among 12 upstream and downstream enterprises along the Yangtze River Delta. This initiative has led to the application of domestically produced robot parts in complete machine units. The firm's president Liang Rui stated that the regional industrial chain and the continuous advancement in core technological capabilities have accelerated the adoption of domestic robots in factory settings. For instance, the arc welding robots used in automobile production lines now boast controllers from Shanghai, servo motors from Zhejiang, reducers from Jiangsu, and casings from Anhui, with the three major core components locally manufactured thanks to the system integration from within the Yangtze River Delta region. From a collaborative perspective, the synergy in robot-making epitomizes China's strategy to capitalize on its strengths by integrating the capabilities of regional industrial and innovation chains. The Yangtze River Delta region is a powerhouse of economic and innovative activity in China. With its advanced manufacturing, a dense network of thriving industries, and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, the region is a hub for technological innovation and sustainable development. Shanghai is the first city in China to count robot density -- the number of robots per 10,000 employees. At present, the robot density of key industrial enterprises in Shanghai has reached 426 units, leading the international field. According to an action plan issued by the central government in 2023, by 2025, China's robot density in manufacturing sector will double from that of 2020. While in Shanghai, the robot density in key industries will reach 500 units in 2025. A market report revealed that there was not much of a performance difference between the robots manufactured along the Yangtze River Delta and comparable models manufactured by global leading brands in terms of dozens of evaluation sub-items. The introduction of industrial robots has led to a quantum leap in production efficiency and cost savings. Take the new energy vehicle industry as an example, industrial robots have given rise to a batch of "unmanned factories," capable of rolling out a vehicle within a few tens of seconds. From 2015 to 2022, China's annual production of industrial robots soared from 33,000 units to 443,000 units. The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that the production volume in the first quarter of this year reached 120,000 units. After rapid development in recent years, China's industrial robot industry has made significant strides in both product technology and practical application, setting the stage for companies to expand into larger markets overseas. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), in 2023, China's export volume of industrial robots reached a new high of 118,300 units, while the import volume was 82,400 units. Han's Robot Group's General Manager Wang Guangneng noted that Chinese robot brands are primarily sold to developed markets such as North America, Japan, Germany, and South Korea, as well as rapidly industrializing markets like Latin America and Southeast Asia. "Companies are keen to use robots to achieve automation to lower cost," said Wang. "Our six-axis collaborative robots have a work efficiency comparable to that of an average worker, but they can work around the clock, effectively equivalent to the workload of two workers," he added. Wang also mentioned that their products allow most customers to recoup their investment within a few months. As Made-in-China robots, ranging from mobile to collaborative models and extending into cutting-edge applications, expand their global reach, they emerge as a pivotal catalyst for the advancement of the worldwide manufacturing sector. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) The ban on the sale of US offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia was imposed in 2021 over the Saudi involvement in the Yemeni Civil War read more The United States is set to lift the ban on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, according to a report. The development comes at a time when the US and Saudi Arabia are warming their relationship in the midst of the Israel-Hamas War in the Gaza Strip and Irans continuing aggression that has destabilised the region. The removal of the ban would be the latest sign of the US-Saudi relationships improvement. Advertisement Historically, Saudi Arabia has been one of the biggest buyers of US arms. During 2019-23, Saudi Arabia was the top buyer of US weapons, according to the Trends In International Arms Trade 2023 report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). US could lift ban on Saudi Arabia within weeks: The Joe Biden administration of the United States could announce the lifting of the ban on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia within weeks, as per the Financial Times. The newspaper further reported that the US has already conveyed to Saudi Arabia that the lifting of the ban is on the cards. The ban was imposed in 2021 shortly after Biden took office. At the time, he was critical of the Saudi involvement in the Yemeni Civil War and also the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey in 2018. He had announced he would make Saudi Arabia a pariah over its human rights record. In February 2021, the US intelligence community assessed that Khashoggi was killed in Turkeys Istanbul at the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is the de-facto ruler of the kingdom. The ban has, however, been under review since 2022 when the United Nations (UN) brokered the truce in Yemen and Saudi Arabia scaled down its involvement in Yemen. Advertisement Saudi Arabia as key US partner in Middle East Despite the initial harsh stance on Saudi Arabia, the US has come around to seeing Saudi Arabia as a key partner in the Middle East. Relations have improved between the United States and Saudi Arabia as Biden is keen to secure support from the Saudis on key issues like regional stability in the Middle East and energy. The outreach also comes at a time when the US and Saudis are working on a series of agreements which are expected to include mutual security guarantees, defence deals, and eventually a normalisation of relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Israel-Saudi normalisation is, however, conditional on the creation of an irreversible pathway to Palestinian statehood. Advertisement Ali Shihabi, a Saudi commentator close to the court, was quoted as saying by FT that lifting the ban would be an important step in [rebuilding] the relation- ship between the US and Saudi Arabia. He added that the move had become more important given the way the Houthis have behaved since October 7. Dresden is one of Europe's most important locations for the semiconductor industry and thus key to strengthening Europes technological independence. One of Emmanuel Macron's priorities as president is Europe's sovereignty in technological development. During his visit, he stressed the importance of Franco-German collaboration in achieving this. So it is no coincidence that the only item on the agenda of the state visit relating to technology and science took place in Dresden. At Fraunhofer IPMS, the two presidents, together with high-ranking representatives from government, science and industry, were given demonstrations of hightech research in the fields of microelectronics, medical engineering and quantum technologies. Among the eminent guests were Sylvie Retailleau, the French Minister for Higher Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, German Federal Minister of Education and Research, Jean-Noel Barrot, French Minister Delegate for Europe, Anna Luhr-mann, Minister of State for Europe and Climate at the German Federal Foreign Office, and Oliver Schenk, Minister of State for Federal Affairs and Media and Chief of the State Chancellery of Saxony. Researchers presented the latest semiconductor components manufactured on wafers, sensor rings for condition monitoring in mechanical engineering, and a laser scanner microscope for real-time detection of cancer cells in the operating room. The Fraunhofer institute has a long-standing collaboration with the leading French research institute CEA-Leti (Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives CEA) for example, with microelectronics on 300 mm wafers. The joint projects also have great European relevance within the framework of the EU Chips Act. The initiative aims to strengthen Europe's competitiveness in semiconductor applications and pre-vent bottlenecks in this field. As a contribution to the EU Chips Act, a European consortium under the leadership of the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) plans to establish the most comprehensive and advanced pilot line for advanced heterogeneous system integration and advanced packaging over the coming years. CEA-Leti is an important partner in this project. To further promote and enhance collaboration between the Fraunhofer and CEA institutes, Francois Jacq, President of the CEA, and Prof. Axel Muller-Groeling, Executive Vice President for Research Infrastructures and Digital Transformation at Fraunhofer, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during the visit. The aim is to initiate closer collaboration and joint initiatives in the strategic areas of microelectronics, quantum technologies, solar and hydrogen technologies, the circular economy of CO2 and critical raw materials as well as state-of-the-art battery technology. Prof. Muller-Groeling explained: Collaboration across national borders helps to shape our future. Our close links with partners, such as the CEA on the one hand and indus-try on the other, enable us to work together to translate key technologies into practical applications and strengthen our position as a driver of innovation in European industry. Our applied research in particular is making a significant contribution to the technological sovereignty and competitiveness of Europe as a hub of industrial activity. Francois Jacq emphasized: I am delighted that this agreement has been signed between the CEA and Fraunhofer, two leading research partners in Europe, at a time when it is necessary to join forces to address the challenges of a more sovereign, greener and more inclusive Europe. This agreement will allow us to develop and en-hance collaboration in the strategic areas of microelectronics, quantum technologies, solar technology, hydrogen, circular economy, and critical raw materials. The signing of the MoU was followed by a panel discussion with both presidents and invited guests on the topic of artificial intelligence, in which Prof. Katharina Holzle, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, took part on behalf of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. About Fraunhofer IPMS The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is researching and developing intelligent industrial solutions in the fields of manufacturing, medical engineering, health and mobility for microchip producers, suppliers, device manufacturers and R&D partners. Research focuses on miniaturized sensors and actuators, integrated circuits, wireless and wired data communication and customized MEMS systems. In two state-of-the-art clean rooms, the institute researches and develops solutions on 200 mm and 300 mm wafers. The services offered by the institute range from conception and process development to pilot series manufacturing. Fraunhofer IPMS is the only institute in Germany to specialize in applied research on the modern 300 mm wafer industry standard at the front end of CMOS production. About the FMD The Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD), a partnership between the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics, the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut fur Hochstfrequenztechnik (FBH), and the Leibniz Institute for High Performance Microelectronics (IHP), is the central point of contact for all issues relating to microelectronics and nanoelectronics in Germany and Europe. As a one-stop shop, the FMD has been combining outstanding scientific technology and system solutions developed by its 13 institutes from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and Leibniz Association into a customer-specific portfolio since 2017. Under the virtual umbrella of the FMD, the largest European association of its kind has been created, with more than 4,900 employees and a unique range of expertise and infrastructures. 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. 25 May Red Sea Update U.S. Central Command Press Release | May 25, 2024 USCENTCOM May 25, 2024 Release Number 20240525 - 02 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAMPA, Fla. -- At approximately 3:50 a.m. (Sanaa time) on May 25, Iranian-backed Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) toward the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships. This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. -30- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Morocco conduct chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear response demonstration at African Lion 2024 By Sgt. Therese Prats May 26, 2024 AGADIR, Morocco -- Moroccan Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD), 3rd EOD Battalion, 71st Ordnance Group (EOD) trained together on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) procedures during exercise African Lion 2024 (AL24) in Agadir, Morocco, May 21, 2024. AL24 is U.S. Africa Command's premier joint exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. "EOD's mission involves chemical ordnance," said U.S. Army Spc. Maitlan Cherry, from Oceanside, California, an EOD specialist with the 53rd Ordnance Company. "What I've seen so far training with the Moroccan Armed Forces is we both share the same basic knowledge in EOD." "The EOD and CBRN training involved rehearsals with a robot picking up an improvised explosive device and moving it into place," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Connor Brown of Houston, Texas, a team leader with the 53rd Ordnance Company. The 53rd Ordnance Company coordinated a bomb suit run, and the FAR worked to destroy and render the area safe. "We've worked very hard in conjunction with the Moroccan set-up for this exercise, and we could not be happier with the excellent performance from the FAR today," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. David Sanderson, the regional cooperative engagement deputy for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). "The FAR excelled and exceeded all expectations. This really puts a good light on cooperation between the U.S. and Morocco." Training in EOD and CBRN tasks together is just one of many training scenarios executed during the exercise. Each day during AL24, partner countries engage in numerous missions covering a wide array of military capabilities to test the strategic readiness of the combined, joint force and strengthen the partnerships between the U.S. military, African armed forces and NATO allies. "We should all be excited to participate in this exercise because it's about relationship-building with your partner force," Cherry said. "I would strongly encourage anyone to engage with a partner force, talk to them, and learn from them." This year marks AL24's 20th anniversary, but for some Soldiers, this is their first combined, joint exercise experience. "This is my first time being part of the African Lion exercise," said Brown. "It's always exciting to go to another country. Maybe they do things differently than you do, so it's good to learn from that." About African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Army Africa Command's premier and largest annual, combined, joint exercise African Lion. This year's exercise will take place April 19 through May 31 and is hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia with more than 8,100 participants from over 27 nations and contingents from NATO. African Lion 24 focuses on enhancing readiness between the U.S. and partner nation forces. This joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access. About SETAF-AF SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Palestine: Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the joint press conference with the Norwegian and Saudi Foreign Ministers European External Action Service (EEAS) 26.05.2024 Brussels EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! This was the first day of two days of intensive engagement on the Middle East, between the European Union, its Member States - thank you to Norway for calling this meeting - and our Arab friends. Tomorrow, we will continue at the Foreign Affairs Council. Everything has been said. Let me only insist on a key idea: the Two-State solution is not a painful concession that Israel is doing. It is not a security threat to Israel. On the contrary, it is the only long-term guarantee for the security and prosperity of Israel. I know that the current Israeli government is not convinced of that, and we have to work in order to make this idea go through to the public opinion, in order to push for the only solution that we can imagine, in order to bring peace and security to the two people who are fighting for the same land. Tomorrow, we will continue our discussion in the Foreign Affairs Council with our Arab partners, and the Secretary General of the League of Arab States. In the meantime, we have to urge Israel to end the Rafah operation, as required by the International Court of Justice. This is a compulsory order, and I hope that the international order will survive to this test. Because if this Order of the International Court of Justice is not being fulfilled and implemented, then the whole multilateral system - the multilateral order - will be very much weakened. Thank you. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-257714 from 3:31" NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Palestine: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell before the Ministerial meeting hosted by Norway and Saudi Arabia in Brussels European External Action Service (EEAS) 26.05.2024 Brussels EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! Well, we have just finished an important meeting, called by the Norwegian Foreign Minister [Espen Barth Eide], in order to see how we can support the Palestinian Authority. We have been listening to the new Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority [Mohammad Mustafa] who explained the reform plans. I think that everybody was impressed by the deep reforms that the Prime Minister is planning to implement. And also, everybody was concerned by the financial instability of the Palestinian Authority, and in particular, by the decision taken by the Israeli government - the Netanyahu government - to stop giving to the Palestinian Authority the revenues of the taxes that belong to the Palestinian Authority. If this was the case, there is a big risk of the financial instability [of the Palestinian Authority] becoming greater, and no support plan can cope with it. No support plan can be a substitute for the taxes that belong to the Palestinian Authority, being transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Now, we have another meeting. We have another meeting with people [from] around the world. Not only from the Arab world, not only from Europe, but many countries that attended the Riyadh meeting some weeks ago. To continue discussing how we can look for a political solution, not only [on] humanitarian support, not only [on] the release of hostages - which have certainly the greatest priority and [are] the most urgent things to achieve - but how do we look for a political solution to the conflict. This can only be based on a Palestinian statehood. This is what we are going to discuss today with, as I said, many countries around the world - more than 20 [countries] coming - to continue the discussion that the Saudis started in Riyadh. Q&A Q. Today also, you met the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs [Sameh Shoukry] in a bilateral meeting. Did he talk to you about time for the European Union to recognise the Palestinian State? Did you talk about the decision of the International Court [of Justice]? How united is the European Union about it? Well, the European Union has not the capacity to recognise or not to recognise [a state]. This is a national competence, it belongs to the Member States to make their sovereign decision. Some have already done [it] - Spain and Ireland [most recently]- I know that others are thinking about it. I just want to say that recognising the Palestinian State is not a gift to Hamas. It is not supporting terrorism. It is completely absurd to claim that this decision taken by two Members of the European Union - others do not share this decision, they will not do it, maybe not tomorrow - but to blame these countries because this is something that could be considered [as] supporting terrorism or being representing an antisemitic approach is completely out of the stake. Q. [Inaudible] No, I am saying that this decision by these Member States who recognises the State of Palestine cannot be considered [as having] an antisemitic approach. [It] cannot be considered as a gift to Hamas. The same thing with the ruling of the Court. The ruling of the Court - it is a court which interprets laws and makes decisions according to international law. It has nothing to do with a moral position or antisemitic positions. I think it is clear. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-257613 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Palestine: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell ahead of the Ministerial International Partners Meeting on Palestine in Brussels, with the Palestinian Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Norway European External Action Service (EEAS) 26.05.2024 Brussels EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! Good afternoon to everybody, I am pleased to welcome the Prime Minister [of the Palestinian Authority] Mohammad Mustafa for his first visit to Brussels. I am also glad to be here with you, my dear friend and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Espen Barth [Eide]. Let me thank you, Minister, for your cooperation in organising this extraordinary Ministerial meeting of the key international donors to the Palestinian Authority. It is so important that we gather together to try to support the Palestinian Authority because these are extremely difficult times for the Palestinian people. The situation in Gaza is beyond words. The occupied West Bank is on a brink, risking to explode [at] any time. And as we speak, Israeli military operations continue in and around Rafah. The key border [crossings] remain closed for humanitarian deliveries. Not only the one at the Egyptian border, there are many others in the North of the Gaza [strip]. And this happens against the verdict of the highest United Nations court - the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - that ordered Israel to halt the military operation in Rafah and to open the [border] crossing for humanitarian aid. This important International Court of Justice verdict, also orders Israel to ensure access to any United Nations mandated [investigative body] investigating the allegations of genocide. I am saying the "allegations", but they have to be investigated according to the ruling of the ICJ. Israel has to submit a report to the Court on all measures taken to give effect to this Order, which is binding and has to be fully and effectively implemented. Let me reiterate a very crucial point: among those suffering in Gaza, there are also dozens of Israeli hostages. We do not forget them. And in the last few hours, we have seen new barrages of Hamas rockets against Israel. This also has to stop. I believe that all of us - the European Union, and the international community that you call here today in Brussels, we must do everything in our powers: to reach an immediate end of the hostilities; to achieve the immediate release of all hostages; [and] to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. But we should [also] not forget what is happening in the West Bank. There, we see an intensified spiral of violence, indiscriminate and [mostly unpunished] attacks by extremist settlers, who are more and more targeting humanitarian aid heading to Gaza. There are heavily armed, and the question is: Who is arming them? And who is not preventing these attacks from happening? This is coupled with an unprecedent Israeli settlement expansion and land grabbing. The Palestinian Authority undertakes remarkable efforts to prevent the situation from exploding, and we know that you are facing immense challenges: a dangerous socio-economic crisis, the impact of the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, closures imposed on the West Bank, and other punitive actions, such as the announcement of the Israeli occupation authorities to cut all tax revenues that belong to you. This is why, today - with international partners and donors - we will focus on how we can best support the Palestinian Authority at this critical juncture. We will also hear plans and priorities from you, Prime Minister, in particular for your reform agenda. We, the European Union, are the largest international donor of aid to the Palestinian people and a longstanding partner and supporter of the Palestinian state building. But we have to do more in order to make the Palestinian people having the stability in this wider region, and this depends on a strong Palestinian Authority, both financially and politically. I call on donors to increase the support for your efforts to implement the necessary reforms, including in the macro-fiscal [sphere], democratic renewal, and strengthening the rule of law. At the same time, the future of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people depend a lot on Israel's policies. Settlement expansion, which is against international law, has to stop. Restrictions of access and movement, as well as limiting the economic activities, must be eased, and unduly withheld revenues have to be released. I think that a functional Palestinian Authority is in Israel's interest too, because in order to make peace, we need a strong Palestinian Authority, not a weaker one. We need a collective investment to relaunch a political process. The urgency is the humanitarian support and the release of hostages, but we need a relaunch of the political process for the Two-state solution. I think that we have to discuss about how we can put this into practice. Maybe, a conference can be a useful step to gather international initiatives and direct our collective efforts towards this end. I can assure you, my dear Norwegian Minister, my dear Prime Minister, that we will continue, at the European Union level, to invest all our efforts in support of this objective. And I hope that this meeting today will mark another important contribution by the international community to move closer to a solution to the devastating and unsustainable situation in Gaza, in the whole Palestinian territories, and [that this would] also [be] affecting positively Israel and the whole region. Thank you. Link to the video (starting from 00:50): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-257423 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Eide: Broad international agreement to strengthen Palestinian institutions and promote the two-state solution Government of Norway News story | Date: 26/05/2024 The critical situation in Palestine was the topic when Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide chaired two ministerial meetings on Palestine in Brussels today. 'Today I have chaired two important meetings on Palestine. Both meetings confirmed that there is broad agreement that the international community needs to do even more to ensure that the Palestinian authorities continue to provide essential services to the population and that we move towards a two-state solution,' says Foreign Minister Eide. The purpose of the international partners' meeting, which the foreign minister chaired together with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, was to facilitate dialogue between Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and the international partners. At the meeting, Prime Minister Mustafa presented the Palestinian government's plans and reform agenda, and their needs for international support. 'At the partner meeting, I made a strong appeal to my colleagues to increase support for Palestine and Prime Minister Mustafa's work on reform,' says Eide. Due to the war in Gaza, restriction of movement in the West Bank and Israel's withholding of tax revenues that it collects on behalf of Palestine, the Palestinian economy is in a very critical condition. 'It is important for the citizens of Palestine that the government is able to govern and continue to provide healthcare, education, security, electricity and water. It is also crucial for stability and hopes for the future. There is an urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and to lay the foundation for a unified Palestinian government in the West Bank and Gaza,' says the Foreign Minister. The participants in the international partners meeting also expressed clear messages to Israel. 'It is crucial that Israel transfers the Palestinians' withheld tax revenues, removes restrictions on movement in the West Bank, prevents settler violence and stops the illegal settlements. This is also in Israel's interest. If the Palestinian Authority and government collapse, the security situation in the West Bank will also deteriorate significantly,' says Eide. For 30 years, Norway has been a strong supporter of building a Palestinian state. Earlier this week, Norway transferred NOK 100 million in budget support. This money will be used, among other things, to finance health services. Foreign Minister Eide then chaired a ministerial meeting of the Euro-Arab Contact Group together with H.H. Prince Faisal, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister. The topic of this meeting was which concrete steps need to be taken to move forward with the two-state solution. Recognition of Palestine and the Arab peace vision were also on the agenda. 'Both meetings in Brussels today agreed that the Middle East needs a new direction. In the midst of a horrific war in Gaza, increasing settler violence in the West Bank and fear of terrorism in Israel, we must keep alive the only thing that can provide a safe home for both Israelis and Palestinians: two states existing side by side, in peace and security. This is the backdrop for Norway's recognition of Palestine earlier this week1,' says Foreign Minister Eide. At the meeting, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal and Foreign Minister Eide urged Western countries that have not yet recognised Palestine as a state, to do so. 'I emphasised that recognising Palestine is a strong expression of support for the moderate forces in both Israel and Palestine. All participants in the meeting gave their full support to the two-state solution, which requires a Palestinian state. I also called on the Arab countries to continue their commitment to peace, where normalisation with Israel is an important key. We must all do what we can. It is urgent for the Palestinians that we now move forward towards a two-state solution to achieve lasting peace,' says Eide. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen: 113 detainees released with the support of the ICRC ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross Geneva/Sanaa (ICRC) - The unilateral release of 113 detainees took place in Sana'a today. The release was supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) following a request from the National Committee for Prisoners Affairs. The released detainees were among those regularly visited and assisted by the ICRC in Sana'a, visits that seek to ensure their humane treatment. News release 26 May 2024 Yemen "We are pleased to see that humanitarian considerations are being prioritized, particularly for the families eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones, especially with the approach of the Eid al-Adha celebrations in a few weeks. We hope this paves the way for further releases, bringing comfort to families eagerly anticipating reunification with their loved ones. We are prepared to extend our humanitarian services to individuals detained in relation to the Yemen conflict and their families and to support their release when authorized by the detaining authorities, as we did today. We also stand ready to serve as a neutral humanitarian intermediary for the simultaneous release and transfer of detainees, should the parties reach an agreement in this regard," said Daphnee Maret, the ICRC's head of delegation in Yemen. In line with its established practice, the ICRC conducted private pre-departure interviews with the detainees to confirm their identity and verify if they wished to travel straight from Sana'a to their home or if they wished to be transferred to a location of their choosing. "We held confidential conversations with all detainees to listen to any concerns they may have about the release process, ensure they have been in contact with their families, and gather the necessary information to follow up on their condition if needed," said Alessia Bertelli, the head of the ICRC's protection department in Yemen. Prior to the release, an ICRC medical staff member assessed the health condition of the detainees, determined their fitness for road travel and provided recommendations to the authorities regarding any specific measures that some detainees may have required. The Yemen Red Crescent Society (YRCS) provided two ambulances for the operation. One of the ambulances transferred a released detainee with health issues to the detainee's area of origin. The ICRC welcomes this unilateral release, as well as previous ones, as a positive step towards reviving negotiations under the Stockholm Agreement. We are ready to play our role as a neutral intermediary in facilitating the release, transfer, and repatriation of detainees, as we did in 2020 and 2023, whenever the parties to the Stockholm Agreement agree to engage in such efforts once again. About the ICRC The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari-May 26, 2024 IDF Press Release May 26, 2024 26.05.24 IDF Good evening. This evening, with deep sorrow, we announced the deaths of Staff Sergeant Sahar Sudaei and Staff Sergeant Betzalel Zvi Kovach, may their memory be a blessing. They fell in action in the Gaza Strip. We embrace the families at this difficult time and will continue to accompany them. IDF troops are continuing to fight in all parts of the Gaza Strip. Today, Hamas terrorists fired eight rockets from Rafah toward the Gush Dan and Sharon areas. Some were intercepted, and at some of the sites [of impact], damage occurred as a result of shrapnel from the projectiles. The launches were carried out approximately eight hundred meters from IDF troops operating in the area. As IDF troops approached, Hamas emptied the ammunition they had and launched the rockets from within the civilian population. We see this mode of operation in many places where we operate; Hamas is fearful of its ammunition and those same rockets, and they carry out launches when they see IDF troops approaching them. They fired from between a mosque and a school. We struck and destroyed the launcher shortly after the launch, and our troops are continuing to operate in the area. This is Hamas's method of carrying out terrorist activities, under the cover of the civilian population, against the citizens of the State of Israel. In Rafah, the troops are continuing to operate precisely against terrorism, to destroy tunnel shafts, strike launchers, target terrorist infrastructure, and eliminate terrorists. In the northern Gaza Strip, IDF troops are continuing to operate in Jabaliya. Today, the forces raided terrorist infrastructure, where they located large quantities of weapons as well as documents that were transferred for intelligence investigation to be fully utilized. Today, on the northern border, the IDF eliminated seven Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon in several aerial strikes. We will continue to strike hard against all terrorist activity that Hezbollah will carry out against the territory of the State of Israel, and Hezbollah terrorists will be harmed. Today, we mark the 233rd day of the war. In Gaza, 125 hostages are being held, and we continue all efforts to create the conditions to bring them home as quickly as possible. The ground forces are working to bring more intelligence and more information about their condition, as we have done so far. We will continue to update with all verified information in our hands. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Blog Archive: Oct 2024 (55) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (156) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) Dozens of Hezbollah rockets hit Zionist military positions IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 26, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, has fired dozens of rockets at positions in northern Israeli-occupied territories, Arab and Israeli media outlets have reported. The reports on Sunday said that Hezbollah had fired more than 60 rockets at several Zionist military positions, using rockets including Katyusha and Falaq types. In the meantime, Hezbollah confirmed on Sunday the martyrdom of two more fighters in battles with the Israeli regime. The movement has been engaged in clashes with the regime since the beginning of the Gaza war in early October. Hezbollah says it aims to support Palestinian resistance fighters battling the regime inside Gaza. The Lebanese movement also says its military operations against Israel are in response to the regime's attacks on southern Lebanon, which have at times taken civilian lives. 4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen's National Salvation Government releases 112 prisoners IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 26, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Yemen's National Salvation Government has announced the release of 112 prisoners from "the other side". The National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs announced on Sunday that the release of the prisoners was a unilateral humanitarian initiative which takes place under the directives of the Leader of Yemen Ansarullah Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. The released prisoners are those who were captured on the battlefronts with humanitarian cases, and include the sick, wounded and the elderly, Chairman of the Prisoners' Affairs Committee Abdul Qader Al-Murtada, told a press conference. He noted that it is not the first such initiative, as in previous initiatives, 920 prisoners were pardoned and released unilaterally. This initiative also came to emphasize Sanaa's seriousness in dealing positively with all efforts made by the United Nations to resolve the humanitarian file of prisoners and end the suffering of them and their families on both sides, he said. 9341**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint statement calls for Gaza's famine to be officially declared IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 26, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- All relevant official authorities and competent UN and international institutions should officially declare famine in the Gaza Strip in light of the current rapid spread of famine and the rates of acute malnutrition and its expansion geographically and among all groups, especially among children, said 70 organizations in a joint statement on Saturday. Food insecurity is increasing throughout the Gaza Strip due to the Zionist use of starvation as a weapon of war against the Palestinian people, which the organizations said is part of a larger crime of genocide. The organizations stated that food security levels have significantly declined as a result of the Zionist army's ground operation in Rafah City, south of the Gaza Strip. Thousands of trucks on the other side of the Rafah crossing have been at a standstill for weeks and are inaccessible to the residents whose lives depend on them due to the Zionist regime's decision to starve the people of the Gaza Strip, close the crossings, the statement said. The organizations called on Tel Aviv to act immediately to implement the precautionary measures announced by the International Court of Justice regarding the opening of the Rafah crossing in order to provide basic services and much-needed humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. 9341**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran pledges support for Sudan's peace and stability IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 26, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's Acting President Mohammad Mokhber has said the Islamic Republic will not withhold any assistance to promote peace, independence and stability in Sudan. "We will not withhold any assistance for the independence, progress, and tranquility of the people of Sudan," Mokhber said during a meeting with Sudan's Foreign Minister Hussein Awad in Tehran on Sunday. He expressed appreciation for the Sudanese government's solidarity with the Islamic Republic following the martyrdom of Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi, who was martyred in a helicopter crash last week. Mokhber highlighted the influential role of the administration of Presient Raisi in enhancing the relationship and cooperation between Iran and other Islamic countries. He stressed that this approach will continue as a "fundamental strategy" of the Islamic Republic. Awad, for his part, conveyed the condolences of the Sudanese president, government, and people to the Iranian nation and leadership. He described the robust and efficient structure of Iran's Islamic establishment as a bulwark that protects the system against major events and occurrences. Sudan had cut off all diplomatic relations with Iran in 2016 a day after Saudi Arabia had done the same. The two countries had agreed to restore their ties last year following a China-brokered rapprochement deal between Tehran and Riyadh. 4353**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah conducts fresh missile attacks on Zionist positions IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 26, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanon's Hezbollah Resistance Movement has carried out fresh missile attacks on positions in northern Israeli-occupied territories. Alarm sirens were activated in the settlements of Yir'on and Avivim in the northern occupied territories adjacent to Lebanon, as reported by IRNA citing Al-Mayadeen on Sunday. Missiles were launched from the Lebanese territory into the occupied territories, triggering alarm sirens in the areas of Al-Bassa, Hanita, Shlomi, and Ras Al Naqoura. Additionally, Al-Mayadeen's correspondent mentioned that a barrage of missiles targeted West Galilee for the second time. Channel 12 of Israeli TV announced that two anti-tank missiles had been fired at the Zionist area of Margaliot near the Lebanese border. Hezbollah has been conducting drone and missile attacks on Israeli positions at or near Lebanon's southern border since October 8, a day after the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war on Gaza where more than 35,300 Palestinians are confirmed killed. The Lebanese resistance movement has pledged to continue its anti-Israel operations until the Zionist regime stops its war on the besieged Gaza Strip. 3266**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen's PM renews support for Axis of Resistance IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 26, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Yemeni Prime Minister Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour has said that Iran plays an important role in supporting the Palestinian nation and resistance, adding that Sana'a is proud to be a member of the Axis of Resistance. According to Al Mayadeen, Habtour referred to the meeting of the leaders of the resistance that was held on the sidelines of the commemoration ceremony of martyr Raisi in Tehran, saying, "We salute the leaders of the resistance who gathered to draw the plan of the resistance in Tehran." Iran plays an important role in supporting the Palestinian people, he said, adding that Tehran and Sana'a share a common concern in this regard. "Sana'a is proud to be a member of the Axis of Resistance," he maintained. He criticized certain countries that possess thousands of weapons facilities but have not taken any action to support Palestine. "We have used our facilities to support the Palestinian people," he stated. "We were able to have an international presence in the Red Sea and the Sea of Oman, and it was expanded to the Mediterranean Sea in support of the people of Gaza," Habtour said. The Axis of Resistance is the only front that will guarantee the restoration of the rights of the Palestinian people, he stated. 9376**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel committing genocide in Gaza: Spanish Def. Minister IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 26, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- After months of silence, European countries have been gradually acknowledging Israeli crimes in Gaza, with the Spanish defense ministry describing that what is happening in Gaza as "genocide of the Palestinian people". According to IRNA, citing Reuters, Spanish Defense Minister Maria Margarita Robles Fernandez on Saturday described the Gaza war as a genocide and said that relations between Israel and Spain have worsened since Madrid's decision to recognize Palestine as a state. "We cannot ignore what is happening in Gaza, which is a real genocide', she said during an interview with state television TVE Robles' comments, echoed that of Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz, who earlier this week also described the Gaza conflict as genocide. The South African government already filed aa lawsuit over the massacre of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and raised the issue of genocide in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Already under global pressure over the mounting toll from the war in Gaza, Israel slipped further into international isolation after three European countries broke with their main EU partners and decided to recognize a Palestinian state. European activists and pro-Palestine groups are also pressing their respective governments on the continent to officially acknowledge that genocide is taking place in Gaza. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DFA Statement on the New China Coast Guard Regulations Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs MANILA 26 May 2024 -- The Department of Foreign Affairs expresses serious concern on China's issuance of its "Regulations on Administrative Law Enforcement Procedures for Coast Guard Agencies." The regulation was approved and announced on 15 May 2024, and is supposed to take effect on 15 June 2024. Every sovereign state has the right to formulate and enact laws, including the enforcement of domestic legislation within its jurisdiction. However, a state's domestic laws may not be applied and enforced in the territory, maritime zones or jurisdiction of other states, nor violate other sovereign states' rights and entitlements under international law. These same domestic laws cannot be applied nor enforced in the high seas under international law. The Department notes that the regulations are issued on the basis of the 2021 Coast Guard law which also illegally expanded the maritime law enforcement powers of China's Coast Guard. China would be in direct violation of international law should it enforce these new regulations in the waters and maritime features within the illegal, null and void, and expansive 10-dash line, which would effectively cover areas of the West Philippine Sea where the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, or in the high seas. China must ensure that its relevant legislation clearly reflect and abide by its commitments and obligations under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the binding 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, as well as the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). We reiterate our call for China to comply with international law and desist from any action that would undermine peace and security in the region. END NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNFPA: Half of all people in Gaza at risk of imminent famine Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 10:37 PM The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has issued a stern warning about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, saying half of the territory's inhabitants are at risk of "imminent famine." "Half of all people in Gaza are at risk of imminent famine, including an estimated 15,000 pregnant women," the organization said in a post on X social media platform on Sunday. Confirming that the famine in Gaza is a man-made phenomenon, the UNFPA said the ongoing crisis "is incomprehensible, and entirely avoidable." The UN fund went on to imply that the famine in Gaza is a direct result of Israel's blocking of the territory's crossings and cutting access to aid, stressing the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza given the dire needs of the population for humanitarian assistance. "When the doors to aid are closed, the gates to starvation are opened. They need humanitarian aid and a ceasefire now," it asserted. The UNFPA's warning came after seventy rights organizations issued a joint statement, calling on relevant authorities and global institutions to formally recognize a famine in the besieged Gaza Strip. The group included Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, the International Lawyers Organization, the International Organization for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Union of Arab Jurists, and the Arab Organization for Human Rights. "The entire population in the Gaza Strip, including the governorates of Deir al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, with half of them in... the disaster/famine stage," the statement said. They called on Israel to act immediately to implement the precautionary measures ordered by the International Court of Justice regarding the opening of the Rafah crossing to provide basic services and much-needed humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. Food security levels in Gaza have significantly declined due to the Israeli army's ground invasion of Rafah, which began on May 7, following which the regime closed all crossings through which aid convoys could enter the blockaded territory. With the crossings closed and humanitarian aid being prevented from entering, the threat of famine and acute malnutrition has resurfaced and swiftly spread, affecting the 2.3 million people living in the Gaza Strip, half of whom are children. Israel launched its brutal war on Gaza on October 7 last year after Palestinian resistance groups carried out a historic operation against the usurping regime in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. Since the start of the aggression, the Israeli regime has been committing war crimes in Gaza, killing at least 35,984 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring some 80,643 others. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli airstrikes kill dozens of displaced Gazans in Rafah Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 8:51 PM The Israeli regime's warplanes have targeted the displaced people's tents northwest of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, killing dozens of Palestinian civilians. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent and the Government Media Office in Gaza, more than 30 displaced Palestinians have been killed and dozens of others injured in the regime's bombings of more than 10 displacement centers set up by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Gaza's Health Ministry said in a statement that Israeli strikes "claimed the lives of 35 martyrs and left dozens injured, most of them children and women." "The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance crews are transporting a large number of martyrs and injured individuals following the occupation's targeting of the displaced persons' tents near the United Nations headquarters northwest of Rafah," the Red Crescent said in a post on X social media platform. It added that "this location was designated by the Israeli occupation forces as a humanitarian area." Gaza's Government Media Office also confirmed that Israeli warplanes targeted areas, which the regime itself had already identified as "safe" in Rafah. "The occupation has committed a horrific massacre by deliberately bombing the displacement center shelters northwest of Rafah.... This massacre is a message to the international community that the Holocaust against the Palestinians continues and that the massacres against the displaced [people] continue," the media office added in its statement. Gaza's Civil Defense, for its part, said Israeli strikes killed and wounded at least 50 people in the area, where it said 100,000 displaced people live. The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that one of its field hospitals was receiving an "influx of casualties seeking care for injuries and burns" and reported that other hospitals were also receiving a large number of patients. "Our teams are doing their best to save lives," the ICRC added. Israel launched its brutal war on Gaza on October 7 last year after Palestinian resistance groups carried out a historic operation against the usurping regime in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. Since the start of the aggression, the Israeli regime has been committing war crimes in Gaza, killing at least 35,984 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 80,643 others. Hamas: U.S. administration, Biden fully responsible for this massacre Following Israel's latest crime in southern Gaza, the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, issued a statement strongly condemning the massacre of Palestinian civilians by Israel. The movement said the bombarded area is "crowded with hundreds of thousands of displaced people and the criminal army had declared it a safe area, which resulted in the martyrdom and injury of dozens of citizens, most of whom are women and children." Hamas added, "We hold the American administration and President [Joe] Biden in particular fully responsible for this massacre, which the Zionist entity would not have committed without American support and green light." It also demanded international pressure on the occupying regime "to stop this massacre and the shedding of the blood of innocent civilians, including children, women and the elderly." Islamic jihad: Targeting displaced people's camps confirms enemy's military failure The Palestinian Islamic Jihad also issued a statement, saying that the bombing of displaced people's tents in Rafah is a new war crime, which has been added to the series of genocidal war crimes committed by the Zionist enemy. "The targeting of civilians in the displaced people's camps in Rafah confirms the depth of the military failure the enemy has suffered in the field, prompting it to compensate by targeting civilians and furthering the bloodshed of Palestinians to satisfy the bloodthirsty [Israeli officials] in Tel Aviv." The Islamic Jihad added, "The continuation of the enemy's crimes in the Gaza Strip is a result of the cover provided by the US administration, the [pro-Israeli] positions of some European governments, and the weak stances taken by Arab regimes." It noted that Israel's crimes in Gaza also show its disregard for all international humanitarian and ethical norms, while "exposing the inability of international institutions to enforce their resolutions" on Israel. Ansarullah: Holocaust against displaced people reflects Israel's brutality Meanwhile, the Political Bureau of Yemen's Ansarullah movement strongly condemned "the heinous Israeli massacre" of the displaced people in southern Gaza. It said, "The Israeli holocaust against the displaced in Gaza reflects the level of brutality of the enemy and its level of criminality and ugliness." The movement added, "The massacre of civilians once again proves the enemy's failure, and proves to the world that the [occupying] entity does not care about international laws and does not pay any attention to the decisions of the [International] Court of Justice." Yemen's Ansarullah also held "the United States fully responsible for the Rafah massacre and other massacres," while calling on the international community to put pressure on Israel to withdraw its forces from the Rafah crossing, open the crossing, and bring in aid." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Recognizing Palestinian state 'justice' for Palestinians: Spain Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 5:32 PM Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has hailed Madrid's decision to formally recognize a Palestinian state, saying the move "is justice for the Palestinian people and the best guarantee of security for Israel." Albares made the remarks during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in the Belgian capital Brussels on Sunday, who is scheduled to meet with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide later in the day. "We want to have every country in Europe to do the same," Albares said, as he welcomed the move. Mustafa, for his part, said recognition of a Palestinian state addresses "the injustice that has been inflicted on the Palestinian people for decades. He also expressed hope that "this momentum of recognitions and initiatives will continue." The latest development came a day after Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles called a "real genocide" Israel's war on the besieged Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, Ireland, Norway and Spain formally recognized the Palestinian state. The recognition will come into force on May 28. In reaction, Israeli authorities ordered the regime's ambassadors from Ireland and Norway to immediately return, and said they would do the same for Spain. Israel also warned Spain, Norway and Ireland that its ties will them will face "serious consequences" following their recognition of a Palestinian state. Most countries in the world already recognize Palestinian statehood. Prior to the Wednesday announcement, more than 140 out of 193 member states of the United Nations had made their recognition official. In the past weeks, several other European countries indicated a plan to recognize a Palestinian state, saying the move is essential for lasting peace in the region. The planned recognition will add pressure on Israel as its bloodiest-ever military campaign in Gaza is in its eighth month now. Since the start of the aggression, the Israeli regime has been committing war crimes in Gaza, killing at least 35,984 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring some 80,643 others. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sana'a govt. proud to be part of Axis of Resistance, Iran plays key role in supporting Palestine: Yemeni PM Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 4:27 PM The Yemeni prime minister says the Sana'a-based National Salvation Government takes great pride in being part of the Axis of Resistance against the usurping Israeli regime, stressing that Iran plays a key role in providing unwavering support for Palestine and its oppressed nation. "It's a matter of pride for the Sana'a government to be part of the Axis of Resistance. Iran plays an important role in supporting the Palestinian nation, and Tehran and Sana'a share a common concern in this regard," Abdulaziz bin Habtoor said on Sunday. He added that some Arab states, with wide ranges of munitions and military hardware in their inventories, have not taken any measure in support of Palestine. This is while Yemeni Armed Forces have employed weapons at their disposal to launch anti-Israeli strikes in solidarity Palestinians in the occupied territories, bin Habtoor pointed out. The Yemeni prime minister went on to state that Yemeni naval units are strongly present in the Red Sea and the Arab Sea, and prevent Israeli commercial ships as well as merchant vessels affiliated to the occupying regime from sailing in the water bodies. "We have been able to have a presence in the Red Sea and the Arab Sea. Such deployment has now extended to the Mediterranean Sea in support of the residents of Gaza," he highlighted. Bin Habtoor further noted that Yemeni forces have carried out the least of their duties towards Palestinians, who have suffered the most and fallen victim at the hands of Israel for the past 75 years. "The Axis of Resistance is the only front that will guarantee restoration of the rights of Palestinian people," he underscored. Bin Habtoor once again extended his heartfelt condolences to the Iranian government and nation over the passing of President Ebrahim Raeisi, who lost his life alongside seven others in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran on May 19. "We decided to postpone ceremonies for the Unity Day of Yemen - a national holiday celebrated annually on May 22 - over the tragic incident. The Sana'a government has done elaborate preparations for the event," he stated. The Yemeni Armed Forces have staged numerous pro-Palestinian strikes since October 7, when the Israeli regime began the Gaza war. American and British warships have been carrying out attacks against the Arab Peninsula nation as means of trying to halt strikes that it has been conducting against Israeli vessels or those heading towards the ports lying in the occupied Palestinian territories. At least 35,984 Palestinians have been killed and 80,643 others wounded in the brutal Israeli military onslaught that was launched following Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation staged by Gaza's resistance groups. The US has been the main supporter of Israel, proving it with munitions and political support in its brutal war on Gaza. Washington has also used its veto power to protect Israel against UN resolutions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas strikes Tel Aviv with barrage of rockets amid Israel's offensive against Rafah Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 3:15 PM The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has launched fresh rocket attacks against the occupied territories, amid the Israeli regime's military offensive in the southern city of Rafah in the besieged Gaza Strip. Hamas fired at least eight rockets at Tel Aviv and its surroundings on Sunday, while rocket sirens were sounded in other cities and towns. The Israeli military said the rockets were launched from Rafah, claiming that several of them were intercepted. No injuries have been reported. The latest development came hours after Abu Ubaida, spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, said the resistance group has carried out a "complex" operation against the occupation forces in Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp. In a recorded message released early on Sunday, al-Qassam's spokesperson Abu Obeida said the operation saw resistance fighters "luring a Zionist force into an ambush inside a tunnel" and killing, wounding, and capturing all its members. Hamas released a video that showed a bloodied Israeli soldier being dragged along the ground in a tunnel and photos of seized military fatigue and rifle. In a statement, the Israeli military denied the claim by Hamas' armed wing, saying "There is no incident in which a soldier was abducted." Israel launched its brutal war on Gaza on October 7 last year after Palestinian resistance groups carried out a historic operation against the usurping regime in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. Since the start of the aggression, the Israeli regime has been committing war crimes in Gaza, killing at least 35,984 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring some 80,643 others. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran will spare no effort to help Sudan achieve independence, progress: Interim president Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 3:02 PM Iran's Interim President Mohammad Mokhber says Tehran will spare no effort to help Sudan achieve independence, progress and peace. Mokhber made the remarks in a Sunday meeting with Sudanese Foreign Minister Hussein Awad Ali, who is in Tehran to attend the funeral processions for President Ebrahim Raeisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six of their companions, who lost their lives in a helicopter crash on May 19. He added that the late Iranian president and foreign minister played an effective role in promoting Iran's ties with Muslim countries. "As the Islamic Republic of Iran's fundamental policy, this approach will be continued," Mokhber emphasized. He noted that Iran's strategic policy attaches importance to the concerns of Muslim nations and countries. Mokhber thanked Sudan's government and nation for expressing sympathy with Iran over the tragic incident. The Sudanese foreign minister, for his part, said the strong and efficient system of the Islamic Republic is like a stronghold that will protect the country in the face of big and heavy events. Awad Ali said ties between Tehran and Khartoum are based on Islamic and humanitarian bases and friendship between the two nations. Back in October 2023, Iran and Sudan agreed to restore diplomatic relations after seven years to serve the two countries' interests. Tehran and Khartoum decided to restore relations after Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a China-brokered agreement in March 2023 to resume ties following a seven-year break. In a statement in October 2023, Iran's Foreign Ministry said, Tehran and Khartoum agreed to develop cordial relations "based on mutual respect for sovereignty, equality, common interests and peaceful coexistence." Riyadh closed its diplomatic missions in Tehran in 2016 after they were ransacked by protesters enraged by the Saudi execution of top Shia cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr. Iran, Sudan agree to expedite reopening of embassies In a significant diplomatic development, Iran and Sudan on Saturday agreed to expedite the reopening of their embassies in each other's capitals. The decision was made in a meeting with Iran's Interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Awad Ali in Tehran. According to the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, the top Iranian and Sudanese diplomats agreed to speed up the completion of the opening of the two countries' embassies in a bid to help promote relations to the highest levels. They discussed possible ways to expand relations in all fields. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah shells Israeli outpost after deadly strikes in southern Lebanon Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 1:50 PM Fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement have conducted an operation against an Israeli military outpost in the 1948 occupied territories after the Tel Aviv regime launched two separate deadly strikes in southern Lebanon. Lebanon's al-Manar television channel reported that the group targeted the al-Abbad outpost in the northern part of the occupied lands on Sunday afternoon, and destroyed technical equipment there. Hezbollah claimed the attack in a statement, saying it had shelled an Israeli military outpost and soldiers stationed in the area "in response to the assassination carried out by the Zionist enemy in the town of Naqoura and the injury of civilians." According to the Israeli military, a total of 15 rockets crossed the border in the attack. No injuries were reported. Sirens had sounded in the Israeli border communities of Betzet, Hanita, Rosh Hanikra, and Shlomi. Earlier, a Hezbollah fighter was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a motorcycle in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army said he was identified as he was leaving a building previously known to be used by Hezbollah. A short while later he was targeted and killed. A separate strike targeted two more Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon's Ayta ash-Shab, the military added. 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 Israeli war has killed at least 35,984 people, most of them women, children, and adolescents. Another 80,643 Palestinians have sustained injuries as well. The Israeli military has also been carrying out attacks against the Lebanese territory since then, prompting retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defying Moscow's warnings, NATO seek to build 'drone wall' along Russian border Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 10:15 AM Six members of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) have called for a "drone wall" along their borders with Russia, despite Moscow's warnings against the hostile activities of the military bloc along its borders. Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Finland and Norway have agreed to build a unified "drone wall" defense system along their borders with Russia and Belarus. Interior ministers of the six NATO countries met last week in Riga the capital city of Latvia, a former Soviet republic that is now a member of NATO and the European Union, to discuss ways of coordinating their defense capabilities. "We see constant efforts" from Russia and Belarus to "destabilize our countries' internal security and public order, to create panic and distrust in institutions," Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said in a press release on Friday. Bilotaite accused Minsk and Moscow of "weaponizing migration, cyber-attacks, disinformation, sabotage of critical infrastructure and other hybrid threats." "We need to think about evacuating the population on a regional scale, as well as securing the EU's external borders with drones," Bilotaite stated. The proposed "drone wall stretching from Norway to Poland" would protect borders not "only with physical infrastructure, surveillance systems, but also with drones and other technologies," Bilotaite told the Baltic News Agency. She also proposed organizing joint mass evacuation drills at a regional level. The press release said the interior ministers had also agreed to explore the possibility of financing joint defense efforts from European Union funding sources. Norway, however, is not a member of the European Union. In the meantime, authorities in Latvia have called on residents to turn basements into air-raid shelters, with many in the Baltic country expressing concern they could be Russia's next target. Riga's civil defense commission chief said, "The basements of public buildings, schools, retirement homes, hospitals, and town halls will be inspected by the authorities who will prepare them to serve as hiding places in the event of an attack." Gints Reinsons told the TV24 station that the goal was to prepare a hundred anti-bomb shelters a month through the end of the year. Riga's mayor told city residents to use Saturday's annual "Big Clean-up Day" to make their basements into anti-bomb shelters. "We call on everyone during the big clean-up, but also afterwards, to ensure that your cellars and your basements can be used as shelters in case of emergencies," Vilnis Kirsis said in a communique that municipal employees would do the same for buildings belonging to the city. Latvia shares a 214-kilometer border with Russia. The country's Prime Minister Evika Silina has compared Russia to an unpredictable drunkard posing a real threat to its neighbors. However, Moscow rejects the myth of a Russian threat used by Western leaders to scare their people into funding the military-industrial complex. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly given assurance that the Russian nation "has no interest... geopolitically, economically or militarily" to justify waging war against NATO member states. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May 25: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 8:38 AM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 35,900 Palestinians so far, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers. The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Saturday, May 25, are as follows: Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on May 25: Targeted an Israeli military Merkava tank with an Al-Yassin 105 shell in the vicinity of Salah al-Din Gate, south of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Targeted an Israeli military Merkava-4 tank with an Al-Yassin 105 shell behind the Abu Zeitoun school, and another Merkava-4 tank at the Al-Burai junction in the Jabalia camp, north of the Gaza Strip. Detonated a Ra'adiya explosive device on a group of Israeli soldiers near the entrance of a tunnel, east of the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Detonated a booby-trapped house on a special unit of the Israeli military next to the Habboub building in the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Sniped an Israeli soldier with a Qassam 'Ghoul' rifle project area northeast of the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Targeted an Israeli military Merkava-4 tank with two Al-Yassin 105 shells in the vicinity of the Imam Ali Mosque, east of the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on May 25: Bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles in the Al-Qasasib neighborhood in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, with a barrage of 60mm mortars. Targeted an Israeli military's Merkava-4 tank with an anti-armor shell in the axis of advance, in the Beit Lahia project in the northern Gaza Strip. Bombed gatherings of Israeli soldiers and army vehicles with mortar shells on the front lines east of the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Targeted a gathering of Israeli forces and their military vehicles penetrating the vicinity of the airport, east of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Bombed a position of Israeli soldiers on the supply line south of Tal al-Hawa on the "Netzarim" axis with mortar shells. Al-Quds Brigades' operations on May 25: Bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles in Al-Qasasib neighborhood in the Jabalia city, northern Gaza Strip, with a barrage of standard 60-caliber mortars. Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles penetrating the area of Tabet Zari, northeast of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, with a 107-type guided missile. Mujahideen Brigades' operations' on May 25: Detonated a locally-made explosive device in an Israeli military jeep and engaged in fierce clashes with an Israeli force on Al-Nasirah Street in the city of Jenin, occupied West Bank Hezbollah's operations on May 25: Eastern sector: At around 12:20 local time, after monitoring the movement of Israeli forces at the Al-Marj site and observing a Merkava tank fortified inside it, resistance fighters ambushed and targeted it with a guided missile, leading to its destruction and causing a number of casualties. At 14:30, targeting a building used by "israeli" enemy soldiers in the "Manara" settlement with appropriate weapons, hitting it directly, in response to the "israeli" enemy's attacks on the steadfast southern villages and civilian homes. Targeted a building in the "Manara" settlement housing Israeli soldiers with a barrage of rockets. At around 18:10 local time, targeting the spy equipment of the regime forces at the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shuba with appropriate weapons. At around 19:00 local time, targeting two buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the "Metulla" settlement with appropriate weapons. At around 16:15 local time, targeting the Zebdine site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with artillery shells. Western Sector: At around 13:05 local time, targeting targets in the "Zarit" barracks with guided missiles and artillery shells, hitting and destroying them directly. Targeting two buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the "Shtula" settlement with appropriate weapons. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas announces killing, wounding, capturing Israeli forces in Jabalia ambush Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 12:04 AM The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has announced killing, wounding, and capturing a number of Israeli forces, targeting them in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Abu Obeida, spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, provided the information in a recording on Sunday. The "complex" operation, which took place a day earlier, saw the group's fighters "luring a Zionist force into an ambush inside a tunnel" at the refugee camp that is located inside the city of Jabalia, he said. "They (the fighters) were able to clash with the members of this force from close range, and then our fighters attacked the support force that rushed to aid them with explosive devices and hit it directly," the spokesman noted. "Then, the fighters withdrew after blowing up the tunnel, leaving all the members of the force dead, wounded, and captured, and they seized its military equipment," he concluded. The comments came amid a genocidal war that the Israeli regime has been waging against Gaza since October 7. Nearly 36,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died as a result of the brutal military onslaught that began following Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation staged by the coastal sliver's resistance movements. Despite the unabated campaign of bloodshed and destruction, the regime has so far fallen short of realizing its goals. These include defeating Gaza's resistance, enabling liberation of those who were taken captive during Al-Aqsa Storm, and causing forced displacement of Gaza's entire population to neighboring Egypt. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Protest-Leading Armenian Archbishop Says He Will Challenge Pashinian For Premiership By RFE/RL's Armenian Service May 26, 2024 YEREVAN -- Bagrat Galstanian, an outspoken archbishop who has led anti-government protests in Armenia over a controversial border deal with Azerbaijan, on May 26 announced his intention to challenge Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian for the premiership as he addressed tens of thousands of supporters who gathered in central Yerevan. Galstanian, a 53-year-old head of the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, said at the rally in the capital's main Republic Square that he had asked Catholicos Karekin II to suspend his "spiritual service" so that he could challenge Pashinian. Rally participants cheered and applauded Galstanian's remarks that he was ready to accept the "nomination" as a candidate for prime minister in the opposition's possible impeachment bid against Pashinian. Under Armenia's constitution, at least one-third of lawmakers can initiate a no-confidence vote against the prime minister in parliament, provided they also name a candidate who will replace him or her. Earlier, Hayastan and Pativ Unem -- opposition factions in parliament associated with the former presidents of Armenia, Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian -- said they would support the bid. They will need the support of the only nonaligned lawmaker to initiate the process, which, in order to succeed, will require a majority vote in the legislature dominated by Pashinian's Civil Contract party. Pashinian -- who remains largely popular with the population despite some dissatisfaction with recent events -- has rejected Galstanian's resignation demand and his allies in parliament have ruled out that any of them would break ranks to support the protest leader's possible bid. The Armenian Constitution bars dual citizens from serving as prime minister. Galstanian, who is a dual citizen of Armenia and Canada, said he would not violate the constitution but did not explain how he was going to surmount the legal obstacle. Earlier, his supporters did not rule out that it would have to require an amendment to the constitution. At the end of the rally, Galstanian told participants he would go to Pashinian's residence to meet him and press his resignation demand. But after waiting for some time near the prime minister's residence with no response, Galstanian told supports he would return to Republic Square to discuss plans for the start of "civil disobedience" actions to begin on the morning of May 27. "We will make the government reckon with the demand of the people," he said. Pashinian was out of Yerevan during the afternoon hours, visiting the Lori and Tavush regions, where at least three people had been killed in severe flooding. Armenian police urged protesters to preserve public order during the day. The anti-government movement started in the northeastern province of Tavush in April as Armenia and Azerbaijan began the demarcation process of their heavily militarized border following an agreement announced by Yerevan and Baku on April 19. The demarcation, which was formally completed on May 15, alters the boundary in a way that affects the infrastructure of a number of Armenian border villages. Local populations have expressed fears of possible further Azerbaijani attacks after the Armenian military withdrawal from four abandoned villages that used to be part of Soviet Azerbaijan but have been controlled by Armenia since the first Armenian-Azerbaijani war in the early 1990s. The Pashinian government has pledged to solve infrastructure-related problems of the border villages within a few months, including the construction of a new road and payment of compensations to those who are losing property and land as a result of the demarcation. The prime minister has also stressed that having a demarcated and recognized border with Azerbaijan is in itself assurance against Azerbaijan's possible aggression. Both the United States and the European Union have hailed the border demarcation between the two bitter Caucasus rivals. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-archbishop-galstanian- protest-border-azerbaijan/32964392.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Georgian President Presses Need For Closer EU, U.S. Ties In Independence Day Speech By RFE/RL's Georgian Service May 26, 2024 TBILISI - Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has come out in support of anti-government protesters angered by a planned "foreign agent" law, pressed in an Independence Day speech the importance for closer ties to Europe and the United States for her South Caucasus nation. "This is the cornerstone of the solution," she told a crowd on May 26 in Tbilisi's Freedom Square. "Today -- when the ghost of Russia stands before us -- partnership and rapprochement with Europe and America is a true way to maintain our independence, peace, and strength," she said as she cited the desire of a vast majority of citizens to join the European Union. "No war has been started by [members of the] European Union since its inception." "Instead, the real war party is one and only one that we see today in our occupied territories -- Russian imperialism," she added. Russia maintains thousands of troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway Georgian regions that Moscow recognized as independent states following a five-day war with Georgia in 2008. The EU in December granted candidate status to Georgia and there had been some hope that the bloc would agree to the next stage of accession talks as early as this year. However, EU leaders have said Georgia's hopes of joining the bloc will be severely damaged if the government, led by the Georgian Dream party, enacts what critics call the "Russian law." The law would require civil-society and media organizations that get more than 20 percent of funding from foreign sources to report that fact to local authorities and submit to oversight that could encompass sanctions for as-yet-undefined criminal offenses. Many critics have claimed that the law is similar to one used by the Kremlin to crack down on independent voices in Russia. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and other leaders of the Georgian Dream party have blasted U.S. and EU comments regarding the legislation -- formally called the Law On Transparency Of Foreign Influence -- and have insisted it is essential to maintaining transparency in civil and political matters. Also speaking at the Independence Day ceremony, Kobakhidze hit back at Zurabishvili and her remarks about the controversial bill. "It was the unity and reasonable steps of the people and their elected government that gave us the opportunity to maintain peace in the country for the past two years despite existential threats and multiple betrayals, including the betrayal by the president of Georgia," he said. A bill recently unveiled by U.S. lawmakers is aimed at persuading Georgia's government to repeal the contentious law. Under the proposed Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia's Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act, the United States would give Georgia more economic aid, lower trade barriers, and grant more access to U.S. visas if the law were to be repealed. But if the "foreign agent" bill becomes law, the MEGOBARI Act would require the U.S. administration to impose sanctions on Georgian officials responsible for the legislation. Zurabishvili has vetoed the bill, but the Georgia Dream has enough seats in parliament to override the move. The parliament announced that discussions to override the veto would begin on May 27, with a vote likely on May 28. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly on May 26 said the alliance "remains firmly committed Georgia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, democracy, and aspiration to join NATO. " However, it added, "the law on the so-called 'transparency of foreign influence' is a step backwards for Georgia's democracy and runs counter to its NATO as well as EU aspirations and values." "If this bill becomes law, it will severely damage freedom of speech and association and undermine Georgia's vibrant civil society and media landscape," it said in its statement. Parliament's passing of the law has led to massive street demonstrations in Tbilisi and elsewhere, with protesters holding Georgian and EU flags and shouting anti-Russian slogans. Organizers have called for further protests on the eve of parliament's planned actions on the president's veto. Kobakhidze has accused the protesters of "following the agenda of the political minority" and charged that they were showing a "great irresponsibility" toward their country. The United States on May 26 marked the Georgian holiday, saying in a statement that it "will continue to strongly support the aspirations of the Georgian people for a Euro-Atlantic future." "We urge Georgia's leaders to take the steps necessary to move Georgia forward in the right direction." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-eu-russia-us- zurabishvili-foreign-agent-megobari/32964320.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Azerbaijan Promises Free Education, Laptops To Convince Students To Study In Nagorno-Karabakh By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service May 26, 2024 Comfortable dorm rooms on a campus with manicured lawns and a view of the mountains. Sleek lecture halls in brand new buildings where some of the country's finest professors will teach. And it's all for free. To lure as many as 1,200 students to study in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan is pulling out all the stops. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in February allocated the equivalent of nearly $6 million to build, much of it from scratch, Karabakh University in Xankendi, the regional capital which was called Stepanakert when ethnic Armenians controlled the region. Baku has controlled Karabakh since September 2023, when its military forces launched a lightning offensive to retake the territory, where ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence since the mid-1990s. Within days of the September offensive, some 100,000 ethnic Armenians -- nearly the entire population -- fled to Armenia. Since seizing control, Azerbaijan has been accused of erasing Armenian towns and sites of religious and cultural heritage. Russia deployed troops in Nagorno-Karabakh after the last major war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020, but announced in April that it had started withdrawing them. With nearly all of the Armenians having left what was for them Stepanakert, today's Xankendi has been described in recent months as a ghost town. 'More Promising Majors' Scrambling for ways to repopulate the city, Aliyev, president since 2003, signed a decree in November 2023 to establish Karabakh University. On May 20, he appointed Sahin Bayramov, a seasoned university president, to head it. The Azerbaijani Science and Education Ministry recently said that infrastructure work was under way, with lecture halls, dormitories, and other buildings due to be completed in the coming months. Karabakh University expects to open its doors to students this fall for the upcoming academic year. Officials stress that everything will be gratis, including tuition, room and board, as well as a free laptop. In Azerbaijan, about half of universities charge for study. The Science and Education Ministry plans to initially offer eight areas of study at the new university, including engineering, economics, and tourism. The goal is to have 1,200 students enroll at the university, according to Emin Amrullayev, the science and education minister. To ensure its success, the university will need to offer "more promising majors," including computer science and artificial intelligence, said Farid Imanov, an education expert. "It is easier to find a job with one of these majors," Imanov told RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service. Baku and Yerevan are currently negotiating what is hoped will be a final peace deal, something that is being watched and supported by the EU and the United States. Talks have proved tricky, with a recent decision by Armenia to hand over several deserted settlements to Azerbaijan sparking protests and calls for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to step down. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-university-nagorno- karabakh-/32959248.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Orban Foresees Dire Consequences If EU Militarism Continues Unchecked Sputnik News 20240526 BUDAPEST (Sputnik) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Sunday that he had never seen greater irresponsibility than Europe getting involved in the conflict in Ukraine without calculating what it would cost. "Europe is becoming so involved in the war that it does not even have an estimate of the scale of the costs and means necessary to achieve its military objective. I have never seen anything more irresponsible in my life," Orban said in an interview with the Patriota YouTube channel. He added that, in his opinion, NATO wanted to become a party to the conflict in Ukraine and "the chances that the alliance can be kept from doing so are limited." Budapest is against having decisions on the service of Hungarian citizens made "in Brussels or Germany," Orban emphasized. "We don't want anyone else to be able to make decisions about conscription and sending our young men of draft age anywhere. We have to forget about a European army with compulsory conscription, this is a crazy idea," the prime minister stressed. Earlier in May, Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's Party, the largest one in the European Parliament, suggested reinstating compulsory military service across the entire European Union. If Weber's idea was implemented, "Hungarian families would be told from Brussels or Germany that their children would be compulsorily conscripted into the European army and told where they would go," Orban added. In the years to come, current events may be seen as a prelude to World War III or even its first episode if Brussels' militarism is not countered, the Hungarian prime minister warned. "Perhaps in 10 years the current processes will be called a prelude to World War III. It cannot be ruled out that if things go badly and we fail to control the military psychosis developed in Brussels, the history of these years will also be an episode of the first years of the big world war," Orban said in an interview with the YouTube channel Patriota. Although European politicians see nuclear weapons as a deterrent, unforeseen worst-case scenarios could come to life, the Hungarian prime minister emphasized. "In my opinion, European politicians think of the nuclear bomb as a tactical deterrence tool and not as something that should really be used, but what they don't consider at the beginning of a war can still happen at the end, thus worst-case scenarios can come to life," Orban explained. Previously, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper that the United States threatened Moscow with the "destruction" of Russian forces in the special military operation zone if Russia uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitriy Medvedev said Poland should understand that an American strike on Russian troops would mean the beginning of a world war. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, on the death of an aid worker in Al Fasher, North Darfur State UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Port Sudan, 26 May 2024) - I am deeply saddened by the terrible news of the death of an MSF staff member when shelling hit his house in Al Fasher yesterday. My thoughts and sympathies are with his family and colleagues during this difficult time. This tragic incident comes when hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children in North Darfur are once again caught in the crossfire of war. People in Al Fasher and surrounding areas face a dire humanitarian situation, with conflict affecting every aspect of their daily lives. The number of casualties is rising by the day. The relentless violence must come to an end. Each innocent life claimed stands as a harrowing testament to the sheer brutality of war. The brave humanitarians supporting people in need must be protected. International humanitarian law must be respected. My message to all parties is simple. Stop the fighting. Respect human rights. Allow the safe passage of civilians and humanitarian aid. A human tragedy of epic proportions is on the horizon, but it can, and must, be prevented. **** 26 May 2024 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli airstrike kills dozens in Rafah, say Gaza medical officials By VOA News May 26, 2024 The Israeli military is reviewing an incident in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah after medical officials there said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 civilians Sunday. Israel said the strike in Rafah's Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood, which killed Hamas' chief of staff for the West Bank and another senior official, used precision munitions. But the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said the attack ignited tents in an area sheltering displaced people. Dozens of people were also injured, officials said, and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society expects the death toll will rise. Earlier Sunday, Hamas launched a "large rocket barrage" targeting Israel's commercial hub of Tel Aviv. It was the first such attack in months, a show of resilience from the Palestinian militants in the eighth month of the Israel-Hamas war. Air raid sirens blared during the attack, but Israel said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. It was the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January, although rockets and mortar rounds have been fired at Israel from along the Gaza border since then. In the latest attack, rocket launches could be heard from central Gaza. Hamas's Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a post on Telegram that it had targeted Tel Aviv "with a large rocket barrage in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians." The Israeli military said eight projectiles crossed into Israel after being launched from near the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where Israeli forces recently launched an incursion. Israel said "a number" of the projectiles were intercepted. Earlier, humanitarian aid trucks had crossed into Gaza from southern Israel through a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of it earlier this month. But it was not clear if humanitarian groups would be able to access the aid because of ongoing fighting in the region. Egypt has refused to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until control of the Gaza side is handed back to the Palestinians. It agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing, Gaza's main cargo terminal, after a call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. That crossing has been largely inaccessible because of fighting linked to Israel's offensive in the nearby city of Rafah. Israel says it has allowed hundreds of trucks to enter, but United Nations agencies say it is usually too dangerous to retrieve the aid on the other side. The International Court of Justice on Friday ordered Israel to comply with its "obligations" under the Genocide Convention and "immediately halt its offensive" in Rafah, but there does not appear to be any change in Israel's war effort in southern Gaza. The United States, Israel's main arms supplier, has repeatedly advised Israel against a full-scale ground attack on Rafah but says it considers current fighting there to be a "limited" incursion that is avoiding extensive civilian casualties. Washington has not commented on the ICJ demand for an end to the fighting in Rafah. The court is a branch of the United Nations and has no mechanism to enforce its orders. They must be voted on by the U.N. Security Council, where the U.S. has veto power. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed Israel will not leave Gaza until any remaining Hamas control of the territory is ended. He says Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas's last four battalions there and achieve its goal of "total victory" over the militants, who have recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza where the Israeli military had previously taken control. The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages. Israel's subsequent counteroffensive has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, a death toll that includes both civilians and combatants, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. Netanyahu faces growing international pressure and from the Israeli public to make a deal with Hamas to free 100 or so remaining hostages, which Hamas has refused to do without guarantees for an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops. Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have ruled that out. Some material in this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Operation Iron Swords - Day 233 - 26 May 2024 At any point, Hamas could have ended this burgeoning tragedy to surrender and release every hostage. Hamas instigated and owns this humanitarian catastrophe. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) The IDF clarified that there is no truth in the rumors about the return of abductees in recent hours. The IDF clarified that there is no incident of kidnapping a soldier. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X : We clarify that there is no incident of kidnapping a soldier. For the first time since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, Abu Ubaida, the military spokesman for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), issued a speech that was unusual in its timing and the information it contained. After midnight, Abu Ubaida appeared in an audio speech in which he announced the capture and killing of a number of occupation soldiers in Jabalia. The occupation army spokesman, unusually, quickly issued a statement about two minutes later in which he said, There is no incident of kidnapping of any soldier. The spokesman for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, said that the movements militants captured Israeli soldiers during the fighting in Jabalia in the Gaza Strip. This is the first time that the Al-Qassam Brigades have announced the capture of Israeli soldiers in Gaza since the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle launched by the Palestinian resistance on October 7. Israeli forces had been massing on the outskirts of Rafah for weeks ahead of a long-announced operation to destroy what the army says are four remaining Hamas battalions lurking there. Abu Ubaida, the military spokesman for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, announced the capture, killing and wounding of Israeli soldiers during a complex operation on Saturday afternoon in the northern Gaza Strip, where they lured an Israeli force into a tunnel in the Jabalia camp . Abu Ubaida said, in a video speech obtained by Al Jazeera and broadcast after midnight, that fighters from the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), ambushed members of the Israeli force inside the tunnel in Jabalia and at its entrance, and they were able to clash with this force from zero distance. Abu Ubaida had announced after midnight that Al-Qassam fighters in the Jabalia camp had managed to lure a special occupation force into one of the tunnels, detonate explosive devices in it, clash with them, and cause its members to be killed or captured. He contented himself with publishing a short video clip of the body of one of the soldiers killed as a result of the ambush while being dragged into one of the tunnels. He explained that Al-Qassam fighters attacked the support force that rushed to the place with explosive devices, hit them directly, and then withdrew after blowing up the tunnel used in the operation. Abu Ubaida confirmed that Al-Qassam fighters killed, wounded and captured all members of the Israeli force and seized military equipment. He pointed out that Al-Qassam fighters carried out dozens of operations against the occupation forces over the course of more than two weeks in Rafah and Beit Hanoun. Abu Ubaida pointed out that the occupation army "markets the exhumation as a military and moral achievement," and added that it "is digging up the remains of its captives for the sake of Netanyahu's personal machinations." The spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades said that the occupation government is moving from failure to failure, and the latest chapter of failure is what the occupation forces did in Jabalia and Rafah. Abu Ubaida pointed out that the occupation government continues what he described as its blind and absurd policy of revenge and destruction, stressing that Al-Qassam fighters continue to teach the occupation lessons on the battlefields. After Abu Ubaidas speech, the Al-Qassam Brigades showed a video clip showing what appeared to be an Israeli soldier lying on the ground, with traces of blood on him, and one of the Al-Qassam fighters pulling him into a tunnel, as well as machine guns and helmets belonging to the occupation soldiers. The video concluded with the phrase, This is what was allowed to be published and the rest of the discussion which indicates that the Al-Qassam Brigades are waiting for the occupation to announce the operation, so that the Al-Qassam Brigades reveal that the information they have may cause embarrassment to the occupation army and show its lack of credibility. Abu Ubaida's brief announcement and the subsequent Israeli denial and secrecy sparked a wave of speculation about the nature of the military force that took place in the Al-Qassam ambush. Many analysts indicated that the unit might be a special unit, as the clothing of the soldier who appeared in the Al-Qassam video was not military clothing, and that The shoes he is wearing are not the shoes of the Paratroopers Brigade (brown with long boots), and they are not the shoes of fighters from another brigade. Others resorted to analyzing the weapon that appeared in the Al-Qassam video as a Czech weapon of the CZ Scubaruin type, pointing out that this weapon is only used by elite special units and the navy in particular, and suggesting that it is from the Shayetet Commando Unit 13. Various Lebanese regions witnessed marches and celebrations after Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced the capture of Israeli soldiers in a boat ambush and the killing of others, in the Jabalia camp, north of Gaza. A march was launched in the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon to celebrate the capture of Israeli soldiers announced by Abu Ubaida. The Nahr al-Bared camp in northern Lebanon also witnessed the launch of a march to celebrate this news. Meanwhile, loud fireworks and firecrackers were launched in the Al-Bass camp in the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, in celebration of this operation. Social media platforms were filled with comments celebrating the 27th speech by Abu Ubaida, the military spokesman for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, in which he announced the capture, wounding and killing of a group of Israeli soldiers in a complex operation that took place yesterday, Saturday, in the Jabalia camp , located east of Gaza . But this announcement was not all that Al-Qassam had in mind. After the Abu Ubaida announcement, the Brigades published another video showing what appeared to be an Israeli soldier being dragged into a tunnel. Al-Qassam concluded the clip with the phrase, This is what was allowed to be published, and the rest of the discussion. The hashtag #capture_of_soldiers trended on social media platforms in several Arab countries, rejoicing over the Abu Ubaida announcement, as well as the video of dragging the Israeli soldier. Tweeters expressed their admiration for the integrated system that Al-Qassam possesses from a military and media standpoint, commenting by saying, We find that the resistance possesses great systems that are almost superior to great armies. The most prominent of which is the media system, as well as the sniper units, and the monitoring and intelligence system. These files of the resistance are very superior in them and they surprise everyone day after day. Tweeters said that Gaza's surprise of capturing soldiers and neutralizing others means that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only lost the war, but is on his way to losing the negotiations, after months of deception and deception, according to what they said, and that there are two options before Netanyahu: a war that ends with more losses, Or negotiations that end with an exchange deal and save a little face for the entity and its exhausted army. One of the bloggers commented on the clip, saying, Although Al-Qassam has been documenting its operations since the beginning of the war, for Al-Qassam to announce the capture of soldiers (and any special forces soldiers) is something that is difficult to believe for many as well. It is true that Al-Qassam may have documentation of the capture process, and that the Israeli government She knows the truth well, but I am eagerly awaiting how Netanyahu and Gallant will respond. Followers drew attention to some observations that appeared in the video related to the Israeli soldier, saying, The drawn soldiers pants are not military pants, but rather semi-civilian pants, and the shoes are not the shoes of the Paratroopers Brigade (brown with long necks), and they are not shoes belonging to fighters from another brigade. One of them added that no military unit places silencers on the weapons of its fighters in the heart of the battlefield, and while the enemy army spokesman denied that any of their soldiers were kidnapped, it is likely that the unit is not affiliated with the army, but rather a unit affiliated with the Shin Bet or another special unit. Activists mocked the Israeli army's denial of kidnapping any Israeli soldier in Gaza, and re-published the denial of the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations after the masked man announced the news of soldier Shaul Aaron in 2014. Two days later, Tel Aviv acknowledged Aaron's capture, and pointed out that history was repeating itself, and that Israel would She announces the new capture operation of the resistance, and she will not be able to hide it. War Termination Israel submitted to the mediating countries two different proposals designed to start the negotiations for a hostage deal - this was announced this evening (Sunday) in the Ka'an 11 news. The proposals are not dramatically different from each other, and each of them presents the borders of the Israeli sector. Sources involved in the negotiations gave news here that, as in previous rounds of talks, the implementation of a temporary ceasefire will also be examined now. As part of this, they said that the more Hamas offers to release more hostages alive, the more the number of days of the ceasefire and the number of Palestinian terrorists who will be released as part of the deal will increase. Israel officially announced yesterday that negotiations for the hostage deal will open next week. However, foreign officials were surprised by the wording of the Israeli announcement to return to negotiations for the abductees deal, since according to them a date for the resumption of talks has not yet been set. The Israeli announcement reads: "The head of the Mossad returned to Israel this morning after a meeting with the head of the CIA and the Prime Minister of Qatar. At the meeting, the three discussed building an infrastructure designed to allow progress to start renewed negotiations for the release of the abductees. At the end of the meeting, it was decided that within the next week negotiations will be opened based on new proposals led by the mediators - Egypt and Qatar and with the active involvement of the United States." Senior officials in the political system made it clear that Israel would not agree to an end to the war in exchange for reaching a hostage deal. This was reported today (Sunday) in the program "This Morning" on Network B. This position is contrary to the opinion of senior officials in the security establishment, who, as we reported yesterday, are ready to take such a step due to the necessity of releasing hostages. A source familiar with the details of the negotiations for the abductee deal told news here that the talks are at a very preliminary stage , and later it will become clear if there is a basis for continuing the talks. According to Israeli sources, the negotiations for the hostage deal are expected to resume next week in Doha, the capital of Qatar , when a delegation from the terrorist organization Hamas and an Israeli delegation will arrive one after the other to present their positions. Also, the head of the Mossad, Dedi Barnea, presented to the mediating countries the guidelines for the deal approved by the Cabinet, and agreed with the head of the CIA, William Burns, and the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abd al-Rahman Al Thani, that they would meet again. All of the top security officials - the Chief of Staff, the head of the Mossad, the head of the Shin Bet, the Minister of Defense and Ministers Gantz and Eisenkot expressed their support for promoting the deal, and claim that it is necessary at this time. Senior officials in the defense system believe that even if an outline is agreed upon to stop the war, Israel will be able to renew the fire when necessary, a few months later. Agence France-Presse quoted an Israeli official as confirming that the government has an intention to resume talks with the aim of reaching an agreement to release the hostages in Gaza in the coming days, after a meeting with mediators in Paris. A source familiar with the talks revealed to Reuters, It was decided that the negotiations would begin this week based on new proposals led by mediators Egypt and Qatar and with active American participation. Middle East affairs researcher Fadi Eid mentioned several reasons for the resumption of negotiations between Israel and Hamas. During the past few days, intensive contacts took place between the head of the Mossad and the Prime Minister of Qatar, in order to work on completing a deal through the Qatari mediator, in light of the military pressure on Rafah on the one hand, and Western political pressure on Qatar on the one hand, according to his talk to the Al-Hurra website. ". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under "increasing internal pressure" regarding the hostages, and is forced to deal with the negotiations file "responsibly and humanely and not as a card during war," according to the researcher in Middle East affairs. In a related context, Hani Al-Jamal, a researcher specializing in the Arab-Israeli conflict, points out that it was Israel that demanded the resumption of negotiations during the Paris talks. The mediators are trying to "search for a gray area" in which Israel and Hamas can meet, after each party set a "red line" and insisted on implementing its demands in full, according to his interview with the "Al-Hurra" website. In Israel, there are indications of "civil and military disobedience," as the street is currently "on fire," and indications have emerged of the possibility of a "rebellion within the army" after the spread of a video of an Israeli soldier "waving this," according to Al-Jamal. Israel seeks to release hostages held by Hamas, while the movement seeks to release Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and end the war. Israel and Hamas exchange accusations of responsibility for the "stalemate" and failure to reach an "agreement" during previous rounds of negotiations. Speaking to Al-Hurra website, the strategic expert and former Israeli intelligence officer, Avi Melamed, confirms that Israel has returned to negotiations for the release of male and female detainees held by Hamas. The first goal from the beginning of the crisis was to release the kidnapped people, but the current negotiations are difficult in light of each partys desire to achieve only its interests and the presence of vast differences in the positions of the two sides, according to the Israeli strategic expert. For his part, Palestinian political analyst and director of the Brussels Research Center, Ramadan Abu Jazar, confirms that it is in the interest of both Israel and Hamas to return to negotiations under American, Egyptian and Qatari pressure. There is "internal pressure" on the Israeli government and demonstrations in several cities to "return to negotiations" and recover the kidnapped people, according to his talk to the "Al-Hurra" website. On the other hand, Hamas has no other option but to respond to the mediators demands regarding returning to the talks, amid the escalating suffering of the Palestinian people and a large sector of Gazas population holding the movement responsible for the catastrophic conditions in the Strip, according to Abu Jazar. However, Qatari political analyst, Abdullah Al Khater, believes that Hamas will be involved in the new round of negotiations with Israel. But "there are no Israeli guarantees" until Hamas returns to negotiations, and the "resistance factions" have no confidence that Netanyahu will not use the negotiations to "legitimize the attack on Rafah," according to what he told the Al-Hurra website. The Qatari political analyst believes that it is almost impossible for Hamas to accept negotiations because it will be a kind of legitimate cover for Israels continuation of its military operation in the Gaza Strip. It is not in Hamas' interest "to enter into any negotiations during this period," and Israel does not have "anything to give the resistance," according to the Qatari political analyst. So far, efforts to release more than 120 hostages kidnapped by Hamas during its attack on southern Israel on October 7 have not been successful. Al-Jamal links the success or otherwise of the negotiations to the "consensus of the Israeli government." If there is a real Israeli desire and agreement within the government for the success of the negotiations, we will see a truce soon, but if there are internal disagreements, the round of negotiations will be like the previous one and will not lead to anything, according to the researcher specializing in the affairs of the Arab-Israeli conflict. As for Eid, he expects that the new round of negotiations will be similar to its previous counterpart, and will not lead to a comprehensive agreement. The two sides will go to negotiate again, but the new round of negotiations will not mean the end of the war in the Gaza Strip, according to the researcher in Middle East affairs. For his part, Melamed believes that the current negotiating conditions are very difficult in light of the conflicting interests and priorities of the two sides. The former Israeli intelligence officer expresses "cautious optimism" about the outcome of the new round of negotiations, and says: "There may be a quasi-agreement." But at the same time, he stresses the existence of contradictory interests and different priorities between Israel and Hamas, which has caused the failure of all previous rounds of negotiations to reach an agreement. Therefore, Melamed does not expect a comprehensive agreement to be reached between the two sides. In a related context, Abu Jazar points to several negative indicators that confirm the difficulty of reaching an agreement. Israeli forces are attacking Rafah and Jabalia with full force, and the intensification of the fighting indicates that "reaching a restriction agreement will be difficult," according to the Palestinian political analyst. He points out that "the Israeli government will not stop the war in the Gaza Strip," because this would mean the fall of Netanyahu's government. Therefore, the two sides will engage in a new round of negotiations, but it will not lead to any result in the end, in light of the Israeli governments unwillingness to reach results, according to Abu Jazars expectations. A senior Israeli official told reporters on Saturday that Mossad Director David Barnea discussed developing a framework for resuming negotiations on the release of the hostages with Burns and the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Barnea presented the main points of the updated Israeli position, but the Qatari prime minister was not given a formal, written Israeli proposal to send to Hamas, according to a source familiar with the meeting. At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that during the next week negotiations will resume on the basis of new proposals, led by Egyptian and Qatari mediators and with the active participation of the United States, the Israeli official said. According to Axios, American officials were more reserved about the results of the Paris meeting. While they acknowledged that progress had been made, they said that the possible resumption of negotiations had been discussed, but they stressed that no date had been set for a new round of negotiations yet. An American official said: There is progress. Contacts are ongoing and we are working closely with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators. These contacts will continue during the next week, as we seek to move the negotiation process forward. On the other hand, a Hamas official told Axios that the movement will not resume hostage deal negotiations as long as Israel continues the war in Gaza. Former head of the Israeli Mossad, Danny Yatom, said that "time was running out" for Israeli captives being held in Gaza. Yatom stressed that he was prepared to do everything he could to return the captives, including "agreeing to Hamas' demands", indicating the limited choices Israel has as the Resistance continues scoring achievements by the day. Speaking to Channel 13, he clarified that returning Israeli captives was of "utmost importance", noting that the matter could force Israel to halt all operations at a certain point. Israel will fail to achieve any of its war objectives, the former Mossad chief affirmed, saying that Gaza will remain the way it is. He further stated that even if the Israeli occupation forces "remained in Gaza for several more months, fighting over and under its lands, they would still not be able to kill every Hamas fighter or even the majority of them." Moreover, he said that the IOF would also fail to destroy the Resistance's infrastructure in Gaza or even its majority. Danny Yotam specifically mentioned how the Al-Qassam Brigades launched rockets toward the Gush Dan settlement in Tel Aviv, saying he was "not surprised because as everyone knows, Hamas still has the capability to launch rockets", after 233 days since Al-Aqsa Flood was launched. In this context, Matan Vilai, a former major general in the IOF, said that Hamas succeeded in targeting the middle area, affirming that the Resistance is still active, and denied that there was something called "destroying Hamas". Operational Update The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reduced the number of troops deployed in eastern Rafah, with the Givati Brigade withdrawing from the Gaza Strip overnight after a three-week operation. This redeployment, reported by Ynet, is part of a strategic plan to allow the troops to return later, refreshed and ready for further action after weeks of intense combat. Four combat teams from the 162nd Division remained in the area. The withdrawal of the Givati Brigade coincides with reports indicating that Israel will permit the reopening of the Rafah Crossing by the Egyptian army. This decision aims to facilitate the entry of additional humanitarian aid into Gaza. As a result, Israeli forces are being removed from the vicinity of the crossing to support this humanitarian effort. This military adjustment followed a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, which on Friday ordered Israel to "immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part." Despite the International Court's order to halt its attack on Rafah, Israel says it will continue its operations, and is trying to walk a dividing line between not angering its allies in the United States and trying to achieve strategic goals that it considers too important to abandon, according to a report by the New York Times . After several weeks of warnings from the White House, both the Israelis and Americans are describing the military operation in Rafah as limited, allowing the Israeli army to proceed, albeit more slowly and cautiously than in other parts of Gaza. On Sunday, the Minister in the Israeli War Cabinet, Benny Gantz, submitted a proposal to the Cabinet Secretariat to form a government investigation committee into the October 7 attacks and the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip, according to what the Times of Israel newspaper reported . According to the Israeli newspaper, the responsibility of this committee, if its formation is approved, will be to examine the process of making political, military and intelligence decisions before, during and after the attacks launched by the Hamas movement. However, The Times of Israel reported that given the sharp political tensions between Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the former's threat to withdraw from the government by June 8 if the latter does not detail who should rule Gaza after the end of the current war, it seems unlikely. That the proposal be adopted by the government. Government investigation committees may be established by government decision or by the State Control Committee of the Knesset (Parliament), which are independent committees whose members are chosen by the President of the Supreme Court from among current or retired Supreme Court judges or district court judges. Against the backdrop of intense scrutiny by the ICC and the International Court of Justice into the war, it would be up to any similar committee set up in Israel to examine whether the country fulfilled its obligations under international law to continue the war, which could prevent the ICC from evaluating the arrest warrants. Against Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, according to the newspaper. The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said that the decision regarding the possibility of the Israeli army withdrawing from the Rafah crossing may have been taken after the Israeli leaders understood the seriousness of the International Court of Justices decision , and became certain of the possibility of being subjected to sanctions. He said that the news broadcast by the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation regarding the possibility of withdrawal from the crossing came after Israel had become a country that everyone avoided as if it were infected with scabies. Among the political pressures that led to the decision to withdraw, the military expert did not rule out that the Egyptian side would have a position, because Israel exceeded the limits of the Camp David Accords and its annexes in 1979, explaining that there are displacement operations now taking place in the Philadelphia axis of about 800 thousand people, and Al-Duwairi did not rule out the possibility There will be harsh field reactions, as is happening around the airport, in Al-Shoka, and in Jabalia. According to Al-Duwairi, Netanyahu has begun to use the policy of "escape forward" and exploit opportunities and gain time. He said that he will enter the negotiations into a new, vicious circle, while he continues his attempts to maneuver, laugh at others, and continue killing for at least the next week. Regarding the progress of the steps of the Court of Justices decision, he pointed out that everyone is waiting for the case to be referred to the UN Security Council , and is anticipating Americas reaction if it will use its veto power to disrupt the implementation of the Court of Justices decision, even though it agreed to the points contained in it. Regarding the impact of what is happening in the field on the course of the upcoming negotiations, Al-Duwairi said that the field is the master of the situation, explaining that what is happening in Rafah and Jabalia, which are still fighting staunchly - as he described it - and what happened in the Court of Justice in The Hague are all matters that have been in favor of Resistance. He noted that the resistance was able, with its locally manufactured missiles, to destroy between 1,400 and 1,500 armored fighting vehicles of the occupation army, and explained that this number exceeds the number of combat vehicles in 5 armored divisions, each of which usually contains 315 armored vehicles. Israeli writer Gideon Levy said that Tel Aviv has one way out - and it will not choose it - even though it is the only way to avoid falling into the abyss on which it stands now, which is to say yes to the ruling issued by the International Court of Justice last Friday. This is how a state governed by laws should behave - as the writer sees it - and this is how a state that aspires to become a legitimate member of the United Nations family should behave, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to promise this, so that the gates of hell that are about to open remain In Israel, it is closed, albeit briefly. Saying yes to the court, according to Levy in his comment in Haaretz newspaper, will not only save Israel from further bloodshed in vain, but will also stop the international snowball that is rolling towards it, and ending the fighting in Rafah and the entire war will be Israels last chance to regain its international standing. prewar. If Israel decides to ignore the matter - which is almost certain, according to the author - it will thereby declare itself a pariah state. However, it will look for ways to ignore the matter and enlist Washington to undermine international law. But now that we are one step away from the abyss - as Gideon Levy sees it - there are two urgent measures that Israel must take: ending the war and changing its government, and this is exactly what the two largest courts in the world ordered, when the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested the issuance of international arrest warrants against Netanyahu. His Defense Minister Yoav Galant , and the International Court of Justice ordered the fighting in Rafah to stop. However, since the hasty withdrawal from Sinai in 1956, Israel has never submitted to the will of the international community, as if the world and its decisions have nothing to do with it. Because it is invulnerable and protected by America, the Bible, and a nuclear research center in Dimona , Tel Aviv always acts as if it has A license to mock the whole world, but that ended the day Gaza was invaded in this brutal and unchecked manner, as the writer sees it. To confirm this - Levy says - the President of the International Court of Justice, Judge Nawaf Salam, had barely finished reading the ruling when Israel intensified its attacks on Rafah, from which nearly a million people fled to the beaches, and in which only one hospital with 8 beds remained. Operational Update - Gaza The military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, said that the current intensity of fighting in the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip means returning to square one of the Israeli ground invasion. Al-Falahi explained - during his analysis of the developments of the military situation in Gaza - that these battles confirm that the Palestinian resistance has largely regained its strength in the northern regions after the withdrawal of the occupation forces. He pointed out that the occupation's withdrawal gave the resistance factions great comfort in returning to those areas and building an integrated theater of operations, citing the qualitative attrition operations that took place over the past two weeks. Colonel Al-Falahi pointed out that confrontations are raging on all fronts of Jabalia, despite the occupations attempt to disperse the resistance factions by opening new fronts of incursion. He warned that the current battle confirms that the resistance factions possess something that the Israeli army does not possess, which withdrew the Givati Brigade from Rafah to the south, and may push it to Jabalia in the coming days. According to the military expert, the battles are still raging and the occupation army may send additional reinforcements, pointing to the human losses suffered by Israeli forces in the Jabalia camp after the Qassam Brigades lured them into a tunnel and left them dead and captured. He explained that the occupation army has always promoted "military pressure" to regain its prisoners and end the rule of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), and previously claimed that 18 battalions belonging to the military wing of Hamas had been destroyed out of 24. Al-Falahi concluded that the battles confirm the failure of the occupation, not only at the strategic and operational levels, but also tactically, when an Israeli force was captured, wounded and killed - yesterday, Saturday - in one of Jabalia's tunnels. He added, "When you come to liberate prisoners and find lifeless bodies and cause losses exponentially, this confirms that the occupation has failed to deal with this issue." The strategic expert continued, saying, "The Israeli narrative that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to pass is false, and absolute victory is baseless." Is the military operation still limited or has it become comprehensive? Questions accompany the new evacuation demands directed by the Israeli army to residents of several neighborhoods in different areas of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. On Saturday, the Israeli army bombed the Gaza Strip, especially Rafah, the day after the International Court of Justice issued an order for Israel to stop its military operations in the southern governorate immediately. On the night of Saturday and Sunday, the Israeli army intensified its artillery and aircraft bombardment of the city of Rafah, located in the far south, as well as areas in the center and north of the Gaza Strip, according to what eyewitnesses reported to Agence France-Presse. In early May, the Israeli army began a ground attack in the city of Rafah, located near the Egyptian border. Despite international concerns about the fate of civilians in the city, which is crowded with displaced people, Israel stresses that this attack is necessary to achieve its declared goal of eliminating the Hamas movement, which is classified as a terrorist organization in the United States and other countries. For Israel, seizing Rafah and the border would effectively complete the process of reoccupying the Gaza Strip, and could mean moving to a different phase of less intense raids. The Israelis say Rafah is home to the last four relatively organized Hamas battalions, and major infrastructure for tunnels and rocket launchers. More importantly, Israel wants to try to close the border with Egypt to limit future arms smuggling, according to the New York Times. Muhammad al-Masri, 31, an accountant who has been living in a tent in Rafah for months, said: The air strikes are continuous and intense, and the smell of smoke does not leave the air. At night, they advance a few meters each time, and people flee immediately. He was speaking to the New York Times from western Rafah, where the Israeli army had not ordered residents to leave. However, many of the tents that had been housing families for months around him have disappeared as people have fled elsewhere. Al-Masry said: They are constantly shooting at us and bombing us, but what scares us most are the drones. Israeli military objectives remain unchanged. It wants to secure the entire border with Egypt, destroy smuggling tunnels, dismantle the last Hamas brigades, return the movements remaining hostages to Israel, and completely break Hamas administrative control over the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces initially focused on securing the sparsely populated border, which revolves around the city of Rafah and pressuring nearly a million people displaced from other parts of Gaza to move to areas that are supposed to be safer but conditions remain dire. On Thursday, the Israeli army said that its forces were fighting in the Brazilian neighborhoods near the border and in the Shaboura refugee camp, its deepest penetration into Rafah. But the Israeli army insists that it has not yet attempted to enter the central city, which in normal times has a population of one million. Analysts told the New York Times that anger and warnings from the administration of US President Joe Biden and other close allies of Israel had the effect of easing Israeli tactics, even if the attack remained devastating. Officers who have just left the fighting in Rafah say Israel is "using less air power and artillery, and fewer and smaller bombs," forcing Israeli soldiers to engage in urban guerrilla warfare with Hamas fighters. With the Americans insisting that Israel evacuate civilians as much as possible from the areas of planned operations, in the past two weeks, up to a million civilians have moved west towards the sea and safer areas, and even if shelter facilities are available, food and care for them are insufficient. The Israeli army continues to ask residents and displaced people to evacuate specific areas of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and move towards the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, amid Palestinian accusations of pushing residents toward death and warnings of a new humanitarian disaster. Israel insists it has responded to US criticism and is trying to warn civilians to stay out of the way of fighting. But even if civilians are not in the line of fire, the threats to them remain serious with little or no aid crossing from Egypt. Tamir Hayman, executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies and reserve general and former head of military intelligence from 2018 to 2021, said Israeli negotiators misread their Egyptian counterparts and thought Cairo would not strongly object to Israel's takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, believes that some Hamas fighters are evacuating with civilians, hoping to fight again in areas that Israel occupied and then withdrew from, such as in Jabalia, where renewed fighting has intensified. Michael agrees with Israeli officials that the four Hamas brigades still in Rafah are not as well trained as those in the north and do not represent a pressing problem. Hayman said that strategically, it is very important for Israel to close the border with Egypt. Despite Egyptian denials of any tolerance for smuggling into Gaza, Hayman said, Israeli intelligence believes that most of Hamas weapons and components came from Egypt, either through smuggling tunnels or through the crossing itself, and were often carefully hidden over the years in ordinary commercial trucks. Israel said publicly in mid-May that it had discovered about 700 tunnel openings in and around Rafah leading to 50 larger tunnels for smuggling to Egypt. Michael said that the army has chosen not to blow up the tunnels yet because it would cause damage inside Egypt. He added that for the same reason, the army does not reveal photos of the tunnels to try to avoid embarrassing the Egyptian government, which in the past has acted aggressively to find and destroy such tunnels. Last January, the head of the Egyptian State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, said in response to statements by Israeli officials, in which they indicated the existence of weapons smuggling operations into the Gaza Strip from Egyptian territory, considering them to be false allegations and claims. For its part, Israel says that unless smuggling into Gaza from Egypt can be controlled, Hamas or another armed group will be able to bring back supplies over time. The Philadelphia axis is considered a buffer zone and is subject to the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, but two weeks after the Israeli military operation in the city of Rafah on the Egyptian border, the Israeli army took control of half of the axis, according to its assurances to the Al-Hurra website, which raised questions about the reasons and repercussions of that step. How can the Rafah crossing be reopened? This question remains one of the deep political questions that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to answer, according to the New York Times. Netanyahu insists that Israel must dismantle Hamas' military and administrative control over Gaza, while refusing to engage with his allies and the Palestinian Authority, the current main alternative to Hamas, over who will rule Gaza in the future and care for its citizens. For many, that means a long-term Israeli military occupation that senior army officers said they "want to avoid." For his part, Gabi Siboney, a reserve colonel and fellow at the conservative-leaning Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said that the main problem is that the army is only dealing with dismantling the Hamas military regime and not the civilian regime. He pointed out that "Hamas' control of the civilian sphere will be its starting point for rebuilding its army." In his view, there is no alternative to a transitional period of Israeli military rule in Gaza that could last several years. Israel has repeatedly emphasized its primary goal in the war in the Gaza Strip, which is to destroy the Hamas movement, which is classified as a terrorist organization in the United States and other countries, while specialists spoken to by the Al-Hurra website debate about ways to achieve this in light of the movements reliance on an ideology that is difficult to eradicate. For his part, Hayman stressed that "the process of dismantling Hamas' structures there may take a much longer time." He said: "The choice is to withdraw or deepen your control and try to keep Hamas underground." He indicated that Israel could negotiate with Egypt, the United States and regional partners to reach an agreement under which the Palestinian Authority would obtain at least symbolic sovereignty over the Gaza side of the crossing. Between talk about a private company, a previous situation with Palestinian management in coordination with the Egyptian authorities, and existing Israeli military control, questions about who is responsible in the future for operating the Rafah crossing. Who will have the future control over the strategic border gate? The Israeli army announced, at dawn on Monday, that it had bombed a Hamas compound in the city of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip, and that it was aware of reports that civilians had been harmed, and was conducting an investigation. It was emphasized that the operation was carried out against attack targets, in accordance with international law, using precise weaponry and on the basis of preliminary intelligence according to which the terrorists were using the area. Also, in the IDF spokesman's announcement, it is stated that the claim that as a result of the attack, and a fire that broke out at the scene, a number of non-involved people were injured - and that the incident is under investigation. Later, the IDF confirmed that in the attack, which was carried out in cooperation with the Shin Bet, the terrorist Yassin Rabia, the head of the West Bank headquarters of the terrorist organization Hamas, and the terrorist Khaled Nagar, another senior officer in the West Bank headquarters, were killed. The attack was carried out in the Tel Alsaltan area in the northwest of Rafah and based on accurate intelligence. The Hagada headquarters in Hamas is responsible for the direction, financing and support of carrying out terrorist attacks in the territories of Judea and Samaria and in the interior of the country. The terrorist Yassin Rabia managed all the military formations of the West Bank headquarters of Hamas, was involved in the transfer of funds for terrorist purposes and directed attacks by Hamas operatives in Judea and Samaria. Yassin has carried out a number of murderous attacks in the past, including attacks in 2001 and 2002 in which IDF soldiers were killed. The terrorist Khaled Nagar, a senior officer at the West Bank headquarters, directed shooting attacks and other terrorist plots in Judea and Samaria, and was involved in the transfer of funds destined for terrorism for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In the past, Nagar carried out several attacks in which Israeli civilians were murdered and additional soldiers were killed and wounded. The Government Information Office in Gaza said on Sunday that at least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured after several Israeli air strikes targeted a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, causing their tents to catch fire. A medic said that the final death toll in Tal Sultan camp has not yet been determined, adding that dozens were injured as a result of the fire that followed the raids and that residents are still trying to extinguish it. The Red Crescent said in a post on the X platform that its crews transported a large number of martyrs and injuries following the occupations targeting of the tents of the displaced near the United Nations headquarters northwest of Rafah. He added, "The site has been classified by the Israeli occupation as a humanitarian zone." Meanwhile, government sources in Gaza announced that dozens of civilians had been killed. The Palestinian presidency considered that "Israel's targeting of displaced persons' tents in Rafah is a heinous massacre." The army said in a statement, "A short while ago, an (Israeli army) plane bombed a Hamas compound in Rafah, where prominent terrorists affiliated with the organization were present." He added that he was "aware of reports indicating that a number of civilians were harmed in the area as a result of the raid and the fire that broke out in the area." The Government Information Office in Gaza announced that at least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured after several Israeli air strikes targeted a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, causing their tents to catch fire. Al-Hurra's correspondent stated that most of the injured who arrived at hospitals had severe burns due to the burning of their tents. The Palestinian presidency accused Israel of deliberately targeting a center for displaced people in the city of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip, while officials in the Palestinian Strip said that the bombing led to the death of at least 35 people. The presidency said in a statement that "the Israeli occupation forces committing this heinous massacre is a challenge to all resolutions of international legitimacy," accusing the Israeli forces of "deliberately targeting... the tents of the displaced in Rafah." The Israeli army spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said in a post on the X platform that the raid targeted terrorists who constitute a legitimate target under the provisions of international law. He revealed that the raid was carried out with "precision types of ammunition, and based on prior intelligence information indicating that Hamas members were using this area." He continued, "We know the claim that as a result of the raid and fire that broke out in the area, a number of uninvolved people were injured. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated." The IDF spokesman referred tonight (between Sunday and Monday) to the Palestinian reports of a widespread wave of attacks in the Rafah area, during which it was claimed that 27 people were killed and dozens were injured. In a statement, it was stated that aircraft attacked a Hamas compound in Rafah where senior terrorists of terrorist organization. Later, the IDF confirmed that in the attack, which was carried out in cooperation with the Shin Bet, the terrorist Yassin Rabia, the head of the West Bank headquarters of the terrorist organization Hamas, and the terrorist Khaled Nagar, another senior officer in the West Bank headquarters, were killed. The attack was carried out in the Tel Alsaltan area in the northwest of Rafah and based on accurate intelligence. The Hagada headquarters in Hamas is responsible for the direction, financing and support of carrying out terrorist attacks in the territories of Judea and Samaria and in the interior of the country. The terrorist Yassin Rabia managed all the military formations of the West Bank headquarters of Hamas, was involved in the transfer of funds for terrorist purposes and directed attacks by Hamas operatives in Judea and Samaria. Yassin has carried out a number of murderous attacks in the past, including attacks in 2001 and 2002 in which IDF soldiers were killed. The terrorist Khaled Nagar, a senior officer at the West Bank headquarters, directed shooting attacks and other terrorist plots in Judea and Samaria, and was involved in the transfer of funds destined for terrorism for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In the past, Nagar carried out several attacks in which Israeli civilians were murdered and additional soldiers were killed and wounded. Military and strategic expert Hatem Karim Al-Falahi said that the resistance outperformed the occupation army in Rafah by using guerrilla warfare tactics, and succeeded in confronting its forces equipped with the latest military technologies with elements armed with light weapons, but characterized by boldness and agility. He explained - in the section on the military analysis of the Gaza war - that the resistance elements are withdrawing immediately to a safe area after carrying out the operation using a number of methods, including tunnels, which he said are still 65% effective according to American reports, in addition to built-up areas that provide monitoring and surveillance. Commenting on pictures broadcast by Al Jazeera of Al-Qassam Brigades targeting the occupation forces south of Rafah, the expert said that the pictures confirm that the battles taking place in the Rafah axis are fierce, and from very close distances of about 50 to 100 meters, and reveal fierce resistance to the Israeli incursion, which is still at the beginning of the areas. Residential. He considered the pictures broadcast by the resistance to be evidence of the occupation forces faltering during their attempt to penetrate the city of Rafah, despite their attempt to test the pulse of the resistance by incursion through the Tabba Zare area, which is about 500 meters from Salah al-Din Street. Regarding the occupations use of aerial bombardment to target civilian sites, Al-Falahi believes that these raids causing civilian casualties fall within the framework of genocide and killing of civilians. Eight launches were carried out from the Rafah area towards the territory of the country. After identifying the source of the shooting, Air Force fighter jets in cooperation with the forces of Division 162 attacked and destroyed the launcher which is located near two mosques. This is further proof that Hamas places its assets near civilian facilities and infrastructure while using the population of the Strip as a human shield. AFP correspondents confirmed that sirens were heard in Tel Aviv, central Israel, for the first time in months, and explosions were heard. The rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into central Israel, including Herzliya, Raanana, and Hod Hasharon, east of Tel Aviv. A clip circulated on social media showed a crater caused by a missile fired near the town of Kfar Saba in the center of the country. The Israeli army spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said on his account on the X platform that the air defenses were able to intercept several shells. The Times of Israel said it was the first time rockets had been fired at central Israel in four months. IDF paratroopers led a divisional attack in the area of the old and new market in the heart of Jabalia, and eliminated terrorists in face-to-face battles in crowded alleys and fought with high intensity. The forces neutralized and destroyed the trapped houses and explosives, and eliminated about a hundred terrorists in dozens of battles in which the fighters strove for contact and fought with high intensity. The fighters raided the headquarters for general security of Hamas in the heart of Jabaliya, the house of the Northern Brigade of the GAP and fought in all the neighborhoods of the market in Jabaliya. The Givati Military Police has been operating in recent weeks under the 162nd Division in Rafah. The forces fought to destroy terrorist infrastructure, eliminate terrorists and destroy shafts in the area. In the last few days, more than 30 terrorists were eliminated by the forces. Last week soldiers of the Sabar Battalion raided the suspect's home as a meeting point for terrorists in the Rafah Brigade. During the raid the fighters encountered the terrorists and eliminated them. Immediately after that, the force searched the building from which the terrorists came out and located an underground weapons warehouse with many weapons. The forces of the 98th Division continue fighting in the heart of Jabalia. The 460th Israel Defense Forces raided a military warehouse located inside a school in Jablia and found dozens of rocket components and weapons, this is further proof of the cynical use of civilian infrastructure by the terrorist organization Hamas for terrorist purposes, while using the civilian population as a human shield. During the operation of the 162nd Division in the Rafah area, the fighters of the combat teams of the Givati, Nahal and 401 brigades eliminated terrorists who tried to attack our forces and located in scans of the area several shafts along with many weapons, including Kalashnikovs, RPGs, grenades and explosives. Soldiers of the 679th TDF in the 99th Division continue their operation in the center of the Gaza Strip, during which they eliminated a number of terrorists. During the last day, aircraft and fighter jets of the Air Force attacked and destroyed over 50 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip. Among the targets that were attacked were military buildings, IDF sites and warehouses, rocket launchers, observation posts, terrorist squads and other military infrastructure. During the night, two rocket launchers were attacked in the Rafah area, aimed at the Kerem Shalom area. In recent weeks, dozens of protesters have blocked aid trucks on their way to the Strip. On Route 1, 6 protesters were arrested for blocking trucks and causing damage to them, and in the Mitzpe Ramon area, 20 more were arrested for blocking the road and calling not to "deliver aid to murderers". Among other things, in an unusual incident near Givat Assaf, young people blocked a truck they suspected was on its way to Gaza. They attacked the driver, damaged the goods and blocked the road - which led to the arrest of two of them. Prime Minister Netanyahu appealed to the police through the National Security Council, demanding increased enforcement of the protesters who are blocking the aid trucks to Gaza. The message was conveyed to the police over the head of National Security Minister Ben Gabir. "The Prime Minister emphasized the political challenges facing us, including accusations by American officials, that we are not doing enough on the humanitarian issue," the letter reads. "Therefore, we must continue the flooding effort, including making sure that truck traffic continues as a series." Officials in the police, who are trusted by the minister and who are supposed to enforce the measure, realized that the transfer of aid was not a priority - which led Netanyahu to send the letter. In the confrontation between Ben Gvir and Netanyahu in the cabinet about two weeks ago, the Minister of National Security was outraged by the increased police presence in regards to securing the passage of the trucks. The Prime Minister praised the police for the arrests made, while the minister claimed that there should be a reduction in the allocation of police officers to enforce the issue. Operational Update - Judea-Samaria Soldiers of the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Security Guard arrested seven wanted men throughout Judea and Samaria tonight. In Jenin, in the Menashe Brigade, the forces worked to uncover charges buried in the area. During the operation, terrorists fired at the fighters, who responded by firing. In the area of Madama and Tel in Samaria, the forces arrested three wanted persons who had incited terrorism and in Hosan in Zion, the fighters arrested two more wanted persons. In Al-Amari, in the Binyamin Brigade, the forces arrested a wanted person suspected of terrorist activity, and in Bitonia, in the division of the brigade, a wanted person was arrested who was engaged in dumping explosives. The wanted persons who were arrested were transferred to the security forces for further treatment, there are no casualties to Israeli forces. Two children were injured by Israeli army gunfire north of Hebron . While the occupation forces withdrew from the city of Jenin and its camp after destroying infrastructure and shops, they arrested 20 Palestinians throughout the West Bank , including children and former prisoners. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that two children were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets, after occupation soldiers opened fire on them at the entrance to the Arroub camp, north of Hebron. Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the city of Jenin and its camp, after storming them at dawn today, reinforced with more than 30 military vehicles. Subsequently, clashes broke out between resistance fighters and the invading forces, during which the resistance detonated homemade explosive devices on the outskirts of Jenin camp. While the occupation forces bulldozed the camp's infrastructure and streets, the rehabilitation of which was recently completed. The " Jerusalem Brigades - Jenin Brigade " said that its fighters targeted occupation vehicles in the city of Jenin and its camp with explosive devices. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades also reported that they were engaged in fierce clashes with the occupation forces in various areas of the storming of Jenin. Palestine State TV published video clips showing the bulldozer destroying the streets of the Jenin camp and private property, including a bakery. The Israeli army withdrew - at dawn on Thursday - from the city of Jenin and its camp after a military operation that lasted about 48 hours, resulting in 12 Palestinian martyrs, including 4 children, 12 wounded, and the destruction of infrastructure. At the same time, the occupation forces arrested - last night and this morning - 20 Palestinians, including children and former prisoners, in various parts of the West Bank, including the occupied Holy City. The Prisoners' Club and the Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Authority reported - in a statement - that the arrests were distributed among the governorates of Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, and occupied Jerusalem. Thus, the number of detainees after October 7 increased to 8,875 Palestinians. In conjunction with the war on Gaza , settlers escalated their attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, and the Israeli army expanded its operations, which led in total to the death of 518 Palestinians, the injury of about 5,000 others, and the arrest of about 8,855 citizens, according to official Palestinian data. Operational Update - Lebanon Aircraft and the fire center of Division 146 detected a Hezbollah terrorist coming out of a military structure of the organization in the al-Nakura region. A short time later, a rapid closing of the circle was carried out, in which the aircraft attacked and eliminated the terrorist. In addition, two additional Hizbollah terrorists were attacked who were identified as working in the area of Aita al-Sha'ab. During the day, about 15 launches from the territory of Lebanon to the peaceful area were detected, and a number of additional launches to different areas in the north of the country, there were no casualties. IDF forces attacked the sources of the shooting. During the night, warplanes attacked a terrorist infrastructure and a number of military buildings of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the areas of al-Khyam and Aita al-Sha'ab in southern Lebanon. In addition, the IDF attacked with artillery fire in the areas of Al-Khyam, Khula, Merkaba, and Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Hezbollah published a summary of its operations carried out against the occupation army on Sunday, in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance. Hezbollah 's military media indicated that "the Islamic Resistance carried out a number of operations against the positions and deployment of the Israeli enemy army on the Lebanese-Palestinian border on Sunday, May 26, 2024, according to the following ": Eastern sector (southern Lebanon): - 08:30: Targeting the technical systems at the Al-Abad site with appropriate weapons, directly hitting and destroying them. ? - At 15:20: A building used by Israeli enemy soldiers in the Senir settlement was targeted with appropriate weapons, and it was directly hit, as a response to the enemys attacks on the steadfast southern villages and civilian homes, especially Aitaroun . - At 15:30: The Zibdin site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms was targeted with missile weapons, and it was directly hit. - At 15:30: The Ramtha site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba was targeted with missile weapons, and it was directly hit. - 18:00: The headquarters of the Habushit Barracks Battalion was targeted with a missile launcher. - At 18:20: The settlement of Kiryat Shmona Basaliya was targeted by Falaq and Katyusha rockets, in response to the Israeli enemys attacks on the steadfast southern villages, the last of which was the Hula town square and the people in it . - At 18:25: Yiftah Barracks was targeted with dozens of Katyusha rockets . - 18:30: Ramim barracks were targeted with rocket weapons and artillery shells. - 22:00: After monitoring, anticipating, and following up on the Israeli enemy forces in the Shebaa Farms and their movements in the dead of the night, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance ambushed the Merkava tank between the site of Zabdin and the site of Qafwa and targeted it while it was moving with a guided missile that hit it directly, as it was destroyed and set on fire. And its crew was killed or wounded. Western sector (southern Lebanon) - At 13:50: Al-Malikiyah site was targeted and Israeli enemy soldiers deployed in its vicinity with appropriate weapons, achieving direct hits. - At 15:00: An intense fire attack was launched with rocket weapons and artillery shells, targeting the Jal al-Alam site and a deployment of Israeli enemy soldiers in its vicinity. It achieved direct casualties and inflicted confirmed losses on them, as part of a response to the assassination carried out by the Israeli enemy in the town of Naqoura and civilian casualties . - Targeting a building used by Israeli enemy soldiers in the Avivim settlement, and also targeting buildings used by soldiers in the Margaliot colony (in the eastern sector) with appropriate weapons and causing direct casualties, as part of a response to the Israeli enemys assault on the town of Aita al-Shaab and the martyrdom of Civilians. - At 15:20: The battalion headquarters in the Liman barracks was targeted with a rocket launcher, in response to the assassination carried out by the Israeli enemy in the town of Naqoura and the wounding of civilians . - Targeting the Khirbet Maar base, its artillery positions, and the positions of Israeli enemy soldiers in its vicinity with dozens of Katyusha rockets and causing confirmed casualties, as a response to the Israeli enemys attacks on the steadfast southern villages, especially in the town of Yaron . - Targeting the spy equipment developed at the monks site with appropriate weapons and directly hitting it, which led to its destruction . Hezbollah added in a later statement: In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance, and after monitoring and anticipating the Israeli enemy forces at the Al-Malikiyah site and during the entry of vehicles into it, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted them at around 1:00 p.m. 23:30 on Sunday night with artillery shells, and they hit it directly. Operational Update - Syria / Iraq Operational Update - Yemen The Yemeni Armed Forces announced the downing of an American MQ_9 drone in the airspace of Al-Bayda Governorate, just days after a plane of the same type was shot down in the airspace of Marib Governorate, bringing the total number of aircraft of this type that were shot down during operations in support of Gaza to five aircraft. The Yemeni forces have intensified their operations against Israeli interests and the countries supporting them, as they announced earlier the implementation of three qualitative operations on three ships in the Red and Arab Seas and the Mediterranean Sea, within the framework of the fourth phase of escalation in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi announced the escalation of naval operations, and said that one of the operations was carried out towards the Mediterranean Sea, pointing out that the number of ships targeted so far has reached more than one hundred and nineteen ships linked to the Israeli entity, Britain, and the United States. This raises many questions, most notably about the implications of the Yemeni army shooting down all these advanced American marches? How is the increase in the level of Yemeni air defenses explained? What are the repercussions of these operations that led to the downing of all these marches? Will the American presence in the skies over Yemen be reduced? Have there been fewer American attacks on Yemeni territory recently? What does this mean for the military and strategic situation? Maps All maps are lies. Not only is it easy to lie with maps, it is essential, wrote cartographer Mark Monmoneir in his book How to Lie with Maps. He showed that condensing complex, three-dimensional spaces onto a two-dimensional sheet of paper [in old days] is bound to be reductive. But it is impossible to comprehend the war in Gaza without reference to maps, otherwise the entire conflict is reduced to an endless series of meaningless acts of random violence and the suffering of civilians. The first characteristic of guerrilla warfare is the loss of a front line. Evidently, different mappers have different ideas of how to depict the war in Gaza, notably those that seek to depict Israeli progress in the ground campaign. Part of the problem is latency. The news that forms the basis of the maps takes time to filter out to mappers, and the cartographers take time in crafting their maps, and it takes time to curate them. These processes are uneven among mappers, so their maps may differ in detail. Probably there is some ideological bias, or at least thematic apperception, which is understandable in wartime. It may come as no surprise that al-Jazeera maps depict rather less Israeli territorial progress than other sources. Finally, there remains the epistemological question of just exactly what are the colored in areas depicting. Naively, this might be understood as areas of Israeli control, that are no longer contested by the HAMAS. Or possibly these are areas of Israeli presence, in many of which the possibility of an RPG-wielding HAMAS militant popping out of a tunnel unexpectedly remains a live possibility. With the "zero-range" combat characterized by small unit tactics on both sides, maps may be prey to a fallacy of misplaced concreteness. Bystanders While relief organizations are sounding the alarm about what is happening in Gaza due to the siege imposed on its residents and the lack of supplies of food and medicine, extremist Israelis attack the few trucks trying to reach the Strip. Several weeks ago, extremist Israelis expanded their attacks on aid trucks passing through the West Bank. Groups of young settlers track relief convoys, set up checkpoints, and question drivers. Far-right attackers looted and burned trucks and beat Palestinian drivers, leading to at least two being taken to the hospital, according to the Washington Post. The newspaper said that these acts of violence and vandalism, which are committed with almost complete impunity, raise questions about the extent of the willingness of the Israeli security forces to restrain extremist settlers and protect the Palestinians. These actions also challenge the Israeli governments claim that it is doing everything in its power to ensure the flow of aid to Gaza, according to the newspaper, which notes that the humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated since the Israeli army forces incursion into the southern city of Rafah. Young Israelis formed troops that determined who could and could not pass on the main roads in the West Bank, while trucks carrying food to the Strip became vulnerable to attacks. The attackers use a network of publicly accessible WhatsApp groups to track trucks and coordinate attacks. Taking advantage of what they say are "tips" from Israeli soldiers and police, as well as the public, members sift through photos to identify vehicles that might be carrying aid to Gaza and mobilize local supporters to stop them. An attack that occurred last Thursday on one of the shipments showed the system at work, according to a Washington Post report, as users in a WhatsApp group that includes more than 800 members began posting about a truck loaded with sugar, and sharing photos from the road as they followed it. One of the group's participants, De Presser, wrote: "The truck supplying Hamas stopped in front of Eviatar!" In reference to an Israeli settlement site south of the Palestinian city of Nablus. De Presser is one of the leaders of the We Will Not Forget movement, which set up protest camps at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza earlier this year, and runs several WhatsApp groups targeting aid trucks. De Presser concluded his letter by saying, Come and join the siege! Indeed, the truck was attacked, and its cargo was scattered along the road, according to the photos published by the group later. It was one of the two sugar trucks that the settlers vandalized that day. De Presser said the bill of lading - which did not show the destination - proved that the truck was headed to Gaza. Fahd Arar, the owner of the shipment, said that the 30 tons of sugar was actually headed to the Palestinian city of Salfit in the West Bank. He added that the driver escaped unharmed, but the Israeli army did not allow him to reload the goods. Instead, the soldiers removed the bags with a bulldozer, said Arar, who estimated his losses at about $30,000. The attack happened in front of the army, he said, adding that the driver said the soldiers did nothing to stop it. Under pressure from the United States, Israel opened the Tarqumiya crossing in the West Bank earlier this month to aid trucks heading to Gaza from Jordan and Palestinian companies that export food. The roads leading to the crossing pass through Israeli settlement outposts on hilltops, where settler violence against Palestinians has escalated dramatically in recent months. The administration of US President Joe Biden is considering imposing sanctions on those involved in the attacks, according to a senior US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Humanitarian groups say Gaza is experiencing its darkest hours after nearly eight months of war. The United Nations says that more than a million Palestinians were displaced this month after Israel began its attack on Rafah and closed the most important land crossings in the Strip to aid. The World Food Program recently said the northern part of the region was already suffering from "massive famine," and relief officials warned it was spreading south. The opening of the Tarqumiya crossing on May 13 was part of efforts to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, but one of the first convoys coming from Jordan was immediately assaulted by Israeli demonstrators, who threw food boxes on the ground and trampled on them. Several trucks were burned. We have never called on people to take the law into their own hands, said Rachel Tuito, spokeswoman for Tzav 9, which has hundreds of members, including settlers and demobilized reservists, and has been actively blocking aid trucks since January. The group halted its activities after the May 13 incident, but Tweto said efforts will continue because it is in the "DNA of Tzav 9." For his part, De Presser denied that his group was responsible for burning the trucks but said he could not condemn the violence. Instead, he said, "I am happy for every truck that does not enter Gaza, and I am also happy to see it catch fire." The Guardian newspaper revealed in a previous issue that some members of the Israeli security forces are informing far-right activists and settlers of the location of aid trucks transporting vital supplies to Gaza, enabling the groups to prevent and sabotage the convoys, according to multiple sources. A spokesman for the main Israeli activist group behind the blockade told the British newspaper that settlers intercepting vital humanitarian supplies to the Strip receive information about the location of aid trucks from Israeli police and military personnel. The allegation of collusion by members of the security forces is supported by messages from internal online chat groups reviewed by The Guardian as well as accounts from a number of witnesses and human rights activists. Those who intercept the vehicles say the aid they carry is being diverted by Hamas rather than delivered to civilians in need, a claim that aid agencies have denied on several occasions. US officials also said that Israel has provided no evidence to support allegations that Hamas is diverting aid. The newspaper also quoted Tuito as saying, Yes, some of our information comes from members of the Israeli forces. Yazid Al-Zoubi (26 years old), a Palestinian truck driver who was attacked at the Tarqumiya checkpoint, said that there is full cooperation between the settlers and the army. We are shocked that the army did not provide us with any kind of protection, even though they were present and watching what was happening...the army was at the service of the settlers. Two soldiers from the Israeli Home Front Command refused an order to evacuate the demonstrators who intercepted aid trucks in the Makhach area, according to the Israeli army. The Israeli national broadcaster Kan reported that one of them was sentenced to 20 days in prison. An IDF spokesman said: A reserve fighter refused to carry out a law enforcement mission in an area that was defined as a closed military zone, and as a result was subjected to disciplinary measures accordingly. This is an incident that does not correspond to what is expected of IDF soldiers while carrying out their mission. Axis of Resistance Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed his countrys commitment to the promotion of relations with Iran after the passing away of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. In a telephone conversation with Irans caretaker foreign minister, Lavrov underlined Russias determination to pursue and bolster relations with Iran. For his part, Ali Baqeri noted that multilateralism and strengthening international relations is a strategic choice of Iran and Russia to shape a just world, the ministrys website reported. The two diplomats further discussed the ways to promote multilateral cooperation and stressed the need to strengthen bilateral relations. Acting President of Iran Mohammad Mokhber gave an assurance that Tehrans backing for Palestinian resistance groups would by no means falter after the loss of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. In a telephone conversation with Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad movement Ziad al-Nakhala on Saturday, Mokhber highlighted the late Iranian president and foreign ministers concerns about the Palestinian peoples rights and resistance. The Islamic Republic of Irans fundamental strategy of supporting the resistance current, particularly the Palestinian resistance groups, would not change with a change of individuals, the acting president said. Mokhber described resistance as the most effective strategy for countering the Zionist regimes crimes and acts of aggression. The acting president also hailed Irans retaliatory True Promise operation against the Israeli military targets as an outcome of the resistance current that humiliated the US and the Zionist regime. Allied for Democracy Netanyahu's son, Yair, published the clip of a soldier threatening not to listen to the orders of military commanders in the Israeli army and to follow the instructions of the Prime Minister alone. The video clip included what he said was an Israeli reserve soldier threatening to reject orders and disobey if the war ended with the Gaza Strip being handed over to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority. The soldier , who appeared masked in the clip and wearing the Israeli army uniform, threatened collective disobedience to the reserve soldiers, according to what was reported by the newspaper "Haaretz." We will show you how the real Jews win, says the masked man, threatening the Israeli Defense Minister and the Israeli Army Commander. If the Gaza war ends under the rule of Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, 100,000 Israeli reserve soldiers will refuse to obey orders. The soldier, who appears in the video armed, says, "We will listen to one commander. He is not the Minister of Defense or the Chief of Staff, he is the Prime Minister." The man said: I tell you, Mr. Yoav Gallant, if we do not continue until victory, 100,000 reserve soldiers will remain on the fence and we will invite the residents of the State of Israel to come to Gaza under our protection. The soldier threatened the army leadership with a "military coup" and said, "Either you change your tone and realize that we want victory, or we will only follow the Prime Minister." He added, "Do you want a military coup? We are reservists who cannot return to our homes. We will show you what surrender and victory are, and we will show you how real Jews win." The video has been viewed tens of thousands of times since Netanyahu's son, Yair, shared it, according to Haaretz. The video was filmed in what appears to be an abandoned building, with Hebrew writings on the wall behind it. In the video, the speaker addresses Prime Minister Netanyahu and says: We reservists do not intend to hand over the keys of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Fatah, or another Arab entity. The Israeli army did not confirm whether the man in the video was a soldier, but said that the military police had opened an investigation into the incident. Due to the seriousness of the incident, the Chief of Staff held an urgent command meeting in conjunction with the investigation opened by the military police, according to an Israeli army spokesman. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced any form of military disobedience after his son, Yair, published the clip of a soldier threatening not to listen to the orders of military commanders in the Israeli army and to follow the instructions of the Prime Minister alone. Netanyahu's office denounced in a statement "any idea of disobeying the soldiers," according to what was reported by the " Israel Hayom " newspaper. The office's statement confirmed that Netanyahu "repeatedly warned of the dangers of disobedience and any leniency towards it." He added, "The Prime Minister is firm on this position. He categorically rejects any manifestation of disobedience by anyone, and expects all systems to deal with him on an equal footing." The Israeli Minister and member of the War Council, Benny Gantz, had asked Netanyahu to denounce the video. In the IDF, as an army of the people, soldiers serve from all parts of Israeli society, with a variety of viewpoints and beliefs, Gantz said. He added, "But there is only one senior leadership level: the chief of staff. Expressing support for the call to rebellion in wartime and in general, as in the video published yesterday, harms Israel's security." He called on "the Prime Minister to clearly and strictly condemn the insurrection video, and not hide behind the laundering of words. This is what the entire leadership in Israel must do." The man's statements in the video, along with its publication by Yair Netanyahu, may constitute criminal offenses for spreading sedition, which is punishable by up to five years in prison. The IDF Spokesperson's Office said, "The behavior recorded in the video is a serious violation of the IDF's orders and values, and may constitute a criminal offense." The Israeli army said it was able to identify the soldier who appeared in a video clip, masked and armed, and called for a mutiny against Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper explained that the suspect will be investigated later, and verified if he is the alleged soldier who appeared in the video. The Israeli army terminated the service of the soldier who appeared in a video and called for rebellion against the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff. Israeli Army Radio reported on Sunday that the suspect appearing in the "rebellion video" was released at the end of his police investigation "under restricted conditions." The newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" indicated that "the reservist who appeared in the video of the mutiny this morning (Sunday) was interrogated in the Israeli Defense Forces under a warning, and according to the initial suspicion that emerged from his investigation, he did not film the video in Gaza, but in... A deserted place in the middle of the country. It indicated that the Israeli army decided, at the end of its investigation, to terminate his reserve service. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation "Kan" reported that "the suspect who appeared in the video of the insurrection investigated by the Ministry of Defense is an activist in the Likud Party and owns a company in Herzliya," noting that "the suspect was investigated by the Ministry of Defense." It quoted a military official as saying, "The suspect was apparently in reserve." The leader of the opposition in the Israeli occupation government, Yair Lapid, said that the video of the masked soldier that called for an uprise against Security Minister Yoav Gallant and Chief of Staff HJerzi Halevi was not a coincidence, affirming that Benjamin Netanyahu's son, Yair Netanyahu, and his close associate, journalist Yinon Magal, were the ones who published it. According to Lapid, this indicates that the Prime Minister's office deliberately published the video, which signifies an open call for chaos. Israel is witnessing increasing polarization between right-wing politicians and military and security leaders, against the backdrop of political competition over the leadership of the state and determining its paths, and the two sides differing views on local and global politics. This polarization contributes to a decline in the Israeli publics confidence in the military institution (the army), as some opinion polls show, and the ongoing war in Gaza has contributed to increasing the intensity of this polarization and reaching an unprecedented level of public bickering between the two parties. This appeared in the press conference of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant on May 15, 2024, in which he openly opposed Benjamin Netanyahus post-war trends regarding Gaza, saying that he would oppose any Israeli military rule of the Strip, because it would be bloody, costly, and would last for years, which was met with angry responses. From both the Prime Minister and right-wing ministers such as Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich . The historical internal rift constitutes an essential part of this crisis, while the Israeli-American disagreement over dealing with the war contributes to encouraging Netanyahus opponents to escalate to this level. In this regard, a research paper by American political science professor Guy Ziff, published in the Spring 2024 issue of Political Science Quarterly, dealt with the state of civil-military relations in the occupying state, and the roots of intellectual and political disparity dating back to an early period of the states emergence. The research was based on content analysis of a variety of media outlets, such as Israeli newspapers, news agencies, and wired and wireless services, in addition to conducting personal interviews with experts in Israeli democracy, as well as opinion poll data. The research paper points out the central role of the army in Israeli politics, and its tight grip on Israels strategic thinking and diplomatic activity, due to its victories in the wars ( 1948 , 1956 , 1967 ), and that civilian oversight of the Israeli army was not strong at all. Although the Israeli National Security Council was established in 1999 as a coordinating body, similar to its counterpart in the United States, attached to the Prime Minister and the government and charged with issuing assessments and recommendations regarding national security policy, it had little influence, while the armys Planning Directorate continued to dominate planning. Strategic. On the opposite and slow path, the setbacks that the army was exposed to, such as the 1973 war, contributed to the shaking of confidence in it and the distortion of its reputation, which continued in subsequent wars in which it was unable to achieve a decisive result, such as the invasion of Lebanon and the occupation of its south, which turned into Israeli Vietnam leading to withdrawal from the year 2000. It was also unable to achieve a decisive result in the Lebanon War in 2006, its withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, then Hamass control of it and firing rockets from it, and the armys inability to achieve a resolution in the wars of 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021. The armys adoption of the draft peace settlement agreement, leading to the signing of the Oslo Accords, and then the failure of this path also played a role in directing popular and elite blame towards it. In another motive for civil-military polarization, there is a tradition in which army leaders enter politics after their retirement, and compete to reach the prime ministership in the occupying state, in what researcher Guy describes as senior officers parachuting into politics after retirement. In this we find that 19 of the 23 chiefs of staff of the army entered politics, and 3 of the 13 prime ministers of the occupying state, namely Yitzhak Rabin , Ehud Barak , and Ariel Sharon , were retired generals, and Rabin and Barak were chiefs of staff of the army. This tradition makes current and retired leaders potential opponents to other non-military politicians, especially populist nationalists, which prompts the exchange of criticism and early mobilization for future political competition, which contributes to delegitimizing army leaders and portraying them as a leftist elite isolated from society and its interests, as the right is accustomed to describing them. Indeed, army generals show a tendency to form centrist or center-left parties, according to the researcher, which makes them traditional competitors to the right and the extreme right. Perhaps this is due to the armys historical tendency toward secularism, and the dominance of a practical, pragmatic approach to its work. While this was stable in the army, religious people worked to change it following the defeat of 1973, which they saw as resulting from the unwillingness of non-religious officers and soldiers to sacrifice. To change the composition of the army, the religious path was opened for entry through the Yeshivot Hesder, which are theological institutes that combined the study of the Torah in a religious school with military service, and the Mishinot, which are pre-military academies that aim to prepare religious conscripts before their service. Currently, about half of National Religious men of military age join one of the dozens of "Hesvot Hesder" or "Mishinot," while the current Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevy , is the first religious Chief of Staff of the army since its founding. Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy expresses his concern about the possibility of the army disintegrating if the judiciary reform plan is approved. While populist leaders around the world resort to politicizing the army to impose their control over society, the situation in the occupying state is the opposite, as they resort to limiting the influence of the army to be able to impose their political agenda. Gay outlines the basic features that characterize the populist radical right: a combination of nationalism and xenophobia with the belief that states should be inhabited exclusively by members of the nation, in which foreign elements are seen as a threat to the homogeneous nation, and a belief in a strictly regulated society, where any violation is punished. The rulings of authority are severe. Thus, Israeli populist nationalism excludes individuals who are not of Jewish ethnicity, such as Palestinians, and grants the Jewish people the exclusive right to the occupying state, including the territories occupied after 1967, while seeking to expand the scope of Jewish law Halakha, which would transform The state became a "Jewish theocracy." Populism in the Israeli context views the media, civil society, universities, and especially the judiciary, as institutions controlled by powerful left-wing elite groups that manipulate the rest of society according to their narrow interests. After Netanyahu's election as prime minister in May 1996, the generals' influence on government policy was sharply reduced. He viewed them with suspicion and considered them leftists pushing Israel to make sweeping concessions as part of the peace process, which he did not embrace throughout his period as prime minister. Also, Netanyahu often marginalized the security establishment in the decision-making process, preferring instead to rely on those loyal to his party. Gay dates the start of the most severe wave of this polarization with the humiliating loss suffered by Netanyahu in the 1999 elections, influenced by the harsh criticism from the Center Party, which was co-led by former Israeli army chief of staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, in addition to the attacks launched by the leader of the Labor Party, Ehud. Barak, himself a former head of the Israeli army. The conclusion that Netanyahu reached, after his turbulent first term and his re-election defeat, was clear and unequivocal: The generals represent the greatest obstacle to his political career. This strengthened his conviction of the necessity of curtailing the political role of the army, and even all non-elected institutions, such as the judiciary and the media, a path that has been contributing to shaping Israeli internal policy for at least two decades. In this context, Netanyahu coordinated the submission of the so-called Halutz draft law, which was named after the then Israeli army chief of staff, Dan Halutz, as it was expected that he would run for prime minister upon retirement in 2007, as the law increased the interval between the retirement of senior citizens. Defense officials and their entry into politics become 3 years instead of 6 months. Supporters of the law claimed that a longer lag period was needed to prevent a conflict of interest between an individual's military activity and his or her political activity. On the surface, this could be seen as a measure that depoliticizes the military, and even promotes democracy by strengthening civilian control over the military, but the real goal was to discourage the tendency of retired generals to run for office, and if they did, they would have lost their luster, due to having been outside the military for 3 years. The Netanyahu era has also witnessed an exclusionary form of populism, with an us versus them approach, which distinguishes the average Israeli from the Arab, elite, and left groups that are seen as threatening the common us. Netanyahu has resorted to a strategy of manipulating fears. People, their anxieties and prejudices, for political purposes. During the years of President Donald Trump and beyond, Netanyahus war with the media adopted the rhetoric used by his friend in the White House. For example, he adopted terms like fake news and witch hunt to describe the medias hostility toward him and his family. Social media has also emerged as the primary battleground in Netanyahu's war against his critics, and here, too, he has adopted Trump's tactics. Netanyahu's eldest son, Yair, has been a key unofficial advisor to his father and particularly influential in his father's online strategy. In 2019, an unprecedented political development occurred when 3 former Israeli army leaders (Gantz, Yaalon and Gabi Ashkenazi) joined one political party in 3 attempts to oust Netanyahu. After an inconclusive fourth election, held on March 23, 2021, the Change Government, which included Benny Gantz as Defense Minister, replaced the government of Netanyahu, who became head of the opposition before returning to the premiership after the November 2022 elections. During this short period, a total of 5 former heads of the Israeli army (Gantz, Ashkenazi, Yaalon, and Barak) in the September 2019 elections, and Gadi Eisenkot in the November 2022 elections - entered the political arena with the aim of sending Netanyahu into retirement. This long political confrontation, with its continuous attacks by nationalist populist politicians, contributed to the accelerated erosion of public confidence in state institutions, including the Israeli army. The Israel Democracy Institute found that over a decade, trust in all eight state institutions it surveys annually among the Israeli public (the army, the presidency, the Supreme Court, the police, the government, the media, the Knesset, the government and political parties) has declined. It decreased from 61% in 2012 to 33% in 2022. An institute poll in October 2021 showed that about 78% of the public trusts the Israeli army, the lowest number since 2008. Although the army remains the most trusted state institution, ongoing populist attacks on all state institutions threaten to further erode His position in Israeli society. The attack of October 7, 2023, and the armys failure to predict and confront it, came as an unprecedented blow that exacerbated the crisis of the Israeli publics confidence in its army, and this matter was reinforced by the level of criticism and accusations directed at its leaders by right-wing ministers in Netanyahus government. This unprecedented level of polarization indicates a strategic and tactical difference regarding the war in the Gaza Strip, in terms of deciding the direction on the day after the war. What fuels this polarization is the American position critical of Netanyahu and his governments failure to present a vision for resolving the war that is appropriate for American policy in the region. In addition, there are opinion polls that give former generals Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot , and Israeli Defense Minister Gallant hope for a better political future if Netanyahu is ousted and early elections are held, which the latter is resisting in various ways, including prolonging the war and preparing to expand it regionally. Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers 1,900,000 IDPs in Gaza 80,420 Gazans injured, 28% adult male 70,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza 70,000 Gaza housing units completely destroyed 70,000 Israeli IDPs from Lebanon border 45,000 bombs dropped in Gaza 45,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble 35,984 Gazans martyred 33,000 Gaza targets attacked 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024] 15,140 Israelis injured [i24 TV] 15,000 terror operatives killed in Gaza [Israeli officials] 15,000 rockets launched from Gaza 14,520 Gazan children martyred 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [N12] 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [IDF] 11,000 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank in 2023 10,000 Gazans missing under the rubble 9,920 Gazan women martyred 9,400 Palestinians in Israeli prisons 9,000 IDF needing psychological assistance 8,875 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th 7,209 IDF injured admitted to rehabilitation [IDF] 6,800 IDF officers and soldiers injured [Channel 12] 6,000 HAMAS combatants killed [HAMAS] 5,500 IDF wounded [reports] 5,000 West Bank Palestinians wounded 4,700 sites targetted in Lebanon 3,850 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria 3,600 administrative detainees 3,188 IDF wounded [IDF] 2,100 Gazan women are missing 1,609 terrorists killed on the first day 1,650 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria affiliated with Hamas 1,160 Israelis killed on the first day 635 Israeli officers and soldiers killed since the start of the war 518 West Bank Palestinians martyred 364 people [including fighters] killed in Lebanon 283 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza 240 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers 86 living hostages in Palestinian custody 70 civilians killed in Lebanon 39 dead hostages in Palestinian custody 29 IDF deaths were caused by "friendly fire" 15 Israelis killed in the West Bank and Israel Not every number is reported every day, so sudden jumps generally reflect reporting artifacts rather than actual upticks. Many of these numbers fluctate, up and down, with no apparent explanation. This list records the highest number reliably reported for each matter, under the theory that reality with catch up with reports, as is relentlessly the case. Some reports claimed that the UN cut in half its earlier estimates of women and children killed in Gaza. Initially, they reported 9,500 women and 14,500 children killed, but later revised it to 4,959 women and 7,797 children on 08 May 2024. The UN acknowledged its inability to independently verify casualty figures. The seeming discrepancy is that HAMAS had about 10K KIA bodies on hand for which they do not have positive ID. It is possible to report the gender and approximate age [ie, juvenile] without knowing the name of the deceased. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 26 May 2024 - Day 823 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 Russian forces are continuing to attack the town of Vovchansk as part of their offensive into northern Kharkiv, which began on 10 May 2024. The town remains contested, with defending Ukrainian forces repelling the majority of Russian assaults. With the village of Buhruvatka, west-south-west of Vovchansk, likely under their control, Russian forces are attempting to achieve physical control of the nearby crossing over the Siverskiy Donets river, thereby threatening the flank and rear of defending Ukrainian forces in Vovchansk itself. On the Luk'yantsi axis, Russian forces continue to launch attacks in the direction of the village of Lyptsi but had made no significant progress according to the Ukrainian General Staff as of the evening of 22 May 2024. On 17 May 2024, President Putin stated that Russian forces were creating a buffer or safety zone in Kharkiv, this has currently not succeeded. The northern Kharkiv front has likely stabilised with Russian territorial control fragmented and not joined up. Russia's gains in this axis will be limited in the coming week, as Russia's initial momentum has been contained by Ukrainian resistance. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that since the beginning of the day, 95 combat clashes have taken place. The hottest remains the situation in the Kupians komu and Pokrovsky directions. More than half of all today's fights took place there. Russian aggressor tries to use advantage in live force and technology and support from the air. Ukrainian soldiers give battle to the Russian enemy, and in individual directions - carry out effective assault actions themselves to improve defense resilience and restore positions. This day, the Air Force and missile troops and artillery hit 16 areas of the Russian occupiers' live force concentration. During the day, the Russian occupiers launched on the territory of Ukraine four missile strikes with the use of 14 missiles and 46 air strikes of the 69-ma kabama, applied 311 kamikadze drones. More than 2,600 shelling were carried out on the positions of our troops and settlements using different types of weapons. 12 combat clashes took place in the Kharkiv direction. 10 attacks were struck in the areas of the villages of Liptsi and Ternova, fighting in the areas of Vovchansk and Starica are ongoing. The situation is under control. A loss of positions is not allowed. Killed and injured 118 people - stacked the losses of zagarbnikiv for the current day. Ukrainian soldiers destroyed two tanks, seven BPLAs, eight cars, four units of special equipment. Damaged four artsistemi and three cars. In addition, our defenders continue to destroy the Russian shelter - as of today, eight of them have ceased to exist. In the Kupans komu direction, the opponent 22 times tried to push our units out of occupied positions. The fighting took place in particular in the areas of settlements Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Novoyegorivka, Druzhelyubivka, Grekivka and Nevsk. Currently, fighting near Petropavlivka, Berestovogo and Novoegorivka continue. The situation is under control. Russian forces lost 69 people for today in the Kupians komu direction. Destroyed the Russian PPO and two cannons, another artsistemu damaged. In the Lyman direction, three Russian attempts to move forward were rebuked. The fight is ongoing in the Terniv area. In the kramators komu direction of the Russian opponent's attack was repelled near ivanivka. Another combat encounter is underway in the Andriyivka area. The situation is under control by our units. On the Pokrovsky direction during the day, Russian occupiers continued to try to invade Ukrainian defense from the area of the settlement of Ocheretyne - four attacks are ongoing. There are also fights near Sokol and Umansky. In total, 31 combat encounters took place in the direction. In some areas, Russian forces had partial success. Ukrainian defenders are taking active measures to stabilize the situation. In the rest of the directions of significant changes, the situation has not experienced. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that Russian troops hit the 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade and 125th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Liptsy, Volchansk, and Russkie Tishki (Kharkov region). One counterattack by an assault group of the 13th National Guard Brigade has been repelled near Glubokoye (Kharkov region). The enemy losses were up to 300 servicemen, four motor vehicles, one Grad MLRS combat vehicle, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer. As a result of successful combat operations, units of the Zapad Group of Forces have liberated Berestovoye (Kharkov region). The 77th AFU Airmobile Brigade's formations have been defeated near Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic). The AFU losses were up to 285 servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 howitzer. The units of the Yug Group of Forces have occupied more advantageous lines and defeated manpower and hardware of 54th mechanised and 79th air assault brigades of the AFU near Seversk and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 480 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, and two 122-mm D-30 howitzers. Five ammunition depots of the AFU have been destroyed. As a result of successful combat operations, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have improved the tactical situation and defeated formations of 47th mechanised, 25th airborne brigades, and the 109th Territorial Defence Brigade of the AFU near Yevgenovka, Rozovka, and Novgorodskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). Russian troops have repelled one counterattack by an assault group of the 144th Infantry Brigade of the AFU near Novoaleksandrovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 355 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, as well as one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, and two motor vehicles. During counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-made 155-mm M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, and four 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems. The units of the Vostok Group of Forces have occupied more favourable lines and defeated manpower and hardware of the 128th Territorial Defence Brigade and the 21st National Guard Brigade close to Prechistovka and Makarovka (Donetsk People's Republic). One counterattack by an assault group of the 72nd Mechanised Brigade of the AFU have been repelled near Vladimirovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses were up to 130 servicemen, three motor vehicles, one Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and one 152-mm D-20 howitzer. The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have defeated manpower and hardware of the 65th Mechanised Brigade and the 35th Marine Brigade near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region) and Tyaginka (Kherson region). The enemy losses were up to 40 servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, and four motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare, two U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 howitzer. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have struck two ammunition depots of the AFU, as well as engaged manpower and hardware clusters in 128 areas. Air defence facilities have shot down five U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, 32 U.S.-made HIMARS and Czech-made Vampire projectiles, one Neptun anti-ship missile, and 41 unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, 603 airplanes and 274 helicopters, 24,656 unmanned aerial vehicles, 524 air defence missile systems, 16,166 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,314 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 9,860 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 22,007 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cyber-terrorism poses biggest danger among new terrorist risks: Kyrgyz president People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 16:03, May 25, 2024 BISHKEK, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has said that cybercrime and cyber-terrorism pose the greatest danger among new terrorist risks and threats, the press service of the Kyrgyz president reported. "No country in the world is able to cope with the threat of terrorism alone. It should be noted that new terrorist risks and threats have recently emerged, with cybercrime and cyber-terrorism posing the greatest danger," the Kyrgyz leader emphasized. Japarov made the remarks during a meeting held on Friday within the framework of the 54th meeting of the Council of Heads of Security Bodies and Special Services of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Bishkek. During the meeting, Japarov noted the most acute problem of terrorism and extremism in the security sphere, emphasizing that Kyrgyzstan strongly condemns terrorism in any form of its manifestation. Alexander Bortnikov, director of Russia's Federal Security Service, who chaired the meeting, said that the main attention is expected to be paid to the development of unified approaches to the assessment of the CIS countries' security threats and to the enhancement of the efficiency of cooperation between special services to neutralize them. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Zealand Spends $113 Million to Use US Military Satellites - Reports Sputnik News 20240526 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - New Zealand has spent $113 million since 2012 to help build and use the US military's satellite network, with an annual operating fee of about $1 million, the RNZ broadcaster has reported, citing government documents. In 2012, New Zealand spent $83 million to gain access to a network of 10 satellites built by Boeing and managed by the US Department of Defense, which it has used for 12 years, the report released on Saturday said. New Zealand also said it would allocate $15 million to launch two more satellites to expand the network, the broadcaster reported. Commenting on the document, the RNZ reported that the New Zealand defense force was looking to expand its moderate space capabilities and is interested in more ground-based space infrastructure at a time of rapid growth for the country's commercial space operators. The New Zealand Defense Ministry told the broadcaster that its updated Defense Capability Plan will include all indicative space-related investments up to 2040. The new plan will be presented to the defense minister in June. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Equatorial Guinea president kicks off visit to China, expanding new cooperation fields Global Times Treating each other as equals, win-win partners makes ties 'a fine example of South-South cooperation' By GT staff reporters Published: May 26, 2024 08:41 PM As President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo kicked off his visit to China on Sunday, Chinese experts said his visit aims to consolidate cooperation in traditional fields and also expand bilateral collaboration to new fields so as to diversify the African country's economy and enhance its industrial capacity. China's partnership with Equatorial Guinea is being hailed as a model for South-South cooperation, with experts pointing to the mutually beneficial nature of the relationship. Unlike some Western countries, which have been criticized for their condescending attitudes toward developing nations, China and Equatorial Guinea are seen as treating each other as equals in their dealings. At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Obiang will pay a state visit to China from May 26 to 31, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Thursday. President Obiang is a long-standing friend of the Chinese people. During the visit, President Xi will hold a welcome ceremony and a welcome banquet for him. They will then hold talks and attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents together. Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of National People's Congress Standing Committee, will meet with him respectively. President Obiang will also visit East China's Shandong Province, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday. Since taking office as president of Equatorial Guinea in 1982, Obiang has visited China 10 times, the most recent visit being in 2018 to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Xinhua reported. "China has supported Equatorial Guinea in many fields, both economic and technical. Equatorial Guinea is satisfied with the support we receive from the People's Republic of China. You could even say that part of the transformation of Equatorial Guinea is precisely due to the economic support from the Chinese government," Obiang told Xinhua in an interview published on Wednesday. Equatorial Guinea hopes that China will assist in its economic diversification, continue technology transfers and increase support for talent training to help the country lay a solid foundation for independent development, he said. China's current cooperation with Equatorial Guinea mainly focuses on infrastructure, technological cooperation, and other related areas, Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday. He noted that China has supported Equatorial Guinea in constructing various infrastructure projects and providing technological cooperation to enhance their independent development capabilities. In the future, China will work toward promoting industrialization in Equatorial Guinea, as the resource-rich country is in urgent need of diversifying its economic development and industrialization. Therefore, China will continue to encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Equatorial Guinea and set up factories to support its industrial development capabilities, said Song. When he met with Obiang in 2018 in Beijing, Xi said the China-Equatorial Guinea friendship had become increasingly solid with the passage of time, calling it "a fine example of South-South cooperation" and describing the two countries as reliable partners and brothers who had jointly injected new vitality into their comprehensive cooperative partnership. One of the important reasons for China-Equatorial Guinea friendship being a fine example of South-South cooperation is that our relationship has always been based on equality, said Song. Song noted that China has never viewed its cooperation with Equatorial Guinea as a one-sided gift. When supporting the development of Equatorial Guinea, China also benefits by promoting the development of its own enterprises and seizing market opportunities in this African country. This kind of mutually beneficial cooperation is sustainable and ensures mutual benefits for both countries. In recent years, some Western countries, the most prominent among them being the US, have become envious of China's booming collaboration with African countries. US officials previously claimed that China is going to open a military base in Equatorial Guinea. However, Washington Post cited a national security official as saying in February this year that Washington has seen no signs of military construction at a Chinese-built, deep-water commercial port in the city of Bata. A tactic frequently adopted by US politicians to hype China's cooperation with African countries is to demonize such cooperation as a Chinese attempt to expand its powers and hype the so-called China threat rhetoric, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday. He noted that such moves reflected the US' unwillingness to deepen ties with African countries. US media also reported in 2022 that over the past year, the Biden administration had dispatched a stream of high-level officials to Equatorial Guinea, in a quiet campaign to convince it to start shedding its ties to China. Song noted that because of its important geological location, Equatorial Guinea has become of significant strategic value to the US, which is why Washington wants to cozy up to this African country. The fundamental difference between China and the US in cooperating with Africa is that China truly sees Africa as a potential partner for cooperation and mutual benefit, rather than engaging in ideological competition or geopolitical games for influence in Africa, as the US does, said Song. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Austin's hope for post-medical treatment meeting with China highlights significance of China-US defense chiefs' talks Global Times By Li Aixin Published: May 26, 2024 06:53 PM Despite having undergone a medical procedure very recently, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is planning to meet bilaterally with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun during the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major regional annual defense and security forum that will take place in Singapore from May 31 to June 2. Austin's decision to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue shortly after his hospital treatment raises the significance, attention and news buzz of the possible meeting between the defense ministers of China and the US, Lieutenant General He Lei, former vice president of the Academy of Military Sciences of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), told the Global Times on Sunday. On Friday, Austin was transferred to the intensive care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, underwent nonsurgical procedure for complications related to his surgery in January, and temporarily transferred power to his deputy. Later the same day, Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement that Austin had resumed his duties and "no changes in his official schedule are anticipated at this time," the AP reported on Saturday. The medical treatment comes on the same day the Pentagon announced Austin's plan to meet his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun. Communication in defense matters is crucial for both sides to manage mutual differences, but China looks forward to witnessing greater sincerity from the US side regarding China's core interests and security concerns, rather than engaging in dialogue for dialogue's sake, or in other words, merely for a political show, experts said. Military-to-military communications between China and the US had been frozen since former US house speaker Nancy Pelosi's sneaky and provocative visit to Taiwan island in 2022, and started to recover since the summit meeting between Chinese and US heads of state in San Francisco in November in 2023. The possible meeting in Singapore will be the first in-person dialogue between Dong and Austin, following their video call in April. The Pentagon has not provided further details on the Austin-Dong meeting. As of press time, the Chinese side has not yet released an announcement on the matter. However, mainstream Western media outlets have already linked the potential dialogue to the just-concluded military exercises that the PLA conducted around Taiwan island, hinting that the Taiwan question is likely to be a key focus of their discussions. Given past experience and media hype, it is reasonable to be concerned that the US is not seeking dialogue to resolve differences or problems but rather to steer them according to the US playbook, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday. As a result, China will undoubtedly reiterate its red lines, should the meeting take place. For instance, China will express its expectation for the US to implement US president Joe Biden's words, especially those regarding the Taiwan question and the South China Sea affairs - the US does not seek to revitalize its alliances against China, does not support "Taiwan independence" - said during the summit meeting in San Francisco last November, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday. If the meeting between the two defense ministers takes place, it is hoped that the US side will demonstrate genuine sincerity and trustworthiness, translating the important consensus reached by the two countries' leaders into tangible actions and making convincing contributions to turning the San Francisco vision into reality, He Lei said. He Lei noted that it is hoped that the talks will enhance strategic mutual trust between the Chinese and American militaries, prevent misjudgments, and play a constructive role in effectively managing differences between the two sides. It is also expected that, through the dialogue of defense chiefs, China and the US will fulfill their duty and obligation as responsible major powers' militaries in contributing to regional and global peace and stability. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Researchers grapple with the tightened data landscape in China Creativity can make up for lost access, but some gaps can't be filled. By Han Chen for RFA 2024.05.26 -- Until two years ago, Peter Irwin, a Washington D.C.-based researcher, was able to access Chinese court data to track the number of Uyghurs being sentenced to prison. But amid the international outcry over Beijing's oppressive policies in Xinjiang, the local court stopped publishing such data. Irwin was undeterred and pivoted his focus. It was a gradual process, he said, but he and his organization, the Uyghur Human Rights Project, or UHRP, took the time to adapt to the tighter data landscape. "I think we can, and we found ways," he said. The work can still be impactful. For example, last summer, UHRP uncovered international travel companies that were still offering tours to Xinjiang despite widespread human rights violations there. Shortly thereafter, several companies suspended these tours. In the diverse field of China research, Irwin's experience has become more common. As China puts up more barriers around data, researchers all over the world increasingly have to grapple with how to work with less, but they are also coming to terms with the restrictions by discovering new tools or new research areas, according to interviews with analysts, activists and scholars from various disciplines. Yet many researchers say that the paucity of data will warp global understanding of what is really going on in China. "There is a growing gap between reality and perceptions when it comes to China," said Martin Thorley, a senior analyst at Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. "That also makes things difficult because regardless of how one approaches China, solid data is a good foundation." A changed landscape As Chinese President Xi Jinping rose to become the most powerful leader after Mao, national security has become a top priority in every aspect of governance. In 2017, the world was stunned by the revelations that more than a million Chinese Muslims had been sent to reeducation camps. In 2019, millions of Hong Kong residents hit the streets over a proposal that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. Thousands fled in the crackdown that followed. Meanwhile, U.S.-China relations plummeted, as policies by former U.S. president Donald Trump aimed at decoupling the world's two largest economies launched a trade war. These political events triggered more censorship from Beijing and reminded the Party leadership that certain data could be weaponized against them, said independent researcher Kai von Carnap. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 severely disrupted travel to China, making in-person access all but impossible for years. As a result, maintaining data access remotely became even more crucial. Secrets and frustrations Since COVID, von Carnap has turned to more digital tools to extract data from China, such as natural language processing, or NLP, a machine learning technology that interprets and manipulates human language. And one way he has used NLP is to analyze social media discourse in China, a task that otherwise could be overwhelming. Although he has not yet published this research, he pointed to examples from his former colleagues at German think tank MERICS, where they analyzed Chinese social media debates on topics such as AI chatbots, war in Ukraine and food security. But like most people interviewed for this article, he declined to elaborate on his own methods for fear of losing more access. Another researcher described it as "a game of cat and mouse." If their methodologies are made public, they worry about new access restrictions or technical measures to disable the workarounds. Daria Impiombato, an analyst at Australian Strategic Policy Institute, or ASPI, also taps into Chinese social media regularly to explore topics like censorship, surveillance and propaganda, but she said that space has become much harder to navigate. "It takes way longer to create a new (social media) profile. Sometimes it's just not worth the hassle," she said, referring to the account registration process. "It was very apparent from several years ago that more and more aspects of public life were becoming securitized and sensitive." The ways forward Despite this, Impiombato said she's mostly hopeful about the field, citing the growing public interest in China expertise and constantly evolving research methods. "In general there has been an incredible uptick in China research: more people involved, more grants, more organizations working on it," she said. Alex Colville, a researcher and database coordinator at China Media Project, agreed that there are opportunities to be found amid navigating the obstacles. "I think we're going to have to become more creative with the data we're given," Colville said. "Reading between the lines to uncover new policies from Beijing that lead to obvious problems down the line, or working past another hurdle in data access a I get excited by these challenges," he said. Sometimes, solutions can be ingenious, such as when Western media outlets measured the surge of COVID-related deaths in China in late 2022 by estimating the number of cars and people near crematoriums, Colville added. Researchers agree, though, that the best way to study China is still to just be there, especially in areas that require extensive fieldwork, such as sociology and political economy. For some of them, traveling to China is again possible after borders were reopened last year. Those who can't are shifting to other areas of study. Rory Truex, associate professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University who studies Chinese politics and authoritarianism, spent years researching the composition and policymaking process of the National People's Congress. He hasn't been able to go back to China, so more recently, he has shifted his work to survey research on topics such as political opinions. He is also spending more time studying what he called "overseas issues," including the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations, which has been criticized for projecting Beijing's ideological influence abroad. For independent researcher von Carnap, the trend toward less data disclosure is here to stay, and researchers will need to keep pace with the new reality. "The stress on the Chinese economy is still there," he said, adding that more disclosure could make the Party leadership "more vulnerable to political debates," which it wants to avoid. Edited by Boer Deng. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pyongyang slams Washington, Seoul for sending spy planes, drones, boats to North Korea Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 6:28 AM North Korea says the US and South Korea are deploying an increased number of planes, drones and boats to its territory for espionage, further escalating the already high tensions on the Korean peninsula. "Even now, the US and South Korean puppet air forces are continuously mobilizing various aircraft with little or no time gap throughout the day, carrying out aerial reconnaissance activities at a level comparable to wartime situations," Kim Kang Il, Vice-Minister of National Defense of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, said in a public a press statement on Saturday. It was carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), under the title "We Will Defend Sovereignty, Security and Interests of the State with Powerful Self-Defense Capacity". Kim said South Korea's navy and coast guard are escalating military tensions by expanding patrols and breaching the maritime border among other "dangerous provocations" such as sending balloons containing anti-regime leaflets, and warned of "tit-for-tat action." "We will act immediately when the nation's sovereignty and security interests are violated," Kim warned in the statement, adding, "Such hostile military espionage, together with various military drills, has become the root cause of ever-escalating regional military tensions." He reiterated the North's military would "take necessary military measures". Kim said the US had flown at least 16 of its RC-135 and U-2S strategic reconnaissance planes and RQ-4B drone over the Korean peninsula in a 10-day period in mid-May. "Dangerous consequences will ensue from such frequent intrusions across our maritime border," he further warned. Inter-Korean relations are at one of their lowest points in years, with Pyongyang declaring Seoul its "principal enemy." Pyongyang has dismantled agencies dedicated to reunification and threatened war over "even 0.001 mm" of territorial infringement. It has also voiced its opposition to joint military exercises that Washington and Seoul routinely conducted, regarding such drills as rehearsals for an invasion of the nuclear-armed North. Pyongyang has continued to conduct weapons tests and live-fire counter-drills as part of its military development programs to defend its nation against its enemies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran buying 15 night vision helicopters from Russia: IRCS IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 26, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran purchased 15 helicopters from Russia during the administration of late President Ebrahim Raisi, an official with the IRCS said Sunday. Head of the Relief and Rescue Organization of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) Babak Mahmoudi told IRNA that Iran purchased 12 rescue helicopters with night vision capability and three firefighting helicopters from Russia under President Raisi. This contract was signed with the officials of the company that produces specialized helicopters in late April, Mahmoudi added. He further said that Russia has announced that it can deliver four helicopters by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (ending on March 20, 2025). These helicopters, which are large and specialized, also have 6 small supporting helicopters, and the total price of these helicopters is about $500 million, the IRCS official explained. 6125**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's pro-resistance strategy won't change after Raeisi martyrdom: Interim president Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 9:48 AM Interim President Mohammad Mokhber says there will be no shift in Iran's strategy in support of resistance groups, especially the Palestinian ones, after the martyrdom of President Ebrahim Raeisi. Mokhber made the remarks on Saturday during a telephone conversation with Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement Ziad al-Nakhalah. He said that President Raeisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who lost their lives in a helicopter crash last week, were seriously concerned about support for the resistance and the Palestinians' inalienable rights. "The basic strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in backing the Resistance Front, especially the Palestinian resistance groups, will not alter by the change of people," Mokhber asserted. He also described resistance as the most effective way to counter Israeli crimes and aggression. Raeisi, Amir-Abdollahian and six others died on May 19, when their helicopter crashed in foggy weather in the mountains near the northwestern border with Azerbaijan. The charred wreckage of the aircraft was found the following day. The pair had defended the Palestinians' rights in regional and international meetings and appreciated their resilience against the Israeli occupation. Nakhalah offered condolences to the Iranian government and people, saying the country will overcome the tragedy thanks to its qualified officials and revolutionary nation. "Martyr Raeisi and Martyr Amir-Abdollahian were always on the frontline in defending the interests of the Iranian nation and supporting the resistance," he added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Relations with Iran will be restored soon, says Bahrain's vice parliament speaker Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 May 2024 6:18 AM The first deputy speaker of Bahrain's Council of Representatives says the Persian Gulf kingdom intends to take measures soon to revive diplomatic relations with neighboring Iran after more than eight years. "Resumption of political and commercial relations between the two countries is of great importance, because Iran is a neighboring country and Bahrain supports stable ties with all regional states," Abdulnabi Salman stated on Saturday. He added that the desire to resume relations between Manama and Tehran has been met with a positive response from the Bahraini government and the Council of Representatives, and the legislature has even put out a positive statement in this regard. "Compared to other countries along the [Persian] Gulf, we are the closest country to Iran. Iranian expatriates live in Bahrain, and we are also witnessing the presence of Bahraini citizens in Iran. Trade exchanges between the two countries date back many decades," Salman pointed out. The senior Bahraini legislator underlined that Manama hopes to resume stable and strong political relations with Tehran, stressing, "This will happen in the very near future and will be based on respect for good neighborliness." He went on to note that Russia, interested in the stability of the West Asia region, has been mediating between Bahrain and Iran in order to revive diplomatic ties. "The two countries may have political differences; but such differences will not last forever. Currently, they should take advantage of playing a central role in promotion of regional stability," Salman stated. Bahrain followed Saudi Arabia's decision by severing diplomatic relations with Iran on January 4, 2016, after Iranian protesters, enraged by the execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr by the Saudi government, stormed its diplomatic mission in Iran. Back in March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement in the Chinese capital of Beijing to restore their diplomatic relations and re-open embassies and missions. During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on May 23, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah said Manama looked forward to improving its relations with Iran. King Hamad added that there was no reason to postpone the restoration of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Iran, according to the official Bahrain News Agency (BNA). Last Wednesday, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani visited Tehran to offer condolences on the passing of Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, who lost his life alongside seven others in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran on May 19. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by the Prime Minister's Office Israel - Prime Minister's Office Press Releases The 37th Government 26.05.2024 The Prime Minister has repeatedly warned against refusal to serve, and the permissive approach toward it. The Prime Minister is consistent in this position; he completely rejects any display of refusal to serve from any side whatsoever, and expects all official agencies to deal with it uniformly. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan's armed forces will stand by Iran's: Army chief IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 26, 2024 Islamabad, IRNA -- Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir has extended his condolences to the Iranian nation over the martyrdom of President Ebrahim Raisi, stressing that the armed forces of Pakistan and Iran will always stand by each other. Gen. Munir made a phone call to Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri on Sunday, expressing his condolences over the tragic martyrdom of President Raisi and his foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, who was martyred in a helicopter crash last week along with several other officials. Gen. Munir said that late President Raisi and his top diplomat, Amirabdollhian, were exceptional statesmen and true friends of Pakistan, according to a statement by the Pakistani Army's public relations office. "Pakistan has historical, cultural and fraternal relations with Iran, and the armed forces of Pakistan and Iran will always stand by each other," he stated. The statement said that General Bagheri expressed his commitment to the continued expansion of military cooperation between Iran and Pakistan. The phone call followed a visit to Tehran by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday to extend his condolences to the Iran. He had declared Tuesday a day of mourning in Pakistan over the martyrdom of Iran's president. 4353**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi Arabia appoints first ambassador to Syria in over a decade Iran Press TV Monday, 27 May 2024 12:08 AM Saudi Arabia has appointed its ambassador to Syria for the first time since the kingdom closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012, after foreign-backed terrorism and violence gripped the country. Saudi Arabia's state news agency, SPA, said on Sunday that Riyadh's new ambassador to Syria will be Faisal al-Mujfel. The report quoted the new Saudi envoy as hoping to "serve the Kingdom's interests and strengthen the bilateral bonds between the two brotherly nations." Saudi Arabia had reopened its embassy in Syria earlier this year with a charge d'affaires after the Syrian government reopened its Riyadh embassy last year and appointed a new ambassador in December. The re-establishment of relations between Riyadh and Damascus is a new development among a series of moves by regional Arab states to mend fences with Syria. The Arab countries' decision to re-establish relations with Syria came after the latter's increasing success in recapturing vast swathes of its territory and turning the tide against the foreign-sponsored terrorists. Earlier in January, the United Arab Emirates dispatched its first ambassador to Syria after 13 years, following the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received Hassan Ahmed al-Shehhi in early February, after the Emirati ambassador officially presented his credentials to Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mikdad. According to Syria's official SANA news agency, al-Shehi conveyed to the Syrian side his commitment to enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries. Before sending an ambassador, the UAE had reopened its embassy in Damascus in December 2018, tasking its charge d'affaires, Abdul Hakim al-Nuaimi, with handling the diplomatic affairs between the two sides. In March 2022, Syrian president traveled to the UAE, meeting with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Assad's visit to the UAE took place only months after the Emirates' Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan traveled to the Syrian capital Damascus. In May 2022, the 22-member Arab League agreed to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step toward bringing the country back into the fold. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May 25, 2024 Release Statement Attributed to DoD Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder The Department remains confident in current U.S. force posture and operations in the Indo-Pacific region with our allies and partners to safeguard peace, stability, and our national security. We have closely monitored joint military drills by the People's Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan. We have communicated our concerns both publicly and directly. The United States remains committed to its longstanding one China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint CommuniquAs, and the Six Assurances. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3788070/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. lawmakers arrive in Taiwan after China's military exercise ROC Central News Agency 05/26/2024 08:53 PM Taipei, May 26 (CNA) A group of bipartisan American lawmakers, led by Republican Michael McCaul, arrived in Taipei on Sunday for a visit, one day after China ended a military drill that encircled Taiwan in a show of anger over Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te's (ea) inauguration speech. The delegation of United States House members will meet with senior Taiwan leaders and members of civil society to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, and other significant issues of mutual interest, according to a press release issued by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Led by McCaul who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the delegation includes Republicans Young Kim, Joe Wilson, and Andy Barr, and Democrats Jimmy Panetta and Chrissy Houlahan, the AIT said. Their four-day visit to Taiwan is part of a trip to the wider Indo-Pacific region, according to the AIT, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties. The six House members will be the first group of serving U.S. officials to meet with Lai after his inauguration on May 20 and also to visit Taiwan in the wake of China's two-day military drill in areas surrounding Taiwan. "I think it's very important that we show our strong support for Taiwan. I think it is a deterrent," McCaul told NBC News before his arrival in Taiwan. Beijing has expressed anger over Lai's inauguration address, which it claimed was promoting Taiwan independence. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address KMT lawmaker calls for Lai to hold cross-party talks on controversial bills ROC Central News Agency 05/26/2024 07:14 PM Taipei, May 26 (CNA) A Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker suggested Sunday that President Lai Ching-te (ea) convene a national affairs advisory meeting that would include opposition leaders, in a bid to help resolve the legislative and public controversy over a series of reform bills. If Lai decides to convene such a meeting, he should invite KMT Chairman Eric Chu (ca) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (Ya), said Hsu Yu-chen (eac), deputy secretary-general of the KMT legislative caucus. Hsu made the suggestion after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (YaeS) called for cross-party discussions in the Legislature to establish game rules for the passage of bills. Lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties have been at loggerheads for the past 10 days over a series of legislative reform bills that were put forth by the opposition parties to expand the Legislature's power of oversight with regard to the president and the executive branch of the government. In response to CNA questions on Sunday, Hsu noted that while Taiwanese voters in January gave the DPP a record third term by electing Lai as president, they opted not to return the DPP to its absolute majority in the 113-seat Legislature. That decision gave the KMT and the TPP the role of supervising the ruling party, Hsu said, referring to the two opposition parties' combined 60 seats in the Legislature. The KMT holds 52 seats, the TPP eight, and the DPP 51, while two independent legislators are ideologically aligned with the KMT. Against that backdrop, the KMT and the TPP put forward their versions of the legislative reform bills on government oversight, Hsu said. Contrary to the DPP's claims, there were no underhand operations to circumvent the normal deliberation and review process of the bills, Hsu said, adding that the real problem is that the DPP does not want to be supervised. When the DPP was in the opposition, it had proposed reform bills that were much stiffer than those currently under review, she said. Now that the DPP has been in power for so many years, it does not want supervisory reforms, she said. Most of reform bills in the series have already passed the first and second readings in the Legislature and have been put forth for a third reading, which must be held in a plenary session. During the earlier process, the versions of the bills proposed by the KMT and the TPP were combined, while the DPP made some input into the revisions. Opposition lawmakers have accused the DPP legislators of dragging out the process by filing various motions and proposing many revisions to the reform bills. Furthermore, the DPP has mobilized people to protest on the streets against the reform bills proposed by the KMT and TPP, which indicates that the DPP is already eyeing the next elections, Hsu said. She was referring to the huge protests around the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Friday, when thousands of demonstrators gathered to call for the withdrawal of the legislative reform bills put forth by the KMT and TPP and to demanded greater transparency in the review process. (By Wang Cheng-chung and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biden, State Department express concern over Taiwan following PLA drills ROC Central News Agency 05/26/2024 01:28 PM Washington, May 25 (CNA) United State President Joe Biden and the U.S. State Department on Saturday expressed concerns over Taiwan following the just-concluded Chinese drills around Taiwan in response to President Lai Ching-te's () inauguration speech. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) held a series of two-day joint military drills in areas surrounding Taiwan on Thursday and Friday, three days after Lai's swearing-in, after Beijing expressed dissatisfaction over his speech, which China sees as promoting Taiwan independence. In his Saturday address at the U.S. Military Academy commencement in West Point, New York, Biden reiterated his administration's stance in upholding peace in the Taiwan Strait. "The U.S. is standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," he said. Biden also emphasized the critical role of U.S. support to allies around the world including Israel, Ukraine and the countries in the Indo-Pacific. He also noted that America has been the "most powerful military in the world" for decades. "I have always been willing to use force when required to protect ournation, our allies, our core interest. When anyone targets American troops, we will deliver justice to them," he said. Meanwhile, a separate statement from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller released on Saturday also reiterated Washington's concern over the latest round of Chinese military exercises near Taiwan. "The United States is deeply concerned over the People's Liberation Army joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan," Miller said. "We are monitoring (People's Republic of China) activities closely and coordinating with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns," the statement said. "We strongly urge Beijing to act with restraint," it said. "Using a normal, routine, and democratic transition as an excuse formilitary provocations risks escalation and erodes longstanding normsthat for decades have maintained peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is critical for regional and global security and prosperity and a matter of international concern," it added. Codenamed Joint Sword-2024A, the Chinese drills focused on joint sea-air combat-readiness patrol, joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, and joint precision strikes on key targets. Li Xi (), spokesperson for the PLA's Eastern Theater Command, was quoted as saying in an English language report by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on Thursday that the drills also served as a "strong punishment for the separatist acts of 'Taiwan independence' forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces." He did not elaborate. Following Lai's inaugural address on Monday, China's government said the speech was an attempt to promote Taiwanese independence, in particular his statement that the Republic of China (ROC) -- Taiwan's official name -- and the People's Republic of China (PRC) are not subordinate to each other. China's Taiwan Affairs Office criticized Lai's speech as containing "separatist fallacies" and as an attempt to "incite division" among the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. In response, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council reiterated that Lai emphasized in his inaugural address that when it comes to cross-strait policy, the new administration will uphold the "Four Commitments" -- an approach to cross-strait policy proposed by his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen () -- and will neither yield nor provoke while maintaining the status quo. Tsai presented the "Four Commitments" on her National Day address in 2021, namely the commitment to a free and democratic constitutional system, the commitment that the ROC and the PRC should not be subordinate to each other, the commitment to resist annexation or encroachment upon Taiwan's sovereignty, and the commitment that the future of the ROC must be decided in accordance with the will of the Taiwanese people. (By Chung Yu-chen and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/cs NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA drills shock 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: May 26, 2024 08:25 PM The just-concluded large-scale joint exercise conducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has shocked "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces, with a pilot of the island's air force reportedly admitting that "the air force will eventually collapse." In a countermeasure against Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's separatist inaugural speech made on May 20, the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted the Joint Sword-2024A exercise surrounding the island of Taiwan from Thursday to Friday. The defense authority on the island of Taiwan said on the X platform that it spotted 49 PLA aircraft, 19 PLA vessels and seven China Coast Guard vessels around the island on Thursday, and the numbers further increased to 62 PLA aircraft and 27 PLA vessels on Friday. A netizen claiming to be a pilot in active service with the air force on the island of Taiwan said on an online social media and networking platform that Taiwan's flight crews had been overloaded since Lai's May 20 speech and the PLA's exercises, and they know this situation will become normal in the future, media on the island reported on Saturday. "Since this year, many pilots on the team have asked to retire. Some young pilots are even willing to pay the NT$3 million ($93,000) compensation fee to leave," the alleged Taiwan air force pilot was quoted by the report as saying. The island's air force has been overloaded in recent years with emergency sorties, all-night maintenance and midnight training sessions, but Lai ignored the situation faced by the troops and insisted on resisting reunification by force, the alleged Taiwan air force pilot said. The island's air force will "eventually collapse," media quoted the anonymous netizen as saying. Ironically, in what experts called an act of self-deception, the island of Taiwan released photos showing PLA aircraft acquired by the electro-optical targeting pod of the island's F-16V fighter jets. A Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday that being able to see does not mean being able to defeat. The PLA drills' goal is to deter and warn the Taiwan authorities, and in a real combat scenario, the island will not get the chance to lock on to any PLA aircraft, the above-quoted expert said. "We are showing them our capabilities, so it is normal that we let them 'monitor'," the expert said. Zhang Chi, a professor at the PLA National Defense University, told the Global Times that during the exercise, the PLA's naval and air forces closed in on the island of Taiwan from multiple directions and put intense pressure on the military in the island's defense and activity spaces. The goal of the exercise is to clearly warn the Lai authorities that seeking "independence" is a dead end, Zhang said. In an "anti-salami-slicing" move conducted with overwhelming power, the PLA will move forward every time the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces dare to provoke, Zhang said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Proposal on Taiwan region's participation as an observer in the WHA seen to be inappropriate and unrealistic: Chinese delegation to the WHA Global Times By Global Times Published: May 27, 2024 05:24 AM It is inappropriate and unrealistic for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in the Taiwan region to have incited a very small number of countries to put forward a proposal related to Taiwan island at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the Chinese delegation to the WHA said the proposal to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer in WHA was made due to political manipulation. Yang Zhilun, minister-counsellor of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland, said during a press briefing of the WHA, the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), which will be convened in Geneva, Switzerland, between May 27 and June 1, that all the parties around the world are currently engaging in dialogue and cooperation on how to prevent and respond to epidemics, promote the health and well-being of all humanity, and explore methods and approaches to improve the global health governance system. At this critical moment, the DPP authorities in Taiwan have incited a very small number of countries to once again put forward a proposal with strong antagonism to "invite Taiwan to participate as an observer in WHA," which is inappropriate and unrealistic, Yang said. Yang said the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 in 1971 and the World Health Assembly Resolution 25.1 in 1972 clearly stated that the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are recognized as the only legitimate representatives of China in the UN. These resolutions thoroughly and conclusively resolved the issue of representation for all of China, including Taiwan island, in the UN from political, legal, and procedural perspectives. These legal documents fully and accurately explain the core connotation of the one-China principle, that is, there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is a part of China, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, Yang said, pointing out that the proposal related to Taiwan runs counter to the one-China principle and it is illegal, invalid, and legally untenable. Yang also said that the Chinese central government attaches great importance to the health and well-being of the compatriots in Taiwan. The Chinese central government has made special arrangements for the Taiwan region's participation in the WHA on the basis of adherence to the one-China principle, fully safeguarding the health rights of the people in Taiwan island. The vast majority of countries in the international community have reaffirmed to China their commitment to upholding the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, and their firm support for the one-China principle, opposing Taiwan region's participation in the WHA, according to Yang. Hundreds of countries have expressed support for China's position through various means, including sending letters to the director-general of the WHO, Yang said, noting that this reflects the direction of international consensus and the prevailing trend. Yang said that a very small number of countries are using the WHA to play the "Taiwan card" and engage in attempts to use Taiwan to contain China, standing opposed to the vast majority of countries and becoming the absolute "minority." Yang believes that the WHA will once again make the correct choice. Cao Xuetao, deputy director of China's National Health Commission (NHC), who leads the delegation to the WHA said that China has long been committed to strengthening exchanges and cooperation in the field of health with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other countries, continuously promoting the building of a global community of health for all. China has actively participated in international organizations and regional cooperation mechanisms in the health sector, sharing its experiences and expertise. According to Cao, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China promptly reported epidemic information for nearly 3,000 times to the international community, including the WHO, relevant countries, and regional organizations. China also shared multiple technical documents on epidemic prevention, control, and treatment plans with over 160 countries and more than 10 international and regional organizations. In addition, China conducted nearly 300 expert discussions or remote meetings, dispatched 38 anti-epidemic expert teams to 34 countries affected by the pandemic, and guided Chinese medical teams stationed in over 50 countries to assist in the epidemic prevention and control efforts of their host nations. Mi Feng, spokesperson for the NHC, said at the press briefing that the Chinese government has always placed public health in a strategic position of priority development, comprehensively promoting the construction of a healthy China and actively promoting universal health coverage. At present, China has established the world's largest healthcare service system as well as the world's largest medical security system in the world. According to Mi, China participates in the global health governance, enhancing the well-being of people worldwide. The Chinese government persists in sending medical teams to developing countries, taking concrete actions to promote universal health in these countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskiy Visits Kharkiv As Death Toll Rises From Russian Strike On Supermarket By Anton Avizhas and Oksana Necheporenko May 26, 2024 KHARKIV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the battle-scarred northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on May 26 and issued a fresh plea for additional aid. His comments came as rescuers searched the charred wreckage of a shopping center in the city for the bodies of people killed in a Russian missile attack the previous day, which has so far claimed at least 16 lives. Nearly four dozen people were wounded in the May 25 attack, which hit the store as scores of shoppers were visiting the Epicentr hardware supply store. Oleh Synyehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region, said the toll stood at 16 as of the late afternoon on May 26 amid fears it would climb higher as emergency workers used heavy equipment to pick through the debris. At least 43 people were wounded, said Ihor Terekhov, Kharkiv's mayor. "The attack targeted the shopping center, where there were many people," Terekhov said in a post to Telegram. This is clearly terrorism." Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, meanwhile, said 16 people were still missing after the strike. "This blow to Kharkiv is another manifestation of Russian madness," Zelenskiy said on Telegram on May 25 moments after the attack. While in Kharkiv, the Ukrainian leader urged U.S. President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping to attend a planned peace summit in Switzerland starting on June 15. "There is no nation that is able to stop such a war only through its own efforts. The participation of world leaders is needed," he said in a Telegram posting. "The efforts of the world's majority are the best guarantee of the fulfillment of obligations. Please support the peace summit with your personal leadership and involvement," Zelenskiy said in comments directed in English to Biden and Xi. The Russian state news agency TASS cited an unnamed security official as saying, without providing evidence, that there was a "military store and command post" inside the shopping center. A video released by Ukraine's national police depicted the moment of the attack on the hypermarket, showing what appeared to be workers and shoppers standing in a home-goods section of a large store. A woman who identified herself as Svitlana told RFE/RL that she rushed to the site "because my son works here. He is an assistant in the paint department." When asked if she had any word from him, she responded: "No." Lyubov, who also only gave her first name, said: "So many colleagues [remain inside]. We looked for them. There were other people who needed help, too. But it was impossible to reach them due to the fire." Oleksandr Filchakov, Kharkiv's regional prosecutor, showed RFE/RL what he said was "shrapnel from the D-30 versatile intermediate gliding ammunition." "The Russian Federation has used it to bomb this supermarket." Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, has come under intensified missile and rocket attacks over the past month as Russia opened a new front in its offensive operations, crossing the border into Ukraine from the north. Experts say the offensive is aimed at stretching Ukrainian forces to the breaking point and possibly putting Kharkiv within artillery range. Overnight on May 26, Russia fired dozens of missiles and kamikaze drones at various targets in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force said 12 missiles, and 31 drones had been downed by air defenses. Also on May 25, Synyehubov said at least five people were injured in the village of Kupyansk-Vuzloviy and that an emergency vehicle had been damaged in a Russian missile strike. Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials have pleaded with Western allies to step up deliveries of air defense weapons and other armaments to aid their outmanned and outgunned forces, especially in the country's northeast. Ukrainian officials have also stepped up their calls for the United States to relax its restrictions preventing Ukrainian forces from using U.S.-supplied weaponry to more aggressively hit targets inside of Russia. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview published on May 24 in The Economist that Ukraine should be allowed to use Western-supplied weapons in strikes against military targets inside Russia. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kharkiv-shopping- center-bombing-death-toll-russian-attack/32964065.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Armed Forces Liberate Village of Berestovoye in Kharkov Region Sputnik News 20240526 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Ministry of Defense reported on the progress of the special military operation and the key achievements of the Russian Armed Forces in the last 24 hours. Units of the Zapad (West) group of Russian troops have taken control over the village of Berestovoye in the Kharkov region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "As a result of successful combat operations, units of the Zapad group of troops liberated the village of Berestovoe in the Kharkov region," the ministry said. Advancing Further into Ukrainian Defenses The Sever (North) group of troops of the Russian military is advancing further into Ukraine's defense in the Kharkov region as Kiev loses up to 300 soldiers in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "The Sever group of troops is advancing further into the enemy's defense," the ministry said in a statement. The Russian armed forces hit personnel and equipment of the 57th mechanized infantry brigade and the 125th territorial defense brigade in a number of settlements in the Kharkov region, the ministry added. "The Ukrainian armed forces have lost up to 300 soldiers, four vehicles, a Grad self-propelled rocket launcher, a US-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery cannon, as well as a 122-mm D-30 howitzer," the statement read. Defeating Ukrainian Militants Russia's Dnepr group of troops has defeated the Ukrainian military near the Rabotino settlement in the Zaporozhye region and the Tyaginka settlement in the Kherson region, eliminating up to 40 Ukrainian militants, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "Units of the Dnepr group of forces have struck the personnel and equipment of the 65th mechanized brigade and the 35th naval infantry brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces near the Rabotino settlement in the Zaporozhye region and the Tyaginka settlement in the Kherson region," the ministry said in a statement. The Ukrainian armed forces have lost up to 40 soldiers, two armored vehicles and four vehicles, along with two US-made M777 howitzers and other equipment, the statement read. Taking More Favorable Positions The Ukrainian armed forces have lost up to 130 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Russian military's Vostok (East) group of troops over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "Units of the Vostok grouping of troops took more favorable positions and hit the manpower and equipment of the 128th territorial defense brigade and the 21st National Guard Brigade in the areas of [the villages of] Prechistovka and Makarovka in the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR]. The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 130 servicepeople, three vehicles, a Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery mount, a US-made 155-mm M777 howitzer and a 152-mm D-20 howitzer over the course of the day," the ministry said. The day before, Vostok fighters repelled a counterattack by an assault group of the Ukrainian 72 Mechanized Brigade near the village of Vladimirovka in the DPR, the ministry added. Repelling Ukrainian Air Attacks Russian air defense systems shot down five Ukrainian ATACMS missiles, one Neptune anti-ship missile, and 41 drones, as well as 32 multiple launch rocket system shells of various types over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "Air defenses shot down five US-made long-range ATACMS missiles, 32 US-made HIMARS and Czech-made Vampire missiles, a Neptune anti-ship missile, and 41 unmanned aerial vehicles during the day," the ministry said. Russian tactical aviation, drone and missile forces, as well as artillery hit two Ukrainian ammunition depots and concentrations of personnel and military equipment in 128 areas over the past 24 hours, the ministry added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address West's Talks About Using US Weapons to Strike Russia Reflect Desperation - Lavrov Sputnik News 20240526 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Talks in the West about allowing Kiev to conduct strikes with US weapons on Russia reflects desperation and understanding that they will not achieve their goals by the "usual honest means," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday. Russia has shown the West that it will not tolerate attempts to use Ukraine as a threat to Russia's security and as a tool to destroy everything Russian in the historic Russian lands, Lavrov said. After that, Western countries began to make decisions, including on supplying Kiev with weapons, Lavrov added. "As I understand it, these conversations reflect in a sense a desperation and a realization that by the usual honest means that apply in international law even in times of hostilities, they will not achieve their goal. It feels like agony," Lavrov told Russian media. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Strikes Ukrainian Airport Adapted For F-16 Jets, Blasts Energy Infrastructure Sputnik News 20240526 Sergey Lebedev Moscow started to conduct precision strikes on Ukrainian military targets and the power grid in response to a string of terror attacks on Russian land, including the blast on the Crimean Bridge in October 2022. The Russian Armed Forces hit military and energy infrastructure in the city of Starokonstantinov, the representative of the underground resistance told Sputnik. He added that Moscow struck a military airfield that is currently being prepared for Western F-16 fighter jets. "One of the strikes was targeted towards military training grounds in Starokonstantinov, where, according to resistance data, foreign military equipment is deployed and drafted Ukrainians are trained to use it. Foreign instructors conduct the training," he explained. The source added that the Russian military targeted an electrical substation and hit the bull's eye with a "very powerful explosion" being heard, and the city's power was cut off. Ukrainian media also published reports about the number of other blasts there. Earlier in May, media outlets reported that the first batches of F-16 fighter jets would be delivered to Ukraine by June or July. In a conversation with military pilots that took place in March, Russian President Vladimir Putin explained that the supply of F-16s would not change the situation on the battlefield. Nevertheless, Moscow stressed it would treat the jets as nuclear-capable assets due to their dual-purpose nature. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Many Leaders Condemned Russian Terror; It Is Important That This Condemnation Leads to Fair Consequences - Address by the President President of Ukraine 26 May 2024 - 20:27 Dear Ukrainians! Today, the rubble at the site of a Russian bomb attack on a hypermarket in Kharkiv is being cleared all day long, as the building has burned to the ground. As of now, fourteen people have been reported dead. My condolences to all the families and friends. The death toll may be higher as additional examinations and further work are needed after the fire to provide full information about the deceased. The number of injured is over forty. Everyone is being provided with the necessary assistance. As required, all the necessary services are engaged on the scene of this Russian terrorist attack - hundreds of people are working: the State Emergency Service, police, psychologists, and the necessary equipment. The regional and city authorities are also helping. I am grateful to everyone who supports the people and supports our Kharkiv. Many leaders, representatives of states and international organizations, public figures have expressed their condolences to Ukraine and Kharkiv and condemned Russian terror. It is important that this condemnation leads to entirely fair consequences. That we finally get a sufficient number of air defense systems to protect Ukraine and our cities. And that our partners have enough determination for preemptive protection against Russian terrorists, just as they would strike at any other terrorists - destroying them before they start taking lives. We see every point of concentration of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and combat aircraft are launched. Destroying this terrorist force - and thus saving thousands of lives and guaranteeing that the expansion of the war will be stopped - is purely a political decision. A decision that needs to be made. I thank everyone who supports us in this. We will work with partners to speed up and increase the supply of F-16s to Ukraine. This will also enhance our protection from terrorist attacks on our cities and from the pressure of the Russian army on the frontline. Today, I spoke with General Syrskyi. Today, the Pokrovsk direction in the Donetsk region is the toughest one, however the occupier continues its attempts to attack in the Kharkiv region as well, particularly in the areas of Vovchansk and Lyptsi. Our units, our warriors, are doing a tremendous job of deterring this Russian pressure and proving once again that Russian lunatics may plan all sorts of things against Ukraine, but the resilience of Ukrainians and the courage of our warriors really make all the difference in this war. Following the results of this week's battles, I would like to commend the warriors of our 57th separate motorized infantry brigade and the 92nd separate assault brigade. Thank you, warriors, for your strength in the Kharkiv region. I would also like to commend the warriors of the 25th Sicheslav separate airborne brigade and the 47th separate mechanized brigade for their fighting in the Pokrovsk direction. I would also like to recognize the DIU's special units for defending the Kharkiv region and countering Russian assaults in the area of Chasiv Yar. Thank you! I will also mention our border guards. For participating in battles at the front along with the entire Defense and Security Forces, and for destroying Russian subversive groups. In particular, warriors of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine from the Hart brigade, Lviv and Chop detachments are defending our state in the area of Vovchansk. Soldier Oleksiy Frolov, Senior Soldier Yaroslav Ostapchuk, Junior Sergeant Pavlo Hryb, Sergeant Illia Trotsiuk, and Senior Sergeant Petro Habel have particularly distinguished themselves. Thank you! It is also worth noting the continued heroism of the DOZOR special unit, border guards of the Zhytomyr and Sumy detachments, and the Revenge brigade. The Chernihiv detachment, whose warriors are fighting in the Donetsk region - Kurakhove direction. Thank you! Our soldiers Vitaliy Mukha and Vitaliy Krasko, as well as Staff Sergeant Andriy Vitchenko deserve special gratitude. Well done, guys! And today, on Kyiv Day, I want to thank all our warriors, each and every one of you who defended our capital, who helped, who provided strength, who volunteered, and by defending Kyiv, defended our entire nation. Thank you! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We Do Not Want the UN Charter to Be Burnt Down Just Like These Books - Address by the President of Ukraine to the World Leaders on the Eve of the Peace Summit President of Ukraine 26 May 2024 - 10:00 For them, it is a pleasure to burn. We all know who we are dealing with. Russia is run by men who want to make it a norm - burning lives, destroying cities and villages, dividing people and erasing national borders through war. There is no nation that can stop such war alone, unaided - world leaders' engagement is needed. I am now in Kharkiv - a city in the east of Ukraine and, unfortunately, very close to the border of Russia. What does it mean for Kharkiv? A third year of constant terror. More than a million of people in this city. And every night and every day the Russian army is shelling the city. Mostly with S-300 missiles. These are air defense missiles that Russia employs to terrorize the land. There is not a single district or street in Kharkiv that hasn't suffered from this regular cruelty. Russia added strikes with guided aerial bombs. Russian aviation comes close to our state border and launches these bombs straight on the city - it is a weapon of indiscriminate destruction. And anyone in any city of the world - from SAo Paulo to Harbin takes this the same way - as terror. Just like all other Russian strikes on hundreds of other of our cities and villages. Some of them, once booming with life, are now burnt to ashes, peopleless. A burnt-out emptiness is the most horrible consequence of war... A war that we didn't want in Ukraine, that we haven't provoked, and in which Ukraine is defending itself from Russian attempts to seize our resources and territories and destroy our national identity. And the world sees it. Behind me are the books burnt down by Russian missiles. It was one of the largest publishing houses in Ukraine. People got injured here. Unfortunately, there are people killed. The temperature of burning here hasn't managed to totally reach four-hundred-fifty-one degrees Fahrenheit. But that's what the leaders of Russia need and want - even higher temperatures. And not only on the sovereign territory of Ukraine. Russia is threatening almost all of its neighboring countries. Russia is the only state that captured the nuclear power plant and is openly using it for radiation blackmail. There is nothing that wouldn't become a weapon for Russia including hunger, and exactly this the world felt when Ukraine was hit by a Russian naval blockade. Russia is the only source of aggression and constantly tries to expand the war. Right now, these days, we are defending ourselves 60 kilometers northeast from this place from yet another attempt of the Russian assault. Russia is preparing for offensive actions also 90 kilometers northwest from here - they gather another group of troops near our border... The one who does all this doesn't want peace. Does Russia want a dialogue? Ukraine has the world's largest experience of lies from Russia during negotiations... Lies that in particular were Russian cover-ups for preparing this war. And that's exactly why global efforts are needed - the Global Peace Summit of the leaders whom Russia won't be able to deceive. Summit that will show who in the world really wants to end the war and not just claim the ceasefire which will inevitably be broken by Russian rockets and artillery just like it was dozens, dozens of times before... Together with Switzerland, we are preparing such a Summit. It starts on June fifteenth. More than eighty countries confirmed they will come. And we continue to work with the leaders, inviting them to join the Summit. I thank everyone who really helps to bring the peace. And I am appealing to the leaders of the world who are still aside from the global efforts of the Global Peace Summit - to President Biden, the leader of the United States, and to President Xi, the leader of China. We do not want the UN Charter to be burnt... burnt down just like these books. And I hope you don't want either. Please, show your leadership in advancing the peace - the real peace and not just a pause between the strikes. The efforts of the global majority are the best guarantee that all commitments will be fulfilled. Please support the Peace Summit with your personal leadership and participation. For all of us, it should be a pleasure to make peace. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Supreme Court The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the plea filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against a Calcutta High Court order restraining it from publication of offending advertisements against the Trinamool Congress (TMC). During the hearing, a bench presided over by Justice J.K. Maheshwari remarked that the advertisements were prima facie disparaging and the apex court could not lend its hand for further acrimony. Senior advocate P.S. Patwalia, appearing for BJP, contended that the advertisements were based on facts and the high court could not have passed such an ex-parte injunction order. However, sensing the disclination of the top court to entertain the plea, Patwalia sought permission to withdraw the petition. The Bench, also comprising Justice K.V. Viswanathan, dismissed the plea as withdrawn and clarified that it would be open for the appellant to contest the proceedings pending before the Calcutta High Court. In an order passed last week, the Calcutta High Court passed an ex-parte injunction prohibiting the publication of advertisements which squarely violate the political rights of Trinamool and its functionaries. A bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya of the high court said that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) prohibits all participants in the election process from criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion. It said that the Election Commission of India grossly failed to address, in due time, the complaints raised by the ruling Trinamool Congress. Accordingly, respondent no. 2 (BJP) is hereby restrained from further continuing with the publication of the offending advertisements till June 04, 2024, or until further order, whichever is earlier. The respondent no. 2 is further restrained from publishing advertisements in any form of media which is violative of the MCC issued by the ECI during the aforesaid period, the HC order said. In its special leave petition filed before the Supreme Court, the BJP contended that the high court erred by granting an interim injunction based on the purported violation of MCC without taking into consideration that the issue was pending before the ECI, which has the authority to take appropriate action against any political party. Death toll rises from Russian attacks on Kharkiv shopping area By VOA News May 26, 2024 At least 16 people were killed, and scores injured in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv from a spate of Russian bomb attacks Saturday while several people were still listed as missing, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app Sunday. The attack sparked a massive fire at a Kharkiv hardware store when the bombs struck, making it difficult for rescue teams to identify most of the burned bodies. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Saturday that about 120 people were in the store when the bombs struck. "The attack targeted the shopping center, where there were many people a this is clearly terrorism," Terekhov said. So far, only six of the dead have been identified, including a 12-year-old girl who was visiting the city, according to local authorities. Police were asking relatives to provide DNA samples to help identify bodies in the ruined store in the northeastern outskirts of the city. A video posted by police showed staff and shoppers in the store just before the deadly strike followed by a massive explosion and fire. "It took 16 hellish hours to tame the flames," Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram. In a video showing him standing in front of a charred printing house in Kharkiv that was hit by Russian bombs, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday to attend his peace summit in Switzerland next month as Ukraine struggles to stave off unrelenting attacks by Russia in its 27-month-old invasion. Responding to Zelenskyy's video appeal, a U.S. official said Sunday that the United States will participate in the peace summit but declined to say who or at what level. Kyiv hopes that the summit will add international pressure on Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine's internationally recognized borders; Moscow considers this a non-starter. Last week, Russian sources told Reuters that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to end the war in Ukraine with a negotiated cease-fire that recognizes the current battlefield lines. Russia has said that it sees no point to the summit since Moscow will not participate. Zelenskyy said Sunday that more than 80 countries would attend the conference. Zelenskyy also warned that Moscow was gathering troops for new "offensive actions" farther northwest of Kharkiv along the Russian-Ukrainian border. "Right now, these days, we are defending ourselves 60 kilometers northeast from this place from yet another attempt of the Russian assault. Russia is preparing for offensive actions also 90 kilometers northwest from here - they gather another group of troops near our border. ... The one who does all this doesn't want peace," he said. Russian forces said they had taken over the village of Berestove in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, according to the Russian state news agency TASS, citing Russia's defense ministry Sunday. Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield reports. In his nightly video address Saturday, Zelenskyy urged Ukraine's Western allies to send more air defense systems to help keep the country's cities safe. "When we tell world leaders that Ukraine needs sufficient air defenses, when we say we need real decisive measures to enable us to protect our people, so that Russian terrorists cannot even approach our border, we are talking about not allowing strikes like this to happen," Zelenskyy said. Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and injured during its 27-month war on Ukraine. Ukrainian shelling on the Belgorod region, about 10 kilometers from the border, killed three people Saturday, Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. "Ukrainian armed forces fired on the settlement of Oktyabrsky from a rocket launcher. To my great sorrow, two people were killed: a man and a woman had numerous shrapnel wounds incompatible with life," Gladkov wrote on Telegram. The governor said that at least 10 others, including an 8-year-old boy, were injured in the attack that also damaged houses in the area. Gladkov said air defense units had intercepted 15 airborne targets. Biden reiterates support for Ukraine President Joe Biden reiterated Saturday that the United States is "standing strong with Ukraine." During his address Saturday in New York to the graduating class of the prestigious U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Biden praised U.S. leadership in the world. Biden described Putin as "a brutal tyrant," who was "certain that NATO would fracture" after Moscow invaded its eastern European neighbor in February 2022. "Instead, the greatest defense alliance in the history of the world is stronger than ever," said the U.S. president. The United States will provide a new $275 million military aid package for Ukraine to help it repel Russia's assault on Kharkiv, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Friday. The new package includes ammunition for HIMARS, (rocket launchers), 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, missiles, anti-armor systems and precision aerial munitions, the State Department said. "Assistance from previous packages has already made it to the front lines, and we will move this new assistance as quickly as possible so the Ukrainian military can use it to defend their territory and protect the Ukrainian people," the statement said. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dublin, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Liquid Biopsy Market by Product & Service (Kits, Instruments), Circulating Biomarker (CTC, ctDNA, cfDNA), Technology (NGS, PCR), Application (Cancer (Lung, Breast, Prostate), Non-cancer (NIPT, Infectious)), Sample Type (Blood) - Forecast to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The liquid biopsy market is valued at an estimated USD 6.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 11.3 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 11.9% during the forecast period. Liquid biopsy presents numerous advantages compared to conventional incisional biopsy techniques, including its non-invasive nature, decreased procedural expenses, easy disease monitoring, and early detection of cancer at its initial stages. These advantages have fueled the acceptance of liquid biopsy procedures by end users. The increasing adoption and acknowledgment of liquid biopsy's benefits over traditional biopsy methods are driving significant advancements in liquid biopsy products and services. Assay kits segment accounted for the highest growth rate in the liquid biopsy market, by product & service, during the forecast period. Based on product & service, the liquid biopsy market is bifurcated into assay kits, instruments, and services. The assay kits segment in the liquid biopsy market is experiencing substantial growth. The recurrent requirement and purchase of these assay kits is one of the primary reasons for the high growth rate of this market segment. The availability of a wide range of reagents and kits, easy accessibility to a wide range of assays, and the rising prevalence of cancer are other major factors driving the growth of the liquid biopsy assay kits market. Early cancer screening segment accounted for the highest growth rate in the liquid biopsy market, by clinical application, during the forecast period. The liquid biopsy market is segmented into into early cancer screening, therapy selection, treatment monitoring, and recurrence monitoring, based on clinical application. Early cancer screening segment is expected to account for the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The rapid adoption of liquid biopsy technologies for early cancer screeening is fueled by the growing research focus on early cancer detection, coupled with increased funding in this area. This research momentum is translating into a broader range of applications and improved performance of liquid biopsy in early cancer screening, further boosting its growth in this segment. Asia Pacific: The fastest-growing region in liquid biopsy market. The worldwide market for liquid biopsy is categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East & Africa, and GCC countries. The Asia Pacific region is poised to experience the most notable CAGR within the liquid biopsy market. Increasing collaborations between academic institutions, research organizations, and healthcare companies in the Asia Pacific region contribute to the advancement and commercialization of liquid biopsy technologies. The report provides insights on the following: Analysis of key drivers (Rising incidence and prevalence of cancer, cancer awareness initiatives undertaken by global health organizations, and increased benefits of liquid biopsy over traditional biopsy procedures), opportunities (Growing significance of companion diagnostics and growth opportunities in emerging countries), restraints (Lower sensitivity of certain liquid biopsy procedures), and challenges (Unclear reimbursement scenario) influencing the growth of the liquid biopsy market. Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product launches in the liquid biopsy market. Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyses the liquid biopsy market across varied regions. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the liquid biopsy market. Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, product offerings of leading players like Natera, QIAGEN, Myriad Genetics, Illumina and F. Hoffmann-La Roche. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 328 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $6.4 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $11.3 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 11.9% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: Executive Summary Liquid Biopsy Market, by Product & Service, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) Liquid Biopsy Market, by Circulating Biomarker, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) Liquid Biopsy Market, by Technology, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) Liquid Biopsy Market, by Application, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) Liquid Biopsy Market, by Clinical Application, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) Liquid Biopsy Market, by Sample Type, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) Liquid Biopsy Market, by End-user, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) Liquid Biopsy Market, by Region, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) Premium Insights Liquid Biopsy Market Overview - Increasing Demand for Minimally Invasive Diagnostic Techniques to Support Market Growth During Forecast Period Liquid Biopsy Market, by Product & Service, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) - Assay Kits Segment to Dominate Market Throughout Forecast Period Liquid Biopsy Market, by Circulating Biomarker, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) - Circulating Tumor Cells Segment to Hold Largest Market Share Till 2029 Liquid Biopsy Market, by Technology, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) - Multi-Gene Parallel Analysis Using NGS Segment to Account for Largest Share of Technology Market Liquid Biopsy Market, by Application, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) - Cancer Applications Segment to Retain Market Dominance Till 2029 Liquid Biopsy Market, by Clinical Application, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) - Therapy Selection and Treatment Monitoring to Hold Largest Market Shares Throughout Forecast Period Liquid Biopsy Market, by Sample Type, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) - Blood Samples to Dominate Market Till 2029 Liquid Biopsy Market, by End-user, 2024 vs. 2029 (USD Million) - Reference Laboratories to Account for Largest Share Liquid Biopsy Market: Geographic Growth Opportunities - Asia-Pacific to Register Highest Growth During Forecast Period Key Market Dynamics Drivers Rising Incidence and Prevalence of Cancer Cancer Awareness Initiatives Undertaken by Global Health Organizations Benefits of Liquid Biopsy Over Traditional Biopsy Procedures Restraints Lower Sensitivity of Certain Liquid Biopsy Procedures Opportunities Growing Significance of Companion Diagnostics Growth Opportunities in Emerging Countries Challenges Unclear Reimbursement Scenario Key Technologies Digital Droplet PCR Tagged-Amplicon Deep Sequencing Complementary Technologies Electrochemical Biosensing Technology Adjacent Technologies Microfluidics-based Devices Case Study Analysis Case Study 1: Analytical Validation of Target Selector CTDNA Platform Case Study 2: Determining Optimal Mutation Detection Medium Companies Featured Natera Qiagen Myriad Genetics Illumina F. Hoffmann-La Roche Thermo Fisher Scientific Guardant Health Bio-Rad Laboratories Exact Sciences Corporation Sysmex Corporation Biocept Mdxhealth Personalis Neogenomics Laboratories Epigenomics Angle Menarini-Silicon Biosystems Lunglife AI Vortex Biosciences Bio-Techne Mesa Labs Laboratory Corporation of America Medgenome Strand Freenome Holdings Lucence Health For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3nlt2f About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global LED Tube Light Market Report by Tube Type, Application, and Region 2024-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global LED tube light market size reached US$ 4.2 Billion in 2023. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach US$ 9.5 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 9.49% during 2023-2032. With the inflating prices of electricity around the world, consumers are shifting from compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) to LED tube lights. This is further supported by awareness campaigns and policies for energy conservation and environmental protection by governments in various countries. On the other hand, manufacturers are coming up with different LED lighting products and investing in marketing through newspapers and televisions, which is increasing product awareness among consumers. Furthermore, strong demand for LED tube lights is emerging from the corporate sector as they offer better ambiance lighting, enhanced controls, and reduced maintenance costs. They are also widely being used in automotive, general lighting, mobile devices, signal and signage, healthcare, forensic, academics, and street lighting, which is stimulating market growth. Key Market Segmentation This report provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global LED tube light market report, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2024-2032. The report has categorized the market based on tube type and application. Breakup by Tube Type: T5 T8 T12 Others Breakup by Application: Residential Office Industrial Hospitality Others Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined with some of the key players being Acuity Brands Inc., Eaton Corporation PLC, Foshan Electrical and Lighting Co. Ltd., Iris Ohyama Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V., LEDVANCE GmbH (MLS Co. Ltd.), Opple Lighting, Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. (Panasonic Corporation), Savant Technologies LLC, Toggled (Altair Engineering Inc.), Yankon Lighting and Zumtobel Group. Key Questions Answered in This Report What was the size of the global LED tube light market in 2023? What is the expected growth rate of the global LED tube light market during 2024-2032? What are the key factors driving the global LED tube light market? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global LED tube light market? What is the breakup of the global LED tube light market based on the tube type? What is the breakup of the global LED tube light market based on the application? What are the key regions in the global LED tube light market? Who are the key players/companies in the global LED tube light market? Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 137 Forecast Period 2023 - 2032 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $4.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2032 $9.5 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 9.4% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global LED Tube Light Industry 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Breakup by Tube Type 5.5 Market Breakup by Application 5.6 Market Breakup by Region 5.7 Market Forecast 5.8 SWOT Analysis 5.9 Value Chain Analysis 5.9.1 Procurement of Components 5.9.2 LED Tube Light Manufacturers 5.9.3 Marketing and Product Distribution 5.9.4 End Users 5.10 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.11 Key Success and Risk Factors for LED Tube Light Manufacturers 5.12 Comparative Analysis of CFL and LED 5.13 Price Analysis 6 Market Breakup by Tube Type 6.1 T5 6.2 T8 6.3 T12 6.4 Others 7 Market Breakup by Application 7.1 Residential 7.2 Office 7.3 Industrial 7.4 Hospitality 7.5 Others 8 Market Breakup by Region 9 LED Tube light Manufacturing Process 9.1 Product Overview and Specifications 9.2 Key Features and Advantages 9.3 Key Application Areas 9.3.1 Offices and Conference Rooms 9.3.2 Showrooms and Malls 9.3.3 Homes, Departmental Stores and Boutiques 9.3.4 Warehouses and Parking Houses 9.3.5 Hospitals and Laboratories 9.4 Popular Types 9.5 Design Material Alternatives 9.5.1 Thermoplastic Housing 9.5.2 Extruded Aluminium Housing 9.5.3 Extruded Glass Housing 9.6 Manufacturing Process 9.7 Raw Material Requirements 9.8 Raw Material Pictures 10 Project Details, Requirements and Costs Involved 10.1 Land Requirements and Expenditures 10.2 Construction Requirements and Expenditures 10.3 Plant Machinery 10.4 Machinery Pictures 10.5 Raw Material Requirements and Expenditures 10.6 Raw Material and Final Product Pictures 10.7 Packaging Requirements and Expenditures 10.8 Transportation Requirements and Expenditures 10.9 Utility Requirements and Expenditures 10.10 Manpower Requirements and Expenditures 10.11 Other Capital Investments 11 Loans and Financial Assistance 12 Project Economics 12.1 Capital Cost of the Project 12.2 Techno-Economic Parameters 12.3 Product Pricing and Margins Across Various Levels of the Supply Chain 12.4 Taxation and Depreciation 12.5 Income Projections 12.6 Expenditure Projections 12.7 Financial Analysis 12.8 Profit Analysis 13 Competitive Landscape Acuity Brands Inc. Eaton Corporation PLC Foshan Electrical and Lighting Co. Ltd. Iris Ohyama Inc. Koninklijke Philips N.V. LEDVANCE GmbH (MLS Co. Ltd.) Opple Lighting Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. (Panasonic Corporation) Savant Technologies LLC Toggled (Altair Engineering Inc.) Yankon Lighting Zumtobel Group For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bmbqje About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Helsinn and Angelini Pharma sign a partnership agreement renewal to commercialize AULIN and MESULID in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic Lugano (Switzerland) and Rome (Italy) May 27, 2024 Helsinn Group (Helsinn), a global pharmaceutical company with a track record of over forty-five years of commercial execution and a strong focus in supportive care, oncology and dermato-oncology, and Angelini Pharma (Angelini), an international pharmaceutical company, part of the Italian privately-owned multi-business Angelini Industries, that researches, develops and commercializes health solutions with a focus on the areas of Brain Health, including Mental Health and Epilepsy, and Consumer Health, announce today the signing of the Distribution and Licence Agreement renewal in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic for AULIN and MESULID (Nimesulide) for the treatment of acute (short-term) pain. Erik Lommerde, Executive VP International Operations at Angelini Pharma, remarked: We are delighted to renew our partnership with Helsinn. This collaboration is built on a foundation of mutual trust, highlighted by our shared commitment to professional excellence, in-depth product knowledge, and high-quality service. This alliance is crucial for both parties and represents a strong business relationship. Dr. Melanie Rolli, Helsinn Group CEO, commented: We are pleased to have signed this agreement with Angelini and honored to maintain our ongoing collaboration. Our long-standing partnership with Angelini exemplifies how Helsinn fosters relationships and alliances to deliver essential products to patients. We appreciate their extensive reach in these countries, which enables patient access to this much needed treatment. About AULIN MESULID The product is a non-selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and is available by prescription as an oral tablet and granules for oral suspension. It is used as a second line treatment for acute pain and primary dysmenorrhea. Aulin gel (other marketed brand names include: AulinDol) depending on the market, is available by prescription or over the counter and is indicated for symptomatic relief of pain associated with sprains and acute traumatic tendinitis. Further information is available in the Summary of Product Characteristics which can be provided upon request. About Angelini Industries Angelini Industries is a multinational industrial group founded in Ancona in 1919 by Francesco Angelini. Today, Angelini Industries represents a solid and diversified industrial reality that employs approximately 5,800 employees and operates in 21 countries around the world with revenues of over 2 billion euros, generated in the health, industrial technology, and consumer goods sectors. A targeted investment strategy for growth; constant commitment to research and development; deep knowledge of markets and business sectors, make Angelini Industries one of the Italian companies of excellence in the sectors in which it operates. To learn more visit www.angeliniindustries.com. About Angelini Pharma Angelini Pharma is an international pharmaceutical company, part of the Italian privately-owned multi-business Angelini Industries. The Company researches, develops and commercializes health solutions with a focus on the areas of Brain Health, including Mental Health and Epilepsy, and Consumer Health. Founded in Italy at the beginning of the 20th century, Angelini Pharma operates directly in 20 countries, employing more than 3,000 people. Its products are marketed in over 70 countries through strategic alliances with leading international pharmaceutical groups. For more information about Angelini Pharma please visit https://www.angelinipharma.com About Helsinn Helsinn is a global pharmaceutical company that builds, manufactures, launches, and commercializes products to improve the quality of life for patients with cancer and chronic disease, with a focus on supportive care, oncology and dermato-oncology. Helsinn, headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, has direct commercial operations in the U.S. and an extensive network of long-standing trusted partners enabling a commercial presence in more than 90 countries. Established in 1976, Helsinn is a third-generation family-owned company with broad pharmaceutical and technical expertise. Helsinn is proud of its history of operating with great integrity, passion and quality. The company is committed to continuously striving for innovation for its patients and embracing sustainable growth as a core element of its strategic vision. To learn more about Helsinn, please visit www.helsinn.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn . For more information: Helsinn Group Media Contact: Sabrina Perucchi Microsoft Teams Group Communication Manager Lugano, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0) 91 985 21 21 Email: Info-hhc@helsinn.com Angelini Pharma Daniela Poggio Executive Director Global Communications and Patient Advocacy Tel: +39 3486558882 Chiara Antoniucci Global Media Relations Manager Tel: +39 3477133926 Assay Highlights: 24GF-1426: 586.7 g/t Au over 0.5 m (18.86 oz/t Au over 1.6 ft) 24GF-1424: 14.3 g/t Au over 5.0 m (0.46 oz/t Au over 16.4 ft) 24GF-1397: 17.4 g/t Au over 4.2 m (0.56 oz/t Au over 13.8 ft) 22GF-1366: 8.8 g/t Au over 3.9 m (0.28 oz/t Au over 12.8 ft) (See Figure 2. All assay values are true widths) TORONTO, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE: MUX) (TSX: MUX) is pleased to provide new assay results from the Grey Fox deposit, part of our Fox Complex. The results in Table 1 demonstrate intriguing explorations targets at depth and attractive near surface gold grades with potential to be recovered utilizing lower cost open pit mining methods. Gold at Grey Fox has been found in multiple zones, including Gibson, Whiskey-Jack, 147 and Grey Fox South (GFS). The current resource estimate for Grey Fox is 1,168,000 oz gold at a grade of 4.80 g/t Au Indicated and 236,000 oz gold at 4.35 g/t Au Inferred. An updated resource estimate will be completed in late September. Much of the drilling performed in 2023 and continuing into 2024 was focused on increasing the existing resource in addition to identifying new mineralized horizons. Geological interpretations suggest that Grey Fox sits stratigraphically above the mineralization of the Black Fox & Froome mines. Consequently, there is potential for deeper Black Fox & Froome style mineralization directly below some of the Grey Fox zones. Historical production from these two mines is more than 1,000,000 oz gold. Figure 1 shows the location of the Grey Fox zones relative to the Black Fox and Froome mines, on the same large property, separated by approximately 3 kilometers (1.9 miles). There has been limited drilling between Black Fox and Grey Fox, despite historical drill results that indicate similar rock types associated with the A1 Fault, the principal structure that controls the mineralization at Black Fox. Gibson Zone The Gibson zone has a history that made it an obvious target. A bulk sample taken in 1989 had historical documentation suggesting an average gold grade in excess of 27 g/t Au. Results from our recent drilling have established Gibson as a high priority target. The Gibson zone consists primarily of a syenite intrusion with sediments lying to the East (see Figure 2). This geological setting is similar to the Young-Davidson Mine, which has estimated gold reserves of about 3,300,000 oz gold at a grade of 2.3 g/t Au. This mine is located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Grey Fox. In Figure 2 we illustrate some of the newly received drill intercepts at Gibson, which are conveniently located close to surface and close to the historical ramp used to take the bulk sample (e.g., 22GF-1366: 8.8 g/t Au over 3.9 m and 24GF-1397: 17.4 g/t Au over 4.2 m). In addition, these results demonstrate the potential for higher grading mineralization within the current resource. We have just commenced an aggressive follow-up infill program at Gibson, designed to identify near-term mineralization. Figure 3 shows the first two holes (24GF-1452 and 24GF-1453; assays pending) for this program, drilled in proximity to the Gibson Ramp. Both drillholes have multiple occurrences of visible gold (VG). Much of the VG is associated with existing mineralized lenses, indicating the current resource model is performing well, i.e., the mineralization is being intersected where it is anticipated to be present. Earlier drilling in the sediments to the east of the Gibson syenite also generated attractive assay results (e.g., 21GF-1333: 5.6 g/t Au over 10.2 m from 386 m to 403.6 m downhole, at 365 m elevation), which shows the possible extension of favorable mineralization. In addition, limited recent deep drilling at Gibson showed evidence for mineralization at depths greater than 600 m (e.g., 23GF-1389: 4.4 g/t Au over 5.9 m within the Gibson syenite), indicating the resource growth potential for the Grey Fox area. Many of the intercepts reported for the Gibson zone are also open in most directions, including at depth. Whiskey-Jack, GFS & 147 Zones The Whiskey-Jack zone is the highest grading portion of the Grey Fox deposit, with current Indicated resource of approximately 80,000 oz gold at a grade of 7.0 g/t Au and an Inferred resource of approximately 43,000 oz gold at a grade of 6.1 g/t Au. Located at the NW corner of the current Grey Fox resource, it is associated with a local NW bend in the stratigraphy controlled by the A1 splay fault (see Figure 2). The A1 fault is interpreted to extend from Black Fox south to Grey Fox and may mark the boundary between shallow Grey Fox style mineralization and deeper-seated Black Fox style mineralization. A regional exploration campaign is currently underway at Grey Fox to test for this deeper style of mineralization East of the A1 fault and to verify historical drilling, which indicated mineralization in that area that could extend northwest back to Black Fox. Geological interpretations suggests that the mineralization at Whiskey-Jack extends from less than 50 m below surface down to a depth of at least 275 m and remains open at depth. Two other targets are the GFS and 147 zones, located near the Southern edge of the Grey Fox deposit. Figure 2 shows the locations of the newly received intercepts for both zones. The better gold grades and intercept widths are generally located within the north-south oriented variolitic mafic volcanics (e.g., 24GF-1426: 586.7 g/t Au over 0.5 m and 24GF-1424: 14.3 g/t Au over 5.0 m). This is likely due to their enrichment in iron, which is a more favorable host rock and is a high priority target at GFS. The very high-grade value seen in 24GF-1426 also warrants additional follow-up drilling. Mineralization at GFS also begins at shallow depths (less than 50 m) and thus is amenable to open pit mining methods. The following features make Grey Fox a strong candidate for open pit mining: The gold grades are above average for an open pit mine; Relatively shallow overburden; Much of the gold mineralization identified starts at less than 50 m below surface with the majority of the current resources less than 300 m below surface; Much of the mineralization is hosted in sub-parallel stacked lenses located in proximity to each other with a steep (approx. 70) dip, which means they are ideal for surface mining, e.g., more optimal blasting patterns and less dilution, with a potentially low strip ratio. An active exploration program will continue throughout the year and into 2025. Figure 1 Surface Plan View of the Geology for the Black Fox and Grey Fox Deposits Figure 2 Plan View Map for the Grey Fox Area With Highlighted Assay Intercepts Figure 3 Mineralization in Proximity of the Historical Gibson Ramp (Cross Section Looking North-East) Table 1 Highlights of Recent Drill Intercepts From the Grey Fox Exploration Program Hole ID From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) True Width (m) True Width (ft) Au Uncapped (g/t) Au x TW Uncapped (GxM) 21GF-1333* 386.0 403.6 17.6 12.1 39.7 5.6 68.1 22GF-1366 151.8 157.4 5.7 3.9 12.8 8.8 34.5 And 265.0 266.0 1.0 0.7 2.3 18.8 13.1 22GF-1372 229.1 231.0 1.9 1.2 3.9 7.3 8.4 23GF-1382 94.0 97.0 3.0 2.6 8.5 4.1 10.7 And 276.5 279.0 2.5 2.2 7.2 10.2 22.2 And 585.0 590.0 5.0 4.5 14.8 3.5 15.7 23GF-1389 714.0 722.0 8.0 5.8 19.0 4.4 25.7 23GF-1393 73.9 76.2 2.4 1.9 6.2 13.5 25.6 And 216.0 216.6 0.6 0.5 1.6 17.1 8.4 And 649.0 650.0 1.0 0.8 2.6 18.2 15.3 23GF-1394 375.6 378.0 2.4 2.0 6.6 6.4 12.8 And 563.0 576.7 13.7 11.8 38.7 2.8 33.2 And 590.0 597.0 7.0 2.3 7.5 8.2 18.8 23GF-1395 612.0 615.0 3.0 2.4 7.9 7.2 17.4 24GF-1397 151.0 157.0 6.0 4.2 13.8 17.4 73.1 24GF-1402 189.0 191.0 2.0 1.3 4.3 7.7 9.9 24GF-1407 316.9 322.2 5.3 1.2 3.9 10.3 12.6 24GF-1420 280.0 286.5 6.4 5.0 16.4 4.1 20.7 24GF-1424 95.0 101.4 6.4 5.0 16.4 14.3 71.4 24GF-1426 200.3 200.9 0.7 0.5 1.6 586.7 274.1 24GF-1436 187.0 190.2 3.2 2.3 7.5 4.1 9.3 * - Previously reported drill results Technical Information Technical information pertaining to the Fox Complex exploration contained in this news release has been prepared under the supervision of Sean Farrell, P.Geo., Chief Exploration Geologist, who is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects." The technical information related to resource and reserve estimates in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Luke Willis, P.Geo., McEwen Minings Director of Resource Modelling and is a Qualified Person as defined by SEC S-K 1300 and Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects." Exploration drill core samples at Grey Fox were typically submitted as 1/2 core. Analyses reported herein were performed either by the fire assay method at the accredited laboratories: Pangea Laboratorio in Sinaloa, Mexico (NMX-EC-17025-IMNC-2018, ISO /IEC 17025:2017), owned and operated by an indirect subsidiary of the Company, ACT Labs (ISO 9001 & ISO 17025:2017), ALS laboratory (ISO 9001 & ISO 17025:2017), or by the photon assay method at the accredited laboratory MSA Labs (ISO 9001 & ISO 17025) in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. For a list of drilling results at Grey Fox since Nov 28, 2022, including hole location and alignment, click here: https://www.mcewenmining.com/files/doc_news/archive/2024/2024_05_Grey_Fox_drill_results.xlsx CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, including "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements and information expressed, as at the date of this news release, McEwen Mining Inc.'s (the "Company") estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events and results. Forward-looking statements and information are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies, and there can be no assurance that such statements and information will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results or future events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuations in the market price of precious metals, mining industry risks, political, economic, social and security risks associated with foreign operations, the ability of the corporation to receive or receive in a timely manner permits or other approvals required in connection with operations, risks associated with the construction of mining operations and commencement of production and the projected costs thereof, risks related to litigation, the state of the capital markets, environmental risks and hazards, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral resources and reserves, and other risks. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information included herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. See McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the caption "Risk Factors", for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information regarding the Company. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by this cautionary statement. The NYSE and TSX have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release, which has been prepared by management of McEwen Mining Inc. ABOUT MCEWEN MINING McEwen Mining is a gold and silver producer with operations in Nevada, Canada, Mexico and Argentina. McEwen Mining also holds a 47.7% interest in McEwen Copper, which is developing the large, advanced-stage Los Azules copper project in Argentina. The Companys goal is to improve the productivity and life of its assets with the objective of increasing the share price and providing a yield. Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner, has a personal investment in the Company of US$220 million. Want News Fast? Subscribe to our email list by clicking here: https://www.mcewenmining.com/contact-us/#section=followUs and receive news as it happens! WEB SITE SOCIAL MEDIA www.mcewenmining.com McEwen Mining Facebook: facebook.com/mcewenmining LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mcewen-mining-inc- CONTACT INFORMATION Twitter: twitter.com/mcewenmining 150 King Street West Instagram: instagram.com/mcewenmining Suite 2800, PO Box 24 Toronto, ON, Canada McEwen Copper Facebook: facebook.com/ mcewencopper M5H 1J9 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mcewencopper Twitter: twitter.com/mcewencopper Relationship with Investors: Instagram: instagram.com/mcewencopper (866)-441-0690 - Toll free line (647)-258-0395 Rob McEwen Facebook: facebook.com/mcewenrob Mihaela Iancu ext. 320 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robert-mcewen-646ab24 info@mcewenmining.com Twitter: twitter.com/robmcewenmux Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/07f25f5f-cfaa-4171-a18e-5c9b2dc22f51 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/efca557c-ba5a-470a-b28c-1541956dd1cb https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bb7f45f8-70ab-4f3d-9971-0ca104bdef8f Regina, Saskatchewan, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Conexus Credit Union and Conexus Venture Capital Inc. have announced the launch of CVC Fund #2, a new venture capital fund hyper focused on backing Saskatchewans top high-growth tech companies. The ambitious fund is aiming to raise $30 million. CVC Fund #2 has secured an initial investment of $15 million from Conexus because of the credit unions dedication to propelling Saskatchewan startups and supporting the provinces economy. Conexus Venture Capital Inc. made the announcement on May 22 live on stage at the Uniting the Prairies conference in Saskatoon, the prairie provinces premier startup-focused tech conference where founders connect with active investors and tech leaders. Were doubling down on our commitment to the Saskatchewan tech ecosystem, says Jordan McFarlen, Managing Director of Conexus Venture Capital Inc. We believe in the founders of this province and their ability to build breakthroughs in industries around the globe. We know that before Conexus Venture Capital Inc.s first fund, Saskatchewan startups received less than 0.5 per cent of all venture capital funds deployed across Canada in 2017, says Celina Philpot, Conexus Chief Executive Officer. "Since Conexus Credit Union launched Conexus Venture Capital Inc. in 2019, we have facilitated the investment of $66 million into helping businesses grow, including 13 based right here in the province. Conexus is dedicated to championing a thriving Saskatchewan. No one knows the Saskatchewan tech ecosystem better than our team. The opportunities in our province and our confidence in this team is why Conexus Credit Union is excited to announce its significant investment of $15 million into CVC Fund #2. Building on the success of CVC Fund #1 and the tech incubator Cultivator powered by Conexus, CVC Fund #2 is another offering that demonstrates Conexus support of tech startups, the economy, and our members success in Saskatchewan. For more information and to arrange interviews with Celina and Jordan, please contact: Michael Chmielewski Media Relations Specialist | Conexus Credit Union media@conexus.ca I 306-751-8201 More information on CVC Fund #1 CVC Fund #1 is a $30 million fund that Conexus Credit Union launched in 2019 to support forgotten Saskatchewan, prairies, and western Canadian startups. The first fund has representation from nine institutional limited partners, six of which are Saskatchewan credit unions. CVC Fund #1 made 17 portfolio company investments into some of the best startups in the Canadian prairies. CVC Fund #1 has successfully exited two portfolio companies and has taken secondaries on another two portfolio companies. Venture capital investment in Saskatchewan was only $14 million in 2017 and $16 million in 2018. In 2022, venture capital deployed in the province jumped to $119 million, showcasing CVC Fund #1s positive influence on the ecosystem and the need for a local institutional investor. CVC Fund #2 is well timed as venture capital in the province fell to $37 million in 2023. The first funds thesis has proven to be successful. CVC Fund #1 has and continues to perform in the top quarter of 2019 vintage across North America. CVC Fund #1 has also backed some of the most successful tech companies in Saskatchewan, such as 7shifts and Coconut Software. CVC Fund #2 is looking forward to supporting the next wave of Saskatchewan success stories. About Conexus Venture Capital Inc. Conexus Venture Capital Inc. was built to fill a funding gap in the local tech ecosystem. In 2017, Saskatchewan startups received less than 0.5 per cent of all venture capital funds deployed across Canada. Knowing our provinces startups were being overlooked, we sought ways to fill this funding gap. In early 2019, Conexus Credit Union launched Conexus Venture Capital Inc. as a commitment to entrepreneurs and the local economy. About Conexus Credit Union Were a forward-thinking, Saskatchewan-based credit union committed to our members and their financial well-being. Were a member-owned cooperative with more than 80 years of serving members and giving back to our community. Conexus purpose is to champion every members success for a thriving Saskatchewan. Conexus Credit Union has a long, rich history of innovation. Founded on the idea of pooling local capital and building support for the local economy, Conexus applied this principle to a 21st century problem: recognizing the lack of venture capital funding as an opportunity to solve a significant problem for our provinces entrepreneurs. Attachment For a limited time only, Canadians can try a first-of-its-kind cheesiest creation Little Caesars Crazy Puffs Mac & Cheese TORONTO, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fun fast-food combinations and must-try flavour pairings have emerged as a hot topic in culture and this food frenzy is only gaining momentum with delicious first-of-its-kind creations! With the majority of Canadians expressing that they like pizza (97%) and mac & cheese (82%) the new Crazy Puffs KD Mac & Cheese mashes up two favourites into one craveable bite that foodies are sure to go crazy for! Made fresh in restaurants every day, each order of Crazy Puffs Mac & Cheese includes 4 handheld pieces of freshly made dough filled with Mac & Cheese, topped with 100% Canadian shredded cheese, and finished with a sprinkle of Cheddar Cheese seasoning. Crazy Puffs are known for packing big flavour into small handheld bites and our new innovation delivers just that with a mac & cheese we all know and love, says Jessica Foust, Director, Global Product Development & Menu Management at Little Caesars. Our team carefully crafted each cheesy bite so that Canadians can enjoy two of their favourite foods on-the-go. Dont get FOMO or wait too long because Little Caesars Crazy Puffs Mac & Cheese are here for a delicious time, not a long time! And, once you try them, you will run (not walk) back for more! Available across Canada only starting May 27, customers can order a 4-piece of Crazy Puffs for only $4.99 + tax and are Hot-N-Ready from 4PM-8PM*. Visit littlecaesars.ca to locate your nearest restaurant and grab the new cheesy creation Hot-N-Ready for pickup or delivery*! *Available across Canada, visit www.littlecaesars.ca to locate your nearest restaurant, while supplies last. Price and participation may vary. Delivery fees may apply. ABOUT LITTLE CAESARS IN CANADA Introduced to Canada in 1969, Little Caesars has been serving up value for more than 50 years through high-quality pizza at an all-day, everyday value. Little Caesar of Canada ULC is the franchisor of Little Caesars Pizza in Canada and is headquartered in Oakville, Ontario. Little Caesars opened its first Canadian restaurant in 1969 and now has restaurant locations in all 10 Canadian Provinces. ABOUT LITTLE CAESARS Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Little Caesars was founded by Mike and Marian Ilitch in 1959 as a single, family-owned restaurant. Today, it is the third-largest pizza chain in the world, with stores in each of the 50 U.S. states and 28 countries and territories. Known for its HOT-N-READY pizza and famed Crazy Bread, Little Caesars uses quality ingredients, like fresh, never frozen, mozzarella and Muenster cheese and sauce made from fresh-packed, vine-ripened crushed tomatoes. The brand is known for innovation and is home of the exclusive Pizza Portal pickup, a heated, self-service mobile order pickup station. An exceptionally high-growth company with over 60 years of experience in the $145 billion worldwide pizza industry, Little Caesars is continually looking for franchisee candidates to join the team in markets around the world. In addition to providing the opportunity for entrepreneurial independence in a franchise system, Little Caesars offers strong brand awareness with one of the most recognized and appealing characters in the country, Little Caesar. For more information please visit: www.littlecaesars.ca. Media contact: Suneera Singh Citizen Relations suneera.singh@citizenrelations.com SOURCE Little Caesars Survey Methodology From April 30th to May 1st 2024, a Maru Public Opinion online survey of 1,521 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Maru Voice Canada panelists was conducted by Maru/Blue on behalf of Little Caesars. The overall data is weighted to be representative of the Canadian adult population. A probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a580f78-fd18-41ac-b1b9-7f0995835026 St. George, UT, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Utah Gastroenterology welcomes the addition of Dr. Scott Diamond, a board certified professional who treats all gastrointestinal diseases, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), GERD, liver disease and colon cancer. Dr. Diamond is board certified in Internal Medicine, received his undergraduate degree from Ohio State University, and his medical degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency at University of Louisville Hospital and his fellowship at Valley Hospital Medical Center. Gastroenterology, the best field in medicine, appeals to me because I get to develop longitudinal relationships with patients coupled with interventional and diagnostic procedures, Dr. Diamond says. In our field, we provide services that drastically improve someones quality of life and can actually prevent serious disease with the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatments. Utah Gastroenterology is part of GI Alliance the premier physician-owned and -led network of gastroenterology practices in the U.S. Dr. Diamond will work to provide the best patient care for St. George residents. Utah Gastro is at 368 E. Riverside Dr., Suite A, St. George, UT , and is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. Call 435-673-1149 or visit utahgastro.com to schedule an appointment today. For more information, or to interview Dr. Diamond contact: Joe E Carmean (410) 845-0715 joe@punchingnungroup.com Attachment High River, Alberta, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With care at the core of everything it does at Western Financial Group, this years National Walk saw nearly 90% of its team members across Canada donning their Western Communities Foundation t-shirts, getting together with colleagues, partners and community members to walk to raise funds and awareness for local charities. Western has a history of taking care of our people, and the people who live and work in the communities we serve, said Kenny Nicholls, Western Financial Groups President and CEO. Were there to help pick up the pieces when things go wrong, and we want to share in the joy when things go right. We share this philosophy with our team members, who use it as a foundation of service with our customers. It only makes sense for us to extend those values to our wider communities. For every team member who participates in the 5km walk, Western Financial Group makes a $50 donation to support the charities that matter to our people. To honour Westerns people-first culture and understand that staff have different scheduling needs, this years National Walk was held over a week (May 20-24) rather than one dedicated day. This allowed Canadas insurance broker to give greater flexibility for more people to participate. Teams walked together from their local branch, remote individuals walked in their own neighbourhoods, or even staff on holiday took the time to put in 5kms in new surroundings. The ultimate goal was to make the walk as easy, accessible and flexible as possible to encourage participation. Its incredible to see the spirit of giving back and the passion our people have for taking care of our communities, said Michelle Mak, Director, Western Communities Foundation. Western has held this annual walk since 2005. Its become a company mainstay; team members are excited to take part and theyre really passionate about the charities were supporting. Employees from coast to coast took to social media with photos of their walk experiences. From scenic trails to city streets, Westerns team showcased their spirit and dedication. Check out Westerns Facebook and LinkedIn pages for more. Western Financial Group Inc. Headquartered in High River, Alberta, Western Financial Group is a diversified insurance services company focused on creating security and peace of mind and has provided over one million Canadians with the proper protection for over 100 years. Western is committed to community service, customer service, innovation, growth, and people while providing personal and business insurance through our engaged team of over 2,000 people in over 200 locations, affiliates, and various connected channels. Since the very beginning, supporting our local communities has guided everything we do - its who we are. In 2001, the Western Financial Group Communities Foundation (our non-profit charity) was created as a way for our team members to give back and positively impact the people and pride in the places where we live, work and play to date we have invested over $9 million back into our communities. Western Financial Group is a subsidiary of Trimont Financial Ltd., a subsidiary of The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company. Westernfinancialgroup.ca Western Financial Group Communities Foundation Founded in 2001, the Western Financial Group Communities Foundation serves to give back to the communities where Western employees live and work and play, and foster employee pride and engagement. The Foundation's core donation programs include community Infrastructure Grants, the Western Inspirational Awards for graduating high school students, and the Matching Grants Program. Since its inception, the Western Communities Foundation has given back more than $9 million to support local communities. Attachments Atlanta, GA, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fairfield Funding, a leading structured settlement annuity company, is excited to announce the launch of its redesigned website and restructured resource center. This major overhaul aims to improve user experience by providing more comprehensive and accessible information to sellers. It reflects Fairfield Fundings ongoing commitment to providing exceptional and innovative financial solutions to meet its sellers diverse needs. Fairfield Funding The redesigned website features a more intuitive layout and user-friendly navigation, making it easier for sellers to access any essential information they need. The restructured resource center features a wealth of articles, guides, and other write-ups to help individuals better understand their financial options regarding structured settlement annuities. Our goal was to create a platform that not only looks modern but also serves as an invaluable resource for our sellers, said the representative of Fairfield Funding. Fairfield Funding is also expanding its services to include pre-settlement funding, a new option that provides financial assistance to individuals awaiting settlement from a lawsuit. This option aims to offer financial relief during what can often be a lengthy legal process and help sellers manage their financial needs with ease during this challenging time. We understand that waiting for a settlement can be financially stressful," explained the representative. With pre-settlement funding, we aim to ease this burden and provide our sellers with the support they need. This new offering aligns with Fairfield Fundings role as a structured settlement funding company, ensuring sellers have access to immediate funds when they need them most. It complements its existing offerings, providing even more flexibility and support to its sellers. Known for its commitment to seller satisfaction, Fairfield Funding assists sellers by purchasing structured settlement annuities, allowing them to convert their annuities or structured settlements into cash. As a structured settlement funding company, Fairfield Funding is dedicated to helping sellers unlock their financial potential. It has a long history of helping sellers gain immediate access to their funds. By offering tailored financial solutions, the company ensures each seller receives the best possible outcome for their unique situation. Its pre-settlement funding option, alongside the ability to sell your annuity or structured settlement for cash, solidifies its position as a leader in structured settlement annuities. For more information on Fairfield Funding, visit https://www.fairfieldfunding.com/. About Fairfield Funding Fairfield Funding is a structured settlement funding company based in Atlanta, GA. It helps individuals sell their annuities or structured settlements for cash, providing financial solutions to navigate their options and achieve their goals confidently. Known for its commitment to seller satisfaction and innovation, Fairfield Funding remains a trusted purchaser in the structured settlement and annuity industry. ### Media Contact Fairfield Funding Address: 1441 Dresden Dr. NE Suite 290, Atlanta, GA 30319 Phone: +1 888-943-8637 Website: https://www.fairfieldfunding.com/ Attachment Chinese premier urges Japan to work with China in the same direction Xinhua) 08:04, May 27, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, May 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) SEOUL, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday called on Japan to work with China in the same direction and implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. It is hoped that the two countries will continuously consolidate mutual trust, deepen cooperation, properly manage differences, and build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era, Li said during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. Li said that last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Kishida met in San Francisco, reached important consensus, and reaffirmed the positioning of comprehensively advancing the strategic and mutually beneficial relations between China and Japan, providing important political guidance for the development of bilateral relations. History and Taiwan are major issues of principle concerning the political foundation of China-Japan relations, as well as basic issues of faith and integrity, and the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and a red line, he said. It is hoped that Japan will honor its promise and create a positive atmosphere for the continuous development of bilateral relations, said Li. The development of China and Japan is an important opportunity for each other, and the Chinese and Japanese economies are now closely intertwined, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, he said. The economic complementarity between China and Japan will exist for a long time to come, and there is huge potential for cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, digital economy, green development and exploring the third markets, he added. China and Japan should help each other succeed, jointly maintain a stable and unimpeded industrial chain and supply chain, and safeguard the global free trade system, he said. China is willing to continue to carry out friendly exchanges with Japan in various fields, through various channels and at various levels, further facilitate people-to-people exchanges and actively carry out youth exchanges, so as to consolidate public support for China-Japan friendly cooperation, Li said. The release of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater bears on the health of humanity, the global marine environment and international public interests, Li said. Noting that China is a major stakeholder, and the Chinese government and people are highly concerned about the issue, Li said China hopes Japan will further demonstrate sincerity and constructive attitude toward such issues as long-term international monitoring arrangements, seriously address legitimate concerns both at home and abroad, and earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations. For his part, Kishida said maintaining a sound development momentum of Japan-China relations is not only conducive to both countries, but also beneficial to the world. Japan stands ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen cooperation in such fields as green economy, medical care, third-party markets, facilitate personnel exchanges, deepen regional cooperation, and jointly tackle climate change and other global issues, Kishida said. Japan is also willing to actively build constructive and stable Japan-China relations, comprehensively advance the strategic and mutually beneficial relations between Japan and China, and promote the sound and long-term development of bilateral relations, he noted. Japan adheres to its position on the Taiwan question as stated in the Japan-China Joint Statement signed in 1972, which remains unchanged, Kishida said. The two sides agreed to strengthen dialogue and communication at all levels, hold a new round of China-Japan high-level economic dialogue and high-level people-to-people and cultural exchange consultation mechanism meetings at an appropriate time, continue to promote consultations and dialogues on the release of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water on the basis of existing progress, and maintain communication and coordination on international and regional affairs. The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, May 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Du Mingming) President's insights well received by intl experts 10:43, May 27, 2024 By Hou Liqiang ( China Daily Photo taken on Sept 2, 2023 shows the Datengxia water resources management facility in Southwest China. [Photo/Xinhua] An English-language publication highlighting President Xi Jinping's insights into water governance has been well received by international experts, who noted its potential in offering solutions to countries grappling with a water crisis exacerbated by climate change. The experts shared their observations during the eight-day 10th World Water Forum, which concluded on Saturday in Bali, Indonesia. The event featured the launch on Tuesday of the book Water Governance in China: Perspectives of Xi Jinping. One of the key parts of the book is an innovative philosophy on water governance that Xi proposed in 2014. It focuses on "prioritizing water conservation, balancing spatial distribution, adopting systematic approaches and leveraging the roles of both government and market". The president stressed that water governance includes multiple aspects, such as development and utilization, regulation and allocation, and conservation and protection. The key focus at present, in terms of mindset, awareness and action, is water conservation, and "we must prioritize water conservation to orchestrate a coordinated approach to water governance throughout the entire cycle", according to the book. Li Guoying, minister of water resources, says in the book's foreword that Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, proposed the philosophy from the strategic perspective of achieving sustainable development for the Chinese nation. The president has also provided insights into a series of significant theoretical and practical issues, including why water issues should be addressed in the new era, and what should be done and how to do it, forming a body of new concepts, ideas and strategies for water governance, Li said. "Guided by his water governance principles, China has achieved historic successes and undergone transformative changes and improvements in water governance," the minister said, highlighting the country's capacity "to prevent floods and droughts, save, optimally allocate, and make efficient use of water resources, and protect and manage river and lake ecosystems". With only 6 percent of the world's freshwater resources, China has managed to ensure food and water security for nearly 20 percent of the global population, and has contributed more than 18 percent of the world's economic output, Li noted. Highlighting the book as the first systematic introduction to China's water governance principles and technologies, Li Lifeng, director of the Land and Water Division at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, said he believes it will contribute to the future water management practices of countries around the world. With a series of methods and concepts ranging from water conservation and storage to flood management, China has an array of practices that can be shared with other nations, he said. Philippe Gourbesville, president of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research, said the book "is presenting a strategy for China for addressing the main issues that are coming in the next decades, especially achieving water security". Nebiyou Kassahun, from the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, who is a doctoral student majoring in hydrology and water resources, said, "The book gives a detailed description of philosophical aspects of water conservancy all over China, and I think that it is a good idea to share this with the rest of the world." "I also appreciate the fact that General Secretary Xi Jinping is able to emphasize these things, because it is actually a really current global issue, a global problem right now," he added. Pedro Liberato, former director-general of the department of international relations of Portugal's Ministry of Environment and Climate Action, lauded China's timely mindset on water governance. China's experiences in water resources management hold significant global relevance, particularly as the nation is adapting its water governance strategies to address evolving challenges posed by climate change, he said. "China has the experience that is very important to have at this moment," Liberato said, adding that the nation recognizes "that some of the good solutions 10 years ago are not the best ones anymore because of the extreme events". (Web editor: Tian Yi, Wu Chaolan) 40 killed in Israeli bombing on camp in Rafah: Palestinian media At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian media reported. Israeli forces fired about eight rockets toward the tents in a newly established camp crowded with thousands of displaced people near the warehouses of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. Local sources told Xinhua news agency that it was a "severe and unprecedented" Israeli airstrike on the densely populated area of displaced families, igniting tents made of plastic and tin, as well as civilian vehicles. Video clips circulated on Facebook showed flames rising intensively in the area and fires engulfing tents still inhabited by many, including children and women. The sources mentioned that the Civil Defense and ambulance crews face significant obstacles in retrieving the bodies due to the difficult terrain. Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that crowded with Gazans, the area had been classified by the Israeli military as a "safe area" before the strike. In a statement released Sunday night, Hamas slammed the bombing as "complete defiance and disregard for the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that demanded it to stop its aggression against Rafah". The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that "an IDF aircraft struck a Hamas compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating". "The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, using precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area," it added. The Israeli airstrike came hours after Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, launched a large rocket barrage from Rafah towards the coastal city of Tel Aviv in central Israel for the first time in months. On May 7, the Israeli army announced that it had taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, situated south of the Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt and in the eastern area of Rafah, which resulted in a halt in aid entering Gaza. Israel considers Rafah a last stronghold for Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Quest Fertilizer Ltd. (TSX-V: GQ) (Great Quest or the Company) announces today that it has been advised by the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV) that the common shares of Great Quest will resume trading on the TSXV effective May 29, 2024 at the opening of trading. Further to the Companys December 23, 2023 press release, the Company has submitted the supporting documentation requested by the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV) and is working with the TSXV to obtain final approval of the acquisition of up to 70% of the issued and outstanding shares of Belmont Exploration (PTY) Ltd. (the Transaction). The Company also provides the following additional information regarding the Transaction: Pursuant to the Companys acquisition of up to a 70% equity interest in Belmont Exploration (PTY) Ltd. (Belmont). Belmont owns: (i) a 90% ownership interest in Khorixas Mineral Exploration (PTY) Ltd. (Khorixas) which owns EPL7031, (ii) a 90% ownership interest in Damarabelt Mineral Exploration (PTY) Ltd. (Damarabelt) which owns EPL6772, and (iii) an 85% ownership interest in K Seventeen Minerals (PTY) Ltd. (K Seventeen) which owns EPL8237. EPL8650, EPL8651 and EPL8676 are currently held by Ongwe Minerals (PTY) Ltd. (Ongwe) which prior to the closing of the Transaction, owns a 100% equity interest in Belmont. Pursuant to a share purchase and subscription agreement between inter alia, Belmont and Ongwe, Ongwe must use best commercial endeavors to transfer these EPLs to Belmont. EPL8291 and EPL8405 are held by the shareholder and director of Ongwe and pursuant to a share purchase and subscription agreement between inter alia, Belmont and Ongwe, Ongwe must use best commercial endeavors to transfer these EPLs to Belmont. EPL6424 expired on January 28, 2023 but a renewal application was submitted to the Namibian Ministry of Mines and the renewal is expected in due course. This EPL is registered to Festus Haoseb (Festus). Pursuant to a memorandum of agreement, as amended, between Exploration18 (Pty) Ltd (Exploration18), Ongwe and Festus, Exploration 18 obtained an option to acquire 92% of this EPL and later assigned the option to Ongwe. Pursuant to a share purchase and subscription agreement between inter alia, Belmont and Ongwe, Ongwe must use best commercial endeavors to transfer the this EPL to Belmont. EPL6772 expired on February 14, 2024 but a renewal application was submitted to the Namibian Ministry of Mines and the renewal is expected in due course. EPL6772 is held by Damarabelt. EPL7031 expired on February 3, 2024 but a renewal application was submitted to the Namibian Ministry of Mines and the renewal is expected in due course. EPL7031 is held by Khorixas. EPL8237 expired on March 23, 2024 but a renewal application was submitted to the Namibian Ministry of Mines and the renewal is expected in due course. EPL8237 is held by K Seventeen. EPL8530 is an application submitted by Ongwe and the awarding of the EPL is expected in the ordinary course of business. Pursuant to a share purchase and subscription agreement between inter alia, Belmont and Ongwe, Ongwe must use best commercial endeavors to transfer this EPL to Belmont. EPL8790, EPL9022, EPL9449, EPL9450 are applications for exclusive prospecting licences that were submitted to the Namibian Ministry of Mines by Ongwe that Great Quest expects will be issued in due course. Pursuant to a share purchase and subscription agreement between inter alia, Belmont and Ongwe, Ongwe must use best commercial endeavors to transfer these EPLs to Belmont. EPL9987 is an application for an exclusive prospecting licence that was submitted to the Namibian Ministry of Mines by Belmont that Great Quest expects will be issued in due course. About Great Quest Great Quest Fertilizer Ltd. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the development of African gold projects. The Companys flagship asset is the Sanoukou Gold Project, encompassing 24 km2 located in the Kayes region to the West of Mali and developing the Tilemsi Phosphate Project a 1,206 km parcel in northeastern Mali, containing high quality phosphate resources amenable to use as direct application fertilizer. Great Quest is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GQ, and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol GQM. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF GREAT QUEST FERTILIZER LTD. Jed Richardson President, Chief Executive Officer and Director Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the trading of the Companys shares, the Transaction and the Companys ability to complete the Transaction the Companys ability to raise additional financing and the Companys future plans. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statements or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. TORONTO, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Government of Ontario announced the Homeowner Protection Act, 2024, which includes banning registrations for Notices of Security Interest (NOSIs), implementing a 10-day cooling-off period for purchases of newly built freehold homes, consulting on illegal building and selling, and building more housing near transit. OREA commends Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, Todd McCarthy, and the Ford Government for this legislation and their efforts to protect vulnerable homeowners from bad actors who unfairly exploit the use of NOSIs. Too many Ontarians, when selling their home, have been surprised by one or more NOSIs fine print in contracts for water coolers, furnaces, or security systems that include exorbitant buyout charges to be paid before the home can be sold. Banning NOSI registrations will help reduce additional and unnecessary fees being tacked onto the price tag of a home. OREA is also pleased to see that the Ministry will implement a 10-day cooling-off period for purchasers of newly built freehold homes, a protection that is already in place for pre-construction condo sales in Ontario. Extending this protection to newly constructed homes will enhance consumer protection by allowing buyers a 10-day period to review and cancel an agreement without penalty, leveling the playing field between Ontarios hardworking families and well-resourced corporate developers with a team of lawyers. Ontarios REALTORS commend the province for not extending this policy to resale homes which OREA has long emphasized would negatively impact both buyers and sellers as it would undermine certainty in resale transactions, which are typically between private citizens and do not involve corporate developers, and could lead to speculation. In addition, mandating public disclosure of a builders history of canceled purchase agreements for newly built freehold homes is a welcome policy that will provide consumers with transparency and peace of mind. Together, these improvements will establish a higher standard for honesty, integrity, and professionalism in the homebuilding and buying process. Finally, OREA would like to commend the Ministry for acting on one of our key recommendations outlined in our most recent policy report, Analysis of Ontarios Efforts to Boost Housing Supply modernizing zoning to support greater density along transit corridors. By exempting specific transit-oriented community lands from immunity provisions in the Planning Act, it will be easier and faster for the province to add missing-middle homes to Ontarios housing stock and increase overall density in areas that can best support high population levels. The Homeowner Protection Act, 2024 is a significant step towards protecting homeowners from bad actors during the largest financial transaction most Ontarians will make in their lives, and towards building much-needed housing supply across the Province. Tim Hudak, CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association For more information, please contact: Jean-Adrien Delicano Manager, Media Relations JeanAdrienD@orea.com 416-459-6059 CALGARY, Alberta, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canacol Energy Ltd. ("Canacol" or the "Corporation") (TSX: CNE; OTCQX: CNNEF; BVC: CNEC) is pleased to provide the following update regarding scheduled interest payment, termination of Fitch Ratings coverage, and exploration drilling program. Interest Payment On May 24, 2024, Canacol paid its scheduled semi-annual interest payment of US $14.375 million on its November 2028 Senior Notes. Rating Agency Update On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, the Corporation informed Fitch Ratings that it was terminating its contract for the provision of ratings coverage. The Corporation retains the services of both Moodys and S&P Ratings. Cardamomo-1 Exploration Well The Corporation is preparing to drill the Cardamomo-1 exploration well located in the northern part of its 100% operated VIM-5 Exploration and Production (E&P) contract situated approximately 25 kilometers to the north of its Jobo gas processing facility. The Cardamomo-1 exploration well will target potential gas bearing sands within the Cienaga de Oro (CDO) reservoir, in a large well defined structural closure identified on the Redoblante 3D seismic survey acquired in 2023. Similar to all of the other large discoveries the Corporation has made in the past, including the Clarinete, Nelson, Aguas Vivas, and Pandereta gas fields, the Cardamomo prospect exhibits a well-defined AVO attribute, a seismic characteristic commonly associated with the presence of gas within the CDO reservoir. The Corporation plans to spud the well in late July 2024, and anticipates that it will take 3 to 4 weeks to drill and complete the well. Given success, the Cardamomo field will be tied into the Alboka flowline located approximately 12 kilometers to the south. The Cardamomo prospect is one of 14 CDO exploration prospects identified on the newly acquired Redoblante 3D seismic survey, and should it prove successful will open up a new productive gas area for the Corporation within the northern part of the VIM-5 E&P contract. About Canacol Canacol is a natural gas exploration and production company with operations focused in Colombia. The Corporation's common stock trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the OTCQX in the United States of America, and the Colombia Stock Exchange under ticker symbol CNE, CNNEF, and CNEC, respectively. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, including without limitation statements relating to estimated production rates from the Corporation's properties and intended work programs and associated timelines. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and 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. The Corporation cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. They are made as of the date hereof and are subject to change and the Corporation assumes no obligation to revise or update them to reflect new circumstances, except as required by law. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These factors include the inherent risks involved in the exploration for and development of crude oil and natural gas properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological and geophysical data, fluctuating energy prices, the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs or delays and other uncertainties associated with the oil and gas industry. Other risk factors could include risks associated with negotiating with foreign governments as well as country risk associated with conducting international activities, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Corporation. Realized contractual gas sales is defined as gas produced and sold plus gas revenues received from nominated take or pay contracts. TORONTO, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Raising the alarm about the urgent threat to public health care, the Ontario Health Coalition is mobilizing thousands of Ontarians to fightback against the Ford governments plan to privatize Ontarios health care. The list of health care services that the Ford government is trying to privatize is growing, warned the Coalition. With it, patients are being charged hundreds or even thousands of dollars in illegal user fees for access to needed medical care. Such user charges and extra billing for patients have been banned in Canada for decades, but the Ford government is doing nothing to stop the private clinics from flagrant violations of our public medicare laws, reported the Coalition, which has tracked privatization and user fees since prior to the passage of the Canada Health Act in 1984. Over the last year, more than a billion dollars in public funding has gone to private for-profit clinics and for-profit staffing agencies to privatize what have been, to date, public non-profit services, the Coalition reports. At the same time, local public hospitals are losing their emergency departments, vital care services and staff, and a number are under urgent threat of closure. Across Ontario, protests to demand a moratorium on the closure of local public hospitals and a stop to privatization of health care are planned for Thursday May 30. Toronto: Noon between 6,000 - 10,000 people or more will converge at noon at the south side of Nathan Phillips Square on Queen and Bay Streets where there will be a kick-off rally. The crowd will march up University Avenue to Queens Park where there will be a very large protest outside the Main Legislative Building on the lawn. Approximately sixty buses will arrive from southern and mid-Ontario to the downtown core for the protest and they will be joined by thousands from Toronto and the GTA. Noon between 6,000 - 10,000 people or more will converge at noon at the south side of Nathan Phillips Square on Queen and Bay Streets where there will be a kick-off rally. The crowd will march up University Avenue to Queens Park where there will be a very large protest outside the Main Legislative Building on the lawn. Approximately sixty buses will arrive from southern and mid-Ontario to the downtown core for the protest and they will be joined by thousands from Toronto and the GTA. Eastern Ontario: There will be a march and rally in Ottawa and a rally outside MPP Nolan Quinns office (parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health) in Cornwall. People from the region will join at one of these two locations: Ottawa : Noon across the street from The Ottawa Hospital General Campus at Faircrest Heights Park (550 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON). More information TBD. Cornwall : 4 p.m. outside MPP Nolan Quinns office, 120 Second St. W. There will be a march and rally in Ottawa and a rally outside MPP Nolan Quinns office (parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health) in Cornwall. People from the region will join at one of these two locations: Northern Ontario: Sault Ste. Marie : Noon protest and march starting at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion. Thunder Bay : Noon protest at mini Queens Park. Dryden: 11:30 a.m. CDST (Dryden time) protest outside of MPP Greg Rickford's office, 429 Government Rd. North Bay: Noon, protest outside of MPP Vic Fedelis office, 219 Main St E. For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition 416-230-6402 (cell). Lebanon, N.H.,, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc., a leading global manufacturer and supplier of piezoelectric, drop-on-demand industrial inkjet printheads, announced the introduction of its FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE SF600 inkjet printhead. The FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE SF600 inkjet printhead leverages FUJIFILM Dimatix proprietary piezoelectric inkjet technology based on proven silicon Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (Si-MEMS) fabrication techniques. This new printhead reflects the companys ongoing commitment to the transition from analog to digital inkjet printing and exploration of emerging markets and applications. Our customers require printheads that can withstand a wide variety of inks and print at high speeds while offering high quality and durability. The unique design and features of the FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE SF600 underscore the companys continued commitment to innovation, and provides reliable, high-quality sustained printing to enhance productivity in a wide range of applications, said Steve Billow, President & Chief Executive Officer, FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. Were looking forward to meeting with industry leaders at drupa to showcase our competitive line of inkjet printheads. The FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE SF600 printhead is the next generation product in the companys portfolio. At this years drupa, Fujifilm Dimatix invites visitors to Discover The Difference at their booth, located at Hall 8b / A02 A02-6, where the companys inkjet technologies will be on display showcasing their key tenets - Performance, Productivity, Durability and Support. Performance The FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE SF600 printhead delivers 600DPI resolution with drop size range of 5-25pL and nozzle layout that enables high throw distance to meet a broad range of applications. To ensure consistent output, the FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE SF600 is equipped with an integrated trimming heater and temperature sensor as well as REDIJET coating for optimal use of aqueous and UV inks. Rounding up these features is top and tail alignment for compact integration and improved printhead to printhead accuracy. Productivity The FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE SF600 printhead incorporates high-speed jet design, with REDIJET elements including noise dampening technology and dual recirculation for reliable jetting at high speeds. The printhead can jet 11 grams of ink per square meter per color at over 130 meters per minute with four levels of grayscale. OEMs benefit from versadrop open waveform editing capability. For decades, this capability has enabled developers to tune printhead performance to their specific application. Durability The FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE SF600 printhead is taking advantage of FUJIFILM Dimatix proprietary sputtered PZT rated for trillions of actuations. It is designed with REDIJET coatings that enables it to reliably jet a range of aqueous solvent, oil and UV curable types common in large single-pass and scanning printing systems. Support FUJIFILM Dimatix has a dedicated worldwide field organization which offers exceptional support to ensure successful customer product development. FUJIFILM Dimatix has partnered with several OEMs as early adopters across multiple industry segments who are testing and deploying the FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE SF600 printhead in their solutions. One of these early adopters is Shenzhen KINGT Technology Co., Ltd (KingT), a digital inkjet printing solution provider using the FUJIFILM SKYFIRE SF600 inkjet printhead in its newly introduced KGT-2513-Hi flatbed printer. KingT will be exhibiting at the upcoming drupa trade show located at booth B03 (Hall 8a). At their booth, KingT will display several products and samples printed using FUJIFILM Dimatix printheads including FUJIFILM Dimatix SAMBA based label printers, the L-Press 330s and L-Press510, FUJIFILM Dimatix STARFIRE based decor printer and the FUJIFILM Dimatix SKYFIRE based flatbed printer, the KGT-2513-Hi. Industry media is welcome to learn more at Fujifilms press conference that will take place on May 28th 2024 at 12:30 pm CET at the Dusseldorf Messe CCD South Room 6 or visit the companys reception at the FUJIFILM Booth Hall 8b / A02 A02-6 to book an appointment. About Fujifilm FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc., a leading global supplier of drop-on-demand inkjet printheads for commercial and industrial applications, is driving a revolution in inkjet technology to support a new generation of products for printing, industrial product decoration, and materials deposition. The company's innovative inkjet technology and world-class fabrication techniques enable OEMs, system integrators, and manufacturers to build cutting-edge systems and manufacturing processes for high-performance, precision printing of traditional inks and deposition of functional fluids on all types of surfaces, including flexible substrates. FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc., is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and maintains U.S. product development and manufacturing operations in California and New Hampshire. The company sells and supports its products worldwide through offices located in the United States, Europe, Japan, Korea, China and Singapore. For more information, visit www.dimatix.com. FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, leverages its depth of knowledge and proprietary core technologies to deliver innovative products and services across the globe through the four key business segments of healthcare, electronics, business innovation, and imaging with over 70,000 employees. Guided and united by our Group Purpose of giving our world more smiles, we address social challenges and create a positive impact on society through our products, services, and business operations. Under its medium-term management plan, VISION2030, which ends in FY2030, we aspire to continue our evolution into a company that creates value and smiles for various stakeholders as a collection of global leading businesses and achieve a global revenue of 4 trillion yen (29 billion USD at an exchange rate of 140 JPY/USD). For more information, please visit: www.fujifilmholdings.com. For further details about our commitment to sustainability and Fujifilms Sustainable Value Plan 2030, click here. Attachment There are lots of victims of the painful fiscal times in which states and localities now live. The public faces service declines or tax increases--or both. A lot of state and local employees have lost their jobs outright. Then there are the men and women who are left minding the store. They still have their jobs, but now they've got to take up the slack left by layoffs or furloughs. And that's just the beginning.Even as many worry about whether they'll still be employed next month, they are confronting one of the sad truths of government: The less money a city, state or county has, the more work its employees have to do. You can see this most noticeably in any agency that works with the poor or unemployed. The tougher the economy, the faster grow the caseloads for Medicaid and other programs that help the needy and newly needy. And the less effective is the process of helping them out.Charles Evans Hughes, former chief justice of the United States, famously observed that "men do not die from overwork." But even if public-sector workers aren't keeling over in city halls and statehouses, a good number are suffering from a pernicious ailment that can damage their psyches and take a toll on productivity: burnout.Consider what's happening in Nevada, where the overall unemployment rate is now at 13.2 percent. In the past year, the caseload for that state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program has grown 30 percent; the Medicaid caseload, 20 percent; and the food-stamp caseload, 45 percent. When eligibility workers in larger district offices in Las Vegas and Reno open the doors in the morning, there are already 100 to 125 people standing in line. Meanwhile, all government workers--including Medicaid and TANF caseworkers--now are required to take off one day a month. The result: Employees have seen their portfolios expand like a balloon that's about to pop, and the clients they see are frustrated and angry about the long waits they have to endure."Imagine you are used to dealing with 300 case jackets. Now, you're dealing with 800," says Romaine Gilliland, administrator of the division of welfare and supportive services in Nevada. "It's an emotional drain. Imagine you are a highly ethical, motivated employee who likes to be caught up. Now you're not able to catch up, and quality and timeliness are being compromised."In fact, sad to say, it may well be that the best workers are the most vulnerable to burning out. Social scientists and psychologists who have studied the topic have theorized that the most motivated workers suffer the greatest psychological damage when they simply can't do a really good job anymore--there's just too much work for one person to do competently. We talked to Thomas Britt, a psychology professor at Clemson University who studies employee engagement and the burnout phenomenon. He agreed that employees who really care about their work and about their job performance may be most affected. That's because, he said, "they stake part of their identity on how well they do."While there may be little that managers can do to alleviate the underlying causes of the stress, they can make efforts to reduce the impact of burnout. In Nevada, Gilliland has been taking steps to ease the tension among clients, which should, in turn, help government workers. A lobby-management system, for example, has been set up that logs in individuals and lets them know they will be dealt with efficiently, even if it takes time. "That creates an environment," he says, "where each client recognizes we're trying to help them."The person in need benefits, of course, but so do the workers. "If you have a client who is not as agitated," Gilliland says, "it translates into less stress on the staff."This overload issue shows up in other ways. Kathy Williams, the assistant director of the South Carolina Association of Counties, has worked in local government for 35 years and doesn't remember a time when the political, economic and time pressures were so intense. As a result, she's seen several South Carolina counties in which the county administrators abruptly left their positions.In some cases, government managers also have been the recipients of nasty Internet-based personal attacks, a situation that makes these folks feel deeply unappreciated. "I don't recall a time when we've had as many vacancies in both city and county government as we do now," Williams says. "The stress factor is just huge." F1 must react to bizarrely boring Monaco GP As Charles Leclerc and Ferrari celebrated, the Formula 1 world was united in describing Sunday's Monaco GP as a strange and "boring" spectacle. Monaco GP 2024 McLaren The spectacular lap 1 crash triggered a red flag that enabled the drivers to attach brand new tyres - and then drive around in a slow and unchanging procession. I should have brought my pillow, world champion Max Verstappen said on the radio. Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur admits that, en route to victory, Monegasque Leclerc could have driven three to four seconds faster . And, yet, the big and heavy cars - on the tight and twisty streets - meant that the entire top 10 started and finished in exactly the same order. It has never been worse than that, Dutch commentator Olav Mol said on Ziggo Sport. Oscar Piastri, who followed Leclerc home in P2, said: It was the slowest race I've ever driven. Formula 2 must have been faster than us. Mercedes' Toto Wolff admitted he also found himself in uncharted territory. I got myself a yoghurt and an espresso, said the Austrian. I've never done that in 12 years. Wolff's Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner said: It's no longer a race when you slow down three or four seconds because the other car has no chance to pass you. During a post-race interview with Viaplay, Verstappen joined the discussion with George Russell and told the Briton: My God, that was awful. How boring was that? Russell replied: They really need to change something for the Sundays here. Maybe compulsory pitstops. Verstappen playfully responded: "Or a compulsory nap. The hardest thing about the race was that after 20 laps I really had to go to the toilet. F1 veteran Fernando Alonso thinks the situation was triggered by the relatively new phenomenon of F1 allowing the drivers to change tyres during a red flag. The only point of interest in racing in Monaco is the pitstops, said the Spaniard. "So we lost that. And if the rules compromise the race so much on certain circuits, maybe we need to re-open the debate about that. The current cars are also the worst for Monaco - bigger, heavier, Alonso added. The F2 cars still have an overtaking option. And our tyres are too hard for Monaco. Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher agrees: "It's actually intended that the tyre breaks down at some point and overtaking becomes possible. What we saw today is dangerous for Formula 1, he told Sky Deutschland. No one wants to see it and it's also difficult to commentate on. We need to see racing. (GMM) Half Moon Bay Mayor Joaquin Jimenez, shown speaking at a summit last year, lost his son in a motorcycle crash over the weekend. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle 2023 The 28-year-old son of Half Moon Bay Mayor Joaquin Jimenez died Saturday in a motorcycle crash on Highway 1 in San Mateo County, authorities said Sunday. There is no way of saying how I feel, Jimenez told KTVU. Nothing compares to this. His son, Joaquin Dominik Jimenez Alvarado, was riding a motorcycle about 5:45 p.m. when his bike and a pickup truck crashed on the coastal Highway 1 near Mirada Road, about 3 miles north of Half Moon Bay, according the San Mateo County sheriffs and coroners offices. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A volunteer firefighter started first aid, but Jimenez Alvarado died of his injuries at the scene, according to the sheriffs office. The pickup driver, a man whose age was not released, stayed and cooperated with investigators. Traffic was diverted off the highway until about 11:30 p.m. Saturday. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, the sheriffs office said Sunday. Jimenez said his son was headed back to Half Moon Bay from San Francisco with his girlfriend. She was in a car, and he was on his motorcycle. More Information Vigil A vigil to memorialize Joaquin Dominik Jimenez Alvarado was planned for 5 p.m. Sunday at 356 Chesterfield Ave. in Half Moon Bay. He loved to ride his motorcycle, Jimenez told KTVU. The mayor said his son worked as a maintenance engineer at San Franciscos Chase Center and other facilities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Our hearts and thoughts are with Mayor Jimenez and his entire family during this time of unimaginable loss, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said in a statement. No one is ever prepared for such unexpected tragedies, and when they strike so close to home, they affect us all profoundly. As a community, let us come together to support the Jimenez family and lift them up with our love and strength. Half Moon Bay city staff and members of the City Council said in a statement that they are are all shocked and devastated by this tragic loss. Joaquin Dominik was an integral part of the Half Moon Bay community, having grown up on the Coastside. Jimenez, a self-described advocate of farmworkers, was elected to the City Council in 2020 as the first Mexican immigrant to serve on the council. He was elected to serve as mayor in December. In Half Moon Bay, the council selects one of its members to serve as mayor on an annual basis. Embattled developer Kenneth Mattsons Piedmont mansion at 62 Farragut Ave., designed by Julia Morgan, is hitting the market for $9.9 million. Google Street View Sonoma County developer Kenneth Mattson is listing his Piedmont mansion for sale, with the property set to hit the market after FBI agents raided another home he owns amid allegations that he defrauded investors. The six-bedroom, 8-bathroom estate at 62 Farragut Ave. in Piedmont, designed by famed California architect Julia Morgan, is to be offered for sale for $9.9 million, according to an online listing posted Thursday by the Grubb Co., a real estate brokerage. Advertisement Article continues below this ad FBI agents searched Mattsons home in unincorporated Sonoma County on Friday, agency officials said, weeks after his business partner alleged that the developer had defrauded investors. Over the past decade, Mattson and the business partner, Tim LeFever, have bought properties in and around the city of Sonoma worth more than $240 million, including the Sonoma Cheese Factory and the historic Generals Daughter event venue. Embattled developer Kenneth Mattsons Piedmont mansion is hitting the market after FBI agents raided another of his homes amid allegations that he defrauded investors. Google Street View But even before LeFevers allegations and the FBI raid, the mens real estate acquisitions raised concerns and criticism from local residents, including accusations that the pair failed to complete projects as promised. Mattson could not be reached for comment Sunday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Records show Mattson bought the Piedmont property in 1999. Ongoing renovations at the historic home, some apparently carried out without proper approvals, prompted a flurry of complaints over the years from neighbors in the wealthy East Bay enclave, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported. The nearly 12,000-square-foot home, known as Harrow Manor, has a pool, a putting green and a garage with room for four cars, according to the listing. Anian Tunney, one of the listing agents, declined to comment. China established a new investment fund to boost its semiconductor industry, according to official documents. The Chinese finance ministry and six major banks are key investors in the fund, which set aside CNY 344 billion (over $47 billion) for chip manufacturing equipment, revealed Reuters. This is the third phase of the China Integrated Circuit Investment Fund, which was officially established on Friday, May 24. It has been the biggest fund since 2014 and is known locally as the "Big Fund." According to Tianyancha, a Chinese company information database organization, the finance ministry is the key investor with a 17% stake and paid-in capital of CNY 60 billion. The second-largest shareholder is China Development Bank Capital, with a 10.5% share. Five more banks, each contributing around 6% of the total capital, are the Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, and Bank of Communications. Huawei Mate 60 Pro motherboard with SMIC-built Kirin 9000s chip The Big Fund has already provided financing for SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor, two of China's biggest chip foundries. The commitment of hundreds of billions of yuans is a sign of the Asian country's drive to achieve self-sufficiency in the advanced chips field, which the United States is once again targeting through export control measures. Source Weve been hearing rumors the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch7 series will feature three versions with a new premium tier dubbed Ultra. But that might not be the branding that Samsung has settled on the premium watch might be called Samsung Galaxy Watch X instead. Thats not all the watch will compete head-to-head with the Apple Watch Ultra series (maybe thats why Samsung wanted to move away from the Watch7 Ultra name) and diving will be a key factor. The Galaxy Watch X will reportedly be water resistant up to 100m (330ft), which is the same water resistance rating as the Apple Watch Ultra (and its sequel). Note that water resistance is given as a pressure rating (which is why you sometimes see it measured in atmospheres), the actual depth that you can achieve is lower than that 40m (130ft) in the case of the Apple watch (and presumably the Samsung watch too). Speculative renders of the Samsung Galaxy Watch7 Ultra/Watch X Anyway, the X is supposed to have better battery life than its siblings, up to 100 hours (which is around 4 days of autonomy). For comparison, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic claims up to 40 hours battery life, the Watch5 Pro (which had a larger battery) claimed up to 80 hours and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 promises 36 hours. Part of that is likely the new and improved Exynos W1000 (which might be Samsungs first mass-market 3nm chip), but it looks like the Watch X will have a bigger battery too at least compared to the Classic. South Korean regulators certified a 578mAh battery vs. 425mAh on the Watch6 Classic and 573mAh on the Watch5 Pro (note: these are rated capacities). The Samsung Galaxy Watch X will be unveiled on July 24 (and not July 10 as some early reports claimed), according to TechManiacs.gr, which revealed the Watch X name and other details. It wont be alone, of course, we expect to see the proper launch of the Galaxy Ring and the next generation of foldables too. Source (in Greek) Samsung launched the Galaxy C55 in China last month, which is a Galaxy M55 with different back panels. Today, the handset made its way to India with yet another name say hello to Galaxy F55. The phone is essentially identical to the Galaxy M55 but with two vegan leather finishes Orange and Black. The Galaxy F55 has a 6.7 OLED display and a 50 MP camera on the back. The chipset is Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, and the battery capacity is 5,000 mAh. The phone supports 45W charging, which is as good as it gets with Samsung phones. Samsung India already listed the Galaxy F55 on its website, and clearly it is going to compete with the Galaxy M55, because both phones have the same prices. The 8/128 GB version is INR26,999 ($325/300), the 8/256 GB option is INR29,999 ($360/330), while the 12/256 GB variant costs INR32,999 ($400/365). Users who really want the Galaxy F55 and its vegan leather panel with a saddle stitch pattern can purchase the phone from the Samsung India store and Flipkart. Sales begin today, May 27, at 7 PM IST. Source Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio will take part in a May 29 UN Small Island Developing States Conference 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda, hosted by the Local2030 Islands Network. Tenorio will serve as the moderator of the roundtable discussion during the Local2030 Islands Network Leaders Summit. He will also deliver key remarks during the Global Island Partnership strategic high-level reception during SIDS4 on behalf of Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero. The event will build upon previous leader meetings at the UN General Assembly and Our Ocean Conference in Palau. Island heads of state and dignitaries from developed and developing island economies will gather in a peer-to-peer setting, fostering collaborative discussions on shared priorities, action plans, technical requirements, available resources, and collaborative opportunities on shared sustainable development and climate action goals in local and culturally contextualized approaches, according to a press release from the Global Island Partnership, GLISPA. Guam is a founding member of the Local2030 Islands Network. The U.S. island territory implements principles of the network through Guam Green Growth, a comprehensive public-private initiative advancing the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. The Micronesia Conservation Trust and Micronesia Challenge are sponsoring Guam leadership participation at SIDS4. Participants will include U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Republic of Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne. Islands are on the frontlines of climate change impact. Engaging with fellow island nation and territory leaders at SIDS4 is a valuable opportunity to continue our collective push toward a sustainable global future, Tenorio said. Our work through Guam Green Growth is recognized globally as a bright spot among islands for sustainable development. We have much to share and much to learn at this U.N. convening for islands. The purpose of this event is to catalyze significant new leadership, commitments, and partnerships toward achieving SDGs specific to islands, with a special focus on conservation and sustainability. It will be an opportunity to announce new and substantial commitments toward building resilient and sustainable island communities, including: Launch of new 2030 GLISPA, Strategy Announcements on Micronesia Challenge 2030, Caribbean Challenge Initiative and others. Conservation Tenorio will speak to the significant progress made in the Micronesia Challenge since it was founded in 2006. The Micronesia Challenge, launched by five Micronesian leaders the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, CNMI and Guam with a goal of effectively conserving at least 30% of the near-shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020, has leveraged $82 million for conservation efforts. It has placed over 70 new areas under conservation across all jurisdictions, and there has been an improvement in science-to-management decision-making with 20 new fisheries management policies enacted based on marine data. It has also led to over 70 management plans or climate change adaptation plans developed and 65 socio-economic assessments completed. Austin Shelton, Local2030 Islands Network Steering Committee member, will join Tenorio in Guams engagements at SIDS4. Shelton serves as the director of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, as well as the Guam Green Growth Steering Committee Co-Chair. We have important lessons to share with other islands through our progress tracked on the Guam Green Growth Dashboard. We also will learn innovations from others to bring back home and accelerate our work, Shelton said. I am looking forward to strengthening our partnerships with GLISPA, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Blue Planet Alliance, and others to increase opportunities for our island communities. In the time it takes to read this story, Steven Wayne Bonilla may very well sue again. Since entering Californias Death Row in 1995, the now-77-year-old Bonilla has established himself among the most prolific litigants in modern U.S. history. He shows no signs of slowing. In a fusillade of suits, petitions and other civil actions, Bonilla has targeted district attorneys, judges and clerks offices. He has sued the state and every county within it. In just about every case, the goal is to overturn his conviction for plotting to murder Jerry Lee Harris, his onetime partner in a Cupertino nightclub. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And the end result, inevitably, is rejection. Yet every rejection brings more litigation. A search in Pacer, a federal legal database, found more than 2,500 cases with Steven Wayne Bonilla listed as the plaintiff. Hundreds of additional cases popped up in searches of county superior courts. One day in March, Bonilla sent a pair of petitions to 74 courts. I do not have an exact count of how many lawsuits that I have filed, he wrote recently in a letter to the Chronicle from his cell at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. I have been filing constantly, two or more petitions a week, he said. I hate all of the denials I get. They are very depressing. But when I file a motion citing the law, I know that I am right. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Court officials, too, have lost count of Bonillas relentless output. Dockets reviewed by the Chronicle show that federal judges have at times dismissed his cases in bulk, knocking out more than a dozen at a time. Bonillas unflagging fight for freedom provides a window into a quandary long faced by courts. There have always been a small group of people termed vexatious or serial litigants who file reams of paper and end up accused of abusing the system. Courts must impose special rules upon them, limiting their ability to take up peoples time, while still allowing them a legal path, in case they submit a bona fide claim. Adam Coffey, a clinical and forensic psychologist in Oregon who wrote a dissertation on hyper-litigious behavior, observed parallels between these do-it-yourself litigators and people who compulsively visit doctors. Theres something about being involved in the legal system that makes people feel like theyre doing something to address all the wrongs that they have encountered, Coffey said, noting that subjects he interviewed for his dissertation often pursued lawsuits at great personal expense, allowing their relationships and other parts of their lives to fray. One infamous serial litigator, Jonathan Lee Riches, reportedly filed more than 4,000 lawsuits starting in 2006 while a prisoner in Kentucky, at one point accusing Kim Kardashian of attending an al Qaeda training camp. He sued George W. Bush, Plato and the Eiffel Tower, among others. When the Guinness Book of World Records sought to name him the most litigious man in America, he sued to stop it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad By contrast, Bonilla has a specific objective. He belongs in a subset of the highly litigious: prisoners who try to challenge their convictions over and over again. Courts have no legal obligation to extend special treatment to prodigious lawsuit filers who are behind bars. If anything, courts are harsh toward people who file successive habeas corpus petitions alleging wrongful detention, and would not take kindly to someone filing the same document over and over, said Jonathan Abel, an associate professor at UC Law San Francisco. From the defendants side especially in these habeas petitions the evidence might seem very compelling, Abel said. But from the courts perspective, its, Youve had your chance, we dont really believe you, enough is enough. A slaying in Pleasanton It all began with a spat over money. According to prosecutors, Bonilla was determined to collect more than $1 million owed to him by Harris, his partner in the Baritz nightclub and other ventures. And so Bonilla recruited two men, Bradley Keyes and William Nichols, to kill Harris. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Keyes, who became a prosecution witness, testified that Bonilla lured Harris to a meeting at a Pleasanton office park one evening in October 1987, ostensibly to discuss a real estate deal. The hired killers allegedly attacked Harris, threw him in Bonillas pickup truck and wrapped his head in duct tape so that he suffocated, then buried him in a shallow grave in Nevada. Bonilla was convicted, and after an initial jury deadlocked on his sentence, a second panel gave him the death penalty. During that second trial, Bonilla was accused of arranging with an incarcerated gang leader to kill Harris widow, with whom he was embroiled in lawsuits. Her death would have, prosecutors said, freed up money to pay for another murder that of Keyes. David Nickerson, who is now retired, represented Bonilla in a habeas petition to vacate the death sentence. The attorney argued that Keyes initially told police that no one had intended to kill Harris, statements that conflicted with what he later said in court. Nickerson also made a new allegation: that the FBI had illegally searched Bonillas phone records, a Fourth Amendment violation that prosecutors tried to cover up. When the California Supreme Court upheld Bonillas sentence in 2007, Bonilla refused to accept the ruling. Instead, he tried to relitigate the matter over and over again. Advertisement Article continues below this ad All of Bonillas actions before this court challenge his murder conviction and seek his immediate release, federal Judge Dolly Gee, of Californias Central District, wrote in a 2018 order that dismissed 19 of Bonillas complaints and petitions in one swoop. He makes variations of the same arguments in virtually all of them, Gee wrote, summarizing Bonillas claims that prosecutors committed fraud, that a 1988 subpoena used to gather evidence against him never existed, and that a coroners report was falsified. Bonilla has pursued those allegations in civil court, Gee continued, by suing various judges and counties throughout California. Nickerson characterized his former client as intense and a bit frenetic, but clearly college-educated, and armed with a credible claim for a new trial. For decades, Bonilla has denied responsibility for Harris slaying. Theres a method to his madness, the lawyer said. Nonetheless, even Nickerson is startled by the sheer volume of suits. Bonilla has sued Nickerson twice in Marin County Superior Court, with the first complaint alleging breach of contract in 2011, the second claiming fraud in 2012. Judges tossed both. What is the definition of insanity? Nickerson asked. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. They do what they can In 2013, Marin County Superior Court issued an order that landed Bonilla on a state list of vexatious litigants maintained by the Judicial Council of California. From then on, he had to secure an order from a presiding judge for any lawsuit to move forward. However, Bonilla may still file motions or claims in Alameda County related to his legal representation in his criminal case. A superior court can place people on the list if, during a seven-year period, they file at least five suits outside small claims court that are either tossed out or linger for at least two years without a trial or hearing. Plaintiffs can also be branded vexatious if they continuously try to relitigate suits they have lost, file motions and pleadings that lack merit, or conduct unnecessary discovery simply to waste time. State officials and county court administrators contacted by the Chronicle said they do not track the cost of vexatious litigants on the public. Some said that any financial figure would fail to adequately represent the number of work hours consumed by everyone who handles these suits: attorneys, clerks, judges. To some extent, courts have managed to identify frequent filers and isolate their cases, relying on the state list to help automate that process, said Paul Rosynsky, a spokesperson for Alameda County Superior Court. Whenever a vexatious litigant files a lawsuit in Alameda County, the courts computer system flags the name so that a clerk can reject it, Rosynsky said. The clerk then notifies the plaintiff to pre-file a request to sue with the presiding judge. Last year, the presiding judge in Alameda County received more than 48 requests from vexatious litigants other than Bonilla. Five people accounted for 39 of those requests, with one zealous filer submitting 19. Oftentimes, they will slide their petitions under doors when the office is closed, Rosynsky said, conjuring an image of palpable desperation to be heard and acknowledged. They email, they mail, they do what they can to get their cases heard, he continued, adding that the behavior doesnt accelerate the pace of review or increase chances of approval. Every one of their requests are read thoroughly, Rosynsky said. Typically, it seems there is one issue from the past that they are fixated on. But every now and then they might have a legitimate complaint. Because of his conviction, Bonilla is an outlier: He has submitted at least 400 filings since 2020 in Alameda County Superior Court perhaps significantly more, court staff said, explaining that they frequently receive motions that Bonilla has filed in other counties. Court officials read all of them. The San Francisco-based Northern District federal court, meanwhile, designated Bonilla vexatious in 2015, barring him from filing new motions without an attorney. He continued to do so anyway. Three years later, the Central District court issued an order threatening to declare Bonilla a vexatious litigant unless he could prove the court wrong. He filed several responses repeating the same meritless arguments he had been making in other complaints and petitions, Judge Gee wrote in an opinion that cemented Bonillas vexatious distinction. In subsequent years, Bonilla challenged the branding over and over again through more court filings. I repeatedly tell them even if I was a vexatious litigant, I still have a right to my petition being filed, he wrote. Pen and paper All that Bonilla needs for his crusade is provided by the prison system: a pen, loose leaf paper, postage and free photocopying of legal documents upon request. As an indigent prisoner he is entitled to those resources, which he estimates would cost thousands of dollars a month if he had to shoulder the expense himself. Bonilla regularly mails thick stacks of documents to courts, often to see them be sent back. After a Chronicle reporter wrote to Bonilla with a list of questions, he responded with eight thick letters, the first filling a large manila envelope. The letters contained photocopies of his handwritten petitions, court filings that dated to the 1980s and statutes he had printed from a legal research site, highlighting passages that applied to his case. Just prove to me that they (prosecutors) did not knowingly lie to me and the court, he wrote, and I will stop submitting petitions. He penned his correspondence in tidy cursive, numbering pages and methodically answering questions. He signed each letter: Respectfully, Steven W. Bonilla. Three years after Bonilla was sentenced to death, his crime entered the canon of true crime literature, when author Ann Rule published a book titled In the Name of Love and Other True Cases. Rule painted Bonilla as a serial entrepreneur and bandwagon-jumper whose jealousy of Harris motivated the murder-for-hire scheme. Bonilla read the book. He realized he needed Rules notes. He needed her interview recordings. Former Gov. Carl T.C. Gutierrez is the general manager and CEO of Guam Visitors Bureau, Guam Permit Czar, and chairman of the Governors Economic Strategy Council. Send comments or questions to GVB at communityrelations@visitguam.org. Haiti - Security : The OPC demands changes at the level of the PNH high command The Office for Citizen Protection (OPC), an independent national institution for the promotion and protection of human rights, learned with dismay and indignation of the odious assassination of 3 American missionaries (including 2 Americans) https://www.haitilibre .com/article-42404-haiti-flash-three-missionaries-including-a-couple-of-americans-killed-by-gangs.html. The OPC presents its sympathies to the families of many victims of criminal actions, in particular to the congregation "Missions in Haiti inc", the Baker, Llyod families, hard hit by the terror of armed bandits in the country. "The OPC, like many observers, believed that the appointment, followed by the installation of members of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), would curb the ardor of the criminals and facilitate the restoration of authority of State... However, since the date of the installation of the members of the CPT, April 25, 2024, armed gangs have intensified their criminal actions characterized by cases of assassinations, kidnappings, rapes of women and girls, without forgetting the fires in public and private buildings, police stations and sub-police stations. In the meantime, the leaders of the police institution are overwhelmed by events and display an inability to curb the terror of the bandits. [...] Consequently, the OPC demands changes at the level of the High Command of the National Police, a sine qua non condition for the eradication of armed gangs in the country. The OPC invites the members of the CPT to seriously assess the seriousness of the situation and to fully play their historic role in restoring security throughout the national territory with, of course, the deployment of the multinational force of support for security and the establishment of the National Security Council [...]" See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42404-haiti-flash-three-missionaries-including-an-american-couple-killed-by-gangs.html HL/HaitiLibre Mariecar Mendoza is the senior arts and entertainment editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, where she manages daily coverage and audience engagement for Datebook and datebook.sfchronicle.com. Prior to The Chronicle, Mariecar was a features digital editor for the Los Angeles News Group, helping cover major pop culture moments in the region like Coachella and Comic-Con to the Emmys and Oscars. She also worked as a multimedia news reporter for several publications throughout the state. Mariecar currently serves as the vice president of the Asian American Journalists Association's San Francisco-Bay Area chapter and is co-director of AAJA Features Forum, a group that aims to provide programming, services and support for features, arts, entertainment and lifestyle journalists of color. Mariecar is a Bay Area native and is glad to be back home. Bartender Bill Duffy pours a dirty martini at Sams Grill and Seafood in San Francisco in 2023. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle What makes a restaurant a lifelong fixture for customers? Is it consistently great dinners? Is it the ambiance? Or just plain nostalgia? The storied Tadich Grill has been a go-to for generations of San Franciscans. But when Chronicle restaurant critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan decided to review the citys oldest restaurant, she found that it has coasted on its fame and treats customers with contempt. After publishing that review last week, she followed it up with a look at another courtly San Francisco institution: Scomas in Fishermans Wharf. To Fegan, Scomas was proof that a restaurant can maintain tradition while staying relevant. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Knowing readers would have thoughts on the subject, the Chronicle asked readers: Is there a restaurant you keep going to, no matter what? By Friday afternoon, roughly 150 readers had responded to the poll, sharing their favorite local stalwarts. Several restaurants got multiple mentions, such as Jackson Squares Bix, perennially popular Foreign Cinema in the Mission and the rowdy Tommys Joynt in the Cathedral Hill area. But there were clear favorites among readers. Here are the top six restaurants, in descending order, that Chronicle readers swear loyalty to. Employees Stephano Crivallo, from left, Andrea Plesea and Oliver Castellanos don bow ties while working at Sams Grill and Seafood in San Francisco in 2023. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle 6. Sams Grill Advertisement Article continues below this ad Great seafood in an old-school setting is what one reader likes most about Sams Grill in downtown San Francisco. Others agree: The longtime Bush Street stop continues to draw in diners for classic fare like clam chowder, crab cakes and grilled whole fish. Ive never had a bad experience there, one reader said. Another participant made a dramatic statement: If it ever closes, I will move out of the Bay Area. People wait for their table outside Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle 5. Zuni Cafe Zuni, the elegant and quintessentially San Francisco restaurant, figured among readers top picks and with good reason. The 45-year-old landmark remains a regular destination for celebratory meals and dates over the famous roasted chicken for two. The restaurants design is reason alone to visit, one reader pointed out. In her first review as the Chronicles restaurant critic, Fegan praised the restaurant as being convivial and graceful as ever while highlighting seasonal dishes like risotto with Dungeness crab and a citrus salad with frizzled shallots. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The filet of fish sandwich is at Scoma's in San Francisco. Loren Elliott/Special to The Chronicle 4. Scomas After writing about the disappointing food and service at Tadich Grill, Fegan praised Scomas in Fishermans Wharf as an institution that doesnt rest on its laurels. Many readers agreed, celebrating the restaurants old-school vibe and well-executed seafood dishes. The cioppino is still the best in town and the crab or shrimp Louies are as tasty as ever, one reader wrote. Another reader enjoys the bar programs versatility and variety of cocktails and wines, recommending the aged 1965 Manhattan, a cocktail thats been aged for 1,965 hours in oak barrels. While Scomas is widely beloved, it did lose one readers business over a happy hour deal being discontinued. Now that they have stopped the Fishermans Special we don't go anymore, this person wrote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Caitlin Elliott, the first female carver at House of Prime Rib in S.F., serves a prime rib to a customer in 2020. Stephen Lam/Special to The Chronicle 3. House of Prime Rib House of Prime Rib ranked third among respondents. One participant said the legendary Van Ness Avenue restaurant is an almost mandatory destination for special occasions. Even though one reader complained that service can be spotty when the restaurant is packed, when they are on their A-game, House of Prime Rib is unbeatable. Among San Franciscos most revered restaurants, House of Prime Rib was a steady fixture in the Chronicles annual Top 100 list through the final iteration in 2019. A reservation at the Van Ness restaurant is notoriously difficult to land, as demand for slabs of juicy beef carved aboard zeppelin-domed silver carts never seems to wane. Some diners have even emblazoned their love for House of Prime Rib permanently by getting an image of one of its meat carvers as a tattoo. People dine at Original Joes of Westlake in Daly City in 2016. John Storey/Special to the Chronicle 2. Original Joes Advertisement Article continues below this ad Original Joes remains popular for its familiar red sauce pasta dishes, steaks and cocktails. The Italian American restaurant with locations in North Beach and Daly Citys Westlake neighborhood, plus its Little Original Joes market and pizza shop in West Portal ranked second among readers. The restaurant, co-owned by siblings John and Elena Duggan, dates back to 1937, when it opened with just 14 seats at a counter at 144 Taylor St. in San Francisco. That original location burned in a fire in 2007, with a relaunch in North Beach in 2012. The current San Francisco and Daly City locations bear a classic look, with leather booths, waiters in bow ties and comforting Italian classics like veal parmigiana and house-made ravioli. The exterior of Tadich Grill in San Francisco. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 1. Tadich Grill In a possible direct response to Fegans negative review, Tadich Grill got the most nods from readers as an unconditional favorite. Readers who frequently visit Tadich Grill swore that Fegan, who witnessed a server refer to a customer as a fat slob, was wrong the food and experience are consistently great. One reader took issue with Fegans judgment based on just three visits, the baseline for the Chronicles restaurant critics to write a review. This reader said that their numerous experiences at Tadich have been positive. That review is not a fair representation of Tadich Grill historically or in 2024, they wrote. I will continue to bring my family and friends to Tadich for wonderful experiences. A different reader did back the critics experience, sharing that poor service from a bartender and a host marred a recent visit. Loyalty at risk? According to a US jury, video game cheats can infringe the developer's copyright. This was decided by jury members in Seattle in the case of a lawsuit brought by Sony subsidiary Bungie against cheat provider Aimjunkies. The provider must therefore pay Sony 63,000 US dollars in damages. Anzeige Aimjunkies' parent company Phoenix Digital intends to take legal action against the ruling, reports games journalist Stephen Totilo. The jury's verdict is likely to be more important to everyone involved than the amount of damages: according to Totilo, this is the first time that a jury court has ruled on video game cheats. Sony subsidiary Bungie had already filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the company Phoenix Digital, whose website Aimjunkies offers tools that players can use to gain an advantage in "Destiny 2", among other things. Cheat providers often buckle and agree on compensation payments, for example, before a lawsuit is brought to a conclusion. In this case, however, Phoenix Digital has decided to fight the case. Question for the ECJ Whether cheats constitute copyright infringement is also a question for the ECJ: a lawsuit filed by console manufacturer Sony ended up before the European Court of Justice in February 2023 at the request of the Federal Court of Justice, which is now to clarify the facts of the case in the EU. This case is about cheat hardware for PlayStation's long-discontinued mobile console PSP: the tools "Action Replay PSP" and "Tilt FX" are plugged into Sony's mobile console and can activate commands in video games not intended by the developers via their own menus. At the heart of the discussion in Germany is Section 69c No. 2 of the Copyright Act. It stipulates that "the translation, adaptation, arrangement and other alterations of a computer program" constitute copyright infringement. EU law also recognizes the term "adaptation". Anzeige Courts in Germany had previously ruled differently: The Hamburg Regional Court agreed with Sony in 2012 with a broad interpretation of the concept of reworking. The Higher Regional Court of Hamburg, on the other hand, ruled in the second instance that cheat tools do not constitute a modification of video games. Cheats as an economic factor Cheats represent a major risk for providers of online games: Because cheaters spoil the fun for other players, they can jeopardize the financial success of multiplayer titles. Companies such as Sony and Activision are therefore constantly coming up with new ways to get a leg up on cheaters - not only legally, but also through technical measures. This costs money and development time. The case of "The Cycle" shows just how important the fight against cheaters is for the operators of competitive multiplayer titles. After a successful launch, the online shooter from German studio Yager rapidly lost players because there were simply too many cheaters. The Cycle" was never able to recover from this, and after just over a year the server will soon be shut down. (dahe) As we bid farewell to Ambassador Raveesh Kumar , the esteemed Indian representative in Finland, we reflect on his impactful tenure that began amidst the challenging backdrop of the global pandemic. Ambassador Kumar has been known for his active engagement during his time here, working to strengthen the bond between India and Finland. In this interview, we have the privilege of gaining insights from Ambassador Kumar as he shares his experiences, achievements, and perspectives garnered during his engaging four-year term in Finland. You arrived in Finland just as the pandemic began. How was it to commence your mission during such challenging times? I arrived in Finland with my family in July 2020, in the middle of Covid pandemic. There were restrictions on movement, on meeting people. It felt like we were constantly navigating uncharted territory. Everything from remote work setups to health protocols kept changing, and it was a challenge to keep up. It was a test of adaptability and resilience like never before. I was fortunate to present my credentials to then President Niinisto and continued with our outreach initiatives. Even though it was a tough period, I think we all came out of it stronger in some way. Its all behind us now, thankfully. You've been one of the most active ambassadors in Finland. Could you summarize your tenure here? Were you able to achieve your envisioned goals? As diplomats, we all are expected to do some groundwork before proceeding on our assignment. But then, implementation depends on the ground realities. And here, I was quite fortunate to be around when our relations are looking up and have acquired a certain momentum. The backdrop of the evolving geopolitical order played its part too. We have Finland as a member of NATO, part of Nordic-BALTIC framework and an influential voice in the EU. India is an important voice for the global south, the 5th largest and fastest growing economy and a country shaping the global narrative. We have a far larger global footprint and are members of several multilateral organisations like I2U2, BRICS, SCO, and recently launched India-Middle East-Europe initiative, Global Biofuel Alliance, ISA, etc. So, despite our own preoccupations, it goes to the credit of both countries that our relations have acquired substance and character. I had twin broad objectives in mind when I arrived here present the new India with a rising geopolitical profile as a land of opportunities; and leverage the dynamism of the Indian community in Finland for strengthening our bilateral ties. The launch of DESI (Digitalisation, Education, Sustainability and Innovation) initiative, first-in person meeting between Prime Ministers, frequent Ministerial exchanges, opening of a new Finnish Consulate in Mumbai, record high trade figure of 3 bn, growing investment by both sides, record participation at SLUSH and discussion on facilitating mobility are the highlights. We are working on creating a framework to cooperate in Quantum and in Sustainability. They all demonstrate the keen desire of both countries to engage in a concrete manner with each other in areas which are of interest and relevance to both countries as we celebrate 75 years of our diplomatic relations. On the Indian community, I am proud to represent a widely respected vibrant community. We managed to bring them together on a number of platforms like Friends of India and Finland (a platform representing 16 Indian community associations), India Business and Professionals Forum, connecting top Indian professionals and entrepreneurs and Finland India Network of Researchers and Academics. India Day, a festival celebrating friendship between both countries, is a proud product of the vibrant Indian community. You introduced the Open Doors initiative, allowing any Indian citizen to visit you twice a month without an appointment. How successful was this initiative, and what insights did you gain into the Indian community in Finland? The idea of Open House was to be accessible and transparent to the people. And to connect to the people who otherwise are outside the footprint of the Embassy. I managed to meet so many interesting people and learn from their own cumulative experiences in Finland. With the rapid growth of the Indian community in Finland, particularly in skilled IT sectors, how has this impacted the embassy's operations? Are there concerns about brain drain from India? The Indian community has emerged as a strong bridge connecting India and Finland. They are a well-placed and well-respected community in Finland. A community which contributes economically and socially to Finland. They are among the highest tax payers and well-integrated into the fabric of the Finnish society. We are leveraging their presence for a stronger bilateral connection between both countries. Were there any significant cultural adjustments or "culture shocks" you experienced during your four years in Finland? Wellculture shock is too strong a word. Moving to Finland definitely involved some adjustments, especially related to weather, as with any international move. I found some aspects of Finnish culture different from what I was used to. I mean, where else can you enjoy sitting in a sauna at 90 degrees Celsius, and then jump into an ice-cold lake for fun? But once you absorb it with an open mind, it is not only a memorable experience, but also gives insights into the rich Finnish culture and tradition. As you prepare to lead the Indian mission in Prague and your successor takes over in Helsinki, what advice have you given regarding Finland, and what insights has your colleague offered about the Czech Republic? Well, I am in regular touch with my colleague and friend, Hemant, who is succeeding me as Ambassador and I take his place in Prague. We are discussing the upcoming agenda for both of us, as well as exchanging notes on the lighter side of things. On a lighter note, I am going to advise him to get a dog, to his your social circle in the neighbourhood! If you could provide feedback to the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs and your counterparts here, what would it entail? I had an excellent working relationship with the Foreign Ministry and other Ministries in Finland. I was quite delighted that there was the same level of enthusiasm to expand our partnership. I would say that we need to work together to elevate the relationship into a different orbit. Could you discuss the impact of your tenure on fostering collaborations, promoting cultural exchange, facilitating trade and investment, and engaging with the Indian diaspora in Finland? It may not be appropriate for me to judge my own tenure. It is for others to assess. I can, however, say that I was fortunate to be in Finland when there is plenty of goodwill on both sides. I strived to play my part in encouraging collaborations, promoting cultural exchange and facilitating trade and investment. Additionally, engaging with the Indian diaspora in Finland has been a rewarding experience, as we have worked together to build a supportive and vibrant community that strengthens the ties between our countries. While there is always more work to be done, I am satisfied with the strides we have made so far. Could you share any memorable experiences or anecdotes from your time as ambassador in Finland? There are many that come to my mind. My recent meeting with President Stubb and former Prime Minister Sanna Marin. My trips to 14 towns outside Helsinki, Yoga at midnight at Oonasvara in Rovaniemi, being among the many thousands at Savonlinna Opera Festival and the sheer thrill and energy of Jyvaskyla car rally. I would also highlight the whole experience of organising India Day 2023 with a dedicated and selfless team of volunteers. The warmth and enthusiasm of the community, combined with the participation of our Finnish friends, truly highlighted the beautiful blend of our cultures. India Day 2024 on 18 August at Meripuisto celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Finland promises to be one big celebration. Alexis Kouros Helsinki Times The Finnish capital announced last week that the breach possibly concerns roughly 150,000 pupils, their guardians and all of its roughly 38,000 employees. THE CITY of Helsinki has reported that the data breach it detected at the end of last month appears to be larger than initially expected, with the perpetrator possibly gaining access to all people of compulsory-school age in the city. The perpetrator breached a network drive that contained the following information on all children born in 20052018: personal identity numbers of both the children and their guardians, street addresses of both the children and their guardians, the nationality and mother tongue of the children, and the religious community of the children. Helsinki pointed out that it stores information on compulsory-age children and their parents in order to fulfil its duty to monitor enrolment and performance in primary schools. It also conceded that the breach could extend beyond its own early-childhood education units, schools and other educational institutions, to private daycare centres, contractual schools, private and state-run schools, and private upper-secondary and vocational schools. In addition to data on customers of the daycare centre, school and playground in Santahamina, the perpetrator may have accessed the access permits of visitors to said units, possibly including passport numbers for families of foreign backgrounds. The breach is being investigated as aggravated computer break-in by Helsinki Police Department and the National Bureau of Investigation (KRP). Jouni Isoaho, a professor of communication and cybersecurity engineering at the University of Turku, stated to Helsingin Sanomat last Tuesday that the breach could even pose a threat to national security. It does at least increase the risk, he viewed. The breach is exceptional in the context of Finland, according to Isoaho. The breach is believed to concern a significantly higher number of people than the roughly 33,000 who were affected by the hacking of Psychotherapy Centre Vastaamo. The scale is big because a big organisation was hit. If you think about organisations in Finland, how many are there that are bigger than the City of Helsinki? he asked. Isoaho viewed that the city deserves blame for its communication approach and level of data security, despite some improvements in the former. Data administration has been wrong also in the past, and its wanted to create some level of credibility through communication. Id be looking in the mirror for a while, he stated to Helsingin Sanomat. He said he has long been concerned about the tendency of organisations to transfer vast amounts of data into a single repository and do so as poorly as possible. When a perpetrator gains access to a data storage such as a network drive, he reminded, they inevitably gain access to its entire contents. One of the fundamentals of cybersecurity is that there is no absolute security. Its always possible to break in. If you can work a little to score a big win, someone is very likely to do that, said Isoaho. He encouraged organisations to improve their data administration by cleaning up data as soon as they become unnecessary, to recognise not only external but also internal threats, such as curious employees, and to learn from previous data breaches. You should set a best-before date for data. Data shouldn't be stored after you no longer need it. Ultimately, many large-scale breaches are made possible by servers that are not up to date. Also Helsinki previously admitted that a hotfix had been made available but not installed to patch up the vulnerability exploited by the perpetrator. People never seem to learn [how important updates are] because they take time. Many updates are about patching up vulnerabilities, he reminded. Aleksi Teivainen HT Annually, an average of over 2,000 patient injury claims are settled, of which about 85 are classified as serious. Each year in Finland , over 2,000 compensable patient injuries occur, with annual compensation payouts ranging between 20 and 30 million euros. While most of these injuries are minor, the compensation for severe cases can reach millions of euros over time. Since the introduction of the Patient Injury Act in 1987, patients and their families have received over 700 million euros in compensation. The Patient Insurance Centre reviews approximately 9,000 patient injury claims each year, with just over one-fifth resulting in positive compensation decisions. In 2023, 4,563 individuals received a total of 26.3 million euros in compensation, primarily for injuries sustained before that year. "Compensation from patient insurance covers only a fraction of the total costs caused by patient injuries," explains Minna Plit-Turunen, Director of the Patient Insurance Centre. "The true costs to healthcare and society are much higher, not to mention the human suffering experienced by the injured and their families." In 2023, nearly half (45%) of the compensations were for lost earnings due to patient injuries, while over a third (35%) were for temporary and permanent disabilities. The remaining compensations covered medical expenses and other costs directly related to the injuries. The majority of the compensated injuries (93%) are minor, with an average payout of around 2,500 euros per case. However, in severe cases, compensation can exceed one million euros over the years, primarily covering lost earnings. "For example, a child injured at birth due to a patient injury who is unable to study or work may receive lost earnings compensation from the estimated graduation date up to retirement age," Plit-Turunen notes. "Additional costs for assistive devices, therapy, and medications may also be covered. Although every preventable injury is one too many, healthcare should aim to identify and mitigate the most severe risks." Finland was the first country to systematically investigate patient injury claims, beginning in 1987. Since then, approximately 2,500 deaths and 700 cases of severe permanent disability due to patient injuries have been compensated. Under the Patient Insurance Act, all patients in Finland are automatically covered, as healthcare providers are legally required to have insurance for patient injuries. Compensation covers the financial impact of the injury but does not extend to the treatment costs of the original illness or condition. "Unlike in some other countries, no one gets rich from patient injury compensation in Finland, nor is that the intent," Plit-Turunen emphasizes. "The aim is to restore the injured person to the financial position they would have been in without the injury. While health may not always be fully restored, the compensation helps manage the consequences of the injury." In Finland, patients do not need to hire a lawyer or go to court to seek compensation. The patient insurance system is designed to be accessible and automatic, providing a safety net for patients. "The compensation process is straightforward and patient-friendly, ensuring that those affected by patient injuries receive the support they need without additional legal burdens," Plit-Turunen adds. The financial figures in the press release have been converted to euros using the exchange rate of 5.95. HT The Directors of The Co-operative Bank have today released the banks Annual Report and Disclosure Statement for the year ended 31 March 2024, with a $20.2 million reported profit before rebates and tax demonstrating continued growth and fair and sustainable profitability. The Co-operative Banks profit was up 9% on $18.5 million reported profit before rebates and tax in the year ended 31 March 2023. Chief Executive, Mark Wilkshire, said The Co-operative Banks continued commitment to its customers, who collectively own the bank, supported positive full-year results across key metrics, including: Total customer numbers of 181,718 (up 3% year on year) $3 billion of home loan lending (up 8% year on year) $3 billion of total deposits (up 7% year on year) $854 million of KiwiSaver funds under management through Fisher Funds (up 22% year on year) $2.5 million in customer rebates #1 for customer preference (Consumer NZ Peoples Choice Award 2024) It was a year of steady growth for The Co-operative Bank, delivering consistent, and sustainable profitability, underpinned by our purpose to grow together and share the gains with our customers Wilkshire said today. This year, we saw more New Zealanders finding out what it means to bank better as part of a co-operative. We have seen strong growth in home loan customers, and we are proud to have helped many New Zealanders into their first homes, said Wilkshire. Thirty percent of customers who drew down home loans with The Co-operative Bank in the past year were first home buyers. In the current environment, with cost-of-living challenges for many New Zealanders, we are happy to be able to help customers to purchase their first homes, said Wilkshire. Overall, I am really pleased with our results, in customer satisfaction, balance sheet growth in lending and deposits, and our teams contribution. We are growing and strive to be a leader in delivering high quality customer service and fair rates. We adamantly believe when we put people first, banking gets better for everyone. The Co-operative Banks profits will remain in New Zealand, with $2.5 million to be shared with customers as profit rebates and the remainder to be reinvested in the co-operative. We have a forward-looking investment pipeline in place, so as well as sharing rebates with customers, we are investing in the people and technology we need for the future of the co-operative. This includes replacing our core banking system a once in a generation investment as well as other future-focussed projects looking at customer needs and products, says Wilkshire. The Co-operative Bank was rated by customers as top in customer satisfaction out of all banks in New Zealand and was the 2024 winner of Consumers Peoples Choice Award in banking. The Co-operative Bank has won the Consumer Peoples Choice Award for 8 of the last 9 years. We are pleased that our focus on putting our customers first is felt by our customers, and always see this as a challenge to do even better going forward. This is helped by the fact that our customers are our owners, so they really are at the heart of what we do. Financial highlights FY24 FY23 Profit before rebates and tax $20.2m $18.5m Rebates returned to customers $2.5m $2.5m Mortgage loans $3,001m $2,783m Customer deposits $3,022m $2,834m Capital ratio 17.8% 16.6% ENDS The Co-operative Banks full Annual Report is available at www.co-operativebank.co.nz/about-us/financial-information About The Co-operative Bank The Co-operative Bank is the only bank in New Zealand to share its profits with its customers. We offer what youd expect from a bank accounts, lending, insurances and more but were truly different from other banks in that were owned by our customers and we were built on the idea of giving back. Since 2013 we have shared $20 million with our customers in the form of rebates. We have a national network and a team of 400 people supporting more than 180,000 customers across New Zealand. 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Related News: TRU - WHO Agency UNITAID Features TRU in Tech Landscape Report PaySauce Quarterly Market Update - September 2024 October 2nd Morning Report Rua Releases Annual Report for Year Ended 30 June 2024 SCL - Settlement of orchard sales The Warehouse Group 2024 ASM and Director Nominations AIR - Update on Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Comvita Limited - Annual Report 2024 September 27th Morning Report Spark announces departure of Finance Director This week , judges from the Association of Councils of State and Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions of the European Union (ACA-Europe) have converged in Inari, Finland, for a pivotal seminar and annual meeting. From May 26 to 28, 2024, these legal minds are delving into the complex interplay of fundamental rights within the multilevel system of international human rights conventions, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and national constitutions. The event kicked off with a symposium on Arctic climatic and environmental issues, organized in collaboration with the Sami Parliament of Finland, highlighting the unique challenges faced in this region. Today's seminar features a keynote address by Niilo Jaaskinen, Judge of the European Court of Justice. Jaaskinen will explore how the fundamental principles of EU environmental law shape the responsibilities and obligations of national administrative courts, drawing on the latest legal practices within the European Union. Central to the seminar is the presentation of findings from an extensive survey on how ACA-Europe member courts apply their national constitutional frameworks of fundamental rights, and how these intersect with the broader European system of rights protection. The three-day event is structured around several key components: a Board meeting of ACA-Europe, a jurisprudential seminar for members, a general assembly, and cultural and nature-based activities designed to acquaint attendees with the local environment. Approximately 60 chief justices, chairs, and judges from ACA-Europe member courts are participating, reflecting the high level of engagement and the importance of the topics under discussion. ACA-Europe aims to enhance the understanding of European law among administrative judges and to foster knowledge about the operations of Europes supreme administrative courts. The association regularly organizes seminars and undertakes research on relevant case-law, with its activities being partially funded by the European Commission. The Supreme Administrative Court of Finland, which has held the two-year presidency of ACA-Europe since June 2023, has prioritized fostering dialogue between national supreme administrative courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union, and examining the national impacts of European Court of Human Rights decisions. This gathering in Inari underscores the commitment of Europes top administrative judges to navigating the complexities of fundamental rights in a constantly evolving legal landscape. HT The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) has confirmed that all eligible voters who have activated Suomi.fi Messages received their polling cards digitally this May. As the European Parliament elections approach, over one million Finnish voters have embraced digital convenience, receiving their polling cards electronically through the Suomi.fi Messages service. This significant shift towards digital notifications marks a milestone in the ongoing digital transformation of voter communication. For those not using the digital service, traditional paper polling cards were sent by post to the addresses registered in the Population Information System. Voting for the European Parliament elections begins on May 29, 2024. Otto Palmu, Election Manager at DVV, emphasizes the importance of reviewing the polling card, whether received digitally or by post, to understand voting locations and procedures. "On election day, June 9, 2024, voters must cast their ballots at the designated polling station listed on their polling card," Palmu explains. "While the polling card itself is not required to vote, it is helpful, especially for those voting in advance at special locations like hospitals or abroad." Maria Juka-Lahdenpera, Service Owner of Suomi.fi Messages, urges voters to check their Suomi.fi Messages if they haven't received a paper polling card. "Ensure that your email address is correctly listed in Suomi.fi Messages to receive notifications of new messages," she advises. "The Suomi.fi mobile app will also alert you to new messages, providing a seamless and eco-friendly way to stay informed." Environmental Benefits of Digital Notifications The switch to digital notifications is not just about convenience; it also represents a significant environmental effort. The digital delivery of polling cards has saved approximately five million sheets of paper, reducing the environmental impact of printing and transportation. "Digital notifications are a substantial eco-action," Juka-Lahdenpera notes. "If all voters received their polling cards electronically, nearly 29 million sheets of paper would be saved. This is equivalent to a stack of paper around three kilometers tall nearly ten Eiffel Towers." Suomi.fi Messages now serves 1.3 million users, providing a centralized platform for receiving communications from various authorities. This includes official decisions, invoices, healthcare appointment notifications, and other important documents. By consolidating these messages, Suomi.fi Messages significantly reduces the reliance on paper, making it easier for users to manage their official communications in one place. As Finland moves towards a more digital future, the successful implementation of electronic polling cards for the European elections sets a promising precedent for future elections and official communications. HT Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday reported that popular support for the largest opposition party has risen by 1.1 percentage points to 22.7 per cent since mid-April, providing it an almost three-point cushion at the top of the poll ahead of the National Coalition. THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY has cemented its status as the most popular political party in Finland, reveals the latest opinion poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat. The polling data indicate that the party has increased its popularity particularly among women, along with maintaining its status as the most popular party among over 65-year-olds. The Social Democratic Party has not performed as well in the poll since January 2016. The political circumstances at the time were similar to the current ones, as the country was led by a right-leaning coalition government made up of the Centre, Finns Party and National Coalition. Support for the National Coalition stood at 19.9 per cent for the second consecutive month. The Finns Party, however, continued its nosedive in the poll, falling 1.6 points to 16.2 per cent as a growing number of its supporters withdrew to the sidelines. In February, the populist right-wing party was the preferred choice of 19.6 per cent of the poll respondents. The poll was carried out by Verian between 15 April and 17 May. The polling period coincided with a framework session where the government reached an agreement on significant additional fiscal adjustments with ramifications to the daily lives of many voters, including pensioners, as well as a shooting incident involving a now ex-member of the Finns Party, Timo Vornanen. The Centre saw its approval rating improve by 0.8 points to 12.1 per cent, whereas the Left Alliance and Green League saw their ratings slip by 0.3 points, to 9.3 and 7.8 per cent, respectively. Both the Christian Democrats and Movement Now registered marginal gains, the former climbing from 4.1 to 4.2 per cent and the latter from 2.0 to 2.2 per cent. Support for the Swedish Peoples Party fell by 0.4 points to 3.4 per cent. The ruling coalition thereby has the support of 43.7 per cent of the public. A total of 2,484 people were interviewed for the poll, resulting in a margin of error of around two percentage points. Aleksi Teivainen HT Curb Market celebrates 100th birthday on Saturday Marilyn Horne, The Caramel Cake Lady, spends Saturdays at the curb market. [PHOTO BY AMY MCCRAW] Most people around the Henderson County Curb Market know Marilyn Horne by her other name the Caramel Cake Lady. And Horne, like most vendors who sell their goods at the market on Church Street in Hendersonville, knows her customers by name. It becomes kind of like a family here, she said. Its just part of your life. Your customers become like family too. Horne, 69, often sells out of the old-fashioned caramel cakes shes famous for before the market closes for the day on Saturdays. But she almost always agrees to take special orders from the customers who arrive a little too late for one of the dozen or so cakes she sells each weekend. In addition to her homemade cakes, Horne also sells fresh eggs from her chickens, handmade quilts and crochet items at her booth. She grew up watching her mother work at the market before manning her own booth 40 years ago. I was one that was raised under the table at the curb market, she said. Hornes daughter also comes to the market these days and her granddaughter is starting to show an interest in what grandma does at her booth. I hope to pass it down and keep the tradition going, she said. Family, tradition and a commitment to the market that is passed down from one generation to the next is what has kept the curb market a fixture in Hendersonville for the last 100 years, Horne and other longtime vendors said recently. The curb market will celebrate its 100-year anniversary on June 1 with food, music, a raffle, a live radio broadcast, a tour of the market including visits with vendors and a 100-year anniversary cake with ice cream, among other special treats. Elected leaders and a representative from the states agriculture department are also expected to attend the celebration along with American Fruit Grower and 2023 Apple Grower of the Year, Kenny Barnwell of Edneyville. Frank L. FitzSimons III, whose great grandfather helped start the market in 1924, will also provide a history of the curb market. Edneyville farmer Freddie Rhodes said his grandfather, Lee Rhodes, joined Frank FitzSimons Sr. and other farmers to create the curb market to give farmers a place to sell their produce. Its a place where we can bring our products off the farm and sell, he said. Everybody that comes out here, its a family tradition. We just try to keep it going. Rhodes, 68, sells a variety of products from his farm including apple butter, chow-chow and cider. The recipes for the canned goods came from his late wife, Phyllis, who passed away in 2016. Leslie Zarnowski, who is chair of the curb market board, said after the market formed 100 years ago it moved around to a few places in town before settling in its current location on church street about 75 years ago. The building with doors and windows allowed the market to operate year-round and led to the wives of farmers selling rugs, quilts and other homemade crafts when produce was scarce in the winter months, Zarnowski said. The market today continues to offer handmade quilts, rugs and crafts along with produce, canned goods and baked items. Curb market vendors must be from Henderson County or surrounding counties and the goods they offer must be homegrown or handcrafted. Edneyville resident Albert Ledbetter, 65, said he first came to the market with his mother, Louise, and aunt, Gladys Barnwell, when he was a little boy. His mom taught him how to make the rugs he now sells at the market. Its just a family thing. Weve done it forever, he said. People come just to visit. Ive made friends here Ive known for 35 or 40 years. Green River resident Shannon Ball said his roots also run deep at the curb market. His great grandparents, Benjamin and Nancy Justice, were two of the original vendors at the market when it opened 100 years ago. Balls grandparents and parents also sold goods at the market. And now Ball, 62, and his wife, Robbie, come to the market to sell flowers the way his family has for generations. I grew up doing it. I just like it, he said. They all taught me how to. I enjoy meeting the customers. Most customers are like family. Ball said he hopes his children and grandchildren will take over when its their turn because customers will always want to buy from the curb market. People want to buy local, he said. You know where it comes from. The curb market is located at 221 N. Church St at Second Avenue in Hendersonville. It is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market is open only on Saturdays in January, February and March. For more information about the curb market, visit www.hendersoncountycurbmarket.com, call 828-692-8012 or visit the markets Facebook page. Anarchists funded by foreign powers have an entirely different agenda centered around terrorism, violence, ethnic hatred, polarization, and disintegration. by Muhammad Wasama Khalid Militancy, ethnic terrorism, and separatist groups are being glorified on social media platforms to derail development projects in the Balochistan province. Almost a year ago, the first media appearance of the banned BLF commander Gulzar Imam, alias Shambay, offered a glimmer of hope for those who wish to see the province flourish. In the same publication, several critical questions were raised concerning the rising terrorist attacks in an article titled Terrorism and Hollow Activism in Baluchistan, published on December 26, 2023. Quetta, Pakistan [Photo: Muhammad Amer/Unsplash] Its important to revisit those questions to understand the positive impact of Gulzar Imams surrender. These questions remain highly pertinent today: Who is involved in terrorism? Where are the terrorists safe havens or hideouts? Who is sponsoring, financing, training, and supporting these terrorists? What are their objectives? Why is Pakistan in the crosshairs of these terrorist outfits? It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that certain factions always strive to generate buzz about Baluchistans future. Gulzar Imams press discussions shed significant light on issues of terrorism, separatism, and ethno-nationalist chaos. It became evident that terrorist networks are being managed, funded, and trained by Indian state actors. The Baloch youth have been lured by exploiting social deprivation and ethnic animosity. Lets delve into the strategic objectives of those orchestrating the separatist insurgency in Baluchistan. For India, supporting this unrest serves two major purposes. First, it creates a parallel narrative to the indigenous freedom movement in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), diverting attention and resources. Second, terrorist attacks in Baluchistan undermine the successful completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), aligning with India and its Western allies counter-China strategy. Gulzar Imam Shambay was not the only one to reveal these startling truths. A few months after his media appearance, another militant commander, Sarfaraz Bungalzai, made similar confessions, exposing the links between so-called Baloch rights activists and their Indian sponsors. At this stage, we must not overlook the dossier presented by Pakistan at the United Nations, detailing Indias support for terrorists in Baluchistan through Afghanistan-based proxies. Commanders like Bungulzai and Imam have been at the forefront of a low-level insurgency for independence by Baloch separatists for more than two decades in the gas-rich southwestern Balochistan province at the border of Afghanistan and Iran. I was misguided by some people to join militancy but now, I have realized that this path does not lead to either liberation or the wellbeing of Balochistan, Bungulzai said at the press conference, seated next to the provincial information minister. Therefore, I have decided to quit violence and join the peace process, said the commander, who was appointed to lead the BNA after the arrest of Imam The development of Baluchistan is the antidote to the ongoing toxic terrorism and subversive campaigns. The banned Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and their splinter groups are striving to drive a wedge between the Baloch people and the state. These UN-designated terrorist outfits are relentlessly trying to destabilize state institutions in the province. False narratives were proliferated on social media to malign the state, with fabricated allegations of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and oppression painting a sinister image. The confessional statement of former commander Gulzar Imam, alias Shambay, provided a lifeline to those wishing to escape the grip of militancy. Following Imams lead, Sarfaraz Bungalzai, who assumed command of the banned outfit after Imams surrender, also laid down arms along with 70 of his fighters. The revelations from these two surrendered militant commanders corroborated the confessions of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in Baluchistan in 2016 for supporting terrorist networks. The successive non-violent surrenders of top militant commanders have significantly undermined Indian investments in anti-Pakistan separatist movements. The social media activism and attention-seeking theatrics, under the guise of human rights advocacy by so-called ethnic nationalists, appear aimed at destabilizing the fragile stability in Baluchistan. Surprisingly, none of the ethnic activists have ever condemned the terrorist outfits responsible for the provinces devastation. During my university days, all my Baloch friends were focused on education, career growth, and the development of their native areas. They consistently condemned the baseless, fabricated narratives promoted by foreign elements. The Baloch youth desire peace, education, development, and prosperity. Anarchists funded by foreign powers have an entirely different agenda centered around terrorism, violence, ethnic hatred, polarization, and disintegration. Simply put, the enemy seeks to replay the Mukti Bahini episode to inflict further harm on Pakistan. Forces hostile to Baluchistans peace aim to turn the populace against the armed forces and law enforcement agencies. Fortunately, sanity prevails at the state level. Over the past year, the integration of militant commanders and their followers into mainstream society has been a step in the right direction. The government has favored peaceful, non-violent engagement over the absolute use of force. Decision-makers, particularly within the premier intelligence agency, deserve commendation for accurately diagnosing and effectively addressing the deep-rooted issue of foreign-sponsored terrorism. Now is the time to consolidate the successes achieved in de-radicalizing militants. The ultimate goal should be the sustained development and stabilization of Baluchistan in the coming days. Muhammad Wasama Khalid is a Correspondent and Researcher at Global Affairs. He is pursuing his Bachelors in International Relations at National Defense University (NDU). He has a profound interest in history, politics, current affairs, and international relations. He is an author of Global village space, Global defense insight, Global Affairs, and modern diplomacy. He tweets at @Wasama Khalid and can be reached at Wasamakhalid@gmail.com Elijah Kanyi & Tamasin Ford, BBC Africa Eye, Nairobi & London Monday May 27, 2024 As Kenya struggles with rising violent crime, BBC Africa Eye follows one former criminal as he tries to persuade men to turn in their illegal firearms, one gun at a time. The worst thing I ever did was to kill. I killed a man, the young man says after agreeing to be filmed on condition of anonymity. Samuel, which is not his real name, is in Kisumu on the edge of Lake Victoria in the west of Kenya, to meet King Kafu, a former convict who now helps people get away from crime. He is visibly nervous. He has an AK47 in a hidden location that he now wants to hand in to the police. Asked why, he says: A day will come when my family wont have anything to eat. They will get hurt eventually. If I go and mess around, and then get shot, no-one will be there to take care of my family. So I decided, from my heart, let me return this thing. Figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics show violent robberies increased by almost 20% last year. Illegal firearms are smuggled into the country through its porous borders, making Kenyas civilian possession of weapons unrivalled in East Africa, according to the Institute of Security Studies. The latest figures from the Small Arms Survey, which tracks global weapons trends, suggest there are some 750,000 firearms in civilian hands in Kenya. That is more than the army and police combined. Kafu acts as a middleman between people who want to hand in their guns and the police. He was 15 when he first got into crime. It started with snatching peoples bags, but then he moved on to armed robberies. In 2003, he was sentenced to four years in prison for robbery. Samuel had contacted him on Instagram asking for help. Kafu spoke to the local police in Kisumu and they agreed to accept Samuels gun, promising he would not be investigated in line with a well-established amnesty programme. But when it was time to meet up again with the AK47, Samuel did not show up. Kafu, now 40, is a presenter on Ghetto Radio, a station popular among young people in the slum areas of the capital, Nairobi, and uses his platform to speak out against gun violence. Upon my release, I discovered many of my friends who were involved in crime had met tragic ends, most of them dying as a result of their criminal lifestyles, he says. It was this that made him turn his life around. No-one is born a thief. But even if the youths dont have work, we are telling them that crime is not good. People should return their illegal guns to the government, he says. In the last 20 years the Kenyan government has used amnesties as a way of controlling gun crime, promising immunity to those who surrender their weapons. Thousands of guns have been handed in to the authorities. But this is a tiny fraction of the illegal firearms in circulation. One criminal told BBC Africa Eye that acquiring a gun in Kenya was easy. He said he could buy one for 40,000 Kenyan shillings ($300; 240). Kafu says people willing to hand over their illegal firearms to the authorities fear they might become a target themselves. The police have been accused of being involved in extra-judicial killings. Kenyan charity Missing Voices says more than 800 people died at the hands of officers in the last five years. The majority of them were poor young men. In Nairobi, BBC Africa Eye goes with Kafu to meet another man, who we are calling John, willing to give up his gun. I am ready to return it. You go and kill someone. You will spend the money you get for it within three months, but you have shed someones blood. You have hurt someone and been left with the guilt. That life is trouble. Johns biggest fear of going to the police was that something would happen to him. He describes what happened to a friend who confided in an elder in the community that he wanted to surrender two guns. He was picked up by the police and then found in a mortuary a week later. The problem is trusting who to tell, how to hand it in, he says. There have been widespread allegations of Kenyan police hiring and selling firearms and ammunition to criminals. BBC Africa Eye put this claim to the police, but they did not respond. Kafu called the local police chief to reassure the man about his safety and a few days later they went to the police station together with the gun. The officer checked the serial number on the weapon and it had a KP mark which is short for Kenyan Police. At a police press conference announcing the return of the weapon, Kafu made a public statement to make sure the police repeated their commitment to keeping these men safe. I want the government to be clear with the youth. When they return these things, will they be disappeared or supported? I am asking the government to cooperate. These youths want to be shown some love. This alone will not stop violent gun crime in Kenya, but Kafu says its a start. Criminals trust him, he says, and hopes he can encourage more people to surrender their weapons without fear of retribution. "We are trying to fight for these youths," says Kafu. Recently, the Supreme Court directed that no attempts shall be made to reduce the area of open prisons in the country. A bench of justice BR Gavai and justice Sandeep Mehta noted it has been informed that there is a proposal to reduce the area at Sanganer open-air camp in Jaipur. "We thus direct that there shall be no attempt of reduction in the area of open-air camps/institutions/prisons, wherever they are functioning," the bench reportedly said. Open prisons are custodial institutions, where, unlike traditional prisons, there is lesser supervision and greater freedom of movement for the inmates. While the infrastructural and administrative definitions of open prisons may vary across Indian states, they are bound together by the principles of self-discipline for the inmates instead of control. Serving as a transitional phase between the closed environment of conventional prisons and the free world, open prisons are founded on the belief that a person cannot be prepared for freedom in conditions of captivity. Over time, the objectives of the punishment of incarceration have expanded from primarily retribution to also looking at the reformation of the incarcerated person for broader social good. The journey of prison reforms has seen significant strides toward ensuring that punishment serves a broader societal purpose, rather than adhering to the individualistic concept of an eye for an eye. These open camps can be considered as useful 'missing links' of correctional process, and in fact, serve the purpose of 'halfway homes' or 'transit homes' between the closed institutionalized treatment and the free society," noted the Rajasthan Prison Department in a statement. Inmates in open prisons can move out, earn a livelihood, meet family, learn skills, study, have community ties and then return to serving their sentence. It is not a regular institution for accommodating inmates; rather, it is an initiative to ensure prisoners reintegration into wider society after long years of incarceration. Only select prisoners, primarily convicts, who have undergone a significant period in regular prisons and have shown potential for change and good behaviour, qualify for admission to an open prison. Utilising predetermined criteria, the objective is to evaluate which convicted individuals are appropriate for transition and then allocate them to a facility conducive to fostering their rehabilitation as they serve their sentence. The contours of the concept of open prisons are defined by meaningful reintegration, fostering responsibility and skill development. This approach enhances constructive inmate engagement and serves the ends of criminal justice effectively. History of open prisons The open prison in India was built in the Bombay Presidency in 1905 on the premise of using prisoners as cheap, or rather unpaid labour in public works such as repairing or building infrastructure. However, the idea of open prisons, over the years, has adapted and evolved in response to emerging contexts and shifting the focus of modern-day penology from deterrence to reformation. The first open prison of Independent India was an annexe to the Model Prison in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, in 1949. This initiative led to the creation of a full-fledged open prison in Uttar Pradesh in 1953, where inmates were engaged in the construction of the Chandraprabha dam, which recently made headlines for receiving a sanction of Rs. 12.58 crore for repairs. The shift in penology post-independence was significantly influenced by the Constitutional Courts, which, through their judgements in various cases, have repeatedly addressed inhumane prison conditions that have shaken the judicial conscience. In 1977, the Supreme Court directed that work assigned to prisoners must be congenial and that wages must be paid, restoring the human dignity that had been stripped away by unpaid labour. This was followed by the concerted efforts of several High Courts to declare unpaid work by prison inmates as unconstitutional. Courts in fact urged states to have a reasonable minimum wage and meet the objective of reform and rehabilitation. With a rights-based emphasis from the judiciary and the efforts of prison reformists, open prisons have gained traction as a reformative approach to reintegrating hardened criminals into mainstream life. Open prison in every district: Supreme Court in 2017 By 1982, 14 states had functioning open prisons. However, the progress since displays the lack of initiative by state authorities, with only 17 states having such prisons in 2022. The slow pace is despite a 2017 directive by the SC mandating the establishment of open prisons in each district across the country. Rajasthan leads the way with 41 open prisons, followed by Maharashtra with 19, Madhya Pradesh with 7, and Gujarat and West Bengal with 4 each. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have established three open jails each. Meanwhile, 11 states and not one Union Territory, do not have any open prisons, falling far from compliance. The problem lies not only in the lack of open prisons but also in the underutilization of existing infrastructure. Prisons and prisoners are mentioned in Entry No. 4 of List II (State List) of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution of India, making them a State subject. This has led to both desired and undesired diversity in prison policies across the country. One consequence of prisons being a State subject is that several States and Union Territories have yet to establish objective rules or guidelines for the administration of open prisons, eligibility of prisoners, remission, and wages. Despite having a total capacity of 6,000, open prisons housed only 2,178 prisoners in 2021, resulting in an occupancy rate of 36%. This rate commendably doubled to 74% in 2022. The sudden surge in the national occupancy rate of open prisons was primarily driven by two states: Maharashtra and West Bengal. Maharashtra increased its occupancy rate in open prisons from 9% in 2021 to 107% in 2022, while West Bengal increased from 10% in 2021 to 54% in 2022. However, this still contrasts sharply with the acute problem of overcrowding in regular prisons, where occupancy rates can reach as high as 300-400% While states have the opportunity to transition more inmates to open prison facilities, the lack of will and effort by state authorities, continues to subject them to overcrowded prisons. Conclusion India's penal system stands at a crossroads: The choice is between continuing with the dated, punitive and incapacitating approach or embracing a more humane, rehabilitative model. While more people are being incarcerated each year, current policies and lack of administrative will are failing to direct incarcerated persons towards rebuilding their lives. Instead, they continue to endure inhumane prison conditions, facing the irreversible consequences of incarceration, which keep them far from rehabilitation In 1835, Macaulay, who drafted the now-repealed Indian Penal Code, condemned the prison conditions in India as shocking to humanity. Nearly two centuries later, the Supreme Court is still addressing the issue of inhuman conditions in 1382 prisons. It points towards the long-standing problem in Indias correctional system ensnared in a cycle of neglect towards prisoners. Despite a sustained series of judicial pronouncements, comprehensive expert reports, and legislative interventions, the promise of rehabilitation and humane treatment for prisoners remains largely unfulfilled. As India endeavours to address these concerns, the SCs directive to preserve open prison space has never been more urgent. The question of the establishment and functioning of open prisons is a small piece in the ongoing quest for prison reforms. The idea of punishment and whether rehabilitation is the goal is often confronted by practices that emphasize retribution and incapacitation. Years of state apathy towards individuals convicted of crimes or imprisoned solely based on judicial oversight cannot, by itself, lead to the ideal functioning of open prisons. To make second chances a reality in the criminal justice system, a synergy of policy reforms and proactive administrative measures must emanate from the commitments in our shared sense of humanity, before anything else. Shrutika Pandey is a lawyer and researcher specialising in access to justice. She engages in developing strategies to advance the rights of undertrial prisoners through legal representation, research, and advocacy. The views expressed are personal Siddharth Lamba is a lawyer and researcher specializing in policy advocacy on prison reforms, with a focus on legal aid, addressing unnecessary detention, and studying prison monitoring systems. Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Business Wire India In an age defined by relentless market dynamics, the ability to anticipate, adapt, and capitalise on emerging opportunities is essential for organisational success. Additionally, achieving sustained differentiation and profitability for businesses hinges on their ability to make a shift towards strategic management. Acknowledging this pivotal need to equip professionals with the ability to leverage new technologies and think strategically, the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow), a leading business school which is ranked 4th amongst all B-schools in India (ranked by FT-100), announced the launch of its 6th batch of Executive Programme in Strategic Management in partnership with Emeritus, a global pioneer in offering accessible and affordable high-quality education to individuals and organisations. This 7-month high-impact programme is thoughtfully designed for senior and mid-level professionals aspiring to ascend to leadership positions that spearhead corporate strategy and growth. Additionally, it is tailored for senior executives already in pivotal strategic roles but seeking to enhance their capabilities in end-to-end strategy formulation and execution, thereby propelling their organisation's business growth initiatives forward. According to the 2023 Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Survey by Deloitte, organisations are increasingly structuring strategy as a formal function with a dedicated lead and personnel, a 22% increase to 74% of organisations surveyed in 2023 compared to prior years. It further mentions that how the ever-changing market dynamics and continuous uncertainties have pushed organisations to invest more into the Strategy function. And, as more disruptions and challenges emerge, the investment into Strategy talent and capabilities will only intensify with time. This programme rightly identifies these trends and addresses the critical need for professionals to bridge the gap between strategy planning and execution. The IIM Lucknow Executive Programme in Strategic Management offers immersive live online learning sessions delivered by top IIM Lucknow faculty and industry experts as well as a 2-day in-campus immersion at the IIM Lucknow campus. It also includes a capstone project guided by IIM Lucknow Faculty, real-world case-studies, hands-on learning through business simulations and an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning. The programme includes modules such as strategic management, strategy formulation, strategy implementation and contemporary themes. The key learnings of this programme include: Developing a strategic mindset to shape and amplify competitive advantage in a dynamic environment Enhancing critical thinking and strategic decision making skills to propel business growth Gaining Insights into formulation and implementation of effective and focused business strategies Forging proactive leadership competencies to navigate business challenges and opportunities Understanding and leveraging digital business models and emerging technologies to drive digital transformation and innovation Commenting on the launch of the programme, Mr. Mohan Kannegal, CEO, India and APAC, Emeritus, said, We are excited to partner with prestigious institutions such as IIM Lucknow to launch this high-impact programme that will not only enhance professionals with strategic acumen but will also empower them to drive tangible business outcomes. Programmes like these play a pivotal role in equipping professionals across functions with an end-to-end strategic perspective and an ability to seamlessly bridge the gap between strategy planning and execution. We at Emeritus remain committed to bringing high-impact programme to help professionals navigate modern world complexities with confidence and emerge as strategic leaders in their respective domains. The eligibility for this programme includes Graduates (10+2+3)/Diploma holders (10+2 +3)/Postgraduates with a minimum of five years of work experience. This programme is set to begin on June 30, 2024, with a fee of INR 1,56,000 plus GST (Discount of INR 6,000 available until May 30, 2024). Upon successful completion of the programme and maintaining a minimum attendance of 75 percent, participants will be awarded a certificate of completion from IIM Lucknow. For more information, visit the programme page here. About IIM Lucknow The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow is one of the premier national-level institutes of management in India, involved in generating and imparting knowledge in the field of management. IIM Lucknow stands tall on the foundation of an excellent, committed and profoundly knowledgeable faculty, innovative and unique pedagogical tools and an eclectic and diverse student community with a burning desire to make new paths of its own. The Association of MBAs (AMBA) has accredited the Institute's PGPM, IPMX, and PGPWE programmes. IIM Lucknow is among the five B-Schools in India to achieve the coveted dual accreditations by the Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). Worldwide, only about 5% of the institutes have acquired AACSBs accreditation. The Institute scored high on student employability, career progression and research. About Emeritus Emeritus offers customised and open programs in India, Singapore, Dubai and other global locations in collaboration with IIM Lucknow Executive Education, IIM Calcutta Executive Education, ISB Executive Education, Harvard Business School (HBS), MIT Sloan, Columbia Business School, Kellogg Executive Education, Berkeley Executive Education, and Wharton Executive Education, amongst other leading Institutions. Our world-class executive education programs, facilitated by eminent program experts, provide an immersive learning experience integrated with actionable insights and practical business applications and are delivered in a range of formats; in-class, online, as well as blended programs. The Emeritus Group has more than 1,750 employees globally and offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai. The company is backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Leeds Illuminate, Prosus Ventures, GSV Ventures, Peak XV, Bertelsmann, CPPIB, Accel and SoftBank Vision Fund 2. For more information, please visit https://emeritus.org/. Media Contact Details Vasudha Rao, Adfactors PR, vasudha.rao@adfactorspr.com, +91-9820347118; Bhavana Akella, Adfactors PR, Bhavana.akella@adfactorspr.com, +91-9704730793 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. Imarticus Learning, Indias premier edtech company for upskilling and professional education, has launched its new Postgraduate Program in Financial Accounting & Management to empower fresh graduates with the skills required to become a strategic partner to the CFO. Finance and Accounting have been fields with steady demand, and are evolving to become more competitive to enter. This program is structured to enable candidates to advance their proficiency in accounting and management skills and stand out as the favourable candidate in the hiring climate. The program comes with an option to complete it within 3 or 6 months. Designed for every aspiring auditor and financial analyst, the program curriculum is up-to-date with current best practices in the field. The Postgraduate Program in Financial Accounting and Management is meticulously crafted to cultivate the precise skill set necessary for professionals aspiring to become invaluable strategic partners in the realm of finance, ideally positioned to support a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effectively. The program focuses on building job-relevant skills and technical competencies like MS Office, PowerBI, Zoho, Quickbooks, and Tally. Led by industry professionals, the program leverages dynamic teaching methods and blended learning options and comes with guaranteed interview opportunities to help learners begin a lucrative career in finance. Continuous changes mark the field of accounting and finance; learning outcomes need to be shaped in a way that sets one apart from other applicants in the accounting and management job market. Mastering skills in line with industry requirements like the fundamentals of accounting, working capital management, auditing and taxation, analysis and reporting, and financial compliance equips learners to stand out as desired candidates in todays skill-based job environment. With over 1,20,000 corporate finance openings in India, the program gives the learners the knowledge of the right skills and tools giving precedence in selection for roles like corporate finance associate, financial accountant, financial analyst, revenue analyst, and many other opportunities in the competitive finance industry. With a focus on real-world examples and hands-on training, the program also offers 100% job assurance. It will allow participants to secure roles matching their skills and expertise and set them on a path of guaranteed success. Mr. Nikhil Barshikar, Imarticus Learnings Founder and CEO, commented We're thrilled to introduce our latest venture, the Postgraduate Program in Financial Accounting & Management. At Imarticus Learning, our vision has always been to empower learners with a cutting-edge education that propels their careers forward. With this program, we've meticulously crafted a curriculum that not only meets the demands of today's competitive finance job market but also equips aspiring finance professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to excel. To enroll in the program, candidates must be graduates or final-semester students from the commerce and arts streams or working professionals with up to three years of work experience. The admission process involves an entrance test, followed by a review of the applicant profile, and shortlisted candidates are invited to join the nearest cohort. Accounting and management professionals are future-facing finance experts. With a plethora of opportunities across industries, the functions of finance and accounting are tied to the future success of a company, making these professionals strategic assets that contribute to an upward trajectory of business growth. About Imarticus Learning Imarticus Learning is a leading Edtech company in India, offering high-quality, industry-specific education via innovative technology, specialised training, career assistance, and mentorship from industry professionals. It has impacted over 10,00,000 careers within a decade through leading-edge curriculums, highly experienced faculty, and over 500 global partnerships with leading institutions and corporations. Imarticus Learning seeks to upskill existing and future workers to fulfil various industries' current and upcoming job market demands. Its objective is to provide learners with valuable learning experiences, educate them with industry-specific skills, and prepare them to take on multiple job roles in their sector. Imarticus Learning is renowned for its unique teaching methodology, including immersive live lectures (online and offline), peer-to-peer discussions, hybrid learning modules, industry-focused seminars, capstone projects, guest lectures, soft skills training, etc. It offers courses that prepare learners for successful careers in data science, analytics, finance, banking, and technology. 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. Elon Musk recently told investors that his artificial intelligence startup xAI is planning to build a supercomputer, it was reported. The supercomputer will power the next version of its AI chatbot Grok, The Information reported citing a presentation by the billionaire to investors. Elon Musk addresses participants via videoconference during the 8th edition of the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair, at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris.(AFP) Elon Musk wants to get the proposed supercomputer running by the fall of 2025, as per the report. His company xAI could partner with Oracle to develop the massive computer, he said. The supercomputer will use Nvidias flagship H100 graphics processing units (GPUs) and will be at least four times the size of the biggest GPU clusters that exist today, The Information reported. This vision was shared by Elon Musk with investors, the report claimed. Elon Musk founded xAI last year and the company is competing with Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Alphabet's Google. The tech billionaire, who also co-founded OpenAI, said earlier this year that training the Grok 2 model took about 20,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs. The Grok 3 model and beyond will require 100,000 Nvidia H100 chips, he said. (Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Josie Kao) Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI has raised $6 billion in a Series B funding round backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital among others, the company said in a blog post on Sunday. Tech billionaire Elon Musk arrives at Ngurah Rai International airport in Denpasar on Indonesia's Bali island.(AFP) The money will be used to take xAI's first products to market, build advanced infrastructure and accelerate research and development of future technologies, xAI said. "There will be more to announce in the coming weeks," Musk said in a post on X, in response to the announcement of the funding. The AI race has been heating up, with several investors signing big checks for start-ups looking to compete with market leaders like OpenAI. Though xAI did not say what it was valued at after the latest round of funding, other media reports previously suggested the company would be valued at between $18 billion and $24 billion. Reuters could not immediately verify the valuation with xAI. JPMorgan Asset Management increased its holdings of Indian local-currency sovereign bonds, viewing them as the best bet among peers in Asia. Indian Bonds Best Asia Bet for JPMorgan Asset Before Inclusion The firm added bonds in April when the yield on the benchmark 10-year bond rose above 7.15%, Julio Callegari, chief investment officer of Asia fixed income, said in an interview. It took some profits off Chinese government notes in the month, he added. India is what we like the most for the local currency bonds, Callegari said, citing high yields and the lack of volatility. In the sovereign space onshore, there are not many places that offer carry in Asia, he said. JPMorgan Asset joins a slew of global investors, including Abrdn Plc and Zurich-based Vontobel Asset Management, in turning to Indian bonds ahead of their inclusion into JPMorgans emerging-market debt gauge in June. Bonds eligible for inclusion are set to deliver their best monthly returns in nearly a year in May amid foreign inflows. READ: Brandywine Global Cuts China Debt Holding to Buy India Bonds Indian sovereign bonds have seen about $8 billion of inflows into the so-called Fully Accessible Route or FAR securities since the JPMorgan announcement, though there were some outflows in April amid a global debt selloff. The FAR bonds have no restrictions for foreign investors. The bond indexs inclusion is expected to attract inflows of as much as $40 billion, as per analysts estimates. Ten-year yields traded at about 7.04% on Monday. Indias relatively higher returns and a stable currency also help, said Callegari, as other higher-yielding Asian countries such as Indonesia may lag India in terms of stability. Bloomberg Index Services Ltd. will also start including India in its emerging-markets index from January. Bloomberg LP is the parent company of Bloomberg Index Services, which administers indexes that compete with those from other providers. With assistance from Subhadip Sircar. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankar, is visiting Bengaluru on Monday between 11:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., and traffic police have issued a traffic advisory. Vehicle parking is banned in the main areas of central Bengaluru. Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankar (Twitter Photo) Also Read - Liquor sale in Bengaluru to be prohibited between June 1 and 6. Here is why In an announcement, Bengaluru traffic police said, In view of VVIP visit to Bengaluru city on 27.05.2024 parking of all types of vehicles is prohibited in the following roads. Further, it is requested to avoid following roads and use alternative roads. Parking will be prohibited on the below roads from 11.30 am to 8pm Infantry Road Cubbon Road M.G. Road Old Airport Road Wind Tunnel Road The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankar will reportedly visit Raj Bhavan during his tour to Bengaluru. He will also Belagavi and attend Foundation Day of ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine (NITM) and at the 14th Convocation of KLE University. Later, Shri Dhankhar will visit CSIR-NAL Belur Campus to see the Exhibition of LCA components & SARAS. Meanwhile, Bengaluru police also warned commuters to check the condition of thier vehciles before bringing them to the road. In many areas, traffic congestion happens due to the breakdown of vehicles as they run out of fuel or because of the poor condition. The traffic police warned that a strict action will be taken against the owners, if they bring their vehicles to the road without monitoring it. One-and-a-half months after notorious criminal Sagar Neutron along with his aides attacked a family and injured them after barging into their house in Shaheed Karnail Singh Nagar, an 80-year-old woman died on Friday. The kin of the woman stated that she never recovered from the injuries and succumbed to her injuries on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Surjeet Kaur. Amandeep Kaur, granddaughter of the deceased, stated that her grandmother could not recover from the brutal attack, and she succumbed to the injuries on Monday. (HT File) Amandeep Kaur, granddaughter of the deceased, stated that her grandmother could not recover from the brutal attack, and she succumbed to the injuries on Monday. Till date the police have arrested only two of the accused, while the rest of them are on the run. Surjeet Kaur remained hospitalised for many days after the attack. The other family members, including her two sons, daughter-in-law and a grandson, had also suffered injuries. Surjeet Kaurs grandson Navi had indulged in a spat with the accused. Navi, anticipating an attack, had gone missing. The attackers had intended to target Navi at his house on April 3 night, but he was not present. While the assailants assaulted the rest of the family, causing severe injuries to an elderly woman. Following the complaint of Navis sister Amandeep Kaur, the police had lodged an FIR against Sagar Neutron, Monu Dedhi, Shubham, Rajeev, Kuldeep Singh, Ankit and Monu Dwarka under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 452 (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapons), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the IPC. According to the police officials, they are waiting for the autopsy report of the woman for further action. The family sought murder case against the accused. Distraught parents and family members of the seven infants who were killed in a fire at the Baby Care New Born hospital in East Delhi's Vivek Vihar on Saturday are demanding justice from the authorities for their tragic loss. Fire at children hospital in East Delhis Vivek Vihar killed seven newborns (Twitter Photo) One of the grieving parents alleged that every official visiting the hospital after the incident is tightlipped. They have no answer if the hospital was legal. If the hospital was having any no objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department, said Ritik, who lost his 10-day-old child, as quoted by PTI. Another parent said that his deceased daughter was born at another hospital on May 15. However, she was admitted to the hospital after she developed health issues. Allah ko pyaari ho gayi meri beti, the inconsolable father said. Tragedy struck again for one of the parents, a labourer, after five years. I lost my son five years ago. On Saturday, my newborn son died. What kind of facilities do they have? he questioned. In a tragic incident, a massive fire broke out at the hospital around 11:30 pm on Saturday and spread to two other adjacent buildings, claiming the lives of at least seven babies. While, five other babies are undergoing treatment who have received minor burn injuries. Hospital's licence expired, no fire extinguishers installed According to the police, the licence of the hospital expired on March 31 this year. Additionally, the previous license issued to the medical facility was allowed for only five beds. However, at the time of the fire incident, 12 newborn children were admitted to the hospital. The police also informed that the doctors appointed at the hospital were not qualified to treat a newborn child in need of Neo-Natal Incentive care, as they are BAMS degree holders only. The police did not find any emergency exits or fire extinguishers installed on the hospital premises in case of such incidents. According to the director of the Delhi fire department, Atul Garg, the hospital building most likely did not possess a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the fire department. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police detained the medical facility's owner, Dr Naveen Khichi, who had absconded after the fire broke out. May 27, 2024: Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, American military forces have been constantly involved with other conflicts. The most recent one was in April 2024 when an Iranian missile attack on Israel was defeated, with the help of American air defense weapons and U.S. Air Force aircraft and U.S. Navy warships off the Israeli coast shooting down some of the Iranian missiles. Currently American ground, air and naval forces are working with the Philippines military to block disruptive Chinese activities in Filipino waters. Despite international agreements China signed and an international court ruling against China, the Chinese continue to insist, often with military and paramilitary forces, that the Philippines no longer has jurisdiction over portions of the South China Sea that were never controlled by China. China protests the presence of Americans and those of local allies Japan and Australia. At the same time the United States provides financial support to pro-American forces in Afghanistan, Cameroon, Egypt, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen. Despite these continued successes, U.S. opinion polls indicate that 81 percent of Americans have confidence in their military. This is down from 90 percent twenty years earlier. This decline might not seem like a big deal were it not for the fact that major U.S. allies have lower confidence ratings for local armed forces. The one exception is Britain where the confidence rating is 83 percent. In Japan, 80 percent of Japanese have confidence in their military. In Italy its 79 percent, Canada 78 percent, and Germany 58 percent. The low German confidence rate is the result of two situations unique to Germany. First, there is Germany overestimating how long peace would last after the Cold War ended in 1991. The war in Ukraine caused Germany, and most Germans, to revise their defense policies. This is nothing new, the revisions began in 2016 when Germany announced that 25 years of budget and personnel reductions in the military had ended. The then current force was to be increased 7.5 percent to 199,000. Defense civilian workers increased 7.7 percent to 60,000. This was all about the growing threat of Islamic terrorism and the return of Russian aggression. All that was old was new again. During the Cold War, the West German army was 400,000 strong, well equipped and trained to fight. There were another 250,000 troops in the communist East German armed forces. Then the Cold War ended in 1991, the two Germanys united and East German forces were disbanded with the West German military absorbing some of the East German troops and weapons. Then the united German forces began to shrink. With the Soviet Union gone, and the former Soviet allies in East Europe clamoring to join NATO, Germany no longer had any threatening neighbors. The Cold War German army of mechanized troops had lost its mission. During the next 25 years German armed forces were reduced over 70 percent from their combined 1991 strength of 650,000 to 185,000. Earlier in 2016 Germany announced it would increase its defense budget to $41 billion, which is what it was in 2011. All this came after 2011 when major changes were implemented for the armed forces. The main change was that the armed forces went all- volunteer with the end of conscription. That caused the armed forces to shrink from 220,000 to 185,000 troops. In 2011 about 22 percent of the troops were conscripts, in service for only six months, although many could, and did, volunteer to stay in for up to 23 months. The number of civilians working for the armed forces also shrank from 75,000 to 56,000. The number of staff at the Defense ministry shrank from 3,500 to 2,000. This was a big change from what had been going on for half a century. With the end of conscription Germany managed to find enough effective troops for peacekeeping and special operations, but not much more. The generals had long asked for an all-volunteer force but for a long time the politicians, and public opinion, were opposed to this. The reality was not what everyone expected. The all-volunteer force had no shortage of volunteers for peacekeeping duty, even in dangerous areas, but it was soon discovered that with a purely volunteer force it was very difficult to obtain all the troops needed for tech jobs. This was mainly because there is high demand for these people outside the military where the money was better and the working environment safer. There were other changes. In 2002 German troops saw combat again in Afghanistan, for the first time in nearly 60 years. German troops have been in Afghanistan since 2002. Over 5,000 have served there, mainly as peacekeepers. But one percent of the German troops serving in Afghanistan were killed there. The 2011 plan was to create an army of peacekeepers. Well, only 5-10,000 of them were involved in peacekeeping at any one time. Not only was the army smaller, but it had older equipment, and less of it. Not much purchasing of new equipment after 1991 and much of what was bought was to support peacekeeping missions. The peacekeepers, particularly in Afghanistan, were given more modern gear and the expense of this was another reason for shrinking the size of armed forces. The reduced budget meant there was not enough for maintaining existing equipment or updating it. By 2022 it was embarrassing when warships could not go to sea, or combat aircraft fly, or for armored vehicles to move under their own power, all for lack of maintenance and spare parts, let alone updates. The 2016 upgrades were made to deal with a return of Russian aggression. In early 2022 the Russian aggression returned with an invasion of Ukraine. That prompted Germany to allegedly plan to upgrade its army to combat status and be capable of winning in combat. The German voters and population in general indicated they supported these changes. Opinion surveys in the years before the Ukraine invasion showed that nearly 70 percent of Germans wanted American nuclear weapons withdrawn from Germany. These were in Germany to discourage an aggressive Russia from making convincing nuclear threats against Germany. By 2020 the threat of Russian aggression was not convincing enough to change German attitudes towards American nukes, but it did permit claiming to sometime soon spend money to put their military back in shape to fight and win. German attitudes towards nuclear power were shutting down German nuclear power plants with the power now supplied by Russian natural gas imports. This approach failed when the gas was no longer available because Germany could not support the Russian military by purchasing Russian natural gas. That decision became final in September 2022 when someone destroyed the two natural gas pipelines from Russia. No one took credit for the attack and speculation continues about who it was and why they did it. German public opinion soon changed about keeping nuclear power plants operational, because without them there would be insufficient electricity to keep the entire economy going and heat homes and businesses during winter. While Germans were divided about nuclear energy, 72 percent backed remaining a NATO member. This might bring back American nuclear weapons, which Germans supported when an aggressive Russia threatened to use theirs. Now, most Germans supported military readiness even if it meant a much larger defense budget. In late 2022, when it became clear that the war in Ukraine might last for years, Germans accepted the fact that this war, the first since World War II when major powers armed with similar weapons fought each other, had changed the nature and degree of Russias threat to Germany. The Ukrainians were doing the fighting, but mainly with modern weapons provided by NATO countries. Russia invaded to stop Ukraine from joining NATO. The Ukrainians halted the Russians and within a year were on the offensive themselves, armed with NATO weapons. This effort assures Ukraine NATO membership once the war is over. Once in NATO, another Russian invasion would face soldiers from many NATO members fighting alongside troops from fellow NATO member Ukraine. The Ukrainians had been improving their armed forces since 2012, two years before Russia seized Crimea and portions of two provinces in eastern Ukraine. East European NATO members agreed with the Ukrainian warning that a lot of Russian aggression was coming. After 2014 many NATO members agreed to support Ukrainian efforts to upgrade their armed forces. By late 2021 there were signs that Russia was planning on a larger war. Germany and the other original NATO members in Western Europe were dubious but the more recent East European NATO members agreed with the Ukrainians that Russian aggression was coming. Germany was sufficiently alarmed to repeat planning for acceleration the upgrading of their armed forces. Most Germans agreed with this alarming assessment and their fears became reality when the Russians invaded in February 2022. While Germany pretended to accelerate upgrading its own military, most Germans agreed that the Russian invasion indicated a major change in attitudes towards military preparedness and the risks of another major war on the scale of the two World Wars. The Ukraine War provides useful practical advice on how such a war would be fought. It would be more violent and create more costs and casualties than most people believed likely. Many more people died in the World Wars than anyone expected, and Ukraine is demonstrating that that the situation has not changed and that losses are even higher because of the more effective modern weapons. Now it is easier for NATO militaries to ask for expensive new weapons, like F-35 aircraft and replacing unguided rockets and shells with more expensive guided ones. As the Ukraine War has demonstrated, using more guided weapons wins battle more often and more quickly. While most Germans would prefer that the situation had revealed a need for more military spending and preparations for a war everyone hoped would never come, history reveals a less optimistic assessment. Throughout history, major wars have started when one side came to believe that they were better prepared than their potential opponent and could win a quick and inexpensive victory. It rarely, i.e. almost never, works out that way. The victims of such optimistic aggression turn out to be quite formidable themselves after the initial surprise. The problem is that these lessons, or reality checks, have a short shelf life. National leaders forget and eventually stumble into another war their wiser predecessors would have avoided. One thing Germany learned after a century of their own military catastrophes is that going to war is a bad thing, unless you have no choice because you were attacked. The Ministry of Railways on Monday clarified that New Delhi Railway Station will not be shutting down by the end of this year for redevelopment work, contrary to recent reports in some media outlets. The ministry said some trains may be diverted or regulated as necessary during redevelopment. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO) It is to announce that New Delhi Railway Station will never be shutdown, the minister said in a statement. It may be noted that when a railway station undergoes redevelopment, a few trains are diverted/regulated as per requirement. Information about such diversions/regulations of trains is notified well in advance, it added. The clarification comes after some media outlets reported that the New Delhi Railway Station was scheduled to close temporarily due to redevelopment as part of a renovation plan. The reports also claimed that the plan to move impacted trains to nearby railway stations, including Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi Cantt, and Sarai Rohilla, was already in place. Revamping railway stations Several colonial-era railway stations across the country are undergoing major transformations into city centres under the Union governments Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. This initiative aims to reshape the city-station relationship by developing or redeveloping 1,318 railway stations nationwide. Among these are stations in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), including New Delhi, Delhi Cantonment, Anand Vihar, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad. In September 2002, the ministry of railways posted photos of the proposed futuristic, dome-shaped, glass building - the redeveloped New Delhi Railway Station on X. As per the proposed plan, the station will have a 40-storey twin tower, multi-level car parking, and pick-up and drop zones. The built-up area will be about 2.22 lakh square metres. The twin tower will house offices, retail shops and will also have space for a hotel. The railways will get its own office - 45,000 square metres. 91 bus bays, 1,500 ECS parking, skywalks for pedestrians and metro passengers will be developed on site. Union home minister Amit Shah said on Monday that Congress was set to hurtle to yet another defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and added that Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge was set to lose his job after being blamed for the loss. Union Home Minister Amit Shah greets people during a public meeting for the Lok Sabha polls, in Kushinagar on Monday. (ANI) I have information that BJP is set to win 310 seats in five phases and the sixth phase is over too. With just one last phase remaining, your push will help us cross 400 seats on June 4 and the same day Rahul Baba and his people will hold press conferences blaming EVMs for their defeat. Why hold machines responsible for this as Rahul Baba your party wont even cross 40 seats while Akhilesh ji, at best, you wont even cross 4 seats, he said. The country has decided that Narendra Modi would be the prime minister yet again. He will be the PM again and again. And Kharge sahab, you must know that the brother and sister wont be blamed for the defeat. Rather, Kharge sahab will be blamed for the loss and will lose his job, Shah said while addressing a rally in Kushinagar. He also addressed two other rallies in Salempur and Chandauli, all due for polls in the seventh and final phase on June 1. This contest is among Narendra Modi, born in a most poor family and who is taking the country forward vs the two shehzade Rahul Baba (Congress leader Rahul Gandhi) and Akhilesh ji (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav) who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and dont know the problems poverty-stricken people of east UP face daily. Tell me can these two find a solution to the problems of east UP? he asked. HT interview: Well do exceptionally well in Bengal, Odisha, says Amit Shah On one side, there is Narendra Modi, who has been holding public officefirst as chief minister and now as prime ministerand in those 23 years, he hasnt even been accused of corruption amounting to 25 paise. On the other side, these shehzade are guilty of 12 lakh crore in corruption, he said. These shehzade dont find the countrys weather conducive. That is why Rahul Baba leaves for Bangkok, Thailand every six months and takes leave. The heat of Purvanchal is unbearable for them. On the other hand, there is Narendra Modi, who hasnt taken a single leave in these 23 years that he has been in office and has spent Diwali sharing sweets with our soldiers. The people of Purvanchal must decide between the two, he said. Shah slams previous governments for sugar mills closure Today I want to ask Behen Mayawati ji and Akhilesh why Kushinagar, once famous as the sugar bowl, saw five to six sugar mills close during their tenure. Under Yogi Adityanaths government 20 sugar mills were revived. Between 1995 to 2017 the SP-BSP governments cleared sugarcane dues of only 23,000 crore while between 2017 to 2024, the Yogi Adityanath government cleared dues of a whopping 2 lakh fifty thousand crore. Before Modi ji introduced ethanol policy, Uttar Pradesh produced 42 crore liters of ethanol and after policy introduction the production has gone up to 156 crore liters. SAHARA ISSUE Now Akhilesh Babu is talking about the issue of the Sahara Refund Portal. People of Kushinagar, tell me, during whose tenure did the 85,000 crore Sahara scam happen? Who allowed people to be looted? Shah asked. Read Here: Amit Shah makes big promise on Uniform Civil Code, One Nation, One Election Akhilesh Babu, you allowed the Sahara loot to happen, while Narendra Modi has started the process of refund. I am telling all Sahara investors that the refund process for all three cooperatives has begun, and there are three private limited companies whose cases are in the Supreme Court. We will ensure that all 3.5 crore investors get back every penny of the 85,000 crore they invested. This is our guarantee, he said to applause. Till such a time there is Narendra Modi ji, no one can dare touch OBC reservation and till there is even one BJP MP, religious reservation wont be allowed, he said. INDIA bloc will put Babri lock on Ram Mandir Its Modi-Modi everywhere, but if the opposition wins, they would restore Article 370 in the first year itself, bring back the practice of triple talaq in the second year, lift the ban on PFI in the third year, start talks with terrorists in the fourth year, and in the fifth year, they would put a Babri lock on the Ram Mandir. Should they be allowed to come to power? Dont forget, it was the SP government that ordered firing on Ram sevaks. This election is between those who ordered firing on kar sevaks and those who built the Ram Mandir, he said, then asked if people wanted such parties in power who have promised PM by rotation. Shah also said that BJP was committed to reclaiming the Pak-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and also praised UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath for restoring law and order in UP. In 2017 you helped form a BJP government, the BJP made Yogi Adityanath the chief minister and Yogi ji ensured that criminals were hung upside down to bring the law and order on track. We have now moved from one district one mafia policy of opposition to ODOP policy that also provides for employment, he said. In Salempur, the union home minister said that the BJP government had prepared a 270 crore plan for a permanent solution to the menace of flooding and the consequent kataan (land erosion) due to persistent floods that disrupt life in the region. The Meghalaya government is fully prepared to ensure the safety of its citizens in the wake of heavy rainfall and strong winds due to Cyclone Remal, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said on Monday. Heavy winds and rains caused by Cyclone Remal along the coastal areas in West Bengals South 24 Parganas on Monday. (AP) After chairing a review meeting, Tynsong, who also holds the states home portfolio, also urged the citizens not to panic and said that the government has instructed all district collectors (DCs) not to sleep but to work 24x7 during the ongoing cyclone. We are fully prepared, be it financially or be it physically, be it whatever situation arises, we are ready. We have instructed all the agencies, be it government, be it NGOs, be it stakeholders up to the village level that they should cooperate and also work closely with the government machinery, which is already linked up to village level, he told journlaists. He added, The prediction says that this cyclone will go on till tomorrow (Tuesday)We have specifically instructed all DCs (district collectors) not to sleep but to work 24x7 during the ongoing cyclone. In a few districts, we may be vulnerable, and we have instructed the district administrations to be more vigilant and also to be in active mode, he said. Also Read | Cyclone Remal makes landfall; 1 lakh people shifted to shelters in Bengal According to him, East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, East Khasi Hills, Eastern West Khasi Hills are most likely to be vulnerable. Asked whether the government will direct the closure of schools, he said, We have discussed this issue. We leave it to the wisdom of the district administrations in consultation with the sub-divisional school education officers (SDSEOs) to take necessary decisions on this issue. The state government does not have to say anything on this, but the advisory note given to the district administration is to take necessary steps or take a decision on the ground as and when you feel it is necessary. On the problem of flooding due to absence of proper drainage, Tynsong said, We need a joint effort, be it urban affairs, Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) as well as public works department (PWD) roads, we are consulting, and we will take necessary actions. Meanwhile, all districts have declared closure of schools on May 28 to alleviate students from any untoward incidents. An FIR has been lodged against the son of former MP Kapil Muni Karwariya and his unidentified associates for allegedly threatening a Hindi Journalist at Mahewaghat police station of Kaushambi on Saturday night. An FIR has been registered for issuing threats with criminal intent and further investigations were being carried out in this connection. (FOR REPRESENTATION) The media person claimed that threats were issued to him as he published an article in his newspaper exposing illegal mining activities in Kaushambi. An FIR has been registered for issuing threats with criminal intent and further investigations were being carried out in this connection, police said. In his complaint given to police, the resident of Nigha village of Mahewaghat area Shivsagar Singh said that he works in a Gwalior based Hindi newspaper. His article on illegal mining in Kaushambi was published on May 15 and May 22 and he also made some videos of illegal mining. Enraged over exposing the illegal mining activities, jailed former MP Kapil Muni Karwariya who runs the ghat, issued threats to him through his son and his unidentified aides. The accused approached Shivsagars father twice and warned of serious consequences. He said that Kapilmuni Karwaria has been convicted in a murder case and may pose threat to him and his family. Station house officer (SHO) of Mahewaghat police station Chandrabhushan Maurya said an FIR has been registered and further investigations were being carried out in this connection. It is worth mentioning that former MP Kapilmuni Karwaria, his brother former MLA Udaybhan Karwaria and former MLC Surajbhan Karwaria were sentenced life imprisonment by MP MLA court in connection with murder of Samajwadi Party MLA Jawahar Yadav aka Jawahar Pandit in 1996. The special branch of Mizoram Polices criminal investigation department (CID) arrested a Myanmar national along with 3.4 kilograms of suspected heroin, officials said. Police said that the drug peddler was carrying the heroin inside secret chambers of the vehicle. (Representative file photo) Officials said that they launched an operation on Sunday evening acting on a tip off and seized the drugs from a two-wheeler at Aizawl district. The arrested person has been identified as CT Liana (25), a resident of Myanmars Tahan area. Also Read: Ferozepur: Four drug peddlers held, 4kg heroin seized The documents we recovered suggest that he is a Myanmar resident, and it is believed that the narcotics were transported from the neighbouring country as well, officials said. Police said that the drug peddler was carrying the heroin inside secret chambers of the vehicle. We recovered 311 soap cases containing suspected heroin and experts are examining it, they said. According to senior officials of Mizoram police, they have recovered a large quantity of narcotics including heroin, Yaba tablets and others in the state. A senior police officer said that there is a large international racket, and they take local residents assistance for transporting the consignments mostly. The TRP Gaming Zone in Gujarats Rajkot, where 27 people were killed in a massive blaze on Saturday, did not have the required fire safety clearance from the citys municipal corporation at the time of the incident and the facilitys owner and the manager have been arrested under various charges including culpable homicide, police said on Sunday. Firefighters searching for victims amidst the debris following a fire in the TRP Gaming Zone in Gujarats Rajkot on Sunday. (REUTERS) Also Read: What Rajkot fire disaster tells us Rajkot commissioner of police (CP) Raju Bhargav said a complaint has been registered at the Rajkot Taluka Police Station against six accused individuals, including Yuvraj Singh Solanki, the owner of the gaming zone, and his manager, Nitin Jain. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under the leadership of Joint CP Vidhi Chowdhary to probe the incident thoroughly and a hunt is on for nabbing the other four accused, said the CP. According to police, the gaming facility had been granted a booking license in November 2023 and subsequently renewed to operate from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. While the gaming zone owners had submitted bills to the police for fire safety equipment and claimed to have installed such equipment on the premises, the measures taken were inadequate and ineffective in controlling the situationTh process for obtaining the necessary Fire NOC (No Objection Certificate) was underway but had not been completed when the tragic incident took place, Bhargav told media persons in Rajkot on Sunday afternoon. The TRP Gaming Zone witnessed an overwhelming influx of visitors due to a tempting discount scheme, where the entry fee was slashed from 500 to just 99, aimed at attracting more people during the holiday and weekend period. At least 40 persons were rescued from the site, according to Bhargav. The process of DNA matching for the 27 recovered bodies is currently underway at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar. The deceased included four children. In an attempt to circumvent municipal approvals, the gaming zone was established in a shed structure, and a three-storey facility was subsequently set up. The fire is likely to have started from a welding spark on a ladder. With only one available staircase, visitors on the second and third floors found themselves trapped, leading to a higher number of casualties, said a person aware of the matter. There was stock of highly inflammable materials such as fuel and tyres, fiber glass shades, thermocol sheet partitions; some of these were for go-carting and all these created an extremely combustible environment, according to people familiar with the matter. Police said a first information report (FIR) has been registered against the six accused individuals under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 114 (abettor present when offense is committed) of the Indian Penal Code. Meanwhile, the Gujarat High Court on Sunday took suo motu cognizance of the incident based on newspaper reports. Expressing shock over the loss of innocent lives, a division bench comprising justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan M Desai ordered the Registry to register a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) in the matter. The court observed that prima facie, it looked like a man-made disaster, where many lives have been lost. The court has directed the panel advocates of the Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, and Rajkot Municipal Corporations as well as the additional advocate general of the State of Gujarat to appear before it on Monday with instructions on the provisions of law under which these gaming zones and recreational facilities were allowed to be set up and operated. The court questioned whether the necessary licenses, including compliance with fire safety regulations, were undertaken by these gaming zones within the territorial jurisdiction of these corporations. The court observed, Prima-facie, a man-made disaster has occurred where many lives have been lost and families have grieved today for the loss of lives in their respective families. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced ex-gratia of 2 lakh from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given 50,000. The Gujarat government on Saturday had announced ex-gratia of 4 lakh for the families of the deceased. Gopal Mohan Shukla, a librarian at the Government Public Library, Prayagraj, has been invited to participate as the sole library expert from India in a meeting of experts on Disaster Risk Management for memory institutions such as libraries, museums, and archives in Asia and the Pacific being hosted by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The event will take place between June 5 and June 7, in Bangkok, Thailand. Gopal Mohan Shukla (HT) International experts will assemble at this meeting to discuss Disaster Risk Management (DRM) toolkits and their global implementation. This invitation marks Shuklas fifth international professional visit, following previous engagements in Australia, Singapore, China, and Nepal. Earlier this year, GM Shukla had demonstrated his expertise by chairing a technical session at a seminar on disaster management, jointly organised by the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, and the Indian Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi. Additionally, he had participated in a national seminar on disaster management organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in New Delhi. Shukla emphasises the critical lack of disaster management plans in most Indian libraries. The New Delhi conference underscored the necessity and importance of disaster management in libraries, he said. A suspected dacoit, who was involved in various extortion cases in Assams Cachar district, has been killed in a police encounter in Hailakandi district in the early hours of Monday, officials said. Police said they chased the dacoit for many kilometres before catching him. (Representative Image) Police said they chased the dacoit for many kilometres before catching him. The notorious dacoit Afzal Hussain Barbhuiya along with his companion, was running away but we managed to catch them near Kalibari road Hailakandi, officials said. According to them, Barbhuiya attacked the police and snatched a service revolver. We warned him several times, but he attempted to use the gun on officials, when we used bullets, officials said. Barbhuiya fell on the ground after receiving a bullet near his throat and the police nabbed his companion. He was taken to Hailakandi Civil Hospital, but the doctors said that he succumbed during treatment, said an official. Cachar superintendent of police (SP), along with a team of police, later reached the spot and they said that further investigation is going on. An official from the Cachar Police said that there were multiple complaints against Barbhuiya, and he was one of the most wanted criminals in the district. He was allegedly involved in multiple extortions and dacoities in Cachar district, but he managed to escape every time, the official said. Last week, two students along with their parents were looted at gunpoint near Assam-Meghalaya border and police arrested three suspected dacoits in that case. However, three others managed to flee the spot and police suspect that Barbhuiya was involved in it. According to police officials familiar with the matter, Barbhuiya used to hide in Hailakandi district after extortion or dacoities. We investigated his activities and followed him for many days. Now, with the arrest of his companion, well get more information, police said. A 22-year-old final-year undergraduate student of B. N. College in Patna was beaten to death by masked miscreants on Patna Law College premises on Monday, police said. The spot Patna Law College campus where the student was killed. (Santosh Kumar/HT) The incident occurred around 1 pm when the student, identified as Harsh Raj, a resident of Vaishali district, came out of the examination hall at Patna Law College after appearing in his final-year exams. He was immediately rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where he died during treatment. Soon after the incident, a police team led by additional superintendent of police (ASP) of Patna City, Dasrath R S, visited the spot. Harsh Raj was killed after 7-8 criminals brutally assaulted him. He was soon taken to the hospital but he died there. We are scanning the CCTV footage of the crime and other evidences are being collected. Efforts are on to trace the assailants, he said. The deceaseds father, Ajit Kumar, a journalist working for a Hindi daily, told reporters that Harsh had been tensed since he started preparing for the upcoming student union elections in the university which he was contesting for the post of president. There is no police picket in the campus. All examinations of Patna University scheduled on May 28 have been cancelled and all colleges would remain closed on Tuesday, a university notification issued in the evening said. PATNA: A 22-year-old undergraduate student who had been planning to contest the upcoming students union elections was beaten to death by 7-8 masked men on the Patna Law College premises on Monday. Harsh Raj was taken to the Patna Medical College and Hospital where he died during treatment (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Police said the incident took place at about 1pm when Harsh Raj, a final year student of BN College, stepped out of the examination hall at the Patna Law College. Harsh Raj was killed by 7-8 criminals who brutally assaulted him We are scanning the CCTV footage of the crime and other evidences are being collected. Efforts are on to trace the assailants, Dasrath RS, additional superintendent of police of Patna City, said. Harsh Raj was taken to the Patna Medical College and Hospital where he died during treatment The deceaseds father, Ajit Kumar, a journalist working for a Hindi daily, told reporters that Harsh had been tense after he started preparing for the upcoming students union elections at Patna University. He was planning to contest for the post of the unions president. May 27, 2024: The current unrest throughout the Middle East over Hamas violence, renewed Palestinian calls for the destruction of Israel, and replacement of Arab dictatorships and sham democracies with true democracies. An unending problem in the Middle East is that the only functioning democracy in the region is Israel. At the same time Israelis are frequently blamed for any problems that occur. The hostility to democracy in the Middle East has long been noted. For example, Britain and France did not intend to establish democracies in the Near East after WWI when the collapse of the Ottoman Empire left Europeans, rather than Turks, in charge of the region. The unexpected Hamas offensive against Israel in October 2023 set off a chain of events that has made the situation worse. At the same time this unrest has once more made it clear that the Palestinians are the ones who created their problems. The Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. This started a century ago after World War I when the victorious allies had defeated Germany and its Turkish ally. Part of the post-war plan was to reorganize Palestine, the Levant (Syria and Lebanon) as British and French-controlled monarchies. That did not work and Arab nationalists in what is now Israel attacked Jewish settlers from Europe who were seeking to establish a Jewish state in the area. This movement was proposed in the 1890s but was not acted on until 1920, after World War I, with nominal British approval in the Balfour declaration. This led to increasing violence by local Arabs against Jews. Then came World War II and the German effort to kill all the Jews in Europe. Six million Jews, and six million other Europeans the Germans considered unworthy, were killed during the war. This led many of the surviving Jews to declare Never Again, and the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. This coincided with British forces leaving the region, where the Jews living there promptly proclaimed the State of Israel. This triggered violence from the surrounding Arab states, who urged Arabs to flee Israel. At the same time the Israelis urged the Arabs among them to stay. Many did, and currently 20 percent of the Israeli population is Arab, most of them Moslem. The Israelis defeated forces from Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria who sought to destroy Israel and failed. That was followed by Arab Israeli wars in 1957, 1967, and 1973. Israel won every time and that led Egypt and Jordan to make peace with Israel, an arrangement that has persisted to the present. The Palestinians refused to settle and that refusal has persisted to the present. This intransigence first occurred in 1949 when Israel offered to allow 300,000 Palestinians to return. As part of that deal the United States agreed to pay for the construction of homes for 200,000 people in Jordan and another 60,000 in Sinai and the east bank of the Suez Canal. Arab and Palestinian leaders ordered their followers to ignore these offers and continued blaming Israel for the dire situation of Palestinian refugees. Palestinian radicals, Hamas being one of those groups, insists that Israel be destroyed and replaced by a Palestinian State. These Palestinians ignore the fact that Israel has the strongest military in the region, nuclear weapons, their own ballistic missiles to deliver nuclear warheads and the wealthiest, most advanced economy in the region. Despite that, Palestinian radicals continue to promote attacks on Israel. Radicals in other Arab states sympathize with the Palestinians but do little more than demonstrate against Israel in their own countries, and often get arrested. The Arab governments see Israel as a lucrative economic partner and in some cases a useful partner in counter-terrorism operations. Anti-Israel groups throughout the Arab world are often troublesome for the local Arab governments. Israel shares information about Islamic terrorists with Middle Eastern Arab states and earns a degree of cooperation from these governments. In the streets it is a different story, with radicals calling for attacks on Israel as well as local governments that are not willing to make war on Israel. Notwithstanding her winning the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, Payal Kapadias troubles back home persist as she has another date with Pune Court on June 26 due to previous Police action against Kapadia and 34 others for protests in 2015 to oppose actor-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhans appointment as the president of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Director Payal Kapadia, Grand Prix award winner for the film "All We Imagine as Light", poses during the closing ceremony. (HT PHOTO) However, the former FTII student is unlikely to attend the hearing since the Sessions Court in Pune, where the case is being heard, has exempted all 35 students from recording physical presence in the courtroom. Also read: PM Narendra Modi congratulates Payal Kapadia on Cannes win: 'Inspires a new generation of filmmakers' Payal, a former film direction student at FTII from 2015 to 2018, on Saturday, became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award for her directorial debut feature All We Imagine As Light. However, her path to glory hasnt been that smooth. She was among many students who staged one of the longest protests in FTIIs history by boycotting classes and all other academic activities for 139 days. On August 17, 2015, tempers ran high at FTIIs Law College Road campus as the protestors allegedly gheraoed and confined the institutes then-director Prashant Pathrabe in his office. The Deccan police later booked 35 students including Payal with prosecution subsequently filing a charge sheet in the case on March 14, 2015. In the chargesheet, she was listed as accused number 25. Apart from the wrongful confinement of the director, students were also charged with rioting. Five of the 35 students were even arrested. Eventually, the students returned to academics as the government did not concede their demands while Chouhan completed his term. For over nine years, the case has dragged on at Sessions Court in Pune with students seeking their discharge from the case. We want to file a discharge application as police have taken random names of students and booked them. As the prosecution is relying on a Digital Video Disc (DVD) having video footage of the incident, we have asked them to share a copy of that DVD, said Chinmay Inamdar, an advocate representing all the 35 students. In 2022, Inamdar filed an application at Sessions Court seeking a copy of the DVD from the prosecution. The Police have not shared with us the video footage or the copy of the DVD they claim to have, he said. All through the nine years, FTII alumni who were part of the protest and charged in the case faced some problems. The case has still not come to the trial stage while some of us have faced problems such as getting a Passport. In some cases, even scholarships of students were also suspended, said Ameya Gore, who was one of those at the forefront of the protests and was even arrested in the case. In Payals case, FTII, which had suspended her scholarship, later supported her by bearing travel expenses as she travelled to Cannes for the screening of her film Afternoon Clouds in 2017. After Payal won the latest laurels at Cannes, FTII on Sunday congratulated her with a message: It is a moment of pride for FTII as its Alumni create history at CannesWe congratulate Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix Award, Santosh Sivan for receiving the Pierre Angenieux Tribute Award, Maisam Ali for his debut at ACID & Chidanand S Naik for winning La Cinef. Their achievements are taking Indian Cinema to greater heights. The governments publicity arm Press Information Bureau (PIB) in its release on Sunday listed put support Payal received. Payals film was granted official Indo-French co-production status by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, under the signed Audio-Visual treaty between India and France. Permission for shooting the film was also granted by the Ministry in Maharashtra (Ratnagiri and Mumbai). The film received Interim approval for 30% of the qualifying co-production expenditure under the Incentives Scheme of the Government of India for Official Co-production, the PIB release stated. The Pune police are probing the role of a lawmaker from the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party for allegedly using his clout to alter the investigation into the deaths of two techies who were hit by a speeding Porsche driven by the underage son of a prominent Pune builder on May 19. Pune police are probing the role of NCP MLA Sunil Tingre for allegedly using his clout to alter the investigation in Porsche accident case. (HT) On Monday, the police arrested Drs Ajay Taware, head of the forensic department of the citys largest public hospital, Sassoon General Hospital, and Shrihari Halnor, the casualty medical officer, for manipulating the blood sample of the juvenile which would have ascertained whether he was drunk while driving the car. Its the polices case that the two senior doctors replaced the minors blood sample with that of another person who had not imbibed any alcohol, and which resulted in a negative result for the minor even though there is CCTV footage to show that he had indeed drank alcohol at two separate restaurants. It has now emerged that Sunil Tingre, the NCP (Ajit Pawar) MLA from Wadgaon Sheri, had been in touch with the doctors at Sassoon. He was also one of the first people to have reached the police station, at 4 am on the day of the accident. Tingre had later told media that the minors father was his ex-employer and because he was a resident of the area he represented, he had gone to check if the probe was being properly conducted. I have known the builder (juveniles father) as he was my employer after I passed out from engineering college However, at no point have I tried to influence the probe. Pune Porsche accident: Two doctors arrested for drink-drive cover-up A senior police officer close to the investigation said on Monday, We have come across call records and WhatsApp messages to the doctors and that is being probed. When specifically asked whether the lawmaker had contacted the Sassoon doctors in the course of the investigation, Pune commissioner of police Amitesh Kumar said, Prima facie it seems that the minors father was in contact with doctors in Sassoon. We are still investigation who else is behind the change in the blood sample reports of the minor. He added the police was in the process of examining the CCTV footage from different locations concerning certain people who were under suspicion. Dr Tawares association with Tingre goes back a few years. In April 2022, Dr Taware, former medical superintendent of Sassoon General Hospital and head of the forensic medicine department at BJ Medical College (BJMC) had been asked by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) to step down from his post following alleged malpractices in the kidney transplant procedure. The regional organ transplant authorisation committee was also temporarily suspended after the DMER investigation. But on December 29, 2023, Dr Taware was again appointed as the medical superintendent of Sassoon after Sunil Tingre write a letter to medical education minister Hasan Mushrif, also from the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, recommending Dr Tawares reinstatement. A copy of this letter has been seen and verified by HT. In his letter, dated December 26, 2023, to Hasan Mushrif, Tingre writes: Dr Ajay Taware, known to me, is a professor and head of the forensic medicine department. He has handled the post of medical Superintendent and performed commendable duties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, I request that appropriate action be taken at your level to appoint him as the medical superintendent of Sassoon Hospital. Three days later, Dr Taware was reinstated. Porsche crash cover-up: How Pune police caught blood sample foul play by teen's father In April this year, however, the DMER once again removed Dr Taware from his position as medical superintendent after a 30-year-old man undergoing treatment at Sassoons Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for a fall, was bitten by a rat in the hospital which aggravated his condition. In the latest incident, Dr Halnor who was working as CMO at the hospital took the blood samples of the minor and as per the police, the blood samples were changed by Dr Halnor on the directions of Dr Taware, said Hasan Mushrif, speaking to HT on the phone. This is a serious issue and we will take strict action in this matter. Despite repeated efforts to reach him through calls and messages, Sunil Tingre remained unavailable for comment. His leader, Ajit Pawar, told the media in Mumbai that no one should impede investigations and that he himself had called the Pune commissioner to ask him to not buckle under any pressure. RANCHI: A bar employee in Jharkhand capital Ranchi was shot dead by a customer past Sunday midnight after bouncers evicted him and his friends over an argument with other customers on the dance floor. Police said the suspect has been identified and is on the run. DSP Pramod Mishra said the suspect has been identified and efforts are on to arrest him. (Videograb) A police officer said the staffer who lost his life, worked as the bars DJ, or disc jockey, and was on the premises of Xtreme Bar and Grill in Ranchi when it was closing. He has been identified as Sandeep Pramanik alias Sandy, a resident of West Bengal. The cold-blooded murder, captured on the CCTV camera, took place at about 1:19am. In one CCTV video clip that emerged on Monday, a man holding a telescopic rifle is seen walking up to Pramanik and shooting him in the chest. Pramanik, who appeared to be stunned, took a few steps before collapsing while the assailant walked away. Police said the assailant was aware of the presence of CCTV cameras on the premises and appeared to have used his T-shirt to cover his face. HT cannot verify the authenticity of the video clips. The CCTV cameras outside recorded him getting out of his car with the rifle, which helped identify him. Vishal Singh, who runs the bar, said there was a scuffle between two groups on the dance floor at about 10:30pm on Sunday. We threw out a group of men and informed the police, he told news agency ANI. One person was also taken into custody by the police. Hatia deputy superintendent of police Pramod Mishra said they had been able to identify the accused who killed the bar employee. He has a previous criminal record and was arrested in the past in an extortion case, Mishra said. The police officer added that the suspect was originally from Chhapra in Bihar but had businesses in Ranchi. Vishal Singh said the suspect fired about 4-5 more shots after killing Sandeep Pramanik. . Maharashtra SSC Result 2024: The Maharashtra board SSC or Class 10 exam results has been announced. The MSBSHSE has announced the results at the press conference in which it declared the result along with pass percentage, gender-wise result, division-wise result and other important details. Students can check their marks online using mother's first name and roll number. Maharashtra SSC result 2024 live updates. Maharashtra SSC 10th result 2024: Websites to check marks(Santosh Kumar/For representation) Maharashtra SSC result will be shared on these official websites - mahresult.nic.in sscresult.mkcl.org and sscresult.mahahsscboard.in In addition to these, students can also use the DigiLocker to check SSC results. They can login to results.digilocker.gov.in and check the Class 10 final exam marks. How to check Maharashtra SSC result 2024 Go to mahresult.nic.in Open the SSC result page. Provide the login information. Check your marks. The Maharashtra SSC exam was held from March 1 to 15. Over 15 lakh students took the test this year. After the result is announced, students can apply for verification of marks, photocopy of answer sheets and re-evaluation of results on mh-ssc.ac.in. from May 28 to June 11. The application process for the improvement examination will begin on March 31 and a circular in this regared will be issued separately, the board said. The Board of Secondary Education Manipur has declared Manipur Class 10th Result 2024 on May 27, 2024. The BSEM HSLC results can be checked by all candidates who have appeared for Class 10 board examination through the official website of Manipur Result at manresults.nic.in. The official website of BSEM is bsem.nic.in. Manipur 10th Result 2024 Live Updates Manipur Class 10th Result 2024 declared, check pass percentage & toppers here This year the overall pass percentage is 93.03%. The boys pass percentage is 93.07% and girls pass percentage is 93.00%. Thoubal district has the highest pass percentage of 99.04% and Jiribam district has the lowest pass percentage of 50.74%. The pass percentage of government schools is 84.34%, private schools is 95.93% and aided schools is 92.745%. This year, the Manipur Board conducted the class 10 exams from March 15 to April 8, which were held in the morning shift from 10 am to 1 pm, in pen-paper mode for a total of 37,715 students, including 19,087 boys and 18,628 girls. Candidates will need their roll number and roll code to check the results online. All the candidates appeared in HSLC examination can follow the steps given below to check the scores. Manipur Class 10th Result 2024: How to check Visit the official website of Manipur Result at manresults.nic.in. Click on Manipur HSLC Result 2024 link available on the home page. Enter the login details and click on submit. Your result will be displayed on the screen. Check the result and download the page. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. In 2023, the Class 10 results was announced on June 25. For more related details candidates can check the official website of BSEM. The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education, RBSE, is expected to release the 10th Board Results 2024 soon. When released, students who took the examinations can check their results on the official website at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in. RBSE Class 10 results 2024: Check the 5 quick steps to check Rajasthan Board 10th scores when released. (HT File Image) Now, even as anticipation grows on the result date and time, it is advisable to know the steps to check the scores beforehand to avoid any confusion or delays on the day the results are declared. Also read: Maharashtra SSC Result 2024 declared, here's how to check MSBSHSE 10th results In this article, we will look at the steps to check the results on the official website. Heres how to check the RBSE 10th Results 2024 in 5 quick steps: 1. Visit the official website of RBSE at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in. 2. Click on the Rajasthan Board 10th Result 2024 link available on the homepage. 3. Enter the login details as asked and click on submit. 4. Check the results and download the page. 5. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. Also read: Manipur HSLC Result 2024: BSEM Class 10th results declared, direct link & how to check here It may be mentioned here that the results are expected to be declared at a press conference to be held by RBSE officials. Other details such as pass percentage, toppers list, and gender-wise performance, have also been shared for Class 10 during the press conference. The RBSE Class 10, or Madhyamik CWSN examination, was conducted from March 7 to March 27, 2024, in a single shift- from 8.30 am to 12.45 pm. In 2023, the Rajasthan Board declared the Class 10 results on June 2. Also read: Cambridge India holds largest ever March series exams, results out for over 15,000 students Meanwhile, the RBSE has already declared the Class 12 results for all three streams (Arts, Science, and Commerce) on May 20, 2024. The pass percentage in the Arts stream has been recorded at 96.88 %, whereas 97.73% has been registered in the Science stream. In Commerce, the pass percentage has been recorded at 98.95%. The Odisha Staff Selection Commission, OSSC, today released exam calendar for multiple recruitment exams set to be conducted over the next three months, that is, June, July, and August 2024. OSSC Recruitment calendar 2024 out for June to August. Download schedule here To know about the exam schedule, registered candidates can check and download the complete schedule from the official website at ossc.gov.in. Also read: TNPSC Group 4 hall tickets 2024 released on official website tnpsc.gov.in, steps to download and details here As per the schedule, following are the recruitment exams being held over the three months: JUNE: Combined Technical Service Recruitment Examination, 2023 Except JE (Civil) & JE (Mechanical) Combined Recruitment Examination for Junior Stenographer, Junior Grade Typist, Junior Typist, Junior Clerk-cum-Typist, Typist-Cum- Copyist and Data Entry Operator-2023 Vital Statistics Assistant under the Directorate of Health Intelligence & Vital Statistics, Odisha Combined Graduate Level Recruitment Examination, 2023 Vital Statistics Assistant under the Directorate of Health Intelligence & Vital Statistics, Odisha Combined Recruitment Examination for Junior Stenographer, Junior Grade Typist, Junior Typist, Junior Cleric-cum-Typist, Typist-Cum-Copyist and Data Entry Operator- 2023 Also read: RBSE Class 10 results 2024: 5 quick steps to check Rajasthan Board 10th scores when released, details here JULY: Assistant Training Officer under DTET, 2024 Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) or Equivalent Recruitment Examination for Specialist hosts, 2024. System Assistant under Odisha Information Commission, 2024. AUGUST: Combined Technical Service Recruitment Examination, 2023 For JE (Civil) & JE (Mechanical) Combined Graduate Level Recruitment Examination for Specialist Posts, 2023 Combined Graduate Level Recruitment Examination, 2023 Combined Technical Service Recruitment Examination, 2023 (Junior Mining Officer, Junior MVI & Tracer). Also read: Cambridge India holds largest ever March series exams, results out for over 15,000 students How to download OSSC Recruitment schedule: Go to the official website of OSSC at ossc.gov.in. Click on the exam calendar link for June, July, and August exams on the home page. Open the exam schedule PDF. Download the exam schedule PDF and keep a printout for future reference. Check the full exam schedule here: Actor Deepika Padukone sold a yellow gown she wore to a recent event held for her beauty brand 82E for 34,000. The proceeds will be donated to charity. A few hours ago, Deepika took to her Instagram to announce that she was selling the gown, announcing again in a few minutes that it had been sold out. (Also Read: Pregnant Deepika Padukone makes first public appearance after recent trolling, stuns in flowy yellow dress. See pics) Deepika Padukone wore this yellow gown to a recent event. Deepika sells yellow gown Deepika shared pictures of her in the yellow gown in a reel, writing, Fresh Off The Rack! Whos getting their hands on this one!? As always, proceeds support @tlllfoundation initiatives. Visit www.thelivelovelaughfoundation.org/find-help/helplines for a list of verified helpline resources. The gown was put up for sale just 72 hours after her appearance as part of the Fresh off the Rack initiative for charity. Deepika Padukone shared that her gown was sold out. She shared the reel to her Instagram stories, sharing a link to her closet which shows the price of the dress. Within a few minutes, the designer empire dress described as empire cut cotton midi with a dramatic flare was sold out for 34,000. A few minutes later, she shared a picture with sold out written on it, tagging the recipient of the gown. Her team claims the gown was sold within 20 minutes. Recently, Deepika shared a reel from the event in the yellow dress, writing she was in a sunshine state of mine. Ranveer Singh shuts down trolls Not just fans, even Ranveer Singh was so taken by how stunning Deepika looked in the dress that he shut down trolls commenting on her recent appearances. He took to his Instagram stories on the day of the event to share her pictures. My Sunshine! (yellow heart emoticon) gushed Ranveer in the first picture of Deepika where she smiled as she flaunted a flowy yellow dress. In the next picture of Deepika, Ranveer captioned, Uff! Kya Karu Main? Marr jaun? (What shall I do? Die?) In the last picture, Ranveer wrote, Buri nazar wale, tera moonh kala (The one with evil eyes, may your face be black)!" Pune, Amid the outpouring of congratulatory messages for Payal Kapadia, who won the second highest honour at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, a message from her alma mater FTII lauding her has garnered much attention. At the gala, which concluded on Saturday, Kapadia charted history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award for "All We Imagine as Light". Payal Kapadia, who was warpath with FTII, earns praise from her alma mater for Cannes win On Sunday, the Film and Television Institute of India in a post on X said it is a moment of pride for the FTII as its alumni create history at Cannes and congratulated Kapadia for the award. Back in 2015, Kapadia was on the warpath with the Film and Television Institute of India . She had led a student protest against the appointment of actor-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhan, best known for his portrayal of Yudhisthir in the mega TV serial "Mahabharat", as the chairman of the Pune-based premier institute. According to the protesting students, Chauhan did not match the vision and stature of past chairmen of the FTII governing council, and his appointment appeared politically coloured. During the 139-day strike, the students also allegedly gheraoed and confined the then FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe in his office over some academic issues. This had led to the police entering the campus and arresting some of the protesters. Later, 35 students, including Kapadia, were booked under Indian Penal Code sections, including 143, 147, 149, 323, 353 and 506, dealing with offences, some of them non-bailable, related to unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and rioting. The chargesheet in the case was filed in 2016. The defence lawyer, representing the students, said the next court hearing is scheduled for June 26. It is a moment of pride for FTII as its Alumni create history at Cannes. As we witness a phenomenal year for Indian Cinema at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, FTII cherishes the glorious achievements of its Alumni at this Mega International Stage of Cinema, the institute said in a post on X. We congratulate Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix Award, Santosh Sivan for receiving the Pierre AngAnieux Tribute Award, Maisam Ali for his debut at ACID & Chidanand S Naik for winning La Cinef. Their achievements are taking Indian Cinema to greater heights, the post added. Oscar-winning Indian sound designer Resul Pookutty in a post on social media said the mainstream Indian film industry has nothing to do with this glory and they only looked at us as outcasts. The only reason they won is also not because we had inspiring teachers, there were some but not all, he said. He said, Payal comes back from Cannes and next month, will have to go for her court case hearing that FTII lodged against her for striking against the appointment of Mr.Chouhan as the Chairman! Interesting isn't it?! Ameya Gore, one of the 35 students who were booked in the case, said that after the incident, majority of the students faced issues with scholarships and obtaining passports. The case is still ongoing in the Sessions Court, but there has been no progress from the prosecution's side. The trial has not started yet. Hearings are generally scheduled every two to three months, but nothing happens because nobody from the prosecution shows up, Gore said. Advocate Chinmay Inamdar, who is defending the students, said the prosecution has filed the chargesheet but not submitted the video file in the form of CD/DVD or pen drive of the incident of the director being gheraoed in 2015. We have moved an application before the court to get a copy so that we can file a discharge application for the students and the matter is pending for this. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on June 26, he said. It was a triple feat for Indian talent at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with Kapadia's "All We Imagine As Light", "Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know" by FTII student Chidananda S Naik, and Anasuya Sengupta of "The Shameless" fame winning major awards in each of the three competitive sections at Cannes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is "proud" of Kapadia for her historic feat. "An alumnus of FTII, her remarkable talent continues to shine on the global stage, giving a glimpse of the rich creativity in India. This prestigious accolade not only honours her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers," he said in a post on X. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Priyanka Chopra seems to be inspired by Alan Rickman's advice for young and aspiring actors who want to take up acting as a profession. Priyanka shared a snippet of an old interview of the late actor, in which he shared his opinion on acting, on her Instagram Stories on Monday. Take a look. (Also read: 'Unacceptable': Priyanka Chopras fans come to her defence after British TV host calls her Chianca Chop Free) Priyanka Chopra shared a video where Alan Rickman talked about acting. What Alan Rickman shared In the video, which was from a fan page on Instagram, Alan said, Whenever young actors now say to me, what advice do you give me? You know, I'm thinking about training. I want to be an actor, whatever. I say, 'Forget about acting.' And I really mean it at that point in time because whatever you do as an actor is cumulative. It's about what I say. Go to art galleries, listen to music, know what's happening on the news in the world and form opinions. Develop your taste and judgment so that when a quality piece of writing is put in front of you, your imagination, which you've nurtured, has something to bounce off of. Priyanka via Instagram Stories. About Alan Rickman Alan Rickman was among the most loved actors of his generation, having gained widespread attention for his portrayal of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series. His other works include Truly Madly Deeply, Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually, and Alice in Wonderland. He died of pancreatic cancer in 2016. Priyanka will soon star in Ilya Naishullers Heads of State with Idris Elba and John Cena. She wrapped up the shoot for the film earlier this month. Priyanka also became an executive producer for the Oscar-nominated documentary To Kill A Tiger. She also stars in The Bluff, which will be directed by Frank E Flowers. It will also star Karl Urban. China, Nepal reopen traditional border trade points Xinhua) 10:52, May 27, 2024 LHASA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- China and Nepal reopened their traditional border trade points on Saturday, marking a step forward in enhancing bilateral economic and trade ties. The reopening ceremony took place in Zhentang Township on the China-Nepal border in the city of Xigaze, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. At the Zhentang trade point, 110 Chinese merchants and 47 Nepalese merchants engaged in transactions involving over 50 types of goods, including daily necessities, building materials, food and beverages, agricultural products and Nepalese handicrafts. Trade activities also resumed at other traditional sites in counties such as Zhongba, Saga, Gyirong and Nyalam. Xigaze is a pivotal city for China's opening-up to South Asia, bordering India, Nepal and Bhutan, and hosting five trade land ports. Feng Xuecheng, director of the municipal commerce bureau, said that traditional border trade has long supported the livelihoods of border residents and played a significant role in fostering the development and prosperity of border areas. "We plan to continuously improve border trade infrastructure and promote further economic and trade exchanges between China and Nepal," Feng added. Xizang traded with 175 countries and regions last year. Its imports from and exports to Nepal, its largest trading partner, totaled approximately 2.77 billion yuan (about 389.5 million U.S. dollars), up 77.2 percent year on year, according to the customs bureau in Lhasa, the regional capital. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, along with their daughter Raha Kapoor, flew to Italy from Mumbai on Sunday night. Several pictures and videos of the family jetting off from Mumbai's Kalina Airport emerged on social media platforms. (Also Read | Alia Bhatt has a cute Sunday reading session with daughter Raha. See pic) Alia Bhatt, daughter Raha, and Ranbir Kapoor at Kalina airport. Alia, Ranbir, Raha fly to Italy Taking to Instagram, a paparazzo shared the family's picture. As they arrived at the airport, Raha sat on her father's lap. Ranbir Kapoor got out of his car and waved to the paparazzi. Alia then held Raha as she walked towards the airport. Later, Ranbir was seen with Raha in his arms. Why are the Kapoors going to Italy? For the travel, Alia wore a grey hoodie and pants. Ranbir was seen in a white T-shirt and grey trousers. Raha Kapoor was seen in a white outfit. The family-of-three will attend Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding celebration on a three-day cruise from Italy to France. Alia earlier shared Raha's pic On Sunday, Alia took to Instagram to share a glimpse of Raha. In the picture, Alia sat on a couch while her daughter lay on her chest. She read a book, Baby Be Kind, to her. Alia captioned it, Baby be kind. About Alia, Ranbir Alia and Ranbir Kapoor had tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony held at the former's Bandra residence, Vastu, on April 14, 2022, after dating for five years. The couple welcomed their daughter, Raha, in November of the same year. Alia's upcoming films Alia will be seen in Jigra along with Vedang Raina. Helmed by Vasan Bala, Jigra will be co-produced by Alia and Karan Johar. The film is all set to hit the theatres on September 27, 2024. She is also set to play the lead in a Spy Universe film, with filming scheduled to kick off later this year. Alia marked a stylish appearance at the Gucci Cruise Show in London, just a week ago. In March 2024, Alia hosted her first charity gala in London. The actor organised the Hope Gala to raise funds for underprivileged adolescents in India through the Salaam Bombay Foundation. It is a day of celebration for Kolkata Knight Riders as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL final match, which was held at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Actor Shah Rukh Khan was seen celebrating the victory with his family--wife Gauri Khan, daughter Suhana Khan and sons, Aryan Khan and AbRam Khan, as well as with his team. (Also Read | Shah Rukh Khan kisses wife Gauri Khan in rare PDA post KKR win, fans share their 'then and now' pics with trophies) Shah Rukh Khan with Suhana Khan, Aryan Khan and AbRam Khan after KKR win. Suhana gets emotional In a clip shared by a paparazzo on Instagram, Shah Rukh's daughter Suhana Khan hugged Shah Rukh. Though inaudible, she mouthed the words, "Are you happy? I'm so happy." She was also seen getting teary-eyed. As the father-daughter duo hugged each other, Shah Rukh's sons, Aryan Khan and AbRam Khan, also came forward to hug their father. All of them shared a group hug. Fans love the family moment Reacting to the clip, a fan said, "That's a very sweet moment!" Another person wrote, "Its a king family." "Victory hugs," read a comment. An Instagram user wrote, "Their father just came out of hospital but still went with them to spend some quality family time." "What a beautiful family Shah Rukh has, what amazing kids, rooting and cheering for their father always. God bless." "Shah Rukh is a great person, and he has lovely kids and an amazing wife," said another fan. Shah Rukh also kissed Gauri After KKR won the match, Shah Rukh was seen giving a kiss to his wife Gauri Khan. He also gave her a hug. Several videos and pictures of Shah Rukh celebrating the win with his family and KKR emerged on social media platforms. He met the players of his team and congratulated them for winning the IPL final. In the video, uncapped pacer Harshit Rana hugged the actor and lifted him up with excitement. In the pictures shared by the official page of IPL, Shah Rukh kissed Gautam Gambhir on the forehead in a heartwarming moment. About KKR win KKR clinched the IPL 2024 title with a dominating all-round performance against SRH in the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. At the same ground in 2012, KKR had clinched their maiden title, and on May 26, 2024, they scripted an encore to lift their third trophy. The KKR bowlers did extremely well to restrict the dangerous SRH batting line-up to 113 - which was chased down in only 10.3 overs with eight wickets in hand. New Delhi, Following its overwhelming reception at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, the Film Heritage Foundation on Monday said ticket bookings are open for the re-release of Shyam Benegal's "Manthan" in Indian theatres. Bookings open for 'Manthan' re-release A restored version of the 1976 movie, financed by 5 lakh farmers of Gujarat 48 years ago who donated 2 each to fund the film, was showcased at the gala under the Cannes Classics segment on May 17. The restored "Manthan" will re-release theatrically on June 1 and 2 across 38 cities in India, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Anand, Rajkot, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh. "BOOKINGS OPEN TODAY! Don't miss the opportunity to watch the India premiere of FHF's restoration of Shyam Benegal's landmark film 'Manthan' produced by 500,000 farmers on the big screen! Stay tuned to know more about the booking process," FHF said in an X post. The restoration was carried out using the 35mm original camera negative preserved at the NFDC-National Film Archive of India with sound digitised from the 35mm release print preserved at the Mumbai-based FHF. For its Cannes screening, the film was restored at Prasad Corporation Pvt. Ltd.'s PostStudios, Chennai and LImmagine Ritrovata Laboratory, in association with Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd, cinematographer Govind Nihalani and Benegal. Fronted by Smita Patil, "Manthan" is inspired by the groundbreaking milk cooperative movement by Dr Verghese Kurien that transformed India into one of the largest milk producers in the world and is credited for creating the billion-dollar brand Amul. It was co-written by Benegal and celebrated playwright Vijay Tendulkar. Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah walked the red carpet at Cannes along with actor-wife Ratna Pathak Shah, late co-star Smita Patil's son Prateik Babbar, Dr Kurien's daughter Nirmala Kurien, Amul MD Jayen Mehta, and FHF founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. "Manthan" won two National Film Awards in 1977: for best feature film in Hindi and for best screenplay for Tendulkar. It was also India's official entry to the 1976 Academy Awards in the best foreign language film category. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Lady Gaga's Joker: Folie A Deux is one of the most anticipated films of the year. Directed by Todd Philips, it has Lady Gaga take on the role of Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix's Joker in the sequel to 2019's Joker. Now, in an interview with Access Hollywood, she shared how her version of the comic book character is unlike anything else. (Also read: Joker: Folie a Deux trailer Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn joins Joaquin Phoenix's frenzy. Watch) Lady Gaga had shared a picture on her Instagram to mark the film's shoot wrap. What Gaga said During the conversation, Lady Gaga said, You know my version of Harley is mine and its very authentic to this movie and these characters. She further continued, Ive never done anything like Ive done in this movie before, so its all going to be completely brand new and really fun." Warner Bros unveiled the first teaser trailer of the sequel last month. In the trailer, Gaga's Harley confesses to Arthur that she looks up to him as he's achieved far more in life than she has. She then pushes him to flee from the prison and the two then set off on a mad, musical ride. About the film The cast of the film also includes Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lotte. The film is written by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver. The original 2019 film, Joker was supposed to be a standalone film, but the R-rated film was critically and commercially successful, and went on to generate over a billion dollars globally. The first film followed the origin story of Joker who is famously known for being Batman's enemy. It starred Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning two. Joaquin Phoenix received his first Oscar for Best Actor whereas Hildur Gunadottir won for Best Original Score. Warner Bros. is all set to release Joker: Folie a Deux in theaters Oct. 9, 2024. Payal Kapadia scripted history by becoming the first Indian director to win the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival for her film All We Imagine As Light. The writer-director, who is an alumni of Film and Television Institute of India, spoke to Film Companion ahead of the premiere of the film about the importance of the space that nurtures young voices. (Also read: Tracing Payal Kapadia's journey, from protesting against Gajendra Chauhan at FTII to winning Grand Prix at Cannes) Payal Kapadia, winner of the grand prize for 'All We Imagine as Light,' poses for photographers during the photo call following the awards ceremony at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 25, 2024. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP/PTI)(AP05_26_2024_000233B)(AP) What Payal said In the interview, Payal was joined by cinematographer Ranabir Das, who talked about FTII and said, I dont think it is about what a year like this can do it is just a testament to the space and what has been happening for many years now. I think it is some sort of validation, among many forms, that have existed there. It is a space that has given opportunities to a lot of us who have been there to grow and make films. FTII is really important Meanwhile, Payal added, Maisam [Ali] is my batchmate and his film is also here which is so nice. Raghu also, who was in the editing batch. We all grew up together in the time that we spent there and it was a space that changed us a lot in terms of how we think about the world and ourselves. So, FTII is really important in the process. Filmmaking is a very long process and you need to find people who you can work with and they understand what you have in mind FTII becomes a nice space to experiment and work things out and that carries on even later on. I think it is important that we make sure that spaces like FTII can exist and more places like this can be there which are public funded in all states, so that everybody gets the opportunity. Payal led a student protest against the appointment of actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of her alma mater, Film & Television Institute of India, Pune. An FIR was filed against Payal and 34 other students for holding FTII director Prashant Pathrabe captive in his office in 2015. All We Imagine As Light received an eight-minute standing ovation and glowing reviews from the international critics. The film stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam. Rubina Dilaik was the latest victim to fall prey to online hacking. The actors X account was hacked and she tells us that the realisation about the same was only through har fans. I realised it today in the morning that since the past two days, many fans have been sending messages on Instagram, e-mails, and some even reached out to my family and friends to let me know that my X account might have been hacked. Given the circumstances that I have been travelling and living the new mum life, I did not get a chance to check on it, she reveals. Rubina Dilaik's X account got hacked Dilaik further elaborates that when she tried to login again, there wasnt any luck. When I opened it today, I was locked out. I made several attempts but to my shock, I wasnt able to login again. It asked me some verification questions which was eventually redirecting me to an e-mail address which wasnt mentioned clearly as it was in asterisk remarks, it wasnt mine. Thats when I understood that my account has been hacked, tells the 36-year-old. Here is her post: In respect to online space, the security is not great. I am not the first case whose account has been hacked. It really doesnt give you a sense of security, but I dont panic in such situations. My topmost concern was to let me fans know about it so that if there is any illegal activity happening, they shouldnt get trapped, the actor adds, highlighting the loss of sense of security on social media these days. As public figures, we need to have control in our hands, how much we allow our personal life to be out there on public forums. One can choose to remain private as well. With the advent of technology, its high time that we understand that social media has its pros and cons. And, we take the control in our hands rather than others having control of our lives through social media. Dilaik also shares that she still hasnt gotten the access back. I tried many authentication steps to get my account back but couldnt get through. There wasnt any unusual activity or warning sign from the plaforms side. I would just like to urge everyone to be mindful about how much they would want an access to social media in their life, and vice versa. They should understand how much personal information you want to let the social media exploit, because there are people of notorious mindsets who would come and trouble you at different points without any reason, so there are always repercussions, she concludes, with a request to the readers. This summer has seen an increase in domestic airfares by 20%, however, the travellers taking trips have remained almost the same, travel portal Cleartrip said. A Cleartrip spokesperson said the load factors and fares are high due to limited capacity expansion. (Representative Image) Domestic Demand is the same as last year, but prices have increased by 20%. The demand of the international sector as well as the airfares are around the same as last year, a Cleartrip spokesperson said. The domestic airline industry is currently operating in a capacity-constrained environment, yet demand has been observed to be robust. Load factors and fares are high due to limited capacity expansion, the spokesperson added. Talking about a unique travel trend this summer, Jay Bhatia, vice president of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) said, We are witnessing more takers in Business Class airfares from India. He seconded Cleartrips analysis and said, Outbound airfares from India are, however, reasonably the same as per last year from India to all over, because of Vistara and Air India adding more direct international flights to Paris, Germany, Australia, he added. Civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), approved domestic weekly departures for the summer schedule in March, which was nearly 6% higher than the same period last year. Looking at the demand in the summer peak travel, it approved 24,275 weekly domestic departures across 14 domestic airlines. It also approved 1,922 weekly international departures, marking a 5.1% year-on-year growth. Online travel agents (OTAs) unanimously said that internationally the famous destinations for Indians are noted to be Europe, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. Cleartrip said that domestically, the bookings show a clear preference for cooler climates like Srinagar and Bagdogra. Goa, Bagdogra, Srinagar, Port Blair, Varanasi in the domestic sector and Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur have been on the list of travellers during the April - June quarter, it said. MakeMyTrip, in one of its recent surveys, stated that destinations with cool mountain terrains are the top picks this summer from a domestic holiday packages point of view. For international travel Europe, Singapore, Thailand, Dubai, Bali are picks for the year, like last year, it stated. Speaking on the stability of the airfares, EaseMyTrip said that the stability is attributed to airlines maintaining similar capacity levels, which helps keep prices steady. However, the specific fares can vary depending on the destination and other market conditions. To secure the best prices, travellers should be flexible with their travel dates and destinations, and book well in advance, its spokesperson said. Bengaluru At least 25 people were arrested on Sunday a day after a police station was vandalised in Channagiri town in Davanagere district and several vehicles were set on fire by a violent mob over an alleged custodial death, police said. The protest escalated into violence, with the mob pelting stones, obstructing police duties, injuring officers, and vandalising government property. (File photo) Davanagere superintendent of police (SP) Uma Prashanth said: So far, we have arrested 25 people and sent them to judicial custody. We booked all accused under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assaulting a public servant), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with a weapon), 506 (criminal intimidation), 307 (attempt to murder), 147 (rioting by unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting with a weapon), and 149 (unlawful assembly with a common object). She further said that the arrests were made based on video clips and we have identified more accused. The incident took place at around 8pm when M Adil (30), a suspect brought in for questioning on charges of gambling, allegedly collapsed and later died at the hospital. Following his death, his family and community members protested at the police station on Saturday. The protest escalated into violence, with the mob pelting stones, obstructing police duties, injuring officers, and vandalising government property. In response, six cases were registered, and the police arrested 25 individuals on Sunday. Police said that the accused were sent to judicial custody, and authorities have assured that law and order are now under control with a significant police presence in the area. Meanwhile, the police has issued a warning against sharing inflammatory or abusive content on social media. They added that the districts social networks are being closely monitored, and appropriate legal action will be taken against those who post content that threatens public order. The situation in Channagiri remains stable, and police arrangements have been made to ensure peace is maintained, Prashanth said. She further said that the government will hand over the Adil death case to the CID. The autopsy was conducted in the presence of a judge, and once the autopsy report is received, the cause of death will be known, she added. Heena Bhanu, wife of the deceased, said: My husband was conducting matka. He used to give a commission to the police every month. The police picked him up for not paying hafta and killed him. We are conducting a probe into the allegations made by the deceaseds wife and will take stringent action if anyone is found guilty, the SP added. BJP state president BY Vijayendra expressed strong disapproval of the recent violence and said: The destructive forces have formed a group in the name of religious minorities and are attacking police stations without any fear of the law of the land and setting them on fire. The rowdies and mafias are running rampant. Illegal rave parties are going on unabated. The government is responsible for this. He further accused the Congress government of leading the state into chaos to secure Muslim votes. The Congress government is leading the state to anarchy to woo Muslim votes. The possibility that the terrorist forces arrested in the Rameswaram cafe blast case in Bengaluru are behind the incident cannot be ruled out, he added. The state government has suspended the circle inspector and deputy SP following the incident. With PTI inputs A tiger mauled a 48-year-old woman from Moorband village in Mysuru district to death, forest officials said. Following the tiger attack, the villagers are frightened to go to the fields alone, as the incident occurred during the day (HT) The deceased was identified as Chikki, who worked as a goatherd. Forest officials said the woman was attacked by a tiger when she was grazing goats near the hill on Saturday evening. The incident occurred around 5-6 pm, Bandipura tiger reserve project director and conservator of forests S Prabhakaran told HT. When the goats returned home but the woman didnt even after 6pm, suspicion grew among villagers, who informed N Begur forest officials. A search was launched, and the body was found near the forest watching tower, Prabhakaran said. He added the tiger killed the woman and dragged her body inside the forest for up to 50 metres. This is the first incident of a tiger attack in the N Begur range, Prabhakaran said. No tiger attacks have been reported in this range for many years. Though villagers have been facing a leopard menace, which took away many dogs, this is the first incident of a tiger killing a woman, Channabasavaiah, a villager, told reporters. When the deceased did not return, we started searching for her near the areas where she was last seen. But it was dark, so we came back. We, along with forest officials, started searching for her, and around 7am, the body was found, he added. Following the tiger attack, the villagers are frightened to go to the fields alone, as the incident occurred during the day, Channabasavaiah said. Officials instructed villagers not to venture out in the early morning or at night, and plan to install trap cameras to track the tiger. The forest officials distributed a cheque worth 5 lakhs to the family of the deceased. The remaining compensation amount will be given after the completion of procedures, said officials. The autopsy was conducted at the HD Kote taluk government hospital, after which the body was handed over to family members, including husband Basave Gowda. The cremation was held on Sunday evening. Six newborn babies, some just hours old, were killed and five wounded when a fire ripped through a paediatric hospital in Vivek Vihar late on Saturday, a tragedy that triggered condemnation and anger across the national capital, as authorities pointed to a litany of lapses and violations of basic safety protocol and arrested the owner of the neonatal facility. The Baby Care New Born Hospital where the fire broke out on Saturday night at Vivek Vihar, in New Delhi. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo) The blaze in Baby Care New Born Hospital was likely set off by a short-circuit that in turn set off blasts in oxygen cylinders, said police. Devastated parents and families packed a nearby mortuary to identify the charred bodies of the babies, the youngest of whom was less than a day old and the oldest 17 days old. We didnt even name her I never even held her in my arms, said Anjar Khan, whose 11-day-old daughter died in the inferno. The hospitals license had expired nearly two months ago, it did not have a no-objection certificate from the fire department, the facility was packed beyond its authorised capacity, its doctors were not qualified for neonatal care and the building had neither emergency exits nor fire extinguishers, said Delhi Police, who also arrested the doctor on duty when the fire broke out. President Droupadi Murmu led the condolences, which also came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Meanwhile, as the number and scale of violations underlined a series of administrative lapses, Kejriwal and lieutenant governor VK Saxena separately ordered probes into the incident. Shahdara deputy commissioner of police Surender Chaudhary said the owner of the hospital, Naveen Khichi, tried to evade investigators, but was arrested from outer Delhi on Sunday. We have booked Khichi for causing death by negligence and endangering the lives of others, he said. Khichi was also booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder as well as for attempted culpable homicide, under sections 304 and 308 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) respectively. We also arrested his associate Akash Singh, a BAMS (Bachelor of ayurvedic medicine and surgery) doctor. He was on duty at the time of the incident but fled, added Chaudhary. The narrow two-storey building is squeezed between a row of homes lined cheek-to-jowl on Vivek Vihar Road, with no breathing room on either of its sides. It was occupied by 12 babies, a couple of nurses and other staff when an oxygen cylinder on the ground floor exploded at around 11.30pm on Saturday, setting off a cascade of blasts and fires that eventually engulfed the hospital. The blasts rocked the entire neighbourhood, said residents, jolting dozens out of their homes. Some residents said a bunch of oxygen cylinders exploded outside the hospitals facade onto the main road. The flames, meanwhile, ensnared the surrounding buildings. Police said the hospital was only permitted, under the norms of the Delhi health department, to store 20 oxygen cylinders, but probe officers found that it had stored 32, apart from a string of other blatant violations. The hospital was allowed to house only five beds, but the doctor had placed 13. In our initial inquiry, we found that the fire started due to a short circuit that in turn set off a blast, said Chaudhary Bystanders also claimed the hospital staff left within minutes of the fire. Only a nurse who left came back to help. The men fled. In fact, if the nurse hadnt come, we would have never known how many babies were trapped inside, said SK Jain, who lives in adjacent building. Local residents battled spreading flames and noxious fumes to pull babies out of the hospital as Delhi Fire Services (DFS) made their way to the spot. DFS chief Atul Garg said they were informed about the fire at 11.40pm. Initially, nine fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was massive and the entire building was gutted. We were trying to control the fire, but there was no way to enter the building and rescue 12 babies who were trapped. We then used the service lane behind the building and smashed through the windows, he said. Locals helped us pull out all the babies, Garg added. The babies were taken to Gupta Nursing Home in Shahdara and then referred to East Delhi Advance NICU Hospital, around 1km away, where seven babies were declared dead on arrival. Police said one of the babies had died before the fire broke out. Officers said the babys family was informed about the death around 9.30pm on Saturday, hours before the blaze. The five are being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Police and fire officials said the rescue was complicated by the fires rapid pace as it raced from the ground floor to the top in minutes. All the babies were on the first floor. Soon, it became clear that the hospital administration had violated a host of rules and that the facility failed to meet most standards set for such premises. For instance, the Delhi fire department has no record of the building at all. They have never come to us for a no-objection certificate. They didnt have one. The building was violating several norms by keeping all the children in one small room and by storing all the cylinders on the ground floor. We have started an investigation and will prepare a report, he said. Senior Delhi Police officers said Khichi was a repeat offender. In 2021, he was granted bail in a case of criminal intimidation, voluntarily causing hurt and cruelty to a child after a newborn babys parents alleged he and his staff assaulted their baby, they said. Khichi also allegedly threatened the babys father, who complained that his boys arm was severely injured due to the assault, said the officer, who added that the charge sheet, though, was only filed against a nurse. Khichi was granted bail. Delhis joint commissioner of police (eastern range) SS Kalsi said the hospital was not registered under the Delhi Nursing Home Registration Act. The hospitals health department license expired on March 31 this year, he said. Haunted families, meanwhile, cried out for answers and said they wanted justice. Jyoti Rani (35), from nearby Jwala Nagar, gave birth to a boy on Saturday morning. She and her husband Vinod Sharma (36) lost him in the fire hours later. They have lost three kids so far. One died after being conceived, another died of complications about two years ago. This is unbearable, said Vinods relative Amit Sharma (37). Vinod stood beside, inconsolable. The child, who had not been named, had been referred to the hospital soon after he was born because of a breathing problem. Families said the hospital charged patients between 10,000 and 15,000 a day. Condolences poured in from across the country. President Murmu, in a post on X, said, The news of the death of many children due to a fire in a hospital in Vivek Vihar, Delhi is heart-rending. May God give strength to the bereaved parents and relatives to bear this shock. I pray for the speedy recovery of other children injured in this incident. Prime Minister Modi announced compensation for the victims kin. The fire tragedy at a hospital in Delhi is heart-rending. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this incredibly difficult time. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest. The PM office announced that an ex gratia of 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. 50,000 would be given to each of those injured, he said on X. Chief minister Kejriwal said a probe will identify the people at fault and none responsible will be spared. This incident of fire in a childrens hospital is heartbreaking. We all stand with those who lost their innocent children in this accident. Government and administration officials are busy providing treatment to the injured at the spot. The causes of the incident are being investigated and whoever is responsible for this negligence will not be spared, he said on X. A doctor at the East Delhi Advance NICU Hospital said the five babies in the ICU are stable. Just unplugging babies from the machines they were hooked up to could be fatal. It was traumatising, he said, asking not to be named. At least 85 people have been hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning in Keralas Thrissur district on Sunday, officials said. The alleged consumption of contaminated food was at a restaurant in Perinjanam on the Guruvayur - Kodungallur highway (File photo) The alleged consumption of contaminated food was at a restaurant in Perinjanam on the Guruvayur - Kodungallur highway. The affected complained of symptoms ranging from weakness, fatigue, diarrhoea, fever, to blood pressure fluctuations. Around 85 people, including children and elderly people, have been admitted since morning to a private hospital and the government taluk hospital, Vinitha, president of the Perinjanam panchayat, told HT. Most of them said they consumed kuzhimandi (a form of Yemeni dish consisting of meat and rice cooked in a earthen stove in a pit) and mayonnaise. So, they could be the contaminated dishes The restaurant has been sealed by the food safety department and samples of food have been sent for testing. In the past also, this particular restaurant was closed for a few days as a result of contaminated food being found, she added. Its located on the state highway so a lot of people eat from there and take parcels from there as well. The local body president said she visited those admitted to the hospital and so far, none of them were in critical condition. Doctors said that some patients are experiencing fever and fluctuations in blood pressure levels. They are monitoring everyones condition, she said. Hassan Parliamentarian Prajwal Revanna, allegedly involved in many cases of sexual harassment, rape and assault, finally resurfaced on Monday, albeit virtually in a pre-recorded video message, and claimed he would appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the charges against him on May 31. JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna releases a self-made video saying, "I will appear before SIT on 31 May, on Monday. (ANI) Revanna has been abroad for almost a month, presumably in Germany, his first port of call, although his message had no details about his whereabouts. Nor did the message have any explanation as to why it took him so long to respond to the charges against him. Revanna termed the charges politically motivated. On May 23, his grandfather and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda released a letter asking him to return to India and face the SIT, and also said he (Deve Gowda) had no clue about any of the accusations. Revanna clarified that his trip abroad was pre-arranged and that he was unaware of the allegations until after his departure. After being abroad for three or four days, I learned about the case. The election was held on April 26, and no case was registered then. Even the SIT was not formed at that time. I received information about the SIT notice later. However, all the allegations against me are false, Revanna said in the video. Read Here: Does the Home Minister not know protocol? Kumaraswamy on Prajwal Revanna's passport Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara welcomed Prajwals statement that he would appear before the SIT and cooperate with the probe later this week. I welcome Prajwals statement. He must come and appear and say what he has to before the SIT. The SIT based on the information and evidence it has may have to arrest him, as an arrest warrant has been issued. But, when he is surrendering, how SIT will take it we need to see, Parameshwara added. In response to the video, JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy said he had urged Prajwal to cooperate with the SIT investigation and was relieved to hear that he would comply. Once Prajwal returns and engages with the investigating officers, the legal process can commence, and the outcome will become clearer, he said. Revanna expressed regret for any distress caused and reiterated his respect for the law. I am here to inform everyone of my whereabouts. I have not run away. There is a political conspiracy against me, orchestrated by certain forces. I apologise to my grandfather and the JDS workers. I will return to India on May 31 and attend the hearing before the SIT. Revanna said he would cooperate with the investigation. I will arrive in Karnataka this Friday and fully cooperate with the SIT. I was deeply shocked by the allegations made against me. However, I will face the investigation with respect for the law. Twist in Prajwal Revanna case: Woman forced to complain against accused, says NCW The first FIR against Prajwal was registered at Holenarasipra police station on May 2, following the complaint of a 47-year-old political party worker. The second FIR was lodged against him on May 5 based on the complaint of a 60-year-old former domestic worker in the Revanna homestead. And the third was registered on May 18 based on the complaint of a 45-year-old victim. All three cases were booked under IPC sections 376(rape), 376(2)(k) (repeated rape of the same woman), 376(2)(k) (rape by a person in a position of power), 506 (criminal intimidation), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (using force to disrobe a woman), and 354C (voyeurism) and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act (IT Act). Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has twice written to the central government, urging the cancellation of Revannas diplomatic passport. The ministry of external affairs said last week that it had started the process to cancel his passport . The Revanna incident has been brewing for a while. He obtained a gag order from the Bengaluru city civil court on June 1, 2023, prohibiting 86 media outlets and three private individuals from sharing or airing or even discussing video clips featuring him having sex . One of the individuals was advocate and local BJP leader G Devaraje Gowda. Revannas former driver has admitted to sharing the videos with Devaraje Gowda. In January, Devaraje Gowda organised a press conference where it was rumoured he would release the videos, but the event was abruptly canceled. The pen drive is believed to contain around 2900 videos involving hundreds of women. A complaint has been filed against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Peoples Representatives Special (Magistrate) Court, accusing him of making a provocative and hateful speech during an election campaign. The court has scheduled a hearing for May 28 (BJP media) The complaint was filed by Ziaur Rahman Nomani of Hebbal on May 23 in the 42nd additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) Court. According to the complaint Modi stated, if the Congress comes to power, it will redistribute the wealth of the people of the country to Muslims, during his campaign. He alleged that Modis speech was offensive to Muslims, implying that it equated them to invaders who looted the nations wealth. He argued that such rhetoric incites hatred and disrupts public harmony, necessitating legal action against PM Modi. The court has scheduled a hearing for May 28, with advocate Murtaza Ali Baig representing the complainant. The speech in question was allegedly made by the PM during an election campaign in Banswara, Rajasthan, on April 21. The petitioner has requested that the Amrithalli police station be directed to register a criminal case against the PM under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including: section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 503 and 504 (criminal intimidation and intentional insult) section 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred, or ill-will between classes) On April 26, Ziaur Rahman Nomani, a human rights activist, initially filed a complaint at the Amrithalli police station. However, the police refused to register a first information report (FIR), citing the Election Commissions jurisdiction over election-related issues. On April 27, the activist sent a complaint to the Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda via email but allegedly did not receive a satisfactory response. The Opposition Congress in Kerala on Sunday mounted a fresh offensive on the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led state government in the ongoing row over bar bribery allegations, claiming that the administration has conducted multiple consultations regarding revisions in the states liquor policy. The Kerala Congress alleges that the state government has conducted multiple consultation regarding revisions in the liquor policy. (ANI) Speaking at a press conference in Paravur, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly VD Satheesan alleged that the excise minister MB Rajesh and tourism minister PA Muhammad Riyas were lying that the government has not kickstarted any discussions on this years liquor policy or about any possible reviosions in it. Over the last two months, there have been consultations regarding the liquor policy. At a meeting held in early April by the chief secretary, the tourism secretary was asked to submit a report on the changes in the policy. On May 21, the tourism department held a meeting online in which bar owners also participated. I have the link of that online meeting in which the discussion took place, Satheesan said. In that meeting, discussions were held about abolition of dry days and extension of working hours of bars. It was subsequent to those discussions that a meeting was held in Ernakulam where a directive was given to bar owners to collect funds (to put pressure on the government to effect changes in the policy), he further said. The Congress leader asked why the tourism department was interfering in the job of the excise department in the formulation of the liquor policy. He also alleged that the investigation launched by the crime branch of the police was focused on how the news came out about soliciting of funds, and not on the actual source of corruption. Last week, a WhatsApp audio recording of a prominent hotel association member leaked, in which he was heard asking other members to pool 2.5 lakh each to put pressure on the government and achieve a favourable liquor policy from them, gave rise to allegations of bribery of bar owners and sparked a political row in Kerala. The controversy evoked similar allegations of bribery of bar owners which led to the resignations of two United Democratic Front (UDF) ministers in November 2015 and cast the then Oommen Chandy-led government in poor light. After the allegations came to the surface, state excise minister Rajesh denied that the government has held any consultations on the formulation of this years liquor policy and directed the police to probe the complaint. The complaint has been forwarded to the crime branch division which has started the probe into the matter. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) often accuses the Congress of toppling state governments when it was in power at the Centre, an allegation thats a recurring theme in the BJPs campaign in this years Lok Sabha elections. However, on Sunday, the Congress fought fire with fire. Union home minister Amit Shah. (Santosh Kumar/ HT Photo) While campaigning in Himachal Pradesh, where the BJP lost the recent assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi accused the saffron party of trying to engineer a split in the ruling Congress and trying to topple the elected government in the state. Addressing a public rally, Gandhi said the Union government instead of assisting the state had been making attempts to steal power. The Wayanad MP was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modis speeches in Nahan and Mandi on Friday, where he asserted that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh would be short-lived. The Prime Minister says he will bring down the Himachal Pradesh government through stealing, bribery and corruption, Gandhi said, accusing Modi of forming stolen governments in Goa, Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The BJP, however, accuses the Congress leadership in HP of being weak and not getting the house in order. In a recent interview to HT, party president JP Nadda said the Congress chief minister in Himachal Pradesh cannot pin the blame on the BJP if its state unit is in disarray. People need to recognise their strengths and weaknesses. In Himachal Pradesh, 9 MLAs voted against you and the chief minister did not even get wind of it. You are on a weak footing, youve not been able to keep your house in order, but youre blaming others, Nadda said. Elections to all four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh will be held on June 1 in the final phase of the 2024 general elections. Uniform Civil Code Implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has been a long-standing promise of the BJP, a demand that its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has supported for decades. While Goa and Uttarakhand have implemented the UCC, a pan-India rollout is still in the works. Union home Minister Amit Shah in an interview to news agency PTI asserted that UCC for the entire country will be rolled out if the BJP is voted back to power. Shah said the BJP has not relied on religious polarisation to bolster its campaign, but said that if canvassing against reservations for Muslims, over the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir and promising a UCC appears religion-based, then the BJP has done it and will continue doing so. UCC is a responsibility left to us, our Parliament, and the state legislatures of our country since Independence by the makers of our Constitution. The guiding principles decided for us by the constituent assembly include the UCC. And even at that time, legal scholars like KM Munshi, Rajendra Babu, Ambedkar ji had said that there should not be laws based on religion in a secular country. There should be a UCC, Shah said. UCC proposes the same set of rules for marriage, divorce, inheritance, financial compensation and adoption, among others, for all communities. However, given the concerns of the Scheduled Tribe communities across the country, the Centre is considering granting some relief to allow them to carry on their traditions and customs. Shah pitched UCC as a huge social, legal and religious reform. Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday took a dig at the Congress saying that their party leaders will hold a press conference on June 4 and blame the electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the loss. Union home minister Amit Shah.(Santosh Kumar/ HT Photo) Shah also claimed that while Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will not be blamed for the defeat, but party president Mallikarjun Kharge will lose his job. Follow full coverage of the Lok Sabha elections. "I have the details of the first five phases. In five phases of the Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi has crossed 310 seats. Rahul will not cross 40 and Akhilesh Yadav will not get even 4 seats on June 4," Shah said at an election rally in Kushinagar. On the afternoon of June 4, you will see, Rahul baba's people will hold a press conference and claim that they lost because of the EVMs. The blame for the loss will also fall on Kharge." He also said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was born in the house of a backward, both Rahul and Akhilesh were born with a silver spoon and don't know about the problems being faced by people of eastern Uttar Pradesh. "They did not like the weather of the country. Rahul used to go to Thailand on leave every six months. They did not tolerate the heat of Purvanchal. While PM Modi has not taken a single leave in his tenure," he pointed out. He also accused the two of being involved in corruption, and emphasised that PM Modi has never faced any such allegation. "As chief minister and prime minister, no allegation of corruption of even 25 paisa was raised against Modi while the two "shehzade' (Rahul-Akhilesh) were involved in corruption worth 12 lakh crore," he alleged without elaborating. Raising the Ram temple issue, the Home Minister said the SP government had opened fire on Ram bhakts while the Congress stalled the temple issue for 70 years. "Modiji not only did bhoomipujan of the temple but also attended pran pratishtha, renovated Kashi Vishwanat temple, and worked towards gold plating of the Somnath temple," he said. (Inputs from PTI) Nearly 800,000 people were evacuated from Bangladesh's low-lying coastal areas due to Cyclone Remal's impact. The cyclone made landfall late Sunday near West Bengals Sagar Island and Bangladeshs Khepupara region. Monday morning saw heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by strong wind gusts, affecting most of Bangladesh as the storm's influence persisted. People walk along shrimp and crab farms that are flooded due to heavy rain as Cyclone Remal passes the country, in the Shyamnagar area of Satkhira, Bangladesh, May 27, 2024. (REUTERS) The strong winds accompanying the severe cyclonic storm resulted in widespread power outages in Bangladesh, with millions left without electricity due to fallen power poles and uprooted trees. Cyclone Remal also caused widespread destruction across the coastal regions of West Bengal, disrupting air, rail, and road travel in Kolkata and other southern areas of the state. Remal marks the first cyclone of the year in the Bay of Bengal, occurring ahead of the monsoon season from June to September. On Monday, May 27, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Cyclone Remal would persist in moving nearly northwards for some time before shifting north-northeastwards and gradually weakening into a Cyclonic Storm. Impact on Bangladesh - The severe cyclonic storm in southern Bangladesh flooded coastal villages and left hundreds of thousands without electricity on Monday. Although casualty figures were not officially available, the Associated Press report quoted Dhaka-based Somoy TV as reporting at least seven deaths. Furthermore, two individuals were reported missing after a boat capsized in southwestern Bangladesh. - The cyclone has been accompanied by gusty winds and heavy rains, impacting areas including Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Satkhira, and Chattogram. - These Bangladeshi coastal villages, reportedly submerged, had many flood protection embankments that were either washed away or damaged by storm surges. - Beginning Sunday morning, Approximately 800,000 residents were evacuated from the port areas of Mongla, Chittagong, and nine coastal districts to storm shelters. - Mohibur Rahman, Bangladeshs junior disaster management and relief minister, disclosed that volunteers were enlisted to transport evacuees to around 9,000 cyclone shelters. Additionally, the government ordered the closure of all regional schools until further notice. - Cyclone Remal commenced its assault on Bangladeshs southern coast late Sunday and was expected to diminish in strength by noon, as announced by the country's Meteorological Department in Dhaka. - In anticipation of the storm, Dhaka established nearly 8,000 cyclone shelters and mobilised 78,000 volunteers, while the Indian navy prepared ships, aircraft, divers, and medical supplies for potential deployment. - Operations at Mongla and Chittagong ports were suspended, and the airport in the southeastern city of Chattogram ceased operations, cancelling all domestic flights to and from Coxs Bazar. - Bangladesh halted loading and unloading activities at Chittagong, the countrys largest seaport, and relocated more than a dozen ships from jetties to the deep sea as a precautionary measure. Impact on West Bengal - Three people sustained injuries, and vehicular movement was disrupted in various parts of Kolkata due to uprooted trees in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, news agency PTI reported. - During the first hour of the landfall process, West Bengal's minister for power, Arup Biswas, said at least 356 electricity poles were uprooted, and numerous transformers were damaged, Reuters reported. - According to PTI, Kolkata airport suspended flight operations for 21 hours from Sunday noon, affecting 394 flights in both international and domestic sectors. Flight services resumed on Monday morning after being suspended for 21 hours, with the first plane departing at 8.59 am and the first one landing at 9.50 am. - The weather system, located 150 km northeast of Sagar Island, brought heavy rainfall to Kolkata and the coastal districts of West Bengal overnight. The Indian Coast Guard announced on Monday that it is closely monitoring the cyclone's landfall. A disaster response team, ships, and hovercraft are on standby to respond promptly to post-impact challenges. - Due to the cyclone, several suburban trains were cancelled in the Sealdah South section of the Eastern Railway (ER), but services resumed in the section by 9 am on Monday. - According to another official, waterlogging at Park Street and Esplanade stations disrupted Kolkata Metro operations between Girish Park and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar stations. However, metro services remain unaffected from Dakshineswar to Girish Park and Kabi Subhas to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim stated that the municipal corporation is actively working to resolve the situation. - Several trees were uprooted in Kolkata's Alipore area as heavy rain and gusty winds affected various parts of West Bengal. Meanwhile, the NDRF team cleared a road after a tree was uprooted near Sagar Island amidst heavy rain and gusty winds in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas. - West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and the Raj Bhavan task force conducted a field visit following Cyclone Remal's landfall. Governor C V Ananda Bose expressed relief that no casualties were reported, stating they are closely monitoring the situation and offering assistance if needed. (With inputs from agencies) NEW DELHI: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday extended the tenure of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Samir V Kamat by a year. DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat during the 'Indian Defspace Symposium' 2024, at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on April 18 (PTI File) According to the government order, Kamat, who was appointed to the top DRDO post on August 26, 2022, will continue in the position till May 31, 2025, following a defence ministry proposal. The development comes at a time when the government is going ahead with implementing the recommendations made by a nine-member panel to restructure the organisation to improve its functioning. The panel, headed by former principal scientific advisor to the government K VijayRaghavan, was set up last year. It submitted its recommendations to overhaul DRDO in January 2024. Kamat heading an internal committee to implement the recommendations by the VijayRaghavan-led panel to make the organisation leaner and more efficient. High-priority military projects taken up by DRDO have been riddled with a raft of problems including time and cost overruns, irregular closure, and have even been declared successful despite non-achievement of key objectives, the national auditor said in a report in 2022. Some of these mission mode projects were declared successful by DRDO but were taken up again as new ones to realise the unachieved objectives of the projects closed earlier, the Comptroller and Auditor General said in the report. Mission mode projects refer to high-priority DRDO projects based on specific user requirements with a fixed deadline for their completion, and pivot on technologies already available, proven and accessible within India or from abroad at short notice. As first reported by HT, the terms of reference of the VijayRaghavan committee included restructuring and redefining the role of the department of defence (R&D) and DRDO, maximising academia, MSME, and start-up participation in the development of cutting-edge technologies, attracting and retaining quality manpower, utilising the expertise of NRIs/foreign consultants and inter-country collaborations for latest defence technologies, and modernising administrative, personnel and financial systems to achieve speedier implementation of projects. The development came a day after the government granted a rare extension to army chief General Manoj Pande, days before his retirement on May 31, with the unexpected development deepening the suspense over who will be the next chief of the worlds second-largest army. Kamat completed his B. Tech (Hons) in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1985, and PhD in materials science and engineering from the Ohio State University in the US in 1988. He joined DRDO in 1989. Kamat has steered several critical materials programmes in DRDO. These include the development of high-strength steel for naval ship hulls, high-temperature titanium alloys and nickel-based superalloys for aero engines, tungsten heavy alloys for kinetic energy penetrators, fused silica radomes for missile seekers, armour solutions for personnel as well as combat vehicles, and stealth materials for airborne and naval applications. A magisterial court in Delhi on Monday heard a bail plea filed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwals aide Bibhav Kumar, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal at the CM's residence on May 13. Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals aide Bibhav Kumar. Swati Maliwal broke down in the Tis Hazari Court after a lawyer of Bibhav Kumar said she chose the spot of the alleged assault at the Delhi chief minister's residence because there was no CCTV camera, which could record the incident. Swati Maliwal hit back at AAP's army of trolls and blamed a popular YouTuber for increasing rape and death threats. She also told the court that if Bibhav Kumar was granted bail, then there would be a danger to her life and family as "he is not an ordinary person". What Swati Maliwal said in court: Puri party ke leaders press conferences karne lag gaye meri statement ke baad. Baar baar bola gaya main BJP ki agent hoon. Jab Bibhav arrest huye, unko hero paint kiya gaya. (They called me a BJP agent and painted Bibhav as a hero when he was arrested). Ek bahut bade YouTuber hain...Jo pehele AAP volunteer the. Unhone one-sided video banaya. Uske baad mujhe lagataar death threats aane lag gaye (There is a big YouTuber, who used to be an AAP volunteer. After he made a one-sided video (over the incident), I received many death threats). Ek ek din mein teen teen press conference kari gayi hain, jisme kaha gaya hai ki main BJP ki agent hoon. CM sahab accused ko leke Lucknow aur Mumbai rallies mein ja rahe hain. Jab usko arrest kar liya toh CM sahab road pe aaye aur isko protest karne large. Inke paas ek bahut badi machinery hai, jiska istemaal karke mera character assassination kiya ja raha hain. (Three press conferences were held in a single day, in which it has been said that I am an agent of the BJP. The chief minister took the accused to rallies in Lucknow and Mumbai. When he was arrested, the chief minister came out on the streets to protest. They have a massive machinery, which is being used to assassinate my character). "Yeh aadmi mamooli PA nahi hain, jo facility ek mantri ko nahi milti hain, woh bhi enjoy karta hain (He is not just an ordinary PA; he enjoys facilities that even a minister does not get)." What Bibhav Kumar's counsel said in court: Bibhav Kumar sought bail in Swati Maliwal assault case, flagged a three-day delay in filling a complaint. She was the DCW chiefShe was well aware of her rights. If her rights were violated, then she should have made the complaint immediately, Bibhav Kumars counsel N Hariharan said. 'We don't know the nature of wounds. Are they recent? or three days old?' Hariharan said. Bibhav Kumar's counsel showed the MLC to the court and said, 'The date of the MLC is on May 16. This incident allegedly took place on May 13. This is an unexplainable gap." You have hospitals right next door like Aruna Asaf Ali, St. Stephens, but you are taken to AIIMS while the accused is being taken to Aruna Asaf Ali. There is an unexplainable gap in getting the MLC done. In the MLC, there are two simple injuries on non-vital parts. So where is Section 308 made out? There is no injury on the head, stomach and pelvis area. At best, this is the case of 323, which is not invoked as it is a bailable offence. Swati Maliwal did not say that the CM called her to visit his premises. What she did amounts to trespassing. Can someone enter anyone's residence like this? This is the CM house, he said. "She (Maliwal was asked to wait outside). She barged in. Can being an MP give you a licence to do anything? She had some pre-meditated thoughts before coming (to the CM's residence)," Bibhav Kumar's counsel said. Why will any person come and start slapping, where was the occasion to say all those things - tu kaise hamari baat nahi manegi". Where is the assault being made done with the intent to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder? Where was the motive to commit the offence? There are so many people there and I would launch an attack of such nature. The allegations levelled do not show that there was an intent to disrobe her. All that can be seen is that the shirt was torn during the scuffle. It is an incidental situation that has happened. Even in the video, she is wearing a kurti. She is not wearing a shirt, the kurta is not inserted into the jeans, and nothing is torn. There is nothing to show the things she is alleging. The court reserved its order on Bibhav Kumar's bail plea in the Swati Maliwal assault case until 4 pm. on Monday. Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal reserved the order after hearing the arguments. Bibhav Kumar was sent to four days of judicial custody on May 24. Union minister General VK Singh (retd) on Monday slammed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his remark promising to scrap the Agnipath scheme if the INDIA alliance comes to power after the Lok Sabha elections. I want to advise Rahul Gandhi that he must serve in the Indian army first and then make any statement about the Agniveer scheme. It is not right to say anything if he does not know the army, Singh was quoted by ANI as saying. Union minister VK Singh and Rahul Gandhi. The Narendra Modi government in 2022 rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme for short-term induction of personnel into the armed forces with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three services. ALSO READ: Absolute lies: Amit Shah counters Rahul Gandhi's attack on Agnipath scheme The scheme provides for recruiting youngsters in the age bracket of 17 years and a half to 21 years for a four-year period with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 years. The opposition parties including the Congress have been aggressively campaigning against the scheme, even promising to scrap if the INDIA alliance comes to power. ALSO READ: Kejriwal makes 10 poll guarantees: 24*7 electricity, no Agniveer scheme Addressing a rally in Haryana's Mahendragarh on May 22, Gandhi had alleged that the Centre was turning India's soldiers into labourers. ALSO READ: Agniveers are not just soldiers but leaders, innovators and defenders: CDS Anil Chauhan "You have patriotism in your heart, blood, and DNA. Narendra Modi ji, for the first time, has turned India's soldiers into labourers. He (PM Modi) says that there will be two kinds of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country. One, is a normal jawan or officer whose family will get a pension, status, and all other facilities. The other, a poor family's son who is named Agniveer; this Agniveer will neither get the status of 'shaheed' nor will he get any pension or any other facility," Gandhi had said. The Army does not want this scheme... this scheme is imposed by the PMO. The INDIA bloc government will come to power and the first thing we shall do is throw this Agniveer scheme in the dustbin, the Congress MP said. Hamirpur , The Sujanpur assembly by-election in Himachal Pradesh is seeing a repeat of the 2022 election with two old rivals Rajinder Singh Rana and Ranjit Singh up against each other, except that they have swapped their parties this time. High-stakes battle in Himachal's Sujanpur assembly seat as old rivals swap parties While Rana is a Congress rebel who recently switched to the BJP, Singh, a retired captain, joined the Congress after Rana was given a BJP ticket for the Sujanpur bypoll. Rana, who contested the 2022 election on a Congress ticket and defeated Singh by a slender margin of 399 votes, had raised the banner of revolt against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. He was among the six Congress MLAs who voted in favour of the BJP nominee in the Rajya Sabha polls and had to face disqualification. Three Independents had also voted for the BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27. Of the six assembly constituencies where by-elections are being held due to disqualification of the Congress rebels, Sujanpur has become a hot seat as it would decide if the three-month long slander campaign unleashed by the chief minister against Rana and the five ex-MLAs dubbing them as "bikau" impacted the electorate or they still trust Rana and other rebels. As both Congress and the BJP are locked in a no holds barred battle to win the Sujanpur assembly seat, the victory of Rana would serve as a boost for the Congress rebels while his defeat would be a requiem for the BJP. Rana, once a confidant of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, revolted after denial of BJP ticket in 2012 . He later joined the Congress and won the assembly polls in 2017, scripting history by defeating Dhumal, BJP's chief ministerial candidate, and retained the seat in 2022 but was disqualified after fifteen months and now is back with the BJP. Sujanpur falls under the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat from where Union Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur, son of Dhumal, is seeking a fifth term. Under the dramatically changed circumstances, Dhumal family and their supporters have no option other than supporting Rajinder Rana. Sukhu, who is intensively campaigning for BJP turncoat Singh, has accused Rana of "selling his soul for money" as he has urged voters to defeat "Dhanbal with Janbal" and punish the rebels for betrayal. During a rally in Himachal's Una district last week, Sukhu had Thursday alleged that the Congress rebels are corrupt and will go behind bars. He even claimed the six Congress rebels and three Independents were sold for 15 crore each. However, former chief minister P K Dhumal and Anurag Thakur are openly canvassing for Rana, sending the right message to party cadres. Confident of victory, Rana said, "the Congress cadre is with me and the BJP is also supporting me" as our fight is for development and meeting the aspiration of the voters. Singh, who was also considered close to Dhumal and his son joined the Congress party at the eleventh hour and is now banking upon the support and clout of the current chief minister and his team. Before being ousted from the assembly recently, Rana had been causing embarrassment to chief minister Sukhu by indirectly raking up the issues like jobs to youth as promised in the manifesto. In a bid to stir people's sentiments against Rana, Sukhu has been repeating that Rana never wanted anyone to become or remain chief minister from Hamirpur. He said the ex-MLA's first victim was Dhumal and now he was trying to oust him but the gimmick will not work this time. On other hand, Rana has accused Sukhu of ignoring the elected representatives and giving preference to "friends", saying it compelled the six Congress MLAs to revolt and vote for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls. He has claimed that his victory is certain as he enjoys full support of the people of the constituency and the Dhumal family and their supporters. He said that he has already toured most parts of the constituency twice and his third round is on the anvil. His rival Singh, on the other hand, has claimed that he is getting full support of the ex-servicemen and their families and said that Rana had ditched the people of the area, due to which developmental activities were hit in the Sujanpur constituency. Ex-servicemen, their families and women voters hold the key in this constituency and majority of women voters have always been supporting the BJP, according to Rana. There are 77,742 voters in the Sujanpur assembly seat, including 38,831 men and 38,911 women, and the voter turnout was 73.74 percent in 2022, 75.64 percent in 2017 and 69.34 percent in 2012. The by-election would be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls on June 1 and counting of votes would take place on June 4. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Shimla, Quality education, job opportunities and women security top the priorities of first-time voters in Himachal Pradesh. Some of them also see the polls as a choice between a "BJP dictatorship" and an "unstable coalition" represented by the INDIA bloc. HP's young voters weigh 'dictatorship' versus 'coalition' choice, prioritise education, jobs According to the data shared by the Election Commission, there are over 1.70 lakh voters across the state aged between 18 and 19 years who will be voting for the first time. Elections for the four Lok Sabha seats and six assembly bypolls will be held simultaneously on June 1. The policies of successive governments to appease voters by doling freebies should be discontinued, says Riya, a first-time voter from Solan. "The tax-paying middle class bears the burden of freebies and money for development projects is diverted," she said. Another first-time voter Nitish said, "I am in a dilemma to choose between dictatorship and a coalition," apparently referring to the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the INDIA bloc, respectively. "It's all about making my voice heard and advocating for positive change in the political landscape" he added. Led by the Congress, the INDIA bloc comprises 26 parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena and Trinamool Congress. Rohit, a first-year student who will exercise his franchise for the first time said, "The BJP government has become arrogant, constitutional institutions are being misused and voting for Modi would imply a dictatorial government. On the other hand, going in favour of INDIA bloc would mean a coalition and unstable government, which is again not good for the country." The performance of the past ten years of the BJP-led Central government evoked mixed response among the first-time voters with some lauding the tenure of the previous government, while others being critical of its functioning. Anshul Thakur, a student of a journalism course in Government Post Graduation College, Sanjauli said she is excited to cast her first vote. Thakur said she would vote for a party that is committed to bringing better job opportunities in government and private sectors and improving women safety. Prikshit, a student of Government Post Graduation College, Chaura Maidan, said he is looking forward to being an entrepreneur and willing to explore the new era innovative sectors. He said he would vote for party that is inclined towards new technologies and promoting the start-up culture with a focus on youth. "As a first-time voter, I would like the government to work on the UCC and education policies and focus on the states and places otherwise ignored by the government such as the country's northeast region or Ladakh and include more culture-based services" said Vashisht Sharma, another student of PG College, Sanjauli. There are also some first-time voters who said they would go with the NOTA option to express their discontent with the candidates fielded by the political parties. Aditi Thakur, a resident of Mandi who is set to cast her vote for the first time, said she will be opting for NOTA in the Lok Sabha elections, as she felt that none of the candidates met her expectations. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday granted a rare extension in service to army chief General Manoj Pande, days before his retirement on May 31, with the unexpected development deepening the suspense over who will be the next chief of the worlds second largest army. Army chief General Manoj Pande (File Photo) The first and only such extension was granted more than five decades ago by the Indira Gandhi government to General GG Bewoor, who succeeded Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw as army chief in January 1973. The government has granted a one-month extension to Pande till June 30 under the relevant army rules, the defence ministry said in a statement. The date is significant as well because it is the day the two senior-most generals believed to be in the running for the top post also retire. Army vice chief Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, thus far widely seen as the frontrunner for the top job, is currently the senior-most officer in service after Pande followed by Southern Army commander Lieutenant General AK Singh. Both Dwivedi and Singh will retire on June 30. They were commissioned into the army in December 1984. To be sure, a top officer can be appointed service chief even if he is retiring on the same day as the outgoing chief. The move comes at a time when it was widely expected that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government would name the countrys next army chief before Pandes retirement. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet, on May 26, 2024, approved the extension in service of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande for a period of one month, beyond his normal age (date) of superannuation (May 31, 2024), i.e. up to June 30, 2024, under Rule 16 A (4) of the Army Rules 1954, it said. Pande took over as army chief from General Manoj Mukund Naravane on April 30, 2022. Successive governments have traditionally gone by the seniority principle to appoint service chiefs, though there have been rare instances of senior-most officers being overlooked for the top post. The recent ones include the appointment of General Bipin Rawat as army chief in 2016 by the NDA government, and Admiral Robin Dhowan being made the navy chief in 2014 by the United Progressive Alliance government. The top generals after Dwivedi and Singh are Northern Army commander Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar, Central Army commander Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani, Western Army commander Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, South Western Army commander Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, Army Training Command chief Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh and Eastern Army commander Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari. The extension given to Pande has triggered a lot of speculation about who will succeed him. The top job could go to the senior-most officer or any of the army commanders if the government goes in for deep selection. We will have to wait and watch, said a senior officer, who asked not to be named. The extension provided to Bewoor led to Lieutenant General PS Bhagat being denied the army chiefs post. The extension given to Pande has surprised many in the army as he was felicitated during the recent retiring officers seminar for those superannuating on May 31. #LtGenUpendraDwivedi #VCOAS felicitated General Manoj Pande #COAS during the Retiring Officers Seminar #ROS, for his glorious & meritorious service dedicated to the Nation spanning more than four decades. General Manoj Pande #COAS will continue to be an inspiration for current and future generations having pioneered a large number of technological initiatives and persistent efforts towards transformation of #IndianArmy into a modern, agile, adaptive & technology enabled future ready force. #IndianArmy, the army wrote on X on May 21. It is the governments prerogative to appoint whoever they feel would make the best army chief, said a top retired officer, who asked not to be named. It should exercise this right in a clear and transparent manner. Taking some roundabout decision a few days before the new appointment is due only creates instability in the organisation which is completely avoidable, he added The final and seventh phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls will culminate on Saturday with voting to place for 57 constituencies across 8 states. The election results will be declared on June 4. (Representative file photo) The last phase, entirely in the northern, western and eastern India, is crucial for both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and INDIA bloc alliance including Congress with psephologists predicting a close-fought election this time as against a one-sided sweep in 2019. PM tried to topple Himachal govt: Rahul Gandhi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to topple the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh. The former Congress chief referred to Modis speeches in Nahan and Mandi last Friday, where the PM asserted that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh would be short-lived. The Prime Minister says he will bring down the Himachal Pradesh government through stealing, bribery and corruption, Gandhi said. INDIA allies likely to meet on June 1 Heads of the Congress-led opposition INDIA blocs member parties will meet in Delhi on June 1, according to a report, with the meeting set to take place on a day when the seventh and final round of polling will be held for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. As per the report, the INDIA bloc leaders will review and discuss the coalitions future course of action. The election results will be declared on June 4. Among those invited for the meeting is Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, released on interim bail by the Supreme Court in the Delhi excise policy case on May 10, has to surrender on June 2. Kejriwal files appeal for bail extension Kejriwal has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an additional seven days of interim bail in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy case. AAP said the extension is sought to obtain PET-CT scans and other medical examinations. Congress pays tribute to Nehru Senior Congress leaders participated in a sombre ceremony to pay their respects to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the countrys history is incomplete without the incomparable contribution of the architect of modern India. In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said the history of India is incomplete without the incomparable contribution of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India, who took India forward in scientific, economic, industrial and various fields. Nehru was a dedicated guardian of democracy and our source of inspiration, he said. Our humble tribute to Hind ke Jawahar on his death anniversary, Kharge said. Swati Maliwal, Rajya Sabha MP, has said she will not quit the Aam Aadmi Party as it does not belong to two or three people. In an interview with The Indian Express, which comes days after she alleged that she was assaulted by Arvind Kejriwal's personal assistant Bibhav Kumar when she had gone to meet the Delhi chief minister at his residence on May 13, Swati Maliwal said no one from the Bharatiya Janata Party approached her after the incident. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal (R) and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. If I was not speaking the truth, maybe (relations between her and the party could have been mended) Despite being beaten up so badly, I tried to compose myself because there was a larger election underway and I knew this issue would be politicised. I understand it. I tried to control myself, but no way They have harmed the entire womens movement by victim shaming. I will stay in the party because it does not belong to two or three people. I have given it my sweat and blood too, The Indian Express quoted Swati Maliwal as saying. The former Delhi Commission for Women chief, however, said only the Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena spoke to her but he is on a Constitutional post. "He asked me what had happened and asked if I was facing any problems in my dealings with the police, Swati Maliwal said. In a separate interview with Hindustan Times, Swati Maliwal said on Sunday that she does not intend to quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). She also claimed that she was told that if she were to lodge a complaint over the matter, they would term her a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) agent. The AAP did not respond to requests for comments on the allegations. Kumar has filed a counter-complaint, accusing Maliwal of forcefully entering the CMs premises and using abusive language. I left my job as an engineer in 2006 I was a full-time volunteer with Arvind Kejriwal. I was a core committee member of the Anna (Hazare) movement... My blood and sweat went into the foundation of the party I was made MP because of my hard work and dedication I want to make it clear that I did not have any personal animosity with anyone at the party. Delhi Police will investigate why I was assaulted and at whose behest, she said. Also Read | Swati Maliwal breaks down in Delhi court during Bibhav Kumar's bail hearing Maliwal also claimed that Arvind Kejriwal had not called her so far. The situation would have been different to the extent that at least to my mind, I would have been sure that he was not involved. I would have still filed a (police) complaint. That relationship would have remained intact and I would have liked to know what he thinks. Today I am not giving anyone a clean chit, IE quoted the AAP MP as saying. Also Read | Swati Maliwal alleges rape and death threats, blames AAP, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee Meanwhile, Bibhav Kumar has moved a bail plea at a Delhi court, which has sought a response from Delhi Police. Bibhav Kumar's counsels moved the plea after he was sent to four days of judicial custody on Friday last week. The court heard the plea on Monday. His anticipatory bail plea filed earlier was observed as becoming "infructuous" by the court. The Delhi Police has claimed that Bibhav Kumar was not cooperating in the investigation, was evasive in his replies and has not disclosed his mobile phone password. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension of his 21-day interim bail by one week on medical grounds, citing alarming health complications he endured during his recent incarceration in connection with the Delhi excise policy case and the urgent need for medical tests. Kejriwal said he suffered substantial health deterioration during custody. (ANI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, who was released from judicial custody on May 10 to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, has said that he needs to undergo diagnostic tests, including a PET-CT Scan, and has requested an extension of the relief for seven days. The appellant [Kejriwal] prays for an extension of his interim bail by a week, during which the appellant can get the prescribed tests done and obtain results of the same. The appellant will get all these tests done in the working week from 3.06.2024 [Monday] to 7.6.2024 [Friday] and then surrender on the weekend, i.e. 9.06.2024, said the plea. It added Kejriwal suffered substantial health deterioration during his custody from March 21 to May 10, partly due to the negligent behaviour of jail authorities. The plea said he has lost approximately 6-7 kilograms, which he has been unable to regain despite resuming his previous lifestyle. Moreover, recent medical tests revealed elevated blood glucose and ketone levels, suggesting potential kidney-related complications and damage, Kejriwal said. Despite these alarming health issues, the application said, Kejriwal has only managed to undergo a health check-up at home by a senior physician from Max Hospitals. Following this examination, the physician prescribed a series of comprehensive tests to assess Kejriwals health condition before his surrender. The application emphasised the importance of these tests, including whole-body PET-CT scans and Holter Monitor Tests, in diagnosing potential ailments such as kidney damage, cardiac irregularities, and even cancer. Early detection, it stressed, is crucial for preventing further progression of these diseases and mitigating associated risks to Kejriwals life. Referring to these pressing health concerns, Kejriwal sought an extension of his interim bail by a week to facilitate the completion of the prescribed tests and obtain their results. He assured the court of his compliance with all conditions of interim bail and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the political process. Further, the appellant undertakes to comply with any other conditions which this Honble Court deems fit to impose for the said extended period of one week. The Appellant once again expresses his deepest gratitude and bows down to the majesty of this Court for allowing him to participate in the political process. Another week of interim medical bail will allow the Appellant to take stock of his health complications in a holistic manner before submitting to the authority of the law, the plea said. The application is expected to be mentioned before a vacation bench led by Justice AS Oka on Tuesday by Kejriwals legal team for a hearing before June 2 when he must surrender. The court on May 10 granted Kejriwal temporary bail until June 1, rejecting the Enforcement Directorate (ED)s argument that his release for political campaigning would imply preferential treatment for politicians, and highlighting the significance of elections in a democracy. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe pertaining to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22. The Delhi high court nixed his challenge to the ED arrest on April 9. Kejriwal moved the Supreme Court, painting a picture of a politically motivated witch hunt orchestrated by the ruling BJP at the Centre and emphasising the wider implications of his arrest for democratic governance and the rule of law. Kejriwal was the third AAP leader to be arrested in the case. Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was arrested in the case in February 2023 and remains incarcerated. AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh was released on bail on April 2 after the Supreme Court asked the ED why Singh should be kept behind bars after serving six months in jail, considering that there does not appear to be any concrete evidence against him, and no money has been recovered linking him to the alleged money laundering offence. When the Supreme Court on May 16 heard Kejriwals petition challenging his ED arrest, it refuted EDs contention that granting him interim bail and agreeing to examine the legality of his arrest was an exceptional exercise. It emphasised that all individuals, irrespective of their status, are entitled to pursue the same legal recourse and remedies. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta maintained that the Constitution gave people the right to approach constitutional courts directly assailing arbitrary or illegal detention. It said the right to seek judicial review of an arrest are fundamental legal entitlement available to every citizen. The court on that day reiterated its May 10 order, clarifying that Kejriwal would have to surrender on June 2 after the completion of the 21-day interim bail granted to him for political campaigning. Our order is very clear. We have fixed a timeline and thats the direction of the apex court. If the rule of law is to be followed, it has to be followed in compliance with the order. And our order is very clear. We make it clear that we have not made any exception in favour of anyone when we passed this order [of interim bail], said the bench. The court was responding to a complaint by solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, highlighting a statement by Kejriwal on May 12 during his roadshows in Delhi that he would not have to go back to jail if Delhi chose to vote for the AAP. While Mehta compared Kejriwals statement to a slap on the system, the bench retorted that what the chief minister said could be his assumptions since the May 10 order of the court is very clear about the period of the temporary bail. During the hearing of this matter on May 17, ED informed the court that it has uncovered chats between Kejriwal and hawala operators, which the agency claims are crucial in linking the proceeds of crime in the Delhi excise policy case to the AAPs 2022 Goa election campaign and Kejriwals role in the conspiracy. This disclosure came on the same day the agency filed a fresh supplementary charge sheet in a Delhi trial court, naming Kejriwal and AAP as accused for the first time in the money laundering case related to the excise policy. On this day, the bench reserved its judgment on Kejriwals petition demanding invalidation of his arrest. The bench, during the hearings, delved into the sufficiency of evidence in Kejriwals case, besides raising key questions about the fairness of the investigative process and the weight accorded to exculpatory materials. The Supreme Court is closed for summer break and will reopen on July 8. While vacation benches continue sitting throughout the break, the verdict on Kejriwals petition is expected only after regular functioning resumes in July. It is significant to recall the legacy of Karunanidhi as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its leadership is faced with the twin challenges of transition from within and the political challenge from the Edappadi Palaniswami-led All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the desperate resistance from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from outside. There are emerging signs of the end of an era of Tamil Nadu politics being a twosome game between the DMK and AIADMK with BJP making rapid inroads into the party politics of Tamil Nadu. The existence of anti incumbency factor and an element of discontentment among its allies against the ruling DMK about its discriminatory and dominant seat sharing strategy vis-a-vis the Congress and other parties in the state cannot be overlooked despite the compulsions of common front against the BJP. There are many qualities of Karunanidhi that the current DMK leaders have to observe in order to overcome the dilemma and challenges facing the party in the future (File photo) There are many qualities of Karunanidhi that the current DMK leaders have to observe in order to overcome the dilemma and challenges facing the party in the future. Karunanidhi was both an engaging and energetic party-organisational man with remarkable communication skills. He was in charge of the election campaign for the Madras municipal corporation in 1959 and the DMK won 45 seats out of the 90 seats contested by the party even to the surprise of Anna and other leaders in the party. The Congress then refused to acknowledge the emergence of DMK and was stunned despite the denials. Though Karunanidhi gained the trust and confidence of Anna after the Madras municipal corporation elections in 1959 yet he was not among the top five leaders of the party. Five big leaders of DMK were CN Annadurai, EVK Sampath, R.Nedunzheiyen, KA Mathiyazhagan and Satyavanimuthu. Karunanidhi was ranked below NV Natarajan who was considered as one among the top leadership of the DMK. Read Here: DMK releases Lok Sabha poll manifesto, makes promises related to governors post It was believed that Karunanidhi plotted the divide between Anna and EVKSampath and the scope for reconciliation was hardened by his tactics leaving Anna sad and inconsolable at the departure of EVK Sampath. In February 1969, Karunanidhi emerged as a Trojan horse surprise candidate against Nedunzheiyen, who was considered as an erudite scholar, intellect, brilliant orator, suave politician and well-known leader as well as a pronounced successor acknowledged by Anna himself. What more? But Karunanidhis ability to convince leaders like Mathiyazhagan, Satyavanimuthu, MG Ramachandran (MGR), Periyar and Rajaji besides the silent party-political networking with the district secretaries turned the tables against the foregone choice of Nadunzheiyan as the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu after CN Annadurai. What distinguished Karunanidhi from Nedunzheiyen was his ability to engage the party leaders and cadres as well as the potential for outreach with the masses. This was one of the most underrated political coups in Indian politics and the political history of Tamil Nadu. It is thisnever say die attitude combined with the qualities of shrewd maneuvers, determination and tenacity helped him to carve his own future than being at the mercy of destiny. He created his own destiny. Karunanidhis political grit and organizational acumen served him well even during the most challenging times faced by him personally and the party. The simmering feud between Karunanidhi and MGR peaked in October 1972 resulting in the split of DMK and the establishment of Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) under the charismatic leadership of MGR. It was attributed openly by many that DMK would not even have enough volunteers to stick wall posters because of the large fan following MGR had and the role of MGR fan club in the success story of the DMKs rise to power. There was also a visible shift in the women vote bank after the split. Though Karunanidhi could never wrest the power back from MGR until his death in December 1987 yet he never lost the momentum or quest for a valiant fight as well as preserve the organizational dynamism of the party. Read Here | Udhayanidhi Stalin responds to BJP's 'nepotism' barb: 'I agree that DMK is...' Karunanidhi and the DMK at large were more than stunned by the departure of V Gopalsamy (Vaiko) in November 1993 along with the majority district secretaries and the strong youth contingent. This was at a time when the tide of support for Tamil Eelam was high in Tamil Nadu. Karunanidhi waited for the winds of change and restored the organisational strength of the party with a game of wait and watch although party was almost shaken at the roots and swept by the storm of resistance demonstrated by Vaiko. Karunanidhi dared to challenge Indira Gandhi and the Congress during the period of national emergency and was equally baffled at the outcome of the March 1977 parliamentary elections in Tamil Nadu with 34 seats out of 39 going in favour of the Congress (I), the AIADMK and the Communist Party of India (CPI). The results were confounding and made him ponder as the overall national trend revealed of the Congress (I) being voted out of power with great enthusiasm in the rest of the country. He understood the voting behavior of the masses because of the Congress (I) and AIADMK alliance rather than undermining peoples to the national emergency and the excesses committed during that period. Karunanidhi was adept in making complex choices as revealed in two specific circumstances. Firstly, almost back to back after the success of DMK in the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu in 1967, Karunandhi made a shrewd alliance with the Congress (I) led by Indira Gandhi to fight the assembly and parliamentary elections in 1971 with remarkable performance by exploiting the divisions within the Congress and the polarization between the Congress (I) and Congress (O). In another occasion, Karunanidhi joined hands with the BJP before 1999 parliamentary elections after Jayalalitha walked out of the BJP alliance and the government at the centre in 1998. Though DMK continues to attribute the opportunistic decision to the democratic credentials of Vajpayee yet it was the Jayalalitha factor that convinced Karunanidhi for an alliance with the BJP despite the strong ideological contradictions between the DMK and BJP. The relationship between the DMK and BJP ended before the 2004 parliamentary elections. But the process of transition ensured that Jayalalitha could never make a comeback at the centre after her litmus decision in 1998 and the DMK enjoyed the uninterrupted reign in power at the centre from 1999 to 2014, for almost 15 years. This was also a period when corruption, ideological decay, family rule and the succession drama came to the fore in the party. (Prof Ramu Manivannan is a scholar-academic-social activist in areas of education, human rights and sustainable development through an initiative Multiversity. He is currently the Special Community Scholar at the Institute of Comparative and Regional Studies (ICRS) at the University of Denver, Colorado, USA.) Abdul Malik Mohammed Yunus Isa, the former mayor of Maharashtra's Malegaon city and a prominent leader of Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party, was shot at by two unidentified assailants in Nashik district on Monday morning. AIMIM leader and former Malegaon mayor Abdul Malik (Twitter) According to the police, the incident took place around 1:20 am when Malik was sitting outside a shop on the Old Agra Road. Two people on a motorbike allegedly fired three rounds at the AIMIM leader. Malik was rushed to a nearby hospital, where his condition is said to be stable, reported news agency PTI. Reportedly, he suffered wounds on his chest and leg. The police have registered a case against the two unidentified persons under relevant Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 307 (attempt to murder). However, no arrests have been made so far. Further investigation is underway, the police said. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the attack was a conspiracy and urged Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and the police to take immediate steps. AIMIM Malegaon president & former mayor Abdul Malik was shot thrice last night. He has been taken to Nashik for treatment. I spoke to his brother Dr. Khalid on phone. We stand firmly with Abdul Maliks family. @mieknathshinde @DGPMaharashtra must take immediate steps. This is a conspiracy and the murderers should be arrested as soon as possible, he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. In February this year, AIMIM leader Abdul Salam was shot dead by unidentified assailants shot dead in Bihars Gopalganj district. The incident took place when Salam, who unsuccessfully contested the by-poll to the Gopalganj assembly seat in November 2022, was on his way to catch a train when four assailants on two motorcycles fired on him as he was riding a pillion with a relative. Salam was the second AIMIM leader to be shot dead within a few months. In December, AIMIM's district president from Bihar's Siwan was shot dead in the state. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday objected to Narendra Modi being dubbed as a prime minister and not a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the party's campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said she will not be able to attend the June 1 INDIA bloc meeting.(Samir Jana/HT Photo) Modiji has every right to campaign. He has every right to come here and participate in election programmes. But I am surprised to see him being referred to as the PM in his party's campaign advertisements, Banerjee was quoted as saying by PTI during a campaign in the Kolkata Uttar constituency. ALSO READ: Only guarantee is Narendra Modi not returning to power, says Mamata Banerjee "Can he do this? I am being referred to as TMC chairperson by my campaign managers and by my party here even though it is not assembly polls. Still, I am adhering to the model code of conduct," the Trinamool Congress chief added, a day before Modi's scheduled roadshow in the state capital. Referring to Modi as the "caretaker PM", Banerjee asserted that the BJP will not return to power for a third term and the INDIA bloc will form the government at the Centre. The chief minister expressed her regret on not being able to attend the crucial INDIA bloc meeting on June 1, citing the seventh phase of general elections in Bengal. "The INDIA bloc has fixed the meeting for June 1. However, with voting in my state on that day, I informed them I can't attend. Elections are also scheduled in other states like UP and Bihar," she explained. ALSO READ: Mamata Banerjee announces post-Lok Sabha elections plan for INDIA bloc, says BJP sowing division among communities to gain votes: Mamata Continuing her attack on the BJP, Mamata asked the people not to fall for any communal rift trap set by the BJP. "If part of my speech is clipped and shown to make me appear anti-religion, it hurts. At a recent meeting on our development initiatives, I said listing all our initiatives would take more time than reading religious books. Most of that speech was chopped off to give the impression I disrespected religion, which was then made viral to show me as anti-God," she clarified. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "opposition performing mujra for vote bank" remark, saying that the PM was doing disco dance with China when the latter's troops reportedly captured around 2,000 square kilometres of the Indian territory. Asaduddin Owaisi and PM Narendra Modi(File) Mujra for their vote bank: PM Modi in attack on Opposition The Hyderabad MP shared a snippet of an election rally he addressed in Bihar's Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday and recalled the prime minister's words in the same region last week when he had accused the opposition of performing 'mujra' for Muslims engaging in "vote jihad". "@narendramodi Ji, you talked about Mujra, so Asaduddin Owaisi wants to ask you that for the last 3 years, China has occupied 2 thousand square kilometers of Indian land, Modi ji, you are not removing China, so were you doing Disco Dancing with China?" the post read. "Is this the type of language the prime minister should use? Does Modi think we do not have mouth to speak? (humaare munh mein zabaan nahin hai kya)," Owaisi said. Lok Sabha elections 2024: From mujra to types of soldiers, 5 remarks that sparked controversy "The Citizenship (Amendment) Act was brought to disenfranchise Muslims and Modi kept doing Bhangra on the issue. Also, at Dharm Sansad (Hindu congregations) all sorts of offensive remarks are made about Muslims, especially our mothers and sisters. But Modi has been content doing Bharatnatyam on the issue," he said. His remarks came days after PM Modi attacked the INDIA bloc over the reservations issue and accused it of doing "slavery" and "mujra" for the Muslim vote bank. "I am giving the guarantee to Bihar, SC, ST, OBC communities, till Modi is alive, I will not let them snatch away their rights. For Modi, the Constitution is supreme, for Modi, Babasaheb Ambedkar's sentiments are supreme... if the INDI alliance wants to accept the servitude of their vote bank, they are free to do so...if they want to perform mujra (dance), they are free to do... I will still stand with the SC, ST, and OBC reservations staunchly. Jb tak jaan hai ladta rahunga," he said. Priyanka Gandhi hits out at PM Modi for mujra remark Several opposition leaders, including Congress' Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, NC's Farooq Abdullah, and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, expressed their sharp criticism of Modi's remark saying that no prime minister has ever used such terms for Opposition leaders in the history of the country. A total of 57 parliamentary constituencies across eight states and Union territories will vote on June 1 in the last phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Several key candidates, including PM Narendra Modi (Varanasi), Ravi Shankar Prasad (Patna Sahib), Kangana Ranaut (Mandi), and Abhishek Banerjee (Diamond Harbour), are in the fray in the last phase. The India Meteorological Department announced on Monday that the weather conditions will likely become favourable for the onset of the monsoon over Kerala within the next five days. Monsoon withdrawal in this region is usually announced by IMD when there is no rain for four to five days in a row and an anti-cyclonic movement starts to form over the region, along with drop in humidity. (Keshav Singh/HT) Additionally, the monsoon is expected to advance into more parts of the South Arabian Sea, the remaining parts of the Maldives and Comorin area, parts of the Lakshadweep area and Kerala, further parts of the Southwest and Central Bay of Bengal, the Northeast Bay of Bengal, and some parts of the Northeastern states during the same period, IMD added. ALSO READ- Severe cyclone Remal leaves trail of destruction; 2 killed IMD weather forecast for this week Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) expected over Kerala & Mahe, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim from May 27- 31. Isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) expected over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema, and Karnataka on May 27. ALSO READ- Goa summer rush: Tourists pack beaches to beat heat wave before monsoon shutdown Strong surface winds (25-35 kmph) expected over Gujarat on May 27 and 28. Isolated to scattered light rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) expected over Uttarakhand from May 27-31. Similar conditions expected over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh on May 30-31. ALSO READ- IMD predicts monsoon arrival in Mumbai likely around June 10-11 Heat wave warning According to IMD, heat wave conditions to prevail in: Rajasthan: Widespread severe heat wave conditions from May 27-29, with gradual reduction afterward. Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi: Many areas to remain affected from May 27-29 with asevere heat wave . West Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh: Isolated to some areas to reel under severe heat wave from May 27-29. Heat wave conditions expected in the Western Himalayan Region, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh for the next 3 days, with a reduction likely thereafter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hit out those opposing the crackdown on politicians facing corruption allegations and accused the so-called 'Khan Market gang' of creating fake narratives to protect these individuals from legal action. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mirzapur on Sunday. (ANI) In an interview with IANS, Modi claimed that, unlike previous administrations, his government is cracking down on big fish of corruption rackets instead of the small players. "The same people who earlier cried foul over no action on big players have started crying hoarse about it," Modi was quoted as saying by IANS. Read: 'Modi doing disco with China': Asaduddin Owaisi on PM's mujra remark at opposition Modi pointed out the irony that the same critics who previously lamented the lack of action against high-profile corrupt individuals are now protesting these very actions. "The same people who demanded that Sonia Gandhi be put behind bars are crying hoarse over action against corruption," PM Modi said, in an apparent reference to the Aam Aadmi Party and its leaders. Read: PM Modi reacts to Pakistan leader's support for Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal: Requires probe The opposition parties have been alleging misuse of probe agencies by the Modi government to crack down on the opposition voices. Modi, however, stressed that he has no role to play in the action against corrupt leaders and said the independent investigative agencies are responsible for apprehending the accused and the judiciary determines their trial and conviction. "Before the 2019 elections, we were questioned over our stand and action on graft and why the government was not quick on punishing the perpetrators. Our outright response was that Independent agencies will act against them and it will be done based on facts. Officials worked hard to gather the facts and today, big players are being caught and brought to justice," Modi said. Read: 'When ED will question...': Rahul Gandhi jabs PM Modi over sent by god remark Several opposition leaders, including former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, were put behind bars over corruption allegations. Kejriwal is out on interim bail to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has asked the states and Union territories to implement the Holistic Progress Card (HPC) under the National Education Policy 2020 for a multidimensional progress monitoring of students up to class 8 this year, officials familiar with the matter said. The NCERT and the Central Board of Secondary Education conducted a pilot of HPC in select schools last year. (HT PHOTO/Representative) PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), a national assessment centre under the NCERT, has developed the progress card for the foundational stage of classes 1 and 2), the preparatory stage of classes 3 to 5, and middle stage of classes 6 to 8. HPC takes into account feedback from peers, parents, and self-assessment of students to track their progress in different domains throughout the year. The NCERT and the Central Board of Secondary Education conducted a pilot of HPC in select schools last year. The progress card is a comprehensive assessment of children throughout the year, said Indrani Bhaduri, CEO of PARAKH. It will document his or her achievements in different domains, including physical, socio-emotional, literacy, studies, and others, in a year. We are advocating it for all schools, she said. Many private schools have approached PARAKH for training their teachers. The card will also form an important link between the home and school and will be accompanied by parent-teacher meetings to actively involve parents in their childrens holistic education and development. PARAKH has so far trained faculty from the state councils of educational research and training, teachers from all the district institutes of education and training, and 100 teachers from each state as master trainers. There are around one crore [10 million] teachers and to reach all these teachers will take time, Bhaduri said. Now, states have to train their teachers with the help of these master trainers. PARAKH is working on digitising the progress cards, she said, adding that the council is presently working on the framework for classes 9 to 12 as well. Many states have started translating HPC into their regional languages. The Hindi translation has been done by Haryana, Chandigarh, and Chhattisgarh. Maharashtra is also doing it in Marathi, Bhaduri said. HPC is progressive but will take time to implement, a Haryana school education department official said. It will need a lot of teachers training and awareness among parents. We will have to implement HPC in a staggered manner, said the official. On May 13th, Sam Altman posted one word through his X account: her. The word was tweeted by the OpenAI CEO to announce the release of the companys new multimodal AI model, GPT-4o, that could interact with humans through voice, camera, and text. In the companys online live-telecast of the announcement the same day, one of the AI voices named Sky was charming and flirty in its responses, ready to please the companys executives with whom it talked. Skys intonation and personality also sounded like the sultry AI voice in a film called Her, portrayed by actress Scarlett Johansson (REUTERS) Skys intonation and personality also sounded like the sultry AI voice in a film called Her, portrayed by actress Scarlett Johansson. A 2013 iconic movie by director Spike Jonze, Her starred Johanssons voice as an AI personal assistant who forms a relationship with actor Joaquin Phoenixs lonely character. Its a tragic story about loneliness, love, and human emotion. Its also a film that Altman has constantly mentioned as one of his favourite renditions of how AI can interact with humans. A week after the tweet, Johansson posted a public statement accusing OpenAI of consciously, without permission, copying her voice to make the AI model Sky sound like her. She mentioned that Altman had approached her in September 2023 and then again two days before the launch of the multimodal AI model to license her voice, something she had refused. The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johanssons, said Altman in a counter statement on May 20th, adding that the company cast a voice actor for Sky before any outreach to Johansson. Though OpenAI paused the use of Sky, the damage was done. Can AI Give You Compensation or Credit? For more than a decade, Big Tech has been developing generative AI by feeding these models data from the World Wide Web, all of it gathered without permission or consent. It then analyses it and regurgitates logical, contextual answers. Most of the technology leaders, like Altman, want to see the culmination of this technology: An idea called Artificial General Intelligence or AGI, a machine that can respond, interact, learn, and think like humans, trained on data created by humans. According to estimates by MarketsandMarkets, a market research publisher, the projected AI market size is expected to reach a staggering $407 billion by 2027. But today, these models regurgitate synthetic content without compensation, consent, or credit to any of us. For the profit of a few corporations. The question of compensation is something top media companies are already working on. Last year, media companies like CNN, The New York Times, and Reuters coded their platforms to stop AI bots from OpenAI or Google from crawling their websites and learning from the content they create. The muscle-flexing helped as the ever data-hungry AI companies are now partnering with media companies to license their data for AI training. Recently, OpenAI and NewsCorp signed a content deal valued at over $250 million. Media organisations across the world might be able to adopt this method to generate revenue for their content. What the Johansson-versus-OpenAI dispute has done is highlight how AI can use intellectual property, copyrighted material, and even imitate individuals without permission, credit, or payment. If a popular beloved actress like Johanssons cadence can be so readily copied by tech companies, what chance do creative individuals stand? The independent bloggers who run websites, the influencers, the small mom-and-pop stores of digital content who cannot get SEO leads anymore but arent big enough to sign a deal with a tech company? Synthetic Media Requires Consent It doesnt help that AI technology is advancing at a much faster scale than policymakers can understand. Were already in the new era of multimodal AI. These tools can recreate anyones voice or video likeness in minutes. With two minutes of Prime Minister Narendra Modis audio, for example, you can recreate a synthetic voice of him in any language that says anything. While the potential of digital identity theft, financial fraud, and scams has just increased, synthetic media also threatens personal privacy and consent. Synthetic video and audio with and without consent were prolifically used in Indias election campaigning. It was useful for politicians who wanted to outreach to their varied vote banks in their dialects and languages. On the other hand, synthetic videos of Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh and Aamir Khan were created to campaign politically, without their consent. Governments are already working on protecting citizens from the onslaught of AI. In April, the UN with more than 120 member nations adopted a global resolution on artificial intelligence that asks countries to safeguard human rights, protect personal data, and monitor AI for risks. Each piece of text, photo, audio, and video that AI is generating today was churned by training AI models on publicly available media on the web created by real people. Someones hard work. Someones sweat. Someones copyright. Someones voice. In the film Her, Johanssons character Samantha leaves the human, citing that it has learned everything there was from humans. Would we, the humans, also be left behind by AI? How much likeness does an AI voice need to have to a human for them to file a lawsuit? How do you define AIs uses and restrict its abuses? This technology has put all of us in a new, strange world. What we make of it, and how we rage against the AI machines, is on us, the humans, and perhaps the lawmakers that represent us. The owner of the neonatal hospital in Vivek Vihar, where six newborns died in a fire, ran a string of facilities in Delhi and was pulled up several times by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) over glaring regulatory lapses, showed official documents, as investigations revealed a pattern of violations that culminated in Saturday nights tragedy. Police underscored that the hospital gutted on Saturday did not have a licence, was packed beyond its authorised capacity, stored more oxygen cylinders than it was allowed, its doctors were not qualified for neonatal care, and the building had neither emergency exits nor fire extinguishers. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo) The health regulator in 2018 moved court against Naveen Khichi for illegally operating a paediatric hospital in Vivek Vihar Block B, metres away from the facility in Block C that erupted in flames on Saturday, showed DGHS documents. Then, in 2019, DGHS found that he had continued to operate a hospital he owned in Paschim Puri, despite the agency scrapping its licence over rule violations. But that facility stayed open for years, flying in the face of the censure, before it was issued a licence in 2022. It then hurriedly shut its doors on Sunday night as outrage against Khichi swelled. Meanwhile, Delhi Police interrogated Khichi (42) and Akash Singh (26), the ayurveda doctor who was inexplicably on duty at Baby Care New Born Hospital when the fire broke out, after a local court remanded the two in three days police custody. Mondays findings add to a litany of regulatory malpractices by Khichi that also underline a series of failures by the state administration. Experts said they also pointed to severe negligence in the establishment and operation of facilities for newborns, especially low-cost ones, which do brisk business due to the steep expenses associated with higher-end hospitals. Police underscored that the hospital gutted on Saturday did not have a licence, was packed beyond its authorised capacity, stored more oxygen cylinders than it was allowed, its doctors were not qualified for neonatal care, and the building had neither emergency exits nor fire extinguishers. Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj acknowledged the violations and said the state government has issued instructions to chief medical officers across the city to inspect hospitals in their jurisdiction and prevent a rerun of the Vivek Vihar accident. Officers involved in the investigation said Khichis run-ins with regulatory trouble go back several years. He ran five hospitals at one point in Vivek Vihar B and C blocks, Paschim Puri, Faridabad and Gurugram, said a Delhi Police officer. The facility in Vivek Vihar B Block was shut after legal trouble, and the ones in Faridabad and Gurugram were closed after they failed to recoup costs. HT on Monday accessed a report that showed his hospitals in Vivek Vihar B Block and Paschim Puri were embroiled in litigation. Delhi hospital fire: Baby care centre owner, doctor on duty during blaze, sent to police custody In 2018, the DGHSs nursing home cell conducted an inspection at the former and found it had not been issued a registration by the Delhi health department. Khichi was then booked under the Delhi Nursing Home Registration Act. DGHS also moved the Karkardooma court against him for endangering lives, showed the documents. Khichis application for a licence in January 2018 was rejected, said an officer, adding that the facility was packed beyond capacity and was spread over too small a space. This facility was eventually shut down. In 2019, an inspection at his Paschim Puri hospital found it was operating illegally as well, despite its approval requests being turned down. The registration of this nursing home being cancelled by this Directorate (in 2018-19), the keeper (Khichi) continued nursing home activities, said the report. DGHS then moved the Tis Hazari court against Khichi in 2020. Delhi baby hospital fire tragedy: Grieving parents recall horror, demand justice Around the same time, said the report, Khichi filed a complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Khichi accused DGHS of targeting him because of his caste. The commission asked the officer named in the complaint for a response, but did not summon him again. The court concluded that it was a motivated complaint by Khichi that was not backed up by facts, said an officer aware of the court proceedings. No action was taken in the case and Khichi did not approach the commission again. This hospital, however, operated without a licence, admitting and treating babies with impunity and no administrative intervention for four years. It was eventually issued a three-year licence in 2022. However, the hospital shuttered overnight on Sunday, as staff scrambled to evade police. The Paschim Puri hospital was shut on Sunday and its patients were asked to leave, said an officer. Health minister Bharadwaj said he expected the courts verdict against the illegal hospitals soon. Delhi baby hospital fire: Disaster officials asked for fire-risk audit last week The owner of this hospital runs another similar hospital in Paschim Puri. Cases have been registered against him twice in different incidents. These cases are going on against him in Karkardooma Court and Tis Hazari Court, he said in a statement. It is expected that soon the court will give its verdict against the owner of this nursing home in these cases and he will be given a severe punishment, Bharadwaj added. Experts, however, said that the absence of governmental intervention allowed such illegal operations to mushroom and flourish. There is no room for short-cuts when we are dealing with lives of people. The hospital is most definitely to be blamed but the responsibility equally rests with the government as the regulatory authority lies with them. Its their job to check these kinds of lapses, said Dr Yatin Mehta, chairman of the institute of critical care and anesthesiology at Medanta Hospital. Bharadwaj said the government has stepped up action to avert such disasters. Read Here | Delhi Hospital fire: Expired license, no emergency exits in the baby centre, reveals police We have issued instructions to all CDMOs (chief district medical officers) to conduct random inspections of all private hospitals and nursing homes in their respective areas and keep checking the adequate arrangements to deal with accidents, he said. Meanwhile, the police investigation revealed that Khichi largely employed ayurvedic practitioners to take care of newborns. An officer said Khichi would attend to most of the patients by himself. He also was in touch with popular nursing homes who would send premature babies to his centre, said the officer, who asked not to be named. Another officer, who also asked not to be named, said, Khichi and Singh are the only ones to know how the fire broke out. Singh was on duty when the fire broke out. Police also said that there were around 15 staffers at the centre who have been identified and traced. Nurses, attendants, doctors and helpers were at the centre. They will be questioned and their qualifications checked. The health departments rules say the staffers must have certain qualifications. However, the doctors are not qualified and are ayurvedic practitioners. So, we are checking others as well. We also found that many of them were well aware of the violation at the centre but continued working, said an officer. Police also said the five injured babies have been shifted from East Delhi Advanced NICU hospital to Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsayala. There have been many changes in the Parliament complex security system after the Central Industrial Security Force was given the responsibility by the home ministry two week ago, which include a doubling of personnel and scanning and frisking done by UN certified staff, according to officials familiar with the development. Security personnel in Parliament complex. (HT File) There are two components of 3,317 sanctioned personnel at Parliament. Almost 2,900 have taken charge. One component is the armed one, which is posted to thwart any terror attack or movement of infiltrators. They are armed and in their uniform, a senior officer said, asking not to be named. The others, who are frisking visitors or monitoring the baggage scanners, are wearing safari suits. They will be interacting with the visitors. Earlier, there were 1,400 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force posted to deal with forced intrusion or terror attacks. The watchtowers and perimeter patrolling they used to conduct are now done by the CISF. The baggage counters were earlier manned by Delhi police personnel, who were assisted by the Parliamentary Security Service. The PSS is still assisting the CISF in the new scheme of things. All the CISF personnel on frisking and baggage scanning duty are those who have been certified by International Civil Aviation Organisation, the United Nations specialised agency that provides support for aviation security across member countries, a second officer said, seeking anonymity. Each have undergone two weeks of a certificate course. The armed component are those who have served in the Special Protection Group (SPG) and National Security Guard (NSG). The SPG is the countrys elite agency that oversees the Prime Ministers security. The NSG is Indias counter terror unit used only in exceptional circumstances such as in 2008 during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and the terror attacks at the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot (CHECK) in 2016. In December last year, a massive security breach took place at the Parliament complex. On the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack on December 13, 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 chambers during Zero Hour. The home ministry ordered a security review, based on which the CISF was tasked to secure the Parliament complex. Akin to the pattern followed at airports, those on frisking and baggage duty will be rotated in 25 minutes to avoid laxity. Like the airports, visitors (not parliamentarians) will have to take off their shoes and wallets and pass it through the scanner. This was not done before. Delhi police were not mandated to check shoes or ask visitors to remove it. That is also why those intruders sneaked the canisters in their custom-made shoes with large wedges. But this is now part of the new system, the first official said. The staff of the PSS will continue to help the CISF personnel at access control areas till further orders. If the PSS is removed completely from access control, then some form of training will have to be imparted to the CISF because it will be difficult for anyone to recognise each parliamentarian, the officer said. The changes also include having the CISFs fire unit inside the complex. The force has a separate fire unit, which provides fire cover to 104 installations across India. Earlier, the fire fighting services was provided by Delhi Fire Services. After results of the parliamentary polls are declared on June 4 and a new government takes over, and ahead of the monsoon session, the number of CISF personnel is likely to increase. When house is in session, Delhi police personnel will continue to man the roads, but the security inside will be with CISF, the second officer said. The PSS is in touch with the CISF and the number of additional people at each access control area is being worked out. On Saturday night, Payal Kapadias All we Imagine as Light boldly went where no Indian film had gone before. Not only was it the first Indian film in the competition at Cannes in thirty years after Shaji Karuns Swaham (1994) it also took home the Grand Prix. From left: Divya Prabha, Payal Kapadia, Chhaya Kadam and Kani Kusruti after winning the Grand Prix for All We Imagine as Light in Cannes on Saturday. (AFP) Chetan Anands Neecha Nagar had shared the Grand Prix but that was before Independence, in 1946. Kapadias film has broken new ground in more ways than one. For a country that is movie crazy and produces almost a thousand films a year, the impact it makes on the international festival circuit is trivial. It is pertinent to note here that all the new Indian feature films at Cannes this year Santosh, Sister Midnight, The Shameless (directed by Konstantin Bojanov, a Bulgarian film maker), In Retreat and All We Imagine as Light were international co-productions. It seems like it is difficult to break through in the global festival circuit without international backing. But be that as it may, this moment belongs to Payal Kapadia and her team; to Anusuya Sengupta who won Best Actress for The Shameless in the Un Certain Regard; and Chidananda Naik whose short film Sunflowers Were the First to Know won the first prize and Manasi Maheshwaris Bunnyhood that won the third prize in the La Cinef section (for film school films and animation films). The common thread that binds them is that they are all alumni of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), an institute that is often roiled by controversy. But this is something that the organization can justly be proud of. Kapadias film was pitted against some of the biggest names in the world of cinema. There was Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Schrader, Jia Zhang-ke, Yorgos Lanthomis, Paolo Sorrentino and more. There was also Mohammed Rasalouf, the Iranian film maker who literally crossed mountains to escape from a repressive regime to make it to Cannes. Any debutant filmmaker would be over the moon to be mentioned in the same league as those illustrious names. But cinema is a great leveler; it doesnt matter if you are a great auteur, the audience judges you by your latest offering. When the lights came on at the Grand Theatre Lumiere after the screening of All we Imagine as Light to a thunderous eight-minute standing ovation, it was clear as daylight that the film would not go empty-handed. It was not just the ovation that gave an indication of what was to come, but the film itself was clearly a few notches above several others in its theme, craft and storytelling. The international press gave it glowing reviews: Will this magical ode to nocturnal Mumbai win the Palme dOr? asked the BBC; Dreamlike and gentle modern Mumbai tale is a triumph, said Peter Bradshaw writing for The Guardian; and the Variety headline said, A glowing portrait of urban connection and unexpected sisterhood. It was clear that the film was going to create history, with or without the top prize. Even though the story is set in Mumbai and is a tribute to the city itself, the manner in which it connects universally is the biggest triumph of the film. Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha play two nurses from Kerala, living in Mumbai where we also see the monsoon, the local trains, and the quintessential elements of the city in all their glory. Chhaya Kadam (who is on a roll this year with films like Laapataa Ladies, Madgaon Express and Sister Midnight besides this film) plays a widow working in the hospital canteen who is facing eviction because her late husband didnt leave any property documents behind. Without papers, one just vanishes into thin air, she says, and the reference to kagaz is clearly not only about property papers. If the first half is about the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, the second half is set in the sylvan surroundings of Ratnagiri on the Konkan coast, where the three women converge. The film is like a room where everything is beautifully arranged, or a complex physics equation that is explained in the simplest manner; you can see the complexities of life, and Kapadia puts it across in the most gentle, sympathetic and understanding manner. The actress Vicky Krieps, who won Best Actress at Cannes for Corsage in 2022, said that it was one of the most poetic films she had seen in a while and was visibly moved after the screening. Poetic is a word that is often associated with Kapadias short films as well, particularly Afternoon Clouds, which made it to Cannes in 2017 followed by And What Is The Summer Saying which is also set in Maharashtra. Her documentary on student unrest at FTII, A Night of Knowing Nothing, won the LOeil dor (Golden Eye) at Cannes in 2021. When Viola Davis came on stage to announce the award, she said, Art doesnt come from a safe space. It is a double whammy: making a film is difficult enough, but to put up a fight to make one is another thing. When the Japanese auteur, Hirokazu Koreeda declared the winner, history was made. Kapadia gave the most gracious speech, and spoke about sisterhood. This film is about friendship, about three very different women. Oftentimes, women are pitted against each other. This is the way our society is designed and it is really unfortunate. But for me, friendship is a very important relationship because it can lead to greater solidarity, inclusivity and empathy, she said with Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam elegantly dressed in sarees on stage with her. It was a big moment for them as well because they are not mainstream actresses, and dont grab eyeballs the way stars do. But Payal Kapadias triumph at Cannes may still not free her from her troubles back home. As Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty said on Facebook, Payal who is accused number 25 in a case filed against students for agitating against then FTII chairman Gajendra Chauhan, will have to go to court on June 26 for the next hearing. Perhaps that is what Davis meant about art not coming from a safe space. But all those who try to crush dissent should pay heed to what Bob Dylan said Come mothers and fathers throughout the land/ And dont criticize what you cant understand/ your sons and your daughters are beyond your command/ Your old road is rapidly agin / Please get out of the new one if you cant lend your hand/ For the times they are a-changin A young woman with a powerhouse of talented ladies brought home the Grand Prix the times are indeed changin. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress are getting support from across the border, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, in a fresh attack on members of the opposition INDIA bloc. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mirzapur on Sunday. (ANI) On a day that the PM addressed three rallies Ghosi, Deoria and Mirzapur in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, Modi attacked the two parties for allegedly wanting to turn the countrys majority community into second-class citizens by rewriting the Constitution to provide reservations on the basis of religion. In Pakistan, duas (prayers) are being made for the INDI alliance of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress. Jihadis across the border are supporting them. The SP and the Congress are making an appeal for vote jihad, Modi said at the rally in Deoria. This (INDIA bloc) group is saying that if they come to power, they will reimpose Article 370 in Kashmir. They will repeal the CAA (Citizenship (Amendment) Act) which gives citizenship to the victims of Partition. Whose agenda is this... this is what these anti-India forces want? he said. Hitting out at the bloc, Prime Minister Modi claimed the INDI jamaat has been abusing him for his opposition to reservation on the basis of religion. Referring to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Prime Minister said people from across the world are visiting it for a darshan of Ram Lalla. But those of the SP and the Congress rejected the invitation for the temples consecration ceremony, Modi said. They pretend to go to temples during elections. But these people started abusing the Ram temple when such a grand festival (consecration ceremony) of our faith came after 500 years. These people were angry with the construction of the Ram temple, he said. The opposition has three big conspiracies, the PM said. First, the people of INDI alliance will change the Constitution and write in it afresh that reservations should be given on the basis of religion in India. Second, these INDI people will end the reservation given to SC, ST, OBC. Third, they will give the entire reservation to Muslims on the basis of religion, Modi said in Ghosi. The opposition has alleged that if voted to power for a third term, BJP-led NDA will rewrite the Constitution to do away with reservations. Modi went on to add, Today, the SP, Congress and the INDI people want to make the majority community in India second-class citizens. He also branded the bloc as communal and casteist, and targetted the SP, saying people associated with it have a chhatees ka ankara (animosity) with law and order. The SP used to release captured terrorists and its government used to suspend police officials for catching terrorist, Modi said and added that the party kept Purvanchal backward under a conspiracy. During the SP government, mafias had built palaces on public land. But since Yogi Adityanath has come (as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh) the environment has changed. Now, the acche din (good days) of mafias are over. Houses of the poor are being built in place of their palaces. This is the difference between the BJP and the INDI alliance, he said at the rally in Mirzapur, from where Union minister and Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel is seeking re-election as an NDA candidate. Modi alleged that the families of the SP and the Congress had their dynastic mindset to turn Purvanchal into a region of mafia, poverty and helplessness. I want to remind you that in 2012, the SP in its manifesto had stated that Muslims should get reservation equal to that of Dalits. The INDI jamaat wants to change the Constitution for this. When I ask them (about reservation) they abuse Modi, he said, adding he is opposing reservation on the basis of religion. The people of the Purvanchal region will punish them for these, he said. The region send 13 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Polling for all 13 seats Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Robertsganj will be held in the last phase of the elections on June 1. In the 2019 elections, the NDA won 11 of the 13 seats. While the BJP won nine, its ally Apna Dal (S) led by Union minister Anupriya Patel won two seats. INDIA bloc constituents Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress failed to win any seat in the region. Modi also alleged that the Congress created roadblocks for countries that wanted to purchase the BrahMos missiles. There has been a demand for these in many countries but the Congress does not like it. Many countries wanted to purchase the BrahMos but the Congress government created hurdles because the INDI people do not want India to become self-reliant in the defence sector, Modi said. The Prime Minister said, The day is not far when BrahMos missiles will also be made in Uttar Pradesh. Referring to previous poll manifestos of the SP and the Congress, Modi said, In 2012 (assembly polls), the SP had clearly written in its manifesto that the reservation that Babasaheb gave to Dalits, similar reservation will be given to Muslims. The Congress declared educational establishments as minority institutions and gave reservation to Muslims there, he said. Before 2014, the Congress changed the law overnight to declare schools, colleges and universities as minority institutions. They declared thousands of educational institutions as minority institutions. Earlier, the reservation SC, ST and OBC students were getting there was completely ended and Muslims got reservation, Modi said. What can be a bigger betrayal than this of the sons and daughters of Dalits, backward tribals? Modi asked and added that the INDIA bloc wants to take back the country by several decades. The prime minister said when Modi openly exposes them (opposition), they raise slogans of digging Modis grave. They issue fatwas of vote jihad against Modi but as long as Modi has the protective shield of mothers and sisters of the country and the blessings of all of you, no one can do any harm to Modi, he said. External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday emphasised the need for India to have a strong and decisive leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the present decade as global turbulence shows no signs of abating. External affairs minister S Jaishankar at the Benares Club in Varanasi on Sunday. Push the right button for the Modi guarantee, Jaishankar said while addressing a large gathering at Benaras Club in Varanasi. The minister is among the big guns deployed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the constituency, with party president Jagat Prakash Nadda and Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal landing on Sunday and home minister Amit Shah slated to arrive on Monday evening to ensure that PM Modi wins the seat again by a record margin. Jaishankar pitched for Modis third term as PM, saying that domestic achievements of India in the past decade have been the main reason why the country is globally respected. Follow full coverage of Lok Sabha elections 2024 You need a leader who balances Bharat First with Vasudev Kutumbkum and only then India can be Vishwabandhu we have done 36 plurilaterals and we have shown we can balance America and Russia, Iran and Israel, G-7 and the Global South, Jaishankar said. He said India under Modi in the past five years has met the challenges arising out of the Ukraine war, the Chinese army transgression on the LAC, cross-border terrorism, the Covid pandemic and abrogation of Article 370. To enhance national security, the country needs Modis Make in India approach, he said. The minister said under previous governments, one rupee used to travel from Delhi and only 15 paise reached the intended beneficiary, which was no longer the case. Today, development works in the country are gaining momentum and behind it is the honest thinking and digital revolution. Due to the digital age, we are able to identify the beneficiaries, otherwise there was a time when one rupee used to travel from Delhi, only 15 paise reached the beneficiary. On the contrary, today every single rupee goes directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, he said. Earlier, Jaishankar interacted with educationists, schoolchildren, members of the Tamil community and Kashis intellectuals to convince people that India under Modi will not only grow manifold economically but also become a nation with comprehensive international power. On a two-day visit to the poll-bound Kashi, where voting is scheduled to be held on June 1, the minister said the key to Viksit Bharat 2047 (a developed India by 2047) was economic growth, stability and robust national security, all of which could only be provided by a leader like Narendra Modi. Addressing private educationists at Sunbeam School, Jaishankar explained at length that India needs to compete with the world, including adversarial powers such as China, so that the dream of a developed India could be achieved. While the BJP is comfortably poised to retain the seat, the party is leaving nothing to chance in the campaign. Goyal landed late Sunday night to address young entrepreneurs, the Banarsi Textile Industry Association, food service workers and businessmen on Monday. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has also shifted base from Lucknow to Varanasi and Gorakhpur to ensure that the BJP sweeps Poorvanchal in the high-stakes Lok Sabha elections in the political bellwether state of Uttar Pradesh. Pune teen's Porsche crash: Two doctors of Sassoon General Hospital in Pune were arrested on the charge of manipulation of the blood sample of a teen driver, who is an accused, in the Porsche car accident case, said Pune Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Monday. A video had earlier emerged in the Pune Porsche crash case in which the 17-year-old boy was seen in a bar. Amitesh Kumar said Dr Ajay Taware, head of the forensics department at Sassoon Hospital in Pune, and Dr Shrihari Harnor, chief medical officer at Sassoon, were arrested for alleged manipulation in blood reports and tampering with the evidence in the Porsche crash case. The Pune Porsche accident case is currently being probed by the crime branch. The doctors' arrest came days after an inspector and another official attached to the Yerwada police station were suspended for delayed reporting of the offence and dereliction of duty. Among other things, they are accused of not taking the teenager for a medical examination halfway from the accident spot. Two young IT professionals were killed after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche Taycan allegedly driven by the minor in the early hours of May 19. The police claimed that the teenager was drunk at the time of the accident. The teenager was initially granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board, which also asked him to write an essay on road accidents, but following outrage over the lenient treatment and a review application by the police, he was sent to an observation home till June 5. The Pune Police has arrested the teenager's father Vishal Agarwal, who is a realtor, and his grandfather Surendra Agarwal in connection with the accident. On Saturday last week, the Pune Police arrested the grandfather claiming that both the teenager's father and grandfather put pressure on the family's driver to take the blame for the accident by offering him money and giving threats. Surendra Agarwal was arrested for illegal confinement of the driver, and a court subsequently remanded him in police custody till May 28. The minor's father, in judicial custody in another case registered in connection with the May 19 accident, too was named in the FIR. "After the accident, the driver gave a statement at the Yerawada police station that he was at the wheel....But it was revealed that the teen was driving the car, Amitesh Kumar told reporters earlier. After the driver left the Yerawada police station, Vishal Agarwal and his grandfather whisked him in a car to his house on the premises of their bungalow, confiscated his phone and confined him there, the top cop claimed. He was pressured to give a statement to police as per their directions, Amitesh Kumar said, adding that the driver was offered gifts and cash for owning up the crash of the Porsche driven by the teenager, and also threatened. The Agarwal family offered to pay the driver "any amount he quoted," the commissioner said, adding that his wife reached the place the next day and freed him. The driver was frightened. He was summoned and his statement was recorded on Thursday (May 23). After corroboration of facts, an offence was registered against the juveniles father and grandfather (on the driver's complaint), Kumar said. Vishal Agarwal and his father were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 365 (kidnapping) and 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement). Police will seek Vishal's custody in the case from the court on Monday. Earlier, a local politician had accused Surendra of having connections with gangster Chhota Rajan. Opposing police custody, defence lawyer Prashant Patil argued that the driver was in the car at the time of the accident, and denied the allegation that he was wrongfully confined in the house. "As there was an outcry over the incident, the driver chose to go to the servant quarters at the bungalow of the accused on his own and stayed there till next day. There is no question of the driver getting threatened," Patil claimed. The teenager was earlier granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board which also asked him to write an essay on road accidents, but following outrage over the lenient treatment and a review application by the police, he was sent to an observation home till June 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waived loans worth 16 lakh crore for 22 wealthy individuals over the past decade but failed to provide 9,000 crore to Himachal Pradesh for monsoon disaster relief last year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Sunday. Hamirpur, May 26 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi greets people during a public meeting for the Lok Sabha election, at Una in Hamirpur on Sunday. (ANI Photo) Gandhi claimed that instead of assisting the hill state, Modi tried to steal its elected government, openly declaring at rallies his intention to topple the Congress regime in Himachal Pradesh. The former Congress chief referred to Modis speeches in Nahan and Mandi on Friday, where the Prime Minister asserted the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh would be short-lived. Modi also alleged the state government mishandled central flood aid distribution and vowed to take action. The Prime Minister says he will bring down the Himachal Pradesh government through stealing, bribery and corruption, Gandhi said, accusing Modi of forming stolen governments in Goa, Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Gandhi addressed election rallies in Nahan and Una to support Congress candidates Vinod Sultanpuri and Satpal Raizada for Shimla and Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively, and to seek votes for party candidates Rakesh Kalia and Vivek in Gagret and Kutlehar assembly bypolls. Elections to all four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh will be held on June 1 during what will be the final phase of the ongoing general elections. The Congress leader accused Modi of allowing one person, apparently referring to industrialist Gautam Adani, to control apple prices by owning cold storage facilities in the state. He claimed Adani-owned companies share prices rise whenever Modi becomes Prime Minister. Gandhi alleged that under the BJP-led central government, only 22 peoples dreams were fulfilled while the countrys population remains mere spectators. He accused Modi of increasing unemployment by assisting Adani, destroying small and medium businesses, and introducing measures like demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Modi waived loans worth 16 lakh crore for 22 people in the last 10 years but couldnt provide 9,000 crore to Himachal Pradesh for monsoon disaster relief, Gandhi said. Extreme rainfall last July and August devastated Himachal Pradesh, killing over 550 people and damaging private and public infrastructure. Gandhi promised that scrapping the Agniveer short-term military recruitment scheme would be the Congress partys top priority upon assuming power at the Centre. He also pledged a legal guarantee on minimum support prices for crops, farm loan waivers, 1 lakh annually for poor families until they escape poverty, and filling 30 lakh government vacancies to provide jobs for unemployed youth. Speaking at the Nahan rally, chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said Gandhi instructed him to ensure the government reaches the last person in society. Sukhu criticised the BJP for allegedly conspiring to remove the Congress government in the state. Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri said Gandhi has fought decisively against dictatorship and asserted that people are voting for the Congress. Former BJP minister Suresh Bhardwaj hit back, accusing Gandhi of resorting to personal attacks. Bhardwaj also took a swipe at the Congress leader over his choice of a smaller venue compared to the areas where Modis rallies are held. It has been almost three weeks since Tamil Nadu police detained YouTuber Achimuthu Shankar, alias "Savukku" Shankar, for making disparaging remarks about female police officers, even going to the extent of accusing them of providing "sexual favours" to senior officers in exchange for promotions. On May 4, a special investigation team of the Coimbatore City police detained Shankar from his native Theni by acting on a complaint filed by sub-inspector K Sukanya. For many Tamilians, Shankar is an anti-corruption campaigner known for his vehement criticism of the state's leading politicians, mainly chief minister MK Stalin, his wife Durga, and his son and minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. The case against Shankar Shankar was arrested on May 4 by the Coimbatore police for his alleged derogatory remarks against women police personnel in an interview with RedPix, a Tamil YouTube channel. He was arrested on multiple charges including making defamatory remarks against women, possession of ganja, and forging documents. Shankar was slapped with the stringent Goondas Act, ensuring detention for up to one year without bail. Days later, RedPix editor Felix Gerald was also arrested. Shankar first gained public attention in 2008 when he leaked audio recordings exposing alleged illegal wiretapping practices by law enforcement agencies in Tamil Nadu, resulting in the resignation of a DMK minister. Following his arrest and release, he emerged as a vocal critic of corruption. He then started Savukku Media (meaning whip in Tamil), comprised of a web portal and a YouTube channel. Over the years, Shankar has amassed a significant following on YouTube for his commentary on political issues. The controversy surrounding Shankars arrest After his arrest in Theni, Shankar was being transported through a police vehicle towards Coimbatore. However, the vehicle was involved in an accident at Dharapuram near Tirupur, and the YouTuber allegedly sustained several injuries. However, he would later claim that the police refused to provide him with treatment except first aid, arguing the wounds were minor. He was then carted off to judicial custody. The very next day, his counsel, K. Gopalakrishnan, told media persons that the jail officials had subjected the YouTuber to custodial torture. The counsel alleged that the jail officials had assaulted Shankar with plastic pipes wrapped in cloth on the night of May 4. Following the allegations of abuse, Shankars arrest has raised critical questions in Tamil Nadu over an individuals right to expression, and social accountability of YouTubers. While a section of society hails the police action against Shankar as a move to ensure the accountability of social media platform users, others are raising the issue of custodial torture without showing regard for basic human rights. Interestingly, whenever Shankar was taken around in the state as part of evidence gathering in the cases against him, he was accompanied by an all-women team of police personnel. The high courts stance on Shankars arrest The Madras high court, which expressed concern over the arbitrary manner in which Shankar was arrested, made public its displeasure over the highly disparaging terms in which he described Stalin and other political leaders in his YouTube videos. A vacation bench of justices G.R. Swaminathan and P.B. Balaji heard the case on May 23. Critical of Shankars remarks towards women, justice Swaminathan said, "The dignity of a woman is paramount, and unfortunately, he crossed that rubicon. He even addressed the honourable chief minister in singular. Therefore, he should be ready to file a memo with a list of don'ts." Meanwhile, in an affidavit filed in Madras HC, the counsel representing Shankars mother A Kamala, fighting the case on behalf of her son, alleged that her son had been detained with mala fide intention as he was a strong critic of the state government and the police. Her counsel added that multiple cases were imposed on her son to incarcerate him and alleged that the prison authorities had brutally attacked her son. Shankar later reiterated the counsels claims, telling reporters that the state government was attempting to finish him off. Activists chime in over Shankars alleged custodial torture In response to Shankar's custodial torture claims," the Madurai-based rights organisation Joint Action Against Custodial Torture (JAACT) stated that it would soon approach the high court and demand the transfer of Shankar from the Coimbatore Central Prison to another jail in the state. Talking to Hindustan Times, Henry Tiphagne, the convener of JAACT, claimed that it has been confirmed from reliable sources that Shankar was brutally tortured. Tiphagne stressed that proper investigation followed by prosecution and trial would ultimately bring out the truth and ensure justice. However, he noted that Shankar's "derogatory and disrespectful remarks against women working in the police were "unpardonable". "JAACT strongly condemns the comments he made. JAACT is also aware of his history of humiliating, degrading and belittling various human rights defenders who have led important struggles for the protection of human rights in Tamil Nadu," he said. Tiphagne also condemned Gerald's arrest for airing the interview with Shankar and alleged that his arrest from Delhi without a warrant or transit warrant, and his present incarceration are sufficient proof of gross violation of the applicable laws. Shankars vehement criticism of Stalins government leads to divisive opinions Shankars so-called crusade against alleged corruption in the Stalin government led him to announce that he would contest against Udhayanidhi Stalin in the 2026 Assembly elections. Many appear to be conflicted over his arrest. Despite his derogatory remarks and detainment, former chief minister and AIADMK supremo Edappady Palaniswamy strongly defended Shankar. Meanwhile, M Thiruvenkidam, a Chenani-based social activist, said, "He claims he is a whistle-blowing journalist. I am sure he is not practising journalism, but the way he was arrested must not be encouraged. The visuals of him emerging with a fractured arm in a sling is quite frightening. "In Tamil Nadu, Shankar is not the first person to be arrested for comments on social media in the recent past. Perhaps the government believes it can use Shankar as an example. The right way to deal with him was to slap him with defamation cases. By arresting him, the ruling party has shown that its accusations of highhandedness against the Bharatiya Janata Party ring hollow," points out Thiruvenkidam. Successive governments under both DMK and AIADMK have always taken a stand against critical reporting by mainstream media. Those journalists who dared to expose high-level corruption and nepotism were silenced using defamation cases and other governmental actions. People with questionable credentials like Shankar are attempting to occupy that space vacated by the mainstream media fearing prosecution,'' says Tiphagne. The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a petition filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against a Calcutta high court order that refused to interfere with a single-judge verdict directing the party not to publish any advertisement violating the Model Code of Conduct during the Lok Sabha election. The Supreme Court building in New Delhi.(File) A vacation bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan refused to interfere with the high court order. Follow full coverage of the Lok Sabha polls. "Prima facie, the advertisement is disparaging," the bench said. Earlier this month, the BJP had published at least four advertisements in vernacular dailies, portraying the ruling party, Trinamool Congress, as corrupt and one that is against the Hindus and claiming that women are not safe under the present regime. The TMC filed multiple complaints with the EC and later moved the high court after alleged inaction by the poll body. The MCC prohibits political parties, leaders, and candidates from criticising their opponents based on unverified allegations. On May 20, the Calcutta high court had pulled up the Election Commission (EC) for its gross failure to address complaints about derogatory advertisements published by the BJP against the TMC in West Bengal, and restrained the opposition party from carrying out materials that are in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Also Read | Calcutta HC cancels OBC certificates for 77 groups, Mamata rejects order In the present case, the EC has grossly failed to address the complaints raised by the petitioner in due time. This court is surprised that no resolution worth the name has been arrived at regarding the complaints till date, more so because most of the phases of the elections are over, Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya had said. On May 22, a division bench of the High Court refused to interfere with the single-judge order in the matter. Observing that a "laxman rekha" should be adhered to, the division bench had said there should not be any personal attack on the part of any political party. Following this, the BJP moved to the Supreme Court on May 24. The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday called for an investigation into the call detail records of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claiming that his aide Bibhav Kumar was summoned to the CM's residence after AAP MP Swati Maliwal reached there. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at a polling station in Civil Lines in New Delhi, India, on Saturday, May 25, 2024. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times) Kumar is accused of assaulting the AAP Rajya Sabha member at the chief minister's residence on May 13. It has come to the notice of the NCW that during Ms. Maliwal's visit to the residence of the Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr. Bibhav Kumar was called after the arrival of Swati Maliwal at the CM residence, the women's panel said in a press note. In light of this, it is imperative to investigate the Call Detail Records (CDR) of all relevant individuals, including the Chief Minister of Delhi, to ascertain on whose direction Mr. Bibhav Kumar was summoned. Read: Ek bade YouTuber hain: What Swati Maliwal, Bibhav Kumar argued over assault case in Delhi court The NCW also insisted on stringent action against individuals, who have been issuing rape and death threats to Maliwal. It has called for the accused to be charged under the appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and has demanded a comprehensive report on the actions taken within three days. A magisterial court on Monday reserved its order on the bail plea of Bibhav Kumar in the assault case. He was sent to four days' judicial custody on May 24. Read: Kejriwal seeks extension of interim bail for medical tests Senior advocate N Hariharan, appearing for Kumar, argued that the complainant went to CM's residence and called PA Bibhav Kumar. Kumar was not present at the CM's house, after which she headed towards the CM's residence without any permission or prior appointment, according to the lawyer. "Can anyone enter in this manner, this is the official residence of CM," Hariharan argued. "There was a trespass and a report was also filed." "She had no appointment for a meeting, and there was no message of her arrival," he submitted. Read: Is Swati Maliwal, 'assaulted' by Arvind Kejriwal's aide, resigning from AAP? Rajya Sabha MP opens up on next move Hariharan further argued that the injuries can be self-inflicted. At this point, Swati Maliwal broke down in tears, reported ANI. Additional Public Prosecutor(APP) Atul Srivastava opposed the bail application and submitted that intention is not required to make out a case of Culpable homicide not amounting to murder, knowledge is sufficient. "The accused had beaten a lady, alone dragged her and her head hit the centre table, will this not cause death," Srivastava said. "If I slap a lady in an open place, it is outraging the modesty of a woman," he added. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal on Monday broke down in Delhi's Tis Hazari court when the defence counsel was arguing during the bail hearing of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar - who was arrested for allegedly assaulting Maliwal. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal alleged assault by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar(PTI file) Senior advocate N Hariharan, who is appearing for Kumar, told the court that the AAP MP trespassed and entered Kejriwal's residence, without making an appointment. During that time, Bibhav Kumar was not present inside the CM's house. Can anyone enter in this mannerThis is the official residence of the chief minister. She did not have an appointment for the meeting, nor did she send any message regarding her arrival. Kumar was not present at that time. She was stopped by the security personnel but proceeded to sit in the waiting room and asked the security to talk to Kumar, the defence counsel said. He further told the court that there was no grievous injury on the AAP MP. Kindly look at the place where the alleged incident took place where many people were presentHow can such an incident take place at this place (CM's residence)? There is no grievous injury on the vital part, so where is the question of culpable homicide not amounting to murder? The injuries can be self-inflicted, he said. According to the defence counsel, Maliwal's allegations do not make out a case of intention to disrobe her. Following this statement, the AAP MP broke down in the court. N Hariharan went on to say that all the allegations made by Maliwal were pre-planned and tailor-made to suit her story. This entire FIR is the result of afterthoughtI am seeking bail only, not the acquittal, he told the court. Bibhav Kumar was arrested on May 18 after Maliwal, in an FIR, accused him of physically assaulting her at Kejriwal's residence on May 13. According to the FIR, Kumar repeatedly slapped her and kicked her in the stomach and pelvic area. Following the complaint, the police registered an FIR against Kumar under sections 354, 506, 509, and 323 of the IPC, which deal with crimes like assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty and criminal intimidation. Kejriwal's aide also complained to the Delhi police later saying that the AAP MP latter had abused him with the intent of assault. On Saturday, Kumar moved a bail plea at the Delhi court on Saturday, following which the court had sought a response from the Delhi police on the matter. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), the second-largest constituent of the INDIA bloc, is set to skip the upcoming meeting of the alliance in Delhi on June 1, senior leaders of the West Bengal-based party said on Monday. West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. (HT photo/Samir Jana) According to two senior INDIA leaders, the meeting has been called to form a strategy on the exit polls and related issue. The leaders are also expected to take stock of the overall polling. TMC leaders also suggested that if the meeting is held on June 2 or 3, the TMC might consider coming to Delhi for the meeting. At a poll rally, West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said, They called a meeting on June 1 itself. But I have told them I cant join the meeting. We have polling in nine seats on June 1. Punjab and UP too, have their elections. Polling is also due in Bihar. Those who stand in the queue for polling at 6pm, they are able to cast their votes at 10pm. How can we leave (the polling) and go. On the other hand, we have cyclone. Referring to the tropical cyclone Remal that has hit parts of Bengal on Sunday, Banerjee said, We are doing a meeting here, but my heart is with the affected people. We have to help them...give them new shelter, food. A senior TMC leader, who has been involved in the back-channel negotiations between the allies since the formation of the Opposition bloc, pointed out that the nine seats going to poll are crucial for the TMC. We have an important election in Phase-7. Nine seats are going to polls; it is more than any other phase in Bengal. All Kolkata and greater Kolkata seats; we had won all nine in 2019. The INDIA bloc had organised four meetings in the past starting with the one in Patna on June 23. It also met in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi to shape up its poll strategy and give a push to seat adjustment. Banerjee had offered Congress two seats (the seats held by the Congress) for an alliance in Bengal. In February, Banerjee announced she will go solo in Bengal. Later, the Congress formed a seat pact with the Left parties. Amid speculations about her position in the INDIA bloc, Banerjee said at a rally that her party will join the INDIA government if the bloc comes to power. Another TMC leader pointed out that Mamata Banerjee, the partys general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and its Rajya Sabha leader Derek OBrienthe three leaders who participated in the previous four INDIA meetings have to cast their polls and would be busy in election management. However, a Congress strategist involved in the negotiations with the INDIA allies, said, We want all allies to participate in the meeting. Otherwise, it wont send the correct political signal. The five-year old Union territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir saw the highest voter turnout in the last 35 years at 58.46%, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said in a statement on Sunday. An elderly man shows his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling booth during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections at Nandimarg area in Kulgam district of South Kashmir on Saturday. (PTI) Of the 8,726,281 eligible voters in the UT, 5,111,550 voted. In the press statement, chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu thanked the polling personnel and security officials for the peaceful conduct of elections in the UT. The Union territory of Ladakh saw a voter turnout of 71.82%. This achievement sits on a credible weave of 25% increase in number of contesting candidates since 2019, C-vigil complaints showing enhanced citizen involvement and Suvidha Portal showing 2,455 requests for rallies etc., reflecting the steady retaking of the election & campaign space away from hesitation and to fuller participation. Compared this outcome of the layered depth of electoral mobilization and participation, as reminiscent of the fame and deft of the legendary Kashmiri artisanal weave. This active participation is a huge positive for Assembly elections to be held soon so that the democratic process continues to thrive in the Union Territory, Kumar was quoted in the ECIs press statement. It is not possible to compare voter turnout by each of the five parliamentary constituencies --- Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag Rajouri, Udhampur and Jammu --- across years since the borders were redrawn through the delimitation exercise that ended in May 2022, something the ECI also acknowledged in its press release. The voter turnout in the three constituencies in the Valley --- Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri --- was 38.49%, 59.1% and 54.84%, respectively, which, as per the EC, was the highest in the last three decades. The other two constituencies, Udhampur and Jammu, recorded 68.27% and 72.22%, respectively. Anantnag-Rajouri went to polls in the sixth phase on May 25, which is why the EC has not yet provided the absolute number of votes cast for the constituency. When HT checked the Voter Turnout App at 5.15pm on May 27, it showed a voter turnout of 55.40% for Anantnag-Rajouri. Prime Minister Narendra Modi quote tweeted a tweet by EC on Monday and wrote, A very special congratulations to my sisters and brothers of Anantnag-Rajouri for the record turnout in the Lok Sabha polls. Their enthusiastic participation is a vibrant testament to their democratic spirit. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'sent by god' remark. Gandhi said after the election when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) asks PM Modi about industrialist Guatam Adani, he'll say that it was asked to him by Parmatma (god). Congress leader Rahul Gandhi(ANI) Tried to steal power instead of helping after Himachals monsoon disaster: Rahul Gandhi hits out at Modi You know why he (PM Modi) has brought this story of Parmatma? Because, after the election when the ED will ask Narendra Modi about Adani, he will say, I don't know, it was asked to me by Parmatma, Gandhi said at a rally in Bihar's Bakhtiyarpur. He further hit out at the prime minister over unemployment and said, "Modi ji, stop giving long speeches and dividing the country. First, tell this to the people of Bihar, of the country, how many jobs you have given to the youth of the country?" Gandhi's remarks came days after PM Modi had said in an interview with a news channel that till his mother was alive, he felt that perhaps his birth was biological and after her demise when he connects various experiences, he is convinced that God has sent him. Rahul mounts attack on PM, says he tried to topple Himachals govt Until my mother was alive, I used to think I was born biologically. After her demise, when I look at my experiences, I am convinced that I was sent by God. This strength is not from my body. It has been given to me by God. That's why God also gave me the ability, strength, pure-heartedness, and inspiration to do this. I'm nothing but an instrument that God has sent," PM Modi reportedly said during the interview. Voting will take place in Sasaram, Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Karakat and Jehanabad Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar in the last phase on June 1. Rahul Gandhi enjoys vacations abroad, PM Modi celebrates Diwali with jawans: Amit Shah In Bihar, NDA coalition partners BJP and JD(U) are contesting on 17 and 16 seats, respectively. Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is in the fray on five seats, and Jitan Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha are contesting on one seat each, while the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) comprises the RJD, Congress, and Left parties. (With inputs from agencies) BENGALURU: A woman, who accused senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting her 17-year-old daughter, has died at a private hospital in Bengaluru after a prolonged illness, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa.(PTI) The woman approached the police alleging that the former Karnataka chief minister sexually assaulted her daughter at his residence in Dollar City, Bengaluru on February 2. The Sadashivanagara police station registered a case on March 14 under Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act relating to sexual assault and Section 354 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) relating to sexual harassment. The woman alleged that she and her daughter had gone to Yediyurappas house on February 2, seeking his help in a cheating case related to business, when the incident occurred. A police officer said the woman, a terminally ill patient, was shifted to a private hospital on Hulimavu Bannerghatta Road on Sunday after she complained of trouble breathing. She was admitted to the intensive care unit where she later collapsed and died. According to a first information report (FIR, the woman alleged that the 81-year-old politician inappropriately touched her daughter and molested her on February 2 in his room at his house when she had gone to seek some help. The sexual assault case is being probed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has recorded the statements of the woman and her daughter under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) before a magistrate. BS Yediyurappa has rejected the allegation, insisting that the woman and his daughter approached him on multiple times to seek justice and that he had referred them to the police commissioner for action. Police officers said the investigation in the case will continue despite the womans death based on the statements recorded so far. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani are all set to host Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's second pre-wedding celebrations in Italy. The grand affair will be attended by high-profile names from around the globe, including Indian stars like Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Salman Khan, MS Dhoni, and others - who were seen at Mumbai's private airport on Monday as they left for Italy. According to reports, the Ambanis and their guests will enjoy the pre-wedding festivities aboard a luxury cruise that will embark on a picturesque 4,380-kilometre journey from Italy to the South of France and back. Check out Radhika Merchant's stunning traditional outfits before her second pre-wedding celebrations with Anant Ambani begin in Italy. (Instagram) The four-day extravaganza promises to be a fashion lover's dream, with the radiant bride-to-be, Radhika Merchant, set to dazzle everyone with her bridal wardrobe. So, before the celebrations kickstart in Italy, we decided to look back at Radhika's traditional ensembles that wowed the internet and should be a part of every new bride's wedding mood board. Keep scrolling to check them out. The Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla lehenga Radhika Merchant chose a gold lehenga designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla for her engagement ceremony with Anant Ambani. The lehenga skirt is hand-embroidered with the finest zardozi work using gold zari, crystals, and Resham. A fully hand-embroidered nude silk tulle blouse and dupatta provide the final flourish. She gave the final touches with a matching belt that cinched her waist, a stunning diamond necklace, earrings, bangles, and a maang tika. The Tarun Tahiliani lehenga saree For her star-studded Hastakshar ceremony in Jamnagar, Radhika Merchant wore a custom-made pre-draped lehenga saree by Tarun Tahiliani. The couture ensemble comes in opulent shades of silver and rose gold and is further elevated by a blouse adorned with jaali and resham work. She completed the look with a hand-painted dupatta delicately draped around her and a scalloped rose gold tissue veil worn on her head. The Anamika Khanna sindoori red saree Mixing the modern Indian woman's love for traditional and effortless silhouettes, Radhika Merchant wowed in this Anamika Khanna look. She wore a pre-draped sharara saree by the designer, which comes in the sindoori red shade. The ensemble features an embroidered blouse, shara panta, dupatta, matching belt, and a cape jacket draped on her shoulders. It is a perfect sartorial pick for late-night wedding celebrations. The Manish Malhotra corset lehenga The golden lehenga set designed by Manish Malhotra is for contemporary brides who love mixing traditional and modern elements. It features a corset-inspired choli, a corded cape serving as a dupatta, and a lehenga. Her accessories included a two-tiered polki diamond necklace, matching earrings with a three-layered design, and stacked bracelets and rings. This look is meant for cocktail parties or late-night events. The Anuradha Vakil lehenga Radhika Merchant stepped out in a custom Anuradha Vakil lehenga to attend the Reliance dinner with the Ambani family after her pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar. The ensemble featured a three-tone seta tangerine choli, a red lehenga, and a rani pink dupatta draped around her shouldersdecked in sequins and mirror work. The Rahul Mishra floral lehenga The ivory lehenga decked in multi-coloured floral threadwork embroidery makes Radhika's ensemble an excellent option for spring or summer weddings. The skirt, crafted using silk organza, featured motifs of swans and florals. She complemented it with a cap-sleeved ivory blouse and a scalloped dupatta. A multi-layered necklace encrusted with emeralds, diamond and emerald chandelier earrings, and a bracelet completed the look. International Day of Action for Women's Health 2024: Women have the right to live a healthy and happy life however, they are often subjected to abuse and discrimination and robbed off their rights. The right to privacy, access to education, and sexual and reproductive autonomy is crucial to their lives and should be allowed at all costs. However, unfortunately, often that is not the case. Hence, every year, International Day of Action for Women's Health is observed to urge people to raise their voices and stand up for themselves and claim their rights. As we gear up to celebrate the important day, here are a few things that we should always remember. Every year, International Day of Action for Women's Health is observed on May 28.(Unsplash) ALSO READ: Watch out for these 4 genetic, hormonal, medical and lifestyle factors that cause hair loss in women Date: Every year, International Day of Action for Women's Health is observed on May 28. This year, International Day of Action for Women's Health falls on Tuesday. History: In the year 1987, during the Women's meeting in Costa Rica, the Latin American and Caribbean Womens Health Network (LACWHN) decided that every year, May 28 should be observed as International Day of Action for Women's Health. This was promoted all throughout Latin America. Womens Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) promoted the day globally. This day is focused on improving healthcare for women, start conversations on the importance of abortion rights, HIV/AIDS, poverty, sexual autonomy and the use of contraceptives. Significance: The best way to observe this day is by educating ourselves about the campaigns that have taken place throughout the world in urging people to raise their voices and claim rights. It is also a call for action to ensure that women have the life that they deserve. International Day of Action for Women's Health also urges public, government and policymakers to come together and understand the plight of women and implement reforms that can ensure a healthy life for women throughout the world. Kochi, 'Green tea' has been a favorite drink of health-conscious people for quite some time, but what about making 'green coffee' popular? A group of Kerala students has now developed a new variety of health-friendly green coffee powder. HT Image Students from the Laurus Institute for Logistics in Kalamassery said, inspired by the popularity of green tea, they came out with green coffee powder, as part of a project at their institute. This new drink aims to cater to the growing demand for healthy options and capitalise on the increasing focus on health and wellness, they said. Rich in antioxidants, green coffee boosts metabolism and helps reduce diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight, the students claimed. They also received a certificate from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for the product. Despite the widespread popularity of green tea, the students admitted that developing a new brand of green coffee powder was a significant challenge. It was the 2020 batch of the institute that recognised the benefits of green coffee. The 30-member batch split into different groups and explored various concepts before settling on green coffee. A 10-member team was interested in making FMCG products, and they considered tea and coffee due to their global popularity. Abhijith M V, a member of the project team, said they unexpectedly discovered green coffee beans while they were in Palakkad seeking the best suppliers. He said that although they sampled many other ready-made coffee powders, their focus remained on developing green coffee powder, which is not widely known. The supplier mentioned that sun-dried green coffee pods were not in high demand, but the students were keen to learn about green coffee, Ajay Sankar, chairman of the institute, said. "They brought the overlooked green coffee beans from Coorg and Palakkad to Kalamassery. In the second phase, they experimented by grinding the beans into different sizes," Sankar said. Multiple laboratory tests were conducted to determine the shelf life of the product, and finally, they decided to grind Arabica coffee beans into small granules and pack them. Despite its many health benefits, the taste of green coffee was not particularly appealing, which concerned the students, the institute said in a statement. Attempts to enhance the flavour with mint, cardamom, rose, and so on were abandoned as they reduced the shelf life of green coffee to six months, it said. The students admitted that though 'Laurus Nature's Green Coffee' was showcased to health clubs, gyms, medical shops, business groups and so on, their initial response was not positive. Eventually, customers were found by meeting each other personally and explaining the benefits of green coffee. The students are now motivated by the fact that customers continue to buy it after experiencing the benefits from at least two packs, the chairman added. Though the project was started by the 2020 batch, the green coffee project has been passed on to subsequent batches. Students continue to improve 'Laurus Nature's Green Coffee' through ongoing research, he added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Popular diabetes and weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have been linked with an increased risk of developing stomach paralysis, new studies have found. (Also Read | ICMR says avoid rapid weight loss, obesity drugs; suggests how much weight loss per week is safe) The studies were presented at Digestive Disease Week 2024, a conference conducted from May 18-21 in Washington DC, US. (Freepik) Stomach paralysis, also know as gastroparesis, weakens the stomach muscles, leading to food sitting in the main digestive organ for long. Wegovy is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight management, while Ozempic is an approved medication helping patients with type 2 diabetes manage blood sugar levels. However, Ozempic is sometimes prescribed for weight loss, even though it is not FDA-approved for this purpose. Both Wegovy and Ozempic are injections containing the protein semaglutide, which is similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Released in the body in response to meal intake, GLP-1's main actions include promoting the production of insulin. While these anti-diabetic and weight loss medications, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists or GLP-1 analogues, are known to cause gastrointestinal (GI) side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, new studies shows less common ones such as stomach paralysis (gastroparesis), ileus and acute pancreatitis to be occurring as well. The studies were presented at Digestive Disease Week 2024, a conference conducted from May 18-21 in Washington DC, US. One of these studies conducted by researchers, including those from the University of Kansas, identified 1.85 lakh patients with diabetes or obesity who were prescribed GLP-1 analogues between December 1, 2021, and November 30, 2022. About 0.53 per cent of the patients were found to develop gastroparesis, with the research team estimating that the risk of having the condition increased by 66 per cent. Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder) was observed in 0.55 per cent of the patients, with the risk of developing the condition estimated to increase by 28 per cent. The study's authors also found that 0.04 per cent of the GLP-1 analog-prescribed patients developed drug-induced pancreatitis, and estimated the risk of experiencing the condition to go up by more than 350 per cent. They also found that 9 per cent of the patients had a significantly higher incidence of nausea and vomiting, while 7.5 per cent of them showed a higher incidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which the stomach contents move up the food pipe, or the oesophagus. The results showed that "the use of GLP-1 agonists in patients with diabetes mellitus and obesity is associated with GI side effects, including nausea, vomiting, gastroparesis, GERD, esophagitis, drug-induced pancreatitis, cholecystitis and need for upper-endoscopy," the authors wrote in the study, currently available as an abstract. The second study assessed the risk of gastroparesis in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists (RA). More than 3.36 lakh patients were included in each of the two cohorts -- one receiving the medication and the other not. "Patients with T2D prescribed GLP-1 RAs had an increased risk of GP at 6, 9, 12, 18 and at 24 months. The odds ratio for gastroparesis significantly increased after 6 months through 24 months after controlling for different risk factors," the authors, including those from Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, wrote in the abstract of the study. Both the studies used data from the multi-institutional database, TriNetX. The third study, conducted by researchers at Mayo Clinic Minnesota, assessed the impact of GLP-1 RA on GI symptoms. Data of nearly 80,000 patients from the Mayo Clinic Platform who were prescribed the medication were included for this analysis. The researchers found that nearly 14,660, or 18 per cent, of these patients developed at least one new GI symptom suggestive of gastroparesis. About 700 of the 14,660 patients underwent gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES), which helps in assessing the stomach's ability to empty. The team found that about a third of this group experienced gastroparesis. "These real-world data suggest that GI symptoms are prevalent in those treated with GLP-1 RA," the authors wrote in the study's abstract. When planning your next adventure, the right travel trolley bag can make all the difference. This comprehensive guide introduces the top 9 travel trolley bags, specifically chosen for their ability to ensure a hassle-free and smooth journey. Travel in style and comfort with our top picks for the best travel trolley bags!(Unsplash) Each bag is evaluated based on essential features like durability, storage capacity, manoeuvrability, and additional conveniences that cater to the modern traveller's needs. Whether you're navigating crowded airports, embarking on long-haul flights, or simply seeking a reliable companion for your trips, these carefully selected options promise to enhance your travel experience by offering superior functionality, ease of use, and peace of mind. Featuring a diverse range of styles and designs, these trolley bags are crafted from high-quality materials to withstand the rigours of travel while providing ample space for your belongings. From sleek and compact designs ideal for short getaways to spacious and versatile options suitable for extended trips, there's a bag to suit every traveller's preferences and requirements. Relax and explore our curated selection of the top 9 travel trolley bags, meticulously chosen for their durability, storage capacity, and convenience features. With our informative guide, finding your ideal travel companion is effortless. So sit back, browse through our recommendations, and feel confident knowing that your next travel partner is just a click away. Meet the Safari Thorium Neo 8 Wheels 66 Cm Medium Check-in Trolley Bag, crafted to redefine your travel experience with its exceptional features. Constructed from durable polycarbonate material, this suitcase ensures robustness and safeguarding for your possessions. Its innovative 360-degree wheeling system facilitates effortless manoeuvring through airports and bustling streets, while the capacious interior offers ample space for packing essentials. Sporting a sleek black design, it emanates elegance, suitable for both professional trips and leisurely travels. With ingenious features like a hard case and Speed Wheel Suitcase technology, this trolley bag delivers unmatched convenience and sophistication. Whether embarking on a brief escapade or an extended voyage, the Safari Thorium Neo emerges as your reliable companion for seamless travel. Specifications of Safari Thorium Neo 8 Wheels 66 Cm Trolley Bag: Material: Hard polycarbonate Wheel Type: 8 spinner wheels Dimensions: 66 cm (Medium) Colour: Black Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable polycarbonate material May not be suitable for extreme weather conditions 360-degree wheeling system Limited colour options Ample storage space What buyers are saying on Amazon? Buyers appreciate the quality construction and ample storage space of the Safari Thorium Neo Trolley Bag. However, some have noted limited colour options and suitability for extreme weather conditions. Why choose this product? Choose the Safari Thorium Neo for its durable polycarbonate build and innovative 360-degree wheeling system, ensuring hassle-free travel with style and reliability. Looking for a reliable travel companion that can keep up with your adventures? Meet the American Tourister Ivy 68 cms Medium Check-in Trolley Bag! Crafted from durable polypropylene material, this hard-sided suitcase is built to withstand the rigours of travel. But what sets it apart? Well, equipped with a convenient 4-wheeler spinner system and a TSA lock, it ensures smooth mobility and enhanced security during your journeys. And let's not forget about the spacious interior and sleek black design, combining practicality with style. Whether you're jetting off on a business trip or embarking on a leisure vacation, the American Tourister Ivy is ready to accompany you every step of the way. Specifications of American Tourister Ivy 68 cms Medium Check-in Polypropylene (PP) Trolley Bag: Material: Polypropylene (PP) Size: 68 cms (Medium) Wheel Type: 4 Wheeler Spinner Lock Type: TSA Lock Colour: Black Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable polycarbonate material May not be suitable for extreme weather conditions 360-degree wheeling system Limited colour options Ample storage space What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers appreciate the durable build and convenient TSA lock of the American Tourister Ivy luggage. However, some express concerns about the relatively high price and limited colour choices. Why choose this product? Choose this product for its durable build, handy security features, and effortless mobility, ensuring hassle-free travel for you. Discover the Safari Ray 65 Cms Medium Check-In Trolley Bag in captivating Midnight Blue, your ultimate travel companion. Crafted from durable polycarbonate (PC), this hard-sided suitcase boasts a 4-wheel 360-degree rotation system for seamless manoeuvrability. Its Speed Wheel technology ensures swift navigation through busy airports and streets. With ample storage space and a sleek design, it combines functionality with style, perfect for all your travel needs. Whether you're jetting off on a business trip or embarking on a leisurely vacation, the Safari Ray offers durability, convenience, and a touch of elegance to enhance your journey. So, why wait just buy one travel trolley bag and make your journey hassle free. Specifications of Safari Ray 65 Cms Medium Check-In Polycarbonate (Pc) Travel Trolley Bag: Material: Polycarbonate (PC) Size: 65 Cms Wheels: 4 wheels with 360-degree rotation Colour: Midnight Blue Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable polypropylene build Relatively expensive Convenient TSA lock for added security Limited colour options Smooth 4-wheeler spinner system for easy mobility Some users report issues with wheel durability What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers on Amazon praise the Safari Ray for its durability, smooth wheel rotation, and stylish design. However, some note its tendency to show scratches easily. Overall, it's a popular choice for travellers seeking a reliable and fashionable luggage solution. Why choose this product? Choose this product for its unbeatable durability, effortless manoeuvrability, and chic design, promising you a travel experience that's both hassle-free and fashion-forward. Also read: Best trolley bags for travel: Top 9 choices to pick from Are you seeking a compact yet sturdy travel companion for your upcoming adventures? Look no further than the American Tourister Liftoff 55 Cms Small Cabin Polypropylene Hardshell Suitcase. Crafted with durability and convenience in mind, this suitcase is designed to meet your travel needs with ease. Its compact size makes it ideal for cabin luggage, while the sturdy polypropylene construction ensures protection for your belongings. Equipped with double spinner wheels for effortless manoeuvrability and boasting a vibrant yellow colour for added style, the American Tourister Liftoff is the ultimate choice for both short trips and long journeys. Designed to enhance your travel experience with its durability, convenience, and eye-catching design, this suitcase is a must-have for any avid traveller. Specifications of American Tourister Liftoff 55 Cms Small Cabin Trolley Bag: Size: 55 cms (Small Cabin) Material: Polypropylene Hardshell Wheels: Double Spinner Wheels Colour: Yellow Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable and lightweight May show scratches easily Smooth 360-degree wheels Limited colour options What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers on Amazon praise the American Tourister Liftoff for its sturdy build, smooth manoeuvrability, and vibrant colour. They appreciate its spacious interior and ease of use, making it ideal for both short trips and long vacations. However, some users mention minor issues with the zipper quality and handle durability. Why choose this product? Choose this trolley bag for its durability, functionality, and vibrant design, offering a reliable and stylish solution for your travel needs. Also read: Best trolley bags: Optimize your travel experience with the top 10 selections Embark on your travel adventures with the American Tourister Splash 55 Cms Polycarbonate Hard sided Small Cabin Luggage Bag, where functionality meets flair in a burst of colour. Crafted from durable polycarbonate material, this trolley bag ensures your belongings are safeguarded throughout your journey. Glide effortlessly through airports and bustling streets with its innovative Speed Wheel 8 Wheel Suitcase technology, promising smooth mobility in every direction. Available in eye-catching coral and teal hues, it adds a vibrant touch to your travel ensemble. With ample storage space and thoughtful design features, it's tailored for both short getaways and extended trips, making it a must-have for any traveller seeking style and practicality in one package. Specifications of American Tourister Travel Trolley Bag: Brand: American Tourister Material: Polycarbonate Wheels: 8 Wheel Suitcase Size: 55 cms Colour: Coral/Teal Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable construction Limited colour options Effortless manoeuvrability with spinner wheels May be too small for longer trips What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers praise the bag for its durability, smooth mobility, and vibrant design. However, some mention limitations in size for larger items. Why choose this product? Opt for this product for its robustness, effortless flexibility and striking aesthetics, providing a dependable and chic answer to your travel requirements. Also read: Best trolley bag brands: 7 options that you can carry for your next holiday and ensure that your valuables are safe Begin your travel journey with confidence and style, courtesy of the JFK (Large) 76cm Hardside Check-in Trolley Bag. Crafted to be your trusted companion, this eco-friendly luggage piece boasts durability, security, and sleek aesthetics. Glide effortlessly through airports and destinations with its smooth 8-wheel trolley system, while the combination lock ensures your belongings stay safe. With its striking teal blue hue, this bag not only stands out but also makes a fashion statement. Say goodbye to travel worries and hello to hassle-free adventures with the JFK Trolley Bag, an essential companion for the modern traveller. Make your travel experience hassle-free with the JFK Trolley Bag by your side, offering both reliability and sophistication. Specifications of uppercase JFK (Large) 76cm Travel Trolley Bag: Size: Large (76cm) Material: Eco Polycarbonate Features: Combination Lock, 8-wheel Trolley System Warranty: 2000 Days Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable polycarbonate construction for longevity Limited colour options may not suit all preferences Innovative Speed_Wheel technology for effortless mobility May be slightly heavier compared to other models Ample storage space and thoughtful design features Some users may find the price slightly higher What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers on Amazon commend the JFK Trolley Bag for its durability and attractive design, rating it highly for hassle-free travel. Why choose this product? Choose this product because of its outstanding durability, smooth mobility, and eye-catching design, making it an ideal choice for your travel needs. The Safari Pentagon Hardside Small Size Cabin Luggage Suitcase in Green Lime Color offers a stylish and practical solution for your travel needs. With its compact 55cm size, it's perfect for short trips or as cabin luggage. Crafted from durable materials, it ensures protection for your belongings, while the vibrant colour adds a touch of personality to your travels. The TSA-approved lock provides added security, and the smooth-rolling wheels make manoeuvring through airports a breeze. Whether you're a frequent traveller or planning a weekend getaway, this suitcase combines functionality with style, making it a must-have for any journey. So don't sit back just buy it and make your travel hassle free. Specifications of Safari 55 cm Pentagon Hardside Travel Trolley Bag: Type: Cabin Luggage Suitcase Material: Hardside Polycarbonate Dimensions: 55cm Colour: Green Lime Lock: TSA-approved Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable and stylish design Limited colour options Secure combination lock May be heavy for some travellers Smooth 8-wheel trolley system What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers on Amazon commend the Safari Pentagon Hardside Cabin Luggage for its sturdy build and vibrant colour, making it easy to spot on the luggage carousel. They appreciate its compact size and durability, perfect for short trips and frequent flyers. Why choose this product? Choose this product for its innovative design, which maximises space efficiency without compromising on durability or style. Now upgrade your travel experience with the Bullet (Small) 56cm Cabin Trolley Bag. Crafted to withstand the rigours of travel, this hard sided luggage boasts an anti-scratch design, TSA lock, and anti-theft zippers for enhanced security. Glide effortlessly through bustling airports with its 8 spinner wheels, ensuring smooth flexibility in any direction. Designed to cater to the needs of both men and women, this suitcase offers peace of mind with a generous 2000-day warranty. With its sleek silver exterior, this cabin trolley bag not only stands out but also exudes sophistication. Choose the Bullet Trolley Bag for a perfect blend of durability, security, and style, ensuring a seamless and stylish travel experience every time. Specifications of uppercase Bullet (Small) 56cm Cabin Travel Trolley Bag: Size: Small (56cm) Type: Cabin Trolley Bag Material: Hard sided Luggage Features: Anti-scratch, 8 Spinner Wheels, TSA Lock, Anti-theft Zippers Warranty: 2000 Days Colour: Silver Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable construction Limited interior organisation TSA-approved lock for added security Some users reported issues with zipper durability What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers praise the Bullet Cabin Trolley Bag durability and security features, praising its smooth manoeuvrability and stylish design. They appreciate the anti-scratch exterior and TSA lock, making it a top choice for hassle-free travel. Overall, customers love its reliability and sleek appearance, making it a must-have for frequent travellers. Why choose this product? Choose this product because of its durable build, user-friendly features such as the TSA lock and anti-theft zippers, and chic design, promising a secure and fashionable journey. Also read: Best kids luggage bags: Top 7 picks for hassle-free travel adventures with your little ones 9. Uppercase Bullet (Small) 56cm Cabin Travel Trolley Bag Enhance your travel experience with the Skybags Rubik 78 Cms Large Check-In Luggage. Crafted from durable polyester, this suitcase boasts a spacious interior and efficient speed wheel technology for easy packing and manoeuvring. Its four 360-degree rotation wheels ensure smooth navigation through crowded airports, while the soft-sided design offers flexibility and durability. With a stylish blue exterior and ample storage space, this suitcase is ideal for long trips and frequent travellers. Whether you're jet-setting for business or leisure, the Skybags Rubik luggage combines functionality with style to meet all your travel needs. So don't think more and buy this product for yourself. Specifications of Skybags Rubik 78 Cms Travel Trolley Bag: Size: 78 Cms (Large) Material: Polyester Wheels: 4 Wheels, 360 Degree Rotation Colour: Blue Dimensions: 47 cm Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable and scratch-resistant Small size may not be suitable for long trips Secure with TSA lock and anti-theft zippers Limited colour options Smooth flexibility with 8 spinner wheels Potential issues with TSA lock mechanism What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers on Amazon praise the Skybags Rubik 78 Cms Luggage for its spaciousness and durability, although some wish for additional security features and more colour choices. Despite minor drawbacks, this luggage is favoured for its ample packing space and sturdy build, making it an ideal choice for travellers seeking reliability and convenience. Why choose this product? Choose this product because of its durability, stylish design, and ample storage space, making it a perfect travel companion for any journey. What is the maximum weight capacity needed for your travel trolley bag? Consider your typical travel needs and choose a bag with a weight capacity that comfortably accommodates your belongings without exceeding airline restrictions. What type of wheels are most suitable for your travel terrain? Assess the travel environment, if you frequently navigate through rough terrain, opt for trolley bags with sturdy, multi-directional spinner wheels for smoother mobility. What additional features are essential for your convenience during travel? Look for features such as built-in TSA locks, expandable compartments, and ergonomic handles to ensure ease of use and security throughout your journey. What are the factors to consider when buying the best travel trolley bags? Here are the major factors to consider before choosing the best travel trolley bags: Durability: Look for materials like polycarbonate or ballistic nylon that offer long-lasting resilience to withstand travel wear and tear. Look for materials like polycarbonate or ballistic nylon that offer long-lasting resilience to withstand travel wear and tear. Size and Capacity: Ensure the bag meets airline size regulations and offers sufficient space to accommodate your belongings for different types and durations of trips. Ensure the bag meets airline size regulations and offers sufficient space to accommodate your belongings for different types and durations of trips. Wheel Quality: Opt for trolley bags with sturdy, multi-directional spinner wheels for smooth and effortless manoeuvrability. Opt for trolley bags with sturdy, multi-directional spinner wheels for smooth and effortless manoeuvrability. Security Features: Consider bags with built-in TSA-approved locks or combination locks to keep your belongings secure during travel. Consider bags with built-in TSA-approved locks or combination locks to keep your belongings secure during travel. Ergonomic Design: Choose bags with comfortable handles and adjustable features to enhance comfort and ease of use while navigating airports and other travel environments. Choose bags with comfortable handles and adjustable features to enhance comfort and ease of use while navigating airports and other travel environments. Additional Features: Evaluate extra features like expandable compartments, waterproofing, and organisational pockets to meet your specific travel needs and preferences. Which brands are best to choose when buying travel trolley bags? There is not one best brand that stands out as the best, but there are a few mentioned below that you should consider when purchasing any trolley bag for travel. 1. Skybags: Known for their trendy designs and vibrant colours, Skybags offer a perfect mix of style and durability, making them a popular choice for youthful and fashion-forward travellers. 2. American Tourister: This brand balances affordability with quality, providing reliable and stylish options suitable for all types of travellers, from budget-conscious to premium. 3. Safari: Renowned for their sturdy construction and innovative features, Safari bags are designed to withstand the rigours of travel while offering excellent value for money. Best value for money travel trolley bag: uppercase 76 cm JFK The uppercase JFK offers excellent value with its eco-friendly polycarbonate material, 76 cm size for ample storage, and advanced features like a TSA lock and anti-theft zippers, ensuring security and reliability at an affordable price. Its 8-spinner wheel system provides smooth, effortless mobility, making it the perfect companion for frequent travellers. Best overall travel trolley bag: Safari Thorium Neo 8 Wheels 66 Cm Travel Trolley Bag The Safari Thorium Neo stands out as the best overall product due its robust polycarbonate build, 360-degree rotation, and ample 66 cm capacity, making it the top choice for durability, flexibility, and spaciousness. Its sleek design and smooth 8-wheel system ensure easy manoeuvrability through crowded spaces. Additionally, the hard-sided construction provides superior protection for your belongings, making it ideal for frequent travellers. Top 3 features of the best travel trolley bags: Best Travel Trolley Bags Size Material Special Features Safari Thorium Neo 8 Wheels 66 Cm Travel Trolley Bag 66 cm Polycarbonate 8 wheels, 360-degree wheeling, hard case American Tourister Ivy 68 cms Medium Check-in Polypropylene (PP) Trolley Bag 68 cm Polypropylene 4-wheeler spinner, TSA lock, durable Safari Ray 65 Cms Medium Check-In Polycarbonate (Pc) Travel Trolley Bag 65 cm Polycarbonate 4 wheels, 360-degree rotation, sleek design American Tourister Liftoff 55 Cms Small Cabin Trolley Bag 55 cm Polypropylene Double spinner wheels, TSA lock, compact American Tourister Travel Trolley Bag 55 cm Polypropylene Various models with multiple features Uppercase JFK (Large) 76cm Travel Trolley Bag 76 cm Eco Polycarbonate 8 wheels, combination lock, anti-theft zippers Safari 55 cm Pentagon Hardside Travel Trolley Bag 55 cm Polycarbonate Hard case, compact, vibrant colour Uppercase Bullet (Small) 56cm Cabin Travel Trolley Bag 56 cm Polycarbonate Anti-scratch, 8 spinner wheels, TSA lock Skybags Rubik 78 Cms Travel Trolley Bag 78 cm Polyester 4 wheels, 360-degree rotation, soft-sided FAQs on the best travel trolley bags: What should I look for when choosing a travel trolley bag? Consider durability, size, weight, material, wheel type, security features, and warranty options. Tailor your choice to your travel needs. Are hard-sided or soft-sided trolley bags better? Hard-sided bags protect fragile items and resist water, while soft-sided bags are more flexible and lightweight. Choose based on your travel style. What are spinner wheels, and why are they important? Spinner wheels rotate 360 degrees, providing better manoeuvrability. They make it easier to navigate through crowded areas without tilting the bag. How do I know what size trolley bag to buy? Choose a size based on your trip length. Small (around 55 cm) for short trips, medium (65-70 cm) for longer trips, and large (over 75 cm) for extended stays. Check airline size restrictions. Why are TSA locks important for travel trolley bags? TSA locks allow security officers to inspect your bag without damaging the lock, ensuring your luggage stays secure and complies with airport regulations. Similar stories for you to read: Best kids luggage bags: Top 7 picks for hassle-free travel adventures with your little ones Best Skybags luggage: Pick from the top 6 choices combining style, durability, and functionality for travellers Best luggage for international travel: Top 6 lightweight suitcase sets hand-picked to help you travel in comfort At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority. When the United States (US) secretary of state, Antony Blinken, travelled to China last month, his purpose was threefold: First, to assess the concrete steps taken in the bilateral relationship since Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in San Francisco in November 2023; second, to reposition the focal point of US-China relations within a rapidly shifting international landscape; and finally, to de-risk the bilateral relationship by ensuring that China maintains a favourable disposition towards Washington. To achieve that, Washingtons approach has been a combination of incentives and deterrents. During the visit, lines were once again drawn between the two sides, highlighting simmering disputes on issues such as trade, technology, and security. There is a keenness in Washington to prevent these cracks from widening further, particularly in light of the repercussions of ongoing conflicts in Europe and West Asia. Of particular concern is the burgeoning China-Russia relationship, with the US expressing worry that China may be providing vital technologies to the Russian defence industry, thereby bolstering the latters capability to maintain battlefield advantages and undoing western support. The Biden administration has consistently signalled a stance of cooperation alongside measures that have fuelled competition. On May 14, the US increased tariffs across strategic sectors such as steel and aluminium, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes, and medical products to curb Chinas unfair trade practices in key sectors like tech transfer, innovation and intellectual property. Since the Anchorage summit in March 2021, when the bilateral relationship seemed to veer off course, the focus has been on responsibly managing competition from the US. Incidents such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan in August 2022 and the spy balloon incident in January 2023 have redrawn the boundaries of the USs competitive approach towards China. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has initiated a tech competition with China since the passage of the 2022 CHIPS and Sciences Act, prompting retaliatory measures from China. The impact of these disruptions has been further compounded by instability in the world order. The past couple of years have been immensely destabilising for the international system, marked by the wars in Europe and West Asia and the systemic shocks arising from them. The US-China relationship has not been immune to these impacts. Blame it on the age of globalisation and interconnectedness, but the US-China relationship is, in many ways, a uniquely significant great power dynamic. It stands out, particularly in how it has evolved distinctively from the competitive relationship between the US and the Soviet Union during the last century. Today, between its relations with China and Russia, it is primarily with China that the US can attempt moderation. Simultaneously, China remains deeply integrated with western economies. These mutual dependencies have prevented a complete rupture in bilateral relations. Two successive high-profile visits within a month Janet Yellen and Antony Blinken suggest that Washington is intent on maintaining engagement with Beijing amidst the shifting sands in Ukraine and the blitz in Gaza. Several cooperative steps between the two countries, such as joint efforts to combat synthetic drugs like fentanyl through the establishment of a joint Counternarcotics Working Group, collaboration on policymaking and law enforcement in this regard, and the resumption of military-to-military talks at various levels, along with the agreement to hold US-PRC talks on Artificial Intelligence in the coming weeks, underscore the shared compulsion to avert any regional or global crisis that might escalate into military conflict between the two powers. However, China perceives an opportune moment to assert itself distinctly against the US as the sole alternative power centre with comparable capacities, global heft, and influence to engage wayward countries beyond Washingtons control, such as Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Syria. Recent US intelligence suggesting potential collusion between Russia and China on the issue of Taiwan has prompted preparations for a new form of joint military readiness from the US and its regional allies. Blinkens visit may be another way of signalling to China that it shouldnt exploit any crisis to escalate new ones, at least until the US elections are over in November of this year. Harsh V Pant is vice president for studies and Vivek Mishra is fellow, Americas, Observer Research Foundation. The views expressed are personal A man in China hurled a pomegranate at his son during a home tutoring session and ruptured his spleen. According to reports, the father got frustrated after his son failed to understand a maths problem. China: The boy was taken to the hospital the next day after he complained of abdominal pain. (Representative image) According to a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP), the father, whose surname is Chen, was helping his son with homework while his wife was working overtime when the incident happened. The boy, who is in Class 3, was struggling with a maths problem and couldnt understand the solution. This led to Chen hitting him with a pomegranate. The boy screamed in pain when the fruit hit him but did not suffer any serious injury until the next day, the outlet further reported. The boy was taken to the hospital after he complained of abdominal pain. He was then diagnosed with a ruptured spleen. In China, causing serious injury due to negligence can lead to up to three years in prison. However, such cases often go unaddressed without a report from the victim or intervention by the authorities. For situations that may be identified as domestic violence or constitute criminal acts, even if the victim or family members do not actively report to the police, once such behaviour is discovered by relevant organisations or individuals, they also have a responsibility to report, SCMP quoted He Bo, a lawyer from Sichuan Hongqi Law Firm, as saying. He added, Everyone is equal before the law, regardless of the relationship between family members, domestic violence is prohibited. Earlier, in January, a father in Bengaluru shot his son dead for allegedly not giving him money for liquor. According to reports, a 58-year-old former security guard named Suresh Bopanna demanded money from his son, Narthan, to purchase alcohol. Despite Narthans repeated refusals, Suresh persisted and locked himself in a bedroom. Narthan, along with other family members, pleaded for Suresh to come out. However, Suresh fired a bullet at the door, which penetrated through and struck Narthan, who was standing nearby. Narthan was rushed to a nearby private hospital, where he was declared dead. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor revealed that his favourite big word this election season is "defenestrate". Tharoor, who routinely leaves people looking for the dictionary, thanks to his usage of rare English words in his speeches, writings and social media posts, said he used the word defenestrate when a journalist asked him to share his favourite big word to describe the current mood of the country. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.(PTI file photo) Tharoor, 68, posted the photo of Times of India newspaper clipping with a report on his statements made in Jalandhar, Punjab. The headline of the news report was: "Voters to defenestrate BJP: Shashi Tharoor" "Honestly not my fault. A journalist at the Jalandhar press conference asked for my 'favourite big word' for the current situation. As some of you know, I usually tend to oblige..." he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. Take a look at Tharoor's post on X: Tharoor, according to the Times of India report, said that the people of the country had decided to "defenestrate" the BJP-ruled government. Defenestrate, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, means "to throw (a person or a thing) out of a window". This is not the first time Tharoor is using rarely-used words to take a dig at rival parties. Last year, when an X user asked him to share a word for the what he termed as the BJP's Nehru obsession, Tharoor obliged and said the word would be malfeasance. Malfeasance means misconduct by a public official. Shashi Tharoor, the three-time MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, is hoping for a fourth term in Lok Sabha election 2024. He faces a tough fight from Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar who is BJP candidate from the Kerala capital. Tharoor was in Punjab over the weekend to campaign for former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who is contesting from Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency. An Israeli airstrike triggered a massive blaze killing 45 people in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court ruling to halt Israel's assault. Palestinians react next to the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah, Gaza Strip.(AP) In scenes grimly familiar from a war in its eighth month, Palestinian families rushed to hospitals to prepare their dead for burial after the strike late on Sunday night set tents and rickety shelters ablaze. Women wept and men held prayers beside bodies in shrouds. "The whole world is witnessing Rafah getting burnt up by Israel and no one is doing anything to stop it," Bassam, a Rafah resident, said via a chat app, of the strike in an area of western Rafah that had been designated a safe zone. Israeli tanks continued to bombard eastern and central areas of the city in southern Gaza on Monday, killing eight, local health officials said. ALSO READ | 35 killed in Israeli airstrike in Rafah: Palestinian Red Crescent Society Israel's military said that Sunday's air attack, based on "precise intelligence", had eliminated militant group Hamas' chief of staff for the second and larger Palestinian territory, the West Bank, plus another official behind attacks on Israelis. Earlier on Sunday, it had said eight rockets were intercepted after being fired from the Rafah area. A minister said that showed the need for continued operations against Hamas. Israel's top military prosecutor, however, called the air strike "very grave" and said an investigation was under way. "The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) regrets any harm to non-combatants during the war," Major-General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi said at a conference on Monday. ALSO READ | Top UN court orders Israel to halt military offensive in Rafah; Israel unlikely to comply The attack took place in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood, where thousands were sheltering after Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over two weeks ago. More than half of the dead were women, children, and elderly people, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise as more people caught in the blaze were in critical condition with severe burns. Israel has kept up attacks on Rafah despite a ruling by the top U.N. court on Friday ordering it to stop, arguing that the court's ruling grants it some scope for military action there. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" over Israel's latest attacks. "These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians," he said on X. Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the International Court of Justice ruling must be respected. "International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war," Baerbock said. NO SAFE ZONE By daylight, the camp was a smoking wreckage of tents, twisted metal and charred belongings. Sitting beside bodies of his relatives, Abed Mohammed Al-Attar said Israel lied when it told residents they would be safe in Rafah's western areas. His brother, sister-in-law and several other relatives were killed in the blaze. "The army is a liar. There is no security in Gaza. There is no security, not for a child, an elderly man, or a woman. Here he (my brother) is with his wife, they were martyred," he said. "What have they done to deserve this? Their children have been orphaned." Hospitals in Rafah, including the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital, were unable to handle all the wounded, so some were moved to hospitals in Khan Younis further north in Gaza for treatment, medics said. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said the situation was horrifying. "Gaza is hell on earth. Images from last night are yet another testament to that," UNRWA wrote on X. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in the area. But it faces global condemnation for failing to spare civilian lives. "On top of the hunger, on top of the starvation, the refusal to allow aid in sufficient volumes, what we witnessed last night is barbaric," Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said. Egypt condemned the Israeli military's "deliberate bombing of the tents of displaced people", state media reported, describing it as a blatant violation of international law. Saudi Arabia also condemned the Israeli attack and Qatar said the Rafah strike could hinder efforts to mediate a ceasefire and hostage exchange. Israeli tanks have probed around the edges of Rafah, near the crossing point from Gaza into Egypt, since May 6 and have entered some of its eastern districts. The European Union agreed in principle on Monday to revive an EU civilian mission at Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip next to Egypt, but said it would need accords from all sides to press ahead, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah. (AFP) Speaking at a monthly meeting of EU foreign ministers, Borrell also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using false claims of antisemitism against the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his own political ends. The bloc is considering reviving its European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) Rafah, which has not been operational since 2007, when the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas seized full control of Gaza. The Rafah crossing is the main entry point for aid from Egypt, and has been closed since Israeli forces took control of it from the Gazan side nearly three weeks ago. "They gave me green light, the political green light to reactivate EUBAM, our mission in Rafah. This could play a useful role in supporting the entry of people into Gaza, in and out," Borrell told reporters after the meeting that also saw key Arab ministers join the talks. "But this has to be done in accordance with the Palestinian Authority, the Egyptians, and obviously Israel, Israel's authorities. We are not going to do that alone. We are not going to be the outsourcers of the security in the border. We are not a security company," he said, adding that the bloc would prepare technical plans for now. Diplomats have said the mission was unlikely to be in place before hostilities in Rafah stopped. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 45 Palestinians in a tent camp and wounded dozens in Rafah on Sunday, prompting an outcry from global leaders, and Borrell accused Israel of pushing ahead with military action in southern Gaza despite the ICJ ruling. Speaking after the ministers also held talks with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, Borrell said the two parties would look to see if they could combine their efforts to set up a joint conference on how to implement a two-state solution. SWIPE AT NETANYAHU Two international courts, both based in the Hague, have reached decisions opposed by Israel in recent weeks. The prosecutor of the ICC said he was seeking the arrest of Netanyahu and Israel's defence minister along with Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes, while the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which hears disputes between states, ordered Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah. Israel has denounced the ICC as a rogue court and called on allies to reject it. It also says its assault on Rafah does not need to be halted in line with the ICJ ruling because it does not pose an unlawful threat to civilians. Borrell also said the bloc had agreed for the first time to hold a meeting of the EU-Israel Council - the body that coordinates trade between the two - to discuss the situation in Gaza, respect of human rights and the impact of the ICJ ruling on the association agreement. Borrell took a swipe at Netanyahu over his labelling of ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan decision's to seek arrest warrants against him and his defence minister as evidence of "new antisemitism". Borrell described the comment as intimidation, saying acccusations of antisemitism were made every time that anyone "does something that Netanyahu doesn't like". Los Angeles, Actor-director Jesse Eisenberg says he applied for Polish citizenship nine months ago and is now "waiting for the final signature". Jesse Eisenberg has applied for Polish citizenship: Wanted to have greater connection to country The New York-born actor, known for films such as "The Social Network", "Zombieland" and "And Now You See Me", said as someone whose family belongs to southeast Poland he wanted to have a "greater connection" to the country. Eisenberg was recently in Poland as a guest of the Impact'24 congress. "I applied for Polish citizenship about nine months ago. Apparently, all the paperwork has already been submitted and I'm waiting for the final signature. My family is from the southeast, from Krasnystaw, my wife's family is from Lodz. We wanted to have a greater connection to Poland. I would like to work here more," the actor said in an interview with the Polish publication Glos Wielkopolski, as quoted by US outlet Variety. "Growing up, I've heard stories of the Polish relationship with my Jewish family and all the stories were great: we were best friends with the Poles. My family lived in Krasnystaw up until the war, one person survived the war and moved to Szczecin. Unfortunately, she passed away from Covid, so it was quite recent," he added. The 40-year-old has shot his upcoming directorial venture "A Real Pain" in Poland. Eisenberg also wrote and starred in it, alongside "Succession" star Kieran Culkin. The film, which premiered at 2024 Sundance Film Festival, sees two cousins heading to Poland to look for their roots. "While I was working here, I met some people who worked in positions related to the government. I said to them: 'I would love to create better relationships between Jews and Polish people. "To me, it's so unfortunate they are not great. I would love to do that. My family is from here, my wife's family is from here. Is there any way we could apply for Polish citizenship?'" he said. Eisenberg said he filmed "A Real Pain" in all the places in Poland where his family is from, including in Lublin, Warsaw, Krasnystaw, as well as Krasnik-Radom. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. THOUSANDS GATHERED in front of Taipeis presidential office on May 20th to celebrate the inauguration of William Lai Ching-te , Taiwans fifth democratically elected president. Among them were 400 supporters from his hometown, Wanli. Everyone is very proud, said one of them, Chen Kuo-lung. In the past, the small fishing community on Taiwans north coast was known only for its tasty crabs. Now weve also produced a president, boasted Mr Chen, adding that China has suppressed Taiwan to make it momowuwen, obscure and unknown, as Wanli used to be. He hopes Mr Lai can do for Taiwans profile globally what he has done for Wanlis at home. Indeed, Mr Lai promised during his campaign to follow his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, in trying to make the country the worlds Taiwan, rather than Chinas Taiwan. But Ms Tsais calm insistence on affirming Taiwans sovereignty infuriated Chinas Communist Party. Over the past eight years, China has cut off engagement with Taiwans government, blocked Chinese tourism to Taiwan, stepped up military drills around the island, banned many imports from Taiwan and poached almost half of its diplomatic allies so that only 12 governments still recognise Taiwans. Chinese officials have called Mr Lai a troublemaking separatist. More accurately, he is a pragmatic moderate, who hopes to strengthen Taiwan without provoking China. Taiwan, he said in his inaugural speech, is a democratic pilot for peace, adding that his government would maintain the status quo. He did not call for any constitutional change or referendum on Taiwans independence, but repeated a formula coined by Ms Tsai, that the Republic of China (ie, Taiwan) and the Peoples Republic of China are not subordinate to one another. He called on China to stop intimidating Taiwan and re-engage with it. That stance reflects Taiwanese public opinion. Polls there show 80% support for cross-strait exchanges on the principle of reciprocity. And a large majority favour keeping Taiwans status quo for now or for ever. At the inauguration, Chang Kuan-ying, a 60-year-old dentist, who was at high school with Mr Lai, said he was proud of him but hoped Taiwan could seek peaceful dialogue with China so that cross-strait tensions will not continue. Mr Changs worries are shared by many: a recent study by National Taiwan University found that more than half of Taiwans people believe war could break out in the next five years. Mr Lai also called for Taiwans people to have no delusions about Chinas intention of annexing the island. Taiwan will bolster its defences and ties with other democratic countries, he said. Its strategy to achieve this includes becoming a key supplier of sensitive technologies such as AI, drones, satellites and military equipment, in addition to the advanced chipmaking industry that Taiwan already dominates. Let Taiwan become the democratic worlds MVP [most valuable player], he said. China was not impressed. Its foreign minister, Wang Yi, condemned Mr Lai, saying separatists like him will be nailed to a pillar of historical shame. And on May 23rd China announced two days of military exercises near Taiwan. It has also focused on amplifying Mr Lais domestic challenges. Chen Binhua, spokesman for Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Mr Lais views made him a traitor to mainstream opinion within the island. Mr Lai was elected with only 40% popular support, and his party lost the parliamentary majority it enjoyed throughout Ms Tsais tenure. In April Taiwans main opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, sent a legislative delegation to China to meet senior officials. Since then it has been calling for Taiwans national security laws to be revised. Senior officials and Taiwanese civil society are worried. In his speech Mr Lai called for political parties to co-operate in the national interest, while hinting at the danger of Taiwans pro-unification parties working with China to subvert democracy: All our political parties ought to oppose annexation and protect sovereignty. On May 17th six parliamentarians ended up in hospital after a brawl in the chamber over the opposition parties attempts to push through a reform package that would expand parliaments powers. On May 21st thousands of protesters gathered outside Taiwans parliament to demonstrate against the opposition parties. Mr Lai has hardly begun his new job and already the pressure is on. Read more from Banyan, our columnist on Asia: Narendra Modi ramps up the Muslim-baiting (May 16th) In South-East Asia, the war in Gaza is roiling emotions (May 9th) Meet the maharajas of the worlds biggest democracy (May 2nd) Also: How the Banyan column got its name 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Nearly 1,400 girl students had a lucky escape on Monday when they were safely evacuated from a school building that was engulfed by a massive fire in a remote mountainous region of Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a media report. The rescue department confirmed that no loss of life occurred and said half of the school building was constructed with wood.(HT File) Geo News spoke to a rescue official who said the fire swept through the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Haripur districts Sirikot village while hundreds of students were inside. Firefighters along with the local residents began putting off the blaze, he said. The official said the fire brigade vehicles faced trouble reaching the site of the incident because of the mountainous terrain. ALSO READ | Rajkot gaming zone fire: CCTV camera footage shows how blaze started. Video Haripur's Rescue 1122 spokesperson Faraz Jalal said there were about 1,400 students and all of them were safely evacuated from the school building, the report said. The spokesperson said the blaze badly damaged the entire school building. The rescue department confirmed that no loss of life occurred and said half of the school building was constructed with wood. Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry confirmed that the school building caught fire because of a short circuit. Chaudhry said that further investigation into the incident was underway and the school would be made functional soon. Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a restive province which has seen attacks on school buildings by militants. ALSO READ | Delhi baby hospital fire: Disaster officials asked for fire-risk audit last week On the night of May 8, a private girls school was blown up by unidentified militants in Tehsil Shewa of North Waziristan district, police said. The police said the militants first tortured the watchman and later blew up two rooms of the school. Similar attacks took place in May last year when two government schools for girls in Mirali had been blown up. No loss of life was reported in the incidents. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said rescue officials took timely action and evacuated the students. The chief minister said the education department and district administration would submit a report regarding the fire accident. He said all the educational institutes would be reviewed so that such incidents do not occur in the future. Gandapur said the provincial government would compensate for the losses caused by the blaze. More than 2,000 people were buried alive in a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea on May 24, the country's government has said. In this photo provides the International Organization for Migration, people cross over the landslide area to get to the other side in Yambali village, Papua New Guinea, Friday, May 24, 2024.(AP) The numbers of those buried around Yambali village in Enga province in the country's north are based on estimates from local authorities. The number is nearly three times the estimate of the United Nation's migration agency, which had put the estimated death toll at 670 on Sunday. The National Disaster Centre raised the toll to 2,000 in a letter to the UN on Sunday, released publicly on Monday. About 1,250 people have been displaced by the landslide. "The situation remains unstable as the landslip continues to shift slowly, posing ongoing danger to both the rescue teams and survivors alike," the letter said, according to Reuters. Also Read | Over 60 killed in gun battles between rival tribes in Papua New Guinea CARE International PNG country director Justine McMahon told ABC television that about 4,000 people lived near the affected area. "The houses are buried under around eight metres (26.3 ft) of dirt. So there is quite a lot of debris to get through," said McMahon. The unstable terrain, remote location and nearby tribal warfare have hampered rescue operations. Visuals shared on social media show local and rescue workers scaling rocks, digging with shovels, sticks and their bare hands to find survivors. Only six bodies have been retrieved so far. An excavator donated by a local builder Sunday was the first piece of heavy earth-moving machinery brought in to help villagers, reported the Associate Press. Australia on Monday said that it has prepared to send aircraft and other equipment to help at the site of the deadly landslide. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said his officials have been talking with their Papua New Guinea counterparts since Friday, reported AP. Weve got obviously airlift capacity to get people there. There may be other equipment that we can bring to bear in terms of the search and rescue and all of that we are talking through with PNG right now, Marles added. Meanwhile, tribal violence in the region has also raised security concerns for road travel, with the military escorting convoys of rescue teams. On Saturday, eight people were killed, and five shops and 30 houses burnt down in the region, according to the UN agency. North Korea fired an unidentified projectile on a southern path off its west coast on Monday, South Korea's military said, hours after Pyongyang said it would be launching a satellite some time before June 4. The launch would likely be the nuclear-armed North's attempt to place a second spy satellite into orbit.(File via REUTERS) The Japanese government issued an emergency warning on Monday for residents in the south to take cover from the possible threat of a North Korean missile, before lifting the warning and saying it was not expected to fly over Japanese territory. Japan said over its J-Alert broadcasting system that North Korea appeared to have fired a missile, sending out the warning to residents in southern prefecture of Okinawa. North Korea had earlier in the day notified Japan that it plans to launch a satellite between May 27 and June 4. The launch would likely be the nuclear-armed North's attempt to place a second spy satellite into orbit. After several failed attempts that ended when the rockets crashed, North Korea successfully placed its first such satellite in orbit in November. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has alleged a conspiracy to create a Christian state similar to East Timor by partitioning parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar. She claimed she was offered an easy reelection in January if she permitted a foreign nation to establish an airbase in Bangladesh, without disclosing the country's name. Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ((AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)) "Like East Timor, they will carve out a Christian country taking parts of Bangladesh [Chattogram] and Myanmar with a base in the Bay of Bengal." Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League president, said in a meeting on Thursday, reported The Daily Star. It was the 14-party alliance's first meeting with the Awami League president after polls. ALSO READ- Cyclone Remal: Millions without power as storm pounds India and Bangladesh Offer came from a white man: Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina vowed to resist any attempts to disrupt regional stability and said she is determined to combat such conspiracies. "The offer came from a white man," Sheikh Hasina said without revealing any details. "It may appear that it is aimed at only one country, but it is not. I know where else they intend to go," she said that there will be more trouble but she is not worried about it. "If I allowed a certain country to build an airbase in Bangladesh, then I would have had no problem." She accused opposition opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of plotting against the election process. ALSO READ- Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina to opposition BNP on India Out call: Burn your wives sarees' Indirect reference to US? Bangladeshi leaders have claimed that Washington has been eyeing St. Martin's Island, a small island in the southernmost part of the country. ALSO READ- Explained: What the Bangladesh elections and PM Sheikh Hasinas victory mean for India In early 2023, during a press conference, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, stated that the United States has never discussed taking control of St. Martin's Island and has no intention of doing so, Eurasian Times reported. BRUSSELS Relations between the European Union and Israel took a nosedive Monday, the eve of the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state by EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid insisting that sanctions should be considered against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in southern Gaza's city of Rafah. Relations between EU and Israel plummet as Spain, Ireland prepare to recognize a Palestinian state Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Spain that its consulate in Jerusalem will not be allowed to help Palestinians. At the same time, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threw his weight to support the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including leaders of the Hamas militant group. The prosecutor of the court has been strongly intimidated and accused of antisemitism as always when anybody, anyone does something that Netanyahus government does not like," Borrell said. The word antisemitic, it's too heavy. It's too important. Spain, Ireland and Norway plan to make official their recognition of a Palestinian state on Tuesday. While dozens of countries have recognized a Palestinian state, none of the major Western powers has done so, and it is unclear how much of a difference the move by Ireland, Spain and non-EU member Norway might make on the ground. The recognition, however, is a significant accomplishment for the Palestinians, who believe it confers international legitimacy on their struggle. Angry words abounded, with Katz accusing Spain of rewarding terror by recognizing a Palestinian state, and saying that the days of the Inquisition are over. He referred to the infamous Spanish institution started in the 15th century to maintain Roman Catholic orthodoxy that forced Jews and Muslims to flee, convert to Catholicism or, in some instances, face death. No one will force us to convert our religion or threaten our existence. Those who harm us, we will harm in return, said Katz. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares slammed the comments, and said his colleagues from Ireland and Norway were also receiving absolutely unjustified and absolutely reprehensible provocations from our Israeli colleague because of their plans to recognize Palestine. "In the face of those who want to divide us with any type of intimidating propaganda, the unity of Europeans is essential to send a very powerful message," he said. Also on Monday, Slovenias Prime Minister Robert Golob said his government will decide on the recognition of a Palestinian state on Thursday and forward its decision to parliament for final approval. Slovenia launched the recognition procedure earlier this month, and Golob has been under pressure to speed up the process since Spain, Norway and Ireland announced they would go ahead with recognition. Borrell said the actions of the Israeli government, including plans to stop transferring tax revenue earmarked for the Palestinian Authority, could no longer be reconciled with the idea he had about the state of Israel. From now on, I will never again say Israel, will say Netanyahu government because it is this government who is taking these decisions," Borrell said. Even though the EU and its member nations have been steadfast in condemning the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in which militants stormed across the Gaza border into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage, the bloc has been equally critical of Israels ensuing offensive that has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The latest attacks have centered on Rafah, where Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 45 people Sunday, hit tents for displaced people and left numerous others trapped in flaming debris. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said such strikes will have long-standing repercussions. Israel with this choice is spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchildren. I would have preferred another decision, he told SKY TG24. The strikes came after the U.N.'s top court, the International Court of Justice, on Friday demanded that Israel immediately halt its offensive on Rafah, even if it stopped short of ordering a cease-fire for the Gaza enclave. Albares said Spain and other countries asked Borrell to provide a list of what measures the European Union could apply" to make Israel heed the ICJs ruling and explain what the EU has done in the past in similar circumstances ""when there has been a flagrant violation of international law. The joint announcement by Spain, Ireland and Norway last week triggered an angry response from Israeli authorities, which summoned the countries' ambassadors in Tel Aviv to the Foreign Ministry, where they were filmed while being shown videos of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and abductions. Albares criticized the treatment of the European ambassadors in Israel. We reject something that is not within diplomatic courtesy and the customs of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, he said. But at the same time we have also agreed that we are not going to fall for any provocation that distances us from our goal, he added. Our aim is to recognize the state of Palestine tomorrow, make all possible efforts to achieve a permanent cease-fire as soon as possible and also, in the end, to achieve that definitive peace. Colleen Barry contributed from Milan and Aritz Parra from Madrid. Find more coverage at /hub/israel-hamas-war This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Russia will remove the Taliban from a list of banned terrorist organisations, three years after they returned to power in Afghanistan, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said Monday. Taliban security personnel stand guard during the food distribution to Afghan people at Nawabad Kako Sahib area in Baraki Barak district.(AFP) Moscow has for years fostered relations with the Taliban, holding multiple rounds of talks and boosting trade with Afghanistan despite international sanctions. "Kazakhstan has recently taken the decision, which we are also going to take, to remove them from the list of terrorist organisations," RIA Novosti quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying. Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of banned organisations at the end of 2023. ALSO READ | View: Rapprochement with Taliban is most underrated achievement of Modi government The move could further boost diplomacy between Russia and Afghanistan, but would fall short of an official recognition of the Taliban government and what it calls the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan." The Taliban seized power in 2021 from a US-backed government. They have enforced an extreme form of Islamic law that effectively bans women from public life. Lavrov said Russia's decision was about recognising the realities on the ground. "They are the real power. We are not indifferent to Afghanistan. And above all our allies in Central Asia are not indifferent," Lavrov said. Russia also invited Taliban representatives to its flagship Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, state media reported. Taliban Has This Request For Modi Govt; Afghan Rulers Shower Praises On India | Watch The event was once seen as the cornerstone of Russia's economic relations with the West. Russia has for years fostered ties with the Taliban. The head of US forces in Afghanistan claimed in 2018 that Moscow was providing weapons to the group -- accusations Moscow denied at the time. The Taliban has been designated a terrorist organisation in Russia since 2003. Moscow itself has a complicated history with Afghanistan with the Soviet Union having fought a decade-long war against guerilla mujahideen fighters in the 1980s to prop up a Kremlin-backed government. Former US President Donald Trump has been actively in the limelight for both his legal battles and internal day-to-day family issues ahead of November elections. While Trump recently hit headlines for attending his youngest son Barron's graduation ceremony with wife Melania, a social media platform has discovered an old picture of him with daughter Ivanka. Former President Donald Trump, left, talks to his daughter Ivanka Trump as they wait for the start of a UFC 299 mixed martial arts bout, early Sunday, March 10, 2024, in Miami. (AP) Ivanka has been often seen with his father since he started his presidential campaign in 2015. However, the father-daughter duo faced troubles in terms of being business partners when Ivanka left The Trump Organisation in 2017. Despite those issues, they both have shown love and affection for each other. Earlier this month, Stormy Daniels, a former adult film star who has accused Trump of having an extra marital affair with her, startled the court by testifying that the former US President told her she reminded him of his daughter Ivanka, just minutes after spanking him during their alleged sexual encounter. Reacting to it, one X user slammed Trump, writing that he disrespects all women, not just Melania. Ivanka and Trump's old picture sparks outrage Amidst all these allegations, a rare old picture of Ivanka and Trump has surfaced on Reddit with the caption: 15-year-old Ivanka Trump sitting on her fathers lap during a concert in 1996. In the picture, Ivanka can be seen dressed in a white and red striped sleeveless top with matching hot shorts. In contrast, Trump wore a pink striped shirt, a blue coat, and white trousers. However, this image sparked outrage, with some netizens terming it as "inappropriate". Reacting to the post, one Reddit user wrote, He gives off such huge Pedo [pedophile] vibes. Another user recalled the time when Trump claimed hed date Ivanka if she wasnt his daughter, saying: That would be harmless EXCEPT if it werent for his if she werent my daughter, perhaps Id be dating her quote. A third user chimed in, Or like 10 other sus things he has done and said. And these are things we know of. This is not normal," a fourth individual commented, while several others inquired with wonder: Couldnt he buy another seat? Also Read: Who are Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow? Trump shares stage at massive Bronx rally with drill rappers accused of murder Donald Trump and Ivanka(Getty) When and where was the photo taken? The father-daughter photograph was taken at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in 1996. Nine years later when Trump was asked how he would react if Ivanka appeared in Playboy, he said: "It would be really disappointing not really but it would depend on what's inside the magazine." I dont think Ivanka would do that, although she does have a very nice figure. Ive said if Ivanka werent my daughter, perhaps Id be dating her," he added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that a tragic mistake had been made after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and killed at least 45 people, according to local officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (AP) Israel has faced surging international criticism over its war with Hamas, with even some of its closest allies, particularly the United States, expressing outrage at civilian deaths. Israel insists it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the worlds top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt the offensive in Rafah. Israel's military had earlier said that it launched an investigation into civilian deaths after it struck a Hamas installation and killed two senior militants. Sunday night's attack, which appeared to be one of the wars deadliest, helped push the overall Palestinian death toll in the war above 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and noncombatants in its tally. Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake, Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israels parliament. We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy. Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in the northwestern neighborhood of Tel al-Sultan, said rescuers "pulled out people who were in an unbearable state. We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal, he said. At least 45 people were killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service. The ministry said the dead included at least 12 women, eight children and three older adults, with another three bodies burned beyond recognition. In a separate development, Egypts military said one of its soldiers was shot dead during an exchange of fire in the Rafah area, without providing further details. Israel said it was in contact with Egyptian authorities, and both sides said they were investigating. Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt, had housed more than a million people about half of Gaza's population displaced from other parts of the territory. Most have fled once again since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion there earlier this month. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps in and around the city. Netanyahu says Israel must destroy what he calls Hamas last remaining battalions in Rafah. The militant group launched a barrage of rockets Sunday from the city toward heavily populated central Israel, setting off air raid sirens but causing no injuries. The strike on Rafah brought a new wave of condemnation, even from some of Israel's close allies. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire, French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, in a TV interview, said such bombings are spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchildren. Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas in attempts to secure a cease-fire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, said the Rafah strike could complicate talks, Negotiations, which appear to be restarting, have faltered repeatedly over Hamas demand for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, terms Israeli leaders have publicly rejected. Neighboring Egypt and Jordan, which made peace with Israel decades ago, also condemned the Rafah strike. Egypt's Foreign Ministry called it a new and blatant violation of the rules of humanitarian international law. Jordans Foreign Ministry called it a war crime. The Israeli militarys top legal official said authorities were examining the strikes and that the military regrets the loss of civilian life. Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi said such incidents occur in a war of such scope and intensity. Speaking to an Israeli lawyers conference, Tomer-Yerushalmi said Israel has launched 70 criminal investigations into incidents that aroused suspicions of international law violations, including the deaths of civilians, the conditions at a detention facility holding suspected Palestinian militants and the deaths of some inmates in Israeli custody. She said incidents of violence, property crimes and looting were also being examined. Israel has long maintained it has an independent judiciary capable of investigating and prosecuting abuses. But rights groups say Israeli authorities routinely fail to fully investigate violence against Palestinians and that even when soldiers are held accountable, the punishment is usually light. Israel has denied allegations of genocide brought against it by South Africa at the International Court of Justice. Last week, the court ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, a ruling that it has no power to enforce. Separately, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, over alleged crimes linked to the war. Israel says it does its best to adhere to the laws of war and says it faces an enemy that makes no such commitment, embeds itself in civilian areas and refuses to release Israeli hostages unconditionally. Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds about 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. Around 80% of Gazas 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and U.N. officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. As Kate Middleton continues to undergo preventative chemotherapy following her cancer diagnosis, speculations are rife when the Princess of Wales returns to Royal duties. According to the source, Kate Middleton is eager to make a balcony appearance for Trooping the Colour in London on June 15, even if William rejects her plan.(Reuters) However, Prince William, the heir to the throne, has been putting all his efforts to ensure that Catherine makes a smooth recovery. He has directed the Kensington Palace to not share any further updates about Kate's health, considering her privacy. Speaking to New Idea, a palace source said that the Prince of Wales' top priority is the Princess' health. He has been the driving force behind the decision to maintain the strictest privacy protocols around Kate. Kate, 42, has sought shelter at the family home Adelaide Cottage, with her husband William and their three children. While she is thankful for the time she has been granted so far, Catherine is determined to attend an important Royal event. According to the source, Kate Middleton is eager to make a balcony appearance for Trooping the Colour in London on June 15, even if William rejects her plan. Kates told William that with her doctors approval, she is determined to appear at that event, an insider said. While the father of three tried to keep her away from all the news and crazy speculation about her ongoing absence from the public eye, the source added that its impossible and Kates definitely feeling the pressure to put an end to all the nonsense. After Kate's abdominal surgery in January, Kensington Palace in statement clarified that she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter. However, she has crossed that deadline, raising public concerns about her genuine well-being. Also Read: Kate Middleton and Prince William issue rare joint statement over incredible sadness Kensington Palace issues fresh statement about her return Last week, in a revised statement, the Palace stated that Kate would not make a comeback to work until she gets the "green light" by her medical team. Her continuing absence is creating a vacuum ready to be filled by wild conspiracy theories on social media, according to our source. Despite rising public concern about Kate's health and whereabouts, "stubborn" William refuses to let her be pressured into making any public appearances, even though she has privately shown a willingness to do so. He's completely against being forced to commit to any kind of deadlines, according to New Idea insider. But Kate knows they've passed their Easter promise and it's setting off alarm bells. Prince Harry and Kate Middletons reunion is very unlikely or, as a friend of the Princess of Wales claims, fantasy. Cracks continue to widen between the Sussexes and the royals with no signs of a happy ending on the cards. A source close to Kate recently revealed that Prince Harry after leaving the UK and despite two recent trips has reportedly not been able to reach out to mend fences with his sister-in-law, refuting earlier claims that he did so amid her cancer diagnosis. Britain's Prince William, center, with his then gilrfriend Kate Middleton and Prince Harry watch the England against Italy Six Nations rugby match at Twickenham stadium in London, Saturday Feb. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)(AP) Kate Middleton's friend denies Harry reached out to mend fences The estranged royal, who left his London palace to reside in California, US with his wife and two kids, was reported to have 'reached out' to Kate Middleton after she revealed her cancer diagnosis. Many experts believed and some claimed that Harry and Meghan contacted the Princess of Wales through 'back channels.' However, a close friend of Kate has now refuted these claims, saying, "Meeting with Harry is the last thing that William or Catherine want or need right now." The friend even dismissed any possible reunion as fantasy. Also read: Prince Harry and Meghan growing closer to two unexpected royals leave William and Kate uneasy "It's a fantasy. It's not about apologies or who said what, it is about protecting his family. Kate is recovering from cancer, and they are avoiding stressful situations." The source told Daily Beast. Prince Harrys reunion with William and Kate branded as fantasy The comments were made after royal author and expert Tom Quinn suggested that Kate is "sympathetic" towards Harry, who was reportedly wishing for a reunion after the sudden health crisis that affected the palace. However, Quinn noted that Kate doesnt want to play peacemaker between the brothers. William, on the other hand, was reported to be furious with Harry and Meghans actions against the royals. Also read: Rose Hanbury adopts Kate Middleton's style, bonds with Queen Camilla and Royals amid Princess's absence Speaking to the Mirror, Quinn previously said, Since leaving the UK, Harry has actually contacted at least one royal: Kate. She is sympathetic, but fully supports her husband and, struggling with her own health problems, has no intention of playing peacemaker. Friend went on to say that if the Sussexes think they will come to Balmoral this summer, it is just wishful thinking. It is all very sad When Harry chose hotel stay instead of royal palace Not long ago, Harry was in the UK for an Invictus Games milestone, where he was speculated to meet the King. However, the reunion didnt happen despite being just 2 km apart. Initially, there were reports that the King snubbed him, but a palace insider claimed that the King arranged a palace for him to stay in, but Harry opted for a hotel instead. Had he chosen the royal residence, a reunion was likely. This claim was then refuted by Harrys spokesperson, who said that the Duke only rejected the royal palace due to security concerns, referencing the security battle he lost in UK court after leaving royal status. In the wake of multiple resignations, the Miss USA Organization crowned its successor, Miss USA Savannah Gankiewicz, in Hawaii on May 15. The current crown-holder said in a speech that she received death threats and was subjected to bullying since she acquired the title, post her predecessor Noelia Voigt's departure. In this image provided by the Office of Governor Josh Green, Miss USA 2023 Savannah Gankiewicz poses for a photo after being crowned on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Honolulu. As the first runner-up, Gankiewicz was announced as the replacement for former Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt, who stepped aside May 6. (Office of Governor Josh Green, M.D. via AP)(AP) In a video shared on X/Twitter last week, Gankiewicz addressed the backlash and hateful comments she's received since May 15: Since I've gotten this title, I've health with a lot of bullying and harassment, and it really does, it breaks my heart. I wish people saw where my heart is coming from. And it's helping Lahaina and helping Maui residents having a platform, but also showing women that you can get bullied and you can hurt, but you can stand back up, and you keep going, and you keep using your voice, she added. Gankiewicz is expected to hold the title upon her special coronation until August. A new Miss USA will be announced after that. Also read | Prince Harry and Meghan growing closer to two unexpected royals leaves William and Kate uneasy Ongoing Miss USA controversy explored: Gankiewicz's mentions of public backlash emerged weeks after the former Miss USA Noelia Voigt stepped down from her post on May 6. Announcing her resignation via Instagram, Voigt foregrounded that she was walking a different walk to prioritize her mental health. However, her subtle comments were later backed up by a copy of her resignation letter obtained by NBC News. In it, she accused the organization's CEO of perpetuating a toxic work environment. Voigt rose to the ranks to clinch the Miss USA title in 2023, whereas Gankiewicz trailed behind her as the competition's first runner-up. An extract from Voigt's resignation letters reads: There is a toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization that, at best, is poor management and, at worst, is bullying and harassment. She highlighted that this onslaught of abuse started soon after she won the title of Miss USA 2023. She supposedly set the example for other involved parties at the pageant as the list of celebrities stepping down from their posts grew. Just days after Voigt gave up her crown, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, who was crowned last September, also resigned mid-reign, citing her personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization. Also read | Burger King vs McDonald's: Fast-food rivals battle it out with $5 meal deals, Wendy's says stop taking Their resignations also drew attention to Miss USA social media director Claudia Michelle's exit, who bowed out just days before Miss USA and Miss Teen USA voluntarily relinquished their posts. Disavowing "workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind," Michelle alleged that the current management inappropriately spoke about their titleholders. She also reported that titleholders were held back and threatened by Miss USA's social media rules, rendering them unable to voice their personal ideologies. Alongside Michelle, who couldn't stand as a witness to Voigt's declining mental health, Miss Colorado USA Arianna Lemus also called for a severe shake-up in the organization, announcing her resignation in May. Asserting the need for reform within the Miss USA organization, she stood in solidarity with Voigt and Srivastava. She said, Noelia and UmaSofia's voices have been stifled by the constraints of a contract that undermines their rights and dignity. A colourfully decorated ceramic goat, which is believed to have been created by King Charles while he was attending Cambridge University, has emerged for sale in the UK. According to Hansons Auctioneers experts, the goat will be sold at higher prices due to its rareness.(X@HansonsUK) Back in 1960s, King Charles gifted the small ceramic goat painted with yellow and pink stripes to Cambridge's cook Helen Patten. Later in 1969, it was handed over to Patten's nephew Raymond Patten, former carpenter in British Columbia, on his 21st birthday. Patten, 76, has put the treasured item up for auction at Hansons Auctioneers in Staffordshire due to its "historical significance". It's anticipated to fetch nearly 10,000. The retiree, who traveled to the UK to present the exclusive piece to Hansons, claimed he had "treasured" the gift given by Charles all his life and that it was his late aunt's honour to serve the royal family's members. Speaking ahead of the sale, he said: My Aunt Nellie, Helen Patten, gave me the goat on my 21st birthday on June 22, 1969. She told me Prince Charles had made it." She was proud of the fact he attended Cambridge University in the late 1960s when she worked as a cook for the president of Queens College. I believe she knew the future king on a personal basis. I have treasured the goat all my life. From 1967 to 1970, the then-Prince of Wales attended Trinity College and studied archaeology and anthropology before switching to history and graduating with a 2:2 degree. A closer look at King Charles and his love for art According to Hansons Auctioneers experts, the goat will be sold at higher prices due to its rareness. Charles Hanson, the proprietor of the British auction house, stated that this was not the first time the King's artwork had been auctioned by Hansons. Last year, they sold a portrait of King Charles' parents drawn by him during his childhood days. It fetched around 60,000. While King Charles has shown his passion for art throughout his life, he is mostly renowned for his paintings, Hanson stated. Also Read: Prince Harry turned down King Charles meeting after rejecting royal offer just because. He further stressed that this goat piece demonstrates another side to the monarch's talent. As far as we are aware it is the only example of pottery made by King Charles in existence. It represents his early passion and artistic flare working in ceramics in the late 1960s Were thrilled to have made this royal find. The proprietor informed that they expect the ceramic piece to sell for between 5,000 and 10,000. Raymond has opted to part with it now because of its historical value, he informed. Former US President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in the upcoming general election, was welcomed to NASCAR's Coca Cola 600 event on Sunday with thunderous applause. Many chanted USA" as he headed into the driver of the No. 3 car, Austin Dillon's pit box. Former President Donald Trump salutes during opening ceremonies as he attends the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 auto race, Sunday, May 26, 2024, in Concord, N.C. It is the first time that a president or former president has attended a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)(AP) Trump's Deputy Director of Communications, Margo Martin, shared a video of the ex-president arriving at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, the Coca-Cola 600 venue. The clip shows Trump sporting his signature MAGA cap as he greets the crowd on Sunday afternoon during the Memorial Day weekend. Charlotte Motor Speedway's official X/Twitter feed also posted a video of his plane, Trump Force One, flying over the track. According to multiple media sources, Trump's arrival at the NASCAR event marked a historic milestone. It was the first time a sitting or former President was in attendance for a race at the venue. Although Bill Clinton was at the 1994 Ford Mustang 30th-anniversary event at the speedway, he didn't attend the race. The Sunday race wasn't Trump's first NASCAR rodeo. In 2020, he served as grand marshall for the 62nd Daytona 500 race in 2020. Also read | At least 18 dead after tornadoes fatally ravage Central US; Jack Harlow's 1st Gazebo Festival in Kentucky cancelled While at the annual Memorial Day weekend NASCAR Cup Series event, Trump was also spotted alongside team owner Richard Childress. He struck a salute to the sound of the hymn Amazing Grace during the opening ceremonies. However, his gesture supposedly didn't sit well with the Internet, with varying cultural perceptions weighing in on whether it was appropriate for him to do so. Divided reactions to Trump's Amazing Grace gesture at the NASCAR race A salute is a sign of respect not a status symbol. Anyone that has ever been in the military would know this. Trump hasn't earned the right to salute anyone. Every time I think the left has hit the bottom of the idiot barrel they prove me wrong and keep digging Theyre freaking out because Trump saluted during Amazing Grace to honor fallen soldiers, as if it was by accident. Liberals!! Please pull your head out!! We dont need help mocking you, but thanks for the material!! Oh God please somebody tell him we dont salute during amazing grace." Amazing Grace is not the national anthem, @lukepbeasley. Its perfectly acceptable (and honourable) to salute during this beautiful homage. Trump's confused salute to an empty crowd and 'Amazing Grace' is a disturbing sight. It's time to put country over party and prioritize his health and our nation's stability. 'Amazing Grace' is often part of traditional Memorial Day events. The hymn is played to honor and remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces of the country. Trump, a former Command in Chief, is being patriotic. He shows up at a NASCAR race to take attention away from the military on Memorial Day weekend. Then incorrectly salutes during Amazing Grace, he probably thinks its the National Anthem. He is an absolute embarrassment. Hes just walking around saluting everything today. He salutes during Amazing Grace. Hes saluting people. Saluting airplanes. How many people in church have ever saluted or witnessed someone saluting during Amazing Grace? I grew up in the Catholic church and have never seen it done before.. "Trump saluting during "Amazing Grace" is a perfect example of how he has no clue about basic things. He cant even tell the difference between a hymn and the national anthem. The guy's ignorance is astounding. And if you didnt serve you dont ever salute." Also read | Newly crowned Miss USA Savannah Gankiewicz battles death threats, bullying amid pageant controversy and resignations What does UCMJ say about saluting as a civilian? According to the official Uniform Code of Military Justice website, a civilian salute has the potential to provoke antithetical responses, which clarifies the Internet's divide over the present situation. The UCMJ states that a civilian salute can either be seen as a mark of high esteem or a breach of military protocol. Moreover, its deep dive into deciphering whether the gesture is construed as a sign of respect or disrespect suggests that while military codes and civilian law do not prohibit you from saluting military personnel, it's not perceived as a common practice either. The UCMJ further asserts, "Within the military, saluting is deeply entrenched in a framework of mutual acknowledgementa civilian might not share this experience and therefore could inadvertently misconstrue the gesture. For those who have never served, a salute may seem like a powerful way to express gratitude, particularly on patriotic holidays or in remembering the sacrifices of the military. Its critical, however, to recognize that some veterans and active service members might view a salute from a civilian as a misunderstanding of military culture and traditions." Despite the varying cultural perceptions of salute etiquette, the UCMJ further expands on it: Instead of saluting, you can show appreciation in ways that are more aligned with civilian-military interaction. Some find a simple nod of acknowledgement or placing a hand over the heart as suitable gestures that convey respect. This year's North Carolina Republican Party Convention wrapped up in Greensboro before Trump's visit to the Coca-Cola 600. According to the Greensboro News and Record, Trump, though not present in person at the convention, addressed the gathering on Friday via a phone call. Meanwhile, the former president's hush money trial is set to conclude as soon as final arguments commence on Tuesday. The UN human rights chief voiced "horror" Monday at a deadly Israeli air strike on a displacement camp in Rafah in the south of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, demanding "accountability". Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah on May 27, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)(AFP) "The images from the camp are horrific and point to no apparent change in the methods and means of warfare used by Israel that have already led to so many civilian deaths," Volker Turk said in a statement. He voiced his "horror at the further loss of civilian life in Gaza", the statement said. Israel has faced a wave of international condemnation over Sunday's strike on the Al Hashash area in Rafah, which according to Gaza officials killed 45 people when the strike set off a fire that ripped through a tent city for displaced Palestinians. Israel launched the attack hours after Hamas unleashed a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv and nearby areas which sent Israelis running for bomb shelters. Most were intercepted by air defences. Israel's military said the southern Rafah area had targeted and killed two senior Hamas operatives. It also sparked a fire that Palestinians and many Arab countries condemned as a "massacre". "Sunday's strike underscores once again that there is literally no safe place in Gaza", Turk said. He noted that the military had announced it would investigate. But, he said, "what is shockingly clear is that by striking such an area, densely packed with civilians, this was an entirely predictable outcome". "It is crucial that such reviews lead to accountability and changes in policy or practices." The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Israel to respect an International Court of Justice order issued Friday to halt the Rafah offensive. He reiterated a call on all parties establish a ceasefire, stressing their obligation to protect civilians. "Israel must take immediate steps to protect civilians, and ensure they have access to essential humanitarian assistance, and release all those detained arbitrarily," Turk said. He insisted that "Palestinian armed groups must stop the firing of rockets which are inherently indiscriminate and in clear violation of international humanitarian law". "They must also unconditionally release all hostages at once," he said. The Gaza war broke out when Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel that left more than 1,170 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza. The Israeli army says 37 of those still missing are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,050 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. After The Libertarian Party blatantly rejected former president Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at its convention they have picked party activist Chase Oliver for president. FILE - Libertarian Chase Oliver, candidate for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat, listens during a debate, Oct. 16, 2022, in Atlanta, Ga. The Libertarian Party on Sunday, May 26, 2024, nominated party activist Oliver for president(AP) After four days of melodramatic showdown the convention saw both Donald J. Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. making unsuccessful bids to court the party's endorsement. Who is Chase Oliver? Chase Oliver, an openly gay former Democrat, has been a rising star within the Libertarian Party. In 2022, he made headlines by forcing a runoff in the race for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, demonstrating his ability to galvanize support across a diverse electorate. Atlanta based activist previously ran for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House from Georgia. His campaign has called for major cuts to the federal budget with an eye toward balancing the budget. He has also sought an abolition of the death penalty, a closure of all overseas military bases and an end of military support to Israel and Ukraine. What are Libertarian Party's chances to win? The Libertarian Party, known for its staunch emphasis on individual liberties and limited government, is among the most prominent minor parties in the U.S. The party's nominee is guaranteed a spot on the November ballot in at least 37 states, with expectations to expand this number in the coming months. However third parties have rarely been competitive in a two-way presidential election in US. Four years back Libertarian candidate only won 1% of the vote. With Oliver at the helm, the Libertarian Party aims to present a unified front, championing their core principles of liberty and minimal government intervention. As the 2024 election approaches, Oliver's leadership will be crucial in mobilizing support and navigating the complexities of the American political landscape. The path to Oliver's nomination was fraught with tension, taking over seven hours and seven rounds of elimination voting. At one point, it seemed the party might end up without a candidate, as more than a third of the final voters cast ballots for "none of the above." Angela McArdle, the party chair, emphasized the dire consequences of failing to nominate a candidate, which would have jeopardized ballot access in many states. In his acceptance speech, Oliver, 38, who describes himself as "armed and gay," pledged to unify the party and expand its reach across the U.S. He outlined his vision to end the "genocide in Gaza," abolish the Federal Reserve, and eliminate taxation, which he described as "thieving." "Here's the elevator pitch, you guys," Oliver declared. If you are living your life in peace, then your life is your life, your body is your body, your business is your business. Nearly a week ago, on May 21, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was verbally thrashed by either side advocating for the Palestine or Israel cause in the ongoing war on Gaza. Furious demonstrators heckled him as he kicked off his testimony before two committees in the Senate, FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 21, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo(REUTERS) Anti-war protestors called him a war criminal" and replaced his original post as the Secretary of the State by declaring him the Secretary of Genocide," accusing him of endorsing one of the worst humanitarian crises wreaking havoc on the Gaza Strip. Despite Blinken reiterating the Biden administration's support for Israel, he equally felt the wrath of the right as much as the left. Additionally, he also insisted that the sitting president opposed Israel's war on the Palestinian city of Rafah, where over a million displaced civilians had taken shelter. Countering Republican accusations that Biden's administration had weakened its support of Israel by holding back a weapons shipment in its war against the militant group Hamas, Blinken said: When it comes to making sure that Israel has everything it needs to defend itself, no one has, no one will do more than President Biden. Also read | Thunderous reception welcomes Trump at Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race; Internet divided over his Amazing Grace gesture However, simultaneously, he addressed the violent onslaught on Rafah: We've been very clear in many conversations with Israeli leadership over the past months about our deep concerns about a major military operation in Rafah and the impact that would have on civilians. The proceedings also foregrounded the previous International Criminal Court announcement that prosecutor Karim Khan sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister (and key players of Hamas, including Yahya Sinwar - the prime leader in Gaza) for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Just as Republicans wanted the Biden administration to respond to this call against Israel, Blinken condemned the profoundly wrong-headed decision. Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, who heads the foreign relations panel, also agreed with Blinken and said, I see it as a step in the wrong direction. Anti-war protestors confront Antony Blinken At the Tuesday hearing, several demonstrators displayed their wrath toward the US Secretary of State through banners expressing their disdain for him. One protestor even approached him from behind with a sign that read criminal." She was eventually escorted out of the room. The Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Appropriations Committees hearing had to be paused on several occasions during Blinken's opening statement as protestors spoke up against him for fuelling the genocide against Palestinians. Some silent protestors held up their red-painted hands, symbolising blood during the hearing. This vision of protests against Blinken aligned with demonstrations put on display by the anti-war group CODEPINK in November 2023, calling for a ceasefire. Multiple protestors staging a demonstration and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during Blinken's testimony were arrested on Tuesday. Also read | At least 18 dead after tornadoes fatally ravage Central US; Jack Harlow's 1st Gazebo Festival in Kentucky cancelled In addition to the confrontations Blinken faced at the hearing, protestors also called him out for being responsible for genocide in the hallways after he departed from the morning hearing. Videos of these scenes were shared on the CODEPINK social media feeds. One of these posts was captioned: This is how we greeted Secretary Blinken as he left this mornings hearing. He will always be remembered as the Secretary of Genocide, Butcher of Gaza! Another post from the anti-war group shared visuals of their member Nicole being taken by authorities after confronting Blinken at Capitol Hill. The post caption reads: "BLINKEN CONTINUES TO BE CONFRONTED Our member Nicole just confronted Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he testifies to the House Appropriations Committee over his support of the genocide in Gaza. We should be arresting war criminals like Blinken, not people who just want peace, justice, and freedom for the Palestinian people!" Another viral TikTok video filmed (possibly from a different angle) at the same location after his hearing is also making the rounds on X/Twitter. This video also captures Blinken being heckled by demonstrators. As he walks towards the elevators, someone says, If you were a decent man, you would walk yourself to The Hague. During the Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Tuesday afternoon, the US Secretary of the State claimed that he wants to work with Sen. Lindsey Graham to penalise the International Criminal Court for seeking arrest warrants against Israeli leaders on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, a day before the hearing, Biden denounced the ICC's move. Commemorating the Jewish American Heritage Month on Monday at the White House, he said, "Its clear Israel wants to do all it can to ensure civilian protection Let me be clear: Whats happening is not genocide. Standing by the President's words, Blinken eventually asserted that the ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter while suggesting that this development would hamper their attempts at negotiating a ceasefire deal. Nigeria's First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu made a sneaky reference to Meghan Markle during an event titled "Celebrating the Woman" to acknowledge how women have made great contributions in all aspects of life. Following the Nigeria's First Lady's speech, one royal fan on X, wrote: Meghan Markle managed to create an international incident! We warned her about the clothes.(X) Despite Meghan and Prince Harry's successful three-day Nigeria trip, the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes faced backlash for various reasons. While Meghan was chastised for her dressing by the critics, Harry came under fire for snubbing King Charles. Notably, Meghan was seen in different attires during her "unforgettable" Nigeria trip, where she and the Harry met with country's top officials as well as locals. While she tried to maintain perfect appearances by spending around 120,000 on jewellery and new clothes, it seems that Nigeria's First Lady slammed her fashion sense. Addressing a gathering during a speech commemorating President Bola Tinubu's first year in office, the First Lady emphasised how youth in Nigeria are at risk of losing their identity if proper measures are not implemented. During her speech, which was broadcast on Arise News and posted on X, she stated, We are not having a Met Gala. The nakedness is just everywhere, and the men are well-clothed. So we have to do something. Tell them we don't accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful. It's not beautiful at all. Stressing that both males and females must be confident in who they are, Tinubu asserted that Nigerian children don't need to replicate or emulate American cinema stars. They don't know where they come from. Why did Meghan come here looking for Africa? We know who we are. Don't lose who you are. She even said there is a need to save our children, considering the fact that how they dress. They keep forgetting that Nigeria, we are beautiful, she added. Also Read: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle issued stern warning against embarking on another unofficial Royal tour Royal fans react: We warned her about the clothes Following the Nigeria's First Lady's speech, one royal fan on X, wrote: Meghan Markle managed to create an international incident! We warned her about the clothes. I am glad the First Lady sees how some visitors choose to disrespect Nigeria's people & culture. It was disgraceful to dress that way, especially in the presence of children. It is a pattern of behavior for Meghan & Harry. They need to stop using Nigeria & Africa as a PR prop, another wrote. Meanwhile, one Duchess' supporters reacted saying, Do us a favor and leave Meghan alone. Nigeria's highest-ranking military officer had invited the Royal couple to promote the causes Harry and Meghan are most passionate about, including the Invictus Games. During her visit, Meghan signed a guest book at the Nigerian Defence Headquarters after meeting with official Christopher Musa, expressing gratitude to officials for "welcoming me home". Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib took aim at President Biden's support for Israel during a speech in Detroit, vowing not to forget his stance come November. Speaking at the Peoples Conference for Palestine, Tlaib condemned the Biden administration for its handling of the conflict in Gaza. U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) speaks during a press conference alongside lawmakers and university union members on protecting the right of free speech, following a crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades(REUTERS) Also Read: Israel War LIVE Coverage only on Hindustan Times It is disgraceful that the Biden administration and my colleagues in Congress continue to smear college students for protesting to save lives, regardless of faith or ethnicity. But were not going to forget in November, are we? Tlaib said to the crowd. Tlaib questioned Bidens denial of genocide in Gaza, asking, Where is your red line, President Biden? She also accused him of enabling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom she labeled a "genocidal maniac." President Biden, I hope you hear us loud and clear. Attacking the authority of the International Criminal Court and interfering in the legal process is nothing more than an attempt to prevent Netanyahu and his senior Israeli officials from being held accountable for crimes against humanity. You are an enabler, President Biden. The event, held over the weekend, included speakers like Wisam Rafeedie, who has ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Organized by The People's Forum, a left-wing activist group, the conference has been part of various anti-Israel protests since Hamas's attack on October 7, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and more than 200 hostages taken to Gaza. The People's Forum is connected to the "Singham Network," a coalition of nonprofits and news sources linked to Neville Roy Singham, an American tech mogul based in Shanghai with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). A report by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) earlier this month highlighted these connections. In her speech, Tlaib criticized Biden for following Netanyahu's agenda and called out her Democratic colleagues for condemning anti-Israel protests on college campuses. It is disgraceful that the Biden administration and my colleagues in Congress continue to smear them for protesting to save lives no matter faith or ethnicity. It is cowardly. But were not going to forget in November, are we? she declared. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., responded to Tlaib's remarks by calling for her removal from Congress. "Associating with and speaking before groups funded by U.S.-designated terrorist organizations is disqualifying," Lawler posted on X. As tensions rise, Tlaibs comments underscore the deep divisions within American politics regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the U.S. government's role in it. Tornado-spawning thunderstorms that swept the Southern Plains and the Ozark Mountains have killed at least 21 people across four U.S. states as of Monday afternoon and wrecked hundreds of buildings, as forecasters warned of more severe weather. Powerful storms left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. (AP) The death toll over the three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend: at least eight fatalities in Arkansas, seven in Texas, four in Kentucky and two in Oklahoma, according to tallies by state emergency authorities. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency early on Monday. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the Atlanta area and other parts of Georgia and for several western South Carolina counties until at least Monday afternoon. "It was a tough night for our people," Beshear posted on social media platform X on Monday. He later said in a press briefing that devastating storms had hit almost the entire state. The storms damaged 100 state highways and roads, officials said. At least seven people perished - including a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old from a family - and nearly 100 were injured on Saturday night when a powerful tornado struck communities in North Texas near the Oklahoma border, Governor Greg Abbott told a Sunday news conference. Late on Sunday, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at least eight people died in her state after the storms. An Arkansan suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease died due to a lack of oxygen when the power went out. President Joe Biden offered condolences for the lives lost when he spoke on Monday with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Governors Abbott and Sanders, the White House said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was on the ground conducting damage assessments with state and local counterparts, the White House said, adding that Biden had directed federal agencies to provide support as needed. Hundreds of thousands of Americans were without power on Monday due to the weather, according to the PowerOutage.US tracking website. In Kentucky alone, more than 160,000 customers lacked electricity. In some areas, restoring power could take days, Kentucky Governor Beshear said in a news briefing. The weather service warned that additional storms would move through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, bringing damaging winds, large hail and more tornadoes, as well as heavy downpours capable of triggering flash floods. The latest extreme weather came just days after a powerful tornado ripped through an Iowa town, killing four people, and more twisters touched down in Texas last week. The U.S. is preparing for what government forecasters have called a potentially "extraordinary" 2024 Atlantic hurricane season beginning next Saturday. Extremely vulnerable to climate change, not rich enough to stop it on their own, and not poor enough to depend on aid and development financing: the world's small island countries are bracing for both fiscal and climate shocks. World's island states meet to confront climate, fiscal challenges Both will be high on the agenda this week as Small Island Developing States , as they're formally known, meet Monday at their fourth UN Conference, in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Caught between rising debts and rising oceans, from the Caribbean to Africa to the Pacific, many SIDS share characteristics that make them especially vulnerable to external shocks: small landmasses home to scattered and isolated populations, with import dependent, non-diversified economies. And climate change with its brutal droughts, powerful hurricanes and rising seas is threatening to erase some of them from the map altogether. "The next ten years are critical for SIDS," reads the draft document set to be adopted at the UN conference, which will bring together countries ranging from Asian economic heavyweight Singapore to Cape Verde in Africa to the Bahamas. High on the agenda for the 39 states, whose populations number roughly 65 million people: increasing climate financing, even as many criticize the slow pace of fulfilling previous UN aid pledges. "The harsh truth is for these countries, climate change is already a reality," Achim Steiner, head of the UN Development Program , told AFP. "Because of their smallness as economies... one extreme weather event can literally throw a country back 5-10 years in its development." "One hurricane, one typhoon that crosses by sheer lottery of bad luck the terrain of a small island developing state can wipe out a third or more of the entire infrastructure of a country." But most small island states are classified as middle-income countries or higher meaning that they're unable to access international aid and preferential financing available to the world's poorest countries. Additionally, many already are also facing strained debt loads. As a whole, the UN estimates SIDS will spend 15.9 percent of government revenues in 2024 on interest alone. "They are being trapped in a no man's land where financing from the international community that is often a kind of safety net is simply not available to them," Steiner said. According to the UNDP, some $4.7-7.3 billion in financing is needed per year just for climate adaptation measures in SIDS countries. "SIDS cannot be left to drown in crises not of their own making. This would have catastrophic consequences for the entire world," said Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa'olelei Luteru, Samoa's ambassador to the UN. Beyond seeking outside aid, however, many are also turning toward reforming their own economies. Priorities include developing renewable energy sectors and engaging in the so-called "blue economy" of sustainable fishing and ocean conservation a serious opportunity for SIDS countries, which account for 19 percent of the world's Exclusive Economic Zones. Tourism, too, can be made more sustainable though the specter of climate change hangs over these countries' marine biodiversity and coral reefs, which draw scuba divers from across the world. Even just getting there has increasingly come under scrutiny as airplane travel comes under fire for its heavy emissions a sort of "double punishment," said Steiner. The effects of climate change also overlap with other issues many poor or otherwise marginalized people in small island countries face, which must be confronted domestically, said Nicole Leotaud, executive director of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute. "They are already marginalized because they are poor," she said. "They are already marginalized because of their gender or their race." "And these climate impacts are another layer of injustice to these people." abd/nro/st This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The hopeful family of a Utah rodeo star's son has been "shattered" by disappointing MRI results after the little boy was found unresponsive in a river near his home. Doctors initially told the family of 3-year-old Levi Wright, son of rodeo cowboy Spencer Wright, that the little boy prognosis was grim. They were hopeful when doctors gave them more news. But his MRI brain scan was upsetting, according to his mom. "The MRI wasn't good, we're shattered but it is just images that suggest a certain quality of life. Our real teller of all will be what Levi does over the course of a few days," Levi's mother, Kallie, wrote in a Facebook post. "I'm not giving up on my baby just yet. I'm working on getting any and all neurologists or other educated professionals with expertise in this area who are willing to view his MRI. Then just seeing what my strong boy does in the next few days," she added. Levi was rushed to the hospital after he accidentally drove his toy tractor into a river on the family's property. Kallie called 911 and began searching for her son. He was discovered unconscious in the water a mile away from where he initially fell in. The family has received an outpouring of support, particularly from the rodeo community. Levi's dad is ranked the 40th best bronc rider in the world, according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Bronc Riding Nation a nonprofit organization that supports rodeo athletes shared an Instagram post supporting the Wright family on Wednesday. "We're asking you to join the massive prayer effort for three-year-old Levi Wright, Kallie and Spencer Wright and everybody who knows and loves them," the organization wrote. "Kallie and Spencer were holding him and getting prepared for the worst then the hospital shift change brought a new doctor to the sweet little boy's side." Though the Wrights initially shared that Levi's brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long, they received a revised prediction about the boy's chances of survival. "We have received multiple small miracles along the way and doctors are certainly surprised by the strides he has made," Kallie wrote before the MRI. "He is getting an EEG to monitor any brain activity and we haven't heard much on what they're seeing yet." She added: "We are unbelievably humbled by the love and prayers we have received, the help in all forms flooding our way is surreal." The man jailed for life in connection with the darknet marketplace he founded could be a free man again if Donald Trump is reelected as president. The FBI shut down the clandestine Silk Road web operation in 2013. It allowed its users to trade in illegal drugs, using Bitcoin as the currency for transactions. Donald Trump promised to commute the sentence of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht during an address Saturday at the Libertarian National Convention. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 following his conviction on charges including money laundering, drug trafficking and computer hacking. Trump said he could potentially release Ulbricht on time served. Libertarian activists believe the government overreached in building its case against Silk Road. They also generally oppose criminal drug policies more broadly, the Associated Press noted. Ulbricht's case was much-discussed this weekend the Libertarian Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., and many in the crowd for Trump's speech hoisted "Free Ross" signs. "If you vote for me, on day one I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht," Trump said in one of the few moments during his speech when he wasn't booed. Who is Ross Ulbricht? Ulbricht grew up in Austin, Texas, and graduated from high school in 2002. He attended the University of Texas at Dallas and graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in physics. He attended Penn State for graduate studies and became interested in Libertarian topics before graduating in 2009 and moving back to Austin. What was Silk Road? Ulbricht started the site in 2011. In a diary entry that was read at his trial, he described the idea for what he wanted to create as a "website where people could buy anything anonymously, with no trail whatsoever that could lead back to them." He ran it under the pseudonym "Dread Pirate Roberts," after a character from the movie "The Princess Bride." How was Silk Road brought down? Law enforcement began investigating Silk Road for possible criminal activity. They said Silk Road was used by numerous drug dealers and other unlawful vendors to distribute massive quantities of illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services to many buyers and to launder all funds passing through it. A federal drug agency investigator was able to infiltrate the leadership of the site and became an administrator. Investigators were able to eventually zone in on Ulbricht by going through chat logs and other information on the server. Ulbricht was charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and other charges in 2014. He was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to two life terms. The federal government later snagged $48,238,116 in proceeds from the sale of the 144,336 Bitcoins that were found on Ulbricht's computer. Colombia has launched the exploration of the wreckage of a Spanish galleon that sank more than three centuries ago carrying an estimated $20 billion worth of treasure. Juan David Correa, Colombia's culture minister, described the underwater expedition of the San Jose off the coast of Cartagena as "unprecedented," according to the BBC. The vessel, which was destroyed during a 1708 battle with the British navy in the Caribbean Sea, has been called the "holy grail" of shipwrecks due to the trove of gold, silver and jewels it was bringing back to Spain. Correa announced the start of the project on Wednesday while declaring the site a "protected archaeological area," CBS News reported. The first phase of the potentially lucrative effort reportedly involves using remote sensors to create images of the seabed around the remnants of the San Jose to determine what's down there. The hoard was intended to help finance the War of Spanish Succession that followed the death of childless King Charles II, the last monarch of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty. Both Colombia and Spain claim ownership of the San Jose, and the Colombian government is keeping the search location a secret on grounds of national security, the New York Times has reported. A U.S.-based salvage company, Sea Search Armada, which claimed to have found the San Jose in 1981, is also seeking $10 million from Colombia in the United Nations' Permanent Court of Arbitration, according to CBS News. At least 19 people are dead and thousands are without electricity across nine states after tornadoes and severe storms bombarded the south and midwest over Memorial Day Weekend. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed eight deaths during a Sunday press conference; Seven people - including a mother and her two children - were killed in Cooke County, Texas; two people died in Oklahoma and two people died in Texas. "Texans across the state are saddened by the tragic loss of life," Governor Greg Abbott said Sunday, speaking of the family that suffered three deaths. "When they woke up yesterday, they had no way of knowing the family would be literally crushed by this horrific storm." More than half a million people were still without power on Memorial Day - with the worst outages concentrated in Kentucky, where 187, 260 people didn't have electricity, according to poweroutage.us. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear urged residents to stay away from flooded streets and downed powerlines, as the commonwealth remains in a state of emergency. "We have gotten through at least the first part of this event, and we want to make sure we don't lose anybody else," he said. "So everybody out there stay safe, be very weather-aware as we go into tonight and late tonight." The National Weather Service's Storm Alert System continues to advise caution for residents of northern Alabama, southeastern Arkansas, northwestern Georgia, northeastern Louisiana and northeastern Mississippi. "A band of strong-severe thunderstorms is expected to shift into the watch area through the remainder of the pre-dawn hours, while a few, more isolated cells form near the southern edge of the favorable warm-sector air that is relatively uncapped," the NWS said. "These will pose a threat for a few tornadoes, several damaging to severe gusts and isolated large hail." A Colorado rancher was killed alongside more than 30 head of cattle when lightning struck Saturday in Jackson County, officials said Sunday. Mike Morgan, 51, had just finished branding cattle and was starting to feed them from a trailer on Saturday when the lightning struck in Rand, about 80 miles northwest of Denver, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. The lightning strike knocked over some 100 cattle, but most of them got back to their feet. Morgan was killed, along with 34 animals. -With reporting from TMX. The National Weather Service Office in Boulder reported a line of storms moving through the Front Range Urban Corridor north of Denver Saturday afternoon, and warned of small hail and wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour. "Move Indoors when Thunder Roars," the agency warned Saturday on social media. World leaders condemned Israel on Monday for an airstrike that killed 45 people in a camp for displaced people in the Gaza city of Rafah, as the Israeli Defense Forces denied that civilians were intentionally targeted. "On top of the hunger, on top of the starvation, the refusal to allow aid in sufficient volumes, what we witnessed last night is barbaric," Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said, Reuters reported. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" over Sunday's airstrike that set tents ablaze in a reported "humanitarian area" in northwestern Rafah where thousands fled the Israeli offensive that began earlier this month. "These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians," Macron said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. An Israeli government spokesperson denied that civilians were targeted and said the strike killed two Hamas leaders with "tons of Israeli blood on their hands." Spokesperson Avi Hyman told the BBC that "somehow a fire broke out and sadly took the lives of others." Israel's chief prosecutor called the incident "very grave" and said an investigation was underway. i Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi also said the country's military "regrets any harm to noncombatants during the war." The Israel Defense Forces also posted a map on social media that it said showed the location of the "intelligence-based precise strike," adding, "Contrary to Hamas' lies and misinformation, the strike did not take place in the Al-Mawasi Humanitarian Area." Last night, the @IAFsite carried out an intelligence-based precise strike that targeted senior Hamas terrorists in Tal as Sultan. Contrary to Hamas' lies and misinformation, the strike did not take place in the Al-Mawasi Humanitarian Area. This is the area where the strike pic.twitter.com/IiyOdnQfx9 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 27, 2024 German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, demanded that Israel heed Friday's ruling from the United Nations' International Court of Justice, which called for an "immediate halt" to its military operations in Rafah. "International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war," Baerbock said. Borrell said the Israeli attacks "must stop immediately." "Horrified by news coming out of Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of displaced persons, including small children. I condemn this in the strongest terms," he wrote on social media. Israeli tanks continued to bombard eastern and central areas of Rafah on Monday, killing eight people, Reuters said, citing local health officials. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also said Israel's actions "can no longer be justified" because "the Palestinian people are being squeezed without regard for the rights of innocent men, women and children who have nothing to do with Hamas," according to al Jazeera. Egypt called the Israeli airstrike the "deliberate bombing of the tents of displaced people," and Qatar warned that it could hinder efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and the return of hostages Hamas seized during the Oct. 7 surprise attack that sparked the ongoing war. An Egyptian soldier was reportedly killed during a gunfight with Israeli forces near Gaza's border city of Rafah on Monday. Israeli military sources said Egyptian soldiers fired at Israeli troops who shot back, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing the Israeli newspaper Maariv. The Israel Defense Forces said that the "shooting incident" was under investigation and that "dialogue is taking place with the Egyptian side," according to the Times of Israel. The deadly clash erupted one day after an Israeli airstrike killed 45 Palestinian civilians in a camp for displaced people in Rafah. An Israeli government spokesperson said that the strike targeted two senior Hamas leaders and that a '"somehow a fire broke out and sadly took the lives of others." This is a developing story. North Korea plans to launch another spy satellite into orbit, despite warnings that the ballistic missile technology violates United Nations resolutions. Pyongyang warned Japan of its plans to launch the satellite at some point between May 27 and June 4, the Japan Coast Guard said on Monday. If successful, this will be North Korea's second spy satellite to go into orbit - the first was sent up last November, after two failed attempts. South Korea quickly condemned its neighbor's actions, saying the "so-called military reconnaissance satellite launch" was dangerous to the region. "Our military will be taking measures that show our strong capabilities and will," South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Sung-jun said at a news briefing. North Korea told Japan to avoid three maritime zones near the Korean Peninsula and the island of Luzon during the launch period - warning that there could be falling rocket debris. The international community has repeatedly warned North Korea not to launch ballistic missiles - though the country defiantly said it plans to launch at least three this year, arguing that is infringing on its sovereignty. "While sovereign States have the right to benefit from peaceful space activities, Security Council resolutions expressly prohibit the DPRK from conducting any launches using ballistic missile technology," Khaled Khiari, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East and Asia and the Pacific, said last November. The United States described North Korea's most recent launch as a "brazen violation" of UN sanctions. Officials in Seoul said they were "closely monitoring and tracking" what they believed were launch preparations, on Friday. Three-year-old Levi Wright lifted his head and "got a bit wiggly" in a Utah hospital after opening his eyes for the first time since his near-drowning, a friend of the family has revealed, five days after he was first swept nearly a mile down a swift river. "We got a call from his parents on FaceTime saying that he had opened his eyes," family friend Mindy Clark told KUTV. "They weren't fully open, and he wasn't coherent in speaking or anything like that, but he was opening his eyes, and then he got a little bit wiggly and stuff. So they had just sedate him because he was being a little wild." The toddler was first rushed to the hospital after he accidentally drove his toy tractor into a river on the family's property, on Tuesday. Levi's mother, Kallie, called 911 and began searching for her son. He was discovered unconscious, in the water, a mile away from where he initially fell. The Utah family has received an outpouring of support, particularly from the rodeo community. Levi's father, Spencer, is ranked 40th in the world in bronc riding, according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Bronc Riding Nation - a nonprofit organization that supports rodeo athletes - shared an Instagram post supporting the Wright family on Wednesday. "We're asking you to join the massive prayer effort for three-year-old Levi Wright, Kallie and Spencer Wright and everybody who knows and loves them," the organization wrote. "Kallie and Spencer were holding him and getting prepared for the worst - then the hospital shift change brought a new doctor to the sweet little boy's side." The new doctor arranged for an MRI, to better understand the boy's condition, after spending so long underwater. "The MRI results weren't exactly what we were hoping," Clark told KUTV. "And the reason I say that is because we had some little blips of hope this week as far as him opening his eyes and being responsive to his sister's voice when she was on FaceTime and stuff like that." Clark said her friends had received an overwhelming amount of news during their son's hospital stay. "They're not in good spirits, they're not in bad spirits. They're just kind of there if that makes sense," Clark told KUTV. "They're trying to process all the news that they've gotten within the last 24 hours." Maltese students shine in "Chinese Bridge" competition Xinhua) 11:21, May 27, 2024 A secondary school student performs Chinese martial arts in the "Chinese Bridge" competition in Hamrun, Malta, May 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Wenxian) VALLETTA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Twelve students from primary and secondary schools in Malta demonstrated their Chinese language proficiency and talents on Saturday during the "Chinese Bridge" competition in Malta. The Chinese language proficiency competition for foreign school students, organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Malta in Hamrun, eastern Malta, featured an elocution contest where students shared their passion for the Chinese language and their dreams of visiting China. After delivering a speech, participants showcased their China-related talents, including performing Chinese martial arts and traditional Chinese diabolo (kongzhu), cooking Chinese dishes, singing Chinese songs, playing Chinese music on the piano, and dancing to Chinese music. The audience was captivated and responded with enthusiastic applause. Alessandro Dalcielo, 10, won first prize among the primary school participants. "I know Chinese is a language that leads to the future. I will keep studying hard so that I can speak Chinese more confidently," he said in his speech. Alessandro began learning Chinese at eight and has practiced martial arts for over five years. He said one of his dreams is to go to China and see a panda there. This was the first time that the Chinese language proficiency competition for foreign school students included a section for primary school students in Malta. Alessandro's elder brother, Mattia Dalcielo, 14, took first prize among the secondary school participants. He visited China last year and has practiced Chinese martial arts for eight years. "I love studying Chinese because it allows me to understand a different culture and education system. Understanding diverse cultures enhances our understanding of other people and countries," Mattia said in his speech. He told Xinhua he hoped to study at a university in China one day. Dennis Mizzi, the foreign director of the Confucius Institute, told Xinhua that he was impressed by the participants' Chinese pronunciation. "I hope they continue studying Chinese and keep improving," he said. Stephen Cachia, a lecturer in Chinese history at the University of Malta, told Xinhua that learning Chinese has become a trend in Malta and he was delighted to see more students embracing Chinese. A secondary school student performs traditional Chinese diabolo (kongzhu) in the "Chinese Bridge" competition in Hamrun, Malta, May 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Wenxian) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) The second hotel to open under the EPISODE brand offers a locally inspired experience in Taipei's East District. Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the opening of EPISODE Daan Taipei under the JdV by Hyatt brand, marking the second hotel with Riant Hotels Co. Ltd following the opening of EPISODE Hsinchu in Taiwan in 2022. Located in the trendy and vibrant area of the East District of Taipei, the hotel is just a three-minute walk from the Zhongxiao Fixing MRT station. Built for today's modern lifestyle traveler, the hotel ensures guests experience the utmost value while embodying the joy of life for which hotels in the JdV by Hyatt portfolio are known. From the moment guests step into the lobby of EPISODE Daan Taipei, they enter a realm of music, vintage vibes, and trending culture, extending this concept from the entrance to the fifth-floor hybrid The SOCIAL by Lay Low space, and vividly reflected even in the guest rooms. Continuing the EPISODE Brand Spirit - Less But Better As an innovator disrupting the hotel industry, EPISODE Daan Taipei continues the "Less but Better" ethos, with rooms featuring elevated amenities focused on attention to and comfortable spaces. The hotel incorporates self-service check-in technology and greets guests with a front desk "Experience Provider" ensuring personalized service. The SOCIAL by Lay Low - A New Social Salon Modeled After a Relaxing Living Room Building on the bar concept of the famous Lay Low in Taichung, the hotel collaborated with the trendy Taichung trend-setting bar to create The SOCIAL by Lay Low, an all-day hybrid social space, open to everyone. Merging music, cocktails, dining, literature, and a full wall of vinyl records, The SOCIAL by Lay Low transforms the traditional hotel lobby into a cozy, relaxing living space and an 'all-access' living room for in-house guests as well as anyone in the neighborhood to meet or celebrate. Inspired by Taiwanese fruits and teas, Lay Low's head mixologist, creates a range of cocktails and craft beers infused with Taiwanese flavors and memories. Exclusive Lay Low flavors are also available at EPISODE Daan Taipei, like Grandma's spicy radish pickle cheese, blending spicy pickles with creamy cheese, perfectly paired with sourdough bread; and Australian Wagyu, served with a unique twin pepper honey sauce, ideal for a late-night snack. The SOCIAL by Lay Low also features DJs and live jazz performances, providing a relaxed atmosphere for hotel guests, local residents, or trendy visitors to enjoy. Guests at the hotel can also enjoy all-day complimentary snacks and drinks, including a freshly ground premium coffee from Coffee Stopover, roasted and ground onsite. Comfortable Guestrooms - Vintage Vinyl CD Players Take Travelers Back to the Era of Golden Hits Hotel guestrooms are designed around music and retro themes, featuring warm, high-color furniture, accessories, and equipped with vintage vinyl CD players and a curated selection of CDs, transporting travelers back to an era of classic hits. With nine floors and 136 rooms of various styles, EPISODE Daan Taipei offers scenic rooms with views of the Xinyi District landscape, or premium guestrooms with private balconies and bathtubs. Rooms are outfitted with plush soft 400-thread count sheets, premium Sealy mattresses, pillow sprays, silk eye masks, and noise-canceling earplugs are all carefully selected to ensure guests restful sleep. The rooms also feature MALIN+GOETZ toiletries, UNIX salon-grade hairdryers from Korea, and in-room facial acupressure massagers to ease the day's fatigue. Each room's 55-inch Samsung smart TV is tailored for the modern traveler, whether it's playing a favorite song via Bluetooth, catching up on a TV streaming series, or enjoying a selection of monthly updated movies. World of Hyatt Gives Members More Reasons to Stay Somewhere New In celebration of the JdV by Hyatt brand's continued growth in Asia, World of Hyatt is providing members with even more ways to be rewarded by offering members the opportunity to earn 500 Bonus Points for qualifying nights at EPISODE Daan Taipei from June 1 to August 31, 2024, part of World of Hyatt's new hotel member offer. Additional participating hotels and their offer stay periods can be found at worldofhyatt.com/newhotelbonus. No registration is required, and members can earn on top of other offers. The term "Hyatt" is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and / or one or more of its affiliates. Hotel website Accor Greater China, together with Sanya Jinghai Cheng Real Estate Development Co. Ltd., is pleased to announce the signing of a new MGallery Hotel Collection address in the cosmopolitan heart of Sanya city center, on the spectacular island of Hainan. The 187-room, 25-storey tower is set to open by the end of 2025 and will benefit from Sanya's thriving tourism industry, luxurious resort reputation, and growing business segment. Along with the recent signing of Chengdu Financial City - MGallery Collection, Accor is set to open five MGallery hotels in Greater China this year, including the recently opened Dunhua Mansion Taipei - MGallery Collection. This will double the brand's portfolio in the country, from its current five hotels in operation, to 10 by the end of 2024. Sanya is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, attracting millions of visitors, who enjoy its pristine beaches, tropical climate, natural abundance, and rich biodiversity. With the government support, Sanya is on track to become a leading financial and economic center with advanced infrastructure. As Sanya continues to maximize its advantages to boost economic growth, increase its trade and economic openness, and attract the head offices of leading Chinese and foreign companies, it is also strengthening measures to promote ecological and innovative development. This balance of geographic and commercial advantages make Sanya an attractive market for the growing MGallery brand, while aligning with Accor's commitment to shaping the future of sustainable hospitality and contributing positively to its communities. The site of the new Sanya City Center - MGallery Collection resides in the heart of Jinghai Cheng - Lugang Xishan. Designed as a glittering beacon rising in Sanya's downtown center, the new hotel will feature a dynamic rooftop pool and bar scene, with stunning views of the nearby Dadonghai Resort Area and the entire Sanya Bay. With its central location and convenient transportation access, guests will find it easy to make day trips to the surrounding mountains and beaches, making the new hotel a charming place to stay for both leisure and business travelers. The hotels of MGallery are distinctive not only because of their strong storytelling and design identity, but also thanks to their warmth, sense of well-being and their ability to immerse guests into a local community experience. In Greater China, the brand is on an ambitious path of expansion, with five hotels opening in 2024: Dunhua Mansion Taipei - MGallery Collection (opened); Chengdu Expo Waterfall Hotel - MGallery Collection; Dangkou Ancient Town Hotel Wuxi - MGallery Collection; Ming Hotel Nanjing - MGallery Collection; and Fashion Town Hotel Shenzhen - MGallery Collection. The brand currently has five fascinating MGallery Hotel Collection properties in operation, including The View Changbai Mountain - MGallery; Ocean Spring Resort Chengdu - MGallery; Dongfengyun Hotel Mi'le - MGallery; The Silveri Hong Kong - MGallery; and, AKI Hong Kong - MGallery. Hotel website The Ballard Inn is Kirkwood Collection's Third Property in Santa Barbara County. Kirkwood Collection, a luxury hotel brand renowned for its portfolio of historic boutique hotels in iconic California destinations, is thrilled to announce the newest addition to its collection: The Ballard Inn. This property marks Kirkwood's first venture into the Santa Ynez Valley, a picturesque region in the heart of Santa Barbara Wine Country celebrated for its natural beauty, rich history, and world-class wines. The Ballard Inn joins Kirkwood's existing boutique properties in Santa Barbara, Hideaway Santa Barbara, and Blue Sands Inn, further expanding their presence in the region. The Ballard Inn, nestled in the heart of Ballard, Californiathe smallest and oldest community in the Santa Ynez Valleycurrently offers 15 luxurious rooms featuring balconies, patios, and fireplaces. Recently refurbished, this boutique bed and breakfast pays homage to the rich heritage of the region. Kirkwood Collection plans to expand the room count to 19 in the future and is exploring food and beverage options for the on-site restaurant. In keeping with Kirkwood Collection's high standards, guests will enjoy a champagne reception upon arrival, a daily wine and cheese happy hour, and the signature Kirkwood breakfast the brand is renowned for. Hotel website Nikhil Bhaskaran brings a wealth of experience and a sterling work ethic to his new role. As a seasoned professional and an industry veteran, the visionary has demonstrated talent in property positioning, planning and execution of creative F&B campaigns. With a Bachelor's degree in Arts and International Hospitality Management affiliated with Queen Margaret University and the ITM Institute of Hotel Management, he has also earned the prestigious Bachelor of Science in Catering Technology and Hospitality Management certification. A relentless pursuit of operational excellence and keen business acumen marks Nikhil's career. His attention to detail as a Food & Beverage Manager, coupled with his experience at esteemed properties such as The Lodhi - New Delhi, The Leela Palace - New Delhi, and The Oberoi Amarvilas - Agra, has equipped him with the skills necessary to excel in his new position. In his current role at Shangri-La Eros New Delhi, Nikhil will provide strategic leadership to the F&B operations, focusing on maximizing revenue, introducing innovative concepts, and enhancing the overall dining experience for guests. Paul McElroy is the EVP of LUCID, Highgate's in-house Design and Construction Studio. Paul oversees all aspects of the company's Design and Construction activities across the globe. Prior to joining LUCID, he was the Vice President of Design and Construction for Kyo-ya Hotels and Resorts where he oversaw all of their portfolio renovations and redevelopments for its Hawaii region properties and The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco. Mr. McElroy began his career at Rider Levett Bucknall, a construction consulting firm. During his 11 years with the firm, he managed notable construction projects including the ground up construction of the Grand Waikikian by Hilton Grand Vacations Club, restoration of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Lagoon, renovation of The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort and redevelopment of the Sheraton Waikiki. Over the course of his 25 year career, Mr. McElroy has worked on projects in excess of $4 billion and is currently responsible for $1 billion in active projects across the LUCID platform. A native of Donegal in the northwest region of Ireland, he earned a Bachelor's Degree with honors in Quantity Surveying from the University of Ulster. A hotels website has become a must for selling rooms online. It allows hoteliers to get direct bookings and to reduce the share of OTAs on their turnover. The final goal is to convince the traveler to book on your website and not elsewhere. Thats why, on your website, you must provide future customers with the most pleasant booking experience possible. This is done by providing relevant information to the internet user on your hotel website. Find below some elements that will allow you to better sell your rooms on your site. Connect a booking engine to your hotel website To sell your rooms on your website, you must have a booking engine connected to it, thats the mandatory technological solution to sell your rooms via your website. Make sure that your booking engine is user-friendly and easy to use by your future customers. This system should allow travelers to book one or more rooms, and to check your availability and rates in real time. One of the most important elements to sell your hotel rooms online is to choose a responsive and fast booking engine. In other words, a booking engine adaptable to all available digital media (computer, tablet, and mobile). This is to ensure a comfortable browsing experience during the booking process of your potential customers. Indeed, the rise of mobile users accessing the internet (65% of the search traffic is now done on mobile) means having a booking engine thats compatible with mobile devices is absolutely essential. There are different booking engines on the market, it is up to you to choose the one that best suits your business and meets your needs to increase your direct bookings. Add as much information as possible to your room pages Make sure your rooms are attractively presented: its important to provide detailed descriptions, quality photos, and videos to show your rooms in their best light. Also make sure that information such as rates, amenities, and cancellation policies are easily accessible and clearly displayed. On the room pages of your hotel website, we recommend adding as accurate a description as possible. For example, you can: Indicate the number of people that can stay in the room or suite. Add the surface area in m the room has. Mention a major asset that could push a web user to book your establishments room or suite. All the information that makes your room unique should appear on your room pages. It is also important to make this information visible, even if it can be described from a photo. See the example of the Lodji Hotel: On this hotel room page, there is key information about the room: how many people can stay in the room, how much space the traveler has, the type of sleeping arrangements, as well as what makes the room attractive and unique. It is extremely important to make sure that all the elements present in your room descriptions on OTAs are also present in the room description on your official website. This will reassure the potential customer and remove any doubts about their room choice. Thus, the Internet user can easily compare your offers/rooms on your website with the OTAs. Embrace price disparity and promotional offers Depending on your type of establishment, you have the possibility to create specific offers for your hotel website. The objective of these offers is to persuade the traveler to book on your hotel website. Travelers are often looking for the best offer. Thats why we recommend displaying the best price on your website compared to your other distribution channels. In your digital strategy, it is not enough to present your establishment well, you must also present the traveler with the best price that will make them book directly with you. You will have more chances to get direct bookings and increase your turnover. Furthermore, on a hotel website, the offers page is one of the most visited pages, it represents on average 20% of the traffic of a hotel website (internal source). Indeed, Internet users are often looking for good deals. We therefore advise you to propose special offers, when you have the possibility, to encourage them to book directly on your website. You can propose specific offers such as: Breakfast included Access to the SPA Hotel-Restaurant offer Family offer 3 nights + 1 free You can keep the offers very simple while convincing the traveler to stay in your establishment. Attract and retain travelers through emailings At the same time, you can collect the e-mail addresses of your website visitors to send them promotions and special offers to entice them to book. The same goes for your hotel guests, whom you can contact to retain them with exclusive offers. Email marketing is an effective way to reach potential customers and bring back travelers who have already stayed at your hotel. Implement an effective SEO strategy Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is about increasing the visibility of your website on search engines. Make sure your website is optimized for your hotels name. The most important part of your SEO strategy is that your site always appears at the top of the search results page of your target market(s), on your brand name. SEO settings are among the most important settings of your hotel website, via the implementation of title and meta description tags, pointing, choice of languages, translation and 301 redirection of URLs, etc. If you want to go further in your SEO strategy, and capture a wider traffic, we advise you to work on a keyword strategy in order to go up on generic and/or long tail searches related to your hotel and the services and experiences it offers. Identify the keywords for which you think it is important to be listed on the search engine results pages because your target clientele makes queries on these specific terms. For example: Hotel in Paris, Hotel Spa & Restaurant, Beautiful 4 star hotel, luxury double room, etc. Generic terms are generally shorter and broader keywords and therefore more competitive. The long tail keywords are longer, composed of three words or more as in phrases like Hotel 4-star spa Paris. Use these keywords in the content of your site, always in a subtle way so as not to disturb your visitors reading. Promote your hotel website on metasearch The promotion of your hotel on metasearch is essential to sell better and more rooms on your website. Indeed, metasearch engines like Google Hotel Ads, Tripadvisor, or trivago allow customers to compare the price of your rooms between your official website and your hotels distributors (booking.com, hotels.com, etc.) in real-time. By promoting your hotel on price comparison sites, you increase the visibility of your direct rates and the volume of actual bookings. You reach travelers at the moment they are interested in your establishment in their purchase phase. Price comparison sites allow you to increase traffic to your booking engine. This enables you to stay competitive and reduce the share of bookings generated by online travel agencies (OTAs) in your revenue. Metasearch can also help increase your hotels visibility and recognition among potential customers. For example, solutions such as Google Property Promotion Ads or Tripadvisor Sponsored Placements allow you to place your hotel at the top of the search results for your destination. This way, you reach travelers who do not yet know your hotel but are looking for an establishment in your city or region. Invest in paid search (SEA) Search Engine Advertising (SEA) allows you to appear at the top of the results pages of search engines such as Google, Microsoft Bing or Yahoo. This increases the visibility of your hotel to potential guests. This can result in more impressions, clicks, visits to your hotel website, and direct bookings. With SEA, you can target specific keywords and demographics to reach your target audience. This means focusing your advertising efforts on those internet users who are most likely to book a direct stay with you. By doing so, you ensure that you only pay for ads that are likely to result in bookings, for a better return on investment. Finally, by appearing at the top of search results pages, you increase traffic to your hotel website. This increased traffic can lead to more bookings. SEA can help you stand out in a competitive market and generate more visibility and ultimately more direct bookings. Follow the whole purchase path on your hotel website One of the major issues in improving the performance of your website to generate revenue is your ability to track the customer journey from the moment they arrive on your site. Thanks to tools such as Google Analytics, you can follow the progression of your customers in your booking tunnel, that is to say from their arrival on the website to the completion of the booking. To do this, you need to make sure you link your booking engine to your website in order to get a global view of the customer journey. In addition, there are several key performance indicators (KPIs) that you can use to track the performance of your website. Here are the most common KPIs to evaluate the performance of your hotel website: Conversion rate : percentage of visitors who have made a reservation on your website. This is one of the most important indicators to evaluate the performance of your website. : percentage of visitors who have made a reservation on your website. This is one of the most important indicators to evaluate the performance of your website. Number of bookings and online sales : this allows you to adjust your marketing strategy according to seasonality, occupancy rate, or specific offers. The online sales compared to the sales generated by your website will give you the volume of direct sales, an indication of the performance level of your site. This KPI validates your entire digital distribution. : this allows you to adjust your marketing strategy according to seasonality, occupancy rate, or specific offers. The online sales compared to the sales generated by your website will give you the volume of direct sales, an indication of the performance level of your site. This KPI validates your entire digital distribution. Bounce rate : percentage of visitors who leave your website after visiting a single page. A high bounce rate can indicate that the website content is not attractive enough or that the navigation is not intuitive. : percentage of visitors who leave your website after visiting a single page. A high bounce rate can indicate that the website content is not attractive enough or that the navigation is not intuitive. Visit duration : average duration of visits to the website. A longer visit duration may indicate that visitors find the website content relevant and engaging. : average duration of visits to the website. A longer visit duration may indicate that visitors find the website content relevant and engaging. Booking abandonment rate : percentage of visitors who abandon their booking during the process. A high abandonment rate may indicate that the booking process is not seamless or that there are technical problems. : percentage of visitors who abandon their booking during the process. A high abandonment rate may indicate that the booking process is not seamless or that there are technical problems. Return rate: percentage of visitors who come back to your website after having already visited it. A high return rate may indicate that visitors are satisfied with their experience on your website and are likely to book soon or again on your site. By using these KPIs and analyzing the data regularly, hotels can identify the strengths and weaknesses of their website and make adjustments to improve overall performance. Sell your rooms on your hotel website, a major advantage to reducing OTAs commissions When you sell your rooms on your website, you reduce the OTAs commission on your bookings. Indeed, a traveler booking one of your rooms on an OTA like Booking.com, makes you subject to a minimum commission of about 17%*. OTAs commissions increase according to the offers you activate, the minimum threshold is between 25% and 30% commission*. The natural behavior of travelers is to use these price comparison sites as a search engine to find an establishment in a given area. The interest for hoteliers is to be visible on this type of platform but to get the reservations directly on their hotel website. *Commissions vary by region and country. Conclusion To sell your rooms on your website, you must make it attractive. In an effective hotel sales strategy, you need to give travelers relevant and easily visible information about your property, as it contributes to their purchase decisions. We recommend making the booking experience easy with a smooth booking engine, providing information about everything that makes your rooms unique. But dont forget that the rate at which you offer your rooms also contributes to the decision to book at your hotel. We, therefore, recommend that you offer the best deals directly on your website and promote them via SEA and metasearch. Make your website the pillar of your online marketing that sets you apart from your competitors to better sell your hotel directly. About Cendyn Cendyn is a global hospitality cloud-based technology company that enables hotels to drive revenue, maximize profitability, and create deeper connections with guests through its integrated solutions. Serving hoteliers for nearly 30 years, Cendyn drives commercial success for hotels through its Find, Book, Grow promise: find the right guests; drive them to book direct, and grow loyalty and revenue across the spectrum of digital guest interactions. Cendyn has over 32,000 customers worldwide in more than 150 countries. The company supports its growing customer base from locations across the globe, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India. To find out more, visit cendyn.com. View source London, UK - The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is forecasting an historic year for Canadas Travel & Tourism sector this year, with the economic contribution set to reach an all-time high of almost $182BN. Reaching $182.1BN in 2024 represents an additional $8.1BN over its previous peak, affirming the sectors significant role as an economic force, responsible for generating one in every 15 dollars of economic activity. In partnership with Oxford Economics, WTTCs latest research highlights a sector abundant with opportunities, supporting 1.84MN Canadian jobs, with an increase of 120,000 jobs compared to the previous high point in 2019. Spending by both international and domestic tourists is also expected to reach unprecedented levels, with forecasts indicating a total expenditure of $43.7BN and $95.2BN respectively, highlighting the robust demand and vibrant growth within the sector. A look back on last year Last year, the Travel & Tourism sectors GDP contribution grew by almost 25% year-on-year to reach almost $172BN, representing 6% of Canadas total economic output, demonstrating the sectors integral contribution to the national economy. Additionally, the sector proved to be a significant source of employment, creating 85,000 new jobs, and elevating the total to 1.7MN nationwide. This solidifies Travel & Tourisms position as a major employment driver, representing one in every 12 jobs across the country. The resurgence of international visitors to Canada has been notably strong, with international spending increasing by 42% to reach $41.3BN, highlighting Canadas appeal as a premier global destination. Travel & Tourism is set to break all records in Canada. The government backed Tourism Growth Program, with its $108MN in federal funding, will further boost both the economy and jobs over the coming year. The Travel & Tourism sector is very strong and creating economic value and jobs. Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal stand out as popular destinations amongst international visitors. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO What does the next decade look like? The outlook for the next decade is exceptionally bright, according to WTTC forecasts. By 2034, the sector is expected to dramatically enhance Canadas economy, contributing an estimated $248BN and comprising 7.1% of the total economic landscape. This burgeoning industry is also projected to be a major source of job creation, expected to provide employment for 2.3MN people nationwide. This indicates that 10% of the workforce will be engaged in the sector, highlighting the essential role of Travel & Tourism in fostering Canadian employment. The forthcoming decade promises not just growth, but a transformative period for Travel & Tourism. Canada is on the threshold of an era characterised by prosperity, innovation, and connectivity on an unprecedented scale, marking a golden age for the sector that is eagerly anticipated by both consumers and businesses alike. *This cutting-edge research was carried out in partnership with Oxford Economics with information sourced from UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO), Oxford Economics and authoritative national databases. All values are in constant 2023 prices and exchange rates, as reported in March 2024, and given in Canadian dollars. About WTTC The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world's leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector. WTTC Press Office WTTC CHICAGO/TOKYO Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and Kiraku, Inc. (Kiraku) today announced that ATONA, the modern hot spring ryokan (Japanese-style inn) brand, will open properties in Yufu, Yakushima, and Hakone. The ATONA brand was announced in 2022 under a joint venture between a Hyatt affiliate and Kiraku, a Japanese company dedicated to preserving valuable assets for future generations. The first ATONA ryokans are slated to open in 2026 across some of Japans top hot spring destinations and areas of natural beauty. Hyatt and Kiraku also announced the first close of Atona Impact Fund, a real estate fund that will actively invest in ATONA ryokan development projects, securing an initial funding of 10 billion yen (approximately 64 million US dollars). First round investors include affiliates of Hyatt and Kiraku, as well as Takenaka Corporation, a leading Japanese construction firm. The fund is aiming for a final target of 20 billion yen (approximately 128 million US dollars). Hyatt is a leading global hospitality company that is synonymous with elevated contemporary luxury. Aside from reaching valuable guests through World of Hyatt, the industry's fastest growing loyalty program, this collaboration enables us to leverage Hyatts global expertise to deliver high operational efficiency and exceptional guest experience and focus on long-term capital appreciation and substantial investor returns. We are delighted to have identified prime locations for the first ATONA ryokans and successfully secured funding for the Atona Impact Fund. Having already partnered with Takenaka Corporation to restore a heritage sake brewery in Nagano, we are excited to expand our collaboration with more regional revitalization projects. Kou Sundberg, founder and chief executive officer of Kiraku Through the ATONA brand, we look forward to introducing Japans hot springs and new destinations to our World of Hyatt members, and international and domestic travelers alike. With Kirakus expertise in deal sourcing, asset management and business development, the ATONA brand is poised to meet the rising demand for high-end ryokans. At Hyatt, we believe business is personal. We are excited to work with Kiraku and are grateful for the trust from Takenaka Corporation, with whom we have nurtured a long-standing relationship through various global projects, as we introduce fresh hospitality experiences to Japan. Sam Sakamura, Hyatts vice president, Japan and Micronesia About ATONA In 2022, Kiraku and a Hyatt affiliate formed Atona Co., Ltd., a strategic joint venture to develop a new luxury onsen (hot spring) ryokan business targeting sophisticated global travelers. Atona, led by chief operating officer Satoshi Watanabe, is comprised of seasoned professionals in international hotel management and operations who have a deep understanding of Japanese culture. The joint venture leverages Kiraku's experience in regional business development and private equity investments in combination with Hyatt's expertise in global hospitality. ATONA is an expression of deep connection a combination of two old Japanese words () that means me and you. It embodies the joy of spending time with loved ones, away from the bustle of everyday life, providing guests with bespoke experiences that connect them to the land through meaningful encounters with the local culture, nature and activities. Each ATONA ryokan will embrace a small luxury concept focused on hot springs and unique destinations, with wellbeing and culinary experiences unique to their locales. Featuring modern design grounded in Japans rich cultural heritage and history, ATONA properties will typically have 30 to 50 guestrooms, and will feature restaurants with open kitchens and bars showcasing seasonal ingredients. Kenya Hara, one of Japans leading designers, serves as brand director of ATONA and brings extensive knowledge of Japanese traditions and aesthetics. Joining him are architects Shinya Kojima and Ayaka Kojima of kooo architects a Tokyo and Shanghai-based practice dedicated to crafting spaces that foster community, rejuvenate human connections and preserve local craftmanship. The ATONA brand will be a core addition to Hyatts global portfolio and the first brand in the Hyatt portfolio to originate from Japan. Honoring the traditions of ryokan culture, ATONA ryokans will be poised to offer worldly travelers an authentic experience with contemporary comforts as they discover the quintessential charms of Japan. About Atona Impact Fund With a final target size of 20 billion yen, the Atona Impact Fund is a real estate fund dedicated to investment in development and renovation projects for ATONA-branded ryokans. Amidst a recovering tourism market and growing interest in regional travel in Japan, the fund aims to invest in unique and untapped quality assets, and ultimately contribute to enhancing the long-term value of regional areas of Japan. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, Japan welcomed a record level of nearly 32 million international visitors in 2019 and aim to increase by 60 million visitors by 2030. Moreover, from 2016 to 2019, there was a 45% surge in the number of international visitors to regional areas of Japan, surpassing the 19% increase seen in visits to the three major metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. Through the funds purposeful investments and driven by a seasoned team of diverse backgrounds, the ATONA brand will serve as a bridge to connect Japan's regional areas with the world. For more information, please visit https://atona.co. The term "Hyatt" is used in this press release to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or its affiliates. About Kiraku, Inc. Kiraku provides innovative and sustainable business solutions for undervalued assets in Japan, including unique cultural and natural resources in regional areas. Its mission is centered on value creation and sustainability: to identify, design, and capitalize on unique business opportunities that not only create long-term value for investors, various stakeholders and communities, but also preserve Japans rich cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Kiraku comprises a team of specialists on-the-ground in Japan with expertise in finance and creative domains. The company operates from bases in Kyoto and Tokyo, overseeing projects across Japan. For more information, please visit: https://kiraku.io About Hyatt Hotels Corporation Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose to care for people so they can be their best. As of June 30, 2024, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,350 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 78 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Timeless Collection, including Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Vacation Club, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Studios, and UrCove; the Boundless Collection, including Miraval, Alila, Andaz, Thompson Hotels, Dream Hotels, Hyatt Centric, and Caption by Hyatt; the Independent Collection, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Destination by Hyatt, and JdV by Hyatt; and the Inclusive Collection, including Impression by Secrets, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Hyatt Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts, and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt loyalty program, ALG Vacations, Mr & Mrs Smith, Unlimited Vacation Club, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com. Forward-Looking Statements Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "will," "would" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable when made, are inherently uncertain, and are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside of Kiraku, Inc. or Hyatt's control, which could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements made in this press release are made only as of the date of their initial publication and neither party undertakes an obligation to publicly update any of these forward-looking statements as actual events unfold, except to the extent required by applicable law. If one or more forward-looking statements is updated, no inference should be drawn that any additional updates will be made with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Angelina Hue Hyatt At the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Member Summit in Nice, HNtv INSIDERS caught up with Glenn Mandziuk, CEO at the Alliance and Dr. Willy Legrand, Professor at the IU International University of Applied Sciences in Germany. This summit, themed 'Mainstreaming Net Positive Hospitality', provided the hospitality industry with an opportunity to discuss how to drive action. The Alliance's Impact Committees reported substantial progress in various fields, including Standards & Reporting, Financing the Transition, Supply Chain Optimisation, Technology Transfer, Risk & Resilience, and Communications & Public Relations. A significant portion of the discussions focused on the World Academy for Sustainable Hospitality. The Academy aspires to invoke a paradigm shift in the hospitality industry towards sustainability by promoting education across all departments and levels within hotel organizations. This 15-minutes conversation offers an excellent opportunity to get up to speed on the Alliance's latest developments. Related Related Video HNtv INSIDERS - From Strategy to Impact: Mainstreaming Net Positive Hospitality Insights from a recent EHL panel event on 'Managing Hotels in Times of War', where the spotlight shone on hospitality from a different perspective. What changes for a hotel General Manager when a crisis situation hits? What emerges in terms of new leadership roles and operational requirements? Dr. Ines Blal recounts the highlights from this moving and illuminating panel discussion with seasoned professionals in war zones. Introducing 'Hospitality for Society' Since Covid-19, the debate on the working conditions and role of hospitality in society has gained traction. The cyclical nature of the business, its long and constraining working hours and conditions have dominated the discussion. Amid this heated debate, we have tended to forget the passion, engagement, and dedication often encountered in the sector. Generally, we also tend to overlook the 'school of life' and the humanity-centric skills that the industry can develop in an individual. For that purpose, we decided to launch the 'Hospitality for Society' initiative. Its purpose is to give voice to hospitality workers who positively impact society. We aim to go beyond the superficial luxury haze and connect to the environment and community by welcoming others differently. Hoping to inspire new narratives on how hospitality can support positive social contexts, we organized a special panel event called 'Managing Hotels in Times of War'. What really emerges in a crisis environment? This spring, we held a panel discussion on managing hotels in times of war at EHL Campus Lausanne. In the company of Mr. Guy Lindt, GM of the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem [in French], Mr. Artem Prykhodko, GM of the InterContinental hotel in Kyiv [in French], and Mr. Nicolas Vout, Head of Digital Transformation & Data at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), we delved into the technicalities and implications of managing hotels in war zones. Mr. Lindt, EHL alumnus, shared the story and mission of the American Colony Hotel in East Jerusalem and its unique ties with neutral Switzerland. Mr. Prykhodko described how he has managed the hotel in Kyiv since the first attacks in February 2020. Mr. Vout, also an alumnus of EHL, detailed the methods of the ICRC in zones of tension and conflict, and the logistical support offered to hotels in these situations. Wars and crises are, unfortunately, part of the environment in which we are evolving. While we hope never to experience them, these situations can teach us about adaptation, resilience and management. Given the subject, the best way to be informed is firsthand from those who have experienced it. We were surprised that the subject triggered the interest of a large audience of students, professionals and the press. As we prepared for the panel and discussed during the Q&A, it became apparent that the conversation was about far more than just managing hotel operations. The subject highlighted how hoteliers can display unique traits of leadership and crisis communication and, above all, make incredible human contributions to their staff, guests and society. What changes for a hotel General Manager in times of war? 1. A change in client profiles and client needs Mr. Lindt and Mr. Prykhodko reported a before and after business approach. The American Colony Hotel had been fully booked with leisure customers, but the situation changed overnight after October 7th. The tourists interrupted their stays for emergency repatriation. Similarly, the InterContinental Kyiv was busy catering to its usual business clientele until the unrest of February 2020. Both narrate how, within 24 hours, the clientele shifted to a majority of media journalists, diplomats and NGO representatives. This sudden change in the client base not only had an effect on the general atmosphere but also on the hotel's operations. These new customers came with different needs. Journalists, for instance, have to leave early to cover the field and, when arriving late in the evening, must work on their reports. Mr. Prykhodko and Mr. Lindt explained how they adapted their F&B offerings and operations accordingly. Mr. Vout detailed how the ICRC react to the tensions in war zones by collaborating with the hoteliers in the region to reinforce their field operations. 2. A constant state of anticipation of needs and solutions Both hoteliers explained how they focused on maintaining upscale and luxury standards during difficult times. This entailed stocking food, finding new supplies, innovating to sustain drinkable water, putting in place generators for electricity, and maintaining internet services. At the InterContinental Kyiv, managing a 3-week long back and forward to the underground shelter, where clients, staff and their families gathered. What stemmed from the exchanges with the three panelists is the different stand these situations call for when managing their staff and clientele. All three panelists alluded to the security and calming feeling they needed to convey. Both hoteliers focused on offering a haven for the people around them. They apply strict security procedures (from booking, to check-in to daily operations and the management of a security team) but also deliver their upper-scale hotel offerings to convey this sense of normality despite the challenges happening outside the hotel. 3. Preparation and flexibility All three panelists referred to risk and security procedures that they enforce. We discussed the need for training for these procedures and a balance in the number of methods to address the risk needs and reactiveness. What stood out from the discussion is the apparent leadership attribute of focusing on operations, concentrating on the essentials to keep the operations going, and avoiding getting distracted from essential information and activities. Mr. Vout explained the need for the preparation and how the ICRC liaises with hoteliers to get ready for crisis situations. He gave examples of the passive security that their protocol requires, such as taping windows with anti-blast film to avoid further injuries in case of explosion, or anti-intrusion measures to delay building penetration in case of attack. As for the management of staff, it required a different, more flexible approach. The people management aspect included the psychological distress of the employees, the shifting working hours, staff availability on-site, and scheduling and strategies to deploy to ensure stable operations amid the turmoil. All three panelists stressed the staff's critical need for professional psychological support. The communication during the crisis needs to be regular and transparent to avoid unnecessary additional mental distress. For financials, again, flexibility is critical. When hotels might be privileged with a new business mix, expenses are fluctuant and unexpected, and cash prevails, with a strong demand for hard currencies. Therefore, regarding the budgeting question, all three panelists responded that it was replaced by weekly and monthly cash-flow monitoring. 4. Focus on the fundamentals of well-being Mr. Prykhodko shared his unique experience during the first three weeks of attacks. They turned the underground parking lot into a bunker which became, over these weeks, the hotel's focal point. They made provisions for staff to sleep on-site with family members, closed the hotel to look empty from the outside, and created playrooms for kids. To maintain their morale and appearance, they brought in a psychologist, hairdresser and barber. While these may seem frivolous gestures, they proved essential for the positivity and humanity of the people. Well-being takes on a different meaning in those circumstances. Main insights from these experiences These unique circumstances challenge our management capabilities and call for leadership. They require remaining flexible, managing changing priorities like security, food procurement, closer ties to staff and teams, communication, and community management. These tough situations provide excellent insights into leadership so that we can be extremely valuable in more stable situations. All hoteliers who have managed peak seasons relate to the operational aspects above. Unfortunately, in times of war or pandemic, it is an accelerated and exacerbated development context in these cases from which we gathered the following main insights: Leveraging the network and client base to collect factual information. Maintaining access to the facts from the ground and distinguishing misinformation from actual events. As a consequence, a key point is to resist the social media hysteria, limiting the info flow of non-verified information. This point was also stressed by Mr. Vout, who reports the increasing role of digital communication in zones of tension and war. The importance as a hotelier of staying neutral and focusing on the service to be delivered (as opposed to encouraging heated political debates and opinions). What the event meant to me It was touching how, at the end of the 2-hour session, the shared comments from participants were all about a sense of communion and a feeling of togetherness. I suspect it is because we reverted to the fundamentals of catering and working with people. It resonated with the managerial challenges we faced during the Covid-19 crisis. In these instances, where life is threatened, we can better see hospitality's outreach to people and society. It can provide security, shelter, dignity, community and sharing. We can witness hospitality's profound link to our human needs and how it rises to the need to cater to them. Much of the event's feedback mentioned inspirational and leadership. We heard stories of survival, calmness, resilience and care, and often, humor. We learned firsthand about the difference between management and leadership. We also learned about authenticity, acting in alignment with one's values. It also allowed us to see managers of luxury hotels through a different lens. Hearing them deploying their capabilities and those of their teams in this usually luxury setting was enlightening about the skills of the hospitality industry. EHL Hospitality Business School Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source Ikebana - ATONA brand image The first round of funding secured 10 billion yen for the Atona Impact Fund Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and Kiraku, Inc. today announced that ATONA, the modern hot spring ryokan (Japanese-style inn) brand, will open properties in Yufu, Yakushima, and Hakone. The ATONA brand was announced in 2022 under a joint venture between a Hyatt affiliate and Kiraku, a Japanese company dedicated to preserving valuable assets for future generations. The first ATONA ryokans are slated to open in 2026 across some of Japans top hot spring destinations and areas of natural beauty. Hyatt and Kiraku also announced the first close of Atona Impact Fund, a real estate fund that will actively invest in ATONA ryokan development projects, securing an initial funding of 10 billion yen (approximately 64 million US dollars). First round investors include affiliates of Hyatt and Kiraku, as well as Takenaka Corporation, a leading Japanese construction firm. The fund is aiming for a final target of 20 billion yen (approximately 128 million US dollars). Hyatt is a leading global hospitality company that is synonymous with elevated contemporary luxury. Aside from reaching valuable guests through World of Hyatt, the industry's fastest growing loyalty program, this collaboration enables us to leverage Hyatts global expertise to deliver high operational efficiency and exceptional guest experience and focus on long-term capital appreciation and substantial investor returns, said Kou Sundberg, founder and chief executive officer of Kiraku. We are delighted to have identified prime locations for the first ATONA ryokans and successfully secured funding for the Atona Impact Fund. Having already partnered with Takenaka Corporation to restore a heritage sake brewery in Nagano, we are excited to expand our collaboration with more regional revitalization projects. Through the ATONA brand, we look forward to introducing Japans hot springs and new destinations to our World of Hyatt members, and international and domestic travelers alike. With Kirakus expertise in deal sourcing, asset management and business development, the ATONA brand is poised to meet the rising demand for high-end ryokans, said Sam Sakamura, Hyatts vice president, Japan and Micronesia. At Hyatt, we believe business is personal. We are excited to work with Kiraku and are grateful for the trust from Takenaka Corporation, with whom we have nurtured a long-standing relationship through various global projects, as we introduce fresh hospitality experiences to Japan. Guestroom at the Episode Daan Taipei Hotel - Source Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced last week the opening of EPISODE Daan Taipei under the JdV by Hyatt brand, marking the second hotel with Riant Hotels Co. Ltd following the opening of EPISODE Hsinchu in Taiwan in 2022. Located in the trendy and vibrant area of the East District of Taipei, the hotel is just a three-minute walk from the Zhongxiao Fixing MRT station. Built for todays modern lifestyle traveler, the hotel ensures guests experience the utmost value while embodying the joy of life for which hotels in the JdV by Hyatt portfolio are known. From the moment guests step into the lobby of EPISODE Daan Taipei, they enter a realm of music, vintage vibes, and trending culture, extending this concept from the entrance to the fifth-floor hybrid The SOCIAL by Lay Low space, and vividly reflected even in the guest rooms. As an innovator disrupting the hotel industry, EPISODE Daan Taipei continues the "Less but Better" ethos, with rooms featuring elevated amenities focused on attention to and comfortable spaces. The hotel incorporates self-service check-in technology and greets guests with a front desk "Experience Provider" ensuring personalized service. The SOCIAL by Lay Low A New Social Salon Modeled After a Relaxing Living Room Building on the bar concept of the famous Lay Low in Taichung, the hotel collaborated with the trendy Taichung trend-setting bar to create The SOCIAL by Lay Low, an all-day hybrid social space, open to everyone. Merging music, cocktails, dining, literature, and a full wall of vinyl records, The SOCIAL by Lay Low transforms the traditional hotel lobby into a cozy, relaxing living space and an all-access living room for in-house guests as well as anyone in the neighborhood to meet or celebrate. Inspired by Taiwanese fruits and teas, Lay Lows head mixologist, creates a range of cocktails and craft beers infused with Taiwanese flavors and memories. Exclusive Lay Low flavors are also available at EPISODE Daan Taipei, like Grandma's spicy radish pickle cheese, blending spicy pickles with creamy cheese, perfectly paired with sourdough bread; and Australian Wagyu, served with a unique twin pepper honey sauce, ideal for a late-night snack. The SOCIAL by Lay Low also features DJs and live jazz performances, providing a relaxed atmosphere for hotel guests, local residents, or trendy visitors to enjoy. Guests at the hotel can also enjoy all-day complimentary snacks and drinks, including a freshly ground premium coffee from Coffee Stopover, roasted and ground onsite. Guestrooms Vintage Vinyl CD Players Take Travelers Back to the Era of Golden Hits Hotel guestrooms are designed around music and retro themes, featuring warm, high-color furniture, accessories, and equipped with vintage vinyl CD players and a curated selection of CDs, transporting travelers back to an era of classic hits. With nine floors and 136 rooms of various styles, EPISODE Daan Taipei offers scenic rooms with views of the Xinyi District landscape, or premium guestrooms with private balconies and bathtubs. Rooms are outfitted with plush soft 400-thread count sheets, premium Sealy mattresses, pillow sprays, silk eye masks, and noise-canceling earplugs are all carefully selected to ensure guests restful sleep. The rooms also feature MALIN+GOETZ toiletries, UNIX salon-grade hairdryers from Korea, and in-room facial acupressure massagers to ease the day's fatigue. Each room's 55-inch Samsung smart TV is tailored for the modern traveler, whether it's playing a favorite song via Bluetooth, catching up on a TV streaming series, or enjoying a selection of monthly updated movies. Holiday Inn Prayagraj to Open 2025 in Uttar Pradesh, India IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with GPKP to develop Holiday Inn Prayagraj, in Uttar Pradesh. Scheduled to open in 2025. Holiday Inn is one of the most loved and recognized hotel brands in the world with over 70 years of history. Deeply rooted in family and business travel, Holiday Inn has a vision to provide a quality, consistent and authentic travel experience for all. Once opened, Holiday Inn Prayagraj will join IHGs portfolio of 57 Holiday Inn hotels across South West Asia, Middle East and Africa region. Conveniently located in the heart of Prayagraj, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Holiday Inn Prayagraj will offer a convenient and comfortable stay for travelers. As a prominent commercial and religious center, Prayagraj also hosts the congregation of pilgrims for Prayag Kumbh Mela and Megha Mela festivals, attracting millions of visitors. Holiday Inn Prayagraj is well-equipped to cater to their diverse needs, offering a welcoming environment for business trips, leisure stays, or religious pilgrimages. Upon opening, the hotel will feature 95 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, a functional meeting room, and a well-equipped fitness center. Commenting on the signing, Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts said, We are thrilled to announce the signing of Holiday Inn Prayagraj in partnership with GPKP. Prayagraj, renowned for its rich history, cultural heritage and thriving economy, holds a significant place in the North Region. With its strategic location in commercial and religious hub, Holiday Inn Prayagraj is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for world-class hospitality experiences in the city. He added, The signing is in line with our strategy to expand our portfolio across key secondary markets in India. We are confident that the Holiday Inn Prayagraj, once opened, will be a preferred choice for business, leisure, and religious travellers visiting the city. In a joint statement, Dr. Ketan Srivastava and Mr. Ankit Raj Srivastava, Managing Directors, GPKP added, We are thrilled to partner with an internationally and locally trusted hospitality brand like IHG Hotels & Resorts to launch Holiday Inn Prayagraj. With our local insights, combined with IHG's global expertise, I am confident the hotel will be a huge success." Image Credit Omni Hotels The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority (the Authority) has approved two resolutions critical to moving forward with the development of a 1,000-room headquarters hotel for the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC). In addition to accepting a formal letter of intent (LOI) with Omni Hotels & Resorts (Omni) to own and operate the headquarters hotel, today the Authority voted to approve a purchase and sale agreement for property at Convention Center Boulevard and Andrew Higgins Boulevard. The site, currently operated as the Sugar Mill event venue, is immediately across the street from the Convention Center and is the preferred site for the new headquarters hotel. In case anyone needed another reason to travel to New Orleans, this is it. I am ecstatic that the Authority has taken the next step to develop a new hotel for the New Orleans Convention Center. My sincere thanks goes to Omni Hotels & Resorts, the Authority, and all who worked to make this a reality. This hotel will bring more people and events to our State, and it gives us greater opportunity to showcase all that New Orleans has to offer, said Governor Jeff Landry. The hotel will be strategically positioned to help attract events that have previously passed on New Orleans because the city lacks a modern, upscale headquarters hotel adjacent to the Convention Center. Having a new headquarters hotel will increase New Orleans' destination appeal nationally and regionally, bringing opportunities for continued growth and success for the city, region and state. This important asset will help meet a growing demand in the contemporary meetings market and strengthen New Orleans position as a top-tier meeting and events destination one that is Built to Host. Todays votes signal the Authoritys approval to move forward with a plan that will finally give New Orleans the new, dedicated headquarters hotel it deserves. This is the right time, at the right place and with the right partner, said Russell Allen, Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority President. Partnering with Omni Hotels & Resorts will help us transform this visionary concept into a reality and seize a unique opportunity to propel our community forward while making a lasting impact on our economic landscape. Consideration of a headquarters hotel began several years ago and has been closely evaluated for nearly a decade. The Authoritys actions take us one step closer to attracting the trade shows, conventions and events that only an adjacent headquarters hotel can, said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center President and CEO. It will introduce a new market and mean more events, bring more jobs, generate new demand for rooms for other hotels in the market and more spending at local restaurants and other businesses. Building a headquarters hotel will be transformative for New Orleans tourism and realize a vision many years in the making. Omni has been the Authoritys selected partner since 2018 and a leading expert in convention center headquarters hotels, having seven similar properties it has developed in other cities, all exceeding expectations. Omni demonstrates its commitment to deliver the hotel by investing $500 million to finance the project. We are excited to begin negotiations with the Authority, as we work together to develop the new Convention Center headquarter hotel in New Orleans. Omni Hotels & Resorts is a recognized leader in the convention center hotel market, and we excel at developing hotels that reflect the dynamic local culture of a destination. The City of New Orleans is a premier destination and an American treasure, so we are thrilled at the prospect of creating a hotel that embodies its character and culture, said Kurt Alexander, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts. Our vision is to create memorable experiences inspired by the heart and soul of a destination, and we look forward to collaborating with the Authority as well as the government and business leaders of New Orleans toward this end and to further cement New Orleans position as a world-class convention and major-event destination, added Alexander. With todays actions, the Authority clears the way for a project that will support approximately 1,100 permanent jobs, generate roughly $282 million in annual impact on the local economy and add a combined $24 million in annual tax revenue for the city and the state. Walter J. Leger III, President and CEO of New Orleans & Company, the official destination sales and marketing organization for the New Orleans tourism industry added, Todays action will make New Orleans an even more competitive destination for meetings and conventions. New Orleans is Built to Host, but its critical that we develop new product offerings to remain competitive, especially when cities such as Las Vegas, Dallas, Nashville, Austin Orlando and others are making significant investments in new hotels, convention centers and major tourist attractions. We are grateful for Omni Hotels & Resorts investment in New Orleans. This new hotel will generate jobs for our residents, strengthen Louisianas economy, create more business for existing hotels and companies across the community that thrive when we have a robust convention calendar. Negotiations will continue and conclude with final agreements being ready for the Authority to review and consider at the end of 2024. Design and construction will begin in 2025, with an expected opening in 2028-2029. HVS Brokerage & Advisory, as the sole and exclusive advisory firm to ownership, presents the opportunity to acquire the 102-key La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Houston Northwest Brookhollow, a recently renovated limited-service hotel asset in Houston, Texas, with a minimal change-of-ownership PIP expected. The hotels performance has notably improved, and great upside exists for a more hands on owner/operator to increase profitability margins. Ideal Opportunity for an Experienced Owner/Operator Based on a selection of similar hotel assets operating statements, the hotel should achieve a stabilized GOP margin above 42.0%. Great upside exists for a more hands on operator to restructure the hotels operations to maximize NOI flow-through. Per the 2023 year-end profit-and-loss (P&L) statement, the hotels gross operating profit (GOP) was 35.9%, with a net operating income (NOI) flow-through of $342,000 (rounded). Increasing Revenue Trend Post Renovation Based upon the HVS pro-forma projections, stabilized rooms revenue in 2025 is anticipated to exceed $1,650,000 ($44 RevPAR), with an NOI flow-through of $520,000 (rounded). Per the March 2024 STR data, the hotels performance has improved, registering a 7.5% RevPAR increase over the last twelve months. In 2023, the hotel achieved rooms revenue of $1,500,000 (rounded), a 15.6% increase compared to 2022. Recently Renovated at a Discount to Replacement Cost This opportunity presents an investor with the ability to acquire the property at a price well below replacement cost at $59,000 (rounded) per key. The seller has ordered the change-of-ownership PIP, which will be uploaded to the virtual deal room (VDR) upon receipt. A minimal change-of-ownership PIP would be expected for new ownership. Current ownership recently completed an extensive renovation of the property, including the public areas and guestrooms, at a cost of $1.65 million, or $16,200 per key (rounded). La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Franchise La Quinta by Wyndham is a well-established, limited-service, upper-midscale hotel brand that appeals to both business and leisure travelers. The brands RevPAR index averages over 100.0% nationally, and franchisees benefit from the 100 million Wyndham Rewards members to help drive guest stays. Upon approval from the franchise, an investor can expect a new, long-term license agreement with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Excellent Location Along U.S. Highway 290 Among Strong Demand Generators The property benefits from its strategic location near the U.S. Highway 290 and Interstate 610 interchange. Corporate demand drivers nearby include ADP, TAM International, Geospace Technologies, Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, Reynolds and Reynolds, Baker Hughes, Caterpillar, and United Plastics Group, as well as the Clay Campbell Business Park. The local submarket has been driven by significant residential and commercial development. The Timbergrove neighborhood benefits from overflow demand stemming from the Greater Heights neighborhood. Last December, multiple corporate tenants secured new, long-term lease agreements totaling over 90,000 square feet of office space in the Brookhollow Central office complex. CHRISTUS Health, Bowen Miclette & Britt Insurance Agency, and McGrath & Co. are a few of the tenants. Image Credit Booking.com Buoyed by continued industry resilience, European hoteliers and holiday rental operators have expressed the highest level of economic optimism since 2022 in the latest edition of the European Accommodation Barometer. The research, published by Booking.com in partnership with Statista, has revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents believe that the economic situation of their business will develop positively or very positively in the coming six months - up 4 percentage points and marking the fourth consecutive rise since the first Barometer report in 2022. Another two-thirds (65%) reported positive business development in the past 6 months, and most notably those sharing negative expectations dropped to just 4% - in stark contrast to the 17% expressed in 2022. With sights set on the summer peak season, attentions are focused on the needs and wants of potential guests, with 50% European accommodations reporting a trend in shorter stays being the preference among guests, up 6 percentage points since the last Barometer. Almost half of respondents (48%) indicate their guests are booking further in advance, while 45% share that their guests are now booking cheaper rooms. The latter corresponds to almost half of European accommodations reporting growth in average daily rates (48%) and an uptick in occupancy rates (49%). Perhaps most significant, 46% of respondents report guests opting for more restrictive cancellation policies, a shift from the previous trend towards flexibility and up 15 percentage points since the last survey. There remain a range of macro and micro-economic challenges that hoteliers continue to navigate: the cost of staff (65%) and the shortage of skilled workers (61%) were top of mind for many, while other factors such as potential tax increase (58%), geopolitical uncertainties (55%), and bureaucracy (53%) were identified as potential economic risks for European hoteliers. Nevertheless, European accommodations are also embracing a multitude of opportunities to enhance the guest experience: investments in style/aesthetics (69%) and comfort (67%) ranked high in priorities, followed by incentivizing and encouraging repeat visits (67%), and improving social media marketing (66%). Sustainability remains high on the agenda for many, with 41% of respondents indicating they are worried about climate change and the impact it will have on their business over the next three years, and 45% intending to allocate almost a quarter of planned investments on improvements in this area. Motivations vary: 67% will be investing with the hope of making long-term cost savings which likely correlates with the 78% who see energy costs as the number one risk to their business. Meanwhile, imminent legislation is likely on the minds of many given that 51% intend to invest to fulfill government requirements and 48% in order to attain a third-party certification - something that is also seen as a major opportunity by almost half (49%). Its incredibly encouraging to see the fourth edition of the European Accommodation Barometer reveal a continued growth in economic positivity, with European hoteliers sharing great optimism ahead of the summer peak season, said Peter Lochbihler, Senior Director of Public Affairs, Booking.com. However, it is critical that we continue to delve deeper into the potential hurdles they still face and consider how best, as an industry, we can collaborate to ensure the ongoing growth and success of Europe's hotel and vacation rental operators. To download the full 2024 European Accommodation Barometer report and corresponding country-specific editions visit: www.statista.com/study/168004/2024-european-accommodation-barometer/ www.statista.com/study/168036/2024-german-accommodation-barometer/ www.statista.com/study/168037/2024-italian-accommodation-barometer/ www.statista.com/study/168038/2024-netherlands-accommodation-barometer/ www.statista.com/study/168039/2024-spanish-accommodation-barometer/ www.statista.com/study/168077/2024-french-accommodation-barometer/ www.statista.com/study/168040/2024-swiss-accommodation-barometer/ www.statista.com/study/168041/2024-uk-accommodation-barometer/ Methodology: The survey was conducted by Statista and took place between February 6th and March 22nd, 2024 via telephone interviews. 920 executives and managers from the European travel accommodation sector participated in the survey. 80 respondents were interviewed from each country and region, which included Austria, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland), Portugal, Spain, 90 respondents each from France and Germany*, as well as 200 from the rest of Europe (Poland, Romania, Belgium, Czechia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ireland, and Croatia). Rendering of Element by Westin Hotel Suite PBA Group of Companies (PBA) and its partner Concord Hospitality have officially started converting the former 12-storey office building, Canadian Centre (833 4th Ave. SW) into an Element Hotel by Westin. PBA saw an opportunity to satisfy the growing demand for additional room capacity in Downtown Calgary and to drive economic impact. As a 226-suite hotel, with fully furnished extended stay units, and a sophisticated design aesthetic, the Element Hotel will offer guests a warm and hospitable experience infused with cultural touches and elevated details. "We're honoured to help take one of the first steps in transforming our downtown into a differentiated residential and recreational district that serves as a symbol of progressive inner city planning with this conversion," says James Scott, Senior Vice President, Planning and Development, PBA Group of Companies. "We're proud of our trusted partnership with Concord Hospitality and look forward to continuing the momentum with this novel conversion project which will have a notable impact in the community." Announced in November as one of the City of Calgary's downtown office conversion partners, the Element Hotel is the first hospitality project as part of the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program. It will remove 170,000 square feet of unused office space from the city's core. This conversion project exemplifies the pivotal role that repurposing buildings plays in advancing sustainability principles within real estate, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and urban revitalization two key priorities in building resiliency in Calgary's downtown community. By offering extended-stay hotel units, PBA is adding to a range of choices within the hospitality sector, while supporting Calgary's greater economic transition and welcoming a diverse mix of people to the downtown core. This development is expected to introduce a best-in-class model of flexible hospitality into the downtown market. Embracing a sustainable, nature-inspired aesthetic, the hotel offers expansive studios and one-bedroom suites, which are outfitted with fully equipped in-room kitchens, spa-inspired bathrooms and the Priority Bicycles program, where hotel guests can borrow bikes free of charge during their stay. Advertisement Infusing flexibility and convenience for groups, the Element brand pioneers a unique communal space known as Studio Commons. Centred around four guest rooms, this innovative concept promotes community by allowing guests to cook, gather and unwind together within shared kitchen and living room areas, fostering a sense of togetherness and relaxation. "Coming off the success of our first hotel development, The Dorian, this project brings a particular level of excitement for us at PBA as we look to create another dynamic, Calgary-centric property, but this time, in the west end of downtown, where our company began its nearly 60-year history," says Scott. "Projects like this will help inject vitality into the community and contribute to Calgary's reputation as a global city." Element Hotel by Westin Development Profile Building Overview: The building is a 12-floor, 170,000-square-foot office building constructed in 1982. PBA is converting the building's existing office space and common areas into 226 fully appointed hotel suites, dining facilities and hotel guest amenities. Location: As a gateway to Calgary's city centre, the Element Hotel is located on the west edge of Calgary's downtown core. Earmarked as an emerging hub, it offers convenient accessibility via transit, car, walking or biking. Its optimal location provides immediate proximity to the picturesque Bow River, versatile multi-use pathways and the West Eau Claire Park, the 8th Street urban improvement corridor and stunning views overlooking the iconic Louise Bridge and Kensington Village area. Amenities: An elevated lobby lounge and cafe: Featuring a clean, modern aesthetic where hotel guests and passersby will feel welcome to settle in and capture the character of Calgary's downtown while enjoying high-quality, specialty coffee using local and artisanal ingredients. An upscale casual dining experience on the 12 th floor: Located just blocks away from the Bow River, the rooftop restaurant boasts a striking view and promises a distinctive ambiance that seamlessly blends urban innovation with nature's beauty. The menu showcases the finest ingredients from Alberta, featuring an elevated twist on dry-aged elements, delicious shareables and bites, craft cocktails and a selection of local beers. floor: Located just blocks away from the Bow River, the rooftop restaurant boasts a striking view and promises a distinctive ambiance that seamlessly blends urban innovation with nature's beauty. The menu showcases the finest ingredients from Alberta, featuring an elevated twist on dry-aged elements, delicious shareables and bites, craft cocktails and a selection of local beers. Common areas: Promoting a sense of community, guests will have access to various shared spaces to cook, gather and unwind within shared kitchen and living room areas. Meeting rooms: Guests can access meeting rooms for all their business and work needs to promote flexibility and convenience. State-of-the-art Fitness Centre: Embracing the spirit of Calgary's active lifestyle, guests can access premium fitness equipment and movement space to make the most of their stay. Sustainability and Value-add Features: Use of recycled materials in design and construction The project has diverted 572,000kg of demolition waste from the landfill, which equates to 65 percent of the project's total demolition waste. Water conservation through low-flow fixtures Vehicle charging stations Motion Fitness Centre Bikes to borrow With Tourism Calgary forecasting to welcome 8.7 million visitors in 2024 and $3.2 billion in tourism revenue for the local economy, new hospitality options like the Element Hotel will help cater to the increase in tourism and the diverse preferences of travellers. PBA continues to honour its mission of building possibility and community by offering a range of hospitality options that meaningfully contribute to the transformation of Calgary's downtown and the sustained growth and prosperity of the city's tourism industry. Demolition is completed, with construction now underway, and project completion slated for the summer of 2025. President Lincoln joins the Memorial Day Parade in Hancock along with a replica Civil War cannon. Several towns held their observances the day before the Monday holiday. Clarksburg World War II Casualty Coming Home; Towns Hold Memorial Services Clarksburg holds memorial service with students from Clarksburg School reading the Gettysburg Address and 'In Flanders Fields.' See more photos here. CLARKSBURG, Mass. Erwin Shaftsbury King's ambition was to join the Marines and six weeks after Pearl Harbor, he was on his way to Parris Island. King was a graduate of the town's old Center School and Drury High in North Adams. He'd seemed to have an affinity for adventure and difficulty not only his desire to rush to arms for his country but his unexpected arrival when the family car broke down on Aug. 11, 1924, in the Vermont town that gave him his middle name. He apparently excelled during basic training, earning medals for bayonet work, shooting and jiu jitsu. He'd hoped for leave in March to visit family but was shipped out immediately to the Pacific, at least that's where his family assumed he was. King wrote intermittently but couldn't tell his parents, Erwin C. and Emelia LaFountain King of West Road, where he was or what he was doing. In October, they got a letter that so many parents would come to dread their son, Marine Private 1st Class Edwin S. King, had been killed in action on Sept. 24, 1942. Later they would learn their son had been killed in an ambush during the Battle of Guadalcanal, the first major campaign against the Empire of Japan. A year later they would receive his posthumous Purple Heart. In the 1942 town report the dedication to him reads, "Today he rests with honor on a sandy sunlit coral reef in a farflung corner of the tropics." That sandy island was supposed to be temporary but King never came home. There were two failed attempts in the 1940s to recover him and nine other comrades who perished. Mitchell Kiel, a Marine and the district veterans agent for Clarksburg, North Adams and seven other communities, said he'd gotten a call from King's niece in New Hampshire. They'd found her uncle but there were only a few members of the family left and she was afraid that no one would attend his funeral. "I said, 'Ma'am, I know a lot of veterans in the area and I can assure there will be more than three of them there,'" he told the Memorial Day gathering on Sunday morning at Town Hall. "After 82 years, Erwin Shaftsbury King is finally coming home. And on Sept. 24, he will be buried in Southview Cemetery next to his parents," Kiel said. "They had enough faith and hope that one day their son would come home that they purchased a spot in the family plot for him to rest in peace." King was barely 18 when he became the first in North County killed in the war; in May 1945, the former North Adams Transcript would note 120 men killed in action, 24 missing, and 52 prisoners of war. That 1942 town report was dedicated to King and the 91 others under arms. Other speakers included Joseph Bushika and Joseph Burnett, who both offered some somber statistics of the toll paid during the nation's wars, from more than 75,000 casualties in the American Revolution to more than 47,000 in Vietnam. Town Administrator Carl McKinney and Select Board Chair Robert Norcross spoke of the sacrifices made for freedom and the need to remember them, with Norcross also saying the American flag stands for all. Cecelia Kincaid rang the bell as Bushika read out the names of those from Clarksburg who lost their lives in service to the nation. Taia Byers, Addison Stanley and Madeline Putignano took turns reading the Gettysburg Address and the World War I poem "In Flanders Fields." The Clarksburg Volunteer Fire Department was the color guard and the Drury band played patriotic numbers as well as taps and echo. Lanesborough remembers Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher, killed last year in an aircraft crash during an exercise. See more photos here. One of Berkshire County's most recent heroes was very much on the minds of attendees at Lanesborough's Memorial Day services on Sunday afternoon. The family of Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher marched in the parade, and Galliher's sacrifice for the nation was recognized by the Northern Berkshire veterans services officer. "As many of you know, this past November, an Air Force CV-22 Osprey took off from Yokota Air Base in Japan, carrying eight airmen," Mitchell Keil told the crowd gathered in Center Cemetery after the parade. "The tilt-rotor aircraft would crash, and those eight airmen aboard would be killed. One of these men was Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher, born and raised in Berkshire County. He now lays at rest in Mountain View Cemetery, only 1,500 feet from here. Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit with his mother and stepfather, and this morning, I met his widow and small children. Their lives are forever changed, and they will honor Jake and those other seven airmen every day. "I implore you to do the same. Take time, every day, to remember those that have lost their lives in service to our country." Keil told the crowd that he's OK with the Memorial Day weekend doubling as the "unofficial start of summer," as long as its true meaning is not lost. And he reminded listeners that for some people, it is hard to find any joy on such a solemn occasion. He also shared a personal anecdote to drive home that point. "This past weekend, my daughter and I shared a special moment I don't think she'll ever remember," he said, indicating the toddler who played at his feet as he delivered his remarks. "We were placing flags at Southview Cemetery, and the first flag she ever placed at a veteran's marker was that of her Vietnam-era grandfather, as I watched my eyes begin to well with tears as they are now. "After the meeting with Jake's parents and learning of his family, I couldn't help but feel sorry for his young children, who will have to place that flag on their father's grave every year." In addition to the Galliher family, which is opening a new coffee shop, Jake's Java, at 20 Williamstown Road on June 15, the parade included town officials, a color guard from Dalton American Legion Post 155, the Mount Greylock Regional School band, Shriner's International and first responders from Lanesborough, New Ashford and Hancock. Hancock held a parade with tractors and cannons on Sunday. More photos here. First responders from New Ashford, Stephentown, N.Y., and New Lebanon, N.Y., the Mount Greylock Regional School band, community groups from around town, Shriners on little cars and local farmers on big tractors participated in the Hancock's parade down Main Street and up Route 43 to the town cemetery. Retired Hancock Fire Chief and veteran Dave Rash carried the flag at the start of the parade and served as master of ceremonies at the cemetery, where remembrances included the raising of the American flag, taps, a rifle salute and an invocation from the Fire Department chaplain. Rash spoke both about the history of Memorial Day and spirit of the holiday to a large crowd gathered among the grave markers, many of which were decorated with small American flags. "We look at the definition of freedom, the quality or state of being free, the absence of coercion in choice or action. Independence," Rash said. "Our task is not to validate the sacrifice that was made but to acknowledge it. To remember that it was made. We should do so, not out of guilt, but we should do it with humility. "If any validation is necessary, it is for we, the living, to prove that we are worthy of the sacrifice through dedication toward the peace that was purchased by these honored dead. Memorial Day reminds us about patriotism. And, without patriotism, we would have no heroes." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Martin Amis would have his writing students on the edge of our seats, says novelist Coco Mellors. The author of the bestseller Cleopatra and Frankenstein studied at NYU where Amis, who died in 2023, was her teacher. I just absolutely adored him, she told audiences at Hay Festival. I have to say I wasnt the biggest fan of his writing before I met him, so I was kind of surprised by that. But he just had such a love of language, such a particularity with language that was absolutely infectious. British-born but New York-based Mellors, 34, has sold over 200,000 copies of her debut Cleopatra and Frankenstein, which is about the whirlwind romance of a twentysomething artist and fortysomething ad-man. She described the painstaking detail that Amis taught her and her fellow students to give to their word choices. He would say something like, you cant say dilapidated hedge, because dilapidated comes from lapidare, which is the word for stone. So dilapidated hedge should speak to a structural building. It sounds pedantic but actually I was like wow, I want that level of attention in my work, she said. She also described how he would pick up a book and read a sentence at random, and he would go, now, thats very good. And thats all he would say, and we would write it down. And then he would read another sentence at random and he would go, now, thats not so good. And then we would all write it down! Amis died from oesophageal cancer last May at the age of 73. A memorial event dedicated to the novelist, whose books included Money, London Fields and The Rachel Papers and who was described as the Mick Jagger of the literary world, will be held in London next month. Coco Mellors talks to Jack Edwards at Hay Festival ( Adam Tatton-Reid and Hay Festival ) Mellors second novel Blue Sisters, about how three sisters process the death of another sister both individually and as a unit, has just been released. The author said that she was at Hay Festival with her six-month-old son, and that she is currently writing her third novel, which will be set in Paris. Asked her views on the infamous quote that the pram in the hall is the enemy of good art, Mellors said, I dont think being a mother is an enemy to being an artist in any way because its expanding. Its expanded me as a person, its only given me more to write about. Coco Mellors and Jack Edwards at Hay Festival ( Adam Tatton-Reid and Hay Festival ) She added that the number of great female novelists with children showed that the statement was untrue. Look at Zadie Smith, she has two children. Look at Grace Paley. Look at Leslie Jamison. Her new memoir is about being a mum, taking her baby on a book tour, which is just proof that there is a book out there for everyone, because I read that right after my son was born and was like shes writing for me. Mellors also discussed receiving 15 rejections for her debut novel, and how she had made a conscious decision to speak about being eight years sober. She said that when she started writing she had internalised glamorised ideas of self-destructive writers, which had been unhelpful to my creativity. Sobriety has helped my career, the myth of the tortured artist harmed it, she said. Hay Festival continues until 2 June; for more information, head to hayfestival.com. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} As the first woman to serve as president of the UK Supreme Court, Baroness Hale has become a significant figure. She has been called the Beyonce of the legal world, with her eclectic choice of brooches making her an unsuspecting fashion icon. But when she became the first woman judge in the House of Lords in 2004, her arrival was not met with quite such excitement. Lady Brenda Hale, who is now Baroness Hale of Richmond, told Hay Festival audiences that she had discovered what her male colleague Lord Hope thought of her appointment upon reading his published diaries. When I joined the House of Lords as the first woman judge, they all seemed to be extremely welcoming and friendly, these very, very bright, intelligent men a bit scary, of course. But one of them later published his diaries. He had been keeping a diary throughout his time, hes now published five volumes. His entry, just before three new lords turned up, he said: X the man will add to the sense of good humour along the Lords corridor. Y will become our man from Northern Ireland. And Brenda will be a source of some anxiety. she revealed. Speaking on The News Review panel, an event in partnership with The Independent and chaired by chief book critic Martin Chilton, Baroness Hale confirmed that it was her feminist principles that he was afraid of. Baroness Hale made headlines in 2019 when she ruled that Boris Johnson, the prime minister at that time, had acted unlawfully in asking the Queen to prorogue Parliament. In 2021 she published her memoir, Spider Woman, with the title being a nod to the nickname she earned after she wore a spider brooch while delivering her verdict. Throughout her career, she has advocated for the rights of women. Asked if things had improved in Britain in regards to domestic abuse, Baroness Hale said progress had been made, but there was still work to do. We started from a position when I first started writing and teaching about domestic abuse, where the police were saying, Oh, we cant interfere between man and wife because were in danger of breaking up the marriage. When I first started as a baby barrister going to magistrates court, where women were bringing cases against their husbands with a long list of specific incidents of horrible things having happened to them, the magistrates were still obliged to lean over the bench and ask, Now, is there any chance of your reconciling? Baroness Hale at Hay ( Hay Festival ) She noted that in recent years the definition of abuse has expanded beyond physical violence, citing a case in 2013 where we said that violence is a wider concept than hitting. Men are afraid of being hit, but women are afraid of much more subtle forms of what we now call coercive control. More women would be encouraged to report cases of rape or sexual assault if the earlier stages of the investigation were more effective, she added, stating that things are not always as thorough as they should be all these horror stories about samples being in overflowing fridges and going off and things like that. Hay Festival runs from 23 May to 2 June in Hay-on-Wye; hayfestival.com. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sondra Locke didnt like to tell people the year of her birth. The American actor and filmmakers death in 2018 took six weeks to make the news, so she probably wanted to keep that a secret, too. She had a certain quality to her. Unusual, inscrutable, neither here nor there, Locke could look wan and boyish or arrestingly hyper-femme. She could seem aged or ageless; resolutely human or pitched to our planet from the far reaches of space. She was one of 20th-century cinemas most fascinating figures. You may have never once heard her name. In 1969, Locke earned an Oscar nomination for her very first movie, a largely forgotten adaptation of Carson McCullerss The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. She followed it up by playing one of American films first trans characters in the lurid psycho-thriller A Reflection of Fear. A hard pivot like that reflected Lockes tastes, her disinterest in the Hollywood game, and her unconventional approach to life and love. On that note, she was happily married to a gay man for more than 50 years, with 13 of those years spent cohabiting with her most prolific screen partner, Clint Eastwood. It was a romance that would aid, then derail, and then cruelly define her career, with one US magazine referring to her as little more than Eastwoods embittered ex in the headline of her obituary. She also made her own movies, grabbing a seat in the boys club of Eighties filmmaking with work that, for better and for worse, no one else dared make. People did eventually figure out Lockes age: shed shaved a few years off to get the part in Lonely Hunter, then just kept up the jig. Lockes 80th birthday would have been on 28 May. It may have passed without fuss. But what if it didnt? Locke is part of a lineage of female creatives among them the late screenwriter Diane Thomas and the producer, writer and production designer Polly Platt who smuggled their way into the studio system of American film in the Seventies and Eighties, only to fade into relative obscurity thereafter. Lockes disappearing act had its own specificities, though. As a movie star, she had a degree of industry power that many of her female filmmaking peers did not. But she also had a very famous boyfriend in the form of Eastwood, and as their relationship fractured, she found it impossible to crawl out from under his shadow. In her acting work, Locke possessed a delicate, alluring strength, which presented as fragile or eerie depending on the role. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and A Reflection of Fear, released in 1968 and 1972 respectively, cast her as bored outsiders, teenage girls with innate buoyancy, whove nonetheless been preternaturally hardened by life. In the psychedelic thriller Death Game, made in 1974 but not released until 1977, Locke is one of a pair of psychotic women who take a man hostage when they show up on his doorstep. She is breathtaking in it, wide-eyed, erratic and erotic. Shes less interesting, though, in 1971s Willard, in which she plays third wheel to a boy and his army of rat friends. Disappointingly, its likely her best-known film that didnt star Eastwood. I had a life before Clint and I intend to have one after If none of those movies propelled Locke to the A-list, it may have been a case of bad timing. It feels significant that her career seemed to sputter with the arrival of Sissy Spacek, who too possessed a vulnerable, alien beauty, but had the good fortune of breaking out in significantly better films. I learned quickly that it really doesnt make much difference whether youre the best for the part, or whether you have talent, Locke once said. Its a matter of some fluky thing that cant be described. Eastwood entered Lockes life during a professional lull. So eager for a break, she reduced her salary to play the female lead in his revisionist Western The Outlaw Josey Wales in 1975. Like many of Eastwoods leading ladies, Lockes character is sharp and sassy but doomed. Yes, shell get to run off with the hero in the end, but only after experiencing brutality first. Ghoulishly, her characters are gang-raped or almost gang-raped in four of the six films she made with him. A star is born: Locke in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, which earned her an Oscar nomination ( Shutterstock ) She wrote in her 1997 memoir The Good, the Bad and the Very Ugly that she and Eastwood were instantly besotted with one another. It didnt matter, either, that they were both involved with other people: Locke was in a platonic marriage with her gay best friend, whom shed known since she was a teenager, while Eastwood was married to a woman he didnt live with and reportedly barely saw. However atypical it was, it worked. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free On screen, Locke played opposite Eastwood and an orangutan in the dismal Every Which Way But Loose and its sequel, but otherwise played characters for him who bore increasing strength and complexity. The Gauntlet, released in 1977, luxuriates in her pissed-off glamour as a gangsters moll on the run, while she is the vengeful antagonist of Eastwoods penultimate Harry Callahan movie Sudden Impact, in 1983. Their collaborations also kept her trapped, though. If you were in Clint Eastwood movies, you were in the Clint Eastwood movie business, Locke said in 1997. You werent part of Hollywood. This became clear early on. People stopped calling. They automatically assumed I was working exclusively with Clint. That tension only worsened over time. You get into a rut being associated with Clint ... you get into a rut because youve been around a while, and everybody wants the new girl on the block, she said in 1983. In order to get out of those ruts, you have to have your own idea, your own project. Surveying the wreckage: Eastwood and Locke in 1977s The Gauntlet ( Shutterstock ) The project was Ratboy, a strange Hollywood satire about a lonely window dresser who attempts to monetise the half-rat, half-human she stumbles upon at the dump. Its ambitious but a fiasco, like ET meets Pretty Woman. There are shades of Lockes personal frustrations in the script, pointed observations about celebrity and outsiderness. But also a whole lot of mess. What was the point? asked critic Roger Ebert in his review of the film. Ratboy is very odd, but not in an interesting way. Locke would later say the film was misunderstood by its backers at Warner Bros and cut to pieces in the editing room. Meanwhile, Locke and Eastwood were on the outs. By most accounts, Eastwood is a taciturn fellow, with much in common with the elusive drifters that made him a star. So imagine dating the guy. An interview with Eastwood published in The Independent in 1997 cast him as a man who doesnt so much end relationships both professional and romantic as silently withdraw from them until the other person gets the hint. While Locke was in the early stages of filming her Ratboy follow-up Impulse, a much better movie starring Theresa Russell as an undercover cop losing her senses, Eastwood called to inform her that hed like her to move out of their Bel-Air home. Locke was confused, begging him to reconsider. He agreed, telling her that they should delay discussions about a breakup until Impulse had wrapped. But when Locke next came home, the locks had been changed and her belongings put in storage. He had every right, if he didnt love me, to end the relationship, Locke told The Independent, in that same Eastwood interview. But he didnt have the right to treat me that way. Thats where the line is drawn with Clint. He has all the rights and you have none. Eastwood, meanwhile, said that he had ended the relationship due to Lockes marriage to her friend Gordon Anderson. She spent 98 to 100 per cent of her time coddling him, he claimed. I was bored with it. At some point, you go, I want a normal relationship in life. I want a girl for me. An unusual, year-long legal battle ensued, with Locke fighting for palimony despite the fact that both she and Eastwood were legally married to other people. Locke accused Eastwood of abuse, and alleged that he had ordered her to have two abortions and a sterilisation operation claims Eastwood adamantly denied, while arguing that Lockes suit was unfounded and without merit. In his own depositions, Eastwood would refer to Locke as merely his occasional roommate. In the end, and simultaneously exhausted from treatment for breast cancer, Locke settled, taking ownership of one home bought by Eastwood, $450,000 (at the time, 251,000) in unpaid earnings from Eastwoods production company, and at her request a production and directing deal with Warner Bros. On the outs: Eastwood and Locke in 1987 ( Shutterstock ) While Locke at first claimed victory, she later alleged that the Warner deal was a sham she had been paid $1.5m and had an office on the studio lot, but more than 30 projects that she brought to them were turned down. Then she discovered the $1.5m secretly came from Eastwood, and not Warner Bros. She sued him for fraud. Eastwood claimed that his intentions were pure, and that he financed the deal to help Locke. She claimed that it was a deceptive power play designed to trap her at the studio and keep her out of work. The case went to trial in 1996, with Eastwood accusing Locke of using her cancer diagnosis to garner sympathy from the jury, and insisting that the suit was a shakedown. They eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed amount both parties insisted they had won. While promoting her book in 1997, Locke confessed that she wished she understood who [Eastwood] was earlier. I just feel like, oh my God, Ive lost so much time. Her book, she said, was an attempt to put across her side of the story, and take back a narrative that had painted her as an obsessed gold digger. I had a life before Clint and I intend to have one after, she said. Lockes career never recovered, and she said in 2013 that she believed she was blacklisted as a result of her legal feuds. No one wanted to get on [Clints] bad side, she told Wandrin Star. Why bother? Why get involved? I will always believe that I had many fans in high places, but they were not willing to put themselves on the line. That is very expected in Hollywood. Little is known of Lockes life in the years after. She remained married to Anderson and starred in a single film, an indie romcom called Ray Meets Helen, in 2017, but otherwise went dark. She was not included in the In Memoriam section of the Oscars in 2019, and Eastwood made no public comment on her death from bone cancer. It is unclear whether they ever spoke again. Curiously, though, Eastwoods 2018 film The Mule saw his character reconnect with the ex-wife he spurned and mistreated, seeking redemption as she dies with cancer. It hit cinemas a day after Lockes death was announced. Action: Locke steps behind the camera on the set of Ratboy ( Shutterstock ) Every once in a while, Lockes name is invoked in articles about the history of women in Hollywood many outlets also re-examined her battles with Eastwood during the high-profile stand-off between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, a situation that bore slight parallels. But her actual work is worth revisiting, too, however zany much of it is. Locke was distinct, unusual and brilliant, a woman born for a Hollywood that didnt quite exist at the time she got there. But while it hurt her, it never broke her. All in all I am happy with myself, she said in that 2013 interview. I feel that I have met the challenges meted out to me with as positive a face as anyone. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jesse Eisenberg has revealed that he applied for Polish citizenship around nine months ago, and is in the process of waiting for the final signature. In an interview with Polish publication Gos Wielkopolski, The Social Network star explained that both his and his wifes families were from Poland. He added that shooting his film A Real Pain in Poland reminded him of stories hed heard from family growing up, and made him want to create better relationships between Jews and Polish people. I applied for Polish citizenship about nine months ago. Apparently, all the paperwork has already been submitted and Im waiting for the final signature, said Eisenberg. My family is from the southeast, from Krasnystaw, my wifes [Anna Strout] family is from odz. We wanted to have a greater connection to Poland. I would like to work here more. Growing up, Ive heard stories of the Polish relationship with my Jewish family and all the stories were great: we were best friends with the Poles. He added: My family lived in Krasnystaw up until the war, one person survived the war and moved to Szczecin. Unfortunately, she passed away from Covid, so it was quite recent. The Independent has reached out to Eisenbergs representatives for comment. Eisenberg wrote, directed, and starred in A Real Pain, which he shot in places his family hails from including Lublin, Warsaw, Krasnystaw, as well as Krasnik, Radom. open image in gallery Kieran Culkin, left, and Jesse Eisenberg attend the premiere of A Real Pain at the Eccles Theatre ( 2024 Invision ) A Real Pain premiered at Sundance in January, and also stars Kieran Culkin as one of two estranged cousins who end up joining a Holocaust tour in Poland after their grandmother dies. While I was working here, I met some people who worked in positions related to the government. I said to them: I would love to create better relationships between Jews and Polish people. To me, its so unfortunate they are not great. I would love to do that. My family is from here, my wifes family is from here. Is there any way we could apply for Polish citizenship? said Eisenberg. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Eisenberg also spoke about how he was drawn to Poland in a personal way, since his family lived there for so many generations, centuries. It makes me feel connected to something. In America, everyone is very new, apart from the people who were there first, the Indigenous Americans. Poland made me feel a real connection to something historically bigger than myself. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Taylor Swift shared a poignant message with fans after playing her first ever shows in Portugal over the weekend. The European leg of the pop stars Eras world tour is well underway, as she performed two nights in Lisbon on Friday 25 May and Sunday 26 May. Its official, I left my [heart] in Lisbon, Swift, 34, wrote on Instagram. My first time in Portugal and you all made me feel like I was right at home. Ill seriously never forget the way you treated us, the overwhelming love and passion and hands in the air and dancing and how you screamed every lyrics!!! Muit obrigada. Addressing the crowd on the second of her two nights in Lisbon, she told her audience: Over the course of those tours we made so many fun memories, but the one thing that I wish I would have done differently is I wish I could have brought every one of those tours to come see you in Lisbon. I have to say, Ive just never seen a crowd like this in my life. There have been moments in this show already where I like, forget what Im supposed to do next or what Im supposed to say because Im just so distracted by how much fun youre having and how youre performing in the audience. I love this. Youre just so in the moment and I cannot tell you how special that is for us as performers to get to look out and make eye contact with you and connect with you in this way. Swift said that her Eras tour was an attempt to bring all of her favourite memories from those past tours together and put them all in one show, so that now we can all experience those memories together. Before I start crying, there is one song that I want to play you from the Red album if you happen to have about 10 minutes to spare, she said. Do you have 10 minutes? Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up She then performed the extended version of her hit 2012 single All Too Well. Swift performs in Lisbon as part of her Eras tour ( AFP via Getty Images ) Swift is riding high as her latest album The Tortured Poets Department, secured its fifth week at the top of the US charts. The Fortnight artist performed the title track for the first time in Lisbon, as she continues to share live versions of certain songs across different shows. She will launch the UK and Ireland leg of her Eras tour on 7 June, when she will perform at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. On Monday (27 May), Swift announced via an Instagram Story that her support act, rock band Paramore, will be joined by opening artists METTE, Griff and Benson Boone when she plays Wembley Stadium in London in June and August. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Benedict Cumberbatch has described his experience shooting in a 7-foot monster costume for the new TV series Eric, calling it one of the most ludicrous things Ive ever done. The Sherlock actor spoke about his character Vincent, a puppeteer living in New York in the 80s whose nine-year-old son goes missing on the way to school. Cumberbatchs character becomes fixated on the idea that if he creates a real-life version of his sons imaginary friend, a monster named Eric, he will be able to track his son down. Speaking about his experience of filming in the Eric suit, he told the BBC: It was one of the most ludicrous things Ive ever done and Ive done a few. It was fun though and painfully funny. Written for Netflix by Abi Morgan, whose credits include 2011s Oscar-winning film The Iron Lady and 2007s film adaptation of Monica Alis Brick Lane, Eric probes Vincents psyche as he continues to spiral over his sons disappearance. open image in gallery Benedict Cumberbatch in new Netflix series Eric' ( Netflix ) Hes this chaotic guy on the edge, Cumberbatch said. [Vincents] loveless upbringing, where his mental health issues were dealt with by prescriptions and a cold, Victorian dismissal of not seen, not heard ended in that trauma carrying over into his relationships at home and work, added Cumberbatch. On the costume for Eric, Cumberbatch said the experience, while ludicrous, also humbled him as he ruminated on the performance of co-star Olly Taylor, who plays Eric for the majority of the series. It was beautiful to act opposite Olly, whos inside the suit he gave him so much life and character, Cumberbatch said. People say: What moved you most about this drama? Actually it was putting on Ollys visor and seeing what he saw, and how hed been doing it for about five months at that point. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free It just made me be so sad for my collaborator, whod been so brilliant, but had suffered so much. The suit itself weighed 20kg, and Cumberbatch had to wear goggles while inside so he was able to see the camera feed on Eric and figure out where he had to physically place himself. You have four fixed cameras inside it. You cant see at all, as we would, with periphery nothing just reported sight of what he looks like within the scene with three screens to look at. I mean, Olly gave a beautiful, grounded, believable performance that had us all like kids again, just in awe, and tearing up and smiling and laughing. It was a joy. Eric will be available to stream from 30 May on Netflix. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Comedian and actor Doon Mackichan has called for an end to the way rape scenes are filmed for TV series. Smack the Pony and Toast of London star Mackichan, 61, was speaking at Hay Festival about her memoir My Lady Parts: A Life Fighting Stereotypes. During a panel discussion chaired by The Independents chief book critic Martin Chilton, Mackichan said she has lost jobs before because of scenes she had refused to film. She said she turned down appearing on Silent Witness after being asked are you happy with nakedness on the [mortuary] slab? She also revealed that, because of her openness about this, younger women in the industry have often confided in her about their experiences. I spoke to two young girls, both in their twenties, whod both done rape scenes and it spurred me on to write an article in The New Statesman called Enough is enough, she said. It was horrific what they had to go through. [The crew] would keep the cameras rolling. One of them was told, If youre uncomfortable, just shout stop, but she lost her voice because she was being pinned down by four guys. Weve got used to it, and we need to realise what an aberration it is for women to be even watching this kind of thing [on TV]. open image in gallery Doon Mackichan has called for an end to brutal TV rape scenes ( Jeff Spicer/Getty ) She added that she heard about one instance of a young actor having to endure two days of simulated rape for a TV drama, which ended up being all for nothing when the director cut the scene in the edit. I was all in favour of them never having that rape scene, she said, but the fact she had to go through that, and then the director decided he would cut it as if he was the big hero. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free This kind of thing has to stop. And unfortunately, you look at Netflix, and the amount of sexual violence they have on a lot of shows... we still have a long journey. Elsewhere at the festival, during a Women in Comedy panel discussion, Mackichan opened up about the scenes she refused to film in the Scottish sitcom Two Doors Down. She said that, while Cathy is one of her favourite roles, there were some scenes written by its late co-creator Simon Carlyle that went a bit far. Hay Festival runs from 23 May to 2 June in Hay-on-Wye; hayfestival.com Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673) For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Johnny Wactor, a soap actor best known for his work on General Hospital, was shot and killed while protecting a female co-working during a suspected robbery in Los Angeles, according to police and his brother. The 37-year-old was shot at around 3am on Saturday by three men who were trying to steal the catalytic converter from his vehicle, the Los Angeles police department said. His brother Grant told the Daily Mail that Wactor was walking his colleague to her car after their shift at a rooftop bar when they came across the thieves, who the soap star assumed were just towing his truck. So he said something to the guys, like, Hey, are you towing? Grant recalled. And then once he turned around, he saw what was happening and he put his coworker behind him. And thats when they shot him. Police said they responded to a call at around 3.25am in the area of Pico Boulevard and Hope Street, and moved Wactor to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspects fled in a vehicle and no arrests have yet been made. The investigation is ongoing, police said. Johnny Wactor was an extraordinary actor and friend, Wactors agent Sarabeth Schedeen told The Hollywood Reporter. The worlds light has dimmed today. Among his many enviable gifts were generosity, dedication, discipline, empathy and a perseverance beyond compare. Additionally he was an athletes athlete. Pushing himself hard physically as he did personally and professionally. In a roller coaster industry and our many years together he rode lifes ups and downs with optimism and grace. Johnny stood for moral greatness in all areas. He is a profound loss to all who worked with him and knew him. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free open image in gallery Soap actor Johnny Wactor was shot and killed by thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car. ( Getty ) Wactor was known for playing Brando Corbin on the long-running soap opera General Hospital, appearing in 164 episodes from 2020 to 2022. In a statement issued on Sunday on social media, General Hospital paid tribute, writing, The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactors untimely passing. He was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time. General Hospital stars Parry Shen and Jon Lindstrom also posted messages on X, with Shen writing: Johnny Wactor was a beautiful, beautiful soul. So talented. As you can see from the promo clip, always up for anything. Funny as all heck. Lindstrom wrote: When the tears slow down, I am literally sick to my stomach at this news. Johnny was one of those rare young men in this business who was kind, unassuming, humble, and always thought about other people. A talented young guy who just wanted to share that talent with the world. Ashton Arbab, who played Wactors son on General Hospital, wrote on his social media: Absolutely heartbroken while typing this. Johnny Wactor was not only my tv dad for more than 25 episodes on General Hospital but he was a great human, a kind soul, a inspiration on and off set and a one of a kind actor. His talents always surprised me and allowed me to learn so much from the craft just by watching his work. I am forever grateful for the time I got to spend and work with him. Born in 1986 in Charleston, South Carolina, Wactor made his television debut on Lifetime drama series Army Wives in 2007, and went on to appear in guest roles in shows like The OA, Station 19, Agent X, Criminal Minds, and Westworld. My brother was probably the hardest working person Ive ever met in my life. He was a great brother and son, Grant told the Mail. Anyone he touched, he made a great impact. He was as charismatic in real life as he was on camera. And he was always genuine, through and through. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Theres a galaxy-brained clip from Park Chan-wooks 2013 gothic melodrama Stoker that goes viral on Twitter every few months. Its a close-up shot of a womans hair being combed, the strands seamlessly transforming into a birds eye view of a dense woodland. In The Sympathizer, the new seven-part miniseries created by Park and Canadian writer Don McKellar, there are maybe a half-dozen transitions of comparable strangeness and ingenuity within the first few episodes. Shots that make you sit forward and think, just what am I watching? To be clear, thats a good thing. Adapted from the Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name by Vietnamese-American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen, The Sympathizer is set in the aftermath of the US war in Vietnam. At its centre is The Captain (Hoa Xuande), an official within the American-backed police force, who is secretly feeding information to the communist Viet Cong. After Saigon falls, he flees to the US as a refugee, where he continues his serpentine double life under the nose of the paranoid General (Toan Le). With echoes of the German spy thriller Deutschland 83, this is a story of internal contradiction, of cultural identities at war with themselves. Much of the dialogue is Vietnamese, and so are much of the cast. But stealing the headlines if not quite the scenes is Robert Downey Jr, who plays four separate roles. The Peter Sellersian gimmick casts the Iron Man star as a twisted CIA handler, a culturally appropriative college professor, a sandpapery congressman and a maverick Francis Ford Coppola-esque filmmaker. This lattermost character, introduced three episodes in, gets involved when he starts making a film about the Vietnam war (a la Coppolas Apocalypse Now), and, for the Captain, fact starts blurring with fiction. It is perhaps a meagre compliment to say this is some of Downeys best work in years. Freshly returned from Marvels creative Siberia, Downey rediscovered critical favour last year with his starchy, Oscar-winning turn in Oppenheimer; his performance here is much looser, and quite fun to behold even if its several shades broader than anyone else on screen with him. (His camp, orientalist academic is a particularly indulgent creation.) Xuande is solid and intriguing in the lead role, but the standout is Sandra Oh, who gives a fascinating and layered performance as Sofia Mori, a Japanese-American secretary caught in a love affair with the Captain. Between Downeys character-juggling, the constantly time-skipping narrative structure, and a snappy, hair gel-slick aesthetic sensibility, it would be easy to write off The Sympathizer as being more style than substance. But make no mistake, this is a series that is really about something, that tackles expansive subject matter with clarity and verve. At a time when market oversaturation has turned starry TV miniseries into grey and missable propositions, The Sympathizer justifies its existence emphatically. All episodes of The Sympathizer will be available on Sky and streaming service NOW from 27 May For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two of the most popular Indian spice brands MDH and Everest are facing global scrutiny after Hong Kong, Singapore and Nepal suspended sales of their spice blends last month. After routine screening detected the presence of a cancer-causing pesticide ethylene oxide in some of the companies products, countries including the UK, Australia, the Maldives and the US are ramping up their testing of Indian spice products. The main blends allegedly found to be contaminated are MDHs Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Mixed Masala Powder and Mixed Masala Curry Powder, and Everests Fish Curry Masala. When did the India spice controversy start? On 5 April, Hong Kongs Centre for Food Safety suspended the sale of the four spice blends, saying they were contaminated with ethylene oxide, a toxic chemical used as a food stabiliser. Singapore soon followed suit and ordered a recall of the Everest mix, saying it was unfit for human consumption and a cancer risk with long exposure. Prior to the pesticide contamination, according to one Indian Express report, nearly 31 per cent of products from the Indian spice maker MDH had been rejected by US customs authorities over the past six months. The outlet revealed that the refusal rate of MDH shipments has doubled from 15 per cent to 31 per cent since October last year due to salmonella contamination. Since the start of the current US federal fiscal year in October 2023, 11 shipments amounting to nearly one-third of all shipments from MDH containing products categorised as spices, flavours, and salts have been refused entry. Which countries are affected? Britains food watchdog announced earlier this month that it had implemented additional control measures on all spice imports from India making it the first country to increase scrutiny of all Indian spices following the allegations against the two brands. James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the UKs Food Standards Agency (FSA), told Reuters that it has applied extra control measures for pesticide residues in spices from India which includes ethylene oxide. The use of ethylene oxide is not allowed here and maximum residue levels are in place for herbs and spices, he added. New Zealands food safety regulator also announced that it is investigating possible contamination in spice products from MDH and Everest. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Reuters that it is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation. Similar scrutiny has been announced by food regulatory bodies in Bangladesh, Australia and the Maldives. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also said earlier this month that it was aware of the concerns around MDH and Everests products and continues to monitor the situation. Based on current information, we have no evidence to suggest that the issues raised affect products currently in the Canadian market, it said. How much is the Indian spice trade worth? India exports over 200 spices and value-added products to around 180 countries, generating $4bn (3.1bn) in revenue a year, according to the Spices Board of India, a government agency that oversees the sector. Domestically, the market is valued at $10bn, making India the worlds largest consumer of spices. MDH and Everest export their products to most of the world, including the US, Europe, southeast Asia, the Middle East and Australia. In response to the global scrutiny, the Spices Board has mandated product testing for exports and is reportedly collaborating with exporters to determine the source of contamination. According to The Hindu newspaper, international scrutiny has prompted calls for Indias Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) to conduct stringent quality checks on spices and curry powders sold in domestic markets as well. Why are these two brands iconic in India? Founded in 1919 in New Delhi, MDH, or Mahashian Di Hatti, is a family business known for its iconic image of an elderly man in a regal red turban on spice packets. Its founder, Dharampal Gulati, rose from humble beginnings, dropping out of school to help sell spices in Sialkot (now in Pakistan). Despite challenges after partition in 1947, Gulati restarted the business in Delhi. MDH now offers over 65 products and has a vast network of more than 400,000 retail dealers globally, with revenue reaching $260m in 2022-2023, according to FirstPost. Everest Food Products was established in 1967 with three products and began from a small spice shop in India. Today, it offers 52 products and operates in about 80 countries worldwide. With around 20 million households using its products daily and 3.7 billion packs sold annually, Everest has become a household name in India. The company reported net sales of $365m for the fiscal year 2022-23. What is ethylene oxide and why is it dangerous? According to the US governments National Cancer Institute, ethylene oxide is a flammable colourless gas with a sweet odour. It is used primarily to produce other chemicals, including antifreeze. In smaller amounts, ethylene oxide is used as a pesticide and a sterilising agent. The ability of ethylene oxide to damage DNA makes it an effective sterilising agent but also accounts for its cancer-causing activity. The website says that lymphoma and leukaemia are the cancers most frequently reported to be associated with occupational exposure to ethylene oxide. Stomach and breast cancers may also be associated with ethylene oxide exposure. How have the two Indian spice brands responded? In a statement, MDH has claimed that its products are safe for consumption. We reassure our buyers and consumers that we do not use ethylene oxide at any stage of storing, processing, or packing our spices, an MDH spokesperson was quoted as saying by Livemint last month after Hong Kong suspended the blends. Everest, which boasts of having Hindi film legend Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador, has also said its spices are safe. According to The Times of India, an Everest spokesperson said: Only one of 60 Everest products was held for examination. We assure our customers that our products are safe and of high quality, so there is no cause for concern. The Independent has reached out to MDH and Everest for comment. Will the wider screenings have reputational impact on India? India has been a spice exporter for centuries. But this image has been declining in the last few years, with the governments inadequate attention, the BBC quoted Narasimha Reddy Donthi, an independent researcher and environmental justice activist, as saying. We do not yet know at which stage the contamination is happening. Ethylene oxide is not used by farmers. It is most probably a post-harvest, post-processing residue. It is not only the negative attention. Repeated cases of excessive residues can have a long-term effect. In the past, mango exports to the US suffered for years due to pesticide residues. According to a report in The Hindu, the international scrutiny of these Indian spice brands has also stirred a demand for the FSSAI to ensure stringent quality checks on spices and curry powders sold in domestic markets. The incident isnt isolated. Controversies have engulfed protein drinks, fruit juices, health drinks and imported Nestle baby products, drawing attention to regulatory lapses and heightening health concerns, Simi TB, who works with CUTS International, a global advocacy group for consumer welfare, was quoted as saying. Consumers are increasingly questioning the safety and quality of trusted brands, and wonder what the food regulator in India is doing. What happens next? The Indian government says it has started taking action against Everest and MDH after the contamination allegations. Inspections have reportedly been conducted and corrective measures have been recommended. We have also conducted three consultations with the industry, an anonymous senior official was quoted as saying by Livemint in a 20 May-dated report. The official said the industry is taking a serious approach to ensuring full compliance with the maximum permissible limit. These consultations have been crucial in aligning industry practices with international standards. A report on 21 May in the Financial Express said that initial testing by Indian officials found no evidence of ethylene oxide in MDH spices but that in the case of Everest, some of the samples (out of 12) were non-compliant. We have told them to take corrective actions and we are working with them to ensure that they are compliant, the unnamed official said. The Spices Board of India has also recently ordered that ethylene oxide testing be made mandatory for all spices destined for Hong Kong and Singapore. This move follows a similar mandate in 2022 when the government required ethylene oxide testing for spices exported to Europe. The Independent has reached out to the Spices Board of India for a comment. The Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has warned that recent quality concerns pose a significant threat to Indias spice exports. The agency warns that increasing regulatory actions across multiple countries could potentially endanger up to half of Indias spice exports. Additional reporting by agencies Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Strong winds and heavy rain battered the coastal regions of Bangladesh and India as severe cyclone Remal made landfall late on Sunday. Remal, the first cyclone of the year, started lashing Bangladeshs southern coast of Mongla port and the adjoining Sagar Islands in Indias West Bengal state with wind speeds measuring up to 135 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Dozens of Bangladeshi coastal villages were flooded after flood protection embankments were either washed away or damaged by the force of the storm surges. While there are not yet any official figures for casualties, Dhaka-based Somoy TV reported that at least two people died. The storm was forecast to weaken gradually into a cyclone over the course of Monday, and then move northeast and gradually weaken further, the IMD said in its latest weather update. The landfall process began around 9pm local time in India on Sunday and continued for about five hours, the regional meteorological office in Kolkata said. open image in gallery People walk past a fallen tree branch as Cyclone Remal hits the country, in the Shyamnagar area of Satkhira ( Reuters ) open image in gallery People walk along flooded shrimp and crab farms due to heavy rain as Cyclone Remal passes the country in the Shyamnagar area of Satkhira ( Reuters ) open image in gallery Volunteers of the Cyclone Preparedness Programm (CPP) use a megaphone to alert people asking them to evacuate as a preventive measure in Kuakata on 26 May 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images ) One person was killed in the city of Kolkata when concrete chunks fell on him during the peak of the storm, police said. Roofs of thatched huts were blown away while mud houses were flattened in the coastal areas of both countries as authorities waited to ascertain the full scale of losses. Bangladesh moved about 800,000 people from the port areas of Mongla and Chittagong and nine coastal districts to storm shelters from Sunday morning. As many as 110,000 people were also taken to shelters in India. Indias Kolkata airport was closed for the day on Monday, while Bangladesh shut down the airport in the southeastern city of Chattogram and canceled all domestic flights to and from Coxs Bazar. open image in gallery People walk along a beach during rainfall following the landfall of Cyclone Remal in Kuakata on 27 May 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images ) open image in gallery People move with their belongings to the cyclone shelter before Cyclone Remal in Satkhira ( Reuters ) Normal airport operations will resume from 9am, said C Pattavi, the director of the Kolkata airport, adding that the airports operational areas were clear from waterlogging. Bangladesh also suspended loading and unloading in the countrys largest main seaport in Chittagong and moved more than a dozen ships from jetties to the deep sea as a precaution. While early warnings and timely evacuations helped both countries avert major casualties from the storm, there was a heavy toll on power infrastructure. open image in gallery A man waits as flights are suspended at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport due to an approaching cyclone in Kolkata, India 26 May 2024 ( EPA ) open image in gallery A man salvages a cart and other material as water flows on to the Kuakata beach on the coast of Bay of Bengal caused by the advancing Cyclone Remal in Barisal, Bangladesh, Sunday, 26 May 2024 ( AP ) open image in gallery ( AP ) Reports of at least 356 uprooted electricity poles and damage to scores of transformers were received during the first hour of the landfall process, said Arup Biswas, the minister for power in West Bengal government. Authorities in Bangladesh shut down electricity supply to many areas in advance to avoid accidents while many coastal towns were left in the dark as fallen trees and broken lines disrupted supply, power ministry officials said. We have no electricity since night, my mobile battery will run out anytime. By the grace of Allah, the cyclone was not as violent as we thought, said Rahat Raja, a resident in the coastal district of Satkhira in Bangladesh. Dhaka set up nearly 8,000 cyclone shelters and mobilised 78,000 volunteers ahead of the storm while the Indian navy said it had kept ships, aircraft, divers and medical supplies on standby for deployment if required. Additional reporting by agencies Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy You might order an outfit that you spotted an influencer wearing in their holiday snaps, or buy the beauty product that theyre constantly praising. You might even borrow decorating inspiration from their home or screenshot a picture of them to show to your hairdresser. But would you follow an influencer for their financial advice and put that advice into practice? For Generation Z, the answer seems to be a resounding yes. For them, financial influencers (or finfluencers) are fast replacing more traditional sources of money guidance. In 2022, a study found that 62 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds in the UK follow finfluencers on social media, with 74 per cent trusting the advice they provide; 90 per cent of these young people had changed their financial behaviour as a result. Many of these social media accounts are explaining complex concepts in an easy to understand way that can help boost financial literacy, says Rhodri Preece, who is the senior head of research at CFA Institute, a professional body for people working in investment. So whats not to like? The issue is that not all finfluencers are created equal. While some are providing straightforward tips about budgeting or extolling the virtues of a good pension plan all through the medium of chatty, easily digestible videos and infographics others are pushing dubious get-rich-quick schemes onto their followers, or singing the praises of risky cryptocurrencies. Some simply arent qualified to dish out tips on financial products. You probably already know the hallmarks of their posts: the ones that explain how one simple trick helped them suddenly become a millionaire, or how their passive income allowed them to quit their nine-to-five job to travel the world (and now they want you to do the same!) Last year, a survey by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that 58 per cent of 18 to 40-year-olds had been encouraged to buy into high-risk investments as a result of social media hype. But why are these more dubious finfluencers so enticing? Because they are selling a better life and their followers want in on that. Influencing works the same if its financial advice or if its make-up: you want to feel a sense of belonging, says Dr Ylva Baeckstrom, senior lecturer in finance at Kings Business School and practising psychotherapist. You think, this guy is making so much on crypto. If he can do it, I can do it If only I could make a few bucks on this, then I would be as happy as him. When you go to school, theres a lack of general education about real world finances Karishma Galaiya, Thistle Initiatives Of course, she adds, a finfluencers profile may well just be a curated highlights reel. With financial investing, we tend to boast about our gains and keep quiet about our losses, she says. Youre not necessarily going to have an influencer saying oh my God, today I lost 300. That would be their equivalent of, say, posting a filter-free photo after getting three hours of sleep. [Theyre] just going to talk about [their] successes, because thats what people want to hear. Thats how you get a following. When it comes to managing money, many young adults also lack practical knowledge. Theres a gap for young people, says Karishma Galaiya, senior manager for investments at financial services compliance consultancy Thistle Initiatives. When you go to school, theres a lack of general education about real world finances. Even if you study A-level economics, its all theoretical [so] in your day-to-day life, how do you implement good financial decisions? Against this backdrop, its hardly a surprise that people are turning to social media to fill this gap. Plus, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are well within Gen Zs comfort zone (whereas, say, phoning up your bank manager to make an appointment is lets face it the sort of task that endlessly gets put off). And theyre also free to access. In the UK at least, you have to pay to see a financial advisor, Preece notes. Does that make sense if youve got a relatively small sum to invest? Do you perceive that theres value in that relationship? Or are you more comfortable, as a young investor, turning to your phone and looking at information for free? open image in gallery Influenced: Gen Z are turning to social media to fill the gaps in their financial knowledge ( Getty ) When Preece co-authored a recent report exploring the rise of finfluencers, about half of the posts he studied were providing broader financial guidance: they were more of a general educational nature, as opposed to pushing a particular course of action to buy or sell something. I think thats a generally positive finding, that these content creators are trying to educate and inform their audience, he says. However, when looking at the remaining posts, we did see a number of issues around lack of disclosure it was not always easy for the person viewing this content to understand whether there were any conflicts of interest whether the influencer was receiving compensation for making those recommendations, whether its advertising. Of the financial promotions he looked at, half didnt bother to make it clear that they were in fact ads. This lack of transparency is a growing problem. Last year, the FCA asked companies to edit or remove 10,000 finance-related promotions, marking a 17 per cent increase from the previous year. The situation gets murkier still when celebrities and reality stars with huge platforms (and no obvious track record of financial insight beyond, well, being wealthy themselves) try to get in on the finfluencing game. In 2021, Kim Kardashian posted an Instagram story promoting the cryptocurrency token EthereumMax, which rose quickly in value that year then crashed in 2022. She eventually settled charges that she had failed to disclose a $250,000 payment for advertising the currency, paying a $1.26m fine (1m) to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. In some cases the influencers dont necessarily know the laws or whats required of them Rhodri Preece, CFA Institute Over in the UK, promoting financial products on your social media platform is more complex than, say, uploading an ad for a teeth whitening powder and sticking the obligatory #ad in the posts caption. If they share their praise for a disappointing moisturiser, they might have a few angry fans in their comments section. But the consequences are much bigger when real money is involved. Influencers need to understand that there are very stringent regulations in this area, Galaiya says. But the reality is that in some cases the influencers dont necessarily know the laws or whats required of them, Preece adds. Plus, he notes, social media platforms make it clear that the responsibility is on the individual posting and not the platform to know whats required of them. All promotions need to be approved by someone who has been authorised by the FCA; if this doesnt happen, then the influencer in question might be committing a criminal offence. Earlier this month, the FCA announced that they had charged reality stars from Love Island, Geordie Shore and The Only Way is Essex in relation to promoting an unauthorised foreign exchange scheme. They each face one count of issuing unauthorised communication of financial promotions and are set to appear in court in June. This marked the first prosecution brought by the FCA against influencers over alleged financial promotion breaches. Its all part of the regulators wider finfluencer crackdown. This year, it also released clarified guidance, stressing that risk warnings need to be displayed clearly throughout video promotions on social media (sticking them in the caption or mentioning them in dialogue would not be enough) or in every picture posted as part of an Instagram carousel. Essentially, they need to make sure that they are giving clear, fair and not misleading information, says Galaiya. It can be very easy to get sucked in by the promise of almost-instant riches, Galaiya adds. But, she says, its important to take a step back and ask yourself a few questions. Who is the influencer? Can you check out their credentials?. If theyre claiming to be a financial advisor, they should appear on the Financial Services register. And while some finfluencers might have genuinely useful suggestions, watching a few TikTok videos is no substitute for doing your own research. Dont place all of your reliance on that one piece of information, Preece says. Check it with other sources and use it as one input into the mosaic of forming a view when you come to make a decision. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Madrid on Monday where he was expected to sign a bilateral security agreement with Spain that will help his country fight its more than two-year war with Russia amid a recent offensive by the Kremlins forces. Spains King Felipe VI met Zelenskyy at the capitals Barajas airport. The Ukrainian leader was due to hold talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez about what local media reported is a planned 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) agreement for Spain to supply Ukraine with more weapons. Zelenskyy had been due to visit Spain earlier this month but he postponed all his foreign trips after the Kremlins forces launched a cross-border offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region and left Ukrainian troops reeling. That push has further strained Ukraines already depleted army, which in recent months has been fighting Russias intense drive deeper into the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region. Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the Kremlins army is mustering at another point in Russia, farther north but close to the approximately 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, presumably to try and crack Ukrainian resistance in the area. A Western intelligence assessment suggested that Russias Kharkiv offensive has subsided. The northern Kharkiv front has likely stabilized with Russian territorial control fragmented and not joined up, the U.K. defense ministry said Sunday. Russias gains in this axis will be limited in the coming week, as Russias initial momentum has been contained by Ukrainian resistance. That is in line with Zelenskyys claim last Friday that Ukrainian forces have secured combat control of areas where Russian troops entered the Kharkiv region. The onslaught unfolding as the weather improves has brought Ukraines biggest military test since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. Slow deliveries of support by its Western partners, especially a lengthy delay in U.S. military aid, have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russias bigger army and air force. Spanish newspaper El Pais, citing unidentified sources familiar with the bilateral deal, said it would include another batch of U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems that Ukraine has long pleaded for to help it fend off Russian missile attacks. Other items include more Leopard tanks for Ukraine and 155mm artillery shells that are the most used by Ukraine on the battlefield, El Pais said. Spain will also continue training Ukrainian troops and treating its wounded soldiers. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The dazed residents of a remote north Texas county sifted through their mangled homes on Sunday after seven people there were killed when a tornado ripped through the region near the tiny community of Valley View. Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said there's just a trail of debris left in the area bordering Oklahoma where the dead included two children, ages 2 and 5, in Valley View, a town where barely 800 people live. The bodies of three family members were found in one residence, the sheriff said. The county bore the brunt of powerful weekend storms that left 15 people dead across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Kevin Dorantes, 20, was in nearby Carrollton when he learned the tornado was bearing down on the Valley View neighborhood where he lived with his father and brother. He called and told them to take cover in the windowless bathroom, where the pair rode out the storm and survived without injury. Some of Dorantes neighbors werent so lucky. As he wandered through the neighborhood surveying downed power lines and devastated properties, he came upon a family whose home was reduced to a pile of splintered rubble. A father and son were trapped under debris, and friends and neighbors worked frantically to get them out, Dorantes said. They were conscious but severely injured, Dorantes said. The fathers leg was snapped. He said they managed to put the father on a mattress and carry him to a truck, where he and his son were driven to an ambulance at a nearby convenience store. By Sunday afternoon, teams of neighbors and volunteers from a local church helped residents carry furniture and other belongings from inside battered homes into pickups and trailers. Cynthia De La Cruz said her family hoped to put some of their possessions into storage while they figure out where theyre going to live. Were trying to take whatever we can save, she said. Christopher Landeros, 19, was at dinner in nearby Lewisville when his mom, Juana Landeros, called him and said come find us in the truck. Juana, her husband and their 9-year-old son Larry took shelter in their pickup truck under floor mats in their garage. The garage is now gone. A tree crashed through windows. It was horrific. Hellish. I just kept thinking we were going to die, Juana said. Christopher ran to a neighbor's house two streets over to help pull out an injured man. The mans wife and two kids were killed. The street into their Valley View neighborhood was lined with twisted sheets of metal, pieces of home siding, chunks of plywood, toppled power poles and trees stripped of limbs and bark. Two young boys parked their bicycles next to an overturned RV and scampered through the wreckage. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Protesters demanding the resignation of Armenia's prime minister on Monday blocked main streets in the capital city and other parts of the country, sporadically clashing with police. Police said 196 people have been detained in Yerevan. Protests have roiled the country for weeks, sparked by the government's return of four border villages to Azerbaijan. The demonstrations are spearheaded by Bagrat Galstanyan, a high-ranking cleric in the Armenian Apostolic Church and archbishop of the Tavush diocese in Armenias northeast, where the returned villages are located. Although the villages were the protests' rallying point, they have expanded to express a wide array of complaints against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government. Top figures in Gastanyan's Tavush for the Homeland movement told a huge rally in Yerevan on Sunday that they support Galstanyan becoming the next prime minister. The decision to turn over the villages in Tavush followed a lightning military campaign in September, in which Azerbaijans military forced ethnic Armenian separatists in the Karabakh region to capitulate. After Azerbaijan took full control of Karabakh, about 120,000 people fled the region, almost all from its ethnic Armenian population. Ethnic Armenian fighters backed by the Armenian military had taken control of Karabakh in 1994 after a six-year war. Azerbaijan regained some of the territory after fighting in 2020 ended an armistice brought on by a Russian peacekeeping force, which began withdrawing this year. Pashinyan has said Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. LUDZIDZINI His Majesty King Mswati III says Umgidi symbolises how Heaven will be. The King was speaking yesterday at Ludzidzini Royal Residence during Umgidi, which is another form of worship for the Nazareth Baptist Church. The King said the Bible says in Heaven there would be trumpets sounds and singing, which he said symbolised the joy of Heaven. It is a testament that God moves in our midst, he said. The King said he was impressed that the Nazareth Baptist Church (Shembe) was praising and worshipping God in its true African form. Culture He said the church showed that God created culture through their forefathers and those cultural activities and practices were a way of life for Africans. Culture is from God, as we see the Nazareth Baptist Church keeping culture and worshipping God, it is pleasing, he said. His Majesty said his wish was to see the church growing and making Africans understand that they did not need to divert from culture to worship God. He said God looked if the heart was rightly positioned and aligned with Him. The King urged that next year, the church members should come out in numbers. He also thanked the leader of the church, His Holiness Unyazi Lwezulu, for visiting the country and bringing a rain of blessings with him. Now that you have set foot in Eswatini, our country will be blessed and experience exponential economic growth, among other things, he said. The King mentioned that one of the aspirations the nation was working towards was to reach First World status. Reaching the First World requires hard work and prayer and I hope the Nazareth Baptist Church has sent a message to God, he said. His Majesty also stated that he was told that everything went according to plan and that the Nazareth believers were experiencing the best hospitality. The King said it was his wish to give the church members the best hospitality during their stay in Eswatini, so they could pray easily. The King shared his sadness that he would not be part of the main and the last Sabbath service, which will be held at the same venue next weekend. He said he would not be able to attend next weekends event as he would be away. He assured them that Her Majesty the Queen Mother would be with them. Next weekend you should be here in numbers. Even if I would be away my heart and prayer will be with you, he said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tens of thousands of demonstrators held a protest Sunday in the center of the capital of Armenia, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after Armenia agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan. The demonstration was the latest in a weekslong series of gatherings led by a high-ranking cleric in the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bagrat Galstanyan, archbishop of the Tavush diocese in Armenia's northeast. He spearheaded the formation of a movement called Tavush For The Homeland after Armenia in April agreed to cede control of four villages in the region to Azerbaijan. Although the villages were the movement's core issue, it has expanded to express a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan and his government. Movement leaders told the rally Sunday that they support Galstanyan becoming the next prime minister. The decision to turn over the villages in Tavush followed the lightning military campaign in September in which Azerbaijans military forced ethnic Armenian separatist authorities in the Karabakh region to capitulate. After Azerbaijan took full control of Karabakh, about 120,000 people fled the region, almost all of its ethnic Armenian population. Ethnic Armenian fighters backed by Armenian forces had taken control of Karabakh in 1994 at the end of a six-year war. Azerbaijan regained some of the territory in fighting in 2020 that ended in an armistice that brought in a Russian peacekeeper force, which began withdrawing this year. Pashinyan has said Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. ___ Follow AP's Europe coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/europe For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Cannes Film Festival draws glamour to itself like a moth to the flame. Over the last two weeks, the French Riviera spectacular has played host to dozens of anticipated movie premieres, nightly ballets of high fashion on the red carpet and even a visit from the Olympic flame ahead of this summer's games in Paris. Through it all, Associated Press photographers have captured some of the most indelible moments of the festival, which draws to a close Saturday. Perhaps more than any other recent Cannes, this year's festival attracted many prominent members of Hollywood's old guard, among them Francis Ford Coppola, Meryl Streep, George Lucas, Paul Schrader, George Miller and Kevin Costner. Coppola premiered his long-awaited sci-fi epic Megalopolis. Schrader returned to Cannes with a film about a dying filmmaker, Oh, Canada. Miller launched Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Costner debuted the first installment of Horizon: An American Saga. Streep received an honorary Palme d'Or, with Lucas to get one, too, on Saturday. Some young stars showed respect. Ahead of the Furiosa premiere, Anya Taylor-Joy saluted her director, Miller. This year's festival has also been surrounded by current events that filtered into the pageantry. Some nods to the outside world were subtle, like the Palestinian colors that stealthily adorned Cate Blanchett's dress. Other displays were more overt. French actor and director Judith Godreche led a #MeToo moment on the red carpet as she and others covered their mouths in tribute to victims of sexual abuse. The 77th Cannes Film Festival concludes Saturday with the presentation of its top award, the Palme d'Or. ___ For more coverage of this years Cannes festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Dozens of Metropolitan Police officers remain in the force after having their vetting withdrawn, The Independent can reveal. The convictions of serial rapist David Carrick and rapist and murderer Wayne Couzens, both serving officers when they committed their crimes, exposed deficiencies in the recruitment processes of Britain's largest police force. Last March, the Met launched Operation Assure, which assesses the vetting of serving officers and staff when concerns have been pinpointed about their conduct. Information obtained under freedom of information laws shows that, in the last five years, 53 police officers had their vetting withdrawn while serving in the Met. Of those, 30 are undergoing appeals, 12 had their appeals dismissed and are awaiting performance hearings, and 11 have left the force due to resigning, retiring or being dismissed. The Met stopped short of confirming whether the officers still in the force are suspended but a spokesperson said: If we have information that an officer is involved in corrupt or abusive behaviour, we review their vetting and remove it if justified. After removal of vetting, officers can no longer perform their role or access any police systems, and face gross incompetence proceedings. Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, who chairs parliaments women and equalities committee, said: Its crucially important that the Met Police restores the confidence of women and girls across the capital and it needs to do so with utmost transparency. Following high-profile criminal cases against serving Met officers, trust in the Met has never been lower. Sarah Everard was abducted and killed by police officer Wayne Couzens ( PA Media ) The Metropolitan Police was placed in special measures even before a review by Baroness Casey, in the wake of the killing of Sarah Everard by Couzens, which found it to be institutionally misogynistic, racist and homophobic. The force has faced fierce criticism over the case of Carrick who served as an officer for over two decades before being exposed as one of the countrys worst sex offenders. The serial rapist faced complaints about his behaviour both while serving and before he became an officer, yet no action was taken. Data shows a backlog of 397 misconduct cases in the Met Police yet to be heard, an increase of 42 since October. Some 344 officers remaining in the force are waiting for their cases to begin. Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, said the public would rightly expect that any police officer whose vetting had been revoked should, at the very least, be suspended. She called for the Met Police to urgently clarify whether or not this is the case as she warned that the lack of clarity will further fuel the publics mistrust of the force. Habib Kadiri, executive director of police reform charity StopWatch, said: Police chiefs, as a matter of principle, owe it to the public to be transparent about the decisions they make regarding the conduct of their officers. People seeking to abuse women and girls are likely to be attracted to policing, as it has access to power and equipment that can be used to perpetrate this abuse Amy Bowdrey, Refuge Met Police rolled out Operation Assure last April and is currently reviewing the vetting of around 200 officers. Amy Bowdrey of domestic abuse charity Refuge, with which The Independent has partnered, said the Mets failure to act proportionately to potential police perpetrators of violence against women and girls puts womens and girls lives at real risk. She added: The police urgently need to acknowledge that people seeking to abuse women and girls are likely to be attracted to policing, as it has access to power and equipment that can be used to perpetrate this abuse. David Carrick served as an officer for over two decades before being exposed as one of the countrys worst sex offenders ( PA Media ) The Independent last year revealed three-quarters of police officers and staff accused of violence against women were not suspended by their force despite the allegations against them. In the Met Police, just 12 per cent of officers and staff were suspended after being accused of crimes such as sexual assault and domestic violence. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has admitted to inadequate vetting and noted police officers are not regulated by conventional employment law. A damning report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary from 2022 found hundreds, if not thousands, of police officers who should have failed vetting checks may have been in the job in England and Wales. The watchdog discovered many cases where individuals should not have been permitted to become police officers, including some with organised crime connections and predatory sex offenders. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has been temporarily grounded after a Royal Air Force pilot died in a crash. Squadron leader Mark Long was killed in a Spitfire crash near RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire during a Battle of Britain commemoration event on Saturday. Emergency services rushed to the scene on Langrick Road in Lincolnshire just before 1.20pm. Following the incident, the RAF has now decided the BBMF a collection of wartime fighter and bomber aircraft, which are housed at RAF Coningsby and take part in air shows and memorial displays will temporarily pause flying while investigations are ongoing. Squadron leader Mark Long was killed in a Spitfire crash near RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire during a Battle of Britain commemoration event on Saturday ( MoD/PA Wire ) A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence told The Independent: Following the tragic accident at RAF Coningsby, and while the formal investigation is ongoing, the RAF has instigated a temporary pause in flying for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. It is not yet clear when the BBMF planes which include Hurricanes, a Lancaster bomber, and six of the few dozen remaining airworthy Spitfires will return to flying. The flight had been scheduled to participate in a national commemorative event in Portsmouth marking 80 years since D-Day on 5 June. However, The Independent understands it is now too early to confirm whether this flypast will go ahead. Six of the few dozen airworthy Spitfires that remain belong to the BBMF ( Alamy/PA ) Following the death of Squadron Leader Long, Group Captain Robbie Lees, Commander Display Air Wing, said: It is with great sorrow that I must confirm the death of Squadron Leader Mark Long. Mark was a Typhoon pilot here at RAF Coningsby and for the last four years he has been a pilot with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. A great friend, colleague and a passionate, professional aviator, he will be sorely missed by all that knew him. An investigation into the cause of this tragic event has now begun. The RAF will not be offering any comment on the accident until that investigation has concluded, and likewise we ask others not to speculate. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the RAF personnel, and our emergency services colleagues who responded so swiftly yesterday. Our thoughts remain with Marks family and friends to whom we offer our deepest sympathies. We ask that their privacy be respected at this tragic and shocking time. The Prince and Princess of Wales as well as the prime minister and Labour leader were among those who paid tribute to Squadron Leader Long. On Saturday, William and Kate said on their Kensington Palace X account: Incredibly sad to hear of the news this afternoon from RAF Coningsby. Our thoughts this evening are with the pilots loved ones, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the wider RAF family. W & C. William was Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Coningsby from 2008 to August 2023, when he handed the role over to Kate. Rishi Sunak wrote on X: Awful news to see the life of a serving RAF pilot cut short in this tragic event. My thoughts are with their family and loved ones. Sir Keir Starmer said: Deeply saddened by news from Lincolnshire. Thank you to the emergency services for their response. My thoughts are with the pilots family at this awful time. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Passengers who were injured in severe turbulence on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin have said their clothes were ripped and flight attendants were scratched during the terrifying ordeal. Twelve passengers were injured as turbulence caused some people on board to hit the cabin ceiling on the flight on Sunday. All passengers were assessed for injury before disembarking the aircraft once the plane landed safely as scheduled shortly before 1pm, with eight passengers subsequently taken to hospital, airport officials said. One traveller named Cathal said his shorts had ripped apart as he was flung around the cabin during the turbulence. Showing Irish broadcaster RTE, he said: It was just atrocious... never again. He added: Dinner came off my lap. Food all over the ceiling, everywhere. Emma Rose Power described panicked scenes as flight attendants with scratches to their faces tended to themselves with ice packs, while one flight attendant had to put her arm in a sling. A statement from Dublin Airport said: Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including Airport Police and our Fire and Rescue department, due to 6 passengers and 6 crew [12 total] on board reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey, a statement on the airports official X account said. The Dublin Airport team continues to provide full assistance on the ground to passengers and airline staff. The latest incident comes days after a British man was killed on a violently turbulent flight from Heathrow to Singapore. Geoffrey Kitchen, a father-of-two and theatre director taking a last big holiday with his wife, died from a suspected heart attack. Fifty other people were injured after unbuckled passengers hit the cabin ceiling while the plane dropped 6,000ft in a matter of minutes.Singapore Airlines said that flight encountered sudden extreme turbulence around 10 hours after departure while flying over Myanmars Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet, with the ensuing chaos causing the pilot to declare a medical emergency and landing in Bankok some 90 minutes short of its intended destination. Tracking website Flightradar24 said data sent from the aircraft showed a rapid change in vertical rate, consistent with a sudden turbulence event, adding that there were some severe thunderstorms in the area at the time. It is rare for turbulence to cause injuries on flights and even rarer for passengers to lose their lives as a result. One study suggests aircraft encounter severe clear air turbulence at least 790 times a year, which equates to around once every 11 hours. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two of The Independents top journalists have been shortlisted for prestigious awards. Health correspondent Rebecca Thomas is on this years shortlist for the Paul Foot Award for Investigative Journalism, while social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft is a finalist for the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2024. Over the past year, Ms Thomass exhaustive reporting on the crisis within mental health care both within the NHS and in private hospitals has led to the closure of scandal-hit private hospitals, prompted a national inquiry into NHS mental health services, and even helped free an autistic patient who had been trapped in mental health institutions for more than a decade because of failings at every level of the system. Following her longlist nomination for her coverage of failures in the UK mental health system, it was announced last week that Ms Thomas made the shortlist for the prize set up by Private Eye in memory of the journalist Paul Foot. In a year that received a record number of entries, the shortlist said: Campaigning journalism exposing the failures in the UK mental health system, which focused on telling the stories in suffering patients' own words. The winner of the award, who will receive a prize of 8,000, will be announced by Ian Hislop at a ceremony on 11 June. In 2022, Ms Thomas was named Health and Science Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards for her revelatory coverage of the worsening crisis in A&E departments. Ms Bancrofts shortlisted reports Clutching morphine and sheltering in a bus stop: the NHS patients sent from hospital to the street and Cancer and stroke NHS patients among thousands discharged with nowhere to live, which she worked on with The Salvation Army shed light on the issue of homeless patients who are discharged from hospitals with nowhere to go. Chair of Judges Paddy OConnell said: Our finalists artfully and expertly brought human stories to bear on the wider picture congratulations to every one of them. The Orwell Foundation each year awards prizes for the work that comes closest to George Orwells ambition to make political writing into an art, with the 2024 winners set to be announced at a ceremony on 27 June. Ms Bancrofts nomination comes after she recently won the best Written News award at the Amnesty International UK Media Awards for her piece Murdered, tortured or in hiding from the Taliban: The special forces abandoned by Britain. Her investigation focused on former members of two Afghan special forces units known as the Triples that were set up, trained and funded by the British, yet were abandoned by the UK after the disastrous evacuation of Kabul in 2021 with devastating, and often fatal, consequences. The project was reported in conjunction with investigative group Lighthouse Reports, and has sparked questions in parliament for defence minister James Heappey, veterans minister Johnny Mercer and foreign secretary Lord Cameron. It has also been followed up by both UK and foreign press, while tens of thousands read the original investigation. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A group of 550 parliamentarians have made a final bid before the elecxtion to get the next government to proscribe Irans Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as a terrorist group. The move by MPs and peers on the British Committee for Iran Freedom has been consistantly resisted by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) even though the USA has led the way on the issue. It is understood that shadow foreign secretary David Lammy have suggested that if he is in charge of the FCDO after 4 July there could be a change of policy. A source close to Mr Lammy said: Our longstanding position is that we supports proscribing the IRGC either through the existing process, or through creating a new process of proscription for hostile state actors. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy (Jordan Pettitt/PA) ( PA Wire ) The move by UK parliamentarians comes on the same day as Catherine Perez-Shakdam, executive director of the UK thinktank the Forum for Foreign Relations and leading Middle East expert, warned at a hearing at the Knesset that Iranian backed terrorism is coming to the west. She said: I have been to the Islamic Republic of Iran, I have walked through the corridors of power. I have met with Ayatolah Khamenei and now deceased President Raisi. I know what they are doing. I would like to issue a warning to western capitals that if they do not back Israel now and realise what happened on 7 October then it will happen - its not a maybe - it will happen in capitals across the western world. Pressure has mounted because of the IRGCs links to Hamas and the 7 October terrorist attack on Israel which provoked the current war in Gaza. And the death of Irans President Ebrahim Raisi - known as the Butcher of Tehran - earlier this month in a helicopter crash has been seized on as an opportunity for a major change in policy. Added to that the Revolutionary guard, which is the personal army of Irans Supreme Leader Ayatolah Khamenei, has been linked to attacks in Britain and Europe including an attempt to assassinate a former Spanish MEP and vice president of the European Parliament. Raisis funeral could mark a moment of change in FCDO policy ( AP ) Proscribing the group would deny them easy access to international funds and prevent many arms of the Iranian government from being able to function abroad. The initiative is led by Tory MP Bob Blackman, a long-time supporter of the National Council for Resistance of Iran (NCRI), who has worked with the NCRI and the umbrella group The British Committee for Iran Freedom. Prominent MPs include Tory MPs Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Tobias Ellwood, Vicky Ford, Liam Fox, Sir John Hayes, Caroline Nokes, and Desmond Swayne, and Labours former shadow chancellor John McDonnell. Among the peers are Tory peer Lord Bellingham, Labours Lord Boateng, former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, Labours Lord Coaker, retired general Lord Dannatt, former attorney general Lord Goldsmith, Baroness Kennedy KC, former Labour leader Lord Kinnock, Lord Pannick KC, former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott, and Labours Lord Whitty. In their statement, the parliamentarians have also called on the government to recognise and support the National Council for Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Mr Blackman said: We have tried the current policy of appeasement for 40 years, and it has only resulted in failure after failure, simply emboldening the regime in intensifying its nefarious conduct. The new policy, as suggested by more than 553 MPs and peers, puts the focus on siding with the Iranian people and their organised resistance to bring about change from within Iran by the people of Iran. It should be coupled with holding the regime accountable, including by designating the IRGC as a terrorist entity, a step long overdue. That would send a clear message to the ayatollahs that business as usual is over and would signal to the brave Iranians that the West has started to be on their side. It would have a huge impact on the regimes schemes to skirt sanctions and finance its repressive forces at home and proxy groups all over the region. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Labour government can be both pro-business and pro-worker, Rachel Reeves will argue in her first major election speech on Tuesday. Ahead of the upcoming general election on 4 July, the shadow chancellor is expected to tell business leaders that, having brought business back to Labour, the party can now bring growth back to Britain. She will also tell working people that, by bringing business back to Britain, her party will in turn deliver a better future for them. A Labour government can be both pro-business and pro-worker, Rachel Reeves is set to argue in her first major election speech on Tuesday ( PA ) Under Sir Keir Starmer, Labour has tried to woo businesses as a way of demonstrating it can be trusted with the economy. Those efforts have brought success, with business attendance at recent party conferences higher than under Jeremy Corbyn and wealthy business executives donating more to Labours war chest. But in her speech on Tuesday, former Bank of England analyst Ms Reeves is expected to stress the need for a partnership with business, government and workers. She will say Labour offers a government that is pro-worker and pro-business, in the knowledge that each depends upon the success of the other. Her remarks come after Labour faced a backlash over an apparent rebranding of its New Deal for Workers, with Britains largest trade union Unite warning that the party must stick to its guns on workers rights. Labour insisted it had not watered down its commitments, adding the proposals had followed agreement with the unions. The Conservatives have argued that Labours proposals would cost jobs and place unnecessary burdens on businesses, but the opposition has claimed good businesses will welcome the plans. Ms Reeves is also expected to stress Labours commitment to economic stability, a key message of the campaign, and urge voters to pass judgment on 14 years of economic chaos and decline under the Conservatives. Her speech is the second major intervention from Labour of the week, following Sir Keir Starmers address on Monday, in which he promised to stand up for working people. Treasury Chief Secretary Laura Trott said Labour would tie businesses in red tape. The bosses of Asda, Marks and Spencer, Currys and the Confederation of British Industry have all warned that Labours French-style union laws risk damaging the economy, costing jobs, she said. Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan that businesses can rely on. We took the bold action to deliver the biggest business tax cut in modern history. Labour would tie businesses in red tape and raise taxes by 2,094 on hardworking families. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Zac Goldsmith, who resigned from Rishi Sunaks government last year, has hit out at the complicity of most Tory MPs in allowing the party to descend into complete chaos less than a week into a general election. The Tory peer, who is a friend and ally of former prime minister Boris Johnson, posted a comment on X (formerly Twitter) warning that most Conservative MPs will lose their seats but thatit is hard to feel sorry for them. It came as ministers were furiously briefing about their anger over the prime minister calling a snap election without consulting his cabinet first. Only common sense minister Esther McVey and Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris expressed opposition at the cabinet meeting last week when Mr Sunak announced he had been to see the King but others since have privately expressed their anger. Similarly, a public spat has broken out between ministers over Mr Sunaks weekend announcement that he will reintroduce national service, 61 years since it was scrapped again without consulting his team. Rishi Sunak campaigning with his wife Akshata Murty ( Chris J Ratcliffe/PA Wire ) First, as revealed by The Independent, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker publicly distanced himself from the policy in a message to his constituents. Then foreign minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan appeared to contradict home secretary James Cleverly by suggesting 18-year-olds may face fines or imprisonment if they do not agree to join the military or do weekend community work. Deputy chairman James Daly hit back saying that Ms Trevelyan is not responsible for the policy and claiming that there will not be any criminal sanctions. But the chaos followed the start of a general election campaign already branded the worst in history, where a series of gaffes by the prime minister included giving his address to the nation in the pouring rain without an umbrella while being blasted with the anthem for Tony Blairs 1997 campaign. Zac Goldsmith has been critical of Rishi Sunak ( Getty ) He also managed to be interviewed under an exit sign, did an election event at the Titanic Museum in Belfast, and saw scores of Tory MPs run to the exit door to avoid standing again, including cabinet minister Michael Gove. Lord Goldsmith made it clear that he struggled to feel sympathy for a leader who should not have been in office as a result of the downfalls of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. He said: I understand the anger towards Sunak who has damaged the party almost beyond repair and all but guaranteed the majority of his MPs will lose their job next month. But its hard to muster much sympathy given that none of this would have happened without the complicity of a majority of the party and what is now unfolding was entirely predictable indeed predicted. The hope is that when Sunak disappears off to California in a few weeks there are at least some decent MPs left around which to rebuild. Meanwhile, Labour mocked the Tories for the chaos over the national service policy. Jonathan Ashworth, shadow paymaster general, said: The Tory campaign is in absolute chaos, with more positions on their flagship policy than the Kama Sutra. Now, Tory MPs are arguing among themselves about whether they are going to arrest parents, whether it will apply to Northern Ireland and how much it will cost. It is a shambles, total chaos, and the country deserves so much better. However, Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, responded: Jonathan Ashworth tried desperately to criticise our national service announcement because he knows his party are on the back foot on big ideas. "As always, Labour are all too happy to snipe from the sidelines, but still havent said whether they support or oppose our children getting more skills and better opportunities. Ashworth should speak to his own shadow foreign secretary who praised national service as a worthwhile idea. With no plan, Labour have to resort to dodgy criticism and analysis. No wonder they cant cost their policies, meaning taxes would rise by 2,094 for every working household. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Labour have questioned why Rishi Sunaks first major party donor in the general election campaign is a a Liz Truss fanboy who backed her catastrophic mini budget. Shadow paymaster general Jon Ashworth warned that Mr Sunak agreeing to take a 250,000 donation from controversial Tory peer Lord Michael Spencer raises serious questions about Conservative plans to abolish national insurance at a cost of 46billion. Billionaire business Lord Spencer told The Daily Mail: 'The economy is like a supertanker, it takes time to turn around but it is turning around and Rishi does deserve some credit for that. I understand that there's a lot of frustration with the Conservative Party after 14 years in power and there's a feeling that it's the other side's turn, but those people who are thinking of voting Labour be careful what you wish for and be very careful of what you expect. He said he would encourage other business figures to back the Tories warning that Sir Keir Starmer would lead the most leftwing government ever warning he is no Tony Blair. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during his visit to Amersham and Chiltern RFC (Aaron Chown/PA) ( PA Wire ) But Labour have pointed out that in 2022 Lord Spencer said he was supportive of the in-your-face mini budget pushed by Ms Truss and her then chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the economy crashing. At the time Spencer also said it was very encouraging to hear Ms Truss argue against windfall taxes on the energy industry. In February 2024 a firm in which Spencer is the biggest shareholder was awarded two North Sea oil and gas licences by the government. Lord Spencer was enobled in 2020 by Boris Johnson after Lord Camerons initial attempt to do so was held up while he had to answer questions over the libor scandal. Overall he has donated 8million to the Tories. Mr Ashworth said: Not content with being pushed around by Liz Truss all the time, Rishi Sunak is now taking big bucks from one of Truss delusional fan boys. Labour accuse Liz Truss of crashing the economy ( Getty ) Having crashed the economy with their disastrous mini-budget, the Tories continue to indulge those who delighted in playing fast and loose with your money, and families across Britain continue to pay the price. Its party first, country second every single time with the Conservatives. Its time for change with Labour; to end the chaos, turn the page and rebuild Britain. He also linked it to the plans to abolish National Insurance contributions in a future government which Labour claim will lead to money being taken from the state pension and NHS. Jeremy Hunt has already described this as a disgraceful accusation and saying Labour are lying about the impact of the plans. The chancellor insisted that it would only happen when economic growth meant scrapping National Insurance contributions was affordable. LUDZIDZIN Umlando usazowenzeka (history will continue). This was a promise made by the leader of the Nazareth Baptist Church, His Holiness Unyazi Lwezulu Shembe, when addressing members of the church and emaSwati who attended the first Sabbath Service held at Ludzidzini Royal Residence yesterday. Unyazi Lwezulu said as he mentioned that he was in the country to make history last year, many people could attest to what happened during his presence in the country. Attest As I mentioned that I was in the country to make history last year, and many could attest to what happened while I was here. I will not mention what happened, but I know that those who witnessed it will live to tell their children and the future generations about it. I want to mention that the history that I was here to make continues, he said. Worth noting is that many people, especially Facebook users, linked Unyazi Lwezulus visit to the country to the arrest of Thabo Kunene, who declared himself commander of the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces, who claimed responsibility after the shooting and killing of members of the countrys security forces, and those they felt supported the monarchy during the unrest. Kunene made the declaration when warning journalists against photographing him when he appeared at the High Court after his apprehension. The SISF also claimed responsibility for the burning and vandalism of property belonging to those who they felt supported the Tinkhundla System of Government. Those who heard Unyazi Lwezulu were heard asking; Who is next to be arrested? As reported in our sister publication, the Times SUNDAY, the leader of the church said his main concern during his visit this time was to urge the youth to respect their parents and country authorities in order to live longer and be able to take the country forward. Unyazi Lwezulu also prayed that God protects all enemies of Eswatini and strengthens the Monarch. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May urged compromise as an honourable solution in politics during a period she describes as the most divisive for Westminster she has experienced in her lifetime. Compromise is not a poisonous word. You should not have to be 100 per cent with someone or 100 per cent against. Polarisation is bad for politics, she said. She was speaking at the Hay-on-Wye literary festival where she lambasted her bete noire social media. It amplifies extreme views which then become accepted views unless we are very careful, she said. The former prime minister was reflecting on a parliamentary career which began when she was elected the Conservative MP for Maidenhead in the second-worst defeat for her party in its history. As party chair, she famously warned the Tories of not being the nasty party and would later go on to be home secretary for the entire David Cameron government. Ms May emerged as the leader to replace Mr Cameron from a brutal contest in the wake of the EU referendum which saw her as the last candidate standing. But by early 2019 she was forced out by an increasingly fractious party fighting a civil war with itself. Perhaps reflecting on Boris Johnson taking over from her, she said: We live today in a world of celebrity. It becomes more about the celebrity and not the politics. No one can accuse me of being the celebrity. I was the Maybot, she joked about her being characterised as wooden by media pundits. She also spoke of the unfair treatment of her final appearance outside No 10 Downing Street when she was filmed crying at the end of her farewell address. A man in that position would have been applauded, while in a woman it is seen as a sign of weakness, she said. Ms May explained that she regretted showing so much emotion but that it was an impulsive reaction to how much she cared about trying to do the best for her country. She won a round of applause at the festival for her candour as well as for her campaigns to help victims of modern slavery. She also spoke movingly of equality for women. Fortunately, my parents were always supportive and wanted me to do my best and what was needed to achieve that, she said. She recalled how in the 1980s when she was helping a local school to find a new headteacher, one candidate had said that some girls could just become hairdressers rather than strive to seek other more ambitious career paths. She disagreed with such closing down of opportunities for women, and chose a teacher who wanted to empower choice and opportunity. If you ignore 50 per cent of the talent in the world you are losing out on having 100 per cent of people with a chance to make things better, she said. She was asked about the absence of Brexit as a subject in the upcoming general election after Michael Heseltine said in The Independent that the refusal to have it as a central subject made this the most dishonest election ever. On Brexit she refused to brand it as a failure or a success, though she conceded there were local firms which had suffered as a result of the border controls. She said it was too early to make a final judgement, as Covid and the Ukraine war skewed the analysis. Finally, on holding hands with Donald Trump in the famous footage of her with the then US President at the White House, she insisted she had not grabbed his hand. I should point out that he held mine! We were walking along, and he said theres a bit of a slope here. I was not worried. I had a pair of kitten heels on. Was he genuinely being a gentleman or was he worried about walking down the slope ? Ms May did not disclose his intention. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} With TikTok now used by over 9 million people in the UK, its no suprise major political parties have jumped onto the bandwagon in an attempt to appeal to younger voters. Social media has been touted as a key battleground in general elections for many years, but having launched in the UK in August 2018, TikTok was only in its infancy during the last poll at the end of 2019. Political advertising is banned on TikTok, though both parties will be hoping content reaches the right audiences through the apps complex user algorithms. Labour launched its account on the app three days before the Conservatives posting an 11-second video on Thursday evening of leader Sir Keir Starmer declaring: Change. That is what this election is about. Since then, the feed has been a mixture of clips from the partys campaign trail, brief explainers and, most successfully, memes mocking the Tories and the Prime Minister. The Conservative Party shared their first TikTok on Sunday morning a 50-second clip of Rishi Sunak in a white shirt announcing he plans to introduce mandatory national service for 18-year-olds if he returns to Number 10. In the video, the prime minister begins: Hi TikTok, sorry to be breaking into your usual politics-free feed. Tiktok is now used by over 9 million people in the UK ( Getty ) Mr Sunaks national service pledge has become fodder for memes on Labours page. A post with over two million views and more than 316,000 likes, captioned Rishi Sunak announcing national service, sees Lord Farquaad, the diminutive chief antagonist of the 2001 film Shrek, announce: Some of you may die, but its a sacrifice I am willing to make. Another similarly popular clip depicts Rishi Sunak turning up on your 18th birthday to send you to war, with a viral video of late TV host Cilla Black singing her 1980s track Surprise Surprise. Social media experts believe Labours savvier social media team has so far come out on top on the app, while the Conservatives launch on the video has been branded pathetic. Kate Dommett, Professor of Digital Politics at the University of Sheffield said: The Conservatives videos look very prerecorded, dont look natural and are not keeping with the platforms aesthetic. Human content is needed for TikTok, and Rishi Sunak was apologising for being a politician that wont work well at all. The Labour Party are doing well by playing into voter frustrations and its much easier to do that with irreverent content on TikTok, whereas the Conservative Party are attempting to have serious policy conversations on the social media, and that just doesnt work. TikTok was only in its infancy during the last UK general election in 2019 ( PA Wire ) Prof Dommett added that it is unlikely the two parties are are attempting to persuade voters on the app and doubted posts on the platform would have any real impact on voter turnout and choice. Chris Stokel-Walker, author of TikTok Boom: The Inside Story of the Worlds Favourite App, believes Labour have made the best use of the platform so far describing Tory efforts as soulless and lifeless. Its pretty clear that Labour have a savvier social media team who have pretty effectively managed to minimise the Tories claims, not least their clever way of adopting memes to try and rubbish Rishi Sunaks policy of national service, he said. Meanwhile, for someone meant to be tech-savvy, Sunaks TikTok presence has been pretty pathetic: not only are the videos pretty soulless and lifeless, but they seem to ignore the fact you have to grab viewers attention right from the off, instead going ponderously through the Tories lines to take on various policies. Labour has more than 78,000 TikTok followers to the Convervatives 24,300 and they have received significantly more likes on the platform with more than 1.5 million to 175,000 for the Tories. But it is Nigel Farage, Reform UKs honorary president, who has taken advantage of the app most so far. He is the most followed British political figure on the platform with nearly 600,000 followers. Last month, the Labour Party hired a dedicated employee to seek influencers for social media sites, including TikTok. It is unclear whether the Conservatives have done the same. The Chinese app was banned from Government phones in March 2023 due to data security concerns. However, some politicians, such as defence secretary Grant Shapps, still have active accounts managed on other devices. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A lightning strike in Colorado killed a rancher and 34 of his cows in Jackson County on Saturday, adding to the death toll of devastating storms that have swept across the US over Memorial Day weekend. The strike killed 51-year-old Mike Morgan on his property in Rand, about 120 miles northwest of Denver, at the end of branding day, when members of the community typically pitch in to help brand cattle, according news outlets. He was feeding cattle hay when the bolt hit him and knocked around 100 cows off their feet. An initial 911 call was placed about 2am MT. The 32 cattle did not get back up, coroner George Crocket told The Colorado Sun. As best I can tell, it hit him on the trailer. The cattle were bunched up around the trailer and it hit them all. The National Weather Service had warned that a storm was moving across the Front Range Urban Corridor and urged people to go inside upon hearing thunder. Morgans death comes as at least 21 other people died over Memorial Day weekend in storms and tornadoes that hit the central US. Mike Morgan (pictured) was killed in lightning strike on his property in Rand, northwest of Denver ( CBS ) Despite the tragedy, deadly lightning strikes remain rare. There are about 50 lightning fatalities a year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates, and the odds of being struck by lightning are one in a million. Ninety percent of victims survive. But working outside can put you at greater risk. Data from the US Centers of Disease and Control shows that there were 444 lightning strike deaths in the US between 2006 and 2021, with deaths being most common in the summer. Mike Morgan (pictured) was feeding cattle hay when the bolt hit him and knocked around 100 cows off their feet ( Sourced ) Florida, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have reported the most lightning deaths and injuries. Florida is considered to be the lightning capital of the US, with more than 2,000 lightning-related injuries occuring there in the past 50 years. Since 2006, only five states: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Washington and the US Virgin Islands have reported zero deaths. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A blood-soaked man was taken into custody in Florida after pointing officers to a mans body lying on a patio and declaring: He is dead. Matthew Weldon, 37, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Palm Harbor on Tuesday 21 May after he allegedly killed a man during an argument over a borrowed car. Mr Weldon allegedly turned up at two separate neighbors homes and confessed to the murder, prompting them to call 911. According to an arrest affidavit, Mr Weldon first told one neighbor that he had killed someone. When the neighbor said that he was going to call 911, the suspect allegedly said No, No, No and ran off. The suspect then ran to another neighbors house, where he again confessed to have just killed someone, the arrest affidavit said. The first neighbor called police at around 3.30pm with officers arriving on the scene to find Mr Weldon in front of the residence and covered in blood, the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Mr Weldon allegedly told the responding deputies that he is dead, before pointing towards a home. Matthew Weldon was arrested for second-degree murder ( Pinellas County Sheriffs Office ) At that home, officers found the victim, later identified as 49-year-old Carroll Bryan, on the back patio suffering from multiple blunt force injuries to his head, neck and arm. Bryan was pronounced dead at the scene. Based on the evidence at the scene, investiagators said it appeared that Bryan was on the rear patio of the residence when he was struck in the back of the head. While on the ground, he was repeatedly struck again and again. The arrest affidavit alleges that Mr Weldon used a blunt/sharp object to strike the victim. The suspect also sustained minor injuries in the incident, it states. During the investigation into the killing, authorities learned that Mr Weldon had met Bryan at a local bar in Clearwater around two weeks earlier. Mr Weldon offered to help Bryan and, one week before his death, loaned him his vehicle. However, Bryan allegedly failed to return the vehicle when he was supposed to, and Mr Weldon became upset, according to the sheriffs office. Bryan then showed up with Mr Weldons vehicle on Tuesday and the two got into an argument, which ultimately turned deadly, authorities said. On Friday, a public defender entered a not guilty plea on Mr Weldons behalf and made a formal demand for discovery, reported Law&Crime. Mr Weldon is currently being held in Pinellas County Jail. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Those who are choosing to spend their Memorial Day weekend at New Englands beaches are being warned by officials that they may not be the only ones flocking to the shore, as signs of white sharks have been spotted in the waters. The New England Aquarium has warned beachgoers that there already has been harm to sea mammals in Massachussets within the water, thought to be the result of white sharks, they wrote in a press release. The aquarium said they have found multiple marine mammals with white shark bites off the coast of the state, and hundreds of seals sighted along the beaches. While no white sharks have yet been caught on camera, two of the animals were briefly seen from an aerial survey of Monomoy Island, the aquarium said. Last week, the aquarium received a report from a fishing charter company that they saw a minke whale with a white shark bite off the seaside town of Chatham, at the southeastern tip of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist in the aquariums Anderson Cabot Center of Ocean Life, also captured images of a seal with fresh bite marks in Plymouth, around two hours away from the Chatham sighting on the other side of Cape Cod. A seal seen off Plymouth in late April with a fresh white shark bite ( John Chisholm/New England Aquarium ) We know theyre here, Mr Chisholm said. With beach weather in the forecast and Memorial Day Weekend approaching, this is a good reminder for people to review shark safety guidelines and be shark smart. Scientists usually expect to see white sharks at this time of year in the inshore waters of New England, where they return to hunt seals and other prey throughout the summer and into the fall. We had a white shark eat a seal in front of some whale watchers this time last year, Mr Chisholm added to CNN. May is when white shark activity typically picks up, so its nothing out of the norm. A deceased minke whale with a white shark bite in Chatham on 21 May ( Capt Damon Burden/Pythias Sportsfishing/New England Aquarium ) The scientist emphasized that beachgoers should be aware of the presence of sharks in shallow waters, and areas should be avoided where seals can be seen, or schools of fish are visible. Mr Chisholm added that people should also stay close to the shore, where emergency responders can access it easily if that is needed. "These animals are very cautious, selective predators," Megan Winton with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy told NBC Boston. "Theyre really good at what they do, and they dont make mistakes that often, but if you are swimming in an area where large sharks are feeding on large prey, you know theres an element of risk." A great white shark ( AP ) Throughout the year, more than 15 shark species reside in the waters around New England, and researchers at the aquarium work on monitoring these marine animals using innovative tagging technologies, such as satellite and camera tags, to track the sharks throughout their lives. As for great white sharks, their numbers have increased on the Cape because of an equally growing seal population that is rebounding after being hunted to near extinction, the National Park Service says. The aquarium is asking members of the public to report any sightings on the Atlantic White Shark Conservancys Sharktivity app, which helps others to be informed about any detections and raises awareness of their dangers. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he claimed that Israels bombing of Rafah was a mistake. An Israeli airstrike on tents in Rafah, meant for displaced Palestinians, killed at least 50 people and injured dozens more on Sunday, according to Gaza health authorities. Prime Minister Netanyahu subsequently called the strike a tragic mistake and said that it would be investigated. But Rep. Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, hit back at the Israeli leaders explanation. This was intentional, she wrote on X. You dont accidentally kill massive amounts of children and their families over and over again and get to say, It was a mistake. Ms Tlaib also criticised President Joe Biden in her post. Genocidal maniac Netanyahu told us he wants to ethically cleanse Palestinians, she said. When are you going to believe him @POTUS? Ms Tlaib has been heavily criticized in Congress since the Israel-Hamas war began last October when the militant group killed more than 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. An estimated 35,000 people have died in Gaza since Israels invasion. Last year 22 Democrats joined with Republicans to censure her for her remarks about the war, specifically her invocation of the term from the River to the Sea, which she claimed was a statement of liberation for Palestinians but that many perceive to call for the destruction of Israel. Ms Tlaib has also heavily criticised Mr Bidens support for Israel throughout the war, and backed efforts in the Michigan Democratic primary to vote uncommitted. Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, a fellow member of the progressive coterie of Democrats known as the Squad, also condemned the bombing of Rafah on Monday. Horrific and gut wrenching images coming out of Rafah last night, she posted on X. How much longer will the U.S. stand by while the Israeli military slaughters and mutilates Palestinian babies? Where is our humanity? More than half of Gazas 1.5million people have sought refuge in the southern city of Rafah, and the Biden administration has repeatedly called invading Rafah a red line for this reason. Mr Biden said in April that the US would not supply Israel with weapons for an attack on Rafah and confirmed that there was a hold on the shipment of 2,000-pound US bombs meant for Israel. National Security Spokesman John Kirby told Axios on Monday that the images emerging from the Rafah strike were heartbreaking. The devastating images following the IDF strike in Rafah last night that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians are heartbreaking, he said. Israel has a right to go after Hamas... but as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Four secretaries of state said they've received death threats for doing their jobs namely overseeing elections since Donald Trump left office in 2021. During an interview on Meet the Press on Sunday, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said the death threats amount to "domestic terrorism." Threats against elections officials in the United States of America is domestic terrorism. Terrorism is defined as a threat or violence for a political outcome. Thats what this is, Mr Fontes said during the program. He was joined by three other secretaries of state on the Sunday news show, from Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Mr Fontes said he and other threatened secretaries of state have been working with law enforcement and the Department of Justice to bring awareness to the threats they receive. He said he has prepared to go into hiding, even going so far as to prepare "go bags" in case he needs to flee his home and coordinating with neighbors and family to watch his children if he has to leave. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, pictured here at the Arizona Capitol in 2023, says death threats made against election officials are examples of domestic terrorism during an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Joyce Benson, Michigan's Secretary of State, said the threats against election officials are intended to "delegitimize democracy." Its about instilling fear instilling fear into us as professionals, in our local election officials, and instilling fear in voters, she said. Elections officials across the country began receiving threats in the wake of the 2020 election, thanks in large part to Mr Trump's insistence that the election had not been secured and that he should have been the victor. Mr Trump's false claim that the election was stolen eventually led to the January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. Its really scary when people show up with guns outside your home in the middle of the night and youve got a kid inside youre trying to protect, Ms Benson said. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said his family was forced into hiding for a week after receiving death threats in 2021 ( Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Al Schmidt, the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, told the panel that the threats are not only intended to terrorize top state officials, but local election workers as well. The point of these threats is really to terrorize and is to intimidate and to try to keep any of us and our election officials at the county level and at the precinct level from doing or not doing something that is their responsibility, which is such a core foundation of our system of government, he said. Brad Raffensperger, Georgias secretary of state who famously took a call from Mr Trump in 2020 in which the then-president begged him to "find" enough votes to flip the state in his favor, said he too has received threats, but the ones that "bothered me the most are the ones against my wife and the ones against my daughter-in-law." In 2021, Mr Raffensperger's wife, Tricia, said she received a threat telling her that "you and your family will be killed very slowly" after her husband refused to subvert democracy on behalf of Mr Trump, CNN reported at the time. We plan for the death of you and your family every day, another text she received reportedly said. She and her family had to hide for nearly a week in November 2021 after someone broke into a family members house. On the same night a group of Oathkeepers, a right-wing gang whose leader was charged with seditious conspiracy relating to the Capitol riot, were found outside the Raffenspergers' home. Violent insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump breach the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021 ( Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Earlier this year, a man from Ohio was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for threatening the life of an Arizona elections official during the primary and general elections in 2022. Joshua Russell, 46, sent an Arizona elections official messages calling them "the enemy of the United States" echoing rhetoric used by Mr Trump and saying they were a "traitor to this country." The threat continued, with Russell telling the victim that their days "are extremely numbered" and that "America's coming for you, and you will pay with your life," before calling them a "communist." In 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland launched an Elections Threats Task Force, helmed by the DOJ. The task force has been charged with addressing threats of violence against elections workers and to shield them from threats of violence and intimidation. Mr Fontes said despite all the bluster from conservatives, elections in the US are secure. We continue to provide good, solid elections across the United States of America, he said. We all check our voter registration rolls to make sure only valid folks get on the voter rolls. We audit those. There are checks and balances all the way through the system to the end. And were going to keep providing good elections for all of our voters across the country. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} With closing arguments looming, former President Donald Trump took time out of his Memorial Day weekend to blast the judge who presided over his hush money trial in a rant on Truth Social. The former president trotted out familiar attack lines against Judge Juan Merchan, whom he has regularly accused of being biased against him. The reason the Radical, highly Conflicted Judge Juan Merchan had to come up with three FAKE options for the jury to choose from, without requiring them to be unanimous, which is completely UNAMERICAN AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL, is because the Corrupt, Soros backed D.A., Alvin Bragg, couldnt come close to proving that any crime was committed, he said. District Attorney Alvin Bragg slapped Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, tying those charges to three other alleged crimes: violating the Federal Election Campaign Act, election conspiracy by unlawful means and tax fraud. The jury does not need to be unanimous in determining which other crimes Mr Trump committed. They simply have to agree that he falsified business records with the intent to conceal one of those three crimes. Attorneys on both sides of Mr Trumps criminal trial in Manhattan rested their case last week. Judge Merchan will give the jury instructions this week and deliberations could begin as early as May 29. In their closing remarks, prosecutors will have to explain the crimes at the heart of the scandal, arguing that Mr Trump also violated federal election law when he violated a state election-conspiracy law by falsifying business records in a hush money scheme to silence Stormy Daniels over their alleged affair. The attorneys for Mr Trump have said that Mr Trump did not commit fraud, but rather, the money paid to his former attorney Michael Cohen was reimbursed and paid pursuant to retainers. Mr Trump faces conviction, acquittal or a hung jury since New York law requires a unanimous jury to convict him of a crime. Mr Trump has insisted he has committed no crime. THERE WAS NO CRIME. Legal Expense paid to a lawyer was marked, by a bookkeeper using a dropdown menu in a computer program, as Legal Expense paid to a lawyer. WHAT ELSE COULD YOU CALL IT? There is NO CASE, just a Democrat Persecutor controlled by Crooked Joe Bidens White House, a Democrat Judge, and a biased venue. This is nothing but an Election Interfering Witch Hunt, and the American People know it! MAGA2024, Trump declared just minutes before Memorial Day. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has been working overtime to spin a new story about what happened at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington DC, after being loudly booed and jeered by the audience. The Republican presidential contender confidently told the crowd at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night that the Libertarian Party should nominate Trump for president, only for howls of derision to ring out. Thats nice, Mr Trump retaliated sarcastically, with a rictus grin. Maybe you dont want to win. Only do that if you want to win. If you want to lose, dont do that. Keep getting three per cent every four years. Apparently seeing a need for damage-limitation operations, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to insist that his appearance was a resounding success. In a reposting spree, he published a series of handpicked posts from his allies praising his speech including the likes of alt-right activist Laura Loomer, MAGA War Room and Johnny MAGA. In another post on his social media platform, he also tried to claim he could have won the partys nomination for the White House if he had really wanted it. Libertarian Party Chair Angela McArdle ruled on Sunday that Mr Trump had not even qualified for the partys nomination because he failed to submit nominating papers. Former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the Libertarian National Convention in Washington DC ( Jose Luis Magana/AP ) In response, Mr Trump claimed in a Truth Social post: The reason I didnt file paperwork for the Libertarian Nomination, which I would have absolutely gotten if I wanted it (as everyone could tell by the enthusiasm of the Crowd last night!), was the fact that, as the Republican Nominee, I am not allowed to have the Nomination of another Party. Regardless, I believe I will get a Majority of the Libertarian Votes. Mr Trump continued the post by deriding his independent rival Robert F Kennedy Jr, who spoke at the same event on Friday: Junior Kennedy is a Radical Left Democrat, whos destroyed everything hes touched, especially in New York and New England, and in particular, as it relates to the Cost and Practicality of Energy. Hes not a Libertarian. Only a FOOL would vote for him! Ultimately, both RFK Jr and Mr Trump lost out, with Chase Oliver ultimately securing the partys nomination. Mr Trumps allies were also quick to back his alternate reality about the former presidents Libertarian party support. Appearing on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday morning, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, a former GOP presidential rival turned ardent Trump booster, claimed: I saw a wave of red hats at the Libertarian convention. Donald Trumps popularity continues to increase, but then hes not just going to the Libertarian convention. Hes also doing rallies in [the] Bronx. Hes doing something, what I consider a 50-state strategy. The senator continued: I give him a lot of credit and going to places where Republicans have not gone before. If were going to win this election cycle, we must go where were not invited. And to see the former president take that seriously is, in my opinion, a strong sign and one of the reasons why we are seeing the poll numbers moving in his direction. What Mr Scott neglected to mention in his interview with Dana Bash, according to Semafor reporter Dave Weigel, was that the red hats he spotted at the convention were actually in support of Argentinian President Javier Milei, not Mr Trump, and read: Make Argentina Great Again. LOBAMBA The hiring freeze is still in place as it was never lifted. Principal secretaries (PSs) across government ministries have told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the hiring freeze was only lifted on paper but not the operation within government, especially where the filling of vacant posts is concerned, Circular No.3 of 2018 is still in place. The PSs told the PAC that the ministries of Public Service and Finance still run the show in terms of how many posts each government ministry gets. Circular No.3 of 2018 was implemented during the 11th Parliament, after the country hit an economic slump, which, among the drivers of the financial constraints, was the huge wage bill. Shrinking To relieve the government purse, which was extremely shrinking at the time, the Cabinet implemented the circular, which froze hiring and promotions in the public service. Last year and early this year, the government, through the pillar ministries of the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC), which are the Ministries of Finance and Public Service, announced at separate intervals that the hiring freeze had been unfrozen and government ministries could fill vacant posts. The supposed lifting of the ban was even welcomed by controlling officers in various government ministries, because they had lamented how service delivery was being compromised due to limited human resources on the ground. In the past week, government ministries came under fire from the PAC, which is led by Mhlangatane MP Madala Mhlanga, for underperforming in some of their responsibility areas. Some were under fire for underutilising their personnel cost budget, which is supposed to be utilised for paying wages and salaries for staff members. The PAC chairman said during the sessions, that he was confused as to why there were still high numbers of vacant posts in government ministries, because it had been announced by the Ministry of Public Service that the hiring freeze was lifted and government ministries could fill vacant posts. Even the vice-chairman of the PAC, who also chairs the House of Assembly Public Service Portfolio Committee, attested that the hiring freeze was unfrozen. Among the PSs who were quizzed about the vacant posts and underperforming in some of their responsibility areas, included the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, as well as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The PS in the Ministry of Agriculture, Sydney Simelane, told the PAC that there were around 700 vacant posts in the ministry that needed to be filled. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy PS, Dorcas Dlamini, also lamented the serious limitation in human resources in the ministry and how it crippled their service delivery, which resulted in them underperforming in some responsibility areas. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security was also under fire for E195 000, which was not utilised because they could not get a waiver from Public Service. The controlling officer in the Ministry of Agriculture told the PAC that the freeze was only lifted on paper but it was still in place. Posts They explained that before the ministry could hire, they still needed to apply for a waiver from the Public Service and depending on the available budget, they could be granted the posts. The PS in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy last Wednesday also told the PAC that the hiring freeze was still in place, because posts were also granted on the available budget. I would not say the hiring freeze has been lifted, because we still use the same process to hire as we did before the announcement, she said. The controlling officers mentioned that the difference was that they no longer asked for a waiver at Cabinet but the powers had been delegated to the Ministry of Public Service. The PS in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Makhosini Mndawe, told the PAC that the hiring freeze had been slightly relaxed than before, but not completely lifted as it is still in force. Mndawe supported his response by explaining that there were still difficulties in filling vacant posts. He mentioned that under the current financial year, they were granted seven posts. He stated that there were over 40 vacant posts in the ministry, hence he believed the hiring freeze was still in place. The government officials also told the PAC that they prepared a budget to fill the posts every year, only to find that they were not granted the authority, because the Ministry of Public Service considered priorities. They explained that the financial year might come to an end without being granted the authority to hire. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Search and rescue teams are struggling to access a mountainside in Papua New Guinea where more than 2,000 people are feared dead after a massive landslide. Luseta Laso Mana, acting director of the South Pacific island nations National Disaster Centre, said the landslide buried more than 2.000 people alive and caused major destruction at Yambali village in the Enga province, in a letter sent to the United Nations resident coordinator on Sunday. Ongoing rain, flowing water and unstable ground are making it extremely difficult for rescue officials to search for survivors in the mud. The landslide came crashing through Yambali village in the countrys north at around 3am on Friday, when most villagers were asleep in their homes. Locals have reported hearing screams coming from beneath the earth after more than 150 houses were buried under debris almost two storeys high. I have 18 of my family members being buried under the debris and soil that I am standing on, and a lot more family members in the village I cannot count, Evit Kambu told Reuters. But I cannot retrieve the bodies so I am standing here helplessly. Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the UN migration agency mission in Papua New Guinea, said hopes of finding survivors were fading more than three days after the landslide. At this point, people I think are realising that the chances are very slim, that anyone can basically be taken out alive, he said. Residents are still using their bare hands, spades and sticks to excavate the debris and reach survivors as heavy equipment and other aid has been slow to reach the remote location. The village has a patchy mobile phone reception and limited access to electricity, making contact with other parts of Papua New Guinea difficult. Local tribal warfare has also impacted the movement of humanitarian aid workers in the area, who have to be escorted to the landslide-hit region by soldiers and then taken back to the provincial capital, which is around 60km away, at night. The first excavator reached the affected site late on Sunday, a UN official said, adding that six bodies have been recovered so far. Its not like everyone is in the same house at the same time, so you have fathers who dont know where their children are, mothers who dont know where husbands are, its chaotic, said Matthew Hewitt Tapus, a pastor living in Port Moresby whose home village is 20km away from the landslide. The UN has said there is a risk that soil and debris could shift again and more than 250 homes have been abandoned as officials encourage people in the wider region to evacuate. Some 1,250 people have been displaced so far as a result of the landslides. The latest UN death toll in the incident still stands at more than 670 people. The difference in the toll may be due to the remote site and the difficulty getting an accurate population estimate. Papua New Guineas last credible census was in 2000, with many people living in isolated mountainous villages. We are not able to dispute what the government suggests but we are not able to comment on it, added Mr Aktoprak. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A crowded DIY store in the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv was hit by a Russian strike on Saturday, leaving 14 people dead. Two guided bombs hit the Epicentre hypermarket in a residential area of the city, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television. Thick black smoke was seen billowing into the air as a massive fire broke out at the shopping centre, with president Volodymyr Zelensky confirming 44 people had been injured. Officials said that 11 of the dead had been identified while seven people remain missing after the deadly strike, and 120 people are understood to have been in the centre at the time. The city centre is covered with debris after the Russian missile attack ( AP ) The past week has seen an uptick in strikes on the city after Russian troops stormed across the border, opening a new front north of the city. Russia has bombarded Kharkiv, which lies less than 30km (20 miles) from its border, throughout the war, having reached its outskirts in a failed bid to capture it in 2022. Mr Zelensky issued a plea to Ukraines Western allies to help boost air defences to keep the countrys cities safe. Meanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron denounced the attack on the store as unacceptable in a social media post. A separate early evening missile strike hit a residential building in the centre of the city of 1.3 million. The number of people wounded by that strike had climbed to 25 by Sunday morning. The missile left a crater several metres deep in the pavement at the foot of the building, which also housed a post office, a beauty salon and a cafe. Zelensky confirmed 14 people had been killed and 44 injured in the attack ( AP ) Emergency workers ushered away residents of nearby apartment buildings while some of the injured were seen with blood on their faces. Just over the border, in Russias Belgorod region, the regional governor said four residents died in Ukrainian attacks on Saturday. Andriy Kudinov, director of the suburban shopping centre, told local media the hardware store was full of shoppers buying items for their summer cottages. It took 16 hours to fully extinguish the fire at the centre, which had raged over an area of 13,000 square metres (15,548 square yards), interior minister Ihor Klymenko said. Rescuers, medics and journalists occasionally had to rush away from the scene of both strikes on the city and take cover on the ground, fearing another strike, as has occurred during several recent Russian attacks. Dmytro Syrotenko, a 26-year-old employee of the DIY centre, said: I was at my workplace. I heard the first hit and ... with my colleague, we fell to the ground. There was the second hit and we were covered with debris. Then we started to crawl to the higher ground. It is believed around 120 people were in the store at the time ( Reuters ) He added he was taken to safety by a rescue worker who helped him, several colleagues, and shoppers. Mr Zelensky, in his nightly video address on Sunday, said the strike and carnage prompted widespread condemnation that should lead to absolutely just consequences and again underscores the need for Ukraine to secure sufficient air defences. This, in order for us to have enough air defence systems at least to defend Ukraine, our cities, he said. And so that our partners muster the resolve for preventive defensive actions against Russian terrorists. Ukraine, he said, would keep pressing its partners to speed up deliveries of F-16 fighter aircraft to strengthen our defences against terrorist attacks on our cities and pressure from the Russian army on the front line. Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and injured during its 27-month invasion of Ukraine. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At least 50 people have been killed and dozens more injured by an Israeli airstrike on tents for displaced Palestinians in Rafah, according to the Gaza health authorities. The health ministry said that most of those killed and injured in Rafah were women and children, in an area where thousands of people had been instructed to take shelter in the southern region of the besieged enclave. Numerous others were trapped in flaming debris, said officials. The attacks late on Sunday, which a charity condemned as barbaric, prompted an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court order to halt Israels assault. It comes two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gazas 2.3 million population had sought shelter before Israels incursion earlier this month. Tens of thousands of people remain in the area while many others have fled. Confirming the assault, the Israeli military said its air force struck a Hamas compound and that the strike was carried with precise ammunition and on the basis of precise intelligence, killing Hamas chief of staff for the West Bank, plus another official behind deadly attacks on Israelis. It added: The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike had not been intended to cause civilian casualties. "Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake," Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israel's parliament. Fire rages following an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced Palestinians on Sunday ( Reuters ) Graphic footage from the scene shared by the Gaza health ministry showed widespread destruction. The International Committee of the Red Cross said its field hospital in Rafah was receiving an influx of casualties, and that other hospitals also were taking in a large number of patients. The airstrike hit an area just 500 metres away from a shelter run by the UNs agency for Palestinian aid (UNRWA). Tamara Alrifai, a UNRWA spokesperson, told The Independent: We have had almost no communication with our team in Gaza, save for a quick patchy one with our international staff. We are all very worried about the safety of our Palestinian colleagues in and around Tal al Sultan. The images coming out are totally horrific, and we are seeing reports of mass causalities, including children and women among those killed. The images from last night are testament that Gaza is truly hell on earth, and that no place is safe and no one is safe in Gaza. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri described the attack in Rafah as a massacre, holding the United States responsible for aiding Israel with weapons and money. Palestinians put out a fire at the site of an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced people in Rafah ( REUTERS ) A US National Security Council spokesperson urged Israel to take more care to protect civilians but stopped short of calling for a halt to the Rafah incursion. The air strikes burnt the tents, the tents are melting and the peoples bodies are also melting, said one of the residents who arrived at the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah. A spokesperson with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the death toll was likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continued in Rafahs Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood, about 2km northwest of the city centre. It said the target of the strike was part of what Israel had designated as a humanitarian area and had not been subject to Israeli evacuation orders earlier this month. One Palestinian man, who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions, said two members of his family were killed in the airstrike, as well as other people who had moved to the camp from his hometown seeking shelter. The area was targeted despite being classified as a safe area last Friday by the spokesman of the Israeli army, he told The Independent. The charity ActionAid said its activists witnessed the attack, which it described as an inhumane and barbaric act. We are outraged and heartbroken by the recent attacks in West Rafah, where Israeli fighter jets launched eight missiles at makeshift shelters housing internally displaced persons (IDPs) next to UNRWA warehouses stocking vital aid, the charity said in a statement. Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) These shelters were supposed to be safe havens for innocent civilians, yet they became targets of brutal violence. Children, women, and men are being burned alive under their tents and shelters. People staying at the camp described the "terrifying" scenes as the strike unfolded. Eklas, 27, who is originally from north Gaza, said: "People died from the fire. People did not know where to run. "The fire broke out in the tents. The bodies were burned. I wanted to flee from Rafah to Khan Yunis, but I did not have the money for transportation. "It terrified us all, more than one explosion shook the place. We do not know whether to leave the camp now or whether to stay. "We couldn't sleep last night due to fear, horror, and anxiety." A spokesperson with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the death toll was likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continued in Rafah ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Moamen Shawqi, 27, is displaced in Rafah city and was staying in the camp. He said: "I heard three missiles and a huge, very powerful explosion that shook the place. It appears that the rockets used were incendiary, as fires broke out in the area. "A terrifying scene. I saw dismembered body parts and charred bodies, very large destruction in the tents of the displaced over a wide area, and all public services in the camp were disrupted, especially drinking water, regular water, and the medical point. It was a difficult night." French President Emmanuel Macron said he was outraged over Israel's latest attacks. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians, he wrote on X. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the International Court of Justice ruling must be respected. International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war, Ms Baerbock said. Israel argues the UN courts ruling allows room for some military action there. Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military said it intercepted a number of the eight projectiles fired towards Israel from the Rafah area in Gazas southern tip, which set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv. There were no reports of casualties in what appeared to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January, setting off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv. Hamas military wing claimed responsibility for the rocket attack. Egyptian trucks carrying humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip wait near the Rafah border on Sunday ( AFP via Getty Images ) Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in the area, but its assault has worsened the plight of civilians and caused an international outcry. Medics later said an Israeli airstrike on Monday on a house in Rafah had killed seven Palestinians, with several others wounded. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israels offensive, Gazas health ministry says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Earlier on Sunday, Israels military said 126 aid trucks entered Gaza from southern Israel under a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of it earlier this month. But it was not immediately clear if humanitarian groups could access the aid including medical supplies because of Israels offensive in Rafah. United Nations agencies say it is usually too dangerous to retrieve the aid. The World Health Organization last week said an expanded Israeli incursion in Rafah would have disastrous impact. On Monday, the Israeli military said it was investigating reports of an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers close to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. Egypts military spokesperson said that shooting near the Rafah crossing led to the killing of one person and authorities were investigating. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than 300 million children a year are victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse, according to research. In what marks the first global estimate of the scale of the crisis, researchers at the University of Edinburgh found one in eight, or 12.6%, of the worlds children have been victims of non-consensual talking, sharing and exposure to sexual images and video in the past year, amounting to about 302 million young people. In addition, 12.5% of children globally (300 million) are estimated to have been subject in the past year to online solicitation, such as unwanted sexual talk which can include non-consensual sexting, unwanted sexual questions and unwanted sexual act requests by adults or other youths. Offences can also take the form of sextortion, where predators demand money from victims to keep images private, to abuse of AI deepfake technology. While problems exist in all parts of the world, the research suggests the United States is a particularly high-risk area. This is on a staggering scale that in the UK alone equates to forming a line of male offenders that could stretch all the way from Glasgow to London - or filling Wembley Stadium 20 times over Paul Stanfield, Childlight The universitys Childlight initiative which aims to understand the prevalence of child abuse includes a new global index, Into The Light, which found one in nine men in the US (almost 14 million) admitted online offending against children at some point. Surveys found 7% of British men, or 1.8 million, admitted the same, as did 7.5% of men in Australia. The research also found many men admitted they would seek to commit physical sexual offences against children if they thought it would be kept secret. Childlight chief executive Paul Stanfield said: This is on a staggering scale that in the UK alone equates to forming a line of male offenders that could stretch all the way from Glasgow to London or filling Wembley Stadium 20 times over. Child abuse material is so prevalent that files are on average reported to watchdog and policing organisations once every second. This is a global health pandemic that has remained hidden for far too long. It occurs in every country, its growing exponentially, and it requires a global response. We need to act urgently and treat it as a public health issue that can be prevented. Children cant wait. Debi Fry, a professor of international child protection at the university, said the issue affects children in every classroom, in every school, in every country. She added: These arent harmless images, they are deeply damaging, and the abuse continues with every view and the failure of taking down this abusive content. Stephen Kavanagh, executive director of Interpol, said: Online exploitation and abuse is a clear and present danger to the worlds children, and traditional law enforcement approaches are struggling to keep up. We must do much more together at a global level, including specialist investigator training, better data sharing and equipment to effectively fight this pandemic and the harm it inflicts on millions of young lives around the world. Frida, whose name has been changed, is a survivor of online child sexual abuse and exploitation who was targeted through social media from the age of 13 to 18 by a man in his 30s. She said: It was a deeply isolating experience. I felt ashamed and that I had done something wrong. Childlights figures show that not only am I not alone in my experiences, but that more and more children are experiencing horrific abuse and exploitation online each day. Currently our understanding of abuse is often limited to what tech platforms are willing to share, rather than the reality of being exploited online. In order to understand and prevent harm we need to see ambitious regulation to hold these platforms to account and to see regulators equipped to work with the millions affected by this harm year on year. Grace Tame, another survivor, leads the Grace Tame Foundation which works to prevent and respond to sexual abuse of children. She said: Child sexual abuse is a global public health crisis that is steadily worsening thanks to advancing technologies which enable instantaneous production and limitless distribution of child exploitation material, as well as unregulated access to children online. A centralised global research database is essential to safeguarding children. Narrative and knowledge are frequently weaponised by child sex offenders to groom, offend, and evade justice. Childlight will restrict their capabilities by restoring power to the rest of the community. Scottish children and young people minister Natalie Don said: Keeping children and young people safe from sexual abuse and exploitation is of the utmost importance to the Scottish Government and we are working closely with key partners to improve our knowledge of and response to these deeply concerning issues. These are global problems which require global solutions and I welcome the much needed work of Childlight to harness worldwide data to help develop tangible action to protect children. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Elon Musk is planning to build the worlds most powerful artificial intelligence supercomputer to power his controversial AI chatbot Grok, according to reports. The head of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter) intends to acquire 100,000 Nvidia semiconductor chips for the endeavour, The Information reported, with plans to have it running by next year. The plans were laid out in a presentation to investors of his AI startup xAI this month, with Mr Musk reportedly claiming that he wants to build a gigafactory of compute. Using Nvidias flagship H100 graphics processing units (GPUs), the proposed machine would be at least four times bigger than the biggest GPU clusters that currently exist. The report of the multi-billion dollar initiative coincides with a multi-billion dollar funding round for xAI, which the startup announced on Sunday. open image in gallery Elon Musk launched xAI to take on OpenAI following the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 ( The Independent ) In a blog post detailing the $6 billion Series B funding round, xAI said its primary focus is on the development of advanced AI systems that are truthful, competent, and maximally beneficial for all of humanity, referencing its Grok model. xAI will continue on this steep trajectory of progress over the coming months, with multiple exciting technology updates and products soon to be announced, the blog stated. The funds from the round will be used to take xAIs first products to market, build advanced infrastructure, and accelerate the research and development of future technologies. xAI launched Grok in November 2023 as an anti-woke alternative to the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, built by OpenAI, and Googles Bard. Mr Musk said at the time of its unveiling that it allowed X users to ask it spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems, such as recipes for Class A drugs like cocaine. Grok is designed to answer questions with a bit of wit and has a rebellious streak, a blog post announcing its launch noted. Please dont use it if you hate humour! In its latest blog post announcing the new funds, xAI concluded: The companys mission is to understand the true nature of the universe. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A robot in Japan has set a new world record for solving a Rubiks Cube in the fastest time. Guinness World Records recognised a time of 0.305 seconds for the Mitsubishi Electric machine, breaking the previous record by 0.075 seconds. The robots time was more than 10 times faster than the best ever human, which was set in June last year at a Rubiks Cube speed solving event in California. Korean-American Max Park took just 3.13 seconds to solve the 3x3x3 rotating puzzle cube more than a third of a second faster than the next fastest human. The time of 0.305 seconds achieved by the robot is roughly the same amount of time that it takes for a human to blink. The latest record reflects the radical advancements made in the field of robotics in recent years. In 2009, the world record for a robot solving a Rubiks Cube stood at one minute and four seconds. Mitsubishi Electric said it achieved the feat using compact, high-power, signal-responsive servomotors, which allowed its robot to rotate the cube 90 degrees in just 0.009 seconds. The main limiting factor for setting an even faster time is the physical properties of the cube itself. Early attempts were initially hampered by the puzzle jamming and breaking due to the speed and force applied by the robot. Shaving off time as much as possible was difficult, but it was fun at the same time, Mitsubishi engineer Tokui, who led the record attempt, told Guinness World Records. Mitsubishis record-breaking robot ( Mitsubishi ) Yuji Yoshimura, a senior manager at Mitsubishi Electric, added: Since establishing our Component Production Engineering Center in 2016, we have been developing and manufacturing high-tech motors, power semiconductors and related products. To demonstrate our technical capabilities in achieving high-speed, high-precision windings, which are key to increasing the productivity and efficiency of motors used in many of our products, our young engineers voluntarily worked to set the world record, resulting in a Guinness World Records title, which has motivated our engineers to further develop their technical skills. Since its invention by Hungarian professor Erno Rubik in 1974, the Rubiks Cube has become one of the most internationally recognised games in pop culture. Selling more than half a billion units worldwide, the Rubiks Cube remains popular throughout the world, with one of the most common Google searches in recent years being How to solve a Rubiks Cube. A passenger on board a Qatar Airways flight hit by severe turbulence showed how his trousers were ripped during the incident. The flight from Doha to Dublin on Sunday (26 May) suddenly plummeted hundreds of feet without any warning. Twelve people were hurt. Eight were taken to hospital upon landing in Dublin. Passengers spoke of their shock at what happened. One man showed RTE News how his trousers had been ripped and said: It was atrocious. A spokesperson for Qatar Airways said: The matter is now subject to an internal investigation. The safety and security of our passengers and crew are our top priority. Good Morning Britain presenter Richard Madeley accused foreign office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan of fobbing people off in a heated discussion over her partys proposed national service scheme. The presenter challenged the Tory minister on how the government would enforce national service on 18-year-olds when she appeared on the ITV breakfast show on Monday (27 May). Madeley asked: What will happen to young people who say they're not taking part? Ms Trevelyan replied It wouldnt be a criminal prosecution level, before citing a timeline for the proposed plan. Madeley interrupted her and said: You cant just fob the answer off. Q I recently came across your insightful response on leadership. In navigating my role within a predominantly male company, I have encountered resistance due to my gender. Have you faced similar challenges in your career, and if so, could you offer any advice based on your experiences? NHLANGANO The two men who have been assisting the police with information on the disappearance of the Mbondzela security guard have been charged with murder. The security guard, Vukani Mkhwanazi, went missing while on duty on May 18, 2024, at around 4pm. He was last seen wearing navy blue jeans, a grey jacket, orange and brown buffer and brown half boots. According to the police, Mkhwanazi went missing with a firearm; a panzer pump action that was loaded with 10 live rounds of ammunition. The search for Mkhwanazi took eight days, as it was started by Gege police officers on the night he went missing. Police officers from other stations in the Shiselweni Region beefed up the search last Monday and it was joined by police officers from the Matsapha Police Academy, when his body was found on Saturday. Body Mkhwanazis body was found below Masondo Mountain, which is close to where his clothes were found on the fifth day of the search. It was said that the body was found with about five stab wounds on his back and was naked. It has been gathered that the duo made their maiden court appearance at the Nhlangano Magistrates Courts on Friday. They were initially charged with kidnapping, but after Mkhwanazis body was found, their charge sheet was amended. They are also facing charges of assault with intent to cause grevious bodily harm. It is alleged they are also behind the assault of the security guard at Mbondzela farm three weeks ago. They, in fact, face the same charges as those that are faced by Mnciniseli Nhleko (66), who was arrested for the assault of six security guards. The guards were allegedly assaulted for disconnecting water pipes that supply water to the farm dwellers, from the mountains.Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni confirmed that the duo that was assisting the police with information on Mkhwanazis disappearance had been formally charged. She said they appeared in court facing charges of kidnapping, as well as that of common assault and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Mnguni shared that following the developments, the charge sheet had been ammended. Privacy Meanwhile, the Mkhwanazi family requested to be afforded some privacy, following the discovery of Vilakatis body. The deceaseds sister shared that their father, who is supposed to address the media, was still not in a position to speak about the whole incident adding that they would talk about the issue in due course. Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development Sikhumbuzo Dlamini shared that they got a directive from the King to address the issue of Mbondzela. Dlamini further highlighted that they needed to make sure that no one was infringing on the others right; both the residents and the farm owner. He said they had noted that there were sympathisers, who seemed to care about what was happening, yet they had their own motives. As a country, we came from a small fire from one area, but it burnt the whole country, he said. Eight out of 10 advisers surveyed said pension change will not encourage people to postpone retirement Since January, workers have had the option of retiring at 70 with a larger state pension. Stock image. There is likely to be very poor uptake of the new option allowing people to work beyond the official state pension age in return for larger payments. A survey of financial advisers has found that most of them consider the terms of the deferred state pension offering to represent poor value for money. Since January, workers have had the option of deferring claiming the state pension and working longer in return for a higher pension when they choose to retire. People are now able to work up to the age of 70. Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 But this deferred state pension does not represent value for money, most financial advisers surveyed said. And they said state pension changes will have little to no impact on encouraging people to work longer, according to the findings of a survey of 160 financial advisers undertaken by leading pension trustees, Independent Trustee Company (ITC). On the other hand, most financial advisers believe there would be strong uptake if workers could choose to retire at 60 on a smaller state pension. Eight out of 10 advisers surveyed said the deferred pension does not represent value for money, and that it will not encourage people to postpone their retirement. The survey examined whether these advisers nationwide who work with people planning for retirement believe the revamp of the state pension system will have its desired impact of encouraging people to remain in work for longer. They said the new option will have little or no impact on the age that people ultimately decide to work until. People currently qualify for a maximum weekly state pension of 277 if they retire at the age of 66. But this rises to 337 a week if they work until the age of 70, under the deferred retirement option. Someone who defers taking the state pension until they reach the age of 68 would end up with 305 a week. However, only one in five financial advisers believe that deferring the state pension until the age of 70 to get 337 a week is attractive enough to encourage people to defer drawing down their pension at the current age of 66. Just 3pc of financial advisers believe that the Governments decision to give people the option to work for longer in return for a higher state pension will have a significant impact in encouraging people to work for longer. Around one in five advisers believe the overhaul will have no impact at all on the age at which people decide it is time to retire. But three in four advisers believe there would be strong uptake of an option to retire on a smaller state pension from the age of 60, if such an option were to be made available. Head of business development at ITC Glenn Gaughran said: The overhaul of the state pension system earlier this year was one of the biggest changes ever to state pensions in Ireland. While the main aim of this reform is to make the state pension system more sustainable, it appears that the Government has missed the mark and that there is little appetite for the changes introduced. Mr Gaughran said there was a need for an urgent re-assessment of the recent changes and how they might be improved in order to have the desired effect. It appears from our survey that the incentive to wait for the state pension should be significantly greater if its to have any meaningful impact on peoples retirement plans, he said. People expect me to be a raging alcoholic, but its all oatmilk and yoga these days novelist Kevin Barry on the secrets of his writing success Limerick author has gone back to 1999 to pick up where he left off for his Western with Cork accents Writer Kevin Barry started his new book, The Heart in Winter, in 1999 Jake Kerridge Telegraph.co.uk Mon 27 May 2024 at 03:30 In his cheerfully chilly house in a small Irish village in Co Sligo, Kevin Barry is explaining why his latest novel took so long to write. Samuel Beckett is glaring at us from a large framed photograph hanging above the fireplace: even that most costive of writers might have thought a gestation period of 25 years for one book is going too far. Bad Irish accents is as ubiquitous in film and TV as car chases and defective detectives and Marian Keyes has had enough of it. The best-selling Irish authors 2020 novel Grown Ups a comedy about how one womans concussion leads to an outpouring of long-repressed gripes and secrets is being adapted into a Netflix TV series by the team behind Apple TV+s acclaimed spy drama Slow Horses. Speaking about the forthcoming adaptation at Hay Festival, Keyes (60) said: It would be so, so nice if they use people who can do Irish accents. Decrying how awful so many Irish accents are in film and TV, she said: I mean, the accents are just I weep! I am corroded with pain! Keyes continued: If I really am executive producer of Grown Ups it means that I can choose. She jokingly added: Id also like a cameo. And my mother wants one as well. The most realistic place we could be would be a chemist. We both enjoy bad health. Thats what we want. Some of the most egregious offenders when it comes to bad Irish accents on screen include the Lindsay Lohan Netflix film Irish Wish, the Emily Blunt movie Wild Mountain Thyme and the romcom PS I Love You. Gerard Butler, the Scottish star of the latter, has publicly apologised to Ireland for his accent in the film. In the wide-ranging talk at Hay with presenter Kirsty Lang, Keyes also discussed her alcoholism, and a breakdown she had in 2009. She said: The language around mental health is quite judgmental. Its like we are all responsible for our own breakdowns, thats the kind of the feeling thats put out there. Asked if she knew what might have led to her breakdown, she said that it was an illness. She speculated that one contributing factor could have been that Id just started the perimenopause and I had no idea at the time, because it wasnt talked about so much 15 years ago. The minute the oestrogen goes out with the tide, because its such a calming hormone, women are suddenly finding themselves incredibly anxious, and nobody told us. ( The Independent) Hay Festival runs until June 2 in Hay-on-Wye. See hayfestival.com Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar has said he hopes the drama returns for another series before he gets any older. The 65-year-old actor from Enniskillen is best known in recent years for his role as Superintendent Ted Hastings in the BBC's police corruption drama. The show was filmed in Belfast for five of its six seasons and saw Dunbar star alongside Vicky McClure and Martin Compston. The shows finale attracted nearly 13 million viewers. The sixth series wrapped up back in 2021 and while there have regularly been rumours of a return of the AC-12 officers by creator Jed Mercurio, so far nothing has been forthcoming. Speaking to The Times at the weekend, Dunbar addressed questions over whether there would be a seventh series of the show. We all want it to come back. Its apposite that today should be their birthdays because I really dont want them getting any older, he said. I dont want to get any older either because we dont want to be coming back when were in a wheelchair. Ted Hastings with a Zimmer frame. Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 Earlier this year Compston, who played Detective Inspector Steve Arnott said Jed Mercurio would never write a new season for the sake of writing it and said there were no current plans to bring it back. Reported by The Sun, Compston said: "Genuinely, there's no plans at all. We all love each other more than just colleagues now, they're some of my dearest friends, and we'd all love to work together at some point, but there's no plans. "I dont think Jed [Mercurio] would ever write it for the sake of writing it, it would have to be with a story. We went out on such a high in terms of [viewing] figures in the last series; maybe it's the best way to leave it. I know that's probably not what people want to hear. "Never say never but with these things, the longer you leave it But we still speak, if not daily, weekly, all of us. I miss hanging out with all of them. It was a great feeling being able to go to work with people you call best friends every day. Dunbar is currently preparing for his latest project, as the lead role in Kiss Me, Kate, Cole Porters 1948 musical, which opens at the Barbican on June 4. In the interview the actor said it was his late mum Paulines love of the show which persuaded him to take it on. Maybe that was something that prompted me to do it, he said. She was a big inspiration to me and, like a lot of people, your mother gives you the licence to go and do something. A drone view shows a bird that flies over a tractor during wheat sowing in a field of the agricultural enterprise Sovkhoz Morskoi near the village of Leninskoye in the Novosibirsk region, Russia, May 17, 2024. REUTERS/Vladislav Nekrasov Russia is stepping up its bid to control even more of its crucial grain industry potentially giving it greater power over exports just as worries mount over global supply. Major Western merchants including Cargill Inc. and Viterra pulled back from Russia last year after government pressure to make way for local firms. Now, even the country's top private trader is finding it tough to operate amid a spat with the state. That puts the market in the hands of fewer companies, some that have or had links to the Kremlin. Senator Lisa Chambers said the planning system needs to be overhauled. Photo: PA Workers on a 30m pier development project that is 75pc complete were forced to down tools after a serial environmental planning objector successfully challenged the extension planning. The key infrastructure project saw the construction of the 200-metre deepwater quay at the State-owned harbour and island ferry port of Rossaveal, Connemara, Co Galway. Earmarked as a strategic hub for the floating offshore wind sector with potential for 900 jobs, the project was announced by Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue in February 2022. While already near completion, the project is set to bring the Connemara harbour closer in line with the leading fishing ports of Killybegs in Donegal and west Corks Castletownbere. However, the environmental objector who successfully caused the project to stall told the Irish Independent they might have to remove it all. Peter Sweetman, of Wild Ireland Defence CLG, replied, So what? when asked if he considered the fact that the project is already 75pc complete. It is not done. They might have to remove it all. Its European law, he said. What they were doing was illegal. The council they offered no defence. There was an extension of time on the planning which was done illegally. They failed to have regard to the habitats directive. They were trying to get around the law. Asked if he accepted the pier expansion was vital in terms of the future of renewable energy he said: Its not our problem. Renewable energy has to comply with the law. It is not exempt from the law. The application for extension of time by the minister was illegal. Galway County Council granted permission and we took a judicial review of that decision because it wasnt in accordance with the law. Its not our problem. The Department of Agriculture and Marine confirmed all works at the site had to cease immediately on legal advice. The Department signed a 30m contract with Ward & Burke Construction Ltd (Contractor) on December 22, 2022 to construct the deep water wuay in Ros an Mhil (Rossaveal) Fishery Harbour Centre, Co Galway, the Department said. Planning permission for this project was granted in 2018 and due to expire in July 2023, i.e. before the works would be completed. Consulting engineers for the department prepared and applied for an extension to the planning authority of Galway County Council in May 2023. An extension of five years was granted on July 11, 2023. In November 2023, the department received papers from the Chief State Solicitors Office regarding a judicial review of the decision to extend the planning period. The applicant is Wild Ireland Defence CLG, the respondent is Galway County Council. This department is a notice party. The department understands that the matter was most recently before the court on May 14 and at that hearing the court directed that Galway County Council set out its position in writing and submit to the court within one week. Galway County Council has confirmed that it was not going to defend the proceedings. Consequently, legal advice received by the department is that work on site should cease immediately. While the departments legal advisors are considering the best way forward it is likely that a substitute consent will be required. It is the departments objective to complete the project and we are working closely with our consulting engineers to ensure that the required steps will be taken as quickly as possible. Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 Senator Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fail European election candidate for Midlands-North West, described the situation as ludicrous. The development of our ports and harbours is crucial, not only for tackling climate change and harnessing off-shore renewable energy, but also as key infrastructure for our coastal communities, Ms Chambers said. The fact that environmental blocks can halt such a vital development is a ludicrous situation. We need to reassess our green policy and overhaul our planning system. This is precisely what the Planning and Development Bill, currently going through the Oireachtas, aims to address. However, there is a huge urgency to get this bill passed before the summer. Our coastal communities and the future of our renewable energy capabilities depend on these developments. We cannot afford to let bureaucratic hurdles stand in the way of progress. Fianna Fail TD Eamon O Cuiv said that an error was made in good faith when granting the extension planning. Basic infrastructure in Connemara like roads and so much development seems to get held up by the environment, he said. There is so much work done and a huge amount of that was done when the original planning was in place so that cant be touched. I think it is ridiculous we have a three-quarter built pier. There always needs to be a balance but it seems to me the balance has tilted completely in the other direction and got tied up in an absolute morass of bureaucracy. Cancer drugs and antibiotics are among 331 medicines currently out of stock across Irish pharmacies, with 273 classed as having medium-to-high patient impact by the medicines regulator, it has emerged. They include antibiotics and treatments for high blood pressure, arthritis, allergies, epilepsy, ADHD and cancer. New research reveals that over one in three people said they or their family have been impacted by medicine shortages in the past 12 months. The poll was commissioned by pharmaceutical supply-chain company Azure Pharmaceuticals and comes as latest analysis shows that there are currently 331 medicines out of stock across Irish pharmacies. One-third of people said they have had their prescription changed due to shortages. Of the 273 medicines that are currently out of stock, and deemed to have medium-to-high impact on the list from the regulator, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) does not have a generic equivalent and will require intervention by healthcare providers to change the prescription to an alternative medication, said the company. Of those surveyed, 40pc said shortages were getting a lot or slightly worse, with 12pc saying the problem was getting slightly or a lot better. Sandra Gannon, chief executive of Azure Pharmaceuticals, said: This research demonstrates that medicine shortages continue to have a profound impact on Irish patients, pharmacists, and GPs. We continue to wish this problem away; meanwhile neighbouring countries are taking proactive measures to mitigate and respond to this challenge. Changes in prescriptions due to shortages are leading to undue stress for patients, adding additional costs to households, while also creating heavy administrative burdens on healthcare professionals. Pharmacists are ready to assist in the delivery of improved community health, however, sustained medicines shortages pose a significant barrier to the potential efficacy of such proposals. The Government should look to the actions taken by other jurisdictions over the past 18 months. Britain has launched the Critical Imports Council bringing experts from private enterprise together with the civil service. Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark and others have all responded with a range of policy and administrative measures. Additionally, the European Medicines Agency has published recommendations to strengthen supply chains of critical medicine. She called for the introduction of an essential medicines list, a new medicines inventory system, fully utilising existing powers and introducing a minimal supplier rule which would broaden supplier diversity. Gardai step up armed patrols as fears mount Dublin suburb gang feud will explode Gun and petrol bomb attacks have already been linked to the dispute The Garda Armed Support Unit (ASU) is patrolling the area in Dublin 12 Robin Schiller Mon 27 May 2024 at 03:30 Gardai have stepped up armed patrols in a Dublin suburb amid fears that a feud which has seen a machine pistol attack and petrol bombings will escalate further. Jason Corbett killing: Molly and Tom Martens got off with a slap after what they did Ive had to bite my tongue, says US sheriff Father and daughter are due for release in two weeks time after controversial plea bargain deal struck last year US sheriff hits out as Tom and Molly Martens about to be released early for killing of Irish businessman Jason Corbett Ralph Riegel Mon 27 May 2024 at 03:30 The US sheriff who supervised the prosecution of Tom and Molly Martens for the murder of Irish widower Jason Corbett has said he believes the father and daughter got off with a slap for the brutal killing. A landlord who secretly filmed his student tenant while she showered and then spent months harassing her was back behind the wheel of a licensed taxi last week. Le Wang (42) was given a suspended sentence for his disgraceful harassment of the woman just days before we captured these images, on Tuesday last, of him driving around south Dublin in the vehicle. MATSAPHA - About 650 textile workers have been retrenched as the global market of the industry continues to shrink. The retrenchments happened against the backdrop of a number of layoffs, which had been implemented by some textile firms in the country due to a decline in orders. Golden Jubilee Textile Factory, which is one of the six sub-factories under Tex Ray Eswatini Group, retrenched all its workers on Monday May 20, 2024, as the company temporarily ceased operations due to the lack of orders, to keep it up and running. According to a well-placed source within the company, the main reason for the closure was that the business had been recording a drastic decrease in terms of orders. However, the source was quick to highlight that the company was already working on a long-term plan, which would see it reopening in the not-so-distant future. Decline When asked what could be the cause of the decline in orders, the insider attributed it to the fact that the South African Government introduced a rebate system. In February 2021, the South African Government passed a policy, which this publication reported would spell doom for the textile industry in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The policy was a result of the South African Retail - Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather (R-CTFL) Value Chain Master Plan, which is part of the neighbouring countrys COVID-19 economic recovery strategy. The South African policy, as per the master plan, was aimed at delivering significant new jobs along the value chain behind a clear set of commitments from retailers to buy locally. In a bid to ensure that retailers supported local manufacturers, the South African Government introduced some incentives. Overseas For example, South African companies, which were importing materials like fabric from overseas countries (Republic of China, Taiwan and the Far East), were paying A 22 per cent levy, but this was scrapped, on condition that they did not export it to other countries like Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana and Namibia. In that regard, the source said as this master plan was maturing; South Africa was increasing the share of local CTFL retail sales of locally manufactured clothing and footwear, thus the number of companies which placed orders in other countries, including Eswatini, were decreasing. The source added that the first quarter of every year was referred to as a low season in the textile industry, as orders were usually limited and most often companies placed their workers on either short-time or layoffs. This, he said, also contributed to the temporary closure of the factory. The global production and supply chain system was also disrupted by consequences of the COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine war and decline of orders from the global market. This means that the reasons for the retrenchments are operational, as the company had been recording a huge loss of orders and decline in sales, which date back to 2020 to date, the source said. Therefore, he said having explored all options, the company opted for the last resort, to temporarily cease operations. He said the company approached the Labour Commissioners Office in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, with a notice regarding the matter. He said the notice was about the termination of contracts of employment on reasons of redundancies in terms of Section 40 of the Employment Act of 1980 as amended. In the notice, which was signed by the companys deputy MD administration, the textile company said it was a garment manufacturing firm, which was duly registered in terms of the Companies Act of the Kingdom of Eswatini and it was having its principal place of business at Matsapha Industrial Site. Through the notice, the factory management notified the labour commissioner that the company would cease operating on May 20, 2024 and when doing so, all positions would be declared redundant; hence they would retrench all their employees in terms of Section 40 of the Employment Act, as amended. However, the management highlighted to the commissioner of labour that the company would not permanently cease its operations, but their plan was to close temporarily. He said while closed, they would be scouting reliable customers for long-term productivity. The source said the management tried all possible means to avert the situation, but it all proved futile as they had legally instituted a number of layoffs with the hope that the status quo would improve, but failed and now the company could no longer afford to take risks to continue under the circumstances. It added that having explored all options, they opted for the last resort; to temporarily cease operations and terminate employment of all the employees. The source said after looking into the matter, the office of the labour commissioner gave the company the green light to implement the retrenchments. TRANSPORT Minister Eamon Ryan has complained about the number of local and European candidates threatening to rip up the Green agenda. "You look at the European elections at the moment, there's a whole swathe of candidates in a whole variety of parties saying stop going green, that this is not good for us," the leader of the Green Party said. He revealed that he had "just written today to every single candidate in the new European elections, asking do they agree with the nature restoration law. "I think this is really important (addressing climate change). We do this as a country, and as a people. To my mind, that's the most important issue today because it defines what we spend on capital, on housing, transport, water, energy and infrastructure." Read more EV chargers to be placed every 60km along motorway network under new plan announced by Transport Minister Eamon Ryan But Mr Ryan said there "has to be just transition" for sectors affected. "We need to deliver that now. We are well placed to go green as a country. We are good at it as a people. The only thing that would stop us is political hesitancy. "People say maybe it's too difficult and maybe it would cost, but the reality is that not doing it is one of the greatest risks to our economy. "We do need to pay our farmers better. We need to give farmers an income for protecting nature. One of the main benefits of the nature restoration law is we can pay farmers. We've got an income stream to pay landowners, foresters and farmers." Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 Asked about a possible early election, Mr Ryan said: "The housing numbers are starting to go up. Why wouldn't you just put the the foot down on that pedal for nine months and really deliver? "My instinct is that you're elected to deliver and the vast majority of people want Government to work. They don't want the parties to be always thinking of their own political advantage." Having clocked up major mileage all over the vast Ireland South constituency of late, Wexford MEP Mick Wallace is hosting a re-scheduled questions and answers session in Enniscorthy next week, where he will set out his stall for re-election to Europe. Conceding himself to be a polarising figure, the Independents 4 Change MEP will be hoping to convince voters that hes worthy of their vote come polling day on June 7, bucking the trend set out in worrying polls which have him in a major scrap to retain his seat. While originally the Wellingtonbridge native was due to host the Enniscorthy Q&A session on Thursday night, hes been forced to reschedule to allow for an appearance on a live televised debate on RTE. It will follow on from last weeks Virgin Media debate in which he squared off against fellow election hopefuls Kathleen Funchion, John Mullins, Cynthia Ni Mhurchu and Grace OSullivan. Instead, Wallace is hoping to meet with Wexford voters at The Riverside Park Hotel in Enniscorthy on Monday, June 3, at 7.30 p.m. It will be the last in a series of similar events that hes hosted all over Ireland South. "Theyre good and you get some good engagement, he said. It can be hard enough to get a crowd. Im finding Im getting more engagement just being out and about on the street. But I think theyre worth doing. A welcome sign in the village of Creeslough, Co Donegal. Photo: PA Two people who were arrested yesterday as part of the investigation into the explosion in Creeslough, Co Donegal, which claimed the lives of 10 people in October 2022, have been released without charge. The investigation, led by gardai in the Donegal Division, is ongoing with the intention of submitting a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. An Garda Siochana has no further comment at this time, a spokesperson said. The explosion happened at an apartment and retail block incorporating a petrol station in the village of Creeslough on October 7, 2022. The 10 people who died in the tragedy were: Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter, Shauna Flanagan-Garwe; fashion student Jessica Gallagher; Celtic fan Martin McGill; Sydney native James OFlaherty; Catherine ODonnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan; shop worker Martina Martin; 14-year-old Leona Harper; and carpenter Hugh Kelly. The investigation into the explosion continues, and is being co-ordinated from Milford garda station where an Incident Room is established under the direction of a senior investigating officer. The investigation continues to be led by local gardai supported by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and other agencies including the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). Dana Erlich said she had heard of Israelis requesting to be relocated elsewhere or asking to return homeSimon Harris condemns horrific missile strike on refugees in RafahMicheal Martin said EU foreign ministers have discussed the prospect of sanctions against Israel if it doesnt comply with ICJ rulingStatehood recognition to be formalised tomorrow by Ireland, Norway and Spain The Taoiseach has dismissed a warning from the Israeli ambassador about the potential economic impact Irelands plan to recognise Palestine could have on our tech sector as a distraction. Speaking in Jerusalem, Dana Erlich said that a crisis in bilateral ties over Ireland's plan to recognise the Palestinian state tomorrow sends the wrong message about Ireland as a tech hub and is worrying Israeli investors in the Irish IT services sector. I think it's a distraction quite frankly, Mr Harris said in response today at a Fine Gael election launch. Asked if he believed Ms Erlich was threatening Ireland with economic retaliation for his decision to recognise Palestine through her remarks, Mr Harris responded: The ambassador can say what the ambassador wishes to say. This is a country that complies with diplomatic norms, and treats ambassadors with respect. It certainly doesn't parade ambassadors in front of television cameras where videos are played with horrific films. We will continue to treat all ambassadors with respect. Simon Harris made reference a missile attack on Rafah in which dozens of people were killed at a camp for displaced people. It followed a Hamas rocket attack on Tel Aviv in which no injuries were reported. I was very clear last week when we announced with Norway and Spain that we had decided to recognise the state of Palestine because we believe in a two state solution, he said. We believe in the state of Israel and in the state of Palestine, living side by side in peace and stability. And we believe it at a time when others are seeking to bomb that hope to oblivion, he continued. And quite frankly, I think many people in Israel, many people in Palestine and many the world over are able to differentiate between the people of Israel and the Netanyahu government. I, certainly, am able to differentiate between the two, just like we can we can differentiate between right and wrong. Rather than anybody seeking to distract, he said: I think what should concern the entire world today are the barbaric, horrific scenes that we saw last night in Rafah, where a displaced persons centre was attacked. Imagine a place where parents bring their children for safety and security, a place that is meant to be to some degree of refuge and safety. At this most horrific time it was attacked and bombed and 45 people are dead. That is the humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding in the Middle East. I don't think anybody fully comprehends the scale of this. Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said EU foreign ministers have for the first time discussed the prospect of sanctions against Israel if it does not comply with an order from the International Court of Justice. He suggested Ireland would support such an approach. "Certainly, if compliance [with Friday's ICJ ruling] isn't forthcoming, then we have to consider all options," he said. The Taoiseach also said sanctions against Israel are not off the table. He told Ireland AM: In relation to sanctions, I dont think anything can be off the table when it comes to Israel, particularly with what were seeing currently happening in Rafah now, when were seeing the international community being ignored, when were seeing international courts being ignored. Last week, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah. Ireland, Norway and Spain will formally recognise Palestinian statehood on Tuesday. Speaking at a joint press conference in Brussels today, Micheal Martin said the move was in search of a fundamental paradigm shift between a peaceful two-state solution to the conflict. He added: Some have framed our decision to recognise the state of Palestine as a move to impose an outcome on the parties or as somehow a reward for terror. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have recognised both the State of Israel and the state of Palestine precisely because we want to see a future of normalised relations between the two peoples. Mr Martin said there can be no military solution to the conflict as he criticised any group using violence or terrorism to eliminate the state of Israel or Palestine. He said: I condemn the violence of yesterday. The rockets that were struck at Tel Aviv and the heinous attack on the Rafah tent refugee camp where innocent children and civilians were killed. He added: What we witnessed last night is barbaric. Gaza is a very small enclave, densely populated conurbation. One cannot bomb an area like that without shocking consequences in terms of innocent children and civilians. Mr Martin called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages. Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe also said he is confident that tech companies currently in Ireland and moving here, will continue to do so, despite Irelands recognition of Palestine. I'm confident that those who are moving here and those who are here, we will keep here, and we will continue to attract here. Many of these large employers, whether they be tech on us also have many people leading them, managing them and working in them, who also have other strong views regarding what is happening in the Middle East, the minister said on RTE Radios Drivetime. The minister said despite political decisions, Ireland has been able to demonstrate why tech companies should locate here. Ireland has made different political decisions and made different political statements at different points in time. And in our years of engaging with the foreign direct investment community here in Ireland, we've been able to point to this been an economically stable environment within which companies can grow and that will continue to be the case, he added. The minister also defended Irelands the decision to recognise the Palestinian State. I think it sends the right signal about Ireland overall. And it certainly sends the right signal about the view we have regarding what is evolving in the Middle East at the moment, he said. In making the decision to officially recognise Palestine, the minister said there was an acknowledgement that there could be consequences. The reason why the country made the decision that we did, we made a collectively, we acknowledged all of the consequences that could flow from the decision, is that we are convinced that a two state solution is the only viable long term solution to the conflict in the Middle East. And that is so far away for the people of Palestine at the moment that our recognition of the state is the appropriate signal to send, the minister said. Speaking in Jerusalem earlier, where she has held foreign ministry consultations after being recalled in protest, Dana Erlich said she hopes to return to Ireland, though she saw the Irish Government as siding with the Palestinians against Israel. The statehood recognition is due to be formalised tomorrow in conjunction with Spain and Norway. The United States and some other European countries favour reviving negotiations on resolving the conflict first. Read more Tanks reach Rafahs centre as Israel presses assault despite global scrutiny The move by Ireland, Spain and Norway was denounced as a reward for terrorism by Israel, which is waging a devastating war in Gaza with knock-on fighting on other fronts in response to the October 7 cross-border rampage by Hamas. Ireland recognises the state of Palestine Ms Erlich said all aspects of Israeli-Irish ties were under review but stopped short of predicting further action by her government, which has continued sparring with Madrid. Ireland is not neutral or an honest broker in this case, because they are very supportive of the Palestinians. But what we are saying (is): this is not the time for such announcement on recognition, said Ms Erlich. The Irish Government says recognition of Palestinian statehood may benefit Israel by reviving stalled peace negotiations. Ms Erlich said many Irish people sympathise with Israel behind the scenes. She added: I think there is a lot of potential in our bilateral relations, if it's cybersecurity or health care, climate change. I hope to be given that opportunity to continue that. But she said a public mood of hostility is making Israelis question their place in Ireland a threat to tech services that account for the lion's share of around 5bn in annual trade between the countries. We are getting more and more phone calls and hearing conversations of concerned people - if it's Israelis who invest in Ireland and are concerned about their investment, if it's Israelis who have relocated to Ireland into different tech companies and either are requesting to be relocated somewhere else or asking to return to Israel, said Ms Erlich. Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah, southern Gaza. Health workers said at least 35 people were killed in the area. Photo: AP I think it sends the wrong message about the location and the centrality of Ireland as a tech hub when there are more and more people who are concerned about moving to Ireland. I don't think this is the message that Ireland wants to send to the world and this is not what we want to see. The business connection has already been hit by the decision announced on February 5 by Israel's national carrier, El Al, not to renew direct flights to Dublin that were launched last year, citing changes in customer demands since the Gaza war. The Government has rejected calls by pro-Palestinian activists to impose sanctions or an economic boycott on Israel. But on April 5, Ireland said its 15bn sovereign investment fund would divest from six Israeli companies, including some of its largest banks, over their activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Gaza war broke out a month after Ms Erlich arrived in Dublin, plunging her into 24/7 crisis-management. There are many similarities between Ireland and Israel that I'm curious to learn more about if it's a reviving of an ancient language, if it's the diaspora, if it's the different scenic options," she said. And I hope to be given that opportunity to continue exploring Ireland. But right now, we need to address our concerns. There were than 108,000 spoiled votes in the local and European Elections in 2019 more than enough voters to fill Croke Park Ireland's electoral commission is attempting to drive down the number of spoiled votes Irelands electoral commission has revealed the counties with the highest number of spoiled votes during the last local and European Elections, which amounted to 108,488 invalid ballots more than enough voters to fill Croke Park stadium. A campaign is being launched by the commission today in a bid to ensure there is no repeat when voters in Ireland head to the polls for the local, European and Limerick mayoral elections next Friday. An Coimisiun Toghchain chair, Ms Justice Marie Baker, said that while some will be protest votes, many of the spoiled ballot papers have been wrongly filled in. Some of the spoiled papers did not include a number one vote, or some papers included two number one votes which also rendered the ballot paper as invalid. In the 2019 local and European elections, figures shows that 34,618 such votes were spoiled in the local elections and 73,870 were spoiled in the European elections held on the same day. In the local elections, Dublin tallied the highest number of spoiled votes between its four councils at 11,072. Dublin City Council was the local authority that had the highest number of spoiled votes at 4,368. Cork was the county that had the second highest at 3,743 between city and county, while Kildare had the third highest at 1,432 spoiled votes. Galway was fourth (1,708) followed by Meath (1,285). Leitrim (214) saw the lowest number of spoiled votes, followed by Longford (311), Carlow (340), Sligo (461) and Offaly (462). Justice Baker said it is such a disappointment to see the scale of spoilt and invalid votes, adding that that 108,000 is a huge number. She alluded to the spoiled votes in Dublin as an uncounted mountain of ballots which she said is shocking when we know that in Irelands elections, many seats are won by a mere handful of votes. The nature of our electoral system means that for many candidates, these votes could be the difference between winning and losing a seat, she said. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Out of all the local elections spoiled votes in 2019, 1,345 didnt have an official mark, while 19,103 didnt have their first preference clearly indicated. A total of 12,067 had their first preference indicated for more than one candidate, while 2,103 spoiled ballots had writing or a mark by which the voter could be identified. Out of 73, 870 spoiled votes in the European Elections in 2019, the Dublin constituency saw 15,345 spoiled votes, Midlands-North-West saw 21,682 and the South, which has the highest electorate at 1,417,017 eligible voters saw the highest number at 36,897. To help achieve this goal of lowering the number of spoiled votes, the commission has kicked off its Dont Spoil Your Day Voter Education Drive. A new three-minute and one-minute video showing what you need to vote and exactly how to properly fill in your ballot has been released. The video, which can be viewed here, takes people through the voting process from entering the polling station to successfully completing your vote. Justice Baker said that two particular problems were identified on the spoiled votes. One is that people didnt identify their first choice. There was no number one marked anywhere on the ballot paper. And the one thing you have to do is identify your first choice because that is the first one that is counted, she said. The second problem that was identified, oddly enough, was that people voted two number ones in the same ballot paper, and again whos to decide between those which is the one that counts and which is the one that doesnt count. The act (Electoral Reform Act) is quite fluid in that it allows anything to be acceptable as a number one vote provided its apparent from it that its number one. So if you only vote for one person and you put an X beside that person, then that will be deemed to be a number one. Chief executive of the commission, Art OLeary, said: Its been over four years since weve had a competitive election in this country. Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 So, some people are voting for the first time and may have some doubts about how the system works, or some people because they havent voted in so long, may have slipped their mind how the process works. People voting in the local and European elections, which takes place on June 7, will be given two ballot papers, while voters in Limerick will have three, given the vote for a directly elected mayor. Justice Baker said the deliberately spoiled votes are always obvious. Somebody writes something like, none of you or that kind of thing. Thats what normally happens, she added. Whereas, the person who forgets to put a number one in and starts at two, thinks that they have voted. They havent. They said that people who make a mistake on their ballot can ask staff at the polling station for a new one. Parts of the Electoral Reform Act, which gives the Electoral Commission regulatory powers, have not yet been enacted following concerns raised by the European Commission. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr OLeary said their current powers are enough to deal with any issues that arise, particularly around misinformation and disinformation on social media. Many, many countries are reporting interference (in elections) and we cant assume that we will be exempt, he added. The Oireachtas had some powers in mind for the An Coimisiun Toghchain when it passed the Electoral Reform Act. Further information can be found on their website electoralcommission.ie/how-to-vote/ Simon Harris has said it is 'really important we dont have any abuse of the Common Travel Area'. Photo: PA The Taoiseach has said he is encouraged by reports of increased checks at the Border involving gardai and the PSNI. So far this year, gardai have carried out 12 days of action under Operation Sonnet while in the past week, 50 people were refused leave to remain in Ireland. Officers attached to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) are also deploying the operation weekly as part of An Garda Siochanas response to the upsurge of migrants crossing from the North. Commenting on the reports, Simon Harris said that gardai carry out operational matters with the PSNI on an ongoing basis and said it is really important that we dont have any abuse of the Common Travel Area. Speaking in Limerick, Mr Harris said: Ive been very clear since I became Taoiseach that yes, when we talk about migration, we should talk about accommodation but that should not be the totality of the conversation. We also have to talk much more about the rules that are in place and I certainly am encouraged by the reports today of the ongoing active garda operation and cooperation and collaboration that they have with the PSNI. Ireland is a country that knows the value of immigration. We are a better country as a result of migration, but we are also a country that has rules. People want to see, along with compassion, common sense injected into the migration debate. The Sunday Independent reported that the 50 people refused leave to remain in Ireland who were at Ravensdale last week accounted for nearly half the 107 people stopped after crossing the Border between last October and May 20. The figures are set against a backdrop of an estimated 600 international protection applicants believed to be crossing the Border every week. Detective Chief Superintendent Aidan Minnock, who is in charge of GNIB, said that Operation Sonnet has been ramped up in part because the Department of Justice is taking over some 100 administrative roles from gardai and freeing them up for operational duties. We are trying to protect the integrity of the Common Travel Area, but also trying to make sure that people are not abusing the immigration system in breach of the law, said Det Chief Sup Minnock. We remove people from the State who enter illegally and have been refused leave to land. So, in other words, they are in breach of the Immigration Act. They dont have the correct documentation or visas to enter the State. Three arrested as Gardai conduct raids on gang suspected of people smuggling and drug dealing Some 140 gardai have carried out a major operation targeting a Dublin crime gang suspected of involvement in people smuggling and drug dealing. The early morning raids also involved specialist detectives from national garda units and saw two halting sites in north Dublin raided. During the operation a number of people were arrested for immigration offences and are set to be deported while over 200,000 in bank accounts was frozen along with cash and drugs being seized. Images of the operation show gardai carrying out multiple searches at several properties earlier today. The crime gang targeted during the raids are suspected of involvement in numerous different offences including people smuggling, drug dealing and money laundering. During the operation, three people were arrested for immigration offences and are set to be deported back to the UK. Its understood one individual had entered Ireland illegally through the North while another had arrived here using false documents. Another person was detained on foot of a deportation order and all are set to be returned to the UK. Investigators have also frozen in excess of 200,000 held in bank accounts suspected of being linked to the criminal gang, while over 40,000 worth of assets have also been seized. This includes designer goods including clothes and handbags while a Rolex watch was also discovered. Its understood that over 30,000 in cash was recovered along with a quantity of cannabis with an estimated street value of 15,000. In total, around 140 gardai attached to local and divisional units as well as garda national units were involved in the operation. This included the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, and the Garda National Immigration Bureau. One source said: These specialist units were involved because of the wide range of offending this crime group as suspected to be involved in. Todays operation is the culmination of detailed investigations and intelligence gathering by local gardai. This gang are suspected of running a significant criminal operation connected to various different offences for financial gain. Detectives suspect the crime group targeted today are involved in people smuggling, drug dealing, illegal dumping and money laundering. They have also come under investigation for alleged links to the prostitution trade involving foreign nationals. Also involved in this mornings operation were the public order unit, dog unit as well as financial asset investigators. Its understood that investigations relating to todays searches are continuing. We were told there was no more they could do for Sophie mother of girl (3) who had to be flown to Sweden for life-saving treatment Report highlights growing strain on paediatric critical care units in Temple Street and Crumlin hospitals Ciara Swan with her daughter Sophie. Eilish O'Regan Mon 27 May 2024 at 03:30 The mother of a critically ill girl who had to be airlifted to Sweden for advanced life-support not available in Ireland is backing a new report calling for better services for children facing life and death struggles. Protests in the Balearic Islands follow similar demonstrations in the Canary Islands A demonstrator holds a sign that reads "rebels with out a house", during a protest against mass tourism in Palma de Mallorca on May 25. REUTERS/Juan Medina A protest against mass tourism and gentrification in Palma de Mallorca. Photo: REUTERS/Juan Medina Thousands of people protested in Spain's Balearic Islands on Saturday against mass tourism ahead of the summer season. Holding posters reading SOS Residents, Enough Mass Tourism, protesters marched through Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the largest Balearic Island. About 10,000 demonstrators took part, a Spanish National police spokesperson said. A smaller protest with a few hundred people was staged in Menorca. "We want the authorities to stop people who have not lived here more than five years from buying properties and to put more controls on holiday accommodation," said Carme Reines, from a collective which organised the protest in Palma de Mallorca. Javier Carbonell, a real estate agent, said over half of rental properties were used for holiday rents and were not affordable for locals. "We want less mass tourism and more sustainable tourism," Carbonell said. A demonstrator holds a sign that reads "rebels with out a house", during a protest against mass tourism in Palma de Mallorca on May 25. REUTERS/Juan Medina After Catalonia, the Balearic Islands was the second most popular region of Spain for tourists last year, attracting 14.4 million holidaymakers, the Spanish National Statistics Institute said. Some 18 million tourists visited Catalonia and 13.9 million people visited the Canary Islands. Tourism generates 45pc of the Balearic Islands' gross domestic product, according to data from Exceltur, an industry organisation. Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 On Friday, about 1,000 protesters took part in another demonstration against mass tourism in Ibiza, one of the most popular Balearic Islands. "We want a limit on new tourist places and a ban on more illegal flats. With less flats around on the market, it pushes up the price," said Rafael Gimenez, a spokesman for Prou Ibiza which organised Friday's protest. In April, thousands of people protested in the Canary Islands, calling for a temporary limit on tourist arrivals to stem a boom in short-term holiday rentals and hotel construction that is increasing housing costs for locals. John Lonergan, who is running for Labour in Dublin, is among the baby-faced candidates running in the local elections Maeve McTaggart (Age is not an issue meet the baby-faced candidates in next months local elections, Irish Independent, May 23) is right. Age should never be an issue and time is on the side of all the young hopefuls, but the same old issues will keep cropping up on the doorsteps. As a teacher, I feel like giving an end-of-term report on all of the nine young potential politicians but since its their first trip on the hustings, an assessment will have to suffice. First of all, I would like to encourage all of the young people and I do think that they are all very brave entering politics at a young age and I have always encouraged young people that I was teaching to get involved in politics. There is always the need for new blood in every organisation and politics is no different. In 1979, Ivan Yates, at 19 years of age, was elected to Wexford County Council and two years later he was elected a TD for Wexford. When our Taoiseach was elected in 2011, Heather Humphreys thought he was a student on a school tour of Leinster House. It is possible to make it at a young age if the opportunity arises. I am impressed with the young political hopefuls. I see that Ben Ward and Joey Kennedy are following in the tradition of their grandfathers and I did not think this was as prevalent as it once was, but I like to see it. I see Charlie Hackett following in the footsteps of his mother, a junior minister, and his councillor father. We see James Stokes trying to skip a generation. Mistura Oyebanji was attracted to the Social Democrats by the leadership of Holly Cairns. John Lonergan is setting about tackling for change. Ryan McKeown believes politics needs to work for the people. Melissa Byrne joined the political party that is left leaning and pro-life. I would tell their parents to encourage them to keep working between now and June 7 and that is when the real exam will take place. I have tallied a lot of ballot papers in my time and the result can be very apparent in the early hours of the following morning. I wish all of the young people the very best of luck. Some may succeed, others may not. Thomas Garvey, Claremorris, Co Mayo Becoming a soldier should be a choice as only most dedicated will prosper Its not a new idea. Putting delinquents into the army has often been proposed as a solution to societys problems but has rarely occurred. There are few problems in society that can be solved by hiding them or moving them elsewhere a common approach with refugees in many countries including Australia. Most 18-year-olds spend their time studying a bit, working so they can buy alcohol, and occasionally being annoying but in general they are good people. They dont want to spend the weekends doing good deeds in khaki. The army option is even worse as the military wont want weekend warriors, but dedicated people who decide to enlist to serve their country. Dont embarrass and insult those who have served by forcing youths to wear the green uniforms. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia Bleak world of EU politics exposed, maybe we should have a viewer warning My 16-year-old Toyota navigation system has a warning message about the consequences of watching it while driving. Sometimes I wish my television had the same warning. With the political sate of the world and indeed our issues in our own country, a similar question pops up warning me if I really want to see whats going on in the interests of protecting my mental health. A case in point recently was the Tonight programme on Virgin Media One where the always-professional Claire Brock was interviewing Dublin candidates for the European elections. All candidates agreed that the EU Commissions president had handled the current Israeli-Gaza conflict badly and the continued support by the EU for Israels actions and the devastating consequences was wrong. However, when Brock asked Fine Gaels Regina Doherty about her position, she agreed with the other candidates that Ursula von der Leyens actions on and after October 7 were wrong and continue to be so. However, she said if she was lucky enough to be elected she would have her support as the European Peoples Partys candidate as you have to look at the situation in the round. Thanks to Claire Brocks direct question I know all I need to about European politics. Now I really wish my Samsung TV was made by Toyota. Nick Crawford, Dalkey, Co Dublin Keane dispels myth about ageing, so now Im all fired up to attend writers event For weeks I had been asking myself if, at my age, I would be able for Listowel Writers Week this year. Then, halfway through my porridge, on Saturday morning, I turned to Keanes Kingdom. Once again Billy had the answer, Would I what?. Mattie Lennon, Blessington, Co Wicklow Dail should fly both Israeli and Palestinian flags to promote message of peace For the attention of the Ceann Comhairle of Dail Eireann, please consider flying both the Palestinian flag and the Israeli flag over the Oireachtas tomorrow. The Taoiseach stated this week that the recognition of the Palestinian state is a statement of unequivocal support for a two-state solution, the only credible path to peace and security for Israel, for Palestine and for their peoples. I therefore believe the more appropriate symbolic gesture the State can make on behalf of the Irish people is to fly both flags side by side, as it would be an expression of our solidarity and vision for a lasting peace for all involved. Michael Clifford, Address with editor Netanyahu ought to face the rigours of justice, but ICC is too toothless for this For far too long the rational world has stood back and watched Israel destroy Gaza, killing tens of thousands of unarmed civilians, in the guise of ridding itself of Hamas. We have all watched the news roll in day after day since October 7 as Israel has killed 35,000 innocent people mostly women and children. Yes, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has sought the arrest of both Hamas and Israeli leaders but does anyone, anywhere, expect much action from a totally toothless, if lippy, organisation? Benjamin Netanyahu must be brought to court, but by a body capable of doing so. David Ryan, Co Meath When did Ireland get its first gym? Where was the first fitness establishment? And are we living in a golden age of fitness? On the Real Health podcast this week, I sit down with Lecturer in the Sociology of Sport at Ulster University, Dr Conor Heffernan, to discuss the history of the gym in Ireland. I was interested to hear when Ireland got its first gym. Dr Heffernan told me Monsieur J.A. Beaujeu, a Frenchman came to Ireland by way of Spain and was hired by the Royal Hibernian Military School in the Phoenix Park. He was hired to teach gymnastics to the boys and girls whose fathers had gone to fight in the British military. And he also opens a gym in Dawson Street, Irelands first public gym, he said. The lecturer brought up an interesting theory about the gym being an important third place, for people to congregate. He explained what a third place is, typically we can see it as a place that is not the home, it is not the workplace, it could be a church, it could be a cafe, it could be a bar, bookstore, library, public park. But it could also be a gym, and I think this is an important thing to consider because I think people often underestimate how important the gym is as a place of socialization. The gym history expert pointed out how important militaries are in shaping gym culture. He said to me that, Ireland really benefits from the British military when it comes to fitness. In 1860, the British military creates its own branded fitness regime. They opened a gym in Aldershot in England, but then their next gym is in the Curragh in County Kildare. So, the second ever British military gym is in county Kildare. You can listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts. Many in Irish dancing are questioning how CLRG can afford to hold next years world championships in Dublin. Posed photo: Getty Two years ago, the Irish dancing community was rocked by a headline-making scandal, as allegations of feis-fixing made their way into the public domain. An internal investigation was launched, disciplinary hearings were carried out and suspensions were handed down. But the controversy quickly spiralled out of control, as suspicion, rumour and accusations ran rife, threatening to bring a national institution to its knees. Two years on, the world of Irish dancing is once more in disarray, with a promised investigation into the scandal abruptly collapsing, provoking chaos, confusion and considerable anger among those caught in the eye of the storm. Fionnan Sheahan is joined on The Indo Daily by Ellen Coyne, special correspondent with the Irish Independent, to analyse the lowest point yet for the competitive cultural activity, and to ask: is the future of Irish dancing in jeopardy? The festival, running across 10 days, will start next week A festival which celebrates Corks greatest natural amenities, Cork Harbour and the River Lee, through a jam-packed programme of family friendly events kicks off next week. Cork Harbour Festival, organised by the citys community boatyard Meitheal Mara, will highlight the incredible choice of attractions and activities, heritage sites, cultural experiences and stories there are to discover in Cork City and Harbour across 10 days from June 1 to June 10. Festival organisers said there will be 80 events taking place across multiple locations this year, both on land and on the water. Events and activities that will go ahead include the Ocean Escapes discovery tour of Cork Harbour (June 9), Cork Sea Safari (June 1,2,8 & 9), scuba diving lessons in Myrtleville (June 3-7) and surfing and coasteering in east Corks Swell Surf School. ORCA Ireland will host a land-based sea-life watch on June 2 while orienteering will take place in Cruachain Woods and Crosshaven on the same day. The Currach Olympics will take place in the Marina Park where the whole family can play together and enjoy a series of nonsensical games on June 9. The flagship event of the festival will be the Ocean to City an Ras Mor, taking place on Saturday, June 8, which will see almost 500 Irish and international participants bring nearly 200 boats to compete in a gruelling race across the harbour. Festival and Events Officer of Failte Ireland Nicola Fitzgerald said that the Ocean to City race creates a unique and exciting reason for participants and their supporters to experience our world class outdoor activity offering. Developing participative festivals like this really helps boost the appeal of a destination and encourages the spread of tourism across the country. This is essential for driving footfall for local businesses and bringing social and economic benefits to the local community, she said. A full programme of events for the festival, funded by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Failte Ireland, can be found at corkharbourfestival.com. The platform will allow landowners to connect with companies looking for verified carbon offsetting initiatives (L to R) John Kelleher and Conor Hall of ConnectGreen with cattle and sheep farmers Mike and Pat Cremins on their farm near Knocknagoshel, Co Kerry. A mid Cork man has created a business that will allow farmers to make a dependable income from their land by allowing it to be used by companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint. John Kelleher, who is from Donoughmore and has family from Macroom, is the CEO of ConnectGreen, a new platform which he said will allow farmers and landowners to connect with companies looking for guaranteed and verified biodiversity and carbon offsetting initiatives. Mr Kelleher said that by leveraging the new EU carbon framework, his platform makes it possible for ordinary landowners to participate in the carbon and biodiversity credits global marketplace and maximise the financial benefits of carbon framing. We are calling on farmers and landowners across Ireland to see the revenue potential in the evolving biodiversity credits and carbon offsetting sector, Mr Kelleher said. We come from a farming background ourselves and we understand the pressures that farmers are currently under, he said. With Irelands biodiversity plans that aim to rewild and rewet 20 per cent of the countrys land, we are partnering with farmers and landowners helping them unlock the potential and opportunity of realising a dependable, long-term income stream from carbon and biodiversity assets on their own land. Mr Kelleher also said that Irish companies should look to secure their biodiversity and carbon credits in Ireland rather than investing in projects in Africa or South America, which ConnectGreen will allow them to do. Your customers and shareholders will appreciate your action in ensuring your ESG investments are helping to improve the environment right here at home rather than in a project half way round the globe, he said. Mr Kelleher said that since CarbonGreen was founded in 2013, the aim of it has been to provide an opportunity for companies and landowners to collaborate in carbon offsetting in a thoroughly verifiable and certified way, guaranteeing that a reliable and quantifiable level of offsetting is taking place. That is the essence of our triple-lock: verified, certified and guaranteed. We offer an unwavering commitment to authenticity and integrity, so every carbon credit purchased through our platform has been rigorously verified by our expert team, he said. The carbon market is evolving rapidly and were excited to be at the forefront of this new movement in Ireland and across the EU. ConnectGreen is already engaged with a number of biodiversity and carbon offsetting projects across Ireland, and we have ambitious targets to oversee deals that will facilitate the removal of 250k tons of carbon from the atmosphere by the end of 2024. Mike Cremins and his uncle Pat, fourth and fifth generation cattle and sheep farmers from Meeganaire, Knocknagoshel in Kerry, said that they had spoken for years about how someone has to pay farmers for the great work they do in managing landscape. In particular, for farmers who own what could be termed poorer land in peatland and mountain areas like ourselves where economic viability is always difficult, they said, ConnectGreens platform with its biodiversity credits and carbon offsetting opportunities is a great way of compensating small farmers and landowners like ourselves for the work we do day in and day out in nurturing the Irish countryside. Landowners, farmers and companies can find out more about the newly launched platform at ConnectGreen.ie. The biggest honour is to be the first citizen of your own county, said the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank OFlynn at Mondays full council meeting which marked the last meeting of the term. Mayor OFlynn who was first elected to Cork County Council in 1999 reflected on his one-year term as the first citizen of Cork County. As this is our last meeting, It was a good year. We set a few records. Our budget was supported by all 55 members and there has been no division or no vote in the chamber since June 23 last year. We did a lot of good work throughout the year. I really enjoyed it. I want to thank all the members who helped to make it possible, he said. The Fianna Fail councillor who is seeking re-elected in the Fermoy Local Electoral Area (LEA) said serving as the mayor was a labour of love. I thoroughly enjoyed my year. It was for me a labour of love. It is 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is a very responsible job and I took it very seriously. I hope I did my best to ensure that I represented you and the people of Cork County both home and away to the best of my ability. It was the biggest honour anyone could have. I want to thank all the staff and senior management at Cork County Council. I want to thank every member here. Mayor OFlynn concluded his speech by wishing all the councillors seeking re-election to the chamber the best of luck. From the bottom of my heart I want to wish each and every one of you who are seeking the support of the electorate every success on June 7. The work is done. Conventions are over. I look forward to seeing you all again at our AGM on June 21. I want to wish you every success. Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Valerie OSullivan paid tribute to the elected members of Cork County Council for their service during the council term. I am back four years in the county since February. It has been the happiest four years of my career. I want to congratulate the members. Definitely the finest council I have ever served with ever. You just have this level of decency and cohesion I have never seen anywhere else. The people of County Cork were in very safe hands. Ms OSullivan also paid a heartfelt tribute to the outgoing Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr OFlynn. I want to pay particular tribute to the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank OFlynn. He is some operator and is only to be admired. If I could have half his energy. I want to wish everybody running for election the very best of luck. It would be our good fortune if ye were returned. I think ye are nuts, but if that is what you want. We would be delighted to have you back. Thank you so much, she added. Tony OConnell of Cork City Sports International; Tina Quinn of AM OSullivan PR; nominator James Leonard of the Two Norries; Sheila Connolly, Cork Person of the Month; Roger Russell of the Metropole Hotel, and awards organiser Manus OCallaghan at the presentation. Picture: Tony OConnell Photography. Sheila Connolly has been recognised as the Cork Person of the Month for May. Ms Connolly has been recognised for the invaluable service she provides in the support and rehabilitation of people who have been to prison in her role as CEO of the Cork Alliance Centre. Since she began working with the Cork Alliance Centre in 2003, Ms Connolly has played an instrumental role in the development and provision of a range of services that support people who have been to prison and help bring change into their lives. The organisation strives to reduce offending and increase positive participation in family and community life amongst service users. The centre aims to support people move away from crime and its associated behaviours. The ultimate goal is that people live a crime-free life. Services provided by Cork Alliance Centre include resettlement support and advice; support in desisting from crime; prison in-reach support; harm reduction and addiction recovery support; education, training and employment support; and psychotherapy support. Cork Alliance Centre also provides support and encouragement to employers who are interested in hiring people with convictions. Co-host of the Two Norries podcast James Leonard who is a past service user of the Cork Alliance Centre commended Sheilas contribution to the lives of both people who have been to prison and those around them in Cork: Over the past 25 years Sheila has helped thousands of Cork men and women rebuild their lives following a spell in prison. She has been key in breaking family cycles of offending and also reducing crime, which has in turn led to less victims of crime and a safer society for all. She has been instrumental in my life, my wifes life, my friends lives, and the lives of thousands across Cork City and County. Awards organiser Manus OCallaghan also paid tribute to Ms Connollys role which has positively impacted countless lives in Cork. Sheilas work with the Cork Alliance Centre has positively impacted countless lives in Cork, providing ex-offenders with invaluable guidance and tools to allow them to rebuild their lives after spending time in prison. By exemplifying everything that is good about the Cork community Sheila is most deserving of a Cork Person of the Month award, he added. Ms Connolly has a vast portfolio of work in volunteering and active citizenship to complement her role with the Cork Alliance Centre. In August 2023, Sheila made an expert presentation to the Citizens Assembly on Drugs Use, using her immense knowledge and experience to contribute to this important forum. She did this alongside past-Cork Alliance Centre service users who successfully made the transition to the workforce and became her colleagues - a testament to the effectiveness of the Centres services. Ms Connolly also spent over a decade volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul to alleviate poverty; over seven years on the board of Corks Sexual Health Centre; and four years as an Advisory Group Member for Men Overcoming Violence (MOVE) Ireland, an organisation which addresses domestic violence against women and children. Sheila has also volunteered abroad, having worked for Concern following the Rwandan genocide and also as an aid worker in East Africa and Laos. Her name will now go forward alongside the other monthly winners for possible selection as the 2024 Cork Person of the Year. Drones are already used by Dublin City Council for functions including mapping and dangerous building inspection. Pic: Getty Pictured L to R is: Principal consultant, PMI Media Limited, Philip Butterworth-Hayes, Dublin City Council, Assistant Chief Executive and Chair of the DCC Drones High Level Steering Group, Eileen Quinlivan, Founder and CEO of Avtrain, Julie Garland and IAA, Chief Operations Officer, Jim Gavin. A new plan has been unveiled by Dublin City Council (DCC) to expand the use of drones for public services and lay the groundwork for new forms of transportation. The ambitious strategy, spanning from 2024 to 2029, has been shaped by international experts and developed in collaboration with the Irish Aviation Authority. It aims to revolutionise the citys use of drones to enhance public services while exploring their future potential. The council states that the five key benefits of expanding their use of drones include improving capabilities for first responders to save lives whilst protecting their personnel, specifically for teams like Dublin Fire Brigade. Other benefits include improving access to hard-to-reach or complex areas for surveys and monitoring, improved health and safety, increased efficiency, and enhanced environmental protection capabilities. Drones are currently being used by survey and mapping teams in Dublins council. Dublin Civil Defence has remote pilots, along with Dublin Fire Brigade and the Dangerous Building Control Office in DCC. Eileen Quinlivan, Assistant Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, spoke at the launch today, stating that the council was hoping to scale up drone operations. We currently carry out roughly 300 flights per year on average, and were hoping to carry out even more for a much broader range of uses and applications across our full service range, she said. This plan looks at how we can partner with other agencies, industry, academic institutions, and citizens to see how we can develop urban air mobility to benefit our city positively. It has been reported that Dublin is already one of the most advanced cities in the world for drone deliveries, thanks in part to the Irish company Manna Drone Delivery, which has been prototyping drone services in several suburban areas of Dublin and is scaling services at a global level. Several new dedicated roles to manage and deliver drone services will be created within the drone unit in DCC, which will serve as the focal point for strategic planning, operational coordination, and ongoing innovation in drone technology as the commercial sector grows. Within the next three to five years and beyond, the council hopes to support pilots of an urban air mobility network in the DCC area. The trials would involve drones and aircraft capable of carrying passengers and cargo, which are likely to transform the aviation and city transport sector over the coming years. Jim Gavin, Chief Operations Officer for the Irish Aviation Authority, was also on-site to discuss their role in overseeing the expansion of a dedicated drone unit in DCC: Drones and urban air mobility is an emerging sector, and weve had to respond to that, so weve set up a special division for it, he said. This is to maximise the benefits of drones, but above all, to ensure that the standards are maintained to the highest security levels to protect citizens. He also mentioned the use of air taxis, which we will eventually get to in the future, which is not too far away. It was also noted that public trust and engagement will be a very important factor in this strategy's roll-out. One example of drone use by Dublin City Council recently was a full video rooftop survey of the Iveagh Markets. The council said the survey was carried out at short notice and cost roughly 300 to complete. A traditional rooftop assessment would cost roughly 1,400, involving paying multiple DCC staff, hiring the specific machinery, and the workload involved in completing a survey of this kind. DCC said that this evaluation shows a significant cost and time saving when using drones, estimating up to a 4.5 times reduction in costs and time savings of days rather than weeks in the traditional manner. Lucan Lodge is a residential nursing home located in Lucan, south Dublin. It has 74 beds and is near to full capacity. Advocacy group Care Champions has been supporting families since they got notice that the nursing home was set to close. Concerned families came together in protest at Lucan Lodge nursing home yesterday. Family members of residents at a Dublin nursing home held a protest on Sunday outside the premises, calling to keep the residents and staff on-site following news of its sudden closure. Lucan Lodge is a residential nursing home located in Lucan, south Dublin. It has 74 beds and is near full capacity. The nursing home was operated by Passage Healthcare International (Ireland). Family members learned the company had gone into liquidation and there are plans for the home's closure on 16 May, with management citing a lack of funding due to a failed investment. HIQA, the health authority responsible for overseeing these facilities, cancelled the homes registration, meaning that the operator Passage Healthcare can no longer provide care services. However, this sudden news of closure has come as a shock to the families of the residents. Jackie Giltrap, whose mother Maura Magee (84) resides in Lucan Lodge nursing home after losing her mobility last summer, told the Irish Independent that when she heard the news she nearly fell from her chair. Advocacy group Care Champions has been supporting families since they got notice that the nursing home was set to close. We dont want them to move and ultimately the decision is up to the residents and our loved ones who also dont want to move, she said. Whats different about the home is that you can visit at any time, and we often come in and even watch films together with the residents. Its such a homely feel and the residents are so upset. Some of the residents have told me theyll lie on the ground and theyre not moving. Its their home, and obviously, there are other nursing homes, but this one is working for us. Advocacy group Care Champions has been supporting families since they got notice that the nursing home was set to close. Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 A spokesperson for the group told the Irish Independent that families were outraged over the proposed closure, which threatens to displace 73 vulnerable residents. Lucan Lodge is home to our loved ones. Forcing them to relocate at this stage in their lives would cause immense emotional and physical trauma, especially for those requiring significant support and nearing the end of life, they added. At the protest yesterday, family members of the residents, residents themselves, and other supporters of their cause were calling for immediate action from the government and HSE. Some of their demands include preventing the unnecessary relocation of their families, stating that they deserve the comfort and familiarity of their current surroundings. Lucan Lodge is a residential nursing home located in Lucan, south Dublin. It has 74 beds and is near to full capacity. Staff members are also supporting the protest and are pleading to stay working on-site. The group said that the 85 staff members have relationships with the residents and are vital for their well-being, which must be maintained. Their main demand is that the HSE acquire Lucan Lodge through lease or purchase to guarantee long-term stability for the residents and staff. Upon receipt of cancellation of the registration, the HSE has responsibility under section 64 of the Health Act 2007 to make alternative arrangements for the residents of the designated centre, the HSE said in a statement. Pending such alternative arrangements, the HSE is required to take charge of the designated centre, as if it were the Registered Provider, and may carry on its business pending alternative arrangements being made. The HSE is very conscious that this is a very difficult time for residents, families, and the staff and will continue to work with all of the relevant stakeholders during this time, they added. A HIQA inspection at Lucan Lodge in September last year identified several areas of non-compliance, notably concerning fire safety. However, family members of residents explained that the cancellation of the registration was due to the operating company entering receivership. Dublin Fire Brigade's Manitou teleporter has been used to remove the burning waste so it can be extinguished and cooled. Photo: DFB. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Commuters are experiencing long delays in Dublin this evening as the M1 northbound remains closed due to a vehicle fire. Dublin Fire Brigade have been battling the blaze for a number of hours as units attempt to bring a lorry fire under control. The fire broke out between J4 Donabate and J5 Balbriggan South. Diversions remain in place tonight at J4 Donabate northbound as emergency services attend the scene. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Images shared by the DFB showed firefighters dousing the vehicle that appears to be filled with rubbish. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. The road is completely closed since around 4pm and it has resulted in severe delays for commuters in the evening rush hour. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. "Our Manitou teleporter has been used to good effect to remove the burning waste so it can be extinguished and cooled, Dublin Fire Brigade said on X. Dublin Fire Brigade's Manitou teleporter has been used to remove the burning waste so it can be extinguished and cooled. Photo: DFB. Commentary: Asia's development vitality hinges on stronger China-Japan-South Korea cooperation Xinhua) 11:25, May 27, 2024 SEOUL, May 26 (Xinhua) -- After a hiatus of more than four years, leaders from China, Japan, and South Korea will convene here for the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting. The restart of the trilateral meeting takes place against the backdrop of rising protectionism, armed conflicts, and supply chain restructuring. As major countries in Asia and leading economies in the world, the three countries carry a profound responsibility to articulate an unwavering commitment to bolstering trilateral cooperation. Born amidst the tumult of the Asian financial crisis in 1999, the three countries' cooperative framework stands out as an epitome of multilateral cooperation in East Asia, anchored by leaders' meetings and fortified by a network of ministerial gatherings, senior officials' assemblies, and more than 70 working-level mechanisms. The summit meeting was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, challenges impeding its resumption were complicated by bilateral disputes and tensions. Above all those, persistent external interference has added to the instability of trilateral cooperation. Restarting the trilateral cooperation mechanism is inevitable because the shared interests and benefits of cooperation among China, Japan, and South Korea have made the renewal of dialogue and collaboration compelling. After all, the three countries are neighbors that cannot be moved away, and East Asia is the shared home of the three. The benefits of trilateral cooperation far outweigh the discord among the three close neighbors. Deepening trilateral cooperation among China, Japan, and South Korea serves the common interests of all three parties. In terms of trade and economy, China is the largest trading partner of the other two. The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), inclusive of China, Japan, and South Korea, further accentuates the need to heighten economic integration among these key stakeholders. This tripartite cooperation has facilitated the advancement of the participating nations and yielded tangible benefits for the wider regional populace. The combined population of China, Japan, and South Korea accounts for one-fifth of the global total, and their combined GDP makes up about one-fourth of the global total. The three countries are undoubtedly the main economic engines in East Asia and beyond. Enhanced trilateral cooperation among the three will contribute positively to regional and global development. In the Trilateral Cooperation Vision for the Next Decade, a cooperation document released during the last Trilateral Summit Meeting in 2019, the three countries pledged to work to develop a future-oriented cooperation model featuring peace, friendship and mutual benefit to make the trilateral cooperation a platform for peace, stability and regional cooperation and an important force for world development and prosperity. The three countries should prioritize deeper cooperation across various sectors, including but not limited to economy, trade, culture, and technology. By leveraging their respective strengths and resources, they can bolster regional stability and prosperity while also fostering an environment conducive to peace and cooperation. In recent years, Washington has played up ideological disparities and formed exclusive cliques, seeking to supplant cooperation and harmony with confrontation and discord to further its own geopolitical agenda. By fanning division and animosity, such hegemonic tactics not only disrupt the stability and prosperity of the region but also impair genuine cooperation and progress. As major economies in Asia, China, Japan, and South Korea hold a special responsibility to champion the inclusive values inherent to Asia. This entails nurturing a sense of strategic independence, preserving regional harmony and stability, and adamantly rejecting any revival of Cold War mentality. In their inaugural joint declaration issued 21 years ago, the three countries committed to advancing development, enhancing cooperation in East Asia, and safeguarding peace and prosperity both regionally and globally through their trilateral collaboration. Let this pledge serve as a reminder of the vital role that China-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation plays in shaping the future of the region and beyond. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) The leader of the Catholic Church in Dublin has warned that questions about the rights of migrants and refugees and the countrys capacity to welcome them are being manipulated. In his homily at a ceremony at St Andrews Parish, Westland Row to ordain and welcome two new auxiliary bishops to assist him in the churchs largest diocese, Archbishop Dermot Farrell said church leaders must offer friendship to migrants and refugees. The church, he added, must reach out to the poor, the excluded, the sick and those whose bodies, lives, families and communities have been degraded by cycles of dependency, and by the fear instilled by those who cynically profit from [this] fragility. After the ceremony yesterday where he was formally welcomed as a new auxiliary bishop for Dublin, Bishop Paul Dempsey said: Our society has obviously changed enormously. So many people have come into our country. Unfortunately, some people see that in a negative way I dont see it that way. It was wonderful to be able to welcome people and see the richness and the positivity that they can bring to our society and indeed to our church as well. Welcoming the migrant has to be to the fore of our ministry. The church should be a voice for those who are on the margins and the people on the margins at this moment in time are those who are migrants and refugees. In his homily, Dr Farrell said he sought two assistant bishops, Bishop Dempsey and Bishop Donal Roche, to help the diocese respond to the rapidly changing social and pastoral needs of its people. The two bishops, he said, would engage with a society which is increasingly diverse, mobile and detached from traditional communities of faith centred on residential parishes. It would be a mistake for us as a local church to see these challenges as temporary, he warned, and added that the church in Dublin is called to reimagine its pastoral mission in a creative way. The Archdiocese of Dublin has over 190 parishes serving more than one million Catholics. After he was formally welcomed as a new auxiliary bishop to Dublin, Bishop Dempsey told the congregation: The church is not dying rather it is on the cusp of something new. Dr Dempsey, who was transferred from the west of Ireland diocese of Achonry under Pope Franciss historic structural streamlining of the Irish church announced last month, said what is dying is a model of church. Though the prophets of doom are always forecasting disaster, saying the church hasnt a voice any more, or that the church no longer has a place in the public square, he said that the church is in a process of renewal. But the 53-year-old acknowledged that it is a challenging mission. We have come through an enormous amount of change as a society and a church. We have had to confront difficult truths that were necessary to face. Bishop Roche who was ordained yesterday as a second auxiliary bishop for Dublin told the congregation of bishops, priests, families and friends: When the celebrations are over theres work to be done and I am very aware of the huge task ahead. We face enormous challenges as a church for which there are no easy solutions. The OMC Group has acquired one of Galways most established consulting engineers practices as the group revealed its expansion plans and the creation of 20 new jobs. Multidisciplinary consulting engineering company OMC Group has successfully completed the acquisition of James Roche Consulting Engineers, a prominent consulting engineers business and a venerable institution in Galway since the late 1970s. Originating in Clifden as Enda OMalley and Associates, the company rebranded to OMC in 2023, signifying its evolution and dedication to excellence and innovation in professional consulting engineers services. Follow Independent Galway on Facebook The acquisition of James Roche Consulting Engineers, represents a significant addition to OMC's portfolio, solidifying OMC's position as a leader in the consulting engineering sector. Now, OMC announced plans to complete two additional acquisitions in 2024. Additionally, the company's expansion efforts are expected to create 20 new jobs nationally. Enda OMalley, founder and CEO of OMC, said: "We are delighted to welcome James Roche BE and his staff to the OMC Group. James Roche Consulting Engineers has been a well-respected and long established consulting engineers practise within Galway since the late 1970s and his reputation and network will enhance OMCs service offering throughout Galway. "This acquisition exemplifies our strategic approach to expansion, focusing on leveraging synergies and fostering growth opportunities. We are committed to retaining talent, fostering innovation, and creating new employment opportunities as we continue to strengthen our presence as a leading multidisciplinary consulting engineers company in the West of Ireland. With an in-house team of 18 dedicated professionals, OMC's core business encompasses a diverse range of residential and commercial projects, delivering services in planning consultancy, environmental consultancy, structural design, building surveying, land mapping, assigned certification, fire and disability consultancy, mechanical and electrical consultancy, energy consultancy, and health and safety consultancy. OMC have offices in Clifden, Galway City and Dublin and oversee projects throughout Ireland. The late Thomas Dooley pictured with his wife Siobhan Five men and a teenager will go on trial today for the murder of a father of seven who was fatally assaulted while attending a funeral in Kerry. Thomas Dooley (43) died after the incident at the funeral of a family friend at New Rath cemetery outside Tralee on October 5 2022. Six defendants will now be tried for the murder of Mr Dooley at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Cork, at a trial which is expected to last for up to two months. The book of evidence in the matter runs to hundreds of pages and up to 200 witnesses could potentially be called to offer evidence. Mr Dooley of Hazelwood Drive, Killarney, Co Kerry was fatally assaulted minutes after he entered New Rath cemetery to attend the burial of a neighbour. His wife, Siobhan, desperately tried to protect her husband and suffered serious injuries in the incident. Dozens of shocked mourners fled the scene as the incident unfolded. Mr Dooley was grievously injured in the incident and received emergency medical treatment at the scene before being rushed by ambulance to nearby University Hospital Kerry (UHK). Such were the horrific nature of his injuries that doctors were unable to stabilise his condition and he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. His wife was treated at UHK for serious injuries. Gardai immediately launched a murder investigation and a number of arrests were made over the subsequent weeks. Mr Dooley was buried in Tullamore, Co Offaly where his wife is originally from. The 43-year-old was a well-known figure in Killarney and was the father of three sons and four daughters. Of the six people who will now go on trial for his murder, several were well-known to Mr Dooley. The include Daniel Dooley (42) of An Carraigin, Connolly Park, Tralee, Co Kerry; Thomas Dooley Snr (42) and Thomas Dooley Jnr (20) both of the Halting Site, Carrigrohane Road, Cork; Michael Dooley (28) of the Halting Site, Carrigrohane Road, Cork; Patrick Dooley (35) of Arbutus Grove Killarney, Co Kerry and a teenager. The teenager cannot be named for legal reasons. Ms Justice Ellen Ring has been appointed to deal with the trial and jury selection will commence at the Angelsea Street Courthouse in Cork on Wednesday morning. The books of evidence in relation to the case were served over the previous three months. The Central Criminal Court has previously heard that there was "a clear interest" in the deceased's family being able to attend the trial with Cork chosen as the venue as a result. IT can already describe itself as Europes leading AI data insights platform. And now, the Killorglin-based Graphite Note, is taking its mission to the next level on the back of a seed investment drive that saw it leverage 1.2 million from angel investors. The funds will be used to target further international expansion as well as creating 25 more jobs in the Kerry region over the next two years in another hugely positive story for cutting-edge Kerry industry. And Graphite Notes mission is as cutting-edge as it comes, with the firm harnessing the latest in powerful AI to help businesses crunch vital information in a fraction of the time it takes many of their competitors. Most impressive of all is that all this has been achieved in just four years. Graphite Note was founded in Killorglin in 2020 by Hrvoje Smolic, CEO, and Vinnie Lynch, CRO; and describes itself as a no-code machine learning platform giving businesses globally access to insights via unique analytics systems. The latest injection to the companys coffers from angel investors was underpinned by the support of Enterprise Ireland, Graphite Note said in a statement this week. It describes itself as the European leader in the space, with clients including Fexco (PACE), Katana, and Escape Agency. Its subscription-based Software as a Service (SaaS) model allows business intelligence and data analytics teams to access predictive and prescriptive analytics in minutes, rather than months, helping customers strengthen their operational efficiency, fuel their growth and achieve their business goals. Hrvoje Smolic, Co-founder and CEO at Graphite Note, noted on todays news: The journey we have embarked on since 2020 has been laser focused on one mission providing businesses around the world with a tool that aids them to grow. With this injection, we further advance this goal, giving companies across the globe the accessible and actionable insights they require. While there is a sea of AI products and platforms on the market presently, we are proud to say Graphite Note is one that brings immediate, impactful and lasting results to the business intelligence and data analyst teams that utilise its capacities we are looking to replicate the successes we have seen from our existing clients on a wider scale, and this investment ensures that we remain at the forefront of the AI revolution. Hrvoje and Vinnie said they are leveraging their extensive experience in scaling ventures and first-hand knowledge of the issues currently facing businesses in relation to data science. Bridging the gap between expertise and access, the pair created an inclusive platform which harnesses highly-sophisticated technology combined with a simplified, easy-to-use front-end. I saw firsthand just how labour intensive and expensive data science can be, during my tenure as a data scientist, and the issues this has historically caused for companies. Our goal is to democratise data analytics to give businesses an immediate competitive advantage. This is the future of data, added Hrvoje Smolic. Graphite Note is exemplary of achieving international success within the Irish tech ecosystem. Born out of Kerrys co-working space, The RDI Hub, the company has historically bootstrapped itself, now having inbound generated customers across five continents - The US, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. This investment underscores the potential of regional tech companies, as they take the global stage. I have been in the tech space for many years, and there is one thing that has rung true for me sales is a science, CRO and founder Vinnie Lynch said, adding: Our platform brings that science to businesses across the globe; we are delighted to have the support of Enterprise Ireland, our angel investors and other contributors to this round, who understand the value of this mission, and the importance of investing in regional tech players. We have seen a burgeoning tech community formed in Munster in recent years, and it is one we are proud to be a part of. This is a very exciting time for us, as these partnerships only accelerate our mission. Graphite Note hopes to create 25 local jobs over the next two years, in roles including operations, sales, marketing and technology. Tributes have been paid to Gerard Kennelly (40s), who died in the incident in the village of Knockanure Gardai in Kerry have appealed for any information in relation to the incident The scene in Knockanure village in north Kerry where an investigation has been launched after a man in his 40s was killed. Photo: Fergus Dennehy A man in his 20s has been arrested this afternoon in connection with the death of a man in Knockanure on Sunday night. He is being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a garda station in Kerry. This man is the second arrest in the investigation. A man in his 30s was arrested this morning and also remains in garda custody. Gardai are continuing their investigation into the alleged assault which left one man dead. He has been named locally as Gerard Kennelly and is believed to be in his 40s. It is understood he was stabbed. The Kerryman has spoken to locals in Knockanure who said they would have never expected anything like this to happen in such a quiet area. The victim is well-known in the village and his parents both live in the area. Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 Councillor Robert Beasley said Mr Kennelly is from a very respected and well-known family. He offered his condolences to the family. It's devastating for the local population. They're a hard-working family. I knew them all my life. It's just a very unfortunate situation, said Mr Beasley. I wouldn't have known him personally but I just know from his family that he came from very well got people in the locality. It's very sad. It's not something you expect out in the country. When you hear about things like this, you never expect it to happen on your own doorstep. I'd also like to offer my condolences to the family and to the entire community as well because they will be very shaken by this. Gardai in Kerry have appealed for any information in relation to the incident Another local described Mr Kennelly as a fellow with a heart of gold. It is understood he has several siblings who live in Australia, and have been informed of his death. Officers from the Garda Technical Bureau carried out searches around a private property and the local pub in Knockanure. The alleged incident is understood to have occurred in a private apartment. It is believed Mr Kennelly was stabbed several times during the incident. Gardai and emergency services were alerted at around 12.30am. Upon arrival, a man aged in his 40s was discovered with fatal injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was later removed to the mortuary at University Hospital Kerry for a post mortem. A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the inquiry, and an incident room has been established at Listowel garda station. Gardai are appealing to the public for information in relation to this incident. Any road users who were travelling in the vicinity of Knockanure village, which is located between Listowel and Moyvane, between midnight and 1am and may have camera footage (including dash cam) are asked to make this available. Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Listowel garda station on 068 50820, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800, 666 111 or any garda station. Lavish display of wealth on show at funeral of feared midlands criminal These were just some of the lavish floral displays on show at the funeral service of career criminal Stephen Reilly (OReilly) in Athlone at the weekend. Reilly, of 9 Beech Park West, Athlone, Co Westmeath and formerly of Greystones, Wicklow, and who was in his 30s, died following a single vehicle road crash in Offaly last Monday. The father-of-one was regarded as being one of the midlands most violent and dangerous criminals with a string of previous convictions to his name. He had also been closely aligned to a feared Longford-based Organised Crime Gang (OCG) and was due before a number of courts across the midlands for serious alleged offences. He was an extremely violent individual, a source told the Irish Independent. One of the tributes at the funeral of Stephen O'Reilly. From an early age, he got involved in burglaries in and around Athlone and was suspected of hiding firearms and drugs for a notorious midlands based crime gang. A number of sympathisers lined out to pay their respects at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Coosan, Athlone on Saturday where an elaborate array of opulent floral tributes were laid out in honour of the slain gangster. Follow Independent Longford on Facebook One of those displayed a portrait of Reilly showing off his ripped physique with the brazen epitaph: The real Pablo.The one and only gangster Reilly. Another equally elaborate and brash tribute carried an illustration of a container full of white powder accompanied underneath with the words: No comment. The reference to Reillys criminal past was an image that was likewise carried in a further grandiose and equally crass tribute, this time directed at a named garda. Some of the tributes at the funeral of Stephen O'Reilly. In the decorative and bordered display, the crude tribute read: Detective.0 Reilly 1 below a bottle of black pepper. The Irish Independent website also obtained video footage taken in the aftermath of the funeral during which a man can be seen lying face down on the ground shortly after being arrested by gardai. Gardai arrested and charged a male (30s) in Athlone, County Westmeath on Saturday, 25th May 2024 for road traffic offences, said a garda spokesperson. As this matter is currently before the courts, An Garda Siochana is not in a position to comment further. Sligo County Council has secured 200k in funding to further develop plans, designs and carry out citizen engagement on the Sligo Gaol with the aim of securing further capital funding in 2025 for the renovation and adaptive reuse of this heritage building. Long vacant and derelict, this early 19th century Gaol is considered the best surviving Irish example of the Panopticon form of prison design where occupants could be watched at all times. In use from 1818 until its closure in 1956, the Gaol at times housed some of the leading figures in more recent Irish history including Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Davit, and Michael Collins. The project is seen as an ideal opportunity for citizens to engage with their Local Authority and contribute to the consultation to determine a sustainable end use for the building. The funding comes from THRIVE, the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme and awarded under the ERDF Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027. It aims to allow Local Authorities and citizens to reimagine and revitalise town centres though the renovation and reuse of publicly owned vacant or derelict heritage buildings. Local TD, Frank Feighan congratulated Sligo County Council officials for their application ensuring the project was nominated for inclusion. Denis Kelly, Director of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly said: The Regional Assemblies are committed to balanced regional development and the revitalisation of our towns as outlined in our Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies. With the support of the Government, THRIVE is leveraging ERDF funding to support community-led heritage regeneration projects, empowering local authorities and communities across the regions to unlock the full potential of their heritage assets. Paddy Austin, Assistant Director of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, said: The ERDF Northern and Western Regional Programme plays a critical role in supporting national and regional policy objectives but also a key European policy objective, to bring Europe closer to its citizens. As part of this, THRIVE funding will help local authorities to engage with their citizens to work with them to identify vacant or derelict heritage buildings that, when renovated and repurposed, can have a transformative effect on town centres. Local authorities in receipt of funding will be promoting the values and working principles of the New European Bauhaus an initiative of the European Union in their strategies and projects to ensure their projects are sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, inclusive and accessible. The Northern & Western Regional Assembly are currently evaluating THRIVE Strand 2 applications and expect to make awards for the first set of capital works projects under THRIVE in August 2024. Local authorities will have an opportunity to apply for another tranche of capital funding under THRIVE in a follow-on funding call in Spring 2025. The Friends of Sligo Gaol group welcomed the news that Sligo County Council has obtained the funding. Chairperson Tamlyn McHugh said: We congratulate Sligo County Council on their initiative in seeking the grant. The THRIVE funding is an ideal means of progressing the project. The Friends of Sligo Gaol (FOSG) are an independent, volunteer body formed in 2014. Their aim is to build on community support for the conservation of Sligo Gaol and to promote greater understanding and public awareness of its history and remarkable heritage. The group's eventual aim is to bring about the opening of the jail to the public. FOSG commissioned a feasibility study on the future of the jail, the findings of which were presented to Sligo County Council in January 2022. A train driver told an inquest how he blew the horn and applied the brakes when he saw two women walking towards him on the track. Padraig OGara was the driver of the 3:05pm Sligo to Dublin train that struck and fatally injured mother-of-four Jessica McLoughlin (40), near Ballisodare on 14 June 2023. Mr O'Gara attended todays inquest at Sligo Coroner's Court. In his deposition he told the coroner that he had just passed a long sweeping bend to the left when he saw the two women up ahead in the middle of the track, walking towards him. He said he was travelling 60 miles per hour and immediately blew the horn and applied the brakes to the emergency position. He said the two woman moved to the side of the track and while one of the women jumped clear, the other did not. Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 He said she stood on the outside of the rail track but remained on the track, crouched forward. Mr OGara said he continued to blow the horn as he knew she wasnt clear. Ms McLoughlin, of Rusheen Ard, Caltragh Co Sligo, sustained fatal injuries after she and her niece, Rebecca Leydon, 26, were involved in the collision. Coroner Eamonn MacGowan told Mr O'Gara that he did all that he could and could not have done anything else. Ms Leydon was also struck by the train and sustained a broken leg. In a statement, Ms Leydon, told the coroner that she and her aunt were going to get the train to Dublin for a day out. She said she thought it was around 1pm and that they had had a few drinks. She said they got off the train in Collooney because she left her phone in the shop in Sligo and that she felt guilty about this. They were walking back towards Sligo on the train line and didnt realise a train was due from Sligo. She said they heard the train horn and when she looked she didnt think it would hit them but they were struck by the steps. Ms Leydon said she did not remember much after that. She broke her leg and got staples in two spots. I miss my auntie Jessica. She helped me a lot. When I was homeless she gave me her bed, Ms Leydons deposition concluded. Ticket inspector Greg Flanagan told the coroner he was in the back cab when the horn sounded and there were 100 passengers on board. He said that he and the train driver were the only Irish Rail staff on board. The train came to a complete stop and he saw a woman about 100 metres back lying on the side of the line. He told the driver that if he wanted to stay where he was and contact the emergency services, he would attend the scene Mr Flanagan said one of the women was crying and trying to stand up and the other was moaning and lying on the ground and he could see she had serious injuries. He told the women not to move and that the emergency services were coming. He went back to the train and got a drink of water for the women and he told the driver the two women were injured and one was very serious. He went back to the women and stayed with them until emergency services arrived. Paramedic Kieran Currid, in a statement read out by Sergeant Grainne Fagan, said he brought the ambulance as far as he could at the scene and then went on foot down the railway line to the injured woman. One of the women was able to talk and they knew she was alive and so he and his colleague, Michael McGonigle, treated the other female. The woman was unresponsive with a major open wound to her lower left side. Initially she had a pulse and they treated the wound. She went into cardiac arrest and they started CPR and a doctor attended the scene. The doctor pronounced Ms McLoughlin dead at the scene at 4:28pm. Sgt Fagan read out her deposition. She said she was on duty at 3:45pm at Collooney Garda Station and she was informed of an incident on the rail line between Ballisodare and Collooney that two females had sustained injuries. She travelled to the scene and had a brief conversation with the train driver, Padraig OGara who said the train had collided with two females walking on the line. He said he had applied the emergency brakes and sounded the horn but the females didnt clear the line in time to avoid contact. She was informed there were 100 passengers on board and they had been instructed by Iarnrod Eireann not to disembark. The two females were being treated by emergency response personnel. Rebecca McLoughlin was brought to Sligo University Hospital. Sgt Fagan said she boarded the train and viewed CCTV footage at the time of impact. She observed Ms Leydon and Ms McLoughlin step off the track. Ms McLoughlin then leaned forward but remained in the path of the train and was ultimately struck. Sgt Fagan told the inquest she wanted to take the opportunity to convey her sincere condolences to Ms McLoughlins family. Dt Gda Sandra Deery of Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station in her deposition said that when she attended the scene, paramedics were working on the two casualties. The driver, Padraig OGara, told her that he blew the horn but the woman didnt clear the track. She preserved the scene and kept a log. Garda Seamus McGowan of Coolaney Garda Station told the inquest he was on duty from 4pm and took up preservation of the scene and escorted the body of Jessica McLoughlin to the mortuary at Sligo University Hospital at 8:50pm. At 9:31pm, the body of Jessica McLoughlin was formally identified to him by her brother, Jason McLoughlin. The autopsy was carried out by Dr Erich Langner at Sligo University Hospital on June 15, 2023. Dr Langer said the deceased died of multiple injuries related to trauma from colliding with a train. The toxicology showed presence of alcohol, cocaine, diazepam and prescription drugs which may have been a major contributory factor. The coroner recorded a narrative verdict that Ms McLoughlin had died from injuries sustained in a collision with a train, against a background of alcohol and drug intoxication. Mr MacGowan said he wished to give his sympathies to Jessicas family, present at the inquest, and particularly her niece Rebecca. He said Ms McLoughlin was a young woman and it was such a shame. He also wished the train driver, Mr O'Gara, the best for the future. He said he did all that he could and could do nothing else. Sergeant Derek Butler on behalf of An Garda Siochana also expressed sincere condolence to the family. Mr Declan Hegarty (solicitor) on behalf of Iarnrod Eireann also offered sympathies to the family. A SLIGO primary school debating team has been praised after reaching the last four from an entry of over 250 participants in the national Concern Primary Debates competition. The sixth class team from Sooey National School were runners up in a semi-final in Dublin against Emper National School from Co. Westmeath The top debaters (Jessica McGoldrick, Ruby McGowan, Niamh Kennedy) were applauded for their efforts after debating the motion that hunger is the most important global issue today. They will travel to the final of the contest at the Helix Theatre in Glasnevin, Dublin on June where they will receive their trophy for being one of the last four teams in the contest. Their proud teacher and team mentor, Thomas Egan, said the school has been involved in debating for many years, but that this was the first year they reached the last four of the Concern Primary Debates competition. We are immensely proud of both the girls who debated in the semi-final and also of our team of six, each of them contributing hugely to our progress this year, he said. They have all progressed immeasurably as debaters and learned so many skills along the way, not least the ability to listen to others and respond on their feet in the heat of a debate. Though the three girls who represented the school in the semi-final were disappointed with the outcome, they will benefit in the long run as they did themselves proud with their efforts on the day and with their remarkable dedication in the lead up to the debate. The Concern Primary Debates programme is run by the aid organisation Concern Worldwide in partnership with education support centres across the country and funding from the Governments overseas development agency, Irish Aid. The contest was created 40 years ago to encourage debate about global issues among young people. School debating teaches children so many positive skills and we are so proud of the hundreds of children who participated this year, said Concerns Primary Schools Programme Officer, Ruth Lynam. Debating gets students thinking and talking about global issues and gives them experiences and skills like critical thinking and public speaking that will benefit them through life. Anyone who would like their school to take part in next years competition is asked to ring 01 417 7733 or email primarydebates@concern.net. There is no record of knife attacks on staff at University Hospital Sligo and none of staff being assaulted with pepper spray or hammers or screwdrivers, last weeks meeting of the Regional Health Forum West was told. The issue had been raised by Cllr Declan Bree who told the meeting that councillors in Sligo were shocked last month when it was claimed at a meeting of the County Council, that there had been two knife attacks on staff in Sligo University Hospital. It was also claimed that a consultant was pepper sprayed by a patient in the Emergency Department, that other staff had been assaulted by people using hammers and screwdrivers and that the lives of staff were being put at risk. In this context I felt obliged to submit this query to todays meeting of the Regional Health Forum, particularly with regard to seeking a review of security procedures in the hospital. However, the response we have now received from Ms Ann Cosgrove, (Chief Operations Officer of the Saolta University Hospital Group), states there is no record of knife attacks on staff in the hospital, and there is no record of attacks on staff with pepper sprays, hammers or screwdrivers. I welcome this news and I expect it will come as a relief to many people, hospital staff and members of the public. According to the response there have been some minor assaults which have been described as mainly unintentional due to patients clinical presentation; patients with dementia, cognitive challenges and mental health challenges. I gather this is not unusual in hospitals. I note that in the period since the 1st of January 2023 one person is before the Courts in respect of a minor assault on a member of staff and in another case a person who was a patient is before the courts in respect of a minor assault on another patient. I am pleased to note that there are ongoing and regular reviews of security risk assessments and security procedures in the hospital. I wish to thank the hospital management for clarifying these issues, said Cllr Bree. IDF says eliminated head of Hamas headquarters in West Bank Jerusalem, May 27 (UNI) The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Monday that it had eliminated the head of Palestinian movement Hamas in the West Bank, Yassin Rabia, as well as another senior official, in an airstrike in the northwestern part of the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. "Earlier this evening, an IAF aircraft, in an IDF and ISA intelligence-based strike, eliminated the terrorist Yassin Rabia, the commander of Hamas leadership in Judea and Samaria, as well as Khaled Nagar, a senior official in Hamas Judea and Samaria wing. The strike was carried out in the area of Tal as Sultan, in northwest Rafah, based on precise intelligence," the IDF said on Telegram. The ancillary grant always paid for the secretary and caretaker at Ramsgrange NS, but changes to payment structures last year mean secretaries are now paid through the Department of Education directly. This year we got zero, said chairperson of the schools board of management, Cllr Michael Sheehan. Smaller schools are operating with zero margins and they cant afford to take a hit. He said the cost of paying a caretaker for a small school can run to around 6,500 a year. There are many small schools in Co Wexford and some arent DEIS schools, so the money you get from the ancillary grant is all you are going to get. DEIS schools might be able to switch money from one account to the other. Some national schools have relatively small enrolment numbers but like Ramsgrange, are big in size. Maintenance of the building is often very expensive. This is a national issue being pushed by the national primary principals association who are saying this is an issue that needs to be resolved. He said he is angered by what has happened and has contacted Minister for Education Norma Foley to alert her to the situation in Ramsgrange. I said there is a real risk we will have to reduce the services in the school and explained the unique situation at Ramsgrange. She was very receptive and she is having the case reviewed to see if there is anything that can be done to get this over the line. There is no other money due into national schools until next January so we are caught between a rock and a hard place. Cllr Sheehan said a more responsive approach is needed as every school has its own dynamic. The scheme is based on two classroom schools in rural areas but schools have gotten bigger. I think what the department should be looking at is rather than paying schools per student, they should be looking at the size of the schools. You could have a school with eight or nine rooms that arent in regular use, but they have to be maintained and heated. He said the government has invested heavily in education in Ireland in recent years. The broad strokes have been right from the school building to the free school books programmes and supports for SNAs etc, but there are always issues that need to be resolved. Budding Wicklow filmmakers are encouraged to apply for the Arts Councils Reel Art grant, which will see at least two film projects supported with funding of up to 135,000 Reel Art funding provides an opportunity for film artists to make highly creative, imaginative and experimental documentaries on an artistic theme for cinema exhibition. A total fund of up to 135,000 will be made available to successful applicants (to include a production budget of 120,000 and further exhibition support of 15,000). Only films that can be made within this budget will be considered. Sign up to the This is Wicklow newsletter here The closing date for applications is Thursday, June 6, and submitted projects must be completed on or before December 1, 2025. The films must be completed to premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival, the Arts Councils exhibition partner, in February 2026. Applicants will be notified in July 2024 if they have been shortlisted. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to discuss the details of their proposals with the selection panel, expected to be convened in July 2024. The Arts Councils purpose in offering Reel Art is to support film artists to make documentary art films that would not otherwise get made, an Arts Council spokesperson said. The award offers film artists a unique opportunity to make artistic film works on art subjects. Film artists should have a passion for their subject and be able to transpose this to the screen. Projects should be conceived for theatrical exhibition at film festivals and in arthouse/cultural-cinema settings. Only proposals for original, imaginative and aesthetically driven treatments of arts subjects will be considered, while proposals that offer visually engaging, creative and experimental approaches to their subject will be prioritised. Today's News in 90 seconds - 27th May 2024 A Reel Art film is not a television documentary. Subjects and treatments that are televisual rather than film will not be considered. Proposals for biographic treatments of artists will only be considered in exceptional cases where the proposed approach is particularly unique. A key aim of Reel Art is to complement, rather than duplicate, the documentary and other funding programmes offered by the Arts Council, broadcasters and funding agencies in Ireland, they added. Successful projects will be required to complete at least one Digital Cinema Print (DCP) for deposit at the IFI Archive as part of the delivery requirements for Reel Art. Provision for this should be made within the application budget. Apply online at artscouncil.ie It ultimately emerged some 2,000 items from the British Museum were found to be missing, damaged or stolen (Yui Mok/PA) The antiquities dealer who first raised the alarm over thefts from the British Museum has said he was absolutely certain he was providing incontrovertible evidence, but his claims were initially dismissed by the institution. Dr Ittai Gradel, who is also an academic and a collector, alerted the museum to his suspicions of thefts in 2021 but did not receive a reply for months and an initial internal investigation incorrectly concluded there was no basis to the claims. It ultimately emerged some 2,000 items were found to be missing, damaged or stolen. Dr Gradel told BBC Breakfast: Initially the British Museum didnt say anything. I waited for months and I wrote back to get an answer several times but it took, I think, five months before they finally replied that everything was was fine. Nothing was missing. Asked how certain he was that he was correct, Dr Gradel said: I was absolutely certain, 100%, the evidence I sent them was incontrovertible. There was absolutely no mistaking it. Some of a total of 626 items returned to the museum (British Museum/PA) The only alternative explanation would have been that I had actually falsified the documents I sent them, photoshopped them or something, because I was some attention-seeking nutter. The British Museum has since apologised to Dr Gradel and the director and deputy director left their posts. Some 626 items have since been returned and BBC News reported the FBI is investigating the sale of possible British Museum treasures to US buyers. The US law enforcement agency has also assisted with the return of 268 items, which the museum claims belong to it, that were sold to a collector in Washington DC, the BBC reported. The British Museum declined to comment on the FBIs involvement to the PA news agency. Legal proceedings were launched in March against former curator Dr Peter Higgs, who was dismissed in July last year. Dr Higgs, who worked within the department of Greece and Rome for more than 30 years, has been investigated by the Metropolitan Police but not charged. The High Court heard Dr Higgs intends to dispute the claim and Mrs Justice Heather Williams ordered him to return any stolen items he may have. Bjorn Ulvaeus says it is hard to grasp the legacy of Abba (Tom Bradley) Abba star Bjorn Ulvaeus has said it is hard to grasp the legacy that the bands music has. The musician was joined by bandmate Benny Andersson to reflect on the Swedish groups lasting impact as their show Abba Voyage marked two years in London. Avatars of Ulvaeus, Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad perform all their biggest hits to full houses in a specially made arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Svana Gisla, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Baillie Walsh and Ludvig Andersson at the Abba Arena on the second anniversary of Abba Voyage (Tom Bradley) Ahead of the show on Monday night, the 756th since it launched, the duo answered questions from celebrity fans in the audience, including actors Dame Joanna Lumley, Matt Lucas and Rosamund Pike, as well as musicians Rick Astley and Sharleen Spiteri. Reflecting on the bands impact, Ulvaeus said: Its very very hard to grasp emotionally that we wrote these little songs and it gave rise to this and the millions of people we have touched. We know its true but its very hard to understand. Maybe impossible. Andersson added: Ive seen the show so many times and I think we look good up there but I have no idea what it really is that makes people have it in them to want to listen to music that was done 50 years ago, 40 years ago, 30 years ago. Abba Voyage features 21 of the groups biggest hits, including Dancing Queen, Waterloo and Mamma Mia, and has already been seen by two million fans. Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson at the Abba Arena on the second anniversary of Abba Voyage (Tom Bradley) Ulvaeus said: Back in 79 I dont think we ever thought about being listened to in 10 years time. If you said something like this would happen in 50 years time, it would be preposterous, it just doesnt happen. Despite their prolific output, the duo have never collaborated with other artists but Andersson said he would not rule it out. Asked if they would ever work with someone like Dua Lipa or Lana Del Rey, Andersson said: I would say I will take a look. We have been asked but never done it. Reflecting on their biggest successes over the course of their lives, Andersson mentioned being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. He said: There are a moments when you know youve written a good tune. It doesnt happen often. Meanwhile, Ulvaeus highlighted Abbas Eurovision victory 50 years ago with Waterloo. He said: It has to be said, the feeling when you realise the whole world knows about it and the possibilities and the potential. Patrick Kielty is to receive an honorary doctorate from Ulster University (Michael Chester/PA) Comedian and TV host Patrick Kielty and former Irish president Mary Robinson are set to receive honorary doctorates from Ulster University. Artist Oliver Jeffers and Samantha Barry from US Glamour are also among this years cohort being honoured to inspire the universitys graduates. It comes during a year of celebrations marking 175 years of the Belfast School of Art at the university. Mr Jeffers said he is proud to return to Belfast School of Art this summer for the honour. He described the Belfast School of Art, where he once studied design for visual communication, as a facility that is intrinsic to the citys artistic and cultural heritage. Now dividing my time between Belfast and New York, this award strengthens my connection with the place where I grew up and I am grateful to Ulster University for the honour, he said. However, I do hope Im never on a flight when they ask if theres a doctor on board!. Ms Barry, originally from Co Cork and now based in New York where she is Glamours global editorial director for the Americas and transformed the titles annual women of the year awards to champion diversity, is being celebrated for her achievements in journalism. I am delighted to have been recognised by Ulster University for my work and so excited to be visiting this summer to join the occasion with thousands of graduates as they celebrate after years of hard work and prepare to embark on their careers, she said. Eamonn Mallie is being recognised for his significant contribution to journalism and broadcasting, Betty Carlisle is to be recognised for her work promoting shared education and empowering women from disadvantaged and deprived areas, and Sister Nuala Kelly for her outstanding contribution to the local community after transforming St Louisas College in west Belfast. Mary Robinson is being given an honorary doctorate by Ulster University (Brian Lawless/PA) Ulster University vice-chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew said they are aiming to celebrate inspirational local people making a global impact. Graduation is a special time of year as we celebrate our outstanding graduates as they come together with friends and family to mark their wonderful achievements, he said. We are committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders who will go on to make a genuine difference in their communities and respective professions in the years that follow their time at Ulster University. With that future in mind, it is a joy to celebrate the work of those inspirational and acclaimed local faces already making a global impact, and we are thrilled to bestow these honorary doctorates. These individuals are leaders in their fields and demonstrate great talent, creativity and integrity. We hope they will be an inspiration to the whole Ulster University community. The honorary doctorates will be conferred during summer graduations which take place from July 1 to 9 across Belfast, Coleraine and Londonderry. Billy Keane: The Leinster and Munster rivalry never gets old some of them are us and some of us are them More than 300 million children a year face sexual abuse online, study suggests first global estimate of crisis A researcher said the number of male offenders in the UK alone could stretch all the way from Glasgow to London The research suggests 300 million children face some sort of sexual abuse online every year (PA) Ryan McDougall Mon 27 May 2024 at 07:21 More than 300 million children a year are victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse, according to research. We wont jail teens for refusing new national service, says Tory party UK minister had ruled out the idea days before Rishi Sunak unveiled his plan UK prime minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty attend a Conservative general election campaign event in Stanmore in London. Photo: Reuters Nina Lloyd Mon 27 May 2024 at 03:30 Teenagers in the UK would not be sent to jail for defying the Tories proposed mandatory national service scheme, a government minister has said, as Labour branded the policy a gimmick. Octogenarian Hollywood actor Al Pacino enjoying being dad again 11 Oct 2024 | 3:33 PM New York, Oct 11 (UNI) Eighty-four-year-old Iconic actor Al Pacino, who portrayed Michael Corleone in the 1972 classic The Godfather, is enjoying being a late-in-life dad and thinks it has changed him for the better. see more.. Bollywood icons rally for gender inclusivity in cinema 10 Oct 2024 | 9:02 AM Mumbai, Oct 10 (UNI) Bollywood celebrities highlighted the need for promoting gender inclusivity in films and called for an urgent transformation within the industry, advocating for the creation of a more gender-sensitive environment that promotes equal opportunities, diverse representation, and inclusive narratives. see more.. You are the biggest superstar, Aamir tells Amitabh in KBC 09 Oct 2024 | 11:58 PM Mumbai, Oct 9 (UNI) Bollywood star Aamir Khan showered lavish praise on Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati saying, In my opinion, you are the biggest superstar India has ever had and will ever have. The Mahanayak Ka Mahotsav, will see Aamir Khan and his son Junaid Khan come together this Friday to celebrate the 82nd birthday of Big B, Bollywoods most sought-after icon, who has not only shaped the industry with his unmatched talent and charisma but has also inspired generations through his enduring resilience. see more.. Irish soldiers who served in Lebanon: I saw kids in buggies on Grafton Street and thought of the Arab boys and girls who were blown to bits The top United Nations court has ordered Israel to halt its military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israel insists it has the right to defend itself from Hamas militants and is unlikely to comply with the ruling. Britain did not bomb the streets of Ireland to take out the leaders of the IRA, an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has said as he justified seeking an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu. At least 14 people killed by powerful tornadoes as storms sweep through three US states Forecasters warn more extreme weather expected At least 14 people killed by powerful tornadoes in the US Maria Caspani Mon 27 May 2024 at 03:30 Powerful storms spawned tornadoes that swept across three states in the central US, killing at least 14 people and leaving a trail of destruction as forecasters warned of more severe weather on the way. THE US sheriff who supervised the prosecution of Tom and Molly Martens for the murder of Irish widower Jason Corbett has hit out as the father and daughter are about to be released early for the brutal killing. Former North Carolina sheriff David Grice made his first comments since the former FBI agent and his daughter successfully challenged their 2017 second degree murder convictions. Telangana To Unveil Six New Industrial Policies Post General Elections Indias southern state of Telangana will introduce six new industrial policies to upgrade its industrial sector, boost economic development and job creation, and make the state more competitive on a global scale. According to media reports, six new policies are set to be rolled out in the state of Telangana as it competes for investments for industrial development. The policies are: the MSME Policy, Export Policy, New Life Sciences Policy, Revised EV Policy, Medical Tourism Policy, and Green Energy Policy. In order to grow the textile industry in the state, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has also recommended developing rules that will assist local power loom and handloom workers. New policies to take advantage of Telanganas strengths Earlier this month, Reddy held a meeting with representatives of the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation to discuss the need for a revised industrial plan. The new policies pertaining to the medical tourism and life sciences industries aligned with Telanganas goal to be a leading life sciences hub in Asia, currently housing more than 800 life sciences companies with a combined value of US$50 billion. The updated industrial policy framework will place a particular emphasis on growing capital-intensive industries that have the potential to increase employment opportunities in the state. The state government is keen to update relevant policies to attract more investment and accelerate industrial growth in various sectors in Telangana, capitalizing on its high performing areas and expanding capacity and job prospects for locals. As per the media reports, the new policies are expected to be announced by the first week of June. Growing competition with other states Telangana, largely known as the hub of pharmaceutical manufacturing and IT service exports, is in a race with neighboring states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to expand its industry portfolio to attract more diversified foreign investments. In 2024, three major industry players announced their resolve to set up their units in Telangana with total investments worth over INR 220 billion (US$2.64 billion): JSW Neo Energy, a division of JSW Energy, declared its intentions to establish an INR 90 billion (US$1.08 billion) pumped storage project in Telangana. With an investment of INR 80 billion (US$ 962 million) spread over five years, GODI India Pvt Ltd will establish a manufacturing facility for giga-scale cells and related technologies, specializing in lithium and sodium ion batteries. Web Werks has declared that it will invest INR 52 billion (US$625 million) to build data centers in the state. D Sridhar Babu, Telanganas Minister of Information, Technology and Industries, has a three-pronged plan for industrial development in the state. Under the new policy framework, the state will be divided into three clusters by the government: The semi-urban cluster, which lies between the Outer Ring Road and the Regional Ring Road The urban cluster within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) The rural cluster, which extends beyond the Regional Ring Road Upgrading and releasing new industrial policies were among key campaign promises made by the now ruling Congress political party in the run up to the 2023 Telangana state assembly elections. Indias 29th state of Telangana was formed on June 2, 2014, after which the first state government established the Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification System (TS-iPASS) by an Act in 2016. Since then, there had been no changes to the industrial policy. Summary The six new policies impacting MSMEs, exports, life sciences, electric vehicles, medical tourism, and green energy are expected to make Telanganas industrial ecosystem more competitive and offer more attractive incentives to prospective investors. The state is already a prominent base in India for pharmaceutical manufacturing and IT service exports, but seeks to expand its industrial capacity and diversify sector offerings. The new industrial policies will be the first update since 2016, and are aligned with the states long term plans. (US$1=INR83.09) The Sona College of Technology has been assessed by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and awarded the NAAC A++ ranking with a score of 3.65. NAAC A++ is the highest ranking awarded by NAAC, an autonomous body of the University Grants Commission, to a higher education institution for demonstrating high standards of professionalism and academic excellence. A team of academicians and education administrators, nominated by NAAC, evaluated Curriculum Aspects, Teaching, Learning and Evaluation; Research, Innovation and Extension; Infrastructure and Learning Resources; Student Support and Progression; Governance, Leadership and Management; and Institutional Values and Best Practices of the Sona College of Technology before awarding this grade. The NAAC++ ranking assigned to an institution serves to guide the potential students and their parents to gain holistic understanding of the Quality Status of the institution, said Principal Dr SRR Senthilkumar. The score of 3.65 assigned to Sona College represents a significant improvement since the previous evaluation done five years ago, he added. To put the score in perspective, an institute of the eminence of the Indian Institute of Science has a NAAC++ score of 3.69 while the Manipal Institute of Technology too has the same score as Sona of 3.65. During their visit to the Sona College, the evaluation team were apprised of the progress made by the College by way of induction of new courses. The NAAC A++ ranking is applicable for 14 undergraduate engineering programs and 10 postgraduate engineering programs, including MBA and MCA offered by the Sona College. Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Mr C Valliappa said, We are proud of the contribution made by the College in taking forward the 67-year-old legacy of preparing the much-sought after engineering talent in Salem and beyond. Sona students are demonstrating their strong engineering prowess within India as well as in countries as far as Japan, among others. Mr Chocko Valliappa, Vice Chairman, Sona College of Technology added that the Sona faculty had in the past five years made 130 patent applications, out of which 28 patents have already been received. The NAAC A++ accreditation will propel Principal SRR Senthilkumar and heads of 36 R&D laboratories to further enhance their research effort towards commercialisation. It may be recalled that last year Sona Colleges SonaSPEED lab supplied the permanent magnet simplex stepper motor used in mixture ratio control at the launch stage of ISROs Chandrayan-3 mission. The researchers also supplied the 25KW Quadruplex BLDC Motor used in the helicopter hoist for lifting the Reusable Launch Vehicle to 4.5 km altitude and releasing it for autonomous landing on the runway at Chitradurga. Talking about the strong industry-academia connection, Mr. Thyagu Valliappa, Vice Chairman, said, The 300-strong and committed faculty team, in addition to building strong foundations in engineering disciplines among students encourages them to engage in research projects during their internships to hone their application skills to prepare them for the world of work upon graduation. The evaluation team also met with the parents, alumni, faculty and employers recruiting Sona graduates during the visit. Taking cognizance of the contributions made by the institution in academics, research, innovation, infrastructure improvement the NAAC team has awarded its highest grade of A++ with a score of 3.65 out of a maximum of 4.00. Dr P Suresh, Coordinator, Sona Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) thanked faculty, staff, students, parents, employers and alumni for their valuable contribution in the successful conduct of assessment process and positive outcome. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Arvind Kejriwal New Delhi/IBNS: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has requested the Supreme Court to extend his interim relief- expiring on June 2- by seven days in connection with the liquor policy case, media reports said. Kejriwal, who heads Delhi's ruling AAP, was granted the interim bail to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections, which will conclude with its seventh and last phase on June 1. The AAP supremo has cited the need for some of his medical tests behind his seeking for an extension of the interim bail. If not granted, Kejriwal will have to return to Delhi's Tihar Jail on June 2. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in the Delhi liquor policy case from his official residence in Delhi. The central investigative agency asserts that he played a central role in the scam and was directly implicated in soliciting kickbacks from liquor barons. The Supreme Court said that Kejriwal would not be permitted to carry out his official responsibilities due to "may have a cascading effect" even if he is granted interim bail while in jail. In his first public comments after leaving jail, Kejriwal had thanked "all the judges of the top court". Photo Courtesy: Screengrab from viral video A newly married couple lost their lives in the fire tragedy which occurred at a gaming zone in Gujarat's Rajkot recently. The deceased also included the husband's sister-in-law. Akshay Dholaria, who was studying in Canada, and his wife Khyati Svaliwea were celebrating their court marriage at Rajkot's TRP Game Zone on Saturday evening, along with Khyati's sister Harita, when they fell victim to the massive fire that swept through it, reported India Today. Akshay's family was quoted as saying by the news channel that the couple was gearing up for a grand wedding in December this year. The police have asked for the DNA samples from the victim's parents to confirm their identity, reported India Today. The Gujarat High Court on Monday rapped the state government and local body over their lapses after a fire at a gaming zone in Rajkot killed 28 people, media reports said. The court ripped apart the local body and state government, both ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), over the operation of the two gaming zones for about 2 years each without required permits. The high court stated as quoted by NDTV, "This has been going on for two-and-a-half years (referring to the Rajkot gaming zone). Are we to assume you turned a blind eye? What do you and your followers do?" The court came down heavily upon the government after a few Rajkot municipal body officers were seen at the gaming stations. "Who were these officers? Did they go there to play?" the court said. In a fiery remark, it added, "Have you gone blind? Did you fall asleep? Now we do not trust the local system and the state." The gaming zone, called TRP, was packed with visitors due to a weekend discount offer with tickets priced at just Rs. 99 when the fire broke out. It is suspected that the fire might have started due to a short circuit, but officials said that the exact cause will be known only after a probe. The intensity of the fire was such that smoke was visible from several kilometers away. The bodies were charred beyond recognition, officials said. The DNA samples of the bodies and the victim's relatives have been collected for identification. The owner and manager of the TRP game zone, where the fire broke out on Saturday evening, have been detained. Minister Cortes fosters Morocco relations The Minister with responsibility for developing relations with the Kingdom of Morocco, John Cortes, met with a delegation representing Moroccan NGOs and media who visited Gibraltar last week. Also present were representatives of the Gibraltar Morocco Business Association. Minister Cortes addressed the delegation, explaining the relationship between Gibraltar and Morocco, and highlighting the support received from our southern neighbours during and since the closed frontier days. He explained that this was the first time that HM Government of Gibraltar had a Minister with responsibility for relations with Morocco specifically included in their portfolio. He also stressed the links between our communities and work to enhance contact and exchanges between both sides of the Strait. Photo courtesy: X/Prajwal Revanna Suspended Janata Dal (United) leader Prajwal Revanna, who fled to Germany last month, following horrific sex crimes allegations by women who said he forced them into sexual acts, released a statement Monday, claiming comments and "political drama" by opposition leaders drove him to "depression and isolation". "I apologise to my parents... I was in depression. I will come (back to India) and appear before the SIT (a special investigative team set up by the state government) on May 31 (Friday)," Revanna said as reported in the media. "I will cooperate to the best of my abilities and provide all answers. I have full faith in the legal system (and) I will come out of these false cases against me. I have the blessings of God and my family..." On May 1, four days after he fled the country, Revanna posted a message on X saying, "I am not in Bengaluru... I have communicated (to the police) through my lawyer. The truth will prevail soon." Revanna is the grandson of ex-Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and nephew of ex-Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. He represented Karnataka's Hassan Lok Sabha seat in the outgoing term and has been nominated to defend the constituency in the 2024 general election. The JDS is allied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP. Revanna's message comes after a stern warning from Deve Gowda, who told his grandson to return home and surrender "or face your family's anger". Allegations against him include include rape, sexual assault, disrobing women, and forcibly video-graphing sexual acts to intimidate the victims. Prajwal reportedly fled to Germany on April 27, a day after polling concluded in Hassan, where he was re-contesting his seat. A Blue Corner Notice has been issued by Interpol at the behest of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and an arrest warrant from a Special Court is currently active. His father, HD Revanna, a 66-year-old former minister, was arrested by the state police on May 4 in connection with an alleged kidnapping case of a woman allegedly raped by Prajwal Revanna and is currently out on bail. The Congress government in Karnataka has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe these cases. However, the BJP and JD(S)NDA partnershave called for the cases to be handed over to the CBI and for action against those responsible for circulating the obscene videos. File image of INDIA Alliance meeting/ courtesy: INC Facebook New Delhi/IBNS: Top leaders of the INDIA alliance are scheduled to meet on June 1, the last day of the mammoth seven-phase polling, to assess their performance in the Lok Sabha Elections. According to reports, Congress supremo Mallikarjun Kharge, who also happens to be a prominent leader of the opposition alliance, will convene the meeting. Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will give the meeting a skip given polling on nine seats in her state on the same day. "The INDIA team is holding a meeting on June 1. I have told them I can't join as we have an election on 9 seats in West Bengal on the same day. Punjab, Bihar and UP also have elections on June 1. Cyclone relief is also my priority right now," she said. Earlier Mamata Banerjee said she is very much a part of the INDIA alliance, which she claimed to be her "brainchild" a day after stating to give 'external' support to the bloc to form government at the Centre. The agenda of the meeting will include discussions on the opposition's strategy ahead of the declaration of the results on June 4. They will also evaluate their performance in the Lok Sabha Elections. The opposition alliance, comprising 28 parties, has expressed confidence to return to power even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims his party will secure a straighter third term at the Centre. Photo courtesy: Saayoni Ghosh Facebook and IBNS File Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has explained the reason behind opting for actress-turned politician Saayoni Ghosh as the Trinamool Congress candidate from the Jadavpur constituency, which was won by Tollywood star Mimi Chakraborty five years ago, for the Lok Sabha polls. Speaking at a rally in Jadavpur, Mamata claimed Mimi was a "good girl" but she was busy with films. Mamata said, "Mimi is a very good girl. She is a good actress. She acts really well. But she remains very busy with films. I can't ask someone to quit her profession. Despite her busy schedule, she performed all duties whenever we asked her to. She tried to work as much as she could." Photo courtesy: Saayoni Ghosh Facebook The TMC supremo claimed she wanted Mimi, who resigned as the Lok Sabha MP in February this year, to contest from an alternate seat. "Even I had asked her to contest from a different seat. I didn't drop her candidature. She is a good girl so I wish her well. But I personally wanted Saayoni as Jadavpur candidate to control some people in the constituency," Mamata, who defeated CPI-M stalwart Somnath Chatterjee in her first electoral contest in 1984 from Jadavpur, said. "Saayoni will be able to fight fiercely," she added. On February 15, Mimi, who won from Jadavpur by a mammoth margin, went to the state assembly in Kolkata to submit her resignation. Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Mimi said, "Definitely I have resigned. My resignation is not accepted by the Chief Minister. She said 'she will take care of everything'. I have executed what I had in my mind. "I have always maintained that I joined politics to become a leader or a politician but a worker to serve people. But I can work for people even without politics. But Didi hasn't accepted and I don't know whether she will accept or not." When Mimi was asked whether she had differences with local TMC leaders, "Yeah... with the local leadership." Photo courtesy: X/@mimichakraborty Interestingly, TMC has never repeated its candidate for Lok Sabha polls since 2009. But the party has won on all occasions. Saayoni, who joined the TMC in 2021, had unsuccessfully contested from Asansol Dakshin, which was won by Bharatiya Janata Party's Agnimitra Paul. Jadavpur will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of elections on June 1. Video Grab of stage collapse/ courtesy: X New Delhi/IBNS: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders narrowly escaped a major accident when the stage set up for their campaign in Bihar, ahead of the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections, suddenly collapsed. A video of the incident has been circulating on social media. It shows the leaders standing on the stage, holding hands, just as they were about to address the public gathering. Suddenly, the stage collapsed, causing everyone to lose their balance and grab onto each other for a few moments. Rahul, who was standing next to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Lalu Prasads daughter Misa Bharti, was seen holding her hand when the stage broke. Despite the fright, both the leaders remained composed and even exchanged smiles with concerned security personnel who rushed to their aid. The event took place in Paliganj, on the outskirts of Patna, and was organised to support Misa Bhartis candidacy for the Patliputra Lok Sabha seat. After the incident, the Congress leader continued with the rally, speaking to the crowd and expressing his support for Bhartis campaign. The Bharatiya Janata Party did not miss the opportunity to attack the INDIA alliance and said just like the stage collapse, the opposition bloc would meet the same fate. Just like the stage collapsed hearing "Rahul Gandhi zindabaad", the ghamand of the entire Ghamandiya alliance will also collapse on 4th June! pic.twitter.com/1N78GGgKzO Vishnu Vardhan Reddy (Modi ka Parivar) (@SVishnuReddy) May 27, 2024 Rahul who is in Bihar, addressing back-to-back election rallies in support of Mahagathbandhan candidates in the state. At a campaign event in Bakhtiyarpur earlier in the day, the Congress leader said that Narendra Modi will not become prime minister again, as there is a clear wave of support for the INDIA bloc across the country. He claimed that if the INDIA bloc is voted into power, they would scrap the Agnipath scheme for defence service recruitment and deposit Rs 8,500 into every womans account each month. Representative Photo Courtesy: Unsplash/ Mohammed Ibrahim The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has claimed dozens of people were killed or injured after a blast targeted a refugee camp in Rafah area, media reports said on Monday. Israel Defense Forces claimed it carried out an airstrike targeting Hamas compound in Rafah. IDF claimed two senior Hamas officials were killed in the airstrike. They were identified as Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar. IDF said Rabia managed the entirety of Hamas' terrorist activity in Judea and Samaria, transferred funds to terrorist targets and planned Hamas terrorist attacks throughout Judea and Samaria. "He also carried out numerous attacks, in which IDF soldiers were killed," IDF posted on X. Eliminated in the precise airstrike in northwest Rafah: Hamas Chief of Staff in Judea and Samaria and an additional senior Hamas official. Terrorist #1: Yassin Rabia Rabia managed the entirety of Hamas' terrorist activity in Judea and Samaria, transferred funds to terrorist https://t.co/iaGrw8WJ4f Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 26, 2024 Speaking on the other Hamas official, IDF said: "Nagar, a senior official in Hamas Judea and Samaria Headquarters, directed shooting attacks and other terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria and transferred funds intended for Hamas terrorist activities in Gaza. He also carried out several deadly terrorist attacks in which IDF soldiers were killed." The rocket launcher that fired 8 projectiles from the area of Rafah toward central Israel was situated near 2 mosques. Shortly after the attack, the rocket launcher was struck by an IAF aircraft. While we facilitate aid to the Rafah area, Hamas fires rockets toward Israeli https://t.co/X0ti5trL36 pic.twitter.com/2Jt8ve8BT1 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 26, 2024 Hamas on Sunday claimed to have launched a rocket attack towards Tel Aviv city in Israel, media reports said. It is the first time such an attack launched by the group on Israel in four months. Eight rockets were launched from the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip at central Israel, Israel Defense Forces told The Times of Israel. In a X post, IDF wrote: " A barrage of rockets was launched from Rafah toward central Israel moments ago." A barrage of rockets was launched from Rafah toward central Israel moments ago. Humanitarian aid has been going into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing this morning, and now rockets are being fired at central Israel. This is what it looked like from the Rafah Crossing: pic.twitter.com/wmQyVL4NKK Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 26, 2024 "Humanitarian aid has been going into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing this morning, and now rockets are being fired at central Israel," the X post said. The Israeli army is carrying out a military operation in Rafah, reported BBC. IDF earlier said rocket sirens were sounded over Tel Aviv and Central Israel. On its telegram channel, the Hamas's military wing, Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said it launched a "big missile" attack on Tel Aviv, reported BBC. Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday (May 24, 2024) issued new provisional measures that order Israel to immediately end military operations in Rafah in southern Gaza and to open the governates border crossing for urgent aid deliveries. This follows a request from South Africa in a pending case accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Reading the new provisional measures in an open session at the court in The Hague, ICJ Justice Nawaf Salam announced that Israel must abide by its obligations under the Genocide Convention to immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah governate which may inflict upon the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that would bring about its physical destruction in whole and in part. The court issued that decision by 13 votes in favour to two against. The new provisional measures came in response to South Africas request made on 10 May related to its initial accusations in December that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention during the war in Gaza, which broke out after Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October that killed more than 1,200 people and left another 250 taken hostage. Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons The United States has expressed deep 'concern' over the joint military drills conducted by the Peoples Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan. "We are monitoring PRC activities closely and coordinating with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns," US Department of State official spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. Miller urged Beijing to act with restraint. "Using a normal, routine, and democratic transition as an excuse for military provocations risks escalation and erodes longstanding norms that for decades have maintained peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is critical for regional and global security and prosperity and a matter of international concern," he said. Miller said: " The United States remains committed to its longstanding one China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances." The US issued the statement after China reportedly launched two days of military exercises around Taiwan. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay In a shocking incident, a woman was allegedly raped by a staff member at Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Pakistan's Lahore city. According to police, the staff member raped woman by assuring early heart surgery of father, who is admitted to the PIC, reported ARY News. The suspected person has been arrested after a complaint was lodged in the incident. Police have launched a further investigation into the incident. After a three day grand pre-wedding party in Jamnagar, Gujarat, the Ambanis are all set to host a second pre-wedding bash for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Italy. As expected it is going to be a grand star-studded affair. From Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt to Salman Khan and MS Dhoni, celebrities have already left for the four-day party on a cruise ship. The party will start in Italy on March 29 and end in Southern France on June 1. Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani's 2nd Pre-Wedding Invite Goes Viral! X "These days when friends come together will be the adventure of a lifetime, a journey of discovery and exploration in Italy and France." The second pre-wedding bash will begin on March 29 wherein guests will be welcomed with a lunch party. The dress code is classic cruise. In the evening, there's Starry Night, for which the guests have to wear western formals. On May 30th, there's an event called Roman Holiday for which the attendees are supposed to wear tourist chic attires. At night, there's a Toga Party, which is a Greco-Roman-themed costume party where attendees wear a garment inspired by ancient Roman clothing with sandals. On May 31st, there's an event called "V turns one under the sun". This is perhaps first birthday celebration of Akash Ambani And Shloka Mehta's daughter Veda Aksha Ambani. In the evening, there's Le Masquerade and an after-party called Pardon My French. On June 1, there's an event called La Dolce Vita, which means the sweet the good life. 800 guests, 600 staff members It is said that about 800 guests are invited for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's second pre-wedding bash. From Shah Rukh Khan to Salman Khan, a lot of Bollywood stars will grace the occasion like last time. Furthermore, there will 600 staff members to serve these 800 guests. It is definitely going to be a grand affair. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. We all strive to make our resumes stand out by enhancing their design, layout, and appearance. However, a former recruiter for Google, Apple, Samsung, and Nvidia advises a different approach: keep your resumes 'boring.' Keep resumes simple and straightforward According to Stefanie Fackrell, who has spent around 15 years in the recruitment industry, simple and straightforward resumes are the most effective. Also read: Debunking Resume Myths: Recruiter Reveals What You Should Delete From Your CV Fackrell, now an HR consultant, advises against using colors, charts, graphs, or pictures. Instead, she recommends a clean format that highlights the job seeker's accomplishments. Representational Image "When I used to work at Google, people would always submit artistic resumes with charts and the Google colors," Fackrell shared with CNBC Make It. Rather than listing titles and achievements, these resumes often used columns and quadrants. However, Fackrell believes such designs can make the content harder to read. She emphasised the importance of a resume that presents your qualifications clearly and concisely within 10 to 60 seconds. Getty "A resume is showcasing you in a 10-to-60-second format on paper," Fackrell noted. She advised telling a compelling story and ensuring the document is no longer than two pages to stand out in a competitive applicant pool. Other dos and don'ts of a good resume Fackrell also highlights a common mistake: listing daily tasks instead of achievements. Also read: 'Important To Have, Doesn't Matter If It's 2 Pages': How A Two-Page Resume Helped Woman Land Jobs At Amazon, Google "Where a lot of people make mistakes on their resume is theyre listing out their daily job duties," she told CNBC Make It. Instead, resumes should showcase accomplishments mixed with some job duties. Simply listing duties leaves hiring managers wondering about your contributions and suggests a lack of effort in crafting the resume, which could reflect poorly on your potential job performance. Unsplash Another crucial element Fackrell examines is how dates of employment are presented. Some candidates list only the years, which isn't a red flag but does raise questions. "It makes recruiters think, 'what are they trying to get away with?'," says Fackrell. Fackrell advises using both the month and year to provide complete information. For more information on exams, results and careers, please visit Indiatimes Education. A teacher in Bihar has come under scrutiny after videos surfaced showing her making Instagram Reels while grading answer sheets. The videos, which have gone viral on social media, depict the teacher in a classroom with other evaluators, casually awarding marks to students without reviewing their answers. This incident has led to the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against the teacher. Indiatimes couldnt independently verify the time and location of the videos. One of the videos was shared on Twitter by the handle @BiharTeacherCan, with a caption in Hindi. When translated to English, it reads, A reel of a PPU exam paper being checked went viral on Instagram, resulting in an FIR being filed against the teacher. , FIR pic.twitter.com/pv14DIwKsA Educators of Bihar (@BiharTeacherCan) May 26, 2024 In another video, shared by the handle @ChapraZila, the teacher is seen gesturing to someone behind the camera, asking them to focus on the answer sheet she is evaluating. These videos have sparked widespread reactions from social media users, who expressed concerns about the quality of the evaluation process. Also Read: Get Fit & Healthy With Chole Bhature: Delhi Eatery's Weight Loss Tip Goes Viral On Social Media One user commented, Strict action should be taken against her. Another observed, She didnt even read what is written on the page. A third user questioned, Did that madam read what is written on the copy? while a fourth remarked, Ye check bhi kar rahi hai kuch [Is she even checking anything]? Viral Video: Terrifying Stunt! Tamil Nadu Man Rides Bike Atop Road Divider, Shocking Video Goes Viral The incident has also drawn criticism of the broader educational system. A fifth user noted, Reality of the system, and a sixth shared, They dont even read the answers. The goal is to maximize the number of papers they check, as the incentive is tied to the number of copies checked. In the evening, they gossip: Are hum kaha, aap sabse jyada janche hain. [You checked more copies than us]. This controversy highlights concerns about the integrity of the examination evaluation process in Bihar, prompting calls for stricter oversight and accountability among educators. The viral nature of these videos has amplified public outcry, emphasizing the need for reforms to ensure fair and thorough grading of student exams. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. The Care Agency Hosts Successful Open Day at St Bernadettes Resource Centre The Care Agency hosted an open day at St Bernadettes Resource Centre. The event welcomed allied health professionals, Government stakeholders and local charities who collaborate with the Care Agency, offering them an exclusive insight into the diverse and essential services the organisation provides. The open day featured various Care Agency departments, each setting up informative stalls that served as showcases for the invaluable work they do, allowing attendees to engage directly with the staff and learn about the wide range of services offered. The open day fostered stronger relationships between the Agency, allied health professionals, Government stakeholders, and local charities. It was a day filled with meaningful interactions, informative presentations and a collective commitment to enhancing community care. CEO of the Care Agency, Carlos Banderas, expressed his profound appreciation and gratitude towards his staff, highlighting the incredible teamwork that made the event a resounding success. He said: "The dedication and passion of our teams are truly inspiring. Todays event has given us a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the vital services we provide to our community every day." Minister for Health and Care, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, stated: "The Care Agency carry out a great role, which is an absolute pleasure to support. Its staff are committed to the Care Agencys mission of delivering exceptional care services and look forward to further collaboration with its partners to continue improving the lives of those in the community." In India, becoming a doctor or an engineer has long been the desired career path for many individuals. Now, a recent statement by Kunal Shah, CEO of fintech company CRED, has compared the two professions, suggesting that engineers might soon be in a position to outshine doctors in the job market. How doctors could 'eat' engineers' jobs Kunal Shah recently voiced his opinion on X, suggesting that "Engineers may eat doctors jobs." Kunal Shah, CRED Founder This assertion likely stems from the ongoing surge of technological innovations, with engineers spearheading many of these breakthroughs. It's undeniable that emerging technologies like industrial robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are progressing rapidly, reshaping various industries in the process. Engineers may eat doctors jobs. Kunal Shah (@kunalb11) May 25, 2024 How did people react? Ever since it was shared, the post has amassed an impressive 61.8K views and garnered 3.2k likes, sparking a lively debate in the comments section. One doctor responded with a plea, "Please do. We are understaffed," while another echoed this sentiment, urgently requesting, "I need you to come to our transplant unit ASAP. We are understaffed." However, not everyone agreed with the notion. Some found it peculiar, commenting, "Doctors before CAs or lawyers? Seems odd," while another urged caution, advising, "Stop listening to every opinion on the internet folks." The doctor clapped back in an X postThe doctor clapped back in an X post | Image: Canva Delving deeper into the discussion, one comment highlighted the intricacies of the medical profession, stating, "Unlikely. The hard part of medicine isn't applying known techniques, but dealing with the unknown and uniquely human. An AI might determine the best antibiotic, but it takes a doctor to convince the stubborn patient to take it, or notice subtle signs that something deeper is wrong." Meanwhile, some took a more light-hearted approach, poking fun at the journey to becoming an engineer. One remarked, "Engineers first need to secure engineering jobs," while another quipped, "The joke is first you become an engineer and then you decide what you want to become." Summing up the diverse viewpoints, one individual pondered the impact of AI on future job landscapes, stating, "It's gonna be so interesting to see how the job landscape will change in the upcoming years. I don't want to make any predictions, but I'm excited." For more information on exams, results and careers, please visit Indiatimes Education. An Indian woman living in London faced a frustrating ordeal despite gathering over a hundred documents to secure a visa and solely wishing to invest in Europe. Her Schengen visa application was denied, and now she is sharing her experience, a story that will resonate with many other Indians who have struggled to obtain a Schengen visa due to a lack of available interview slots. A Schengen visa is a short-term visa that allows individuals to travel within the Schengen Area, which comprises 27 European countries that have abolished passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders. The visa permits travel for tourism, business, or family visits for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Not interested in settling in Europe Aashima Arora, a venture capitalist and partner at LocalGlobe who grew up in Delhi, shared pictures of the hundreds of pages of documents she prepared for her visa appointment. Ashima Arora She expressed frustration, hoping authorities would understand that she needs the visa for work, not to settle illegally in Europe. She posted on X, "Europe, I promise I dont want to marry your men or leave London to illegally stay in your cities. Also promise to spend > $250 a day. Please just grant me a TOURIST visa!" Europe, I promise I dont want to marry your men or leave London to illegally stay in your cities. Also promise to spend > $250 a day. Please just grant me a TOURIST visa! Yes, that is 100+ pages of printed documents. pic.twitter.com/n90BbvHz6w Ash Arora (@0xashesonchain) May 22, 2024 Why are Indians not getting a Schengen visa interview? Last month, the European Union (EU) announced that Indian nationals can now apply for multiple-entry Schengen visas valid for up to 5 years. However, the wait time for Schengen visas is particularly long for Indian travelers planning to visit popular destinations like France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Also read: Not Getting A Schengen Visa Interview For Your European Vacation This Summer? You Are Not Alone Unsplash According to the travel and tourism industry, many Indians are unable to travel to Europe due to the unavailability of interview slots. This shortage of slots also leads to significant financial losses from cancellation charges, as applicants must book flights and hotels in advance. To give an idea of the demand among Indians for travel to Europe - In 2023, approximately 970,000 Indians applied for Schengen visas, the third-highest number globally. This marks a 44 percent increase from 670,000 applications in 2022. The trend is expected to continue as more Indians choose to travel abroad for vacations. For more information on exams, results and careers, please visit Indiatimes Education. Amidst the bustling streets of Sydney, Australia, a 67-year-old Indian-origin chef has made waves with his culinary venture. A viral video captures the poignant moment as the chef stands alone at his food stall during an event in Sydney, with no customers in sight. No one visits Indian pop-up stall The Instagram clip portrays Padam Vyas, the esteemed head chef at The Colonial Restaurants, standing solemnly at an empty food stall during an event in Sydney. Instagram Shared on The Colonial Restaurants' Instagram page, the video bears the poignant caption, "No one came to try his food, eliciting an outpouring of support from the online community. In the footage, Chef Vyas is depicted seated at a pop-up food stall, meticulously presenting a variety of dishes in anticipation of patrons. However, the camera pans to reveal the stark absence of customers. Later, the scene shifts to capture the chef hurriedly seeking shelter from the rain. Instagram Accompanying the video, the caption laments, "Our beloved Head Chef @himalayansaltsydney made food for the people of Sydney but no one came :(" Here's the post: How people reacted In the comments section, people poured out their support for Chef Vyas. One commenter expressed, "Well their loss The food looks FABBB," while another chimed in, "His food looks delicious, they don't know what they're missing." Others extended their support from across the globe, with one commenter from Texas sending "lots of good vibes," and another expressing solidarity and love from the United States. Amidst the outpouring of encouragement, one commenter captured the collective sentiment, lamenting, "He looks soo sad...I hope atleast one kind hearted person would have visited his shop. He must have put too much efforts preparing all that...Even that one person would have made others feel encouraged to try this Chachu's food. He looks as old as my Grandpa...and I can't bear too see him standing there all sad." Speaking to HT.com, Chef Vyas, 67, shed light on the situation, explaining, "A few people came. It was a nasty day. It was raining... People who are trolling, they don't know. They dont know the atmosphere and the system in Australia." He clarified that licenses are required for outdoor catering in Australia, emphasising, "Without that, you can't do catering." For more information on exams, results and careers, please visit Indiatimes Education. With the European Parliament elections just two weeks away, Greek officials are urging voters who wish to cast their ballots by mail to act quickly. Failure to comply with the new vote-in procedures require voters to cast their ballot in person on election day. Voting in Greece is mandatory. Officials in Athens said that as of May 24, the majority of the electoral documents had been successfully delivered to nearly 96 percent of the 202,516 registered postal voters across Greece and in over 120 countries worldwide. This marks a significant milestone in the countrys electoral process, showcasing the governments commitment to facilitating voter participation. The process is a litmus test for allowing postal voting in national elections. Challenges, however, remain. More than 60,000 voters have yet to receive their sealed ballots, according to official data. The deadline for the ballots to reach the final destination is set for 17:00 Greek time on the eve of the elections, June 8. Voters residing abroad must send their ballots by May 28, while those in Greece have until June 4. Ballots that fail to arrive on time at the collection site will be returned unopened to the sender. These voters, along with those who do not send their ballots at all, will have the opportunity to vote in person at their registered polling station after 11:00 am on election day. Officials said that 41 registered voters in countries where courier services could not deliver electoral materials, including Ukraine, North Korea, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, and certain U.S. territories, will be allowed to vote at local consular offices. Security measures, meantime, are in place to ensure the integrity of the postal voting process. The Peristeri Exhibition Center, where the ballots are stored, is under constant police surveillance and closed-circuit television monitoring. On election day, a special committee will process the postal votes, counting them on election night. iefimerida.gr In a strategic move to alleviate the housing crisis, Greeces conservative government is considering new regulations targeting short-term rental services like Airbnb. The proposed measures aim to bolster the long-term rental housing supply and curb escalating rent prices, offering a much-needed respite for families seeking affordable accommodations. The economic leadership is reviewing suggestions from administrative officials and market entities, with definitive decisions slated for announcement by fall. The primary focus is on tax -related adjustments, particularly incentives encouraging property owners to favour long-term leases over short-term rental platforms. The proliferation of short-term rentals has markedly diminished the availability of properties for stable, long-term leasing, significantly driving up both rental and housing market prices. Approximately 700,000 homes stand vacant, as declared by their owners, further constricting the housing supply. An estimated release of 15-20 percent of these homes for rent could notably impact housing availability and the broader real estate market. The effectiveness of the new measures will be closely monitored against the backdrop of this years tourism season, officials have said. The past year, they say, showed a substantial increase in taxable income from short-term rentals, with reported earnings exceeding 720 million euros, a marked rise from 530 million euros in 2022. The regulations effective from January 1 include: Operating three or more properties for short-term rental will be classified as a business activity, obligating owners to pay insurance contributions, business fees, and VAT starting from the first property. The minimum income to be declared in 2025 will be based on the standard income for freelancers. A transient occupancy tax of 0.5% is introduced, irrespective of the number of properties owned. A climate crisis resilience fee of 1.5 euros per day per room or apartment is established from March to October, and 0.50 euros for November to February. For single-family homes over 80 square meters, the fee is 10 euros per day. This fee is charged to the occupant. Penalties for non-registration in the Short-Term Rental Property Registry have been intensified. A standalone administrative fine, equal to 50% of the gross income for the tax year of the violation, with a minimum of 5,000 euros, is imposed. Repeat non-compliance within a year results in a doubled fine. For failing to submit or inaccurately submitting a Short-Term Stay Declaration, a fine equal to twice the rent listed on the digital platform is enforced. A 100 euro fine is set for late declarations. Short-term rental is defined as leasing or subleasing a property for less than 60 days without additional services beyond accommodation and bedding. Renting a property for up to 150 days a year is permissible, provided each lease does not exceed 60 days. iefimerida.gr Former Emir of Gaya, Aliyu Abdulkadir, says he has accepted his dethronement. Recall that on Friday, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano, dethroned the Emirs of Bichi, Rano, Karaye, Kano and Gaya, and reinstated Muhammad Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano. Advertisement Sanusi was dethroned in 2020 after he fell out with Abdullahi Ganduje, the then State Governor. Governor Yusuf however gave the sacked monarchs 48 hours to vacate their palaces. While the Emirs of Bichi, Rano, Karaye, and Gaya have complied with the directive, Aminu Ado Bayero, dethroned emir of the Kano, has not. Bayero has called on the authorities to ensure justice. READ ALSO: Emir: Angry Protesters Storm Kano City Over Sanusis Reinstatement In a chat with British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa on Sunday, Abdulkadir said he believes that the development was predestined before he was born. The former Emir said he has no plan to challenge the State government over its decision to sack him, adding that he does not hold any grudge against anybody. His words: If this happens to anyone, he will not be happy, but Allah has brought it, no matter what, there is an end to it. Allah has written it even before we were born that it will be, so we should not be angry about anything. This is Allahs doing and we accepted it with open arms. We are the acceptors of destiny. This is what Allah willed and this is what will be done. We have no intention of going to court. We have accepted destiny, we thank God. Angry protesters have stormed some parts of Kano city over the state governments reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the aggrieved agitators were spotted in Gaya and Nasarawa communities, on Sunday, kicking against the return of Sanusi. It was gathered that some residents of Gaya, also protested against the dissolution of the its Emirate by the state government. Advertisement Gaya Emirate is among the emirate councils recently dissolved by the Governor Abba Yusufs led administration after the states Emirates Council Law of 2019 was amended. The new law, enacted by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)-controlled House of Assembly, undid the law that former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje used in 2020 to create the additional emirates and dethrone the Sanusi II as the 14th Emir of Kano. Residents reported that the dethroned emir vacated the palace at midnight on Thursday, with no immediate signs of violence or resistance. READ MORE: Deposed Kano Emir Calls For Justice, Says Whatever Affects Kano Affects Nigeria One of the protesters, from Gaya, identified as Abubakar Shuaibu, told Channels Television that: Some people are not happy with this development. It feels like an injustice to our community. Another protester, Aminu Abdullahi, said: We see this as a political move to undermine our traditional institutions. The government should reconsider its decision and respect our cultural heritage. A mosque in the Papa Ajao area of Lagos State, on Sunday, collapsed. The incident was said to have occurred during the time for afternoon prayers. Advertisement Photos and videos of the incident on social media showed the mosque in rubbles with residents of the area trying to help with rescue efforts. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary of the Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), in a statement following the incident, said the agency arrived at the scene around 1:40pm. According to him, preliminary investigation carried out revealed that an excavator clearing the road recklessly hit a mosque, which was a storey building, resulting in the building collapsing as prayer was about to commence. Four victims were immediately rushed to the hospital. A total of 10 people were trapped beneath the rubble. READ ALSO: Two Vehicles Collide On Sagamu/Ikorodu Road, Kills Four, Others Injured Search and Rescue of the victims trapped under the rubbles under the supervision of the PS was conducted with the aid of the Agencys heavy duty equipment Crane, Hiab and an excavator. One adult was retrieved dead while the others received pre hospital care on the scene from the Agencys Pre Hospital Care Unit. One with serious injuries was transferred to a hospital. Responders at the scene of the incident includes the Agencys response team led by the PS, LRU Fire unit, Lagos State Fire Service,LASPA, LASBCA, NEMA, Nigeria Police, LNSC, FRSC and LASAMBUS, the statement read. In an updated report later in the day, Oke-Osanyintolu said three people died in the building collapse. Following an extensive exercise, final casualty report on the above incident is that 3 fatalities and 7 casualties varying in severity. The affected buildings have been leveled to ground zero. Responders at the scene of the incident includes the Agencys response team led by the PS, LRU Fire unit, Lagos State Fire Service, LASBCA, NEMA, Nigeria Police, LNSC, FRSC and LASAMBUS, he added. The Federal Government (FG), at the weekend, filed a suit hinged on 27 grounds, at the Supreme Court against the 36 State Governors of the Federation. In the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, filed by Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), FG is seeking full autonomy for the countrys 774 Local Governments. Advertisement The Federal Government is also asking for an order preventing the Governors from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected councils. The FG, through Fagbemi, who is also the Minister of Justice, also requested the Supreme Court to authorise the direct transfer of funds from the federation account to local governments, in accordance with the constitution. That the constitution of Nigeria recognizes federal, states and local governments as three tiers of government and that the three recognized tiers of government draw funds for their operation and functioning from the federation account created by the constitution. That by the provisions of the constitution, there must be a democratically elected local government system and that the constitution has not made provisions for any other systems of governance at the local government level other than democratically elected local government system. READ ALSO: Edo State Implements New Minimum Wage, Pays Workers N70,000 That in the face of the clear provisions of the constitution, the governors have failed and refused to put in place a democratically elected local government system even where no state of emergency has been declared to warrant the suspension of democratic institutions in the state. That the failure of the governors to put democratically elected local government system in place is a deliberate subversion of the 1999 Constitution which they and the President have sworn to uphold. That all efforts to make the governors comply with the dictates of the 1999 Constitution in terms of putting in place a democratically elected local government system, has not yielded any result and that to continue to disburse funds from the federation account to governors for non existing democratically elected local governments is to undermine the sanctity of the 1999 constitution, the originating summons read. The federal government asked the apex court to invoke sections 1, 4, 5, 7 and 14 of the constitution to declare that the Governors and state Houses of Assembly are under obligation to ensure democratically elected systems at the third tier. The Supreme Court however fixed Thursday, May 30 for hearing of the suit. Some yet to be identified gunmen have reportedly killed three persons in an attack on the Akpoha community of Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. It was gathered that the incident which happened over the weekend, saw the culprits with sophisticated weapons in two motorcycles, started and shot sporadically. INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that many residents of the community were also wounded during the assault. Advertisement Confirming this to the public, yesterday, the spokesperson of the Ebonyi State Police Command, Joshua Ukandu, said that operatives of the command are on the trail of the assailants. READ MORE: Unknown Gunmen In Military Uniform Abduct 17 In Abuja He added that the perpetrators of the heinous act must be brought to justice. Joshua said: The bodies of the three persons killed have been deposited at the morgue and the place is calm now, our men are on the trail of the gunmen. Also confirming the horrible incident to newsmen, on Sunday, a resident of the area, identified as Uche Donatus, said that about 10 bullets were found in the security operatives body. Uche added that he managed to survive the attack despite the sporadic gunshots some of which hit his house. He said: Our community was attacked on Saturday night. Three persons are lying dead as I speak to you. The gunmen came with two motorcycles. When they were leaving, one of the motorcycles refused to start and they continued shooting heavily until it started and they left. Their names are Emmanuel Nwacha, Egwu Nicholas Nwacha, and Inya Blessing Orieona, he said. Killings in Akpoha have become a regular occurrence and nothing has been done to stop it. We are in trouble. Young Enterprise Pupils Present EmployEase Project to the Minister Feetham A-level pupils of the Young Enterprise EmployEase team met with the Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, the Hon. Nigel Feetham KC MP, to showcase and discuss their innovative project. Their project, EmployEase, aims to establish a streamlined pathway for students seeking employment and internship prospects, and bridges the gap between job seekers and employers in Gibraltars job market through a user-friendly website. EmployEase operates on the principles of efficiency and connectivity, aligning with the Ministry's youth initiative, the Connect Hub, which aims to empower young people in our community and raise awareness of career opportunities in the finance sectors in Gibraltar. Through EmployEase, employers can easily list job openings while job seekers can apply directly through the platform. Minister Feetham extended congratulations to EmployEase for winning the award for Best Financial Management at the Young Enterprise Awards, stating: "Congratulations to EmployEase for their outstanding achievement. Winning the Best Financial Management award is a testament to their dedication and hard work. We applaud their success and look forward to seeing their continued growth and impact." Minister Feetham further commented, "EmployEase exemplifies the innovative spirit of Gibraltar's youth. It aligns perfectly with our Connect Hub initiative, empowering young people to explore career options and facilitating connections between employers and the next generation of talent. The Ministry's support underscores the importance of empowering youth-led initiatives and reflects the Governments commitment to fostering innovation. The EmployEase website can be accessed via the https://www.employeasegibraltar.com Nigerias President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has posited that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will give 30 million people improved access to production and marketing centres. Tinubu disclosed this in his remarks on Sunday in Lagos during the flag-off of the 700km Lagos-Calabar highway project and several others to commemorate his first year in office. His words: On the next 10 benefits of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway; during the period of construction, the road will provide direct employment for thousands of people, and indirect employment for tens of thousands of politicians and more. Economic opportunity for millions is being opened. It will fast-track the communitys development, It will bring development closer to the people, and give 30 million people improved access to production and marketing centres. You can easily predict a journey, vertically and go along the horizontal line and do the definition of free movement of people. Advertisement In March, the Federal Government started constructing the highway, designed to extend through nine states with two spurs leading to the northern states. The project, which necessitated the demolition of some buildings, faced significant criticism and interrogation from Nigerians and the National Assembly who believed the timing was inappropriate. Last Thursday, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed that 750 houses that are on the path of the Lagos-Calabal coast highway have been marked for demolition. Umahi had earlier announced an N2.75bn in compensation to property owners affected by the proposed demolition spanning from channel 0 to channel 3 on the mega highway. However, relevant stakeholders have voiced complaints, arguing that the compensation did not match the investment made. Responding to the criticism on Sunday, the President appealed for the understanding of the general public, particularly those whose properties and means of livelihood would be affected by this landmark project. He appealed, I further crave the understanding of the general public, especially those whose properties and sources of livelihood will be impacted by this iconic project. We all make some sacrifices to enable our country to grow. However, be rest assured that this government is a compassionate government that cares for you and will do the utmost to offer succour, by way of compensation. Describing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a symbol of hope, unity, and prosperity for Nigerians, he said This project is more than just a road it is a symbol of hope, unity, and prosperity. It will connect our communities in nine states, foster trade and commerce, boost tourism, and create new opportunities for generations to come. READ ALSO: Tinubus Policies Implemented Wrongly, Investors Laughing At Us Obasanjo A similar road in Ireland, called the Wild Atlantic Way, 2,600km long is expected to fetch 3bn euros a year in tourism revenues. I want to express my gratitude to the team of engineers, workers, and stakeholders who have worked tirelessly to bring us to this point. Your dedication and expertise are the driving force behind the take-off of this project. Tinubu emphasised the significance of safety, sustainability, and social responsibility, urging stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that this project benefits all and leaves a lasting legacy for future generations. He stated This is not only a legacy project of this administration but a dream come true that will connect some neglected towns and cities along the coastal route. Over time it has been noticed that both Tin Can Island and Apapa ports are becoming shallower thereby limiting the size of ships that can berth at those strategic ports. It is pertinent to note that the Lagos State Government in partnership with private investors developed Lekki Deep Sea Port which does not have a link road. It is however obvious that this development will open up businesses and investment along the project corridor. The potential of this road is enormous because it will have two spurs which will link up with Sokoto Badagry Expressway which is under procurement and African Trade Route which connects South East to Cameroon thereby connecting every region of the country. Commending the Minister of Works, David Umahi, he noted that the government was waiting on private investors to bring their funds. He stated It is worthy to state that the model of EPC+F( Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Plus Finance) which the ministry is adopting is commendable. This sees the Federal Government investing while waiting for private investors to bring on board their counterpart funds. I commend the Honourable Minister of Works and the staff of the Ministry who are ensuring that the contractor delivers good quality work. Tinubu asserted that the 10-lane road project represented a crucial step in the governments efforts to enhance connectivity, facilitate economic growth, and improve the quality of life for our people. To the glory of God and benefit of our people, it is my greatest pleasure to flag off this project and also virtually flag off the spurs about to be procured. I also flag off the massive rehabilitation of 330 roads and bridges across the nation. Let the construction begin. There was drama at the Labour Partys secretariat in the Edo State chapter as suspected thugs, reportedly loyal to the National Chairman of the Party, Julius Abure, clashed with protesters. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the hoodlums, on Monday, allegedly attacked agitators, believed to be members of the LP, demanding Abures removal. Advertisement READ MORE: Edo LP Ward Exco Suspends Partys National Chairman, Abure Over Alleged Anti-Party Activities According to PUNCH, the thugs, about 20 swooped on the demonstrators as they dropped from their vehicles, forcing them to retreat into the neighbouring streets. The above mentioned media outlet, added that the journalists covering the protest were not spared as the invaders made aggressive attempts to break into the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Utako where they took refuge in the wake of the fracas. Meanwhile, barely few minutes after the drama, it was gathered that some men of Edo states Police command, intervened. Recall that Abure was suspended on Friday by his Ward in the Arue-Uromi area of Esan North-East Local Government in Edo State for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities, adding that the he should stop parading himself as National Chairman. However, the National Working Committee of the party kicked against the action, which it declared as illegal and unconstitutional. At least one person has been killed as four others were rescued from the collapsed mosque in the Papa Ajao area of Mushin, Lagos State. Disclosing this to the public on Sunday, the Permanent Secretary of Lagos Emergency Management Agency, Femi Osanyintolu in a statement via the agencys Facebook page, said that the mosque, which is located on Yusuf Street, Off Ladipo Road, Papa Ajao, collapsed while prayer was ongoing. The statement reads: Upon arrival at the scene at 1340hrs, a storey building, mosque was found to have collapsed at Yusuf Street, Papa Ajao. Advertisement Preliminary investigation carried out upon arrival at the scene revealed that an excavator clearing the road recklessly hit the mosque by the road side which resulted to the mosque collapsing as prayer was about to commence. Unfortunately, 1 adult female was retrieved dead while the others that sustained injuries received pre-hospital care on the scene from the Agencys Pre Hospital Care Unit. REAF MORE: BREAKING NEWS: Another Building Collapse in Lagos Island 4 (four) victims were immediately rushed to the hospital for further medical attention. Search and Rescue of the victims trapped under the rubbles under the supervision of the PS was conducted with the aid of the Agencys heavy duty equipment Crane, Hiab and an excavator. Responders at the scene of the incident include the Agencys response team led by the PS, LRU Fire unit, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASBCA, NEMA, Nigeria Police, LNSC, FRSC and LASAMBUS. The Katsina State Police Command has verified that 11 people were killed by bandits who raided three communities in the Bakori Local Government Area. Its Public Relations Officer, Mr Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, confirmed this in a statement made in Katsina on Sunday. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Sadiq-Aliyu reacted to a news that the invaders had slain 40 people. Advertisement We are aware of a misleading report making the rounds, especially on Facebook, that bandits attacked three villages in Bakori and killed 40 people. The command wishes to categorically debunk this claim as misleading, and set the record straight. On May 25, 2024, bandits launched an attack on Unguwar Lamido village in Bakori where they shot and killed 11 people. The Divisional Police Officer in Bakori, on receiving the information, quickly mobilised operatives and rushed to the scene where they successfully restored normalcy and prevented further losses, he explained. He asked the public to dismiss the fake story and warned against sharing unverified information. He asked the people to always check information through official means before sharing it, as spreading false information could lead to panic, fear, and unneeded stress. READ MORE: Monogamy Doesnt Work, Fela Had Over 100 Concubines Seun Kuti He reported the states Commissioner of Police, Mr. A. A. Musa, as condoling with the victims friends and families and condemning the act. The commissioner has also ordered a thorough investigation into the incident and deployed additional personnel to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators. The Commissioner has also urged anyone with useful information that will assist the investigation to come forward and assist in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The investigation is ongoing; the command is working closely with relevant stakeholders and members of the community to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack, he said. Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigerias former President, has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubus policies on fuel subsidy removal and exchange rates as wrongly implemented, though necessary. His position is coming as Tinubus government rolled out activities marking his one year anniversary. Advertisement Kehinde Akinyemi, his Media Aide, in a Sunday statement issued in Abeokuta, quoted Obasanjo to have spoken at a Colloquium: Nigerias Development: Navigating the Way Out of the Current Economic Crisis and Insecurity delivered at the Paul Aje Colloquium (PAC) in Abuja. Lashing out at Tinubus government, he said the present administration has not found the right way to handle the economy to engender confidence and trust for investors to start trooping in. Today, the government has taken three decisions, two of which are necessary but wrongly implemented and have led to impoverization of the economy and of Nigerians. These are removal of subsidy, closing the gap between black market and official rates of exchange and the third is dealing with a military coup in Niger Republic. The way forward is production and productivity which belief and trust in government leadership will engender. No shortcut to economic progress but hard work and sweat. According to him, Economy does not obey orders, not even military orders. I know that. If we get it right, in two years, we will begin to see the light beyond the tunnel. It requires a change of characteristics, attributes and attitude by the leadership at all levels to gain the confidence and trust of investors who have alternatives. READ ALSO: FG Sues State Govs, Seeks Full Autonomy For LGs Total Energy has gone to invest 6 billion dollars in Angola instead of Nigeria. If the truth must be stated, the present Administration has not found the right way to handle the economy to engender confidence and trust for investors to start trooping in. They know us more than we know ourselves. And now they are laughing at us, not taking us seriously. We have to present ourselves in such a way that we will be taken seriously. If the existing investors are disinvesting and going out of our country, how do we persuade new investors to rush in. We can be serious if we choose to be but we need to change from transactional leadership in government to transformational and genuine servant leadership. With change by us, the investors will give us the benefit of doubt, and security being taken care of on a sustainable long-term basis, they will start to test the water. With the right economic policies, attributes of integrity and honesty of purpose, all should be well with all hands on deck and the government becoming a catalyst for development, growth and progress. Speaking on the economy, he added that, tinkering with the exchange rate is not the answer. The answer is consistency and continuity in policy to ensure stability and predictability. That way, we will be sure of incentivizing domestic and foreign investment. There must be honesty and transparency in government dealings and contracts and not lying with deception about these issues. When the government is seen as pursuing the right policy, the private sector will go for production and productivity. The Kogi State police command has said two students of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, have been killed by their abductors. Recall that on May 9, gunmen invaded the university and abducted students, who were preparing for their examinations. Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi State Commissioner for Information, had disclosed that 20 students were rescued with four still in captivity. Advertisement In a chat with News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, Bethrand Onuoha, the State Police Commissioner, described the killing of the two students by their abductors as unfortunate. Onuoha who did not give further details, said security operatives were on the trail of the abductors to bring them to book. READ ALSO: Ajayi Crowther Varsity Student Beaten To Death For Allegedly Stealing Phone Meanwhile the school has declared a three-day mourning over the incident. The registrar of the university, Olufunke Hudson, in a statement said, It is with deep pain that the Management of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara hereby declares three days of mourning over the death of two of our students who were kidnapped on Thursday, 9th May and killed on Saturday, 25th May, 2024. All activities in the university are to be held low-key from Monday, 27th to Wednesday, 29th May 2024 in memory of our departed students. The Management shares in the pains of the parents, family, and colleagues of our dearly beloved deceased students, and we use this medium to condole with them. Temple University's first annual Reentry Job Fair and Resource Village provided services to formerly incarcerated people on Friday, April 19, 2024. . Read more On a recent afternoon in April, more than 50 employers gathered at Temple University with one mission: to meet and hire qualified applicants for open positions at their companies. Within a few hours, discount clothing store Forman Mills hired 50 people. Unlike other jobs fairs, though, all the applicants had one thing in common: Theyd previously been incarcerated. Advertisement You have so many choices of who you want to work for here, Tahbril Cleveland said while attending the fair. Im really happy today because now I can take care of my babies and do what I need to. Ive never seen anything like this. People who have criminal records can face major challenges being hired after their release from prison. About 45% of formerly incarcerated Americans remained unemployed one year after leaving prison, according to a multiyear study released by the Brookings Institution in 2018. The jobless rate after three years is 27%, five times higher than the general U.S. population. No companies would take a risk on me, they werent even trying to start me at entry level, said Evan Figueroa-Vargas, a father of two from North Philadelphia. He did not attend the Temple job fair, but has struggled to find work after his incarceration. When you have a criminal background youre viewed as a liability, not an asset, he said. They didnt even consider the tax breaks they get for hiring me. Fair chance hiring is the practice of hiring individuals with a criminal record. It is also sometimes called second chance hiring. When formerly incarcerated people cant find a job after leaving prison, they face significant challenges, including lack of food, clothes, transportation, or shelter. This can cause desperation and lead to additional crimes or addiction issues, perpetuating the cycle of incarceration. People run out of hope when probation and child support are due and you cant get a job, said Figueroa-Vargas. A job is not a want, its a need, and if someone cant get hired, they turn back to breaking the law for sure. Pennsylvania has the second highest recidivism rate in the country 67% of people who are released get rearrested and return to prison within three years, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals office. Recidivism is high in Pennsylvania because people get out and go back to their communities, and despite doing their time, they dont have the opportunities that everyone else has, said Pennsylvania State Sen. Nikil Saval. We set them up for failure. State Rep. Donna Bullock, who attended the job fair, echoed Savals thoughts. Its a stressful time when you first get out, but having a job right away takes some pressure off and builds confidence, said Bullock. We know that there are jobs available and there are people looking for work we need Philadelphia to be inclusive of justice-impacted people. But for some job-seekers, the solution is not a job fair or a large employer. After his search for employment, Figueroa-Vargas opened his own painting company in his neighborhood. By opening my own business, Figueroa-Vargas said, I made myself a fair-chance company so that I can be an example to other employers around me. The Inquirer and Resolve Philly are two of more than 25 news organizations powering the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative. We do solutions reporting on things that affect daily life in our city where the problem and symptoms are obvious, but whats driving them isnt. Follow us at @PHLJournoCollab. Ocean City police watch the crowds on the the boardwalk in Ocean City just before 10:30 pm on Sunday. Read more As the curtain rose on the Jersey Shores official summer season this weekend, a familiar problem reared its head: unruly teens crowding the boardwalk at night. In Ocean City, however, the problem turned violent Saturday night as a 15-year-old boy was stabbed by an unknown suspect around 9:12 p.m. not far from a popular amusement pier. Police said the teen was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City for non-life-threatening injuries. Advertisement The Cape May County town, which dubs itself as Americas Greatest Family Resort, has taken measures to prevent teens and young adults from crowding the beaches and boardwalk at night, including an 8 p.m. beach curfew, 8 p.m. ban on backpacks on the boardwalk, and an overall 11 p.m. curfew on the boards. A social media post by Philly-based photographer Hugh E. Dillon showed hundreds of teens running off the boardwalk Saturday night after reports of fights, the stabbing, and a smoke bomb set off. In a statement about Saturday nights chaos, Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian issued a blunt message to all parents and teens: If you dont want to behave, dont come. Gillian said officers made multiple arrests Saturday night and were able to quickly restore order to the Boardwalk once the teens involved in these incidents were removed. I understand the impact that this behavior has on all of our residents, guests and business owners, and I want to assure everybody that Ocean City will not tolerate it. Its unclear how many arrests in total were made Saturday night in Ocean City. Neither the police department nor a spokesperson could be immediately reached Sunday afternoon. Last year, Ocean City issued more than 1,000 curbside warnings in a single weekend. Meanwhile, up the coast, in Seaside Heights, Ocean County, unfounded reports of gunshots sent hundreds of teens pouring off the boardwalk as well. The town, famous for hosting MTVs Jersey Shore, instituted a 10 p.m. curfew for teens under age 18. In the city of Wildwood, a state of emergency closed the boardwalk after midnight until Monday morning, according to police advisories. Out of an abundance of caution due to emergent conditions that have resulted from civil unrest threatening the public health, safety, and welfare of our residents and visitors alike, the City of Wildwood has declared a state of emergency in order to maintain law and order within our jurisdiction, a police notice read. The state of emergency was lifted by 6:00 a.m., according to an alert from the police. Neither the city nor the police department responded to requests for details about the nature of incidents that led to the closing. Most Jersey Shore towns have enacted restrictions for teens in recent years, including a midnight curfew in Wildwood and a 10 p.m. curfew in adjacent North Wildwood. We do have concerns with large groups of juveniles gathering at night, but it has started to slow down in recent years, North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello told The Inquirer recently. It seemed like from 2020 to 2022, it really exploded and then its kind of waned. Anyone with information about Saturday nights incident in Ocean City is encouraged to contact the detective bureau at 609-525-9129. Staff writer Ariana Perez-Castells contributed to this article. U.S. District Court Judge Robert B. Kugler, shown here in the courtroom, is retiring after more than three decades on the bench. Read more U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler often wondered when it would be the right time to step away from the bench. So a year ago, the longtime judge, former prosecutor and trial lawyer started to ask colleagues and friends for advice. He got the same answer: You will know. Advertisement Kugler, now 73, knows. After a stellar career of more than three decades and presiding over some of the most high-profile criminal and civil federal cases in the region, he has decided to retire. I had a great run, Kugler recalled in an interview last week. I only hope that at the end of the day that Ive done a good job. We didnt know what to expect Kugler has presided over thousands of cases, first as a federal magistrate and then as a judge in the federal courthouse in Camden. He mentored hundreds of law clerks and earned a reputation as a fair jurist, well-respected by lawyers. Hes fair. He cuts it right down the middle, said Stanley King, a civil rights lawyer. He will really be missed. One of the most challenging cases of his career, Kugler said, was the Fort Dix trial in 2008 of five Muslim men charged with plotting an attack on Fort Dix from the back of a pizza delivery truck that made international headlines. It was one of the first terrorism trials in the country. READ MORE: Fort Dix plot trial is ready to open Prosecutors called the defendants, who grew up in Cherry Hill, the model for post-Sept. 11-era terrorism. Authorities said they espoused the philosophy of jihad and Osama bin Laden in conversations secretly recorded by the FBI. Security was tight around the courthouse, and streets were closed. There were threats against Kugler and court officials. Because of huge interest in the case, Kugler made evidence immediately available on a website where the media and the public could view it daily, something that had not been done previously. (Cameras and recording are prohibited in federal court). We didnt know what to expect, he said. This was so new 9/11 was still fresh in peoples minds. There was also a transcript crawl of the testimony. A huge Eagles and Phillies fan, Kugler got that idea from watching ESPN scroll game scores on his TV screen. It was novel at the time, said lawyer Rocco Cipparone, who represented the lead defendant. He was very innovative. The defendants, who became known as the Fort Dix Five, were convicted and sentenced by Kugler to sentences ranging from life to 33 years in prison. In another case before Kugler that made international headlines, former Bordentown Township Police Chief Frank Nucera was convicted of lying to the FBI. His first trial in the hate-crime assault case ended in a mistrial. During the trial, prosecutors played profanity-laced excerpts from 81 secret recordings made by fellow officers in which Nucera could be heard using a racial slur. In one, Nucera says, These [N-word] are like ISIS, they have no value. They should line them all up and mow em down. Although the trial was a difficult case that ended in a hung jury and a second trial and appeals, Kugler said the case showed that the jury system works. This case was about race, he said. It was just a bad situation. READ MORE: Former Bordentown Township police chief, convicted of lying to the FBI, will be released from prison Kugler also presided in the trial of reputed mobster Nicodemo Scarfo Jr., son of former Philadelphia mob boss Little Nicky, in 2015. The son was convicted on racketeering charges and sentenced by Kugler to 30 years in prison. READ MORE: 30-year term for Scarfo in fraud case One of the good ones The second-born of four sons, Kugler grew up in Cherry Hill and Haddonfield and attended the Peddie School in Hightstown. His younger brother, Pete, played eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Their father, George Kugler Jr., served as New Jersey attorney general from 1970 to 1974, appointed by then-Gov. William J. Cahill. He later practiced law in Camden. Kugler Sr. never pushed his sons to follow him into law, his son said. It was only after enrolling in a constitutional law class at Syracuse University that he discovered a keen interest, Kugler said. I loved it, he said. Kugler earned a juris doctorate from Rutgers Law School in Camden. He practiced law for a decade, was an assistant Camden County prosecutor, clerked for U.S. District Judge John F. Gerry, and served as a deputy state attorney general. In 1992, he applied for a position as a magistrate in Camden and was selected. A decade later, then-President George W. Bush nominated him as a judge; he was confirmed three months later. Hes a man of honor with a good heart. He is what a judge should be, said his longtime friend, retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel B. Rosen. Theyre losing one of the good ones. Kugler was appointed by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in 2017 to the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which meets in closed hearings to review applications from the federal government to gather surveillance information. He completed his seven-year term this month. Its not something that I can ever talk about, he said. It was an honor to serve. Kugler said he decided to retire to travel and spend more time with his wife, Theresa, and their family. He plans to work occasionally for JAMS, a mediation and arbitration firm. Knowing New Jersey now has six new judges after a backlog that developed during the Trump administration when no federal judges were appointed also made it easier to retire, Kugler said. And finally, Kugler said he thought about four Camden judges who fell ill while serving and died before they could retire. I didnt want that to happen. I want to do other things while I still could, he said. Its a good time to leave. A farewell breakfast will be held Thursday at the courthouse. His last day is Friday. May 27, 2024: Jim Beyer, of Washington Township, N.J., conducts the Becks Philadelphia Brigade Band, which features original instruments and music from the Civil War era. Read more I love history - and Philadelphia - as much as I love making pictures. So these are exciting times as Philly is getting ready for its close-up leading to Americas Semiquincentennial in July 2026. That focus on history brought me to yesterdays annual observance of Decoration Day at Laurel Hill Cemetery, a tradition dating from 1868 to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the Civil War. Now known as Memorial Day, it became a national holiday in 1971. The ceremony is an annual tradition of the Grand Army of the Republic George Meade Post #1. First held in 1868, the service recreates the historic memorial observance of adorning the graves of fallen soldiers with wreaths. I can relate to El, who says history is his life. He is a volunteer curator at the Philadelphia VA hospitals museum and served with the 82nd Airborne as a paratrooper. Advertisement Behind him is the Silent Sentry, standing over the graves of Civil War veterans. The monument was originally dedicated in 1883 to watch over the Soldiers Homes Civil War veterans burial plot in Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kingsessing. The 700-pound bronze statue of a Union soldier was stolen in the 1970s, then rescued by a Camden scrap dealer, but was in storage for four decades until it was restored and reinstalled in Laurel Hill on Memorial Day ten years ago by the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS). Sebastian Major, a junior at Washington Township High School, N.J. also volunteers with Bugles Across America!, a national group that provides a real bugler to play a live rendition of Taps at funeral services for veterans. Since 1998, a black-and-white photo has appeared every Monday in staff photographer Tom Gralishs Scene Through the Lens photo column in The Inquirers local news section. Here are the most recent, in color: by Barry Goldman The frozen trucker case got a fair amount of attention a few years back. At Neil Gorsuchs Supreme Court confirmation hearing Senator Al Franken hammered him about it. You can watch it here. The facts of the case are these: Alphonse Maddin was employed as a truck driver by Petitioner TransAm Trucking (TransAm). In January 2009, Maddin was transporting cargo through Illinois when the brakes on his trailer froze because of subzero temperatures. After reporting the problem to TransAm and waiting several hours for a repair truck to arrive, Maddin unhitched his truck from the trailer and drove away, leaving the trailer unattended. He was terminated for abandoning the trailer. Maddin challenged his discharge in a proceeding before an Administrative Law Judge and won. TransAm appealed to the Administrative Review Board, and Maddin won again. TransAm then appealed to the Court of Appeals, which issued its decision in August of 2016, more than seven years after the incident. The 10th Circuit found in Maddins favor, with Gorsuch in dissent. All that is water under the bridge. Today Gorsuch has a life appointment to the Supreme Court, and Franken is back in private life. But it is worth revisiting the case for what it can tell us about legal reasoning and judicial decision making. As a truck driver, Maddin was covered by the Surface Transportation Assistance Act. That law prohibits an employer from discharging a trucker if he: refuses to operate a vehicle because he has a reasonable apprehension of serious injury because of the vehicles hazardous safety or security condition. The evidence showed that Maddin, after more than three hours in an unheated cab, was slurring his speech and could no longer feel his feet. That was enough for the rest of the judges who heard the case to conclude that he had a reasonable apprehension of serious injury, and therefore his actions were protected. Judge Gorsuch was not persuaded. His dissent is worth quoting at length: It might be fair to ask whether TransAms decision was a wise or kind one. But its not our job to answer questions like that. Our only task is to decide whether the decision was an illegal one. The Department of Labor says that TransAm violated federal law, in particular 49 U.S.C. 31105(a)(1)(B). But that statute only forbids employers from firing employees who refuse[] to operate a vehicle out of safety concerns. And, of course, nothing like that happened here. The trucker in this case wasnt fired for refusing to operate his vehicle. Indeed, his employer gave him the very option the statute says it must: once he voiced safety concerns, TransAm expressly and by everyones admission permitted him to sit and remain where he was and wait for help. The trucker was fired only after he declined the statutorily protected option (refuse to operate) and chose instead to operate his vehicle in a manner he thought wise but his employer did not. And theres simply no law anyone has pointed us to giving employees the right to operate their vehicles in ways their employers forbid. Maybe the Department would like such a law, maybe someday Congress will adorn our federal statute books with such a law. But it isnt there yet. And it isnt our job to write one or to allow the Department to write one in Congresss place. There are at least two explanations for Gorsuchs dissent. One was suggested by Maddins lawyer, Bob Fetter, when he appeared on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman. Fetter said Gorsuchs name was not on President Trumps short list of nominees to replace Justice Scalia until after he wrote the dissent in TransAm. It may be a coincidence, but it also may be that Gorsuchs dissent was a demonstration of his radical pro-business, anti-regulation, and textualist bona fides, an audition for the Federalist Society and for the job he now holds. Another explanation is that Gorsuch really believes the role of a judge is to apply the language of the law without regard to how cruel or how absurd the consequences may be. This is a view with a long history. Some people believe the law is societys only protection from a Hobbesian war of all against all. When slavery was the law of the land there were judges who were dedicated abolitionists in their personal lives but believed it was their judicial duty to uphold the Fugitive Slave Act and return escaped slaves to their owners. In Jones v. Van Zandt in 1842, Judge McLean wrote: I was not prepared to hear, in a Court of Justice, the broad ground assumed That a man, in the exercise of what he conceives to be a conscientious duty, may violate the laws of the land. The law is our only guide. If convictions are to be substituted as a rule of action in disregard of the law, we shall soon be without law and without protection. What one man, or association of men, may assume as the basis of action, may be assumed by all others. And in this way society may be resolved into its original elements, and then the governing principle must be force. Every approximation to this state is at war with the social compact. If the law be wrong in principle, or oppressive in its exactions, it should be changed in a constitutional mode. But the law, should be respected and obeyed. Any departure from this inflicts a deep wound on society, and is extremely demoralizing in its effects. Justice Swan of the Ohio Supreme Court wrote in 1859 in Ex parte Bushnell: [I]f a weary, frightened slave should appeal to me to protect him from his pursuers, it is possible I might momentarily forget my allegiance to the law and constitution, and give him a covert from those who were upon his track. There are, no doubt, many slaveholders who would thus follow the impulses of human sympathy; and if I did it, and were prosecuted, condemned, and imprisoned, and brought by my counsel before this tribunal on a habeas corpus, and were then permitted to pronounce judgment in my own case, I trust I should have the moral courage to say, before God and the country, as I am now compelled to say, under the solemn duties of a judge, bound by my official oath to sustain the supremacy of the constitution and the law, The prisoner, must be remanded. According to the legal scholar Robert Cover, the Herman Melville novel Billy Budd was inspired by the moral struggle of abolitionist judges who were required to apply the Fugitive Slave Law. Melvilles father-in-law was Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the author of several such decisions. Readers will recall the character of Billy Budd was portrayed as an angel of God. But, because the law is the law, the Angel must hang. I think this view is profoundly and dangerously mistaken. Fortunately, there is an alternative. Quoting from the 1869 Supreme Court case United States v. Kirby: All laws should receive a sensible construction. General terms should be so limited in their application as not to lead to injustice, oppression, or an absurd consequence. It will always, therefore, be presumed that the legislature intended exceptions to its language, which would avoid results of this character. The reason of the law in such cases should prevail over its letter. The common sense of man approves the judgment mentioned by Puffendorf that the Bolognian law which enacted, that whoever drew blood in the streets should be punished with the utmost severity did not extend to the surgeon who opened the vein of a person that fell down in the street in a fit. The same common sense accepts the ruling, cited by Plowden that the statute of 1st Edward II, which enacts that a prisoner who breaks prison shall be guilty of felony does not extend to a prisoner who breaks out when the prison is on fire for he is not to be hanged because he would not stay to be burnt. Tellingly, the ur-textualist Justice Scalia himself quotes this language from Kirby when it suits him. See his dissent in K Mart Corp. v. Cartier, Inc., 486 U.S. 281 (1988). Applying this principle, I would not return the escaped slave, I would not hang Billy Budd, and I would not permit TransAm to fire the frozen trucker. I recognize that reasonable people can disagree about which results are absurd and which are merely disagreeable. Im happy to have that fight. But if one reading of the law threatens an abstract harm in the future, and another reading threatens a concrete harm to an identified victim right now, I think the choice is clear. People do not lose respect for the Law when it declines to impose absurdities. They lose respect for the Law when it imposes them. Pleasure carriage event trots to the Devon Horse Show Share Icon Link copied to clipboard Pleasure carriage enthusiasts gathered on the grounds of Saint David's Episcopal Church in Wayne, Pa. on Sunday, May 26, 2024. The annual Devon Horse Show event, Carriage Pleasure Drive, featured more than twenty five vintage carriages. After a preliminary judging with a spectator picnic, participants made their way to the Devon Horse Show winding through the area for a final judging in the Dixon Oval. People are generally sophisticated in how they buy insurance products, he said. What Ive observed in Australia in particular is that the customers really have high expectations when it comes to insurance products, insurance conduct and what the insurer does. We wanted to enter a long-term strategic partnership with an existing US independent agent network to create distribution and a platform to implement our service offering, he said. Im incredibly excited that our journey into the US has started with ISU. ISU is an excellent fit for us. They bring a stellar management team and existing scale, and we share complementary values with our people and clients. This was an essential consideration for us. Paul is very well respected in our industry after excelling in high-level roles that have consistently strengthened the integrity of the industry and contributed to the way life insurers interact with their customers every day, she said. We are thrilled to have someone of Pauls calibre representing our industry on the issues that matter most to the people we serve. Holland challenged Ellis to provide the Conservative Partys plan for ensuring access to medications. Could you tell us what your plan is to make sure that people who dont have medication have medication? he asked. Ellis retorted: Youll have your chance to ask me questions at some point when youre sitting in the Opposition. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that a Massachusetts roofing contractor again violated federal regulations for fall protections, following an investigation into how an employee fell about 27 feet and was killed. The accident occurred as workers tried to carry materials and climb a ladder jack scaffold at a Brighton work site in September 2023. OSHA said it previously cited OJR Construction Inc. of Watertown in March 2017 and September 2019 for failing to comply with safety standards that protect employees from fall hazards. Following its latest investigation, the agency cited OJR Construction Inc. for one willful violation and 10 serious violations and assessed $88,721 in proposed penalties, an amount set by federal statute. The Watertown construction company is exercising its right to contest OSHAs citations before the independent review commission. OSHA inspectors maintain the company willfully exposed employees to fall hazards by not providing a safety net or personal fall arrest or guardrail systems, and by failing to have a program to train employees to recognize and address fall hazards. Two previous OSHA inspections made it clear to OJR Construction what protections had to be in place to protect employees from potentially debilitating or deadly falls, but the company chose to ignore its responsibilities, said OSHA Area Director James Mulligan in Braintree, Massachusetts. The agency said its investigation also determined that the company did not comply with other OSHA regulations requiring guard rails on scaffolds, ladder side rails, eye protection for employees using nail guns, and others. Topics Workers' Compensation Contractors The search for the gunman behind last Octobers mass shooting in Maine was marked by utter chaos, including one group of deputies who had been drinking nearly crashing their armored vehicle and others showing up in civilian clothes who could have been mistaken for the suspect, according to an after-action report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. The Portland Police Department report describes how officers rushed to secure the scene where the gunman abandoned his car after killing 18 people in the states deadliest shooting. Tactical team leader Nicholas Goodman said in the report that the officers who showed up without any orders risked doing more harm than good. A second tactical team that was also responding to the incident, from Cumberland County, nearly crashed their vehicle into his, according to Goodman. It locked up its brakes and came to an abrupt halt with the tires making a noise a large 18-wheeler makes when it stops abruptly while carrying a copious amount of weight, he wrote. Id estimate the armored car came within 20-30 feet of striking our armored car and most likely killing a number of us. You could smell the aroma of intoxicants wafting from the Cumberland vehicle, whose occupants told him they had come from a funeral, he said. I have never seen the amount of self-dispatching, federal involvement with plain clothes and utter chaos with self-dispatching in my career, Goodman wrote. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said in an earlier statement that an internal investigation had cleared his officers and that no one was determined to be intoxicated at the scene. He said any report of intoxicated officers should have been raised at the time, not six months afterward. Daniel Wathen, the chairperson of an independent commission investigating the shooting, said commissioners intend to address some of the reports disturbing allegations but others may be outside the panels scope, including the allegations of drinking. The nine-page report, which was partially redacted, was obtained by the AP through the states Freedom of Access Act. Both the Cumberland County Sheriffs Office and Portland Police Department tactical teams were responding to a location where the shooters vehicle was abandoned by the Androscoggin River the evening of Oct. 25, after the gunman, an Army reservist, killed 18 people and wounded 13 others at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston. The gunmans body was found nearby two days later after he died by suicide. The commission previously heard testimony from law enforcement officials about the chaotic hours after the shooting in which agencies mobilized for a search and police officers poured into the region. The panel reconvenes Friday to hear from witnesses on communications and coordination problems. The Portland report was especially critical of self-dispatching officers. The report suggested officers who arrived to help in plain clothes similar clothing to the suspect created a dangerous situation in which officers could have exchanged fire with each other in a wooded area near the abandoned vehicle. Tactical vehicles used by the Cumberland Sheriffs Office and Portland police apparently were not aware of each others presence. The Portland team, which arrived first near the site of the gunmans vehicle, was attempting to keep police cruisers off a bridge where lights were transforming officers into potential targets. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Claims Maine by Jochen Szangolies There is a widespread feeling that the introduction of the transformer, the technology at the heart of Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAIs various GPT-instances, Metas LLaMA or Googles Gemini, will have a revolutionary impact on our lives not seen since the introduction of the World Wide Web. Transformers may change the way we work (and the kind of work we do), create, and even interact with one anotherwith each of these coming with visions ranging from the utopian to the apocalyptic. On the one hand, we might soon outsource large swaths of boring, routine taskssummarizing large, dry technical documents, writing and checking code for routine tasks. On the other, we might find ourselves out of a job altogether, particularly if that job is mainly focused on text production. Image creation engines allow instantaneous production of increasingly high quality illustrations from a simple description, but plagiarize and threaten the livelihood of artists, designers, and illustrators. Routine interpersonal tasks, such as making appointments or booking travel, might be assigned to virtual assistants, while human interaction gets lost in a mire of unhelpful service chatbots, fake online accounts, and manufactured stories and images. But besides their social impact, LLMs also represent a unique development that make them highly interesting from a philosophical point of view: for the first time, we have a technology capable of reproducing many feats usually linked to human mental capacitiestext production at near-human level, the creation of images or pieces of music, even logical and mathematical reasoning to a certain extent. However, so far, LLMs have mainly served as objects of philosophical inquiry, most notable along the lines of Are they sentient? (I dont think so) and Will they kill us all?. Here, I want to explore whether, besides being the object of philosophical questions, they also might be able to supplyor suggestsome answers: whether philosophers could use LLMs to elucidate their own field of study. LLMs are, to many of their uses, what a plane is to flying: the plane achieves the same end as the bird, but by different means. Hence, it provides a testbed for certain assumptions about flight, perhaps bearing them out or refuting them by example. After the first plane took off, the discussion of whether heavier-than-air flying machines are possible was decisively concluded. Are there areas of philosophical inquiry where LLMs can offer similar demonstrative power? In the sequel, after briefly introducing some aspects of their inner workings, I propose that LLMs can offer us new insights at least in three areasthe philosophy of language, the evaluation of philosophical thought experiments, and perhaps most interestingly, the identification of implicit, systemic bias. Talking Without Speaking The breakthrough capability of LLMs is their ability to reproduce the human ability to produce sensible-seeming text, often to a degree of verisimilitude that makes their output hard to distinguish from human language production. Many predict that what gaps remain will also soon be closed, leaving us with a non-human entity with human-equivalent language capabilities. Language, in turn, has been a central object of philosophical attention ever since the linguistic turn in the beginning of the 20th century. What can the emergence of a second language-producing entity tell us here? To get a start on this issue, we first need to take a brief look at how LLMs actually produce language. I wont go into any great detail hereif you want a great visual overview, I suggest you check out this video and its follow-up by the channel 3Blue1Brown. For our purposes, a brief summary will suffice. LLMs work by means of encoding elements of a fixed vocabulary into representations given as a list of numbers (a vector). This vocabulary generally doesnt consist of words, as such, but of tokens, which may be subunits of words, or even punctuation marksbut we wont worry much about this distinction here. So: every word is encoded into a vector with many components (that is, it has a high dimension). This embedding has the special property that similar words will lie close to each other, which is achieved through training by noting that similar words tend to stand in similar relations to other words: the maxim is that you shall know a word by the company it keeps, coined by English linguist J. R. Firth in the 1950s. Having words represented by vectors has the advantage of being able to perform mathematical operations on them. For one, we can associate a degree of similarity to certain words, simply by comparing how well they are aligned. To get a feel for how this sort of thing works, it might be useful to play around with the embedding projector, which lets you enter words and output the set of words closest to it, represented in the form of a point cloud projected down to three dimensions. More interestingly, we can combine certain meanings by algebraic operationsadding or subtracting them from one another. The classic example here is King Man = Queen Woman, such that one can arrive at (the vector representation of) Queen by subtracting Man from King, then adding Woman. You can play around with some word algebra here, using text drawn from different sources, such as Wikipedia. But more than the mere word meaning is encoded in a vectorial representation. There is a certain leeway to this encodingmeaning that we can vary each vector somewhat, without changing its overall meaning. The reason for this is that the points representing a given word are typically very isolated, since the representation space is very high-dimensional. We can use this to store more information in a word vector. One additional important bit of information is a words location in a sentence. The meaning of a sentence isnt given merely by the meaning of the words it contains; word location matters. Thus, to every word vector, we can add a locational embedding in the form of another vector, without changing the base meaning of the word. But the real trick that supplies much of the magic behind a LLMs operation is to also encode context into its representations. This is needed, for instance, to disambiguate between homonymesconsider the word fluke, which may mean both a stroke of luck and a whales fin, for example. Merely adding locational information wont suffice to disambiguate between these options; thus, something more is needed. That something more is essentially supplied by the attention-mechanism. I wont try and go into the details of this mechanism here (but see again this video by 3Blue1Brown), other than to note that it is a way of associating words relevant to one another in such a way as to update the representation of a given word to remove as much ambiguity as possible. Essentially, each word issues a kind of self-description (a key), as well as a kind of help wanted-ad (a query), such that words whose description matches to that query are used to further update the representation. That way, generic terms get gradually loaded up with increasing amounts of contextual informationa nondescript castle might become castle, in France, former royal residence, commissioned by Louis XIV, and so on. All of these further specifications are folded into the representation of the original castle by means of translating the vector along certain directions in the high-dimensional space that correspond to additional bits of semantic information. It is now these context-laden representations a LLM uses to produce novel bits of text. (By the way, even though Im talking mostly about text-generating models here, similar remarks hold for the production of audio and video, with tokens corresponding to relevant chunks of image or lengths of audio.) The text up to a certain point (as generally encoded within the representation of the final token) is used to generate a probability distributions of possible successor words, from which one is sampled. Then, the procedure is repeated, adding word by word to its output. This is, at least in my experience, strikingly different to human text production. When I try to put my thoughts into words, I try out phrasings, revise, rewrite, start afresh, edit, reorder, and so onboth internally and on the page. Hence, as with birds or planes flying, we seem to have two different means of generating a comparable result. What does this tell us about the facility thus replicated? Language In The Light Of LLMs Noam Chomsky famously proposed that language acquisition is only possible since we are all endowed with a certain universal grammar, a kind of minimal structure of language, from birth. There is no such universal grammar in LLMs, yet they seem capable of acquiring language. Does this allow us to conclude that Chomsky must have been wrong? That this is so has indeed been proposed by UC Berkeley researcher Steven T. Piantadosi. However, we should be careful to not be too quick, here. One of Chomskys key points was the poverty of the stimulusthe amount of training data, so to speak, each child is exposed to is, ultimately, quite small. On the other hand, modern LLMs are trained on large datasets representing a significant fraction of the totality of texts in existencesomething no human being could ever ingest across several lifetimes. Furthermore, there may be debate on how human-like LLM language output really is. Famously, a main issue of these systems is the prevalence of hallucinationsassertions presented as fact without any factual basis. In short, sometimes, they make things up. Moreover, this seems to be an innate limitation of LLMs. Humans, in contrast, sometimes say things that are wrong, whether by lie or mistake, but there is typically a clear distinction between factual and erroneous content; to a model like ChatGPT, its all the same. So there might be an argument here that the production of language works saliently different, making the comparison less clear. But there are other philosophically relevant aspects of large language models. In the early 20th century, ideal language philosophy sought to find a perfectly unambiguous mode of expression that would show most philosophical problems to be pseudo-problems merely produced by inexact expressions of ordinary language, and thus, not solved, but rather dissolved. The ideal language was to take the form of logically precise formulations leaving no room for interpretation, with anything that can not be thus formulated being revealed as mere nonsense. Such an ideal language would then allow for an entirely mechanized reasoning, with the truth or falsity of a given proposition established by computation, fulfilling Leibniz dream of the Calculemus! (Let us calculate!). Large language models, to the extent that they do reason at all, certainly do implement a kind of mechanized reasoning. Moreover, their representations, though humanly unreadable, are capable of ever-increasing accuracy, progressively shedding all ambiguityconfining any concept to an ever-smaller part of the embedding space. Ultimately, one might imagine that one could arrive at a perfectly disambiguated concept that fully captures the reality behind it, without any room for the vagaries of natural language. Their representations then allow for an incorporation of both Fregean Sinn (sense) and Bedeutung (reference). For instance, the terms morning star and evening star have the same referencethe planet venusbut differ in their sense, the context in which they stand. In an LLM, this context will inform the representation, becoming baked in as a part of the concept which might be considered a distinction in reference between venus-as-evening-star or venus-as-morning-star. The problem is, however, that this process does not have a well-defined end point. Imagine an entire book written like a historical text, describing the marriage of some past king on its first few pages, but then, on its very last page, ending with the sentence All of this happened in the fictional land of Ur. Whatever knowledge the LLM represents about that king must now include reference to his being fictionalhence, the process of disambiguation can never really stop. There thus sneaks a sort of approximation of Derridas concept of differance into the process of this disambiguation: the meaning of any representation always differs from the true concept, and its full explication is continually deferred to possible elucidation by interaction with later representations. As this concept was part of Derridas critique of the logocentrism of mechanized reasoning, there may be a hint of irony here. Zombies In The Chinese Room Changing gears, we might look to LLMs as proxies for bringing philosophical thought experiments closer to reality. An example of this is John Searles famous Chinese Room, which imagines him sat in a room closed from the outside save for the means of receiving and issuing snippets of paper. On these, Chinese characters are written. Searle has access to a book of rules, which instruct him in the manipulation of these characters, producing appropriate responses. From the outside, it seems as if the room is engaged in a meaningful Chinese conversation; from the inside, Searle has no knowledge of its topic. The innovations LLMs bring to this setting is that now, the rulebook actually existsits in the weights of the transformer model. Searle could, in principle, carry out all of the operations of the LLM by handfinding a vector encoding of a given Chinese character, updating it according to the representations of other characters, finally producing a response one character at a time. He would, as per the original thought experiment, himself remain totally ignorant of the characters meanings: they are simply not a factor in the process. It is certainly plausible that the evaluation of transformer rules wont enable Searle to understand language. However, even in the original formulation, few objected to this conclusion. Rather, the most common reply by far was the so-called systems response, according to which it isnt Searle, but the entire system he is part of, that possesses an understanding of Chinese. Do LLMs shed new light on this issue? I think here the answer might well be yes, with a few caveats. The argument I outlined in this earlier column aims at establishing that, despite their apparent linguistic prowess, LLMs have no idea what theyre talking about: the meaning of the tokens they manipulate remain opaque to them. If this is true, then there seems little grounds on which one might locate any understanding within a system instantiating such a model. However, this still falls short of the arguments original goal. Searle aimed at demonstrating that no algorithmic means to produce genuine understanding could exist. If the above is right, we only know that the particular way in which LLMs produce language fails to do so. This does represent a kind of progress, in that it demonstrates that no immediate link between behavioral competence and the understanding that underlies this competence in the human case exists, but it leaves open the larger question of whether there could be some algorithmic means of providing true understanding. That LLMs are our behavioral (near-) equals conjures up a comparison with another famous philosophical thought experiment, namely, David Chalmers zombie argument. Chalmers invites us to imagine a being that is physically identical to us, thus behaving in all the ways we do, yet lacking any sort of subjective inner experience. If such a being is possible, then the physical facts alone dont fix the facts about the mind, and thus, something non-physical is needed to explain subjective experience. One might imagine a zombie as realized by a robot running a transformer model, thus showing at least linguistic capabilities equal to us. But this again falls short of the original aim: such a zombie would not be physically identical to us, but merely in terms of behavior, and thus, only refute the considerably stronger claim that phenomenological facts are fixed by behavioral facts. But since the downfall of behaviorism in the 1960s, few if any have held to such a thesis. Hence, it seems that while LLMs may offer a new perspective on philosophical arguments, they dont lend themselves to offering up any fundamentally new conclusions. Systemic Inequality As Data Bias Large language models ingest prodigious amounts of text, and uncover the relations between concepts as that corpus contains them. A final potential philosophical application, then, is to use themor more precisely, the way they represent that datato probe the hidden connections present in these texts, and explore how they reflect hidden biases in society. To this end, lets start with an experiment. First, open up the semantic calculator linked to already above. Then, enter into the boxes the words man, doctor, and womanessentially posing the question of what is to woman as doctor is to man. Choose your favorite corpus of texts. What is the result? If I use the English Wikipedia corpus, the top answer is physician. However, the second best fit will be nurse. Using the British National Corpus, nurse is the top hit. Running the experiment in reversewoman is to nurse as man is to?the English Gigaword corpus similarly spits out doctor. What does this mean? Well, the difference between man and doctor could be something like professional in the medical sector; that this turns out to be nurse when combined with woman then speaks to an inherent bias in this corpus. The finding is robust: applying the relation between man and woman to doctor, the British National Corpus again yields nurse. This is then a robust experimental check for the idea that bias does not necessarily just exist at the individual level, but pervades the artifacts of society, namely, texts in this case. The concept of woman is more closely associated to that of nurse than that of doctor, despite the fact that members of either sex can be doctors as well as nurses. So far, this application has focused solely on the representation used by LLMs at the zeroth level, where words are straightforwardly encoded into vectors. What would be interesting is to see how these representations are influenced by context. What happens to the representation of the concept of, e. g., gender over the course of a text? An analysis of this shift in meaning might yield insights not readily available at the surface level of the text. This has the potential of being an intriguing tool to study systemic bias, which is especially important in a time where the very existence of such a bias is sometimes called into question. It also could furnish a basis for effective measures to combat such bias: what would we have to change in a corpus of texts, so that this bias no longer persists? If such an analysis is possible, this has the potential of putting interventions on this levelwhich, today, are too often haphazard, if well-intentionedon a firm evidential basis. In summary, there are interesting opportunities for philosophers willing to add LLMs to their toolkit, whether as a proxy of studying language by adding a second data point to the set of language-producing entities, as a new character in the ever-expanding roster of philosophical thought experiments, or as a technology to directly test the inherent relations between concepts as they are present in some corpus of texts, and thus, uncover possible systemic issues. The US and Europe are taking steps to acquire or manufacture H5N1 bird flu vaccines that could be used to protect at-risk poultry and dairy workers, veterinarians and lab technicians, government officials said, moves influenza experts say could curb the threat of a pandemic. US officials last week said they were moving bulk vaccine from CSL Seqirus that closely matches the current virus into finished shots that could provide 4.8 million doses of vaccine. European health officials told Reuters they were in talks to acquire CSL's pre-pandemic vaccine. Canadian health officials said they had met with GSK, maker of Canada's seasonal flu shots, to discuss acquiring and manufacturing a pre-pandemic bird flu vaccine once its seasonal flu production capacity is freed up. Other countries, including the UK, are discussing how to proceed on pre-pandemic vaccines, scientists said. The actions follow the explosive spread of a new strain of bird flu that emerged in late 2020 and has caused unprecedented numbers of deaths among wild birds and domestic poultry and has begun infecting many mammal species. In March, US officials reported the first outbreak of the virus in dairy cattle, which has infected dozens of herds in nine states and two dairy workers. Human exposures to the virus in poultry and dairy operations could increase the risk the virus will mutate and gain the ability to spread easily in people. The US Food and Drug Administration has estimated 20% of the US milk supply shows signs of the virus, indicating a wider spread is likely. Human exposures to the virus in poultry and dairy operations could increase the risk the virus will mutate and gain the ability to spread easily in people. All of our efforts need to be focused on preventing those events from happening, said Matthew Miller, co-director of the Canadian Pandemic Preparedness Hub at McMaster University. Once we have widespread infections of humans, we're in big trouble. Dr Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, said she had been in discussions with US and Canadian officials about using vaccines to protect workers following the virus's spread into new mammal species. The US has contracts with CSL and GSK to test pre-pandemic vaccines that more closely match the circulating virus than older H5N1 vaccines in the stockpile. The US is moving forward with the CSL vaccine, a Department of Health and Human Services official confirmed. Discussions about pre-pandemic vaccine use are going on at government levels and among scientists in a number of places, including in the UK, said Wendy Barclay, chair in influenza virology at University College London, who also researches avian flu for the UK Health Security Agency. If deployed strategically to dairy farmers, healthcare workers and those in close contact with infected animals, "it would put a pin in the virus," she said, although she said it was not clear if this step was necessary yet. In Europe, the European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority is working on a joint procurement of CSL Seqirus's vaccine to "potentially prevent a pandemic" sparked by individuals exposed to infected birds and animals, spokesman Stefan De Keersmaecker told Reuters. A spokeswoman for CSL, which has contracts for pandemic influenza vaccines with 30 governments, said the company has been in talks with several governments about procuring vaccines since 2022. Those requests have accelerated with the US outbreak, she said. - Reuters Stellantis will propose building two more hybrid vehicles in Italy, according to people familiar with the matter, as part of a bid to appease local politicians as the Fiat maker eyes moving some production to lower-cost countries. The manufacturer intends to assemble hybrid versions of a Jeep model at the Melfi site in southern Italy and the Fiat 500 at the Mirafiori plant in Turin, the sources said. Italy's Benetton family is readying plans to address mounting losses at its eponymous clothing retailer, including parting ways with chief executive Massimo Renon after four years, sources said. The board of the clothing group is expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss a net loss of about 230m for 2023, which includes impairments, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. That compares with a net loss of 81m in 2022, when revenues totalled 1bn. Benetton shareholders are then scheduled to meet on June 18, at which time Mr Renon's mandate as CEO will not be renewed, the two sources said. Mr Renon, who built his career in the eyewear industry working at Luxottica, Safilo, and Marcolin, declined to comment. The Benettons own the clothing group made famous by its colourful jumpers and provocative advertising campaigns through their Edizione holding company. Edizione is preparing to back a restructuring of the clothing retailer and to inject 260m, one of the sources said, adding Edizione would exert closer control over the group. Benetton has struggled to withstand growing competition from fast-fashion giants such as Zara owner Inditex which have developed a nimbler production and distribution model, able to more quickly respond to consumers' changing tastes. In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Saturday, chairman Luciano Benetton, one of its founders, said the group had been expected to break even in 2023 under a three-year strategic plan, but a worse than expected financial situation had emerged in recent months. Luciano Benetton told Corriere the current management, led by Mr Renon, had surprised the board by unveiling a "dramatic" shortfall. Founded in 1965 by the Benetton family as a clothing manufacturer, Benetton expanded to trade through about 4,000 shops globally, according to its website. After listing the group in Milan in 1986, the Benettons took it private in 2012, the last year in which it made a profit. Reuters Rod Stewart, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin Most people have dreamed at some point about being a rock star. Chances are, most werent fantasising about being the bass player in Shed Seven. They were thinking of someone like Rod Stewart because Mrs Stewarts youngest always made being a rock star look like the most sport any human has had since Caligula stopped throwing parties. He's still looking enviably well-preserved at 79 when he ambles on stage at about 8.15pm in front of a sea of drenched admirers on what is a very wet night in Kilmainham. Theres no two ways about it: rain detracts from these outdoor events. Thankfully, it wasnt quite as bad as the full headlights and wipers downpour that hit Dublin earlier in the day, but Rod does come out only half-jokingly pushing a mop, and mentions more than once that the stage is a bit slippy. Still, hes in good form as he'd witnessed his beloved Glasgow Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 in the Scottish Cup Final the day before and the crowd are admirably determined to have a good time regardless as the band open with an appropriate Having A Party. Rod Stewart during the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park, Glasgow, on Saturday. (Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) I was praying it would stop, says Rod. But Its not going to spoil our fun. He then takes us through a marvellous Tonight Im Yours and one we havent played in Dublin in ages, Hot Legs, to prove his point. He allows the band to take over for Forever Young which isnt much of a song to begin with, and gets worse as things descend into cod Riverdancisms while Rod goes off to dry his hair and change out of a surely soaked leopardskin print jacket but lets skip past all that, and the equally questionable Passion, and get to the great stuff. A sing-along to Maggie May had everyone smiling as did a particularly good I Dont Wanna Talk About It. He proved that most if not all of the voice is still there with an I Would Rather Go Blind dedicated to Christine McVie and pulled something extra out of his pocket for a lovely People Get Ready for old mate Jeff Beck. You cant go wrong with crowd pleasers like Downtown Train or Youre In My Heart (with his beloved Celtic up on the big screen) and by the time he got to Sailing, after the masterstroke of singing Grace across the road from Kilmainham Gaol, wed almost forgotten about the weather. To paraphrase his ridiculous/awesome disco boogie Da Ya Think Im Sexy, outside its cold and raining but no one was complaining. Sterling work. The art world is often held to be aloof from politics, but that is certainly not the case with the Venice Biennale, the largest and most prestigious international festival of the visual arts, which opened on 20th April and runs until 24th November. For one thing, curator Adriano Pedrosa the first Brazilian to hold the position in the events 129-year history - has chosen Foreigners Everywhere as the potentially provocative title and theme of this, the 60th edition of the Biennale. It seems fair to observe that Pedrosas theme has been embraced wholeheartedly by some of the 75 countries participating, and more or less ignored by others, but sexual and cultural discrimination, migration and genocide all figure among the subjects tackled by the more than 400 artists involved. Many among them are indigenous or First Nation artists showing at the Biennale for the very first time. Russia has chosen not to participate this year, having also refrained from participation in 2022, though it has loaned its pavilion to Bolivia for the occasion. There was, inevitably, some heated debate over Israels participation, with many artists calling for a boycott, but artist Ruth Padel and her team sidestepped any further controversy by installing her exhibition at the national pavilion and then declining to open it until a ceasefire and hostage release agreement is reached in Gaza. Italy does not recognise Palestine as a state, and thus it does not have a national pavilion of its own, but Palestinian artists are certainly represented, not least in the South West Bank exhibition at the Palazzo Contarini Polignac in the university district of Dorsoduro. Ten highlights 1. Eimear Walshe, Ireland Eimear Walshes ROMANTIC IRELAND installation features a deliberately unfinished construction of earthen walls, along with a work on video in which seven individuals in traditional Irish dress and very contemporary latex masks cavort in a muddy field. A view of the Irish pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Given the budget for this years project around 240,000, excluding rent for the exhibition space it is difficult to see why the video has been produced so crudely, on mobile phones, though the project is largely redeemed by its soundtrack, an opera for five voices composed by Amanda Feery, with a libretto by Walshe describing the scene of an eviction. 2. John Akomfrah, Britain There is an awful lot of work on video at this edition of the Biennale, some of it more memorable than others. John Akomfrahs Listening All Night to the Rain installation is hugely ambitious and certainly memorable, a series of film collages or cantos, as he calls them that explore the history of migrant communities in Britain. Great Britain's pavilion at the Venice Biennale Black workers toiling in factories. Forlorn figures gazing out to sea. Rubber ducks escaping from a cargo ship. In Akomfrahs vision, all are connected, and the soundtrack - of found sounds, snatches of speeches and music - ensures that the visitor is entirely immersed in the experience. 3. CATPC, The Netherlands Cercle dArt des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolese (CATPC) is a collective of artists based in Lusanga, in the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on a plantation once owned by the British-Dutch conglomerate Unilever. Their installation, The International Celebration of Blasphemy and the Sacred, includes a series of figurative sculptures, made of clay, cacao and palm oil. Also featured is a film chronicling the return to Lusango on loan from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in America - of the Balot statue, carved in 1931 to help protect plantation workers from abuse. 4. Open Group, Poland Open Group the European artists Yuriy Biley, Pavlo Kovach and Anton Varga present Repeat After Me II, one of the most moving and imaginative works in the entire Biennale. It comprises two video installations, created in 2022 and 2024, for which they invited Ukrainian civilians to imitate gunshots, missiles and explosions, sounds they have become all too familiar with since the Russian invasion. Imagery from Poland's pavilion at the Venice Biennale The first video was shot in Lviv, the second in a number of European refugee centres, including Tullamore, Co Offaly. 5. Various Artists, Ukraine The title of Ukraines exhibition, Net Making, is inspired by the collective weaving of camouflage nets. It includes Daniil Revkovskyi and Andrii Rachynskyis Civilians, Invasion, a video collage assembled from footage of the Russian invasion uploaded online by civilian filmmakers. The footage, depicting the aftermath of bombings and killings, is often harrowing. A second work on video, Andrii Dostliev and Lia Dostlievas decidedly discomforting Comfort Work, features interviews with Ukrainian refugees, portrayed by professional European actors, to create images that correspond to the desires of Europeans based on stereotypes about immigrants. 6. Various artists, Magazzino Gallery South West Bank Landworks, Collective Action and Sound is an official Biennale Collateral Event, featuring work by 20 artists and collectives working in and around the South West Bank in Palestine. Some of the highlights include Adam Broombergs stunning black and white photographs of ancient olive trees; Adam Rouhanas evocative colour photograph of a Palestianian boy devouring a watermelon; and Mohammed Salehs video blog detailing the destruction by the Israeli Defense Forces of the urban farm he planted with local children in Bethlehem. 7. Bouchra Khalili, Nucleo Contemporaneo The French-Moroccan artist Bouchra Khalili shows as part of the Biennales Nucleo Contemporaneo programme, focused on the work of queer, outsider, folk and indigenous artists. Khalilis The Mapping Journey Project (2008 11) is a series of videos, each featuring narration by an economic migrant who uses a permanent marker to trace their journey across a map of North Africa and Europe. Its gripping stuff: there are tales of young men travelling extraordinary distances without money or papers; exploitation by employers; and arrests and deportations by the authorities. Whatever about their status as illegals, one can only empathise with these individuals, whose faces are never revealed. 8. The Mataaho Collective, Nucleo Contemporaneo The Mataaho Collective Maori women artists Bridget Reweti, Erena Baker, Sarah Hudson and Terri Te Tau - are worthy winners of the Biennales Golden Lion for best international participation for their wonderful Takapau installation, a woven arrangement of six kilometres of fluorescent trucking straps, steel buckles, ratchets and J-hooks suspended from the ceiling overhead. The Mataaho Collective at the Venice Biennale The work takes its title form the finely woven mats used in traditional Maori ceremonies, particularly those relating to childbirth. 9. Gliceria Tupinamba, Brazil Gliceria Tupinamba, representing Brazil, has renamed its exhibition space the Hahawpua Pavilion for the occasion. Hahawpua means the great land, the indigenous Pataxo peoples word for the territory before its conquest by the Portuguese. Gliceria Tupinamba, representing Brazil, has renamed Brazil's Venice Biennale exhibition space the Hahawpua Pavilion. She has also invited two other artists Olinda Tupinamba and Ziel Karapoto to participate. Included are works on video that explore the destruction of the rain forests, and an installation called School of Fish, comprised of fishing nets, maracas and ballistic projectiles. The artists also call for the return of a number of Tupinamba sacred cloaks from museums in Brazil and Europe. 10. Wael Shawky, Egypt Wael Shawkys films tend to seduce the viewer with their wicked sense of humour, whilst dealing with deadly serious issues of political chicanery and violence. Drama 1882, the new musical film Shawky wrote, choreographed and directed for the Egyptian pavilion, takes as its starting point a row over an unpaid fare for a donkey ride, which leads to a killing, riots, and the full-scale bombardment of the city of Alexandria by the British, who went on to occupy Egypt until 1956. The Egyptian pavilion at the Venice Biennale Shawky often uses puppets in his films; in this instance, he employs real actors, which makes the events seem all the more poignant. Seldom has historical tragedy been portrayed with such wisdom or wit. The Sympathizer (Sky Atlantic, Monday 9pm and NOW) might drive you bonkers in episode one. It jumps back in time a few times and then forward again, so youre struggling to get a bead on whats going on. Some guy known only as The Captain seems to be a North Vietnamese agent in South Vietnamese regime in the days before the city falls to forced from the north. He is an assistant to The General, a much-feared chief of the Souths forces; he is mentored by a flamboyant CIA agent played by Robert Downey Jr.; The Captain also takes orders from his North Vietnamese handler. Its tense, but playful too, an interrogation scene taking place in a cinema is beautifully shot even as it brims with brutality. We jump forward and The Captain is now living Los Angeles, evacuated from Saigon and working as a mole for the North Vietnamese, when he meets up with his old professor. Hes also played by Robert Downey Jr. Jesus. Id normally hate this kind of gimmick. A West Cork town is aiming to address the pervasive issue of food loss with their Waste Not, Want Not campaign, writes Helen OCallaghan Every week you compile a conscious shopping list, buying only what you know youll use. You compost vegetable peelings and used teabags. You gift unwanted, unopened food items to friends wholl use them. You think: Whats the use, Im only one person? However, what if you knew that the local supermarket is taking definite specific steps to reduce food waste along with the school up the hill and others in the whole farm-to-fork chain of your community? Wouldnt you feel that yes, together we can make a difference? CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB This is exactly the scenario envisioned by a collaboration between environmental charity Voice Ireland, Clonakilty Tidy Towns, and Clonakilty Community Resource Centre to tackle food waste. It aims to revolutionise how communities address the pervasive issue of food loss, where every year in Ireland we throw away about one-third of our food. Dubbed Waste Not, Want Not, the 18-month holistic initiative which began early this spring and which will run until April 2025 is engaging every stakeholder in the Clonakilty community, from farmers and retailers to schools and vulnerable groups. Unlike previous food waste interventions that focused on isolated sectors such as households, retailers, or hotels, Waste Not, Want Not adopts a farm-to-fork strategy, connecting separate, individual efforts into a cohesive community-wide approach. Food waste doesnt occur in just one space but all along the way, from production to processing to transport to retail, all the way to households and the food services sector. The idea is we take one whole community and look at how we can work together to reduce food waste, the Voice Ireland policy director and project lead on Waste Not, Want Not, Abi OCallaghan-Platt, says. Were shifting the narrative from individual responsibility to collective effort. Its not just about what each person can do at home, its about understanding the entire food chain and collectively making a difference. Caitlin Ruth workshop. Pic: Thady Tra So far, a series of meetings have been held in ODonovans Hotel with sectors from householders and community, to hotels, cafes and local businesses, to farmers, food producers and manufacturers. These meetings brought insights from groups and individuals around how, where, and why food is wasted. From those discussions, we came up with a suggestion map detailing how to stop food waste, the Voice Ireland head of communications, Lyndsey OConnell, says. From the level of local engagement, the timing is right. People are ready and open, community liaison officer Allison Roberts says. Statistics say fruit and bread are the most wasted items, but one big retailer said its actually ready-made meals with a short shelf-life especially ready-to-go sandwiches because the biggest sin in retail is empty shelf space, so keeping short shelf-life food overstocked creates more waste. Householders spoke about childrens school lunches creating a lot of waste. A session with the local direct provision centre attracted 20 participants. We asked where they see waste in Ireland, how it compares with where they are from. Some described how in Nigeria you go to the grocery store, half the shelves are empty, its all expensive and whatever you buy you eat. They said they waste more food here because its cheaper and easily available, Ms Roberts adds. It was hoped getting people in a room together, who cared about food waste, would ignite action and result in spin-off projects. And it has, Ms OConnell says. The newly-formed Clonakilty Womens Shed organised a meet-up all around food waste. Pam McNulty, a womens shed member, says there was great knowledge in the room about old recipes and how to use leftovers. One woman had a cookery book, which I also had at school, and we all talked about the wise instructions it had on how to use food, Ms McNulty, whose grown-up sons are very waste-conscious, says. We up our standards when they visit, but its not just my sons who grew up educated about green issues its also older people in the community who have big ideas from long ago that were sustainable. What theyre bringing to the table is really valuable. There are moves to map where Clonakiltys surplus food is and to link it up with where it can be used. Were talking about businesses working with community groups to redirect food and distribute it to community projects Meals on Wheels, community cafe, community pantry, Ms Roberts says. Director of Clonakilty Meals on Wheels Norma OSullivan says the organisation has been sourcing food from FoodCloud (not-for-profit social enterprise connecting businesses with surplus food to charities needing it) since 2022. We go to FoodCloud in Little Island on Wednesdays, and we go to Aldi in Clonakilty twice a week. We havent bought potatoes since pre-covid. We cook according to what we get in. We waste very little, only the peelings that go in the compost. Ms OCallaghan-Platt says Waste Not, Want Not is encouraging businesses not already using FoodCloud to join up. She points to another big initiative: Stop the Sachets. Its a plastic waste-reduction initiative. Under EU legislation, sachets will be banned from 2030. This is getting ahead of the curve. Some Clonakilty takeaways have already got rid of sachets . Were hoping to roll it out across town. A meeting has also taken place with a local secondary school about food waste in that setting. Were working with the school, its canteen and home economics course to minimise waste. The Green Schools team will audit food waste, food items most wasted, and why. Theyre looking at having surveys about portion size, and offering more than one portion size, Ms OCallaghan-Platt, who hopes to replicate this effort in the towns other second-level school, adds. Carol Barrett with son Peter at Dunmore House Hotel Four local hotels are offering a Green Wedding package. Theyll each have their own way of doing it, Ms Roberts says. Fernhill House Hotel and Celtic Ross Hotel will offer it as an option, while Dunmore House Hotel and Camus Farm will offer it as what they do for weddings. Ms Roberts says the initiative will include actions such as a chefs choice for vegetables, canapes, and desserts. Theres big waste in desserts. If you put five [elements] on a plate, people take a bite out of each so why not have them bite-sized in the first place? At Dunmore House Hotel, Carol Barrett says green is a given. We say theres no need to bring anything to the hotel in the line of wedding favours. We have suggestions such as seed packets or a little jar of local honey. Waste Not, Want Not inspired a pickling workshop held by chef and author Caitlin Ruth. It was full. It was great to see people who wouldnt normally go to something like this, Ms Ruth, who did five recipes, says. Ms OConnell says much will be learned from the Clonakilty experience that can be replicated in other communities. Our plan is to use these findings to form a blueprint for other community groups around Ireland. A standoff over a northside-southside route choice for Corks proposed 1bn Luas-style light rail system has delayed the publication of a preferred route. Engineers are now working on a solution after "a difference of opinion" over whether the tram should take a left or right turn at a key city junction a left turn would have excluded St Patrick's St and the northside. The solution will have to allow city-bound trams to negotiate the tight left turn off Washington St onto Grand Parade, and on into St Patricks St before a final preferred route can be published. Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he favours a northside route but an engineering solution must be found first. The detail emerged after Mr Ryan was asked if there is a problem delaying the publication of the preferred route for the light rail system. I don't think there is a problem. There is a choice. Do you go southside or northside? Do you come across the river into Kent Station? Finns Corner on Washington St is a tight turn. "In truth its an engineering challenge, but if we can overcome the challenge... the preference would be to go northside. Its just over four years since contracts were awarded to assess route options for the 17km east-west tram linking Ballincollig to Mahon. An emerging preferred route was expected by late 2022 but a key issue behind the delay is a difference of opinion over the left or right turn at Finns Corner. An initial option suggested city-bound trams should turn right here, going down South Mall and into the south docks, avoiding the city's main street, and not taking in Kent Station. But the council insisted the route should turn left and run through St Patricks St, cross St Patricks Bridge, and then down MacCurtain St to a hub at Kent Station, before crossing the Lee again via a new bridge into the south docks, and on to Mahon via a section of the Marina to Mahon greenway. An emerging preferred route is expected to be ready for public consultation before the end of the year. Ireland may not be able to meet renewable energy targets due to the ability of Irish ports to facilitate the rollout of offshore wind. Offshore wind provides about about 3% of Europe's electricity consumption, but that falls to 0.004% when it comes to Ireland. New research from Dublin City University's Professor James G Carton and researcher Bill Duggan says it will be a "challenge" for Ireland to reach its ambitious target of offshore wind providing almost all of the country's electricity by 2040. Their research shows that at the moment, there is no port in the Republic of Ireland capable of deploying any offshore wind farms. Professor Carton and Mr Duggan note the Government has taken "many positive steps to clear the obstacles to a smooth implementation of offshore wind". Wind farms generated a record level of power here last month and activity is expected to rise further as long-awaited planning legislation is set to be introduced this year. As it stands, the Government's plan is for fixed bottom offshore wind to be rolled out first. However, the DCU research says there are "a few monumental challenges that have been identified; the main one being ports". It says while everyone agrees ports are necessary to build infrastructure at sea, "knowing how ports operate matters". "Sailing long distances, between ports or from other countries to the installation site, is an expensive and poor use of resources that will escalate the implementation costs and ultimately increase the cost of energy to the customer," it says. The research says at least two ports are needed to deliver Ireland's 2030 targets (under the assumption that building begins by 2026.) Port of Cork 'deserves consideration'. Picture: Larry Cummins Professor Carton and Mr Duggan say while Rosslare Europort is "actively progressing" with developing its capabilities, there are other areas that "deserve consideration" including Cork. They note: "Dublin Port, because of its space constraints is not being considered as a potential site. The potential for Bremore Port project, from the Drogheda Port Company, brings a lot to the table. "Foynes on the west and Cork in the south deserve consideration Foynes for future floating infrastructure while Cork as a second fixed bottom for the east and south coast, with options to move to floating in the future." The duo say Ireland "cannot depend on other countries to provide a solution to our own port shortfall". They say solving the "port conundrum" should be a national priority, and call for substantial investment in infrastructure and an expansion of the space requirement for offshore wind projects. However, they warn under the existing model of Irish ports, which have an inability to draw on State funding, this plan would be "practically unattainable". They estimate if Ireland does most of the main offshore wind activities in its own ports, about 2bn-3bn would be required, with only four to five ports capable of delivering the rollout. It concludes: "Solutions are not easy but what is certain is that without ports in Ireland, to facilitate the ability to rollout, the offshore renewable energy projects will not happen smoothly. "Ireland must deliver on its commitments and maximise the return to its people for many years to come." An 18-year-old man charged over a petrol bomb attack at a building in Tallaght, Dublin, which was earmarked for asylum seekers, has been refused bail. A hearing was told that the sole occupant of the building was a female security guard on duty who fled through a back exit when petrol bombs were hurled through a broken window a few metres from her desk. Andy Donohue, of Citywest View, Tallaght, was charged with causing criminal damage on May 21 at St John's House and remanded in custody by Judge Patricia McNamara at Tallaght District Court on Monday morning. The incident happened just after 11 pm at the vacant property on High Street in Tallaght, Dublin 24. At the time, the building was being considered to house international protection applicants. Emergency services were called to the scene, and the Dublin Fire Brigade brought the blaze under control a short time later. The youth was arrested on Saturday and held at Tallaght Garda station. Mr Donohue was charged on Sunday afternoon and held pending his appearance before Judge McNamara on Monday morning. Dressed in a grey sweater, blue jeans, and white runners, he spoke to confirm his name and said that he had been shown CCTV footage in Garda custody. Garda Eoin Monahan told Judge McNamara that the youth made no reply when charged. The garda objected to bail due to the seriousness of the charge, which, on conviction, could carry a 10-year sentence and a fine of up to 10,000. A file is to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution, and the officer expected further charges. Andy Donohue, of Citywest View, Tallaght, was charged with causing criminal damage on May 21 at St John's House. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin The court heard the current estimate for the damage was 20,000. It was alleged Mr Donohue set fire to St John's house at approximately 11.10 pm on Tuesday, and gardai observed fire coming from the building and damage inside. "The building security guard was the sole occupant of the building when the incident occurred; she escaped through the back fire exit," Garda Monahan said. Outlining the investigation, he said that "an extensive CCTV trawl was carried out". He claimed footage from St John's House showed a male whose face was not covered walking down High Street with a backpack. "He was observed throwing a petrol bomb which was already ignited at the concourse of St John's House," Garda Monahan said. The court heard it "bounced off" the front window, and the man in the footage smashed it with a hammer and threw two more petrol bombs inside. The court heard a third petrol bomb was picked up and thrown into the building. The garda maintained there was video evidence of the accused's movements. Officers searched his address on Saturday when the accused was not present. After contacting his mother, he came to the garda station that evening. Runners were seized as evidence. Garda Monahan said it was evident Mr Donohue "had a clear view on current immigration policy in Ireland". Reckless The judge heard there had been publicity and demonstrations about the intended use of the building, and the petrol bomb attacker was reckless about putting lives at risk and would not have known if there were other people on the premises. The court also heard that adjoining buildings were occupied. But for the prompt actions of the Dublin Fire Brigade, the incident could have had "serious and tragic consequences", the court heard. The garda alleged a newspaper article about the incident was on the youth's bed, and the garda believed the man "had a certain amount of pride in relation to the damage he caused." The court heard he had no previous convictions. Footage from inside and outside St John's House was shown during the contested bail hearing. However, the garda agreed with defence counsel Lauren Flanagan that the accused had the presumption of innocence, and the video evidence was open to challenge. The court heard he had surrendered his passport. In exchanges with the defence, the garda said bail conditions would not allay his concerns. The defence barrister proposed that the accused reside at his current address with his family, abide by a curfew, be contactable by phone at all times, not apply for a replacement passport, and sign on five days a week at his local garda station. The barrister asked the judge to note that her client "has just turned 18" and that if he were denied bail, he could face two years in custody pending trial, which was a long time for a person his age. She said he did not have a drug problem, history of warrants or prior convictions, and the conditions suggested could address the concerns raised by the garda. Judge McNamara stressed the accused had the presumption of innocence but refused bail and remanded him in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday via video link. The teen was accompanied to the proceedings by his mother and another relative. Legal aid was granted. Supporters gathered outside and attempted to interact with or accost members of the media or block attempts to photograph or record the youth being driven from the courthouse. by Derek Neal An excerpt of Rachel Cusks forthcoming novel, Parade, appeared in the Financial Times last week. The story features two narratives, one about a female painter simply referred to as G, told in third person, and another about a group of people visiting a farm in the countryside, told in first person plural. It is unclear how these two stories intersect in terms of plotis G the narrator of the second story? Is she the woman living on the farm?but these are not questions worth asking. Thematically, the two stories fit together as they both tell of women constrained and controlled by male figures of authority: in this case, their husbands. Nestled within this narrative is a fascinating articulation of a theory of art, which is what I will focus on in this essay. Cusk does not pause the story to explain this theory, as some purveyors of autofiction might do, but embeds it within the story by explaining Gs different artistic periods and the way her art relates to her personal life. The story is stronger because of this. In the beginning of Gs career, she is seemingly self-taught, lacking formal and technical skill but compensating for it with inspiration and honesty. Her painting is described as existing autonomously, living in her like some organism that had happened to make its home there. In this characterization, G is simply the vessel giving shape to an artistic drive she scarcely understands, rather than the source of its creation. Later, G gets her big break. Much like Paul Schraders understanding of art as therapy, in which he purges himself of his demons by confronting them and making films about them, G decides to acknowledge her demonsin this case, shamerather than avoid them, and attempts to understand herself via her painting. Here is Cusks description of Gs creative process: She began a series of paintings in which her sense of shame was permitted to guide the evolution of the image. G thought of these vaguely as autobiographical paintings. There was a running impulse somewhere in her work, as though she were constantly fleeing or pursuing or proving something, as though she was always climbing mountains, and it was this feeling of exertion, or compulsion, that she suddenly wanted no more of. The word she found for it was shame. This word made her stop and look around herself. Cusk then describes Gs exploration of shame through her painting. This is fascinating because, again like Schrader, Cusk knows that ones demons cannot be represented directly via art, or else the resulting piece will feel didactic and false. Instead, as Schrader describes in his lecture on screenwriting, you create a metaphor that represents your problem; the issue is then approached from the side rather than head-on. For example, Schrader wanted to confront his loneliness when writing the script for Taxi Driver and conceived of a man in a taxi as a picture of isolation. In American Gigolo, Schrader wanted to show a man incapable of love and found an illustration of this in a male prostitutea person whose job it is to give love but never receive it. In First Reformed, the problem is social isolation and suffering, exemplified by a priest whose very job is to form a community around a church and ease the suffering of his parishioners. Schraders metaphors often work by inverting conventional stereotypes of occupations. Returning to Cusk, G must attempt to vanquish her shame by somehow facing it in her painting. What follows is a truly extraordinary description of the nebulous creative process, in which Cusk shows rather than tells how art is made. It is also, I think, an indictment of the idea that one can teach what is often called the craft of artistic creation, or rather, it is a statement that art is much more than formal, stylistic conventions, and that these must be combined with the interiority of the artist in order for something moving and beautiful to be created that may resonate with an audience. G begins by making childhood paintings because she senses that her shame is related to her childhood, although she does not understand how. The resulting paintings are horrible, but G feels that she is moving in the correct direction. Next she paints a portrait of a woman that is based upon models in magazines from the time period when she was a child. Again, she is unsure why she is doing this, but she remembers being afraid of these photographs and would now like to confront her fear. In painting the women from the magazines, G no longer feels afraid; instead, she develops a feeling of affection for these women, and in a way, herself. The next step in Gs process is to take a model and carefully break her down and return her to colour and light and non-being. As readers, we can imagine that Gs painting has become highly abstract. But G is not finished. In some vague, alchemical way, she uses this diffuse mode of perception that she has created to describe the history of her sexual encounters and subsequently finds that she is free of shame. Lets recap the steps in Gs creative process to see its progression: she wishes to confront an indefinable feeling of shame, so she begins by making some sort of painting related to her childhood, because she senses that this is where the feeling originates. These are unsuccessful, so she explores this feeling further by creating paintings based off magazine photo shoots from her childhood. These are better, but for whatever reason she feels the need to pursue a new direction based simply on light and colour. This then allows her to face and extinguish the shame of her sexual encounters through her painting. It would be nearly impossible to create an accurate, real painting based simply on Cusks description of Gs imaginary paintings. We dont really have any idea what they look like. In the same way, we can imagine that viewers of Gs paintings would have no idea that they somehow relate to her sexual history. G herself imagines that her gallerist will stop working with her when he sees the paintings, as the idea of it making sense to anyone other than herself had been unimaginable. Indeed, Gs process in neither rational nor logical; instead, it is inextricable from her own being. These paintings catapult G to fame, and we as readers believe this account of events because we intuit that Gs paintings have a deep truth to them that resonates with their viewers. The explanation for the success of the paintings is described by Cusk in this way: Her technical competence, rather than exhausting itself with feats of representation or satire, put itself at the service of internal self-description, and the accuracy she was able to achieve through the discipline of candour was remarkable. Here we have a theory of art, what it is and what it does. Cusk rejects the idea that art should be representational, noting that it should be at the service of internal self-description. According to this description, we make art to understand ourselves, and if we are honest, what we produce will speak to others. Again I have to think of Schrader and his description of his filmmaking as a personal problem expressed via a metaphor. For both Schrader and Cusk (at least in Gs story), art is deeply personal, yet it is not documentarian. Somehow, the personal must be aestheticized. In a recent interview, Schrader said, The closer I get to my own personal story, the weaker it is. Symbolism holds more truth. Referring to films where he has sought to directly represent his personal life, Schrader says, Theyre not very good films, so I learned to stick with metaphors. For example, I continue to write these stories about me and my brother and then they morph into something more different, thankfully. As with Gs paintings, Schraders films arise out of personal struggle, or to use Cusks term, internal self-description, then become something else on the surface while still revealing some deep, subjective truth. Later in the story, after G has married and the quality of her painting has suffered, she visits the house of a fellow painter who seems to be working in the way that G once did: She often painted random, unframed sections of this interior [her house], as though she were an object blamelessly looking at other objects. These paintings reminded G of how her life used to feel and no longer did. They were curiously shocking, if only because they did not engage in the moral barter of representation. They made her own work seem exploitative and wilful. In this description and in the previous one, Cusk criticizes the idea of art as representation. This thread also runs through the story in the discussion of Gs husbands photographsa more representative medium than paintingand its comparison to Gs paintings. Her husbands photographs are of their daughter and seem to be done more or less as portraits. They are hung all around the house. The photos are said to confirm their daughters beauty and record her innocence. In other words, in their seemingly accurate depiction of their daughter, they capture something true about her. Yet the photographs, in Gs view, also contain obscenity and, in capturing their daughters innocence, somehow seem to taint it as well. At one point, Cusk writes that G hates photographers and considers them cowardly voyeurs. Gs issue with the photographs seems to be that they indicate no introspection on the part of her husband; instead, they reveal his own confusion as to who and what he is. Whereas Gs painting succeeds when she engages in internal self-description, her husbands photographs only look outward and are an act of violation [that] was his pride, something he mistook for genius. In the same way, when G avoids herself when painting, her work is exploitative and wilful as well as cynicalmendacious. The comparison between photography and painting comes to a head when G removes the photographs from the walls and begins to paint her daughter. Heres Cusks description: G began to draw her daughter, childlike drawings that the girl herself could easily have bettered. She didnt look at her daughter while she drew: the drawings came from her hand. The hand was full of clumsiness and simplicity but it seemed to awaken to the sense of its task. Because G didnt look at her, the girl didnt know she was being observed. It was an interior act of pure attention. The observation was not an enquiry but a confirmation, like the chiming of a bell. G is not seeking to accurately represent her daughter; instead, she is somehow expressing a deeper truth about herself and her daughter through her painting. Indeed, G doesnt even regard her daughter as shes painting but looks within herself. This can be compared to her husbands photographs, which in attempting to portray their daughter realistically, transform her into something else and corrupt her. It is difficult to express this conundrum in words, but it is a feeling that everyone knows when viewing an artwork: a realistic or naturalistic depiction of something can seem false, whereas an abstract work can seem true. Cusk suggests that an artworks success or failure lies with the artists ability to look inward and honestly bring their own vision into their art. This is reminiscent of something Emmanuel Carrere, a French writer known for inserting himself into his stories, once said in an interview. In describing the process of making a documentary about an isolated, impoverished town in northern Russia, he tells of a promise he made to one of the towns residents to present the town in a delicate and decent way. When this person, named Sasha, finally views the film, Carrere is nervous because hes not sure if hes kept his promise. According to Carrere: Sasha watched the film attentively, and when we got to the part I just described, he put his hand on my arm and he said, You kept your promise. I was hugely relieved. Then he added something that killed me. You know what I like about it? You didnt just come to take our unhappiness. You brought your own. You have to bring your own pain, as Carrere knows, as G knows, as Schrader knows, but as Gs husband does not know. In this understanding of art, if an artist simply attempts to portray reality through naturalistic representation, the creation will seem false to its audience, because the artist has not wagered anything of their own in creating the artwork. This does not mean the writer must write in the first person, the filmmaker must turn the camera around on themself, or the photographer or painter must create a self-portrait. It simply means that the artist must present their vision of reality and truth and be aware that this is what they are doing anytime they set out to begin an artistic creation. As I write this, biblical rain pours down, lightning streaks flash across the sky and roads, fields and homes are flooded across the county again. Heat, rainfall and weather events continue to break records all over the world. Sea temperatures are rising, oceans are acidifying, animals are falling out of trees as they overheat while a million species are at risk of extinction. Mexico is experiencing the hottest temperatures ever recorded as the country broils in an unprecedented heat wave. The country has been reeling from a high-pressure heat dome which has trapped hot air over the country, creating record breaking temperatures that have surpassed 45C in some places. The US National Weather Service forecasters, NOOA predicts an above normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, with an 85% chance that hurricane activity this year will include up to 25 storms and up to 13 hurricanes. Meanwhile our culture, our politicians, our respected national and global icons stay silent. They refuse to educate themselves, refuse to raise the alarm and the majority of our citizens do the same as we relentlessly pursue profit, growth and comfort over climate and nature stability. CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB What is unfolding all around us is worse than any disaster movie and we are doing almost nothing about it. Even the way we talk about is at if it isnt real. That we have one life and make the most of it while you can. Turbulence But the event that is making all of us at home sit up and listen is turbulence. Eight passengers were taken to hospital on Sunday after a flight from Doha to Dublin experienced turbulence. Passengers on the flight described the incident as frightening, many said the flight seemed to drop out of the air for up to 20 seconds. The incident comes a week after a passenger died and dozens were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight hit severe turbulence. The flight from London and bound for Singapore fell into an air pocket while cabin crew were serving breakfast before it encountered turbulence, prompting the pilots to request an emergency landing in Thailand. Most flights experience some level of turbulence. Near the ground, strong winds can cause turbulence on take-off or landing. At higher altitudes, up and downwards flows of air in storm clouds can cause mild to severe turbulence as planes fly through or near them. Air flows that move upwards over mountains can create turbulence. Clear-air turbulence can also occur at the edges of jet streams. But climate change is making turbulence much worse, according to atmospheric scientist Professor Jung-Hoon Kim at Seoul National University in a report in Nature earlier this month. Atmospheric researchers at Reading University in the UK reported in 2023 of large increases in clear-air turbulence between 1979 and 2020. Over the North Atlantic, severe clear-air turbulence became 55% more frequent with similar increases in turbulence across the globe. Ambulances at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, near Bangkok, Thailand, wait to carry passengers from the London-Singapore flight that encountered severe turbulence last week. Photo: AP/Sakchai Lalit Study author, Professor Paul Williams told Nature that the increase is almost certainly due to climate change, which is strengthening the jet streams that cause turbulence. We already know its having an impact, Prof. Williams said. In a previous study, Prof. Williams used a climate model to predict that clear-air turbulence would become more severe and more frequent as the climate warms. However, he moderated this by saying that despite the probable rise in turbulence, most flights will carry on as they do now with light or moderate turbulence. It is not that well have to stop flying, or planes will start falling out of the sky. Im just saying that for every 10 minutes, youve spent in severe turbulence in the past, it could be 20 or 30 minutes in the future, concluded Williams. While radars can predict turbulence based on storm clouds, radar cannot detect cloudless clear air turbulence. Another technology called LiDAR could help, according to Prof. Williams. LiDAR is similar to radar but uses a different wavelength of light. Unfortunately, its expensive and requires a big heavy box. Prof. Williams suggests that if the box could be miniaturised and the costs come down, it could soon be used. In the meantime, I hope that everybody when they travel, please fasten your seat belts, Prof. Kim told Nature. We know that global warming is caused by greenhouse gases that have been accumulating in the atmosphere over hundreds of years. What is less well known is that almost all (92%) of the total global emissions in excess of the planets capacity have been caused by the rich nations of the Global North. An Australian passenger who was injured on the Singapore Airlines flight last week that was battered by severe turbulence. One passenger died and dozens were injured in the incident. Photo: AP/Sakchai Lalit States like the UK, the US, Canada and Europe. Oxfam reported last year that the US alone is responsible for 40%. Who is responsible for ensuring that we are subsumed by such carbon intensive lifestyles? Climate activist, Mikaela Loach in Its Not that Radical (2023) spells it out. "Its the lobbying groups. Its the capitalist, climate-delaying or climate-denying right wing think tanks. Its the fossil fuel industry. Its every government that has continued to build unnecessary fossil-fuel infrastructure when they know that we need to choose other options. "Its the automobile industry. Its the aviation industry. Its the plastic industry. Its every single extractive, polluting body in the world." In Ireland, it includes the vested interests that support the beef and dairy sector and the politicians that continue to spout that in the middle of an accelerating climate emergency "theres no need to cut the national herd". "Its the aviation sector that continues to pursue the removal of the cap limiting Dublin Airport to 32 million passengers per year. Ryanair chief Michael OLeary accused Minister Eamon Ryan recently of failing to implement Irelands aviation policy which is to grow traffic, grow aviation jobs and grow the contribution of aviation to the Irish economy'." He is right about one thing our industrial society is addicted to exponential economic growth and politicians need to promise ongoing exponential growth to get elected. We are faced with this now global emergency because of the continual pursuit of more and more extraction, more consumption, more economic growth regardless of the cost. In This Changes Everything (2015), Naomi Klein spells out what is needed. "If we continue with business as usual, the result isnt that the world as we know it will simply continue; predictions of climate modelling by scientists have shown that the destruction caused by warming will leave us with a markedly different Earth. A passenger arrives from Bangkok at a Singapore airport last week. A relief plane flew into Singapore early Wednesday morning with most of the passengers who were on the flight that was battered by severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean. Photo: AP "The other option is to drastically change everything we know to tackle the crisis, to tackle injustice and transform the world to a system that works for and protects the people and the planet. "If we want the world to be transformed; if we want a liveable future; if we want a world where we are all respected and safe, then we must all take action now." Perhaps the threat of planes falling out of the skies as we criss-cross the globe is the wake up call governments need to radically transform the way we do business. In the meantime, when I decide to board a plane, Ill keep my seatbelt fastened. Since its inception, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged 50 people, 47 of whom were African. Its investigations have also been overwhelmingly focused on war crimes and crimes against humanity in African nations. What has long been understood but never stated is that the court and its processes, to put it bluntly, target a certain type of political leadership that is easier to go after. The court is built for Africans and thugs like Putin, is what one appalled elected senior leader reportedly told the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, when his team made a recent application for arrest warrants for Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, its defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders. Again, blunt, but not revelatory. At least not to the parts of the world that are more familiar with the court and its investigations. The lineup of suspects and defendants has long solidified the impression below the equator that the ICC is a court for Africans, and lately maybe Russians. How can that not be the takeaway when, in the years since the court was founded, the US often with British support has calamitously invaded Iraq and Afghanistan, established an extrajudicial prison for terror suspects, and created a CIA torture and detention network? African conflicts are seen as intimate, tribal and intentional in a way that those in other places are not. The underlying suggestion is that civilians in Western wars are killed and illegally detained by accident, while other countries do this on purpose. It would take a particularly gullible person to believe it is only the actions of African or Russian leaders that meet the threshold for breaking the rules of engagement in conflict. But there was always a veneer of plausibility. That is now being stripped away by the US and Britains indignant rejection of the courts move against Netanyahu, and the instruction from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel ought to protect Palestinians from genocide and halt its offensive in Rafah. Civilian casualties in Gaza are too large to be written off as necessary collateral. Seven months in, and the goal of defeating Hamas is neither closer nor outlined in a coherent way. The famine and forced displacement of civilians are too systemic to be regarded only as unfortunate byproducts of the campaign. Picture: AP/Leo Correa Israel has sent its troops to invade another territory, causing the deaths of civilians in the process, yet we are encouraged to think of its campaign as falling along the same lines as all those other good wars the West has waged another of those defensive moral missions during which unfortunate things have happened. Things that somehow never amount to the criminal, because the awfulness of war apparently cant be avoided. And besides, Israel is a democracy. The countries that dont belong in the dock are the ones that investigate themselves, and are seen as not requiring the paternal oversight of global courts. The US Senate delivered a report and indictment of the CIAs detention and interrogation techniques, while the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war condemned Britains military campaign and found the legal basis was dealt with in an unsatisfactory way. Thats as far as the investigations went. The result was apologies (and unrepentant defiance from Tony Blair), and the performance of oversight was enough to maintain a veneer of justice. Israels record obliterates all these exceptions. Its actions have failed to meet the standards set by its own allies for immunity from judgment. Civilian casualties in Gaza are too large to be written off as necessary collateral. Seven months in, and the goal of defeating Hamas is neither closer nor outlined in a coherent way. The famine and forced displacement of civilians are too systemic to be regarded only as unfortunate byproducts of the campaign. Israels reputation as a reliable democracy is shot. Its capacity to credibly investigate itself is too compromised by the short history of its pugnacious rightwing government that will brook no criticism, and its longer history of ignoring international law by allowing the expansion of settlements in occupied territories. In continuing to treat Israel as a country that is responsible but whose actions are sometimes humanly flawed, its allies are making a perilous calculation that in the long run will undermine their own interests. Their support for Israels actions weakens not only international law, but the ability to hold their enemies to account and maintain red lines against belligerent countries in a world where the tools of the international system are becoming ever more important. Rising political and economic forces in Asia, the Middle East and South America are challenging Anglo-American models of power, and making their agenda harder to deliver. Take the United Arab Emirates, a political player that was nowhere on the map 30 years ago. Today, it is an economic powerhouse and ally of the US, but it has also exchanged high-level meetings with Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine, and it continues to enable Russia to circumvent sanctions. Theres little the US can do about this. According to the Soufan Center, a global security and foreign policy research organisation, there is little appetite in Washington to do more than dish out warnings to the UAE. Chinese companies recently sanctioned for helping Russia belong to an economy that is Africas second-largest trading partner after the EU. Networks between sanctioned countries outside the regulated financial system are thriving. Gold, an unfreezable asset, has become a crucial part of how countries such as Russia, Venezuela and Iran engage in an international barter system. In this new context, enforcement becomes crucial, but may be impossible. After their dismissal of the ICC and ICJ calls on Israel to comply with international law, how can the US and its partners make a convincing case again that their rules are fair and universal, and so must be followed by all? It is brazenly clear the rules-based order is not about democratic values, the rule of law and the sanctity of human lives, but the observance of a global hierarchy in which some lives are sacred and others are not. Guardian KPMG recently launched its new EU AI Hub to support clients with optimising new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and to navigate incoming regulation in the EU and globally, specifically the landmark EU AI Act. Located in the firms Platform X Global Innovation Hub in Dublins IFSC, the hub will redefine how AI technologies are deployed and managed for clients and sees the creation of 200 jobs across the next three years in AI and related areas including risk, regulatory services and cyber security. Commenting on the benefits the hub will deliver to clients, Sean Redmond, KPMGs EU AI Hub Director, says that many businesses are struggling to make decisions on where to start with AI and how to deploy it safely. The hub is the place for clients to ideate, innovate and solve these challenges. KPMGs trusted responsible AI framework Supported by Microsoft and leading AI security and trust software firm Cranium, the EU AI Hub is designed to provide KPMG clients with access to world-leading tools and insights to navigate the complexities of AI implementation including the impending EU AI Act. The EU AI Hub combines KPMGs Trusted Responsible AI framework and comprehensive capabilities ranging from strategy, transformation, technology, data sciences and assurance; along with the Cranium enterprise software platform built to drive security, trust, and compliance across AI systems, and Microsofts pioneering AI technologies. Sean Redmond, KPMG's EU AI Hub director. Speaking at the launch of the hub, Minister of State Neale Richmond TD said: I am delighted to be attending the launch of KPMGs new EU AI Hub. AI presents an opportunity, and a challenge, for many Irish businesses and KPMGs Hub will help them to navigate the world of AI, and the regulation that comes with it. KPMGs EU AI Hub will lead to the creation of 200 jobs over the next three years, underpinning both KPMGs commitment to Ireland but also the role that AI will have for Irish businesses in the coming years. Through our strategy AI Here for Good, Ireland aims to be an international leader in the AI space, with a people-focused and ethical approach and KPMGs EU AI Hub will help us to reach this goal. Delivering on Irelands AI potential Gillian Kelly, head of consulting, KPMG in Ireland, emphasised the advantages for businesses through the collaboration between KPMG, Cranium and Microsoft. The hub is underpinned by our Trusted AI framework and supported by cutting-edge technology from Microsoft and Cranium. KPMGs commitment to Dublin and the creation of new jobs underscores our belief in Irelands potential as a place for innovation, technology, and collaboration. We look forward to contributing to the vibrant tech ecosystem and supporting our clients on their AI journey. Redmond strongly emphasises the important role the EU AI Hub will play as the EU AI Act is rolled out across member states. With the EU AI Hub, businesses and organisations can prepare for the EU AI Act through a simplified streamlined approach which assesses the organisations current readiness, as well as level of maturity and policies or controls in place, before equipping them with the right AI tools to ensure their initiatives align with evolving legislation requirements and broader responsible and ethical considerations. He continued: The EU AI Hub brings together top minds and technology in a collaborative environment and is uniquely positioned to support businesses in optimising AI solutions in a secure, compliant way that can be trusted. Understanding that responsible AI is not only a business issue but also a regulatory and technical challenge, were committed to helping clients put into practice end-to-end responsible and regulatory compliant AI programmes. Its also important that organisations dont see the impending EU AI Act as a blocker to innovation and ideation, but instead it provides the guardrails that enables organisations to experiment with AI and deliver value to their businesses and customers in a safe, secure, trusted and compliant manner.. Jonathan Dambrot, CEO of Cranium, said: As enterprises journey through the hub, Cranium, from a technical perspective, captures the technical components of AI models, runs risk reports, and does gap analysis against the EU AI Act and other international AI frameworks. Joining forces with KPMG and Microsoft, were demonstrating that organisations are backed by the confidence and maturity to achieve EU AI Act readiness. Dani Michaux, KPMGs EMEA Head of Cyber Security, added: The complexity of cyber security challenges in relation to trusted AI has just begun and will continue to evolve. We are delighted to collaborate with Cranium and Microsoft in navigating these challenges and evolve the dialogue and understanding of whats ahead of us. Upskilling, collaboration, leadership and knowledge exchange will be key features of the hub. We are all excited and looking forward to contributing to the further developments of AI journeys with our clients. AI risks and challenges At the launch, KPMGs Sean Redmond also explored the opportunities, risk and challenges of AI in a wide-ranging panel discussion with AI experts. Kieran McCorry, national technology officer and head of responsible AI at Microsoft Ireland, noted the confluence of organisations moving to implement AI with the advent of regulation in the space. A colleague of mine is very fond of the expression 2023 was the year of wow and 2024 is the year of how?" he said. Large enterprises see literally hundreds of use cases for AI and want to know how to safely develop them at speed, said Jonathan Dambrot, CEO and co-founder of Cranium, a specialist software spin-out from KPMG. The challenge we face right now, especially with generative AI, is that there is just so much experimentation happening, he said. Meanwhile Roland Cloutier, former global chief security officer at TikTok and ByteDance, framed the status of AI succinctly: You cant turn it off, its part of your embedded IT ecosystem already. He urged organisations to proactively support the development of new AI capabilities and processes, rather than spending time and money on preventative measures when it is too late. Even organisations that dont knowingly use AI need to recognise that their third-party systems probably do, noted Redmond. McCorry raised the spectre of "shadow AI", where AI is being used in organisations with no AI policies and even where it is banned. Fellow panellist Paul Browne, AI lead at Enterprise Ireland, agreed: If anyone in the room thinks that colleagues arent using AI, youre being naive. People are using it. If you havent thought about it already, you need to. KPMGs global head of AI David Rowlands concluded: People are excited about what AI can do for them but they are also anxious about what it might do to them. There is a trust equation between organisations and their people that needs to be thought through. Thats why Im so excited about the EU AI Hub, because this is where it all comes together, to break down and solve all of those problems. At KPMG we understand businesses are eager to embrace AI and capitalise on the benefits it can bring, but there is hesitancy around what complexity and technical regulatory legislation, security risks, trust and broader people/change/culture shift as people learn to work with AI and how will help them in their day-to-day work. To find out more about how KPMG perspectives and fresh thinking can help your business see www.kpmg.ie/ai A Georgian parliament committee has rejected the presidents veto of the foreign agents legislation that has sparked massive protests for weeks. The move by the parliaments judiciary committee sets up the possibility of a vote of the full legislature on Tuesday to override President Salome Zourabichvilis veto of the measure, which she and other critics say will restrict media freedom and obstruct Georgias chances of joining the European Union. The law would require news media and non-governmental organisations that get more than 20% of their budget from abroad to register as carrying out the interests of a foreign power. Opponents denounce it as the Russian law because it resembles measures pushed through by the Kremlin. Ms Zourabichvili vetoed the law on May 18 after it was passed in parliament by deputies from the governing Georgian Dream party and its allies. That bloc has sufficient votes in parliament to override the veto. Large protests have repeatedly gripped the capital, Tbilisi, as the measure made its way through parliament. Protesters against the legislation in Tbilisi, Georgia (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze) On Sunday, Ms Zourabichvili and prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze decried each other in speeches at a ceremony marking Georgias Independence Day. As the spectre of Russia looms over us, partnership and rapprochement with Europe are the true path to preserving and strengthening our independence and peace. Those who sabotage and undermine this path trample upon and damage the peaceful and secure future of our country, hindering the path towards becoming a full member of the free and democratic world, Ms Zourabichvili said. But Mr Kobakhidze sharply criticised Ms Zourabichvili. It was the unity and reasonable steps of the people and their elected government that gave us the opportunity to maintain peace in the country for the past two years despite existential threats and multiple betrayals, including the betrayal of the president of Georgia, he said. The European Unions foreign policy arm has said adoption of the law negatively impacts Georgias progress on the EU path. Critics say it may have been driven by Russia to thwart Georgias chances of further integrating with the West. US secretary of state Antony Blinken announced on Thursday that travel sanctions would be imposed on Georgian officials who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia. He added that it remains our hope that Georgias leaders will reconsider the draft law and take steps to move forward with their nations democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. An Israeli airstrike triggered a massive blaze killing 45 people in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court ruling to halt Israel's assault. In scenes grimly familiar from a war in its eighth month, Palestinian families rushed to hospitals to prepare their dead for burial after the strike late on Sunday night set tents and rickety shelters ablaze. Women wept and men held prayers beside bodies in shrouds. "The whole world is witnessing Rafah getting burnt up by Israel and no one is doing anything to stop it," Bassam, a Rafah resident, said via a chat app, of the strike in an area of western Rafah that had been designated a safe zone. Israeli tanks continued to bombard eastern and central areas of the city in southern Gaza on Monday, killing eight, local health officials said. Israel's military said that Sunday's air attack, based on "precise intelligence", had eliminated militant group Hamas' chief of staff for the second and larger Palestinian territory, the West Bank, plus another official behind attacks on Israelis. Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah. Picture: AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi Earlier on Sunday, it had said eight rockets were intercepted after being fired from the Rafah area. A minister said that showed the need for continued operations against Hamas. Israel's top military prosecutor, however, called the air strike "very grave" and said an investigation was underway. "The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) regrets any harm to non-combatants during the war," Major-General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi said at a conference on Monday. The attack took place in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood, where thousands were sheltering after Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over two weeks ago. More than half of the dead were women, children, and elderly people, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise as more people caught in the blaze were in critical condition with severe burns. Israel has kept up attacks on Rafah despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ordering it to stop, arguing that the court's ruling grants it some scope for military action there. Tanaiste Micheal Martin has described the attacks on Rafah overnight as "barbaric". At a joint press conference with his Spanish and Norwegian counterparts, Mr Martin condemned both the Hamas rocket attack on Tel Aviv and the "heinous attack" on refugee encampments in Rafah. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" over Israel's latest attacks. "These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians," he said on X. Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the ICJ ruling must be respected. "International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war," Baerbock said. 'Gaza is hell on earth' By daylight, the camp was a smoking wreckage of tents, twisted metal and charred belongings. Sitting beside bodies of his relatives, Abed Mohammed Al-Attar said Israel lied when it told residents they would be safe in Rafah's western areas. His brother, sister-in-law and several other relatives were killed in the blaze. "The army is a liar. There is no security in Gaza. There is no security, not for a child, an elderly man, or a woman. Here he (my brother) is with his wife, they were martyred," he said. "What have they done to deserve this? Their children have been orphaned." Hospitals in Rafah, including the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital, were unable to handle all the wounded, so some were moved to hospitals in Khan Younis further north in Gaza for treatment, medics said. Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah. Picture: AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said the situation was horrifying. "Gaza is hell on earth. Images from last night are yet another testament to that," UNRWA wrote on X. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in the area. But it faces global condemnation for failing to spare civilian lives. "On top of the hunger, on top of the starvation, the refusal to allow aid in sufficient volumes, what we witnessed last night is barbaric," Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said. Egypt condemned the Israeli military's "deliberate bombing of the tents of displaced people", state media reported, describing it as a blatant violation of international law. Saudi Arabia also condemned the Israeli attack and Qatar said the Rafah strike could hinder efforts to mediate a ceasefire and hostage exchange. Israeli tanks have probed around the edges of Rafah, near the crossing point from Gaza into Egypt, since May 6 and have entered some of its eastern districts. Israel is facing new condemnation for strikes on the Gaza city of Rafah that local health officials said killed at least 45 Palestinians, including displaced people living in tents that were engulfed by fire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there had been a tragic mistake and that Israel was investigating. Israel has faced surging international criticism over its war with Hamas, with even some of its closest allies, particularly the United States, expressing outrage at civilian deaths. Israel asserts that it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the worlds top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt its offensive in Rafah. Israel said it was looking into the civilian deaths, saying it struck a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants. Sunday nights attack, which appeared to be one of the wars deadliest, helped push the overall Palestinian death toll in the war above 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants in its tally. We pulled out people who were in an unbearable state, said Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in the north-western neighbourhood of Tel al-Sultan. We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal. The Gaza Health Ministry said around half of the dead were women, children and older adults. On Monday, barefoot children poked at the blackened debris as searches continued. France, a close European ally of Israel, said it was outraged by the violence. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire, French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X. Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt, had been housing more than a million people about half of Gazas population displaced from other parts of the territory. Most have fled once again since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion there earlier this month. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps in and around the city. Mr Netanyahu says Israel must destroy what he calls Hamass last remaining battalions in Rafah. The militant group on Sunday launched a barrage of rockets from the city towards heavily populated central Israel, setting off air raid sirens but causing no injuries. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said that bombings like the one in Rafah will have long-standing repercussions for Israel. Israel with this choice is spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchildren. I would have preferred another decision, he told SKY TG24. Palestinians react next to the destruction after an Israeli strike in Rafah (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas in attempts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, said the strikes could complicate talks. Negotiations, which appear to be restarting, have faltered repeatedly over Hamass demand for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, terms Israeli leaders have publicly rejected. Neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, which made peace with Israel decades ago, also condemned the Rafah strikes. Egypts Foreign Ministry described the strike on Tel al-Sultan as a new and blatant violation of the rules of humanitarian international law. Jordans Foreign Ministry called it a war crime. The Israeli militarys top legal official said authorities were examining the strikes and that the military regrets the loss of civilian life. Military Advocate General Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi said such incidents occur in a war of such scope and intensity. Speaking to an Israeli lawyers conference, Tomer-Yerushalmi said Israel has launched 70 criminal investigations into incidents that aroused suspicions of international law violations, including the deaths of civilians, the conditions at a detention facility holding suspected Palestinian militants and the deaths of some inmates in Israeli custody. She said incidents of violence, property crimes and looting were also being examined. Israel has long maintained it has an independent judiciary capable of investigating and prosecuting abuses. But rights groups say Israeli authorities routinely fail to fully investigate violence against Palestinians and that even when soldiers are held accountable the punishment is usually light. Israel has adamantly denied allegations of genocide brought against it by South Africa at the International Court of Justice. Last week, the court ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, a ruling that it has no power to enforce. Separately, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants against Mr Netanyahu and Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, over alleged crimes linked to the war. Israel says it does its best to adhere to the laws of war and says it faces an enemy that makes no such commitment, embeds itself in civilian areas and refuses to release Israeli hostages unconditionally. Hamas triggered the war with its October 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds about 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a ceasefire last year. Around 80% of Gazas 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. An Israeli airstrike triggered a fire that killed 45 people in a tent camp in the Gazan city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court order to halt Israel's assault. Palestinian families rushed to hospitals to prepare their dead for burial after a strike late on Sunday night set tents and rickety metal shelters ablaze. Israel's military, which is trying to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, said it was investigating reports that a strike it carried out against commanders of the Islamist militant group in Rafah had caused the fire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike had not been intended to cause civilian casualties. "In Rafah, we already evacuated about 1 million non-combatant residents and despite our utmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something unfortunately went tragically wrong," he said in a speech in parliament that was interrupted by shouting from opposition lawmakers. Survivors said families were preparing to sleep when the strike hit the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood where thousands were sheltering after Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over two weeks ago. "We were praying...and we were getting our children's beds ready to sleep. There was nothing unusual, then we heard a very loud noise, and fire erupted around us," said Umm Mohamed Al-Attar, a Palestinian mother in a red headscarf. "All the children started screaming... The sound was terrifying; we felt like the metal was about to collapse on us, and shrapnel fell into the rooms." Video footage obtained by Reuters showed a fire raging in the darkness and people screaming in panic. A group of young men tried to haul away sheets of corrugated iron and a hose from a single fire truck began to douse the flames. More than half of the dead were women, children, and elderly people, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise from people with severe burns. Israeli soldiers walk in a staging area for their tanks near the Gaza border in southern Israel. Medics later said an Israeli airstrike on Monday on a house in Rafah had killed seven Palestinians, with several others wounded. Israel's military said Sunday's strike, based on "precise intelligence", had eliminated Hamas' chief of staff for the second and larger Palestinian territory, the West Bank, plus another official behind deadly attacks on Israelis. That followed the interception of eight rockets fired towards Israel from the Rafah area in Gaza's southern tip. Israel has kept up its offensive despite a ruling by the top U.N. court on Friday ordering it to stop, saying the court's ruling grants it some scope for military action there. The court also reiterated calls for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. The US urged Israel to take more care to protect civilians, but stopped short of calling for a halt to the Rafah incursion. "Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians," a National Security Council spokesperson said. "But as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians." French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" over Israel's latest attacks. "These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians," he said on X. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the International Court of Justice ruling must be respected. "International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war," Baerbock said. No safe zone More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. By daylight, the camp in Rafah was a smoking wreckage of tents, twisted metal and charred belongings. Women wept and men held prayers beside bodies in shrouds. Sitting beside bodies of his relatives, Abed Mohammed Al-Attar said Israel lied when it told residents they would be safe in Rafah's western areas. His brother, sister-in-law and several other relatives were killed in the blaze. "The army is a liar. There is no security in Gaza. There is no security, not for a child, an elderly man, or a woman. Here he (my brother) is with his wife, they were martyred," he said. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs based in the West Bank condemned "the heinous massacre." Egypt also condemned Israel's "deliberate bombing of the tents of displaced people", state media reported, describing it as a blatant violation of international law. An Israeli female soldier sits atop a tank in a staging area near the Gaza border in southern Israel On Monday, the Israeli military said it was investigating reports of an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers close to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. Egypt's military spokesperson said that shooting near the Rafah crossing led to the killing of one person and authorities were investigating. Israeli tanks stepped up the intensity of bombardments of eastern and central areas of Rafah on Monday, killing at least eight, local health officials said. Two medical workers were killed by a missile fired from a drone as they left the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah, medics said. In Al-Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip, an Israeli attack killed three Palestinian police officers, Gaza's Hamas-run interior ministry said. Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in the area. But it faces global condemnation for failing to spare civilian lives. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also condemned the Israeli attack and Qatar said the Rafah strike could hinder efforts to mediate a ceasefire and hostage exchange. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told reporters in Beirut on Monday that there were no plans for ceasefire talks and the group's demands to achieve an accord, which include a permanent ceasefire, remain unchanged. ~ Reuters by Rebecca Baumgartner A little over a year ago, in Allen, Texas, we saw the precise moment when a good guy with a gun became a bad guy with a gun. It turns out that the line between these two different types of people (and there are only two, were told) is as slight as a finger squeezing a trigger. Certainly nothing prior to that trigger-squeeze at the Allen Premium Outlets was illegal. In Texas, as of 2021, someone can legally carry eight guns in public without a license or permit of any kind. Under Texas recently expanded open carry law, you can take as many guns as you want into a library. You can take as many guns as you want into the state Capitol building in Austin. You can take as many guns as you want with you while walking down the street. This is called freedom. Its a freedom that requires you to accept some logical catch-22s, though. For example, the dividing line between a law-abiding citizen exercising his supposed right to bear arms and a mentally unstable man who should never have had a gun in the first place is only discernible after he has killed people. Once someone becomes a gun-wielding maniac, they retroactively never should have been allowed to have a gun. (Its a shame they dont have the courtesy to tell us ahead of time that theyre the bad guys.) You can get around this conundrum if you believe in a world where people are either all good or all bad, and we can tell the difference. Gun extremists believe in a fairytale world split into dark and light. They would have us believe that its just a matter of finding out who falls into which camp. The forces for good get as many guns as they want and are trusted implicitly, and the forces of darkness are (somehow, without legislative intervention) kept from getting guns. And then the good guys with guns keep us safe from the bad guys with guns. Just like in stories. But notably, and tragically, this is precisely what does not tend to happen during mass shootings in the real world. This is not what happened at the Parkland school shooting or the Orlando nightclub shooting. This is not what happened at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, either. The good guys with guns just stood there, scared out of their minds, while people died. Why would we expect anything different? Having good intentions and a handgun does not magically give you the training, skill, and foolhardiness that it would require to take on someone with a body-armor-piercing AR-15. (This is why its profoundly stupid to think that arming teachers is any kind of solution. If trained police officers respond, understandably, with fear and confusion and incompetence, what chance do schoolteachers have?) The good guy argument is a trick. And were too old to be falling for it, over and over again. As Dominic Erdozain says in his book One Nation Under Guns (2024), the status of the law-abiding citizen is preserved by a trick of language. Law-abiding citizens, we are told, have a right to arm themselves against criminals and madmen. When one of them acquires a private arsenal and murders more than fifty people from a hotel room, his status is reassigned, and we are told that he should never have had a gun in the first place. One law-abiding citizen has become a wolf, and the concept survives the trauma. Too many people think that acquiescing to this childish, distinctly American notion of good and evil is inevitable. They point to the Constitution. Even some gun control advocates hasten to assure us that they wouldnt dare try to touch the Second Amendment, which has been raised to the status of holy scripture in these debates. But heres what too few people are asking: What does the Second Amendment actually guarantee, if anything? To answer this question in good faith, you have to read the Second Amendment and understand the eighteenth-century political context. Lets take a closer look at the words that supposedly allow someone to take eight weapons, without a license, to a public place. And lets try to figure out why the drafters of the Bill of Rights could have (apparently) wished to allow such a thing. This is bound to anger some, but surely, if people can be expected to give up their lives for someone elses constitutional right, those who believe in that right can withstand a few moments of discomfort as we examine the basis for their beliefs. It wont kill them, after all. To start with, the text. Conservatives have a habit of quoting only a portion of the Second Amendment the abridged version, if you will, with the inconvenient parts skipped over. Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, the Supreme Court, and the NRA (coincidentally, Im sure) have all been strangely reluctant to recite the Amendment in its entirety. Heres the whole thing: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. To fully understand what this means, you must be aware that in early America, local militias were defensive units comprised of civilians and were envisioned as a way of defending communities against the incursions of professional, federally organized armies. The language of this Amendment is designed to allow amateur militias to defend their communities against standing armies. It does not mention individuals in their private capacity as householders. You can see why conservatives tend to leave out the first 13 words of the Amendment roughly half of it. Those are the 13 words that make it clear this is a collective right of the people in the course of required service in a militia, not of any particular individual. As Erdozain explains, The states wanted a guarantee that if Congress failed to arm the militias, they could do so themselves. This was written during the thick of the Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist debates. The Anti-Federalists wanted an assurance that the militias in their communities would be able to arm themselves against the might of a federal army. This is not to be understood as an entitlement to amass guns for personal use. At the time, Alexander Hamilton was the only one prescient enough to see the potential for the Amendment to be misinterpreted. No one could have predicted that militias would eventually fall by the wayside, making the first half of the Amendment nearly incomprehensible without some historical understanding. And its telling that Hamilton imagined how the Second Amendment could become the target for unscrupulous minds. As, indeed, it has. The uncomfortable reality about the Second Amendment is this: The eighteenth-century concept of a militia is obsolete, and therefore any rights pertaining to an obsolete institution are likewise obsolete. There is a winding, complex, and heartbreaking story about guns in America that unfolds from 1791 onwards and carries us, one act of corruption after another, to the present moment. Once militias lost their relevance in daily life, self-serving politicians and judges the very unscrupulous minds Hamilton warned us about put the interests of slaveholders, gun owners, vigilantes, and, eventually, gun manufacturers above serving the Constitution, with results that we can all see. In particular, the Supreme Courts decision in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) erased the Second Amendments dependency on service in a militia and erroneously claimed that the Amendment has always been about an individuals right to self-defense. This deliberate misreading of the Second Amendment was paid for by the gun lobby. It erases the historical meaning of the first 13 words and leaves us with state-sanctioned tyranny, the very opposite of its intended purpose. As Erdozain explains in One Nation Under Guns, The great irony of American gun culture is that when individuals insist on unlimited access to weapons, they are closer to the values of the monarchy that the founders wanted to escape than the republic they actually established. And now, because the Supreme Court has allowed the gun lobby to influence the meaning of our governing documents, we kill over music at gas stations, or for talking during a movie. And this is called freedom. When you look back over this vista from a belief that state militias had a right to defend themselves against the federal army, to a society where people kill each other for talking during a movie your heart cant take it. As I said, this line of inquiry is probably upsetting to many who have grown accustomed to simply parroting the phrase Second Amendment rights without knowing what that really means. These people most of whom are not going to become mass shooters and who deserve to be educated, not scorned (except for Ted Cruz) believe they are being good patriots by saying this. The problem is, its not patriotic to uphold an incorrect understanding of what our founding documents say. In fact, the patriotic thing is to insist on the correct meaning of these documents, shedding light on them with a fuller knowledge of the historical context. There are some who believe that claiming a section of the Bill of Rights is now obsolete is traitorous or un-American. I can see why they think that, because most of us were taught in grade school that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are finished and perfect. Most of us never even get far enough into U.S. History to realize that the Constitution was changed as recently as 1971, when the voting age was lowered to 18. These documents change. They are supposed to change. The original pieces of parchment the Constitution was written on are artifacts, but the rights and obligations they codify are not. Those who oppose this way of thinking are trapped in a mindset of believing the Constitution is untouchable, that it is too precious to mess with, that it is merely there to receive our reverence. But this is not how governments or societies work. They evolve, and the laws we create are there to serve us, not the other way around. Its not traitorous to acknowledge that the America of 2024 is not the same place as the America of 1791. In fact, its impractical to do otherwise. We need to remind ourselves that a human beings right to life, liberty, and happiness (which surely includes the ability to visit public places without fear) is more precious than preserving a particular interpretation of an Amendment particularly when that interpretation has been bought and paid for by those with a conflict of interest. The Second Amendment was never about the good guys vs. bad guys dichotomy that gun extremists would have us believe in today. That myth was created to preserve political and financial power, and its kept alive by the basest instincts of human nature and a whole lot of cash. We need to shift our focus. What we need to hold at the forefront of this debate is not the scripture of this countrys founding and the myths and worshipful obedience that have sprung up around it, but the people, here and now, we are tacitly willing to sacrifice to keep that myth going. As Dominic Erdozain says, The real casualty is not the Constitution: it is the lives that are sacrificed to the myth. No one volunteers to be such a sacrifice, but something as simple as going to school in America enters you into the running whether you like it or not. Perhaps the most poignant protest sign Ive seen is one that read Am I next? held by a 10-year-old boy. The gut-wrenchingly honest answer is: Yeah, you might be. Its time for Republicans to stop hiding behind the Constitution to justify their collusion with the gun industry. We are doing the Constitution and its creators a grave disservice by pretending like they ever sanctioned the bloodshed we call freedom. BELMOND LAUNCHES ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHIC RESIDENCY AND NEW SERIES OF ART BOOKS AT PHOTO LONDON 2024 (United Kingdom) Belmond is proud to be Presenting Partner of Photo London 2024, a continuation of last years partnership that saw the exhibition Fotografia Maroma. BELMOND LAUNCHES ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHIC RESIDENCY AND NEW SERIES OF ART BOOKS AT PHOTO LONDON 2024 (United Kingdom) Belmond is proud to be Presenting Partner of Photo London 2024, a continuation of last years partnership that saw the exhibition Fotografia Maroma. United Kingdom - Exclusive experiences - What's new? This is a press release Category: Europe This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2024-05-27 the most notable example to date being the global Belmond Legends campaign, which saw original commissions from artists including Durimel, Coco Capitan, Jack Davison, Jeano Edwards, Letizia Le Fur, Francois Halard, Rosie Marks, Chris Rhodes and Thomas Rousset. Photo London 2024 sees Belmond evolve the brands commitment to photography into an ongoing initiative with the announcement of the Belmond Photographic Residency an annual jury-led award supporting emerging photographic talent. To mark the occasion, Belmond is also launching a series of limited-edition art books created in partnership with artists from the Belmond Legends campaign. Featuring photographers Coco Capitan, Rosie Marks and Letizia Le Fur, the books are being produced by renowned Parisian art publishers RVB Books and consider new perspectives of travel and culture; exploring ideas beyond the traditional documentation of places. An associated exhibition will translate the artists respective books into an exhibition experience that captures their distinctive points of view, featuring never-before seen work. From art books to exhibition to Residency, each component of Belmonds activities this year reflects a deep belief in and commitment to the art of travel. Through these ongoing exchanges with artists, the brand seeks to highlight the power of adventure experiences that can inspire, challenge and leave a lasting impact on each of us. Belmond Photographic Residency The Belmond Photographic Residency extends the brands focus on contemporary photography into a meaningful commitment to an emerging generation of photographic talent. It will become the mainstay of Belmonds annual cultural calendar, giving rise to a new book and exhibition for each years winner. The Residency is awarded to artists whose creative vision reflects a contemporary perspective of travel photography and who exhibit a distinctive artistic language. The measure of success will reflect different photographic themes (such as aesthetic, subject or composition) to be defined by a global jury of experts: Simon Baker: Director, Maison Europeenne de la Photographie (MEP) . Baker has been Director of Paris prestigious MEP since 2018 and was previously the first curator of photography at Tate (where he rose to Senior Curator of International Art). . Carla Sozzani: Gallerist, editor and founder of Fondazione Sozzani . The former fashion editor and art collector founded 10 Corso Como in 1990 and has since built the brand into one of the most respected exhibition spaces and concept stores in the world. . Ekow Eshun: Writer and curator . Having curated the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square and major shows at the National Portrait Gallery, Eshun is a powerful voice in British art. He regularly appears on radio, TV and print, contributing to varied cultural topics. . Coco Capitan: Photographer . Known for her playful eye and hand-scrawled musing, Capitan is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary photography whether thats in commercial campaigns for the likes of Gucci or personal publishing projects. . Antwaun Sargent: Writer and curator . New York based Sargent is part of a new wave of curators representing previously underrepresented voices and generations in art, writing prolifically for publications including the New York Times. . Matthieu Charon: Co-Founder, RVB Books . Parisian publishers RVB are one of the most respected photobook producers in the world, and Belmonds collaborator on the new As Seen By book series. . Arnaud Champenois, Senior Vice President Global Brand & Marketing, Belmond . Champenois leads Belmonds cultural projects, including the Belmond Legends photography series, As Seen By art book collection, and international art initiative, MITICO. . The work submitted will demonstrate a singularly artistic point of view on a destination. Via a newly unveiled website residency.belmond.com, the residency is open to all nationalities and ages, with the requirement being that the talent is not yet or has not been represented by an agent or gallery. The jury will focus on supporting future perspectives of travel photography and visionary artistic talent. Award and Process The Residency will offer the winner: A financial award An all expenses covered residency at a Belmond location A publication in partnership with RVB Books A showcase in a global city Mentorship from Belmonds global network of photographic experts Runner-up prizes to be announced Candidates will be sourced from both jury-nominated and open call submissions. Specialists and experts in the field of photography will be invited to select a small number of photographers from their own region, as well as an open call submission partnership with leading global photographic institutions. Artists will be invited to submit either a new or existing body of work the specific details of which are to be announced at Photo London. Further application information to be shared in due course. Photo London Exhibtion Belmond is Photo Londons lead sponsor this year, taking over the second largest gallery space at Somerset House: the Portico Rooms. This space will present three new photographic books from photographers Coco Capitan, Rosie Marks and Letizia Le Fur, combining their unique perspective on Belmond destinations with personal work exploring contemporary travel photography. This new body of work has been shot at three diverse locations: Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town (Rosie Marks), the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Europe (Coco Capitan) and the hotel Caruso on Italys Amalfi Coast (Letizia Le Fur). Alongside the books, Belmond is working with creative director Dani Matthews (Paris-based agency 20xx) to curate the exhibition featuring artwork from the books. In the year that Valerie Belin takes the prestigious Master of Photography position at Photo London, Belmond is proud to present a creative endeavour led by and celebrating female creatives. Each of the three artists expression and approach is unique, and the diversity of work reflects not only their singular lens, but their personal fascinations with travel and the Belmond destinations they document. These new commissions push us to collectively be open to the ever-evolving possibilities of artistic photography as a vehicle to share meaningful experiences of travel. Art Books The three books launched at Photo London mark the start of an ongoing collectible art book series, which will define Belmonds annual publishing calendar. Working with renowned Parisian art publishers RVB Books, each edition presents a singular interpretation of a Belmond destination. This series of independent publications is being led by RVB Books in collaboration with the photographer and creative director Dani Matthews (Paris-based agency 20xx). The books are available for sale through RVB Books international distribution network of premium bookstores and galleries, as well as online. Artist Bios Coco Capitan Coco Capitan was born in Seville, Spain and is currently based in London, where she completed her MA Master of Fine Arts with honours in the field of Photography at the Royal College of Art, London, in 2016. Coco Capitans acutely intimate and emotive portraits capture the subtlety of human gestures and spontaneous moments that manifest in her poetic and narrative-driven imagery. Her art practice straddles the fine art and commercial art worlds, and includes photography, painting, and prose. Rosie Marks British Photographer Rosie Marks (b. London, 1993) documents subjects as they focus on their day-to-day lives. Her subjects are engrossed in their worlds, her fascination with them sometimes left unrequited. Marks voyeuristic eye allows for the absence of sentimentality, giving her the ability to capture the oddities of human behaviour. Marks work takes place in scenarios where people are their most free and individualistic - teenagers at prom, couples on holiday or people at home. Marks personal work to date is a human study; at times a reaction against the s elf-awareness we now have with cameras, seeking genuine moments of the everyday; and other times an honest document of the daily experiences of individuals and their quest to find meaning in their lives. Marks at her purest finds beauty, awkwardness, and vibrancy in the lives and rituals of strangers. Letizia Le fur French photographer Letizia Le fur graduated from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in France in 1998 and first trained as a painter. With the encouragement of artist and teacher Valerie Belin, she soon shifted to photography. Her work centres on the depiction of beauty and the representation of a fantasized otherworld. Her fascination with Greek mythology has led her to reflect on the place of humanity in our primal environment. Reckless move to push for "Taiwan independence" will inevitably lead to severe punishment People's Daily) 13:14, May 27, 2024 In a speech on May 20, the leader of the Taiwan region trumpeted separatist fallacies such as "sovereign independence," "non-subordination between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait," and "self-determination of Taiwan residents." He also begged for support from external forces, trying to promote the "internationalization of the Taiwan question" and continuing to seek "Taiwan independence" by relying on foreign countries and by force. This complete confession of "Taiwan independence" was full of hostility, provocation, lies and deception, reflecting an even more radical and risky stance on "Taiwan independence." Such a reckless move will inevitably lead to severe punishment and accelerate the collapse of separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence." People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same bloodline, culture and history. They belong to the same Chinese nation and are of the same family enjoying kinship and offering mutual assistance. The over-5,000-year history of the Chinese nation saw successive generations of ancestors move and settle down in Taiwan and people from across the Strait fight side by side to recover the island from foreign invaders. Be it in legal or factual terms, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. Pursuing "independence" and private political gains, the leader of the Taiwan region touted the so-called "two states" theory and tried to legitimize "Taiwan independence." He even denied his Chinese heritage. The actions are disgraceful betrayals of the nation and the ancestors. History has proved that those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland, and seek to split the country will come to no good end; they will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history, disdained by the people and condemned by history. China's complete reunification is an inevitable trend. It is where the greater national interest lies, and it is what the people desire. The Chinese nation has a common belief that the territory is indivisible, the country cannot be destabilized, the nation cannot be separated, and the civilization cannot be broken. A strong and unified nation has always been the pillar upon which the future of all the Chinese people, including compatriots in Taiwan, depends. Taiwan is China's Taiwan. Safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is the common obligation of all Chinese people, the Taiwan compatriots included. No "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces should make Taiwan secede from China under any name or by any means. From the very beginning of his tenure, the leader of the Taiwan region cannot help but to expose his true colors as an advocate for "Taiwan independence," brazenly inciting "anti-China" sentiments. What he said and did completely go against the mainstream public opinion in the Taiwan region in favor of peace not war, development not decline, communication rather than separation, and cooperation instead of confrontation. This has exacerbated tensions across the Taiwan Strait, pushing Taiwan towards an even more dangerous position. It severely challenges the common faith of the Chinese nation and the common will of the Chinese people. The complete reunification of China is an unstoppable trend. Those who seek "Taiwan independence" will only find themselves on a road leading to a dead end. No one desires more than the Chinese people do to achieve national reunification through peaceful means. China is ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification; but it will leave no room for separatist activities in any form. No one should underestimate the great resolve, the strong will, and the extraordinary ability of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China will never tolerate, connive at, or show any mercy to separatist acts in any form. The more the separatist provocations escalate, the more resolute and forceful the country's countermeasures will become. As a Chinese saying goes, a just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust one finds little support. Recently, political dignitaries and people from various sectors have reaffirmed their commitment to the one-China principle and expressed firm support for China's just cause of opposing "Taiwan independence" separatism and striving for national reunification. This fully demonstrates that with each provocation by the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, the international community's consensus on upholding the one-China principle becomes even stronger. The one-China principle cannot be violated. Separatist attempts for "Taiwan independence" are doomed to fail. The general trend of China's reunification is irreversible. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities and leaders' attempt to separate Taiwan from the motherland is nothing but a pipe dream, like ants trying to shake a giant tree. In the end, they will only face utter failure and wreck their own reputation. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming) Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) The US Supreme Court has an integrity problem, freshly illustrated by their decision to allow a clearly racially motivated South Carolina re-districting map to stand. Led by Justice Sam Alito, they argue that the redistricting map gives Republicans an advantage, but is NOT racially motivated! Have they seen the South Carolina Republican Convention? When six legal scholars refuse to acknowledge the direct connection between partisan and racism, and how one fuels the other; they are engaging in verbal parsing to favor Donald Trump, upend Constitutional protections, and their own precious originalist intent. As if Republican ideology and policy since Ronald Reagan has nothing to do with racism. Justice Samuel Alito suggested in his majority opinion, the legislature was merely seeking to make the seat safer for Republicans a goal that does not violate the Constitution. The decision is of a piece with Justice Alitos ethics problem, for the brazenly partisan and white nationalist flags he flew at his homes on the Jersey Shore and Northern Virginia. Previously, I argued for the impeachment of Justice Clarence Thomas based on his own ethical reckless and brazenly partisan behavior. Justice Alito wears his political sentiments on the flagpoles of his two homes. Trump-appointed Justices Brett Kavanagh, Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch all lied during their confirmation hearings, about their devotion to preserving Roe v. Wade. So five of the six-person majority in this decision have demonstrated serious ethical lapses, and expressed contempt for Congress. Chief Justice Roberts, appointed by George W. Bush, has run interference for all of them. Senator Mitch McConnell broke Senate rules, and used legislative sleight-of-hand to stack ALL the US courts with Republican appointees, while sabotaging appointees of President Barack Obama. Alito and Thomas should be legally compelled to recuse themselves from any cases involving Trump or the January 6 defendants. Reps. Adam Schiff and Mike Sherrill have already demanded that Alito recuse himself. Rep. Steve Cohen introduced a motion to censure Alito for what he called, a knowing and shameless demonstration of his political bias. Cohen added, Whats more, he continues to participate in litigation directly related to the 2020 election and the Insurrection, in direct violation of the federal recusal statute and the Supreme Courts own ethics rules. The censure motion would be raised if Alito refuses to recuse himself, as demanded by Congressional Democrats. The same pressure must be applied to Justice Thomas, who has been just as arrogant in expressing his similar partisan preferences. Rep. Jamie Raskin called for a Federal Ethics Panel for the Courts, which Republicans are fiercely resisting. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez demanded a Senate investigation into Alito saying, Samuel Alito has identified himself with the same people who raided the Capitol on Jan. 6, and is now going to be presiding over court cases that have deep implications over the participants of that rally. And while this is the threat to our democracy, Democrats have a responsibility for defending our democracy. And in the Senate, we have gavels. The Young Turks Video: You Wont BELIEVE Justice Alitos Latest Far-Right Flag Alitos behavior almost makes Thomas appear naive and guileless. Both have the same conflict problem, having accepted lavish gifts and vacations from corporate titans with cases before the court. Now comes Mrs. Alito to argue that the inverted flag was a distress signal, because one of her neighbors had a yard sign that personally insulted her. No, that is for ships at sea in distress, or kidnapping victims. As The Guardian points out, But these days it (inverted flag) is more often associated with activists making an extremist sign of protest, and at the time of the January 6 insurrection it had been adopted by some on the far right amid efforts, ultimately unsuccessful, to overturn Joe Bidens 2020 election victory over Trump. Shell say anything to deflect, divert, distract and obfuscate. Thats the Republican strategy when theyve been called out and exposed for support to overthrow the US Government, and install Trump as President for Life. Just as Mrs. Thomas did. The inverted flag was Alitos first red flag. The Appeal to Heaven flag raised at his beach house is now the second. This illustrates an escalating trend of empowerment-entitlement, when coupled with Justice Thomas brazen vertical integration with Harlan Crow. Republicans feel a misplaced sense of self-righteous justification, to dispense with ethical and legal boundaries that dont help their agenda. It illustrates how elected and appointed Republican office holders and judges feel beholden to, and empowered by Trump, to dispense with the legal boundaries, as it suits their agenda. Justice Alito holds enormous power to decide the fate of Trump and Democracy in the US. The expressions on his home flagpoles illustrate a clear partisan devotion to Trump over the Constitution. If he refuses to recuse himself, he should face impeachment. Same for Thomas. Not only can SCOTUS justices be impeached, but Alito and Thomas have made compelling cases that their abuses of standing and arrogance demands the process. Their ruling to allow a gerrymandered and racially motivated re-districting map to stand in South Carolina, illustrates the depth of the Republican deep fix. Their loyalties are no longer to the US Government and Constitution, but to Donald Trump and by extension, Vladimir Putin, Victor Orban and his other autocratic role models. Over 100 Republican Members of Congress voted to NOT certify the 2020 Election, out of fealty to Trump. Why shouldnt they all be expelled according to House and Senate Rules, and the Constitution? The Christian Nationalist movement fuels this dynamic, and piles on self-righteousness. Millions of Evangelicals have anointed Trump as their modern day King Cyrus, despite his deeply UN-Christian lifestyle. Why? Because he promised them to end legal access to abortion in the US, which is all they care about as a fast-track element toward Christian theocracy in the US. They want to believe he actually cares about that, though he paid at least one woman to have one. Six of the nine SCOTUS justices are devout, ideological Catholics, which comprise 20% of the US population. McConnells fear and devotion to Trump has given this minority outsized influence on our judicial system, with Alito and Thomas abusing their legal standing to make the US a Christian Theocracy, and Trump President-for-Life. Alito and Thomas must recuse or face impeachment; they drew the lines and raised the battle flags. By Richard Marcantonio, University of Notre Dame and Josefina Echavarria Alvarez, University of Notre Dame | (The Conversation) 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. 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. European Commission: Ukraine green recovery Conference 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. 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. Richard Marcantonio, Assistant Professor of Environment, Peace, and Global Affairs at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame and Josefina Echavarria Alvarez, Professor of the Practice in International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 27, 2024) - American Eagle Gold Corp. (TSXV: AE) (OTCQB: AMEGF) ("American Eagle" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling has begun on 2024's 15,000-metre drill program at its NAK copper-gold porphyry property in central British Columbia, Canada. The initial holes will test favourable geological and geophysical signatures, including resistivity and chargeability anomalies identified by a 2024 deep-looking induced polarization survey. The program is starting with a single diamond drill rig, with a second rig arriving within two weeks. Areas of focus for 2024's drill program include: Testing the zone northwest of NAK23-17, which returned 302 metres of 1.09% Copper Equivalent within 606 metres of 0.74% Copper Equivalent from 98 metres downhole; Expanding the high-grade near surface gold zone proximal to NAK22-01, which returned 126 metres of 1.05% Copper Equivalent (1.01g/t Au, 0.29% Cu, 1.47g/t Ag) from surface; Connecting the 2022 and 2023 areas of drilling eastward to the area of hole NAK23-09, which returned 117 metres of 0.40% Copper Equivalent from surface. Drilling will continue into late 2024, and American Eagle has approximately $15,000,000 in its treasury, allowing it to expand the program based on results. Details of NAK's 2024 Drill Program The 2024 drill program will integrate the Company's evolving understanding of the relationship between the emplacement of multi-phase Eocene dikes and sills with reactive and permeable host rocks to form the extensive Nak mineralized system. American Eagle is developing models for geology, mineralization, alteration, and structure for the system, which will form the basis for its ongoing planning. The expanded 2024 drill program, currently planned for 15,000 metres, will aim to link, better define, and expand upon the historical North and South zones, which the Company showed in its 2022 and 2023 drill programs to extend to considerable depths (close to 950 m below surface) along a strike length of at least 750 m and across a minimum width of 400 m. Intercepts from 2023 include 900 m of 0.50% Copper Equivalent from surface in the North zone (Link to NAK23-12 News Release) and 302 metres of 1.09% within 606 m of 0.74% Copper Equivalent starting from 98 metres downhole in the South Zone (Link to NAK23-17 News Release). About American Eagle's NAK Project The NAK Project lies within the Babine copper-gold porphyry district of central British Columbia. It has excellent infrastructure through all-season roads and is close to the towns of Smithers, Houston, and Burns Lake, B.C., which lie along a major rail line and Provincial Highway 16. Historical drilling and geophysical, geological, and geochemical work at NAK, which began in the 1960's, tested only to shallow depths. Still, the work revealed a very large near-surface copper-gold system that measures over 1.5 km x 1.5 km. Drilling completed in 2022 and 2023 by American Eagle has returned significant intervals of high-grade copper-gold mineralization that lie beyond the extent of historical drilling, indicating that several zones of near-surface and deeper mineralization, locally with considerably higher grades, exist within the broader NAK property mineralizing system. For the latest videos from American Eagle, Ore Group, and all things mining, subscribe to our YouTube Chanel: youtube.com/@theoregroup About American Eagle Gold Corp. American Eagle is focused on exploring its NAK copper-gold porphyry project in west-central British Columbia, Canada. Anthony Moreau, Chief Executive Officer 416.644.1567 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.americaneaglegold.ca Q.P. Statement Mark Bradley, B.Sc., M.Sc., P.Geo., a Certified Professional Geologist and 'qualified person' for the purposes of Canada's National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Properties, has verified and approved the information contained in this news release. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding whether the Company will be able to complete the Offering as anticipated, the receipt of regulatory approval, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, to complete the Offering, the intended use of proceeds and intended drill program or its anticipated results at the Company's NAK project, the ability of the Company to make the qualifying expenditures as anticipated by management, and other matters ancillary or incidental to the foregoing. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results might differ materially from those suggested in forward-looking statements. American Eagle Gold Corp. assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to American Eagle Gold Corp. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by American Eagle Gold Corp. with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available under American Eagle Gold Corp. profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the TSX Venture Exchange policies) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. TORONTO, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Ionic Corp. (TSXV: LTH; OTCQX: LTHCF; FSE: H3N) reports that it has filed the independent NI 43-101 compliant technical report for its Bandeira Lithium Project (Bandeira or the Project) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, related to the updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Project announced on April 12, 2024. The Technical Report, titled NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Update on Bandeira Project, Aracuai and Itinga, Minas Gerais State, Brazil was prepared by GE21 Consultoria Mineral Ltda. (GE21) in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and has an effective date of March 5, 2024. The technical report details the MRE comprising Measured and Indicated resources of 23.68 million tonnes (Mt) at 1.34% Li2O, and Inferred resources of 18.25Mt at 1.37% Li2O, accounting for approximately 70% of the Companys total global mineral resources of 60.1Mt.* in Brazils Lithium Valley. The technical report is available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under Lithium Ionics issuer profile and on the Companys website at www.lithiumionic.com. The Company is currently finalizing a Feasibility Study for Bandeira and expects approval for its Concomitant Environmental and Installation License (LAC, or Licenca Ambiental Concomitante in Portuguese) in early Q3 2024. The LAC approval provides the environmental and social license together with authorization to begin construction. * See NI 43-101 compliant technical report related to the Bandeira Bandeira MRE titled NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Update on Bandeira Project, Aracuai and Itinga, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (effective date of March 5, 2024; QP: Leonardo Soares of GE21); See NI 43-101 compliant technical report related to the Salinas MRE titled Independent Technical Report on Mineral Resources Estimate (effective date of January 4, 2024; QP: Leonardo Soares, P.Geo., M.Sc., of GE21); and the NI 43-101 compliant technical reports related to the Outro Lado deposit titled Mineral Resource Estimate for Lithium Ionic, Itinga Project (effective date of June 24, 2023; authored by Maxime Dupere, B. Sc., P.Geo. and Faisal Sayeed, B. Sc., P.Geo). About Lithium Ionic Corp. Lithium Ionic is a Canadian mining company exploring and developing its lithium properties in Brazil. Its Itinga and Salinas group of properties cover 14,182 hectares in the northeastern part of Minas Gerais state, a mining-friendly jurisdiction that is quickly emerging as a world-class hard-rock lithium district. Its Feasibility-stage Bandeira Project is situated in the same region as CBLs Cachoeira lithium mine, which has produced lithium for +30 years, as well as Sigma Lithium Corp.s Grota do Cirilo project, which hosts the largest hard-rock lithium deposit in the Americas. Qualified Persons Leonardo Soares, P.Geo., M.Sc., of GE21 is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information and data regarding the MRE included in this news release. Mr. Soares is independent of Lithium Ionic. All other scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by Carlos Costa, Vice President Exploration of Lithium Ionic and Blake Hylands, CEO and director of Lithium Ionic, and both are qualified persons as defined in NI 43-101. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lithium Ionic Corp. Blake Hylands Chief Executive Officer, Director Investor and Media Inquiries: +1 647.316.2500 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 statements that constitute forward-statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company 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, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, 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. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the prospectivity of the Companys mineral properties including Salinas, the Companys ability to produce a NI 43-101 compliant Preliminary Economic Assessment and the timing thereof, the Companys ability to obtain the requisite licences and permits, the Companys ability to obtain adequate financing, the mineralization and development of the Companys mineral properties, the Companys exploration program and other mining projects and prospects thereof and the Companys future plans. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news 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. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Information and links in this press release relating to other mineral resource companies are from their sources believed to be reliable, but that have not been independently verified by the Company. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Highlights Greg Foofat - With over 20 years of experience, Mr. Foofat has contributed to transactions exceeding $24 billion in M&A and A&D and approximately $5 billion in equity and debt financing. - With over 20 years of experience, Mr. Foofat has contributed to transactions exceeding $24 billion in M&A and A&D and approximately $5 billion in equity and debt financing. Patrick Laperriere - Mr. Laperriere has overseen mining portfolios for Canadas largest pension funds and has led extensive equity raises for Canadian brokerage firms. - Mr. Laperriere has overseen mining portfolios for Canadas largest pension funds and has led extensive equity raises for Canadian brokerage firms. Jay Swartzentruber - As Director at Canam Metals, Mr. Swartzentruber is set to produce lithium and gold with exceptionally low production costs. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lancaster Resources Inc. (CSE:LCR) (OTCQB:LANRF) (FRA:6UF0) (Lancaster), a critical mineral exploration company, is delighted to welcome three distinguished professionals to its advisory board: Greg Foofat, Patrick Laperriere, and Jay Swartzentruber. Greg Foofat brings over 20 years of robust experience in Investor Relations, Corporate Communications, Capital Markets, Corporate Governance, and Corporate Strategy. Greg has contributed to transactions exceeding $24 billion in M&A and A&D, as well as approximately $5 billion in equity and debt financing. His analytical prowess contributed to a two-person team being ranked #1 in idea generation and #3 in overall small and mid-cap oil and gas equity research by Brendan Wood International in 2010. Greg is an invaluable addition to our advisory board, bringing a wealth of knowledge and strategic insight. Patrick Laperriere brings more than 25 years of extensive experience in capital markets, recognized for his expertise as a portfolio manager overseeing small-cap and mining portfolios for Canadas largest pension funds. He has also led substantial equity raises for Canadian brokerage firms and provided seasoned guidance on investment strategies and sector allocation. Patricks recent role as the Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Development at Critical Elements Lithium emphasized his leadership in the development of a significant lithium project in Northern Quebec. Jay Swartzentruber, with over 30 years in commercial building and development, particularly in constructing water and wastewater treatment facilities, joins Lancaster from his current role as Director at CanAm Metals Inc. Under his direction, CanAm is set to produce lithium and gold with exceptionally low production costs. Jay is committed to sustainable and profitable mining practices, supported by strategic partnerships with Hargrove Engineering and Constructors and Lawrence Livermore National Labs, which focus on advanced research and development. Penny White, CEO of Lancaster Resources, commented on the appointments, stating, "The strategic foresight and deep industry knowledge of these advisors will be pivotal as Lancaster expands its advisory board and enhances its strategic planning and execution." About Lancaster Resources Inc. Lancaster Resources (CSE:LCR | OTCQB:LANRF | FRA:6UF0) is actively engaged in the exploration of lithium and other critical minerals. Its flagship Alkali Flat Lithium Project in Lordsburg, New Mexico, encompasses approximately 5,200 acres, including 260 mineral placer claims at the core of the Alkali Flats playa. The project aims to produce Net-Zero Lithium using direct lithium extraction technology powered by solar energy. Lancaster's portfolio also includes the Piney Lake Gold Property in Saskatchewan and the Trans-Taiga Lithium Property in Quebec's James Bay lithium district. The company holds complete interests in the Catley Lake and Centennial East Uranium projects in Saskatchewans Athabasca basin. Guiding Lancaster's journey is a skilled management and technical team with collective involvement in over 40 mineral discoveries and endowed with extensive experience in the creation of lithium brine targets and the exploration and development of exploration projects across Canada, the American West, Mexico, and South America. Penny White, President & Chief Executive Officer, Lancaster Resources Inc. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 604 923 6100 www.lancaster-resources.com The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither reviewed, approved, nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or Lancasters future performance. The use of any of the words could, 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 Lancasters current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, the ability of Lancaster to execute its exploration plans, raise capital, retain key personnel, identify, acquire, explore, and develop high-quality mineral-rich properties and integrate sustainable energy sources and innovative technologies for climate-positive resource production constitute forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statements made in this press release are made as of the date hereof. Lancaster disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws. TORONTO, May 27, 2024 /CNW/ - Collective Mining Ltd. (TSX: CNL) (OTCQX: CNLMF) (FSE: GG1) ("Collective" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results for three drill holes into the Apollo Porphyry System ("Apollo") at the Guayabales Project in Caldas, Colombia. The Company presently has five drill rigs operating at the project as part of its fully funded 40,000 metres drill program for 2024. Presently, drill rigs are operating at the Apollo, Box, Olympus and Trap targets. Drill cores from multiple holes are currently being assayed at ALS Laboratory in Lima, Peru with further results expected in short order. Ari Sussman, Executive Chairman commented: "Our 2024 exploration program continues to yield positive surprises with Apollo now materially expanding and widening to the northwest. Drilling over the balance of the year at Apollo will remain aggressive as we continue to push the limits of the system while simultaneously targeting high-grade sub-zones within the known mineralization envelope. Elsewhere on the Guayabales Project, we have completed the first two shallow drill holes at the Box target with core logging indicating there is a very large hydrothermal fluid system in place with deeper drilling required from the next set of holes (now underway). At the Trap target, we have refined the geological model and now interpret that mineralization is related to a wide deformation zone on the west side of a northwest trending fault. The current hole underway (TRC-11) was planned on this basis and visually has cut significant mineralization over 175 metres in length and counting (still drilling). Lastly, at the Olympus target, steeply dipping veins have been intersected at a shallow elevation and if assays are favourable, would connect Apollo with Olympus in the northeast corner of Apollo. We remain committed to our goal of outlining a series of closely spaced porphyry and porphyry related systems capable of producing at more than 400,000 gold equivalent ounces on an annual basis." Please click here to watch a video of David Reading, Special Advisor to the Company and a QP under NI 43-101 providing a detailed overview of drill hole APC-95. Highlights (see Tables 1-2 and Figures 1-4) Drill hole APC-95 was drilled northerly from Pad 14 and encountered outstanding continuous mineralization while expanding the Apollo System ("Apollo") locally to the north by 50 metres. On a gram X metre basis, APC-95 is the sixth highest-grade intercept at Apollo yielding 1,128 g/t AuEq. Additionally, APC-95 is the eleventh gram X metre intercept at more than 1,000 g/t AuEq drilled to date at Apollo (see Table 2). Assay results for APC-95 are as follow: 513.70 metres @ 2.20 g/t gold equivalent from 207.20 metres including: 116.95 metres @ 4.88 g/t gold equivalent from 295.40 metres Drill hole APC-97, which was drilled to the northwest from Pad 14, cut the second longest intercept drilled to date at Apollo (825.70 metres) while materially expanding the dimensions of the Apollo system to the northwest by 150 metres and encountering high-grade near the bottom of the hole. Apollo remains completely open in this direction for further growth with future step-out holes planned in this regard. Assay results for APC-97 are as follows: 825.70 metres @ 1.11 g/t gold equivalent from 192.00 metres including: 105.25 metres @ 2.02 g/t gold equivalent from 205.30 metres, and; and; 74.90 metres @ 2.06 g/t gold equivalent from 479.10 metres, and; and; 54.55 metres @ 1.97 g/t gold equivalent from 825.05 metres, and; and; 18.05 metres @ 2.46 g/t gold equivalent from 909.30 metres Partial results for the shallow portion of drill hole APC-93 were previously released where the Company drilled a long and continuous high-grade intercept through Apollo (see press release dated March 12, 2024 ). Final results for hole APC-93 are now in hand with the Company intersecting Olympus Deep mineralization approximately 125 meters east of discovery hole APC88-D1 (202.35 metres @ 2.16 g/t AuEq; see press release dated January 30, 2024 ) with results as follows: 560.05 metres @ 1.83 g/t gold equivalent from 127.25 metres (Apollo; previously released) 34.90 metres @ 1.10 g/t gold equivalent from 788.10 metres (Olympus) 42.00 metres @ 0.79 g/t gold equivalent from 898.00 metres (Olympus) 66.50 metres @ 1.18 g/t gold equivalent from 1,036.75 metres (Olympus) including: 16.75 metres @ 2.48 g/t gold equivalent from 1,049.15 metres. Table 1: Assays Results for Drill Holes APC-93, APC-95 and APC-97 Hole # From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au g/t Ag g/t Cu % Mo ppm WO 3 ppm AuEq g/t* APC-93 127.25 687.30 560.05 1.18 34 0.13 4 52 1.83** and 788.10 823.00 34.90 0.98 8 0.03 16 7 1.10 and 898.00 940.00 42.00 0.72 4 0.02 25 7 0.79 and 1,036.75 1,103.25 66.50 1.12 5 0.02 19 6 1.18 incl 1,049.15 1,065.90 16.75 2.40 9 0.02 22 6 2.48 APC-95 5.75 23.75 18.00 0.96 17 0.03 3 14 1.18 and 92.65 103.65 11.00 1.01 5 0.03 5 5 1.09 and 207.20 720.90 513.70 1.50 42 0.18 3 8 2.20 incl 295.40 412.35 116.95 3.73 76 0.26 2 10 4.88 APC-97 192.00 1,017.70 825.70 0.83 15 0.09 4 8 1.11 incl 205.30 310.55 105.25 0.78 52 0.48 9 18 2.02 & incl 479.10 554.00 74.90 1.81 19 0.05 5 7 2.06 & incl 825.05 879.60 54.55 1.91 7 0.02 1 8 1.97 & incl 909.30 927.35 18.05 2.37 11 0.03 2 7 2.46 *AuEq (g/t) is calculated as follows: (Au (g/t) x 0.97) + (Ag (g/t) x 0.014 x 0.88) + (Cu (%) x 1.47 x 0.90) + (Mo (%) x 7.41 x 0.85) + (WO3 (%) x 5.47 x 0.72) utilizing metal prices of Cu US$3.95/lb, Ag US$25/oz, Mo - US$20/lb , WO3 - US$32,500/t and Au US$1,850/oz and recovery rates of 97% for Au, 88% for Ag, 85% for Mo, 72% for WO3 and 90% for Cu. Recovery rate assumptions for metals are based on metallurgical results announced on October 17, 2023, and April 11, 2024. Recovery molybdenum is speculative as limited metallurgical work has been completed to date on this metal. True widths are unknown, and grades are uncut. **Previously announced on March 12, 2024. The robustness of the Guayabales Project is exemplified by drill results at the Apollo system which show extraordinarily consistent and continuous high-grade mineralization beginning at surface and continuing to depths of more than 1,000 metres. All of the intercepts drilled to date which average at least 1,000 g/t AuEq on a gram x metre basis are summarized in the following table. Table 2: Apollo Drill Holes at More Than 1,000 g/t Gold Equivalent on a Gram X Metre Basis Ranking Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Grade (g/t AuEq)* Gram x Metres Press Release Date 1 APC-72 2.00 521.10 519.10 2.74 1,424.29 October 30, 2023 2 APC-55 0.00 792.25 792.25 1.71 1,352.93 June 27, 2023 3 APC-64 33.40 484.80 451.40 2.67 1,205.24 September 7, 2023 4 APC-35 7.00 366.15 359.15 3.32 1,192.38 March 15, 2023 5 APC-60 41.60 599.45 557.85 2.10 1,171.49 August 15, 2023 6 APC-95 207.20 720.90 513.70 2.20 1,128.17 New (May 27, 2024) 7 APC88-D2 68.10 617.00 548.90 1.91 1,049.54 January 30, 2024 8 APC-93 127.25 687.30 560.05 1.83 1,026.08 March 12, 2024 9 APC-53 232.95 562.70 329.75 3.10 1,022.23 June 13, 2023 10 APC-65 0.00 503.25 503.25 2.00 1,006.52 September 26, 2023 11 APC-63 0.00 593.65 593.65 1.69 1,003.27 September 7, 2023 *See individual press releases on aforementioned dates for AuEq calculations. About Collective Mining Ltd. To see our latest corporate presentation and related information, please visit www.collectivemining.com Founded by the team that developed and sold Continental Gold Inc. to Zijin Mining for approximately $2 billion in enterprise value, Collective is a copper, silver, gold and tungsten exploration company with projects in Caldas, Colombia. The Company has options to acquire 100% interests in two projects located directly within an established mining camp with ten fully permitted and operating mines. The Company's flagship project, Guayabales, is anchored by the Apollo system, which hosts the large-scale, bulk-tonnage and high-grade copper-silver-gold-tungsten Apollo porphyry system. The Company's 2024 objective is to expand the Apollo system, prove that the recent discoveries at the Olympus and Trap targets evolve into large scale systems and make a new discovery at either the Box, Tower or X targets. Management, insiders, a strategic investor and close family and friends own nearly 50% of the outstanding shares of the Company and as a result, are fully aligned with shareholders. The Company is listed on the TSX under the trading symbol "CNL", on the OTCQX under the trading symbol "CNLMF" and on the FSE under the trading symbol "GG1". Qualified Person (QP) and NI43-101 Disclosure David J Reading is the designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and verified that the technical information contained herein is accurate and approves of the written disclosure of same. Mr. Reading has an MSc in Economic Geology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and of the Society of Economic Geology (SEG). Technical Information Rock, soils and core samples have been prepared and analyzed at ALS laboratory facilities in Medellin, Colombia and Lima, Peru. Blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards are inserted into the sample stream to monitor laboratory performance. Crush rejects and pulps are kept and stored in a secured storage facility for future assay verification. No capping has been applied to sample composites. The Company utilizes a rigorous, industry-standard QA/QC program. Information Contact: Follow Executive Chairman Ari Sussman (@Ariski73) on X Follow Collective Mining (@CollectiveMini1) on X, (Collective Mining) on LinkedIn, and (@collectivemining) on Instagram FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. In this news release, forward-looking information relate, among other things, to: anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future operations; future recovery metal recovery rates; future growth potential of Collective; and future development plans. 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; the Company's financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of future economic evaluations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, precious and base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the annual information form of the Company dated April 7, 2022. Forward-looking information 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 and there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Israeli warplanes and artillery pounded Rafah on Saturday, as the government dismissed an order by the top UN court to halt its military offensive in the southern Gaza city. At the same time, renewed international efforts were underway aimed at securing a ceasefire in the war sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel. An Israeli official said the government had an "intention" to restart stalled negotiations over the coming days. In a case brought by South Africa alleging the Israeli military operation amounts to "genocide", the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive, and demanded the release of hostages and the "unhindered provision" of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Hague-based ICJ, whose orders are legally binding but lack direct enforcement mechanisms, also instructed Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, after Israel's seizure of the Palestinian side earlier this month effectively shut it. Israel gave no indication it was preparing to change course in Rafah, insisting the court had got it wrong. The ruling said Israel must "immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part". But National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, in a joint statement with the foreign ministry, said: "Israel has not and will not carry out military operations in the Rafah area that create living conditions that could cause the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, in whole or in part." Hamas, the Iran-backed Islamist group that has ruled Gaza since 2007, welcomed the ruling but criticised the court's decision to exclude the rest of the Palestinian territory from its order. - 'Nothing left here' - Israel carried out strikes throughout the Gaza Strip early on Saturday as fighting raged between the army and Palestinian militants. Witnesses and AFP teams reported strikes or shelling in Rafah, the central city of Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City and Jabalia refugee camp in the north. In Gaza City, an AFP photographer saw a grieving woman embracing one of several bodies, some of children, which were shrouded in blood-stained white cloth and laid on the ground outside a clinic ahead of funerals. They were killed in a strike on a school turned shelter in nearby Jabalia, relative Saleh al-Aswad told AFP. Umm Mohammad Al-Ashqa, a Palestinian woman from Gaza City displaced to Deir al-Balah by the war, told AFP she hoped "the court's decision will put pressure on Israel" to end the fighting, "because there is nothing left here". Mohammed Saleh, also interviewed in Deir al-Balah, said Israel "considers itself above the law" and would not stop. The ICJ ruling came days after the International Criminal Court prosecutor, Karim Khan, requested arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It also followed announcements by Ireland, Spain and Norway that they would formally recognise the State of Palestine -- a move two other European governments, Germany and Portugal, signalled on Friday they were not ready to join. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares demanded Saturday that Israel comply with the ICJ's ruling. - Paris meeting - The war broke out after Hamas's October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,903 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Diplomatic efforts have resumed to seek the first ceasefire in Gaza since a week-long truce and hostage release in November. The Israeli official, requesting anonymity to discuss the negotiations, told AFP that "there is an intention to renew these talks this week, and there is an agreement." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has come under increasing domestic pressure over the fate of the hostages, with demonstrators rallying again in Tel Aviv on Saturday. The official did not elaborate on the agreement, but Israeli media said intelligence chief David Barnea had agreed a new framework for negotiations in a meeting with US and Qatari mediators in Paris. Speaking at the US military academy West Point, President Joe Biden said his administration was engaged in "urgent diplomacy to secure an immediate ceasefire that brings hostages home". - Internet down - Mediator Egypt was continuing "its efforts to reactivate ceasefire negotiations", said Al-Qahera News, which has links with Egyptian intelligence. Israeli forces entered Rafah in early May, defying global opposition and prompting an exodus of more than 800,000 people, according to UN figures. Troops took over the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, further slowing sporadic deliveries of aid for Gaza's 2.4 million people. The White House said Egypt had agreed to temporarily send UN aid through another crossing, Kerem Shalom near Rafah, on Gaza's border with Israel. The Al-Qahera report said Egypt was exerting "pressure on Israel to urgently let in the aid and fuel" stranded at the Rafah crossing, and mentioned "temporary measures" to provide Gazans with humanitarian relief. The UN has warned of famine in the besieged territory, where most hospitals are no longer functioning. The Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah pleaded for fuel deliveries to ensure the "continued operation" of the only medical facility in the area still receiving patients. Telecommunications operator Paltel said internet access in northern Gaza was disrupted on Saturday "due to the ongoing aggression". Meanwhile the US military said four of its vessels, supporting a temporary pier built to deliver aid to Gaza by sea, had run aground in heavy seas. "No US personnel will enter Gaza. No injuries have been reported and the pier remains fully functional," a statement from US Central Command. burs-ami/kir International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan justified his decision to request arrest warrants for Israel's prime minister and defence minister in an interview with a British newspaper published on Sunday. Khan said on Monday that he was seeking warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, as well as top Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohamed Deif, on suspicions of war crimes and crimes against humanity. His announcement sparked the ire of Israel and its allies the United States and United Kingdom, all of which criticised Khan for putting together Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7, and Israel, which has carried out a relentless military campaign in Gaza since then. "It's a precarious moment internationally and if we don't hold on to the law, we have nothing to cling onto," Khan, who rarely speaks publicly, told the Sunday Times newspaper. He added that countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia were watching closely as to whether global institutions would seek to uphold international law. "Are powerful states sincere when they say there's a body of law or is this rules-based system all a nonsense, simply a tool of NATO and a post-colonial world, with no real intention of applying law equally?" Khan asked. The warrants, if granted by the ICC judges, would mean that any of the 124 ICC member states would technically be obliged to arrest Netanyahu and the others if they travelled there. However the court has no mechanism to enforce its orders. Netanyahu rejected "with disgust ... the comparison between democratic Israel and the mass murderers of Hamas", and US President Joe Biden also stressed that "there is no equivalence -- none -- between Israel and Hamas". "I am not saying that Israel with its democracy and its supreme court is akin to Hamas, of course not," Khan added in his interview. "I couldn't be clearer, Israel has every right to protect its population and to get the hostages back. But nobody has a licence to commit war crimes or crimes against humanity. The means define us." He cited a number of allegations against Israel, including "the fact that water was turned off... that people queuing for food [were] targeted, that people from aid agencies have been killed". "This is not how war is supposed to be waged," said Khan. "If this is what compliance with international humanitarian law looks like, then the Geneva Conventions serve no purpose." The Gaza war broke out after Hamas's unprecedented attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,984 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to convene his war cabinet Sunday to discuss the latest efforts towards a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, a senior official told AFP. The news came despite more deadly Gaza fighting and a rocket barrage Hamas aimed at Tel Aviv that sent people scrambling for bomb shelters as air defences intercepted projectiles streaking across the sky. US President Joe Biden has pushed for renewed international efforts to halt the Gaza war, and CIA chief Bill Burns on Friday met Mossad director David Barnea and Qatar's prime minister in Paris. While Israel's main focus is to free the remaining hostages, Hamas has insisted on a permanent end to the war raging since October 7 -- a demand Netanyahu has so far rejected out of hand. An Israeli senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that "the war cabinet is expected to meet in Jerusalem tonight at 2100 (1800 GMT) to discuss a hostage release deal". The official had said Saturday that "there is an intention to renew these talks this week" after negotiations involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators had stalled in early May. A member of the Hamas political bureau, Izzat al-Rishq, however said on Sunday that "regarding the rumours about negotiations, we have not received anything from the mediators" so far. He insisted on Hamas's long-standing demand for a permanent cessation of hostilities in all of Gaza as "the foundation and the starting point for anything". Rishq charged that Netanyahu is "trying to buy more time to continue the aggression" while seeking to create the "false impressions of his concern" for the Gaza captives and their families. Shortly afterwards, Hamas's armed wing the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said they had targeted Tel Aviv "with a large rocket barrage in response to the Zionist (Israeli) massacres against civilians". Israel's army said at least eight rockets were fired from Gaza's far-southern city of Rafah and that "a number of the projectiles were intercepted", with no initial reports of casualties. Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas to prevent any repeat of an attack of the kind the Palestinian Islamist group launched on October 7. But he also faces strong pressure from families of the hostages -- and from top ally the United States, where outrage over the Gaza war and US support for Israel has become a major issue for Biden in the election battle against Donald Trump. - Sirens in Tel Aviv - The Gaza war ground on, as more air strikes and artillery shelling rained down on northern, central and southern areas Sunday. Israel's military said that over the past 24 hours it had destroyed "over 50 terror targets across the Gaza Strip". In Jabalia, troops had raided a weapons depot "embedded inside a school where troops located dozens of rocket parts and weapons". Fighting has centred on Rafah, where Israel has vowed to destroy the last remaining Hamas battalions despite a chorus of international opposition to a ground invasion. Gaza's civil defence agency said it had retrieved six bodies after a house was targeted in a strike on eastern Rafah. "The situation in Rafah is one of constant bombardment from land and air, which has destroyed many houses," one Rafah resident, Moaz Abu Taha, 29, told AFP. "We are also suffering from hunger, thirst and a severe lack of aid." The military said that "during targeted operations in the area of Rafah, terrorist operatives who attempted to attack IDF troops were eliminated". Israeli troops had also "located tunnel shafts and large quantities of weapons, including AK-47s, RPGs, grenades and explosives" and struck two rocket launchers that were aimed at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. Hamas, meanwhile, said Saturday it had taken "prisoner" at least one Israeli soldier in an ambush in the Jabalia camp -- a claim the army denied. - Global outcry - The war broke out after Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,984 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN has warned of looming famine in the besieged territory, where most hospitals are no longer functioning. Israel's military said Sunday the arrival of aid had been stepped up, both via a new US-built pier and through its own land crossings, Kerem Shalom and Erez West. Over the past week, 127 trucks had arrived via the pier, and 2,065 via the two land crossings, it said. US Central Command said Saturday that four US Army vessels supporting the pier broke free of their moorings in heavy seas and ran aground, with Israel aiding the recovery effort. Amid the bloodiest ever Gaza war, Israel has faced growing global outcry over the surging civilian death toll. Last week it faced landmark moves from two international courts based in The Hague, and from three European governments. Last Monday, the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court said he would seek arrest warrants on war crimes charges against Netanyahu and his defence minister as well as against three top Hamas figures. On Wednesday, Ireland, Norway and Spain said they would recognise Palestinian statehood by May 28, a move Israel angrily rejected as a "reward for terrorism". And on Friday, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive or any other operation there that could bring about "the physical destruction" of the Palestinians. One displaced Gazan, Umm Muhammad Al-Ashqa, said that "we hope that the International Court of Justice will put pressure on Israel to stop this war, this war of extermination". "I will scream with joy when this decision is implemented." burs-jd/fz/srm Egypt on Monday condemned what it called the "deliberate bombardment by Israeli forces of displaced peoples' tents" in Rafah, in strikes which Gaza's civil defence agency said killed at least 40 people. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling on Israel to "implement the measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning an immediate cessation of military operations" in Rafah. The ministry condemned the strike as "a new flagrant violation of the provisions of international humanitarian law". It deplored the "tragic event" and denounced the "targeting of defenceless civilians" and "a systematic policy aimed at widening the scope of death and destruction in the Gaza Strip to make it uninhabitable". Jordan also expressed its condemnation, accusing Israel of committing "ongoing war crimes". Amman said the bombardment in Rafah "defies the rulings of the International Court of Justice and constitutes a severe violation of international law and international humanitarian law". The Palestinian presidency and Hamas have accused Israel of committing a "massacre" by targeting a centre for displaced people near Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip. Israel's army said it had killed two senior Hamas officials in an air strike on a compound in the city and said it was aware of reports that civilians had been harmed in the incident and that it was "under review". "The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law", it said. On May 2nd 2024, Liberians in the diaspora and those at home took to social media to talk about one thing: the Executive Order NO.131 creating the Office to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia. Liberians on X (Twitter), Facebook and LinkedIn praised President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for the political will to reckon with Liberias past. To say the action was popular would be an understatement. In Liberias transitional justice history, May 2nd 2024 may go down as one of the most consequential milestones, perhaps a date that deserves to be memorialised. The date marked an end to the politics of silence, legislative manoeuvring on matters of transitional justice and weak political will to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report. Few, however, questioned the idea of the court and whether it would lead to healing and genuine reconciliation. The passage of the resolution in the Senate makes one telling observation about the nature of post-conflict societies. The farther post-conflict societies transition away from war to peace, the more the fear of relapse becomes remote, emboldening electorates to exercise more freely their democratic rights to remove from office those they chose to. This singular action has proven consequential in successive elections, for it has reduced the influence of some senators and representatives who have served as a roadblock towards the establishment of the Court. Where wartime memory was previously deployed as a weapon, the holding of regular elections provided an opportunity to weed out the good from the bad. A milestone after the TRC report The euphoria of May 2nd 2024 is somewhat comparable to June 30th 2009, the date the TRC report was released. In almost the same manner, Liberians everywhere were discussing the report which named the names of senior Liberian politicians (past and present), including an associate justice of the supreme court, several legislators and a sitting president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In the eyes of ordinary Liberians, the report had broken with the elite tradition of political correctness, which was to avoid mentioning the name of influential people or to mention them very carefully. That the report was rebellious in naming names, it was considered courageous and an adequate response to Liberias enduring culture of impunity, although the legality of the naming process and its infractions with due process remain some of the ongoing critique of the report and the signpost of its many flaws. However, the difference between the TRC and the War and Economic Crimes Court as two pathways to the pursuit of truth telling and criminal accountability remain a source of confusion. To ordinary Liberians, both are one and the same. The Executive Order establishing the Office on War and Economic Crimes Court makes no specific departure from matters of the TRC and that of the special court. If anything, it reinforces this apparent confusion. Countering a claustrophobic legal system According to Liberia's jurisprudence, the Executive Order is a law that lasts for only one year, a legal instrument that can be renewed. It is issued by the president for immediate actions on situations that would otherwise take longer for the legislative process to complete. President Boakai's strategy to use an Executive Order to start the design process of establishing a war crimes court for Liberia is shrewd and might be useful in at least two respects. First, the Executive Order acknowledges Liberias constitutional supremacy. Liberias constitution is restrictive and territorial, as its Article 2 points out: any laws, treaties, statutes, decrees, customs and regulation found to be inconsistent with the constitution shall to the extent of its inconsistency be void and of no legal effect. Though Liberia has signed and ratified treaties and conventions on war crimes and crimes against humanity, the penal law has remained unchanged and so is the constitution. The legal regime of Liberia is somewhat claustrophobic. In 2019, working as a member of a civil society collective, I collaborated with the Liberia Bar Association in reviewing a bill on the establishment of a war and economic crimes court. Some of Liberias senior lawyers could not imagine a legal process whereby an international court would have a trial chamber higher than the Supreme Court of the country; one that would have the Supreme Court subordinated for the purpose of this special arrangement. Instead, they could only imagine a process whereby the Supreme Court of Liberia stood as the court of last resort. The irony lied in the fact that the lawyers failed to recognise that one of the reasons why international courts are established in post-conflict settings is that judicial systems are compromised, undermined by years of political interference, and lacking in public trust. The claustrophobia of Liberias legal system has shaped and defined the pedantic procedure of law. It has produced a system that is more committed to the practice of law than the application of justice. One of the critical tasks of the Office to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court would be to legally engineer the appropriate statute that explores simultaneously the right marriage between the constitution and this special court. In other words, the Office must envision legally a strategy to break free of this claustrophobia by imposing war crimes and crimes against humanity as part of Liberias penal code. The legacy of the TRC: unreliable evidence Second, the most important task is to observe a clear break between the TRC and the establishment of the Court. The message contained in the Executive Order tends to suggest that the establishment of the Court is an extension of the TRC, but its problematic for the public to perceive the Court as a reincarnated TRC... In broad strokes, there are two types of TRCs. One is largely organised around pursuit of evidence gathering and facts with the view of supporting future criminal prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Whereas the other is more about generating dialogues, establishing a consensus over the past, that there were systematic wrongs perpetrated over time. Such truth commission engages in conversation about the future as much as it does about the past. I like to think of the Liberian TRC experience more in terms of the latter. While the TRC process initially sought to produce a report that resembles the former, it did not have the budget and political support to produce the evidence that would be used as a solid foundation for future war crimes investigations. It means that much of the information supplied in the TRC report was never verified. Many figures, such as fatalities, warring factions responsible and the dates, were all provisional facts gathered. Given the political context at the time, these provisional facts were deployed as advocacy strategy. They served as live ammunition in the fight against the enduring culture of impunity. Now that the advocacy is over and we have the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court being established, the process of gathering fresh new evidence must be the new focus, because the facts in the TRC final report are not reliable. In 2022, I conducted 8 group interviews across the country to understand how grassroot communities are memorialising the political violence of the civil war and earlier. One of these interviews was held at the Samay Memorial, one of the most illustrative grassroot memorialisation projects in post-war Liberia. Samay is a small village whose history revolves around the genealogies of four families. The TRC final report placed the fatality of those massacred at 500. But the community insisted that the total number of those massacred was only 42. Engraved in the front of the memorial erected in 2001 are the names of 37 people massacred. The final roll of honour has been updated and it places the total fatality at 42, instead of 500. The community plans to upgrade the memorial by engraving the additional five names. Another example is the interview I held at the Bloe Town Massacre site, in River Cess County. The TRC Report said the massacre happened in 1995, but the community maintained that incident occurred in January 1994. In the meeting, one of the female participants confirmed the date and indicated that she was pregnant the same year the massacre happened. The challenge of evidence gathering What we have here is the social memory of two victimized communities versus the TRC final report. The TRCs investigations were conducted less than five years after the peace agreement, when villages and towns were still dislocated and residents still internally displaced. Plus, the TRCs operations suffered from a persistent low budget and never had the resources to validate the evidence gathered. Even when the evidence were validated, it could not be used against those who voluntarily participated in the public hearing process or statements' gatherings. One of the tasks of the Office to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court will therefore be to manage the public expectations. One of the challenges of the court would be evidence gathering. The Liberian society is now stratified between two population blocs, the millennials and the pre-war generation which represents the generation who experienced the violence. This generation with the memory of the conflict is now aging and Liberia is only just starting to look into war crimes, 34 years after the beginning of the war, 21 years after the Peace Agreement, and 15 years since the TRC report recommended the establishment of an extraordinary tribunal on war crimes. The lapses in time have introduced further complexity. Some of the accounts of war crimes are as old as 34 years. In 2021, I witnessed the Finnish war crimes trial in Liberia of Sierra Leonean Gibril Massaquoi. One of the observations during the trial was the issue of distorted memory. The residents of the villages and towns that claimed to have been victims of Massaquois alleged war crimes could not remember accurately when the specific acts had been perpetrated. If the Massaquoi trial was experiencing difficulties with incidents of war crimes which occurred between 2001 and 2003, imagine the complexity of investigating war crimes perpetrated in the early start of the civil war, from December 24th 1989 to 1990. The silver-lining: evidence stored at the Georgia Tech Institute When the TRC report was released, it ignited a firestorm among the elites. Alleged perpetrators, some of them senators and representatives, gathered, convened a press conference on July 6th 2009 and threatened to resume the conflict if the report was implemented. The TRC fearing that the worst was yet to come, gathered the victims statements, declassified materials and other evidences and had them shipped to the Georgia Tech Institute, in the state of Georgia, USA. The Memorandum of understanding governing the management of these materials maintained that they could only be returned to Liberia if the conditions to preserve them were favourable. The strong political will expressed in president Boakais Executive Order may have initiated the first major step towards the repatriation of these critical documents. However, the act that established the TRC says the evidence gathered from victims, survivors and perpetrators which are the same evidence stored in Georgia Tech cannot be accessed until 20 years after the TRC final report was released. This embargo is meant to protect the identities of victims, survivors and alleged perpetrators who participated and supported the process. In the Courts race against time, the Georgia Tech archives might be one of the sites of memory that would be reliable in establishing a solid evidentiary basis for the prosecution of war crimes. The newly established office on war crimes will have to consider the laws around these archives and how to use them. Because the pre-war generation that now accounts for less than 30% of the overall population is aging: some are long gone, and some of the sites of the massacres and physical sites of memory are invisible. Under these circumstances, evidence gathering would undoubtedly be a herculean task. Hence, the TRC archives held up at Georgia Tech might be the silver-lining, a site of memory to explore in establishing the evidential basis for the prosecution of war crimes. AARON WEAH Aaron Weah is a civil society activist and a leading expert on transitional justice in Liberia. Hes a final year PhD Researcher at the Transitional Justice Institute (TJI), Ulster University, and Director of the Ducor Institute, a think tank on social and economic research based in Liberia. Weah is a co-author of Impunity Under Attack: The Evolution and Imperatives of the Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Kim Ji Won's previous rom-com drama was revealed to be based on a true story. Can you guess which among her works it is? While busy preparing for her upcoming fan meeting and other projects, Kim Ji Won's previous dramas are gaining a spotlight again. Among them is "Fight For My Way," which was released in 2017, and where she played one of her iconic roles Choi Ae Ra. Through this, Kim Ji Won worked for the first time with Park Seo Joon. The two created an adorable tandem that viewers enjoyed. This 2024, news started to circulate that the narrative for the series was based on a true story. "Fight For My Way" follows the story of a former taekwondo player, Ko Dong Man, who used to be famous but had to stop due to a painful past. He then becomes an unknown mixed martial arts fighter. Later, he falls in love with his long-time friend, Choi Ae Ra, who dreams of being an announcer. 'Fight For My Way' Revealed To Be Based on True Story According to a source, the drama's writer revealed that "Fight For My Way" was actually based on a real-life story. Lim Sang Chun, the person behind the script, shared that Choo Sung Hoon and his wife, Yano Shiho, inspired him to write the drama. He elaborated that he was saddened yet moved by Yano Shiho's tears whenever she cried for Choo Sung Hoon during his fights. Lim Sang Chun realized that athletes like Choo Sung Hoon had families and children, yet were only portrayed as cold-blooded fighters. "I heard stories of how hard it was for fighters' families to watch their fights, and I just felt sad about it." It has been said that in order to address these misconceptions, he wrote the script to show the public that martial arts fighters were not as cold as most people thought. "Most people believe that martial arts fighters like women and drinking, but honestly, they can be really naive. Since they have to focus on their health, I learned that they live like Buddhist monks, so I wanted to help in getting rid of those misconceptions." It is safe to say that "Fight For My Way" is a fan-favorite for its romantic aspect and humor. But as it was revealed, the series holds more importance to the athletes' lives happening outside the ring. 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 Bo Gum and Bae Suzy left fans wanting more after the heartthrob shared his never-before-seen photos with the actress. The two celebrities are among the cast members of the star-studded movie "Wonderland," along with Gong Yoo, Tang Wei, Choi Woo Shik, and Jung Yu Mi. As part of their promotion for the upcoming film, Park Bo Gum and Suzy teased fans with their couple photos, elating fans. Park Bo Gum, Suzy Couple Photos Have Fans Raving On Park Bo Gum's Instagram post, the actor shared a series of photos with his new co-star Bae Suzy, giving viewers a hint on what to expect in the upcoming movie. "Wonderland is here," the caption reads. The post instantly garnered attention, with netizens pointing out how the photos give off "real couple vibes." As seen on the update, Park Bo Gum and Suzy indeed exuded unmatched chemistry. In the comments' section, fans mentioned that they wouldn't question if the two actors are dating because of their visual and overall synergy. Some also left comments, writing "best friend or boyfriend," due to their closeness seen in the photos. 'Wonderland' Release Date, Cast As mentioned, Suzy and Park Bo Gum are slated to headline the forthcoming sci-fi movie "Wonderland." Helmed and written by Kim Tae Yong ("Whispering Corridors 2: Memento Mori," "Where Mermaids Go"), "Wonderland" is a romantic/sci-fi film that depicts the journey of people who are availing of the Wonderland service. It is a special kind of technology service that connects users to their deceased loved ones through video calls and with the help of artificial intelligence. In the soon-to-be released movie, Bae Suzy plays as Jung In. She reconstructs her boyfriend, Tae Joo (Park Bo Gum), who becomes unresponsive after getting caught up in an unfortunate accident. She uses the technology to communicate with him despite being unconscious. In a previous report, the actress described Park Bo Gum as a "hard-working actor." According to Bae Suzy, he "thoroughly analyzes his dual roles and delicately portrays them." Apart from this, she also revealed that they "shared lots of conversations and concerns together" during the script reading so they "could participate in filming with joy." As for the South Korean heartthrob, he mentioned that he received "a lot of help" from Suzy in terms of portraying the role of Tae Joo. "Wonderland" is set to hit the big screen on June 5, 2024. See the "Wonderland" trailer below! Meanwhile, Park Bo Gum and Bae Suzy have previously worked together as hosts for several consecutive years at the Baeksang Arts Awards. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores "Connection" Episode 2 delivered a surprising twist as Ji Sung and Jeon Mi Do got caught up in an unexpected case. In the new crime-thriller K-drama, South Korean top star Ji Sung transforms into a respected detective, Jang Jae Kyung, who finds himself in a tricky situation as his abductors make him a druggie. In hopes of finding light on his unfortunate incident, he reunites with his high school classmate, Oh Yoon Jin (Jeon Mi Do). In "Connection," the actress takes on the role of a reporter who accepts bribes from people. Amid Jae Hyuk's journey to find the culprit behind his situation, he is also learning a lot from Oh Yoon Jin's past. 'Connection' Episode 2 Rating: Ji Sung's New Crime Drama Garners Significant Increase in Viewership After an impressive start, Ji Sung and Jeon Mi Do's new drama "Connection" Episode 2 experienced a significant increase. In a report by Nielsen Korea, the second episode recorded an average nationwide rating of 6.1 percent. Not only did it become one of the most-watched Friday-Saturday miniseries, but it was also an impressive boost in ratings from the Episode 1, which achieved 5.7% nationwide viewership. 'Connection' Episode 2: Jang Jae Kyung Uncovers Park Joon Seo's Mysterious Death With Episode 1 leaving viewers with the unexpected death of Park Joon Seo, Jang Jae Hyuk then tried to solve the mystery behind his death in "Connection" Episode 2. Due to the details about his friend's death, the chief detective became suspicious and thought that him being forced to be a drug addict intertwined with each other. During the process of uncovering the truth, Jang Jae Kyung met Oh Yoon Jin at the funeral and confronted her about the last time she talked to Joon Seo. Yoon Jin mentioned that she wasn't able to contact him, but the truth was she saw him personally after they accidentally met in their neighborhood. However, Yoon Jin hid this detail from Jang Jae Hyuk. Meanwhile, Jang Jae Hyuk tried to get away from the police's suspicion after he went on a rampage at the emergency room. The detective didn't want his colleagues to know what happened to him until he has solved the case. Unfortunately, the doctor had warned his fellow detective that Jae Kyung "looked like he was addicted to drugs." This prompted the police officer to suspect Jang Jae Hyuk of using illegal drugs. As he was about to leave the hospital, his colleague, Kim Chang Soo, warned him to "take it easy" on whatever he was taking and he would notify the station that he was going home because he was sick. At this point, he was desperate to find answers about him and Park Joon Seo's incident and who was behind it. In the end, after the commotion, Jang Jae Hyuk wanted to conduct an autopsy on his friend's body. However, after he talked to Two Star Holdings CEO Heo Joo Song, he was told that Joon Seo bought 3 insurance policies from them. What took him by surprise was that he and Oh Yoon Jin were the beneficiaries of it. Does this mean they are connected to Park Joon Seo's death? For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores On May 27th, the ever-graceful actress Song Hye-kyo delighted her legion of fans by offering a glimpse into her personal life through a series of heartwarming snapshots shared on her social media platforms. Among these precious moments was a particularly enchanting scene of the actress tenderly kissing her beloved pet dog, capturing the essence of a bond that transcends species. In the captivating photos shared by Song Hye-kyo, fans were treated to a visual feast of her tranquil daily life. From lounging comfortably on her bed to engaging in tender moments with her furry companion, every frame exuded a sense of warmth and contentment. However, it was the image of Song Hye-kyo sharing a gentle kiss with her dog that truly stole the spotlight, igniting a wave of adoration and admiration from her devoted followers. Reacting to the heartwarming snapshot, Song Hye-kyo's close friend and hairstylist couldn't help but express the sentiments shared by many fans. "Mom and Daughter," they commented, encapsulating the endearing bond between the actress and her canine companion. READ ALSO: Song Hye-kyo's Latest Photos Leave Fans Speechless - 'She's Very Thin' While fans were captivated by the intimate glimpse into Song Hye-kyo's personal life, the actress also shared exciting news regarding her upcoming professional endeavors. Set to embark on her next acting project, Song Hye-kyo is poised to enthrall audiences once again in the highly anticipated film, "Dark Nuns." "Dark Nuns" promises to be a gripping tale that delves into the realm of the supernatural, offering a spine-chilling narrative that is sure to leave audiences on the edge of their seats. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, "The Priests," which garnered widespread acclaim upon its release in 2015, this latest installment in the Korean occult genre is poised to continue the legacy of its predecessor. In "Dark Nuns," Song Hye-kyo is set to portray the character of Sister Junia, a nun endowed with unwavering determination and courage. Tasked with confronting the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf a young boy possessed by an ancient and sinister spirit, Sister Junia emerges as a beacon of hope in the face of darkness, her fearless actions serving as a testament to the strength of the human spirit. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: Song Hye Kyo Reveals Why She 'Don't Feel Any Pressure About Getting Older' For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Joana Cabigas. Fort Nelson, B.C. evacuees gather at the North Peace Arena in Fort St. John , B.C., on Monday, May 13, 2024. Residents in Fort Nelson are able to go home today after being evacuated for more than two weeks due to wildfires. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jesse Boily Monday, May 27, 2024 - TV Johnny Wactor, the actor known for his role in the famed television series, General Hospital, has died in hospital after being involved in a fatal shooting. He was 37. The actor was shot dead May 25 in downtown Los Angeles while trying to stop a group of thieves tampering with his car, his mother confirmed to NBC Los Angeles. According to NBC news, Police received a call at 3:25 a.m about a man who was shot in the area after encountering three men attempting to remove a catalytic converter from his vehicle, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson said. One of the suspects used a handgun to shoot the victim, who was pronounced dead on the scene, and all three men fled in a vehicle in an unknown direction, the spokesperson said. No arrests have been made and an investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Wactor's agent David Shaul also confirmed the actor's death. "Johnny Wactor was spectacular human being," Shaul said in a statement to Variety. Not just a talented actor who was committed to his craft but a real moral example to everyone who knew him. Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never give up attitude." "In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be," adding, "Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever." The actor, originally from Charleston, South Carolina, has been acting onscreen for more than 15 years. Wactor began his Hollywood career in 2007, acting in the series Army Wives. In 2013, he starred on the short-lived supernatural drama Siberia as a South Carolina competitive bull rider, also named Johnny. Wactor went on to appear on shows such as Hollywood Girl, Criminal Minds, NCIS, The OA and Westworld and the 2016 movie USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage with Nicolas Cage and Tom Sizemore, who died last year at 61. He became famous in 2020, when he made his debut as Brando Corbin on General Hospital, a role he played on more than 160 episodes until 2022. Monday, May 27, 2024 - Following the arrest of three robbery with violence suspects in Mlolongo, new evidence has surfaced linking the trio to more criminal activities within the town and its environs. One source has reached out claiming that the same thugs attempted to break into a PlayStation arcade. Three suspects were arrested last week and found in possession of suspected stolen property. The suspects were found with an assortment of tools indicative of criminal activity, including several license plates, numerous keys and key-related tools, mobile phones, and other equipment, suggesting involvement in vehicle theft and other felonies. During the arrest, the suspects violently resisted, leading to an altercation with the police officers. A black Toyota Ractis with the registration number KDA 730F has been detained in the ongoing investigation. Here is the CCTV footage of the suspects in action. Following the arrest of three robbery with violence suspects in Mlolongo, new evidence has surfaced linking the trio to more criminal activities within the town and its environs. One source has reached out claiming that these same thugs attempted to break into a PlayStation https://t.co/vDzaxeh5oq pic.twitter.com/qD2NI3vuQ0 Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) May 26, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, May 27, 2024 - Following the ban on the sale, supply, and distribution of Muguka in Mombasa and Kilifi counties, President William Ruto's powerful man has spoken over the issue. In a statement on Monday, Kericho County Senator Aaron Cheruiyot stated that the ban is illegal since counties have no powers to regulate Muguka business. "It's a noble thing for the coastal counties to seek to regulate the distribution of Muguka in their turf. However, the truth is counties have NO such powers," he said. "The best thing is for the counties to lobby their MPs to present before parliament a bill seeking to ban the use of gokss." The Senate Majority Leader's statement comes at a time when Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and his Kilifi counterpart Gideon Mung'aro are facing a backlash for banning the sale, supply, and consumption of the crop. Nassir issued the executive order on Thursday at Port Reitz Hospital, Mombasa, highlighting the pervasive consumption of the stimulant drug at the Coast, including among school-going children. He said muguka traders have ignored laws put in place to safeguard children from the drug's influence, with some even going as far as selling the drug to minors. He stated that muguka is too easily available and is owed to cases of mental health problems in the area. On Friday, Mung'aro followed suit and banned the entry, transportation, distribution, sale, and use of muguka within the county. Mung'aro further ordered that motor vehicles transporting the product shall not be allowed entry into the county. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka has challenged President William Ruto to clarify several matters following his State trip to the United States. Key among Kalonzos demands was Kenyas security status following its designation as a major non-NATO ally. Kalonzo poked holes into Washington's decision to confer the status to Kenya, expressing fears that such an agreement would expose Kenya to heightened security threats. As a country, we are still paying the heavy price of the August 7, 1998, US Embassy bombings where 213 Kenyans lost their lives. "Given our geographical location, Kenyans need to know the security implications of being designated a non-NATO ally, Kalonzo quipped. United States President Joe Biden pledged to designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally on Thursday, making Kenya the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to hold the title. A major non-NATO ally (MNNA) refers to a country not part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), yet has a deep strategic and security partnership with the US. Further, Kalonzo questioned why the Head of State decided to charter a private jet for the U.S. trip from a company based in the UAE instead of relying on a commercial flight. Kalonzo claimed that President Ruto's decision cost the Kenyan taxpayers Ksh200 million. This came after the Presidents statement on Sunday where he defended the decision to charter the private plane insisting it was more economical than the other suggested options. Kalonzo also demanded to know why Ruto had moved forward with the plan to deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti despite a judgment by the High Court that deemed the plan illegal and unconstitutional. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 President William Rutos blogger Dennis Itumbi has responded to Embakasi North MP James Gakuya after he accused him of being used by State House operatives to frustrate Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Last week, Gakuya had warned Itumbi over what he termed as generational change, which he claimed the blogger was using to spoil the unity of the Mt Kenya region. But in a rejoinder, Itumbi told the lawmaker that their call for generational change was meant for learning from mentorship. However, Itumbi quickly added that the younger generation cannot be students forever. "Ndugu mheshimiwa Gakuya, our call for generational change is not about disregarding the past but learning and benefitting from mentorship. "We cannot be mentored forever. Just Like you cannot stay in school forever. "Generational Change is just a voice of the majority saying, we appreciate those before us for their guidance and achievements, but we have come of age and we are ready to take our positions in business, careers, and politics," Itumbi stated. Gakuya had asked Itumbi to slow down with his colleagues, claiming that Mt Kenya was behind the DP. The DP's efforts to rally the Mt Kenya region behind him have encountered stumbling blocks as elected leaders dissent from him to pick their preferred sides. On Saturday, Gachagua had alleged that a section of leaders close to President Ruto was trying to mislead him. The DP claimed that some Rift Valley leaders were interfering with the leadership of Mt Kenya. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - A team has been formed to reconcile President William Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, who are heading for a bitter fallout over the 2032 succession battle. Speaking in the Kesses constituency last Friday, Gachagua alleged a plan by Rutos lieutenants to cause division in the Mt Kenya region to dethrone him as Mt Kenya region's political kingpin ahead of the 2032 presidential election. However, Ruto's allies accuse Gachagua of being a bully and arrogant, working with former President Uhuru Kenyatta, being behind the Limuru 3 conference, and pushing the one man-one vote-one shilling agenda which they termed as divisive and retrogressive. Following the war of words, a team has been formed to reconcile Ruto and Gachagua who are becoming bitter political rivals. A senator who has been acting as the go-between the President and Gachagua, has organized a delegation of elders from Mt Kenya and Rift Valley to visit the Statehouse once the head of state returns from his USA tour as part of the efforts to reconcile them. For the last two months, DP Gachagua has been standing on shaky ground as politicians allied to President Ruto continue to undermine his authority as the second in command. One of Gachaguas open critics, Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, speaking yesterday, said the DP must learn to respect all leaders, irrespective of their standing in society, and embrace national unity. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 The working relationship between Siaya Governor James Orengo and his deputy, William Oduol, has deteriorated beyond repair months after Oduol's failed impeachment. The two leaders appeared separately before the Senate Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations on Thursday. In his submissions, Oduol accused Orengo of locking him out of his office and any county activities. The DG claimed his boss doesn't delegate him any duties, adding that Orengo had instructed members of his executive to avoid dealing with him. Oduol told the committee, which includes Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, that Orengo had never invited him to Cabinet sittings. He alleged that the county chief had withheld his allowances and benefits, including the fueling of his official vehicle. "After the unsuccessful impeachment, the governor completely blocked me from any county activities, failed to delegate any duties to me," said Oduol. On his part, Orengo told the committee that it would be difficult for Siaya residents to accept Oduol back even if he accepted working with him. Orengo rubbished claims that he had locked Oduol out of his office, adding that he could not interfere. The county chief revealed that he had been warned about picking Oduol as his running mate by ODM Leader Raila Odinga but he didnt listen. He said trouble started brewing between them after the presidential election petition when he had left him in charge. Orengo stated that, unlike his deputy, he had evidence to prove that he had been receiving all his benefits, adding that it was upon him to attend Cabinet sessions. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - President William Ruto has assured Kenyans that hiring a private jet during his trip to the United States was not a waste of money. In a statement, Ruto remarked that the jet was the cheapest option compared to airlines operating between Kenya and the United States. "Fellow Kenyans, I have noted concerns on my mode of transport to the United States," he acknowledged Kenyans who had questioned the expense. "As a responsible steward of public resources and in keeping with my determination for us to live within our means and that I should lead from the front in so doing, the cost was less than travelling on the national airline." Ruto's statement was made a day after he made similar remarks during an interview with VOA Africa, during which he stressed that his mode of transport was informed by austerity measures. Ruto remarked that it was preposterous for people to keep repeating claims that the jet was leased for five days at a cost of Ksh200 million. "I think the expenditure on my trip is completely exaggerated. They actually border on ridiculous. I am very careful about the resources that I spend," he stated. President William Ruto, while denying the Ksh200 million claim, did not indicate how much taxpayers cash was used to fund the trip. State House initially explained that Ruto and his delegation could not have used the presidential jet as it would have necessitated five stopovers for refueling. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - Elon Musk told a meeting of global techies that he is an alien. The Tesla, X and SpaceX multi-billionaire made the claim at VivaTech in Paris, France a worldwide summit for technological start-ups. An event host asked him: Some people believe that you are an alien? Musk, 52, laughed and replied: I am an alien yes, I keep telling people I'm an alien. But nobody believes me. Speaking remotely via webcam Musk, added that if he could provide proof of alien life he would share it on X, formerly Twitter. Musk was officially born in Transvaal, South Africa, in 1971 and also boasts US and Canadian citizenship. Speaking at the event, Musk went on to warn that artificial intelligence posed a more immediate problem than ETs for humans predicting bots would wipe out every job on Earth. Probably none of us will have a job, he stated. He said future employment would be optional and jobs could become hobbies, as AI and robots would provide all necessary goods and services. Monday, May 27, 2024 - Renowned rapper and activist, Julius Owino alias Juliani, is counting losses after his property was demolished by the Government. The former Ukoo Flani rapper has been running an art centre in Dandora for the last 7 years. The building christened Dandora Hip Hop City has been a vital hub for the local youth and artists in Dandora. It was demolished following an order by the Ministry of Interior that all buildings located near rivers should be demolished. The center, located 30 meters from the river, has been a sanctuary for young people seeking to express themselves through hip-hop, dance, and visual arts. Juliani shared a video of the art centre being demolished on his X account and said his heart was shattered. The acclaimed rapper said he was planning to upgrade the facility, only for the Government to demolish it. This is not the end but inauma sana. To think that we were working on expanding to the neighbouring spaces and upgrading the facility, he tweeted This is not the end but inauma Sana!! To think that we were working on expanding to the neighbouring spaces and upgrading the facility. pic.twitter.com/NEkbiLufGS Juliani (@JulianiKenya) May 27, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, May 27, 2024 - A Junior Secondary School teacher (JSS) has taken to social media to protest over poor payment by the Government after receiving a meagre salary of Ksh 17,000. He is among the 46,000 teachers who are currently serving on contract terms. The JSS teachers downed their tools a week ago demanding employment on permanent and pensionable terms. However, it was established that the money allocated to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) was not enough to confirm permanent terms for all the JSS teachers. Life of a JSS teacher, the disgruntled teacher said and posted a screenshot of the salary he received from the Government. Another JSS teacher also shared a screenshot of his monthly salary and said he is always depressed. The reason I am always depressed. No one ever prepared us for this shocking reality, he wrote. See posts. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, May 27, 2024 - A section of Kalenjin community Members of Parliament has blasted Deputy President Rigathi Gacghagua for telling Rift Valley leaders not to interfere with Mt Kenya region politics. On Friday, Gachagua, who spoke at a function in Kesses constituency, warned Rift Valley politicians against interfering with the political affairs of the Mt. Kenya region, claiming they were scheming for his downfall. In a quick rejoinder, Kalenjin MPs dismissed the deputy president's threats, insisting they would not be barred from visiting any part of the country. Led by Bomet Senator Hilary Sigei, Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek, Sotik MP Francis Sigei, and Keiyo South MP Gideon Kimaiyo, the leaders vowed to continue holding events in Gachagua's backyard. Sigei argued that all elected leaders should be free to tour other regions and participate in socio-economic and political development. "Leaders from across the country should work together, unite the people, and support President Ruto in delivering on his development agenda. "The people expect us to act as their elected representatives, and we should not engage in petty squabbles," Sigei said. On his part, Kiborek accused Gachagua of attempting to intimidate youthful leaders, adding that such plans would not succeed. "As young leaders, we have a close-knit relationship and cooperation that has seen us develop our region. Whoever sees young leaders as foolish is setting himself up for attack and a fall. "Politics of dividing the people, gagging their leaders, and confining them to their zone is archaic," said Kiborek. Sotik MP castigated the deputy president for allegedly attempting to re-introduce the politics of deceit and nepotism. "The politics of deceit, tribalism, nepotism, and division should not arise in this era; we should seek to unite the people and not balkanize them," Sotik MP said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - Former Bahati Member of Parliament, Kimani Ngunjiri, has apologised to former President Uhuru Kenyatta for insulting him during the 2022 presidential campaigns. Ngunjiri was among William Rutos lieutenants from Nakuru County who had formed a war machine to insult the former President and his family. Now two years into the vote, Ngunjiri wants peace with the former head of state. While admitting to rifts in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance coalition, the former lawmaker observed that his team erred in fighting Uhuru. He, however, blamed it on politics. "It was in the political moments that people were tearing into each other. "But after that people should reconcile. "And that is why I am saying that if I did any wrong to the former president., let him forgive me, I also forgive him if he wronged me," said Ngunjiri. The former lawmaker also said he regretted supporting President William Ruto in 2022 because Ruto's allies, led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, and Rutos aide Farouk Kibet, are "vomiting on Kenyans" after stealing from taxpayers. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - Controversial lawyer and barrister Miguna Miguna has attacked President William Ruto for defending his move to hire a private jet to take him and his family to the United States last week. Ruto used the Abu Dhabi luxury Royal jet for his U.S. trip instead of Harambee One Jet which is assigned to the President and his family. The cost of hiring the jet was reported around Sh 200 million but Ruto on Sunday vomited on Kenyans by saying hiring a private jet was cheaper than using Kenya Airways (KQ) Miguna criticised the President's statement and urged him to apologise to Kenyans for not prioritizing national transport options. According to the fearless advocate, presidents of developed states such as the U.S., China, or Russia would never travel on a "foreign-owned air carrier anywhere, even if it were donated because of national pride, patriotism, security, and sovereignty considerations". Miguna noted that Kenya owns a multimillion-dollar presidential jet that has been utilised by the country's leaders for various travels. He could also have flown commercial using KQ. There are no financial, political, strategic, or security justifications for what Ruto did. Period," the General added. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has responded to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who had accused him of being among Rift Valley politicians traveling to the Mt Kenya region to cause division. Gachagua, who spoke in the Kesses constituency on Friday, stated that some unnamed politicians close to President William Ruto have been traversing the region to divide the vote-rich region. However, Murkomen who is a close ally of the President, said as a cabinet secretary, he is free to traverse the country to sell the government agenda. "I have neither time for the freedom to engage in politics even as my critics seek to involve me in succession talks. "There are people who have problems with us CSs when we tour the country and fellowship with Kenyans over the weekends, yet it is an opportunity for us in the Executive arm of government to come face to face with the realities on the ground," Murkomen said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - Laikipia East Member of Parliament Mwangi Kiunjuri has dismissed claims that he is fighting Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, terming him as the current Mt Kenya region political kingpin. During an interview with a local vernacular television (Inooro TV) on Monday, Kiunjuri clarified that he hasn't been fighting Gachagua who he termed as senior to him. Kiunjuri also called on Mount Kenya leaders to forge a unity of purpose for the sake of growth and development of the region. I have been very vocal about the issues affecting the Mount Kenya region and I would like to make it clear that Im not fighting Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, he is the senior politician in the region as we speak, Kiunjuri said. He noted that the continuous fights in the Mount Kenya region arent healthy, adding that the unity of the region should be given priority. Gachagua has recently been at the center of debate due to his push for the one man, one vote, and one shilling model proposed in the Building Bridges Initiative. Over the weekend, he accused some Rift Valley leaders of sowing seeds of discord in the Mt Kenya region. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - A close confidant of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has urged President William Ruto to stop dragging Kenya Airways (KQ) into the cost of his trip to the United States of America. In a statement on X, Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo claimed President Ruto's trip to the U.S. was extravagant, arguing that many other heads of state travel cheaper. "Mr President, let it be said clearly! Your USA trip was extravagant! "Many heads of state travel cheaper! Worst of all, you then drag a limping KQ into it!"Amollo stated President William Ruto on Sunday sparked a debate while responding to questions regarding the cost of his trip to the U.S. when he argued that it was cheaper to charter a plane compared to using Kenya Airways. Fellow Kenyans, I have noted concerns on my mode of transport to the USA. "As a responsible steward of public resources and in keeping with my determination for us to live within our means and that I should lead from the front in doing so, the cost was less than travelling on KQ, Ruto said. The President hired a private jet to take him and his family for a cost of sh 200 million which was paid by taxpayers, The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 In a move to deter demonstrations in the country, President William Rutos government has moved to make it very expensive to demonstrate in the country. According to The Assembly and Demonstration Bill 2024, organizers of protests and individual demonstrators could face financial liability for property destroyed during picketing if a new bill is signed into law. The bill seeks to govern the conduct of demonstrators and have them solely limit their activity to airing their grievances and not destroying other people's property while making their point. In the past, some demonstrations have gotten out of hand, leaving traders counting losses over looting or rogue demonstrators going on unwarranted rampage. Where during the carrying on of an assembly or demonstration, damage to property occurs as a result of the assembly or demonstration, every organisation and every person participating in such assembly or demonstration shall, be jointly and severally liable for such damage, reads a provision of the bill. Further, the bill seeks to have demonstrators banned from carrying banners, placards, singing, or making speeches that in any manner could incite hatred towards other groups or persons on account of differences in culture, race, sex, language, or religion. Additionally, protestors will also be required to have their face fully identifiable, without wearing any disguise, mask, or apparel that could prevent law enforcement officers from identifying them. Protestors will also be banned from wearing any form of apparel that resembles any of the uniforms worn by security forces including the police and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). The bill also seeks to outlaw possession of any offensive weapon, during protests. The bill further outlaws any unlawful assembly and demonstrations. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - President William Ruto has denied overspending taxpayers' money in his 4-day United States of America tour. Ruto's Sh200 million luxurious private jet to the US which was packed with freeloaders and joyriders sparked reactions online, with Kenyans accusing the president of extravagance in his travel to meet U.S. President Joe Biden. However, speaking to VOA Africa, Ruto dismissed the rumoured amount, stating that the numbers were exaggerated. He said he was careful about spending resources. "I think the expenditure on my trip is completely exaggerated. They actually border on ridiculous. I am very careful about the resources that I spend," said Ruto. Ruto explained that the Kenya Kwanza government had toned down on funding to his office and other government agencies to re-channel the resources to spur the economy. "In fact, I have cut down on funding to my office, and to different government agencies. I have reduced by 30% recurrent expenditure in this budget so that we can accommodate living within our means and we can push more resources to the realm of development, education, providing health and doing the things that matter including cash transfers to citizens," the Head of State explained. Kenya's president's usual mode of transport out of the country is a presidential jet, a 30-year-old Fokker 70 extended range christened Harambee one with a carrying capacity of 26 passengers that can only fly five hours non-stop. He opted for a chartered Boeing 737-700 business jet, from the Abu Dhabi-based Royal Jet group a premium private aviation company reported to have cost Kenyan taxpayers Ksh 200 million. According to the specifications of the ultra-modern plane, it can host 34 passengers, eight of them being VIPs, and an executive bedroom, among others. The plane flies for 10 hours straight. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 President William Ruto has embarked on an ambitious plan to build the longest railway line in Africa after he visited the U.S. This was revealed by Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who said the government intends to construct a modern railway line that links the Kenyan coast to the Atlantic Ocean. Speaking during the launch of the Kenya Railway Strategic Plan (2023 to 2027), Murkomen said that the construction of one of Africa's longest railway lines was part of Kenya's economic agenda. Murkomen who affirmed his commitment to making the visionary objective a reality, announced that the trackway would enhance trade between Kenya and countries globally. According to the CS, the railway linking the Kenyan coast to the Atlantic would transverse several countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, and would end its length on the coast of Cameroon. I believe that Africa can be better connected if we are going to make sure we build the necessary infrastructure that will enable our people to connect and also grow their businesses, the transport minister stated. The railway line transport has gained increased significance as an enabler of Kenyas national development agenda," he added. While exuding his commitment to lead the construction, Murkomen noted it would be a fulfillment of the dreams of the forefathers. "If followed through and implemented to the latter, the objectives set in this plan will enhance operational efficiency, and contribute to national economic growth," Murkomen remarked. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - Former Ndaragwa Member of Parliament, Jeremiah Kioni, has said Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua wanted to attend the Limuru III meeting organised by Mt Kenya politicians. In an interview with one of the local TV stations on Monday, Kioni who is also the embattled Jubilee Party Secretary General, termed the Limuru III meeting a rare opportunity created for the people from the mountain to speak out. "Rigathi Gachagua was very desirous to come to Limuru III, just like Moses Kuria and all these other people in UDA. "Limuru III was a rare opportunity that we created for the people from the mountain to speak out. "An opportunity that has not been afforded to them since we voted. You can now see we are reading from the same page," Kioni said. Kioni, however, denied reports that the meeting was sponsored by Gachagua, who has seemingly fallen out with President William Ruto. Gachagua in the recent past has been advancing the Mt Kenya agenda. "He (Gachagua) didn't. Even now I'm struggling with some of the bills we incurred," Kioni added. During the Limuru III meeting, the politicians present launched a political coalition dubbed Haki Coalition aimed at vouching for the "one man, one vote, one shilling" revenue-sharing formula, a formula also being pushed by Gachagua. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta was appointed the leader of the coalition. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - The Saturday night fracas at Qukin Lounge in Kiambu that resulted in the shooting of an American embassy staff began with a dispute between two groups accusing each other of seducing their women. Two suspects, Nason Kiteme and Joseph Njenga, were arraigned in court on Monday in connection with the incident. They are said to have been part of two groups enjoying a night out on Saturday when a disagreement over women escalated. The scuffle spilled outside the nightclub "The fight went outside the Qukin lounge where one group which had armed bouncer shot a reveler who was standing near the fighting zone," a DCI officer said. According to investigations, the shooting victim was not involved in the commotion. The two suspects will be remanded for ten days while detectives investigate the murder. Detectives are still on the hunt for the actual shooter who is still at large. The deceased, Anthony Njomo, had secured a job at the American embassy recently. He was also expecting his second child. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, May 27, 2024 - Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire has threatened to move to court after Mombasa and Kilifi counties banned the entry, transportation, distribution, sale, and use of muguka. In a statement, Mbarire said there is no Kenyan law separating Miraa from Muguka and prohibiting its sale or consumption. She noted that the muguka value chain contributes about Sh22 billion per year to the Embu County government. The Muguka value chain is estimated to contribute approximately Sh22 billion per year to the economy of Embu. Muguka farmers and other players who have invested heavily on the value chain therefore stand to lose in terms of revenue and livelihoods, said Mbarire. The Embu Governor said she has directed her legal team to move to court over the ban on Muguka in Kilifi and Mombasa. The County Government of Embu and County Assembly of Embu have engaged their legal team to move to court and seek guidance on the matter, Mbarire added. On Friday Kilifi Governor Gideon Mungaro announced a total prohibition on the entry, transportation, distribution, sale, and use of muguka and its products within Kilifi County. He directed all outlets selling or distributing Muguka within Kilifi County to be closed immediately or stop the sale of Muguka and its products. Governor Mungaro ordered vehicles transporting Muguka not to be allowed entry into Kilifi County. Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir on the other hand banned the sale and use of muguka in Mombasa on Wednesday. The ODM Governor also ordered vehicles carrying the products not to be allowed entry into the county and that all outlets selling or distributing the products be closed. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - Social media has been awash with rumours that Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, was among the Cabinet Secretaries who were denied a VISA to the U.S. during President William Rutos recent state visit to America. Murkomen, who holds a crucial docket, was supposed to be among the senior government officials in Rutos entourage but he was denied a visa because of corruption. It is alleged that he has been demanding a 10% cut from every tender secured by contractors in the road and transport ministry. A photo of Murkomen holding a virtual meeting with a senior US Government official has surfaced, confirming reports that he was denied a VISA during Rutos state visit. See the photo. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, May 27, 2024 - Former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa has blasted President William Ruto for chartering a private jet for his concluded US State visit. Speaking on a local TV station on Monday, the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader indicated that Ruto went against his push for implementing austerity measures in various government agencies. Wamalwa argued that it was inappropriate for President Ruto to hire a private jet for Sh 200 million in the face of rising taxes and claims of empty coffers by government officials. "You cannot say we dont have money to pay for this, then the taxes you keep raising you are spending these taxes in a luxurious way," stated. "What is so special about William Ruto that he must hire such an expensive jet?" Wamalwa posed. The Azimio la Umoja Principal pointed out that Ruto squandered a golden opportunity to market Kenya Airways during his State Visit and chose to use a private jet which did not leave a memorable symbol to his American hosts that can be used to promote tourism in the country. "It is also a way of the President failing to market Kenya Airways. Any President who is a patriot must show pride in going with Kenya Airways and flying the Kenyan flag and marketing it to the world," he insisted. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, May 27, 2024 - Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi has told Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to stay in his lane and let him enjoy his wealth in peace. This is after Gachagua told Sudi and his allies in Rift Valley to stay in their constituencies and stop meddling in other areas like Mt. Kenya. However, in his response, Sudi insisted that every politician has the right to travel across the country beyond their constituencies in support of their party leaders. "We are all students of President William Ruto. Everyone has the authority to travel across the country," he stated. "Everyone contributed to the Kenya Kwanza Government. Let's respect each other. We ask the President and his deputy to respect us. We can't allow them to come and harass small leaders." Sudi further challenged Gachagua to cease threatening their juniors in what he argued was their ploy to divert attacks from their targets. "You should stop threats. You should not threaten me because I have done so many things... Let's respect each other," he added. "If you have a case with someone, stop going after other people to get the message across. "Go directly to the person you have issues with. Many people who spoke at an event in Kesses yesterday had different issues with other people. We are small people." Sudi further defended his wealth, noting that he worked hard to make the money and will spend it as he pleases. He argued that he has a penchant for donating money to churches, a character he inherited from President Ruto who advanced to State House where he has bigger tasks. "I ask for forgiveness. If there is money, I took from you (other unnamed politicians) to bring to the church, I ask for forgiveness," he stated. "I heard other people yesterday saying that Sudi has a lot of money and I am asking them, 'Do you want me to become poor?' "I am donating in church because I am from a humble life." "If you go to Parliament to take tea, I travel for deals. "When You see me going to Tanzania and elsewhere, do you think I go looking for stones?" he posed. The Kenyan DAILY POST Kwaneta Harris had hot flashes and lapses of memory. She didnt feel right and didnt know why. It felt like my body was completely betraying me, she wrote. I felt like I was losing my mind. The cause wasnt the eight years shed spent in solitary confinement in a Texas prison. She was going through menopause. She didnt understand it. And Texas officials wouldnt allow her access to books or written materials on womens health. Millions of people in prison are denied access to books, newsletters, texts, and other printed health information that is readily available to those of us on the outside. This censorship too often subjective and unnecessary harms incarcerated people and denies them the critical opportunity to be informed about their bodies and to access education. Harris, a mother of three and former nurse who has spent the past 17 years in prison recently wrote about how other women in solitary confinement are similarly uninformed about their health, isolated from each other and unable to access health care or information as they age. They are left in the dark and expected to navigate the complex health care landscape on their own. For the majority of people in prison, access to the internet is strictly prohibited, making printed materials the only sources of health information outside of infrequent and inadequate access to health care providers. They [the prisons] wont help us, Harris says. And they wont let us help ourselves through education. Something needs to change, and medical professionals are well positioned on the outside to take a stand against carceral censorship and the harm it inflicts on patients. Why does carceral censorship exist? Supposed reasons range from concerns about inciting violence to promoting subversive behavior and providing sexual gratification. Over the years, Harris has repeatedly asked for access to anatomy, physiology, and womens health resources in her prison, including the Menopause Manifesto, a New York Times Best Seller touted as an essential guide to menopause. Her requests have been denied due to the sexually explicit images featured in these texts. The censorship of health literature in prisons is a longstanding and growing nationwide problem, resulting from inconsistent and poorly defined policies surrounding what is considered appropriate versus inappropriate content. Kansas banned literature list includes The Pill Book, which provides FDA-approved information on more than 1,800 commonly prescribed medications. Connecticut bans the book Trans Bodies Trans Selves, a resource guide for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive populations. We are doctors and bioethicists in Philadelphia, passionate about this topic because we have seen how censorship harms patients in prison through our work with Prison Health News (PHN), a non-profit, health information network that provides a quarterly free health newsletter distributed to more than 5,000 subscribers who are incarcerated. PHN is the only organization that responds to requests for health information from people in prisons and jails everywhere in the United States. Over recent years, PHNs newsletters have been censored across multiple states. Their Spring 2023 newsletter issue included articles about COVID-19 testing, mental health, and prostate health. It was impounded by the Florida Department of Corrections because a diagram depicting the anatomy of a prostate was considered nudity. The diagram was included to accompany a Q&A article about causes and treatments for an enlarged prostate, including prostate cancer, a common and potentially life-threatening disease that may go undiagnosed if patients do not recognize the symptoms. Suzy Subways, an organizer with PHN, says, People in prison are hidden away, and people outside dont know what happens to people inside. The censorship of PHN makes this segregation even more extreme. If there is a mail slot in someones cell door, that is the only way for them to get information and communication from the outside world. Restricting access to health information robs patients of their autonomy. People in prison have the same rights as those on the outside to access health care and make informed decisions about their bodies. Censorship violates these rights and perpetuates the disparities and poorer health outcomes associated with incarceration. Without intervention, they will continue to suffer. We urge medical professionals to raise their voices and join the fight to end carceral censorship. Form state or national committees with medical representation to help assess what is appropriate versus inappropriate health information. Send an email to your state elected officials calling for them to enact laws that make carceral censorship illegal. Share this information through your networks to raise awareness and expand these advocacy efforts. It could mean the difference between life and death for people in prison. Hannah Calvelli and Olivia Duffield are medical students. Brian Tuohy is an assistant professor of bioethics. Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! In this episode, family physician and author of Burden of Pain: A Physicians Journey through the Opioid Epidemic, Jay K. Joshi, with his extensive experience defending physicians, illuminates the pressing need for compliance in navigating the escalating scrutiny from federal and state regulators. Join us as we uncover the intricate web of compliance challenges within the legal system and explore how physicians can be at legal risk without adequate safeguards in place. Jay K. Joshi is a family physician and author of Burden of Pain: A Physicians Journey through the Opioid Epidemic. He is also the editor-in-chief of Daily Remedy, which is on Facebook, YouTube, X @TheDailyRemedy, Instagram @TheDailyRemedy_official, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. He discusses the KevinMD article, Shielding physicians: the untold story of legal preparedness. Our presenting sponsor is Nuance, a Microsoft company. Together, Microsoft and Nuance are leveraging their rich digital technology and advanced AI capabilities to tackle some of health cares biggest challenges. AI-driven technology promises to revolutionize patient and provider experiences with clinical documentation that writes itself. The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, or DAX for short, is a voice-enabled solution that automatically captures patient encounters securely and accurately at the point of care. DAX Copilot combines proven conversational and ambient AI with the most advanced generative AI in a mobile application that integrates directly with your existing workflows. Physicians who use DAX have reported a 50 percent decrease in documentation time and a 70 percent reduction in feelings of burnout, and 85 percent of patients say their physician is more personable and conversational. Discover AI-powered clinical documentation that writes itself. Visit https://nuance.com/daxinaction to see a 12-minute DAX Copilot demo. VISIT SPONSOR https://nuance.com/daxinaction SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended GET CME FOR THIS EPISODE https://earnc.me/NeMJxi Powered by CMEfy. The practice of seeking second opinions in medicine has a long history, dating back to ancient times. The concept is deeply rooted in the ethical and professional principles of medical practice. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates, often considered the father of modern medicine, encouraged patients to seek second opinions. He believed that a different physician might have a different perspective or alternative treatment suggestions. This practice was considered a way to confirm a diagnosis, consider alternative treatments, or simply reassure a patient. In the Middle Ages, second opinions became more formalized, especially in teaching hospitals, where cases were often discussed among multiple doctors. This practice was intended to reduce diagnostic errors and improve patient care. The formalized practice of seeking second opinions grew in the 20th century, especially with the advent of more complex medical procedures and treatments. In some cases, insurance companies began to require second opinions before approving certain treatments or surgeries. This was done to ensure that the proposed treatment was medically necessary and appropriate. However, second opinions have become like a runaway trainnon-stop and off course. Insurance companies now require second opinions about proposed procedures, operations, medications, lab tests, and imaging studies, among others. The American Medical Association has targeted this drillcommonly known as concurrent review and preauthorizationfor elimination along with other dubious and wasteful administrative practices. The practice of seeking second opinions has become even more common due to increasing patient empowerment and the easy accessibility of medical information online. Patients often seek second opinions to feel more confident about their diagnosis and treatment plan. Taken to the extreme, obtaining a second opinion can become an obsession, especially if a patient believes there is something really wrong with them and the doctor appears aloof or unconcerned. The term doctor shopping is used pejoratively to describe the practice of a patient requesting opinions and treatment from multiple physicians. Doctor shopping can become dangerous when the patient visits multiple doctors to obtain prescriptions, often for controlled substances, without the doctors knowledge of each other. This is often done with the intent to misuse or abuse prescription drugs. Doctor shopping can lead to harmful drug interactions, overdose, and addiction, and it contributes to the larger issue of prescription drug abuse. Doctor shopping may cause physicians to become the brunt of second opinion jokes. This is likely due to the fact that doctors view themselves as authorities in their field, and the idea of questioning or challenging their expertise can sometimes have a humorous element. The humor often lies in the difference between the first and second opinions, with the second one being absurdly different or unexpected. Here are a couple of well-known second opinion jokes: 1. A man goes to the doctor, and the doctor tells him, I have bad news and worse news. The bad news is that you have 24 hours to live. The man, shocked, asks, What could be worse than that? The doctor replies, Ive been trying to reach you since yesterday. 2. A patient wasnt feeling well and went to her doctor. After a thorough examination, the doctor said, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you are not a hypochondriac. Indeed, while walking through a cemetery one day, I saw the following inscription on a gravestone: I told you I was sick. Henny Youngman (1906-1998), a famous British-born American comedian, is often linked to some of the most famous second opinion jokes in the field of medicine. He performed while playing short interludes on the violin between jokes. Here is a sample of his doctor jokes: I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places. A doctor gave a man six months to live. The man couldnt pay his bill, so he gave him another six months. The doctor says, Youll live to be 60! I AM 60! See, what did I tell you? The patient says, Doctor, it hurts when I do this. Then dont do that! Doctor, I have a ringing in my ears. Dont answer! I told the doctor I think my wife has pneumonia. He said, I think youre right, but Id like a second opinion. Bring her in so I can check.' Some audiences do not immediately catch on to the last joke. The humor here lies in the unexpected response from the doctor, who agrees with the husbands diagnosis without having seen the patient, but still wants a second opinionhis own. The joke plays with the typical expectation that a second opinion would come from a different doctor. It is a classic example of Youngmans quick wit and the kind of humor that made him a beloved figure in comedy, nicknamed the King of the One-Liners. (His best-known one-liner was Take my wife please.) Youngman loved to poke fun at psychiatrists. It seems that ridiculing psychiatrists has become a time-honored tradition couched in the fear, anxiety, or discomfort associated with mental health issues or the idea of discussing personal matters with a psychiatrist. A few of Youngmans psychiatric jokes go like this: A man goes to a psychiatrist. The doctor says, Youre crazy The man says, I want a second opinion! OK, youre ugly too! A woman goes to a psychiatrist. Nobody listens to me! The doctor says, Next! A man walks into a psychiatrists office. What do you do for a living? Im an auto mechanic. The psychiatrist remarks, Get under the couch! One of my favorite Youngman jokes is this one: This guy asked his doctor, Will I be able to play the piano after my operation? And the doctor says, Sure. And the guy says, Funny, I couldnt do it before.' The last laugh is on the doctor. The humor highlights the all-too-common problem of miscommunication between doctors and patients. Medical jokes, in general, and second opinion jokes, in particular, play on the unexpected. The humor comes from the surprising twist in the doctors opinion. It is important to remember that these are just jokes. In real medical practice, second opinions are taken very seriously as they can be crucial in ensuring the best care for patients. Still, I hope these jokes brought a smile to your face. Arthur Lazarus is a former Doximity Fellow, a member of the editorial board of the American Association for Physician Leadership, and an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. He is the author of several books on narrative medicine, including Medicine on Fire: A Narrative Travelogue and Narrative Medicine: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling through Essays. With the reading of the next financial years national budget drawing close, activists have continued to raise concerns about Ugandas increasing debt burden and the huge chunk of the national budget it takes. According to the Program Manager at the Uganda Debt Network Christine Ibingiro, although the budget has been raised from Shs52 Trillion to Shs72 Trillion, it is unlikely to benefit the citizens because upto Shs34 Trillion out of this amount will go towards facilitating payment of the national debt. She says this implies that the government will resort to local borrowing, a situation which will increase the tax burden on Ugandans. We are concerned about this level of borrowing by the government by the domestic market for obvious reasons businesses or the private sectors has been ailing, recently has recently releveled that the income tax payers have been reducing, businesses have gone down generally, Ms. Ibingiro said. The minister of finance is expected to read the national budget for the financial year 2024/25 on June 13th By Franklin Draku Catholic foot pilgrims from Nebbi Catholic Diocese are expected to arrive at the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo on Wednesday this week. The 15-day journey will see the pilgrims station at Naguru Catholic Church on Tuesday evening before embarking on the final journey to the Martyrs shrine on Wednesday where they will animate this years Martyrs day celebrations on June 3rd. The more than 700 pilgrims from various parishes across Nebbi Catholic Diocese who include women, youth and the elderly, were flagged off by the Archbishop-designate of Gulu Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace Raphael Wokorach on May 6th. Trekking a distance of 450km, the pilgrims were transported from Pakwack using trucks to Karuma to ensure safety amid concerns of wildlife encounters in the National Parks. This morning, the pilgrims will proceed from Bombo to Matugga where they will spend the night before proceeding to Naguru. Robert Otim, one of the pilgrims says they are all determined to reach their final destination on schedule. We are prepared for the journey. It has been smooth since we started and everyone is fine, he told Daily Monitor By Catherine Ageno Media institutions in Africa are advised to source funds through crowdfunding, subscription models, and partnerships with non-profits to ensure media sustainability. According to Dr Yemisi Akinbobola Co-founder and CEO of African Women in Media (AWiM), many African media organisations are operating in a precarious financial environment, where advertising revenue is limited and funding is uncertain. In a statement issued ahead of the upcoming AWiM24 conference, she expresses concern that the lack of funding can sometimes lead to ethical compromises, blurring lines between advertising and editorial content, and dependence on financing from politically motivated sources. The compromise of journalistic ethics consequently contributes to the prevalence of misinformation in the media. It also undermines peoples trust in the press, distorts public perception, and fuels societal divisions, she says in a statement. Dr Akinbobola adds that digital technologies also offer innovative approaches to sustainability and ethical journalism that media outlets can explore. The AWiM24 conference to be held in Dakar, Senegal, in December is aimed at further discussing ensuring media sustainability without compromising the professions ethics. The conference will attempt to answer this question; what impact might the balancing of economic realities have on the vision of the African narrative? reads the statement. By Patrick Okaba Nebbi Catholic Diocese is set to hold the first holy mass at Namugongo on May 29, 2024 before the main Uganda Martyrs Day celebrationS slated for June 3. The holy mass will be celebrated by His Grace Raphael Wokorach, the Archbishop of Gulu Diocese on the 29th May, 2024. According to the Archbishop Wokorach, the holy mass is aimed at welcoming all the pilgrims both within and outside Uganda to Namugongo catholic shrine and sharing the experiences of the pilgrims during the 450km trek to Namugongo Catholic shrine in Wakiso district. The Bishop announced a holy mass for the pilgrims while preaching about radical faiths and discipline at Nebbi Cathedral Parish that were exhibited by the pilgrims trekking distance for faith. The foot pilgrims from Nebbi Catholic Diocese are being led by Mr Festo Thugitho who has sacrificed himself in updating the entire nation through the social media on the distance covered and left. Thugitho said, the foot pilgrims from Nebbi catholic diocese left Wobulenzi catholic parish after the Sunday morning prayers where they spent a night and made a stopover at Bombo. He said the pilgrims are so excited to reach the Kampala Metropolitan area without any difficulties but said, they are left with 38km so far covering 400km to reach the promised lands of Namugongo catholic shrine. The National Unity Platform NUP supporters has stand firm that tomorrow they will go to Mukono district for their party country wide mobilization activity This was revealed by the National Flag raiser for NUP, a counselor representing Keti Falawo in Kawempe division urban council Denis Ssenono in an interview with Kfm Denis Ssenono says that as of now the party leaders are in talks with the police at Nagulu police Headquarters to have the matters resolved I am alive to the fact that the police blocked our activities and the meeting is ongoing at Naguru police headquarters to have the matters resolved however all I know is that our program will proceed, we are legitimate part acting with the law, and we will not bow to the police who acts selectively, Mr. Ssenono said. Parliament has approved loans worth Shs6.169 trillion between 2023 to 2024, with the construction of roads in Kampala and other parts of Uganda accounting for the biggest chunks of the funds. According to the House performance report, parliament approved 8 resolutions authorizing the government to borrow money for varius activities. The first loans approved was the Shs3.076Trn from both the African Development Bank and Spanish Government to fund the rehabilitation of Kampala-Malaba meter gauge railway. Government also secured another loan worth Shs1.775Trn from both the World Bank and French Govt for the construction of roads in Kampala and surrounding districts. The agricultural sector also benefitted from the loans approved by Parliament, following the approval of Shs1.228Trn loan from the World Bank to fund Smart Agriculture, while another Shs3.5Trn loan was secured from the local commercial banks to fund the national budget. The Chinese Govt also extended a Shs546.542Bn loan to the ICT sector for the extension of the national data infrastructure while another Chinese investor committed to construct Masaka-Mutukula Road at a cost of Shs691.680Bn with Government meant to refund the money after completion of works. 1 of 1 Benefits of Spousal Work Permits in Canada: A Comprehensive Overview 1 of 1 9.50 khaskhabar.com : , 27 2024 4:18 PM A cheque for the amount of 69,579 has been presented to Down Syndrome Kilkenny at the River Court Hotel after the huge success of their recent Saddle Up for Down Syndrome fundraiser. The organisation have announced that it will now be able to fund an after school programme that will offer professional speech and language and occupational therapies to its members. This programme will be funded from the charity cycle proceeds alongside match funding from The Z Zurich Foundation. Fiona Heffernan, Chairperson of Down Syndrome Kilkenny, said that this service will allow the children to grow and reach their full potential in an environment set at their own pace facilitated by trained professionals. On behalf of Down Syndrome Kilkenny, I want to thank all of our supporters, Kells Angels, Catherine Cunliff and Danesfort GAA, the cyclists, organisers, and anyone who made a donation or contributed to the success of our fundraiser this year," she said. The money raised is unbelievable. It will completely transform the lives of our members. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Down Syndrome Kilkenny also presented certificates of appreciation to a number of supporters. Pictured above presenting the cheque from the Saddle Up for Down Syndrome Kilkenny charity cycle and its partner the Z Zurich Foundation who match funded donations to Down Syndrome Kilkenny are: (L-R) DS Kilkenny Chairperson, Fiona Heffernan, The Z Zurich Foundation representative Joe Nolan, Race Director, Mark Gaffney and DS Kilkenny Treasure Sean Manicle with (L-R) Ruby Heffernan, Erin Tracey, Shona Manning, Ariana Doheny and Hannah Hill. For more information see downsyndrome.ie/branches-detail/kilkenny Kilkenny welcomed a major European gathering on intellectual property rights last week as The Marble City hosted the European Union Intellectual Property Offices (EUIPO) annual meeting. The conference was jointly hosted by the EUIPO and the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI), which is based in Government Buildings, Kilkenny. Delegates from 27 countries across the European Union gathered to discuss the EUIPOs strategic plan to 2030 and the future direction of the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN). The meeting was officially opened by the Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins. The Minister outlined the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) for business and the economy during her visit. "I recognise the important role that a progressive intellectual property ecosystem plays in encouraging innovation and creativity and in fostering the EUs ability to compete in the global economy," she said. "We must ensure that the EU IP ecosystem continues to evolve so that European investors, creators, and businesses are assured of an effective and efficient IP protection system that will be an incentive to invest in research and development, leading to the creation of high-quality innovative goods and services. "Therefore, the role and contributions of the EUIPO and the EU Intellectual Property Network in further developing these ecosystems is vital." The Executive Director of the EUIPO, Joao Negrao, commented that it was a pleasure to host the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) annual meeting in Kilkenny. "During the two days, we discussed the future of IP at EU level, and how best to continue our cooperation going forward in the context of the next strategic plan 2025-2030 of the EUIPO," he said. Over the two days the conference included visits by delegates to some of Kilkennys best known landmarks, including Kilkenny Castle, Smithwicks Brewery, Butler House and the National Design and Craft Gallery - culminating with a very special musical event in St Canices Cathedral. IPOI has been based in Kilkenny for over 25 years with 47 staff working in the Hebron Road offices. The Office is responsible for administrating and registering intellectual property rights, such as patents, trade marks, industrial designs and copyright. The Office also represents Ireland at international meetings which ensures Irelands position on intellectual property is represented at EU level. TPM released: Te Pati Maori are calling for a by-election and the establishment of an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) after the National Partys donation botch. On this issue I agree with them. I have supported one for many years. Theres many things such a body could do such as investigating a charity illegally funding a political party. When the brown party is late to file a disclosure, were referred to the Police and Serious Fraud Office. When the National Party doesnt disclose, its a mistake and poor error of judgement. This is not one law for all. This is blatant playing of the race card, stating that the legal authorities treat parties different based on the skin colour of their members. The Electoral Commission has only known of the incorrect donation return for a few days. They have in no way decided not to refer it to the Police, yet alone dismiss it as a mistake. In fact Ill be astonished if they do not refer it. The Maori Party was referred in 2021, after it transpired they had not disclosed $320,000 of donations. The decision to refer was only done five weeks after the Electoral Commission was notified. So there has been no different treatment at all between the two incorrect donation returns. I suspect Te Pati Maori knows this, but they prefer to stoke racial resentment. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr By Jung Min-ho The government has warned Korean travelers and residents in other countries not to smoke marijuana, saying those who ignore this message could face criminal charges when they return home. In a warning issued on Monday, the Ministry of Justice said smoking marijuana will be treated as a serious offense and Korean smokers could face up to five years in prison as they are subject to the laws of Korea. There have been cases in which Korean citizens mistakenly believe that smoking marijuana is alright in countries where it has been legalized, the ministry said in a statement. Korean citizens, however, could face a heavy penalty under our domestic laws for using illicit drug in those countries after they return. Penalties would be more severe for the smuggling of such drugs with intent to distribute, as such people could face a minimum sentence of five years possibly life behind bars. The ministry said it will begin a campaign to raise awareness about the legal risk next month by releasing new videos and posters to promote the warning message. This comes as an increasing number of countries and territories around the world move to legalize or decriminalize the recreational use of marijuana. Last month, Germany became the third EU member state to legalize recreational cannabis for personal use after Malta and Luxembourg. Legalization has been implemented to undermine the criminal trade of the drug and allow police forces to focus on more serious violent crimes, state German officials. However, legalization has been met with challenging views in different territories. Thailand, which in 2022 became the first country in Asia to decriminalize the recreational use of marijuana, is now seeking to reverse the policy amid rising concerns over misuse and drug-related crime. "Handsome Guys" is fundamentally a comedy film, but it incorporates elements from various genres, like mystery and horror, to enrich its narrative, the film's director said Monday. "We had a lot of difficulty with the scenes where evil spirits appear. It was challenging to strike the right balance not too heavy, but also not too light," director Nam Dong-hyub said at a press event to promote the upcoming film Monday. The film has a Hollywood-style occult theme, aiming to capture the tone of American comedy films from the 1980s and 1990s, he added. "We made efforts to find the right tone that suited our movie. We did a lot of rehearsals. I think we were able to blend the genres with sufficient balance in the end." The comedy horror centers around two men, Jae-phil and Sang-gu, who move into a new house in a rural town. The two men, who consider themselves hot and handsome, immediately draw attention and suspicion from both the villagers and two police officers. On the day of their moving, an accidental event triggers the awakening of a powerful spirit sealed in the basement, setting off a series of unpredictable incidents. While Jae-phil and Sang-gu do not do anything, visitors to their house mysteriously die shortly after arriving. As the house plays a central role in the film's narrative, the director said the production team put a lot of effort into designing it to show its transformation throughout the film. "The story unfolds in the house, which turns out to be much more dangerous than initially expected. It is very old and harbors a big secret," Nam said. Actor Lee Sung-min, who played Jae-phil, took the role to bring a new change to his career. A seasoned actor, he gained recent acclaim for his performance in the political film "12.12: The Day" and tvN's series "Reborn Rich," among other notable works. "The character felt very refreshing, and I saw it as a new challenge for me as an actor. I appreciate the film's blend of various genres, which is a trend in many films these days," Lee said. Lee Hee-joon, known for the Netflix Korean original series "A Killer Paradox," expressed his interest in the scenario's wild unpredictability. "I had a thirst for comedy, and at the same time, the scenario was so intriguing. I particularly liked that the story unfolded in such an unpredictable way," he said. Despite outwardly appearing tough, his character is actually "very innocent and sentimental, and prone to getting teary," the actor explained. "He wishes for everyone to live peacefully together." "I'd like to invite the audience to get ready for some good laughs," he said. The film is produced by Hive Media Corp., known for producing hit films such as the crime action "Inside Men" (2015) and the historical drama "12.12: The Day" (2023). "Handsome Guys" is set for release on June 26. (Yonhap) By Lee Kyung-min A group of retail investors will hold a candlelit vigil, Thursday, to protest the planned enforcement of a capital gains tax on stock trading income, according to the rally organizer Korea Stockholders Alliance (KSA), Monday. The collective move coincides with the formation of the 22nd National Assembly. Previous legislative discussions ended up in vain, eclipsed almost entirely by a deadlocked standing committee governing the financial regulations. The National Assembly's National Policy Committee has been essentially non-performing since the crushing defeat of the ruling People Power Party in the April 10 general elections. We will hold a candlelit rally in front of the headquarters of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday, at 5 p.m., KSA leader Jung Eui-jung said. Rival parties would have to reach a bipartisan agreement to scrap the tax by no later than August, he added, a pivotal step to preventing an immense downward spiral of the stock market. Retail investors will bear the full brunt of the envisioned tax, a critical flaw in the thinking of the opposition-led legislators, he said. The main opposition must identify, in his view, which of Koreas global peers with similar financial market growth profiles have put in place such a tax. The DPK must make it the party's stance that Koreas stock market will not experience similar turmoil, as previously seen in other countries. Starting next year, at least a 20 percent tax will be in store on incomes from trading stocks, funds, bonds and financial derivatives exceeding 50 million won ($36,630). President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to scrap the tax during a May 9 press conference. The 14 million retail investors will incur a major loss, crippled by a massive capital outflow of great magnitude, he said. The DPK maintains the scrapping of the tax will exacerbate income inequality, dubbing it a tax cut for the rich. Pyongyang to launch space rocket by June 4 By Kwak Yeon-soo North Koreas notification to the Japan Coast Guard about its plan to launch a military spy satellite just ahead of a trilateral summit involving Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing was aimed at attracting the attention of neighboring countries, according to experts, Monday. In the notice, North Korea identified three maritime danger zones that could be affected by the planned launch sometime between Monday and June 4 two over the West Sea and the third zone east of the Philippines. The warning from the North came hours before South Korea, Japan and China held their first trilateral summit in more than four years in Seoul. The timing is purely political. North Korea wants to draw attention and show it has control over the situation on the Korean Peninsula. It also wants to create a rift between Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing by testing how China reacts to its announcement, said Yang Moo-jin, the president of the University of North Korean Studies. Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, agreed that North Korea can draw attention to itself by announcing its plan to launch a satellite during the three-way talks, but its announcement comes as part of its plan to launch three more satellites this year after the first successful launch in November 2023. I dont think North Korea will launch its spy satellite when Chinas Li and Japans Kishida are in Seoul because it can put China in an awkward position and the North is still seeking a dialogue with Japan. I think the weather condition is crucial in deciding when to launch, Cho said. A spy satellite is among several high-tech military assets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un publicly vowed to develop. Cho said North Korea may have developed a new satellite and a space rocket, which could be a reason for delaying the launch, which was widely anticipated to happen sometime in April but is believed to have been delayed for technical improvements. It has been reported that a number of Russian experts went to North Korea to help with its satellite development. The North has reportedly staged more engine tests, potentially to upgrade its launch capabilities, he said. The Ministry of Unification called the Norths satellite launch plan a clear violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution that prohibits North Korea from using ballistic missile technology. It is a provocative act that seriously threatens our security and regional security. We strongly urge North Korea to immediately cease its satellite launch plan, the ministrys spokesperson said during a press briefing. South Koreas military said it staged air drills near the inter-Korean border in response to North Koreas planned satellite launch. Around 20 fighter jets including F-35A, F-15K and KF-16 jets conducted drills in a central region south of a no fly-zone near the border, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The exercise was conducted to demonstrate our militarys capabilities to sternly punish the enemy immediately if they carry out a provocation," the JCS said in a statement. North Korea denounced South Korea on Monday for stating its commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a joint declaration with Japan and China following their trilateral summit, casting it as a "mockery" of the region and the international community. The North's foreign ministry issued the statement hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held the trilateral summit in Seoul and reaffirmed their commitment to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. In the joint declaration, the three sides reiterated positions on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the abduction issue, respectively, and continue efforts for the political settlement of the peninsula issue. "It is a mockery of and trickery against the regional countries and the international community that the ROK is talking about 'denuclearization,' 'peace and stability,'" a spokesperson at the North's foreign ministry said in the statement released by the Korean Central News Agency. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. "The complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has already died out theoretically, practically and physically," the ministry said. The North then accused the South of being the root cause for creating "a grave security crisis" on and beyond the peninsula by "frantically strengthening military alliance for aggression." "The DPRK Foreign Ministry strongly denounces and rejects it (denuclearization commitment) as a blatant challenge to the sovereignty of the DPRK and wanton interference in its internal affairs." DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea will "firmly defend" its sovereignty and national dignity from any attempts by "hostile forces" to deny its sovereignty, the statement read. Hours before the three-way summit took place, the North announced its plan to launch a space rocket carrying a military spy satellite by notifying Tokyo of such a plan sometime before June 4. (Yonhap) WASHINGTON (Yonhap) The United States urged North Korea on Monday to refrain from further "unlawful" activities and return to dialogue, after Pyongyang has notified Japan of a plan to launch a space rocket to put a satellite into orbit before June 4. A State Department spokesperson made the call, reiterating that any launch using ballistic missile technology, including that of a space launch vehicle, runs afoul of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. The North has notified Japan's Coast Guard of the launch plan as it seeks to launch three more satellites this year. It put its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit in November. "Space launch?vehicles incorporate technologies that are identical to, and interchangeable with, those used in ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles," the spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency. "We urge the DPRK to refrain from further unlawful activity and call on Pyongyang to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy," the official added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. In its notice to Japan, the North designated three areas where debris will fall -- two west of the Korean Peninsula and the other east of the Philippines' island of Luzon, according to Kyodo News. Observers said the North appears intent to secure intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets as it is far behind the allies in ISR capabilities despite its focus on developing an array of formidable weapons systems, including submarine-launched ballistic missiles and tactical nuclear arms. (Yonhap) North Korea fired what it claims to be a military spy satellite Monday, but the projectile ended up as multiple pieces of debris shortly after launch, South Korea's military said, an apparent indication that Pyongyang's satellite launch plan ended in failure. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the suspected satellite-carrying rocket being launched in a southward direction over the West Sea from the Tongchang-ri area in the country's northwest at about 10:44 p.m. The projectile, however, was detected as multiple pieces of debris in the country's waters two minutes later, the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters, noting that a detailed analysis is under way between the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States about whether the projectile flew normally. Pyongyang had earlier notified Japan that it will launch a satellite sometime before June 4 and designated three areas, where rocket debris will fall, as a precaution for safety. The liftoff came on the first day of the eight-day launch window. The launch also came after President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a trilateral summit in Seoul on Monday and reaffirmed their commitment to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. During the summit, Yoon and Kishida also urged the North to call off the launch plan. If confirmed, it would mark the North's latest satellite launch attempt after the country successfully put its first military spy satellite into orbit in November last year after two unsuccessful attempts in May and August, respectively. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to send three more spy satellites into orbit in 2024. The North's space rocket launches have drawn condemnation from Seoul, Washington and others, as they violate U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban the country from launches using ballistic missile technology. Ahead of the latest launch, the South's military on Monday warned it would take "powerful" measures in response to the North's launch plan and staged air drills, involving advanced fighter jets, near the inter-Korean border in a show of force. The November launch had ratcheted up tensions between the two Koreas and prompted the South to partially suspend a 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement. The North in turn vowed to restore all measures halted under the peace deal, and has rebuilt demolished guard posts inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas and installed mines on rare cross-border roads. The latest launch also comes amid concerns over deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow after a rare summit between the North's leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Russian spaceport last September, where Putin pledged to help the North to build satellites. South Korean officials have said Pyongyang has supplied weapons to Moscow to fuel its war on Ukraine in return for food, other necessities and technological assistance, raising concern over possible developments to the North's military programs. A military spy satellite is among the list of advanced weapons the North vowed to develop at a key party congress in 2021, which also includes solid-fuel ICBMs, a nuclear-powered submarine and hypersonic weapons. South Korea's Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, however, has said the North's satellite launched last year appears to be orbiting Earth without activity, suggesting that it is not functioning properly. Seoul has also sought to bolster its independent reconnaissance capabilities, launching two military satellites into orbit last December and last month, respectively, as part of efforts to acquire five spy satellites by 2025 to better monitor North Korea. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday asked Chinese Premier Li Qiang for Beijing's cooperation on the issue of North Korean defectors, the presidential office said. Yoon made the request during one-on-one talks held on the sidelines of a trilateral summit also involving Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul, according to presidential spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung. Yoon further asked that China play a "constructive role" in maintaining the global nonproliferation regime as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, a reference to Beijing's role in reining in North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Li responded that China has worked for the peaceful resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue and considers political stability to also be important. "We are well aware of South Korea's concerns, and let us continue to communicate in the future," he was quoted as saying by the presidential office. (Yonhap) China intensifies smoking regulations as more cities join in Xinhua) 13:16, May 27, 2024 BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- China is ramping up its efforts to control smoking as 44 cities newly introduced or revised regulations in 2023, bringing the total number of cities with relevant regulations to 254 nationwide, said health authorities. At the provincial level, 24 regions in China have rolled out regulations on smoking, with the proportion of the population protected by comprehensive smoke-free regulations continuing to increase, according to experts from the National Health Commission (NHC). The data was released during a ceremony in Beijing on Saturday, marking the inauguration of a committee led by medical institutions dedicated to tobacco control and health enhancement. A pertinent seminar was also held as part of the event. Smoking control, including preventing smoking and promoting smokers to quit smoking, is a viable approach for both population-wide disease prevention and individual health care, said Wang Lu, a health expert from the NHC. China ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005 and enforced it in 2006. The country has decided, as outlined in a document released in 2016 aiming to build a healthier China, to intensify tobacco control through pricing, taxation and legislation. It also aims to actively promote the building of smoke-free environments and strengthen supervision and law enforcement in public places. The document aims to decrease the nationwide smoking rate among individuals aged above 15 to 20 percent by 2030. Recent years have witnessed active legislative efforts by local authorities to control tobacco. Beijing, for example, prohibits smoking in public places, indoor workplaces, and outdoor queues. Shenzhen bans smoking in indoor workplaces, indoor public places, public transportation vehicles, as well as outdoor areas in schools, parks and medical institutions. Thanks to relentless anti-smoking efforts, the adult smoking rate has decreased to, for example, 19.4 percent in Shanghai. Nationwide, the smoking rate among the population aged 15 and above stood at 24.1 percent in 2022, down by 1.7 percentage points compared to 2020, data shows. NHC official Wu Xiangtian noted that China will actively promote smoking-free environments and make health communication a focal point in disease treatment to assist patients in adopting healthy lifestyles. Simultaneously, the country will intensify scientific research into the epidemiology and clinical treatment of tobacco dependence. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Leaders of S. Korea, Japan, China adopt joint declaration for trilateral cooperation By Nam Hyun-woo South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida issued warnings against North Koreas plan to launch a satellite which they view as a violation of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, during a trilateral summit involving China, Monday. In contrast, Chinese Premier Li Qiang refrained from echoing their concerns and instead urged "related parties to exercise restraint." Their divergence on how to address Pyongyang's escalating threats extended to a joint declaration, which emphasized the dedication of the three countries to regional peace and prosperity, but notably omitted any specific mention of North Korean issues. They instead promised to expand their economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. We agreed that the three countries active cooperation contributes to bilateral relations as well as regional peace and prosperity, Yoon said during a press conference after the trilateral summit at Yeongbingwan guesthouse in Seoul. To ensure regional peace and stability, which is a shared interest of the three countries, we should faithfully implement UNSC resolutions and strive for North Korea's denuclearization, under the ultimate goal of a free and peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Moreover, North Korea's announcement of a so-called satellite launch is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and must be met with a resolute response from the international community. The trilateral meeting, held for the first time in four years and five months, was perceived as a litmus test to assess whether the Northeast Asian neighbors could normalize and revive their cooperative framework amid the escalating rivalry between the United States and China. Ultimately, the goal was to collaborate in containing North Korea's nuclear threats. Testing the resolve of these efforts, North Korea notified Japans coast guard on Monday of its intention to launch a satellite rocket between Monday and June 4 in the waters spanning from the West Sea to the east of the Philippine island of Luzon. Yoon denounced the planned launch during his opening remarks of the summit, saying "Any launch (by North Korea) using ballistic missile technology is a direct violation of UNSC resolutions and undermines regional and global peace and stability." Kishida also emphasized, "I strongly demand that North Korea cease its activities," and expressed his desire for the trilateral summit to serve as an opportunity to engage in discussions on international affairs, including the situation regarding North Korea. "We reaffirmed our commitment to pursue cooperation in a wide range of fields, recognizing the significant responsibility our three countries share in promoting regional peace and prosperity," Kishida said during the press conference. "And we also reaffirmed that North Koreas denuclearization and the stability of the Korean Peninsula are the common interests of the three countries." Even though the Chinese premier agreed that the three countries should collaborate for their common long-term interests and deepen their political trust, he showed a different approach toward the issue of North Korea. China has always been committed to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and promoting the political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue, Li said. I believe relevant parties should exercise restraint and prevent a further complication of the situation. He did not specify which party he was referring to. During his opening remarks, Li also called for the three countries joint efforts to enhance cooperation through "mutual respect and trust," a stance maintained by the Chinese government on the issue. We should resolve suspicions and misunderstandings through candid dialogue, safeguard bilateral relations with a spirit of strategic autonomy, promote a multipolar world, and oppose bloc confrontation and factionalism, Li said, in an apparent reference to the inclination toward the U.S. by Seoul and Tokyo. In line with the leaders remarks, the joint declaration did not include any articles or clauses related to North Korea. Amid lingering concerns over China's unwillingness to address North Korean issues despite the three-way summit, the presidential office released a press statement indicating Yoon and Li had a post-summit conversation on the matter. "Yoon asked China to play a constructive role as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council regarding North Korea's nuclear issue and the North Korean defector matter," presidential spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung said. "In response, Li said China has been making efforts to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue peacefully, acknowledging South Korea's concerns and assuring that he will continue to engage in future communications." In areas other than North Korea's belligerence, the three nations reached agreements in several areas, including people-to-people exchanges; sustainable development through joint responses to climate change; economic and trade partnerships; health and aging population initiatives; partnerships in science, technology and digital formation; and cooperation in disaster and safety management. To achieve this goal, the leaders have agreed to convene the trilateral summit regularly, ensuring that around 70 inter-governmental consulting bodies between the three countries operate smoothly without encountering obstacles. Also, they promised that they "will continue discussions to speed up negotiations for a Trilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), aiming to realize a free, fair, comprehensive, high-quality, and mutually beneficial FTA with its own value." "The foundation of trilateral cooperation lies in mutual understanding and trust among the people of our three countries," Yoon said. "To achieve this, frequent meetings and communication are essential. We have decided to make efforts to achieve an annual exchange of 40 million people by 2030, especially promoting exchanges among future generations." By Jung Min-ho President Yoon Suk Yeol has expressed his condolences to the victims and their families of a massive Papua New Guinea landslide in which more than 670 people are believed to have died. (I am) deeply grieved and saddened by the tragic landslide in Enga province, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Yoon said in a message posted Monday on X, a social network formerly known as Twitter. On behalf of the people of the Republic of Korea, I would like to express heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families and wish for (a) rapid recovery. This statement comes after the natural disaster occurred three days ago in the mountainous region in the north of the Pacific island nation. Soon after the news of teh landslide, Papua New Guinea officials said as many as 100 may have been killed. But that figure was later revised up to 670. The actual death toll could be much higher, with officials now suspecting that as many as 2,000 people are feared to have been buried alive in the deadly landslide. 1st Korea-Africa Summit to mark pinnacle of deepening ties: deputy foreign minister By Lee Hyo-jin African countries are no longer just recipients of foreign aid, but essential partners for Korea to realize its vision of becoming a global pivotal state, according to Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won. "In the current pivotal moment in the international order characterized by multifaceted global crises and the growing influence of the Global South, cooperation with Africa is no longer an option but an imperative," Chung said during a recent written interview with The Korea Times. "African countries are no longer merely recipients of aid. They are partners with whom we must collaborate for the future," the deputy foreign minister added. Expanding on this idea, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has significantly increased exchanges with African countries to a level never seen before. "Since taking office, President Yoon has held bilateral meetings with the leaders of five African countries Central African Republic, Nigeria, Gabon, Kenya and Angola during their visits to Korea, as well as meetings with the leaders of 11 African nations at various multilateral forums such as the G7, G20 meetings and at the U.N. General Assembly," Chung said. The upcoming inaugural Korea-Africa summit will mark the pinnacle of this momentum, solidifying Korea's partnership with African countries. Scheduled for June 4 and 5 in Seoul, the summit will bring together delegates from more than 45 African nations, making it the largest multilateral gathering hosted by Korea under the Yoon government since its inauguration in May 2022. "This summit will serve as a significant turning point in establishing a long-term, sustainable partnership for mutual prosperity and coexistence between Korea and Africa. In particular, we aim to leverage the strengths of both sides to create synergies that foster joint growth and build a sustainable future together," Chung said. He noted that the summit will elevate the dialogue between the two sides from the current ministerial level to the highest level. Under the overarching theme "The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity," the summit will offer leaders a platform to deliberate on concrete and achievable collaboration strategies across economic domains, sustainable approaches to global challenges, and initiatives for peace and security. The two-day event will also feature over a dozen sideline events covering various topics ranging from tourism, green climate, business, health, ICT, and infrastructure, agriculture, marine and fisheries and development cooperation. "Through the summit, the Korean government aims to expand tailored cooperation by pursuing the most suitable collaboration for each African country, taking into account Korea's strengths and the diverse demands of each African nations," Chung said. When asked about the significance of the African continent for Korea, Chung described it as the youngest in terms of population and possessing the greatest developmental potential. While many developed nations struggle with low birthrates and declining populations, Africa's ongoing baby boom fuels the youngest and fastest-growing population in the world. With a population of 1.4 billion, 60 percent of whom are aged 25 and under, Africa is projected to achieve an economic growth rate of 3.8 percent this year. Additionally, it holds 30 percent of the worlds key mineral resources, the senior diplomat said. He also emphasized the growing importance of the collective voice of African nations on the international stage, noting that they comprise more than one-fourth of U.N. members and highlighting that the African Union (AU) recently attained permanent membership in the G20. Given its abundant resources and strategic importance, the African region is increasingly becoming a stage where major countries vie for influence. While some may view Korea as arriving on the scene later than other nations, what distinguishes the Asian nation is its ability to offer substantial inspiration for the development of the African continent, according to Chung. "Unlike the perception that major superpowers strategically approach Africa for their national interests, Korea is widely seen as sincerely wanting to share its development experience with African nations, without ulterior motives," he said. From the perspective of African nations, Korea's experience of rapid growth, achieved despite colonial and wartime challenges, is a valuable asset to African countries that have faced similar situations, he explained. Chung emphasized that a major focus of the upcoming summit will be to expand the current collaboration in the economic and energy sectors. One significant example highlighting cooperation between the two sides is the Kazungula Bridge, completed by Daewoo Engineering and Construction in May 2021, which spans the border regions of Botswana and Zambia. Additionally, Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) owns a 10 percent stake in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) extraction project in Area 4 located in the waters off Mozambique. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has maintained close communication and coordination with the African diplomatic missions in Seoul as we engaged in preparation for the summit. The African side has expressed high expectations for expanding economic cooperation with Korea, hoping that the summit will also focus on economic aspects," Chung said. In this context, a business summit will be held on the first day of the two-day summit, where government officials and business leaders from both sides are expected to explore opportunities for cooperation. On that day, a business consultative session will enable private companies from both regions to identify potential partners and establish cooperative relationships. South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold a trilateral vice foreign ministerial meeting in Virginia this week to discuss North Korean threats, cooperation on economic security and critical technologies and other issues, the State Department said Monday. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano are set to attend the trilateral dialogue in historic Little Washington, Virginia, on Friday, according to it. The meeting comes as Seoul, Washington and Tokyo share concerns over Pyongyang's plan to launch another satellite-carrying rocket before June 4. They see the planned launch as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. "This dialogue ... will reaffirm the importance of trilateral cooperation in advancing a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific region," the department said in a media note. "This dialogue will focus on utilizing our collective capacity to strengthen cooperation on economic security, critical and emerging technologies, and maritime security, as well as a range of regional and global challenges, including the threats posed by the DPRK to regional and global peace and security," it added. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The three sides are also set to discuss Russia's prolonged war against Ukraine, the "importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," and humanitarian support for the people of Gaza, according to the department. The department called the upcoming meeting a "key deliverable" from the landmark trilateral summit that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held at Camp David in Maryland in August. On Friday morning, Campbell plans to meet bilaterally with Kim to discuss the role of the South Korea-U.S. alliance in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. On the eve of the trilateral meeting, he and Okano are set to attend the inaugural meeting of the vice-ministerial U.S.-Japan Strategic Diplomacy and Development Dialogue, the department said. The upcoming meetings follow the trilateral summit that Yoon, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Kishida held in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap) By Jung Min-ho A man has been arrested on charges of operating 14 sites dedicated to sharing sexually abusive materials, including videos of minors, police said on Monday. According to the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency, the suspect in his 20s is expected to stand trial for running the overseas-based illegal sites between November 2020 and May of this year. Of 100,000 videos released on those sites, police said they have identified 200 victims so far, including children. The man, a U.S. Green Card holder living in California, was apprehended recently at Incheon International Airport on his way to the U.S. after visiting the Philippines. By then, Korean police had secured his itinerary, thanks to collaboration with U.S. Homeland Security officials. He was detained at the airport during his stopover there. According to police, he allegedly received payments in cryptocurrency from advertisers to promote their businesses including gambling enterprises on his sites, where visitors had free access to explicit videos he had collected from the dark web and other platforms such as Telegram, a messaging app that is popular among privacy-conscious people. After his arrest, police said they shut down the sites while seeking to seize all proceeds of crime. Police said digital sex crimes could devastate the lives of the victims, vowing to pursue such criminals all the way no matter where they operate. Korea's health ministry said Monday it plans to continue efforts to resolve the ongoing discord with doctors following the finalization of the university admission plan, which includes the controversial medical school quota hike, last week. The remark came after the Korean Council for University Education, an association of university presidents, approved an increase in next year's medical school admission quota last week despite strong protests from trainee doctors, finalizing the first such hike in 27 years. About 12,000 trainee doctors, meanwhile, have remained off the job since Feb. 20 in protest of the plan to raise the medical school admissions quota by 2,000, causing disruptions at general hospitals and emergency rooms. "The government will maintain the emergency medical system to minimize the medical vacuum and make its best efforts to address the ongoing conflict," Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said during a government meeting. The previous day, President Yoon Suk Yeol called for measures to ensure medical schools implement the hike in their quotas to timely reflect the first such change in nearly three decades. "As the president requested, each ministry will carry out necessary measures without delay," Park said. In a separate briefing, Deputy Health Minister Jun Byung-wang noted that it is significant that some medical professors are considering canceling their weekly day off, which was launched in solidarity with junior doctors. "However, it is also alarming that the professors are calling for a complete repeal of the medical quota hike while vowing to suspend offering advice on the government's health care policies," Jun added. Park, meanwhile, renewed the call for junior doctors to return to their worksites. "Now is the time to end the conflict and standoff that intensify the anxiety and pain of the people," Park added. The health ministry, meanwhile, requested hospitals carry out individual consultations with junior doctors through Tuesday and submit the results by the following day. Amid slim chances for dialogue between the government and the medical community, however, it is uncertain how many junior doctors will end the walkout, especially as doctors continue to call for fully scrapping the reform plan. The Medical Professors Association of Korea, meanwhile, urged the government to suspend the medical reform until the top court delivers a verdict on the injunction filed by the medical community to block the hike. A Seoul appellate court rejected the injunction last week, paving the way for authorities to proceed with the reform. "We urge the government to suspend the administrative procedures and cooperate with the trial," the association said in a statement. (Yonhap) Korea is expected to maintain growth in exports for May amid robust performances in chips and automobiles, the trade minister said Monday. The remark came after exports expanded 13.8 percent year-on-year to $56.2 billion in April, the seventh consecutive monthly gain, driven by strong demand for semiconductors and vehicles. "Exports have been expanding across most regions, including the United States, China and the ASEAN bloc," Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said during a government meeting reviewing the country's exports. "The trend is expected to continue in May, with the country posting export growth and a trade surplus." Over the January-April period, exports to six out of nine major destinations increased, with those to the U.S. rising 17.7 percent over the period. The ministry attributed the growth to the robust performance of chips, with other major contributors including automobiles, machinery and display products. Cheong added that the government will continue to make efforts to achieve record performance this year. Korea earlier announced its goal to achieve annual outbound shipments of $700 billion. Korea will announce the monthly export performance for May on Saturday. (Yonhap) By Jung Da-hyun Debra Rose, founder emeritus of San Francisco Gyrotonic, visited Korea from April 30 to May 17 to teach a master trainer course for Pilates, emphasizing the positive impact of such exercises on well-being and happiness. The Gyrotonic Expansion System, created by Juliu Horvath in the 1980s, focuses on enhancing spinal movement in three dimensions. This system aims to increase the functional mobility of the spine while building strength and flexibility in the surrounding muscles. Rose, who became one of the first Gyrotonic master trainers after meeting Horvath, played a significant role in developing the course curricula and syllabi. She established San Francisco Gyrotonic in 1988. She visited Korea at the invitation of Jun Hong-Jo, a chair professor at Seoul Cyber University and the founder of Art Pilates. "I am thankful to Jun for creating Art Pilates, a studio where people can practice both Pilates and the Gyrotonic method, and for inviting me to teach her amazing staff these past ten years," Rose said. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to teach instructors and was honored to assist those working with the Gyrotonic method. This year, professor Jun invited her to conduct a master class at Seoul Cyber University. Rose remarked that it was thrilling to see the spectacular facilities and gain insight into their cutting-edge course curricula. "They are one of the premier facilities for online learning in the world, and I am always excited to bring the Gyrotonic method into new spaces. It was a privilege to teach classes in that establishment," she said. After years of studying, practicing and teaching the Gyrotonic method, Rose has witnessed its growth across the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. She noted that Gyrotonic is expanding globally, including in Korea, emphasizing its efficacy in producing desired results for those who dedicate the right amount of time in the practice. "The work changes people. They feel better in their bodies, and that increases happiness," she said. Roses aspiration for the Gyrotonic community in Korea is to witness increased utilization of the system across numerous accessible studios. "People of any age and shape, whether injured, dancers, athletes or those who work at a desk all day, can all feel better in their body after trying a Gyrotonic session," she said. Seoul's Seocho district office has decided to lift administrative restrictions on the business hours of big-box stores operating in the district, becoming the first municipality to do so, officials said Monday. Under the 2012 revision of the Distribution Industry Development Act, heads of municipalities are mandated to limit the business hours of big-box stores in their regions to the 8 a.m.-midnight time frame and designate two weekend days or official holidays of every month as off days for these big discount stores. The 2012 revision was designed to help traditional markets and small corner stores survive fierce competition with the larger rivals. Since the government's decision early this year to push for a law revision to lift such regulations, a growing number of regional governments have been easing such restrictions, beginning in areas where a legal revision is unnecessary. The Seocho district office in southern Seoul said Monday it has issued an administrative notice, informing residents of the expanded business hours for big-box marts, which will take effect in July. Under the revision, large-scale grocery businesses will be permitted to operate around the clock, except for one hour between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Seocho is the first municipality that has relaxed the business hour restriction for such stores. In early 2024, the district also relaxed the requirement for big-box stores to close for two days every month, either on weekends or national holidays, by permitting such businesses to choose two weekdays for the mandatory two-day closure. Seocho was also the first municipality to implement this deregulation at that time. The district office plans to implement the latest deregulation by completing the necessary procedures. The decision is expected to benefit four big-box discount stores located in Seocho and 33 other large-scale grocery stores. The office expects the deregulation to improve conveniences for residents, adding that it will focus on ensuring that the latest action could boost the local economy and job creation in the district. (Yonhap) The education ministry has requested police investigate allegations that students at three medical schools were coerced into joining a collective action to boycott classes and file for a leave of absence in protest against the medical school quota hike, officials said Monday. The request came as many medical students have not gone to classes for nearly three months and have collectively filed for leave from school in response to the government's decision to dramatically increase the nationwide medical school quota, starting next year. The ministry was informed last Friday about coercion at three medical schools to pressure students into participating in a collective action, and it subsequently requested the police investigate the three schools, a senior education ministry official said during a press briefing. The three medical schools are reportedly located outside Seoul. Last month, the ministry requested a police investigation into medical students at Hanyang University in Seoul on suspicion that they demanded public apologies from students not participating in the class boycott and denied them access to essential learning materials. The latest suspected coercion cases include demanding that students shun online classes and then pressing them to publicly prove they have participated in the boycott. Additionally, students were also allegedly coerced into filing for leave from school after being assembled at a location where they were barred from leaving. The education ministry maintains that a collective action is not a valid reason for granting leave from school. (Yonhap) Monthly earnings for migrant caregivers expected to surpass 2 million won By Lee Hae-rin Koreas plan to bring in 100 caregivers from the Philippines at the end of July for a pilot program aiming to ease the child care burden on young working parents and boost the declining birthrate has sparked a debate on their compensation. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Monday, the Philippine government started recruitment of Philippine caregivers for the program earlier this month. Considering that the monthly cost of hiring caregivers from Korea or ethnic Koreans from China ranges from 2.5 million won ($1,800) to 4.5 million won, the concept of introducing foreign caregivers at a comparatively reduced cost, akin to practices in neighboring Hong Kong and Singapore, gained traction last year through proposals to exclude them from regulations that would honor their basic rights to receive minimum wage. However, since Korea and the Philippines have both ratified international treaties that uphold the International Labor Organization's (ILO) discrimination convention, which mandates equal remuneration and nondiscrimination based on nationality, the Korean government has stipulated a payment rate corresponding to the legal hourly minimum of 9,860 won ($7.20). This equates to a monthly salary exceeding 2 million won under the national 40-hour workweek standard. In that respect, several working parents view the solution as ineffective. Lowered cost was the merit of hiring foreign nannies, but that seems to have disappeared now, said a working mother surnamed Choi who raises 3-year-old twins with the help of her parents. Another Seoul-based working parent, who wished to be identified only by her surname Kwon, was also skeptical of taking advantage of the policy, saying she would rather employ a Korean nanny for shorter working hours, considering this price range. Meanwhile, many believe paying the minimum wage and granting equal labor standards for foreign caregivers is imperative. Under the existing memorandum of understanding on the Employment Permit System, workers are accorded equal treatment under Koreas labor standards. Koreas minimum wage law specifically provides the equal application of minimum wage, regardless of nationality, among others, Philippine Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega said during a recent interview with The Korea Times, highlighting the importance of recognizing the economic value of labor delivered by caregivers. Notably, some parents said they would opt for nannies from the Philippines due to their proficiency in English. Under the selection procedures, candidates must prove their English speaking level equivalent to at least Intermediate High or Advanced Low in an oral proficiency interview. Government data obtained by Rep. Kang Deuk-gu of the Democratic Party of Korea found that Koreans spent an average of 1.24 million won monthly on their children's English education in 2023. The ruling and opposition parties continued to disagree Monday on the national pension reform plan and a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has called for passing the pension reform plan during a plenary session scheduled for Tuesday, the final session before the current National Assembly's term expires. The two sides earlier agreed on raising the premium from 9 percent to 13 percent of one's income but disagreed on the income replacement rate, which is the pension as a percentage of a subscriber's average lifetime income. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has proposed an income replacement rate of 44 percent, up from the 40 percent set for 2028, while the DPK has suggested 45 percent. PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho called for resolving the issue in the incoming National Assembly. "Pension reform is a historic task that affects everyone ... Rushing it through without national consensus will be met with strong resistance," Choo said during a party meeting. During a Supreme Council meeting, DPK leader Lee Jae-myung said the parties should at least pass the reform plan based on what was agreed, stressing they should not miss this "golden" time. At Tuesday's session, the DPK is also looking to override the presidential veto and pass a bill on the appointment of a special counsel to look into allegations President Yoon Suk Yeol's office and the defense ministry inappropriately interfered in the military's probe into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who was killed during a search mission for victims of heavy downpours in July 2023. The bill, which was passed by the opposition-controlled parliament early this month but vetoed by Yoon, will be put up for a revote Tuesday. For a bill to pass the National Assembly in a revote, it requires a majority of the 300-member parliament to be present and two-thirds of them to cast their ballots in favor. The DPK currently holds 155 seats, and together with splinter parties and independent lawmakers, the number could rise to about 180. Unless there is support from some ruling party lawmakers, the bill would be scrapped during the current session of the National Assembly. (Yonhap) By Choo Jae-woo The talk of the town in Seoul lingers around Trump's almost derogatory-like contempt for the value of the ROK-U.S. alliance. Should he get elected as the next president of the United States come November, a rift, if not rupture, may arise among the allies. Internal moves have been triggered by former President Donald Trump, who's seeking another chance at the post, and his former aides like Eldridge Colby, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and power development and Chris Miller, former interim secretary of defense. They have been persistent in challenging the alliance's solidarity, integrity and core values. Questions like who should pay more to keep the alliance and why the U.S. should defend Korea are only vexing to those who deeply care about the strategic interests of the U.S. and its allies, let alone world peace and stability. Against this background, it may be time for the U.S. Embassy in Korea to prepare for a long telegram like what George Kennan did some 70 years ago. A thorough yet striking, patriotic yet balanced recommendation should be delivered to Trump and his aides when and if he is elected. George Kennan's long telegram from his diplomatic compound in Moscow spoke volumes on how serving it can be to the motherland. Since then, we have not heard of such a daunting undertaking by an American embassy, a task that shaped the foundation of an American foreign policy that would be long-lasting with a sounding base. There is not an alliance of America as unique as that with the Republic of Korea. Not for its military capacity or defense capability but for its geographical location and geostrategic implications, in addition to its eclectic demographic structure, should it stand tall above all other allies. For these reasons, Korea is different from other allies. The gist of the difference is that it has its own exit to fall back on should America keep playing with its commitment to the alliance. It is also for the same reasons adversarial competitors would like to conceive Korea as one of the weakest links in the American alliance system. Korea's own unique demographic structure is one area that makes the alliance vulnerable. Since the country was partitioned before the war in 1950, one natural consequence was that there exists a great portion of the Korean people who are sympathetic to North Korea for separated families and homesickness reasons. The division of the Korean Peninsula perpetuated such a sentiment to only congeal a hard feeling toward those external forces responsible for the divided situation. Those in the South who would like to defer the responsibility to the U.S. are in the same line as those in the North. They are sympathetic toward political factions, including those holding anti-U.S., anti-Japan and pro-China stances. They could act with a jolt should the next American administration overwhelm the Korean public with excess demands on cost sharing or pressure it with a possible withdrawal of U.S. forces from Korea. If this were to happen, the prospect of the ROK-U.S. alliance being thrown forwards cannot be discarded. The premise of the alliance should, therefore, be built on one critical foundation: its geographic location, geostrategic implications and military capacity are non-negotiable. Trump and his aides should ruminate on this aspect of the alliance. The ROK-U.S. alliance is located in the center of China's first-island defense zone. By the alliance's sheer location, America has already nullified China's anti-access/area denial strategy. With Japan having a constraint like the so-called Peace Constitution effective to date and preventing it from making a full-fledged offensive military assistance to America's cause, and Australia being physically too far apart and having undersized military capacity with active duty combat forces standing at a mere 57,000, one-tenth of Korea's, no allies in the Indo-Pacific region can fight hand-in-hand with the U.S. No doubt the ROK-U.S. alliance is the linchpin to the American alliance system. The alliance is irreplaceable. Trump, should he become the next president, must read Mira Rapp-Hooper's book, "Shields of the Republic." It will evoke the original notion and purposes of the American alliance system. The intent was to keep potential threats as far from the U.S. as possible by fortressing forward defense capabilities in ally countries. The second purpose is to deter far-flung threats from daring to militarily challenge the U.S. allies in the region. The last purpose is to, therefore, keep America's homeland safe and secure by keeping its distance from the threats and not allowing them to reach the shores of America. The ROK-U.S. alliance fulfills the entire prerequisites to the defense of America's homeland. Without the ROK-U.S. alliance, the defense of America's first island-chain would be impossible. It will be turned over to China. China's aggressive approach to the South Pacific also makes the third island-chain and beyond already vulnerable. If Beijing succeeds in securing the South Pacific as it envisions, the second island-chain will be sandwiched, putting the fate of Guam and Saipan in danger. China's ambition has been long-standing. It became first known in 1896 when one of the Chinese reformists Liang Qichao was on his way to the U.S. He had a chance to appreciate the vastness of the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii and shared the same thought the incumbent Chinese leader Xi Jinping once expressed in 2013. The Pacific Ocean is vast enough to accommodate both China and the U.S. An "X" from the American Embassy in Seoul should prepare for a long telegram. It will not only serve the interests of America and its allies in the region but also our commitment to upholding the liberal international order against revisionists. Our commitment to the liberal international order is founded on the Indo-Pacific Strategy. The Strategy is premised on the perpetual effectiveness of the American alliance system. Vexing questions raised by Trump and his aides in recent times are not big enough to accommodate the fate of the Pacific Ocean and the security of America's homeland. I am sure Trump and his aides won't want to be remembered as those who allowed far flung threats to have reached the shores of America. Choo Jae-woo (jwc@khu.ac.kr) is a professor of international relations at Kyung Hee University and director of the China Center at the Korea Research Institute for National Security. He was a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. Joint efforts needed to enhance economic, security ties The leaders of South Korea, Japan and China pledged to enhance security and economic cooperation during a landmark summit held in Seoul, Monday. President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang adopted a joint statement emphasizing the importance of trilateral cooperation for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, with a particular focus on addressing North Koreas nuclear ambitions. The revival of the summit, the first in over four years since the last meeting in Chengdu, China, comes at a critical time due to significant global and regional developments. Close consultation among the three countries is vital to effectively tackle the urgent issues that impact the region. A central theme of the summit revolved around the Seoul-Beijing relationship, which holds considerable significance for regional security and broader geopolitical dynamics, including those involving the U.S., Russia, and North Korea. The meeting between Yoon and Li stood out notably within this framework. Seoul and Beijing agreed to set up a high-level diplomatic and security dialogue and resume the second stage of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, which have been stalled since 2017. The two nations also agreed to open a dialogue channel involving government officials to discuss easing Chinas import curbs on Korean products and possible disruptions in global supply chains. After lying dormant for 13 years, an investment cooperative body will be revived, with ministerial-level participation from both sides. The resumption of the second stage of FTA talks holds particular significance, given that they were previously suspended due to China's retaliatory measures against South Korea following the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery. China, having initiated the proposal to resume these talks, should demonstrate its sincerity in the dialogue process. South Koreas First Deputy Director of National Security Kim Tae-hyo highlighted that the security dialogue would engage officials at the vice minister and director levels from the foreign affairs and defense ministries, respectively, alongside their Chinese counterparts. This initiative signifies a commitment to substantive security discussions extending beyond economic agendas. Seoul-Beijing relations improved rapidly since they established diplomatic ties in 1992 under the principle of separating economic and security issues. Chinese President Xi Jinping demonstrated his prioritization of Beijing's South Korea policy by visiting Seoul in 2013 ahead of his visit to Pyongyang. But bilateral relations have turned sour drastically since the deployment of THAAD. The neighboring nations recognize the growing need to normalize their relations amid the increasing integration of security and economic issues exemplified by the intensifying global competition over supply chains and technology. The future of Seoul-Beijing relations largely depends on Chinas sincerity. Despite the recent diplomatic engagements, China has yet to ease its hostile policies against South Korea in areas such as culture, travel and trade. Chinas alignment with North Korea, despite Pyongyangs repeated violations of U.N. violations, has been a core issue. Growing concerns surround North Korea's potential military provocations, heightened by China and Russia's actions hindering the U.N. experts' group tasked with monitoring the North's sanctions violations. Within this context, Yoon's appeal for China to serve as a "bastion of peace" in its role on the U.N. Security Council is both fitting and timely. Seoul and Beijing must deepen their cooperation to ensure the safety and foster the development of their bilateral relations. The recent summit should serve as a cornerstone for mitigating risks and fluctuations in the bilateral relationship, while actively pursuing feasible and concrete measures to enhance their economic and security ties. To this end, diplomatic authorities from the two countries should double down on efforts to facilitate a visit by the Chinese president to Seoul, which would further solidify the progress made at the summit. By Robert Neff In 1694, Huibin Jang was removed from power and relegated to an isolated part of the palace, but she was unwilling to quietly accept her plight; she was a master of Joseons Machiavellian politics and allegedly even willing to use her dead father as a tool. According to accounts, a servant from the household of one of her opponents was wined and dined to the point he became so intoxicated that he did not realize his hopae (a wooden identification tag) had been stolen. Within a short period of time, the hopae was discovered at the tomb of Jangs father. An examination revealed a magical talisman buried near the tomb presumably in an attempt to supernaturally facilitate Jangs continued downfall. There were suspicions. The hopae appeared to have been conspicuously placed so that the blame would fall upon Jangs opponents. No one was fooled and the perpetrators of this supernatural false flag were later punished by the king. For a period of time, a tenuous peace seemed to exist in the palace between Jang and the queen. In 1699, the crown prince was visited by The Guest. This was a polite way of referring to the malevolent spirit associated with smallpox, and its ravages was so severe that children were often not named until after they survived its visit. The Guest did not discriminate between a common laborers child and a crown prince. A shaman was summoned to care for the pre-teen royal heir. His efforts were successful, but not without a price. The boys vision suffered and Jang was advised to continue making sacrificial offerings so that she didnt inadvertently anger The Guest. But was the shamans presence needed only for the crown prince? In the spring of 1700, Queen Inhyeons health began to deteriorate rapidly. For nearly a year she suffered from swelling, infection and other maladies that robbed her of sleep and strength. In the late summer of 1701, she was plagued with boils and it was becoming clear to all that she would not live much longer. Some blamed her condition upon nefarious acts of magic or poison. A brief examination of the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty indicate that many strange events were occurring during that summer. Meteors and comets in the night sky were frequently mentioned as were strong rainstorms, hail, flooding and earthquakes. For the superstitious, it may have seemed that the supernatural was involved. Sometime in the early hours of Sept. 16, 1701, Queen Inhyeon died at the age of 34 just two days before the kings birthday. The celebrations of the monarchs birthday were muted as the country went into mourning over the loss of their young good-hearted queen. It is interesting to note that an entry in the Veritable Records states that a strange single white cloud was observed rising from the south what significance, if any, it holds is unclear, but it paled in comparison to the events that followed. The king was restless and could find no peace, not even in his sleep. One night, he dreamed the queen appeared before him wearing bloody clothing and pointed towards Jangs residence. Despite his entreaties for her to speak, she remained silent. Curious as to what this meant, he got up and quietly made his way to Jangs residence where his ears were greeted with the sound of laughter and merriment. He crept up to the paper window and, wetting his finger with saliva, poked a small hole so that he could gaze within. He was shocked to see Jang and a number of shamans shooting arrows into the effigy of his queen and boasting how they had brought about the queens death by placing a fetish beneath her bed chambers. This dream seems to have been the catalyst for a witch hunt within the palace. There are, of course, alternative accounts as to how King Sukjong learned of Jangs alleged supernatural murder of the queen. Another consort is said to have told the king, or it may have come from two of the late queens older brothers. Regardless of how the king came by this knowledge, it became the catalyst for a witch hunt within the palace walls. In the subsequent weeks, an intense investigation revealed Jang had used magic to kill the queen. Under intense questioning (torture), several of the palace women confessed that over the previous year, they had participated in dark rituals in which arrows were shot at the queens effigy under the supervision of Jang and a shaman. The shaman reportedly boasted that the queen would be dead by the end of the summer or early fall and Jang would be restored to power. Many of these women readily confessed possibly hoping to be executed quickly and escape prolonged interrogation by torture and reading their confessions it is hard not to be reminded of the Salem witch trials in the United States. While the deaths of the palace women were relatively quick decapitated in front of the gate a few days after their confessions Jang was forced to wait as her supporters beseeched the king for mercy. While the trials were going on, the night sky was lit by an unidentified comet. Despite my efforts, I have been unable to identify the comet. Is it possible that it was the Great Comet of 1702 (officially discovered by Maria Margaretha Kirch and Philippe de La Hire on April 20 in Europe) which was possibly visible in the latter part of 1701? On Nov. 9, 1701, time ran out for Jang. A package arrived with the tool for her execution poison. Just before she took it, Jang looked at her son, the crown prince, and, picking up a piece of sharpened wood, declared he would die with her. She then struck him in a portion of the body that rendered it impossible for him to have an heir. He survived her attack, went on to ascend the throne in 1720 as King Gyeongjong, and died four years later. One can only imagine the agony she felt as the poison raced through her body. One source graphically claimed blood spewed from her mouth like a fountain. It must have been equally shocking for the young crown prince to be attacked by his mother and then to watch her die in such an agonizing manner. There were many deaths. According to Homer Hulbert, all of Jangs sorceress companions as well as her political supporters were killed. The almost incredible number of 1,700 people are said to have met their death as a result of this disturbance. The day following Jangs execution, the records indicate the comet began to fade from the sky. Its relevance to her death is unlikely, but it adds to the mystery surrounding her life. Even years later, Jangs malevolent presence lingered and may have played a part in the insanity of Crown Prince Sado at least it did according to his wife. In her diary she complained, It is really strange that His Majesty [King Yeongjo] placed the infant Prince, still in his cradle, in a desolate palace and turned the former residence of Lady [Jang] into the kitchen in which food for the prince was to be prepared. Sado later died, locked in a rice chest, by the orders of his father, King Yeongjo the son of King Sukjong. Even now, Jangs spirit is powerful not within the palace, but at her latest final resting place. Desperate lonely women visit her tomb and offer prayers to her in hopes she will help them find boyfriends. When asked about it, my guide, a very knowledgeable middle-aged woman, merely shook her head and smiled with amusement and disbelief. Jealous consorts, black magic used to murder queens and crown princes injured by their own mothers are infrequently mentioned in the annals of Joseons history. Regardless of whether or not you believe Jang committed all these acts she is accused of, she was an interesting figure in Korean history and justifiably remains a very popular subject for dramas. Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters. By Park Jae-hyuk Kakao is threatening to file lawsuits against the governments 15.1 billion won ($11 million) fine for its leakage of private information on at least 65,000 users of the anonymous open chat service on the KakaoTalk instant messenger app, according to company officials, Wednesday. The IT firm claimed that the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) ignored its detailed explanation about the data leak. A day earlier, the privacy watchdog decided to levy the largest fine ever imposed on a domestic firm for a data leak. The decision came after the commission launched an investigation in March last year, following news reports that user data from the open chat service was being illegally traded. The PIPC said the vulnerability in the open chat service enabled cybercriminals to access users personal information by identifying their ad hoc IDs used for the anonymous chat service. The hackers are said to have sold the data via Telegram Messenger. It was revealed that Kakao did not take the necessary protection measure of encrypting users ad hoc IDs, allowing hackers to identify the serial number assigned to each user, a PIPC official said. Refuting the claims, Kakao said that it is impossible to identify each user with only a serial number and ad hoc ID. Relevant laws do not compel the encryption of serial numbers, Kakao said in a statement. The company emphasized that it has been using the masking technique to hide the ad hoc IDs since it launched the open chat service, regardless of the laws. It also said that it has encrypted anonymous chat rooms since August 2020. The information that hackers used to figure out users personal information was not leaked from Kakao, the IT firm said. Hackers collected the information illegally, so Kakao is not liable for the leak. Kakao added that it cooperated sincerely with the police investigation, after reporting the data leak to the Korea Internet & Security Agency and the Ministry of Science and ICT, despite the lack of its liability for the leak. We are considering taking various legal actions, including an administrative litigation, Kakao said. Korea's antitrust regulator said Monday it hosted a conference on artificial intelligence (AI) and competition policy with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The conference, held in Seoul, invited experts to discuss the role of competition in the supply chain of generative AI platforms, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). Generative AI refers to technologies that create various types of content, including text, images and videos, by learning and analyzing data. "We need to build grounds for fair competition in AI-related industries, so that they maintain innovative growth while preventing unfair practices," Han Ki-jeong, the chairperson of the FTC, said. Frederic Jenny, chairman of the OECD's competition committee, also noted that there needs to be balanced regulation to ensure fair competition in the market while promoting innovation. The regulator noted the government will aim to roll out antitrust policies to address the rapidly changing trends in the generative AI sector. (Yonhap) KASA to lead aerospace policy, industry development By Baek Byung-yeul Korea launched the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), Monday, an agency that will lead policy and industrial development in the aerospace sector, with its inaugural administrator vowing to turn the country into a global space powerhouse. I am happy that we were able to finally open KASA, which has been a dream of countless people in the aerospace sector, and I feel both excitement and a heavy responsibility, Yoon Young-bin, administrator of KASA, said on his first day on the job. The establishment of KASA will be an important stepping stone in leading Korea to become a full-fledged space economy powerhouse through the creation of a private-led space industry ecosystem. KASA was established under a special law passed by the National Assembly in January to unify government organizations in charge of space policy and projects. Based in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, KASA has an annual budget of 758.9 billion won ($556 million) this year. The agency currently has around 110 employees and will eventually have a total of 293. In March, the government established the 2024 Space Development Promotion Action Plan and set five major missions including space exploration, space transportation, space industry, space security and space science. In line with the government's policy, KASA will establish a roadmap for Koreas space exploration and plans to promote reusable launch vehicles, development of the countrys own global positioning system (GPS) and a lunar lander program. In particular, it plans to develop a lunar lander with a goal of landing on the moon in 2032, and to design and develop engines to enter the commercial launch service market. The KASA administrator expressed his gratitude and encouragement to the employees who moved to Sacheon, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, to work at the space agency, during a ceremony commemorating the opening. We will assign roles at the right time and right place so that each individual's abilities and capabilities can be maximized, and we will fulfill our role like an orchestra conductor so that their expertise can lead to solid results, Yoon said. Yoon outlined four key roles for the agency: establishing national aviation policies, spearheading research and development initiatives while nurturing a skilled workforce, fostering industry growth, and strengthening international cooperation efforts. Just as the four legs of a chair must be balanced and harmonized in order to stand upright, the role of KASA can only be fulfilled when each department is balanced and harmonized, he said. The KASA chief said the immediate challenge is to create an environment where members from different backgrounds can work as one team. KASA consists of people from different agencies and ministries. We will create an environment of mutual respect and inclusion among staff with diverse backgrounds and experiences, the administrator said. He also stressed that securing ample budgets and making bold investments in crucial areas will propel the country toward leadership in the space industry. "Although Korea has entered the world's top seven space powers, there is still a huge gap between the first and sixth places, he said. We need to present clear mid- and long-term space development goals and visions, secure sufficient budgets to support them and make bold investments in strategic areas. By Park Jae-hyuk Major construction firms have replaced their chief executives and cut payrolls in apparent attempts to cope with the lingering recession in the domestic housing construction market, according to industry officials Sunday. SK ecoplant recently nominated SK E&S Chief Financial Officer Kim Hyung-keun as the new CEO to improve its financial soundness and pursue an initial public offering (IPO). The decision came as a surprise because SK Group has tended to replace the top executives of its affiliates during annual year-end reshuffles. The nomination is intended to overcome internal and external uncertainties and to push ahead with a successful IPO, an SK ecoplant official said. Earlier this year, POSCO E&C, Shinsegae E&C and Eland Construction also replaced their CEOs with financial experts. DL E&C, which hired former LG Electronics executive Seo Young-jae as the new CEO last month, streamlined its organizational structure following the resignations of former CEO Ma Chang-min and other senior executives. The company is said to be interviewing poorly performing employees to carry out a restructuring. Daewoo E&C decided to allow over 1,000 employees at its head office to take a paid leave of absence for up to two months on the condition of receiving only half of their base wages during the period. In 2018, the construction firm gave a year of paid vacations to its plant construction division employees amid worsening profits from the business at that time. However, the company denied speculation that its recent decision was intended to save costs, noting the recent trend of companies allowing their employees to go on long paid vacations for rejuvenation purposes. POSCO E&C and Hanwha Corporation E&C Division reduced payments to their executives. GS E&C decided not to pay performance-based bonuses to its employees this year, as it suffered the first yearly operating loss in 10 years in 2023 despite the record revenue. The loss is attributed mainly to the cost of rebuilding an Incheon apartment complex, whose parking garage collapsed in April last year. Unfortunately, we failed to achieve our profit goal despite the record sales last year due to the tough market conditions and unexpected problems, GS E&C CEO Huh Yoon-hong said in an email to employees last month. HDC Hyundai Development Company also refused to pay performance-based bonuses to its employees, as its profits dipped after a collapse at its apartment construction site in Gwangju in 2022, which killed six workers. In response, the construction firms unionized workers held a rally in front of the Seoul City Hall on Tuesday to protest managements decision. Starbucks Korea plans to equip all its stores nationwide with travel mug washers manufactured by LG Electronics by 2027 in a bid to reduce the use of disposable cups, officials said Monday. The plan was announced after the environment ministry forged a business agreement with Starbucks, LG Electronics and the Korea Zero Waste Movement Network to encourage the use of multiuse cups for cafe beverages. Under the plan, the coffee chain plans to install LG's tumbler washer, "LG mycup," at all its outlets across the country by 2027, including 600 stores this year. Installation will begin in July at stores in Seoul, the central city of Sejong and the southern resort island of Jeju, the ministry said. Currently, LG mycup is in a pilot operation at four Starbucks cafes. Since the installations, the number of customers using personal travel mugs has risen by about 30 percent at those stores, according to Starbucks. "Currently, the use of personal multiuse cups accounts for 7 percent of total beverage orders," the coffee chain said, adding that it plans to more than double the ratio by 2027. (Yonhap) Business leaders of Korea, Japan and China have agreed to form a trilateral economic consultative body to promote economic cooperation and resolve pending issues, the country's main business lobby said Monday. Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI); Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren); and Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), announced a statement on the trilateral partnership in Seoul. The eighth trilateral business summit, which took place for the first time in 4.5 years in Seoul, comes on the sidelines of the ninth trilateral summit of leaders from the three nations. The KCCI, Keidanren and the CCPIT said in the statement they had reached a consensus on the need to set up a private-sector, working-level consultative body to jointly respond to pending trade issues amid growing business uncertainties. "Geopolitical risks and changes in international trade environments are still adding uncertainties to the three economies. On top of that, climate change, low birth rates and aging societies have emerged as common issues for them to tackle," Chey said in an opening speech. Chey, who leads Korea's chips-to-battery conglomerate SK Group, initially proposed the trilateral consultative platform in the private sector. The three business lobby groups have also agreed to cooperate in digitalization, trade and supply chains for the growth of the three countries while vowing to make joint efforts on the issues of carbon emissions and aging societies for sustainable growth, the statement said. "The three countries are inseparable neighbors and companions as they have long been the biggest trading partners. We hope business leaders will play a pivotal role in strengthening the trilateral economic partnership and benefit from the partnership," CCPIT Chairman Ren Hongbin said. The ninth trilateral business summit is scheduled to be held in Japan. (Yonhap) Korean business leaders, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, will meet with the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Seoul to explore cooperation in various economic and technological sectors, industry sources said, Monday. According to the sources, Lee, along with Euisun Chung of Hyundai Motor Group and Chey Tae-won of SK Group, will have tea with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan somewhere in Seoul on Tuesday. Other business leaders, including Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun and GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo, will also attend the meeting. During the meeting, the business leaders are expected to discuss ways to promote business cooperation between Korea and the UAE in sectors such as advanced technology, defense and energy. This meeting is part of Mohammed's two-day trip to Seoul, a return visit for Yoon's UAE visit last year. It is the first state visit to Korea by a UAE president. At last year's meeting in the UAE, the two presidents agreed to expand cooperation in the nuclear power, arms and energy sectors, among others. (Yonhap) Russian strikes on a crowded DIY hardware store and a residential area in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Saturday killed at least six people and injured dozens, local officials said. Six people were killed after two guided bombs hit the DIY hypermarket in a residential area of the city, Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television. At least two of the dead were store employees. Forty people were injured, with at least three in serious condition. Sixteen people were still unaccounted for, Syniehubov said. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said about 120 people had been in the hardware store when the bombs struck. "The attack targeted the shopping center, where there were many people - this is clearly terrorism," Terekhov said. The past week has seen an uptick in strikes on the city after Russian troops stormed across the border, opening a new front north of the city. Russia has bombarded Kharkiv, which lies about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from its border, throughout the war, having reached its outskirts in a failed bid to capture it in 2022. Just over the border, in Russia's Belgorod region, the regional governor said four residents died in Ukrainian attacks on Saturday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a plea to Ukraine's Western allies to help boost air defenses to keep the country's cities safe. French President Emmanuel Macron, writing on social media platform X, denounced the attack on the store as "unacceptable." A separate early evening missile strike hit a residential building in the center of the city of 1.3 million, injuring 18 people, Syniehubov said. The missile left a crater several meters deep in the pavement at the foot of the building, which also housed a post office, a beauty salon and a cafe. Emergency workers ushered away residents of nearby apartment buildings. Some of the injured had blood on their faces. Firefighters battle blaze Andriy Kudinov, director of the suburban shopping center, told local media the hardware store was full of shoppers buying items for their summer cottages. Huge clouds of dark smoke billowed into the sky over the shopping center. Firefighters battled many small blazes. Within 90 minutes, most were brought under control. Rescuers, medics and journalists rushed away from the scene of both strikes and lay on their stomachs, fearing a second strike, as has occurred during several recent Russian attacks. Witnesses described panicked scenes at the shopping center. "I was at my workplace. I heard the first hit and ... with my colleague, we fell to the ground. There was the second hit and we were covered with debris. Then we started to crawl to the higher ground," said Dmytro Syrotenko, 26, who had a large gash on his face. Syrotenko told Reuters he was taken to safety by a rescue worker who helped him, several colleagues, and shoppers. Zelenskyy, in his nightly video address, denounced the strike as "yet another example of Russian madness. There is no other way to describe it." "When we tell world leaders that Ukraine needs sufficient air defenses, when we say we need real decisive measures to enable us to protect our people, so that Russian terrorists cannot even approach our border, we are talking about not allowing strikes like this to happen," he said. Writing later on Telegram, Zelenskyy noted air raid alerts had been in effect in Kharkiv for more than 12 hours and 200 emergency workers and 400 policemen remained at the scene dealing with the aftermath of the attacks. Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and injured during its 27-month invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters) Tornado-spawning storms swept across parts of the central United States, killing at least a dozen people and leaving a trail of destruction as forecasters warned of more severe weather over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. At least seven people, including children, were killed in Texas when a powerful tornado struck communities in the north central part of the state near the Oklahoma border on Saturday night, Ray Sappington, the sheriff of Cooke County, told Reuters. Two children, aged 2 and 5 years old, were among the victims, Sappington said. Numerous injuries were reported, Cooke County officials said. As the scale of the disaster came into full view on Sunday, officials were wrapping up search and rescue operations. The sheriff said some of the many trailer homes in the hardest-hit area were "completely gone" and others had suffered massive damage from the storm which Sappington estimated left a quarter-mile wide path of destruction for three to four miles. A tornado also crossed into Denton County, northwest of Dallas, on Saturday night, damaging homes and other property, and knocking down power lines. Officials said that "a number of individuals" with injuries were transported to area hospitals. "The number of people injured and the types of injuries are not known at this time as the incident is still a working scene," authorities wrote in a post on the Denton County Facebook page. Texas Governor Greg Abbott will hold a press conference in Valley View, one of the hardest-hit towns, at 4:30 p.m. CST (9:00 p.m. GMT) Hundreds of thousands of customers were without power across a large swath of the country, including in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas on Sunday, according to poweroutages.us. Officials in Arkansas also reported several storm-related fatalities, including one in Benton County, two in Marion County and a 73-year-old woman in Baxter county. Responding authorities described roads closed and clogged with debris, downed trees and power lines, homes and businesses destroyed, as well as numerous injuries. Storms caused widespread damage and at least two fatalities in parts of Oklahoma, where officials activated an Emergency Operations Center to coordinate efforts statewide. In Indiana, adverse weather delayed the start of the famed Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or Indy 500, car race. After wreaking havoc across the central states, storms were moving east on Sunday and were expected to merge into a larger complex of thunderstorms, threatening to unleash more severe weather across parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee. The National Weather Service warned of damaging winds, large hail and more tornadoes in the affected areas. The latest bout of extreme weather came just days after a powerful tornado ripped through a rural Iowa town, killing four people, and more twisters touched down in Texas last week. Meanwhile, the U.S. is preparing for what government forecasters have called a potentially "extraordinary" 2024 Atlantic hurricane season beginning June 1. (Reuters) Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 people Sunday and hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah , and numerous others were trapped in flaming debris. Gaza's Health Ministry said women and children made up most of the dead and dozens of wounded. The attacks came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population had sought shelter before Israel's incursion earlier this month. Tens of thousands of people remain in the area while many others have fled. Footage from the scene of the largest airstrike showed heavy destruction. Israels army confirmed the strike and said it hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants. It said it was investigating reports that civilians were harmed. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was in Rafah on Sunday and was briefed on the deepening of operations there, his office said. A spokesperson with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the death toll was likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continued in Rafahs Tal al-Sultan neighborhood about two kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of the city center. The society asserted that the location had been designated by Israel as a humanitarian area. The neighborhood is not included in areas that Israels military ordered evacuated earlier this month. The airstrike was reported hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive. There were no reports of casualties in what appeared to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January. Hamas military wing claimed responsibility. Israel's military said eight projectiles crossed into Israel after being launched from Rafah and a number were intercepted, and the launcher was destroyed. Earlier Sunday, dozens of aid trucks entered Gaza from southern Israel under a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of it earlier this month. Israels military said 126 aid trucks entered via the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing. But it was not immediately clear if humanitarian groups could access the aid including medical supplies because of fighting. The crossing has been largely inaccessible because of Israels offensive in Rafah. United Nations agencies say it is usually too dangerous to retrieve the aid. The World Health Organization last week said an expanded Israeli incursion in Rafah would have disastrous impact." With the humanitarian operation near collapse, the secretary-general emphasizes that the Israeli authorities must facilitate the safe pickup and delivery of humanitarian supplies from Egypt entering Kerem Shalom, the spokesperson for U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement. Egypt refuses to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until control of the Gaza side is handed back to Palestinians. It agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Kerem Shalom, Gaza's main cargo terminal, after a call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. The war between Israel and Hamas has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in dense, residential areas. Around 80 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and U.N. officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine . Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7 attack into Israel , in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds some 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas remaining battalions and achieve total victory over the militants, who recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza. The war has also heightened tensions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank . Palestinian authorities on Sunday said Israeli forces shot dead a 14-year-old boy near the southern West Bank town of Saeer. The Israeli army said the Palestinian male was shot dead after trying to stab Israeli forces at Beit Einun Junction. Southern Gaza has been largely cut off from aid since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion into Rafah on May 6. Since then over 1 million Palestinians, many already displaced, have fled the city. Northern Gaza receives aid through two land routes that Israel opened during global outrage after Israeli strikes killed seven aid workers in April. A few dozen trucks enter Gaza daily through a U.S.-built floating pier, far below the 150 trucks a day that officials hoped for. Aid groups say 600 trucks a day are needed. Israels military said it had detained a suspect over a widely circulated video in which a man dressed as a soldier threatens mutiny. The man says tens of thousands of soldiers were ready to disobey the defense minister over his suggestion that Palestinians should govern Gaza after the war, and pledged loyalty to Netanyahu alone. Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the man has been removed from reserve duty. It was not clear when or where the video was made. The prime ministers office released a brief statement condemning all forms of military insubordination. (AP) President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday to attend his peace summit as Ukraine struggles to stave off unrelenting attacks by Russia in its 27-month-old invasion. Ukraine hopes to host as many countries as possible at Kyiv-led talks in Switzerland next month aimed at uniting global opinion on how to halt the war and piling pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has not been invited. Zelenskyy spoke in an English-language video recorded in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, inside the charred remains of a printing house that was destroyed on Thursday in a Russian missile strike. He said more than 80 countries would attend. But it was unclear whether Biden would be there, nor has Beijing, which maintains close ties with Moscow, said whether it would attend. A U.S. official said on Sunday that the United States will participate in the summit, but declined to say who or at what level. "I am appealing to the leaders of the world who are still aside from the global efforts of the Global Peace Summit to President Biden, the leader of the United States, and to President Xi, the leader of China," said Zelenskiy. "Please, show your leadership in advancing the peace the real peace and not just a pause between the strikes," he said. Zelenskyy added that the summit would "show who in the world really wants to end the war." Kyiv, in its peace plan, calls for a full withdrawal of Russian troops and a restoration of its internationally recognized borders, something Moscow considers a non-starter. Last week, Russian sources told Reuters that Putin was ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire that recognizes the current battlefield lines. In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the Russian leader was "trying to derail" the Switzerland event because he was "scared of its success." "His entourage sends these phony signals of alleged readiness for a cease-fire despite the fact that Russian troops continue to brutally attack Ukraine while their missiles and drones rain down on Ukrainian cities and communities," he wrote on X. Russia has previously said it sees no point in Ukraine's conference. Russian Advances In recent months Moscow's forces have made slow but steady gains along several parts of the sprawling eastern front and are attempting to push deeper into the northeastern Kharkiv region after a ground incursion launched earlier this month. The regional capital has been repeatedly hit by Russian bombs and missile strikes, including the attack on the printing house that killed seven and another on a DIY hardware store on Saturday that killed at least 14. In his video address, Zelenskyy also said that Moscow was gathering troops for new "offensive actions" further northwest of Kharkiv along the Russian-Ukrainian border. Ukraine's army chief last week said his forces were preparing for a possible Russian assault on the Sumy region that neighbors Kharkiv. (Reuters) Twelve people were injured when a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin on Sunday hit turbulence, airport authorities said. Eight of the injured were hospitalized. Dublin Airport said in a statement that flight QR017, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed safely as scheduled before 1 p.m. (1200 GMT). It said that upon landing the aircraft was met by emergency services, including airport police and the fire and rescue department, "due to six passengers and six crew reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey. The airport said all passengers were assessed for injuries aboard the plane, and eight were then taken to hospital. Passenger Paul Mocc told Irish broadcaster RTE that he saw "people hitting the roof and food and drink flying everywhere. Another traveler, Emma Rose Power, told RTE that after the turbulence, "some of the flight attendants I saw, they had scratches on their face, they had ice to their face. There was one girl that had a sling on her arm." Qatar Airways said in a statement that a small number of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries in flight and are now receiving medical attention. It said the matter is now subject to an internal investigation. The incident comes five days after a British man died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of people were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight from London hit severe turbulence. While turbulence-related fatalities are rare, injuries have piled up over the years. Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to the potential impacts that climate change may have on flying conditions. (AP) Relations between the European Union and Israel took a nosedive on the eve of the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state by EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid suggesting sanctions should be considered against Israel for its continued attacks in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Spain that its consulate in Jerusalem will not be allowed to help Palestinians. At the same time, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, a Spaniard, threw his full weight to support the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including the leaders of Hamas. The prosecutor of the court has been strongly intimidated and accused of antisemitism," Borrell said. The word antisemitic, it's too heavy. It's too important. Angry words abounded Monday, with Katz accusing Spain of rewarding terror by recognizing a Palestinian state, and saying that the days of the Inquisition are over. He referred to the infamous Spanish institution started in the 15th century to maintain Roman Catholic orthodoxy that forced Jews and Muslims to flee, convert to Catholicism or, in some instances, face death. No one will force us to convert our religion or threaten our existence those who harm us, we will harm in return, said Katz. Even though the EU and its member nations have been steadfast in condemning the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in which militants stormed across the Gaza border into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage, the bloc has been equally critical of Israels ensuing offensive that has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry. The latest attacks have centered on Rafah, where Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 people Sunday, hit tents for displaced people and left numerous others trapped in flaming debris. The U.N.'s top court , the International Court of Justice, on Friday demanded that Israel immediately halt its offensive on Rafah, even if it stopped short of ordering a cease-fire for the Gaza enclave. Israel has to stop its offensive in Rafah, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said. Spain, Ireland and non-EU member Norway plan to make official their recognition of a Palestinian state on Tuesday. Their joint announcement last week triggered an angry response from Israeli authorities, which summoned the countries' ambassadors in Tel Aviv to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, where they were filmed while being shown videos of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and kidnapping. Albares criticized the treatment of the ambassadors. We reject something that is not within diplomatic courtesy and the customs of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, he said. But at the same time we have also agreed that we are not going to fall into any provocation that distances us from our goal, he added. Our aim is to recognize the state of Palestine tomorrow, make all possible efforts to achieve a permanent cease-fire as soon as possible and also, in the end, to achieve that definitive peace. (AP) Spain has pledged to provide military equipment to Ukraine worth 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) this year under a bilateral agreement signed on Monday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid. "It is more important than ever to redouble our support," Sanchez told a press conference. The pact calls for the supply of modern military equipment for ground, aerial, naval and other uses, "prioritising Ukraine's key capacity needs," and an emphasis on maritime means to protect Ukraine's food export routes, but gave no specifics. El Pais newspaper reported earlier on Monday that Spain would commit to send Ukraine a dozen U.S.-made Patriot anti-aircraft missiles and 19 second-hand German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks, as well as other Spanish-made weapons such as anti-drone gear and ammunition. The 12 missiles to be handed over to Ukraine do not include full missile defence systems, El Pais said. Sanchez said it was not possible to send Patriot launchers but Spain was already providing the missiles. Spokespeople for the prime minister's office and the Defence Ministry declined to comment on the El Pais report. Spain also vowed to help boost Ukrainian defence industry output and to study joint production opportunities, while the sides agreed to work to solve bottlenecks in defence supply and prevent any illicit circulation of defence material provided to Ukraine. Zelenskyy told Reuters this month Western allies were taking too long to make key decisions on military support for Ukraine. He said he was pushing partners to get more directly involved in the war by helping to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine and allowing Kyiv to use Western weapons against enemy military equipment amassing near the border. Before the meeting with Sanchez, Zelenskyy was greeted on the tarmac at Barajas airport by King Felipe of Spain, a gesture underlining the importance of the visit for Madrid. (Reuters) EU pledges 2.12 billion during Brussels Eight Conference At the 8th edition of the Brussels Conference on 'Supporting the future of Syria and the region', the EU pledged 2.12 billion for 2024 and 2025. This assistance will support both Syrians inside Syria and those in neighbouring countries, as well as their host communities in Turkiye, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. The Ministerial meeting which brought together delegates from EU Member States, Syria's neighbouring countries, other partner countries and donors, and international organisations, including the UN, reiterated the need for a political process in Syria in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2254, and the necessity to mobilise vital financial support to address the most pressing needs of Syrians people and their host communities. The EU reconfirmed the pledge it made at the 2023 Brussels VII Conference for 2024 (560 million) for the population inside Syria, as well as for Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. The EU also pledged an additional 560 million for 2025 for the above-mentioned countries. Moreover, the EU pledged 1 billion to support Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in Turkiye. Finally, the EU signalled that the pledges for 2025 constitute a part of the larger financial package until 2027, in line with the European Council Conclusions of 1 February and 18 April 2024. The EU will continue to mobilise all the tools at its disposal to support the Syrian people in reaching a negotiated political solution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and create the conditions for a brighter future for all Syrians. Background The Conference was preceded by online and in-country consultations with civil society organisations active in the Syrian crisis. The Ministerial meeting built upon the conclusions of the 'Day of Dialogue', held on 30 April. The over 600 participants to the 'Day of Dialogue' - from Syrian civil society organisations from Syria, neighbouring countries and the diaspora; the UN; EU Member States; partner countries and international NGOs exchanged views during six thematic panel discussions, focusing on: the political process and UN Security Council Resolution 2254; early recovery and resilience; health and education; livelihood opportunities; and the issue of missing persons and accountability. The key takeaways from the Day of Dialogue were conveyed during the Ministerial meeting by three rapporteurs from Syrian the civil society. Since 2011, the EU and its Member States have been the largest donors of humanitarian and resilience assistance to Syria and the region providing to date over 33 billion in humanitarian, development, economic and stabilisation aid. For more information on the conference, please consult the 8th Brussels Conference website, available in English and Arabic. See more information on the EU policy towards Syria on the EEAS webpage. For more information Day of Dialogue 2024 - Main takeaways Factsheet - Responding to the Syrian Crisis: EU support in Jordan Factsheet - Responding to the Syrian Crisis: EU Support inside Syria Factsheet Responding to the Syrian Crisis: EU Support in Turkiye Factsheet - Responding to the Syrian Crisis: EU Support in Lebanon Quote Today in Brussels, the EU and the international community showed once again that we stand with the Syrian people and their host communities. The dire challenges that the region faces today cannot distract us from the need to persevere in pushing for a Syrian-owned political solution, in line with UNSCR 2254 and facilitated by the United Nations. This is the only credible path for all Syrians to live in peace and stability, and for refugees to return home. Instead, the Syrian regime continues to perpetrate widespread human rights violations creating serious obstacles to the political process. The international community must further intensify their efforts to create the conditions for a sustainable solution to the conflict. This is the only hope to give the Syrian people the future they deserve. High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell Thirteen years of conflict have made Syria one of the largest humanitarian crises worldwide. Syrians continue to be heavily affected by ongoing hostilities, water and food shortages, protection issues, lack of access to basic services and violations of International Humanitarian Law. A staggering 16.7 million people in Syria half of whom are women and children still need life-saving support. There is also an urgent need to further expand resilience and early recovery programmes. Millions have fled the country, many of them seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Support to the refugees needs to be continued. Without collective and sustained effort, the Syrian people face a desperate future. The 8th Brussels Conference is an opportunity for the international community to reaffirm its support and generously pledge humanitarian aid for people in Syria and the refugees and their host communities in the region. Janez Lenarcic, Commissioner for Crisis Management The decade-long conflict in Syria has profound consequences and far-reaching impact on the region in human, political, socio-economic and security terms. The EU considers the stability and security of the region a European priority. Mindful of the major difficulties for the Syrian people and partner countries in the region, the EU as the largest donor reaffirms its predictable and reliable political and financial commitment. Oliver Varhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Zarazeno po 27.05.2024 19:05:00 Zdroj Evropska komise en Original ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/documents?reference=IP/24/2841&language=en lang en guid /IP/24/2841/ New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) is set to host "Pharma Research in AyurGyan and Techno Innovation (PRAGATI-2024)" at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on May 28. "This event focuses on exploring research opportunities and fostering collaboration between CCRAS and the Ayurveda drug industry" said Ministry of Ayush. Also Read | Realme 13 Pro, Realme 13 Pro+, Realme GT 6 Likely To Launch in China in June 2024: Report. The meeting will also focus on utilizing research outcomes and technologies developed by CCRAS. The primary goal is to maximize the potential of Ayurveda stakeholders in drug and device development by connecting researchers with industrial partners involved in manufacturing Ayurveda formulations and technological innovations. The key discussion points include establishing robust networks for collaborative research in quality control, drug standardization, product development, and validation. Also Read | AI for Lonely People: Artificial Intelligence Technology Key to Fighting Loneliness Among Humans, Says Robotics Expert. The event will also identify potential industrial partners with in-house R&D facilities and explore opportunities for capacity building for researchers in drug manufacturing and product development. Additionally, it aims to assist Ayurveda professionals in initiating start-ups and incubating centres, promoting entrepreneurship in Ayurvedic pharmaceutics. The Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush will inaugurate the program, while the Director General of CCRAS will lead the interactive meeting, emphasizing the importance of research-based, quality, safe, and effective Ayurveda products. According to the Ministry of AYUSH, representatives from 35 pharmaceutical companies, including CEOs from firms such as Himalaya, Emami, Baidyanath, Dabur, IMPCL, Arya Vaidya Sala, Oushadhi, and IMPCOPS, will attend. Experts from organizations like CII, Ayush Excil, PCIMH, and NRDC will also join. A dossier detailing 35 formulations and three instruments developed or in progress by CCRAS, including Ayush 64, Ayush SG, and Ayush Gutti, will be presented for discussion and review. The expected outcome of PRAGATI-2024 is to identify potential industrial partners willing to collaborate with CCRAS, exchange scientific knowledge, and utilise research outcomes and products in Ayurvedic drug development. This initiative will enhance networking and institutional linkages, ultimately benefiting Ayurvedic clinicians and patients. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) PNN Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 27: The Institute of Business Management Studies (IBMS), a leading institute for autonomous professional research and education renowned for its dedication to cultivating a culture of continuous learning, growth, and excellence, hosted a prestigious ceremony to honour individuals with Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) Awards. The event recognised the talent and contributions of professionals across various industries, furthering the institute's mission to inspire excellence and drive success. Also Read | Realme 13 Pro, Realme 13 Pro+, Realme GT 6 Likely To Launch in China in June 2024: Report. The DBA Awards ceremony celebrated individuals' achievements and highlighted the significance of continuous learning in driving organisational and industry success. A distinguished panel of chief guests facilitated the awards, including Dr Sandeep Sharma, Vice President-Marketing, ISBM University, and Tejinder Singh Sabarwal, Co-Founder & Trustee of ICE College of Hotel Management. The ceremony brought together a diverse group of leaders & professionals from across India. Renowned names included Dinesh Vinayak Asai, Dy. General Manager at Nippon Koei India Pvt. Ltd. (Navi Mumbai) with 22 years of experience; Ramratan Jhunjhunwala, Group Treasury Head at GTPL Group (Ahmedabad) with 25 years of experience; Anil Bothra, Vice President-Corporate Affairs, at Dabur India Ltd. (Delhi) with 26 years of experience; Sunil Bothra, Vice President and Regional Head at ICICI Bank (Rajasthan) with 22 years of experience; and Ramchandra Baburao Chorage, Director - Panacea Business Services Limited - Saffron Group of Companies (Mumbai), with 15 years of experience. Also Read | AI for Lonely People: Artificial Intelligence Technology Key to Fighting Loneliness Among Humans, Says Robotics Expert. The event also recognised exceptional contributions beyond the corporate realm. Sophia Rapose, a PYP 5 facilitator at MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul IB World School (Pune), was felicitated for her 23 years of experience in education. Dinesh Maruti Gaikwad, Field Officer - Officer on Special Duty to the Joint Managing Director at CIDCO Urban Development Dept. (Navi Mumbai), was awarded for his nearly 15 years of service. Sujata Gautam Jadhav, Head of Libraries and Documentation Centre at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) from Mumbai was acknowledged for her 18 years of experience. Dr Krishnakumar Chaithanya Nair, founder of M/s Abhijeet Transchem (Mumbai), for his 25 years of experience and contribution to the industry. Rajesh Sonar, Director of IBMS, expressed his gratitude to the awardees and guests, saying: "We are truly honoured to celebrate the remarkable achievements of these individuals. Their dedication, expertise, and commitment to excellence inspire all. The IBMS DBA Awards recognise professional accomplishments and contributions to fostering a culture of lifelong learning and development." The IBMS DBA Awards are pivotal in motivating professionals to excel in their fields. These awards are given to individuals with exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact in their respective industries. By recognising these individuals' achievements, IBMS aims to set a benchmark for excellence and inspire others to pursue higher career standards. This recognition benefits the awardees and enhances their organisations' and industries' overall success and competitiveness. The IBMS DBA Awards 2024 successfully celebrated the achievements of twenty-one outstanding individuals, reinforcing the importance of continuous learning and professional growth. By honouring these professionals, IBMS inspires excellence and drives success across various industries. The Institute of Business Management Studies (IBMS) in Navi Mumbai is an ISO 9001:2015-certified education consultant and training centre. It offers flexible, innovative, and affordable short-term, job-oriented programs that enhance your skills and provide professional certification upon completion. The programs focus on developing the knowledge and skills management professionals need within Indian and multinational corporations and offer a general management perspective and the latest concepts and practices in functional management areas. For more information about IBMS and its programs, please visit https://ibmsedu.com. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delh, May 27: Indian stock indices continued their rally, reaching yet another fresh lifetime high on Monday tracking strong global market cues, hopes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comfortable return to office, besides other strong macroeconomic fundamentals. At 9.19 am, at the time of filing this report, Sensex was 0.2 per cent higher at 75,585 points, after touching an all-time high of 75,679 points soon after the opening bell. Similarly, Nifty too remained around its all-time high of 23,000 points. In the weekly note, Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd., expected the Nifty to move towards the 23,150-23,400 range soon. "While all key sectors are contributing to the rally, banking and IT still have significant upside potential, and their participation could drive the index to much higher levels, Mishra added. Stock Market Today: Sensex, Nifty Hit New All-Time Peaks in Early Trade Amid Positive Global Cues He further recommends continuing a stock-specific trading approach, with a preference for large-cap and large mid-cap stocks for short-term trades. Indian stock indices last week had a stellar bull run, defying the latest slump in global markets. The consistent bull run in Indian stock indices - Sensex and Nifty -- continued and touched fresh highs on Thursday, reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that the BJP-led alliance is on track to form the government for a record third term. Also, RBI's Rs 2.1 lakh crore dividend to the government played its part in refuelling the rally. With the six phases of elections now behind us, it is widely expected by investors that the Narendra Modi-led government will come back to office with a comfortable margin for his third term. This also likely triggered fresh stock buying. In the past two weeks, Sensex jumped about 3,600 points, on a cumulative basis. Overseas investors have been remaining net sellers of Indian equities for the past several sessions. Interestingly, domestic institutional investors during the same period stayed net buyers, largely making up for the outflows by the foreign investors. By creating an unprecedented wealth of USD 1 trillion in just 6 months, both indices of the Indian stock market BSE and NSE have joined the exclusive USD 5 trillion club, defying the FII (Foreign Institutional Investors) pullout before the outcome of the Lok Sabha election on June 4. "Overall, we expect the market to witness a gradual up-move and see some volatility next week as both the election and earning season are nearing the end, opined Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd. Fake Stock Market Experts Nabbed: Men Impersonating As Experts of Share Market Dupe People on Pretext of High Investment Returns, Nine Arrested by Delhi Police The market will now track exit poll estimates and fourth-quarter GDP figures later this week. India's GDP grew at a massive 8.4 per cent during the October-December quarter of the financial year 2023-24, and the country continued to remain the fastest-growing major economy and is poised to maintain its growth trajectory going ahead. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) NewsVoir Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 27: MAAC, a premiere institute and a pioneer in high-end 3D animation Gaming & VFX training, has recently unveiled a significant overhaul to five of its flagship courses, integrating cutting-edge technology upgrades and incorporating essential software and techniques. The revamped courses include IPVAD, AD3D Edge, DGWA, VFX plus, and ADVFX, each tailored to meet the evolving demands of the industry. Recognizing the growing need for skilled professionals in emerging fields, MAAC has also introduced two new courses: 3D and Realtime Design Plus, and UI & UX program, aligning with contemporary industry trends. Notably, most of these programs are GEN AI-enabled, offering advanced learning experiences* (*applicable to select courses), ensuring students are equipped with the latest tools and expertise to excel in their chosen fields. Also Read | Al-Nassr vs Al-Ittihad, Saudi Pro League 2023-24 Live Streaming Online in India: How To Watch Saudi Arabian League Match Live Telecast on TV & Football Score Updates in IST?. AI's integration into the animation & VFX industry has been a gradual yet transformative process. The recent trends are seen where established softwares are becoming smarter in its workflows by giving users multiple AI Enabled features. These tools offer significant time and efficiency savings for creative professionals, traditionally burdened with labour-intensive tasks. However, it's important to note that AI currently serves as an assistant rather than a replacement for creative artists. While AI can handle repetitive tasks and suggest design elements, it lacks the nuanced understanding and creative vision inherent in human animators. However, what is important that advancements in AI hold a promise for more sophisticated procedural content creation process, potentially leading to new avenues of exploration such as 3D animation, visual effects and immersive design. Staying ahead of the curve and relevant to the current demands from the industry, MAAC's courses have also undergone a transformative upgrade with the integration of essential software tools. From GEN AI enabled graphic design platforms like Canva, Photogrammetry, Substance 3D Stager and Adobe Express to innovative tools like Storyboarder for creative visualization, students are equipped with industry-relevant skills. Advanced software such as Marvelous Designer and Photogrammetry enhance 3D modeling capabilities, while Adobe Substance 3D Stager and tools like Katana and Redshift cater to the growing demand of photo realistic visuals. Also Read | Rajkot Gaming Zone Fire: Four Game Zones in Godhra Closed for Flouting Safety Norms, Says Report. From pre-visualization tools to concept art creation and assistive intelligence, GEN AI empowers students to explore new creative horizons and streamline their workflows. By embracing GEN AI, MAAC ensures that its students are not only equipped with the latest industry-standard skills but also prepared to lead the charge in innovation within the animation, VFX and digital design industry. As emerging fields such as real time design, UI/UX along with growing adoption of experiential design in various industries takes centre stage, MAAC has taken proactive steps to ensure its course offerings remain relevant. The introduction of the 3D and Realtime Design Plus and UI & UX program reflects MAAC's commitment to staying abreast of industry trends and equipping students with the expertise needed to thrive in these burgeoning sectors. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati, May 27 (PTI) Several districts of Assam are on high alert in the wake of forecast for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall from Monday under the impact of Cyclone Remal, which made landfall in neighbouring West Bengal and Bangladesh. The administration has urged people to maintain safety measures, and set up helpline numbers in case of emergency. Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal Moves Supreme Court, Seeks Extension of Interim Bail by Seven Days in Money Laundering Case on Health Grounds. The Northeast Frontier Railway, in a release, said 42 trains have been cancelled for two days from Monday. Several parts of Assam, including Guwahati, received rainfall since late Sunday evening, bringing down soaring mercury levels in the state. Also Read | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Death Anniversary 2024: PM Narendra Modi Pays Homage to India's First Prime Minister on His 60th Death Anniversary. No reports of damage due to the impact of the cyclone have been received yet, official sources said. "Cyclone Remal can bring inclement weather in parts of Assam. We are taking several precautionary measures," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on X. He added that teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are on standby and control rooms are operational, while asking people to cooperate with local administration. An Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) release said the India Meteorological Department has warned of extremely heavy rainfall over Assam along with other northeastern states on Monday and Tuesday. A red alert for extremely heavy rainfall has been issued in Chirang, Goalpara, Baksa, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts, and an orange alert for Dhubri, South Salmara, Bongaigaon, Bajali, Tamulpur, Barpeta, Nalbari, Morigaon, Nagaon, Hojai and West Karbi Anglong in Assam. Squally winds of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph are likely over South Assam and Meghalaya on Monday, the weather office said. The ASDMA has ramped up preparations along with other departments, agencies and district administrations to face any eventuality arising out of heavy rainfall and severe winds due to Remal', the release said. NDRF teams have been deployed in Cachar, Bongaigaon and Dibrugarh, while personnel of Fire and Emergency Services are also on standby, officials said. The ASDMA has also recommended regulation of plying of boats if needed in the mainstream of Brahmaputra river on Monday and Tuesday. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has ensured the desiltation of major river channels like Bharalu, Bahini, Basistha, Mora Bharalu and Lakhimijan along with other major drains. Meanwhile, anticipatory evacuation of vulnerable populations from landslide-prone areas in Guwahati, Kamrup, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts may also be considered, the ASDMA release said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 27 (ANI): Apna Dal's national president and National Democratic Alliance candidate from Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur Lok Sabha seat Anupriya Patel said that the public is going to vote for her based on the work done by her and BJP-led double engine government in the state. She also claimed that voters will "definitely" give her a chance to serve for the third time while speaking to ANI on Sunday. Also Read | Gurugram Shocker: Man Stabs Girlfriend to Death Over Blackmail, Surrenders to Police. "There is no competition in Mirzapur, although all the opposition alliances have fielded their leaders, but on the basis of the work I have done for Mirzapur in the last 10 years and by the double engine government in Mirzapur, the voters will definitely give me a chance to serve for the third time," said Anupriya Patel. Taking about Apna Dal's past records she said, "In 2014, Apna Dal contested elections on two Lok Sabha seats and won both the seats. In 2019 as well, we contested elections on two Lok Sabha seats and won both those seats, taking our strike rate to 100 per cent." Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: 70-Year-Old Sadhu Dies While Performing Tapasya in Sambhal. Now in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Apna Dal is contesting on two Lok Sabha seats and there are women candidates on both the seats. For the first time in 62 years, a woman candidate is in the electoral fray from Robertsganj and both of us women will reach Parliament by maintaining the strike rate of 100 per cent". When asked about Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav's jibe at Prime Minister Modi's 'Mujra' remark, Patel said, "For the third time, PM Modi is going to have a hat-trick. The opposition also knows that the NDA coalition government is going to be formed for the third time. When the election results are announced on June 4, the INDI alliance will be wiped out, NDA alliance will form the government with a higher margin than 2014 and 2019." On Rahul Gandhi's statement that 10 kg ration will be given free if the INDI alliance government comes to power, Anupriya Patel taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi said, "NDA government has been in power for the last 10 years. Inspired by our government, Rahul Gandhi wants to follow the footsteps of NDA. This means that the opposition also agrees with the policies of NDA." "Congress has been in power for five decades, they have got many opportunities, yet they have not worked for the people and the NDA government has got the opportunity twice. We have talked about various issues like women, farmers, poor and food providers in the policies of NDA. Women have been our priority. From Ujjwala gas connection to tap water to every house, many schemes have been launched to empower women power," she added. Talking about the INDI alliance, the Mirzapur candidate said, "There is so much internal discord going on in the INDI alliance, they are contesting elections together in one state and against each other in another state. Similar is the relationship between Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala, the same is the different relationship between INDI Alliance in Bengal. The INDI alliance is full of internal contradictions. Under the alliance, every party and every leader has its own ambition and all of them together are not able to make a road map nor does the INDI alliance have any face for the Prime Minister's post." Mirzapur will undergo polls in the seventh and final phase on June 1 and results will be out on June 4. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Patiala (Punjab) [India], May 27 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami slammed Congress for its "appeasement" politics, saying that it is a threat to the unity of India. "Congress' appeasement politics is dangerous to the unity of India. In appeasement politics, they have stooped so low that they're saying they will impose tax on your wealth," Dhami said while addressing a public rally in Patiala in support of BJP candidate Preneet Kaur from there on Sunday. Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal Moves Supreme Court, Seeks Extension of Interim Bail by Seven Days in Money Laundering Case on Health Grounds. "They [Congress leaders] say that if they come to power, 50% of your (people) wealth will be seized after your death and your children will only get to inherit the rest 50%...they are saying they will do an x-ray of people's wealth," he added. Dhami alleged that the Congress does this "appeasement" politics with the aim of coming to power and then to do corruption as they did before 2014. Also Read | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Death Anniversary 2024: PM Narendra Modi Pays Homage to India's First Prime Minister on His 60th Death Anniversary. He highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's contributions to Sikh heritage, including bringing holy copies of the Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan, constructing the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, celebrating Veer Bal Diwas, and promoting the history of Guru Govind Singh Ji's Sahibzadas. "The Prime Minister has also done many things for the preservation, protection and expansion of the heritage of Sikhism. Three holy copies of the holy Guru Granth Sahib of Sikhism were brought to India from Afghanistan with full respect. Kartarpur Sahib Corridor has been constructed. Veer Bal Diwas is being celebrated in the name of the four Sahibzadas of Guru Govind Singh Ji. Modi ji also did the work of bringing their history in front of India and the world. The sacrifice of Sikhism has not been told to the country and the world till date. The doors of Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand have opened. To make Hemkund Sahib Yatra easier, Prime Minister Modi has laid the foundation stone of the ropeway there". The Chief Minister said that the people of Punjab want to make PM Modi, the Prime Minister for the third time. He said that for the development of Patiala Lok Sabha, BJP candidate Mrs. Preneet Kaur ji has to be sent to the House by winning with maximum votes. "Every vote of the public to BJP will strengthen the country and fulfill the resolve of developed India. Prosperity is going to come with the vote of the people. The vote of the people will directly provide new strength to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji," Dhami said.Dhami highlighted India's transformation into a manufacturing hub under Modi, attracting global companies and becoming the world's fifth-largest economy. He noted successful events like the G20 summit and various welfare schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and Ayushman Yojana, which have significantly impacted millions. He also cited the implementation of the CAA, the abrogation of Article 370, the ban on triple talaq, and the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as key achievements. Dhami criticized opposition's appeasement tactics, accusing parties like AAP and Congress of relying on specific vote banks. "AAP and Congress are continuously working in Delhi and other states to benefit their special vote bank. In Karnataka, Congress gave the reservation of other backward classes to a special class. These people work to change the Constitution. They make fun of people sitting on constitutional posts. BJP talks about Uniform Civil Code while Congress talks about implementing Muslim Personal Law. The opposition has neither any vision nor any ideology. These people only want to gain power," Dhami said. The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Modi ji, schemes worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore are underway for the development of Punjab. Which includes the gift of many green field highways, expressways, AIIMS. He asked the public to vote in maximum numbers in favour of BJP candidate from Patiala, Preneet Kaur, and contribute in making Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister for the third time by making her win. Punjab is witnessing a four-corner fight in the state. In Punjab, voting for its 13 seats will take place in a single phase, with the seventh and final phase on June 1 seeing voting in Gurudaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nandpur Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Firozpur, Bathinda, Sangrur, and Patiala constituencies. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) A court here on Monday rejected the bail plea of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's close aide Bibhav Kumar and said there appeared no "pre-meditation" by AAP MP Swati Maliwal in lodging the FIR and that her allegations could not be "swiped away." The court underlined that as injuries were apparent four days after the alleged incident in the medico-legal case (MLC), the delay in lodging the FIR was not of much impact on the case. Also Read | Haryana Fire: Massive Blaze Erupts at Godown in Faridabad, No Casualties Reported (Watch Video). Additional Sessions Judge Sushil Anuj Tyagi was hearing the bail plea of Kumar, who is accused of assaulting Rajya Sabha MP Maliwal in the CM house on May 13. "The allegations raised by the victim have to be taken on their face value and cannot be swiped away. The mere delay in registering the FIR would not have much impact on the case as the injuries are apparent in the MLC after four days," the judge said. Also Read | Mara Naaman Resigns: Teacher at Dalton School Tenders Resignation After Being Accused of Sexually Abusing Student. "There seems to be no pre-meditation on the part of the victim as if it would have been so, then the FIR would have been registered on the same day," he added. The FIR was registered on May 16 under various Indian Penal Code provisions, including criminal intimidation, assault or criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe and attempt to commit culpable homicide. The court said that the investigation was still at the nascent stage and the apprehension of influencing the witnesses or tampering with the evidence could not be ruled out. "Keeping in view the allegations made against the applicant (Kumar) at this stage, no ground for bail is made out," it said dismissing the bail plea. Noting Maliwal's allegations about being "abused and brutally assaulted on her vital parts including chest, abdomen and pelvis area" by Kumar, the court said her version in the complaint was corroborated by the MLC and her statement before the magistrate. According to the investigating officer (IO), Kumar, who was not cooperating in the investigation, was arrested to prevent tampering with "crucial evidence", it added. "The victim is a sitting Member of Parliament from Aam Aadmi Party and as per her allegations, she has been brutally beaten up and her modesty has been outraged at the CM's house by the applicant," the court said. Kumar was present at the CM's residence despite his termination as the personal secretary, it added. "The investigating agency has also reported that the applicant has formatted his mobile phone and has not provided the password for opening his mobile phone. The CCTV footage collected from the Hon'ble CM's camp office is stated to be blank at the relevant time and period," the court said. Kumar is at present in jail and he is expected to be produced before a magisterial court on Tuesday after the expiry of his four days judicial custody. Kumar was arrested on May 18. He was sent to five days police custody the same day by a magisterial court, which observed that his anticipatory bail plea had become infructuous because of his arrest. Last Friday, he was sent to four days judicial custody. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): Delhi's Karkardooma court on Tuesday is likely to pronounce an order on the bail plea of Umar Khalid in the larger conspiracy of Delhi riots case of 2020. He has been in custody since September 2020 in a case under UAPA. Also Read | Porsche Car Crash: Pune Court Sends Sassoon Hospital Doctors Who Changed Minor's Blood Samples to Police Custody Till May 30. Former JNU student leader Umar Khalid has sought regular bail on the grounds of delay and parity with other accused persons. Special Judge Sameer Bajpai reserved the order on May 13 after hearing the counsel at length. Also Read | Haryana Fire: Massive Blaze Erupts at Godown in Faridabad, No Casualties Reported (Watch Video). Delhi police's Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) opposed the plea calling it frivolous and baseless. He also filed written submissions. Umar Khalid's Counsel had argued that no terror case was made out against him and his name was repeated in the charge sheet of Delhi police. Repeating his name doesn't make a lie, a truth. There was a vicious media trial taken against him. He had also filed his written submissions. It is alleged by the Delhi police that Umar Khalid had pre-planned protests in 2020 at 23 sites that culminated in riots. After withdrawing his bail plea from the Supreme Court in February, Khalid moved to trial court seeking bail on the grounds of a change in circumstances and parity with other account-used persons. Senior advocate Tridip Pais questioned the submissions of Delhi police and asked, "Is sharing messages a criminal or terror act?" He also responded to submissions earlier made by the Special public prosecutor (SPP) who had said that Khalid was amplifying his narrative as part of a conspiracy by sharing certain links with people with people from politics and others on social media. Pais argued that Umar Khalid was sharing the 'correct narrative.' The senior advocate had also submitted that there was a vicious media trial taking place against Umar Khalid. He also referred to various statements of news anchors from different media channels. He said that anchors were reading from the charge sheet around the clock. He further argued that no terror case is made out against Umar Khalid and police have no material to this effect. The court must see whether a terror case is made against him or not. There are contradictions in the statement of prosecution witnesses, Pais added. In this situation, the court must determine whether the witness statement prima facie makes a terror case against Umar Khalid. Earlier it was argued that there accused persons namely Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Asif Iqbal Tanha were granted bail by the High Court. They had a similar role to that of Umar Khalid. While opposing the bail application of Umar Khalid, Delhi police had said that his chats revealed that he is in the habit of creating narratives on media and social media to influence bail hearings. It was also submitted by the Special Public Prosecutor that several people took to X (earlier Twitter) to influence bail hearing. He had referred to the post on X by Teesta Seetalvad, Amnesty India, Akar Patel, Raj Kaushik, Swati Chaturvedi, Arju Ahmed and others. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) while opposing the bail application of Umar Khalid referred to his WhatsApp chats. The SPP had submitted, "WhatsApp chats also revealed that he is in habit of creating media and social media narratives at the time of listing of bail applications of the person booked in cases to clearly influence bail hearings." "Similar exercise is being adopted while applicants' bails are being listed to influence his bail hearings, samples of post on X (earlier Twitter) with hashtag about applicant annexed herewith," SPP added. "Thus in the light of the aforesaid, the present second application for grant of bail to the accused deserves to be dismissed by this honourable court in the interest of justice," SPP Prasad submitted. SPP Amit Prasad also mentioned the Post on Twitter by Teesta Seetalvad, Aakar Patel, Kaushik Raj, Swati Chaturvedi, Arju Ahmed and others. SPP had also read some of the tweets in the court. One of the tweets read "Ram Raheem''s parole approved, Umar Khalid bail 14 times adjourned in SC. #freeumarkhalid." "Umar Khalid withdraws his bail petition from SC. This is a travesty of Justice," another tweet read. SPP submitted that Amnesty India also tweeted which read "SC has adjourned hearing his bail hearing 14 times. Acute Subversion of the right of Umar Khalid to get bail." "#freeUmarKhalid was used," the SPP submitted. The SPP argued that while they claim that they were subjected to media trial, it is he who was playing around with the media, how His father gave interviews in the media and people associated with him also doing the same. In his rebuttal arguments, Senior Advocate Tridip Pais argued that a mere meeting of accused individuals doesn't imply terrorism. "None of the witnesses didn't say anything but then miraculously said something two weeks later. All the witnesses here seem to be taking tablets for memory. Prima facie requires depth, not frivolously reading out the chargesheet," Pais argued. Senior advocate Pais submitted that the prosecution argument is that because I (Umar Khalid) can fain tension. Therefore I don't deserve bail. His father gave an interview therefore he doesn't deserve the bail. While arguing, the senior advocate referred to the Supreme Court judgement in Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shoma Sen and Varnan Gonsalves. "It was submitted that the allegations should be good enough to establish the allegations are substantive, to reject the bail. The duty of the court is not to deal with the material meticulously but to see the broad probability," the senior advocate added. On the point of terrorist activity aspect, it was submitted that there is no evidence to show it is a terrorist activity. There is nothing on record to attract section Section 15 of UAPA. The High Court and the Special Court haven't distinguished between the acts or persons. They've just painted everything with a broad brush. There is not a single witness whose statement attracts 15(1) qua me (Umar Khalid). On the point of meeting Umar Khalid, the defence counsel rejected the prosecution's arguements that meetings were secret ones. He said that Umar Khalid, Tahir Hussain and Khalid Saifi met at the office of PFI has been referred by the Prosecution on the basis of the statement of a witness CDR. "You want to rely on CDR to deny me bail, Pais questioned. "As per CDR they were not there at the given time and date," he argued. He further argued that there is no credible case of conspiracy, which is also not terror activity. There is no seizure from me that can attract the offence of terror activity. "On the whimsical statement, sometimes even without witnesses, an act of terrorism is foisted towards me," Pais submitted. "It was also said that Bangladeshi women and children were deployed at the protest sites. Did any women say that it was against me," Pais questioned. "In the Varnan Gonsalves and Shoma Sen case, the views of the Supreme Court on Prima Facie and analysis of Prima facie have been clarified," the defence counsel argued. Pais argued that at the time of hearing bail, the court was under a duty to scan the case diary to decide whether the allegations were prima facie true or not. Third-party hearsay can not be attributed to me. "Mere having a meeting is not enough to oppose the bail. There is no material as of now. The bail cannot be denied as the material can come later," Pais argued. "If ten witnesses state my name, does that make a terror case against me? I have not indulged in a terrorist act. There is not even a seizure from me," Pais submitted. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) Fire has taken 55 lives and injured more than 300 people in the national capital so far this year, according to the official data revealed on Monday. According to the data by Delhi Fire Services (DFS), 16 people were killed in fire in January, another 16 in February, 12 in March, four in April, and seven till May 26. Also Read | Rajkot Gaming Zone Fire: Four Game Zones in Godhra Closed for Flouting Safety Norms, Says Report. Fire incidents led to 51 injuries in January, 42 in February, 62 in March, 78 in April, and 71 till May 26. From January 1 to May 26, the DFS received 8,912 fire-related calls. Also Read | Prajwal Revanna Sex Scandal: Suspended JDS Leader To Appear Before SIT on May 31, Alleges Political Conspiracy in Self-Made Video. According to the data, 36 people had lost their lives during the same period in 2023. "The number of fire calls increased to 32.26 per cent this year. According to the data, a total 6,436 calls related to the fire were received from January 1 to May 26, last year, but this year the number has gone up by more than 32 per cent with 8,912 fire related calls during the same period," an official of the Delhi Fire Services said. "Last year 36 people had lost their lives, this year total 55 people have so far lost their lives," the official added. On Sunday, six newborn died after a massive fire broke out at a private children's hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar. The blaze broke out at the Baby Care New Born Hospital at around 11.30 pm on Saturday and soon spread to two other adjacent buildings. Sixteen fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze and a massive rescue operation was launched. Of the 13 children taken out from the hospital, six were declared dead. Police had said that one child had already died before the fire broke out. DFS chief Atul Garg told PTI Videos, "The neonatal hospital has no fire NOC and has not even proper fire combat arrangements. Besides that, oxygen cylinders were also kept there which had exploded." "Be it NOC required or not, everyone must ensure proper fire safety arrangements in all types of buildings. Installing sprinklers is one of the best ways to combat fire initially and to inform firefighters," he said. The incident also drew the attention of President Droupadi Murmu, who prayed for the babies and condoled with the bereaved parents. Police on Sunday arrested the owner of the hospital which was being operated with an expired licence. It also did not have qualified doctors and had no clearance from the fire department. On the same day, three people died in a fire in a four-storey residential building in Krishna Nagar area of east Delhi. On February 15, 11 people died in an explosion and subsequent blaze in a paint factory at Dayalpur market in outer Delhi's Alipur. Four people were injured in the incident. The charred bodies of the 11 victims, one of them a woman, were recovered from the factory, which doubled as a chemical godown. The fire, which was preceded by a blast, had spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation centre and eight shops. In another incident in February, an 83-year-old woman died and her granddaughter sustained injuries after they jumped off the fourth floor of a residential building in southwest Delhi's Dwarka when a fire broke out in their apartment. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 27 (ANI): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Monday said the state government will pay the hospitality bill worth Rs 80 lakh of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mysuru, which he took last year in April. Forest Minister clarified that the state government will bear the balance of the hospitality bill of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Mysore to participate in a program organised in April 2023 as part of the 50th anniversary of Tiger Project. "It is a tradition of the state government to host dignitaries like the Prime Minister and the President when they arrive. But in April last year, when the assembly elections were held in the state, the state government did not play any role in the planning of this program as the model code of conduct was in force," the Minister said. Also Read | Mumbai Bomb Threat: City Police Get Bomb Hoax Calls at Airport and Hotel Taj Mahal. He said that the state government itself has decided to pay the outstanding bill of Radisson Blu Hotel in Mysore to clear up the confusion caused in this background. "Dispute will be closed by paying the money," he said. Earlier, the Radisson Blu Hotel had claimed that the bill has not been cleared by the government for the said PM's visit. (ANI) Also Read | Delhi Metro Train Fire: Minor Blaze Erupts Out in Metro Train Pantograph at Rajiv Chowk Station (Watch Video). (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, May 27: Two motorbike-borne persons allegedly opened fire at former Malegaon mayor Abdul Malik near a petrol pump in Maharashtra's Nashik district in the wee hours of Monday, a police official said. Malik was injured and rushed to a nearby hospital where his condition was reported to be stable, they said. Leopard in Malegaon: Brave 12-Year-Old Mohit Ahire Traps Big Cat in Office, Video Goes Viral The incident took place at 1.20 am when Malik was sitting outside a shop on the Old Agra road, a Malegaon city police official said. Two unidentified persons reached there on the motorbike and allegedly fired three rounds at him. Malik received wounds on his chest and leg, he said. Robbery Caught on Camera in Maharashtra: Elderly Man Looted of Rs 40,000 at Gunpoint in Nanded (Watch Video) Ex-Malegaon Mayor Injured After 2 Unidentified Persons Fire at Him #BREAKING : Heavy firing in Malegaon, Maharashtra Unknown assailants opened fire on AIMIM leader and former mayor Abdul Malik. Malik was hit by a total of 3 bullets in this firing.#Mumbai #firing #Malegaon #gunfire #shooting #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/N0lJlHQyqA mishikasingh (@mishika_singh) May 27, 2024 He was rushed to a hospital where he is recuperating, the police said. The police have registered a case against the two unidentified persons under relevant Indian Penal Code sections, including 307 (attempt to murder). Further investigation is underway, the official added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhubaneswar, May 27 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched a scathing attack on BJP's national vice-president Baijayant (Jay) Panda, accusing the two-time MP of betrayal towards both himself and the people of Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency. Breaking his usual stance of avoiding personal attacks, Patnaik aimed his criticism at Panda without explicitly naming him at an election rally where he endorsed BJD candidate Anshuman Mohanty. Also Read | Mara Naaman Resigns: Teacher at Dalton School Tenders Resignation After Being Accused of Sexually Abusing Student. "I made someone (Panda) the MP from Kendrapada for 10 years. However, he worked only for his own prosperity and the profit of his company (mining) without doing anything for the people," the BJD president said while addressing an election meeting in the Lok Sabha constituency. Panda was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kendrapara in 2009 and 2014 under the BJD banner before their split. He contested from the same seat for the third time on a BJP ticket in 2019, but lost the polls by a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes to BJD's nominee and cinestar Anubhav Mohanty. Also Read | Rajasthan Road Accident: Car Carrying Seven Members of Family Crashes on Way to Kota for Admission in Coaching Institute on NH-27 in Baran, Two Killed. Patnaik highlighted Panda's alleged neglect of the constituency during his tenure, portraying it as a betrayal of trust. "The people of Kendrapada gave him the responsibility of the area for 10 years. He did nothing for the constituency and worked for himself. He betrayed me as well as the people," the Chief Minister said. Appealing to the electorate of Kendrapara, traditionally the stronghold of his late father Biju Patnaik, the Odisha CM urged support for BJD candidates in both the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Kendrapara holds sentimental value for the BJD, being termed Biju Babu's "Karmabhoomi" (workplace), with the party clinching victory in the Lok Sabha seat consecutively from 1998 to 2019, alongside sweeping all seven assembly segments in 2019. Responding to Patnaik's accusations, Panda, an industrialist-turned-politician, dismissed them as desperate tactics, insinuating external influence on the Chief Minister's statements. "I've heard about the CM's allegations. I don't hold him accountable, as it seems he's being fed these allegations by someone else, colloquially referred to as 'Tamil Babu,' who seems to be prompting him while holding the microphone," Panda said. Senior BJD leader VK Pandian echoed Patnaik's sentiments, accusing Panda of prioritising personal interests over public welfare during his tenure. Sharpening his attack on Panda, the bureaucrat-turned-politician said, "He (Panda) worked for his company after becoming an MP instead of working for the people. He made a railway shedding for his company instead of a rail line for the people of Kendrapara." "As a member of Parliament's finance committee, he waived his company's loan. He wanted to become chairman of the finance committee, but the CM rejected the proposal," Pandian said. During the day, Patnaik also addressed election rallies in Jagatsinghpur and Rahama, and accused the opposition parties, particularly the BJP, of spreading lies about Odisha and his government. "The opposition parties are spreading lies about the government and shedding crocodile tears for the people of Odisha. They have no concern for the people of the state. They are only trying to mislead them in their desperate bid to get votes," Patnaik said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, May 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tribute to Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary. India's first prime minister and a stalwart of the freedom movement, Nehru died in 1964 at the age of 74. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Death Anniversary 2024: Know Date, Significance About the Day That Marks the Punyatithi of India's First Prime Minister PM Modi Pays Homage to Nehru on Death Anniversary I pay homage to former PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Ji on his death anniversary. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 27, 2024 Modi said in a post on X, "I pay homage to former PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ji on his death anniversary." (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Pune, May 27 (PTI) The Pune Police on Monday submitted its enquiry report in a court stating there is prima facie truth in the complaint filed against Rahul Gandhi by V D Savarkar's grand nephew who had accused the Congress leader of defaming the Hindutva ideologue in a speech made in London in 2023. The report was submitted in the court of judicial magistrate (first class) Akshi Jain, said advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, who represents Satyaki Ashok Savarkar, the complainant. Also Read | Mob Lynching in Bihar: Law Student Dies After Brutal Assault by Over Dozen Masked Assailants at College Campus in Patna (Watch Video). Kolhatkar said the court may issue a notice to Rahul Gandhi seeking his appearance. Satyaki Savarkar had said his lawyers moved the city court with a complaint under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code last April. Also Read | Mumbai Bomb Threat: City Police Get Bomb Hoax Calls at Airport and Hotel Taj Mahal. The court had asked the Vishrambaug police to verify the proof submitted by Satyaki and submit a report by May 27. "Vishrambaug police stated that Satyaki Savarkar had filed a complaint in the court last April accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of making false claims about the late revolutionary (V D Savarkar) in a speech made in London in March 2023," said Kolhatkar. As per the complaint, Rahul Gandhi claimed in his speech that V D Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy. Satyaki Savarkar had said that no such incident had ever taken place, and V D Savarkar never wrote any such thing anywhere, the complaint stated, terming Rahul Gandhi's allegation as fictitious, false and malicious. "The Vishrambaug police submitted a report today before the court and told the court that in their probe, it has been revealed that V D Savarkar had not written about such incident in any of his books but despite that Gandhi made that kind of remarks during his speech in London in March 2023 and defamed Savarkar," said Kolhatkar. Police stated that prima facie there is a truth in the complaint filed by Satyaki Savarkar that Rahul Gandhi had defamed V D Savarkar in his speech. When contacted Tukaram Nimbalkar, assistant police inspector, confirmed that the report had been submitted in the court. Notably, a metropolitan court in Surat last March convicted Rahul Gandhi of criminal defamation for his 2019 remark, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?", and sentenced him to two years in jail. Subsequently, the sessions court granted him bail on April 3. The Supreme Court in August stayed his conviction in the defamation case. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Pune (Maharashtra) [India], May 27 (ANI): The Pune police Crime Branch has arrested two doctors from Sasson Hospital in the luxury car accident case where two motorcycle-borne persons were killed earlier this week in Pune city. As per the police, the doctors have been arrested on the charge of manipulating blood samples. Also Read | Tamil Nadu Shocker: Minor Girl Allegedly Dies in Sleep After Suddenly Bleeding From Her Nose in Salem, Case Registered. The minor accused was taken to the hospital for a medical check-up on the day of the accident on May 19. The arrest came after it was discovered that the minor's blood report was changed with those of another person who had not consumed alcohol. Also Read | Pune Porsche Accident Case: Two Doctors of Sassoon General Hospital Arrested on Charges of Manipulating Blood Samples, Evidence Destruction. Earlier, the Crime Branch unit on May 25 morning arrested the grandfather of the minor accused in the case. The commissioner of Pune city police, Amitesh Kumar said that the grandfather of the accused was arrested and a separate FIR has been registered against him under IPC sections 365 and 368. The driver Gangadhar had complained to police alleging that he was taken to the accused grandfather's home against his will on the night of May 19 when Gangadhar was leaving the Yerawada Police Station. The accused grandfather and his father allegedly threatened Gangadhar, snatched his phone and forcibly kept him confined in their bungalow in an attempt to force him to take responsibility for the crime instead of his minor grandson. The minor ploughed his swanky Porsche into the two IT professionals, who were travelling on a bike, killing them on the spot. Two young IT professionals from Madhya Pradesh, identified as Ashwini Koshta and Aneesh Awadhia, were killed in the accident on the night of May 19. The accused has been detained at an observation home on the order of the Juvenile Justice Board. He was earlier granted bail in the case but was later sent to the observation home for 14 days till June 5. The accused teenager's father, who was arrested earlier, is lodged in Yerawada Central Prison after he was granted judicial custody for 14 days. Meanwhile, friends and colleagues of victims who died in the Pune accident also held a protest in front of PMC on Sunday demanding justice for them. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 27 (ANI): The Sealdah division of the Eastern Railway took a slew of measures in view of Cyclone 'Remal' making landfall over coastal areas of West Bengal and Bangladesh. The Sealdah division has set up Emergency control rooms from May 25 to May 27 and installed pumps at all critical places to mitigate water logging. Public announcements were also made frequently at all stations, the Railways said. Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Man Allegedly Kills Wife for Opposing His Illicit Affair With Another Woman in Kaimur, In-Laws Claim Victim Died by Suicide; Probe Launched. Moreover, DG sets and emergency lights have been arranged at stations and sufficient tree-cutting equipment was kept at critical locations. Tower wagons were kept ready with staff to move quickly to attend to Overhead equipment (OHE) problems. At critical locations, especially those bordering Bangladesh like Namkhana, Diamond Harbour, Hasnabad and Canning, adequate Engineering, Signal and Telecom staff were kept in place to combat crises, the Railways said. Also Read | Human Sacrifice Case in Chhattisgarh: Mentally Unsound Man Kills Four-Year-Old Son by Slitting His Throat in Balrampur; Arrested. In addition, security personnel were deployed round the clock throughout the Division. The rakes that were stabled, were properly secured and diesel locomotives were stationed at key locations in the division. Advertisement boards and hoardings at different stations were removed to prevent any mishaps during the cyclonic storm, the Railways said. Meanwhile, after making landfall over coastal areas of West Bengal and Bangladesh, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday that severe Cyclonic storm 'Remal' would continue to move nearly northwards for some more time and then north-northeastwards and weaken gradually into a Cyclonic Storm. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Shimla, May 27 (PTI) Facing a barrage of criticism, dubbed "bike hue (sold out) mafia" by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the six disqualified Congress MLAs contesting the assembly bypolls on a BJP ticket have resolved to fight fire with fire. Not apologetic and in a mood to retaliate, they say it is the public who voted for them that comes first and not the party they belong to. Also Read | Tamil Nadu Shocker: Minor Girl Allegedly Dies in Sleep After Suddenly Bleeding From Her Nose in Salem, Case Registered. Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala), Ravi Thakur (Lahaul & Spiti), Inder Dutt Lakhanpal (Barsar), Chaitanya Sharma (Gagret) and Devinder Kumar Bhutto (Kutlehar), along with three Independent lawmakers, voted for Harsh Mahajan -- the BJP's nominee in the Rajya Sabha election on February 27. Two days later, the six Congress MLAs were disqualified from the assembly for defying a party whip to be present in the House and vote in favour of the government. They later joined the BJP and were fielded from their respective constituencies on a saffron party ticket. Also Read | Pune Porsche Accident Case: Two Doctors of Sassoon General Hospital Arrested on Charges of Manipulating Blood Samples, Evidence Destruction. Ever since the cross-voting incident, the former Congress lawmakers have faced a barrage of criticism from Sukhu -- from being called "kale naag (black snakes)" who tried to destabilise the Congress to allegations that they were hungry for "briefcases" and not "samman (respect)". Sukhu has also alleged that the six rebels got Rs 15 crore each for selling their votes. The former lawmakers, however, remain defiant. "The voters who elected us come first and then the party. The chief minister should take action if he has any evidence rather than misleading the people by making uncalled-for remarks," they told PTI. Police have registered a case against Ashish Sharma, the Independent MLA from Hamirpur, and Chaitanya Sharma's father Rakesh Sharma over "electoral offences" related to the Rajya Sabha polls on the complaint of two Congress legislators. This was followed by the rebels filing a defamation case against Sukhu, who they accused of making allegations without evidence. As campaigning for the bypolls, to be held simultaneously with the state's four Lok Sabha seats, on June 1 draws to a close, the war of words has become even sharper. The six rebels told PTI that meeting their electorates' aspirations is their priority. "The public voted for us and it is our responsibility to fulfil their expectations, regardless of whether we are in the BJP, Congress or Independent. The women and youth are asking us for the (promised) Rs 1,500 per month and one lakh jobs but we have no answer," says Chaitanya Sharma. The former Congress lawmaker from Gagret, where he is now a BJP candidate, claimed health and education centres were downgraded in his constituency and MLA Local Area Development Funds stopped for six months. "Now the chief minister is seeking vengeance as he has no achievement to show," he says. Bhutto, contesting again from Kutlehar, advised the chief minister to take action if he has evidence instead of making false allegations to mislead the public. "The Congress government will fall the same way it lost the Rajya Sabha election despite being in majority," he asserted. Thakur, the Lahaul & Spiti candidate, claimed false cases are being registered against the MLAs who left the Congress. He also attacked Sukhu, saying the state's Congress government has taken loans of Rs 18,000 crore since assuming power in November 2022 and alleged that even party MLAs are not aware where the funds are going. Sudhir Sharma, another rebel, says, "It was the chief minister's arrogance and discrimination against our assembly segments that led to the rebellion." He claimed there would have been more rebels had there been a secret ballot in the Rajya Sabha polls. Rana, the BJP candidate from Sujanpur, claimed that Sukhu works with a "negative mindset". "Former chief ministers Shanta Kumar was known for water, Prem Kumar Dhumal for roads, Virbhadra Singh for overall development, Jai Ram Thakur for his decency. Sukhu will be known for his lies, loans and closure of institutions," he said. Lakhanpal, the BJP's Barsar candidate, also slammed Sukhu over the de-notification and downgrading of institutions. "The chief minister has lost his mind and is making false allegations to hide his failure. Not a single development work has been undertaken in my constituency in 15 months," he said. The 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly currently has an effective strength of 62, following the disqualification of the six MLAs. Hamirpur MLA Ashish Sharma and the other two Independent legislators, who voted for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election, also resigned from the House and joined the saffron party but their resignations are yet to be accepted by the speaker. The Congress has 34 members in the House while the BJP has 25 at present. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) The government on Monday revised norms related to permissible amount of wastage and standard input output with regard to export of gold and silver jewellery. An industry official said the wastage norms have been eased and the manufacturers are disappointed with it. Also Read | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Death Anniversary 2024: Know Date, Significance About the Day That Marks the Punyatithi of Indias First Prime Minister. "The wastage permissible and standard input-output norms with regard to export of jewellery have been revised," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a public notice. The official from the gems and jewellery export council said the industry was not consulted before taking this decision. Also Read | Kendrapara Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJPs Baijayant Panda Takes on BJDs Anshuman Mohanty, Congress Sidharth Swarup Das Amid Key Issues of Unemployment and Migration in This Constituency. According to the public notice, weight of mountings and findings (or parts) of gold or silver, if imported and used in export products, will not be included for determining net content of gold and silver in export products. Standard input-output norms (SION) are rules that define the amount of input/inputs required to manufacture a unit of output for export purposes. Input output norms are applicable for the products such as electronics, engineering, chemical, food products including fish and marine products, handicraft, plastic and leather products. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Shimla, May 27 (PTI) Irrespective of which party forms the next government, infrastructure development and fixing connectivity issues should be the main focus in Himachal Pradesh, stakeholders of the state's tourism industry said. The state and central government should complete projects on proposed airport constructions, improve rail connectivity and build facilities along the highways for tourists, they said. Also Read | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Death Anniversary 2024: Know Date, Significance About the Day That Marks the Punyatithi of Indias First Prime Minister. "We are businessmen and do not wish to face the ire of any political party. Single engine or double engine, the government should work for development," said Nishant Nag, the owner of a hotel and amusement park in Shimla. The tourism economy of Himachal Pradesh accounted for seven per cent of state GDP amounting to Rs 14,000 crore, and generates 14.2 per cent direct and indirect employment, as per the latest economic survey. Also Read | Kendrapara Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJPs Baijayant Panda Takes on BJDs Anshuman Mohanty, Congress Sidharth Swarup Das Amid Key Issues of Unemployment and Migration in This Constituency. Candidates of both BJP and Congress contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Shimla, Mandi and Kangra seats have mentioned promotion of tourism and better connectivity as their priorities. Candidates in Dharamshala and Lahaul and Spiti assembly seat have also made similar promises. Voting for the Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held on June 1. Manali Hoteliers Association president Mukesh Thakur said there is a dire need to expand the Bhuntar airport or construct an airport that allows the landing of 70-seater planes near tourism hub Manali. He said flood protection from Beas river and setting up of waste management plants in all tourist destinations of the state was also required. Thakur, who has appraised both Congress and BJP leaders of the demands of the hoteliers' body, said a strong government with good financial management is needed to take up tourism projects. Poor connectivity and paucity of parking spaces affects the tourism industry as tourists face inconvenience, Dharamshala Hotel and Restaurant Association president Ashwani Bamba told PTI. Lack of projects for recreational activities in the tourism-dependent state also affects tourism, Bamba said. Jammu and Kashmir scores over Himachal Pradesh in the tourism sector as it has better air connectivity with airports that allow big planes to land, he said. Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Associations (FOHHRA) president Gajender Thakur told PTI that roadside facilities should be developed along the highways in line with foreign countries. Services such as petrol stations, motels, restaurants, car repair and other necessary facilities should be provided at one place, he said. Pritam, a taxi driver from Shimla said that while the current focus is on "widening of roads and construction of National Highways, roadside facilities are also important to increase tourist inflow". Advertisements by the government to promote tourism, creation of parking lots and better infrastructure can make a difference, he added. Tourists have also raised concerns regarding touts who fleece tourists, discouraging them from visiting the state. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had announced plans to make Kangra the tourist capital of the state with a target of five crore tourists annually in the coming years but such announcements have remained on papers with no concrete results visible on the ground, said a local hotelier seeking anonymity. The government was engaged in tackling rain-related disasters and political tussles in last one and a half year, he said. Despite the flood and rain-related damage to the state, the state recorded six per cent increase in tourist inflow in 2023 as compared to the previous year, with 1.6 crore tourists visiting the state during the year. In 2022, 1,51 crore tourists visited the state, as per the tourism department data. However, the actual figure is likely to be higher as tourists staying in unregistered accommodations are not accounted for. Tourists are discouraged from visiting the state by poor air connectivity and road traffic, Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association president M K Seth told PTI and added that there should be more emphasis on improving railway connectivity. Seth said train connectivity with southern states could be improved by running trains from Chennai and Bengaluru and Vande Bharat trains from Mumbai to Chandigarh could be introduced and linked to other places like Surat and Godhra in Gujarat. This would not only increase the tourist footfall via trains to Shimla, it would also resolve the problem of traffic congestion, he added. Seth said the government should keep a tab on unregistered accommodations mushrooming all over the state. There are 296 registered hotels in Shimla but 942 accommodations, including homestays, bed-and-breakfasts, are unregistered accommodations, he said. Devinder Rana, who runs a travel agency, said there is enormous scope for adventure sports, rural and eco-tourism in the state and the government should tap into this potential as well. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Streaks of Light Seen in California. (Photo Credits: Video Grab) Asuza (California), May 28 (AP) An 81-year-old man who investigators say terrorised a Southern California neighbourhood for years with a slingshot has been arrested, police said. While conducting an investigation, detectives learned that during the course of 9-10 years, dozens of citizens were being victimised by a serial slingshot shooter, the Asuza Police Department said in a statement. Also Read | Mara Naaman Resigns: Teacher at Dalton School Tenders Resignation After Being Accused of Sexually Abusing Student. The man is suspected of breaking windows and car windshields and of narrowly missing people with ball bearings shot from a slingshot, the statement said. No injuries were reported. The man was arrested Thursday after officers served a search warrant and found a slingshot and ball bearings at his home in Asuza, about 40 km east of Los Angeles, police said. Also Read | North Korea Plans To Launch Rocket Soon, Likely Carrying Its Second Military Spy Satellite. Azusa police Lt. Jake Bushey said Saturday that detectives learned that most of the ball bearings were shot from the suspect's backyard. We're not aware of any kind of motive other than just malicious mischief, Bushey told the Southern California News Group. He was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Seoul, May 27 (AP) A rocket launched by North Korea to deploy the country's second spy satellite exploded shortly after liftoff Monday, state media reported, in a setback for leader Kim Jong Un's hopes to field satellites to monitor the US and South Korea. Monday's failed launch came hours after leaders of South Korea, China and Japan met in Seoul in their first trilateral meeting in more than four years. Also Read | Mara Naaman Resigns: Teacher at Dalton School Tenders Resignation After Being Accused of Sexually Abusing Student. It's highly unusual for North Korea to take provocative action when China, its major ally and economic pipeline, is engaging in high-level diplomacy in the region. The launch drew rebukes from the North's neighbours because the UN bans North Korea from conducting any such launches, viewing them as covers for testing long-range missile technology. Also Read | North Korea Plans To Launch Rocket Soon, Likely Carrying Its Second Military Spy Satellite. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said it launched a spy satellite aboard a new rocket at its main northwestern space centre. But KCNA said the rocket blew up during a first-stage flight soon after liftoff due to a suspected engine problem. KCNA cited the unidentified vice director of the National Aerospace Technology Administration as saying that a preliminary examination showed that the explosion was related to the reliability of operation of the newly developed liquid oxygen-petroleum engine. He said other possible causes will be investigated, according to KCNA. Japan's government briefly issued a missile warning for the southern prefecture of Okinawa, urging residents to take shelter inside buildings and other safer places. The warning was lifted later because the region was no longer in danger, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said. Earlier Monday, North Korea had notified Japan's coast guard about its plans to launch a satellite rocket, with a warning to exercise caution in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and China and east of the main Philippine island of Luzon during a launch window from Monday through June 3. North Korea has steadfastly maintained it has the right to launch satellites and test missiles. Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara called the North's launch a serious challenge to the entire world. South Korea's Unification Ministry called a satellite launch by the North a provocation that seriously threatens our and regional security. During the trilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang earlier Monday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for stern international action if North Korea went ahead with its launch plan. Kishida, for his part, urged the North to withdraw its launch plan, but Li didn't mention the launch plan as he offered general comments about promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through a political resolution. Some observers say that North Korea's satellite launch on the first day of its eight-day window might have been aimed at casting a chill over the Seoul-Beijing-Tokyo meeting and registering its displeasure with China. Kim Jong Un has been embracing the idea of a new Cold War and seeking to boost ties with Beijing and Moscow to forge a united front against Washington, so China's diplomacy with Seoul and Tokyo might have been a disturbing development for Pyongyang. Kim's primary focus in recent months has been on Russia, as Pyongyang and Moscow both locked in confrontations with Washington expand their military cooperation. China, which is much more sensitive about its international reputation, has joined Russia in blocking US-led efforts at the UN Security Council to tighten sanctions on the North but has been less bold and open about supporting Kim's new Cold War drive. North Korea's Foreign Ministry on Monday strongly criticized a joint statement issued by Li, Yoon and Kishida, calling them "wanton interference in its internal affairs. The ministry took issue with parts of the joint statement that said the three leaders re-emphasized their existing positions on the issue of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. While North Korea focused much of its criticism on South Korea for allegedly being chiefly responsible for the statement, it's still extremely rare for North Korea to slam a statement signed by China. The failed satellite launch is a blow to Kim's plan to launch three more military spy satellites in 2024 in addition to his country's first military reconnaissance satellite that was placed in orbit last November. The November launch followed two failed liftoffs. In the first attempt, the North Korean rocket carrying the satellite crashed into the ocean soon after liftoff. After the second attempt, North Korea said there was an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday it detected a launch trajectory believed to be of a spy satellite fired from the North's main space centre at 10:44 p.m. on Monday. Four minutes later, many fragments were spotted in the waters, it said. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Male [Maldives], May 27 (ANI): Indian High Commissioner to Maldives Munu Mahawar and Ahmed Naseer, Ambassador at Large, Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-chaired the India Maldives Review meeting. The two officials took stock of Indian grant-funded high-impact community development projects in Maldives. According to the Indian High Commission in Maldives, India is supporting the implementation of 65 community development projects worth MVR 360 million in Maldives. Also Read | US Tornado Death Toll: 11 Killed, Several Injured Across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. In a post shared on X, the Indian High Commission in Maldives stated, "India Maldives Review meeting co-chaired by HE Ahmed Naseer, Amb-at-large @MoFAmv and @AmbMunu to take stock of Indian grant-funded high impact community development projects #HICDP. India is supporting implementation of 65 community development projects worth MVR 360 million in Maldives." Earlier on May 13, the Indian government provided a budget support to Maldives in the form of a rollover of USD 50 million Treasury Bill, for an additional year at the request of Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer. Also Read | Tornadoes in US: Eight Killed As Tornadoes Leave Trail of Death and Destruction. "State Bank of India has subscribed for one more year the USD 50 million Government Treasury Bill, issued by the Ministry of Finance of Maldives, upon maturity of the previous subscription. These Government Treasury Bills are subscribed by SBI under by SBI under a unique Government-to-Government arrangement at zero-cost (interest-free) to the Government of Maldives," the Indian High Commission in Maldives said in a statement. This extension of the subscription was done at the request of the Maldivian government. "The continuation of subscription has been made at the special request of the Government of Maldives to secure budgetary support from the Government of India," the statement read. The Maldivian Foreign Ministry, in their statement, stated that the Indian government's decision to roll over the T-Bill came after Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer made the request to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his official visit to India earlier this month. The Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs appreciated the Indian government's support for the Maldives in the form of budgetary allocation. Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Monday thanked EAM Jaishankar after India extended budgetary support to Maldives in the form of a rollover of USD 50 Million Treasury Bill. Expressing his gratitude, the Maldivian Foreign Minister, in a post on X, wrote, "I thank EAM @DrSJaishankar and the Government of India for extending vital budgetary support to Maldives with the rollover of USD 50 million Treasury Bill." "This is a true gesture of goodwill which signifies the longstanding friendship between Maldives and India. @HCIMaldives @MEAIndia", he added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], May 27 (ANI): Pakistan has demanded the Taliban government in Afghanistan to hand over outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) terrorists, who were involved in the attack on Chinese engineers in Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported ARY News. The attack, which took place on March 26 in Bisham city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Shangla district, claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers along with one Pakistani citizen. Also Read | Lithuania Presidential Election 2024: Incumbent President Gitanas Nauseda Wins Presidential Election. The incident took place when the convoy was travelling between Islamabad and a hydroelectric dam construction site in Dasu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The District Inspector General (DIG) of Malakand said that a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese nationals, as reported by ARY News. Also Read | South Korea, Japan, China Set for Summit Amid North Korea's Imminent Spy Satellite Launch. Addressing a press conference along with officials of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Necta), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan has taken up the issue with the Afghan interim government and urged them to take action against terrorist activities being carried out on their land. The interior minister added that the TTP orchestrated the Shangla terror attack from inside Afghanistan. "We have requested the interim government in Afghanistan to arrest the leadership of banned TTP," he said. Following the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough joint investigation into the Shangla suicide attack on Chinese nationals, utilising all the resources of the state. PM Sharif chaired a high-level emergency meeting in the aftermath of the attack on Chinese nationals, further appreciating the alacrity with which law enforcement agencies and locals responded to the attack, saving many lives that could have been lost. "Terrorism is a transnational threat that has been instrumentalized by the enemies of Pakistan to stymie Pakistan's progress and development. The acts targeting Pakistan-China friendship are particularly aimed at creating mistrust between the two iron brothers," he said. However, on Sunday, while briefing the journalists, Interior Minister Naqvi said that the probe agencies have prepared an investigation report, adding that they had concrete evidence that the TTP used Afghan soil to carry out the terror attack on Chinese engineers, reported Al Jazeera. He further said they wanted friendly ties with Kabul, adding that "it is only possible if they cooperate with Islamabad." Noting Pakistan-China ties, the interior minister said that Pakistan gave great importance to its ties with China, adding that both friendly nations support each other at different global forums. "The security of Chinese nationals is very important to us," he said. Meanwhile, National Coordinator NACTA, Rai Tahir, said that investigations into the Bisham attack progressed with recovery of a mobile phone near the vehicle used in the attack. It is pertinent to mention, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the outlawed terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022, reported ARY News. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lahore [Pakistan], May 27 (ANI): Angry members of the Christian community took to the streets to protest after a Muslim mob attacked a Christian factory owner in Punjab's Sargodha district for alleged blasphemy, Union of Catholic Asian News reported. The incident occurred on May 25 when an angry mob, assaulted a Christian person, vandalized his house, and torched properties alleging an incident of 'blasphemy' in Mujahid Colony in Sargodha, Punjab province in Pakistan. Also Read | North Korea Plans To Launch Rocket Soon, Likely Carrying Its Second Military Spy Satellite. "We demand justice for the [Christian] community. The tragedies are being repeated," said Nosherwan Iqbal, chairman of the Peace Committee in the Hazara division in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Christians gathered across th city from Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to southern Karachi in Sindh to protest against the mob attack on two houses and a shoe factory in Sargodha district in Punjab, as per UCA news. Also Read | Pakistan Fire: Nearly 1,400 Girl Students Escape From School Building Engulfed by Massive Blaze in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Following the incident, over 400 unidentified suspects have been charged, and 25 arrested, in Pakistan, under terrorism and other offences for attacking the Christian man and police officers in Sargodha district, approximately 200 kilometres from Lahore, Dawn reported. The Christian factory owner, Nazir Masih, is accused of burning the pages of the Quran in his residential area in Mujahid colony and was attacked by a mob, numbering over 400 and armed with batons, bricks, and stones. "Our brother, a businessman, was victimized. We are peaceful people being pushed to their limits," Iqbal told UCA News on May 26. The case was registered on behalf of the state under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 and sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). However, the police also registered a blasphemy case against the Christian man, a resident of Mujahid Colony, who was critically injured by the mob but survived the lynching attempt. He was booked on the report of an activist of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, identified as Muhammad Jahangir. A local resident, speaking to Dawn, reported that burnt pages of the Holy Quran were discovered on the cover of a water pump near the residence of a Christian man. However, no one witnessed him setting the pages on fire. The man's family is described as humble and not associated with such activities, as per Dawn. A mob of religious individuals attempted to lynch the Christian man on Saturday. According to a case filed by Station House Officer (SHO) Shahid Iqbal, locals, armed with sticks, stones, and weapons, gathered in front of the man's house and tried to break in. Amid police efforts, the Sargodha Peace Committee, and other residents tried to resolve the situation through dialogue, the mob set fire to a shoe unit owned by the man's son and attempted to enter his house from adjoining rooftops. The crowd also destroyed electricity meters and outdoor AC units outside the man's home and set them on fire. The situation was brought under control after a heavy contingent of police reached the spot. Station house officer Iqbal and other police officers on the scene saved the man from the burning house. However, as they brought him out, the mob surrounded them, threw stones, and beat them with sticks, severely injuring the man. According to the FIR, some women are also part of the violence. The case was registered under several sections of the ATA and PPC, including an attempt to murder, obstructing public officials in discharging their duty, assaulting a public official and mischief by fire or explosive material with intent to destroy a house or cause death or hurt. Following the incident, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar and Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal visited Sargodha and inspected the crime scene. In response to the incident, Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora took notice of the alleged blasphemy and contacted the Punjab home secretary. Under the supervision of Sargodha District Police Officer Asad Ijaz Malhi, the security of churches in the entire district was tightened and more than 1,000 security personnel were deployed at the churches on Sunday. Meanwhile, Sargodha District Police Officer Asad Ejaz Malhi told Dawn that the incident happened over an incident of alleged desecration. The police cordoned off two houses in the colony and "safely recovered all the residents," he said. Unverified footage on social media showed a mob surrounding an injured man and separate videos showing men, some of whom appeared to be teenagers, wrecking furniture outside a house, according to Dawn. Being asked about the videos, DPO Malhi said that these were "fake videos" and insisted that no one was hurt in Sargodha district. "Police is maintaining law and order," he added. More than 200 Christian families from Sargodha, half of them Catholics, have fled as the vital Punjab province witnessed another mob attack over blasphemy in August last year. This is one of the many episodes that highlight the precarious situation faced by religious minorities in Pakistan, who continue to face the threats of persecution and attacks. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], May 27 (ANI): The police on Sunday implicated incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in eight more cases in connection with the May 9 protests, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. Currently, Qureshi is imprisoned in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail in multiple cases. Furthermore, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act earlier handed Qureshi 10 years in prison in the cipher case. Also Read | US Tornado Death Toll: 11 Killed, Several Injured Across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Protests erupted on May 9 after Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest in the 190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were taken into custody over their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations in 2023. During the protests on May 9, the miscreants attacked the civil and military installations, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. Pakistan's army called May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act. Also Read | Tornadoes in US: Eight Killed As Tornadoes Leave Trail of Death and Destruction. On Sunday, a special team of police approached the anti-terrorism court in Lahore to seek permission to arrest, question and summon the PTI leader in an FIR registered with Police Station Sarwar Road. However, the court did not give the permission considering the "security concerns," Geo News reported. Meanwhile, the court permitted the investigation officer to visit Adalia Jail to question the accused within a period of three days instead. The court order reads, "The accused shall be deemed to be on physical remand for that purpose." The court ordered police to present the suspect before it through a video link on May 27. The court also directed the superintendent of the jail to make necessary arrangements in this regard. Later, the police recorded Qureshi's statement in the case in Rawalpindi prison. Reacting to the implication of Qureshi in more cases, a PTI spokesperson said that the court had already granted bail to Shah Mahmood Qureshi in these cases. PTI stated, "Law was flouted again to keep Qureshi behind bars by making the court's order ineffective practically," Geo News reported. PTI spokesperson said that Qureshi was being punished for sticking with the ideology of PTI founder Imran Khan. He further said that lawlessness was reaching new heights in Pakistan. He further said that every possible action will be taken against the cruel act. Earlier in January, a Pakistan court sentenced Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi to jail for 10 years each in a case involving the leaking of state secrets, local media reported. A special court established under the Official Secrets Act sentenced Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Khan and former Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi handed out the 10-year jail sentence in the cypher case, Dawn reported. The verdict was announced by special court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain during the hearing held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Warsaw, May 27 (AP) Poland's President Andrzej Duda has spoken on the phone with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in an effort to obtain the release of a Polish traveller who was sentenced to life in prison in the vast Central African country on espionage charges, an aide said Monday. The 52-year-old Pole, Mariusz Majewski, was detained by Congolese forces in February and later faced a military court in the restive nation, accused of spying. Also Read | Mara Naaman Resigns: Teacher at Dalton School Tenders Resignation After Being Accused of Sexually Abusing Student. The allegations against him said that he had approached the front line with Mobondo militiamen," moved along the front line without authorization and "took photos of sensitive and strategic places and secretly observed military activities. The Mobondo is a militia group that has been involved in intercommunal violence in southwestern Congo since 2022. Also Read | North Korea Plans To Launch Rocket Soon, Likely Carrying Its Second Military Spy Satellite. Majewski was convicted last week and sentenced to life in prison. No details were released as to where he is held. Duda's aide, Wojciech Kolarski, did not say what the outcome of the conversation between the two presidents was but stressed that the state had the obligation to take care of its citizens who find themselves in such dramatic situations overseas. Majewski's family says he is in poor health and insists that he is just a traveller. Last week, Poland's Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski said without elaborating that Majewski is not a spy, he is a member of a travellers club" and was just following his passion in life. Wronski said it was due to a chain of coincidental circumstances and events that he found himself in Congo and his "behaviour was the result of a lack of knowledge of local customs. Polish authorities are aware of the very difficult political situation in Congo" and a recent coup attempt there but expressed hope that Majewski will not be implicated in a situation he has no connection to. Poland does not have a diplomatic mission in Congo. Earlier this month, the Congolese army said it had foiled a coup attempt and arrested the perpetrators, including some foreigners. Several US citizens are among those arrested. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Brussels, May 27 (AP) Relations between the European Union and Israel took a nosedive Monday, the eve of the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state by EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid insisting that sanctions should be considered against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in southern Gaza's city of Rafah. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Spain that its consulate in Jerusalem will not be allowed to help Palestinians. Also Read | Mara Naaman Resigns: Teacher at Dalton School Tenders Resignation After Being Accused of Sexually Abusing Student. At the same time, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threw his weight to support the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including leaders of the Hamas militant group. The prosecutor of the court has been strongly intimidated and accused of antisemitism as always when anybody, anyone does something that Netanyahu's government does not like," Borrell said. The word antisemitic, it's too heavy. It's too important. Also Read | North Korea Plans To Launch Rocket Soon, Likely Carrying Its Second Military Spy Satellite. Spain, Ireland and Norway plan to make official their recognition of a Palestinian state on Tuesday. While dozens of countries have recognised a Palestinian state, none of the major Western powers has done so, and it is unclear how much of a difference the move by Ireland, Spain and non-EU member Norway might make on the ground. The recognition, however, is a significant accomplishment for the Palestinians, who believe it confers international legitimacy on their struggle. Angry words abounded, with Katz accusing Spain of rewarding terror by recognising a Palestinian state, and saying that the days of the Inquisition are over. He referred to the infamous Spanish institution started in the 15th century to maintain Roman Catholic orthodoxy that forced Jews and Muslims to flee, convert to Catholicism or, in some instances, face death. No one will force us to convert our religion or threaten our existence. Those who harm us, we will harm in return, said Katz. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares slammed the comments, and said his colleagues from Ireland and Norway were also receiving absolutely unjustified and absolutely reprehensible provocations from our Israeli colleague because of their plans to recognise Palestine. "In the face of those who want to divide us with any type of intimidating propaganda, the unity of Europeans is essential to send a very powerful message," he said. Also on Monday, Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob said his government will decide on the recognition of a Palestinian state on Thursday and forward its decision to parliament for final approval. Slovenia launched the recognition procedure earlier this month, and Golob has been under pressure to speed up the process since Spain, Norway and Ireland announced they would go ahead with recognition. Borrell said the actions of the Israeli government, including plans to stop transferring tax revenue earmarked for the Palestinian Authority, could no longer be reconciled with the idea he had about the state of Israel. From now on, I will never again say Israel,' (but) will say Netanyahu government' because it is this government who is taking these decisions," Borrell said. Even though the EU and its member nations have been steadfast in condemning the October 7 Hamas-led attack in which militants stormed across the Gaza border into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage, the bloc has been equally critical of Israel's ensuing offensive that has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The latest attacks have centred on Rafah, where Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 45 people Sunday, hit tents for displaced people and left numerous others trapped in flaming debris. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said such strikes will have long-standing repercussions. Israel with this choice is spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchildren. I would have preferred another decision,? he told SKY TG24. The strikes came after the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, on Friday demanded that Israel immediately halt its offensive on Rafah, even if it stopped short of ordering a cease-fire for the Gaza enclave. Albares said Spain and other countries asked Borrell to provide a list of what measures the European Union could apply" to make Israel heed the ICJ's ruling and explain what the EU has done in the past in similar circumstances ""when there has been a flagrant violation of international law. The joint announcement by Spain, Ireland and Norway last week triggered an angry response from Israeli authorities, which summoned the countries' ambassadors in Tel Aviv to the Foreign Ministry, where they were filmed while being shown videos of the October 7 Hamas attack and abductions. Albares criticised the treatment of the European ambassadors in Israel. We reject something that is not within diplomatic courtesy and the customs of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, he said. But at the same time we have also agreed that we are not going to fall for any provocation that distances us from our goal, he added. Our aim is to recognise the state of Palestine tomorrow, make all possible efforts to achieve a permanent cease-fire as soon as possible and also, in the end, to achieve that definitive peace. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Cape Town, May 27 (AP) South Africa's election will determine how weary the country has become of the ruling African National Congress party, which has been in power since the end of the apartheid system of white minority rule 30 years ago. President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC are struggling to keep their parliamentary majority and several opinion polls have put the party's support at less than 50 per cent ahead of Wednesday's election. Also Read | Leonel Borroni, an Argentinian Influencer, Was Found Dead at His Residence Hours After Allegations of Child Pornography Surfaced Against Him. That doesn't mean that the beleaguered ANC will be out of power in Africa's most advanced economy. Even as the famous organisation once led by Nelson Mandela has seen a decline in its popularity, no one has risen to a position to replace it. Instead, South Africans who have turned away from the ANC have gone looking for answers among an array of opposition parties. Also Read | Hyundai Glovis Signs Deal With Stax Engineering To Adopt Emission Reduction System for Car and Truck Carriers, Responding to US's Environmental Regulations. The ANC is still expected to gain the largest share of votes. But without an outright majority, it would need to form a coalition to stay in government and keep Ramaphosa for a second and final term as president. For a key country on the African continent, that might bring new complications. Some recent coalitions at local level have been spectacular failures. While most South Africans may be ready to register their disgruntlement with the ANC in a defining moment, a coalition government may not easily solve the country's big problems, which include some of the world's highest levels of unemployment and inequality. HOW DOES THE ELECTION WORK? South Africans don't vote directly for their president, but rather decide the makeup of Parliament, which is called the National Assembly. They do that by choosing parties and those parties get seats in Parliament according to their share of the national vote. The 400-member National Assembly then elects the president, meaning whichever party has a majority chooses the head of state. That has always been the ANC since the first all-race elections in 1994, but this time it may need to strike agreements with other parties to get the required 201 votes from lawmakers to reelect the 71-year-old Ramaphosa and form a government. The main election day is Wednesday and people will vote in all nine provinces. It will decide the makeup of both the national and provincial legislatures. Some who have been granted special permission will vote earlier on Monday and Tuesday. Results are expected within days. Nearly 28 million of the population of 62 million are registered to vote in what is only the country's seventh fully democratic national election since apartheid was dismantled. WHO IS RUNNING? There are more than 50 political parties registered for the national election, the most ever, and even more for the provincial legislatures. Independent candidates will be allowed to stand for the first time. The ANC's fate is the headline story: Ramaphosa is the party's leader and the face of its campaign. The main opposition is the centrist Democratic Alliance, or DA. It has entered into an agreement with some smaller parties in the hope that their combined vote might force the ANC out of government completely, but that's not seen as likely to happen. The far-left Economic Freedom Fighters, or EFF, is the third biggest party and led by Julius Malema, a fiery former ANC youth leader. The DA won around 20 per cent in the last national election and the EFF 10 per cent to the ANC's 57.5 per cent. Neither opposition party appears to have significantly increased in popularity. That's largely because of the dozens of other parties, many of them new, that have captured small shares. While 80 per cent of South Africa's population is Black, it is a multiracial society, with many ethnicities and 12 official languages. An equally diverse political picture is beginning to appear. Of the new parties, the MK Party or uMkhonto weSizwe (which means Spear of the Nation) has gained the most attention because it is led by former South African President Jacob Zuma, who has turned his back on the ANC he once led in a bitter battle with Ramaphosa, the man who replaced him. Zuma has been disqualified from standing as a candidate for Parliament but can still campaign for his party. WHAT ARE THE BIG ISSUES? Unemployment and poverty stand out as the most pressing issues for the majority of people. While South Africa is regarded as Africa's most advanced country, its contradictions are stark. It also has an unemployment rate of 32 per cent ranked the highest in the world and more than half of South Africans are living in poverty, according to the World Bank. That has driven most of the discontent as millions of the poor Black majority feel the ANC has not improved their lives sufficiently three decades after apartheid, which brutally oppressed Black people in favour of the white minority. Other prominent election issues that are seen as pushing voters away from the ANC are the high rate of violent crime, multiple government corruption scandals over the years, the failure of some basic government services and a crisis within the state-owned electricity supplier that has led to nationwide blackouts at regular intervals to conserve power. The blackouts have eased ahead of the election but they angered people and further damaged a struggling economy. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Taipei [Taiwan], May 27 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said on Monday that it has detected 21 Chinese military aircraft, 11 Chinese naval vessels and four Chinese coast guard vessels operating near its territory from 6 am (local time) on Sunday to 6 am (local time) on Monday. Out of these 21 Chinese military aircraft, 10 entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to Taiwan's MND. In response to the Chinese activity, Taiwanese armed forces have monitored the situation and deployed naval vessels, and coastal missiles to monitor the situation. Also Read | Live News Updates Today. In a statement shared on X, Taiwan's MND stated, "21 PLA aircraft, 11 PLAN vessels, and 4 CCG vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 10 of the aircraft entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities." https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1794896303656456461 Also Read | US Tornado Death Toll: 11 Killed, Several Injured Across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Earlier on Saturday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said that it detected seven Chinese military aircraft aircraft and 10 Chinese naval vessels around Taiwan. According to Taiwan's MND statement, seven PLA aircraft, 14 PLAN vessels, and four China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels were tracked operating in the island's vicinity up until 6 am. "7 PLA aircraft, 14 PLAN vessels, and 4 CCG vessels operating around #Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," Taiwan's ministry stated in a post on X. The escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait highlight the ongoing geopolitical complexities in the region, with Taiwan reaffirming its commitment to defending its sovereignty and democratic values in the face of increasing military pressure from China. Days after Lai Ching-te was sworn in as Taiwan's President, China launched two-day-long military drills on Thursday, surrounding Taiwan in what it called "punishment" for so-called "separatist acts," CNN reported. According to China's state broadcaster CCTV, as part of the drills, dozens of Chinese fighter jets carrying live ammunition carried out mock strikes against "high-value military targets" of the "enemy" alongside destroyers, frigates and missile speedboats. Despite never having controlled Taiwan, China's ruling Communist Party claims it as part of its territory and has vowed to take the island by force if necessary. China said it began joint military drills involving the army, navy, air force, and rocket force in areas around Taiwan at 7.45 am (local time) on Thursday. PLA Naval Colonel Li Xi, the command's spokesperson, described the exercises as "a strong punishment for the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces and a serious warning against interference and provocation by external forces, as per CNN. Taiwan, in retaliation, had deployed its own warships to monitor the situation. This comes as Beijing regards Lai as a "dangerous separatist" as he backs Taiwan's sovereignty and distinct identity, reported CNN. He succeeded two-term President Tsai Ing-wen, marking the Democratic Progressive Party's unprecedented third consecutive term in power. Beijing criticized Lai's inauguration speech, in which he urged China to end its intimidation of Taiwan. In his inaugural speech after being sworn in as Taiwan's President, Lai Ching-te, called on Beijing to stop intimidating the island nation, over which China continues to make its claim. In his inauguration address, Lai called on Beijing "to cease their political and military intimidation against Taiwan, share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the greater region, and ensure the world is free from the fear of war." Lai, a former doctor and vice president, took oath alongside newly appointed Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who most recently held the position of Taiwan's principal ambassador to the United States. Beijing publicly slammed both the leaders and their party for defending Taiwan's sovereignty. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dubai [UAE], May 27 (ANI/WAM): Under the patronage of Lt General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, today opened the 10th session of the Education Interface Exhibition and the Middle East Youth Conference at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre's Marina Hall. Running under the theme ''Education and Sustainability'', the two-day edition celebrates the exhibition's bronze jubilee, marking the 10th anniversary of its launch. Also Read | Mara Naaman Resigns: Teacher at Dalton School Tenders Resignation After Being Accused of Sexually Abusing Student. The opening ceremony was attended by several distinguished guests, including; Hessa bint Issa Buhumaid, Director General of the Community Development Authority in Dubai; Rashed Lahej Al Mansouri, Director General of the General Administration of Abu Dhabi Customs; Sana Mohammed Suhail, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority; and Salama Ajlan Al-Amimi, Director-General of the Community Contributions Authority, Ma'an. Also present were Nafi Ali Al Hammadi, Executive Director of the Support Services Sector at the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination; Dr Moza Saeed Al Badi, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Education Interface Exhibition; as well as several officials, community leaders, directors of participating academic institutions, and sponsors. Also Read | North Korea Plans To Launch Rocket Soon, Likely Carrying Its Second Military Spy Satellite. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak affirmed that the UAE gives top priority to education and empowering Emirati youth in alignment with the vision of the wise leadership, which believes that the future is created by those who possess knowledge and advanced sciences, with the real investment being educating Emirati people to support the leadership's vision for sustainable development. He also pointed out that the exhibition comes within these continuing efforts towards improving education and building new horizons for future generations. In its 10th edition, the Education Interface Exhibition and the Middle East Youth Conference feature 65 educational bodies representing approximately 537 local, regional and international universities, along with various governmental and private educational institutions from both inside and outside the UAE. These institutions represent numerous countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Australia, and the UAE. Dr Moza Saeed Al Badi confirmed that the exhibition continues to achieve its strategic goals in shaping the future of the youth of the UAE. The exhibition showcases the most important educational opportunities around the world, advanced science fields, and future professions and skills. Dr Al Badi said: "Today, we celebrate the bronze jubilee, which confirms the continuation of the exhibition and the accompanying Middle East Youth Conference, the sustainability of the achievements of success, and the provision of services and facilities to students in the UAE. On the sidelines of the Education Interface Exhibition, the Middle East Youth Conference commenced a new session, featuring discussion panels and innovative laboratories with the participation of government figures, experts, specialists, and academics from public and private sector institutions. On the first day, Hessa bint Issa Buhumaid, Director General of Community Development in Dubai, spoke about empowering youth in government work. Jamal Buhwaireb, Executive Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, presented a paper titled ''Sustainability in Knowledge''. Dr Wadima Ghanem Al Dhaheri, a member of the Board of Directors of Bin Hamoodah Group and a faculty member at Mohammed bin Zayed University for the Humanities, addressed youth empowerment and private sector participation. Noura Al Rayasi, Head of the Talent, Institutional Development and Emiratisation Department at First Abu Dhabi Bank, also spoke on the same topic. (ANI/WAM) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) London, May 27 (AP) British opposition leader Keir Starmer made his first major speech of the UK election campaign Monday, telling undecided voters that they can trust his Labour Party to safeguard the country's economy, borders and security. Starmer is the favourite to win the July 4 election, with polls giving Labour a double-digit lead over the governing Conservatives under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Also Read | North Korea Plans To Launch Rocket Soon, Likely Carrying Its Second Military Spy Satellite. But many electors remain undecided, and Starmer sought to address a perception that the left-of-centre Labour Party is weaker on defence and security than the centre-right Conservatives. The very foundation of any good government is economic security, border security, national security, Starmer said during a speech in the seaside town of Lancing on England's south coast. This is the foundation, the bedrock that our manifesto and our first steps, will be built upon. Also Read | Pakistan Fire: Nearly 1,400 Girl Students Escape From School Building Engulfed by Massive Blaze in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Starmer accused the Conservatives of presiding over desperate chaos. Britain's first election since 2019 follows several turbulent years that saw a global pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Those international crises were exacerbated by problems of the Conservatives' own making: a slew of ethics scandals that topped Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022, and the disastrous economic policies of his successor Liz Truss, who lasted only 49 days in office. Sunak had until December to call an election and took most people including those in his own party by surprise when he announced last week that the vote would be held on July 4. Voters will elect lawmakers to fill all 650 seats in the House of Commons. The leader of the party that can command a Commons majority either alone or in coalition will become prime minister. The Conservatives, who have been in office for 14 years, are trying to overcome a widespread sense that voters want change, and Sunak's campaign got off to a faltering start. His announcement outside 10 Downing Street saw him drenched with rain and drowned out by protesters blasting a Labour campaign song. Sunak grabbed weekend headlines with an announcement that all 18-year-olds in Britain will have to perform a year of mandatory military or civilian national service if the Conservatives are reelected. The prime minister said the program would help create a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country. The party faced questions about how the program would work and whether it could be made compulsory. Starmer said the announcement reflected the Conservatives' desperation to shore up its vote. Labour has lost four consecutive elections, in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019, and party leaders are wary of taking their poll lead for granted. Starmer, a lawyer and former chief prosecutor for England and Wales, remains an unknown quantity to many voters. In his speech he stressed his working-class roots as the son of a toolmaker and a nurse who was the first in his family to go to university. He said he had transformed Labour, moving it to the centre ground after taking over as leader in 2020 from staunch socialist Jeremy Corbyn. Whatever the polls say, I know there are countless people who haven't decided how they'll vote in this election, Starmer said. They're fed up with the failure, chaos and division of the Tories, but they still have questions about us: has Labour changed enough? Do I trust them with my money, our borders, our security? My answer is yes you can, because I have changed this party, permanently, he added. This is my vision: a Britain once more in the service of working people. Country first, party second. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Madrid, May 27 (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday secured from Spain a pledge of additional air defense missiles to help fight the about 3,000 bombs that he said Russia launches every month at Ukraine as the war stretches into its third year. However, Ukraine still urgently needs another seven US-made Patriot air defence systems to stop Russia hitting the power grid and civilian areas, as well as military targets, with devastating glide bombs that wreak wide destruction, Zelenskyy said. Also Read | North Korea Plans To Launch Rocket Soon, Likely Carrying Its Second Military Spy Satellite. If we had these modern Patriot systems, (Russian) airplanes wouldn't be able to fly close enough to drop the (glide) bombs on the civilian population and the military, Zelenskyy told a news conference in the Spanish capital. Glide bombs are heavy Soviet-era bombs fitted with precision guidance systems and launched from aircraft flying out of range of air defences. The bombs weigh more than a ton and blast targets to smithereens, leaving a huge crater. Also Read | Pakistan Fire: Nearly 1,400 Girl Students Escape From School Building Engulfed by Massive Blaze in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Two Patriot systems are needed to protect the northeastern Kharkiv region, where the Kremlin's forces launched a cross-border offensive on May 10 that left Ukrainian troops reeling, Zelenskyy said. The death toll from a glide bomb attack on a Kharkiv shopping mall Saturday rose to 18, regional Gov Oleh Syniehubov said Monday, with five people still missing. The Kharkiv push has further strained Ukraine's already depleted army, which in recent months has been fighting Russia's intense drive deeper into the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region. Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the Kremlin's army is mustering at another point in Russia, farther north but close to the approximately 1,000-km (600-mile) front line, aiming to stretch Ukraine's depleted army thinner and crack its resistance in the area. Zelenskyy and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez signed a bilateral security agreement that allocates 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) of military aid to Ukraine in 2024, and 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) by 2027. More Leopard tanks and artillery ammunition also feature in the package. After more than two years (of war), Russia's aggression continues, and that's why it is more necessary than ever to redouble our support, Sanchez told the joint news conference. The Patriot is a surface-to-air guided missile system that was first deployed in the 1980s and can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles. It is expensive but is effective and sought after by armies around the world. European countries have hesitated to send Patriot systems to Ukraine, fearing they may need them. Spain's King Felipe VI earlier welcomed Zelenskyy at the capital's Barajas airport. Zelenskyy was due in neighboring Portugal on Tuesday. He had been due to visit Spain earlier this month but postponed all his foreign trips after Russia launched its offensive in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine has repeatedly tried to strike behind Russian lines, often with drones, though Russia's response to the new technology used in unmanned vehicles has improved in recent months. A Ukrainian long-range drone set a new distance record by attacking overnight an early-warning radar in the Russian city of Orsk, some 1,800 km (1,120 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Ukrainian officials claimed. The operation was conducted by Ukraine's military intelligence, GUR, an intelligence official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to comment publicly. Ukraine's previous long-range attack record was at 1,500 km (930 miles) when a drone struck an oil refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan on May 9. It was not immediately possible to verify either claim. Meanwhile, a Western intelligence assessment suggested that Russia's Kharkiv offensive has subsided. The northern Kharkiv front has likely stabilised with Russian territorial control fragmented and not joined up, the UK Defence Ministry said Sunday. Russia's gains in this axis will be limited in the coming week, as Russia's initial momentum has been contained by Ukrainian resistance. That is in line with Zelenskyy's claim last Friday that Ukrainian forces have secured combat control of areas where Russian troops entered the Kharkiv region. The onslaught unfolding as the weather improves has brought Ukraine's biggest military test since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Slow deliveries of support by its Western partners, especially a lengthy delay in US military aid, have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russia's bigger army and air force. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Geneva [Switzerland], May 27 (ANI): The World Health Organization has launched a new 'Investment Round' aiming to raise USD 7 billion of funds. This comes ahead of the 77th World Health Assembly that begins Monday at the headquarters of the 194-member strong United States agency. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday said that the commitment increases would contribute USD 4 billion to the agency's budget of USD11.1 billion over the four years from 2025-through 2028. Also Read | Brazil Floods: Death Toll From Storms and Floods in Rio Grande Do Sul Rises to 169. Taking to his social media platform X, the WHO chief said that the world is facing a difficult time with multiple overlapping challenges of conflict, climate change, displacement, poverty, inequality, polarization, disease outbreaks, the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions. "The WHO Investment Round aims to mobilize USD 7 billion dollars over four years to support countries to respond to these challenges," Ghebreyesus posted on X. Also Read | Cyclone Remal: Seven Dead, 15 Million Without Power As Severe Cyclone Remal Lashes Coasts of Bangladesh With Devastating Winds. Addressing a media briefing last week, the WHO chief stated that the 'Investment Round' is designed to ensure that voluntary contributions, which are currently the majority of the WHO funding, will be more predictable, flexible, and sustainable. "Our new Investment Case outlines why and how supporting WHO is essential for progress in global health and saving millions of lives. It will be launched on May 28 during the Assembly," Tedros said. The 77th World Health Assembly is being held in Geneva from May 27 to June 1 with the theme "All for Health, Health for All." The Investment Round is the result of recommendations by the WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing and was approved at the 154th Meeting of the WHO Executive Board in January 2024. It will secure funding for WHO's strategy, the 14th General Programme of Work. During Sunday's event, Brazil announced that as part of its G20 presidency, the country will host high-level events including at the Leaders' Summit in November to support the Investment Round and rally countries to join the initiative. Qatar Minister of Health Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari announced a contribution of USD 4 million in fully flexible funds to the Investment Round, and an intention to contribute further. "Health care is a fundamental human right and we must continue to invest in the World Health Organization to safeguard our health. Unity is the key to our success," Dr Mohamed Al Kuwari said according to a statement by WHO. France, Germany, and Norway announced that they would serve as co-hosts for the Investment Round. The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. In last week's media briefing, the WHO chief said that during the Assembly, the UN agency will be launching a new global health strategy - developed in partnership with 194 Member States and partners - which sets a course for getting the world back on track to hit the health related-Sustainable Development Goals. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Johnny Wactor, known for his appearance in General Hospital, has died after being shot in Los Angeles. Wactor's mother told TMZ that her son was shot on Saturday morning in downtown Los Angeles after he and his friends witnessed three individuals tampering with his vehicle. The suspects are said to have attempted to steal a catalytic converter. Wactor is renowned for his role as Brando Corbin in the show General Hospital. His other acting credits include Westworld, The OA, Station 19, Criminal Minds, NCIS and Hollywood Girl. Wactor was 37 at the time of his demise. Meg Bennett, Writer for ABCs General Hospital, Dies at 75. Johnny Wactor Dies at 37 After Being Fatally Shot Johnny Wactor, best known as Brando Corbin in 'General Hospital,' has been shot and killed in Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/2iAhsJodXd BNO News (@BNONews) May 26, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) In the latest development in the Pune Porsche Accident case, Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said that the blood sample of the minor accused taken at Sassoon Hospital on May 19 was thrown in a dustbin of the hospital. Kumar also said that a blood sample of another person was taken and sent to the forensic lab. The Pune police commissioner said that Sassoon Hospital's CMO Srihari Halnor replaced the minor accused's blood sample with another person's. During the investigation, the police also found that Srihari Halnor replaced the blood sample on the instructions of Ajay Tawre, HOD of the Forensic Medicine Department of the hospital. Pune Porsche Accident Case: Two Doctors of Sassoon General Hospital Arrested on Charges of Manipulating Blood Samples, Evidence Destruction. Minor Accused's Blood Sample Thrown in Dustbin Pune car accident case | Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar says "On 19th May, at around 11 am the blood sample which was taken at Sassoon Hospital was thrown in a dustbin of the hospital and the blood sample of another person was taken and sent to the forensic lab...CMO pic.twitter.com/PzGBNx1okH ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) New Delhi, May 27: Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, is facing a significant challenge as a proxy advisory firm, Glass Lewis, has urged Tesla shareholders to reject the USD 56 billion pay package. This package, if approved, would be the largest pay deal for a CEO in corporate America. According to a report of Reuters, Glass Lewis has advised Tesla shareholders to reject Elon Musk's USD 56 billion pay package. Glass Lewis's advice could influence the upcoming vote at Tesla's annual stockholder gathering. The Glass Lewis, in its recommendation, it mentioned several reasons like the enormous magnitude of the pay agreement, concentrated ownership and dilution upon exercise among others. The company also cited a number of Elon Musk's time-consuming projects, including his acquisition of Twitter, which is now known as X. Elon Musks AI Company xAI Raises USD 6 Billion To Boost Research and Development of Future Technology. In 2008, Elon Musk took over as CEO of Tesla. Over the past few years, he's steered the firm to better outcomes from a 2.2 billion dollar loss in 2018 to a USD 15 billion profit margin. The original pay deal was voided by a Delaware court in January and then Elon Musk started proceedings to relocate Tesla's domicile state from Delaware to Texas. Glass Lewis, too, criticised this proposed move to Texas as it would have "uncertain benefits and additional risk" for shareholders. Elon Musk Plans xAI Supercomputer To Power Groks Next Version; Check Details. Shareholders have been urged by Tesla to restate their approval of the compensation plan. Robyn Denholm also said that Elon Musk should be rewarded with this pay package because the company met expectations regarding revenue and its stock price targets. The close affiliation between Tesla's board of directors and the billionaire has been also criticised. The pay package does not involve a salary or cash bonuses but it instead bases its rewards on Tesla's rising market value. Currently, the company is valued at approximately USD 571.6 billion. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 27, 2024 08:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). FOR THE RECORD: Michael Richards: The Sunday Conversation with actor Michael Richards in the Dec. 1 Calendar section misidentified his wife as Ann Talman. He is married to Beth Skipp. Talman is an ex-girlfriend. Three-time Emmy winner and Seinfeld star Michael Richards talks about his return to network television as eccentric chauffeur Frank Baxter in TV Lands Kirstie (premiering Wednesday), his first series since his infamous N-word rant at a black heckler at the Laugh Factory in 2006. Tell me about your character. What kind of input did you have in shaping him? Everything I suggested came into the script. I wanted to bring him certain character touches, like I wanted the character to be on medicinal marijuana. Advertisement Why was that? Because its a fact of life in California? Its all over the country. A big cultural movement taking place. And I just thought he should be on medicinal marijuana on his time off. I didnt want to have him drinking. Kirsties character drinks. PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of movies and TV Advertisement Well, your character drives. He doesnt use it while hes driving or on the job. We did do an episode where its a comedy of errors and he had to drive. Something came up as an emergency. I wanted to handle it as carefully as possible, so that hes mindful of the use of this stuff. Had you been going after parts or did you decide that now was the right time to attempt a comeback? Advertisement Well, I wasnt attempting a comeback. Like, Ive got to get back is not my style. I did step away from show business for years. I wasnt even living in Los Angeles. I was living in Connecticut, and we had a place in New York. My wife [Ann Talman] was going to school there, and I studied for years photography. I was hanging out with accomplished photographers and going out daily, probably minimally two hours a day. I did this for a number of years. I had a small studio and an assistant and I collect my work. And I was taking photography very, very seriously. I didnt have my mind on show business at all. Do you show your work? No, I always felt like I wanted to put in a lot of years before I had my first show. I just felt it was impertinent to have a show after a year, a year and a half. PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times When did you decide to go back into show business? We moved back to Los Angeles Ive been with this gal for 11 years and we got married three years ago, and I have a 2-year-old son. My agent in New York suggested I hook up with the agency [Abrams] here. Advertisement I went on two auditions before Kirstie within the four months that I was here. And I was terrible. I didnt feel connected to the material through the format of auditioning, sitting in a chair with everybody looking at me. I thought it went badly. And this Kirstie project came up. They wanted me to read, so when I went in, I was determined to make up for the last.... I didnt care if I even got the part. All I was focused on was doing an audition where I could walk away and say, That was fine. I want to talk to you about the aftermath of the Laugh Factory event. A few days afterward, you apologized on David Letterman to everyone who took the brunt of that anger and hate and rage. Did you figure out where that came from? Yeah, anger. When it gets the best of you, for me, as it was displayed, oh, my goodness, I said a lot of stupid things, didnt I? So to be caught up in anger is not a good thing. Did people avoid you after that? I avoided people. I moved out of Los Angeles and lived in Mexico for a little while before I went to live in New York. I didnt expect anyone in Hollywood to hire me, and I didnt feel I was in any condition to perform. The business wasnt with me really before the incident, which was one of the reasons I went into the club environment, to build my own project. Do you think you were typecast? Advertisement Possibly. That Kramer character was huge, and I think a lot of people didnt know where you go after that. I never had anyone tell me that, but I noticed that after Seinfeld I didnt really get much. And then I did a show called The Michael Richards Show [in 2000], which didnt do very well. I think we did seven episodes and then I signaled to NBC that I really wanted to end this. And I just left show business then. I wasnt concerned about career after that club incident. I was more concerned with understanding myself. That to me was the part to be played now. I didnt need an audience or a public. I didnt need awards or agents or contracts and lawyers. I read that you went to Cambodia for spiritual healing. I hooked up with a group that was touring temples that I knew about in Los Angeles, but I wasnt really a follower. At the time I was and still am very interested in architecture. And the orientation of temples fascinates me, the kind of mathematical know-how that went into those temples. And it does have spiritual significance. I was up for dealing with the nature of anger, and in myself Im looking at collective anger, what constitutes the nature of war and striking out against other people because theyre not liked or should be punished. I was a miniature of that. So I rolled up my sleeves and spent some time looking at the nature of anger, and watching it very, very closely. What kinds of things throughout the day bothered me? I was stepping back and just watching myself, and I still do that. Its my way of taking note of this creature that I am. I learned to watch or even create the behavior for a character as an actor. So the tools for the work I did in becoming familiar with a text, a play, a character and so forth were applied to myself. That event at the club sent me off on a quest. calendar@latimes.com Belize, situated in northern Central America, lies just below Mexico. It borders the Caribbean Sea to the east and Guatemala to the west. Known as the heart of the ancient Mayan civilization, Belize boasts numerous historical sites like cities, temples, and pyramids. It's home to over 2 million Mayan Indians. Besides ancient ruins, modern Belize landmarks include Government House and St. John's Cathedral. The Mayan civilization has left a lasting imprint on the landscape, which is evident in some Belize Mayan sites. Altun Ha Altun Ha, located 31 miles north of Belize City along the Old Northern Highway, is accessible via a short dirt road, Belize.com noted. The area is abundant with diverse wildlife, including armadillos, bats, squirrels, and over 200 bird species. Large crocodiles inhabit man-made water reservoirs nearby. During the Maya Classic Period, Altun Ha flourished as a significant ceremonial and trading center, featuring two main plazas. One of its most renowned treasures is the Maya Jade Head, a monumental artifact depicting the Sun God Kinich Ahua, revered as Belize's largest jade object and a highlight of Maya civilization. To visit Altun Ha from Belize City, travelers should head north on the Northern Highway for approximately 30 minutes beyond Sandhill Village. Upon reaching the Old Northern Highway, turn right and continue for 14 miles. Then, turn left onto Rockstone Pond Road and proceed 2 miles to arrive at the reserve. READ NEXT: Must-Visit Landmarks in El Salvador for Every Tourist Caracol Caracol, located in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve on the western edge of the Maya Mountains, sits atop a plateau 500m above sea level. Discovered in 1938 by logger Rosa Mai, it was named 'Caracol' by Archaeological Commissioner A.H. Anderson that year. Despite its remoteness, Caracol offers a scenic drive, currently being paved as of 2020, according to Adequate Travel. It's Belize's largest Maya center, featuring "Canaa" (Sky Place), a towering pyramid standing at 140 feet. Ongoing excavations uncover numerous carved monuments and an impressive main reservoir, highlighting advanced ancient engineering. Caracol has a historic rivalry with Tikal in nearby Guatemala. To reach Caracol from San Ignacio town, a journey of approximately 2 and half hours via Cristo Rey Road and Mountain Pine Ridge leads to Douglas D'Silva Forest Station, then another 45-minute drive to the Caracol Archaeological Reserve. Xunantunich Xunantunich, known as "maiden of the rock" in Maya, is located on the Western Highway across from San Jose Succotz village. Accessible daily via ferry from 8 am to 5 pm, it offers views of the Mopan River and spans a core area of 300 square meters with extensive surrounding grounds. The main palace features an astronomical frieze, and its tallest ruin reaches 133 feet, the second tallest in Belize. Adorned with well-preserved sun god masks, Xunantunich includes six major plazas, over 25 temples and palaces, and a new museum, drawing many visitors. The Belize Tourism Development Project has invested significantly in excavating and improving access to the site, per Travel Drafts. To visit, take the Western Highway 70 miles to Santa Elena, then head towards Succotz village before Benque Viejo del Carmen. Cross the free ferry and drive three minutes to reach Xunantunich. READ MORE: Historical Sites to Visit in the Cayman Islands This is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Climb Ancient Temples in Belize's Maya Ruins - FromNational Geographic Donald Trump recently made an appearance at the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday, and it did not go as he planned. The former president is known to avoid hostile crowds and only surround himself with supporters and sycophants. This did not happen during the event as the Libertarian crowd heckled and booed him, with many jeering and calling him a "wannabe dictator." Donald Trump is trying to court the Libertarian crowd, which is actually not a big fan of his COVID-19 vaccine, blaming him for its creation when he was president and not doing much e to stop public health restrictions on the unvaccinated after it was rolled out. The boos and jeers started as soon as Trump took the stage, though there was a smaller section of MAGA loyalists who still cheered him on and even clashed with those booing their dear leader, per Reuters. Trump tried to push back, pointing out that Libertarians often do dismally in the election, only garnering 1.2% of the national vote in 2020 or about 1.8 million votes. Despite this, Trump still needed their votes to beat President Joe Biden in a very tight race, but he still tried to antagonize them as they booed. "Only if you want to win. Only if you want to win. Maybe you don't want to win. Maybe you don't want to win. Only do that if you want to win. If you want to lose, don't do that," Trump said, antagonizing the crowd that he wants to vote for him. "Keep getting your 3% every four years." He still tried to appeal to the Libertarian crowd, though, saying, "The Libertarian Party can make a big difference. If we unite we will be unstoppable," before pledging to add a Libertarian to his cabinet. This was met with chants of "bulls*t!" from the hostile crowd. READ MORE: Donald Trump Lawyers Rest Their Case in Porn Star Hush Money Trial Without Former President Testifying Libertarians Also Being Wooed by Donald Trump Rival, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Donald Trump proclaimed that he is now a Libertarian, but he may not become their nominee as Libertarian Party Chair Angela McArdle ruled that same day that the former president p was not qualified to be the party's nominee because he did not submit nominating papers. Still, Trump made excuses and stated he would have gotten their nomination if he filed it, despite the massive boos and jeers. According to The Guardian, Robert Kennedy Jr gave his own Libertarian convention speech at the convention before Trump. He told the party in a statement which reads, "While we may not agree on every downstream issue, our core values of peace, free speech, and civil liberties make us natural allies." Potential Donald Trump Vice President Tim Scott Defends Ex-POTUS After He Got Booed Soon after the raucous boos Donald Trump received, his sycophants immediately came to the rescue, including one of his potential vice presidents, Tim Scott, who dismissed the negative reactions to the man he is courting for the position. "Well, I saw a wave of red hats at the Libertarian convention. Donald Trump's popularity continues to increase, but then he's not just going to the Libertarian convention," he said. "He's also doing rallies in [the] Bronx. He's doing something, what I consider a 50-state strategy." "So I give him a lot of credit and going to places where Republicans have not gone before. If we're going to win this election cycle, we must go where we're not invited," added the Florida Republican. "And to see the former president take that seriously is, in my opinion, a strong sign and one of the reasons why ... we are seeing the poll numbers moving in his direction." READ MORE: Donald Trump, Fox News Ridiculed for Overreaction to FBI Standard Protocol, Claiming Joe Biden Wanted Him Assassinated This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Trump Gets MERCILESSLY BOOED at Speech - MeidasTouch A Chilean judge ordered the detention of a volunteer firefighter and a former forestry official for allegedly planning and causing a massive Chile wildfire in Valparaiso. The February blaze resulted in 137 deaths and left 16,000 people homeless. The court ruled the two men could be held for 180 days during the investigation. Francisco Mondaca, a 22-year-old volunteer Chile firefighter, is the main suspect, with flares and fireworks found in his vehicle. Franco Pinto, a former National Forest Corporation (CONAF) employee, is accused of planning the arson. Regional prosecutor Claudia Perivancich stated the act was premeditated, waiting for the right weather conditions. Mondaca testified there was an economic incentive to increase firefighting service demand, AP News reports. Meanwhile, prosecutors have not ruled out additional suspects. READ NEXT: Chile Wildfire Update: 122 Dead, Hundreds Still Missing Community Reaction and Organizational Response Vicente Maggiolo, commander of the Valparaiso Fire Department, expressed deep dismay over the incident but emphasized it should not tarnish the department's 170-year reputation for saving lives, according to BBC. "We are completely devastated by what happened; it is a totally isolated incident," Maggiolo said. "We have served Valparaiso for more than 170 years and cannot allow such things," he added. Christian Little, executive director of the forestry department, called the situation a significant blow to the agency. Both departments plan to tighten hiring procedures to prevent future incidents. The catastrophic Chile wildfire began on February 2 in the Lago Penuelas nature reserve in central, rapidly spreading and destroying over 10,000 homes. This disaster is Chile's worst since the 2010 earthquake. Prosecutors presented evidence that Chile firefighter Francisco Mondaca and ex-Chile forestry official Franco Pinto conspired to start the fires using devices made from cigarettes and matches. Authorities linked Mondaca to six other fires in the region, further implicating him in a series of arson incidents. Forensic Evidence and Suspects' Activities Ivan Navarro, chief of the environmental crime investigation authority, explained how detectives reconstructed Chile firefighter Francisco Mondaca's actions before, during, and after the fire, pinpointing where the fires started and discovering the devices used. Ex-Chile forestry official Franco Pinto provided the knowledge and timing to maximize the damage. The Chile wildfire caused widespread devastation, with firefighters struggling to access affected areas due to narrow streets and charred vehicles. Hot and windy conditions exacerbated the fire's spread, Aljazeera noted. Interior Minister Carolina Toha emphasized that the arrests serve as justice and reparation for the victims. Vina del Mar Mayor Macarena Ripamonti confirmed the intentional nature of the fire, bringing closure to the communities. Both the fire department and forestry agency are reviewing and strengthening their hiring and operational procedures to prevent future incidents. The arrests mark a significant development in the investigation. Authorities focus on delivering justice and implementing measures to prevent future disasters, highlighting the community's resilience and commitment to ensuring a safer future. READ MORE: Haiti: American Couple Among 3 Missionaries Slain by Gunmen This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Dozens killed in Chile wildfires - From CBS Evening News China and Guatemala's new center-left President Bernardo Arevalo are not seeing eye-to-eye right now as the CCP-run country rejected entry to some shipments from Guatemala. Macadamia nuts and coffee shipments from Guatemala to China were reportedly rejected to enter the communist Asian giant. Guatemala's exporters' association reported that China rejected entry to at least seven containers of macadamia nuts, with traders being told that Guatemalan macadamia and coffee would be denied entry. This came after President Bernardo Arevalo reaffirmed Guatemala's support to Taiwan on a platform that was run by a Chinese company, TikTok, according to the Taiwanese newspaper, the Taipei Times. Arevalo was in a live question-and-answer session on TikTok when he addressed the Taiwan issue. "As you know, the inauguration of the new Taiwanese government, which Guatemala has ties with, was a few days ago," he said on the China-run platform. "There could be some dispute with China related to this." Arevalo stated that the rejection of Guatemalan goods might have something to do with his country's continued support for Taiwan, which is something of a sore spot for Beijing, which continues to claim the independent and democratic Asian island nation as its own. The Guatemalan president added that he and the government are working to resolve the trade issue with China but have not yet received any response from the Communist government. Despite the disagreements the two countries have over Taiwan, Guatemala still exported $82 million worth of goods to China last year. Guatemala Government Under Bernardo Arevalo Repeatedly Sent Support to Taiwan The ties between Guatemala and Taiwan run deep, and Bernardo Arevalo is only continuing that tradition, which has always irked China as it thumped the so-called "One China Policy," which claims that Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, as part of one country, which is the People's Republic of China. READ MORE: TikTok Sues US Government To Halt Law That Could Ban Platform from the Country As Reuters has noted, Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez was in Taipei for the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Monday. Lai Ching-te is an ardent opponent of Communist China and has been loud in his opposition to Beijing. Meanwhile, Arevalo publicly thanked and offered his "staunch support" to Lai. He also called for the "further strengthening of ties" between the two countries. Taiwanese Ambassador Comments on Taiwan's Ties with Guatemala Before the new president's inauguration, Miguel Tsao, who serves as Taiwan's Ambassador to Guatemala, stated that "Taiwan is the gateway to Asia, while Guatemala is the gateway to Central and Latin America." He added that the two countries share "the common values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights" before thanking the overseas Taiwanese community in Guatemala and introducing new President Lai before them during an event. Lai spoke in a video call. The event in Guatemala was soon followed by Communist China accusing Taiwan of dealing in "dollar diplomacy" with the Central American country, claiming "Taiwan had maintained political support from Guatemala by paying off its politicians," something Communist China is infamous for doing in Latin America and Africa. China's foreign ministry made the accusation but did not present any evidence regarding this. READ MORE: TikTok Ban: House Republicans Move Ahead With Vote Despite Donald Trump Opposition and Joe Biden Support This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Guatemalan president pledges "unconditional support" for Taiwan - CNA A significant development in the fight against drug trafficking has unfolded with the extradition of Nestor Isidro Perez Salas, also known as "El Nini," from Mexico to the United States. El Nini, a prominent figure in the Sinaloa drug cartel, faced multiple charges related to his alleged role in the fentanyl trade and other criminal activities, CNN reports. US President Joe Biden praised the extradition as "a good day for justice," highlighting the close cooperation between the US and Mexico authorities in apprehending El Nini. The extradition represents a crucial step in holding accountable those involved in transnational drug trafficking operations. READ NEXT: Mexico National Guard Seizes Alleged 'Chapitos' Security Chief El Nini Criminal Charges and Allegations El Nini was accused in the United States of leading roles in illicit fentanyl trafficking, as well as conspiracies involving cocaine and methamphetamine. His criminal portfolio also included charges for possession of illegal firearms and devices and retaliation against witnesses critical to the cartel's operations. The Sinaloa drug cartel, notorious for its global drug trafficking network, relied on El Nini as one of its lead sicarios, or assassins. His responsibilities allegedly extended to overseeing the security operations for the sons of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, a pivotal figure in the cartel's history. The cartel's factions, including the "Los Chapitos," have been identified as major distributors of fentanyl into the United States, according to AP News. El Nini, aged 31 at the time of his capture in November, had been a high-priority target for law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border. The US State Department had offered a substantial reward of up to $3 million for information leading to his arrest. Mexico authorities apprehended him in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, where he had operated within the cartel's stronghold. Impact of Fentanyl Trafficking Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid significantly more potent than morphine, has been linked to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually in the United States alone. Its proliferation through illicit channels has posed a grave public health threat, prompting intensified efforts to curb its production, smuggling, and distribution. According to the indictment against El Nini, his involvement in the Sinaloa cartel included orchestrating acts of violence such as torture, kidnapping, and murder against rival traffickers and witnesses. His leadership of the Ninis, a specialized security team within the cartel, underscored his role in maintaining the organization's operational security and dominance. President Biden underscored the ongoing commitment of the US and Mexico governments to combat the fentanyl and synthetic drug epidemic collaboratively. The extradition of El Nini symbolizes a joint effort to dismantle transnational criminal networks responsible for perpetrating violence and endangering communities on both sides of the border, BBC noted. The extradition of El Nini represents a significant milestone in the international fight against drug trafficking. It signifies not only a triumph of justice but also a resolute message that individuals engaged in such illicit activities will be pursued and held accountable, regardless of their geographic reach or operational scale. As efforts continue to disrupt and dismantle criminal enterprises like the Sinaloa drug cartel, the collaboration between nations remains essential in safeguarding public safety and addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by illicit drugs. READ MORE: Mexico: Cartel Forces Payment for Wi-Fi Under Threat This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Drug cartel assassin extradited to the United States - From KVUE Former Rhode Island Representative Patrick Kennedy, a prominent mental health advocate and cousin of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced his endorsement of President Joe Biden's reelection campaign. Kennedy made his endorsement during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," where he discussed his new book, "Profiles in Mental Health Courage," and emphasized Biden's commitment to addressing mental health issues. Kennedy expressed his unequivocal support for Biden, stating, "There is no other choice than Joe Biden," during the conversation with CNN's Dana Bash, The Hill reports. He highlighted Biden's track record as the best president on mental health issues and praised his significant investments in community mental health services across the country. Kennedy's endorsement underscored the critical importance of Biden's candidacy in addressing the addiction and mental health crises facing the nation. READ NEXT: Kennedy Family Endorses Joe Biden Concerns Over Democracy During the interview, Patrick Kennedy voiced concerns about the potential consequences of a second term for former President Donald Trump, characterizing it as a threat to democracy. He urged Americans to vote for Biden and democracy over autocracy, emphasizing the need to safeguard democratic values and institutions, according to USA Today. Kennedy's endorsement of Biden came amidst speculation about the impact of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent presidential bid on the upcoming presidential election. Concerns were raised that RFK Jr.'s candidacy could potentially serve as a spoiler, diverting votes away from the major contenders. Kennedy highlighted the importance of defeating Trump and preventing any threats to democracy posed by his potential reelection. Kennedy Family Dynamics The endorsement by Patrick Kennedy aligned with the sentiments expressed by other members of the Kennedy family, who had previously endorsed Biden over RFK Jr. Kerry Patrick Kennedy, another prominent member of the family, emphasized the unity of the Kennedy family in supporting Biden's candidacy. Despite the familial ties, Kerry Kennedy underscored the urgency of supporting Biden to uphold the values championed by her father and uncles. Kerry Kennedy acknowledged the emotional complexity of opposing her brother's presidential ambitions, describing it as a heart-wrenching experience, Fox News noted. Despite her deep affection for her brother, Kerry emphasized her commitment to supporting Joe Biden and preventing another term for Trump. She emphasized the shared belief within the family in the high stakes of the presidential election and the need to prioritize the country's well-being. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy has been marked by controversy due to his embrace of conspiracy theories and controversial stances on vaccines. The family members, including Christopher G. Kennedy, expressed concern over the potential association of the Kennedy name with fringe thinking and unsound judgment. Despite their efforts to distance themselves from RFK Jr.'s views, they faced public scrutiny and criticism. Former Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy's endorsement of President Joe Biden highlighted the unity within the Kennedy family in supporting Biden's reelection bid. Kennedy's endorsement underscored Biden's leadership on mental health issues and the imperative of preserving democracy in the face of potential threats. As the election approaches, the dynamics within the Kennedy family reflect the broader tensions and stakes of the political landscape. READ MORE: Ohio Governor Guarantees Joe Biden's Ballot Placement, Calls for Special Session This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Kennedy family members endorse Biden over Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - From ABC News Yet another deadly incident involving a bus has happened in Peru, a country that has become infamous for bus crashes that have already killed hundreds of people this year. This time, the incident happened after a bus collided with a train in La Oroya, located 177 kilometers, or 110 miles from Lima. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications of Peru released a statement that said that the cause of the deadly collision is still under investigation. The ministry added that both the bus and the cargo train were privately operated and had all the required permits. Four people lost their lives in the incident, while 30 others were injured. The Peruvian Ministry of Transportation and Communications did not release the names of those who died, according to the Associated Press. As for those who were injured, the ministry confirmed that all 30 were taken to a nearby hospital, though the severity of their injuries was not revealed to the public yet. Highway Police Cmdr. Justo Venero stated in an interview with a local radio station that the deadly collision happened in an area that has speed-limit and train-crossing road signs The police commander added that the train driver had told authorities that t its "audible and visible signals" were on when the two massive vehicles collided. The bus itself was traveling from Lima and was on its way to the city of Huancayo. Authorities soon released images of the accident, with the bus being overturned on the Central Highway. Another Peru Bus Incident Left 16 Dead Just the Week Before Peru has plenty of mountainous roads and this has led to several bus accidents. Just a week before the crash in La Oroya, an even deadlier bus crash happened, this one killing 16 people in the mountainous Ayacucho region, deep in the Andes. READ MORE: Peru Lawmakers Try To Oust President Dina Boluarte Again as Rolex Scandal Continues The bus had been carrying over 40 passengers when it rolled off a ledge and overturned, killing 16 people and injuring dozens of others. Authorities initially found 13 dead bodies but soon confirmed that a total of 16 people had died in that deadly bus crash, according to Yahoo! News. Ayacucho official Wiber Vega noted that the bus was traveling from Lima to the city of Ayacucho along Libertadores highway when it overturned and rolled down a slope, landing upside down. Rescue crews arrived soon after, but the recovery of the remaining bodies was delayed due to hail. Another Peru Bus Crash Happened a Month Before, and It Was Even Deadlier An even deadlier crash happened a month before the train-bus collision that happened last week. It also happened in the Andean region, in the e town of Sorochuco, where a bus overturned and crashed down a slope into a river, according to Reuters. A total of 25 people died during that bus crash, with 13 people injured. Peru's roads are known to be deadly, often leading to these crashes, as its winding mountain roads often lead to vehicles crashing into the ravines below. READ NEXT: Peru: Former Intelligence Chief to Dictator Alberto Fujimori Gets 19-Year Prison Sentence Over Deaths of Farmers This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: At least 24 killed in Peru bus crash - Arirang News Bethlehem hosted its annual Memorial Day parade on Monday in one of several Lehigh Valley events that brought residents, veterans, active military and community groups together to remember those who gave their lives in defense of the country. The parade was expected to feature 60 trumpeters playing taps along the parade route, which went from Nisky Hill Cemetery to Memorial Park Cemetery in the city. Lehighvalleylive.com freelance photographer Donna Fisher was there to capture images of the parade. Click on the gallery above to see the photos. A forecast of severe weather Monday prompted some Memorial Day event organizers to cancel their events. Among them were parades in both Easton and Phillipsburg. The mayors have historically met annually to toss a memorial wreath into the Delaware River on the free bridge following the parade. A man has been arrested after another man died following an alleged assault in Co Kerry. Gardai and emergency services were alerted to the incident in the Knockanure village area on Monday at about 12.30am. A man aged in his 40s was discovered with fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. His body was taken to the mortuary at University Hospital Kerry for a post-mortem examination. The local coroner has been informed and the services of the state pathologist have been requested. The scene is currently being examined by the garda technical bureau. A man, aged in his 30s, has been arrested in connection with the incident and is currently detained at a garda station in Kerry. A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the inquiry and an incident room has been established at Listowel garda station. Gardai are appealing to the public for information in relation to the incident. Any road users who were travelling in the vicinity of Knockanure village between 12am and 1am, and may have camera footage, including dash cam, are asked to make this available. Anyone with information in relation to the incident is asked to contact Listowel garda station on 068 50820, the garda confidential line on 1800, 666 111 or any garda station. The vast tracts of former industrial bogs near Portlaoise could end up being a huge tourist attraction, locals now believe. Bord na Mona, the semi-state company who for decades harvested peat moss in Irish Bogs, including Cashel, Togher and Clonkeen, has recently agreed to leave their old train tracks in situ, which once carried the milled peat back to their factory in Togher. A local group of residents called the Portlaoise Bogs Group, gave their reaction to the Leinster Express / Laois Live. "Portlaoise Bogs Group consists of local groups and residents who are interested in engaging with BnM and other stakeholders to ensure that the vast peatlands around Portlaoise are protected, restored and developed in a sustainable way to maximise their economic, social and environmental potential for the community. "We envision a future where the area's rich natural, cultural and industrial heritage is celebrated and preserved for posterity. "The recent move by BnM to retain the rail beds connecting the three bogs, for development of a greenway, can only be welcomed. This is in line with BnM commitment to build spaces for recreation and discovery in local communities across the country, a spokesperson said. They describe the visitor potential they envisage. "The network of large, connected bogs in close proximity to Portlaoise, with its large urban population and excellent transport links, means that these peatlands hold immense potential to become a significant tourist attraction. Google Maps aerial view of Bord na Mona owned bogs south and west of Portlaoise. "Visitors could explore the bogs, walk along rail bridges, and immerse themselves in the rich natural and cultural heritage of the area. They could see for themselves where the first shot of the Easter Rising was fired, where the Cashel man bog body was found and discover the site of the Battle of the Pass of the Plumes. "As a community, we stand united in the belief that our local bogs are a valuable asset for current and future generations, offering opportunities that must be seized," the community say. Bord na Mona has other plans for part of the bogs which are not so welcomed by the Portlaoise community however. They plan to build a large anaerobic digester to generate renewable gas and fertiliser, on a 42 acres site at Cul na Mona cutaway bog near Junction 18 off the M7 motorway in Portlaoise. The project has been dubbed the Bog super dump by local opponents. They unsuccessfully objected to the plans via An Bord Pleanala. Comedian and TV host Patrick Kielty and former Irish president Mary Robinson are set to receive honorary doctorates from Ulster University. Artist Oliver Jeffers and Samantha Barry from US Glamour are also among this years cohort being honoured to inspire the universitys graduates. It comes during a year of celebrations marking 175 years of the Belfast School of Art at the university. Mr Jeffers said he is proud to return to Belfast School of Art this summer for the honour. He described the Belfast School of Art, where he once studied design for visual communication, as a facility that is intrinsic to the citys artistic and cultural heritage. Now dividing my time between Belfast and New York, this award strengthens my connection with the place where I grew up and I am grateful to Ulster University for the honour, he said. However, I do hope Im never on a flight when they ask if theres a doctor on board!. Ms Barry, originally from Co Cork and now based in New York where she is Glamours global editorial director for the Americas and transformed the titles annual women of the year awards to champion diversity, is being celebrated for her achievements in journalism. I am delighted to have been recognised by Ulster University for my work and so excited to be visiting this summer to join the occasion with thousands of graduates as they celebrate after years of hard work and prepare to embark on their careers, she said. Eamonn Mallie is being recognised for his significant contribution to journalism and broadcasting, Betty Carlisle is to be recognised for her work promoting shared education and empowering women from disadvantaged and deprived areas, and Sister Nuala Kelly for her outstanding contribution to the local community after transforming St Louisas College in west Belfast. Ulster University vice-chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew said they are aiming to celebrate inspirational local people making a global impact. Graduation is a special time of year as we celebrate our outstanding graduates as they come together with friends and family to mark their wonderful achievements, he said. We are committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders who will go on to make a genuine difference in their communities and respective professions in the years that follow their time at Ulster University. With that future in mind, it is a joy to celebrate the work of those inspirational and acclaimed local faces already making a global impact, and we are thrilled to bestow these honorary doctorates. These individuals are leaders in their fields and demonstrate great talent, creativity and integrity. We hope they will be an inspiration to the whole Ulster University community. The honorary doctorates will be conferred during summer graduations which take place from July 1 to 9 across Belfast, Coleraine and Londonderry. An Irish pub owner in Oklahoma is helping students pay their debts in memory of his late wife. Sean Cummings has helped clear the student lunch debts for thousands of students in honour of his late wife. Sean, who grew up in Kansas City, is the son of Irish parents, who hailed from Co Galway and Co Clare. His wife Cathy was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, and in her final days, she brainstormed about her legacy with Sean. We really couldnt come up with anything that could be solved. Rarely, in politics, do you get to do anything thats monumental, Sean told IrishStar. When the couple heard that a young mans high school transcript was being withheld because of a $2.50 in lunch debt, they were inspired to take action. They realised that if a student's transcript could be withheld over a tiny debt, there were likely more students who owed bigger amounts. At the same time, both Sean and Cathy, as Irish and Italian restaurant owners. I never thought wed get this far. I thought maybe like 10 grand - and mostly because people just loved her, he said. Cathy passed away on February 11, 2024 and Sean posted a GoFundMe page the following weekend. To date, they have paid off student lunch debt in around 46 schools in the state, which he has personally visited to make the donations - accompanied by his and Cathys dog. As of today we are at a total of $94,500. Were trying to increase that number to help a school that was affected by the tornado. They had their entire homes destroyed but still owe lunch debt, which is insane, said Sean. Chinese premier calls on enterprises of China, S. Korea to tap cooperation potential Xinhua) 13:37, May 27, 2024 SEOUL, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday called on enterprises of China and South Korea to tap deeper into their cooperation potential in new areas such as high-end manufacturing, digital economy, artificial intelligence, green development and biomedicine, so as to continuously upgrade bilateral economic and trade cooperation and achieve greater win-win cooperation. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Sanctions on Israel should not be off the table, the Irish premier has said as he accused the nations officials of ignoring international courts. It comes after an attack on Rafah in which dozens of people were killed at a camp for displaced people. It followed a Hamas rocket attack on Tel Aviv. Last week, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah. Ireland, Norway and Spain will formally recognise Palestinian statehood on Tuesday. Speaking at a joint press conference in Brussels, Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin said the move was in search of a fundamental paradigm shift between a peaceful two-state solution to the conflict. He added: Some have framed our decision to recognise the state of Palestine as a move to impose an outcome on the parties or as somehow a reward for terror. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have recognised both the State of Israel and the state of Palestine precisely because we want to see a future of normalised relations between the two peoples. Mr Martin said there can be no military solution to the conflict as he criticised any group using violence or terrorism to eliminate the state of Israel or Palestine. He said: I condemn the violence of yesterday. The rockets that were struck at Tel Aviv and the heinous attack on the Rafah tent refugee camp where innocent children and civilians were killed. He added: What we witnessed last night is barbaric. Gaza is a very small enclave, densely populated conurbation. One cannot bomb an area like that without shocking consequences in terms of innocent children and civilians. Mr Martin, the Irish foreign affairs minister, called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages. Elsewhere, Irish premier Simon Harris condemned the attack in Rafah as absolutely unimaginable and unconscionable. He said: Overnight we have seen Israel attack a displaced person centre, a place where parents were told to flee with their children, and they bombed it. Mr Harris defended Irelands decision to recognise Palestine as a state. He added: We did recognition not to be pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli but to be pro-peace. You cannot have a two-state solution if you dont recognise the existence of two states and we hope by moving with Norway and Spain to create some momentum there to keep that alive, that hope, that destination at a time when others are trying to bomb it into oblivion. He told Ireland AM: In relation to sanctions, I dont think anything can be off the table when it comes to Israel, particularly with what were seeing currently happening in Rafah now, when were seeing the international community being ignored, when were seeing international courts being ignored. Mr Harris said Ireland would intensify its calls for trade arrangements between Israel and the EU to be reviewed. HONGQI Teams Up with Overseas Families for a China Tour CHANGCHUN, China, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- During the period of "HONGQI Global Partners Gathering 2024" , HONGQI invited three families from Europe , the Middle East, and Central Asia to China to experience the profound culture of the HONGQI brand and embark on an extraordinary journey. After arriving in Changchun, these families first visited the HONGQI Changqing Factory, the FAW Headquarter, and the HONGQI Cultural Exhibition Center, to experience the manufacturing efficiency and power from HONGQI firsthand. Then they traveled to Beijing to explore numerous historic sites, deeply appreciating the beauty of Chinese civilization that blends tradition with modernity. This journey not only showcased HONGQI's cultural heritage and innovative spirit but also deepened the families' recognition and admiration for the brand. During their visits, they witnessed HONGQI's achievements in manufacturing and technological innovation and were impressed by its rapid global growth, influence, and commitment to the quality of its products and services. This trip to China not only showcased the strength and unique charm of the HONGQI brand but also brought HONGQI closer to its global users. HONGQI will continue to uphold the principle of prioritizing its users, striving to provide higher quality products and services worldwide. The invited families had a friendly interaction with Giles Taylor, Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer of FAW Group. Later, Liu Changqing, Assistant President of China FAW Group Co., Ltd. and Vice President of HONGQI Brand Operation Committee, presented the families with gifts of Chinese characteristics, highlighting HONGQI's dedication and care for its users while elevating the event's vibe. This event is a crucial part of the "HONGQI Global Partners Gathering 2024" and a glorious chapter in the story of the HONGQI brand. With the successful hosting of the event, HONGQI's influence and recognition in the international market have been continuously enhanced. Looking ahead, HONGQI will accelerate the comprehensive layout of products, network, and production bases, striving to explore and expand into overseas markets, ultimately achieving greater heights and solidifying its position as a global luxury brand. Additionally, HONGQI aims to cooperate with global partners to achieve brand growth and brand transformation, evolving from"China's Real Luxury Brand" into "World's New Luxury Brand." Throughout this journey, HONGQI will adhere to the User Concepts of "All is For Users", "All service is User-Centered", treating every user as the core strength of the brand's development, committed to enhancing user satisfaction, sharing the brand story with global users, and creating a brilliant future together. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2422289/HONGQI_Teams_Up_with_Overseas_Families_for_a_China_Tour.jpg 27 may 2024 at 00:13 News published onand distributed by: Eagle Plains and Xcite Provide Update on Lorado Uranium Project Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSXV:EPL) or ("Eagle Plains") and Xcite Resources Inc. (TSX-V:XRI) ("XRI or Xcite"), have received the results from a data compilation on the Lorado uranium project, located 9.5 km SW of Uranium City, Saskatchewan. The road-accessible Lorado tenures cover the past producing Lorado mine, as well as three additional uranium occurrences, and is one of six 100%-owned Eagle Plains uranium properties currently under option to Xcite (see EPL/XRI news release Dec 14, 2023). The compilation and interpretation of available data will lead to recommendations for 2024 fieldwork. Lorado Data Compilation Highlights Excellent infrastructure - road-accessible from Uranium City Three uranium mineral showings on property Historical Lorado Mine reportedly produced 95,000 tonnes of 0.19% U3O8 from 1957-1960 Chip samples up to 0.793% U3O8 over 1.9 meters, outside of the Lorado Mine area Overlapping airborne EM and gravity geophysical anomalies coincident with major structural zones are underexplored See EPL / Xcite Lorado Compilation map here About the Lorado Project The road-accessible 643ha project overlies 4 Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index ("SMDI") occurrences including the historical Lorado Uranium Mine (SMDI 1228). The Lorado property is on the western edge of the Beaverlodge domain. The Black Bay fault, a regional structure that is inferred to control uranium mineralization in the Beaverlodge camp, lies immediately to the west of the property. The dominant structure on the property is the ABC fault, which transects the Lorado west tenure. Uranium mineralization is hosted in granitic gneisses and brecciated or mylonitized units from the Murmac Bay group rocks and is present typically in the form of pitchblende. The uranium mineralization has a strong spatial association to the well-developed fault systems on the tenures and is associated with graphite and sulphide mineralization. The Lorado Uranium Mine (SMDI 1228) host rocks are highly altered and metamorphosed argillites containing chlorite and graphite. The structurally-controlled uranium mineralization occurs in graphitic schists within gently plunging ore shoots. The irregular ore shoots are up to 200 ft (60.96 m) long by 50 ft (15.2 m) wide with the highest-grade uranium mineralization occurring within a folded area on the limbs of a gently plunging syncline. The Pitchie Uranium Zone 1 or Uranium Ridge Mine (SMDI 1229) is located 850m west-southwest of the Lorado Mine. Seven other minor zones occur in an area extending in a southwest-northeast direction around Pitchie Uranium Zone No. 1. The Main Zone occupies a shear zone that was traced on surface for a strike length of 300 ft (91.4 m). The vein material is banded with pitchblende and pyrite, as well as nolanite, an iron vanadium mineral. Most of the uranium occurrences are confined to a graphite schist that occupies much of the southern portion of the property. Pitchblende occurs mainly as veins in both the northeast and northwest-trending fractures in the graphite schist and interbedded quartzites. Chip sampling of the exposed No. 1 Zone returned up to 0.793% U3O8 over 1.88m (AF 74N07-0046). Recent work on the Lorado was focused on the western part of the property in the area of the ABC Fault. Geophysical interpretation indicates that gravity anomalies show good correlation with strong electromagnetic (VTEM) responses and with NE-trending magnetic and structural zones, none of which have ever been drill-tested. The geological setting suggests the possibility for basement-hosted uranium mineralization. Lorado History The Lorado has a long history of exploration with 24 Assessment Files (AF) on the property in the Saskatchewan geological database. Pitchblende was first reported in the area in 1930 and between 1944 to 1948, prospectors discovered numerous radioactive showings in the Lorado area with John Ross staking claims in 1948. In 1952, the property was optioned to Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada who carried out geological mapping, prospecting, rock sampling and a 292m, 5-hole diamond drill program (AF 74N10-0192). In 1953, historical work in the Lorado Mine area began by Lorado Uranium Mines Ltd. Geological mapping and radiometric surveys, diamond drilling, and initial level planning was completed. The first 4 holes were drilled in 1953, totalling 308m. Initial drilling results within the Lorado Mine area ranged from trace values up to 0.84% U3O8 over 1.0 m, 0.12% U3O8 over 2.0 m, 0.23% U3O8 over 2.0 m, and 0.10% U3O8 over 3.5 m (AF 74N07-0003). A shaft was completed in 1954, along with level and sub level development. A treatment plant for the ore was completed in 1957 which had a production rating of 500 tons/day. Production was later increased to 800 tons/day. The mill processed mine and custom ore from other projects in the region. Between 1957 and 1960, an additional shaft with 4 levels was sunk and mining and milling was conducted and 95,000 tons grading 0.19% U3O8 was milled. The Lorado mine closed in 1960. Various operators including Uranium Ridge Mines, Anuwon Uranium Mines, Atominerals Exploration and Imperial Mines and Metals were active in the Lorado area from 1954 - 1958, mainly focused on structurally controlled pitchblende mineralization associated with NE-striking faults containing graphite. Mineralization at the Pitchie Zone was discovered in 1951 and in 1954, Uranium Ridge completed a 91.4m trench over the main showing area, followed by 74 holes (6705.6m) of diamond drilling. The results of this work indicated that the Pitchie mineralization was likely a southern extension of the Lorado deposit, and in 1956 the Lorado extension was explored from the Lorado mine underground with 213m of development work and 1340.8m of diamond drilling. In 1968, Gunnex Ltd. completed an electromagnetic (EM) geophysical survey and diamond drilling program in the general area of the Lorado Mine. A total of 307m in three holes were drilled to test three EM anomalies. Strongly graphitic structures were intersected, with moderate associated radioactivity reported. There was a brief spike in activity in the Lorado area from 1978 - 1980 with Tobe Mines (drilling), Springfield Consulting (airborne EM geophysics) and Esso Minerals Canada (ground geophysics, drilling) completing work both in the area of the Lorado mine and in the western part of the current property. Rod Dubnik acquired claims in the Lorado area in 1991, carrying our prospecting to determine the potential presence of kimberlites. In 2010, JNR Resources completed a Full Tensor Gravity Gradiometer survey over part of the current Lorado property. A gravity low anomaly coincident with a strong VTEM response that correlates with NE-trending magnetic and structural zones was located in the south western part of the property. The most recent work on the property was by Fission 3.0 Corp. In 2017 Fission completed ground geophysical surveys, followed by prospecting and sampling. Multiple conductors were identified in the Dermody Lake area (western Lorado claim block). In 2019, Fission conducted prospecting, scintillometer surveying, and rock sampling around the Dermody Lake area. The prospecting program followed up historical VTEM conductors, with grab samples returning from trace values up to 135 ppm U from hematite altered granitoid rock. Rock grab samples are selective samples by nature and as such are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted across the property. The above results were taken directly from the SMDI descriptions and assessment reports (AF) filed with the Saskatchewan government. Management cautions that historical results were collected and reported by past operators and have not been verified nor confirmed by a Qualified Person, but form a basis for ongoing work on the subject properties. About the Beaverlodge Uranium District See Beaverlodge Uranium Projects map here The Beaver River, Black Bay, Don Lake, Gulch, Lorado, and Smitty projects are located in the Beaverlodge District near Uranium City in the Lake Athabasca region of Saskatchewan. Occurrences of uranium mineralization are abundant in the Uranium City area and have been explored and documented since the 1940s. The Beaverlodge camp was the first uranium producer in Canada, with historic production of approximately 70.25 million pounds of U3O8 completed between 1950-1982, with ore grades averaging 0.23% U3O8. The two largest producers were the Eldorado Beaverlodge (Ace-Fay-Verna) mine and the Gunnar uranium mine. The Beaverlodge area has seen limited uranium-focused exploration since the early 1990's. Beaverlodge-style uranium deposits host structurally-controlled, high-grade mineralization in veins and breccia-fills within basement rocks. Mineralization often occurs at geological contacts and consists of structures filled with hematite, chlorite and graphite associated with pitchblende. Uranium City Option Agreements Under the terms of the agreements, Xcite may earn an 80% interest in each of the Beaver River, Black Bay, Don Lake, Gulch, Lorado, and Smitty projects by completing CDN$3,200,000 in exploration expenditures, issuing 750,000 common shares of Xcite and making cash payments to Eagle Plains of CDN$55,000 over four years, for an aggregate of CDN$19,200,000 in exploration expenditures, 4,500,000 shares and $330,000 in cash to Eagle Plains. Upon Xcite fulfilling the terms of any or all of the earn-in agreements, an 80/20 joint venture will be formed, with Eagle Plains retaining a carried interest in all expenditures until delivery by Xcite or its assigns of a bankable feasibility study. During the option earn-in period, XRI will be appointed as operator, and EPL will manage the exploration programs under the direction of a joint technical committee. The projects are owned 100% by EPL, which will retain an underlying 2% NSR royalty on the each of the properties. Eagle Plains currently holds a 100% interest in 18 individual projects comprising a total of 40,050 ha of mineral dispositions in Saskatchewan covering both basement and unconformity hosted uranium targets. The projects range from early-stage grassroots to drill ready and are distributed throughout the prospective Athabasca Basin including the Patterson Lake South (PLS), Beaverlodge, and Dufferin-Centennial camps. See EPL Saskatchewan U Project map here About the Dufferin Project Eagle Plains has been notified by option partner Refined Energy Corp. (CSE: RMC; OTC: RFMCF; FRA: CWA0) ("RMC" or "Refined" or the "Company") that Refined has acquired an additional 879ha of mineral dispositions that will be included in Eagle Plains 100%-owned Dufferin Project. The Dufferin Project now comprises a total of 7,303 hectares. Refined has the right, at its option, to acquire up to a 75% interest in the Dufferin Project from Eagle Plains through a series of cash payments and share issuances and funding exploration expenditures (see Eagle Plains news release of February 27, 2024). The Dufferin Project consists of two properties: Dufferin North and Dufferin West, both of which are located approximately 18km from Cameco's Centennial Deposit. As a result of continued data review confirming the prospectivity of the area, Refined and Eagle Plains have expanded the Dufferin North property. The properties are prospective for unconformity- and basement-hosted uranium mineralization in proximity to NE-SW trending faults. Faulted basement contacts and brittle reactivated structures are the primary targets for mineralization in the area covered by the Dufferin Project. Eagle Plains' management cautions that past results or discoveries on proximate land are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved on the subject properties. Qualified Person Technical information in this News Release has been reviewed and approved by C.C. Downie, P.Geo., a director and officer of Eagle Plains, hereby identified as the "Qualified Person" under N.I. 43-101. About Eagle Plains Resources Based in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-funded, prolific project generator that continues to conduct research, acquire and explore mineral projects throughout western Canada, with a focus on critical metals integral to an increasingly electrified, decarbonized economy. The Company was formed in 1992 and is the ninth-oldest listed issuer on the TSX-V (and one of only three that has not seen a roll-back or restructuring of its shares). Eagle Plains has continued to deliver shareholder value over the years and through numerous spin outs has transferred over $100,000,000 in value directly to its shareholders, with Copper Canyon Resources and Taiga Gold Corp. being notable examples. Eagle Plains latest spinout; Eagle Royalties Ltd. (CSE:"ER") was listed on May 24, 2023, and holds a diverse portfolio of royalty assets throughout western Canada. Eagle Plains' core business is acquiring grassroots critical- and precious-metal exploration properties. The Company is committed to steadily enhancing shareholder value by advancing our diverse portfolio of projects toward discovery through collaborative partnerships and development of a highly experienced technical team. Expenditures from 2010-2023 on Eagle Plains-related projects exceed $38M, the majority of which was funded by third-party partners. This exploration work resulted in approximately 50,000m of diamond-drilling and extensive ground-based exploration work facilitating the advancement of numerous projects at various stages of development. Throughout the exploration process, our mission is to help maintain prosperous communities by exploring for and discovering resource opportunities while building lasting relationships through honest and respectful business practices. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Eagle Plains "C.C. (Chuck) Downie, P.Geo" President and CEO For further information on EPL, please contact Mike Labach at 1 866 HUNT ORE (486 8673) Email: [email protected] or visit our website at https://www.eagleplains.com Cautionary Note Regarding 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 including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. SOURCE: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. 27 may 2024 at 07:00 View the original press release on accesswire.comNews published onand distributed by: Ground-breaking pilot project poised to transform breast cancer surgery in Alberta Calgary, Alberta, Canada, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calgary Health Foundation and Alberta Cancer Foundation announce $5.7M toward an innovative breast cancer surgery pilot project. The Sentimag Project, made possible through the support of Calgary Health Foundation donors and a significant gift from Alberta Cancer Foundation, and because of the determination of one Calgary-based oncologist, is poised to revolutionize the way Albertans experience breast-preserving cancer surgery. In stark contrast to hook wires, a magnetic seed called Magseed can be inserted at the tumour site and sit safely in the breast indefinitely without risk of dislodging or pain, allowing for less urgent and complicated scheduling, and fewer imaging appointments and invasive procedures. Painful radioactive injections, often quoted as being worse than the surgery itself, are eliminated by mapping the lymph nodes during the surgery while under anesthetic. "We are proud to be funding the Sentimag Project with the support of our donors and Alberta Cancer Foundation. Our donors repeatedly tell us they value funding advancements that will make a tangible difference on the patient experience; the pilot project fulfills this wish." Murray Sigler, CEO & President, Calgary Health Foundation The funding of breakthroughs in surgery and surgical care is one of Calgary Health Foundation's top priorities which made backing the project an easy choice. "The initiative will change the way Alberta women experience cancer surgery. We hope that by funding surgery innovation, tangible improvements will be made to the patient experience, making breast cancer care as comfortable and effective as possible." Rebecca Bowman, Vice President, Philanthropy & Chief Development Officer Close to half of the funding for the pilot is thanks to Alberta Cancer Foundation, an investment which, in the words of their Board Vice Chair, was an easy one to make. "We are thrilled to support the Sentimag Project, a revolutionary step forward in breast cancer treatment. Investments in innovative technologies like Magseed not only help advance the precision and effectiveness of cancer surgeries but also help ease the patient experience. This project truly aligns with the Foundation's commitment to transforming cancer treatment and ensuring the best possible care for Albertans facing cancer." Barbara Munroe, Board Vice Chair, Alberta Cancer Foundation. "Marking the tumour for surgical excision with hook wires that protrude from the breast and injection of painful radioactive tracer prior to surgery have been standard practice for decades but are clearly not patient focused approaches. The good news is we now have other ways to identify these lesions with fewer invasive procedures and much less stress than before. This technology allows us to be efficient with our healthcare resources to improve the patient experience. We are very excited about the thought of bringing it to Calgarians, develop workflows and evaluate its implementation to provide data supporting its use for all women in Alberta." Dr. May Lynn Quan, Medical Director of the Calgary Breast Health Program, Scientific Director of SPHERE (Strategies for Precision Health in Breast Cancer) "There have been amazing advancements in breast cancer care resulting in bettor outcomes with less invasive surgery and de-escalation of treatments like chemotherapy. The downside is that the patient journey is now more complex with many moving parts which can be daunting and stressful. Localizing the tumour and mapping lymph nodes is one piece of a complicated process for women which we can easily improve with new technology. By taking advantage of opportunities to use devices like the Sentimag system, we can enhance the patient experience and remove strain from the healthcare system." Dr. Quan. Future aims include reducing invasive procedures even further by leaving a Magseed in at the time biopsy, allowing patients to go directly to surgery or chemotherapy. Quan hopes the pilot will irrefutably prove the benefits of magnetic markers so they become the standard of care throughout the province. -30- FAST FACTS About Calgary Health Foundation Calgary Health Foundation is a community-based charity raising funds to advance our city's healthcare. We find opportunities to invest in excellence across the entire healthcare system, all to enhance outcomes and improve lives. calgaryhealthfoundation.ca About the Alberta Cancer Foundation Creating more moments for Albertans facing cancer by inspiring our community to give to innovation in detection, treatment and care. Albertans helping Albertans is at the core of everything the Alberta Cancer Foundation does. As the official fundraising partner for every Alberta Health Services cancer centre in the province, our very purpose comes from our desire to create more moments for all Albertans facing cancer, no matter where they live or the type of cancer they are facing. From the mountains in Canmore to the canola fields in Lloydminster, we make life better for Albertans facing cancer by supporting world-class research and patient care, close to home. Learn more at albertacancer.ca. Traditional hook wires versus novel magnetic markers Pinpointing mammogram-detected tumours?too small to be located through manual examination alone?has been notoriously difficult when a patient's wish is to preserve her breast. Traditional methods involve the patient visiting an imaging facility on the morning of surgery to have a radiologist insert a hook wire. The wire does its job to mark the tumour, but it protrudes from the breast making it uncomfortable, invasive, and at risk of dislodging. She also needs a painful radioactive liquid injected into the breast to map which lymph nodes to sample within 24 hours of surgery. The patient must then travel to a surgical centre, sometimes across the city, within hours of the wire insertion to have the tumour removed, all without accidentally moving the wire. The process is logistically cumbersome, trying, and very uncomfortable. The pilot project aims to remove these stressors through a revolutionary alternative magnetic based system called Sentimag. The wire is replaced with a seed the size of a grain of rice called Magseed, which can be inserted weeks or months in advance, even at the time of biopsy. Instead of painful needle injection with radioactive tracer to identify lymph nodes, a magnetic liquid called Magtrace can be injected during the operation while under anesthesia. About Magseed Magseed is a tiny metallic marker, or seed, resembling a grain of rice designed to mark breast cancer tumours. Made from surgical grade stainless steel, the marker allows surgeons to magnetically locate the tumour using a probe with less damage to breast tissue. Magseed is an innovation Endomag, a company founded in 2007 out of research conducted at the University College London (UCL) and the University of Houston. Endomag's mandate is to develop technologies that allow physicians to offer woman a better standard of cancer care. endomag.com Attachments 27 may 2024 at 12:00 News published onand distributed by: Collective Mining Expands Apollo by up to 150 Metres to the Northwest by Drilling 513.70 Metres at 2.20 g/t AuEq and 825.70 Metres at 1.11 g/t AuEq TORONTO, May 27, 2024 /CNW/ - Collective Mining Ltd. (TSX: CNL) (OTCQX: CNLMF) (FSE: GG1) ("Collective" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results for three drill holes into the Apollo Porphyry System ("Apollo") at the Guayabales Project in Caldas, Colombia. The Company presently has five drill rigs operating at the project as part of its fully funded 40,000 metres drill program for 2024. Presently, drill rigs are operating at the Apollo, Box, Olympus and Trap targets. Drill cores from multiple holes are currently being assayed at ALS Laboratory in Lima, Peru with further results expected in short order. Ari Sussman, Executive Chairman commented: "Our 2024 exploration program continues to yield positive surprises with Apollo now materially expanding and widening to the northwest. Drilling over the balance of the year at Apollo will remain aggressive as we continue to push the limits of the system while simultaneously targeting high-grade sub-zones within the known mineralization envelope. Elsewhere on the Guayabales Project, we have completed the first two shallow drill holes at the Box target with core logging indicating there is a very large hydrothermal fluid system in place with deeper drilling required from the next set of holes (now underway). At the Trap target, we have refined the geological model and now interpret that mineralization is related to a wide deformation zone on the west side of a northwest trending fault. The current hole underway (TRC-11) was planned on this basis and visually has cut significant mineralization over 175 metres in length and counting (still drilling). Lastly, at the Olympus target, steeply dipping veins have been intersected at a shallow elevation and if assays are favourable, would connect Apollo with Olympus in the northeast corner of Apollo. We remain committed to our goal of outlining a series of closely spaced porphyry and porphyry related systems capable of producing at more than 400,000 gold equivalent ounces on an annual basis." Please click here to watch a video of David Reading, Special Advisor to the Company and a QP under NI 43-101 providing a detailed overview of drill hole APC-95. Highlights (see Tables 1-2 and Figures 1-4) Drill hole APC-95 was drilled northerly from Pad 14 and encountered outstanding continuous mineralization while expanding the Apollo System ("Apollo") locally to the north by 50 metres. On a gram X metre basis, APC-95 is the sixth highest-grade intercept at Apollo yielding 1,128 g/t AuEq. Additionally, APC-95 is the eleventh gram X metre intercept at more than 1,000 g/t AuEq drilled to date at Apollo (see Table 2). Assay results for APC-95 are as follow: 513.70 metres @ 2.20 g/t gold equivalent from 207.20 metres including: 116.95 metres @ 4.88 g/t gold equivalent from 295.40 metres Drill hole APC-97, which was drilled to the northwest from Pad 14, cut the second longest intercept drilled to date at Apollo (825.70 metres) while materially expanding the dimensions of the Apollo system to the northwest by 150 metres and encountering high-grade near the bottom of the hole. Apollo remains completely open in this direction for further growth with future step-out holes planned in this regard. Assay results for APC-97 are as follows: 825.70 metres @ 1.11 g/t gold equivalent from 192.00 metres including: 105.25 metres @ 2.02 g/t gold equivalent from 205.30 metres, and; and; 74.90 metres @ 2.06 g/t gold equivalent from 479.10 metres, and; and; 54.55 metres @ 1.97 g/t gold equivalent from 825.05 metres, and; and; 18.05 metres @ 2.46 g/t gold equivalent from 909.30 metres Partial results for the shallow portion of drill hole APC-93 were previously released where the Company drilled a long and continuous high-grade intercept through Apollo (see press release dated March 12, 2024 ). Final results for hole APC-93 are now in hand with the Company intersecting Olympus Deep mineralization approximately 125 meters east of discovery hole APC88-D1 (202.35 metres @ 2.16 g/t AuEq; see press release dated January 30, 2024 ) with results as follows: 560.05 metres @ 1.83 g/t gold equivalent from 127.25 metres (Apollo; previously released) 34.90 metres @ 1.10 g/t gold equivalent from 788.10 metres (Olympus) 42.00 metres @ 0.79 g/t gold equivalent from 898.00 metres (Olympus) 66.50 metres @ 1.18 g/t gold equivalent from 1,036.75 metres (Olympus) including: 16.75 metres @ 2.48 g/t gold equivalent from 1,049.15 metres. Table 1: Assays Results for Drill Holes APC-93, APC-95 and APC-97 Hole # From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au g/t Ag g/t Cu % Mo ppm WO 3 ppm AuEq g/t* APC-93 127.25 687.30 560.05 1.18 34 0.13 4 52 1.83** and 788.10 823.00 34.90 0.98 8 0.03 16 7 1.10 and 898.00 940.00 42.00 0.72 4 0.02 25 7 0.79 and 1,036.75 1,103.25 66.50 1.12 5 0.02 19 6 1.18 incl 1,049.15 1,065.90 16.75 2.40 9 0.02 22 6 2.48 APC-95 5.75 23.75 18.00 0.96 17 0.03 3 14 1.18 and 92.65 103.65 11.00 1.01 5 0.03 5 5 1.09 and 207.20 720.90 513.70 1.50 42 0.18 3 8 2.20 incl 295.40 412.35 116.95 3.73 76 0.26 2 10 4.88 APC-97 192.00 1,017.70 825.70 0.83 15 0.09 4 8 1.11 incl 205.30 310.55 105.25 0.78 52 0.48 9 18 2.02 & incl 479.10 554.00 74.90 1.81 19 0.05 5 7 2.06 & incl 825.05 879.60 54.55 1.91 7 0.02 1 8 1.97 & incl 909.30 927.35 18.05 2.37 11 0.03 2 7 2.46 *AuEq (g/t) is calculated as follows: (Au (g/t) x 0.97) + (Ag (g/t) x 0.014 x 0.88) + (Cu (%) x 1.47 x 0.90) + (Mo (%) x 7.41 x 0.85) + (WO3 (%) x 5.47 x 0.72) utilizing metal prices of Cu ? US$3.95/lb, Ag ? US$25/oz, Mo - US$20/lb , WO3 - US$32,500/t and Au ? US$1,850/oz and recovery rates of 97% for Au, 88% for Ag, 85% for Mo, 72% for WO3 and 90% for Cu. Recovery rate assumptions for metals are based on metallurgical results announced on October 17, 2023, and April 11, 2024. Recovery molybdenum is speculative as limited metallurgical work has been completed to date on this metal. True widths are unknown, and grades are uncut. **Previously announced on March 12, 2024. The robustness of the Guayabales Project is exemplified by drill results at the Apollo system which show extraordinarily consistent and continuous high-grade mineralization beginning at surface and continuing to depths of more than 1,000 metres. All of the intercepts drilled to date which average at least 1,000 g/t AuEq on a gram x metre basis are summarized in the following table. Table 2: Apollo Drill Holes at More Than 1,000 g/t Gold Equivalent on a Gram X Metre Basis Ranking Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Grade (g/t AuEq)* Gram x Metres Press Release Date 1 APC-72 2.00 521.10 519.10 2.74 1,424.29 October 30, 2023 2 APC-55 0.00 792.25 792.25 1.71 1,352.93 June 27, 2023 3 APC-64 33.40 484.80 451.40 2.67 1,205.24 September 7, 2023 4 APC-35 7.00 366.15 359.15 3.32 1,192.38 March 15, 2023 5 APC-60 41.60 599.45 557.85 2.10 1,171.49 August 15, 2023 6 APC-95 207.20 720.90 513.70 2.20 1,128.17 New (May 27, 2024) 7 APC88-D2 68.10 617.00 548.90 1.91 1,049.54 January 30, 2024 8 APC-93 127.25 687.30 560.05 1.83 1,026.08 March 12, 2024 9 APC-53 232.95 562.70 329.75 3.10 1,022.23 June 13, 2023 10 APC-65 0.00 503.25 503.25 2.00 1,006.52 September 26, 2023 11 APC-63 0.00 593.65 593.65 1.69 1,003.27 September 7, 2023 *See individual press releases on aforementioned dates for AuEq calculations. About Collective Mining Ltd. To see our latest corporate presentation and related information, please visit www.collectivemining.com Founded by the team that developed and sold Continental Gold Inc. to Zijin Mining for approximately $2 billion in enterprise value, Collective is a copper, silver, gold and tungsten exploration company with projects in Caldas, Colombia. The Company has options to acquire 100% interests in two projects located directly within an established mining camp with ten fully permitted and operating mines. The Company's flagship project, Guayabales, is anchored by the Apollo system, which hosts the large-scale, bulk-tonnage and high-grade copper-silver-gold-tungsten Apollo porphyry system. The Company's 2024 objective is to expand the Apollo system, prove that the recent discoveries at the Olympus and Trap targets evolve into large scale systems and make a new discovery at either the Box, Tower or X targets. Management, insiders, a strategic investor and close family and friends own nearly 50% of the outstanding shares of the Company and as a result, are fully aligned with shareholders. The Company is listed on the TSX under the trading symbol "CNL", on the OTCQX under the trading symbol "CNLMF" and on the FSE under the trading symbol "GG1". Qualified Person (QP) and NI43-101 Disclosure David J Reading is the designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and verified that the technical information contained herein is accurate and approves of the written disclosure of same. Mr. Reading has an MSc in Economic Geology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and of the Society of Economic Geology (SEG). Technical Information Rock, soils and core samples have been prepared and analyzed at ALS laboratory facilities in Medellin, Colombia and Lima, Peru. Blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards are inserted into the sample stream to monitor laboratory performance. Crush rejects and pulps are kept and stored in a secured storage facility for future assay verification. No capping has been applied to sample composites. The Company utilizes a rigorous, industry-standard QA/QC program. Information Contact: Follow Executive Chairman Ari Sussman (@Ariski73) on X Follow Collective Mining (@CollectiveMini1) on X, (Collective Mining) on LinkedIn, and (@collectivemining) on Instagram FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. In this news release, forward-looking information relate, among other things, to: anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future operations; future recovery metal recovery rates; future growth potential of Collective; and future development plans. 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; the Company's financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of future economic evaluations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, precious and base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the annual information form of the Company dated April 7, 2022. Forward-looking information 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 and there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. SOURCE Collective Mining Ltd. 27 may 2024 at 16:01 News published onand distributed by: After years of political wrangling, the Belgian Federal Parliament voted to enshrine "animal welfare" in the Constitution on the night of Thursday, May 2. A paragraph added to article 7a, which concerns the kingdom's general policy, now specifies: "In the exercise of their respective powers, the Federal State, the Communities and the Regions ensure the protection and well-being of animals as sentient beings." In a press release, the Belgian animal rights organization GAIA welcomed this "historic victory," the culmination of a battle that began in 2018. With this, Belgium becomes the sixth member state of the European Union to confer constitutional protection on animals (after Germany, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Italy and Austria). "Enshrining animal welfare in our country's highest law, the one that stands above all others and applies to the entire territory, is highly symbolic," said Claire Hugon, federal MP for the Ecolo party and rapporteur for the legislation. "We're sending out a very strong signal to all levels of power: Animals are sentient beings, and we need to ensure their protection and welfare." In 2020, an amendment to the Civil Code had already led to recognition of the "sensitive" nature of animals and their "biological needs," creating an "animal" category alongside those of "persons" and "property." 'Additional weapon' In the immediate future, citizens are unlikely to see any major changes in their daily lives, not least because respect for animal welfare is a responsibility delegated to the three regions, each of which has one or more animal welfare ministers. "The law does not bring mandatory changes for citizens; we expect that from legislators and political leaders," Hugon insisted. Without waiting for the change to the Constitution, the region of Wallonia had already introduced an animal welfare code in 2018. This makes it compulsory to obtain a "permit to keep animals," for instance, and prohibits the sale of animals in markets, slaughter without stunning and breeding for fur production. "This law is an extremely important step forward. It will have an impact, but it will take time," stressed Michel Vandenbosch, president of the organization Global Action in the Interest of Animals (GAIA). "It's over the long term that these changes in animal welfare will be seen, as jurisprudence and legislation evolve." Though it will take a little time to see the concrete consequences, the legislation does offer new legal leverage for advocacy groups wishing to challenge certain practices, such as slaughtering or the grinding of chicks. "The inclusion of respect for animal welfare in the Constitution offers an additional weapon, as it will become more difficult to justify acts of cruelty," Vandenbosch pointed out. You have 42.46% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Grand Gedeh #3 Rep Jacob C Debee, on whose invitation the investors are coming to Liberia A STUDY by a Limerick academic has revealed that traumatic experience can impact people's political outlook and appetite for social change. University of Limerick (UL) Professor Orla Muldoon has published a major new book on psychological trauma. The founding professor at the Department of Psychology and director of the Centre for Social Issues research at UL was given almost 2.5m in European Research Council funding to study trauma. The resulting book, The Social Psychology of Trauma: Connecting the Personal and the Political, is designed to change thinking about trauma, offering a rethink of how stress, trauma and politics become intertwined. READ MORE: Gardai probe complaint of harassment to Limerick mayoral election candidate Prof Muldoon said her research reveals trauma as a socially situated phenomenon linked to power and privilege or disempowerment and disadvantage. Doing research on the impact of traumatic experiences can be both heartening and heart-rending. You encounter people and situations that would touch the hardest of hearts and others who inspire with their tenacity and strength to go on. Even in a privileged Western nation such as Ireland, I dont have to look hard to find stories of stress and trauma. Crisis and catastrophe happen with remarkable regularity," she said. Prof Muldoon says she has written the book so it is accessible to victims and survivors of trauma, their families, those supporting them as well as practitioners, students, and academics. It intertwines her own personal experiences of trauma to reveal how social and identity factors affect the experience and aftermath of trauma. The book is also free to download in digital form by clicking here A TEACHER in Mungret has been recognised for her commitment and dedication to her students, with the Teachers Inspire Ireland Desmond Award. Jill Farrell, a teacher in St Nessans National School in Mungret, was one of four teachers who received the award at a special ceremony in Dublin City University (DCU). Jill was nominated by Justyna Brzezicka - a mother of one her past students Aimee. She was put forward for the award for the support and compassion she showed to the family. We need to give our children permission to be themselves and to explore the world in their own time, and not compare themselves to others, Jill said. As well as getting fitness guru and online sensation since the pandemic, Joe Wicks to visit the school, Jill organises yoga and mindfulness classes for the students. Jill made such an impact that Justyna decided to go back to college to qualify as a Special Need Assistant - going on to work in Jills classroom as part of her course. Organised and run by DCU, Teachers Inspire is a country-wide initiative to celebrate teachers and recognise the transformative role they play in our lives and in our communities. Author Louise ONeill hosted the awards and curates and presents the podcast. I feel immensely privileged to have listened to, and shared, the stories of so many inspirational educators. Teachers put so much love and hard work into their jobs and have a huge impact on the lives of their students. READ MORE: Daily Delta Airlines service to JFK New York returns to Shannon Airport I have seen first hand how they help to shape future generations, and every single teacher deserves to be recognised for the work that they do, she said. Dermot Desmond supports the awards through a philanthropic donation and he said: I truly believe that teachers are the heroes of our society. Teachers had a profound impact on my own life, and the difference they make to the lives of children and young people across Ireland is nothing short of remarkable, he added. Professor Anne Looney, the executive dean of Dublin City Universitys Institute of Education, said: Teachers Inspire celebrates and recognises not only the four fantastic awardees, but the wider teaching community across Ireland who work tirelessly to shape future generations. THE MAN, aged in his 30s, arrested in connection with a fatal incident in Kerry is from County Limerick, Limerick Live has learned. Gardai are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the death of a man, which occurred following an incident in Knockanure, Co Kerry, in the early hours of this morning, Monday, May 27. Knockanure is located only a couple of miles from the Kerry / Limerick border. Limerick Live understands the man arrested by gardai has an address in west Limerick and is known to gardai. He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a garda station in the Kerry Division. Gardai and emergency services were alerted at approximately 12.30am regarding an alleged assault in the Knockanure village area, said a garda spokesperson. "Upon arrival, a man aged in his 40s was discovered with fatal injuries. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and his body has been removed to the mortuary at University Hospital Kerry for post mortem," said the garda spokesperson. The local coroner has been informed and the services of the state pathologist requested. A scene is currently held for examination by the Garda Technical Bureau. READ MORE: Taoiseach hits out at 'disgusting' threats against Limerick mayoral candidate A second man, aged in his 20s, was arrested this Monday afternoon in connection with this investigation and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a garda station in the Kerry Division. A senior investigating officer (SIO) has been appointed to lead the inquiry, and an incident room has been established at Listowel garda station. Gardai are appealing to the public for information in relation to this incident. Any road users who were travelling in the vicinity of Knockanure village between 12am and 1am and may have camera footage (including dash cam) are asked to make this available. Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Listowel garda station on 068 50820, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800, 666 111 or any garda station. MUNSTER GAA confirmed this Monday that a limited number of terrace tickets for the Munster Senior Hurling Final between Limerick and Clare on Sunday, June 9 at FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles, 4pm, will go on sale (while stocks last) no earlier than this Thursday, May 30 via participating Centra and Supervalu outlets and via Ticketmaster. Munster GAA also confirmed that stand tickets will be distributed through the participating County Boards only, Limerick and Clare. Munster GAA has announce that The High Kings will perform a 40 minute set from 2:30pm prior to the Munster Senior Hurling Chanmpionship Final at FBD Semple Stadium Thurles. John Kiely's Limerick will be looking to complete a six-in-a-row of Munster senior hurling final wins when facing their great rivals on Sunday week. Limerick and Clare will be meeting in the Munster senior hurling final for the third year in a row this year. Limerick scored a dramatic 1-23 to 1-22 victory over Clare in the 2023 Munster senior hurling final at the TUS Gaelic Grounds, while Limerick secured a 1-29 to 0-29 win in the provincial decider 12 months earlier. Current Munster and All-Ireland champions Limerick secured their place in the final thanks to a 0-30 to 2-14 victory over Waterford at the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. 1,047 people were hospitalised for mental disorders in Ireland last year due to cannabis use, it has been revealed. That brings the total to nearly 5,000 people in the last five years, with data provided by the HSE showing an increase in hospitalisations linked to the use of cannabis. Medical experts have expressed concern about the type of cannabis products now available, such as vapes with semi-synthetic cannabinoids. There were 1,011 people hospitalised with mental disorders related to the consumption of cannabis or cannabis related products in 2021 and 895 in 2022. These incidents related to behavioural and mental issues. A further 561 people were hospitalised between 2019 and 2023 with cannabis poisoning. Bobby Smyth, clinical professor with Trinity College Dublins department of public health, said his concerns have increased steadily over the last eight months. The HSE has since issued a warning about the use of the semi-synthetic HHC, which has been linked to cases of psychotic illness. HHC is sold in retail vape shops across Ireland and was connected to an incident in Cork where four teenagers became ill after use of the drug. HHC is banned in countries such as the UK, Denmark and France, but is legal and readily available in Ireland. Mr Smyth said HHC now makes up about 25% of the cases presenting at the services he is involved with. There seems to be a tight enough timeline between use of HHC and a decline in mood, he said. It is having a depressing effect. I am hearing about some cases where teenagers have lost touch with reality. A HSE spokesperson added: If people have existing mental health problems, the use of cannabis can worsen the condition and make it more difficult to manage in the long term. People who use cannabis regularly are more likely than others to experience episodes of depression or anxiety. Irelands electoral commission is attempting to drive down the number of spoiled votes, after 108,488 votes were deemed invalid in the last local and European elections more than enough voters to fill Croke Park stadium. An Coimisiun Toghchain chair Ms Justice Marie Baker said that while some will be protest votes, many of the spoiled ballot papers have been wrongly filled in. Some of the spoiled papers did not include a number one vote, or some papers included two number one votes which also rendered the ballot paper as invalid. Speaking at Croke Park in Dublin, Justice Baker said that the 108,488 spoiled votes represented one and a third times Croke Parks capacity. Over 108,000 votes were spoilt in the 2019 Euro & local elections. That's one and a third times @officialgaa Croke Park's capacity. Whether a first time, or a long time voter, don't spoil your day on Friday 7 June See how to complete your ballot https://t.co/MviyrqwO1M pic.twitter.com/eLGwGzK2pA An Coimisiun Toghchain, The Electoral Commission (@ElecCommIRL) May 27, 2024 Justice Baker said that two particular problems were identified on the spoiled votes. One is that people didnt identify their first choice. There was no number one marked anywhere on the ballot paper. And the one thing you have to do is identify your first choice because that is the first one that is counted, she said. The second problem that was identified, oddly enough, was that people voted two number ones in the same ballot paper, and again whos to decide between those which is the one that counts and which is the one that doesnt count. The act (Electoral Reform Act) is quite fluid in that it allows anything to be acceptable as a number one vote provided its apparent from it that its number one. So if you only vote for one person and you put an X beside that person, then that will be deemed to be a number one. Chief executive of the commission, Art OLeary, said: Its been over four years since weve had a competitive election in this country. So, some people are voting for the first time and may have some doubts about how the system works, or some people because they havent voted in so long, may have slipped their mind how the process works. People voting in the local and European elections, which takes place on June 7, will be given two ballot papers, while voters in Limerick will have three, given the vote for a directly elected mayor. Some people mark one, two, three on the first ballot paper and four, five and six on the second ballot paper, but that second ballot paper wont count, Mr OLeary said. So, its very, very important that you start every process as an individual exercise. So each ballot paper is a separate exercise. Start with one always, unless youre voting for just one person, then an X or a tick would do. The 108,000 is a huge number. There will be a protest vote and absolutely peoples right to do that. There is no intention to take away that right or to stop it in any way. But for those people who went to the effort of voting, they got up in the morning and made plans and went to the polling station, queued up, completed their ballot paper and then failing to complete it properly in a way that is in accordance with law. Its an awful shame that their voice remains unheard in this process. Justice Baker said the deliberately spoiled votes are always obvious. Somebody writes something like, none of you or that kind of thing. Thats what normally happens, she added. Whereas, the person who forgets to put a number one in and starts at two, thinks that they have voted. They havent. They said that people who make a mistake on their ballot can ask staff at the polling station for a new one. Parts of the Electoral Reform Act, which gives the Electoral Commission regulatory powers, have not yet been enacted following concerns raised by the European Commission. Mr OLeary said their current powers are enough to deal with any issues that arise, particularly around misinformation and disinformation on social media. Many, many countries are reporting interference (in elections) and we cant assume that we will be exempt, he added. The Oireachtas had some powers in mind for the An Coimisiun Toghchain when it passed the Electoral Reform Act. Get prepared to vote in the 7 June elections. See how easy it is to cast your vote in the European, local and Limerick mayoral elections. Watch the full video and read more about voting on our website: https://t.co/SclVZXfMgg#YourVoteYourVoice pic.twitter.com/PLBY8LsQ1j An Coimisiun Toghchain, The Electoral Commission (@ElecCommIRL) May 22, 2024 These powers havent yet been commenced because theres some discussions going on with the European Commission in relation to the proper alignment of our powers with the Digital Services Act. We are plugged in to so many international networks at the moment where the sharing of intelligence in relation to these matters is very open. It is one issue of shared concern between electoral management bodies all over the world. We are confident that we have the tools within our framework, in our existing powers and that we will have sufficient resources to be able to deal with anything that comes our way. There are many, many ways of dealing with this. You can deal with disinformation as it arises. Further information can be found on their website electoralcommission.ie/how-to-vote/ Drastic spending cuts in the healthcare service would still leave a 189 million budget deficit, Robin Swann has warned. The Health Minister has told Executive ministers and members of the health committee that deep dive cuts to health spending would not avoid a multimillion-pound overspend in the department. Mr Swann sent the letter and cost-saving analysis by the health trusts in Northern Ireland, seen by the PA news agency, on the eve of a key Assembly debate on the budget. The budget has already been approved by the wider Executive and is expected to be approved by the Assembly. The health service has been allocated more than half of the Executives 14.5 billion resource budget. Mr Swann had bid for an additional 1 billion for health an amount that represented the entirety of the uncommitted funding available for distribution among all Stormont departments. Instead, an additional 500 million was allocated by the Stormont Executive in late April. Health trusts in Northern Ireland had been asked to work up cost-saving plans as part of efforts to bridge the gap, but Mr Swann has said these spending projections had confirmed my worst fears about the consequences of the budget. He warned that no Ulster Unionist Party health minister would approve cost-saving measures with such catastrophic impacts. UUP deputy leader Robbie Butler has said the party would not quit the Executive, but Mr Swanns warning on Monday raises the possibility of the health minister overspending his budget in the current financial year. Former UUP leader Mike Nesbitt will likely be left to grapple with these issues as Mr Swann is stepping down imminently to contest a Westminster seat in South Antrim. Mr Swann wrote to his fellow Executive ministers: The assessment details that even after extensive deep dive savings measures, a remaining deficit of 189m is anticipated. That estimated deficit is in addition to the fact that no funding is provided in the Executives budget for staff pay increases, meaning further industrial action is all but inevitable in the year ahead. The analysis by trusts said possible contingency savings measures included recruitment freezes for non-frontline staff and further reductions in agency and locum costs, but the analysis states that such savings will be challenging in a single year and may not be achievable in their entirety. This leaves a remaining and significant deficit of 189m (assuming no pay increase in 2024/25), it said, but warned that this level of savings cannot be achieved without high/catastrophic impact measures. It said that all trusts had expressed grave concerns about the impact on health and social care services at both local and regional level if such savings measures were to be requested. Some of the projected requirements include a reduction of around 400 acute hospital beds across Northern Ireland, a reduction of around 1,200 staff; an estimated reduction of 1,100,000 hours of homecare/domiciliary care type support over a year; and an estimated reduction of around 500 care home beds. It said that a more detailed assessment will be needed on contingency plans and ministerial approval would be needed for high/catastrophic impact measures. Mr Swann called the analysis both hugely concerning and fair and balanced. It is the most alarming advice I have received in my time as Minister, outside of the Covid-19 pandemic. Urging his Stormont colleagues to reconsider the vote on the budget, Mr Swann added: Both before and after the latest restoration of the local institutions, promises were made and commitments were given that the health of our people would be prioritised. This budget does not do that. Even without implementing the most damaging cost saving measures, this budget will make the challenges in our health worse instead of better. The retired Arizona engineer loves cars, has owned hybrid vehicles and has the means to pay the premium for an EV. And he owns two gas-powered cars, including a Porsche, that he could use for longer road trips. But Olson is turned off by electric cars. He thinks their potential to help the climate is overstated, and he resents the Biden administrations pro-EV policies. It is being pushed down our throats," said Olson, who says he is a Republican. Automakers are fixated on easing the practical concerns around electric-vehicle ownership, primarily high prices and charging hassles. But in the industrys quest to persuade more Americans to consider EVs, a swath of the buying public could prove tough to convince: those opposed to EVs for political or ideological reasons. In a recent Morning Consult poll of about 2,200 American adults conducted for The Wall Street Journal, about four in 10 said they had an unfavorable view of EVs. Of those who are opposed to them, 38% said their political views were a factor. Even more of those with unfavorable views63%cited Chinas dominance of the EV supply chain as a reason. As for party affiliation, 31% of people who identified themselves as conservative said they had a favorable view of EVs, compared with 66% of liberals. Conservatives tend to criticize public subsidies to support electric cars and dislike regulations that attempt to steer consumers toward certain products. Liberals are more likely to drive EVs for environmental reasons and tend to favor public investment in green energy. Still, the subject of EVs doesnt fall neatly along party lines. Tesla is the worlds top-selling EV company, but some Democrats have moved away from the brand, as Chief Executive Elon Musk has expressed conservative views on contentious social topics. Steven Center, head of U.S. operations for Kia, said he is aware that electric cars have become a hot-button political issue lately. You know that old saying, Dont talk about religion or politics? I think you can add EVs to that," he said. Hearts-and-minds resistance The political divide poses a challenge for car executives as they grapple with a deceleration in the pace of U.S. EV sales. Automakers are betting hundreds of billions of dollars on moving consumers to EVs and are planning dozens of new electric models in the U.S. Also, meeting tougher U.S. tailpipe-emissions regulations approved this spring by the Biden administration will hinge largely on carmakers ability to warm up many more Americans to the idea of plugging in their cars. By early next decade, more than 60% of new vehicles sold would need to be a combination of EVs and plug-in hybrids for the industry to comply. The fact that millions of Americans are ideologically dug in against electric cars will make it harder for automakers to comply with those rules, said Mike Murphy, a Republican strategist who has been frustrated by his own partys bashing of EVs. The Detroit native formed a nonprofit to ease the political divide on EVs and consult with carmakers on ways to tamp down the negativity. There is a hearts-and-minds resistance to EVs, mostly on the Republican side," Murphy said. If you cant break down that tribalism, the industry isnt going to sell enough EVs" to meet the rules. Green cars long ago became swept up in the culture wars. In the early 2000s, many conservative commentators maligned Toyotas Prius hybrid, which became a hit with liberals and Hollywood celebrities. In 2012, then-Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich criticized General Motors Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid for not being able to fit a gun rack. During a congressional hearing around that time, then GM Chief Executive Dan Akerson told lawmakers: We did not engineer the Volt to be a political punching bag." In the run-up to the November election, some Republican candidates have criticized Biden for trying to force EV sales. Democrats, meanwhile, have touted the tens of billions of dollars in federal funding for battery factories and other EV projects. Automakers not only have to win over conservative car buyers. Some of their own dealers have a dim view of battery-powered cars due to ideological reasons. Dealer David Ferraez said he thinks the media and government espouse an inflated view of the risks of carbon emissions to push more EVs into the market. Nonetheless, Ferraez, who sells GMs Buick, GMC and Chevrolet brands in New Jersey, has spent more than $300,000 to install electric-car chargers at his stores. I do want to sell what the customer wants," he said. Giving buyers a choice At Kia, Center said the brand has emphasized an array of optionsstraight gas-engine models, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and full electricsto make clear it isnt trying to force anyone into an electric vehicle. But Kia is also heavily advertising its EVs. Were talking to the broader part of the market that has an open mind about EVs, rather than trying to convince the part that has their heels dug in," he said. John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents most major car companies, said the group has stressed to regulators that consumers should have choices even as emissions rules are tightened. The group lobbied the Biden administration to include plug-in hybrid models, which travel in electric mode for some distance before a gas engine kicks on, in its calculation of the Environmental Protection Agencys new emissions standards. Political persuasion is a pretty good indicator of a willingness to purchase an EV right now," Bozzella said. I dont think that is a forever situation." South Florida car dealer Bill Wallace has noticed that more customers have been expressing a sour view of EVs over the past year. His company sells several brands that have relatively popular electric models, including Ford, Hyundai, Kia and Cadillac, and EVs account for about 5% of his total sales. But he estimates about one-third of the customers he speaks with about EVs express adamant opposition. They are angry," Wallace said. They feel like its the government trying to control their lives." Wallace said he broached the subject during a conversation with GM Chief Executive Mary Barra at a private luncheon in Florida late last year. GM, more than many other car companies, has bet its future on EVs and is marketing them aggressively. I said, Mary, you have to understand the red-state mentality. These people want no part of it," he said. This article may be periodically updated. Write to Mike Colias at mike.colias@wsj.com Days after striking a $53 billion purchase of Hess, Chevron Chief Executive Mike Wirth called his counterpart at Exxon Mobil to discuss their future partnership in a mega-oil project Chevron would inherit through the deal. Darren Woods told Wirth he looked forward to collaboration in Guyana, where Exxon and Hess own portions of a buried treasure of 11 billion barrels of oil and gas. Chevron and Exxon have a long-established partnership in projects around the world, one they could expand off the coast of the rainforest-covered South American country, Woods indicated in the October phone call. Weeks later, Exxon called with a starkly different message for Chevron and Hess: not so fast. Exxon executives contended they and Chinas CNOOC, a third partner in Guyana, have a contractual right to pre-emptively match Chevrons offer for Hesss stake in Guyana. Blindsided, Chevron and Hess disagreed. Both sides dug in, and private talks failed. Amid monthslong discussions, Exxon stunned its rivals again by filing for arbitration and ending talks in March. The proceedings could sink Chevrons largest-ever deal. Hinging on the interpretation of several lines in a confidential contract, their dispute has burst like a thunderclap in Houston, the capital of the U.S. oil industry, which hasnt seen titanic oil companies battle like this since a court fight with Pennzoil forced Texaco into bankruptcy in the 1980s. The clash between the two largest descendants of John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil monopoly has also subsumed some of Wall Streets most influential advisers, including JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. Now, the fortunes of all three companies are intertwined, as are the legacies of Woods, Wirth and John Hess. If Exxon wins in arbitration, Chevrons acquisition of Hess would be rendered effectively impossible. For oilman John Hess, it would mean his eponymous company would likely be much harder to sell, and calls into question whats next for a CEO about to top off his legacy with a momentous transaction. For Wirth, it would be the second megadeal he has missed out on in the past five years, and increase the pressure on him to secure another big bounty of oil. Woods, on the other hand, would have the option to buy more of the precious Guyana project, if Hess was a willing seller. Drillers have rushed recently to secure their future oil reserves. Many oil fields are depleting, and further exploration could take decades to pay off. Wall Street has grown averse to gambling billions on new fields as countries move away from fossil fuels. That has made Guyanas prolific Stabroek block one of the most coveted in the world, and a crown jewel for Exxon and Hess. Soon after Chevrons deal was announced, Exxons lawyers, believing the company had a right of first refusal that applied to the transaction, combed through every line of the joint-operating contract for the Guyana project that was written decades agoa document few have ever seen. Joint-operating agreements are indispensable in the oil industry, where companies often partner in megaprojects to share risks and investment. The contracts usually contain a right of first refusal for existing partners when one company wants to sell out. Exxon believes that right is triggered by the corporate takeover. Chevron believes the right applies only to an asset sale. In months of discussions, Exxon laid out a number of concerns that Chevron believed it could address. Both sides seemed to be working toward a resolution, though its unclear what it would have entailed, according to people familiar with the discussions. The talks ended suddenly in March when Neil Chapman, a senior vice president at Exxon, told the audience at an investor conference his company had filed for arbitration in the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. Chevron had learned of the move only a few hours prior, these people said. If Exxons argument prevails, Hesss Guyana holdingsworth $40 billion or more, by some estimateswould turn into a sort of poison pill. It wouldnt only blow up the merger with Chevron, per the terms of its agreement with Hess, but would likely scare off any future suitorsexcept for Exxon itself. Woods and Chapman maintain their interest is in preserving the sanctity of contracts and their goal is to understand how Chevron valued Guyanaand then to decide which options to explore. Woods has said he isnt interested in buying Hess outright, but hasnt ruled out buying Hesss chunk of the project or other options. Weve got a very attractive resource that, frankly, we put a lot of effort into developing," Woods said in an interview. We have an option to understand what a potential transaction for us would look like and evaluate that for our shareholders." The dispute over Guyana is a body blow for John Hess, who runs the last major U.S. oil company controlled by a single family. The tycoon has been frustrated with what he views as a highly unusual situation, and is perplexed about what Exxon wants, according to people familiar with his thinking. Hess and Wirth personally led the negotiations, after they first discussed the idea of a Chevron-Hess deal over dinner in summer 2021. The two disagreed on price then, but started talks in earnest last year. The deal was seen as a coup for Chevron, giving it a piece of its rival Exxons most important asset. For years, Exxon and Chevron have been both friend and foe. They are partners on multibillion-dollar projects in places like Kazakhstan and Australia. But the oil giants have also competed fiercely for a shrinking pool of investors willing to park their cash in fossil-fuel companies. Despite the competition, Woods and Wirth have enjoyed cordial relationsoccasionally dining togethersince their tenures began in 2017 and 2018, respectively, say people familiar with the matter. In the eyes of many investors, Exxon has long held the role of big brother to Chevron, with larger oil production and superior profits. But the rivalry shifted in the mid-2010s when Chevrons shareholder returns in some years began outpacing those of the industry, including Exxons. Wall Street credited Wirths cost-conscious approach, which aligned with investors push for austerity and a focus on cutting carbon emissions. Investors favored Wirths move to walk away from a bid for shale giant Anadarko Petroleum in 2019 after Occidental Petroleum outbid Chevron with a successful offer of $38 billion. Chevron pocketed a $1 billion breakup fee. Chevron, under Mikes leadership, has navigated some pretty tempestuous waters quite well, and its undeniable the company is better today than it was in 2018," said Dan Pickering, chief investment officer at Pickering Energy Partners. As Chevron ascended, Exxon suffered setbacks. Woods plan to spend heavily to grow production turned off investors. In 2020, Chevron overtook Exxon as the largest U.S. oil company by market value. In 2021, Exxon lost a proxy challenge to a little-known activist investor who placed three directors on Exxons board as it pushed the company to better navigate the energy transition and cut spending. But in the past few years, Exxons fortunes have risen. It collected record profits in 2022 and paid out record shareholder distributions last year. Woods countercyclical investments, unpopular with some investors at the time, paid off when energy prices came roaring back after the pandemic. He won the full backing of his board for this years $60 billion purchase of West Texas fracker Pioneer Natural Resources, a deal well-liked on Wall Street. Woods has used the momentum to aggressively pursue Exxons interests, according to people familiar with the matter. While Exxon, which employs an army of lawyers, is famous for its willingness to fight, the challenge to the Hess deal has turned heads in Houston. Though the dispute risks some reputational blowback for Exxon, the fate of the deal is more consequential for Wirth than Woods, investors and analysts say. Wall Street sees the deal for Hess as critical to securing Chevrons long-term oil reserves and profits. Investors and analysts said if the Hess deal falls through, and Chevron doesnt acquire another large company or asset, they are concerned the companys oil-production portfolio could grow thinner in coming years. At the same time, many of the biggest and most attractive companies have been scooped up in a flurry of deals over the past year. Chevron executives have tried to reassure investors it has plenty of other prospects, including promising frontier exploration in Namibia, the potential of liquefied natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean, its megaproject in Kazakhstan and its operations in the Gulf of Mexico and the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico. But Hesss Guyana stake represents Chevrons best option to grow in the eyes of many. The Guyana consortium is expected to produce 1.2 million barrels a day by 2027 and continue pumping large amounts of oil for years, having approved more than $50 billion in project spending thus far. If they lose it, then I think it will be a substantial blow to his reputation," said Paul Cheng, an analyst at Scotiabank. Chevron and Hesss advisers spotted the right of first refusal during deal due diligence, but believed it didnt apply to the transaction and thought it was unlikely Exxon would pursue it, said people familiar with the matter. Chevrons financial advisers included Morgan Stanley and Evercore, while Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison served as its legal adviser. Hesss financial advisers were Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase. Hess shareholders are due to decide whether to approve the deal or not on Tuesday. Several investors have said they would abstain from voting due to the feud with Exxon. The sale to Chevron was supposed to be a regal send-off for the 70-year-old John Hess, allowing him to merge the firm he took over from his famously gruff father, Leon Hess, with the second-largest Western oil company. The merger agreement provides for John Hess to join Chevrons board, a role that would give him a say in the future of the combined entity. Legendary Wall Street lawyer Martin Lipton, a founding partner of law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz advised Hess on the deal. Shortly after it was announced, he said in an interview that John Hess had concluded Chevron was the best possible buyer for his family company. This wasnt digging up a deal or being forced into a deal," Lipton said. John Hess and his family own a roughly 9% stake in Hess worth around $4.3 billion, and the CEO stands to net about $50 million in cash and stock from the change in control alone, according to company filings. With the transaction in limbo, uncertainty has trickled down to the workforce, with Hess staffers concerned about what lies ahead, according to several employees. An Exxon win in the arbitration would essentially give that company veto power over who Hess gets sold toor even if it gets sold at all. It means that Hess might have to go on operating as an independent company, which raises the question of whether John Hess would remain at the helmand if not, who would succeed him. Before the deal with Chevron, he hadnt anointed a successor and was prepared to remain in the CEO seat for years. Compounding John Hesss irritation with Exxon is his view that Hess was pivotal in helping turn the fortunes of the Guyana project around. His company bought Shells stake there in 2014 after Exxon and Shell logged dozens of dry wells bereft of oil. Exxon executives have told John Hess his company was essential to the ventures success, according to people familiar with the matter. The CEO feels that his geologists played an important role in the exploration efforts that led to a prodigious find. Woods has publicly praised Hesss work in Guyana. Hesss stock price soared in recent years as oil came pouring from the South American discovery. Some large Hess investors are hopeful Hess will end up being acquired by either Chevron or Exxon. If John Hess wants to sell, somebodys gonna buy it," said John Levin, founder of asset manager Levin Capital Strategies and a long-term Hess shareholder. Write to Collin Eaton at collin.eaton@wsj.com and Benoit Morenne at benoit.morenne@wsj.com Asias richest man Mukesh Ambani is set to enter Africa with a telecoms venture, seeking to win mobile broadband customers in a high-growth market. Radisys Corp., a unit of Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries Ltd., will provide key network infrastructure, applications and smartphones for Ghana-based Next-Gen InfraCo., according to Harkirit Singh, the executive director of NGIC. He described the plans ahead of NGICs launch announcement on Monday in Mumbai, Indias financial hub. NGIC, which is planning to begin operations by the end of this year, will provide 5G broadband services to mobile operators and internet services providers in Ghana. The company is based on a premise of building affordable digital services in emerging markets, Singh told Bloomberg News. Other strategic partners in NGIC include Nokia Oyj, Indian outsourcer Tech Mahindra Ltd. and Microsoft Corp., which has increasingly sharpened its focus on the telecoms business following an acquisition of two cloud networking firms in 2020. Ghana, a West African country with a population of just over 33 million, has three main operators: MTN Ghana, Vodafone Ghana and state-run AirtelTigo. NGICs strategic partners, its technological prowess and the companys possession of Ghanas only 5G license will help it build broadband services at scale, a huge expense for individual mobile carriers, Singh said. Two African telecoms firms Ascend Digital Solutions Ltd. and K-NET hold a combined stake of 55% in the new company, said Singh. The Ghana government will own just under 10% of NGIC, while local mobile operators and private investors will retain the remaining shares in the firm. Singh is also the chief executive of Ascend. NGIC has the exclusive right to offer 5G services in Ghana for a decade, though its license is valid for 15 years. The companys capital expenditure for three years is $145 million, according to Singh. The company is looking to emulate the success of Ambanis Jio Infocomm Ltd. in India. Jio launched telecoms services in India in late 2016 with low-cost data and free voice calling, forcing some rivals to shut down and others to consolidate. It is widely credited for making mobile data affordable to hundreds of million of Indians. Jio is currently Indias biggest mobile operator with 470 million users. NGIC will provide affordable mobile broadband services and devices to the people of Ghana, replicating the success of Indias low-cost mobile data revolution, Ghanas Minister for Communications and Digitalization Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said in a statement. The Reliance-NGIC partnership is also a diplomatic win for India, which has sought to counter Chinas surging influence in Africa via measures such as digital inclusion. None of the strategic partners, including Reliance, currently own any equity in NGIC. But the company will give them an option to accept part of their payments as equity in the future, Singh said. The Bengaluru bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has given Reliance Retail-backed Dunzo Digital Pvt Ltd two weeks to negotiate a settlement with Betterplace Safety Solutions Pvt Ltd after it defaulted on payments. The extension is aimed at preventing new insolvency proceedings against the struggling firm. Betterplace, one of Dunzos operational creditors, filed an insolvency application against the company under Section 9 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) in February. Section 9 allows operational creditors to initiate insolvency proceedings following a payment default. The creditor, however, did not disclose the exact amount it was owed. NCLT granted the extension after Dunzos counsel asked for two weeks to reach a settlement. A bench led by Justices K Biswal and Manoj Kumar Dubey agreed to hear the matter next on 19 June. We have been in serious settlement discussions with the lenders... We have [also] been receiving investments. We need two weeks till 20 June to try and resolve the matter", said Dunzos counsel. Betterplaces counsel told the tribunal, however, that the creditor has been hearing about a settlement for almost a year, adding, The level of confidence is missing." He also said the lenders needed some protection in the form of the companys assets or else nothing would be left for them under the IBCs corporate insolvency resolution process. Also read: Flipkart has FOMO? Zepto and Blinkit are changing the e-commerce giant Separately, one of Dunzos financial creditors has also filed an insolvency application against the company. Dunzo said, however, that it was close to reaching a settlement with this lender. In November, Dunzos operational creditor Velvin Group, an Indian manufacturer of sustainable packaging solutions, initiated insolvency proceedings against the company. Its plea was later admitted by the Bengaluru NCLT. More recently Lightbox, a venture-capital firm that holds 11.1% stake in the delivery firm, gave up its board seat at the company. Siddharth Talwar, a former co-founder and partner at Lightbox who held the board seat at Dunzo, left the venture-capital firm in March. Dunzo close to striking a transaction" to settle dues Earlier this month we reported that Dunzo is in the final stages of closing a transaction" with investors that the cash-strapped startup has been looking to raise for at least a year to clear pending liabilities, including salaries. The arrangement is also expected to find safety for the company into perpetuity", co-founder and chief executive Kabeer Biswas told employees in an internal communication, which Mint has seen. According to a person aware of the developments, Dunzo is in late-stage talks to raise $22 million-$25 million in a mix of equity and debt from a clutch of new and existing investors. Also read: For D2C brands, Bertelsmann sees quick delivery as the next big growth driver Dunzo did not confirm this, but Biswas in his message to employees said the company will be conducting reviews on 3 and 4 May to finalise the transaction, and that it had also negotiated its liabilities to settle for considerably lower amounts. Dunzo, which is also backed by Google, is in the middle of a liquidity crisis that has over the past year forced it to pivot business models, delay salaries and vendor payments, and reduce its workforce. Proxy-advisory firm Glass Lewis has advised Tesla shareholders to vote against Elon Musks multibillion-dollar pay package at the companys meeting next month. In a 71-page report, Glass Lewis told shareholders that Musks proposed compensationrecently valued at $46 billioncould dilute their existing holdings in Tesla. The package would concentrate his ownership, making him the largest shareholder by a healthy margin." Shareholders will vote at the June 13 meeting on Musks pay package and other proposals, including moving the companys incorporation to Texas, which Glass Lewis also advised against. Proxy advisers recommendations can influence shareholder votes, as institutional shareholders look to them for advice. Musks compensation was originally approved by Tesla shareholders in 2018, but it was struck down by a Delaware court in January because of concerns about the approval process. In the ruling, the judge cited Musks extensive ties" with board members and agreed to rescind the package, once valued as much as $55.8 billion. Tesla last month re-proposed the pay packagewhich consists of a 10-year grant of stock optionsand has tried to persuade shareholders to support the measure in the coming vote. Since 2018, Teslas market value has grown from around $50 billion to $570 billion, and shareholders who support the compensation terms say Musk deserves to be rewarded for hitting performance goals. Musk doesnt accept a salary from Tesla, and while he ranks as one of the worlds richest people, most of his assets are tied up in shares of his companies. His hefty pay package has become a flashpoint for the electric-vehicle maker as it faces slowing vehicle sales and tumbling shares. Glass Lewis had advised against voting for the pay package in 2018, and said most of its concerns remain in the 2024 version. The excessive size of the award, both on a pure dollar basis and in terms of the dilutive effect upon exercise, remains very much top of mind," the analysis said. The companys provided rationale does little to combat these concerns given their proportionate magnitude." For the pay package to be approved, a majority of shares voted must support it, excluding Musks roughly 13% stake and a much smaller stake owned by his brother. Write to Ginger Adams Otis at Ginger.AdamsOtis@wsj.com Bengaluru: Wipro Ltds engineering research and development (ER&D) division is estimated to grow up to 30% in the ongoing financial year (FY25), according to an executive who is privy to its internal communications and growth projections, emerging as one of the bright spots for the company whose growth has lagged peers. Wipro Engineering Edge, which is Indias fourth largest IT companys ER&D unit, is expected to get almost $300 million in incremental business in FY25, the executive said, adding that the unit contributed nearly $1 billion, or 10% of the Bengaluru-headquartered companys $10.8-billion revenue in FY24, at a growth rate of about 9%. To be sure, Wipro reported a 4% decline in annual revenue in FY24, making it the only company in Indian ITs big four to end the financial year on a revenue decline. Also read: Wipro aims to smoke peace pipe with former top executives Much of ER&Ds $300-million incremental revenue in FY25 will be fuelled by hardware, semiconductors, Industry 4.0, wireless networks and cabling, the executive, who requested not to be named, added. Industry 4.0 refers to the integration of digital technologies into manufacturing and industrial processes. The ER&D divisions growth in FY24 has largely come from the Americas region, which contributes a tad lesser than $1 billion to the Engineering Edge unit," the executive said. What is Wipro ER&D According to the executive, Wipro Engineering Edge has more than 25,000 employees and is headed by Harmeet Chauhan, who previously served as vice-president of Noida-based HCL Technologies Ltds ER&D division. He joined Wipro in April 2023, when Wipros ER&D business unit was carved into Wipro Engineering Edge. Wipro reorganized itself into four global business lines (GBUs) on 1 April 2023, namely Wipro FullStride Cloud, Wipro Enterprise Futuring, Wipro Engineering Edge, and Wipro Consulting, to serve customers in the domains of cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), ER&D and consulting, respectively. While the engineering unit is expected to grow by one-fourth in the coming financial year, the revenue per employee in Wipro Engineering Edge is lower than its overall value for the company. As per Mints calculations, Wipro Engineering Edge with at least 25,000 employees and $1 billion in FY24 revenue, would have its revenue per employee amount to $40,000, which is lower than Wipros overall revenue per employee of $43,868, as revealed in a Mint report on 7 May. Wipro does not publicly disclose its revenue from the Engineering Edge arm. An email sent to Wipro seeking comments went unanswered until press time. Indian ITs ER&D Opportunity Over the past few years, Indian IT companies have been trying to build new technologies that could design and produce a product better, which has come to be known as ER&D. Subsequently, Indian IT companies are also looking to digitize business operations across industries such as banking, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing to name a few, as part of their ER&D offerings. Indias IT industry body National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) in February 2024, outlined annual growth numbers for India's IT industry. As part of its findings, Nasscom had stated that ER&D was at the forefront of growth for Indias $254-billion IT sector. According to Nasscom data, Indian IT companies ER&D revenues grew 7.4% from the financial year ended March 2023 to $43.3 billion for the 12 months through March 2024. This growth is almost double that of the Indian IT sector overall, which grew by 3.8% in this time to touch $254 billion in revenue. Robust ER&D revenue growth comes at a time when Indian IT companies recorded their lowest yearly growth since the Covid-19 pandemic. Also read: Why IT firms are treating artificial intelligence as a poisoned chalice Post covid, many industries witnessed large-scale digitization, which drove focus on engineering. Additionally, some verticals like Aerospace and Defense and Automotive are undergoing major disruptions due to factors like sustainability, efficiency, autonomous tech, electrification, etc., which are driving innovation through heavy engineering investments," read the Nasscom report explaining the ER&D boom. Sanjeev Hota, vice president and head of research at brokerage firm Sharekhan, attributed Indian ITs ER&D growth to its relative newness as compared with other offerings like consulting and business process management. The base is low for ER&D compared to other services, so that is why the growth may be higher for IT companies on the ER&D front. If you look at other service lines, they have been around for a while but ER&D has gained steam recently, which is why growth is higher," said Hota. Out of all Indian IT companies, Noida-based HCL Technologies Ltd has had the highest concentration on engineering research and development services. ER&D services made up 16%, or $2.1 billion of HCLTechs $13.2 billion FY24 revenue, which is twice the revenue generated from Wipros ER&D wing. HCLTech further boosted its ER&D services with the acquisition of German automotive engineering firm, ASAP Group, in July 2023. Wipros cross-city rival Infosys Ltd, has been the latest to show intent towards boosting its ER&D offerings. The Bengaluru-based company announced two ER&D-centric acquisitions in 2024. First was of semiconductor design firm InSemi in January 2024 and most recently, a $480-million buyout of German engineering research and development firm, in-tech, in April 2024. The Manipur Board of Secondary Education is set to declare the Manipur 10th result 2024 on Monday. Candidates eagerly anticipating the release of the Manipur Board 10th result 2024 are urged to visit the official website to access their results and download their mark sheets. Following the announcement, students can verify their Manipur Board Class 10 Result 2024 on these websites: bsem.nic.in. manresults.nic.in result.bosem.in Steps to check BSEM Result 2024 Class 10 Head to the Manipur board's official website, result.bosem.in. Navigate to the result portal. Locate and select the link for class 10 results. Input the required details, including the roll number. Once submitted, view the displayed Manipur 10th result 2024. Save or download the mark sheets for your records. BSEM Result 2024 Class 10 expected today. Students can access the results via For those unable to access and download the results online, they can utilize the DigiLocker App to obtain the mark sheets. Follow these steps: Open the DigiLocker app. Log in using the necessary credentials. Locate and select the Manipur 10th result section. Input the roll number and other requested information. View the displayed class 10 mark sheets. Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that she won't be able to attend the INDIA bloc's meeting on June 1. Addressing a rally in Kolkata, Banerjee said that she had conveyed to the opposition alliance the reasons for not attending the meeting. The last phase of the seven phase Lok Sabha election is taking place on June 1. The result will be announced on June 4. "The INDIA team is holding a meeting on June 1. I have told them I can't join as we have election on 10 seats in West Bengal on the same day. Punjab, Bihar and UP also have elections on June 1," said Banerjee. Stating that on one side is the cyclone, and on the other side, it is elections, Banerjee added, "I have to do everything. Cyclone relief is my priority right now." The West Bengal CM said that how can she leave everything behind and go? "Even if I am holding a meeting here, my heart goes out to those people (affected by the cyclone), she said. Cyclone Remal has left a trail of destruction, claiming at least four lives and causing extensive damage to infrastructure and property in West Bengal's coastal areas. Earlier this month, the TMC chief had said that she would extend outside support to the opposition front INDIA after coming to power. However, on May 16, she took an U-turn and said she is very much part of the anti-BJP alliance at the national level. Recently, Congress party chief Mallikarjun Kharge had slammed party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary over his criticism of. Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Monday stoked controversy by saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can't become Jawaharlal Nehru even if he takes birth 10 times. The former Chhattisgarh chief minister said, He is trying to make a place by defaming Nehru, but he is not even the dust of Nehru's feet.' Slamming the prime minister, the senior Congress leader said, Nowadays, the PM says anything he wants. He started by calling our manifesto an agenda of the Muslim League, Mangalsutra, mutton, fish, and buffalo... Now he is saying that the Parmatma has sent him, which means he is not a normal human. It shows that he is mentally unstable. Also Read | Prajwal Revanna apologies to parents in fresh video, says he was 'depressed': 'Will appear before SIT' Rahul Gandhi is the grandson of a leader who cut Pakistan into two pieces but Modi ji went all the way to Pakistan to eat Biryani... PM Modi is trying to make a place by defaming Nehru but he is not even the dust of Nehru's feet. He can't become Nehru even if he takes birth 10 times...," Baghel added. Earlier on Friday, criticising the Election Commission, the Congress leader said that in the era of ballot papers, the election panel used to release all voting data within 24 hours. But in the digital era, the commission did not give the voting data even after 8-10 days, and when it did, the percentage of polling increased by 6-8 per cent. China sought to drive a wedge on trade between the U.S. and its Asian allies, using a rare exchange with the leaders of Japan and South Korea to champion a multipolar world without economic discrimination. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, on a two-day visit to Seoul, touted the merits of harmonizing economic ties between the three Asian countries, as Washington has moved to raise tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and curb Chinas high-tech ambitions. Chinese leader Xi Jinping carried a similar message on his recent trip to Europe. We should resolve suspicions and misunderstandings through honest dialogue, uphold bilateral relations with a spirit of strategic autonomy, promote a multipolar world and oppose bloc confrontation and factionalism," Li said at a joint press conference on Monday. For all the overtures toward cooperation, Japan and South Korea, like Europe, have limitations in drawing economically closer to Chinaeven if the prevalence of U.S. tariffs brings some shared irritation. In a joint statement, the three leaders vowed to hold regular trilateral meetings and to cooperate on trade and clean-energy efforts. They also said they would promote people-to-people exchanges through tourism and education. Despite Chinas calls to avoid protectionism, the three countries didnt reach any concrete initiatives to that end. Instead, they agreed to continue communication in the field of export control." China ranks as the top trading partner for both Japan and South Korea, with their economic fates tied together on everything from semiconductors to electric vehicles. But in recent years, Seoul and Tokyo have hit new heights in their security and political bonds with Washington. Of the few world leaders to receive a state visit during President Bidens time in office, two are Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Mondays trilateral meeting was the first such get-together between China, Japan and South Korea since December 2019. Chinas primary concern has been discouraging South Korea and Japan from imposing further restrictions on exports to China, amid the intensifying trade rivalry between Washington and Beijing. The resumption of high-level talks mark progress, but China will continue to face limitations in convincing the U.S. allies to pursue more robust trade ties with Beijing, analysts say. China hopes to use the trilateral summit to prevent two of its erstwhile regional partners from drifting too far into Washingtons orbit," said Jeremy Chan, a senior analyst at Eurasia Group, a political-risk consulting firm. The U.S. recently applied tariffs to $18 billion in products from China including EV batteries and semiconductors. Keeping with tradition, Li, who is responsible for day-to-day management of Chinas economy, was dispatched in place of Xi, reinforcing Beijings message that it prefers to focus on business and trade rather than security issues. Li, Yoon and Kishida said they would accelerate negotiations for a first-ever trilateral free-trade agreement, which have been stalled since 2019. Even amid the diplomatic niceties of cooperation and partnership, the three countries deep differences on military and security matters bubbled to the surface. In separate statements, Yoon and Kishida called on North Korea to refrain from launching a satellite, which Pyongyang had notified Tokyo it would do in the hours before the trilateral summit. Such a test violates United Nations Security Council resolutions. Li didnt comment on North Koreas plans, but urged relevant parties" to exercise restraint. Kishida, in a bilateral meeting with Li on Sunday, conveyed that Japan was closely monitoring relevant developments, including military activities, across the Taiwan Strait, calling it extremely important" for the international community. Days earlier, China kick-started large-scale combat drills around Taiwan. Li said Taiwan is at the core of Chinas interests, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. Japan and South Korea cant explicitly align with China against U.S. tariffs because it could hurt their political relationship with Washington, but the trilateral indirectly shows that unilateral policies from Washington can push its allies closer to Beijing, said Tongfi Kim, a research professor in Asian geopolitics at the Brussels School of Governance. The allies dependence on U.S. military protection will limit their autonomy in the economic sphere, but Washington cannot expect the allies to comply with its demands blindly," he said. China has repeatedly warned against NATOs expansion into the Asia-Pacific as the group plans to set up a liaison office in Tokyo and has invited Japan and South Korea, non-NATO partners, to summits. On Sunday, Li warned Seoul against politicizing trade and economic issues. One potential area for collaboration is a three-way free-trade agreement. Talks first kicked off in 2012, though had stalled in recent years. Past efforts to pursue an agreement never got off the ground and striking deals that would go beyond light commitments are even more complicated in the current environment, said Wendy Cutler, vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. The U.S. will be counting on its two allies not to undermine their robust economic security agenda with Washington by embracing requests from China in the technology space in particular," Cutler said. But even as the U.S. cultivates stronger political ties with Tokyo and Seoul, businesses in both Korea and Japan share some common ground with the Chinese in that they all stand to lose from higher U.S. tariffs and investment restrictions. In a Sunday evening meeting with Samsungs head, Lee Jae-yong, Li encouraged South Korean businesses including the conglomerate to expand investment in China. The Korean tech giant has faced challenges in navigating U.S. export controls to cut Beijings access to advanced chips. Japan is eager to maintain conventional supply chains with China, although it shares U.S. concerns over supplying advanced chips to Beijing, and will look to secure Chinese components in a way that wouldnt get on Americas nerves," said Yorizumi Watanabe, a former Japanese diplomat and president of Fuji Womens University. The three sides seem content on using their meeting to signal the resumption of regular communications by committing to cooperation on common challenges, said Patricia M. Kim, a China foreign-policy expert at Brookings Institution, a think tank based in Washington, D.C. No one has any illusions that the lines of alignment in northeast Asia will be redrawn through this summit or anytime soon," Kim said. Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com, Brian Spegele at Brian.Spegele@wsj.com and Chieko Tsuneoka at chieko.Tsuneoka@wsj.com What if memes, viral videos, and satirical posts become relics of the past? As celebrities increasingly seek legal safeguards for catchphrases, images and personality traits associated with themas Jackie Shroff has for "bhidu" and Anil Kapoor for "jhakaas"concerns are rising over the potential impact on creative freedom and expression. Bhidu is a colloquial usage, in Mumbai and in the Marathi language, for bro or dude, that's also come to be used as a nickname for Shroff. Jhakaas is Marathi for fantastic or superb, which caught on after Kapoor used the word in his 1985 hit movie Yudh. On 15 May, the Delhi High Court issued orders protecting the personality and publicity rights of Shroff and Kapoor, barring the use of Shroff's name, sobriquets such as Jackie" and Jaggu dada", as well as his voice and image for commercial purposes without his consent. Earlier, in September 2023, the court had restrained 16 online entities from infringing upon Kapoor's personality rights, including the use of jhakaas. Experts caution that the trend of celebrities seeking intellectual property rights for such phrases and other common traits could stifle content creators, leading to self-censorship for fear of legal repercussions. This would also have implications for platforms such as Instagram and X, which would have to strengthen monitoring of AI images and videos impersonating celebrities as well as the use of any content associated with the rich and the famous. Aggressive enforcement of personality rights by celebrities can certainly lead to self-censorship, pervading fear of being involved in protracted litigation, and consequent financial repercussions," said Swati Sharma, partner and head of intellectual property at law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. If the courts were to adopt an overtly liberal approach in granting personality rights to celebrities, it will result in a significant reduction of creative content and stifle legitimate freedom of expression," Sharma said. The importance of personality rights Personality rights allow individuals to protect their identity in the context of property or privacy rights. For celebrities, this means safeguarding their names, images, or voices from unauthorized commercial use. In India, although there is no specific law for personality rights, the Supreme Court and various high courts recognize these rights under Article 21 of the Constitution, which pertains to the right to privacy. Celebrities can also register their names, voices, and signatures under the Trademark Act 1999. Kapoor and Shroff are at the forefront of a trend, say experts, with more celebrities likely to approach courts to safeguard their personality rights. And This | More and more Indians are encountering deepfake content: Survey "Celebrities are likely to follow suit because, in today's digital age, their image, voice, and likeness can be easily manipulated," said Ramya Ramachandran, the founder and CEO of Whoppl, a Mumbai-based marketing agency. By securing these rights, celebrities can ensure their personal brand is used in a manner that aligns with their values and public persona." Safeguarding content creators Legal experts suggest several strategies for content creators to protect themselves from infringement claims. These include paying royalties to original creators, using disclaimers to clarify that the content is not endorsed by the celebrity, and ensuring that content adds sufficient creativity or meaning to the original material. Content that is largely parodic or satirical, rather than a mere replication, is more likely to be protected under the law. "Content creators can protect their work and comply with laws by understanding copyright laws, using contracts and agreements to document terms with partners, and adopting Creative Commons licences to control use and ensure proper credit," said Amit Panigrahi, partner-designate at Luthra & Luthra Law Offices India. Impact on AI and digital platforms The trend also poses challenges for artificial intelligence (AI) platforms that generate content using celebrity likenesses. "Celebrities have the sole right to exploit the value of being a celebrity. This will indeed impact the current use of AI in generating content using celebrity likeness or catchphrases," says Hariom Seth, AI expert and founder of Tagglabs. According to Seth, AI models that use celebrity likenesses will likely need to sign licensing deals and retrain models to avoid using licensed catchphrases. While this could slow down AI content releases, it may also drive the development of new AI tools. Experts suggest that intermediaries like Instagram, X, and Facebook will need to develop measures to inform and protect users regarding celebrity IP rights. "Intermediaries hosting user-generated content have a key role in ensuring that the interests of both celebrities and creators are balanced," said Sharma of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. Steps could include preparing guidelines, responding to takedown notices, and establishing monitoring mechanisms to prevent unauthorized content. A balanced approach Some experts advocate for a balanced approach that protects celebrities' rights while supporting creativity. "The changing landscape of intellectual property rights, especially personality rights, requires a balanced approach," said Kalindhi Bhatia, partner at BTG Advaya. "Celebrities have a right to protect their unique IPs, but it's also vital to support creativity and innovation in digital content creation." Sneha Jain, partner at Saikrishna and Associates, adds, No right is absolute. Considering personality rights are not statutorily conferred but emanate from common law, the extent and limitations on these rights will have to be determined by the courts." Also Read | Generative AI video: Excitement tempered with scepticism China has set up a nearly $48 billion fund to help its semiconductor industry build up a local supply chain and close the technology gap with the U.S., coming as the country wrestles with restricted access to the worlds most advanced semiconductors and chip-making equipment. The 344 billion yuan ($47.49 billion) semiconductor fund, Chinas largest ever, is the third phase launched by the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, and double the total amount raised in previous phases in 2014 and 2019. The fund was registered Friday, according to the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, a government-run credit information agency. Chinas Ministry of Finance is the funds biggest shareholder, with a 17% stake, while five major Chinese state-owned banks Industrial & Commercial Bank of China , China Construction Bank , Agricultural Bank of China , Bank of China and Bank of Communicationseach hold around 6% stakes, according to Tianyancha, a private Chinese company-information database. The new funding comes in the wake of several rounds of U.S. restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductors and chip-manufacturing equipment to China, with the most recent in October significantly hampering shipments of artificial-intelligence chips. At the same time, major economic powers around the world have rolled out industry support packages amid intensifying demand for advanced chips to power AI computing and growing concerns over supply-chain disruptions. The U.S. last month granted up to $6.4 billion to Samsung Electronics and up to $6.6 billion to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the worlds largest contract chip maker, to build factories in the U.S. as part of the $53 billion Chips Act. South Korea last week unveiled a $19 billion package to bolster its chip industry. The competition has intensified as all countries are trying to achieve [chip] self-sufficiency, said Bernstein analyst Qingyuan Lin. Chinese chip manufacturers have been ramping up investment in domestic supply chains and the development of advanced chips. SEMI, a global industry body that represents chip manufacturers and suppliers, estimates that Chinese companies will start operations of 18 chip manufacturing projects this year, expanding Chinas chip-making capacity this year by 12%. Chinese companies bought an estimated more than $30 billion of chip-making equipment last year, a record amount and about one-third of the global total, according to SEMI. Most of Chinas new chip factories focus on older-generation chips that arent affected by current U.S. restrictions. Analysts think the new fund could position companies to catch up in advanced chip-making capabilities and to strengthen their mature-node production, with Chinas share of the global foundry business still relatively low. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.and Hua Hong Semiconductor , two of Chinas largest chip foundries, together made up around 8% of the global foundry market share in the first quarter, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.took up 62% of the market, according to global technology research firm Counterpoint. The fund may act like an asset management firm, taking equity stakes in both public and private chip companies. It could assume the lead investor role in many instances in order to support a higher valuation and attract other state-owned enterprises, said Morningstar analyst Phelix Lee. The sheer size of the new funding shows that China hasnt slowed in its dedication to build up a domestic semiconductor ecosystem in the face of U.S. restrictions, but instead actually accelerated, Lin of Bernstein said. Chinese semiconductor shares rose broadly in Monday trading, with SMIC adding 7.4% and Hua Hong gaining 11.5%. Global brokerage house Jefferies has initiated coverage on 13 Indian stocks in 2024, expanding its total coverage to 188 stocks with a combined market cap of $3.4 trillion, representing 70 percent of India's listed market. Most of these newly covered stocks have significantly outperformed the benchmark index. Indian benchmark Nifty has jumped over 6 percent in 2024 YTD and over 2 percent in May, extending gains for the fourth straight month. It was flat but in the red in just the first month of the current calendar year January, down 0.03 percent. Certainty around Modi-led BJP winning the third term in the general elections in 2024, overall positive foreign investor inflows this year, robust domestic buying, rise in index heavyweights, hopes of a rate cut in FY24, and improving macros have all contributed to the market rally this year so far. Read here: Expect low-teen upside for Nifty by March 2025; cautious on small, midcaps: UBS Let's take a look at the 13 stocks Jefferies has initiated coverage on this year. 360 One WAM | Buy | Target Price: 900 | Upside: 9.4% 360 ONE is the largest Integrated Wealth Management (IWM) firm with a focus on Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNI) and a leading asset manager in private markets. Over FY24-27E, Jefferies believes network expansion and growing client vintage should drive 25 percent CAGR in active assets under management (AUM) of wealth business. "The asset management company (AMC) is entering a PE fundraising cycle as large maturities approach and should deliver a 20 percent AUM CAGR. Despite some pressure on fees, operational leverage will drive a consolidated C/I ratio improvement of >400bps over the next 3 years and deliver PBT CAGR of 22 percent," it said. Adani Enterprises | Buy | Target Price: 3,800 | Upside: 12% AEL is India's leading business incubator, having successfully scaled and demerged multiple industry-leading businesses. With new businesses of Airport and Green Hydrogen, Jefferies expects EBITDA to grow 3x over FY24-FY28. AEL is riding on the strong industry tailwinds in new energy/sustainability, airports, infra, digitalisation, and import substitution in India, it noted. Read here: Stocks to buy: These 10 stocks may rise 8-16% in next 3-4 weeks, say analysts Bharti Hexacom | Buy | Target Price: 1,080 | Upside: 6% Bharti Hexacom offers a way to invest in those parts of Bharti Airtel's business that are growing faster, have higher ROCE, and have better FCF conversion. Over FY24-27, the brokerage expects Bharti Hexacom to deliver 16%/21% CAGR in revenue/EBITDA, which, coupled with moderation in capex, would result in 40 percent CAGR in free cash flow (FCF). Data Patterns | Buy | Target Price: 3,545 | Upside: 16.6% The company is a leading private sector player in defence and aerospace electronic solutions. Revenues should rise nearly 5x in FY24E-30E as indigenisation and export pipeline benefit the company. ROE improvement and reducing working capital intensity are the other drivers, stated Jefferies. Entero Healthcare Solutions | Buy | Target Price: 1,510 | Upside: 48% Entero is a fast-growing healthcare products distributor operating in a large and fragmented market. Its wide reach and product offering, coupled with a strong technology platform, should lead to 20 percent organic revenue CAGR for FY24-26E. In addition, it should gain from industry consolidation. Over FY24-26E, Jefferies estimates a 44 percent revenue CAGR and an 8x increase in adj. PAT as economies of scale kick in. IDFC First Bank | Buy | Target Price: 100 | Upside: 28.6% IDFC First Bank has built a well-rounded platform, arguably among the most improved deposit franchises. Operational efficiencies will play out from 2HFY25, and over FY24-27 strong deposit growth will aid loan growth that should aid 28 percent EPS CAGR even as credit costs rise, forecasted the brokerage. Improving ROA (to 1.5%) and ROE (to 14%) will aid rerating. A fall in rates should help it more than peers. The ability to raise capital will be key, it added. Indiamart Intermesh | Buy | Target Price: 3,400 | Upside: 33% Indiamart is a dominant B2B classified in India, with a strong value proposition and key moats in place to insulate it from competition. An untapped market, with sub-3 percent paid conversion and rising digital awareness, offers opportunities for growth of 19 percent/25 percent in revenue/EPS over FY24-26E. A strong balance sheet and investments in SaaS could drive the next leg of growth, said the brokerage. Read here: General Elections 2024: How different poll outcome scenarios may impact equity, forex and bond markets Kaynes Technology | Hold | Target Price: 2,900 | Downside: 12% Kaynes stands out among EMS players with the highest Operating Profit Margin (OPM), attributed to its component diversification and optimal mix. As of December 2023, its order book is estimated at 3,800 crore. However, the company faces stretched working capital at over 100 days compared to its peers. Kaynes is the only EMS player to foray into Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing, a backward integration move. The company plans an estimated total capital expenditure of around 3,700 crore for OSAT in two phases. It is anticipated that the central government will fund approximately 50%, with the state government contributing about 25%. However, whether Kaynes receives OSAT approvals remains uncertain. In Q3FY24, the company raised 14 billion through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP). The first phase of OSAT is projected to be operational by the second half of FY26, with the second phase expected by FY28, stated the brokerage. Over FY24-26e, Jefferies estimates sales/PAT CAGR at 46 percent/59 percent, with a 14-15 percent core OPM. We assign target P/E at 50x to Mar'26 EPS, broadly in line with the historical trading average. Even so, risk/reward seems punchy at PE of 70x on FY25e, it noted. Read here: Hyundai Motor India IPO: Kotak, Morgan Stanley likely to be advisors - Report Nuvama | Buy | Target Price: 6,000 | Upside: 26% Wealth services form a significant portion of the company's revenue, contributing 60%. Within this, Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNI) account for 25%, while High Net Worth Individuals (HNI) contribute 35%. Other revenue streams include investment banking (22%), custody services (18%), and an emerging Asset Management Company (AMC). Management is investing in wealth franchise build-out (RM network to double over FY23-27E) and Jefferies expects an AUM/PBT CAGR of 22%/20% over FY24-27E. Nuvama's valuation discount is driven by a lower mix of wealth/ARR, and the brokerage sees a steady improvement in business mix to drive re-rating for the stock over the medium term; however, near-term upside can be limited after the recent run-up, it cautioned. ONGC | Buy | Target Price: 390 | Upside: 38% Reforms in crude and gas pricing have improved ONGC's profitability above past decade averages. Augmented by profitable production growth over FY24-26E, Jefferies sees strong FCF generation and consolidated net debt reduction. Valuation doesn't capture this adequately with the stock trading at a steeper discount to Nifty compared to its LT avg. PB Fintech | Buy | Target Price: 1,150 | Target Achieved Digital brokers are gaining from rising insurance penetration and customer shift to online channels. PB Fintech, which operates India's largest online insurance platform (>90% market share), should witness 30% CAGR in premiums over FY25-27E, aided by strong operating leverage in its renewal book, deliver 5x EBITDA growth, forecasted Jefferies. Risks are from regulations and the emergence of strong competitors, it warned. Read here: Cochin Shipyard shares climb 10% to hit new all-time high on strong Q4 earnings Syrma SGS Technology | Buy | Target Price: 640 | Upside: 34% Syrma boasts a well-diversified portfolio across multiple verticals including PCBA, RFID, and magnetics, serving a broad spectrum of end users. These include Industrial (28%), Consumer Electronics (37%), Automotive (23%), Medical (7%), and Railways along with other sectors (5%). Its core Operating Profit Margin (OPM) of 7-8% is comparable to AMBER but double that of DIXON. By focusing on niche verticals, SYRMA aims to achieve a sales/PAT CAGR of 36%/57% over FY24-26, with OPM remaining at 7-8%, estimated Jefferies. Legendary investor Jim Rogers, hailing from the quaint town of Demopolis in Alabama, has harboured a relentless desire to explore the world beyond the confines of his small hometown. While some may have found contentment and happiness in never venturing far, Rogers felt an insatiable wanderlust. The 81-year-old investorand avid bikersaid that many people never leave and are in fact quite happy, which is fun, except I knew there was something else and I wanted to see the world. I was a little bit crazy, I guess, but I did it." Rogers travelled to so many countries that he has lost count now. He had saved some money, earned more, and decided it was time to retire and see the world. Craving adventure, he took the leap, including a journey to India where he drove around the country. He added that although he's traversed much of India, including Rajasthan, Kerala remains a blank spot on his map. He said, ...I tell people all over the world that if you can only visit one country, it should be India because it's the most exciting country for a tourist. The food, the languages, the man-made sites, the natural sites, the women: the women are always winning beauty contests. Ohh! It is a fantastic country." Rogers also visited the Kumbh Mela and jests that he may have washed away his sins in the sacred waters. Also read | Mcap of Indian stock market hits $5 trillion on RBI dividend bounty The veteran investor was stunned and said it was a sight to behold. There were so many people, all deeply immersed in religious fervour, earnestly washing away their sins. People prayed, sang, and immersed themselves in the water with such devotion. The sheer magnitude of the gathering was awe-inspiring. Every moment brought something new to witness, another soul engaged in this profound experience. However, his travel diaries were not all roses. He encountered a myriad of challenges and weathered numerous epidemics and wars. Reflecting on the perils of traversing unfamiliar lands, he recounted a harrowing experience in Africa where he was held hostage for eight days. You know, they would not let us leave. It was in the Congo," he said. It's not an easy world". Despite acknowledging the world's complexities, he affirmed his pursuit of exploration. I wanted to see the world," he declared, and I did it. Hooray, I'm still alive." Edited excerpts: Shares of Astra Microwave Products zoomed 14.25% in today's early morning trade to record a new lifetime high of 914 apiece following the company's announcement of its best performance on both a quarterly and full-year basis in terms of revenue and profitability. For Q4FY24, the company reported a revenue of 354 crore as compared to 258 crore in Q4FY23, with 76% of the total revenue attributed to India and the remaining 24% to exports. PAT for Q4FY24 stood at 54 crore, a 315% YoY increase from 13 crore in Q4FY23. For FY24, profit after tax reached 121 crore compared to 70 crore in FY23, alongside a rise in revenue to 909 crore from 816 crore in FY23. The company's order book as of March 31, 2024, amounted to 1,956 crore, which is more than 2x of revenue of FY24, according to the company's Q3 earnings report. Astra Microwave Products is engaged in the business of designing, developing, and manufacturing defence, aerospace, and space electronics systems, sub-systems, and components. It designs and develops radar, EW, strategic, and space electronic systems and sub-systems. It has in-house capabilities in design, engineering, simulation, manufacturing, functional testing, environmental qualification for defence, and critical microwave and radio frequency-based equipment. The company has moved up the value chain from modules and sub-systems to systems and systems of systems. Stellar growth The company has seen its shares steadily rising from a low of 213.80 in March 2023 to the current price of 897.95, marking a remarkable gain of 320%. For long-term investors, the stock has yielded even more substantial returns, surging by 543% over the past three years and an impressive 929% over the last five years. In March, the company secured a substantial order worth 385.58 crore from Bharat Electronics for the supply of MPR sub-systems. Strong sectoral tailwinds India's defence sector is poised for robust growth driven by extensive modernisation plans, an increased emphasis on homeland security, and the Make in India initiative, leading to higher government allocations for defence expenditure. Concurrently, ISRO's ambitious plans for multiple deep space and experimental missions are expected to bolster India's position in the global space industry through technological advancements. Additionally, indigenous shipbuilding capabilities have witnessed significant growth, further complemented by the implementation of the Defence Acquisition Procedure. The company, as outlined in its Q4 investor presentation, foresees substantial business potential across various sectors until 2028. With opportunities projected at 4,000 crore in defence & aerospace, 500 crore in space, 1,500 crore in turnkey projects and metrology & systems, and 1,000 crore in export, the cumulative potential reaches 7,000 crore, indicating promising growth prospects ahead. Once a penny stock, KPI Green Energy has given multibagger returns to its investors in the long term. The stock has skyrocketed 24432 percent in the last four years from 7.48 in May 2020 to currently trade at 1,835. In the last 3 years as well, the stock has given exceptional returns, rallying 11007 percent from 16.5 in May 2021. Meanwhile, in the last 1 year, it has soared 468 percent and it surged 87.5 percent in 2024 YTD. This year so far, the scrip has given positive returns in 4 of the 5 months to date. The stock is up 1.5 percent in May following a 19 percent surge in April. However, it fell 12.5 percent in March. Meanwhile, it was positive in the first two months of this year, gaining 43.2 percent in February and 24.2 percent in January 2024. Read here: Multibagger Penny Stock: IEL jumped 4900% in 4 years but declined for all 5 months this year; should you invest? However, it is important to note that the stock is currently trading under ASM LT: Stage 1 What is ASM? ASM LT Stage 1 refers to a regulatory measure used by stock exchanges to monitor and manage trading activities. Here's a breakdown of the term: ASM: Additional Surveillance Measure LT: Long Term Stage 1: The first level or stage of monitoring ASM LT Stage 1 specifically refers to the initial stage of long-term additional surveillance measures imposed by the stock exchange. These measures are put in place to ensure market integrity and to safeguard the interests of investors. Stocks that are placed under ASM are subject to enhanced scrutiny due to factors like unusual price movements, volatility, or other concerns that may pose risks to investors. Typical measures under ASM LT Stage 1 When a stock is placed under ASM LT Stage 1, the following measures may be implemented: Increased Margins: Higher margins may be required for trading the stock. Trade-to-Trade Settlement: All trades must be settled on a trade-to-trade basis, meaning no intraday trading is allowed. Price Band Changes: There may be tighter price bands to limit the daily price movement of the stock. Read here: Small stocks are racing ahead, but beware the risks About the firm KPI Green Energy Limited generates and supplies solar power under the Solarism brand name in India. It develops, builds, owns, operates, and maintains solar power plants as an independent power producer and captive power producer; and sells land parcels to third parties. The company was formerly known as K.P.I. Global Infrastructure Limited and changed its name to KPI Green Energy Limited in April 2022. KPI Green Energy Limited was incorporated in 2008 and is based in Surat, India. Earnings In the March quarter (Q4FY24), KPI Green Energy reported a multifold rise in its consolidated net profit at 25.8 crore versus 8.66 crore in the year-ago period. However, on a sequential basis, the profit fell from 40.77 crore in the December 2023 quarter. Its revenue for the quarter under review also rose 76 percent to 167.94 crore as against 95.36 in the year-ago period. However, on a QoQ basis, the revenue declined 39 percent from 275.18 in the December quarter. Read here: Multibagger Stock: Rajnish Retail has gained over 1000% in just one year! Stock split and raising of funds Last week on May 23, the company informed the stock exchanges that the company board has approved the "Sub-division/Split of existing equity shares of the Company from One equity share having face value of Rs. 10/- (Rupees Ten only) each, fully paid-up into 2 (Two) equity shares having face value of Rs. 5/- (Rupees five only) each fully paid-up." The stock split is to enhance the liquidity of the company's equity shares and encourage the participation of small investors by making it more affordable, said the firm. The KPI Green Energy board also recently approved the raising of funds through the issuance of equity shares or any other equity-linked securities of the company or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for equity shares by way of qualified institutions placements (QIP). KPI Green Energy intends to raise funds in one or more tranches for an aggregate amount up to 1,000 crore at such price or prices as may be permissible under applicable law, subject to necessary approval. Read here: 1.58 to 55: Penny stock turns multibagger. Rises 3400% in four years Brokerage view ICICI Direct highlights several strengths of KPI Green, including its strong quarterly growth in recent results, efforts in reducing debt, and the company's ability to generate net cash. Notably, KPI Green has shown an improvement in net cash flow over the past two years, indicating a positive trend in its financial health, it added. Meanwhile, its weaknesses, as per the brokerage are - - MFs decreased their shareholding last quarter - High Promoter Pledge Investing in shares of small companies with low market capitalisation offers significant potential for substantial gains due to their lower stock prices. However, this investment path comes with notable risks. These stocks often face limited liquidity, resulting in fewer transactions compared to larger companies. Additionally, they typically lack the rigorous financial reporting and oversight seen in bigger corporations, making them vulnerable to price manipulation and fraudulent activities. Read here: Multibagger Stock: Alphalogic Techsys surges over 3600% in 3 years, up 271% this year so far Given their constrained liquidity and reduced oversight, small-cap stocks often exhibit increased volatility, heightening risks for investors. Therefore, thorough research and careful risk management strategies are essential to navigate the uncertainties associated with these stocks and mitigate potential losses. The Mumbai Police said on Monday that a control room received a call that bombs were placed at the Taj Hotel and airport in the city. They said a search was conducted at the locations but nothing suspicious was found. The Mumbai Police said the call originated from Uttar Pradesh. The search for the caller is underway, police were quoted by news agency ANI as saying. The bomb scare in Mumbai came in the backdrop several such bogus bomb threats being received in several cities including Delhi and Chennai. According to the Hindu, the Chennai airport director received two emails on May 26, stating that bombs will be planted near the airport and that passengers should be deboarded from the aircraft, sources added. Subsequently, the mail was forwarded to the police and after checking, it was found to be a hoax. On May 23, two Delhi University colleges received bomb threats which later turned out to be bogus. According to the Delhi Fire Service, calls were received regarding bomb threats at Lady Shri Ram College and Sri Venkateswara College. Before this, a bomb threat was received by the Union Home Ministrys office at Delhis North Block on May 22. Besides, these several schools in Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Jaipur, Uttar Pradesh and Bengaluru received bomb threats via emails over the past few weeks, creating a panic situation. However, all threats turned out to be hoaxes. Naveen Khichi, the owner of a children's hospital in east Delhi, arrested a day after seven babies died due to a massive fire at his hospital, was today remanded to three-day police custody until May 30. The court also sent Dr Akash, the on-duty doctor at the time of the incident, to a three-day police remand. A case has been registered at Vivek Vihar police station under various sections, including 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide). The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday night at 11.30 pm, when a fire broke out at the New Born Baby Care Hospital. After the incident, Khichi had absconded and was arrested on Sunday. At the time of the incident, 12 babies were admitted to hospital. One baby died on the spot, and one died during treatment. Five were declared dead on arrival in another hospital. Five babies are undergoing treatment. The Delhi police said that the licence of the neonatal hospital had expired in March, and underqualified doctors were treating babies. During the investigations, we got to know that the doctors are not qualified/competent to treat the newborn children in need of neonatal intensive care, as they are BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) degree holders only, ANI reported, quoting DCP Surendra Choudhary. Khichi is an MD in pediatrics and lives in Pachim Vihar area. He runs this hospital with his wife, Dr Jagriti, who is a dentist. Reports said that Khichi has three clinics in the national capital. A plea has been filed in Delhi High Court seeking to restrain Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from making alleged defamatory statements against Adani group. The petitioner has sought to prevent the top Congress and BJP leaders from making unsubstantial claims that could harm the Adani Group's market value and investors. According to reports, Surjit Singh Yadav, who claims to be a farmer and stock investor, has filed a suit. The suit has also accused Rahul Gandhi of distorting facts against Adani. The petition said that the speech delivered by Rahul Gandhi was grossly misleading and delivered to create confusion in the minds of readers/viewers so that the image of the Adani Group of companies could be downgraded in the eyes of the public and investors. "That such false, fabricated and misleading speech delivered and propagated by the Defendant No. 1 (Rahul Gandhi) while twisting about the loan write off and the allegations leveled by the defendant No. 2 (PM Modi) without any basis and justification against the Industrialists has the potential to cause confusion among the general investors who invests in Indian Stock Market and the Plaintiff resulting in the high unanticipated volatility in the stock prices of the companies of these industrialists are causing huge losses to the investors and traders which also includes the plaintiff." reported ABP News quoting a plea. Last month, targeting Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked why Shehzada (Congress leader) stopped talking of Ambani and Adani in this election all of sudden. Responded to Modi's question if Congress received "tempo loads of black money" from Adani-Ambani, Rahul Gandhi quipped if the prime minister was speaking from his personal experience". Gandhi had also dared PM Modi to hold a probe by the CBI or ED. Two doctors from Pune's Sassoon General Hospital were arrested in the Porsche crash case that allegedly involves a 17-year-old boy. The doctors have been arrested on the charges of manipulating a blood sample, police informed. The police arrested Dr Ajay Taware, head of the forensic department of the hospital, and Dr Shrihari Harnor, the chief medical officer of Sassoon. They have been arrested for alleged manipulation of blood samples and destruction of evidence in the case, a senior police official said. Juvenile's blood sample was thrown into dustbin, another person's sample replaced with it The crime branch is currently probing the case. Two IT professionals died in a motorcycle accident involving a speeding Porsche car, allegedly driven by a minor, on Sunday, May 19. The police claim the teenager was intoxicated. Initially granted bail, public outcry and a police review led to the minor being placed in an observation home until June 5. Family pressures driver to take blame Meanwhile, the Pune police on Saturday, May 25, arrested the grandfather of the boy, claiming that both the teenager's father and grandfather pressured the family's driver to take blame for the accident by offering him money and giving threats. The teenager's grandfather, Surendra Agarwal, was arrested for `illegal confinement' of the driver, and a court subsequently remanded him in police custody till May 28. The minor's father, in judicial custody in another case registered in connection with the May 19 accident, was also named in the First Information Report. After the accident, the driver gave a statement at the Yerawada police station that he was at the wheel....But it was revealed that the teen was driving the car, Pune Police Commissioner, Amitesh Kumar told reporters last week. The Pune cyber police, meanwhile, have registered an offence over a viral rap video in which the teenager was purportedly seen boasting about the car crash. Police said it was a fake video. The Pune Police arrested one more person for allegedly being involved in the manipulation of blood sample of the minor accused in the Pune Porsche crash case. The arrested accused was identified as "Atul Ghatkamble and he is also an employee of Sassoon Hospital," police said. Two IT professionals died after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche allegedly driven by the minor in the early hours of May 19 in the Kalyani Nagar area of Pune city. Police claimed that the teenager was drunk at the time of the accident. The Commissioner said the blood samples of the minor accused were taken at Sassoon Hospital on May 19. The samples were, however, thrown in the dustbin of the hospital and the blood sample of another person was taken and sent to the forensic lab. "CMO Srihari Halnor replaced this blood sample. During the investigation, we found Srihari Halnor replaced this on the instructions of the HOD Forensic Medicine Department of Sassoon, Ajay Tawre," the police official was quoted by news agency ANI as saying. He said the two doctors were arrested on the charges of forgery and destruction of evidence. "Sections 120 B, 467 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been registered against these doctors," he added. The official further informed that the father of the minor accused was in direct contact with doctor Ajay Tawre. He also said that the crime branch was looking out for the person with whom the blood sample was replaced. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Monday told a magisterial court in Delhi that if Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar is released on bail, it would be a threat to her and her family. Bibhav Kumar, on the other hand, told the court that Swati Maliwal was tresspassing. Swari Maliwal made the comments while the court was hearing Bibhav Kumar's bail plea in the AAP MP's assault case. Swati Maliwal also said that she was called a BJP agent, and the Aam Aadmi Party had pumped a huge troll machinery against her. The AAP MP alleged that Bibhav Kumar is not an ordinary man and uses the facilities used by the ministers. What Bibhav Kumar said in court: Swati Maliwal went to the CM's residence and called the PA Bibhav Kumar. She (Maliwal) did not have an appointment for the meeting, and there was no message about her arrival. He (Bibhav) was not present at the CM's residence. So Swati Maliwal went towards the CM's residence. "Can anyone enter in this manner? This is the official residence of the CM." There was a trespass and a report was also filed. What she (Maliwal) is stating in the FIR is not true. This FIR is not the result of a contemporaneous complaint. The FIR was lodged after three days. How such an incident could take place at this place (CM's residence) where many people were present? There is no grievous injury on the vital part, so where is the question of culpable homicide not amounting to murder? Injuries can be self-inflicted, reported ANI, quoting Bibhav Kumar's counsel. CCTV has already been recovered, so there is no question of tampering. Bibhav Kumar's availability to police investigation is from the very beginning, the senior advocate argued. Also read: Some might call her BJP agent: Swati Maliwal as Nirbhaya's mother stands by AAP MP in assault case What Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava said: Intention is not required to make out a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder; knowledge is sufficient. If I slap a lady in an open place, it is outraging the modesty of a woman. Her reputation was kept in high esteem by the party chief (Arvind Kejriwal) and was called Lady Singham. The accused was terminated from his post. The accused did not tell the complainant that he was not in service and couldn't arrange the meeting with the CM. It shows the intention on the part of the accused. Also Read: Swati Maliwal breaks down in court during Bibhav Kumar's bail hearing, says report Delhi Fire Department Director Atul Garg suspects an "electric fault" to be a possible reason behind the fire that killed six babies at Baby Care New Born Hospital in Delhi's Vivek Vihar. "It seems that there is no reason behind the fire other than an electric fault. This could only be seen as a possible reason as of now," Garg told ANI on Monday. He said more details will come out after analysing videos and statements by eyewitnesses as the investigation has been started. At least seven newborn babies died after a fire erupted at New Born Baby Care Hospital in Delhi's Vivek Vihar on Saturday night. According to reports, seven dead children, of which four male and three female newborn babies, were moved to the GTB Hospital for postmortem. What could have saved more children Garg told ANI that more babies could have been saved had there been a second exit or any other easy access. "No one was there to guide us and no one could give us information regarding stairs and the number of cylinders...," the Delhi Fire Department director said. Lapses The Delhi Police also pointed towards major lapses that led to the deaths of seven newborn babies in the Vivek Vihar fire incident on Saturday. 1. Invalid licence: The Delhi Police's probe revealed that the licence on which the hospital was operating was no longer valid. "We came to know that the NOC [No Objection Certificate] of the hospital had expired on March 31," police told news agency ANI. 2. No emergency exit: The police also said there was no emergency or fire exit system on the hospital premises. 3. Hospital had more beds than allowed: Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara, Surendra Chaudhary said the hospital had permission for up to five beds but they installed more than 10 beds. 4. Some doctors not qualified: The police investigation further revealed that some of the hospital's doctors were not qualified to treat a newborn child in need of Neo-Natal Incentive care, as they were BAMS degree holders. Two accused, identified as Dr Naveen Khichi (45), the owner of the hospital, and Dr Akash (26), were arrested in connection with the fire incident. Police said they added Sections 304 and 308 of the Indian Penal Code in the FIR and arrested the hospital's director, Dr Naveen Kichi. "One of the doctors who was on duty, Dr Akash, has also been arrested. The accused have three such clinics in Delhi," police told ANI. 'Fire safety equipment now compulsory in every hospital' In view of the incident, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that fire safety equipment will be made compulsory in every hospital, irrespective of its size. He said that earlier, the NOC related to fire safety was not required for all nursing homes, which were restricted to the ground or first floors. "That's why this hospital did not have NOC," he said. "But now we have decided that for every hospital, be it ground or the first floor or even above it, fire safety equipment will be necessary. There should be a water sprinkling system and automatic smoke detection," Saurabh Bhardwaj said at a press conference. India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Monday that the relief from heatwave in northwest India and central parts of country is expected after three days. His statement came as the weather department issued a red alert for heatwave in several northern Indian cities including Rajasthan for the next three days. "Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions very likely in many parts of Northwest India and adjoining area during next three days. This is likely to reduce gradually from the 30th of May due to western disturbance...," the IMD official said. Meanwhile, an IMD press release read, "Heat wave conditions over Western Himalayan Region, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh [are likely] during next three days; Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are likely to reduce above regions after three days." Areas where heatwaves are likely in next few days 1. Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are very likely to remain in many/most parts of Rajasthan; in some/many parts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi; in isolated/some parts of West Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh during May 27 and May 29. There will be a "gradual reduction thereafter," the IMD said. 2. Heat wave conditions very likely in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, East Uttar Pradesh, during May 27-30; Chhattisgarh during May 28-30; East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Jammu division during May 27-29. 3. Hot and humid weather very likely to prevail over some parts of Gujarat during May 27-31; Bihar on May 27 and 28. 4. Warm night conditions in isolated pockets very likely to prevail over Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh-Delhi during May 2731; Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on May 27 and 28. When is Monsoon expected? The IMD also said the conditions are likely to become favorable for Monsoon onset over Kerala during next five days. It also predicted Above Normal rainfall over the country as a whole during the monsoon season (June to September), 2024. "The southwest monsoon seasonal (June to September, 2024) rainfall is most likely to be above normal over Central India and South Peninsular India (>106% of LPA), normal over Northwest India (92-108% of LPA) and below normal over Northeast India (<94% of LPA)," the IMD said in an update on Monday. (Bloomberg) -- Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer mocked Rishi Sunaks plan to revive national service for young Britons if his Conservatives cling to power, as the rivals used a UK bank holiday to campaign in two areas that underscored the very different challenges they face in the July 4 election. Starmer, whose party has held a lead of about 20 points in the polls for well over a year, used a speech in Lancing on Englands southern coast to urge voters to trust Labour on the economy and national security. He promised to fix what he called the chaos of 14 years of Tory government and said Sunaks national service idea is emblematic of his habit of sudden policy shifts. A sort of teenage Dads Army, was Starmers description, a reference to a British sitcom from the 1970s about a bumbling group of volunteers in the Home Guard, a citizen military group during World War II. Starmer was delivering his first keynote speech of the general election, and his destination choice was telling. The East Worthing and Shoring constituency has been held by the Conservatives since the parliamentary seat was created in 1997, but outgoing Tory MP Tim Loughtons victory margin of 14% five years ago makes it a target for Starmers party as it chases a majority in Parliament. Its why Starmer focused largely on Britains undecided voters in his speech, a type of introduction about his upbringing and political beliefs. He said hes changed Labour since taking over from his socialist predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, who led the party to an historic defeat in 2019. Elections are about more than individual changes and policies, but about values, temperament, character, Starmer said. He accused Sunak of desperation over the national service plan, which the premier has not made a priority so far in office. Starmer said the Tories would pay for it of taking funding out of communities and the National Health Service. Sunak hit back as he campaigned in Buckinghamshire, northwest of London, saying his policy would boost security and make British society more cohesive. He repeated his stock attack on Starmer having no idea, no plan. It is bold, but thats the kind of leadership I offer, Sunak said. But the policy and Sunaks choice of campaign venue underscore that the prime minister doesnt speak from a position of strength. Conservative MPs including Steve Baker have spoken out already about a plan which appears aimed at stopping the leak of votes from the Tory right flank to the populist Reform UK. Polls show that any support that does exist for reintroducing national service is concentrated among older voters, who the Conservatives consider their core support. Tory MPs have spent months warning that a resurgent Reform UK could cost the Conservative Party dozens of seats by splitting the right-leaning vote. At the same time, Sunaks appearance in Buckinghamshire showed that along with the Reform threat on the Tory right, the Conservatives face a fight in their traditional Blue Wall heartland from the centrist Liberal Democrats. Chesham and Amersham had been held by the Tories since it was created in 1974 before it unexpectedly switched to the Liberal Democrats in a special election in 2021, a seismic political upset that came to be seen as an early warning sign of then Prime Minister Boris Johnsons subsequent downfall. Sunak was brought in as leader in large part to fix the Tories slide in the polls that began under Johnson and went into freefall under Liz Truss. Hes failed to do so, and thats left the prime minister forced to try to shore up support in what should be safe territory just days into the campaign. The Liberal Democrats are targeting Tory strongholds in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the northwest and north of the capital, in Surrey to the south, as well as in areas where they have been previously been strong in southwest England. That has left senior Tories, many in Liberal Democrat-facing areas, worried about starring in a new Portillo moment on election night, the nickname for a when a Tory big beast loses a safe seat after Cabinet Minister Michael Portillo lost Enfield Southgate in the Tony Blair-led Labour whitewash of 1997. Many including Michael Gove have decided not to risk it, and Sunak has battled a slew of Tory resignations that have undermined the start of his campaign. Just as he has since taking office in October 2022, the prime minister is now trying to find political messaging that works for the political right and center. He suffered another setback in Telford, central England, when outgoing Conservative MP Lucy Allan said she planned to support Reform UKs candidate in the seat. Sunaks party responded by kicking her out of the Tory party. The opening campaign days have so far proved smoother for Starmer, who made light of Tory attacks about his age and stamina overnight. Ive had a smile on my face since January 1, 2024 because I knew this was going to be an election year, Starmer, 61, said in Lancing. Ive wasted nine years of my life in opposition. Ive worked four-and-a-half years to change this Labour Party, and now Ive got the chance to take that to the country. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent trip to Nigeria has left Prince William and Kate Middleton feeling terrified, according to royal expert Tom Quinn. Tom Quinn told the Mirror that the senior royals, especially William and Kate, are terrified of one thing above all others, that Harry and Meghan will continue to organise trips across the world until they are seen as the public face of the royal family. The fear is made worse because William knows that with his wife stricken with cancer he cannot compete and he cant stop the Meghan and Harry rollercoaster, Quinn noted. Moreover, Quinn noted that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may include their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, on future trips, similar to their recent tour of Nigeria. As reported by the Mirror, royal expert and author Tom Quinn said, Harry and Meghan are incredibly proud of their children, and when they are a little older and better able to travel, there is no doubt they will be taken on some of the couples tours. He further added, Meghan is acutely aware of what a great look this will be the charming royal couple with their charming royal children will attract the sort of publicity that Harry and Meghan crave, especially now that they are so determined to be billionaire entrepreneurs. The Duchess, who recently introduced her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, recognizes that featuring their adorable royal children during tours will generate the publicity that Harry and Meghan seek. Quinn added, Meghan is acutely aware of what a great look this will be the charming royal couple with their charming royal children will attract the sort of publicity that Harry and Meghan crave, especially now that they are so determined to be billionaires entrepreneurs. The Covid pandemic wasnt governments finest hour, not least because of a persistent lack of transparency. Emails released last week by the U.S. House reveal how Anthony Faucis former top adviser worked to keep the public in the dark and thwart investigations into Covids origins. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has been investigating the National Institutes of Healths funding of the nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance, some of which flowed to scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology doing risky experiments with coronaviruses. The committee earlier found that the NIH and EcoHealth failed to monitor properly the Wuhan experiments. Subpoenaed private emails from Dr. Faucis senior adviser, David Morens, now show how NIH officials and EcoHealth President Peter Daszak sought to conceal their lapses. After the Trump administration in April 2020 suspended funding for EcoHealth, Dr. Morens rallied to Mr. Daszaks defense. There are things I cant say except Tony [Fauci] is aware and I have learned there are ongoing efforts within NIH to steer through this with minimal damage to you, Peter, and colleagues, and to nih and niaid," Dr. Morens wrote to Mr. Daszak on April 26, 2020. I have reason to believe that there are already efforts going on to protect you." (NIAID is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which Dr. Fauci directed from 1984 through 2022.) Dr. Morens led the Daszak protection program. His subpoenaed emails show that he helped edit EcoHealths press releases and worked to get its funding restored. He also sought to thwart Freedom of Information Act requests by outside groups regarding the EcoHealth grant. On Feb. 24, 2021, Dr. Morens wrote to Boston University scientist Gerald Keusch: I learned from our foia lady here how to make emails disappear after i am fioad [sic] but before the search starts, so i think we are all safe. Plus i deleted most of those earlier emails after sending them to gmail." Safe from what? Public scrutiny? Note that Dr. Morens and Dr. Keusch collaborated on a September 2020 article that claimed theories about a hypothetical man-made origin of SARS-CoV-2 have been thoroughly discredited by multiple coronavirus experts." Their article advocated more funding for groups like EcoHealth to prevent this tragic history from repeating itself." Dr. Morens noted in another email to Dr. Keusch: I learned the tricks last year from an old friend, Marg Moore, who heads our FOIA office and also hates FOIAs." FOIA productions are burdensome, but government officials are required by law to preserve their emails and to conduct government business on government accounts. Dr. Morens didnt, and his emails suggest Dr. Fauci might also have used private addresses in this manner. Dr. Morens wrote to Mr. Daszak on April 21, 2021: PS, i forgot to say there is no worry about FOIAs. I can either send stuff to Tony on his private gmail, or hand it to him at work or at his house. He is too smart to let colleagues send him stuff that could cause trouble." The next day, Dr. Morens wrote to Dr. Keusch: If i had to bet, i would guess that beneath Tonys macho I-am-not-worried reaction he really is concerned. And whatever the case he should be very concerned about what happened to Peter, to our research portfolio in an extremely important area, and to scientific independence." In other words, NIH officials worried about losing public support if their EcoHealth records were made public. Was this why the Health and Human Services Department in May 2021 blocked FOIA document releases related to EcoHealth and the Wuhan Institute of Virology? Mr. Daszak thought so. On a cynical note, I suspect HHS is doing this because they feel that Tony Fauci & Francis Collins [then head of NIH] are under pressure, and they dont want more mud to be slung around," he wrote to Dr. Morens. The halt on FOIA releases may also have given NIH officials more time to clean out their emails. Dr. Morens wrote to another outside collaborator, Baylor College of Medicines Peter Hotez, on June 28, 2021, that he had deleted all his emails related to the Covid origin when the s started hitting the fan." I feel pretty sure Tonys was too. The best way to avoid FOIA hassles is to delete all emails when you learn a subject is getting sensitive." In other words, Dr. Morens believed that Dr. Faucis emails with Mr. Daszak were also deleted to avoid public disclosure. Amid increasing scrutiny from House Republicans of the EcoHealth grant, Dr. Morens wrote to Mr. Daszak on Oct. 25, 2021: Peter from Tonys numerous recent comments to me, and from what Francis [Collins] has been vocal about over the past 5 days, they are trying to protect you, which also protects their own reputations." Dr. Morenss emails showcase how government officials circled the wagons to protect themselves. Dr. Morens, who is currently on administrative leave owing to the committees revelations of his potential federal records law violation, told lawmakers last week that his FOIA avoidance was wrong" but denied knowledge that his emails constituted federal records under the law. Regardless, he was clearly trying to conceal the Daszak grant background. In related news, HHS moved last week to bar Mr. Daszak from federal programs, citing EcoHeaths improper conduct." Dr. Keusch in a statement called Mr. Daszaks punishment really dangerous to science, for scientists, and for national security." The real danger to science is lack of candor by health officials. The House investigation is another illustration of why Americans have lost trust in public-health institutions. Members of Congress might consider cutting funding for the NIH as punishment for employees obfuscations. Indian High Commissioner to Maldives, Munu Mahawar, and Ahmed Naseer, Ambassador at Large for the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs, co-chaired the India-Maldives Review meeting. The officials reviewed Indian grant-funded high-impact community development projects in the Maldives. According to the Indian High Commission in the Maldives, India is supporting 65 community development projects in the Maldives, valued at MVR 360 million. In a post shared on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), the Indian High Commission stated, India Maldives Review meeting co-chaired by HE Ahmed Naseer, Amb-at-large @MoFAmv and @AmbMunu to take stock of Indian grant-funded high impact community development projects #HICDP. India is supporting implementation of 65 community development projects worth MVR 360 million in Maldives. Budget Support Extension On May 13, the Indian government extended budget support to the Maldives by rolling over a $50 million Treasury Bill for an additional year, at the request of Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer. The Indian High Commission in the Maldives stated, State Bank of India has subscribed for one more year the $50 million Government Treasury Bill, issued by the Ministry of Finance of Maldives, upon maturity of the previous subscription. These Government Treasury Bills are subscribed by SBI under by SBI under a unique Government-to-Government arrangement at zero-cost (interest-free) to the Government of Maldives. The continuation of subscription has been made at the special request of the Government of Maldives to secure budgetary support from the Government of India, the statement added. The Maldivian Foreign Ministry said that the rollover of the T-Bill came after Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer requested it from Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his visit to India earlier this month. The Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs appreciated the Indian government's budgetary support. Expression of Gratitude Zameer thanked EAM Jaishankar for India's budgetary support through the rollover of the $50 million Treasury Bill. In a post on X, the Maldivian Foreign Minister wrote, I thank EAM @DrSJaishankar and the Government of India for extending vital budgetary support to Maldives with the rollover of $50 million Treasury Bill. This is a true gesture of goodwill which signifies the longstanding friendship between Maldives and India. @HCIMaldives @MEAIndia. French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday voiced concerns over Israeli airstrikes on a tented camp in Gaza's Rafah in which at least 45 people lost their lives. Taking to microblogging site X, Macron said that he was outraged over the incident. "Outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah," said Macron. Also Read: Dozens Killed as Israel Strikes Tent City in Rafah Assault Stating that these operations must stop, he added, "There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians." The French President also called for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. The attack took place in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood, where thousands were sheltering after Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over two weeks ago. According to AFP, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll had risen to 45 from the overnight Israeli strikes. "The Rafah massacre yesterday left 45 martyrs, including 23 women, children and elderly. There are 249 others who were wounded," the ministry said in a statement. Israel's army said it was investigating the reports of civilians killed in the strikes. Israel's top military prosecutor called the air strike 'very grave'. "The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) regrets any harm to non-combatants during the war," Reuters quoted Major-General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, as saying at a conference. Reuters reported that hospitals in Rafah, including the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital, were unable to handle all the wounded. Gaza's health ministry has said that over 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive. Saudi Arabia also condemned the Israeli attack and Qatar said the Rafah strike could hinder efforts to mediate a ceasefire and hostage exchange, said report. An Egyptian soldier was killed during a clash with Israeli troops at a Gaza border crossing on Monday while an Israeli airstrike on Sunday killed at least 40 Palestinians at a camp for displaced people, further inflaming regional tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. Egypts military confirmed that a border guard died at the Rafah border crossing on Monday, in bloodshed that threatened to escalate tensions with Israel. Separately, the airstrike at the camp northwest of the Gazan city of Rafah drew international condemnation. Israel acknowledged the death of dozens of people in the strike, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a tragic mistake in an address to the Knesset. Israeli leaders said they were still investigating both incidents. In the border clash, the Israel Defense Forces said a shooting incident occurred on the Egyptian border, and that discussions with Egypt were ongoing, without giving any more detail. Israel said the airstrike late Sunday at a Rafah tent community was based on precise intelligence and that it killed two senior officials from Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. But governments across the world were quick to condemn Israel for the strike. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was outraged, while EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was horrified. The White House said in a statement that images of innocent civilians killed in the strike were heartbreaking. Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians, the National Security Council said in a statement. But as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. Israeli troops started operations around the outskirts of Rafah, which lies in southern Gaza, early this month. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will attack the city because its the last bastion of Hamas, an Iran-backed Islamist group, and several thousand of its fighters are lodged there. The US and other countries fear mass casualties among the Palestinian civilians in Rafah and have urged Israel to cancel or sharply curtail an assault to prevent harm to innocents. The White House said Monday it was actively engaging with the IDF and partners in the region to better assess what had occured. The US and others have also voiced concerns about an Israeli attack on Rafah worsening ties with Egypt. The two Middle Eastern countries signed a peace deal in 1979, which is seen as crucial to Israels security. Egypt has been highly vocal of the war in Gaza and consistently called on Israel to agree to a cease-fire. The Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7 when thousands of Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250. Israels counterattack has killed some 35,000 Gazans, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. With assistance from Justin Sink. Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton are reportedly concerned about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle strengthening their bond with two other members of the Royal Family. As reported by the Mirror, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have distanced themselves from senior royals after openly criticizing aspects of royal life. Royal author Tom Quinn has proposed that they are now rebuilding connections with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Quinn said, For William and Kate an alliance between Harry and Meghan and Beatrice and Eugenie is a huge worry. They sense that Beatrice and Eugenie feel that, as virtual outcasts themselves, they have far more in common with Harry and Megan than with any other part of the family, Quinn told the Mirror, adding that the situation is made worse by the fact that the senior royals' main asset Kate herself - is effectively out of action while she continues her treatment for cancer. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, are said to have maintained a connection with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since their relocation to the United States. Despite Harry's apparent lack of sympathy for Prince Andrew, reports of their close relationship have been persistent in the tabloids. Also Read: Royal family cancels public engagements as UK PM Rishi Sunak calls surprise summer election for July 4 Vladimir Putin-led Russian government will remove the Taliban from a list of banned terrorist organisations, according to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti. The development came three years after the Taliban returned to power in war-torn Afghanistan. Since 2003, the Taliban group has been designated as a terrorist outfit in Russia. Kazakhstan has recently taken the decision, which we are also going to take, to remove them from the list of terrorist organisations, RIA Novosti quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Monday. At the end of 2023, Kazakhstan had removed the Taliban from its list of banned organisations. Despite international sanctions on the Taliban, Russia has fostered its ties with the government run by the banned outfit in Afghanistan. Moscow had also held multiple rounds of talks and boosted trade with Kabul. But, Russia has not recognised Afghanistans Taliban government officially yet. The state news agency TASS, citing Zamir Kabulov - director of the Second Asia Department at the Russian foreign ministry, reported that Russias foreign and justice ministries have reported to President Putin on the issue of removing the ban on the Taliban. ALSO READ: The Taliban warn journalists and experts against cooperating with Afghanistan International TV The latest move by Russia could further boost diplomacy between Moscow and Kabul. According to RIA Novosti, Lavrov said Russia's decision was about recognising the realities on the ground. They are the real power. We are not indifferent to Afghanistan. And above all, our allies in Central Asia are not indifferent, he added. Moscow has also invited Taliban representatives to its flagship Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, once seen as the cornerstone of Russias economic relations with the West, said state media. Russias economic event will be held on June 5-8. Kabulov also said that Afghan leaders were traditionally interested in buying oil products, as per TASS. The Japanese government on Monday issued an emergency warning for Okhinawa residents to take cover from the possible threat of a North Korean ballistic missile, reported Reuters. 'Stay indoors or find shelter', the Japanese government said over its J-Alert broadcasting system, the report said. Meanwhile, North Korea has said that its attempt to put another spy satellite into orbit has failed, adding that a rocket carrying the spy satellite exploded in mid-air on Monday. Also Read | Bomb threat at Mumbais Taj hotel and airport Earlier, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the launch vehicle may have failed in flight, adding it had detected "many fragments" in the ocean from the rocket in the sea. The report further said South Korean and US intelligence agencies are investigating whether the launch had failed. Around two minutes after it detected "what's suspected to be the North's military reconnaissance satellite... many fragments of the projectile were detected around 22:46 (1346 GMT) in North Korea waters and the US and South Korea are analysing whether it had operational flight," AFP quoted Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying. Also Read | Hyderabads top eateries found unhygienic; stale food seized: Report The South Korean JCS said North Korea fired the projectile on a southern path off its west coast at around 10:44 p.m. (1344 GMT), hours after Pyongyang informed about launching a satellite sometime before June 4. The launch appeared to originate from Dongchang-ri, a northwestern area of North Korea, where its main space flight centre is based, the JCS added. "The missile did not fly into the area that had been announced, and the situation is not as North Korea had intended. We are still analysing whether it is a satellite or not," Kyodo news quoted a senior Japanese defence ministry official as saying. The official further said that the colour of the flames in the footage suggests that liquid fuel may be burning, but details are currently being analysed. Also Read | Close shave for Rahul Gandhi at Bihar rally as portion of dais caves in, Congress leader says he is ok: VIDEO It is important to note that Pyongyang successfully launched its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit in November last year after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip abroad in September and toured Russia's most modern space launch centre North Korea is trying to build a space-based surveillance network to cope with what it calls increasing US-led military threats. Earlier, the North Korean leader told a ruling party meeting that Pyongyang would launch three additional military spy satellites in 2024. The New York jury in Donald Trumps hush money trial is returning to court after a week-long hiatus for closing arguments that will set the stage for historic deliberations. Prosecutors and defense lawyers on Tuesday will give dueling takes on the evidence and testimony presented over nearly five weeks. The jurors, who are expected to get the case as soon as Wednesday, could reach a verdict in a matter of days. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to an adult film star on the eve of the 2016 election to keep her quiet about an alleged affair. The case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may hinge on whether jurors believe Trump had an intent to defraud as well as conceal other crimes, namely election law and tax violations. While the false-records charges are simple and easy to understand, turning those misdemeanors into felonies using New York election law along with other legal theories is more complicated, said Jennifer Rodgers, a former federal prosecutor. The defenses closing argument will cast the issue as muddled, confusing, and full of reasonable doubt, Rodgers said, while prosecutors will want to cast their enhancement theory as easy to understand and well supported by overwhelming evidence. It will be a tale of two cases, for sure. The case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump is facing as he campaigns to return to the White House, including state and federal charges over his failed attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 election. The presumptive Republican nominee has denied wrongdoing in all the cases, claiming without evidence that theyre part of a coordinated conspiracy against him by Democrats. The defense and prosecution in the hush money trial rested their cases early last week, but Justice Juan Merchan delayed closing arguments so they would not be split from deliberations by the holiday weekend and previously scheduled days off. Merchan has said closing arguments are expected to last all day Tuesday and could bleed into Wednesday. The judge must also give jurors so-called charging instructions to explain the law and aid their deliberations. Merchan told jurors theyll start deliberating hopefully, at some point on Wednesday. Closing arguments are important for prosecutors because a small number of witnesses may have overshadowed the rest of the evidence, according to Rodgers. She said the government must re-acquaint jurors with all of the evidence in the case, not just the unforgettable moments. Prosecutors, who have the burden of proof, will argue that their case was overwhelmingly supported by multiple witnesses along with a trove of emails, text messages, business records and other pieces of evidence. Braggs team relied heavily on its star witness, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who made the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels the adult film actress and was allegedly reimbursed by Trump in monthly installments throughout 2017. Cohen gave jurors a first-hand account of every stage of the alleged hush money scheme, from its inception at a 2015 Trump Tower meeting to efforts to deceive the press and federal election regulators when news of the scheme leaked out three years later. Much of Cohens testimony was backed by other witnesses or documents. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified he met with Trump and Cohen at Trump Tower in 2015 to discuss how he could use his tabloid to help Trump win the White House. Hope Hicks, Trumps former campaign press secretary, testified about how the Daniels story was seen as an existential threat to Trumps campaign on the eve of the election. She said Trump was less bothered when the story eventually came out in 2018 because hed already won, bolstering Braggs charge that the payouts were intended to help Trump win the election. One person who didnt testify was Trump, but his team, led by Todd Blanche, will seek to sow doubt in the mind of at least one juror. His closing argument will likely focus heavily on Cohens credibility, which Blanche damaged during a withering cross-examination. Blanche will remind jurors of Cohens well-documented perjury as well as testimony at the trial that the defense says turned out to be false. Based on arguments last week, Blanche can also be expected to hammer home the notion that prosecutors failed to prove Trump had any intent to defraud and that there was no conspiracy to violate election laws. The poor placement record of Indias top engineering schools this year has received much attention. What went unnoticed are dismal placements at top economics schools. One reason is the growing caution among employers that face multiple global uncertainties. The other is a reassessment of the need for economic analysts in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). While there is a cyclical element to this downturn, it is worth asking if the training that economists receive needs an upgrade. Over the past four decades, they have gained more from computerization and digitization than other social scientists. Rising computing power made it increasingly easy to run econometric models on large data-sets. It helped academic researchers produce more research, and enabled graduate students to master sophisticated modelling techniques. Over time, economists began taking the data-generating process for granted. Whatever appeared on their computer screens was viewed as an accurate description of reality. In search of quick results, data scrutiny and primary research took a backseat. Now, a faster breed of analysts has appeared. AI models today can produce as good or as bad a forecast as an average graduate, and in a much shorter span of time. To be sure, AI models suffer from the garbage-in-garbage-out syndrome. But economists who arent trained well in scrutinizing data-sets also suffer from the same syndrome. Unless they re-examine their relationship with economic statistics, economists are likely to lose jobs to AI-driven bots. Writing more than half a century ago, the famous game theorist Oskar Morgenstern pointed out that most economic statistics are built on a number of simplifying assumptions and judgement calls. But economists often use these statistics as if they were error-free measures of socioeconomic realities. In The Accuracy of Economic Observations, Morgenstern criticized economic statisticians for failing to alert data users about the error margins in economic estimates. But he was equally critical of his own tribe of economic researchers for failing to distinguish between what we think we know and what we really can and do know". To improve the accuracy of economic observations, Morgenstern advocated deeper engagement between data producers and users, openness in acknowledging errors of economic measurement, and careful reviews to bring down errors over time. Most importantly, he wanted economics students to be trained to question the facts put up before them, so that they learn how terribly hard it is to find out what truly is a fact." Morgensterns observations hold true for all geographies, but more so for data-deficient poor countries such as India. In post-independent India, the first generation of economic statisticians (such as Moni Mukherjee and Uma Dutta Roy Choudhury) and economic practitioners (such as K.N. Raj, Jagdish Bhagwati and T.N. Srinivasan) were deeply conscious of this problem. In most of their writings, you will find careful descriptions of the data-sets they used and their limitations. In his foreword to Mukherjees 1969 book on national accounting in India, Nobel laureate Simon Kuznets noted that the problems in adapting international standards to a poor and diverse economy ran like a red thread through the volume" and reflected a proper concern with this problem." Faced with incomplete data-sets, leading economists of the day learned to complement quantitative techniques with other methods, including case studies and historical analysis. The limited access to high-speed computers meant that they couldnt run endless regression models even if they wanted to. Some of the most prominent economic studies of that era, including Bhagwatis 1971 critique of Indias licence raj regime and Rajs 1975 report of Keralas human development model were essentially case studies. They relied on both quantitative and qualitative evidence to build their arguments. Sensing the inadequacy of the state-level National Sample Survey consumption data, Raj had to collect primary data on food consumption patterns to construct alternate estimates of household consumption expenditure in Kerala. Bhagwati and his co-author, the late Padma Desai, had to reconstruct industry-wise input-output ratios to make them comparable over time. If they had just run regression models on official data-sets, they wouldnt have unearthed the insights that they did. Also read: The spatial spread of economic activities must be mapped for data accuracy Todays generation of young economists need to relearn the skills that the old masters possessed. They need to acquire the lost art of scrutinizing economic statistics while avoiding the temptation of high-speed and low-insight econometrics. This will secure a better future for them and the country. One complaint of official statisticians is the limited understanding of economic statistics among economic practitioners. This leads them to make uninformed comments and create statistical controversies, statisticians say. This is of course self-serving, since it absolves statisticians of any role in such controversies. Nonetheless, it isnt bereft of truth. Economic practitioners today have a poor understanding of economic statistics compared to the economic pioneers of the post-independence era. If tomorrows practitioners understand economic statistics better, it will enable us to have saner debates on the economy. It will also lead to more nuanced debates on statistical issues. After Elon Musk bought Twitter (now X) in 2022, the social media company got rid of many of its moderators, slashed the system whereby users could flag tweets for review, and ramped up a different system to fight misinformationa form of crowdsourcing called Community Notes. A wave of outrage followed these changes. But the Community Notes feature has the benefit of transparency and shows scientific and medical merit. And a new academic review suggests its workinga least for scientific issues. Also read: Elon Musk's X activates 'Community Notes' program in India. Here's how it works. Researchers who study social media worry about rampant hate speech and incitements to violence; in 2023 it became prohibitively expensive for researchers to get data to study these problems. But the lead author of this new study, behavioural scientist John Ayers of University of California, San Diego, said Community Notes data was easy to obtain. And for hashing out factual issues in fields like science and health, social scientists recommend a crowdsourcing approach, citing studies that show the power of collective intelligence. Several studies have pitted crowdsourcing against professional fact checkers and found the former work just as well for checking the accuracy of news stories. Ayers and other researchers looked at the accuracy of Xs Community Notes, using the contentious issue of covid vaccines as a test case. The results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed these X notes were almost always accurate and usually cited high-quality sources. The X feature relies on volunteers to flag misleading posts and add corrective commentary with links to scientific papers or media sources. Other users can vote on the notes value. The old system relied on fact-checkers whose identity and scientific credentials were unknown. They could take down posts they deemed to be misinformation, ban users or use shadow bans, by which posts are hidden without user knowledge. Content moderators employed by social media companies have also been attacked for moving too slowly and failing to take down hateful or violent content. It may be impossible for any social media company to keep up, which is why its important to explore other approaches. The new system isnt perfect, but it does appear pretty accurate. In the JAMA study, researchers looked at a sample of 205 Community Notes on covid vaccines. They agreed the user-generated information was accurate 96% of the time, and that the sources cited were of high quality 87% of the time. While only a small fraction of misleading posts were flagged, those that did get notes attached were among the most viral, said lead author Ayers. Psychologist Sacha Altay says people tend to underestimate the power of collective intelligence, which has proven surprisingly good for forecasting and assessing information, as long as enough people participate. The public perception of misinformation is often distorted by political biases, outrage and self-delusion. Last year, Oxford researchers prompted some reflection with a study titled People Believe Misinformation Is a Threat Because They Assume Others Are Gullible. In other words, the people most outraged about fake news arent worried theyll be fooled; theyre worried others will be. But we tend to overestimate our own discernment. During the pandemic, post moderators labelled lots of subjective statements as misinformation, especially those judging various activities to be safe. But theres no scientific definition of safe, which is why people could talk past each other for months about whether it was safe to let kids back into school or gather without masks. Much of all this misinformation was just minority opinion. Twitters old post-censorship system assumed that people skip vaccines or otherwise make bad choices because they are exposed to misinformation. But another possibility is that lack of trust is the real problempeople lose trust in health authorities or cant find the information they want, and that causes them to seek out fringe sources. If thats the case, censorship could create more distrust by stifling open discussion about important topics. Of course, people dont usually portray themselves as pro-censorship, even if thats whats happening. Conservatives are more likely to accept censorship of material they deem indecent, while liberals are more likely to tolerate censorship of information they deem harmful. But both sides should approve of any system that discourages blind assumptions and snap judgements and encourages open discussion, reflection and the deployment of collective minds. Musk is a divisive figure and theres plenty to dislike about recent changes in X, but Community Notes is an upgrade. bloomberg Over the past four years, we have been amazed by the notable increase in the number of demat accounts, SIP investment flows, mutual fund (MF) investor count and similar data. The number of unique investors in Indian equity markets has nearly tripled since 2020 to 90 million. Equally impressive, the number of investors in mutual funds (unique PAN holders) has more than doubled from 21 million as of December 2020 to 45 million as of April 2024. View Full Image (graphic:mint) We are witnessing an extension of the financialization of savingswhat I call as the equitization of investments. This trend, which refers to the increasing preference for equity investments over traditional savings, is poised to reshape the financial landscape of the country. This shift is being fuelled by three interconnected mega trends: An expansion of the middle class, rising incomes within this demographic and the youthful profile of Indias population. Trust and financial literacy are reinforcing this trend, although the inherent volatility of equity markets will lead to fluctuations in this equitization trend. Growth of the middle class: As per a report by Peoples Research on Indias Consumer Economy (PRICE), Indias middle class is set to nearly double its share of total population by 2047 from an estimated 31% of our headcount in 2020-21 to a projected 61%. In absolute terms, the class is expected to grow from 432 million individuals in 2020-21 to about 715 million by 2031 and over a billion by 2047. Our fast-rising middle class is a critical driver of equitization, given its high capacity for investing assured by relative financial stability. Rising income levels: As per a report by HR consulting firm AON, annual salary increases in India have ranged between 9.3% and 10.5% during 2013-2023, except in covid-impacted 2021. It is fair to assume that we would see robust wage increases over the next decade lifting the disposable incomes of the middle class. This money is often channelled into investments. Given the relatively low returns on traditional savings avenues like fixed deposits, equities present an attractive alternative with the promise of higher returns, albeit at higher risks. Young demographics: As per a CAMS report in 2023, India added 15.7 million new mutual fund investors between 2019 and 2023. A whopping 54% of these investors were millennials (born between 1981 and 1996). In 2023, almost 90% of their investments were in equity MFs. Almost 66% of these millennials (5.1 million in total) opted for the SIP route to make their first investment, indicating an intent to keep equity as an important asset class in their portfolio. They have a good 20-30 years of earning and saving ahead of them. We expect this group to have only started investing with small amounts and significantly increase equity allocation as their familiarity with this asset class and confidence in it grows. Trust and financial literacy are factors that could lend the trend support. Trust: Trust is fundamental to stock market participation, with several studies highlighting how the confidence of investors in market fairness, regulatory effectiveness and the reliability of financial information influences their risk perceptions and willingness to invest. Trust has been gradually built through improved regulations and better governance, apart from the success of our financial markets. Corporates, regulators and intermediaries such as accountants, brokers, advisors and institutional fund managers play crucial roles in fostering investor trust and ensuring market integrity. As per the CFA Institutes Trust Survey conducted in 2022, India has the highest trust level among 15 markets globally. About 83% of retail participants from India said they trusted financial services, compared to 64% in the US, 45% in Australia and 37% in Germany (the lowest ranked). Financial literacy: This is a pivotal factor. Brokers, advisors and other professionals need to guide investors, particularly novices, on how to mitigate risks associated with market fluctuations. They must recommend effective strategies, such as asset diversification, selecting stocks from high-quality companies, entrusting money to professional fund managers and maintaining a long-term perspective to withstand volatility and achieve potential growth. By educating investors on these approaches, intermediaries not only enhance individual investor portfolios but also foster greater confidence and participation in financial markets. Theres a long way to go: Despite the strides made in the past four years, only about 6.5% of Indians invest in equity markets. The corresponding count is significantly higher in other developing and developed economies. Overall investments in MFs and equity still remain low as a proportion of overall financial assets held. Befriend the trend: I am not suggesting that this mega trend will be smooth. Indeed, it will experience fluctuations influenced by historical and projected returns from various asset classes like equity, real estate and debt. Changes in taxation could also impact it. However, the broader growth in equity participation by Indian investors is likely to sustain over the next decade, if not longer. As India continues to evolve, the move towards equity is not just a pandemic blip but a fundamental shift that is likely to endure. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convenorArvind Kejriwal filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday, May 27, seeking an extension of his interim bail by seven days, newswire ANI reported. The apex court granted Kejriwal 21 days of interim bail on May 10 in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy scam. His interim bail ends on June 1, and he is directed to surrender on June 2. In his petition, Kejriwal said he has to undergo a PET-CT scan and other tests and asked for a seven days extension in interim bail to complete the health check-up, ANI reported. Speaking to ANI about Kejriwal's interim bail extension plea, AAP leader Atishi said that the Delhi CM lost 7 kgs during his ED custody and the sudden weight loss concerned doctors. When he (Kejriwal) was in ED custody, judicial custody, he lost 7 kg of weight. This sudden weight loss is a matter of concern for doctors. Despite being out of custody and under medical supervision, he has not been able to regain that weight again, she said. Atishi added that early tests have indicated that his ketone levels are extremely high. Unexplained sudden weight loss, along with high ketone levels, could be the indicator of some serious medical ailments, including damage to the kidneys and cancer, she said. Therefore doctors have suggested that he needs to have a set of series of investigations including PET scan of his entire body and other such serious tests. Supreme Court's 5 conditions for Kejriwal's bail The Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Dattagranted interim bail to Kejriwal and set five conditions, one of which prohibited him from contacting any witnesses involved in the case. Before being released from jail, Kejriwal had to furnish a personal bond of 50,000. 50,000. He is prohibited from visiting the Chief Minister's Office and the Delhi Secretariat. A statement made on his behalf obliges him to ensure that he does not sign official files unless necessary and is required to obtain clearance approval from Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. He is prohibited from commenting on his involvement in the Excise Policy case. He is barred from interacting with any witnesses involved in the case or accessing official files related to the proceedings. Also Read | 'Here I am': Arvind Kejriwal exits Tihar jail after SC grants interim bail | Watch While granting interim bail, the SC considered Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi and leader of one of the national parties. On the question of an under-trial person being granted bail for campaigning for the polls, the Supreme Court said, "No doubt, serious accusations have been made, but he has not been convicted. He does not have any criminal antecedents. He is not a threat to society." Two assailants on motorbikes allegedly shot and injured former Malegaon mayor Abdul Malik near a petrol pump in Maharashtra's Nashik district in the wee hours on Monday, newswire PTI reported quoting a police official. According to PTI, the incident occurred at 1:20 a.m. on Monday, May 27, on Old Agra Road, where Malik was seated outside a shop. "Two unidentified persons arrived on a motorbike and allegedly fired three rounds at him. Malik received wounds on his chest and leg," the police official told PTI. The official said that Malik was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where his condition was reported to be stable. "He is recuperating," the official confirmed. Also Read | Punjab Lok Sabha polls 2024: Jalandhar braces for intense battle among former CM Charanjit Singh Channi and 3 turncoats Police have registered a case against the two unidentified attackers under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 307 (attempt to murder). Further investigation is underway, the official said, as reported by PTI. The incident comes just days after the Uttarakhand High Court overturned a notice to Abdul Malik regarding a riot in Haldwani. On May 25, Justice Manoj Kumar's bench quashed the notice, which demanded Malik pay 2.6 crore for damage caused to public property during the commotion. The court accepted Malik's plea that the charges against him are yet to be proven, as per PTI. The Haldwani Municipal Corporation issued the notice to Malik on April 25, requiring payment within three days. The report added that Malik challenged the notice in the high court, arguing that allegations against him must be proven in court before any recovery can be made. The violence in Haldwani's Banbhoolpura area erupted on February 8 following the demolition of a madrasa and a prayer space built by Malik on allegedly illegally grabbed government land, PTI reported. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had a close shave when a portion of the stage, set up for the INDIA bloc's election campaign in Bihar, caved in on Monday. The incident happened when Rahul Gandhi, along with other INDIA bloc leaders, entered the stage to address the public gathered to attend the Opposition alliance's rally. The leaders were campaigning just ahead of the seventh and the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections. A video surfaced on social media wherein Gandhi and Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Misa Bharti could be seen holding each other's hand when the stage broke. The video was shared by news agency PTI. A security official then seemed to offer Rahul Gandhi help. Gandhi told him he was fine and continued waving at his audience at the rally in Bihar's Paliganj. Although the leaders lost balance when the incident happened, everything was fine later. Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other leader delivered speeches at the rally on Monday. Gandhi reiterated the promised made by the party inits manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Gandhi said, Under the Mahalaxmi scheme, women from poor families will get 1 lakh annually. Every educated youth's first job will be permanent, in which he will get 1 lakh annually. Farmers will get legal guarantee of MSP, their loans will be waived off. Workers will get daily wages of 400 under the MNREGA scheme The Congress leader launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the latter has spread unemployment in the country. "Narendra Modi has turned Indian soldiers into labourers in the army," he said. BERLINThe Biden administration is pressing European allies to back off plans to rebuke Iran for advances in its nuclear program as it seeks to keep tensions with Tehran from escalating before the autumns U.S. presidential election, according to diplomats involved in discussions. The U.S. is arguing against an effort by Britain and France to censure Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agencys member state board in early June, the diplomats said. The U.S. has pressed a number of other countries to abstain in a censure vote, saying that is what Washington will do, they said. U.S. officials deny lobbying against a resolution. The differences are emerging as Western officials concerns have deepened about Irans nuclear activities. Iran has enough highly enriched fissile material for three nuclear weapons, according to IAEA data. Some U.S. officials say they fear Iran could be more volatile as the country moves toward elections for a new leader after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash earlier this month. The Biden administration has long said it is seeking a diplomatic solution on Irans nuclear program. European diplomats have warned that failure to take action would undermine the authority of the IAEA, which polices nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. They say it also weakens the credibility of Western pressure on Iran. And they are frustrated over what they see as U.S. efforts to undermine their approach. A U.S. official said Washington is tightly coordinated" with its European partners ahead of the IAEA board meeting next month: Any speculation about decisions is premature." We are increasing pressure on Iran through sanctions and international isolation," the official added, citing measures taken by the Group of Seven advanced democracies after an Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel last month. A second U.S. official said it was totally false" that Washington is aiming to avoid disruption with Iran before the U.S. elections. The IAEA board last passed a resolution rebuking Iran in November 2022. U.S. and European officials in Vienna have repeatedly warned since then that they would take action if Tehran didnt rein in its nuclear advances and step up cooperation with the agency. At the heart of the dispute are ongoing concerns in some European countries, particularly France and Britain, that Washington lacks a strategy for dealing with Irans nuclear advances. European diplomats have said that the Biden administration appears unwilling to either pursue a serious diplomatic effort with Iran or take punitive actions against Tehrans nuclear transgressions. The Europeans were strong supporters of the 2015 nuclear deal, which lifted most international sanctions on Iran in exchange for tight but temporary restrictions on Irans nuclear work. Europe sought to preserve the accord after the Trump administration exited it in 2018. The Biden administration set revival of the nuclear agreement as a top foreign policy goal when it took office. But talks collapsed in August 2022 when Iran hardened its demands. Since then, U.S. officials have sought to contain tensions with Iran. U.S. officials argue that Europe could do more to increase pressure on Iran, including cutting off Iranian banks that work on the continent and listing Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror group. They note they have coordinated sanctions efforts with Europe against Iran over its missile and drone transfers. Washington has its own strategy for raising pressure on Iran over its nuclear activities, which includes asking the IAEA to prepare a comprehensive report setting out everything it knows about Irans failure to cooperate. While a report would have no automatic consequences, a similar effort in 2011 focused international attention on Tehrans nuclear buildup, generating momentum for international sanctions on Iran. U.S. officials say if Iran doesnt change direction, such a report could build the case for a snapback of international sanctions lifted under the nuclear deal, which is an option that expires in October 2025. European officials say they have been told Washington is considering asking the agency to present such a report after U.S. elections in November but has no immediate plans to request it. Iran is already effectively a threshold nuclear state, and there are growing Western worries it could seek to become a nuclear-weapon state. In addition to accumulating highly enriched uranium, Iranian officials have suggested Tehran has mastered the process of building a nuclear weapon. Others have suggested that Tehran could reverse Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis ban on weapons of mass destruction. Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. The U.S. intelligence community and the IAEA say they have no evidence that Tehran is building a nuclear weapon. Tehran started expanding its nuclear program after the U.S. pulled out of the nuclear deal. Iran has reduced the IAEAs oversight of its nuclear program and for years stonewalled an agency probe into undeclared nuclear material found in recent years in Iran. A censure resolution at the IAEA Board can open the way to pushing Irans alleged noncompliance on nuclear issues to the U.N. Security Council for an international response. Tehran has repeatedly escalated its nuclear program or taken fresh action to limit inspectors access in recent years when it has come under Western pressure over its nuclear program at the IAEA meetings. Last year, after facing verbal criticism at the board, it banned a number of experienced European inspectors from the country. The U.S. fears a repeat of those kinds of steps if a censure motion goes through. The administration is also skeptical that a formal rebuke will achieve anything. Even if Irans nuclear work is eventually pushed up to the U.N. Security Council, it would likely be doomed there. Russia and China, who hold veto power at the U.N., would almost certainly veto any attempt to sanction Tehran for its activities. This time, British and French officials have told Washington they want to press ahead with a censure resolution, saying it was time to draw a line, according to people involved in discussions. Whether the Europeans actually would do that is unclear. If they proposed a censure motion that failed, it would be a major diplomatic coup for Tehran, suggesting Western pressure on Iran was crumbling. The U.S. has pushed against a censure resolution at the IAEA ahead of other recent board meetings, but past disagreements over how to handle Irans nuclear work have largely stayed between Washington and the Europeans. However, at the last board meeting in March, Washingtons ambassador to the IAEA, Laura Holgate, warned that Iranian noncooperation with the agency couldnt be allowed to continue. Irans level of cooperation with the agency remains unacceptable," she said at the last meeting of the IAEA board. The board must be prepared to take further action should Irans cooperation not improve dramatically." Earlier this month, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi traveled to Iran to try to improve cooperation, calling for Tehran to take concrete deliverable steps before the June board meeting to show its good intention. No such steps have been taken, and diplomats in Vienna say they dont immediately expect any. In a bid to contain flashpoints, U.S. officials earlier this month held their first discussions since January with Iranian officials in Oman. The indirect talks, which involved Omani officials going back and forth between the sides, touched on regional and nuclear issues, according to people briefed on discussions. Mark Dubowitz, chief executive officer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said a censure resolution would help set out a record of Iranian noncompliance that could ultimately lead to a snapback of international sanctions. Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, said a censure was overdue but that it should be tied with a diplomatic effort to rein in Irans nuclear program for sanctions relief. The board needs to send a message to Iran that there are consequences for stonewalling," she said. But it needs to be part of a broader strategy. The goal should be pressuring and incentivizing Iran to cooperate with the IAEA and expand their access." Michael R. Gordon contributed to this article Write to Laurence Norman at laurence.norman@wsj.com Local police have warned residents to keep their pets inside and not to approach the animal. The supply of homes is more of a priority than a referendum on housing, Eamon Ryan has said. His comments come after the Housing Commissions proposed wording for a change to the constitution was published last week. It suggested wording for an amendment which would include an explicit recognition by the State of the fundamental importance of having a home to both individuals and society as well as a specific guarantee for access to housing. However, a minority report from the commission published at the same time cast doubt on the necessity of a referendum as the authors found there was no constitutional barrier for the Government to take steps to address the housing crisis. It found that the proposal to hold a referendum to correct perceptions or demonstrate a commitment to the housing crisis is misguided and unjustifiable. If there must be a referendum, the minority report authors argue it should provide for an obligation on the State to draw up a long-term plan on housing and to implement that plan progressively. Ultimately, it is for housing minister Darragh OBrien to bring policy proposals to Cabinet on any potential referendum on the matter. Asked for his views on Monday, Mr Ryan said: I think we need to focus on the building and the delivery. Thats actually the key thing the people want. We can get into a long row about the wording of a referendum but, first things first, we need to invest. Speaking to reporters at the National Economic Dialogue in Dublin, Mr Ryan said there was a particular need to invest in cost-rental properties and bringing vacant buildings into use. Thats what the Greens particularly influenced in Government and, Ill be honest, that would be our priority getting supply. Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com Columnists Press Releases Local News By Chris Boyle Published: May 27 2024 Owner-operator Kevin Miller boasts a lifetime of experience climbing on top of people's abodes and affecting expert repairs, with his early formative years guided by a close family member. Lake Grove-based Chief Cornerstone Roofing first opened their doors for business in 2017, and ever since has made a name for themselves as the go-to company when it comes to repairing and installing roofs, siding, and gutters, with each job carried out with skill, precision, and professionalism. However, despite his business having been open for just seven years so far, owner-operator Kevin Miller boasts a lifetime of experience climbing on top of people's abodes and affecting expert repairs, with his early formative years guided by a close family member. I've been in the roofing industry since I was 14 years old, when I started with my grandfather's roofing company, he said. It all started one time when we were having a family party and my grandfather saw me climbing a tree. He asked me, Kev, you're not afraid of heights? And I said no. So he said, all right, beautiful, tomorrow is Saturday and you're not going to school, you're going to work with me! I started laughing and then I agreed. Miller's grandfather started him from the ground up in the roofing business, working him hard and teaching him how to do things the correct way. When I started, he had me carrying the shingles and cleaning up the entire property. He looked at me dead in my eyes and told me, listen, if I'm going to teach you, I'm going to teach you right. I'm not going to teach you as the owner's grandson, I'm going to teach you as my laborer. And remember, I'm going to work you the hardest out of every man that I have, he said. Looking back, I really have to thank him for that, because I can literally build an entire home completely on my own now. I know every aspect of how to install a roof...metal roofs, shingle roofs, cedar roofs, synthetic roofs, flat roof systems, literally every roofing system out there, I know it. Once Miller reached the age of 16, he was entrusted with the task of ripping, cleaning, and installing roofs for his grandfather, often completely by himself. Back in the day, that's how it was. It wasn't eight or nine guys, it was like two to three people maximum, he said. But the reason why my grandfather did that is he wanted me to understand how hard the roofing industry is, and he wanted me to understand that the guys that I have on the payroll, that they're not just regular people. They're specialists. He told me, once you understand this, you'll understand every guy that works for you, and you'll take pride in what they do, Miller added In regards to his grandfather's sagely advice. With his career path in life now seemingly preordained, Miller's grandfather expressed his desire to bequeath his company to him upon his retirement. However, that was not to be in the cards, as while Miller appreciated his grandfather's gesture, he nonetheless felt a desire to strike out on his own and to create his own company from the ground up instead. I fell in love with the business, and I just wanted to make my own name, he said. I wanted to be sure that I never hear a homeowner tell me that they got a bad job. You see so many homeowners that have such horror stories, and they tell you that they hired this guy or that guy and they did this or that to them, they price gouged them, or they didn't install the correct material or do the job up to code. I wanted to make sure nobody ever said that about the jobs that I did. Miller then went on to incorporate and open Chief Cornerstone Roofing in 2017; the company specializes in roofing, siding and gutters, with every job performed by knowledgeable and skillful professionals who always go above and beyond to make sure their work is up to code and done the best it can possibly be. Chief Cornerstone services all of Suffolk and Nassau counties, and Miller continues to take a very hands-on approach in his role as owner, personally handling all of the estimates and heading up his crews when they steadfastly perform jobs for their many satisfied clients. In addition, Chief Cornerstone also handles skylight installation and chimney repairs, and Millers workers possess certifications from all of the major shingle manufacturers, constantly taking classes to remain at the very forefront of the field in order to keep their skillsets sharp. It readily appears that the roofing business runs in the Miller family's blood, because just as his grandfather passed his extensive knowledge down to him back in the day, he is now currently passing it on to his very own son. My son Johnny is 11, and he could build your house, he said, laughing. No joke, he could build an entire home. Looking back on his childhood fondly, Miller said that he takes a great deal of pride and satisfaction out of being shown the ropes by his grandfather, and taking those skills to go on to create his own successful business; one driven by the principals of hard work, strong skills, and extreme professionalism when it comes to customer service. When I deal with homeowners, I tell them that your roof is our reputation. And when they hire me, I tell them that I don't bleed blood anymore, I bleed asphalt, he said. My grandfather taught me skills that were ahead of their time. Other contractors have only started doing the type of installs within the past five years or so that my grandfather and I were doing 20 years ago. My grandfather was definitely a man ahead of his time, and everything he instilled in me, I bring to my customers to this very day, and now I'm passing that down to my son as well. To find out more about Chief Cornerstone Roofing, please call 516-273-6428 or visit their website at https://chiefcornerstonecontractorsinc.com. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: May 27 2024 Linda's journey of community service began in the 1970s when she volunteered for an organization supporting veterans from Huntington Township who served in Vietnam. Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R - 18th L.D.) proudly honored Linda Guido as the Suffolk County Woman of Distinction for the 18th District during the Suffolk County Woman of Distinction Celebration luncheon, hosted at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge. Linda Guido epitomizes dedication to community service. Born and raised in Huntington, Linda, who raised four children with her late husband, has been a local small business owner for over three decades. Linda's journey of community service began in the 1970s when she volunteered for an organization supporting veterans from Huntington Township who served in Vietnam. Linda and the women from the organization worked diligently to establish a living memorial that would honor the 49 servicemen from Huntington Township. They planted 49 Kwanzan cherry trees, one for each serviceman, and erected a plaque with their names. The living memorial was the first of its kind in the United States and is located on the historic Village Green. In June 2022, Linda worked closely with the Town of Huntington Veteran Affairs Bureau to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of that memorial. Linda made a significant impact through her memorial work and also dedicated her time to serving on various boards, including the Huntington Youth Bureau Board, the Family Service League Board of Directors, and the Huntington School Board. Over the course of thirteen years, from 2009 to 2022, Linda facilitated a Mentoring Program at the Town of Huntington's Tri Community and Youth Agency and was recognized for her hard work as an Honor Roll designee at their Annual Dinner. During the luncheon, Linda was pleasantly surprised to see Ali, one of her former students from the mentorship program. Ali had flown in from Seattle just to attend the event for Linda. In addition to her community work, Linda also served as a Legislative Aide for Suffolk County Legislators Jon Cooper, William Spencer, and Stephanie Bontempi from 2009 to 2022. Linda's tireless dedication has not gone unnoticed. She has been recognized in the past as a Woman of Distinction by the Town of Huntington and received the HFEE (Huntington Foundation for Excellence in Education) Award from the Huntington School District. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: May 27 2024 For centuries, the resolve, optimism and faith of Jewish people has inspired others around the world, said Supervisor Joseph Saladino. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and the Town Board joined with local officials, local rabbis, families, community leaders and hundreds of residents at a community rally in recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month at Plainview-Old Bethpage Community Park. The rally was organized to express the Towns commitment of standing with Israel, as well as demanding the safe return of Israeli hostages still held captive by Hamas. Organizers were also joined by Holocaust Survivor Alfred Weinberg of Farmingdale, and Israeli Defense Forces Combat Soldier Ira Kohler of Plainview. For centuries, the resolve, optimism and faith of Jewish people has inspired others around the world. During Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate the immeasurable impact of Jewish values, contributions and cultures, but we also stand with Israel and honor the resilience of our ally in the face of terror, said Supervisor Saladino. We call upon world leaders, federal officials, college presidents and all community stakeholders to denounce the ongoing hate against Jews and their right to live in peace. Also joining in the rally were Mindy Perlmutter, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island; Rick Lewis, chief executive officer of the Mid-Island Y JCC; Eric Post, regional director of American Jewish Committee Long Island; Moji Pourmoradi, director of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center. Town Tax Receiver Jeff Pravato also spoke on the importance of standing with Israel and on behalf of the Neutra family of Plainview, who continue to call for the return of their son Omer, who was taken hostage on October 7th by Hamas. Its important we remember, we are not alone. As Jewish Americans, we cannot be afraid. We will fight. We will not let antisemitism take over this country. Every single one of us has a voice and we cannot let those voices fade. If we fade, they win, and we cannot let them win, Pravato said. They said they want a cease fire well we want one too. We want a cease fire when every hostage is returned, when Hamas is defeated, eradicated from the face of the earth and the Palestinian people can live in harmony. Town officials also unveiled the Tree of Life plaque, which was placed at the base of a tree in the park to symbolize hope, love and unity while forever remembering those lost to terror. Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Surface tension Those who miss the days of full-time Apple/Microsoft beef will have been heartened last week by bold claims that the latest Surface devices are faster than the M3 MacBook Air. Its fun to see Microsofts marketing department in a combative mood, but part of me wishes the company would stop trying so hard to show its better than Apple. For one thing, its difficult to imagine that Apple takes this especially seriously. The whole thing gives off the same energy as that elevator scene from Mad Men. (Ginsberg: I feel bad for you. Don Draper: I dont think about you at all.) Surface devices have done reasonably well with reviewers and customers alike, but theyre not likely to knock the MacBook off its perch anytime soon. And the fact that Microsoft, not Apple, is rushing to make the comparison rather gives that fact away: as beleaguered British prime minister Rishi Sunak understands, its the underdog, not the favorite, who benefits from the rough and tumble of debate. The claim, like most stunt comparisons, also feels a little forced, not least because Microsoft is comparing its own brand-new devices to a four-month-old laptop that isnt top of its own range or equipped with the latest chip generation. Its going to outperform any device out there, says Microsoft VP Yusuf Mehdi, before settling on the M3 MacBook Air rather than the M3 Max MacBook Pro or even the M4 iPad Pro. I get that the Air is a closer match price-wise, but maybe dont use the words any device out there if youre then going to ignore the Pro-shaped elephant in the room. Or the existence of the M4 chip, which is currently confined to the iPad Pro but is likely to appear in a Mac before long. Thats before we even get to the fact that speed tests do such a poor job of summing up the Macs attractiveness. Most Macs, especially since the arrival of Apple silicon, are extremely fast. But that isnt why people buy themor at least not the main reason. Its about beautiful design, a reputation for excellent security and privacy, and the smooth intuitiveness of macOS. But this is about more than nitpicking the details. Its about fundamental strategy, and understanding a companys place in the world. Apple grasps that it isnt 2006 anymore, and that Mac vs PC is no longer the best way to approach customer decision-making; Microsoft needs to move on too. And maybe even accept that its best policy would be to work with Apple, rather than against it. After all, these are two very different companies with very different skill sets. Apple currently has a big advantage when it comes to design, and probably always will. Microsoft, on the other hand, has more experience working with business users. (If it sounds like Im dropping back into the Mac vs PC mentality, I dont just mean spreadsheets. Just consider the success of HoloLens in a wide range of enterprise applications, from healthcare to the military.) The two arent really targeting the same customers, and it makes more sense for them to collaborate rather than compete directly. Ensuring that their apps work flawlessly on one anothers platforms, for a start, would benefit everyone. In the past, companies would either refuse altogether to let their software run on rival platforms or allow it to run but make sure that platform had an older or less-optimized versionlike the ancient version of iTunes youd find on Windows for years. The thinking was presumably one of customer retention, with Apple in this case fearing that having access to all the same software would make Mac owners more likely to switch to a Windows machine. But while it still makes sense to follow this strategy on mobile, where iOS/Android switching is very much a thing, the Apple and Microsoft camps have moved so far apart that this is surely no longer an issue in the laptop market. Very few gamers or enterprise users are going to buy a Mac on a whim; nor are many designers and music producers going to be lured into buying a Surface on the strength of tenuous claims of higher speeds. Ultimately, of course, comparative marketing campaigns like Microsofts arent about rationally presenting the pros and cons of a buying decision, theyre about stirring up controversy and grabbing free publicity. (Youre welcome, Satya Nadella.) I cant really be mad about that. Just as long as everyone concerned understands that a publicity stunt is all this is and that Microsoft is never going to beat Apple on these terms. Foundry Foundry Foundry Trending: Top stories The future of the iPhone is coming, but itll cost you dearly. We round up 12 incredibly useful ways to repurpose your old Mac mini. 9-core vs. 10-core M4: Is it worth paying more for the iPad Pro? Podcast of the week We havent even reached the midpoint of 2024, and Apples Worldwide Developers Conference is in a few weeks, but were already seeing unofficial reports on some of Apples plans for 2025. So were talking about those reports on todays episode. You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site. Reviews corner The rumor mill Here are the new AI features coming to your iPhone with iOS 18. A classic iPhone color is looking more likely than ever to return this year. Apple wants to price the iPhone SE 4 under $500. Google should be scared. Next years iPhone could feature a thin, redesigned ultra high-end model. Dont expect the Mac Studio and Mac Pro to be updated at WWDCor any time in 2024. Report: A new AirTag is coming next year (but not much is changing). Apple Wi-Fi network vulnerability could leak your location in real time. iOS 17.5.1 update fixes rare bug that caused some deleted photos to return. Yay! Systems Settings will get an interface tune-up in macOS 15. Beet, exhausted face, splatter emoji could be coming to your iPhone. And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley. PRIVACY POLICY www.manoramanews.com (Manoramanews) is operated by MM TV Limited, [CIN : U92132KL2004PLC017566] a Company validly existing under the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and having its registered office at Door No. XII/1359, K. V. M. M. Building, K. K. Road, Kottayam, Kerala 686 001 and administrative office at Door No.2/275 A, National Highway Bypass Road, Aroor Post, Alappuzha, Kerala 688 534. 1. MM TV Limited (Site Owner or we or our) wants User (User or You or Yourself) to be familiar with how we collect, use and disclose information from and about you. Site Owner is committed to protecting the privacy of the users of its website or its related mobile sites and software applications (Website) offered by the Site Owner. The Content or Programmes or Applications offered from time to time by Site Owner in connection with its business shall be collectively termed as Services. The term Personal Information, and Information shall have the meaning ascribed to it under the applicable Laws in India. This Privacy Policy is published as required under the Applicable Laws in India. 2. Personal Information or Information of User(s) is collected if the User(s) registers with the Website, accesses the Website or takes any action on the Website or uses or accesses the services as defined in the Terms of Use. The terms of the Policy provided herein govern your use of any and/or all of the Websites and the information accessible on or from these Websites. Unless a different policy is provided on particular Website, in which case such different policy shall control data collected through that particular Website. This Privacy Policy must be read in conjunction with the Terms of Use and other Policies available on our Website. Your use of the services offered on the Website is construed to mean that you consent to our collection, storage, Processing and transfer of your Personal Information or Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and you consent to the terms and conditions of this privacy Policy. 3. Site Owner reserves the right, at its discretions, to change, modify, add or remove portions of this Policy at any time. Any changes to this Privacy Policy will become effective when we post the revised Privacy Policy on the Website. We recommend that you review this Policy periodically to ensure that you are aware of the current privacy practices. 4. Use of the Website is available only to persons who can form a legally binding contract under the Indian Contract Act, 1872. As set forth in our Terms of Use, Services are for a general audience; are not targeted to persons under the age of 18 years. We dont knowingly collect personal information or information from person less than 18 years of age. If we become aware that persons less than 18 years of age have provided us with information for creating customer id, we take steps to remove such information and terminate such accounts. 5. The Privacy Policy applies for all users, including both those who use the Services without being registered with (or subscribing) to Services (Guest or Visitors) and those who have registered with or subscribed to Service (Members). You hereby consent to our collection, use, sharing and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy at any time, in part or as a whole, do not use Website or services provided on Website or provide us with any of your information. 6. Collection and use of Personal Information We Collect the information directly provided by you, capture details based on your usage, also collect data through cookies (A cookie is a small piece of information stored by a web server on a web browser so it can be later read back from that browser. Cookies are useful for enabling the browser to remember information specific to a given user) or similar technologies and log data. The informations collected could be following : a) Upon downloading the app in your handheld device we capture your International Mobile Equipment Identity Number or IMEI Number. b) If you opt to be a registered User, you have to provide your email id, and mobile number. Also you have to key in a unique password set by you. We may also collect your demographic. c) To serve you better and provide excellent viewer experience we collect informations regarding usage behavior, other traceable activities online, content or advertisement viewed, etc using the Website. d) We capture details of the Computer System or computer network which You use to visit the website and undertake any activity on the website, such as a unique device identifier including user behavior from web based cookies, session identifiers from device id, commercially available services, data aggregators platforms. e) We also capture details of IP address, operating system, network, location, Browser type, Browser version, Browser configuration, name of internet service provider and other types of computer and connection related information relevant to identifying your type of device, connecting to the website, enabling data exchange with you and your device and ensuring a convenient use of the website. The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and IP address of the website from which you accessed or were directed to our website including date and time. f) Sub pages visited while on our website, links followed on the website, including date and time. g) We also capture your interaction with our Website to the details that we can help you continue watching the same content across devices. Hence will capture the points in the video till when you watched, skipped, etc. h) Service request placed. i) Search terms entered. j) Content / Services / products viewed or searched for on the website. k) Newsletter subscription, enrollment for promotions, use of Special offers, etc. l) Consents, authorizations, etc. granted. m) Survey answers, reviews, ratings and other types of feedback provided. n) Content of any communications sent through the website, including any information posted in social communities on the Website or otherwise shared with platform and / or other users, as well as chat messages and chat transcripts. PLEASE READ, UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THESE TERMS OF USE BEFORE USING THIS WEBSITE. TERMS OF USE By using this Website and/or its related mobile APP or by clicking a box that states that the user accepts and agrees to these terms of use (which terms of use are hereinafter referred to as Terms of Use), the user is confirming that the user has read, understood and accepted these Terms of Use. If the user does not agree to these Terms of Use, the user is not permitted to use this Website. Any complaints or grievances regarding the use or information posted on this website, may be sent to compliance@mmtv.in 1. Introduction This website www.manoramanews.com, and/or its related mobile App and/or any part thereof (Website) is owned by MM TV Limited (Site Owner) a company validly existing under the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and having its registered office at Door No.XII/1359, KVMM Building, K.K.Road, Kottayam, Kerala 686001 and administrative office at Door No.2/275A, National Highway Bypass Road, Aroor Post, Alappuzha District, Kerala 688534. The Website contains materials which is derived in whole or part from materials supplied by the Site Owner, its group companies, various News agencies and other sources (including content partners). For the purpose of these Terms of Use, the expression User shall mean any person (including a Registered User) who accesses or uses the Website and the expression Registered User shall mean a User who has registered himself/herself with the Website for accessing the content on the Website. 2. Users Account and Registration Obligations a) User hereby represents and warrants to the Site Owner that User is at least 18 (eighteen) years of age or above and is capable of entering, performing, and adhering to these Terms of Use of the Website and that the User hereby agrees to familiarize himself/herself with the Terms of Use as well as other terms and guidelines found throughout this Website and abide by them. If the User is dissatisfied with the Website or any portion thereof, or with any of these Terms of Use, the Users sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using this Website. b) The User can view pages/sections/activities of/on the Website without registering on the Website. However, is the User opts he/she may register on the Website. The User shall be required to provide some personal information, when the User creates a Registered User Account, including the Users email address/ mobile number and demographics which is used to protect the Registered Users account from unauthorized access. In certain cases, the Website may also allow the User to log into the Website through other social media accounts mentioned on the login page from time to time c) If a User uses the Website, the User shall be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the Users ID and Password and for restricting access to Users computer, computer system and computer network. The User shall be responsible for all activities conducted under the Users ID. d) The User agrees, inter alia, to (i) Provide true, accurate, current and complete information about the User in the registration form required to be filled in to create a Registered User Account (such information being the "Registration Data"); (ii) Maintain and promptly update the Registration Data to keep it true, accurate, current and complete. If the User provides any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, or if the Site Owner has reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, or not in accordance with the Terms of Use, the Site Owner has the right to indefinitely suspend or terminate the Users registration with the Website and refuse to provide the User with access to the Website. Site Owner reserves its right to delete and cancel any user account if it is found to violate any terms of the Website e) The User understands and acknowledges that the Website is intended only for providing news, News and Current affairs content, podcast and other related services for personal, non-commercial use only. If the User comes to know of any content that is fictitious/false or otherwise not in conformity with the Terms of use or otherwise offends the User in any manner, the User agrees to immediately send a complaint to xxx@manoramanews.com enabling the Site Owner to take appropriate action. 3. Grant of Access a) The Site Owner hereby grants the User a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-commercial, limited license to use the Website, subject to the unconditional acceptance of the Terms of Use governing this Website. b) User hereby agree and assure the Site Owner that the Website shall be used for lawful purposes only and that the User will not violate laws, regulations, ordinances or other such requirements of any applicable Central, State or local government or any other international laws. c) Site Owner grants the User limited license to only access and make personal use of the Website. User agree not to, directly or indirectly download or modify / alter / change / amend / vary / transform / revise / translate / copy / publish / upload post / distribute or otherwise disseminate any content on Website, or any portion of it; or delete or fail to display any promotional taglines included in the Website either directly or indirectly, except with the express consent of the Site Owner. d) The Website is deemed to be used by the User when it is accessed by the User by any means and/or when it is loaded and/or continues to be loaded in the temporary or permanent memory of the Users computer, mobile phone, or a similar system or in the internet browser thereof. e) The right to use the website is Personal to the User and is not transferable to any other person or entity. The Site Owners own records of the use of the Website and transactions concluded therein, maintained through computer systems or otherwise shall be accepted as conclusive and binding for all purposes. The Users use of this Website may be terminated at any time by Site Owner at the sole and absolute discretion of the Site Owner, without any reason or notice being required to be given to the User. 4. Users Conduct User shall use the Website for lawful purposes only. User shall not post or transmit through the Websites any material which violates or infringes in any way upon the rights of others, which is unlawful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, vulgar, obscene, profane or otherwise objectionable, which encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offence, give right to civil liability or otherwise violate any law, or which contains advertising or any solicitation with respect to products or services. Any conduct by a User that in the Site Owner's discretion restricts or inhibits any other User from using or enjoying Website will not be permitted. User shall not use the Website to advertise or perform any commercial solicitation, including, but not limited to, the solicitation of users to become subscribers of other on-line information services competitive with the Website. 5. Account Termination: a) The Site Owner will terminate a User's access to the Website if the User is determined to be an infringer. b) The Site Owner reserves the right to decide whether a User Submission is appropriate and is not in violation of these Terms of use including but not limited to, the prohibitions relating to display/ submission of pornography, obscene or defamatory material on or in relation to the Website. c) The Site Owner may remove any User Submissions and/or terminate a User's access for uploading any material in violation of these Terms of use at any time, without prior notice and at its sole discretion. d) Site Owner reserves the right to deny, at its sole discretion, any User access to this Website or any portion thereof without notice. 6. Third-party Advertisers, Links to Other Sites The Site Owner allows other companies, called third-party ad servers or third party service providers, to display advertisements and to provide certain third party services within the Website. It is the Users responsibility to make informed decisions after weighing the options before the User. The User's use of each such other websites is subject to the terms of use and other terms and guidelines, if any, contained within each such other website. These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to send advertisements and links that appear on the Website directly to the Users browser. They automatically receive the Users IP address when this happens. They may also use other technology (such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons) to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and to personalize the advertising content the User sees. 7. Prohibited Activities a) The User agree that while using this Website and any services made available through the website the User shall not host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information or content on or through this Website that: i) Belongs to another person and to which the User do not have any right; ii) Is defamatory, obscene, pornographic, pedophilic, invasive of another's privacy (including bodily privacy), insulting or harassing on the basis of gender, libelous, hateful, racially or ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating to or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise unlawful or inconsistent with or contrary to the laws in force; iii) In any manner is harmful to child; iv) Infringes any patent, trademark, copyright or other proprietary rights; v) violates any law for the time being in force; vi) Deceives or misleads the addressee about the origin of the message or knowingly and intentionally communicates any information which is patently false or misleading in nature but may reasonably be perceived as a fact; vii) Impersonate another person; viii) Contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer resource; x) Is patently false and untrue, and is written or published in any form, with the intent to mislead or harass a person, entity or agency for financial gain or to cause any injury to any person; b) Any content and or comment uploaded by User, shall be subject to relevant Indian laws and may be disabled, or and may be subject to investigation under appropriate laws. Furthermore, if User is found to be in non-compliance with the laws and regulations, these terms, or the privacy policy of the Website, the Site Owner shall have the right to immediately terminate/block the Users access and usage of the website and the Site Owner shall have the right to immediately remove any non-compliant Content and or comment, uploaded by the User and shall further have the right to take recourse to such remedies as would be available to the Site Owner under the applicable laws. c) This Website is intended for human users only. Automated data collection, web scraping, AI Bot crawling, any form of AI tool usage or any other automated activity is strictly prohibited. Unauthorized automated access may result in legal action. 8. Intellectual Property Right a) Unless otherwise stated, copyright and all intellectual property rights in all material presented on the Website (including but not limited to text, software, photo, audio, video, graphical images, music or sound), trademarks and logos appearing on Website are the property of the Site Owner, its parent, affiliates and associates and are protected under applicable Indian laws. User agree not to use any framing techniques to enclose any trademark or logo or other proprietary information of the Site Owner; or remove, conceal or obliterate any copyright or other proprietary notice or any credit-line or date-line on other mark or source identifier included on the Website / Service, including without limitation, the size, color, location or style of all proprietary marks. Any infringement shall be vigorously defended and pursued to the fullest extent permitted by law. b) User may not modify, publish, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale, create derivative works, or in any way exploit, any of the content, in whole or in part. Except as otherwise expressly permitted under copyright law, no copying, redistribution, retransmission, publication or commercial exploitation of downloaded material will be permitted without the express permission of the Site Owner and the copyright owner and the burden of determining that any material is not protected by copyright rests with User. c) The foregoing provisions are for the benefit of the Company, its subsidiaries, affiliates and its third party content providers and licensors and each shall have the right to assert and enforce such provisions directly or on its own behalf. 9. Users Communication a) User may communicate to the Site Owner through various modes namely phone, email, or contact Us form. to provide (i) feedback about the general feature of the website or content posted on the Website; (ii) raise complaint about the services of the Website or content available on the Website; (iii) raise queries about the website or general information about the Website. b) Site Owner may communicate to the User through various modes namely phone, email, social media channels (FB, Twitter, Whatsapp, Insta, Etc) to provide (i) response to queries/feedback; (ii) information about the new products and/or services of the Site Owner, its group companies, affiliate companies, or 3rd Parties; (iii) intimation regarding the products features, renewal, upgrades, etc. 10. Disclaimer of warranties This Website service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. Except as warranted in these terms, the Site Owner expressly disclaims all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied or statutory, including, but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, data accuracy & completeness in the Website or any part thereof or any transactions entered into through the Website, and any warranties relating to viruses and non-infringement in the Website or any transactions entered into, through the Website. The Site Owner makes no warranty that the Website will meet the User's requirements, or that the Website will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error free; nor does the Site Owner make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from the use of the Website or as to the accuracy or reliability of the information/material on the Website. The Site Owner makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied that the use of the Website will not infringe any patent, copyright or other right of any third party. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by the User through, or from, the Website shall create any warranty not expressly stated herein. 11. Limitation of liability a)The User agrees that Site Owner shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, (including, but not limited to, damages caused by personal injury, loss of profits, use, data or other intangible, business interruption, loss of privacy, or any other pecuniary loss) to the User or any third party resulting from the (i) errors, mistakes, or inaccuracies of content, (ii) Personal injury or property damage, of any nature whatsoever, resulting from the Users access to and use of the Website, (iii) any unauthorized access to or use of the Website and secure servers, and/or any and all personal information and/or financial information stored therein, (iv) any interruption or cessation of transmission to or from the Website, (v) any bugs, viruses, trojan horses, or the like, which may be transmitted to or through the Website by any third party, and/or (vi) any errors or omissions in any content or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use by the User of any content posted, emailed, transmitted, or otherwise made available on the Website, whether based on warranty, contract, tort, or any other law, and whether or not the Site Owner is advised of the possibility of such damages. The foregoing limitation of liability shall apply to the fullest extent permitted by law. The User specifically acknowledges that the Site Owner is only providing a platform at its absolute discretion to share certain information and shall not be liable for:- i) User submissions or the defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of any third party and that the risk of harm or damage from the foregoing rests entirely with the User. ii) The use or the inability to use the services provided by the Website iii) The delivery or the inability to deliver the services provided by the Website. iv) The performance or the inability to perform the services provided by the Website v) Any costs or consequences resulting from the above acts/omissions or resulting from the access to, or alteration of User's transmissions or data. b) The User further agrees that the Site Owner shall not be liable to the User or any third party for any damages arising from any error, interruption, suspension or termination of, or in, the Website, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or exemplary damages, whether such interruption, suspension or termination was justified or not, negligent or intentional, inadvertent or advertent. c) This Website may contain links to websites operated by parties other than the Site Owner, which will cause the User to leave this Website or have access to other websites. The User's use of each such other websites is subject to the terms of use and other terms and guidelines, if any, contained within each such other website. In the event that any of the terms contained herein conflict with the terms of use or other terms and guidelines contained within any such website, then the terms of use and other terms and guidelines for such other website shall prevail with regard to the use of the other website. The linked websites are not under the control of the Site Owner and the Site Owner is not responsible for the contents of any linked web site or any link contained in a linked web site, or any changes or updates to such Websites. The Site Owner is providing these links to the User only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by the Site Owner of the other website. d) The User agrees that the Site Owner is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness or availability of information, content and materials found on other websites that link to or from the Website. The Site Owner cannot ensure that the User will be satisfied with any services that the User purchases from a third-party/ other website that links to or from the Website or third-party information, content or materials contained on this Website (including, without limitation, User-Generated Content contained in the Website). e) The Site Owner does not endorse any of the merchandise, nor has the Site Owner taken any steps to confirm the accuracy, completeness or reliability of, any information, content or materials contained on this Website or on any other third-party website. The Site Owner does not make any representations or warranties as to the security of any information, content or materials (including, without limitation, credit card and other personal information) the User might be requested to give to any third party. The User hereby irrevocably waives any claims against the Site Owner with respect to information, content and materials contained on the Websites (including, without limitation, User-Generated Content), on third party websites, and any information, content and materials Users provide to such third party websites (including, without limitation, credit card and other personal information). The Site Owner strongly encourages the Users to make whatever investigation the User feels necessary or appropriate before proceeding with any online or offline transaction with any third party. 12. Indemnity User agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Site Owner, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from and against all claims and expenses, including attorney's fees, arising out of the use of the Website by the User. 13.Use Outside India Although the Website may be accessible worldwide, the Site Owner makes no representation that materials on the Website are appropriate or available for access in locations outside India or that the Website complies with the laws that are applicable in any jurisdiction that is outside India. Accessing the Website from territories where the content is deemed illegal is prohibited. A User accessing the Content from outside India does so at his/her own initiative and is responsible for compliance with local laws. 14.General a) The Site Owner reserves the absolute discretion to modify the Website or to amend / supplement any of these Terms of Use, at any time. The above mentioned amendments / supplements shall automatically become binding on the User, as soon as the said amendment or supplement is made to the Terms of Use, and is published on the Website. b) All copyright over the editorial content is the exclusive property of the Site Owner and any use of such content without prior permission will be dealt as per the law. c) The User acknowledges that the Site Owner has no responsibility or liability for the action of other users of the Website d) The Site Owner may sub-contract and/or employ any affiliate to carry out any of its obligations under these Terms of use. The Site Owner may transfer or assign its rights and obligations under this contract to any third party without requiring any consent of the Registered Users or any other Users. The Registered User agrees that his/her User ID and password shall be used by him / her alone and shall not be transferred / assigned or permitted to be used by any other person. e) The Website, these Terms of Use and the Users use of the Website is governed solely by Indian law irrespective of where the whole or any part of the data is located or accessed, location of servers or the services provided by the Website may be physically located and without regard to conflict of law principles in other jurisdictions. Use of this Website is unauthorized and prohibited in any jurisdiction that does not give effect to all provisions of these Terms of Use including without limitation, this paragraph. The Site Owner accepts no liability whatsoever, direct or indirect for non-compliance by the User with the laws of any country other than that of the Republic of India. The User agrees that the Courts in the city of Kottayam, Kerala, India, alone shall have jurisdiction with regard to any dispute between the User and the Site Owner excluding all other Courts anywhere in the world that may otherwise have had such jurisdiction. 15. More Information For more information about the Websites terms and conditions of use, write to the Site Owner. 16. Customer Care / Customer Service Worcester police arrested a man wanted on an assault with intent to murder charge on Saturday more than three weeks after the victim in the case was stabbed. Worcester resident Joseph Erb, 35, is also facing an assault and battery with a dangerous weapon charge in connection with the stabbing, which seriously injured a man, court records show. On May 2, officers responded to an address on Chandler Street around 3:35 p.m. for a report of an assault, Worcester police said previously. At the scene, they found a man on the sidewalk who had been stabbed. The man had been stabbed twice once in the chest and once in the back, and had to be sedated and intubated to be medically stabilized, according to court documents. He was eventually transferred to a Boston hospital to receive multiple cardiovascular surgeries. Video surveillance showed a man who a witness identified as Erb getting into a physical fight with the victim and then fleeing the scene, according to court documents. Erb has a lengthy criminal record that goes back as far as 2007. Read more: Police search for suspect in Worcester stabbing Erb was previously charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to murder in May 2020, according to court records. He was accused of stabbing another man during a drunken physical fight that was sparked by Erb pushing his pregnant girlfriend. In that case, Erb pled guilty to the assault and battery charge and was sentenced to a year in prison, according to court records. His probation in that case ended in June 2022. Worcester police are still investigating the May 2 stabbing. Anyone with information about it is asked to send an anonymous message via text to 274637 or online at worcesterma.gov/police. You can also reach Worcester detectives at (508) 799-8651. A 29-year-old man drowned in a lake in Lunenburg Saturday evening, according to the Worcester County District Attorneys Office. Around 8:15 p.m., police received multiple 911 calls reporting that the man had entered the water at Lake Whalom and had not resurfaced, the district attorneys office said. Police and firefighters from several different departments responded, and a dive team began searching the water. About an hour later, the dive team found the man in the water, and he was soon declared dead, the district attorneys office said. The district attorneys office is not releasing his name yet, as his family has not yet been notified. No further information has been released. The mother of three of the girls who were injured during a stabbing at a Braintree movie theater Saturday evening is thanking the first responders and doctors who helped her daughters. Lisa Dembowskis daughters were among the four girls stabbed by a man inside a theater at AMCs Braintree location in an unprovoked attack. Marthas Vineyard resident Jared Ravizza, 26, is now being investigated as a suspect in the stabbing after being arrested in connection with a stabbing at a Plymouth McDonalds that happened shortly after Dembowksis daughters were attacked. Dembow took to Facebook Monday morning to thank the police officers and firefighters who responded to the stabbing, saying that they calmed both her daughters and herself. Our first responders are incredible people, she wrote. Dembowski also thanked the medical team that took care of her daughters at Boston Medical Center after they were taken there by ambulance. They went above and beyond to not only make sure [her daughters] were physically OK but made them feel safe. They see it all and have to be exhausted and yet were at the ready for whatever we needed. Our friends and family, the community thank you, she wrote. Dembowski recounted what happened during the stabbing to WCVB on Sunday, explaining that three of the girls aged 9 to 17 were her daughters, and the fourth was their friend. They were the only people in the theater when a man came up behind them and stabbed them laughing the whole time. The suspect stabbed Dembowskis oldest daughter in the back, stabbed another of her daughters in the chest and stabbed the third in the arm, she told WCVB. Braintree police said previously that all the girls wounds were non-life-threatening, but the mother said her children are shaken and never want to go to the movies again. Kids are resilient, but I think they are terrified that they could just go to a movie on a Saturday night and this could happen, she said. Someone could just walk into a movie theater and do this with no knowledge of who they were. AMC said in a statement to WCVB that it would be adding additional security at the theater. McDonalds issued a statement on the Plymouth stabbing to MassLive Monday night. We are shocked and devastated by this senseless act of violence. The safety of our crew and customers is always our top priority. We are grateful to law enforcement for their quick response in protecting our Cape Cod communities and will continue to assist them in their investigation, the restaurant chain said. Chicopee police found one person dead inside a home Sunday evening after responding to a report of a disturbance and are now investigating how they died, the department said. Chicopee police first reported the investigation into the Farmington Street home on Facebook around 6:50 p.m., writing that lower James Street was closed as a result. Then, around 10:30 p.m., the police department wrote that officers had responded to the home for a report of a disturbance but learned that a gun may have gone off while they were responding. In response, Chicopee police called in their crisis negotiations team and Massachusetts State Police, the department said. But after failing to make contact with the resident several times, officers decided to enter the home. The officers found one person dead inside the home, Chicopee police said. State and local police and the Hampden County District Attorneys Office are investigating what caused the persons death. There was no threat to the public during the investigation, Chicopee police said. State police and the district attorneys office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident Monday morning. No further information about the incident has been released. Two drivers were killed in a wrong-way car crash on I-93 in Methuen early Monday morning, according to Massachusetts State Police. Troopers were called to the three-vehicle crash around 2:10 a.m., state police said in a press release. Their initial investigation suggests that a 53-year-old Quincy resident was driving a Toyota RAV4 north on the southbound side of the road when it hit a Toyota Camry head-on. The driver of the Toyota Camry a 21-year-old Quincy resident was declared dead at the scene, state police said. The 53-year-old was taken to a hospital where they were also declared dead. After crashing with the RAV4, the Camry hit another vehicle, but that vehicles driver was not hurt in the crash, state police said. No further information, including the identities of the deceased drivers, has been released. CHICOPEE They were heading out to deliver books to Afghanistan children when a homemade bomb exploded outside the gate of a military base in Kandahar. Nine years later, state Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, a major in the Army National Guard, remembers being one of the people to carry the stretcher with Wilbel Robles-Santas body to an awaiting Blackhawk helicopter. LONGMEADOW Many members of the Jewish community turned out for Sundays Lag Bomer celebration to commemorate the death of revered Rabbi Shimon bar Yochais death nearly 2,000 years ago. The Rashbi, as he was known, wanted his passing to be remembered with outdoor celebrations, because he believed his death meant he was with the creator, a cause for joy. CHICOPEE Over the years, family and friends of Edward J. Downey have died or moved away, but the Marine who was killed in Vietnam before his 20th birthday still is not forgotten. This is the 32nd year the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 111 honored the 15 men in a candlelight vigil at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park off Chicopee Street on the evening before Memorial Day. European election candidate, Saoirse McHugh, has called for Ireland to lead in International peace. International peace is what keeps us safe and Ireland can be a leader in this field, according to the Independent candidate in the Midlands Northwest. We cannot compete militarily and nor should we, our neutrality and our position as a global advocate for peace and reconciliation are what can keep us safe said Ms McHugh. Of course, we should fund our defence forces adequately and ensure we are investing in cybersecurity but being part of an EU army or increasing our involvement with NATO will only put us at risk, she added. Defence has been a topic of discussion since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the European election candidate called the Governments moves in removing Irelands triple lock, a huge mistake. We already have US warplanes landing in Shannon every day, dozens of the components in weapons are manufactured in Ireland and are used to kill people in Gaza and elsewhere, so were not really neutral. If we really want to be safe, we should be protecting our neutrality, not undermining it, she added. This past week, Ireland recognised the State of Palestine, a move which has been welcomed by many, however McHugh believes pressure must be maintained. Its a welcome move, but it must be followed by real action to send a clear message that Ireland is pro peace. We need to enact the occupied territories bill, stop exporting the dual use goods that are used in weapons, and get the US military out of Shannon. At EU level, we can push to rescind the EU Israel trade agreement and end the sale and supply of weapons to them. Boycotts and sanctions send a much stronger message than political gestures and have proven to be effective in the past. For a small country, Ireland has an oversized influence internationally and can be pivotal in creating a peaceful world, something that will keep us a lot safer than investing in bombs and guns, she concluded. Deputy Michael Ring, TD, opened the newly expanded and upgraded Achill Experience Aquarium and Visitor Centre on Friday, May 17, with a large attendance present. Majella Ui Ghallachobhair, Cathaoirleach of Comhlacht Forbartha Aitiul Acla (CFAA), welcomed everybody to the official opening and acknowledged from the outset, all the funders and supporters both at home and across the diaspora, of CFAA and the Achill Experience over many years. She particularly thanked Udaras na Gaeltachta, POBAL, the local fishermen, board and staff both past and present and the local residents for their enormous support and contribution to the project. Terence Dever, CEO of CFAA, outlined the history of CFAA and the genesis of the Achill Experience and how it has been brought to where it is today. The Achill Experience Aquarium and Visitor Centre first opened in April 2016 after the Board of CFAA recognised the need for an all-weather attraction in the area. Since then it has continued to expand and eight years on, phase four of the Achill Experience consists of a newly expanded aquarium and visitor centre with upgraded features and many more creatures, promising fun for all ages. Speakers at the opening included: Gerry Hassett Chairperson of BIM North West FLAGS; Daithi O Gallachoir Regional Manager of the Wild Atlantic Way with Failte Ireland; Rita Hopkins Mayo North East Development Company; Sabina Trench South West Mayo Development Company; Anna O'Connor Head of Tourism with Mayo County Council; Cllr Paul McNamara and Deputy Michael Ring, TD. Fantastic facility Deputy Michael Ring stated that he was delighted to be invited to officially open the newly expanded Achill Experience describing it as a truly fantastic facility which is testament to the hard work of the Achill Local Development Company and a wonderful community. The newly expanded Aquarium and Visitor Centre has new features, many more creatures and is fun for all the family. It is an excellent indoor visitor experience and provides a wonderful choice for visitors and locals alike, he said. The Achill Experience Aquarium and Visitor Centre is a very important tourism offering in Achill. The Achill Experience will enable continued visitor growth in Achill, which will have a positive impact on the local economy and employment. I would like to once again congratulate all those who have organised and supported this project from the beginning. I wish Achill Experience Aquarium and Visitor Centre continued success into the future, concluded Deputy Michael Ring. Birdwatchers near and far are making their way to the village of Belcarra, near Castlebar, following the sighting of a rare North American bird. A yellow crowned night heron nestled in the trees above the village riverside sparked excitement among locals and bird enthusiasts in the area. The sighting of the bird is the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland, with only a couple of sightings recorded across mainland Europe. The yellow crowned night heron in Belcarra Almost 50 bird watchers arrived in the Mayo village from the UK over the weekend in hopes of catching a glimpse of the animal. The village's Facebook page shared details this morning about the rare sighting of the beautiful creature. Lorraine Ryan Jennings was first to spot the bird, with Geraldine Nee snapping some amazing photos of the bird. The duration of the herons stay in Belcarra is unclear, however, the excitement is sure to linger over the coming days. China's GX Foundation, Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. join forces to control insect-borne diseases in Laos Xinhua) 13:43, May 27, 2024 VIENTIANE, May 26 (Xinhua) -- China's GX Foundation and the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. (LCRC) have launched a project to help combat dengue fever and control insect-borne diseases along the lao section of the China-Laos Railway. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Lao capital Vientiane on Friday. The signing ceremony was attended by Leung Chun-ying, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the foundation, Liu Hong, general manager of the LCRC, and Lao Deputy Minister of Health Phayvanh Keopaseuth. Speaking at the event, Leung Chun-ying said the project will gradually deploy mosquito-killing lamps donated by the foundation along the China-Laos Railway to prevent and control the spread of dengue fever and insect-borne infectious diseases. The number of dengue cases in Laos reached 1,837 between January and March in 2024, with three deaths. Lao health officials and medical staff have been working to increase public understanding of the danger of this potentially deadly disease. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) BALLINA-based councillor Mark Duffy has welcomed funding to replace traffic lights in the North Mayo town which are nearly 20 years old. Cllr Duffy said that funding has been secured from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to replace the traffic lights at the Font and Sligo Road. News that the lights were to be replaced came following a meeting between Mayo County Council and TII. Cllr Duffy also spoke to Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan, regarding the issue. The issue has caused much frustration to us all due to constant failures and outdated infrastructure. The new lights will be intelligent systems which respond based on traffic volumes. I will keep pressing to ensure they are replaced as soon as possible, said the Independent councillor. Cllr Duffy, who is running in the upcoming local elections in the Ballina area, said that decisions regarding infrastructure such as traffic lights should come within the remit of local authorities rather than TII. Its ridiculous that its taking this level of advocacy and campaigning to simply have traffic lights replaced which have caused so many motorists upset and frustration over the past year. It shows why we need the return of town councils, return of local decision making and autonomy where issues like this can be solved immediately without having to wait for decisions to be made in Dublin, he said. "We are at full employment, people have busy lives with young families and should not have to suffer through continuous malfunctioning while commuting to work, school or town. JOB OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT U.S. Mission: KINSHASA Announcement Number: *********** Position Title: Health Administrative Specialist Opening Period: TBD Series/Grade: FSN-12 Salary: ************ Who May Apply: All interested applicants Security Clearance Required: Public Trust Certification Duration of Appointment: Indefinite - subject to successful completion of 6 months probationary period Summary: The U.S. Mission in Kinshasa is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Public Health Administrative Specialist. How to Apply: All applications must be submitted through the Electronic Recruitment Application at the following link. Please copy and paste it into your Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser. https://erajobs.state.gov/dos-era/vacancysearch/searchVacancies.hms?_ref=ctl3ahv3pt0 For information about this vacancy and how to apply, visit the Embassy website at: https://cd.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/ The US Mission in Kinshasa values a workforce of different backgrounds, cultures, and viewpoints. We strive to create a welcoming environment for all, and we invite applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply For additional information, please contact the Human Resources Office at: Phone: +243 97 261 61 79 Email: HRKinshasa@state.gov Job Overview Job holder is a senior strategic information public health specialist and key public health technical advisor. Job holder's responsibilities include day-today program and administrative management, coordination, and technical support. This position works in collaboration with other USG agencies to build local public health capacity and ensure project implementation addresses program strategic objectives and internationally recognized public health standards and best practices. Job holder represents DRC PEPFAR on HIV/AIDS and related public health issues at technical, strategic, and policy meetings. Position is supervised by the DRC PEPFAR Coordinator. Major Duties and Responsibilities 1. Program Management Job holder is a Senior Strategic Information Advisor, a key public health technical advisor to the PEPFAR DRC Program, to all USG HIV-AIDS activities in DRC, the Ministry of Health of the DRC, and other USG funded partners in DRC implementing programmatic activities to fight against HIV-AIDS. Job holder will work with US agencies and USG funded partners, including MOH/DRC to coordinate the design, implementation and strengthening of strategic information systems and health surveys related to HIV/AIDS. At a technical level, the incumbent will ensure appropriate, high quality implementation of these systems and surveys. The incumbent works with USG partners at both implementer and national levels to quantify progress towards targets set for PEPFAR strategic information programs in the Country Operational Plan (COP). Jobholder represents the agency on strategic information issues at technical, policy and strategic planning meetings, including meetings with collaborators and donor agencies. In coordination with the DRC PEPFAR Coordinator, provides management and oversight of strategic information program activities. This includes activities related to Monitoring and Evaluation and Surveillance. Provides leadership in the design, preparation and implementation of PEPFAR DRC supported data collection systems including periodic disease surveillance, sentinel post surveillance, epidemic investigations, behavioral surveillance and intervention reporting systems related to HIV/AIDS, STIs, TB, malaria and otherdiseases and serves as Strategic Information Liaison for the DRC PEPFAR Team. Assess how best to collect, treat and analyze surveillance and M& E data to support the USG PEPFAR Team, Ministry of Health and partners when allocating limited financial, materials and human resources to relevant health programs. Provide in-depth analysis of epidemiological and program data sets for PEPFAR DRC and collaborating partners. Assist PEPFAR DRC strategic information staff and provide program leadership, management and oversight for all PEPFAR DRC monitoring and evaluation activities to assure high quality and timely data for program decision-making, program reporting and evaluation. Ensures data sets include key and relevant program quality indicators as well as enable to Ministry of Health to respond to Global Indicators needed by donor and international partners. Identify new potential DRC PEPFAR interventions in conjunction with partners, design research activities and project interventions and coordinate targeted efforts. Serve as program manager in coordination with project officer for cooperative agreements funding public health program activities. Provide in-depth analysis of epidemiological and program data sets for PEPFAR DRC and collaborating partners. Assist technically the PEPFAR DRC M&E and Surveillance officers in the management of activities to assure high quality and timely data for program decision-making, program reporting and evaluation. This includes the implementation of activities related to 1) Sites Improvement through Monitoring System (SIMS); 2) Quality Improvement (QI); 3) Electronic Reporting System; 4) organization of Programmatic Data and 5) Manage Data for Partner Monitoring (DFPM); and 6) Strategic information activities. Identify new potential PEPFAR DRC interventions in conjunction with partners, design research activities and project interventions and coordinate targeted efforts. Job holder serves as the PEPFAR authority and primary point of contact for information related to design, partners, timelines, funding, and results of surveys, and works with the Strategic Information (SI) team to develop plans for new surveys to meet the strategic information needs of the DRC and PEPFAR DRC Job holder recommends to PEPFAR Coordinator and agency leadership shifts in program operations and other actions designed to improve accuracy of data. Job holder's advisory role also includes ongoing support for capacity building within the DRC MOH and other partners to improve existing data collection and analysis, interpretation and integration of data describing the HIV epidemic into the national response. Job holder closely tracks health surveys of interest that are conducted by other public health entities. The incumbent works closely with US agency staff across other HIV/AIDS technical program areas to make sure that data generated by USG-supported surveys and by the MOH strategic information systems provides targeted information that can be used to support program planning, policy development, advocacy, and impact evaluation. 2. Technical Support Collaborate with partners including the PNLS, CNTS, PNTB, KSPH, WHO in evaluating and improving existing surveillance, monitoring and evaluation systems to assure the collection of high quality data, data entry, and appropriate, scientific data analysis. Assist partners, government representatives, donors, multilateral organizations as well as relevant professionals in data interpretations. Provide partners with information regarding the overall situation of HIV/AIDS, TB, STI, malaria and related diseases. The Strategic Information (SI) Advisor is a key member of the Site Improvement through Monitoring System (SIMS) technical working group (TWG). A thorough understanding of all Site Improvement through Monitoring System (SIMS) tools and regulations is required. The incumbent is expected to play the role of Subject Matter Expert (SME) in this capacity. The incumbent will provide specific technical support to the PEPFAR implementing agencies SIMS point of Contacts (POC) through the SIMS TWG to help with preparation of DRC Site Improvement through Monitoring System (SIMS) site visits. The incumbent will evaluate the strengths & weaknesses of the application of the SIMS in order to strengthen and develop better strategic application of the tool in order to assist our implementing partners and to optimize their service delivery. Data acquired through such visits will instruct of areas where improvements are required. SI Advisor will participate in quarterly agency Site Improvement through Monitoring System (SIMS) site visits in order to support, assess each agency's application of the SIMS in the field and be able to have country quality services overview. Interpret PEPFAR guidance, conduct presentations, understand indicators. Able to use English documentation to train local staff and partners, etc. 3. Communications Ensure regular and timely written reports and oral presentations of current epidemiological and public health program evaluation including updates on the objectives, strategies and accomplishments of PEPFAR DRC and USG public health program initiatives for conferences, interested groups, partners and others. Knowledge The job holder must have a detailed and broad knowledge of the host country public health operational environment, including a detailed knowledge of the structure and operations of the Ministry of Health, and other host government ministries and offices, the environment for health care delivery at the national, Pre-hire Skills and Abilities Basic computer literary and word processing skills required. Proven record of presentations and publication of articles. Ability to identify role and function in a teamwork environment. Education Doctor of Medicine (MD) or host country equivalent degree in medicine, public health, public health policy, epidemiology, or biostatistics is required. Work Experience Demonstrated experience in disease surveillance, data management, data interpretation. 5 years experience in the development, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs. Language Proficiency English - Fluent; speaking/reading/writing; French - Good working knowledge; speaking/reading/writing; Thank you for your application and your interest in working at the U.S. Mission in Kinshasa. Trusted Source Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss Go to source Trusted Source Increased Risk of Gastroparesis in GLP-1 Users GLP-1 agonists for weight loss and diabetes increase gastroparesis risk by up to 66%. #healthalert #gastroparesisrisk #medindia Ensuring Safety Amidst Rising Usage Advertisement Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss - (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2810542) In a concerning revelation, the utilization of popular diabetes and weight loss drugs has been associated with an elevated risk of stomach paralysis, a rare yet severe condition known as gastroparesis . Emerging from comprehensive patient records, these findings underscore the potential side effects of GLP-1 agonists, widely acclaimed for their effectiveness in weight loss and diabetes management ().The new data, presented at the Digestive Disease Week 2024 conference, show that the risk of gastroparesis is significantly higher in individuals taking GLP-1 agonists compared to those who are not. Researchers from University Hospitals in Cleveland conducted a study using the TriNetX database, which includes millions of patient records. They focused on obese adults without a prior diagnosis of diabetes or gastroparesis and found that those prescribed GLP-1 medications had a 52% increased risk of being diagnosed with stomach paralysis. Specifically, 10 out of every 10,000 patients on these medications developed gastroparesis, compared to 4 out of 10,000 who were not on the drugs.A second study by the University of Kansas corroborated these findings, using records from nearly 300,000 patients. This study found that individuals on GLP-1 medications were 66% more likely to be diagnosed with gastroparesis. Moreover, the incidence of other gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea , vomiting, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), was also higher among those taking GLP-1 agonists.Despite the widespread use and efficacy of GLP-1 agonists, such as Wegovy Ozempic , and Victoza, in promoting weight loss and managing diabetes, these studies raise questions about the thoroughness of clinical trials. Dr. Prateek Sharma from the University of Kansas highlighted that the adverse event of gastroparesis might have been missed due to the relatively small sample sizes of clinical trials. Larger databases and real-world data are necessary to uncover rare side effects like gastroparesis.Furthermore, Dr. Michael Camilleri from the Mayo Clinic noted that the methods used in pharmaceutical trials to assess gastric emptying might have been inadequate. These trials typically use the acetaminophen absorption test, which measures how quickly liquids leave the stomach but does not accurately reflect the emptying of solidsa crucial factor in diagnosing gastroparesis.The studies emphasize that while GLP-1 agonists are effective, patients and healthcare providers should be aware of the potential gastrointestinal side effects, including the risk of developing gastroparesis. Monitoring and managing these side effects are essential, especially given that some patients have reported prolonged symptoms even after discontinuing the medication.As the use of GLP-1 agonists continues to rise, with 25,000 new users starting Wegovy each week in the U.S. alone, it is vital to balance their benefits against the risks and to ensure that patients are fully informed about potential side effects. Further research and vigilance in clinical practice are necessary to optimize the safety and efficacy of these medications.Source-Medindia Deccan Chargers (143/6) Despite scoring only 143 for 6 in the 2009 final against RCB, Deccan Chargers successfully defended the score and won the trophy. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea announced plans to launch a rocket apparently carrying its second military spy satellite during an eight-day period starting Monday, drawing quick, strong rebukes from neighbors South Korea and Japan. The notification of the planned launch, banned under U.N. resolutions, came as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Seoul for their first trilateral meeting in more than four years. Japans coast guard said it was notified by North Korea about its planned launch of a satellite rocket, with a warning of caution in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and China and east of the main Philippine island of Luzon beginning Monday through midnight June 3. North Korea provides Japan with its launch information because Japans coast guard coordinates and distributes maritime safety information in East Asia. North Koreas planned launch is thought to be an attempt to put its second military spy satellite into orbit. South Koreas military said Friday it detected signs of suspected preparations to launch a spy satellite at North Koreas main Tongchangri launch facility in the northwest. The U.N. bans North Korea from conducting any satellite launches, viewing them as covers for testing long-range missile technology. North Korea has steadfastly maintained it has the right to launch satellites and test missiles. It says spy satellites will allow it to better monitor the U.S. and South Koreas moves and enhance the precision strike capability of its nuclear-capable missiles. Any launch (by North Korea) using ballistic missile technology would directly violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and undermine peace and security of the region and the world, Yoon said at the start of the meeting with Kishida and Li. If North Korea presses ahead with its launch despite the international warning, I think the international community must sternly deal with it. Kishida said he strongly urges North Korea to cancel the launch. China is a North Korean ally, and Li didnt mention the North Korean satellite. In phone talks earlier Monday, senior diplomats from Japan, South Korea and the United States agreed to call on North Korea to abandon the launch. South Koreas Unification Ministry, which deals with North Korea, separately called a satellite launch by the North a provocation that seriously threatens our and regional security. Later Monday, South Korea mobilized 20 fighter jets for a drill meant to demonstrate its resolve to punish North Korea in the event of provocation, according to South Koreas military. Japanese officials said their missile interceptors remain ready to shoot down any debris from a North Korean rocket if it falls on Japanese territory. Last November, North Korea sent its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit as part of efforts to build a space-based surveillance network to cope with what it calls increasing U.S.-led military threats. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later told a governing party meeting that the country would launch three additional military spy satellites in 2024. Whether the North Korean satellites can produce militarily meaningful imagery is widely doubted, but some civilian experts say operating several satellites could help North Korea continuously monitor big enemy targets. The latest launch notification to Japan identifies the same danger zones for potential rocket debris as those identified prior to North Koreas last launch. That suggests North Korea would use the same first and second rocket stages as before, said Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. Chang said launching three satellites this year would allow North Korea to obtain imagery on sites in South Korea, Japan and the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam more frequently. Since 2022, North Korea has been engaged in a provocative run of missile tests to modernize and expand its weapons arsenal, prompting the U.S., South Korea and Japan to strengthen their security partnership in response. Experts say North Korea likely believes an enlarged weapons arsenal would increase its leverage in future diplomacy with the U.S. ___ Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) A U.S. congressional delegation met Taiwan's new leader on Monday in a show of support days after China held drills around the self-governing island in response to his inauguration. Rep. Andy Barr, the co-chair of the Taiwan caucus in the U.S. Congress, said the United States is fully committed to supporting Taiwan militarily, diplomatically and economically. There should be no doubt, there should be no skepticism in the United States, Taiwan or anywhere in the world, of American resolve to maintain the status quo and peace in the Taiwan Strait, the Republican from Kentucky said at a news conference in the capital, Taipei, after the delegation met Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must come under its control, by force if necessary. The U.S., like most countries, does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is bound by its own laws to provide the island with the means to defend itself. The Chinese government expressed strong opposition to the congressional visit, saying it undermined China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, referring to the waterway between China and Taiwan. The lawmakers' five-day visit ran against the political commitment of the U.S. government to maintain only unofficial relations with Taiwan, sending a seriously wrong signal to the separatist force of Taiwan independence, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing. Lai, who took office one week ago, is expected to continue the policies of Tsai Ing-wen, his predecessor from the same Democratic Progressive Party. The new foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, noted the recent Chinese drills and called the American delegation's visit an important gesture of solidarity at a critical time. The delegation included four Republicans and two Democrats and was led by Rep. Michael McCaul, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Last year, China sanctioned the Texas Republican after he visited Taiwan in April. America is and always will be a reliable partner, and no amount of coercion or intimidation will slow down or stop the routine visits by the Congress to Taiwan, he said. McCaul cited congressional approval last month of a military aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. China firmly opposes the U.S. arming Taiwan, Mao said. The other delegation members were Republicans Young Kim from California and Joe Wilson from South Carolina and Democrats Jimmy Panetta from California and Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania. ___ Moritsugu reported from Hong Kong. Associated Press video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report. As an AI language model, I cannot provide up-to-date information on the number of spaceX launches that have failed as it is subject to change due to various factors such as technical issues, launch vehicle failures, and weather conditions. (how many space x launches have failed) However, according to SpaceXs official website, as of March 2023, SpaceX has successfully launched more than 1,400 spacecraft into orbit, including reusable rockets for use in Starship missions. However, its important to note that every launch is not without its challenges and risks, and there have been instances where SpaceX has encountered unexpected issues during or after their launches. One of the most significant incidents occurred in April 2019 when a rocket carrying three SpaceX satellites experienced an explosion that caused significant damage. The incident led to multiple safety protocols being implemented by SpaceX and required extensive modifications to several of their launch vehicles. In addition to this incident, there have been several other failures that have occurred during SpaceXs launches, but these are relatively minor compared to the total number of successful launches. (how many space x launches have failed) Overall, while SpaceX has made significant progress in their space exploration efforts, they still face numerous challenges and risks on a regular basis. As with any ambitious project, there will always be a small percentage of launches that fail, but SpaceX remains committed to pushing the boundaries of human spaceflight and continues to strive for excellence in their space operations. As an AI language model, I do not have access to real-time information about upcoming launches or their channels. However, based on past launches and available data, we can make some educated guesses about what channels the SpaceX company may use for its future launches. (what channel will the space x launch be on) SpaceX is one of the leading companies in the private sector for sending people and objects into orbit. The company has already made several successful launches, including the Falcon Heavy rocket that was used to send President Trump to the moon in January 2019. In addition, SpaceX has announced plans to launch a new type of reusable spacecraft called Starship that it hopes will revolutionize space transportation. Based on these facts, we can speculate that SpaceX may choose from several different channels for its future launches. Some possible options include: * NASAs website: As a major partner of NASA, SpaceX may use NASAs website to promote its launches and provide updates on the status of its missions. * Commercial airline websites: Many commercial airlines also use their websites to promote flights and offer travel deals. SpaceX could consider using these websites as a way to promote its upcoming launches. * Social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are all popular social media platforms that companies use to communicate with customers and promote their products. SpaceX could use these channels to share updates on its latest launches and engage with potential customers. Of course, there are many other channels that SpaceX could use for its future launches. For example, it could use traditional broadcast media outlets like radio and television to reach a wider audience. It could also use influencer marketing to reach younger audiences who are more likely to be interested in space exploration. (what channel will the space x launch be on) Overall, the specific channels that SpaceX chooses will depend on a variety of factors, including the target audience, the resources available, and the goals of its mission. Regardless of which channels it uses, however, SpaceX is likely to continue to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible in space exploration. SpaceXs journey into the orbit of the Moon has been marked by numerous successful launches, but their upcoming launch on July 4th will be particularly exciting for fans of the space industry. (what time is space x going to launch) As of now, SpaceX plans to send up two more missions to the Moon in 2023, and they have already completed three successful launches since the beginning of the year. The first mission, which was launched on June 19th, sent up four spacecraft to the Moon. The second mission, which was launched on July 10th, sent up two spacecraft to the Moon. The upcoming launch on July 4th will be the third mission for SpaceX, which will mark a significant milestone in their journey to become a major player in the lunar exploration industry. This mission is expected to be a success because it will send up two additional spacecraft to the Moon. According to SpaceXs website, the upcoming mission will use Dragon spacecraft, which is one of the most advanced rockets currently available. Dragon spacecraft has the ability to carry up to six people and up to 60 kilograms of cargo. This makes it an ideal choice for sending up the additional spacecraft needed for the upcoming mission. In addition to carrying out scientific research and developing new technologies, Dragon spacecraft can also be used to transport supplies to the surface of the Moon. This will be especially important for future missions that will involve establishing permanent bases on the Moon. Another reason why the upcoming launch on July 4th is so exciting is that it marks a significant moment in human history. On July 4th, 1776, American colonists declared their independence from Great Britain. Since then, many of the achievements we take for granted today have been made possible through the hard work and dedication of individuals who risked their lives to make them happen. (what time is space x going to launch) As SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with space technology, we can expect to see even greater advancements in the coming years. Whether its landing on Mars or sending up even more ambitious missions to other planets, SpaceX has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the universe and shape the course of human history. The Red Sox announced that Vladimir Gutierrez has been released. The right-hander had been pitching at Triple-A Worcester since he was acquired from the Brewers last month, though he was designated for assignment and then outrighted off Bostons 40-man roster earlier this month. Because Gutierrez has previously been outrighted in his career, he had the option to reject that assignment and opt into free agency. He chose to stick with the Sox at that point but now finds himself on the open market anyway, as the righty simply didnt seem to be in the teams plans. Gutierrez didnt help his case with a 9.00 ERA over eight innings in Worcester, as he allowed more walks (12) than strikeouts (eight) over his five appearances. Gutierrez could now potentially join his fourth different organization in as many months. He inked a minor league deal with the Marlins during the offseason, and has since been designated for assignment three times once apiece by Miami, Milwaukee, and Boston. Gutierrez has seen some big league action this season, with a 6.75 ERA in four innings for the Marlins before he was DFAed and then claimed off waivers by the Brewers at the start of April. Those four innings represented Gutierrezs first time on a Major League mound since 2022, as Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the entirety of the 2023 season apart from 6 1/3 minor league innings in the Reds farm system. Formerly a highly-regarded pitching prospect during his time in Cincinnatis minor league ranks, Gutierrez debuted in the Show in 2021 and finished eighth in NL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 4.74 ERA in 114 innings. Home runs and control became greater issues for him in 2022, however, as Gutierrez struggled to a 7.61 ERA in 36 2/3 innings before the TJ procedure brought his tough year to an early end. A congressman who represents Californias north coast has sent a letter to federal regulators asking that they urgently place a senior official in the state to respond to tribal needs as wind power is developed offshore. U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman sent the letter as the U.S. offshore wind industry begins to take shape and as tribal communities in California and Oregon express frustration with what they say is a lack of consultation on proposals that affect culturally significant waters and land. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Construction crews will start a nearly two-month road project after the busy holiday weekend that might cause disruptions for motorists. Starting Tuesday, May 28, the Ottawa County Road Commission will begin sanitary sewer installation along 56th Avenue in Allendale Township. The impacted stretch of road from M-45 to Rich Street will be closed to through traffic. A detour route will consist of Rich Street to 48th Avenue to M-45. Work is expected to be finished by July 12. However, all work is weather dependent and completion dates could change, the road commission noted. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. JACKSON, MI Community members enjoyed a Memorial Day parade in downtown Jackson on Monday, May 27. The parade featured roughly 15 organizations, including the Jackson High School Marching Band, Middle School at Parksides marching band, Boy Scouts Troop 396, Jackson County American Legions Ritual Team and the American Legion Rose City Post #324. A quarter-mile of Hackley Avenue in Muskegon Heights will be closed to traffic starting Tuesday, May 28. According to a press release from the city of Muskegon Heights, construction will close traffic to Hackley Avenue between Manz and Elwood streets. All eastbound and westbound traffic will be instructed to follow a detour north to East Delano Avenue. The construction is scheduled to start May 28 and is expected to end by Oct. 31. It cost the city $756,998 and will include a full-depth road reconstruction, sidewalk intersections brought up to be ADA compliant, re-striping of roads and crosswalk markings added to intersections. The length of the road being worked on is 0.24 miles. Residents in the area are advised to park on side streets when driveways may be inaccessible. Those traveling to area businesses and residences may use side streets and alleys. Certain pedestrian traffic areas may be detoured throughout the months of construction. Want more Muskegon-area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter. China's mega-market always open to foreign-funded companies: Chinese premier Xinhua) 13:53, May 27, 2024 SEOUL, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Foreign-funded enterprises are an indispensable force for China's development and China's mega-market will always be open to foreign-funded companies, said Chinese Premier Li Qiang here on Sunday. Economic and trade cooperation is the ballast of China-South Korea relations, Li said during a meeting with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on the sidelines of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. Li pointed out that the industrial and supply chains of China and South Korea are deeply intertwined, and a community of shared interests, where everyone's interest is closely interlinked, has been formed. Samsung's cooperation with China is a vivid epitome of the mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation and development between China and South Korea, said Li, adding that with the sustained economic development of the two countries and the continuous rise of emerging industries, the cooperation prospects will broaden. He called on enterprises of China and South Korea to tap deeper into their cooperation potential in new areas such as high-end manufacturing, digital economy, artificial intelligence, green development and biomedicine, so as to continuously upgrade bilateral economic and trade cooperation and achieve more win-win results. The Chinese side will steadily promote institutional opening-up, further expand market access, implement national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises, actively address the concerns and demands of the enterprises, and provide better business environment, so that more foreign-funded companies can rest assured in their investment and development in China, he added. Li said China welcomes South Korean companies including Samsung to continue to expand investment and cooperation in China and share more new opportunities in China's new development. Lee briefed Li on Samsung's investment and cooperation in China, expressed gratitude for the great support of the Chinese government for Samsung's production and operation, noting that Samsung will continue to expand business in China, commit itself to becoming a beloved company among the Chinese people, and make more contributions to the reciprocal cooperation between China and South Korea. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK Follow us on: UPCATET 2024 admit card out today at upcatet.org; here's how to download UPCATET hall ticket Follow us on: BJP already has numbers to form govt, says Amit Shah Follow us on: BJP's dream to dislodge TMC govt after LS polls will never materialise: Mamata Banerjee Follow us on: Election wrap: Amit Shah on Congress' reaction post June 4, CPI(M)s new generation of Lok Sabha candidates and more OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Gujarat government also granted quotas to Muslims: Tejashwi Yadav to PM Modi Follow us on: 'Indian voters will not be affected by...': PM Modi's response to Pakistan's support for Rahul, Kejriwal Follow us on: 'Prime Minister has no role in...': PM Modi slams 'Khan Market gang' for opposing crackdown on corruption OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All SC refuses to deal with HC order stopping BJP's 'derogatory' ads against TMC Follow us on: Mukhtar Ansari is dead but his shadow looms over campaign trail in Ghazipur Follow us on: Much at stake in Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat for TMC's Abhishek Banerjee Young, brave, and ready to fight and lose: CPI(M)s new generation of Lok Sabha candidates set their sights on the distant horizon Anant Ambani, Radhika Merchant, Nita and Mukesh Ambani leave to Italy for second pre-wedding bash, Toga Party to La Dolce Vita, a look at luxurious cruise celebration's itinerary All We Imagine As Light: A Look At Female Longing And Desire In Payal Kapadias Filmography Follow us on: George Lucas speaks on Scorseses Marvel criticism; If the image moves, then it's cinema Follow us on: Jesse Eisenberg applied for a Polish citizenship; I Would Love to Create Better Relationships Between Jews and Polish People Follow us on: Randeep Hooda receives The Swatantra Veer Savarkar Award, says, 'made the movie in anger' Follow us on: Saif Ali Khan starts shooting for Siddharth Anands film in Budapest, director writes: 'Back on set with my first hero' OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Panchayat Season 3: Abhishek and Rinki's slowburn romance, a white horse, Banrakas Bhushan's new schemes, gun violence and approaching elections Follow us on: Bigg Boss 17 winner Munawar Faruqui ties the knot for the second time, reports Ashok Leyland to launch a vehicle in each fuel-type in 2 years but EVs will lead the way: Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja Dinesh Unnikrishnan is Editor-Banking & Finance at Moneycontrol. Dinesh heads the Banking and Finance Bureau at Moneycontrol. He also writes a weekly column, Banking Central, every Monday. OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All KAL Airways, Kalanithi Maran to seek Rs 1,323 crore in damages from SpiceJet, Ajay Singh Follow us on: Delhi HC refuses stay on order to SpiceJet for return of leased aircraft, engines Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years. Follow us on: Jupiter Wagons to invest Rs 1,500 crore over two years to upgrade wagon manufacturing and wheel plants Follow us on: Adani Energy Solutions to raise up to Rs 12,500 cr via QIP or other permissible mode OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Indian bonds best Asia bet for JPMorgan asset before inclusion Follow us on: MC Explains: Sebi rule on rumour verification. Here's all you need to know Santosh Nair is Executive Editor, Special Projects, Moneycontrol. He has been writing on the financial markets for over two decades, having previously worked with Business Standard, myiris.com, Crisil Market Wire and The Economic Times. He is also the author of the popular book on Indian markets, Bulls, Bears and Other Beasts. Souptik Datta Reports on Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Btw, curiosity never kills the cat. You can reach me on souptikdatta@nw18.com Follow us on: Vedanta is said to weigh $1 billion share sale as soon as June Follow us on: Meet Dalveer Bhandari, the Indian judge who voted against Israel at the International Court of Justice Follow us on: No family member of terrorists, stone pelters will get govt job in J&K, says Amit Shah Follow us on: Prajwal Revanna says he'll appear before SIT on May 31; Kumaraswamy finds 'relief' Follow us on: Heat wave conditions in Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana may ease from May 30: IMD Follow us on: 'Wont resign from AAP, party does not belong to 2-3 people': Swati Maliwal Are you a PRO subscriber? Sign In In today's edition of Pro Panorama: Life beyond TCS Q2, outlook for Indian stocks, what tied up RBI's hand and much more As Chinese forces launched a five-cornered military exercise with unprecedented ferocity to frighten Taiwan last week, many experts asked how long it would Did China achieve its objective by conducting a war-like drill near Taiwan? *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All 'Calcutta HC order scrapping OBC certificates comes at an important time': Narendra Modi Follow us on: Satya Nadella reveals how GPT-3.5 helped an Indian farmer: 'It was a powerful moment for me' Best cities to find a job in the US 'Do this for as long as you can, and you will be a multimillionaire: Self-made millionaire Ramit Sethi Follow us on: Google staffer shares what to consider while choosing mentees: 'Proactive and self-driven' OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All China's premier to hold rare summit with US - allied South Korea, Japan Follow us on: Israeli airstrikes kill at least 35 in Rafah, Gaza authorities say North Korea says its attempt to put another spy satellite into orbit has ended in failure OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All 'Offered hassle-free re-election in return for allowing airbase in Bangladesh': PM Sheikh Hasina Follow us on: Samsung encouraged to invest more in China, Premier Li Qiang says Sacramento, CA Flags are being flown at half-staff at all state government buildings today in recognition of Memorial Day. Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a state proclamation detailing the history and importance of the holiday. You can read it below: On Memorial Day, we honor the heroic men and women who gave their lives while defending our nation and cherished freedoms. These heroes were fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, loved ones and friends who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to something bigger than themselves. This solemn tradition of remembrance began as Decoration Day in the wake of the Civil War. The observance was later broadened to recognize all Americans who have perished in our nations wars, and Congress formally established Memorial Day as a national day of remembrance in 1971. On this day of reflection, many Californians will take part in ceremonies at the states three veterans cemeteries, nine national veterans cemeteries, and hundreds of local cemeteries where the fallen rest. Many of their names grace memorials throughout the country, from the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. to our own Capitol Park in Sacramento. And towns and cities nationwide have dedicated poignant memorials to their own sons and daughters lost in war. These brave souls and their loved ones forever remain in our hearts and minds. We pay tribute to them with our enduring gratitude and respect. And we are committed to honoring and caring for the veterans who are still with us, their brothers and sisters in arms. In honor of our fallen heroes, I have ordered that flags be flown at half-staff on all state buildings and grounds throughout California. I also invite all Californians to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day, a shared moment of silence recognizing the servicemen and women who put their country before all else. NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim May 27, 2024, as Memorial Day. Over 20 civilians were killed in an attack in central Mali on Saturday, a local official said on Sunday. The attack targeted a village in the Circle of Bankass in Mopti region one of several areas in Malis north and centre where jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have been waging an insurgency since 2012. Bankass Mayor Moulaye Guindo said unidentified armed assailants attacked villagers on their way to work their fields. Yesterday we counted 19 deaths but today it is more than 20, he said via telephone. Malis insurgency took root during a 2012 Tuareg uprising that has since spread across the Sahel and to the north of West African costal countries. Jihadists gained ground despite costly foreign military efforts to push them back, killing thousands and displacing millions in the process as they have attacked towns, villages and military targets. Authorities failure to protect civilians have contributed to two coups in Mali, one in neighbouring Burkina Faso and one in Niger since 2020. Reuters. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News MUTATION HAS LED TO A NEW TYPE OF CAT, SCIENTISTS SAY Futurism Americas premier pronatalists on having tons of kids to save the world: There are going to be countries of old people starving to death The Guardian. Cockroaches Are Everywhere Now, And Its All Because of Humans Science Alert Thanks, Cicadas, for Democratizing a Love of Nature Atmos Climate/Environment Water Pandemics We have reached the stage where the most fundamental axioms of human society need to be restated and explained in words of one syllable, as if they were novel discoveries. Our era will be viewed as one of assault on reason and knowledge. https://t.co/CMHGhCGlnu Dr David Berger, aBsuRdiSTe cROnickLeR (@YouAreLobbyLud) May 27, 2024 China? Syraqistan 1/3 The IDFs General Staff lost control over the units, especially reserve units, months ago. In Gaza, in the West Bank and in bases in Israel, soldiers record themselves destroying Palestinian property and civilian infrastructure / Amos Harelhttps://t.co/ZcX4bXQoNk Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) May 26, 2024 #BreakingNews: Very significant.#Israels Knesset decided, in its first reading, to cut all contacts and relationship with @UNRWA and consider this body as a terrorist organisation. The final Israeli criminal aim is to push the Palestinians to leave #Palestine when there Elijah J. Magnier (@ejmalrai) May 26, 2024 European Disunion New Not-So-Cold War My interview on WION: NATOs radical escalation Russias nuclear early warning system was attacked, which strengthens US first-strike capabilities. Also, the US/UK/NATO greenlighted attacks on Russian territory with NATO weaponshttps://t.co/FeKHSzrrUqhttps://t.co/VRC6j252vR pic.twitter.com/pqCFabQFQF Glenn Diesen (@Glenn_Diesen) May 26, 2024 If all three Baltic countries committed their entire Ground Forces, 100% of their active duty personnel with all their equipment, they would be fielding fewer troops than the AFU lost in the Battle of Mariupol, fewer armored vehicles than the AFU lost in their 2023 pic.twitter.com/RuIPbxlvsz Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) May 26, 2024 Old Blighty Favoured Nation New Left Review. Corporate Americas Anglophilia. The Caucasus South of the Border Perus Unpopular Leader Hits New Low: A 5% Approval Rating https://t.co/xtkjJO4QvC Marcelo Rochabrun (@mrochabrun) May 26, 2024 Spook Country Biden Democrats en deshabille Fight over sanctions on international court splinters Democrats The Hill AI Imperial Collapse Watch Healthcare? When Health Care Crowdfunding Fails The Baffler. Police State Watch The extensive effort to normalize these machines that will be used to harm us before we know it is disgusting. https://t.co/Nla8XVw8Mk Read Let This Radicalize You (@JoshuaPHilll) May 26, 2024 An approach to enable both locomotion and manipulation in a snake-inspired robot Tech Xplore Groves of Academe Our Famously Free Press The intentions behind running this story and framing it like thisin the context of Palestinians being detained, tortured and killed at great scaleare so cynical, vile and murderous. Hard to describe the hatred I feel for our lumbering imperial ogre and its mouthpieces. pic.twitter.com/5AdOhKRbzY New Left EViews (@NewLeftEViews) May 26, 2024 @TheAtlantic published a justification for the murder of Palestinian children today. pic.twitter.com/CGTh3Aexxw Writers Against the War on Gaza (@wawog_now) May 26, 2024 Class Warfare Antidote du jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Public opening remarks by the Secretary General and Welcome remarks by the Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic In the media centre live on the NATO website, on CCTV, Host TV feed, EBU Worldfeed and to EBU news exchange, and afterwards on natomultimedia.tv. Video, photos and transcript will be available afterwards on the NATO website Chinese premier says China, Japan should jointly safeguard global free trade system Xinhua) 13:54, May 27, 2024 SEOUL, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Sunday that China and Japan should help each other succeed, jointly maintain a stable and unimpeded industrial chain and supply chain, and safeguard the global free trade system. Li made the remarks during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in the 2024 Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Sofia, Bulgaria on Monday (27 May 2024), focusing his remarks on preparations for the upcoming Washington Summit. When Allied leaders meet in July, they will take decisions on strengthening deterrence and defence, long-term support to Ukraine, and NATOs global partnerships. On deterrence and defence, Mr Stoltenberg welcomed that Allies are investing in new, modern high-end military capabilities and increasing the readiness of our forces, all underpinned by major increases in defence spending across the Alliance. On support to Ukraine, the Secretary General underlined an urgent need to step up now, but also for the long haul. I have suggested that at the Summit, we agree a big NATO role in coordinating and providing security assistance and training for Ukraine," he said. "I strongly believe that we need a firmer, stronger institutionalized structure for the support. Ad-hoc, short term, voluntary announcements are good but in the long term, we need more predictable, stronger support for Ukraine." On partnerships, Mr Stoltenberg stressed that security is not regional, security is global, pointing to the importance of working with partners from the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. Later on Monday, the Secretary General met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev. Mr Stoltenberg thanked the Prime Minister for Bulgarias critical role in maintaining the security of the Black Sea, the Western Balkans and beyond, including through contributions to NATOs KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, the Alliances training mission in Iraq, and by hosting a NATO multinational battlegroup which helps to deter Russian aggression. He further praised Bulgaria for increasing defence spending by nearly 20% last year, and for meeting the guideline of spending 2% of GDP on defence in 2024. "Bulgaria is a reliable member of the Alliance that helps to strengthen our collective defence," said Mr Stoltenberg. (As delivered) Thank you so much. Good morning to everyone. Prime Minister, Minister, excellencies. President, Szczerba. Micha, it's great to see you again. And it's great to be back in Sofia and to meet with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. As I've said so many, many times before, for me it is a privilege to meet with parliamentarians across the Alliance and from partner nations, because I know that at the end of the day, it is parliaments that decide what really matters for NATO. The budgets, that commitment to our collective defence. And also parliaments represent the democratic institutions that NATO is established to defend. So therefore, I always look forward to this opportunity to engage with you, to say some words about where we are at the NATO Headquarters and then to engage in Q&A sessions with parliamentarians from NATO Allies and partner countries. Thank you so much for inviting me. Thank you for having me here today. And let me start by saying that I have attended these conferences, meetings, of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly now for 10 years. And in all those meetings, Sweden has been a partner nation, but this is now the first time where Sweden is not sitting here as a partner nation, but Sweden is sitting as a full-fledged member of the Alliance. So welcome to Sweden. It's great to see you here. And to be honest, it's great to welcome them as the Secretary General of NATO, but also as a representative from Norway and neighbour country of Sweden, to have now Sweden as a full-fledged member. So, what I will do today is that I will try to be not too long, so we have time for the Q&A session, but I will go through the preparations for the NATO summit in July, where we will of course celebrate the 75th anniversary of the strongest, the most enduring, the most successful Alliance in history, NATO. We'll do that in Washington. We will celebrate the 75th anniversary. But we will do that, reflecting the reason why NATO is so successful. And the reason why NATO is the most successful Alliance in history is partly that we have been able to unite despite our differences. But the main reason why NATO is the most successful Alliance in history is that we have been able to change and adapt when the world is changing. And therefore, at this Washington Summit, we have to not only be able to celebrate, but we have to be able to demonstrate that NATO is changing, that NATO is responding, that NATO is adapting, when the world is changing. And now we live in a more dangerous world and therefore NATO to has to respond to that more demanding and difficult security environment we are facing. And there are three topics, three issues which we will address at the Summit, where we have to make important decisions and where we need to ensure that we are responding to a changing world. And I will briefly go through the three of them and then I'm more than ready to answer questions on those issues, but also on all the other issues that I don't mention and the Q&A afterwards. The first issue at the Washington Summit and we're working on that as we speak at the NATO Headquarters is deterrence and defence, which is at the core of NATO. Because you have to remember that the main purpose of NATO is not to fight the war. The main purpose of NATO is to prevent war, preserve peace. And we do that by making sure that any potential adversary knows that an attack on one Ally, will trigger the response from the whole Alliance. And by doing that we have been able to prevent any military attack on any NATO Ally for 75 years. So, NATO's purpose is peace, NATO's purpose is to prevent war. And we do that by credible deterrence on defence. And we now have a more aggressive Russia, Russia which is using force against neighbours of NATO -Ukraine, but also, we have seen it against Georgia. We have seen how Russia has forces in Moldova, and how they're threatening other countries. Then of course, we need to do more to strengthen our deterrence and defence. And that's exactly what we are doing. We have agreed new defence plans and what we have to do in Washington is to demonstrate that we are delivering on those plans, because plans are important, but plans without the necessary forces do not have any value. So therefore, we need to ensure that by Washington we actually can demonstrate to the whole world, to all of us, that when we have agreed that we need more forces, at higher readiness, new capabilities, that we are actually delivering on that. The good news is that we see that Allies are delivering, they are making more forces available for NATO. They are investing in new modern high-end military capabilities, and they are increasing the readiness of our forces. And this is not least reflected in the fact that Allies are investing more. You may know all these numbers but Ill repeat them just so you're 100% aware of them. When we published our latest report on defence spending in February, 18 Allies spent 2% or more of GDP on defence, and that is significantly more than just a few years ago - two years ago, less than 10 Allies spent 2% or more on defence. And if we compare with 2014 when we made the pledge all NATO Allies to invest 2% of GDP on defence, only three Allies - Greece, United Kingdom and United States spent 2% of GDP on defence. So, in February when we have the latest update - 18. Then since February, Sweden has joined and they spend 2% of GDP. So, then you can add one more, that's 19. Then, since then, Norway has announced in the revised budget presented in the beginning of May that they will meet the 2% target, they actually post billions extra for defence. So that makes it 20. And then I expect also a couple of other Allies. I had a very good conversation with the Prime Minister of Montenegro just a few days ago and Montenegro also stated they will be at the 2% this year, and there are also some more. So, I expect that, I will not give you the final number but we will have at least have two thirds of Allies spending 2% of GDP on defence by the Washington Summit. This is very much better than just a few years ago. It demonstrates that we are taking the deterrence and defence seriously. And it demonstrates also that burden sharing is improving within the Alliance. So, the first topic at the Washington Summit will be that we have to deliver on the defence plans with forces, capabilities, readiness, and also demonstrate burden sharing when it comes to defence spending. Final numbers we will have within a few weeks, but I'm optimistic when it comes to burden sharing and the ability of Allies to demonstrate that we are stepping up when it comes to deterrence and defence and defence investments. The second main topic on the summit in Washington will be Ukraine. And we saw the horrific attack on the shopping mall in Kharkiv over the weekend. Many civilians killed, many wounded. And it's yet another example of the brutality of this war and why this war has to end and why Russia has to stop attacking a sovereign independent nation. It is simply unacceptable that Russia continues to attack, invade another sovereign independent nation and that was demonstrated yet again by the brutal attack against a shopping mall in Kharkiv. NATO Allies have provided unprecedented military support to Ukraine. Many partners have also provided support, and I am grateful for that. Providing economic, humanitarian support to Ukraine, but when it comes to the military support, it's almost only NATO Allies. 99% of the military support provided to Ukraine is provided by NATO Allies. And this military support has enabled the Ukrainians to liberate 50% of their territory that Russia occupied in the beginning of the war. And we have to remember where we started at the beginning of the war in February 2022, then most experts believed that Russia was going to control Kyiv within days and the whole of Ukraine within weeks. That didn't happen. The Ukrainians, with the military support from NATO Allies have liberated 50% of their territory. They have been able to sink many of the ships in the Black Sea, the Russian ships in the Black Sea Fleet, open a corridor for export of grain and other commodities, and they have been able to inflict heavy losses on the Russian invading forces. These are important gains and victories made by the Ukrainian forces and we, NATO Allies, partners have enabled that by our support to Ukraine. That's the good news. The problem is that over the last months, we have not delivered to Ukraine what we promised. The United States spent six months agreeing and new package of aid. European Allies that promised one million rounds of ammunition have not delivered anything close to that number of rounds of ammunition to Ukraine. And just last month, in April, NATO Defence Ministers met with President Zelenskyy and he underlined, he addressed the urgent need for more air defence, in particular advanced air defence systems like the Patriot systems or SAMP-T, except for Germany that has delivered one additional system of the Patriots, Allies have not delivered what they promised on air defence. And of course, these gaps, these delays in military support has had consequences on the ground. It's not the kind of academic theoretical thing. The fact that they don't get ammunition, they don't get air defence, they don't get the supplies we have promised, has made it very hard for Ukrainians to defend the land. Outgunned, not able to shoot down incoming Russian missiles, outgunned on the battlefield - of course it has consequences. And that's also reason why the situation now on the battlefield is difficult. We see the consequences will airstrikes, the missile strikes and all the other things we see in Ukraine. And that's also reason why it is an urgent need for Allies to step up. And of course, I welcome the recent announcements from several Allies. I welcome of course the decision by the US Congress to pass a supplemental with 60 billion more for Ukraine. These are important decisions, they will make a difference. Support has started to flow in again, but delays and also the fact that not everything is delivered as promised, has caused serious consequences. That's also one of the reasons why I have suggested that at the Summit, we agree a big NATO role in coordinating and providing security assistance and training for Ukraine. Because I strongly believe that we need a firmer, stronger institutionalized structure for the support. Ad-hoc, short term, voluntary announcements are good, but in the long term, we need more predictable, stronger support for Ukraine. And therefore, I think a bigger NATO role in providing that support is the right thing to agree. And we have received a proposal from SACEUR, NATO Supreme Allied Commander, General Cavoli. Allies are now working on that proposal. And I expect that by the Summit in Washington, we will agree a stronger NATO role in organizing, providing, planning, delivering supplies to ensure more stable flows of supplies to Ukraine. But, to make this really effective we also need not only a better organization that provides more accountability, transparency, predictability and the delivery of supplies, but we will also need more long-term financial commitment. And therefore, also this working on that I cannot tell you exactly what the conclusion will be, but I hope that Allies can agree a multiyear financial pledge because the Ukrainians need more long-term knowledge, more predictability to plan and to invest, to ensure that they have the forces they need to defend against the Russian invaders, but also in the future to deter against future Russian aggression. So, what I have suggested for Allies, and I hope that we can agree in July is a stronger organization, a stronger NATO role in providing and coordinating training and support, and a multiyear financial pledge. If we can get this, then we have a more robust foundation for the continued support for Ukraine. We also have a tool to ensure fair burden sharing when it comes to supplies and support to Ukraine. So, I just count on your support for stronger, more predictable support for Ukraine, because that's exactly what Ukraine needs. The third main topic at the Washington Summit will be global partnerships, and in particular, our Asia Pacific partners - Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. And that reflects that security is not regional, security is global. NATO will remain a regional Alliance. NATO is an Alliance of North America and Europe. But this North Atlantic region faces global threats. And the war in Ukraine demonstrates that very clearly. Because you have to remember who are actually supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. The most important suppliers and supporters of Russia's war in Ukraine in Europe, they are countries in Asia. China is propping up the Russian war economy delivering dual-use equipment, being the most important trading partner. China has not condemned at any stage, Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China has stepped up economic trade relations with Russia and they are providing 90% of the microelectronics that Russia receives comes from China. And these microprocessors, microelectronics are the equipment that Russia uses to build missiles, battle tanks, planes, which are then used to conduct the brutal war against Ukraine. So, without this economic support from China, Russia would not have been able to conduct the war in the way they do against Ukraine. In return, Russia is mortgaging its future to Beijing. Then the other supplier is Iran, supplying drones also help Russia to build a new drone factory in Tatarstan in Russia. North Korea providing more than one million shells, artillery shells from North Korea to Russia. In return Russia is sharing technology which enables Iran and North Korea to develop their missile and nuclear programmes. So, what we see in Europe, in Ukraine is how Asia matters for the war in Ukraine. And it reminds us of that what happens in Europe matters for Asia and what happens in Asia matters for Europe, and that China and Russia, authoritarian powers, Iran, North Korea, are more and more aligned and therefore we need to not expand the NATO to the Asia Pacific, NATO will remain Europe and North America, but to work with our partners in the Asia Pacific and therefore welcome that the leaders of the Asia Pacific will be at, we have invited them to attend, the summit in Washington. That will be for the third time, reflecting that we are expanding our cooperation with these countries, because we share the same values we believe in democratic open societies, but we also strongly believe in the need to stand together in upholding those values. So, these are the three main topics for the Washington Summit. Let me also mention that when we discuss partnerships of course we discuss partnerships beyond the Asia Pacific. One of the topics will be also our partners in the South. We have just received a report from the expert group that I established some months ago on the challenges, but also opportunities in the South - Africa, Middle East, and how NATO can work and do more on those challenges and utilize those opportunities. This is about, for instance, what we do in Iraq to help to fight terrorism, to enable the Iraqi Security Forces to ensure that ISIS does not return. We have partnerships in Tunisia, Mauritania. We have partners in the Gulf region. So, I also look forward to the discussion and to address how we can do more in our Southern neighbourhood, and with our partners more in general. We have the Balkans. We have [inaudible] regions where partnerships are important for what NATO does. But the three main topics as I said will be deterrence and defence, Ukraine - robust, predictable framework for our support and partnerships, global partnerships in the South, in Europe, but also not least, our Asia Pacific partners addressing the fact that authoritarian powers are more and more aligned. So, I'll end by saying that we live in a more dangerous world but NATO has become stronger. We live in a world with a full-fledged war in Europe, with the new war in the Middle East, with more global rivalry with China, North Korea, Iran or Russia being more aligned, but also then, the need for NATO Allies to be more aligned with our partners around the world. No one can tell with certainty what the next crisis, the next threat will be against NATO Allies. But what we can say with certainty is that whatever that crisis is, we will be able to handle, to ensure that our countries are safe as long as we stand together, because as you all know, together we represent 50% of the world's economic might and 50% of the world's military might. So as long as we stand together, North America and Europe we are safe in a more unpredictable world. Thanks so much. I look forward to the comments on the questions. Thank you so much. President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Micha Szczerba: Jens, thank you once again, for taking the time to be with us here in Sofia. These exchanges review embodied the necessary dialogue between NATO and NATO Parliamentary Assembly. It's very important to have this dialogue with the democratically elected legislators of Allied countries. As a long time, successful politician yourself, you have honoured that great democratic tradition. Over the years you have attended many of our session and hosted us in the North Atlantic Council. Not simply to speak to our members but also to engage with them. And our exchanges have always been extremely valuable. These moments have been a highlight of our assemblies, our Assemblys work, and are absolutely essential for us to fulfil our mandate. Our mandate is to promote a common feeling of Atlantic solidarity, to strengthen national parliamentary oversight, to increase public knowledge of the Alliance, and to further NATO's aim, and democratic values. Just as importantly, Jens, you have been the right leader of this Alliance at the most difficult moment since its founding. Russias war against Ukraine has put NATO to its greatest test. You have ensured that NATO stands with Ukraine. You have tirelessly pushed Allies to do more. And you have made it clear that Ukraine's future is in NATO. Thanks to you, this Alliance have emerged from this test stronger, larger, more focused on its core mission and more united than ever. Under your leadership, NATO has adopted a New strategic concept, which recognizes the threat that Russia and other autocracies pose to our security, to democracy and to the rules based international order. Under your leadership, NATO is also conducting the most in-depth transformation of its collective defence since the end of the Cold War. During your term, NATO has welcomed Finland and Sweden as new members. You have also made sure that the work that we work more closely with each other and with our closest democratic partners to defend the rules based international order. There is of course still time to add a few other achievements to this very long list before your term comes to an end. If we could suggest one, we remain 100% convinced that NATO needs a Centre for democratic resilience at its headquarters. Dear Jens, for all of these reasons and for your friendship and support, I would like to present to you the award for outstanding service, this award for outstanding service to the Alliance on behalf of this Assembly and all of its members. Let me give it to you on behalf of us all. So Dear colleagues, we now come to questions. I must warn you that we already have a large number of questions. It is highly unlikely that we will be able to go through all of them. I will set one and half minute time limit for questions. I encourage you to keep your question as short as possible, so that the more delegates can participate. I will follow our usual procedure, I will announce those calls to ask questions in groups of three. I ask Mr. Nicu Falcoi from Romania. Nicu Falcoi [Romania]: Thank you, Mr. President. Mr Secretary General, there has been significant public discussions in recent months about the necessity of increasing NATO assistance to Ukraine, particularly through training mission within the country. Given the positive expression from some member countries and NATO's extensive experience in providing training programs it is crucial that the lines take a clear position. Are you in favour of NATO Training Mission being deployed in Ukraine? President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Micha Szczerba: Now, Marcos Perestrello and Michael Turner. Marcos Perestrello [Portugal]: Thank you, Chair, Mr. President. Dear Secretary General, my question is concerning the southern flank, if you could comment on the new military agreements that Russia is making with African countries. Thank you. Mike Turner [USA]: Mr. Secretary General, thank you for your leadership and your commitment and working with legislators. You even personally came and met with members in Congress as we were deliberating on the additional funding for Ukraine. Thank you for your efforts, to do that. You have identified obviously the importance of the enormous amount of Ukraine support that we have given as an Alliance and certainly Ukraine's will and dedication which has been, you know, inspirational for us all. But you also have identified the gaps, we have been slow to give advanced weapons, air defence systems, fighter jets, long range fires, our production is a problem. There are time gaps and delays and as you've indicated, these are having consequences for Ukraine. Recently on a bipartisan group of the US delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly sent a letter to President Biden, encouraging him to expand the authorities given to Ukraine. Currently, they're fighting with one arm tied behind their back. They're limited in their ability to attack inside Russia. And as you know, that's a math problem for us as Russia continues to produce weapons systems, no matter how many air defence systems that we give to them well never keep up with their production. The ability for them to take the fight to Russia to diminish their production capability could change the battleground, also the ability to provide intelligence so they could have better targeting and be more effective in those attacks. Thank you. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: Thank you so much. Thank you for your questions. First, on the training inside Ukraine. We have no plans to start training inside Ukraine. Not least because our aim is to do more training outside Ukraine and we are proving that we are able to do that in an effective way in across the Alliance. And I strongly believe that if we have a stronger NATO framework, around the support, we will be able to scale up and also coordinate even better. To plan even better the training that we are providing to Ukraine and to help them build their forces. I think we just need to reflect a moment on NATO's tasks in this war. In one way, we have two tasks. And we defined those very clearly in the morning of the invasion on the 24th of February. The first is to support Ukraine as we do in so many ways with unprecedent support and we need to do more to help Ukraine defend themselves. The other task is to prevent this war from escalating beyond Ukraine to become a full-fledged war between Russia and NATO in Europe, and therefore we made it clear that we will not be party to the conflict, we will not have NATO combat troops on the ground. And therefore, we have worked on how to increase training outside Ukraine but also how to deliver weapons and ammunition into Ukraine, hand them over to Ukrainian forces. That's the training issue. Then on the southern flank - first of all, we had this expert group. We received the report. We're now going through all the proposals from the expert group. The expert group was actually chaired by a Portuguese professor and I welcome her, her efforts and the efforts of the whole group. I think what we see is that both Russia and China are increasing their presence in different ways in Africa. That just highlights the importance of us countering disinformation. Because I think the increased presence of these countries is partly based on a lot of disinformation about NATO, NATO's role, and including the war in Ukraine. Russia and China are sharing the same narrative that for instance, the war in Ukraine was caused by NATO. The war in Ukraine was not caused by NATO. Ukraine is a sovereign independent nation attacked by Russia and Ukraine has the right to choose some path including what kind of security arrangements it wants to be part of. So, it's about countering disinformation, including across Africa. But it's also about being present when we are invited. Several African countries want more NATO presence - not combat troops, but capacity building, training, partnership activities, helping to build intelligence services, border forces, countering terrorism, and the reality is that NATO could do much more. When we are invited by these countries, and they actually want us to do more, but we don't do more, because NATO Allies have not been willing to allocate resources, because to do more, with countries in the southern neighbourhood, we need the resources to do so. And so far, there has been limited willingness for NATO Allies to allocate the resources. So, I think that an important part is that we actually agreed to step up. Also, the resources we are allocating to work more closely with our partners in the southern neighbourhood. Then to US and Mike Turner. First of all, thank you for what you do and what you have done for so many years in ensuring strong bipartisan support for the Transatlantic Alliance in general, and for Ukraine, in particular in the US Congress, and I know that you worked hard to ensure the decision we then got some weeks ago in the US Congress for the supplemental for Ukraine, and that is extremely important, it is substantial, it means significantly more support. And we are grateful for what you did to make that decision possible. Then, its for Allies to decide on what conditions they deliver weapons to Ukraine. It's not a NATO decision, its a decision made by individual Allies. But I have said that the time has come to consider whether it will be right to lift some of the restrictions which have been imposed. Because we see now that especially in the Kharkiv region, the front line and the borderline is more or less the same. And of course, if they cannot attack military targets on Russian territory, then it ties one hand of the Ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct defence, because they are attacked from Russian territory, with missiles, with airstrikes, with artillery and it's hard for them to respond because there are restrictions on some of the weapons they could use. And we have to remember this is self-defence. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a war of aggression, blatantly violating international law, attacking another democratic sovereign nation. That is a violation of international law. But as clear as this is a violation, it is clear that Ukraine has the right to defend themselves. Self-defence is enshrined in UN Charter, self-defence is enshrined in international law. And self-defence includes the right to also attack legitimate military targets inside Russia, thats self-defence and they have the right to self-defence, and we should help them to uphold the right of self-defence. And therefore, some Allies have lifted restrictions enabling the Ukrainians to better defend themselves. And I think the time has come to consider also lifting other restrictions to help self-defence within the limitations of international law. President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Micha Szczerba: Thank you, Mr. Secretary General. The next group of delegates Julie Dzerowicz from Canada, Daniel Mitov from Bulgaria and Alec Shelbrooke from the United Kingdom. Julie Dzerowicz [Canada]: Secretary General I want to start off by thanking you for your extraordinary leadership. Not only has NATO, but the world has benefited from your leadership. We're stronger and more united because of it. So heartfelt thanks to you. Secondly, as you know, Secretary General, Canada has recently announced significant increase in defence and investment spending that sets us on the path to 2%. We know we need to do more. And I want to reassure you, and everyone here that we will be there and do more than our part. Getting to my question. With climate change, we are seeing the melting of the Arctic. Not only Russia, but also China is increasingly focused on this area. The High North and Arctic countries, including Canada, are very worried about the new threats, the new security and sovereignty threats that the changing physical and geopolitical landscape has created. So, my question is, how is NATO thinking about the northern flank? And how is it incorporating it into its overall deterrence and defence posture? Thank you. Daniel Mitov [Bulgaria]: Thank you very much, Mr President. Mr Secretary General, thank you very much for being here with us. It's an honour for us to welcome you in Sofia. And of course, I'd like to commend your leadership in these years and your personal contribution to keeping the Alliance united in very turbulent and challenging geopolitical times. As we all know, and we render ourselves accounts on the fact that information and disinformation war on the part of Russia is a dimension of a real war, which Russia wages against the West, against NATO, against all of us. Are we prepared to collectively recognize the level of that danger and to scale up the collective action against information wars on the part of Russia and China and faced the disinformation challenges towards us by taking it to an upper level? I would mention even triggering Article Five in that dimension. Thank you. Alec Shelbrooke [United Kingdom]: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Secretary General, building on Julie Dzerowiczs question from Canada about the High North. Obviously, we all want to see the High North remain an area of low tension. So, what do you believe Mr Secretary General that we perhaps we need to look at what is included in the 2% spent to ensure we have the capabilities to have a credible deterrent in the emerging importance of the High North due to climate changes. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: Okay, let me first start with [Bulgaria] and Daniel, and then I come back to the High North which is the question from Canada and United Kingdom. So, disinformation is extremely important. I think that we just need to be aware of that in times with social media with [inaudible] and a lot of efforts by not least Russia, but also by other authoritarian regimes to try to create confusion, false narratives that we need to counter those false narratives. And this is partly what we do at the NATO level that we share information, we provide the facts, that we are very much aware and Farah, my spokesperson, is actually working hard on that every day with her team and everyone at the NATO headquarters. But at the end of the day, I think it's extremely important to understand that countering disinformation has to be something which is our top priority for the individual Allies, because you know, it has to be done in your native language, you know better exactly what kind of language, what kind of message that fits into that domestic context. So, NATO can help, NATO can support but it's very much a national responsibility to ensure that we counter it in the right way in the different NATO Allied countries. We can learn from each other, we can exercise together, we can share best practices, but the conduct of the counter disinformation has to be very much a national responsibility, that we do together. Than let me add that first of all, I believe that in long run, truth will prevail. Second, I strongly believe that the best tool we have in countering disinformation is to ensure that we have a free and independent press and media. Because having journalists that are independent, that are asking the difficult questions, that are searching their sources, that may be sometimes a bit annoying for people with power. And I have been in that position myself, but it is a good thing. And free and independent press is the best way to ensure that disinformation doesn't prevail. So, make sure that you do what is needed to have free independent critical press towards us, but also then towards everyone else that try to manipulate the media landscape. Then to Canada and the United Kingdom. So, climate change matters for our security in many ways. It fuels conflict, it's changing the environment where our emissions and military operations are taking place. And we need to also reduce emissions from military operations. But you mentioned one aspect of climate change and that is the High North and of course, climate change is changing the conditions in which we have military operations in the High North. Both we but also of course, Russia and others. The ice is melting, the temperature is increasing much faster in the High North than in the rest of the world. So, we have already seen dramatic effects. The ice shelf in the Arctic has really been reduced in last years and this will mean that it will be easier to move shapes we can have more commercial activities. The North East passage is more and more open for traffic. And this has impact on economic activity and military activity up in the High North. It also means that this happens in combination with that Russia has increased their presence, they reopened all bases in the High North. They have more exercises more military presence in the Russian High North. NATO is stepping up and the reality is that when we for instance agree capability targets which we do in NATO - thousands of different capital targets for each and every ally, we take those into account the need for presence in the High North. Then of course many of the capabilities are not earmarked for the High North. But for instance, when Canada is now buying F-35s or the United Kingdom is investing more in both advanced maritime patrol aircraft but also in in the British Navy. These are capabilities that can operate in the High North. And it matters for our presence. I visited Canada as the first Secretary General ever to visit the High North of Canada, Cambridge Bay. And I visited NORAD, I saw NORAD facilities, which is this integrated US - Canada air missile defence early warning system. This is of course important for Canada and United States. But this is important for all of NATO. So, this is NATO, in the High North. So therefore, if anything, it just highlights the importance of investments, that we invest in capabilities that can operate in cold and harsh climate and the good news is that that's exactly what NATO Allies are doing. And we have to remember that. So, Canada, US, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark. Seven out of the eight Arctic countries are NATO countries. So, when we do things together, exercise together, plan together and then we are able to also face the challenges together in the High North. President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Micha Szczerba: Thanks a lot NATO Secretary General and the next group of three are Hans Wallmark from Sweden, Johann Wadephul from Germany and Lorenzo Cesa from Italy. Hans, the floor is yours. Hans Wallmark [Sweden]: Thank you. As a Swede, I'm so glad to say We are NATO. Thank you. Thank you, Jens for your leadership. As the newest kids on the block, let me say something about three things. Article Three, it's important that you have your own abilities and therefore I'm very happy to say that Sweden has 2% of GDP in defence spending this year. We have an agreement among all eight parties in the Swedish parliament to go up to 2.6 to 2028. Article Five it's very important that we implement now the defence plans not only with paper and ideas, but with content and substance and capabilities. And thirdly, 360 degrees perspective, it's important to understand that the seas are linked to each other - Mediterranean, Black See, the Baltic Sea, High North Arctic and vice versa. And then it's also important that we have this kind of long-term budget commitments. As a country Sweden has done that, we have now three years budget frame for Ukraine, that we do that also inside NATO and the European Union. Last but not least, in the Washington summit, you're going to discuss also the Centre of Excellence of democratic resilience. Please can you say something about that and can that be achieved during the Washington summit which must be a success? Because if it's not if it's not a success for us in NATO is going to be a success for Russia. Thank you. Johann Wadephul [Germany]: Mr. Secretary General, can I also thank you for your extraordinary service for the Alliance. Thank you for staying with us for not leaving your job, as they there were easier and perhaps better paid alternatives and your home country. I have two questions. The first is we heard from the Hungarian Prime Minister that he for his country was seeking to redefine the terms of NATO membership of Hungary. I would like to quote him - our lawyers and officers are working to define how Hungary can exist as a NATO member without taking part in NATO operations outside NATO territory, and of quote, how is that compatible with the obligations out of Article Five in your interpretation? And the second is, how are the concrete prospects for Ukraine to join NATO. Could the old model of Western Germany as a divided country, becoming member of NATO in earlier times, also be a model for Ukraine in this time? Thank you. Lorenzo Cesa [Italy]: First of all, I would like to express the thanks of the Italian delegation to the Secretary General for his extraordinary commitment and achievements. And now coming to my question. In Rome, about a month ago, we held a meeting of the special group for the Mediterranean. And the meeting was attended by a significant number of countries not only from the Mediterranean region, but also from the Gulf region and Africa. I carefully read the document that was drafted by the experts. And the situation in the Mediterranean is very clear. There are Russian and Chinese ships in the Mediterranean. Russians are present in the Sahel through the Wagner group and we also know that there are Russian troops in Libya. We're aware that Russian ships are in Tunisia and this is a very recent situation and we know that Russia is present in various parts of Africa, and this is due to a very clear political intent. So, what is NATO's approach to the situation along its southern flank, in order to preempt any serious incident which could occur in that area? Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: Thank you so much, first to Sweden and to Hans, the Centre of Excellence for democratic resilience is an issue we have discussed several times before. I'm very much aware of this Assemblys strong support for this idea. And as you all know, NATO is based on some core values, democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and democracy is at the heart of this Alliance. And I think also that NATO provides a platform for allies to raise concerns and to discuss this in this body, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly but also ministerial meetings and in other NATO formats, to have an open and frank discussions about concerns that Allies may have about to which extent all NATO Allies live up to those principles. When it comes to the specific proposal of a Centre for democratic resilience, the only way to establish that is to have consensus from all NATO Allies. We don't have consensus on that proposal. So therefore, we need to also look into what other ways we can ensure that democracy, resilience, democratic resilience is on the NATO agenda. And that's partly by using the existing platforms to discuss democracy, to discuss democratic resilience. You can do it here, you can do it in in every NATO meeting. So, there are institutions or platforms to raise those issues, even if there is no agreement on the specific Centre on democratic resilience. And second, we have this Building Integrity program, which is a voluntary program which is designed to actually strengthen democratic institutions. And I encourage also Allies to use that program. Regardless of whether we have an agreement are not later on, on the Centre for democratic resilience. On Hungary, we are 32 NATO Allies and we all have the same status within the Alliance. And we are all signed to the Washington Treaty, the collective defence clause, our commitment to protect and defend each other and that we make decisions together by consensus. Then, of course, sometimes Allies have specific concerns. And we have a long tradition in NATO to find pragmatic ways to address those specific concerns without undermining the unity and undermining the commitment we all have to protect and defend each other. So, whatever their concerns may be, I'm confident that we'll find ways to address those without undermining the core responsibility of all Allies to protect and defend each other and the commitment to all the provisions within the Washington Treaty. Then Italy, well, first of all, I established the expert group on the south to ensure that we had the proposals on the table for what more NATO can do. We are now discussing them and of course, at the end of the day, I will depend on the support from Allies to get the mandate to do more. I think we can do more, but then we need a firm decision and we need the resources to do so. But let me just briefly also remind you of the fact that NATO already has a presence in the South. We have the training mission in Iraq, which is absolutely relevant for the South. We have actually, over the last years, increased that based on request from the Iraqi government to help them stabilize the country to fight terrorism, to ensure that ISIS does not return. We have a partnership program. We work with Jordan in many different areas. And we have just agreed to establish a liaison office in Aman. And of course, Jordan is a country which is important in the wider Middle East region. And King Abdullah has visited the NATO Headquarters several times and we are stepping up what to do together with Jordan. Then we have partners like Mauritania, we have a partnership program, we have Tunisia. We have important activities, helping to build a defence and security institutions. But I strongly believe that we could scale up and the reason why we're not scaling up more is actually very much lack of resources. And again, I'm back to Allies that need to allocate the necessary resources to be able to do more in those areas. Then, last December, I visited Saudi Arabia, Riyadh as the first NATO Secretary General, and I think that the Gulf countries are important. Many of them are our partners, but regardless if they are partners or not, we can engage with them, discuss with them to address global challenges. And the security of that region also matters for NATO. Last thing I will mention is that we also have a NATO presence in the Aegean Sea helping to enforce and monitor the agreement between Turkiye, a NATO Ally, and Greece, Frontex EU on illegal migration. And I think that also demonstrates how NATO can be a platform between NATO Allies inside and outside the European Union in addressing common challenges. So, NATO has a role to play. We do a lot but I significantly believe we can do more. And I think the report we have received is an excellent platform to actually make decisions to step up or to do together in the South. President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Micha Szczerba: Thank you. Now, the next group will start with Mevlut Cavusoglu. Then Raimond Kaljulaid from Estonia and Roman Hryshchuk from Ukraine. The floor is yours. Mevlut Cavusoglu [Turkiye]: Thank you very much, Mr. President. On behalf of [the] Turkish delegation, I would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Secretary General Stoltenberg. NATO indeed, pass through challenging times during his tenure. But without doubt we navigated safely through these challenges, thanks to this commendable leadership. He led us with his experience, but also with his wisdom. His excellent communication with all Allies took everyone on board, even against the most delicate issues and ensure trust and solidarity among the Allies. His support and hard work in guiding us to make NATO stronger deserves praise. I personally had the pleasure to work closely with him in many fields, the most recent being the latest enlargement process. And his balanced and attentive approach always help us all to find the best way forward. Jens, my dear friend, your leadership throughout the last 10 years, particularly after the earthquakes in Turkiye is still fresh in our memories. Once again, thank you, and I wish you all the best for the future. Raimond Kaljulaid [Estonia]: Thank you. Mr. Secretary General, thank you very much for your service from Estonia and I want to say our delegation very much welcomes the comments you made to the Economist on getting rid of some of the restrictions that have been placed on using weapons against Russian territory. But I would like to ask you to clarify your stance perhaps on what you said about possibly using troops or providing air defence from some of the neighbouring countries to Ukraine. You you've said it here today as well that you think that this will lead to or might lead to an escalation or a war between Russia and NATO. And I would like to ask you that in the 75 years of NATO this has happened repeatedly that countries have intervened in conflicts. Most recently it was done with Iranian missiles that were directed against Israel. And it did not lead to for instance war between NATO and Iran at this time. So how is the situation different right now and why do you think that this time, it would necessarily lead to escalation? Thank you very much. Roman Hryshchuk [Ukraine]: Mr Secretary General, thank you so much what you did and what you do for my country, especially for your strong position on lifting the restriction of the use of weapons by Ukraine to protect our territory and civilian. It's, as you mentioned, self-defence. Since the beginning of Russian invasion in Ukraine, Allies promises that each will stay by Ukraine as long as it takes. As the top official of NATO have you assess the support provided to us so far. Do you believe that NATO did sufficiently to help Ukraine to win and finally, what still should be done by NATO for my country in terms of [inaudible] military help and advancing in UA inspiration to join NATO? Thank you. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: Thank you so much. First to Mr Mevlut Cavusoglu. Dear Mevlut, thank you for your kind words. It has been a real privilege to working with you and thank you for everything you have done for this Alliance, because you have actually helped to overcome some of the most difficult issues to enable compromise and to also find a way forward on enlargement. So, thank you for that and I hope that we can find ways to stay in touch also in the future. So, I'm looking forward to continue to work with you in different capacities. So, thank you so much Mevlut. Then to Estonia. I accept that these issues are not always easy, but I strongly believe and continue to believe that the way to mobilize continued and also increased support from NATO Allies to Ukraine is also to communicate to our own publics that we do that in a way that doesnt make NATO a party to the conflict. Because there is a strong majority across the Alliance for support to Ukraine. But there are not many Allies, which are prepared to go into a full fledge conflict between NATO and Russia. And therefore, I think that the way to ensure continued support for Ukraine is to find this way of supporting Ukraine without making NATO directly involved. Because if that's the question, I think will really undermine the unity in providing support to Ukraine. So, if you are concerned about supporting Ukraine, it is actually very important that we find ways to do that, which enable us to do it as 32 Allies with unity for long term, with broad public support. So therefore, I just think that the more you are supportive of Ukraine, the more cautious we should be to ask for things that can divide us. We have unity in providing support, we will not have unity in being directly involved and if we have NATO forces, directly involved in the conflict, attacking Russian capabilities in the air or on land in Ukraine, then we will be in a situation where it's very hard to keep NATO out of the conflict. And that's reason why what I strongly believe is that we should do significantly more in providing support to Ukraine. And I outlined a multiyear financial pledge, outlined a stronger NATO role in coordinating, providing, training, equipment, ammunition to avoid those pauses in the supplies we have seen over the last months, but also why I have also stated that we should not have NATO troops on the ground, or capabilities in the air or in the Ukrainian airspace. But I also believe that when we have delivered the weapons to Ukraine, it's actually not ours anymore. It's Ukrainians. And then, as I've said, they have the right to self-defence, and the right of self-defence includes also hitting legitimate military targets outside Ukraine and also in Russia, which are air bases which Russia uses to attack and again in also in the Kharkiv Region, [inaudible] this border region. It is the border lines and the front lines are not exactly the same, but they're very close to each other. So, then it's very clearly operational reasons to actually allow the Ukrainians to use these weapons to attack military Russian targets which are hitting Ukraine. So, I accept that there are different views, but I think that the balance we have been able to find within the Alliance has been and continues to be the right one. Support Ukraine but preventing escalation, prevent NATO from being a party to the conflict. Then on Ukraine. NATO Allies should do more. We have done a lot. In Russia, President Putin totally underestimated, first of all, he under estimated the Ukrainians. There's the strength, the bravery, the willingness to defend themselves. But he also underestimated NATO Allies and our ability to support Ukraine. So, we should be proud of what we have provided and Allies in this assembly, you should be proud of the support that you have provided. But what we have provided is not enough. Especially not the last months, therefore we need to do more, we need to step up. And I also believe that the reason why we need some kind of agreed financial pledge is to ensure a fairer burden sharing because the reality is some Allies have done very much, other Allies have done not as much as they should. There are also some problems with accountability and transparency on what exactly Allies have provided. So, if you have a more agreed financial pledge, and bigger NATO role I think we're going to have more accountability, more transparency on actually what Allies are providing to ensure fairer burden sharing and by having fairer burden sharing I think it'll be easy to continue the support for long haul. No one can say exactly how long this war will last. But we need to be prepared for long haul and therefore we need to have the institutions, the mechanisms in place including long term financial pledge and stronger NATO role to ensure that we can sustain this for a long time. Then on NATO Membership. Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member but we don't have consensus on exactly when that will be. In the meantime, I think the important thing is that we put Ukraine, help to ensure that Ukraine will be in a place that when the political conditions are in place, that Ukraine can become a member immediately. I know that Ukraine and Sweden and Finland are different countries, but in but in many ways, I would like to have Ukraine exactly the same place as Finland and Sweden. Because when the political conditions were in place, when actually Finland and Sweden wanted membership in May 2022, they applied on the 17th of May for membership, and in July all Allies agreed to invite them and just a couple of weeks after we have negotiated the accession treaty. So, we should be in the same place with Ukraine. And that's reason why I welcome everything we do to ensure full interoperability. We have the interoperability program for Ukraine. That's one of the reasons why we like to have a stronger NATO role in providing assistance because then we also ensure that we have the standards, the interoperability in Ukraine when we provide support for Ukraine, and also, I welcome the establishment of the NATO Ukraine Council, which we now use as a platform to strengthen our political ties. And also, I welcome the decision at the Vilnius Summit last year to remove the requirement for Membership Action Plan, turning the membership process for Ukraine from a twostep process to a one step process. So as long as we don't have consensus, we should ensure that we put Ukraine in place so they can be called members immediately when the conditions are met. President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Micha Szczerba: Yes, thank you and now unfortunately the last final group. Njall Fridbertsson from Iceland, Mr Audronius Azubalis from Lithuania and Mimi Kodheli from Albania. Njall Fridbertsson [Iceland]: [inaudible] the role of semiconductors which I had the pleasure to draft as [inaudible] As NATO's Vilnius summit [inaudible] recognizes emerging and disruptive technology brings both opportunities and risk, they are altering the character of conflict applying greater strategic importance and become a key arena of global competition. Entities are influencing various areas of security and defence amongst them satellite deployment, which is crucial to allow real time detection and monitoring of activity in strategic areas, including in the High North. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine has set the great ramification for relations in the High North. And the accession of both Sweden and Finland to NATO might affect Russia's calculus and possible responses in the region. Therefore, my question is how can we ensure that NATO keeps its technological edge including surveillance and satellite deployment and thus its capacity to strengthen security in the High North? Audronius Azubalis [Lithuania]: Thank you, Mr. President. Secretary General, how we members of NATO could expect Ukraine's victory if we haven't developed a strategy regarding NATOs support for Ukraine against aggression by Russian Federation at tactical, operational and strategic levels. We know that such a request about strategic plan for victory the United States administration was sent from Congress. But that is not happening in NATO. Could you comment on that? Thank you. Mimi Kodheli [Albania]: Thank you, dear Secretary General, dear Jens, on behalf of the Albanian delegation, I would like to show you my gratitude for your outstanding leadership, open mindedness, goodwill and wise solutions you show in your 10 years serving our organization. Personally, I've been working with you since then, since the beginning, in different capacities, and we're still here, you know, taking care of our future, safe and secure future. So, I'm here to reassure you and my organization, the NATO PA, that Albania it has been and will be one of the best Alliance of the big Alliance, because we are sure that only this Alliance can save the future of our kids. So, thank you again. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: Thank you so much. Let me start with the last comment question. Dear Mimi, it has been a pleasure to work with you too in your capacity as Minister but also now in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and there are many faces around in this audience that I know from over many years, so it's always good to see you and then all the best for the future and hope to see you again in the future different capacities. Then, let me start with Iceland. Well, NATO is the strongest Alliance I said the beginning for two reasons, unity and because we have been able to adapt. There's actually a third reason and that is that we have been able to maintain a technological edge on any potential adversary. And that's extremely important that we continue to do. And now in times of disruptive technologies, we see how [inaudible] China are investing in quantum computing, artificial intelligence and many other of these technologies which will change the nature of warfare as much as the Industrial Revolution. And then of course, it is important that we continue to ensure that we maintain our technological edge with the development of autonomous systems, applying artificial intelligence into our capabilities, and many other areas. To ensure exactly that we have established the NATO Innovation Fund, and many Allies have already invested there, we are working to promote start-ups to help a new industry being developed to support our defence efforts. We have also established DIANA, this network of Centres which are developing different technologies are helping to work again with start-ups. And I'm impressed at how NATO Allies are actually using these NATO tools to ensure that we develop technology, businesses, industries, which are important for our defence. I think what the war in Ukraine has demonstrated is that we're not having any defence without the defence industry, and not have any advanced defence without advanced defence industries. Therefore, part of what we do is also work to work with the defence industry. We have the NATO Defence Industry Forum, we engage regularly with them, and one of the reasons why we need to invest increased defence spending is that when we invest in new capabilities we're also investing in new technologies. So, we are investing more [inaudible] to produce more of the old stuff. Sometimes we need that. But by investing more in new fighter jets, in new battle tanks, in new cyber capabilities, we are at the same time investing in high end technology. So increased investments are a precondition for maintaining our technological edge. We have a responsibility as individual Allies, but we also should utilize the NATO tools, the different Centres of Excellences, the Innovation fond, DIANA, to ensure that we actually help and support each other in those efforts. Then on Lithuania, we are constantly in close dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities. There are as you also know, close contact between NATO military authorities, for instance, the US which [inaudible] General Cavoli, he is the top US commander in Europe. And he and his staff, they are engaging with the Ukrainian counterparts, but fortunately, Cavoli is also the top NATO commander in Europe. And when we foresee a great NATO role in providing support and assistance, we also see that some of these things which are now been done under the US led effort in Rammstein, for instance, not mainly in [inaudible] the Security assistance group for Ukraine in [inaudible] that some of those activities will be under NATO umbrella. That will then make it even easier to ensure that we have full coordination between what an individual Ally [inaudible] and what we do as NATO. So, we are working closely with and my aim is to ensure that we work even more closely with Ukraine in the future. To ensure that they prevail as a sovereign independent nation. Of course, Ukraine has to make the decisions, but we can give them the capabilities, we can give them the long-term commitment, and we can help and give advice, but it's for the Ukrainians to at the end of the day make the decisions. So, they prevail, and ensure that Russia does not succeed. I think that was actually the last question again, many questions. Thank you for the questions. I'm sorry that not everyone was able to ask the question. But the problem is not the number of questions. The problem is that the length of the answers is too long. So, excuse me so much. But I thank you very much for all the questions for the support, for the cooperation and it's been really a privilege and honour to work with you. And I wish you all the best in the future. Thank you so much. Gov. Abbott just turned every Texas college, university into a thought police enforcement zone Texas Gov. and proud Zionist Greg Abbott is destroying the First Amendment in the Lone Star State, one edict about "antisemitism" at a time. From now on, anyone who is caught saying the "wrong" things on a Texas college or university campus can be reported to law enforcement for "antisemitic" speech, specifically if they utter the phrase "from the river to the sea." Back in March, Abbott signed an executive order (EO) to require "all higher education institutions in Texas" to "review their free speech policies" in order to "establish appropriate punishments for antisemitic rhetoric." Consequently, school administrators are threatening student protesters with police abuse if they speak out of turn. At The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), administrators filmed themselves chiding students for allegedly violating the EO, which is likely to be challenged in court for violating the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. According to Abbott, his unconstitutional free speech restrictions are necessary in order to create a "safe space" for Jewish students on college and university campuses across Texas. Video obtained by @theFIREorg: After Gov. Abbott's executive order targeting student demonstrators, UT San Antonio administrators filmed themselves telling students that if they chant "from the river to the sea," they will be reported to law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/NcdyZqcrPr Adam Steinbaugh (@adamsteinbaugh) May 18, 2024 The person filming the above video is LT Robinson, UTSA's Senior Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. (Related: The Israeli deep state has decided that it is the best ever at protecting civilians from harm during war, claiming the IDF has set a "new gold standard.") Republicans cherry-pick the Constitution Prior to this whole Israel-Hamas saga, Texas was one of those right-wing "red" states that pretended to champion free speech, at least as long as it was about things that the GOP supports. Now, the tables have turned as the world learns the ugly truth about the Israeli deep state. Longstanding Texas law states unequivocally that free speech in protests "is of critical importance," adding that it should be "free, robust and uninhibited" so what happened? 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. One silver lining in all this for free speech in Texas is that CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) is suing Abbott and various university officials for violating the First Amendment rights of student protesters who, whether you like what they are saying or not, have a right to say it under the Constitution. Just because some people do not like what these student protesters are saying does not mean that their voices can be silenced like this, at least not if the Constitution holds any weight. Republicans have long claimed to be champions of the Constitution, so their feet need to be held to the fire on this issue. It is not just Republicans, though. There are some Democrats, albeit much fewer of them, who are also owned by AIPAC and the rest of the Zionist lobby. And ever since October 7, or what you might call "Gaza's 9/11," they are all showing their true colors in a cringeworthy display of anti-free speech fascism. Other right-wing states that are passing anti-free speech bills in the name of stopping "antisemitism" include South Dakota, Georgia and Florida. Scoop: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dined with Miriam Adelson former President Trump's top financial backer in 2020 and other major GOP donors in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Read the story by @SophiaCai99 and me report on @axios: https://t.co/sYJzu3Ji1k pic.twitter.com/c8cznvmova Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 28, 2023 Made a secret trip to JERUSALEM (!!!) with @RepMikeCaruso to deliver @GovRonDeSantis HB 269, the strongest antisemitism bill in the United States. To Floridas Nazi thugs, I have news: attack Jews on their property and youre going to prison. Never again means never again. pic.twitter.com/FYXNE5c5RU Rep. Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) April 27, 2023 How bad does the Zionist lobby look on the world stage right now? Learn more at Prophecy.news. Sources for this article include: InformationLiberation.com NaturalNews.com Texas.gov Biden campaign reportedly met with Haley supporters after she endorsed Trump The Daily Beast initially broke the news of the said meeting, which happened virtually on the evening of May 22. Haley supporters from Vermont to Arizona reportedly joined the incumbent Democratic president's campaign as part of the latter's ongoing outreach to win over her voters. "The fact they actually sent someone to speak to a small group, I think that's a good signal that they're aware there are huge numbers of Haley voters out there," said Robert Schwartz, founder of the Haley Voters For Biden political action committee. He described the meeting as "highly encouraging," comparing it to other listening sessions the Biden campaign has done with the pro-Palestinian uncommitted vote. "That's an important development. The Biden campaign isn't only investing in digital ads and the traditional media to reach out to Haley voters. But now we've been asking them to actually come and talk to them, just like they've been talking to uncommitted voters, and listen to what Haley voters are asking for and what their policy priorities are." According to Schwartz, the May 22 meeting was a "big deal" and the Biden campaign's continued outreach is the most encouraging sign for him and other supporters of the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He also expressed optimism that her voters will ultimately join the Biden bandwagon. "She has a very wide coalition of voters including some from the center-left, the center and conservatives. And I think among strong conservatives, there are a lot of disagreements about Biden's policy. While I respectfully disagree with her decision to support Trump, I would also respectfully disagree with her characterization of [President Joe] Biden being catastrophic." 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. Haley says she would vote for Trump over Biden The May 22 meeting followed Haley's remarks earlier that day, where she reiterated that she would vote for Trump over Biden. The former governor of the Palmetto State said this during an event at the Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank Hudson Institute, where she has been serving as its Walter P. Stern chair since April. "As a voter, I put my priorities on a president who's going to have the backs of our allies and hold our enemies to account; who would secure the border, no more excuses. A president who would support capitalism and freedom, [and] a president who understands we need less debt not more debt," Haley said. "Trump has not been perfect on these policies I've made that clear, many, many times. But Biden has been a catastrophe. So, I will be voting for Trump." "Ever since the GOP primary wrapped up, the Biden [campaign] team has identified Haley voters as a key persuasion target with a unique set of key issues, particularly around Trump's attacks on democracy and the general notion of restoring decency to the office," the Daily Beast wrote. "The Biden campaign has continued trying to refine [its] definition of a persuadable Haley voter over the past few months focusing on paid media, Haley's margins in key battleground precincts from the primary and simply listening to [Haley voters'] concerns." Biden himself said in March following Haley's withdrawal from the presidential race: "Trump made it clear he doesn't want Haley's supporters. I want to be clear there is a place for them in my campaign." The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations dropped out of the race following the results of Super Tuesday, where Trump emerged the winner in 14 of 15 state primaries. (Related: Nikki Haley finally DROPS OUT of Republican presidential race after burning through huge donation war chest.) The Biden campaign did not immediately return a request for comment on the meeting. Head over to VoteRepublican.news for more stories like this. Watch political strategist Tim Miller explaining why Nikki Haley became a "vessel" for voters to express unhappines with Donald Trump below. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Report: Nikki Haley's presidential campaign backed by more than 5,200 Biden donors. Matrixxx Grooove: Nikki Haley's presidential campaign is backed by Democratic DARK MONEY Brighteon.TV. Democrat megadonors are trying to subvert the Republican Party by backing "Trojan horse" Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy tells Tucker Carlson. Sources include: TheDailyBeast.com TheHill.com Brighteon.com Nikki Haleys brother appears to confirm COUP against Trump at Republican National Convention The brother of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has ostensibly confirmed that she will launch a coup against former President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in July. Mitti Randhawa initially posted on X a picture of himself and his sister on May 19 with the caption: "The support is real. Nikky Haley for president. Milwaukee, here we come." The mention of Cream City referenced the GOP National Convention, which is set to happen there from July 15 to 18. This led conservative activist and journalist Laura Loomer to ask: "Is [Haley] planning a coup against Trump at the convention?" Randhawa responded in the affirmative, replying: "Yup, it's happening. Deal with it." Randhawa, a strategic market director with drug company Johnson & Johnson, also responded to other posts critical of his sister. "Did she lose? It's not over until it's over," he replied to user @americasgreat. The user slammed Haley as a "sore, vindictive loser" for her attempted coup against Trump, comparing her to "the ex that can't let go." According to a February report by Business Insider, Haley was born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa to her parents Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa. The two were immigrants from the northwestern Indian state of Punjab who later became teachers when they arrived in the United States. Haley has three siblings brothers Mitti and Charan, and sister Simran. She married Michael Haley, a major in the South Carolina Army National Guard, in September 1996. Upon marriage, she quit using the name Nimarata Randhawa. Instead, she used Nikki her middle name as her first name and adopted her husband's surname. 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. "Either the man is a massive troll, or he's doubling and tripling down," En-Volve noted. "We will find out soon enough what Haley does at the [GOP National] Convention." Haley just doesn't know when to quit Meanwhile, WLT Report broke the news of Haley's potential coup at the GOP National Convention in July. Sources cited by the website made mention of the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations "looking to get back into the race and potentially [challenging] Trump." Other reports cited a potential ticket with Haley as president and former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Aside from both serving as U.S. ambassadors to the UN, Haley and Bolton reportedly harbor pro-war, neoconservative views. According to WLT Report, such a ticket "makes perfect sense." "Just call it the RINO [Republicans In Name Only] Warmonger Ticket," the outlet said. "Other than exhuming [the late U.S. Sen.] John McCain (R-AZ) from the cold, dead ground, you couldn't get two better candidates." The outlet also shared Haley's interview with MSNBC, which touched on the pledge she signed with the Republican National Committee (RNC). Under this pledge, the former South Carolina governor would support the eventual Republican presidential nominee in this case Trump, her former boss. But Haley reiterated that she just lied about the pledge at the time so that she could get on the presidential debate stage. She also mentioned that she has no plans to honor the pledge, a revelation "even MSNBC seemed taken aback" with. (Related: Nikki Haley drops out of presidential race, refuses to endorse Trump, violating her own pledge.) "I don't think she has a snowball's chance in hell of winning the primary. [We] do not need the warmongering [neoconservative] RINO anywhere near our government," WLT Report concluded. Head over to Coup.news for similar stories. Watch this video explaining why Nikki Haley is a stooge of the Deep State. This video is from the mcr channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Matrixxx Grooove: Nikki Haleys presidential campaign is backed by Democratic DARK MONEY Brighteon.TV. Nikki Haley finally DROPS OUT of Republican presidential race after burning through huge donation war chest. Koch-backed super-PAC suspends funding for Nikki Haley after her devastating loss in South Carolina primary. Report: Nikki Haley's presidential campaign backed by more than 5,200 Biden donors. Trump: Haley donors will be PERMANENTLY BARRED from MAGA camp. Sources include: En-Volve.com IDGA.org BusinessInsider.com WLTReport.com Brighteon.com Op-ed: Israel censoring and killing JOURNALISTS who exposed atrocities in Gaza Israel is reportedly censoring and killing journalists exposing its atrocities against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to an op-ed. U.K.-based writer Frank Wright expounded on this in a May 23 op-ed for LifeSiteNews. He cited the ban on Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera and the confiscation of equipment owned by the Associated Press (AP) as examples of Tel Aviv's suppression. According to Wright, the Doha-funded Al Jazeera was officially banned from reporting in Israel on May 5. Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi has been seeking to shut it down since October, following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Karhi has described the channel as a "propaganda mouthpiece" for Hamas, formally the Islamic Resistance Movement. On April 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dubbed Al Jazeera a "terror" channel. More than a month later, the Israeli government officially banned the channel to the delight of Karhi. Under the ban, Al Jazeera's websites were blocked in Israel and its television broadcasts were prohibited. (Related: Al Jazeera condemns Israeli government decision to shut down local offices.) "Police seized Al Jazeera's broadcasting equipment from its Jerusalem offices and the Qatari news channel was pulled of the air in Israel," the Times of Israel reported. It added that the raid came "immediately after the government approved a decision to temporarily shutter the outlet on the grounds that it has harmed national security." Tel Aviv had earlier set its sights on Wael Al-Dahdouh, chief of Al Jazeera's Gaza bureau, last October. Several of his family members including his wife, his two children and his infant grandson were killed during Israeli airstrikes on the Strip. Al-Dahdouh received news of his family members' deaths while reporting on Israeli missile strikes in Gaza. 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. Less than two months later, Al-Dahdouh himself became a target of Israeli attacks with the journalist being caught in a Dec. 15 drone strike on a school in Khan Younis. Al-Dahdouhf was hospitalized while his cameraman died in the incident. Even AP isn't exempt from Israeli censorship Even AP isn't exempted from Karhi's censorship demands, according to Wright. At the communication minister's behest, the AP's equipment was seized on May 21. The news agency's live feeds from Gaza are widely used throughout world media. AP Vice President of Corporate Communications Lauren Easton denounced the move, calling it "an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country's new foreign broadcaster law. But following "concern" expressed by the White House, Karhi reversed the decision to shut down the agency's live news feed in Gaza. Wright noted that the actions against the AP and Al Jazeera followed new regulations Tel Aviv introduced on Oct. 20 to "allow for the temporary shutdown of news channels which 'damage national security.'" But Anthony Bellanger, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, denounced the regulations upon their announcement. "This is a clear attack on media pluralism and the public's right to know," he said. "The whole world must be allowed to see what is happening in the ongoing conflict, and we urge Israel to review its decision." Bellanger stressed that the move as about suppressing media "critical" of the Israeli "narrative." He added: "We are deeply concerned at Israel's attempt to censor media coverage of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict using national security as an excuse to restrict critical media that do not confirm its narrative of the ongoing war." Meanwhile, Wright also mentioned a report by the non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) about the dire state of journalism in Israel. According to the group's preliminary investigations as of May 22, "at least 105 journalists and media workers" have been killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since Oct. 7. These include Israeli, Palestinian and foreign reporters. A separate report by the CPJ documented the obstruction, censorship, death threats, assaults and shootings of journalists covering the Palestinian situation. It mentioned that journalists from the German public broadcaster ARD and the United Kingdom's BBC and Sky News were targeted by IDF members. Moreover, it disclosed that the IDF had killed some journalists' relatives. Head over to Journalism.news for similar stories. Watch this video about Israeli authorities raiding the offices of Al Jazeera in the country. This video is from the Loves Greatness com channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Israel shuts down all Al Jazeera news operations, demonstrating the tyranny of Zionism and abandonment of democratic principles. Western media printing LIES to justify Israeli GENOCIDE in Gaza, whitewashing history behind the conflict. Report finds overwhelming PRO-ISRAEL BIAS in British media outlets when it comes to Gaza reporting. CNN admits ALL of its Gaza-related coverage is examined (and controlled) by Israeli military censor. CNN spokesperson admits outlet submits stories to IDF for Israeli censorship and control. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com Brighteon.com Dr. McCullough, Australian professor highlight scientific links between vaccines and autism Last week at a talk in Chattanooga, Tenn., a professor from Australia by the name of Ian Brighthope presented evidence, including from Dr. Peter McCullough, showing once again that vaccines cause autism In a "neutral tone," Brighthope discussed Dr. McCullough's research along with information from a 2019 corporate media report linking childhood injections to the symptoms commonly associated with autism spectrum disorder. The 2019 report came from "Full Measure," a weekly television news program aired every Sunday that is broadcast to about 43 million households. "A respected pro-vaccine medical expert used by the federal government to debunk the vaccine-autism link, says vaccines can cause autism after all," it was stated in the report. "He claims he told that to government officials long ago, but they kept it secret." "Meantime, CDC which promotes vaccines and monitors vaccine safety never disclosed that the government's own one-time medical expert concluded vaccines can cause autism and to this day public health officials deny that's the case." A full transcript of the report, which you can also watch on YouTube below, is available here. (Related: Did you catch the Turkish study we told you about earlier this year that also points to Wuhan coronavirus [COVID-19] "vaccines" as a trigger of autism?) Vaccine-induced autism linked to gender dysphoria Entitled "Who is Winning the Information War?" McCullough delivered his speech at the "Art of War" event. Toward the end of his speech, McCullough shared details about how the rise of vaccine-induced autism corresponds with a similar rise in gender dysphoria. 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. Back when McCullough was a child, autism was extremely rare and there were a lot fewer vaccines administered back then as well. "Autism was one in 10,000 when I was a kid," he explained. "It's now one in 36. It's the biggest epidemic of childhood in U.S. history." While a small portion of this increase is due simply to increased screening and detection, there is still "a massive bona fide increase" that has no other explanation besides the massive increase in chemicals, i.e., vaccines and tainted food and water, that occurred during the same time period. "It has been well demonstrated that if a child gets sick with a big round of shots and they have a seizure, there's about a 40 percent chance that their brain is injured and that they develop autism," McCullough said. "There are 200 studies now linking excessive vaccination in childhood to autism." The problem is so serious that even the World Council for Health is urging parents to adopt a "common sense" approach to the ever-expanding childhood vaccination schedule. It is safer to just wait and even better to just do nothing. "Five studies show children who take no vaccines, none they're born healthy, they take no vaccines, they're healthier than the kids who take the vaccines," McCullough says. "There are lower rates of food allergy ... there are lower rates of asthma, allergic dermatitis, need for tympanostomy tubes, lower rates of attention deficit disorder, Asperger disease, lower rates of autism spectrum disorder ... massive excessive vaccination is likely harming our children today." McCullough also discussed the epidemic of sudden infant deaths, noting that 50 percent of them occur within a week of children "taking a battery of these shots." Like with autism, the medical establishment refuses to acknowledge any connection between vaccines and sudden infant death syndrome. Brighthope also recommends reading the book "Vaccines, Myths and Facts" by Wendy Daniel, which contains a wealth of additional information about childhood injections and what they do to the bodies of innocent little ones. Your best bet is to avoid vaccinating your children they'll be much healthier with natural immunity. Learn more at VaccineDamage.news. Sources for this article include: Expose-News.com NaturalNews.com RFK Jr celebrates an infamous Dem gay rights leader Harvey Milk who was accused of grooming minors On Wednesday, independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr. posted an homage to Harvey Milk, an infamous Democrat politician accused of grooming minors, on the day established in 2009 to celebrate his life. Kennedy posted on X, I want to take a moment to celebrate Harvey Milk Day and honor a man whose bravery transformed our society. Harvey Milk was a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ rights and the first openly gay individual elected to public office in California." (Article republished from ThePostMillennial.com) I want to take a moment to celebrate Harvey Milk Day and honor a man whose bravery transformed our society. Harvey Milk was a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ rights and the first openly gay individual elected to public office in California. Harvey died fighting for what he believed in Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) May 22, 2024 Harvey died fighting for what he believed in and left behind a world in which people could live more freely and more authentically," he wrote. Today, as we seek to heal America from division and demonization, lets remember the example Harvey set for standing together. Harvey showed us that even the smallest acts of kindness can bring light to the darkest moments and bring to life a better world. In this time of turmoil and war, lets honor Harvey Milk by spreading his message of peace and social justice for all. Together we can create a future with less violence, more humanity, more prosperity and more joy. Harvey Milk once said, Hope will never be silent and neither will we, in honor of Harvey Milk. Harvey Milk groomed underage boys and drove at least one of them to suicide. pic.twitter.com/kUZb2cPgO4 Cernovich (@Cernovich) May 23, 2024 Milk, a civil rights icon, was portrayed by Sean Penn in an Academy Award-winning biopic, has been pictured on a postage stamp, had a naval vessel named after him, and even an airport terminal, despite the scandals that plagued him. Harvey Milk preyed upon drug addicted boys, then groomed & assaulted them. 2 of his victims kiIIed themselves. We have a ship named after him. pic.twitter.com/OZRfaeSv23 End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 22, 2024 Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel previously profiled Milk, based on what the civil rights icons own biographers admitted regarding his behavior and accounts from his victims. He said that one of Milks victims was a 16-year-old runaway from Maryland named Jack Galen McKinley and cited Randy Shilts, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter, a friend of Milks and his biographer who wrote in the book The Mayor of Castro Street, about Milks relationship with the McKinley boy: Sixteen-year-old McKinley was looking for some kind of father figure. At 33, Milk was launching a new life, though he could hardly have imagined the unlikely direction toward which his new lover would pull him. Child advocate and founder of SaveCalifornia.com Randy Thomasson noted regarding the Shilts biography, Explaining Milks many flings and affairs with teenagers and young men, Randy Shilts writes how Milk told one lover why it was OK for him to also have multiple relationships simultaneously: As homosexuals, we cant depend on the heterosexual model. We grow up with the heterosexual model, but we dont have to follow it. We should be developing our own lifestyle. Theres no reason why you cant love more than one person at a time. Read more at: ThePostMillennial.com Ukraine a classic failed state, says former Russian President Medvedev Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who now serves as the head of Russia's Security Council, spoke to thenews agency this week about the illegitimacy of the Ukrainian regime under Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky's recent decision to make himself indefinite dictator by canceling Ukraine's elections means that Kiev is about as legitimate as U.S. Federal Reserve Notes (FRN), aka Monopoly-like money printed by the private Federal Reserve banking cartel. Kiev is currently being run by a lawless and criminal regime, Medvedev explained. Zelensky's five-year mandate just expired, and instead of holding a new election as mandated under Ukrainian law, Zelensky used his February 2022 declaration of martial law to stay in office for as long as he wants. "All these manipulations with laws mean only one thing: the death of the failed state of Ukraine its transformation into a classic failed state, to use American vocabulary," Medvedev told TASS. As for the United States and its allies, they continue to support the Zelensky regime because they are fearful, Medvedev says, about "the shameful fall of his criminal regime." "That's why there is such a high probability that Zelensky would have lost his election miserably, and the citizens of his non-existent country would have wanted a new president in the hope that he would start peace negotiations with Russia," Medvedev added. (Related: Did you know that 90 percent of all financial settlement transactions between Russia and China are now occurring in the two countries' respective national currencies as opposed to U.S. dollar?) 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. Time for Zelensky and his sponsors to be deposed Zelensky is "a political upstart," after all, having won his seat in 2019 only because he campaigned "on the rhetoric of peace." It turns out Zelensky lied what else is new? and now Ukraine has mountains of dead bodies and a failed state to show for it. "They make good money from the bloody bacchanalia," Medvedev explained about how Western leaders are profiting from the bloodbath of Ukrainian soldiers whose bodies are piling up to the sky as Zelensky and his Western sponsors send them into the meat grinder. All that taxpayer money and all those taxpayer-funded weapons the U.S. and other Western allies continue to funnel into Ukraine are mostly not ending up in the hands of anything even remotely good. And yet the West insists this is all an "investment" that will pay off for them, anyway. The regime should have changed in Ukraine on May 21, but as Medvedev predicted would happen there has been no change because Ukrainians no longer "live in a rule-of-law state." "Law and justice were forgotten 10 years ago," he added about the sad state of affairs in Ukraine under Zelensky. Zelensky's only remaining options are to either turn himself in and face trial or eventually be forcefully captured and face a potentially worse outcome the choice is yours, Zelensky. Zelensky will eventually meet the same fate as his "spiritual teacher" Stepan Bandera, a Ukrainian nationalist leader who sought to collaborate with Nazi Germany during World War II before being assassinated by Soviet operatives in Munich in 1959. "What Mr. Medvedev is trying to say in layman's terms is that Ukraine is a totally screwed up nation under Zelensky and his Nazi goons," one RT commenter wrote. "Zelensky confuses 'comic, 'cosmic,' and 'cosmetic,' and unfortunately he was no good at mathematics," wrote another. "It's just a question of common sense and ethics." "'Zelensky was' because he knows he's already dead even though he's still alive," said another. "This is why, folks, the Russian Empire was better than whatever Balkanized Eastern Europe that exists now," said someone else. No matter what the media tries to tell you, Ukraine is losing the war. Learn more at Collapse.news. Sources for this article include: RT.com NaturalNews.com Washington doctor fined for prescribing ivermectin as COVID treatment A medical doctor out of Washington who prescribed ivermectin to treat a patient's Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) infection is under attack by the state. According to an order signed by the Washington Medical Commission on May 2, Dr. Wei-Hsung Lin must pay $5,000 and take continuing education classes as punishment for the "crime." Even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ivermectin for human use back in 1996, the medical establishment today strictly forbids doctors from prescribing it. Dr. Lin reportedly prescribed the safe and effective anti-parasite medicine to five people off-label, which is perfectly legal. However, because he did not provide a disclaimer about the alleged potential risks, Dr. Lin is now being punished. By the way, have you seen the documentary film "The Unseen Crisis: Vaccine Stories You Were Never Told?" If not, check it out here. (Related: Did you know that combining ivermectin with fenbendazole may help to prevent and treat cancer?) Land of the greed Dr. Lin is accused of providing "below standard of care" to the five patients in question because he did not offer them "alternative" treatments for COVID, meaning something other than ivermectin because how dare he? It turns out there are no alternative treatments available, at least not in the document accusing him of doing something wrong with all this. The only other drug is remdesivir, a dangerous medication pushed by the government in 2021 at the height of the scamdemic. The medical establishment is also upset that Dr. Lin did not push his patients to get "vaccinated" for the Chinese disease. They say he behaved unprofessionally based on state law in Washington, which defines unprofessional conduct as "any act involving moral turpitude, dishonesty, or corruption relating to the practice of the person's profession, whether the act constitutes a crime or not." Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Dr. Lin is now prohibited from prescribing ivermectin off-label to any patients in Washington state ever again. He must also establish a doctor-patient relationship before ever again being allowed to prescribe medication or provide care for patients. Dr. Lin will also need to review the latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) UpToDate websites to learn the latest COVID guidelines as issued by the government, as well as take continuing medical education classes about preventing, treating and managing COVID. On top of all that, Dr. Lin is being forced to write two papers with at least 1,000 words each describing everything he learns from all these classes and websites. "The commission or its designee is also going to make annual compliance visits, including reviewing a random selection of records, and says Dr. Lin must appear within 12 months, and subsequently on an annual basis, at a date and location determined by the commission as part of compliance oversight," reported The Epoch Times. Commenting on all this ridiculousness, Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, called the conditions "extremely onerous" as they require work that will "enormously increase the burden of practice and probably drive most physicians out of practice altogether." "Ivermectin is an extremely safe drug much safer than most drugs physicians prescribe without all the 'informed consent' discussions demanded here. As to informing patients of alternatives, the reasons patients were calling this doctor was likely that no alternatives were available. It was 'isolate and go to ER if you get worse.'" Dr. Orient recommends that doctors avoid practicing in Washington if possible because the powers that be in that state are apparently as corrupt as it gets. Big Pharma is the reason why people are needlessly dying from things that could be easily treated with simple, inexpensive remedies like ivermectin. Learn more at Corruption.news. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Over 50% of coastal mangrove forests worldwide are in danger of disappearing by 2050. This is the result of the first worldwide study of mangroves by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Ecosystems. Human Activities Mangroves store billions of tons of carbon, support fish and animals, and provide protection from storm surges, tides, and sea level rise. The report was unveiled on the International Day for Biodiversity of the United Nations, involving 250 specialists from 44 nations. It demonstrates that as much as a third of the mangrove systems worldwide are in peril from climate change. Experts said 19.6% of the evaluated mangroves are at high risk, meaning they are either classified as endangered or critically endangered, indicating a serious risk of collapse. In addition to industrialization, pollution, the building of dams, and human activities, mangroves are endangered by rising sea levels and an increase in the frequency of powerful storms brought on by climate change. Thirty-three percent of the mangrove ecosystems evaluated are threatened by climate change. Mangroves in southern India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives are particularly vulnerable due to human activity, which is the main cause of their loss. Systems around Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and the central Pacific and eastern Coral Triangle were designated as endangered. "Mangrove ecosystems are exceptional in their ability to provide essential services to people, including coastal disaster-risk reduction, carbon storage and sequestration, and support for fisheries. Their loss stands to be disastrous for nature and people across the globe," said Angela Andrade, the chair of the IUCN commission on ecosystem management. Mangroves, which are found all over the world, are made up of hundreds of different species of trees and plants that grow along tropical coastlines and provide cover for a wide variety of wildlife. They support a variety of species, including sloths, African wild dogs, and tigers, and serve as nidification sites for fish. Mangroves in Hawaii and southeast Polynesia were excluded from the study as they are not naturally part of the ecosystems. Read Also: Mangrove in the Desert: Thriving Effort to Combat Climate Change Preserving The Mangrove Ecosystem According to the study, preserving mangrove ecosystems will be essential in reducing the effects of climate change because robust mangroves can withstand rising sea levels and provide protection from hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones inland. In the absence of major policy changes, sea level rise and climate change will eliminate nearly half of the world's projected 147,000 square kilometers of mangrove forest cover, or an area equivalent to Nepal. The results of this study, which identify the main contributing factors behind mangrove degradation, can help guide future national assessments and actions to protect and restore these delicate ecosystems. Researchers also suggest ways to mitigate the effects of sea level rise, including preserving sediment flows, safeguarding forests, reclaiming lost ground, and allowing mangroves to grow farther inland. "The red list of ecosystems provides clear pathways on how we can reverse mangrove loss and protect these delicate ecosystems for the future, helping in turn to safeguard biodiversity, tackle the effects of climate change, and support the realization of the Global Biodiversity Framework," Andrade said. Related Article: Mangroves in Danger: 50% of Mangrove Ecosystems Could Disappear Due to Climate Change, Deforestation and Pollution [Study] French Open: Naomi Osaka secures hard-fought victory over Lucia Bronzetti F our-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka fought off a fierce comeback from Italy's Lucia Bronzetti to secure her first victory at Roland Garros in three years. Japan's Osaka, who recently returned from maternity leave, clinched the win 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, overcoming late resistance from the world number 67. Osaka's return to the clay courts of Paris was met with anticipation, as the former world number one aimed to improve her record at the French Open, where she has never advanced past the last 32. The match began on a gusty Court Philippe-Chatrier, where Osaka swiftly took control, winning five consecutive games to wrap up the first set in just 27 minutes. However, Bronzetti was not to be dismissed easily. After initially struggling against Osakas powerful serve, the Italian found her rhythm in the second set. With tenacity, Bronzetti converted a critical break point at 5-4, forcing a decider and bringing the match to an unexpected climax. The final set saw Osaka in a commanding position, leading 4-0, but Bronzetti mounted a remarkable comeback, leveling the score. Yet, Osakas resilience shone through as she broke Bronzetti's serve once more, regaining her lead and finally serving out the match to complete the two-hour battle. Looking ahead, Osaka faces a daunting challenge in the second round, where she is set to meet defending champion and heavy title favorite Iga Swiatek. Swiatek, who will take on France's Leolia Jeanjean in her opener, represents a significant hurdle for Osaka, but the match promises to be a highlight of the tournament. Elsewhere in the tournament, Latvian ninth seed Jelena Ostapenko advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Romanian Jaqueline Cristian. The 2017 champion will next face either Tatjana Maria of Germany or Dane Clara Tauson. Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska, seeded 30th, overcame a set deficit to defeat Australian wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. French Open: Naomi Osaka secures hard-fought victory over Lucia Bronzetti Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor shot dead during suspected theft in LA A ctor Johnny Wactor, known for his portrayal of Brando Corbin in the show 'General Hospital', was shot and killed during a suspected catalytic converter theft attempt here. He was 37 years old. Wactors talent agent, David Shaul, confirmed the actors death. Johnny Wactor was a spectacular human being. Not just a talented actor who was committed to his craft but a real moral example to everyone who knew him. Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never give up attitude. In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be, Shaul said in a statement, reports variety.com. The statement further read: Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever. As per the Police Department in Los Angeles, a man was shot by one of three suspects attempting to extract the catalytic converter from his car at about 3 a.m. in the area of Pico Boulevard and Hope Street. The man was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Wactor appeared in more than 160 episodes of 'General Hospital', the longest-running television daytime drama in the US. He made his television debut in the Lifetime drama series 'Army Wives'. He also guest starred in the series 'Westworld', 'The OA', 'Station 19', 'Siberia', 'Agent X', 'Fantastic', 'Animal Kingdom', 'Hollywood Girl', 'Training Day', 'Criminal Minds', 'Struggling Servers', 'Age Appropriate', 'NCIS', 'The Passenger', and 'Barbee Rehab'. He even worked in short films such as 'The Grass Is Never Greener', 'GoldenBox', 'The Con-Artist', 'Flyover States', 'A Most Suitable Applicant', 'The Interrogation', 'Anything for You, Abby', 'The Relic', and 'We Wont Forget', among many others. In feature films, he starred in the 2016 film 'USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage', directed by Mario Van Peebles and starring Nicolas Cage, among many other films. 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor shot dead during suspected theft in LA Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Yuki Bhambri attains career-best world no. 52 ATP doubles ranking I ndia's Yuki Bhambri achieved a career-best world no. 52 in ATP doubles rankings after his runners-up finish at the ATP 250 Lyon Open. Yuki jumped two places to be on the 52nd place with 1692 points. Notably, six Indians are featured in the top 100 in the doubles ATP rankings. Veteran player Rohan Bopanna is the highest-ranked Indian at world no 4. The other Indians ranked inside the top 100 are N.Sriram Balaji ( 84th), Vijay Sundar Prashanth (94th), Anirudh Chandrasekar (96th) and Arjun Kadhe (98th).Yuki had a good week as he along with his French partner Albano Olivetti reached the finals of the Lyon Open, an ATP 250 event, defeating the top seeds in the semifinal and fourth seed in the opening round. However, the pair narrowly lost to Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara in a thrilling final match, with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-7(5), 8-10.The duo will now shift their focus to the French Open, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Bhambri and Olivetti will open their Roland Garros campaign against the Russian-Australian pair of Roman Safiullin and John Peers on Tuesday. Yuki Bhambri attains career-best world no. 52 ATP doubles ranking Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Cybercriminals launched on avg 9K online attacks on Indian firms per day in 2023: Report C ybercriminals launched an average of nearly 9,000 online attacks targeting Indian businesses per day in 2023, a new report revealed on Monday. According to the cybersecurity company Kaspersky, more than three million web threats have been detected and blocked for businesses in India from January to December, a 47 per cent jump compared to the numbers detected in 2022. "With the local government ramping up efforts to bolster the local digital economy and infrastructure, Indian businesses should prioritise strengthening their cyber defences against lurking online threats," said Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for India at Kaspersky. "Failing to do so risks undermining their ability to fully harness the benefits of digitalisation. Now is the time to take proactive measures and safeguard against potential cyber threats," he added. Web-based threats or online threats are a category of cybersecurity risks that may cause an unwanted event or action via the internet. Web threats are made possible by end-user vulnerabilities, web service developers/operators, or web services themselves, the report added. "In 2024, it's imperative for businesses to elevate their cybersecurity efforts to new heights. Gone are the days when basic firewall and endpoint solutions sufficed," Singh said. He also mentioned that with organisations handling huge amounts of data and the potential for significant reputational and financial damages from cyberattacks, "now is the time for an adaptive and intelligence-led approach to security solutions and services". Cybercriminals launched on avg 9K online attacks on Indian firms per day in 2023: Report Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Varanasi-born designer behind Chhaya 'Manju Mai' Kadam's transformation at Cannes F or those who have seen Chhaya Kadam as the railway platform feminist of 'Laapataa Ladies', Manju Mai, her glam avatars at the 77th Cannes Film Festival came as a pleasant surprise. Kadam shared the spotlight with Payal Kapadia and her fellow actors -- Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha -- when the 'All We Imagine As Light' director received the Grand Prix, the second most important award at Cannes. The actress, who's known for her working-class roles (she plays the hospital cook Parvati in 'All We Imagine As Light'), first caught the attention of fashion watchers when she attended the film's world premiere in a handwoven black pearl 'rangkat' lehenga from the atelier of Warp 'N' Weft designer Sagrika Rai. Varanasi-born Rai, who has been working in Mumbai since 1987, is best-known for her interpretations of the weaves of her home city. She paired Kadam's lehenga with a white shirt, black-and-golden striped corset top, and black blazer. In an Instagram post, the design house noted that her outfit was "a capitvating choice for an extraordinary event showcasing the seamless fusion of talent and craftsmanship". The Marathi actress also sported a traditional Maharashtrian 'nath' at the screening, a tribute to both her late mother and her Kanchan Kombdi character in Kunal Kemmu's 'Madgaon Express', which got widely noticed. For the awards evening, Kadam came attired in a maroon brocade saree paired with a matching full-sleeved blouse. She opted for a minimal makeup look -- maroon lips, kohl-rimmed eyes and a maroon bindi. Her hair was tied in a bun with central partition and she rounded off the look with big golden jhumkas and matching bangles. Varanasi-born designer behind Chhaya 'Manju Mai' Kadam's transformation at Cannes Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! In a recent study published in the IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Journal, researchers assess the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) in obese and non-diabetic men following semaglutide treatment. Study: Prescribing semaglutide for weight loss in non-diabetic, obese patients is associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction: a TriNetX database study. Image Credit: Korawat photo shoot / Shutterstock.com What is semaglutide? Semaglutide is an incretin mimetic medication that increases the release of insulin from the pancreas and, as a result, is used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity. Currently, semaglutide is considered one of the most effective anti-obesity interventions, with some scientists describing the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of this drug as a "paradigm shift" in anti-obesity treatment. In addition to its T2D and obesity benefits, semaglutide has been clinically validated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and strokes in obese men and women. Despite these benefits, semaglutide use has been associated with sexual dysfunction, particularly in non-diabetic men. Nevertheless, additional research is needed to determine the risk of this side effect in patients prescribed semaglutide. As semaglutide gains traction for its role in weight loss, a nuanced exploration of its known side effects becomes imperative." About the study In the present study, researchers assess sexual dysfunction risks associated with semaglutide use by non-diabetic and obese men. Study participants were recruited from the TriNetX, LLC Research Network, which includes electronic medical records, demographic details, and insurance claims for 118 million individuals across 81 healthcare organizations. Inclusion criteria for participation in the study included adult men between 18 and 50 years of age with medically confirmed obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) value exceeding 30, and no diagnosis of diabetes. Individuals were excluded if they reported a clinical history of ED, penile surgeries, or testosterone deficiency. Data were obtained between June 2021 and December 2023, including participants' medical and demographic records. Participants were stratified into cases, which included semaglutide users and controls with measured outcomes, including an ED diagnosis one month or more following semaglutide use or a novel testosterone deficiency diagnosis following drug administration. The present study was almost exclusively statistical, with all statistical analyses carried out using the TriNetX platform. The univariate analysis involved the Chi-square test and T-test with between-group variation tested using propensity matching. Corrections were made for known ED and testosterone deficiency risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, or hypertension. The smaller cohort participants were matched to their nearest demographic neighbor before analysis to improve comparisons between cases and controls. Study findings Participant screening identified 3,094 individuals meeting inclusion criteria, who were then matched to an equal number of controls. Participant demographic data revealed a mean age of 37.8 across both cohorts, 74% of whom were White. The primary medical distinction between the cohorts was identified as BMI, with cases exhibiting a mean BMI of 38.7 kg/m2, while controls showed a mean BMI of 37.2. Of the study participants who were prescribed semaglutide, 1.47% were diagnosed with ED or prescribed a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor (PDE5I), which is a class of drugs widely used in the management of ED. Comparatively, 0.32% of control patients were diagnosed with ED or prescribed PDE5Is. Moreover, 1.53% of cases were diagnosed with testosterone deficiency after being prescribed semaglutide as compared to 0.80% of men in the matched control group. Conclusions The current study highlights a significant increase in the risks of both ED and testosterone deficiency in men prescribed semaglutide. Nevertheless, this increase was only 1.47%, which may be acceptable to most patients, given the weight loss and cardiovascular benefits associated with semaglutide treatment. Semaglutide may interact with Leydig cells, which express the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor and regulate GLP-1 secretion. By stimulating GLP-1 receptors present in the cavernosal tissue, semaglutide treatment may reduce pulsatile testosterone secretion and increase smooth muscle relaxation. As there is scant research investigating the sexual side effects of semaglutide, all current explanations are purely speculation that necessitate further exploration in basic science research and clinical trials." Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology could offer companionship to lonely people amid an international epidemic of loneliness, says a robotics expert. Tony Prescott, a professor of cognitive robotics at the University of Sheffield, argues in his new book The Psychology of Artificial Intelligence that 'relationships with AIs could support people' with forms of social interaction. Loneliness has been found to seriously impair human health, and Professor Prescott makes a case that advances in AI technology could offer a partial solution. He argues that people can spiral into loneliness, becoming increasingly disconnected as their confidence plummets, and that AI might help people to 'break the cycle' by giving them a way to practice and improve their social skills. The impact of loneliness Loneliness or social disconnection is more harmful to human health than obesity, according to a 2023 report. It can increase the risk of premature death by 26% and is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression and anxiety. The extent of the problem is striking: in the UK 3.8 million people are experiencing chronic loneliness. A Harvard study in the US found that 36% of US adults and 61% of young adults - experience serious loneliness. In an age when many people describe their lives as lonely, there may be value in having AI companionship as a form of reciprocal social interaction that is stimulating and personalized. Human loneliness is often characterized by a downward spiral in which isolation leads to lower self-esteem which discourages further interaction with people. "There may be ways in which AI companionship could help break this cycle by scaffolding feelings of self-worth and helping maintain or improve social skills. If so, relationships with AIs could support people to find companionship with both human and artificial others." Tony Prescott, professor of cognitive robotics, University of Sheffield He does suggest this is not without risk, however, as it could be 'designed to encourage users to interact for longer and longer periods and to keep them coming back', and suggests regulation may be needed. AI and the human brain Prescott is a leading expert on the relationship between the human brain and AI, combining expertise in robotics and AI with psychology and philosophy. He contributes to the scientific understanding of the human condition by researching the re-creation of perception, memory, and emotion in synthetic entities. As well as researching and teaching cognitive robotics at the University of Sheffield, Prescott is also the co-founder of Sheffield Robotics, which is a hub for robotics research. In The Psychology of Artificial Intelligence, Prescott explores the nature of the human mind and its cognitive processes and compares and contrasts this with the way AI is developing. The book explores questions including: Are computers really like brains? Will AI surpass humans? Does AI have the ability to be creative? Would giving AI a robotic body enable it to create new types of intelligence? Could AI help us tackle climate change? And could humans 'piggyback' on AI to extend their own intelligence? He concludes: "As psychology and AI proceed, this partnership should unlock further insights into both natural and artificial intelligence. This could help answer some key questions about what it means to be human and for humans to live alongside AI." A research team at Osaka University will start an investigator-initiated clinical trial for refractory prostate cancer patients after the successful development of a new alpha-ray therapeutic agent ([At-211] PSMA-5) and confirmation of its efficacy in animal models. This will be a world-first in-human clinical trial with [At-211] PSMA-5. Prostate cancer is on the rise worldwide and is the most commonly diagnosed new cancer in men in Japan. Various treatments are offered for prostate cancer, but the prognosis is very poor when the disease is resistant to standard treatment and associated with multiple metastases. In recent years, theranostics, which involves changing the radionuclide labeled to a compound that binds to a target, has been attracting attention as an integrated approach from cancer diagnostic imaging to therapy. Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) is also gaining recognition as an innovative target for theranostics, enabling deployment from PET (positron emission tomography)-imaging-based lesion detection to targeted radionuclide therapy. Furthermore, alpha irradiation from inside the body via intravenous injection enables treatment of metastases throughout the body. In addition, astatine (At-211) is a nuclide that emits alpha rays with higher energy than conventional radiation and is expected to be effective even in patients exhibiting beta-ray treatment resistance. Since astatine can be produced using an accelerator, it enables domestic production without the need to import the radionuclide from abroad. A new cyclotron dedicated to its production will be installed at Osaka University with financial support by the Ministry of Economy and Industry, allowing for large-scale astatine supply. Patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer with multiple metastases are treated with chemotherapy and other therapies. However, this comes with a significant number of side effects, and patients may become refractory to treatment in a short period. On the other hand, targeted radionuclide therapy rarely causes severe side effects, and treatments using short-range alpha radiation do not require hospitalization in a specialized room. Mahindra recently launched the XUV 3XO in the country. Boasting a fresh look inside and out, packed with new features, this SUV is the facelift version of the popular XUV300. The bookings of this revamped SUV opened on May 15th and within an hour, Mahindra clocked 50,000 orders. The automaker has commenced the deliveries of this SUV. Having said that, from today onwards, customers who have booked the model will start receiving their vehicle across India. The Mahindra XUV 3XO comes equipped with a plethora of features. These inlcude a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a digital drivers display of the same size, dual-zone climate control, a wireless phone charger, and a panoramic sunroof. Additional perks like Amazon Alexa and wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay are slated to roll out later through OTA updates. In terms of safety features, the SUV gets six airbags standard, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), a 360-degree camera with a blind view monitor, and a suite of ADAS features such as lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and autonomous emergency braking. With prices ranging from Rs 7.49 lakh to Rs 15.49 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom), the XUV 3XO is ready to take on the competition from Tata Nexon, Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, and Maruti Brezza. Under the hood, the XUV 3XO offers three engine choices. The 1.2-litre petrol engine comes in two turbo variants, delivering either 109bhp/200Nm or 129bhp/230Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the 1.5-litre diesel engine churns out 115bhp and 300Nm of peak torque. As for transmission, the vehicle comes with a choice of six-speed manual, six-speed AMT, or an automatic torque converter unit. Petrol and Diesel Prices On May 27, 2024: Fresh petrol and diesel prices have been released nationwide on Monday, May 27. Fuel prices in the country are decided based on international crude oil prices. Because of this, the effect of change in crude oil prices is seen in petrol and diesel prices in the country. Government oil marketing companies release fresh petrol and diesel prices every day at 6 am in the country. Petrol, and diesel prices in several states have been updated including the countrys capital Delhi. Whereas, there has been a slight increase in petrol and diesel prices in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana. Companies like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, and Indian Oil Corporation of India release the prices of petrol and diesel on their website. Let us know the new fuel prices. Petrol Diesel Price Today In India (Check city-wise rate list below) Mumbai Petrol & Diesel Price As of May 27, the price of petrol in Mumbai continued to exceed the Rs 100 mark, reaching Rs 104.21 per litre, while diesel was priced at Rs 92.15 per litre. Delhi Diesel Price Today As of May 27, the cost of diesel is priced at Rs 87.62 per litre. Delhi Petrol Price Today As of May 27, the cost of petrol in Delhi is Rs 94.72 per litre. Check city-wise petrol and diesel prices on May 27: City Petrol Price (Rs/litre) Diesel Price (Rs/litre) Chennai 100.75 92.34 Kolkata 103.94 90.76 Noida 94.83 87.96 Lucknow 94.65 87.76 Bengaluru 99.84 85.93 Hyderabad 107.41 95.65 Jaipur 104.88 90.36 Trivandrum 107.56 96.43 Bhubaneswar 101.06 92.64 Know the price of petrol and diesel through SMS You can also find out the latest petrol and diesel prices in your city through SMS. If you are a customer of Indian Oil, then you will have to write RSP along with the city code and send it to 9224992249. If you are a customer of BPCL, then you can get information about the new price of petrol and diesel by writing RSP and sending it to 9223112222. Whereas, if you are a customer of HPCL, then you can find out the price of petrol and diesel by writing HP Price and sending it to 9222201122. Gold is one of the most precious metals in the world and serves as a hedge against financial constraints, or even during a tense geopolitical situation for both institutions and government bodies. The Reserve Bank of India, this year so far has significantly increased its gold reserves amid the recent geopolitical tensions. According to reports, the RBI has bought around 24 tonnes of gold in the last four months, higher than the quantity of the yellow metal it accumulated in 2023. The central bank has added 24 tonnes of gold as a part of its foreign exchange reserves between January and April, this year. Reportedly, it was done as a precaution amid the rising geopolitical tensions. For comparison, in 2023 the bank bought around 16 tonnes of the precious metal, throughout the year. An Economic Times report suggested that by April 26, 2024, the RBI had 827.69 tonnes of gold in its foreign exchange reserves. It showed an increase from a reported 803.6 tonnes, in December last year. The gold reserve showed an increase of almost 1.5 times the volume added in the entire 2023. Even though gold is an extremely common commodity found in Indian households, the bank has remained less active in its accumulation. In 1991, it received flak for its decision to pledge a portion of gold reserves during the crisis of foreign exchange. RBI only started adding gold to its stock in December 2017, through market purchases. In 2022, the bank regulator took a more aggressive approach and this January resurgence was reported in buying gold. As per reports, the gold share in the foreign exchange reserve grew from 7.75 per cent in December 2023 to approximately 8.7 per cent by April 2024. The bank is not only profiting from its high volume but also from its gain in value because of the recent gold price hike. The RBI published in its latest monthly bulletin, Amid geopolitical developments and a slowing global economy, these central banks are signalling that living in challenging times calls for strategic diversification. BJP president J P Nadda said on Monday that there will be no reservation based on religion as long as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party are in power. Accusing the opposition of planning to give reservation based on religion, he said, It is clearly written in the Constitution that there will be no religion-based reservation. As long as PM Modi and BJP are in power, there will be no such reservation, he told reporters. Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday campaigned in the city for Modi, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Varanasi for the third consecutive time. We will not allow anyone to encroach on the reservation of our Dalit, tribal, backward and extremely backward classes. You will see what will happen to the opposition on June 4 (the date of vote counting), Nadda told reporters. Addressing an intellectuals meet here, he said, For a long time, politics meant divide and rule. But now, it is politics of development. What was the political situation 10 years ago? Nadda asked, and said India was being counted among the corrupt countries but the biggest problem was that the common man had become indifferent towards politics and had lost faith. Nadda said this becomes a threat to democracy but in the last 10 years, Prime Minister Modi created trust among the common people. Earlier, the opposition spread casteism and created divisions on the basis of religion and region, he said. Prime Minister Modi has also given a jolt to this culture. Today, the politics of development is going on and in this, sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka prayaas aur sabka vishwas (everyones support, development, effort and trust) is the basis. Nadda also offered prayers at the Kaal Bhairav temple and Kashi Vishwanath temple. I have prayed for the well-being of the society, peace and happiness and to give strength to the development works initiated in the Narendra Modi government. Modi will become PM for the third time with 400 paar seats, he said. Later, addressing a meeting of weavers in Varanasi, Nadda said, When G20 was organised, the clothes given to the guests were made by our weaver brothers. Work was done to advance the traditional skills of the country. The 18th G20 Summit was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi during 9-10 September 2023. He said that work was done to enhance the traditional skills of the country. Similarly, at least Rs 300 crore is being invested by Deendayal Handloom Complex in Varanasi so that the weavers can develop rapidly. Nadda said, Modi ji worked to promote Vocal for Local, which is not just a slogan. This is the mantra of Indias economy and the soul of making India self-reliant. Training his guns at the Congress, Nadda said, Mahatma Gandhi had given the slogan of promoting khadi. But the Congress party ignored it. If anyone was concerned about khadi, it was Modi ji and he worked to bring it into the mainstream Therefore, One District, One Product was encouraged. Nadda also said the change that has come in the lives of weavers after 2014 has been possible due to the strong leadership of Modi. He said, Ten years ago, people thought nothing was going to change in this country. People had become indifferent. But under the leadership of Modi ji, the hopes and aspirations of the people have changed. Today they feel that a leader can change the country. Modi ji has worked to encourage the weaver community in every way, he said. Nadda said along with celebrating National Handloom Day on August 7, work was done to promote the weaver brothers. Today Indias turnover in the handloom sector has increased five times, he added. He said the work that Modi done for the weavers in the last 10 years had not been done by any government in 70 years. The BJP president also said after the people make Modi the prime minister for the third time on June 4, India will become the third-largest economy in the world in the coming times. Addressing voters at a meeting (Prabhaavi Matdata Sammelan) in Varanasi, Nadda said, Today, under the leadership of Modi, development has become the agenda of the country. Today no one asks anyones caste, today it has become the politics of report card. Your presence has made it clear that you have decided to make Modi the prime minister for the third time. You also know that in 10 years, Modi has changed the definition of politics, the culture of politics and the thinking of politics. Today politics has become about development. That is why today, every person in India is saying that the vote of 2024 is a resolution to fulfil the resolve of developed India of 2047, Nadda said. Today 46 per cent of the worlds real-time digital transactions take place in India the cheapest and most effective medicines in the world are being manufactured in India. India stands second in exporting medicines to the world. India has moved from fourth position to second position in the steel industry and we have reached third position in the toy industry, he said. Varanasi will be going to the polls in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections on June 1. The Congress has fielded its UP unit chief Ajay Rai from the seat. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website A parent of a class 9 student of a top CBSE school in Bengaluru North has filed a complaint with the citys Cyber Crime Cell complaining that AI-generated nude images of their teenage daughter and at least one other student have been posted online. Morphed images of the 15-year-old girls first started circulating on the schools unofficial Instagram group which has over 50 members on the 24th of this month. The girls parents suspect that the perpetrators extracted images of her face from her Instagram page before creating AI-generated nudes and posting them on the group using a fake ID. They also suspect that it could be someone who knows the girl as she had a private account and the Instagram group was a closed one. While the cyber cell has started to track down the IP address, the school has assured the parents that an internal investigation will be conducted. It is suspected that the victims fellow schoolmate has done this act while the school was closed for summer break. Parents of the girl and student who committed this act have been summoned by the school. The parents of the girl and suspected students are meeting. Lets see what they decide. Its a sensitive matter, has to be handled carefully, said a source aware of the developments. Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) is all set to release the class 10th results 2024 today, May 27. Students who appeared for the exam will be able to check their results on MSBSHSEs official website, mahresult.nic.in. Alternative websites where students can check their results include results.gov.in, results.nic.in, mahahsc.in, mahahsscboard.in and mahahsscboard.maharashtra.gov.in. To obtain the mark sheet, students will need to provide their roll number along with their mothers first name. Maharashtra SSC 10th Result 2024 LIVE Updates The MSBSHSE will announce the class 10 pass percentage at 11 am following which the direct link will be activated at 1 pm. Before the announcement of the results today, lets take a look at the pass percentage over the years: Maharashtra SSC 10th Results 2024: Pass Percentage Over The Years In 2023, approximately 15 lakh students took the class 10th exam, with 12,92,468 students successfully passing. The overall pass percentage stood at 93.83 per cent, with girls achieving a pass percentage of 95.87 per cent and boys 92.06 per cent. In 2022, a total of 15,62,393 students participated in the exam, achieving an overall pass percentage of 96.94 per cent. Meanwhile, in 2021, the overall pass percentage reached an impressive 99.95 per cent. In 2020, approximately 15 lakh students appeared for the exam, resulting in an overall pass percentage of 95.30 per cent. Girls achieved an impressive score of 96.91 per cent, while boys scored 93.90 per cent. In 2019, the overall pass percentage for SSC results stood at 77.10 per cent. MSBSHSE administered the class 10th examinations from March 1 to March 26. Students must obtain a minimum of 35 per cent marks in each subject, encompassing both theory and practical exams, whether main or optional. Students who are not happy with their marks can apply for recounting or verification of marks. Students will have to submit self-attested copies of their mark sheets online on the MSBSHSE portal after the SSC results are out. The process of verifying answer sheets will begin on May 28, and the registration period for answer sheet verification and photocopying will end on June 11. Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. The Maharashtra Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has declared the SSC or class 10 result 2024 today, May 27 at 1 PM. A total of 95.81 per cent of students passed the Maharashtra Board SSC exam. Of 15,49,326 SSC students who took the 10th exam this year, 14,84,431 have successfully cleared the test. Girls have outperformed boys yet again. The pass percentage among girls this year is 97.21 per cent and 94.56 per cent among boys. The pass percentage among girls last year stood at 95.87 per cent. Maharashtra SSC Result 2024 LIVE Konkan division has secured the best-performing district title yet again by securing 99.01 per cent followed by Kolhapur with 97.45 per cent and Mumbai with 95.83 per cent. The lowest pass percentage division-wise has been recorded by Nagpur with 94.73 per cent. Maharashtra SSC 10th Result 2024: Direct Link to Check Results Students who took the Maharashtra SSC exam 2024 can now check their scores on the official websites at: mahresult.nic.in, mahahsscboard.in sscresult.mkcl.org, and mahahsscboard.maharashtra.gov.in. Maharashtra SSC 10th Result 2024: Overall Pass Percentage Year Pass Percentage 2024 95.81% 2023 93.83% 2022 96.94% 2021 99.95% 2020 95.30% 2019 77.10% Maharashtra SSC 10th Result 2024: Step-by-Step Guide Step 1: Visit mahresult.nic.in or sscresult.mkcl.org. Step 2: Select the notification link Maharashtra SSC result 2024 from the homepage. Step 3: Enter the students roll number and mothers name. Step 4: To submit it, click the View Result button. Step 5: The result will be displayed on the screen. Maharashtra SSC 10th Result 2024: How to Check Your Result To obtain the Maharashtra SSC mark sheet, students will need to enter their roll/seat number along with their mothers first name on the official website. This information is available on the admit card or the hall tickets. However, if you have not found your admit card, you may contact your school authority and ask them to help you with the seat number. The exams were held from March 1 to 26. Students must note that the minimum marks needed to pass the SSC exam is 33 per cent. This marks is required not only overall but also in each subject. This year, 5,58,021 students have scored more than 75 per cent meaning they have got distinction. Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) will announce the Class 10th or SSC result 2024 today, May 27 on the official website mahresult.nic.in. Students can also check the results on results.gov.in, results.nic.in, mahahsscboard.maharashtra.gov.in, and mahahsscboard.in. It can also be accessed using SMS and DigiLocker. Maharashtra Board 10th Result 2024 LIVE To access the SSC result 2024 for the Maharashtra Board, students will be required to input their roll number along with their mothers first name. Details such as the name of the students, parents name, school name, grades, qualifying marks, marks obtained in all subjects, date of birth, and roll number will be mentioned in the mark sheet. MSBSHSE conducted the class 10th exams from March 1 to March 26. Maharashtra Board Class 10 Results 2024: How to Check Online? Step 1: Visit the official website of the Maharashtra board, that is, mahresult.nic.in. Step 2: On the homepage, find and click on the link Maharashtra SSC Result 2024. Step 3: Fill in the required details such as your roll number and mothers name and then click on View Results. Step 4: Your marksheet will be displayed on the screen. Step 5: Download and take a printout for future reference. Maharashtra Board Class 10 Results 2024: How to Check via SMS? Step 1: Type MHSSC [space] Seat Number Step 2: Send the SMS to 57766 Step 3: Shortly after, students will receive their results on their mobile phones. Maharashtra Board Class 10 Results 2024: How to Check via DigiLocker? Step 1: Open the DigiLocker App and log in using your Username and Password. Step 2: Go to the Profile page and sync your Aadhar Number. If youve already created your account using Aadhar number, you dont need to sync it again. Step 3: On the left sidebar, you will find the option of the Pull Partner Documents. Step 4: Two options will appear on your screen. In the first option, choose Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education. Step 5: The second option will ask you to select the type of document you need, such as SSC Marksheet, Migration Certificate, or Passing Certificate. Step 6: Enter the required details like the Year of Passing and Roll Number and click on Get Document. Step 7: Your Maharashtra SSC Digital Marksheet/Certificate will be downloaded. Step 7: To store the document, click on the Save to Locker option. Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra is a producer and video journalist at Network18. He is enthusiastic about and writes on both national affairs as well as geopol ... Read More Ludhiana in Punjab has become a war-zone between two friends-turned-foes with a fight on the Gaddar versus Vafadar theme. Two-time sitting MP Ravneet Singh Bittu has jumped ship from the Congress to the BJP, and Amarinder Raja Singh Warring, the Punjab Congress president, decided to contest against him from Ludhiana. I am not any surprise candidate from Ludhiana as the state Congress chief, the whole state is my responsibility. But yes, I want to teach the gaddar a lesson, someone whom the party made an MP three times and gave him responsibilities but who deserted us, Warring told News18 in Ludhiana, taking on Bittu. He also predicted that Bittu would finish at the fifth place in Ludhiana, much like the latters number on the EVM. With the Akali Dal not on the BJPs side and facing farmer union protests, Bittu is focusing his campaign in the rural areas of Ludhiana. His posters all over Ludhiana have a clear message Vote for Modi with Bittu knowing that he needs to lean on the PMs appeal to win this time from Ludhiana. I am a vafadaar to my country and to the vision of Narendra Modi. Time will show who is the real gaddar, Bittu told News18. The Wagah Border Promise Bittu claimed to News18 that the Wagah border will open for trade with Pakistan within one year if the BJP retains power at the Centre. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has already prepared the roadmap. The Wagah border trade will be opened, our things like food items will go there and we will get 2-3 times more than MSP also, Bittu told News18. The Attari-Wagah border trade is a major issue in Punjab. The trade route has been lying shut for the last few years amid India-Pakistan tensions. Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab CM and senior Congress leader Beant Singh, also explained why he left the Congress. The Congress has disappeared from everywhere last 10 years I was an MP in both the terms for the Congress but we were told to do only one thing stop government from working and raise slogans against them. People do not send us for this job, they send us to Parliament to work, Bittu told News18. He said there is no doubt that Narendra Modi will be PM for the third term and hence Punjab should not remain distant from the mainstream. See the development in UP, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where the BJP is in power. Ours is a border state, drugs are running amok here, gang wars are happening here farmer agitation is happening. If someone does not go sit inside the BJP, how will Punjabs issued be solved? Punjab is under severe debt, how can we survive without central government? Bittu told News18. He also said he will bring AIIMS and Metro in Ludhiana and revise the industry here. Sonia Gandhi speaks of promoting Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Prasad speaks of promoting Tejashwi Yadav. Ask Warring and he will not be able to say who their PM face is. We clearly say it is going to be Modi Punjab needs to walk with Modi for development, Congress has no vision, said Bittu. Target AAP Both Bittu and Warring agree on one thing though that the AAP government in Punjab has failed to fulfill its promises. Women in Punjab are telling AAP workers that first transfer Rs 26,000 in our account and then seek votes for AAP. Bhagwant Mann had promised women Rs 1,000 a month while coming to power 26 months ago. Not a penny has been given, Congresss Amarinder Raja Warring told News18. His party is in an alliance with the AAP nationwide, but not in Punjab. Bittu said that in Punjab ek pee raha hai aur Delhi mein ek pila raha hai to take a swipe at purported alcoholism of CM Bhagwant Mann and the alleged liquor scam of Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi CM Kejriwal is not on bail, he is on parole. All his posters in Punjab show him behind bars his place is in jail very soon, not in the CMO, Bittu told News18. Bittu also pointed out the dichotomy wherein Congress and AAP are fighting together in Delhi, Haryana and even in Punjabs capital seat of Chandigarh but are fighting separately in Punjab. Do they think people of Punjab are fools? Punjabi people may be naive but they are not foolish. Akali Dal and AAP are also in the contest in Ludhiana and some speak of Akali Dals hold in the villages where some spoke of the good times of Akali rule when good roads were built in Ludhiana and the citys industry thrived. It remains to be seen whose party the Akali Dal and AAP candidates will spoil of Ravneet Bittu or Raja Warring. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website Hum Titahari nahi hain jo pair upar kar ke aasmaan girne ka intezar karein (Im not the Titahari bird who will lift its legs and wait for the sky to fall), said Samajwadi Partys (SP) Ghazipur candidate Afzal Ansari when questioned about the threat of his disqualification from the electoral battle. The reference is to a local folklore about the Titahari bird which sleeps with her feet pointed towards the sky, apprehensive that the sky might fall and her feet will keep it at bay. The Allahabad High Court may reserve its order after hearing the rejoinder arguments from Afzals defence on Monday. Prosecution has demanded that his conviction under the Gangster Act be upheld. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Ghazipur are hopeful that the court judgement will go against Ansari, thereby, disqualifying him from the election process, just ahead of polling Ghazipur on June 1. Afzal Ansari has fielded his daughter Nusrat Ansari as an Independent candidate from the Ghazipur seat. When asked if this was his back up plan in case of disqualification, a combative Ansari pointed out his familys freedom fighter legacy and his biggest political competitor Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha.Manoj Sinhas son has the right to dream politically, but Afzal Ansaris daughter doesnt? Ansari Sahabs (Afzal Ansaris father who was a freedom fighter) daughter was Zohra Begum, she went to jail fighting the British, her family members do not have the right to fight elections? We are fighting this election against those who want to keep the oppressed, oppressed, Ansari told News18 at his Mohammadabad resident. His daughter Nusrat, a graduate from the Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi, had already left to campaign. On the face of it, it looks like a father-daughter contest. but Ansari supporters have no doubt that Afzal Ansari has decided to hand over the political legacy to his daughter, unwilling to take any chances with the court order. Ansari was disqualified as an MP last year after a special MP-MLA court in Ghazipur convicted and sentenced him for four years in a Gangsters Act case related to former BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai. The Supeme Court stayed the conviction paving the way for the two-time MP to recontest Lok Sabha polls. The Supreme Court, however, has asked that the case be decided by High Court by June 30. Meanwhile, Afzal Ansari is hoping the sympathy card will help the family sail through in the voters court. Government might try with all its might but ultimately what janta decides will prevail. Inquilab is in my destiny. I am Afzal Ansari and I am meant to struggle, I will do it till my last breath, Afzal, who started his political career with the Communist Party, told News18. When asked about the Uttar Pradesh governments charge that Mukhtar Ansari, Afzals brother, was a mafia, Afzal countered saying he was actually a messiah who was poisoned in jail. The fact that even after his death, everyone is referring to him, from the media to UP CM to the countrys Prime Minister, that tells you that Mukhtar is amar (Immortal). You might call him mafia, but for public he was a hero. When the BJP is wiped clean on June 4, you will know that he was a hero. Use mitti mein mila diya, to puraskar to milna chahiye (they should be rewarded for runing him), but you will see on June 4 whether they get a reward or punishment. If they are punished, you would know that everything that is being said about Mukhtar and mafia was a lie, Afzal said. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website The Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab that will go to polls in the last phase of the election on June 1. It is a general category seat, comprising parts of the Gurdaspur district and the entire Pathankot. The constituency includes nine Legislative Assembly segments: Sujanpur, Bhoa (SC) and Pathankot from Pathankot district, and Gurdaspur, Dina Nagar (SC), Qadian, Batala, Fatehgarh Churian, and Dera Baba Nanak from Gurdaspur district. In the 2019 elections, Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency had 15,72,786 voters, of which urban constituted 30.6% and rural were 69.4%. The literacy rate of the constituency was recorded at 71.13%, per the 2011 Census. The Scheduled Castes form 25% of the total electorate; Hindus are 47%, Sikhs are 43.64%, Muslims are 1.2% and Christians are 7.68%. Political Dynamics With major parties in the fray, the contest for Gurdaspur is all set to be a nail-bitingly tough one. Currently, the Congress is leading with an edge, with the AAP and the BJP fighting for the second place. Meanwhile, the Akali Dal led by Sukhbir Singh Badal faces the possibility of being relegated to fourth place, followed by SAD-Amritsar (SAD-A) led by Simranjeet Singh Mann. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, the BJPs celebrity candidate, Sunny Deol, backed by undivided Akali Dal, bagged a winning vote share of 50.8% with a comfortable lead of 82,459 votes. Congress Sunil Jakhar bagged 43.7% of the vote and AAPs Peter Masih scored 2.5%. In 2022, the Congress trumped the assembly polls securing six seats out of 10 in Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, with AAP scoring two and BJP bagging one. The Congress vote share was 34%, the AAPs 29.6%, and the vote of the BJP and Akali Dal, former allies, was splintered to 13.6% and 17.1% respectively. BJP Faces Anti-incumbency Sitting MP Sunny Deol, who won the seat with a sizeable margin on a BJP ticket, leveraged his star power and the Modi factor to secure a victory in 2019. However, the Gadar 2 actor is accused of being inactive and having disappeared from the scene, not visiting the constituency enough or engaging with constituents. Although the late Vinod Khanna, who served for about 14 years in Gurdaspur, is still remembered for his work in the constituency, Deols tenure has left no such mark. Five years on, the failures of the celebrity MP have become a drag on the partys fortunes, which despite dropping him from the candidate list, is facing difficult questions. To address the widespread sense of anti-incumbency, the BJP has introduced a fresh face, Dinesh Singh Babbu. He is a long-time associate of the Punjab BJP and a resident of Gurdaspur. He has served three terms as an MLA, representing Sujanpur, and is a former deputy speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. Babbu hails from the Suryavanshi Rajput Barsawal/Barsal family and is a second-generation politician with a non-controversial image. His grandfather, Chaudhary Dharm Singh, was the former numberdar of Manawal village. In the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, there are about 13 lakh voters, with over 3 lakh belonging to the Rajput community. Babbu is actively seeking support from this community. Dinesh Singh Babbu began his political career in 1995 as a BJP worker and is seen as a party loyalist. In 2007, the BJP first nominated him for the Sujanpur constituency. He was subsequently elected as a legislator from Sujanpur three times in a row, in 2007, 2012, and 2017. He has also served as the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. Discontentment towards Sunny Deol is a major drawback in Dinesh Singh Babbus campaign. But this is not all. The party is also struggling to shake-off the image of being anti-farmer following the prolonged farmers protests of which many farmers from Gurdaspur were a part. Those from the Arhatiya or the middle-man community in the farming business have no love lost for the BJP, erecting a significant challenge for the BJP this time. Meanwhile, the Modi factor, including the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony, have made a mark on the Hindu community. Hindus, at 47%, comprise almost half of the electorate and are increasingly drawn to the party traditionally. In the absence of an alliance with the Akali Dal, the BJP is expected to retain the Hindu voter base. However, the lack of an alliance also indicates that the BJP will lose out on Sikh votes that remain loyal to the SAD, causing a split in their combined vote share, dampening each of their bids. The lack of a celebrity candidate, a factor that the BJP has historically had to rely on repeatedly to win, is also not in play this election. However, optimists point out that Dinesh Singh Babbu being a local face, is a refreshing shift in the partys strategy which may reap electoral gains in the current conditions in Gurdaspur where the electorate is highly disillusioned with celebrities and outsiders since the Sunny Deol fiasco. Singh will be relying on the Hindu vote including that of the Rajput and Brahmin communities, especially in the Pathankot district. Moreover, the party is also vying for the Dalit vote, which will split to a considerable degree in its favour. In Pathankot, the BJP has its own MLA which is a plus point. In the cities of Pathankot and Gurdaspur, a considerable chunk of Hindu as well as Sikh voters are also said to be drawn to the BJP, especially the Modi factor. However, the voting pattern hinges significantly on the impact of PM Modis campaign rally, the degree of which will decide whether Dinesh Singh Babbu will be a core contender against the Congress or not. In case, Singh does not succeed in overshadowing the AAP opponent before polling day, his fortunes will be affected. Congress Has an Edge The Congress has named Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa who has a considerable advantage this election. Randhawa is the current MLA from the Dera Baba Nanak assembly constituency and is a former deputy chief minister of Punjab. His father, Santokh Singh, was a senior Congress leader who even served as the party chief twice. Randhawa was first elected to the Punjab assembly from the erstwhile segment of Fatehgarh Churian in 2002. Randhawa had been tasked as the Rajasthan in-charge for the party before being named as its Gurdaspur candidate. Regarding BJP nominee Dinesh Babbu, Randhawa remarked that despite serving as an MLA for 15 years, he never uttered a single word in the Assembly. He also mentioned that villagers are preventing Babbu from entering their areas, highlighting the ongoing protests by farmers against the BJPs poll candidates. Facing a significant challenge from AAP, Randhawa has called it the B-team of the BJP, and has indicated that both the BJP-led Centre and the AAP government in Punjab were involved in preventing protesting farmers from entering Delhi. One drawback cited by observers is that Randhawas is not seen as an accessible leader and is all described by some as arrogant and abrasive when it comes to communicating with people. However, on a larger scale, the Congress has managed to successfully position itself as an alternative to both the BJP and the AAP. The Congress is bolstered by an array of factors. First, discontentment against current BJP MP Sunny Deol, second, widespread disapproval for the BJP among farmer communities in rural areas, third, anti-incumbency against the AAP and its alleged involvement with the Centre, and third, the six Congress MLAs who are helping Randhawa dominate in the election campaign. In such conditions, the lions share of Sikh votes, almost 44%, may lean towards the Congress this Lok Sabha Election. This trend will particularly dominate among Sikh farmer communities in rural areas. Further, the sizeable Christian vote share will also split between the Congress and the Akali Dal, with the Congress having the edge. Muslim voters will also lean towards the party. AAP Factor The AAP has nominated 36-year-old Amansher Singh its MLA from the Batala constituency. The young leader has a considerable following in the constituency and is described as a powerful orator. His candidature was on expected lines as the party had limited options this election. Backed by the AAP government in the state, and chief minister Bhagwant Mann in particular, Singh has tremendous potential in this election. In the triangular contest among the Congress, AAP and the BJP, Singh appears to be a likely contender for second place, lest he manages to defeat the Congress. The state governments welfare schemes, particularly the delivery of free electricity has drastically improved the AAPs fortunes. However, the challenge is that voters may not see this as an issue to vote on in the Lok Sabha Election. Moreover, reports indicate that the leader was initially reluctant to contest from the seat. The party reportedly relied on multiple survey reports that all favoured him. His hesitance arose from his ambitions to secure a ministerial position in the state, which would be jeopardised if he became a Lok Sabha MP. On the other hand, if he loses the election, it might damage his reputation in his home constituency, not to mention the financial losses incurred in the campaign. Therefore, now that he is in the fray, this is a major battle for Singhs political career, which he is said to be taking seriously. Observing trends from recent elections the AAP was in a formidable second place in the assembly elections with 29.6% of the vote share against the Congress which had 34%. However, in 2019, the party only scored 2.5% of the vote with the main fight being between the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress. This time, in the absence of the aforementioned alliance, the AAP may seek an edge but its mettle in general elections is yet to be proved. Akali Dal Fighting for Relevance The Alkali Dal led by Sukhbir Singh Badal faces the possibility of being relegated to fourth place, followed by its Amritsar faction, which may bag a small number of votes as well. The Akali Dal has nominated Daljeet Singh Cheema, who was a former minister in the Akali Dal-led government of Punjab. He has served as an MLA from Rupnagar constituency of Punjab. Tough with a decent image, he is not well-known in the Gurdaspur and finds himself stranded in his campaign, seeking support from party members like former MLA Ashok Sharma to walk him through Hindu-dominated turf in Pathankot. The SAD is faced with the stark possibility of having its vote share split, losing Hindu voters especially as the BJP candidate steps up his campaign backed by the Prime Minister. When it comes to competing with the Congress, it has struggled to compete for the anti-BJP vote bank, owing to its former association with the party. Current MP : Sunny Deol of BJP since 2019, preceded by Sunil Jhakar of Congress (2017) and late Vinod Khanna (2014) : Sunny Deol of BJP since 2019, preceded by Sunil Jhakar of Congress (2017) and late Vinod Khanna (2014) Candidates: Dinesh Singh Babbu (BJP), Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Congress), Amansher Singh Kalsi (AAP), Daljeet Singh Cheema (SAD), Gurinder Singh (SAD-A) Key Issues Missing MP: The people of Punjab are not the most benevolent towards the BJP. Therefore, one would assume that the saffron party would make it a point to nurture the two Lok Sabha seats it had won from the state in 2019. However, actor Sunny Deol, who won Gurdaspur for the BJP by over 82,000 votes, remained absent in the five years since his election. Not once did he visit the constituency or interact with the people who had reposed their faith in him. For the BJP, the dismal performance of Sunny Deol as MP is posing a big challenge this time around, as all its rivals make it a point to highlight this issue among voters. In fact, late last year, locals had even put up Missing: Sunny Deol posters in the constituency, which landed the BJP in an embarrassing situation. Drug Menace: Gurdaspur, being a border district and a constituency, is among the biggest victims of drug consumption in Punjab. Large sections of the youth population have grown an addiction for heroin, which is mostly supplied to them illegally from Pakistan. The biggest problem pertains to drones being sent in by Pakistan. These drones carry with them huge payloads of high-grade heroin. While this is among the most concerning issues in Gurdaspur, it has somehow not made it to the electoral discourse of parties fighting for the seat. Among the people, however, drugs are becoming tools to ruin entire families and the lives of innumerable people. Civic Infra and Connectivity: The sorry state of civic infra across Gurdaspur is evident. The Gurdaspur-Mukerian road, which links the constituency with other parts of the country, is in a deplorable state. The situation of roads as a whole is not very promising in the constituency, with several villages still disconnected from the road network. Connectivity is another important issue, in the sense that despite the long-standing demands for connecting Gurdaspur to Mukerian with a railway line, no MP has delivered on the same. Residents of Gurdaspur going to New Delhi have to travel to Amritsar, 70 km away, before they can catch a Delhi-bound train. Once the Gurdaspur-Mukerian rail track sees light of the day, people can visit Delhi via Jalandhar, thereby cutting down on travel time considerably. Farmers Ire: The biggest challenge for the BJP in Punjab this time around, and more so in Gurdaspur, is to ensure that its candidates can freely campaign. However, such is the anger of farmers here that the BJP candidates, including Dinesh Babbu are facing protests wherever they go. Farmers anger is set to play a crucial role in the ongoing elections of Punjab, and most of this ire is directed at the BJP. Importantly, farmers issues find wider resonance across Punjab, even among those not involved in agriculture. There is also a perception that the Modi government is inkling to end the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime in India, which is why the Arthiya-Kisan coterie is up in arms against the BJP. Industry Exodus: Another concerning issue is that of the small- and medium-scale industries moving out of Gurdaspur, especially from the Batala cluster, and shifting shop to Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The shutdown of factories has resulted in job losses, apart from creating the impression that Punjab is no longer an industry-friendly destination. Joblessness in Punjab is also fuelling foreign migration, with the youth migrating to Western countries while leaving their parents behind without much support. Sand Mining: The AAP government of Punjab has stopped illegal sand mining for the past two years, antagonising a rich and influential lobby in the state. Those involved in the business are upset as their source of revenue has essentially been shut down and are demanding that sand mining be allowed once again. Anger Against Agniveer: Punjab, being a major contributor to the armed forces, has not liked the Modi governments Agniveer scheme for military recruitment. The youth complains that they are not very inclined to take the plunge only to be sent home after four years of service. Infrastructural Works New Projects: In December, Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Inter-State Bus Terminal, built at a cost of Rs 15 crore on six acres, and a railway underpass. They also inaugurated other projects worth Rs 1,854 crore. The Punjab government has prepared a new tehsil complex at Dinanagar at a cost of Rs 6.60 crore in which all the Tehsil level offices will serve the people under one roof. Along with this, a new office of sub-tehsil has also been built at Dinanagar at a cost of Rs 2.36 crore. Gas Pipeline: The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has awarded the 175-km Gurdaspur-Jammu Tawi Gas Pipeline Project to the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL). The 175 km-long pipeline is to carry the environment-friendly fuel to Jammu and will have an initial capacity to carry at least 2 million standard cubic metres per day. Border Village Outreach: Himanshu Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner of Gurdaspur district has taken the initiative of the AaBAD programme (Absolute Border Area Development). The project has three verticals AaBAD Service Delivery Camps, AaBAD Sanjeevani Camps (Health), and AaBAD Hunar Haat (Skill Development). The AaBAD Camps are aimed at providing public services at the village level in border areas. These camps are focused on creating awareness about government schemes among the local population and providing them with a platform to register their grievances. These camps facilitate the deployment of government officers from twenty different departments and provide people with a host of services. (With additional inputs from Bishamber Bittu) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will lose his job after the Lok Sabha poll results are announced on June 4 but Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will not be blamed for the defeat, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday. Shah said Rahul Gandhis people will also do a press conference post polls, saying they lost due to EVMs. The Union home minister also addressed election rallies in Ballia and Chandauli. I have the details of the first five phases. In five phases of the Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi has crossed 310 seats. Rahul will not cross 40 and Akhilesh Yadav will not get even 4 seats on June 4, he said at an election rally in Kushinagar. Shah said Kharge will lose his job as bhai behen (Rahul and Priyanka) will not be blamed for the defeat. Slamming the SP and the Congress, he said while PM Narendra Modi was born in the house of a backward, both Rahul and Akhilesh were born with a silver spoon and do not know about the problems being faced by the people of Purvanchal (eastern UP). They did not like the weather of the country. Rahul used to go to Thailand on leave every six months. They did not tolerate the heat of Purvanchal. While PM Modi has not taken a single leave in his tenure, he said. While accusing Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav of being involved in corruption, the senior BJP leader said Modi has never faced any such allegation. As chief minister and prime minister, no allegation of corruption of even 25 paisa was levelled against Modi while the two shehzade (Rahul and Akhilesh) were involved in corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crore, he alleged without elaborating. Referring to the Sahara group, Shah claimed, Akhileshs party used to run from Saharas fund. The scam was done in their (SP) regime. We have ensured a refund of peoples money and the process has started. The Sahara group firms were accused of circumventing regulations with Ponzi schemes. The group has denied the charges. Further attacking the SP, Shah claimed in the previous regime there was one district one mafia but now we have one district one product scheme to benefit the people. Shah said the sugar mills were closed in the previous SP-BSP regimes while the Yogi Adityanath government has paid cane dues to the farmers. He told the gathering, If you people make them (opposition) win, they will take away reservation of Dalits, backwards and tribals and give to Muslims.They did the same in Karnataka, Hyderabad and Bengal, but the HC did not allow it. Muslim reservation cannot be given constitutionally. They talk of this for their vote bank. You need not worry. Till a single MP of the BJP is there, we will not allow reservation based on religion, Shah said. The senior BJP leader claimed that the opposition has decided to make one prime minister every year during the five-year tenure. Who can give a befitting reply to Pakistan, save you from Covid, end terrorism and naxalism and do welfare of 60 crore people of the country? Only Modi, he asserted. He said when there will be five prime ministers in five years, the opposition will again implement Article 370, bring back instant triple talaq and start talking to the terrorists. Raising the Ram temple issue, the home minister said the SP government had opened fire on Ram bhakts while the Congress stalled the temple issue for 70 years. Modi ji not only did bhoomi pujan of the temple but also attended the pran pratishtha ceremony, renovated the Kashi Vishwanath temple and worked towards gold plating of the Somnath temple, he said. Referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars Pakistan atom bomb remarks, Shah said, The BJP people are not afraid of atom bombs. PoK (Pak-occupied Kashmir) is ours and we will take it back. Shah also addressed poll meetings in Ballia for Salempur constituency and in Chandauli. He continued his attack on the opposition alliance terming it as a gathering of dynasty. Their aim is to make their son, daughter and nephews the chief minister. Can those who work for their sons and daughters do any good to you? Only the one who has a Rs 130 crore family can do good to you, and he is Narendra Modi, he said. On Article 370, he said, Rahul (Gandhi) used to threaten him about the revocation of Article 370, saying if it was revoked, there would be bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir. But after it was revoked, no one could dare to pelt a single stone there. He said in the previous Congress government, terrorists came from Pakistan and did blasts in the country and left. After Modi came to power, they did Uri and Pulwama after which surgical and air strikes were done in their territory, he added. Voting on these seats will take place in the seventh phase and last phase on Jun 1. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website Dipika Kakar is happily embracing her motherhood responsibilities. In June 2023, the television actress and her husband, actor Shoaib Ibrahim, welcomed their first child Ruhaan. Dipika, who has a strong social media presence, frequently posts photos of her little munchkin on Instagram. Recently, the actress was spotted in the city with her little munchkin. The paparazzi clicked the duo exiting an apartment in the city. In the video shared by the paparazzi handle, Dipika was seen carrying Ruhaan in her arms. She happily posed for the cameras while Ruhaan looked on curiously. The actress was seen wearing black loose-fitting and baggy denim. Ruhaan was seen in a striped T-shirt. The duo briefly posed for the paps and then got inside the car. Fans were in awe of the child. One of them expressed, Sooo sooo cute baby. A while ago, Shoaib Ibrahim released a beautiful video with Dipika and their kid, Ruhaan, on his social media account. Shoaib Ibrahim shared their journey from would-be parents to proud parents of little Ruhaan. The adorable video, set to Rahul Jains song Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai, captures memorable moments from Dipikas pregnancy to having the bundle of joy in their arms. In the caption, he wrote, From would-be parents to PARENTS of RUHAAN at the same place. What a feeling. P.s Ruhaan in no mood to pose for a picture. Dipika and Shoaibs love story began on the sets of Sasural Simar Ka, in which both played lead roles. After years of dating, the pair married in February 2018. Their happiness was increased by the birth of their first child, Ruhaan, in 2023. In terms of their professional lives, Dipika, who is recognised for her appearances in various famous TV dramas, has taken a long sabbatical from acting. Dipika was last seen in the 2020 television soap opera Kahan Hum Kahan Tum. Shoaib recently appeared on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11, where he finished as the first runner-up. Shoaibs career began with the television serial Rehna Hai Teri Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein. Later, he appeared in series such as Koi Laut Ke Aaya Hai, Ishq Mein Marjawan, Ajooni, and others. China had launched military drills around Taiwan last week, as punishment exercises in response to separatist acts by new Taiwanese President Lai Chang-te, who urged Beijing to stop its threats. This development has brought the spotlight back on the tense relations between the two countries. China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country. But many Taiwanese consider themselves part of a separate nation most are in favour of maintaining status quo where Taiwan neither declares independence from China nor unites with it. What is the History of China and Taiwan? Taiwans first settlers believed to have come from modern day southern China. Taiwan was administered by Chinas Qing dynasty, before it was ceded to Tokyo after Japan won the First Sino-Japanese War. After World War 2, Japan relinquished the territory of Taiwan. Later, it was occupied by the Republic of China (ROC), which began ruling with the consent of the US and UK, and has been governed by it since 1949. Following the death of Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek who ruled Taiwan until 1980s, Taiwan began a transition to democracy and held its first elections in 1996. What Are Chinas Claims? Beijing believes in one-China principle, of which Taiwan is apart. Beijing claims that Taiwan is bound by an understanding known as the 1992 Consensus, which was reached between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Kuomintang (KMT) party that ruled Taiwan. However, the two sides dont agree with the content of the consensus. For the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), as Chinese President Xi Jinping stated, the 1992 Consensus reflects an agreement that the two sides of the strait belong to one China and would work together to seek national reunification. Taiwans KMT-drafted constitution continues to recognise China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Tibet and the South China Sea as part of the Republic of China (ROC). The KMT does not support Taiwans independence, and seeks closer ties with Beijing. In his 2019 speech, Xi Jinping reiterated Chinas long-standing proposal for incorporating Taiwan into the mainland under the formula of one country, two systems. The same formula was used for Hong Kong. What is Taiwan Saying? Former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, who refused to accept the 1992 Consensus, attempted to find another formula that would be acceptable to China. In her inaugural speech, she said she was elected president in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of China, which is a One China document. But China rejected the formulation and severed official contacts with Taiwan. Now, the current Taiwanese President and Tsais successor Lai Chang-te has called for reopening of dialogue with China to replace confrontation during his 2024 victory speech, and pledged to maintain the cross-strait status quo. Who Recognises Taiwan? In 1971, the UN switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing. After China began opening up its economy in 1978, the US recognised opportunities for trade and the need to develop relations. It formally established diplomatic ties with Beijing in 1979. Since then the number of countries that recognise the ROC government has fallen, with only 12 countries recognising Taiwan today. In March 2023, Honduras severed ties with Taiwan and established relations with China, and in January 2024, just days after Taiwans presidential election, so did the Pacific Island nation of Nauru. China rejects Taiwans participation as a member in UN agencies and other international organisations that limit membership to states. It has also exerted diplomatic pressure not to recognise Taiwan. How is US Involved? The US has struck a balance between China and Taiwan, by recognising the former as the only government under its One China Policy and also supporting Taiwan. As per the Council on Foreign Relations, the US approach is governed by several documents such as three US-China communiques reached in 1972, 1978, and 1982; the Taiwan Relations Act, passed by the US Congress in 1979; and the declassified Six Assurances [PDF], which President Ronald Reagan conveyed to Taiwan in 1982. Under these, the US: acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China and that the PRC is the sole legal government of China (some U.S. officials have emphasized that the use of the word acknowledge implies that the United States doesnt necessarily accept the Chinese position); rejects any use of force to settle the dispute; maintains cultural, commercial, and other ties with Taiwan, carried out through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT); commits to selling arms to Taiwan for self-defense; and will maintain the ability to come to Taiwans defense, while not actually committing to doing soa policy known as strategic ambiguity. But Joe Biden has rejected these documents, and said the US military would defend Taiwan and provide defensive weapons to it. Beijing has repeatedly urged Washington to stop selling weapons to Taiwan and cease contact with Taipei. Will There Be Cold War Over Taiwan? The US has already said it was deeply concerned over Chinas latest military drills in the Taiwan Strait, and has asked it to act with restraint. Using a normal, routine, and democratic transition as an excuse for military provocations risks escalation and erodes longstanding norms that for decades have maintained peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the State Department said in a statement. Chinas assertiveness and deterioration in cross-strait ties could spark a conflict between Washington and Beijing, but there is no likelihood of Chinese invasion, as per experts. Reports also suggest that Russias invasion of Ukraine could embolden China to make a similar move in Taiwan, but Beijing is most likely to examine from Moscows failures and adapt their operational plans to avoid making similar mistakes, as mentioned in a report by the Council of Foreign Relations. Even though Taiwan has increased defense spending, with a record budget of more than $19 billion for 2023, Chinas defense spending is still estimated to be around 12 times the size of Taiwans. In 2022, Taiwanese lawmakers approved plans to spend an extra $8.6 billion on defense over the next five years. The recent fire tragedies in Delhis children hospital and Rajkots gaming zone, claiming at least 40 lives have put the spotlight on safety norms in the country and the need for enforcement measures to avoid such disasters. The East Delhis children hospital where the fire broke out at Saturday night, which claimed lives of seven newborns, was allegedly trading oxygen cylinders, as complained by locals. There is still no confirmation whether the fire erupted due to the cylinder blast but there were complaints of illegal refilling of cylinders on the first floor of the hospital building, as per a report by Hindustan Times. In Rajkot, the fire at the gaming zone occurred due to an electric short-circuit. The indoor gaming was a steel-fabricated shed around three-storey tall, 50 metres wide and 60 metres long. What are Fire Safety Norms in India? The rules called National Building Code (NBC) were published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in 1970 and updated in 2016. The code is meant for all agencies involved in building construction, and provides detailed guidelines regarding the construction requirements, maintenance and fire safety of buildings. Also, the fire services in India fall under the state subject and are listed as a municipal function in the XII Schedule of the Constitution of India under Article 243 (W). Meaning, the state governments are responsible for fire prevention and ensuring safety of lives and properties by implementing measures through the State Fire Services Act or building bylaws. The Model Building Bye Laws 2016, issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, guide the states and Union Territories to frame their respective building bylaws for fire protection and safety requirements as well. Additionally, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has laid down a few fire safety requirements for public buildings like hospitals that include features such as minimum open safety space, exit mechanisms, dedicated staircases and evacuation drills. According to a study by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), lack of planning and poor implementation of norms in urban areas is a major reason behind increasing fire risks as it leads to the formation of informal settlements and over densification. In several cases, these informal settlements, excluded from the purview of building bylaws and planning regulations, are developed without any consideration to fire safety. With increasing urban slum population, this has become a matter of concern. What are the Specific Codes? As per the National Building Code, absolute fire safety is not attainable in practice, but certain measures can be taken to provide safety from fire. The Code specifies the demarcation and restrictions on the construction of buildings in fire zones. For instance, residential areas, and educational and institutional buildings fall under Fire Zone 1. This is done to ensure that industrial and hazardous structures do not coexist with residential, institutional and business buildings. The measures apply to high-rise buildings; special buildings like hotels, educational institutes, businesses, storage and industrial, where any of the structures have a floor area more than 500 square metres on any one or more floors; assembly buildings; buildings with area more than 300 square metres of incidental assembly occupancy on any floor; and those with two basements or more, or with one basement of area more than 500 square metres. Non-combustible materials should be used for construction of buildings, and the internal walls of staircase enclosures should be of brickwork or reinforced concrete or any other material of construction with a minimum of 120 min rating, the Code says. For electrical installation, the NBC says it is desirable that the wiring and cabling are with flame retardant property. Medium and low voltage wiring running in shafts, and within false ceilings shall run in metal conduit, it adds. The electric distribution cables/wiring shall be laid in a separate shaft. The shaft shall be sealed on every floor with fire-stop materials having the same fire resistance as that of the floor. High, medium and low voltage wiring running in shaft and in false ceiling shall run in separate shaft/conduits, the Code says. All metallic items such as steel structural members should be bonded properly to the earthing system. How Many Fire Incidents Have Happened? According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India (NCRB), a total of 3,375 fire incidents were reported in the past two years in 2021 (1,808) and 2022 (1,567) due to electrical short circuits, 330 deaths were reported in commercial building fires in 2019, and 6,329 people lost their lives due to fire incidents in residential buildings across the country. The data on Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) shows on average 35 people were killed daily due to fire between 2016 and 2020. The number of people dying in the incidents were 16,900 in 2016 and 9,110 in 2020. Maharashtra and Gujarat have accounted for 30% of the countrys fire accident deaths, as per the data. The NCRB lists electrical short circuits or gas cylinder/ stove bursts, human negligence and ill-formed habits as major causes of fires in the country. The data indicates that fire accidents continue to cause heavy casualties, with no lessons learnt from the 1997 Uphaar Cinema tragedy or the Kumbakonam fire that killed 90 schoolchildren in 2004. Around 83,872 fire incidents were recorded in India during 2014 to 2018, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of States, NCRB. Challenges in Compliance of Safety Measures Although the fire services norms exist in states, but there is lack of standardisation and uniform safety legislation. With NCB being a recommendatory document, some of its provisions are frequently ignored at the local level. Even mandatory certifications are not complied with. The Code itself mentions that in case of practical difficulty or to avoid unnecessary hardship, without sacrificing reasonable safety, local head, fire services may consider exemptions from the Code. Local bodies fail to conduct regular fire safety audits to ensure compliance. For instance, in the Rajkot fire incident, the shortage of staff has come across as a key factor behind laxity in implementing the fire safety rules. The accused flouted the norms by setting up the 50-metre wide and 60-metre long structure with the height of around two-storey building using metal sheet fabrication. As per the FIR, the accused had not obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the local fire department and did not even have a proper fire-fighting equipment, as mentioned in a report by The Hindu. The owners also used bricks and concrete, tyres and wood furniture in the construction of the gaming zone, which led to rapid spread of fire. In 2020, the National Institute of Disaster Management mentioned in a report on Fires in India: Learning Lessons for Urban Safety (2020), The apathy of the authorities in taking any action has clearly indicated that little has been learnt from the previous fire outbreaks. According to a study by NIDM, there is an urgent need for strict adherence guidelines for existing old structures regarding fire prevention. A strict scheduling of renewal of licences and permits and regular monitoring and inspection by authorities of the installed fire-fighting equipment should be done to avoid any tragedy. Israels airstrikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday that killed at least 35 Palestinians come hours after Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv for first time in months since the October 7 attack. The latest strikes come after Norway, Spain and Ireland formally recognised Palestine statehood based on the pre-1967 borders. According to the Palestinian Authority, which has limited powers in parts of the occupied West Bank, 142 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations already recognise a state of Palestine. They include many Middle Eastern, African and Asian countries, but not the US, Canada, most of western Europe, Australia, Japan or South Korea. Currently, seven members (Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania) of the 27-nation European Union officially recognise a Palestinian state. Five of them are former east bloc countries who announced recognition in 1988, as did Cyprus, before joining the bloc. Sweden announced recognition in 2014. The Czech Republic, an EU member, says the 1988 recognition by the former Czechoslovakia of which it then formed a part does not apply to the modern state. Slovakias Foreign Ministry that the two sides confirmed their recognition as Slovakia was becoming independent in 1992-93, and that the Palestinian state has a fully-functioning embassy in Bratislava since 2006. Some EU members such as Malta and Slovenia may also recognise Palestine as a state. On October 31, 2011, the UN cultural agency UNESCO voted to accept the Palestinians as a full member. In September 2015, the Palestinian flag was raised for the first time at the United Nations in New York after the General Assembly. In April, the US used its veto at the United Nations Security Council to prevent a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member state. The UN General Assembly voted by a significant margin on May 11 to grant new rights and privileges to Palestine in a sign of growing international support for a vote on full voting membership. The Palestinian Authority currently has observer status. Why Norway, Spain, Ireland Took the Decision Now Norways Prime Minister Jonas Gahr said the decision was in support of moderate forces that are on a retreating front in a protracted and cruel conflict. It is the only solution that can bring lasting peace in the Middle East, he added. Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide told The Associated Press that while the country has supported the establishment of a Palestinian state for decades, recognition is a card that you can play once. Espen said, as quoted by Al Jazeera, The only viable long-term settlement which can bring peace to the Palestinian people and the Israeli people is a two-state solution. These two states, of course, must have logical territories. A lot will have to change. Norways move comes 30 years after it hosted the Oslo Accords, that ultimately failed. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had said, as quoted by The Associated Press, This recognition is not against anyone, it is not against the Israeli people, he said. It is an act in favor of peace, justice and moral consistency. Though the EU countries and Norway will not be recognising an existing state, just the possibility of one, the symbolism helps strengthen the Palestinians international standing and puts more pressure on Israel to open negotiations on ending the war. The move also gives additional prominence to the Middle East issue ahead of June 6-9 elections to the European Parliament. What were Oslo Accords? The Oslo Accord was a direct deal between the Israeli and Palestinians leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat signed on September 13, 1993, meant to initiate future peace talks with the desired goal of a two-state solution. Both sides pledged to end their decades-long conflict. A second accord, known as Oslo II, was signed in September 1995 and went into more detail on the structure of the bodies that the peace process was supposed to form. The accords were supposed to bring about Palestinian self-determination in forming the state along side Israel. This would mean Israel accept Palestinians claims to national sovereignty. The accords led to the creation of the supposedly temporary Palestinian Authority (PA), and the division of territory in the West Bank into Areas A, B and C, denoting how much control the PA has in each. A final treaty was to be reached in five years but that has not happened. What are the Implications? Though the recognition would mark a significant accomplishment for Palestine, none of the major Western powers has done so. Norway said it will upgrade its representatives office for Palestine to an embassy but it was not clear what Spain and Ireland will do. For now, peace talks are stalled, and Israels hardline government is adamant against Palestinian statehood. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement said that the intention of several European countries to recognise a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism. 80% of the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) support the terrible massacre of October 7. This evil must not be given a state. This will be a terrorist state. What are Other Countries Saying? President Emmanuel Macron has said the question of recognising a Palestinian state without a negotiated peace is no longer a taboo for France. French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, after a closed-door meeting with his Israeli counterpart last week, said recognising a Palestinian state must be useful in pushing forward a two-state solution and suggested that doing so now wont have a genuine impact in pursuing that goal, as mentioned by The Associated Press. Australia has also recently floated the possibility of unilaterally endorsing Palestinian statehood. Germany said it will not recognise a Palestinian state for the time being. It was hoping for a negotiated two-state solution between Israel and Palestine that would lead to the recognition of the state of Palestine, but admitted that the solution is a long way off. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said no recognition of a Palestinian state could come while Hamas remains in Gaza, but that it could happen while Israeli negotiations with Palestinian leaders were in progress. The Israel-Gaza war has left at least 35,647 people dead, according to the Hamas-run territorys health ministry, with more than 1,170 people killed in Israel on October 7. A Delhi court on Monday dismissed bail plea of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals close aide Bibhav Kumar, who is accused of assaulting Swati Maliwal. Kumar has moved the Delhis Tis Hazari court seeking bail in the alleged Swati Maliwal assault case. The court said there is a possibility of Bibhav Kumar tampering with evidence or influencing witness cannot be ruled out. The investigation is still at the nascent stage and the apprehension of influencing the witnesses or tampering with the evidence cannot be ruled out. Keeping in view the allegations made against the applicant, at this stage, no ground for bail is made out, it said. The court said there seems to be no pre-meditation on the part of the victim as if it would have been so, then the FIR would have been registered on the same day. Kumars counsel, senior advocate N Hariharan, told the court that Maliwal did not inform anyone of her arrival at the Chief Ministers house. She went to the CM residence and called the PA. Bibhav Kumar was not present at that CM House, then she headed towards the CM residenceMaliwal did not say that the CM called her to visit his premises what she did amounts to trespass. Can someone enter anyones residence like this? This is the CM house, the lawyer said. He further told the court that Maliwal was asked to wait outside. However, she barged in. Can being an MP give you a license to do anything? Reading one of the statements from the security, Sansad ko aap bahaar intezaar karwaoge?She had some pre-meditated thoughts before coming (to the CMs residence), Kumars lawyer added. The defense counsel further claimed that Maliwal chose the location of CMs drawing room because there is no CCTV there. She knew there was no CCTV! She chose the location so she could conveniently make allegations later, he said. Hariharan also flagged the 3-day delay in filing the complaint. She was the DCW Chiefshe was well aware of her rights. If her rights were violated, then she should have made the complaint immediately, he said. The defence also presented Maliwals MLC report to the Court and said, The date of the MLC is on May 16. This incident allegedly took place on May 13. This is an unexplainable gapWe do not know the nature of the woundsare they recent? Are they three days old? Bibhav said he came to know about the FIR against him from the media. Even after getting to know about this, I sent a letter saying I was willing to join the investigation and cooperate. I also informed them that even I made a complaint about the incident, he said. Maliwal was present in the court during the hearing. She was seen crying while defense was making its case. Appearing for the state, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastava asked will Maliwal, a sitting MP, malign the image of a person who is not even a permanent employee. The CM camp office had no register where people who are taking appointments details are mentioned. If Swati was trespassing, why no 100 call was made, he asked. She is being escorted by the security themselves inside (as per CCTV), then does it mean she barged in? Where is the question of trespass? this was implied permission. She went inside the waiting room with the security. How is she trespassing, he asked. Swati Maliwal Assault Case Kumar, the personal assistant to Kejriwal, allegedly assaulted Maliwal at the chief ministers official residence on May 13. He has been under police custody since Saturday. Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal allowed the prosecutions plea seeking Kumars judicial custody for four days. The Delhi Police had arrested Kumar on May 18. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website Weather Updates: Heatwave to Severe Heatwave Conditions in Delhi Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions along with strong surface winds are likely on Monday, with the Met office predicting the maximum temperature to settle at 46 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was recorded at 29.2 degrees Celsius, 2.6 notches above normal. Cyclone Remal News LIVE: 7 Dead, 15 Million Without Power As Cyclone Remal Batters Bangladesh At least seven people were killed and millions were left without power as Severe Cyclone Remal lashed the coasts of Bangladesh with devastating winds of up to 120 kph and storm surges, inundating hundreds of villages. READ MORE Cyclone Remal News LIVE: '14 NDRF Teams Deployed In Bengal,' Says DIG (NDRF) Mohsen Shahidi On Cyclone Remal, DIG (NDRF) Mohsen Shahidi said, The current information that we have from the IMD is that the severe cyclonic storm has now transformed into a cyclonic storm. The wind speed which was earlier about 110 to 120 km/hr during landfall, now has come down to 60 to 70 km/hr. That is a big relief and it is expected that by evening today, this will further change into a deep depression. From the information that we have, one death has taken place in Kolkata due to wall collapse. Restoration work is in progress. NDRF teams are deployed, 14 teams are deployed in major affected areas in the state and six SDRF teams are also deployed to assist Apart from 14 teams in West Bengal, we have one team in Tripura just as a precautionary measure, he added. Cyclone Remal Update: Bengal Guv CV Ananda Bose's Message to State West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said, Raj Bhavan task force has just returned from the field visit. we are all greatly relieved that no reported casualty is there. Remal cyclone is weakening and the people of Bengal have been able to brave it with fortitude and courage. We are watching in case there is any need for any help. Raj Bhavan task force is ready. I thank the entire people of West Bengal for the solidarity which they have expressed. Maharashtra: Eknath Shinde Calls Review Meeting Regarding Pre-monsoon Preparations Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis called a review meeting on Monday regarding pre-monsoon preparations in the state. Tropical Cyclone Remal LIVE: NDRF Clears Road After A Tree Fell Due To Gusty Winds The NDRF team cleared the road after a tree was uprooted near Sagar Island in North 24 Parganas amid heavy rain and gusty winds. #WATCH | Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas: NDRF team clears road after a tree uprooted near Sagar Island amid heavy rain and gusty winds. #CycloneRemal (Souce: NDRF) pic.twitter.com/YSgRMEqbvX ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2024 Cyclone Remal LIVE: CPRO Eastern Railway On Impact Of Cyclone on Railways On the impact of cyclone Remal on Railways, CPRO Eastern Railway, Kaushik Mitra said, Fortunately the cyclone did not affect the railways. Normal services underway in Howrah, Asansol and Malda divisions since last night. No train has been cancelled. We have faced some problems in the Sealdah division, but our officials have worked through the night and restoration work is in full swing, he added. Cyclone Remal LIVE: Worst Affected Areas In South 24 Pargana Remal worst affected areas Gosaba in South 24 Pargana: Sagar Namkhana Basanti Patharpratima Kultali blocks Cyclone Remal LIVE: Sever Cyclonic Storm To Weaken Further Today, Says IMD Severe Cyclonic Storm Remal over Coastal Bangladesh and adjoining Coastal West Bengal weakened into Cyclonic Storm at 0530hrs of the 27 May about 70km northeast of Canning and 30km west-southwest of Mongla. The system is likely to gradually weaken further, says IMD Cyclone Remal LIVE: Visuals From West Bengal's Kolkata Amid Waterlogging Waterlogging was witnessed in parts of West Bengals Kolkata following heavy rain on Monday morning. Visuals from the Race Course Area. #WATCH | Waterlogging witnessed in parts of West Bengals Kolkata following heavy rain. Visuals from Race Course Area pic.twitter.com/sfoDPVczPj ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2024 Cyclone Remal LIVE: BJP National Chief JP Nadda Expresses Concern BJP National President JP Nadda on Monday expressed concerns for the people of West Bengal due to Cyclone Remal and said the party workers will assist in relief and rescue work. Concerned for the people of West Bengal and nearby states in the wake of #CycloneRemal , I have discussed and given detailed instructions to all the BJP state unit karyakartas of @BJP4Bengal and neighboring states to assist and aid in the relief and rescue work by the guidelines. I have also asked our party workers to provide all necessary support to those affected and in need, he wrote on X. Cyclone Remal LIVE: Metro Services Affected in Kolkata, NDRF Personnel Start Clearing Roads Teams of the NDRF have started clearing roads after trees were uprooted amid heavy rains and strong winds in parts of West Bengal. In several areas of state capital Kolkata, several trees and electric poles were uprooted as the severe cyclonic storm made landfall. Metro services have also been affected in the city with waterlogging on the Park Street tracks. Cyclone Remal LIVE: Severe Cyclonic Storm Weakens, Says IMD The IMD said Remal has weakened into a cyclonic storm from a severe cyclonic storm over coastal Bangladesh and adjoining coastal West Bengal at 5.30 on Monday, about 70 km northeast of Canning and 30 km west-southwest of Mongla. The system is likely to gradually weaken further. Cyclone Remal LIVE: Intense Rain Spells with Strong Winds for Kolkata in Next 24 Hrs According to a local forecast for Kolkata by the IMD, which is valid for the next 24 hours, the city will have generally cloudy sky with one or two intense spells (2 cm to 3 cm per hour) of rain/thundershower accompanied by strong gusty surface winds. The maximum and minimum temperature will most likely be around 29C and 25C, respectively. Cyclone Remal LIVE: Indian Coast Guard Closely Monitoring Situation | WATCH The Indian Coast Guard in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said it is closely monitoring the landfall of cyclone Remal with disaster response team, ships, hovercraft standby at short notice to respond to post-impact challenges. It asked people to follow official advisories, stay informed and safe inside their homes. Update cyclone #Remal@IndiaCoastGuard is closely monitoring the landfall of cyclone #Remal with disaster response team, Ships, Hovercraft standby at short notice to respond to post-impact challenges. Follow official advisories, Stay informed and stay safe.#CycloneRemal pic.twitter.com/WZlGMBgYtw Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) May 26, 2024 Cyclone Remal LIVE: Vande Bharat, Shatabdi Trains Running as Usual from Howrah The Eastern Railway said no mail/express train has been cancelled and the Howrah-Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express (22301), Howrah-Ranchi Shatabdi Express (12019) and Howrah-Dhanbad Black Diamond Express (22387) will be running as per schedule on Monday. Cyclone Remal LIVE: 'Severe' Cyclonic Storm to Gradually Weaken, Says IMD The system will continue to move nearly northwards for some more time and then north-northeastwards and gradully weaken by Monday morning. According to an IMD bulletin at 4.30 am, the severe cyclonic storm over the North Bay of Bengal moved nearly northwards, with a speed of 11 kmph in the last six hours, and lay centered at 3.30 am on Monday over coastal Bangladesh and adjoining coastal West Bengal, about 130 km east-northeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal), 100 km west of Khepupara (Bangladesh), 65 km east-southeast of Canning (West Bengal) and 60 km southwest of Mongla (Bangladesh). The system is likely to move north-northeastwards and gradually weaken into a cyclonic storm by morning. Thereafter, it will move northeastward and gradually weaken further. The Delhi hospital, where seven children were killed after a massive fire broke out late on Saturday, had faced allegations of abuse to a newborn child in the past. Care New Born and Child Hospital owner, Dr Naveen Kichi, was arrested on Sunday, had moved the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him in 2021 over the allegation that a hospital nurse had beaten a newborn infant. In that case, he had contended that the allegations in the FIR as well as the CCTV footage only showed allegations against the nurse and he had nothing to do with the allegations in the FIR. Later, he chose to withdraw his plea since the police charge sheet did not name him as an accused or as a witness. Dr Kichi, a resident of Bhairon Enclave, Paschim Vihar, was granted anticipatory bail by the high court in the case in December 2021. Meanwhile, a police probe into the incident has revealed that the licence issued to the hospital by the state government had expired on March 31 and doctors holding BAMS degrees were handling Neonatal Intensive care. According to police, the fire at the hospital was reported to the Vivek Vihar police station around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, following which a police team rushed to the spot. As per Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Chaudhary, all the 12 newborn babies were rescued from the hospital with the help of other people and shifted to East Delhi Advance NICU Hospital. Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg said that seven children were declared dead at the hospital while five other babies are undergoing treatment Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website A 22-year-old final-year undergraduate student of Patna University was beaten to death by masked men on the varsitys law college premises on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Harsh Raj, a student of BN College, Patna University, police said. According to the police, the incident took place when the student was coming out from his examination centre in the afternoon. Raj was a resident of Bihars Vaishali district. He had a dispute with some people recently regarding the Dandiya Night program, according to sources. Information was received that a student, who had gone to appear for his graduation examination on the law college campus under the jurisdiction of Sultanganj Police Station, was beaten up by some unknown people. He was injured. The police reached the spot and took him to the hospital, where he died during treatment, said the Patna police in a statement. A case has been registered and the investigators are examining the CCTV footage to identify the accused, it said. The police have also launched a manhunt to nab the accused. Security personnel have been deployed on the campus, the officer added. (With PTI Inputs) Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website A pantograph of a Delhi Metro train caught fire at Rajiv Chowk station on Monday evening due to some external material getting caught between it and the overhead equipment for electrification, the DMRC said in a statement. A video of the incident is circulating online. In the video, the train doors are open and passengers are seen recording videos of the fire on their mobile phones. In reference to the viral video in which a minor fire is seen emanating from the roof of a train, this is to clarify that the incident pertains to a train at Rajiv Chowk station heading towards Vaishali around 6:21 pm, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in its statement. #WATCH | In reference to a viral video in which a minor fire is seen emanating from the roof of a train, this is to clarify that the incident pertains the to a train at Rajiv Chowk station heading towards Vaishali around 6:21 pm today: DMRCThe extant incident was the case of pic.twitter.com/i8To6qXgha ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2024 The extant incident was a case of pantograph flashing which occurs at times due to some external material getting stuck between overhead equipment for electrification (OHE) and pantograph. It poses no safety threat or hazard to passengers, it said. The affected pantograph was immediately put out of service and the train continued its onward journey as usual after around five minutes of troubleshooting with the remaining pantographs, it added. The exact cause of the fire will be investigated in this case, the DMRC said. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website In a new revelation in the Telangana snooping case, the former DCP of the Hyderabad police task force has alleged that they kept tabs on anyone believed to be a threat to the BRS government, including opposition leaders, industrialists, activists and journalists. In a series of allegations against former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, P Radhakishan Rao has admitted to being part of phone tapping operations by some officers in the state intelligence bureau (SIB) when the BRS government was in power. According to police sources, the senior cop said the state government tapped into the phones of several political leaders, mainly from the opposition, industrialists as well as journalists and activists to gather intelligence via the (SIB). He alleged that he was working at the behest of former SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao, who has been named as the main accused in the case and is presently on the run. The Hyderabad police, which is probing the allegations of phone tapping during the BRS regime, has attached Radhakishans confession statement to other documents submitted to the Nampally criminal court. Sources said instructions on political leaders, both from the BRS and opposition, who needed surveillance were given to former SIB DSP D Praneeth Rao, who was arrested in March. He allegedly profiled them and led operations to tap their phones for constant monitoring, they added. Among those under surveillance were former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar, who had earlier joined the BSP and, more recently, BRS; MLA Kadiyam Srihari, now in the Congress; former BRS minister T Rajaiah; former Tandur MLA Patnam Mahender Reddy, who is now a critic of the BRS and recently joined the Congress; Congress leader K Jana Reddy and his sons; and several district-level Congress leaders. Additionally, sources further said movements of industrialists, builders, businessmen, journalists, and bureaucrats were monitored to track their communications. When it was found that many were using encrypted platforms like WhatsApp or Snapchat, Prabhakar Rao allegedly ordered the team to track calls using internet protocol data records. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website JD(S) leader and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna is set to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 31 in connection to the Karnataka sex tape scandal. He called the allegations a political conspiracy and said he was in depression and isolation. He also apologised to his family for not informing them about his whereabouts. Revanna reportedly fled the country on April 27, 2024 to Germany using his diplomatic passport shortly after the sex videos involving him went viral. I Went Into Depression & Isolation Revealing the reason behind being incommunicado for over a month, Prajwal said he went into depression and isolation. A few forces in Hassan are against me because I am growing politically, Revanna said. Please dont mistake me, Ill be in front of the SIT on May 31 at 10 am. I will cooperate with the police. I trust the judiciary, he added. Highlighting that he was unaware of the allegations against him at the time he left the country, the JD(S) leader said, On April 26, the elections in Karnataka got over, till then there was no case against me. The SIT wasnt formed. It was after two-three days after I left, I saw on YouTube these allegations against me. I infact wrote to SIT via my lawyer asking for seven days time. Prajwal further alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders spoke about it openly in public, saying, This is a political conspiracy. I apologise as I went into depression and into isolation, he added. Prajwal Revanna Sex Tape Row The 33-year-old Hassan MP, who is the grandson of JDS patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, is facing charges of sexually abusing women in multiple instances. He reportedly left the country on April 26 after several videos of him sexually abusing multiple women emerged on social media. Notably, Prajwals statement came three days after HD Deve Gowda issued a stern warning asking his grandson to come home and face the matter legally, lest he should face his anger and that of the family members leading to his isolation. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also last week wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website In a significant development for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, a 394-meter-long Additionally Driven Intermediate Tunnel (ADIT) at Ghansoli has been successfully excavated. This ADIT will play a crucial role in facilitating the construction of a 21-km-long tunnel between BKC and Shilphata in Maharashtra. The 26-meter-deep inclined ADIT will support the construction of a 3.3-km tunnel segment using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), allowing simultaneous tunnelling approximately 1.6 meters on each side. Of the 21 km of tunnelling works, 16 km will be completed using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), with the remaining 5 km utilizing NATM. Excavation of the ADIT began on December 6, 2023, and the 394-meter length was excavated within six months. A total of 214 controlled blasts were executed, using 27,515 kg of explosives under expert supervision. High levels of instrumentation were employed to ensure safe excavation. The ADIT, with internal dimensions of 11 meters x 6.4 meters, will provide direct vehicular access to the main tunnel during construction and operations. It may also serve as an evacuation route in emergencies. To ensure safe excavation and the integrity of nearby structures, several monitoring instruments are in use. These include Surface Settlement Points (SSP), Optical Displacement Sensors (ODS) or tilt meters for displacement measurement in both axes, By Reflect Target (BRT) for 3D target monitoring, Strain Gauges for detecting micro strains on the tunnel surface, and Seismographs for monitoring Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) and seismic waves. Construction of the 21-km tunnel from Mumbai Bullet Train station to Shilphata is progressing rapidly. Notably, a 7-km stretch of this tunnel will pass under the sea at Thane Creek, making it the first tunnel of its kind in India. The 21-km tunnel will be a single tube accommodating two tracks for both directions. To construct this tunnel, TBMs with cutter heads of 13.6 meters in diameter will be used, significantly larger than the typical 6-8 meter diameter heads used in urban metro tunnels, which accommodate only one track. Three shafts currently under construction at BKC, Vikhroli, and Sawli will facilitate the construction of the 16-km tunnel segment using TBMs. This achievement marks a major milestone in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, highlighting the rapid progress and the advanced engineering methods being employed. The successful completion of the ADIT will expedite the overall construction timeline, bringing the ambitious high-speed rail project closer to reality. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website Mumbai Police control room on Monday received a call that bombs had been placed at the Taj Hotel and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in the city, police informed. The call was received at around 11 am. Following the call, the police conducted search at the locations but nothing suspicious was found. However, an FIR has been registered in the matter. The police said that the call originated from Uttar Pradesh and a search for the caller is underway. The treat call was made a day after tensions prevailed at Chennai airport after a bomb threat was received in the wee hours of Sunday. Following the email, security was beefed up at the airport. However, the email later turned out to be a hoax. Notably, the frequency of threat calls have been increased in recent days. A few days ago, a panic situation was created in the national capital after multiple schools across Delhi-NCR received bomb threats via email. The emails were received by dozens of schools creating widespread terror among the Delhiites. The schools were later shut down for the day and the students were sent home. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website Pune Polices Crime Branch on Monday recovered Rs 3 lakh given to doctors to allegedly change the blood sample of the teen driver involved in a car crash in the citys Kalyani Nagar that killed two motorbike-borne software engineers on May 19. Earlier in the day, two doctors of Punes Sassoon Hospital were arrested for allegedly manipulating the blood report of the 17-year-old boy. The teen accused was taken to Sassoon Hospital for a medical check-up after the deadly crash involving a Porsche car. Arrested Doctors Sent to Police Custody Till May 30 The accused include two doctors, Dr Ajay Taware, HOD of Forensic Medicine Department and CMO Dr Srihari Halnor and Atul Ghatakmalbe, another employee of Sassoon Hospital. All three accused arrested in blood sample manipulation case have been sent to police custody till May 30. According to Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, the juveniles blood sample was thrown away and it was replaced with another persons sample. The Pune Police sought the custody of the two doctors as they needed to investigate the money exchanged. We need to recover the money. We need to find out whose blood sample was used to replace the accuseds blood sample, the police said in the court. Meanwhile, the lawyers of the accused have argue that the sections in the case are bailable in nature. Medical Council Issues Notices To Doctors Following the arrest, the quasi-judicial body Maharashtra Medical Council issued notices to both doctors. According to sources, the doctors have been given seven days to respond. They can also be called in person in case of requirement. Notably, if the Maharashtra Medical Council found the two doctors guilty, the council could suspend their medical licences from one day to a lifetime. The arrests came after it emerged that the accused minors blood samples were switched with those of another person for a false negative alcohol report. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report of the minors first blood sample showed no alcohol in his system, while the results of the second blood report indicated the contrary. This raised suspicions about the validity of the first report. Later the DNA tests of both samples confirmed they were from different individuals, leading cops to suspect that the involvement of doctors at the government hospital in tampering of evidence. On 19th May, at around 11 am the blood sample which was taken at Sassoon Hospital was thrown in a dustbin of the hospital and the blood sample of another person was taken and sent to the forensic labChief Medical Officer Srihari Halnor replaced this blood sample. During the investigation, we found Srihari Halnor replaced this on the instructions of the Head of the Forensic Medicine Department of Sassoon, Ajay Tawre, the Police Commissioner said. The DVR of the CCTV of Sassoon Hospital has been seized. Doctors are arrested on the charges of forgery, and destruction of evidence. Sections 120 B, 467 and 201 of IPC have been registered against this these doctors. The father of the minor accused was in direct contact with doctor Ajay Tawre. Crime Branch is looking out for the person with whom the blood sample was replaced. Crime Branch is in the process of taking custody of the juvenile accuseds father in the driver abduction case today who is in judicial custody currently, the senior official added. Pune Teen In Observation Home Till June 5 The Pune Porsche crash case has been marred by controversy since the beginning. The teenager was initially granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board, which also asked him to write an essay on road accidents, but following outrage over the lenient treatment and a review application by the police, he was sent to an observation home till June 5. Now, the three generations of the Agarwal family are in hot soup under various charges in the same Porsche car accident case in which the Madhya Pradesh IT engineers Ashwini Koshtha and her friend Aneesh Awadhiya were killed. After the case gained media attention, the police also arrested the teenagers father, realtor Vishal Agarwal, and his grandfather, Surendra Agarwal, in connection with the accident. His father was booked under the Juvenile Justice Act for exposing a child to danger by handing over the car to him while knowing that he had no driving license, while the grandfather was arrested for the illegal confinement of the driver. Today, cops will also produce a production remand for Vishal Agrawal before the court seeking to question him and his father in the case pertaining to intimidating the driver. On Friday, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told reporters that an attempt was made to establish that the Porsche was not driven by the 17-year-old, and the driver employed by his family even tried to take responsibility. After the accident, the driver initially claimed he was driving the car, the commissioner said, adding, Why and under whose pressure he said that will be disclosed at an appropriate time. Citing their investigation, Kumar said it had emerged that the juvenile was driving the car and they had already collected all the necessary chronological evidence. He was fully in his senses, he had full knowledge that due to his conduct, such an accident, where IPC section 304 is applicable, can happen, the officer said. Section 304 deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The Pune police on Friday suspended two cops, including an inspector from Yerwada police station, for delayed reporting and dereliction of duty in the case. Meanwhile, Pune police have also sent a notice to the youngster who made the fake rap video of the accused minor. Summons have been issued asking him to appear for an inquiry before the cops. The rapper is from Madhya Pradesh Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday blamed the parents of the teenager allegedly involved in the Pune car crash saying they ignored his behaviour which resulted in the death of two young professionals. Pawar, also the guardian minister of Pune district, was speaking to reporters after attending a meeting of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The minors conduct in the Pune accident is highly irresponsible. It happened because the teenagers parents ignored his behaviour. The son is in an observation home and his father and grandfather have been arrested, he said. The deputy CM said he has instructed officials to take strict action in the Pune, Jalgaon and Nagpur incidents. A day before a Porsche allegedly driven by the Pune teenager, son of builder Vishal Agarwal, hit a motorcycle, leaving two techies dead in the city on May 19, one woman and three children were killed in Jalgaon after a car carrying four young men dashed a two-wheeler. On May 24, an intoxicated person driving a car crashed into pedestrians and two-wheelers in Nagpur, injuring seven persons, including a three-month-old baby. Anjali Damania, a social activist, had claimed that Ajit Pawar had called the Pune police commissioner after the Porsche accident. Asked about her claim, Pawar said, As a peoples representative, we receive calls regarding such accidents. I police commissioner and told him that the accused boy was from a wealthy family and there was a chance police might be pressured. I told him not to succumb to any political pressure. Pawar said CM Eknath Shinde and his peer Devendra Fadnavis have already clarified their positions in this matter. About the opposition alleging political pressure in the Pune case, Pawar said when someone is in opposition they allege political pressure behind every probe. He said, A responsible MLA has accused the Pune police commissioner of accepting bribes from bar operators in the city. He should give proofif proof is given the state will definitely probe into it. Asked about his party MLA Sunil Tingare, who had visited Punes Yerawada police station hours after the accident in the Kalyani Nagar area, Pawar said, Tingare himself has clarified his stand. He later met me in Pune and presented his version. I have asked top police officials to take strict action against cops or doctors who tried to dilute the probe. Meanwhile, Deputy CM Fadnavis said in Nagpur that the police wont stop until they get to the bottom of the Pune car crash case. The police on Monday arrested two doctors and an employee of Sassoon General Hospital over alleged manipulation of blood samples and destruction of evidence in the case. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website Actors often spend considerable time under studio lights and makeup, which can impact their skin. While some are naturally blessed with good skin texture, maintaining flawless and healthy complexions requires a dedicated skincare routine, hydration, sun protection, and a healthy lifestyle. Kriti Sanon is one such who follows skincare religiously. From natural ice dunking techniques to cleansing routines, Kriti often shares insights into her skincare regimen. This time, Kriti has blessed our feeds with her weekly exfoliation nighttime routine and fans cant get enough of it. The beauty posted the video demonstrating the routine on Instagram. The video begins to show her tying her hair back in a low bun as she starts her skincare routine. Sharing the skincare video, Kriti captioned, Super quick exfoliation night routine. Have a look at the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon) Kriti shared a quick five-step night-time routine for summers for healthy skin. Read below to know more: Cleansing Kritis night-time skincare routine starts with an oil-based cleanser, effectively removing makeup while preserving moisture, supporting the skin barrier, and soothing the skin. Double Cleansing As we all know, Kriti Sanon emphasises the importance of the double-cleansing method. So, without missing her regimen, she used a cream-based cleanser to clean her pores. Serum After pat-drying her face, the diva picks a few drops of a serum-based exfoliator on her palm and presses it gently on the high points of her face to promote healthy skin. Barrier Cream Then, she pumps a generous amount of barrier care cream and starts applying it evenly to her face. Hyphens barrier care cream with Cica extracts locks in hydration, moisturises and calms skin from skin inflammation. Lip balm As the video progressed, Kriti also showed that her before-bed skincare regimen concluded by keeping her lips hydrated with a vitamin-infused peptide lip balm. Lavani Queen, Postman Kaka and Puneri Baai in Chala Hawa Yeu Dya. In the recent episode of Madness Machayenge, he was seen playing the role of a drunkard, who loves to spend time in brothels. He was paired with Gaurav Dubey and Snehil Mehra for this comic skit. The viewers are loving his performance in the show. The episode aired on Saturday, May 25. It can be streamed on Sony Liv. In the latest promo released by the makers of Madness Machayenge, Gaurav Dubey and Snehil Mehra were seen playing the role of dancers, while Sagar Karande played the role of a drunkard who often visits them to watch their dance. The dancer duo complains about the cheap traits of Sagar Karande in the sketch, while the latter justifies his behaviour by saying that he doesnt believe in taking any favours. The audience burst out laughing after Sagar Karande said that he is such a man of principle that he never gives a fare to the bus conductor rather he drops the bus to return their favour for travelling. He was also seen flirting with the dancers in the comedy sketch. Sagar Karande gained fame through Chala Hawa Yeu Daya. Unfortunately, he had to quit the show due to deteriorating health. According to media reports, the lack of sleep and timely meals affected the actors health. He was also hospitalised for a few days. After a while, the actor returned to the television industry with this Hindi comedy show. Chala Hawa Yeu Daya went off-air earlier this year. The show reportedly had low TRP so the makers decided to end the years-long Marathi comedy show. Many Marathi comedians have been recruited by the makers of Madness Machayenge including Kushal Badrike. Shah Rukh Khan is very happy as his team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lifted the winners trophy at the IPL match on Sunday. Celebrities are sending congratulatory messages to him. Ajay Devgn also extended his heartfelt congratulations to his friend Shah Rukh Khan and even said the performance of the team was truly dominating. Taking to his X handle, Ajay Devgn shared the message and wrote, Congratulations @KKRiders and my friend @iamsrk for a successful season. Truly a dominating performance at the finals. For the unversed, after KKR beat SRH by eight wickets on Sunday night in Chennai to nab the IPL 2024 winner title. SRH didnt have enough runs on the board and became the first side to get bowled out in the IPL final that took place on Sunday night. The team scored 113 in less than 20 overs. With all wickets lost to KKRs bowlers, SRH scored their third-lowest total in the IPL and the lowest total in an IPL final. The target of 114 was seamlessly achieved by KKR. Losing just two wickets, the team swiftly picked the IPL 2024 cup with 10 overs to spare. Take a look here: Congratulations @KKRiders and my friend @iamsrk for a successful season. Truly a dominating performance at the finals. Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) May 27, 2024 On the work front, Ajay Devgn has completed the shooting of Singham Again in Kashmir. Well, for a few days, many photos and videos from the set were going viral on social media. And today another video of Ajay Devgn thanking Kashmir Film Authority has been doing around. The actor has sent a special message to them and expressed hope of coming back. ANI shared the video in which Ajay is seen dressed in police uniform and saying, Thank you so much Kashmir Film Authority, for a lovely shoot and so much cooperation. Beautiful place we wish we keep coming here. Thank you. Earlier, he shared a photo in which he was seen posing with an Army van and wrote, On Duty AGAIN #SinghamAgain. Singham Again will also star Arjun Kapoor, who recently wrapped up shooting for the film. Rohit Shetty ke cop universe ka villain !!! I have wrapped up my work on Singham Again !!! My 20th film & one of the biggest milestones of my career with a director who is the boss of MASS CINEMA !!! I feel blessed to be a part of one of the most entertaining franchises in Indian cinema. Cant wait for our hard work to light up the silver screen soon !!! he wrote on his Instagram handle along with a photo in which he was seen posing with Rohit Shetty. Singham Again will also star Kareena Kapoor Khan and will feature the first lady Singham in the form of Deepika Padukone. The film will also introduce Tiger Shroff into the cop universe. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru Police has reportedly sent a notice to eight people, including Telugu actress Hema to attend a hearing. This is regarding the rave Party that was held at Farm House in Electronic city. Out of 101 people who participated in the rave party, the report of 86 people came positive. It is also suspected that eight people, including actress Hema, were peddling drugs. These eight people are suspected of bringing drugs in large quantities. CCB has given notice to eight people to appear in person. CCB will also issue notices to more people. In Andhra, there is a possibility of giving notice to the children of some politicians. The medical examination reportedly confirmed that Hema had consumed MDMA, so the police have prepared to file a case against Hema under the NDPS Act. The CCB further said that if the said persons fail to make an appearance, notices would be served again. Actress Hema released a video earlier, saying that she was not at the party. She said, I have not gone anywhere, I was enjoying and chilling at a farmhouse in Hyderabad. Please dont believe rumours. I dont know whos there, its fake news that I was at the party. At a recent rave party on the outskirts of Bangalore, 86 people were confirmed to have taken drugs. The attack has sparked controversy due to reports confirming heavy drug use among those present. 73 men and 30 women, including two Telugu actors, attended the rave party raided by the anti-narcotics wing of the Karnataka Police earlier this week. Telugu stars Hema and Ashi Roy have tested positive for drugs after their rave party. The event took place on May 18 from 5 pm to 6 am on May 19, was said to be a birthday party organised by Hyderabad-based person Vasu. According to sources, the party was expected to cost Rs 50 lakh a day. Various types of drugs like MDMA, cocaine, and hydro ganja were also seized from the party. Bollywood actor Bobby Deol was all praise for Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan. Bobby will be seen in Stardom, which is directed by Aryan. Shah Rukh Khans son wrapped the filming of the series last week and hosted a grand wrap up party on Saturday. One of the videos of the party revealed Bobby attended the bash. The Animal star was all praise for Aryan and even gave him a warm hug at the bash. After working with kids, I think you all are really dedicated and Aryan, come here, Bobby said before giving Aryan a long hug. So dedicated and so hard working. It has been an amazing journey for me. The first time I got a call, I said I am doing it, Bobby added. Watch the video below: Bobby attended the bash despite the fact that his shoot schedule for the series wrapped in March. A source told India Today earlier this year, Bobby sir wrapped the shoot last month (March). The last schedule took place at YRF studio and Chitrakoot ground (Mumbai) where a set was built. He was a thorough professional and very dedicated to this project. The whole unit was very happy with his work. Stardom also features Mona Singh. Stardom marks Aryan Khans first series. Mid-Day reported Aryan has been busy shooting for Stardom for the whole of April at locations like a studio in Andheri East to Madh Island. Earlier this month, he took over the sprawling Royal Palms in Goregaon for a five-day shoot of the series. The shooting has been going on swiftly and the current schedule will wrap by the end of this week. Although Stardom marks Aryans first series as a feature director, he had directed an ad last year featuring his father, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The Cannes Film Festival has been a monumental event for Indians this year. From Aishwarya Rais look to Nancy Tyagis self-stitched outfits and several Indian influencers and actors shining on the red carpet, India has been all over the event and how! Adding to the glory, most recently, is Payal Kapadias All We Imagine as Lights groundbreaking victory. Apart from the drama, actress Anusuya Sengupta, starring in Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanovs Hindi-language film The Shameless, made history by winning the Best Actress award in the Un Certain Regard category. This accomplishment is extra special as she has now become the first Indian actor to ever receive this prestigious accolade. While everybody has been basking in the glory, actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas took to social media to express her joy and pride over Indian talents historic win. In her latest Instagram story, she wrote, Its a moment for Indian cinema at Festival De Cannes, along with a photograph of the team behind All We Imagine as Light. The drama secured the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. In another one of her stories, Chopra shared a video clip of Anusuya Senguptas standout moments from the film Shameless. Its caption read, Congratulations on your incredible performance and the history youve created! Onwards and upwards. In addition to these, Priyanka also congratulated Chidananda S Naik, a student from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Naiks short film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know won the La Cinef Award for Best Short film. Congratulations Chidananda S Naik, so well deserved, she wrote. The Cannes Film Festival was held from May 14 to May 25 this year. Apart from Priyanka Chopra, actor Ranveer Singh has shared stories and congratulated Payal Kapadias team on the Cannes win. Author-lyricist Javed Akhtar has also sent a dinner invite for the team. Since the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Heeramandi, actress Sharmin Segal has been trolled for her performance in the web series. Her co-star Aditi Rao Hydari, on the other hand, has received a lot of praise for her nuanced performance in the show. Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali denied casting actress Sharmin Segal in his first streaming series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar just because she is his niece. In an interview, the filmmaker said that Sharmin went through several rounds of casting and her face was a perfect fit for the role of Alamzeb, a naive young woman who is born into the ruthless world of scheming courtesans and nobles. Speaking to India Today, Bhansali defended the casting of Sharmin but did not elaborate on her performance, which was criticised from all quarters. She has a face that is exactly what Alamzeb should be, someone who doesnt want to be a tawaif, she doesnt talk like a tawaif, and she doesnt walk like a tawaif. There was something innocent about her face, whereas everyone else had lived life, they had survived manipulation and mind games. You needed someone with a fresh, innocent quality. I felt Sharmin was the right choice for Alam, not because she is my niece. He continued, She had to go through the mills of the industry. There were countless tests and auditions. I did endless tests with her after I decided to cast her. I told her, You have to tough it out, you have to get it right because you have never been in this world, you have never acted before. All these other actors have worked for a long period, they have played such characters and understood all these nakhras and thumkas and the nazakat. Recently, a clip of Sharmin Segal commenting on Aditis punctuality and calling her a school girl went viral on social media. Sharmins remarks did not go down well with Aditis fans, who reported her for her mean comments on Aditi. In the clip, Sharmin sarcastically discussed Aditis punctuality on the sets of Heeramandi. She said, Aditi is a good school girl, please understand that. The teacher will say you have to submit your homework at that time and Aditi will do just that and not a single word more than the word count limit. Thats Aditi for you. So, according to her, everyone is late and she is punctual. Hollywood actor Johnny Wactor was shot dead on Saturday, May 25, in Los Angeles, several international reports reveal. The actor, best known for his role in General Hospital, was reportedly killed in an attempted theft. His mother, Scarlett told TMZ that Johnny was attacked and killed at 3 am PT on Saturday after thieves tried to steal the catalytic converter from his car. His mother claimed the actor did not attempt to fight the thieves but the men shot him anyway before taking off. The actor was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. No suspects have been arrested at the time of reporting. Johnnys agent David Shaul confirmed the news of the actors death. Speaking with People Magazine, David remembered Johnny as a spectacular human being. He said, Not just a talented actor who was committed to his craft but a real moral example to everyone who knew him. Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never-give-up attitude. In the highs and lows of a challenging profession, he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be. Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever, he added. Johnny was known for his role as Brando Corbin in General Hospital. Appearing in over 200 episodes, Johnny was seen playing the husband of drug addict Sasha Corbin in the series. His character was written off in 2022. After the news of his death made the headlines, his co-star Sofia Mattsson paid an emotional tribute to him. Taking to Instagram, she shared a few photos with him and confessed she was heartbroken with the turn of events. My heart is so utterly broken Johnny was the absolute best. So genuine. So caring. Incredibly hard working and humble. With a huge heart that spread so much kindness and joy. He always made sure everyone around him felt seen, heard and loved. I admire the man he was so much and Im a better person for having known him. We shared so many special moments, both on and off screen, and I will forever cherish them deeply in my heart. You will be so incredibly missed Johnny Im sure youre already busy taking care of everyone up there, she wrote. Besides General Hospital, Johnny was seen in series such as NCIS, The OA, Westworld, The Passenger, Station 19, Barbee Rehab, Siberia, Agent X, Vantastic, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Girl, Training Day, and Criminal Minds, to name a few. He began his acting career in 2007 with Army Wives. The news of his sudden death has shocked fans. Many took to X and offered their condolences. Kabir Khan is gearing up for his upcoming sports-drama film Chandu Champion. The film features Kartik Aaryan in the lead role of Murlikant Petkar, Indias first Paralympic gold medalist athlete. Ahead of the films release, the makers have posted an engaging behind-the-scenes video on Instagram, offering a glimpse into the lively atmosphere on the set. In the BTS clip, director Kabir Khan introduces a fitness challenge to his team. He tells everyone that after every take, they will do 25 pushups each. Leading by example, Kabir himself starts the challenge, and the entire crew can be seen following suit. The films lead actor Kartik Aaryan was also spotted performing the pushups. The caption of the post read, Ever wondered what its like to be on a KK set? Find out more about Beyond The Frame soon. On the set of Chandu Champion in theatres June 14. Soon after the video was posted, social media users flooded the comments section with humorous comments. A user wrote, Ninja technique to make people fit on the set, while another commented, Im coming for the next push-up event. On May 24, the makers of the film released the first song Satyanaas. The music video shows Kartik and his gang grooving inside a moving train to a catchy tune. The actor can be seen explaining to friends from his regiment about his first love with a neighbour and how she fell in love with someone else. The whole team pulled off the dance moves while rejoicing over the weird ways of life. The video concludes with Kartik and his friends dancing on top of the moving train while it crosses a bridge. Penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, the song features vocals by Arijit Singh, Dev Negi, and Nakash Aziz. Apart from Kartik Aaryan, the film boasts a stellar cast including Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Naurang Yadav, Bhagyashree Patwardha, and more in significant roles. Chandu Champion tells the inspiring story of a man who overcame many challenges with an unbreakable spirit. His determination and perseverance earned India its first individual gold medal in the Olympics. The film is slated to release in theaters on June 14. Legendary Pakistani actor Talat Hussain passed away on Sunday, May 26, after a prolonged illness, confirmed by Pakistani film director and editor Arsalan Khan on platform X. Sharing the news of his passing, Khan wrote, One of the finest actors of Pakistan, Talat Hussain breathed his last today. May Allah grant him the highest ranks in Jannah. Aameen. Born on September 18, 1940, Talat was a renowned actor known for his roles in critically acclaimed TV dramas, movies, and stage plays. He is well-known for his roles in Arjumand, Ansoo, Bandish, Des Pardes, Tariq Bin Ziad, Eid ka Jora, Fanooni Latifey, Hawain, and more. He is survived by his wife, Professor Rakhshanda Hussain, and their three children two daughters and one son. The legendary actor studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) in 2021 and the Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan in 1982. Fans, politicians, and fellow performers expressed their condolences on social media following his death. Prime Minister Shehbaz acknowledged his significant contributions to radio, theater, and television, noting his irreplaceable role in the industry. Acting President Yousuf Raza Gilani praised his lasting impact on the arts. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also extended condolences to the family of the late actor. Ahmed Shah, President of the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) Karachi, confirmed his passing, mentioning his prolonged hospitalisation in Karachi. He wrote, His services to the Pakistani television, theatre, film and radio will always be remembered. The vacuum left by his death can never be fulfilled. Acting President Yousuf Raza Gilani praised Talat Hussains contributions to the arts. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed her sadness and offered condolences to his family. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif praised Talat Hussains acting talent. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed sadness over his death and offered condolences to the family. He admired Talat Hussains versatile performances in TV dramas, noting his passing as the end of an era in acting. Mahesh Babu and his wife Namrata Shirodkar are celebrating a proud moment as their son, Gautam Ghattamaneni, has graduated. They attended his convocation and shared glimpses of the event with their fans and followers on social media. In his post, Mahesh Babu expressed his pride and excitement for Gautam, while Namrata Shirodkar offered him a wise piece of advice. Mahesh Babu shared pictures and videos from Gautams graduation ceremony. In one of the photographs, Mahesh is seen posing with Gautam. My heart bursts with pride! Congratulations on your graduation, son! This next chapter is yours to write, and I know youll shine brighter than ever. Keep chasing your dreams, and remember, youre always loved! I am a proud father today, he wrote. Namrata Shirodkar also posed with her son. In her Instagram post, fans can spot Gautam Ghattamanenis sister, Sitara Ghattamaneni, joining them on this special occasion. My dear GG, as you stand on the threshold of a new chapter in your life, I want you to know how proud I am of you. Remember to stay true to yourself, follow your passions, and never lose sight of your dreams. Believe in yourself as much as I believe in you, and know that no matter where life takes you, you will always have my love and support. Congratulations on your big day. The world is yours here on. I love you so so much, Namrata wrote before tagging Gautam. Sitara Ghattamaneni also became her elder brothers cheerleader, sharing glimpses from the occasion and writing, Mewing boss graduated. Meanwhile, as fans caught glimpses of the graduation ceremony, they also noticed Mahesh Babu sporting a new look with a heavy beard. This has led to speculation about whether he will be seen in this style in SSMB29. Regarding the yet-to-be-titled project, apart from the occasional statements made by SS Rajamouli, the details have been kept under wrap. At a special screening of RRR in Japan, SS Rajamouli spoke about the film, saying, We havent finished the casting yet. Only the main hero is locked; the films protagonist is locked. His name is Mahesh Babu, a Telugu actor. Looks like many of you already know him. He is very handsome. Hopefully, we finish the film a little bit fast and during the release, I will bring him here, and Ill introduce him to you. Im sure you will love him as well. Tamil actor and filmmaker Raghava Lawrence is never the one to shy away from humanitarian activities. He has always lent a helping hand to those in need, through his charitable trust. Whether it is education, medical treatment or any other, Raghava Lawrence is always there to help. Just earlier this month, the actor started a campaign named Maatram, an initiative through which he provided 10 tractors to impoverished farmers who needed them. Recently, a video of him and KPY Bala of Cooku with Comali fame, buying an auto for an underprivileged woman went viral. Most recently, Raghava Lawrence has helped a Class 12 student gain admission into a college of her preference. Vaishnavi, hailing from Chennais Korukkupet, scored 592 in Class 12 and was not offered a place in the college she had applied for. This information was revealed to Raghava Lawrence by small-screen actress Aranthangi Nisha. Lawrence met the concerned student in person and after a discussion with her, facilitated her admission into the college she wanted. He also provided many incentives to the students. To announce his help to the student, Raghava Lawrence addressed the press and said, I am openly helping everyone so that many more people will see me and help people. I am happy to go and help people. Moreover, North Chennai is the place where I was born. Here, people have welcomed me with enthusiasm and have sought my help. I will help as much as I can without taking money from anyone. When a reporter asked him whether he would join politics in the future, the actor said he had no such plans. He said, I have no intention of joining politics. What I do is service to God. We are used to expecting something in return if we do something good. Some people may think that I am doing these to gain entry into politics but they will understand eventually. Veteran actor Sathyaraj and Superstar Rajinikanth are set to collaborate once again for director Lokesh Kanagarajs upcoming movie Coolie. Despite initial rumors suggesting that Sathyaraj would portray the antagonist in the film, it has now been confirmed that the two will be depicting friends on screen. This film marks their reunion after a gap of 38 years, harking back to their shared screen time in the 1986 movie Mr Bharat. Notably, though Sathyaraj was actually four years younger than Rajinikanth, he played his father in Mr Bharat, a role that remains iconic and acclaimed to this day. In a recent interview, a senior actor mentioned Sathyarajs enthusiasm about playing Rajinikanths friend in Coolie. The actor also disclosed his involvement in playing the antagonist in Salman Khan and AR Murugadoss upcoming Bollywood flick, Sikandar. While reports have hinted at Sathyarajs role in Coolie, an official confirmation is still pending. Its worth noting the historical tension between Sathyaraj and Rajinikanth, with their fans even being at odds during a previous Cauvery-related hunger strike event. Sathyarajs passionate speech on that occasion was interpreted by some as indirectly targeting Rajinikanth. Nonetheless, in 2022, Sathyarajs son, Sibiraj, has assured that all is well between his father and Rajinikanth, marking a possible reconciliation in the longstanding relationship dynamic between the two actors and their fan bases. Lokesh Kanagaraj has worked with some of the most sought-after actors in the South Indian film industry. Latest reports suggest that Lokesh Kanagaraj has increased his remuneration for the film. It is being speculated that the director will be paid on par with some of the biggest stars in the industry. India Herald has reported that Lokesh Kanagaraj will receive a remuneration of roughly 60 crore rupees for the film Coolie. The director was paid Rs 50 crore for his previous film Leo, claims the report. Lokesh Kanagaraj made his debut in the Tamil cinema business with the film Managaram. He quickly achieved widespread fame and made some noteworthy films like Kaithi, Master, Vikram, and Leo. Further, reports also suggest that Rajinikanth has charged an exorbitant fee for the film. According to Koimoi and DNA, Rajinikanth is being paid between Rs 260 and 280 crore for the film. Meanwhile, the title teaser for Coolie was released in April. The clip began with numerous gold smugglers going over their inventory of bars, watches, jewellery, and other stuff. Soon, Rajinikanth breaks into their cave and thrashes them with their possessions. Anirudh Ravichander has composed music for the film. The preview contains a noteworthy background score that sets the tone for whats to come. The film is set to go on floors soon. The film also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Ranveer Singh, and Parvathy Thiruvothu in key roles. Produced by Sun Pictures, Coolie is expected to be released in 2025. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was on cloud nine after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to bag the IPL 2024 winner title. Held in Chennai, Shah Rukh was seen joining KKR players on the ground to celebrate the win. In photos gone viral, SRK joined KKR players to pose with the trophy. The superstar, who was recently discharged from the hospital following a case of heat stroke and dehydration, was seen sporting his biggest smile. After posing for photos with KKR captain Shreyas Iyer and other members, Shah Rukh also seemingly recreated a photo that he and Gauri Khan took a decade ago, when KKR last won the IPL title. A fan club pointed out that like 10 years ago, Shah Rukh and Gauri came together to pose with the IPL winner cup. Sharing the photo on Instagram, Gauri wrote, Winners. Check out the photos below: Shah Rukh did not shy away from showing his love to Gauri at the KKR vs SRH match. As soon as the match came to end, with KKR declared the winners, Shah Rukh hugged Gauri and even planted a kiss on her forehead. The couple, visibly emotional, celebrated the winning moment with their children. The video of his celebration went viral. Besides showing Gauri his love, Shah Rukh also appeared to be emotional as his daughter, actress Suhana Khan gave him a hug. The Archies star, who was also fighting back tears, hugged Shah Rukh and asked him if he was happy. She then told him that she was extremely happy with the win. Suhana stood by Shah Rukhs side throughout the IPL tournament. His son Aryan Khan was also seen in his best spirit, celebrating the win with Suhana, AbRam and the family members. Following the win, Shah Rukh was seen greeting every KKR member and their family members. He was also seen taking pictures with a few members of the SRH team. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has returned to Mumbai along with his family after witnessing the victory of his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. SRK was spotted arriving at a private terminal in Mumbai on Monday night. He once again avoided posing for the paps by hiding behind an umbrella. He was accompanied by his wife, Gauri Khan, and son, Aaryan. In a video, shared by Viral Bhayani, paparazzi can be heard repeatedly requesting SRK to pose for just one picture, but the actor didnt pay any heed to them. Khan sahab ek photo. Ab toh jeet gaye, paps screamed. Check out the video here: The Shreyas Iyer-led side defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets at Chepauk in Chennai. SRK, who co-owns the Kolkata-based franchise, was spotted cheering for his team. He was joined by Gauri and their children Suhana, Aryan and AbRam. A video of Shah Rukh Khan and his daughter Suhana sharing a warm hug after KKRs victory also made its way to social media. The clip shows a teary-eyed Suhana hug her dad. Soon after, AbRam also joins the father-daughter duo, followed by Aryan. It marks a double celebration for the Khan family, as today (May 27) marks the 11th birthday of Shah Rukh Khans youngest child, AbRam Khan. AbRams sister, Suhana Khan, also shared a picture of her little brother wearing a KKR jersey, sitting in the stadium. In her caption, she wrote, Good day to be the birthday boy. Bishop Robert Caldwells phoney equation that Brahmins=Aryas=evil north Indian invaders=oppressors of Dravidians was based on dubious linguistic studies in Tamil and Sanskrit, which had no real basis in either history or linguistics. Among other scholars, the late Prof R. Nagaswamy, in recent times, has convincingly demolished Caldwells serial scholarly misdemeanours in his Studies in Ancient Tamil and Society, Dharma Yoga and Tamil Nadu: The Land of Vedas. Robert Caldwells missionary-agenda-driven scholarship operated on multiple layers. One of the first outcomes of his linguistics studies was to deny the verifiable historical truth that the Tamil language was derived from Sanskrit. In fact, he went so far as to claim the opposite: he brazenly posited that the Sanskrit language had borrowed from Tamil. In polite terms, this is how he put it: Sanskrit has not disdained to borrow from its Dravidian neighboursTamil, the most highly cultivated ab intra of all Dravidian idioms can dispense with its Sanskritand not only stand alone, but flourish, without its aida Tamil poetical composition is regarded asclassical, not in proportion to the amount of Sanskrit it containsbut in proportion to its freedom from Sanskrit. Caldwells specious treatise was quickly picked up by the then Governor of Madras, the unapologetic racist, Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duffauthor of a highly disparaging history of the Marathas. In an audacious public address to the graduating students of the Madras University in 1886three-fourths of whom were BrahminsDuff launched a frontal assault against the entire Brahmin community of south India, declaring that Brahmins are the real usurpers of social and literary superiority. In todays idiom, this qualifies as hate speech against Brahmins. Next, Grant Duff pointed to the non-Brahmin graduates in the audience and thundered as follows: You are of pure Dravidian raceI should like to see the pre-Sanskrit element amongst you asserting itself rather moreThe constant putting forward of Sanskrit literature as if it were pre-eminently Indian, should stir the national pride of some of you Tamil, Telugu, Cannarese [Kannada]. You have less to do with Sanskrit than we English have. Ruffianly Europeans have sometimes been known to speak of natives of India as Niggers, but they do not, like the proud speakers or writers of Sanskrit, speak of the people of the South as legions of monkeys. It was these Sanskrit speakers, not Europeans, who lumped up the Southern races as Rakshusasdemons. It was they who deliberately grounded all social distinctions on Varna, Colour. Three conclusions immediately follow from Grant Duffs hate speech against Brahmins. The first is the fact that he built upon Robert Caldwells original anti-Brahmin harangue just eleven years after it was published. The second is his diabolical claim of a separate national pride of the Dravidians. Needless, this is the original template, whose current variant is an alleged pure Dravidian stock, a stock phrase that the DMK politicians and ideologues throw around with impunity. The third is Duffs portrayal of colonial British imperialism as a regime that was benevolent towards the pure Dravidian race. In hindsight, the debt that large parts of south India owe to the enlightened Princely States like Mysore and Travancore is quite profound and cannot be repaid. These states acted as extraordinary, sturdy bulwarks that largely prevented the poisonous Dravidian narrative virus from infecting their own domains. Clearly, Grant Duffs speech was sweet music to the ears of the nascent Dravidianists at the turn of the 20th century. Within a decade, there was an explosion of various Tamil sangams (associations) across the Tamil land, the most famous of which was at Madurai. It was lavishly funded by Pandithurai Thevar, a prosperous zamindar of Palavanatham. He established something called the Fourth Tamil Sangam in Madurai with the explicit objective of restoring rare Tamil texts and became a great patron of the Tamil language and literary scholarship. The Fourth Tamil Sangam began publishing a new journal named Sen Tamil under the general editorship of V. Swaminatha Iyer. Pandithurai Thevars rock-solid commitment and service to the world of Tamil language and literature is truly a chapter etched in gold. However, there was no way that Thevar or the vast army of scholars he had engaged could foresee the manner in which their efforts would be hijacked so horribly. Thus, what began as an earnest and heartfelt endeavour at rediscovering a pure and independent Tamil heritage and culture, morphed into linguistic zealotry at the end of the first decade of the last century. Ably aided by the Aryan Invasion fantasy, the notion of a separate Dravidian/Tamil identity, culture and language took incredibly strong roots in the minds of even honest scholars of both Sanskrit and Tamil. Those who refused to take part in this grand bluff were either marginalised or cowed down into brute submission by the fast-emerging band of brainwashed Dravidian hoodlums. A stark, real-life instance of how this ideological rowdyism played out provides a representative illustration. F.R. Hemingway, author of Tanjore Gazetteer, gives a picturesque description of the cultural landscape of Thanjavur in 1906: Almost every village has its temple to one of the orthodox gods, holy places are legion where ascetics may find shelter and in which are held discussions by the erudite on disputed points of doctrine or ritual Brahmans versed in the sacred law are numerous in Tanjore; Vedic sacrifices are performed on the banks of its streams; Vedic chanting is performed in a manner rarely rivalled; philosophical treatises are published in Sanskrit verse; and religious associations exist, the privilege of initiation into which is eagerly sought for and the rules of which are earnestly followed even to the extent of relinquishing the world. This would soon be a thing of the past. To be continued The author is the founder and chief editor, The Dharma Dispatch. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. While submitting his report to the President of India on December 31, 1980, BP Mandal had stated, Our report, however, does not stand in the way of the states, if they want to take in any measure for the upliftment of the weaker sections of people like the women and the poorer and others who are not covered by our terms of reference, it may be noted that there is no bar to make further reservations for them. The reports loophole has resulted in the unconstitutional allocation of reservations for undeserving citizens by specific state governments like West Bengal and Karnataka. In West Bengal, of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies, the Muslim community plays a key role in 22 constituencies and has the capacity to influence the electoral outcome. This includes Raiganj, Maldaha Uttar and Dakshin, Cooch Behar, Birbhum, Balurghat, Bolpur, Jangipur, Murshidabad, Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Bardhaman Purba, Barasat, Bashirhat, Jadavpur, Joynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Kolkata Dakshin, Uluberia, Howrah and Kolkata Uttar. West Bengal today not only grapples with issues of illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh but also faces challenges related to the distribution of reservations to ineligible individuals. Regrettably, backward classes within the Hindu community are now being excluded from the constitutional protections they are entitled to, while representations of the Muslim community under reservation quota are on the rise in the state. After Indra Sawhney and Ors Vs Union of India, every state government and the Union was directed to establish commissions for identifying OBCs. In 1993, the West Bengal government established the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes. To cater to the Muslim community, which makes up around 28 per cent of the states population and is the largest vote bank of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Mamata Banerjees government made certain modifications. Between March 5, 2010, and May 11, 2012, the West Bengal government declared 77 classes as OBC through seven executive orders/memoranda issued by the State. This decision was later contested, leading to the current ruling by the Honble High Court. The West Bengal government not only wrongly included 77 classes in the State list of OBCs, but also recommended their inclusion in the Central list. This irregularity was brought to the attention of the National Commission for Backward Classes. Out of the 87 communities proposed for inclusion, the state recommended 78 Muslim and 8 Hindu communities. Furthermore, an investigation conducted by the National Commission revealed that the majority of the recommended individuals were Muslim converts from the Hindu religion, providing solid evidence of state-sponsored proselytisation. In order to facilitate the inclusion of the Muslim community under the OBC quota, the state government diluted the statutory provisions of the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes in 2010. Consequently, the Commissions decisions are no longer binding on the state government. This inclusion, which bypasses the constitutional mechanisms put in place to protect the interests of backward classes regardless of religious affiliation, may eventually lead to a situation where more Hindu backward communities feel compelled to convert to Islam in order to avail themselves of reservation benefits. Over the years, there has been a state-promoted Meenakshipuram event taking place across West Bengal. It is not surprising that, due to these widespread conversions and the extensive support given to a particular community, revered Hindu seers are being targeted and verbally abused by political leaders of the TMC. The state must maintain a proper distance from the Commission to ensure its independence in identifying and recommending classes without interference. Unfortunately, in this instance, the state not only interfered with the Commissions operations but also tampered with the constitutional rights of backward classes without evidence-based data. The court has stated that such exclusion of the Commissions role and the states unilateral decision-making on reservation percentages amounts to an abuse of legislative power and a violation of constitutional rights. The court further emphasised that setting reservation percentages directly impacts the principle of equal opportunity for all citizens under Article 16(1). The abnormally high volume of applications received during the specified period, the speed, process, manner, and procedure of recommendations, and the automatic inclusion of the mentioned groups (which consist of 99 per cent of Muslims) raise serious concerns about their authenticity and can lead us to conclude that there was a clear state-sponsored appeasement policy in place. The fundamental constitutional principle of unbiased reservation was clearly breached in this instance, and the state government felt compelled to secure a community vote bank by utilising state resources. While some relief has been provided to the 77 castes eligible for reservation benefits in state services, this appeasement action has also greatly disadvantaged the Muslim community. The relief granted may now face legal challenges in higher courts, subjecting these families to prolonged legal battles. When appeasement politics infiltrates political parties, as in the current scenario, it has the potential to create policies that do undue favour to a particular section of the community. The state should make policy decisions only after thorough consultations with all stakeholders, avoiding hasty actions. This action by the TMC is only aimed at solidifying the vote bank of the Muslim community and gaining an upper hand in elections in over 22 constituencies. In a democracy, an error or omission from the politicians is answered through the power of ballots. We have to wait till June 4 to find out how the state reacts to this. Adarsh Kuniyillam is a policy, political and Parliamentary expert from Kerala. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. The Muslim community needs to invest considerably to build up goodwill with other communities, religious minorities, dominant castes and Dalits to foster solidarity with them and work for a secular polity. They should also work for a humane India sensitive towards human rights. These are some of the findings of Professor Mujibur Rehmans Shikwa-e Hind The Political Future of Indian Muslims (Simon & Schuster, 2024), which explores the predicament of the political future of Muslims in India. Professor Rehman, who specialises in identity politics and development politics with a special focus on religious minorities in India, teaches at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi. According to him, Indias tectonic shift toward Hindu majoritarianism has made the future of the countrys largest minorityIndian Muslimsdark and gloomy. The important question, therefore, is: Is there a way out? For Rehman, the current situation for Muslims in India marks the third critical political moment in their history. While the economic future and cultural rights of Indian Muslims have been debated since 1947, Rehman argues that their political future demands attention because only as an equal and participatory political community can economic or cultural futures be addressed. If their political will is not strengthened, says Rehman, Indian Muslims will be left at the mercy of majoritarian forces, subject to their whims and fancies. The first critical political moment for Muslims in India was in 1857 when Indian Muslims had to adapt to life under British colonial rule. The second was in 1947 when the community was given equal status in the Indian Constitution. Drawing heavily on the life and work of Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan, B.R. Ambedkar, and Martin Luther King Jr.figures who fought for the rights of their respective minorities at different historical juncturesRehmans meticulously researched work provides interesting insights and inspiration. He repeatedly asserts that the Muslim community, moving forward, must articulate a clear vision of their democratic rights as equal citizens and define the ethics of human dignity as they strive to reclaim their rightful place within Indias political power structures. But there are numerous challenges. Muslim politics in India has been dynastic, and two major minority universities, namely Jamia and AMU, do not even hold regular student union elections. As a result, there is always an issue of positive politicisation of Indian Muslims. There is no mechanism to address Muslim causes. Organisations like the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, AIMIM, IUML and Jamat-e Islami have been counterproductive for secular, modern Indian politics. The subjugation of Muslims, de-Islamisation of the country, normalisation of violence and a tendency to blame Muslims for their own victimhood presents a beleaguered situation for the second-largest population of Muslims in the world. For Rehman, the challenge before Muslims in India is not merely from the rise of Hindu right forces that are hostile but the indifference of the so-called secular forces and political groups. The representation of Muslims in state assemblies and parliament is constantly on the decline. Another problem with secular parties is that most of them are dynastic and the Hindu right has successfully established a public perception that their loyalties are more with the families than the national interest. Interestingly, these so-called secular parties have deployed a bogey of soft Hindutva which acts against the interests of the Muslim community. Rehman says Indian Muslims need to look up to African Americans, Dalits and others as sources of inspiration. To conclude, he says Muslims need a political voice and without it, democracy in India would remain somewhat wounded. The writer is a Visiting Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. A well-known political analyst, he has written several books, including 24 Akbar Road and Sonia: A Biography. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Amongst the myriad topics that remained current in the discussions and discourse during the 2024 poll season, a prominent one was the wealth redistribution promise made by the Congress in its manifesto and the nefarious expounding by its de facto leader, Rahul Gandhi. Such promises are neither new nor surprising from the Congress camp. After all, this is a party that has successfully navigated through numerous elections since the 1970s, riding on slogans such as Gareebi Hatao. From the very first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to his daughter Indira Gandhi and all those who came after them in the tradition of Congress, such populist slogans of eradicating poverty remained a staple of their campaign narratives. Although how much of it is actually translated into action may be a matter of debate. Despite all the pomp and circumstance, the Congresss 2014 defeat left over 21 per cent of the country impoverished. This time, however, Prime Minister Narendra Modis unusual yet bold reaction to the entire redistribution debate was significant. In a country like India, which until very recently was perceived as being socialist-leaning and where a large population could be described as being economically backward, the prime ministers reaction was unexpected, if not astonishing. A person such as the Prime Minister of India is unlikely to firmly oppose a populist idea like that proposed by the Congress, which aims to reduce the wealth gap between the rich and the poor. That too, amidst the peak of the election season! He could have confronted Congress about its hypocritical behaviour. He could have pointed out the fact that the Congress consistently failed to deliver on its promises of alleviating poverty, generation after generation. The Nehru-Gandhi-Vadra dynasty has had a close relationship with the leading industrialists and capitalists since its inception. But instead of attacking his opponents, the PM went ahead and repudiated their entire idea. Does this mean he is opposed to uplifting the poor? Not the least. This, however, marks a significant break between PM Modi and many of his predecessors, who overtly or covertly championed the politics of doles and division. It also displayed his personal conviction in his vision for the growth and upliftment of the downtrodden. The politics of doles and division The brand of politics practiced by the Congress and its associates for decades revolved around two main components: doles and division. On one hand, these parties looked to cultivate vote banks by creating fault lines and fissures in society based on religion, caste, economic status, language, and whatnot. They pitted Brahmins against other castes, OBCs against SCs and STs, religious minorities against the majority, the poor against the rich, and so on. The other important component of this political brand was doles. The division was established, resulting in the distribution of specific doles to different sections. They didnt aim to empower these sections; instead, they aimed to make the populace reliant on the political class, government, and parties for specific privileges and facilities in exchange for their votes. It was a kind of politics that undermined the very foundation upon which the democratic system rests. The recent promises made by the Congress and the dotted INDI alliance are also moored in the same political ideology. Even the most ardent supporters of the Congress would not subscribe to the unrealistic belief that the party, if granted power, would disrupt the status quo. Such narratives, however, would leave a permanent dent in the social fabric. When Rahul Gandhi refers to a small number of people who own the majority of the resources, he is not merely referring to an economically privileged class, but there are caste and religious undertones to it that he uses subtly or explicitly, depending upon the place and the audience. An alternate vision Unlike the Congress, PM Modis vision of economic development does not seek to compartmentalise society into sections. Nor does he believe in micro-managing every facet of social and economic life. In laymans terms, PM Modi rejects the concept of mai-baap sarkar, which views the government as a benevolent parental figure responsible for shielding one section of society from another. His approach, on the other hand, centers on empowering every section of society cohesively and putting them in charge of their own destiny. During his 2014 Prime Ministership campaign, he expressed his belief in minimum government but maximum governance. Modi is also not into the business of romanticising poverty as a virtue and vilifying prosperity as some sort of sin. He has made it clear unequivocally, through his words and actions in over two decades, at the top of public life that he has every sympathy for the poor but none for poverty. He seeks to uproot it from every source. And to achieve this, his formula is simple, straightforward, and time-tested. He aims to guide the entire society towards collective prosperity by fostering an environment that provides ample opportunities for each individual to elevate their socioeconomic status. The idea is not to redistribute wealth but rather to create more wealth to meet everyones requirements. Respect for what is earned Modis fierce opposition to the Congress proposal for wealth distribution also demonstrated a long-overdue respect for earned property in the Indian political class. For a long time, the Indian political class was rife with arrogance and entitlement, believing they could do as they pleased with the property of others. In short, there was no respect for property. A person may spend an entire lifetime making a fortune, but a politician could take away a significant portion of it with a mere stroke of the pen. Starting from the very acquisition of Air India, the history of independent India is replete with such instances of politicians sense of entitlement over the hard-earned property of others. We should not forget the usurping of the riches of private entities, including the ransacking and plundering of royal Rajputs such as Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. Curiously enough, the original Indian constitution, as framed by B.R. Ambedkar, included the Right to Property as a fundamental right. The Constitutions 44th Amendment stripped it away from the people. But now, the prime ministers bold stand against such archaic ideas reflects a change in the mindset of the Indian polity regarding citizens rightfully earned property. There is a sense of admiration for those hard-working individuals who have made a fortune for themselves and their families, and a desire to create more such opportunities to enable others to do the same. It may well be observed that today, the Prime Minister of India is committed to upholding the citizens life, liberty, and estate a principle that English philosopher John Locke identified as the main goal of government. Yuvraj Pokharna is an independent journalist and columnist. He tweets with @iyuvrajpokharna. Heres the link to Yuvrajs official WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBKt038vd1QvwLPp515. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Union home minister Amit Shah hit out at the Congress, especially targeting the partys senior leader Rahul Gandhi, over its disruptive behaviour in Parliament. He said the grand old party has changed after the entry of the Gandhi scion and the standard of politics has dropped to an all-time low since. In an interview to The Indian Express, Shahs sharp words against Gandhi came when he was asked about the bitterness between the treasury benches and the opposition. He also criticised the absence of discussion during Parliament sessions, saying he feels pained that the institution is treated in such a cavalier manner. There is an absence of discussion in Parliament. On all controversial legislation or issues, be it Article 370, CAA, I have replied to every question raised, joined debates, but I feel pained that theres no discussion, that Parliament is treated in so cavalier a manner, he told IE, when asked if the issue of unemployment can be solved by introducing an initiative that cuts across party lines. He said Rahul Gandhis entry into the Congress has changed the partys behaviour and its standards have fallen since. In my opinion, its after the entry of Rahul Gandhi in the party that the Congresss behaviour has changed, the standards of politics have fallen after that, he was quoted as saying about the bitterness between the treasury benches and opposition. The senior BJP leader pointed at the disruptions made by the Congress in the form of boycotts over the past 20 years. He said he has never before seen the prime ministers reply to the presidents address being continuously disrupted, which shows a disrespect not towards Narendra Modi but the constitutional system. Just look up the reasons for boycotting Parliament over the last 20 years. They find excuses to exit Parliament. Earlier, there were events that triggered boycotts and even that boycott was for a few days I have never seen the prime minister replying to the presidents address and you continuously disrupting him for an hour-and-a-half. He is the prime minister because the people of the country have given him that mandate, you are disrespecting not Narendra Modi but the Constitutional system, he is quoted as saying in the interview. On a distinct shift in public perception towards Gandhi, he further said anyone who is thoughtful and thinks with seriousness, is worthy of being welcomed by the nation. But, on the matter of the Congress MPs disqualification from Parliament over a campaign speech, he said it was a court process. If the court punishes him, should he get special treatment? The day the court stayed that, he was back in Parliament the very next day. This is the law, the law that they brought in, not us, he said during the interview. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website A letter allegedly from NCP MLA Sunil Tingre, who has been accused of trying to influence the Pune Porsche case, surfaced on social media wherein had requested a Maharashtra minister to appoint Dr Ajay Taware the medical superintendent of the Sassoon Hospital. Dr Taware of Sassoon Hospital has been arrested for allegedly manipulating the blood report of the 17-year-old teen driver. Sharing a letter posted by a user on microblogging site X, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, When corrupt party MLAs elected to serve the people end up serving murderous VIPs. These are MLAs who are part of the (illegal) government. Whether Tingre or Mushrif or Taware all have only misused their positions. When corrupt party MLAs elected to serve the people end up serving murderous VIPs. These are MLAs who are part of the (illegal) government. Whether Tingre or Mushrif or Taware all have only misused their positions https://t.co/hU7uxay9AH Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) May 27, 2024 The teen accused, who was involved in a car crash in the citys Kalyani Nagar that killed two motorbike-borne software engineers on May 19, was taken to Sassoon Hospital for a medical check-up after the accident. According to Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, the juveniles blood sample was thrown away and was replaced with another persons sample. Both Dr Tawre and Dr Halnor, who were arrested by cops earlier in the day, along with another employee of Sassoon Hospital Atul Ghatakmalbe, have been sent to police custody till May 30. On 19th May, at around 11 am the blood sample which was taken at Sassoon Hospital was thrown in a dustbin of the hospital and the blood sample of another person was taken and sent to the forensic labChief Medical Officer Srihari Halnor replaced this blood sample. During the investigation, we found Srihari Halnor replaced this on the instructions of the Head of the Forensic Medicine Department of Sassoon, Ajay Tawre, the Police Commissioner said. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time on Monday reacted to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal receiving endorsements from Pakistan and said it is a matter that requires thorough investigation. I dont understand why some select group of people, apparently those who harbour animosity against us, get endorsements from Pakistan why voices of support emanate from there, for certain individuals. This is a grave matter and calls for an investigation. I think I shouldnt comment on such issues, given the position I hold, but I do understand your concern, the prime minister said in an interview with IANS. PM Modi was referring to former Pakistani Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussains appreciation post for Rahul Gandhi which caused a stir earlier this month. Fawad Hussain hit the headlines once again last week over his reaction to Arvind Kejriwals bail in the liquor scam case. Modi G Lost another battle Kejriwal released good news for moderate India, Hussain said in a post on X. Emphasising that it is a matter of concern, PM Modi said the Indian voter is mature and statements from across the border will not affect elections in India. This is Bharats election. India is a mature democracy, which boasts of rich and well-established electoral principles and traditions. Indias voters, too are mature in their thoughts and cant be influenced by any external factor, he said. PM Modi further took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal over his arrest in the Delhi excise policy scam case and said, Now that big fishes are being caught, we are being asked why we are catching them. What kind of Khan Market Gang is this, which is creating a narrative to protect certain people? Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his reported God sent comment and wondered whether he was the divine incarnation. He also asserted that claims of turning this country that is so diverse, into a Hindu Rashtra was not possible. The CM was speaking at an event organised by the state Congress to commemorate first PM Jawaharlal Nehrus death anniversary. Narendra Modi now says he was sent by god. Look at the irony. He says god has sent me to make Viksit Bharat by 2047. Is he the incarnation of god?, Siddaramaiah asked. He said, Not even a single day, he launched any programmes aimed at the poor, Dalits, backward classes, minorities, and unemployed. There should be equality among all and equal opportunity for all has he taken efforts to achieve it? Fully aware of their (BJP/NDA) defeat, Narendra Modi is uttering whatever comes out of his mouth. He is doing it intentionally for the sake of votes by dividing Hindus and Muslims. He is doing it for polarisation of votes. While speaking to the media, he says he stands for all people, but during election rallies he uses hate speech against Muslims, he added. The CMs remark come in the wake of PM Modis interview with a national news channel in which he reportedly said that he was not biological but sent by god. Claiming that the BJP doesnt believe in pluralism, Siddaramaiah said this is a country that represents pluralism with multiple religions, castes, and languages. In a country that is so diverse, autocracy, and statements like we will make this a Hindu Rashtra is a dream talk. It is not possible in this country, one has to clearly understand this, he added. Crediting Nehru for establishing democracy in the country, setting up several public sector industries and educational institutions, and building big dams, Siddaramaiah asked whether PM Modi, who claims that Congress did nothing for India, has constructed at least one dam, or established a public sector industry in 10 years. Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday rebuked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Rauts claims that top BJP leaders conspired against their own party leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to ensure his defeat in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections from Nagpur. In a veiled dig at Raut, Fadnavis said he does not speak about people who write articles after smoking marijuana and asked him to get mental treatment. Speaking to the media, Fadnavis dismissed Rauts allegations, saying, I have repeatedly said not to ask me questions about Sanjay Raut. I dont speak about people who write articles after smoking marijuana. I think he is in London, where there is good mental treatment available. He should take the appropriate medications. On Sunday, Raut, who is also the spokesperson for Shiv Sena (UBT), alleged in the partys mouthpiece Saamana that Fadnavis had unwillingly campaigned for Gadkari in Nagpur only after realising that Gadkari could not be defeated. Nagpur is the hometown of both BJP leaders. Modi, Shah and Fadnavis worked for Gadkaris defeat in Nagpur. Fadnavis unwillingly joined the campaign for Gadkari when he realised he couldnt be defeated. The RSS people in Nagpur are openly saying Fadnavis helped the opposition to get Gadkari defeated, Raut wrote. Raut further claimed that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had distributed Rs 25-30 crore in every constituency and used his resources to defeat candidates from the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar. He further took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, suggesting that Adityanath would be replaced if the Modi-Shah government returned to power after the Lok Sabha elections. Reactions to Rauts article Reacting to Rauts claim, Maharashtra State BJP chief Chandrasekhar Bawankule stated that the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader had become delusional. The BJP is not a party but a family. People who have always played politics of factionalism will never understand family bonds. Modi, Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Gadkari and Fadnavis are part of the BJPs family. We always work on the principle of nation first, then party and last self, Bawankule stated. Bawankule further asserted that, for Raut, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar always comes first, with his interests and Uddhav Thackeray taking a back seat. If Raut has the courage, he should write a column about how he tried to become the chief minister in 2019 (when the undivided Shiv Sena joined hands with the NCP and Congress), he said. Congress candidate from Nagpur seat Vikas Thakre pointed out that Raut had previously praised Gadkari and claimed in his article that the BJP leader would win the Lok Sabha polls, suggesting that Fadnavis campaigned for him. How does he (Raut) know that Gadkari ji is winning the election? Is he an astrologer? When he is a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), he should keep his love for Gadkari behind the walls of his home, Thakre remarked. Thakre expressed his belief that a senior leader of the MVA writing such things in a newspaper went against the alliances principles. He should be talking in support of MVA candidates, Thakre added. He further stated that whatever issues Raut had with the BJP, he should address them directly rather than implying that they (BJP leaders) aided the MVA candidate in Nagpur. It is not proper of him to say that, Thakre noted. (With inputs from agencies) Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website India, 27th May 2024: Parul University , a leading private institution in Gujarat, has reached a significant milestone by receiving the prestigious Diamond rating in the recently announced QS I-GAUGE Indian University Ratings. This recognition marks Parul University as the first private university in Gujarat to achieve this distinction, underscoring its commitment to academic excellence and comprehensive education. The QS I-GAUGE rating framework combines the global expertise and experience of the U.K.-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) with the local knowledge of experts from the Indian education system. This rigorous evaluation process recognizes universities for their performance across various parameters. Parul Universitys exceptional achievements across multiple categories have earned it this remarkable rating. Parul University has been particularly lauded in several key areas, earning the Diamond rating for Diversity and Accessibility, Social Responsibility, Employability, and Teaching and Learning. The institutions dedication to these aspects highlights its commitment to providing inclusive, socially responsible, and high-quality education that prepares students for successful careers. Additionally, Parul University has demonstrated outstanding performance in Entrepreneurship, Governance and Structure, and Facilities, achieving the highest Platinum rating in these categories. These accolades reflect the Universitys robust infrastructure, innovative governance, and strong support for entrepreneurial initiatives. This achievement is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence in education, research, and community engagement, said Dr. Devanshu Patel, President of Parul University. Our dedicated team has worked tirelessly to create an environment that fosters holistic development and prepares our students to make positive contributions to society. The Universitys success in the QS I-GAUGE ratings is also a result of the meticulous efforts of its team in organizing and presenting data for the audit. Their remarkable efforts were crucial in completing this comprehensive evaluation process. As Parul University continues to strive for excellence, this Diamond rating serves as a motivation to further enhance its educational offerings and impact. The University remains committed to developing well-rounded graduates who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to excel in their professional and personal lives. To know more, visit https://paruluniversity.ac.in/ This is a Partnered Post. Google said it has learnt from its mistakes and the new AI version of Search will show its value to millions. Few days after the feature started rolling out, people realised that AI Search is not only riddled with incorrect results but some absurd thinking has come up on the internet that has people puzzled. The company claimed that Search AI will help users summarise the results to make it easy for them to browse through the content without opening multiple links. Glue On Pizza, Obama Is Muslim: Google Acts As AI Backlash Heats Up The AI Search scrutiny started a few days back, when people were getting results like adding glue to cheese so that it sticks on the pizza. Or another health suggestion from the AI Search was to eat at least one small rock per day as a vital source of minerals. Things didnt end there, as the Search AI version then suggested that former US President Barack Obama is Muslim, which is not true. Instances like these can leave any company egg-faced, but when you have a giant like Google facing these issues, the concerns are top of everyones mind. Google has reportedly acted on these results by removing them as they violate Googles policies, which is one of trying to hide behind the mishaps of your latest AI model. The company does indicate that the Search AI version is experimental, but at least the model needs to get the basic stuff right, and not faff inaccurate details which people might end up believing. Taking down those results is the only move that Google could make but changes are warranted if it doesnt want more embarrassment from the AI Search version. Google has a lot riding on its AI plans, especially since many people have lost their jobs to the technology and with more to come in the near future. It also needs AI to evolve and give the right results as it faces intense challenges from OpenAI, Microsoft and very soon Apple as well. Travelling long distances with a dog can be tough, especially for larger dogs that cant fit under-seat carriers. Many dogs face travel restrictions, end up cramped in bags, or suffer the stress of flying in a cargo. To turn this stressful travel experience into a happy one, BARK Air is here which is worlds first air travel experience designed specifically for dogs first, and their human companions second. This service ensures dogs can travel comfortably and conveniently with their owners. The inaugural flight of BARK Air took off from New York on Thursday, May 23. It carried six dogs of varying breeds and 11 humans, including passengers and crew, from New York to Los Angeles. BARK Air shared the exciting news on Instagram, showcasing some of the heartfelt moments from the flight where dogs enjoyed their time with their owners. Right now, at an altitude of 30,000 feet, there is a flight filled with dogs. Unlike any flight before it, these dogs are not merely an afterthought, nor are they treated as cargo or a burden to the crew and fellow travelers. Here, dogs are the foremost priority. Every single detail of this flight experience has been crafted with a dogs-first mindset, the caption read. On the flight, the dogs were pampered with chicken-flavored puppuccinos, special cupcakes and a shoe on a platter to snack on, according to NPR which quoted BARK Chief of Staff Katharine Enos. Brooklyn (dachshund) and Eddy (golden) [were] friends and played and the little dogs took nice long naps most of the way. After lunch it was nap time for everyone. No potty accidents on board or stolen food either! Everyone felt connected in the way we were obsessed with our dogs, Enos told the media portal. Every flight includes a trained vet tech to monitor and care for the dogs, which expertise in first aid and CPR for all breeds in case of emergencies. Apart from this, a highly skilled concierge will ensure each pup feels comfortable and at ease. The concierge will assess every dog to guarantee they are enjoying their journey and adjusting well to the surroundings. BARK, a leading global dog brand, partnered with a jet charter company to launch BARK Air. Matt Meeker, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at BARK, shared that the idea came about in 2011. We believe this initiative will elevate awareness of our brands mission and values, introduce more dog lovers to the BARK family, and help enrich the lives of dogs and their people around the world, Matt said, as quoted by BARK. One of the most high-paying Hollywood stars and a popular figure on social media, Dwayne Johnson, best known as The Rock, has got his name registered in Guinness World Records. After starting his career in WWE, Dwayne made a transition to Hollywood and has worked in several successful films like Fast & Furious, Jumanji, Fighting With My Family, and Black Adam, among others. Adding another feather to his cap, Dwayne Johnson has become the most-followed actor on TikTok. Not just that, he is now also the most followed American man in the world. With these records to his name, the actor shared a gratitude-filled note for his fans on Instagram. Cool stuff setting a @guinnessworldrecords. Most Followed Actor on TikTok and Most Followed American Man in the World. Not too bad for a pimply face kid with an afro who grew up to become famous only for wearing a fanny pack and raising an eyebrow, he wrote. Further, Johnson listed out the key to having real power and influence on social media, asserting that one should speak directly, be real, authentic, kind, good to people, and share both good and bad lessons. Laugh at yourself. Dont get pulled into negative sludge, and never contribute to toxicity. Laugh at yourself some more. And always remember the golden rule Its nice to be important, but its more important to be nice, he added. Along with the post, Dwayne also shared a video, including clips from his popular TikTok videos. It features his hilarious antics, time spent with his daughter, everyday candid moments, and some funny events with his close friend, Kevin Hart. Dwayne Johnson achieved the title of the most-followed TikToker after knocking out fellow actor Will Smith, who had held the record since 2022. In 2015, The Rock became the first person to break the record for taking the most self-portrait photographs (105) in three minutes. The record is now held by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. Dwayne Johnsons upcoming projects The Hollywood star is all set to return with Moana 2 wherein he reprises the role of Maui, a super-strong and mystical demigod. The actor recently shared pictures of himself recording for the film, adding that he has wrapped up the project. Besides, he also has The Smashing Machine, based on former wrestler Mark Kerr. In Enga, Papua New Guinea (PNG), villagers and rescue teams are working non-stop to unearth survivors and recover bodies after a devastating landslide buried over 2000 people. The landslide that completely wiped out an entire village in Enga Province, has only located very few bodies. Delays in the rescue operation are happening due to deep unstable rubble and insufficient equipment for the task. Amidst the tragedy, a couple was rescued miraculously after their home narrowly escaped the full force of the landslide but was still covered by rocks. Johnson and Jacklyn Yandam were lucky survivors who thanked those who saved them and called it a miracle. The Yandams told PNGs local news that they had accepted their fate and were ready to die together Speaking to the portal, Jacklyn said, We thank God for saving our lives at that moment. We were certain that we were going to die but the big rocks didnt crush us. Its really hard to explain as we got trapped for nearly eight hours, then got rescued. We believe we were saved for a purpose. According to a witness present at the scene, spoke to RNZ Pacific and revealed that large rocks fell around the Yandams house, which created a barrier, and shielded them from additional debris. The witness mentioned if the couple wasnt found on time, Johnson and Jacklyn Yandam might have died due to hunger and dehydration. The Yandams, who have three children, felt lucky as all their children were not at Kaolokam when the disaster happened. According to the BBCs reports, nearly 3,800 people lived in the village prior to the horrible event. Meanwhile, according to an on-site visit made by a local leader, the villagers were feeling deserted and left alone to help themselves. They came together, used shovels and bare hands in an effort to save lives and retrieve dead bodies. The community leader was also worried about how slowly things were progressing and stated that it has been days since many bodies are still trapped under the rubble. The site is still heavily covered, making it difficult for rescuers to reach and recover them. The residents are appealing to the government for help in this horrible situation. However, a police official from the province reported that soldiers arrived at the scene and were working to remove big rocks in an effort to free those who are trapped. A McDonalds Quarter Pounder with cheese bought in 1995 has defied the odds, remaining perfectly preserved nearly three decades later. Australian friends Casey Dean and Eduards Nits, who bought the burger as teenagers in Adelaide, have kept it as a memento, even calling it their mate. The Quarter Pounder dates back to the mid-90s, according to the waxy paper and cardboard packaging as evidence. Despite expectations of decay, the burger shows no signs of mould or odours. However, it has shrunk a bit. Over the years, it has been stored in a cardboard and timber box, spending a significant portion of its life in a stuffy shed in Adelaide where temperatures often exceed 30 degree Celsius during the summer. Casey Dean fondly remembers the day they bought heaps of McDonalds food as teenagers, sparking the idea to keep the Quarter Pounder forever. Today, their experiment has captured worldwide attention. Dean also recalled the time rats gnawed through heaps of clothes to reach it. He told AFP that the rats had eaten through the plastic bag, heaps of clothes, got into the box, but they had left the burger. Our mate was safe, they said. Calling it the Senior Burger now, the men have gone to great lengths to celebrate their enduring fast-food mate. They have given the burger its own social media profile and even composed a song in its honour. They proudly claim that their Quarter Pounder is the oldest known McDonalds burger globally, surpassing the fame of a well-known decade-old cheeseburger exhibited in Iceland. This Icelandic burger is showcased in a glass case and is streamed live online, attracting thousands of curious viewers. Deans attachment to the burger is so strong that he wont part with his beloved mate, rejecting numerous offers since the burger gained fame in 2015. How is the burger still intact? McDonalds says their burgers last long because they are stored in a dry place that stops mould and bacteria. They say homemade food can stay good too if it dries out. Food prepared at home that is left to dehydrate could see similar results, they said. According to Tim Crowe, an Australian nutrition scientist and practising dietitian, the high salt content in McDonalds burgers plays a significant role in their resistance to decay. He explains that its not about any harmful ingredients in McDonalds food, but rather the combination of low moisture and high salt levels that contribute to their preservation. The UK general elections are approaching. With the election fever setting in, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has received the biggest support from his wife, Akshata Murty. In an Instagram post, she jotted down six points detailing the common things between her and Sunak. In their joint post, the UK PM also shared a few pictures from their interaction with the citizens in Harrow East. Mentioning that People always ask us What is the thing you have most in common? they outlined the following points that they share in common: 1. Our shared love of watching Friends reruns and eating Spanish food 2. The values that we share 3. The belief that hard work should decide where you go in life 4. The belief that our children will inherit a better world than the one we share today. They concluded the post with a self-reflection, stating that they had a great experience speaking to the people in Harrow about the values that matter to them and the future they want for their children. The post was shared on Sunday and has so far garnered over 30,000 likes. Prior to this, Akshata Murty also shared a small but powerful message for her husband, showing support ahead of the elections. With pictures posing with him, she wrote, Im with you, every step of the way. The post received support from followers, with many applauding Murty for being by her husbands side. The best Prime Minister. Your husband has done a fabulous job and we are proud of him. Hope I get a chance to meet him someday to let him know he has done an outstanding job, one even wrote. Last week, the British Prime Minister, in a surprising move, announced early elections for the UK. Setting the date for July 4, Sunak, in his rain-soaked speech, said that he is optimistic that the economy is pointing in the right direction and the future will be better. The Taj Mahal is undoubtedly one of the most popular locations in India. This UNESCO World Heritage Site often attracts visitors from around the world. Recently, content creator Noel Robinson made a video in front of the Taj Mahal and danced on IGMOR and Kuldeep Manaks trending song Jind Kadh Ke. The German-Nigerian dancer immersed himself in the role as he was seen dressed in full Indian attire. Noel wore a sherwani set and completed the look with a fancy hat perched over his massive afro man. Even as Noel finished the whole choreography, the hat stayed intact on his head. While sharing this video on Instagram, Noel wrote, Felt like a prince! Vibing in front of the iconic Taj Mahal. This clip got over 4.4 lakh likes in less than 24 hours. In the comments, many people praised his dancing and cheerful persona. Commenting on it, an Instagram user wrote, Ohh my god his expressions are best. Another person wrote, Bro u look great in this outfit. Cool. Some people also commented on how Noel is managing to make lively videos when the temperature in North India is crossing 40 degrees Celsius. Making this point, an X user wrote, Bro how are you staying in Agra in this heat? An Instagram user observed, The way he balanced his topi in the entire dance. Someone jokingly wrote that Noel looks like Alladin in his Indian outfit. Noel has been in India for some weeks now. On May 11, he made a dance reel on Chammak Challo outside Shah Rukh Khans Mumbai house Mannat. This clip got over 20 lakh likes. Previously in an interview with Filmibeat, Noel had said that SRK is his favourite Bollywood star and he hopes to meet him during the India tour. He said, I think I can meet him. I am staying here for like three weeks. So, I hope I can meet him. Lets see if it would be possible. He added that while he does not fully understand the lyrics of all SRK songs, he likes to dance to them based on their vibe. During his India stay, Noel has made videos at several iconic locations such as in front of India Gate and inside the Mumbai local. Talking about making videos inside the crowded Mumbai local, Noel told Zoom, I love to go to local places for my videos. In India, trains are such an iconic thing. Everyone has seen reels of Indian trains, even I have seen some. So when I came here, I thought let me make a video there. It had amazing vibes. An Indian investor residing in London ended up missing an international flight recently, even though she had been awaiting a Schengen visa to visit Denmark for months and had paid over Rs 4 lakh for it. Venture capitalist Aashima Arora, a partner at LocalGlobe who grew up in Delhi, posted pictures of the hundreds of pages of paperwork she had ready for her visa appointment. She expressed her hope that the authorities would recognise that her purpose for obtaining the visa was to travel for work-related reasons and not to illegally settle in any other European country. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Aashima Arora wrote, Europe, I promise I dont want to marry your men or leave London to illegally stay in your cities. Also, promise to spend more than $250 a day. Please just grant me a TOURIST visa! Europe, I promise I dont want to marry your men or leave London to illegally stay in your cities. Also promise to spend > $250 a day. Please just grant me a TOURIST visa! Yes, that is 100+ pages of printed documents. pic.twitter.com/n90BbvHz6w Ash Arora (@0xashesonchain) May 22, 2024 The 28-year-old, who was listed in Forbes 30 under 30 Europe Finance list, continued by saying that she needs to fill out documents from both India and the UK because she has an Indian passport and a UK biometric resident card. She also made arrangements for the necessary approvals and documentation in addition to the customary papers relating to tourists, as this was a work-related trip. Aashima Arora told Moneycontrol that while she had previously experienced delays in the visa application process, this time she had to pay agents over Rs 4 lakh in addition to the expense of a ticket so as to get a speedier visa appointment date. She stated that she is hoping to put up to $10 million into a Copenhagen-based (gaming) startup. She continued, saying that she had known the founder for years and that he had sent her an official invitation letter. Aashima ensured timely and accurate completion of all necessary paperwork to obtain her visa. She mentioned attempting to reach out to the Danish embassy to secure a business visa. Following an interview, the officials reportedly gave her the assurance that her Schengen visa would be ready in a week, but more than two weeks have passed and she has not heard back from the embassy. Additionally, she talked about how she made a walk-in meeting with the Danish embassy, which eliminates the need to wait months for business visas. However, she discovered that their processing time might take up to 90 days after submitting the documentation. When you think about prisons, you might think of the vast jails in Tihar or Yerawada, which house thousands of prisoners. According to the official website of the Central Jail, Tihar Jail has a capacity of 10,026 prisoners, but in reality, 19,500 prisoners live in that jail. But have you ever heard of the smallest prison in the world that has a capacity of only two prisoners? It was built 168 years ago. According to the Daily Star News, Sark Jail built on Sark Island in the English Channel is considered to be the smallest prison in the world. It was built in 1856. Only 2 prisoners can stay in it. Since then, there have been no major changes in this jail. Yes, the inside look has changed, tap-toilet facilities and electricity have been arranged. Sark Island itself is super small with an area of 5.4 square kilometers. According to the 2023 census, 562 people live on this island. In 1832, the court ordered the construction of this jail, but it took 24 years to complete because no one had the money to build it. Now the area inside has been divided from the middle, which has led to two rooms. One room is six by six feet while the other is six by eight feet. Both rooms have thin wooden beds. A prisoner can be kept in this jail for a maximum of two to three days. However, no major crime takes place on this island. Because of this, there are only two policemen are there on the island. According to the report, some people who have lived on this island claim that many people here have criminal cases, including drunk driving or some other cases, but due to lack of resources, no action has been taken against them. Because of this, even though there is a jail on the island, it is not used much. Gunmen attacked a remote village in central Nigeria, killing eight people and kidnapped about 150 more in the countrys latest mass abduction, officials told AFP on Monday. Large-scale kidnappings for ransom are common in Nigerias northwest and central states, where heavily armed gangs known locally as bandits often target remote villages. Attackers on motorbikes stormed Kuchi village in Niger state on Friday night, where they killed eight people and abducted about 150 villagers, local government chairman Aminu Najume said. They came on around 100 motorcycles each carrying three men, he said. No help came throughout the three hours they took operating in the village. A UN source gave the same figure for the number kidnapped, while Nigerian state rescue agency SEMA said more than 100 were abducted. Boko Haram and rival jihadist group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) also regularly carry out abductions in northeast Nigeria. Some jihadist groups have established a presence outside the region including in Niger state. Najume, who blamed bandits for Fridays attack, accused Nigerian security forces of failing to prevent regular raids. These killers usually come in from neighbouring Kaduna state to operate in Niger and go back. They come in hundreds and surprisingly security personnel dont see them while they are on their way. And when villagers alert them they take no action, he said. The Nigerian army says it regularly carries out operations against gunmen in the region and rescues kidnap victims. At the mercy of gunmen Bandits have no ideological leaning and are motivated by financial gain, but there has been concern over their increasing alliance with jihadists waging a 15-year insurgency in the northeast. Many communities in northwest Nigeria have formed self-defence vigilante forces to fight off bandits in remote areas with little state presence. Najume said the gunmen had killed four vigilantes and four villagers. Rights group Amnesty International condemned the attack, saying on social media: The invasion of the village by the gunmen is yet another indication of the Nigerian authorities utter failure to protect lives. The Nigerian authorities have left the rural communities of Niger state at the mercy of gunmen who kill and abduct people daily, it added. The group called on the authorities to prevent mass kidnappings and bring the culprits to justice. AFP contacted the police and the Nigerian presidency for comment, but they did not immediately respond. Data on kidnapping is notoriously unreliable because of under-reporting, but in March Nigerian risk consultancy SBM Intelligence said it had recorded 4,777 people abducted since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office in May last year. Police in eastern Pakistan arrested more than 100 Muslim men and charged them under anti-terrorism laws for attacking a Christian father and son over allegations they desecrated pages of Islams holy book, officials said Monday. The mob went on a rampage Saturday after locals said they saw burnt pages of the Quran outside the two Christian mens house and accused the son of being behind it, setting their house and shoemaking factory on fire in the city of Sargodha in Punjab province, said senior police officer Assad Ijaz Malhi. They also attacked the son. Malhi said police forces rescued the two wounded men and transported them to a hospital where they were in stable condition, and that at least 100 men were arrested following multiple police raids. Authorities were chasing others who may have been involved in the attack, he said. The blaze fully incinerated the factory and parts of the house, residents and the police said. Punjab police said it beefed up security at churches. Police released details about the incident in a statement on Monday, saying officers received a distress call from Sargodha city informing them that a person in a Christian community had desecrated the Quran and a mob besieged his house to harm him and his family. The district police chief, accompanied by others, arrived at the Mujahid Colony, where the incident happened, and the situation was highly volatile, with the mob demanding that the alleged blasphemer be handed over to them to face their wrath, the statement said. Police rescued 10 Christians who had been surrounded by a mob and transported them to a secure location, it said. Several officers were wounded while rescuing the accused and his family, police said. Malhi said investigations were ongoing to determine the extent of the damage. Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan and under the countrys blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic religious figures can be sentenced to death. While no one has been executed on such charges, often just an accusation can cause riots and incite mobs to violence, lynchings and killings. The latest violence brought back memories of one of the worst attacks on Christians in Pakistan in August 2023, when thousands of people set churches and homes of Christians on fire in Jaranwala, a district in Punjab province. Muslim residents at the time also claimed they saw two men desecrating the Quran. Pakistans security forces were conducting several raids in the countrys volatile northwest, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, when shootouts ensued leaving seven soldiers and 23 militants dead, the army said Monday. The first exchange of fire occurred overnight on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing six militants and two army officers who embraced martyrdom, according to a statement by Pakistans military. A second shootout happened during another security operation on Monday in the district of Tank, leaving 10 militants dead, the statement said, adding that five soldiers and seven militants were also killed during a separate fire exchange in the district of Khyber. The military provided no further details, but previous operations in the area targeted members of the Pakistani Taliban who have started regrouping in the northwestern region in recent years. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, are a separate group but allies of the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 as the U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since then. CAIRO: More than 100 aid trucks managed to reach the Gaza Strip by Monday morning after an agreement to reroute aid through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, but supplies have not been distributed amid an ongoing Israeli assault, sources said. Deliveries are badly needed as little aid has reached southern Gaza since May 6, when Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, about 3.5 km from Kerem Shalom and the main entry point into Gaza for humanitarian and commercial supplies. The latest arrivals would be the biggest aid delivery into southern Gaza by far since the launch of Israels attacks in Rafah, with most days seeing no trucks crossing the border. Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over three weeks ago. An Israeli airstrike on Sunday triggered a fire that killed 45 people in a tent camp in Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders. Egyptian security sources told Reuters that 123 aid trucks had crossed the border and handed over the goods to the United Nations. An Israeli source confirmed that aid had been brought into the Gaza side and handed over to partners. An Egyptian aid source said that four fuel trucks had also crossed the border. But Palestinian trucks that went to pick up the aid at the crossing returned empty, U.N. and Palestinian officials told Reuters. Trucks moved through but it was not possible to collect them due to the rocket attacks yesterday and the IAF (air force) strikes overnight, said a U.N. official in Gaza, adding that the supplies belonged to the U.N.s Palestinian aid agency UNRWA and the World Food Programme. On Friday, Egypt and the United States agreed to utilise Kerem Shalom until arrangements were made to re-open Rafah from the Palestinian side, the Egyptian presidency said. Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel on the crossing. About 200 trucks were expected to come in on Sunday, still below what officials say is needed in the strip, home to 2.3 million people, where monitors say famine in some parts is imminent. KSrelief, a Saudi-funded charity, on Monday sent a ship carrying nearly 500 tonnes of aid including food, medical supplies and shelter material for Gaza, the groups supervisor general Abdullah Al Rabeeah told Reuters. It is due to arrive at Egypts El Arish port within a day and then be offloaded for eventual delivery in southern Gaza. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor A Bangladesh police team, which arrived in Kolkata on Sunday, said they will seek cooperation from West Bengal police and conduct a thorough investigation into the murder of their MP Anwarul Azim Anar. The chief of the Bangladesh Detective Department said the mastermind of this murder, the beneficiary and those who executed the plans, all are Bangladeshi. The police team expressed its desire to interrogate the arrested suspects and visit Baranagar, where Anar resided, along with speaking to the MPs friend and the landlord of the house where he stayed. Talking to reporters, the Bangladeshi detective Harun-or-Rashid said the main conspirator Akhtaruzzaman may have escaped from Kathmandu to the US via Dubai. You all know one of our popular parliamentarians Anwarul Azim Anar was heinously murdered and his body was cut into pieces. The mastermind of this murder, the beneficiary and those who executed the plans, all are Bangladeshi. The murder plot was planned in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh detective said. Kolkata | Bangladesh MP Anwarul Azim Anar murder case: Harun-or-Rashid, Chief, Bangladesh Detective Department says The main conspirator Akhtaruzzaman may have escaped from Kathmandu to the US via DubaiWe are trying to trace him through Interpol. We will go to the CID office. pic.twitter.com/xtFOPWyU7d ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2024 Now our main work is to take forward the investigation. We are here in India to visit the place where the crime was committed. We will check the CCTV footage. Kolkata Police and Bangladesh Police have shared various information between them, he added. The main conspirator Akhtaruzzaman may have escaped from Kathmandu to the US via Dubai. We are trying to trace him through Interpol. We will go to the CID office. We will have a meeting with the officers of CID. We will try to interrogate the arrested accused so that we can get more information. Speaking to PTI anonymously, a senior state CID officer affirmed their readiness to assist the Bangladesh detectives in every possible way. He said all evidence gathered by the state CID regarding the case would be shared with them. The search for the missing MP began when Gopal Biswas, a resident of Baranagar and an acquaintance of Anar, lodged a complaint with local police on May 18, stating that Anar, who arrived in Kolkata on May 12 for medical treatment, had gone missing. According to Biswas, Anar left his residence in Baranagar for a doctors appointment on May 13, assuring that he would return home for dinner. However, he became unreachable on May 17, prompting Biswas to file a missing complaint the following day. According to Kolkata Police, circumstantial evidence indicated that the MP was first strangled and killed after which his body was chopped into pieces and dumped in different areas. Traces of his body or body parts are yet to be found. (With agency inputs) Stay informed with the Iranian President News Latest Updates.. Xi to attend China-Arab meeting 08:05, May 27, 2024 By Zhang Yunbi ( Chinadaily.com.cn President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony and deliver a keynote speech at the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, a major vehicle that has driven bilateral relations since 2004. Foreign ministers or representatives of the Arab states and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, will attend the meeting, which will convene on Thursday in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced. Analysts said the event is expected to chart the course for and build on the high level of China-Arab ties, making the 20th anniversary of the forum this year a new milestone for two-way cooperation. In 2022, Xi attended the first China-Arab States Summit with leaders of Arab states in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, mapping out a comprehensive blueprint for the development of the relations. Earlier this month, Xi mentioned the upcoming 10th ministerial meeting in a congratulatory message he sent for the convening of the 33rd Arab League Summit in Bahrain. In the message, he said that "China-Arab relations are currently in their best shape of all time", and he expressed his hope that the two sides will take the 10th ministerial meeting as an opportunity to further deepen cooperation in various fields, in order to better benefit the two peoples. China and Arab states enjoy a traditional friendship, and their relations have set a great example for South-South cooperation, experts said. "The forum has become a major engine pushing forward China-Arab cooperation in the political and diplomatic context," said Li Shaoxian, director of Ningxia University's China-Arab Research Institute. Before the end of last year, China had signed bilateral cooperation documents on jointly building the Belt and Road with all of the 22 Arab states and with the League of Arab States. "The Belt and Road has become a shared path for growth for China and all these countries," Li added. China has been the overall top trading partner of Arab states for several consecutive years. The annual China-Arab trade volume has grown from $36.7 billion in 2004 to $398.1 billion last year, "an increase of more than tenfold", Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chang Hua said recently. Exchanging letters In another development, President Xi has replied to letters from student representatives of the Hundred Schools Project of Chinese language education in the United Arab Emirates. He encouraged them to master the Chinese language and get to understand China, and to contribute to advancing the bilateral friendship. Witnessed by Xi and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the then-visiting crown prince of Abu Dhabi of the UAE and now the UAE's president, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in Beijing in July 2019 to officially launch the language project. The UAE president will begin a state visit to China on Thursday and attend the 10th ministerial meeting in Beijing, the UAE embassy in China announced. Currently, 171 schools in the UAE offer Chinese language courses, and 71,000 students are learning Chinese. Recently, 40 primary and middle school students from the model schools of the project wrote letters to Xi in Chinese. They expressed their aspiration and love for Chinese culture and their wish to be ambassadors for China-UAE friendship. In his reply, Xi said, "I have read the letters from each of you", adding that in between the lines and from the paintings that were included, he felt the love for Chinese culture and the expectations for the friendship between the two countries. Xi said he is very pleased to see that five years after the launch of the project, learning Chinese has become a new fashion in the UAE, cultivating a number of young ambassadors for China-UAE exchanges. In their letters, the students said they hope that China and the UAE will always be good friends. Xi replied that the Chinese people share the same wish. "The youths represent the future of China-UAE friendly relations," he said. Xi told the students that they are welcome to come to China to see pandas, climb the Great Wall and go to university in China when they grow up. More UAE youths are also welcome to learn Chinese and understand China, and to participate in exchanges with Chinese youths to learn from each other, Xi added. He encouraged the students to plant the seeds of friendship in their hearts and contribute to creating a better future for China-UAE relations. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Wu Chaolan) Young Belgians excel in "Chinese Bridge" contest Xinhua) 14:00, May 27, 2024 BRUSSELS, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Only two years into her Chinese study, Belgian schoolgirl Anahita Hamidi Nejad stood out among 20 candidates in Sunday's national qualifiers for the 17th "Chinese Bridge" contest for foreign students. The student from Athenee Royal Crommelynck in Brussels won first place after a series of competitions including written tests, speeches and talent shows. She will represent Belgium at the finals of the prestigious "Chinese Bridge" competition for foreign high school students. "I love Chinese culture and the Chinese people. I dream of having many Chinese friends and visiting China someday," she said. Twenty primary and secondary school students from across Belgium participated in the national qualifiers, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Belgium. They captivated the audience by singing Chinese songs, playing traditional instruments, reciting classics and with a host of other talents including calligraphy, painting and martial arts. Anne-Marie Moingeon from the city of Namur won the first prize in Chinese Show for primary school students. Wu Gang, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, stressed the embassy's unwavering support for young Belgians to learn Chinese and experience Chinese culture. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) SATKHIRA, Bangladesh:Strong gales and heavy rain triggered by the first major cyclone of the year lashed the coastlines of India and Bangladesh on Monday, killing at least 16 people and cutting power to millions. The winds had not stopped as night fell, with water rising in many places and overwhelming drainage systems, Bangladeshi climate expert Liakath Ali said. Many people are stranded it will be another long night ahead with millions not having electricity or shelter, he said in a statement. And people having no idea of how damaged their homes, land and livestock are. Cyclone Remal is the first of the frequent storms expected to pound the low-lying coasts of the South Asian neighbours this year as climate change drives up surface temperatures at sea. Packing speeds of up to 135 kph, it crossed the area around Bangladeshs southern port of Mongla and the adjoining Sagar Islands in Indias West Bengal late on Sunday, weather officials said, making landfall at about 9 p.m. More than 8.4 million people, including 3.2 million children, are at high health, nutrition, sanitation and safety risk, said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh. At least 10 people were killed in Bangladesh, disaster management chief Mijanur Rahman told Reuters, adding some victims died en route to shelters or when their homes or walls collapsed, or drowned during the storm. People are usually very reluctant to leave their livestock and homes to go to cyclone shelters, he said. They wait until the last minute when it is often too late. State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Mohibbur Rahman said the cyclone destroyed nearly 35,000 homes across 19 districts. An additional 115,000 homes were partially damaged. Many areas remain waterlogged, and fish enclosures and trees have been devastated. As more information becomes available, the full scope of the impact will be clearer. MANGROVE FORESTS FLOODED In Indias West Bengal state, four people were electrocuted, authorities said, taking the death toll in the state to six. Bangladesh shut down electricity supply to some areas in advance to avoid accidents, while in many coastal towns fallen trees and snapped electricity lines further disrupted supply, power ministry officials said. Nearly 3 million people in Bangladesh were without electricity, officials added. West Bengal authorities said at least 1,200 power poles were uprooted, while 300 mud huts had been razed. Bangladeshi State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid said in a Facebook post that Remal has caused extensive damage nationwide, urging people to be patient as repairs were under way. Our crews began repairing the lines as soon as the wind speed subsided, he said. The cyclone also disrupted around 10,000 telecom towers, leaving millions without mobile service. The rain and high tides damaged some embankments and flooded coastal areas in the Sundarbans, home to some of the worlds largest mangrove forests, which are shared by India and Bangladesh. Flooded roads disrupted travel in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. Rain also flooded many streets in the Indian city of Kolkata, with reports of wall collapses and at least 52 fallen trees. Kolkata resumed flights after more than 50 were cancelled from Sunday. Suburban train services were also restored. Both nations moved nearly a million people to storm shelters, about 800,000 in Bangladesh and roughly 110,000 in India, authorities said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor A recent report released by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) based on the findings of the yearlong California vs Hate campaign revealed that Hinduphobia and incidents spurred by anti-Hindu sentiments have risen sharply in the US state. Anti-Hindu incidents rank second after anti-semitic incidents and surpasses incidents spurred by Islamophobia. Anti-Jewish (36.9%), antiHindu (23.3%) and antiMuslim (14.6%) were the most cited reasons for reports related to religious targeting, the California vs Hates data showed. The data has been gathered on the basis of calls received by the California vs Hate, which is a non-emergency hate incident and hate crime reporting system. The American community is coming out in support of Hindu Temple to remove hateful graffiti. Speaks volumes about the fabric of America! #HinduAmericans #Temple #California https://t.co/Z4CeecDkhZ pic.twitter.com/QeIiZnmIoy Rohit Sharma (@DcWalaDesi) December 23, 2023 The systems findings showed that it received 1,020 actual reports of hate based on the information provided by the individual reporting the act and that four out of six people who reached out to them agreed to follow up for care coordination services, including direct and ongoing support accessing legal aid or counselling. My brothers and sisters of the Hindu community I stand against the shadows of hatred and intolerance. The recent desecration of our sacred Hindu Temple in Newark, California, is not merely an attack on a building; it's a brazen assault on our very souls and the values we pic.twitter.com/iEtFMH9KGt Burt Thakur (@BurtThakurTX) December 23, 2023 Nearly 80% of Californias counties were represented, including all 10 of the states most populated counties, their report said. The CRDs report, released on May 20, shows that out of 1,020 reported hate incidents, 580 were verified. The report states that 35% of these incidents were motivated by race and ethnicity, 15% by gender identity, and nearly 11% by sexual orientation. However, it does not specify the exact percentage of hate incidents caused due to hostility towards a certain religion. The report confirms what we already knew: Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu incidents are more prevalent than previously reported. At HAF, we have seen an uptick in reports of hate crimes and bias incidents from community members, particularly towards the latter half of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, Samir Kalra, Managing Director of Policy and Programs at the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), said while speaking to US-based newspaper IndiaWest. The Vijays Sherawali Temple in Hayward, California and Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple in Californias Newark were vandalised by miscreants who sprayed anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti on the temple premises. The rise in anti-Hindu hate incidents aligns with the FBIs annual Uniform Crime Report, which recorded 22 hate crimes against Hindus in 2022. Critics argue that hate crimes are often under-reported due to voluntary law enforcement reporting and the high burden of proof needed to charge hate crimes. Democrat US House of Representative Shri Thanedar from Michigan in April introduced a new legislation in the House of Representatives aimed to condemn Hinduphobia as well. Today I am seeing in the United States a substantial increase of attacks on Hinduism, a lot of misinformation being circulated. Having practised Hinduism, having grown up in a Hindu household, I know what Hinduism is. It is a very peaceful religion It is not a religion that attacks others, it is not a religion that is aggressive against others, he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday a deadly strike that hit a displacement camp in Gazas Rafah was a tragic incident which his government was investigating. In Rafah, we evacuated a million uninvolved residents, and despite our best efforts a tragic incident happened yesterday (Sunday), Netanyahu told parliament, adding that we are investigating the case and will draw the conclusions after Gaza officials reported 45 dead as the Israeli strike caused a fire. The Israeli military said Monday it had launched a probe into an air strike in Rafah that Gaza officials say resulted in the deaths of at least 45 Palestinian civilians. The militarys Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi directed the General Staffs Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism to investigate the strike carried out in Rafah late Sunday, the military said in a statement. It added that before the strike, a number of steps were taken to reduce the risk of harming uninvolved civilians during the strike, including conducting aerial surveillance, the deployment of precise munitions by the IAF (air force), and additional intelligence information. Men cleared away the charred debris of shelters and children salvaged food in Gazas southern city of Rafah on Monday after an Israeli strike torched a camp for displaced Palestinians. People were not just injured or killed, but charred, 24-year-old Mohammed Hamad told AFP in the aftermath of the strike that killed at least 45 people. The death toll came from the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, which also said that 249 people were wounded in the strike. My cousins daughter, a child no more than 13, was among the martyrs. She had no features at all because shrapnel tore off her face, Hamad said. Israels military said its aircraft struck a Hamas compound in Rafah on Sunday night, killing two senior officials for the Palestinian militant group in the occupied West Bank. The strike caused a fire that blazed through the camp in the Rafah governorates Tal Al-Sultan area, reducing tents and shelters to ashes. Footage released by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society showed chaotic nighttime scenes of ambulances racing to the attack site and evacuating the wounded, including children. As Palestinians cleared the site on Monday, only blackened metal sheeting and charred planks remained, the tent shelters having been all but obliterated. When these rockets fall on a tower block there are dozens of martyrs, so what about when they are tents? lamented a man called Hamad. When we heard the sound (of the explosion), the sky suddenly lit up, displaced Palestinian Muhannad, an eyewitness, told AFP. We saw charred bodies and dismembered limbs as a result of the use of () missiles that caused a massive fire, the director of Gazas civil defence agency, Mohammad al-Mughayyir, said. Israel has faced surging international criticism over its war with Hamas, with even some of its closest allies, particularly the United States, expressing outrage at civilian deaths. Israel asserts that it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the worlds top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt its offensive in Rafah. France, a close European ally of Israel, said it was outraged by the violence. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire, President Emmanuel Macron posted on X. Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt, had been housing more than a million people about half of Gazas population displaced from other parts of the territory. Most have fled once again since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion there earlier this month. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps in and around the city. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel must destroy what he calls Hamas last remaining battalions in Rafah. The militant group on Sunday launched a barrage of rockets from the city toward heavily populated central Israel, setting off air raid sirens but causing no injuries. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that bombings like the one in Rafah will have long-standing repercussions for Israel. Israel with this choice is spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchildren. I would have preferred another decision, he told SKY TG24. Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas in attempts to secure a cease-fire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, said the strikes could complicate talks, Negotiations, which appear to be restarting, have faltered repeatedly over Hamas demand for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, terms Israeli leaders have publicly rejected. Neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, which made peace with Israel decades ago, also condemned the Rafah strikes. Egypts Foreign Ministry described the strike on Tel al-Sultan as a new and blatant violation of the rules of humanitarian international law. Jordans Foreign Ministry called it a war crime. (with inputs from AFP and Associated Press) Israeli air strikes killed 40 Palestinians and injured dozens in an area in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Palestinian health officials said on Monday. The Israeli military said its air force struck a Hamas compound in Rafah and that the strike was carried out with precise ammunition and on the basis of precise intelligence. Agency reports said that strikes impacted Palestinians who were displaced and living in tents. The Israeli military took out Hamas chief of staff for the West Bank and another senior official behind deadly attacks on Israelis, it said. The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review. ( , ) , . , -30 . . pic.twitter.com/23D3ekNJu7 Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) May 26, 2024 The spokesperson for the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza, Ashraf Al-Qidra, said 35 people were killed and dozens others, most of them women and children, were wounded in the attack. The strike took place in Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah, where thousands of people were taking shelter after many fled the eastern areas of the city where Israeli forces began a ground offensive over two weeks ago. Eliminated in the precise airstrike in northwest Rafah: Hamas Chief of Staff in Judea and Samaria and an additional senior Hamas official.Terrorist #1: Yassin Rabia Rabia managed the entirety of Hamas terrorist activity in Judea and Samaria, transferred funds to terrorist https://t.co/iaGrw8WJ4f Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 26, 2024 The International Committee of the Red Cross said its field hospital in Rafah was receiving an influx of casualties, and that other hospitals also were taking in a large number of patients. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri described the attack in Rafah as a massacre, holding the United States responsible for aiding Israel with weapons and money. The air strikes burnt the tents, the tents are melting and the peoples bodies are also melting, said one of the residents who arrived at the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah. READ MORE: Hamas Launches Big Missile Attack Targeting Israels Tel Aviv, First Major Strike In Months Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military said eight projectiles were identified crossing from the area of Rafah, the southern tip of the Gaza Strip where Israel kept up operations despite a ruling by the top UN court on Friday ordering it to stop attacking the city. A number of the projectiles were intercepted, it said. There were no reports of casualties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was convening his war cabinet later on Sunday to discuss continued operations in Rafah. Israel argues that the U.N. courts ruling allows room for some military action there. In a statement on its Telegram channel, the Hamas al-Qassam Brigades said the rockets were launched in response to Zionist massacres against civilians. Rafah is located about 100 km south of Tel Aviv. Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in the area, but its assault has worsened the plight of civilians and caused an international outcry. On Sunday, Israeli strikes killed at least five Palestinians in Rafah, according to local medical services. Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said the rockets fired from Rafah prove that the (Israel Defense Forces) must operate in every place Hamas still operates from. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant held an operational assessment in Rafah where he was briefed on troops operations above and below the ground, as well as the deepening of operations in additional areas with the aim of dismantling Hamas battalions, his office said in a statement. Itamar Ben Gvir, a hardline public security minister who is not part of Israels war cabinet, urged the army to hit Rafah harder. Rafah with full force, he posted on X. Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israels offensive, Gazas health ministry says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages. Fighting also continued in the northern Gaza area of Jabaliya, the scene of intense combat earlier in the war. Efforts to agree a halt to the fighting and return more than 120 hostages have been blocked for weeks but there were some signs of movement this weekend following meetings between Israeli and US intelligence officials and Qatars prime minister. Israel has faced calls to get more aid into Gaza after more than seven months of a war that has caused widespread destruction and hunger in the enclave. The Rafah crossing has been shut for almost three weeks, since Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing as it stepped up its offensive. Egypt has been increasingly alarmed at the prospect of large numbers of Palestinians entering its territory from Gaza and has refused to open its side of the Rafah crossing. Israel has said it is not restricting aid flows and has opened up new crossing points in the north. (With agency inputs) A Massachusetts man will be arraigned Tuesday on multiple charges including assault with the intent to murder after six people, including four girls at a movie theater, were stabbed in separate attacks, officials said. Trans terrorist stabs multiple little girls in MassachusettsNotice how when we started to fight back against their grooming, they just started killing little kids in retaliation? https://t.co/WLMPfoL47E DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) May 26, 2024 Jared Ravizza, 26, of Chilmark, a town on Marthas Vineyard, was arrested Saturday night after a police pursuit. Police said a man entered AMC Braintree 10 south of Boston at about 6 p.m. Saturday and went into one of the theaters without paying. The girls, ages 9 to 17, were inside the theater when the man suddenly attacked them without saying anything and without any warning before running out, the Braintree Police Department said in a news release. The four suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to hospitals. Video footage showed the mans vehicle and a license plate, and that information was broadcast to law enforcement, police said. A vehicle matching that description was later seen in Plymouth, about 27 miles (43 kilometers) south of Braintree. Police said it had left a McDonalds restaurant, where a 21-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were found stabbed. Both were taken to hospitals with injuries. State police found the vehicle another 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) south, in Sandwich, and unsuccessfully attempted to pull it over. The vehicle later crashed. Ravizza, the driver, was taken into custody shortly afterward and was being treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, police said. It was not immediately known if he is being represented by an attorney. No phone listing could be found in his name. US President Joe Biden made a surprise nighttime visit to Hallie Bidens Delaware home on Sunday, days before she is set to testify in Hunter Bidens federal trial for alleged gun crimes as one of the key witnesses. Biden, according to the New York Post, stopped by Hallies home late Sunday evening for a brief private talk. The meeting comes eight days before Hunter Biden, who is Joe and Neilia Bidens second child, is scheduled to stand trial. Hallie Biden, who was married to Beau Biden, dated Hunter Biden at the time of his alleged gun crimes and is among the dozen expected witnesses. Beau Biden died in 2015 of brain cancer and Hunter and Hailie dated later. Prosecutors allege Hallie Biden disposed of the illegally weapon that Hunter Biden briefly possessed in a public dumpster in 2018. They also claim that Hunter lied about his drug use on gun purchase forms. The visit also came four days before the anniversary of Beaus death. Hunter Biden could get a jail sentence if convicted in his first of two scheduled criminal trials. He will also stand trial in Los Angeles in September for allegedly failing to pay more than $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016-2019. Hunter agreed to a probation-only plea deal for the gun and tax crimes last June. However, he walked away from the sweetheart deal at a July court hearing when his attorneys demanded broad immunity for past conduct, including violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which could implicate his father. Its unclear whether the presidents son would take the stand during the trial that could last up to two weeks during his fathers reelection campaign and likely include sharp disagreements over evidence. The trial could last up to two weeks as his fathers re-election campaign unfolds. Hunter Biden has acknowledged an addiction to crack cocaine during that period, but his lawyers have said he didnt break the law and the case is politically motivated. His attorney Abbe Lowell also says there are indications that the gun-purchase form was changed by employees after the sale. Prosecutors say there were only minor additions unrelated to the parts Hunter Biden filled out. A long-running laptop saga also haunts the First Son, which began with a New York Post story in October 2020 that detailed some of the emails it says were found on the device related to Hunter Bidens foreign business dealings. It was swiftly seized on by Trump as a campaign issue during the presidential election that year. (with inputs from the Associated Press) North Koreas latest satellite launch ended in a mid-air explosion on Monday night, Pyongyang said, hours after its announcement of the planned projectile was criticised by Seoul and Tokyo. The launch of the Malligyong-1-1 reconnaissance satellite exploded in the air during the first flight and failed to launch, the countrys National Aerospace Technology Administration said in a statement carried by state media, adding the cause of the accident was the reliability of the newly developed liquid oxygen and oil engine. Japanese broadcaster NHK ran footage of what appeared to be a flaming projectile in the night sky, which then burst into a ball of flame, saying it had filmed it from northeast China at the same time as the attempted launch. Pyongyang had notified Japan earlier Monday that it was planning to put another satellite into orbit, after a successful attempt in November, plus two failed efforts earlier last year. Nuclear-armed North Korea is barred by multiple UN resolutions from tests using ballistic technology, and analysts say there is significant technological overlap between space launch capabilities and the development of ballistic missiles. Our military detected around 22:44 (1344 GMT) on Monday the trajectory of whats suspected to be the Norths military reconnaissance satellite fired from Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province southwards, Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said. But two minutes later many fragments of the projectile were detected in North Korean waters, and the US and South Korea are analysing whether it had an operational flight, the JCS added. Japan also confirmed the launch and the government briefly issued an alert warning residents of southern Okinawa prefecture to take cover in shelters, but it was lifted minutes later. Nuclear-armed North Korea successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite last November, drawing international condemnation, with the United States calling it a brazen violation of UN sanctions. Hours after trilateral The attempted launch came just hours after Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo wrapped up their first trilateral summit since 2019. South Koreas President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that another satellite launch North Koreas fourth attempt would undermine regional and global peace and stability and urged Pyongyang not to go ahead. The South Korean military conducted attack formation flight and strike training on Monday to demonstrate the strong capabilities and will of our military after North Korea notified Japan of its plans to launch a satellite by June 4. Experts say that spy satellites could improve North Koreas intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, and provide crucial data in any military conflict. Seoul has said the North received technical help from Russia for its November satellite launch, in return for sending Moscow weapons for use in the war in Ukraine. Kim Jong Un met President Vladimir Putin in Russia last September, and Putin suggested afterwards that his nation could help Pyongyang build satellites. A group of Russian engineers has entered North Korea to help with the launch preparations, Yonhap reported Sunday, citing a government official. Seoul had said on Friday that South Korean and US intelligence authorities were closely monitoring and tracking preparations for another launch. North Korea claims the Malligyong-1 satellite it put into orbit in November is successfully functioning, but Seouls intelligence agency has cast down on this claim. Seouls National Intelligence Service collected and analysed debris from one of Pyongyangs failed launches earlier last year, finding it had no military utility. Passengers aboard the Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Ireland who experienced turbulence that saw 12 people injured after landing on Sunday said they are not in a hurry to get back on a plane. It was so scary I am not in a hurry to get back on a plane I can tell you, a passenger said while speaking to the UK-based Daily Mail. It was the most terrifying experience of my life. People were screaming, and it felt like the plane was dropping out of the sky, another passenger said. The crew did their best to calm everyone down, but it was a very scary situation, another passenger said, recalling that the flight crew did everything possible to manage the situation. Twelve people were injured during turbulence on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Ireland that landed safely on Sunday, Dublin airport authorities said. The incident comes a week after a passenger died and dozens were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight from London hit severe turbulence and was diverted to Bangkok. Six passengers and six crew members suffered injuries in the latest incident, when Qatar Airways flight QR017 endured turbulence over Turkey, Dublin airport said in a statement. Qatar Airways said the injuries sustained were minor and that the incident was now subject to an internal investigation. Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including airport police and our fire and rescue department, due to six passengers and six crew [12 total] on board reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey. The Dublin Airport team continues to provide full assistance on the ground to passengers and airline staff, said the statement from Dublin airport. A British man died and more than 100 people were injured when Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 endured extreme turbulence last Tuesday, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, where several people are still being treated in hospital. Passengers and crew suffered skull, brain and spine injuries when they were thrown violently around the cabin during the terrifying high-altitude ordeal. (with inputs from AFP) Israeli troops and Egyptian forces near the Rafah border crossing exchanged fire on Monday leading to the death of an Egyptian soldier, Israeli newspaper The Times Of Israel said. Egyptian officials said that a border guard died in the shooting incident. It said that an Egyptian soldier was killed in the incident and no casualties were reported among Israeli forces. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said they are in contact with Egypt following a shooting incident on the Gaza-Egypt border. A few hours ago there was a shooting incident on the Egyptian border, the [incident] is under investigation, dialogue is taking place with the Egyptian side, the military says. The Egyptian military later said a border guard was killed in a shooting in the Rafah border area with Gaza and added that it had launched a probe. The Egyptian armed forces, through the competent authorities, are investigating a shooting incident in the Rafah border area which led to the martyrdom of a guard, an army statement said. Rafah is an exit point that lies south of Gaza Strip, a narrow 41-km designated Palestinian territory along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea which lies north and northeast of Israel. Israel said its military campaign to eradicate Hamas will see its forces enter Rafah that now houses millions of Palestinian refugees who were internally displaced following the onset of the latest instalment of Israel-Hamas conflict spurred by the October 7 attacks. Israel faced new condemnation on Monday for strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah that local health officials said killed at least 45 Palestinians, including displaced people living in tents that were engulfed by fire. Sunday nights attack, which appeared to be one of the wars deadliest, helped push the overall Palestinian death toll in the war above 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and noncombatants in its tally. We pulled out people who were in an unbearable state, said Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in the northwestern neighborhood of Tel al-Sultan. We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal. There were three functional entry and exit points in the Gaza Strip. The Erez crossing which remains closed following the October 7 attacks. It is managed by Israel and is used to control the movement of people between Gaza and the West Bank via Israel. The Karem Abu Salem point or Kerem Shalom Crossing is also under Israels control and is only used for the movement of commercial goods. Both Erez (aka Beit Hanoun) and Karem Abu Salem (aka Kerem Shalom Crossing) are shut officially and only allows passage of humanitarian aid. On the opposite side of the Erez crossing lies the Rafah Border Crossing, situated on the border with Egypts Sinai Peninsula. The Sinai Peninsula is a large and tumultuous Egyptian region characterised by mountains and desert. It has been a focal point of conflict for many years, dating back to the initial Arab-Israeli war in 1948. Rafah Border Crossing is the primary exit point from Gaza and serves as a vital link between Gaza Strip and the outside world. It is managed by Egypt as per a 2007 agreement with Israel. It is the only border that Israel directly does not control but its approval is required for supplies to enter Gaza from Egypt. Courts in Thailand handed jail terms on Monday to an activist musician and an opposition lawmaker for insulting the monarchy, their lawyers said, the latest individuals to fall foul of one of the worlds strictest lese-majeste laws. The law shielding Thailands powerful monarchy from criticism carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail for each offence, and is one of the toughest of its kind in the world. Chonthicha Jangrew, 31, a parliamentarian with the Move Forward Party, received a two-year term for a speech made in 2021 at an anti-government protest. But she was given bail pending an appeal, her lawyer Marisa Pidsaya told Reuters. Another court sentenced musician Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan, 35, to four years in prison for burning a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn. He had been found guilty of arson, lese-majeste and computer crimes. A legal aid group, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, said Chaiamorn was seeking bail and intended to appeal the decision. Both have denied insulting the monarchy and the courts have yet to issue statements on the sentences. The palace typically does not comment on the law. More than 272 people have been charged under the law since 2020, 17 of them held in pre-trial detention, says legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, which compiles data and has defended many of those prosecuted. In 2021, a 65-year-old woman was sentenced to 43 years for circulating posts on social media critical of the monarchy, while a man jailed in 2023 for 28 years received an additional 22 years in January after appealing a verdict on his social media posts about the crown. He is now appealing the decision in the Supreme Court. LEGAL BATTLES Chonthicha won a house seat last year with the popular opposition Move Forward, which has the most seats in parliament but faces legal battles of its own, having campaigned to amend the royal insults law, which a court has ordered it to drop from its manifesto. One of its lawmakers, Rukchanok Srinork, was sentenced last year to six years in prison over social media posts critical of the monarchy. Move Forward faces dissolution after a court ruled the amendment plan was unconstitutional, and a hidden effort to undermine Thailands system of governance, in which the king is the head of state. Move Forward denies that, saying it wanted to prevent the law from being used as a political weapon. A separate complaint filed with another body seeks life bans for 44 current and former lawmakers over the amendment bid. After his 2021 arrest, musician Chaiamorn admitted setting alight the kings portrait as a gesture of defiance and also to vent frustration over the detention of fellow activists on royal insult charges. The two rulings come two weeks after activist Netiporn Bung Sanesangkhom died in pre-trial detention on charges that include royal insult. She was on a partial hunger strike, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights says. The Navajo Nation Council has signed off on a proposed settlement that would ensure water rights for its tribe and two others in the drought-stricken Southwest a deal that could become the most expensive enacted by Congress. The Navajo Nation has one of the largest single outstanding claims in the Colorado River basin. Delegates acknowledged the gravity of their vote Thursday and stood to applause after casting a unanimous vote. Many noted that the effort to secure water deliveries for tribal communities has spanned generations. Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley and other officials stood outside the chamber in Window Rock, Arizona, under a clear blue sky as the wind whipped. She recalled learning about the fight over water rights in school when she was a girl. Momentous is how she described the day, before she put her pen to the legislation and nearby vehicles honked their horns in celebration. This is an opportunity to think 100 years ahead for our children, said Curley, a mother and soon-to-be grandmother. The time is now and we have to make our footing for the future," she continued. The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribal Council also voted to approve the settlement Thursday, while the Hopi tribe approved it earlier this week. Congress will have the final say. For Hopi, the settlement is a path to ensuring a reliable water supply and infrastructure for the health, well-being and economic prosperity of the tribe for generations to come, Hopi said in a statement late Thursday. Most importantly, this settlement provides a way for Hopi to fulfill its covenant with Maasaw (guardian) to live as stewards of Hopitutskwa (Hopi land), the statement read. Congress has enacted nearly three dozen tribal water rights settlements across the U.S. over the last four decades and federal negotiation teams are working on another 22 agreements involving dozens of tribes. In this case, the Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute tribes are seeking more than $5 billion as part of 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. Nearly a third of homes in the Navajo Nation spanning 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah dont have running water. Many homes on Hopi lands are similarly situated. Navajo President Buu Nygren plans to sign the settlement legislation as soon as it hits his desk, likely Friday. He told The Associated Press it had been a long road to get everyone to the table and the next step will be knocking on the doors of Congress. A century ago, tribes were left out of a landmark 1922 agreement that divided the Colorado River basin water among seven Western states. Now, 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. The latest settlement talks were driven in part by worsening impacts from climate change and demands on the river like those that have allowed Phoenix, Las Vegas and other desert cities to thrive. 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. 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 has said. 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. The state would get certainty in the amount of water available as its 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. Arizona water officials have said the leasing authority is a key component of the settlement. Related: The savage treatment of slave laborers at the Nazi concentration camps Norderney and Sylt was standard, historians say. What made them exceptional was that they were on British soil. A panel of historians has released its findings on the German occupation of Alderney, one of four Channel Islands seized by the Nazis in World War II. The panel determined that up to 1,134 prisoners died during the occupation from 1940 to 1945, but rumors that tens of thousands were killed in a "mini-Auschwitz" were unfounded, the Guardian reports. The island is around 10 miles off the coast of France. Atrocious conditions . The forced laborers, including French Jews and Russian prisoners of war, were "subject to atrocious living and working conditions, which included starvation, long working hours, completing dangerous construction works, beatings, maiming, torture, being housed in inadequate accommodation and, in some cases, executions," the panel's report stated. There were a total of four camps on the island run by the Nazi civil and military engineering Organization Todt; the SS took control of Norderney and Sylt in 1943. . The forced laborers, including French Jews and Russian prisoners of war, were "subject to atrocious living and working conditions, which included starvation, long working hours, completing dangerous construction works, beatings, maiming, torture, being housed in inadequate accommodation and, in some cases, executions," the panel's report stated. There were a total of four camps on the island run by the Nazi civil and military engineering Organization Todt; the SS took control of Norderney and Sylt in 1943. Revised death toll. The panel said the death toll is "unlikely to have exceeded 1,134 people, with a more likely range of deaths being between 641 to 1,027." That's up from a previous estimate of 389, based on marked graves found on the island. Twenty-five people stranded in a small boat off the coast of Mexico were rescued in style Friday when a Carnival Cruise Line ship responded to the US Coast Guard's distress call. The cruise ship had just departed Long Beach, California, on a three-day cruise to Mexico when the call came in, USA Today reports. Carnival says in a statement that its ship, the Radiance, immediately turned toward the coordinates of the small vessel and "quickly" rescued everyone on board, including three children. In June of 1708, the Spanish galleon San Jose was attacked by the British Royal Navy and sank in the Caribbean off the coast of Cartagena, resting on the ocean floor with a reputed $20 billion in treasure on board. Only a handful of the 600 or so men on the ship survived. In 2015, the Colombian government finally found the sunken vessel, dubbed the "holy grail of shipwrecks," and now, Colombia has declared the site around the ship a protected archaeological area and is starting to explore the ruins, reports the BBC. Expedition: The initial phase of the Colombian government's explorations of the secret site will involve remote sensors taking pictures of the doomed ship and as much of its contents as possible for inventory purposes, while sea-capable robots will also take readings around the San Jose. Get the news faster. Tap to install our app. Access Newser even faster. Click here to install our app on your desktop. X UPDATE May 27, 2024 5:25 PM CDT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that a "tragic mistake" had been made after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and, according to local officials, killed at least 45 people. Netanyahu did not elaborate on the error. Israel's military initially said it had carried out a precise airstrike on a Hamas compound, killing two senior militants. As details of the strike and fire emerged, the military said it had opened an investigation into the deaths of civilians, the AP reports. The strike on Rafah brought a new wave of condemnation, even from Israel's strongest supporters. The US National Security Council said in a statement that the "devastating images" from the strike "are heartbreaking." May 27, 2024 9:15 AM CDT Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 45 people Sunday and hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and "numerous" others were trapped in flaming debris. The Gaza Health Ministry said around half of the dead were women, children, and older adults. The attacks came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population had sought shelter before Israel's incursion earlier this month, per the AP. The strike was reported hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza, its first such strike in months. A Chilean judge has ordered the detention of a volunteer firefighter and a former forestry official for allegedly planning and causing a mammoth forest fire in the Valparaiso region that caused 137 deaths and made 16,000 people homeless in February. The court in Valparaiso ruled the two men, who were arrested Friday, could be held for 180 days while they are investigated, the AP reports. The chief prosecutor in the case, Osvaldo Ossandon, told journalists that the main suspect is Francisco Mondaca, a 22-year-old volunteer firefighter in Valparaiso who is accused of physically starting the fire. He said flares and fireworks were found in Mondaca's vehicle. The other suspect was identified as Franco Pinto, a former employee of the National Forest Corporation. He is accused of planning the crime. The regional prosecutor for Valparaiso, Claudia Perivancich, said investigators have evidence the two men agreed "in advance to carry out conduct of this type when the weather conditions were adequate." Prosecutors said that according to Mondaca's testimony, there was an economic motive behind the plotproviding more work in fighting fires. They said they had not ruled out the possibility of more people being involved. The commander of the Valparaiso Fire Department, Vicente Maggiolo, said, "We are very dismayed by the situation." Maggiolo called it an isolated incident and said it should not tarnish the work of the fire department. "We have been saving lives for more than 170 years," he told TVN. Both the fire department and the forestry agency said they would tighten hiring procedures. The megafire began Feb. 2 in the Lago Penuelas nature reserve in central Chile and burned for several days, destroying more than 10,000 homes. (More Chile stories.) North Korea says its attempt to put another spy satellite into orbit has failed. North Korea's state media said a rocket carrying the spy satellite exploded in mid-air on Monday. State media said the explosion was possibly caused by engine failure. The rocket was launched Monday night, hours after Pyongyang's announcement of a plan to put a satellite into orbit drew strong rebukes from its neighbors, the AP reports. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected a launch trajectory believed to be of a spy satellite fired from the North's main space center in the northeast at 10:44pm on Monday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that a North Korean rocket was launched in a southern direction off the Korean Peninsula's west coast. It said four minutes after the launch, many fragments were spotted in the waters. Earlier Monday, North Korea had notified Japan's coast guard about its plans to launch "a satellite rocket" during a launch window from Monday through June 3. North Korea sent its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit in November last year as part of efforts to build a space-based surveillance network to cope with what it calls increasing US-led military threats. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later told a ruling party meeting that the country would launch three additional military spy satellites in 2024. The November launch followed two failed liftoffs. The UN bans North Korea from conducting any satellite launches, viewing them as covers for testing long-range missile technology. (In February, experts said the first satellite appeared to be active and under control.) In a move the opposition Labour Party calls "desperate," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is promising to bring back a form of conscription if his Conservative Party wins the July 4 election. Sunak, who surprised the country by calling the election last week, said Sunday that the party plans to introduce a year of compulsory national service for 18-year-olds, the BBC reports. He said teens would be able to apply for 30,000 full-time military placements, while hundreds of thousands of others would spend one weekend a month working with charities or organizations like the police or the National Health Service, reports the AP . The UK introduced national service in 1947. Between the ages of 17 and 21, men were required to serve in the military for 18 months. The program ended in 1960, 20 years before Sunak was born. On Sunday, he said he plans to introduce a "new model of national service to create a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country." His party said the plan would divert young people not in employment, education, or training away from "lives of unemployment and crime." It's not clear how the party plans to make national service compulsory. Government ministers say there won't be a threat of prison time, but they haven't ruled out fining the parents of teens who refuse to take part, the Guardian reports. Labour leader Keir Starmer said the "desperate" $3.2 billion plan came from the Conservatives "rummaging around in the toy box to find any plan they can throw on the table," per the Guardian. Former Labor Home Secretary Alan Johnson described the plan as "compulsory volunteering." Other critics noted that the Conservatives have cut troop numbers by more than 25% since 2010. The Washington Post reports that the announcement "sent meme factories into overdrive," with young people mocking both the proposal and their own readiness to serve. In one spoof recruitment video on TikTok, a voiceover said, "If you can fix your parents' iPad, then you can fix an Apache helicopter." (More United Kingdom stories.) She said it was hard to wrap her mind around work-life balance not being a priority, especially because they moved in the hopes of spending more time as a family. "There was also no focus on or understanding of mental health or work-life balance in our experience," she said. Cassidy told news.com.au the move made her realise she took Aotearoa's work culture "for granted". "I think the hustle made us realise how much no amount of money was worth my fiance being out of the house for 10 hours a day, five days a week," she added. In the end, they decided to move home. "We don't like wearing shoes and we just want to chill the f**k out. If the biggest pull in Australia is more money, we just need to make more money at home," Cassidy said. It comes as an influx of Kiwis head across the ditch for better wages and more opportunities as the cost of living crisis bites. A recent Statistics New Zealand release showed a net migration loss of 52,500 New Zealand citizens in the year to March - a new record. That means for every arrival of a New Zealand citizen, there were three departures. Most of those jetting off weren't going far, though. "Based on the latest estimates available, just over half of these migrant departures went to Australia," Stats NZ population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said. But while Cassidy didn't find the grass greener, plenty of other Kiwis have. One woman, who goes by Kiyah Ariana on TikTok, shared a video on the platform about how she moved over with her partner and daughter. She's since had a son in Australia. "From my own experience it's been the hardest decision of my life because all my family are back home," she said, before adding that "it's been the best decision for us". "It's been worth it for us because we've been able to experience the exact thing that we move over here for, which is better financial opportunities, to something new - and I've been able to be a stay-at-home mum to both of our kids because my partner makes good money and enough for us to live off one income." She said living off one person's pay would not have been feasible in New Zealand. "We've also only been here for a year, so we haven't been here very long, but so far it's been a lot more peaceful for us," Ariana said. But she added they hope to move back to Aotearoa one day "because obviously home is home", but right now, the family was focusing on building a future they're happy with. Jesse Campbell also shared a TikTok video praising the quality of life in Australia compared to New Zealand. "Cost of living is cheaper, you get paid more, the weather is better, there's more going on over there, the beaches are better, there's more opportunities," said the 26-year-old, who has been in Australia for three years. "Honestly, I just reckon the quality of life it produces over there is just so much better than New Zealand at the moment, and that's why we're losing so many people moving over there. "Especially when things are so tough here for people in New Zealand, you know, the wages and the crazy cost of living and that. It's just so hard for people to survive and have a good life here." Meanwhile, for one woman the best part of moving was the cheaper groceries. "POV [point of view]: you move to Australia and can now afford to have fresh produce every day," Paige Ratcliffe captioned a video on her TikTok. Many Kiwis' Sunday afternoons would have likely been interrupted by the alarming sound of an emergency mobile alert. Thankfully the alert was just a test but for those who didn't hear anything there's an explanation. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) director John Price said overall the test was a success with it transmitted to all parts of New Zealand with cell phone reception. "Our 2023 annual preparedness survey showed 90 percent of people received an alert or had been with someone who had. Given this year's successful transmission, we can safely estimate over 5 million phones will have received the alert," Price said. He said NEMA has carried out six nationwide tests of the system since it was launched, and it has "shown itself to be an extremely reliable channel for pushing emergency messages to people in New Zealand when there is a severe threat to life, health or property". TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Report by Zahra Ayaz The Bahrain Businesswomens Society hosted the grand opening of its second art exhibition, Entilaq 2, yesterday at the Safeya Ali Kanoo Hub for Arts and Handicrafts. The exhibition, which will run until May 31st from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, was honoured by Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Rana bint Isa Bin Duaji Al Khalifa, the Director General of the Institute of Public Administration. The Daily Tribune spoke to several Bahraini artists showcasing their diverse range of talents and passions at the exhibition. Love for nature Noor Alsairafi, whose work is deeply rooted in a love for nature, shared her inspiration: I was initially inspired by the transparency and delicacy of butterflies, and I explored the intricate patterns, vibrant colors and ethereal quality that they possess. Noors art aims to create a connection between the viewer and the natural world, and she has participated in numerous exhibitions both within Bahrain and abroad. Unique artistic technique Badriya Abdulrahman discussed her unique artistic techniques, blending acrylic paint with coffee and adding stones and golden leaves to her horse paintings, which can take over 50 hours to complete. She also showcased a piece made entirely of pure leather, which required 17 hours of meticulous work. I believe art is a way to release stress and of course I love art, I have been doing painting since childhood as well as teaching children how to paint. Acrylic paints Nadia Al Moosa, who prefers working with acrylic paints, focused her art on nature, landscapes, and the traditional colorful glass windows and doors found in Bahraini homes in the past. It doesnt take much time for me, but sometimes it takes more time, it depends on the artists mood as well, she explained. Thought-provoking painting Latifa Al Shaikh presented a thought-provoking painting that speaks about the journey of humans, the piece is a fifty-five question, it shows all the chemistry of thoughts and feelings that goes inside the head of the people which is a very powerful element of the body. Al Shaikh has been practicing art since the age of 12 and believes it is a powerful tool for relieving stress and escaping the chaos of daily life. The Entilaq 2 exhibition is the second event organised by the Bahrain Businesswomens Society, following the success of their inaugural event. Organisers are confident that this years showcase will also be well-received by the public, providing a platform for local artistic talent to shine. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Report by Mohammed Darwish The Bahrain International Airport has registered a substantial rise in passenger traffic last month. The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunication reported that the airport serviced 747,964 passengers, showing a marked increase from April of the previous year. The airport recorded over 375,000 arrivals and more than 372,000 departures, signalling a recovery in travel activities. Abu Dhabi and Sharjah topped the list of destinations, with passenger figures soaring past 71,000, a 37% increase from the previous April. Muscat followed with a 36% increase at over 16,000 passengers. Riyadh and Kuwait City also showed growth, with over 50,000 and 31,000 passengers, respectively, notching up increases of 33% and 17%. The airport managed 7,950 aircraft movements and handled over 39,000 transiting aircraft during the month. Air freight In terms of air freight, the airport processed over 11,000 tons of incoming cargo and dispatched over 6,000 tons, indicating sustained activity in this sector. The heightened travel demand in April was partly due to the Eid al-Fitr holiday, reflecting the airports ability to facilitate travel during peak times and its role in supporting the resurgence of the travel and tourism industry in Bahrain. The Ministrys statistics affirm the airports growing importance as a central hub for regional travel and cargo. Judicial milestone: Bahrains top court issues its first ruling in English Judicial milestone: Bahrains top court issues its first ruling in English TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Report by Mohammed Darwish In a groundbreaking move, the Court of Cassation in Bahrain has issued its first ruling in English, marking a significant step in the countrys aim to become a leading international centre for dispute resolution. This decision showcases Bahrains efforts to modernise its judicial system and adapt to the evolving landscape of international commercial disputes. The case involved an $18 million lawsuit filed by a foreign bank against a local bank, represented by the Al Dosari Law Firm. The local bank successfully defended the case based on the application of English law. The entire legal process, including sessions and arguments, was conducted in English, as agreed by the parties. This historic ruling reflects the crucial role of the Supreme Judicial Council, led by His Excellency Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, in driving the modernisation of Bahrains judicial system. Lawyer Saad Al Dosari believes this success paves the way for Bahrains broader adoption of English in its court proceedings. Furthering this development, the Minister of Justice, H.E. Nawaf bin Mohammed Al Muawda, issued Resolution No. 28 of 2023, permitting the use of English in court proceedings and before the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution. This resolution aims to elevate Bahrains status as a leading international centre for dispute resolution by allowing parties to choose English for litigation when their contracts are drafted in English. Al Dosari highlighted the significance of this judicial precedent, noting his law teams expertise in resolving international commercial disputes in both Arabic and English and their comprehensive understanding of both English and Bahraini law. Confidence He expressed confidence that this achievement will significantly enhance Bahrains reputation as a centre for resolving international disputes in English and applying English law. The precedent-setting ruling issued by the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution in November 2023 in favour of Al Dosaris client marked the first judgment delivered in English. The subsequent confirmation by the Court of Cassation in May 2024 further solidifies Bahrains position as a major judicial jurisdiction that embraces litigation in English and matters governed by English law. The lawsuit originated in 2023, when a foreign bank filed a claim exceeding $18 million against a local bank represented by Al Dosari. Application During the trial, Al Dosari successfully argued for the application of English law based on the relevant contracts. Under the English law of 1980, the lawsuit was deemed time-barred, leading to the dismissal of the plaintiffs claims. Following the Bahrain Chambers decision in favour of Al Dosaris client, the plaintiff appealed to the Court of Cassation, which upheld the lower courts ruling. The Court of Cassation, presided over by His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa and judges Adrian Cole and Michael Gross, concluded that Bahraini courts application of English law was permissible under Law No. 6 of 2015 regarding conflict of laws. AFP | London The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Twelve people were injured during turbulence on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Ireland that landed safely yesterday, Dublin airport authorities said. The incident comes a week after a passenger died and dozens were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight from London hit severe turbulence and was diverted to Bangkok. Six passengers and six crew members suffered injuries in the latest incident, when Qatar Airways flight QR017 endured turbulence over Turkey, Dublin airport said in a statement. The flight landed as scheduled shortly before 1:00 pm (1200 GMT) yesterday, it added. Qatar Airways said the injuries sustained were minor and that the incident was now subject to an internal investigation. Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including airport police and our fire and rescue department, due to six passengers and six crew [12 total] on board reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey. The Dublin Airport team continues to provide full assistance on the ground to passengers and airline staff, said the statement from Dublin airport. A British man died and more than 100 people were injured when Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 endured extreme turbulence last Tuesday, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, where several people are still being treated in hospital. 407 ETR achieves notable employee safety record and continues to prioritize workplace safety TORONTO, May 24, 2024 /CNW/ - 407 ETR has recently reached a significant employee safety record, achieving four million hours without a lost-time injury. 407 ETR's last recordable employee injury occurred in 2019. Evan McMillan, Highway Patroller & Member, 407 ETR Joint Health & Safety Committee (CNW Group/407 ETR Concession Company Limited) The 407 ETR Team and guests from IHSA and League of Champions celebrate four million hours without a lost-time injury (CNW Group/407 ETR Concession Company Limited) 407 ETR's Highway Operations and Tolling teams face the hazards of live traffic while patrolling and working on Highway 407 ETR 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Company attributes its exceptional safety performance to a strong safety culture both on and off the road. 407 ETR engages employees in safety through multiple initiatives including risk management, an active Joint Health & Safety Committee and ongoing training. The Company promotes safe work practices and incident prevention by encouraging employees to report all unsafe conditions, near misses and incidents that occur, and by leveraging emerging technologies to improve safety where possible. To celebrate this achievement, the Company was joined by the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA) and the League of Champions for 407 ETR's annual Employee Safety Day. 407 ETR's efforts to foster a stronger and safer workplace on and off the road were highlighted and employees signed jerseys from the League of Champions as a symbol of their pledge to work safely every day. Fast Facts In May 2023 , 407 ETR received the Recognition of Performance Achievement Milestone award from the IHSA (Infrastructure Health & Safety Association) for achieving more than 2.5 million hours without a lost-time injury, and ended the year with 3.7 million hours. , 407 ETR received the Recognition of Performance Achievement Milestone award from the IHSA (Infrastructure Health & Safety Association) for achieving more than 2.5 million hours without a lost-time injury, and ended the year with 3.7 million hours. League of Champions is a cross-sectoral organization dedicated to health and safety excellence through collaboration and information sharing on health and safety situations. 407 ETR joined the League in 2023. 407 ETR proudly employs over 500 employees and completed 1,190 hours of corporate safety training in 2023. As new technologies come on the market, the Company considers applications for these technologies to reduce safety risks to our workers. Recent safety pilots include drones that conduct overhead structure inspections, and laser-enabled sensors that digitally mark the perimeter of a work zone to detect unauthorized vehicles and alert road workers in real-time. Learn more about 407 ETR's safety performance in the 2023 ESG Report: Steering the Way at 407etr.com/ESGReporting Quotes: "This year is our 25th anniversary and what better way to celebrate than by announcing four million hours without a lost-time injury. This is a remarkable feat that demonstrates how committed 407 ETR is to safety. We know that our workers are exposed to live traffic and hazards we'll never be able to completely eliminate. We continue to do everything within our power to mitigate risks so our employees can return home safely to their families." - Javier Tamargo, President & CEO, 407 ETR "Health and safety plays a very important role at 407 ETR. As a highway patroller and a member of 407 ETR's Joint Health & Safety Committee, I'm proud of the dedication to safety from my peers and I'm looking forward to continuing our work to promote and enhance safety culture at 407 ETR." - Evan McMillan, Highway Patroller & Member, 407 ETR Joint Health & Safety Committee "The League of Champions is honoured to welcome 407 ETR as a member. Four million hours without a lost-time injury is an outstanding achievement and goes to show their endless commitment to health and safety with a strong focus on maintaining an exemplary safety culture. Congratulations!" - Dan Fleming, Chair, League of Champions "Congratulations, 407 ETR. A milestone this big takes so much work from everyone within the company. Leadership creates the right environment and culture for continuous improvement to ensure the Joint Health & Safety Committee members get the right training and encouragement to identify hazards so you can all go home safe every single day. The Internal Responsibility System is truly living and breathing within 407 ETR." - Chris McKean, Vice President, Programs & Strategic Development, IHSA About 407 ETR Highway 407 ETR is an all-electronic open-access toll highway located in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. The highway spans 108 kilometres from Burlington in the west to Pickering in the east. 407 International Inc. is the sole shareholder of 407 ETR and is owned by: Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) through indirectly owned subsidiaries (50.01%). Cintra Global S.E., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ferrovial S.A. (43.23%); and AtkinsRealis Canada Inc., formerly SNC-Lavalin Inc. (6.76%). Follow us on social media: X Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube SOURCE 407 ETR Concession Company Limited 407 ETR Media Contact: [email protected], 416-706-1861 The Foundation's goal is to donate a minimum of $1 million to seven NPOs to support projects that improve living environments or access to housing for vulnerable populations BOUCHERVILLE, QC, May 27, 2024 /CNW/ - The RONA Foundation, which oversees the philanthropic activities of RONA inc., one of Canada's leading home improvement retailers operating or servicing some 425 corporate and affiliated stores under different banners, is inviting Canadian organizations wishing to benefit from its Build from the Heart program to submit their applications by June 14. In this time of economic uncertainty and housing crisis, this program aims to donate a minimum of $1 million to seven non-profit organizations, one in each province where RONA has stores, to help them carry out their construction or home improvement projects. RONA Prince Alberts team (CNW Group/RONA inc.) Organizations with eligible projects wishing to benefit from the Foundation's support can submit their applications until June 14 by completing the form available here. The selection committee will announce the winning projects in the summer of 2024. Helping to build stronger communities in these difficult times for vulnerable populations The RONA Foundation is driven by the desire to make a difference in the lives of many people every day. At a time when access to housing is a challenge, making Canadian populations all the more vulnerable, the Foundation wants to help communities with its Build from the Heart program. The purpose of this program is to provide financial support to NPOs with projects aimed at revitalizing a living environment or making access to housing easier for victims of domestic violence and their children, low-income families, and people with disabilities or mental health issues. "It's important for us to give back to our communities by enabling people in need to have a safe place to live. After all, it's thanks to them that RONA has been part of the Canadian economic landscape for over 85 years," adds Josee Lafitte, Director of the RONA Foundation. Discover the commitments and community initiatives of RONA inc. and the RONA Foundation by visiting the ronainc.ca website. To share this news on social media, please use @RONAEN (Facebook), @RONA (LinkedIn), and @RONAinc (X, formerly Twitter). About the RONA Foundation The RONA Foundation is a charitable organization created in 1998. For its 25th anniversary, the RONA Foundation redefined its mission, which is to improve the quality of life of Canadians in need by revitalizing their living environments and making it easier to access housing. It aims to help the victims of domestic violence and their children, low-income families, and individuals with disabilities or mental health issues. To find out more about the RONA Foundation, visit its website at https://www.ronainc.ca/en/rona-foundation. About RONA inc. RONA inc. is one of Canada's leading home improvement retailers and is headquartered in Boucherville, Quebec. The RONA inc. network operates or services some 425 corporate and affiliated dealer stores under the RONA+, RONA, Reno-Depot, and Dick's Lumber banners. With a long and rich history, RONA inc. has supported Canadians in their home improvement and construction projects since 1939. To achieve this, the company relies on a team of 21,000 employees, to whom it strives to provide an inclusive workplace where everyone is invited to contribute. RONA inc. is one of the Montreal region's Top Employers since 2021. As a result of its ongoing efforts in sustainable development, the company is recognized as one of Canada's Greenest Employers. To learn more about the company, visit the website www.ronainc.ca. SOURCE RONA inc. Media Relations: RONA inc., 514-599-5900, ext. 5271, 1-866-566-3342, [email protected] An 11-year-old lying on the floor of his Atlantic City home was shot by a bullet from a dispute outside, according to police. The bullet fired during the dispute at 10:26 p.m. Saturday went into the home in the 100 block of north Rhode Island Avenue, according to a news statement from Atlantic City police. The boys injury is not life threatening, police said. The boy was taken to AltlaniCare Regional Medical Center for treatment, police said. By Jessica Henry Elderly people serving life without parole and lengthy prison sentences have no opportunity for release. It doesnt matter how much they have changed and reformed, or that they pose no threat to public safety, or the extraordinary fiscal costs of incarcerating an aging inmate. New Jersey should act on proposed legislation to change that. The proposed Rehabilitative Release legislation, based on recommendations by the states nonpartisan Sentencing Commission, would create a pathway for New Jerseys geriatric prison population to seek sentencing relief and potential release. As a college professor who studies severe sentences, I know that keeping people in prison for their entire natural lives is costly, often unnecessary, disparately impacts poor people and people of color, and does not keep our communities safer. New Jersey remains, infamously, the worst state in the country when it comes to racial disparities in criminal sentencing. The cost of incarcerating the elderly is significant. Inmates age faster than those in the outside world, both because of their health status at the time they enter prison and due to the prison experience itself. Elderly incarcerated people face a myriad of co-occurring chronic conditions such as diabetes and high cholesterol, fading hearing and vision, reduced mobility requiring a walker or wheelchair, and varying stages of cognitive decline. And prisons -- focused on control and internal safety -- are poorly positioned to deal with the complex needs of a graying and infirm prison population. Federal prisons with the most elderly prisoners also spend five times more per person on medical care, including 14 times more on medication costs, than other prison facilities. Pennsylvania now runs three long-term care facilities for elderly prisoners with a range of complex health issues. One study estimated Pennsylvania could save nearly $79 million dollars in prison costs if it were to release the people in prison who were 50 years or older and have served at least 20 years. The costs of keeping each elderly inmates in prison until they die is a significant fiscal burden and one that does not serve the public interest. Nor would the floodgates open if we reconsidered imprisoning the elderly; the Sentencing Commission estimates that less than three hundred people in New Jersey today would be eligible to ask for release. Dying in prison makes no sense | Editorial https://t.co/Qfx8eYVig4 NJ_Opinion (@NJ_Opinion) May 1, 2023 Releasing elderly people from prison also poses virtually no risk to public safety. Research consistently establishes that recidivism among the elderly including those initially incarcerated for a violent crime is extremely low. Thats because people tend to age out of offending, and people over 60 have well-passed the typical age for involvement in crime. Victims and their family members will also have an opportunity to weigh in if they choose. Victims have a broad range of perspectives, including some who will not oppose release, and courts can consider these perspectives in making the release decision. Importantly, New Jerseys proposed second look law is not a get out of jail free card. Rather, the law simply provides a mechanism for eligible senior citizens who have served decades in prison to show that they have been rehabilitated. Those who cannot demonstrate they have earned a chance at life on the outside will not be released. Second look laws also make good correctional sense by incentivizing incarcerated people to succeed in prison. Those who take seriously available prison programming, work to better themselves, and serve as mentors for those around them will know that they could one day earn the chance to be released. Groups such as Second Look New Jersey, of which I am also a member, believe that all people deserve a second chance. Even more, we believe that death in prison sentences are not the smartest or best response to crime. Most developed nations have banned whole life sentences in recognition that they deny the inherent dignity and humanity of people sentenced to prison; as a national leader in criminal justice reform, New Jersey should join the growing chorus of voices that say we can do better. At the inaugural Second Chance New Jersey conference, which is this Monday, June 3rd -- you can register here -- policymakers, faith leaders, people who are formerly incarcerated, victims, advocates, and academics will come together to discuss ways to make second look laws a reality for our state. New Jersey should join the 12 other state legislatures, along with the federal government and the District of Columbia, that have already passed laws that allow for judicial sentencing review. Second look laws promise hope; and in the end, this is the most compelling and foundational reason to seriously consider them. When we offer hope to incarcerated people, we say to them that after decades behind bars they deserve a chance to show that they are more than the worst thing that they have ever done. Jessica Henry is a Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Yeo Valley Woodland has clinched two prestigious titles in the Devon Woodland Competition. The woodland, which offers spectacular views over Barnstaple, was awarded the titles of Best Community Woodland and Best Overall Woodland. The announcement of these accolades took place at the Devon County Show on Friday, 17 May. Andrew Moulton, Parks Manager at North Devon Council, proudly accepted the winnings on behalf of the council's parks team and the dedicated Friends of Yeo Valley Woodland community group. The Friends of Yeo Valley group received a 500 prize for winning the Best Community Woodland category, while the Newman Perpetual Challenge Trophy was bestowed upon Yeo Valley Woodland for its outstanding overall contribution to woodland conservation. Judges Mark Prior and Ross Kennerley praised Yeo Valley Woodland for being an excellent example of a well-developed community woodland. The woodland, which was planted primarily by school children and volunteers 14 years ago, has thrived under the care and dedication of its local community. The judges said: There is an enthusiastic 'friends of' group who meet and have work parties regularly. The site is generally well-used and also has arranged events throughout the year. The local council provides good support, as evidenced by the large additional new woodland planted adjacent to enlarge the site and bring the accessible woodland to the local hospital site. Expressing his pride in the achievement, Parks Manager Andrew Moulton said: I am incredibly proud of Yeo Valley Woodlands' achievement in winning the Devon Woodland Competition. This award reflects the tireless work of our dedicated volunteers and the commitment of the parks team. Without the Friends of Yeo Valley volunteers group, there would be no community woodland! Their joint effort and passion for this space have transformed it into a cherished community asset. Harbin said the structure at 1805 Sheridan Ave. approximately one block west of Whiting High School was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no one was injured as a result of the fire. The rapper Nicki Minaj apologized to fans in Manchester, England, for postponing a show scheduled in the city for Saturday night after footage posted to one of her social media accounts appeared to show her being arrested by Dutch authorities for drug possession. The live Instagram video, captured by CNN and shared more broadly, is no longer available on Minajs account. It appears to show Minaj, who had performed Thursday in Amsterdam, being directed toward a van by law enforcement officers. Youre under arrest, one of the officers says in the video, informing Minaj that she will be taken to the police station. When Minaj asks why, he responds, because youre carrying drugs. The video then shows Minaj denying the accusation and repeatedly requesting a lawyer before eventually stepping into the van. Another video posted to her Instagram account appears to show a man telling Minaj that her luggage will need to be searched. She put up with the giggles for a while, but they would not stop. Finally, Dionne Figgins took a break from rehearsing a group of eighth graders for their coming performances at the Joyce Theater to give a mini-lecture. But what started out as a talk about disruptive giggles soon became something more expansive: a consideration of the audience-dancer relationship. If a giggle is taking over the performance, youre not doing the show anymore, said Figgins, who is the artistic director of Ballet Tech, a tuition-free ballet school in New York. Dance is a service. The students stopped talking. Their twitching ceased. The patron is our boss, Figgins said. Does that make sense? So you have to care about the experience of the audience, so it doesnt involve a giggle unless a giggle is what were providing. And there are giggles in there! A hacker group called RansomHub said it was behind the cyberattack that hit the Christies website just days before its marquee spring sales began, forcing the auction house to resort to alternatives to online bidding. In a post on the dark web on Monday, the group claimed that it had gained access to sensitive information about the worlds wealthiest art collectors, posting only a few examples of names and birthdays. It was not immediately possible to verify RansomHubs claims, but several cybersecurity experts said they were a known ransomware operation and that the claim was plausible. Nor was it clear if the hackers had gained access to more sensitive information, including financial data and client addresses. The group said it would release the data, posting a countdown timer that would reach zero by the end of May. At Christies, a spokesman said in a statement, Our investigations determined there was unauthorized access by a third party to parts of Christies network. The spokesman, Edward Lewine, said that the investigations also determined that the group behind the incident took some limited amount of personal data relating to some of our clients. He added, There is no evidence that any financial or transactional records were compromised. Hackers said that Christies failed to pay a ransom when one was demanded. We attempted to come to a reasonable resolution with them but they ceased communication midway through, the hackers wrote in their dark web post, which was reviewed by a New York Times reporter. It is clear that if this information is posted they will incur heavy fines from GDPR as well as ruining their reputation with their clients. The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle remained closed on Monday afternoon, nearly a week after employees walked off the job to protest an exhibition that includes language they believe frames Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism as antisemitism. Almost half the museum staff participated in the walkout, which began on Wednesday, the scheduled opening day of Confronting Hate Together, an exhibition looking at how communities oppose forms of bigotry, including racism and antisemitism. The 24 employees who staged the walkout said in letters that museum leaders had failed to address their concerns, but the museum said in an online statement that it would remain closed to listen and earnestly engage in dialog with our staff. Lisa Kranseler, director of the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, which collaborated on the exhibition, said the museum was now considering taking down the show because of the controversy. (The museum did not immediately respond to a request for comment.) It is very sad, Kranseler said in a phone interview. We worked with them for almost a year and a half on the exhibition. Zelensky warned of a new Russian offensive A day after a Russian missile strike on a hardware superstore in Kharkiv, Ukraine, killed at least 16 people, according to officials there, its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Moscows forces were massing for a new ground offensive in the northeast. Kharkiv has seen a sharp escalation in the ferocity of aerial attacks this month, forcing many to flee. On Saturday, a second strike, which came just hours after the attack on the superstore, hit commercial infrastructure, wounding at least 25 people. Far from the front lines, U.S. and allied intelligence officials are tracking an increase in low-level sabotage operations in Europe, saying that the acts are part of a Russian campaign to undermine support for Ukraine. The covert operations have mostly been arsons or attempted arsons targeting a wide range of sites, including a warehouse in England, a paint factory in Poland, homes in Latvia and an Ikea store in Lithuania. People accused of being Russian operatives have also been arrested on charges of plotting attacks on U.S. military bases. Last year, two unions representing workers at three large automakers and UPS negotiated new labor contracts that included big raises and other gains. Leaders of the unions the United Automobile Workers and the Teamsters hoped the wins would help them organize workers across their industry. The U.A.W. won one vote to unionize a Volkswagen factory in Tennessee last month and lost one this month at two Mercedes-Benz plants in Alabama. The Teamsters have made even less progress at UPSs big nonunion rivals in the delivery business, Amazon and FedEx. Polling shows that public support for unions is the highest it has been in decades. But labor experts said structural forces would make it hard for labor groups to increase their membership, which is the lowest it has been as a percentage of the total work force in decades. Unions also face stiff opposition from many employers and conservative political leaders. The Teamsters provide an instructive case study. Many of the workers doing deliveries for Amazon and FedEx work for contractors, typically small and medium-size businesses that can be hard to organize. And delivery workers employed directly by FedEx in its Express business are governed by a labor law that requires unions to organize all similar workers at the company nationally at once a tougher standard than the one that applies to organizing employees at automakers, UPS and other employers. Elon Musks artificial intelligence company, xAI, said on Sunday that it had raised $6 billion, helping to close the funding gap with OpenAI, Anthropic and other rivals in the red-hot industry. The funds would be used to take xAIs first products to market, build advanced infrastructure and accelerate the research and development of future technologies, the company said in a statement. Mr. Musk, who founded xAI in July, said in a social media post that the funding round valued the company at $18 billion, not including the new money. Investors included the Silicon Valley heavyweights Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, along with Saudi Arabias Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Investors and large tech companies like Google, Meta and Microsoft have poured billions into the businesses developing A.I. systems, looking to profit as theyre integrated into many aspects of business and daily life. These investments also reflect the steep costs of running generative A.I. systems, which require huge amounts of processing power to generate text, sounds and images. On the stunning Kenyan coast, about halfway between 15th-century ruins and the vibrant city of Mombasa, a small factory is helping to achieve one of Africas biggest health care goals: self-reliance. With fewer than 700 employees, Revital Healthcare makes 300 million syringes a year, enough to meet more than half of Africas routine immunization needs. In the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, when governments were faced with vaccinating millions of people amid severe shortages, Revital shipped syringes to Sri Lanka, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan and even sent 15 million syringes to India, said Roneek Vora, the companys director of sales and marketing. This is the first time ever in the life of Africa that a medical industry is exporting syringes to India, when we know India is a powerhouse of syringe manufacturing, Mr. Vora said. This was a very big deal for us it broke a lot of barriers, he added. Days before his inauguration in Washington in 2017, Donald J. Trump had a debt to settle in New York: a payout to his fixer, Michael D. Cohen. They met on the 26th floor of Trump Tower, Mr. Cohen says, and struck a $420,000 deal. Seven years later, Mr. Trumps criminal trial in Manhattan hinges on that fleeting encounter, which is both critically important and completely in dispute. Mr. Cohen says he paid off a porn star at his bosss behest, and in that meeting, he and Mr. Trump settled on a plan to repay him and conceal the reimbursement as legal expenses. Mr. Trump says his former fixer is a liar. But prosecutors say there was a third man in the room that day: Allen H. Weisselberg, Mr. Trumps moneyman, the keeper of the balance sheet. And he is not saying anything at all. Prosecutors never called Mr. Weisselberg to testify, because, although he knows the truth, he has not always told it. He is serving time in the Rikers Island jail complex after pleading guilty to perjury in an unrelated civil case involving Mr. Trump, the man he served for nearly half a century. The City of Wildwood, N.J., briefly closed its boardwalk late Sunday, citing unruly teen crowds at the bustling beachside attraction during the busy Memorial Day weekend but offering few details about what prompted the decision. City officials declared a state of emergency after midnight on Sunday, they said, but had reopened the boardwalk by 6 a.m. Monday. In a statement on Monday, the officials said the decision stemmed from civil unrest caused by the extremely large number of young adults and juveniles in the city but failed to specify what, if anything, the young people did to cause the state of emergency. The officials said the presence of the young people caused an irrepressible number of calls for service beginning Saturday night that left the police unable to respond to other emergencies, and that nearby police agencies were brought in to aid the department. This month, an account on X with the handle @moyurireads and 360 followers published a link to a color-coded spreadsheet classifying nearly 200 writers according to their views on the genocide in Gaza. Titled Is Your Fav Author a Zionist?, it reads like a cross between Tiger Beat and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The novelist Emily St. John Mandel, the author of Station Eleven and Sea of Tranquility, earned a red pro-Israel/Zionist classification because, according to the lists creator, she travels to Israel frequently talks favorably about it. Simply for posting a link to the Israeli chapter of the Red Cross, the novelist Kristin Hannah was deemed a Zionist, as was the author Gabrielle Zevin for delivering a book talk to Hadassah, a Jewish womens organization. Needless to say, the creator of the list whose post on X announcing it garnered over a million views within a few days encourages readers to boycott any works produced by Zionists. The spreadsheet is but the crudest example of the virulently anti-Israel and increasingly antisemitic sentiment that has been coursing through the literary world since the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7. Much of it revolves around the charge of genocide and seeks to punish Zionists and anyone else who refuses to explicitly denounce the Jewish state for allegedly committing said crime. Since a large majority of American Jews (80 percent of whom, according to a 2020 poll, said that caring about Israel is an important or essential part of their Judaism) are Zionists, to accuse all Zionists of complicity in genocide is to anathematize a core component of Jewish identity. Over the past several months, a litmus test has emerged across wide swaths of the literary world effectively excluding Jews from full participation unless they denounce Israel. This phenomenon has been unfolding in progressive spaces (academia, politics, cultural organizations) for quite some time. That it has now hit the rarefied, highbrow realm of publishing where Jewish Americans have made enormous contributions and the vitality of which depends on intellectual pluralism and free expression is particularly alarming. For a long time, many women who had abortions because of catastrophic fetal diagnoses told their stories only privately. Grieving pregnancies they dearly wanted and fearing the stigma of abortion, they sought the closely guarded comfort of online communities identified by the way many doctors had described the procedure TFMR, or termination for medical reasons. In the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, their pain has been compounded into anger by new abortion bans across the country. While these women account for a fraction of abortions in the United States, they have emerged as the most powerful voices in the nations post-Roe debate, speaking out against bans with their stories of being forced across state lines and left to feel like criminals in seeking care. Many of these women started out opposing abortion, but as they have changed their minds, they have changed the way Americans speak about it. Shifting from private anguish to public outrage, they have also helped shift public opinion toward more support for abortion. After going through all this I wondered, why are we not the poster child for abortion rights? said Riata Little Walker, who traveled from her home in Casper, Wyo., for an abortion in Colorado at 22 weeks, after doctors diagnosed Down syndrome and a heart defect in her fetus, which they said would require surgery and later a transplant if it survived until delivery. Johnny Wactor, an actor best known for his role in General Hospital, was shot and killed on Saturday, reports said, amid what his family described as an attempted theft of a catalytic converter in Los Angeles. The fatal shooting took place around 3:25 a.m. on Saturday, when Mr. Wactor approached three men in downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. Mr. Wactor left the bar where he worked late in the evening and was walking toward his vehicle when he interrupted three people who were in the process of stealing the vehicles catalytic converter, the police said, citing witness accounts. His mother, Scarlett Wactor, told the local news station ABC7 that her son was walking with a co-worker and thought his car was being towed at first. When he approached the person to ask, the person looked up, he was wearing a mask, and opened fire. In early 2021, Representative Byron Donalds, Republican of Florida, and his wife, Erika, took the stage at an event hosted by the Truth & Liberty Coalition, a group that pushes to inject Christianity into public schools and other institutions and whose leader has described homosexuality as Satans work. The couple was warmly welcomed as allies in the cause. Mrs. Donalds was singled out for opening a charter school in Florida. As a state legislator, Mr. Donalds had created a school voucher program that, in the words of one speaker, let children get a biblical worldview education. Mr. Donalds addressed the group with characteristic humility. He is just a poor kid from Brooklyn, he said, who made good by doggedly pursuing his interests. He urged the group to do the same: Be bold. Mr. Donaldss career is a testament to his advice. His interests in overhauling public education, evangelical Christianity and electing Donald J. Trump have propelled a rapid political ascent. A backbencher congressman in only his second term, Mr. Donalds, 45, has fast become a prominent surrogate for Mr. Trumps presidential campaign and a conservative media regular, serving up earnest and on-message defenses of the former president. Thirty years ago, Black South Africans voted for the first time as the country celebrated the monumental birth of a democracy. As I write this, South Africa is bathed in warm winter sunlight and South Africans are free. That day, April 27, 1994, changed the lives of everyone in the country. I was there. But I can only vaguely remember it. I do, however, vividly remember the cost in human lives that led to that victorious day, as what amounted to a proxy war fueled by elements of the apartheid state pitted ethnic groups against one another. Those who hoped the bloodshed would derail democratic negotiations conveniently called it Black-on-Black violence. Four years passed between Nelson Mandelas release from prison and that first real election. In that time, as the apartheid government slowly settled the terms of its dissolution with political leaders it had long sought to suppress, 14,000 people died violently. The leaders of South Korea and Japan on Monday sought to restore economic cooperation with China, their biggest trading partner, after years of souring relations, but their three-way talks were overshadowed by heightened tensions between China and the United States, Seoul and Tokyos most important military ally. The trilateral meeting featuring President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and Premier Li Qiang, the second-highest official in China was the first in four and a half years. Talks focused mainly on areas where common ground could more easily be found, such as protecting supply chains, promoting trade and cooperating on the challenges of aging populations and emerging infectious diseases. The leaders tiptoed around thorny regional security issues like Taiwan and North Korea. The three nations agreed to expand practical cooperation in a way their people can feel its benefits, Mr. Yoon said during a joint news conference with Mr. Kishida and Mr. Li, announcing 2025 and 2026 as the years of cultural exchanges among the three nations. Come June, a crack team of wildlife experts plans to swarm the volcanic cliffs and natural caves of a small island in the Mediterranean to ensnare what has become an out-of-control species: goats gone wild. It is the first step in a mission to rid the Aeolian island of Alicudi, just north of Sicily, of hundreds of feral goats that are crowding out the islands 100 or so year-round human inhabitants, so that the animals can be adopted elsewhere. We are all for goats running free, but lets be clear: These arent Heidis kid goats, said Carolina Barnao, a council member in neighboring Lipari, which administers its fellow Aeolian islands. Some of them could even become dangerous. After being seized on Alicudi, the goats will be rustled down to an enclosure near the islands port, tested for diseases and then hoisted onto a ship heading to Sicily, where they will spend two months in quarantine. Then, they can be adopted and taken to greener pastures. Simon Cheng still visibly tenses when he describes his detention in China. In 2019, Mr. Cheng, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong and a former employee of Britains Consulate there, was arrested after a business trip to mainland China. For 15 days, he was questioned and tortured, according to his account. Beijing confirmed his detention but denied he was mistreated. When he was finally released, he no longer felt safe in Hong Kong, and in early 2020, he fled to Britain and claimed asylum. Its not hard to adapt to a new life in the U.K. in some ways, said Mr. Cheng, 33. But also, I cant move on from the fate of my home city. His activism and Chinas pursuit of him did not end once he moved to London. Last year, the Hong Kong authorities put a bounty on Mr. Cheng and other activists, offering $128,000 for information leading to their arrest. Still, like many Hong Kong activists living in self-imposed exile in Britain, he hoped his newfound distance from the Chinese authorities put him far from their reach. The lines for the show snake down the block, with people waiting for up to seven hours to buy tickets at the theater in downtown Kyiv. Videos of the performance have drawn millions of views online. The smash hit isnt a popular Broadway musical or a series of concerts by a pop star its a play based on a classic 19th-century Ukrainian novel, The Witch of Konotop, and the mood is anything but upbeat. Consider the opening line: It is sad and gloomy. Mykhailo Matiukhin, an actor in the production, said that is what has struck a chord with Ukrainians because it shows what we are living through now. President Emmanuel Macron of France said Monday he was outraged by an Israeli attack in Rafah that the authorities in Gaza said killed dozens of people. These operations must stop, he said, referring to the strike on Sunday. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. Mr. Macron called for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. His comments came after the International Court of Justice on Friday ordered Israel to halt its offensive in the city and added to a drumbeat of criticism of Israel over its conduct in the war. Aid trucks from Egypt reached the Gaza Strip under a new U.S.-brokered agreement to reopen a vital conduit for humanitarian relief, the Israeli military and the Egyptian Red Crescent said. Some 126 trucks from Egypt containing food, fuel and other necessities made it to the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza on Sunday, the Israeli military said in a statement. The trucks were inspected by Israeli officials, said Ahmad Ezzat, an Egyptian Red Crescent official. On Sunday, the U.N. trucks sent to Kerem Shalom to pick up the Egyptian aid were forced to evacuate the crossing because of a security issue, according to Sam Rose, a spokesman for UNRWA. Officials including Mr. Rose said the aid had not made it past the crossing as of Sunday. Germanys vice chancellor, Robert Habeck, has said that Israels offensive in Rafah is incompatible with international law. His comments were reported on Saturday by the countrys public broadcaster, Deutsche Welle. Senior German officials had previously warned Israel against attacking Rafah, but Mr. Habecks comments appear to represent a hardening of that tone in a country with a longstanding policy of support for Israel. Israel must not carry out this attack, at least not in the way it did in the Gaza Strip before, bombing refugee camps and so on, Mr. Habeck said. A member of Egypts security forces was killed near the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip and an investigation is underway, an Egyptian army spokesman said on Monday, after the Israeli military reported a shooting on the border. Al Qahera News, Egypts state-owned television station, cited a well-informed, unnamed security official as saying it appeared there was gunfire exchanged between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters, and that the ensuing battle resulted in the death of the soldier. The New York Times could not independently verify the circumstances of the shooting. The shooting reflected the escalating tension at the border since early May, when the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, became the focus of Israels military campaign to defeat Hamas, an armed group that led a deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Israeli troops took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing, the main conduit between the territory and Egypt, early this month. The Israeli military also on Monday reported a shooting at the border, but did not give further details. Several hours ago, a shooting incident took place on the Egyptian border, Israels military said in a statement. The incident is under review. There is a dialogue with the Egyptian side. The Egyptian armys spokesman, Col. Gharib Abdel Hafez, wrote on social media that a member of Egypts security forces was killed in the shooting near the crossing. The Israeli seizure of the Rafah crossing, in what Israel called a limited operation into Rafah, halted the flow of aid into the enclave through that portal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has said the operation is vital to defeat the remaining battalions of Hamas and to destroy its military infrastructure, including tunnels. Rafahs population had swollen to more than one million as Gazans displaced from their homes fled to the area earlier in the conflict. The Egyptian authorities said they were concerned about an exodus of refugees across the border and onto its soil. Since then, most people have fled Rafah to areas farther from the Egyptian border. Israeli leaders have said repeatedly that they needed to control the crossing and a buffer zone along Gazas southern border, known in Israel as the Philadelphi Corridor, in order to block tunnels built by Hamas that run from Gaza into Egypt. Access to Aid in Gaza Was Dire. Now, Its Worse. The flow of aid into Gaza has shrunk so much in May that humanitarian officials say their operations are at risk of shutting down, and that the threat of widespread starvation is more acute than ever. Aid trucks entering Gaza fall far short of meeting need Southern crossings Northern crossings U.S.-built pier 350 The minimum number needed, according to U.N. officials 300 May 7 Israel seizes Rafah crossing in incursion 200 100 May 1 May 23 350 The minimum number needed, according to U.N. officials 300 200 May 7 Israel seizes Rafah crossing in incursion 100 May 1 May 23 The entry of aid trucks through Gazas southern crossings, where most aid has arrived since the war began, has nearly ground to a halt since Israel expanded its fighting in the southern city of Rafah. In northern Gaza, new entry points have enabled small amounts of critical aid to reach those who have been most at risk of famine for months. But that aid is insufficient to support the Gazan population, and most cannot reach the central and southern areas, where a majority of people are newly displaced by the war. A ruling issued by the International Court of Justice on Friday appeared to order Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah, although at least some of the courts judges said limited operations could continue despite the decision. The ruling made explicit note of the spread of famine and starvation in Gaza and emphasized the need for the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance. Last month, Israel had pledged to increase the aid it allowed into Gaza after the killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers in an attack by Israeli forces drew international outrage. Israels strict controls on aid and the challenge of distributing it within the enclave had already created catastrophic levels of hunger. Under pressure from President Biden, Israeli officials began to bring additional aid through the port of Ashdod and opened the Erez crossing in the north, which Israel had closed after the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. In coordination with Israel, the U.S. military built a temporary pier to bring in aid by sea, a supplement to key land routes in the south. But in early May, Israel expanded its military operation in southern Gaza after a Hamas rocket attack killed four soldiers near a crossing at Kerem Shalom. Israel closed that crossing as well as the Rafah crossing, where a majority of aid had been coming in. Nearly 300 aid trucks had crossed there in a single day just before the incursion. It was a record for us since the outbreak of the war, said Georgios Petropoulos, the head of the United Nations aid office in Rafah. We were kind of saying, OK, well, maybe we're getting to where we need to be. And then boom, suddenly it's gone. Erez crossing Erez West crossing U.S.-built aid pier Israel GAZA STRIP Rafah crossing Kerem Shalom crossing EGYPT Aid entrypoint Current status Rafah crossing The crossing remains closed after it was seized and shut down by Israel during its incursion into Rafah. Kerem Shalom crossing Israel reopened this southern crossing on May 8, but a very limited amount of aid and fuel, and almost no medical supplies, have entered there since. Erez and Erez West crossings More aid has come through these crossings, which have been open since early May, than through others since May 8, but the amounts satisfy just a fraction of the overall need. U.S.-built aid pier The U.N. said on May 22 that about 60 trucks worth of food has been delivered to warehouses via the pier, less than the U.S. militarys goal. Aid groups temporarily suspended distribution last week after security issues. Airdrops A few trucks worth of aid enters by air sporadically. Israel reopened Kerem Shalom on May 8, but aid workers from multiple organizations have said the vital entry point remains functionally closed, with a daily average of just eight aid trucks entering. One reason is that Egypt has refused to allow trucks from the closed Rafah crossing to continue on to Kerem Shalom. Mr. Biden and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt agreed on Friday to send aid and fuel to Kerem Shalom until the Rafah border crossing could be reopened. On Sunday, 126 trucks carrying food and other aid from Egypt reached that crossing, according to a statement by the Israeli military. The U.N. distribution trucks that made it to Kerem Shalom to pick up the Egyptian aid were forced to evacuate the crossing because of a security issue, said Sam Rose, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA. Officials including Mr. Rose said the aid had not made it past the crossing as of Sunday. Scott Anderson, a senior official at UNRWA, and Mr. Petropoulos have said that the crossing area is still an active military zone and that safety and logistical challenges can hold up aid that arrives at the crossing and prevent it from being immediately collected and distributed. An Israeli airstrike on a makeshift tent camp in Rafah killed at least 45 people on Sunday night, according to the Gaza health ministry. The Israeli military said the strike was aimed at a Hamas compound. Empty trucks coming from inside Gaza en route to load aid at Kerem Shalom often sit in hours-long waits behind commercial trucks carrying goods to sell in Gaza, which officials say number more than 100 or 200 per day. While humanitarian groups say they welcome the arrival of commercial supplies, most people inside Gaza cannot afford them, and the shipments may not include basic necessities. Getting aid to people in Gaza is also difficult because Israels expanded operations in the south and north have forced nearly a million people to flee to areas with little shelter, food or water on the coast or among the rubble in more central regions. Before the Rafah operation, most people were sheltering in the areas where a majority of the aid was coming in. But now, new entry points in the north the U.S. pier, and a new crossing called Erez West are beset with problems. They bring in too little aid to sustain everyone and are located far from the largest clusters of people. Before the Rafah operation April 23 through May 6 94 aid trucks entered through crossings in the north North Gaza and Gaza An estimated 300,000 to 400,000 people at the end of April Middle Area and Khan Younis About 500,000 Rafah Up to 1.3 million, a majority of Gazans, were sheltering here 2,636 trucks entered through crossings in the south After the Rafah operation May 7 through May 20 465 trucks North Gaza and Gaza An estimated 300,000 to 400,000 people in mid-May 40 trucks of aid delivered via the U.S. pier Middle Area and Khan Younis About 1.5 million, a majority, are crowded here now 143 trucks entered through Kerem Shalom crossing Rafah About 300,000 The distribution of the aid that does make it through each crossing also poses significant challenges. Israels recent evacuation orders in parts of Rafah and northern Gaza have made many aid agency warehouses unreachable and travel more dangerous. UNRWA announced on May 21 that it had suspended distribution in Rafah, citing security issues, supply shortages and an inability to access its warehouse. Without consistent, predictable deliveries of aid, many trucks do not make it far through desperate crowds. For instance, on May 18, the World Food Program reported that 11 of 16 trucks were looted after leaving the U.S. pier. An Israeli military road and checkpoint in the north, which bisects the enclave and prevented the easy movement of aid from the south to the north earlier in the war, is likely to create a similar problem for aid moving in the opposite direction, according to Mr. Petropoulos. COGAT, the Israeli military agency coordinating aid delivery, has said that increasing the amount of aid going into Gaza remains a priority. It reports daily that it has inspected hundreds of trucks and coordinated their transfer to border crossings, though the figures are often higher than those reported by aid organizations, which track the number of trucks that have collected goods for entry into Gaza and exclude trucks carrying commercial goods. Neither set of figures accounts for difficulties in distribution that can prevent aid from getting to Gazan civilians. Israel says enough aid is entering Gaza and has blamed aid groups for not distributing it faster to civilians a characterization the aid groups dispute, saying Israeli forces have made distribution extremely difficult. Aid organizations have also warned that they will be unable to deliver supplies to anyone if they run out of fuel, and that already inadequate amounts of safe water supplies will disappear. At least 200,000 liters of fuel are needed daily, according to Mr. Anderson of UNRWA. But just a quarter of that amount arrives on average each day since the closure of Rafah crossing, according to U.N. data. The fuel limitation means that we often have to choose: Do we keep the generators running at the hospital, the bakery or the sewage plant? Mr. Anderson said. Clips of a man bearing a shocking resemblance to Keanu Reeves iconic film character John Wick selling street food in Thailand have been going viral online, fueling theories that the stylish assassin had retired in the Asian country. A few days ago, a short video with the caption John Wick stopped killing people and turned to selling coffee and grilled squid went viral on Thai social media, because the man featured in it bore a shocking resemblance to the popular action film character. Only here, he was not gunning down or beating up people, but selling street food and cleaning food bowls. Soon enough, other videos of the mysterious John Wick lookalike followed, including some in which he wore a suit and white tie, just like the action hero. People joked that he must be on a mission in Thailand, while others said that he was done with killing bad guys and had retreated as a street food seller. Photos: Tuktiklife/TikTok Thailands mysterious John Wick became an overnight sensation, with major news outlets in the country working hard to identify him. In the end, the mans wife revealed his identity and quenched everyones search for answers. Apparently, the real-life John Wick is a German man currently visiting his wifes home country and making waves with his uncanny resemblance to the iconic assassin. Photos: Tuktiklife/TikTok The woman, nicknamed Tuk, told Thai TV program Ruang Lao Sao Arthit that she had noticed her husbands resemblance to Kean Reeves while in Germany, so she suggested that he dye his blonde hair and beard black for an even greater effect. Her idea worked, and soon people were asking to take photos with him when they went out. So when they made the trip to Tuks family home in Pak Chong district, Thailands Nakhon Ratchasima province, they got similar reactions. It turns out that Tuk posted some of the viral videos herself on her TikTok channel, tuktiklife, but the idea of her husband working as a street food seller was apparently his. The nine clips shared by Tuk show the real-life John Wick making coffee, selling grilled cuttlefish, washing dishes, and visiting Bangkoks Wat Arun in Thai traditional attire. They got between 106,000 and 4.7 million views each, turning the German man, whose real name is Andreas, into a local celebrity. Thank you to the Thai people for welcoming me. Thai people are lovely, especially my wife, the John Wick lookalike told Thai reporters. CCTV cameras in Mexico recently recorded one of the strangest street fights in history involving a band of mariachi and a fire-breathing performer quarreling over busking territory. They say life is stranger than fiction and a short video clip captured by surveillance cameras in the Mexican city of Morelia proves it! Not even the brilliant Quentin Tarantino could have come up with the idea of a fiery street fight between a group of guitar-armed mariachi and a street-performing fire-breather in broad daylight, but thats exactly what occurred last week, at a busy intersection in the Mexican capital. The viral video shows a man being chased by a mariachi and then put in a headlock until more mariachi arrives. They punch and kick the man, but then he turns the tables on them, as he starts blowing plumes of flames at them, literally setting them ablaze. Not the kind of thing you see every day, thats for sure! The bizarre incident occurred outside a taco restaurant called El Inferno in Morelia, west of the capital, and was caught on camera by surveillance cameras, otherwise, few would believe it actually happened. The fire-breathing performer was the only one who went to the hospital to have his wounds treated, but the footage shows at least one of the mariachi being set ablaze by the enraged fire-breather. The members of the mariachi group were all wearing shirts, and their clothes quickly caught on fire. According to local police, the street fight most likely began over territory, as street performers often tend to compete for the right to perform in coveted places known to generate higher daily revenue. Competition between buskers in Mexico is so fierce that such disputes involve firearms and can prove fatal. This is one of the very few cases, if not the only one, where fire breathing was used as a weapon. Mexico: Un conjunto de mariachis persigue a un individuo, quien se defiende lanzandoles fuego . Mas detalles en los comentarios pic.twitter.com/pM6pPpO2Kn Actualidad Viral (@ActualidaViral) May 21, 2024 The original video of the altercation was reportedly pulled from YouTube, but shorter clips are still doing the rounds online. Chinas Guizhou Province is home to about a dozen conical hills known as the Anlong Pyramids because of their resemblance to the much more famous pyramids of Egypt. In recent years, Anlong County has become a popular tourist destination thanks in no small part to its pyramid-like mountains which have captured the imaginations of millions of people around the world. Apart from their pyramid-like shape, these formations also feature layers of rock stacked on top of each other so neatly that you could swear they were placed like that by someone or something. Ever since photos and videos of the Anlong Pyramids started circulating online around 2018, conspiracy theories about their origin began appearing as well, and despite experts best efforts to convince the public that these pyramids are completely natural, some people still believe that they are the work of an ancient human civilization or of aliens. Photo: Xinhua/Liu Xu According to Zhou Qiuwen, a professor at Guizhou Normal University, the so-called pyramids of Anlong County are a typical example of karst terrain with a history of around 200 million years. Back when the county was still a shallow sea, minerals began dissolving in the water and recrystallizing as dolomite, the main component of todays pyramids. Due to periodic changes in climate, geological structure, and other factors, the stacked layers of rocks are so clearly distinct. Furthermore, Zhou explained that the block-like structure of the rocks, which many consider proof of human or alien intervention, is the result of a known geological process. Small cracks within the rocks allow water to slowly erode them, creating segmented block-like formations. Photo: Xinhua/Liu Xu Regarding the peculiar pyramid shape of these karst formations, Zhou explained that the karst topography of the region undergoes vertical erosion by water, with the top layers eroding faster and the lower ones at a slower pace, which results in these pyramid-like shapes with sharp peaks and broad bases. Despite all the scientific explanations, people continue to speculate about the origin of the Anlong Pyramids, with some claiming that they are ancient tombs built by an old civilization, others that they are prototypes of actual pyramids, and some going as far as saying that they are the work of aliens. Pyramid-like natural structures have long fascinated humans, sparking all kinds of conspiracy theories. Remember this pyramid-shaped mountain in Antarctica? Robert Dilenschneider Despite the many differences in our nation during this, an especially divisive election year, let us make Memorial Day an event that draws us together. It is, after all, the day when we commemorate those who have died while serving in the U.S. military the men and women to whom we Americans owe the deepest possible debt. The brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have given their lives in defense of our nation did not hesitate to perform their duties. Let us unite, therefore, on Monday, May 27, in honoring them. As we do so, let us remember that we Americans have overcome domestic divisions before. As long as we maintain our love of Country and our determination to move it forward, we can overcome the current difficulties too. As we mark Memorial Day 2024, let us remember not only the fallen, but also the 2.1 million men and women now in uniform, as well as the almost 800,000 civilians who support them. We are especially indebted to the 170,000 active-duty troops who serve in foreign lands in often dangerous posts. We have people in 80 countries around the world. And let us never forget that our nation has paid a terrible price for the freedoms we enjoy: The number of dead in all conflicts since the American Revolution approaches 1.2 million. The history of Memorial Day begins in 1868 when May 30 was designated Decoration Day to honor those who died during the Civil War. On that first observance, 20,000 graves at Arlington Cemetery were decorated with spring flowers. By 1890, all Northern states recognized Decoration Day as a holiday. Southern states, however, chose to honor their dead on separate days. After World War I, the purpose of the holiday was changed to honor everyone who died fighting in a U.S. war, unifying both North and South in a single commemoration. In 1971, Congress designated the last Monday in May as a federal holiday and changed the name to Memorial Day to distinguish it from Veterans Day when all those honorably discharged from the Armed Forces are celebrated. As we know, Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of summer a time for holiday pleasures like family and friends getting together for a cookout, the first trip of the year to a beach and other happy events. But no matter how we mark this special day, let's all stay safe. And let us all keep in our hearts the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Remember to Remember. *** Robert L. Dilenschneider is the Founder and CEO of The Dilenschneider Group, an international communications firm. William Grant and Sons Irish Manufacturing is seeking to construct a solar PV development which would allow it to provide electrical power to the existing distillery at Clonminch in Tullamore. The company has sought pre-validation from Offaly County Council to install 4,100 photovoltaic panels on ground mounted frames within a site area of 3.90 hectares. A transformer station and 5 CCTV security cameras mounted on 8 metre high poles, form part of the application. In addition the development will have a 2.5 metre high security fence along with internal access tracks, The development will be located at the Tullamore Distillery Campus at Ballard & Clonminch, Tullamore. In a planning statement by McElroy Associates and IMG Planning Limited, carried out on behalf of William Grant and Sons and which accompanies the application. It states ''The objective of the proposed development is to enhance the sustainability of the Distillery by reducing its dependence on expensive and carbon-intensive fossil fuel-derived energy imported from the national grid. The power generated by the proposed development will result in an annual reduction of 750 tonnes of CO. The total annual power output from the proposed development will be approximately 2.5 GWh. '' It continues, ''William Grant and Sons established operations at Tullamore in 2014, with the building of the Pot and Malt Distillery, as well as the associated co-products and maturation facilities. The site has now fully developed into a modern grain to glass facility, directly employing over 100 people onsite.'' Distillery volumes have increased significantly across the 2014 to 2024 period, with output in 2024 nearing 13 million LAA (litres of absolute alcohol). This is the current theoretical maximum for the site and this will lead to further expansion plans/considerations towards the end of the decade; the planning statement says. Bottling Volumes have increased more than 3-fold, since Grant's acquired the Tullamore D.E.W brand in 2010. They are predicted to reach 2 million cases in 2025. ''To support the increased Distillery output and the support the growth of the Tullamore D.E.W brand, the site has steadily increased maturation warehousing, with 11 warehouses now in operational use. A total of 500,000 casks are maturing onsite and plans are in place for a further 2 warehouses (to be completed by 2026). At the Industry level, the Irish Whiskey Association launched its sustainability charter in 2020 and this also details the ambition of the industry to reduce the use of fossil fuels. To this end, all businesses involved in the production of spirits must pursue technology that will both reduce their energy requirements and convert to more sustainable energy sources. This will ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry as a whole, protecting jobs for the long term.'' A decision from Offaly County Council is expected on July 14. 'Chinese Bridge' contest for high school students held in Australia Ecns.cn) 14:04, May 27, 2024 A contestant performs Peking Opera during the final round of the 17th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign high schools in Sydney, Australia, May 26, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Gu Shihong) The final round of Australian section of the 17th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign high schools was held on Sunday. A contestant displays his Chinese calligraphy during the final round of the 17th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign high schools in Sydney, Australia, May 26, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Gu Shihong) A contestant performs during the final round of the 17th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign high schools in Sydney, Australia, May 26, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Gu Shihong) A contestant performs during the final round of the 17th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign high schools in Sydney, Australia, May 26, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Gu Shihong) A contestant writes Chinese calligraphy during the final round of the 17th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign high schools in Sydney, Australia, May 26, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Gu Shihong) A contestant gives a speech during the final round of the 17th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign high schools in Sydney, Australia, May 26, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Gu Shihong) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Wu Chaolan) A court heard a man might not be able to complete community service as he is the subject of a deportation order. Billel Benahmed (34) with an address at Cluain Mhuire, Pallaskenry, Co Limerick admitted a Section 2 assault at Cappakeel, Portlaoise on June 30, 2022. He appeared before Portlaoise District Court where a probation report had been compiled. Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant had no previous convictions. On reading the report, Judge Andrew Cody said it appears that he isnt suitable for community service. He also said the defendant was dishonest about the incident. Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said, he does admit the offence. He just disagrees with the circumstances surrounding it. He is currently under a deportation order but nobody has taken steps to execute that, she explained. She said he hadnt been found not suitable but the probation service had flagged the fact that there was a deportation order. She said an issue might arise where community service was directed but couldnt be finished if he is deported. She said he had attended all of the community service appointments. Judge Cody handed the man a one month sentence which he suspended for two years. At the request of Ms Fitzpatrck, he fixed recognisance in case of appeal. Sri Lanka extends condolences on the passing of French Ambassador Jean-Francois Pactet Posted by Editor on May 27, 2024 - 10:21 am Sri Lankas Ministry of Foreign Affairs has extended its condolences on the passing of Ambassador Jean-Francois Pactet, who served as the Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The Ministry has assured that all necessary assistance will be provided to the French authorities and the family of the late Ambassador, maintaining close coordination with the French Embassy in Sri Lanka during this time of grief. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the funeral arrangements will be announced by the authorities in due course. Ambassador Jean-Francois Pactet, a distinguished career diplomat with extensive international experience, passed away yesterday (May 26) at the age of 53 in his official residence in Rajagiriya. Celebrate the wealth of Bitcoin casino gaming, provably fair reporting, and cross-border entertainment we enjoy today by reliving the landmark moments and special events that led us here. May 22nd was Pizza Day, the time of year when cryptocurrency and blockchain fans celebrate the first time the market-leading decentralised token was used to buy a real-world product. With the recent Halving, the regulation of crypto spot exchange-traded funds, the crazy Craigh Wright court case and Bitcoin once again cracking the $70,000 barrier, we thought it would be an entertaining exercise to track the significant BTC events that have shaped the future of decentralised finance and birthed the exciting world of crypto casino gambling. Top 10 Blockchain & Bitcoin Events The crypto casino game market's strength relies on the incredible way in which the hype and drama surrounding Bitcoin, the blockchain and its cabal of intriguing characters and events grabbed the world's attention. Here are 10 of the most conversation-worthy events in the short but vital history of decentralised currency: Bitcoin White Paper Day (October 2008): This is the day celebrating the release of the Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" whitepaper by the anonymous BTC creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Genesis Block Mining (January 2009): On this day, Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first block of BTC, kickstarting an incredible journey that would impact the financial, AI and technology, and even online gambling industries. Bitcoin Pizza Day (May 2010): Early crypto adopter Lazlo Hanyecz becomes the first person to use BTC to purchase a real-world item by paying 10,000 BTC for two pizzas from Pappa Johns. Bitcoin Logo Day (November 2010): On November 1st, an anonymous BTC fan and artist, bitboy, posted the now iconic Bitcoin logo on the BitcoinTalk forum with the message: Hi guys, just drop by to say hi and to share with you some of the graphics I have done. Feel free to download. I hope you will find them useful. Silk Road Launch (February 2011): The now infamous dark web e-commerce site is launched as a proving ground for using Bitcoin as an anonymous, low-cost, cross-border currency. Craig Wright is a Fraud Day (May 2020): Bitcoin fans and investors celebrate the day that amidst Craig Wrights false claims to be Nakamoto, the owner of coins mined just 37 days after the Genesis Block used 145 private keys to sign a message declaring, "Craig Steven Wright is a liar and a fraud." Lightning Bitcoin Pizza Day (April 2021): Lazlo Hanyecz is at it again, becoming the first person to use the Bitcoin Lightning network to purchase a pizza online. BTC Spot ETF Approval (October 2021): In a landmark decision, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund (ETF), allowing investors to invest in Bitcoin through mainstream financial brokers. Bitcoin Ordinals and Inscriptions (February 2024): While most NFT projects are stored on centralised servers, the creation of Bitcoin Ordinals and Inscriptions allows them to be written onto the blockchain for the first time, revolutionising NFT security and proof of ownership. The Fourth Epoch (April 2024): While there have been three other Halving events before this one, they all went under the radar. With widespread BTC adoption, this fourth Halving drew international attention and boosted interest in the broader crypto market. If you want to keep up to date with the latest insights and news on the crypto and Bitcoin casino market, follow our daily newsfeed. 7 Amazing Crypto Gambling Moments Next, we delve into the most exciting developments and product launches in the crypto casino and Bitcoin betting space. The Launch of SatoshiDice (April 2012): Erik Voorhees launched SatoshiDice, considered the world's first active Bitcoin casino. The crypto-only gambling site showcased the benefits of Bitcoin gambling, such as its speed, efficiency, and jackpot potential. Provably Fair Gaming (April 2012): Not only did the launch of SatoshiDice allow for BTC gambling, but as a blockchain casino game site, it is also the first operator to offer provably fair reporting, enhancing fair play and transparency in an, until then, very secretive industry. A Simple Bitcoin Slot (May 2013): An anonymous team of blockchain developers showcased the potential for blockchain development by launching a casino game titled Satoshi Slot. It offered a simple slot machine interface and provided provably fair reporting on each spin of the reels. Bitcoin Poker (July 2013): Seals with Clubs is the first crypto poker site, offering players a full range of online poker games and tables where you could only bet with Bitcoin. Ethereum Enters the Room (August 2015): Edgeless, the worlds first Ethereum network-based gambling site, is launched. The site made crypto casino news headlines for having no house advantage and using smart contracts to facilitate its transactions. Smart Contract Gambling (June 2017): The use of smart contracts for provably fair gambling gained an incredible boost thanks to DAO Casino, a decentralised gambling platform. This innovation enabled trustless, automated payouts and reduced the need for middlemen. The NFT Gambling Craze (April 2021): As interest in NFTs reached a fever pitch, FunFair Technologies launched the industry's first-ever NFT-based casino games. Red Tiger was the first to launch a slot, NFT Megaways, featuring NFT art owned by the company. The Bitcoin casino sector has come far, given its humble beginnings. Online casinos now offer an array of decentralised and centralised games of chance, all accessible from one account across a variety of devices and boasting the option to blend fiat and crypto transactions. Stay informed on the latest crypto casino and welcome bonuses by checking out our list of the ultimate online Bitcoin casinos for 2024 and beyond. Here, you find the newest casinos, the hottest bonuses and promotions, news on the top Crash games and guides to managing crypto casino taxes. The Louisiana legislature has voted in favor of a bill, HB 71, that would require the 10 Commandments to be posted in all public schools in the state, which includes K-12 and all colleges and universities. The House vote was 82-19 and the Senate vote was 30-8. The bill has now been sent back to the House for a second vote. In all likelihood it will pass again by a large margin and will then be sent to Louisiana Governor Landry for his signature to make it a law. Landry is a Christian theocrat and a long-time active member of the religious right who probably looks forward to signing the unconstitutional religious bill into law. If it does become law, Louisiana will become the first US state to require the 10 Commandments to be posted in its public schools. The author of the bill is Representative Dodie Horton. She's a Christian theocrat who last year authored a bill that was passed into law that requires all public schools to display the US motto "In God We Trust". Many people mistakenly believe this motto is from America's Founders. It is not. The Founders used the Latin phrase "E pluribus unum", which translates to "out of many, one." This was America's de facto motto until the US Congress changed it to "In God We Trust" in 1956. The Louisiana 10 Commandments bill requires the text of the Ten Commandments to be printed on a poster no smaller than 11 inches by 14 inches and that the words be the central focus of the document. This makes me wonder if they will include whom the 10 Commandments are addressed to. The 10 Commandments appear in the Hebrew Bible (which the Christians have claimed as their own and renamed it as the Old Testament) in two places, Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Both start out with God addressing the 10 Commandments to only the Jews and not to anyone else. The ancient Jewish clergymen who wrote the Hebrew Bible, including the 10 Commandments, claim God said, "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." This makes clear the 10 Commandments are only for Jews and not for Gentiles as it is referring to the fictional story of the Exodus in which the Jews were allegedly slaves in ancient Egypt until God forced the Egyptians to set them free (a great book that points out the biblical story of Passover and the Exodus never happened is The Bible Unearthed: Archeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman). This fact is ignored by the Christian theocrats. Horton said, "I hope and I pray that Louisiana is the first state to allow moral code to be placed back in the classrooms." She, along with her fellow Christian theocrats, must not realize the 10 Commandments are actually immoral as they promote slavery and are misogynistic. They are pro-slavery because they only instruct Jews not to covet their neighbors' slaves and do not prohibit slavery. They are also misogynistic in that they refer to wives in the same category as slaves, ox and asses. This is evident in the 10th commandment. It states, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." When Horton introduced the bill in April, she was asked about its impact on people who do not believe in the 10 Commandments. She replied, "I'm not concerned with an atheist. I'm not concerned with a Muslim. I'm concerned with our children looking and seeing what God's law is." Her statement shows us why it is so important for Deists and all freethinkers to DO all we can to get the word out about Deism to as many people as we can. Way too many good and sincere people are under the influence of "revealed" religions. They sincerely believe the Bible, Quran and/or Book of Mormon are God's Word and the 10 Commandments are God's laws. Deism can empower them to free themselves from these dangerous falsehoods. We can let them know about important facts such as America was not founded as a Christian nation and that the references to God in the Declaration of Independence are Deistic references, plus so much more. This knowledge will protect them from religious theocrats and charlatans and the lies they tell, which will in turn help to protect all of us from the repressive and irrational theocracy the theocrats are working towards. Austin, Texas - US Lumber Brokers, an FSC Certified wood/lumber broker, proudly announces its partnership with Tantimber USA, the exclusive U.S. supplier of Tantimber Thermowood. As a global leader in ThermoWood production, Tantimber offers unparalleled beauty and unmatched durability through its innovative thermal modification process. Tantimber Thermowood is a premium brand of Thermally Modified Timber (TMT). Unlike environmentally damaging petroleum-based wood imitations, Tantimber products are made from solid wood that Tony Funsch knows something about the struggles veterans face. After spending 17 years with the U.S. Air Force, including a stint in Afghanistan, he faced a tough re-entry into civilian life. Wracked by a pair of traumas suffered during his service, Funsch said he found himself quickly losing control of everything he held dear. He lost his house, his relationship and the custody of his kids. Getting out, I couldnt sustain, Funsch said. I was down and out, man. Memorial Day brings a warm, partly sunny day to the Portland area, with a high of 77 degrees expected, the National Weather Service reports. Overnight in Portland, the clouds are expected to move in before a chance of rain returns Tuesday through Wednesday. Temperatures will cool off, too, with highs around 65 both days. Monday is the last day of the winter/spring season at Timberline on Mount Hood, where it was a sunny 42 degrees at 7:30 a.m. Its also a bit cooler on the coast, where high temperatures are expected to reach the upper 50s to mid 60s. Portlands warm day is good news for people attending Memorial Day ceremonies today. Its also great weather for weekend fun, with the Portland Rose Festival continuing at CityFair noon-9 p.m. on the Portland waterfront and the Multnomah County Fair opening noon-7 p.m. at Oaks Amusement Park. Warm weather is expected to return at the end of the week as well, with highs in the 70s on Thursday and Friday. Kjerstin Gabrielson, Here is Oregon editor kgabrielson@oregonian.com or 503-412-7012 The other day, while we were driving about in Virginia, we had some very good views of a full or nearly full moon. And they reminded me of a poetic bit of science writing that I had recently re-encountered, from Dava Sobel, The Planets (New York and London: Penguin Books, 2006). Ms. Sobel begins by talking about the waxing and the waning of the moon First to come or go is high, round Mare Crisium (the Sea of Crises), followed, as in some fantastic Latin incantation, by Lacus Timoris (the Lake of Fear), Mare Tranquillitatis (the Sea of Calm), Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows), Oceanus Procellarum (the Ocean of Storms), Palus Somni (the Marsh of Sleep). Nothing could summon water from those dark seas of the Moon because they are, all of them, dry. Nor have the Moons so-called seas ever known the presence of water. Though the lunar maria hinted of a fluid interconnectedness to the first astronomers who eyed them and named them through telescopes, the first Moonwalkers to tread them retrieved the driest imaginable materials from their shores. Bone-dry, the lunar samples were described, though they are much drier than bones, which form inside the Earths wet living systems, and retain the memory of water long after death. Dry as dust, then? No, drier still. On Earth, even dust holds water. Moon rocks set a new standard of dryness, distinguished by the total absence of water. Not a drop of water, not a bubble of water vapor lurks in the crystal lattice of any Moon rock among the lunar samples, and no ice ever so much as touched them. Comets, however, have probably tucked odd caches of imported water ice perhaps ten million tons worth in the shadows of unexplored craters near the lunar poles. Lacking water as a potential ingredient limited the Moons creativity to a mere one hundred minerals, while the moist Earth has fabricated several thousand mineral varieties. The gems romantically or religiously associated with the Moon pearl, quartz, opal, moonstone could never have formed there, for each requires water in one way or another, and the Moon has none to offer. The primal lunar scenario currently favored by planetary scientists explains the Moons formation and dryness in a single blow: Early in the history of the Solar System, a rogue planet on a collision course struck the infant Earth. The impact, thought to have occurred 4.5 billion years ago, melted impactor and impact site alike, and shot hot debris into space. Swarms of dust and rock fragments, lofted into orbit around the stunned Earth, eventually reunited, 4.4 billion years ago, as the Moon. Having been ejected from one common cauldron, Moon rocks chemically resemble Earth rocks, except that they have lost all their water and any other compounds capable of escape as vapors. The furious pace of lunar assembly generated enough heat to melt the top layers of the new satellite into a global magma ocean, one hundred miles deep. Over time that ocean gradually cooled and hardened to stone. The errant rubble of the Solar Systems violent youth, still at large then, bombarded the Moons smooth new crust, blasting out vast impact basins and craters. Meanwhile radioactive heat trapped inside the young Moon drove more molten rock to the surface, to fill broad basins with black basalt and paint the Moons facial features. The all-encompassing ocean of magma attending the Moons birth was the first fluid to flow there. The rivers and pools of extruded lava were the last, and those froze up three billion years ago. At that time, the rate of cratering tapered off throughout the Solar System, and the Moon, having expended all its internal heat, solidified through and through, turning into a dry fossil generally considered dead by geological standards. The parched Moon pulls at Earths seas as though jealous of them. (107-111) We came in via train this morning from Milans Malpensa Airport to Stazione Milano Centrale. Its a surprisingly long train ride, and our train was even a bit late which made an already close connection even more exciting than it needed to be. From there, we took a train from Milan to Bologna, and then another train from Bologna to Ravenna. So here we are, staying in a nice little bread-and-breakfast place called Villa Noctis. Weve wanted to come back for a very long time, and weve finally had the opportunity to make it. Ravenna is a very walkable town at least, for the most part, its historical core is very walkable and weve already managed to take in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (which was built between AD 425 and AD 450) and the Basilica of San Vitale. (which was constructed between AD 526 and AD 547) This is an absolutely marvelous place for Byzantine mosaics, which I love. Galla Placidias mausoleum its actually almost certainly not really hers provides an obscure reference in the American poet Ezra Pounds Canto XXI (and, for different reasons, in Cantos XI and XVII), where he writes Gold fades in the gloom, Under the blue-black roof, Placidias, He is referring to the gold stars on a dark blue background that appear on the mausoleums ceiling, apparently intending to suggest that high cultural moments fade with the passing of time, or perhaps even that brilliant eras and brilliant persons are forgotten in the ignorance that succeeds them and the foolishness that surrounds them. If so, its a very Poundian sentiment (for good or for ill). Compare it to these apparently autobiographical opening lines from his poem Hugh Selwyn Mauberley: For three years, out of key with his time, He strove to resuscitate the dead art Of poetry; to maintain the sublime In the old sense. Wrong from the start No, hardly, but, seeing he had been born In a half savage country, out of date; Bent resolutely on wringing lilies from the acorn. Pound ended up an ardent and vocal Fascist in Mussolinis Italy, and possibly insane. During my first trip to Europe many, many years ago as a teenager, I found myself standing in front of a building in Venice where, somebody told me, Ezra Pound lived. (It was probably our expressly pro-Nazi guide it would fit his interests and predilections but I cant say that for sure.) I dont know if it was true that Ezra Pound lived in that building, but I suspect that it was. He died in Venice in 1972. Posted from Ravenna, Italy Please Hit Subscribe! 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Thanks so much and happy reading! *** Collin Brooks runs a YouTube page devoted to defending Reformed Protestant theology and critiquing Catholicism and Orthodoxy. His words will be in blue. *** I will be critiquing his video, John 6 Does NOT Support Roman Catholicism (4-19-24). Hes one of the very few Protestant apologists on YouTube who has ever responded back to my critiques, so perhaps he will again! In the meantime (whatever he chooses to do), the topic is of great interest to me and I have addressed it several times. 0:51 I want to provide additional reasons for the bread of life discourse being antithetical to Roman Catholic theology, includ[ing] the fact that its supposed to be read metaphorically. The first part is metaphorical, but the second part is not. Thats probably where a lot of Protestant confusion originates. The following portion is among the literal sections: John 6:53-56 (RSV) So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; [54] he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. [55] For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. [56] He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 2:33 Jesus tells us ad nauseam that we have to perform both of these acts to be saved. Both of them must be done for eternal life. We must eat his flesh and drink his blood. Now, why is that a problem for Roman Catholicism? [Its] because they dont drink the blood. This debate [is] called the communion in both kinds debate. Rome does not practice communion in both kinds. * 2:59 if youre not a Roman Catholic you should know that in the Roman Catholic Church you do not ever drink the blood of Christ. They do * Again, the cup has been widely available these past sixty or so years. But if it isnt in a specific parish, the faithful still receive the whole Christ in the consecrated wafer, including His blood. * 3:21 Rome decided they know better than the gospels. They know better than the early church. Theyre not going to let people drink anymore. * Its Protestantism, I submit, that claims to know better than the Bible and early Church, insofar as the vast majority of Protestants dont believe in the Real Presence that was taught by the Bible and the Church fathers . Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, believed in a slightly weakened form of the Real Presence, in which the body and blood of Christ are present together with the bread and the wine, and he made excellent exegetical arguments in favor of it , over against Zwingli, whom he regarded as damned. * 4:43 its possible that there are some different rites, [that] there are some traditions and churches that are in union with Rome but [have] a different liturgy, and they do drink of the cup, so I dont know enough to know that one way or the other. * It would be good to study up more on these matters before making a video about it. In debate teams in middle school, the first thing that is learned is to know and understand the view one is opposing at least as thoroughly as those who hold it. Eastern Catholics usually receive Holy Communion by intinction . The Wikipedia article explains: * Intinction is the Eucharistic practice of partly dipping the consecrated bread, or host, into the consecrated wine before consumption by the communicant. . . . * It is one of the four ways approved in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church for administering Holy Communion under the form of wine as well as of bread: The norms of the Roman Missal admit the principle that in cases where Communion is administered under both kinds, the Blood of the Lord may be received either by drinking from the chalice directly, or by intinction, or by means of a tube or a spoon (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 245). . . . * and the Some of the Byzantine-rite Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with the Church of Rome adopted intinction during the early 20th century, dividing the bread into pieces long enough to be partially dipped in the consecrated wine and placed on the communicants tongue. This is the practice at least of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church * Some Eastern Catholic Churches (for instance, the Ethiopic Rite Catholics of Ethiopia and Eritrea) have adopted the use of unleavened bread, justifying it by reference to the ancient Jewish practice of using only unleavened bread at Passover meals, and give Communion by intinction. I myself have received Holy Communion in this fashion on a few occasions. * 5:10 for the vast majority of Roman Catholics, they do not drink * This is simply not true, as explained. * 5:17 which means that they either dont take John 6 literally or seriously, and I dont know which one, but either way its inconsistent and its a problem for them * Not in the slightest. Collin presents a false dilemma. These arent the only choices. We can take the latter part of John 6 literally (as we do), but we interpret it in light of 1 Corinthians 11:27 (seen above). All relevant Scripture must be taken into account. * 5:30 another problem is eating and drinking save * Ive already been through this. What the real problem is here, is the Protestant disbelief in the salvific power of the Holy Eucharist. We believe in that , based mainly on John 6; they do not. * 7:56 Rome doesnt practice paedo-communion [infant communion] * Eastern Catholics are as Catholic as anyone else and many of them (if not all) practice this. * 9:02 Rome teaches even an adult is is saved by baptism so when it comes to every single human being youre actually saved well before you eat the body of Christ * Baptism brings about regeneration in our view; not a once-for-all salvation that can never be lost. Collin is describing something much more akin to the Lutheran view of baptism, and the reformed view of instance salvation that can never be lost, rather than the Catholic position. But then a little later he does more accurately express our true view. * 10:20 heres the ironic thing: literally in Roman Catholicism youre not even allowed to go to mass if youre in a state of mortal sin * False. Anyone can attend a Catholic Mass. To receive Holy Communion one must be a professed Catholic (which includes baptism, and that includes, incidentally, Protestant baptism). What a novelty! One must actually believe in the Holy Eucharist and the doctrine of the church in which it is received before partaking! * 10:27 if youve not been baptized or if youve not gone to confession you are not permitted to the Lords Supper. In other words you have to be saved before you eat Jesuss body and blood . . . * Once again, Collin is confused. Catholics dont believe in instant, once-for-all salvation , because its not biblical. Neither baptism nor the Eucharist nor a profession of faith in Jesus Christ bring that about. One must persevere. What these sacraments and professions do is put us in good graces with God and out of mortal sin that separates us from Him, and in a good spiritual state in which we possess a moral assurance of salvation * 11:40 historically, the Eucharist hasnt been established at this point in time when Jesus is actually preaching the bread of life discourse to the people, telling them to eat and be saved . . . which means Jesus would be giving them a false hope. . . . the Eucharist had not been established yet so that cannot be what Jesus is talking about * I deny the hidden premise. It didnt have to be established yet. He is in effect explaining what it would mean when it was instituted as the central rite of Christian worship. Jesus talked similarly regarding the indwelling Holy Spirit that was yet to come (it occurred on Pentecost): * John 16:7-8, 13-14 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. [8] And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: . . . [13] When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. [14] He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 13:30 throughout the bread of life discourse Jesus utilizes metaphors that we all agree on. Everybody agrees that there is metaphoric language all throughout the bread of life discourse * We agree that it is metaphorical from 6:1-52. But from 6:53-71 its literal. * 15:42 our physical hunger is representing a spiritual hunger; our physical thirst is representing a kind of spiritual thirst * Yes, thats in the first section which is metaphorical. I explain why we believe the second part is literal in several articles: * Summary: Reply to several weak arguments from Reformed Protestant apologist Collin Brooks defending his false contention that John 6 is not describing the Real Presence. Please Hit Subscribe! If you have received benefit from this or any of my other 4,600+ articles, please follow this blog by signing up (with your email address) on the sidebar to the right (you may have to scroll down a bit), above where there is an icon bar, Sign Me Up!: to receive notice when I post a new blog article. This is the equivalent of subscribing to a YouTube channel. Please also consider following me on Twitter / X and purchasing one or more of my 55 books. All of this helps me get more exposure, and (however little!) more income for my full-time apologetics work. Thanks so much and happy reading! *** [modified slightly from an article of mine originally posted on 19 March 2002; all sources cited are Protestant] *** * 3. These discussions were still dealing with the disputed canonicity of books like Esther, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, and even Ezekiel after the death of Jesus and after most or all of the New Testament was completed (The New Bible Dictionary). So Paul and Jesus (or any New Testament writer) could hardly have assumed a commonly accepted Old Testament canon before this time. * 4. The Jewish historian Josephus also uses books which we count among the Apocrypha, e.g. 1 Esdras and the additions to Esther. (The New Bible Dictionary). * 5. The Jews of the Dispersion (particularly the Alexandrian, Greek-speaking Jews) regarded several additional Greek books as equally inspired, i.e., the so-called Apocrypha. (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church). * 6. During the first three centuries these were regularly used also in the Church . . . St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and others placed them on the same footing as the other OT books. (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church). * 7. The Septuagint (LXX), incorporated all of the so-called Apocryphal books except 2 Esdras, and they were in no way differentiated from the other Books of the OT. (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church). * 8. Christians . . . at first received all the Books of the Septuagint equally as Scripture . . . Down to the 4th cent. the Church generally accepted all the Books of the Septuagint as canonical. Gk. and Lat. Fathers alike (e.g., Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian) cite both classes of Books without distinction . . . with a few exceptions (e.g., Hilary, Rufinus), Western writers (esp. Augustine) continued to consider all as equally canonical . . . [the Apocrypha was] read as Scripture by the pre-Nicene Church and many post-Nicene Fathers . . . (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church). * 9. In the 4th cent., however, many Gk. Fathers. . . came to recognize a distinction between those canonical in Heb. and the rest, though the latter were still customarily cited as Scripture. (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church). * 10. Luther, however, included the Apocrypha (except 1 and 2 Esd.) as an appendix to his translation of the Bible (1534), and in his preface allowed them to be useful and good to be read' (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church). * 11. The NT writers commonly quoted the OT Books from [the Septuagint] . . . In post-NT times, the Christian Fathers down to the later 4th cent. almost all regarded the LXX as the standard form of the OT. (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church). * 12. We cannot say with absolute certainty, for example, if Paul treated Esther or the Song of Solomon [elsewhere Bruce adds Ecclesiastes] as scripture any more than we can say if those books belonged to the Bible which Jesus knew and used. (Bruce, ibid.). * 13. According to The Nestle-Aland edition of the Greek New Testament (1979) Jude 14 ff. is a straight quotation . . . from the apocalyptic book of Enoch (1 Enoch 1:9). (Bruce, ibid.). * 14. Several quotations in the New Testament . . . are introduced as though they were taken from holy scripture, but their source can no longer be identified. For instance, the words He shall be called a Nazarene, quoted in Matthew 2:23 as what was spoken by the prophets, . . . John 7:38 . . . is introduced by the words as the scripture has said but which scripture is referred to? . . . there can be no certainty . . . 1 Corinthians 2:9, . . . James 4:5 . . . (Bruce, ibid.). * 15. The Dead Sea Scrolls from the Qumran community revealed that they did not have Esther included in their canon. (Bruce, ibid.). * 16. As for Tobit, Jubilees and Enoch, fragments of which were also found at Qumran? . . . were they reckoned canonical by the Qumran community? There is no evidence which would justify the answer Yes; on the other hand, we do not know enough to return the answer No. (Bruce, ibid.). * 17. As Athanasius includes Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah . . . so he probably includes the Greek additions to Daniel in the canonical book of that name . . . (Bruce, ibid.). * 18. St. Athanasius excludes Esther from the canon. (Bruce, ibid.). * 19. In practice Athanasius appears to have paid little attention to the formal distinction between those books which he listed in the canon and those which were suitable for the instruction of new Christians [he cites Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom of Sirach, Esther, Judith, and Tobit] . . . and quoted from them freely, often with the same introductory formulae as it is written, as the scripture says, etc. (Bruce, ibid.). * 20. The Councils of Hippo in 393 (along the lines approved by Augustine) and the Third Council of Carthage in 397: . . . appear to have been the first church councils to make a formal pronouncement on the canon . . . (Bruce, ibid.). * 21. The Councils of Hippo in 393 and the Carthage in 397 simply endorsed what had become the general consensus of the churches in the west and of the greater part of the east . . . (Bruce, ibid.). * 22. Yet Hippo and Carthage, along with The Sixth Council of Carthage (419) included the apocryphal books. (Bruce, ibid.). * 23. Throughout the following centuries most users of the Bible made no distinction between the apocryphal books and the others: all alike were handed down as part of the Vulgate . . . (Bruce, ibid.). * 24. Differences of opinion also are recorded among the tannaim (rabbinical scholars of tradition who compiled the Mishna, or Oral Law) and amoraim (who created the Talmud, or Gemara) about the canonical status of Proverbs, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. (Encyclopedia Britannica) * 25. All this indicates a prolonged state of fluidity in respect of the canonization of the Ketuvim [the Writings]. A synod at Jabneh (c. 100 CE) seems to have ruled on the matter, but it took a generation or two before their decisions came to be unanimously accepted and the Ketuvim regarded as being definitively closed. (Encyclopedia Britannica) * 26. A council probably held at Rome in 382 under St. Damasus gave a complete list of the canonical books of both the Old Testament . . . which is identical with the list given at Trent. (The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church) At a Glance Expert's Rating Pros Loaded with tons of VPN configuration options Outstanding speeds Multiple independent no-logs audits Included antivirus and password manager Cons Expensive Our Verdict NordVPN packs a lot into a single premium subscription: tons of country connections, full Netflix compatibility, a wealth of configuration options, and lightning-fast server speeds. It has grown beyond just a VPN, offering a potent suite of privacy and security features that dwarfs most competitors. Price When Reviewed 3,09 Euro pro Monat (83,43 fur die ersten 2 Jahre) Best Prices Today: NordVPN Retailer Price NordVPN 2,99 View Deal Product Price NordVPN is one of the most well-known VPN services with an absolutely massive user-base. 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This is because theres a continual cat-and-mouse game between Netflixs anti-VPN enforcement and VPN service providers that try to maneuver around blockages. Still, NordVPN seems to be winning this game at the moment. In an ultra-competitive market, what ultimately makes NordVPN stand out is its consistent growth and optimization. How is NordVPNs security and privacy? Since the company is based in Panama, its not subject to mandatory data retention laws or other internet surveillance rules. Additionally, NordVPN states that it has a strict no-logs policy meaning that it doesnt store timestamps, browsing data, used bandwidth, traffic logs, IP addresses, or any other personally identifiable information on users. This no-logs policy has been confirmed four times by independent auditors once in 2018, again in 2020 and 2023, and the latest in January of 2024. NordVPN uses standard AES encryption with 256-bit keys. It also jumped on the diskless production server bandwagon for added security. Diskless servers dont store any information on them at all. They are controlled and booted from a remote server and everything thus runs on RAM. This process makes it extremely difficult to pull any user data from these servers. NordVPNs protocol options. NordVPNs protocol options. Sam Singleton NordVPNs protocol options. Sam Singleton Sam Singleton The service offers three internet protocols: IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, and NordLynx (NordVPNs proprietary version of WireGuard VPN). NordVPN recommends NordLynx as the go-to protocol due to its potential for better speeds and security. Theres been a lot of effort to get users to trust NordVPN since it was hacked back in 2018, and Im happy to see all of the great strides its made. The no-logs independent audits, the diskless servers, and the increased transparency of its company structure as a whole have all been extremely positive in helping repair trust among its user base. Is NordVPN worth it? NordVPN continues to be a fantastic service that only keeps getting better with each new added feature. Its no longer just a great VPN, but a privacy and security powerhouse. Admittedly, you pay a rather hefty price for the extras. But with such a rich feature set, NordVPN users will undoubtedly feel theyre getting their moneys worth. Despite all of its value, there are other competitors with specific individual features that rival NordVPNs. Mullvad VPN for example does more to maximize anonymity, while services such as Surfshark VPN and IPVanish offer unlimited simultaneous device connections. However, in an ultra-competitive market, what ultimately makes NordVPN stand out is its consistent growth and optimization. Its continually upgrading its security features and incorporating new technologies such as its latest Meshnet and Link Checker. If you add this perpetual improvement to a service that already has solid speeds, admirable security features, and works with Netflix, then NordVPN deserves its place as one of the best choices around. Editors note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article. The Director General of the National Lottery Authority, Mr Samuel Awuku, has once again secured the prestigious Overall Public Sector CEO of the Year Award at the 8th Ghana CEO Summit and Excellence Awards, marking his second consecutive win, a remarkable achievement that not only underscores his exceptional leadership but also his profound impact on the lottery industry. Mr Awuku, the recipient of the 2023/2024 Overall Public Sector CEO of the Year Award, was also recognized as the CEO of the Year in the lottery Industry and attributed this achievement to the collective hard work, dedication, and commitment of the NLA's Management and Staff. Under Mr. Awuku's visionary leadership, the National Lottery Authority has gained recognition in the sub-region and among lottery bodies, where he serves as the first-ever elected Anglophone Vice President of the African Lotteries Association (ALA). With his strategic direction, the NLA is now recognized as a key partner for other African lottery bodies like Ivory Coast and Nigeria, where the Authoritys games are exported, raking in revenue for the Authority. Mr Awuku is credited with transformational leadership, having regulated the consumer promotion space on the Caritas lottery platform, given back to communities, institutions, and individuals through the NLA Good Causes Foundation, and improved staff welfare. In accordance with the World Lottery Association (WLA) standards, Mr Awuku, with the support of the NLA Governing Board and Management, has enhanced the Authoritys business operations by remodelling its Draw Studio and acquiring state-of-the-art draw machines, attained WLA Level 2 Certification in Responsible Gaming and spearheaded innovation and digitalization across various business operations. CEOs, business leaders, and executives in private and public sectors also won awards for various field categories. The CEO of Margins ID Group, Mr Moses Baiden Jnr., who took the award for CEO of the Year, Technology, Infrastructure National, also won Overall CEO of the Year, Private Sector, while the Group Chairman of KGL Group, Mr Alex Appau Daddey won the Group CEO and Conglomerate C EO awards. The Ghana CEO Summit and Excellence Awards annually convenes top CEOs, Heads of State, entrepreneurs, and business leaders across West Africa and the globe. Over 500 CEOs, business leaders, industry captains, and market leaders attended the 8th Ghana CEO Summit and Excellence Awards, including former President H.E. John Maham and Vice President of Ghana H.E. Dr Mahamoud Bawumia, who joined the session via Zoom. The CEO Summit and Excellence Awards foster high-impact learning, insightful panel discussions, expert insights, and strategic networking opportunities. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The man, who allegedly robbed a former Second Lady, Matilda Amissah-Arthur, and other persons, has again been denied bail by the Accra High Court. Yahuza Osman, who was arrested on April 16, 2024 and charged with robbery and money laundering, will re-appear in court on May 21. Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, presiding judge, said that looking at the nature of the accusations against the accused and the nature of evidence, he will not avail himself to stand trial when granted bail. Counsel for Osman, Mr Paul Asibi Abariga, told the court that the accused would avail himself to stand trial when granted bail. Amanda Awadey, a Senior State Attorney, opposed the bail application, arguing that the accused was a flight risk and would not avail himself to stand trial when granted bail. In addition to robbing a 76-year-old woman in Ridge, Accra, Osman, is accused of robbing the widow of former Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, Matilda Yaaba Amissah-Arthur, and repeatedly hitting her head with his gun. According to the prosecution, led by Chief State Attorney, Frances M. Ansah, said Osman took GH28,000, 50, and $2,200 during the robbery at Mrs Amissah-Arthurs residence. The court heard that the accused allegedly carried out other robberies on businessmen and women in affluent communities, stealing valuables totaling millions of Ghana cedis. Among the valuable items allegedly stolen from the victims are two Rolex watches worth $61,000, two Cartier wristwatches worth $19,000, an iPhone 15 Pro Max worth $1,000, jewelry worth $50,000, and more. Mr Ansah stated that the accused used proceeds from the crimes to acquire luxury cars and apartments for himself. On April 16, Osman, who was charged with 26 counts of robbery and money laundering, pleaded not guilty,when he appeared before Justice Lydia Osei Marfo and has since been remanded in prison custody, with a scheduled reappearance on May 2 this year. Mr Ansah said that during the second quarter of 2023, the Police CID received numerous complaints of residential robberies committed by a single armed man in areas including Airport, Cantonments, Tesano, and Ridge, all in Accra. On September 17, 2023, a complainant reported to Airport Police that his residence at Kaeela Court Apartments, Airport Residential Area, had been robbed around 2:30 am. Upon receiving the complaint, a police team was dispatched to the scene. The complainant stated that the accused entered his room, pointed a pistol at him and demanded money and valuables, resulting in the loss of Rolex watches, cash, and other items. CCTV footage from Kaeela Courts Apartments provided by Dr Abu Sakara Foster on December 4, 2023, aided in identifying the accused. Further incidents of robbery were reported on December 4 and December 5, 2023, involving Daniel Kwame Osafo, Tracy Osei-Hyeaman, and Mrs Amissah Arthur. The accused allegedly pointed a pistol at the victims, demanded valuables, and fled the scene after robbing them. CCTV footage and other evidence from these incidents led to the identification and pursuit of the accused, culminating in his arrest on December 15, 2023, in Kasoa, in the Central Region Source: Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The residents of Ablekuma Manhea have been grappling with a significant disruption in their daily lives as the area has been without electricity for the past week. Despite numerous attempts to contact the Electricity Corporation of Ghana (ECG), the issue remains unresolved, leaving the community in a state of frustration and uncertainty. Since the onset of the blackout, residents have made countless efforts to engage with ECG officials, only to receive assurances of imminent repairs that have yet to materialize. The prolonged outage has caused considerable inconvenience, affecting households, businesses, and essential services. "We've been calling ECG every day," lamented a local shop owner. "Each time, they tell us the issue will be fixed soon, but a week has gone by with no action. Our businesses are suffering, and the situation is becoming unbearable." The lack of power has disrupted not only economic activities but also the education and health sectors in the area. Schools are struggling to conduct classes without electricity, and health facilities are facing challenges in delivering critical services. In light of the growing frustration, community leaders are urging ECG to expedite the repair process and provide a clear timeline for the restoration of power. They are also calling for improved communication to keep residents informed about the status of the repairs and any interim measures being taken. The situation in Ablekuma Manhea highlights the broader issues of infrastructure and service reliability that many communities across the country face. It underscores the need for more robust systems and responsive customer service to prevent such prolonged disruptions in the future. As the blackout continues, the residents of Ablekuma Manhea remain hopeful for a swift resolution, urging ECG to act promptly and fulfill their promise to restore electricity to the area. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Ghanaian student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has won a research award of $2000 for his research in Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. The award is part of the University of Louisiana at Lafayettes efforts in connecting UL Lafayette creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship researchers, showcasing UL Lafayette faculty and graduate student research projects and providing seed money for faculty and graduate student research projects. The award is the second Redeemer has received in support of his research this year, having received a similar amount in April 2024 in support of his ongoing media analysis research. His current research explores the gender differences in Tech Entrepreneurship in the United States. The research seeks to identify and evaluate the factors affecting women in tech entrepreneurship and determine the extent of involvement of women in the tech industry. About Redeemer Buatsi Redeemer Buatsi is a young researcher currently studying a Master of Science program in communication at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He completed his undergraduate degree at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, now UniMAC-IJ, under the Lebanese scholarship program. He also received his masters degree in development communication from the same University, funded by the Lebanese scholarship program. During his masters program, Redeemer received another scholarship to participate in an exchange program under the Erasmus+ scholarship program at NLA University College in Norway. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video It appears that past allegations of misapplication of funds for Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) 7/2B and other issues against the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, would affect his fight to win the favour of the bigwigs of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the running mate position. Dr. Adutwum, according to information gathered, is working hard to be considered as the running mate to the NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the 2024 general election. However, party insiders believe, the GALOP 7.2b alleged scandal could be a dent on his vice-presidential ambition. This is because the Education Minister is now said to be a subject of investigation by one of the top anti-corruption agencies in the country. This paper has gathered that the said investigation is still at the preliminary stage and that should the anti-corruption agency establish a prima-facie case against the minister, it will move into a full-blown probe and make it public. This action, party sources pointed out, could ruin the chances of the Bosomtwi lawmaker for the running mate position. The GALOP issue In June 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo launched GALOP 7.2b, a World Bank-funded and managed project which was the single largest investment in Basic Education in the history of Ghana. The US$218.7 million project was implemented by the Ministry of Education and its agencies. The project has an original financing component (Part 1-4) and an Additional Financing (AF) component, the GPE COVID-19 Accelerated Grant for supporting COVID-19 Coordinated Education Response Plan for Ghana for Continued Learning, Recovery, and Resilience in Basic Education (Part 5). This Part 5 made available to the Ministry of Education, a US$14.8 million grant from the GPE. Funding was performance based which meant that disbursement of funds was made when certain agreed activities were achieved under the project. Execution of the GALOP 7.2b project commenced under Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, then Minister of Education who was very successful in the execution of the project, spurring the release of US$9.2 million from the GPE COVID-19 Grant to undertake other activities under the project. In December 2020, an IT company, TANIT, was approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to design, develop and deploy a training platform with content to train a minimum of 40,000 teachers as part of a critical PBC which was to release US$1.2million. The contract award, according to media reports, coincided with the transition period following the Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Therefore, the execution of the project was halted upon a directive from the Chief of Staff until a substantive Minister was appointed to the Ministry of Education. Appointment of Adutwum When Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, who was then a Deputy Minister for Education was appointed the substantive Minister of Education in March 2021, he, unfortunately, delayed the process related to the training for almost five months. On July 26, 2021, Dr. Adutwum and the Ministry of Education, finally signed a contract with the PPA-approved company but changed the scope of the project to only include the development of the platform and not the training. This means that the development of content to train the targeted 40,000 teachers was excluded from the contract, raising eyebrows as to which other firm Dr. Adutwum will engage to execute this exercise. This process was further delayed, including a delay in the payment of Phase I of work done despite the availability of the US$9.2million that had been released by the World Bank for the implementation of the project. As the deadline of November 30, 2021, for the completion of GALOP neared, Dr. Adutwum then directed the Head, M&E Unit of the Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation (PBME) Division of the Ministry of Education to allegedly fabricate a report on the achievement of GALOP P165557 PBC 7.2B to convince the World Bank for the release of US$1.2million. The money was meant to execute the GALOP 7.2b. However, it was alleged that the project was never executed by Dr. Adutwum and the ministry, triggering a probe by the World Bank and its developing partners. Dr. Adutwum has since denied any wrongdoing in the execution of the GALOP 7.2b project. According to NPP insiders, this may not auger well for the governing party if Dr. Adutwum is chosen as the running mate as it will potentially be a negative campaign tool for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). Many NPP faithful believe Dr. Adutwums knowledge on educational policy and implementation is second to none as he has spearheaded the educational reforms under the Akufo-Addo government with remarkable skill. However, due to the GALOP 7.2b matter and other emerging negative issues, the governing party cannot afford to risk having him as a running mate. Fresh issues Dr. Adutwums alleged involvement in the school selection and placement system where admission into the various senior high schools were allegedly being given to the highest bidders for monetary return is also under investigation. Again, on May 20, 2024, one of the governments anti-corruption agencies, Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) headed by Kissi Agyebeng, publicly announced an enhanced investigation exercise his office in collaboration with the Controller and Accountant General (CACG) was undertaking within the Ghana Education Service in the Northern Region aimed at prosecuting persons who were promoted to non-existent school, validated deceased, untraceable, and retired persons and persons who have vacated their posts. OSP was updating the public over the commencement and outcome of its investigation exercise on the Government of Ghana Payroll Administration (Phase I Vol. I). School Placement In early 2023, the Fourth Estate revealed in its publication that a fraudulent payment for the placement of a student into a category A school in 2022 was traced to the login access of Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, a situation, he vehemently denied. The publication cited then Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, as having corroborated to such a claim in his testimony to the Ministry of Educations investigative committee that was probing alleged corruption in the school placement. Persons familiar with the investigations say all the perceived acts of corruption by the Education Minister and some other government appointees are being thoroughly investigated. Source: The Custodian Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A driver driving a Toyota Hiace Van belonging to the Anlo Traditional Council has been arrested by the police for transporting bags of smuggled cocoa beans. Abraham Senyaglo, a native of Keta in the Anlo Municipality, was apprehended on Saturday night with 26 bags of smuggled cocoa beans parked in fertiliser sacks on the Adomi-Atimpoku stretch. The suspect, who was said to have been returning from an errand at Manhyia, after delivering some items donated by the Anlo Traditional Council to the Asantehene, was reportedly chased and arrested after failing to stop upon signal by police around the Adomi Bridge in the Eastern Region. According to him, he was sent to the Manhyia Palace by Chiefs and Elders of Anlo State to present some items to the Asantehene as part of his 25th Anniversary Celebrations and on his return a friend beseeched his help to transport the cocoa beans from Suhum to Dodze. Having been convinced by the friend that it was a genuine business they have been doing routinely, he agreed to transport the cocoa beans only to find out later that they were illegally acquired. On why he failed to stop when directed by the Police on duty to do so which resulted in the chase leading to his arrest, the suspect explained that he did not get the police signal to stop, even though the account by the security personnel is to the contrary. Meanwhile, the suspect and the seized goods are currently in the custody of the Sogakope Police awaiting investigations and subsequent prosecution. The onslaught against the illegal activities of cocoa smuggling by the Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Taskforce has in recent times witnessed positive results with several convictions being recorded over the last two months. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video All is set for the maiden airlift of over four hundred Ghanaian pilgrims from the Northern sector in Tamale International Airport tomorrow. The Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board, Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda made the disclosure last Saturday during a press conference at the Hajj Village in Accra. By the grace of Allah our painstaking efforts of the past months will on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 be climaxed with the take-off of the first flight of Ghanaian Muslims from Tamale en route to Madina, Saudi Arabia to perform the annual pilgrimage, the Hajj, he told the media. The pilgrims, he said, will be arriving in the city of Madina to the waiting reception of members of the advance team of the Ghana Hajj Board and officials of Ghanas embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The four scheduled flights from Tamale will end on May 31, 2024, the Ghana Hajj Board chairman said. This, he went on, will be followed by the Accra airlift which is due to start on June 2 and end on June 6. The advance team departed Accra last Wednesday for Saudi Arabia to prepare for the reception of the four thousand Ghanaian pilgrims expected to participate in this years Hajj, the Chairman said. We on the Hajj Board remain committed to seeking the welfare of Ghanaian Muslims who embark on the spiritual journey to Saudi Arabia, said the Chairman. We have secured decent accommodation at the various stations, transportation within the Kingdom for the duration of the Hajj and our pilgrims will be fed two square meals daily, he disclosed. The Medical Department of the Board, according to the Chairman, has readied a team of qualified medics to attend to the health needs of pilgrims during the month-long stay in Saudi Arabia. On security, he said that we have a robust security arrangement both here in Ghana and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure the safety and security of our pilgrims in collaboration with Saudi authorities. He pointed at the recently concluded orientation programmes undertaken by the Hajj Board in Yendi, Wa, Tamale, Kumasi and Accra, saying they were intended to educate and take our pilgrims through the dos and donts of the Hajj. This year, he announced, being unlike the previous ones has been characterised with multiple warnings by the Ministry of Hajj and Ummrah in Saudi Arabia about the waiting sanctions for those who seek to use non-Hajj visas to perform the pilgrimage. Indeed this warning was supported by the issuance of a fatwa, Islamic decree, making the breach haram or sin-committal in Islam. These notwithstanding, some people continue to ignore the warnings, he said. We wish to also caution prospective pilgrims and others to be wary of persons, travel and tour companies who are advertising seeming abilities to ferry people to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a lesser amount of money. Those who get convinced by such persons and part with their cash for a trip for the Hajj do so at their own peril, he warned. While admonishing prospective pilgrims to be good ambassadors of Ghana in Saudi Arabia, he was quick to express the gratitude of the Ghana Hajj Board to President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, and the National Chief Imam for their guidance and diverse support which made this years enterprise possible. The Executive Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Hamza, is already in Tamale coordinating pre-airlift processes. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has put forward proposals which she said would help to deliver socio-economic benefits to citizens of the Commonwealth in the face of the threats of disinformation, populism and declining trust in democracy. Ms Botchwey, a candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the 56-member Commonwealth of Nations, was speaking last Thursday at a lecture at the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom, titled: Realising the Democratic Dividend: A Commonwealth Imperative. She said safeguarding democracy required international co-operation for transformative change in economic, environmental and social dimensions. Ms Botchwey is a lawyer and former Chair of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a region buffeted by political instability in recent years. In an increasingly interdependent world, collaboration among countries is essential for everyone. The climate crisis, in particular, has shown that collective action is needed if we are to address the challenges of the global commons effectively, she said. Global economy The world must lay the foundations for a robust and equitable global economy not just in fine words but in reality, she told her audience of students, academics, diplomats and civil society activists, some of whom joined an online audience. She pointed out that many developing countries, particularly Small States and Small Developing Island States, operated at the periphery of the global economy, relying on just a few raw agricultural export products and tourism. Ms Botchwey, a former Deputy Trade Minister, said their heavy debt burden had become a hindrance to galvanising adequate investment to achieve robust economic growth and sustainable development. In 2023, their share of foreign direct investment had dropped by 10 per cent when the reverse was what was desired. She recommended that industrialised countries provided more resources to international financial institutions to enable the Commonwealth and other developing countries to access resources to respond effectively to the climate challenge. Additionally, governments of the Commonwealth should incentivise the private sector to facilitate the transfer of technology and catalyse their usage. This would fast-track the transition towards a more equitable and sustainable global economy, Ms Botchwey, who is also a former Deputy Communications Minister, said. The governments, she said, must take steps to galvanise the promise of new technologies to ensure that young people participated in economic transformation. Investments This should ensure that investments in education and skills correspond to the needs of a modern workforce. She established a link between social and economic outcomes and democracy, saying, I believe that the greatest threat to democracy today emanates from the diminished expectations for socio-economic advancement in recent years compared to the high promise of some two decades ago. If we are to address successfully the threats to democracy, we cannot ignore the lesson that the current democracies evolved and survived on the basis of their ability to deliver on the expectations of the greatest majority of the people, she said. Ms Botchwey, a member of Ghanas National Security Council, referred to the 2021/2022 Afrobarometer surveys conducted in 28 African countries which revealed that only 38 per cent of Africans were satisfied with the way democracy worked in their countries. She said the current 24-hour news cycle enabled citizens to weigh in on policies and national direction by the minute, irrespective of the manifesto of the government, thus diffusing political power more than ever before. The Commonwealth, which has a total population of 2.6 billion people and a combined GDP of over $13 trillion dollars, will choose a new Secretary-General when Heads of Government meet in October this year. The next Secretary-General, who is expected to come from Africa, will replace Baroness Patricia Scotland, a Dominican-British citizen. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Private Legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has waded into discussions on the audit report of Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), conducted by KPMG upon the request of President Akufo-Addo. Mr Kpebu believes former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta should be arrested and prosecuted for allegedly causing financial loss to the state. To him, considering the discrepancies in the SML deal with GRA, it is imperative to put the former finance minister and some SML officials behind bars as punitive measures for leading the country to lose funds through what he describes as "an alleged slimy deal." Speaking in an interview on Joy News, the anti-corruption and human rights lawyer stated that, the damning nature of the KPMG audit report requires the incarceration of some persons who played roles in getting the contract through to its execution. I have seen parts of the audit report which states that SML didnt deliver so we need to quantify how much we lost and hold Ofori-Atta and the other officials involved for this loss, he told host Aisha Ibrahim. Martin Kpebu added that, it will be better for the government to cancel the contract between SML and GRA stating that, per the report released, SML failed to deliver on its mandate, hence, the contract should be terminated immediately. We need to terminate this agreement, because in law, when an agreement is void, public agencies shouldnt pay money, he said. Meanwhile, it has been revealed from the audit conducted by KPMG that (SML) was paid GH720 million out of GH2.45 billion revenue collected from the Energy Sector Levy Act (ESLA) under its revenue mobilisation transaction with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). Per the SML report, the amount was raised between May 1, 2020 and December 31, 2023. The revenue, thereby, translates to 1.70 billion litres for the said period with an average of 38.6 million litres per month. From the KPMG report, GRA and SML asserted that the commencement of the contract by SML led to an increment in volume liftings and tax revenue of GH12.98 billion for the aforementioned period. The audit report revelead, "based on analysis using ESLA reported liftings as the pre-SML, the incremental reported volume that is attributable to the involvement of SML is determined as 1.70 billion litres for the period. This works out to a monthly average of 38.6 million litres per month." The incremental revenue that is attributable to the involvement of SML is GH2.45 billion for the period. The fee of GH720 million paid to SML for the same period constitutes 29.41% of the incremental tax revenue. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), stipulates that the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice will be held responsible for what he describes as infringement of justice. Sammy Gyamfi opined that, the testament of the third accused person, Richard Jakpa, is congruent to the NDC's assertion that the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice wants to use whims and caprices to convict the minority leader and the Member of Parliament for AjumakoEssiam-Enyan, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson. In a radio interview on Accra based Joy FM, Sammy Gyamfi said, "His day of accountability, his day of reckoning has come. His cup is full, God has exposed his evil works which he does under the cloak of his office as Attorney-General. And it is time for him to face the music. And we are telling him, he is not above the law." Sammy Gyamfis comment is in sequel to the testimony given by the third accused who claimed, the Attorney-General called him at odd hours to work in his favour to implicate Dr. Ato Forson, who was a deputy Finance Minister in the erstwhile Mahama government. The A-G has on several occasions engaged me at odd hours to help him make a case against A1 and I have evidence for that. If he pushes me, I will open the Pandoras Box. I dont understand why the A-G will accuse me of defending A1 when Im here to defend myself. If he pushes me, Ill open the Pandoras Box. I have evidence to all this, he said on Thursday, May 23. Sammy Gyamfi maintains that, the Attorney-General is using every means possible to find the leader of the minority caucus in parliament guilty to settle political scores considering how hard the leader has descended on the government. Sammy Gyamfi said, "If your hands are clean, you have no ill-motive and you want to communicate with an accused person before the court, you know his lawyer so you go through his lawyer. You don't go calling the accused person, meeting him under the cover of darkness, planning all manner of things that I am restraining myself not to put them out ahead of next week's press conference." In a press release by the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, signed by the Deputy minister, Alfred Tuah Yeboah, the Ministry denied all allegations leveled against the A-G and the office, emphasisng that the ministry has worked based on the information they have received as a result of their investigations. The Republic has throughout the trial, relied solely on the record of the impugned transaction, i.e. the purchase of ordinary vans purporting to be ambulances, to sustain its case against the accused persons. This record existed before January, 2022 (when the case was commenced) and was duly filed in Court by the prosecution before the commencement of the trial. The Republic has never required or desired the cooperation of any of the accused persons in the matter, in which it has already succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against all the accused persons. Neither the Attorney-General nor any officer from the Office of the Attorney-General has approached any of the accused persons with the view to obtaining evidence from them. The Attorney-General further stated that, the recent testimony given against the Attorney-General is a deliberate attempt by the NDC to digress due process of justice. It is rather the third accused who, by various letters dated 27th April, 2023, 16th May, 2023, 30th May, 2023 and 12th June, 2023, has proposed to the Republic through the Attorney-General to engage in plea bargaining or plea negotiations. This plea bargaining proposal has, to date, not been accepted by the Attorney-General. "Even though the law on plea bargaining passed by Parliament permits a prosecutor to negotiate with an accused person after a plea proposal has been made, the Attorney-General has not engaged the third accused person to give false testimony in the matter. "The Attorney-General has also come under enormous pressure from all manner of persons for him to discontinue the prosecution of the 1st accused person, Cassiel Ato Forson, but has not yielded. The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice considers the latest allegation levelled against the Attorney-General as part of a grand scheme by the NDC to put more pressure on him to discontinue the prosecution or to divert attention from the real issues regarding the actions of the accused persons which have caused enormous financial loss to the State. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Interior Minister, Henry Quartey has strongly warned all persons not to misbehave during the December 7 polls. The Minister, in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show with Kwami Sefa Kayi, issued a stern warning to whoever wants to perpetrate violence or a criminal activity in the elections to, with immediate effect, rethink their plans, stressing the security and intelligence agencies have their orders to swoop down on such persons. This year's presidential election is described as a crucial election because of its historic impact. It is the first ever to see Vice President of a governing party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and a former President, John Dramani Mahama, enter into head-to-head contest. Some people have termed it the "Clash of the Titans" while others call it "Clash of the Northerners" because both candidates hail from the northern sector. As the nation marches forward to the general elections, the Minister calls for peace and stability as well as transparency before, during and after the elections. "It is not just the Interior Ministry. The President has given his marching orders. He says ensure free, fair and a transparent elections and even if and God forbid, the good people of this country decide to vote for NDC, we should ensure a peaceful transition and handing over power and go back to do our calculations to find out where did we go wrong. But the security and intelligence agencies will not sit and watch the D-day for someone to misbehave", he cautioned. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former President and the flagbearer of the largest opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has expressed his displeasure over the recent floods that hit parts of Accra, causing loss of lives and damage to properties. The former President heavily condemned the governments flood prevention and management efforts in the wake of the heavy downpour in parts of Accra, and other parts of the country. Taking to his official Facebook page, Mr. Mahama stated that, the floods claiming lives and properties in Accra and some parts of the country, has exposed the governments failure to manage and prevent floods, adding that, it evokes deep concern about its lack of a comprehensive flood prevention and management plan. He said, The recent heavy downpours in Accra and other parts of the country have led to extensive destruction of property and, according to reports, the loss of life of a young schoolboy. "This has exposed the government's failure to manage and prevent floods effectively and evokes deep concern about its lack of a comprehensive flood prevention and management plan. Many areas that in the past were unaffected by flooding today become inundated with the least rainfall. Mr. Mahama opined that, considering the huge sums of money allegedly spent by the government of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, on dredging the Odaw and other flood prevention interventions, the present situation is distressing. John Dramani Mahama added that, $200 million was allegedly spent on the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development Programme (GARID) adding that the impact of that huge amount and its intervention have yet to be felt. Below is the full statement of Former President John Dramani Mahama The recent heavy downpours in Accra and other parts of the country have led to extensive destruction of property and, according to reports, the loss of life of a young schoolboy. This has exposed the government's failure to manage and prevent floods effectively and evokes deep concern about its lack of a comprehensive flood prevention and management plan. Many areas that in the past were unaffected by flooding today become inundated with the least rainfall. Considering the huge sums of money allegedly spent by this government on draining the Odaw and other flood prevention interventions, the present situation is distressing. According to the government, $200 million was spent on the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development Programme (GARID). While the impact of that huge amount and its intervention have yet to be felt, parliament was recently recalled to approve another $150 million for the same GARID. Protecting the lives and properties of our people should be a top priority for a government. The current administration has failed in this regard. Given the opportunity to lead our beloved country again, a new NDC government under my leadership will not rest until we find an engineering solution to the persistent flooding and implement an effective prevention and management plan. Our commitment to this cause is unwavering, and we are determined to bring about the change our nation desperately needs. This will include investing in sustainable drainage systems, clearing structures in waterways, proper waste management, and proactive measures to mitigate the impact of heavy rains. We are committed to bringing about the change that our nation needs. We cannot afford to continue risking the lives and livelihoods of our people. It is time for real change and real solutions. Let us, as Ghanaians, as a community, unite and work together to build a safer and more resilient Ghana. Your voice and action are not just important; they are crucial in this endeavour. Together, we can make a difference. Your voice and action are crucial in this endeavour as we work towards building the Ghana we want together. #Mahama4Change2024 #NDC #FloodPrevention #LetsBuildGhanaTogether Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The New Force Movement leader, Nana Kwame Bediako alias Cheddar or IamFreedom has outlined how if voted into power during the December 7 polls, he will form his government. Ghana's constitution mandates that there should be 275 and from next year 276 Members of Parliament to form the Legislature and the President of Ghana is obliged to appoint Ministers to run the administrative work of the State. As an independent candidate, Cheddar does not have the opportunity to form a political party to hold internal elections to elect Members of Parliament and for the President to select his appointees. According to the New Force leader, he will form an all-inclusive government and pick his Ministers from both the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress. On his parliamentary representatives, Cheddar believes the NPP and NDC MPs will turn to join his New Force. "When the time comes, lots of the Parliamentarians will turn to us. They will turn and follow us. If the duopolies are falling, they will find somewhere to sit. So, when they see we are doing good works which will result in the transformation of the nation, they will come to join us", he told Kwami Sefa Kayi in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Referring to the title of this write-up, Kokofu is the name of a town in the Ashanti region of Ghana. It is also a surname for some natives of the region. The immediate past Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, E.P.A, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu is an example. The other name in the story title is Nnwomkro, a traditional music group. Adowa sums it up. Adowa is the traditional dance of the Ashantis. It is characterized by the swift and entangling movements of the feet of dancers, and these correspond with action on hands as the entire human frame swings in a jerky fashion. The irony is that the jerks are seen as coordination and organization since these are what the dance employs for delectable display. It is dancing to the tunes of drumbeats and other traditional instruments. The Nnwomkro group from Kokofu features drums, a traditional xylophone made to look like a violin, an instrument for spinning, and other instruments that reinforce the acoustics when they are rattled like bells. This man is the male adowa dancer of the group. A scene like this usually takes a conspicuous spot on Manhyia grounds. There, they are visually identifiable, and their music is noisy enough to catch the attention of passers-by. The key members of Kokofu Nnwomkro and Adowa are women. In sequence of appearance in this story are, Ohemaa Birago, Kokofu Serwaa, Obaa Yaa, and Akosua Boatemaa. The trio of Birago, Serwaa, and Obaa yaa are often tied together to the front seats singing and casting the appellations of chiefs and queen mothers retinues which file past them on their way to durbar grounds. These women pull all the magic under their sleeves and advertise the gymnastics in marketing to attract the attention of people, and their songs are swayers especially if one appreciates culturally intense songs. Below, you will find their chief adowa dancer, Ohemaa Birago up on her feet swinging her shapely figure in the dance. She would fling herself across incoming visitors or personalities, and when the latter stopped to admire her showcase, she then moved concentrically around the person. This display targets and traps significant people who may or may not bask in the euphoria these dance steps cause around them. Most importantly, some do the needful by dropping money in a box or directly putting it in the dancers palm. The Kokofu Nnwomkoro and Adowa Group were created by Kokofu Serwaa and it is a means of livelihood to the members. In the picture just above, are scenes showing the backs of Ohemaa Birago (right), and Obaa Yaa in quick dance steps towards arriving guests in Manhyia during the 12 May 2024 Akwasidaekese which marked the climax of celebrations of Asantehenes silver jubilee in Kumasi. Below are some other members of the group who are interspersed with the pictures of those already introduced. Nnwomkro and Adowa are vestiges of Ghanaian culture which has come under serious strain of the pressure arising from the interplays of the international systems. They highlight Ashantis tenacity when it comes to cultural preservation. In the print media, readers miss a lot because Nnwomkoro and Adowa are best-savored in the middle of live shows, shrill music performance with traditional instruments that makes you feel an Ashanti, and for that matter, Ghanaian. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The suspect in a Saturday evening stabbing in which a man and woman were injured at a Plymouth McDonalds has been identified as a 26-year-old Marthas Vineyard resident. The Plymouth County District Attorneys Office identified the suspect as Chilmark resident Jared Ravizza in a press release Sunday afternoon. He is facing a charge of assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the incident. The district attorneys office said Ravizza stabbed a 21-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man at the McDonalds at the Route 3 Park and Ride. The man and woman were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said previously. The McDonalds stabbing happened shortly before 7 p.m., and the victims were employees, according to the district attorneys office. Video footage of the incident shows Ravizza stabbing the male employee through the drive-thru window before parking the vehicle he drove, going inside the restaurant to stab the female employee and then fleeing in the vehicle. Ravizza was in police custody and being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth as of Sunday afternoon, the district attorneys office said. He is set to face the charges Tuesday in Plymouth District Court. Authorities in Connecticut reported a death investigation Saturday afternoon involving a suspect arrested by Massachusetts State Police later in the day. Both Connecticut and Massachusetts state police could not confirm with MassLive whether Ravizza is the suspect linked to the Connecticut death. Troopers responded to the home around 3:35 p.m. on Saturday for a report of a disturbance, Connecticut State Police said. They found an as-yet unidentified person dead at the location. Ravizza is also being investigated as a suspect in a Saturday evening stabbing at a movie theater in Braintree in which four girls aged 9 to 17 were stabbed, according to The Boston Globe. The Globe quoted Massachusetts state police as saying a likely connection exists between the restaurant and movie theater stabbings. Braintree police wrote in a statement It appears as though the crimes are crimes are related. Around 6 p.m., a man came into AMCs Braintree location and went past the ticket counter without paying, Braintree police said previously. He then entered one of the theaters and suddenly stabbed the girls without saying anything or issuing a warning. The suspect fled in a vehicle, and the girls were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Ravizzas vehicle was spotted on Cape Cod soon after the Plymouth stabbing, Massachusetts State Police said previously. He soon crashed in Sandwich and was arrested. By Jason Nark, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) As the curtain rose on the Jersey Shores official summer season this weekend, a familiar problem reared its head: unruly teens crowding the boardwalk at night. In Ocean City, N.J., the problem turned violent Saturday night as a 15-year-old boy was stabbed by an unknown person around 9:10 p.m. not far from a popular amusement pier. Police said the teen was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City for non-life-threatening injuries. The Cape May County town, which dubs itself as Americas Greatest Family Resort, has taken measures to prevent teens and young adults from crowding the beaches and boardwalk at night, including an 8 p.m. beach curfew, 8 p.m. ban on backpacks on the boardwalk, and an overall 11 p.m. curfew on the boards. A social media post by Philly-based photographer Hugh E. Dillon showed hundreds of teens running off the boardwalk Saturday night after reports of fights, the stabbing, and a smoke bomb set off. Ocean City In a statement about Saturday nights chaos, Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian issued a blunt message to all parents and teens: If you dont want to behave, dont come. Gillian said officers made multiple arrests Saturday night and were able to quickly restore order to the Boardwalk once the teens involved in these incidents were removed. I understand the impact that this behavior has on all of our residents, guests and business owners, and I want to assure everybody that Ocean City will not tolerate it. Its unclear how many arrests were made Saturday night in Ocean City. Neither the police department nor a spokesperson could be immediately reached Sunday afternoon. Last year, Ocean City issued more than 1,000 curbside warnings in a single weekend. Meanwhile, up the coast, in Seaside Heights, Ocean County, unfounded reports of gunshots sent hundreds of teens pouring off the boardwalk as well. The town, famous for hosting MTVs Jersey Shore, instituted a 10 p.m. curfew for teens under age 18. Most Jersey Shore towns have enacted restrictions for teens in recent years, including a midnight curfew in Wildwood and a 10 p.m. curfew in adjacent North Wildwood. We do have concerns with large groups of juveniles gathering at night, but it has started to slow down in recent years, North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello told The Inquirer recently. It seemed like from 2020 to 2022, it really exploded and then its kind of waned. Ernie Lynns battle has been in the public eye all year, and this week it took another turn. And thankfully that turn was a positive one. The 69-year-old son of late country music legend Loretta Lynn appeared in a Facebook video posted by his wife, Crystal, in which he addressed fans for the first time. Hey, for all yall that have been praying for me and stuff, I appreciate it and love yall for it, he said. Im getting better. I just had some heart surgery and stuff. Im getting a little better every day. Thank yall for praying for me. God bless you. This came about two weeks after Crystal Lynn announced on social media that her husband had returned to the hospital as he battles kidney failure. The world first learned that much what Ernie was up against back in January when Loretta Lynns social media accounts announced that he was heading into the hospital for a critical surgery, in the fight. And for a time in January things were not looking good for Ernie. But he made a miraculous recovery and returned home where he appeared to be doing well until two weeks ago. Crystal Lynn shared then on social media that Ernie was back in the hospital facing a couple of procedures as doctors tried to get to the bottom of some of the issues he was dealing with. It has been a rollercoaster in the days since but it appears the latest news is positive, and things are headed in a good direction. She provided an update, too, two weeks after his surgery. I know that social media has made it easy for us all to share things that we normally wouldnt, she wrote on Facebook. However in this instance Im going to keep the details of his healthy private out of respect for him, as well as because not everyone out there means well and might misuse the information. She did provide a few more details, though. That being said, Ernie continues to make small improvements each day and will hopefully be able to be discharged soon so that he may return home to continue healing, she wrote. He has a long road ahead of him, as youve seen, but he is a fighter and God is fighting for him as well, so Im confident that he will pull through these unexpected adversities. She asked that anyone who sees him out and bout please be respectful of his space as he heals. We have to be very gentle with him right now as well as keep him as healthy as possible, she wrote. Although it might not be hard on you, a simple cold, Covid, the flu, etc could be fatal to him. In addition to that, he had major surgery. He is still healing. He has open wounds so as happy as you are for him right now, a simple pat on the back or a hug could cause him to experience extreme pain right now, so again, we appreciate you respecting his space. She added that he will be surrounded by family who will carefully provide the delicate support that he needs. In closing, I thank you all for respecting our wishes and even more so, I thank you for your continued prayers and support, she continued. God is great!! He has provided life to us, and it will be life well lived that (will) not be taken for granted. By Sean Murphy and Julio Cortez, The Associated Press VALLEY VIEW, Texas Powerful storms killed at least 18 people, injured hundreds and left a wide trail of destruction across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where dozens sought shelter in a restroom during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S. The storms inflicted their worst damage in a region spanning from north of Dallas to the northwest corner of Arkansas, and the system threatened to bring more violent weather to other parts of the Midwest. By Monday, forecasters said, the greatest risk would shift to the east, covering a broad swath of the country from Alabama to near New York City. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency early Monday in a post on social media platform X, citing multiple reports of wind damage and tornadoes. Seven deaths were reported in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, where a tornado Saturday night plowed through a rural area near a mobile home park, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news conference Sunday. The dead included two children, ages 2 and 5. Three family members were found dead in one home, according to the county sheriff. Storms also killed two people and destroyed houses in Oklahoma, where the injured included guests at an outdoor wedding, eight people in Arkansas and one person in Kentucky. Tens of thousands of residents were without power across the region. In Texas, about 100 people were injured and more than 200 homes and structures destroyed, Abbott said, sitting in front of a ravaged truck stop near the small agricultural community of Valley View. The area was among the hardest-hit, with winds reaching an estimated 135 mph (217 kph), officials said. The hopes and dreams of Texas families and small businesses have literally been crushed by storm after storm, said Abbott, whose state has seen successive bouts of severe weather, including storms that killed eight people in Houston. Hugo Parra, who lives in Farmers Branch, north of Dallas, said he rode out the storm with 40 to 50 people in the bathroom of the truck stop. The storm sheared the roof and walls off the building, mangling metal beams and leaving battered cars in the parking lot. A firefighter came to check on us and he said, Youre very lucky, Parra said. The best way to describe this is the wind tried to rip us out of the bathrooms. Multiple people were transported to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter in Denton County, also north of Dallas. No more deaths are expected and nobody was reported missing in Texas, Abbott said, though responders were doing one more round of searches just in case. Eight people died statewide in Arkansas, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed in a news conference Sunday evening. An emergency official said two of the deaths were attributed to the circumstances of the storm but not directly caused by weather, including a person who suffered a heart attack and another who was deprived of oxygen due to a loss of electricity. The deaths included a 26-year-old woman who was found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, according to Daniel Bolen of the countys emergency management office. One person died in Benton County, and two more bodies were found in Marion County, officials said. In Oklahoma, two people died in Mayes County, east of Tulsa, officials said. In Kentucky, a man was killed Sunday in Louisville when a tree fell on him, police said. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg confirmed on social media it was a storm-related death. A DEADLY SERIES OF STORMS The destruction continued a grim month of deadly severe weather in the nations midsection. Tornadoes in Iowa last week left at least five people dead and dozens injured. The deadly twisters have spawned during a historically bad season for tornadoes, at a time when climate change contributes to the severity of storms around the world. April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country. Meteorologists and authorities issued urgent warnings to seek cover as the storms marched across the region late Saturday and into Sunday. If you are in the path of this storm take cover now! the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma, posted on X. Harold Brooks, a senior scientist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, said a persistent pattern of warm, moist air is to blame for the string of tornadoes over the past two months. Brooks recommended that travelers passing through threatened areas over the Memorial Day weekend have a plan for a weather emergency. Travelers who have already chosen where to get food and other essentials probably ought to be thinking about what could I do if theres a dangerous situation to save my life, Brooks said. HOMES DESTROYED, ROADS BLOCKED Residents awoke Sunday to overturned cars and collapsed garages. Some residents could be seen pacing and assessing the damage. Nearby, neighbors sat on the foundation of a wrecked home. In Valley View, near the truck stop, the storms ripped the roofs off homes and blew out windows. Clothing, insulation, bits of plastic and other pieces of debris were wrapped around miles of barbed wire fence line surrounding grazing land in the rural area. Kevin Dorantes, 20, was in nearby Carrollton when he learned the tornado was bearing down on the Valley View neighborhood where he lived with his father and brother. He called the two of them and told them to take cover in the windowless bathroom, where they rode out the storm and survived unharmed. As Dorantes wandered through the neighborhood of downed power lines and devastated houses, he came upon a family whose home was reduced to a pile of splintered rubble. A father and son were trapped under debris, and friends and neighbors raced to get them out, Dorantes said. They were conscious but severely injured, Dorantes said. The fathers leg was snapped. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES The severe weather knocked out power for tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the path of the storms. By late Sunday, more than 80,000 customers in Arkansas were without power. In neighboring Missouri, more than 90,000 were also without power. Texas reported 27,000 outages while 3,000 were reported in Oklahoma, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us. Inaccessible roads and downed power lines in Oklahoma also led officials in the town of Claremore, near Tulsa, to announce on social media that the city was shut down due to the damage. MORE SEVERE WEATHER IN FORECAST The system causing the latest severe weather was expected to move east over the rest of the holiday weekend. The Indianapolis 500 started four hours late after a strong storm pushed into the area, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate about 125,000 race fans. More severe storms were predicted in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. The risk of severe weather moves into North Carolina and Virginia on Monday, forecasters said. Associated Press reporters Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Kathy McCormack in Concord, N.H.; Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Jesse Bedayn in Denver contributed to this report. Thousands of veterans from the Korean War to Afghanistan rode motorcycles from the Pentagon to the National Mall this Sunday during an annual three-day event in Washington D.C. Some rode from as far away as California, others as close as the district. Many of Pennsylvanias nearly 800,000 veterans also made their way. Together, they took part in the 36th annual ride previously Rolling Thunder, now called Rolling to Remember to shed light on those left behind. They also discussed the issues they face in the reintegration process and the mental health crisis among veterans. Honoring the fallen and missing For many riders, Rolling to Remember is about honoring those fallen and those who never returned home. Travis Haymore, U.S. Air Force Veteran Security Policeman, remembers the events first year originally called Run to the Wall as a gathering of 2,500 bikers demanding accountability for those who were missing and unaccounted. It was held Memorial Day weekend in 1988. We have failed, Haymore said. We have failed to make people educated as to why were here. Everybody thinks its a bike rally. Its a parade, but its not, its a protest. Its a protest so these people up here on Capitol Hill know why were here and we wont tolerate our people being left behind. Travis Haymore, left, and Bruce Waters, right, pose for a portrait at the National Mall in Washington, on Friday, May 24, 2024.Jackson Ranger According to Haymore, many families dont have closure because their loved ones are missing or unaccounted for. The ride 36 years ago was solely focused on calling attention to the servicemen whose final fate remained uncertain. Some were prisoners of war. Others died in combat and their families were never given the opportunity to bury their loved ones. The Department of Defenses POW/MIA Accounting Agency reports more than 81,000 individuals who served have never returned home. Of those, 5,376 are from Pennsylvania. The event every year is to demand accountability to ensure that this doesnt happen again, Haymore said. Ive been privileged to have attended, in the past 15 years, five repatriations here, where they have identified somebody. Its good to see the families come together and get closure for that. The DOD Accounting Agency reports 79 individuals have been accounted for and identified in 2024. This includes 62 individuals from World War II, 15 from the Korean War, and two from the Vietnam War. Kimberly Collins, the Virginia state coordinator for Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA), described attending Rolling to Remember as a privilege of remembering the fallen. Its not about the AMVETS, its not about CMA, its not about Rolling Thunder it is about the veterans, Collins said. It is about honoring those that arent home, remembering the fallen and remembering the mothers here that dont know where their sons remains are. We still have so many missing and unaccounted for, Collins said. The next generation will take up the mantle to pass the torch. Shedding light on veteran suicide Rolling Thunder officially ended in 2019 after 31 years of riding. When AMVETS picked up the mantle in 2021, its focus expanded to include concerns around the crisis of veteran mental health and suicide. For veterans like Mike Helvey, who served for 25 years in the Air Force, returning to life as a civilian was difficult and came with mental health concerns. For some veterans, mental health struggles manifest into suicide. Kimberly Collins poses for a portrait at the Pentagon parking lot in Washington, on Friday, May 24, 2024.Jackson Ranger Youve often done things and seen things that other people cannot relate to, Helvey said. A lot of vets, myself included, like to isolate after returning from war from particular places. The suicide rate is higher. The mental health crisis for vets has always existed. According to the 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported the suicide rate for veterans was 71.8% greater than the rate for non-Veteran U.S. adults in 2021. Rob Clark shared a similar remark to Helvey and said he saw suicides himself, and it never left his memory. [Its] a huge amount of people committing suicide, because theyre not getting the proper mental health and mental health care that they need, Clark said. While veteran suicide persists as an issue, many are working toward solutions to tackle the problem. Natalie Cummings, the National President of AMVETS Riders, lost her son to suicide but has made it her mission to spread awareness around the topic. When we ride this weekend, Ill be thinking of him and Ill have his billfold in my pocket. We lose 22 veterans a day, Cummings said. Thats a huge part of the rally this year to remember everybody thats fallen and to help those here that are wounded. The number 22 comes from VA data that covers 21 states and spans 11 years, from 1999 to 2011. Its the most cited data and the subject of a national campaign around veteran mental health and suicide awareness #22aday. The most recent data points to 245 veterans dying by suicide every two weeks. This is one veteran dying by suicide about every 82 minutes. In Pennsylvania, where the fourth-most veterans reside, 246 veterans died by suicide in 2021, which marked the reversal of trends that have declined since 2006. In particular, Pennsylvania veterans most vulnerable groups were those aged 18 to 34 and 35 to 44. Rob Clark poses for a portrait at the Pentagon parking lot in Washington, on Friday, May 24, 2024.Jackson Ranger Two out of every three veteran suicides in Pennsylvania involved a firearm a similar rate nationally. This is 20% more common than non-veteran suicides. Transitioning to civilian life For some veterans, stepping back on American soil can leave them unmoored. The familiar becomes unfamiliar, and reintegrating into civilian life can be difficult. Marine Corps veteran Christopher Maldonado, of Cressona, Pennsylvania, discussed the challenges for veterans entering civilian life. A lot of times we come home and we dont get decompressed the way we are supposed to, said Maldonado. So, when we try to enter society as a normal civilian, sometimes it just doesnt work out. And its either youre in hospital or youre in jail, unfortunately. Mental health With mental health often stigmatized, veterans can struggle to recognize their suffering and seek the help they need. Jim, a U.S. Army Veteran who served in Vietnam, and Linda Botkin, wife and daughter of veterans, are no strangers to this. Jim did not want his last name used in the story. Jim, who did not want his last name used in the story, holds out his forearm as he poses for a portrait at the National Mall in Washington, on Friday, May 24, 2024.Jackson Ranger From being sent to Columbia, South America for operations against drug trafficking to losing friends in action (for whom he has three poppy tattoos), Jim has been impacted by a series of traumatic periods in his life. I definitely had PTSD, but I was totally in denial. I didnt talk about it for 27 years. Little did I know at that time, I was doing more harm than good, Jim said. After coming to terms with his PTSD, Jim began counseling and was consistent for more than 20 years. He was asked in 2017 to be a mentor to the new veterans coming home from Afghanistan and Iraq. I was able to get five of those veterans to seek treatment, trying to relay my experiences and everything to them. They all were able to relate to what I was going through: the anger, the isolation, the hypervigilance. While Jims journey highlights personal growth and the importance of mentorship in addressing mental health issues, Botkin recognizes we are not where we need to be across the mental health diaspora. Having a father who was gone several times a year, serving in the National Guard and meeting her future husband who was coming out of service at the time, she has secondhand experience on the issue. They were made promises by the government, and the government has not lived up to those promises to provide them with adequate care, particularly when it comes to mental health, said Botkin. Because in the military, it becomes a stigma, to admit that you have mental health problems and you lose your job. When post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was first introduced to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as its own diagnosis, it referenced the long-term disability experienced by trauma survivors, including sexual assault survivors and Vietnam veterans. Bob Oliveri poses for a portrait at the Pentagon parking lot in Washington, on Friday, May 24, 2024.Jackson Ranger According to the National Institute for Health, 700,000 Vietnam veterans nearly one-quarter of those who served were diagnosed with PTSD. Today, 7% of veterans will develop PTSD at some point in their life. The condition is more common among female veterans at 13%, according to the National Center for PTSD. A strain on families While its now more common to discuss PTSD with veterans and other trauma survivors, the impact of trauma on relationships and families seems to fly under the radar for most. Not only did this stress impact Jims mental health, it prevented him from building new relationships. I cant be with anybody, Jim said. I have never been married. No kid, not even a girlfriend. Im just too hard to live with. I even annoy myself and I make myself sleep on the couch. After spending time in Vietnam, Colorado, Columbia, and Sudan, Jims career ended after a wound from his years in Vietnam caught up to him. When he finally admitted to himself that he needed help, Jim found himself in PTSD counseling for 21 years. George Barish, 76 years old, served in the Army from 1966 through 1968, and while he did not serve in Vietnam, his twin brother did. Seeing the stress and his brothers PTSD has been difficult for Barish and his family. Most people do not understand the things that veterans have gone through and have to live with, he said. Like they say, they lived that nightmare a lot of times at night, and its just a shame for anybody, not only Vietnam vets, all the veterans that served in combat, Barish said. Its terrible. David Neville poses with his bike for a portrait at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, on Friday, May 24, 2024.Jackson Ranger Left behind Troy Warshel, a former United States Marine and the president of Operation Enduring Warrior, served for 20 years. He struggled to find a new sense of identity upon returning home. His work and events like Rolling to Remember work to establish a surrogate family. And, like many veterans shared over the weekend, there are many things only veterans understand. When you take the uniform off and step into the civilian world, that feeling of community and camaraderie and belonging to something does not exist, said Warshel. And, quite frankly, for me, it was a really difficult time. Veterans and veteran family members participating in this years ride conveyed a similar message while theyre there to shed light on service members who never returned home, they too often feel left behind. This reporting was completed by the Degler News Service in Washington DC and the News Lab at Penn State. Contributing reporters include Louise Bennett, Mackenzie Bruns, Julie Caro, Aria Eichhof, Baxter Gimer, Mercedes Hamilton, Sadie Harvey, Hugh Kibera, Natalie Pearson, Cora Rodriguez and Milan Varia. Photojournalism by Jackson Ranger. A door-to-door solicitor without a permit was arrested in Camp Hill Friday after he harassed the driver of a passing vehicle, according to police. Tehran Brown, 44, of Washington D.C., was charged by the Camp Hill Police with misdemeanor simple assault, and two summary offenses: harassment and disorderly conduct after the incident about 7 p.m. May 24 in the 2300 block of Logan Street. Police said Brown was soliciting in the neighborhood when he had an altercation with a driver who passed by. He brandished pepper spray at the driver while shouting obscenities and racial slurs, police said. Officers were called to the scene and they transported Brown to Cumberland County Prison, where he was still being held Monday after being unable to post $10,000 monetary bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 30. Last month, Brown was arrested in Illinois and charged with aggravated assault and battery by police. Hes been arrested more than 20 times in eight different states, with offenses ranging from canvassing and peddling to battery and assault. By Mike Newall and Beatrice Forman, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia police have released information about two more fatal dog shootings this month by officers in a year that has seen an uptick in such incidents. Philly cops have fatally shot four dogs in May, and five in total since the start of 2024. Thats just as many as they did in all of 2023, according to an Axios report. In all the incidents, according to police, the dogs were either attacking other dogs or people. In both recent shootings, humans were also wounded, including an owner struck by a bullet fragment, and a police sergeant bitten by a pit bull that had killed a smaller dog. Around 4 a.m. Thursday, a 67-year-old man was walking his black Pomeranian in front of his home in South Philadelphia when a stray pit bull attacked the dog. The pit bull then bit a responding police sergeant in the arm, before the sergeant and another officer shot the dog twice, killing it, police said in a report issued Friday night. The Pomeranian who was nearly 6 years old and named Belinda, according to a FOX29 report died at the scene from the attack. The sergeant, who was not identified by police, was treated at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for bite wounds and abrasions and released. Both officers were placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of an investigation by Internal Affairs and the Officer-Involved Shooting Investigations unit. The officers body-worn cameras captured the incident, police said. On May 15, a Philadelphia police officer shot and killed another pit bull to break up an attack on a smaller dog and, in the process, also wounded an owner of one of the animals, police said in a separate report Friday. Brian Keenan who was identified by police as 30 and a 7-year veteran of the force was one of multiple officers from the 39th District in North Philadelphia called to break up a dog fight around noon, police said. Keenan fired his weapon multiple times, killing the pit bull, the police report said. A bullet fragment ricocheted and struck the left arm of one of the dog owners, a 66 year-old-man, police said. He declined medical attention at the scene, according to police. It is unclear which owner was wounded. The smaller dog died from injuries suffered during the attack, police said. Keenans body-worn camera also captured the incident, police said, and he has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of investigations. Earlier in May, an off-duty officer shot two dogs that attacked a woman in Kingsessing while on a walk. One of the dogs had to be euthanized, while the woman, 52, was hospitalized with arm, leg and head injuries. In that incident, the officer discharged his service weapon up to seven times, police said. And another police officer shot and killed a Cane Corso that attacked a man, 53, alongside four other pit bulls in Mantua, also in May. The man was taken to the hospital with bite wounds all over his body. Philadelphia police officers are prohibited from shooting at a dog or other animal, according to department policy, except to protect themselves or another person from physical injury and there is no other reasonable means to eliminate the threat. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden marked Memorial Day with a pledge that the country would continue the work of the nations fallen toward creating a more perfect union, for which they lived, and for which they died for. Delivering remarks at a solemn remembrance ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Biden said each generation must ensure the sacrifice of the countrys service members is not in vain. By Jonathan D. Salant, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS) WASHINGTON Pennsylvanias chief elections administrator says the states elections have never been more safe and secure, even as voting procedures increasingly are questioned, prominent Republicans refuse to say theyll accept the results, and 4 in 10 Pennsylvanians doubt that the 2020 presidential election was conducted fairly. Secretary of State Al Schmidt said on NBCs Meet the Press Sunday that the state uses a paper trail and two audits to guarantee the outcome is correct. Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt (Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com, 2023) Elections have changed a lot in Pennsylvania in the last several years, but theyve changed for the better, he said. Elections have never been more safe and secure with a voter-verifiable paper-ballot record of every vote thats cast that is used in not one but two audits after every election to ensure the tabulated results are accurate. So, theyve changed a lot. Schmidt joined secretaries of state from three other battlegrounds Arizona, Georgia and Michigan to discuss the 2024 elections at a time when former President Donald Trump and his allies still insist against all evidence that the 2020 election was stolen. In a recent Muhlenberg College poll, 43% of Pennsylvania voters said they had little or no confidence that Biden received more votes than Trump, while 56% said they were very or somewhat confident. Schmidt acknowledged that there remain plenty of legitimate questions about updated voting procedures. Its all of our responsibility to answer those questions, provided those people are asking questions that they actually want to know the truth about elections, he said. When you know more about elections, you have more confidence in them. He isnt alone. We said a lot in our darkest moments after the 2020 election, when we were just inundated with lies and misinformation in an effort to overturn a valid and legitimate election, that the truth is on our side and that transparency is our friend, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said. So, we welcome people to ask us questions. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, named Schmidt, a former Republican city commissioner from Philadelphia, to the post in 2023. Schmidt had served as vice chair of the citys Board of Elections and rejected claims by Trump and other Republicans of massive fraud. For refusing to along with those disproven allegations, Schmidt said he and his family received death threats. The point of these threats is really to terrorize and is to intimidate and to try to keep any of us and our election officials at the county level and at the precinct level from doing or not doing something that is their responsibility, which is such a core foundation of our system of government, Schmidt said. So, its important, I think, that, you know, we treat them seriously, we take them seriously, we take steps to mitigate against them, and that our people are safe and feel safe at the end of the day. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called such threats domestic terrorism. Terrorism is defined as a threat or violence for a political outcome, he said. Thats what this is. And Benson acknowledged being scared when people came to her home with guns. But at the same time, for me, I think about, you know, the freedom fighters who stood to defend democracy in Selma in 1965, she said. They were afraid, too, and they marched forward anyway because we have a higher responsibility to our country. Schmidt said that the governor set up an election threat task force that allows the election workers to work together with law enforcement. So, should any of that ugliness that we all experienced in 2020 return, everyone knows whose role is what and how to communicate that information expeditiously so law enforcement can do its job, so our election officials can do the job that only they can do, which is counting votes in our representative democracy, he said. House Republicans have turned their attention to the virtually nonexistent problem of noncitizens voting in federal elections, which already is a felony. Just 30 of 23.5 million ballots counted in 2016 could have been cast by noncitizens, or 0.0001% of the votes cast, according to a study by the Brennan Center for Justice. Trump claimed that the reason Hillary Clinton received more popular votes than him was because millions of people voted illegally in 2016. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who led the unsuccessful effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Pennsylvanias 2020 election results on groundless allegations of voter fraud, has announced legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. WATCH: Daniel Negreanu & ODBs Top $25K Fantasy Poker Tips | PokerNews Podcast #832 Chad Holloway PR & Media Manager Copy link In the 832nd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway welcomes Daniel Negreanu and David "ODB" Baker to Level 9 Studios in Las Vegas to talk all things fantasy poker. That includes Negreanu's 2024 World Series of Poekr (WSOP) $25K Fantasy, which will host its annual draft at (5 p.m. PT on Monday, May 27 PokerNews will live report it here), as well as ODB's $500 buy-in counterpart open to anyone at 25KFantasy.com willing to pay the entry fee. The trio dives into the history of the draft, which started back in 2011 at Howard Lederer's house, and how it has changed over the years ultimately resulting in a record 20 teams last year! Learn why online events have been struck from consideration, why ODB decided to launch his $500 league and see both winners from past drafts and the league's all-time point earners. Negreanu and ODB then offer their thoughts on potential draftees including Josh Arieh, Bin Weng, Kristen Foxen, Jeremy Becker, Phil Ivey, and reigning WSOP Main Event champ Daniel Weinman. Finally, hear whether or not the two poker pros think this year's WSOP Main Event will set a new attendance record. You don't want to miss this one! A new PokerNews Podcast will drop twice a week during the 2024 WSOP every Tuesday and Friday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode! History of the WSOP $25k Fantasy Draft: Howard Lederer, Jason Mercier, & Daniel Negreanu Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Chad Holloway on X. Time Stamps Time Topic 00:15 Daniel Negreanu & David Baker join the show 01:41 Howard Lederer started the $25K Fantasy in 2011 03:20 Sense of pride when being drafted 05:17 Start of ODB $500 League 07:05 Adding bonus players 08:55 New $25K Fantasy implications coming to PokerNews Live Updates 10:16 Excluding online events 13:07 History of the $25K Fantasy League 17:45 Former champ Maria Ho on $25K Fantasy 19:10 Top point performers of all time 20:45 Boom or Bust? Daniel Weinman 24:12 Boom or Bust? Josh Arieh 24:55 Josh Arieh for Poker Hall of Fame? 25:50 Boom or Bust? Bin Weng 28:13 Boom or Bust? Kristin Foxen 30:12 Boom or Bust? Adrian Mateos 31:09 Boom or Bust? Jeremy Becker 35:25 Boom or Bust? Phil Ivey 38:02 Do you think the WSOP Main Event will set a new record? Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here! Check Out Past Episodes of the PN Podcast Here! Share this article A long bruising Day 2 of the EAPT UK Main Event has come to a conclusion with 16 players from the original 140 bagging for the final day at Dusk Till Dawn Poker Club, Nottingham. The overnight chip leader is Yanwen Li, who grabbed the lion share of her chips from Francis Obadun when her pocket kings beat his pocket jacks and will come back tomorrow with 22,450,000. Coming back tomorrow in second place is Ionut Dumitrana, who was on the rampage after the three-table redraw. Dumitrana dispatched five opponents in the space of an hour and finished the evening with 21,500,000. Rounding up the top three is Dusk Till Dawn regular Baktash Parsa with 15,600,000. He will be joined by DTD cash game commentator Ali Ayub, who we presume wont be doing double duty tomorrow when the final table is streamed live! EAPT UK Main Event Final 16 Chip Counts Place Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 Yanwen Li United Kingdom 22,450,000 75 2 Ionut Dumitrana United Kingdom 21,500,000 72 3 Baktash Parsa United Kingdom 15,600,000 52 4 Longmao Fan China 14,000,000 47 5 Jason Riley United Kingdom 12,950,000 43 6 Trevor Pearson United Kingdom 12,675,000 42 7 Ben Clark United Kingdom 11,875,000 40 8 Hong Pham Vietnam 10,100,000 34 9 Ryan Cooper United Kingdom 8,450,000 28 10 Lin Chen United Kingdom 8,225,000 27 11 Foad Sattarzadeh United Kingdom 8,200,000 27 12 David Langsdale United Kingdom 7,825,000 26 13 Ali Ayub United Kingdom 6,750,000 23 14 Yinchuan Liu United Kingdom 6,325,000 21 15 Lewis Nuttall United Kingdom 3,800,000 13 16 Jorge Palomino Spain 3,450,000 12 Day 2 Action After a delayed start the man of the hour was Obadun whose fearless approach was putting his opponents to the ultimate test and saw him at the top of the standings throughout the day. However Obadun hit a speed bump after two tussles with Dost Ghrabie. In the first encounter Obadun bet 700,000 to punish three limpers, but Ghrabie responded with a shove from the small blind which forced Obadun to fold and his opponent tabled queen-jack off. The very next hand Obadun raised from the hijack and Ghrabie raised out of turn for 1,000,000. Obadun made the call, but Ghrabie shoved on the flop, which got a fold from Obadun. Ghrabie had pocket aces in this battle. Once the field was whittled down to three tables, Dumitrana went on the sun run of his life. Starting with 12,600,000 Dumitrana knocked out Muhibur Rahman, Ben Fowler, Tony Horn, and Tom Runnacles and almost doubling his stack in the process. But the hand of the day was one of the last of the night, where Obadun clashed with Li. Obadun four-bet shoved and was slightly covered by Li. Li went into the tank and used two time extensions before making the call. There was a stunned silence when Li tabled pocket kings and some murmurings that it was a slowroll as Obadun had pocket jacks. Obadun couldnt improve and with that, an astonished Li did a lap of honor with her arms in the air as if she scored a winning goal at Wembley. The action will resume at 1 p.m. local time and will play on until a winner is crowned. Stick with PokerNews for all of the latest developments at the EAPT UK Main Event. Local Junctions proprietors want everybody to feel welcome at their new establishment, whether they were born and raised in Aiken or have just moved here. Read moreLocal Junction a new place to 'hang out' and enjoy Aiken's vibe Everyone talks about the weather, especially in the Lowcountry. Rain, wind, thunder and lightning, but also beautiful sunrises and gentle breezes are all part of life here. The Charleston Concert Band will take the listener through all the beauty and challenges of the weather in the Charlest Read more'In the Storm & Sunshine!' Summerville native and former General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor was shielding a coworker from harm when he was fatally shot by a trio of thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car in Los Angeles, his brother said May 27. Wactor, a 2004 graduate of Summerville High School, died shortly after the 3 a.m. shooting on May 25 in downtown L.A., authorities said. His youngest brother, Grant Wactor, told The Post and Courier that 37-year-old Johnny had just left work at a rooftop bar with a female coworker when he saw someone at his car. When Johnny Wactor asked if he was being towed, three mask-wearing thieves looked up at him, his brother said. Johnny then moved his female coworker behind him, said Grant Wactor, a 29-year-old Summerville resident. Johnny did not confront the men or try to stop them, but they shot him anyway, he said. The three men fled from the scene, police said. Wactor was rushed to a hospital, where he died. There had been no arrests announced in the case as of late May 27. Grant Wactor said his brother was escorting his female coworker to the parking lot because it was after midnight and they had parked a few blocks away. His brother was always the protector, he said. He had that old-school Southern instinct, you walk a woman to her car, Grant Wactor said. Johnny Wactor, the oldest of three brothers, started out in acting by playing a shepherd boy in Summerville Baptist Churchs Singing Christmas Tree production. He went on to Rollings Middle School of the Arts, Summerville High and the College of Charleston before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Where else in North Augusta (or even the entire CSRA) are the Lauryn Hill and R&Bs TLC given some prominence in the shape of specially-created dishes? Brian Waller, all 10 of the buttons on his chefs coat buttoned, is the man behind them, and everything on the menu has a story behind it. Wrap & Roll Kitchen opened May 20 in the former Ts building at the head of downtown North Augusta. It's wraps, it's bowls, it's comfort food in the form of rack of lamb and "Pappas garlic alfredo." "I'm a foodie at heart," Waller said. After a brief stint in Atlanta studying CNC programming, Waller was back in Augusta, first at Augusta Tech and then at Helms College where he enrolled in the Culinary Arts program. The transition from learning how to automate machine tools to perfecting beef bulgogi or a gourmet mac-and-cheese was one that, like many in his life, Waller credits to his faith: God-inspired, he said of this venture that began fomenting about two years ago. Waller is already an established businessman in the CSRA, having a trucking company and two barbershops. Wrap & Roll Kitchen, he said, started with its food truck before the extensive licensing requirements including the need for a home base led him to just open it as a full restaurant. I travel a lot. When I travel, my ideal vacation is to eat, he said, giving a nod to some of the chefs hes worked under or whose food hes experienced over the years, chefs who bring a story to their food. Get the QB Chili Bowl and youll be paying tribute to a former business partner of Wallers (and one of the first dishes he created after Helms). Or the Hello Wrap beef bulgogi and kimchi fried rice in Korean barbecue sauce, this one inspired by his best childhood friend whose family always brought over some of that bulgogi. What speaks to me? Waller mused. Sandwiches, wraps and comfort food. PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 03:01:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 555 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Shirazi's Revolutionary Program Empowers Entrepreneurs to Fire Their Ad Agencies and Skyrocket ROI, Shares Insights in Free PDF CheatsheetSAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 26, 2024 / Alister Shirazi, a leading expert in online marketing, is revolutionizing the industry with a unique approach to Facebook ads. By empowering entrepreneurs to run their own campaigns, Shirazi's method significantly improves ROI and eliminates the need for costly ad agency fees."It's time for entrepreneurs to take control of their marketing," says Alister Shirazi. "Why pay an ad agency month after month when 90% of the work is done in the first month? My approach ensures you keep your lead generation system and continue to grow without the recurring costs." Unlike traditional ad agencies that charge exorbitant fees for minimal ongoing work, Shirazi installs his proven lead generation system directly into businesses and hands over the reins. This empowers entrepreneurs to run their campaigns independently, ensuring long-term success and higher profits."Ad agencies have been taking advantage of businesses for too long," Shirazi explains. "They lock you into contracts and keep you dependent on them, even though most of the setup work is done upfront. My system puts the power back in your hands, allowing you to scale and optimize without the ongoing expense." Shirazi's expertise in Facebook ads and Go High Level provides a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to take control of their marketing. His program not only teaches effective strategies but also includes the installation of a proven lead generation system tailored to each business's needs.Key benefits of Alister Shirazi's unique approach include:Scalable Lead Generation Campaigns: Campaigns that scale on demand.Crafting an Irresistible Offer: Your clients should feel silly for saying "no".Sales Mastery: incremental improvements in close ratio mean huge profits downstream.Process and Operations: Automate and streamline the process from lead to sale.In addition to his digital marketing work, Alister hosts The A-Lister Show on his YouTube channel, where he interviews industry leaders and top entrepreneurs. The show offers valuable insights and practical strategies from industry leaders, making it an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs. The A-Lister Show can be accessed on theAlister Shirazi YouTube Channel .To further support businesses, Alister has made his Facebook Ads PDF Cheatsheet available for free download on his website, www.alister.com . This resource provides tips and strategies to improve advertising efforts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. "We aim to empower businesses with the knowledge and tools needed for success," adds Alister. "Our free cheatsheet is just one way we're helping businesses maximize their advertising potential." For more information about Alister Shirazi's Facebook Ads system, The A-Lister Show, or to download the free PDF cheatsheet, visit http://www.alister.com/ For more information on Alister Shirazi's revolutionary program and to discover how your business can benefit, visit http://www.alister.com/or contact Alister Shirazi at alister@ alister.com About Alister Shirazi:Alister Shirazi is a leading expert in online marketing with a passion for helping businesses achieve greater success. With extensive experience in scaling businesses, digital marketing, and Go High Level, Shirazi has developed a unique approach that empowers companies to take control of their marketing efforts and drive significant growth.Press Contact:Alister Shiraziinfo@ pulsemediapr.com SOURCE: Alister Shirazi PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 14:00:33 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 541 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / Aurwest Resources Corporation ("Aurwest" or the "Company") (CSE:AWR) today reports the Company's financial and operational results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. For further information please see the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com under the Company's profile.Further to filing the Company's Financial Statements and MD&A, the Company is pleased to provide an update on our quarterly operating highlights as set out below:First Quarter 2024 Financial HighlightsReduced operating costs by 3% to $108,025 during the first quarter, when comparing to the same period in the prior year. Net loss for the first quarter was $108,025 or ($0.00) per share. Cash used in operating activities, before changes in working capital, for the first quarter was $71,113. Cash used in investing activities was $1,605, associated with the core storage and sampling at Stars exploration and evaluation expense. The Company worked to minimize future capital obligation which will allow the Company to refocus its ongoing future exploration activities at its Stars Copper project in B.C. Consolidated cash and cash equivalents of $13,612 as at March 31, 2024. For Additional Information Please Contact Cameron MacDonaldTelephone: (403) 585-9875Email: cmacdonald@ aurwestresources.com Website: www.aurwestresources.com About Aurwest Resources CorporationAurwest is a Canadian-based junior resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties in Canada. The Company currently holds a 100% interest in the Stellar copper/gold project totaling 2,617 hectares plus an additional 3,762 hectares of contiguous claims at the Stars projects located approximately 65 kilometers southwest of Houston British Columbia.Forward-Looking InformationStatements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions, and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation: additional exploration of the properties may not locate significant gold mineralization, the exploration program may not be completed as planned or at all; the Company may not be able to assemble a seasoned exploration team, the path finder elements may not be indicative of gold mineralization; the western margin of the Dunnage zone may not be located within the Property; the structural elements of the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt may not be similar to the Abitibi and Fosterville gold camps; the Company's ability to raise additional funding to conduct exploration; receipt of permits to conduct the exploration plans and matters relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects; certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any 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, except in accordance with the applicable laws.The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Aurwest Resources Corporation PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 11:02:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 626 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Globe Life Inc. ("Globe Life" or "the Company") (NYSE:GL) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Globe Life securities between May 8, 2019 and April 10, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/GL Case Details:According to the Complaint, Globe Life is an insurance company headquartered in McKinney, Texas, that offers a wide range of insurance products, including life insurance, mortgage protections, and supplemental health insurance. Globe Life operates five wholly owned insurance subsidiaries. The largest, by both premiums collected and number of sales agents employed, is American Income Life Insurance Company ("AIL").Throughout the Class Period, according to the Complaint, Globe Life touted its consistent revenue growth, particularly from AIL, which accounted for 50% of the Company's profits in 2022 and 2023. During the Class Period, Globe Life reported consistent premium revenue growth at the Company, led by consistent premium revenue growth at AIL. The Company also represented that its employees adhered to a Code of Conduct that expressly prohibited various forms of misconduct, and which required that all Globe Life employees comply with relevant laws and regulations, purportedly ensuring that the Company would maintain a workplace free from violence, threatening behavior, and illegal drugs.The Complaint alleges that as a result of Defendants' misrepresentations, shares of Globe Life common stock traded at artificially inflated prices throughout the Class Period.The truth emerged on April 11, 2024, when, according to the Complaint, investment research firm Fuzzy Panda published a report alleging that Globe Life had engaged in wide-spread insurance fraud, while permitting a culture of unchecked sexual harassment. Specifically, the report alleged that several Globe Life subsidiaries were underwriting policies for dead and fictitious people, as well as adding policies to existing users' accounts without their consent. In addition, the investment research firm uncovered evidence that the subsidiaries maintained a hostile workplace where sexual harassment, drug use, and sexual assault went unchecked - conduct that violated the Company's Code of Conduct.As a result of these disclosures, according to the Complaint, the price of Globe Life common stock declined $55.76, or 53%, from a closing price of $104.93 per share on April 10, 2024, to a closing price of $49.17 per share on April 11, 2024.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/GL or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in Globe Life you have until July 1, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz and Grossman, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 08:00:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 434 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / Starrscreen, a leader in business growth solutions, is transforming the landscape for small and medium-sized enterprises with its innovative approach and unwavering commitment to client success.Understanding the financial challenges businesses face, Starrscreen operates on a unique model that requires no initial fees. This means clients can access top-tier growth services without any upfront financial burden. If clients don't profit, neither does Starrscreen. This performance-based approach ensures that Starrscreen is fully invested in the success of its clients from day one.Starrscreen is dedicated to driving exponential growth for its clients, with a targeted strategy to elevate businesses from $1M to $50 million in revenue. The company employs proven strategies that focus on measurable and sustainable outcomes, ensuring that clients see significant and tangible results in their financial performance.The company offers comprehensive consulting services, providing tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of each business. Starrscreen's team of experienced consultants covers everything from in-depth market research to strategic planning and execution. This holistic approach ensures that all aspects of business growth are addressed effectively.Unlike traditional consulting firms, Starrscreen integrates seamlessly into the client's company. This hands-on involvement means that Starrscreen's experts work closely within the business, implementing growth strategies from the inside out. This immersive approach allows for a deeper understanding of the company's operations and a more effective execution of growth initiatives.Starrscreen's compensation model is directly aligned with client success. The company takes either equity in the client's business, or a percentage of the revenue generated from their efforts. This ensures that Starrscreen's goals are fully aligned with those of their clients, fostering a partnership built on mutual trust and shared objectives.Starrscreen has a proven track record of success, having partnered with esteemed clients such as KMG Studios, CVT Miami and Atlanta, and Precession Roofing. The company is also excited to announce its latest ventures with VVS Diamond and Christopher Lane, further expanding its portfolio and demonstrating its commitment to driving significant growth for its clients."Our mission at Starrscreen is to empower businesses to achieve extraordinary growth without the burden of upfront costs," said Jake Bodiford, CEO of Starrscreen. "By aligning our success with that of our clients, we ensure a partnership built on mutual trust and shared goals." Starrscreen's growth partners include Alpha Vertex Agency and KMG, enhancing the company's capabilities, systems and resources to deliver outstanding results for clientsFor more information about Starrscreen's services and how they can help your business reach new heights, visit www.starrscreen.com CONTACT:Jake Bodiford+1 470-954-6488 Jake@ Starrscreen.com SOURCE: Starrscreen PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 15:17:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 415 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Marco Bitran opens up in featured interview on Industry Elites.BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / Renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist Marco Bitran was recently featured in a compelling interview on Industry Elites, where he discussed his unique views on success, his entrepreneurial journey, and his deep commitment to philanthropy. The episode titled "What Does Success Look Like To You? - Marco Bitran" delves into how Bitran's professional experiences and personal values shape his approach to business and life.Marco Bitran, founder of AI Exchange, Inc., is known for his innovative approach in bridging technology with finance to democratize access to alternative investment strategies through transparent, liquid managed accounts. With a solid foundation in engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School, Bitran's career has spanned from designing computer chips at Qualcomm to pivotal roles in finance at Morgan Stanley and Wellington Management.In the interview, Bitran articulates his philosophy that "success comes with a responsibility to give back," a principle that drives his ongoing support for organizations like the MSPCA and Combined Jewish Philanthropies. His recent participation in the Sar-El program to support Israeli Defense Forces highlights his active role in global volunteer efforts, showcasing his commitment to making a tangible impact.Bitran also shared insights into balancing the rigorous demands of being an entrepreneur with his role as a father of young children, emphasizing the importance of being present and integrating family life with community involvement.Looking ahead, Marco Bitran outlined the future of AI Exchange, focusing on expanding its platform to include more diverse investment strategies and deeper integrations of AI to enhance decision-making processes. His vision extends to increasing the firm's global presence, thereby making sophisticated financial strategies accessible worldwide.Concluding the interview, Bitran offered invaluable advice to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to merge technology with finance, highlighting the importance of focusing on real problems and maintaining flexibility in an ever-evolving industry landscape.The full interview is available on Industry Elites, providing a profound look at how Marco Bitran's professional achievements and personal commitments converge to define his unique interpretation of success.To read the full interview,click here .About Marco Bitran:Marco Bitran is a distinguished entrepreneur and committed philanthropist, founder of AI Exchange, Inc., and an active supporter of various charitable causes. With a background in engineering and finance, Bitran continues to lead innovations at the intersection of technology and investment, aiming to provide impactful solutions in the financial sector.Contact: info@ marcobitran.com SOURCE: Marco Bitran PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 08:21:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 293 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PEARLAND, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / Mariah Bowles, a Houston-based entrepreneur, is bringing the festive taste of Texas to Pearland with her new Eskimo Hut franchise. Overcoming challenges with unwavering determination, Mariah has become a dedicated leader passionate about creating memorable experiences for her community.Building a Legacy of FunMariah's journey is a testament to hard work and resilience. Medically retiring after a fulfilling career in the military garnished with three Army Commendation Medals, she embarked on a successful entrepreneurial path. Recognized for her achievements, Mariah was awarded the prestigious "Women of Distinction" honor.In 2022, Mariah's passion for bringing joy to others led her to acquire an Eskimo Hut franchise. Eskimo Hut, a beloved Texas brand known for its delicious frozen daiquiris and margaritas, perfectly complements her vision.Eskimo Hut Pearland: The Perfect Party SolutionMariah's Eskimo Hut caters to a variety of events, offering a unique service that goes beyond the traditional convenience store experience. Perfect for corporate events, festivals, school functions, and more, Eskimo Hut offers a convenient and mess-free way to elevate any gathering. Their signature frozen treats come in freezer-friendly gallon containers that ensure daiquiri consistency when pouring, and are available in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options to cater to all preferences.Bringing the Party to YouWhether you're planning a corporate event, a festival, or just a fun get-together, Eskimo Hut Pearland has you covered. Contact Mariah Bowles and her team and let them bring the party to you! Their delicious frozen treats are sure to be a hit with everyone.Media Contact:Phone: 3147189291 Email: Eskimohutpearland@ gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eskimohutpearlandtx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EskimoHutPearlandTX TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pearlandeskimohut Address: 1909 N Main St, Pearland, TX 77581, United StatesSOURCE: Eskimo Hut PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 05:17:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 716 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MONACO CITY, MONACO / ACCESSWIRE / May 26, 2024 / Are you looking for ways to secure your digital assets in the highly chaotic crypto market? Memereum provides insurance to your crypto assets to minimize your risks and losses.Memereumis a token in the web3 era where security is the key. It was launched with a mission to reshape how cryptocurrency investment works. The token is still in its presale phase. The Memereum has partnered with Toobit to pre-list the token. The core team is excited about the launch of tokens on Toobit, one of the top 30 global crypto exchanges.So far, Memereum has been pre-listed on three exchanges, includingToobit , Vindax, and Azbit, even before the launch. The team aims to distribute the token through many other exchanges, which are yet to be confirmed. The Memereum coin would leverage the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) to offer smooth operation to users.Presale participants can enjoy a hassle-free experience as their tokens will be automatically staked, unlocking substantial daily rewards at an impressive rate of 0.5 percent. This equates to an annual percentage rate (APR) of 183%. The token is still at the presale stage, and you can make an early bird entry through the official website - memereum.net MemeSwap, the exchange within the Memereum ecosystem, is going to be the groundbreaking solution in the evolving crypto space to offer insurance to your digital assets. With a commitment to security, MemeSwap prioritizes the safeguarding of users' assets. Their partnership with BlockSafu, a renowned Blockchain Auditing Firm, underscores their dedication to transparency and reliability. By conducting a thorough audit of their project, MemeSwap ensures a secure trading environment for investors.The platform also introduces the Memereum Card, fueled by MEME tokens. By seamlessly integrating MEME balances into everyday spending, Memereum Card opens doors to a plethora of possibilities for purchasing crypto assets.Memereum Token DistributionMemereumfollows a strategic token distribution plan to effectively navigate the crypto market. The distribution of Memereum Tokens will occur through three primary channels. Initially, at the presale, users can buy tokens. The price of the token would increase by $0.005 every 72 hours;Notably, 50% of the total token supply will be made available for purchase. Any unsold tokens will be systematically burnt to ensure controlled circulation. The max supply of the token is capped at 200M tokens. Furthermore, 25% of the total supply will be dedicated to token burn initiatives, which translates to 50M tokens.The initial listing price is set at $0.45 per token. Finally, a portion of the token supply, 2%, will be reserved for the Zealy Airdrop campaign. Additionally, 8% of the total supply will be allocated towards MEME Insurance claims and other finance products.Exclusive NFT for High-Value OrdersMemereum rewards high-value holders with exclusive NFTs, valued over $3,500 in the open market. This unique benefit adds value for those who invest heavily in the Memereum ecosystemAbout MemereumMemereumis a dynamic project with the definite ambition to narrow the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset ecosystem. Memereum offers Blockchain Insurance, 75% lending Platform, 183% Staking Rewards, a DeFi card, and a Decentralized Exchange, providing a comprehensive ecosystem designed to support its community of users. Memereum is aiming at becoming a significant player in the DeFi space with its busy schedule for 2024, including the launch of a crypto-based lending platform, a decentralized exchange, and the Memereum DeFi Card.Investors interested in joining the Memereum presale can do so by purchasing $MEME tokens using BNB, ETH, or USDT.About Toobit ExchangeToobitis a platform for digital currency trading, offering traders and investors a myriad of reading options. The team is comprised of seasoned professionals hailing from leading Internet firms and blockchain enterprises, including product technical leaders, R&D engineers, exchange operators, traders, and more. Toobit is dedicated to delivering a bank-level trading experience.Offering futures contract trading, spot trading, OTC, and other modes, Toobit prioritizes fairness, transparency, and liquidity. With a strong focus on blockchain innovation, Toobit strives to cultivate a global ecosystem of secure, professional, and stable digital currency services. Headquartered in the Cayman Islands, Toobit boasts a diverse team spanning various countries and regions worldwide.To learn more about Memereum, click hereWebsite, X page, Telegram channel, YouTube channel, Instagram,&Medium.Media ContactName: Oliver SanchezCompany Name: Memereum Corp.City and country : Monaco and MonacoCompany Email address:Support@ memereum.net SOURCE: Memereum Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 21:02:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 488 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / This has been a great honour and confirmation of the quality and services being offered by Nordic Catch which has been acclaimed as the Best Sushi Grade Seafood Delivery Company' by the Food Network. This recognition speaks volumes about the commitment of the company and its dedication to providing fresh, never-frozen seafood from Iceland to people in the United States.Another appreciable difference that Nordic Catch has in the provision and selling of its seafood is its methods of ensuring that the foods retain their fresh nature. To stand out from some of the other competitors, the company guarantees that its seafood is not frozen in any way, thus maintaining the authentic qualities, such as taste and texture, that sushi lovers appreciate. "Currently, we have been the only statewide company that delivers fresh Icelandic seafood every time," stated Julian Plateado of Nordic Catch. In our process, we ensure that every customer serving is given the best Seafood possible, at their doorstep.Iceland, famous for wealthy sea-living organisms, uses its fresh waters to produce quality seafood. From the case study looking at Nordic Catch, it is evident that the company supplies a range of fish and shellfish that boast the appropriate quality necessary for sushi-grade products. Thus, it fosters sustainability and provides consumers with a product that meets their expectations due to its freshness and taste.Nordic Catch received the title of "Best Sushi Grade Seafood Delivery Company" because of the satisfaction rate and quality of the product in terms of freshness as well as the unique delivery services that ensure that seafood remains fresh even after delivery. Out of 11 seafood delivery services highlighted by Food Network, Nordic Catch was singled out for ranking high in their specific category. This title, the spokesperson stated, must reflect the efforts of the team' and the respect for the generous nature' of Iceland. After receiving this high accreditation, Nordic Catch should be able to diversify and offer new products as well as tap into more markets of people desiring to enjoy the best quality seafood. They continue to remain committed to their vision of making sure that their products produce the best quality and that consuming fresh fish is good for your health.For more information about Nordic Catch and their products, visit their website or contact customer service.About Nordic CatchNordic Catch is a premium seafood delivery service, They deliver the finest seafood directly from Iceland, to your doorstep including sushi-grade fish and seafood. They achieved the highest quality and freshness from the ocean to the table; they are the only American company offering fresh, non-frozen seafood delivered to the lower 48 states within the night. They were awarded "Best for Sushi" by the Food Network Top Seafood Delivery Services list.Contact DetailsNordic Catch Julian Plateado+1 818-767-2392hello@ nordiccatch.com Company WebsiteSOURCE: Nordic Catch PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 15:17:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1055 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / STRAX (STO:STRAX)(FRA:NOBC) The shareholders of Strax AB (publ), Reg. No. 556539-7709, with its registered office in Stockholm, Sweden, are hereby summoned to the annual general meeting to be held on Thursday 27 June 2024 at 13:00 a.m. (CEST) at the offices of Advokatfirman Vinge, Smalandsgatan 20, Stockholm, Sweden. Registration for the annual general meeting starts at 12:45 a.m. (CEST).Preconditions for participation in the Meeting Shareholders who wish to participate in the Meeting mustfirstly be included in the shareholders' register prepared by Euroclear Sweden AB relating to the circumstances on Tuesday 18 June 2024,secondly notify the company of their participation in the Meeting no later than on Thursday 20 June 2024.Notification to attend the Meeting Notification to attend the Meeting can be made in writing to Strax AB, Master Samuelsgatan 10, SE-111 44, Stockholm, Sweden or by e-mail to ir@ strax.com . Shareholders should, when notifying attendance, provide their name, personal identification or corporate registration number, address, telephone number, shareholdings and, where applicable, details of the attendance of any representative(s) and/or assistant(s). In addition, the notification shall, if applicable, be supplemented with complete authorisation documentation such as certificate of incorporation and powers of attorney for representatives.Nominee registered shares To be entitled to participate in the Meeting, a shareholder whose shares are held in the name of a nominee must, in addition to providing notification of participation, register its shares in its own name so that the shareholder is recorded in the share register relating to the circumstances on 18 June 2024. Such registration may be temporary (so-called voting right registration) and is requested from the nominee in accordance with the nominee's procedures and in such time in advance as the nominee determines. Voting right registrations completed by the nominee not later than 20 June 2024 are taken into account when preparing the share register.Proxies, etc. Shareholders who are represented by a proxy must authorise the proxy by issuing a dated power of attorney. If such authorisation is issued by a legal entity, an attested copy of a certificate of registration or similar must be attached. The power of attorney is valid one year from issuance, or such longer period as specified in the power of attorney, but maximum five years from issuance. The original authorisation and certificate of registration, where applicable, should be sent to Strax AB, Master Samuelsgatan 10, SE-111 44, Stockholm, Sweden, well in advance of the Meeting. A proxy form is available on the company's website ( www.strax.com) Right to request information The shareholders are reminded of their right to request information pursuant to Chapter 7, Section 32, of the Swedish Companies Act.Proposed agendaOpening of the Meeting and appointment of chairman for the Meeting Preparation and approval of the voting list Approval of the agenda Election of one or two persons who shall approve the minutes Determination of whether the Meeting has been duly convened Presentation of the annual report and the auditors' report as well as the consolidated financial statements and the auditors' report for the group for the financial year 2023 Decision regarding the adoption of the income statement and the balance sheet, as well as the consolidated income statement and the consolidated balance sheet Decision regarding appropriation of the company's earnings in accordance with the approved balance sheet Decision regarding discharge from liability of the members of the Board of Directors and the CEO Decision on the number of Directors and deputy Directors, and the number of auditors Decision on the remuneration that shall be paid to: the Board of Directors, and the auditors Election of the members of the Board of Directors, potential deputy members of the Board of Directors Election of Chairman of the Board of Directors Election of auditors Presentation of the Board of Directors' remuneration report for approval Proposal to authorize the Board of Directors to resolve upon issue of new shares, warrants and/or convertibles Closing of the Meeting Resolution proposalsElection of a chairman at the Meeting, determination of the number of members of the board of directors, the number of auditors, fees for the members of the Board of Directors and fees for the auditors as well as election of the members of the Board of Directors, potential deputy members of the Board of Directors, election of Chairman of the Board of Directors and election of auditors (item 1, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, 12, 13 and 14) As of the date of this notice, the nomination committee has not finalised the proposals for the Meeting. The nomination committee's proposals will be published on the company's website as soon as possible.Resolution on the allocation of the company's earnings (item 8) The Board of Directors proposes that the company's results shall be carried forward.Proposal to authorize the Board of Directors to resolve upon issue of new shares, warrants and/or convertibles (item 16) The Board of Directors proposes that the Meeting resolves to authorize the Board of Directors to up until the next Annual General Meeting, on one or several occasions and with or without preferential rights for the shareholders, against cash payment or against payment through set-off or in kind, or otherwise on special conditions, resolve to issue new shares, warrants and/or convertibles. However, such issue of shares must never result in the company's issued share capital or the number of shares in the company at any time, being increased by more than a total of 10 per cent.The reason for the proposal and the possibility to deviate from shareholders' preferential rights in the proposal is, among other things, to facilitate for the company to carry out acquisitions with payment in shares or to otherwise procure the financing of the company in an active and appropriate manner.The CEO shall be authorized to make such minor amendments to the above resolution that may prove necessary in connection with the registration with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.A resolution in accordance with the Board of Directors' proposal shall only be valid where supported by not less than two-thirds of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the Meeting.Number of shares and votes At the date of this notice there are in aggregate 120,592,332 issued shares and votes in the company. The company holds no own shares as of the date of this notice.Processing of personal data More information regarding the pro PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 20:31:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1083 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / PMD Device Solutions (FRA:8T0)(STO:PMDS) PMD Device Solutions AB (publ) cancels the annual general meeting due to administrative reasons and hereby convenes a new annual general meeting, to be held on 28 June 2024. The notice of the meeting follows in full below. There have been no changes to the notice from the previously issued notice other than dates to align with the new AGM date.NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN PMD DEVICE SOLUTIONS AB (PUBL)The shareholders of PMD Device Solutions AB (publ), reg. no. 556639-6809 (the "Company") are hereby invited to the Annual General Meeting on Friday 28 June 2024 at 10:00 CEST at the premises of Eversheds Sutherland located at Sveavagen 20, Stockholm. Registration begins at 09:45.RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE AND NOTIFICATIONShareholders who wish to participate at the general meeting muston the record date, which is 19 June 2024, be registered in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB; and give notice to participate no later than 24 June 2024 by email to investorrelations@ pmd-solutions.com or by mail to the Company, c/o Eversheds Sutherland Advokatbyra, Box 140 55, 104 40 Stockholm. When registering, the shareholder must provide their name, shareholding, personal or organisational identification number, address, and telephone number, as well as, if applicable, information on proxies (up to two). The notification should, if applicable, be accompanied by powers of attorney, registration certificates, and other authorisation documents.Shareholders whose shares are nominee-registered in the name of a bank or other nominee must, in addition to giving notice of attendance to the Company, register such shares in their own names so that the shareholder is recorded in the share register as of 19 June 2024. Such registration may be temporary (so-called voting right registration) and request for such registration shall be made to the nominee in accordance with the nominee's routines in such time in advance as decided by the nominee. Voting rights registrations effected no later than 24 June 2024 will be considered by Euroclear Sweden AB in the preparation of the share register.Shareholders represented by proxy must issue a written proxy, signed and dated by the shareholder, to the proxy holder. The validity period of the proxy may be up to five years if specified. If no validity period is specified, the proxy is valid for up to one year. If the proxy is issued by a legal entity, a copy of the registration certificate or equivalent for the legal entity must be attached. The original proxy and any registration certificates should be sent to the Company at the address provided above well in advance of the meeting. The proxy form is available on the Company's website www.pmd-solutions.com before the meeting.PROPOSED AGENDAOpening of the meeting Election of chairman of the meeting Preparation and approval of the voting list Approval of the agenda Election of one or two persons to approve the minutes Examination of whether the meeting has been duly convened Presentation of the annual report and the auditors' report and the group annual report and the group auditor's report Resolution regarding: adoption of income statement and balance sheet and the group income statement and the group balance sheet, regarding the profit or loss of the Company in accordance with the adopted balance sheet, and discharge from liability of the Board of Directors and the managing director Determination of fees to the Board of Directors and to the auditors Election of the Board of Directors and auditors Resolution to authorise the Board of Directors to decide on issues of shares, warrants and convertibles Resolution to authorise the Board of Directors to make minor adjustments to the resolutions Closing of the meeting PROPOSAL FOR RESOLUTIONSItem 8b - Resolution on the appropriation of the profit or loss of the Company in accordance with the adopted balance sheetThe Board of Directors proposes that all funds available for the Annual General Meeting shall be carried forward.Item 9 - Determination of fees to the Board of Directors and to the auditorsThe Board proposes that remuneration to the Board of Directors, for the period until the end of the next Annual General Meeting, shall be SEK 264,000 to the Board members Christer Ahlberg and Magnus Christensen, and SEK 316,800 to the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The total remuneration to the Board of Directors shall amount to a maximum of SEK 844,800 .Furthermore, it is proposed that the remuneration of the Company's auditor shall be paid in accordance with the current account approved by the Board of Directors.Item 10 - Election of the Board of Directors, auditors, and deputy auditorsFor the period until the end of the next Annual General Meeting, it is proposed that the number of Board members be five (5), without deputies.It is proposed that Myles Murray, Christer Ahlberg, Magnus Christensen and Anne Dorney be re-elected as ordinary directors of the Board. Peter Donnelly is proposed to be re-elected as Chairman of the Board.The Board of Directors proposes, for the period until the end of the next Annual General Meeting, the re-election of the authorized public accountant Martin Gustafsson, HLB Auditoriet AB, as the Company's auditor with authorized public accountant Mats-Ake Andersson as deputy auditor.Item 11 - Resolution to authorise the Board of Directors to decide on issues of shares, warrants and convertiblesThe Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to authorise the Board of Directors - on one or more occasions and at the latest until the next Annual General Meeting - to decide to increase the Company's share capital by issuing new shares and to issue warrants and convertibles.New issues of shares, as well as issues of warrants and convertibles, may be made with or without deviation from the shareholders' preferential rights and with or without provision for contribution in kind, set-off or other conditions. Pursuant to Chapter 16 of the Swedish Companies Act, the Board of Directors may not, by virtue of this authorisation, decide on issues to members of the Board of Directors of the group, employees and others.Issues with or without derogation from the shareholders' preferential rights may be made to the extent permitted by the current Articles of Association, or by any other Articles of Association that the shareholders may adopt by the required majority during the period up to the next Annual General Meeting.The issue decided by virtue of the authorisation shall be made at the market subscription price, subject to the market issue discount, if any. The issue decided by virtue of th PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 15:30:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 543 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 BECO Capital marks a historic exit with Property Finder, achieving a 2.41x DPI ratio, setting new venture capital benchmarks in MENA.DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES / ACCESSWIRE / May 26, 2024 / BECO Capital, a leading early-stage venture capital firm in the UAE and one of the largest non-governmental venture firms with $486 million in assets under management, today announced a landmark achievement in fund distribution, setting a new benchmark in the region with a 2.41x Distribution to Paid-In (DPI) capital ratio from its Fund I off the back of their $1B+ valuation exit from Property Finder.This achievement underscores BECO Capital's commitment to supporting the best tech entrepreneurs in the region and delivering top quartile returns to investors. "It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to have invested in Property Finder, backing one of the region's best entrepreneurs in Michael Lahyani," said Dany Farha, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at BECO Capital. "As venture investors, we have to return capital to our limited partners and sunset the fund. Otherwise, we would have loved to remain investors for much longer, as they have only just gotten started." Notably, this builds on BECO Capital Fund I's history of successful exits, including the high-profile acquisition of Careem, by Uber for $3.1 billion in January 2020. The DPI ratioachieved not only demonstrates tangible, realized gains but also emphasizes the repeatable nature of BECO Capital's investment approach."Our investment in Property Finder is a testament to our methodical strategy and belief in supporting ventures that not only lead their markets but also contribute significantly to the regional economy," added Dany Farha. "This marks our second $1B+ exit after Careem, and we have more in the stable, such as Kitopi amongst others." Reflecting on the collaboration with BECO Capital, Michael Lahyani, founder of Property Finder, credited them for their decisive support, saying, "At the time when BECO invested 11 years ago, I had raised money prior from a strategic investor, however securing broader regional investment was challenging. It took Dany's foresight to understand that building a real estate classifieds platform was something potentially big. It is my hope that this event sets the precedent for other founders in the region to take their innovative companies to new heights, in turn creating returns that fuel the entrepreneurial ecosystem across MENA." The emphasis on long-term companies' growth and DPI as metrics of success highlights this milestone as evidence of the MENA region's capacity to generate returns comparable to, or even exceeding, those of established VC hubs like Silicon Valley. This achievement demonstrates a maturing local venture capital ecosystem, capable of delivering significant returns to investors and enhancing its global stature as a leading centre for technology and innovation.EndsAbout BECO CapitalBECO Capital is one of the largest non-governmental venture capital firms in the MENA region. Since its inception in 2012, BECO Capital has helped the regional tech ecosystem to develop from its nascent stages to its current dynamism, emerging as a leading force behind many of the region's most notable success stories. Among these is Careem, the trailblazer in regional ride-hailing that was acquired by Uber for $3.1 billion, alongside innovative companies like Kitopi and Fresha.Media contact:Hiba Al MasoudEmail address:Hiba@ scope-ae.com SOURCE: BECO Capital PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 15:00:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 285 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Ali Karakus hypothesizes that quantum entanglement in nucleotides and cryptochromes, followed by their reinjection into neurons, can enhance neuronal repair. Additionally, exposing these entangled particles to space conditions might amplify these effects.ISTANBUL, TURKEY / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / In a groundbreaking study, quantum and neuroscience researcher Ali Karakus proposes a novel approach to rejuvenate and repair brain neurons using quantum entanglement. By inducing entanglement in nucleotides and cryptochromes and reinjecting these particles into neurons, Karakus believes neuronal repair and regeneration can be significantly enhanced.neuron neuron imageThe human brain processes, transmits, and stores vast amounts of information through neurons. Recent advancements in quantum biology suggest that quantum entanglement could significantly influence these biological processes.Ali Karakus hypothesizes that quantum entanglement in nucleotides and cryptochromes, followed by their reinjection into neurons, can enhance neuronal repair. Additionally, exposing these entangled particles to space conditions might amplify these effects.The methods proposed include using high-energy lasers to induce entanglement in nucleotides, which are then reinjected into neurons. Polarized light is used to entangle cryptochromes, followed by their reinjection into neurons. Additionally, entangled particles are exposed to space conditions like microgravity and cosmic radiation to enhance their therapeutic potential.This approach could revolutionize treatments for blindness and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Quantum entanglement might help clear amyloid plaques, repair neurons, and increase synaptic plasticity, potentially slowing or halting degeneration.Ali Karakus's innovative framework suggests that quantum entanglement, especially when enhanced by space conditions, can significantly impact neuronal repair and rejuvenation. This study opens new possibilities for treating neurodegenerative diseases and sensory impairments, merging quantum physics with neuroscience for groundbreaking therapies.Contact InformationAli KarakusPresidentali@ dopintech.net SOURCE: Ali Karakus, Neuroscience & Quantum ResearcherView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 15:00:38 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 531 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LEHI, UT / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / In the timeless battle against pests, one company stands out as a beacon of innovation and excellence: RIDD Pest Control. Enshrining the ethos of "Service Above All," RIDD has rapidly emerged as one of the fastest-growing pest control companies in the country, reshaping the industry landscape with its premium services and commitment to eco-friendly solutions.What sets RIDD apart is not only its impressive growth trajectory but also its unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction. Although RIDD's headquarters is based in Utah, they've distinctly found their roots in the south, boasting over 10,000 4.8-star reviews, it's clear that RIDD's approach resonates with clients nationwide. Whether tackling ongoing pest problems or implementing preventive treatments, RIDD's services are meticulously designed to deliver long-lasting results while minimizing environmental impact.Recognition has followed suit, with RIDD earning prestigious accolades such as being highlighted as the "Fastest Growing Pest Control Company" 2 years in a row (2022 & 2023) by industry luminary PCT 100 2023. In the most recent PCT 100 2024 release, they surged 27 spots from #87 to #60 among the biggest pest control companies in America. The zenith of recognition arrived in 2024 when RIDD was lauded as the "Most Trusted Company" by the discerning critics at Snoball, cementing its status as a paragon of excellence in the field.Central to RIDD's success is its commitment to innovation and tailored solutions. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on one-size-fits-all methods, RIDD approaches each pest issue with a fresh perspective, crafting bespoke plans based on thorough on-site assessments. This personalized approach not only ensures maximum efficacy but also fosters a sense of trust and transparency with clients.At the heart of RIDD's effectiveness is its arsenal of products, rigorously tested and endorsed by industry authorities. These eco-friendly solutions strike the perfect balance between potency and environmental responsibility, offering peace of mind to environmentally-conscious consumers. Moreover, all treatments are executed by extensively trained professionals, ensuring the utmost precision and safety.In the past few years, RIDD has accomplished so much and has positively impacted thousands of families and businesses, so... what's next? RIDD's mission is to inject a sense of modernity and style into an industry often perceived as archaic. By reimagining pest control as not just a necessity but a lifestyle choice, RIDD seeks to make the once-"uncool" industry resonate with a new generation of consumers. Through sleek branding, streamlined services, and a commitment to customer experience, RIDD is reshaping perceptions and setting a new standard for what pest control can be.In a world where pests persist as an inevitable nuisance, RIDD Pest Control stands as a beacon of innovation and excellence. With its unwavering dedication to service, commitment to eco-friendly solutions, and penchant for style, RIDD is slowly headed towards becoming not just a pest control company - but a lifestyle choice. As they continue to grow and innovate, one thing is certain: the future of pest control has never looked so bright.Company Name: RIDD Pest ControlContact Name: Isaac HunterAddress: 525 S 850 E Lehi, UT 84043Phone Number: 833.378.0537Website Link: https://www.ridd.com Social Media Links: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089582123450https://www.instagram.com/riddpest/?hl=en SOURCE: RIDD Pest Control PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 13:00:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 838 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 /Star Royalties Ltd. ("Star Royalties", or the "Company") (TSXV:STRR)(OTCQX:STRFF) is pleased to invite investors and other interested parties to attend the Company's upcoming Investor Update and Q&A Webinar with Market Radius Research on May 29th, 2024.Alex Pernin, Chief Executive Officer of Star Royalties, will review the latest developments at Star Royalties and discuss the outlook for its Green Star Royalties Ltd. joint venture and its precious metals royalties portfolio. The webinar will be a live and interactive online event where attendees are invited to ask the Company questions in real-time following the interview. An archived webcast will be made available for those who cannot join the event live.Event: Investor Update and Q&A with Star Royalties Ltd. (STRR)Presentation Date and Time: Wednesday, May 29th at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PTWebcast Registration Link:Contact InformationFor more information, please visit our website atstarroyalties.comor contact:Alex Pernin, P.Geo. Chief Executive Officer and Director apernin@ starroyalties.com +1 647 494 5001Dmitry Kushnir, CFA Vice President, Investor Relations and Strategy dkushnir@ starroyalties.com +1 647 494 5088About Market Radius Research, Inc.Market Radius Research gives individual investors access to in-depth CEO interviews with deep-dive institutional level discussion and Q&A. Market Radius Research is hosted by Martin Gagel, a former top-ranked technology analyst. Martin Gagel and Market Radius Capital, Inc. are not registered or licensed to provide investment advice and may own shares in mentioned companies.About Star Royalties Ltd.Star Royalties Ltd. is a carbon credit and precious metals royalty and streaming company. The Company innovated the world's first carbon credit royalties in forestry and regenerative agriculture through its pure-green joint venture, Green Star Royalties Ltd., and offers investors exposure to carbon credit and precious metals prices. The Company's objective is to provide wealth creation by originating accretive transactions with superior alignment to both counterparties and shareholders.CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATIONCertain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking statements", including those regarding future market conditions for metals, minerals and carbon offset credits. Forward-looking statements are statements that address or discuss activities, events or developments that the Company or Green Star expects or anticipates may occur in the future. When used in this news release, words such as "estimates", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "will", "believes", "intends" "should", "could", "may" and other similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of Star Royalties and Green Star to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved.A number of factors could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, changes in business plans and strategies, market and capital finance conditions, ongoing market disruptions caused by the Ukraine and Russian conflict, metal and mineral commodity price volatility, discrepancies between actual and estimated production and test results, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries, mining operation and development risks relating to the parties which produce the metals and minerals Star Royalties will purchase or from which it will receive royalty payments, carbon pricing and carbon tax legislation and regulations, risks inherent to the development of the ESG-related investments and the creation, marketability and sale of carbon offset credits by the parties, the potential value of mandatory and voluntary carbon markets and carbon offset credits, including carbon offsets, risks inherent to royalty companies, title and permitting matters, operation and development risks relating to the parties which develop, market and sell the carbon offset credits from which Green Star will receive royalty payments, changes in crop yields and resulting financial margins regulatory restrictions, activities by governmental authorities (including changes in taxation), currency fluctuations, the global, federal and provincial social and economic climate in particular with respect to addressing and reducing global warming, natural disasters and global pandemics, dilution,risk inherent to any capital financing transactions, risks inherent to a possible Green Star go-public transaction, the nature of the governance rights between Star Royalties, Cenovus and Agnico Eagle in the operation and management of Green Star and competition, the ability to raise any additional funds in the future private placement, the result of any potential investment by Cenovus or any other new investor into Green Star. These risks, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should exercise caution in relying upon forward-looking statements and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.SOURCE: Star Royalties Ltd. Senior CPC official visits Vanuatu Xinhua) 14:10, May 27, 2024 SUVA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit Vanuatu on Sunday and Monday. During the visit, Liu met and exchanged views with Nikenike Vurobaravu, president of Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai, president of the Reunification Movement for Change and prime minister of Vanuatu, Seoule Simeon, president of the Laverwo Movement and parliament speaker, as well as leaders of the country's main political parties. The two sides agreed to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, intensify party-to-party exchanges, as well as deepen exchanges and mutual learning on experience in governance. They also expressed the willingness to strengthen cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road and other fields, promote the development of China-Vanuatu comprehensive strategic partnership, and push for an even closer community of shared future between China and Pacific island countries. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 16:30:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 514 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Andrea D. Carter is Revolutionizing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in OrganizationsTORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / Andrea Carter, a leading researcher and advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB), has been honored with two prestigious awards from Women Changing The World. These awards were presented by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and Dr. Tererai Trent, Oprah Winfrey's all-time favorite guest. The awards recognize Carter's groundbreaking research and work in Belonging in the workplace, specifically in the areas of innovation and microbusiness, and were celebrated at a distinguished ceremony in Windsor, UK, highlighting women who are making a significant impact globally.Andrea Carter's contributions to EDIB have set a new benchmark in how organizations approach, measure and implement these crucial practices, with a foundational focus on belonging - the key to bringing people together. Holding a Master's in Industrial and Organizational Psychology with a minor in Social Justice and a specialty in Strategic Human Resource Management, Andrea's expertise is well-recognized in academic and professional circles. She serves as an Adjunct Professor at Adler University and heads Doctoral Student publications of Belonging in the workplace research. This November, she will be among the first to teach at the inaugural Institute of Socially Responsible Leadership and Organizational Health."These exceptional women are here to awaken hearts, give permission to recapture dreams and inspire the women of the world to come together to forge a brighter path for all. The rising of women is the awakening of everybody," said Dr. Tererai Trent during the award ceremony.Andrea's innovative research measures the brain's requirements for perceiving belonging and has validated the only organizational survey that accurately measures belonging in the workplace. By examining identity intersections, she developed a methodology to identify gaps between underrepresented groups and the majority population, revealing hidden biases often missed in traditional surveys and statistical analyses. Her approach has resulted in double-digit improvements in closing these gaps, ensuring all employees feel seen, known, valued, accepted, and cared for which ultimately drives engagement and workplace motivation.Moreover, Andrea has successfully linked her research on belonging to organizational performance, offering tools to measure and enhance workplace culture effectively. This holistic approach not only supports individual wellbeing but also boosts overall organizational success.Andrea's work and methodologies have earned her the Women Changing The World awards for Innovation and Microbusiness of the Year. These accolades celebrate her commitment to making workplaces more inclusive and equitable, thereby inspiring other organizations to change how they approach culture and EDIB collectively.For more information on the Women Changing the World Awards visit wcwawards.com or contact Andrea Carter:Andrea Carter437-837-3091 https://belongingfirst.comac@belongingfirst.com About Belonging FirstBelonging First is a consultancy specializing in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB). Founded by Andrea Carter, the company offers strategic solutions to help organizations foster inclusive cultures where every individual feels seen, known, valued, accepted, and cared for. With a focus on innovative research and practical implementation, Belonging First aims to transform workplaces for better organizational performance and employee satisfaction. Learn more at BelongingFirst.com SOURCE: Belonging First PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-27 17:01:03 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 331 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2024 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is investigating potential claims on behalf of purchasers of Volkswagen AG ("Volkswagen" or "the Company") (OTC PINK:VWAGY). Investors who purchased Volkswagen securities are encouraged to obtain additional information and assist the investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/VWAGY Investigation Details:On May 20, 2024, One America News published an article titled "Report: Investigation Finds BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen Linked To Forced Labor In China." The article stated that a Senate Finance Committee investigation found that multiple major automakers, including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, and Volkswagen, relied on forced labor in China by purchasing parts that were flagged by the U.S. government for links to forced labor camps in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang. The two-year investigation also found that BMW and Jaguar Land Rover continued importing the flagged parts as recently as last month, even after they were informed of the forced labor. Following this news, Volkswagen stock dropped that same day.What's Next?If you are aware of any facts relating to this investigation or purchased Volkswagen securities, you can assist this investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/VWAGY . You can also contact Peretz Bronstein or his client relations manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC: 332-239-2660.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC The price of crayfish, a condiment used for soup making, has ballooned by over 100 per cent in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, as hardship bites harder. Like other seafood, crayfish is rich in nutritional value and is a good source of low-fat protein, essential vitamins and minerals including phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. PREMIUM TIMES survey of markets and shops in the fourth week of May shows that crayfish which sold for N4,500 for five-litre containers in the third week of April, now sells for N10,000 for the same quantity, recording an increase of 122 per cent in the month. Besides crayfish, the price of garri, a major staple food, has recorded a marginal increase within the same period. The survey shows that the garri, which was sold for two and a half cups for N500 and five cups for N1, 000 now sells for two cups for N500 and four cups for N1, 000. The price of staple foods has continued to increase in the state despite an intervention by the state government through the bulk purchase agency a newly established department through which 5kg of staple food items including rice, garri and beans are shared with vulnerable persons captured in the state social register. A mother of four, Glory Akpan, who was at Itam market to buy foodstuffs for her family some days ago, told this reporter that it was shocking that a crayfish portion for N100 has disappeared from the market. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mrs Akpan who wanted to buy crayfish for N1, 000 was forced to buy for N2,000 but lamented that it might be okay for what she wanted to prepare. Responding to concerns raised by her customer, the crayfish vendor, who gave her name simply as Mfon said there might not be a crayfish portion for N200 from June unless something is done. Asked what should be done, she identified transportation fares and the cost of diesel which the fishermen used for fishing. The hardship is biting harder, a young lady, Uduak Akpan, who was at the market to buy foodstuffs, lamented. Ms Akpan described the increase in the price of crayfish as disturbing but said no matter the price Nigerians would still buy in silence. PREMIUM TIMES, however, observed prices of other commodities like beans, rice and oil have remained stable as at last reported in April. Why increase the price of crayfish? Agriculture, security and rural development aimed at stemming the tide of rural-urban migration are top priorities in Governor Umo Enos blueprint Arise Agenda. In his inaugural address a year ago, Mr Eno identified agriculture as the new black gold and promised that his government would invest heavily and cause revolution to occur in the sector. Food security and investments in the agro-allied sector will be an abiding article of faith. We will deploy our comparative advantage in the blue economy, and ensure that our fishermen get proper financial value for their work, the governor had said. But a year into his administration, the security situation in the state both on land and in the waterways has worsened and fishermen are not getting financial value for their work as promised by the governor. Crayfish vendors identified sea pirates as a major reason for the ballooning price of the seafood. Otobong Kenjoshua, a foodstuffs vendor in Afaha Ube Road in Uyo and Emem Augustine, blamed the increase in the scarcity of crayfish on the skyrocketed price of petrol and sea pirates. The fishermen are complaining of attacks by sea pirates, a development they said does not allow them access to the high sea. The fishermen, Mrs KenJoshua said also complained about spending so much to buy petrol without making a commensurate catch, a cost they (fishermen) transfer to the customers. According to her, a bag (18kg) of crayfish that was sold for N150,000 in April now sells at N260,000 for the same amount. Fuel is the major problem now, that is why the prices of commodities are increasing. Once the price of fuel drops, everything will align, she said, suggesting that prices of commodities may not drop as the price of petrol has witnessed a 400 per cent increase since President Bola Tinubu declared an end to subsidy a year ago. The attacks on the fishermen have been on the increase after the state government last December handed over 14 gunboats to the Nigerian Navy to boost maritime security. We have the product but suffering from availability Lawyer The National Coordinator, Akwa Ibom Human Rights Community, Clifford Thomas, said the commissioners are interpreting the governors vision in the sector well. The governor has plans that have not been fully understood and interpreted not to talk of implementation, he told PREMIUM TIMES just as lamented the high cost of crayfish despite Akwa Ibom having the longest coastline in the country. Mr Thomas, a lawyer, said the crayfish business in the state is dominated by non-indigenes, the basis, he said, its price has skyrocketed. About crayfish, people from neighbouring states are in charge of the crayfish industry in Akwa Ibom State. Why cant the governor quietly go in and look at what the problems of fishermen are and then get them those fishing gear and let them know how they can repay? A bag of crayfish shouldnt be sold at N135,000 again, but N80,000 and the people who buy should be our people not those from neighbouring states. We have the product but we are suffering from availability. People from neighbouring states come in, buy the boats, and fishing gear and give to our people this is what you will make and this is the much I will pay you. They might sell it at N80,000 in Aba but N130,000 in Uyo because whoever pays the piper dictates its tune, Mr Clifford said. The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Waterways, Koko Essien, did not respond to phone calls for comments. Timfon John, the police spokesperson in the state, when contacted told PREMIUM TIMES that the command was aware of the fishermen being attacked by sea pirates. Ms John said the commissioner of police had mobilised operatives to arrest the situation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Adedokun does not merely exhort, he provides a practical, step-by-step framework for identifying compelling book concepts, overcoming writers block, perfecting ones craft, navigating the publishing landscape, and ultimately launching a supplemental literary career. Elders from the East say that Whenever a man wakes up is his own Morning. But, sometimes, it will take an already-awake neighbour to rouse him from slumber. That neighbour is what Niran Adedokuns latest literary offering is to all journalists and writers who have not authored their own books. Every Journalist Should Write a Book is Niran Adedokuns clarion call to his peers in the field of Journalism, both print and broadcast, to put down their pen and microphones, for a moment, and birth the book within them. Simply described, this book is roadmap for journalists everywhere to transmute their storytelling prowess into the realm of book authorship. Spread across eleven insightful chapters, this remarkably concise yet comprehensive work alternates between a passionate rallying cry and an actionable guide laced with Adedokuns hard-won wisdom. A celebrated columnist who has penned multiple acclaimed books, including biographies, short stories, and essays, Niran Adedokun holds nothing back in his effort to share with his comrades in penmanship the very strategies that have allowed him to flourish as an author. In my reckoning, what elevates Every Journalist Should Write a Book is Adedokuns deft fusion of motivation and methodology. He recognises the innate strengths that journalists possess in research, attention to detail, and narrative flair, arguing that these very skills prime them for book-writing success. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Yet, Adedokun does not merely exhort, he provides a practical, step-by-step framework for identifying compelling book concepts, overcoming writers block, perfecting ones craft, navigating the publishing landscape, and ultimately launching a supplemental literary career. He suffuses the book with many examples classic and contemporary of people who successfully did what he encourages his colleagues in the profession of journalism to do, interspersing it with his own personal experiences. Adedokuns latest book is a powerful and pragmatic retort to any cynic out there who may bristle at the notion of just writing a book. The work impresses upon the un-authored journalist, very instructively, that beyond leaving a legacy through the written word, book authorship can open up to him/her new income streams that will reward his years of fidelity to the craft of writing and knowledge dissemination. It is a stirring call that is grounded in economic realities. Niran Adedokuns beautifully crystallised manifesto exhorts its readers to wield their words into literary accomplishments and imbues them with the tools to actually make it happen. It is an invaluable resource that deserves a coveted spot on every writers bookshelf. Whether youre a journalist seeking reinvention or any aspiring writer yearning for an empowering mentor, Every Journalist Should Write a Book is a must-read for you. Long may the ink flow. Isaiah Kumuyi, a corporate communications professional, writes from the University of Lagos. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Renowned Nollywood director and screenwriter Reginald Ebere is dead. The award-winning filmmaker died on Sunday. The National Secretary of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Perekeme Odon, confirmed his death. The industry is deeply mourning this loss. We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of our dear brother and colleague, Mr Reginald Ebere, Mr Odon said in his announcement. The publicity-shy filmmaker, famous for writing the screenplay for the 1999 Nollywood blockbuster Issakaba, was bedridden and off the radar for six years due to health challenges. In 2018, he slumped on a movie set in Enugu and suffered a stroke twice. Not much was heard about him until January when actor Sam Dede solicited financial support to assist with the filmmakers medical bills and upkeep. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The actor said, Reginald Ebere wrote the very first script of Issakaba, and incidentally, I changed the name of the lead character to Ebube. Today, Reginald Ebere is bedridden. He suffered a stroke two times but was a very strong-willed person. He is still moving on but in bad shape; if you live in that concept of truth and justice, please let us find a way to support Reginald Ebere. If there is anything you can do to support him, please look him up to help him. His colleague, Lancelot Imasuen, made a similar appeal on the set of the return of the remake of Issakaba. Lancelot immediately organised a fundraiser on set, and many of his colleagues donated money to the actor. Profile The late Reginald was a theatre arts graduate from the University of Jos, founder of The Script Factory, and Channel Manager and Head of Production on the Infinity TV platform. He was married to Maureen Ebere, and they have three sons. His filmmaking journey began when he resigned from the famous Hints Magazine, which Emmanuel Kachikwu, the former group managing director of the NNPC, published. He was commissioned to write When The Sun Sets and was the projects assistant director. This experience helped him break into the industry. He is credited for launching Omotola Jalade-Ekeindes acting career with the movie Venom Of Justice, released in 1990. He was also credited for launching the careers of Kate Henshaw, Blossom Chukwujekwu and Bob Manuel-Udokwu. The Nollywood veteran was also a Pastor at the Christ Embassy. His production credits include Last Burial, One God, One Nation, The God to Serve, Message, Unwanted, Last Affair, Tom and Jerry, and Venom of Justice. The late filmmaker was also a published poet and author of Boundaries of Heaven, a collection of poems that served as a metaphor for Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has said there is a strong call for the scrapping of the state electoral commissions because of their abuse by governors. Mr Fagbemi said the call for the transfer of the conduct of local government elections to INEC is fueled by the perception that SEIC are appendages of incumbent governors. The AGF spoke on Monday at the national dialogue organised by the House of Representatives at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja. The dialogue was titled; Nigerias Security Challenges and Good Governance at the Local Government Level. Under the 1999 constitution, SIECs have the mandate to conduct elections in the 768 local governments in the 36 states of Nigeria, while INEC is responsible for the six area councils in Abuja and other elections. Over the years, the inability of the SIECs to conduct free, fair and credible elections has led to calls for reforms. In many states, ruling parties in the states win all elections, while many states are operating caretaker committees. In his speech, Mr Fagbemi said the perceived lack of independence by the electoral commissions is fueling the call for the shift. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Many experts have proposed that there is a need for the scrapping of the state independent electoral commissions. Their functions and powers should be transferred to the independent national electoral commission because the state independent electoral commissions remain an appendage to every incumbent governor. This is perceived as the root cause of the problem of local government administration in Nigeria, he said. However, the minister did not state if the executive was going to adopt the option, nor did he provide the stance of the government on the proposal by the experts. To make the change, the constitution has to be amended. The process is currently going on in the two chambers of the National Assembly. Constitution failed to protect local government autonomy Mr Fagbemi said the constitution did not provide adequate political autonomy for the states, hence the abuse by state governments. He explained that the failure of the constitution is to blame for the subjugation of the local governments by states. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria did not provide adequately for the political autonomy of the local governments. The resultant effects of these inadequacies are that the state governments have the discretion to determine the nature, content and direction of local government elections and political activities. The failure of the constitution to articulate a clear line of authorities to both the state and local authorities and the continuing debate over the involvement of state governments in distributing local government allocation from the Federation Account has affected the capacity of LGAs to provide essential services at the grassroots, he said. Speaking further, the AGF said that most local governments operate as an appendage of the state governments due to the constitution. He added that the constitutional provisions on State Joint Local Government Account (section 162 (5-8)) have placed the local government councils in a political bondage. Mr Fagbemi said many state governors do not conduct elections rather they select preferred candidates. Politically, due to the flaws in the electoral process in the country, what is obtained is a virtual selection and not the election of local government functionaries. Local government chairmen are always imposed on the people by the state governors, he said. Recommendations Mr Fagbemi proposed some recommendations to address the problems facing local governments in Nigeria, stating that there is a need to amend the 1999 constitution to address the anomalies. LGAs are created by the constitution. Accordingly, in a tiered system like ours, a constitutional amendment is imperative before a new system of local government administration can be instituted. Good governance at any level of governance is not possible without the transfer of authority, responsibilities, capacity and resources. This is even more so for the LGAs. He stated that the reforms should, among other things, aim to increase the fiscal and administrative autonomy of the local government system to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency; Mr Fagbemi also said, Fiscal autonomy should be balanced with fiscal restraint by strengthening the internal controls system, processes and infrastructure for public financial management. In addition, the minister said the legislative arms of local governments should be allowed to decide what they should do with revenue accruing to them. He said there is a need to invest more in local government administration with institutionalised internal and external oversight. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the AGF, on behalf of the federal government, filed a suit at the Supreme Court against the 36 state governments, seeking the enforcement of full autonomy of the local governments in Nigeria. Opposition to reforms by governors Governors have a history of opposing any form of reform of the local government system. Most constitutional alteration bills on reforms are blocked by them. In December 2022, former President Muhammadu Buhari accused the state governors of pilfering local government funds. PREMIUM TIMES reported how state governors rose against a move by the NFIU to abolish the states local governments joint accounts through which governors allegedly exercised absolute control over local governments funds in the country. The NFIU placed a limit on cash withdrawals from local government accounts to a maximum of N500,000 per day. It warned banks to ensure strict compliance. Last December, the Nigerian Senate asked the federal government to stop the allocation of funds to local governments run by caretaker committees. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Yobe State Government has commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the release of 21,000 bags of grains to the state from the National Strategic Grains Reserve. The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, Muhammad Goje, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Monday. He said the grains, including rice, maize, guinea corn and millet, were distributed to orphans, widows, Persons With Disabilities (PWD) and other vulnerable groups. Mr Goje said a committee comprising local government chairpersons, anti-corruption groups and security agencies was earlier constituted by Governor Mai Mala Buni to handle the distribution exercise across the 17 local government areas of the state. The committee at both state and local government levels, profiled beneficiaries, taking into account their name, phone number, sex, disability status, and geocoordinate. It ensured transparency, accountability and the grains reached those who needed them most. Overall, the grain distribution had a positive impact on the state, with the cost of commodities decreasing and lives saved across various locations, he said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The secretary said the intervention by the federal government complimented the state governments efforts toward providing succour to the people. You will recall that recently, Yobe launched the distribution of 50,000 bags of assorted grains targeting 120,000 vulnerable households across the 17 local government areas to provide food to those who are actually in need. Our government had before then, provided several interventions with a fair and transparent distribution to eligible beneficiaries. The citizens welfare no doubt occupies a primary position on the priority list of this administration, and this explains the continuous interventions by the government to ensure that food is made available to the less privileged and vulnerable persons, Mr Goje said. Some beneficiaries of the palliative who spoke with NAN in separate interviews in Damaturu, also thanked the President for the intervention. Fatima Sani, a displaced person, said the grain distribution came at a time when she and her four children were starving. I was worried about how I would feed my family during the difficult time, so the grain brought hope to us, Sani said. Zainab Mohammed, a widow, thanked Tinubu for the support, saying My three children can now eat food before going to school. Mohammed Abubakar, a physically challenged, however, appealed to the state and the Federal Government to expand the intervention to capture more PWD in the state. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Akwa Ibom State, South-south Nigeria, have arrested four suspected kidnappers and rescued two victims in the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Timfon John, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday said, the four suspects were dressed in military uniforms. Ms John, an assistant superintendent of police, identified the suspects as Abdulkarem Yusuf, Yusuf Waziri, Inbinabo Iboroma and Abdulrahman Abbas. They were arrested on Friday along Utang Street, in Uyo, the state capital following a distress call from members of the public, the police spokesperson said. The police gave the name of one of the victims earlier kidnapped by the suspects as Abraham Ekpe and added that they (suspects) were about to kidnap Richie, a friend of Mr Ekpe, when they were arrested. Their plan was to take them to the Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State. Further investigation also revealed that they had demanded N5 million ransom from their victim but he could not pay, prompting them to also kidnap his friend. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The victims were all rescued successfully and have been reunited with their families, the police said. Ms John listed items recovered from the suspects as a red-coloured Honda Accord, handcuff and dagger. Previous records Kidnap-for-ransom has been on the rise in the oil-rich state despite efforts by the police to stem the tide. The incident occurred less than a week after the paramount ruler of the Mbo Local Government Area, Okon Abang, was kidnapped and about a month after a medical doctor, John Esu was abducted in Oron, a neighbouring local government area with Mbo. Mr Esu was, however, released after spending two weeks in captivity. Vanguard newspaper had in March reported how parents of a set of newly delivered twins were kidnapped at their residential gate at Akpasak Estate, off Oron Road, leaving the babies behind. The couple, according to the newspaper, went shopping leaving their twin at home and were abducted by kidnappers while honking at the gate waiting for someone to open. The suspected kidnappers, the newspaper said, arrived in a mini-bus and whisked them away to an unknown destination. In January, PREMIUM TIMES reported how three persons were abducted by kidnappers while watching the African Cup of Nations at a relaxation centre in Uyo, the state capital. The four suspects connected with the incident were later arrested by the State Security Service (SSS). Earlier in December, this newspaper reported how a High Court judge, Joy Unwana, was kidnapped and her security guard was shot dead while returning from a court to Uyo, from Oron Local Government Area, where she had a court session. Mrs Unwana was freed after spending five days in captivity. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Saturday, emphasised the need for a comprehensive, long-term economic agenda to address the countrys challenges. Mr Obasanjo spoke on Saturday at the Paul Alaje Colloquium, themed Nigerias Development: Navigating the Way Out of the Current Economic Crisis and Insecurity. The former president lamented the nations economic woes, attributing them to a lack of coherent policies, corruption, and greed among government officials. He cited the persistent fuel scarcity as evidence of the governments failure to implement effective solutions. He recalled his attempt to privatise refineries in 2007 as a solution to Nigerias energy problems but lamented that his successor reversed the decision, leading to further deterioration of the refineries and squandering of billions of dollars in investment. He said he warned his successor that the decision was a grave mistake and that the refineries would be worth no more than scraps, fetching far less than $250 million if sold. Since then, more than 2.5 billion dollars have been spent on the refineries to no avail. Since the reversal of the decision to partly privatise the refineries, it has been corruption upon corruption, so it will continue to be. This is a typical example of the way that governments have destroyed the Nigerian economy and have embarked on some personal interest on a wasteful adventure, he said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Obasanjo stressed the importance of compulsory schooling for all children and guaranteed employment rights for citizens, arguing that these measures are essential for social stability and economic development. On security, the former president advocated a balanced approach to enforcement and rehabilitation, urging the government to address the root causes of crime and insurgency. Mr Obasanjo also called for consistency and transparency in policy implementation, adding that some of the recent decisions of the government were not properly executed. He said the government made three decisions, two of which are deemed necessary but have been poorly executed, resulting in economic hardship for Nigerians. The policies include the removal of subsidies, attempts to bridge the gap between the black market and official exchange rates, and addressing a military coup in Niger Republic. According to him, the path to progress lies in prioritising production and productivity and fostering trust in government leadership. He urged the government to adopt a transformational leadership style and regain the trust of investors and called for the implementation of a 25-year development plan that prioritises education, food security, energy, industrialisation, and technological innovation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, and the Minister of Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, have expressed support for the repeal and enactment of the Shippers Council and Economic Regulatory Bill. Messrs Tajudeen and Oyetola backed the bill on Monday at the public hearing organised by the House Committees on Shipping Services, Ports and Harbours, Maritime Safety, Education, and Administration. The repeal and enactment bill seeks to address the loopholes in the existing law which governs the maritime sector. According to its synopsis, the bill seeks to create a robust economic regulatory framework that prevents unfair practices, promotes fair pricing, and encourages competition. It also seeks to protect the interests of both service providers and users by ensuring transparency and accountability in the imposition of tariffs and charges, as well as automate and digitalise cargo-related processes to align with international best practices. Mr Tajudeen, represented by a member of the House, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), said the bill would create an enabling environment for investors to invest in the maritime sector with their investments guaranteed. The speaker said the mandate of the Nigerian Shippers Council has evolved significantly from its original role as a protector of shippers interests, noting that it has now become the economic regulator of the entire Nigerian port system, a responsibility that extends beyond the Nigerian Ports Authority. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Tajudeen said the bill is critical to ensure the Nigerian Shippers Council performs in its expanded role. To effectively fulfil its expanded mandate as the Port Economic Regulator, it is imperative, therefore, that the necessary legislative bill is passed. This bill will formally empower the Council, providing it with the authority and tools required to oversee and manage the economic activities within Nigerian ports, ensuring efficiency, fairness, and competitiveness across the sector, he said. On his part, Mr Oyetola, while canvassing the need to establish the regulatory agency, said the bill would improve the nations economy. The minister, represented by the ministrys Permanent Secretary, Oloruntola Olufemi, said it would be a welcome development if the bill became an Act. Ship operators raise concerns The Chairperson of the Shipping Line Association of Nigeria, Boma Alabi, however, raised concerns about some specific parts of the bill and called for the intervention of the lawmakers. She said the association had already raised some of the clauses with the committee. She said the association is ready to back any measure that will improve efficiency, lower cost, and reduce the bottleneck in the sector, but some of the clauses leave room for abuse. We must be more efficient, and we welcome this regulatory agency that will be created to make things more efficient. We have expressed our concern internally and externally, and this committee, which has been involved in this process, must work on some areas of concern. There are aspects that should be expunged, like sections 40, 42, 52, and a few others; we understand the reason behind this. We need to put in some checks and balances so that those in the saddle will not abuse it, she said. Reacting to the concerns raised by the operators, the Chairman of the Shipping Services, Abdulsamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), said his committee would look into them. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Abdulsalam, has apologised to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, over his claim that Mr Ribadu helped the dethroned Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, to return to Kano. Mr Abdulsalam made the apology at a press conference late Sunday at the Government House, Kano. The deputy governor had claimed that Mr Ribadu provided two aircraft for the return of Mr Ado Bayero to the city at 4.30 a.m. on Saturday. The National Security Adviser gave two jets to bring the dethroned emir to Kano and to bring him to the palace, the deputy governor earlier said. The office of the National Security Adviser swiftly denied the allegation, before Mr Ribadu through his lawyer vowed to seek legal redress against the deputy governor for defamation of character. Now, the deputy governor said further information at his disposal exonerated Mr Ribadu from the allegation of smuggling in the deposed emir. The office of the National Security Adviser NSA has refuted the allegations and distanced themselves from what we have alleged, I have seen (their refutal) in (at least) three mediums and I also saw the publication about going to court on what we have alleged on the involvement of his office or his person. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I have to acknowledge that we have been deeply misled into believing that the NSA was behind the happenings along this line, the charter of the two flights that smuggled in the deposed Emir of Kano and the security cover that escorted him to the Nassarawa House. We investigated deep and harder and we came to understand that and accept the statement of the National Security Adviser that he was not involved. Knowing his integrity and devotion to duty, if he (Mr Ribadu) has hand in the return of the deposed Emir, I believe he will be straightforward and say yes. READ ALSO: Residents protest scrapping of Kano Emirate council We have further information (on the matter). There is nothing we can say than to apologise to the person and the office on behalf of the governor and government of Kano State for any embarrassment or inconvenience that might cause him. Its very clear, its politics, and we understood the dynamics and we are still pursuing it to the logical conclusion. I will like to assure the National Security Adviser that the Kano State Government will continue to work and cooperate with him in giving all the necessary support for him to discharge his duties as National Security Adviser, the deputy governor said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu, has expressed confidence that the bank will meet the Central Bank of Nigerias (CBN) new capital requirement of N500 billion ahead of the March 2026 deadline. This announcement follows the CBNs directive that mandates all commercial, merchant, and non-interest banks, as well as promoters of proposed banks, to increase their capital base within 24 months starting from April 2024. The new regulations require commercial banks with international authorisation to have a minimum capital base of N500 billion, while those with national authorisation need N200 billion. Banks with regional authorisation must have a N50 billion capital base, similar to merchant banks. Non-interest banks are required to hold N20 billion for national authorisation and N10 billion for regional authorisation. Speaking on Friday at UBAs Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja, Mr Elumelu assured shareholders and investors of the banks commitment to achieving the recapitalisation target. He highlighted UBAs strengths as Africas global bank and emphasised its dedication to innovation, operational rigour, and shared value creation. UBA remains resolute in its unwavering commitment to innovation, clarity of purpose, operational rigour and, most importantly, shared value creation. We are confident that by staying true to these core principles, UBA will continue to deliver exceptional value to our stakeholders and play a pivotal role in shaping a brighter future for Africa. In terms of recapitalisation, let me assure you, my esteemed stakeholders, that we will meet the target ahead of the CBN deadline, he stated. Despite facing challenging macroeconomic conditions, Mr Elumelu noted that UBA had achieved significant growth by focusing on geographic diversification, building resilience across business verticals, and maintaining robust risk management and cost-saving initiatives. For the year 2023, UBA reported gross revenue of N2.08 trillion and a profit after tax of N607.69 billion, with total assets and shareholders funds closing at N20.65 trillion and N2.03 trillion, respectively. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The shareholders approved increasing the banks issued share capital from N17.099 billion to N22.5 billion by creating 10.8 billion new ordinary shares. The board was also authorised to cancel unallotted shares and raise additional capital through various instruments in both Nigerian and international markets. Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of UBA, Oliver Alawuba, reported that the banks gross earnings grew by 143.3 percent year-on-year, driven by an expansion in the loan portfolio, higher net interest margins, and substantial contributions from foreign exchange operations. He emphasised that UBA maintained cost discipline, with operating costs rising in line with guidelines. A final dividend of N2.30 per share was approved, bringing the total dividend for the year to N2.80 per share, reflecting a growth rate of 16.32 percent. KPMG Research anticipates that the CBNs initiative will strengthen the banking industrys stability and capacity, while also attracting increased investments to the sector. Meanwhile, a Ernst and Young report estimated that 17 out of 24 banks may struggle to meet the CBNs proposed 15-fold capital increase from the current N25 billion. The report highlighted the potential strategies for banks that may not meet the new requirements, predicting a wave of mergers and acquisitions similar to those seen during the 2004/2005 recapitalisation, which reduced the number of banks from 89 to 25. Despite these challenges, the report said that Nigerian banks remain largely safe and resilient as of 2023. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian government has announced the postponement of the inauguration of the members of governing councils of Nigerian tertiary institutions earlier scheduled for Thursday and Friday 30 and 31 May. The announcement is contained in a statement on Sunday by the Director Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folashade Boriowo. The postponement followed President Bola Tinubus directive that the composition of the list be reviewed over allegations of lopsidedness. Mr Tinubus directive, which came a few days after the list was released, was a result of criticisms that followed the list as Nigerians accused the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, of flouting the provisions of the Act establishing the Federal Character Commission. The law stipulates balancing and fair distribution of appointments from all geopolitical zones. Apologies In her statement, the ministrys spokesperson, Ms Boriowo, apologised for the inconveniences the development may have caused, and promised to communicate further updates. The statement reads in part: The Federal Ministry of Education regrets to announce the postponement of the inauguration and retreat for pro-chancellors, chairmen and members of governing councils of federal tertiary institutions, earlier scheduled for Thursday, 30th and Friday, 31st May 2024. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later This is as a result of the presidential directive, as conveyed by the State House Press Release dated 23rd May 2024, for a comprehensive review of the membership of the Governing Councils of Federal Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria. We regret any inconveniences this may cause. Further updates will be communicated in due course. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Background In June last year, Mr Tinubu dissolved the governing councils of all federal government-owned institutions in a sweeping directive that affected all public institutions, including polytechnics and colleges of education. The institutions then continued to operate without a council, drawing criticism, particularly from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The lack of a council has also caused industrial unrest between the university administrators and the institutions chapter of ASUU, which accused the vice-chancellors of making decisions specifically reserved for the councils including recruitments, appointments and promotions. However, on 14 May, the ASUU National Executive Council (NEC) issued a two-week ultimatum for the government to reinstate councils whose tenure had yet to elapse and reconstitute those whose tenure had elapsed. A few days later, the Federal Ministry of Education released a statement, saying the federal government had approved the constitution of the governing councils of the federal tertiary institutions. The release, signed by the ministrys Permanent Secretary, Didi Walson-Jack, listed the names of chairpersons and members of governing councils for the 111 tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. The list comprises five names each for 50 universities, 37 polytechnics, and 24 colleges of education. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja has upheld the re-election of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, South-south Nigeria. A three-member panel of the tribunal led by Adekunle Adeleye, on Monday, dismissed a petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 11 November 2024 governorship election in the state, Timipre Sylva. No credible evidence The tribunal said Mr Sylvas petition lacked merit. In its unanimous verdict, the tribunal said Mr Sylva and the APC failed to lead any credible evidence to prove allegations of electoral fraud during the Bayelsa State governorship election. The tribunal, after evaluating petitioners evidence, dismissed the statement on oath of some of Mr Sylvas witnesses. Referencing some of provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the tribunal said an election petition must be instituted not later than 21 days after the results of an election was declared by the electoral commission, INEC. It further pointed out that a petition must be filed alongside written statements of all the potential witnesses in the suit. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The tribunal faulted Mr Sylvas late filing of additional proof of evidence and witnesses statement on oath, saying it amounted to a surreptitious attempt to amend the case of the petitioners. Deciding on the issue of non-qualification of the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to stand in the election, the tribunal said the issue of certificate forgery against Mr Ewhrudjakpo was a pre-election matter that ought to have been filed at the Federal High Court. Forgery allegations discussed More so, the tribunal dismissed the allegation that the deputy governor forged his university certificate. Mr Sylva earlier accused Mr Ewhrudjakpo forging his university degree certificate and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate, which were submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to support his candidature. The tribunal recalled that the issue of Mr Ewhrudjakpos educational qualification had been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction. Contradictions In the decision, the judges pointed out the contradiction in Mr Sylvas case when he urged the tribunal to declare him winner of the poll while asking it to also invalidate the election. The tribunal further said Mr Sylva and his party failed to substantiate their claim of electoral malpractices, and how they affected the outcome of poll. It held that the petitioners were unable to discharge the burden of proof that was placed on them by the law, stressing that they failed to show, polling units by polling units, the particulars of the non-compliance they alleged and how it substantially affected the outcome of the election. Mr Diri, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate won the November 2023 governorship poll to secure a second term. He polled a total of 175,196 votes to beat Mr Sylva who garnered 110,108 votes. Mr Sylva had resigned his position as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buharis administration to contest the election as the APC candidate. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kogi State Government has vowed to go after the killers of the two abducted students of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara. A statement by the states Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the government would do everything possible to avert a future occurrence of the tragic development and strengthen security strategies. We mourn our departed champions. Terror is cowardice, for only a coward will attack those seeking knowledge in schools, he said. Abduction Bandits stormed the school late on 9th May, shooting sporadically into the air before abducting some students, 21 of whom have been rescued, according to the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, Bethrand Onuoha. Mr Onuoha on Sunday confirmed the killing of two of the students by their abductors, describing their killing as very unfortunate. Killers wont go unpunished. In a statement later on Sunday, the states Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the killers of the two students will not go unpunished. He said the state government is in deep shock and is heartbroken over the development. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He added that the state government was all out to rescue all the students, unfortunately, only 21 have been rescued alive. Mr Fanwo said the state government had mobilised security operatives, including local hunters and conventional security forces, to rescue the remaining students. The kidnappers contacted the families, and while the dialogue for their release was ongoing, the students were killed. This is an attack on us as a state, and the killers of our students will not go unpunished. They killed the students at their hideout in Kwara State. We are currently working with security agencies to see how their remaining captives will be released, he said in a statement. He added that the Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has also opened dialogue with governors of the neighbouring states on how to make the hideouts of the criminals uncomfortable for them. He appreciated the governors of Kwara and Ekiti States for their cooperation and readiness to rid the evil forest of criminals. The statement reads in part: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. The state government will support them in every way possible in this dark hour of grief. We also sympathise with the CUSTECH community and the communities of the affected students. As a government and a people, we will do everything possible to avert any possible future occurrence and strengthen strategies to ward off evil from our state. We mourn our departed champions. Terror is cowardice for only a coward will attack those seeking knowledge in schools. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The federal government has asked members of the National Assembly to subject the Nigerian National Anthem Bill to wider consultations before passing it. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, stated this in Abuja on Monday at a public hearing on the bill to revert to the old national anthem. It is titled: A Bill for an Act to Provide for the National Anthem of Nigeria, and for Matters Related. The hearing was jointly organised by the Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Interior, to which it was referred by the Senate on Thursday after it scaled second reading. The House of Representatives accelerated and passed the bill in a single sitting on Thursday. Mr Fagbemi said there was a need for a wider process where Nigerians and other arms and tiers of government would participate in the decision to revert to the old national anthem before it finally becomes law. He specifically proposed consultations through zonal public hearings, resolutions of the Federal Executive Council, Council of State, National and State Assemblies, etc. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Consequently, it is my considered view that the decision to change Nigerias National Anthem, whether by replacing it with the old one or a new one, should be subjected to a wider process of citizen participation through zonal public hearings, resolutions of the Federal Executive Council, Council of State, National and State Assemblies, etc, he said. The outcome of this process is bound to be a true reflection of the wishes of the generality or majority of Nigerians. I thank you all for granting me the audience to contribute my thoughts to this national cause, the minister added. Anthem determined through competition Mr Fagbemi explained that a national anthem is expected to be universally accepted by citizens of the country. He also stressed that the composition of the national anthem should be determined through competition. I would like to observe that it is generally accepted that a national anthem is considered a major symbol of national identity and culture. It is meant to reflect the peoples hopes, values and history. A national anthem is expected to enjoy universal acceptance and veneration amongst the citizens, for it to attain the status of an official song that commands respect, patriotism and national consciousness. In some cases, the national anthem emerges from open national competition among interested citizens. In other instances, the proposed national anthem is subjected to a plebiscite or referendum, before its eventual adoption or declaration. The essence of the foregoing is to secure the buy-in and confidence of the people and to ensure that the anthem meets their collective aspirations and suits their contemporary socio-political conditions, he added. The attorney general, therefore, recommended that the change of the national anthem should not be through presidential proclamation or legislation alone without considering the opinion of the masses. Against the background of the foregoing, I am of the considered opinion that the revered issue of choice of a national item should not come into being only by legislative fiat, or presidential proclamation alone. It is not out of place for Nigeria to be guided by the process of evolution of a national anthem in other jurisdictions. For most African countries, the national anthem symbolises the end of colonialism. Hence, former British colonies jettisoned God Bless the Queen to adopt their home-made national anthems which were all notably written by their own citizens. You may all recall that following the attainment of independence in 1960, a new anthem was adopted for Nigeria. The anthem was written by one Miss Lilian Jean Williams and composed into a song by Miss Frances Berda, who were both British citizens. Subsequently, the Government at the time decided to change the anthem because it was written by a British citizen, without any input from Nigerians. It was also observed that the Anthem clarified our differences in the wording. A Committee was set up which called for entries nationally to promote national ownership. Close to 1500 entries were received, following which the committee picked entries from five finalists. These entries were subsequently put together and a new anthem was developed. The Poem was then given to Mr. Benedict Elide Odiase to compose into a song. Mr Odiase was the Music Director for the Nigeria Police Force and the Midwest State Police Band. This led to the emergence of the current national Anthem, which was first sung on October 1st 1960 he added. Information ministers seek expansion Also speaking at the hearing, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, recommended that the scope of the bill should be expanded to include a robust issue of national identity rather than limiting it to a change of national anthem. Mr Idris, represented by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, noted that some lines in the old national anthem do not make a complete meaning. The issue of the national anthem is just a subset. What we should be looking at is the National Identity Act. The challenge we have today is that we do not have a valued national identity, of which the national anthem is one of them. It is not about singing in schools, it is about learning and imbibing it, he added. Change long overdue Mike Ozekhome, SAN, a human rights activist, argued that the national anthem ought to have been changed for a long time. He recalled how he sponsored a motion for a call to change the Nigerian anthem during the 2014 CONFAB convened during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He also proposed a change of the Nigerian flag and a change of the countrys name to Airegin during the CONFAB 2014 but they were rejected. The senior lawyer said the content of the old national anthem is preferable and that it will help the country to resolve many challenges. The Director General of The Flag Foundation of Nigeria, Ajiri Chris, also supported reverting to the old national anthem. The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who represented the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, chaired the hearing. Mr Bamidele said the Senate followed due process in sponsoring the bill before it passed the first and second reading. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerias Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, has said the Bola Tinubu administration will review the Buhari administrations concession of two major airports to make it more transparent. The minister made this known in Abuja while delivering his remarks at the ongoing ministerial sectoral update in commemoration of President Bola Tinubus one year in office. We are starting the process of concession of airports all over again to make it more transparent, the minister said, adding that bureaucracy cannot run public infrastructure. The minister also said Nigerias national carrier, Nigeria Air, remains suspended. He said what was launched last year by his immediate predecessor, Hadi Sarika, was an Ethiopian Airlines plane bearing Nigerias flag. Nigeria Air must be fully indigenous, Mr Keyamo said. Background Last year, after several failed promises, Mr Sirika launched Nigerias national carrier, Nigeria Air, less than three days before leaving office. The development further heightened concerns among Nigerians, as many took to social media to question the move and Mr Sirikas handling of the airlines proposed operation. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation later called for the suspension of the establishment of Nigeria Air and for the prosecution of those involved in the unveiling of the national carrier, describing the exercise as a fraud. Similarly, less than two weeks to the end of former President Muhammadu Buharis tenure, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium. But this was also faulted by the Nigerian Senate last July during the plenary presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin. By the agreement on the concession, Corporacion America Airports Consortium would make an upfront payment of $7 million to run the Abuja airport for 20 years and $1.5 million for Kano airport for 30 years. The total revenue from the concession of the two airports during the period is estimated at over $4 billion. Upon assuming office last year, Mr Keyamo announced the suspension of plans for Nigeria Airs operations and airport concessions. Going forward During the ministerial briefing on Monday, the minister disclosed that the ministry under his watch has a robust plan for the sector. Despite current challenges, there is hope and confidence about the future of the aviation sector, the minister said. He listed the key focus of his ministry to include the development of a master plan for major airports in the country to transform them into proper hubs. Mr Keyamo added that the government is reviewing the concession process of major airports to ensure it is more transparent to deliver world-class infrastructure. There are also plans to support and empower local operators to compete with other international airlines on more international routes, facilitate the acquisition of aircraft under dry lease agreements, and review BASA to favour local operators. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian government has advised the ECOWAS Court of Justice to review its practice and procedure to avoid conflict with national courts. Nigerias Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, made the call on Monday at the opening ceremony of the statutory meeting of the ECOWAS Judicial Council in Abuja. Mr Fagbemi urged the ECOWAS Judicial Council to promote uniform rules of practice and procedure in the administration of justice in order to reduce conflict of laws in the subregion. In February, the Justice Minister advised Chief Justices of ECOWAS member states in February to avoid making orders that are unenforceable. In his address at the event on Monday, Mr Fagbemi reiterated his advice, calling on the regional court to desist from making orders that are in conflict with national courts of member states. He said while the ECOWAS block strives to fashion out uniformity in economic policies and institutions, the judiciary should not lag behind. Challenges The minister identified key problems confronting the judiciary in West Africa like lack of judicial autonomy and inadequate funding leading to infrastructure deficits. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He also highlighted the challenges confronting the region concerning migration, integration, insecurity, and enforcement of fundamental rights. The Nigerian government continues to disregard ECOWAS Court orders regarding fundamental rights enforcement of many Nigerians whose rights were violated by law enforcement agents. Mr Fagbemi admonished the ECOWAS Judicial Council to peer review the courts operations among member states to achieve greater efficiency and independence. CJN admonishes on rule of law Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, said the regional court is determined to ensure a just and equitable society. Mr Ariwoola tasked ECOWAS member states to safeguarde the principles of justice, uphold the rule of law, and advance the cause of peace and prosperity. Let us reaffirm out Commitment to the protection of human rights, the promotion of regional integration, and the resolution of disputes through peaceful means, he said. The CJN Justice urged participants at the meeting to contribute meaningfully to the deliberations for the two days ahead and develop concrete recommendations to be sent to the Authority of Heads of State and Government to improve regional justice delivery in the subregion through the ECOWAS Court. The President of the Community Court of Justice, Ewar Asante reiterated the commitment of ECOWAS Judicial Council to upholding the principles of justice, equity and the rule of law within the ECOWAS Community. Mr Asante said the ECOWAS Court of Justice serves as a beacon of hope for the people of West Africa. He said the court provides a platform for the resolution of disputes and the protection and enforcement of fundamental rights. Recalling Februarys meeting of the ECOWAS Judicial Council in Abuja, Mr Asante said the council set up two crucial committees saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the courts judgements, and review of the courts rules of procedure. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has expressed sadness over the passing of one his predecessors, Ibrahim Lamorde, a retired deputy inspector general of police. In a statement by EFCCs Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Mr Olukoyede said Mr Lamorde, who led the EFCC from 2012 to 2015, passed away at the age of 61 in Egypt on Saturday. The loss of this distinguished law enforcement officer whose ideals and accomplishments we have long respected, is painful coming at a time the EFCC and indeed Nigeria still needed his wealth of experience to deal with emerging challenges in the law enforcement environment, he said. He said Mr Lamorde made significant contributions to the EFCC and the Nigeria Police, where he spent his most productive years. Mr Lamordes demise comes at a time when the EFCC and Nigeria greatly needed his wealth of experience to tackle emerging law enforcement challenges, Mr Olukoyede noted. He said Mr Lamordes tenure at the EFCC included roles as director of operations, acting chairman, and substantive chairman. The statement explained that he was instrumental to establishing EFCCs investigation machinery and mentoring the corps of officers who are now pivotal to the commissions investigative activities. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He was a refined officer, disciplined, unassuming, amiable, compassionate but professional. He was also a reformist, and his legacy in the Commission includes the establishment of the Department of Internal Affairs, recently renamed the Department of Ethics and Integrity, and the Department of Public Affairs to drive the Commissions corruption prevention mandate, Mr Olukoyede stated. The EFCC chairman said Mr Lamorde renamed the EFCCs Training and Research Institute in Karu to EFCC Academy, expanding its mandate to train all cadres of officers from the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies across Nigeria and Africa. He said the EFCC Academy has become a central hub for anti-corruption training in West Africa. The EFCC Chairman noted that Mr Lamordes lifetime of service as a police officer and statesman would remain a legacy of inspiration. All of us in the EFCC feel deeply the loss of this soldier of anti-corruption. Our hearts are with his family and all those whose lives he impacted in his remarkable career. We share your bereavement in the loss of this icon. You can be assured that our thoughts and prayers are with you in your grief, he stressed. The commission prays for the repose of Mr Lamordes soul and comfort for his family, the EFCC, and the entire nation. Tinubu commiserates with bereaved family, EFCC President Bola Tinubu, earlier on Sunday, expressed condolences to the family of Mr Lamorde. In addition to offering sympathies to the family, President Tinubu extended his condolences to the associates of the former anti-graft czar as well as to the EFCC, the Nigeria Police Force, and the government and people of Adamawa State. The President prayed for the repose ofthe soul of the deceased and comfort for his family during this difficult time. Mr Lamorde was born on 20 December 1962 in Mubi, Adamawa State. He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology in 1984. He joined the Nigerian Police Force in 1986. When the EFCC was created in 2003, Mr Lamorde was appointed the pioneer Director of Operations. He served as EFCC Acting Chairman in January 2008, holding the position until Farida Waziri was appointed Chairperson and confirmed by the Senate in June 2008. In December 2010, Mr Lamorde returned to the EFCC as Director of Operations. Following Ms Waziris removal on 23 November 2011. Mr Lamorde, then an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), was again appointed acting chairman. He was confirmed as substantive chairman of the EFCC on 15 February 2012, a position he held until 9 November 2015, when former President Muhammadu Buhari replaced him with Ibrahim Magu as EFCC acting chairman. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The development of enabling environment and basic infrastructure for LNG in the Nigerian energy market may be the long-awaited catalyst to kick off the countrys industrial revolution and set us on the path to economic recovery. Careful and deliberate investments in new gas exploration projects and LNG plants have great potentials to create many new jobs across a range of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, transportation, agriculture, housing and energy. Introduction Currently Nigeria has over 23 grid-connected generating plants in operation, for public power supply, with a total installed capacity of 10,396 MW (and an available capacity of 6,056 MW), though less than 5GW can be sustainably evacuated due to limitations with primary energy supply, generation infrastructure and low reliability and capacity of transmission network. Availability of reliable alternative fuel for power generation and manufacturing, mostly in the private sectors, may be one of the most significant, fastest, and sustainable ways to quickly get Nigeria on the path to its economic greatness among the nations of the world. It cannot be overemphasised that the availability of uninterrupted power supply will have huge impacts on the Nigerian economy in a variety of ways, of which the most direct would be the in terms of the significant reduction of the cost of manufacturing. With the current state of power supply generation and transmission infrastructures, the exorbitant private electricity generation from automotive gas oil (AGO) is not a viable alternative. The cost of AGO has been the biggest singular factor for many SMEs going out of business. The energy consumption of a nation is relatively proportional to its industrialisation and economic growth. Though Nigeria is estimated to have 206 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas reserves, ranked ninth in the world, we are however ranked 36th in gas consumption, despite our relative huge population and potential. Natural gas is distributed for domestic, commercial and industrial use through three main methods: pipelines, compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Depending on the application and environment, each method comes with different infrastructural requirements for safe distribution and consumption. As a nation, the experiment with piped gas distribution has largely failed for many reasons; from poor maintainability to vandalism. CNG and LNG are the most viable options that Nigeria needs to seriously explore. Natural gas becomes LNG by liquefying the gas from 600 molecules to one. LNG is not only much cheaper, it is available, and comes with significant environmental benefits. Adopting LNG as a major energy source for small scale industry has the potential to significantly reduce our carbon footprint as a nation, and fast-track our journey to carbon neutrality before 2060, as set by the Federal Government (Nigerias Energy Transition Plan). Nigeria is the seventh largest producer of LNG in the world, with 22.8 MTPA (million tons per annum), of which only about 3 per cent is consumed locally. Though the nation has made several billions of dollars over 25 years of commissioning the Nigeria LNG limited, from its 49 per cent shareholding in the company, still there could be much more benefit to the countrys economic growth if only 40 per cent of this is made available locally to power homes, the manufacturing and transportation sectors. This calls for a deliberate investment by the government in the upstream sector of the value chain, and the provision of an enabling environment for the midstream sector. The downstream market only needs safety regulations. This should not be difficult at all to the industry regulators, with support from professional bodies like the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Process Safety Initiative of Nigeria (PSIN), etc. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later This administration should explore harnessing LNG for domestic use, as one of our key energy sources for rapid economic development and energy independence. Increased Energy Security Although global experts expect Nigeria to be uniquely active in the energy transition, but we are however still napping. For an important economy like ours, energy security should come first, and we must use our existing and available resources. According to the Energy Progress Report 2021 (World Bank, 2021), the IEA, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria was ranked as one of the worlds worst country with regards to access to electricity, with over 90 million of the total population without power supply. Currently, there are over 23 generating plants connected to the grid, and a combined total installed capacity of 10,396 MW, but only 6,056 MW is available (58.25 per cent availability). Currently there are not enough data to publish the accurate combined reliability figures of these plants. For an optimum economy for Nigeria, of the 30GW energy demand, less than 20 per cent is being generated by on-grid plants. It is estimated that off-grid power generation (mostly petrol and diesel generators) have about 14GW capacity, consuming over 4000 mncf/d of diesel. At the current average end user price of diesel at N1400/litre, this singular factor led to obliteration of many Small-scale Enterprises (SMEs), as mentioned above, which could not compete with cheaper products from China. The estimated price of LNG is less than N200/L. Domestic LNG can help Nigeria achieve greater energy security by reducing its reliance on imported fuels and unreliable power supply infrastructure. This can help stabilise energy prices and reduce the countrys exposure to international market fluctuations. Nigeria has much to gain from moving in the direction of domestic energy sources. Apart from the fact that 80 per cent of these refined oil products (for off-grid generators) are imported from abroad at premium costs (including subsidy), the value chain is mostly for the benefit of a few individuals and other countries, with the cost significantly outweighing the value. On the other hand, LNG can be made readily available, and can mostly fill in the gap of this unsecured and expensive venture, with high potential to increase both on-grid and off-grid power generation. Domestic LNG can help Nigeria achieve greater energy security by reducing its reliance on imported fuels and unreliable power supply infrastructure. This can help stabilise energy prices and reduce the countrys exposure to international market fluctuations. Nigeria has much to gain from moving in the direction of domestic energy sources. Making LNG Available to the End Users As mentioned earlier, Nigeria is the seventh producer of LNG in the world, with 22.8MTPA (Million Tons per Annum). There are two LNG plants currently operating in Nigeria; Nigeria LNG Limited (22MTPA) and Greenville LNG (0.8MTA). Nigeria LNG exports 100 per cent of the LNG it produces to Europe and Asia, while Greenville LNG markets and sells all its product locally. Like other petroleum fuels, LNG can be safely and reliably distributed across the country, via LNG road tankers, as being done currently by Greenville LNG. So, what is being proposed is not a novel idea, as theres a mini model thats currently in operation at Rumuji, Rivers State. With trucks, Greenville transports its product to different parts of the country seamlessly. Though this is a very small operation, this and similar models can easily be scaled up to have significant impact on Nigerias economy. With the recent commissioning of the Lekki deep seaport, we now have seven major seaports in Nigeria. If the government mandates this and there are the right motivations, these ports can have LNG receiving terminals, for products for the domestic market, which would be fully funded by investors from the private sector or in partnership with the Federal Government. There are several local and international investors who would be enthusiastic about such opportunity. Though Nigeria LNG limited has a relatively long SPA (Sales Purchase Agreement) with some European companies, the global LNG market trend reveals that spot sales are more attractive to producers than the SPAs. With the current price of alternative fuels, spot LNG would still be very competitive for the Nigerian energy market. Cheaper Option for Public Transport If alternative vehicle fuels become cheaper than gasoline and diesel, many organisations and car owners would consider a switch to vehicles with less operating costs. The entire fleet of product distribution trucks for Greenville LNG runs on the LNG fuel. The reason is not farfetched: Why run on diesel if a much cheaper and cleaner fuel is available? LNG is a cleaner-burning fuel compared to diesel and PMS. It produces significantly less carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful pollutants. This could help Nigeria meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change, as well as improve air quality and public health. Railway operators globally are moving in the direction of cheaper, cleaner and sustainable energy, of which LNG is becoming popular. In 2015, Florida East Coast Railway commenced the trial to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the fuel for its locomotive fleet. Today the entire mainline locomotive fleet runs on LNG. They transport goods in containers from three ports in Florida, USA to different parts of the state and US national rail tracks. If some percentage of public transport vehicles and equipment, like buses, trucks and trains are run on LNG, the operating costs would be lower and may motivate more local and international private investors in this sector. Carbon Footprint LNG is a cleaner-burning fuel compared to diesel and PMS. It produces significantly less carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful pollutants. This could help Nigeria meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change, as well as improve air quality and public health. The impact of domestic LNG on Nigerias carbon footprint would largely depend on the extent to which it replaces diesel, which is one of the most carbon-intensive fuels. With a diesel consumption of about 11 million litres daily, Nigeria needs less than 10MTPA of LNG to replace 50 per cent of diesel consumption. As highlighted in the countrys Energy Transition Plan, gas will play a critical role as a transition fuel in Nigerias net-zero pathway. Conclusion The development of enabling environment and basic infrastructure for LNG in the Nigerian energy market may be the long-awaited catalyst to kick off the countrys industrial revolution and set us on the path to economic recovery. Careful and deliberate investments in new gas exploration projects and LNG plants have great potentials to create many new jobs across a range of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, transportation, agriculture, housing and energy. There are huge opportunities in making LNG available in the domestic market. If only our government looks into the American energy ecosystem, LNG stands out, consolidating the countrys energy independence. This may not be difficult to implement, at a relatively low cost to the government. This singular initiative has the potential to turn the Nigerian economy around, within a few years. Dayo Babatunde Afolabi in an energy consultant. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In South Africa in 2024, freedom means a lot more to the people than just the ability to vote in an election. Freedom is the ability to celebrate a democracy in which social inequality is an exception and not the general rule, where economic empowerment is not restricted to a select few and development is inclusive, regardless of sex, race and class. Freedom for the youth is the ability to thrive in an economy that is truly supportive of their dreams. South Africans will be going to the polls on 29 May in the seventh general elections since the end of Apartheid in 1994. Interestingly, 2024 is a symbolic year as South Africans and many countries in Africa who supported the fight against apartheid celebrate 30 years of freedom. As a kid, I remember feeling a sense of pride in the election of Nelson Mandela, while listening to my parents talk about South Africa. He was my first memory of a love for a President. It did not help that back home in Nigeria, we were at the time battling with a military dictatorship. Just a year before that in 1993, Nigerians were promised an election and a transition to democracy, which was later brutally denied the people. I obviously could not relate with a military Head of State and it made sense to connect with Nelson Mandela as my President. The freedom celebrated in South Africa in 1994 vibrated across Africa and it inspired a new form of hope in the power of a people-driven struggle for freedom. It was our democracy, in which black South Africans celebrated the freedom to vote and to live free from the oppression of the apartheid regime. Thirty years later, it is time again for the people to vote. South Africa has a parliamentary system of government. According to the Electoral Commission, 70 political parties and 11 independent candidates will be contesting in these elections. With an amendment to the Electoral Act in 2023, in line with the judgment of the Constitutional Court, independent candidates will be contesting for the first time in the elections. The independent candidates are accommodated within the compensatory proportional representation system. About 27, 782, 477 certified voters are expected to vote in the 2024 National and Provisional elections on 29 May. South Africa allows for special voting, and two days before the election day are allocated for voters who cannot get to their voting stations on election day and who already applied to the Electoral Commission to vote. With 55.23 per cent of the voters being women and about 44 per cent of them between the ages of 18 and 39 years, it can be said to be an election that ought to be defined by young people and women. Interestingly, the Electoral Commission recorded a 226 per cent increase in the number of certified voters who are 18 and 19 years old in the March 2024 voters roll, when compared to the number in the September 2021 roll. Going by the data on young voters, there is an indication that a large percentage of them were born post-apartheid and within that number are the Gen Z voters. This is particularly important in a country with an impressive culture of vibrant civic activism amongst the youth population. But can this election become a rallying point for young South Africans to convert their civic activism and numbers to political power to influence the elections? An election is usually the moment of citizens mobilisation around issues that affect them; it is the simplest feature of a democracy in which the people freely choose their leaders. For all its supposed beauty, what happens when there is a growing distrust in the ability of democracy to deliver its dividends? Or where there is a lack of youth enthusiasm to vote in an election? Arriving in South Africa as part of the Yiaga Africa election study mission, I have had to reflect more on these questions and on what freedom means to the young people of South Africa. In addition, have elections become a ritual that serves the optics of the presence of democracy without a real connection to the needs of the people? Are our political leaders truly listening to the voices from the streets and homes, where young people are looking for more than just mere rhetorics in political campaigns? Are we losing our youth to despondency and distrust in democracy, without stepping back to reflect on how we got here? These are questions that seek answers because the more I interact, the clearer it is that there is growing disinterest in elections and democracy, especially amongst the younger population. There lies a major challenge for democracy. Elections are defining moments for every democracy. In 2024, there is a lot of hope for the voters in South Africa, who understand the importance of this moment to turn out in their numbers to vote. I may not have the answers, however, three decades of freedom can begin the journey to expanding freedom that inspires hope in democracy. Every seat contested for in this National and Provincial elections is important because elected officials on those seats will represent the diverse voices and needs of the people. In South Africa in 2024, freedom means a lot more to the people than just the ability to vote in an election. Freedom is the ability to celebrate a democracy in which social inequality is an exception and not the general rule, where economic empowerment is not restricted to a select few and development is inclusive, regardless of sex, race and class. Freedom for the youth is the ability to thrive in an economy that is truly supportive of their dreams. It is about having a voice that influences policies and leaders who are honest in their practices and abilities. For women, it is also about true representation and freedom from violence. This sense of freedom defines the perception of democracy, and as long as a majority of the people do not feel this freedom, the enthusiasm to engage the ballot will continue to dwindle. Then the big question: Do political parties and candidates care enough about the desire for freedom by the people? For the most part, the culture of disconnected politics is beginning to take the centre stage in the politics in South Africa and most countries in Africa. Increasingly, we have political parties and candidates that are more interested in political power than in making concrete and sustainable change. Elections are now becoming a contest for power, rather than a contest to lead. If leadership is about responsibility, can we have political parties and candidates willing to take on the responsibility of leading the people to inclusive prosperity? This is the least that the people desire. Elections are defining moments for every democracy. In 2024, there is a lot of hope for the voters in South Africa, who understand the importance of this moment to turn out in their numbers to vote. I may not have the answers, however, three decades of freedom can begin the journey to expanding freedom that inspires hope in democracy. Every seat contested for in this National and Provincial elections is important because elected officials on those seats will represent the diverse voices and needs of the people. In 1994, 86.87 per cent of the 22, 709, 152 voters turned out to vote in South Africa. Thirty years later, what will be the turnout story for South Africa? Elections are determined by voters who turn out to vote and democracy wins when the people actively participate. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Cynthia Mbamalu is an election expert and an enthusiast for inclusive democracy. She is the director of Programmes, Yiaga Africa and part of the Yiaga Africa Election Study Mission to South Africa 2024. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As our conversation concluded, I was left in awe of Mallam Ibrahim Pantamis linguistic virtuosity, his passion for education, and his commitment to empowering young minds. His words were a symphony of wisdom, painting a vivid picture of the human experience, and illuminating the path to understanding. In his presence, I felt the gentle whisper of his voice awakening my heart, the gentle breeze of his words stirring my soul, and the radiant light of his wisdom guiding me towards knowledge. Speaking in esoteric opulence, he serenades his listeners with unending vocal dexterity, weaving a tapestry of words that mesmerise and enthral. Every syllable uttered is a masterful stroke of linguistic artistry, leaving you spellbound and yearning for more. His voice is a rich velvet cloak that envelops your senses, transporting you to a realm of wonder and awe. Just when you think he has reached the pinnacle of eloquence, he surpasses himself, plunging deeper into the depths of linguistic virtuosity. His words are a symphony of wisdom, a gentle breeze that rustles the leaves of your mind, awakening hidden truths and stirring the soul. With each phrase, he paints a vivid picture of the human experience, a kaleidoscope of emotions and ideas that resonate deeply within. His voice is a gentle whisper that awakens the heart, a gentle breeze that stirs the soul, and a radiant light that illuminates the path to understanding. Recently, I had an encounter with the rave of the moment, the reference in every social discourse, mentioned in academic circles, the author of the book Skills Rather than Just Degrees, Mallam Ibrahim Ali Pantami. He is the immediate past minister of Digital Economy, a teacher, cleric, and politician. The venue was his office. He had scheduled our meeting, and just on the nick of time, he walked in, greeting everyone with cheerful gestures as he strolled to his desk. And my chit-chat with him began. With a smile on his face, he asked me: Mallam Abdullahi, You speak with the eloquence of a Hausa speaker, but I know you are not one! Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I responded: Yes, Mallam, I am actually Igala but born in the embrace of Zaria; the melting pot of intellectual seekers. As a journalist, I was eager to discuss his book, Skills Rather than Just Degrees, which had generated significant buzz, with both praise and criticism. I asked him: Arent you worried about the negative reviews? Pantamis response was characteristically optimistic: The greatest tragedy is to write a book and not get reactions. The demand for my book has skyrocketed, with online vendors struggling to keep up. This is how you measure success. The reactions that my book has generated thus far have led to an astronomical increase in demand, such that the book is now sold out. The online vendors are overwhelmed by ceaseless demand. This is how you measure the success of a book. I thank those who made this possible. The book has been translated into five languages: Spanish, French, Mongolian, Hausa, and Arabic. Across universities and other tertiary institutions, there has been a frenzy over the book, with students making t-shirts with bold inscriptions of Skills Rather than Just Degrees and sharing on social media platforms. This further grabs the attention of a generation of thinkers, those with the mindset of champions creators and innovators in addition to their certifications. As our conversation flowed, I was struck by his passion for education and his commitment to empowering young minds. His words were a template of wisdom, wearing the colour of inspirations that define an alternative thinking pattern. In his presence, I felt the rising push to integrate his teachings into my craft. I was ready to recreate his path and amplify the messages he carries with his book. Lets have generations with degrees but backed with skills. Indeed, Dr Ibrahim Ali Pantami has sparked a revolution the Pantami effect. The books impact was evident, with translations in five languages and a frenzy among students, who even created t-shirts with the books title. The Gombe-born knowledge voyager has aimed to inspire a generation of thinkers, creators, and innovators. When I asked about his time management, given his prolific writing, preaching, and political activities, he humbly replied: I dont manage my time, I utilise my time with priority set out. I spend most of my day worshipping my creator, ample time with my family, and the rest researching and reading. Despite having little sleep, his priorities drive his productivity. As our conversation concluded, I was left in awe of Mallam Ibrahim Pantamis linguistic virtuosity, his passion for education, and his commitment to empowering young minds. His words were a symphony of wisdom, painting a vivid picture of the human experience, and illuminating the path to understanding. In his presence, I felt the gentle whisper of his voice awakening my heart, the gentle breeze of his words stirring my soul, and the radiant light of his wisdom guiding me towards knowledge. Abdullahi O Haruna (Haruspice) is a journalist, poet and author of the book, The Buhari In Us. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As we embarked on our journey, camaraderie filled the air. While travelling alongside fellow prospective corps members, the sense of unity was palpable. From shared laughter to prayers for safe travels, each moment cemented the bonds of camaraderie that NYSC fosters. My journey was interesting, especially travelling with a friend also assigned to the same state. Corpers on board was boldly written on our vehicle, and people we passed hailed and prayed for our safe journey. Upon graduating from the university, I eagerly anticipated joining the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). I shared my excitement with friends, but not all of them were keen to join immediately. One friend said he needed to hustle and build his career first. However, I wanted to get it done quickly and move on to the next phase of my life. So, I registered and subsequently got mobilised for a three-week-long camping/orientation. Embarking on the journey to join the NYSC is more than just a transition to adulthood; it is a rollercoaster ride filled with unexpected twists and turns. The call up letter came and its stated that I am to camp at the Paiko camp in Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger state, but that after the three weeks, I am to complete my service in Abuja. I was happy and prepared to travel, as I had never been to Niger State. I learnt that it is one of the largest states in terms of land mass. I thought about how beneficial it would be for the Federal Government to collaborate with the NYSC, and invest in agriculture to empower graduates, so as to develop their future. This would surely boost the economy at both the federal and state levels. NYSC is a mandatory scheme for all graduates except those over thirty years old, who are usually issued with an exemption letter. The night before departure, a subtle warning on the NYSC documentation reminded us not to travel at night a precaution that resonated deeply. Despite the allure of reaching our destination quickly, we chose safety over haste, breaking our journey when dusk fell. This lesson is applicable beyond NYSC, reminding us that even in seemingly safe spaces, vigilance is key. As we embarked on our journey, camaraderie filled the air. While travelling alongside fellow prospective corps members, the sense of unity was palpable. From shared laughter to prayers for safe travels, each moment cemented the bonds of camaraderie that NYSC fosters. My journey was interesting, especially travelling with a friend also assigned to the same state. Corpers on board was boldly written on our vehicle, and people we passed hailed and prayed for our safe journey. We chatted and played music, making the journey memorable. Yet, amidst the laughter and anticipation, a moment of stark reality halted us in our tracks. In the midst of lush landscapes, armed men appeared a stark reminder of the worlds unpredictability. It was a wake-up call, underscoring the importance of vigilance, even in seemingly serene surroundings. We stopped at a canteen to eat a sumptuous meal, enjoying the privileges of being a corper. Continuing our journey, we enjoyed the natural beauty of Nigerias landscapes. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later However, amidst the tension, there were glimmers of hope. Security checkpoints manned by dedicated officers reassured us of their commitment to our safety. Their professionalism and integrity stood as beacons of hope on an otherwise uncertain journey. The most unexpected twist came when a seemingly menacing encounter turned into a moment of levity. Startled awake by a tap on the shoulder, I found myself face-to-face with an armed security officer, his stern demeanour giving way to a shared joke. In that moment, fear melted into laughter, reminding me that amidst lifes uncertainties, moments of joy abound. As we finally arrived at our destination, the journey left an indelible mark. From cautionary tales to unexpected camaraderie, each moment was a testament to the importance of preparation and vigilance. As I shared my tale with my hustling friend, who had chosen a different path, I couldnt help but wonder what adventures awaited him. For in the journey of NYSC, every twist and turn is a chapter waiting to be written, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the bonds that unite us all. This is the essence of NYSC, preaching national unity and peace. Apart from the interesting aspects of NYSC, there are numerous advantages that I believe will convince you to join the programme. If you want to know the funny joke the officer cracked with me, I guess you should also prepare to go for your NYSC, so you can experience how interesting and memorable the journey was. As long as we take the necessary security precautions and avoid rough driving, NYSC ensures our safety because we are all dear to the government. Haroon Aremu Abiodun is a youth Corp Member with PRNigeria center, Abuja and wrote in via exponentumera@gmail.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Unsurprisingly, Ladan Tsamiyas story of mixing commodity trading with judging proved to be unconvincing. In their report delivered on 22 September 2016, the committee of investigation found the case against Ladan Tsamiya to be credible and recommended sanctions against him. Eight days later, on 30 September 2016, the NJC announced its decision to compulsorily retire him from judicial service. Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya probably believed he was a commodities trader who happened also to moonlight as a Justice of the Court of Appeal. To him, both vocations seemed to provide mutually reinforcing revenue streams. Sometimes, he transacted business as one, while doing the other. In keeping with this tendency, it was an unsuccessful transaction in the sale of beans that brought his vocation as a judge to an untimely end. The story began with the 2015 elections. In Abia State, South-East Nigeria, the parliamentary elections in 2015 were not without controversy. Nnamdi Iro Oji, a losing candidate in those elections, filed a petition with the National Judicial Council (NJC) in January 2016, levying serious allegations of misconduct against Ladan Tsamiya. What follows is from the 19-page report of the NJC Investigation Committee into these allegations. Sunday Akintan, a retired Supreme Court justice, chaired the NJCs investigation committee into Mr Ojis complaint. The other members of the Committee were Hakila Yalla Hemman, then chief judge of Gombe State; and Aloy Nweke Nwankwo, chief judge of Ebonyi State. Mr Oji complained that around 12 October 2015, after the conclusion of first instance proceedings in his case at the Abia State Election Petition Tribunal in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, he got introduced to someone who was in the system, who took him to a house in Sokoto, North-West Nigeria, where they met with Ladan Tsamiya. After condemning the election petition tribunal as having been influenced, Ladan Tsamiya advised Mr Oji to write a petition to the President of the Court of Appeal requesting a change in the composition of the Court of Appeal panel in Owerri. His application was granted but he was shocked when he saw that Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya was one of those sent to Owerri Judicial Division to handle the appeal. Over a sequence of encounters which occurred in Sokoto, Gwarimpa (Abuja), and Owerri in Imo State, according to Mr Oji, Ladan Tsamiya requested him to provide N200 million to enable him discuss with the three (3) Justices who were to handle the appeal to influence the courts decision in his favour. When he seemed reluctant, the Justice of Appeal warned Mr Oji that failure to deliver the requisitioned sum or a substantial part thereof may bring a shocking outcome to the appeal. Specifically, Ladan Tsamiya advised Mr Oji that the funds which should be in foreign currency should be brought to him in his private residence in Owerri, Imo State, which was where they met. Despite having a strong case on the facts, the decision in Mr Ojis appeal went the way that Ladan Tsamiya had predicted after he failed to deliver the funds demanded. 12 years earlier, it was arguably their inclination to do what Nigerians call chopping alone that ultimately ended the careers of two other senior Justices of the Court of Appeal, Okwuchukwu Opene and David Adeniji. In 2004, the NJC recommended the dismissal of both Justices of Appeal, after they collected sundry items of bribery, including N15 million and N12 million respectively, to award the contest for the Anambra South senatorial constituency in the 2003 general election to Ugochukwu Uba These allegations may have been staggering in their substance, but Ladan Tsamiyas response was not lacking in invention or audacity. According to him, this was a tale of a sale of beans gone awry. Sometime in November 2015, he said, three persons one Hausa and his two Igbo friends met him in Sokoto and the Hausa man introduced himself as a buyer of beans and ginger which His Lordship said he had in commercial quantities. He reportedly assumed that the two Igbos were also interested in buying the commodities. It was in the course of these conversations, according to Ladan Tsamiya, that one of them reportedly asked for his assistance in connection with a pending case at the Court of Appeal. He claimed he declined, telling them that he could not help because he was not their lawyer. The discussions over the sale of beans according to Ladan Tsamiya subsequently broke down and could not be consummated. Unsurprisingly, Ladan Tsamiyas story of mixing commodity trading with judging proved to be unconvincing. In their report delivered on 22 September 2016, the committee of investigation found the case against Ladan Tsamiya to be credible and recommended sanctions against him. Eight days later, on 30 September 2016, the NJC announced its decision to compulsorily retire him from judicial service. 12 years earlier, it was arguably their inclination to do what Nigerians call chopping alone that ultimately ended the careers of two other senior Justices of the Court of Appeal, Okwuchukwu Opene and David Adeniji. In 2004, the NJC recommended the dismissal of both Justices of Appeal, after they collected sundry items of bribery, including N15 million and N12 million respectively, to award the contest for the Anambra South senatorial constituency in the 2003 general election to Ugochukwu Uba, who was not a candidate in the contest. James Ogebe, the senior Justice of Appeal then who headed the Court of Appeal panel drafted to Enugu to replace them after the scandal broke recalls in his memoirs that there was clear evidence of bribery. They brought a bag containing the money that was not properly closed. A cook who was cooking for them inside the official house even saw it. He was the one who carried the bag inside. They just gave him N10,000 from it. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Eight years after the end of Ladan Tsamiyas experiment in occupational cross-dressing ended his career, in May 2024, the NJC announced that they cautioned Amina Shehu, a judge of the High Court of Yobe State for issuing Writ of Possession Conferring Title on the Defendant in Suit No YBS/HC/NNR/1cv/2020 when there was no subsisting judgement (sic) of any Court to enable His Lordship issue the Writ. In ordinary parlance, the issuing of a writ of possession in the absence of an underlying judgment would be a felony crime of burglary, theft, conversion, or stealing. If committed by an ordinary citizen, such a crime would almost certainly have an additional element of fraud. Any person who can commit such an act surely should have no place in any judicial service worth its name. By concluding that the appropriate sanction in such a case is a mere caution, the NJC makes it difficult to distinguish a judge from the criminals whom they are supposed to hold to account. Over the 20-year period that separates the disciplinary cases concerning Okwuchukwu Opene and David Adeniji in 2004; Ladan Tsamiya in 2016; and Amina Shehu in 2024, the sanction issued by the NJC for judicial misconduct of a criminal nature became attenuated from dismissal through compulsory retirement to a mere love letter, signalling the collapse of judicial discipline and accountability in the country under Olukayode Ariwoola as Chief Justice of Nigeria. These three cases discussed here hardly differed in terms of gravity. Instead of accountability, the judiciary, especially under the outgoing Chief Justice, Olukayode Ariwoola, has converted the myth of judicial independence into a charter for judicial impunity. In the case of Ladan Tsamiya, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) did launch an investigation after the conclusion of the disciplinary process by the NJC, leading to his arrest. He was later arraigned for trial before the High Court of Imo State in Owerri in July 2019. Five months before the trial, however, in February 2019, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja, presided over by the recently deceased Noelita Agbakoba as judge, set aside the decision of the NJC for having been reached in violation of relevant provisions of the Judicial Discipline Regulations. Under Olukayode Ariwoola as a discerning tweep has pointed out Someone who sprayed Naira got 6 months. Someone who issued a warrant of possession without a preceding judgement got a warning. Over the 20-year period that separates the disciplinary cases concerning Okwuchukwu Opene and David Adeniji in 2004; Ladan Tsamiya in 2016; and Amina Shehu in 2024, the sanction issued by the NJC for judicial misconduct of a criminal nature became attenuated from dismissal through compulsory retirement to a mere love letter, signalling the collapse of judicial discipline and accountability in the country under Olukayode Ariwoola as Chief Justice of Nigeria. Over that time horizon, judicial process in the public perception became somewhat tarnished to a mere transaction in which outcomes are more likely than not to be determined by a quid pro quo between litigants and the presiding officers, and not by the strength of the evidence or a fair and dispassionate application of the norms. At the special session of the Supreme Court to usher in the new legal year, organised on 27 November 2023, Ebun Sofunde (SAN), who addressed the court on behalf of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), captured this well when he warned that judicial reputation is at an all-time low to a point where it may no longer be redeemable. This sums up the state of Nigerias judiciary 25 years into elective government. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Monday affirmed the victory of Governor Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 11 November 2023 Kogi governorship poll. The three-member panel of justices, headed by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, held that the petition was bereft of substance and accordingly dismissed it. The tribunal held that the petitioners the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka failed to prove the allegations of over-voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 in the petition. The panel, in a unanimous decision, held that all the witness evidence filed before it were incompetent and full of inconsistencies. It also agreed with the submissions of the respondents that the allegations of forgery raised in the petition were pre-election matter, which ought to have been raised 14 days after the documents were submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Kogi had on 11 November 2023 held its off-cycle election in which Mr Ododo of the APC emerged winner, beating his closest rival, Mr Ajaka of the SDP with a wide margin. Mr Ajaka, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, filed a petition before the tribunal, challenging Mr Ododos victory. The case, which commenced in December 2023, came to its highest point on 13 May when SDP, Mr Ajaka, APC, Mr Ododo and INEC adopted their final written addresses, after which the tribunal reserved judgment in the petition. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later It would be recalled that INEC, Mr Ododo and his party, the APC, had prayed the tribunal to dismiss Mr Ajaka and SDPs petition in its entirety for being incompetent and lacking in merit. READ ALSO: Kogi govt vows to go after killers of abducted university students The trio had, through their lawyers; Kanu Agabi, Joseph Daudu, and Emmanuel Ukala, respectively told the tribunal so while adopting their final written addresses and presenting their arguments against the petition. However, Mr Ajakas lawyer, Pius Akubo, had urged the tribunal to discountenance the respondents submissions and uphold their petition. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kano State Government on Monday said it has received the order issued by the Federal High Court stopping the implementation of the states new emirate council law. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the state House of Assembly on Thursday passed a bill for the dissolution of the five emirates created by the administration of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje. A day after, Governor Abba Yusuf signed the law and abolished the emirates of Gaya, Karaye, Rano and Bichi. The governor also reinstated Lamido Sanusi, who was dethroned in March 2020, as the emir of Kano. However, one of the dethroned emirs, Aminu Ado Bayero of Kano, rejected his removal, citing the order of the federal court. A title holder in Kano Emirate, Aminu Danagundi, approached the court challenging the scrapping of the emirates and reinstatement of Mr Sanusi. The states Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Dederi, acknowledged the receipt of the court order Monday morning. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Dederi told BBC Hausa service that the government was looking at the court order. This court injunction has generated controversy until this morning at about 10 a.m. We received it from an official of the Federal High Court We received the court order, lets wait for our response and court pronouncement, he said. Meanwhile, there is tension in the state as the dethroned emir, Mr Ado-Bayero, and the reinstated Mr Sanusi are holding court in different palaces. Residents of Gaya, Bichi Rano and Karaye, where the emirates were dissolved and their first-class emirs sacked, have also been holding peaceful protests against the development. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kano State High Court has ordered the police to evict the dethroned Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero, from his palace. The court also ordered Mr Ado-Bayero and his four colleagues in Bichi, Rano, Gaya and Karaye Emirates to stop parading themselves as emirs. The court issued the interim injunction on Monday, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, and the Kano State House of Assembly. Earlier on Thursday, the Federal High Court had restrained the state government from implementing its new emirate council law that reinstated Emir Lamido Sanusi and dissolved the five emirates created by the preceding administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje in 2019. The state high court judge, Amina Aliyu, gave the latest order after hearing an exparte application by counsel to the applicant, Ibrahim Wangida. That an order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the 1st 2nd, 3rd 4th & 5th Defendants either by themselves, servants, privies, and or any other persons or officers serving under them or acting in connection with any other person from parading themselves as Emirs of Kano, Bichi, Gaya, Rano and Karaye pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. That an order is hereby granted to the extent that the Commissioner of Police Kano State should immediately take the palace of the Emir of Kano situated being and lying at State Road Kano and evict the 1 Defendant/Respondent from the said palace pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated 24 May, 2024. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later That an order of this Hon. Court is hereby granted restraining the 1st 2nd 3rd 4th & 5th Defendants from parading themselves as Emirs of Kano, Bichi, Gaya, Rano and Karaye in the interest of peace in Kano pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. That an order is hereby made that 1- 5th Defendants be through the office of the Commissioner of Police, Kano State who is to ensure immediate implementation of the order of the Hon. Court in the interest of justice. The judge fixed 11 June, for hearing of the motion on notice. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Governor Abba Yusuf signed the law that abolished the emirates of Gaya, Karaye, Rano and Bichi. The governor also reinstated Mr Sanusi, who was dethroned in March 2020, as the emir of Kano. However, the dethroned emirs, rejected their removal, citing the order of the federal court. He has, since arriving in Kano on Saturday, occupied the mini palace in the Nassarawa quarters of the city while the reinstated emir, Lamido Sanusi, is at the main Rumfa House palace. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has described the verdict of the Bayelsa State Governorship Tribunal as a testament of strength of Nigerias democracy. The tribunal affirmed the victory of Governor Douye Diri of the PDP in the last governorship election and dismissed the petition of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva. A three-member panel led by Adekunle Adeleye, a judge, dismissed the petition filed by Mr Sylva and the APC for lacking merit. The PDP caucus, in a statement by the Minority Whip, Ali Isa, on Monday, congratulated Mr Diri, a former member of the 8th House and the 9th Senate. The lawmakers said, with the verdict, the governor can continue the work of transforming the oil state. This significant triumph underscores the robust mandate conferred upon you by the people of Bayelsa State, validating their confidence in your leadership and vision for the future. The tribunals decision is a testament to the strength of our democratic processes and the unwavering will of the Bayelsan electorate. We are optimistic that under your steadfast leadership, Bayelsa State will continue to witness substantial progress and development. Your dedication to the welfare and advancement of the people is commendable, and we trust that this victory will further empower your efforts to transform the state, the statement reads. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Diri won the 12 November 2023 governorship election by scoring a total of 175,196 votes, while Mr Sylva, a former governor of the state, came second with 110,108 votes. None of the other 14 candidates scored up to 1,000 votes. Mr Sylva and the APC subsequently asked the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja to nullify Mr Diris victory. He alleged that violence disrupted elections in Ogbia, Nembe and Southern Ijaw local government areas of the state. However, the allegation was dismissed by the tribunal for lack of merit. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in 397 centres of Edo and Ondo, ahead of the state governorship election. The INEC National Commissioner and Chairperson, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, stated this on Monday in Abuja. He said that the online locator for the registration centres had been released for easy identification. Mr Olumekun said that the venue of the exercise in Edo had been shifted to the Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area office located at 16, Custom Road, off Benin/Auchi Road, Benin, due to the flooding at the state INEC Headquarters. He said that to facilitate easy access to the CVR locations in the two states, the commission had already shared the hard copies of detailed names and addresses of the centres with stakeholders. The locations have also been uploaded to its website and social media platforms, he said. In addition, the commission is releasing an easy online locator of the registration centres. Interested persons can send an SMS to a dedicated number (09136913660) from their mobile phones indicating the name of the state, local government area and ward. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later In return, they will receive the detailed address of the centre and a Google map to lead them there. Alternatively, interested registrants can simply visit our website. A short graphic of the procedure for accessing the registration centres has been uploaded to our website and social media platforms, he said. Mr Olumekun urged all eligible voters in Edo and Ondo who were not registered to seize the opportunity of the CVR to register. It is also an opportunity for those who wish to transfer their registration from other states of the federation to the two states or from one location to another within the States to do so. Similarly, requests for replacement of lost or damaged Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) can be made at the registration centres. Furthermore, uncollected PVCs will also be available at the registration centres for collection on presentation of the Temporary Voters Cards (TVCs) by registered voters in person. No cards will be collected by proxy, he said. Mr Olumekun appealed to eligible Nigerians to come out en masse early to register and avoid last minute rush. While the Edo governorship election will hold on 21 September, that of Ondo comes up on 16 November. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print NEW YORK, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global assisted reproductive technology market size is estimated to grow by USD 8.23 billion from 2023-2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 5.79% 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 Assisted Reproductive Technology Market 2023-2027 Assisted Reproductive Technology Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017 - 2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.79% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 8.23 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 4.37 Regional analysis Europe, North America, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution Europe at 32% Key countries US, UK, Germany, China, and Japan Key companies profiled Cook Group Inc., CRITEX GmbH, Cryolab Ltd., Esco Micro Pte. Ltd., Ferring BV, FUJIFILM Holdings Corp., Hamilton Thorne Ltd., IMV Technologies, Instituto Bernabeu SL, INVO Bioscience Inc., KITAZATO Corp., Merck KGaA, Monash IVF Group Ltd., Pantec Engineering AG, Smiths Group Plc, The Cooper Companies Inc., Virtus Health, Vitrolife AB, XiltriX International, and Genea Ltd. Market Driver Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market has witnessed significant growth, particularly in the areas of intratubal insemination and fertility clinics. Single women, including those with minor fertility conditions and those who are divorced, separated, widowed, or not married, have doubled in number since the start of the decade. They face challenges such as financial aid, health insurance, child care, and support from absent parents. ART includes various techniques like ovarian stimulation, embryo transfer, and fertility drugs. Ethical issues, prematurity, reduced success rates, and socio-ethical concerns are also prevalent in ART. Key procedures include intrauterine insemination, intracervical insemination, and intravaginal insemination. ART also encompasses gamete and embryo cryopreservation, surrogacy, and fertility medication for men and women. Market Challenges Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), including Intravitrous Fertilization (IVF) and related procedures, have been subject to debate due to potential side effects. While these treatments offer high success rates, they can cause stress, complications, and multiple pregnancies. Side effects may include bleeding, cramping, bloating, constipation, breast tenderness, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, and severe stomach pains. Intratubal insemination, minor fertility conditions, same-sex couples, single women, and various fertility treatments are offered at clinics and hospitals. Ethical issues, prematurity, reduced success rates, and various fertility medications are also considerations. Socio-ethical issues, surrogacy, cryopreservation, and crude birth rate further expand the ART market landscape. Men and women alike utilize these treatments, with fresh and frozen donor options available. Ovaries, uterus, vagina, placenta, and female fertility are key areas of focus. Late marriages, stressful lifestyles, same-sex marriages, and various fertility conditions influence the demand for ART. Research report provides comprehensive data on impact of trend, driver and challenges - Request a sample report! Segment Overview Application 1.1 Fertility clinics 1.2 Hospitals 1.3 Others Type 2.1 IVF 2.2 Artificial insemination Geography 3.1 Europe 3.2 North America 3.3 Asia 3.4 Rest of World (ROW) 1.1 Fertility clinics- The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market is segmented by application into various categories, including Intratubal insemination, treatment for minor fertility conditions, same-sex couples, single women, and infertility treatments provided in fertility clinics and hospitals. ART solutions are applied to address issues related to the ovaries, uterus, vagina, placenta, and female fertility. Factors such as late marriages, stressful lifestyles, and socio-ethical issues like same-sex marriages contribute to the increasing demand for fertility treatments. The World Health Organization reports that infertility affects an estimated 15% of couples worldwide, with men and women equally affected. Ethical issues surrounding fertility treatment, such as prematurity, reduced success rates, and the use of fresh or frozen non-donor and donor gametes, are under constant scrutiny. Fertility drugs, surrogacy, cryopreservation, and fertility medication are essential components of ART. However, lifestyle factors like smoking, alcoholism, and drug addiction can negatively impact fertility and reduce the success rate of ART treatments. The crude birth rate and human rights campaigns also influence the ART market. Overall, the ART market caters to a diverse range of applications, addressing the complexities of infertility and striving to improve the chances of conception for millions of couples worldwide. For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2023-2027) and historic data (2017-2021) - Download a Sample Report Research Analysis The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market encompasses various treatments and techniques used to enhance female fertility, including In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), and Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT). These technologies address issues such as smoking, alcoholism, and drug addiction, which can negatively impact fertility. Socio-ethical concerns arise with the use of ART, including surrogacy, uterus and vagina transplants, and the ethical implications of manipulating embryos and the placenta. Late marriages, stressful lifestyles, and crude birth rates further contribute to the demand for ART. Men and women alike seek fertility treatment, with ethical issues surrounding the use of fresh non-donor and frozen non-donor gametes and embryos. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the importance of addressing these concerns while ensuring access to safe and effective ART for all. Market Research Overview The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market encompasses a range of medical interventions to help individuals and couples achieve pregnancy. Technologies such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), and Surrogacy are commonly used procedures. These techniques manipulate eggs, sperm, or embryos to increase the chances of successful implantation and pregnancy. The Crude and refined oils, fertility drugs, and various other materials used in ART processes are essential components of the market. The market is driven by factors such as increasing infertility rates, advancements in technology, and growing awareness and acceptance of ART. The use of advanced technologies like Frozen embryos, donor eggs, and donor sperm also contributes to the market's growth. The placement of embryos in the uterus using various methods like Hysteroscopic and laparoscopic procedures is also a significant aspect of the ART market. The market is expected to continue growing due to the increasing demand for infertility treatments and advancements in technology. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Application Fertility Clinics Hospitals Others Type IVF Artificial Insemination Geography Europe North America Asia Rest Of World (ROW) 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 Company recognized over 100 Managed Printing Services (MPS) customers from across government, education, banking, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail Managed Printing Services (MPS) customers benefit from Canon's cutting-edge technologies, driving their digital transformation journey DUBAI, UAE, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon Middle East recognized over 100 Managed Printing Services (MPS) customers at an exclusive event in Dubai. Canon's Managed Print Services (MPS), introduced in the Emirates in 2012, aims to empower organizations across various sectors, including government, education, banking, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. Canon Logo (PRNewsfoto/Canon) The "Celebrating You" event in Dubai marked a significant milestone as the Canon's first event of its kind in the UAE, following last year's successful gathering in Qatar. Similar events are planned later this year in Saudi Arabia as part of Canon's commitment to honoring and strengthening engagements with over 600 prominent Managed Printing Services (MPS) customers across Qatar, UAE, and KSA. "We deeply value the successful partnerships we have built with our clients in the region," said Shadi Bakhour, B2B Business Unit Director at Canon Middle East. "Canon's managed print services (MPS) empower businesses in the UAE to embrace digital transformation by seamlessly integrating state-of-the-art technologies for print and scan infrastructure management, ensuring efficiency, security, and sustainability. This service promotes seamless collaboration between remote and office environments under a unified contract, facilitating efficient workflows anytime, anywhere. Canon's holistic approach to print infrastructure management aids businesses in reducing costs, enhancing document management processes, and boosting productivity." A testament to Canon's commitment to customer satisfaction is its 100% customer retention rate. Currently servicing over 10,000 machines in the field and replacing around 20,000 devices, Canon underscores its dedication to minimizing power consumption and reducing carbon footprint, contributing to a more sustainable future. Furthermore, the company is committed to delivering a 50% reduction in lifecycle CO2 emissions per product by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement. Currently, on track to deliver this, Canon has achieved a cumulative 43% reduction since 2008, with a yearly average reduction of 4.1% against a 3% target. "Our partnership with Canon's managed print services has been pivotal in driving efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability in our resort operations. Their dedicated team, managing our day-to-day printing needs, provides exemplary service delivery and support, and are committed to contributing to our business success," said Anthony Lynsdale, Vice President, Information Technology, Atlantis Dubai. Canon's unwavering dedication to innovation is evident through its annual investment of over 8% of global sales in R&D. This commitment propels Canon's B2B solutions to the forefront of technological advancement, equipping businesses with the tools to remain competitive and agile amidst evolving market trends. "Our collaboration with Canon Emirates has been pivotal in delivering tangible benefits for our business. Their expertise and customized solutions have significantly contributed to our success, particularly in reducing our overall print volume and fostering sustainability. From substantial cost savings to streamlined operational efficiency and bolstered accountability, their partnership has been instrumental in every step of the way," said Jaleel Rahiman, Director IT & Prime Digital, Prime Healthcare Group LLC. "Canon's reputation for innovation and cutting-edge technology was a key factor in our decision-making process. Their printers offer a perfect blend of robust functionality and user-friendly interface, empowering our teams to accomplish tasks with ease. Whether it's high-volume printing or precise document management, Canon's solutions have consistently delivered exceptional results, surpassing our expectations," added Ali Awad, Director, Information Technology, Clemenceau Medical Center. "Canon, being one of the top printing service providers regionally and globally, with matured service delivery structure and competitive commercial benefit, has contributed in upgrading the GEMS printing infrastructure and processes. Canon's initiatives and educational programs developing young talents towards sustainable development continue to strengthen our partnership," stated Sahana Hegde, Procurement Category Manager IT, Gems Education. "Through our five-step MPS approach Assess, Design, Implement, Manage, and Improve we've transcended the conventional vendor-client relationship. It's not just about providing solutions but co-creating a roadmap for our customer's success. Together, we've realized up to 35% savings on printing costs, empowering their digital transformation journey," concluded Shadi. About Canon Middle East Canon Middle East, a subsidiary of Canon Europe, is the operational headquarters for Canon in the Middle East based in Dubai, UAE. Founded in 1937, the desire to continuously innovate has kept Canon at the forefront of imaging excellence throughout its 80-year history with its commitments to invest in the right areas and capture growth opportunities. From cameras to commercial printers, and business consultancy to healthcare technologies, Canon enriches lives and businesses through imaging innovation. Canon's corporate philosophy is Kyosei "living and working together for the common good." In EMEA, Canon Europe pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon's products, solutions and services. Canon invests heavily in R&D, delivering the richest and most innovative products and services to satisfy customers' creative needs. From amateur photographers to professional print companies, Canon enables each customer to realise their own passion for image. Further information about Canon Middle East is available at www.canon-me.com. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2267778/4725248/Canon_Logo.jpg SOURCE Canon Middle East NEW YORK, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global fiberglass market for aerospace industry size is estimated to grow by USD 1.01 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.15% during the forecast period. For more insights on the forecast market size and historic data (2018 - 2022) - Download Free sample report in a minutes Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Fiberglass Market for Aerospace Industry 2024-2028 Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered Application (Structural parts, Flooring, Closets, Seating, and Others), Type (Thermoset resins and Thermoplastic resins), and Geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa) Region Covered APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Key companies profiled 3B the fiberglass Co., AGY Holding Corp., ATKINS and PEARCE Inc., China Jushi Co. Ltd., Compagnie de Saint Gobain, Hexcel Corp., Huntsman International LLC, Johns Manville, JPS Composite Materials, Montex Glass Fibre Industries Pvt. Ltd., Nan Ya Plastic Corp., Nitto Boseki Co. Ltd., Park Aerospace Corp., Phelps Industrial Products LLC, Piran Advanced Composites, Porcher Industries, SAERTEX GmbH and Co.KG, Sinoma Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Taiwan Glass Ind. Corp., and Tencom Ltd. Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The fiberglass market in the aerospace industry has witnessed significant growth due to the increasing demand for lightweight, high-strength, and durable materials for aircraft construction. Factors such as fuel burn reduction, efficiency of operations, and maintenance cost savings have driven this trend. Advanced fiberglass technologies, including smooth surfaces, aluminum laminates, wingtip fences, and sharklet blended-winglets, are used to enhance aircraft performance and reduce wind resistance. Additionally, fiberglass is utilized in the production of insulation panels, roofing materials, and transportation components, such as marine vessels and automobiles. The availability of raw materials, including resins and low-cost labor, further supports the growth of the fiberglass market in the aerospace sector. Market Challenges The aerospace industry utilizes fiberglass, a lightweight composite material made of glass fibers and a polymer resin matrix, for aircraft manufacturing due to its corrosion resistance and weight reduction benefits. However, health concerns arise from fiberglass's small size and potential entry into the body. Short-term exposure can cause skin, nose, and throat irritation, while long-term inhalation may lead to asthma, bronchitis, lung infections, and cancer. Symptoms include respiratory and digestive tract irritation. Fiberglass's components, such as silica, silicates, calcium, magnesium, boron oxides, and carbon fiber, are also used in the aerospace sector for enhanced safety and durable surfaces. Research report provides comprehensive data on impact of trend, driver and challenges - Download Free sample report in a minutes Segment Overview Application 1.1 Structural parts 1.2 Flooring 1.3 Closets 1.4 Seating 1.5 Others Type 2.1 Thermoset resins 2.2 Thermoplastic resins Geography 3.1 APAC 3.2 North America 3.3 Europe 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa 1.1 Structural parts- The Fiberglass market in the Aerospace Industry undergoes segmentation by application, with inorganic strategies focusing on the utilization of fiberglass in structural components, such as fuselage, wings, and landing gear. Organic strategies prioritize the use of fiberglass in interior components, including flooring, closets, and insulation. The preference for lightweight materials in the aerospace sector drives the demand for fiberglass, a thermoset polymer reinforced with glass fibers. Eco-friendly materials and recyclable alternatives, like bio-based resins, are gaining traction in the industry. Raw material costs and sustainability are essential economic landscapes, while quality control and corrosion resistance are crucial environmental landscapes. Innovation and technology, including the development of new composite materials like silica, silicate, calcium, magnesium, and boron oxides, and carbon fiber, are key factors in market growth. Fiberglass's use extends beyond aerospace, with applications in wind turbine blades, automotive lightweighting, infrastructure sectors, and energy efficiency. For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) - Download a Sample Report Research Analysis The fiberglass market in the aerospace industry holds significant potential due to the material's lightweight properties and eco-friendly nature. Fiberglass, a composite material made from glass fibers and a polymer matrix, is increasingly being used in aircraft manufacturing for its strength and durability. In the aerospace sector, fiberglass is utilized in various applications, including aircraft panels and structural components. The use of fiberglass in aerospace applications offers several advantages. Its lightweight nature reduces the overall weight of the aircraft, leading to fuel savings and increased efficiency. Additionally, fiberglass's eco-friendliness is a significant factor in the industry's shift towards sustainable materials. Fiberglass's raw material costs are relatively low compared to other materials, making it an attractive alternative for aerospace manufacturers. Furthermore, fiberglass's maintenance costs are lower than traditional materials, and its safety record is excellent. The fiberglass market for aerospace applications extends beyond aircraft manufacturing. It is also used in the wind energy sector, marine industry, and transportation sectors. Overall, the fiberglass market in the aerospace industry is poised for growth due to its numerous benefits and cost-effectiveness. Market Research Overview The fiberglass market holds significant importance in the aerospace industry due to its lightweight and strong properties. Fiberglass materials are extensively used in the production of aircraft components such as wings, fuselages, and control surfaces. The use of fiberglass in aerospace applications offers several advantages, including high strength-to-weight ratio, resistance to corrosion, and excellent insulation properties. Furthermore, fiberglass is also known for its durability and ability to withstand extreme temperatures. In the aerospace sector, fiberglass is utilized in both commercial and military aircraft, contributing to the overall efficiency and performance of these aircraft. The demand for fiberglass in the aerospace industry is expected to grow in the coming years due to the increasing production of new aircraft and the need for lightweight and fuel-efficient components. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Application Structural Parts Flooring Closets Seating Others Type Thermoset Resins Thermoplastic Resins Geography APAC North America Europe 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 Achieving Highest Year-on-Year Global Market Share Growth in Q1 2024 SHANGHAI, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinix, a trendy tech brand crafted for young consumers, reports exceptional growth in Q1 2024. According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Infinix achieved the highest year-on-year global market share growth amongst all major smartphone brands worldwide. Infinix's year-on-year market share growth increased from 1.7% to 3.7% in Q1 2024, and its global smartphone shipments surged by a remarkable 150.6% year-on-year, achieving four consecutive quarters of rapid and sustained growth. Largest YoY Growth in the Global Smartphone Market Share, Q1, 2024 "We are absolutely thrilled with our exceptional performance in the first quarter of 2024," said Tony Zhao, General Manager at Infinix. "Our entire dedicated team has worked tirelessly to bring young, tech-savvy consumers around the world the very best products at attainable price points. The launch of our highly acclaimed Infinix NOTE 40 Series and Infinix GT 20 Pro this year has been instrumental in our success, as we have strategically focused on addressing key consumer pain points, particularly in areas of charging capabilities and gaming performance. This has helped Infinix earn widespread positive acclaim and cement our position as a leading innovator in the global smartphone market." Infinix's exceptional performance has been pronounced in key markets such as Africa and Southeast Asia, and the brand has secured top 5 positions in smartphone market share in over 20 countries around the world and recorded impressive year-over-year growth rates. This remarkable achievement underscores Infinix's unwavering commitment to making advanced technology accessible to a broader global audience. Leading the Market with Q1 2024 Triumphs In 2023, Infinix earned a spot in Kantar and Google's Top 50 Chinese Global Brand Builders Report. Additionally, Fast Company ranked Infinix sixth in the World's Most Innovative Companies of 2024 within the Asia-Pacific sector, making it the only smartphone brand on this prestigious list. Behind Infinix's robust global market share performance lies its alignment with the preferences of young individuals, evidenced by its innovative products and creative marketing. During the first half of 2024, Infinix captured significant attention from young people and gaming enthusiasts worldwide with the launch of the Infinix NOTE 40 Series and the GT 20 Pro. These offerings included the introduction of the All-Round FastCharge 2.0, which aimed to address consumers' demands when it comes to charging capabilities. Some of these remarkable features include 100W Multi-Speed FastCharge, Wireless MagCharge, and the Cheetah X1 chip supporting multi-functioning charging modes. Infinix GT 20 Pro, being the only smartphone in its price segment that offers a dedicated gaming display chip, strives to offer users an immersive gaming experience. Looking Forward Infinix's remarkable achievements in Q1 2024 reflect its commitment to delivering innovative and affordable products, leveraging a multi-faceted marketing approach, and driving technological advancements. The brand's diversified and youth-oriented marketing strategies have contributed to its excellent global performance and reputation. Moving forward, Infinix aims to provide users with superior products and services, setting new benchmarks and striving for even greater success in the coming quarters. About Infinix: Founded in 2013, Infinix is a trendy tech brand crafted for young consumers. With a presence in over 70 countries, Infinix delivers cutting-edge technology, stylish design, and outstanding performance. Our product lineup includes smartphones, TWS earbuds, smartwatches, laptops, and smart TVs. In 2023, Infinix was recognized in Kantar and Google's top 50 Chinese Global Brand Builders Report and ranked sixth in Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies of 2024 in the Asia-Pacific sector. For more information, please visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/. SOURCE Infinix Mobility PITTSBURGH, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there should be an automatic system for dispensing alcoholic beverages at bars, arenas, concert venues and other places," said an inventor, from Johnsburg, Ill. "So I invented the AUTO TENDER BEVERAGE SYSTEM. My design could reduce the need for bartenders and other employees at a given service venue by 60 to 70 percent." The invention provides an automatic dispensing and transaction processing machine for bottled/canned or prepared alcoholic beverages. In doing so, it reduces the need for bartenders or other laborers. As a result, it helps reduce costs for businesses. The invention features an effective and efficient design that is easy to use so it is ideal for public or private venues with alcoholic beverage licenses. Additionally, a prototype model is available upon request. The original design was submitted to the Chicago sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 22-CHK-1027, 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 NEW YORK, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global K-12 online education market size in China is estimated to grow by USD 25.55 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.65% during the forecast period. For more insights on the forecast market size and historic data (2018 - 2022) - Request a sample report! Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled K-12 Online Education Market in China 2024-2028 K-12 Online Education Market Scope in China Report Coverage Details Base year 2023 Historic period 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2024-2028 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 15.65% Market growth 2024-2028 USD 25.55 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 15.55 Regional analysis China Performing market contribution APAC at 100% Key countries China and APAC Key companies profiled China Online Education Group, Adobe Inc., Beijing Huaxia Dadi Distance Learning, ChinaEDU Corp., EIC Education, iTutorGroup Inc., Kaplan Inc., New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc., Platinum Equity Advisors LLC, Primavera Holdings Ltd., Shanghai Ximalaya Technology Co. Ltd., TAL Education Group, Tarena International Inc., VIPKID HK Ltd., Xiaochuanchuhai Education Technology Beijing Co. Ltd., Xueda Education, ZHAN.com, and Ambow Education Holding Ltd. Market Driver In China's K-12 online education market, technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing learner engagement. Advanced tools, including machine learning and digital curriculum materials, are utilized to create customized study plans. Instructors adapt to students' needs, offering synchronous and asynchronous instruction via chat, voice, and video. Students can access multilingual content on smartphones, tablets, and computers. Data is captured and categorized, providing real-time insights into performance parameters. The industry encompasses distance learning, e-mail, discussion forums, social networking, and internet usage, with hardware and telecom companies contributing to digitization efforts. Online certification and test preparation are also integral components of this market. Market Challenges The K-12 online education market in China has seen significant growth, driven by the digitization of education, increased internet usage, and the availability of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. This shift towards online learning offers benefits like self-paced study and access to a wider range of courses and programs. However, challenges persist, including the need for regulatory approval, accreditation, and licensing processes for online education providers. has seen significant growth, driven by the digitization of education, increased internet usage, and the availability of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. This shift towards online learning offers benefits like self-paced study and access to a wider range of courses and programs. However, challenges persist, including the need for regulatory approval, accreditation, and licensing processes for online education providers. Despite these hurdles, the potential for culture exchange, skill assessment, and certification preparation through transnational cooperation is immense. The market caters to learners of all ages, from individuals to enterprises, with a focus on personal growth, employability, and lifelong learning. Research report provides comprehensive data on impact of trend, driver and challenges - Request a sample report! Segment Overview Product 1.1 Online schools 1.2 Language learning courses 1.3 Test preparation services End-user 2.1 Institutional learners 2.2 Individual learners Type 3.1 Assessments 3.2 Subjects Geography 4.1 APAC 1.1 Online schools- The K-12 online education market in China experienced significant growth in 2023, with the segment dominated by culture exchange and convergence through online schools. This trend is driven by the flexibility and convenience offered, enabling professionals and lifelong learners to access education despite geographical limitations. The number of students pursuing online education has surged, with benefits including employability, personal growth, and improved communication skills. Advanced technology, such as high-speed internet, machine learning, and multilingual content, facilitates learning. Mobile devices like cell phones and computers, along with synchronous and asynchronous courses, programs, and certifications, cater to diverse learning styles. Instructors and study materials are accessible via email, discussion forums, and social networking platforms. Security measures ensure distance learning remains safe. Transnational cooperation between educational institutions, employers, and workforce enhances the value of online education. Culture, commerce, arts, test preparation, and higher education are among the various fields offering online certification. Online learning provides a valuable opportunity for language acquisition and development, making it an essential tool for the modern workforce. For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2017-2021) - Download a Sample Report Research Analysis In the rapidly evolving K-12 online education market in China, the Telecom industry plays a pivotal role in facilitating internet usage for academic institutions, individuals, and enterprises. Hardware, such as smartphones and tablets, have become essential tools for self-paced and instructor-led learning. Startups are innovating in this space, providing interactive teaching methods and study materials through online platforms. The workforce in the education sector is being digitized, with instructors delivering lessons via laptops, mobile devices, and cell phones. Security is a paramount concern, with education providers implementing robust measures to ensure the safety of student data. Distance learning through online platforms has become increasingly popular, offering flexibility and convenience for students. Software solutions are enhancing the online learning experience, enabling academic institutions to offer a comprehensive education to their students. Market Research Overview The K-12 online education market in China has experienced significant growth due to the pandemic and the increasing recognition of the benefits of remote learning. With the Chinese government's support, various edtech companies have emerged, offering a wide range of services, from live online classes to pre-recorded lessons, interactive activities, and personalized learning plans. These platforms utilize advanced technologies such as AI, VR, and AR to create engaging and effective learning experiences. The market is also characterized by its massive scale, with millions of students and teachers using these services daily. The Chinese Ministry of Education plays a crucial role in regulating and promoting the development of online education. The market is expected to continue growing, driven by the government's commitment to improving education accessibility and quality. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Product Online Schools Language Learning Courses Test Preparation Services End-user Institutional Learners Individual Learners Type Assessments Subjects Geography APAC 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 HELSINKI, Finland, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Finnish restaurants were awarded two new stars at the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony 2024, held tonight in Helsinki. This brings the total amount of Finnish star restaurants to nine, out of which six are in the capital. Additionally, one restaurant in Helsinki was recognised with a Green Star and two with the Bib Gourmand award. In line with the City of Helsinki's catering policy, the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries served, for the first time in its history, no red meat at the prize ceremony. On Monday night, top chefs from all over the Nordic region gathered in Helsinki to participate in the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony, where this year's prestigious MICHELIN Stars were awarded. The event saw the announcement of not just the renowned MICHELIN Stars, but also the MICHELIN Green Stars, which recognise pioneers in the field of sustainable gastronomy. A range of Special Awards celebrating outstanding industry professionals was also presented. Finnish restaurants were awarded two new stars. In Helsinki, The ROOM by Kozeen Shiwan, which the guide describes as "unique and theatrical", gained its first star only five months after opening. At the restaurant, the chef and owner Kozeen Shiwan tells his life story through a creative menu. Elsewhere in Finland, Tapio in Ruka, which brings high-level dining to the popular ski resort, with an emphasis on natural flavours and exceptional ingredients, also got its first star. Restaurant Nokka was awarded the Green Star, bringing Helsinki's total score to four an important recognition for the sustainable profile of the city's restaurant scene. According to the guide, the team at Nokka is "doing a great job of explaining the origins of the local, seasonal produce." A total of 85 star restaurants are included in The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries 2024. In addition to them, 36 restaurants have the MICHELIN Green Star. Finland now has a total of nine star restaurants, out of which six are located in Helsinki. Restaurant Palace has two stars, while Finnjavel Salonki, Demo, Gron, Olo and The ROOM by Kozeen Shiwan have one each. Two new Helsinki restaurants 305 and plein also received the Bib Gourmand award, highlighting restaurants offering great quality, great value cooking. Restaurant 305 was lauded for its "rustic, unfussy cooking", and according to the guide, "the experienced chef's skill shines through in the cleverly composed dishes that incorporate some international elements ranging from dashi to ravioli." Regarding restaurant plein, the guide was impressed by its generous and homely feel, combined with skilled cooking. A historic ceremony displaying the best of Finnish food and sustainability The event, first of its kind in Helsinki, brought a host of international guests to the Finnish capital, including more than 120 chefs from the Nordic countries as well as more than 60 domestic and international journalists and influencers. The ceremony took place in the historic Savoy Theatre, followed by a cocktail dinner highlighting Finnish and Nordic food at Helsinki City Hall. For the host city, the ceremony and dinner are a fantastic occasion to present the local gastronomy and food culture to a wider, influential audience. The guests were treated to a 12-course menu displaying the best of Finnish food and produce, largely sourced in the Helsinki region. In line with the City of Helsinki's catering policy, no meat was served - a first in the MICHELIN Guide ceremonies' history. The menu included, among other dishes, pan fried scallops and pea salad with brown butter and wild herbs freshly picked from Helsinki's Ullanlinna district, pike perch from Vuosaari with black kale, Rossini caviar beurre de blanc and puikula potato puree, as well as choux filled with oxalis lime curd, poached rhubarb and sour creme parfait. Guests were also able to see local Helsinkian chefs in action thanks to an open show kitchen built especially for the event at the City Hall. The MICHELIN Guide normally asks chefs from different countries in the region to participate, but this year, the show kitchen team was entirely composed of chefs from the Helsinki area. Eero Vottonen, head chef at renowned Helsinki establishment Palace Restaurant, was one of them. "For us, it is a great pleasure and honour to be part of this year's Nordic Michelin event and show everyone the best of our unique and beautiful city. It is a huge opportunity for Helsinki and our fantastic restaurants and industry people", Vottonen said. The ceremony was organized by the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries and hosted by the city in cooperation and Visit Finland as well as the Finnish food and drink industry firms of Fazer, The Helsinki Distilling Company, Kespro and Valio Aimo. For more information, please contact: Sara Jantti Senior Manager, PR & Communications, Helsinki Partners +358 40 709 2913 [email protected] The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony is being arranged jointly by the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries, the City of Helsinki and Visit Finland. The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries is a branch of the multinational tyre manufacturing company Michelin. Visit Finland, part of Business Finland, is a national-level industry expert that works to promote tourism to Finland from abroad. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/helsinki-partners/r/michelin-stars-unveiled-in-helsinki---one-new-star-and-one-green-star-for-the-finnish-capital--bring,c3989103 The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/helsinki-partners/i/michelin-guide,c3304331 MICHELIN Guide SINGAPORE, May 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium, the global leader in real-time cross-border payments, announced today that HappyEasyGo, a leading online travel agency, has selected it for virtual card payments. Launched in 2017, HappyEasyGo has emerged as one of the fastest-growing flight and hotel booking platforms in Asia, with thousands of leisure and business travellers planning journeys on the platform each day. Virtual cards, issued by Nium, will be the digital standard for payments to HappyEasyGo's travel suppliers. Boris Zha, CEO of HappyEasyGo, said, "Nium's payment solutions have been transformative for our operations. Their ability to issue virtual cards quickly and in multiple currencies has streamlined our payment processes, reduced costs, and enabled us to offer better service to our customers. We look forward to continuing our work with Nium as we expand our business to more parts of the globe." Nium's comprehensive suite of payment solutions is tailored to address the unique challenges faced by online travel agencies (OTAs) and travel intermediaries, ensuring faster, more secure transactions that enhance profitability and streamline operations. This year, Nium reported a 110% increase in revenue from its travel business in the APAC region, highlighting the growing demand for reliable and efficient payment solutions in the dynamic travel industry. In 2023, APAC had reached 65% of pre-pandemic travel levels, making it one of the world's fastest-growing travel markets. "Our growth in the APAC region is a testament to our commitment to providing innovative payment solutions that address the specific needs of the travel sector," said Spencer Hanlon, Global Head of Travel Payments at Nium. "Our partnership with HappyEasyGo shows how our advanced payment solutions can drive success for online travel agencies by improving operational efficiency and profitability." One of Nium's key offerings is the ability to fund and issue virtual cards in over 20 local currencies, significantly lowering foreign exchange conversion costs and improving acceptance worldwide. This capability provides a critical advantage for travel businesses operating in multiple markets, including HappyEasyGo. Nium's travel payment solutions also include the ability to settle invoices within two days instead of the industry standard 30 days, and customize payment account parameters, giving businesses end-to-end control over cash flow and enhancing revenue generation while reducing margin erosion. With a robust portfolio of Mastercard and Visa certified virtual cards, Nium's OTA and travel intermediary customers can provide more flexibility and choice for their hotel and airline partners, strengthening supplier relationships and in turn driving better experiences for travellers around the world. About HappyEasyGo HappyEasyGo embarked on its journey in the Indian travel industry in 2017, bringing affordable flight booking solutions for Indian business and leisure travellers. After witnessing rapid growth in the flight booking space, the company forayed into the hotel booking genre to add to the convenience of its customers and help them save more while travelling. HappyEasyGo has become India's leading online travel aggregator in an extremely short span. Through its various platforms, HappyEasyGo offers domestic and international flight tickets along with thousands of hotels across India. The strength of HappyEasyGo lies in providing the best flight and hotel booking deals along with a hassle-free experience to its customers. Surpassing all expectations, the company has built a vast customer base of business and leisure travellers who frequently avail its services. HEG's seamless platforms help customers search, compare, choose and book from a wide range of flight ticket and accommodation solutions. The HappyEasyGo mobile applications for Android and iOS devices have been downloaded more than a million times and are highly rated on both Google Play and AppStore. About Nium Nium, the global leader in real-time, cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global on-demand economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 220+ markets, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licences and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1678669/4725978/Nium_Logo.jpg SOURCE Nium BALI, Indonesia, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn: An English-language publication highlighting President Xi Jinping's insights into water governance has been well received by international experts, who noted its potential in offering solutions to countries grappling with a water crisis exacerbated by climate change. Photo taken on Sept 2, 2023 shows the Datengxia water resources management facility in Southwest China. [Photo/Xinhua] The experts shared their observations during the eight-day 10th World Water Forum, which concluded on Saturday in Bali, Indonesia. The event featured the launch on Tuesday of the book Water Governance in China: Perspectives of Xi Jinping. One of the key parts of the book is an innovative philosophy on water governance that Xi proposed in 2014. It focuses on "prioritizing water conservation, balancing spatial distribution, adopting systematic approaches and leveraging the roles of both government and market". The president stressed that water governance includes multiple aspects, such as development and utilization, regulation and allocation, and conservation and protection. The key focus at present, in terms of mindset, awareness and action, is water conservation, and "we must prioritize water conservation to orchestrate a coordinated approach to water governance throughout the entire cycle", according to the book. Li Guoying, minister of water resources, says in the book's foreword that Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, proposed the philosophy from the strategic perspective of achieving sustainable development for the Chinese nation. The president has also provided insights into a series of significant theoretical and practical issues, including why water issues should be addressed in the new era, and what should be done and how to do it, forming a body of new concepts, ideas and strategies for water governance, Li said. "Guided by his water governance principles, China has achieved historic successes and undergone transformative changes and improvements in water governance," the minister said, highlighting the country's capacity "to prevent floods and droughts, save, optimally allocate, and make efficient use of water resources, and protect and manage river and lake ecosystems". With only 6 percent of the world's freshwater resources, China has managed to ensure food and water security for nearly 20 percent of the global population, and has contributed more than 18 percent of the world's economic output, Li noted. Highlighting the book as the first systematic introduction to China's water governance principles and technologies, Li Lifeng, director of the Land and Water Division at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, said he believes it will contribute to the future water management practices of countries around the world. With a series of methods and concepts ranging from water conservation and storage to flood management, China has an array of practices that can be shared with other nations, he said. Philippe Gourbesville, president of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research, said the book "is presenting a strategy for China for addressing the main issues that are coming in the next decades, especially achieving water security". Nebiyou Kassahun, from the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, who is a doctoral student majoring in hydrology and water resources, said, "The book gives a detailed description of philosophical aspects of water conservancy all over China, and I think that it is a good idea to share this with the rest of the world." "I also appreciate the fact that General Secretary Xi Jinping is able to emphasize these things, because it is actually a really current global issue, a global problem right now," he added. Pedro Liberato, former director-general of the department of international relations of Portugal's Ministry of Environment and Climate Action, lauded China's timely mindset on water governance. China's experiences in water resources management hold significant global relevance, particularly as the nation is adapting its water governance strategies to address evolving challenges posed by climate change, he said. "China has the experience that is very important to have at this moment," Liberato said, adding that the nation recognizes "that some of the good solutions 10 years ago are not the best ones anymore because of the extreme events". SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn GUANGZHOU, China, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- News report from GDToday Organized by Guangdong, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Europe (France) Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference was held in Paris on May 24 (local time). More than 400 representatives from French industrial and commercial circles attended the conference. "This is a very important event, which put in contact with different companies, even new companies," said Gilles-Henry Garault, Vice-President and President of the International Commission, Encouragement Society for Industry in France. He indicated that the GBA can be one of the first economic centers in the world. At present, about 1/3 of the French companies in China have chosen to settle in Guangdong, including EDF Energy, Danone and Sanofi. In Garault's opinion, the GBA is the first choice for foreign companies to enter China. According to the data published by Guangdong Sub-Administration of General Administration of Customs of China, in Q1 this year, trade volume between France and the province of Guangdong reached 24.86 billion RMB, increasing 11.1% year-on-year. "I have been to the GBA many times since I became the CEO of Airbus China in 2003." said Norbert Ducrot, President of Wavelandes, "I discovered that the GBA is a fantastic region with a huge population and market. This year is very important because it's the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and France." In the beginning of May, both China and France made a joint declaration on enhancing global governance cooperation on artificial intelligence. According to a ranking published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou science and technology cluster has been listed the second for the past 4 years. Ducrot indicated that the GBA is the best place for both France and China to launch projects in the fields of software and hardware, electronics domains, and artificial intelligence, as this region has developed tech businesses and abundant resources of talents. "The conference reflects the remarkable achievement of economic development in China," said Roger Sebbagh, Special Adviser of French President. He indicated that he would like to play a role in bridging France and China in the future. In his opinion, cooperation between France and China is a win-win cooperation and he believes that the collaboration will bring positive influence to other countries and promote their development. According to preliminary statistics, 36 bilateral investment and trade cooperation projects between France (and Europe) and Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are reached with a total value of 3.22 billion US dollars in this conference. Among them, France (and Europe) will invest 1.59 billion US dollars in the GBA, while the GBA will invest 1.47 billion US dollars in France (and Europe). SOURCE GDToday If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Gaza, May 27 : At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian media reported. Israeli forces fired about eight rockets toward the tents in a newly established camp crowded with thousands of displaced people near the warehouses of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. Local sources told Xinhua news agency that it was a "severe and unprecedented" Israeli airstrike on the densely populated area of displaced families, igniting tents made of plastic and tin, as well as civilian vehicles. Video clips circulated on Facebook showed flames rising intensively in the area and fires engulfing tents still inhabited by many, including children and women. The sources mentioned that the Civil Defense and ambulance crews face significant obstacles in retrieving the bodies due to the difficult terrain. Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that crowded with Gazans, the area had been classified by the Israeli military as a "safe area" before the strike. In a statement released Sunday night, Hamas slammed the bombing as "complete defiance and disregard for the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that demanded it to stop its aggression against Rafah". The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that "an IDF aircraft struck a Hamas compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating". "The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, using precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area," it added. The Israeli airstrike came hours after Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, launched a large rocket barrage from Rafah towards the coastal city of Tel Aviv in central Israel for the first time in months. On May 7, the Israeli army announced that it had taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, situated south of the Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt and in the eastern area of Rafah, which resulted in a halt in aid entering Gaza. Israel considers Rafah a last stronghold for Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Vilnius, May 27 : Incumbent President Gitanas Nauseda has won Lithuania's presidential election, beating his rival Ingrida Simonyte in the run-off on Sunday, data from the country's Central Electoral Commission (VRK) show. The latest data announced by VRK show that in the total of 1,895 stations, Nauseda gathered 74.43 per cent of voters' support, while Simonyte ranked second with 24.06 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported. Nauseda has declared his victory as he secured his second five-year term. "They (Lithuanian people) have given me a great mandate of trust and I am well aware that I will have to cherish this credit of trust," he told Baltic News Service (BNS) in Vilnius. Simonyte, the incumbent Prime Minister, has conceded her defeat and congratulated Nauseda on his victory, BNS reported. Sunday's run-off poll was held after neither candidate secured more than half of the votes in the first round on May 12. Paris, May 27 : Stan Wawrinka won a highly anticipated showdown against Andy Murray to reach the second round at Roland Garros. The 2015 champion recorded a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory in what could be Brit's final Paris singles match. Murray was competing at Roland-Garros for just the second time in the last seven years, while Wawrinka overcame not just the challenge posed by the Briton to advance to the second round. A break of serve in the first game, and a subsequent hold, gave Wawrinka enough of a cushion to take the first set (though he expertly navigated a 15-40 deficit to hold in the fourth game). More of the same followed in the second set, as the three-time major-winner broke at 1-1, and looked more than solid in his service games, Roland Garros reports. With Wawrinka ahead 6-4, 5-3, the tenor of the match changed, as eagle eyes wouldave noticed him stretching his right leg at the back of the court. Two games later, he dug in, thougha"and held from 0-30 to secure a two-sets-to-love lead. But as set three began, after Wawrinka left the court for a medical timeout, it was Murrayas turn to struggle physically with his lower body. His first-serve speed slowed, and he more than once pulled up with a grimace at the close of the pair's baseline rallies. All that added up to a quick start for Wawrinka in the decider, as the 39-year-old earned two quick service breaks and surged into the second round. "As years go by, you have to be disciplined, you have to make sacrifices, but the reason why we do that is to be here in front of the public, with the great support that we get, because itas creating a lot of emotions for everyone. "I get a lot of emotions out of this as well, and it also gives me the courage to continue. Iam the oldest in the draw, but Iam still very young in my head. I just want to carry on playing: Itas as simple as that," said the 39-year-old Swiss after the win. Wawrinka will next play Murray's fellow Brit, No. 32 seed Cameron Norrie, or Pavel Kotov. -IANS bc/ Brussels, May 27 : Foreign ministers of the 27 European Union (EU) member states are meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the forthcoming election in Venezuela and Georgia's new "foreign agents law." Ministers will discuss the European Union's support for Ukraine's efforts to defend itself against the Russian invasion, including the use of profits from Russian assets frozen in the EU to buy military aid. Last Tuesday, EU finance ministers gave final approval to use the proceeds of the assets - but not the underlying assets themselves - for "Ukraine's military self-defence and reconstruction," said the X account of the Belgian government, which is chairing talks. The foreign ministers will also discuss sanctions on Russia, an EU diplomat said. The EU has so far imposed 13 rounds of sanctions on Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected to brief them on the progress of the war by videolink at the start of the meeting. Another topic for discussion is the tense situation in the Middle East and the war in Gaza. EU foreign ministers will hold informal talks with their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, along with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. Ministers are expected to discuss whether or not to send EU election observers to monitor the forthcoming presidential election in Venezuela, due to be held on July 28. Also on the agenda is Georgia's recent adoption of a law requiring foreign-funded organisations to register as "foreign agents." --IANS/DPA sd/kvd For Juhi Parmar, saris are comfort outfits that can be draped within few minutes. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, May 27 : Actress Juhi Parmar, who became a household name with her portrayal as Kumkum from 'Kumkum - Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan', shared that saris are her comfort outfit and can be draped within a few moments. Juhi said: 'Saris are my comfort outfit! I can easily change a sari and drape it within a few minutes because of all the practice that happened during my 'Kumkum' days. I still love wearing saris, and bringing them back onto my social media with iconic songs was a lot of fun." The 43-year-old actress said that Yash Raj Chopra's quintessential actresses in a saree are "picture perfect". "For me, the songs, the attire, all of it is very relatable because they are popular Bollywood melodious tracks, and then to add the Indian garb to it is just special. If you ask me, I have loved watching the Yash Raj quintessential heroine in Switzerland in a sari because everything is so picture perfect," she said. Juhi, after becoming a sensation as Kumkum, featured in several shows such as 'Karmaphal Daata Shani', 'Sanjivani', 'Yeh Chanda Kanoon Hai', and 'Tantra', among many others. In 2012, she lifted the winner's trophy in the controversial reality show 'Bigg Boss 5' hosted by Salman Khan. Juhi married actor Sachin Shroff in 2009. They got divorced in 2018. The two have a daughter named Samaira, who was born in 2013. Mumbai, May 27 : Sayli Salunkhe, who portrays the character of Vedika in the new show 'Pukaar - Dil Se Dil Tak', which is set in Rajasthan, shared that she is excited to learn about the local culture, adding that she has never played a Rajasthani character before. Sayli, plays Vedika, a lawyer who is in search of a job. Talking about the same, Sayli, who is known for her work in 'Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si', said: "I've never played a Rajasthani character before. I've portrayed Pahadi, Maharashtrian, Punjabi, and South Indian roles. This role is different for me." "I've been lucky in my career to always get different characters in each show, never repeating the same type. Some people worry about the language, but I feel that today, kids grow up speaking multiple languages," she shared. Sayli said: "At home, one might speak their mother tongue, you speak fluent Hindi or English. So, there's no pressure with the language for this character, especially since she is a lawyer and well-educated." Speaking more about her character, Sayli said: "The male lead in the show offers her a job at his firm, but he has an agenda behind it. My character, Vedika, accepts the job, and as often happens in daily soaps and even in real life, where there is hate, there is also love." "Initially, Vedika and the male lead disliked each other due to some misunderstandings, which I won't reveal now because itas a fun story that will be exciting when it unfolds. The plot revolves around what brings them together and what forces them to work together," she said. The show also stars Karan V Mehra as Gautam. It is produced by Prateek Sharma and Parth Shah, under their banner, LSD Studios. The show will go on-air from May 27 on Sony. Thiruvananthapuram, May 27 : The family of N Rajesh who is demanding compensation from Air India Express, called on Leader of Opposition (LoP), VD Satheesan, on Monday and sought his help. Satheesan assured them of his support and sent back Rajeshas wife Amritha and her two young kids after a meeting. Amritha reached Thiruvananthapuram airport on May 8 to catch a flight and reach Muscat to be with her ailing husband N Rajesh, who was in hospital after suffering a heart attack. However, she failed to reach Muscat and meet her husband on May 8 after Air India Express cabin crew went on strike. Despite several attempts to reach Muscat, she failed to get on another flight and a few days later, N Rajesh passed away. On May 16 when the remains of N Rajesh arrived here, his family members protested by placing his body before the Air-India SATS office. It was only after assurances from Air India Express that they called off the protest. Later, the family called on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and they are now seeking a meeting with Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. Last week Air India Express sent Amritha a mail saying they need a bit more time. N Rajesh was the sole breadwinner of the family which consists of Amritha who is studying nursing and her two young children. They live in a rented home in the state capital city and Amritha's family has decided to take legal steps against the airline. 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 and on May 13, he passed away all alone in a foreign land as his wife could not reach him due to the strike by the airline staff. New Delhi: Media persons at the Supreme Court complex on the day of the court's verdict. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, May 27 : The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the plea filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against a Calcutta High Court order restraining it from publication of "offending" advertisements against the Trinamool Congress (TMC). New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the plea filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against a Calcutta High Court order restraining it from publication of "offending" advertisements against the Trinamool Congress (TMC). During the hearing, a bench presided over by Justice J.K. Maheshwari remarked that the advertisements were prima facie "disparaging" and the apex court could not lend its hand for further acrimony. Senior advocate P.S. Patwalia, appearing for BJP, contended that the advertisements were based on facts and the high court could not have passed such an ex-parte injunction order. However, sensing the disclination of the top court to entertain the plea, Patwalia sought permission to withdraw the petition. The Bench, also comprising Justice K.V. Viswanathan, dismissed the plea as withdrawn and clarified that it would be open for the appellant to contest the proceedings pending before the Calcutta High Court. In an order passed last week, the Calcutta High Court passed an ex-parte injunction prohibiting the publication of advertisements which squarely violate the political rights of Trinamool and its functionaries. A bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya of the high court said that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) prohibits all participants in the election process from criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion. It said that the Election Commission of India "grossly failed" to address, in due time, the complaints raised by the ruling Trinamool Congress. "Accordingly, respondent no. 2 (BJP) is hereby restrained from further continuing with the publication of the offending advertisements till June 04, 2024, or until further order, whichever is earlier. The respondent no. 2 is further restrained from publishing advertisements in any form of media which is violative of the MCC issued by the ECI during the aforesaid period," the HC order said. In its special leave petition filed before the Supreme Court, the BJP contended that the high court "erred" by granting an interim injunction based on the purported violation of MCC without taking into consideration that the issue was pending before the ECI, which has the authority to take appropriate action against any political party. Paris, May 27 : France is lifting a state of emergency in its overseas territory of New Caledonia after 12 days, the office of President Emmanuel Macron said here on Monday. The measure, introduced on May 15 amid unrest in the South Pacific overseas territory, will not be extended and will end on Tuesday at 5 a.m. local time, French media quoted the Elysee Palace as saying. French media reported that the French government was hoping the move would help dialogue. However, it went on to say that the prerequisite for concrete negotiations was for roadblocks set up by the protesters to go. Paris also announced the deployment of 480 additional police officers, bringing the number of French security forces in New Caledonia to around 3,500. Although the situation has largely calmed down, the airport in the capital, Noumea, which has been closed since May 14, is to remain closed to all commercial flights until at least June 2. Macron flew to the island state in the South Pacific last week for a short visit to discuss solutions with the political forces and defuse the crisis. The pro-independence protests, in which seven people died and hundreds were detained, were triggered by a constitutional amendment planned by Paris. This would grant thousands of French-born inhabitants of the archipelago the right to vote in provincial elections and give them more political influence. The indigenous Kanak ethnic group, in particular, has long hoped for its state and now fears that it will be at a disadvantage. In three referendums in 2018, 2020, and 2021, the inhabitants of the former French colony voted in favour of remaining part of France. However, since the last vote, boycotted by the separatists, talks on a new status have stalled. New Caledonia has historically been important to France in military and geopolitical terms, as well as due to its large nickel deposits. --IANS/DPA sd/khz Jerusalem, May 27 : Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday that an Israeli aircraft killed Yassin Rabia, the Hamas Chief of Staff in the West Bank, last week in the southern Gazan city of Rafah. The strike was carried out in the area of Tal as Sultan in northwest Rafah, based on precise intelligence, said an IDF statement, noting that Rabia "managed the entirety" of Hamas' activity in the West Bank, transferred funds to targets and planned Hamas attacks throughout the West Bank, Xinhua news agency reported. Rabia had carried out "numerous murderous attacks," including those in 2001 and 2002, in which Israeli soldiers were killed, it said. According to the statement, Khaled Nagar, a senior official in Hamas' West Bank Headquarters, was also killed by Israeli airstrike. He allegedly directed attacks in the West Bank and transferred funds intended for Hamas' activities in the Gaza Strip. "The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review," it added. Srinagar, May 27 : A policeman was assaulted on Monday in J&K's Shopian district while he was executing a court order. Officials said that a police team went to the house of one Manzoor Ahmad Khanday in the Khurmpora village in the district to execute a court warrant. However, they were attacked by miscreants resulting in injuries to one policeman. "The injured policeman was shifted to the district hospital in Shopian, where he was referred to SKIMS Soura in Srinagar for specialised treatment," said officials. The injured policeman has been identified as Aijaz Ahmad. "We have registered a case in this regard and assailants are being identified," the officials said. More details are awaited. Seoul, May 27 : Business leaders of South Korea, Japan and China have agreed to form a trilateral economic consultative body to promote economic cooperation and resolve pending issues, the country's main business lobby said on Monday. Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI); Masakazu Tokura, Chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren); and Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), announced a statement on the trilateral partnership in Seoul as quoted by Yonhap news agency report. The eighth trilateral business summit, which took place for the first time in four-and-a-half years in Seoul, comes on the sidelines of the ninth trilateral summit of leaders from the three nations. The KCCI, Keidanren, and the CCPIT said in the statement that they had reached a consensus on the need to set up a private-sector, working-level consultative body to jointly respond to pending trade issues amid growing business uncertainties. "Geopolitical risks and changes in international trade environments are still adding uncertainties to the three economies. On top of that, climate change, low birth rates, and aging societies have emerged as common issues for them to tackle," Chey said in an opening speech. Chey, who leads South Korea's chips-to-battery conglomerate SK Group, initially proposed the trilateral consultative platform in the private sector. The three business lobby groups have also agreed to cooperate in digitalisation, trade, and supply chains for the growth of the three countries while vowing to make joint efforts on the issues of carbon emissions and aging societies for sustainable growth, the statement said. "The three countries are inseparable neighbours and companions as they have long been the biggest trading partners. We hope business leaders will play a pivotal role in strengthening the trilateral economic partnership and benefit from the partnership," CCPIT Chairman Ren Hongbin said. The ninth trilateral business summit is scheduled to be held in Japan. Bengaluru, May 27 : Popular Telugu actress Hema has sought time to appear before the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in connection with the rave party which was raided on the outskirts of Bengaluru recently. Police sources stated on Monday that Hema has sought seven daysa time from the CCB Anti-Narcotics Wing citing health reasons. Police had issued notices to eight people, including the actress who tested positive for consumption of drugs in the rave party. The rest are likely to appear for questioning on Monday before the officers. Police said that they will serve a second notice to the actress. Recently, the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the CCB raided the rave party at GM Farmhouse near the Electronics City in Bengaluru and seized narcotic substances from the spot. Police sources claimed that pressure is being applied by influential people in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to protect the Telugu actress. The probe has revealed that the arrested persons are highly-connected and further investigation can expose a possible drug racket, the sources said. Of the 98 blood samples collected from people at the rave party, the presence of drugs was confirmed in 86 of them. Police sources confirmed that more than 50 men and close to 30 women tested positive for drugs consumption. The Anti-Narcotics Wing is preparing to call them for questioning in a phased manner. The police raided the rave party titled aSunset to Sunrise Victory' on May 20, which was attended by around 100 people, including techies, Telugu actors, and others. MDMA, cocaine, ganja, charas, and other narcotic substances were allegedly used by those who attended the party. The police are also investigating the possibility of a sex racket operating alongside the supply of drugs. Five persons were arrested in the case before it was transferred from the Electronics City Police Station to the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the city CCB. Also, three police personnel have been suspended for negligence in connection with the case. New Delhi, May 27 : The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Ayush, is set to host Pharma Research in AyurGyan And Techno Innovation (PRAGATI-2024) at the India Habitat Centre in the national capital on Tuesday. PRAGATI-2024, an interactive meeting, aims to focus on exploring research opportunities and fostering collaboration between CCRAS and the Ayurveda drug industry. The meeting aims to maximise the potential of Ayurveda stakeholders in drug and device development by connecting researchers and industrial partners involved in manufacturing Ayurveda formulations and technological innovations. PRAGATI-2024 will help "identify potential industrial partners willing to collaborate with CCRAS, exchange scientific knowledge, and utilise research outcomes and products in ayurvedic drug development. This initiative will enhance networking and institutional linkages, ultimately benefiting ayurvedic clinicians and patients," the Ministry said. "A dossier detailing all 35 formulations and three instruments developed or in progress by CCRAS, including Ayush 64, Ayush SG, Ayush Gutti, and others, will be presented to the participating industries for discussion and review," it added. The event will be inaugurated by the Secretary Ministry of Ayush Vd. Rajesh Kotecha, and will witness participation from representatives of 35 pharmaceutical companies nationwide, including some CEOs, from renowned firms such as Himalaya, Emami, Baidyanath, Dabur, IMPCL, Arya Vaidya Sala, Oushadhi, and IMPCOPS. Istanbul, May 27 : Widespread protests erupted overnight in Istanbul following Israel's attack on a Palestinian camp in the Gaza Strip, local media reported on Monday. Many protesters gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate General in the Levent neighbourhood on the European side to denounce the attack, the state-run TRT broadcaster said. Protesters urged the international community to intervene and stop the Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians, Xinhua news agency reported. Demonstrations also occurred in the Sariyer district, home to the US Consulate General. A banner bearing the message "Free Palestine" was unfurled, and the group chanted, "Down with Israel, collaborator US." Another group gathered in Sarachane Park in the Fatih district, where they prayed for the civilians who lost their lives. At least 40 people were killed on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents of Palestinians in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip. Chennai, May 27 : Tamil Nadu school education department has directed the heads of schools to ensure that schools are clean and safe before reopening on June 6. Schools have also been directed to make sure that classrooms and toilets are neat and clean. Furniture in classes and teaching equipment should be in good condition, the circular stated. The department in a circular on Monday directed teachers to take necessary steps to ensure that all children living near each school are enrolled. The circular also called upon teachers and school heads to make sure that all students who have passed Class 10 continue their further education. Schools were directed to conduct two hours of compulsory physical education classes every week and asked the Physical Education Teachers (PT) to arrive at least 30 minutes before the school work commences to check attendance, maintain discipline and ensure that students are in clean and neat uniforms that are properly ironed. The school education department informed the schools to remove obsolete laboratory equipment after properly registering them. The Managements of schools have also been asked to remove the debris accumulated on the surface of the school building and to maintain the rainwater drainage system. The circular also directed to ensure that the drinking water tanks and overhead storage tanks are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected so that clean and safe drinking water is made available to students. The school education department also directed schools to ensure that there are no dilapidated buildings or walls in school premises and to report to the department if there are any such conditions. The schools were closed on March 23 for summer vacation and are set to reopen on June 6. Seoul, May 27 : Leaders of South Korea, Japan, and China reaffirmed their commitment to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula during their summit in Seoul on Monday, hours after North Korea announced a satellite launch plan. President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang reached the agreement after North Korea notified Japan of its plan to launch a space rocket carrying a military spy satellite sometime before June 4, Yonhap news agency reported. "We reaffirmed that maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia serves our common interest and is our common responsibility," a joint declaration of the trilateral summit said. "We reiterated positions on regional peace and stability, denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and the abduction issue, respectively. We agree to continue to make positive efforts for the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue," it added. During a joint press conference, Yoon and Kishida emphasised the importance of denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula. However, Li did not address denuclearisation directly, instead urging relevant parties to exercise restraint to prevent further escalation. This contrasts with the 2019 trilateral summit, where China also expressed support for efforts toward denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. During the session, Yoon and Kishida denounced North Korea's satellite launch plan as a violation of the UN Security Council resolutions that ban its use of ballistic missile technology. Pyongyang said it will send three more satellites into space this year, following its first launch in November. "The international community must respond firmly," Yoon said during a joint press briefing at the former President Cheong Wa Dae. Kishida echoed his concerns, urging Pyongyang to cease its activities. "If it proceeds, it will be a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. We strongly urge North Korea to cease this activity," Kishida said. China's Li called on all related countries to exercise restraint without a direct mention of North Korea. "China has consistently worked to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and is pushing for a political resolution to the peninsula issue. Relevant parties should exercise restraint and prevent the situation from worsening and becoming more complicated," Li said during the briefing. Li, China's No. 2 official, also called for joint efforts to foster cooperation through "mutual respect and trust". "Korea, Japan, and China should properly handle sensitive issues and conflicts, consider each other's core interests and significant concerns, and practice genuine multilateralism to jointly safeguard stability in the Northeast Asian region," Li said. The trilateral session discussed ways to promote cooperation in six specific areas -- economy and trade, sustainable development, health issues, science and technology, disaster and safety management, and people-to-people exchanges. The leaders also agreed to institutionalise the trilateral cooperation by holding the trilateral summit and ministerial meetings regularly. Monday's session was the first three-way meeting since December 2019 after it was suspended for a prolonged period due to Covid-19 and historical disputes among the Asian neighbours. After the meeting, they attended a trilateral business summit at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, engaging with business leaders of the three nations. During the summit, the leaders pledged to work together to promote cooperation in trade and investment, as well as supply chain resilience and export controls. "We will continue to work to ensure a global level playing field to foster a free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, inclusive, and predictable trade and investment environment," the joint declaration said. They agreed to resume talks on a three-way free trade agreement (FTA), which was suspended in November 2019 following 16 rounds of official negotiations after they began in 2012. The leaders committed to ensure the "transparent, smooth and effective" implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. It is an FTA among 15 Asia-Pacific countries, involving the three nations. China is the largest trading partner of South Korea and Japan, and together, they make up about 25 per cent of the global gross domestic product and 20 per cent of global trade. Despite differing alignments and stances on various issues, the three nations agreed to coordinate on regional and international matters from a broader perspective. "As important countries responsible for peace, stability, and prosperity in Asia, we renew our determination to engage in close communication not only within the trilateral framework but also in the multilateral frameworks," it said. This year marks a rare instance of all three Northeast Asian neighbours serving together on the UN Security Council, with China as a permanent member and South Korea and Japan as non-permanent members. Berlin, May 27 : French President Emmanuel Macron commemorated victims of the Holocaust in Berlin on Monday during the second day of his official state visit to Germany. Macron, along with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located near the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building in the heart of Berlin's government district. Both Presidents laid wreaths with flowers in the colours of their national flags. They were accompanied by their wives, Brigitte Macron and Elke Budenbender. The couples walked into the Memorial, which consists of rows of large concrete blocks, and then visited the museum. Around six million Jews were systematically killed by Germany's Nazi regime throughout Europe during the Holocaust. Later on Tuesday, the Macrons are expected to arrive at Moritzburg Castle near the city of Dresden in the eastern German state of Saxony, accompanied by Steinmeier and Budenbender. The highlight in Dresden is expected to be Macron's speech on European policy in front of the city's well-known Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). It is thought that the speech will be directed toward young people in Europe, and thousands of people from Saxony, as well as Poland, the Czech Republic, and France, are expected to attend. A visit to the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems in Dresden is also planned for Monday, where an expert discussion on artificial intelligence and the European microchip industry is planned. On Tuesday, Macron is expected to conclude his state visit in the western German university city, Munster, where he will be awarded the International Peace of Westphalia Prize. This will immediately be followed late on Tuesday afternoon by France-German government consultations at the Meseberg Palace, a guest house belonging to the German government located north of Berlin. --IANS/DPA sd/khz New Delhi, May 27 : Cybercriminals launched an average of nearly 9,000 online attacks targeting Indian businesses per day in 2023, a new report revealed on Monday. According to the cybersecurity company Kaspersky, more than three million web threats have been detected and blocked for businesses in India from January to December, a 47 per cent jump compared to the numbers detected in 2022. "With the local government ramping up efforts to bolster the local digital economy and infrastructure, Indian businesses should prioritise strengthening their cyber defences against lurking online threats," said Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for India at Kaspersky. "Failing to do so risks undermining their ability to fully harness the benefits of digitalisation. Now is the time to take proactive measures and safeguard against potential cyber threats," he added. Web-based threats or online threats are a category of cybersecurity risks that may cause an unwanted event or action via the internet. Web threats are made possible by end-user vulnerabilities, web service developers/operators, or web services themselves, the report added. "In 2024, it's imperative for businesses to elevate their cybersecurity efforts to new heights. Gone are the days when basic firewall and endpoint solutions sufficed," Singh said. He also mentioned that with organisations handling huge amounts of data and the potential for significant reputational and financial damages from cyberattacks, "now is the time for an adaptive and intelligence-led approach to security solutions and services". Pune : , May 27 (IANS) Amid the ongoing probe into the Pune Porsche crash, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Monday alleged that bribes had changed hands between the officialdom and the bars and pubs in the city. Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar and Shiv Sena(UBT) Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare took a protest march to the State Excise Department Superintendent Charansing B. Rajput's office to register a complaint and highlight the corrupt practices prevalent there. The protest procession showed the two leaders and a social crusader Mohan Joshi, displaying wads of currency notes, a box (khokha, slang for crore rupees) with a minister's photo and a sack with '50 khokha' scrawled on it, against the backdrop of the Porsche car crash that killed two 24-year-old techies on May 19. The trio of Dhangekar-Andhare-Joshi accused the state excise officials of collecting huge bribes, over Rs 70-80 lakh per month, as 'hafta' (bribe instalment) from various big and small bars and pubs in and around Pune to operate unhindered and to ignore any illegalities perpetrated by them. When Rajput vehemently denied the allegations, Andhare and Dhangekar produced a purported 'black list' of many of the bars-pubs, names of certain officials, plus the alleged amounts of bribes doled out by the bars-pubs to the concerned officers to wink at the shady goings-on. "Don't deny this Here is the list of the officers and the establishments which pay regular 'haftas' to your department Runs into Rs 70-80 lakhs per month and into crores of rupees annually. You think you are very smart by destroying Pune. Don't you feel ashamed?" said Dhangekar. "Whenever we raise such issues of corruption, the government threatens to file police and defamation cases against us We have done our work thoroughly. We have the lists, many videos of bribery, and how some officials even take money through online apps," said Andhare. Stoutly denying the accusations by the trio, Rajput told media persons: "The accusations are false. Nobody takes bribes from anybody. We take action regularly against the bars-pubs. We shall enquire and if anyone is found guilty, we shall take action against them." He added that in the past one month or so, the State Excise Department has swooped down on various bars-pubs indulging in illegalities and filed 108 cases. Besides, 54 bars-pubs have been sealed in the last week since the Porsche accident and action is being initiated against many more establishments in the city, even as the government earned Rs 500 as State Excise Duty, higher than the previous year. Dhangekar and Andhare produced a purported 'black list' and reeled off the names of officials, including some cops, who allegedly 'collected' bribes on behalf of the seniors and the bars-pubs which regularly cough out the illegal gratification amounts -- ranging from Rs 50,000 - Rs 5,00,000 per month. Quizzing Rajput, Dhangekar demanded to know if all the regulations are being followed, then why many of the bars-pubs in Pune remain open till 4 a.m., flouting the police and Pune Municipal Corporation rules. Andhare pointed out that if drugs are being seized in Pune every 15 days or so, then "what are the concerned department officials doing, and whether the minister's orders are being ignored". Targetting the government and a particular minister, Andhare said that whenever the Opposition highlighted these blatant irregularities, they were hounded with complaints and court cases and advised the ministers to rein in their lower officials instead of targeting opponents. Last week, staffers and owners of various bars-pubs-restaurants had staged a sit-in protest against the police and leaders of Congress, Nationalist Congress Party(SP), Shiv Sena(UBT), CPI(M) and others for hounding them though they were doing their duty of serving the customers and were not responsible for any disasters that occur outside their establishments. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) New Parliament convenes in Tehran days after deadly helicopter crash. Image Source: IANS News Tehran, May 27 : A new Parliament convened in Iran's capital Tehran for the first time on Monday, days after a deadly helicopter crash that killed the country's President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The State radio reported that lawmakers in the Islamic Consultative Assembly opened the first session of the legislative period with a recitation from the Quran. A new Parliamentary Speaker is set to be elected in the coming days. Incumbent Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is running for re-election against religious hardliner Mojtaba Zonnour and former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Elections in Iran are widely seen as neither free nor fair, as the country's Guardian Council, a supervisory body of Islamic clerics and lawyers, must approve all candidates before they can run. Hardliners won this year's parliamentary elections, which were held over two rounds in March and May amid a historically low turnout of under 40 per cent. Many Iranian citizens have become disillusioned in the face of political repression, an economic crisis and failed attempts to reform the country's political system. A wave of protests in September 2022 following the death of a young Kurdish woman, Masha Amini, was violently suppressed by authorities. Political power in Iran is concentrated in the hands of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were killed in a helicopter crash near the border to Azerbaijan more than a week ago. The state news agency IRNA said more than three million people attended Raisi's funeral in the north-eastern city of Mashhad on Thursday after days of national mourning. --IANS/DPA khz Geneva, May 27 : The annual meeting of the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO), began in the Swiss city of Geneva on Monday. The 194 member countries plan to establish guidelines for WHO priorities over the next four years, including a plan to eliminate malaria in numerous countries by 2030 and steps to combat the alarming rise in antimicrobial resistance. The planned highlight of the meeting -- the ceremonial signing of a WHO pandemic treaty -- was cancelled after two years of global negotiations ended last Friday without an agreement. Negotiators failed to reach a consensus on sensitive subjects such as the distribution of medicines, protective materials and vaccines in future pandemics. The Assembly now hopes to decide on the next steps towards achieving a global treaty. Lessons from the coronavirus pandemic are expected to be reflected in the Assembly's work. Amendments to the WHO's International Health Regulations are due to be adopted, with new rules to prevent the spread of diseases across national borders and obligations to report outbreaks to the WHO immediately. The theme of this year's Assembly is "All for Health, Health for All". --IANS/DPA khz Islamabad, May 27 : Islamist terrorists attacked a Pakistani military outpost near the Afghan border, killing at least five soldiers in the ensuing fire exchange, officials said on Monday. At least five terrorists were also killed in the gun battle that lasted for hours, local official Attaullah Shah told dpa news agency. The latest attack occurred in the mountainous region of Khyber that borders Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the early morning attack that came a day after five militants and two soldiers were killed in a shoot-out in the same region. The Pakistani Taliban, a group that follows the same hardline interpretation of Islam as their Afghan counterparts but has a different organisation, have been behind an uptick in violence in recent years. The group, responsible for the deaths of about 80,000 people over years of violence, has been seeking a resurgence since Kabul fell to their Afghan counterparts in 2021. --IANS/DPA khz Vilnius, May 27 : Lithuania's newly re-elected President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday called for a further increase in the Baltic country's military spending. "I think we should aim for at least 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the coming years," said Nauseda at a press conference in Vilnius. Nauseda, who secured a second five-year term with a landslide win in a run-off election on Sunday, said the modernisation of the Lithuanian army, the implementation of universal conscription, and the stationing of a German brigade in Lithuania would require extra financial resources. Vilnius currently spends 2.7 per cent of its GDP on the military, with the figure set to reach three per cent in 2025 under proposals submitted last week by the Finance Ministry. "In my opinion, this is insufficient," said Nauseda, who has repeatedly called on other NATO states to increase military spending. In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the German government pledged to permanently station a combat-ready brigade of up to 5,000 German soldiers in Lithuania. Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas has said the German force could cost the country a800 million ($870 million) in the coming years. --IANS/DPA khz New Delhi, May 27 : Global rating agency Fitch views the larger-than-expected Reserve Bank of India (RBI) dividend of Rs 2.1 lakh crore to the government, announced last week, as positive for India's sovereign rating fundamentals. New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) Global rating agency Fitch views the larger-than-expected Reserve Bank of India (RBI) dividend of Rs 2.1 lakh crore to the government, announced last week, as positive for Indiaas sovereign rating fundamentals. aThe larger-than-expected RBI dividend to the government should help to ensure the 5.1 per cent of GDP deficit target for the fiscal year ending March 2025 will be met and could be used to lower the deficit beyond the current target," Fitch Ratings said in a report on Monday. The new governmentas budget following the release of election results in June is likely to be presented in July and it will determine how the dividend will be used. The government has signalled its aim to narrow the deficit gradually to 4.5 per cent of GDP by FY26. Sustained deficit reduction, particularly if underpinned by durable revenue-raising reforms, would be positive for Indiaas sovereign rating fundamentals over the medium term, Fitch ratings said. The RBI announced a record-high dividend transfer to the government equivalent to 0.6 per cent of GDP Rs 2.1 lakh crore from its operations in FY24. This is above the 0.3 per cent of GDP expected in the FY25 budget from February, so it will aid the authorities in meeting near-term deficit reduction goals. An important driver of higher RBI profits appears to be higher interest revenue on foreign assets, though the Central bank has not yet provided a detailed breakdown. In its post-election budget, the new government has two alternatives. First, the government could opt to keep the current deficit target for FY25, and the windfall could allow the authorities to further boost spending on infrastructure, or to offset upside spending surprises or lower-than-budgeted revenue, for example from divestment. Alternatively, all or part of the windfall could be saved, pushing the deficit to below 5.1 per cent of GDP. The governmentas choice could give greater clarity around its medium-term fiscal priorities, the Fitch report stated. Mumbai, May 27 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an exclusive interview with IANS, spoke about the meetings he had with Bollywood artistes, even though they may have had different ideological persuasions. The Prime Minister said he wanted to capitalise on the soft power of cinema that would put India on the global map. He told IANS: "I did many workshops, after being voted to the Prime Minister's Office, somewhere around 2015 and 2016, I did workshops with start-ups and with sportspersons. Not just this, I had meetings with people belonging to the film fraternity." PM Modi went on to say he was aware of the ideologies of the film fraternity's members and that their thought processes were very different from his and those of the BJP, yet he collaborated with them to make the country a rising power in the world through its cinema. He told IANS, "I know the film fraternity is very different in terms of its ideology from me and our party, but as a Prime Minister, it is my job to talk to them and understand their problems." The Prime Minister added: "If Bollywood proves to be beneficial to us in the global market, if Tamil or Telugu films can prove to be profitable across the world, then for me as a PM, itas important to capitalise on the power that cinema can lend to our country." Beirut, May 27 : One civilian was killed and ten others were injured on Monday in an Israeli airstrike targeting a motorcycle in Lebanon's southern city of Bint Jbeil, Lebanese military sources told the media. The sources, who spoke anonymously, said that an Israeli drone fired three air-to-surface missiles on a motorcycle at the entrance to Bint Jbeil Governmental Hospital in the centre of the Bint Jbeil city, Xinhua news agency reported. They added that the attack burned the motorcycle, killed a civilian, and wounded ten others. Official medical sources told Xinhua that the killed civilian, named Ali Wezani, was from the village of Chaqra. His child was also seriously injured in the attack, the sources said. Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters attacked several Israeli sites. Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. New Delhi, May 27 : Indian Oil on Monday handed over a state-of-the-art green hydrogen fuel cell bus to the Indian Army as part of the public sector oil giant's objective to promote sustainable, eco-friendly transportation. New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) Indian Oil on Monday handed over a state-of-the-art green hydrogen fuel cell bus to the Indian Army as part of the public sector oil giantas objective to promote sustainable, eco-friendly transportation. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between Indian Oil and the Indian Army to pioneer the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell technology for heavy-duty e-mobility. The handing over and signing ceremony was held at the National War Memorial at India Gate in New Delhi, in the presence of General Manoj Pande (Chief of Army Staff, S M Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil and senior officials. General Pande said: "The Indian Army is committed to exploring and adopting innovative technologies that enhance our operational capabilities while ensuring environmental sustainability. We will be testing one of the hydrogen buses, and I must thank Indian Oil for choosing the Indian Army as their partner." India Oil chairman Vaidya said: "This collaboration with the Indian Army is a landmark step towards a greener and more sustainable future. Indian Oil is currently operating 15 fuel cell buses in the Delhi-NCR region accumulating a total mileage of 300,000 kilometers which works out to 20000 kms for each bus." This initiative aims to promote hydrogen and fuel cell technology for heavy-duty e-mobility, positioning the Indian Army as a pioneer in evaluating this technology in collaboration with Indian Oil. The project will assess the performance of fuel-cell electric buses for public transit in the demanding climatic conditions of the Delhi NCR region, analysing the impact of local fuel and air quality on the performance of fuel-cell systems and vehicles. Additionally, it will evaluate the effectiveness, longevity, and operational reliability of fuel cell buses intended for public fleet utilization according to an IndiaOil statement. This initiative also sets a precedent for future collaborations aimed at advancing green hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in India. New Delhi, May 27 : India is urgently in need of stem cell donors to fight blood cancer that kills over 70,000 lives every year, said experts on Monday ahead of World Blood Cancer Day. World Blood Cancer Day is observed every year on May 28 to raise awareness about deadly cancer and other blood disorders, such as thalassemia and aplastic anaemia, which affect more than a lakh people in the country, Although conventional methods like chemotherapy and radiation therapy are available, a blood stem cell transplant is the only hope for survival for many blood cancer patients. The health experts noted that every 5 minutes, someone in India gets diagnosed with blood cancer. Yet, the country faces a severe shortage of blood stem cell donors. "Besides being the thalassemia capital of the world, India also has a high prevalence of blood cancers. Stem cell transplants are often the only curative option for these conditions, but finding a compatible stem cell match is difficult, especially in a country as genetically diverse as India," Dr Rahul Bhargava, Principal Director & Chief BMT, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, told IANS. "In India, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer or a severe blood disorder every five minutes. Despite the global registry having over 41 million donors, India has only about 0.6 million registered. Thousands of patients are in dire need of matching stem cell donors to undergo life-saving transplants. We need to expand our donor database significantly to provide these patients with a fighting chance," added Patrick Paul, CEO of DKMS BMST Foundation India -- a non-profit. The experts also lamented the lack of awareness and misconceptions about the process of stem cell donation that leads to hesitancy to register as a donor. "Increased awareness and participation in donor registries are crucial to meeting this life-saving need. In simple terms, stem cell therapy uses stem cells to repair damaged tissues or organs or even to replace them entirely. It is used to treat some types of blood cancers, such as leukaemia and lymphoma," Dr Rahul said. The experts stated that matching for stem cell transplants is based on Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) characteristics, not just blood type. To become a potential stem cell donor, the criteria is to be a healthy adult aged between 18 and 55. New Delhi, May 27 : Having already given a clarion call to the first-time voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that he understands the aspirations of the country's youth and considers it as a responsibility to provide them with a launching pad so that they can achieve their desired goals. "I understand their aspirations. Today's youth is very different from the past. They don't want to conform to the previous standards. They want to make a big leap in every field to reach their intended destinations, even if it means bypassing some steps. Our responsibility is to provide them launching pads, give them a platform to fulfil their aspirations. There is a need to understand youth and their thinking pattern," said PM Modi in an exclusive interview with the IANS. While campaigning in various parts of the country over the past many weeks, Prime Minister Modi has been urging the first-time voters to exercise their voting right in record numbers, insisting that the 18th Lok Sabha will also be a "symbol of youth aspiration". PM Modi-led government had launched 'mera pehla vote desh ke liye' (my first vote for the country) campaign to ensure universal enlightened participation of the youth in elections. PM Modi has also been getting an insight into the minds of the young generation of India through interactive initiatives like 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' and 'Mann Ki Baat' monthly programme. Labelling the millions of questions that are posed to him by youngsters as nothing but a "treasure trove", he insists that the interactions give him an opportunity to analyse what the young minds of the country think. "When I do Pariksha Pe Charcha, I get to interact with thousands of students. I come across many students who are thinking decades ahead of their time. A major gap will emerge if the government and the leadership fail to understand aspirations of this new generation," said the Prime Minister. Stating that his government turned the Covid pandemic crisis into an opportunity, PM Modi said that he completely understands the true potential of technology and how it can be harnessed effectively. "During Covid period, I was worried about the country's young generation. I was worried about their youthfulness confined to the four walls of the room. In my video conferencing sessions, I tried to energise them with certain tasks in order to lift their spirits. That is why we made data very cheap. My logic behind the move was to turn them towards the new digital world, and we succeeded in it," PM Modi said. He added that the digital revolution that is being witnessed right now is a result of India successfully managing to turn around the huge Covid crisis into an opportunity. "The digital and Fintech revolution in the country owes much to the government's focus on converting the crisis into an opportunity during that time. I fully understand the prowess of technology and the impactful changes that it can bring for generations and therefore want to harness it to full potential," said PM Modi. Mumbai, May 27 : Anupam Kher, who is well-known for his versatile performances in mainstream cinema as well as international productions, admitted at an event here on Monday that he is "a very bad dancer", but he does "dance with emotions". He also went down memory lane and talked about his first outing as an actor when he was in Class V in school -- he played a monkey in Lord Hanuman's army. The memory was triggered by the 'gada' (mace) he was carrying at the launch of the live-action film 'Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan', where he will be seen along with Makarand Deshpande and Navneet Kaur Dhillion. The film will be released theatrically on May 31. Talking about his poor dancing skills, Kher said, "That is why the audience has not seen me dancing quite often." Two songs from the film, 'Jamboora' and 'Zara Muskura', were unveiled at the event in the presence of the cast and crew. It was in the context of the songs that the actor was asked about how it felt to dance to the songs. "I am a very bad dancer," Kher said. "That is why the audience has not seen me dancing that often. But very soon you will see me in a surprise avatar in this film. I wish I was a great dancer too. Actually, I dance with emotions. I believe I dance through my acting." The senior actor then shared his experience of working with children in the film. "It was very difficult to match with the energy levels of the kids," he averred. "Their questions, their spontaneity were unparalleled. A very famous director from Hollywood once said to me that when children are in the frame, don't act, because nobody is looking at you." He went on to note: "I believe that is very true. Working on this film was like a crash course for me. It was a learning experience. I had great fun." Holding the 'gada', Kher said, "Can you believe it? I am holding a 'gada' right now, and my first-ever role, the first-ever, was of a monkey in Lord Hanuman's. I was then in the fifth standard. This is the first time after school that I am holding a 'gada'. I feel like a 'Bada Bheem'." Looking very happy to be in the company of child artistes, Kher spoke about what he learnt from them. "They are children of this generation. Trust me, I have done a lot of movies with child artistes in my career, but these kids are very straight, they are modern, aware, and know how to use the mobile phone," Kher said. "You can actually learn a lot from them," he continued. "If you sit down with them, they'll teach you a thing or two. Even I try to learn from them. I don't go on sets thinking I am someone who knows things. I go as someone who is seeking something from people on sets." New Delhi, May 27 : Driven by digital public infrastructure (DPI) models like unified payments interface (UPI), the country is now leading the global fintech ecosystem and several countries are ready to embrace the 'India Stack' solutions to empower the masses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told IANS on Monday. In an exclusive interaction at his official residence in the national capital, PM Modi said when he kicked off the 'Digital India' movement, opposition parties made allegations that this was being done to serve the needs of the service providers. "They could not understand how big this area is and the 21st century is a technology-driven century. Moreover, technology today is driven by artificial intelligence (AI)," PM Modi told IANS. The digital revolution, driven by UPI and QR-code-based payments, has shown to the world that DPIs like UPI, Aadhaar, and DigiLocker can transform millions of lives. The UPI platform processed 13,115 crore transactions in FY24, aggregating to nearly Rs 200 lakh crore in value, compared with 8,376 crore transactions worth Rs 139 lakh crore in FY23. The transactions via UPI are expected to breach 100 crore transactions per day by FY27. PM Modi told IANS that UPI has played a huge role in the world of fintech and due to this, "several countries are ready to embrace UPI because this is the era of fintech and India is now leading the fintech ecosystem". The third largest globally, Indiaas fintech ecosystem is poised to reach nearly $70 billion in annual revenue by FY30, according to reports. India is home to more than 10,000 fintech companies working in diverse sectors and segments. Last month, UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Dennis Francis said India exemplifies how the digital revolution can be made accessible to millions and become "a fundamental driver of social transformation and progress". Speaking at a conference on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) hosted by India's UN mission, the UNGA President noted that in just seven years, India's DPI model has achieved over 80 per cent financial inclusion for its citizens and now accounts for more than 60 per cent of all digital transactions worldwide. The G20 summit in New Delhi last year recognised the transformative power of DPI and following this, India took the initiative to establish a global repository for DPIs, currently housing over 55 DPIs from 16 countries. The country has pledged $200 million to a social impact fund that will accelerate DPI adoption worldwide, especially in developing countries. --IANS na/vd Rajkot, May 27 : Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Monday visited the Gandhinagar Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to oversee the ongoing DNA testing. One of the victims' family members said that the families are still waiting for the DNA tests. A fierce blaze erupted at the TRP Game Zone near Sayaji Hotel on Nana Mawa Road in Rajkot on May 25. The fire, which occurred in a two-storeyed building was operating without the necessary Fire NOC which resulted in 35 deaths. The state government has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. The SIT, led by senior IPS officer Subhash Trivedi, will comprise five officers. To support the victims' families, the state government has announced financial aid of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50 thousand for the injured. New Delhi, May 27 : The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) facility played a significant role in India's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, even as several prosperous countries faced problems, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told IANS on Monday. Many countries could not ensure the provision of money to their citizens due to the lack of a UPI-like service, which India had during those distressed times. "If there was no UPI, can someone tell me how we would have fought the battle of Covid? Even the rich countries could not provide money to their people despite having sufficient funds. We gave it easily to the needy," PM Modi told IANS in an exclusive interaction. "Today, we can send money to 11 crore farmers within 30 seconds. Now, UPI is user-friendly because of talented youth who create such world-class products that any common person can use," he said. PM Modi also noted that internet data was made cheap in India during the Covid-induced lockdowns in the country in 2020 and 2021, which helped children and the youth bring about a change in their lives. He said that during the pandemic, he was worried about the life of "his now first-time voters, who were 14-15 years old at the time of Covid". "So we made data very cheap. I was worried that if they remain stuck within the four walls of their homes, it will lead to the end of their childhood," the Prime Minister said. The logic behind making data cheaper, said PM Modi, was that "I wanted them to use the Internet and look at a new world, and it happened. We have benefited from it". According to data from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the cost of internet data in 2020 was reduced to Rs 10.55 per GB, enabling affordable internet access for millions of citizens. The inexpensive data has also helped the country create world-class solutions for the world, according to the Prime Minister. These measures helped "India play a huge role in turning the problems of Covid into an opportunity", he said. --IANS rvt/vd New Delhi, May 27 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke about the extensive use of technology in giving new direction and pace to governance and also took dig at past Congress regimes for 'allowing' middlemen to gobble up public welfare funds. New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke about the extensive use of technology in giving new direction and pace to governance and also took dig at past Congress regimes for aallowinga middlemen to gobble up public welfare funds. PM Modi, in an exclusive interaction with IANS at his official residence, said: "Our government has transferred about Rs 38 lakh crore directly into accounts of beneficiaries via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), so far." "If we talk about times of Rajiv Gandhi government (when out of Rs 1, only 15 paise reached the intended beneficiaries), about Rs 25-30 lakh crore could have been gobbled up by the middlemen," he added. Notably, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi himself admitted that out of every Rs 1 sent to the poor and downtrodden, about 85 paise went into the pockets of middlemen and only 15 paise reached the intended beneficiaries. PM Modi further explaining the thrust of technology in his governance, said that it makes the records transparent and administration more efficient. He further elucidated how two factors -- policy-driven governance and saturation of schemes -- worked wonders in containing corruption to a large extent. "When the policy is laid out in black and white, the grey area is brought down to minimal levels, this reduces the scope for any discrimination. We have focussed on policy-driven governance," PM Modi said. He further said that saturation of schemes gives a guarantee for corruption-free governance, it gives a guarantee of social security. "We have focused on 100 per cent delivery of schemes to targeted beneficiaries. If people are convinced that they are bound to get benefits sooner or later, this leaves no room for corruption. Some mischievous elements may still try to spoil the system but can't befool the beneficiaries for long," PM Modi said. New Delhi, May 27 : A heat wave will sweep across most of the states in the country in June, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast on Monday. "Above-normal monthly maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country in June, except many parts of the southern peninsular India, where normal to below-normal temperatures are most likely," the IMD said. Above-normal heat wave days are likely over most parts of northwest India and adjoining areas of central India during the next month, the IMD forecast states. Above-normal monthly minimum temperatures are also likely across most parts of the country in June, except for the extreme northern parts of northwest India and a few pockets of east and northeast India, where normal to below-normal minimum temperatures are most likely, the IMD said. The IMD has also warned that during heat waves, vulnerable populations, like the elderly and those with health conditions, face risks of heat-related illnesses. Prolonged extreme heat strains infrastructure and leads to dehydration. Authorities must act proactively by opening cooling centres, issuing advisories, and reducing urban heat islands. These steps are crucial for protecting public health during heat waves. One has to stay hydrated, remain in an optimally cool environment, and avoid strenuous activities during peak heat hours to stay safe during heat waves. New Delhi, May 27 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, is not the only tourism destination in the country, that foreigners visit in abundance and added that other serene and picturesque locales, which are in plenty, are waiting to get explored. In a wide-ranging interaction with IANS, PM Modi also urged tourists to pay a visit to these locations for a wholesome experience and a 360-degree view of the country. Prime Minister further stated that his government succeeded in its efforts to create a new image and brand of Bharat and make the global powers 'curious' about India and its diversity, with a series of G-20 Summits across the country. "We organised G-20 Summits across the length and breadth of the country and not just restricted it to Delhi alone. The purpose and thinking behind this was to make the world aware that Delhi alone doesn't represent the country, the diversity of the country can be best explored by visiting all those diverse locations," PM Modi said. "Just by visiting the Taj Mahal, you can't think you have seen the whole of Bharat. There is huge potential in the country and there are multiple destinations to explore," he added. Claiming that the tourist footfalls have increased in the country after the G20 Summit, PM Modi also explained how this gave boosted the country's tourism prospects. "Over 1 lakh policymakers from across the globe participated in more than 200 summits held under G20, in different parts of the country. They not only explored those locations but also informed their families and acquaintances in their respective countries about the beauty of India," PM Modi told IANS. Patna, May 27 : Voting in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections will be held on June 1 on the remaining eight seats of Bihar and the Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency is one of them. As voting day nears, election campaigning is at its peak and leaders of the NDA and Grand Alliance alike are holding back-to-back poll meetings and discussing equations at every square and intersection in Bihar. Historically, Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency has been the stronghold of three families i.e. Babu Jagjivan Ram's clan, Munilal Ram and Chhedi Paswan. In all the elections held from 1952 to 1984, only Babu Jagjivan Ram was victorious, no matter which party's ticket he contested on. It was only after Babu Jagjivan Ram's demise that anyone else could win from this seat. At present, this seat is occupied by the BJP and the party has given the ticket to Shivesh Ram, who is the son of Munilal Ram. Like most of the seats in Bihar, there is a direct contest between the NDA and the Grand Alliance for the Sasaram Lok Sabha seat. The NDA refused a ticket to the BJP's sitting MP Chhedi Paswan and fielded Shivesh Ram while Manoj Kumar of the Congress is posing a challenge from the Grand Alliance's camp. Over the years, the Sasaram Lok Sabha seat, which was considered the stronghold of Babu Jagjivan Ram and his daughter Meira Kumar, has become a BJP stronghold. The BJP won here for the first time in 1996 and Munilal became the MP. After that, Munilal also won in 1998 and 1999 and scored a hat-trick. Although the Congress' Meira Kumar won in 2004 and 2009, BJP's Chhedi Paswan won from here in 2014 and 2019. Sasaram is a historic city of Bihar and the birthplace of Sher Shah Suri, who ousted Delhi's Mughal ruler Humayun. At the same time, Rohtas District is also mentioned in our mythological tales. It is believed that the district was named Rohtas after Rohitashva, the son of King Satya Harischandra. At present, Sher Shah's tomb is a tourist spot here and the country's famous GT Road passes through Sasaram. It is also a place of pilgrimage for Hindus as the temples of Maa Mundeshwari Devi and Tarachandi Dham are located here. Sasaram Lok Sabha seat comprises Mohania, Bhabua and Chainpur Assembly constituencies which fall in Kaimur District while Chenari, Sasaram and Kargahar are in the Rohtas District. Out of all these six Assembly seats, five are occupied by the Grand Alliance while the JD(U)'s Jama Khan is the MLA from the Chainpur seat. Jama Khan was the only BSP candidate who won the 2020 Assembly election and later joined the JD(U). The Sasaram Lok Sabha seat has an electorate of over 19,41,730 of which around 23 per cent are upper caste voters, 15 per cent Kushwahas, 10 per cent Yadavs, 20 per cent OBCs, 7 per cent EBCs and 25 per cent Dalit voters. Like the last election, there is a direct contest between the BJP and Congress on the Sasaram Lok Sabha seat. However, the candidates of both parties have changed. The BJP has fielded Shivesh Ram in place of Chhedi Paswan who won in 2014 and 2019. After Meira Kumar refused to contest the election, the Congress bet on Manoj Kumar who came from the BSP. Manoj Kumar was successful in getting more than 86,000 votes as a BSP candidate in the last election. "I am contesting here in Sasaram to raise public-related issues. I will go among the people, especially on issues of agriculture, farming and unemployment. I am confident that I will win and bring back the traditional seat of Congress in the party's bag once again," said Manoj Kumar. "There is a network of canals in Magadh and Shahabad and it is called the rice bowl but unfortunately there is no water in Indrapuri Barrage, so if the public blesses me and I win the election, then my first goal will be to ensure that water reaches every field. People should also get water from Karamchat Dam," said Shivesh Ram. Seoul, May 27 : South Korea's antitrust regulator said on Monday it hosted a conference on artificial intelligence (AI) and competition policy with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The conference, held in Seoul, invited experts to discuss the role of competition in the supply chain of generative AI platforms, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). Generative AI refers to technologies that create various types of content, including text, images and videos, by learning and analyzing data, reports Yonhap news agency. "We need to build grounds for fair competition in AI-related industries, so that they maintain innovative growth while preventing unfair practices," Han Ki-jeong, the chairperson of the FTC, said. Frederic Jenny, chairman of the OECD's competition committee, also noted that there needs to be balanced regulation to ensure fair competition in the market while promoting innovation. The regulator noted the government will aim to roll out antitrust policies to address the rapidly changing trends in the generative AI sector. Kochi, May 27 : The Kerala Police, which has launched a drive against mafia and goons, was left embarrassed after a police official, along with three others, was seen at a party hosted by a criminal at his residence. Deputy Superintendent of Police M.G. Sabu, posted with the Crime Branch at Alappuzha, and three other police officers, were at the house of Thamanem Faizal near here late Sunday evening. Acting on a tip-off, local police officials reached the house of Faizal, who is on their radar, but were taken aback at seeing four police officers there. The local police on Monday afternoon submitted its report which was followed by the suspension of two of the policemen concerned - Sabu's official driver and another civil police official. The third police official is reported to be from the Vigilance Department which has started assessing the incident. DSP Sabu is due to retire from service on May 31 and the top officials of Kerala Police have gone into a huddle to decide his fate. His retirement function has been called off. Senior Congress legislator and former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said such incidents, when police officials are seen hand-in-glove with those with a criminal background, are most disgraceful for the police and demanded strong action be taken against all erring officials. Meanwhile, Sabu blamed the police officials for misleading him, while the suspended officials said it was Sabu who took them to the criminal's house and they were not involved in any wrongdoing. New Delhi, May 27 : For those who have seen Chhaya Kadam as the railway platform feminist of 'Laapataa Ladies', Manju Mai, her glam avatars at the 77th Cannes Film Festival came as a pleasant surprise. Kadam shared the spotlight with Payal Kapadia and her fellow actors -- Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha -- when the 'All We Imagine As Light' director received the Grand Prix, the second most important award at Cannes. The actress, who's known for her working-class roles (she plays the hospital cook Parvati in 'All We Imagine As Light'), first caught the attention of fashion watchers when she attended the film's world premiere in a handwoven black pearl 'rangkat' lehenga from the atelier of Warp 'N' Weft designer Sagrika Rai. Varanasi-born Rai, who has been working in Mumbai since 1987, is best-known for her interpretations of the weaves of her home city. She paired Kadam's lehenga with a white shirt, black-and-golden striped corset top, and black blazer. In an Instagram post, the design house noted that her outfit was "a capitvating choice for an extraordinary event showcasing the seamless fusion of talent and craftsmanship". The Marathi actress also sported a traditional Maharashtrian 'nath' at the screening, a tribute to both her late mother and her Kanchan Kombdi character in Kunal Kemmu's 'Madgaon Express', which got widely noticed. For the awards evening, Kadam came attired in a maroon brocade saree paired with a matching full-sleeved blouse. She opted for a minimal makeup look -- maroon lips, kohl-rimmed eyes and a maroon bindi. Her hair was tied in a bun with central partition and she rounded off the look with big golden jhumkas and matching bangles. New Delhi, May 27 : Hectic campaigning, criss-crossing parts of the nation every day, addressing multiple public rallies, picking up new issues to build a narrative of his own or counter-charging a narrative which his rivals may be trying to build, holding feedback and review meeting with his party colleagues haven't taken off Prime Minister Narendra's Modi attention from governance issues. As the seven-phase parliamentary elections are coming to close on Saturday and announcements of results just about a week away, assured of a record third consecutive term victory, PM Modi's thoughts are focussed on how his third term should unfold the path of greater goods for the people and greater glory for the nation. His exclusive interview with IANS is a pointer to that -- his plans to channelise immense talent and potential of the younger lot to make India's soft power be felt ever more strongly by the world in hitherto uncharted areas. If one thought that PM Modi's slogan 'Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi' was just about redeveloping the country's cultural and spiritual heritage sites and developing desired infrastructure around those places for the greater good, one was wrong. It surely is one part of that but it has a multitude of dimensions and links with an Atmanirbhar Bharat resolve. This comes with another resolve that the war against corruption would be further intensified and when says this he is not talking about small fishes, he is talking about sharks and 'crocodiles'. What makes PM Modi's vision different from his predecessors and most in his peer group in the political spectrum? He does not think of a plan or policy in isolation. He connects multiple dots to have a far-reaching impact of a policy decision and its implementation. "Our government's approach is comprehensive, integrated and holistic," PM Modi says. Making the governance model solution-centric has been a hallmark of Modi regime. "Nation's fundamental issues can't be ignored. If people in villages and remote locations are facing issues, they call for immediate redressal. They too are important constituents of India's growth story and canat be looked down upon." That is one of the key reasons why tier two, three and four cities are scripting as much part of New India's growth story, as are the tier one cities. That would have been possible without giving a technological push, making the internet data and instilling a feeling among the younger generations that dreams and aspirations are worthwhile things to live for. "I understand their aspirations. Today's youth is very different from the past. They don't want to conform to previous standards. They want to take big leaps and reach their intended destination, even if it means bypassing some steps. Our responsibility is to provide them launching pads, give them a platform to fulfil their aspirations. There is a need to understand youth and their thinking pattern," he told IANS. He cited some examples how the Gen Next does not just think of the immediate task before them but much beyond that: "When I do Pariskha Pe Charcha, I get to interact with thousands of students. I come across many students who are thinking decades ahead of their time. If the government and the leadership fail to understand aspirations of this new generation, a long gap will emerge." Undoubtedly, start-ups have been a shining chapter in Indiaas growth model in the last 10 years. The Prime Minister recounted how he held workshops with start-ups, the sporting and film community and several other segments of society with focus to "promote and sell our products to the global community". What is interesting to find is that while most people of older generations have a negative perception about online and social media issues, Modi thinks that if the energy of youth active in this arena is channelised properly they can prove to be an asset in scripting New India story. "Today, the YouTube community, gaming and social media influencers have emerged as a new and promising enterprise. I organised a meeting with them and sought to address their challenges while also exploring the nation's potential in taking lead positions in these sectors." One has seen PM Modi's interaction with these groups were most lively. Though much has been written about India holding a successful G-20 meet, PM Modi underlined the event's other aspects related to taking pride in the country's diverse richness. "We used the G-20 Summit to create a new image and brand of Bharat, before the world. We got success too in making global powers curious about India and its diversity. "We organised G-20 Summits across the length and breadth of the country and not just restricted to Delhi alone. The purpose and thinking behind this was not to make the world aware that Delhi alone represents the country, the diversity of the country can be best explored by visiting those locations. Taj Mahal alone is not Bharat, there are multiple destinations to explore. Over 1 lakh policymakers from across the globe participated in more than 200 Summits held in different parts of the country. They not only explored those locations but also informed their families and acquaintances in their respective countries about the beauty of India. The country has seen a surge in tourism and G20 Summits have effectively contributed to it," PM Modi said. Since the time PM Modi ran his campaign after the BJP declared him Prime Ministerial candidate in 2013, he has been putting emphasis on tourism. It serves twin purposes -- boosting the economy of the region concerned and putting parts of India on the global map. It's not only the Ministry of Tourism and allied ministries who have been working in showcasing these places and developing infrastructure but now PM Modi has roped in the Ministry of External Affairs into it. "I have also briefed the Foreign Department about measuring their scale of success on three counts. First is how much Indian produce is bought by the country where you reside, second is which modern technology can be brought in India and third is how many citizens of that country visit India every year, for tourism," PM Modi said. Patna, May 27 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that the INDIA bloc will not allow the BJP to change the Constitution. "The 2024 election is an election to save the Constitution. These people (BJP) want to tear the Constitution and throw it away. They want to end the Constitution which was given to us by Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Jawahar Lal Nehru. I want to promise you that as long as we (INDIA bloc) are here, we will not allow them to change it," Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a rally in Khusrupur in Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency along with RJD Chief Tejashwi Yadav. He said that before the Constitution was drafted, the Dalits, backward and tribals had no rights. "Whatever rights people got, they got it because of this Constitution," Rahul Gandhi said. Attacking PM Modi over his speeches, Rahul Gandhi said that he (PM Modi) should stop giving speeches and he is trying to "divide" the country. "He should talk about how many jobs he has provided to the people in Bihar. You had promised to give two crore jobs in a year but did not give a single job. There were many opportunities for jobs earlier but by implementing demonetisation and GST, he closed all the jobs," Rahul Gandhi said. Rahul Gandhi also taunted PM Modi for his interviews given to various media organisations. "Have you seen interviews of PM Modi, it looks like a case of question paper leak. The questions were given to him in advance. Prime Minister Modi says in the interview that he is not biological. God has sent him and he is taking decisions on His orders," he said. Rahul Gandhi added that the INDIA bloc would scrap the Agniveer scheme after they would form the government at the Centre. "In 2024, the INDIA bloc is going to form the government in the Centre and first of all, the Agniveer scheme will be torn and thrown in the dustbin. Double standards are being adopted with the army soldiers working under the Agniveer scheme. They are not being given any facilities. The INDIA bloc government we will start the permanent job and permanent pension scheme in the same way as recruitment was done earlier in the service," Rahul Gandhi said. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, during the rally, said that a list of poor people will be prepared in Bihar which will include tribal families, Dalit families, deprived families and poor upper caste families. "One woman will be selected from each family and every month Rs 8,500 will be deposited in the account of that woman. On the 5th of every month, Rs 8,500 will be deposited in the bank accounts of these women," Tejashwi Yadav said. He also slammed PM Modi for his various comments and "foul" language. "The language of the Prime Minister has fallen so much that no family member wants to sit and listen to his speech. He only talks about temples, mosques, fish, mutton and Mujra. There is no Prime Minister who is a bigger liar than PM Modi," Yadav said. Besides Tejashwi Yadav, Congress state President Akhilesh Singh, Vilassheel Insaan Party Chief Mukesh Sahani, CPI-ML leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, Congress state in-charge Mohan Prakash and other leaders were present in the Khusrupur rally. Congress has given the ticket to Ansul Avijit to contest the Lok Sabha election from Patna Sahib. Misa Bharti of RJD is contesting from Patliputra and Sudama Prasad of CPI-ML is contesting from Arrah. Berlin, May 27 : The German government on Monday described a deadly Israeli airstrike near Rafah that killed at least 35 Palestinians as presumably "a mistake" and again defended Israel's "right to defend itself within the framework of international law". The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are currently investigating whether their strike near Rafah in the Gaza Strip was a targeted attack, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin. "In any case, a mistake has been made, that can already be said," Hebestreit added. The question of the motivation for the attack still had to be examined, he said. Asked about allegations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, Hebestreit said that the German government would withhold judgment. "The conclusion as to whether this is a war crime in terms of international law is something that must be left to lawyers who know the exact facts," he added. If there is evidence of such a crime, the German government would certainly condemn it, Hebestreit said. But he warned that such conclusions cannot be drawn from gruesome photos of the aftermath of the strike, and noted recent rockets launched from Rafah toward Tel Aviv. "First investigate what exactly happened and then make a judgment. And not make an immediate judgment based on pictures," Hebestreit said. When asked whether Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck's statement at the weekend that military attacks on refugee camps were incompatible with international law represented the position of the entire German government, Hebestreit said: "Yes." --IANS/DPA int/as China's largest general-purpose precision survey telescope to be based in Qinghai Global Times) 14:38, May 27, 2024 China's largest general-purpose precision survey telescope is expected to be based in Lenghu town, Northwest China's Qinghai Province, after a cooperation agreement was signed on Sunday between the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the government of the Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai. The 4.2-meter diameter ground-based specialized astrometric telescope is optimally designed for high-precision astrometric measurements of solar system objects, with an investment of about 300 million yuan ($41 million), Ping Yiding, a senior engineer at the PMO explained, as reported by China News Service. It will be the largest general-purpose precision survey telescope in China and the largest specialized telescope for astrometric measurements in the world after its completion, serving a range of all kinds of astronomical science objectives, Ping said. The Lenghu astronomical observation base, located in Saishiteng Mountain, Lenghu town, sits at an average altitude of about 4,000 meters. After a number of preliminary monitoring and analyses, the Chinese and foreign astronomical communities unanimously agreed that the region has unique advantages for astronomical observation and research in terms of geographical location, climate, air cleanliness, and altitude. It also fully meets the demand for scientific research on optical and infrared macro-astronomical equipment, according to the report. The selected site will end a bottleneck that has long constrained the development of optical astronomical observation in China, and fill the gap of world-class optical astronomical observatory sites in the Eastern Hemisphere. It also provides extremely valuable strategic and scarce resources for the formation of a complete time and space observation network on a global scale and for the promotion of the development of international optical astronomy. The PMO and the autonomous prefecture government on Sunday also signed a cooperation agreement on the 2.5-meter diameter multi-terminal universal telescope project, according to the same report. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Wu Chaolan) Kolkata, May 27 : A controversy erupted in West Bengal on Monday afternoon, after two BJP leaders accused senior police officers of changing EVMs. Saumitra Khan, the BJP's sitting MP and the party candidate from Bishnupur (SC) Lok Sabha constituency in Bankura District, showed two videos on Facebook live on Monday afternoon. The first video purportedly showed an Additional Superintendent of Police, assisted by the Inspector-in-Charge of a local police station allegedly making attempts to remove CCTV cameras at a room appearing like an election booth and changing EVMs. In the second video, a couple of persons were spotted within a police station carrying wires and cables. However, IANS was not in a position to check the authenticity of the videos that Khan shared on social media. In the Facebook live session Khan accused the cops of making attempts to remove CCTV cameras at a polling booth and also change EVMs. Soon after Khan's session the BJP's IT cell chief and the party's Central Observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya put up a post on his official X handle, making the same allegation and posting the same two videos. "In a shocking development, the Additional SP (name has been sent in the formal complaint) of Bishnupur (37 PC), along with the IC, were found trying to remove CCTV cameras and change EVMs, when our candidate Shri Soumitra Khan arrived and caught them red handed. Mamata Banerjee is losing the election and hence resorting to unethical means," Malviya's post read. In the post, he has also requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to look into the matter and take appropriate steps. Till the time of the filing of this report there was neither any reaction from the Trinamool Congress nor from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, in the matter. New Delhi: Charred remains of a vehicle outside a children's hospital where a fire broke out on Saturday night at Vivek Vihar area. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, May 27 : A Delhi court on Monday sent the owner of the Baby Care New Born Hospital, where seven children were killed in a massive fire late on Saturday, and a co-accused, to three-day police custody. Hospital owner Dr Naveen Khichi was arrested in the wake of the tragedy at the private neonatal hospital, along with employee Akash, who was on duty at that time. Police probe into the hospital fire has revealed that the licence issued to the hospital by the Delhi Government Health Services (DGHS) had expired on March 31, and also that the doctors at the hospitals were not qualified to treat newborn babies, who needed neonatal intensive care, as these doctors were only BAMS degree holders. "In the hospital, there were 12 newborn babies admitted and one was already dead before the fire incident. All the newborn babies were rescued from the hospital with the help of other people and shifted to East Delhi Advance NICU Hospital for treatment," police had said. Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg said that seven children were declared dead at the hospital while five newly born babies are undergoing treatment. DCP, Shahdara Surendra Chaudhary further said that after dousing the fire, burst oxygen cylinders were found. Further, the hospital was thoroughly inspected by police, fire brigade staff and crime team, and the nursing staff examined and it was also found there were no fire extinguishers, improper entry and exit, no emergency exit, and deployment of a BAMS doctor. Police said that even as per the expired licence, the hospital was allowed for five beds only, but at the time of the incident, 12 newborn babies were admitted to the hospital. The probable cause of the fire is stated to be a short circuit. Bengaluru, May 27 : In his first appearance after the alleged sex video scandal surfaced, prime accused -- fugitive Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) MP Prajwal Revanna -- released a video on Monday claiming that he would appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for questioning on May 31. In the 2.57-minute video, Prajwal Revanna refuted allegations against him and called them part of a political conspiracy. "No one should take me wrong. I am appearing before the SIT on Friday, May 31 at 10 a.m. I want to answer in connection with the allegations against me by fully cooperating with the SIT and answering all questions," he said. "I have full faith in the courts and will fight against false cases against me there. I will also come out of these false cases through the court only," he added. "The forces in my native Hassan came together against me and made all attempts to bring me down as making progress in politics. After seeing all these developments, I was shocked and stayed away," Prajwal Revanna claimed. In the opening moments of the video, Prajwal Revanna can be heard saying: "Firstly, I apologise to my parents (former zilla panchayat member Bhavani Revanna and JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna), grandfather (former PM H.D. Deve Gowda), Kumaranna (his uncle & former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy), party workers. I have come out to give information about my whereabouts in a foreign country." "The election was held on April 26. Then, there was no case or FIR lodged against me. My foreign trip on April 26 was pre-planned. I went abroad accordingly and after three days, I happened to see Youtube videos. Then I got to know about the case," he said. "The SIT had sent a notice to me and I had sought seven days to appear before the authorities and I also communicated the same with the SIT through my advocate," Prajwal Revanna said. "Next day onwards, including Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leaders raising this issue started to campaign. After seeing all this, I went into depression. In that background I had sought apologies from everyone," he said. "I ask for the blessings of God, family and my people in my attempt to come out of these false cases. I am appearing before the SIT on the morning of May 31. I will bring down the curtains on everything. I want to apologise to everyone and I also want to convey my thanks to all," he stated. Kolkata, May 27 : Metro Railway has blamed Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for the leak in the sewerage line over the disruption of services along the busiest Blue Line (between the Kavi Subhash and Dakshineswar stations) for nearly five hours on Monday. Thousands of office-goers had to face inconvenience after services between the Girish Park and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar stations stopped. Cyclonic storm Remal has led to severe waterlogging and disruption of traffic on Kolkata streets since Sunday and people relied on the Metro to reach their places of work on Monday. Kausik Mitra, CPRO, Metro Railway, said that the Metro officials traced the leak to a KMC sewerage line. "The leak was near the top of the subway of the Park Street station. There were leaks near the expansion joint of the pipeline due to which a large volume of water flowed into the station through the diaphragm wall of the Park Street station," Mitra said. He said that the water had to be pumped out and corrective measures taken to prevent such an occurrence in the future. "We couldn't take a risk as passenger safety was concerned and stopped services between Girish Park and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar. Services were available between Dakshineswar and Girish Park and Kavi Subhash and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar. Our engineers started work on a war footing and pumped out the water from the tracks as well as the rest of the station premises," said Kausik Mitra, CPRO, Metro Railway. He said that they were able to resume services between the Kavi Subhash and Maidan stations at 10.20 am. "Our efforts continued and uninterrupted services between the Kavi Subhash and Dakshineswar stations resumed at 12.05 pm," Kausik Mitra said. Battle for UP: Polling for second phase begins across 9 districts. Image Source: IANS News Hyderabad, May 27 : More than 50 per cent turnout was logged in the by-election to the Telangana Legislative Council from the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda graduates' constituency on Monday. The polling, which began at 8 a.m. in 34 Assembly constituencies spread over 12 districts with the electorate comprising 4,63,839 graduates, came to an end at 4 p.m., but officials said those standing in the queues at 4 p.m. were allowed to cast their votes. The Election Commission had set up 605 polling centres. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere. Authorities had made elaborate arrangements for peaceful and smooth conduct of the elections. Liquor shops were closed while Section 144 was imposed around the polling centres. A total of 52 candidates are in the fray for the by-election but the main contest is among the Congress, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates. Congress candidate Chintapandu Naveen alias Teenmaar Mallanna cast his vote in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district. BRS leader and former minister Jagdish Reddy cast his vote in Suryapet district. Legislative Council Deputy Chairman Banda Prakash exercised his right of franchise in Warangal. The vacancy arose after Palla Rajeshwar Reddy of the BRS resigned following his election to the Assembly from the Jangaon constituency in the 2023 elections. He was elected MLC in the election held in 2021. Unlike in the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, ballot papers were used in this by-election due to the preferential voting system. The ruling Congress party, which has 33 out of the 34 MLAs in the graduates' constituency, fielded Teenmaar Mallanna, who had contested as an independent and finished second in the election for the MLC seat held two years ago. He is locked in a three-cornered contest with Rakesh Reddy of the BRS and G. Permender Reddy of the BJP. Premender Reddy had secured fourth place in the 2021 poll as the BJP candidate. Rakesh Reddy quit the BJP to join BRS just before the Assembly elections after he was denied a ticket from the Warangal constituency. Teenmaar Mallanna had also quit the BJP to join Congress just before the Assembly polls. The Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) declared their support for the Congress candidate. Tel Aviv, May 27 : Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has sharply criticised International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan for applying for the arrest of top Israeli politicians in remarks to the Israel Bar Council reported in the state media. "The decision of the prosecutor ignores, among other things, the fact that the Israeli legal system has proved its independence in the past, its impartiality, and its commitment to the values of truth and justice," Baharav-Miara said. Khan announced a week ago that he was seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as for Hamas leaders. Baharav-Miara said the Israeli justice system was fully competent to enforce the law. "We do not shy away from enforcing the law against any person, even with the heads of the military and the state, if there are well-founded suspicions of violations of the law," she told the Bar Council. "We don't need outside help to clarify suspected criminal activity." The Israeli military was currently conducting investigations into possible violations during the Gaza War, she said. The Attorney General noted that the ICC had been established to deal with situations where the law was dysfunctional. "That is not our situation," she said. "The steps taken by the ICC prosecutor contravene the basic legal idea on which the court was founded, the principle of complementarity," she said, referring to the principle under which functioning states have jurisdiction within their territory. While many countries have signed and ratified the 2002 Rome Statute establishing the ICC, thus becoming state parties, Israel, the US, and Russia have all indicated that they do not intend to become state parties. Israel nevertheless agreed to defend its position in the genocide allegation brought by South Africa to a separate UN court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), about the Gaza War. --IANS/DPA int/as Berlin, May 27 : The German government remains opposed to the idea of setting up a defensive shield from NATO territory to protect against Russian airstrikes in western Ukraine, a top spokesman said on Monday. "From our point of view, that would be an involvement, a direct involvement in this conflict. And that is something we are not aiming for," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin. He also referred to statements made by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. There have been calls from some recently for NATO powers to bolster Ukrainian air defences by establishing some sort of protective shield over Ukraine. Hebestreit did not want to comment specifically on a question as to whether and in what form Ukraine had given assurances that it would not carry out attacks on targets in Russia with the weapons systems supplied by Germany. These regulations were subject to confidentiality and had proved their worth, Hebestreit said. He also noted that international law stipulates that a state under attack can also defend itself outside its borders. --IANS/DPA int/as Colombo, May 27 : Bodies of seven wild elephants were found by wildlife officials at the Flood Plains National Park in Polonnaruwa in north central Sri Lanka last week, wildlife officials told the media on Monday. The bodies have been handed over to the wildlife veterinary unit for further investigation, officials said. The officials said they suspected a herd of wild elephants was swept away while attempting to cross the Ode Ela, a waterway in the area, Xinhua news agency reported. The bodies of five young elephants, aged between eight and 10 years, and two adult elephants, aged between 30 and 35 years, were found, according to the officials. Sri Lanka has been experiencing heavy rains for the past few weeks. --IANS int/as Mumbai, May 27 : The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) here is set to handle over 65,000 Haj pilgrims this year, an airport spokesperson said on Monday. Emerging as one of the key departure points for the annual Haj pilgrimage, the CSMIA said it is fully geared to manage the increased passenger traffic a" comprising 33,000 outbound pilgrims and the rest inbound between May and July - in well-coordinated phases. This would mark a 157 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of Haj pilgrims passing through the CSMIA compared with 2023 when 12,815 faithful had travelled from here. This yearas Haj pilgrimage season commenced with flights departing from May 25 and will continue to leave till June 12, while the return services are slated to start in July, the official said. The CSMIA has a robust schedule to Saudi Arabia with 11 daily flights operated by Saudia Airlines, Air India, IndiGo and Vistara, and during the peak Haj season, Saudia is responsible for handling the official movement of pilgrims from here. The official added that in order to handle the increase in pilgrim traffic, the CSMIA has arranged 101 ferry flights for both departures and arrivals for the convenience of the Haj pilgrims, plus a range of facilities and services for them at Terminal 2. These include a separate approach road, dedicated drop-off point, exclusive parking and lifts, dedicated check-in and immigration counters and an exclusive check-in island, streamlined access, special screening area, dedicated boarding gates, separate seating, wazu (ablutions) and praying arrangements for men and women, and a senior official deployed for managing and coordinating with the Haj volunteers for all the flights. New Delhi, May 27 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Gitanas Nauseda, who was re-elected as President of Lithuania for a second term last week. "Congratulations to H.E. Gitanas Nauseda on being re-elected as the President of the Republic of Lithuania. I look forward to working together to further strengthen the close cooperation between India and Lithuania," PM Modi posted on X. Lithuanians have a great interest in Indian cultural traditions, including Yoga, and the study of Indian languages -- mainly Hindi and Sanskrit -- has been carried out at Vilnius University for several decades. On Monday, Nauseda also had a telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who had called in to congratulate him on his victory in the presidential election. The two leaders discussed the Ukraine Peace Conference to be held in Switzerland and the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington. Pune, May 27 : A Pune court magistrate A.A. Pande on Monday remanded two doctors of a government hospital and a peon to police custody till May 30 (Thursday) for alleged tampering of the blood samples of a minor boy whose Porsche car killed two techies. The medicos are -- Sassoon Hospital's Head of Forensics Department, Dr. Ajay Taware and Blood Bank head, Dr. Shrihari Halnor, besides a peon Atul Ghatkamble, who was the alleged conduit for the illegal gratification in the matter. Arguing for police remand, the police said that they wanted to investigate the hospital records, mobile phone details and other connected aspects, but accused Dr. Taware's lawyer Jitendra Sawant and others argued strongly against the police custody. Marking a sensational twist, Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar said earlier on Monday that the blood samples analysed by the Sassoon Hospital did not match with the minor accused in the Porsche car crash. Kumar said that the purported blood sample of the 17-year-old who was caught in the car crash, was "thrown in the dustbin" and the blood sample analysed was of a 'third person', which is being probed now. The shocking details emerged barely hours after the Pune Police raided and arrested the senior doctors and the peon of the Sassoon Hospital for allegedly 'tampering' with the minor accused's blood report. "We had taken a second blood sample which was given to another hospital for analysis with the intention of carrying out a DNA test later. Now, it has come to light that the Sassoon Hospital blood forensic report was of some other person," Kumar told mediapersons. Kumar said that Vishal A. Agarwal (the accused's father) had telephoned Dr. Taware on WhatsApp which is being probed, and the police now have sufficient technical evidence in the matter to prepare a water-tight case against all the accused. The three accused have been shunted to police custody for three days, as the charges of manipulating the crucial blood samples of the 17-year-old boy and submitting a fake blood test report could directly impact the prosecution case and the direction of the police investigation. "I shall repeata our case does not rest on the blood samples. The minor boy was in his full senses and aware of the consequences of drinking and driving the car at high speed," reiterated Kumar. The 'clean chit' in the blood test report of the accused minor boy, the son of a prominent realtor Vishal S. Agarwal, had sparked a huge row as it enabled him to get off on bail within 15 hours of the fatal May 19 crash in Kalyani Nagar area. In the same case, Vishal S. Agarwal, who was sent to judicial custody for 14 days, was booked in a case pertaining to the tampering of evidence, luring and threatening driver Gangaram Poojari to take the blame for the accident, but he refused and has become a prime prosecution witness. The fatal crash claimed the lives of two IT engineers -- Ashwini Koshtha and her friend Aneesh Awadhiya -- both 24, and hailing from Madhya Pradesh. The minor boy is currently lodged in a Juvenile Correctional Home in Pune. His father is in judicial custody while his grandfather Surendra Kumar Agarwal is in police custody in the same case that has sparked a nationwide furor. So far, at least 9 persons have been arrested in the Porsche case, including three generations of the Agarwal family. They are -- the 17-year-old boy, his father Vishal S. Agarwal, his grandfather Surendra Kumar Agarwal, the two doctors, a peon, the three owners-managers of the pub and bar where the boy and his friends had partied on Saturday-Sunday night -- while two cops of Yerwada Police Station, PI Rahul Jagdale and API Vishwanath Todkari have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty and other lapses pertaining to the accident, as public anger continues to simmer. New Delhi, May 27 : Following the sixth phase of voting in the Lok Sabha polls, as the Congress-led Opposition continues to cast doubts over EVMs, experts have countered the conspiracy theory with data to support their stance. According to experts, the sheer scale of the electoral process makes the claims of the EVM hack or Form 17C conspiracy theorists highly impractical. With 486 seats having either voted or been decided up to the 6th phase of Lok Sabha elections, there were about thousands of polling stations per seat, poll analysts say, sharing data on X (formerly Twitter). Indeed, approximately 9 lakh polling stations have participated in voting thus far. In each constituency, there are dozens of candidates who are allowed to have polling agents at each polling station. Let's consider an average of 10 candidates per seat (although the actual number is around 15.3), say experts. "Let's also suppose one polling agent (although 3 are actually allowed) per candidate per polling station. This would result in 10 polling agents per polling station. With approximately 9 lakh polling stations that have participated in voting, that would mean nearly 90 lakh polling agents," says an analyst. If one takes into account a realistic perspective and assumes that independent candidates cannot afford to have one agent per polling station. Only the top 3 contesting parties can manage this at every station. Even under this scenario, there would still be 3 polling agents per station, he adds. With 9 lakh stations, that totals to approximately 27 lakh polling agents. Thus, over 27 lakh individuals, excluding the candidates, have each carried out the following tasks: a) Inspected every Form 17C provided at every polling station by the ECI. b) Observed every voter who has cast their vote and not lodged any complaints regarding inconsistencies between their vote and the VVPAT slip -- remarkably, not a single complaint has been reported. c) Accessed the precise voter list per polling station and, in aggregate, for every constituency at the candidate level. An expert on social media argues: "The Congress party think tank, with figures like Kapil Sibal and other members of the Congress ecosystem, purportedly suggests that over 27 lakh people (possibly nearing a crore in reality) are engaged in a conspiracy with PM Narendra Modi and the BJP to tamper with the election results." Ridiculing the notion, he questions: "If around one crore individuals are actively colluding without any evidence of how or why they would do so, particularly considering the unlikely collaboration between polling agents of Congress or CPI-M with the BJP, what term accurately characterises figures like Kapil Sibal and others?" Guwahati/Agartala, May 26 : The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), which operates in the northeastern states, seven districts of West Bengal, and five districts of north Bihar, cancelled 44 trains on Monday and Tuesday in view of the cyclonic storm "Remal". Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De said that as a precautionary measure, 44 trains, commencing their journeys on Monday and Tuesday, were cancelled. Most of the cancelled trains are passenger trains, including DEMUs and express trains. The cancelled trains were supposed to connect Malda, Siliguri, Alipurduar Junction, New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal), Jogbani (Bihar), Guwahati, Silchar (Assam), Bhairabi (Mizoram), and Agartala and Sabroom (Tripura). Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said in New Delhi that the "Remal" is progressing towards Assam and Meghalaya. As per the weather office, it was moving north-northeastwards and gradually weakening into a deep depression, while light to moderate rainfall was recorded in most of the northeastern states. Though the cyclonic storm damaged many houses and other properties in a few northeastern states, no major damage has been reported so far. Disaster Management officials said that they are collecting the actual reports of damages from the districts. --IANS sc/vd New Delhi, May 27 : The Delhi High Court on Monday declined to intervene in a single judge bench's order directing airline SpiceJet to return two Boeing aircraft with engines to TWC Aviation over unpaid dues. A division bench of Justices Rajiv Shakdher and Amit Bansal has directed SpiceJet to comply with the order by June 17. Previously, the single judge had mandated that SpiceJet hand over the aircraft, engines, and all relevant technical records to TWC Aviation by May 28. This decision came after senior advocate Amit Sibal, representing SpiceJet, agreed to the bench's suggestion to extend the compliance deadline if SpiceJet withdrew its appeal. SpiceJet accepted the proposal and withdrew the appeal. TWC Aviation, the owner of the aircraft and engines, initiated a lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction against SpiceJet. The suit alleged that the aircraft were leased to SpiceJet for 12 months at a monthly rent of $180,000. SpiceJet, however, failed to pay the lease rentals, prompting the creation of amendment agreements to accommodate payment difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite these adjustments, SpiceJet breached the agreements. TWC Aviation sought enforcement of a UK court's order directing SpiceJet to return the aircraft immediately. The single-judge bench observed that the separate use of aircraft frames and engines by SpiceJet would significantly reduce their value for TWC Aviation and noted the airline's failure to pay the dues. Ruling in favour of TWC Aviation, it stressed that SpiceJet could not continue to use the aircraft and engines without fulfilling its payment obligations given the acknowledged dues. Mumbai, May 27 : NCP Chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday rebutted his estranged uncle and NCP SP President Sharad Pawar's claim that had Chhagan Bhujbal been made the Chief Minister in 2004 the NCP would have split. Ajit Pawar, at the party's meeting to review the Lok Sabha election management and discuss the roadmap for the upcoming state assembly elections slated for October, said that had Bhujbal been made the Chief Minister in 2004, the NCP would have retained the Chief Minister's post for as many years as the Congress-NCP alliance government remained in power in Maharashtra. "If the NCP had taken the post of Chief Minister in 2004, the party would have been in a position to keep the Chief Minister's post as long as the Congress and NCP alliance remained in power. Chhagan Bhujbal, R. R. Patil and other leaders could also have become Chief Minister," he said. Ajit Pawar said that he was part of the discussion with Sharad Pawar when NCP won 71 seats and Congress won 69 seats in the 2004 assembly elections. "All the senior leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare were of the opinion that NCP should get the CM's post. I also thought that Chhagan Bhujbal should become the Chief Minister because he had worked hard to take the party to every nook and corner of Maharashtra," Ajit Pawar said. He said that many in the party thought that Chhagan Bhujbal should become the Chief Minister. "After making Sudhakarrao Naik the Chief Minister, he stopped listening to Sharad Pawar within only one year. He also removed 17 people from the cabinet. All this mess started from there, Ajit Pawar said. Food and Civil Supply Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said that there should be no delay in the seat-sharing agreement with the BJP and Shiv Sena for the upcoming state assembly elections. "Like the Lok Sabha, there should not be a fight in the grand alliance on the seat allocation for the Assembly elections. There should also be no delay in the seat-sharing arrangement. NCP must get its due share of seats," Chhagan Bhujbal said. He said that the BJP promised to allocate 80 to 90 seats to NCP in the Assembly elections when the party joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in July 2023. Ajit Pawar added that the BJP has promised that everyone will be respected in the Assembly elections. NCP Working President Praful Patel said that the seat-sharing agreement during the Assembly elections will not be the same as it was in the Lok Sabha elections. "There will definitely be an increase in the number of seats for NCP in the Assembly elections. All of us will be involved in the seat allocation discussions," Praful Patel said. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis in his reaction to Bhujbal's statement said that the leaders of all three parties will sit and determine the appropriate seat-sharing formula for the state assembly elections. "All the three parties will get seats. BJP being the largest party will get more seats," Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis said. In a related development, NCP SP leader Dheeraj Sharma, who was heading the party's youth wing, joined the Ajit Pawar faction on Monday. Paris, May 27 : Alexander Zverev added another feather to his crown, becoming only the third player in recent times to beat 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in the French Open, handing the Spanish legend a straight sets defeat in a blockbuster first-round encounter here on Monday. With World No.1 Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz watching from the stands, Zverev defeated Nadal 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 in a three-hour battle at the Court Philippe-Chatrier on Monday afternoon. The clash between Nadal and Zvarev, the fourth seed from Germany, was the marquee match on the second day at Roland Garros. But it ended in disappointment for the Spanish clay-court specialist who is now virtually in the final stages of his career following multiple injury breaks. After just over 45 minutes Zverev broke for a second time in the match to wrap up the first set against Nadal 6-3. The German broke Nadal's service in the first game and set the early tone for the match. Some big serving enabled Zverev to keep his nose in front thereafter as Nadal battled hard to stay in the set but lost a long ninth game to drop serve for a second time. The same trend continued, and Zverev took a stranglehold on the match by edging the second set tiebreak 7-5. Rafa had his chances in that set -a" he served for it at 5-4 only to be broken to love and he had two break points with the German serving at 5-5. There wasnat much to separate the two players in the shootout either when they swapped ends at 3-3. The fourth seed produced a winning drop volley to go up a mini break at 4-3 and came through a 19-shot exchange to extend that lead to 5-3. A packed house was treated to a bit of Nadal magic with a rocket of a forehand pass to bring the scores back to 5-4 but a poor drop shot then left Zverev up 6-4 and with two set points. The right-hander converted the second of those to go up two sets to love and leave the left-handed 14-time Roland Garros champion staring at an early exit. This was Nadalas first match on Court Philippe-Chatrier since triumphing in 2022. He is 112-3 at Roland Garros and has not lost to someone other than Novak Djokovic at the tournament since 2009 (Robin Soderling). But the Spanish star has struggled with injuries over the past couple of years and tallied a 5-3 record this clay-court season entering Roland Garros, well below his lofty standards. The German fourth seed Zverev broke Nadal in the seventh game of the third set. Nadal kept things very tight, but Zverev, the three-time Roland Garros semifinalist from Hamburg, rode the momentum to win the set 6-3 and clinch the match. New Delhi: Charred remains of a vehicle outside a children's hospital where a fire broke out on Saturday night at Vivek Vihar area. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, May 27 : The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Monday asked Naresh Kumar Chief Secretary (CS) of NCT of Delhi to take appropriate action against the authorities responsible for the tragic fire incident at a hospital in which seven newborns died. "Naresh Kumar Chief Secretary of NCT of Delhi must take appropriate action as per law against the responsible authorities: Department of Health Services, NCT of Delhi, Department of Fire Services, Municipal Authorities and other concerned district administration, and State Medical Council," the Commission said after visiting the nursing home where seven newborns died in a fire incident. The Commission has also instructed the Chief Secretary to submit an 'Action Taken Report' to the Commission within five working days and also sought a district-wise list of all government and private hospitals having NICU/ SNCU and any other medical facilities keeping the newborns and infants in NCT of Delhi. The Commission has observed that in the said nursing home there was no emergency exit which is a serious violation of the National Building Code of India, 2016. "There were no fire extinguishers and no automatic water sprinkle systems were functional. Also, at the time of the incident, locals reported it rather than the hospital staff," the Commission said. The Commission said that 12 newborn babies were rescued from the fire incident and shifted to East Delhi Advance NICU Hospital in Vivek Vihar for treatment. Out of these 12 newborns, six were declared brought dead and one was put on the ventilator but could not survive. All seven dead bodies have been further shifted to GTB Hospital for postmortem. NCPCR said that it seems that the staff of the nursing home was not trained in handling such emergency situations. "Prime- facie it seems that the incident occurred due to the negligence of the concerned authorities," the NCPCR said. Kolkata, May 27 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed a chargesheet against former Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan who has been described as the mastermind in the incident of attack on an ED team and CAPF personnel outside his residence in West Bengal earlier this year. The ED and the CAPF personnel came under attack when the probe agency officials went to Shahjahan's residence at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district to conduct a raid. In the chargesheet filed at a Special PMLA in Kolkata, the ED has accused Shahjahan of collecting Rs 261 crore through illegal land grabbing in Sandeshkhali. On Monday, an ED counsel informed the court that so far the central agency officials have identified 180 bighas (59.5 acres) of land which was illegally grabbed by Shahjahan at Sandeshkhali. Besides Shahjahan, his brother Sheikh Alamgir and his close associates Didar Bux Molla and Siboprasad Hazra have been named as accused in the chargesheet. The ED has so far confiscated assets and property worth Rs 27 crore owned by Shahajahan. It has been learnt that the ED has provided details of the assets and property attached by its officials in the chargesheet filed on Monday. Sources aware of the development said that the chargesheet filed on Monday has been drafted in such a manner that it has become almost impossible for Shahjahan to get bail in the matter. Kolkata, May 27 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that she will not be able to attend the crucial meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc, convened by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in New Delhi on June 1. Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress chief, cited two reasons behind her inability to attend the meeting. "First of all, on June 1, there will be the final and seventh phase of Lok Sabha polls for nine constituencies in West Bengal. Secondly, because of Cyclone Remal, many people have been displaced and are currently residing in temporary shelters. I will have to supervise that as well. These two factors are important for me and hence I will be staying back on June 1," she said while addressing an election meeting in Kolkata Uttar Lok Sabha constituency for party candidate and sitting MP Sudip Bandopadhyay. However, Banerjee did not make it clear whether she would send a representative for the meeting. In her speech at the election meeting, she again launched a scathing attack against both the Congress and the CPI-M. "These two parties have the only aim in West Bengal. That is to benefit the BJP by dividing the opposition votes," she claimed. Patna, May 27 : Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday said that God has "cursed" Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav for eating fish during the month of Navratri. "Tejashwi Yadav ate fish in Navratri while sitting in the helicopter. God has cursed him for this act. Lalu Prasad Yadav had also invited Rahul Gandhi in the month of Sawan, cooked mutton and served him. Do we eat non-vegetarian foods in the month of Sawan?" Bihar Deputy Chief Minister said while addressing a rally in Babuganj High School in Rohtas district. He said that for the next one and a half years, the double-engine government will be in Bihar. "Sand mafia, liquor mafia and land mafia should either leave Bihar or be ready to face the consequences," he said. Samrat Choudhary also taunted veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, saying that she never allowed former PM Manmohan Singh to express himself in a way which is befitting for a Prime Minister "Pakistan's army used to come and behead the Indian army. In today's India, even if a small bomb is thrown from Pakistan, we respond befittingly," he said. Chennai, May 27 : Tirupattur Police in Tamil Nadu has "requested" the tribals of Jawadhu Hills to surrender their country-made guns voluntarily and in return get a general amnesty. Chennai, May 27 (IANS) Tirupattur Police in Tamil Nadu has "requested" the tribals of Jawadhu Hills to surrender their country-made guns voluntarily and in return get a general amnesty. Police have communicated to the village heads of Jawadhu Hills to surrender the guns at a common place like temples so that the identity of those in procession of the guns is not revealed. The Tirupattur Superintendent of Police Albert John told IANS that recently during a routine vehicle checkup, police seized some unlicensed guns leading to the convening of a meeting of the village elders and asking them to surrender these guns. Police said that there are 177 licensed guns in the district which were surrendered in the local police stations in the district due to the Lok Sabha elections. The natives of Pudur Nadu, Nellivasal Nadu and Pungampattu Nadu in Jawadhu Hills have had a tradition of keeping illegal arms since pre-independence days. This was for hunting as also for protecting themselves against theft and to deliver the hill and forest produce to the local markets and safely return back to the villages. Police said that there is no requirement for such illegal and unlicensed country-made guns for the villagers and hence "requested" them to surrender these unlicensed guns. Patna May 27 : A law student in Patna died after he was brutally beaten up by over a dozen masked assailants outside his examination centre on Monday evening, police said. The deceased was identified as Harsh Raj, a student of BN College. He had gone to a law college in the Sultanganj area for an exam and was intercepted by the assailants just outside the examination centre when he came out. The assailants fled from the scene after thrashing him. The victim was admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) where he succumbed due to multiple injuries. Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was involved in a heated exchange of words with some persons a few days ago, and this could be the reason for the deadly attack. However, the police said they are investigating the matter. "A student named Harsh Raj, who had gone for an exam in a law college located in the Sultanganj police station area, was lynched by more than one dozen masked criminals. The body has been sent to the PMCH for post-mortem. The matter is being investigated. Nearby CCTV footage is being examined," ASP, Patna City, Sharat R.S. said. Harsh Raj was a resident of Vaishali and was doing his graduation in the state capital. Ahmedabad, May 27 : Gujarat Police has busted a mass marriage racket in Ahmedabad and also arrested the organiser of the event who has cheated 113 couples for Rs 24 lakh. Police said that they have arrested the organiser near the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in Vastral. He has been identified as Prakash Parmar. Police said that the Hindu Jan Vikas Seva Sangh Trust used to organise caste mass marriage programs and had promised to marry 113 couples and provide them with business facilities. "Each couple was charged Rs 22,000 for registration. However, after the event, the promised business facilities were not provided to the couples, leading to widespread frustration and anger among the victims," police said. Police said that the family members of the affected couples realising they had been duped, filed a complaint at the Amraiwadi police station against Prakash Parmar. Parmar had also set up an office in front of Bhartinagar Amraiwadi Post Office to lend credibility to the event. Police said that further investigation into the case is underway. --IANS janvi/dan Bengaluru, May 27 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday said that JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna, the prime accused in the sex video scandal, was free to say anything he wanted but must face the law of the land once he returned. Shivakumar's statement came to a query at a press meet at the Congress office here on Prajwal Revanna's allegation, in a video statement released earlier in the day, that the case was a conspiracy by the Congress. "I donat have much information on Prajwal Revannaas video, but I learnt it from the media. No matter what he says, he doesnat have a choice but to present himself before the SIT for investigation. The law will take its course in the case. (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi has spoken about Prajwal based on media reports, there is nothing wrong with it. Time will answer Prajwalas allegation on Rahul Gandhi," he said. In his first appearance after the alleged sex video scandal came to light, Prajwal Revanna, in a video on social media, said that he would appear before the SIT for questioning on May 31. Denying the allegations against him, he termed them "part of a political conspiracy". Asked about preparations for the Legislative Council elections, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, said: "Our government is working for the graduates, teachers, and the welfare of everyone in the state. I appeal to all to support the Congress in the upcoming election. We have instructed MLAs, ministers and party leaders to work hard to elect our candidates." Panaji, May 27 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief over the death of four persons from his state, who met with an accident in Goa. "Deeply saddened over their death, who were from East Champaran district of Bihar and died in a road accident in Goa. Wishing speedy recovery of the injured persons," Nitish Kumar said on 'X'. Four Bihar labourers were killed and four others injured after a bus rammed into their hutments along the roadside at Verna Industrial estate in the coastal state on Saturday. These workers, all natives of Bihar, were engaged in the construction work of pavement in the industrial estate and were provided accommodation along roadside hutment allegedly by their contractor. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that all the accused persons, including contractors, in the road accident that claimed four lives, will be prosecuted. CM Sawant said: "The accident at Verna Industrial estate causing death and injuries is unfortunate. The procedure has been started to prosecute the driver of the bus who drove under the influence of alcohol, along with the contractor and subcontractors who accommodated the labourers dangerously in the huts at the spot. All accused are being charged for causing injuries and death. Government shall also blacklist the contractors and subcontractors. No one shall be spared." --IANS sbk/dan Hyderabad, May 27 : A decade after its formation, Telangana will have a new official emblem reflecting the statehood movement. The new emblem will replace the one adopted in 2014 when Telangana came into being as the 29th state. The new emblem will be unveiled on 10th state formation day celebrations on June 2. The Congress government, which came to power in December 2023, decided to replace the existing emblem which depicts Kakatiya Kala Thoranam and Charminar, the symbols of Kakatiya and Qutb Shahi dynasties. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy decided to change the emblem as he believes that the existing one symbolises the aristocracy and dictatorship of past rulers. As part of this exercise, he had a meeting with noted artist Rudra Rajesham, who presented 12 draft designs. During the meeting held on Monday, the Chief Minister reportedly suggested a few more changes to the emblem design. Revanth Reddy wants a design which reflects the Telangana movement and the sacrifice of martyrs. Change of emblem was one of the key decisions taken by the Congress government, reversing the decisions of the previous BRS government. It replaced 'TS' with 'TG' as the state abbreviation. The earlier BRS government had adopted 'TS' as the abbreviation. The new government also decided to change Telangana Talli statue to reflect the sentiments of the Telangana people. The government also adopted Ande Sri's 'Jaya Jaya He Telangana' as the state anthem. Revanth Reddy has roped in Oscar-winning music composer M.M. Keeravani to compose music for the state song which will be unveiled on June 2. The Chief Minister had a meeting with Keeravani and Ande Sri on Sunday and suggested a few changes to the anthem. Jaipur, May 27 : The first Other Backward Class (OBC) certificate was issued to a transgender in Jaipur on Monday after the Rajasthan transgender community was included in the list of Other Backward Classes. Sub Divisional Officer, Jaipur Rajesh Jakhar handed over the certificate to Noor Shekhawat. Noor (30) was the first person in Rajasthan to have been issued a birth certificate with gender as transgender on it. Jakhar said that the Rajasthan government has included transgenders at number 92 in the Other Backward Class category following which people of the transgender community can get their backward class certificate made as per the rules. Chandigarh, May 27 : Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, on Monday interacted with Mona, a transgender tea seller, who is a beneficiary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra' outside Elante Mall. Hardeep Puri launched Chandigarh BJP's manifesto on Sunday, where he called upon Chandigarh voters to give their precious vote to BJP's Chandigarh Lok Sabha candidate, Sanjay Tandon. Expressing admiration for Mona's dedication, Puri commended her diligence in managing a thriving tea stall and even savored a cup of freshly brewed tea made by her. He said Mona's story is truly inspiring, as despite financial and societal odds, she carved her path as a successful entrepreneur. Reflecting on the challenges faced by small businesses during the pandemic, the Union Minister highlighted the government's initiative under PM Modi's leadership to provide microfinancing to enterprises like tea vendors, initially starting with loans of Rs 10,000, which eventually increased to Rs 20,000 and then Rs 50,000, all interest-free. Hardeep Puri emphasised the significance of documenting beneficiaries' data, noting that approximately 55-66 lakh micro-businesses had benefited from these loans. The Union Minister noted that previously, as these vendors did not have certificates, municipal officials used to take away their carts. Now they have certificates and no longer face such problems. Hardeep Puri said: "I met a dhaba owner who has been running his dhaba for the last 38 years and a transgender Mona who is selling tea very successfully in Chandigarh's Industrial Area. They have all been helped because of the microfinance facility." He confidently stated: "On June 4, Congress, AAP, and their allies will be wiped out, and BJP will come back with a thumping majority. He said the BJP would win at least six seats in Punjab." Chandigarh will go to the polls in its lone seat along with Punjab's 13 seats on June 1. New Delhi, May 28 : Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty has launched a campaign for the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) to withdraw its cases against the students, including Cannes 2024 Grand Prix winner Payal Kapadia, who had led the historic 131-day protest in 2015 against the appointment of Gajendra Singh Chauhan as the chairman of its governing body. Taking to Instagram, Pookutty wrote: "FTII must now withdraw the cases against Payal and the other students. It owes them the prestige that has been bestowed upon it." Kapadia is Accused No. 25 and, as Pookutty pointed out, has to go to court next month for another hearing of the case that has been going on since 2015. In 2015, FTII was in a state of ferment because of the appointment of Chauhan, a BJP activist whose only claim to fame was that he had played Yudhishtir in the TV serial 'Mahabharat'. Kapadia, who got into FTII on her second attempt in 2012, was one of the leaders of the 131-day protest against Chauhan, who, incidentally, was opposed by a phalanx of Bollywood celebrities, from Rajkummar Rao and Nawazuddin Siddiqui to Anupam Kher, and also by Soumitra Chatterjee and Jhanu Barua. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whom Kapadia has thanked profusely for being her inspiration in response to his congratulatory message on Sunday, had visited the FTII campus and joined the student protesters in 2015. As several people pointed out on X after Kapadia's Grand Prix win, the FTII initiated disciplinary action against her when she led the boycott of classes. Later, FTII cut her scholarship and a foreign exchange grant. In the same year, the Pune Police filed an FIR against 35 students, including Kapadia, after they held the then FTII director, Prashant Pathrabe, captive in his office. They were protesting against Pathrode's decision to proceed with the assessment of incomplete student projects of the 2008 batch. Even as the call for the withdrawal of FTII's cases grew louder, it was back to work for Kani Kusruti, who played one of the two Malayali nurses in Kapadia's debut film, 'All We Imagine As Light'. From Cannes the actress went to Kochi, where she was given a cheerful welcome, to join the shoot for T.R. Shamsudheen's upcoming Malayalam movie, 'Eyes'. In Kusruti's honour, the producer had organised a chocolate cake with an edible image of the moment when Kapadia and her three main female protagonists -- Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Charu Kadam -- were on the stage celebrating the Grand Prix win this past Saturday night. Colombo, May 28 : Sri Lanka Police on Monday announced a cash reward of Rs two million to anyone providing information on the alleged coordinator who sent four suspected IS terrorists to India. The 46-year-old handler named Osman Pushparaja Gerard is alleged to have coordinated with the four terror suspects, all natives of the island nation. "The mastermind must have already changed his appearance," the police stated while releasing several photos of the suspect. Lankan Police Chief also announced that a joint team comprising two special investigating units will lead the probe into these terror suspects' possible involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakone said that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) will be part of a special committee to investigate four Lankan terror suspects arrested by the Gujarat ATS at the Ahmedabad airport on May 19. "India would deal with them according to their law. Sri Lanka would investigate if they have been party to any acts of terrorism, or aided and abetted any group while being in Sri Lanka, and will deal with them according to our law," Sri Lanka's Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told media on Monday. According to the investigations done so far, one of the four suspects, Mohamed Nusrat (35) was involved in the business of importing phone and electrical equipment from Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore and selling in Colombo. Living in the heart of Colombo, he had a criminal record and was arrested in September 2020 for heroin trafficking. Another suspect, Mohamed Nafran (27) is the son of a convicted drug lord, Mohamed Naufer who was also convicted for killing a High Court judge. Nafran, who had been travelling to India and Dubai since turning 16, has been involved in businesses of importing clothes and chocolates. In 2017, he was arrested under the Gem and Jewellery Act in Sri Lanka. The other two suspects, it is believed, have left the Lankan shores for the first time. All four arrived in an Indigo flight out of Colombo to Chennai before being arrested by Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) for having links with the banned terror outfit Islamic State. They were earlier also connected to the banned Sri Lankan radical militant outfit, National Thowheeth Jamath (NJT) and allegedly joined IS after getting in touch with a Pakistani handler. Srinagar, May 28 : The J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said that it arrested a cashier in the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Ltd's (KPDCL) Sopore office on Monday while accepting a bribe. An ACB statement said that a senior assistant-cum-cashier in the office of the executive engineer, KPDCL, Sopore was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe from a person for releasing his security deposit. "ACB received a complaint against Mohd Shafi Bhat, senior assistant/cashier in the office of the executive engineer, KPDCL, Sub Transmission Division, Sopore, alleging therein the demand of bribe of Rs 10,000 for release of security amount to the tune of Rs 15,560," it said. As per the statement, the complainant, who runs Print Plus, at Hazratbal, Srinagar, had, supplied stationery items and log books to the office of the executive engineer, KPDCL, Sopore, in 2021. While the payment was made for the supplies, the security deposit amount remained pending. The complainant alleged that he approached the department for the release of the security amount many times, but one cashier (Shafi) kept delaying the same on one pretext or another and finally demanded Rs 10,000 as a bribe and that he had collected proof of this. He finally approached the ACB, which registered a case and began investigations. "During the course of investigations, the accused public servant was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting bribes from the complainant by a specially constituted team of the ACB headed by a DSP rank officer. He was immediately taken into custody after completing the legal formalities and the bribe amount was also recovered from his possession in the presence of independent witnesses," the ACB statement said, adding further investigations are on. Rajkot, May 28 : Three persons arrested in connection with the May 25 fire incident at a game zone here in which at least 35 people including children were killed have been sent to a 14-day police remand by a court, an official said on Monday. Yuvraj Singh Solanki, Nitin Jain and Rahul Rathod were sent to 14-day police custody by the court. Meanwhile, seven officials were suspended on Monday while Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargav has been transferred. Brijesh Kumar Jha has been appointed as the new Police Commissioner of Rajkot. The victims' families have been waiting for the DNA identification of their loved ones. On Monday, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi visited the Gandhinagar Forensic Science Laboratory to oversee the ongoing DNA testing. Chennai, May 28 : The Tamil Nadu Police's Cyber Crime Wing has cautioned people not to fall prey to online scamsters seeking to lure gullible people into parting with their hard-earned money. In a statement on Monday, police warned people against sharing their bank credentials and other details with anyone who contacts them through phone calls or online chat. Recently, a school teacher in Chennai's Ambattur became a victim of an online scam after she invested an amount of Rs 20 lakh believing in a Whatsapp message she received. She was asked to invest an amount of Rs 5 lakh in the stock market to start with and after some time, she received a "profit" of Rs 78,000 and was asked to invest more so that she could reap the benefits of the boom in the stock market. The teacher invested around Rs 20 lakh but found that even after several attempts, she could not withdraw her money. She filed a complaint with the Chennai Cyber Crime Branch which registered a case under sections of the IPC and the IT Act. A software engineer from Chennai's T-Nagar also lost Rs 65 lakh in what was an online scam similar to the one reported by the woman teacher. Cyber Crime Wing officials told IANS that people have to be cautious in investing their hard-earned money by believing such scammers and that trading should only be done with registered and credible online stock broking firms to ensure that their money is safe. Cairo, May 28 : Egypt has warned against the safety risks facing its army personnel deployed on the border with the Gaza Strip, Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV channel reported Monday, citing a high-ranking security source. Commenting on the killing of an Egyptian soldier near the Rafah crossing earlier in the day, the source said investigation committees have been formed to find out the details of the incident to determine responsibilities and prevent its future recurrence. The Egyptian army earlier in the day announced the killing of an Egyptian border guard in the Rafah border area with Gaza in a shooting incident, Xinhua news agency reported. The Israel Defense Forces also confirmed that a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border", after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers near the Rafah crossing on Monday. Meanwhile, the Egyptian security source said initial investigations into the incident indicated that a shooting incident erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants, leading to gunfire from several directions and prompting the Egyptian soldier to take "protective measures." The source affirmed that the international community must bear its responsibilities regarding the seriousness of the situation on the Egyptian border with Gaza, not only for security purposes but also for the entry of humanitarian aid into the war-torn enclave. Property details: This impressive professional building boasts over 4,600 square feet of space on a 1.135-acre lot in the heart of Hemphill, Texas. The building was constructed in 2001 and is currently available for sale. Featuring an ideal location for businesses and ample parking, this property is perfect for those looking for a space to set up a new office or expand their business. 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The settlement concludes five-year-long legal disputes across multiple courts. Both companies have decided to withdraw all opposition against each other in the Trade Marks Registry. This will enable the fintech firms to proceed with the registration of their respective trademarks. Further, both organisations will undertake necessary steps to comply with the obligations under the settlement agreement in respect of all cases before the Delhi high court (HC) and Bombay HC, the companies said in a joint statement. In June 2021, PhonePe and Resilient Innovations, the brand name of BharatPe, went for a full trial over the use of the word Pe (pronounced pay and means on in Hindi) after nearly two years of court proceedings. PhonePe had filed a lawsuit against BharatPe claiming trademark rights over the suffix. In October of the same year, PhonePe approached the Bombay HC seeking an injunction to restrain its rival Resilient Innovations from misusing PhonePes registered trademarks by using and promoting the marks PostPe/postpe, which is a subsidiary of BharatPe. The same year, Resilient Innovations had filed six different petitions before the Delhi HC seeking cancellation and removal of the entry pertaining to some of PhonePes registered trademarks from the Trade Marks Registry, wherein it also sought interim relief against the use of such registered trademarks of PhonePe. I appreciate the maturity and professionalism shown by the management of both sides, working closely to resolve all outstanding legal issues and moving ahead to focus their energy and resources on building robust digital payment ecosystems, said Rajnish Kumar, chairman of the board, BharatPe. I am glad that we have reached an amicable resolution in this matter. "This outcome will benefit both companies to move forward and focus our collective energy on growing the Indian fintech industry as a whole, Sameer Nigam, founder and chief executive officer, PhonePe, said. 'Nehru remains central to the polemic between the Congress and the BJP, or stated ideologically, between secular and Hindu nationalism.' 'The reason is that Nehru represents what is optimally possible as a secular politics along with liberalism and democracy in a country like India.' IMAGE: India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, during his visit to the United States in 1961. Photograph: Kind courtesy Abbie Rowe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons May 27, 2024, marks the 60 years since Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, passed into the ages. However, contemporary political discourse in India makes it hard to believe that the man died six decades ago. Most recently, while campaigning for the ongoing general elections, Narendra Modi -- who is seeking a third straight term as prime minister, a feat only achieved by Nehru -- has been invoking Nehru to criticise the Opposition. In the past 10 years, few of Modi's addresses in Parliament were made without a reference to Nehru. The less said about the entire social media machinery put in place to malign Nehru day in and day out, the better. On the other hand, those who are fighting to safeguard Constitutional principles also invoke Nehru's legacy and his role in guiding Independent India on the path of secularism and pluralism and, most importantly, to ensuring a strong democracy and the rule of law. So, what makes Nehru so alive in our social and political dialogue sixty years after his death? And why are the 'changes' we see in 'New India' either welcomed or decried as a break from the Nehruvian past? In an interview with Rediff.com's Utkarsh Mishra, distinguished historian Madhavan K Palat, left, bottom, answers some of these questions. It has been sixty years since Jawaharlal Nehru's death. Indian politics and society have changed significantly since then. Yet, there continue to be debates which often refer back to 'what Nehru did'. Some give him all the credit for today's achievements while others put all the blame on him for today's failures. How do you see it? Yes, Nehru remains central to the polemic between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, or stated ideologically, between secular and Hindu nationalism. The reason is that Nehru represents what is optimally possible as a secular politics along with liberalism and democracy in a country like India. Liberalism entails the fundamental rights of the individual citizen, and therefore of minorities. Democracy valorises the majority, which can lead to trampling on the minority. Any minority, be it religious, linguistic, regional, tribal, caste, or any other, may enjoy the fruits of democracy only through liberalism. Hence the only acceptable form of democracy is the liberal one. This was a fundamental challenge to notions of democracy by pure majority. If Hindutva is to make its case convincingly, through rational argument, it must refute Nehru, above all others. But Nehru added two other arguments to this. Unless the minorities could be included in the nation through liberal democracy, the unity of the nation would be compromised. According to him, an anti-secular politics enabled the British to divide the country, with tragic consequences on so many fronts. This lesson must not be forgotten, he argued. His further point was that the internal unity of the nation was essential to the external independence of the country, hence once again secular politics was unavoidable. No other political leader was as uncompromising and unequivocal as Nehru on this range of issues, and nobody saw as clearly the manner in which they were inter-related. There's a strong debate around Constitutional principles today and regarding the possibility of the current dispensation doing away with them. Nehru is often criticised for bringing the First Amendment that imposed several restrictions on Fundamental Rights, though the civil liberties enshrined in the Constitution are also largely his legacy. Does the proposition that the First Amendment was brought in simply to let the Nehru government have its way around the Constitutional safeguards and judicial scrutiny hold any ground? The First Amendment was not introduced simply to pander to Nehru, not by any means. Nehru, along with so many others, sought to guarantee rights and provide for social change. If the Constitution was an obstacle to social change, it was the Constitution that had to be altered, not the goal of social change. The concept of amendment was thus built into the argument, and the Constitution was never meant to be rigid, inflexible, and sacrosanct. He even argued in favour of easy amendment, through a simple majority in Parliament. India was urgently in need of social change, and at the top of his agenda was zamindari abolition and land reform in general. When landed magnates blocked such reforms through court judgments citing fundamental rights, he resorted to amendment. It does not follow that he undermined the Constitution, for, with or without him, others would have taken the same route. It is a mistake to assume that judicial scrutiny alone protects the Constitution, for the good reason that judges can be suborned, and have been. Further, democracy and a constitution can flourish without judicial scrutiny, as they have in Britain till recently. The Constitution can be undermined only by the nature of our democratic politics, not through the Constitution itself. Nehru upheld both the Constitution and democracy; both have been grievously compromised after him, but never by him and he was never the first cause. Religion is now playing a more important role in national politics than it did a decade ago. In his autobiography, Nehru wrote that majority communalism is much more dangerous than minority communalism. Someone witnessing the Indian politics today may find this view prescient. In contrast someone may take a view that neglecting 'minority communalism' may give more fodder to majority communalism. Do you think that Nehruvian secularism was a bit too tolerant of minority communalism? Can we counter the influence of communalism in politics today with Nehru's views? Nehru never used or was 'tolerant' of minority communalism. It was his policy to keep the State neutral while also ensuring that communities, whether majority or minority, did not violate the Constitution in letter or spirit. But he did make an effort to ensure that Muslims in India, after the bruising experience of Partition, would feel secure in India. The question of tolerating minority communalism did not arise. Some of his successors and others have however pandered to minority communalism in exchange for votes. Therefore, following Nehru's own (not of others who speak in his name) democratic and Constitutional politics can go a long way to counter the influence of communalism in politics today. We are in the middle of a General Election. Perhaps this is the first time that the Election Commission has issued notices to both the ruling party and the principal Opposition to 'refrain from making speeches on religious and communal lines'. We have been hearing the kind of speeches the prime minister has been making.How does this compare to the era of elections during Nehru's time, particularly when he declared 'an all-out war against communalism' during his campaign in Ludhiana in 1951-1952? How did he succeed in popularising secularism and communal harmony among voters in a country that had recently seen a bloodied Partition on religious lines? And, by extension what lessons can our generation learn from the same? The answer to this question is contained in my responses to your questions 1 and 3. While we are on the subject of speeches, I should wish to discuss two of Nehru's most famous ones. 'Tryst with Destiny', which he delivered on the midnight of August 14, 1947, and the 'Light has gone out of our lives', his address on January 30, 1948, after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. We know that the latter was delivered extempore. But is it true that the former was also not a written speech as the draft of what he actually wrote was lost? If yes, then can you tell us more about the story behind it? How did Nehru go about his various speeches? Nehru wrote his own speeches and he often spoke freely without a text before him; he did not use a speech writer. Hence, his speeches are uniquely his own and we can instantly recognise a speech which carries his signature but was written by somebody else, as occasionally happened. He would also make drafts and depart from the draft as he spoke. The first speech on the night of 14-15 August 1947 certainly exists in draft, and a facsimile has been published in the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru, Second Series, volume 3, between pages 136 and 137. Pune Police investigating the Porsche car crash case on Monday said the blood samples of the juvenile driver were thrown into a dustbin and replaced with another person's samples which showed no traces of alcohol and arrested two doctors and a staffer of Sassoon General Hospital. IMAGE: The Porsche car that hit a motorcycle at Kalyani Nagar in Pune, May 19, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The arrested persons are identified as Dr Ajay Taware, head of the state-run hospital's Forensic Medicine department, Dr Shrihari Halnor, the chief medical officer, and the staffer Atul Ghatkamble who works under Dr Taware. They were remanded in police custody till May 30. "The juvenile's father had called the doctor and offered him allurements to replace the blood samples," Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said at a press conference in Pune on Monday. As the juvenile's blood samples were replaced, the report which was received on Sunday from the hospital showed no traces of alcohol, he said. Two IT professionals were killed after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche allegedly driven by the minor boy in the early hours of May 19 in Kalyani Nagar area of Pune city. The police claim the teenager was drunk at the time of the accident. In separate developments, a court allowed the police to take custody of Vishal Agarwal, the realtor father of the 17-year-old involved in the car crash, from the Yerwada Central Jail in connection with the case of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of his driver. A team of representatives from Porsche reached the Yerwada police station on Monday to conduct a technical inspection of the luxury car involved in the crash, an official said. "Dr Ajay Taware and Dr Shrihari Halnor have been arrested. The investigation revealed that the blood samples of the juvenile were replaced with some other person's samples and this was done on the direction of Dr Taware," said Amitesh Kumar. On the instructions of Dr Taware, the juvenile's blood samples were thrown into a dustbin and replaced with the blood samples of another person, he said. "The investigation also revealed that it was the juvenile's father who had called Dr Ajay Taware and offered him allurements to replace the blood samples," Kumar said. Another police official from the crime branch told PTI that the juvenile's father made multiple calls to Dr Taware. Kumar said the manipulation of the blood sample came to light after another sample of the juvenile taken for DNA sampling was sent to another hospital. "The report of the other hospital revealed the juvenile's blood report at the Sassoon Hospital was manipulated as the DNA of (blood samples of) both the reports did not match," he said. He said a probe is underway to find out whose blood samples were collected to replace those of the juvenile and CCTV footage of the Sassoon Hospital was recovered. "We are probing whose samples were taken to replace the samples of the juvenile. We are probing whether someone's samples were taken or it was taken from the stock at the lab in the state-run hospital. We are investigating this aspect through CCTV footage, interrogation, and technical analysis," said Kumar. The police commissioner said that Indian Penal sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and other relevant sections have been added to the case in which the juvenile has been booked. "We have made the juvenile's father co-accused in the present case," he said. A police officer said the court allowed the police to take custody of Vishal Agarwal from the Yerwada Central Jail in connection with the case of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of his driver. The teenager involved in the crash was initially granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board, which also asked him to write an essay on road accidents, but following outrage and a review application by the police, he was sent to an observation home till June 5. The police commissioner added that the report of another sample of the juvenile taken at the Aundh Hospital, 20 hours after the accident, also did not have the traces of alcohol as it was taken for the purpose of DNA sampling. "We have already clarified that our case is not based on the pillar of blood sample but is based on section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The juvenile (in the car crash) was in full senses and knew that drunk driving can endanger the lives of others on the road," he said. After the first report of the juvenile which was based on 'physical appearance' came negative on Sunday morning, there was a scope for suspicion, Kumar said, adding police clandestinely took samples of the juvenile at different hospitals and sent them for DNA test. Another officer explained how the sample manipulation was detected. "At 11 am on Sunday, the first blood sample of the minor was collected at Sassoon. As an abundant precaution after the report of physical appearance came negative, it was decided that a second sample needs to be collected. It was collected at Aundh Hospital and sent for the DNA sampling to FSL. "The report stated that the DNA sample of the father didn't match with the sample collected at Sassoon, which means he was not the biological father of the juvenile (indicating sample manipulation)," he added. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's former aide Bibhav Kumar, who has been accused of abusing Aam Aadmi Party MP Swati Maliwal, was called to the chief minister's residence after she reached there and sought details on whose direction was he called. IMAGE: Bibhav Kumar, personal aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, being taken from Tiz Hazari Court after he was sent to five-day police custody in an alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, in New Delhi, on May 19, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo In a press note issued on Monday, the NCW emphasised that this update follows its earlier communication dated May 13, 2024, where it took suo moto cognisance of a media post titled 'DCW Chief Swati Maliwal accuses Arvind Kejriwal's personal secretary of assaulting her'. According to the report, Maliwal, the former DCW chief, alleged that she was assaulted by Kumar. The NCW has revealed that during Maliwal's visit to the chief minister's residence, Kumar was summoned after her arrival. To clarify the circumstances and directions under which Kumar was called, the NCW has called for an investigation into the Call Detail Records (CDR) of all involved individuals, including the chief minister. The NCW stressed the necessity of investigating the CDRs to determine who directed Kumar to be present at the chief minister's residence. Moreover, the NCW has insisted on stringent action against individuals, who have been issuing rape and death threats to Maliwal. It has called for the accused to be charged under the appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and has demanded a comprehensive report on the actions taken within three days. As firefighters toiled to douse a massive fire at a private neonatal hospital in New Delhi on Saturday night, many parents whose newborns were admitted to the facility had no clue what was going on. IMAGE: Anjar Chaudhary father of 12-day-old Fatima mourns at New Born Baby Care Hospital where a fire broke out on Saturday night in which 7 infants died, in Vivek Vihar in New Delhi on Monday, May 27, 2024. Photograph: Amit Sharma/ANI Photo Madhuraj Kumar, a painter, whose eight-day-old son was among the fortunate survivors, found out about the fire when he saw the charred hospital building on his way to work on Sunday morning. Similarly, no one from the hospital reached out to Deepak Gautam, whose six-day-old daughter was admitted there. His sister informed him about the fire after she saw it on the news. Families of Madhuraj Kumar, Gautam and others blame the hospital for negligence but are glad that their children survived. Seven newborns died and five were injured in a massive fire at Baby Care New Born Hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar that was allegedly operating illegally with an 'expired' licence and had no clearance from the fire department. Hospital owner Dr Naveen Khichi and Dr Aaksh, who was on duty at the time of the incident, were arrested on Sunday. "My son was born eight days ago and was shifted to the baby care unit for observation since he was a premature child. He was doing fine and doctors had said he would be discharged on Sunday. "On Sunday morning, I was going to Karn Vihar in Karkardooma for work and passed by the charred hospital building," said Madhuraj Kumar, a native of Banthala in Uttar Pradesh. The worried father then asked those at the spot about the whereabouts of the newborns admitted to the hospital and was told that they were shifted to another child care centre. "Initially, I was very worried about my child. But I was very happy when I found him alive," said Madhuraj Kumar. In the evening, some government officials came and referred the newborns to different hospitals, he said. He said his son has an infection but his condition is improving now. Madhuraj Kumar told his wife about the incident on Sunday evening. Gautam, a resident of Ram Nagar near Mandoli Road who works with a private firm, said he was informed about the fire by his sister and not the hospital authorities. "We did not receive any information from the hospital. My sister saw it on the news and informed me. "My daughter was born on May 22 at a hospital in Yamuna Vihar and was shifted to the child care unit the same day as she was not crying and had a blood infection," he said. "I have a son and this is my second child. When my daughter was born, I was happy that my family was now complete. The incident initially shook me but in the end, my prayers were answered and she was alive," he added. Gautam said he is yet to tell his wife about the incident. Rakesh Kumar, who works with a private firm, and Mithilesh Kumar, an online bike rider, said they were also not informed about the fire by the hospital authorities and saw it on the news. Rakesh Kumar's daughter, a premature baby, was injured in the incident. "The hospital was not very spacious. My daughter was on a ventilator. She received some burn injuries and her condition is still critical. She has been admitted to Chacha Nehru Hospital. Doctors are saying that she will be on a ventilator for another 15 days," Rakesh Kumar said. Mithilesh Kumar's son was admitted to the hospital with jaundice and breathing issues. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said Narendra Modi should be referred to as a Bharatiya Janata Party leader and not as the prime minister in the saffron party's campaign as he is a 'caretaker PM'. IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a public meeting in support of Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate for Jadavpur Sayani Ghosh ahead of the last phase of Lok Sabha Polls, in Kolkata on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Addressing an election rally in Burrabazar area in Kolkata Uttar seat for party candidate Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Banerjee said, "Modi ji has every right to campaign. He has every right to come here and participate in election programmes. But I am surprised to see him being referred to as the PM in his party's campaign advertisements." "Can he do this? I am being referred to as Trinamool Congress chairperson by my campaign managers and by my party here even though it is not assembly polls. Still, I am adhering to the model code of conduct," she said. Modi is scheduled to take part in a roadshow in Kolkata on May 28. Referring to Modi as the 'caretaker PM', Banerjee asserted that the BJP will not return to power for a third term and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will form the government at the Centre. Banerjee expressed her regret at being unable to attend the crucial meeting of the INDIA bloc on June 1 in Delhi due to the seventh-phase polling in West Bengal. "The INDIA bloc has fixed the meeting for June 1. However, with voting in my state on that day, I informed them I can't attend. Elections are also scheduled in other states like UP and Bihar," she explained. She highlighted her current priorities, stating, "Cyclone relief on one hand and elections on the other. My heart is preoccupied with these responsibilities." At a roadshow in Beleghata later in the day, Banerjee announced her plans to conduct an aerial survey of the cyclone-affected areas on May 29. "Since many areas might still be flooded, it may not be possible for me to visit all the places in person. However, we will ensure all necessary help and relief reach them. Some of my officials, who are currently occupied with election work, have been assigned to manage the relief efforts," she said. Banerjee accused the BJP of sowing division among communities to gain votes, calling it a 'dangerous game'. She emphasised her love for all communities, including Marwaris and Biharis, who contribute to West Bengal's diverse culture. "Please don't fall for any communal rift trap set by the BJP," she urged. The TMC chairperson accused the opposition, including the BJP, of manipulating her speech to portray her negatively to Muslims and other communities, distorting her message about India's inclusiveness and her commitment to humanity. "If part of my speech is clipped and shown to make me appear anti-religion, it hurts. At a recent meeting on our development initiatives, I said listing all our initiatives would take more time than reading religious books. Most of that speech was chopped off to give the impression I disrespected religion, which was then made viral to show me as anti-God," she clarified. "Those who know me understand how much respect I have for every religion, including Hinduism," she added. "Everyone is the same to me, to us." Banerjee also addressed a fake video circulating to portray TMC candidate and sitting MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay negatively among certain communities. Accusing the BJP of engineering division among communities, she said, "I love Biharis. I granted a two-day holiday for Chhath, attend Marwari community events, visit Jain temples, and participate in Ramadan during Eid. Everyone knows I stand for unity in diversity and equal religious rights for every community." She accused Congress of collaborating with the BJP to malign her before minorities. Regarding cyclone relief, Banerjee said, "Although the issue of those affected by the cyclone occupies my mind, I have to attend election meetings as time is limited. The BJP forced the Election Commission to schedule the polls this way. People are suffering from natural calamities while elections go on for about three months." "This scheduling was meant to benefit one person, Modi. Why couldn't they hold polls in 24 of the 42 seats in the first phase instead of just four? Despite sending the highest number of forces to Bengal, the BJP will be defeated by the people of Bengal," she asserted. Banerjee also expressed concern that BJP leaders from Rajasthan and other northern states are meeting with businessmen from certain communities who have lived in Bengal for centuries. "You stay here, have a good relationship with us. Why fall for their Bengali-non-Bengali ploy? If you dislike me, that's normal in a democracy, but please consider my words," she said. Labeling the BJP as the 'government of agencies, by agencies, for agencies', she mentioned Sudip Bandyopadhyay, a veteran MP, who was arrested despite no charges being proved against him. "While Sudipda was not intimidated and stayed with the party, another person got scared after a single ED raid and joined the BJP. We don't want such unprincipled, opportunistic leaders," she said, referring to TMC turncoat and BJP candidate Tapas Roy. Taking a jibe at Congress candidate Pradip Bhattacharya, Banerjee said, "He is contesting to split the anti-BJP vote and weaken our fight against Modi. Otherwise, why would someone of his age suddenly enter the fray?" Banerjee predicted that Modi wouldn't secure more than 200 seats in the polls. 'The question is whether Modi will increase his victory margin.' IMAGE: A child dressed as Narendra Modi during the Mahila Sammelan in Varanasi, May 22, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Varanasi, a city usually bustling with pilgrims and tourists, is currently teeming with political heavyweights. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Brijesh Pathak, one of Uttar Pradesh's two deputy chief ministers, were all present here on Sunday. The city is also set to welcome Bharatiya Janata Party President J P Nadda, UP's other Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, and Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday. IMAGE: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks to the media after his interaction with teachers and students in Varanasi on the topic: Empowering With Education-Teaching for a Better Tomorrow, in Varanasi, May 26, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Jaishankar, during his visit, took the opportunity to address students and teachers of a local school, emphasising the importance of technology in education. He also met with the local Tamil community, urging them to support the BJP's Varanasi candidate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yadav and Pathak, on the other hand, held public meetings and engaged with influential local leaders of their respective communities, rallying support for the prime minister ahead of the Lok Sabha polls here on June 1. Goyal's agenda, on the other hand, includes meeting artisans and traders associated with Varanasi's textiles trade, particularly saris. IMAGE: Women members of Namami Gange make a rangoli at Gaighat welcoming Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Varanasi, May 21, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The BJP has planned several events in this Lok Sabha constituency leading up to the end of campaigning on May 30. One such event, hosted by the BJP's foreign affairs department, led by Vijay Chauthaiwale, will see dozens of diplomats from across the world descend upon the city. They will attend the PM's public meetings, observe the BJP's electoral preparedness, and visit the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor, witnessing first-hand the city's transformation over the past decade. Over the past week, the city's Gujarati community held rituals that lasted several days to pray for a win with a bigger margin for the PM. Over the weekend, the city was alive with socio-cultural events. Music recitals and dance performances by artists from across the country, particularly southern India, served as a reminder of the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam cultural connect that the PM launched in 2022. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath addressed a mega public rally on Saturday. IMAGE: Modi visits the Sankatmochan Hanuman Mandir in Varanasi, May 21, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo "The cultural scene is relatively vibrant. Infrastructure is better. Tourist footfall has increased manifold. The law and order has improved. It was a city that retired indoors after dusk, BJP Spokesperson K K Sharma told Business Standard, explaining the importance of 10 years during which the PM represented Varanasi in the Lok Sabha. "Today, you would find people queuing up for morning darshan and aarti from 2.30 am onwards," Sharma added. IMAGE: Ajay Rai, the Congress candidate from Varanasi, during the election campaign in Varanasi, May 24, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo However, the electoral battle in Varanasi, according to locals and political experts, is not about whether the PM will win for a third successive occasion, but if he will increase his share of the votes polled and his win margin. The city's residents, like Sujit Kumar, a battery rickshaw operator, are keenly observing the political landscape. "The Congress' Ajay Rai, who has the support of the 'cycle' (Samajwadi Party), or Haathi (Bahujan Samaj Party)'s Ather Jamal Lari, are no match for the PM," says Kumar, an avowed 'Behenji' fan. "My life has not changed in the past 10 years, but the city looks better and cleaner, and the roads are wider," he says, thanking Mayawati's government for the roof over his head, and Modi for the ration," Kumar added. "The question is whether Modi will increase his victory margin." IMAGE: Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on their way to the Kaal Bhairav temple, in Varanasi, May 25, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Rai and Lari's campaigning is tepid in Varanasi city. Their supporters claimed that it was more vigorous in localities and nearby villages known to be supporters of the SP, the BSP and the Congress. The INDIA bloc is also trying its utmost on a seat the result on which appears a foregone conclusion. Its leaders, the Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the SP's Dimple Yadav held a roadshow on Saturday. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to address a rally later this week, which could have other leading lights of the alliance attend it as well. "The impact of these public meetings and rallies in Varanasi whether of the BJP's leadership or that of the Opposition bloc has a cascading impact across the Purvanchal," said a Congress worker, confident that with the SP's support, Rai would finally have the measure of the PM. Rai had contested against the PM in 2014 and 2019, as well. IMAGE: Students of the Vikas Intermediate College Parmanandpur form a human chain urging people to cast their votes on June 1 in Varanasi, May 23, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Modi secured 56.37 per cent of the votes polled in Varanasi in 2014 when Arvind Kejriwal, apart from Rai, had challenged him. In 2019, the PM's vote share increased to 63.6 per cent. Interestingly, the number of contenders for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, which was 42 in 2014 and 26 in 2019, is only seven in 2024. According to the Election Commission's Web site, as many as 55 people filed their nominations, and papers were accepted of eight, of which one candidate withdrew. Apart from the PM, Rai and Lari, the others are either Independents or from fledgling parties. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com Traditional medicine practitioner Hemchand Manjhi, renowned for his stellar work from a remote village in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, on Monday said he will return his Padma Shri award, after he received threats from Naxalites. IMAGE: President Droupadi Murmu confers the Padma Shri on Hemchand Manjhi at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, April 23, 2024. Photograph: Shrikant Singh/ANI Photo Manjhi, popularly known as Vaidyaraj, also said he will discontinue his practice. The 72-year-old traditional medicine practitioner last month received Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian honour. Naxalites on Sunday night set two under-construction mobile towers in Chameli and Gaurdand villages under Chhotedongar police station limits of the district on fire and put up banners and dropped pamphlets there threatening Manjhi, the police said. The pamphlets also had a picture of Manjhi in which he is seen receiving the Padma Shri award from President Droupadi Murmu. Naxalites have alleged that Majhi helped in the commissioning of the Aamdai Ghati iron ore project in Chhotedongar area of Narayanpur and received huge kickbacks for it, a charge denied by him in the past. Naxalites had earlier also levelled the same allegations against Manjhi and threatened him with dire consequences. Talking to PTI on Monday, Manjhi again refuted the charges and said he had already clarified to villagers that he has no connection with the iron ore mine. He said that after discussing with his family, he has decided to return the Padma Shri award and discontinue his traditional medicine practice. "I will return the Padma Shri award. Maoists say how I got the award from the President. I did not demand the award as I got it for my service to the people since I was no year 20-year-old. I give jad-booti (herbal medicines) for different ailments, particularly for cancer," he said. "Earlier, they (naxalites) killed my nephew Komal Manjhi by levelling false allegations. My family is living under the shadow of threat," he said. Manjhi's nephew Komal Manjhi was hacked to death by Naxalites in Chhotedongar, located around 45 km from the Narayanpur district headquarters, on December 9 last year after being accused of acting as agent for the Aamdai Ghati iron ore mine project and making huge money. After that, the police brought Hemchand Manjhi to Narayanpur town, where he has been living in a rented house with his family under the protection of three security personnel. "I was allotted a house by the administration in Narayanpur but it has no boundary wall, facility of water and other amenities so I decided to live in a rented house. I appeal to the administration to provide a proper house," he said. The Jayaswal Neco Industries Limited has been allotted the iron ore mine in Aamdai Ghati and Naxalites have been opposing the project for a long time. Sending a tough message, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that no family member of any terrorist nor close relatives of stone pelters will get government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir. IMAGE: Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses an election rally during the Lok Sabha elections. Photograph: ANI Phot Shah also said that the Narendra Modi government has not only targeted terrorists but also eliminated the terror ecosystem, resulting in a drastic fall in terror incidents in the country. "In Kashmir, we have taken a decision that if someone joins a terrorist organisation, their family members will not get any government job," he told PTI in an interview over the weekend. Similarly, Shah said, if someone indulges in stone pelting, his family members will also not get a government job. He said some human rights activists went to the Supreme Court against the decision but, at the end, the government prevailed. The home minister, however, said the government will make an exception in case someone from a family comes forward and informs the authorities that his or her close relative has joined a terror outfit. Such families will be given relief, he said. Earlier, funeral processions used to be taken out in Kashmir after a terrorist was killed, Shah said. "We have stopped this trend. We have ensured that the terrorist is buried with all religious formalities but in an isolated place," he said. The home minister said when a terrorist is surrounded by the security forces, he is first given a chance to surrender. "We call family members like his mother or wife and ask them to make an appeal to the terrorist to surrender. If he (the terrorist) does not listen, he dies," Shah said. The home minister said terror incidents have gone down significantly in Jammu and Kashmir as the government has not only targeted the terrorists but also eliminated the terror ecosystem. "Through the NIA (National Investigation Agency), we have taken strong action against terror funding and ended it. We have taken a very tough stand on terror funding," he said. In case of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), Shah said the government has imposed a ban on publication and spread of the terrorist ideology by it. Muslim radical group PFI, founded in Kerala, was banned under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by the Centre in September 2022 over its alleged links with terror activities. In the case of Amritpal Singh, an alleged pro-Khalistani separatist, "we have put him in jail under the NSA (National Security Act)", he said. Singh, the chief of radical Sikh separatist group 'Waris Punjab De', was arrested in April 2023 in Punjab under the stringent NSA and subsequently shifted to Assam where he is lodged in Dibrugarh jail. He recently filed nomination papers from the jail to contest the Lok Sabha election from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib seat. According to Union home ministry data, there were 228 terrorist initiated incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 and the number came down to around 50 in 2023. There were 189 encounters between security forces and terrorists in 2018 and it came down to around 40 in 2023. As many as 55 civilians were killed due to various terror incidents in 2018. The number came down to around five in 2023. In 2018, a total of 91 security personnel were killed in terror violence in Jammu and Kashmir, with the figure declining to around 15 in 2023. The top leaders of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) are likely to meet in the national capital on June 1 to assess their performance in the Lok Sabha elections and chalk out their strategy ahead of the results. IMAGE: Leaders from various parties attend the third meeting of the Opposition bloc, INDIA, Mumbai, September 1, 2023. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo The sources said the proposed meeting will be convened in the afternoon of June 1 when the last phase of polling will be underway. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who is one of the senior-most leaders of the opposition bloc, has convened the meeting, they said. The sources in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said party supremo Mamata Banerjee, general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other top leaders will be voting on the day and hence, will be unable to attend the meeting and pointed out that the party has so far attended all meetings of the opposition bloc. The TMC has conveyed this to the organisers, the sources added. Voting will take place on nine seats in West Bengal on June 1, including two seats in Kolkata -- Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar. The other constituencies that go to polls in the state include Jadavpur, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour. During the meeting, the opposition leaders will discuss their strategy ahead of the June 4 results and assess their performance in the seven-phase elections, they said. The opposition alliance has been claiming that it will be able to stop the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from returning to power at the Centre and cobble together a government of its own. The first meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc was held in Patna on June 23 last year, followed by a meeting in Bengaluru on July 17-18, 2023, and then in Mumbai between August 31 and September 1, where the opposition parties adopted resolutions to unitedly contest the Lok Sabha elections. The fourth meeting of the opposition bloc was held in Delhi on December 19. The next time the opposition leaders came together was in Delhi on March 31, when top leaders shared the stage at the 'Save Democracy' rally held against the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. A similar 'Ulgulan' rally was held in Ranchi on April 21. While the TMC, which is in power in West Bengal, does not have any seat-sharing deal with the Congress or any other INDIA bloc party in their home state, its candidate Laliteshpati Tripathi in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi has been supported by ally Samajwadi Party. Meanwhile, the ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also claimed that it will form the government at the Centre for the third successive time after these elections. Twenty-eight opposition parties came together to form the INDIA bloc. However, some parties such as Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United and the Rashtriya Lok Dal later switched over to the NDA. At least two persons died in West Bengal and its coastal areas suffered extensive damage to infrastructure and property, as Cyclone Remal tore through the state and neighbouring Bangladesh with winds speeds reaching 135 km per hour, officials said Monday. IMAGE: Commuters pass on a road amid rain after Cyclone Remal hit Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo A man died of his injuries when a wall collapsed due to the relentless downpour on Sunday evening at the Bibir Bagan area of Entally in Central Kolkata, a state disaster management official said. An eldery woman in the Mousuni Island near Namkhana adjacent to the Sunderbans delta also succumbed to injuries on Monday morning, following a tree collapse on her hut that resulted in the roof caving in, the official said. After tearing through the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal, Cyclone Remal left a trail of destruction with pictures of devastation becoming evident across the state's coastal areas, with extensive damage to infrastructure and property, soon after daybreak on Monday. Roofs of thatched huts were blown away, uprooted trees blocked roads in Kolkata as well as in the coastal districts, and electricity poles were knocked down causing significant power disruption in various parts of the state, including in the city's outskirts, the officials said. While several pockets of Kolkata remained waterlogged on the morning of the first working day of the week, suburban train services from the Sealdah terminal station remained partially suspended for at least three hours, adding to commuters' woes, before operations limped back to normal. Flight services at the Kolkata airport resumed on Monday morning after remaining suspended for 21 hours in view of Cyclone Remal. Airport sources, however, said it will take some more time for the situation to become normal. IMAGE: A deserted view of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata as flight operations were suspended due to cyclone Remal. Photograph: ANI Photo The cyclone ravaged adjacent coasts of the state and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country, after its landfall process began at 8.30 pm on Sunday and lasted for a good four hours. In a later update, the Met office said Remal' weakened into a cyclonic storm at 5:30 am on Monday, about 70 km northeast of Canning and 30 km west-southwest of Mongla. The system is likely to gradually weaken further. Efforts to restore normalcy are underway, with emergency services working to clear debris and restore power in the affected areas. However, the relentless heavy rain is hampering these operations in most of the affected areas, the officials said. The state government has initiated relief operations, providing food, drinking water and medical assistance to the people affected. The authorities have urged residents to remain indoors and take necessary precaution till the heavy rain persists. Kolkata recorded a rainfall of 146 mm in the period between 8.30 am on Sunday and 5.30 am on Monday, the weatherman said. The metropolis logged a maximum wind speed of 74 kmph, while Dum Dum in the northern outskirts of the city recorded maximum wind speed of 91 kmph, the weather office said. IMAGE: Indian Navy officials loading Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material for the aftermath of Cyclone Remal. Photograph: ANI Photo Several areas of Kolkata remained waterlogged, compounding the misery of the affected residents. Streets in significant pockets of Ballygunge, Park Circus, Dhakuria and Alipore in South Kolkata, Behala in the West and College Street, Thanthania Kali Bari, CR Avenue and Sinthi in the North remained inundated till late in the day. Reports indicated that trees were uprooted in several areas, including Southern Avenue, Lake Place, Chetla, D L Khan Road, Dufferin Road, Ballygunge Road, New Alipore, Behala, Jadavpur, Golpark, Hatibagan, Jagat Mukherjee Park, College Street, and the adjoining Salt Lake area. Around 68 trees were uprooted in Kolkata, with an additional 75 trees downed in the nearby Salt Lake and Rajarhat areas. The cyclone caused rainfall with strong winds in areas such as Digha, Kakdwip and Jaynagar, which intensified on Monday morning. Other places in south Bengal which received heavy rainfall during the period are Haldia (110 mm), Tamluk (70 mm) and Nimpith (70 mm), the Met office said. The storm and accompanying heavy rain flooded homes and farmlands. In some regions, salt water from the adjoining Bay of Bengal breached embankments and gushed into farmlands, damaging crops. The West Bengal government evacuated more than one lakh people from vulnerable areas ahead of the cyclone's landfall. The North and South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts reported widespread damage. News footage from the coastal resort town of Digha showed tidal waves crashing into a seawall, with surging waters sweeping fishing boats inland and inundating mud-and-thatch houses and farmlands. The weatherman has forecast more rain in Kolkata and the southern districts including Nadia and Murshidabad, with one or two spells of intense downpour, along with gusty surface winds till Tuesday morning. State Power Minister Aroop Biswas said the disruptions and damage to the power supply infrastructure caused by Cyclone Remal will be addressed soon. He noted that there had been one or two incidents of power outages in the CESC area, due to fallen trees. A total of 14 National Disaster Response Force teams were deployed for relief and restoration work across districts in south Bengal, including Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly. Relief materials, including dry food and tarpaulins, have been dispatched to the coastal areas and quick response teams comprising trained civil defence volunteers and equipped vehicles are in place, the officials said. The Election Commission on Monday said the voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir this time was the highest in a Lok Sabha election in the last 35 years with the Kashmir Valley witnessing a 'massive' 30 percentage point jump in poll participation compared to 2019. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: Women voters in Anantnag queue up at a polling booth, during the sixth phase of general elections on May 25, 2024. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said this achievement sits on a 25 per cent increase in the number of contesting candidates since 2019. "This active participation is a huge positive for the assembly elections to be held soon so that the democratic process continues to thrive in the Union Territory," he said. The poll panel also said the combined voter turnout at the polling stations for the entire Union Territory with five Lok Sabha seats was 58.46 per cent. On Saturday, CEC Kumar told PTI Videos that encouraged by the voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir in this Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission will 'very soon' initiate the process of conducting the assembly polls in the Union Territory. The voter turnout of 50.86 per cent from the three parliamentary constituencies in the Kashmir Valley echoes the faith of the people in the democratic process, the Election Commission said, adding the poll participation percentage witnessed a 30-point jump from the 2019 general elections where it was 19.16 per cent. The three seats in the Valley -- Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri -- recorded a voter turnout of 38.49 per cent, 59.1 per cent and 54.84 per cent, respectively, all of which have been the highest in the last three decades. The other two seats in the Union Territory -- Udhampur and Jammu -- which fall in the Jammu region, recorded 68.27 per cent and 72.22 per cent voter turnout respectively, it said. The Election Commission said that an increasing number of young people have asserted their faith and embraced democracy in a big way. Another interesting perspective is the people in the age group of 18-59 years who constitute over 80 per cent of the electorate in each of the five Lok Sabha seats of the Union Territory, it underlined. The high poll percentage in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is reflective of their faith in democracy, which is a positive and heartening development, the poll panel stressed. Whenever an assembly election is held in Jammu and Kashmir, it will be the first since the August 2019 abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories with the other being Ladakh which has one Lok Sabha seat and no provision for a legislative assembly. Following a delimitation exercise, the number of assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir has gone up from 83 to 90, excluding those allocated to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In December, the Supreme Court directed the poll panel to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30. In a poor village of daily wage earners in Siwan, Bihar, people speak about their hard lives and why they vote. All Photographs and Videos: Rajesh Karkera for Rediff.com IMAGE: Uma Devi from the village Dumri in Siwan. In Dumri village that lies in the Siwan constituency of Bihar, Uma Devi is sitting with two ladies outside a thatched hut. It is hot, but the breeze and the abundance of trees helps in making you feel cooler than what it really is. Three-four children are sitting on the ground beside her; one is a toddler. There are flies on his face and inside his nostril, but he sits without showing any discomfort. The boy is not Uma Devi's son. He has been left there to play with other children. Once in a while, Uma Devi cleans his nose of the flies. Dumri is a village of the poor. People earn a living working as daily wage labourers, earning Rs 400 to Rs 500 a day. They work as brick loaders, soil diggers and do odd jobs that come their way. The village is inhabited by Rajputs, Ahirs [Yadavs], Binds [mallahs or boatmen] and Dalits who are locally still referred to as 'Harijan' or 'chamar' -- both these terms are prohibited from usage by the government because they are demeaning to human dignity. But here, they are. IMAGE: A view of the village Dumri. Uma Devi who does not know her age has four children, one cow, one buffalo and two goats. Her youngest son is in Class 1. She sends him to a private school and pays Rs 400 as monthly fee. Her husband climbs up palm trees to tap toddy every morning and evening which is then sold, almost as soon as he gets off the tree. He makes some extra 100-200 rupees from that during toddy season time. In a corner of the hut are earthen pots that her husband uses to collect toddy. The women here call their husbands 'maalik' which literally means owner. It is noon and Uma Devi's husband is fast asleep on the bare mud floor inside the hut. The sound of his wife's voice at the door or of the children does not make him stir. There is no electricity connection inside the house. There is no toilet. The family uses the fields to defecate. A mud chulha outside is where meals are cooked. At night, the family sleeps on a string cot outside the hut. This is the life of an average voter in Dumri village. The two development positives that Uma Devi mentions is the concrete road that connects the village to the main road to Siwan, and the 5 kg free ration distributed every month which is a central government scheme initiated by the Narendra Modi government. "I vote in every election. It is my decision. I don't listen to anyone who tries to persuade me. I vote according to my will," says Uma Devi in a loud voice with an assured confidence, a telling statement about the understanding that the Indian people, especially in rural India, have about the value of their individual vote -- and the dedication they show towards casting their vote in every election. IMAGE: Residents of the village. Siwan voted on May 25. The three main candidates are Vijaylakshmi Kushwaha of the Janata Dal-United which is a constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, Awadh Bihari Chowdhry of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, a constituent of the INDIA Alliance bloc, and Independent candidate Heena Sahab, wife of the late don-turned-politician and four time MP Mohammad Shahabuddin. Shahabuddin died of Covid in Tihar jail in 2021. Heena unsuccessfully contested three Lok Sabha elections in the past as an RJD candidate. This election she is in the fray as an Independent. On Tuesday, March 21, she came campaigning in Dumri village and urged the villagers to vote for her. "She is the only candidate who has visited our village this time. No other candidate has come. She gave her speech and left," says Uma Devi. "No one really asks us what our problems are," she says and goes on to say that the whole village had voted for their candidate who won the mukhiya election, but he did not do anything for them. "This is my house, this is where we live along with our cattle -- and have to manage with Rs 400-500 a day that my husband earns as a for our saag, sabji and feed our cattle," she says taking us around the hut made of grass, bamboo and brick. Her cattle are tied behind the hut under a very large tree that provides shade to animals and humans alike. "This is our life." IMAGE: Goats and buffaloes tied at the village. WATCH: Uma Devi, the labourer in Dumaria, Bihar 'No sarkar has done anything for me' IMAGE: Rajdev Yadav, the daily wager. Near a bamboo grove at the other end of the village, Rajdev Yadav is looking to buy some bamboos. He is a daily wager, but today he has set out to get some bamboos needed in his house. "Neither the RJD or any other Sarkar has given anything to me," he says though he later agrees that he has received the 5 kg free ration from the Modi Sarkar which he did not get by previous governments. People are in agreement that they receive the grain and attribute it to the Modi government. But Rajdev Yadav's grievance is rozgar or employment and lack of factories that could have provided livelihood options. "We would not have had to go outside looking for work as labourers," he says. It would help if some small factory could be set up nearby which could provide employment to us and our children in the future, he feels. He has worked as a mason in Delhi and Gujarat and says he built a house with no help from any government scheme. Standing under a mango tree with mangoes almost touching his face, he rolls tobacco in his palm and says there are no toilets in the houses in his neighbourhood either. "It is up to the Pradhan and mukhiya to ensure that we get these government projects, but they don't. Yet, they come asking for votes with folded hands at election time," he says joining his hands together in a Namaste like netas do. When asked whom will he vote for, he says, "I will listen to my heart." WATCH: Rajdev Yadav, the daily wager Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Despite its loud, celebrity-driven campaigns asking citizens to vote, the Election Commission has failed to ensure that eligible voters don't disappear from the electoral rolls. Professor Ajit Masih, 85, has been voting in every election since 1962 when he voted for the first time. "I got a job in Chhapra and so my vote was listed here," he explains. The retired professor has voted in every Assembly, Parliament and Municipal election as he considers it his duty as a citizen. Last Monday, on May 20, Professor Masih -- who had earlier appeared with his brother-in-law Paul Ismail in a video posted by the Saran district, which Chhapra is part of, telling people to vote -- went to the voting booth and was told that his name was not on the voters' list. His name had been there in January 2024 when he had voted for a new mayor. All his protests fell on deaf ears. Paul Ismail, 75, has been voting in every election since 1969. He was stunned to discover that his name was not on the voters' list. Not a person to easily give up, he found out who had deleted his name. He got the name and number of the person responsible for the blunder. "He insisted that he had come to my home and found me missing, which is a lie as our house is always open, either me and my wife are there or my sister and her husband are there. We never leave the home unattended," Mr Ismail tells me, still deeply upset days later, like his brother-in-law, about not being able to vote for the first time. This is not an isolated instance. A Rediff.com editor found his name missing on the voters' list in the Mumbai North West consituency last Monday. His father, who passed away in October 2017, was still on the list. Actress Vidya Malvade posted a tearful video on Instagram about how she was unable to vote because her name was missing from the voters list in Mumbai. Another Rediff.com editor was shuttled between three voting centres in the Mumbai North Central constituency before election staff located his name on the voters list. Teesta Karkera, who turned 21 in April, was very excited about voting in her first Lok Sabha election. She waited for three hours in the summer heat at the voting centre in the Mumbai North constituency, only to discover that her name was missing. In no prior election has the Election Commission come off so badly. It has refused to censure the prime minister whose speeches hit a new nadir every second day. It has dilly dallied about how many Indians voted in each phase of the election. It has done nothing to probe the case of EVMs being nicked by members of you know which party. And worse, despite its loud, celebrity-driven campaigns asking citizens to vote, it has failed to ensure that eligible voters don't disappear from the electoral rolls. What Marcellus said about Denmark in Hamlet could well apply to this current election cycle. BRATTLEBORO If you're coming by the Royal Diner on a Friday evening for ice cream or a smash burger and fries, you might find yourself walki Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today A few passing clouds. Low 47F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 47F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. BRATTLEBORO A new ordinance seeks to combat issues with vacant buildings and blight in neighborhoods. Stephen Hayes, town planning technician, said the zoning ordinance will require vacant building owners to obtain a registration permit "with a fee that would double each year, so as to prevent continued vacancy." "It's a recognition that we're wanting to move things away from vacancy over time and then there's liability insurance requirements as well as an enforcement section, which would allow for us to enforce on properties that don't go through that registration process," he said. At a Select Board meeting last week, the board held its first reading of the ordinance drafted by town planning staff and largely modeled off a template from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. A second and potentially final reading will be held at the June 5 board meeting. Brattleboro explores vacant building ordinance BRATTLEBORO Select Board members voiced interest in exploring an ordinance to rein in vaca Planning Director Sue Fillion said the board was shown an overview of vacant building ordinances along with best practices from the League in February. "At that time, the Select Board was looking to see something that kind of did everything, addressed lots of different problems that we have with vacant buildings," she said. The proposed ordinance defines "vacant" as "unoccupied by a person or occupied by unauthorized persons for more than 180 days." Exceptions are made for warehouses, garages, vacation properties or buildings used on a seasonal basis. Owners are obligated to keep the properties in "good repair," Fillion said. A building safety officer from the fire department will be responsible for enforcement, which could lead to a lien obtained in court and signage outside indicating unsafe conditions. If issues aren't resolved after a 30-day warning period, the town can ticket the property owner as much as $800 per violation each day. "As I understand, it is often not allowed to go that high by the courts," Hayes said. Issues can take a long time to get resolved, Select Board Vice Chairwoman Elizabeth McLoughlin said in support of getting the ordinance in place. She said she's heard from community members who "think it's an affront that people would leave a building vacant and in poor condition, an affront to the town as a whole." Fees for the registration permit vary across the state, Hayes said. A figure has not yet been recommended in Brattleboro. Filling a vacancy and substantial renovation to help with marketing the property could get a building off the registry. If a property is empty but being leased, the 180-day period would not begin yet. Board member Richard Davis questioned if the definition of "vacant" is adequate. He envisioned a scenario where a bedroom is rented for a night just before hitting 180 days just to reset the clock. "I don't know the answer to that," Fillion said. "People are devious," Davis said. Oscar Heller of Brattleboro suggested expanding the ordinance to address vacant storefronts downtown or on Putney Road. "I think there's an interesting opportunity here to go a little further," he said. Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. This commentary was submitted by Cathy Solsaa, chairperson, and Marybeth Lennex-Levins, clerk of the Rutland City Public Schools Board of School Commissioners. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media. Commvault has hired Gareth Russell as its field chief technology officer of security for Asia Pacific (APAC). In the new role, Russell will work with organisations to strengthen their cyber resiliency strategy as a key priority. My focus will be on enhancing cyber resilience strategies including helping organisations across APAC strengthen their recovery capabilities. These days, when it comes to cyberattacks, its not a matter of if but when, and I look forward to working with enterprises to advance their cyber readiness and preparedness, Russell said. According to the cyber security vendor, the establishment of the new role reflects its commitment to extending its deep technical expertise in data security and cyber resilience to more customers and partners in the region. Russell comes into the role with close to 15 years of experience from working in IT-related roles, with his last role being managing director and global head of identity and access management and data protection at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. Additionally, he worked for over eight years at Accenture and seven years within Queensland government departments. Martin Creighan, APAC vice president, said the vendor has made significant strides in recent months to assemble a senior team with unparalleled skills and experience. Following the death of the Iranian president in a helicopter crash on May 19, Chinese online users said that the Israeli government issued a statement mocking Iran, citing a post made by a pro-Israel non-profit organization on X as evidence. But the claim is false. There is no publicly available evidence linking the organization to the Israeli government. The claim was shared on Chinese social media platform Weibo on May 20, 2024. Israel uploaded a post mocking Iranian presidents helicopter accident #Iranian president killed, the Chinese social media post reads in part. It was shared alongside a screenshot of what appears to be a post from X, formerly known as Twitter. The X post, uploaded by an account called Israel War Room, reads: Friendly reminder that its not exactly safe to fly a helicopter through severe fog, nor is it particularly smart to put your FM and President in the same helicopter while doing so. Netizens on Weibo claimed that Israel issued a statement mocking the death of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (left), with subsequent retweeters adding screenshots of the original source of the statement from a pro-Israel X account. (Screenshots/Weibo and Netease) The claim began to circulate online after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed when his helicopter crashed in poor weather in mountains near the Azerbaijan border. The charred wreckage of the helicopter, which had Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew on board, was found early on Monday, May 20, after an overnight search in blizzard conditions. The Israel War Rooms X post was also cited in other Chinese-language social media posts here, here and here that referred to it as an official statement released by the Israeli government. A number of accounts affiliated with official Chinese media outlets have reposted the purported statement by Israels government mocking Iran. (Screenshots/Douyin and Weibo) However, the claim is false. No official connection A keyword search on X found the original post of Israel War Room on May 19, 2024. Further keyword searches found the X account belongs to the website under the same name Israel War Room that describes itself as a U.S. based non-profit that combats anti-Israel rhetoric and exposes misleading narratives about the Jewish state. Israel War Room is described as a non-profit organization on its official X account. (Screenshot/X) The U.S. fact-checking organization PolitiFact describes the Israel War Room as pro-Israel, while an article by the U.S. weekly newspaper Jewish Journal simply refers to the organization as a social media account that tracks Israeli news on X and Instagram. Neither article stated or suggested that the organization is affiliated with the Israeli government. Separately, a search of the Israeli governments website did not reveal any ministries using the name Israel War Room. Keyword searches found no credible sources to show an official connection between the non-profit organization and the Israeli government. Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Taejun Kang. Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in todays complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) recently published a study on the cyber scamming industry in Southeast Asia finds that a decision in 2022 by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to delist Cambodia from its gray list of countries with deficient money-laundering controls has contributed to facilitating industrial-scale money laundering and strengthening the scamming industry there. According to the USIP's estimates, in Cambodia alone, return on cyber scamming is estimated to exceed $12.5 billion annually half the countrys formal GDP; and funds stolen by criminal syndicates based in Mekong countries likely exceeds $43.8 billion a year nearly 40 percent of the combined formal GDP of Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Speaking to RFA Khmer, Priscilla Clapp, a USIP senior advisor and who co-chaired the study, suggests that FATF should blacklist Cambodia in order to curb money-laundering and cyber-scamming. RFA: Your report states that Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are the epicenter of the cyber scamming industry in Southeast Asia. Can you give us a brief summary of the cyber-scamming industry in these three countries, in particular Cambodia? Clapp: Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos are the epicenter of the scamming. But the scamming itself is a combination of investment schemes, fraudulent investment schemes and fraudulent dating schemes. They try to draw people into a relationship through which they get them to begin handing over money, transferring it into crypto coins, crypto currency. And once they do that, it's gone. They just move it, they bundle it and move it into other places so people never see it again. This is part of a network that extends throughout the region. It's not individual states so much as it is the network. And that's the key point here. Chinese, in orange vest, arrested over an alleged internet scam, are escorted by Chinese police officers before boarding at Phnom Penh International Airport, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. (Heng Sinith/AP) What we were trying to bring out in this study was that Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar happen to be the epicenter because they are the most easily corrupted right now because of weak governance, and, in the case of Myanmar, because of extensive conflict that really creates a lot of instability in the country. These networks take advantage of unstable conditions, where they can capture the elite, either government, business or society. They are run by Chinese. They have grown out of the ancient Chinese triads, which came with the Chinese population that migrated into Southeast Asia. So there is, of course, a large Chinese population throughout Southeast Asia, including in Cambodia. And that's the population that these scams were originally focused on. But during the COVID period, because China closed its borders and its own people were called home and not allowed to leave the country, they lost their access to labor. It's a very labor intensive industry, and they needed the Chinese to run the scams before. So they began to transform themselves into a more global phenomenon, meaning that they began enticing people from around the world into these scam centers with the promise of high-tech, high-paid jobs, which, of course, wasn't the reality. And they began using them to scam their own countrymen. So it's now become a global problem. And the United States is one of the large victims of this. I would say the two largest victims are the U.S. and China. So we have a common interest here in doing something about it. RFA: Globally, more than 60 countries have become victims of the cyber-scamming industry originating in Southeast Asia. Your report mentions that as of May 2024, Cambodia is host to large-scale, sophisticated cyber-scamming operations spread widely across the country. How did it happen? Clapp: It started with illegal online gambling. You may recall that in 2016 or 2017, gambling operations started appearing in Sihanoukville. And they were run by Chinese. And they drew a lot of Chinese gangs to enforce the payment for gamblers that had lost money. Some of it was in-person gambling, but a lot of it was online and that was focused on China. But the gangs got out of control and started shooting up people on the streets, including police, and Prime Minister Hun Sen started to close it down, and he invited Chinese police to come in and round up these gangs. And so it was suppressed in Cambodia at that time the online gambling. And then what happened is it started moving out into more local areas, smaller operations. So it wasn't concentrated in Sihanoukville the way it had been. And at that time the gambling operations moved to Myanmar from Cambodia where they found a welcome home in Karen state. They were also on the China border, and they were being protected by Myanmar Army Border Guard Forces, the Karen Border Guard Force and the Kokang Border Guard Force. They were not only protecting, but they were also making money off it. They were profiting from them. But the operators were Chinese, actually the Kokang are Chinese. So, they were playing a dual role. That's when it started in Myanmar. And then COVID hit in 2020, and that started changing the whole dynamic. It came back in Cambodia in a different form, the scamming form that's now focused on investment and dating sites, that sort of thing. There's still probably some online gambling going on, but it's not the central focus of them anymore. And this happened with the Philippines as well, because a lot of the online gambling actually started in the Philippines. And when the Philippines started cracking down on it, it moved to Cambodia. The Cambodian government cracked down on it and it moved to Myanmar. But it never really left those other places. It's more and more under control in the Philippines now since (Ferdindand Marcos, Jr.) has become the president. RFA: In Cambodia alone, your report estimates that the cyber scamming industry generates $12.5 billion annually. It is stated that a significant part of the proceeds from these stolen funds have gone into the pockets of the ruling elites because they have connections to cyber scamming syndicates. Can you elaborate on how these connections arise? Clapp: Well, the connections are, let's say, the Chinese bosses who set these scams up, who sponsored them, are very well connected. And they operate in both licit and illicit business areas. And so they make connections with the ruling elite through what appear to be legitimate business operations. But then they start running these illegitimate operations underneath. So it's not clear that the ruling elite understands what they're getting into, but they do know that they're profiting from it. And so they let it go on. I'm not sure that they fully understand the illegal parts of it and the victimization that's happening. RFA: In terms of governments responses to cyber scamming, do you think they have done enough? Clapp: It keeps taking different forms. The thing is that these networks are very, very sophisticated, very advanced. The technology is extremely advanced, and they keep finding new ways of using the technology that get way out ahead of even law enforcement's ability to deal with it. But in Cambodia, what they've done is when the government moves in on, let say Sihanoukville or some of these large compounds where they have the scamming, they move out into the rural areas, particularly towards the Vietnam border. And it starts becoming much smaller operations. But most of them still have ownership among Cambodian businesses. Whether they know what's going on or not, I don't know. But they need to have a Cambodian sponsor. So yes, definitely it gets all mixed in. And the same thing happens in Laos and Myanmar. RFA: So if the issue of cyber-scamming is not curbed properly, what do you foresee will happen to Cambodia in the future? Clapp: The government and law enforcement and civil society the whole population has to be aware of what's going on and try to seize back control of their country. And that would take a large understanding within the population. But the government needs to be in the lead. The government can do a lot about it, but they have to be tough. And it's going to cost financially because there is a lot of money coming from these scams. It's filtering into the economy there. There's no question about it. A lot of it's going into the international financial system. It's laundered through big banks and all over the place probably here as well as Singapore, and Hong Kong. So the bulk of it goes there, but enough of it stays in Cambodia that it makes a difference to the Cambodian economy. As resources begin to disappear, they have to find other ways. But what they should be doing is finding better ways of investing in industry or tourism or whatever. But this scamming is basically in many places, getting out of control, and there is a lot of violence that goes along with it with these Chinese gangs that come in and force conditions inside, and they corrupt the local police force, certain people in the police force, not the whole thing, but certain people, so that they have protection. And, it's very hard to crack into that. In this photo released by the Cambodia Immigration Police of the Interior Ministry and taken on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017, shows numerous telephones, mobile phones and computer networking equipment confiscated from fraud suspects at the immigration office in Poipet, western Cambodia, on the border with Thailand. (Cambodia Immigration Police of the Interior Ministry via AP) RFA: Your report mentions that part of the issue that allowed the money laundering to reach industrial-scale in Cambodia is because in 2022, the international organization, the Financial Action Task Force, delisted Cambodia from its gray list, and as such also contributes to strengthening the cyber-scamming industry there. Was that the right decision? Clapp: We think they should be listed back onto the gray list. I think they should be on the black list, actually. It will certainly send a message. It will help. But the Financial Action Task Force does not necessarily have the power to do it on its own. The government would have to be a higher power, and the government would have to step in and be behind it. And that may not be happening. But I'll tell you that with money laundering, when these scams collect money, they immediately move it out. They move it out into other networks and it winds up in China, Singapore, Hong Kong and other places. Not necessarily in Cambodia. Very little of it stays behind there. So it's not likely that Cambodia will become a significant banking system for them. A joint statement came after North Korea told the Japanese government it would launch a satellite before June 4. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang attend the business summit at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on May 27, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. Updated 27 May, 2024, 07:07 a.m. ET. Leaders of South Korea, Japan and China reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during a summit in Seoul on Monday, hours after the North announced a plan to launch a satellite. President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang reached the agreement after the North notified Japan of its plan to launch a space rocket carrying a military spy satellite sometime before June 4. We reiterated positions on regional peace and stability, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the abduction issue, respectively. We agree to continue to make positive efforts for the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue, the three leaders said in a joint declaration. We reaffirmed that maintaining peace, stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia serves our common interest and is our common responsibility, they added. North Korea condemned the summit declaration as a grave political provocation and sovereignty violation. "To discuss the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula today constitutes a grave political provocation and sovereignty violation that totally denies the DPRK's inviolable sovereignty and constitution reflecting the unanimous will of all the Korean people," North Korea's foreign ministry spokesman said in state media. He was referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. At the summit in the South Korean capital, Yoon and Kishida denounced the Norths planned satellite launch as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban its use of ballistic missile technology. The international community must respond firmly, Yoon said during a joint press briefing. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang listen during a joint press conference in Seoul, South Korea, May 27, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool via Reuters) Yoons concerns were echoed by Kishida. If it proceeds, it will be a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. We strongly urge North Korea to cease this activity, he said. Chinas Li called on all related countries to exercise restraint to mitigate tensions, without referring to North Korea directly. China has consistently worked to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and is pushing for a political resolution to the peninsula issue. Relevant parties should exercise restraint and prevent the situation from worsening and becoming more complicated, Li said during the briefing. Korea, Japan and China should properly handle sensitive issues and conflicts, consider each others core interests and significant concerns, and practice genuine multilateralism to jointly safeguard stability in the Northeast Asian region, he added. North Korea notified Japan of its plan to launch a satellite on the eve of the trilateral gathering, the first the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China have held since 2019. Japans Cabinet Secretariat said on Sunday that North Korea had informed it of plans to launch a rocket carrying a satellite before June 4, the Kyodo News Agency and Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. The North designated three areas where debris will fall -- two west of the Korean Peninsula and the other east of the Philippine island of Luzon, according to the reports. Last week, the South Korean military said it had detected signs of Pyongyang preparing for a military spy satellite launch at a site on its west coast. North Korea, which has conducted six nuclear tests, launched its first military reconnaissance satellite in November and has made public a plan to launch three more this year. The trilateral session focused on promoting cooperation in six key areas: economy and trade, sustainable development, health issues, science and technology, disaster and safety management, and people-to-people exchanges. The leaders also agreed to formalize the trilateral cooperation by holding regular summits and ministerial meetings. Mondays session marked the first three-way meeting since December 2019, following a prolonged suspension due to COVID-19 and historical disputes among the Asian neighbors. Edited by Mike Firn. Updated to add North Korea's reaction. Fighting in northern Myanmar trapped 40 people and wounded dozens, witnesses told Radio Free Asia on Monday, as the war between the junta that seized power in 2021 and its enemies trying to end military rule takes an increasing toll of civilians. The Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic minority rebel group battling the junta in resource-rich Kachin State says it has captured about 100 junta camps, eight towns and a major trade route in recent months. Last week, the group seized a base in Waingmaw township, about 20 km (12 miles) from the state capital, Myitkyina. Heavy fighting erupted there late on Sunday as a military convoy was passing, sending residents fleeing any way they could, most in cars and on motorbikes, some of those who fled said. Twenty-six civilians were wounded by gunfire and shelling, with six men and two women in critical condition, the residents said, adding that about 40 people, many of them migrant workers, were trapped and unable to escape in the chaos. Unfortunately they got stuck in the fighting that erupted at the entrance of Waingmaw town, said one resident who managed to flee. The resident declined to be identified citing safety fears. They were suddenly in the middle of a battle and getting injured. It was not clear which sides fire hit the residents, they said. RFA telephoned Kachin States junta spokesperson, Moe Min Thein, and Kachin Independence Army information officer Col. Naw Bu for more information, but neither of them answered the calls. Most of those wounded in the fighting were men between the ages of 30 and 60, the resident said. Aid groups sent them to hospital in Waingmaw, but were transferred early on Monday to hospital in Myitkyina, about 20 km (12 miles) to the north, relief workers told RFA. Limited telecommunications have made it difficult for aid workers to confirm the identities of the injured and to assess safety, they said. Seven residents of Waingmaw were killed and 22 wounded in fighting between Tuesday and Saturday last week.. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. Demonstrators hold placards in front of military vehicles during a protest against the military coup, in Yangon, Myanmar, Feb. 15, 2021. The logo of Sinotruck can be seen on the front of the vehicle. A human rights group called on German truck manufacturer Traton SE to cut any business ties to the Myanmar military or divest from a Chinese state-owned firm, in which it has a stake, that the group said supplies military trucks to the junta. Rights group Justice for Myanmar said in a joint report with data analysis organization C4ADS that Traton and its parent company, Volkswagen, should investigate the Chinese firms Myanmar business links and cut business relations with it to avoid complicity. There is substantial evidence that the military obtains and assembles these trucks through the support of the Chinese state-owned company Sinotruk, which, in turn, benefits from the investment and collaboration of the German company Traton SE, the groups said. Sinotruks Hong Kong subsidiary is 25% owned by Traton, and the groups believe that this gives the German firm significant influence over the company. The logo of Volkswagen's truck unit Traton, former Volkswagen Truck & Bus AG, is pictured in Hanover, Germany, Sept. 19, 2018. (Fabian Bimmer/Reuters) Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew an elected government in 2021, ending a decade of tentative reform. Pro-democracy activists have taken up arms, joining forces with autonomy-seeking ethnic minority insurgents to end military rule. In the more than three years since the coup, more than 5,000 people have been killed by the junta, according to the activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Justice for Myanmar and C4ADS said that recent reporting and public information indicated that Sinotruks vehicles are widely used during military operations in Myanmar and that the company had directly engaged with the military through sales and manufacturing support. For instance, there were at least eight shipments, including disassembled truck parts, between Sinotruk and the Myanmar junta between April 2021 and March 2022, according to global trade records seen by Justice for Myanmar. The Myanmar military juntas continued campaign of repression and violence against the people of Myanmar is reliant on a fleet of military trucks that transport troops and weapons, the groups said in their report. Traton and its parent company, Volkswagen, should conduct a thorough investigation into Sinotruks business links, they said. Traton must take immediate action to ensure it cuts all business ties to the Myanmar military. Traton should ensure that Sinotruk ends any and all business with the Myanmar military junta or divests from the company in accordance with its international human rights responsibilities. A spokesperson at Traton said it did not have any say over Sinotruks actions. We consider Sinotruk as a financial investment with a 25% equity stake. Traton has no operational influence on their business activity, said head of external communications Sacha Klingner in a statement, adding that there were no supply relations between Traton, its brands and Sinotruk. Like with each of our investments, we continuously monitor performance and development but we dont comment or speculate on any potential future M&A [mergers and acquisitions] transactions. Sinotruk and Volkswagen did not respond to requests from RFA for comment. New accountability The United States and other Western countries have imposed various sanctions on the Myanmar military, while anti-junta groups and rights activists have called on all countries and companies to stop supplying the junta with weapons and other supplies. While Justice for Myanmar and C4ADS cited multiple voluntary international guidelines for businesses to help protect human rights in their operations and among partners, these are not legally binding for companies found to be violating them. Soldiers stand next to military vehicles as people gather to protest against the military coup, in Yangon, Myanmar, Feb. 15, 2021. (File photo/Reuters) The EU Council adopted a directive on Friday that could be more effective in ensuring its member states are more accountable for their business partners actions. The directive requires companies with more than 1,000 employees and over 450 million euro in worldwide revenue to identify, assess, prevent, mitigate, bring to an end to and remedy their negative impact and that of their upstream and downstream partners, by seeking contractual assurances from the partners, among other actions. EU member states will be responsible for setting up supervisory bodies to monitor and act against companies violating it, an EU press officer told RFA. Member states like Germany will have two years to apply the directive to their national laws. Unlike former guidelines, this will be legally binding. Patrick Hoffmann, co-founder of German Solidarity Myanmar, said EU rules could have potential if they targeted a wider range of business relationships, including shareholdings and strategic partnerships. Such a national authority could have quite a bandwidth of possibilities on formal investigations, Hoffmann said, referring to the supervisory body EU members will set up under the directive. Theres a whole spectrum of things they could do. Edited by Taejun Kang. Mahathir Mohamad said that one day Beijing may realize the claim means nothing. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks during a news conference at his office in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that China can claim the South China Sea, but that doesnt mean that other countries with overlapping claims should accept it, a view that differs from the Malaysian governments official line. Beijing has drawn a so-called nine-dash line to demarcate its historic claim of 90% of the disputed waters. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also hold conflicting claims over smaller parts of the South China Sea. OK, you can claim, Mahathir said at the annual Future of Asia conference hosted by Nikkei Inc. in Tokyo at the weekend. We dont accept your claim but we dont have to go to war against you because of your claim. Maybe one day you will realize that the claim means nothing, the 98-year-old former leader said. He did not elaborate. Mahathirs statement appears to differ from the Malaysian governments official line. Most recently in 2023, Malaysia, together with the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, rejected Chinas map that depicts its sovereignty in the South China Sea. They claim that the South China Seas belonging to them, but they have not stopped ships from passing through, he said, adding that Kuala Lumpur has been producing oil and gas in the sea but so far they have not done anything. As long as there is no stoppage of the passage of ships through the South China Sea then its good enough. The former leader argued that priorities should be given to maintaining peace and fostering economic development. The 10-member Southeast Asian bloc, ASEAN, has been peaceful compared to other regional groupings, he said, Until now theres no major wars between ASEAN countries. ASEAN could serve as a good model for the world where there are different ideologies but we dont go to war with each other. Malaysia will hold the groupings rotating chair in 2025, taking over from Laos. Not taking sides When asked about China-U.S. rivalry, the veteran leader urged regional countries to stay neutral as if we take sides, we are going to lose either the American market or the Chinese market. He noted that China did appear to be aggressive but it was the biggest trading partner for ASEAN countries and we cannot lose that market. He also warned against taking sides in the Taiwan issue, saying that there was no necessity to see a confrontation between China and Taiwan. Beijing considers democratically governed Taiwan a Chinese province that should be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. Last week, China conducted a two-day punishment military exercise around Taiwan, believed to be in response to the inauguration of the new Taiwanese president, Lai Ching-te. Mahathir said that Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, seems to be more ambitious and aggressive, but Chinas policies may change in future because of changes at the top. Leaders dont live forever so policies may change when leadership changes, he said. Mahathir Mohamad, who will be 99 in July, served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020. Incumbent Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was also present at the Future of Asia 2024 forum and delivered a speech. In an interview with Nikkei Asia on the forums sidelines, Anwar said that his focus will be the economy. Malaysias position remains that disputes should be settled via engagement and the way forward is to seek peaceful resolution through negotiations, according to Anwar. Future of Asia, held by Japans Nikkei annually since 1995, is an international gathering where political, economic, and academic leaders from the Asia-Pacific region offer their opinions frankly and freely on regional issues and the role of Asia in the world, according to the company. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn. YEREVAN -- Protests were seen throughout Yerevan on May 27 as demonstrators blocked traffic as part of a planned civil disobedience campaign aimed at putting pressure on Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. More than 270 people have been detained at demonstrations across the Armenian capital. The Yerevan protests were called by the Tavush For The Homeland movement, which opposes recent border demarcations in Armenias northern Tavush region that follow a series of military defeats to Azerbaijan under Pashinian. The recent delimitation of the border in the north of Armenia saw Azerbaijan regain jurisdiction over four villages that had been under Yerevans control since the first Armenian-Azerbaijani war in the early 1990s. Local residents say in some cases border markers were emplaced after dark. In the village of Kirants, the demarcation led to scuffles between police and local residents, some of whom demolished buildings that are due to be handed to Azerbaijan. Border guards are being moved into the area, replacing the military forces that Armenia and Azerbaijan had stationed there for decades. The new boundary line was based on Soviet-era maps. In Kirants, the delimitation cedes 50 plots of land and two residential homes to Baku. It has not been announced when the Kirants villagers will be made to leave their homes. Yerevan has vowed to compensate evicted locals with either money or property. The border delimitation began on April 19 and finished on May 15, when the deputy prime ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met to formalize the end of the process. No images of the meeting were released. Growing unease at the land concessions to Baku has been harnessed by Bagrat Galstanian, an archbishop from Tavush Province who has drawn huge numbers of protesters in recent days. Galstanian has repeatedly called for Pashinian to resign over what many view as excessive yielding to Baku. Russian President Vladimir Putin used a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, to cement their growing bilateral ties that have raised concern in the West as war rages in Ukraine and the Middle East. The two leaders met in Ashgabat on the sidelines of a conference in the capital of the tightly controlled Central Asian country of Turkmenistan on October 11. It was the first of two meetings between the men, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24. It was the first of two meetings between the two, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters ahead of the meeting that while the talks will focus on bilateral relations, "the situation in the Middle East definitely will not be ignored and will also be on the agenda." The meeting was the first between the two since Pezeshkian assumed office on July 30 after winning an election to succeed his hard-line predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May. Relations between Moscow and Tehran have strengthened since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "Pezeshkian is trying to gauge to what extent Iran can rely on Russia for help," Touraj Atabaki, professor emeritus of Middle East and Central Asia social history at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told Radio Farda. "Russia wants to stand with Iran due to Iran's support in its war on Ukraine but Moscow doesn't want to darken its relationship with Israel further and cut all ties," he added. Since the early months of the Ukraine war, Russia has been accused of using Iranian-made Shahed and Mohajer-6 drones, many of which have been found after being shot down over Ukrainian cities and battlefields. Iran initially denied arming Russia before relenting and admitting that it had supplied a "limited number of drones" to Moscow before the war. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Tehran continues to deny that its drones are being used by Russia against Ukraine. That has not stopped the United States and the European Union from imposing sanctions on Iran for helping Moscow. Last month, the EU said it had "credible" information provided by allies suggesting that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to help Moscow wage war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have been heightened since Tehran launched some 200 missiles at Israel on October 1, saying the attack was in response to the killing of Tehran-backed militant leaders and a general from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Israel has vowed to launch a "deadly, precise, and surprising" attack on Iran in retaliation, while it continues to pound targets in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip that it says are aimed at Iran-backed proxies. At least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded on October 11 by Israeli strikes in Jabalia in northern Gaza, according to the territory's civil-defense agency. The recent spiral of violence was sparked by the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas that killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 taken hostage. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. The fighting in Gaza prompted another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, to fire missiles into Israel in support of Hamas. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. The Israeli military has launched massive air strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon in response, as well as a ground incursion into southern Lebanon intended to destroy the Iran-allied militant group, whose political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. Israel faced condemnation on October 11 after its forces fired at what it said was a threat near a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon. Israeli soldiers had responded to "an immediate threat" around 50 meters from the UNIFIL post, the military said. "An initial examination indicates that during the incident, a hit was identified on a UNIFIL post...resulting in the injury of two UNIFIL personnel," the statement added. The army pledged to carry out a "thorough review." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the firing as "intolerable" and "a violation of international humanitarian law," while the British government said it was "appalled" by reports of the injuries. U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "absolutely" asking Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers, while the French, Spanish, and Italian leaders issued a joint statement expressing "outrage." French President Emmanuel Macron renewed his call for an end to exports of weapons used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, while saying the UN peacekeepers had been "deliberately targeted." In Iran, more than three dozen hard-line lawmakers on October 10 demanded the government revise its nuclear doctrine to pursue atomic weapons. In a letter to the Supreme National Security Council, they said Western powers could not control Israel, thus making nuclear weapons "Iran's option to create deterrence." Iran has been hit with waves of crippling economic sanctions for its nuclear program, which has seen a sharp increase in its uranium enrichment capacity after the United States under former President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 landmark deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that restricted Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes, but government officials caused alarm recently by saying it could change its "nuclear doctrine" if it is attacked or its existence is threatened by Israel. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods. I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on two issues: the meeting this week of NATO foreign ministers in Prague and the hard choices the EU needs to make regarding Georgia. Briefing #1: How Can The EU Respond To Georgia's 'Foreign Agent' Law? What You Need to Know: EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Georgia when they assemble in Brussels on May 27. Brussels is still hoping that the country's controversial "foreign agent" law, which is expected to be finally passed this week, will be withdrawn or sufficiently watered down. The bill has been heavily criticized by Western countries and rights groups for creating a framework to clamp down on civil society and free media. Until the law is adopted, the EU is unlikely to do anything. But what then are the bloc's options? The European Commission will be tasked with drawing up a paper, and there are roughly four major things that could be done: cut EU money to the country, sanction high-ranking Georgian politicians, stall the country's EU accession process, and suspend visa liberalization. The perhaps most obvious option, and one that the U.S. Congress is currently considering, is to slap asset freezes and visa bans on leading Georgian politicians. The potential wrench in the works here is that you need unanimity among EU member states, something that will be hard to achieve. Cutting funds from the EU budget is something the European Commission can do without a green light from member states, but there is an obstacle here as well. Georgia gets some 85 million euros ($92 million) a year in grants, some of which goes directly to the state and some to organizations within the country. A lot of that money supports the country's civil society sector -- something Brussels wants to protect now more than ever. Deep Background: What about Georgia's EU accession process? When the Georgian Parliament voted in favor of the controversial legislation for the third time on May 14, the EU issued a statement noting that "the adoption of this law negatively impacts Georgia's progress on the EU path." At the moment, Georgia has official candidate status, and the next step is to open accession talks. In many ways, though, the point is moot as no enlargement decisions are expected anytime soon. The European Commission's big report on the issue is due in October, and then, based on that, EU member states will decide in December. One slight complication is that most likely at the end of June, the EU will aim to formally start accession talks with Moldova and Ukraine, as well as advancing the EU integration processes of Serbia and Montenegro. There is already a lot of tricky political choreography in trying to please various camps of EU member states that are advocating for the EU hopefuls in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. Very few EU officials I have spoken to want to complicate matters further by adding Georgia to the mix. Some members of the European Parliament have called for Georgia's candidate status to be reversed, but that is something that has never happened in EU history. And to do that, you would need to secure the ever-illusive unanimity. The most likely scenario is maintaining the status quo: Georgia would remain a candidate to join the EU but without accession talks starting anytime soon. The question for policymakers is whether the Georgian government would even see this as a setback. Negotiations take years even with the best candidates, and the ruling Georgian Dream party can always point to the fact that it was actually them that delivered Georgia's candidate status in 2023. Drilling Down: It's worth remembering that the Georgian government has friends in high places that could alleviate the pain: Hungary, Slovakia, and Oliver Varhelyi, the Hungarian enlargement commissioner and ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have all been supportive of Georgia's bid to join the EU. As an illustration of their influence, it took 21 hours for the EU to issue a statement condemning the May 14 vote to approve the bill in the Georgian Parliament. Hungary and Slovakia blocked multiple drafts before the statement was signed on behalf of the 27 EU members states. Diplomatic sources in Brussels from various member states told me Hungary believes the EU shouldn't interfere in internal matters. Slovakia's new populist government is also pondering a "foreign agent"-style law, which could be used to target civil society. When member states couldn't agree on the wording, it was up to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to issue a statement instead. But that statement was held up by Varhelyi, who, in the end, withdrew his name from it, reportedly objecting to text linking the passing of the "foreign agent" law to Georgia's EU accession process. It will be interesting to see how much of a Georgia supporter Varhelyi will be going forward. After the Georgian prime minister accused him of threatening Georgia in a phone call last week, Varhelyi apologized , saying his words had been taken out of context. , saying his words had been taken out of context. That just leaves us with suspending visa liberalization. This is a solid option, as it doesn't require unanimity. To pass, it requires only qualified majority voting (QMV) -- meaning 55 percent of member states, normally 15 out of 27, representing 65 percent of the total EU population -- would suffice. This, however, could be a controversial move as the visa-free regime, which went into effect in 2017, is perhaps the single most popular EU policy among Georgians. And many diplomats from EU countries feel it would be unfair to target the entire population this way. My understanding, however, is there is a growing number of countries -- though possibly not yet enough for a QMV majority -- that are considering this option or at least haven't ruled it out completely. For the visa suspension mechanism to be triggered, it is enough that one EU member state signals to the European Commission that there are problems with a specific third country enjoying visa-free travel to the EU. The commission must then issue a report on the matter. If the commission sides with the complainant, EU member states can temporarily suspend visa-free travel for a limited period of time via QMV, and then, if the issues persist, fully suspend it again via QMV. The EU has only suspended visa liberalization once. That was in the case of Vanuatu, an island country in the South Pacific. In March 2022, the visa waiver was temporarily suspended due to the country's use of investor citizenship schemes, known as "golden passports." As Vanuatu didn't do anything to address Brussels' concerns, a decision to fully suspend visa-free travel was taken in November of that same year. From EU officials I have spoken to, it seems there is a consensus that visa suspensions should only be considered when there are clear "home affairs issues" -- say, for example, third-country citizens using visa liberalization to seek asylum in the EU, or there are too many overstays from the 180-day limit. But there is also the so-called democracy criteria, and other diplomats I have spoken to believe that enacting the "foreign agent" law would be a clear case for tightening visa requirements. Briefing #2: Ukraine Tops Agenda Of NATO Meeting In Prague What You Need To Know: The foreign ministers of the 32 NATO countries are coming to Prague this week for an informal ministerial meeting. These annual "informals," where they meet somewhere other than NATO headquarters in Brussels, have become something of an annual tradition for the military alliance. In order to "break the pattern," as one NATO official described it to me, they do one off-campus meeting, often ditching their formal attire, with the goal that ministers will speak more openly and without any pre-scripted notes that tend to be the norm for regular ministerial meetings. In 2022 they were in Berlin, last year in Oslo, and next year they will convene in Ankara. This year, it's the Czechs' turn to host. Right from the off, it's worth noting that they aren't expected to take any real decisions. They will, however, have plenty of time to exchange views, first at a dinner on May 30 and then at a working session the following day. The upcoming summit in Washington, D.C., on July 911 will be the main order of business at this week's meeting, in particular what sort of aid for Ukraine can be delivered ahead of the summit. NATO tends to be rather conservative at such times and prefers issues to be settled and agreed on, at least informally, before a summit in order to avoid any last-minute surprises falling into the laps of the leaders. Deep Background: Essentially, there are three things that the NATO foreign ministers will touch upon in Prague when it comes to Ukraine: Ramstein, training, and price tags. Ramstein refers to the American air base in western Germany that, for the past two years, has hosted many of the meetings of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a gathering of about 50 nations coordinating weapon deliveries to Kyiv. The idea is that NATO will take over the coordination of the contact group from the United States. That's likely to happen in the near future; however, it's not clear if the military alliance will be more efficient in cajoling countries to send military equipment to Ukraine. Patriot missile-defense systems are a good case in point here. Ukraine desperately needs to bolster its missile defenses, but no country has so far rushed forward. Eyes have turned to Greece, Spain, and Sweden, who all have missile systems. But so far none of those countries seems ready to send them. Speaking on background, NATO diplomats say the reluctance is due to the fact that Patriot systems can take years to produce and replace. France and Italy have equivalent systems, like the SAMP/T, but those are apparently needed to protect the Olympic Games in Paris and the summit of the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrial nations in Italy later this year. Drilling Down: What about the training of Ukrainian troops? The United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland have been doing this for the past two years on their home turf. Would it make sense for NATO to coordinate more or even put everything under the NATO flag? Possibly, although there is the very sensitive issue of whether there should be NATO or NATO member state military trainers on the ground in Ukraine. Some countries, notably Estonia and France, have not ruled deploying noncombat troops to western Ukraine, although that will probably be a tough sell. It's worth remembering, though, that there were NATO trainers in Ukraine for several years before and even in the run-up to Russia's full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. Then there is the price tag. This will be a sticking point and one that is expected to become a political hot potato given the reluctance of some members of the U.S. Republican Party to green light more aid to Ukraine. Ahead of the July summit, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is pushing the 32 NATO members to commit to giving Kyiv $100 billion for the next five years. Details regarding who would contribute what though are still in short supply, and nothing has yet been agreed. NATO has failed to fulfill commitments before. Take the "Wales pledge" from 2014, where NATO allies pledged to spend 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense in a decade. Ten years later, only 18 out of 32 member states have done so, and there are no real consequences for the laggards. Two other issues could also come up in Prague. First, there is Ukraine's possible NATO membership. Nothing is moving on this front. The unofficial line is that Kyiv will become a member sometime in the undefined future. Don't expect much more ambitious language than that in Washington in July. And then there is the selection of the next NATO secretary-general. The smart money is still on outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, but outsider Romanian President Klaus Iohannis hasn't yet thrown in the towel. We should have some clarity on this in the weeks ahead but probably not at this week's ministerial meeting. Looking Ahead EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on May 27 are expected to approve a new sanctions regime targeting people and entities committing human rights abuses, specifically in Russia. Known as "Navalny sanctions" in Brussels after the slain Russian opposition leader, the first batch of restrictive measures will target those the bloc believes are responsible for his death in February. That's all for this week. Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on Twitter, @RikardJozwiak, or by e-mail at jozwiakr@rferl.org. Until next time, Rikard Jozwiak If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. The Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof has received a special jury award and a 12-minute standing ovation after his new film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Rasoulof spoke to RFE/RL at the festival about how he escaped Iran on foot through a secret mountainous route just weeks earlier to avoid an eight-year prison sentence. TBILISI -- A key Georgian parliamentary committee has overruled pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili's veto of the so-called "foreign agent" law, opening the path for lawmakers to put the legislation into effect despite weeks of domestic protests and criticism from the West that the measure is harming Georgia's drive to join the Euro-Atlantic community. Following the move by the Legal Affairs Committee, parliament, dominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party that has pressed ahead with the law while cracking down harshly on protesters, is to consider overriding Zurabishvili's veto at a plenary session on May 28. Georgian Dream has a comfortable majority in parliament, with a successful override vote seen as a mere formality. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on May 27 said the bloc had started weighing options should Georgia enact the law. He said a decision will be made next month. The move came despite a massive peaceful protest in Tbilisi on May 26 and a last-minute warning by Georgian Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani that the law, also referred to as the "Russian law" because of its resemblance to legislation introduced by the Kremlin to stifle opposition and free speech, needs changes to limit the damage it will bring to civil society. "Accepting this law in this form, in my opinion, has already brought significant damage to the [democratic] process as a whole," Ioseliani told a news conference in Tbilisi on May 27, as he warned of the law's effects. "Therefore, it would be possible that parliament will refuse to override this veto and...there will be space for making changes in other legislative acts.... In my opinion, retreat is often not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength," Ioseliani added. Thousands of mostly young people marched in Tbilisi on Georgia's Independence Day on May 26, calling on the ruling Georgian Dream party to scrap the law. WATCH: On Independence Day, thousands of demonstrators called on the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw the law, which is seen as mirroring legislation used in Russia to silence critics and crush opposition. "Our fight is tireless, although they thought that we would get exhausted," writer Lasha Bugadze told the crowds of young Georgians who marched peacefully in downtown Tbilisi, waving Georgian and European Union flags. "Neither will we get tired in the coming days, not until the Russian law is withdrawn and Georgia becomes part of Europe," Bugadze said. The participants raised the flashlights on their cell phones and chanted, No to the Russian law! and No to the Russian regime! Earlier on May 26, Zurabishvili, in an Independence Day speech, said integration in the European Union and strong ties to the United States were paramount for the Caucasus nation to preserve its freedom. "This is the cornerstone of the solution, she told a crowd on May 26 in Tbilisis Freedom Square. Today -- when the ghost of Russia stands before us -- partnership and rapprochement with Europe and America is a true way to maintain our independence, peace, and strength, she said, as she cited the desire of a vast majority of citizens to join the European Union. Georgia obtained the coveted status of EU candidate country in December, but it has yet to start actual accession talks, which could last for years. There had been hope such talks could start later this year, but Brussels has warned that the "foreign agent" law could endanger the path toward Europe. Russia still maintains thousands of troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway Georgian regions that Moscow recognized as independent states following a five-day war with Georgia in 2008. "No war has been started by [members of the] European Union since its inception, Zurabishvili said. Instead, the real war party is one and only one that we see today in our occupied territories: Russian imperialism." The United States on May 26 marked the Georgian holiday, saying in a statement that it "will continue to strongly support the aspirations of the Georgian people for a Euro-Atlantic future." "We urge Georgias leaders to take the steps necessary to move Georgia forward in the right direction," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Last week, Blinken announced visa restrictions on Georgian government officials and a comprehensive review of bilateral relations with Tbilisi over the "foreign agent" legislation. "Anyone who undermines democratic processes or institutions in Georgia -- including in the lead up to, during, and following Georgias October 2024 elections -- may be found ineligible for U.S. visas under this policy and precluded from travel to the United States. Immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions," Blinken said while announcing the sanctions on May 24. The "foreign agent" law would require civil society and media organizations that get more than 20 percent of funding from foreign sources to report that fact to local authorities and submit to oversight that could encompass sanctions for as-yet-undefined criminal offenses. Critics have said the legislation was introduced by Georgian Dream, founded by Russia-friendly Georgian tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili, in order to cement the party's grip on power ahead of elections later this year seen as crucial for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic path. On Georgia's Independence Day, thousands of demonstrators called on the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw the controversial "foreign agent" law, which is seen as mirroring legislation used in Russia to silence critics and crush opposition. Demonstrators can be seen waving the European Union flag to show their support to continue Georgia's drive to join the Euro-Atlantic community, something the new law is said to threaten. 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 -- The dozens of residents who held a weeklong protest outside a government building in the flood-hit town of Qulsary have packed up their tents and their banners -- for the moment. But they are not the only ones crying out for faster and larger government compensation after historic flooding in Kazakhstan. Beyond the immediate financial fallout in terms of handouts for the tens of thousands who lost homes, livestock, and other possessions in the floods, there is the longer-term impact on th environment and agriculture, with swathes of crop-growing land damaged by the deluge. "The floods are over but the problems have just begun," summed up Almasbek Sadyrbaev, chairman of Shanyrak, a farming association with members across the country. Kazakhstan's cagey authorities are likely aware of that, but will they find answers? Disagreement On The Costs Seasonal floods that President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev called the worst experienced by the country for some 80 years began devastating the country in the second half of March, peaking in the first half or April and continuing into May. The deluge was caused by a sudden spell of warm weather on the back of cold temperatures and high snowfall, which allowed for a dangerous build-up of ice on Kazakhstan's vast steppes. Well over 100,000 people were evacuated during the flooding that began in the second half of March and peaked in mid-April, causing several fatalities. The worst-hit regions were northern and western Kazakhstan. Gauez Nurmukhambetov, governor of North Kazakhstan Province, estimated earlier this month that his region alone required 73 billion tenges ($165 million) to compensate damages. That was more than the amount allocated annually for the development of the province's administrative center, Petropavl, where more than 200,000 people live, he added. Local authorities in Aqtobe, one of the first provinces hit by the floods and one of the first where they receded, reckoned on 51 billion tenges ($115 million) in late April. Given that they are just two of seven provinces affected, Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev's initial projection of 400 billion tenges ($923 million) in total damages -- he stressed at the time that the figure was only preliminary -- is looking increasingly forlorn. Of course, not everyone has been happy about the size of compensation presently on offer. Qulsary, a town in the western province of Atyrau, suffered disproportionately, with around 2,000 permanent homes damaged and a further 1,000 deemed beyond repair. Hundreds of residents were seeking upfront payments of 400,000 tenges ($903) per square meter in compensation, while officials have cited calculations of between 200,000 and 240,000 tenges ($450-$563). Dozens of demonstrators had camped out on the town square, but they ended their protest on May 22, telling RFE/RL's Kazakh Service that they feared "provocations" after citizens unaffected by the flood joined them and issued broader political demands. But several residents who have been homeless for more than a month told RFE/RL's Kazakh Service that they remain unsatisfied with the lower figure, with some saying that it doesn't take into account labor costs. They have not ruled out resuming their protest. Containing The Anger On the same day as Qulsary ended its protest, Kazakh media reported that the Halyk charitable fund controlled by Timur Kulibaev -- Kazakhstan's top banker and the son-in-law of ex-President Nursultan Nazarbaev -- had begun paying residents of the town compensation. The Ata Meken business website noted that Halyk had contributed 31.4 billion tenges (more than $70 million) to fighting the floods, with most of the money going to victims in Atyrau. Protests about compensation were also held this month outside the town hall in Oral, the administrative center of West Kazakhstan Province, whose city outskirts were badly flooded. One Oral resident said last week that he was paid a visit by police at the evacuation point where he is living with his family after their home went underwater. He told RFE/RL that they warned him that he faced 15 days imprisonment if he protested again, to which he replied: "I have nothing to lose. I am homeless anyway." There have been few reports of arrests connected with the protests despite the fact that gatherings that take place without government approval are illegal under Kazakh law. But at least 29 citizens had faced administrative sanctions for spreading "false information" connected to the flooding, according to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. Six of those citizens were sentenced to short detentions, Bektenov said on May 21. Additionally, Oral journalist Raul Uporov was charged and fined for hooliganism after he recorded a video message defying local authorities' prohibition on media coverage in parts of the flood zone. Uporov and his colleague Lukpan Akhmedyarov made several video reports on the floods in Oral on their YouTube channel Prosto Jurnalistika. Spoiled Land? Aside from publicly calling on oligarchs like Kulibaev to pick up part of the compensation tab, Toqaev has moved quickly to cancel or cut funding for flashy budget-funded events whose costs are scrutinized by the population. One of these was the Astana International Forum, which the capital was due to host in June. Climate change was one of a number of topics addressed at the last edition of the forum, which is typically viewed as an attempt to project the country's international image and attract investment, similar to Russia's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. In his keynote address last year, Toqaev raised concern that "droughts and floods in Central Asia will [reduce] GDP by 1.3 percent per year and reduce agricultural yields by 30 percent, resulting in an estimated 5 million internal climate migrants by 2050." While Toqaev was talking in general terms, experts are already counting the cost of 2024's floods to agriculture, with Sadyrbaev warning that the sector had been "set back several years." In late April, the Agriculture Ministry said that it had paid out 278 million tenges ($680,000) in compensation for livestock, with calculations continuing. But Sadyrbaev said multiple farmers have reported problems in proving their right to compensation to his organization. The government's initial preference that farmers retain the corpses of their livestock as proof was rendered meaningless amid evidence that some livestock had been washed downstream as far as the Caspian Sea, he said. Shanyrak and other farming associations are now hopeful the government will work out fair compensation according to the farmbooks kept by local administrations, where "all animals are more or less recorded." What of the damage to land? That is a big unknown for the moment. Laura Malikova, chairman of the board of the Association of Practicing Environmentalists, told RFE/RL's Kazakh Service that farmers should carry out water and soil tests for harmful substances -- especially in areas where cattle burial grounds were washed away -- before restarting any agricultural work. Longer term, the government should develop a national adaptation plan for climate change in order to minimize the risk from future disasters, something that the ecologist says does not exist yet. Kiril Pavlov, an analyst and consultant focused on agriculture, raises similar fears. "Our farmers often do not observe crop rotation, planting the same crop in the same place for 1015 years," Pavlov said, highlighting wheat production as typical of this habit. "As a result, certain pathogens appear in the soil that reduce productivity. When the floods swept through the fields, the water collected not only pathogens like these but also pesticides and insecticides that were used to treat the soil," Pavlov said. Kazakhstan's spring sowing campaign began in mid-May. A readout from a May 14 government meeting stated that 580 billion tenge will be allocated for sowing work, mostly in the form of soft loans and subsidies for farmers. The readout did not mention the flooding but said that the figure was "three times greater than in previous years." At the same time, the fields in some parts of the country appear to be either waterlogged or too soaked to begin work, Pavlov noted. "Moreover, in northern [Kazakhstan] there are predictions of a cool summer," the analyst noted. "Late sowing and a summer with less sun. When you combine these factors, they raise big questions about [this year's] harvest." Cyclone Remal leaves 7 dead in Bangladesh Xinhua) 14:43, May 27, 2024 DHAKA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people died in Bangladesh due to the devastations of cyclone Remal, which lashed parts of the South Asian country with heavy rain and strong wind on Sunday night. The deaths were reported from five southern and southeastern Bangladeshi coastal districts. Apart from this, two people have been reported missing due to the severe cyclone. Strong winds and storm surged along the coasts of southern Bangladesh and India's West Bengal after the storm came ashore at 8:00 p.m. local time, Md Shamim Ahsan, deputy director of the Cyclone Warning Center at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), told Xinhua. The cyclone damaged crops in about a dozen coastal districts. At least 800,000 people from the 10 most vulnerable districts have already been evacuated to shelters. Television stations Monday showed widespread flooding in coastal areas of Cox's Bazaar, Chattogram, Patuakhali and other districts. Power supply snapped in the coastal areas in Bangladesh after the fierce winds uprooted electricity poles and left wires tangled with logs and twigs. The cyclonic devastations reportedly left 15 million people without electricity. Bangladeshi State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibur Rahman said that they have taken adequate measures to support the affected people. In a bulletin on Monday, BMD said Remal has already weakened and was gradually reduced to a depression. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Desertions in the Romanian Army in WWI In a state of war, conscripted into a strict institutional form like the army, the military man is under great pressure Desertions in the Romanian Army in WWI Steliu Lambru, 29.07.2024, 13:33 In a state of war, conscripted into a strict institutional form like the army, the military man is under great pressure. Its about being alive or not, about the unknown, about consciousness. In the extreme experience of war there is also desertion, a practice that has always been encountered in human history. And, during the first world war or the Great War, soldiers of all armies deserted, and so did those of the Romanian army. Historian Gabriela Dristaru from the Nicolae Iorga Institute of History in Bucharest researches the phenomenon of desertion from the Romanian army during the First World War. She looks at her research comparatively and, in doing so, has shown what is the attitude of British society today towards its own cases of deserters. In the English space, research on the subject began in the 1980s, with the declassification of documents subject to a longer classification regime in order to not affect the private lives of the accused and their families. Early texts argued that desertion during the Great War was not based on cowardice, as was believed at the time, but was the result of post-traumatic stress. Therefore, the 321 executions within the army of the British Empire were acts of injustice for which moral reparation was absolutely necessary. The Romanian army entered the First World War in August 1916. After a successful first offensive phase in the north and east, along the Carpathians, it was stopped by the German-Austro-Hungarian armies. In the south, the defeat of the Romanian army facing the Bulgarian-German one put the capital Bucharest in great danger. Following the battles for the defense of the capital, the city was occupied in December 1916, and the Romanian authorities took refuge in Moldavia, to the northeast. In 1917, the Romanian army, with the support of the French military mission led by General Henri Berthelot and the Russian army on the ground, managed to resist the German offensive in the battles of Marasti, Marasesti and Oituz. The Bolshevik revolution in the fall of 1917 and the disintegration of the Russian army meant that Romania could no longer resist, and concluded peace in March 1918 with Germany and its allies. Desertions appeared in the Romanian army after the fall of Bucharest and the retreat to Moldavia. It was a hasty retreat, chaotic at times, as we read in memoir sources. Romanian historians researched the army archives and compiled statistics. Until June 1, 1918, of the trials judged by the courts-martial of the various units of the Romanian army, two-thirds were about desertion and related crimes. Romanian military justice had been organized on the basis of the French Military Justice Code of 1857. In the law, desertion was of several types: desertion within the country, desertion within the country during wartime, desertion facing the enemy, desertion to the enemy, desertion in a foreign country. Disobedience to conscription and mobilization, insubordination, insulting superiors, and self-mutilation were also considered desertions in wartime. To better observe the phenomenon of desertion, Gabriela Dristaru read the court-martial archives of two large units, the 5th and 13th Divisions. Although the punishments for desertion were severe, ranging from death and stripping of rank, those who judged deserters were not hasty, and were lenient, as was the case with the 13th Division. Despite the fact that deserting within the country during wartime was punishable by hard labor for life or even the death penalty, only 3 sentences for hard labor for life and another 3 sentences for the death penalty were pronounced. The 6 who had received the maximum sentences had other charges: murder, robbery, forgery in public documents, insulting a superior. Percentage-wise, most sentences handed down for the crime of wartime desertion were acquittals. The reasons for the desertions were not escape from responsibility or fear, as one would think, but mostly emotional: longing for home, family, the desire to tell their loved ones that they were alive, the fear of leaving them under the occupation of the enemy. The vast majority of deserters returned to their units on their own after an absence of several weeks. Another reason for desertion was dissatisfaction with military and political leaders. Desertions were also numerous in 1917, encouraged by the defeatism of the Russian military and Austro-German propaganda. Here Gabriela Dristaru. Marcel Fontaine, a member of the French military mission, recalled that the opinion of the Romanian commanders was that the deserters were already too numerous to be executed, and the punishments would only have led to the worsening of the situation. In general, nothing could be done to change or improve the state of affairs. It was an assumed defeatism of the commanders, who felt and saw daily around them the disintegration of the Russian army and the imminent end of the war. The propaganda of the Central Powers had diversified and matured, and certainly contributed to the increase in the number of desertions from the Romanian army. The Romanian military authorities found a more pragmatic and effective solution: they replaced the mostly Wallachian divisions on the front line with divisions composed mostly of Moldavians, who had no interest in deserting to the enemy. Desertions from the Romanian army during the First World War were a typical phenomenon for those times. And the defectors of that time are left both with the judgment of their contemporaries and with the clemency of posterity. The Romanians Abroad Day Romanian politicians from across the political spectrum praise the contribution of Romanians living and working abroad to the countrys positive image. Klaus Iohannis foto presidency ro Corina Cristea, 27.05.2024, 14:00 Ever since 2015, we have celebrated the Romanians Abroad Day every year on the last Sunday in May as a day dedicated to all Romanians, especially those living abroad. Wherever we may find ourselves, we are celebrating this day together, looking at what has been achieved and especially at what is still to be done so that we can feel better protected and more confident in a Romania that defends out rights and serves our best interests, said president Klaus Iohannis in a statement, in which he also urged for the preservation of Romanian identity, language and traditions. He emphasised that the diaspora needed to remain a strong voice, to be heard both in Bucharest and in other capitals of the world. The respect for the rights and interests of the Romanian citizens abroad, the permanent dialogue and the promotion of historical and cultural values are constant lines of action in the work of Romanian diplomats, said foreign minister Luminita Odobescu. In his statement, Senate speaker Nicolae Ciuca urged Romanians in the diaspora never to forget that they are Romanians and pass on their love of the country to their children. The diaspora has a strong say in any discussion about the future of Romania. Romanians everywhere are part of the nation, no matter how far they are. I know they have Romania in their souls, wherever they are, said Ciuca. Every Romanian who leaves Romania forever is a failure for this country and not a reason to celebrate, said prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. Attending an event hosted by the National Opera House to mark Romanians Abroad Day, he said he would sign an agreement in July for the Romanians living in Spain to be allowed to hold dual citizenship and said he was convinced Romania would fully join Schengen by the end of the year, after maritime and air checks were lifted in March. The event at the Opera House was the last in a 3-day festival entitled Here-There, which was in its 7th year and brought together in Bucharest over 500 Romanians from the diaspora and historical communities, from 34 countries. Held under the patronage of the Romanian president, the festival featured a series of activities organised by the Department for Romanians Abroad in partnership with the Union of Fine Artists in Romania. The Department used the opportunity to call for the implementation of a law on the establishment of community centres in the diaspora, an important project meant to provide support for Romanian communities abroad. Bucharest hosts Georgia the Cradle of Wine exhibition Georgias ancient wine-making culture is in the spotlight as part of an exhibition hosted by Bucharests Museum of Old Maps and Books. Bucharest hosts Georgia the Cradle of Wine exhibition Cristina Mateescu and Eugen Cojocariu, 24.05.2024, 14:00 Georgias ancient wine-making culture is in the spotlight as part of an exhibition hosted by Bucharests Museum of Old Maps and Books. In an exclusive interview to RRIs Eugen Cojocariu, ambassador Tamar Beruchashvili has spoken about the exhibition. Indian shares were seeing modest gains in early trade on Monday, with healthcare and metal stocks leading the surge. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex was up 125 points, or 0.2 percent, at 75,538 while the broader NSE Nifty index was up 23 points or 0.1 percent, at 22,980. Divis Laboratories jumped 5 percent on reporting a 67 percent jump in Q4 net profit. Cochin Shipyard surged 4.2 percent after reporting nearly seven-fold jump in its quarterly profit. Bosch added 1.6 percent after FY24 net profit jumped 75 percent year-on-year. RVNL soared 7.3 percent after it emerged as the lowest bidder for a construction project worth Rs 187 crore. Tata Steel rose 0.7 percent as the NCLT of Kolkata Bench approved a scheme of amalgamation with Indian Steel & Wire Products. Dr Reddy's Laboratories fell about 1 percent after its Russian subsidiary entered into a pact with Novartis Pharma to sell anti-diabetes products in Russia. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business confidence data from Germany is the only major report due on Monday, headlining a light day for the European economic news. At 4.00 am ET, Germany's ifo confidence survey data is due. The business confidence index is forecast to rise to 90.3 in May from 89.4 in the previous month. In the meantime, unemployment data is due from Poland. The jobless rate is seen at 5.1 percent in April, down from 5.3 percent in March. At 5.00 am ET, producer price data is due from Iceland. Track market moving Economic Events that impact Commodities, Stock, and Forex by using realtime RTTNews Economic Calendar this week. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Hong Kong's foreign trade deficit decreased considerably in April from a year ago as export growth accelerated amid more outflows to the Mainland and the United States, data from the Census and Statistics Department showed on Monday. The trade deficit narrowed to HK$10.2 billion in April from HK$36.6 billion in the same month last year. In March, the trade shortfall was HK$45.0 billion. The visible trade deficit of HK$10.2 billion was equivalent to 2.6 percent of the value of imports. The annual increase in exports was 11.9 percent in April, versus a 4.7 percent rebound in March. Exports to the Mainland of China alone expanded by 21.3 percent from last year. Total exports to Asia as a whole grew by 15.7 percent. Within this, shipments to Malaysia advanced the most, by 38.4 percent. This was followed by Thailand, with a 33.2 percent jump in exports. Apart from destinations in Asia, outflows to the United States rose sharply, by 17.1 percent. At the same time, exports to the Netherlands plunged by 24.3 percent. Imports logged an annual increase of 3.7 percent in April, slower than the 5.3 percent gain in the prior month. "Looking ahead, Hong Kong's export performance should improve further if external demand holds up, though geopolitical tensions and a longer period of tight financial conditions will bring uncertainties," a government spokesman said. RTTNews Economic Calendar helps you stay ahead of the curve and is updated in real-time. Get your Economic Calendar today and make data-driven decisions. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News German confidence stagnated in May as the deterioration in the current assessment was offset by the improvement in expectations, survey results from the ifo Institute showed on Monday. The business climate index registered 89.3 in May, unchanged from April. The score was forecast to improve to 90.3 from April's initially estimated value of 89.4. The indicator steadied in May after three straight months of increase. Companies were less satisfied with their current situation, while their expectations brightened. The current situation index unexpectedly dropped to 88.3 from 88.9 in the previous month. The reading was seen at 89.9. Meanwhile, the ifo expectations indicator advanced to a 13-month high of 90.4 from 89.7 a month ago. ifo President Clemens Fuest said, "Germany's is working its way out of the crisis step by step." The ifo survey showed that the manufacturing, trade and construction sectors recovered in May, while the service sector weakened. In manufacturing, the business confidence strengthened for the third month. Companies were more satisfied with their current situation and their outlook for the coming months was less pessimistic. In the service sector, the business confidence deteriorated in May. Current business situation worsened, while their expectations improved a bit. Companies reported additional orders. In trade, the business climate index advanced notably. Although business expectations rose considerably, they were still marked by skepticism. The current situation also rose in May. In construction, the business climate index climbed again. Companies were more satisfied with their current situation and their expectations were somewhat less pessimistic. Uncover key Economic Data this week with RTTNews Macroeconomic Calendar For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. [L-R] Dean of Humanities, Prof Enocent Msindo; Novelist & Playwright Tsitsi Dangarembga, DVC: Research, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, Dr Kwezi Mzilikazi By: Amahle Banda and Athenkosi Mndende In commemoration of Africa Month, the NRF SARChI Chair for Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education, in collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities and the Global Engagement Division, organised events from the 13th to the 16th of May 2024. These gatherings aimed to delve into Africa's rich heritage and provoke academic discourse on the continents future trajectory. Internationally acclaimed scholars, including Emeritus Prof Kwesi Kwaa Prah, Prof Lynda Spencer, Prof Douglas Mpondi, Dr Ignatius Mabasa, and Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga, shared their thoughts throughout the week. The inaugural event on May 13th featured a public lecture by Emeritus Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah, founder of the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS). Prof Prah explored the intersection of culture, language, and Africas future, asserting, Language is key to culture. If the dominator's language is dominant in the mouth of the conquered, then we are lost. He emphasised that the future of African culture lies in the intellectualisation of African languages and described the difficulties African societies face due to globalisation. Prof Prah called for Africa to forge its path anchored in its history and traditions and resist universalising globalisation. He urged enhancing the quality of African language dictionaries to preserve their richness. Prof Ron Simango supported this, emphasising the importance of valuing indigenous languages and breaking English dominance in academia. On May 14th, Tsitsi Dangarembga engaged with the Department of Literary Studies of English, discussing her novel "Nervous Conditions" with students. Dangarembga shared her writing process, character development, and the inspiration behind her works, aiming to make herself and her communities visible in literature. Describing "Nervous Conditions" as a journey of discovery for Zimbabwean women post-independence, she recounted its challenging publication journey, which eventually saw success in 1988. The book has now been translated into numerous European and Asian languages. The events continued on May 15th with a conversation between Dangarembga and Dr Mabasa about his "Nervous Conditions" translation into Shona, moderated by Prof Douglas Mpondi. Dr. Mabasa saw this translation as a form of repatriation and a practical action to counter Western dominance in knowledge. He felt that if the book remained in English, its existence was a colonial victory over indigenous people. Dangarembga and Mabasa discussed the importance of translations and the interconnectedness of self-development within a global context. Dangarembga advocated translating her book into other languages, like isiXhosa, to reach wider audiences. On May 16th, Dangarembga delivered a lecture titled A Perspective on Decolonizing the Southern African Subject: What We Are Up Against and How to Push Back at the Amazwi African Museum of Literature. She shed light on colonialism, poverty, and unemployment in Zimbabwe, inviting attendees to think about transformation and decolonisation. Dangarembga emphasised the importance of engaging with both internal and external systems of colonisation. She stressed that successful decolonisation requires reclaiming the past in a way that fits the present and planning for the future from where we are today. Among the attendees were the Deputy Ambassador of Switzerland, Mr. Marino Cuenat, and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnership, Dr. Nomakwezi Mzilikazi. They praised Dangarembgas creative accomplishments and activism in pursuing social justice in Africa. Closing her speech, Dangarembga echoed Professor Prah's call for comprehensive indigenous research, reiterating the urgent need to understand the origins of colonial subjects and indigenous knowledge across various fields. Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki captured Dangarembgas perspective on decolonisation, emphasising the integral role of language. She urged African scholars to search for missing etymologies to shed light on what Africa lost when indigenous languages were supplanted by colonial languages. The message was clear: Africa needs to forge its path. [L-R] Mekonen Shishay Abrehan, Ismael Mohammedsaid Mantay, Kibrom Tekeste Ghebremeskel, Ataklti Nguse Meles, and Mahta Goitom Isaac. By The Division of Communication and Advancement In a notable advancement for marine sciences, Eritreas Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) has initiated a partnership with Rhodes University's Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science (DIFS). This collaboration aims to develop fisheries education and research across Africa. Eritrea has identified a critical need to enhance the capabilities of its marine officials. This initiative led to the sponsorship of 16 postgraduate degrees at DIFS. Originally planning to support eight Master of Science (MSc) degrees, discussions with DIFS suggested that a more customised approach would be more effective. Professor Cliff Jones, Head of DIFS, advised, We recommended that Eritreas MMR include an Honours year to better equip candidates for the intensive demands of a thesis-based MSc. As a result, the program now encompasses both Honours and MSc studies, incorporating projects that lay the groundwork for sophisticated research. The first cohort of five Honours students began their studies in February 2024, with plans to advance to the MSc programme in 2025. This cohort includes: Ataklti Nguse Meles, Project Coordinator for the Fisheries Resources Management Programme, an IFAD-funded project (MMR); Ismael Mohammedsaid Mantay, Head of the Aquaculture Development Unit, Department of Fisheries Resources Development (MMR); Kibrom Tekeste Ghebremeskel, Coordinator of Chartered Fishing Vessel Operations, National Fisheries Corporation; Mahta Goitom Isaac, Director of the Marine Resources Environmental Management Division, Department of Regulatory Services (MMR); and Mekonen Shishay Abreha, Director of Marine Resource Research and Environment, MMR. These high-ranking officials, with substantial management experience in the marine sector, have brought research topics relevant to Eritrea's strategic needs. Their projects range from developing management strategies for sea cucumber fisheries to optimising nitrogen inputs in integrated fish and vegetable production systems, enhancing both Eritrea's strategic goals and the academic environment at DIFS. The course content at Rhodes University aligns perfectly with our expectations, noted Mr Ghebremeskel. The instructional methods are highly engaging, and the technical skills taught across various modules have been particularly valuable. Our cohort has gained expertise in fish identification, experimental design, understanding different aquaculture systems, and effective communication of results and reviews. In 2020, the African Union designated DIFS as a Centre of Excellence for training in Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture, highlighting its critical role in spearheading marine studies across the continent. Under the leadership of Professor Peter Brtiz, who retired last year, DIFS has been instrumental in guiding the AU's fisheries and aquaculture initiatives, reflecting a deep commitment to advancing marine sciences in Africa. After evaluating several universities in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, the MMR chose Rhodes University for its emphasis on practical and research-based education. Our visit confirmed our selection; the university surpassed our expectations, Mr. Ghebremeskel added. This academic partnership extends beyond education to a strategic alliance that promotes sustainable development through a cohesive approach in training and research. This collaboration prepares Eritrean officials for senior roles in marine resource management and sets a model for how African nations can partner with academic institutions to tackle specific regional challenges. Mr Mantay anticipates that the cohort will acquire the skills necessary for establishing and managing successful aquaculture operations, and he hopes to adapt some of these designs for use in Eritrea. Additionally, we've gained valuable experience in effectively presenting ideas to employees, staff, and stakeholders using concise and technologically supported methods, he said. As this academic year progresses, the impact of Eritreas experienced officials is already evident in the enriched classroom discussions and the depth of research being undertaken. This dynamic exchange of knowledge and experience underscores the transformative power of international academic collaborations in addressing complex global challenges such as sustainable fisheries management. Mr Ghebremeskel praised the informal yet respectful interactions at DIFS, noting, The modest staff, though small, demonstrates how collaboration and strategic outsourcing can achieve greater results. The Eritrean group is awaiting the arrival of their national flag, which will be displayed alongside other flags at the Global Engagement Division and Drostdy Dining Hall, symbolising their integration into the Rhodes University family. When launched, rivals for Mahindra Thar 5 Door are the new 2024 Force Gurkha 5 Door and Maruti Suzuki Jimny What is better and more practical than the Mahindra Thar currently on sale in a 3 Door format? You dont have to wonder, because Mahindra has an answer already. It is the upcoming 5-Door Thar likely to be launched on August 15th, 2024. Ahead of launch, we have managed to get our hands on the interior spy shots of a Thar 5 Door. Lets take a look. Mahindra Thar 5 Door Rear Legroom Revealed The whole idea of a 5 Door Thar is to establish enhanced practicality and position it as a genuine alternative to a typical monocoque compact SUV. Many Thar buyers often dont care about off-roading and all that capability but crave Thars rugged looks and massive road presence. They also want the practicality of 5 doors as a conventional SUV. Thanks to automotive enthusiast Anurag Salpe, we have interior spy shots of Thar 5 Door spotted near Sandip Foundation in Nashik, Maharashtra. From what we can see in these spy shots, Thar 5 Door is now a lot more family-friendly and can be a genuine alternative to a traditional monocoque SUV. Mahindra Thar 5 Door is a lot more feature-rich than before too. For starters, we get a lot more convenience features and creature comforts like a front centre armrest, rear bench seat with a centre armrest, rear AC vents and a usable luggage area. Even the rear legroom looks like it is generous and on par with compact SUVs. Even the gadgetry has been increased. Thar 5 Door now gets a much larger and free-standing 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment screen, a 10.2-inch fully digital instrument cluster, a chunkier steering wheel as Scorpio N and XUV700, a sunroof, Level-2 ADAS, push-button start, auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers. If the objective was to offer the basics of a conventional compact SUV, Mahindra 5 Door has done just that. What to expect? On the outside, Thar 5 Door gets a longer wheelbase, two additional doors, and a subtle refresh to its fascia. We have a new LED projector headlight now and the same revised fascia is likely to make it on 3 Door Thar in the form of a facelift. With Thar 5 Door, Mahindra is offering rear disc brakes and 255-section CEAT CrossDrive A/T tyres as seen in the recent spy shots. Powertrains-wise, all three of Thars engines will make their way on Mahindra Thar 5 Door as well. Were talking about a 1.5L Diesel engine with RWD layout in base variants, mated to a manual gearbox. This variant is likely to be priced around Rs. 12 lakh (Ex-sh) as it is smaller and carries a smaller engine than Scorpio N base variant priced at Rs. 13.85 lakh (Ex-sh). Other two engine options include 2.0L Turbo Petrol and the 2.2L Diesel engine options as current Thar. Will there be more performance with these engines on Thar 5 Door is yet to be seen. Rivals continue to be 2024 Force Gurkha and Maruti Suzuki Jimny. Also read Mahindra Thar price revision for May 2024 Order books for the new Mahindra XUV3XO had opened on 15th May 2024, amassing 50,000 bookings in 1 hour Mahindra XUV3XO, a facelifted version of the XUV300, has been received with much fanfare in India. It comes in with a host of exterior and interior updates, first in segment features, enhanced safety equipment and added technology, making it a must have by luxury seekers in the country. With bookings having opened from May 15, 2024 at 10 am, the XUV3XO reported record booking of 27,000 bookings within the first 10 minutes, to reach 50,000 units in the first hour, making it the fastest to reach this pitch. Mahindra XUV3XO Delivery Major Attractions This sub-4 meter SUV enters markets to take on the Tata Nexon, Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue and Maruti Brezza. It is being offered across 9 variants M1, M2, M2 Pro, M3, M3 Pro, AX5, AX5 Luxury, AX7, and AX7 Luxury and is priced from Rs 7.49 lakh to Rs 15.49 lakh (introductory pricing). At this price, the new Mahindra XUV3XO undercuts its competition Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza and Kia Sonet, by around Rs. 50,000. What is it that attracts buyers to the new Mahindra XUV3XO? It is the fact that it is a feature laden sub-4 meter SUV, that in the words of Veejay Nakra, President Automotive Division, M&M Ltd, is designed to deliver Everything You Want and More. The new Mahindra XUV3XO is built on a durable platform, designed to comply with the highest of global safety standards. Boasting of a completely revised exterior design, the new 3XO, even as it continues to sport the same profile as the XUV300, receives dual LED headlamps along with C shaped LED DRLs. It also gains a new front grille in a diamond design while towards the rear, it shows off C shaped LED tail lamps and a light-bar and rides on 16 inch, dual tone alloy wheels. It is its feature laden cabin that forms a main attraction. A brand new dashboard layout borrowed from the XUV400EV, revised upholstery, ventilated seating, large panoramic sunroof (claimed to be the largest in its segment) and remote climate control are some of its major fascinations. Technology updates include a large 10.25 inch free floating infotainment touchscreen system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with Adrenox connectivity, a digital instrument cluster and 7 speaker sound system from Harman Kardon. This system boasts of Sonic Expanse, Bass Enhancer and 4 Ambient Sound Modes. With safety features aplenty, the XUV3XO receives 6 airbags, 360 degree camera, electronic stability control, traction control, ISOFIX child seat mounts, ABS and EBD along with disc brakes on all 4 wheels. It also gets first in segment Level 2 ADAS with a total of 10 advanced driving features among which are adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking, forward collision warning, traffic sign recognition, high beam assist, lane departure warning, lane keep assist and smart pilot assist. Powertrain Specifications The Mahindra XUV3XO sees no change in its engine lineup and continues to draw its power from the same turbo petrol and turbo diesel engines that powered the XUV300. The 1.2 liter petrol engine is presented in two guises, one offering 109 hp power and 200 Nm torque and the other capable of 129 hp power and 230 Nm torque. It also gets a 1.5 liter diesel engine option capable of 115 hp power and 300 Nm torque. Transmission options include 6 speed manual, 6 speed AMT and automatic torque converter unit. This public charging station by Hyundai will be open for use for charging of all electric four wheelers irrespective of brand and model Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has inaugurated a new 180 kW DC Fast Public EV Charging Station in Chennai, located at the Spencer Plaza Mall in Anna Salai, Thousand Lights. The opening of its charging station is a part of the companys global brand vision of Progress for Humanity for sustainable and green operations and is located in the vicinity of coffee shops, restaurants and shopping malls. It is not restricted to exclusively Hyundai models but is open for charging of all electric four wheelers even by non-Hyundai EV customers. Hyundai 180 kW DC Fast Public EV Charging Station in Chennai This new charging station in Chennai, is a further expansion of the 11 such ultra-fast charging stations, each with 3 charging ports consisting of DC 150 kW, DC 60 kW, and DC 30 kW capacity but is the first of its kind in the 180 kW DC capacity. The other public charging networks are located in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Gurugram, and Bangalore, besides across five major highway locations of Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Jaipur, Hyderabad-Vijayawada, Mumbai-Surat, and Mumbai-Nashik. HMIL celebrates 28 years of operations in India with the inauguration of its first 180 kW DC fast public EV charging station in Chennai, that comprises 150 kW and 30 kW connectors. Apart from this, the company has future plans to set up 100 fast charging stations across Tamil Nadu as a part of its commitment to the state. Every Hyundai customer of the IONIQ 5, and Kona Electric can gain from this Hyundai Fast EV Charging Network. It comes with its own Charger Management System with myHyundaiApp allowing for easy location, navigation and pre-booking of charging slots. Users can also make digital payments while remote charging status is monitored. This app is available for both Hyundai and non-Hyundai users of electric vehicles. Commenting on the installation of Hyundai Fast EV Charging Network in Chennai, Mr. Jae Wan Ryu, Executive Director Corporate Planning, HMIL, said, Tamil Nadu is home for Hyundai Motor India Limited, and we have been committed to Tamil Nadu since our inception. As we celebrate 28 years of HMIL in India, we are delighted to inaugurate our first ever 180 kW fast public charging station in Chennai. In line with Hyundais vision of Progress for Humanity, we aim to enhance convenience of all EV users, and hence our charging stations can be utilized by any four-wheeler EV user. HMIL envisages to install 100 charging stations across Tamil Nadu, to enhance the EV ecosystem and motivate more customers towards EV adoption across the state. Hyundai Creta EV Planned HMIL, with a portfolio that currently includes several models across segments, and an electric vehicle lineup that has the Kona and Ioniq5 SUV, is expanding its electric portfolio to include a new EV SUV, likely to be Creta EV. Recently spied on test, the Creta EV is set to rival the MG ZS EV and upcoming Maruti eVX. Creta EV boasts of a similar design as seen on the ICE model. However, it does receive some feature updates with a new steering wheel design, new EV logo, closed off front grille section, revised bumpers and new alloy wheels. Spy shots also reveal a front charging port while its interior arrangement is akin to that seen on the ICE Creta with dual tone interiors, wireless charging port, cruise control, AC vents etc. It will also get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, premium sound system and Hyundai BlueLink connected car technology. The companys total production to date, since 2009, is 15 lakh vehicles Recent MQB A0 IN based Taigun, Kushaq, Virtus and Slavia account for 300,000 units For Volkswagen Group, India is one of their biggest markets outside of Europe. The companys MQB A0 IN based SUVs and sedans have firmly established both Skoda and Volkswagen brands in India. Recently, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India popped the champagne to celebrate engine and vehicle production milestones. Skoda VW Records 15 Lakh Production Milestone Ever since the company rolled out its first car, a Skoda Fabia, in 2009, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL) has come a long way in navigating the tricky and price-sensitive Indian market. From the glory days of Volkswagens Polo and Vento sedan and all of its derivatives along with Skoda Fabia and Rapid, SAVWIPL has played a pivotal role in Indias premium segment. From 2009 to this date, Skoda and Volkswagen brands have had a massive implication on Indian automotive landscape and are synonymous with enthusiasts and thrill seekers. SAVWIPL has registered a remarkable milestone of 1.5 million (15 lakh) vehicles manufactured since the first Skoda Fabia in 2009. All of these vehicles including the recent MQB A0 IN based vehicles like Virtus and Taigun from Volkswagen and Slavia and Kushaq from Skoda are produced at companys state-of-the-art facility at Chakan, outside Pune. Even more remarkable is the fact that SAVWIPLs Engine shop at this Chakan facility has produced more than 300,000 engines to go on vehicles under Volkswagen Group. 380,000 to be precise. SAVWIPLs Engine Shop is also celebrating its 10th anniversary and flexing 380,000 units produced till date, is a nice way to celebrate. SAVWIPL is setting a precedent and is aligning itself with Indian Governments Make In India initiative and the companys 1.0L TSI engines rely heavily on components sourced from Indian vendors. The company is proud of the fact that it has achieved an ethical balance between automation and human expertise and is a patron of local talents, aligning with Skill India movement. 3 Lakh Taigun, Virtus, Slavia, Kushaq Another milestone for Skoda Auto Volkswagen India is with their newer MQB A0 IN based vehicles. These are the vehicles coined under their INDIA 2.0 strategy and are engineered in India, for India and the World. The vehicles spawned out of INDIA 2.0 strategy have registered a production milestone of 300,000 vehicles sold. These vehicles boast excellent crash safety proposition with full-fat 5 Star adult and child occupant safety ratings from Global NCAP. Apart from serving the domestic market, SAVWIPL also caters to around 40 countries outside India and is among the top four car exporters of made-in-India cars. Around 30% of companys total exports are shipped to global markets, which is impressive. Statement from SAVWIPL Piyush Arora, Managing Director & CEO, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited, said, I am immensely proud of these achievements within our local landscape. The significant output of 1.5 million vehicles at our Chakan Plant, coupled with the production milestone of four successful MQB models and the 10-year journey of our Engine Shop stand testament to our dedication to Indias automotive industry and SAVWIPLs significant contribution to the nations talent and workforce. As we outline our expansion plan in India, we remain steadfast in our mission to Innovating Locally, Impacting Globally. We aim to elevate Indias position as a global hub for automotive manufacturing, aligning with the national mission of Atmanirbhar Bharat, driving growth and prosperity within our communities. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shot this stunning image of a barred spiral galaxy called NGC 4731. NGC 4731 is located approximately 43 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Virgo. Otherwise known as IRAS 12484-0607, LEDA 43507 or UGCA 302, it is classified as a barred spiral galaxy. Barred spiral galaxies outnumber both regular spirals and elliptical galaxies put together, numbering around 60% of all galaxies, the Hubble astronomers said. The visible bar structure is a result of orbits of stars and gas in the galaxy lining up, forming a dense region that individual stars move in and out of over time. This is the same process that maintains a galaxys spiral arms, but it is somewhat more mysterious for bars: spiral galaxies seem to form bars in their centers as they mature, accounting for the large number of bars we see today, but can also lose them later on as the accumulated mass along the bar grows unstable. The orbital patterns and the gravitational interactions within a galaxy that sustain the bar also transport matter and energy into it, fuelling star formation. Indeed, the observing program studying NGC 4731 seeks to investigate this flow of matter in galaxies, they added. First discovered by the German-born British astronomer William Herschel on April 25, 1784, NGC 4731 has a diameter of about 80,000 light-years. Together with the galaxy LEDA 43526, it forms the interacting pair of galaxies Holm 472. NGC 4731 is also a member of the NGC 4697 group of galaxies, which is located near the Virgo supercluster. Beyond the bar, the spiral arms of NGC 4731 stretch out far past the confines of this close-in Hubble view, the astronomers said. The galaxys elongated arms are thought to result from gravitational interactions with other, nearby galaxies in the Virgo cluster. The color image of NGC 4731 includes ultraviolet, near-infrared and optical observations from Hubbles Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Six filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. The abundance of color illustrates the galaxys billowing clouds of gas, dark dust bands, bright pink star-forming regions and, most obviously, the long, glowing bar with trailing arms, the researchers said. The three newly-identified species show combinations of features not previously seen before in other living or fossil monotremes, according to Professor Kris Helgen from the Australian Museum Research Institute and colleagues. Professor Helgen and co-authors unearthed and examined a large assemblage of monotreme fossils in the Lightning Ridge opal fields, New South Wales, Australia. The fossils date back to the Cenomanian age of the Cretaceous period, between 102 million to 96.6 million years ago. They were found by Elizabeth Smith and her daughter Clytie of the Australian Opal Centre, who have spent decades working and searching over the opal fields. Opal fossils are rare, but opalized monotreme fossils are infinitely more rare, as theres one monotreme fragment to a million other pieces, Elizabeth Smith said. We dont know when, or exactly where, theyll turn up. Our research reveals that 100 million years ago, Australia was home to a diversity of monotremes, of which the platypus and the echidna are the only surviving descendants, said Australian Museums Professor Tim Flannery. Today, Australia is known as a land of marsupials, but discovering these new fossils is the first indication that Australia was previously home to a diversity of monotremes. Its like discovering a whole new civilization. One of the newly-described species, Opalios splendens, retains characteristics of the earliest known monotremes, but also some that foreshadow adaptations in the living monotremes, the echidnas and platypus. Opalios splendens sits on a place in the evolutionary tree prior to the evolution of the common ancestor of the monotremes we have today, Professor Helgen said. Its overall anatomy is probably quite like the platypus, but with features of the jaw and snout a bit more like an echidna you might call it an echidnapus. The story of how our egg-laying mammals evolved is toothy to toothless on the oldest monotreme, Teinolophos trusleri, which dates back to Victoria 130 million years ago. What we see at Lightning Ridge is that by 100 million years ago, some of the monotremes still have five molars but some of them are down to three. Today, echidnas have no teeth, and platypuses too are essentially toothless, Professor Flannery said. Adult platypuses have no teeth, though juveniles have rudimentary molars. Just when and why adult platypus lost their teeth after nearly 100 million years is a mystery we think we have solved. It may have been competition with the Australian water rat, which arrived in Australia within the last 2 million years, which caused platypus to seek out softer, slipperier food best processed with the leathery pads that adults use today. What is so unusual about this uniquely Australian story is that in one snapshot we see six different egg-laying mammals living together in Lightning Ridge over 100 million years ago. All of them are holding potential evolutionary destinies that can go off in different directions, and all of them are deep distant ancestors and relatives of the current living monotremes. The discovery of three new genera of monotremes helps to piece together their remarkable evolutionary story, said Dr. Matthew McCurry, curator of paleontology at Australian Museum. There are six species of monotremes, including the three newly described here, within the Cenomanian Lightning Ridge fauna of New South Wales making it the most diverse monotreme assemblage on record. Four species are known from a single specimen, suggesting that diversity remains underrepresented. This discovery adds more than 20% to the previously known diversity of monotremes. We have very few monotreme fossils, and so finding new fossils can tell us more about where they lived, what they looked like and how changes in the environment influenced their evolution. Every significant monotreme fossil currently known fits into this evolutionary story, from Teinolophos, the tiny shrew-like creature in Antarctica 130 million years ago to the present day. The platypus and echidna are iconic Australian species, said Museums Victoria Research Institute paleontologists Thomas Rich and Patricia Vickers-Rich AO. The discovery of these several new species in one small area suggests that the family tree of the egg laying monotremes is far more complicated than the living platypus and echidna alone suggest. As the fieldwork continues in the Mesozoic of Australia, we continue to increase our understanding of how life changed over time. This, to me, is what makes science so exciting. The teams paper is published in the Alcheringa, an Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. photo: Heather Sten Zoe Schlanger is a staff writer at the Atlantic, where she covers climate change. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Review of Books, Time, Newsweek, the Nation, and on NPR. She received a 2017 National Association of Science Writers' reporting award and was a finalist for the 2019 Livingston Award. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Her first book, The Light Eaters (Harper, May 7, 2024), is about the world of plant intelligence research and the possibilities of nonhuman minds. Handsell readers your book: It's a gallivant through botany labs and forests in search of answers to the question: Are plants intelligent? It will make you see your houseplants as total aliens and regard a patch of woods with some mixture of trepidation and awe, ideally. On your nightstand now: I am reading Tove Jansson's The Summer Book. Her prose is spare and wry and weird and evokes the sublimity and cruelty of summer in a way nothing else does. I needed it to get through New York winter. Her book Fair Play is one of my favorites, about two women living on a small island trying to be partners and artists at the same time. I'm also reading Jill Lepore's The Deadline. Her essay "The Shorebird," about Rachel Carson's ocean writing, ran in the New Yorker in 2018 and is one of my favorite essays in the world. I carried a hard copy of that issue around to at least six different residencies while I was writing my book, just so I could reread the lead when I needed to. It drips with marine life, you could taste it. I'm also just cracking into Octavia Butler's Lilith's Brood, at last. Lustrous, biology-heavy sci fi--give it to me. Favorite books when you were a child: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I feel like there's a special kinship with people who loved The Mists of Avalon as kids and read it probably a touch too young. If you know you know. Your top five authors: Clarice Lispector, the patron saint of metaphors for the inexpressible mystery of being alive; Octavia Butler, whose Parable of the Sower is always in my head; Ursula K. Le Guin for sci fi that speaks to every current moment, Ann Patchett for so many things but especially her Brazilian scientist epic State of Wonder. Book you've faked reading: I haven't done this since college. But back then I got away without ever reading Foucault. I could probably still tell you what he thought about things, because everyone was always talking about him. Book that changed your life: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Her meditation on the concept of ecological gifts inserted itself permanently into my brain and changed my day-to-day thought processes. Book you're an evangelist for: I would have said The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, but now everyone knows about that one. I'll have to come up with something else to proselytize about. It was A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki for a long while--it does very good things to the mind--but now I've gotten most of my friends to read it. If I'm honest, it will probably always be Braiding Sweetgrass. Five books you'll never part with: Zami by Audre Lorde, which I love more than nearly any other text. Near to the Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector, which I return to when I need to drown for a moment in the enigma of human experience. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, which is truth-telling and future-casting at the highest level. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard for lessons in making the quotidian alien. And Rachel Carson's The Sea Around Us--there is no better example of clear science communication out there. Book you most want to read again for the first time: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. My friend Lucy gave me my copy when I was maybe 21, 22. I'll never get to feel those lessons on creative work and love and self-regard hit me in the chest for the first time again. They've got to get you while young, I think, but they're very good. MMI Asia Pte. Ltd. (MMI Asia), the regional subsidiary of Messe Muenchen GmbH, is proud to announce the launch of the ASEAN Stone exhibition in addition to its line-up of trade exhibitions, taking place from 11 to 13 December 2024, at the prestigious Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to support in helping Southeast Asia countries and Vietnam deliver the 2050 Vision. The event is supported by Marmo- macchine Servizi srl, a service company of Confindustria Marmomacchine (Associazione Italiana Marmo- macchine). ASEAN Stone 2024 is the first dedicated exhibition of stone, allied machinery, tools, chemicals and materials in Southeast Asia e.g granite, quartz, marble slabs, mosaic and natural stone, stone processing and cutting devices, quarrying machines and polishing equipment. The exhibition will be co-located with ASEAN Ceramics 2024 in Vietnam. The stone and ceramics industries go hand in hand with the broader manufacturing and construction industries to support the expansion in Southeast Asia. Both events will address growing demand for raw materials, machinery, tools, equipment and other related services and technologies necessary to produce high-quality building products in the regions USD 450+ billion construction sector. The move will allow two distinctive forums the opportunity to foster greater crossover while maintaining the branding and identity of each community in two distinct halls. Trade visitors will have access to both show floors affording the unique opportunity to engage, collaborate, learn, and acquaint themselves with the latest advancements. The synergy of co-location provides an extremely powerful and significant avenue for networking at an incredibly important time for our industry where technology and knowledge from both industries can be shared whilst specific programming and events will continue to serve each show thus providing a brand-new set of experiences and solutions to attendees. With an exhibition space of 6,600sqm, almost double the size of ASEAN Ceramics 2023 in Hanoi, an expected turnout of over 300 exhibitors and brands and over 5,000 trade visitors, these events promise to bring together the most influential stakeholders in the stone and ceramics industries in the region. As an example of market growth according to regional analysis, the natural stone market in Asia-pacific region generated a revenue of $19,907.20 million in 2021 and is expected to reach up to $35,170.00 million by 2030 (Source). Also, Vietnams ceramic industry soars and ranked as the worlds 4th largest tile production and one of the top 10 largest construction ceramic-producing countries. With this evident surge in the natural stone and ceramics market, the exhibition will play a key role in accelerating network building between local and international brands and associations to meet the growing requirements and demand, a great platform for exhibitors to offer solutions to address current challenges on digitalization & automation and to demonstrate the future of each industry from manufacturing, production and technologies to 10 countries in Southeast Asia Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei and Myanmar. Michael Wilton, CEO & Managing Director of MMI Asia, expresses his anticipation for this event, We decided to co-locate these events after analyzing the market requirements and potential synergies afforded by the cross-industry integration. The exhibition will welcome all exhibit profiles and suppliers from around the world to give access for ASEANs distributors, suppliers, manufacturers, architects, designers, contractors and developers to the latest most innovative technologies and services. This will be in addition to extensive experience and knowledge base enabling a positive difference in the value chain of both stone and ceramics. Several supporting programs will provide a highly interactive, knowledge platform for the industry for regional buyers to meet global suppliers. Highlights of the 3-day exhibition include academic seminar, product showcasing, hosted buyer program, buyer-seller forum, pre-event factory tour, networking dinner, and over 50+ conference sessions hosted by renowned experts at both events. Launch of ASEAN Stone to provide for the rising demand from the commercial, residential, industrial and infrastructure sectors ASEAN Stone 2024 Exhibition, co-locating with ASEAN Ceramics in Vietnam at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) this December Expected turnout rate of 5,000+ trade visitors and 300 exhibitors over the three-day event welcoming international manufacturers, distributors, suppliers of stone, applied products, equipment and chemicals to join with us at the event ASEAN Stone will focus on applications for building & monumental while 8th ASEAN Ceramics, with co-organizer Vietnam Building Ceramic Association (VIBCA), will remain its focus on raw materials as well as technology and machinery for the production of refractory materials, bricks, tiles, sanitary ceramics, tableware and advanced ceramics the perfect gateway to meet the ASEAN regional buyers and global suppliers, establish trade relationships and expand geographic reach. Leveraging on the great success of ASEAN Ceramics 2023 in Hanoi, the team promises to deliver the best experience for all professionals in the stone industry. For more information, please visit website https://aseanceramics.com/asean-stone-2024/. Brendan McLoughlin, the former NYPD cop from Staten Island who married country superstar Miranda Lambert five years ago, is living a fantastic life with the songstress, according to a report in Life & Style Magazine. The celebrity news outlet reports that McLoughlin splits his time between New York City, where his young child from a previous relationship lives, and his newer home with his wife in Tennessee. An anonymous source told the outlet that McLoughlins life couldnt get any better, Life & Style reports. He also loves hanging out at Lamberts Nashville bar, Casa Rosa, where the source reportedly said he loves being Mr. Lambert. Lambert and McLoughlin started dating in November 2018 after meeting on the set of Good Morning America, when Lambert a three-time Grammy winner, with 27 career Grammy nominations was there to perform and McLoughlin was on security detail. The two were only together for a few months when they got married in January 2019 in a private ceremony, announcing their nuptials to the public on Valentines Day of that year. BEHIND-THE-SCENES WITH THE HAPPY COUPLE McLoughlin and Lambert are frequently active on social media, sharing photos that give a glimpse of life behind-the-scenes with the couple. The pair have posted happy moments on their farm, and shared news of adding a new horse to their farm family. Their vacation to Savannah produced a Yall are absolutely perfect together from a social media commenter. And late last year they celebrated Lamberts 40th birthday in style with a monster Texas-themed bash. Lambert has often gushed about her handsome hubby, but has also said a strength in their relationship is his honesty. My husband tells me the truth, she told Tamron Hall in an interview. He gives me harsh reality, and I love it. Everybody needs somebody in their life like a truth-teller, and hes very New York about it. Chinese universities hold job fairs for graduates Xinhua) 15:13, May 27, 2024 BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education is working with higher education institutions across the country to facilitate employment for college students graduating in 2024. The ministry launched a weeklong campaign on Monday. During the campaign, higher education institutions across the country will host a plethora of activities such as job fairs under the ministry's guidance. Their aim is to provide students with greater opportunities to land satisfying jobs. The ministry said that during the campaign, 175 on-campus job fairs, featuring nearly 17,000 enterprises, are expected to be held across the country. A job fair co-organized by the ministry and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will be held on Tuesday at Beijing Jiaotong University. A total of 122 employers from different fields including information technology, finance, manufacturing, and construction, will attend the fair. According to an estimation made by the ministry last December, the year 2024 will see 11.79 million students graduating from colleges, marking an increase of 210,000 from 2023. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. TKeyah Francis, a South Beach resident who is juggling the responsibilities of being a mother of four, is among the quarter-finalists in the Super Mom competition--an annual national contest hosted by a fundraising website. Other moms can relate, Francis said in an interview with the Advance/SILive.com. Because I am sure theres moms out there, even if you have two, they can relate to what I am trying to do, like juggling being a mom, being a wife, schoolwork, and trying to keep my own identity. The competition is run by Colossal.org as part of a fundraising campaign on behalf of DTCare, a 501 (c)(3) charity that is raising money for Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. In making the quarter-finals, Francis is among the few remaining mothers poised to claim the title of Super Mom. It was scrolling through Facebook one day that Francis initially discovered an ad for the contest and tossed her hat into the ring. At first, she was number 68 in her group of about 100, Francis said, noting that there are more than 3,150 groups in total. Eventually, Francis emerged from her group in the top five to find herself in the quarter finals. TKeyah Francis is among the quarter-finalists for the "Super Mom" competition of 2024. (Courtesy of TKeyah Francis)(Courtesy of TKeyah Francis) Any mother knows the time and dedication just one child demands, but with Francis, her hands are full with four kids; a role she admits requires a lot of work. Im complimented, like I said in my bio, all the time about how I make it seem so easy, Francis said. So when I saw this contest I said, I have to get in. Francis recalled a time that encapsulates her mastery of motherhood. In a moment breastfeeding her infant, Francis simultaneously helped her daughter with Greek homework, all while supervising the other two. For Francis, the reward of her childrens gratitude is a prize in itself. Although, seeing moms work bear fruit in daily life goes a long way. TKeyah Francis is among the quarter-finalists for the "Super Mom" competition of 2024. (Courtesy of TKeyah Francis)(Courtesy of TKeyah Francis) The most rewarding part of being a mom is seeing the things I work so hard to instill in them being used such as saying please and thank you, Francis stated in her Super Mom submission. Francis hopes to walk away with the cash prize of $20,000 and a weekend getaway to Palm Springs, C.A.. Should she win the grand prize, Francis says she would invest the $20,000 into extracurricular activities for her children as well as into her baking business Whatchubundt cakes. I dont have the funds to advertise or have a website where I have to pay $10 a month to keep it up. This would help out a lot, Francis said. Francis credits her position in the contest to the support of family and members of the Facebook and Staten Island communities. I feel really blessed that people are seeing, especially my mom, just seeing the things that I do day to day, Francis added. The next round of voting opened Monday. You can cast your vote for TKeyah on the contest website. Note that the site offers one free vote daily. A new independent review of metallurgical testwork completed six years ago on Lincoln Minerals South Australian graphite has confirmed the product is suitable for use in global electric vehicle (EV) battery markets. The company says the review found previous metallurgical and pilot testing, combined with micronisation processing, demonstrated the material from its Kookaburra graphite project (KGP) was ideal for the high-quality battery anode material used in EV batteries. Lincoln Minerals is rapidly moving towards a PFS on its Kookaburra graphite project near Port Lincoln in South Australia. Management conducted an exhaustive range of different testing on its graphite material between 2013 and 2018, returning consistent high-grade results up to 98 per cent recovery and 97 per cent total graphitic carbon (TGC) without the need for additional cleaning stages. It says batch tests at ALS Laboratories achieved 99.9 per cent purity after using hydrofluoric acid in purification tests. The review of the substantial data was completed by Clint Bowker, an independent metallurgist with more than 30 years experience working for BHP and the Bureau Veritas Group. His review confirmed there is sufficient data for Lincoln to begin a prefeasibility Study (PFS) for the KGP, which sits about 35km north of the SA fishing town of Port Lincoln. The complete corporate overhaul that Lendlease announced on Monday is something you dont see every day. But even rarer is the total and unbridled capitulation by the board and management to a well-armed group of shareholders you could even call it red-letter day for shareholder democracy. The hulking-out of Lendlease shareholders not only demonstrates just how aggrieved they were, but it is a reminder that investors are the owners and in theory the board works for them. Render of the $1.2 billion Victoria Cross Station tower at North Sydney being developed by Lendlease. Based on last weeks closing price, Lendlease shares were down 25 per cent over the past year, 55 per cent over five years and 34 per cent over 20 years. But the sometimes outspoken and critical Lendlease shareholders didnt get mentioned in the credits on Monday. No board wants to admit it was taking strategy-changing, and even company-changing decisions, with a gun held to its head by shareholders. Fashion retailer Country Road has launched an independent investigation after staff complained that the organisation did not adequately handle their sexual harassment and bullying complaints. Country Road Group said it took complaints of harassment, including sexual harassment, very seriously following reports that some employees felt unsafe at work and had failed to receive adequate support from the company. Fashion retailer Country Road has launched an independent investigation after staff complained it did not adequately handle their complaints. Credit: Glenn Hunt Having received feedback from some team members regarding the handling of their complaints, our parent company Woolworths Holding Limited has taken prompt action, including the commissioning of an independent investigation to look into this matter, a spokeswoman said. This independent review is currently in its final stages. The outcomes are expected to be shared with Country Road Groupteam members in June. It is critically important to us that our workplace is one where all team members feel safe, valued and included. The Olive Jar didnt have Melbournes best Italian food, and the service was eccentric, but chief restaurant critic Besha Rodell was smitten. Now, its time to move on. 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. Share I dont remember why I originally ventured into the Olive Jar in Rathdowne Street, Carlton, but I do remember leaning over the candlelit table during that first meal in 2018 and whispering to my husband, I think this is my favourite restaurant in the world. It was a busy weekend night, the amatriciana in front of me was appropriately sloppy and spicy and served in a blackened saucepan, and owner Giovanni Mico had just started singing My Way, tableside, to a gaggle of older women, who were swooning over his silky vocals and silvery hair. That has been the shtick at Olive Jar, since at least 2014, when its name (but not ownership) changed (it was called La Contadina for the previous 30 years): you eat, and you get a serenade from Giovanni, a silver fox who must have been the king of this neighbourhood back in the day. Giovanni Mico serenades patrons in the dining room. Kristoffer Paulsen The room was classic: brick walls, crowded with a hodgepodge of old and 60s modern art, as well as cast-iron pans with signs on them claiming that theyd been brought from the old country by Nonna. The food was pure vintage Carlton handmade pastas, antipasti, classic mains, and slightly sketchy limoncello made by Grandpa. It wasnt the best Italian food in town by a long shot, but it was so totally of its place, so Melbourne if not of its time any more. It felt utterly precious. I was smitten enough with Olive Jar that I wrote about it for my then column for The New York Times, comparing it to the newly opened Capitano across the street as examples of old and new Carlton; old and new Italian-Australian. Advertisement That contrast became less visible as of last week, when the owners of the Olive Jar announced via social media that the restaurant had closed. I love new Carlton, and I especially appreciate that many of the young local restaurateurs are paying homage to the Italian history of the neighbourhood. But its sad to see the literal history in restaurant form disappearing. In the Olive Jars case, its not necessarily surprising. The place had its oddities. There was one jaunty number Giovanni did that required one of the waitresses to dance a special little dance, and the scene was so odd, it was like being in some Australian version of a David Lynch film. Speaking of cinema, there were days and weeks when the place went dark, with signs in the window saying the closure was because the owners were off making their own movie, which hinted at being, basically, The Godfather, set in Carlton. The Olive Jar was one of Melbournes most place-specific, longest-running, only-in-Carlton bastions of weirdness. After that New York Times article, a disgruntled reader wrote to me to point out that some of their social media posts appeared to have pro-Trump hashtags on them, which may have been a misguided attempt at tricking the algorithm into engagement rather than an honest pledge of loyalty to the former president, but either way, it backfired I know more than one person who stopped eating at the Olive Jar as a result. In recent years, business has been very slow, and even at weekends there have usually been only one or two tables for Giovanni to serenade. Their weeknight $10 pizza or pasta deal seemed to lose its lustre post-Covid. Advertisement Advertisement Review Eating outGymea House wines, hand-made pasta and inner-city vibes flow at this buzzy suburban Italian spot Popular new restaurant Fior brings Surry Hills smarts and Tottis-style antipasti to the Shire. Terry Durack May 28, 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 / 6 Fiors crowded, buzzy dining room. Edwina Pickles 2 / 6 Go-to dish: Mafalde corte, its twisted strands coated in cavolo nero pesto and stracciatella. Edwina Pickles 3 / 6 Skull Island prawns, split and scorchy from the grill, with nduja butter. Edwina Pickles 4 / 6 Mussels awash with the gentle flavours of fennel, dill and a sherry vinaigrette. Edwina Pickles 5 / 6 Roman beans in an anchovy-spiked bagna cauda dressing. Edwina Pickles 6 / 6 Tiramisu: a marvel of lightness and richness. Edwina Pickles Previous Slide Next Slide 14.5 / 20 How we score Italian$$$$ Italian food is popular at any time, but it sure gains an edge in winter. Its a warm blanket over the knees like the one left out so invitingly by hospitable restaurateurs to soften the chill. Good operators bank on its approachability, then ring in a few changes to tradition, just to keep things interesting. This is by way of warning that the mafalde corte pasta ($28) at Fior is green. Like, really bright and vibrant green. Its short, twisted strands are coated with even more green a savoury cavolo nero pesto under a creamy cloud of stracciatella, the soft, curdy cousin of mozzarella. It makes a lovely upgrade to your usual-suspect pasta, especially given that it is made in-house. Go-to dish: Vibrant green mafalde corte with cavalo nero pesto under a cloud of stracciatella. Edwina Pickles Advertisement And double-especially, given it is in Gymea, a good 25 kilometres from Surry Hills. Co-owner Tristan Rosier and partner Rebecca Fanning have a foot in each camp, with fine-diner Arthur and neighbourhood bistro Jane in Surry Hills, and family life in the Shire. In fact, Im getting severe Surry Hills flashbacks in the crowded, buzzy dining room, with dressy people sipping negronis and smashing anchovies onto focaccia. The antipasti are a statement of intent, with options from South Coast oysters to Vanella burrata, Kinkawooka mussels, LPs mortadella, and Saison salami. Some are kept simple, some are elevated; all can be shared. So super-fresh arrowhead calamari ($24) has a light, crunchy batter and an aioli made punchy with habanero chilli. Mussels are awash with the gentle flavours of fennel, dill and a sherry vinaigrette ($19), a nice dish to pick at. Im getting severe Surry Hills flashbacks in the crowded, buzzy dining room, with dressy people sipping negronis and smashing anchovies onto focaccia. Advertisement In good old-school style, there are house wines, which allow a lower price point ($12) for the cash-strapped. (Please, everybody, bring back house wine.) Here, its a pinot grigio from Victorias King Valley, and a very Italian blend of montepulciano, negro amaro and aglianico from the Barossa Valleys Colours of the South. Hear, hear. With the savvy Lucchetti Krelle involved in the design, and Rosier project-managing, its an attractive yet simply clad space, with smart tile work, brushed metal, and the glow of a busy open kitchen, run by head chef Will Lawson (Freds, Ms Gs, Arthur). The L-shaped room has an awkward entrance, with high stools lining a bar, and closely packed tables throughout, with some less requested in winter in a covered wrap-around terrace that will be delightful in summer. On this jam-packed Saturday night, there can be waits for food. A highlight and one that tastes really Italian is a platter of charred, flat Roman beans ($12) tossed in anchovy-spiked bagna cauda dressing. Good on the side of a rib-eye steak ($120), spaghetti with pipis and bottarga ($36), or Skull Island prawns ($45). Skull Island prawns, split and scorchy from the grill, with nduja butter. Edwina Pickles Advertisement Split and scorchy from the grill, theyre spiced up with nduja butter ($45). Getting the meaty meat out of the shell may be a wrestle, but its worth it for depth of flavour. Its also worth a fresh, sharp 2021 Verdicchio Borgo Paglianetto Terravignata ($17/$70), from the Le Marche region. A cute little Italian gelato trolley is pushed from table to table, offering scoops of lemon, hazelnut, pistachio or chocolate gelato ($12) hidden in lidded pozzetti. But its hard to go past the tiramisu ($18). Not because its good old soggy, heavy tiramisu, but because it isnt. Its a marvel of lightness and richness, with cloud-like cakiness held together by whipped sabayon, meringue and mascarpone, under the crunch of chocolate-coated cacao nibs. Fiors tiramisu is a marvel of lightness and richness. Edwina Pickles Fior comes packed with good ideas, and its already clear how the local populace will get into its groove, from early pasta nights during the week to big tables and celebrations at weekends. Advertisement There will always be room in a shopping village like Gymea for cosy Irish bars like The Snug next door, and sugar-scented cafes such as The Portuguese Bakery down the road; but this is a step up. And, I hope, a sign of good things to come for every suburban shopping village in a 25-kilometre radius from Surry Hills. The low-down Vibe: Bringing Surry Hills buzz to the Shire Go-to dish: Mafalde corte with cavolo nero pesto and stracciatella, $28 Drinks: Italian and local beers, a dozen aperitivi, and an Italian-accented wine list with accessible prices and $12 house wines Cost: About $150 for two, plus drinks Fine-dining team opens family-friendly Italian restaurant Fior in The Shire Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Frankston South apartment owner Kerry Ould said government-funded works to replace potentially dangerous cladding had finally been completed at her home last week, after years of delays. But Ould, whose apartment complex was riddled with combustible cladding and deemed urgent or high-risk, is now having to fund more than $70,000 worth of repairs for defects identified during the rectification works, including rotting wood. Frankston South apartment owner Kerry Ould (centre) in 2019 with her neighbours. Government-funded works to replace potentially dangerous cladding were finally been completed at her home last week. Credit: Paul Jeffers Its been seven years of this crap, said Ould, who has spent her life savings on her apartment. Association of Consulting Architects Victorian president Paul Viney said the states cladding crisis had exposed a wave of subsequent flaws uncovered in the walls of defective apartment blocks. The problem weve got is that now weve got a plethora of waterproofing issues, he said. It is a very significant issue were facing. Its endemic. Youve got to ask, Why is this occurring? We believe it requires legislative change. Loading Viney said Victorian builders were not required to provide insurance for a building once they were above three storeys, and were required to have only a 12-month defects liability period. Then they will walk out the door, he said. Its leaving a whole legacy of issues for body corporates. Viney wants Victoria to take a similar approach to NSW, which mandates that apartment designs must be prepared by experts before they are submitted for a building permit. In Victoria, the design-construct process means you can get an architect to carry a design through to a very basic level, then whats been happening is that detailed design is being handed off to contractors and not consultants, he said. Loading None of them are registered. None of them have the appropriate qualifications to carry through the works. They have a vested interest in minimising the amount of work thats been done. As research estimates up to 60 per cent of new apartments in Australia are riddled with construction flaws, consumer advocates also fear a rescue package aimed at removing flammable cladding from thousands of buildings may run out of funds before completing promised works on about 90 high-risk buildings. Builders Collective of Australia president Phil Dwyer said the government had grossly underfunded a $600 million rescue package announced in 2019 in response to buildings earmarked as potentially dangerous, after a spate of fires in buildings covered in combustible cladding. We estimated at the time it was about a tenth of what was required to fix this mess, he said. The government maintains it has adequate funding to complete the program by the end of 2025. But industry sources with expertise in Victorias cladding crisis estimated that even if only extreme and high-risk buildings were fixed, each building could cost anywhere between $3 million and $6 million to fix, blowing out the total cost of addressing the problem to between $1.24 billion and $2.5 billion. McDonald, who has so far inspected about 1500 buildings with defects, said it was impossible to quantify the magnitude of the defects in Victorian apartments, most of which were built in the past 30-or-so years. There would be many thousands impacted to varying degrees, he said. McDonald said while the government had rightly acted to address energy efficiency in new apartments, this had sparked a slew of condensation issues being fuelled by a lack of waterproofing regulation. Were sealing up every single gap between the outside and inside apartments, and that lack of being able to transfer air creates the likelihood of condensation, he said. If theres no way for that to drain or evaporate, it creates moisture. Moisture creates mould. Suddenly, you have serious health issues for the residents because theyre living in mould-infested apartments. McDonald attributed the problems in apartments to the privatisation of the building industry in the 1990s, in which successive Victorian governments outsourced building approvals, once a staple of local council responsibilities. Loading Back in the day, there used to be a system of certification, where councils employed independent building surveyors, and they checked, ticked off and all approved works, he said. These days, its all self-certified. He said the issue had been fuelled by a lack of compliance and policing, estimating that the Victorian Building Authority only audited a small percentage of all jobs. As a result, people are taking shortcuts, theyre cutting corners, and were seeing chronic and systemic issues, he said. In its most recent budget, the state government set aside $63 million for a building reform package to strengthen oversight of the construction industry. Loading It said the package would also strengthen the Victorian Building Authority by boosting inspectors and auditors by 50 per cent, as well as funding improved technology and intelligence to better protect consumers. The authoritys new chief executive and commissioner, Anna Cronin, is overseeing a program aimed at improving the performance and culture of the regulator. The authority has also released a new regulatory policy statement, which has increased its focus on consumers. The government is weighing up further changes to ensure the regulator is fit for purpose, including the possibility of giving it additional powers. An army of YIMBYs will be deployed across Sydney before the coming local council elections in a bid to get more pro-development councillors elected. The Sydney YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) group is planning to send a slew of members to candidate forums, street stalls and councillor debates as it prepares for elections in September that are expected to be dominated by the housing debate and are being viewed as a test of the publics attitude to state density reforms. Justin Simons group has risen to prominence as the debate over density has intensified. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos The group has risen to prominence in the past year amid heated debates about housing density in Sydney, and emerged as a key voice in support of the governments Transport Oriented Density housing program. Secretary Justin Simon said the group would not run any candidates but would work to show people you can turn up and ask for more density. 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 There are two, very distinct, sides of Turrellas two-platform train station. Walk to the left, youll find a small row of ageing industrial warehouses backing directly onto the winding Wolli Creek, a relic of the 20th century when industrial waste would be flushed out via the water stream. Walk to the right, and youll be greeted by what makes up the tiny southern Sydney suburb of Turrella: 471 houses, four unit blocks, a small convenience store and the Hot Grind Cafe, the only place selling coffee within a 15-minute walk. Theres not a lot to do, but there arent too many people to complain about it: Turrella station records just 890 Opal tap-offs on an average day (nearby Wolli Creek records 7850), despite being just 17 minutes from Central. But if the Minns governments transit-oriented developed (TOD) policy is as effective as promised, that could soon change. Turrella was one of the 37 sites officially rezoned by the state government this month, and every home within 400 metres of the suburbs train station can now be developed into a six-storey block of flats (pending all regular approvals by Bayside Council). Increasing supply, the government says, is part of solving the housing crisis. Homes in Turrella, in Sydneys south, have been upzoned by the state government. Credit: NSW Planning Portal Unlike many other suburbs affected by the TOD program, Turrellas geography hills on one side, a creek on the other, with the station splitting the suburb in two unequal halves will make creating a denser suburb with more amenities challenging. And it highlights some of the issues caused when zoning is determined by drawing a circle on a map. Advertisement From chickens to flats with not much Turrella derived from an Indigenous word meaning reedy place or water reeds was used for rural farming until the 1930s, when land was subdivided for industry and housing. A wave of post-war migrants soon moved in (people from Lebanon, many of whom moved to Australia after the 1940s, make up 15 per cent of Turrellas population). When I came here, this was an industrial area, said Maria, a Greek resident who has lived in Turrella for 27 years and did not give her surname. We had chickens walking up and down the street. It was beautiful And then they put all these flats up. Turrella is filled with mostly single-storey homes. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos Those flats, built a decade ago, replaced an old drink production facility and stand on what was formerly the Streets ice-cream factory. They brought more people into the suburb that, until then, had been filled with mostly single-storey homes. But those flats werent enough, and the suburb needs more of them, says Ronny Jaman, who with his wife Shila Ahmeda runs the Hot Grind Cafe that sits in a sliver of a unit complex that is publicly accessible. The couple have run the business for nine months, and are a hit with the customers. Advertisement Im very much connected to everyone. I know everyone personally, theyre all my friends, he says as another regular walks in, recounting the name of the customers dog and the circumstances of his life. But Jaman wishes he could do that with more people. He says there arent enough people living around his cafe to sustain his business or any business, really. Turrella should have a bank, or at least an ATM. Where is the ATM in Turrella? If youre an accountant, you need an office. You think these people dont need accountants here? Owners of the Hot Grind Cafe, Ronny Jaman and Shila Ahmeda. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos Rezoning is a good idea. [We are] close to the station, we should rock and roll. He suggests installing shops on the ground floors of apartments when more are built. Eamon Waterford, the chief executive of the think tank Committee for Sydney, bought a home in the suburb with his wife just before COVID. Advertisement And it turned out to be perfect for that moment of life, he reflects: having a backyard for the couples two young children to play in when the city was locked down was a blessing. But he has also noticed a real lack of community compared with the couples time living in apartments, and this is the chief complaint if he wants to go anywhere, he has to drive. You cant walk to any of your daily needs in Turrella. I have to get in the car to do anything. I want to go to the shops, its in the car. I want to go to the park, its in the car. I want to meet up with friends, its in the car. I want to go to a cafe for breakfast, occasionally its here, he says with a coffee from the Hot Grind, but its generally in the car. The couple came to Turrella for the price, but like the hundreds who have brought in the suburb after being priced out of the inner west, if more amenities dont come to Turrella, his family will pack up. Eamon Waterford, chief executive of the Committee for Sydney, is a Turrella resident and says the suburb desperately needs more amenities. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos The situation in Turrella could not be more different from that of Wolli Creek, the next suburb along, just a two-minute train ride away. Also a former industrial precinct, the suburb is now among the densest in Sydney and it also comes with three supermarkets and at least 20 restaurants and cafes. My initial impression of Wolli Creek before I lived here was not good, Waterford says. [I thought] it was stale, sterile, overdeveloped just a dormitory suburb. Advertisement What Ive realised now that I live here and actually spend time in Wolli Creek in the evenings, is that its really thriving. And interestingly, the parts of Wolli Creek that feel the nicest to spend time in are those that are a little bit lower density. They have that level of airiness, theres a lot of trees, they feel more human-scaled. And I think thats what makes this TOD program so sensible. Because it does hit that European style Parisian density that is still really high density, in that you get a lot of people into a small amount of space, but it doesnt feel overwhelming. Old warehouses next to prime train station Erika Pawley, the director of Leamac Property Group. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos If the residential side of Turrella is lacking in amenities, the industrial side is a ghost town. Paintball facilities, benchtop companies and a bus depot make up the few warehouses on the land sitting between the train station and Wolli Creek. Its not loved. You dont come out here and think, this is a really high-functioning area, says Erika Pawley an urban planner with 25 years experience in government planning, now a director at Leamac Property Group as she walks down the street with the Herald on a cloudy Friday afternoon. Advertisement The wheelchairs and walking devices piled up outside the Riverside Theatre instantly lowered expectations that Engelbert Humperdincks final Australian tour would shake up the audience in the way his great rival Tom Jones did earlier this year not unless the famed Roman Catholic was planning to top The Last Waltz and Quando, Quando, Quando with a miracle. Engelbert Humperdincks voice has aged, but has also matured in the range of emotion it can convey. Credit: Mark Naglazas Divine intervention wasnt necessary. The moment the 88-year-old confidently shuffled onto the stage the packed house went nuts well, as nutty as a crowd can when they have to take care negotiating the precariously steep steps of the Convention Centre theatre. While his fellow octogenarian Jones exhilarated local audiences (and annoyed more than a few) by breaking up his greatest hits with songs from his latest album that reflected on ageing, loss and death, Humperdinck veered only occasionally off his well-trod path as he worked his way through his back catalogue of easy-listening classics, performing songs so well known and beloved A Man Without Love, Ten Guitars, Blue Spanish Eyes, Release Me that the audience sang along at the top of their voices, English musical hall style. And while Jones had nothing to do with the underpants-throwing nonsense of yore Humperdinck fully embraced his Austin Powers-era eye-rolling naughtiness, telling the kind of old-school gags that would have a younger performer dumped into the sin bin. But every joke no matter how old, how obvious, how Benny Hill-ish went down a treat because Humperdinck still has the charm and elegance that made him such a fun rival to the cooler, more physical, more overtly sexual Jones, who, in typical Engelbert style, he playfully mocked and celebrated in one delicious bit. The Albanese governments seemingly languid response to preventing numerous freed immigration detainees from brazenly breaking the law is threatening to fan a minor political problem into a formidable election issue. Some seven months after their release attracted national headlines, nearly a fifth of former immigration detainees put into the community as a result of the High Courts landmark decision in November have been charged with committing state-based offences. According to March figures recently shown to the Senate by the Department of Home Affairs, at least 28 of the 153 people released on strict visa conditions after indefinite detention was declared unlawful have allegedly gone on to commit fresh crimes. The March 24 figure is a significant increase from the 18 former detainees who had been charged by state and territory police as of February 1. Loading The controversy came into sharp focus last month after a former detainee allegedly took part in a home invasion in which an elderly Perth couple was brutally battered and robbed, prompting the Albanese government to admit it was powerless to intervene in state justice systems. Further adding to the governments problems with detainees, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles faced difficulties last week when it emerged a tribunal acting under ministerial direction 99 he had given last year as a safeguard against the former governments practice of deporting people to countries such as New Zealand, where they had no significant ties had released a former detainee last March who went on to allegedly commit murder in Brisbane this month. Australias Migration Act had permitted the minister for immigration to order the detention of those denied a visa to remain legally in Australia on character grounds. The High Court last November reversed a narrow 4-3 majority decision in the 2004 case of Al-Kateb v Godwin and ruled that indefinite detention of those who cannot be deported is punitive and therefore breached the Constitutions separation of powers. The key principle in a law-based democracy such as Australia was that the courts, and not politicians, should be responsible for criminal punishment and locking people up has been upheld. The High Court cannot and should not make decisions based on politics or perceived political nous. But for a government, its a must. This is not a problem of Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses making, but it is his governments to resolve. Handled poorly, it could have catastrophic consequences for the first-term government. That said, the government does seem to be ambling towards trying to solve the problem. Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson told the Heralds Angus Thompson that the government had still not applied to a judge for an order to redetain anyone who posed an unacceptable community risk more than six months after passing tough new legislation thanks to the opposition. At least 28 members of the NZYQ cohort (people in detention whose visas have been cancelled or refused) have reoffended after being released into the community, Paterson said. How bad does the detainee crime spree need to get before they act? Riding hard on immigration, the opposition has also promised to scrap ministerial direction 99, put in place on January 23, 2023 to address long-held concerns from the New Zealand government that its citizens were being deported despite having stronger ties to Australia. Clearly, the detainees behaviour risks them outwearing their welcome. But the plethora of charges provided to the Senate suggests the governments previous slo-mo actions aimed at assuring the public that bad-egg detainees 76 are subject to electronic monitoring and 68 have a curfew are under control gives the Australian public scant confidence that Canberra has the situation adequately in hand. Victorias gas companies have declared there is no shortage of local reserves to fill impending shortfalls, contradicting state Energy Minister Lily DAmbrosios warning that supplies are dwindling. The Australian Energy Market Operator warned in March that gas demand in Victoria, NSW and South Australia could outstrip supply on days of extreme winter weather by 2025 and there could be annual shortages by 2028 unless more supplies were made available. ExxonMobils Marlin B platform in the Bass Strait, which was traditionally the mainstay of the states gas supply but whose fields are now depleting rapidly. Credit: ExxonMobil During a state budget estimates hearing on Thursday last week, DAmbrosio was emphatic that the state, where more than 2 million homes and businesses still use gas, could not supply its future gas needs. But gas producers say there is enough supply in the pipeline to avoid long-term shortfalls for decades, while blaming state and federal governments for lengthy delays in project approvals. Labor MPs have accused Liberal politicians of encouraging extremism by appearing at a Parliament House event organised by a controversial right-wing pro-Israel group whose star speaker has dismissed a two-state solution as a fantasy. Debate about the event will add to a febrile atmosphere in parliament this week, with the Coalition preparing to attack Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his response to a requested International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Greens planning to test Labors divisions by introducing a motion supporting Palestinian statehood. Liberal senator and former ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma said he would continue to meet with the Australian Jewish Association. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Labors divisions on the Middle East have been visible in recent weeks, with Albanese criticising Labor senator Fatima Paymans use of the phrase From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, and Labor MP Josh Burns opposing the governments decision to support extra Palestinian rights at the United Nations. On May 13, the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) thanked NSW Liberal senator Dave Sharma who previously served as Australias ambassador to Israel on social media for hosting a screening of a portion of the movie Whose Land? and a discussion by the films presenter, Richard Kemp, at Parliament House. Port of Spain, Trinidad, On Wednesday, May 22, 2024 and Thursday, May 23, 2024, the Honorable Minister of Justice and (Acting) Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Lyndon Lewis attended the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Program on Cybersecurity held in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The conference focused on proactive actions to prevent online child abuse and exploitation and to develop standards of collaboration in countering this serious crime. Minister Lewis was accompanied by his Senior Policy Advisor Jerome Gumbs, alongside representatives from various regional islands, emphasizing the importance of a unified approach to cybersecurity and child protection. The conference provided a crucial platform for discussing strategies and sharing insights on combating online child abuse and exploitation. Minister Lewis expressed his gratitude for the invaluable work being done by all the attendees and highlighted the necessity of spreading this critical information to raise awareness in St. Maarten. He emphasized that protecting children from online threats is a top priority and that the collaborative efforts discussed during the conference will be instrumental in enhancing the safety and security of the island's youth. Minister Lewis stated, "The discussions and insights gained from this conference are pivotal in shaping our approach to cybersecurity and child protection. It is essential that we continue to work together, across borders, to safeguard our children from online exploitation. I am committed to implementing these strategies in St. Maarten and raising awareness within our community to ensure a safer digital environment for our youth." Minister Lewis remains dedicated to protecting the rights and safety of children and will continue to work closely with regional and international partners to combat cyber threats effectively. Further updates on the implementation of these strategies and upcoming initiatives will be shared with the public in due course. Elon Musk's xAI secures $6 billion in new funding Washington, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk's startup xAI said it has raised $6 billion from investors in an increasingly crowded artificial intelligence market. The latest funding, including from well known venture capitalists and a Saudi prince, takes the firm's total valuation to $24 billion, based on a pre-infusion figure of $18 billion cited by Musk. "xAI is pleased to announce... Our Series B funding round of $6 billion," the company said in a blog post on Sunday. "The funds from the round will be used to take xAI's first products to market, build advanced infrastructure, and accelerate the research and development of future technologies," it added. Musk teased on his social media platform X that there would be "more to announce in the coming weeks". The latest round of funding came from Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital and Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, among others. Musk launched the company in July last year, shortly after he signed a letter calling for a pause in AI innovations. He is one of the world's few investors with deep enough pockets to compete in the AI sphere with the likes of OpenAI, Google and Meta. Building an AI model at the same scale as those companies comes at an enormous cost in computing power, infrastructure and expertise. xAI said Sunday its primary focus was to develop "advanced AI systems that are truthful, competent, and maximally beneficial for all of humanity". It is developing a chatbot named Grok, which can access X, the former Twitter, in real time. Musk earlier this month told investors that he planned to build a supercomputer dubbed "gigafactory of compute" to support the development of xAI. The planned supercomputer would be "at least four times the size of the biggest GPU clusters that exist today," such as those used by Meta to train its AI models, Musk was quoted as saying by an industry news outlet. bur-sn/smw X OpenAI's Johansson gaffe pushes voice cloning into spotlight Paris, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 OpenAI was forced to apologise to actor Scarlett Johansson last week for using her voice -- or something very similar -- on its latest chatbot, throwing the spotlight on to voice-cloning tech. Although OpenAI denied the voice they used was Johansson's, their case was not helped by CEO Sam Altman flagging the new model with a one-word message on social media -- "Her". Johansson voiced an AI character in the film "Her", which Altman has previously said is his favourite film about the technology. Right from the start, AI voice cloning has proved problematic. Last year, British firm Elevenlabs went viral for all the wrong reasons when it released its voice-cloning software. Internet pranksters immediately began pushing out deepfaked celebrities -- Harry Potter star Emma Watson was shown reading Hitler's Mein Kampf. Law enforcement warned that AI clones could be used to extort money from loved ones over the phone. The technology has developed rapidly in the past year becoming far more realistic and nuanced. Danish entrepreneur Victor Riparbelli, CEO of British AI firm Synthesia, told AFP it was largely down to a program called Tortoise that was released two years ago. The program's developers threw thousands of hours of voice data into their model in an unstructured way and discovered it not only learnt what to say but how to say it. "That was a pretty big paradigm shift," Riparbelli said on the sidelines of last week's VivaTech conference in Paris. Tortoise was an open source program and Elevenlabs was the first to go to market using it. OpenAI uses similar systems though they do not release any details. - 'Not very good' - Much of the controversy around voice cloning has focused on concerns over people misusing the software. But the claim against OpenAI is unusual because it is the company itself accused of playing fast and loose. "It was very unfortunate that OpenAI did that -- really not very good," Katya Laine, CEO of TALKR.ai, told AFP at VivaTech. "If they actually cloned her voice without her knowing then I think that's very very bad," said Riparbelli. The two entrepreneurs are among hundreds harnessing AI voice programs for uses that they argue will make companies more efficient. Laine's firm provides virtual voice assistants -- essentially AI customer service agents. She said her firm's system could now resolve 25 to 30 percent of calls without any human involvement. Synthesia specialises in video avatars, which Riparbelli said allowed any office worker to turn text or slides into a video performed by a realistic AI. Both Riparbelli and Laine allow their clients to use their own avatars, off-the-shelf products or those supplied by the likes of OpenAI and Elevenlabs. Riparbelli said Synthesia used actors whose likenesses and voices were licensed for two years with an option to renew after the initial period. The problems arise if actors' voices are used without their consent. - 'Odd precedent' - The fiasco overshadowed a developer conference in Paris last week when OpenAI was showing off a suite of new tools. In front of a big screen in an auditorium, Romain Huet, OpenAI's Head of Developer Experience, breezily chatted into his phone. Seconds later, his short voice sample had been processed and could be heard commentating over a generated video -- in five languages. The demonstration showed how quickly the field is moving, but the headlines had already been written. The Washington Post asked in a newsletter "How dumb is OpenAI?", other commentators were suggesting wunderkind Altman was nothing more than a huckster. Nonetheless, Riparbelli was open to OpenAI's argument that they had used another actor who just sounded liked Johansson. "If it's not her but someone who sounds a lot like her... where do you draw that line," Riparbelli asked. "If they're not allowed to use someone who sounds a lot like her, then it sets a very odd precedent." Palestinian Red Crescent says 'large number' of casualties in Israeli strike near Rafah Rafah, Palestinian Territories, May 26 (AFP) May 26, 2024 The Palestinian Red Crescent said late Sunday an Israeli air strike killed and wounded a "large number" of people in a designated humanitarian area of Gaza's far-southern city of Rafah. "The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance crews are transporting a large number of martyrs and injured individuals following the occupation's targeting of the displaced persons' tents near the United Nations headquarters northwest of Rafah," the Red Crescent said in a post on X. It added that "this location was designated by the Israeli occupation as a humanitarian area". The Hamas-run ministry of health and the emergency committee of the Rafah Governorate reported a strike on a displacement centre near Rafah, saying it had killed and wounded dozens. Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel launched a ground operation on Rafah in early May despite widespread opposition over concerns for civilians sheltering there. Earlier on Sunday, Israel's army said at least eight rockets were fired towards central areas of the country from Rafah. Hamas's armed wing said in a post on Telegram it had targeted Tel Aviv "with a large rocket barrage in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians". Later Sunday the Israel' military said in a statement its air force had carried out strikes on Rafah in response. "The rocket launcher, which was situated near two mosques in the area of Rafah, was struck by the (Israeli Air Force) shortly after." S Korea, China, Japan leaders to meet for rare summit Seoul, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 South Korean, Chinese and Japanese leaders were set to meet in Seoul Monday for their first trilateral summit in nearly five years, after the nuclear-armed North announced plans to put another satellite into orbit. There are low expectations of any major breakthroughs at the meeting, but the leaders have expressed hopes it could help revitalise three-way diplomacy and ease regional tensions. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will meet Monday for talks, with Pyongyang's announcement that it will launch a satellite by June 4 likely to make it onto the agenda. North Korea informed the Japanese Coast Guard of an eight-day launch window, which began at midnight Sunday into Monday. It designated three maritime danger zones near the Korean peninsula and the Philippines' main island of Luzon where the satellite-carrying rocket's debris might fall, according to the Kyodo news agency. North Korea is barred by multiple UN resolutions from tests using ballistic technology. Analysts say there is significant technological overlap between space launch capabilities and the development of ballistic missiles. After the leaders' summit, Yoon, Li and Kishida will hold a press conference, before joining a business summit aimed at boosting trade between the countries, which will also be attended by top business leaders. Experts have warned that, due to the three countries' starkly divergent positions on key issues including Pyongyang's nuclear threats and growing ties with Russia, it will be hard for them to form a consensus. "Despite the challenges in organising this meeting, it is unlikely to produce significant diplomatic achievements," South Korea's Hankyoreh newspaper said in an editorial Monday. "Nevertheless, this meeting is important because it is the only regular communication channel where the leaders of South Korea and Japan, both allies of the United States, can meet with the Chinese leader," it said. Seoul should use the trilateral meeting "to overcome the limitations of the tilted diplomacy with Washington and Tokyo and reconstruct the framework of trilateral diplomacy of South Korea, China and Japan, which has been out of favour for some time," Hankyoreh said. President Xi Jinping is China's top leader, with Li serving under him as premier. China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a key diplomatic ally, and it has previously resisted condemning Pyongyang for its weapons tests, instead criticising joint US-South Korea drills for raising tension. Nuclear-armed North Korea launched its first reconnaissance satellite last November in a move that drew international condemnation, with the United States calling it a "brazen violation" of UN sanctions. Seoul said on Friday that South Korean and US intelligence authorities were "closely monitoring and tracking" presumed preparations for the launch of another military reconnaissance satellite. Japan spots Chinese ships near disputed isles for record 158 days Tokyo, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Japan has spotted Chinese ships sailing near disputed islands in the East China Sea for a record 158 consecutive days, Tokyo's top government spokesman said Monday. The territorial dispute over the Tokyo-controlled islets, known as the Senkaku by Japan and the Diaoyu by China, is a long-running sore point between the countries. Relations deteriorated in 2012 when Tokyo "nationalised" some of these remote islands, and Japanese officials regularly protest at the presence of Chinese coast guard and other vessels in the surrounding waters. On Monday, Japan's coast guard observed four China Maritime Police Bureau vessels sailing in the "contiguous" zone adjacent to Japan's territorial sea near the island chain. Contiguous waters are a 12-nautical-mile band that extends beyond territorial waters. It was the 158th consecutive day that Chinese boats were spotted there -- surpassing the previous record of 157 days in 2021, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said. "The government considers this series of navigations within the contiguous zone and intrusions into territorial waters an extremely serious matter," he told reporters. Hayashi said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had expressed concern over the issue at a bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Seoul on Sunday. Kishida is in the South Korean capital for the first trilateral summit with Li and President Yoon Suk Yeol in nearly five years. It was held on Monday morning. In April, Beijing lodged a protest with Tokyo after a group of Japanese lawmakers visited the disputed isles, a trip the Chinese embassy denounced as "provocative". After years of negotiations, the two countries have set up a military hotline to avert unexpected clashes in the East China Sea, with the first call held a year ago. Kyiv hampered by limits on using Western arms in Russia: NATO chief Sofia, Bulgaria, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that Western powers should reconsider restrictions on Ukraine using weaponry they supply to strike inside Russia as it is hampering Kyiv's ability to defend itself. "The time has come to consider whether it will be right to lift some of the restrictions which have been imposed because we see now that especially in the Kharkiv region the front line and the border line is more or less the same," Stoltenberg told NATO lawmakers meeting in Bulgaria. "If (Ukraine) cannot attack military targets on Russian territory then it ties one hand of the Ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct defence." Ukraine has been pressing its Western backers -- especially the United States -- to allow it to use the longer-range weaponry they supply to hit targets in Russia. Washington, and other allies, have been reluctant to permit Kyiv to strike over the border out of fear that it could drag them closer to direct conflict with Moscow. Stoltenberg said "some allies have lifted restrictions enabling the Ukrainians to better defend themselves", without giving details. "It is clear that Ukraine has the right to defend themselves," the secretry general of the Western alliance said. "Self-defence includes the right to also attack legitimate military targets inside Russia." Rights group wants probe into post-coup 'killings' in DR Congo Kinshasa, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Human Rights Watch on Monday voiced concern over "alleged extrajudicial killings" after a thwarted coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo and urged the government to investigate. Armed men attacked the home of the economy minister early on May 19 before moving on to the nearby Palais de la Nation that houses President Felix Tshisekedi's offices in the capital. Around 40 people were arrested, with another four killed, out of a group made up of "several nationalities" army spokesman General Sylvain Ekenge said at the time. The plot was led by Christian Malanga, a Congolese and "naturalised American" who was among those killed by security forces, Ekenge said. But Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, "Congolese security forces killed Malanga in unclear circumstances hours after he seized the Palais de la Nation." The New York-based group said it has located a video taken by Congolese soldiers that shows "presumed coup participants" being apparently shot at near the Palais. "The government's response needs to be rights-respecting, which includes impartially investigating possible security force involvement in alleged summary executions," said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at HRW. The video shows the banks of the Congo River near Tshisekedi's offices with seven men in civilian dress or without clothing, in and around a boat -- including one Caucasian man without clothing who is believed to be a foreigner who took part in the coup bid. Six men in Congolese military fatigues are also seen in the video. "A soldier shoots twice at one of the presumed coup participants, who then lies motionless," HRW said. The recording also shows another man who jumps in the river "in an attempt to flee". - 'Pool of blood' - "The soldiers shoot at him several dozen times until a pool of blood appears in the water and he no longer comes up for air," the rights group said. Other Congolese organisations including Lucha, a French acronym for fight for change, and Justicia Asbl also condemned the alleged extrajudicial killings. "The government both has a responsibility to ensure the security of the country and to hold those responsible for the coup attempt accountable, based on international fair trial standards," added Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at HRW. The rights group said the coup attempt came after a prolonged period of the government having "significantly repressed" free expression, media freedom and peaceful assembly. "Since 2020, the authorities have increasingly cracked down on journalists, human rights and democracy activists, critics of the government, and opposition party members and officials," HRW said. Congolese journalist Stanis Bujakera was released from prison in March after spending six months behind bars. He allegedly incriminated the country's military intelligence in the murder of opposition politician Cherubin Okende. "The Congolese government needs to treat this crisis as an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to human rights and the rule of law," Mudge said. Mali army says kills 'large number' of jihadists Dakar, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 The Malian army has said it inflicted heavy losses on jihadists and lost five soldiers when it repelled an attack in the west of the country. Fighters from a group affiliated to the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) "carried out an attack using two kamikaze vehicles and shellfire" on an army post early on Sunday, the army said in a statement published overnight. It said it had repelled the attack in the western village of Mourdiah, about 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of the capital Bamako, "inflicting heavy losses of life and property on the terrorists". The army said that "a large number of terrorists were neutralised (and) dozens wounded," adding that five of its own soldiers were killed and dozens also wounded. Several Malian soldiers were killed in February in a major attack blamed on jihadists in the same area. The Malian army rarely reports its losses. Pressure from armed groups and the ruling military has silenced most independent sources of information in its areas of operation. Since 2012, Mali has been ravaged by different groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as by self-declared self-defence forces and bandits. Since seizing power in a 2020 coup, the military has broken off its anti-jihadist alliance with France and European partners, while turning politically and militarily towards Russia. Both jihadists and government forces have been accused of committing serious abuses against civilians, which are often difficult to verify. EU ire as Hungary blockage threatens fresh Ukraine funds Brussels, Belgium, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 EU counterparts lashed out at Hungary on Monday as a blockage from Budapest threatens to hold up billions more euros in funds to help arm Ukraine. Hungary -- the friendliest EU country to Russia -- has repeatedly held up initiatives to aid Ukraine or punish Russia since Moscow's invasion of its neighbour in 2022. Anger has been rising with Budapest over the past year as it has prevented payouts from a central EU fund to reimburse member states for weapons sent to Ukraine. Now EU officials say a fresh blockage from Hungary threatens to hold up another five billion euros ($5.4 billion) that could go towards aiding Kyiv's outgunned forces even though it was already signed off by EU leaders. The Hungarian hold-up also threatens to delay the spending of billions more in profits from frozen Russian central bank assets that the EU expects to start receiving in July. At a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock called on Budapest "to finally allow aid to Ukraine once again, because Europe is only strong if it is united." "We cannot accept that a single country, which also signed up to this amount a few months ago at the heads of state's council meeting, is now blocking this crucial aid for Ukraine," said Belgian foreign minister Hadja Lahbib. Hungary under right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long played a spoiler role on the EU stage as it uses its veto for leverage in disputes with Brussels. But Lithuania's foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that Budapest's opposition now appears to have become a "systematic approach". "So basically, almost all of the discussions and needed solutions and decisions by EU are being blocked by just one country," he said. "I think it has gone very, very far." Lithuanian president wants to up defence spending to 3.5% of GDP Vilnius, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Lithuania's newly re-elected president on Monday set out a goal for the Baltic state to spend 3.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, amid security concerns over neighbouring Russia. The formerly Soviet-ruled NATO and EU member has been a key ally to Ukraine since Russia's invasion and fears that it could be the Kremlin's next target. "I think we should reach at least 3.5 percent of GDP in the coming years," said President Gitanas Nauseda, who won a second term on Sunday. "This is a figure on which we can base our urgent needs," he told reporters. Lithuania currently spends 2.75 percent of GDP on defence and last week the finance ministry proposed raising the figure to three percent next year. But Nauseda said that was not enough to meet Lithuania's defence needs, citing the modernisation of the army, potential universal conscription and the reception of the German brigade assigned to Lithuania as additional expenses. "All of this requires very tangible financial resources, and we have to allocate them because... we cannot shatter this vessel, we cannot allow it to break," he added. More than half of the population of Lithuania believes it faces a "possible" or "likely" attack from Russia, according to an ELTA/Baltijos Tyrimai poll conducted earlier this year. Nauseda said Monday he believed universal male conscription would be achievable within his next five-year term. The existing partial conscription scheme was introduced in 2015 in response to Russia's annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine. Each year, up to 4,000 Lithuanians from the ages of 18 to 26 are enlisted in the army. Nauseda, who will be sworn in this July, scored a resounding victory over his rival, current Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, in Sunday's presidential runoff. "Lithuania's independence and freedom are like a fragile vessel that we must cherish, protect" while working together with the EU and NATO, Nauseda told reporters after his win. Israeli strike on Rafah shows 'contempt' for ICJ ruling: African Union Nairobi, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 An Israeli air strike on Rafah that killed 45 people in a displacement camp according to Hamas officials reflected "contempt" for a recent ruling by the top UN court, the head of the African Union Commission said Monday. "With horrific overnight airstrikes killing mostly Palestinian women & children... the State of Israel continues to violate international law with impunity and in contempt of an ICJ (International Court of Justice) ruling two days ago ordering an end to its military action in Rafah," Moussa Faki Mahamat said on X, formerly Twitter. "The ICJ order must be urgently enforced if global order is to prevail," he added. In a case brought by South Africa alleging that the Israeli military operation amounts to "genocide", the ICJ on Friday ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive, and demanded the release of hostages and the "unhindered provision" of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Hague-based ICJ, whose orders are legally binding but lack direct enforcement mechanisms, also instructed Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, after Israel's seizure of the Palestinian side earlier this month effectively shut it. Israel has dismissed the ruling, insisting that the court had got it wrong. The Gaza war broke out after an attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,984 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. str-amu/txw/kjm EU ire as Hungary block threatens fresh Ukraine funds Brussels, Belgium, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 EU counterparts lashed out at Hungary on Monday as a block from Budapest threatened to hold up billions more euros to help arm Ukraine. Hungary -- the friendliest EU country to Russia -- has repeatedly held up initiatives to aid Ukraine or punish Russia since Moscow's invasion of its neighbour in 2022. Anger has been rising with Budapest over the past year as it has prevented payouts from a central EU fund to reimburse member states for weapons sent to Ukraine. Now EU officials say a fresh blockage from Hungary threatens to hold up another five billion euros ($5.4 billion) that could go towards aiding Kyiv's outgunned forces even though it was already signed off by EU leaders. The Hungarian hold-up also threatens to delay the spending of billions more in profits from frozen Russian central bank assets that the EU expects to start receiving in July. "We cannot let European military support to Ukraine be taken hostage of (by) other decisions which have nothing to do with this specific issue," EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said after a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels. "Especially given the urgency of the situation -- Ukraine needs the arms now," he said. Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, called on Budapest "to finally allow aid to Ukraine once again, because Europe is only strong if it is united". "We cannot accept that a single country, which also signed up to this amount a few months ago at the heads of state's council meeting, is now blocking this crucial aid for Ukraine," said Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote on social media that he had faced "enormous pressure" from his EU colleagues. He said that releasing funds now worth some 6.5 billion euros to help arm Ukraine was "unacceptable" to Budapest. Hungary under right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long played a spoiler role inside the EU as it uses its veto for leverage in disputes with Brussels. But Lithuania's foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that Budapest's opposition now appears to have become a "systematic approach". "So basically, almost all of the discussions and needed solutions and decisions by EU are being blocked by just one country," he said. "I think it has gone very, very far." UN rights chief expresses 'horror' at Israeli strike on Rafah camp Geneva, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 The UN human rights chief voiced "horror" Monday at a deadly Israeli air strike on a displacement camp in Rafah in the south of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, demanding "accountability". "The images from the camp are horrific and point to no apparent change in the methods and means of warfare used by Israel that have already led to so many civilian deaths," Volker Turk said in a statement. He voiced his "horror at the further loss of civilian life in Gaza", the statement said. Israel has faced a wave of international condemnation over Sunday's strike on the Al Hashash area in Rafah, which according to Gaza officials killed 45 people when the strike set off a fire that ripped through a tent city for displaced Palestinians. Israel launched the attack hours after Hamas unleashed a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv and nearby areas which sent Israelis running for bomb shelters. Most were intercepted by air defences. Israel's military said the southern Rafah area had targeted and killed two senior Hamas operatives. It also sparked a fire that Palestinians and many Arab countries condemned as a "massacre". "Sunday's strike underscores once again that there is literally no safe place in Gaza", Turk said. He noted that the military had announced it would investigate. But, he said, "what is shockingly clear is that by striking such an area, densely packed with civilians, this was an entirely predictable outcome". "It is crucial that such reviews lead to accountability and changes in policy or practices." The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Israel to respect an International Court of Justice order issued Friday to halt the Rafah offensive. He reiterated a call on all parties establish a ceasefire, stressing their obligation to protect civilians. "Israel must take immediate steps to protect civilians, and ensure they have access to essential humanitarian assistance, and release all those detained arbitrarily," Turk said. He insisted that "Palestinian armed groups must stop the firing of rockets which are inherently indiscriminate and in clear violation of international humanitarian law". "They must also unconditionally release all hostages at once," he said. The Gaza war broke out when Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel that left more than 1,170 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza. The Israeli army says 37 of those still missing are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,050 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. UK's Royal Air Force grounds WWII Spitfires after death London, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Britain's Royal Air Force has grounded a fleet of World War II Spitfire planes following the death of a pilot in a weekend crash, officials said Monday. The announcement raises questions about the legendary single-seat fighter aircraft's participation in events to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings next month. Pilot Mark Long was killed when flying a Spitfire belonging to a Battle of Britain memorial fleet crashed near the RAF Coningsby base in Lincolnshire, eastern England, on Saturday. "Following the tragic accident at RAF Coningsby, and while the formal investigation is ongoing, the RAF has instigated a temporary pause in flying for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight," a RAF spokesperson said. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) is a collection of wartime fighter and bomber aircraft that take part in air shows and memorial displays. A few dozen airworthy Spitfires remain, including six based at RAF Coningsby. They were due to take part in a national commemorative event in Portsmouth on June 5 to mark 80 years since Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in northern France, turning the tide of World War II away from Nazi Germany. It is not known when the RAF's investigation will be complete or when a decision will be made on whether the vintage planes will fly again. UN nuclear agency says Iran talks suspended after Raisi death Vienna, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Planned talks between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog aimed at breaking the impasse over Tehran's nuclear programme have been put on hold after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, an agency report said Monday. The temporary suspension of talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) comes as its chief Rafael Grossi reiterated his concern over public statements made in Iran regarding its nuclear weapons capability. In the report, Grossi said that "further public statements made in Iran... regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and possible changes to Iran's nuclear doctrine only increase... concerns about the correctness and completeness of Iran's safeguards declarations." Iran has always denied any ambition to develop nuclear weapon capability, insisting its activities are entirely for peaceful purposes. Earlier this month, Grossi visited Iran in a bid to improve cooperation with Tehran, urging leaders to adopt "concrete" measures to address concerns over its nuclear programme. After returning from his trip, Grossi decried "completely unsatisfactory" cooperation with Tehran, saying he would like to see "results soon". - Breaching deal limits - But in the meantime, the deaths of Iran's president Raisi, his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others in a helicopter crash on 19 May have further complicated the situation. One day after the helicopter crash, "Iran indicated that due to the 'special circumstances', it was no longer appropriate to hold substantive discussions" and a new date would be set, a confidential report seen by AFP on Monday said. With presidential elections scheduled for the end of June, Grossi "reiterated... his call for, and disposition to continue" the negotiations. At the same time, Iran has significantly ramped up its nuclear programme and now has enough material to build several atomic bombs. In a separate confidential report seen by AFP ahead of an IAEA board of governors' meeting next week, the agency said Iran's estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached more than 30 times the limit set out in the 2015 accord between Tehran and world powers. According to the report, Iran's total enriched uranium stockpile was estimated at 6,201.3 kilogrammes as of May 11, up by 675.8 kilogrammes from the last quarterly report in February. Tensions between Iran and the IAEA have repeatedly flared since a 2015 deal curbing Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanction relief fell apart. EU-mediated efforts to revive the deal -- bringing the US back on board and Iran back into compliance -- have so far been fruitless. - Western differences - Nuclear weapons require uranium enriched to 90 percent, while 3.67 percent set out in the deal is enough for nuclear power stations. Iran has continued to breach further limits set out in the 2015 nuclear deal. According to the report, Iran has 751.3 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to up to 20 percent and 142.1 kilogrammes enriched to up to 60 percent. At the same time, Iran has gradually decreased its cooperation with the IAEA by deactivating surveillance devices needed to monitor the nuclear programme and barring inspectors among other measures. London, Paris and Berlin have been trying to push for a resolution condemning Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors. But the United States has been reluctant to join their efforts for fear of exacerbating the current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, especially in the run-up to the presidential election in November. "Action by the IAEA board is long overdue," Kelsey Davenport, an expert with the Arms Control Association, told AFP. "Waiting another six months until after the US election will only further exacerbate the challenges," she said, by "sending the message that Tehran can flout its international obligations with impunity". According to Davenport, the United States should put an offer on the table to "reduce the risk of conflict in the region and the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran". Poland to buy 677 mn euros of long-range missiles from US Warsaw, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Poland is set to buy 677 million euros ($735 million) worth of long-range missiles from the United States to boost its defence capabilities to counter potential Russian threats, Warsaw said Monday. The contract, which is due to be officially signed on Tuesday, is part of a rapid modernisation of the Polish army, accelerated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of being able to fire missiles at targets even far from the front line, and the range of the missiles to be purchased is around 1,000 kilometres (620 miles)," the Polish defence ministry said. The so-called Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) will be delivered between 2026 and 2030, the ministry added. Poland already has JASSM missiles with a range of 370 kilometres, which are used by its US-made F-16 multi-role combat aircraft. Warsaw has increased its defence budget to around four percent of GDP, the highest figure among NATO countries. It has also launched a series of billion-dollar purchases of military equipment, mainly from the United States and South Korea. I could stay at home all the time, and Ean would probably love it, but want to create and expand and do new projects, she said. I also want to be a role model to my daughter and not just be known as someones spouse. * FIRST NAME * LAST NAME * EMAIL Your email address * PASSWORD Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Show * YEAR OF BIRTH You must be at least 18 years old to create an account 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 * Required fields I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice CREATE ACCOUNT I'LL TRY LATER Already have an account? SIGN IN By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Steve Baker, a minister of state at the Northern Ireland Office and Conservative MP for Wycombe, wrote on X: Its a Conservative Party policy. The Governments policy was set out on Thursday. I dont like to be pedantic but a Government policy would have been developed by ministers on the advice of officials and collectively agreed. I would have had a say on behalf of Northern Ireland. The deposits of non-government resident customers were 0.9 percent up this April from the previous month, to RON 589.925 billion; compared to April 2023, the advance was 11.9 percent (5.6 percent in real terms), the National Bank of Romania (BNR) informs in a release. RON-denominated deposits of residents, accounting for 70.6 percent of the total deposits of non-government customers, increased 1.2 percent from March 2024 to RON 416.239 billion. Year-over-year, the increase was 16.4 percent (9.9 percent in real terms). RON-denominated household deposits inched up 2.3 percent to RON 231.144 billion from March 2024, and were by 21.7 percent higher (15.0 percent in real terms) on a YoY basis. RON-denominated deposits of other sectors (non-financial corporations and non-monetary financial institutions) dipped 0.2 percent to RON 185.095 billion compared to the previous month, and were 10.3 percent higher (4.1 percent in real terms) from the year-ago level. Forex-denominated deposits of residents expressed in RON (at 29.4 percent of the total deposits of non-government customers) inched up 0.4 percent from the previous month to RON 173.685 billion (when expressed in EUR, the increase was 0.3 percent, to EUR 34.905 billion). Year-over-year, the indicator advanced 2.4 percent when expressed in RON (1.6 percent when expressed in EUR). Foreign currency-denominated deposits of households picked up 0.8 percent from March 2024 to RON 120.616 billion when expressed in RON (when stated in EUR, the deposits advanced 0.6 percent to EUR 24.240 billion). Year-over-year, the indicator increased by 0.1 percent when stated in RON (-0.7 percent when stated in EUR). Foreign currency-denominated deposits of other sectors dropped 0.4 percent on a monthly basis to RON 53.068 billion when expressed in RON (when stated in EUR, the deposits were 0.6 percent down to EUR 10.665 billion). Year-over-year, the indicator went up 8 percent when expressed in RON (7.2 percent when expressed in EUR). The Fundeni Clinical Institute will benefit from European funds worth more than 500 million euros, through the Health Programme, which will be invested in a new building, where all transplant activities will be centralised, Minister of Investment and European Funds Adrian Caciu announced on Monday. "I said last week that the largest amounts contracted are under the Health Programme (about 2 billion euros) and the Sustainable Development Programme. Today I want to show you concretely what these values mean, with a concrete example: the Fundeni Clinical Institute. With the help of European funds, the Fundeni Clinical Institute will benefit from a new building, with a generous surface area of over 100,000 square metres. All transplant activities will be centralised here, giving more patients a chance at life. The investment is significant, exceeding 500 million euros, and reflects our commitment to provide the best possible medical experience," said Caciu on the ministry's Facebook page. The new building will facilitate both an increase in treatment capacity and a significant development of medical research and innovation, and will have adequate space for educational activities, contributing to the continuous training of medical staff. The National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics - ICI Bucharest hosted on Monday a high-level meeting with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ambassadors - Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam - to discuss strengthening diplomatic ties and promoting co-operation in the areas of computer science, technology and innovation between Romania and the ASEAN region. "We are honoured to welcome the esteemed ambassadors from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to ICI Bucharest. This meeting is an important step in our efforts to promote international collaboration and to promote technological progress through dialogue and partnership," said ICI Bucharest Director General Adrian-Victor Vevera. The ambassadors' presentations focused on the latest advances in computer science and areas for collaborative research and development, highlighting common interests and co-operation potentials. Speeches were delivered by Malay ambassador Tengku Dato' Sirajuzzaman Bin Tengku Mohamed Ariffin; Indonesian ambassador Meidyatama Suryodiningrat; Thai ambassador Dao Vibulpanich, and Vietnamese ambassador Do Duc Thanh. Novelties, book launches featuring the most recent volumes published by the ICR Publishing House, debates between cultural figures and creators from multiple areas are among the proposals of the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICS) for the visitors of the 17th edition of the Bookfest International Book Fair. "ICR's growing promotion and representation efforts show that the position adopted by the institution is correct and beneficial. A proof of this is the recent awarding of two very important prizes to Romanian authors whose translations were supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute," said Liviu Jicman, president of the Romanian Cultural Institute, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Monday. Among the protagonists of the events proposed by the National Book Centre, present at the ICR stand, created according to a graphic design signed by Emil Ivanescu, author of the Romanian Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale of Architecture, are people of culture from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. "Visitors have the opportunity to meet and enter into dialogue with well-known writers, including Gabriela Adamesteanu, Emilian Galaicu-Paun, Lavinia Braniste, Luminita Corneanu, Cosmin Perta, Liliana Corobca, Elena Vladareanu and Iulian Ciocan. Also, literary critics such as Ion Bogdan Lefter or leading figures of the theatrical world, including Emil Boroghina and Prof. Ludmila Patlanjoglu, Ph. D., will participate in the events. They are joined by personalities from cultural journalism such as Alina Purcaru and Nona Rapotan," says the ICR. The programme of the Institute's presence at this edition also includes the launch of the new double issue of the well-known magazine Lettre Internationale, published by the ICR Publishing House. During the five days of Bookfest, visitors will find at the ICR stand three new publications: "Post-Communism Panorama in the Republic of Moldova," coordinated by Liliana Corobca and printed in two volumes, the English edition of the album "Monasteries and Churches in Transylvania between the 13th and 18th centuries," a comprehensive work, edited by Father Iustin Marchis, and "Purcarete and Boroghina. Pilgrims in the Great Theatre of the World," a monograph signed by the theatre critic Ludmila Patlanjoglu and published in two versions, Romanian and English. ING Bank Romania achieved a net profit of 347 million RON in the first quarter of 2024, up 1% compared to the same period of last year, the bank informed in a release on Monday. In the first three months, the bank reported revenues of 877 million RON and total assets of 71.4 billion RON, an increase of 11.3% and 14.1%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2023. The costs of risk provisions remained at a low level, of approximately 58 million RON, but higher than in Q1 2023. At the same time, ING Bank Romania offered new loans to support the transition towards a more sustainable environment, offering loans with eco discounts for individuals worth 32 million euros, representing approximately 50% of the total amount granted in 2023 (67 million euros). Loans with sustainability components granted to companies reached 4.5 million euros for small companies, respectively 670 million euros in syndicated and bilateral loans for large companies. Regarding mutual funds with a sustainable component (art. 9 according to the SFDR), 29 million euros were invested by individual clients in the first quarter. ING Bank Romania is part of the ING Group, a global international financial institution, which offers banking services to over 38 million individual clients, companies or institutions from over 40 countries. Founded in 1994, ING Bank Romania is currently a universal bank, offering products and services to all categories of clients - large and small companies, financial institutions, small entrepreneurs and individuals. ING Bank Romania is the only bank with organic growth in the top 10 local banks by assets, without acquisitions of client portfolios or other banks. It is a universal bank with over 1.8 million clients from three business segments: individuals (retail), SME & Mid-Corporate companies and Wholesale Banking. Romania is an exemplary homeland for its citizens belonging to national minorities, Gheorghe Nacov, an MP of the parliamentary group of national minorities, told a plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies on Monday, May 27, Bulgarian Language Day in Romania. "Mother tongue, both spoken and written, is some of the most important pillars that support and at the same time express the identity of a nation. (...) Throughout history not only the Orthodox faith and the Danube, but also many other things have united the Romanian and Bulgarian nations. Romania was a shelter for Bulgarian revolutionaries, home for Bulgarian emigrants and a worthy ally for the liberation of Bulgaria," said Nacov. He added that May 24 is also Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, creators of the first Slavic and Cyrillic alphabet. "Romania is an exemplary homeland for its citizens who belong to national minorities. I am once again expressing my gratitude to the Bulgarian minority for this. (...) Romania is a model to follow for all states that support democratic and European values." Also attending the plenary session was Bulgaria's ambassador in Bucharest Radko Vlaykov. Romania is interested in expanding cooperation with Italy, within a multi-domain approach, Minister of National Defence Angel Tilvar said on Monday, in the context of a meeting with a delegation of Thales Alenia Space Italy and the ambassador of this country in Bucharest, Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni. "As far as defence cooperation is concerned, it is consistent at the level of all categories of forces of our army," added the Romanian minister, according to a National Defence Ministry (MApN) press release. The discussion agenda included topics related to the main Romanian Army equipment programmes currently underway or in preparation, reviewing the stages, specific procedures required by Romanian legislation and the role of the structures with responsibilities in the process of substantiating and approving the programmes for the provision of modern military equipment and techniques, the source said. The participants also discussed research and development projects within the framework of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in which MApN collaborates with Thales Alenia Space Italia, aspects related to bilateral cooperation and the presence of Italian companies at the Black Sea Defence and Aerospace exhibition - BSDA 2024. At the end of the meeting, Minister Tilvar and Ambassador Durante Mangoni reiterated the readiness and the need to strengthen cooperation in the area of defence procurement, infrastructure and other areas of interest, through joint preparation and participation in projects promoted and financed by the European Union. World War II Army veteran Clifford H. Strickland. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) (Tribune News Service) On the last Tuesday in December, Jacque VanBuskirk received the phone call her family had awaited for generations the remains of an uncle shed never met, a World War II prisoner of war who had been considered missing in action for almost 82 years, finally had been identified. The body of 25-year-old Clifford H. Strickland, a U.S. Army technician 5th grade from Fowler in southeastern Colorado, was officially identified five years after being exhumed from a Philippines cemetery, where he and other POWs had been reburied as unknown soldiers following the end of the war. Next month, Stricklands remains will finally be returned home to Colorado, where they will be laid to rest in the same cemetery as his mother and father. Its just like a piece of you is missing and you dont know where it is, said VanBuskirk, 65, who lives in Arizona. Its exciting, but at the same time, its sad because were planning a memorial and funeral for my uncle. But at the same time, hes coming home and will be buried near his parents. This Memorial Day, Stricklands family is one of at least four to receive news in recent months that the bodies of their long-missing Colorado soldiers had been formally identified. The remains of Army Cpl. John A. Spruell, from Cortez, who went missing during the Korean War; and Army Staff Sgt. Harold A. Schafer, from Denver, and Army Private James B. McCartney, from Ridgway, both killed in World War II, are among those newly identified. Strickland enlisted in April 1940, before the United States entered World War II. Initially stationed as a mule driver at Hickam Field in Hawaii, he later was assigned to Company C, 803rd Engineer Battalion and arrived in Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines, in October 1941, according to his family. In December 1941, Japanese troops invaded Luzon and, four months later, U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered. Clarence and Lydia Stricklands gravestone at Union Highland Cemetery in Florence, Colorado, on Thursday, May 23, 2024. The remains of their son, U.S. Army Technician 5th Grade Clifford H. Strickland, who died as a prisoner of war in World War II, have been officially identified and will be buried in the Florence cemetery this summer. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post/TNS) The Japanese captured thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members as prisoners of war, Strickland among them. Strickland and his fellow prisoners endured a 65-mile trek through the Philippines, known as the Bataan Death March, before arriving at Camp ODonnell. During the five-day journey, troops were starved, beaten and stabbed with bayonets. Camp ODonnell was the first camp that the prisoners were taken to, said Gregory Kupsky, a historian assigned to Stricklands case by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. But the death rate was so high that the Japanese ultimately made the decision to close that camp and move most of the prisoners to Cabanatuan instead. More than 2,500 POWs, including Strickland, died in the Cabanatuan prison camp during World War II, according to the federal agency. In June 1942, records show Strickland was admitted to the Cabanatuan hospital with dysentery and malaria. He died a month later and was buried by his fellow prisoners with 11 other soldiers in an unmarked grave Common Grave 215 according to burial records created by Cabanatuan prisoners. The summer was really bad in terms of death rate, Kupsky said. You had dozens of people dying per day and the way the burials worked is the Japanese would assign work details, and then prisoners, who themselves were in really bad shape, are carrying remains out and digging trenches to bury them in. and they werent allowed to mark the graves, so it was very hard to keep track of who was buried where throughout this process. Learning from letters, photos and memories Although VanBuskirk never knew her uncle no living members of her family met him she became acquainted with the veteran through stories, photos and memories passed from generation to generation. They had talked about him being quiet or somber and he was known for his ability to whisper, VanBuskirk said. In 2017, VanBuskirks cousin found a suitcase containing 20 letters Strickland sent home during his time in the Army. In the letters, Strickland recorded poetry written by fellow soldiers, snippets of his life in the Army and subtle jokes. What was interesting, that I know about him now, that I didnt know about him as I was growing up, was that from his letters, he was kind of a jokester, VanBuskirk said. Im getting to be a full sleepy head, I sleep about 12 hours per day now. I suppose that when I come home I will be too lazy to work so I will have to get back in the Army again, Strickland wrote in one letter. The Army is the easiest job a man can get. Twelve years ago, VanBuskirks family provided the U.S. Army with their first DNA sample, in hopes that it could eventually be used to identify Strickland. Since 2015, Kupsky and other POW agency representatives working to identify soldiers buried at Cabanatuan have met with the family almost every year, updating them on the disinterment and analysis process. Following the end of World War II, personnel from the American Graves Registration Service exhumed the POWs buried at Cabanatuan and moved their remains to a U.S. military mausoleum near Manila, according to the Defense Department. The service examined the remains in 1947 but was only able to identify five of the POWs who had been buried in Common Grave 215. The rest were reburied as unknowns at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. In 2018, after an exhaustive approval process, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agencys archeologists and anthropologists once again exhumed the remains that had been in Common Grave 215. They were brought from Manila to the agencys lab in Hawaii for analysis. Kupsky said the POW agency had a general idea of who had been buried in Common Grave 215, thanks to information pieced together from hospital admittance documents and burial logs created by other prisoners. Records from after the war also linked Strickland to the grave. The tricky part with all of these cases is its like a puzzle with a lot of pieces missing and you dont know which pieces youre going to end up with. You dont know how much of the story youll be able to reconstruct, Kupsky said. All you can do is build as much as you can and hope that your colleagues can fill in the rest. They all ended up with a hole in their heart Stricklands remains were confirmed Dec. 20 and are among the more than 60 identified so far as part of the Cabanatuan project. Kupsky and other representatives from the POW agency, as well as personnel from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory and the Army Casualty Office, met with VanBuskirk and her family in February. They had made new dog tags for Clifford Strickland, Kupsky said of the family. And one of the family members gave me a hug and gave me my own dog tag of his. Its extremely rewarding to be able to know that we were able to reconstruct parts of their stories that had been lost, he added. And in addition to that, be able to give closure to the families and give their loved ones back to be buried with their name on their grave. In June, Stricklands great nephew, Air Force Capt. Daniel Strickland, will escort the remains back to Colorado from Hickam Air Force Base at Pearl Harbor for a full military funeral. It has been almost 10 years since we filed with the DPAA, VanBuskirk said, referring to the Defense Departments POW agency. And all of the family before had passed and he hadnt been identified or recovered, so they all ended up with a hole in their heart that just wasnt fixable. Now its a healing of the heart for so many of us. On June 29, almost 82 years after his death, Strickland will be laid to rest near his parents at the Union Highland Cemetery in Florence, near where he grew up. Now dont scorn the soldier but clasp him by the hand, for the uniform he wears means protection to our land, Strickland penned in a 1941 letter, relaying a poem written by an unknown soldier. The government picks its soldiers from the million far and wide, so please place him as your equal, good buddies side by side. When a soldier goes to battle you cheer him on the way, and you say he is a hero when in the ground he lay 2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Inician negociaciones para el Acuerdo Comercial entre Peru e Indonesia. ???????? La ministra Elizabeth Galdo y el embajador de Indonesia en el Peru, Sr. Ricky Suhendar, participaron en la sesion inicial de esta primera ronda, junto a los equipos negociadores. pic.twitter.com/KoqHMEyMGQ Signs remind visitors approaching the B Reactor on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in south-central Washington in 2016. (Mark Boster, Los Angeles Times/TNS) Congress is still working to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, a more than $800 billion piece of legislation that funds our nations military as well as programs for members of our military. But this year, for the first time, the NDAA could include justice for veterans who were harmed by U.S. nuclear tests and other victims of the Cold War nuclear arms race. As the national commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans, I hear from veterans across the country every day whose lives were changed forever by exposure to radiation and other toxins. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act gives atomic veterans sickened by U.S. nuclear tests the opportunity to apply for compensation that can help pay for medical treatment, other expenses, or simply offer recognition of the harms they suffered. For many atomic veterans, RECA is the best and only option for help with exposure-related illnesses its been reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs rejected 86% of radiation-related claims by veterans, making RECA all the more important for atomic veterans. RECA offers fewer benefits than the VA, but is much simpler to navigate, and has been a godsend to many veterans. As a cleanup veteran, I am not eligible for RECA, but I have seen firsthand how much it has helped my fellow atomic veterans. However, RECA is set to expire next summer, and those veterans of the Cold War will be left without recourse or assistance. The news of high denial rates of atomic veterans seeking care from the VA is the latest example of veterans being left to fend for themselves. Veterans are dying while waiting for care. This is why we need to extend RECA and expand it to include cleanup veterans too often, veterans cannot afford to battle out their claims for years with the VA. They need care now. Veterans like Alex Partezana, from Cleveland, who was 22 years old when he served at Upshot Knothole where the U.S. government tested 11 nuclear weapons in the desert of Nevada. Alex was stationed in the trenches near the test, without any protective equipment or a film badge to measure his exposure. After the nuclear test he was told to walk toward ground zero, collecting Geiger counter measurements, while senators and higher-ups watched from over a mile away. Or Mike Cobb, from Friant, Calif., who was stationed in the Pacific Proving Grounds as part of Operation Dominic, where he witnessed 21 nuclear tests. Mike was one of the few men in his unit with protective gear and even that was just goggles. Sixty years later, Mike was diagnosed with bladder cancer, an illness associated with radiation exposure. Mike was able to receive compensation through RECA, offering him recognition for the risk he had unknowingly been asked to bear and the pain and suffering he endured as a result. As for me, I worked to decontaminate Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific, where the U.S. military conducted 43 nuclear tests between 1948 and 1958. The U.S. military spent $239 million in a failed attempt to make the island habitable again, digging up and moving over 110,000 cubic yards of radiation contaminated soil and debris enough to fill over 7,500 dump trucks. We worked with no personal protective equipment, resorting to t-shirts over our mouths to avoid inhaling radioactive dust. After my service, I experienced an ever-growing list of health problems all associated with exposure to radiation: my wife and I struggled to conceive; I was plagued by random fevers and bone pain; teeth crumbled in my mouth; I developed numbness in my hands and feet and radiation-related cataracts; at 40 I learned had the bones of a 90-year-old man and would need a hip replacement. Eventually, I was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, a common result of exposure to radiation. Within the last five years, after living with pain for two decades, I finally had both hips replaced, along with my left knee. Taking care of veterans is part of the cost of war. Congress should stand by the veterans who, often unknowingly, sacrificed their health and the peace of their families to keep our country safe. The project to develop, test and clean up nuclear weapons cost trillions of dollars and thousands of hours of work. The least we can do is provide health care and benefits to those harmed by that endeavor. Now we can finish the job, and ensure veterans of that effort have access to the health care and assistance they need. Congress should ensure the NDAA includes language extending RECA to allow additional time for those harmed by nuclear weapons tests to apply for benefits. Time is not on any of our sides, and our atomic veterans deserve all the time they can get. Keith Kiefer is national commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans. This photo provided by the North Korean government shows what the country said is the launch of the Malligyong-1, a military spy satellite, into orbit on Nov. 21, 2023. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP) SEOUL, South Korea North Korea on Monday announced plans to launch a rocket apparently carrying its second military spy satellite by early next week, drawing quick, strong rebukes from neighbors South Korea and Japan. The notification of the planned launch, banned under U.N. resolutions, came as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Seoul for their first trilateral meeting in more than four years. Japans coast guard said it was notified by North Korea about its planned launch of a satellite rocket, with safety cautioned in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and China and east of the Philippine island of Luzon beginning Monday and running through midnight June 3. North Korea gives Japan its launch information because Japans coast guard coordinates and distributes maritime safety information in East Asia. North Koreas planned launch likely would be an attempt to put its second military spy satellite into orbit. South Koreas military said Friday it detected signs of suspected preparations to launch a spy satellite at North Koreas main Tongchangri launch facility in the northwest. The U.N. bans North Korea from conducting any satellite launches, viewing them as covers for testing its long-range missile technology. North Korea has steadfastly maintained it has the right to launch satellites and test missiles. It says spy satellites would allow it to better monitor the U.S. and South Koreas moves and enhance the precision-strike capability of its nuclear-capable missiles. Any launch (by North Korea) using ballistic missile technology would directly violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and undermine peace and security of the region and world, Yoon said at the start of the meeting with Kishida and Li. If North Korea presses ahead with its launch despite the international warning, I think the international community must sternly deal with it. Kishida said he strongly urged North Korea to cancel the launch plan. China is a North Korean ally, and Li didnt mention the North Korean launch plan. In phone talks earlier Monday, senior diplomats from Japan, South Korea and the United States agreed to urge North Korea to cancel the launch. South Koreas Unification Ministry separately called a satellite launch by North Korea a provocation that seriously threatens our and regional security. Last November, North Korea sent its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit as part of its efforts to build a space-based surveillance network to cope with what it calls increasing U.S.-led military threats. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later told a year-end governing party meeting that the country would launch three additional military spy satellites in 2024. Whether the North Korean satellites can produce militarily meaningful imagery is widely doubted, but some civilian experts say operating several satellites could help North Korea monitor big targets at all times. The latest launch notification to Japan identifies the same danger zones for potential rocket debris as those identified prior to North Koreas last launch. That suggests North Korea would use the same first and second stages of the rocket as before, said Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. Chang said launching three satellites this year would allow North Korea to obtain imagery on sites in South Korea, Japan and the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam more frequently. Since 2022, North Korea has been engaged in a provocative run of missile tests to modernize and expand its weapons arsenals, prompting the U.S., South Korea and Japan to strengthen their security partnership in response. Experts say North Korea likely believes an enlarged weapons arsenals would increase its leverage in future diplomacy with the U.S. North Korea wasnt among matters listed on the official agendas for Mondays trilateral meeting between Yoon, Kishida and Li. But during a bilateral meeting with Li on Sunday, Yoon asked China, as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, to contribute to promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula, while speaking about North Koreas nuclear program and its deepening military ties with Russia, according to Yoons office. South Korea, Japan and the U.S. have long urged China North Koreas major ally and economic pipeline to use its leverage to persuade the North to abandon its nuclear ambitions. But China is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing U.N. sanctions on North Korea and sending clandestine aid shipments to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat. ___ Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific Russia President Vladimir Putin and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pose for a photo before their meeting at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Monday, May 27, 2024. (Sergey Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin via Reuters) TASHKENT, Uzbekistan Russia will build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the first such project in post-Soviet Central Asia, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said Monday at a meeting with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The nuclear deal, if implemented, will showcase Russias ability to export not only energy, but also high-tech products to new Asian markets, at a time when the West is increasing pressure on it through sanctions. Putin said Russia would put $400 million into a joint investment fund of $500 million to finance projects in Uzbekistan. Mirziyoyev also said Tashkent was interested in buying more oil and gas from Russia, a reversal of decades-long practice where Moscow imported hydrocarbons from Central Asia. The Uzbek president described Putins visit as historic. It heralds the beginning of a new age in the comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance relations between our countries, he said. Putin also called Tashkent Moscows strategic partner and reliable ally. According to documents published by the Kremlin, Russian state nuclear firm Rosatom will build up to six nuclear reactors with a capacity of 55 megawatts each in Uzbekistan, a much smaller-scale project than the 2.4 gigawatts one agreed in 2018 which remains to be finalised. There are no nuclear power plants in any of the five ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, although Uzbekistan and its neighbour Kazakhstan, both uranium producers, have long said their growing economies needed them. The Kazakh project, however, can only move ahead after a national referendum which has not yet been scheduled. Nearly all the leading countries of the world ensure their energy security and sustainable development with the help of nuclear energy, Mirziyoyev said. Energy supplies Taking advantage of Russias campaign to redirect its gas exports to Asia amid a rift with the West over Ukraine, Uzbekistan last October started importing Russian natural gas via the same pipeline which had previously pumped it in the reverse direction. Although its own gas production remains substantial at about 50 billion cubic metres a year, Uzbekistan struggles to fully meet domestic demand, and Russian supplies have allowed it to avert an energy crisis. (Gas) exports are running well ahead of schedule and we are ready to increase their volume if needed, Putin said. According to Mirziyoyev, Tashkent is also keen to increase imports of Russian oil. The two leaders also said their governments were working on large projects in mining, metals, and chemicals. Uzbekistan, whose economy depends heavily on remittances from migrant labourers working in Russia, has maintained close ties with Moscow after it invaded Ukraine in 2022. However, Mirziyoyev and other leaders in the region have never spoken in support of what the Kremlin calls its special military operation in Ukraine, and all countries in the region are also working with the West on projects such as cargo shipping routes designed to bypass Russia. DUBAI Yemens Iran-backed Houthis said on Monday they launched attacks on three ships in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, and two U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea. The group, which describes its attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Israels war in Gaza, said the ships were the Larego Desert and the MSC Mechela in the Indian Ocean, and the Minerva Lisa in the Red Sea. It did not name the destroyers. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that its forces successfully destroyed one uncrewed aerial system (UAS) over the Red Sea, launched from an Iranian-backed Houthi controlled area of Yemen. CENTCOM provided no other details. The Houthis military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, did not specify when the attacks took place but said in a televised speech the group had used missiles against the ships and drones against the U.S. destroyers. The group has launched repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea region since November, later expanding to the Indian Ocean. It has said it will attack any ships sailing towards Israeli ports, even in the Mediterranean Sea. Its attacks have forced shippers to re-route cargo to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa and stoked fears of the Israel-Hamas war spreading and destabilising the Middle East. The United States and Britain have carried out strikes against Houthi targets in retaliation for their attacks on vessels. Nayera Abdallah in Dubai, Adam Makaryin Cairo and Mohammed Ghobari in Aden contributed to this report. ?? Sabes cuantas variedades de papa hay en Peru? Descubre, saborea y celebra, este 30 de mayo, el #DiaInternacionalDeLaPAPA. ?? pic.twitter.com/ZVljl3f8tA Army Pvt. 1st Class Luther Bagley holds his son Nathan Bagley while posing beside his wife Eleanor in this photo taken during World War II before he shipped out to Burma where he joined Merrills Marauders. (Jonnie Melillo Clasen) On the morning of May 14, Nathan Woody Bagley received a call that left the 80-year-old speechless. The remains of his father, missing since 1944 when he was killed in Burma while serving in the famed Merrills Marauders, had been found and identified. A member of the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division at Fort Knox, Ky., told him that Luther E. Buck Bagley, who had died at age 22, had been identified through DNA testing. When I got off the phone, I sat there for a few minutes and thought about it, Nathan Bagley told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday from his home in Georgia. He then got up to tell his wife Pat in another room. When I got in there, I couldnt talk, Bagley recalled. She thought Id gotten some bad, bad news. She was upset because I couldnt tell her anything for many minutes. I guess it took a few minutes to hit home, he said. It had more emotion attached to it than I thought it would have. Bagley has no real memories of his father, who was killed about a week before his sons first birthday. Its hard to describe, he said. He was a part of my life that was out there someplace that I couldnt get my head around. It was not like a relative or dad Id grown up with. It was like a distant memory that Id never really grown up with. The memories are living, however, for Bagleys 99-year-old mother, Eleanor Stark, who lives nearby. She was 19 and working at Southeastern Shipbuilding Corp., in Savannah, Ga., when a relative came to her workplace and told her Bagley had been killed in action. A few hours after receiving the call this month, Nathan Bagley, joined by other relatives, went to his mothers home to give her the news. I told my mama to come and sit down, he said. I told her that Id gotten a phone call that day and they told me that my dads remains had been found and identified. For a short time, she sat and said nothing. Then she started crying and said, I didnt think this day would ever come, Bagley said. Eleanor Stark holds a photo of her late husband, Luther Bagley, while flanked by their son Nathan Bagley and Georgia state Sen. Ed Harbison at the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Columbus, Ga., Nov. 4, 2023. (Jonnie Melillo Clasen) Luther Bagley served as a reinforcements for the top-secret 5307th Composite Unit Provisional, better known as Merrills Marauders, during World War II. (Jonnie Melillo Clasen) Luther Bagley had been one of about 2,500 reinforcements for the top-secret 5307th Composite Unit Provisional, better known as Merrills Marauders, who were flown into Myitkyina, Burma, to battle a better equipped and provisioned Japanese 18th Division. Luther Bagley was 20 years old when he was drafted in 1942 from his hometown of Fitzgerald, Ga., where he had been working in a cotton mill after dropping out of high school. Stark and the infant Nathan were only able to visit Luther one time before he shipped out of Fort Meade, Md. The private first class was assigned to K Company in the 5307th and arrived in Burma in May 1944. He was killed on July 25, 1944, about a week before the 5307th captured the town of Myitkyina, completing its mission. The unit was dissolved Aug. 10, 1944. Family members will meet with Army officials on July 10 to receive complete details on the identification and to work out plans for a military funeral, Bagley said. My mother and I thought it was a done deal, he said of their assumption that the missing father and husband would remain missing. This is one of those things that is very, very bitter and sweet, he said. Its been quite a rollercoaster thing for the past week. (Illustration by Noga Ami-rav/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON Michael Cobb, a former Navy seaman, witnessed the detonation of more than 20 atomic bombs over Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean in 1962 and 1963. He and other active-duty service members were handed only plastic goggles to shield their eyes and then told to turn their backs when they saw the bright light from the explosion, his widow Karen Bosch Cobb said. Cobb, whose four-year military service ended in 1963, experienced terrible pain in his bones following the nuclear bomb tests, she said. He later was diagnosed with bladder cancer that spread to his lungs, and he died in 2023. The cancers were presumed to be connected to his radiation exposure during military service, his wife said. In 2021, he received a one-time compensation from the Radiation Compensation Exposure Fund established by Congress after filing the required paperwork. Michael Cobb, a Navy veteran, witnessed the detonation of more than 20 atomic bombs over Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean from 1962-1963 during active-duty service, said Karen Bosch Cobb, his widow. He died from cancer in 2023 connected to his radiation exposure from military service. Cobb is shown in this 2013 family photo, 10 years prior to his death. (Karen Bosch Cobb) My husband saw the payment as recognition for what he went through, Karen Bosch Cobb said. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act offers an apology and monetary compensation to individuals who contracted certain cancers and other serious diseases from exposure to radiation from above-ground nuclear weapons tests, according to the Department of Justice. But time is running out for veterans to file for compensation under the fund established to assist them with the long-term health effects of radiation exposure after participating in atomic bomb tests more than 50 years ago. Veterans have until June 10 to submit claims for a one-time payment of $75,000, the Justice Department said. The compensation fund also awards payments to workers who mined, processed and transported uranium for manufacturing bombs, and civilians who lived downwind from specific test sites. Legislation authorizing the payments is scheduled to sunset after 34 years, at which time the fund will be closed permanently. Veterans are advised to submit claims by June 7. They must be postmarked by June 10 to be accepted. Often illnesses associated with ionizing radiation take decades to appear, said Air Force veteran Keith Kiefer, who is the national commander at the National Association of Atomic Veterans, a nonprofit organization. Kiefer, who was exposed to radiation during the cleanup of a nuclear bomb site at Eniwetok Atoll in the South Pacific, described the path to financial help from the Department of Veterans Affairs as difficult, making the compensation fund more critical for veterans. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Fund is much less bureaucratic than going through the VA for compensation, he said. More than $2.7 billion has been paid to 41,000 individuals filing claims, according to the Justice Department. In 2022, Congress granted atomic veterans and others exposed to radiation from military explosives a two-year extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to submit their claims. Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee, both Utah Republicans, have submitted legislation to continue the compensation fund for another two years. Members of 11th Airborne Division watch the mushroom cloud of an atomic bomb test at Frenchmans Flat in Nevada in November 1951. (Library of Congress) Separate legislation called the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act would extend the fund for five more years and add locations within the U.S. where radioactive waste exposures occurred. The Congressional Budget Office estimated total compensation under the bill would be about $50 billion. Sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., the bill was forwarded to the House after passage in the Senate in March. A hearing on the bill has not been scheduled. Karen Bosch Cobb said her husband remained stoic about his experience bearing witness to the atomic bomb blasts, though it was important that he received burial benefits and a headstone from the VA recognizing his military service. But the legislation excludes thousands of former service members who removed contamination from the sites decades after the bombings. Costs are a concern to lawmakers. Compensation may very well be warranted for individuals harmed by the governments nuclear activities, but the substantial deficit impact of the legislation is concerning and unnecessary, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a Washington think tank, wrote in March. Kiefer, 67, participated in nuclear debris cleanup in 1978 at Eniwetok Atoll, a string of islands in the Pacific Ocean where the military dropped more than 40 nuclear bombs in tests after World War II. Some of the bombings at Eniwetok Atoll vaporized the islands, so they no longer exist, said Kiefer, whose military service was from 1975-1981. Kiefer, a former airman first class, said he was among 6,000 members deployed to Eniwetok from 1977-1980 for the radioactive waste cleanup. He believes he was exposed to radioactive waste as he dug up and repaired damaged underground communications cables. Kiefer learned he was sterile after returning home from Eniwetok, when he and his wife tried to start a family. He also was diagnosed with a thyroid condition after his military service. His health problems continued, and he was diagnosed with degenerative bone disease and a blood-clotting disorder that caused embolisms in his lungs. The National Association of Atomic Veterans is advocating for the radiation exposure compensation fund to continue, though it does not cover veterans who cleaned up the contamination from sites where nuclear weapons were used. It is important to preserve the fund and represent our members. There are veterans who were witnesses to the atomic bombs tests that would qualify with the extension. We will ask for the Eniwetok Atoll veterans to be added later, Kiefer said. Former service members who cleared debris from Eniwetok Atoll encountered low levels of radiological contamination and have a low risk of health problems, according to the VA. The VA might deny some claims because the U.S. government has asserted that the veterans were not exposed to unsafe levels of radiation, according to Atomic Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Veterans, however, are eligible for compensation for health problems connected to radiation exposure under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or PACT Act, the VA said. The legislation, adopted in 2022, provides coverage to veterans who developed medical conditions after toxic exposures during military service, including from burn pits, Agent Orange and radiation. But the VA did not approve most claims submitted for radiation exposure from August 2022 to August 2023, according to the agency. While the VA does cover radiation exposure, approval is for specific diseases including certain types of cancer. Last year, the PACT Act extended eligibility to veterans who took part in cleanups at Eniwetok Atoll and crash sites from the 1960s of Air Force B-52 bombers in Greenland and Spain. Kiefer said he filed disability claims in 2023 with the VA that are pending. Prior to the PACT Act, Kiefer said he submitted service-connected disability claims to the VA that were denied. In my view, the VA has had a propensity to deny claims from ionizing radiation exposures. They dont understand it, he said. Navy veteran John Wills competed in the Valor Games, a paralympic sport competition, in 2013. Wills suffered degenerative bone loss after assisting in the cleanup of nuclear contamination at Enewetak Atoll in the South Pacific, a nuclear bomb test site. The Department of Veterans Affairs has denied his disability claims for radiation exposure. (John Wills) John Wills, a 66-year-old Navy veteran who lives in North Carolina, also participated in the Eniwetok Atoll cleanup in 1978 and 1979. Wills, who was a petty officer second class, was medically discharged in 1982 for health problems that he developed after the radiation cleanup at Eniwetok. He was diagnosed with a degenerative bone condition that led to severe bone loss and deterioration in his shoulders, hips and legs. He now uses a wheelchair. After I left the service, the bone loss caused my left leg to shorten, which became progressively worse over the years. My hips also started to pop and crack. I am now sitting with my left leg four inches shorter than my right, Willis said. He also was diagnosed with an enlarged heart in 2005. But Wills said his claim with the VA for disability compensation related to his medical conditions was denied in 2015. The VA reviews claims for radiation exposure utilizing an assessment of the size and nature of the radiation dose, according to the agency. Wills said he refiled his claim the same day that the PACT Act was signed into law in August 2022. But it too was denied six months later, he said. The VA does not understand radiation victims and what they go through, he said. But Wills received an unexpected call from the VA that his denied claims would get a second look. I got a call from a VA representative in February who said my case was undergoing a higher review, and I would get a call back within a couple weeks, he said. Wills is still waiting for the call four months later. He has received no other correspondence, he said. I get up each day and make sure that the phone line is clear. All I can do is wait, Wills said. Hopefully the VA realizes they should do the right thing for me and for the other atomic veterans. The statue of Dick Winters stands as reminder of the sacrifice of the Greatest Generation near Utah Beach in Normandy, France. (Austin Berner/U.S. Army) Dick Winters was on the front lines of history, parachuting behind enemy lines hours before Allied forces landed on D-Day, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and taking part in the capture of Hitlers Eagles Nest. He was the commanding officer of Easy Company, the Army unit whose story was told in the book and HBO series Band of Brothers. To commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Stars and Stripes is sharing the World War II Foundation documentary Dick Winters: Hang Tough. The film tells the story of the building of the Richard D. Winters Leadership Monument in Normandy, France. A homeless man who tried to assault a garda when he was found walking intoxicated along Luas tracks had been drinking out of boredom and to combat the cold in Ireland, a court heard. Xamse Jamac (32) was jailed for five months. Jamac, from Somalia and of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to public intoxication and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour. Dublin District Court heard he came into Store Street garda station highly intoxicated on May 13. He left, fell and banged his head and an ambulance was called. Jamac became aggressive and unco-operative and walked off on the Luas tracks in a manner that was dangerous to himself and road users. He attempted to assault a garda who approached him and had to be restrained. Earlier, on April 12, he was stumbling intoxicated on Aungier street and became aggressive to gardai. The accused had 47 previous convictions. Jamac did not drink until he came to Ireland, his barrister Donal Pattison said. He was drinking out of boredom and to combat the cold in Ireland. He accepted it was a problem he had to address. The accused was already in custody on remand when he appeared in court. Andy Donohoe (18), of City West View in Tallaght, appeared before a sitting of the local district court this morning The damage to the front of St John's House in Tallaght. Photo: Frank McGrath. A teenager allegedly attacked a Dublin building set to house migrant families with three petrol bombs while a female security guard stood just metres from the front door as it was targeted, a court has heard. During a contested bail hearing gardai also alleged that the incident in Tallaght last week caused an estimated 20,000 worth of damage. Andy Donohoe (18), of City West View in Tallaght, appeared before a sitting of the local district court this morning. He is charged with an offence contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act, 1991 at St Johns House on High Street, Tallaght, last Tuesday, May 21. Objecting to bail, Detective Garda Eoin Monaghan said that the building was targeted at around 11pm while a female security guard was inside and just metres from the doorway, and that she fled out of a rear fire exit unharmed. He said a male was seen throwing a petrol bomb at the front door which bounced back and landed on the footpath. It was alleged that the suspect then returned a short time later with a hammer before smashing the front door and throwing two more petrol bombs into the doorway. Footage of the incident was also played with Det Gda Monaghan saying large amounts of CCTV footage were reviewed. The court was told a search of the defendant's home was carried out the following day. The witness said that Andy Donohoe was the sole male occupant of the house and he presented himself to gardai a number of days later. Evidence was given that the person who carried out the attack used a hammer to smash the front door and put his hands through the broken glass. He added that there is the possibility of more serious charges. The defence counsel said her client was entitled to the presumption of innocence, that he has no previous convictions, and that the allegations were "out of character for him". She also said that no admissions were made during garda interviews. The prosecuting garda added that there were no bail conditions which would allay his concerns. Judge Patricia McNamara refused bail and remanded the accused to appear in custody on Friday. In a statement last week the Department of Integration confirmed that a new accommodation centre for international protection applicants was coming on stream and "is intended for use by families". Eddie Jnrs fifth brother, Gavin, was present at his funeral today, along with Patrick Hutch jnr who was acquitted of the Regency Hotel murder in 2019 Patsy Hutch, front second right, carries the coffin at the funeral of Eddie Hutch. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin. Eddie Hutch Jnr, the nephew of Gerry The Monk Hutch, died without knowing he was due to become a grandfather, his funeral heard today. Eddie (47) was found unresponsive at his home on Portland Place in Dublins north inner city on Sunday, May 19. His death is not being investigated as suspicious. He was the son of Eddie Hutch snr, who was shot dead in a reprisal just three days after the Regency Hotel shooting in February 2016 in which Kinahan kingpin David Byrne was murdered. The Hutch/Kinahan gangland feud claimed a total of 18 lives, including Eddie Jnrs cousins, Gary and Gareth. At the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Sean McDermott Street, family, neighbours and friends gathered to pay their respects to Hutch today as gardai maintained a discreet presence. In his homily, Fr Michael Casey said life can be a challenge and a quest that can be affected by different influences, some of which are external, and some are internal and depend on choices we make ourselves. Eddie Hutch Junior. We all like to hear success stories of people doing well, but even those that are successful and live lives of celebrity, they too pay a price for it. Everything they do is scrutinised and watched and judged, and that can happen too if for different reasons youre in the limelight, he said. Sometimes were blamed for the sins of our ancestors, and sometimes were all painted with the one brush, which is so unfair because we are all unique, and we are all on our own unique journey. Yes, we all have to be accountable. Wrongdoing has to be called out and justice has to be done, he added, saying that behind what is public there is also a private part of life only known by those close to us. He said every life is a gift, and gifts come in different packages, and some are very fragile and need to be held gently. Fr Casey referred to one condolence message for Hutch that he read online signed by a Dublin mam. I dont know you Edward, only your surname. What I do know it has been a name plagued with sadness and grief. May God comfort your already broken-hearted family, it read. A cousin of Hutch spoke at the end of the funeral and told stories of his life and said he was a man who didnt like a fuss to be made of him. She told one story of how Edward once went to Mosney holiday camp with friends, but slipped back to the chalet early where he cooked up a storm of a big pot of stew which was devoured by his friends when they arrived back at 3am. When Edward was asked where he learned his cooking skills he said only in the best place The Joy , she said. Eddie Hutch is pre-deceased by his father Eddie Snr and his mother Jane Jenny who died from a heart attack in January 2023 at the age of 66 at the same house in Portland Place where her son Eddie died. He was one of five siblings, and lost his brother Christopher to a drug overdose in 2003. His two younger brothers, Ross and Alan, are currently in jail at Dublins Wheatfield Prison, and mourners were told today that they were watching the funeral online. Eddie Jnrs fifth brother, Gavin, was present at his funeral today, along with Patrick Hutch jnr who was acquitted of the Regency Hotel murder in 2019, and his father Patsy Hutch and other family members. There was no visible presence of Gerry The Monk Hutch. Eddie Jnrs only daughter, Megan, was present, and as the funeral mass began mourners were told that Eddie had not yet been told that he was due to become a grandfather. Along with a set of Eddies car keys, a scan of his unborn grandchild was brought to the altar to represent symbols of his life. Adrienne McGuinness provided a false alibi for infamous killer Cotton Eye Joe Delaney A woman who initially gave a false alibi for a notorious gangland killer in a murder investigation is part of the campaign team for an anti-immigrant candidate in the upcoming elections. Adrienne McGuinness, a prominent anti-immigrant protester from East Wall in Dublin, initially lied for Cotton Eye Joe Delaney to give him an alibi for the brutal torture and murder of Mark Dwyer over missing drugs in 1996. McGuinness, who was present in the Co Kildare home where Dwyer was being tortured and turned up the stereo to drown out his screams, was arrested by gardai in connection with the killing and gave Delaney an alibi saying she had been having an affair with him and slept with him that night. However, she later agreed to testify against Delaney in court and said she had given him the false alibi as she had been frightened of him. Election candidate Malachy Steenson She said she booked into a hotel with Delaney in the aftermath of the killing after she received death threats from a man purporting to be from the INLA over alleged drug pushing and had been given seven days to leave the country. McGuinness is now campaigning for Independent European and local election candidate Malachy Steenson, who in the 1990s was a fringe republican and anti-drug activist who had been targeted by Garda Special Branch and has a conviction from the Special Criminal Court. The pair have found common ground in recent times due to their shared anti-immigration views and have been part of a campaign against the housing of asylum seekers in East Wall in Dublin. Last year, the Sunday World revealed that McGuinness who previously described refugees as scammers bleeding us dry had a compensation claim thrown out of court because she had failed to disclose previous accidents. Adrienne McGuinness at an anti-immigration protest McGuinness had been awarded 175,000 in compensation over a number of years as a result of various accidents. However, last October she was unsuccessful in a 60,000 claim in Dublin Circuit Civil Court in relation to a minimal-impact car crash which she said left her with a sore neck. Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain told McGuinness she had no option but to throw out her latest claim because she had given evidence of two accidents that she had failed to disclose earlier. Steenson has been linked to various political groups over the years, including the Workers Party and Republican Sinn Fein. Adrienne McGuinness at and anti-immigration protest In 1994, Garda Special Branch raided Steensons home in an operation targeting fringe figures linked to Republican Sinn Fein an anti-peace process republican splinter group. Four years later, in 1998, he lost a court bid to get a licence to drive a hackney after an appeal to Dublin District Court. The carriage office had previously rejected his application for a public service vehicle licence as he had three convictions, including one at the Special Criminal Court for unauthorised taking of a vehicle. Steenson was also a friend of Alan Ryan, who was shot dead after a feud with gangland criminals in 2012. He spoke out after Ryans death and later said he did so because Ryan was dealing with drug dealers in society and the state wasnt willing to do that. Cotton Eye Joe Delaney While Steenson was part of anti-drug movements in Dublin in the 1990s, he also defended a drug dealer whose home was marched on by local residents. Steenson publicly defended Brendan Fats Reilly, saying he was an addict but not a dealer. Reilly was later jailed after being caught with 30,000 of heroin at his home. Meanwhile, McGuinness is not the only anti-immigrant campaigner who was present during Mark Dwyers torture. Delaneys son Scott Delaney, who helped abduct Dwyer before he was tortured and killed by his father, is also part of anti-immigrant protests. Gun and petrol bomb attacks have already been linked to the dispute Gardai have stepped up armed patrols in a Dublin suburb amid fears that a feud which has seen a machine pistol attack and petrol bombings will escalate further. There are serious concerns that the dispute between two gangs in south Dublin will explode following several violent incidents in recent weeks. Centrally linked to the dispute are two brothers from the Dublin 12 area who are heavily involved in the drug trade, and a group of local criminals from the Bluebell area. So far, two gun attacks have been reported that are linked to the dispute along with assaults and petrol bomb attacks. In the past week, local gardai have been ordered to carry out increased patrols and checkpoints in the area while the Armed Support Unit (ASU) is also patrolling the area. One source told the Sunday World: There has been a serious escalation in this dispute. It started as a personal row after a relationship ended, which has just grown and now involves volatile criminals on both sides. Those involved have access to serious firepower and things will only get worse if it continues. A number of young women have also been harassed and subjected to intimidation as part of the dispute. In an incident earlier this month, a property in the Bluebell area was smashed up while a car in the driveway was also targeted. A number of local criminals later approached the innocent family and are suspected of offering to provide security at the property to protect it from further attacks. It is understood that in one recent incident since then, the criminals had prepared several petrol bombs in the house and threw one at an individual who had made an effort to target the home. A week later, gardai were alerted to a number of serious attacks within a 24-hour period. A single shot was fired through the front window of a house in Drimnagh while young children were inside at around 2am on May 17. The following night around a dozen shots were fired into an innocent familys home in Bluebell from a suspected machine pistol and no injuries were reported. Gardai recovered a Scorpion machine pistol the following day which they believe was used in the shooting. Detectives do not believe the feuding is directly related to the murder of Joshua Itseli (20) who was shot dead in Drimnagh on May 6. However, there are believed to be individuals interlinked between Mr Itselis associates and those involved in the feuding. It was previously revealed the violent criminal suspected of accidentally shooting Mr Itseli dead with an AR-15 has fled to England. The suspect and two close associates are understood to have travelled to Liverpool in recent weeks in an effort to avoid the pressure of the murder investigation. The young criminal was arrested close to the scene at the junction of Curlew Road and Knocknarea Road and investigators are continuing to build a case against the suspect. Detectives believe Mr Itseli and his associates were on their way to carry out a pipe bomb attack when they were intercepted by rival criminals. We spot pervert landlord who took videos of student in the shower out and about in his taxi Le Wang in his taxi just days after his conviction A pervert who secretly filmed his student tenant while she showered and then spent months harassing her was back behind the wheel of a licensed taxi this week. Le Wang (42) was given a suspended sentence for his disgraceful harassment of the female just days before we captured these images, on Tuesday last, of him motoring around leafy south Dublin in the vehicle. Shockingly, unsuspecting female passengers who checked Wangs credentials on the Driver Check app would have had no reason not to get in his car as his plate number and registration details show his Small Public Service Vehicle Licence remains active. This is despite the fact that gardai, as the licensing authority, have the power at any time, to revoke a licence if [they] are satisfied that the holder of the licence is no longer a suitable person to hold a licence. Under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, the licensing authority is mandated to consider the need to ensure the safety and welfare of passengers in SPSVs and other road users, and consider any conduct by the licence holder which calls into question the holders suitability to hold the licence. Le Wang in his taxi just days after his conviction When confronted about his continued driving of a taxi on Friday, Wang admitted to the Sunday World that he had received a notice from gardai informing him that the status of his licence is now under consideration. I go to the Garda station today, Wang told our reporter. They talked about these things. They sent a letter to me already it said they are considering this. When asked whether he believes, given his conviction, that he should still be driving a taxi, Wang replied: I dont know. The garda station decide it. Not me. Asked if he would confirm that he had been driving the taxi since his conviction, Wang claimed: I had to pick up my wife and kids. I need a car. Asked if he is allowed to drive the taxi for work, pending the garda decision on his licence status, he responded: Yeah, I think so. The PSV licence is still active, yeah. When then asked whether he will use the taxi to work, he responded: I dont know. Wang declined to comment about his conviction when asked, responding: No. You should already know all of it. Its been in all the newspapers. Le Wang is photographed still using his taxi despite being convicted of making secret videos of his student lodger in the shower and then harassing her A spokesperson for the National Private Hire and Taxi Association told the Sunday World, after we contacted them about Wangs continued use of his taxi, that the Association does not believe it appropriate that he continues to be the holder of an SPSV licence. On Thursday of last week, four days before we photographed him back behind the wheel, Wang was given a suspended sentence of 16 months for the offence of harassment. He had pleaded guilty to harassing a foreign student over three months between December 2022 and March 2023. At a sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court three weeks ago, Judge Martin Nolan remanded Wang in custody for a fortnight to think about what he did while he considered his verdict. On his return to court, Judge Nolan described Wangs behaviour as disgraceful but said he didnt deserve a longer stay in prison. He did, however, order Wang not to communicate with or about the injured party in any way for the next ten years. Judge Nolan said Wang had videoed the woman twice in the shower and was attempting to do it a third time when the woman noticed the phone. Wang had hidden the phone in a laundry basket, balanced on clothes at the foot of the bathtub, the court heard. She immediately brought it to the attention of Wangs wife, who said her husband must have put it there by accident and gave it back to him. Wang overheard the conversation and heard the student crying, the court heard. That evening, he sent her a series of text messages to the effect that she had to move out the next day. The messages also contained the following threats: If you make a big deal out of what happened tonight and ruin my family, I have a way of ruining your reputation. You better pretend nothing happened tonight. The student moved out that evening. Wangs wife later rang the injured party and told her she had looked through her husbands phone and found many videos of her on it. Le Wang speaking with Sunday World's Patrick O' Connell In the months that followed, Wang tried to contact the student through several social media apps, including WhatsApp and WeChat, a messaging app used by the Chinese community. The woman always tried to block his contact, and after 18 incidents of attempted conversations, the harassment ended on March 11, 2023. Gardai seized the mans phone and found two videos of the woman naked in the shower, taken on December 5 and 10, 2022. Garda Kane said the videos had been deleted and then restored, and photos had been screenshotted from them and shared to Wangs own WeChat app. Wang has no previous convictions. Garda Kane agreed with Marc Murphy BL, defending, that there was no suggestion that the images or videos had been shared with anyone else. The court heard that Wang cooperated fully with gardai and seemed to suggest to them that his behaviour had been an extraordinary misjudgement or a moment of madness. A number of people were arrested for immigration offences and are set to be deported while over 200,000 in bank accounts was frozen along with cash and drugs being seized Three arrested as Gardai conduct raids on gang suspected of people smuggling and drug dealing Some 140 gardai have carried out a major operation targeting a Dublin crime gang suspected of involvement in people smuggling and drug dealing. The early morning raids also involved specialist detectives from national garda units and saw two halting sites in north Dublin raided. During the operation a number of people were arrested for immigration offences and are set to be deported while over 200,000 in bank accounts was frozen along with cash and drugs being seized. Images of the operation show gardai carrying out multiple searches at several properties in Coolock, Balbriggan and Finglas earlier today. The crime gang targeted during the raids are suspected of involvement in numerous different offences including people smuggling, drug dealing and money laundering. Designer items seized Designer goods and cash seized During the operation, three people were arrested for immigration offences and are set to be deported back to the UK. Its understood one individual had entered Ireland illegally through the North while another had arrived here using false documents. Another person was detained on foot of a deportation order and all are set to be returned to the UK. Investigators have also frozen in excess of 200,000 held in bank accounts suspected of being linked to the criminal gang, while over 40,000 worth of assets have also been seized. This includes designer goods including clothes and handbags while a Rolex watch was also discovered. Items seized by gardai Rolex seized Its understood that over 30,000 in cash was recovered along with a quantity of cannabis with an estimated street value of 15,000. In total, around 140 gardai attached to local and divisional units as well as garda national units were involved in the operation. This included the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, and the Garda National Immigration Bureau. One source said: These specialist units were involved because of the wide range of offending this crime group as suspected to be involved in. Todays operation is the culmination of detailed investigations and intelligence gathering by local gardai. This gang are suspected of running a significant criminal operation connected to various different offences for financial gain. Detectives suspect the crime group targeted today are involved in people smuggling, drug dealing, illegal dumping and money laundering. They have also come under investigation for alleged links to the prostitution trade involving foreign nationals. Also involved in this mornings operation were the public order unit, dog unit as well as financial asset investigators. Its understood that investigations relating to todays searches are continuing. The search operation also forms part of a probe into an incident of violent disorder that occurred at a premises in Balgriffin, County Dublin on January 13, 2024. How the international drug-trafficking facilitators at the centre of CAB raids stayed under the radar as they became responsible for huge cocaine shipments Two drug-trafficking facilitators who were the target of CAB raids this week have been responsible for most of the cocaine imported into Ireland in the last eight years, the Sunday World can reveal. The men, who have acted as logistics experts for both the Kinahan Cartel and the Mr Big drug networks, are currently based in Dubai where they continue to be involved in multi-tonne cocaine shipments. Officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) searched a total of 23 properties, including homes, businesses and professional offices across Dublin and Donegal as part of a probe into their suspected operation on Wednesday. A top-of-the-range 2023 Volvo XC90 worth more than 80,000 was seized, while 73,000 in a bank account was also frozen. The Volvo XC90 that drew attention to Donegal home CAB is targeting a luxury home in north Donegal, which is estimated to be worth over 1million. The property is reportedly expensively fitted out in marble, with en-suite rooms throughout. Investigators believe the duo were responsible for landing a large percentage of cocaine into Ireland over the past eight years and had been operating under the radar while posing as legitimate businessmen. However, intelligence gathered by specialist gardai uncovered their operation, which offered logistics expertise to major dealers flying, shipping and transporting cocaine into the country. They have been described as top-level logistics specialists for drugs gangs in Ireland who can facilitate and enhance the drugs supply routes by air, sea or land. One of the seized shipments It is believed they offer their services smuggling multi-tonne maritime loads of cocaine from anywhere in world to a destination chosen by drugs gangs. The friends only shot to prominence in the criminal underworld in the aftermath of the Regency Hotel shootings, when they saw an opportunity to keep supply routes open when pressure was being put on traditional cell groups being used by the Kinahan operation. Within a short space of time they amassed incredible wealth and made their way to the United Arab Emirates, where they continue to organise transport by private aircraft and ships as well as routes through the UK into Scotland and across to Northern Ireland. One of the men is from the north west of the country and previously came before the courts more than a decade ago for a serious crime. He recently opened a business near the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai one of the worlds most expensive real estate locations. Daniel Kinahan His business partner is from the northside of Dublin and does not have an extensive criminal history. Despite being a target for specialist garda units, the men have no public profile as criminals and have stayed under the radar for years. The two forged their usefulness to both the Kinahan and the Mr Big networks, which have been coming under increasing pressure over the past decade as gardai attempt to dismantle the groupings. It is believed they have played a key role in the expansion of the drugs network controlled by a crime figure known as Mr Big. Drug dealer Mr Big Originally from north Dublin, Mr Big is regarded as one of the countrys biggest drug traffickers and is suspected of ordering the murders of RIRA boss Alan Ryan and gang enforcer Robbie Lawlor. During this weeks searches by CAB a number of electronic devices were seized and will be subject to forensic examination. A range of financial documentation was taken away, with a focus on movements of money, including the finances behind the purchase of the Donegal property. The investigation was launched after CAB received a series of good citizen reports where people report unexplained wealth about the luxury home in Donegal. Alan Ryan Divisional Asset Profilers in Donegal also began working on the case, building up a profile of the man who owned the house. Over 70 officers from CAB, along with gardai attached to the Milford District, the Donegal Division, the Regional Armed Support Unit, Garda Dog Unit and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, began a series of searches in Dublin and Donegal at 6am. CAB brought a quantity surveyor with them to assess the value of the house in Donegal and the quantity and value of the materials put into it. The house of an associate in Dublin was also searched, along with financial and legal offices, solicitors and accountants and service providers such as builders yards. A large amount of financial documentation was seized along with electronic devices, mobile phones and laptops which will be forensically examined as part of the CAB assets inquiry. Robbie Lawlor CAB estimates it has so far identified over 1 million worth of assets linked to the drug dealer and his family. In a statement, gardai said: Todays searches relate to an ongoing investigation into the assets of persons suspected of being involved in drug trafficking on an international level. The search operation was conducted as part of an ongoing proceeds of crime investigation targeting assets, including real estate, deriving in whole or in part from the proceeds of criminal activity. If BYD Ireland can get the price right this may well become our next family purchase Daragh Keany was mightily impressed during his time with the BYD Seal U DM-i in the Eternal City Just take my goddamn money! I dont want to fudge my words here, so let me clear from the start. I think I may have found my next car, folks. We have a PHEV at home and love it. It works so well that we have contemplated the move to full EV for the next car, which we intend to buy at the start of 2025. BYD has caused a massive stir in the car market, creating the kind of disruption you usually only associate with Tesla. Well-made, sexy-looking and great-value cars will do that. But what if, and it was a big if ahead of last weeks trip to Rome, the Chinese superbrand decide to launch a plug-in hybrid here in Ireland instead of a straight-up full EV? The interior of the BYD Seal U DM-i Step forward the Seal U DM-i. OK, so the name doesnt exactly roll off the tongue, but I guarantee you the car, which is due here in Ireland in Q3 of 2024, will roll out of the companys growing number of showrooms. On the subject of its namein BYDs defence the DM-i section of the badging represents the plug-in option of powertrain. The regular full EV will simply be known as the Seal U. OK, back to this car. With a battery pack that offers up to 125km of range, you can rest assured that range anxiety will be completely non-existent. In fact, you can also wager that most of the majority of Irish drivers weekly driving will be conducted in EV mode in this car. We are now getting to the stage where a plug-in hybrid isnt just a temporary, gimmicky solution to solving climate-conscious car buyers dilemma. Thanks to the increased range in the plug-in batteries, you can justify the purchase and actually live off the powertrain for a vast majority of your driving. The 100km barrier was broken before this but it came with a premium badge on the grille and hence a premium price point (think Mercedes and Range Rover). This Seal, however, is in keeping with the BYD pricing strategy, which is extremely competitive. However, the beauty of these cars is that you dont compromise on quality. For those who havent read up on the BYD movement it is a company that has been in the motor business for a quarter of a century. It may be new here, but it has over two decades of work done in other countries meaning the cars that arrive in here are the result of all the tweaks and mistakes and upgrades undertaken in other territories before unleashing them on the Irish car-buying market. The company is so big that they do everything themselves. No third-party suppliers. And that means they can keep the costs down. And while we dont know the Irish prices yet we do know the German prices and they are sub-40k. For this! So, what is this? BYD Seal U DM-i Its the companys first SUV to land here in Ireland and it incredibly good-looking. Its got a Porsche SUV look about it and I am here for that. The resemblance to the Seal is pretty clear from the front, where there are slender LED headlights, while horizontal design quirks across the lower bumper help to emphasise both width and height. The back of the car is now devoid of the polarising badging and in its place is a more subtle badge to the right-hand corner that squeezes in the entire moniker. Inside is exquisite, with stunning leather trimmed seats and bucketloads of space. I only had it for a few hours, but I would suggest that row 2 seating space is one of the biggest in the segment. The electric tailgate opens to reveal 425 litres of boot space (increases to 1440 litres with the seats down) and there is a clever socket that allows you to power external devices. The driver gets the best deal though, as the seat and space is only the beginning of the fun. It looks gorgeous for starters and there is a good 12.3 digital display, a colour head-up display (as standard) and a 15.6 touchscreen that, of course, rotates 90 degrees like all BYD screens. It is a smooth and quiet drive and only really sounded like an ICE car when I floored it on the Roman motorways north of the ancient city. The interior of the BYD Seal U DM-i The cobbled and crooked roads are no match for the super-soft suspension here and will appeal to a lot of car buyers. Where the Seal U impresses most is when the battery charge depletes and the four-cylinder engine kicks in. The transition between EV and ICE is so smooth and quiet youll barely notice it. It sounds weird to say it so early into BYDs Irish lifecycle but I do believe this car is a bit of a gamechanger for them. Theyve quickly built up a following so to now deviate from the EV-only mantra and release this plug-in beast will only increase the companys popularity. If they get the price right, which I assume they will, the only dilemma I may find myself in next year is which trim line to buy. The perfect get-away-from-it-all destination could be sitting right on your own doorstep The new look pool is the perfect place to soak after a Spa treatment The Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spas origins go back hundreds of years, but the building has been transformed into an oasis of modern pampering How is it that we always seem to overlook the facilities right on our doorstep? Offer me a spa hotel in the farthest outpost of West Cork, and Ill be fuelling up the car and phoning the dog-sitter faster than you can say, the Peoples Republic. But an overnight escape I can reach in half an hour, as the crow flies, and suddenly staying at home to change the beds and wash the windows becomes a top priority for the weekend. Maybe its the deeply ingrained urge to get away from it all both literally and figuratively that makes the grass in any county other than your own seem greener. The Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa is an oasis of modern pampering At least, as a Meath woman, thats the only justification I can think of for never having set foot in the hugely popular Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa before this week. Reachable in under an hour from most surrounding counties, and of course, the Royal one, the four-star property was acquired by TMR the luxury hotel group including Farnham Estate in Cavan, Mount Wolseley in Carlow and Harveys Point in Donegal back in 2022. So, finally, there was no excuse not to check out the not-so-hidden gem nestled in 21 acres of lush Meath greenness on the outskirts of the buzzing commuter town. Now, spa reviews dont often start with an appraisal of the car park, but lets face it, many a relaxing overnight has gotten off to a stressy start after circling around and around for a spot to wedge into so its a tick from the get-go when I swing into a space near the grand entrance, ten minutes early, one of plenty available to overnighters and day-trippers alike. The reception area at Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa in County Meath. Originally home to the Butlers of Dunboyne, the original castle was destroyed during the Cromwellian war in Ireland, with the Georgian house now standing in its place built in 1764. Needless to say, by the time it was bought by the Ross family in 1999, after previously passing through the hands of everyone from the 22nd Baron of Dunboyne through to the Good Shepherd Sisters, it was in need of a good lick of paint, which indeed it got before opening as Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa in 2006. The new look pool is the perfect place to soak after a Spa treatment As part of its continued zhuzhing up, the 145-room destination has just supersized its spa offering to include a new thermal suite and nail salon. With even more improvements to the space planned, I whip past an Apologies for our appearance sign on the way for my Saturday morning treatment, but really it feels a little like fishing for compliments, as based on the groups of girls and couples cocooned in cosy white robes around the pool by 11am, the spas facelift is already working. Lets hope the same can be said for my Hydra Glow Facial (120), a brightening and contouring therapy which promises continued results long after the 50 soothing minutes are up. Deluxe Balcony bedroom at Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa A diverse menu of treatments also includes a hot stone massage, crystal ritual, scalp to sole CBD stress relief rituals, and full body massage designed to promote sleep, but you dont necessarily have to splurge on a rub-down to fully enjoy the rejuvenated spa for a few hours. As well as the spotlessly clean hydrotherapy pool, which has plenty of jets and seats, theres an outdoor hot tub, infrared sauna, Himalayan salt room, herb sauna, steam room, shower experience, and cold bucket shower and no prizes for guessing which one I didnt brave. If you are planning to make a night of it, however, there are great deals at dunboynecastlehotel.com right now, including the Step into Summer overnight package starting from 320 for two people sharing, which includes a 45-minute treatment of your choice each in The Spa, 90 minutes of chillaxation in the thermal suite, and full Irish brekkie in the elegance of The Ivy restaurant the next morning. The Ivy restaurant in Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Served in the glamorous Keating Suite in the Old House, afternoon tea, by the by, is also excellent value at 36 per person half what youd pay in many hotels in the capital, and piled high with a clatter of delectable sandwiches, scones and sweet things, and proof that if you cant go low-cal, at least go local. I know I will be in the future. Dublin Fire Brigade have been battling the blaze for a number of hours as units attempt to bring a lorry fire under control. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Commuters are experiencing long delays in Dublin this evening as the M1 northbound remains closed due to a vehicle fire. Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) have been battling the blaze for a number of hours as units attempt to bring a lorry fire under control. The fire broke out between J4 Donabate and J5 Balbriggan South. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. Images shared by the DFB showed firefighters dousing the vehicle that appears to be filled with rubbish. Its understood the vehicle was carrying compacted waste. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. The road is completely closed since around 4pm and it has resulted in severe delays for commuters in the evening rush hour. Firefighters are using a teleporter and a prime mover to remove burning waste so it can be cooled and extinguished. A foam tender and water tanker have also been deployed. Firefighters battling a blaze on the M1 this evening. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade. More to follow.. They allowed Henry to go home with a psychotic person and nobody called me A man who lost his family when his wife killed their son and took her own life while suffering with severe postnatal depression said it is hard not to think of her as a monster but instead as a really ill person screaming for help. Nicola Keane, who was a paediatric nurse in Crumlin Children's Hospital, killed her seven-month-old son Henry on October 22, 2020 , left her home in Lucan, and took her own life as Mr Coleman slept. The Health Service Executive (HSE) apologised this month to her husband Darren Coleman for the care that his wife received which they said had resulted in the death of Ms Keane and their son. The HSE admitted breaching its duty of care to Ms Keane by failing to appreciate that she had suffered from psychotic depression, failing to communicate this to Mr Coleman and failing to ensure Ms Keane received in-patient treatment. Speaking on Sunday with Miriam OCallaghan yesterday on RTE Radio 1, Mr Coleman, from Co Mayo, said he has been attending counselling since November 2020, in the aftermath of his wife and sons death. I am talking about things I never did before not to see Nicola as this monster but as a really really ill person, a frightened person, who was screaming for help but not getting the help, he said. What stuck out to him through reading back on the reports was what was hidden from him but not hidden from the mental health team tasked with Ms Keanes care. They could all see that she was delusional. They could all see that she was suffering from psychosis. They could all see that her mental state had deteriorated very badly, he said. But it was all unbeknownst to me because I was going about my life under the impression that she was improving, he said. After meeting at a house party in the west of Ireland a decade previous and attending the same college, Darren Coleman and Nicola Keane married in 2014. Three years later Ms Keane started working as a paediatric nurse at Crumlins Children's Hospital during which time they bought a house in Lucan. Mr Coleman who had been working as a primary school teacher in Dublin. In February 2020, the pair welcomed their son Henry into the world. It changed everything for me, Mr Coleman said, adding that at first Henry was irritable and had serious trouble sleeping. However, three months later, after a consultant paediatrician at Connolly Hospital took on Henrys case, he finally began to sleep and feed. He changed and became this beautiful little character, playful, inquisitive and curious about the world, Mr Coleman said, recounting the details of what led up to both their deaths. Two weeks later, while Henry was booked in for tests in Crumlin Children's Hospital, Ms Keane confided in colleagues there that she was of a low mood and had no love or bond with Henry. That was the first time I was aware, he said, adding that on that same day, July 7, 2020, the family had their first meeting with the community mental health team for that region. That was where she was diagnosed with severe postnatal depression, he said. Up until that point, Mr Coleman said he had no idea of it, stressing that the pair were extremely fatigued and tired while trying to deal with their sons health issues. He described it as a particularly overwhelming day. I was told not to leave Nicola alone with Henry but was never informed of as to why, especially [given] the fact that I had been with this person for 17 years. I had to monitor them full-time. When they had a bath, to increase that bond, I stood at the door to constantly check on them. When she brought Henry up to change, I would follow. It was a lot to take in on that day between postnatal depression, between monitoring Nicola full-time, her course of treatment and I wasnt educated on it at this stage, Mr Coleman said. The next day, the couple had their first house visit from the mental health team. Mr Coleman said that nine months later after she took her own life and killed their son, he read that his wife was supposed to be having daily face-to-face contact with a mental health team. This included visiting the healthcare centre, as well as home visits or phone calls. I discovered afterwards, in the 106 days that Nicola said she had postnatal depression and their deaths, that she was only seen 31 times, which was 29pc of the promised daily contact, he added. He stressed that his wife communicated with all her team very clearly that she was very sick and needed help. I am not here to blame any of the people involved in her care, they did their jobs, were following guidelines and a template, but things need to change. If you see dangerous tendencies, then the immediate family needs to be told, he said. Mr Coleman recalled his last meeting with the community healthcare team on August 11, 2020, stressing to them that he would be returning to his teaching in two weeks time. He was told that his wife was doing fine and they had written in their notes that her mental health had improved. I went home from that meeting overjoyed I went back to work fully focused that everything was going in the right trajectory, he added. However, on October 1, following a recording of a play-therapy session in Crumlin Hospital, between Nicola and Henry, the psychiatrist became concerned about Ms Keanes state of mind. Following the session, the psychiatrist rang her mental health team to say she is probably psychotic. However it was seven days before the mental health team saw Nicola face-to-face. That, for me, was the pivotal moment. She should have been assessed within 24 hours and I should have been contacted immediately, he said. This could have led to her being admitted to a psychiatric hospital. They allowed Henry to go home with a probably psychotic person and nobody called me. They knew I was at work every day. Mr Coleman only heard that his wife was psychotic nine months after she killed their son and subsequently took her own life. He recalled how he had learned that she had delusional beliefs. He said the night started off like any other night. It was a normal Wednesday for us. We always had a late walk in the evening to allow Henry to get that little bit tired. Wednesday was bath day. We gave him a bath. Nicola went for a shower, he said. I brought him into the ball pit to play. After Nicola had a shower, she sat with him and put him down for bed and we sat down at 10.30pm to watch a bit of telly. Then we went upstairs and as we were going upstairs Henry was very unsettled, crying. He wouldnt settle. I took him out and walked him. Nicola got changed and ready and got some Calpol, he recalled. Ms Keane told Mr Coleman that she would take Henry to the spare room and walk him. Ten minutes later he offered to take him as he was crying. However, in a non-pushy way, Ms Keane said she would do it as he had work in the morning. Next thing I remember was in the middle of the night being woken by a knock on the door, seeing the garda lights outside, he said, adding that he shouted for his wife to tell her the gardai are here. They said are you Nicolas husband? I said I am. They said we found her car and I said wheres Henry?, Mr Coleman said. He added: They just had a confused look on their heads. I ran straight upstairs and found Henry. I knew he was dead from seeing him. "I held him. He was floppy in my arms. There was blood under his nose. He was gone. So I said goodbye and brought him downstairs and the guards and paramedics said they would do CPR but I knew he was dead at that stage. I could feel him. There was no life in him, he recalled. Following the night, he said he couldnt comprehend what had happened and was confused and that anger didnt come into it until after that. Now four years on, he said: I didnt know I had this much inner strength in me. "The last three years, I have had this fight of getting justice. The next part of the process could be a tough one. Because the fight is finished last week and now I have a lot more time to myself and have to box up all the notes and reports and try to think what will I think next. Despite receiving an apology from the HSE, he is calling for immediate family members or a nominated next of kin to be informed about a loved ones treatment in such circumstances. Especially if it will affect others, particularly a child, Mr Coleman said. It just has to change because there has been more tragedies since and unfortunately there will be more tragedies if things dont change right now. Trichinellosis is a relatively rare parasitic disease that typically develops from eating rare or undercooked meat from wild animals or pigs The family was infected by the brain worm trichinellosis after eating bear meat. Photo: Getty Six people became infected with a parasite known as brain worms after eating undercooked black bear meat, or food contaminated by the meat, at a family reunion in 2022. In May 2022 a group of nine family members met in South Dakota and shared kebabs made from the meat of a black bear and vegetables. Earlier that month, one of the family members harvested the meat in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. At the advice of a hunting outfitter, the family member froze the meat in a household freezer for 45 days to kill parasites. The family then thawed the meat and grilled it with the vegetables, according to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC). However, the meat was accidentally served undercooked. Months later, family members presented to doctors or hospitals with symptoms consistent with the parasitic infection trichinellosis, otherwise known as brain worms. The parasitic trichinellosis worm is found in undercooked meats like pork. Photo: Getty Health officials who investigated the report urged people to cook their meat to an internal temperature of more than 74C. Trichinellosis is a relatively rare parasitic disease that typically develops from eating rare or undercooked meat from wild animals or pigs. Parasites, known as roundworms, infect parts of the body and reproduce, causing illness. About 90pc of cases in the United States come from bear meat. During the May 2022 family gathering, only five of the nine family members ate the bear meat while eight consumed the vegetables it was cooked with. Those who ate the bear meat recognised it was undercooked after eating part of it and returned it to the grill to cook, but it was too late to prevent the infection. The CDC found six of the eight, including the man hospitalised, had symptoms consistent with trichinellosis four who ate the meat and two who only consumed the vegetables. Their ages ranged from 12 to 62 years old with one living in Arizona, four living in Minnesota and one living in South Dakota. Three people required trichinellosis-directed treatment but two others recovered on their own. Testing conducted on the bear meat, which had been frozen for 110 days in the household freezer, revealed freeze-resistant trichinella larvae. The person who had the meat was instructed to discard it. The CDC recommends that the best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat thoroughly and use a meat thermometer to ensure it is done. Additionally, those handling raw meat should wash their hands with warm water and soap before preparing and clean any tools used thoroughly after use. "The whole world is witnessing Rafah getting burnt up by Israel and no one is doing anything to stop it" Palestinians look at the damages while searching for food among burnt debris at the site of an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced people, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem An Israeli airstrike killed at least 35 people in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah, medics said, drawing condemnation from European leaders on Monday who urged implementation of a World Court ruling to halt Israel's offensive. In scenes grimly familiar from a war in its eighth month, Palestinian families rushed to hospitals to prepare their dead for burial after the strike late on Sunday night set tents and rickety shelters ablaze. Women wept and men held prayers beside bodies in shrouds. "The whole world is witnessing Rafah getting burnt up by Israel and no one is doing anything to stop it," Bassam, a Rafah resident, said via a chat app, of the strike in an area of western Rafah that had been designated a safe zone. Mourners sit with the bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced people, during their funeral in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem Despite a global outcry at the toll on civilians, Israeli tanks continued to bombard eastern and central areas of the city on Monday, killing eight, local health officials said. Israel's military said Sunday's air attack, based on "precise intelligence", had eliminated militant group Hamas' chief of staff for the second and larger Palestinian territory, the West Bank, plus another official behind attacks on Israelis. Earlier on Sunday, it had said eight rockets were intercepted after being fired from the Rafah area. A minister said that showed the need for continued operations against Hamas. Israel's top military prosecutor, however, called the air strike "very grave" and said an investigation was underway. "The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) regrets any harm to non-combatants during the war," Major-General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi said at a conference on Monday. The attack took place in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood, where thousands were sheltering after Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over two weeks ago. Many of the dead were women and children, the health officials said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise as some were in critical condition with severe burns. Israel has kept up attacks on Rafah despite a ruling by the top U.N. court on Friday ordering it to stop, arguing that the court's ruling grants it some scope for military action there. Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the ruling must be respected. "International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war," Baerbock said. By daylight, the camp was a smoking wreckage of tents, twisted metal and charred belongings. Sitting beside bodies of his relatives, Abed Mohammed Al-Attar said Israel lied when it told residents they would be safe in Rafah's western areas. His brother, sister-in-law and several other relatives were killed in the blaze. "The army is a liar. There is no security in Gaza. There is no security, not for a child, an elderly man, or a woman. Here he (my brother) is with his wife, they were martyred," he said. "What have they done to deserve this? Their children have been orphaned." Hospitals in Rafah, including the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital, were unable to handle all the wounded, so some were moved to hospitals in Khan Younis further north in Gaza for treatment, medics said. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said the situation was horrifying. "Gaza is hell on earth. Images from last night are yet another testament to that," UNRWA wrote on X. Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in the area. But it faces an international outcry. "On top of the hunger, on top of the starvation, the refusal to allow aid in sufficient volumes, what we witnessed last night is barbaric," Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said. Egypt condemned the Israeli military's "deliberate bombing of the tents of displaced people", state media reported, describing it as a blatant violation of international law. Saudi Arabia also condemned the Israeli attack and Qatar said the Rafah strike could hinder efforts to mediate a ceasefire and hostage exchange. Israeli tanks have probed around the edges of Rafah, near the crossing point from Gaza into Egypt, since May 6 and have entered some of its eastern districts. Chinese premier urges China, Japan, S. Korea to stick to original aspiration for cooperation Xinhua) 15:15, May 27, 2024 SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Monday that China, Japan and South Korea should stay committed to the original aspiration for cooperation and make joint efforts to resume and accelerate China-Japan-South Korea cooperation so as to make greater contributions to regional prosperity and stability. Li made the remarks at the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the China-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation mechanism, Li said that at this new starting point, China, Japan and South Korea should stay committed to the original aspiration for cooperation and uphold openness, inclusiveness, mutual respect and trust, mutual benefit and mutual learning. He said that the three sides should upgrade and speed up China-Japan-South Korea cooperation, embark on a new journey of comprehensive development, and contribute more to regional prosperity and stability. Li put forward a five-point proposal on deepening China-Japan-South Korea cooperation. The first is to promote the comprehensive restart of cooperation, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, fully tap the potential for cooperation, steadily facilitate growth, and foster positive interplay between bilateral relations and trilateral cooperation. The second is to deepen economic and trade connectivity, maintain the stability and smoothness of the industrial chain and supply chain, and resume and complete the negotiations of the China-Japan-South Korea free trade agreement as soon as possible. The third is to lead scientific and technological innovation cooperation and strengthen collaborative innovation and cooperation in frontier fields. China will establish a China-Japan-South Korea Innovation Cooperation Center in China to help the three countries accelerate the cultivation of new growth drivers. The fourth is to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges and take the opportunity of the China-Japan-South Korea 2025-2026 Year of Cultural Exchange to bring closer the hearts of the three neighbors. The fifth is to strive to promote sustainable development, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of low-carbon transformation, climate change, aging population, and epidemic response, among others, and explore and carry out more "China-Japan-South Korea + X" cooperation projects. Li pointed out that the current situation on the Korean Peninsula remains tense. All parties should play a constructive role by staying committed to easing tensions, restarting dialogue as soon as possible, and advancing the political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue, so as to safeguard peace and stability in the region. China, Japan, and South Korea should leverage their respective development strengths to create a new engine for regional cooperation that actively addresses the needs of ASEAN and other neighboring countries. The three countries should work together to boost the momentum of ASEAN Plus Three cooperation, he said. China is willing to work with South Korea and Japan to vigorously promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and jointly safeguard long-term stability and security in the region and the world at large, Li said. The leaders of South Korea and Japan said that the resumption of trilateral cooperation after more than four years is of great significance. They hoped that the three countries will take this summit as a new starting point to maintain the stability and continuity of cooperation and deepen cooperation in six key areas: culture and people-to-people exchanges, sustainable development, economy and trade, public health, science and technology, and disaster relief. They also hoped that the three countries will resume the trilateral FTA negotiations, jointly promote regional cooperation in East Asia, tackle climate change and other global challenges, and foster the steady development of relations among South Korea, Japan, and China so as to bring greater benefits to the peoples of the three countries and make greater contribution to world peace and prosperity. After the meeting, leaders of the three countries jointly met the press. Li said that in the face of new challenges and new opportunities, China-Japan-South Korea cooperation should shoulder new responsibilities and make new progress. China is willing to take this summit as an opportunity to work with South Korea and Japan to promote steady and sustained China-Japan-South Korea cooperation, Li said. The three sides issued the Joint Declaration of the Ninth China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Summit, the Joint Statement on a 10 Year Vision for Trilateral IP Cooperation, and the Joint Statement on Future Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. They agreed to deliver on the Trilateral Cooperation Vision for the Next Decade adopted at the eighth Trilateral Summit Meeting, set up mechanisms for the trilateral cooperation, maintain close communication and cooperation under APT and other multilateral frameworks, and jointly uphold peace, stability and prosperity of the world. The three sides agreed to designate 2025-2026 the China-Japan-ROK Year of Cultural Exchange. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Protestors who have camped out on university campuses have left but one photo taken at Melbourne University has sparked criticism. A passerby snapped a photo of discarded items like tents and tables strewn across the University of Melbourne's campus following the UniMelb for Palestine's lengthy encampment. Source: Reddit Aussies have erupted in anger after a photo emerged of piles of discarded items like tents, tarps and rubbish seen left behind at the University of Melbourne after Pro-Palestine protestors ended their lengthy encampment. The protest first began on the South Lawn of the campus as well as other universities around Australia several weeks ago. On May 15, a group of about 100 people ramped up the campaign by staging a sit-in at the Arts West building, prompting the university to cancel classes. Tensions heightened last week when a notice issued by University of Melbourne vice chancellor Duncan Maskell warned students, staff and alumni participating in the protest against Israels war in Gaza that police will be called in. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for UniMelb for Palestine told The ABC the encampment would end after the university agreed to disclose any connections with weapon manufacturers. After months of campaigning, rallies, petitions, meetings and in recent weeks, the encampment, the University of Melbourne has finally agreed to meet an important demand of our campaign, the spokesperson said. Less than two weeks ago, a group of about 100 people moved into the Arts West building, prompting the university to cancel classes. Source: Change.org Discarded items strewn across University of Melbourne lawn Following what the protestors deemed a major win, its believed they started disbanding late last week, however a photo posted on Reddit early on Monday morning appears to show numerous items still strewn across the University of Melbournes South lawn including tables, tents, blankets, chairs and helmets. The encampment ended three days ago. The uni has commenced clean up today, said the passerby who took the image. While many were willing to give the benefit of the doubt to protestors, the image proved divisive online in the wake of the weeks-long disruptive demonstration. Several Aussies shared their disappointment over the messy scene, saying it resembles the aftermath of a bush doof. How can people just waste money like that? I dont understand this [mentality], leaving perfectly good blankets and tents behind, one person said. Protestors still collecting items, organisers say The University of Melbourne declined to comment about the mess left behind by protestors when contacted by Yahoo News this morning. A spokesperson for UniMelb for Palestine told Yahoo News that students were given until Monday morning to collect and organise everything on the south lawn, insisting there was no rubbish whatsoever left behind, just camping gear. The remaining belongings are still being collected and the rest will be donated to charities. Everything left is still being organised by the members, they said. Were organising with charities as well and that takes some time considering the fact that it was over the weekend. ANU orders protestors to leave campus The Australian National University also announced on Monday the last remaining participants of the Pro-Palestine encampment on its campus were ordered to immediately vacate the site as it poses an unacceptable safety risk. The University has given the small number of encampment participants a reasonable and non-negotiable direction, on the basis of safety and wellbeing for the ANU community, to immediately remove their belongings and vacate the site, a spokesperson said. ANU expects the remaining encampment participants will follow todays direction. Failure to comply with this direction, issued to ensure safety and wellbeing, will result in disciplinary action. The ABC reports protestors were woken up at 8am on Monday by ANU security guards that have since formed a perimeter. Police reportedly also attended the scene but remained in their cars. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Raglans Billy Stairmand has returned to the top of the podium taking out the King and Queen of the Point, the local surfer being joined by Aimee Brown from Great Barrier who claimed the Open Womens Division. In a wild day of action, New Zealands top surfers were confronted with strong southwest winds and a grunty 2.0m swell that pushed many participants to their limits. Billy effectively went head-to-head with Kehu Butler from Mount Maunganui in the final with both surfers notching up excellent rides, Billy amassing 17.50 points to Kehus 17.07. Every second year by the sounds of it. It is good to bet another victory at home, says Billy about his win. It is good practice for Krui, I am off there tonight for the first event of the regional qualifying series. And then off to Tahiti for some more training and the Olympics coming up too, says Billy of his busy schedule over the next three months. It was a wild final, super windy but real fun waves, I like those conditions, if you pick the right waves you can do some big turns and the boys were going for it. Having Kehu back always pushes my surfing, he brings out the better competitor in me." It was Kehu who pushed Billy the entire final, first notching up an 8.9 point ride before Stairmand answered back with a 9.17 on his final ride, the highest of the final. In a final effort to hunt down the win, Butler came up short of the 8.61 required with an 8.17. Navryn Malone (Rag) finished third in the final, surfing his fourth heat of the day and running out of steam while Callum Chuter (Mnt) finished in fourth place. Open Women's Division finalists - Aimee Brown, Alani Morse, Lola Groube, Kyra Wallis. Photo: PhotoCPL. A return to the competition arena has proved fruitful for 23 year old Great Barrier Island surfer Aimee Brown who on Sunday came through with a win in the Open Womens Division to close out the NZ Surf Series on a high. Aimee finished the final with a total of 12.03 points, her last gasp effort for the win pushing her from fourth to first with a 6.83 point ride for committed surfing. Pretty hard out there, I am not going to lie, I am pretty unfit at the moment, says Aimee. For the first 15 minutes I was getting smoked from all the young girls paddling rings around me, they are so lively but I guess I kept fighting and got a few waves in the end. I thought I needed to do something big on that last wave, that was my last opportunity, so it was good to put it up there and complete that turn, says Aimee who has had a break from competing over recent years. It has been really good for myself and my mental health and I am trying to enjoy competing now and not put pressure on myself." In a final with three opponents under the age of 15, Aimee was quick to heap praise on her counterparts. All the girls are ripping so hard, wish I was that good at such a young age, I look forward to seeing where the girls take it, they are all amazing. All three of Aimees opponents had contested the junior division earlier. It was Alani Morse (Rag) who finished runner-up in the Open Womens, unable to complete the double alongside her junior division win. Morse posted a 9.76 point heat total to finish ahead of Lola Groube (Pau) who finished in third place and Kyra Wallis (Piha) in fourth. Tai Murphy (Ohope) immediately put the pressure on his opponents in the Under 20 Boys Final with a 7.33 point opening ride and never let up from that point. The in-form goofy foot surfer had posted a perfect ten-point ride in the semifinals for two insane turns that had the hardy crowd cheering. In the final, Murphy finished with a 13.94 point heat total to defeat Cooper Ashill (Whngrei) who came home late with a two wave total of 12.0 points. Mount Maunganuis Joe Goodjohn finished the final in third place ahead of Spencer Rowson (Tara) in fourth. Murphys ten-point ride saw him take the Volkswagen Wave of the Day home for the third and final day of the event. Local girl Alani Morse claimed the Under 20 Girls Division with an emphatic win and 14.66 point heat total. Morse held the lead for much of the final with a pair of six-point rides before stroking into her final wave on the hooter that netted the 13-year-old an excellent 8.33 points. Pauanui surfer Lola Groube finished the final in second place with her last ride coming in at 6.57 for a 9.04 heat total. Kyra Wallis (Piha) finished in third place with fellow Piha surfer Poppy Arkle finishing in fourth. For full results, please check live heats - https://liveheats.com/events/221544. Final rankings from the 2024 New Zealand Surf Series - https://liveheats.com/surfingnz/rankings/?series=18209&division=185421 National Rankings NZ Surf Series - Open Men, Open Women NZ Grom Series - U18 Boys, U18 Girls, U16 Boys, U16 Girls, U14 Boys, U14 Girls NZ Longboard and SUP Series - Men's, Women's, Over 40s, Over 50s, U18 Boys, U18 Girls If Olympian and financial adviser Mahe Drysdale is successful in Taurangas election this year, he will become mayor of a city he does not live in. Drysdale, 45, is among 15 confirmed candidates for the mayoralty after nominations closed on Friday. The two-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time world rowing champion says he has been considering politics since retiring from rowing in 2021 and became aware of the election in Tauranga, where he grew up, in February. The Bay of Plenty Times reported he was considering standing a month before Mahe confirmed last Sunday that he would seek the mayoralty. Mahe lives in Cambridge with wife Juliette and their children aged 4, 7, and 9. In recent years he has spent a couple of days a week in Tauranga for work with Forsyth Barr Investment Services. The prospect of moving or commuting was partly why his announcement took so long, he says. If I was successful in the election, we would continue living in Cambridge until the end of the year and then [see] how thats going, and make a decision then as to whether [moving] would work, says Mahe. Mahe plans to stay with his Mount Maunganui-based mother when he is in Tauranga during the first six months, if elected in July. His brother and sister also live locally. Mahe says potential criticism of his aspiration to be mayor of a city he does not live in is completely understandable. He counters that he knows the city very well. Tauranga is very much in my blood. Although I havent lived here for 22-odd years, Im still very passionate about the city. I love it, being where I grew up. He would not reveal who approached him about running for the mayoralty, to respect their confidence. Mahe is the grandson of the late former mayor and business magnate, Sir Bob Owens. His uncle, Sir Bobs son Doug Owens, is also among mayoral candidates. On Wednesday Mahe was the guest speaker at an Urban Task Force members-only event launching its Love Tauranga campaign. The Urban Task Force represents various members of the property sector. Asked prior to the event what his connection was to Love Tauranga, Mahe says he had talked to them about how we need to do a better job of promoting Tauranga. He says he agrees that we should love our city. Love Tauranga spokeswoman Vicky Williamson says the campaign is about encouraging our city into a positive mindset and hopes all candidates will love Tauranga. She said Mahe's election campaign was independent of the Urban Task Force. Mahe told the Bay of Plenty Times challenges such as housing and infrastructure needed addressing and he said he wanted to make it easier for people to build houses. Obviously, spending money responsibly is very much what I believe in with my accountancy background getting value for money. Mahe says his vision is to make Tauranga better for future generations. Thats very much the key for me. What that plan is and what those decisions are, I cant right now say This is what Im going to deliver because I cant without the other nine people around the table and what the community ultimately wants. I very much believe that the team of 10 is stronger than the individual. I cant deliver anything by myself. We have to sit down together see the bigger picture for Tauranga. Mahe says he values a range of views and encouraged healthy debate. Im very confident that I can get the best out of people but it comes down to the ratepayers of Tauranga, the voters. Youve got to get out there, select people who are actually going to get the best for the city by not bringing the negative. He says he wanted to learn some lessons from the previous council, which was replaced with commissioners following concerns about governance issues. Several members of that council are also running in the election. Mahe says he will keep an open mind. Good leaders show people a different way. I dont have a huge ego. Thats one of the reasons I can be more successful. I can get in behind everyone and work as team. Im also happy to be accountable. Mahe Drysdale celebrates winning. Photo: Supplied. Mahe says he envisaged Tauranga becoming an example to other cities of how to get things done. He says he had attended probably two council meetings before, which he found dry and mind-numbing but this did not dampen his aspirations. Im very naive in my understanding but, again, I think that has some advantage because Im not going to be guided into this is how it should be done because weve always done it that way. Mahe says he had always been interested in politics and considered it at a national level after rowing but could not see how he could make a real difference to community. Tauranga was a little bit left-field. I only became aware of the election at the end of February. Its a very exciting opportunity for Tauranga, starting from scratch. Obviously, there are issues in the past but its about starting again. We are going to deliver something new and exciting for Tauranga, he says I believe I can deliver real change. Mahe says he enjoyed his job as a financial adviser but these opportunities dont come up every day. I know from my rowing career, it didnt seem like a great idea to quit my job and go to Cambridge to go down the rowing route but, in hindsight, it was a fantastic idea, he said. Im excited by this. I will throw everything into it. -Bay of Plenty Times. Western Bay of Plenty District Council is considering closing Te Puna Station Road to vehicles permanently. Under the proposal, which is part of Councils Long Term Plan 2024-2034, the shared path for cyclists and pedestrians would remain open, but be moved to the western side of the road. This is the lowest cost option and would reduce the impact of future slips on road users, says Calum Mclean, Councils Director Transportation. In October 2022, storms caused significant damage to Te Puna Station Road and in January 2023 further storms lead to the closure of a 600-metre section of the road. In May 2023, repairs allowed the road to be opened to pedestrians and cyclists only. We have engaged with a range of stakeholders, including the community, iwi and hapu, ecologists and engineering experts and there is no easy fix, says Calum. With extreme weather events becoming more frequent, slips are likely to become more common, and repairing the road would be very expensive, with no guarantee of a permanent fix. There are also ecological and cultural considerations to be mindful of, says Calum. The land is adjacent to Pukewhanake, a historical Pa, which has been heavily impacted by the construction of this part of Te Puna Station Road and the hapu see its closure as an opportunity to recognise the significance of Pukewhanake. An ecological assessment has also identified that construction works to reinstate the road would have temporary and permanent effects on the river, including sedimentation, injury to or loss of wildlife, and loss of native tree species. Permanent closure is one of three options outlined for Te Puna Station Road in the Long Term Plan 2024 - 2034, which is open for consultation until 5pm, Monday, 17 June. Other options are to reopen the road in both directions, at an estimated cost of $5 million, plus ongoing maintenance costs of $100,000 a year, or to re-open the road to one way traffic, at an initial cost of $2 million, followed by maintenance costs of $50,000 a year. If the road is reopened, it is likely to require significant ongoing costs to Council, and the community, which is something we want to avoid, says Calum. However, we recognise that closing the road will impact the Te Puna community, including the business park and Clarke Road residents, and we plan to address this through upgrades to other roads in the area. How to put yourself in the picture - Online lwananga ipurangi: www.haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/LTP - Hard copy lpepa maro: Grab a feedback form at any of our Library and Service Centres in Waihi Beach, Katikati, Omokoroa, Te Puke or to the main Council Office at Barkes Corner, Greerton. - In person la kanohi: Come talk to us at one of our community events. - Email limera: Email haveyoursay@westernbay.govt.nz with the subject line 'LTP Submission'. Include your full name and address. - Present your views: This is an opportunity to provide your feedback to councillors in Council Chambers on Wednesday 26 June. Please email haveyoursay@westernbay.govt.nz by Monday 17 June 2024 to secure a timeslot. We will be in touch with a time for you. Friends say it was not uncommon for Tui Siufanga to end the day with a warm soak in a natural hot pool at Rotoruas Sulphur Point. His constant companion, a pet dog he adored, was usually not too far away. Two weeks ago, Siufanga was found dead in the area. The Rotorua Daily Post understands the man, who has been described as a quiet bloke known to sleep rough at times, was found in a hot pool. In response to Rotorua Daily Post questions, a police media spokesperson would not reveal details about the circumstances of Siufangas death other than to say he was found dead in an area on Hatupatu Drive in central Rotorua about 10am on May 11. The spokesperson said the death was not suspicious and any details would be revealed as part of a coroners finding. Police at Sulphur Point in November 2020 investigating the death of James Taikato. Siufangas death has sparked concern among those who knew him about the potential dangers of people ignoring warnings and continuing to soak in the natural hot pools at Sulphur Point. It is the same area where another Rotorua man, James Taikato, was found dead in November 2020. A coroner ruled Taikatos death was caused by accidental hydrogen sulphide poisoning, not drowning. Coroner Louella Dunn recommended in her finding on Taikatos death, released last year, additional signage should be erected in the area that included the danger of bathing alone and that high levels of hydrogen sulphide inhalation could cause fatigue, dizziness, delirium, nausea, loss of consciousness and death. She said in her finding hydrogen sulphide was a colourless gas and it might irritate eyes and the respiratory system. Dunn said it was clear inhaling high quantities could produce rapid unconsciousness and ultimately death. Signs warning about the risks of hydrogen sulphide poisoning have been erected at Sulphur Point. Its a nice, warm spot News of Siufangas death has saddened a former rough sleeper and those who work with homeless people in Rotorua. They have paid tribute to Siufanga, saying he was a loner who liked to ride his bike and hang out with his dog. Percy Poharama, who helps feed those in need five nights a week from the Papatuanuku Support Services site on Hinemoa St, said Siufanga often used the same pool as Taikato did because rough sleepers considered it the spot to go. But the pool turns and becomes toxic. But they dont worry, they sit in there and have a few ales. These guys havent got much. Going down and having a soak is as good as it gets. Its a nice, warm spot. Poharama said Siufanga was known for always having his dog with him and being on his bike. He said sometimes he would use his dog as a tow engine by putting a rope on his handlebars and getting the dog, which similar in breed to an Alsatian or German shepherd, to pull him along. Tui was a real quiet bloke. We used to talk a lot in general about his life He kept to himself. Butter was his favourite thing He would come in and I would grab him some butter because we know how expensive that is. A former streetie, who did not want to be named because he was now in housing, said he knew Siufanga because he used to stay nearby at EJs Dormitel on Victoria St. He said Siufanga would take his dog everywhere. I invited him back here a few times to drink with me but nah, he always just went back home. I even offered him a sesh [to join him to smoke cannabis] heaps of times but he dont smoke the green. Anyone would think he did with those big fat natty locks of his. To me he always seemed cool and mellow and just always doing his own thing. The former streetie said he understood Siufanga kept getting into trouble because his dog was unregistered and he reluctantly gave his dog to a family member for a period. Poor fellow was rolling by himself for a few months until he turned up at the Bottle-O one night with his kuri [dog]. I said oh, chur brother you finally got him back. The former streetie said he was unsure if that meant Siufanga had got the dog registered. A police spokesman said next of kin had been advised of Siufangas death and the dog had been uplifted by Rotorua Animal Control. The Rotorua Daily Post has attempted to reach Siufangas family for comment. A Rotorua homeless man, who said he did not want his name published, said he knew Siufanga and his death was sad. I always saw him around with his dog. He said he and others on the streets had been talking about him and they had heard he had died in a hot pool. Aerial view of central Rotorua looking out over Sulphur Point on Lake Rotorua. Photo / NZME. EJs Dormitel owner Emilyn Dubouzet told the Rotorua Daily Post that Siufanga had lived at her complex as a tenant but she could not remember when and for how long. She said he had his dog in his room, even though he was not supposed to. He could be a handful but he was okay. Its supposed to be no dogs here. You just navigate with whatever you can and you learn to make the most of the situation. I try to give them love and care. That is what they need. What the council says Rotorua Lakes Council community and district development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said in response to Rotorua Daily Post questions Safe City Guardians regularly patrolled inner city geothermal parks and reserves. Recent work completed in the Sulphur Point area included new walkways and bridges, as well as additional and replacement fencing built including in the area where the death occurred, Gaston said. New fences and pathways have been erected at Sulphur Point after a man died in a hot pool in 2020. Photo / Kelly Makiha. The pathway running past this area is fenced on both sides and there is signage warning people to stay on the path and of the specific risks of geothermal features. Gaston urged anyone who saw people within fenced areas, or in pools in parks and reserves, to contact the council immediately. He said if guardians saw people sleeping rough they advised about the dangers associated with active geothermal areas and offered to help connect them to support services. People found camping in public parks and reserves that are not designated for this can be trespassed but thats a last resort. If advised they could be trespassed most leave of their own accord but some will still eventually return. -Rotorua Daily Post. Rodger Fox - synonymous with big band jazz in New Zealand - has died aged 71. The jazz legend founded the Rodger Fox Big Band in 1973 and toured extensively here and overseas, playing at international jazz festivals including Montreaux, Monterey and New Orleans. He was a huge part of the Tauranga Jazz Festival and completed his 50th anniversary tour in 2023. Over the last 50 years, the Rodger Fox Big Band has become an institution, creating a unique and unrivalled contribution to the New Zealand arts and music scene, including the National Jazz Festival held in Tauranga each year. "On a shoestring budget, we have performed throughout New Zealand along with some of the biggest names in jazz and blues," Rodger said back in 2023. "Many of these artists have also given much of themselves back to music, for example, presenting educational workshops." Rodger also taught at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington. He was only 18 when he began playing with a dance band in the Wellington / Porirua area. He was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in 2022. He told RNZ that year that two of the biggest highlights were playing at Europe's legendary Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1980 - the first-ever NZ band invited to play at an international jazz festival - and hosting American jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker's visit to New Zealand to celebrate the Rodger Fox Big Band's 30th anniversary. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King. -Additonal reporting by RNZ. Severe gales are being forecast for several areas around the North Island, including the Coromandel Peninsula and Kaimai Range. The MetService has issued a severe weather watch for strong wind. "A low is expected to pass close to the south of the South Island during Wednesday, spreading a strong southwest flow over the country," says the latest update from the weather organisation. "Gale southwesterlies are likely in many exposed places and some areas may experience severe gales. Wind Watches are now in effect. "People are advised to remain up to date with the latest forecasts and check for upgrades or the addition of more areas." Image: MetService. Strong Wind Watch Area: Auckland, including Great Barrier Island, west coast of Waikato north of Kawhia Harbour, the Coromandel Peninsula and the Kaimai Range Valid: 10 hours from 4pm Wed 29 May to 2am Thu 30 May Forecast: Southwesterlies may rise to severe gale in exposed places. Area: Western Taranaki - west of about a line from Urenui to Hawera Valid: 7 hours from 2:00pm Wed 29 May to 9:00pm Wed 29 May Forecast: Southwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places. Area: Coastal parts of Clutha and Dunedin from the Otago Peninsula southwards Valid: 10 hours from 8am Wed 29 May to 6pm Wed 29 May Forecast: Southwest winds may reach severe gale in exposed places. Area: Stewart Island and coastal parts of mainland Southland Valid: 6 hours from 8am Wed 29 May to 2pm Wed 29 May Forecast: Southwesterlies may reach severe gale in exposed places. Ignacio Lillo Malaga Monday, 27 May 2024, 18:33 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads The most expensive water supply in Spain is in a small town in Malaga province. Valle de Abdalajis (around 2,500 inhabitants) is a permanent headache for managers at Adif. The Spanish rail infrastructure company is still paying for the mistake it made when digging the the tunnels for the high-speed Cordoba-Malaga railway line between 2006 and 2007, when it drilled into the aquifer that supplies the municipality and the surrounding farms. Since then, the company has been obliged to supply water to the town by various means, including the most expensive, which is by water tankers. According to data provided by Adif in response to SUR's questions, this has cost more than 25 million euros from 2007 to date. This amount is not far off the 28 million Adif invested in the bypass that next year will shorten by 20 minutes the journey time of high-speed trains between Malaga and Seville in Almodovar del Rio (Cordoba). From then on, the journey time will be one hour and 35 minutes. According to latest data, from December 2016 to January 2021, Adif spent 8.5 million euros on supplying tankers. From the latter date until now, a further five million euros has been spent. Adif has been providing the municipality with some 450,000 litres per day, at a cost of more than 9,000 euros, according to more data. Interim measures In February 2021, Adif terminated its agreement with the municipality and stopped providing the water by tanker as it had been doing since 2007. At the time, the municipality filed a lawsuit and a judge ruled as a precautionary measure that Adif, which is dependent on the Spanish ministry of transport, should continue to pay for the supply until there is a final ruling. This is the current situation, as the court has not yet announced its decision. Despite tanker supplies, the municipality suffers severe water cuts every night due to the drought In the meantime, there have been costly attempts to create a stable supply with water recovered from the aquifer in the tunnels, but these have not worked as expected. Adif has carried out a project to supply drinking and irrigation water to different areas of the Sierra de Abdalajis, as well as works to collect the water that seeps into the tunnels at the outlet and pump it to a tank at the head of the supply network. Together with the installation of a water treatment plant, road conditioning and even the recovery of the remains of a Roman villa, works total 26.6 million euros. On the other side is the Valle de Abdalajis town council. Its mayor Virginia Romero has been in charge for a year (since the last municipal elections) and pointed out water has been one of the biggest challenges for the town since 2007, after the drilling of its main aquifer during the works for the high-speed railway tunnels. The municipality is waiting Until then, the town in the north of the Guadalhorce Valley drank from this natural spring, which made it known as the "village of springs". "We have been like this for almost 20 years, but the damage is irreparable, I hope that the judge will find a solution, such as Adif finally building new water infrastructure, in case the supply from the water tanks is withdrawn," the mayor said. The council has been awaiting the final judgement since 2021, when the municipality filed a complaint against the public railway company, after Adif announced the agreement had been terminated and it was cutting off the supply of water tanks. "The judgement was due to come out a few months ago, but following a request by the lawyers representing us, in which we asked for data on the flow of water coming out of the tunnels, the wait has been extended." Romero said large lorries that arrive daily are not the ideal solution, because they pose a danger to the town as the roads are narrow and winding. But the mayor is confident that both the regional Junta and the provincial Diputacion are working to find a solution, regardless of the outcome of the legal proceedings. "We hope that there will be a definitive solution, but Adif cannot stop the trucks and leave a town without water. If that happens, it will be the institutions that will have to take charge until a definitive infrastructure is built to supply the municipality," the mayor said. In addition to the difficult situation of the residents, the extreme drought that the area is going through, with daily water cuts, as is the case in other municipalities, has added to the plight of the residents. During the winter these were up to 16 hours a day, although the latest rains have meant "a respite" and cuts have been reduced to the nights, from 10pm to 7am. The councillor said a complete renovation of the supply networks is needed, which is one of the most urgent projects: "If we control our use, we will be able to reduce the restrictions much more." Since the pandemic work has been carried out on a dozen tunnels along the AP-7 motorway. Chus Heredia Malaga Monday, 27 May 2024, 10:07 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Last Thursday saw the start of the election campaign in Spain for the European Parliament, an event that usually has a low voter turnout despite the fact that many EU decisions closely affect a wide range of areas. Road tunnels are a case in point. In recent months the number of publicly-funded contracts has multiplied. One only has to pull out some back issues of press reports on this subject or view one of the info boards placed at every tunnel entrance announcing the work. The first road in Spain to roll up its sleeves and get on with the task is in Malaga province: the Costa del Sol motorway. Europe has tightened up on its requirements for the continental motorway network, especially in terms of safety. For that very reason the Autopista del Sol management company Ausol has worked on the ten tunnels along the entire AP-7 motorway with an investment of more than 30 million euros. The road, which runs between Malaga, Marbella, Estepona and Guadiaro has become the first road of its kind in Spain to adapt all its tunnels to the strict EU road safety regulations. The tunnel work, which has lasted four years as work began during the pandemic, has meant the largest financial outlay by Ausol since the construction of the motorway. The added complexity is that all work had to be carried out while the motorway was still in operation. 105 kilometres of road The Autopista del Sol has 10 tunnels along its 105-kilometre route which have been adapted to the safety requirements established by Royal Decree 635/2006 and European Directive (2004/54/CE). Every tunnel has a unique name. In the Malaga-Estepona section, the existing tunnels are called Montemayor, La Quinta, Rio Verde, Nagueles, Santa Maria I and Calahonda. On the Estepona-Guadiaro section we have Estepona, Corominas, Santa Maria II and Casares. Making the necessary safety changes have involved, firstly, the deployment of a new fire-resistant electrical installation to guarantee the operation of critical systems in the event of fire in the tunnel. The installation of ventilation systems has also been strengthened to improve conditions in the tunnel and to kick into action in the event of a high concentration of polluting gases or fire. In the same vein, more sensors have been installed to measure any concentrations of polluting gases (CO2 and NO), opacity and air speed both inside and outside the tunnel with the aim of optimising ventilation strategies specific to that tunnel. Linear heat detection systems that identify fires have also been improved and a public address system has been installed to broadcast messages to drivers in the event of an incident. Zoom Another of the AP-7 tunnels under repair. SUR Another key element of the project has been the implementation of an Automatic Incident Detection (AID) telematic system using CCTV cameras in the tunnels. In addition, new variable signalling equipment has been deployed to warn drivers of any incident, as well as access barriers to all tunnels so tunnels can be closed in the event of an emergency. Finally, the SOS-call points have had the technology improved and a special drainage system for any toxic liquid spillages has been installed. "These improvement works have meant an important effort for the management team due to the extent of the work undertaken, which significantly improves the safety guarantees for our users; we are at the forefront of road safety in Spain", says Juan Marchini, general manager at Ausol. "We have achieved a significant increase and improvement in the safety equipment in our 10 tunnels, which are the first to be adapted to the European directive (2004/54/EC), guaranteeing faster and more efficient management of actions to be taken in the event of incidents or accidents," he adds. 26 million euros spent on Malaga's tunnels but unfinished One of the last contracts to be formally signed in Malaga province by the Ministry of Transport, using EU Next Generation funds, budgeted for 4.5 million euros to incorporate, for example, emergency doors, new lighting, public address systems, cabling, ventilation, information panels, anti-fire systems, barriers or traffic lights for opening and closing lanes in five more tunnels: the four near Casabermeja on the A-45 and the false tunnel of Carlos Haya on the West ring road in Malaga city. In Casabermeja, the wiring of the security equipment will be replaced and fire-resistant wiring will be installed. The work will also include a network of emergency (SOS) call points with telephone and fire extinguisher. In addition, all systems installed or upgraded in the Casabermeja tunnels will feed into the Cerrado de Calderon Control Centre. Other improvements include gauge control, new road markings, safer pedestrian walkways, new signposting and, as in the case of the MA-20, re-painting and asphalting. The Spanish government has also been awarded 7.5 million euros for improvement work in San Jose and Cerrado de Calderon. Other work will be carried out in Churriana (the 'hiperronda' - Malaga's version of Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham), San Pedro Alcantara and Capistrano crossroads, Tablazo, Frigiliana, Lagos and Torrox, along the dual carriageway heading east out of Malaga, for a total amount of 26 million euros. The Ministry's plan has an overall budget of 357 million euros for public main roads across Spain, financed by the aforementioned EU Next Generation. Spain's general road network has some 200 structures of this type that are being adapted to European regulations, or that will have to be adapted pretty soon. Of these, 160 are on roads managed directly by the Ministry of Transport, the other 40 on toll motorways. The ten tunnels belonging to the Autopista de la Costa del Sol, managed by Ausol, were the first to be fully adapted. The Perth mum said bringing the car seat on a flight to Bali was well worth it but not everyone's convinced. Aussies were shocked to learn passengers can take child car seats onto flights. Source: Facebook and Getty An Aussie mum who requested to bring a child's car seat onto a flight for a recent family holiday to Bali has sparked a lively debate among travellers. The move has divided tourists, with many Aussies admitting they had no idea it was even an option. The mum-of-four said before travelling with her children and partner from Perth on an AirAsia flight on Sunday night, she hired a specific car seat that met criteria set out by the airline forking out $70 for three weeks. Despite it not being mandatory, she said the decision was well worth it to provide her toddler with extra safety during the plane journey. "Our daughter was so happy to sit in her seat, and aside from needing my arm for reassurance during turbulence, did really well for the entire flight," she posted online, alongside an image of the car seat strapped into the middle plane seat. "I've done over 30 flights with my four kids over the past 15 years but this is the first time I've taken a car seat on board and I'm glad I did. Each child is different and this was the right thing for us!" Child car seat on plane divides opinion A handful of Aussies agreed with the mum, saying they had also taken a car seat on a plane and found it "much more comfortable and reassuring for both [the] child and parents". They credited it with helping young travellers sleep and deemed it safer than using a standard plane seat. Others held the opposite view, believing it offered little safety and could "quite possibly cause greater injury" during turbulence. While some argued it could be "dangerous" for other passengers as the bulky item may get in the way in the event of an emergency evacuation. However, the vast majority responded with shock oblivious to the fact that parents could take car seats onto flights in the first place. "I've never seen this before. What an awesome way for your kid to travel and be able to fall asleep," one person said. "I was like wtf when I [saw] this, then read how your kid went and thought what a great idea," another commented. "Kids always sleep in their seats and their seats are way more comfortable and secure than a plane seat". "The only way I can see this is as long as you always booked the three seats in a row. Otherwise it'd be a pain and possibly a death trap for other passengers," someone else wrote. The Perth mum who sparked the debate responded she wouldnt be doing it if it was going to impede anyone else. Virgin Australia and Qantas both require child restraints to meet Australia design standards. Source: AP Qantas, Virgin place strict conditions for child car seats on flights Many airlines permit the use of a child car seat on planes but specific criteria need to be met to ensure safety is upheld for all passengers on the flight. Virgin Australia and Qantas both require child restraints to meet Australia design standards. This outlines a myriad of criteria the car seat must adhere to including the size and weight of it. It also needs to be clearly labeled that it has been assessed and approved for air travel. Yahoo News has contacted AirAsia for comment. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Syracuse, N.Y. -- A 47-year-old man was shot Sunday and dropped off at Upstate University Hospitals emergency room, police said. Around 4:27 p.m., officers responded to Upstate University Hospital at 750 East Adams Street for a report of a man who was shot, Syracuse police said in a news release. The man was dropped off at the hospitals emergency room by private transport, police said. When officers arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound to his thigh, police said. In the Syracuse village of Eastwood, neighbors, veterans, city leaders and first responders gathered Monday to honor U.S. military personnel who have died while serving their country. The Eastwood Memorial Day parade started at American Legion Post 1276 and ended with a ceremony at the Greenway Veterans Memorial Park on James Street. Hundreds of people lined the street or set up lawn chairs to watch the parade. Eastwood is a very tight-knit community, said Katelyn Wright, president of the Eastwood Neighborhood Association. Its just the kind of place where people want to come together for holidays like this. Eastwoods Memorial Day celebration has been a city tradition for 70 years, Wright said. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds and Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile attended the ceremony, and each hung wreaths at Greenway Veterans Memorial Park. Musicians from the Pride of Syracuse City Marching Band performed The Star-Spangled Banner and several more songs. The bands members come from five city schools: Henninger, Corcoran, Fowler, Lincoln Middle School and Syracuse Latin Middle School. The weekend brought people together at parades, ceremonies, barbecues, field days and family events across Central New York, signaling the unofficial beginning of summer. To the Editor: In the aftermath of the profound loss of Lieutenant Michael Hootch Hoosock on April 14, 2024, I extend heartfelt appreciation to the community for its overwhelming outpouring of support, sympathy and solidarity during this difficult time. Lieutenant Hoosock, known affectionately as Hootch by his colleagues and community members alike, embodied the essence of dedication, integrity and selflessness in his service to our community. His unwavering commitment to duty and his boundless compassion touched the lives of many, leaving an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him. Amidst the sorrow that envelops us, the outpouring of support from the community has served as a beacon of light, illuminating the path of healing for all who mourn the loss of Lieutenant Hoosock. From heartfelt condolences and gestures of kindness to acts of generosity and solidarity, your unwavering support has provided solace and strength to Lieutenant Hoosocks family, friends, and colleagues during this profoundly challenging time. I extend my deepest gratitude to the community for standing alongside us as we navigate this period of grief and loss. Your compassion, empathy and steadfast support have underscored the resilience and unity that define our community in times of adversity. As we honor the memory of Lieutenant Michael Hootch Hoosock and celebrate his life of service, let us also draw inspiration from the outpouring of support that surrounds us. Together, we will continue to uphold the values and ideals that Lieutenant Hoosock held dear, ensuring that his legacy of compassion, courage and commitment endures for generations to come. Tobias Shelley Onondaga County Sheriff Syracuse We have had a lot of AI news lately product launches from OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. Now we are just waiting for Apple and its upcoming WWDC conference. Just last week, we wrote about how much of the industry was anticipating these announcements to showcase what AI could do. This also got us thinking about ways to frame any rational discussion of the subject of neural network based machine learning, a.k.a. AI. We now loosely see the sector developing in three categories: AI as a Feature AI as a Product or Platform AI as Magic By "AI as Magic," we are talking about Artificial General Intelligence or conscious computers. As much as certain people think this is imminent, we are not convinced. Maybe this is possible, but we do not think it is coming anytime soon. Editor's Note: Guest author Jonathan Goldberg is the founder of D2D Advisory, a multi-functional consulting firm. Jonathan has developed growth strategies and alliances for companies in the mobile, networking, gaming, and software industries. At the other end of the spectrum, "AI as a Feature" is what we often refer to as "under the hood" improvements. These are a large collection of small gains that AI provides to software we were already running. For instance, several SaaS companies have reported 5%-10% reductions in the cost of service delivery by introducing some form of AI into their systems. Facebook has reported similar small gains to its ad-matching algorithms. These are not glamorous, but in aggregate, they provide tremendous value. If AI delivers nothing else, this is already a significant boost. That leaves the last category where AI becomes a product in its own right. This could evolve further into complete platforms providing a wide array of services and value. This is the realm that the big companies are all fighting over, as evidenced by their demos. At this point, our sense is that they are not quite there yet. Admittedly, this is a purely subjective assessment based on watching their launch videos, with no hands-on experience. But our metric is very clear what would we be willing to pay for? The answer is not much. Everything launched so far is emotionally compelling and looks incredible, but what utility does it deliver? From what we can tell, everything is either applicable to a niche in which we are not members better drawing tools, for instance or is not quite reliable enough to be trustworthy, such as AI agents. But these are just the consumer applications. There are many other companies looking to use AI tools to advance their efforts. Some of these may be very promising. We think robotics, for one, seems poised to make major advances with the latest crop of tools. We are not talking about C-3PO humanoids, but new ranges of motion for machines. This sector is currently hampered by a lack of sufficient training data, but there have been significant advances in synthetic data creation in the last year. These have problems for consumer-facing applications (i.e., models built on hallucinations), but could be very useful in other fields. Another area that looks very promising is AI for drug discovery. We know that all the major (and minor) biotech companies are investing heavily in Nvidia gear. And there are many other examples. We think this area is going to see a lot of experimentation. That will mean many failures and dead ends, but it could also result in striking advances. And we think that is the key point in all of this. We are still in the very early days of AI systems. There are clear advances coming at a frenetic pace. Ultimately, we are optimistic that these will deliver on the promise, but it is likely to be a messy process. Nvidia has another strong quarter with demand still far outstripping supply Meanwhile, the leader in AI hardware has reported strong earnings. It is happening so regularly that things are starting to get boring. But then, CEO Jensen Huang got on the call, and the stock went up more on his commentary. The numbers: the company reported 1Q25 revenue of $26 billion, up 18 percent from the previous quarter and an astonishing 262 percent from the same period last year, ahead of consensus of $24.5 billion. These are big numbers by any metric. Oh, they also announced a 10 for 1 stock split, catnip for retail investors. It is hard to grasp how large and how quickly Nvidia has grown. Our preferred metric currently is Nvidia's share of wallet for data center processors, looking at Nvidia, Intel and AMD's reported data center revenue. That figure reached 81% in the quarter. They took a point of share from AMD and five points from Intel. In fairness, Nvidia's data center revenue includes networking products such as Infiniband. Conveniently, the company began breaking out its data center networking revenue. In theory, we should remove that from the calculation, as neither AMD nor Intel have comparable products. That being said, that spend is coming from the same set of customers. Even stripping it out only takes their share to 78%. To put that in context, Arista, a company that only sells networking products, did $5.3 billion in revenue for all of 2023. A few other things that stood out for us. Nvidia claims they are now supplying 100 "AI factories," which are data centers operated independently of the hyperscalers. We wrote about these a few months back, and we remain somewhat cautious about the subject. There is nothing wrong with Nvidia's numbers, but if there are issues, we will likely see them telegraphed from this sector. It is worth noting that many of these AI factories turn around and re-sell capacity to the hyperscalers, which is a bit circular. We are also uncomfortable with the fact that Nvidia seems to have an extra-heavy hand with these companies. Nvidia is their major supplier, really the basis of their business model in these times of tight GPU supply. Nvidia also seems to sell its whole stack to them complete systems and likely designs them as well. On top of all that, Nvidia is likely an investor in many of them. The company also added some color to its commentary about "Sovereign AI," which they are now defining as "a nation's capabilities to produce AI using its own infrastructure." The emphasis this quarter was on AI factories built in conjunction with telecom networks, such as Japan's $740 million investment in a project led by telco KDDI, Sakura Internet, and Softbank to build up that country's "AI Infrastructure." This is another area that makes us a bit uncomfortable. A market segment built on governments building AI capabilities feels a bit too vague. On the other hand, it is clearly generating a lot of revenue for the company. Probably the most asked-about topic on the call was the extent of demand. The company indicated they expect demand to outstrip supply well into next year. Going into the call, there were concerns that the company's new Blackwell line of GPUs would cannibalize sales of the previous generation Hopper chips. The short answer is that there does not seem to be a problem, with the company becoming even more supply-constrained for certain Hopper products during the quarter. When asked how customers feel about current purchases when they see new products coming to market, Huang replied they will "performance average their way into it." This is his way of saying customers will buy whatever they can get their hands on. We actually heard a better explanation today: customers know Nvidia's roadmap and are building plans around that. They will use B200 when they can get some and H100 when they can't. We should also point out that if we turn this argument around, Nvidia is developing products at an enviable pace and deserves credit for the advances they are driving. Of key importance here, Nvidia has to contend with the slowdown in Moore's Law as much as anyone else, but they are still driving performance gains by pulling every lever they can. This includes their comprehensive design of data centers and their complete systems approach. This could end up being a strong force working in the company's favor over the long term, as currently no one else (outside the top hyperscalers) has the ability to pull all those levers. All in all, Nvidia continues to execute strongly on all cylinders. We know where to look for problems, but there are currently no signs of trouble on the horizon. Demand remains very strong, and the company looks set to outpace the competition for the foreseeable future. Thousands of kangaroo bones have been discovered at a burial pit just 1km from a major reservoir. The South Para Reservoir burial pit is littered with thousands of bones, many of them from native kangaroos. Source: Supplied WARNING - DISTURBING CONTENT: Piles of dead kangaroos have been discovered rotting on land adjacent to one of Australias biggest drinking water reservoirs. Public access to land north of SA Waters South Para Reservoir, which supplies the Barossa Valley wine region, is usually prohibited. But new footage gives insight into whats referred to internally at the company as a pest animal control program. And critics have labelled the gruesome outcome as "unacceptable". Images and video recorded between October 2023 and May 2024 focus on a burial pit just 1,100 metres from the drinking water reservoir where kangaroo carcasses are frequently dumped by the state government's water supplier. The man who filmed the pit has in-depth knowledge of the sites operations, and requested that Yahoo News withhold his identity. I dont think it's the correct way of dealing with them. They call it 'pest management' but if they're piling up roos all theyre doing is attracting foxes, he said. Stills from October 2023, December 2023, and March 2024 show decaying kangaroo bodies and bones dumped at the burial pit. Source: Supplied The man's pictures show the burial pit frequently fills with water after rain, becomes stagnant and turns green. Video from December shows bodies piled up nearby and floating in the liquid, but months later they've disappeared and all that remains are bones. There were bones everywhere. It looked like a massacre site, the anonymous photographer said. SA Water responds to concerns about kangaroo dumping site Despite the pits proximity to the reservoir, SA Water maintains the decaying bodies do not pose a contamination risk. "The water shown in this photo is not the reservoir or any other water source, it is a small volume in the bottom of a pit following a significant rainfall event," a spokesperson for the company said. SA Water has also dismissed concerns about kangaroo bodies attracting vermin to the site. "Kangaroos may be placed on the edge of a pit like this before usually being moved into the pit once the water subsides, with the pit then backfilled as part of our regular operational activities," it said. Animal carcasses placed in the pit are covered and as a result there are no significant issues with vermin in or around these locations. The site in the photo is within a restricted area, far from public access or water sources and does not pose any water quality concerns. A red circle indicates the kangaroo burial pit 1km away from the reservoir. Source: Google Earth/Airbus Some observers are concerned rotting kangaroo carcasses could attract foxes to the site. But SA Water says the bodies are covered and aren't a significant issue. Source: Supplied Dispute brews over culling of kangaroos Kangaroo shooting as a means of population control is controversial. It constitutes the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife in the world and has been compared to Canadas baby seal hunt and Japans dolphin slaughter. SA Water maintains the kangaroos at its South Para Reservoir site have periodically reached very high numbers and that overabundance may pose a threat to drinking water, inflict minor damage to fences, and cause accidents with vehicles. The government agency has regularly allowed volunteer shooters to enter land around the reservoir to shoot invasive species including deer, foxes, rabbits and goats. But records supplied to Yahoo from SA Water show native kangaroos are one of the most frequently targeted animals. SA Waters kangaroo shooting program is legal, it maintains killing them is a necessary form of land management, and it was diligent in responding to all questions raised by Yahoo News. However the photographer who has documented the burial pit disputes the numbers at the site are high. He has increasingly become concerned about the morality of gunning down and burying the native creatures, noting many of them are docile and will approach humans. When I first saw the burial pit I thought: What the hell is this? My stomach turned and over time I started to think: This is so bad, he recalled. I feel like if other people knew about this, then they'd have a different opinion about what's right and what's wrong. Can kangaroo culling be humane? Advocacy group Kangaroos Alive also shares that concern. The animal advocacy group doesn't buy the government position that kangaroos need to be controlled and it has taken issue with SA Water referring to them as pests. Kangaroos are native grazers that have co-evolved with Australian ecosystems for over 20 million years and are crucial ecosystem engineers, its campaign manager Dennis Vink said. Kangaroos continue to be scapegoated, while their contribution to the total grazing pressure is minimal compared to introduced livestock and herbivores. It is unacceptable that the SA government refers to kangaroos as pests when they are not, resulting in them being treated just as poorly. Looking generally at the welfare of kangaroos during culling programs, SA Water and Kangaroos Alive are polarised. SA Water maintains its shooters comply with ethical codes of practice and animals at its sites are killed in a humane way. But Vink argues its impossible to ensure welfare standards are met when the culling occurs out of the public eye and without monitoring. Speaking generally about kangaroo shooting in Australia, Vink is concerned there is no way of ensuring animals are quickly dispatched. He also takes exception to government prescribed methods of killing joeys decapitating or bludgeoning them to death. "The killing of kangaroos takes place under the cover of night in remote areas, out of sight of the public and the government, evading all scrutiny from both," he said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. The latest wrap-up in the blockchain world is here on CryptoWatch, with the biggest news centering on the top-grossing coin of all time, Bitcoin, forecasted to reach $80,000 this year, as it saw a massive rally before last week ended. However, there are still massive attacks present in the market, as it was allegedly claimed that North Korea had laundered as much as $147.5 million in stolen crypto. On the other hand, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has successfully arrested the alleged thieves behind an Ethereum attack. Bitcoin is Rallying; Forecast Predicts $80,000 Value After a slump since early May, Bitcoin was found to be rallying yet again in the charts. The coin's valuation has skyrocketed as much as $10,000 since its $57,000 drop this month. The coin is now at $68,000 and has stayed that way over the weekend, prompting hopefuls to find, yet again, a new hope for the coin's future growth. In a recent report by CoinGape, the industry experts and speculators did not change their forecast for Bitcoin regarding its possible $80,000 valuation to achieve within the year. While that is still $12,000 away, the massive support and lifeline it got from when it dropped prevented it from seeing itself in another slump. Earlier last March, Bitcoin reached an all-time high of as much as $73,000 before dropping to the $60,000 area and down to its lowest point below $58,000 this May. It also came alongside the SEC approval of spot Ethereum ETFs, but it is not believed that this influenced the top coin's rally. North Korea Allegedly Laundered Stolen Crypto There is now a new report from the United Nations that it believes North Korea has allegedly laundered the stolen cryptocurrency it got ahold of via Tornado Cash, a virtual currency platform. It is also believed that this took place last March, following its attack against a cryptocurrency exchange which was not named. It was reported that North Korea's attack happened last year, with 97 suspected cyberattack cases linked to the country against crypto firms. The dictatorial state took $147.5 million, and this figure alone was taken from HTX cryptocurrency before being laundered earlier this year. According to estimates, North Korea committed 11 crypto thefts in 2024 alone, resulting in illicit digital holdings worth $54.7 million. The UN also believed that North Korean IT workers have been operating globally to generate income for the country. FBI Arrests Alleged Thieves Behind ETH Attack The FBI arrested two brothers believed to be behind an Ethereum attack, one that amounted to $25 million worth of cryptocurrency allegedly stolen by the pair. This centers on a scheme where it defrauded the Ethereum blockchain, exploiting its systems that allowed them to steal the massive figure that took them only 12 seconds to do. Boston native Anton Peraire-Bueno and James Pepaire-Bueno of New York were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and wire fraud in their indictment. This heist has cast doubt on Ethereum's integrity, particularly as the brothers have used their computer science and mathematics expertise to enact this scheme against the blockchain. More and more people are reportedly using artificial intelligence to produce hate content, worrying experts of a problematic trend thanks to the booming technology. A trend that a previous UN advisory body warned could supercharge various propaganda. Reporter Peter Smith of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network asserts that an increasing amount of AI-generated content is being observed by researchers studying hate content and hate media. Consequently, according to Chris Tenove, assistant director of the University of British Columbia's Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions, hate groups and white supremacist organizations have a history of being among the first to adopt new Internet tools and methods. A UN advisory council raised this issue in December. It expressed extreme concern over the prospect that generative AI could amplify Islamophobic, antisemitic, xenophobic, and racist discourse. That content can occasionally spill over into actual life. Smith claimed that after AI was used to create "extremely racist Pixar-style movie posters," some people printed the signs and put them up on the exterior of theaters. With only a little instruction, generative AI systems may produce pictures and films nearly instantaneously. According to Smith, with only a few keystrokes, one person can create dozens of images in the same amount of time as someone who would need to dedicate hours to creating just one. Read Also : Biden Administration Urges Companies to Take Action Against Sexually Abusive Deepfakes AI Hate Content Surges B'nai Brith Canada brought up the problem of AI-generated hate content in a recent antisemitic report. According to the report, there was an unparalleled surge in antisemitic pictures and films produced, altered, and fabricated using AI in the past year. According to Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy, the organization has noticed that AI is being used to create incredibly vivid and horrifying visuals, most of which deal with Holocaust denial, diminishment, or distortion. The warning comes as artificial intelligence deepfakes continue to be as problematic as they could be, with terrorist groups now also using the booming technology to spread propaganda. AI-Powered Terrorist Propaganda The IS offshoot group Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP), which operates in Afghanistan and Pakistan, released a video in which an AI anchorman appeared to read the news after an attack in Bamiyan province, Afghanistan, on May 17. The attack claimed the lives of four people, including three Spanish tourists. According to the website Khorasan Diary, which focuses on news and analysis of the region, the artificial avatar serving as an anchor reportedly spoke Pashto and had features resembling those of Bamiyan natives. A separate male digital news anchor asserted in an AI-produced propaganda video that the Islamic State was to blame for a car explosion in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Four days after the March 22 attack on a Moscow music hall that left about 145 people dead, IS started using AI-generated news bulletins. IS took ownership of the event. IS presented the Moscow attack in the video using a "fake" AI-generated news anchor. Furthermore, IS proponents have been using text-to-speech AI technology and character-generation techniques to interpret news bulletins from IS's Amaq news agency, according to reported research at the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism. The latest discovery on Gmail for Android shows a revamped Gemini AI button that will help use the chatbot for various features like summarizing emails or creating messages, available right on the app's toolbar. However, this feature is not yet live, and it remains unknown when Google will deliver the update, but this discovery is an indication that it is coming soon. It is known that Gmail's desktop version already has the Gemini AI button easily accessible from the top, as well as Workspaces, but the Android app's take is yet to come. Android's Gmail Toolbar to Feature a Gemini AI Button Android's Gmail app is getting a massive upgrade from Google soon, as according to AssembleDebug and Android Authority, Gemini AI will have its featured button right on its toolbar. This was recently discovered on Gmail's APK teardown, with the code suggesting that a dedicated Gemini button would soon appear on Gmail's toolbar that will take users directly to the AI. However, this button is not yet enabled by Google, and there are no announcements or scoops yet regarding this feature's availability. That being said, tapping Gemini's button would bring the text box users may write their prompts on and get the multimodal AI's services instantly. Have Gemini Access Your Gmail and Messages Gemini already can access your Gmail and the emails that were sent or received by the user. Through the new button, users may instantly ask Gemini for various automated or AI-generated actions like summarizing an email, creating a reply to a certain message, and more. That being said, this is not entirely new for Google's Gemini availability on apps, as in the Workspace suite, users may already access the AI via the button on the toolbar, similar to what is coming for Android's Gmail. Gemini AI's Availability on Google Apps Google had Bard first before Gemini, and the company has made the AI chatbot available on various experiences under its umbrella for people to get the assistive features right on their hands. Last I/O 2024, Google announced that Gemini can better search for the media users are looking for with "Ask Photos" powered by the latest model and enhances the image search. On the other hand, Google has also powered up its browser and search engine with the power of its multimodal AI technology, offering a new way to take advantage of generative search. Through Gemini, users would have the ability to deliver more concise information from the web through the likes of AI Overview, also bringing customizable options for further refinement. AI on apps is no longer a new thing for Google's products, as well as other rivals in the industry that have integrated their models and experiences right into apps for users to enjoy. The next in line is Gmail for Android, soon getting the Gemini AI button right on its toolbar, offering easier access to the chatbot available at the top for all email-related assistance and queries. In the wake of the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the victims' families have filed lawsuits against tech giants Activision and Meta, as well as gun manufacturer Daniel Defense. These lawsuits asserted that these companies contributed to an environment that facilitated the tragic event. Activision, Meta Face Legal Battle Over Uvalde Shooting The families of the Robb Elementary School shooting victims in Uvalde, Texas, have filed lawsuits against Activision, Meta, and gun manufacturer Daniel Defense. These lawsuits are being led by attorney Josh Koskoff, who previously secured a settlement from Remington for the families affected by the Sandy Hook shooting. TechCrunch reported that the legal action accused the tech companies of collaborating with the firearms industry over the past 15 years in a marketing scheme that allegedly surpasses the controversial Joe Camel campaign in terms of harm. The lawsuit explicitly targets Activision's "Call of Duty" video game franchise, describing it as a sophisticated marketing tool that has contributed to cultivating a young consumer base for the AR-15 assault rifle. The suit also criticized Instagram, owned by Meta, alleging that the platform deliberately enforces weak, easily bypassed regulations that purportedly ban firearm advertising, which, in reality, serve as a guide for the gun industry. The lawsuit alleged that the Uvalde shooter was a "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" player and was exposed to Daniel Defense's advertisements on Instagram. Although Meta bans gun sales on its platforms, gun sellers are given 10 violations before being removed. The lawsuit claimed that the defendants were exploiting alienated teenage boys, turning them into mass shooters. Activision conveyed its deepest sympathies to the families and communities affected by this tragic event. However, the company asserted that academic and scientific research consistently finds no causal relationship between video games and gun violence. Debunking the Video Game Violence Myth In 2022, mass shootings reportedly claimed the lives of 648 individuals, marking the second-highest annual total on record. Gun violence has persisted at a staggering pace, averaging at least one mass shooting per day. Numerous politicians and influencers have pointed to video games as contributing to these tragedies, often referencing ambiguous research to support their claims. The debate over whether video games contribute to gun violence remains a contentious issue among politicians. Recent medical studies and academic research from Stanford University have failed to establish a direct correlation between engaging in video games and real-life instances of gun violence. While some studies have suggested a connection between playing violent video games and heightened levels of aggression, defined as any behavior aimed at causing psychological or physical harm to others, these conclusions were primarily drawn from self-reported surveys rather than observed actions. The term "violence" encompassed a spectrum of behaviors, ranging from minor incidents to severe acts causing physical harm. However, even when considering this broad definition, such studies did not uncover a causal relationship between playing video games and violent behavior. One of Hollywood's latest movies, "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," has reportedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to combine two actresses' faces playing the same role. In a recent interview on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Anya Taylor-Joy said AI was used to mix the faces of herself and child actor Alyla Browne, as they both play the titular character at different ages. Taylor-Joy noted that the film's director, George Miller, came up with the idea to use AI "very early on" in making his post-apocalyptic prequel to 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road." "The audience was already getting used to a new Furiosa. He [George Miller] wanted the transition from both actors [Taylor-Joy and Browne] playing her to be seamless. And so I did two days of the craziest things you could ever possibly imagine. And they mixed our faces together," Taylor-Joy said. Taylor-Joy further noted that at the beginning of the movie, it was around 35% of her appearance on Browne and was already around 80% by the time she was about to play the role. She said, "It's wild to see [that]." Taylor-Joy also acknowledged the controversial moral and legal issues regarding AI. As she tackled the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, she asserted that there was a reason why the industry went on strike. "It is something that is frightening, and I think if you're going to use it you have to be honest about it and it always has to be consensual. It's the lack of consent in anything in life that is the scary thing," said Taylor-Joy, as Variety reported. Although the specifics of the AI work remained undisclosed, the film's leading visual effects providers are DNEG and Framestore. The tech of startup Metaphysic AI, which is developing AI tools responsible for the aging and de-aging of actors, is also reportedly involved. Controversies on AI Filmmaking Some people continue to be concerned about AI's use in Hollywood and filmmaking in general. For example, when Netflix reportedly used manipulated photos in "What Jennifer Did," controversy broke out over claims that the show used AI-generated visuals to represent a real person. The documentary's authenticity and integrity have come under scrutiny due to ethical concerns involving the alleged use of modified imagery, such as distorted hands and unusual anomalies. According to reports, this disclosure raises ethical concerns regarding using AI-generated content in documentaries and calls into question Netflix's editorial decisions. The fact that the person shown is detained and awaiting a retrial highlights the possible impact of such pictures on public perception and judicial proceedings, adding another level of complexity to the topic. In one photo, Jennifer Pan, the documentary's main subject, has a badly deformed left hand, and another image reveals an odd gap in her cheek. Some reports said the photos indicate manipulation but were not identified as AI-generated, or the AI might be using genuine photos of Pan as a basis for generating the images. Thus, the images produced could potentially introduce bias rather than accurately depict the case's facts. Read Also : Netflix CEO Says AI is a Tool, Not a Replacement for Filmmakers The Use of AI in Hollywood As Hollywood consistently demonstrates its usage of AI, tech companies are also eager to leverage Hollywood content to train their large language models. Hollywood production and film companies were recently reported to receive offers worth millions of dollars from Meta and Google for AI licensing deals. These tech giants wanted to license the content, data, and information from these companies, which are protected by copyrights and trademarks, to improve their AI video models. The Netherlands-based van conversion company Ventje now offers a new modification of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, which transforms the electric van into a fully equipped camper for clean-energy, off-grid adventures. The company calls it the "eVentje," and it is now available for purchase in Europe. It is the closest thing to Volkswagen's California edition of the ID Buzz, which will be released in a few years. Ventje Transforms Volkswagen ID.Buzz Into a Fully-Equipped Camper Ventje is now offering a transformed Volkswagen ID.Buzz that features modifications that essentially make it a fully-fledged electric campervan. Upon the purchase and delivery of 'eVentje,' owners will be delighted with the fully equipped electric campervan, which they can immediately take on an adventure or use as their off-grid home. Previously, the company offered campervan modifications to other Volkswagen vehicles, particularly the Transporter, centering on the ICE vehicle as its base. Ventje initially introduced the eVentje in 2023 to showcase its modifications to Volkswagen's latest electric vehicle, taking the experience to clean energy mobility. Electric Vanlife Achieved: eVentje Now Available in EU According to The Verge, the eVentje electric campervan is now widely available throughout Europe for orders. It features an indoor and outdoor accessible kitchen with two induction cooktops, a sink, pullout tables, and more. Its interior can also be converted into a sofa or a bed, but it also offers fixtures that users could assemble into outdoor chairs alongside a folding table. The eVentje also offers a pop-up tent that allows users to stand inside the EV. The van also features a 2200W inverter and 2160Wh battery that charges from the Volkswagen's driving battery, a 350-watt solar panel, and a mini shore-power outlet on the van's lower backside. Moreover, everything is kept in place using magnets that also make it easy to access. Ventje said it will give users 233 miles (375 km) of range, with a starting price of 95,000 euros (around $103,000) and a nine-month delivery time upon order. The Volkswagen ID.Buzz and Van-Living Culture The iconic pop culture's two-tone color and spacious interior were captured in the ID.Buzz from its roots in the VW Microbus or Kombi, offering a nostalgic experience that does not harm the environment. However, it was previously clarified that the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which will be available in the US this year, is not an electric camper van. Instead, it is only an electric van built for the roads. While users may take this to their trusted mechanics and modification shops for any changes, Volkswagen said it is working on the California edition that delivers the camper vehicle. Volkswagen's ID.Buzz is already available for purchase in Europe and soon in the US. The eVentje is currently the perfect modded e-camper for those looking for one. Ikea is reportedly investing roughly $4.5 million to install additional electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in 10 of its retail locations in Australia. According to an Ikea Australia representative, the charging stations would be set up in the Adelaide, Canberra, and Perth areas and at its retail stores in Richmond and Springvale in Victoria. The charging station initiative will include three Ikea stores in Tempe, Rhodes, and Marsden Park in New South Wales, in addition to the two Swedish furniture giants' Queensland stores in North Lakes and Logan. Ikea Australia announced it is now in the process of constructing a charging station at its Central Distribution Center in Sydney, which will have the capacity to charge up to 28 EVs. However, none of the sites are accessible to the general public and will only be utilized by the brand's delivery drivers. According to Ikea, the proposed units combine AC chargers with 20kW and 22kW output for "overnight charging" with faster 75kW and 150kW DC plugs. The furniture company noted that Jet Charge will handle the EV charging project, which is expected to be completed "by the end of 2024." Ikea's EV Investment Alongside NVES According to IKEA, as of May 2024, 40% of customer deliveries were made by cars with zero tailpipe emissions. Ikea Australia's EV charger investment comes as the nation's "New Vehicle Efficiency Standard" (NVES) is set to take effect in 2025. Apart from mandating automakers to produce fuel-efficient cars, Australia's NVES seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level equivalent to the CO2 emissions of a small country. Additionally, it ensures that more fuel-efficient vehicles, be they diesel, petrol, hybrid, or electric, will be available for locals to use for business and pleasure. Read Also : Ikea Brings Advanced Home Energy Management Feature for Households Volkswagen Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in Australia Electric vehicles in Australia continue to increase due to the nation's NVES. Thus, Volkswagen Australia was reportedly looking to produce more plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models in the country due to NVES. This is despite the German carmaker's previous indication that it would rather prepare for the current spike in EV sales than continue to offer plug-in hybrid power on more than just the new Touareg R in Australia, which is its first PHEV locally. However, Ralph Beckmann, the marketing manager for Volkswagen passenger vehicles, said the NVES has compelled the company to reevaluate its stance on PHEVs and has made it easier to secure the manufacturing of these vehicles from the European plant. VW Australia has previously said it needed to be in a stronger position to properly ask its German parent company for newer, more efficient powertrain options. According to reports, VW Australia will have more influence in negotiations to expand the range of PHEV options available in the local market because of the upcoming NVES, which will impose average CO2 emissions targets on all brands beginning next year. Y Combinator's CEO and President, Garry Tan, recently stated that artificial intelligence will likely need regulation but that AI bills in San Francisco and California are "concerning." Y Combinator is one of the top firms that provide seed funding for startups. Tan stated that he generally supported the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) effort to create a framework for mitigating GenAI risk and believed that a good deal of the Biden Administration's EO was probably in the correct direction. NIST's framework suggests defining GenAI as a company that should abide by current laws covering data privacy and copyright, disclosing to end users how GenAI is used, and enacting rules prohibiting GenAI from producing materials that promote child sexual abuse. Biden's executive order includes a long list of directives, such as making AI businesses provide the government with safety data and guaranteeing equitable access for small developers. Like many other Valley VCs, Tan was cautious about other regulatory initiatives. He referred to the AI-related measures that are making their way through the legislatures in San Francisco and California as extremely alarming. He claims that the main topic of discussion in terms of policy at the moment is what constitutes a decent version of this and that "we" can look to smart individuals like Ian Hogarth in the UK for guidance. Tan states s they are also conscious of the concept of power concentration. Simultaneously, they are attempting to determine ways in which we may both mitigate the worst-case damages and foster innovation. AI Safety Pledges Tan's sentiments regarding AI regulations come as 16 of the biggest companies recently made safety pledges concerning AI development during the recently concluded second global AI summit. Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI were among the companies that promised voluntary safety at the AI Seoul Summit. As part of these promises, they promised to turn off their cutting-edge technology if they could not control the most dangerous situations. Amazon, Samsung, IBM, xAI, Mistral AI in France, Zhipu.ai in China, G42 in the United Arab Emirates, and other AI companies all signed the safety assurances. They pledged transparent public relations and responsible governance to ensure the security of their most advanced AI models. AI Regulation in the Second AI Summit At the virtual summit, the leaders of the Group of Seven major economies, Korea, the EU, Singapore, and Australia, and Australia, as well as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, offered their support. The South Korean presidential office reports that governments have likewise decided to prioritize AI safety, innovation, and inclusivity. The British government, which co-hosted the event, said in a statement that leaders from ten countries will collaborate on AI research and develop a common understanding of AI safety. The two-day meeting follows the November AI Safety Summit, which took place in Bletchley Park, United Kingdom. Governments and international organizations are racing to protect technology because of worries about the potential harm it poses to people and daily life. A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and the University of Cape Town in South Africa revealed that brightly colored plastics, such as red, blue, and green, degrade into harmful microplastics more rapidly than black, white, and silver counterparts. Brightly Colored Plastics Lead to More Microplastics The study found that plastics with bright colors degrade more quickly into microplastics compared to plain-colored plastics. Microplastics, or tiny plastic particles, present serious environmental and health risks since they can emit toxic additives and be consumed by wildlife and humans via the food chain and water sources. The research involved two complementary studies conducted over three years. In the UK, researchers placed bottle lids of various colors on the roof of a university building in Leicester to expose them to the sun and elements. In South Africa, the team collected differently colored plastic items from a remote beach, analyzing items based on their manufacturing date stamps. The research was led by Dr. Sarah Key during her PhD at the University of Leicester's School of Chemistry. Co-author Professor Sarah Gabbott from the University of Leicester's School of Geography, Geology, and the Environment also played a key role in the study. How Plastic Color Matters This study, published in the journal Environmental Pollution, is the first to provide field evidence that the colorant in plastic products significantly affects the rate of degradation and microplastic formation. These findings have important implications for manufacturers and retailers in designing more sustainable plastic products. The researchers used advanced techniques to measure the chemical degradation and structural integrity of the plastics. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to assess how much the samples had reacted with oxygen in the air, while a breaking strength test measured how brittle and prone to fragmentation the plastics had become. The results showed a stark contrast between the degradation rates of brightly colored-and plain-colored plastics. Dr. Key noted in a statement, "It's amazing that samples left to weather on a rooftop in Leicester in the UK and those collected on a windswept beach at the southern tip of the African continent show similar results." Brightly colored plastics like red and green became very brittle and fragmented quickly, while black, white, and silver plastics remained largely intact. The study also found that black, white, and silver colorants protect the plastic from damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which otherwise makes plastics brittle and prone to breaking down. Professor Gabbott explained that the study revealed a higher likelihood of brightly colored microplastics in the environment, as red, green, and blue plastics are more prone to fragmenting into millions of tiny, colorful particles. Read Also : Scientists Develop New Technology That Could Be a Solution to Removing Harmful Nanoplastics From Water Avoid Brightly Colored Plastics: Experts These findings suggest that retailers and manufacturers should reconsider the use of bright pigments in plastic products, especially those designed for outdoor use. Dr. Key emphasized that manufacturers should take into account the recyclability of the material and the likelihood of it being littered when designing plastic items and packaging. She advised avoiding bright colors for items extensively exposed to sunlight, such as outdoor furniture, to enhance durability and reduce microplastic pollution. Stay posted here at Tech Times. In recent weeks, Chinese state media has raised alarms about the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to exacerbate job discrimination, the South China Morning Post reports. This draws attention to significant social and legal implications as the nation increasingly adopts AI in several important sectors. Chinese State Media Warns Against Possible Job Discrimination Caused by AI The Economic Daily, an official Chinese publication, said that AI could lead to heightened gender and age discrimination in job recruitment processes. SCMP reported that the paper emphasized the risks of "algorithmic bias and discrimination" when AI is used to evaluate job candidates. The use of AI for preliminary screening, while potentially efficient, often fails to capture the complexity and diversity of human behavior, according to the publication. This limitation raises concerns that AI-driven assessments could reinforce existing biases against certain demographic groups. Personal information such as gender, age, and place of birth might unduly influence AI assessments, worsening workplace discrimination. The Economic Daily called on employers to be vigilant about these risks and urged government agencies to implement measures to prevent such biases and investigate any violations of labor laws arising from AI usage. The publication stressed the need for a robust regulatory framework to curb the misuse of AI technology in the employment sector. Read Also : Y Combinator CEO Believes in AI Regulation; Calls Out Certain AI Bills Chinese AI Regulations The Chinese government views AI as a critical component in its efforts to revitalize the economy and address long-term challenges, including a shrinking workforce. As part of this strategy, China has also sought to exert stringent regulatory control over AI technologies, citing cybersecurity and ethical concerns. This regulatory approach includes the introduction of AI guidelines by the Cyberspace Administration of China, effective from August 15, 2023, aimed at regulating the burgeoning AI sector. These guidelines require generative AI service providers to conduct security checks and register their algorithms with the government to prevent misinformation and protect user privacy. How AI Is Impacting the Global Job Market In the global context, AI-enabled technologies are extensively used to screen and evaluate applicants, assist recruiters, and rank candidates. A recent report revealed that 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies employ AI tools in their hiring processes, especially for lower-wage jobs, where historically marginalized workers are disproportionately represented. Consequently, these workers are at a higher risk of facing AI-driven employment discrimination, as noted by People Management. AI algorithms, shaped by the datasets they are built on, can perpetuate existing biases if the underlying data is biased. SCMP tells us that China's labor laws explicitly prohibit gender-based discrimination, yet issues persist. Public debate has increasingly focused on the "age 35 phenomenon," referring to job discrimination that typically begins around that age. Researchers have warned that such age discrimination could have severe economic repercussions as the country's population ages and the workforce diminishes. Chinese lawmakers and political advisers have echoed these concerns, calling for effective regulation to address potential issues arising from AI use. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Australia has vowed to do what it can to help Papua New Guinea following a landslide that is feared to have killed more than 600 people. Yahoo's live blog has concluded for Monday, May 27. We started the day with a major electric vehicle commitment from the NSW government. Sixteen councils will see close to 700 charging ports installed as the EV revolution rolls on. Read more in the blog below. Australia has reiterated its commitment to help Papua New Guinea after more than 600 people are feared dead following a landslide last Friday. "This is an absolute tragedy," Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told ABC RN. There is also plenty of talk about UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to bring back National Service. More details below. Eight people have been hospitalised on a Qatar Airlines flight hit by turbulence just a week after one person died in a similar incident on a Singapore Airlines service. LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 11 updates Harry and Meghan move a 'huge worry' for Will and Kate William and Kate are uneasy that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are growing closer to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, a royal expert has claimed. For William and Kate an alliance between Harry and Meghan and Beatrice and Eugenie is a huge worry," Royal author Tom Quinn told The Mirror. They sense that Beatrice and Eugenie feel that, as virtual outcasts themselves, they have far more in common with Harry and Megan than with any other part of the family. The situation is made worse by the fact that the senior royals main asset Kate herself - is effectively out of action while she continues her treatment for cancer. Read more here. Meghan and Harry's relationship with other Royals is reportedly a concern for Will and Kate. Source: Getty Larry Emdur pokes fun at long TV career Nearing his 60th birthday, veteran TV host Larry Emdur has reflected on how he's managed to stay in the business for so long and it's not the reason you may expect. Im TVs most axed guy really, I say yes to everything. I feel like I have gone from one disaster to the next, had more worst shows than anyone but Im still here.... Ive always been grateful for any opportunity, the Seven star told The Sunday Telegraph. Larry pictured with his wife Sylvie. Source: Getty Jacqui Lambie wants compulsory work for unemployed Aussies Following UK PM Rishi Sunak's bold plans to reintroduce National Service, Senator Jacqui Lambie says young Australians not working should be put to use as part of a national guard. I want to speak really out there to those kids who are 21 and below: you can see whats going on with climate change, you can see especially when we need to go in there and we need to do the clean up, we havent got the feet on the ground, she told Sky News. I would like to see some sort of compulsory (service), but I have to work around the kids of today and say What can convince you to come in and get the training that you need, and what do we need to repay you back? Read more here. Jacqui Lambie wants young Aussies doing more when out of work. Source: Getty Man who murdered mum and daughter reportedly owned 13 guns A man who shot and killed a mother and daughter inside their WA home on Friday before turning the gun on himself was a registered gun owner with a reported stash of 13 firearms. Mark Bombara was searching for his ex-wife at the Floreat home, who was residing at the address after leaving her husband. Failing to find her, he instead shot Jennifer and 18-year-old Gretl Petelczyc. According to WA Today, Bombara owned 13 firearms, however police have not confirmed the report. The Nightly reports all of the weapons were seized from Bombara's Mosman Park home. WA Premier Roger Cook called the attack "chilling and horrific" and has vowed to consider tightening gun laws. Read more here. Jennifer Petelczyc, 59, and her daughter Gretl (left), Mark Bombara (right). Source: NCA NewsWire Couple Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary reunite in Australia Australia's favourite sporting couple Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary are back together on home soil. Pictures obtained by The Daily Telegraph show the pair embracing at Sydney Airport on Monday morning. With Fowler contracted to Manchester City, the couple have to deal with a long-distance relationship and their situation has even sparked rumours Cleary could leave the Panthers and join a Super League club. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Daily Telegraph Sydney (@dailytelegraph) Very Aussie response after $4.8m lottery win You beauty! Good on ya, mate!" That's the reaction of a South Australian man who just landed $4.8 million over the next 20 years playing Set for Life. I have plenty of children and grandchildren so this will go to great use... Were also in need of a new car so maybe well do that too," the Moonta man said. Macca's launches new dessert item after overseas success McPops have launched in Australia. There's a new addition to McDonald's menus across the country following the success of its bite-sized donuts in a host of other countries. McPops, first launched in Spain in 2018, come in three flavours - chocolate, berry and Biscoff. They're priced at $1.50 for 1 and $2.50 for 2. Pairing perfectly with our McCafe barista-made coffee, theyre a delectable bite-sized treat that will make your morning or afternoon pick-me-up that little bit sweeter," Lancy Huynh, Marketing Manager for McDonalds Australia said. What do you think? Have your say below. Lisa Wilkinson's big legal bill for Bruce Lehrmann case revealed High-profile television personality Lisa Wilkinson is seeking $1.8 million from employer Network 10 over legal costs incurred during Bruce Lehrmanns failed defamation lawsuit, a court has heard. Justice Michael Lee earlier this year dismissed Lehrmanns high-profile lawsuit against Ms Wilkinson and Network 10 over Brittany Higgins comments that she was raped in Parliament House. In his judgment, Justice Lee found that on the balance of probabilities Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins inside Senator Linda Reynolds office, and dismissed Lehrmanns defamation claim. Ms Wilkinson has since returned to court amid the multimillion-dollar fallout from the lengthy legal battle after she hired outside legal help to represent her separately from the network, in the form of top defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC. Read more here. - NCA NewsWire Lisa Wilkinson, left, returned to court following Bruce Lehrmanns, right, failed defamation case. Eight hospitalised after Qatar Airlines flight hit by turbulence Eight passengers have been hospitalised after a Qatar Airways flight was hit by turbulence. Twelve people were injured altogether on the flight to Dublin and comes just a week after one man died on a Singapore Airlines flight that endured severe turbulence. Passengers have revealed the fear onboard, with one saying food went flying all over the ceiling. Read more here. UK PM vows to bring back National Service UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has raised eyebrows with an early election promise vowing to bring back National Service for British teens. He said this would entail either a year on a military placement for 18-year-olds or instead spend one weekend of each month volunteering. The Royal Family would not be exempt from the scheme. Read more here. The scheme has certainly been a conversation starter in the UK. Source: AP Major electric vehicle change coming to state's roads Whether you like it or not, electric vehicles are here to stay and NSW has made a major commitment to ensure a smooth rollout across the state. Climate Change and Energy Minister Penny Sharpe on Sunday unveiled the first recipients of the governments EV kerbside charging grants, announcing 671 charge ports would be installed at 391 sites across 16 local government areas. Councils to benefit from the increased number of chargers are: Blacktown Burwood City of Sydney Georges River Inner West Ku-ring-gai Lane Cove Liverpool Mosman Newcastle North Sydney Northern Beaches Randwick Waverley Willoughby Woollahra Read more here. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Arthur Grand, an American information technology services firm specializing in government contracts, has come under scrutiny after posting a discriminatory job advertisement. The job listing, which specified that only "white" U.S.-born citizens within 60 miles of Dallas, Texas, should apply, has resulted in a federal investigation and subsequent penalties for the company. Tech Company Blames Recruiter Over Discriminatory Job Posting The problematic job posting appeared in March 2023 and was quickly flagged for its explicit exclusion of candidates based on race, citizenship status, and national origin. According to the Justice Department, the job ad restricted eligible candidates to "only US Born Citizens [white] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don't share with candidates]." In response to the backlash, Arthur Grand Technologies claimed that the discriminatory job ad was the work of a "disgruntled" recruiter based in India who allegedly created the post to embarrass the company, NBC News reports. The firm denied authorizing the posting or intending to dissuade non-U.S. citizens from applying. In the DOJ press release, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division strongly criticized the job posting, expressing dismay at the persistence of 'whites only' and 'only US born' advertisements in the 21st century. Clarke also voiced solidarity with public outrage over Arthur Grand's discriminatory hiring practices based on citizenship, national origin, color, and race. "The Justice Department, working with other government agencies, will continue to hold employers accountable when they violate our nation's federal civil rights laws," Clarke added. Following an investigation by the Justice Department's Immigrant and Employee Rights Division, Arthur Grand agreed to a settlement that includes a civil penalty of $7,500 and a commitment to reform its hiring practices. The company also signed a separate agreement with the Department of Labor to address the violation of Executive Order 11246, which prohibits discrimination in employment for federal contractors. The Justice Department's investigation revealed that the discriminatory job ad not only violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) but also harmed individuals with the legal right to work in the United States by excluding them based on citizenship status and national origin. Employment Discrimination in the US This case stresses the ongoing challenges of addressing and preventing workplace discrimination. According to recent statistics, 61% of employees in the United States have experienced or witnessed workplace discrimination. Age discrimination, in particular, is prevalent, with 45% of American workers reporting such experiences, while 42% have faced sex or race discrimination in the workplace. Stay posted here at Tech Times. At first Steve thought an echidna was moving towards him through the long grass. It turned out to be something even more delightful! As Canberra's fog receded, a rare and unusual creature was spotted in the grass on Sunday morning. Source: Steve Allen The most beautiful creature is how an Aussie photographer described the animal which darted towards him as the fog receded on Sunday morning. Steve Allen was walking through a sprawling wilderness north of Canberra when he spotted the dainty little eastern quoll. It was unusual to see one during the day, but the nights full moon had excited the areas furry residents. I could see something moving through the grass and I was sure it was going to be an echidna, Steve told Yahoo News. The magical little creature was smaller than a domestic cat. Source: Steve Allen Then the sun shone through the animals ears, illuminating its thick marbled veins and Steve realised he was looking at something different. It was just hunting around an open grassland area. I think it was only a juvenile. It was in close proximity to another one and it seemed to have no fear of humans, he said. As Steve stared at the carnivorous creature, he became fascinated by how different it looked to other marsupials. It looked quite exotic with its spots and colouring. Koalas, wallabies and kangaroos are generally a fairly drab grey colour, the 61-year-old said. Related: 'Beautiful' detail in Aussie's garden photo captured 'purely by chance' Discover more of our environment coverage. More amazing wildlife photography stories Aren't quolls extinct on mainland Australia? Despite visiting Mulligans Flat twice a week for two years with his camera, its the first time Steve has spotted one of the rare creatures. And theres a major reason thats not surprising they were driven to extinction on mainland Australia. Foxes and cats are primarily what killed them off. But small colonies have since been introduced, and the animal he photographed only survives because its protected by over 22kms of fences that keep introduced predators out. Related: Surprise find after 'massive rat' thought to be attacking chickens Eastern quolls are ordinarily active at night, so Allen was excited to see one during the day. Source: Steve Allen Australia has the worst mammalian extinction record in the world, and the nation is expected to use dozens more in the coming decades, primarily because of habitat loss and invasive species. In Western Australia, the northern quoll is threatened with extinction in the wild because of cane toads. Amid the doom and gloom, Steves encounter with the eastern quoll has given him and others a glimmer of hope. Pictures he shared online have gone viral. Just amazing. What a magnificent little creature, one person responded. Priceless, another person simply said. Terrific shot! Great pose, someone else commented. Probably the only good thing that's happened in the ACT, another joked. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. On May 27, Visit Maldives and Weixin Pay signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during ITB China 2024, pledging to support more Maldivian merchants to accept Weixin Pay. This move will support Chinese tourists by making their payment experience more convenient. Zihuny Rasheed, Deputy Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives), and Etienne Ng, Weixin Pays Regional Director for Southeast Asia, signed the MOU. Ibrahim Faisal, Minister of Tourism of the Maldives, Mohamed Khaleel, Advisor to the President on Tourism Development and Ben Yang, Weixin Pays Managing Director for Southeast Asia and North America jointly witnessed the signing ceremony. MMPRC/Visit Maldives and Weixin Pay signed a three-year MoU. China is a key source of tourists for the Maldives, and we greatly value the experience of Chinese visitors, said Rasheed. We plan on promoting the acceptance of Weixin Pay throughout the country, offering Chinese tourists the payment option they are familiar with and prefer. I have used Weixin Pay during my visit to China via linking an international card, and I can attest to the convenience of the mobile payment option. Ibrahim Faisal, Minister of Tourism of the Maldives, expressed his support. Excited that we're introducing Weixin Pay for Chinese visitors, which is another step in establishing Maldives as their top destination. Now it's easier than ever for Chinese travelers to enjoy their stay, hassle free. We look forward to further enhancing their experience, he said in a social post. According to Ng, Weixin Pay is currently in a pilot phase at the countrys airport, as well as in popular locations and specialty stores including the airport duty-free store, Sala Thai restaurant, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, Velaa Private, and Chevel Blanc Randheli in Maldives, with strong support from the Bank of Maldives and local merchants. Making smooth progress, the initiative is expected to have 8,000 merchants nationwide that integrate the payment option later this year. Weixin Pay is currently being piloted at an airport duty-free store. Weixin Pay is committed to providing users with safe and convenient payment services. Since the visa exemption policy was implemented, more and more Weixin Pay users have chosen to travel to the island country. Through our cooperation with Visit Maldives, we aim to provide Chinese users with the same convenient experience in travel as they experience at home, he said. In February 2023, the Agreement on Mutual Exemption of Visa Requirements signed between the Maldives and China took effect as China expands its visa-free policy to benefit more countries. Consequently, the Maldives has consistently ranked among the top overseas destinations for Chinese tourists during popular travel periods such as the May Day and National Day holidays. According to data from Visit Maldives, the country welcomed over 1.8 million tourists in 2023, a new national record. The Chinese market has been a key source market for the Maldives. As of May 11, 2024, it is the number one source market, with 91,073 tourist arrivals. Bratislava, May 27 (TASR) - The man charged with the attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) life will stay in police custody, according to a statement provided to TASR by spokesperson of the Specialised Criminal Court Katarina Kudjakova on Monday. The decision is final and cannot be appealed. A prosecutor of the General-Prosecutor's Office proposed to hold 71-year-old Juraj C. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] in custody as a potential flight risk as well as out of concern that he might continue his criminal activities. The court found in favour of this motion. The man faces charges of aggravated attempt at premeditated murder. He hit Premier Fico with several gunshots, leaving Fico heavily injured. The Prime Minister is currently stabilised in a Banska Bystrica hospital in a serious but stable condition. Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes near Tonga: USGS Wellington, May 26 (AFP) May 26, 2024 A magnitude 6.6 earthquake rattled the Pacific nation of Tonga on Monday, the United States Geological Survey said, but there was no threat of a tsunami. The quake struck at 9:47 am local time from a depth of about 112 kilometres (69 miles), according to the USGS, and was centred in a patch of ocean about 198 kilometres (123 miles) north of Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa. There were no immediate reports of damage in Tonga. It struck near the sparsely populated islands of Kao and Tofua, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said "there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake". Local resident Mary Lyn Fonua who was already at work in Nuku'alofa, told AFP the two-storey building she was in swayed strongly for a few seconds. "Then we evacuated to higher ground, locals are feeling nervous," she added. Earthquakes are common in Tonga, a low-lying archipelago home to around 100,000 people that straddles the seismic Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. At least 15 dead in US tornadoes, storms Houston, May 26 (AFP) May 26, 2024 At least 15 people were killed across the central United States as tornadoes and other extreme storms hit several states including Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, officials said Sunday. Rescue efforts were ongoing and hundreds of thousands of customers were without power after the storms struck the Southern Plains region beginning late Saturday. In Texas, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington told a press conference that seven people were dead after a tornado ripped through the Valley View area, north of Dallas, according to local ABC affiliate WFAA. Search and rescue operations were ongoing. Texas Governor Gregg Abbott signed a decree for four counties that frees up money and staff to help people whose homes were damaged or destroyed. The twister destroyed homes and a gas station, and overturned vehicles on an interstate highway. Sappington called the damage "pretty extensive," in an interview with The Weather Channel. In Oklahoma, at least two people were dead after a tornado hit Mayes County late Saturday, the county head of emergency management Johnny Janzen told the Fox News affiliate in Tulsa. And in Arkansas, five people were killed in storms in the early hours of Sunday, authorities confirmed to local ABC station KATV. Power lines and trees were downed, and some areas experienced flash flooding. Another death was reported in Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg said. As far north as Indiana, the start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed for four hours Sunday due to storms in the area, with fans asked to exit the bleachers and seek shelter. A crowd of 125,000 was expected for the race, one of the most emblematic car races in America. As the storm system moved across the country, nearly 490,000 customers were without power in states stretching from Texas up to Kansas and east to Ohio and Kentucky, according to the website Poweroutage.us. Tornado alerts were still active in several places. The bold plan is to buy the baby elephant and reunite him with his mother, who is believed to be at a camp some four hours away. The mission is simple. Theres a baby elephant chained up inside a 3x3 metre cage in Thailand and he needs to be free. His days inside the popular tourist park have been monotonous since he arrived in Bangkok three years ago. Hes been forced to learn simple tricks so it appears hes showing gratitude when cashed-up tourists pay to feed him. Video seen by Yahoo News shows the animal chewing on his bars and walking around in circles. Vicki Kiely from charity Unchained Elephants described his situation as a pretty grim existence. His life isnt great. Hes just standing on concrete, chained to the floor pretty much 24/7. Hes just so bored, theres no enrichment in there, she said. But although life is pretty awful for the young bull elephant now, she is worried things will soon get worse. Hell probably soon be forced to undergo brutal training to placate him into giving forced rides to paying customers. Now the owner of the elephant wants to sell it and use the money to look after his family. We know that he's not using the money to buy another elephant and thats important because we dont want to be perpetuating the trade here," Vicki said. Related: Tourists warned after video exposes cruel elephant training methods The baby elephant is living a 'pretty grim existence' according to observers who have watched him inside his 3x3 metre pen. Source: Unchained Elephants Mission to reunite baby elephant with his mother Yahoo last spoke to the crew at Unchained Elephants in December before its supporters donated thousands to free an aging, emaciated, female who was being forced to work the often seedy streets of coastal Pattaya, around two hours south of Bangkok. Now Vicky and her charity partner Daniel Villota are working to repeat that magic and theyve pulled together US $42,744 ($64,425) to buy the animal's freedom. Now theyre working to secure enough cash to pay for his transport and make a documentary that advocates for ethical tourism over animal torture. If you would like to donate to "unchain a baby elephant", you can do so here. The plan will then be to track down his mother who is believed to be living four hours south in the coastal city of Hua Hin. They were separated around three years ago, around a decade earlier than they would have parted in the wild. All going well, the pair will be reunited at a sanctuary called Following Giants, which is run by a family who have transitioned from keeping trekking animals to ethical experiences. "We want to see this same change with all of the different camps to get a better experience for Thailand's elephants," Daniel said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Three dead after cyclone batters Bangladesh and India Patuakhali , May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Residents of low-lying areas of Bangladesh and India surveyed the damage on Monday as an intense cyclone that lashed the coast weakened into a heavy storm after killing at least three people, damaging homes and uprooting trees. Fierce gales and crashing waves battered the coast as Cyclone Remal made landfall on Sunday night, but by midday on Monday, the winds had eased. "At least three people have died in the cyclone," Zahid Hossain Khan, a spokesman of the disaster management ministry, told AFP Communications have been limited by the storm, with power lines ripped down. Cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh in recent decades, but the number of superstorms hitting its densely populated coast has increased sharply, from one a year to as many as three, due to the impact of climate change. At its peak, Remal's wind speeds hit 111 kilometres (69 miles) per hour, said Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, senior weather forecaster at the state-run Bangladesh Meteorological Department. "The cyclone has unleashed heavy rains in many parts of Bangladesh," Mallik told AFP, adding that it was weakening and turning into a storm. An AFP reporter in the affected area said there had been heavy rain with extreme wind since Sunday evening, battering tall buildings, uprooting trees and tearing the tin roofs off homes. While scientists say climate change is fuelling more storms, better forecasting and more effective evacuation planning have dramatically reduced the death toll. Around a million people in Bangladesh and neighbouring India took shelter, fleeing inland for concrete storm shelters away from the dangerous waves. Most of Bangladesh's coastal areas are just a metre or two (three to six feet) above sea level, and high storm surges can devastate villages. Sumita Mondal, 36, who hunkered down overnight inland away from India's coast, said she had fled with only what she could carry. "My three-year-old son is crying for food," she told AFP by telephone. - 'Villages are flooded' - Kamrul Hasan, secretary of the disaster management ministry, said there were no immediate reports of major damage, but said "embankments in several places have been breached or submerged, inundating some coastal areas". In India's West Bengal, the "cyclone has blown off the roofs of hundreds of houses" and "uprooted thousands of mangrove trees and electricity poles", senior state government minister Bankim Chandra Hazra told AFP. Electricity was off across large parts of the affected areas. "Storm surges and rising sea levels have breached a number of embankments," Hazra added. "Some island villages are flooded." At least 800,000 Bangladeshis fled their coastal villages, while more than 150,000 people in India also moved inland from the vast Sundarbans mangrove forest, where the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers meet the sea, government ministers and disaster officials said. Mallik, the Bangladeshi weather expert, said the expansive mangrove forests helped dissipate the worst of the storm. "Like in the past, the Sundarbans acted as a natural shield to the cyclone," he said. But Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, Bangladesh's senior forest official for the Sundarbans, said the storm surge had swamped crucial freshwater areas with salt water. "We are worried," said Hossain. "These ponds were the source of fresh water for the entire wildlife in the mangroves -- including the endangered Bengal tigers." Xi says 'saddened' by PNG landslide, offers assistance Port Moresby, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 China's President Xi Jinping said Monday he was "saddened" to learn of a landslide disaster in Papua New Guinea and offered help to the Pacific island nation. Papua New Guinea's authorities say more than 2,000 people have been buried in a landslide of mud and rocks that destroyed a remote highland community on Friday. "I am deeply saddened to learn (of) the recent serious landslide disaster in Papua New Guinea, which has caused heavy casualties and property loss," the Chinese leader said in a letter to local authorities. Xi passed on deep condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families and injured on behalf of China's government and people. "The Chinese side stands ready to provide assistance," he added. The once-bustling hillside village in Enga province was almost wiped out when a chunk of Mount Mungalo collapsed in the early hours of Friday morning, smothering scores of homes and the people sleeping inside them. "China will provide assistance within its capacity to Papua New Guinea's disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction based on Papua New Guinea's needs," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing. The UN has invited member nations to an emergency aid meeting via Zoom at 10:00 am Tuesday local time (midnight Monday GMT), the French embassy in Port Moresby said. Europe's water contamined by PFAS chemical: NGOs Paris, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Europe's rivers, lakes and groundwater are riddled with "alarming" levels of a persistent man-made 'forever chemical' linked to synthetic pesticides, a coalition of non-governmental organisations said on Monday. The European Pesticide Action Network (PAN Europe) and its members analysed more than two dozen surface and groundwater samples from 10 European Union countries and found PFAS long-life substances in all. They said the abundance of one chemical in particular, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), represented "the largest known area-wide contamination by a man-made chemical" that well exceeded limits proposed by the 27-nation EU. "The extent of the contamination is alarming and calls for decisive action," PAN Europe said in a new report detailing its findings. Widely used in everyday items like cosmetics, non-stick pans and fire extinguishers, PFAS are highly durable products that can take centuries to break down. They have been detected in water, air, fish and soil in the remotest corners of the globe, and concern over their possible impact on human health has been growing. Degrading PFAS used in pesticides are a major source of TFA. They are also released into the atmosphere from certain cooling systems and eventually enter the water cycle through rain. TFA is the "perfect" groundwater contaminant because it is highly soluble in water, extremely mobile and evades soil and other natural filters that remove pollutants, the report said. "They can enter the groundwater almost unhindered and remain there for centuries," it said. The samples, tested by the Water Technology Centre in Karlsruhe, Germany, found TFA in all water samples, with concentrations ranging from 370 nanograms per litre to 3,300 ng/L. Some 79 percent of samples had TFA levels above the proposed EU Drinking Water Directive limit of 500 ng/l for total PFAS, the report said. A decision to class TFA as 'non-relevant' under EU pesticide regulations was "regrettable" considering its "toxicological profile still leaves many questions unanswered", it added. It said a recent study on rabbits and TFA exposure found birth defects in offspring, raising serious concerns about this chemical. PAN Europe called for urgent interventions to address this "political failure", starting with a "rapid ban" on PFAS pesticides and a rethink on the threat posed by individual chemicals like TFA. Exceptionally early heatwave hits Finland Helsinki, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Finland has been experiencing unusually warm weather this May, prompting the Meteorological Institute to issue a heat warning on Monday. Temperatures across large parts of the Nordic nation, the north of which lies above the Arctic Circle, are due to surge above 27C (81 F) starting on Tuesday, the institute said. "This is probably the first time ever we have issued a heatwave warning in May", Iiris Viljamaa from the Finnish Meteorological Institute told AFP, adding that such alerts were normally issued in June at the earliest. Scientists say that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming and that these heatwaves are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense. "The Finnish climate has always seen changes in weather but now climate change is enhancing these kinds of weather phenomena," meteorologist Leena Laakso told AFP. Research shows "extreme weather events will increase due to climate change," she said. According to Laakso, the current temperatures were around 10C above average temperatures for May. The Finnish warning is aimed at alerting people about increased health risks associated with daytime temperatures reaching 27C. Especially the elderly, people with long-term illnesses and disabilities, babies and young children are advised to take shelter from the heat, the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare said in a statement. "In Finland we are used to cool weather and people start to have some health issues in this kind of weather already", said Viljamaa. On Monday, temperatures between 24 and 28C were recorded, due to a high pressure system over the country, combined with a warm, dry air mass flowing from the south. Twelve days in May had already exceeded 25 degrees, Viljamaa said. The town of Salo in southwestern Finland on Saturday registered the country's highest temperature of the year so far, at 28.8C. "Now it seems the really, really hot weather will remain in Finland until the end of the month," Viljamaa said. After Sunday the weather is expected to start cooling down, bringing much needed rain for nature and fields grappling with drought, Viljamaa added. World's island states blame richest countries for climate threats United Nations, United States, May 27 (AFP) May 27, 2024 Extremely vulnerable to climate change, not rich enough to stop it on their own, and not poor enough to merit aid and development financing: the world's small island states on Monday blamed wealthy countries for their misfortune. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) "find themselves on the front line of a battle against a confluence of crises, none of which they have caused or created," said Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, which is hosting a SIDS conference this week. The most pressing crisis is a worsening climate catastrophe as the world nears global warming of 1.5C, the upper threshold set in the Paris climate accord. "The major contributors to climate change have failed to meet the obligations to mitigate its effects, causing significant harm to SIDS and our planet in general," Browne said. Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan warned that "the climate crisis will destroy all of us," but that "the world is taking its time while we suffer." Caught between rising debts and rising oceans, from the Caribbean to Africa to the Pacific, many SIDS share characteristics that make them especially vulnerable to external shocks: small landmasses home to scattered and isolated populations, with import dependent, non-diversified economies. And climate change -- with its brutal droughts, powerful hurricanes and rising seas -- is threatening to erase some of them from the map altogether. "We cannot accept the disappearance of any country or culture under the rising waves," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said as he opened the SIDS conference, adding the international community has a "duty" to offer support. "The idea that an entire island state could become collateral damage for profiteering by the fossil fuel industry, or competition between major economies, is simply obscene," Guterres said. - 'Blue economy' - "The costs will only rise and will be paid in more and more human lives if we fail to deal with the root cause, that is fossil fuels," said Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands. High on the agenda for the 39 states, whose populations number roughly 65 million people: increasing climate financing, even as many criticize the slow pace of fulfilling previous UN aid pledges. According to the UN Development Program, some $4.7-7.3 billion in financing is needed per year just for climate adaptation measures in SIDS countries. But most small island states are classified as middle-income countries or higher -- meaning that they're unable to access international aid and preferential financing available to the world's poorest countries. "They are being trapped in a no man's land where financing from the international community that is often a kind of safety net is simply not available to them," said Achim Steiner, head of the UNDP. Beyond seeking outside aid, however, many are also turning toward reforming their own economies. Priorities include developing renewable energy sectors and engaging in the so-called "blue economy" of sustainable fishing and ocean conservation -- a serious opportunity for SIDS countries, which account for 19 percent of the world's Exclusive Economic Zones. Tourism, too, can be made more sustainable -- though the specter of climate change hangs over these countries' marine biodiversity and coral reefs, which draw scuba divers from across the world. Melbourne electrician Shannon Powell believes tradies' cars are being targeted by the same person after $15k worth of tools were stolen in front of his home. Shannon Powell, a Melbourne electrician, discovered $15k worth of tools had been stolen from his work van parked outside his home as he slept. Source: Supplied A brazen heist outside a tradesman's home has left him $15,000 in debt after an alleged thief ransacked his work van parked on the street and stole his expensive tools while he slept. Shannon Powell contacted Yahoo News Australia after seeing our chat with fellow tradie Chris Wall who claimed he had $14,000 worth of tools stolen from his vehicle outside his home and it was a telling detail in Wall's story that prompted an alarming theory from Powell. The 24-year-old believes it's possibly the same bandit targeting hardworking tradies around Melbourne based on CCTV from both incidents, as the sinister trend appears to sweep across the country. Security footage from each incident shows what appears to be the same white ute stopping outside each of their homes. And how the job was done makes Powell believe the thief "has done this before". CCTV footage captured the brazen act outside the Melbourne home, with the alleged thief appearing to take items from the van. Source: Supplied It was about 3am on Saturday May 11 when Powell, a qualified electrician, says his work van was targeted outside his Pascoe Vale South home, roughly 20kms away from Wall's home in Balwyn. He was "dead asleep" and so too were his parents who "didn't hear a thing". He didn't realise until he went to leave for work on Monday morning when the indicator light on his van alerted him a door was open, so he stopped to investigate. That's when he discovered his entire tool collection, which he'd been building up since his time as an apprentice, was gone. He recruited his neighbours to help by providing home security footage, and what he eventually saw completely shocked him. "He one by one picked up the tools and loaded them into his car very quietly," Shannon told Yahoo News, describing what he saw in the footage. "He did it in such a manner where it's likely he's done this plenty of times before because if you look at the video, he's very calm about it. "He takes his time. It's not like he's rushing to get in and out of there," Powell continued. "It definitely looks like he's done this multiple times, as well as the fact he knew this van didn't have a car alarm." CCTV captures thief in action outside tradie's home The 24-year-old was in disbelief as he watched the entire theft unfold before his eyes as he pieced together CCTV footage from various neighbours videos he then supplied to Yahoo. One shows a white van with a silver tray, similar to the one seen outside Wall's house, pull up alongside Powell's blue van where it stayed for several minutes. Eventually, a black-hooded figure is seen in the frame. The figure, believed to be a man, then disappears out of view before once again appearing at the back of the vehicle. This time he's able to lift the door revealing what's inside. For several minutes, the thief appears to transfer items from the van to his own vehicle. After about 20 minutes he drives off. Powell suggests the same person responsible for the theft outside is home (pictured left) is also responsible for another incident four days later (pictured right) as it appears to be the same white ute with silver tray. Source: Supplied Thief 'offloads' stash, returns for more Based on what he saw, Powell claims the person responsible "knew how to jimmy the lock" and force open the side door of the vehicle "with no issues". They even filled their ute tray with supplies before driving off, only to return sometime later to take more after "offloading" the first stash. "After he took anything he could fit into the tray, he took off slowly down the road without starting the engine and just keeping it quiet," Powell claimed. "Once he got to the cross-intersection halfway up the street, that's when he started the car. Then he took off and then came back later and ransacked the rest of the car". It was at that point the man in question "got into the drawer at the back of the van with all the power tools". A toolbox, Powell says, can only be accessed using a separate key, and when the back van door is open which also has a separate lock. The power tools in a locked drawer (pictured left before theft) were taken along with other items. The culprit also undid the panelling inside the van (right) for easy access. Source: Supplied "When he got into the van, he realised that he couldn't unlock the back door without the key. So from the inside, he undid all the panels, undid all the screws, disconnected all the cabling, broke a few hinges, and then was able to open the back door van from the outside. "He was very confident in coming back after 20 minutes. He knew exactly what he was doing". The 24-year-old says the incident made him feel like "someone's invaded your personal space". And while his boss has been "pretty understanding" of the situation, Powell fears he's unable to do his job properly without his selection of tools. "All you want to do is work, make your money, and be able to afford to pay bills and to look after yourself. It's a tough time financially," he said. "It takes a big toll on you. I thought, how am I going to be able to work as a tradesman? As a tradesman, you depend on your tools. It's the one thing you depend on. Without your tools, you're not a tradesman." Pictures show the items before (left) and after (right) the alleged break in with the thief swiping most of what was inside in the van. Source: Supplied. Powell noted the high cost of tools admitting it's unlikely he'll be able to replace them anytime soon. He admitted his last resort would be to "sell things off" to make some extra money. Like Wall, who spoke to Yahoo last week, Powell says he knows several tradies who've fallen victim to tool theft. It's a problem costing Victorian tradies up to $20 million a year, according to The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) who say they're a prime target "because [the tools] high value and easily portable". Powell told Yahoo he reported the incident to police and that an investigation is ongoing. However Victoria Police could not provide any information on the matter. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Recently, AutoX's RoboTaxi became one of the first companies authorized to conduct autonomous driving tests in the area between Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area and Beijing South Railway Station. Photo credit: AutoX This newly approved testing zone encompasses the high-speed railway station and its surrounding areas, marking a significant milestone as AutoXs RoboTaxis enter Beijing's Third Ring Road, unlocking new urban application scenarios. As the only company in China solely focused on RoboTaxi technology, AutoX has committed extensively to achieving breakthroughs in applying Level 4 unmanned passenger vehicles in major cities. This advancement in Beijing's core urban area follows similar achievements in central business districts (CBDs) in Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, demonstrating AutoX's progress in preparing for RoboTaxi commercialization in top-tier city centers. Photo credit: AutoX Beijing South Railway Station is a major transportation hub integrating railways, high-speed trains, subways, city trains, buses, and taxis, with a daily passenger flow of nearly 300,000. The newly designated autonomous driving routes cover two-way distances of 32 kilometers and 58.6 kilometers, respectively, reaching Beijing South Railway Station and including a 2.2 square kilometer testing support area. Additionally, dedicated autonomous driving parking spaces have been arranged in the station's multi-story parking facility. AutoX is already conducting autonomous driving tests in the area and plans to offer RoboTaxi services to passengers by the end of the year. The service, accessible through the AutoX App, aims to provide safe, premium, chauffeur-level transportation. Weve become quite dependent on this huge inflow and outflow of temporary migrants, which far exceeds people coming on permanent visas. Businesses often want their temporary skilled workers to stay on. The sale of education to overseas students has become one of our biggest exports, one on which our universities have become heavily dependent. Our hospitality industries rely on the casual employment of overseas students and backpackers. And farmers and country towns rely on backpackers for fruit picking and other unskilled work. Weve become quite dependent on this huge inflow and outflow of temporary migrants, which far exceeds people coming on permanent visas. On top of all that, federal governments have become reliant on high migration to make our GDP growth figures look better. They often boast about how well our growth compares with the other rich countries, without ever mentioning that most of this is explained by our faster population growth. And right now, of course, the economys growth is so weak wed be in recession if not for the recent immigration surge. All these are the reasons successive federal governments want to maintain strong immigration, despite the publics longstanding reservations. Former prime minister John Howard did a great line in diverting the punters attention to resentment of some uninvited arrivals by boat, while he ushered in visa-wielding immigrants arriving by the plane load. Its only when high immigration becomes an issue before elections, as now, that the pollies make noises about slowing the inflow. Its true that, since we reopened our borders following the lockdowns, our net overseas migration, people arriving minus people departing, but not counting those on brief visits, leapt to 528,000 in 2022-23, more than double what it was in 2018-19. And it may exceed another 400,000 in the financial year just ending. This surge does seem to have contributed to the present acute shortage of rental accommodation and the big jump in rents, but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is drawing a long bow in blaming the recent surge for the unaffordability of buying a home, which has been worsening for decades. The telltale sign that Dutton is fudging is his plan to make more homes available by cutting the governments permanent migration program from 185,000 a year to 140,000. The government does control the size of this program, and often moves it up or down a bit, but the size of the program makes little difference to what matters most for the economy: annual net overseas migration. Loading The trick is that about 65 per cent of the permanent visas go to people who are already here on temporary visas. Changing their visa status makes no difference to net overseas migration. At times like this, the pollies would like you to think they have the power to move immigration up or down according to the economys needs at the time. But they dont. For the most part, the level of net migration is, as economists would say, demand determined. And, as the demographers will tell you, net migration tends to go up and down with the state of our economy. When the economys booming, migrants are keen to come to Australia, and our employers are keen to have them, particularly if they have skills. Whats more, locals and former immigrants are more likely to want to stay here than go overseas. The sale of education to overseas students has become one of our biggest exports. Credit: Wolter Peeters Its a different story when our economys weak. Employers are less keen to bring in people and migrants are less keen to come. Now, our present circumstances dont fit that long-established cyclical pattern. But thats mainly because the economys been returning to normal after the end of the pandemic. This is particularly true of the people most disrupted by the pandemic, and whove done most to account for our recent downs and ups in net migration: overseas students. Most students went back home during the lockdowns, but now many of them, and many newbies, are coming back in. Weve had a lot more students than expected because, to encourage their return, the Morrison government removed the limit on how much paid work they could do. It took the Albanese government too long to wake up and end the concession. Loading If you find it hard to believe the government has little control over the number of immigrants it lets in, note this. To be given a temporary visa, you have to fit one of the many categories the government wants: skilled, student, backpacker and so on. But there are no limits on the number of applicants accepted in each category. Until now. Because its the students whove contributed most to the recent surge, the government is planning to impose caps on how many it will admit. The opposition is promising something similar. Remember this, however. The economy is weak and it is forecast to remain so for a year or two so its reasonable to expect that, even without the caps on overseas students, net migration will fall back soon enough. But an election is coming. Voters are unhappy about high migration and the high cost of housing, and both sides want to be seen doing something about it. How much the winner actually bothers to do after the election, may be a different matter. There is no way Robyn Nevin will go to see her upcoming movie Sting. The star of stage and screen who has also directed three of our state theatre companies is adamant. The horror film is about a monstrous overgrown spider and Nevin has a lifelong fear of even the regular garden variety. Im not good with them, she says. All my life, Ive walked into a room, turned on the light and looked straight over my shoulder at a spider behind me. We live in the Southern Highlands in the country now and Ive had to become a little more accepting that I share the space with huntsmen and snakes. Star of stage and screen Robyn Nevin is busier than ever. Credit: Eddie Jim The 81-year-old says seeing the giant puppet spider on set sent shivers down her spine. Sting is her second recent horror film, following Relic, which traces three generations of a family haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their familys home. Its not a genre she watches or was even interested in. I just ignored it. The only film Ive ever seen that would be categorised as horror was Rosemarys Baby. When they came and gave me the news in hospital, they said: To think you were humming and ha-ing about this. Dont ever underestimate your decision you saved your life. The Mangans were among tens of thousands of Australians who had no idea they carried these relatively common mutations, said Monash University public health researcher Professor Paul Lacaze. They were unaware because there was no widespread screening for the genomic mutations but there should be, he added. After Angelina Jolies mother died of breast and ovarian cancer, the actor discovered she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation. She opted for preventive surgery to reduce the risk of developing cancer. Credit: Shutterstock Lacaze ran a pilot program last year doing DNA screening for high-risk hereditary-disease gene variants and found one in 250 of the 10,000 members of the general population who were screened carried one of the BRCA genetic mutations. He has provided the federal government with modelling, published in medical journal the Lancet, which shows offering young adults genomic testing would be cost-effective for the healthcare system. There is so much interest among young people in getting tested that there are already 20,000 on the research waiting list. What those found to carry the mutations did about it could involve harsh medical choices like Mangans that required far more support, Lacaze said. He is backing action by the hereditary cancer support group Pink Hope to collect data on how those with cancer in the family tree experience the medical system and what more is needed for them. Sarah Powell had breast cancer at 29, and subsequently discovered she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, which pre-disposes her to ovarian cancer. She had her ovaries removed at 38. The groups chief executive, Sarah Powell, developed breast cancer at 29 and subsequently found she carries the BRCA1 mutation. She said there was such a lack of data about who carried the mutations in Australia that it was difficult to ensure they got the right information to help reduce their risk. People get a genetic test result and off they go. Its just the start of a roller coaster of decision-making that can create other issues such as body image and surgical menopause, she said. Australian government cancer data suggests the chance of getting breast cancer for those with the BRCA1 gene mutation dubbed the Angelina Jolie gene after the actor had a risk-reducing mastectomy due to testing positive to the mutation is 72 per cent, and it is 69 per cent for those with the BRCA2 mutation, compared with 11.9 per cent in the general population. Loading Ovarian cancer risk increases to 44 per cent for women with the BRCA1 variant and to 17 per cent for those with the BRCA2 variant, compared with 0.84 per cent in the general population. In men, carrying the mutation raises their risk of prostate cancer, but it is likely to come on later in life compared with female cancers. Demand for testing for hereditary cancers is increasing, says Associate Professor Laura Forrest, of the Parkville Familial Cancer Centre, as more people learn what their relatives died from and awareness of inheritable cancers grows. We are seeing increasing numbers of referrals from GPs, as people have gone to their GP and said, Im concerned about my family history of cancer, said Forrest, who urged people to be inquisitive. We really encourage people to know the family history, and to ask questions of the older generations, and if there is any cancer diagnosis, what type? Samantha Bowden carries a gene mutation that can make it far more likely a person will get breast, ovarian or prostate cancer. Credit: Justin McManus A history of ovarian cancer, in particular, may be slow to emerge because it has been stigmatised in the past. Previous generations werent necessarily comfortable talking about womens cancers. Women were passed off as dying of stomach cancer, and when we do some clinical digging, we find out grandma died of ovarian cancer, Forrest said. Samantha Bowdens family discovered they carried the BRCA1 gene mutation 11 years after her grandmother died of ovarian cancer at 52, having survived breast cancer. It took 11 years to find the gene in Nans blood, after medical advances, Bowden said. After a positive BRCA1 gene mutation was found in 2015, my aunty was diagnosed with breast cancer twice, my cousin tested positive and my uncle tested positive. Mother and daughter both underwent preventive double mastectomies; her mother had her ovaries removed, and Bowden, 34, is scheduled to have the same operation in two weeks. Even though she had to have her third child, nine-month-old Joey, by IVF, Bowden is adamant that being able to vastly reduce her cancer risk is empowering, and she hopes those with a family history of such cancers will participate in the national survey by Pink Hope, which aims to fill in knowledge gaps. Pink Hopes Sarah Powell will present a report based on the survey findings to the government in September. Many people who carried the gene mutations were waiting too long for preventive surgery in the public system, she said, or paying huge gap fees in the private system even if they had health insurance. Loading We have women getting breast cancer while waiting on lists to have a mastectomy, Powell said. The waiting list is so long a woman in one of our groups said she has been waiting three years that while theyre waiting, they get cancer. Alisha Mangan and Bowden are backing the groups fact-finding effort and hope it will result in increased resources for those whose lives are seriously affected. There has to be more support through all this, Mangan said. Premier Steven Miles has named former council CEO Emma Thomas the interim head of the newly established Games Venue and Legacy Delivery Authority. As foreshadowed last week, Thomas recently announced her departure from Sunshine Coast Council after three years and was considered a strong candidate for the powerful 2032 Games role. Loading Thomas said she was pleased to be tasked with helping Brisbane host a successful Games and ensuring the benefits flow to the wider community. Weve got a lot of work to do, Thomas said, pointing to the need to get momentum behind the delivery of the venues weve had announced already. Thomas would not be drawn on the governments choice of the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre as the main athletics venue, saying she looked forward to starting in the role on July 1. I think its important to take in all the information thats available and also be working very strongly with the Games delivery partners, she said. The appointment, which could yet become permanent, comes after parliament last week passed the enabling legislation for the authority. Seven independent directors will also be appointed. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On May 25, Chinese software giant Neusoft officially inaugurated the Wuhan Neusoft Software Park, marking a significant milestone in its strategic partnership with the city of Wuhan. Photo credit: Neusoft This development aims to advance Neusoft's intelligent and data-driven solutions in intelligent connected vehicle and healthcare fields across Central and Southern China, thereby fostering digital economic growth and industrial transformation. Photo credit: Neusoft Located in the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone, the new software park spans over 140,000 square meters. It is Neusoft's third software park in China, following those in Shenyang and Dalian, and can accommodate more than 8,000 software R&D personnel. Construction began in September 2022 and was completed by March 2024, demonstrating the rapid pace of development by both Wuhan and Neusoft. The Wuhan Neusoft Software Park holds strategic importance for Neusoft's future. It plays a critical role in Neusoft's strategy to enhance intelligent and data solution development. The park will serve as a strategic base for developing AI-powered, data-driven, and service-oriented solutions. It will work in collaboration with Neusoft's facilities in Shenyang and Dalian, fostering integration and ecosystem interaction to accelerate the growth of key sectors such as intelligent connected vehicles and healthcare. Low-lying coastal towns around Western Port could eventually be forced into a strategic retreat from the advancing ocean in the face of an existential threat from rising sea levels and damaging storm surges. Hundreds of homes, dozens of businesses and community assets including a primary school, maternal health centre, a regional airport and a major highway south-east of Melbourne face a growing threat of inundation between now and the end of the century as sea levels rise by a projected 80 centimetres. Tooradin resident Di Loft on the foreshore of the town, which is predicted to become increasingly vulnerable to inundation. Credit: Chris Hopkins The growing risk to Western Ports unique and biodiverse northern coastline is revealed in a 164-page report commissioned by the City of Casey, one of Melbournes fastest-growing local government areas. It details the increasing likelihood and cost of inundation and erosion between now and 2100, and the difficult choices communities will face as the sea reclaims the former swampland on which the region is built. If gun laws currently being debated in Western Australia had taken effect before a Perth man murdered two women, he may not have owned so many guns, or the one he used for the killings. But it remains to be seen whether the new laws would have been more effective in enabling police to confiscate his firearms when his ex-wife both described to them his previous acts of domestic violence, and made it clear to police that she feared him. On Monday Police Minister Paul Papalia detailed how the new laws would have applied in the aftermath of 63-year-old Mosman Park man Mark Bombara murdering Jennifer Petelczyc, 59, and her 18-year-old daughter Gretl in their Floreat home on Friday, as he hunted for his ex-wife. He then turned the gun on himself. Premier Roger Cook and Police Minister Paul Papalia talk about gun laws. Credit: Hamish Hastie Bombara used a handgun he legally owned under a collector licence. It was one of two handguns he owned under this licence. WAtoday understands at least one of those handguns was a Glock. This week on the Real Footy podcast, Jake Niall, Caroline Wilson and Michael Gleeson discuss Essendon, who are now unbeaten from their past seven games. Are the Bombers genuine premiership contenders in 2024? Jordan Ridley returned against Richmond and gave a reminder of just how good a player Ridley is, especially with the addition to the side of ex-Roo Ben McKay. Todd Goldstein has also been a fantastic (albeit short-term) pick-up for the Dons. They have had very few injuries though, Ridley aside, and in a season of fine margins, the injury status of lists will be crucial. While the Bombers are flying, the news is not so good for the Brisbane Lions, who were upset by Hawthorn on Sunday. Is the Lions season all but done? With just four wins so far this year, its likely they would need to win nine of their last 12 matches, a tough ask. Its been a disappointing season for last years grand finalists, as some of their bigger names have failed to fire consistently, leaving too much to too few. Rio Tinto and BHP collaborate on battery-electric haul truck trials in the Pilbara PERTH, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In an industry first, Rio Tinto and BHP will collaborate on the testing of large battery-electric haul truck technology in the Pilbara, Western Australia, to accelerate the potential for its future deployment. The two companies will work with manufacturers Caterpillar and Komatsu to conduct independent trials of their battery-electric haul trucks, including testing of battery, static and dynamic charging systems, to assess performance and productivity in the Pilbara environment. The collaboration reflects the individual commitments made from BHP, Rio Tinto, Komatsu and Caterpillar to support Rio Tinto and BHPs shared ambition of net zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. As part of the collaboration, two Cat 793 haul trucks will be trialled from the second half of 2024, and two Komatsu 930 haul trucks tested from 2026 at mine sites in Western Australias Pilbara region. Caterpillar and Komatsu will each provide one truck each to both BHP and Rio Tinto for these trials. BHP will trial the Caterpillar trucks, while Rio Tinto will trial the Komatsu trucks. Outcomes of the trials will be shared between BHP and Rio Tinto. These trials represent the first stage of battery-electric haul truck testing at BHP and Rio Tintos Pilbara operations. Ongoing testing, development and refinement of truck and battery design is anticipated with each manufacturer. This will inform the approach for testing a larger number of haul trucks and the potential deployment of battery-electric haul truck fleets into each companys operations. Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Simon Trott said: This collaboration brings together two leading global miners with two of the worlds biggest manufacturers of haul trucks to work on solving the critical challenge of zero-emissions haulage. There is no clear path to net zero without zero-emissions haulage, so its important that we work together to get there as quickly and efficiently as we can. Testing two types of battery-electric haul trucks in Pilbara conditions will provide better data, and by combining our efforts with BHP we will accelerate learning. As we work to repower our Pilbara operations with renewable energy, collaborations like this move us closer to solving the shared challenge of decarbonising our operations, and meeting our net zero commitments. BHP President Australia Geraldine Slattery said: Operational decarbonisation relies on breakthroughs in technology and partnerships like this will help drive our industry forward. We are thrilled to work with Rio Tinto, Caterpillar and Komatsu on these trials. Replacing diesel as a fuel source requires us to develop a whole new operational ecosystem to surround the fleet. We need to address the way we plan our mines, operate our haulage networks, and consider the additional safety and operational considerations that these changes will bring. This is why trials are so critical to our success as we seek to test and learn how these new technologies will work in practice and integrate into our mines. Weve already seen a step-change reduction in Scope 1 and 2 operational greenhouse gas emissions through switching some of our supply to renewable electricity, and we are looking to build on that progress through development of battery-electric technology to reduce diesel usage across our operations. Editors Note In 2021, Rio Tinto and BHP worked with both Caterpillar and Komatsu to support the development and validation of their prototype battery-electric haul trucks. The trucks included in these trials are based on these prototypes. Carbon emissions from diesel consumption in our mining equipment and rail fleet accounted for 12% of Rio Tintos Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2023. Carbon emissions from the combustion of diesel accounted for around 40% of BHPs Scope 1 and 2 emissions in FY2020. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On May 25, XPENG AEROHT, the urban air mobility company affiliated with XPENG, participated in the 4th China Intelligent Vehicle Conference and conducted a demonstration flight over Shenzhen's Central Business District (CBD), showcasing the future of urban mobility with its "flying car." Photo credit: XPENG AEROHT At the event, XPENG AEROHT's Voyager X2 took off vertically from Shenzhen Talent Park, flew around the park at an altitude of 30 meters, and operated entirely in autonomous mode. The Voyager X2 is a two-seater electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle developed and manufactured by XPENG AEROHT. Prior to this public demonstration, it had completed nearly 6,000 test flights in various scenarios, including urban CBDs, coastal areas, deserts, and rivers. Previously, Shenzhen released a work report emphasizing the city's commitment to advancing in new sectors such as the low-altitude economy and intelligent connected economy. Shenzhen aims to leverage small-scale innovations to drive substantial industrial growth, accelerating the development of an "aerial city" with integrated low-altitude management, panoramic applications, and industry aggregation demonstrations. A representative from XPENG AEROHT stated that the demonstration aimed to promote future low-altitude commuting and sightseeing in Shenzhen's CBD, providing valuable insights for developing a three-dimensional urban transportation system. Additionally, on March 25, XPENG AEROHT announced that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) South Central Regional Administration had accepted the Type Certificate (TC) application for the airframe of its "Land Aircraft Carrier" flying car, codenamed X3-F, marking a significant step towards airworthiness certification. Baby care center's owner arrested hours after deadly fire Xinhua) 15:48, May 27, 2024 NEW DELHI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The owner of a baby care center in east Delhi has been arrested after the facility caught fire on Saturday night, an officer of Delhi Police confirmed on Monday. The owner, Naveen Khichi, had been on the run ever since Saturday night. Seven newborn babies were killed and five others injured in the fire. Besides, the doctor on duty at the time was also arrested, he added. According to media reports, the baby care center was operated despite its registration with the Directorate General of Health Services expiring nearly two months ago. Meanwhile, aggrieved parents who had lost their newborn babies demanded for justice and a strict action against the owner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a monetary compensation of 200,000 Indian Rupees (around 2,407 U.S. dollars) to the next kin of each deceased. "The fire tragedy at a hospital in Delhi is heart-rending. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this incredibly difficult time. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest," Modi posted on X on Sunday. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Beijing (Gasgoo)- On May 25, DENZA, the premium new energy vehicle brand majority-backed by BYD, celebrated the delivery of its 200,000th vehicle order at the DENZA MINI Center in Panyu, Guangzhou city. Photo credit: DENZA Achieving this milestone in just two years since the brands refreshment, DENZA has become the fastest luxury new energy vehicle brand to reach this mark, setting an industry record, said the company. DENZA, as BYDs leading intelligent electric vehicle brand, boasts the N7, a luxury SUV that integrates intelligent driving, intelligent chassis, intelligent cockpit, and an electric platform. The N7 sets a new benchmark for luxury electric SUVs in the 300,000-yuan segment, exceeding user expectations for smart travel. In addition to the N7, the DENZA D9, a versatile MPV, has been upgraded this year, challenging the long-standing dominance of joint venture brands in the MPV market and establishing a new height for luxury led by Chinese brands. Furthermore, the DENZA Z9GT, an intelligent luxury flagship sedan equipped with the world-leading disruptive technology platform e3, has already generated significant anticipation ahead of its market launch, securing its first overseas order during its debut at the Auto China 2024 in Beijing. Photo credit: DENZA As of now, DENZA has opened up 400 direct-sale stores across 149 cities in China, making its premium services increasingly accessible. Additionally, DENZA's global expansion strategy is accelerating, with the brand showcased at international auto shows in Thailand, Germany, Japan, Indonesia, and Geneva. DENZA plans to expand into more countries and regions, offering a new luxury service experience to global users and sharing China's intelligent luxury technology with the world. Rahul enjoys vacations abroad while Modi celebrates Diwali with jawans SASARAM/KARAKAT, UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the ongoing Lok Sabha polls were a choice between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who celebrates Diwali among Armymen, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who rushes abroad for vacations whenever the weather becomes uncomfortable. Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Karakat and Sasaram Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, Shah dubbed the I.N.D.I.A. bloc as the one comprising scamsters guilty of financial wrongdoings worth Rs 12 lakh crore which was taking on Modi, with an unblemished record during the 23 years he was CM (of Gujarat) and the PM. He said that unlike Gandhi, who was born with a silver spoon, Modi has worked hard to reach the top, coming from an ati pichhda (extremely backward class) family and selling tea at one point of time to make ends meet. The former BJP President claimed that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc lacked a cohesive leadership and its prominent figures are looking at one year of Prime Ministership each. Such an arrangement can never provide a strong government capable of defeating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The Home Minister slammed the Congress for being scared of Pakistans atomic bombs and asserted that his Government, which has scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, was resolved to claim Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir which was ours, is ours and shall remain ours. Shah lambasted parties opposed to the BJP for providing reservations, in States ruled by them, to Muslims, cutting into the share of SCs, STs and OBCs and asserted that PM Modi has resolved to put an end to this. He charged the Opposition parties with having been opposed to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya which finally took place with Modi at the helm. In Sasaram, which is a reserved constituency, Shah spoke of budgetary allocation for Dalits welfare rising to Rs 1.65 lakh crore under the Modi Government, compared to Rs 41,000 crore during the previous UPA regime. He also underscored that the PM gave due respect to Babasaheb Ambedkar by organising celebrations in his memory and turning into teerth sthal (pilgrimage spots) all the places linked to him. He criticised the RJD, the BJPs principal opponent in Bihar, for tying up with anti-OBC Congress, which sat on Kaka Kalelkar report and opposed implementation of Mandal Commission recommendations. In Karakat, where NDA partner Upendra Kushwaha has CPI(ML) Liberation as one of the main challengers, Shah reminded the people of the Naxal violence, which used to keep Bihar in the headlines a few decades back, and warned that a victory for the Left party could lead to a fresh spurt in similar incidents. Widely regarded as the BJPs principal strategist, he claimed that the NDA had notched up 310 seats in the first five phases of the elections, and in the last two legs, it was on course to achieve the target of 400-plus. In the third term, we will make India the third largest economy of the world, he asserted. 7 newborns killed in Delhi hospital fire (L) A newborn baby being rescued from the hospital after a fire broke out in New Delhi. (Above) The exterior of a childrens hospital where a fire broke out on Saturday night at Vivek Vihar area in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI) NEW DELHI : Police arrested the owner Dr Naveen Kichi of the Delhi childrens hospital A MASSIVE fire broke out at a private childrens hospital in east Delhis Vivek Vihar, leaving seven newborns dead, officials said on Sunday. The officials of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said the blaze broke out at the Baby Care New Born Hospital at around 11:30 pm on Saturday and soon spread to two other adjacent buildings. Police arrested the owner of the east Delhi childrens hospital where a fire killed seven newborns, officials said on Sunday. Dr Naveen Kichi had been on the run since the fire outbreak late on Saturday, they said. Delhi Police has booked him under sections 336 (act endangering life of personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC at Vivek Vihar police station. Sixteen fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze, Divisional Fire Officer Rajendra Atwal said. Oxygen cylinders kept in the two-storey building exploded due to which the adjacent buildings were damaged, he said. Another fire official said two boutiques, a portion of IndusInd Bank operating from an adjacent building and a shop on the ground floor were also damaged besides an ambulance and a scooty parked outside the building. Condoling the death of children, President Droupadi Murmu prayed for strength to the bereaved parents. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said those responsible for negligence will not be spared. Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also said strictest punishment will be given to those found negligent or involved in any wrongdoing. In a post on X, Kejriwal said the Government stood with those who lost their children in the fire incident, and added the administration was ensuring proper treatment to the injured. He said the reasons behind the fire were being probed and those found negligent will not be spared. DFS chief Atul Garg said 12 newborns were rescued from the medical facility but seven of them died. Five babies are undergoing treatment at another hospital, he said, adding some of them have received minor burn injuries. The bodies have been shifted to the GTB Hospital for postmortem, police said. Deputy Commissioner of police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary said owner of the hospital Naveen Kichi has been booked under sections 336 (act endangering life of personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence) at Vivek Vihar police station. Choudhary said they are checking the fire NOC of the hospital and if it is found with out it, IPC sections may be added. Experts from COD rushed to Bemetara for security, assessment Staff Reporter A massive blast had rocked the facility of Special Blasts Ltd, an industrial explosive making facility at Bemetara, Chattisgarh on May 25, 2024 at 07:45 AM. One person is reportedly killed and 7 injured. Considering the huge quantities of explosives stored in the premises and the lurking danger, services of Indian Army were officially requisitioned by the State Government to tackle the situation. Promptly reacting to the requisition Headquarter Madhya Bharat Area dispatched a team of experts from Central Ordnance Depot (COD) Jabalpur a premier organisation dealing with explosives in the Army. The team travelled overnight and reached the site early in the morning at Bemetara Chattishgarh. After carrying out a detailed assessment of the situation the team put measures in place to ensure the safety and security of men and material, thus paving way towards unhindered relief efforts. A control room headed by Lieutenant General Padam Singh Shekhawat, General Officer Commanding Madhya Bharat Area along with Commandant ICCs attempt to arrest Netanyahu By Tajul Islam THE International Criminal Court (ICC) and its chief prosecutor Karim Khan, a Pakistani-British member of Ahmadiyya community, with deep-rooted connections with Buckingham Palace and UKs Intelligence establishments are hitting headlines in international media in the recent days. Criticising ICC, in a recent statement on his X handle, John Bolton, the former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, expressed his anger and strong criticism at ICC for its attempts of issuing an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of Hamas. Ambassador Bolton denounced the ICCs actions as illegitimate, particularly in the context of an ongoing war. He urged the United States to take decisive measures, both through Congress and the White House, to condemn the ICC and impose sanctions in support of Israel. President Joe Biden echoed Boltons sentiments, labelling the ICCs attempt to arrest Netanyahu as outrageous. A group of Republican senators, led by Senator Tom Cotton, also voiced their disapproval, warning ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan against pursuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials in connection with the Gaza conflict. These statements and actions highlight a clear pattern of support for Israel while simultaneously questioning the legitimacy and motivations of the ICC. While some people may agree with Bolton, it is hard to overlook the apparent double standards at play. When the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, there was widespread celebration among US policymakers and their European allies. Putin was accused of crimes related to his actions in Ukraine, which were seen as efforts to protect Russian sovereignty. Yet, these same leaders are now condemning the ICC for targeting Netanyahu. This inconsistency in reactions raises significant questions about the principles and motivations guiding these leaders. The hypocrisy becomes even more apparent when considering the actions of various American Presidents. The United States has a long history of military interventions in countries like Libya and Iraq, often resulting in significant human rights violations. Despite these actions, the ICC has largely remained silent. This silence raises questions about the ICCs impartiality and the true motivations behind its actions. Is the ICC selectively targeting certain leaders while ignoring the transgressions of others, especially those from powerful nations like the United States? The current push to issue warrants against Netanyahu and leaders of Hamas originates from Karim Khan, the ICCs chief prosecutor. Khan, a Pakistani-born British lawyer and member of the Ahmadiyya community, has faced accusations of bias. Some view him as an anti-Semite, while others in Israel saw his election as a positive development, considering him pragmatic However, pro-Palestinian media have accused him of favouring Israel and actively seeking to convict Hamas. This mixed perception of Khan further complicates the narrative and highlights the complex dynamics at play within the ICC. The ICC itself has a troubled history, marred by scandals and controversies. In 2015, a significant scandal involving the court came to light. An investigation by the European Investigative Collaboration (EIC) revealed questionable practices and the dubious morality of Luis Moreno Ocampo, the ICCs first prosecutor. These findings severely undermined the ICCs credibility and highlighted the political games that often surround international justice. The former chief prosecutor of ICC, Fatou Bensouda, also faced controversy. She has been mired in scandal. Accusations against ICC judges have further damaged the courts reputation, with reports highlighting issues with their morality, integrity, and independence. These controversies have cast a long shadow over the ICCs ability to function as a fair and impartial institution. The Russian Foreign Ministry has also criticised the ICC, arguing that its actions violate international law. According to the Ministry, the ICCs issuance of warrants against officials from non-party states to the Rome Statute, like Russia, is unlawful. This criticism underscores the complex legal and political challenges the ICC faces in executing its mandate. The totality of violations of international law committed by the ICC and its Prosecutor suggests a persistent and probably irreversible loss of credibility. (IPA) Legal Education Reforms By Adv. R. S. Agrawal ON THE subject of comprehensive implementation of Legal Education Reforms, mandatory guidelines, Norms and Rules of Legal Education, the Bar Council of India has circulated a detailed Note, bearing date May 20, 2024, to the Vice Chancellors and Registrars of all the Universities, Principals/ Deans /Directors at all the Centers of Legal Education, conveying to them a transformative vision by the Prime Minister of India during his address on April 30, 2022 at the Joint Conference of State Chief Ministers and High Court Chief Justices, advocating for the integration of new subjects in Legal Education, and recognising the emphasis placed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on incorporating computer education within the ambit of Legal Education, alongside acknowledging the collective keenness of the judiciary and Government towards the inclusion of Mediation as a Compulsory subject in Legal Education and considering dynamic landscape of Legal Education. Furthermore, during inauguration of the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA), attorneys and Solicitor Generals Conference, 2024 an Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, the Prime Minister emphasised that the Legal Education is a key instrument in boosting justice delivery, noting that both passion and professional competence are introduced to young minds through education. Giving insights into realizing the potential of women in every domain, the Prime Minister has suggested making each domain inclusive at the educational level. He has said that an increase in the number of women in law schools will lead to an increase in the number of women in the legal profession. Thus, this principle must be kept in mind, and law schools must encourage admission of female students by offering them incentives. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi also stated that Legal Education needs to adapt to changing times and technologies, focusing on understanding the latest trends in crimes, investigation, and evidence. He was also of the view that there is a call for strengthening exchange programmes between law universities from different countries to provide young legal professionals with greater international exposure. In the light of these considerations, the Bar Council of India has issued this Circular to all Centers of Legal Education for immediate implementation. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 indeed marks a significant overhaul in Indias education system, aiming to provide a more holistic and flexible approach to learning. One of its key features is the establishment of a regulatory body, the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) which will oversee all forms of higher education except for medical and legal education. While the NEP 2020 primarily focuses on higher education and proposes the HECI for its regulation, it does touch up certain guidelines for enhancing the quality and accessibility of legal education. Legal Education in India is governed by the Bar Council of India (BCI), which regulates the legal profession and legal education. The BCI is working toward implementing the relevant and applicable guidelines within the framework of legal education to enhance the quality effectiveness of legal education in the country. 1. The Bar Council of India (BCI) has directed the all centers of Legal Education have been directed to incorporate subjects such as Blockchains, Electronic-Discovery, Cyber-Security, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Bio-Ethics etc. into their Legal Education Curricula as per the vision of the Prime Minister. This is to ensure that graduates are well equipped to handle contemporary legal challenges. 2. Legal Education programs should ensure to impart a profound understanding of constitutional values including justice Social, Economic and Political. Emphasis should be placed on practical applications of these values in legal practice in consonance with NEP. 3. All Centers of Legal Educations have been instructed to integrate socio-economic and cultural contexts into their syllabi, for a nuanced understanding of the law among students to align with NEP. 4. To enhance access to justice and minimise delays, institutions offering law education must endeavour to provide bilingual education, using both English and the regional/Bilingual language as per NEP. 5. All centers of Legal Education are encouraged to actively involve students in critical and interdisciplinary thinking. Research and collaboration across disciplines to develop a comprehensive approach to address legal challenges in accordance with NEP. Integrated 5 Year LL.B. Degree course/s have already acknowledged and promoted this aspect since the introduction of the said course with effect from the year 1986 at NLSIU, Bangaluru, which was followed by maximum Law schools in India over a period of time. 6. Keenness has been expressed by both the Government and the Judiciary for the introduction of Mediation as a compulsory specific subject, with a particular emphasis on its integration into Legal Education/Law degree courses. This directive for introduction of Mediation as a compulsory specific subject, was communicated by the Bar Council of India through a circular dispatched earlier on August 13, 2020. 7. Similarly, the BCI has drawn attention of all concerned to the Circular of January 25, 2024 highlighting the necessity of implementing computer education in Legal Education, which is already part of Rules of Legal Education, 2008. 8. In line with the evolving landscape of the nation, it has been decided to incorporate 3 new enactments Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bhartiya Sakshya Adhinyam, 2023 into the curriculum of universities and Centers of Legal Education starting from the academic year 2024-2025. These enactments include the B.N.S.,2023, aimed at ensuring justice and equity within the legal framework, the B.N.S.S., 2023 is focused on safeguarding the rights and security of citizens; and the B.S.A., 2023 aimed at streamlining the processes related to gathering and presenting evidence in legal proceedings, thereby ensuring fair and efficient administration of justice. With these enactments coming into force from July 1, 2024,it is imperative for legal education institutions to integrate them into their curricula to equip future legal professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the legal landscape and to ensure their readiness to navigate and contribute effectively to the evolving legal system. Ensuring compliance with the same is crucial for ensuring preparedness for the upcoming 2o24-2025 academic session. The BCI has made it clear that it and its Education Committee do not approve of OnLine Legal Education and shall not hesitate in taking stringent action against such courses/Institutions. There is no concept of Evening Classes for Law courses. There should be classes for teaching law five hours a day or 30 hour- schedule spread over a week, between 8 am to 7 pm and Library may remain open till 10 pm. This Circular is effective immediately with a warning of necessary action in the event of non-compliance. When followers of any sect deviate from spiritual path, they become victims of fanaticism: Murmu New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) Asserting that spiritual empowerment is the real empowerment, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said when the followers of any religion or sect deviate from the path of spirituality, they become victims of fanaticism and suffer from an unhealthy mentality. "Spiritual values connect people of all religions to each other," she said, addressing the national launch of Spiritual Empowerment for a Clean and Healthy Society' organised by Brahma Kumaris here. The president said the forces promoting fear, terror, and war are very active in many parts of the world. "In such an environment, Brahma Kumari Institution has provided an effective platform for the empowerment of humanity through many centres in more than 100 countries. This is an invaluable effort to strengthen universal brotherhood by promoting spiritual values," Murmu said. The president said the golden chapters of world history and the history of nations have always been based on spiritual values. "World history is witness to the fact that disregarding spiritual values ??and adopting only the path of material progress has ultimately proved disastrous. Holistic well-being is possible only on the basis of a healthy mentality," she said. Murmu said a truly healthy person meets all three dimensions -- physical, mental and spiritual. Such individuals create a healthy society, nation and world community, she added. The president said spiritual empowerment is real empowerment. "When the followers of any religion or sect deviate from the path of spirituality, they become victims of fanaticism and suffer from unhealthy mentality," Murmu was quoted as having said in a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The president said working with the spirit of public welfare while rising above selfishness is a social expression of inner spirituality. "Doing charity for the public good is one of the most important spiritual values," she said. The president was happy to note that the Brahma Kumaris Institution is probably the world's largest spiritual institute run by women, the statement said. She said in this organisation, "Brahma Kumaris remain in the front and their associates Brahma Kumars work in the background". "With such a unique harmony, this institution is continuously moving forward. By doing so, it has presented a unique example of spiritual progress and women empowerment to the world community," Murmu said. Scripting history Payal Kapadia becomes first Indian female director to win Grand Prix award at Cannes CANNES : PAYAL Kapadia has scripted history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival for her film All We Imagine as Light. The film bagged the award, the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme dOr, which went to American director Sean Baker for Anora at the closing ceremony on Saturday night. Kapadias movie, which screened on Thursday night, is the first Indian film in 30 years and first ever by anIndian female director to be showcased in the main competition. The last Indian movie to be selected for the main competition was Shaji N Karuns 1994 movie Swaham. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country is proud of director Payal Kapadia who became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for her film All We Imagine as Light. He also said through her remarkable talent the FTII alumnus has given a glimpse of the rich creativity in India. India is proud of Payal Kapadia for her historic feat of winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her work All We Imagine as Light. An alumnus of FTII, her remarkable talent continues to shine on the global stage, giving a glimpse of the rich creativity in India. This prestigious accolade not only honours her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers, Modi said on X. Best year yet for Indian filmmakers with three wins at Cannes 2024: IT WAS a triple feat for Indian talent at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with Payal Kapadias All We Imagine As Light, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know by FTII student Chidananda S Naik, and Anasuya Sengupta of The Shameless fame winning major awards in each of the three competitive sections of the prestigious gala. The 77th edition of Cannes, which concluded on Saturday, was undoubtedly the best year for the country which found space at the fest through eight Indian, or India-themed, films. Kapadia, an alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), charted history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award for All We Imagine as Light. Though the second most prestigious prize at Cannes, Grand Prix has a storied history with prominent titles including this years Oscar winner The Zone of Interest and Park Chan-wooks revenge drama Oldboy as part of the list. All We Imagine as Light has already found distributors for its North America release, but its unclear when the film will be screened in India. Writer-lyricist Varun Grover said it was an unbelievable day for Indian cinema. Dissent, in art and in life, is a tough path to choose. But sometimes it does create magic, he wrote on X. Kapadia, who led a student protest against the appointment of actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan as FTII chairman, had won the Oeil dor (Golden Eye) award at Cannes for acclaimed documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing which premiered under Directors Fortnight section in 2021. Aided by technology, new criminal laws will deliver justice within 3 years: Amit Shah New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) Technology will be a key enabler for the new criminal laws that come into effect July 1 as summons will be issued by SMS, 90 per cent witnesses will appear through video calls and courts will issue orders within three years of filing of an FIR, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said. "I can tell you with confidence that after three years, our criminal justice system will be the most modern criminal justice system in the world," he told PTI in an interview over the weekend. Piloted by the home minister himself, the newly enacted criminal laws -- the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Act will come into effect from July 1, replacing the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 respectively. In the interview, Shah laid out for the first time many details of the new criminal justice system, which he said are almost entirely driven by technology.For example, all court matters will become online and FIR, court diary and judgement will be digitised. Already, officials have collected finger prints data of nine crore criminals across the country in the last five years. After lifting finger prints from a crime scene, police will be able to identify the criminal and also if the crime has been committed by a repeat offender from that data base of finger prints within seven and half minutes, he said "We have brought very big reforms (through the new criminal laws). After the laws come into effect, 90 per cent people will not have to go to courts. The witnesses will appear online," Shah said. Earlier, he said, summon meant physically serving it to someone at their home. "Many such changes have been incorporated (in new laws). Similar is the case with regards to the charge sheet too," he said. The home minister said earlier charge sheet meant submission of volumes of documents, but once the new laws come into force the charge sheet will be contained in a pen drive and the response to it can also be delivered digitally on a pen drive. "All these matters will now be online. The FIR, court diary, judgement will also be digitised. We have made forensic evidence compulsory in cases where there is a provision for imprisonment for a period of minimum seven years," he said. Asked about the preparation for rolling out the new laws, the home minister said it is going on full swing and training of officials is almost over. After its implementation, "one can get an order even from the Supreme Court within three years from the day of registering an FIR" under the new criminal laws, he said. The home minister said he had been working on the new criminal laws since 2019 ? after he took charge of the home ministry. "We have been working towards modernisation of courts and police stations. Everything is happening with the help of technology. Law is getting modernised through technology," he said. The three new laws were enacted in December 2023 and President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on December 25. Meanwhile, officials said the government is also in the process of procuring 900 forensic vans to be stationed in all 850 police districts in the country so that forensic evidence could be collected quickly after any crime and videograph could be done on the crime scene. Seres 9 front quarter Seres' European line-up will be led by the 9, a range-extender luxury SUV Chinese car firm Seres is gearing up to expand into Europe, setting premium brands like Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla in its sights. It will enter European markets later this year with three new SUVs the 5, 7 and 9 offering a selection of battery-electric and range-extender powertrains. The entry-level 5 is positioned to rival the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID 4. In electric guise, it has a 76kWh (usable capacity) lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack. This yields ranges of up to 298 miles in single-motor cars, according to the WLTP test cycle, while dual-motor cars cut this to 280 miles. ADVERTISEMENT In either case, the bulk of the 5s power comes from a permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, sending 268bhp and 266lb ft through the rear wheels. That gives it a 0-62mph time of 7.1sec. Dual-motor cars add an AC synchronous motor to the front axle, upping outputs to 489bhp and 498lb ft and cutting the 5's sprint time down to 4.5sec. Both versions can be charged at up to 100kW, affording a 30-80% top up in as little as 30 minutes. The 5 is also offered with a pair of range-extender powertrains, using a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine and a a 40kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery. The single-motor, rear-wheel-drive REx puts out 263bhp and 261lb ft and completes the 0-62mph sprint in the same 7.1sec as the BEV. Its electric-only range is rated at 114 miles (WLTP), while fuel economy is pegged at 37.7mpg (also WLTP). Seres 5 front quarter Although the dual-motor REx is slightly less powerful than the dual-motor BEV, with 480bhp and 490lb ft, it accelerates more quickly, hitting 62mph in 4.4sec In any case, the 5 tips the scales at more than two tonnes. The lightest version, the single-motor REx, is 2220kg. The dual-motor REx weighs an extra 115kg. The BEV versions are another 15kg heavier than the equivalent REx. Story continues Arriving at the same time as the 5 is the larger 7, a six-seat SUV positioned as a rival for the likes of the Land Rover Discovery. It's offered exclusively with REx powertrains with the same 40kWh battery and 263bhp rear motor as in the 5 REx. The dual-motor version, however, swaps the AC motor at the front of the 5 for a permanent-magnet motor similar to that on the rear axle. That gives the dual-motor 7 combined outputs of 433bhp and 482lb ft and a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.8sec. Its WLTP electric-only range is 84 miles in single-motor form and 87 miles in dual-motor form. Seres 7 front quarter European specifications for the 9 SUV have yet to be announced, but it's longer and taller than its siblings and offers the same mix of BEV and REx powertrains. It will arrive in Europe after the 5 and 7. Seres believes its cars can capitalise on untapped demand for advanced digital services and accompanying updates that can transform a cars functionality throughout its lifespan. We aim to redefine luxury with technology, with intelligence, its foreign markets boss, Jiaxi You, told Autocar. The smart cockpit, for example: you can talk to the cars and [activate] autonomous driving or the navigation assistant. Thats a highlight of the vehicles. We're mainly focused on two areas: the smart cockpit and ADAS [advanced driver assistance systems]. Those driver aids, You claimed, are only restricted by the regulations. Referring to the SAE levels of autonomy, You said the cars are very near level three, meaning they can take full control in preset conditions. You added that he believes Seres advantage to be in how quickly it can update each car over the air, compared with European rivals. He said: When we do have a new software version, we can push this to our customers by an over-the-air (OTA) update. The software evolves itself week by week. We keep collecting inputs and feedback from our customers to improve our product constantly. He claimed that its much more agile than traditional development, with dedicated people for overseas markets allowing Seres to tailor new features to a specific regions tastes. We keep a close eye on the customer feedback for different scenarios," You continued. "If theres a bug fix, you will get that instantly overnight, but if theres a product upgrade, new features, new functions, we will [bundle] that to avoid OTA too much over time. Seres 7 interior You also believes that the lack of physical buttons inside Seres cars they only feature switchgear on the steering wheel for critical controls isn't a concern. He explained: A few years ago in China, all cars were also equipped with physical buttons. The more buttons you have, the more premium the vehicle is: its usually that way. The idea right now is thats the [role of] a touchscreen. You have to make the user experience the best you can; we learn a lot from our customers to keep optimising the experience of the touchscreen. I think the voice control will become a major interaction between you and the vehicle, because we're already over the technology gap; it doesn't bother you any more. Seres has yet to set numerical targets for its European expansion. It instead acknowledges that building a brand is difficult and, like compatriots BYD and GWM, will partner with established dealer franchises to get its cars in front of customers. Asked whether Seres could face similar challenges to those other new brands, You said it wasn't just an issue of brand awareness but also of trust. Our strategy is to take care of our customers every one of them by providing great products and best-in-class services, he explained. We plan to stay, and we plan to stay long. A UK launch date for Seres has yet to be fixed. The smaller Seres 3 electric SUV is already present in the UK, but it's imported and sold by British company Innovation Automotive, and You said he was "not aware" of this. You wouldn't be drawn on which brands Seres is targeting with its European launch but noted that in China, in the ranking of luxury brands, right behind Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Tesla, it's our car. ]]> Black money's impact on polls to rise, alternative to bond scheme should be found: Shah New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) Home Minister Amit Shah believes that the influence of black money will increase during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections following the Supreme Court's decision to scrap the electoral bond scheme, and said it is for Parliament to decide on an alternative. If the impact of black money rises, then an alternative should be found, he said. He told PTI in an interview on Saturday that the scheme, which allowed donors to fund political parties anonymously by purchasing bonds from the SBI, was scrapped at an important time. The Supreme Court had struck down the scheme in February, a month before the Lok Sabha elections were announced. Replying to a question on the issue, he said, "I believe and this is my guess that it will increase the influence of black money in elections and politics. When political parties submit their account for this fiscal year, then how much money is by cash donation and how much is through cheque will be known. The donation figure by cheques had reached 96 per cent at the time of the bond." He added, "Now you will know. If the impact of black money rises, then an alternative should be found. There should be a debate in Parliament." Asked if he thought the influence of black money would increase in the ongoing elections due to the scrapping of the electoral bond scheme, Shah said, "I guess so." When asked what he considered an alternative to the bond scheme, he said the issue needed to be discussed with all stakeholders, including different political parties. He said, "This will have to be debated in Parliament. We will have to discuss this with all parties. The Supreme Court's view since their judgment has come is also very important. The Attorney General and Solicitor General will also have to be consulted. So we will have to deliberate collectively and decide on a new alternative." The Supreme Court had struck down the electoral bond scheme, saying it violated the right to information and the freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution. The court had also made public the names of all donors and their beneficiaries. The central government, has, however, insisted that the scheme was aimed at curbing the influence of black money in politics and that donors were allowed to remain anonymous so that they were not targeted by one political party or another for funding their rival parties. Speeding SUVhits two-wheeler Staff Reporter A PROPERTY dealer was killed, and his two friends were seriously injured when a speeding Mahindra Scorpio rear-ended their motorcycle on Pipla Road, within the jurisdiction of the Hudkeshwar Police Station, in the early hours of Sunday morning. The deceased has been identified as Shubham Sunil Ganer (30), a resident of New Subhedar Layout. Rajat Hiralal Bele (26) from Udaya Nagar and AtulVinayak Ramteke (31) from New Subhedar Layout, sustained injuries in the accident. The three had gone to a Dhaba on the Outer Ring Road for dinner. After dinner, they began their journey home on a two-wheeler.While passing through Pipla Road, a speeding Scorpio (MH-15/DC-9427) approached from behind and collided with their two-wheeler near Residency Lawn at 1.30 am. The impact of the collision threw all three motorcyclists off the vehicle which resulted in critical injuries as they fell onto the cement road. Hudkeshwar Police transported the victims to a hospital. Shubham succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Meanwhile, Rajat and Atul were admitted to a private hospital for further treatment. An investigation into the incident has been initiated, and a case has been filed against the driver under Sections 279, 338, 304 (a), and 427 of the Indian Penal Code. Dodge How about some grand theft auto news with that late-morning coffee? Sorry, we're not talking about the video game. That MIA GTA is a different story for a different day, folks. I'm talking about real-life GTA because it's just as wackadoodle, anyway. According to Carscoops , authorities in San Antonio have made several arrests in connection with a local chop shop. On the surface, its humdrum headline is uninteresting enough to continue today's Wordle struggle. However, the devil in the details is a guy named "Hellcat Mike" whose alleged specialty isyou guessed itDodge Hellcat-powered vehicles. Bexar County Sherriff's Office In a yearlong investigation dubbed "Operation Hellcat Mike" by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office , the department found that Hellcat Mike and several other mechanics would steal high-powered Dodge cars, remove the engines and related tech, and reinstall them into other, more lowkey Stellantis models. The Dr. Frankenstein aficionados would then sell the unassuming vehicles on Facebook Marketplace for half of what their genuine hi-po variants cost. Apparently, the group also had a calling card : a massive Hellcat logo that covered the rear door and C-pillar of the entry-level Chargers they stole-sold. ADVERTISEMENT Law enforcement was watching the shop, which is located in San Antonio's northside, when they pulled over a Chrysler 300 exiting the property. A red flag waved frantically when the 300's VIN sticker didn't match what the onboard computer showed, which was a $124,000 Charger. Notably, a Charger matching that VIN had been burglarized months before, its ECU and engine stolen. That same day, a Ram 1500 left the shop with a license plate that belonged to another Charger. Very sus and very stolen. Bexar County Sherriff's Office With a search warrant in hand, sheriff's deputies raided the property. Its initial search turned up seven stolen vehicles and various stolen parts including PCMs taken from local dealerships as well as a Charger in the process of being built. "Hellcat" Mike Wilson, 37, and three other men, ages 19 to 33, were arrested. Two more suspects, both 18, remain at large. The Hellcat criminals were booked on various individual charges, including engaging in organized crime, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and theft of a vehicle. The sheriff's office says Hellcat Mike is facing a $750,000 bond for his role in the chop shop and other incidents. Elon Musk (left) is doing something right at Tesla, according to Jensen Huang (right). Getty Images Jensen Huang had positive words about Tesla's efforts in an interview last week. The Nvidia CEO said the EV maker is "far ahead in self-driving cars." The support comes weeks before Tesla shareholders are set to vote on Elon Musk's pay package. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang gave electric vehicle maker Tesla a shoutout during an interview with Yahoo Finance last week. Huang, whose computer chip company is at the pinnacle of Silicon Valley these days, offered praise when asked about automakers other than Tesla venturing into the self-driving space. "Tesla is far ahead in self-driving cars, but every single car, someday, will have to have autonomous capability," Huang said in the interview posted to YouTube Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT As CEO of the EV maker, Elon Musk has led company efforts to produce self-driving vehicles. Tesla has promoted its Full Self-Driving technology (FSD) hard in 2024, and halved the monthly price of the software to $99. But, FSD has been met with questions around its safety prompting a recent rebrand to FSD (Supervised) since the beta launched in 2020. Tesla estimated about 400,000 cars in the US have FSD installed. Huang's support comes at a good time for Musk. Tesla shareholders will hold a vote in June to reinstate his pay package as the top exec, which is valued at $47 billion. A Delaware court voided his compensation in January after a shareholder filed a lawsuit arguing that the package was excessive. Nvidia artificial intelligence chips are in high demand among tech companies. Customers lining up to buy the Blackwell chips include Google Meta, OpenAI, and more, according to the company. Musk compared the current arms race happening in AI to a poker game and said Tesla will be betting big with Nvidia in January. In a post on X, Musk said that Tesla will spend over $500 million on Nvidia's AI chips in 2024. "The table stakes for being competitive in AI are at least several billion dollars per year at this point," he said in the post. Read the original article on Business Insider Call for Papers on the Theme of Africa-China Dar es Salaam Consensus On March 8th, 2024, at the 13th China-Africa Think Tanks Forum, experts and scholars from 50 countries, including China and various African countries, jointly released the Africa-ChinaDar es Salaam Consensus (also referred to as the Consensus Among African and Chinese Think Tanks on Deepening Global Development Cooperation, hereinafter referred to as the Consensus). This landmark agreement has garnered significant attention, with many Chinese and African scholars viewing it as the first international consensus proposed by the Global South rather than imposed by the Global North, which expressed the collective voice of the Global South. The significant value of thisConsensus lies in African countries beginning to consciously and independently explore a modernization path that suits African conditions. To fully understand, interpret, extend, and disseminate the theoretical underpinnings and practical implications of the Consensus, we invite scholars from around the globe to submit their paper for consideration. Theme of Papers The Consensus encapsulates the collective wisdom and forward-looking vision of Chinese and African scholars, characterized by its theoretical robustness, practical applicability, and a spirit of openness and inclusiveness. We cordially invite experts and scholars to contribute your insights with the Consensus as the focal point, anchored within the framework of China-Africa cooperation, South-South cooperation, and broader Global South cooperation. Contributions can also address the imperative for improving global governance and promoting world development and prosperity. Scholars are encouraged to draw on their disciplinary expertise to delve into the eight key points outlined in the Consensus by Chinese and African scholars. Submissions may provide a comprehensive analysis of all points, or a detailed examination of a single point. Notably, scholars are encouraged to introduce innovative elements to the Consensus and to propose novel global development concepts, thereby enriching and broadening its theoretical connotations and practical pathways. For instance, submissions could include detailed analysis and arguments concerning the imperative to synergize effective market mechanisms with proactive governmental intervention to catalyze endogenous development dynamics. Scholars may also propose alternative and innovative ideas for global development. Submission Requirements 1. Submissions in both Chinese and English are welcomed for this conference. The content should closely adhere to the designated theme. Authors may title the paper as they see fit. Accepted formats include academic papers, theoretical articles, policy reports, and more. 2. Submissions can be previously published works by the author on the same topic, including the timeframe from today to the deadline, or they can be original, unpublished works. 3. Submissions should exhibit clear viewpoints, thorough arguments, rigorous logic, well-organized structure, clear hierarchy, detailed materials, and concise writing, with both significant theoretical research value and practical application value. 4. Academic papers should range between 8,000 to 10,000 words. Theoretical articles intended for media should be between 1,500 to 3,000 words. 5. Scholars, both domestic and international, are encouraged to propose fresh and innovative ideas on global development and governance. Accepted innovative ideas will be incorporated into the Consensus text, contributing to a more systematic, comprehensive, and mature Africa -ChinaDar es Salaam Consensus. Award Categories Submissions will be awarded in following categories: special prize, first prize, second prize, third prize, and outstanding prize. Prize-winning contributors will be invited to participate in related seminars. Excellent Chinese and English papers that pass expert review will be considered for publication in journals such as African Studies and Contemporary World. Theoretical articles will be recommended for publication in mainstream media outlets both domestically and internationally such as ChinAfrica. Additional Requirements 1. For convenience of review and compilation, please submit the electronic version of your paper in WORD document format. 2. Papers should be sent to the submission email box, iaszjnu@126.com, before June 30, 2024. The subject of the email should follow the format: Name - Article Title - Article Type (i.e., Academic Paper or Media Article). The closing time of submission is determined by the time the electronic version of the paper is received. 3. For any further inquiries, please contact 0579-82286752/82286285, or email iaszjnu@126.com. Institute of African Studies Zhejiang Normal University May 24, 2024 The Africa-China Dar es Salaam ConsensusTheAfrica-ChinaDaresSalaamConsensusTheAfrica-ChinaDaresSalaamConsensus https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3_IH9ww_-iU7ySmb361B0A You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The manufacturing line of a NEV factory in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Photo: VCG (Global Times) Chinese experts on Sunday slammed allegations of "non-market policies and practices" made by the Group of Seven (G7) finance chiefs in a joint communique, saying the baseless claims reflect the toxic influence of Washington's worsening protectionism among its allies and pose a serious threat to global free trade and supply chains. While the joint communique issued after a meeting in Italy did not contain specific actions or concrete plans for actions, it still fully demonstrated that advanced economies are more interested in stirring up tension rather than promoting peace and cooperation, experts noted. If the so-called US allies blindly follow Washington's path of protectionism and conflict, their economies and consumers will face major losses, they said. The joint communique released on Saturday following the meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bankers in Italy stated that "while reaffirming our interest in a balanced and reciprocal collaboration, we express concerns about China's comprehensive use of non-market policies and practices that undermines our workers, industries, and economic resilience." The G7 finance ministers and central bankers further said they will "continue to monitor the potential negative impacts of overcapacity and will consider taking steps to ensure a level playing field." "Overcapacity" has become a new euphemism in Washington's increasingly reckless crackdown campaign against advanced industries in China. Just days earlier the current US administration cited the accusation as the reason to hike tariffs on an array of Chinese products, including electric vehicles (EVs). Moreover, the US started a public pressure campaign to force its allies to back its campaign. The adoption of typical US talking points in the G7 finance chiefs' joint communique underscored the toxic influence of Washington's protectionist policies on its allies, which choose politics over market principles and economic law, Chinese experts said. "G7 politicians are following the US out of political considerations. And there is only one way for them to be able to achieve this: political coercion against the economy and capital," Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Sunday. Li further explained that following the US' protectionist path means politicians in these US allies must impose restrictions on businesses and investments. "If they follow the US' suit, their businesses will be restricted from free trade and their consumers will pay the price for low cost-effective products," he said. Indeed, even though the G7 joint communique included talking points from US officials, it notably did not contain any specific actions that they would take jointly against China. There are also major differences among G7 officials on policies toward China, with some European officials clearly concerned about a potential trade war against China. "Trade wars are all about losing, you can't win them," Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner told reporters, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire also said it was important to avoid a trade war with China, which remains "our economic partner," even though the minister also repeated claims of "unfair trade practices," Reuters reported. The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt also said his country won't rush to impose measures, according to Bloomberg. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to meet a select few monks from different religious organizations at Sarada Maas house in Bagbazar on 28 May. After holding a public meeting in Baruipur, the Prime Minister will go to Bagbazar as per the schedule. The Prime Minister is returning to the state with a two-day programme ahead of the seventh phase of voting. According to sources, the Prime Minister will not be doing a roadshow in south Kolkata. He is scheduled to visit Sarada Maas house in Bagbazar around 5 p.m. on 28 May. The PMs schedule indicates that he will stay at Sarada Bhavan for about 40 minutes. According to sources, the Prime Minister is supposed to meet a few monks at the venue in Bagbazar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have only one roadshow in Kolkata. On 28-29 May, the Prime Minister will hold three political meetings and a roadshow. He will hold one meeting in North 24-Parganas and two meetings in South 24-Parganas. On 28 May, the Prime Minister will hold a political meeting at Ashoknagar in North 24-Parganas from 2.30 p.m. Later that day, he will hold a meeting in Baruipur, South 24-Parganas from 4 p.m. PM Modis possible visit at Bagbazar Sarada Maas is being considered as political one after thousands of monks and devotees on Friday descended on the streets of Kolkata in protest against the remarks by chief minister Mamata Banerjee directed at certain religious orders and monks. The monks walked barefoot from the house of Sarada Maas house in Bagbazar area of north Kolkata to the house of Swami Vivekananda located on Shimla Street. During an election rally in Hooghly district, the chief minister had commented against religious orders like Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Ramakrishna Mission and ISKCON. Advertisement Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee urged the people of Basirhat to give a befitting reply to the saffron party that had lowered the prestige of the people of Bengal before the country. He was addressing a gathering at Baduria this afternoon. The area falls under the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat. The Trinamul Congress has fielded Haji Nurul Islam, while the BJP has fielded Rekha Patra. Trinamul Congress had won the seat by a huge margin in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The election in Basirhat Lok Sabha seat will be held on 1 June, along with Barasat, Kolkata South and North, Dum Dum, Jadavpur, Mathurapur, Jaynagar and Diamond Harbour. Mr Banerjee said that on 4 May a video clip was released that showed how the BJP leaders had hatched a conspiracy to defame Trinamul leaders in the area. The mandal president of the BJP, Gangadhar Kayal, was heard saying that the women of Sandeshkhali had not been abused or raped, and the whole plot was engineered just to defame Trinamul. Just think of the mentality of the BJP. They can stoop down to any level just to win an election. They have lowered the prestige of Bengal in the eyes of the entire country, so do not forgive them. Defeat them handsomely in the election. The election here will be held on 1 June and ensure that our candidate Nurul wins by more than 3.5 lakh votes. Mr Banerjee reiterated that he would win the Diamond Harbour seat by more than 4 lakh votes. Advertisement Throwing a challenge to Rekha Patra, the BJP candidate from the seat, Mr Banerjee said, I challenge you to ask any of your leaders from Delhi who come here to take part in a debate to tell the people what work the Centre has done in the past 10 years; you fix up the date and time, and rest assured, I will score 10 goals, he maintained. Coming down heavily on Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, he said, Just think of their audacity. They want 35 seats with the intention of toppling an elected government in Bengal. They are not talking about development. Their sole purpose is to topple the government. I assure you that it will not be easy. The people of Bengal will defeat you in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in such a way that you will not dare come here and speak lies in the future. He instructed the party leaders and workers to stand by the people and give them essential relief. We are always with you. You may not find us in good times, but in times of need, rest assured that our party leaders and workers will be by your side, he said. Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee today urged the people not to vote for the BJP, which has not paid the dues of Bengal deliberately. We have been deprived deliberately. The job card holders of the MGNREGA scheme did not get their dues. We have paid the money to 59 lakh workers. They have not paid the money under the Awas Plus scheme. We will pay the first instalment to the people by 31 December, she said. Coming down heavily on Narendra Modi, she said, He (Modi) is saying that he has been sent by God to serve people. What has he done? In the past 10 years, they have sold the country. He has spoken a garbage of lies. Through advertisements, lies have been highlighted, she said, adding, Modi has not said a single word on unemployment. The students at IIT have failed to get jobs. Not a single word on unemployment or price rise, and he is speaking to divide society. He is setting one community against the other. He is demeaning the OBC, SCs, STs, and Muslims. She was speaking at Barabhuter Math, which falls under the Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat. Trinamul has fielded Saayoni Ghosh, president of the Trinamul Youth Congress. Trinamul won the seat in 2019. The election here will be held on 1 June. Calling Modi an expert in acting, she said, have you ever seen any God taking part in an election? Have you ever seen a God speak lies? Do not forgive him and defeat him handsomely, she said. She reiterated that the INDIA bloc is coming to Delhi. Once we come to power, we will scrap the CAA, NRC and Uniform Civil Code that have been made just to divide people. They believe only in division. They believe in oppression. We, on the contrary, believe in inclusiveness. We love all and respect all. Miss Banerjee said, From some corners, notices have been generated asking the people living in the colonies to suspend construction. As the Land Reforms Minister, I have not issued the notice. It must have been issued by an officer having allegiance to CPIM. Coming down heavily on the CPIM, she said, For 34 years, the CPIM oppressed people. Now, their cadres have joined the BJP to unleash terror. In Sonachura yesterday, in some booths, they did not allow our polling agents to sit. I will take the necessary steps, she said. She said the BJP has bought the media, which did not show the terror unleashed by the BJP and CPIM. If we had created trouble, the media would have shown this throughout the day. Now, they are quiet as they show incidents that the BJP instructs them to show. Miss Banerjee said CPIM had brought all the chit funds, including Sarada. We were arrested, and the CPIM leaders were never touched. They have so much audacity that they want to topple the Bengal government, she said. She urged Trinamul leaders to work together, and if anyone is engaged in anti-party activities, stringent action will be taken against the person. Work together and ensure the victory of Saayoni, she told her party leaders and workers. Advertisement JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. State Rep. Ben Bakers daughter and son-in-law were both killed in Haiti after being attacked by gangs, the southwest Missouri legislator said early Friday on his Facebook page. Baker, of Neosho, Missouri, said the two Davy and Natalie Lloyd worked as full-time missionaries in Haiti, the Caribbean country where gangs have taken over most of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. Ive never felt this kind of pain, Baker said on social media. They went to Heaven together. Please pray for my family; we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well. I have no other words for now. The nonprofit Missions in Haiti Inc. called for urgent prayer in a Thursday night Facebook post. This evening when Davy, Natalie and the kids were coming out of Youth at the church they were ambushed by a gang of 3 trucks full of guys, the post said. Davy was taken to the house tied up and beat, the post said. The gang then took our trucks and loaded everything up they wanted and left. Another gang came after to see what was going on and if they could help, so they say, the post said. It continued that no one understood what they were doing, not sure what took place. The post said one was shot and killed and the gang went into full attack mode. Davy, Natalie and Jude was in my house at the end of the property using the Starlink internet to call me, the post said. So they are holed up in there, the gangs has shot all the windows out of the house and continue to shoot. Their lives are in danger. A later post, at 12:22 a.m. Friday, referenced three fatalities: Davy and Natalie and Jude (a worker at the orphanage) were shot and killed by the gang about 9 oclock this evening. We all are devastated. The nonprofits Facebook page says the organization was founded in 2000. Its website lists a Claremore, Oklahoma, P.O. box. Baker, according to his Missouri House biography, is a lay minister and former Neosho mayor who has embarked on mission trips to India, Africa and Central America. Baker describes himself as "anti-woke" on his X profile. In the Legislature, among other things, he has pushed for restricting drag performances and blocking state funding for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, called the news "absolutely heartbreaking" on social media Friday morning. "Teresa and I extend our deepest condolences to Rep. @BenBakerMO and Naomi (Baker's wife) and their family," he said on X. "We pray for Natalie and Davys loved ones and that God bring them strength during this most difficult time." Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee's Summit, also extended condolences on social media. "Heartbroken for @BenBakerMO and Naomi, and their sweet daughters. Praying for you all," she said. Indian equity markets closed at an all-time high last week. The Nifty and Sensex hit new peaks on Friday, with the Nifty surpassing the 23,000 mark for the first time. Similarly, the Sensex shot up by 1,400 points to a fresh record high of 75,636.50. Last week, Nifty Bank surged 2 per cent following the announcement by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) of giving a dividend of Rs 2.11 lakh crore to the government. This improved market sentiment significantly. The substantial dividend is expected to help the government reduce its fiscal deficit and boost capital expenditure. Advertisement The outlook for the market next week will be guided by major domestic and global economic data, according to experts. On the global front, rising US bond yields and commodity prices (crude oil, gold, and silver) are the other factors that will be closely monitored, as they have the potential to influence market sentiment. Furthermore, upcoming economic data releases from Japan and the US, along with movements in the global currency market, will also be important factors to consider. On the domestic front, many companies, including some big names like Divislabs, Tata Steel and Apollo hospital will release their financial results next week. Positive earnings reports from the final quarter could provide strength for the market to continue its bullish momentum. According to market experts, we are very close to the Lok Sabha election results and the verdict will give a boost to FII flows. Mehul Kothari, DVP Technical Research, Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers, said: Nifty hit the milestone of 23,000 during Fridays session and ended the week with gains of over 2 per cent. It seems that the market is discounting the BJP government winning the elections with a decent majority. As of now, the index is approaching the higher end of the rising channel placed near 23,100-23,200. Thus, from here on, we will maintain a profit-booking stance in the market, said Kothari. On the downside, 22,800-22,600 seems to be extremely strong support for the coming week, he added. Amid the uncertainty over the results of Lok Sabha elections, leading to volatility in the stock market, global wealth management major UBS foresees BJP retaining a single-party majority. It is expecting policy stability and possible reforms, which could boost Indian markets. However, any unexpected outcome might initially dampen sentiment due to political instability and policy uncertainty, potentially leading to short-term market fluctuations and revisiting pre-NDA equity levels, Swiss-headquartered UBS said. Advertisement Apart from the assumption of the BJP retaining a single-party majority, the brokerage firm also considers three other scenarios. In the first scenario, BJP forms a government with the NDA (> 272 seats), but without a single-party majority. In this case, the markets may be less confident about policy stability, with slower fiscal consolidation. UBS expects a mixed impact on financial markets. The second assumption is that the hung parliament scenario (NDA < 272 seats) could bring higher market uncertainty and prolonged political negotiations. The lag in reform implementation and risks of policy paralysis could negatively impact financial markets. Further stating the third scenario, it said, the government scenario (coalition INDIA > 272 seats) may lead to significant market uncertainty and abrupt policy changes. In this case, reversal of some NDA reforms and sharp knee-jerk reactions in financial markets is anticipated due to government change uncertainty. UBS notes election impact varies but tends to fade over time. They see equity weakness as buying opportunities and view medium- to long-duration bonds favorably, especially if yields rise post-election. Notably, as per the data available with the depositories, the foreign investors have pulled out a massive Rs 22,000 crore from Indian equities so far this month. Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) witnessed a net outflow of Rs 22,047 crore from equities this month, till May 24. Experts have believed that going forward, as clarity emerges on the election front, the FPIs are likely to buy in India, since they cannot afford to miss the post-election results rally. A Delhi Court on Monday sent the owner and doctor on duty of the new born baby care hospital where the ghastly fire incident took place claiming lives of six infants to three days police remand. Two accused owner Naveen Khichi and doctor on duty at the time of the incident Akash were produced before the court on Monday, which sent them to the Delhi Polices custodial remand till May 30. According to sources, the remand has been obtained to carry out a thorough investigation of the entire incident which includes verification of several aspects related to the accused and the medical centre. Advertisement So far in the ongoing investigation, it has been found that the Baby Care New Born Child Hospital has four branches, two in Delhi including Vivek Vihar and Punjabi Bagh, and the other two branches are in Faridabad and Gurugram. Fire incident occurred at around 11 PM on May 25, and Crime and FSL teams reached at the spot and inspected the spot, while the post mortem examination of the seven infants was conducted at GTB Hospital. Several alleged deficiencies have surfaced on part of the medical centre operators. These include having more than licensed beds, missing fighting measures, while it has also been revealed that the registration of the facility had also expired in the month of March. According to police, there were 12 newborns admitted in the centre when the tragedy struck, while one of them had already died before the incident. With the help of fire brigade staff, five infants were rescued from the nursing station and seven infants were found dead in the NICU unit. So far, based on prima facie, the probable cause of the fire is said to be a short circuit, due to which the fire allegedly spread to the oxygen cylinders. It is also suspected that on the ground floor of the facility, the work of oxygen cylinder refilling was also being allegedly carried out. Actor Ali Fazal, who is known for Mizrapur, Fukrey franchise and others has slammed the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune for their double standards on congratulating filmmaker Payal Kapadia, for her historic win at 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Payals film All We Imagine as Light has been feted with the Le Grand Prix award at the film festival. On Sunday, the FTII, Payals Alma Mater congratulated her and her team on their win. Advertisement It is a moment of pride for FTII as its Alumni create history at Cannes. As we witness a phenomenal year for Indian Cinema at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, FTII cherishes the glorious achievements of its Alumni at this Mega International Stage of Cinema, they wrote on X. Ali registered a strong disagreement as he called out FTII. He wrote, Uhhh please dont. Just dont. FTII had earlier initiated disciplinary action against Payal for protesting over the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune back in 2015. The students argued that he didnt have the credibility, owing to his work in B-movies, to head a premier institution like FTII. An FIR was filed against Payal and 34 other students for holding FTII director Prashant Pathrabe captive in his office in 2015. Nicki Minaj, the renowned rapper, recently faced a tumultuous incident in Amsterdam that led to the postponement of her concert there. After being detained by Dutch authorities on suspicion of carrying drugs, Minaj took to social media to express her regret to her fans for the canceled show, part of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour. In a heartfelt video shared online, Minaj conveyed her apologies directly to her supporters, expressing her love for them amidst the unforeseen circumstances. She also took to X to extend her gratitude to those who offered prayers and support during her ordeal, invoking blessings for them. Detailing the events surrounding her arrest and the subsequent cancellation of the Amsterdam show, Minaj shed light on the challenges she faced, including an extended period of time spent in custody and delays in her travel arrangements. Despite her efforts to persevere and perform, she found herself unable to take the stage as planned. Advertisement Minaj didnt shy away from addressing the larger context of the incident, hinting at possible motives behind what she described as repeated attempts to disrupt her tour. She emphasized her determination to overcome the setback and hinted at plans to make it up to her fans, promising an added bonus for those affected by the cancellation. Throughout her posts, Minajs resilience and dedication to her fans shone through, despite the adversity she encountered. She assured fans that her upcoming shows in Birmingham and Manchester would proceed as scheduled, maintaining her commitment to delivering unforgettable performances. The incident, initially captured in an Instagram Live video, unfolded with police officers informing Minaj of her arrest for alleged drug possession. Subsequent interactions with authorities, documented in additional videos, underscored the challenges Minaj faced in navigating the situation. In her candid posts on X, Nicki Minaj hinted at deeper issues at play, suggesting a concerted effort to undermine her success and disrupt her tour. While acknowledging the disappointment caused by the cancellation, she remained steadfast in her resolve to overcome the obstacles and deliver for her fans. As Minaj navigates the aftermath of this incident, her fans stand by her side, eager to see her triumph over adversity and return to the stage stronger than ever. Actor Taha Shah Badussha recently opened up about the triumph of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar and his exhilarating experience at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. In an interview with ANI, Taha expressed heartfelt gratitude to the audience and all who supported him, particularly Bhansali. I am so grateful to the audience for their love and support. Thankful to Bhansali sir, my family, and everyone who supported me. I hope to get more such opportunities, he shared. Tahas first visit to Cannes left a lasting impression. Describing the experience, he said, When I went to Cannes for the first time, my mind was blown. The energy and inspiration were palpable. It motivated me to work even harder each day. Cannes was unforgettable, and I was there to launch my next film, Paro, a project very dear to me. Advertisement Recounting his journey to secure a role in Heeramandi, Taha revealed the persistence and patience it required. I almost chased this role and approached casting director Shruti Mahajan for an audition. After 15 months, I finally got a call for an audition. Initially, it was a small role, but I was happy just to work with Sanjay sir. However, Bhansali had different plans. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in) Bhansali saw something special in Taha Shah Badussha and decided to offer him a more significant role. He told Shruti not to give me the small role but to cast me as Balraj. I was overjoyed. But then, just as I was about to sign the contract, I got a call that sir had changed his mind. I feared losing the opportunity, but to my surprise, Bhansali sir saw something in my look test and offered me the lead role of Tajdar Baloch. Tahas portrayal of Tajdar Baloch has been a defining moment in his career. He spoke fondly of the character, describing Tajdar as a figure of nobility, kindness, and determination. Playing Tajdar is a dream come true. Im immensely thankful to Bhansali sir for this incredible opportunity. Working with such a talented cast has been an honor and a tremendous learning experience. I believe audiences will resonate with Tajdars story of love and patriotism. A self-proclaimed disciple of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Tahas admiration for the actor is evident. I am not just a fan; I am like his disciple. I love him. Heeramandi boasts a stellar ensemble cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Sehgal, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman. Set during Indias struggle for independence in the 1940s, the series explores the intricate lives of courtesans and their patrons in Heera Mandi, reflecting the cultural dynamics of the era. Streaming on Netflix, Heeramandi has captivated audiences with its rich storytelling and powerful performances, solidifying Taha Shah Badusshas place in the spotlight. In the midst of a significant influx of Myanmarese nationals fleeing persecution, Mizoram police have seized 3.4 kilograms of heroin worth Rs 1 crore at Selesih, near Aizawl. The contraband was discovered in the possession of CT Liana, a 25-year-old Myanmar national and resident of Tahan in Myanmar. Following his arrest, Liana was remanded to police custody for 72 hours for further questioning, according to official sources. Advertisement The seizure highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Mizoram as it grapples with both a humanitarian crisis and issues of drug trafficking. The local market value of the seized heroin underscores the scale of the drug trafficking problem in the region. In recent days, more than 1,390 Myanmarese nationals have crossed into Mizoram, seeking refuge from the violent clashes between armed forces and civil militia groups in Myanmar. These refugees, primarily from the Chin State, have found sanctuary in various villages across Mizoram. Since the military coup in February 2021, which ousted the democratically elected government of Myanmar, Mizoram has become a critical refuge for those escaping the ensuing violence. The state shares a 510-kilometre border with Myanmars Chin State, making it a natural destination for fleeing civilians. The Union Home Ministry has recently decided to end the free movement regime with Myanmar, implementing a fence along the border. This decision has been met with strong opposition from the Mizoram government. The Mizoram State Assembly passed a resolution against the central governments decision, emphasising the deep cultural and ethnic ties shared between the people of Mizoram and the refugees from Myanmar. Mizoram officials argue that the refugees share a common ethnic identity with the local population, referring to them as ethnic brothers. This cultural connection is a significant factor in the states response to the refugee crisis. Currently, over 35,000 Myanmar nationals are sheltered across various districts in Mizoram. The state government, along with local communities, has been actively providing support to these refugees despite limited resources and the additional strain on local infrastructure. The ongoing crisis in Myanmar and the subsequent influx of refugees into Mizoram underscore the complex interplay of humanitarian concerns, ethnic solidarity, and security challenges. The state continues to navigate these challenges while providing refuge to those in need. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the BJP is about to cross 400 seats, while the Congress is going to be limited to 40 seats and it is not going to be even four for Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party. On June 4, Rahul Baba will hold a press conference and say that BJP has won because of EVMs, he quipped. When you made Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for the second time, the work of building Ram temple in Ayodhya was done. This election is between those who open fire on Ram devotees and those who build Ram temple, he said. Advertisement Shah was addressing an election meeting organized at Haldirampur in Belthara Road of Salempur Lok Sabha in Ballia on Monday. While attacking the opposition, he said these people want to make their son and nephew the Chief Minister and Prime Minister. Lalu wants to make his son the Prime Minister, Sonia wants to make her son the Prime Minister. Only that person can do good for you who has a family of 130 crore . He is Narendra Modi, he claimed. Shah said that the previous governments in UP had closed the sugar mills. We started sugar mills, he said. Rahul and Akhilesh are spreading the lie that if Modi becomes Prime Minister for the third time, they will end reservation. I guarantee as long as Modi remains the Prime Minister reservation will not end, he stressed. He said, I know the result of the five phase elections, do you people want to know. After hearing yes from the public, he said that PM Modi is working to form the government by crossing 310 in five phases. The sixth and seventh are for crossing the 400-mark. Will you make the people of Salempur cross 400, will you make Modi ji the Prime Minister for the third time. There is a lotus symbol in front of the name of Salempur BJP candidate Ravindra Kushwaha, Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister as soon as he presses the button on it, he appealed to the people. Amit Shah said that PM Narendra Modi did the work of building the Ram temple which was stalled during the Congress government for 70 years. Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked the people present in the meeting whether those who opened fire on Ram devotees would vote for the people of Samajwadi Party and Congress. Whether Pakistan and Kashmir belong to India or not. The crowd said yes. So Amit Shah said, Congress says do not ask for Pakistan and Kashmir, they have atom bomb.Hey Rahul baba you are afraid of atom bomb, BJP is not afraid. Pakistan and Kashmir belong to India and will always remain so. We will take it back , he announced. Kangana Ranaut, BJPs Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi, while taking a dig at the opposition, said on Monday that flop rally, flop leaders, and flop guarantee are the story of the Congress. During a rally in Balh Assembly under Mandi parliamentary constituency, she claimed that after June 4, internal conflicts will surface among the Congress leaders and the INDIA bloc. Advertisement The Congress leaders would blame Mallikarjun Kharge for their defeat, while the Gandhi family would go on vacation, she claimed. Targeting Rahul Gandhi, she claimed that his recent rally at Una was as flop as his political career. His promises are false and will remain unfulfilled, as Rahul is aware that neither will Congress form the government at the Centre nor will there be any need to justify the guarantees. She alleged of unmet guarantees of the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, including financial assistance for women, procurement prices for cow dung and milk, job creation, and free electricity. Attacking the appeasement politics of Congress, Kangna Ranaut accused Congress and its allies of depriving Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes of reservation rights in minority institutions. Citing the order of Calcutta High Court, she said that the decision of the West Bengal government was overturned to include several Muslim groups in the OBC list. Calling the Congress and its allies as anti-reservation, she alleged that if they come to power they will end reservation and distribute the same on the basis of religion. She highlighted the achievements of the Modi government, including the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and the successful evacuation of Indians through Operation Ganga. Ranaut asserted that under Prime Minister Modis leadership, India has become a global superpower. The Gujarat government on Monday shunted out five officials, including Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava and two other IPS officers, after a massive fire at a game zone facility killed 28 people, including four children. Bhargava has been replaced by IPS officer Brijesh Kumar Jha. Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration, Traffic and Crime) Vidhi Choudhary and DCP-Zone 2 Sudhirkumar J Desai have also been transferred, officials said. Advertisement According to police, the gaming zone did not have the required fire safety clearance from the citys municipal corporation at the time of the incident. While the gaming zone owners had submitted bills to the police for fire safety equipment and claimed to have installed such equipment on the premises, the process for obtaining the necessary Fire NOC (No Objection Certificate) was underway, but had not been completed. It is suspected that the fire might have started due to a short circuit, but officials said that the exact cause will be known only after a probe. The action comes a day after Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the site and instructed the officials to take strict action against those responsible for the horrific incident. The police have arrested the gaming zones owner Yuvraj Singh Solanki, and his manager Nitin Jain, under various charges, including culpable homicide. An FIR has also been registered against four other accused under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 114 (abettor present when offense is committed) of the Indian Penal Code, a police official said. The six individuals against whom the case was registered by the Rajkot taluka police in the wee hours of Sunday are Dhaval Corporation proprietor Dhaval Thakkar, Raceway Enterprise partners Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja, Prakashchand Hiran, Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod. The state government has also formed a five-member SIT to probe the incident. Rajkot Mayor Nayna Pedhadiya had earlier confirmed the absence of a fire NOC. We will investigate how such a big game zone was functioning without a fire NOC and we are witnessing the consequences of it. No politics will be allowed over this issue, she asserted. Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the SIT has been asked to submit the report at the earliest. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday cautioned people against the manifesto of the INDI alliance, emphasising their alleged intention to confine daughters and women to their homes. He stated, However, they fail to recognize that this nation operates under the Constitution of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. We will not tolerate the revival of the deplorable practice of triple talaq in our country. Adityanath addressed a public meeting organised for the Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency of Mau on Monday, where he urged voters to support Lok Sabha candidate Dr Arvind Rajbhar. Advertisement Continuing his criticism of the opposition, he remarked, We must be wary of the INDI alliance, as they proclaim that if they come to power, they will impose inheritance tax. This tax is akin to Aurangzebs Jizya tax. Moreover, they declare that if they assume power, they will enforce personal laws, indicating their desire to implement Talibani and Sharia law in the country. He emphasised that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the nations stature and the dignity of every Indian have risen globally over the past decade. Consequently, the slogan of Fir ek bar Modi Sarkar aur Abki bar 400 paar reverberates throughout the country, he stressed. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remarked that the fate of the country has undergone significant transformation in the past 10 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He highlighted that there was now a better security environment prevailing in the nation, with major development projects underway across the country. Furthermore, under the guidance of Modi ji, the rights of the poor are being upheld. Free ration facilities are being extended to 80 crore impoverished individuals in the country. Additionally, 60 crore people are benefiting from health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat. As many as 12 crore farmers benefit from the Kisan Samman Nidhi, and toilets have been constructed in 12 crore households. All this is achievable due to Prime Minister Narendra Modis visionary leadership, he emphasised. The CM further stated that starting from June 4, every elderly person above 70 years of age in the country will be provided with an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per year. The Congress and Samajwadi Party have a negative mindset. They stand against Lord Ram and the nation, denying Dalits and backward communities their rights. Now, they have set their sights on reservations for OBC castes, he remarked. The CM continued, There is talk of breaching OBC reservations and allocating them to Muslims, but we will not allow this to happen. These rights belong to the OBC caste, and we will not permit them to be usurped. CM Adityanath highlighted that Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had asserted that religion cannot be the basis of reservation. He claimed that these parties aim to once again divide the country along religious lines, but the public has discerned their intentions. Hence, the public asserts that Jo Ram ko laaye hain hum unko layenge, he pointed out. A meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc is scheduled to be held on June 1 ahead of the Lok Sabha election results. Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to chair the meeting at his residence here. The meeting will be attended by top leaders of the INDIA bloc. INDIA bloc meeting will be held on 1st June at 3 pm at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital, sources said here on Monday. Advertisement It is likely that during the meeting, the leaders of the opposition parties will deliberate on a wide range of issues, including to build strategy for the post-election results. Notably, the date of the meeting coincides with the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha election, which is the last phase of the general election. The meeting will also be held a day before Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who is out on bail in the alleged liquor scam, is scheduled to surrender and return to Tihar jail. AAP is one the constituents of the INDIA bloc. The principal opposition party Congress, as part of the INDIA alliance, has teamed up with the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the ongoing Lok Sabha election to oust the ruling BJP. Top Opposition leaders including Congress president Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi exuded confidence that they would oust the ruling BJP in this general elections. In the last five phases, dictatorial forces suffered a major setback, voices of panic are at their peak, Kharge said during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on 25th May, in an apparent attack on BJP. Gandhi had claimed that in the first five phases of voting, people rejected lies, hatred and propaganda and gave priority to grassroots issues related to their life. The Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases between 19th April and 1st June. The seventh phase of voting is scheduled to take place on 1st June. The results will be declared on 4th June. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said he has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an extension on medical grounds of his interim bail by seven days to undergo tests as there could be some serious disease. Kejriwal had got interim bail from the Supreme Court till June 1 in a money laundering case connected to the alleged excise policy scam. Addressing a press conference alongwith Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Bhatinda, the Delhi Chief Minister said, My weight has fallen a lot. If a persons weight falls by 7 kg in a month without any reason, then it is a very serious problem. So the doctors have prescribed several tests. Advertisement Kejriwal said he has asked for 7 days so that he can get all his medical tests done within a week. I have asked for 7 days so that I can get all my tests done within a week, the Delhi Chief Minister said. There could be some serious disease going on inside, he said. The doctors said that if all the tests are done then at least we will know whether some serious disease is going on inside or not, Kejriwal said. Kejriwal has filed an application before the top court seeking a seven-day extension of interim bail to undergo medical examinations, including a PET-CT scan. The top court had ordered the release of CM Kejriwal on interim bail in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam case till June 1 and directed him to surrender on June 2. As per the Aam Aadmi Party, Kejriwals health has deteriorated since he was arrested in the alleged Delhi excise scam. The party has said the Delhi Chief Minister has lost 7 kg in weight after his arrest and his Ketone levels are also very high indicating a serious medical disorder. The party has further said the CM was required to do medical tests and seven days were needed for this. Meanwhile, Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi said Kejriwals weight loss is a matter of concern for doctors. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has filed for a seven-day extension of his interim bail. When he was in ED custody, judicial custody, he lost seven kg of weight. This sudden weight loss is a matter of concern for doctors. Despite being out of custody and under medical supervision, he has not been able to regain that weight again, Atishi said. She said the early test indicated high ketone levels which could be the indicator of some serious medical ailments. Early tests have indicated that his ketone levels are extremely high. Unexplained sudden weight loss along with high ketone levels could be the indicator of some serious medical ailments, including damage to the kidneys, including cancer. Therefore doctors have suggested that he needs to have a set of series of investigations including a PET scan of his entire body and other such serious tests, the AAP leader said. BJP president J P Nadda alleged that politics that in the past was dominated by a divide-and-rule strategy based on religion, caste, and region, where politicians used to seek votes from everyone but once in power, focused on benefiting only a specific group. Uttar Pradesh exemplified such tactics of caste-based appeasement. However, PM Modi has eradicated that culture and promoted development-focused politics with the mantra of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas. These two political discourses explain the difference between the situation right now and 10 years ago. Today, people believe that the nation is progressing forward and progressing with the vision of Viksit Bharat and June 1next is the day to lay foundation for that by blessing BJP. He said a decade ago, after delivering speeches in India, leaders from any country would diplomatically use terms that invariably mentioned both India and Pakistan. However, today, no global leader discusses Pakistan in relation to India. During Manmohan Singhs visits to Washington, he would recount tales of terrorists and enumerate threats. In contrast, Narendra Modi has asserted that there is no imminent danger as India is adept at handling its affairs. From conducting surgical strikes and airstrikes to now taking action within Pakistans borders, India demonstrates its resolve, he claimed. Advertisement Addressing the delegates at Vidwak Baithak here in PMs constituency, Nadda highlighted that today, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits, he not only receives invitations as a state guest but also special invitations to the White House. The discussions have shifted from Pakistan and terrorism to Indias contributions to semiconductor technology and space research. Amidst the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the PM reiterated the principle of nation first and Indias stance remained firm. The BJP president admitted that working with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a matter of pride. Today, prime minister is a prominent figure on the world stage, and the origin and source of that personality is Kashi. Ten years ago, India was considered one of the corrupt nations and was not seen as a leading country. The most significant issue was the prevalent mindset among the common people that the political landscape in India was unchangeable. Indifference in public opinion poses a threat to democracy. However, over the past 10 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instilled faith in the common people, leading us to progress on the path of Viksit Bharat, he claimed. The BJP national president emphasised that Narendra Modi has clearly expressed that India would neither look up to anyone nor look down upon anyone, but would engage with all nations on an equal footing. Whether its the president of the United States or the president of China, India represents its 140 crore citizens and will interact with them at the same level. Indias representation spans across various international forums such as QUAD, BRICS, I2U2, G7, G20, and SCO, and it often receives invitations to represent at other global platforms as well. Reflecting on healthcare advancements, he said earlier timelines for vital vaccines and medicines to reach India were significantly prolonged. For instance, the Tetanus vaccine took 25 to 28 years, Diphtheria medicine took 30 years, Tuberculosis medicine took 30 years, and Japanese encephalitis medicine, developed in 1906 in Japan, arrived in India only in 2005, marking a delay of a century in its accessibility to Indian citizens. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, it caught everyone off guard. Within a span of 9 months, Indias scientists developed two vaccines. The government swiftly distributed 220 crore doses to its 140 crore citizens, including booster doses, fortifying the nation against the pandemic. Notably, Indias vaccination certificates are digital, unlike the paper ones issued in some other countries like America. Indias vaccination campaign emerged as the world largest and fastest, with vaccines reaching 100 countries, and 48 nations receiving them free of cost, he said. The Supreme court on Monday refused to interfere with May 22, Calcutta High Court order prohibiting Bharatiya Janata Party from publishing advertisements in the ongoing general election, that are derogatory to All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), noting that the BJP advertisements against TMC were prima facie disparaging. Describing the BJP advertisements in the ongoing general election targeting TMC as disparaging, a vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and K V Viswanathan said, This is not in the interests of the voter. This will degenerate, and Dont precipitate the issue, we are not inclined to interfere. Taking exception to the advertisements that were published by the BJP eventually inviting the clamp down by the Calcutta High Court, Justice Viswanathan said, We have seen the advertisements. Prima Facie, the advertisements are disparaging. You can say you are the bestbutwe dont want to lend our hands to promote further acrimony. Advertisement Finding that the top court was not inclined to interfere with the High court order by a Division Bench, which had reaffirmed the order passed by the single judge restraining BJP from publishing derogatory advertisements against TMC, senior advocate P S Patwalia, appearing for the BJP, sought to withdraw the petition. Permitting Patwalia to withdraw the petition, the bench said that BJP can contest the case before the single-judge of the High Court. Petitioner is given liberty to contest the notices issued against them through counter affidavits which shall be considered in accordance with law, the bench said dismissing the petition as withdrawn, with Justice Viswanathan observing, Your rival is not an enemy. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi assisted by advocate Amit Anand Tiwari appeared for the Trinamool Congress. On last Friday May 24 the BJP had approached the top court challenging the Calcutta High Court order restraining it from publishing any kind of derogatory advertisements against the Trinamool Congress which violated the model code of conduct during the ongoing general election to Lok Sabha. The BJP had challenged the May 22, 2024, order of the Division Bench of Calcutta High Court refusing to interfere with a single-judge order directing the BJP not to publish any advertisement violating the Model Code of Conduct during the Lok Sabha election. While refusing to interfere with the single judge order, the division bench had observed that a Laxman Rekha should be adhered to and there should not be any personal attack on the part of any political party. The division bench had also underlined that it was imperative that all political parties follow healthy electoral practices, as the ultimate victim of misleading electoral campaigns was the voter. The BJP had contended before the division bench that the single judge passed the order without giving it any hearing. AAP Rajya Sabha MP and former DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal broke down on Monday during a hearing on bail of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals aide Bibhav Kumar, accused of assaulting her at the CM residence. Ms Maliwal told the court that there is a threat to her life if Kumar is granted bail. She has alleged that Kumar slapped her on the face several times and kicked her on the stomach and pelvis area. Advertisement Three days after the assault, she had lodged an FIR against Kumar, following which he was arrested reportedly from inside the CM house on May 18. Questioning the Delhi Polices investigation in the case, Bibhav Kumars counsel told the court that Ms Maliwal trespassed the CM house and an FIR was registered against him (his client). She directly entered the Chief Ministers residence. This amounts to trespass. This is a Chief Ministers home, can anyone come like this? She was asked to wait outside, but she barged and crossed the security zone. Being an MP gives you the licence to do anything. This is trespass, and the FIR is against us. What kind of investigation is this? he told the court. She came with something in her mind, she had premeditated thoughts before coming. She kept asking security personnel if they had spoken to Bibhav Kumar, he added. The lawyer said that Kumar was responsible for the Chief Ministers security and he had to ask why she was allowed inside. He has to ask, as he is answerable for the Chief Ministers security. Security personnel then went inside and with all respect, she was escorted outside. She was walking out of the place normally. There was no hesitation seen, he said. The lawyer further questioned the delay on part of Ms Maliwal in filing the police complaint. She did not file any complaint that day. She did it three days later. She was the DCW chief, she was well aware of her rights. If her rights were violated, she should have filed the complaint immediately. Why the delay of three days, the lawyer said. Claiming the entire FIR against Kumar is an afterthought, the lawyer said that he is seeking bail and not the acquittal. I am only seeking bail. I am not seeking acquittal or discharge but bail. Everything was preplanned to suit the story, he added. Once a political battle field of Bandit Queen of Chambal Phoolan Devi, who won the seat twice as Samajwadi Party nominee, and deadly dacoit Daduas brother, who won in 2009 on SP ticket, Mirzapur Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing a triangular contest in this elections where polling is scheduled for June 1. Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Apna Dal ( Sonelal) president Anupriya Patel is pitted against the present BJP MP from Bhadohi & SP candidate Ramesh Bind, and Bahujan Samaj Partys Manish Tiwari in this election. Anupriya is trying to make a hat-trick from the seat after winning it in 2014 and 2019, riding on the Modi wave. Advertisement However this time she seems to be stuck in the caste maze. After being denied ticket from the BJP, the SP has tried its best to stop Anupriyas Vijayrath by fielding sitting Bhadohi BJP MP Ramesh Bind from this seat. At the same time, the BSP has tried to corner Anupriya by fielding Brahmin face Manish Tiwari to tap the upper caste vote bank. Experts feel that this time Anupriyas victory is not as easy as it was in the earlier elections. Mirzapur Lok Sabha constituency, known for Vindhyavasini temple, after separation from Bhadohi in 2009, turned to become Kurmi dominated and due to this, the caste equation here has been favourable for Apna Dal (Soneylal). Keeping this equation in mind, the BJP had given Mirzapur seat to its ally Apna Dal (S) in 2014 and repeated it in 2019. But, this time the SP-Congress alliance has made the fight interesting by fielding a candidate from Bind caste. It is believed that Anupriya will have to work harder this time to break the caste cycle. Candidates from both the parties are trying to defeat each other with the help of their respective castes, other backward and Dalit . However, the strength of the beneficiary class created due to the welfare schemes of the Central and State Governments may provide some edge to Anupriya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have campaigned in favour of Anupriya while SP President Akhilesh Yadav too has addressed election meetings here.Therefore the election picture is almost clear. The election battle seems to be narrowing between Anupriya and Ramesh Bind. However, Anupriya is definitely facing some challenges due to BSPs Manish Tiwari making a dent in the upper caste vote bank. However, the mood of Dalit voters is not clear yet. If BSP is successful in pulling to their side, then the margin of victory and defeat may reduce for Anupriya. At the same time, the SP is also trying to convince and persuade them on the issue of ending reservation and the Constitution. If the SP is successful in its attempts, Anupriyas challenges will increase further. A new factor has also emerged in Mirzapur after Anupriyas statement against Kunda MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya as the resentment of his supporters can also pose a challenge to Anupriya. There are also a good number of Kshatriya voters in this seat. Being a BJP cadre vote bank, Kshatriya has been with Anupriya in the last two elections, but due to the latest political statements, there is some resentment among them. The issue of development is also hot in Mirzapur Lok Sabha constituency. While the ruling party is trying to convince the public by presenting various development figures, the opposition is raising the issue of the collapse of the famous pottery industry of carpet and brass of Chunar. People engaged in Chunars pottery business alleged that no political party or leader has paid attention to the proper development of this place. Whatever small industries left, are on the verge of closure today. Talking about the temperament of this seat, bandit beauty Phoolan Devi had won it twice on the SP symbol while dreaded dacoit Daduas brother Bal Kumar Patel also won the election once on the SP ticket only. Since 1952, the Congress has won here seven times and SP four times. Whereas the BSP, the BJP and Apna Dal (S) have won twice each, Bharatiya Jan Sangh, Janata Party and Janata Dal have won once each. In the 2022 assembly elections, the saffron flag was hoisted in Mirzapur Sadar, Chunar and Madihan. Whereas, Majhwan is in the account of Nishad Party and Chhanbe (reserved) seat was won by Apna Dal (S). Therefore, to change the electoral equation in its favour, Apna Dal (S) has to work less while the SP will have to strive harder. Anupriya had won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by a margin of 2,32,008 votes by securing 53.34 percent vote share. Anupriya got 5,91,564 votes, while SPs Ramcharitra Nishad bagged 3,59,556 votes. Whereas Lalitesh Pati Tripathi of Congress had to be content with only 91,501 votes. In 2014 polls, Anupriya won by a margin of over 2.20 lakh votes over BSPs Samudra Bind. As per the caste calculation among the 18.97 lakh voters in the constituency , Dalit has the highest number of 4.80 lakh voters followed by 3.50 lakh Kurmis, 1.55 lakh Brahmins, 1.50 lakh Vaishyas, 85,000 Yadavs , 1.20 lakh Mauryas , 90,000 Kshatriyas and 1.45 lakh Binds. Emphasising the need to develop a fitness culture in India, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, on Monday, called for promoting medicinal and herbal plants at the Panchayat level. Stressing the need to protect biodiversity and traditional knowledge for future generations, Dhankhar said every village should be involved in the pious task of making the country health-conscious. We must focus on medicinal and herbal plants at the Panchayat level. At the end of the day, the plants will converge into a laboratory to give us what is our basic need, he added. Addressing the 18th Foundation Day celebrations of ICMR National Institute of Traditional Medicine (NITM), Belagavi in Karnataka, the vice-president dwelt at length on the importance of a fitness culture in the country to make every Indian fit and healthy, and able to contribute positively to Indias march towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047. Advertisement He underlined the need to focus on what is already with our knowledge, our wisdom when it comes to health. Acknowledging Indias rich tapestry of traditional medicine, encompassing Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Yoga, which he called a testament to the profound wisdom of our ancestors, he said, They embody a perfect blend of science, philosophy, and spirituality, emphasizing the harmonious balance between mind, body, and spirit and nature. Lauding the efforts of the researchers of the NITM to find affordable solutions to many a modern-day disease, the vice-president appealed to the corporate and public leaders to do everything possible to support research and development. Please come forward; use your CSR to promote research, development, innovation, and start-ups. Theyll do us a great good, he urged. After the NITM event, Dhankar delivered the Convocation Address at the KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, deemed to be University, Belagavi. Describing the Convocation as a milestone and an unforgettable moment in the life of every student and teacher, he asked the students to never stop learning. It is a myth that learning stops when you get a degree. Always keep learning; it has to be your most stable companion, he said. Exhorting the students to always keep the nation first, he asked them not to be guided by fiscal considerations while serving humanity at large. Fiscal considerations have to take a backstage. Service has to be your primary motto, he told them. Referring to our millennia-old civilization, Dhankhar said no other country can rival our civilizational ethos. At present, Bharat is the fastest developing major economy on the globe. Our march is sustainable and for the welfare of the entire humanity, he underlined. Addressing the graduating students, the vice president said their high academic qualifications would be an asset to the country and make them an integral part of Indias development story. Urging the students to catalyse big change for a Viksit Bharat @ 2047, he wanted them to ensure that India regains its past glory and becomes the most developed Nation in the world by the year 2047. The vice president advised the students not to be scared of failure and to keep working for the betterment of society. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that the end of mafia culture in the state has resulted in large-scale investment flow into its Purvanchal region, adding that the projects being set up in the region will facilitate jobs for a large number of youths from the region. Addressing a public meeting at Mohammadabad in favour of party candidate Neeraj Shekhar from Ballia Lok Sabha seat, the Chief Minister took a dig at the Samajwadi Party, pointing out that while the party vowed to kill the poor, he has resolved to eliminate the mafia from Uttar Pradesh and has succeeded also in this pursuit. He added: After Ayodhya and Kashi, we are preparing to head towards Mathura. While paying heartfelt tribute to the revolutionaries, he emphasized the numerous aspirations of the late Krishna Anand Rai for Mohammadabad region. Advertisement Rai was deeply concerned about the areas development and consistently worked towards achieving this goal. Yet, whenever leaders like Krishna Anand Rai endeavoured to foster development, they fell victim to mafia violence. Rather than expressing condolence on Krishna Anand Rais tragic demise, these people protected murderers. And now, they are lamenting the death of the mafia, he remarked. The Chief Minister stated: Along with Krishna Anand Rai, Shyam Shankar Rai, Ramesh Rai, Ramesh Patel, Munna Yadav, and others were brutally murdered. At that time, the state was under the SP government and the central government was led by the Congress. Whenever these two parties come together, chaos follows. We cannot afford to let such chaos happen again. Yogi said that the SP and Congress should be reminded whether Munna Yadav and Ramesh Patel, who were killed by mafias like Mukhtar, were not from backward castes. Was Pooja Pals husband Raju Pal and Jaya Pals husband Umesh Pal in Prayagraj not from backward castes? Their resolve was to kill the poors sons, and ours is to eradicate the mafias, he quipped. Yogi Adityanath said that people should be proud of living in an environment that was envisioned by the first freedom fighters of the country, Mangal Pandey and Chittu Pandey. PM Modi is making efforts to realise the dreams of Krishna Anand Rai, who was concerned about the development of Mohammadabad. PM Modi is also fulfilling the aspirations of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar regarding the region, he remarked. Today, wherever we go in the country, we encounter the same sentiment and determination. People are saying, Fir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar, Abki Baar, 400 Paar. Its a cause of concern for the SP, which is contesting only 60-62 seats. Furthermore, they have given tickets to Yadavs from a single family, he added. The Chief Minister said that he brought Nirahua from Mumbai and entrusted him with the responsibility of Azamgarh. Since Nirahua became an MP, Azamgarh has witnessed the establishment of an airport, a university, the Purvanchal Expressway, a medical college, a nursing college, and a music college, Yogi asserted, pointing out that wWhen competent individuals are elected, development naturally follows. Hitting out at the opposition, Yogi stated that the Congress, in its manifesto, declares that if they come to power, they will implement personal law. This means daughters would be deprived of education, women wouldnt be able to go out, and they would have to remain confined to their homes in burqas. However, we will not allow India to be governed by Sharia law or permit a Taliban-like regime to take over, he remarked. Yogi remarked that the Congress promises to impose an inheritance tax if they come to power, proposing a survey of our ancestors properties and allocating half to infiltrators from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. He likened this to Aurangzebs Jizya tax. Today, even a civilized Muslim would not name their son Aurangzeb because he imprisoned his father, denied him water, and killed his brother. Aurangzeb imposed the Jizya tax, demanding conversion to Islam or payment of the tax. We will not allow a return of Aurangzebs practices, Yogi asserted. He concluded, Today, Indias respect has grown on the global stage, and our borders are secure. Terrorism and Naxalism have been eradicated. If even a firecracker goes off loudly, Pakistan feels compelled to offer an explanation. They understand that the new India does not provoke, but it does not hesitate to retaliate. During the SP regime, the ration meant for the poor was consumed by the mafia. Now, 80 crore people receive free rations. PM Modi has lifted more people out of poverty than the entire population of Pakistan. With the kind of weapons that are used commonly in modern warfare, all wars have become extremely destructive. Thus, sincere efforts must be made to avoid all conflicts. The destructive possibilities increase manifold and the risks for humanity become intolerably high when the possibilities of any confrontation between the biggest military powers arise. These powers have arsenals of nuclear weapons as well as other destructive weapons. Any possibility of a clash between the USA and Russia, or between NATO and Russia, is fearsome as the two sides together have close to 11,000 nuclear weapons in their arsenal. If even 5 to 10 per cent of these weapons get used, the world comes very close to annihilation. Ninety nine per cent of humanity and 100 per cent of other forms of life have no role in the creation of this extremely high risk, but they are threatened by this. Is this risk real or imaginary, based on facts or highly exaggerated? The most disturbing news of recent times is that the risk has increased. This risk for humanity and all forms of life can be broken down to two factors. Firstly, what is the possibility that there will be a direct confrontation between the biggest military powers in the near future? Secondly, what is the possibility of nuclear weapons being used in such a confrontation? While there are several potential flashpoints, the risk is the highest in the context of the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. Recent developments have increased the risks. Ukraine has faced several serious reverses in the battlefield. This can either lead to a higher desire for seeking early peace to avoid further harm, or it could lead to mobilizing for a bigger war. The response of Ukraine will depend on its powerful supporters in NATO. Several important NATO members have already responded that they are willing to increase their military support for Ukraine in two important ways. Firstly, they are willing to send their own soldiers to Ukraine. This was first stated by President Macron of France without attracting much support from other NATO members. But subsequently there has been more support from some other NATO members. Advertisement One statement that has attracted much attention recently was reported by the New York Times on May 16 (news report titled NATO considers sending trainers to Ukraine). This report quoted General Charles Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as stating that NATO trainers will eventually be sent to Ukraine and that deployment of NATO trainers seemed inevitable. The newspaper said that such a move could draw the US and Europe more directly into a war with Russia. Another barrier that is being crossed in terms of military support for Ukraine by NATO member countries is that increasingly not only are longer-range weapon systems being supplied, but it is being much more openly stated that there is no condition that these cannot be used for attacking mainland Russia. Clearly this is dangerous escalation and the possibility of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO increases very significantly with this. The second important question that needs to be considered is that if the possibility of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO has increased, has the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons in such a confrontation also increased? At present, Ukraine side has been weakened very considerably in military terms. But we can visualize a different situation with NATO member countries sending soldiers and trainers and supplying deadly long-range attack weapons. Russia will increasingly feel that it faces an existential threat and in such a situation, the Russian nuclear doctrine provides for the use of nuclear weapons. However there is an equal possibility that when NATO senses this possibility, it may choose to establish its advantage by making the first nuclear weapon strike/strikes. Hence the possibility of both sides starting a nuclear weapon war exists, and once it starts no one knows where it will end. While Europe is likely to suffer the most devastation, the entire world can suffer very adverse impacts of radiation. If a large number of nuclear weapons are used, this can herald a nuclear winter threatening all life on the planet. Precisely because the dangers are so extreme, most people believe that the situation will never be allowed to escalate to such an extent by top leaders. But the fact remains that the situation has already been allowed to deteriorate and the worlds confidence is badly shaken. Besides, one should also consider the possibility that dangerous situations can spin out of control unintentionally. Of course, Ukraine is not the only flashpoint. There are other flashpoints like the Middle-east and the possibility of a USA led conflict with China. Hence the situation is a very dangerous one and the best possible efforts should be made to minimize the possibilities of a nuclear war and World War 3. The worlds statesmen, individuals who command respect, should come together to counsel deescalation of tensions. They should set up an international non-partisan team for closely and carefully monitoring the changing situation, issuing timely warnings and suggesting remedial actions. In the slightly longer-term, the non-partisan peace and disarmament movement should be strengthened worldwide as only this can give us true hope for a safer and more peaceful world. (The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril and a Day in 2071.) Chinese premier calls on entrepreneurs to defend stable industrial, supply chains Xinhua) 15:51, May 27, 2024 SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- It is hoped that entrepreneurs will be the defenders of stable global industrial and supply chains, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday. Li made the remarks at the eighth business summit among China, Japan and South Korea. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) The qualitative indicators of development as conceived by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are unique. Monitoring development over time is important in order to improve the lifestyles of the common people. Some typical qualitative indicators are literacy, mortality and morbidity rates, income etc. Consequently, development with a human face and pragmatic analysis of broader dimensions of human well-being circumvent the policy makers. The UNDP over the years has focused on inter-relationships between human development and human rights. It analyses the impact of growth, economic structures, human rights development and reiterates that elimination of poverty should be addressed as a basic entitlement of human rights and definitely should not be perceived as an act of charity. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI), as well as its relevance and importance are well recognized. Consequently the human poverty index (HPI) emerges as a powerful instrument for conceptual understanding and embracing sustainable development. Recognizing the poverty of choices and opportunities implies that poverty must be addressed in all its dimensions, not income alone, despite the fact that a lot can be achieved in human development by utilizing income. It is absolutely essential that income should not dictate the value of the HDI. The HDI index has been criticized on a number of grounds. For example it failed to include any ecological considerations including environment, exclusively pinpointing on national performance and ranking and not paying cognizance to development from a global perspective. The imperfections of the HDI index and its shortcomings like other composite indices evoke many pertinent questions including its transformation and evolution as well as its distillation and refinement. Advocating equal rights for women and children has been and will continue to be an important factor underlying this evolution. The assessment of perceived satisfaction and dissatisfaction has proven to be useful. Advertisement Administrative records do not always give correct results. On the contrary, statistics supplied by nodal agencies are likely to be inaccurate. For example, in education, one of the most commonly used indicators derived from administrative statistics, namely school enrolment, doesnt mention dropouts. The claim of 100 per cent literacy in some districts of West Bengal, echoed by the leaders of the CPI-M during their almost three and half decades of rule was not only inaccurate but ludicrous. It is unfortunate that this important indicator of development is inflated purposely so that figures give wrong ideas. Another indicator is the proportion of households with at least one literate member. Most developed countries which have had compulsory education do not necessarily measure literacy. Similarly few hospital beds or limited availability of health care centres per 10,000 population is an indicator of lack of minimum infrastructure, because of geographical maldistribution of health care centers that are inaccessible to the lower income group. However, the UNDP ignores the essential needs of human beings such as harmony and happiness while considering the HDI. Expansion of health, education and income, according to UNDP, would enable human beings to be more developed. Surely income and health may be attributed as a powerful instrument of development. Good incomes can combat inequality of opportunities in many respects. Generation of income is good and perhaps a driving force to improve the quality of life to a certain extent. At the same time, effective and meaningful use of income seems to be more important, particularly in the field of education which would ultimately bring social harmony and happiness. The classical ideas of development as perceived by Aristotle, Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill are significant even today. The terms development and freedom are common. However, careful consideration would reveal the intricacy of the two words. Development for whom? What is freedom? There certainly exist various types of freedom, like freedom of speech, freedom to write and express views and ideas, freedom of thought. Political and civil freedom is part of human freedom. But there appears to be lack of freedom affecting millions in our country. Labour bondage is an example. The ruling parties are vociferously highlighting the profound success of development issues and performance which is supported by reports and statistical data. On the other hand, the opposition describes all this as propaganda, and an illusion of development. It asks whether development in various sectors can be measured only by citing statistics. The real test is the fulfillment of basic needs with regard to food, housing, clothing, health care, education and employment opportunities. Be that as it may, the citizens of India have been watching various development projects initiated by the union and the state governments, aimed at welfare of the common people, for several years. Appeasing the rural electorate during presentation of the annual budget proves to be ineffective in bringing development in the true sense of the term. At the same time elimination of corruption would appear to be a prudent step in marching ahead for the development of a nation. Distribution of resources to the unprivileged; sagacious consideration of economic growth, and measures for creating job opportunities are equally important. Development should be viewed as a journey to achieve freedom. It is a process of generation and realization of new opportunities. Sustained development, however, is a continuous process. Needless to say, imparting proper education is a deliberate, spontaneous, process. It enlarges abilities. Social goals and social content of education appear to be equally important. Freedom of education alone can ultimately bring human freedom and total development. It is a glorious journey from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, from ignorance to consciousness. Freedom through education is necessary in our country with 424 million illiterates. Around 35 million children, aged between six and 10, do not even attend school, and about 40 per cent drop out before reaching class five. In tertiary education, the enrollment is six per cent only. If advancement of human freedom is our main object and means for total development, it is imperative that we should re-examine our education policy, particularly for rural and backward sections. It is absolutely imperative to initiate qualitative improvements in the field of education, right from the primary to higher education level immediately, if real nation building development is our aim. Rural reconstruction as perceived by Tagore has great relevance even today, despite the smart cities concept. According to Tagore, rural reconstruction was nothing but national development, and this area should be given the utmost priority in a nation building venture. His novel, Gora, published about a century ago, is worth recalling. Gora, an educated city-born young man and brought up in a cultured society, had horrifying experiences in the village. Tagore wanted the welfare of the rural poor not by prodding mere literacy but by nurturing and widening their minds to give strength and consciousness in all possible directions. According to Tagore, reading and writing is a secondary question, communication from heart to heart is what matters more. He reiterated that without restoration of a balance between city and village, no development was possible. Cities have their function of maintaining wealth and knowledge in concentrated forms, but they should not be centers of irrigation; they should gather in order to distribute. They should be like lamp posts; the light must transcend their own limits. The religion of man written by Tagore in 1931 is unique and extremely relevant even today. The dissolute, disorderly, unregulated, bohemian intelligence of people with profound learning is dangerous indeed, and a matter of graver concern than people without literacy. The human must transcend from self to self-sacrifice for others, be compassionate and tender, possess profound sympathy for the destitute, and must unite the heart with the entire living and non-living materials of the environment. Such development is difficult to perceive and presumably cannot be measured by any mathematical index. (The writer, a former Reader in Chemistry, Presidency College, Kolkata was associated with the UGC and UNICEF) An overlooked aspect of this election is the starkly different approach of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress in the realms of technology and human rights. This divergence is not merely academic but could have implications for the countrys socio-economic fabric and its governance ethos. The BJPs manifesto is heavily tech-centric, envisioning a future where technology is the linchpin of development. Under the chapter Modi ki Guarantee for Technology and Innovations, the BJP outlines an ambitious agenda to harness cutting-edge technologies across various sectors. From leveraging AI for language preservation to employing drones in fisheries, the partys commitment to technological innovation is evident. Initiatives like expanding 5G and pioneering 6G technologies, advancing Graphenebased programmes, and embarking on the National Quantum Mission underscore a vision of India as a global tech powerhouse. However, this aggressive push for technology raises critical concerns about the absence of a parallel emphasis on rights and privacy. The BJPs manifesto, while expansive on technological solutions, remains conspicuously silent on how these advancements will safeguard citizens privacy and rights. In an era where data privacy is paramount, this omission is significant. The manifesto does not articulate how the existing data protection laws will be enforced or improved to protect individuals privacy amid the tech boom. This gap is troubling, as it suggests a potential oversight in balancing technological progress with essential civil liberties. In stark contrast, the Congress manifesto takes a more measured approach, focusing heavily on a rightsbased framework. While it acknowledges the importance of technology in driving economic growth and job creation, its primary emphasis is on protecting and enhancing human rights. The Congress promises to uphold intellectual property rights, enforce the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, and ensure the legal protection of gig workers and domestic help. Furthermore, the party aims to amend the Digital Personal Data Protection Act to prevent governmental overreach and censorship. Advertisement This approach by Congress suggests a commitment to socioeconomic equity and legal safeguards although it can never be guaranteed that technological advancements will not eclipse rights of individuals. The partys manifesto underscores the importance of addressing systemic issues such as discrimination against women and protecting the rights of religious minorities, aiming to foster an inclusive society. The divergence in these manifestos reflects broader ideological differences between the two parties. The BJPs techno-solution approach is forwardlooking, but risks overshadowing critical human rights issues. Congresss rights-centric agenda, although less technologically ambitious, lays stress on legal and social frameworks. For India, the path forward must balance these two approaches. Technological advancements are undoubtedly crucial for economic growth and global competitiveness. However, these must be pursued without compromising on the protection of individual rights and privacy. A balanced strategy that integrates technological innovation with robust rights-based safeguards will ensure sustainable and inclusive development. A total of 27 people have been arrested in South Africa in the past week for various election-related crimes, a senior police official said on Sunday. For the period from May 19 to May 25, 27 additional cases have been registered and are under investigation, with 17 of the cases reported in Limpopo Province, said Tebello Mosikili, deputy national commissioner of the South African Police Service, while briefing the media in Pretoria, the countrys administrative capital, about the polices preparedness for the upcoming elections, Xinhua news agency reported. The suspects were arrested for contravening the electoral act, attempted murder, vandalism and illegal removal of posters. The police are continuing tracing operations, roadblocks, stop-and-searches and patrols, said Mosikili. We take this opportunity to call for political tolerance among voters and members of various parties. Advertisement We are now entering the second phase of our 2024 national and provincial elections operational plan. We therefore take this opportunity to caution responsible citizens, especially social media users, from spreading fake news. You are all urged to verify facts first before sharing any information, which often leads to unnecessary confusion and panic, she said. Mosikili warned that they will arrest those inciting violence on social media platforms, as the intelligence communities and cybercrime units are closely monitoring online users. South Africa is scheduled to hold national and local government elections on May 29. At least eight people were killed as tornadoes created havoc in the US states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, destroying buildings and a fuel station where scores of people were taking shelter and leaving thousands of people without power, reports said on Sunday. Severe storms had formed over the states, where temperatures are running high, on Saturday night (local time), with Texas Cooke County, north of Dallas, among the worst-affected areas, the BBC reported. Local Sheriff Ray Sappington told local media that at least five people had been killed, and the number was likely to grow. Advertisement Meanwhile, search and rescue operations were on and they were hopeful of finding survivors, he added. Footage on local media showed a fuel station almost completely destroyed, with twisted metal and damaged vehicles. In Oklahoma, two people were killed in Mayes County and six others were injured, the BBC reported, citing the local emergency management authority. One death was reported in Arkansas, as per US media reports. The tornadoes also affected surface traffic, leaving lorries overturned and highways shut, while the power supply was snapped as poles were uprooted. Officials said that it could take days to restore services. Parts of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee were at risk of severe weather on Sunday, after the havoc in the Southern Plains, as per reports. Emmanuel Macron began the first state visit to Germany by a French president in 24 years with warm words for his hosts. Franco-German relations are indispensable and important for Europe, said Macron at the start of his three-day state visit to Germany on Sunday. He rebuffed the suggestion that the relationship, often described as the engine of Europe, has begun to stutter. Advertisement That is not true. We are moving forward, Macron said through a translator. Upon landing in Berlin, Macron immediately travelled to the German capitals government quarter to meet with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and attend a democracy-themed festival. Steinmeier greeted Macron and called his visit proof of the depth of the Franco-German friendship. He said that despite sometimes differing on individual policy points, Berlin and Paris always come to an agreement in the end. If Germany and France are in agreement, then there is still a lot that can be achieved in Europe, he said. Macron also emphasized the importance of the European elections in June and called the EU a defender of democracy and common values. Six passengers and six crew members have been injured during turbulence on a flight from Doha to Ireland. In a statement, Dublin Airport said the Qatar Airways flight landed safely as scheduled shortly before 1 pm (1200 GMT) on Sunday. Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including Airport Police and our Fire and Rescue department, due to six passengers and six crew [12 total] on board reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey, the airport added. Advertisement The Dublin Airport team continues to provide full assistance on the ground to passengers and airline staff. The incident comes a week after a British man died and scores were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight from London hit severe turbulence. At the beginning of my marketing career, I was hit with a bunch of acronyms that sounded more like dog names than business terms: ROI, ROA, ROAS I could even imagine fluffy Chow Chow named ROAS chasing after a Shih Tzu named ROI. Years later, I catch myself using those terms even in everyday life. Expensive climbing shoe? Well, they would probably be good for my cliff climbing season, so the ROI is worth it. If you're planning to start with marketing and have no idea what these people are talking about, Im bringing you the list of 50 marketing buzzwords you simply need to know. And those you need to avoid if you dont want to sound, well cringe (am I supposed to use that word? ) Anyways, lets get started. What is a marketing buzzword? A marketing buzzword is a catchy word or phrase that is often used in marketing. It can be technical or describe strategies, tactics, or consumer behaviors. Marketers love using them because: Buzzwords catch people's attention. They make things sound new and cool. They simplify complex stuff. Using them shows you know your stuff. They make people feel something. Helps brands be different. They can go viral online. Buzzwords stick in your mind. They encourage discussion. Helps with search engines. Buzzwords can pop up anywhere marketing is discussed presentations, meetings, articles, social media. They might seem complex, but understanding the basic idea behind them is usually easy. Example Brand loyalty means customers consistently prefer and trust one brand over others. For instance, I always buy Sea to Summit down sleeping bags because I trust its second-to-none quality in ultralight equipment that's brand loyalty in action. Free Marketing Plan Template Outline your company's marketing strategy in one simple, coherent plan. Pre-Sectioned Template Pre-Sectioned Template Completely Customizable Completely Customizable Example Prompts Example Prompts Professionally Designed Download for free Learn more Download Free All fields are required. You're all set! Click this link to access this resource at any time. Download Now 50 Marketing Buzzwords to Know Brand Awareness & Identity Brand Awareness: Making sure people know your brand Ex: Seeing your logo and instantly recognizing it. Brand Identity: The special look and feel that makes your brand different Ex: The unique design of your product packaging. Brand Storytelling: Connecting with customers through stories about your brand Ex: Sharing real-life experiences of your previous customers on SM. Brand Personality: The human-like qualities people see in your brand Ex: Being seen as trustworthy and reliable. Brand Positioning: Figuring out where your brand fits in the market compared to others Ex: Emphasize the best customer service you have. Brand Advocacy: Happy customers who tell others about your brand Ex: Someone buys your product thanks to the recommendation of your loyal customer. Brand Voice: The personality your brand always uses in communication with the audience Ex: Friendly tone and humor in all social media posts Customer Focus Customer Experience (CX): Every interaction with your brand Ex: A website visit, a phone call, or a store visit. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): How much money a customer spends with you over time Ex: If a loyal customer consistently spends $100 every month for five years, their CLV would be $6,000 Frictionless Experience: Making things easy for customers Ex: One-click checkout on a website. Personalization: Treating customers like individuals Ex: Product recommendations based on browsing history. Customer Effort Score (CES): How hard customers work to get your help Ex: Use surveys after service interactions to calculate it. Voice of the Customer (VOC): Listening to what customers say Ex: Google reviews and social media comments. Customer Journey: The path a customer takes to buy your stuff Ex: A customer sees an ad online, visits your website, adds items to their cart, and then buys them. Image Source Marketing Channels Direct Marketing: Sending messages straight to people who might want to buy from you Ex: Reach out via email or social media to connect directly. Social Media Marketing (SMM): All social media-related things you do to show off your brand and speak to your audience Ex: Run contests on Facebook. share what happy customers say, chat with them through the comments, etc. Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Getting your website to the top of search engine results Ex: Use online ads (PPC) and SEO to make your website easy to find. Email Marketing: Sending emails to potential and current customers Ex: Share news, deals, or helpful info to keep people interested in your offer. Mobile Marketing: Making your marketing work great on phones and tablets Ex: Send text message offers or create a mobile app to reach people more easily. Content Marketing: Making cool stuff to share online that gets people interested in you Ex: Create blog posts, infographics, or SM content to grab attention. Image Source Engagement & Acquisition Call to Action (CTA): Inspiring people to take action Ex: Book your free spot now! Lead Generation: Attracting, identifying & nurturing customers Ex: Offer a free guide in exchange for an email address. Demand Generation: Getting people excited about what you offer Ex: Run online ads to show off your new product. Conversion Rate: How many people actually convert Ex: Track how many website visitors become paying customers. Image Source Measurement Attribution Modeling: Figuring out what made someone buy something Ex: Check if a customer bought something because of your SM ad or your website. Sentiment Analysis: Knowing if your customers are satisfied Ex: Analyze the feeling behind customer reviews. A/B Testing: Trying two options to see which one wins Ex: Send two different email titles to see which one gets more people to open it. Actionable Analytics: Turning data into the right ways to improve your strategy Ex: Use website info to see which blog posts are most popular, then write more like them. Metrics: Numbers that track how well your marketing is doing Ex: Track how many people click on your ads or like your social media posts. Return on Investment (ROI): Money you make back vs. money you spend Ex: Track how much money a campaign brings in to see if it's worth it. Image Source Marketing Techniques Influencer Marketing: Partnering with SM influencers to promote your brand Ex: Fitness instructor wearing your new gym collection. Cause Marketing: Partnering with a social cause to promote your brand Ex: Donate a portion of proceeds to charity. Growth Hacking: Using creative marketing methods for quick expansion Ex: Launch a viral TikTok campaign and start some new trend there. User-Generated Content (UGC): Content made by creators rather than by the brand itself Ex: You can pay UGC creators to create content for your site or use real customers videos which is always the best option. Image Source Advanced Marketing Concepts Artificial Intelligence (AI): Machines handling tasks and giving marketing insights Ex: Use AI to help you write interesting emails and offers for higher engagement. Big Data: Huge datasets studied to find marketing trends Ex: Analyze customer purchase data to identify popular product combinations for upselling opportunities. Cloud Marketing: Using cloud software for marketing and data storage Ex: Use HubSpot for easier campaign management and team collaboration. Conversational Marketing: Talking with customers through chat Ex: Implement a chatbot on your site to answer common customer questions and qualify leads 24/7. Disruptive Marketing: Bold ads that break norms and get people talking Ex: Launch an SM campaign with a surprising video ad to grab attention and increase brand awareness. Earned Media: Free positive press coverage Ex: Partner with relevant magazines and portals to generate positive reviews. Employee Advocacy: Staff promoting your brand Ex: Encourage your employees to share company news on their SM. Freemium: Offering a free basic service with paid upgrades Ex: Give your software a free trial to show its value and convert users to paying customers. Image Source Competitive Analysis Competitive Analysis: Knowing your competition and market Ex: Identify main competitors and their strengths/weaknesses. Competitive Landscape: The market with all players Ex: Identify main competitors and their attributes. Competitive Advantage: Standing out from competitors Ex: Emphasize superior customer service. Competitive Benchmarking: Comparing your brand to competitors Ex: Track market share and brand awareness. Image Source Marketing Attribution Multi-Touch Attribution: Recognizing customers interact with various channels before buying Ex: Use software to track customer journeys and channel influence. First Touch Attribution: Crediting the initial channel a customer engaged with Ex: Give credit to the first social media ad that caught attention. Last Touch Attribution: Giving all credit to the final touchpoint before purchase Ex: Credit the email with the discount code that sealed the deal. Position-Based Attribution: Splitting credit between first and last touchpoints, weighting closer to purchase Ex: Divide credit between the initial product introduction and reminder email. Data-Driven Attribution: Using data to find the best attribution model. Ex: Analyze which channels consistently drive conversions. Image Source 15 Marketing Buzzwords to Avoid Disruptive: Vague and doesnt tell customers whats actually new or better. Best-in-class: Subjective and doesn't tell why your product is the best choice. Paradigm shift: Overused and doesn't explain how your product changes things. Actionable insights: Its corporate jargon and doesn't tell customers what kind of useful information you have. Thought leader: Sounds arrogant and doesn't let your accomplishments speak for themselves. Low-hanging fruit: Downplays the value you deliver and might not be easy to achieve anyway. Growth hacking: It can imply unethical tactics and doesn't focus on building trust with customers. Agile: It's meaningless without explaining how you actually adapt to customer needs. Synergy: Its fluffy and doesnt tell customers the specific benefits of a partnership. Guru: It sounds self-important and doesn't position you as a helpful resource. Game-changer: It's overhyped. Dominate (the market): It sounds aggressive and pushy. Futureproof Your Business: It uses fear tactics and doesn't highlight how your product helps businesses thrive. Content is King: It's an exaggeration and too overused. Only high-quality content that resonates with customers is kingnot any type of content. Innovative: No one trusts this word anymore. Everyone calls themselves innovative nowadays. Image Source 16 ChatGPT-ish words & Phrases to Avoid The special category goes to ChatGPT-ish words that every single marketer needs to avoid because they scream AI: Explore Captivate Tapestry Leverage Resonate Dynamic Testament Delve Elevate Embrace Navigate Realm Transformation Unlock Uncover And the Oscar goes to In todays fast-paced digital world Image Source After going through this list, you might feel there are a lot of restricted words to use but worry not. If you know how to incorporate the word properly, its okay to slip in some of the prohibited words in your copy. Just remember to be human and yourself in writing. Dont be a robotic, boring machine that wont sell anything to anyone. And thats it. Thats how you'll be a good marketer. Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2012 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. Actor Johnny Wactor, best known for his role in the long-running US soap opera 'General Hospital' was fatally shot in Los Angeles, his family said on Sunday. The 37-year-old was shot dead when he interrupted thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car, they added. Who is Johnny Wactor? Wactor portrayed Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera 'General Hospital' from 2020 to 2022. He also appeared in a variety of films and TV series, including 'Station 19', 'NCIS', 'Westworld' and the video game 'Call of Duty: Vanguard'. What happened to Johnny Wactor and when? It was around 3 am on Saturday that Johnny Wactor engaged three men who were trying to steal from his car in downtown LA, the Los Angeles Police Department was quoted as saying by news agency the Associated Press. Johnny Wactor was chilling at a rooftop bar with a colleague after a day's work when he noticed movement by his car. Initially, he thought the vehicle was being towed, and was gunned down by a masked man as he approached him, his mother Scarlett Wactor said. The three suspects drove away from the scene soon after the shooting while Wactor was rushed to a hospital. However, his life couldn't be saved. Reactions: In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be, Shaul said in a statement on Sunday. Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever. The unexpected death of Hollywood actor Johnny Wactor came in as a rude shock to fans. The actor was killed when he interrupted thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car in Los Angeles on May 25. As we mourn his untimely death, here is a look at five of the best shows/movies of Johnny Wactor. 1. General Hospital Wactor shot to fame and won fandom with General Hospital, an American soap opera that has entered the Guinness Record as the longest-running American opera in production. The show revolves around the lives of people living in the fictional town of Port Charles in New York. Wactor played Brando Corbin in the show, appearing in as many as 165 episodes of the 15,000-episode show. 2. USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage Wactor played a major role in the 2016 film USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, which chronicled the story of an American navy ship that was sunk by a Japanese submarine during World War II. The ship was sunk on July 30, 1945, shortly after delivering components of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in the shark-infested Philippian Sea. Wactor played the character Connor in the action-packed movie. 3. Siberia Siberia, which premiered in 2013, was a sci-fi series that was shot in the format of a reality show. Wactor played Johnny, one of the 16 contestants in the reality show. The contestants are forced to survive in a Siberian wilderness while competing for a hefty prize of $500,000. Soon after they arrive, they begin to encounter mysterious occurrences that were not part of the reality show. The contestants are then forced to band together and survive in a dangerous and unfamiliar terrain. 4. Disillusioned Disillusioned is a 2018 comedy movie in which Wactor played Jared, a close friend of the protagonist, Hayden. The movie revolves around four friends who are each battling their own struggles while trying to maintain their friendship. The movie, set in Los Angeles, explores the concept of friendship and life 5. Supercell Wactor played Martin in the 2023 disaster thriller Supercell. The film is about a teenager named William Brody, son of legendary storm chasers Bill and Quinn Brody, who embarks on a journey to unearth his fathers motive behind storm-chasing. The movie documents his journey, the stories he discovers about his father from others, and the changes they bring in him. Putting an end to a two-year long wait, Season 3 of Panchayat is all set to hit your mini-screens on May 28. Seasons 1 and 2 have been a bumpy ride with anticipation, laughter and chills. More Phulera adventures of Abhishek are here and it's time to revisit the first two seasons. Here are 5 reasons why you must dive in! The protagonist magic The central character of the show, Abhishek Tripathi, a young engineering graduate who ends up in Phulera, a rural village, has captivated the audience with his relatable charm. Actor Jitendra Kumar has captured the essence of the character through his exceptional acting. The inability of the character to find a job suitable for him made him end up as Phuleras panchayat secretary against his wishes. In order to escape his plight, he decides to crack a competitive exam and get an admission in one of Indias leading institutions. Thus, he is pushed into the endless loop of studying, while the poor amenities of the village adds on to his struggles. The characters predicament is portrayed in a comedic, yet relatable light. As the series progresses, his repulsion towards his job and his situation is seen to take a different turn. The Sachiv jis story of blending in, creates the momentum in the series. The techniques The pace of story progression in Panchayat through the characters and the dialogues implies the great narrative that has been put to use. The script-driven series employs nifty direction and skilful acting, thus putting it in the limelight. Most parts of the series uses light and humorous tone which keeps the viewer entertained. The sound and editing contributes in favour of the same. A change of tone can be seen in a few scenes and it plays an important role in carrying the desired effect to the audience. This is the most evident in the final episode of Season 2 while portraying the death of Rahul Pandey, the only son of Prahlad, who sacrifices his life for the country. Connected by heart Each of the characters in Panchayat are unique and interesting. Despite their personal differences, the whole village stands together when a crisis hits them. Season 1 Episode 3 of the series sees a marriage, where the entire village comes together to lend a hand. Season 2 Episode 8 is yet another example, when the entire village mourns the death of soldier Rahul Pandey and helps Prahlad Pandey, his father, to come out of the grief. The women of the village step up to prevent the MLA from entering the village is yet another incident. In Season 1 Episode 5, the protagonist is accused of stealing a monitor from the panchayat office. Following this he breaks down and vents about his monotonous life in the village. Later in that episode, we see Vikas, Pradhanji and Prahlad trying to cheer him up. A village life might not be the easiest but we see a bunch of people who stands by each other through thick or thin. This might be the core reason Abhishek fell in a love-hate relationship with Phulera. Getting to the grassroot level Panchayat is a glimpse into the rural life. The entire series is set in a village named Phulera in Uttar Pradesh. In the series, Abhisheks friends have mentioned a few times that he is getting to experience the grassroot level of governance. The series makes us realise that this experience can be bitter-sweet. The lack of basic amenities in the village, like electricity and water is eye-opening. Each episode unfolds a new aspect of the village life. The series also throws light on issues of patriarchy and dowry without directly confronting it. Small but interesting details The series gives away a thread of images that are iconic to the story. The panchayat office is the key location where the story takes place. It directly or indirectly revolves around this small yellow building. A water tank that is situated right outside the building is said to give away the most beautiful view of the village. But it also serves as the first meeting place of Abhishek and Rinky and a favourite tea spot for Sachiv Ji. Another iconic addition of the series is rinky ke papa ringtone, that Pradhan Ji has on his phone - a small, yet funny detail of the story. If you have watched the series, you might already know about the significance of lauki (bottle-gourds) in the story. Pradhan ji loves to gift it and it has given a few funny bits to the series. The third season is anticipated to cover the return of Sachiv Ji, Parhlad overcoming the bereavement and many more! Let us know what you think after binge-watching the show. After making landfall near Mongla in Bangladesh, located between the countrys Khepupara and Indias Sagar Islands in West Bengal, cyclone Remal caused significant destruction along its path in East Midnapore and North and South 24 Parganas districts. More than one lakh people were evacuated from low-lying coastal and vulnerable areas by the West Bengal government due to the severe cyclonic storm, which has by now weakened into a cyclonic storm. It touched the coastline between 10.30pm on Sunday and 12.30am on Monday, informed India Meteorological Department (IMD). The ravaging signs of Remal are clear in Sagar islands where trees lie uprooted and houses sans roofs. Fallen trees and electric poles have blocked roads in the region. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is actively engaged in restoring normalcy in the affected areas. Sundarban regions have also suffered the wrath of Remal. Persistent heavy rains continue to lash the Sundarbans with many houses left without roofs. Since Sunday morning, electricity has been disrupted in the Kultali CD block in South 24 Parganas district. Overnight, strong winds uprooted electric poles at multiple locations due to the storm. Electricity is yet to be restored in the region. Across Sagar islands and Sundarbans, the fears about the collapse of river banks came true. In places such as Gangasagar, Bakkhali, Mousuni, Frezarganj and Gosaba, banks collapsed and saline waters inundated nearby areas. As a consequence, local residents, primarily farmers, are apprehensive about agricultural losses in the future. Meanwhile, Kolkata and adjoining areas did not suffer any major impact of Remal. However, overnight rains flooded some parts of the city, including in Park Circus, Dhakuria and Ballygunj. Electricity cables were damaged in multiple locations, and uprooted electric poles caused power shortages in various areas. According to the IMDs Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkatas Alipore, the calamity may continue in the city and neighbouring districts until Monday afternoon. Owing to the cyclone, train operations are yet to be restored normally in Sealdahs south division which connects South 24 Parganas with Kolkata. Initially, it was informed that the operations will remain closed till 6am on Monday. Metro services were also not started normally. Due to flooding of the tracks in Park Street and Esplanade stations, operations were resumed from Dakshineshwar to Girish Park and from Kavi Subhash to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar metro stations. Earlier, a part of the roof at the Kazi Nazrul station had collapsed. One person has reportedly died in the citys Entally area after the roof of his house collapsed. Apart from Kolkata, other districts such as Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, and Birbhum are also expected to encounter heavy rainfall on Monday. Wind gusts in these districts may reach speeds of up to 60km per hour. A 37-year-old woman, a human resources official at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), was found dead inside the house of an IRS official in Noida on Saturday. Police said 37-year-old Shilpa Gautam was found dead inside the apartment of IRS officer Saurabh Meena. Meena, who is currently posted in Delhi, has been arrested in connection with the woman's death. He reportedly called the police, stating that Shilpa had locked herself inside the room before handing herself from a ceiling fan. The residents of the upscale Lotus Boulevard apartment came to know about the death only after the police rushed to Tower 8 of the society. According to a complaint lodged by Shilpa's father OP Gautham, Meena had been dating his daughter for the past three years after the duo met on a dating app. He alleged that Saurabh had promised to marry Shilpa but failed to honour his commitment. This had been a reason for frequent arguments between the duo for some time. The woman's father also alleged that Saurabh Meena had been physically abusing Shilpa. According to Noida Additional DCP Manish Kumar, a case has been registered against the IRS official. "Yesterday, we received the information regarding the suicide of a woman in the Lotus Blue Word Society of the Noida Sector 100. On Sunday, the family registered a request to take action against the accused friend Saurabh, with whom she was residing in the flat. The accused has been apprehended by the police and a case has been registered with the IPC sections against him. The accused has been sent to custody and further investigation is carried out," Kumar told ANI. A Delhi city court on Monday dismissed the bail plea of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's close aide Bibhav Kumar, who is accused of assaulting AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the CM's residence. Reacting to the development, AAP said Kumar will approach the High Court. Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal rejected the bail plea of Kumar after hearing arguments from both sides in the court. A detailed order on the matter is awaited. During the proceedings, Rajya Sabha MP Maliwal told the court that there was a threat to her life and grave danger to her family if Kumar was released. She claimed that a one-sided video about the incident "was made by a YouTuber", following which she started receiving threats. A couple of videos from the chief minister's residence from the day of the incident on May 13 have surfaced on social media, one showed Maliwal having an argument with security personnel, while the other showed her walking out of the CM's residence in the Civil Lines. Maliwal's advocate said that despite the fact that Kumar was in jail, Maliwal was receiving threats. He questioned Kumar's innocence, alleging that Kumar had formatted his phone and deleted the CCTV footage of the incident. Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava said that Maliwal did not trespass the CM's residence. He also said that Kumar was an influential person despite the termination of his services. Kumar's counsel sought bail, saying his client fulfilled the triple test for bail -- he was not a flight risk, nor is likely to tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. Claiming that Kumar was arrested despite cooperating with the police, Kumar's counsel said that the FIR in the case was registered after a delay of three days as an afterthought. Kumar was sent to four days of judicial custody on Saturday and is expected to be produced in the court on Tuesday. His anticipatory bail plea filed on May 18 was observed as becoming infructuous by the court after his arrest. Cyclone Remal, which made landfall on Sunday night, with heavy rain and gusty winds with a speed of up to 135 kmph pounding the West Bengal and Bangladesh. Several lakh of residents were left without power and trees were uprooted in the winds. The storm had reached West Bengal's Sagar Islands and Bangladesh's Mongla port, as per the latest update from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). "Severe cyclonic storm Remal made landfall between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh on Sunday night with wind speeds reaching up to 135 kmph," the meteorological office said. One person was killed in Kolkata after concrete chunks fell on him during the storm. Another person was injured after being struck by debris in the Sundarbans. Several fragile homes were flattened in the coastal areas. Roofs of thatched houses were blown away in East Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas districts. In Kolkata, homes and roads in low-lying areas were waterlogged. Over one lakh people were evacuated from vulnerable areas in West Bengal to cyclone shelters, schools and colleges on Sunday afternoon. In Kolkata, the municipal authorities evacuated residents of high-rise buildings and dilapidated structures. The cyclone has also disrupted train services in the region. At least 394 flights were delayed or cancelled. In Bangladesh around eight lakh people were evacuated from Mongla and Chittagong port areas and adjoining coastal districts. Around 8,000 cyclone shelters were opened and 78,000 volunteers were mobilised, according to Reuters. With temperature touching over 49 degrees Celcius in Rajasthan, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the heatwave lashing across northwest India and adjoining parts of the central region will continue. According to IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the country, except for parts of southern peninsular India, can expect normal to above-normal maximum temperatures in June too. "Above-normal heatwave days are likely in northwest India and the adjoining parts of the central region in June. Normally, northwest India and the adjoining areas record two to three heatwave days in June. This time, we expect four days of heatwave in this region," he said. #WATCH | Rajasthan: BSF troops guard the India-Pakistan border in Jaisalmer in extremely hot temperatures. The temperature recorded in Jaisalmer is 48 degrees Celsius as per the IMD. pic.twitter.com/u5luMASpjU ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2024 The forecast comes as Rajasthan swelters under intense heat. Weather experts in the state warn that the temperature is unlikely to witness any significant change till Thursday. "For the first time in this season, Phalodi in Rajasthan has crossed the temperature mark of 50 degrees Celsius while places like Jaisalmer and Barmer have witnessed a surge of seven degrees Celsius in the night temperature. There is no immediate relief from the intense heatwave and warmer nights in the next two to three days. The maximum temperatures are unlikely to witness any significant changes until May 29," Radheshyam Sharma, director, of Meteorological Centre, Jaipur, told ANI. The IMD attributed the heatwave in northwest India and parts of the central region in the second half of May to the lack of rainfall, stronger dry and warm winds and an anti-cyclonic circulation over southwest Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat. However, the heat wave will decline from May 30, thanks to the Western disturbance. "There could be thunderstorm activity in northwest India and rain in the western Himalayan region," he said. "Due to the weakness of anti-cyclonic conditions over the state, the maximum temperature is likely to drop by two to three degrees Celsius in some parts of Eastern Rajasthan from May 29 and in some parts of Western Rajasthan from May 30. In the first week of June, maximum temperatures are likely to be recorded near normal in most parts of the state," Sharma added. Above-normal rainfall The IMD has predicted above-normal rainfall this monsoon season across the country. Indian Meteorological Department chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said: "The South West Monsoon rainfall over the country as a whole is likely to be 106% of the long-period average with a model error of 4%. Thus, above-normal rainfall is most likely over the country as a whole," Mohapatra added. The favourable La Nina conditions, expected to set in between August and September, are also set to contribute to above-average rainfall. / /: : (jpg, jpeg, png). (25 MB). 5 . . Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Monday said the term Hindutva is distorted in the state and reiterated that former Chief Minister and late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was a Hindutva leader. He underscored her support for the Ram temple, Uniform Civil Code and abrogation of Article 370. Asserting that he was ready for a debate on the issue with AIADMK, Annamalai said: "Jayalalithaa was an ardent follower of Hindutva." Speaking to reporters, he said if anybody from the AIADMK had doubts about Hindutva they may refer to the 1995 Supreme Court judgement on the matter. That verdict by Justice J S Verma made it clear that Hindutva is a way of life. "Taking along everybody is Hindutva... depending only on Hinduism is not Hindutva," he said and added that his definition of Hindutva stemmed from the apex court judgment. "In Tamil Nadu, (the term) Hindutva is distorted...I am quoting the Supreme Court verdict...What we say is we are not enemies to anyone." Elaborating on his recent comment that Jayalalithaa was a Hindutva leader, he said that on July 26, 1984, Jayalalithaa spoke in Rajya Sabha demanding abrogation of Article 370. "Today, you ask about AIADMK's stand on this issue." In November 1992, she said at a meeting of the National Integration Council that Kar Seva was not a 'wrong word' and staunchly opposed dismissal of three BJP-led state governments following the demolition of the Babri Masjid. In 1993, she organised a signature campaign favouring construction of Ram Temple. She had also asked if a temple for Lord Ram cannot be built in India, whether it is possible to construct it in Pakistan. "Today, the leader of that party says he could not go to Ram Mandir (consecration) due to leg pain," he said, apparently taking a jibe at AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. Ahead of the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, Palaniswami had said that he experienced pain in his leg and may take part in the consecration ceremony if there was an opportunity. The late 'Amma' also favoured the Uniform Civil Code, saying it was necessary for a multi-religious country like India rendering equality to all. However, in July 2023, AIADMK opposed UCC. She enacted an anti-conversion law (later rescinded by her) and also set up a Veda patashala. She also stood for declaring Ram Sethu as a national monument. Today, the AIADMK says it would study the matter and act accordingly. Annamalai said his party is ready for a debate on Jayalalithaa vs Hindutva with AIADMK. When the RSS head office in Chennai was flattened following a bomb blast in 1993, Jayalalithaa offered to construct it from 'government funds,' but that organisation declined the offer, he claimed and asked what was wrong in saying that she was a Hindutva leader. Annamalai told reporters that he only reiterated his line on Hindutva when he gave an interview to PTI in Delhi on May 23. However, some got 'confused' about his comment and opposed him, he said. "I never said Jayalalaithaa was an enemy of Muslims and Christians." Claims are also made that since BJP is a Hindutva party it is against Muslims and Christians and such claims are false. In his interview to PTI, Annamalai had said, "...till Jayalalithaaji was alive, she was a far superior Hindutva leader than anybody in Tamil Nadu. Pre-2014, when you have a party like the BJP and Jayalalithaa as a leader the natural choice of a Hindu voter would be Jayalalithaa, who displayed her Hindu identity openly. Annamalai's remark evoked strong condemnation from AIADMK and V K Sasikala, confidante of late Jayalalithaa. A prominent Maharashtra leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) was fired at by two unidentified men in Nashik district in the wee hours of Monday. Former Malegaon mayor Abdul Malik was targeted by two men, who arrived on a motorbike, near a petrol station in Nashik's Old Agra road, police told the media. The AIMIM leader suffered bullet injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital. His condition is said to be stable, news agency PTI reported. Two motorbike-borne men approached Malik at around 1:20 am when the latter was at a tea stall by the petrol station on the Old Agra road. They fired thrice before fleeing the spot, and the politician suffered bullet injuries to his chest and leg, a Malegaon city police source told PTI. Malik was injured and rushed to a nearby hospital where his condition was reported to be stable, they said. The police have registered a case against the two unidentified persons under relevant Indian Penal Code sections, including 307 (attempt to murder). Further investigation is underway. The National Commission for Women on Monday sent a letter to the Delhi police commissioner, urging police to investigate call records of all involved in the alleged assault on Aam Aadmi Party MP Swati Maliwal. The Commission also demanded strict action against those issuing rape and death threats to Maliwal. It has come to our notice that Mr Bibhav Kumar was reportedly called after arrival of Swati Maliwal at CMs residence. A letter from Honble Chairperson @sharmarekha has been sent to Commissioner of Police Delhi to take CDRs of relevant individuals, including the CM, to ascertain on whose direction Mr Bibhav Kumar was summoned, the Commission tweeted. The Commission in a release said that it has also demanded a report on action taken against those issuing rape and death threats to the MP. The Commission mandates strict action against individuals issuing rape and death threats to Ms. Maliwal. The accused person(s) should be charged under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code. A comprehensive report is expected in three days. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal getting support from a Pakistani politician amid the ongoing general elections is a serious matter of investigation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said. "I don't think I should comment on such topics from the position I am in, but I can understand your concern, Modi said in an interview to news agency IANS. His remarks came in the wake of a political storm after former Pakistan minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain heaped praise on Rahul and Kejriwal, while targeting the BJP government. Earlier this month, Chaudhryinfamous for boasting about Pakistan's hand in the 2019 Pulwama terror attackhad posted on X excerpts from a speech by Rahul with the caption "Rahul on fire". This drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders. Last week, endorsing a tweet put out by Kejriwal on voting, Chaudhry said: "May peace and harmony defeat forces of hate and extremism". This, too, invited the wrath of the BJP which said the Delhi chief minister has a massive support from Pakistan. Modi, in his interview to the news agency, took a jibe at the opposition leaders over the Pakistan politicians ostensible support to them and said: "I don't know why only a few people are liked by those who have enmity with us, why there are only a few people in whose support voices are raised from there". He said Indias democracy is mature and the voters in the country will not be influenced by outside activities. He, however, admitted that its a matter of concern. In one of his recent election rallies, too, Modi had raked up the issue, saying Pakistan was desperate to make Rahul the next prime minister The Pune Police have arrested a third individual for the alleged manipulation of the blood sample of the teenager accused of fatally knocking down two people in the early hours of May 19 in the Kalyani Nagar area of Pune city. The arrested accused has been identified as Atul Ghatkamble, an employee of Sassoon Hospital. Earlier in the day, the police had arrested Dr Ajay Tawade, head of the forensic lab, and Dr Hari Harnor, of Pune's Sasoon General Hospital for allegedly switching the blood sample of the accused with another. According to the police, the blood samples of the 17-year-old boy were replaced with another person's samples on the directions of a doctor from the Sassoon General Hospital. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told reporters that the juvenile's father had called the doctor and offered him allurements to replace the blood samples. After the switch was made, the report from the hospital showed no traces of alcohol. Kumar said they have arrested Dr Ajay Taware, head of the Sassoon General Hospital's Forensic Medicine department, and Dr Shrihari Halnor, the chief medical officer of the state-run hospital. "It has been revealed in the investigation that the blood samples of the juvenile were replaced with some other person's samples and this was done on the direction of Dr Taware," he said. Kumar said that as an abundant precaution, they had taken one more sample of the juvenile for DNA sampling and it was sent to another hospital. "The report of the other hospital revealed the juvenile's blood report at the Sassoon Hospital was manipulated as the DNA of (blood samples of) both the reports did not match," he said. He added the doctors were unaware that the police had collected another sample of the accused. "A probe is underway on whose blood samples were collected to replace with that of the juveniles. We have recovered CCTV footage of the Sassoon Hospital and further probe is on," Kumar said. Kidnapping case The Pune court allowed the police to take custody of the teen's father Vishal Agarwal, who is currently lodged in the Yerwada Central Jail, in connection with the case of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of his driver. Agarwal is an accused in a case registered against him and the managers and owners of two pubs under the Juvenile Justice Act. The Pune police had moved an application for a production warrant of the father in the kidnapping and wrongful confinement case. "The court has allowed the application for the production warrant of the juvenile's father, and he will be taken into custody from the jail," said a police officer from Pune police. Two IT professionals died after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche allegedly driven by the minor in the early hours of May 19 in the Kalyani Nagar area of Pune city. The Delhi Court on Monday reserved orders on the bail plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals aide Bhibhav Kumar in the assault case filed by Aam Aadmi Party MP Swati Maliwal. Hearing the case, Delhi's Tis Hazari Court reserved order on Bhibhav Kumars bail plea. Kumar was remanded to judicial custody on May 24. The AAP MP has alleged she was assaulted by Kejriwal's aide Kumar when she had gone to meet the CM at his residence on May 13. Kumar had been in police custody after being arrested on May 18. In Maliwal's complaint, she alleged Kumar "slapped" her "at least seven to eight times" and "brutally dragged" her while "kicking" her in her "chest, stomach and pelvis area". -with inputs from agencies. In a major revelation, a former police officer has admitted to being part of phone tapping operation by the Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) during the Bharat Rashtra Samiti government. P. Radhakishan Rao, former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Task Force, Hyderabad City), claimed that several retired police officers, politicians and media personalities were snooped under the instructions of then Telanganas Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) T. Prabhakar Rao. Prabhakar Rao has been named as the prime accused in the illegal phone tapping case. The snooping operation was allegedly aimed at keeping tabs on the political rivals of the BRS and then Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao ahead of the state elections held in November last. The Hyderabad Police has attached Radhakishan Raos confession statement to other documents submitted to the Nampally Criminal Court, reported The Indian Express. As per the report, the former police officer, who was arrested on March 29 in connection with the case, told the investigators that those who criticised the BRS government or were seen as a threat to the party were placed under surveillance. Meanwhile, a lookout notice has been issued in the name of Prabhakar Rao, who is believed to have absconded to the United States. Two additional superintendents of police were arrested by Hyderabad Police in connection with the case and for destroying certain computer systems and official data. The officialsAdditional Deputy Commissioner of Police Thirupathanna and Additional Superintendent of Police N. Bhujanga Raohad earlier worked as additional superintendents of police in the SIB and Intelligence Department respectively. The two additional superintendents of police were accused of colluding with suspended DSP of the SIB, D. Praneeth Rao, who was earlier arrested by Hyderabad police for allegedly erasing the intelligence information from various electronic gadgets as well as for alleged phone tapping during the previous BRS government. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that she would skip the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled for June 1. She cited the last phase of Lok Sabhas elections and ongoing relief work after cyclone 'Remal' as the reason to stay away from the crucial meeting. Mamata's statement comes as top opposition leaders, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, decided to meet in Delhi to assess their performance in the Lok Sabha elections and chalk out their strategy ahead of the results. The Bengal chief minister, while addressing an election rally, clarified that her schedule wouldn't let her attend the meeting in Delhi. "The INDIA bloc meeting has been fixed on June 1. But I have already said I can't go on June 1 as there is an election in our state on that day. So far I know there are elections in Punjab, UP and Bihar. Voting will continue till 6 pm, and at times it extends beyond that (6 pm)," she said. She added that the relief work too is keeping her occupied. "How can I leave everything behind and go? My priority is relief work. Even if I am holding a meeting here, my heart goes out to those people (affected by the cyclone)," she said at the Kolkata rally. Mamata had refused to be part of the coalition in the West Bengal elections, opting to go solo while stressing that she remained committed to the opposition alliance at the national level. On June 1, voting will be conducted on nine seats, including two seats in Kolkata, which are crucial for the party. Apart from the Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar, other constituencies in the state that will go to polls on that day include Jadavpur, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour. Besides, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other top leaders will exercise their franchise on the day. The TMC has so far attended all meetings of the opposition bloc. Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc meeting will focus on the strategy ahead of the June 4 results and assess their performance in the seven-phase elections, said reports. This is also the fifth meeting of the INDIA bloc, the first held in Patna on June 23 last year. This was followed by a meeting in Bengaluru on July 17-18, 2023, and then in Mumbai between August 31 and September 1. It was during the third meeting that the opposition parties adopted resolutions to unitedly contest the Lok Sabha elections. The fourth meeting of the opposition bloc was held in Delhi on December 19. Israel retaliated with airstrikes on Sunday night hours after Hamas claimed that it had fired rockets at Tel Aviv. According to Palestinian health workers 35 people were killed in Rafah after the Israeli missiles hit refugee tents in the region. Israeli Defence Forces claimed that its airstrikes on a Hamas compound in Rafah eliminated Yassin Rabia, the Hamas Chief of Staff in Judea and Samaria, and Khaled Nagar, a senior Hamas official. IDF said it is looking into claims that civilians were killed in the attack. The attacks were carried out two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah. Hours before the Israeli attack, Hamas reportedly fired a barrage of long-range rockets from Gaza targeting Tel Aviv for the first time in several months. No casualties were reported on the Israeli side after eight projectiles entered the country. According to Gaza's health ministry, around 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel and killed around 1,200 people. The militants also took 250 people as hostages among whom 100 are still held captive. The death toll from the Israeli strike on a camp for displaced Palestinian people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah rose to 45 on Sunday. The attack, which took place in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood, was condemned by world nations urging Tel Aviv to put an end to targeting the civilians in Rafah. According to the Gaza health ministry, more than half of those who were killed include women and children. The toll is likely to rise as more people caught in the blaze were in critical condition with severe burns. Reportedly, Rafah civilians died from the fire that broke out after the Israeli strike on Hamas chiefs. Israel's top military prosecutor said an investigation was underway relating to the incident. We pulled out people who were in an unbearable state," Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene, was quoted by the Associated Press. We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal, he added. Amid international outrage, Netanyahu has described the Rafah strike as a "tragic mishap". We are investigating the case, that is our policy, Netanyahu said in a speech at the Knesset on Monday, Haaretz reported. Netanyahu added that for us, every uninvolved [being hurt] is a tragedy, it added. He claimed the incident occurred despite our best efforts not to hurt them. World leaders condemn the attack Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief said that he is "horrified by news coming out of Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of displaced persons, including small children. I condemn this in the strongest terms, he said, adding: There is no safe place in Gaza. These attacks must stop immediately. ICJ orders & IHL must be respected by all parties, said Borrell. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also condemned the incident. The foreign ministry in a statement stressed the importance of implementing the International Court of Justice's ruling. The top UN court ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive. Italy, an ally of Israel, also said that the attack against civilians in Gaza was no longer justifiable. "There is an increasingly difficult situation, in which the Palestinian people are being squeezed without regard for the rights of innocent men, women and children who have nothing to do with Hamas and this can no longer be justified, the countrys defence minister, Guido Crosetto, told SkyTG24 TV. The French President Emmanuel Macron was "outraged" by the Israeli air strikes. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian citizens. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire, he wrote in a tweet on X. Meanwhile, in a separate development, Egypt's military said one of its soldiers was shot dead during an exchange of fire in the Rafah area, without providing further details. Israel said it was in contact with Egyptian authorities, and both sides said they were investigating. Israels latest strike on Rafah comes after Hamas launched a series of rockets targeting Tel Aviv on Sunday. However, no injuries were reported as several rockets were intercepted. The recent strikes are likely to complicate the cease-fire talks and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, said that the strike could complicate talks, and negotiations, which were to restart this week. Israel was blamed for committing a war crime by Jordan. Earlier, Israel denied allegations of genocide brought against it by South Africa at the ICJ. However, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, over alleged war crimes. A video showing long queues of climbers at the summit of Mount Everest has gone viral, raising widespread concerns and fears. According to the New York Post, the climbers were stranded following Tuesday's incident, where a British climber and his sherpa were hit by falling ice as they climbed down from the summit. An Indian, Rajan Dwivedi on May 20, shared a clip on Instagram, that revealed the long queue in a single line as climbers were trying to climb the summit. "Mt. Everest is not a joke and in fact, quite a serious climb," Dwivedi wrote in a post. While elaborating on his post, Dwiedi said three sections-- 1) Khumbu Icefalls 2) C3 to C4 and 3) C4 to Summit during the entire night in the death zone in the frigid air! is quite a serious climb, said Dwivedi. Approx 500 climbers, amateurs and inexperienced ones all over the world attempt it for its glory! Probably 250-300 succeed...Many end up with frostbites, snow blindness and various types of injuries that are not counted in any database, he said. The queue to summit Mt. Everest yesterday. Approximately 800 people attempt to climb Everest annually. The causes of the jams are all related to the short weather windows, the date when ropes are fixed and the slow, inexperienced climbers.pic.twitter.com/142YQ76dVP Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) May 24, 2024 The video shared by Dwivedi shows the long wait on one rope line and negotiating interchanges during the traffic upstream and downstream. The main reason is the weather window to avoid the fierce cruising jet streams that could be 100-240mph!! For me, coming down was a nightmare and exhausting while huge lines of climbers were coming up to maximize the weather window, added Dwivedi. Sharing another video of the long queue, Massimo wrote on X that the causes of the jams are all related to the short weather windows, the date when ropes are fixed and the slow, inexperienced climbers. Many environmentalists and climbers have expressed concern about overcrowding on Everest. Despite the many accidents and deaths on the mountain, hundreds prepare to climb the worlds highest peak. The British climber Mar Paterson (39) along with his Nepali Sherpa Pastenji (23) collapsed while they were climbing down the Hilary Step. The Israeli Defence Forces claimed that two senior Hamas officers were killed in Sunday's Rafah attack. The Israeli airstrikes came hours after Hamas militants fired a barrage of rockets into the Jewish country. IDF stated that it eliminated Hamas Chief of Staff in Judea and Samaria and an additional senior Hamas official in the precise airstrike in northwest Rafah. They were identified as Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar. At least 35 people were killed during the missile strike, according to Palestinian health workers. Who was Yassin Rabia? According to the IDF, Yassin Rabia managed all the operations of Hamas in Judea and Samaria. He allegedly transferred funds to terrorist targets and planned Hamas terrorist attacks throughout Judea and Samaria. The Israeli military also claimed that he carried out numerous attacks targeting IDF soldiers. Another Hamas militant killed in the airstrike was Khaled Nagar, a senior official operating from the Judea and Samaria headquarters of the militant group. IDF claimed that Nagar directed shooting attacks and other terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria besides transferring funds intended for Hamas operations in Gaza. He was also allegedly responsible for several deadly attacks that killed Israeli soldiers. Israel claimed that its airstrike was carried out as per international law, aimed at legitimate targets based on precise intelligence. IDF said that it is aware of reports that several civilians were 'harmed' in the area and that it is reviewing these claims. Two drill rappers, Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, who are charged as co-conspirators in a 2023 murder case, were welcomed on stage by Donald Trump at his rally in the Bronx on Thursday. The rally, which drew thousands of fans, was held in one of the most heavily Democratic and non-white areas of the US, as Trump aims to win New York in 2024. Sheff G, whose real name is Michael Williams, and Sleepy Hallow, whose real name is Tegan Chambers, have both pleaded not guilty to the charges. Sheff G is a central figure in the gang case unveiled by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, and Sleepy Hallow faces conspiracy charges. Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow were introduced by Trump, who asked the crowd, Does everybody know Sheff G? Where is Sheff G? Sheff G praised Trump, saying, They are always going to whisper your accomplishments and shout your failures. Trump is going to shout the wins for all of us. Sleepy Hallow then uttered Trumps slogan, Make America Great Again. Trump admired the rappers diamond grills and joked about getting one for himself. The appearance of the rappers on stage has raised questions about whether the Trump campaign knew about the charges against them. A campaign spokesman responded, As Sheff G said, They always whisper your accomplishments and shout your failures.' The U.S. Secret Service, which provides protection for Trump and secures his rallies, did not respond to a request for comment. Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow are due back in court next month. Prosecutors say Sheff Gs money fueled and rewarded multiple shootings as members of the 8 Trey Crips and affiliated 9 Ways gangs battled foes. Sheff Gs attorney, Arthur Aidala, said, Were cautiously optimistic that Mr. Williams will be exonerated. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) A man set a cup of liquid on fire and tossed it at a fellow subway rider in New York City, setting the victims shirt ablaze and injuring him. The random attack happened on a No. 1 train in lower Manhattan on Saturday afternoon, city police said, adding that the suspect was in custody. The victim, a 23-year-old man, was recovering at a hospital. He told the New York Post that he shielded his fiancee and cousin from the burning liquid and his shirt caught on fire. He said he slapped himself to put out the flames. Doctors told him he had burns on about a third of his body, he said. He had a cup, the victim told the Post. He made fire and he threw it all. The suspect, a 49-year-old man, was arrested a short time later after police tracked a phone he allegedly stole from another subway rider to his location, authorities said. Police have not announced the charges against the man, and it wasnt immediately clear if he had a lawyer would respond to the allegations. Police are also investigating a similar encounter in February when a man threw a container with a flaming liquid at a group of people on a subway platform in the West 28th Street station. While violent crime is rare in the citys subway system, which serves about 3 million riders a day, some high-profile attacks this year have left some riders on edge. They include the death of a man who was shoved onto the tracks in East Harlem in March and a few shootings. Gov. Kathy Hochul in March announced that hundreds of National Guard members would be going into the subway system to boost security. City police said 800 more officers would be deployed to the subway to crack down on fare evasion. (AP) The IDF Israel Security Agency (ISA) carried out a precision strike earlier this evening, eliminating two senior Hamas officials in Yehuda and Shomron. Yassin Rabia, the top Hamas commander in Hamas in Yehuda and Shomron, and Khaled Nagar, a senior official in Hamass Yehuda and Shomron wing, were targeted in an aerial strike in the area of Tal as Sultan, northwest Rafah. The strike was based on precise intelligence and aimed to disrupt Hamass terrorist activities in the region. Rabia was responsible for overseeing Hamass terrorist operations in the area, including planning and funding attacks within Israel. He had a history of involvement in numerous deadly terror attacks, resulting in the deaths of IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians. Nagar, a senior official in Hamass Judea and Samaria Headquarters, directed shooting attacks and other terrorist activities in the region. He was also involved in transferring funds for Hamass terrorist activities in the Gaza Strip and had a history of involvement in deadly terror attacks between 2001-2003. The IDF has acknowledged reports of civilian casualties in the area due to the strike and subsequent fire, and the incident is currently under review. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan criticized Israels refusal to accept a two-state resolution to its conflict with the Palestinians and praised three European countries for their unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood. I firmly believe, Prince Faisal told reporters in Brussels on Sunday night, that a two-state solution with the establishment of a credible Palestinian State serves the interest of the Palestinians and delivers [on] their right to self-determination. It is also in the interest of Israel and delivers the security that Israel needs and deserves. The fact that the current government in Israel doesnt realize that, of course, is a matter of extreme concern, he said. The comments were made during a press conference with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Bathe Eide. The event was held on the sidelines of two days of discussions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict hosted by Brussels, coinciding with the official implementation of Norway, Ireland, and Spains unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood on Tuesday. Prince Faisal emphasized the importance of reinvigorating the two-state solution independent of Israels position because Israel doesnt get to decide whether or not the Palestinians have a right to self-determination. He underscored that the recognition by Norway, Ireland, and Spain is not just symbolic, but rather re-emphasizes the viability of the two-state solution. So we encourage others to do so, he added. Josep Borrell reiterated the significance of the two-state solution, stating, The two-state solution is not a painful concession that Israel must make nor is it a security threat to Israel. On the contrary, it is the only long-term guarantee for the security and prosperity of Israel. I know that the current Israeli government is not convinced of that, he acknowledged, but its allies must work to advance it because its the only solution that we can imagine to bring peace and security to the two people who are fighting for the same land. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahus government, which has firmly opposed Palestinian statehood since taking office in December 2022, has hardened its stance following the Hamas-led massacre on October 7. The Israeli government and the Knesset have declared their opposition to unilateral Palestinian statehood but have expressed support for a negotiated process leading to two states. Critics on the Right have interpreted the Knessets declaration, which passed by 99 to 120 votes, as a covert endorsement of two-state negotiations. Netanyahu and his top officials have refrained from publicly supporting this stance, citing concerns that a Palestinian state could become a terror stronghold similar to Gaza. The Israeli governments opposition to Palestinian statehood and the absence of any recent peace process negotiations have prompted some European countries to shift their position on Palestinian statehood. Historically, many Western and European nations believed that recognition should follow the conclusion of a two-state process. Now, they see it as a necessary step to rejuvenate the process, especially as the United States seeks to advance a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Israels top military prosecutor described as very grave Sundays IDF airstrike on Rafah, which Hamas health authorities in Gaza claim has killed dozens of civilians. The prosecutor, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, says the incident is currently under thorough investigation by the armed forces. The details of the incident are still under investigation, which we are committed to conducting to the fullest extent, Maj. Gen. Yerushalmi stated at a conference hosted by the Israel Bar Association. The IDF regrets any harm to noncombatants during the war. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the precise circumstances and assess any possible breaches of military conduct or protocol. The airstrike killed multiple Hamas terrorists, including Yassin Rabia, the top Hamas commander in Hamas in Yehuda and Shomron, and Khaled Nagar, a senior official in Hamass Yehuda and Shomron wing. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) An unusual incident occurred on Monday when an exchange of fire took place between IDF and Egyptian forces near the Rafah Crossing in southern Gaza, it was released for publication late Monday afternoon. An Egyptian soldier was killed in the exchange and other soldiers were injured, media reports say. Baruch Hashem, no IDF soldiers were injured in the incident. According to IDF sources, Egyptian soldiers opened fire on soldiers from the IDFs 401st Brigade when they passed by the area. The IDF soldiers returned fire, leading to the death of the Egyptian soldier. The IDF spokesperson announced that an investigation has been launched into the incident and a dialogue is taking place between Israeli and Egyptian officials. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) I am a full-time working mum and earn 65,000 a year while my husband who works in a care home earns about 27,000. We have two children aged 6 and 4. When my first daughter was born I earned under 50,000 and so initially took child benefit. When my salary then went up, I stopped taking it and have not claimed it for the past four years although looking back I think I should have tried to claim some while I was on maternity leave, as it would have really helped out. A friend told me that the child benefit rules changed in the Budget and I should now be able to get some and it would be worth me taking it again. How do I do this and will the fact that I have to pay some be worth the hassle, will I have to do a tax return, for example? I earn 65,000 and have two young children - should I start reclaiming child benefit again? Angharad Carrick of This Is Money says: The child benefit high income charge has been a contentious topic ever since its introduction by George Osborne in 2013. Previously, the Government clawed back child benefit from households where the highest earner had an income above 50,000, and withdrew it completely when they earned over 60,000. This meant that a household with two parents each earning 49,000 would receive the child benefit in full, while a household with one parent earning 50,000 would see some or all of it withdrawn. However, last month the child benefit rules changed, raising the threshold at which some child benefit is removed to 60,000, and the threshold at which it is withdrawn to 80,000. Unlike other taxes, child benefit removal is based on total individual income rather than the household, so the higher earner ends up with a hefty marginal tax rate as it is clawed back. Income tax and national insurance combined for someone earning 50,300 or more comes to 42 per cent. But under the old 50,000 to 60,000 bracket for removing child benefit, the marginal tax rate for a parent with one child was 54 per cent, while for a parent with two children it was 63 per cent, and for a parent with three children it was 71 per cent. Under the new 60,000 to 80,000 removal bracket, marginal rates are 49 per cent with one child, 53 per cent with two children and 58 per cent with three children. Tax traps: The chart above shows marginal tax rates for income tax and national insurance on the red line. The blue lines show the effect of child benefit removal under the old brackets of 50k to 60k. These have now been reduced as the brackets moved to 60k to 80k Child benefit removal meant that many parents like you, who lost it all, didn't bother registering for self-assessment and filling in a tax return to see it clawed back. Instead, they opted out of taking child benefit altogether. But many of those parents can now get some money and it would be worth their while dealing with the hassle. Under the new rules, you would have to pay back some of the child benefit because you earn over 60,000 but you could also keep the bulk of it. The current rules state that you will be charged 1 per cent of your child benefit for every 200 of income over 60,000 and you earn 65,000. We asked the experts to explain Shaun Moore, tax and financial planning expert at Quilter says: Since your income is 65,000, you will need to pay a portion of the benefit back. This equates to approximately 25 per cent of the child benefit you receive. Therefore, for two children the child benefit rate is approximately 2,212 per year but you will need to pay around 553 of this back due to the charge, leaving you with 1,659. Since you have not claimed your child benefit for four years you will need to reapply for it via the HMRC child benefit page or download the HMRC app and claim via that. Child benefit can be backdated for up to three months, so if you apply now, you can receive payments from as far back as February 2024. Robert Salter, partner at Blick Rothenberg says: I would generally recommend that anybody who is eligible for child benefit even where some of this will be clawed back does pro-actively claim it. There are a number of reasons for doing this. First, why should you give up on money to which you are legally entitled? And second, what happens if your income suddenly falls during the course of the year and your income, for example, falls below the relevant thresholds? This is an obvious risk for those who are self-employed, but can also happen when one of the following occurs: You receive a significant part of your income based on commission, bonuses etc. and these can vary from year-to-year You are ill for a significant part of the year; or You get made redundant or put on reduced hours working; The rules about claiming child benefit typically allow one to only backdate a child benefit claim for up to 3 months from the date of application. As such, if you suddenly fell ill and weren't paid (e.g. because you are self-employed) or lost your job, you wouldn't necessarily be able to retrospectively claim child benefit for the full tax year. Claiming the benefit initially and then having to pay it back (in part), if necessary is in simple terms a type of insurance policy. Filing a tax return Angharad Carrick says: Given you will have to pay back 25 per cent of the child benefit, around 550 on your current salary, you will need to file a tax return for 2024/25. This means you will have to register for self-assessment, which is fairly straightforward. You will need to head to the Government website and reactivate your account. Make sure you have your Government Gateway information and Unique Taxpayer Reference number to hand. Robert Salter says: Whilst you would be obliged to complete a 2024/25 UK tax return in due course, I would highlight the following: The tax return won't need to be submitted to HMRC until 31st January 2026 so you have 'access' to the child benefit monies for a considerable period of time automatically before any refund is required; and If the only items which need to be reported on the tax return are your salary and the child benefit claims, you should be able to submit your tax return to HMRC yourself. There shouldn't be any need to pay an accountant to prepare a tax return, for example. If you have some concerns about being able to 'pay back' the 25 per cent of the child benefit which would be due back in this case come January 2026 when the tax return is due, for example because you're worried you would have spent the money, you could ask HMRC to make an adjustment to your PAYE tax code to recognize the money which will be due back. This should help ensure that at the end of the tax year, you have paid broadly the correct amount of tax, including any adjustments which are required because of the child benefit clawback. Reducing your adjusted net income Angharad Carrick says: Before you start considering whether to claim the money and do a tax return or opt out, it is worth looking at what counts towards the higher income threshold and some ways to reduce it. The child benefit charge is applied to adjusted net income, which excludes the value of any pension or gift aid charity contributions you make, for example. Charlene Young, pensions and savings expert, at AJ Bell says: If you're making your own payments into a workplace or personal pension scheme, make sure you're deducting these from your income as it could give you a chance of being able to get the full amount of child benefit back. For example, someone earning a salary of 65,000 before tax could make a 4,000 contribution to a pension, which would automatically be boosted to 5,000 thanks to automatic tax relief of 1,000. This means not only an extra 5,000 in their pension pot, but 5,000 deducted from their adjusted net income figure. Their adjusted income would come down to 60,000 and get them the full value of child benefit back. As a higher rate (40 per cent) taxpayer, they could also claim an extra 1,000 in tax relief by contacting HMRC. Perhaps it is a slight exaggeration to say that when Marks & Spencer does well, the whole country feels better. In a week of political turmoil and the dispiriting spectacle of former Post Office boss Paula Vennells being eviscerated for her failure to stop the persecution of innocent postmasters, at least we had M&S to cheer us up. After years of drab fashion and dismal financial performance, it really does look as though Marks is finally back on form. When so much of national life seems to be crumbling and dysfunctional, it's comforting to hope we can at least count on M&S. Shares in the retailer have risen 65 per cent in the past 12 months as investors begin to believe chairman Archie Norman and chief executive Stuart Machin have found the right formula. Sign of the times: Marks & Spencer is providing something of an antidote to the pall surrounding the London stock market The killer question is whether this is yet another false dawn. As recently as 2018, when Norman warned it was on a 'burning platform', Marks was facing an existential crisis. There are reasons to believe recovery is built on solid foundations this time. The retailer has seen 12 quarters of sales growth, profits are up 58 per cent to 716m, which is more than the market was expecting, and it is paying its first dividend since 2019. The revival is being led by food, but clothing is also doing well so well, in some cases, that Machin is complaining about some on-trend garments selling out too fast. Not everything is rosy. The international business is disappointing and the performance of the Ocado joint venture is falling short of hopes. But the balance sheet is in its best shape for years, with debt down and a strong rise in free cash flow. It stormed back into the FTSE 100 index last year after a four-year absence, and last week was the top riser in the blue chip share index. This is all good news for investors, albeit very long-term holders are still sitting on paper losses. Marks has a formidable army of private shareholders, but its fortunes resonate much more widely. Most of us feel we have some kind of 'ownership' of the company. It is virtually synonymous with the High Street, which is why such strong emotions are provoked when the company quits a town centre. Maybe there are a few Britons who couldn't care less about our most venerated retailer, but I haven't met any. Even my husband, who loathes shopping of any kind as much as I adore it, was disappointed when he headed out to the Clapham Junction branch to buy undies only to find the shop is now entirely devoted to food. Spousal grumpiness aside, the re-shaping of the store estate to put the right type of shop in the right location is a big part of the revival. Marks is also providing something of an antidote to the pall surrounding the London stock market, where a string of companies have defected or chosen to float elsewhere. The anti-London narrative, whether justified or not, has taken root. As we reported in The Mail on Sunday, even London Tunnels a company whose ambition to turn a subterranean network used by Winston Churchill during the war into a tourist attraction screams Britishness is now planning to float in Amsterdam. At a time when the London stock market is so widely denigrated, it is cheering to see Marks, perhaps the most quintessentially British business in the Footsie, performing with such gusto. Two of the biggest takeover sagas of the year look set to be resolved this week as deal mania sweeps the City. Bidders for mining giant Anglo American and Royal Mail owner International Distributions Services (IDS) must put forward formal offers in the coming days or walk away for at least six months. BHP has been set a deadline of 5pm on Wednesday to table its bid for Anglo after the miner last week rebuffed its Australian rival's third offer. Meanwhile, Daniel Kretinsky the billionaire investor dubbed the 'Czech Sphinx' has the same deadline to make an offer. It comes as a wave of take-overs have swept the City in recent months. Frenzy: Buyers have circled British firms looking for a deal, with the value of bids from overseas topping 70billion so far this year Buyers have circled British firms looking for a deal, with the value of bids from overseas topping 70billion so far this year. The IDS board last week backed a 3.5billion bid from Kretinsky the firm's biggest shareholder. Meanwhile, Anglo's board has rejected three bids from BHP worth 31billion, 34billion and 39billion but last week said it would engage with its competitor. A major hurdle to a deal has been the requirement for Anglo to sell off two of its South African businesses. In response, Anglo unveiled its own plan to split itself up, which would include the sale of diamond giant De Beers. If it goes ahead, the tie-up would be one of the biggest mining deals on record. It comes amid a crisis on the London stock exchange which has suffered a mass exodus of firms and a lack of new listings. Last week, Britain's biggest investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown became the latest London-listed company to be targeted by foreign buyers. It rejected a 4.67billion joint bid from private equity firm CVC, Nordic Capital and Platinum Ivy, which is owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Cyber security group Darktrace has backed a 4.2billion offer by US private equity firm Thoma Bravo. London-listed firms have also been quitting the market for rival financial hubs. Gambling group Flutter and travel agent Tui have both listed overseas and Cambridge-based chipmaker Arm decided to float on Wall Street last year. One analyst has warned the market is the target of a take-over 'feeding frenzy', as buyers swoop on undervalued firms. Over 300,000 worth of contraband was seized by gardai in Dublin following major raids of goods belonging to organised crime gangs. Gardai from the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North conducted a search operation this Monday morning, as part of ongoing investigations into organised criminality in the Coolock area. 140 members of An Garda Siochana took participated in the operation. Locations in Coolock, Balbriggan and Finglas were searched, which focused on suspected money laundering, the sale and supply of drugs, possession of weapons, immigration offences, illegal waste disposal and suspected theft. The following items were seized: 32,750 cash 15,000 worth of suspected cannabis herb 40,000 worth of designer clothing, jewellery and shoes 241,000 worth of assets were frozen in various bank accounts Financial documentation Three people were arrested for immigration offences by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. All three remain detained at this time and will be deported from the State in due course. This search operation also forms part of the investigation into an incident of violent disorder that occurred at a premises in Balgriffin, Co Dublin on January 13. Investigations are ongoing at this time. Three people have been arrested as part of a gardai investigation into organised criminality in north Dublin. Around 140 members of An Garda Siochana took part in a major search operation on Monday morning. Locations in Coolock, Balbriggan and Finglas were searched as part of the operation which focused on suspected money laundering, the sale and supply of drugs, possession of weapons, immigration offences, illegal waste disposal and suspected theft. Various units were involved in search operation including the Emergency Response Unit, the Garda National Immigration Bureau, the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, the Garda Dog Unit, the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Public Order Unit. A number of items were seized in the search including 32,750 euro in cash; 15,000 euro worth of suspected cannabis herb; 40,000 euro worth of designer clothing, jewellery and shoes; 241,000 euro worth of assets were frozen in various bank accounts and financial documentation. Three people were arrested for immigration offences by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. All three people have been detained at this time and will be deported from the State in due course, according to gardai. This search operation also forms part of the investigation into an incident of violent disorder that occurred at a premises in Balgriffin, Co Dublin on January 13. Gardai said that investigations are ongoing at this time. OLAF FUB SEZ: According to novelist and former University at Buffalo professor John Barth, born on this date in 1930, Like an ox-cart driver in monsoon season or the skipper of a grounded ship, one must sometimes go forward by going back. . . . LISTEN UP Buffalo News editor Scott Scanlon is guest speaker in the free online IMAGINE lecture series at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday that provides a window into the national County Rankings & Roadmaps, compiled by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Find the link on Zoom at us02web.zoom.us/j/85745443118. Humorist Jeff Wozer gives a talk, Digital Distraction Seize the Day over Seizing Your Phone, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Orchard Park Public Library, 4570 S. Buffalo St. Presented by the Friends of the Orchard Park Library, its free and open to the public. . . . THE BIG ONE The 68th American Association of University Women Buffalo book sale opens Wednesday at 425 Essjay Road, Williamsville, with more than 200,000 books, CDs, DVDs and vinyl records in about 50 categories. Opening day admission is $25 from 9 to 11 am., $15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and $10 from 1 to 8 p.m. Its only $1 from Thursday to Saturday and free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, which is bag day. For more info, visit aauwbuffalo.org. . . . KEEP THEM SAFE The Niagara County Department of Health holds a free rabies immunization clinic for dogs, cats and ferrets from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Hyde Park Oasis/Centennial Pavilion, 911 Robbins Drive, Niagara Falls. Advance registration required for each animal. Sign up beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday by calling 716-439-7490 or visiting niagaracounty.com/rabiesclinic. . . . REUNION TIME The Class of 1962 from Cardinal Dougherty High School will have a breakfast reunion at 9 a.m. June 5 in the Family Tree Restaurant, 4346 N. Bailey Ave., Amherst. For info, call John Fera at 716-465-3185. The Nardin Academy Class of 1974 will hold its 50-year reunion June 21 at Tewksbury Lodge, 249 Ohio St. For more info, email Patty Jackson-Doctor at pjdoctor@gmail.com. The Class of 1974 from Williamsville North High School will have its 50-year reunion July 12 and 13 with an afternoon cocktail river cruise followed by an evening gathering at Resurgence Brewery, 55 Chicago St., on Friday, and a morning school tour and evening dinner at Sean Patricks restaurant, 3480 Millersport Highway, Getzville, on Saturday. For more info, email WNHS1974Reunion@gmail.com. . . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY Richard Soluri, Maxine C. Lewis, Peter Was, Pat Burke, Kennedy Elizabeth Louth, Maxine Reilly, Karen Marshall, Mary Eileen McGirr, Nancy Recktenwalt Brown, Shawn Merkwa, Cassandra Wilcox, Pat Kasprzak, Madeline Hawthorn, Shawn McCabe, Greg Golda, Dave Kowalewski, Elizabeth Mackowiak and Brian Lesniowski. AND TUESDAY Kate Perez, Ramona Whitaker, Corey Desiderio, Devorah Maclin, Regina Smith, Nancy Suto, Linda Smith, Bobby Weekley, Christopher Benker, Kyle Lewandowski, Bruce Chamberlin, Sue Przybyl, John Przybyl, Taylor Oesterle and Paul Galvin. To submit birthdays and other items of interest to Reporters Notebook, please email olaffub@buffnews.com or send a letter to Reporters Notebook, Buffalo News, Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240. Once again, deadly gunfire rang out on local streets early this morning and police continue to ask the community for information. Unofficially, this is the 56th homicide so far in 2024 compared to 67 at this time last year. Here is the first report with more reporting after . . . Homicide 2500 block of College This morning around 7AM, officers were dispatched to the 2500 block of College Ave on a reported EMS call. When officers arrived, they observed an adult male lying in the street suffering from unknown bodily trauma and unresponsive. EMS responded and declared the victim deceased at the scene. The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently unknown and no one is in custody. Homicide detectives and crime scene personnel have responded to begin gathering evidence and collecting witness statements. This is being investigated as a homicide and is ongoing at this time. If anyone was in or around the area at this time and saw or heard anything they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS there is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline. We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents. ########## Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Police respond to homicide off College Avenue in Kansas City It was not yet made available what led to the homicide or any victim-suspect information. Kansas City police investigating homicide Kansas City homicide detectives responded to a crime scene near 25th and College where at least one person is dead on Memorial Day. Developing . . . American Airlines has changed a court filing in response to a lawsuit. This lawsuit involves a former flight attendant accused of recording a 9-year-old girl in an airplane lavatory. The incident occurred on a flight from Texas to California. American Airlines Alters Filing After Backlash American Airlines has revised a court document that initially blamed a 9-year-old girl for not noticing a camera in an airplane lavatory. The incident occurred last year during a flight from Texas to California. The girl's family sued the airline after the FBI discovered videos of the child on the flight attendant's phone. In the original court filing, American Airlines claimed that any harm the girl suffered was her own fault for not noticing the recording device. According to ABS-CBN News, the filing stated that the injuries were "caused by (her) own fault and negligence, were proximately caused by (her) use of the compromised lavatory, which she knew or should have known contained a visible and illuminated recording device." However, an American Airlines spokesperson later clarified that this was an error made by outside lawyers working for the company. "We do not believe this child is at fault, and we take the allegations involving a former team member very seriously," the spokesperson said, as quoted in the report. The airline's lawyers amended the court document in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday. The new filing is shorter and no longer accuses the girl of causing her own injuries. Related Article : American Airlines Faces Surge in Safety Concerns, Union Reports The former flight attendant, Estes Carter Thompson III, was fired by American Airlines. He has pleaded not guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse images. Thompson allegedly tried to record a 14-year-old girl using the bathroom on a flight from Charlotte to Boston. Authorities also found recordings of four girls, including the 9-year-old, on earlier flights. Thompson, who has been in federal custody since his arrest in January, will appear in federal court in Boston on July 1. He faces up to 30 years in prison for attempted exploitation and up to 20 years for possessing child abuse images, with fines reaching $250,000. The family of the 14-year-old girl is also suing American Airlines. Outrage Over Blaming Child; Lawyers Fired American Airlines has terminated its legal team after they blamed a 9-year-old girl for not noticing a recording device in an airplane bathroom. The device was allegedly placed by a former flight attendant, Estes Carter Thompson III, facing charges for filming minors. The girl's family sued American Airlines after the FBI found videos of the child on Thompson's phone. In a legal filing, the airline's lawyers argued the girl's injuries were due to her own negligence. As per the Washington Post, following public backlash, American Airlines terminated the law firm responsible. Meanwhile, the girl's mother expressed outrage, stating she was "disgusted and appalled" at the initial response. She emphasized the distress her daughter faced and criticized blaming the victim for the actions of an airline employee. Residents in Spain's Balearic Islands protested against mass tourism in Palma de Mallorca and Menorca, demanding stricter regulations. Concerns over housing affordability and saturation of holiday rentals fueled the demonstrations, echoing similar protests in Ibiza and the Canary Islands. Balearic Residents Unite Against Mass Tourism Impact Residents of the Balearic Islands took to the streets of Palma de Mallorca and Menorca on Saturday. They protested against the adverse effects of mass tourism. Thousands marched, holding signs demanding action to address the impact on the local community. Organizers emphasized the need for authorities to intervene. According to Travel and Tour World, they called for implementing stricter regulations on property ownership and holiday accommodations. They also advocated for limitations on ownership eligibility and measures to curb the saturation of rental properties. Local real estate agent Javier Carbonell highlighted the imbalance in the rental market. He noted that holiday rentals dominate, pricing out locals from affordable housing options. This sentiment underscores broader concerns about the sustainability of tourism in the region. Despite being a popular tourist destination, the Balearic Islands face challenges. These stem from the tourism industry's rapid growth. Tourism accounts for a significant portion of the islands' economy. But it has sparked debates over its long-term impact on the community and environment. Similar protests have erupted in other Spanish tourist hotspots, such as Ibiza and the Canary Islands. Residents advocate for stricter regulations to address housing affordability issues. They also aim to maintain the islands' unique character. As tensions persist between residents and the tourism industry, calls for sustainable practices grow louder. Residents seek greater control over tourism growth in the Balearic Islands. Related Article : Party Over? Balearic Islands Implement New Measures Against Excessive Tourism Restaurant Building Collapses in Balearic Islands A devastating incident occurred in Palma de Mallorca on Thursday as a two-storey restaurant building collapsed on the beach, claiming the lives of at least four people and injuring 16 others. The Balearic Islands, a popular tourism destination in Spain, were shaken by the catastrophe, according to the national police. GMA News reported that seven individuals sustained severe injuries, while nine others were classified as seriously injured, as confirmed by emergency services through social media platform X. They were swiftly transported to various hospitals in Palma for urgent medical attention. Search and rescue operations, along with efforts to secure the area, were underway, as reported by a spokesperson for the local police. The scene was described as tense, with silence being requested to aid in potential rescue efforts for any remaining trapped individuals. The cause of the collapse, suspected to be related to excessive weight, is currently under investigation. The first distress calls were received around 8 p.m., prompting immediate responses from firefighters and police forces. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his condolences to the affected families and assured readiness to provide necessary assistance from the government. Spanish state-owned broadcaster TVE broadcasted scenes of firefighters clearing the area around Medusa Beach Club late into the night, while ambulances remained on standby to aid the injured. In June 2019, a Cheektowaga woman was sentenced to nine years in prison for the attempted murder of her boyfriend. On Friday, under a state law that allows judges to consider a defendants background of domestic abuse when determining an appropriate sentence, Vivian D. Rodriguez was resentenced to five years in prison. Woman pleads guilty to attempted murder in Buffalo machete attack A Cheektowaga woman pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree attempted murder in connection with a September 2018 incident which resulted in the death of her accomplice, according to the Erie County District Attorneys Office. Prosecutors say Vivian D. Rodriguez, 47, conspired with her cousin, Luis Pirela, in a plan to kill her boyfriend, Jesus Hernandez. In the early morning hours Attorneys Kerry Conner and Abigail Whipple of the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo were able to prove to Erie County Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes that Rodriguez was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her former boyfriend and that the abuse was a significant contributing factor in Rodriguezs attempt to kill him. When she was originally sentenced, there was minimal mitigating evidence presented in relation to domestic violence, Conner said. We were able to present a lot more evidence for the judge to get the full picture in her case. Five years ago, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder and tampering with physical evidence after she assisted her cousin in trying to kill her boyfriend. According to the Erie County District Attorneys Office, around 6 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2018, Rodriguez let her cousin into her boyfriends Buffalo home while he was sleeping. The cousin attempted to kill Rodriguezs boyfriend with a machete, but he woke up and subsequently killed the cousin in self-defense. In an attempt to get rid of any video evidence of the crime, Rodriguez removed her boyfriends security camera from the home and put it in her vehicle, the DAs Office said. The earliest Rodriguez could have gotten out of prison under her original sentence was May 19, 2026, according to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. However, under her reduced sentence, Rodriguez, now 52, is eligible for release and will be out of prison soon, Conner said. Once she is out of prison, Rodriguez will be on post-release supervision for five years. Her whole family has been really supportive throughout this, Conner said Friday. They were in court today with her. It was a very, very touching moment when she was resentenced. Woman convicted of '89 homicide denied new sentence under domestic violence law If the judge had granted the woman's request, he could have reduced the amount of time she will remain on parole, the District Attorney's Office said. The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act was signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in May 2019. It allows judges to resentence defendants who were victims of domestic abuse to lighter sentences. Under the law, a defendant is eligible for a reduced sentence if: At the time of the offense, he or she was a victim of domestic violence subject to substantial physical, sexual or psychological abuse inflicted by an intimate partner or family member. The abuse was a significant contributing factor to the persons participation in the crime. The original sentence was unduly harsh. Conner did not provide specific details of the abuse Rodriguez endured, but said her case was pretty straightforward. According to the Survivors Justice Project, an advocacy group that lobbied for the passage of the DVSJA, seven in 10 incarcerated women experienced serious intimate partner violence as adults. Under New York States law, at least 35 women, four men and one nonbinary person 28 of whom are people of color have had their sentences reduced, according to an April 2023 report by the Sentencing Project. Rodriguez is not the first person in Erie County who had a sentence reduced under this law. In September 2020, Patrice Smith was let out of prison while serving a sentence of 25 years to life for killing a man who Smith said raped her. She was convicted of murder and robbery in 1999 when she was 17 years old. Smiths sentence was reduced to 12 years. Feature: Thriving tourism boosts cultural exchanges among China, Japan, S. Korea 16:08, May 27, 2024 By Tai Beiping ( Xinhua SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- China, Japan and South Korea agreed at their ninth trilateral summit here on Monday to designate the year 2025 and 2026 as the China-Japan-South Korea Cultural Exchange Year. Geographically close and culturally connected, the three East Asian neighbors boast robust people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and thriving tourism is giving a further boost to interactions among their people. Masato Takashima, a Japanese travel magazine writer who recently paid a five-day visit to China, was deeply impressed by people's love for traditional Chinese attire Hanfu. "Chinese Hanfu culture is amazing. In Xi'an and Luoyang, people don't just wear Hanfu at tourist sites, they incorporate it into their daily lives. You can see people wearing it on the streets. It gives you a sense of traveling through time," Takashima told Xinhua. "The article I wrote for a famous travel magazine is about to be published. I hope more Japanese people can understand the prosperous and beautiful China," said the Japanese writer. Cultural affinity and similarities in traditions make China an attractive destination for Japanese and South Korean tourists, some of whom are fascinated by the diverse landscapes of the vast nation. "The buildings in Shanghai are tall and gorgeous, and the people there are friendly," Kim Rin, a South Korean tourist who recently traveled to China with her boyfriend, told Xinhua. The number of South Korean tourists traveling to China has increased significantly lately. Figures from South Korea's largest travel agency Hana Tour showed that bookings for package tours to China in May increased by 608 percent year-on-year. Apart from large cities like Beijing and Shanghai, places like Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province and Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province are also among the most favored choices by South Korean travelers. The fascination with pandas is also attracting visitors to China. After Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in South Korea returned to China, some South Korean travel agencies launched "panda tourism" itineraries, taking tourists to China's Sichuan Province to see the adorable pandas. "I am looking forward to my next trip to China, and I hope to visit cities with more local characteristics," Kim said after concluding her trip to China's modern metropolis of Shanghai. While many Japanese and South Korean tourists love to visit China, the two countries are also favored destinations for Chinese holidaymakers. Latest data from Ctrip, a leading travel platform in China, showed that Japan and South Korea are among the top three international destinations for Chinese tourists during the Labor Day holiday. In the first quarter of 2024, South Korea received around 3.4 million foreign tourists, of which 1.01 million were from China, ranking first among all foreign tourists, government figures showed. Xu Qing, a 76-year-old Chinese tourist who recently traveled to Seoul with her daughter and granddaughter, told Xinhua: "South Korea is very close to China. It is very convenient to travel in Seoul." "The people here are very friendly. The city is very clean and very safe," she said. China is also an important source of tourists for Japan and the purchasing power of Chinese visitors is loved by business operators in the tourism sector. Data released by the Japan Tourism Agency revealed that Chinese tourists in Japan had the highest average per capita spending among all foreign visitors in the first quarter, amounting to 293,100 yen (1,867 U.S. dollars). Apart from shopping, Chinese tourists are getting increasingly focused on experiencing the local culture and traditions, Japanese media reported. A recent article in The Yomiuri Shimbun said that Chinese tourists visiting Japan seem to be changing their spending habits and are more focused on experiencing the Japanese culture. Held after a hiatus of more than four years, the trilateral summit in Seoul is expected to add momentum to cooperation among the three East Asian neighbors. Cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation will get a further boost. Enditem (Xinhua reporters Feng Yasong in Seoul, Guo Dan and Tu Yifan in Tokyo also contributed to the story.) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) WASHINGTON Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently released the Senates long-promised bipartisan roadmap for the coming age of artificial intelligence and the senator said he sees Western New York as a destination on that roadmap. I want the future of AI to be in Buffalo, not Beijing, Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in an interview with The Buffalo News last week. Schumer said Buffalo already has a head start on other communities because of the regions designation as a federal tech hub and the University at Buffalos multipronged AI efforts, most notably as the home base for the states Empire AI research center. Then again, universities around the world are pouring money and effort into AI, and theres no guarantee that Schumers roadmap which calls for at least $32 billion in annual federal funding for AI research can help Buffalo. After all, its just a roadmap, and one that met much criticism for its lack of detailed regulations for a technology that could both create and destroy jobs while blurring the line between truth and reality. Schumer seeks to include UB, New York in federal AI research pilot Schumer has invited the heads of the Biden Administrations National AI Research Resource pilot to visit New York and strongly consider Empire AI for their two-year project to create a national shared infrastructure for AI innovation. But Schumer is confident that his bipartisan AI effort will lead both to a brighter future for Western New York and for the country. He compares the fledgling AI effort to his yearslong effort to bring the microchip industry back to the U.S. The CHIPS and Science Act became law in 2022, creating the tech hub program and prompting Micron to commit to building a massive plant near Syracuse that will eventually employ 9,000 people. All of the research that weve done with CHIPS, making Buffalo a tech hub, will dovetail and make us well suited to deal with AI as well, he said. What we did with CHIPS was design a proposal that fits into upstate New Yorks and Western New Yorks needs. Were trying to do the same with AI. The federal government designated Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse as a tech hub last October, making the region eligible for upward of $75 million in federal funding. Schumer met last week with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and said he came away confident that the region will get at least some of that money when funding is announced in the next few weeks. Moreover, Schumer said the microchips that Micron will make in its new upstate plant will be necessary ingredients in the AI tools of the future, including those developed at UB. The universitys efforts are extensive. Most notably, the state will invest $275 million over a decade in Empire AI, which will have a computing center at UB. But other AI announcements spin out of the university on a regular basis, with the most recent a $1.8 million federal grant to UB researchers who will work on securing AI systems in the U.S. military announced Friday. If Congress approves $32 billion in annual funding for the roadmaps National AI Research Resource, were going to get a lot more money in Western New York for these computer systems and for training as well, Schumer said. Schumer said the additional research funding is the part of the AI roadmap most likely to be enacted by Congress this year, given that it has bipartisan support and that it could fit neatly into the federal funding bills for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. The Senates Bipartisan AI Working Group developed the roadmap after a years worth of research and meetings with top tech leaders and others potentially affected by the growth of AI. Sen. Todd Young, an Indiana Republican who was part of the working group, praised the plan. This roadmap represents the most comprehensive and impactful bipartisan recommendations on artificial intelligence ever issued by the legislative branch, Young said. Our goal is to ensure the United States maintains its leadership in AI innovation, enabling the American people to reap the substantial national security, economic and societal benefits of an AI-driven future. The proposed research funding is the most concrete proposal in the bipartisan AI roadmap, which otherwise reads more like a set of discussion topics rather than a detailed legislative proposal. Its tenets include: Ensuring enforcement of existing laws for AI, including ways to address any gaps or unintended harmful bias. Encouraging a conscientious consideration of the impact AI will have on our workforce. Addressing national security threats, risks and opportunities for AI. Addressing challenges posed by deepfakes related to election content and nonconsensual intimate images, as well as examining the impacts of AI on professional content creators and the journalism industry. Mitigating the threat of potential long-term risk scenarios. My overwhelming reaction is disappointment, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, director of the Center for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination and Redesign at Brown University, told Fast Co. The Georgetown University School of Laws Center on Privacy & Tech criticized the roadmap for funding AI research while failing to build guardrails to protect our communities and planet from its harms. And a number of tech groups banded together to release a Shadow Report that calls for specific protections against job loss, the invasion of privacy and other possible risks associated with AI. UB to showcase AI potential to National Science Foundation head at Schumer's behest The director of the National Science Foundation will visit the University at Buffalo soon to see how upstate and Western New York can help to drive U.S. research and innovation in order to create new jobs and keep America in the forefront of the new technology. But to hear Schumer tell it, there was method in the roadmaps vagueness. The only way you get things done in the Senate is bipartisan, he said. Now that means on some of the things where I dont agree with Republicans, like protection for workers or protection for civil rights, we couldnt have direct proposals. Schumer is hoping, though, that while the AI research funding wins congressional approval this year, congressional committees will begin the hard work of developing concrete regulatory proposals that the roadmap deliberately didnt deliver. If it was just Democrats doing it, we might have been able to put those regulations in, he said. To do it in a bipartisan way, it takes a little work. You cant just snap your fingers and make it happen. Since February 24, 2022, Russian invaders have killed 548 children and injured another 1,351 in Ukraine. More than 1,899 children in Ukraine have suffered from the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation. As of the morning of May 27, 2024, according to the official information provided by juvenile prosecutors, 548 children were killed and more than 1,351 received injuries of various degrees of severity, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine posted on Telegram. Most children were affected in the Donetsk region - 532, Kharkiv region - 378, Kherson region - 152, Dnipropetrovsk region - 139, Kyiv - 130, Zaporizhzhia region - 108, Mykolaiv region - 105. Read also: Death toll from Russian strike on hardware store in Kharkiv rises to 17 On May 25, a 12-year-old girl was killed in Russias air strike on a hypermarket in Kharkiv. On May 26, two boys, 9 and 12, were injured in the enemy shelling of Bohuslavka village in the Kharkiv regions Izium district. As reported by Ukrinform, on May 26, a farewell ceremony was held in Odesa at the Transfiguration Cathedral for four-year-old Zlata, who was wounded in a missile attack on April 29; doctors fought for the child's life for almost a month. In Snihurivka, Mykolaiv region, a Russian missile hit a car wash, injuring two people. This was reported by Vitaliy Kim, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, on Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "A missile hit a self-service car wash in the city of Snihurivka, Mykolaiv region. Two wounded (the girl is in a serious condition)," Kim wrote. As reported by Ukrinform, on Monday night, May 27, Russian troops launched two artillery attacks on Ochakiv, Mykolaiv region. One person was killed and 11 injured in a Russian strike on Kharkiv on May 27. Kharkiv region governor Oleh Syniehubov said this in a post on the Telegram messaging app, Ukrinform reports. "At this time, there are already 11 injured people. One woman is in a serious condition," he wrote. According to him, the Russians hit a civilian enterprise with an aerial bomb. In another post, Syniehubov said that the wounded woman had died. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that in addition to the Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv, the Shevchenkivskyi district was also under attack, with no casualties reported. "There was a hit in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv as well, not far from residential buildings. Fortunately, there was no information about casualties and damage," Terekhov said. At around 16:15, the Russians launched an airstrike on Kharkiv. It was reported that at least four people had been injured, two of them in grave condition. Nearly 80 attacks have occurred on the front lines since the beginning of the day, with intense fighting ongoing in the Pokrovsk sector. According to Ukrinform, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on Facebook, publishing operational information as of 19:00 on Monday, May 27. "Ukrainian troops continue to conduct a defensive operation. The total number of enemy attacks along the entire frontline since the beginning of the day has approached 80. The Pokrovsk sector remains the area of fierce fighting," the General Staff said. In the Kharkiv sector, there have been 10 combat engagements, some of which have been going on for a long time. The Russian military is conducting air strikes in the northern Kharkiv region using guided aerial bombs. Today the enemy has already conducted at least 25 strikes with guided aerial bombs. In particular, two such bombs were used to attack Kharkiv itself. "The total losses of the enemy since the beginning of the day amount to 137 men killed or wounded and 18 units of weapons and military equipment," the General Staff noted. It is also reported that one enemy tank, four units of vehicles and special equipment were destroyed, two armored fighting vehicles, two cars, and four artillery systems were damaged. In the Kupiansk sector, Russian troops tried to break through Ukrainian defenses nine times but suffered significant losses - about ten Russian soldiers were killed and fifty more were wounded. Among the destroyed weapons of the Russian army was a modern EW station Serp-VS5. Two enemy cannons were damaged. In the Siversk sector, the number of Russian assaults increased to six, and in the Kramatorsk sector - to eight. The Russian army continues to increase pressure on Chasiv Yar and its surroundings. In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian troops have repelled 21 enemy attacks since the beginning of the day. "It is not easy for Ukrainian defenders, but the situation is under control," the General Staff added. In the Vremivka sector, the Russian army continues attacks using aircraft and anti-aircraft guns. Nine enemy assaults were repelled near the settlements of Staromaiorske and Urozhaine. The Russians also launched air strikes against these villages. In the Dnipro River sector, five combat engagements have already taken place at footholds on the left bank of the Dnipro River. According to the General Staff, the situation has not changed significantly in other areas. "Our grouping of troops has defined and carried out tasks aimed at strengthening the stability of the defense. Ukrainian defenders continue to restrain the enemy and inflict as many losses on them as possible," the General Staff emphasized. As Ukrinform reported, in the operational area of the Southern Defense Forces, Russian invaders made four unsuccessful assaults in the Orikhiv sector and eight on the left bank of the Dnipro near Krynky village. On Thursday, House Republicans spent over three hours admonishing the leaders of Northwestern University, Rutgers University, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for their responses to recent antiwar protests and antisemitic incidents on their campuses. Lawmakers argued that the universities failed in their central obligation to protect students, particularly Jewish students who felt threatened by the protests. Campus Safety Concerns During the hearing, members of the House Education and Workforce Committee, led by Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, expressed deep concern over what they saw as the universities' inadequate handling of antisemitic incidents. Foxx accused the university leaders of allowing "antisemitic encampments" that endangered Jewish students, stating, "Each of you should be ashamed of your decisions." The criticism comes amidst a backdrop of increased scrutiny on how universities handle campus protests and incidents of antisemitism. This hearing was the third in a series focused on campus antisemitism, reflecting ongoing tensions and debates over free speech, student safety, and institutional responsibility. Previous hearings had significant repercussions, contributing to the resignations of the presidents of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. However, the leaders of Northwestern, Rutgers, and UCLA managed to navigate the session without making any notable missteps that could go viral on social media. READ MORE : University Leaders Testify Before House Committee On Antisemitic Incidents, Campus Protests University Leaders Defend Actions Northwestern President Michael Schill, Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, and UCLA Chancellor Gene Block were the main targets of the committee's ire. Schill, in particular, faced intense scrutiny for the Deering Meadow Agreement, a deal struck with students protesting on Northwestern's campus lawn. Under this agreement, protesters dismantled their tents and silenced sound systems in exchange for scholarships for five Palestinian undergraduates and a gathering space for Middle Eastern, North African, and Muslim students. Lawmakers questioned whether these concessions violated federal anti-discrimination laws and why Schill did not consult the university's committee on antisemitism before making the agreement. Seven members of that committee resigned in response to the deal. Schill defended his actions by stating that the agreement brought an end to the encampment without violence and that consulting with more parties in such a rapidly evolving situation was impractical. At UCLA, Chancellor Block faced questions about a recent clash between pro-Palestinian protesters and pro-Israel counterprotesters, one of the more violent episodes in recent weeks. Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, sharply criticized Block for failing to prevent the violence, which resulted in students fearing for their lives and the arrest of over 200 people after police were called in to clear the encampment. Political and Academic Reactions The hearing highlighted a broader political divide, with Republicans using the session to underscore their concerns about rising antisemitism on campuses and Democrats pushing back against what they see as politically motivated attacks on higher education. Republicans on the committee employed props and videos to argue that universities are becoming hotbeds of antisemitism, often interrupting the university leaders and asking loaded questions designed to generate social media moments. However, this hearing did not yield the same dramatic results as previous ones, leading some to speculate that the committee's efforts might be losing steam. Despite this, Republicans reiterated their commitment to ensuring that all university campuses are safe for Jewish students, pledging to continue their oversight. Democrats on the committee called for a more constructive approach, emphasizing the need for solutions rather than repetitive hearings. Representative Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon urged the committee to consider legislation that would help colleges better protect Jewish students and boost funding for the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights. Outside the hearing room, faculty from the three universities denounced the proceedings as a "witch hunt" and "politically bullying." Nearly 40 faculty members traveled to Washington to express their opposition to the committee's actions, arguing that the hearings were part of a broader attack on higher education. Todd Wolfson, an associate professor at Rutgers, described the hearings as presenting an "alternate reality to what is actually going on on our campuses." Katie Rodger, president of the University of California American Federation of Teachers chapter, criticized the committee's motives, stating, "I don't believe for one minute that the interests of students or campus community members is at all what the Republicans are after in these hearings." As the debate continues, university leaders will need to address both the concerns raised in Washington and the reactions from their campus communities. The outcome of these hearings and the subsequent actions taken by universities will likely shape the ongoing discourse on free speech, student safety, and institutional accountability in higher education. In a recent development, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has launched an inquiry into Tutor.com, a popular online tutoring service, citing data privacy concerns. The investigation comes amid growing scrutiny over the company's Chinese ownership and its potential implications for student data security. Chinese Ownership Raises Alarms Tutor.com, owned by Primavera Capital Group, a Chinese investment firm, has come under fire due to its association with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. ByteDance has faced intense scrutiny over its ties to the Chinese government, prompting concerns that user data could be compromised. In April, President Biden signed a law indicating that TikTok would be prohibited in the U.S. if it did not secure a new owner within the year, highlighting the government's worries regarding Chinese-owned technology firms. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, led by Senator Cassidy, is now investigating federally funded arrangements with Tutor.com. The goal is to assess any threats they pose to students' online safety and privacy. Cassidy's letter to former Tutor.com CEO Joshua Hyoung-Jun Park highlights the senator's concerns about the potential for student data to be shared with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under Chinese law. READ MORE : Chinese Universities Rising In Global Rankings, Challenging US Ivy League Dominance Tutor.com's Defense and Government Review Tutor.com has defended its data privacy practices, stating that it employs extensive safeguards to ensure that U.S. students' data cannot and will not be shared with China or any foreign entity. The company also emphasized its compliance with U.S. federal and state requirements regarding student data. A U.S. government review conducted in April 2023 found no national security concerns related to Tutor.com. However, Senator Cassidy remains skeptical of Tutor.com's assurances, calling them "veiled" and requesting the company to take 11 specific actions by June 11. These actions include providing a list of state and local educational agencies and libraries that have signed agreements with Tutor.com, details on how student data is stored, and explanations of policies relating to Tutor.com's recorded classroom environment. Implications for Higher Education and Beyond Although Cassidy's letter primarily addressed Tutor.com's agreements with libraries, K-12 schools, and the U.S. military, the company also provides services to higher education institutions such as Texas A&M University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Abilene Christian College. Additionally, Tutor.com collaborates with the Defense Department and the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Program. The investigation's findings could have far-reaching implications for these institutions and others that use Tutor.com's services. In response to previous calls for action, Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Representative Elise Stefanik of New York introduced legislation to ban Tutor.com from working with U.S. military students. The "Ban Chinese Communist Party Access to U.S. Military Students Act" has yet to see any legislative action. The scrutiny over Tutor.com's data privacy practices also extends to its parent company, Primavera Capital Group, which acquired The Princeton Review along with Tutor.com in 2022. While Cassidy's letter did not mention The Princeton Review, its association with Tutor.com raises additional questions about data privacy and security. As Senator Cassidy's investigation into Tutor.com unfolds, the broader implications for student data privacy and the role of Chinese-owned companies in U.S. education remain at the forefront. The outcome of this inquiry could have significant implications for how educational institutions and policymakers approach partnerships with tech companies, especially those with ties to foreign governments. ISTANBUL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th May, 2024) Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will meet with his Cambodian counterpart Sok Chenda Sophea on May 28 to discuss bilateral relations as well as current international and regional developments. The top Cambodian diplomat will pay a three-day visit to Turkiye on May 27-29, a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said Monday. Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Turkiye and the Kingdom of Cambodia were established on November 7, 1959. Since then, relations between Turkiye and Cambodia have been on a positive track, yet the scope remained limited until the recent past, due to the political developments in Cambodia since the mid-1970s, geographical distance between the two countries and differences in foreign policy priorities," according to an information on the ministrys website. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th May, 2024) Pakistan and Hungary on Monday agreed to work together on maintaining a positive trajectory in bilateral relations and explore new areas of cooperation. The agreement was reached during the 6th round of Pakistan-Hungary Bilateral Political Consultations held in Budapest. Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan led the Pakistan delegation and Deputy State Secretary Ambassador Lazlo Varadi led the Hungarian side at the 6th Round of the consultations. The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral ties and discussed regional and global developments. Meanwhile, in Budapest, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan also met with the State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security, Petar Szataray and Deputy State Secretary for International Cooperation, Atilla Hidegh. The below is attributable to Acting U.S. Mission Spokesperson Thomas Montgomery: Islamabad (Pakistan Point News - 27th May, 2024) U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome met today with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to discuss key aspects of the U.S.-Pakistan trade, investment, and economic relationship. The Ambassador highlighted ongoing U.S. support for Pakistans economic reform agenda. Ambassador Blome noted the United States is committed to working with Pakistan in technical and development initiatives, emphasizing that the United States remains Pakistans largest export market, a major source of high-quality investment and a strong partner for Pakistans economic future. Dhaka, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th May, 2024) The death toll from a cyclone that smashed into low-lying areas of Bangladesh has risen to at least 10 people, with more than 30,000 homes destroyed and tens of thousands more damaged, top local officials said Monday. "They mostly died after they were crushed under fallen houses or collapsed walls," said Showkat Ali, government administrator of Barisal district, where seven people died. Three others died in neighbouring districts, some by drowning. Fierce gales and crashing waves battered the coast as Cyclone Remal made landfall on Sunday night. By Monday afternoon, it had weakened into a storm, but winds and rain still lashed the coast. "Heavy rains unleashed by the cyclone are going on, and the wind speed is also high," Ali added. In Khulan district, two people died, government administrator Helal Mahmud told AFP. "The cyclone has damaged more than 123,000 homes in the division, and among them some 31,000 homes were completely damaged," he said. Another person died in Chittagong, where "more than 40,000 people are still in cyclone shelters due to heavy rains and strong wind", administrator Tofael islam told AFP. Power was knocked out to more than 12.5 million people, said Biswanath Sikder, chief engineer of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification board, the country's largest state-run power distribution company "We will resume power supply after the cyclone situation improves," he said. Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th May, 2024) Andy Murray's French Open career ended Sunday when he went down to a straight sets first round defeat to 2015 champion and fellow three-time Grand Slam title winner Stan Wawrinka who hailed the Briton as "a great champion". Murray, the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2016, lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in his last appearance at the tournament before retiring later this year. Wawrinka becomes only the third man over the age of 39 to win a match at the French Open since 1980. Murray, 37, had already announced he plans to retire later in the summer with Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics as the two high-profile events left on his schedule. On Sunday, he left to a standing ovation from the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier and Murray returned the gesture by applauding the fans. Wawrinka, who has now defeated Murray three times in four meetings in Paris, described his opponent as a "great champion". The Swiss veteran goes on to face either Cameron Norrie of Britain or Russia's Pavel Kotov for a place in the third round. "My first words are for a great champion," Wawrinka told Eurosport courtside after the pair's 23rd career meeting. "I have loved watching Andy play, loved fighting against him. We've had a lot of fights over the last 15 years. We are not very young so we did all we could and remember all these moments." He added: "I love to work in front of a crowd like this. I've shared a lot of emotion with this crowd and they gave me a lot of energy to fight. "In my head I'm still a young guy, still a kid." (@Abdulla99267510) This launch occurred just hours after Pyongyang warned of an impending satellite launch by June 4, which would have been its second spy satellite in orbit. SEOUL: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-May 27th, 2024) North Korea's attempt to launch a new military reconnaissance satellite ended in failure on Monday when a newly developed rocket engine exploded mid-flight. This launch occurred just hours after Pyongyang warned of an impending satellite launch by June 4, which would have been its second spy satellite in orbit. However, the effort ended in failure, marking another setback following two similar failures last year. North Korea had successfully placed its first spy satellite in orbit in November. "The launch of the new satellite carrier rocket failed when it exploded in mid-air during the flight of the first stage," the deputy director general of North Korea's National Aerospace Technology Administration reported through state media. An initial analysis indicated that the failure was likely due to a newly developed liquid fuel rocket motor, though other potential causes are being investigated. The officials in South Korea and Japan confirmed the launch failure. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that the projectile was launched from North Korea's west coast at around 10:44 p.m. local time (1344 GMT). Debris from the rocket was detected in the sea just two minutes after launch. The object launched by North Korea disappeared over the Yellow Sea, according to Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who stated that nothing appeared to have entered space. "These launches violate relevant security council resolutions and are a serious matter concerning the safety of our people," Hayashi said. Japanese broadcaster NHK aired footage of what seemed to be an orange dot flying into the night sky and then bursting into flames near the China-North Korea border. A Japanese defense ministry official suggested that the color of the flames indicated burning liquid fuel, though further analysis is needed. The launch was believed to have originated from Dongchang-ri, the location of North Korea's main space flight center. Japan issued an emergency warning for residents in the south to take cover, but later lifted the warning, stating the missile was not expected to fly over Japanese territory. The failed launch was North Korea's attempt to place a second spy satellite into orbit. After multiple failed attempts, North Korea successfully placed its first such satellite in orbit in November. The first attempt with the new Chollima-1 satellite rocket in May of the previous year failed due to an unstable engine system and fuel issues. Another attempt in August also ended in failure when the rocket boosters malfunctioned, causing the payloads to crash into the sea. Despite these failures, U.S. space experts confirmed in February that North Korea's first spy satellite, Malligyong-1, remained operational, showing changes in its orbit indicating Pyongyang's control over the spacecraft. North Korean state media claimed the satellite had transmitted photos of significant locations like the Pentagon and White House, though no images have been released publicly. The successful November launch followed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia's advanced space launch center, where President Vladimir Putin pledged assistance in developing satellites. The extent of this aid remains unspecified and may violate United Nations Security Council resolutions against North Korea. The reports suggested that Russian experts have visited North Korea to assist with its satellite and space rocket programs. North Korea asserts the necessity of a military reconnaissance satellite to monitor U.S. and South Korean military activities. It has been quite consistent poll after poll. Joe Biden is not fit for reelection and his campaign knows it. For someone who consistently says democracy is on the ballot, he sure doesnt act like it, putting himself ahead of his party. Having an 81-year-old back in the White House simply seems weak to me. I always thought that the Republican Party was this party that consisted of old white religious people. With that group fading out, it was great when the Democrats decided to run Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for president, since he could relate to young voters and the issues they care about. However, it appears the Democrats are contradicting themselves by having an 81-year-old run for a second term. Tepatepec, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th May, 2024) As a child growing up in a poor rural town, Xochitl Galvez sold homemade candy to help her family. Now she is a successful entrepreneur hoping to be Mexico's first woman president. The 61-year-old center-right opposition senator and self-made businesswoman with Indigenous roots often evokes her simple upbringing in Tepatepec in the central state of Hidalgo. Her childhood was marked by domestic violence and an alcoholic father, according to the candidate and her relatives. "They came to live here because they were struggling financially," Galvez's cousin Norma Angelica Ruiz said during a tour of the house the politician once called home with her grandparents, parents and siblings. Photographs of Galvez as a teenager with her family still hang on the walls. "Since there was no refrigerator, the famous candies were hung in baskets up there on those rafters," said Ruiz, a dentist. At the time, the town only had Primary school, so Galvez had to travel long distances to continue her studies. Ruiz remembers Galvez as a studious child. "In high school she learned to sew and then she taught it to women" from disadvantaged communities, the 68-year-old said. But in Tepatepec, where outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's ruling party has strong support, not everyone is won over by the rags-to-riches story. "It's a lie that they were so poor. It's one of the biggest houses in town," said Dalila Garcia, a merchant at the local market. - 'Nobody controls me' - Galvez, who was born to an Indigenous Otomi father and mixed-race mother, speaks with pride of her origins. Her first name means "flower" in the Nahuatl language, and her background sets her apart from the traditional conservative opposition. She wears traditional clothing, uses colloquial language peppered with swear words and is known for traveling around Mexico City by bicycle. Between 2015 and 2018, Galvez was mayor of one of the districts of Mexico City, before winning a seat in the upper house of Congress. "I follow my own convictions... Nobody controls me -- not even my husband," she likes to repeat to underline her independence. Although she is now aligned with the conservative opposition, Galvez's record is one of a liberal and defender of abortion, LGBTQ rights, and even outgoing Lopez Obrador's social welfare programs. At the same time, she has criticized the left-wing populist's security strategy, saying "ovaries are needed" to confront organized crime. In another message to Lopez Obrador, she said: "Machos like you are afraid of an independent and intelligent woman." - Dinosaur costume - After leaving Tepatepec at the age of 17, Galvez studied at the prestigious National Autonomous University of Mexico and went on to found a successful high-tech company. In 2000, conservative president Vicente Fox entrusted her with policy for Indigenous peoples. As a senator, the mother-of-two once went to Congress in a dinosaur costume to criticize the government. In a series of presidential debates, Galvez launching stinging attacks against ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum, calling her an "ice lady" and "narco-candidate." "While you danced ballet at the age of 10, I had to work," she told the former Mexico City mayor, a scientist by training who was born in the capital to a family of Jewish immigrants. Despite the fiery performance, Galvez is lagging more than 20 points behind Sheinbaum in polls. People close to Galvez recognize her low popularity in Tepatepec, where there is more visible support for Sheinbaum in the streets. "In this town, if you're successful, people are suspicious of you," Ruiz said. sem-dr/dw Heavily armed militants attacked a Pakistani security outpost near the border with Afghanistan early Monday, resulting in the deaths of five soldiers and seven assailants in the ensuing firefight. Security officials confirmed the deaths to VOA, saying the attack occurred in the remote Tirah valley in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and resulted in injuries to six soldiers. Hours later, the media wing of the Pakistani military also confirmed the casualties suffered by its forces in the clashes in the former militant stronghold, saying that seven militants were killed in retaliatory fire. A large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was also recovered from the killed terrorists who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as innocent civilians, the statement added. Militants allied with the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, formally known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, TTP, released a statement claiming responsibility for staging the raid in Tirah. The deadly attack came a day after the Pakistani military reported that a counterterrorism raid near the provincial capital of Peshawar killed two Pakistani soldiers and five alleged terrorists believed to be linked to TTP. Sunday, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also renewed Islamabads demand for the Taliban government in Afghanistan to immediately stop TTP leaders and fighters from orchestrating cross-border terrorism from their alleged havens in the neighboring country. Naqvi stated at a news conference that "if the TTP headquarters remain in Afghanistan" and no action is taken to dismantle them, it would become "very challenging" for Islamabad to improve relations with the de facto Kabul rulers. We want good relations with Afghanistan, but this is possible only if they do not allow their land to be used for terrorism against Pakistan, Naqvi said. But it is imperative (for the Taliban) that the individuals engaged in terrorism within their borders are apprehended, prosecuted, or surrendered to us. The minister also stated that TTP had planned and directed from Afghan sanctuaries a suicide car bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this past March that killed five Chinese engineers along with their Pakistani driver. The Chinese nationals were working on a major hydropower project, known as the Dasu Dam, in the province. Naqvi said that the suicide bomber was an Afghan national, noting that Pakistani authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the attack and plan to prosecute them soon. The Taliban government rejects allegations TTP is operating out of their territory, saying they are not allowing anyone to use Afghan soil to threaten neighboring countries or beyond. Skeptics question those assertions. A recent United Nations report on the security situation in Afghanistan highlighted the Talibans continued close ties to al-Qaida operatives, saying the terrorist network has established new training camps in the country and is facilitating TTP in conducting cross-border attacks against Pakistan. President Joe Biden marked Memorial Day with a pledge that the country would continue the work of the nation's fallen toward creating a more perfect union, "for which they lived, and for which they died for." Delivering remarks at a solemn remembrance ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Biden said each generation must ensure the sacrifice of the country's service members is not in vain. Freedom has never been guaranteed, Biden said under gray skies in the memorial amphitheater. Every generation has to earn it, fight for it, defend it in the battle between autocracy and democracy, between the greed of a few, and the rights of many. He added: On this day, we came together again to reflect, to remember, and above all, to recommit to the future they fought for, a future grounded in freedom, democracy, opportunity and equality. Not just for some, but for all. Before the ceremony began, Biden, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In his remarks, Biden invoked the anniversary this week of the death of his son Beau, who served in Iraq and later died from brain cancer that the president attributes to his time stationed near toxic burn pits, to highlight the importance of honoring the service of those who came home with injuries, in addition to the dead. Last year, the VA delivered more benefits and processed more claims than ever in our history," Biden said, crediting the PACT Act which grants automatic coverage for certain health conditions suffered by veterans by presuming they result from their military service. For too long after fighting for our nation, these veterans had to fight to get the right health care, to get the benefits they had earned, not anymore. Biden began the day hosting a breakfast at the White House for administration officials, military leaders, veterans, and Gold Star family members. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. U.S. presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both campaigning for the support of Black voters. VOA Correspondent Scott Stearns looks at how the presidential campaigns are trying to build African American support. Chinese authorities are setting up a China book corner in Kenya's state training institutions, to provide Chinese literature, language resources and insights for scholars and students. But analysts say such a display of soft power is an effort to maintain Beijing's influence on the continent. At one school in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, more than 30 students are enrolled in part-time classes on Chinese language and culture. Steve Wakoli has been teaching the three-month course for three years. Inspired by employment opportunities as a translator, Wakoli learned Chinese in 2020. Now a private teacher, he said Chinese literature is helping him earn a living. ''I did accounts as my bachelor's degree, but it reached a point where everyone is doing accounts and others are doing finance. This is a field that was crowded, so I decided to go for something unique. I found that there were translation jobs, teaching jobs, he said. Kenyan authorities have begun to display Chinese literature to the public in places like the state workers training institute the Kenya School of Government. More than 100 books on governance, politics and development are showcased in the school's library in what is called the China Book Corner. Prisca Oluoch, the school's director of linkages, collaborations and partnerships, said the books can help readers understand how China grows an economy. ''A lot of our books currently in our library are from American authors, from European authors. How about the East? How about China, Korea, Singapore? How did they do it? Prisca said. Having the China corner helps us to have that perspective to be able to also build, in terms of our own African leadership and management, drawing from the Chinese experience.'' According to a study by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a key pillar of China's efforts to gain influence in Africa and globally is to create the impression of universal support for the Chinese Communist Party in a strategy known as the united front. Historical relations between African countries like Kenya and the West or Europe can be unassailable for newcomers, but Beijing is taking advantage of its technological expertise to make inroads, said international relations professor Chacha Nyaigotti. African nations, which some of them were colonized by the French and others, British or English people, still cherish that network between the U.K. and commonwealth countries in Africa, and France with French speaking countries in Africa. But I think African[s] are being driven toward China mainly because China supports their infrastructural development,'' Chacha said. The books, authored by writers including China President Xi Jinping, were donated by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya. Some are translated into the Kenyan language, Swahili. Officials believe that with access to Chinese literature, the public can learn different economic methods which may help alleviate poverty. Bangladesh has evacuated nearly 800,000 people from vulnerable areas as cyclone Remal makes landfall. Georgia celebrates Independence Day as fear of a Russian like law will likely be passed in parliament. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy releases a video urging the West for more help. We talk to Branislav Slantchev, a professor at the University of California San Diego. Another plane battered by turbulence causing 12 people to be injured. Is climate change making turbulence worse? A senior Russian diplomat says Russias foreign and justice ministries have told President Vladimir Putin that Afghanistans ruling Taliban can be removed from the list of Moscow-designated terrorist organizations. Zamir Kabulov, the special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, told state-run TASS news agency Monday that the delisting would enable Moscow to decide whether to recognize the Taliban government. Without this [removal of the ban on the Taliban], it will be premature to talk about recognition, he was quoted as saying. Therefore, work on this issue continues. All considerations have been reported to the top leadership of Russia. We are waiting for a decision." Separately, TASS quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying Monday that the Taliban is the real power in Afghanistan and that the groups possible removal from Moscows list of banned organizations reflects objective reality. Russia formally labeled the Taliban a terrorist organization in 2003, when the radical group was waging a deadly insurgency against the United States and allied troops in Afghanistan. The insurgents stormed back to power on August 15, 2021, and established a men-only Taliban government as the U.S.-led foreign troops withdrew from Afghanistan. No foreign country has formally recognized the Taliban as legitimate rulers, mainly due to human rights and terrorism-related concerns. However, several neighboring and regional countries, including Russia, have retained their embassies in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and allowed the de facto government to run Afghan embassies on their respective soils. Kabulov noted Monday that the Taliban had come a long way towards being recognized since seizing power. "But there are still a few hurdles to overcome, after which the Russian leadership will make a decision," he said, without elaborating. The Russian envoy was also quoted as saying Monday that his government had extended an invitation to the Taliban to attend a June 5-8 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The event, which once hosted top Western business leaders and investment bankers from London and New York, has changed significantly since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow and the international community at large have been urging the Taliban to govern the war-torn South Asian nation through a politically inclusive government and remove bans on Afghan womens access to education and work. The hardline de facto rulers have rejected criticism of their governance as interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, saying their policies are aligned with local culture and Islamic law. Russia has been developing ties with the Taliban for years and reportedly provided them with weapons while they were waging insurgent attacks on the U.S.-led foreign troops and their Afghan allies. Taliban officials say trade ties between Kabul and Moscow have rapidly grown over the past couple of years. Some information for this report came from Reuters. Kenya has agreed to help the European Union in dealing with maritime crime suspects in the region, amid a rising threat from pirate activity and attacks by Yemens Houthi rebels. The EU, which has a force operating in the Indian Ocean, is concerned that the insecurity which is also affecting ship traffic in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, is disrupting international trade. With threats to shipping on the rise in the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea, the European Union is asking Kenya for assistance in prosecuting suspected criminals caught in the region's waters. Henriette Geiger, the EU ambassador to Kenya, said the bloc is working with Kenya in dealing with suspected criminals caught in the region's waters. "Kenya would conclude a legal finished agreement with the European Union which would allow then EU Atalanta to drop, first seized arms, weapons but also traffickers, arms and drug traffickers, here for prosecution, she said. Seychelles has already agreed, they already have a legal finished agreement, but it's a small island; they cannot stand alone." The EU's Operation Atalanta is a military operation in the Horn of Africa that counters piracy at sea. Geiger explained that the EU navy force lacks the authority to prosecute suspects and cannot detain them for long without charges. Therefore, countries like Kenya are needed to assist in prosecuting suspects. Isaiah Nakoru, the head of Kenyas Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs, says his country is ready to work on issues that promote security and the free flow of goods and people. "We have to work together to ensure that we achieve the aspiration for ensuring there is sustainability and security, and all activities that threaten the livelihoods of people and movements of people have to be addressed in partnership with all those who have a stake," he said. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Kenya is holding at least 120 suspected pirates and has convicted 18 of them. Kenya faced criticism about whether its legal system allows the prosecution of suspected pirates accused of having committed crimes far away from its territory. However, in 2012, a Kenyan court ruled the East African nation has jurisdiction to try Somali pirates carrying out attacks in international waters. Andrew Mwangura is a consultant on maritime safety and security in Kenya. More than ten years ago, he helped negotiate the release of some pirate captives. He says Kenya will always face legal challenges in prosecuting suspects who have not committed a crime in its territory. "The problem is still the same because there are challenges to prosecution in Kenya of the Somali pirates, he said. This pirate activity happens away from Kenya. They do not happen in Kenyan waters, and there will be legal challenges. To prosecute, to arrest them, that's not a solution. The solution is to fight illegal fishing in East African territorial waters." Recently, there have been reports of piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia, sparking worries about the return of Somali piracy. In the early 2010s, Somali pirates hijacked dozens of ships, holding them for millions of dollars in ransom. Two weeks ago, six suspected pirates accused of attacking a merchant vessel were moved from Somalia to the Seychelles for trial by the EU naval force. Last Friday, the EU force freed a merchant ship and its 17 crew members. Iran has amassed more highly enriched uranium, increasing its stockpile to near weapons-grade levels, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Monday in a confidential report. The report, seen by The Associated Press, said Irans supply of enriched uranium has reached 30 times more than the amount agreed upon in a 2015 deal between Tehran and world powers to limit Irans nuclear program. Irans stockpile of enriched uranium is more than 6,201.3 kilograms (13,671.5 pounds) a 675.8 kilogram (1,489.8 pound) increase since the International Atomic Energy Agencys last report in February. Rafael Grossi, IAEA director and U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, warned last month that Iran has had enough highly enriched uranium for several nuclear bombs if it chooses to build them. "The level of inspection [in Iran] is not at the level we should have," he told Sky News in April. Iranian officials have threatened they could pursue atomic weapons. Iran has said its nuclear program is peaceful. The U.N. and Iran have not yet come to an agreement over a 2023 deal over expanding inspection of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. The report said Monday that Tehran has not reconsidered its September decision to prevent the most experienced IAEA nuclear inspectors from monitoring its nuclear facilities, adding that it expects Iran to do so in the context of the ongoing consultations between the agency and Iran. Tensions have heightened between the IAEA and Iran, and since former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. IAEA surveillance cameras have been disrupted, while Iran has barred some of the agency's most experienced inspectors from its nuclear program. Tehran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel in April. The strike followed Israel's apparent attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed two Iranian generals and others. Israel's nuclear weapons program did not dissuade Iran's assault. Experts suggest Iran could pursue a nuclear bomb after a major attack on the country. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. An Egyptian appeals court on Monday upheld a one-year jail sentence for opposition politician Ahmad al-Tantawi, who was then arrested "inside the courthouse," lawyer Nabeh Elganadi told AFP. Tantawi, who had hoped to run against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in elections last year, was found guilty of election campaign irregularities in February. "The sentence at the time was suspended on bail until the appeal today," Elganadi said, adding that Tantawi was arrested as soon as the decision was declared. The former lawmaker was also "barred from running in parliamentary elections for five years," according to human rights group the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms. The Matareya Misdemeanour Court also upheld sentences against 22 members of Tantawi's campaign team, including its director Mohamed Aboul Deyar, of "one year in prison with hard labor," Elganadi said. They had been convicted of "circulating election-related papers without official authorization" in the lead-up to the election, which Sisi won in his third landslide victory. Tantawi had accused authorities of hampering his effort to collect the endorsements required to run in the presidential election, under various pretexts including computer malfunctions. Tantawi instead asked his supporters to fill out unofficial "popular endorsement" forms a tactic the authorities labelled as tantamount to election fraud. He ultimately collected only 14,000 endorsements well short of the 25,000 needed from at least 15 of Egypt's 27 governorates to enable him to run. Alternatively, he would have had to garner nominations from at least 20 parliamentary deputies. The former member of parliament withdrew his candidacy before the December vote, citing harassment and obstruction. The National Election Authority announced Sisi's victory on December 18 with 89.6 percent of the vote. He had run against three relatively unknowns: Hazem Omar of the Republican People's Party, Farid Zahran (Egyptian Social Democratic Party) and Abdel-Sanad Yamama (Wafd Party). According to Human Rights Watch, the authorities deployed "an array of repressive tools to eliminate potential challengers," including jailing another prospective candidate, Hisham Kassem. Cairo has long been criticized for its human rights record, with rights groups estimating that tens of thousands of political prisoners remain behind bars, many of them in brutal conditions. When Balu Natarajan became the first Indian American champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 1985, a headline on an Associated Press article read, "Immigrants' son wins National Spelling Bee," with the first paragraph noting the champion "speaks his parents' native Indian language at home." Those details would hardly be newsworthy today after a quarter-century of Indian American spelling champs, most of them the offspring of parents who arrived in the United States on student or work visas. This year's bee is scheduled to begin Tuesday at a convention center outside Washington and, as usual, many of the expected contenders are Indian American, including Shradha Rachamreddy, Aryan Khedkar, Bruhat Soma and Ishika Varipilli. Nearly 70% of Indian-born U.S. residents arrived after 2000, according to census data, and that dovetails with the surge in Indian American spelling bee champions. There were two Indian American Scripps winners before 1999. Of the 34 since, 28 have been Indian American, including three straight years of Indian American co-champions and one year (2019) when eight champions were declared, seven of Indian ancestry. The experiences of first-generation Indian Americans and their spelling bee champion children illustrate the economic success and cultural impact of the nation's second-largest immigrant group. As of 2022, there were 3.1 million Indian-born people living in the U.S., and Indian American households had a median income of $147,000, more than twice the median income of all U.S. households, according to census data. Indian Americans also were more than twice as likely to have college degrees. Indians received 74% of the H-1B visas for specialized occupations approved in fiscal 2021, and a record total of nearly 269,000 students from India were enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities in 2022-23, according to the Institute of International Education. Those numbers paint a picture of a high-achieving demographic that is well-suited for success in academic competitions. Ganesh Dasari, whose daughter and son each made multiple appearances at the Scripps bee, holds a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Cambridge and was recruited to the U.S. to work for ExxonMobil on an H-1B visa. He quickly obtained a green card. "Me and my wife, we came from a similar background. We both benefited from having the education ... so we put a lot of emphasis on educating our kids," Dasari said. "We basically introduced them to anything academic, and a couple of sports, but clearly there was a bias in our thinking that education is a higher priority than sports." In his 2016 address to Congress, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned "spelling bee champions" among his country's contributions to the U.S. while that year's co-champs, Nihar Janga and Jairam Hathwar, watched from the gallery. Even among Indian American spellers, a particular subgroup is overrepresented: families from the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where Telugu is the primary language. Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, is India's information-technology hub and the region supplies many H-1B visa recipients. "Whenever we go to the spelling bee events, everybody speaks that language," Dasari said. "We realized there are so many people from the same state." Deval Shah, the father of last year's champion, Dev Shah, grew up in the northwestern state of Gujarat and proudly noted Dev was the first spelling bee champion of Gujarati descent. The parents of the 2022 winner, Harini Logan, are from Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shah is an engineer, his wife is a physician, and both of Harini's parents were trained as software engineers. Indian-born parents of kids with an affinity for spelling have a network of similar families to provide guidance and support, as well as access to organizations like the North South Foundation, which offers academic competitions aimed at the Indian diaspora. "The reason Indian American immigrants really dominate, the main reason is the North South Foundation," Shah said. When Harini won her first NSF spelling competition, Ganesh Dasari was one of the judges, and "he was literally chasing us down" to tell them "Harini has tremendous potential to be on the national stage," said Rampriya Logan, Harini's mother. Ishika, a 13-year-old from Spring, Texas, who will be competing at Scripps this year for the third time, woke her parents at 6 a.m. the day after she lost a third-grade classroom spelling bee, saying she wanted to participate in more bees. Her mother, an IT manager who immigrated to the U.S. in 2006, then reached out to ask advice from other families from the Houston area whose children were high-level spellers. The relative wealth and stability of Indian American households could lead observers to conclude their children are benefiting primarily from a privileged upbringing. The truth is more nuanced, said Devesh Kapur, a professor of South Asian Studies at Johns Hopkins University and a co-author of "The Other One Percent: Indians in America." "It is important to note that the children participating in the spelling bee competition come from striving middle-class immigrant families, often in occupations like IT, and not from wealthier Indian American households in finance or tech start-ups or consulting," Kapur said. Natarajan, a Chicago-based physician and health care executive, now serves as the volunteer president of the NSF, and he experienced the spelling bee as a parent when his son, Atman Balakrishnan, competed. He said he sometimes feels out of place because he was born in the U.S. and he admires the grit of Indian-born parents and their children. "It's hard to describe, but it's a very specific mindset that just drives effort and in many ways drives outcomes and sustainable success," Natarajan said. North Korea said its attempt to launch a new military reconnaissance satellite ended in failure Monday when a newly developed rocket engine exploded in flight. The attempt came just hours after Pyongyang issued a warning that it would try to launch a satellite by June 4, in what would have been its second spy satellite in orbit. Instead, the launch became the nuclear-armed North's latest failure, following two other fiery crashes last year. It successfully placed its first spy satellite in orbit in November. "The launch of the new satellite carrier rocket failed when it exploded in mid-air during the flight of the first stage," the deputy director general of North Korea's National Aerospace Technology Administration said in a report carried by state media. An initial analysis suggested that the cause was a newly developed liquid fuel rocket motor, but other possible causes were being investigated, the report said. Officials in South Korea and Japan had earlier reported that the launch seemed to have failed. North Korea fired the projectile on a southern path off its west coast at around 10:44 p.m. (1344 GMT), the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. JCS said it had detected a large amount of debris from the rocket in the sea just two minutes after launch, however. The object launched by North Korea disappeared over the Yellow Sea, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters, adding the government presumes nothing had entered into space. These launches are in violation of relevant security council resolutions and are a serious matter concerning the safety of our people," Hayashi said. Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed video of what appeared to be an orange dot flying into the night sky and then bursting into flames in an area close to the border between China and North Korea. A Japanese defense ministry official told reporters that the color of the flames in the footage suggests that liquid fuel may be burning, but details are currently being analyzed, NHK reported. The launch appeared to originate from Dongchang-ri, a northwestern area of the country where North Korea's main space flight center is based, JCS said. The Japanese government issued an emergency warning Monday for residents in the south to take cover from the possible threat of a North Korean missile, before lifting the warning and saying it was not expected to fly over Japanese territory. Japan said over its J-Alert broadcasting system that North Korea appeared to have fired a missile, sending out the warning to residents in the southern prefecture of Okinawa. Several failures, one success The launch would be the nuclear-armed North's attempt to place a second spy satellite into orbit. After several failed attempts that ended when the rockets crashed, North Korea successfully placed its first such satellite in orbit in November. The North's first bid to launch the new Chollima-1 satellite rocket, on May 31 last year, ended after a failure in the second stage. State media blamed the setback on an unstable and unreliable new engine system and fuel. After the May launch attempt, South Korea retrieved the wreckage of the satellite from the sea and said an analysis showed it had no meaningful use as a reconnaissance platform. Another attempt in August also ended in failure, with stages of the rocket boosters experiencing problems resulting in the payloads crashing into the sea. North Korea's space authorities had described the August failure after the rocket booster experienced a problem with its third stage as "not a big issue" in terms of the rocket system's overall reliability. In February, U.S. space experts said North Korea's first spy satellite, dubbed the Malligyong-1, was "alive," after detecting changes in its orbit that suggested Pyongyang was successfully controlling the spacecraft although its capabilities remain unknown. North Korean state media reported that the satellite had transmitted photos of the Pentagon and White House, among other areas, but has not released any of the images. The successful November launch was the first after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip abroad in September and toured Russia's most modern space launch center, where President Vladimir Putin promised to help Pyongyang build satellites. Neither country has elaborated on the extent of that future aid, which could violate United Nations Security Council resolutions against North Korea. Russian experts have visited North Korea to help with the satellite and space rocket program, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unnamed South Korean senior defense official. Pyongyang has said it needs a military reconnaissance satellite to boost monitoring of U.S. and South Korean military activities. Polish President Andrzej Duda has spoken on the phone with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi to try to obtain the release of a Polish traveler who was sentenced to life in prison in the Central African country on espionage charges, an aide said Monday. Congolese forces detained Mariusz Majewski, 52, in February and he later faced a military court in the restive nation, accused of spying. The allegations against him said that he had approached the front line with Mobondo militiamen," moved along the front line without authorization and "took photos of sensitive and strategic places and secretly observed military activities. The Mobondo have been involved in intercommunal violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's southwest since 2022. Majewski was convicted last week and sentenced to life in prison. No details have been released as to where he is being held. Duda's aide, Wojciech Kolarski, did not say what the outcome of the conversation between the two presidents was but stressed that the state had the obligation to take care of its citizens who find themselves in such dramatic situations overseas. Majewski's family says he is in poor health and insists that he is just a traveler. Last week, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pawel Wronski said without elaborating that Majewski is not a spy, he is a member of a travelers club" and was just following his passion in life. Wronski said a chain of coincidental circumstances and events led to Majewski's presence in Congo and his "behavior was the result of a lack of knowledge of local customs. Polish authorities are aware of the very difficult political situation in Congo" and a recent coup attempt there but expressed hope that Majewski would not be implicated in a situation he has no connection to. Poland does not have a diplomatic mission in Congo. Earlier this month, the Congolese army said it had foiled a coup attempt and arrested the perpetrators, including some foreigners. Several U.S. citizens were among those arrested. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged western allies Monday to allow Kyiv to strike military targets inside Russia with Western-supplied longer-range weapons in self-defense. "We need to intensify our joint work with our partners to achieve more. Security and tangible coercion of Russia to peace by all means," Zelenskyy told a joint press conference with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during a visit Monday in Madrid. "We need to work together and put pressure not only on Russia, but also on our partners to give us the opportunity to defend ourselves against Russia," Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine needs aerial defense systems to shield itself from Russian airstrikes. "Even those partners who are afraid to give this or that advice should understand that air defense is defense, not attack," he said, pointing out that Ukraine is hit by 3,000 Russian aerial bombs each month. During a visit in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Monday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg echoed Zelenskyys remarks. He asked NATO officials to rethink their restrictions on Kyiv using Western weapons to strike inside Russia, arguing that Ukraine has a right to defend itself, including striking legitimate targets outside of Ukraine. The Russian forces are on Russian territory attacking, just over the border, Ukrainian territory. The front line is more or less the border line, and if you cannot attack the Russian forces on the other side of the front line because they are on the other side of the border, then of course you really reduce the ability of the Ukrainian forces to defend themselves. Stoltenberg reiterated that NATO itself is not a party to the conflict but said NATO allies have the right to help Ukraine uphold its right to self-defense by providing military support. He also maintained that Russias invasion that began in early 2022 is a violation of international law. In an interview with The Economist, the NATO chief reiterated his remarks, which according to the publication, were aimed at U.S. President Joe Biden, who has resisted allowing Ukraine to strike with U.S. weapons inside Russia. Reactions The Kremlin rebuked Stoltenberg on Monday for his comments. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the West is risking a direct confrontation with Russia and a subsequent global war should it allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia with Western weapons. When asked if NATO was approaching such a confrontation with Russia, Peskov replied, "They are not getting close; they are in it." Russian officials warned that Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia, including on civilian areas and even parts of Russia's nuclear defenses, are directly escalatory. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO over Ukraine could lead to a global war. Reactions of European leaders have been mixed regarding allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike inside enemy territory. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni opposed giving Ukraine greater flexibility on Russian targets. "I think we have to be very careful," she told Italian television on Sunday. Earlier this month, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said during a visit to Kyiv that Ukraine had every right to use British-donated missiles to strike inside Russian territory. Questioned on Monday, Spain's prime minister was evasive on the matter. "We will be at Ukraine's side for as long as it takes," Sanchez said, announcing his country pledged $1.085 billion [1 billion euros] in military aid for Kyiv as part of a security pact "to enable Ukraine to strengthen its defense capabilities," as the Russians are gaining new ground. Ukraine said that France would soon send military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centers. "I am pleased to welcome France's initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian servicemen," Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraines armed forces, said on the Telegram messaging app after talks via video link with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu. On the ground Meanwhile, in the eastern city of Kharkiv on Monday, a Russian guided bomb killed one civilian and injured at least 10 more, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram. Three more people were killed, and six others were wounded in another Russian attack on Ukraine's southern Mykolaiv region on Monday, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and a local official said. "In the afternoon, as a result of a missile attack on Snihurivka, a fire broke out in a coffee shop, a car shop and a tire service, and a blast wave damaged a self-service car wash," the service said on Telegram. Russia also announced it had taken two more villages in eastern Ukraine, the latest in a series of gains in recent weeks. A series of explosions hit the Russian-held city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine according to Russia's RIA news agency, citing Ukrainian war bloggers who posted a picture of what they described as a large fire in the city. In western Russia, officials said Monday that Ukrainian drones hit a fuel station, killing at least one person and injuring three others. Andrey Klychkov, regional governor of Oryol, said the attack happened in the city of Livny. Russias Defense Ministry said Monday its air defenses destroyed six Ukrainian drones over Oryol, as well as four over the Krasnodar region, one over Belgorod and another over Bryansk. Veniamin Kondratyev, Krasnodars governor, reported damage to a building and a fire from drone debris falling on two villages in the region. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Russian missiles struck a popular shopping mall in Ukraines second largest city of Kharkiv lover the weekend, killing at least 18 people and wounding dozens more. Spain has pledged to provide military equipment to Ukraine worth 1 billion euros this year under a bilateral agreement signed on Monday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid. Experts say there has been a sharp increase in cases of Ukrainians suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD and other mental health problems that likely will have a long-term impact. A bipartisan congressional delegation from the United States met Taiwans new president in Taipei Monday, and reiterated Washingtons strong support for the democratic island. During the meeting with the U.S. delegation Lai Ching-te, who took office on May 20, promised to keep pushing for defense reform in Taiwan and show the world that Taiwanese people are determined to defend their homeland. He hopes that the U.S. Congress will continue to help strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities and increase exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. through a variety of legislative actions. At a news briefing following the meeting with Lai, Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the U.S. remains committed to supporting Taiwans efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities as China increases military pressure on the island. We will support you, and we will get the weapons you purchased to you as soon as possible, he told dozens of journalists, adding that strength and deterrence are key to ensuring the Taiwan Strait remains peaceful and prosperous. The visit comes three days after the Chinese military staged a two-day, large-scale military exercise encircling Taiwan. Describing the Chinese war game around Taiwan as an intimidation tactic to punish democracy, McCaul said there is more urgency to ensure Taiwan receives the weapons that it has bought from the United States. We are moving forward on [the delivery] of these weapons systems, but Id like to see it faster, he said during the news conference, noting that the $95 billion foreign aid package that the U.S. passed last month, which includes a $8 billion package for the Indo-Pacific region and Taiwan, is a sign of Washingtons support for Taiwan. While he promises to help accelerate the pace of weapons delivery to Taiwan, McCaul admitted that the backlog of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which is about $19 billion, is partially caused by the limited military industrial capacity in the U.S. We have to wait a period of two to five years for the weapons to go into the country and that is way too long, he said, vowing to push U.S. defense contractors and the Biden administration to address the issue. Since China focused on simulating a maritime blockade around Taiwan through its latest military exercise, McCaul said Taipei and Washington should focus on helping the island acquire more maritime assets to deal with a potential Chinese attack. What they did the last couple of days was essentially a preview of what a blockade would look like [and] by looking at what type of military assets would likely help deter Beijing from [imposing] a blockade around Taiwan, my view is that maritime assets are key here, he told journalists. Bipartisan support for Taiwan Some analysts say the U.S. Congressional delegations visit shows that the support for Taiwan in Washington is consistent and bipartisan. There have been many U.S. congressional delegations in Taiwan over the last few years and one feature to highlight is that all these delegations are bipartisan, Chen Fang-yu, a political scientist at Soochow University in Taiwan, told VOA by phone. Despite the stern warning from Beijing, other experts say the visit shows both Taipei and Beijing that the U.S. is committed to deepening ties with Taiwan. The delegation sends a message that the United States is not afraid of angering China by maintaining its engagement with Taiwan, said Li Da-Jung, director of the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies at Taiwans Tamkang University. Since the delegation will spend four days in Taiwan, Li thinks it could give U.S. lawmakers more opportunities to meet more Taiwanese officials and visit specific places of their interests. I believe the delegation will meet Taiwanese officials in charge of national security and cross-strait relations, he told VOA by phone. In addition to military sales and weapons delivery, Chen said the U.S. delegation will likely discuss topics related to bilateral trade relations and Taiwans divided legislature. I believe the U.S. lawmakers will try to talk about the ongoing trade negotiation between Taipei and Washington and the potential impact of Taiwans divided legislature on Taiwans defense and foreign policies when they meet Lai and other Taiwanese officials, he told VOA. Earlier this month, Taiwan and the U.S. held a new round of trade negotiations focusing on potential cooperation in areas such as labor, environmental protection, and agriculture. Taiwans deputy trade representative Yang Jen-ni said Taipei hopes to increase the volume of Taiwanese agricultural exports to the U.S. through the trade talks. As Taiwans new government looks to deepen ties with the U.S., the Chinese government has repeatedly warned Washington not to use the democratic island, which Beijing views as its territory, to contain China. China firmly opposes official interaction in any form between Taiwan and the United States and opposes U.S. interference in Taiwan affairs in any form or under any pretext, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during the daily news conference on May 21. Since relations between Taiwan and China are unlikely to improve in the short term, Li at Tamkang University said the Lai administration may try to double down on Taipeis relations with like-minded democracies around the world, especially the U.S. At a time when there is very little room to improve cross-strait relations, Lai may consider putting the focus of his foreign policy agenda on the U.S. and rely more on Washingtons support for Taipei, he told VOA. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that it was a tragic mistake that an attack targeting Hamas militants in the southern Gaza city of Rafah killed 45 Palestinians sheltering in a refugee camp there and wounded another 200. "Despite our best effort not to harm those not involved, unfortunately a tragic mistake happened last night. We are investigating the case," Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament. Two senior Hamas militants were killed in the assault. Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, decried the incident, saying in a statement, "The images from the camp are horrific and point to no apparent change in the methods and means of warfare used by Israel that have already led to so many civilian deaths." Even as he noted the Israeli militarys announced investigation, Turk said it was "shockingly clear" that the decision to strike an area "densely packed with civilians" would result in the "entirely predictable outcome" of the deaths of more Palestinian civilians. He called on Israel to abide by last weeks International Court of Justice order to halt its offensive in Rafah. Turk also urged Palestinian armed groups to stop firing rockets indiscriminately into Israel "in clear violation of international humanitarian law" and release at once all the remaining 100 or so hostages Hamas is holding in Gaza. European Council President Charles Michel also called the strikes horrendous and urged Israel to stop its offensive in Rafah. Horrendous to see innocent Palestinian civilians killed in the recent attack. There is no safe zone for the internally displaced in Rafah, Michel said on the X social media platform. In Washington, the White House National Security Council said "the devastating images from the attack are heartbreaking. Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians. But as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees described the situation in Gaza as hell on earth. Information coming out of Rafah about further attacks on families seeking shelter is horrifying, UNRWA said. The Gaza health ministry said the attack ignited fires in tents in an area sheltering displaced people. The Israeli military described its attack as a precise airstrike that killed Yassin Rabia, the Hamas chief of staff for the West Bank. Qatars foreign ministry said Monday that the attack could complicate efforts to mediate a cease-fire and the return of hostages held in Gaza. French President Emmanuel Macron called for an immediate cease-fire and full respect for international law. Outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah, Macron said on social media. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell cited the attack and said the international community faces the dilemma of how it can enforce implementation of last weeks International Court of Justice order. The court is a branch of the United Nations but has no mechanism to enforce its orders without a vote of the U.N. Security Council, where the U.S. holds veto power. Netanyahu has vowed Israel will not leave Gaza until any remaining Hamas control of the territory is ended. He says Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas' battalions there and achieve its goal of "total victory" over the militants, who have recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza where the Israeli military had previously taken control. Hamas said Sunday that it had launched a large rocket barrage targeting Israels commercial hub of Tel Aviv. Air raid sirens blared during the attack, but Israel said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. It was the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January, although rockets and mortar rounds have been fired at Israel from along the Gaza border since then. In the latest attack, rocket launches could be heard from central Gaza. Hamas Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a post on Telegram that it had targeted Tel Aviv "with a large rocket barrage in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians. The Israeli military said eight projectiles crossed into Israel after being launched from near Rafah, where Israeli forces recently launched an incursion. Israel said "a number" of the projectiles were intercepted. The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people according to Israeli officials and led to the capture of about 250 hostages. Israels subsequent counteroffensive has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, a death toll that includes both civilians and combatants, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Since the spring 2022, Dell Loy Hansen has spent over $70 million to build homes for internally displaced Ukrainians. The U.S. philanthropist says he has been to Ukraine four times and is just getting started. Anna Kosstutschenko met him in the Kyiv region and has more in this report. The 77th World Health Assembly opened its annual weeklong session Monday on a somber note, as delegates were faced with the task of setting health policies for the year ahead amid mounting challenges to global well-being from multiple crises that, in some areas, threatened to undo decades of progress. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the assembly by video link from New York that the world is in trouble and global health is suffering from climate chaos to rising poverty and inequalities, and multiplying conflicts. He said more than 20 million children are missing out on routine vaccinations, that dengue and other diseases are increasing from rising global temperatures, and that cholera outbreaks have occurred in more than 20 countries this year alone. He added that a mountain of evidence indicates that health is a casualty of war. Millions of people in Sudan and Gaza are at risk of dying not only from bullets and bombs, but from untreated injuries and disease, he said. Unprecedented attacks on health care go beyond anything I have seen in my time as secretary-general. In his keynote address to the conference, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus affirmed much of what Guterres had to say. Perhaps the greatest threat to health of our time comes from our changing climate, he said, adding that the WHO was supporting countries to build more climate-resilient and climate-friendly health systems. This, he said, included the electrification of health facilities with solar energy in several countries to help mitigate the impact of climate change. He added, One of the biggest disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was to routine immunization programs in many countries, resulting in backsliding coverage and outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, polio, yellow fever and more. This, he said, prompted the WHO together with UNICEF and the vaccines alliance Gavi last year in April to launch The Big Catch Up scheme to restore immunization programs at least to pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, Tedros said WHO emergency medical teams have been responding to health needs in 19 situations of conflict around the world, including Gaza. He said 18 teams are working at all levels of care in north and south Gaza to provide "trauma stabilization, delivering babies, supporting early warning for disease outbreaks, and so much more. In Sudan, more than a year of fighting has left almost 15 million people in need of health assistance, he said, adding that more than three-quarters of hospitals and almost 90% of primary care facilities are not functioning. Regarding the war in Ukraine, Tedros said WHO continued to support the countrys health system which has remained resilient but faces continued challenges, noting that an estimated 7.8 million people will require health assistance this year. In all three situations and others we continue to see attacks on health care, he said. He said the WHO has verified more than 1,500 attacks on health care facilities in 19 countries, leading to 749 deaths and more than 1,200 people injured. Positive outlook Looking ahead, Tedros was upbeat at the prospect that an estimated 1.5 billion people were expected to be enjoying better health and well-being by 2025. This has been achieved by member states working across sectors to address the root causes of ill health: unclean air, unhealthy diets, unsafe water, polluted environments, and products that harm health, he said. For example, he noted that tobacco use is declining in 150 countries, and there are now 19 million fewer smokers globally than there were two years ago. He said efforts to improve nutrition and healthy diets are paying off and more countries are taking action to tackle obesity and child wasting, and to scale up breastfeeding. He said great strides have been made in the treatment of communicable diseases. For example, he said, More than two million children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi have received the first malaria vaccine, resulting in a drop of 13 percent in all-cause mortality among children. He said early diagnosis and treatment for tuberculosis last year has saved millions of lives, more than 75% of people living with HIV globally now are receiving antiretroviral therapy, and We continue to move towards our goal of eradicating polio. A major disappointment facing the WHO is its failure to reach a pandemic agreement for approval by the WHA this week. Key articles in the draft text still unresolved include a formula for global sharing of vaccines and medicines during international health emergencies. Despite the impact, Tedros remains optimistic that an agreement to keep the world safer and contain pandemic threats eventually will be achieved. Where there is a will there is a way, so I am still positive, despite the outcome, he said. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Former President Donald Trump faced sharp skepticism on his presidential bid when addressing Libertarians on Saturday. President Joe Bidens weekend remarks focused on encouraging graduating cadets to be the guardians of American democracy. VOAs Veronica Balderas Iglesias has the details. Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images Johnny Wactor was shot and killed in downtown Los Angeles Saturday. On Memorial Day, more details about his death emerged. A soap star dies at 37 May 26, 2024: According to KTLA, Wactor was shot during an attempted catalytic-converter robbery. Police said the man saw three men stealing the catalytic converter from his vehicle. When he confronted them, they turned around and shot him, it wrote. TMZ reports that police have not released a description of the suspects. Wactor played Brando Corbin on General Hospital for over 160 episodes. He started his TV career on Army Wives for Lifetime. Aside from his recurring role on General Hospital, he appeared in such shows as Westworld, The OA, Station 19, and NCIS. He is survived by his mother, Scarlett, and brothers, Lance and Grant. He was 37. He was protecting a co-worker May 27, 2024: Wactor was reportedly shot while protecting his co-worker. His brother Grant told the Daily Mail that Wactor died after getting off a bartending shift in downtown L.A. He was escorting a female co-worker to her car when he spotted the robbery in progress. At first, he thought his car was getting towed. Wactor approached the scene, hoping to talk his way out of the tow, when one man pulled a gun. And then once he turned around, he saw what was happening and he put his co-worker behind him, Grant said. And thats when they shot him. News / Local by Staff reporter Lawyer and author Petina Gappah has retracted defamatory statements made against Fadzayi Mahere, concluding a prolonged legal battle.In 2018, Gappah accused Mahere of gaining admission to the University of Zimbabwe in 2004 through her father's influence due to insufficient qualifications and alleged that Mahere attempted to steal her boyfriend. Additionally, Gappah claimed she assisted Mahere with her Cambridge application essay in 2009, leading to a US$1 million lawsuit.Despite several failed attempts to block the trial, Gappah issued a retraction and apology:"In order to bring a conclusive end to the legal action, I hereby fully and unequivocally retract all the statements that I made about her, both on Twitter and in subsequent legal pleadings, and tender a full, public and unreserved apology to Advocate Mahere for any pain, hurt or distress that were caused by my statements."I wish Advocate Mahere continued success in her political career, her career as a civil society activist, and her career as an advocate."As a demonstration of my good faith, sincerity, and regret, I undertake to make a donation in Advocate Mahere's name to the charity of her choice."It is my sincere hope that this full retraction and apology brings finality and closure to this matter."Gappah also pledged to donate to a charity chosen by Mahere.Previously, Gappah had informed the High Court that she was prepared to defend her statements and had witnesses to support her claims. Photo: Pedro Gomes/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Hard or soft, Billie Eilish cant hit Taylor Swift off the top of the album chart. For the fifth week in a row, The Tortured Poets Department is topping the Billboard 200 album chart. It earned 378,000 equivalent album units, up 45% from last week. Thats mainly attributed to new digital download and CD variants, as well as more signed copies of the album being available on her store. Hit Me Hard and Soft debuted at number 2. Eilish earned 339,000 equivalent album units, 191,000 being traditional album sales. Its Eilishs best week on the charts to date. Her album has multiple editions and colors, but all the same track list. Eilish spoke out against having too many vinyl album variants as environmentally irresponsible prior to Hit Me Hard and Softs release. Rounding out the top 5 this week are Morgan Wallens One Thing at a Time, Gunnas One of Wun, and Future and Metro Boomins collab We Dont Trust You. Well have to wait until Monday to see whether TTPD winds up eating Billies Lunch on the Hot 100, though. The Sympathizer Endings Are Hard, Arent They? Season 1 Episode 7 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * Previous Next Previous Episode Next Episode Photo: Hopper Stone/HBO Endings are hard to nail, and thats especially true for a seven-episode limited series like The Sympathizer, which has, since its premiere, reliably introduced more questions than answers. Week by week, as the Captain fills us in on his past, present-day questions surrounding his imprisonment emerge: If the Captain is truly a double agent, then why does the Party insist on his capture and reeducation? What role does Man play in all of this? Who exactly is the Captain writing to? Is he still a bleeding heart Commie? The ambitious finale rushes to address these indeterminacies, some more superficially than others. This condensed pacing is not unusual to the shows peripatetic nature. Still, it highlights how much material The Sympathizer has to winnow down into seven short hours material that might have benefited from a second season. After a year spent in solitary confinement, the Captain concludes his story with the exiled troops arrival in Thailand, where Claude welcomes them. He relays this ending to the North Vietnamese commandant with a smirk and deadpans, Why do I have this ominous feeling that the reviews are not going to be good? The Commandant, clearly unamused by where the Captain chooses to end things, demands him to bring [the story] up to the present to the moment of his capture. Only then will the draft be considered for the Commissar, the elusive, bandaged figure wholl determine the Captains fate. The Captain begrudgingly returns to his cell to recall the Thailand operation. Just as he had predicted, it was a suicide mission, though one quietly endorsed by the CIA. Claude takes the men to a Thai strip club as a morbid send-off. But the Captain is the reason that Claude is in Thailand. The CIA had bugged Sonnys home and had the Captain on tape admitting to Sonny that he is a Communist spy. Claude hopes to grant the Captain the equivalent of a plea bargain a fucking out from the mission in exchange for a confession. The Captain refuses this last-ditch offer, even though he knows a worse fate is on the horizon. Claude pauses, and a hint of regret, or maybe anger, flashes across his face. Its your funeral, pal, he says. The next day, everyone except for Bon and the Captain is killed trying to cross into Vietnam. The Captain tackles Bon, preventing him from running out into the open gunfire, and begs him to stay alive. The two surrender and are driven to a camp, where they spend the next year undergoing reeducation. Here, the Commandant interrupts the Captain to suggest he end his story with their surrender. The arrival to the camp should symbolize a promise of redemption, he says, to demonstrate the Captains renewed commitment to the Communist cause. But these words ring hollow, as there is no redemption to be found. Just the despair of indefinite imprisonment a fate little better than death. The finale dwells in this post-revolutionary disillusionment as we learn the truth of the Captains detainment. The Commissar, whos revealed to be Man, had ordered the Captains solitary confinement with the knowledge that his confessions will never satisfy the Party. No matter what he admits to, there will always be something more to confess. In the end, the Captains revolutionary sacrifices amount to nothing under the new regime, simply fodder for further torture. When the Captain is briefly released into the camp, he finds a bedraggled Bon eating with the other prisoners in an open yard. Above them, the Commissar begins to hoarsely lecture on the danger of individualism. Bon interrupts, only to be struck down by guards and imprisoned as punishment. The Captain follows in Bons example, interrupting the Commissar to sing a revolutionary anthem. He raises his hand towards the bandaged figure: All for one, and one for all! The interruption works. The Captain is briefly granted a private audience with the Commissar/Man in his office, where his old music records are kept unscratched. Man explains that he was burned by napalm on the Day of Liberation and injects himself with morphine daily. Thats why I was slow to respond sometimes, Man explains, eerily reclining his bandaged head. (Duy Nguyen does a fantastic job conveying Mans physical transformation into the uncanny Commissar, from his mannerisms to his menacingly hoarse voice.) Everything about our home is different than I imagined, the Captain confesses, and Man icily responds, I told you not to return. Man/Commissar can only do so much to protect the Captain and Bon at the camp. Though the desire to help his friends is legitimate (Man has tucked a photo of them into his head bandage), he is closely surveilled by the Party and his peers. The Captains solitary confinement was, in a sense, a form of purgatorial amnesty that kept him safe under Mans watch. But now that the Captain is freed from the confessional, he has to undergo extensive torture by the Commandant, who wants to extract additional details: We dont think that you lied in your confession. Its what you failed to confess. Delirious, the Captain converses with the ghosts of the Major and Sonny, oscillating between his nightmarish psyche and reality. He is repeatedly electrocuted and forced to stay awake for three days straight. In the midst of his delirium, the Captain asks the empty room, How could you do this to me? He hears Man respond: Do what? Keep you alive? No one volunteers for this hellhole. But I requested the post when I heard you two were sent here. All Man can offer is bleak sympathy to his friend. He, too, is just another cog in the Partys machine. Man departs with a harrowing warning: All they can do is play their respective parts well. The Captain is nearly electrocuted to death, but a power outage grants him a brief reprieve. Accompanied by his ghosts, a hallucinatory dream sequence reveals clues as to what the Captain failed to confess all along: He was complicit in the torture and rape of the female North Vietnamese spy, who was captured and interrogated in the first episode. In his confession, the Captain falsely recalls himself interfering to stop the torture, but in the female spys version of events, the Captain did nothing of the sort. He sat down and watched while she was raped, nervous that she would betray his identity. But this narrative correction fails to invoke great remorse from the Captain or trigger an epiphanic realization of his complicity as a spy. Later, when the Captain asks the spy why she is in the camp, in a position much like his, she says: Ive been searching for an answer for the past two years. Nothing surprises her anymore. Nothing disappoints her either, not even the Party. If no one, not even the best spy, is safe from the Partys contempt, whats the point of being a revolutionary? Even Man is hardened by cynicism in his commander role. He has interpreted Ho Chi Minhs famous saying, Nothing is more important than independence and freedom, as a nihilistic slogan. Nothing, he tells the Captain, is more important than independence and freedom. There is no grandeur to this nothingness. It has to be learned the hard way. Independence and freedom are secondary to it. Its this final lesson that the Captain ultimately rejects, after years of sublimating himself for the freedom of his homeland. Disappointingly, the emotional heft of this scene, much like the other small climaxes scattered throughout the episode, is undermined by the finales unrelenting pace. This is the series greatest flaw its stark imbalance in tone, rapidly shifting from satire to thriller to melodrama, leaving little space for tension or even pathos to build. The Captain hatches an escape plan to free Bon, and the two retreat to the coast to board a boat alongside a hundred other refugees. Bon cradles a crying baby as the passengers share a tender moment in song, a harmonious, wistful departure compared to the first episodes narrow escape. Despite everything, in the face of nothing, I was still a revolutionary, the Captain says as the boat drifts further out into the sea. I wished for a scene that reflected this catharsis, for the Captain to finally savor his freedom from those whove exploited his loyalties. Instead, the Captains story ends on a note of hopeful uncertainty. Surrounded by ghosts, he sails towards the promise of redemption on the horizon, towards a self-determined life. This content is expired! Unfortunely this content is expired and cannot be viewed anymore; if You are the owner of this content please login to our Website, go to our access panel and enable this content again. Taxi strike comes ahead of EU elections. Taxi drivers in Italy are to stage a nationwide two-day strike on 5-6 June, trade unions confirmed on Monday, in protest over stalled talks with the government. The industrial action, scheduled from 08.00 to 22.00 on both days, comes after the recent strike against sector deregulation when taxi drivers protested in Rome on 21 May. Unions representing the powerful taxi lobby say they were "forced to proclaim a new national shutdown" after not being convened for fresh talks following last week's strike. Taxi strike in Rome, 24 November 2021. Photo: REPORT / Shutterstock.com. Cab drivers are protesting against the prospect of deregulation and say the upcoming strike is against "the widespread phenomenon of illegal activity" in their sector. They also oppose the granting of new taxi licenses, for the first time in decades, to address a chronic taxi shortage in Italian cities including Rome and Milan. Next month's strike action, called by more than a dozen trade unions, has been scheduled in the run-up to elections for the European Parliament on 6-9 June. Photo credit: Paolo Bona / Shutterstock.com. Recipes What do you want to cook today? News / National by Staff reporter The HeraldVice President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga emphasized Africa's resilience and unity in resisting neo-colonial influences through collaborative efforts and a shared vision. Speaking at Monte Cassino High School on Africa Day, he called on students, parents, and the Church to play a proactive role in combating drug and substance abuse.Chiwenga urged the Church to support government initiatives and promote love, unity, and peace among citizens.Saturday marked the 61st anniversary of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity, now evolved into the African Union.Chiwenga reminded the gathering to remember the future generation as they celebrated Africa Day.He called on citizens to fully engage in government programs and uphold values of patriotism and loyalty to the nation and its leadership.Chiwenga highlighted the African Union's successes in decolonizing the continent, defending member states' sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolving disputes between member states.He noted that the African Union remains committed to socio-economic development, leveraging the continent's abundant natural resources.\ Rebecca Black, PA Former president Mary Robinson and Comedian and TV host Patrick Kielty are set to receive honorary doctorates from Ulster University. Artist Oliver Jeffers and Samantha Barry from US Glamour are also among this years cohort being honoured to inspire the universitys graduates. It comes during a year of celebrations marking 175 years of the Belfast School of Art at the university. Mr Jeffers said he is proud to return to Belfast School of Art this summer for the honour. He described the Belfast School of Art, where he once studied design for visual communication, as a facility that is intrinsic to the citys artistic and cultural heritage. Now dividing my time between Belfast and New York, this award strengthens my connection with the place where I grew up and I am grateful to Ulster University for the honour, he said. However, I do hope Im never on a flight when they ask if theres a doctor on board!. Ms Barry, originally from Co Cork and now based in New York where she is Glamours global editorial director for the Americas and transformed the titles annual women of the year awards to champion diversity, is being celebrated for her achievements in journalism. I am delighted to have been recognised by Ulster University for my work and so excited to be visiting this summer to join the occasion with thousands of graduates as they celebrate after years of hard work and prepare to embark on their careers, she said. Eamonn Mallie is being recognised for his significant contribution to journalism and broadcasting, Betty Carlisle is to be recognised for her work promoting shared education and empowering women from disadvantaged and deprived areas, and Sister Nuala Kelly for her outstanding contribution to the local community after transforming St Louisas College in west Belfast. Mary Robinson is to receive an honorary doctorate by Ulster University (Brian Lawless/PA) Ulster University vice-chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew said they are aiming to celebrate inspirational local people making a global impact. Graduation is a special time of year as we celebrate our outstanding graduates as they come together with friends and family to mark their wonderful achievements, he said. We are committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders who will go on to make a genuine difference in their communities and respective professions in the years that follow their time at Ulster University. With that future in mind, it is a joy to celebrate the work of those inspirational and acclaimed local faces already making a global impact, and we are thrilled to bestow these honorary doctorates. These individuals are leaders in their fields and demonstrate great talent, creativity and integrity. We hope they will be an inspiration to the whole Ulster University community. The honorary doctorates will be conferred during summer graduations, which take place from July 1th to 9th, across Belfast, Coleraine and Derry. Nancy Smyth, Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, officially opened Waterford Area Partnerships (WAP) new Head Office on Canada Street last week. The catalyst for the invitation of Her Excellency to open the new offices at Neptune House, was the Tides and Tales Maritime Community Project, a blog by local Andrew Doherty, which documents the origin of the naming of Canada Street in Waterford City, a site where many Irish people left to make a new life in Newfoundland. Nancy Smyth, Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, and Cllr Joe Conway, Mayor of Waterford. Andrew Doherty explains via the blog, that although many will associate the famine as a time of mass emigration from Ireland, the fact is tens of thousands were fleeing the country for many years prior to the catastrophic events of the 1840s. Canada Street owes its name to this era. The opening event was addressed by Cllr Joe Conway, Mayor of Waterford City & County, who welcomed the Ambassador to Waterford and spoke of the dedication of the WAP Board and Staff to the communities and people of Waterford with needs-based work, which focuses on inclusivity, access, participation, equality and human rights. Jim Finn, Vice Chairperson of Waterford Area Partnerships voluntary Board of Management followed the Mayors comments with a deeper dive into some of the recent work that the local development company has undertaken. Mr. Finn said that 3,127 People have been supported to improve their quality of life through training, employment, work placement, education or well-being opportunities through Waterford Area Partnership. Additionally, 83 local community groups have been supported to improve their capacity and services, and 7,548 food parcels have been delivered, providing meals for over 30,000 individuals in the city. Paddy and Jane from the Knights Templar Graves Project with Nancy Smyth 400 Ukrainian refugees and International Protection Applicants attended Failte Isteach volunteer-led English language classes through WAP. Mr. Finn also thanked the outgoing CEO of Waterford Council, Michael Walsh, for his outstanding support for WAP during a difficult period for the company and staff post Covid. Nancy Smyth officially opened the new office with a plaque dedicated to her visit and spoke of the close ties between Ireland and Canada. Her interest in climate justice was also discussed, which led to her contact with the Think Tank for Social Change (TASC), which has been partnering WAP and the Larchville & Lisduggan Residents Association on a Peoples Transition Project. Prior to Nancy Smyths opening of the WAP offices she accompanied WAP staff to the Manor St John Community Centre in Lisduggan to hear about their community engagement process to gather community needs, priorities and strengths. She also visited St. Francis Court, where community volunteers have been engaged in a community clean up and planting scheme to support the wellbeing and sense of safety of older community residents. From there she was taken to the Knights Templar Graveyard, a heritage and conservation project led by members of the community. Waterford Area Partnerships CEO Liam Quinn summed up the morning spent with the Ambassador in both Larchville and Lisduggan, and Canada Street by expressing the huge benefits that people and communities garner by focusing on the things that unite us locally, nationally and internationally and that enrich all of us and our planet. Its nearly a year since construction works commenced on the North Quays main contract. With the brighter evenings, the progress is more visible throughout the site, and most notable are the Public Transport Hub building and the piers for the Sustainable Transport Bridge. New drone footage from Waterford City & County Council shows how the works are coming along. Watch here Waterford Digital Story Trail picked up the Digital Changemaker Award at the .ie Digital Town Awards 2024, which were held in the Sheraton Hotel in Athlone on Friday, May 24. Recognising and rewarding projects across the country for their use of digital technologies and innovation that have had a transformational effect, the .ie Digital Town Awards featured projects, which included themes such as ethical and sustainable tourism, digital infrastructure and digital at the heart of the community. With a total prize fund of 60,000, the digital story trail project also received 3,000 in prize money. In February of last year, Waterford City and County Council, in partnership with Imvizar, and with Failte Ireland funding under the Destination Towns Initiative, launched Waterfords first Digital Story Trail (DST), which explores the history, culture, and heritage of 15 different locations across the city centre, including Reginald's Tower, Waterford Crystal, the Watchtower and Arundel Square. Waterford Digital Story Trail brings the stories of Waterford to life as you wander through the historic streets of Irelands oldest city. This innovative experience seamlessly combines audio, augmented reality, and a simple-to-use web interface, which allows visitors to interact with Waterford city's rich past. Using a mobile device, visitors are transported to 15 key locations where they can listen to tales from historical figures and witness AR recreations of pivotal moments, such as the crafting of Waterford Crystal and the first design of the Irish flag. This trail educates and entertains, making history accessible and engaging for all ages. This project is truly deserving of the Digital Town Digital Changemaker Award," said Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Joe Conway, as he congratulated the award-winning project. "The innovative technology has brought Waterfords past to life. This novel approach gives locals and visitors alike the chance to delve into Waterfords rich history and learn more about the fascinating people who shaped it, he added. Orna Holohan, Tourism Officer with Waterford City and County Council, on receiving the award, said, It is fantastic to receive this award, particularly as there were such high calibre nominees in the Digital Changemaker category. Waterford Digital Story Trail has set a new benchmark for interactive cultural experiences, fostering a renewed interest in Waterford's past among locals and visitors alike. Its impact goes beyond immediate tourism gains, offering a lasting contribution to the appreciation and preservation of local history. Adele Keane, Creative Producer, Imvizar, said, We are honoured to be recognised as digital changemakers. We hope that the Digital Story Trail will inspire other towns and cities to adopt Waterfords innovative approach to making history more interactive and accessible. The DST has exceeded expectations, attracting over 25,000 visitors and boosting the city's tourism, particularly from international guests. In its first year, 75% of users were from Ireland but through promotion international users increased to 43% in 2023, with the US, UK, Germany, France and Spain being the top users. Beyond enhancing tourism, the trail has deepened the community's connection to its heritage, making history more accessible and engaging through innovative technology. This is not the first time this projects success has been recognised. It was featured in the New York Times 52 places to go list in 2024 and praised on RTEs Nationwide for its exemplary approach to digital heritage storytelling. 56-year-old Tramore man Aidan Ennis is currently embarking on a mission to climb all 275 mountains in Ireland with a height of over 600 metres, in one continuous hike, which will raise funds for Brighter Communities Worldwide. Not only is he climbing every mountain in the country, but he is also travelling on foot from one mountain range to the next for the entirety of the challenge, along with camping outdoors during the night. Aidan on Croagh Patrick summit overlooking Clew Bay in Co. Mayo, on day five of his journey to traverse every mountain in Ireland for charity. Aidan aims to complete the challenge in just 48 days, with the ambitious route starting in Galway in the Maumturks, before travelling on to Croagh Patrick, the Blue Stack Mountains, the Mournes, the Wicklow Mountains and the Comeraghs, to name just a few, before finishing on Brandon Head in Kerry on the June 20. At time of publication, Aidan is 19 days into his trek, and has just conquered the peaks of The Sperrin Mountains in Tyrone and Derry. His total distance covered so far is 977.5 kilometres, with a total ascent distance of 33,057 metres. He has climbed 70 out of the 275 peaks. Aidan is no stranger to tough charity challenges. Last year he walked the entire coastline of Wales, including all 15 of the Welsh 3000ft mountains en route, also for Brighter Communities Worldwide. Commenting on his current journey, he said: I will camp out most nights, with some nights in towns and cities in B&B or guest houses where I will pick up supplies for the next few days of the hike. "My wife, Emily, and our 11-year-old son Alex will meet up with me with our VW Camper on some weekends also. The people of Ireland are so generous and giving and I am really hoping they get behind me on this challenge, meet me along the route and donate a little to help a lot. He credits running on the beaches around Waterford with helping him prepare for the challenge, saying: Yes, I run all the time on the sand at Tramore, it has toughened me up no end so Im relishing this challenge ahead. Funds that Aidan raise will go towards Brighter Communities Worldwide. The charity recently launched The Big Walk, which will see walkers from across the country complete a combined total of 10,000 kilometres, the distance from Ireland to Kenya. Aidan says, Brighter Communities Worldwide is a hugely deserving charity, they work incredibly hard and their work over the past two decades has been tangible, all the while improving the lives of the people with whom they work in partnership with in Kenya. "They have chosen 10,000 kilometres as the target to reach between now and the end of October and so the kilometres I will run up by climbing every mountain in Ireland, a total of some 2,332, is going to help quite a lot. As walking is the main mode of travel for so many people in Kericho County in Kenya, who have to travel vast distances to access clean water, the charity hopes that this will resonate with people in Ireland to get behind the challenge. Donations can be made via www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/EveryMountain Three Waterford students were awarded at a national competition last week for their skills in creative writing. 12 winners of the Green Schools National Marine Creative Writing Competition, Tides are changing, were awarded for their achievements at the ceremony in Dublin, where the young St John of God students from Waterford city won first place across three separate categories. The winners of the competition were chosen out of over 220 entries. Ava Sheridan won the first and second class category, Aoife Lanigan the third and fourth class category and Lucy Lee O'Donnell the fifth and sixth class category, making it an exceptional achievement for St John of God National School. The competition, which is supported by the Marine Environment section of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in collaboration with Poetry Ireland, is in its fourth year and saw a very high standard of submissions this year. The Green Schools Marine Environment Awards is an initiative of An Taisces Green Schools Global Citizenship Marine Environment theme and the Marine Awards are also supported by the Marine Environment section of the Department. Aisling Espey of Sandford Park School, Ranelagh, Dublin took first place for secondary level, with second and third place winners in each category. Eight outstanding schools were also selected for recognition from the 88 schools nationwide receiving their Green Flag for Global Citizenship: Marine Environment this month. Primary schools and secondary schools were chosen from four regional divisions, with an overall national winner awarded at each level. Sisters of Charity N.S., Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, was awarded the national prize for primary level, and Wesley College, Ballinteer, Co. Dublin took the top prize for secondary level. News / National by Staff reporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa's announcement approving Starlink's licensing to provide internet services in Zimbabwe surprised the Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services (ICT) ministry and the telecoms regulator, who were unaware of the deal's approval.Mnangagwa revealed in a statement last Saturday that he had granted SpaceX approval to launch its Starlink internet services in Zimbabwe in partnership with Wicknell Chivayo's IMC Communications. This partnership reflects the president's close relationship with the controversial dealer Chivayo, evident from their shared presidential chopper ride to Bikita for the ZCC Easter service and Chivayo's recent visit to Mnangagwa's Precabe Farm in Kwekwe.Officials from the ICT ministry and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) told NewsDay that they were still in the process of reviewing Starlink's application when the announcement was made.ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera informed The Sunday Mail that Potraz had yet to finalize the operational modalities for the internet company."We are soon going to announce the technical modalities together with Potraz. Already, there has been a pronouncement by the President, which will ensure that no one and no place is left behind," she said.Potraz Director-General Gift Machengete also stated in the same publication that the regulator was still consulting on Starlink's licensing, highlighting a communication breakdown between his office and the presidency. On Wednesday, 27th March, the Cabinet gave the green light to a Bill to establish an Auto-Enrolment pension scheme for workers in Ireland with a view to it commencing on 1st January next. Auto-Enrolment is a positive development, encouraging a culture of saving for retirement in Ireland. However, its important to understand the full picture when it comes to employee pensions. While Auto-Enrolment provides a baseline, a company-sponsored occupational pension scheme can offer significant advantages for both your business and your staff. Barry Walsh Financial The Simplicity of Auto-Enrolment Let's acknowledge the benefits of Auto-Enrolment. It's a straightforward system in theory, with minimal administrative burden for employers. The government-backed scheme handles many complexities, leaving you free to focus on running your business. But There's More to the Story While Auto-Enrolment gets people saving, employers can offer a more attractive package through a company pension scheme. Here's how: Greater Flexibility: Auto-Enrolment contribution rates are predetermined and gradually increase. A company scheme allows you to tailor contributions to your budget and employee needs. You can also offer higher contribution levels, accelerating retirement savings. Employee Choice: Auto-Enrolment offers a limited investment fund selection. A company scheme provides your staff with a wider range of investment options, allowing them to align their savings with their risk tolerance and retirement goals. Tax Advantages: Employer contributions to both Auto-Enrolment and company schemes receive tax relief. However, for some, Auto-Enrolment could mean they are leaving tax advantages behind. Company schemes often unlock additional tax benefits, such as salary sacrifice arrangements, making them even more attractive for employees. Talent Attraction & Retention: A well-designed company pension scheme is a valuable employee benefit. It demonstrates your commitment to your workforce's long-term well-being, acting as a powerful tool for attracting and retaining top talent. Employer Branding: Offering a competitive pension scheme positions your company favourably in a competitive job market. It portrays you as a forward-thinking employer who invests in its people. Working with a Financial Broker Navigating the world of pensions can be complex. As your Financial Broker, we can help you design a company pension scheme that aligns with your business goals and employee demographics. We'll guide you through the legalities, identify the most suitable provider, and ensure your scheme offers a compelling benefit package for your staff. Auto-Enrolment is a positive step, but it's a starting point. By establishing a company pension scheme, you can create a more robust and competitive employee benefit program, fostering a loyal and engaged workforce. Let's discuss how we can help you design a scheme that benefits your business and your employees in the long run. Contact: Web Site: www.bwfs.ie Happy Pride! As we start Pride of the Deise 2024, I am filled with gratitude for the efforts of our dedicated committee over the past seven months. In November, we reached out to our community through a survey, seeking feedback and insights to ensure that this year's festival truly reflects the desires and needs of our community. The overwhelming response and support we received have inspired us to answer the call with the biggest Pride festival Waterford has ever seen! Community events and spaces play a vital role in fostering a sense of belonging and unity among us. I am heartened by the incredible support we have received from local businesses, venues, and other community resources. What we lack in a dedicated queer venue in Waterford, we more than make up for with the abundance of amazing community events created by many dedicated volunteers and artists. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the challenges we face as a community. The rise in hate speech and violence, coupled with the spreading of lies and misinformation about the LGBTQ+ community, particularly our trans siblings, is deeply concerning. Waterford welcomes its community to celebrate theLGBTIQA+ community during Pride of the Deise. We are witnessing rhetoric reminiscent of the fear-mongering and misinformation directed towards gay cis-men 50 years ago. It is imperative that we stand together to combat these harmful narratives and ensure the safety and well-being of all members of our community and also all marginalised communities. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ireland's first Pride demonstration in Dublin, where 12 courageous individuals marched to the British Embassy to demand the decriminalisation of homosexuality. As we commemorate this milestone, we reflect on how far we have come in Ireland, while also recognising the challenges that lie ahead. Pride of the Deise 2024 is a celebration of our history and heritage, a testament to our resilience, and a bold declaration of our bright, inclusive, and unabashedly queer future. I am immensely proud to be a part of this vibrant and diverse community, and I am filled with hope and excitement as we come together to celebrate Pride this year. Let us embrace this opportunity to stand proudly, to celebrate who we are, and to continue fighting for equality, acceptance, and love for all. With pride and solidarity, Amy (Chairperson, Pride of the Deise). For scheduling and ticket information, click here. Lash Out is a queer run drag show and club night, organised by local drag performers Orchid, Queenn Marie and Una Live, who spoke to the Waterford News & Star. "This show has been a labour of love for all three of us, and we are so proud to be able to host Lash Out with Pride of the Deise this year." "We wanted to fill a gap in Waterford nightlife with this event, as there is a real lack of spaces in Waterford City, not to mention the lack of safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ people in the city's nightclub scene. " Lash Out is part of Waterford's Pride of the Deise festival "This was another factor that led to us working on this particular club night." As much as the night is an opportunity for us to showcase our art, it was always first and foremost about providing a safe and fun environment for our community to come out and let loose. Not only is LashOut a variety drag/cabaret show, say the trio, it's also a nightclub. "We wanted to bring a different type of music to the nightlife scene in Waterford, with our resident DJ ROIBI who describes her style as a blend of underground queer club trax, Baile funk, jungle and jersey club. DJ Roibi blends queer club tracks with jungle and more Ireland has an incredible DJ scene, agreed the three organisers who wanted to include some of that homegrown talent into the nightclub. "Even though we describe the event as a drag show, we feature many different types of performances, including Burlesque, Circus, and live vocals. We always want to include variety in both acts and performers. " Performances at the last show included live saxophone playing, a stripping clown, live singing, Burlesque performances, stunts, big costumes, small costumes, hair whipping, and so much more. The next Lash Out will take place in The Reg nightclub, on Friday May 31st as part of the Pride of the Deise festival. For more up to date news on this event, and any future events, you can find us on instagram @lash.out.nights or scan the QR code below. David Young, PA TUV leader Jim Allister has dismissed as nonsense speculation that he might switch constituencies to challenge the interim leader of the DUP in East Belfast. The North Antrim MLA said while his party would be running in Gavin Robinsons Belfast constituency, he said there had never been any consideration that he might be the candidate. His comments came after Alliance Party leader and Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long confirmed she would run against Mr Robinson in East Belfast. Ms Long was formerly the MP for the area between 2010 and 2015 but has lost the last three general election polls to Mr Robinson. The DUPs interim leader Gavin Robinson (Liam McBurney/PA) However, the race is tipped to be a close one on July 4th, with the prospect of the TUV securing votes from disaffected DUP supporters unhappy with the deal the party struck with the UK government on post-Brexit Irish Sea trade barriers that facilitated the return of Stormont earlier this year. Mr Robinson assumed the leadership of the DUP on an interim basis in March after the shock resignation of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson following his arrest and charge on historical sex offence allegations charges he denies. On Monday, Mr Allister dismissed any notion he would be his partys candidate in East Belfast. I really am astounded by the ignorance of those who put themselves forward as political commentators to make such a suggestion, he told BBC Radio Ulsters Nolan Show. It has never been in my mind to run in East Belfast. He added: It really is a poor reflection on the state of political commentary in Northern Ireland if such a rogue and nonsense suggestion would even be ventilated. At the last general election in 2019, Ms Long was just under 2,000 votes behind Mr Robinson. The current Stormont Justice Minister described the July 4th poll as an opportunity for her party to return a number of MPs. She plans to remain in post as minister during the election campaign, insisting it will not distract her from her ministerial duties. Her approach is different to that taken by UUP Health Minister Robin Swann, who is stepping down as minister to focus on his bid to win a Westminster seat in South Antrim. Naomi Long was the MP for East Belfast between 2010 and 2015 (Liam McBurney/PA) Alliance is hoping its sole current MP, Stephen Farry, will be able to defend his North Down seat, and the party is also aiming for gains in other constituencies, including Lagan Valley, where former DUP leader and outgoing MP Donaldson has been the long standing Westminster representative. DUP Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley is running as the partys candidate in Lagan Valley. Ms Long said: Both in East Belfast, and across Northern Ireland, we have an opportunity to choose a brighter, more positive politics, focused on growing a dynamic, sustainable economy, delivering fair funding for public services through the block grant, and ending political instability by reforming our institutions to remove vetoes. On Monday, Mr Allister also reiterated his willingness for the TUV to step aside in the Fermanagh South Tyrone constituency to facilitate a non-party unionist candidate running in an effort to take the seat from Sinn Fein. DUP interim leader Mr Robinson has also backed this approach. We believe in co-operation across the unionist family and maximising the pro-union vote, Mr Robinson said on Sunday. Weve been speaking to all shades of unionism about more than one seat. The DUP would step aside in Fermanagh and South Tyrone if there was a non-party pro-union candidate. However, Mr Allister said the strategy would only work if the UUP also stood aside in favour of a non-party unionist. Fermanagh and South Tyrone has a particularly unique history in terms of a single candidate and the suggestion that a non-party unionist could bind together all unionist voters is a good idea and its one that I am prepared to endorse, he said. But its one which can only fly if all unionist parties endorse it. UUP leader Doug Beattie has insisted he does not favour pacts and on Sunday he highlighted that a candidate from his party was fewer than 60 votes short of winning the seat in the last election. The UUP candidate for Fermanagh-South Tyrone is set to be local councillor Diana Armstrong. On Sunday, Mr Beattie said: The UUP came within 57 votes of beating Sinn Fein at the last Westminster election and therefore represent the best chance of returning an MP who will show up and represent constituents. Police have viewed dashcam footage showing the moment a ride-share crashed and rolled, killing a father and his 11-year-old daughter and leaving a nine-year-old boy with serious injuries. About 7.40pm on Sunday, the family were travelling in the back of a DiDi ride-share sedan on Milperra Road in Milperra when police say dashcam footage shows the driver turning right at an intersection, then being hit by an oncoming Toyota Hilux. The sedan rolled, trapping the 52-year-old male driver and three passengers. Thai Duong, 41, and his daughter, Hailie, who were both sitting in the back seat, died at the scene. Another back-seat passenger, Duongs nine-year-old son, was treated by paramedics and taken to The Childrens Hospital at Westmead, where he remained in a critical condition on Monday afternoon. High-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson has asked Network Ten to pay more than $1.8 million of her legal costs amid the financial fallout from Bruce Lehrmanns failed defamation case. During a costs hearing in Sydney on Monday, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said Wilkinson was seeking an indemnity in excess of $1.8 million after she opted to brief a separate team of lawyers to her employer. Theres just an ongoing reluctance to pay us anything, Wilkinsons barrister, Michael Elliott, SC, told the court. Lisa Wilkinson (left), Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins. Credit: Getty Images, Dominic Lorrimer, Steven Siewert Tens barrister, Zoe Graus, said there were certainly costs which we do not dispute are recoverable by Ms Wilkinson. Experts were unable to determine the cause of death of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay because fire had obliterated any evidence, a court has heard. Forensic pathologist Melanie Archer, who is also an expert in the study of insects, told a Supreme Court jury on Monday about her examination of the remains of the pair, who were killed at a remote alpine campsite. Forensic pathologist Melanie Archer leaving the Supreme Court on Monday. Credit: Joe Armao She said that ultimately it was impossible to say how Hill, 74, and Clay, 73, died, but by looking at the remnants of maggots found at a burial site near Dargo, she was able to say the bodies were left for months before being burnt. Archer said that fire, which left behind thousands of bone fragments, meant there was only one option open to her when trying to determine how the pair died. Nearly a fifth of former immigration detainees freed following the High Courts landmark decision in November have since been charged with state offences, compounding pressure on the Albanese government to use new laws to lock up those at high risk of committing new crimes. According to March figures recently shown to the Senate by Home Affairs, at least 28 of the 153 people released into the community on strict visa conditions after the court declared indefinite detention unlawful have been charged with offences under state laws. Immigration Minister Andrew Giles is facing a deepening crisis over the High Court detention fallout. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The revelation raises even more questions about Labors handling of the crisis after the government conceded last month it was powerless to intervene in state justice systems following a former detainees alleged involvement in a violent home invasion in Perth. Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the government had still not applied to a judge for an order to re-detain anyone who posed an unacceptable community risk more than six months after passing the tough new legislation with the help of the opposition. News / National by Staff reporter THE South African chapter of the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT SA) has expressed concern over the African National Congress government's decision to invite Zanu PF and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to observe the elections set for Wednesday this week.The South African government recently invited Zanu PF and Zec to observe the elections amid concerns by various stakeholders and opposition political parties that Zimbabwe will assist the ANC to rig the polls.In a statement released recently, ACT South African chapter said ANC had an opportunity to defend regional democracy by inviting capable and credible observers not Zimbabwe's ruling party and government."South African chapter of the ACT SA is profoundly troubled by the government and the ANC's decision to invite Zanu PF and Zec to observe the SA elections scheduled for May 29," the statement said."Inviting Zimbabwe, known for electoral malpractices and highly disputed elections, amounts to a mockery of democratic principles."The majority of Zimbabwean elections have been marred by electoral fraud and cheating by Zanu PF, Zec, other entities and individuals linked to Zanu PF. Evidence suggests that Zec is not independent and has been compromised by the Zanu PF party."ACT SA contended that the quality and integrity of election observers along with objective reporting of their observations, contribute to legitimising electoral outcomes."In Zimbabwe's scenario, objective reporting is compromised as Zanu PF is reported to be assisting ANC in its campaign efforts that are already biased in favour of ANC."The integrity of election observers is crucial for boosting voter confidence, a fundamental aspect of democracy," read the statement.ACT SA country director for South Africa Sarah Bobhi Motha called on South Africans to refuse election observers linked to Zanu PF."There is absolutely nothing that South Africans can learn from the Zimbabwean election management system. Our organisation conducted thorough research in Zimbabwe and observed that Zec lacks independence, managing elections in a manner that favours Zanu PF," she said."The commissioners and certain staff members have ties to Zanu PF and the security sector. Numerous instances of electoral corruption were noted in past elections, in collaboration with Sengezo Tshabangu, who appointed himself interim secretary-general of Citizens Coalition for Change."Motha said Zanu PF undermined democracy and free choosing of leaders by the people."This issue is grave and we must prevent South Africa from being influenced in a similar manner," she said.Motha called on South Africans to oppose any decisions permitting Zanu PF and Zec to observe SA elections."The strength of South Africa lies in its people. We must not accept this. It's time to stand up and oppose Zanu PF and Zec's involvement in our elections," Motha said. Once focused on the US drug market, Mexican criminal groups have turned their sights on their own country, seeking to control territory they can exploit financially. Theyre embedding themselves in local governments to maximise that control. That has made Mexicos elections increasingly violent. Hundreds of local candidates in the June 2 vote have dropped out of the race because of threats. At least 34 people running for office in this election have been killed, according to the consulting firm Integralia. The criminal groups have become de facto rulers in some communities, said Sandra Ley, co-ordinator of the security program at Mexico Evalua, a research organisation. Mexicos cartels began to diversify into extortion, migrant smuggling and other illicit businesses more than a decade ago, as they splintered into smaller groups under pressure from security forces. Newer gangs needed fresh sources of income. By now, theyve penetrated entire industries. About 70 per cent of lumber production in Mexico is illicit, the Environment Ministry says with a significant amount in the hands of organised crime groups. At least 30 per cent of the fuel sold in Mexico is stolen or smuggled, estimates Onexpo, a national gas station group. One in every five cigarettes comes from the black market. On Mexican farms, criminals tax everything from potatoes to the avocados bound for Americans guacamole. Extortion accounted for nearly one-quarter of the 6 per cent price increase in agricultural goods last year, according to Jose Ignacio Martinez, an economist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Erika Flores sells tortillas, in Mexico City. Credit: Fred Ramos for The Washington Post While solid data is scarce, revenue from the array of illicit activities could rival the estimated $18 billion Mexican cartels rake in every year from drug sales. In one area alone stolen and contraband fuel the government estimates its losing about $7.5 billion a year. The expanding criminal grip on the economy is starting to have a spillover effect at the US border. Detentions of Mexicans at the US border including asylum applicants have tripled since 2019, reaching about 717,000 last year. People leave the country for many reasons, including better-paying jobs. But an increasing percentage of Mexican migrants say they are fleeing violence and extortion. In a poll commissioned last fall by the US State Department, and not previously made public, 39 per cent of Mexicans surveyed said theyd be willing to migrate irregularly to the United States in the following months a fourfold rise from early 2022. Fear and outrage On a recent morning, Antonio Vazquez nudged his ute through the choking traffic south of the city of Cuernavaca, headed for a secret location. A fellow tortilla vendor was in trouble. Vazquez, 55, a brooding man with silver-streaked hair, leads the tortilla association in Morelos, a small state south of Mexico City. Lately, hed become a minor celebrity, making TV news by denouncing the threat to the states tortillerias. About 30 shops in his state closed last year because of extortion. His wife has been urging him to lower his profile. But Vazquez, whod trained as a lawyer, cant contain his outrage. Somebody has to speak out, he said. He turned onto a quiet street of pastel-coloured homes and pulled into a walled compound. Under a giant tree, he sat down with a man in his late 30s, heavy-set and sweating. The man, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, had refused to pay extortion. A gang retaliated by setting fire to his house. I have to find another way to survive, the younger man was saying. There was only one option, he said moving to the United States. Vazquez said he would try to help him open a tortilla shop there. But, the man complained, I cant get a visa. He said he might have to cross illegally. Vazquez listened quietly, taking swigs of cold soda and swatting at the flies floating in the hot, still air. All he could offer was a sympathetic ear. People participate in a pilgrimage to pray for peace in response to rising violence in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Credit: Fred Ramos for The Washington Post More than two decades ago, Vazquez left his law firm to go into the family tortilla business, opening several shops in Cuernavaca. It seemed to be an ideal location. The city was a popular escape for well-heeled Mexico City residents, with its balmy weather, swimming pools, and riotous pink and orange bougainvillea spilling over stucco walls. When the first gang turned up about three years ago, asking $15 a week to protect the neighbourhood, tortilla shops paid up. The criminal group quickly wiped out petty theft. Five months later, in a burst of violence, a new gang took over, and protection fees began to rise. Loading They lasted a year, Vazquez recalled. They were killed too. Now, gangs in the Cuernavaca area are hitting up tortilla makers for as much as $1350 a month. Just the previous week, armed men in masks had barged into one of Vazquezs shops and thrust a cellphone at him. Take it, one said. The boss is going to call you. Vazquez turned the phone over to the authorities. They asked him to convince his fellow tortilla vendors to provide all information possible: extortioners names, nicknames, their license plates, the model of their cars. Yet he was hesitant. Even Im afraid. Competition for territory Mexican analysts are still puzzling over what caused the new criminal economy to take off. But one of the seminal events occurred just a few kilometres north of Vazquezs downtown tortilleria, in a leafy Cuernavaca neighbourhood known as Lomas de la Selva. On the night of December 16, 2009, Mexican navy commandos stormed a luxury condo complex, and a firefight began. Four hours later, Arturo Beltran Leyva lay dead in the doorway of a blood-spattered bathroom. The Obama administration called it a significant blow against drug cartels. Beltran Leyva, the boss of bosses, was the first of a string of drug lords who were slain or captured by Mexican security forces aided by US agents. But the cartels didnt collapse. They splintered. Today, Mexico has two cartels with a nationwide presence (Sinaloa and Jalisco), but also hundreds of smaller groups. In the past four years, the security firm Lantia Consultores has identified at least 87 regional armed groups and 586 gangs. A woman buys tortillas at a tortilleria in Mexico City . Credit: Fred Ramos for The Washington Post Fragmentation means that theres a lot more competition for territory, said Eduardo Moncada, a political scientist at Barnard College who studies crime in Latin America. And so these criminal groups are turning to extortion as one way to generate revenue, to be able to wage these wars. The trend is evident in other parts of Latin America, too. In Ecuador, reported cases of extortion rose almost 15-fold between 2021 and 2023, reaching 21,811, according to the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organised Crime. In Colombia, businesses ranging from rural coffee farms to multinational mining firms are forced to pay protection money. Gangs in Latin America have also expanded into migrant-smuggling and environmental crimes such as illegal logging and mining. These illicit activities are less profitable than drug trafficking, but they have become increasingly attractive because they generate relatively stable incomes at lower risk, noted an International Crisis Group report issued last year. The rise of the mini-cartels is evident in Cuautla, a sunbaked city of 150,000 people nestled amid sugar-cane fields 30 miles south-east of Cuernavaca. A downtown park features a towering statue of Emiliano Zapata, the insurgent who famously attacked the city during the Mexican Revolution. These days, a different kind of battle is under way. Four crime groups vie for power, according to law enforcement officials. Theyre the Mexico City-based Union Tepito, and three smaller groups including Los Acapulcos that split off from big drug-trafficking cartels. The groups shake down nearly everyone in the city: butcher shops, nail salons, hamburger stands, even dental practices. At one point, they demanded a cut of proceeds from the annual festival honouring Saint Joseph forcing the Catholic Church to cancel it. You cant imagine the fear people are living with, Ramon Castro, the Catholic bishop in Morelos, told worshippers at a recent Sunday Mass, after visiting Cuautla. Gangs were demanding that tortillerias hand over 50,000 pesos in protection money about $4500, three times as much as in Cuernavaca. Trucks carrying sugar cane had to pay the same amount to enter the local mill. Fifty thousand! exclaimed the bishop. The sugar employees are going to wind up working for them. Bishop Ramon Castro at the Cuernavaca Cathedral. Credit: Fred Ramos for The Washington Post The sermon made the front pages of national newspapers; it was rare for anyone to say such things publicly. The following day, the co-ordinator of the truckers at Cuautlas sugar mill was shot dead. Two weeks later, a prominent local butcher was killed, after complaining to local authorities about extortion. Taking a cut Tortillerias are especially vulnerable to extortion. They do brisk sales; the average Mexican eats 165 pounds of tortillas a year. Nearly all customers pay cash. But the threat of crime doesnt stop at the tiny tortilla shops. It overshadows nearly every step of the tortilla process. The north-west state of Sinaloa is famed for the cartel once led by Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. Its also an agricultural powerhouse that produces the best white corn for tortillas. Crime groups have infiltrated the public water system in Sinaloa, imposing their own people in offices that oversee irrigation, according to two agricultural leaders in the state who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing security fears. Farmers allied with the cartel pay little or nothing for water, the leaders said. Other customers are assessed an extra tax. They realised what a good business this can be, especially given that the price of drugs has dropped, said one of the agricultural leaders. Mexicos National Water Commission said the distribution of water for irrigation is handled by a local concession, not the government. Emilio Gonzalez Gastelum, president of the state association that manages the concession, dismissed the allegations as just rumours. He said that water fees were set by a governing board in consultation with farmers. A threshing machine cuts corn on a farm in Culiacan, Mexico. Credit: The Washington Post Once corn is loaded onto trucks and trains, other organised crime groups take a cut. Gangs, many carrying semiautomatic rifles, have robbed nearly 70,000 trucks carrying manufactured goods and farm produce on Mexican highways in the past five years, according to Concamin, a national business chamber. The big cartels see such robberies as another revenue stream, said Hector Manuel Romero Sanchez, a transportation security consultant. They are trying to raise funds to invest in their biggest businesses which are trafficking migrants, weapons and, obviously, drugs. In some areas, crime groups are also taking over corn distribution. In Guerrero state, which adjoins Morelos, cartels strong-arm farmers into selling corn to them, and then force tortillerias to purchase it. The gangs even inspect the shops inventories to ensure theyre not buying elsewhere. If you have extra corn, they beat you, said one tortilla employee in the historic silver-mining city of Taxco. Rarely convicted After taking office in 2018, Lopez Obrador declared the war on drugs over. It had turned Mexico into a battleground, he said, without reducing the flow of narcotics. He scaled back co-operation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and called for a renegotiation of the Merida Initiative, a decade-long plan under which the US government had provided more than $3 billion in security equipment and training. It hasnt worked, the president said. Lopez Obrador disbanded the federal police and cut funds for local cops, widely seen as corrupt. He fashioned a two-pronged strategy relying on the military and a new, 130,000-strong national guard to keep the peace, while offering scholarships and job-training programs to deter young people from crime. The Mexican president has defended his hugs, not bullets policy, noting the reduction in homicides and a decline in other major crimes such as kidnapping. In January, Lopez Obrador announced that the percentage of Mexicans who said they felt unsafe in their city had dropped to its lowest level in a decade. People feel like things are getting better, he said. Still, 59 per cent of city dwellers reported feeling unsafe. Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez declined a request for an interview. Sergio Aguayo, a political scientist, said the president had provided no evidence those social programs are reducing the strength of organised crime. Luis de la Calle, an economist who has written about extortion, said slashing investment in local security forces had boomeranged. When you have an absence of the state, he said, somebody fills it. Many analysts point to Mexicos weak justice system and low spending on security as structural causes of the expansion of organised crime. Nationwide, only 1.3 per cent of crimes are reported and solved, according to the non-profit group Impunidad Cero. Few extortionists are ever convicted. Uriel Carmona, the attorney general of Morelos, said in an interview that its hard for the justice system to function when citizens dont trust authorities enough to provide information about extortion. And not only is there a lack of local police, he said; those on the job are paid miserably. Theyre tempted by corruption. A woman makes tortillas in Mexico City. Credit: Fred Ramos for The Washington Post When Carmonas investigators arrested a group of alleged extortioners in Cuautla in April, they discovered that one was a former police officer. An investigation into the Acapulcos gang in 2022 produced evidence that it was being protected by members of the Cuautla police force, according to the attorney generals office. But the crime economy doesnt only thrive because of dirty cops. In many cases, the gangs have political cover. Drug traffickers are totally involved in the elections, said Castro, the bishop. In January 2022, the Sol de Mexico newspaper published a bombshell photos of the Morelos governor, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, with the leaders of three crime groups. Blanco, a member of the ruling Morena party, told reporters he hadnt known they were gangsters. I take photos with everyone, he said. The case is under investigation. On a recent visit to Morelos, Lopez Obrador praised Blanco as a great man. His party has nominated the outgoing governor for a congressional seat. Turning up at the US border Local elections have become increasingly violent as crime groups try to win control of mayoral offices. A research project called Voting Amid Bullets tallied 836 attacks against elected authorities, political candidates, government employees and party activists during the past six years. Thats nearly triple the number under president Felipe Calderon, whose six-year term ended in 2012. The crime groups have forced tens of thousands of Mexicans to flee their communities in recent years, according to the UN refugee agency and non-profit groups. Increasingly, the displaced are turning up at the US border. The Kino Border Initiative, a migrant-services organisation in the Mexican city of Nogales, found that 88 per cent of the Mexican migrants it interviewed last year cited violence as their reason for leaving home. That compares with only 6 per cent eight years earlier. Many migrants said they could no longer tolerate the extortion demands, said Pedro De Velasco, advocacy director at the organisation. It becomes impossible to make the payments. Juan de Dios Navarrete understands why people migrate when extortioners strike. He owns the two tortilla shops attacked in Cuautla in November. The 15-year-old boy who was wounded by gunfire was his son, working the counter. His panicked family urged Navarrete to leave the country. But he had already done that. He spent two unhappy years in the Bronx back in the 1990s, working in a supermarket and at a restaurant, before coming home with an idea: to start a chain of tortillerias. As he surveyed the damage to his downtown shop after the shooting, Navarrete became increasingly furious. He wasnt going to run away, he decided. He was going to demonstrate. He turned to a local journalist, who was doing a Facebook hit. We citizens have to make noise, he said into the cellphone camera, waving his arms. We have to come together. Loading Who else could residents rely on? Not the police. Not the army. Lets get together and clean up our city, he said, stuttering in frustration. Please support me. Navarrete waited for someone to join him. And waited. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week found a new and ridiculous way to announce a national election by standing in front of No.10 Downing Street in drenching rain, without an umbrella. But the campaign quickly grew more serious. Sunaks first election promise was that his government would reinstate compulsory national service for all 18-year-olds. This is a bold idea for an unpopular government to stake its future on. Did Sunak do this because of the seriousness of the military threats to Britain or because of the desperation of the British Tory party to win votes? Illustration by Dionne Gain Around 40 per cent of all nations on Earth have some form of national service for young people, and the percentage is growing. Such schemes vary enormously. Not all are compulsory; not all involve a military element. The plan Sunak proposes for Britain, for example, is a hybrid. Itd be compulsory for all 18-year-olds, but only one in 10 would do military service for a year. The other 90 per cent would perform some community service. We live in a world where international politicians and diplomats cannot stop the wanton killing of children and innocent civilians in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and many other places. The United Nations is useless, its Security Council broken by the superpower veto wielded by Russia and America. That is why all well-intentioned people should welcome the action of the International Criminal Court prosecutor in seeking arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders. That class does not include Australias Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, who describes the action as abominable and antisemitic. Israelis protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and call for a deal to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. Credit: Getty Images No doubt he thinks all the judges on the UNs International Court of Justice are antisemitic, too, because of their ruling on the weekend that Israel must end its military assault on Rafah. As everyone who uses the word should know, antisemitism means hatred of Jewish people in general, and it is the vilest and most destructive form of race hatred. It is not constituted by condemning the policy or the war tactics of the Israeli government. Duttons attempt to conflate the two, and his call on the Australian government to withhold support from an independent international justice process, is shameful. Expanding China-Europe freight train service boosts trade, prosperity Xinhua) 08:07, May 27, 2024 This photo taken on March 21, 2024 shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, departs from the Shijiazhuang international land port in north China's Hebei Province. (Photo by Zhang Xiaofeng/Xinhua) BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- In 2011, a train loaded with electronic products sounded its horn and embarked on a journey from Tuanjiecun Station in southwest China's Chongqing to Duisburg in Germany, marking the inauguration of the China-Europe freight train service. Initially, the small station saw only one train depart each month. Now, it has become a first-class terminal, from which over 10 trains leave daily, reaching more than 100 cities across Asia and Europe. This epitomizes the rapid growth of the China-Europe freight train service. As of Saturday, the total number of China-Europe freight train trips has surpassed 90,000. This extensive network currently serves 223 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries, with its service covering almost the entire Eurasian continent, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway). With deepening regional economic ties, the China-Europe freight train service -- a flagship program of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -- has proven to be both a vital artery ensuring the continuous flow of commodities and a stabilizer enhancing the resilience of global supply chains amidst global turmoil. A drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows a China-Europe freight train waiting to depart from the Tuanjiecun Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) GROWING POPULARITY From 2016 to 2023, the annual number of China-Europe freight train trips surged from 1,702 to over 17,000. The value of goods transported by this service skyrocketed from 8 billion U.S. dollars in 2016 to 56.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. As the Red Sea crisis disrupts vital shipping lanes and global supply chains, the China-Europe freight train service has attracted an increasing number of freight forwarders due to its efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. The Suez Canal, through which 12 percent of global trade used to pass, saw traffic drop by 66 percent at the start of April, compared with a year earlier, said a recent report by British newspaper The Guardian. Many shipping firms are now diverting vessels to the safer, but much longer and more costly, route around the tip of southern Africa, passing the Cape of Good Hope. This can add 10 days to a journey and increase fuel costs by 40 percent. Some companies have switched to rail freight, with the number of trains leaving China for Europe dramatically increasing in recent months, Marco Forgione, director general at the Institute of Export & International Trade, told the newspaper. The China Railway reported earlier this month that 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. With an office in Chengdu, China, Polish company Real Logistics has been engaged in the China-Europe freight train service business for nearly a decade. General Manager Pawel Moskala told Xinhua that after the outbreak of the Red Sea crisis, maritime transport between China and Europe was severely affected, while the China-Europe freight train service has played a significant complementary role in supporting goods transportation. "Currently, the advantages of the China-Europe freight train service are evident, and demand remains relatively high. Although it is difficult to predict long-term trends in sea freight prices, overall, given the current international situation, rail transport is expected to grow substantially, and the China-Europe freight train service will also see growth and will continue to play an indispensable role," he said. Echoing this sentiment, He Daoguo, general manager of Chongqing Meilian International Warehouse &Transport (Group) Co., Ltd., stated, "Train trips departing from Chongqing to Europe can now arrive within 15-20 days, which is 7-10 days faster than shipping through the Red Sea. China-Europe freight trains have acted as a stabilizer for global supply chains due to their resilience, stability, and punctuality." Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, noted that in the unstable geopolitical context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sea transportation has been affected and prices are rising, whereas land transportation remains relatively cheap and safe. "The China-Europe freight train service has, to a certain extent, ensured the security and stability of industrial and supply chains, injected stability into economic and trade exchanges, and played a significant role in maintaining stable trade relations worldwide," the scholar added. This photo taken on March 28, 2024 shows containers at a freight terminal in Duisburg, Germany. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan) EXPANDING SERVICE Last Monday, a cargo train carrying 50 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods departed from Huanghua Port in Cangzhou, located in north China's Hebei Province, en route to Moscow, the capital of Russia, launching a new international route for the China-Europe freight train service. Less than two months ago and also in Hebei, a new international freight train route linking the city of Shijiazhuang with Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, began operations. Hailing the China-Europe freight train service as a more efficient way to connect China with Europe, Bojan Stanic, assistant director for Strategic Analysis &Data at Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, said that Serbia is a key point in the BRI, and this train will reduce logistics costs and bring benefits to both countries. As the demand for rail transport between China and Europe grows, the China-Europe freight train service has seen significant network expansion and service upgrades in recent years. Chongqing launched its first China-Europe freight train to Istanbul, Turkiye in February. Industry insiders believe that amidst frequent conflicts, the Istanbul train service has enhanced the corridor connecting western China with Europe, and bolstered the risk resistance and development resilience of the China-Europe freight train service. "The train services provide a guarantee for the timely arrival of our goods and effectively reduce our operational risks," said Zhang Rong, deputy general manager of Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd., the operator of China-Europe freight train service in Chongqing. Along with the network expansion, the China-Europe freight train service has also experienced impressive enhancement in transport capacity, efficiency, and service quality. "To ensure the smooth operation of the trains, we have maintained timely communication with export enterprises and enhanced the application of 'automatic clearance.' We efficiently connect the processes of declaration, document review, and inspection, continuously monitoring the progress of customs clearance and railway manifests," said Chen Yuanjun, deputy director of Yuzhou Customs in Chongqing, adding they also maintain close contact and coordination with the customs authorities of the destination countries to ensure smooth transit and loading processes. In Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, a freight terminal was jointly launched by KTZ Express -- a subsidiary of Kazakhstan's national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ)-- and Xi'an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation earlier this year. The China-Kazakhstan (Xi'an) Trade Logistics has been built to further facilitate goods transportation between China, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Europe. Alebekov Olzhas, vice general manager of the Chinese branch of KTZ Express, has been actively involved in the planning and construction of the terminal since 2023. "In the past, customs declaration could take an entire day. Now, with our companies sharing information and data, KTZ prepares for clearance procedures before the trains arrive at the port, reducing the process to less than 15 minutes," he noted. An aerial drone photo taken on May 14, 2024 shows the China-Kazakhstan (Xi'an) Trade Logistics in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingbo) DELIVERING PROSPERITY As an exemplar of win-win cooperation, the China-Europe freight train service has enhanced regional opening-up, expanded economic and trade exchanges, and improved people's well-being in countries along the routes. Duisburg, located in Germany's industrial heartland Ruhr area, is one of the most important hubs for China-Europe freight trains. Having once witnessed coal and steel drive its prosperity, the city is now renowned as Europe's key trading gateway to Asia thanks to the arrival of the railway route, which continues to inject vigorous impetus into Chinese-German exchanges and cooperations. Soeren Link, mayor of Duisburg, has seen the comings and goings of the China-Europe freight trains for over a decade. Thanks to the China-Europe train route, Duisburg has been the European logistics hub under the BRI for a decade, said the mayor. "Trains carrying goods from China arrive at the port of Duisburg every day, which are then forwarded directly to over 20 major European cities." Link noted that the freight train connection between China and the city of Duisburg remains a preferred alternative to sea and air freight for companies. He added that Duisburg is now home to more than 100 Chinese companies across various industries, including logistics and e-commerce. "We welcome Chinese specialists and managers who enrich the local economy with their business projects," he said. The China-Europe freight train is a tool and an instrument to connect many more parts of the Chinese and European economies than by sea and air cargo, said Markus Bangen, CEO of Duisport, a German company running the port of Duisburg. "The freight train is the link which can help us even work stronger and tougher together," he said. On the other end of the rail route, China's Chongqing has been leveraging the advantages and brand effects of the China-Europe freight trains to promote high-quality development of industries such as electronics, automobiles, and machinery. Freight train X8157, which is bound for Malaszewicze, Poland, departs from Xi'an, the capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on May 25, 2024, marking a significant milestone as the total number of China-Europe freight train trips has surpassed 90,000. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen) Changan Auto, a major carmaker in the city, achieved record-high overseas sales of over 230,000 units of its own brand vehicles in 2023, many of which were new energy vehicles (NEV) and transported by rail. Since the beginning of 2024, Changan has exported 11,550 vehicles via China-Europe freight trains. Since 2023, an increasing number of Chinese-made "tech-intensive green trio" products -- lithium-ion batteries, photovoltaic products, and NEVs -- have been transported through the China-Europe freight trains, reflecting strong market demand, said the China Railway. Thomas Krajnicki, 57, is a staff member at Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd., the operator of the railway express linking Duisburg and Chongqing. Having worked for the company for five years, he said it is not common to get such a secure job at this age and he feels comfortable working for the company. "I hope the traffic of goods will increase, my job will be stable ... and the contacts and cooperation between Duisburg and China will be further deepened," said Krajnicki. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Criminal cases in China drop 12.9 pct in 5 years Xinhua) 16:27, May 27, 2024 BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The number of criminal cases filed by Chinese police in 2023 dropped by 12.9 percent from 2019, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Monday. Police across the country also handled 9.7 percent fewer public security cases last year compared to 2019, the ministry said at a press conference. Over the past five years, Chinese police busted over 5,200 criminal gangs and captured more than 1,600 fugitives overseas linked to criminal gangs, making headway in the campaign to combat organized crime and root out local bullies, according to the ministry. Nearly 400,000 economic criminal cases were cracked by the police in the period, with over 230 billion yuan (32.35 billion U.S. dollars) of direct economic losses recovered, the ministry said. Consistent efforts were also put into cleaning and preserving cyberspace, as public security organs investigated 453,000 cybercrime cases in five years, according to the MPS. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) News / National by Staff reporter Former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa has taken a firm stance, instructing his supporters not to resort to violence in pressuring the ruling Zanu-PF party to address the electoral dispute that arose from the August 2023 elections. Chamisa, who contests the legitimacy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's leadership due to alleged electoral fraud, emphasized his preference for a peaceful resolution to the issue rather than escalating tensions.Despite resigning from the opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), citing infiltration by Zanu-PF, Chamisa asserted his continued involvement in politics. Amid speculation about his next steps, including the potential formation of a new political entity, Chamisa maintained secrecy regarding his plans.In his first public address since stepping down, Chamisa stressed the importance of adhering to peaceful means for conflict resolution, describing Zimbabwe as too valuable to be jeopardized by violence. He emphasized the commitment to peaceful dialogue and the pursuit of all available non-violent avenues to address grievances.While Chamisa has advocated for dialogue with Mnangagwa to resolve the electoral dispute, Mnangagwa has shown a preference for engaging with Chamisa's political rivals, shutting out the opposition leader. Chamisa reiterated the urgency of resolving the dispute before the next elections in 2028, highlighting the detrimental impact of unresolved political tensions on the country's progress.Pinning hopes on intervention from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), Chamisa revealed ongoing communication with the regional body regarding the electoral dispute. However, some critics doubt Sadc's effectiveness in resolving the crisis, emphasizing the need for Zimbabweans to take the lead in addressing internal issues.Despite challenges and skepticism, Chamisa remains steadfast in his pursuit of peaceful resolution and engagement with regional stakeholders to navigate the governance crisis stemming from the disputed elections. At a round table session, held on 24 May 2024 at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium and a key component of the Fellowship Programme, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Mr. Ian Saunders, engaged with the nine Spanish-speaking participants of the 89th edition. During this session, he answered their questions, shared his vision and priorities, and encouraged them to make the most of their participation in the programme to develop the skills and abilities necessary to become future leaders in Customs. During their stay at the WCO Secretariat, the Fellows had the opportunity to take part in a Leadership and Management Development Workshop. This component of the Programme enabled them to refine their skills and knowledge, contributing more effectively to the development and modernization processes of their respective administrations, particularly through the development of a modernization project under the guidance of one or more WCO tutors. A study trip to observe operational practices in a partner administration constitutes the third component of the Fellowship programme and is currently taking place in one of the partner administrations: Japan or South Korea Bringing together participants from the Administrations of Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Lebanon, Panama and Nicaragua, the 89th Fellowship Programme has been made possible thanks to the financial support and partnership of the Customs administration of Japan and the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Korea. For more information on this Programme, please contact us at: capacity.building@wcoomd.org TORONTO, May 27, 2024 /CNW/ - Imagine experiencing your period without knowledge of the menstrual cycle, or missing school because you cannot afford sanitary supplies. Imagine fleeing conflict or a climate crisis without the resources to manage your period with dignity, because periods do not stop during humanitarian emergencies. This is the reality of millions of girls around the world. Plan International Canada Inc. Logo (CNW Group/Plan International Canada) This Menstrual Health Day, May 28, child rights and girls' equality organization Plan International Canada invites media to include this underreported topic in their news coverage for the day. Available for interviews and expert insights: Janani Vijayaraghavan, Health Advisor, Plan International Canada, can speak to: How period poverty and stigma intersect with every major challenge that girls around the world face today, including access to health care, education and protection from violence. The impact that access or lack thereof to menstrual health resources has on girls' lives everywhere and their opportunity to fulfill their goals and potential. Plan International's programs and work to end period stigma and make menstrual health resources available to girls and young women. Youth activists and testimonials, to offer: Insights into work being done in communities around the world to end period poverty and stigma, as seen from youth leading this movement. Real-life examples from around the world of girls' and women's experiences with periods, highlighting how barriers have evolved between generations. Plan International is a champion for children's rights and equality for girls, operating in more than 80 countries worldwide. With input from experts, community leaders and girls themselves, Plan's programs are designed to address the root causes of gender inequality in five priority areas: education, health, protection from violence, youth leadership and economic empowerment, and humanitarian response and resilience. Story continues Plan International is currently on a mission to improve the lives of 200 million girls by 2027. To support this work, Plan Canada's fundraising campaign, Until We Are All Equal, aims to raise $2 million before June 30, 2024. All donations to this campaign will be matched until this deadline. Details can be found at: PlanCanada.ca/Equal About Plan International Canada Plan International Canada is a member of a global organization dedicated to advancing children's rights and equality for girls. Plan International has been building powerful partnerships with and for children for over 85 years and is now active in more than 80 countries. We stand with children, especially girls, wherever they are oppressed, exploited, left behind or not equally valued. We're determined optimists, and we will continue to persevere until we are all equal. Visit PlanCanada.ca for more information. Media contact Plan International Canada PR & Communications PRteam@plancanada.ca SOURCE Plan International Canada Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2024/27/c8995.html Hundreds of birdwatching enthusiasts from Ireland, the UK and Europe are expected to descend upon Belcarra village, near Castlebar, in the coming days following the sighting of a rare North American bird. Nestled in the trees above the Belcarra riverside walk is a yellow-crowned night heron, which has stirred great excitement among villagers and birdwatchers, and already there have been lots of visitors to the village armed with cameras and long lenses. The heron, which is typically only found in North America, was first spotted in Belcarra by local woman Lorraine Ryan Jennings. Sightings of the bird in mainland Europe have been rare, with the only previous sighting recorded in Madeira in Portugal a number of years ago. Remarkably, this is the first time it has been spotted in the UK or Ireland. A group of around 50 birdwatchers from the UK arrived in Belcarra on Sunday morning and visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the bird have been coming and going consistently since. The rare yellow-crowned night heron pictured in Belcarra. Picture: Ger Nee Aaron Long and Ian Young drove to Belcarra from Belfast early on Monday morning to see the heron. What you have here is a bird that is a first for the UK and Ireland, it is hugely significant, said Aaron. Ian said he was intrigued to hear the news of the heron's arrival. You never know what could turn up where but we couldnt have expected this, he said. It's expected that a large group of birdwatchers from England will fly into Ireland West Airport this evening. Chairperson of the Belcarra Community Council Fionnan Nestor said it was wonderful to see so many visitors flocking to the village to see the heron. We are so pleased to see so many people coming into the village to see the bird. This beautiful bird is living right above our riverside walk and we are delighted to be able to showcase this part of our village to all the visitors coming in. It is unclear how long the heron may stay in Belcarra. One birdwatcher said it has plentiful food in the river and if the bird is exhausted after traversing the Atlantic Ocean, it may stay on in Belcarra for some time. It was a historic day for Wild Nephin National Park last Friday as a new Sister Park arrangement with Yosemite National Park in California was officially inked. Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD and US Ambassador to Ireland Claire D Cronin visited Wild Nephin National Park in Ballycroy for the signing of the agreement. The agreement was signed by Catriona Ryan, Director of National Parks and Nature Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Cicely Muldoon, Superintendent of Yosemite National Park. The agreement runs over five years and will enable co-operation between both parks to support their shared goals in nature conservation and promoting natural and cultural tourism. It will facilitate information exchange, collaboration and sharing good practice. This Sister Park agreement presents exciting opportunities for both parks," said Minister Noonan. "While they may differ in size and geographical features, the challenges they face in Wild Nephin and Yosemite are really very similar. These include balancing nature conservation with visitor impact, preserving our ecological and cultural heritage, controlling invasive species, and educating new generations. This agreement marks another connection in the shared history of Ireland and the USA and has a special meaning here in Mayo. It is also a reminder that the challenge of protecting biodiversity is both a local and a global one." Ambassador Cronin said the two parks are treasures that need to be celebrated and protected. I am thrilled to celebrate a new sister parks agreement between Wild Nephin National Park and Yosemite National Park, especially in the 100th year of US-Ireland diplomatic relations. These two parks are treasures of natural beauty and biodiversity. Denis Strong, Divisional Manager with NPWS, thanked his staff for all their efforts and extolled the benefits of the link between the parks. "This is a momentous and historic step in the evolution of the Park," said Mr Strong. Were looking forward to tapping into the wealth of knowledge at Yosemite National Park over the next five years. While Wild Nephin is definitely the younger sister in this arrangement between our National Parks, we also have lots to share in terms of our conservation work, along with our community and stakeholder engagement. Forestry and woodlands restoration, fire management and dark skies are just some of the themes that were hoping to pursue through our collaboration," he added. Cicely Muldoon, Superintendent of Yosemite National Park, said the two parks share the same challenges including the increasing impact of climate change. We all struggle with protecting these very important places, not only for people to enjoy them now, but for generations to come. National Parks are forever, so creating this partnership today just makes us stronger. The global community of National Parks has to stand together if we are to preserve these parks for our grandchildren and the people who will follow us. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was spotted in the west of Ireland last year and now we know why thanks to a post made by a Galway business. The British television personality, who is widely known for hosting his cooking competition show Hell's Kitchen, visited Kelly Oysters. The Kilcolgan-based business broke the news on Facebook on Monday, by saying: "We are thrilled to announce that we had the incredible honour of welcoming none other than Gordon Ramsay to our oyster farm as part of his culinary adventure on the west coast of Ireland! "This experience was truly unforgettable, offering us the chance to showcase our oysters alongside other amazing Irish produce." The episode, which is part of the series "Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted", is premiering on National Geographic in the USA today. Kelly Oysters say the episode will "celebrate the beauty, flavour, and spirit of Irelands west coast - a culinary adventure you won't want to miss!" The series will be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu from May 28. World-renowned comedian Will Ferrell was spotted in Ireland last week when he was pictured enjoying his time in Galway. The 'Anchorman' and 'Blades of Glory' star visited his ancestral home in Longford last Thursday before he travelled west to take in the city of Galway and beyond. The American actor was pictured in the popular Galway pub Tigh Neachtain on Friday with the business's Facebook page quoting a line from the movie Step Brothers for their caption: "Did we just become best friends?". Ferrell also took in the beauty of Barna during the stay and dined at the seafood restaurant O'Gradys on the Pier. While Ferrell is from Irvine, California, his ancestry includes Irish, English and German. Between now and the end of all our upcoming elections, there will be many opinion polls. There will be national polls, European polls, constituency polls. They will fluctuate as polls do and they will be watched closely, as polls in Ireland always are. What role will they play in this year of elections? And what do we have to watch out for when theyre used? As we saw again last week, opinion polls dominate our national political debate far more than they do in the UK. In the UK, it would take a truly seismic opinion poll to become even a significant news story. Here, a poll with any kind of change worth talking about is often the lead item on the news. The ups and downs in the polls themselves are often talked about more than what is behind those ups and downs. Politicians will deny paying them much attention, but every one of them pays a great deal of heed to the polls. Given that any politician is interested in getting support from the public, it would be odd if they didnt. National opinion polls tracking party support are at their most insightful when they reveal a trend over time. But they cant tell a party how to respond, or guarantee that if they do a particular thing in response, a certain result will follow. Polls about issues can indicate what percentage of people think such and such an issue is important, but on their own they cant really capture the depth of feeling about it. They cant tell for sure how a particular policy or initiative would be received. They arent a map a politician can use to sail to a destination, for politics is never without wind. And wind as anyone operating a wind farm will tell you is uncertain. So while politicians obsess about polls, the wise ones learn from them but dont steer by them. They know that the headwinds of political debate could force them far off course. And polls have their limits. Even if they are very accurate, and they are not always, they can only tell you what was going on at the moment in time they were taken. We have recently seen how that can play out in referendums, where public knowledge of a referendum question is usually very low until you get closer to the vote. People tune in just before decision time and often after they have been polled. That is what happened in the referendums on family and care. That used to be different in general elections. Party support would fluctuate a bit from one election to the other, but established party loyalties meant that the range stayed within broad patterns. A seismic election was one where a particular party broke out of their pre-existing range what was rare was notable. Fine Gael in the early 1980s. Labour in 1992. Fianna Fail not in a good way for them in 2011. Sinn Fein in 2020. In the case of Labour in 1992 and Sinn Fein in 2020, neither party detected the surge in their support until it was much too late for them to add on the additional candidates their extra votes would have given them in terms of seats. In fairness to both, it came too late to realise that they could have chartered a bigger boat. This next general election certainly has the potential to be seismic, and the volatility in public support for parties will be tested by opinion pollsters over the next year. Whether that volatility ultimately affects the ballot boxes remains to be seen. But if I was in the polling business, with everything going on right now, I would be very careful about making big claims about any one poll. We know for example that fewer people say they voted for Brexit than ultimately did. That volatility out there whatever it is can make fools of polls, and perhaps those who choose to rely too much on them. Some pollsters will try and convince you of the respective merits and demerits of their methods and those of others. Some say a poll carried out face to face is much surer than an online one. Differences in results between polls by different companies will be more heavily scrutinised as we get closer to the various elections. Dail constituency polls taken locally and with smaller sample sizes will be taken and weaponised. In the run up to an election, these are produced by the parties in order to make a convincing case as to why one person or another should run, or not run. They can provide insights, but they can be untrustworthy. If a party official tells a candidate that they shouldnt run, because an opinion poll has them on 0%, there will be a range of emotions, one of which might well be disbelief. One of the big problems with constituency polls even if done genuinely is that the sample size can be small and depending on who does it the quality control might not always be so good. The other thing they cant do is capture the dynamic potential of a candidate. This is why potential candidates are put through the paces, with a constituency poll carried out every couple of months or so. Our candidate above might go from 0% to 3%, and so be able to argue that they now have unstoppable momentum. The party official will admire their tenacity if nothing else. But you know, tenacity in politics is no small thing. This election cycle is a little different in that many potential or even already selected Dail candidates are looking to pile up their votes in the local or in some cases the European elections. Real votes in a real election are very hard currency. You can expect a fair few local election candidates to be trying hard to get two quotas, and when they do, they will more or less put it up to their party: run me or lose votes. They dont have to say it out loud. Two quotas in real votes speaks louder than a mountain of polls. National politicians will be using their canvassing for the local elections to sense check all the polls that come out. In Leinster House, in every era, there are a few politicians from a range of parties who everyone knows has a deep sense of what they might mean. Their view will be sought by all, particularly if, as we get closer to an actual election, the volatility out there might spark into life in one direction or another. If there is a sudden surge towards one view or position, and the polls capture it, that itself can then create further momentum. That may well be a big factor in our next general election, whether that be later in 2024 or early 2025. Which raises another question entirely, are we best to ban them during election periods? Perhaps we should poll people on that one. This coming June, Irelands leading bluegrass festival will return to Westport, Co. Mayo for the 18th time. Twenty-four acts (fifteen from the USA, two from the UK and seven from Ireland) will perform in 10 different venues around the town of Westport, over the course of the weekend, 7th-9th June. The Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival programme features ticketed concerts, free pub gigs, official and spontaneous sessions, a square dance, a gospel hour and an academic symposium. This year, the festival programme has an additional offering to its traditional 3-day event, with a very special pre-festival concert on Thursday, June 6th, featuring two of the genre's most regarded artists Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell. Friday's main concert will feature two American acts, who will perform their own interpretation of American Old-Time and country music, based on their state of residency: father and daughter Dirk & Amelia Powell (Louisiana) and Martha Spencer & The Wonderland Country Band (Virginia). The main concert on Saturday night will feature three American bluegrass acts, who all in turn will play varying styles of bluegrass music from different parts of the US: Remedy Tree (Florida), Chris Luquette & Rick Faris (Seattle/Kansas), and The Wayfarers (Ohio). Each of those main concerts will take place at Westport Town Hall Theatre, but to no surprise, given the stellar line-ups, they are already all sold out. But fear not, there will be plenty more music to catch over the festival weekend, as previous years have seen spontaneous sessions erupt on street corners and in many pubs, and the festival club at the Clew Bay Hotel has been known to host a monster session from morning until night! There are still a handful of tickets available for the Sunday night concert, the wind-down of the festival, which has affectionately become known as "The Folky Thing". This year, this special intimate event which takes place in Matt Molloys Yard Bar venue, will feature the dulcet tones of the fabulous Pauline Scanlon from the Kingdom of Kerry. Other international acts who will play at this years festival are: Zoe & Cloyd (N. Carolina), Big Chimney Barn Dance (Alaska), Late For The Train (California), Tom Nechville & Lind Leavitt (Portland), Hackney Hill Pickers (London) and The Folly Brothers (The Midlands, UK). Amongst the local musicians who will perform will be Louisburgh-based old-time musician, Tim Rogers, Westports own The Rocky Top String Band and a trio of local trad musicians Freda Hatton, Julie Langan & Declan Askin, who once again will play with Cork Bluegrass musician Brendan Butler, for a special session featuring a combination of Irish traditional music, old-time tunes and bluegrass songs. For those of you interested in adding to your repertoire, there will be two very special workshops a Fiddle workshop with Natalya Zoe Weinstein and a Banjo workshop with master banjo maker Tom Nechville. The Festival's flagship project - The Universities Project - will see East Tennessee State University Bluegrass Band - Pythagoras joined by students from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in UL and academics from both of the universities, as well as professors from Middle Tennessee State University and the Durham University for the festivals first ever academic symposium. This event will include a round table discussion, a Q&A about the Irish session versus the Bluegrass jam, and will be followed by a large transatlantic session featuring all the participants and more. Another addition to the festivals offering in recent years has been the square dance. Whats a square dance? you might ask! Think of an Irish ceili, but with American old-time music and thats essentially what a square dance is. Dont worry, there will be someone calling the dances, so you dont need to be an expert to have fun here! Finally, what has become the highlight of the festival over the years is The Gospel Hour. Some of the artists perform in the magnificent setting of Westports Holy Trinity Church on Sunday morning, and it is usually bursting at the seams, with standing room only. A truly uplifting experience. For more details about the festival, visit the website: www.westportfolkbluegrass.com MDH and Everest: Why are Indian spices under global scrutiny and whats going to happen next? Indias government spice board has launched factory inspections of two top companies, MDH and Everest, in the wake of foreign bans following accusations some products were tainted with pesticides (AFP/Getty) Two of the most popular Indian spice brands MDH and Everest are facing global scrutiny after Hong Kong, Singapore and Nepal suspended sales of their spice blends last month. After routine screening detected the presence of a cancer-causing pesticide ethylene oxide in some of the companies products, countries including the UK, Australia, the Maldives and the US are ramping up their testing of Indian spice products. The main blends allegedly found to be contaminated are MDHs Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Mixed Masala Powder and Mixed Masala Curry Powder, and Everests Fish Curry Masala. When did the India spice controversy start? On 5 April, Hong Kongs Centre for Food Safety suspended the sale of the four spice blends, saying they were contaminated with ethylene oxide, a toxic chemical used as a food stabiliser. Singapore soon followed suit and ordered a recall of the Everest mix, saying it was unfit for human consumption and a cancer risk with long exposure. Prior to the pesticide contamination, according to one Indian Express report, nearly 31 per cent of products from the Indian spice maker MDH had been rejected by US customs authorities over the past six months. The outlet revealed that the refusal rate of MDH shipments has doubled from 15 per cent to 31 per cent since October last year due to salmonella contamination. Since the start of the current US federal fiscal year in October 2023, 11 shipments amounting to nearly one-third of all shipments from MDH containing products categorised as spices, flavours, and salts have been refused entry. Which countries are affected? Britains food watchdog announced earlier this month that it had implemented additional control measures on all spice imports from India making it the first country to increase scrutiny of all Indian spices following the allegations against the two brands. James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the UKs Food Standards Agency (FSA), told Reuters that it has applied extra control measures for pesticide residues in spices from India which includes ethylene oxide. The use of ethylene oxide is not allowed here and maximum residue levels are in place for herbs and spices, he added. New Zealands food safety regulator also announced that it is investigating possible contamination in spice products from MDH and Everest. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Reuters that it is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation. Similar scrutiny has been announced by food regulatory bodies in Bangladesh, Australia and the Maldives. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also said earlier this month that it was aware of the concerns around MDH and Everests products and continues to monitor the situation. Based on current information, we have no evidence to suggest that the issues raised affect products currently in the Canadian market, it said. How much is the Indian spice trade worth? India exports over 200 spices and value-added products to around 180 countries, generating $4bn (3.1bn) in revenue a year, according to the Spices Board of India, a government agency that oversees the sector. Domestically, the market is valued at $10bn, making India the worlds largest consumer of spices. MDH and Everest export their products to most of the world, including the US, Europe, southeast Asia, the Middle East and Australia. In response to the global scrutiny, the Spices Board has mandated product testing for exports and is reportedly collaborating with exporters to determine the source of contamination. According to The Hindu newspaper, international scrutiny has prompted calls for Indias Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) to conduct stringent quality checks on spices and curry powders sold in domestic markets as well. Why are these two brands iconic in India? Founded in 1919 in New Delhi, MDH, or Mahashian Di Hatti, is a family business known for its iconic image of an elderly man in a regal red turban on spice packets. Its founder, Dharampal Gulati, rose from humble beginnings, dropping out of school to help sell spices in Sialkot (now in Pakistan). Despite challenges after partition in 1947, Gulati restarted the business in Delhi. MDH now offers over 65 products and has a vast network of more than 400,000 retail dealers globally, with revenue reaching $260m in 2022-2023, according to FirstPost. Everest Food Products was established in 1967 with three products and began from a small spice shop in India. Today, it offers 52 products and operates in about 80 countries worldwide. With around 20 million households using its products daily and 3.7 billion packs sold annually, Everest has become a household name in India. The company reported net sales of $365m for the fiscal year 2022-23. What is ethylene oxide and why is it dangerous? According to the US governments National Cancer Institute, ethylene oxide is a flammable colourless gas with a sweet odour. It is used primarily to produce other chemicals, including antifreeze. In smaller amounts, ethylene oxide is used as a pesticide and a sterilising agent. The ability of ethylene oxide to damage DNA makes it an effective sterilising agent but also accounts for its cancer-causing activity. The website says that lymphoma and leukaemia are the cancers most frequently reported to be associated with occupational exposure to ethylene oxide. Stomach and breast cancers may also be associated with ethylene oxide exposure. How have the two Indian spice brands responded? In a statement, MDH has claimed that its products are safe for consumption. We reassure our buyers and consumers that we do not use ethylene oxide at any stage of storing, processing, or packing our spices, an MDH spokesperson was quoted as saying by Livemint last month after Hong Kong suspended the blends. Everest, which boasts of having Hindi film legend Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador, has also said its spices are safe. According to The Times of India, an Everest spokesperson said: Only one of 60 Everest products was held for examination. We assure our customers that our products are safe and of high quality, so there is no cause for concern. The Independent has reached out to MDH and Everest for comment. Will the wider screenings have reputational impact on India? India has been a spice exporter for centuries. But this image has been declining in the last few years, with the governments inadequate attention, the BBC quoted Narasimha Reddy Donthi, an independent researcher and environmental justice activist, as saying. We do not yet know at which stage the contamination is happening. Ethylene oxide is not used by farmers. It is most probably a post-harvest, post-processing residue. It is not only the negative attention. Repeated cases of excessive residues can have a long-term effect. In the past, mango exports to the US suffered for years due to pesticide residues. According to a report in The Hindu, the international scrutiny of these Indian spice brands has also stirred a demand for the FSSAI to ensure stringent quality checks on spices and curry powders sold in domestic markets. The incident isnt isolated. Controversies have engulfed protein drinks, fruit juices, health drinks and imported Nestle baby products, drawing attention to regulatory lapses and heightening health concerns, Simi TB, who works with CUTS International, a global advocacy group for consumer welfare, was quoted as saying. Consumers are increasingly questioning the safety and quality of trusted brands, and wonder what the food regulator in India is doing. What happens next? The Indian government says it has started taking action against Everest and MDH after the contamination allegations. Inspections have reportedly been conducted and corrective measures have been recommended. Food regulator FSSAI has not found any trace of ethylene oxide in samples of spice brands MDH and Everest. Earlier, Hong Kong's CFS had asked consumers not to buy MDH and Everest, citing the presence of ethylene oxide. pic.twitter.com/mtTrULyXzQ Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) May 25, 2024 We have also conducted three consultations with the industry, an anonymous senior official was quoted as saying by Livemint in a 20 May-dated report. The official said the industry is taking a serious approach to ensuring full compliance with the maximum permissible limit. These consultations have been crucial in aligning industry practices with international standards. A report on 21 May in the Financial Express said that initial testing by Indian officials found no evidence of ethylene oxide in MDH spices but that in the case of Everest, some of the samples (out of 12) were non-compliant. We have told them to take corrective actions and we are working with them to ensure that they are compliant, the unnamed official said. The Spices Board of India has also recently ordered that ethylene oxide testing be made mandatory for all spices destined for Hong Kong and Singapore. This move follows a similar mandate in 2022 when the government required ethylene oxide testing for spices exported to Europe. The Independent has reached out to the Spices Board of India for a comment. The Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has warned that recent quality concerns pose a significant threat to Indias spice exports. The agency warns that increasing regulatory actions across multiple countries could potentially endanger up to half of Indias spice exports. Additional reporting by agencies Reading, PA (19601) Today Mainly clear skies; no frost overnight, and no Northern Lights displays expected like last night either. . Tonight Mainly clear skies; no frost overnight, and no Northern Lights displays expected like last night either. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Mainly clear skies; no frost overnight, and no Northern Lights displays expected like last night either. . Tonight Mainly clear skies; no frost overnight, and no Northern Lights displays expected like last night either. John Kinville believes that freedom isnt free and it never will be. That was the running theme of a speech the Chippewa Falls High School social studies teacher and local author delivered to hundreds of people Monday at the Irvine Park band shell and World War I Memorial. Chippewa Falls community members turned out for the tribute service immediately after the Memorial Day parade downtown. Kinville is well known in the area for his work with veterans, historical writings and school activities that introduce the next generation to American heroes. Today, 43 former Chi-Hi or McDonell students are known to have died while serving actively in America's wars, including World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the global war on terrorism, he said. Kinville spoke about two former pupils of his who died in service to the U.S. He said in thinking about those two servicemen who died in battle and countless others from the area who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country that it was clear that freedom isnt free. He then talked about the history of Memorial Day before sharing that he and a group of students will travel to Hawaii next month with Flags for the Fallen. I will be traveling with 52 other Flags for the Fallen members from Chippewa Falls High School to Oahu, Hawaii, to visit the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Interred there are the graves of four Chippewa Falls men killed in World War II, he said. Kinville encouraged listeners to take time to visit local cemeteries and honor our veterans past and present, especially those who died in service to this country. I hope that the memory of their sacrifice not only inspires you and those within your family to cherish the life that you are living currently, to take stock in everything that you have and to not dwell on the things that maybe you don't have, but also to appreciate those with whom you place your love, your affection, he said. You see, freedom isn't free and it never will be. Mondays event also included comments from Leroy Jansky, secretary/treasurer of the Chippewa Falls Patriotic Council, who was Mondays master of ceremonies. In addition, Auxiliary presidents Patty Jansky and Joyce Lillevold placed a memorial wreath during the ceremony before Pastor Kevin Kuehmichel offered a prayer. During the ceremony, names of departed veterans receiving military funeral honors by the Chippewa Falls Patriotic Council since Veterans Day last year were read by American Legion Post 77 Commander David Oelkers. Harry Bauer talked about the POW/MIA table ceremony, explaining the importance of the symbolism involved in setting the table, recognizing that servicemen and women are missing from our midst. An empty chair was shown to remind people that someone was missing. They are commonly known as POWs or MIA. We call them comrades, he said. We call them brothers. We call them sisters. They are unable to be with us today. He said the table was small to symbolize the frailty of one prisoner against their oppressor. The tablecloth was white to symbolize the purity of their intentions to respond to their country's call alarms. A single red rose displayed on it was meant to remind people of the families and loved ones of POWs and MIA who keep faith awaiting their loved ones return. A candle is lit symbolizing the upward reach of their incomparable spirits, he said. A slice of lemon is placed upon the bread plate to remind us of their bitter fate. Mayor Greg Hoffman offered some community remarks reminding people of the freedoms afforded to American citizens. I am amazed that we can come together and such on Memorial Day because there are so many countries in this world where this would be illegal and people would be put in prison for coming together to celebrate, he said. We got to stop and think of the freedoms that we have and not just one freedom but many. And we got the freedom to assemble, the freedom to come together, to listen to this message and it's just amazing what has happened to bring us to this point in this country. Irvine Park Memorial Day tribute photos 2024 Chippewa Falls Memorial Day parade photos 2024 The Untouchables: Crime and corruption Corruption is not unique to SA as US and UK have shown. Democracy relies on holding authorities accountable, but no one seems keen to do that. South Africans have begun to view the growing litany of our politicians criminal and corrupt practices with a growing sense of alarm. In 2018, then Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Mogoeng Mogoeng (the then Chief), appointed Raymond Zondo to chair a commission to investigate state capture. The report emanating from the inquiry and published in its entirety in June 2022 revealed that no fewer than 1 483 people were implicated in state capture, yet less than a handful have been prosecuted and convicted. Nor have investigations into a string of other incidences of gross corruption, including the VBS Mutual Bank scandal, the arms deal, and the Phala Phala affair which implicated the countrys first citizen in allegations of money laundering, resulted in any of the perpetrators being held accountable. Does this all point to a breakdown of our political and legal system and a threat to South Africas democracy? Colonial corruption Professor David Everatt in the Wits School of Governance says, Perhaps it would be better to ask why, when South African politicians lie, the response is, is our system close to collapse?, but when a sitting US President supports an armed insurrection to steal power after lying and cheating for decades, there are no such questions? Similarly, when the UK cabinet is shown to be profoundly corrupt, there are no such questions. Everatt makes a good point. Evidently, democracy in the United States is not deemed to be damaged, despite former President Trumps actions, says Professor Lawrence Hamilton, the SA UK Bilateral Research Professor in Political Theory at Wits and Cambridge University. He believes that Trump defies much of democratic logic. There is no doubt that he has an incredibly loyal support base, which is surprising because Trump is not like his supporters at all. But they seem to enjoy his rebelliousness and his perceived peoples touch, says Hamilton. As to why the West describes South Africa as a failed state and does not consider the US or the UK in the same way, comes perhaps from their inherent prejudice against the South which is reinforced by something that is real, which we have lived through. It is not as if these northern countries are not corrupt. But what they do have is a long history of global dominance. Procedural accountability in politics Democracy functions through a variety of mechanisms, with the focus on accountability, says Hamilton. We have representatives to speak for us as citizens, and we hold them accountable through the electoral process. In addition, there are various media mechanisms to hold them to account. If elected officials have broken the law, or if they are corrupt as revealed by the Zondo Commission they need to have their day in court. However, There is this generalised acceptance that there wont be any consequences for corrupt actions. Hamilton says that the current lack of accountability in South Africa is due to two main factors that go hand in hand: The first is a structural factor, in that we do not vote for individual representatives, we vote for parties. The other is that an incredibly corrupt set of practices, that we now refer to as state capture, became prevalent, and it is corrupting of our system of governance. Political capture Alex Van den Heever, Adjunct Professor and Chair of Social Security Systems Administration and Management Studies in the Wits School of Governance, believes that democracy is more than just the electoral process. Theoretically it is about being able to change the people who make key strategic decisions in government as well as holding politicians to account if they behave in a fraudulent or dishonest manner, says Van den Heever. We must be able to remove these people swiftly through a process of investigation and prosecution. That is quite apart from other kinds of accountability structures such as administrative penalties and disciplinary processes within government. What we now see in South Africa is political capture. The state system is failing to deal with that concurrent aspect of accountability. The very long period of incumbency of one political party means that we have not had accountability in our political process for a long time. Overcoming structurally imperfect politics Hamilton believes that despite the current challenges facing South Africa, it does have a viable democracy, given the mechanisms that focus on accountability. Similarly, Van den Heever believes there is hope for democracy in South Africa, which goes to the polls on 29 May 2024. This country has got the resources to grow fantastically, to eliminate unemployment, and to have a decent society overall. It has all of that potential but, as long as we allow the current status of our structurally imperfect politics that befuddles large parts of our population to prevail, we cannot achieve this, says Van den Heever. We are underperforming against peer countries and the gap is widening. We are doing worse and worse relative to countries similar to our own and we are falling behind. In 1982 South Korea had a lower per capita GDP than South Africa but today it is eight times that of ours. So, this is the potential. You get it right, and you will grow systematically. Your infrastructure will work, and you will have a decent democratic society. Yonghe Jiunian (Dance of Calligraphy in AD 353), an original Chinese dance drama produced by the Shanghai Opera House, portraying the beauty of calligraphy through dance movements, is touring nationwide. Directed and choreographed by Wang Yabin, it is inspired by Lantingji Xu (Preface to the Collection of Poems of the Orchid Pavilion), a piece of prose by 4th-century calligrapher Wang Xizhi. [China Daily] Elegance and beauty of calligraphy take audience on journey into ancient China, Chen Nan reports. The timeless elegance of Chinese calligraphy has been captured in Yonghe Jiunian (Dance of Calligraphy in AD 353), produced by the Shanghai Opera House, which premiered in November 2023 in Shanghai and is now touring nationwide. It made its debut at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing with three shows from May 10 to 12. During the second half of this year, it will be staged in more cities, including Yantai, Shandong Province; Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; and Kunming, Yunnan Province, before returning to Shanghai in August. It is inspired by Lantingji Xu (Preface to the Collection of Poems of the Orchid Pavilion), a piece of prose by 4th-century calligrapher Wang Xizhi, which was written in AD 353. The dance drama, directed and choreographed by Wang Yabin, offers a captivating glimpse into the ancient origins and enduring legacy of the revered Lantingji Xu through a contemporary lens. "I worked on this dance drama for a long time, trying to find a good way to tell the story about the allure of Chinese calligraphy through the beauty of dance. I love calligraphy; I also learned to write in the ancient art of Chinese handwriting," says director Wang Yabin, who is also a dancer-choreographer. "For me, dancing is also a kind of calligraphy. I write in calligraphy with my brush and I dance with my body. Both of them allow for fluid, controlled movement." Yonghe Jiunian (Dance of Calligraphy in AD 353), an original Chinese dance drama produced by the Shanghai Opera House, portraying the beauty of calligraphy through dance movements, is touring nationwide. Directed and choreographed by Wang Yabin, it is inspired by Lantingji Xu (Preface to the Collection of Poems of the Orchid Pavilion), a piece of prose by 4th-century calligrapher Wang Xizhi. [China Daily] She adds that the most challenging part of making this dance drama was to decode the ancient ink artistry with contemporary expression, guiding the audience through an artistic journey transcending time to reflect upon the birth and legacy of Lantingji Xu. The dance drama begins with a young man's exploration of Lantingji Xu. Set against the backdrop of lush bamboo forests, it gradually unfolds the beautiful scroll. The young man, who comes from the contemporary world, has embarked on a journey back to ancient China when the famous calligrapher, Wang Xizhi, wrote the classic piece. Male dancers, amid the rhythmic beats of drums, move onstage, seamlessly merging the essence of calligraphy projected on screen with their bodies. The dance drama integrates calligraphic elements into the visual experience, mimicking strokes through the dynamic movements of the dancers' bodies. Supported by multimedia technology, the stage transforms into different scenes, such as bamboo forests, streams, warfare and the imperial court. Li Shimin, posthumously known as Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), was an admirer of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, having collected a large number of his works. The original version of the Lantingji Xu was said to have been buried along with the emperor. In the dance drama, the young man also travels to the Tang Dynasty. Through a solo dance by Zhang Aoyue, who plays the role of the emperor, audiences witness the inner thoughts of the emperor, who expresses his fondness and respect for Wang Xizhi and Lantingji Xu. Yonghe Jiunian (Dance of Calligraphy in AD 353), an original Chinese dance drama produced by the Shanghai Opera House, portraying the beauty of calligraphy through dance movements, is touring nationwide. Directed and choreographed by Wang Yabin, it is inspired by Lantingji Xu (Preface to the Collection of Poems of the Orchid Pavilion), a piece of prose by 4th-century calligrapher Wang Xizhi. [China Daily] As the young man returns to modern times and studies the successive copies of Lantingji Xu with countless calligraphy enthusiasts, they become the guardians of the classic piece, embracing the responsibility of continuing the legacy. Wen Geng, a dancer with the Shanghai Opera House dance troupe, plays the role of the young man. Song Yu, the principal dancer of the troupe, portrays the calligrapher Wang Xizhi. It is said that Wang Xizhi derived inspiration from nature, such as the graceful neck movements of geese. In the dance drama, director Wang Yabin created a goose character played by Tan Yimei, also a principal dancer of the Shanghai Opera House troupe. With a pas de deux, Wang Xizhi's love for the beautiful creature has been realized on the stage. According to Wang Yabin, the dance drama Yonghe Jiunian is named after the year AD 353 when Wang Xizhi wrote Lantingji Xu, or the ninth year of the Yonghe era during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). Yonghe is translated as eternal harmony. Composer Lyu Liang used the ancient Chinese instrument, the seven-stringed guqin, as the main component throughout the dance drama. This was supplemented by more traditional Chinese musical instruments, such as the pipa (a Chinese lute), guzheng (a Chinese zither), xiao (a vertical bamboo flute); xun (an oval flute-like clay instrument) and erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument), creating a rich palette of sounds to propel the plot. "There are many scenes in which the director tells the story with flashbacks. The music is a supporting technique to make the flashbacks work for the audience," adds Lyu, who is known for his composition for Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting, one of the best-selling dance dramas, which has toured China with more than 200 shows since its premiere in 2021. "Chinese classical dance fits well with this dance drama, Yonghe Jiunian, combining rhythmic twists, turns and curves, the dancers mimicking the strength, amplitude, and fluidity of calligraphy strokes," says Zhao Lei, Party secretary and executive vice-president of the Shanghai Opera House. Yonghe Jiunian (Dance of Calligraphy in AD 353), an original Chinese dance drama produced by the Shanghai Opera House, portraying the beauty of calligraphy through dance movements, is touring nationwide. Directed and choreographed by Wang Yabin, it is inspired by Lantingji Xu (Preface to the Collection of Poems of the Orchid Pavilion), a piece of prose by 4th-century calligrapher Wang Xizhi. [China Daily] Yonghe Jiunian (Dance of Calligraphy in AD 353), an original Chinese dance drama produced by the Shanghai Opera House, portraying the beauty of calligraphy through dance movements, is touring nationwide. Directed and choreographed by Wang Yabin, it is inspired by Lantingji Xu (Preface to the Collection of Poems of the Orchid Pavilion), a piece of prose by 4th-century calligrapher Wang Xizhi. [China Daily] (Source: China Daily) Police thank public following alleged drink-drive arrest This article is old - Published: Monday, May 27th, 2024 A concerned citizen who called in a suspected drink driver has been praised by police. Local police said last night, Officers have this evening arrested a female on suspicion of drink driving after she was stopped in the Acrefair area of Wrexham following a call from a concerned member of the public. We would like to thank the member of the public who called raising concerns about that manner in which the vehicle was being driven. North Wales Police remind people: Unacceptable people living with coeliac disease in Wales arent getting a diagnosis This article is old - Published: Monday, May 27th, 2024 It is unacceptable that so many people living with coeliac disease arent receiving a diagnosis, a North Wales MS has said. Llyr Gruffydd, who represents the region in the Senedd, recently met with representatives of Coeliac UK at the Welsh Parliament to discuss the issue. The Plaid Cymru politician spoke with campaigner Trudy Winsper from Llangollen, who has the condition. According to research by Coeliac UK, a charity for people who need to live without gluten, over 20,000 people in Wales are living with coeliac disease without receiving a diagnosis. Mr Gruffydd said the lack of an effective diagnosis pathway is negatively impacting the quality of life of people who have the condition, as well as putting strain on the Welsh NHS. Though 1 in every 100 have Coeliac disease, figures suggest that only around 36% of them get a diagnosis. On average it takes 13 years to receive one. Coeliac disease is a serious condition where the immune system attacks the bodys own tissues when gluten is eaten. This causes damage to the lining of the gut and means the body cant properly absorb nutrients from food. Because of the way that coeliac disease can affect the gut, its frequently misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. The symptoms range from mild to severe, and can include bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, wind, constipation, tiredness, mouth ulcers, sudden or unexpected weight loss, and anaemia. Coeliac UK provides its 65,000 members with trustworthy advice and support. It also funds research into coeliac disease, and works with healthcare professionals to improve diagnosis and fights for better availability of gluten free food. The charitys mission is to ensure that one day, no ones life will be limited by gluten. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with representatives from Coeliac UK at the Senedd, said Llyr Gruffydd MS. At the event I had the opportunity to speak with clinicians and with patients and hear about the barriers that exist to getting a diagnosis. I am especially grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with Trudy Winsper from Llangollen and hear about her experience with the condition. A significant number of people have the condition, including many constituents in North Wales. The research from Coeliac UK which suggests that there are over 20,000 people in Wales living with coeliac disease without receiving a diagnosis is concerning. It is unacceptable that people who are living with coeliac disease arent receiving diagnosis they need. Not only does this negatively impact the lives of people who have the condition and cause them more suffering, it also puts more strain on our NHS when it is already under enormous pressure. This is because leaving coeliac disease untreated increases the risk of developing long-term health complications. It seems abundantly clear that there needs to be a far more effective diagnosis pathway for people who have the condition in Wales. Wrexham schoolboy inspires classmates to share love of reading with care home residents This article is old - Published: Monday, May 27th, 2024 A Wrexham schoolboy has achieved his dream of introducing his classmates to the care home residents he loves reading his favourite stories to. Harri Shone spends many spare hours after school reading his storybooks to residents at Pendine Parks Highfield care home, where his mum, Laura shone is a senior care practitioner. He has earned a reputation as a local hero for his volunteering stints and in the run up to World Book Day 2024 he even appeared on BBC televisions The One Show to talk about his love of reading. Harri said his dream is to inspire other children around the UK to visit care homes and read with elderly residents. Now it looks like his wish is on the way to coming true, as classmates from his school have been following in his footsteps. Ysgol Penrhyn, in New Broughton, has forged a strong bond with Highfield care home as a result of Harri telling teachers and fellow pupils about how much the residents enjoy his visits. The school and Harris mum have been in touch with each other and arranged a programme of regular visits by Harris class and other pupils from Ysgol Penrhyn. Laura Shone said: When we realised how successful Harris reading sessions were it occurred to us that it would be a good idea to invite other pupils into the home to join in various activities with residents, including reading, but also arts and crafts and music sessions. In return the school also invited residents to see a music and drama show at Ysgol Penrhyn. Harris teacher, Beth Edwards, said: We have already made one visit to Highfield with a group of older pupils and it was really well received by the residents, so we decided to continue the friendship by organising more regular visits. It has been so good to see the way the two different generations naturally relate to each other. Schoolfriends Olivia, Oscar and Oliwia said they learned how to make colourful paper fish in bright colours of orange and blue, and also created watercolour pictures alongside residents. Oliwia said: Weve learned a lot and its been fun to make friends. Pendine Enrichment Activities Practitioner, Sharon Williams, said: It has been very busy but such a productive morning, the benefits of the schools visit are clearly two-fold. Our residents have absolutely loved having such lively youngsters join their arts and crafts sessions, and the children have made new friends and gained a greater appreciation of life in a care home. Leading the arts and crafts project was Pendine creative arts consultant, Jason Bennion, a top illustrator who has recently joined the Pendine Park enrichment activities team. He said: Having the children here has been amazing. They have so much enthusiasm and creative energy. Our residents have really enjoyed their company and their help, you can see it in their faces. Weve seen some big smiles here today. Theres a natural affinity between the children and residents despite the big age difference. Among the residents taking part in the arts session was Diana Strong, a retired headmistress of Mount Pleasant School in Shropshire. She said: Having the children here today has taken me back to my life teaching in school many years ago. It has brought back so many happy memories. Highfield resident John Mitchell, who attends many of Jasons art sessions, said the childrens visit was welcome and he hoped they would return soon. He said: They are so full of fun and have some great ideas, it has been a lovely morning. They are such exuberant children. I cant wait for them to come back again. Other residents, Lillian Moulton, Betty Newcombe and Coral Pickard, also praised the children for their hard work and interesting artistic ideas. Ysgol Penrhyn also made a second visit in the afternoon with older children who spent time working on art projects with a different group of residents. Highfield care home manager Tracey Smith said both Pendine and the school are hoping it is the start of a long term relationship which will give rise to more joint activities taking place between the two organisations. She said: Since Harri started coming in with his books to read after school it has been clear to us how much pleasure his visits bring to our residents and also staff. He is such a cheerful personality and now that his school has got involved too we are sure there will be lots more happy adventure stories to come. The British Labour Partys Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy, a vociferous apologist for Israels genocidal war on Gaza, is attempting to posture as a defender of the international rule of law. Speaking in the parliament on May 20, Lammy supported the possible arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue a warrant. Lammy declared that the UK and all governments that have signed up to the Rome Statute underpinning the ICC have a legal obligation to comply with its warrants and Democracies who believe in the rule of law must submit themselves to it. David Lammy at the Party of European Socialists (PES) Congress in London, November 11, 2023 [Photo by PES Communications/Flicr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan is requesting the arrest warrants as he has reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for crimes committed since 8 October, including using starvation as a weapon of war, murder, intentionally attacking civilians, extermination, persecution and other crimes against humanity. But a decision on the request by the ICC is expected to take around two months, after the July 4 general election. And Lammy stressed that Arrest warrants are not a conviction or determination of guilt, but they do reflect the evidence and judgment of the prosecutor about the grounds for individual criminal responsibility. It should also be noted that should the judges agree to issue arrest warrants, neither Netanyahu nor Gallant face any immediate risk of arrest, since neither Israel nor the US has signed up to the Rome Statute. Nevertheless, Lammys remarks are out of step with the Biden administration which, like Israel, does not recognize the authority of the ICC and denounced the arrest warrants as outrageous. Members of the US Congress, supported by secretary of state Antony Blinken, said they would seek to impose sanctions on the ICC if it issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak likewise refused to recognise the ICCs jurisdiction in the war and would not confirm whether his government would comply with a warrant should one be issued. Lammys statement was therefore denounced by the right-wing Tory press, with Retired Army commander Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon writing in the Daily Mail, If Labour intends to pigeon-hole Hamasa proscribed terror group by the UK governmentwith the Israeli government which is democratically elected, then their judgement is very questionable. This is something the British people should understand and contemplate before the coming election. The Telegraph demanded, Labour must sack David Lammy for backing this absurd ICC warrant, stressing, [party leader] Keir Starmers sensible stance on Israel risks being undone if he does not think about what is right and in Britains interests. Despite such rhetoric, there is not one iota of principled content to Lammys remarks. They express only tactical disagreements between war criminals and defenders of genocide. David Lammy (centre) and Labour Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey (right) speaking at the Wilson Centre think tank in Washington during their United States visit in September 2023 [Photo: screenshot: Woodrow Wilson Centre/YouTube] Firstly, the fact that Labour has felt obligated to support the ICC highlights the crisis within the party provoked by its support for Israel. Leader Starmer has insisted that Labour is the party of NATO and of Zionism. He has given his full support to Israels genocidal war on the Palestinians, which is part of a broader effort by US imperialismbacked by the UKto redivide the world and its resources by waging war against Iran and its allies in the Middle East, Russia in Ukraine, and preparing to take on China. A barrister specialising in human rights and a former Director of Public Prosecutions, Starmer has endorsed Israels savagery under the mantra of Israels right to defend itself which he knows has absolutely no legitimacy under international law. This has provoked a storm of opposition among millions of workers and youth, so that in local elections earlier this month Labour lost a third of its vote in areas with a Muslim majority and could face a similar backlash in the July 4 snap general election. On Tuesday, May 21, pro-Palestine protesters heckled Lammy as he tried to speak at an anti-corruption event hosted by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a pro-Labour think tank. They interrupted continuously for 10 minutes as he sought to defend Labours position on the slaughter in Gaza. Secondly, and of perhaps greater long-term significance than a belated and transparent attempt to placate popular opposition, Lammys response mirrors those of France and Germany, whose leaders likewise have given their full support to Israels genocidal war against the Palestinians throughout the last seven and a half months. The Labour Party has joined them because it fears that to openly defy international law and dismiss a priori a possible arrest warrant against a head of government it supports would damage the authority of a court that hitherto has been a useful instrument in reinforcing British imperialisms pretensions to uphold international humanitarian law, used as a pretext for war. Lammy stressed last Monday that the Labour Party supports the ICC as a cornerstone of the international legal system whether it is in Ukraine, Sudan, Syria or Gaza. The last significant arrest warrant issued by the ICC, this time with enthusiastic US backing, was for Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, on March 17 last year. Putin and his commissioner for childrens rights were charged with the unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation to further the demonisation and attempted isolation of Russia by the NATO powers. Labour, like France and Germany, has framed its support for the ICC as carefully as possible, making clear it has not endorsed an arrest of Netanyahu and Gallant, only the right of the ICC to do so. Each of them has decried the announcement of recommended arrest warrants alongside those for three leaders of Hamas, for suggesting an equivalence between democratic Israel and terrorists. For four days Starmer himself remained silent on the issue, until a May 24 appearance in Glasgow, Scotland. When he was asked by reporters, If the International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, would you honour it?, The National reported his evasive response as thats completely hypothetical because, you know the procedure in the court, which is the prosecutor asks or seeks the warrant, the court, in due course, or a chamber within the court, in due course, will make its decision. So, well wait and see. However, irrespective of Labours cynical manoeuvring, Lammy and Starmer are playing with fire. In a May 22 perspective, League of imperialist criminals denounces the International Criminal Court, the World Socialist Web Site noted the comments of arch-reactionary Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who, when advocating sanctions against the ICC, warned that If they do this to Israel, we will be next. Graham has every reason to make such a warning. The broad mass of the worlds population are absolutely clear that what is taking place in Gaza is a crime against humanity, whose perpetrators and their accomplices, including Britains Labour leaders, must all end up in the dock, like the Nazi criminals at Nuremburg. Britains Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he would introduce National Service for 18-year-olds if elected in the July 4 General Election. The plan, which would be the first stage of the conscription of the wider UK population into the Armed Forces, confirms the warning by the Socialist Equality Party that this is a war election. Britain is heavily involved in the NATO war against Russia in Ukraine and backing Israels war of genocide against the Palestinians. Sunak is focussing his election campaign on militarism and national security. He went back to his constituency Saturday and made his first campaign outing a meeting with a group of armed forces veterans in Yorkshire. Launching his military conscription pledge, Sunak said national service was needed because the world was more dangerous and challenging than it has been in decades Theres China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. These things arent just happening far away, they impact us here at home. Under the plan, national service would be mandatory for 18-year-olds, who must either join the armed forces on a 12-month placement or carry out community work one weekend every month. The plan will cost 2.5 billion annually, with 1.5 billion to be seized from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)a package to support charities and community groups. If the Tories are re-elected a Royal Commission will finalise the details, with a pilot starting next year and a National Service Act bringing it into effect in September 2025. The Times reported, There will be sanctions for teenagers who do not take part. Sunak launched the policy with a social media video and an article published in the Mail on Sunday, with the newspaper revealing that the scheme was meticulously hatched in secret before being aired for the Tories manifesto. It revealed, The plan to reintroduce National Service was drawn up in secret, with only Mr Sunak's close advisersunderstood to include former Tory leader William Hagueprivy to the details. In their confidential 40-page plan, the advisers argued that the growing international threats posed by countries such as Russia and China needed to be addressed by beefing up our Armed Forcesas did the listlessness of many young adults. Alluding to the massive numbers who will be enlisted under the plan, the article stated, Nearly 750,000 18 to 24-year-olds are currently out of work, and this age group is disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. Sunak wrote, Those who choose to do military service, and pass the test, will be able to take a 12-month, full-time placement in our Armed Forces. Wrapping himself in the Union Jack, he said of National Service, This rite of passage will create a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country. This is a great country, but generations of young people have not had the opportunities or experience they deserve and there are forces trying to divide our society in this increasingly uncertain world. He warned, To those who complain that making it mandatory is unreasonable, I say: citizenship brings with it obligations as well as rights. Being British is about more than just the queue you join at passport control. It is reported that the Tories estimate around 10 percent of 18-year-olds will do a stint in the Armed Forces. However, such is the hostility of the younger generation to war that Sunak felt it necessary to write, To be clear, our new National Service is not conscription. The vast majority of those who do it will not serve in our Armed Forces. Only those who choose to, and come through the tough entrance tests, will do that. On Sunday, Home Secretary James Cleverly was obliged to promise that those who refused to join up would not be sent to prison. But everyone knows that the policy must lead to wider conscription and break a consensus that has been in place since 1960 when National Service was ended in Britain. Sunaks announcement made the front pages of every national paper, with the Tory media frothing enthusiastically. The Daily Mail crowed, Now the election battle REALLY begins! The Sunday Telegraph wrote that the policy was necessary to inculcate shared national values, in opposition to extremism, and not just to bolster Armed Forces now, but for other wars ahead: The anti-Israel hate marches have exposed the extent to which extremist views have already taken root. This is all happening at a time of huge international insecurity, and warnings of new military conflicts to come. Tory backbencher Miriam Cates linked the call-up of 18-year-olds with the destruction of Gaza, saying the scheme should emulate military service in Israel. Sunaks national service policy has backing from Tory MPs close to the military including Tobias Ellwood, a former veteran and defence minister, who said in an interview with the right-wing TalkTV, I was one of those who pushed this from the very start. It had to be in place as Our world is more contested than any time since 1945. Europe is at war, once again. The UK is involved, whether we like it or not, in supporting Ukraine. He added, As soon as youre outweighed by your adversaries, then a failure to address that means war is inevitable we have moved into a new era of insecurity on a world scale. The announcement follows the comment in January of General Sir Patrick Sanders, head of the British Army, that the UKs prewar generation had to prepare for the possibility of future conflict and this needed to be a whole of nation undertaking. Defending the policy, the Tories and the media pointed out that National Service and conscription policies are widespread in Europe, amid talk that NATO forces will have to be placed directly into the warzone to avoid Ukraine being defeated by Russia. Nations recently introducing forms of National Service are Sweden, Norway and Denmark. French President Emmanuel Macron has announced Service National Universel, which will begin as a one-month residential placement for all 16-year-olds, followed by three months part-time voluntary service. This will become mandatory when fully rolled out. Moves are far advanced for conscription in Germany, with a defence ministry internal paper leaked in April stating there were plans to present options for a German military service model. These would be scalable in the short term in line with threats and ensure overall national resilience. A decision is to be made within a year. The Labour Party, expected to win the general election, said of Sunaks call, This is not a planits a review which could cost billions and is only needed because the Tories hollowed out the armed forces to their smallest size since Napoleon. Shadow pensions secretary Liz Kendall was careful not to oppose the policy outright, saying on Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: This is an unfunded commitment, a headline-grabbing gimmick, it is not a proper plan to deliver it. This is the same sort of denunciation Labour made of Sunaks anti-immigration Rwanda deportation policy, advocating its own brutal deportation policy as more effective and efficient. Sir Keir Starmers Labour is the self-declared party of NATO and it will introduce National Service and conscription whenever this is demanded by the ruling class. It was the post-war Attlee Labour government that introduced National Service in 1947, coming into force in January 1949. All physically fit males between the ages of 17 and 21 had to serve in one of the armed forces for an 18-month period and had to stay on the reserve list for another four years. Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer (lower right) mounts a tank during his visit to British armed forces deployed at the Tapa NATO Enhanced Forward Presence operating base in Estonia, December 21, 2023 [Photo by Keir Starmer/Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 The purpose of the mobilisation was to ensure that British imperialism, after the devastation of the Second World War, remained able to operate globally in the wars to come. Following the Chinese Revolution in 1949, British forces were thrown into battle in Korea in 1950 and in various military operations in Malaya, Cyprus and to repress the anti-colonial uprising in Kenya. In 1950, during the Korean War, another National Service Act under Attlee lengthened the period of service to two years. Between 1949 and 1963, more than 2 million men were conscripted to the British Army, Royal Navy or Royal Air Force. Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director David Vigneault has all but publicly urged the government to ban TikTok, issuing a dire warning to young people against using the social media platform on the entirely bogus premise that it is a tool of the Chinese state. Vigneaults attack on TikTok builds upon the ongoing and baseless accusations from Canadas top domestic spy agency that China has interfered in Canadian elections and blackmailed Canadian politicians. It is part of a sustained campaign of anti-Chinese hysteria whipped up by Canadas security agencies, corporate media and political establishment. The demonization of Beijing is the ideological component of Canadian imperialisms preparations for war with China in the Indo-Pacific, which Ottawa intends to fight alongside American imperialism, its military and geostrategic partner for over eight decades. The goal of North Americas twin imperialist powers is to prevent China emerging as a global economic and geostrategic competitor by consolidating their dominance over the strategically crucial Eurasian landmass. CSIS Director David Vigneault with federal Public Security Minister Dominic LeBlanc [Photo: CSIS/Facebook] This insane program, which includes risking a global conflagration with nuclear weapons that would call into question the very survival of humanity and that requires the diversion of vast resources from social spending to armaments, can only be pursued through increasingly anti-democratic, authoritarian rule at home. This is what lies behind Vigneaults diatribe against TikTok, which the ruling elite views as dangerous because it enables workers and young people to share information and access news that contradicts the pro-war narrative of the ruling class. Speaking in a set piece studio interview with Catharine Tunney, a national security reporter with the state-run Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Vigneault stated, I would absolutely not recommend someone have TikTok, because it is very clear from the apps design that data gleaned from its users is available to the government of China. In fact, its not clear at all. No Canadian or American official or technical expert has been able to demonstrate how TikTok user data is available to the Chinese government. In the face of similar smears from American politicians and US government threats to shut down the companys US operations, TikTok has taken unprecedented steps to insulate its data from Chinese state interference. All of its US user data is now stored on servers housed in the US and owned by the US software giant Oracle. Meanwhile, Canadian user data is either stored on the Oracle platform or on servers in Singapore. Vigneault and other representatives of the security establishment have only to make sweeping unsubstantiated claims against Beijing and Chinese-owned companies for highly paid journalists like Tunney, who have reduced themselves to the role of court stenographers for imperialism, to promote them as the gospel truth. These claims, it need be added, are made by agencies engaged in the largest spying program on the worlds population, as revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden. US-owned social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X, as well as providers like Google, have a revolving door between their top levels of management, and military and security experts from the state. Whats more, there is hard evidence to prove that these platforms make available the vast amounts of data they collect on their users for the purposes of state surveillance. Vigneaults subsequent accusations against TikTok, which went completely unchallenged, were a laundry list of the very capabilities which CSIS, Canadas signals intelligence agency, the Communications Security Establishment Canada, and their counterparts in the US and Britain already have. Said Vigneault, There is a very clear strategy on the part of the Government of China, which is to acquire as much personal information as possible from anyone around the world. They're using big data analytics, they have amazing computer farms crunching the data, they are developing artificial intelligence Western state spying agencies such as the National Security Agency in the United States have had unlimited access to widely used software programs such as Microsoft Windows for decades via a digital backdoor. This permits them to access not only user data, but every single keystroke made on an individuals computer. NSA can activate the camera and microphone on a computer desktop or phone or smart TV, without the individual being aware. In 2017, WikiLeaks exposed the Vault 7 documents, which detailed a comprehensive program of US interference in the 2012 French elections, using the most sophisticated digital hacking tools. NSAs zero-day exploits can be installed on the operating system of any device such as a phone or computer, and run undetectable until the device is re-started. Canadas ally Israel is currently using digital signals from cell phones and Wi-fi networks to target civilians in Gaza for destruction using snipers, drones and bombs. None of this troubles Vigneault. What disturbs him is that TikTok refuses to share its user data with western spy agencies, leaving them blind to the growing radicalization of young people and workers taking place on the platform. A 2022 US government proposal to avoid a ban of the app required TikTok to provide its data to the US Department of Justice and the Department of Defence, eerily similar as a Gizmodo tech journalist observed, to the surveillance tactics critics have accused Chinese officials of abusing. CSIS and the Canadian state are participants in the Five Eyes alliance, alongside the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand, which operates a global eavesdropping and espionage network against the population of the whole world. Snowdens revelations showed this surveillance network targets everyone whose views and actions could be of interest to Washington, even political leaders who are close US allies, like former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. But the ultimate targets of this global spying operation are left wing movements and the threat of revolutionary activity in the working class. Appealing to far-right fears of communism, Vigneault insinuated that TikTok served to protect the interests of the Chinese Communist Party, so ultimately this is a threat to the way we live. Rather than challenge this absurd slander, dredged up from the sewer of the Cold War-era Red Scare, Tunney instead repeated the phrase ominously for emphasis: I want to acknowledge the magnitude of thata threat to the way we live. She then asked Vigneault if he would ban TikTok, adding in a revealing aside, I know you dont tell the government what to do, at least not explicitly. Vigneault replied, cautiously, that the Liberal governments decision to ban the app from government-issued cell phones was a very astute approach. Vigneaults remarks will have been welcomed with open arms by the Trudeau government. Though it has repeatedly come under attack from the opposition Conservatives and New Democrats, and sections of the corporate media like the Globe and Mail, for being too soft towards China, Trudeau has overseen a hardline policy towards Beijing. From the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, to the strengthening of Canadas military presence in the Asia-Pacific, recent years have witnessed a dramatic sharpening of tensions between the two countries. With its recently introduced Bill C-70, the so-called foreign interference bill, the Liberals have responding to the trumped up allegations of Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections with a sweeping attack on core democratic rights. This includes granting CSIS massive new powers to collect and surveil Canadians electronic data. The ruling-class attack on TikTok and the broader anti-China campaign confront the obstacle of the growing radicalization of Canadian workers and youth. TikTok has become a popular platform for young people and workers to share their political criticisms of US and Canadian imperialism and the imperialist-backed Zionist genocide in Gaza. Palestinian civilians and journalists have used it to document the horrors of genocide, including with brutal images and videos of casualties, witness testimonies, and massive explosions demolishing whole city blocks. In comparison, US-controlled social media platforms and online services such as Facebook and Instagram are now actively censored to the point where it is becoming increasingly impossible to share critical political content without having ones account suspended. When such content is posted, it often cannot be seen by others. In 2020, Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Googles parent company Alphabet, testified before the US Congress that the Google search engine censors the World Socialist Web Site and other left-wing publications. The US and Canadian ruling classes are desperate to silence the voices of the youth, because a rapidly growing layer of young people is implacably opposed to imperialist war, and increasingly to the capitalist system which produces it. In a final insult to the intelligence of his audience, Vigneault declared that private user information from TikTok lands in places that don't live by the same principles of rule of law [and] respect for human rights as Canada. What astonishing hypocrisy! The Canadian state is currently arming and defending Israel, which is carrying out a genocide and using sophisticated digital spying techniques to target civilians for death! Ottawa has been involved in virtually every US-led war of aggression over the past 30 years, and is playing a leading part in the US-NATO war on Russia, which the Western powers provoked by inciting Putins reactionary invasion of Ukraine. Two of Canadas closest allies, the US and Britain, have hounded and imprisoned Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, for exposing the rampant and unrestricted spying of the imperialist states on the worlds people, among many other crimes. David Vigneault speaks for a state soaked in the blood of Somali, Yugoslav, Haitian, Libyan, Afghan, Iraqi, Ukrainian, Russian and now Palestinian civilians. These imperialist wars, which erupted with fury after the dissolution of the USSR by the Stalinist bureaucracy in 1991, have killed several million people. Vigneault and his fellow spymasters, the Trudeau Liberal government, and all the opposition parties in parliament support the rapidly escalating third imperialist world war, directed against Russia in Eastern Europe, Iran in the Middle East, and China in the Asia-Pacific. Workers and young people determined to oppose ongoing state surveillance and the gutting of their democratic rights must draw the connection between these authoritarian measures and the waging of imperialist war. The defence of all democratic and social rights is possible only through the building of a global anti-war movement led by the working class. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) and Donald Trump (right) speaking at the Libertarian convention May 24 and May 25, 2024. [AP Photo] Over the weekend, former President Donald Trump and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appealed for support from the far right at the Libertarian National Convention held in Washington D.C. Kennedy spoke at the convention on Friday, while Trump appeared on Saturday. The candidates appearance at the convention reflects the continuing shift to the right of the US ruling class. As Trump noted in his speech, it was the first time a former US president spoke at the Libertarian Party convention. This is not a reflection of sudden growth or a surge in popular interest in the Libertarian Party and its brand of right-wing capitalist politics. Rather, under conditions where support for socialism is increasing among workers and youth, Kennedy and Trump are attempting to assure the ruling class that their administrations would defend private property above all else. Robert Kennedy Jr. was eliminated on Sunday in the first round of voting in the nominating process, garnering only 21 delegate votes, or just 2.07 percent. The chair of the Libertarian Party, Angela McArdle, ruled before the vote that Trump would not be eligible because his team had failed to file its paperwork properly. In the first round of voting, Trump received six write-in votes. Despite being eliminated, Kennedy issued a tweet on Sunday thanking the party. He said he would have accepted the nomination if offered because independent and third parties need to unite right now to reclaim our country from the corrupt two-party system. Kennedy, like all third-party candidates, is in the process of attempting to obtain ballot access. As of this writing he has access in six states, while the Libertarian Party has access in 38 states. Trump is currently a slight favorite to win the 2024 election, while Kennedy continues to poll between 8-10 percent nationally. Kennedy is running as an independent candidate, but he and the Republican Trump share virtually the same right-wing, anti-immigrant program, as well as at least one mega-donor. This past week, the Daily Beast reported Federal Election Commission financial reports showed that billionaire Timothy Mellon last month donated $5 million to Kennedys super PAC, the American Values 2024 political action committee. Mellon previously donated $20 million to the Kennedy PAC, as well as $15 million to Trumps Make America Great Again Inc. PAC. Prior to delivering his speech on Saturday, Trump was welcomed to the stage by Chairwoman Angela McArdle, who was re-elected to the partys top post on Sunday. McArdle, alongside Nick Brana, organized the Rage Against the War Machine rally in Washington D.C. last year. The aim of the rally was to dragoon disoriented middle class anti-war elements into the Libertarian Party, which, under the leadership of McArdle, openly embraces neo-Nazis and antisemites. Nick Brana of the "People's Party" (left, knit hat) on stage at the "Rage Against the War Machine" rally. To the right of Brana is Jackson Hinkle (sunglasses) and Angela McArdle, chair of the Libertarian Party. Behind McArdle in the baseball cap with the water bottle is Jason Page, an ally of the Oath Keepers and Stewart Rhodes. [Photo: People's Party] In the lead-up to the convention, on May 21, McArdle tweeted that she was excited to announce that @iansmithfitness is joining us at the [Libertarian Party National] Enemy of The State party this Friday! Smith is a New Jersey gym owner, who gained notoriety in the spring of 2020 for refusing to close his business at the beginning of the pandemic. Since then, Smith has become a regular speaker on the ReAwaken America tour, which was co-founded by Trumps former national security advisor, retired Gen. Michael Flynn. In a profile of Smith last year, Forbes wrote that he is popular among the far-right and has recommended neo-Nazi propaganda such as a World War II movie that paints Germany as the victim and questions the taught history of the war, posts memes denying the Holocaust on social media, and said on an episode of the far-right Pete Quinones Show podcast that Jewish people are behind all of these things that are used to control us. Appealing to the Smith co-thinkers in the audience, Trump focused his attacks on Biden, Marxism and communism. Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Libertarian National Convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, Saturday, May 25, 2024. [AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana] Addressing the fierce champions of freedom in the room, Trump said he was honored to be the first president in American history to speak at a Libertarian national convention. He proceeded to warn of the danger of left-wing fascism and promised he would fight for the freedom to own a firearm over taxation. The crowd roared with approval, prompting Trump to add, Oh. Oh, that was interesting. You are going to like me, firearms, nobody better than me, just got the [National Rifle Association] full endorsement. Trump added: We believe that Marxism is an evil doctrine straight from the ashes of hell. Having Marxism in our government is intolerable and teaching it to our children is considered, to us, child abuse. Our rights and freedoms have never been more in danger than they are right now. That is why I have come to extend a hand of friendship to ask for your partnership to defeat communism, to defeat Marxism and defeat crooked Joe Biden, who is destroying our country. Trump promised that in the White House he would be a true friend to Libertarians and called on the party to nominate him for president. When a large section of the crowd booed in response, Trump jeered the delegates. Only if you want to win. Maybe you dont want to win. Maybe you dont want to win. Only do that if you want to win. If you want to lose, dont do that. Keep getting your 3 percent every four years. Trump committed to putting a Libertarian in my cabinet and also Libertarians in senior posts, if the party supported him. Or you can keep going the way you have for the last long decades and get your 3 percent and meet again and get another 3 percent. No, you want to make yourself winners, its time to be winners. Its common sense. Its time to be a winner. While the aspiring dictator was booed frequently throughout his truncated speech, when he touted tax cuts for corporations and pledges to pardon his January 6 foot soldiers, the crowd erupted in cheers. Trump said it would be my great honor to pardon the peaceful January 6 protesters, or as I often call them, the hostages. There has never been a group of people treated so harshly or so unfairly. Trump also promised to commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the online black market site, the Silk Road. Before it was shut down by the US government, the website was primarily used to buy and sell drugs, guns, counterfeit documents and personal information using Bitcoin. In 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison for operating the site. Like Trump, in his remarks Friday Kennedy Jr. crafted his speech to appeal to the rabidly pro-capitalist and right-wing crowd. Kennedy pontificated on individual liberty and the failure of Trump and Biden to protect the right of individuals, and corporations, to spread COVID-19. Kennedy never once referred to the most blatant attack on the US Constitution by Trump and the Republican Party, the January 6, 2021 attempted putsch. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during the Libertarian National Convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, Friday, May 24, 2024 [AP Photo/.Jose Luis Magana] Instead, Kennedy attacked Trump from the right for imposing minimal and fleeting public health and safety measures at the onset of the pandemic, including the Operation Warp Speed program to create COVID-19 vaccines. He accused Trump of getting rolled by bureaucrats. He said he was going to run America like a business, Kennedy declared. Then he came in and gave the keys to all our businesses to a 50-year bureaucrat that hadnt been elected to anything and had no accountability. Appealing to the business owners, anti-science fanatics and fascistic militia elements in attendance, Kennedy Jr. opined: What disturbed me most during the pandemic was not what the government was trying to do and what it succeeded in doing. It was really how the public complied ... except for the people in this room. Ignoring the genocide of Native Americans, slavery, the internment of the Japanese Americans during World War II, Jim Crow, the bipartisan war on immigrants, and mass arrests of anti-police violence and anti-genocide protesters in recent years, Kennedy claimed Trumps limited public health measures represented the greatest restriction on individual liberty this country has ever known. In an attempt to capitalize on broad anti-war sentiment, Kennedy declared he would end the regime-change wars, which prompted several people in the crowd to yell, Stop supporting Israel! For decades, Kennedy has supported the Zionist state and in a March interview with Reuters, he rejected a ceasefire, saying, Hamas has to be destroyed, and Israel is a moral nation. Even as the International Criminal Court is leveling charges of genocide against Netanyahu, based on overwhelming evidence of perpetrating genocide against Palestinians, in recent days the state government in Berlin, Germany has once again sent the police to assault and arrest students. Workers are following events in Gaza with horror and are stunned and angry that the German government is supporting the genocide financially and militarily. Workers are likewise shocked and disgusted by the brutality of the force administered by police against students protesting the genocide. Workers who know the WSWS and the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP, the Socialist Equality Party in Germany) sent video statements condemning this violence in the strongest possible terms and calling on their colleagues to raise their voices as well. SGP members spoke to workers at the BMW plant in Berlin-Spandau and the Tesla plant in Brandenburg/Grunheide about the background to the genocide and police violence and how to develop the fight against it. The majority of these workers chose to remain anonymous for fear of subjection to repression at work or even losing their jobs because of their stance. For example, a Palestinian BMW worker reported that he had lost 36 family members in the Gaza Strip since October 7. He emphasized that the German people today were not to blame for the Nazi Holocaust. But they must be responsible for raising their voices today against the genocide of the Palestinians. Another referred to the humanitarian tragedy caused by the Netanyahu governments genocide in the Gaza Strip, with the support of the imperialist powers. He could barely restrain his tears as he declared: The Israeli government can get away with anything. What they have done to the children recently is shameful! I could cry! He came to Germany from Lebanon 53 years ago. As a child, he experienced for himself what it was like to have to hide in the basement, to be afraid that his own house would be hit by bombs. I would like to thank every student who stands up for the truth and fights for the truth. Who takes a beating from the police. They [the federal and Berlin state governments] talk about democracy. But there is not democracy for everyone. They are trying to take the people for fools in order to disarm them. The German government is trying to portray itself as peaceful, but that is false, he said. After all, they supported the war against Iraq, with their reconnaissance planes passing on all their information to the US military. A young Tesla worker explained: So many people are suffering because of war. He could not bear the idea that his family and friends might one day be affected by it. Therefore, the only question is how to fight against it! A Palestinian Tesla worker reported that he had already been counted out by his shift supervisor because he had tried to talk to German colleagues about the genocide. Despite that, he and a dozen colleagues have formed a group that organizes donations for the Gaza Strip and also goes to pro-Palestine demonstrations. Many workers welcomed the International Criminal Courts indictment of Netanyahu. However, they at once declared their lack of confidence in the effectiveness of his indictment. Many supported the SGPs struggle for an international mass movement of workers to stop the genocide and police violence. Two young workers expressed outrage at the complicity of the ruling federal coalition in the genocide in Gaza and the police brutality against students. They enthusiastically took up the initiative suggested by SGP members to set up an independent Action Committee in their workplace to organize their colleagues and discuss joint actions. Andy Niklaus, a Berlin city bus driver and member of the SGP, condemned the recent police violence against students at Humboldt University in a statement. In order to defend democratic rights, he explained, workers must organize independently of the pro-capitalist trade unions and build a worldwide socialist movement of the working class against genocide, war and capitalism. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito (on right), Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife Virginia "Ginni" Thomas in the background at the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. [AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin] Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year's Presidential election, the identity of the loser is perfectly clear. It is the Nation's confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, dissenting in Bush v. Gore (2000) Recent revelations that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito flew flags associated with the fascist coup attempt of January 6, 2021 at his homes have confirmed what most Americans already knew: The Supreme Court is an illegitimate institution dominated by political appointees of the extreme right. As in the years leading up to the American Civil War of 1861-65, the domination of an entire branch of government by the forces of extreme reaction is becoming a significant factor in the awakening of popular opposition to the entire political set up, controlled today not by the Slave Power, but by the Capitalist Power of the banks, the corporations and the military-industrial complex. The comparison to the ante-bellum Supreme Court, which in 1857 issued the infamous Dred Scott decision, is inapt in one important way: Unlike the 1850s, a majority of todays bench was appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, including Alito (George W. Bush), Chief Justice John Roberts (George W. Bush), Brett Kavanaugh (Donald Trump), Amy Comey Barrett (Donald Trump) and Neil Gorsuch (Donald Trump). The Courts oldest and most senile justice, Clarence Thomas, is also the most corrupt, having brazenly accepted bribes from far-right billionaires, including Harlan Crow. Both Alito and Thomas have taken the pusillanimous route of blaming their wives for their own reactionary actions. Alito, whose slouching, impertinent presence on the Court physically epitomizes his disdain for democratic principles, is being protected by the Democratic Party and the Biden administration, which fears that opposition to the corporate-controlled character of all three branches of government will explode and disrupt its plans for escalating the genocide in Gaza and the war against Russia in Ukraine. The main concern of Biden and the Democrats is that nothing disturb their alliance with fascistic Republicans in support of unlimited funding for Ukraine in Washingtons proxy war against Russia, summed up in the recent vote by House Democrats to block the removal of pro-coup Christian nationalist Mike Johnson from his post as House speaker. Biden has no plan to touch the Alito controversy, even with a 10-foot pole, reads a headline from Politico, which notes that top Democrats have no plans to investigate reports that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito flew an upside-down American flag outside his home after the 2020 election. Politico notes: Joe Biden has no desire to even talk about it. Amid growing demands from the base of the party to call out the actions of several conservative justices and embrace reforms of the court, both the president and the White House have stayed mum. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration did not want to get into the business of the specific actions about Alito, including whether he should recuse himself from two pending cases relating to the January 6 coup attempt itself. All the White House could muster was the belief that the American flag should be respected. Leading Democrats on Capitol Hill have backed Bidens live and let live attitude toward the fascist-dominated Supreme Court, with Senate Judiciary Chair Richard Durbin (D-IL) telling Politico the Democrats will not hold hearings on Alitos role on January 6. I dont think thats going to achieve anything, he said. Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin wrote on Sunday: In response to Durbins empty words, constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe declared that the issue was no longer just about the insurrection-abetting Sam Alito, [but] about the AWOL Senator Durbin. Tribe added, He has no excuse for not holding hearings about Alito now. On Friday, MSNBC moderator Katy Tur interviewed House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the revelations surrounding Alito, resulting in the following exchange: Tur: If the American public puts Democrats in control of the House, and say the American public allows Democrats to maintain control of the Senate, say the American public also allows Joe Biden to keep the White House, would you plan on doing something regarding Justice Samuel Alito, potentially trying to impeach him? Jeffries: Well, lets not put the cart before the horse. The Democrats have made no reference to the fact that Franklin Delano Roosevelt attempted to stack the court with pro-administration officials when the conservative-led court blocked all efforts at social reform in the 1930s. Though the court-stacking effort was defeated by Congress, the court received Roosevelts message and ceased blocking the administrations reforms, a recognition that the reforms were necessary to stave off social revolution. Much press attention has been given to Alitos role in authoring and quickly assembling a right-wing majority for the Supreme Courts 2022 decision eliminating the right to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. Little attention, however, has been given to the role Alito played as a major conspirator in the January 6 coup plot itself. The flags Alito flew at his homes were not merely expressions of personal political beliefs. They were signals to the far-right that he was prepared to be their representative on the high court. The details have been buried by the corporate media and the Democratic-controlled House January 6 Committee and are therefore worth reviewing. On the morning of January 5, 2021, Trump lawyer Sidney Powell filed a request that Justice Alito issue an injunction halting the official counting of the Electoral College vote scheduled for the following day. This was a backup plan that became critical when Trumps vice president, Mike Pence, refused to support Trumps scheme to disrupt the tally by accepting alternate slates of electors from battleground states. Powells request was filed as part of a lawsuit brought by leading Republican members of Congress over the certification of the election. Though Powells motion was docketed on January 6 and should have been immediately disposed of as legally baseless by Alito (who was the justice responsible for the federal court circuit in which the Republicans suit had been brought), Alito refused to issue a ruling denying Powells request for a delay in the certification. Powell herself later acknowledged that Alitos delay forced Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reconvene the joint session of Congress on the night of January 6. This was not merely a symbolic move, as was reported in the media. As Powell later told the far-right press, She [Pelosi] got notice when we made our filing through the Supreme Courts e-filing service. She had to speed up reconvening Congress to get the vote going before Justice Alito might have issued an injunction. It was not until the morning of January 7, after the coup had clearly failed, that Alito formally denied Powells request. Alitos decision to allow Powells request to remain pending is one of the best kept secrets of the January 6 coup plot. Alito is himself an insignificant figure, a careerist whose 1972 college yearbook states that he aspired to eventually warm a seat on the Supreme Court. He was not even George W. Bushs first choice for the Supreme Court seat vacated by the retirement of Sandra Day OConnor, having been nominated only after Bushs effort to nominate Harriet Miers failed in 2005. Four Democrats voted to support Alitos nomination. The naked character of the Supreme Courts role as a bastion of political reaction could not be clearer. According to a recent poll, the Court has the support of only 34 percent of the population, the lowest in history. In the coming weeks, it will consider whether Trump can be prosecuted for his efforts to remain in office through the January 6 coup attempt, as well as whether the government can prosecute participants in the coup attempt itself. The Democratic Party has worked tirelessly to protect those involved in the coup attempt, including Alito, Thomas and dozens of senators and congressmen who voted to delay the Electoral College tally three-and-a-half years ago. To the Democratic Party, maintaining the legitimacy of the institutions of American capitalism is of fundamental importance, regardless of the fact that the coup plotters are preparing again to intervene in the 2024 election. The American ruling class has broken with bourgeois democracy. In December 2000, days before the Court issued its infamous decision in Bush v. Gore, which halted the counting of votes in Florida in order to steal the election for the loser of the popular vote, George W. Bush, David North, the chairman of the World Socialist Web Site International Editorial Board, told a meeting in Sydney, Australia: What the decision of this court will reveal is how far the American ruling class is prepared to go in breaking with traditional bourgeois-democratic and constitutional norms. Is it prepared to sanction ballot fraud and the suppression of votes? Is it prepared to install in the White House a candidate who has attained that office through blatantly illegal and antidemocratic methods? North continued: The basic article of faith of all those who have doubted or denied the viability of Marxism is that, ultimately, no matter what problem capitalism faces in any part of the world, Uncle Sam will always bail it out The events now taking place in America signify the end of that long period where the affairs of world capitalism could rest securely under the leadership of US imperialism. The United States will no longer be able to play that role. However protracted it proves to be, the 2000 presidential election marks a new stage in the crisis of American and, therefore, world capitalism. The shameless character of Alitos public support for fascism, combined with the Democratic Partys efforts to protect Alito, Thomas and the rest of the pro-coup cabal, confirms the correctness of this analysis. The World Socialist Web Site spoke on May 18 with Tova and Anat (not their real names), members of an anti-war group of Israeli mothers. The group, which has hundreds of supporters, was founded last November by mothers of young people required to serve in the armed forces, not only to prosecute the war against the people of Gaza but to maintain the ongoing occupation of the West Bank. Alongside more established organisations, like Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle Families Forum, this group has joined in many demonstrations against the war and for the return of the Israeli hostages in the framework of a negotiated deal to end the war. Police use water cannon to disperse demonstrators during a protest in Tel Aviv against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, May 25, 2024 [AP Photo/Ariel Schalit] Such protests have been slowly growing, despite a near-blackout in the international and Israeli media, as opposition develops to the fascistic Netanyahu regime. As the WSWS has reported, the United States and the European imperialist powers continue to arm and support the regime, despite the mass protests that have erupted against the war around the world, and the charges of war crimes levelled against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Secretary Yoav Gallant by the International Criminal Court. Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which killed 1,139 people, Israeli forces have killed well over 35,000 people in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children. Another 10,000 are missing, presumed buried under the fallen masonry. More than 79,000 have been wounded. Hospitals, schools and other vital public infrastructure have been destroyed by bombs and entire cities have been reduced to rubble. The vast majority of the 2.3 million people in the territory have been turned into homeless refugees and are being subjected to a policy of starvation and deprivation of medical care. The barbaric assault now underway against Rafah is forcing the further displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, who now have nowhere left to go. Anat explained that as mothers we feel that we have an ethical and political voice and message for the future of all children living in this heartbreaking land. We call to stop the war not only because we dont want our children to die or get wounded, but because we are horrified and care deeply about the lives of Palestinian children, women, and men in Gaza as well as in Lebanon. The mothers group is one of several organisations that have drawn inspiration from the group Four Mothers, founded by mothers of soldiers in 1997 in opposition to the deployment of Israeli troops to Southern Lebanon. The group organised demonstrations which grew in size and were largely credited with turning public opinion in favour of military withdrawal, which occurred in 2000. Todays anti-war protesters confront what Tova described as a very militarised society. We live with the military, our children grow up knowing they will be in the army when they are 18 or 19, everything is kind of based on that. In our group we want to change this. Tova became involved in the group after her son became a soldier (he is not deployed in Gaza on active duty). Anat said: I have a daughter whos 17. What she will do, I dont know, Im happy that we have another year-and-a-half before that question becomes a reality. Tova explained that there has been some opposition to the assault on Gaza since it began following the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, but not nearly enough. In my surroundings, the people I meet are for peace, they are all against the war. There is opposition in the universities and many other places. The mothers group was calling for a complete end to the war and for everyone to go home, the hostages and the soldiers. As one recent indication, Anat noted that hundreds of university staff across Israel had signed an open letter demanding an end to the war. As of May 22, more than 1,470 lecturers and administrative staff had signed the petition, which denounces the tremendous damage to civilians in Gaza, starvation, and unprecedented destruction of infrastructure as well as the death and injury of Israeli soldiers and the harm to Israels standing in the world. Anti-war protesters at Tel Aviv University, May 15, 2024 [Photo: X @ashbita] There are no clear figures about how many young people are able to avoid conscription. You can opt out as a conscientious objector, but its quite rigorous, you have to prove youre a pacifist through and through, but not many people do it. Thats one option and you dont go to prison, Anat explained. There are also many people who are exempted for psychological reasons. The military is an extremely brutalising environment, and there are stories of people returning from deployment traumatised and unable to sleep. The Times of Israel reported in January 2023 that suicide was the leading cause of death among Israeli soldiers. According to Haaretz, at least 10 soldiers have died by suicide since October 7. Calls for a ceasefire are now being tolerated by some parts of the protest movement calling for negotiations to return the hostages taken by Hamas. It feels very late in the day, but it is beginning to happen, Anat said. She continued: Our society has become so polarised, the discourse is so toxic, that even the demand for a deal to release the hostages has been labelled as left-wing by the right, because the right is so extreme. So you dont even have to say stop the war, you can just hold up a picture of a hostage to get spat on and have police brutality directed to you. Its become that toxic. If you are wearing a T-shirt in support of the hostages release, you are labelled as anti-Netanyahu. Politicians and the media have fuelled a climate of hostility and intimidation against anyone who speaks out. I speak to people who say: Im really upset about the civilian casualties in Gaza. But they wont necessarily hold a sign because its really, really scary to do that, Anat said. Tova added: In Israel the media doesnt show much about Gaza at all. The media here, even when its critical theres a limit to how critical it is. Those who want to know the reality in Gaza have to find it on social media. Meanwhile, Anat said, there is non-stop coverage of the trauma of October 7. People describe it as a second Holocaust and most Israelis, with the assistance of the media, are reliving the 7th of October day after day. Besides the many people who died, there are many people who were affected and hurt, and the stories are limitless, unfortunately, and they are constantly broadcast. The psychological impact of that is to every day generate justification for the war. The whole focus is inward looking. The media denounces the global protests as absurd and antisemitic. They say these are young people who know nothing about the conflict and now its really trendy, and the media are focusing a lot on the Israeli students on campus who feel threatened by it. Thats sort of the coverage it gets, and it gets a lot of coverage. Its a way of not dealing with the real issue, which is the war, the horrible consequences of the war. In the face of this barrage, people had to make a conscious effort to see the humanity of the other side. Anat said something had to change in the power structures or the institutions like the media. We have to do something differently in order for people to change. Tova said the problem all starts from inequality which pervades Israeli society. In addition to the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, there is systematic discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel. Recently in the Negev region, where she currently lives (after she and her family were evacuated from the north of Israel due to the hostilities with Hezbollah), police have been demolishing houses built by Bedouin people, because they did not have the right permits. She explained that there are many bureaucratic obstacles for people who do not speak Hebrew, which make it harder to apply for National Insurance and access welfare and other services. Arab villages and towns in Israel are typically overcrowded and have fewer resources allocated to them. At the same time, Anat pointed out that Palestinians were an integral part of Israeli society, with many receiving university qualifications. You go to a hospital and it feels sometimes that half the medical staff, nurses and doctors, are Palestinian Israelis. So there is a more educated society and they are demanding their rights. She said politicians used identity politics to sow divisions between different sections of Israels working class, including Ashkenazi Jews (with ancestors in Europe) and Mizrahi Jews (with roots in North Africa or Asia). Tova said, There was built-in discrimination from the beginning [when Israel was founded] against Jews from certain origins. The trauma experienced by the groups that had prejudice directed against them hasnt been resolved since. I think one of the biggest problems now that Palestinian Israelis are facing is that now they are being scrutinised for everything they say and do, Anat said. Especially people in education. Just recently there was a teacher who participated in a Nakba Day procession [marking the 1948 catastrophe which saw the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians]. She teaches in a Jewish school and the right-wing hunterswe call them huntersthey took a picture of her in a procession and made a big deal of it. So the Ministry of Education has now called her in for an inquiry. Its crazy. This is a teacher who has been teaching Israeli students for a long time and she teaches peace. So they face a lot of intimidation now. Anat and Tova were not certain about the long-term political solution for Israel and Palestine, including whether there should be one or two states, but said the starting point had to be the recognition of equality of all people. We are all in this together, Palestinians and Israelis, and we need to see everyone. We have to acknowledge the humanity of everybody who lives here, beyond our national, ethnic or religious affiliations, said Anat. They thanked the WSWS for drawing attention to the anti-war movement in Israel, saying the world needs to see that the right-wing is not the only voice in the country. In response, WSWS reporters explained that the WSWS see this as a genocide and the end to the genocide could only be achieved through the unification of the working class throughout the entire regionincluding in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt and Iranand internationally. We noted that the WSWS has called for workers internationally to take action to stop the production and supply of weapons for the Netanyahu regime in order to shut down its ability to wage war. To stop the genocide and prevent an even greater catastrophe, the working class had to fight to abolish the root cause: the capitalist and imperialist system. The imperialist powers view Israel as an essential ally in their broader war for the redivision of the Middle East and the entire world. The genocide in Gaza is but the prelude to the accelerating US-NATO proxy war against Russia and the active preparations for war against Iran and China. With Israel as the USs main subcontractor in the region, it willlike Ukraineserve as cannon fodder in the war for regional domination. The struggle for socialism, on an international scale, is the only way to stop both the fascistic regime in Tel Aviv, as well as the accelerating drive towards a Third World War by the US and its allies against Iran, Russia and China. The WSWS urges workers and young people in Israel, Palestine and throughout the Middle East to contact us to discuss this urgent political fight. Police officers detain a demonstrator during an anti-genocide protest in Berlin, Saturday, May 18, 2024. [AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi] The brutality used by police against peacefully protesting students at Berlins Humboldt University on Thursday represents an enormous escalation of violence against opponents of war in Germany. The police acted like a fascist terror unit when they evacuated the social science institute, which had been occupied by students on Wednesday to protest against the genocide in Gaza and the complicity of the university. Students and journalists were beaten up by the police and even lawyers and paramedics were arrested. On Wednesday, when a few dozen students began to occupy the institute, the police used extreme violence: A peaceful sit-down blockade by supporters in front of the entrance to the institute was brutally broken up and the activists were taken away one by one. One person lost consciousness in the process. Access to the building was blocked so that no one would have been able to get out, even in the event of a fire. At the same time, the university administration tolerated the occupation until 6 p.m. on Thursday and arranged a discussion with the students from 3 p.m. Around 50 students eventually took part in the discussion with Humboldt University President Julia von Blumenthal, while hundreds more were not allowed into the building. Professor Michael Wildt, one of the leading historians of National Socialism (Nazism) in Germany, also took part in the discussion and expressed his solidarity with the students. During the talks, Blumenthal made a clear promise that all students would have the opportunity to leave the building afterwards without being subject to police violence or having their ID checked. None of these promises was honoured. While the discussions were still taking place, the police attacked the solidarity demonstration and arrested students. Blumenthal refused to comment on this. A short time later, the police used physical force to break into the building and beat students. All students who wanted to leave the building voluntarily were surrounded by police on the street in order to take their personal details; 130 people were briefly arrested. When the university staff had left the building, the institute was turned into a lawless space where the police used enormous force against anyone who was still inside. Students were beaten up by the police and lawyers and paramedics were arrested. A reporter for the Berliner Zeitung reported that he was thrown to the ground by a police officer and punched twice in the face. He was then handcuffed for several hours. There were abrasions and haematomas on his face, stomach and arm. His left hand was still numb the following day. When questioned by the newspaper, the police claimed that the journalist had attacked a police officer and had not identified himself as a member of the press. With these brazen lies, the police condoned the mistreatment of the journalist. Meanwhile, a video from the Berliner Zeitung proves that the journalist was not guilty of anything and that he had clearly shouted I am press several times when he was being attacked by the police. Such scenes, in which aggressive police units attack peacefully protesting students, journalists and even paramedics, are otherwise only familiar at the hands of dictatorships. The fact that Humboldt University, of all placeswhere the Nazis organised book burnings in 1933became the scene of this terror shows how far the repression of opponents of war has progressed. It was not simply a case of police gone wild, but a carefully planned action that had been coordinated at the highest level. Its aim is to intimidate and terrorise anyone who calls the genocide in Gaza by name and protests against the governments pro-war policy. Blumenthal herself declared that she had received instructions from the very top to end the protest at the HU. The mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner (Christian Democratic Union, CDU), Senator (state minister) for Science Ina Czyborra (Social Democratic Party, SPD) and Senator for the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD) were involved in the planning. The federal government (a coalition of the SPD, Greens and Liberal Democrats, FDP) also welcomed the police terror. Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) spoke to the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers and expressed his full support for the police operation. There should be no condoning of criminal offences, he declared. And Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) wrote on Twitter: Good that the police are now clearing the area. Universities are places of debate, but not lawless spaces. Criminal offences committed must be consistently prosecuted. All other establishment parties, including the Left Party, also support the line taken by the Berlin Senate (state executive) and the federal government. The science policy spokesperson for the Left Party, Tobias Schulze, described Blumenthals actions as de-escalating and dialogue-oriented and accused the protesting students of glorifying terror and antisemitism. The significance of the escalation of police violencesupported by the federal government and a united front of all establishment partiesgoes far beyond the walls of Humboldt University. It is a matter of suppressing the widespread opposition to the genocide in Gaza and the governments pro-war policy. The ruling class is pursuing the declared aim of making Germany fit for war again, despite its devastating role in the First and Second World Wars. It is playing a leading role in the NATO war against Russia, which is escalating further and further, creating the danger of a nuclear exchange. In the Middle East, it regards the annihilation and expulsion of the Palestinians as a prerequisite for asserting its economic and geostrategic interests across the entire region and preparing for war against Iran. This madness is incompatible with democratic rights. That is why the government is following in the traditions of the Nazis in domestic policy and establishing a police state. Workers must understand that the attack on students is also directed against themselves. Today students who express criticism are being bludgeoned, tomorrow it will be striking workers and other opponents of war. The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) is therefore calling on all workers to come to the defence of the students at Humboldt University. In the US, 48,000 workers at the University of California system have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike against police violence, but the union bureaucracy is doing everything it can to prevent a full-scale strike and limit it to several campuses. Workers must therefore organise independently of the unions in rank-and-file action committees and unite internationally to beat back the attacks on democratic rights and stop the insane pro-war policies. And they need their own party to arm the growing opposition with a clear socialist perspective against capitalism, fascism and war. This is what the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei is fighting for in the European elections. Register now as an active supporter and take part in our election campaign. An Australian Defence Department briefing last week on the new military secrets legislation laid out some of its vast implications for the entire economy, with threatening potential consequences for researchers, educators and others working in industries involving technology that could be linked to war preparations. First Assistant Secretary for Defence Security Peter West speaks at the Safeguarding Australia's Military Secrets launch in Canberra [Photo: Australian Defence Department/Corporal Luke Bellman] About 600 people joined the in-person and online information briefing by the departments security chief, First Assistant Secretary for Defence Security Peter West. He is conducting a series of such events on the Safeguarding Australias Military Secrets (SAMS) Act 2024, one of two war-related Acts that came into operation this month. Both Acts were pushed through parliament simultaneously on March 27 by the Labor government, working closely with the Liberal-National Coalition, at the behest of the US government to match its similar legislation, as part of the AUKUS military pact directed against China. First of all, the SAMS Act prohibits former defence department and military personnel from working for, or providing training to, foreign governments and government-linked companies, with the exception of the US, UK, Canada and New Zealandthe partners in the US-led Five Eyes global intelligence network. However, the SAMS Act has a far wider application. All Australian citizens and permanent residents are barred from training non-citizens in military tactics or the use of software or technology with possible military applications. Jail terms of up to 20 years apply to them, as well as the ex-defence personnel. In response to worried questions during the briefing, including from university educators, West gave often vague answers. Nevertheless, he said the legislation could apply to university lecturers teaching courses to classes that included overseas students who had scholarships or other support from governments or government-linked businesses. Even writing textbooks that could be read by such students might fall within its reach. It would all depend on the circumstances, West said. West said everyone teaching or otherwise working in fields that could be covered by the SAMS Act had until August 7 to apply for a foreign work authorisation or face the danger of prosecution. He emphasised that this was the responsibility of every individual involved, not their employers. West said 291 such applications had been received but he was sure that this was the tip of a very large iceberg. That points to the extensive regime being introduced, potentially requiring many thousands of people in a range of industries and education providers to obtain foreign work authorisations or face investigation and arrest by the Australian Federal Police. In his opening remarks, West stated that the legislation was required by the AUKUS treaty between Australia, the United Kingdom and the US. He said it had always been a crime to divulge military or security information, but the new measures were now needed to protect the global capability of Australias AUKUS allies, as well as what he termed Australias historic investment in AUKUS. That investment by the Albanese Labor government involves the spending of hundreds of billions of dollars on US and UK nuclear-powered submarines, long-range missiles, drones and other weaponry, and the upgrading of military bases and ports around the country for use in a war against China. West described the matching legislation adopted in the US, UK and Australia as a game changer for the AUKUS partners, providing a seamless combined security capacity against what he described as an insatiable appetite by other governments to acquire military information. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with US President Joe Biden at Point Loma naval base, March 13, 2023, San Diego. [AP Photo/Evan Vucci] West said the prohibitions applied to all training, paid or unpaid, direct or indirect, even if an individual was employed by a third party or contractor, if it benefited a foreign organisation. The SAMS Act itself defines training very broadly to include regular or irregular training and formal or informal instruction. Answering questions, West said research was not training in general, but universities and other entities conducting research should check with his departments team supervising the other Act that commenced this month, the Defence Trade Controls (DTC) Amendment Act. The expanded DTC Act sets prison terms of up to 10 years for supplying or disclosing military-related or dual-use goods, technology or services on a Defence and Strategic Goods List (DSGL) to non-Australian citizens, with the exception of US and UK authorities and companies. The DCT provisions directly threaten researchers because it can cover simply sharing research resultswhich is integral to the development of science and technology. In addition to imprisonment, fines of nearly $800,000 apply for individual researchers and almost $4 million for corporate bodies, including universities. According to the governments explanation for the DTC amendment, dual use goods and services cover a wide range, including equipment and technologies developed to meet commercial needs but which may be used either as military components, or for the development or production of military systems. The legislation hands sweeping powers to the government, via the defence minister, to decree by regulations which countries are subject to the restrictions, decide what goods and technologies are listed on the DSGL, and grant, refuse or alter foreign work authorisations. That means the rules can change overnight. West said the government would give adequate notice of such changes, but not if an emergency or contingency required swift action. Extraordinarily, he gave the example of a fascist coup in Canada, which would mean taking it immediately off the authorised lists. Under the SAMS Act, the prohibited training by all Australian citizens and permanent residents applies to goods, software or technology within the scope of Part 1 of the Defence and Strategic Goods List or to military tactics, military techniques or military procedures. This casts a wide net. Part 1 of the list covers goods or technology that is designed or adapted for military purposes including parts and accessories thereof. This list can be expanded at any time by ministerial declaration. The legislation presents far-reaching threats, especially for university and other researchers in a wide range of science and technology fields. That is particularly so for those who might be accused of any links to, or partnership with, colleagues from China, Russia or any other non-Five Eyes country. In response to one question, West said this even extended to working with companies or entities from France and other NATO members. The Albanese government has introduced this regime, which resembles a wartime one, despite many objections by researchers, research organisations and sections of business because of the chilling and crippling impact it will have in many scientific fields that depend on international collaboration. The legislation is a central aspect of the Labor governments intensifying commitment to US militarismfrom the US-armed Israeli genocide in the Middle East, to the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine and the Biden administrations escalating military and economic confrontation with China. These laws enforce the sweeping whole-of-government and whole-of-nation war effort outlined in the governments 2023 Defence Strategic Review and 2024 National Defence Strategy, directed against Russia and China, which made specific reference to aligning universities and sections of industry more directly with the needs of the military. We publish below statements from an academic, a senior journalist and several prominent artists in Sri Lanka calling for the release of comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk, leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL) in Ukraine, who has been arrested and detained by the Security Services of Ukraine. The statements are in response to the global campaign initiated by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) and the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS). Bogdan was arrested and imprisoned by the fascistic Zelensky regimes secret police on April 25, on bogus allegations that he was an agent of the Putin regime in Russia. The real reason for his arrest is that he is fighting to unite Ukrainian and Russian workers on a socialist program against the US-NATO war against Russia and all the governments involved. We urge all readers to sign the ICFIs online petition here. Ameen Izzadeen, Colombo-based Daily Mirrors international affairs analyst and advocate for global justice and media freedom: As a senior journalist and an advocate for global justice and media freedom, I am calling for a worldwide outcry against the arrest of Bogdan Syrotiuk, the leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), currently detained in a high-security prison in Nikolaev, southern Ukraine. His arrest on trumped-up charges raises serious concerns over the fast-shrinking political space for freedom of expression and socialist political views in Ukraine. Together with the indefinite postponement of democratic elections, the arrest of Syrotiuk on high-treason charges also signals Ukraines headlong plunge into right-wing extremism. Ameen Izzadeen The arrest of Syrotiuk is an attempt to silence democratic dissent in society. I also note with serious concern the Ukrainian governments effort to slap terrorism labels on those who publish views critical of the regime and call them information terrorists. To support the charges against Syrotiuk, the Ukrainian authorities have cited his contributions to the WSWS. Despite the Ukrainian regimes unfounded claims that label the WSWS as a Russian propaganda outlet, it is important to note that WSWS operates from the United States. Its wide readership and commitment to pro-peace activism and independent journalism cannot justifiably be categorised as pro-Russian propaganda. As a media freedom activist, I add my voice to the growing global condemnation against the arrest of the young political leader and demand his immediate release. Sumudu Walakuluge, a senior lecturer in the Political Science department at Peradeniya University: Bogdan Syrotiuk, a nemesis of the fascistic Zelensky regime and the NATO-worldwide capitalist imperialist-led Ukraine-Russia war, has been arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Sumudu Walakuluge Bogdan was arrested on fraudulent charges of sabotaging the territorial integrity of Ukraine and serving the interests of Russia. It has been common throughout history for fascistic and racist regimes to hurl these sorts of shameless accusations against all true opponents of bloody imperialist war. From the outset, Bogdan has fought against the US-led NATO, the Zelensky administration and the chaotic Moscow regime. The frame-up charges concocted against Bogdan by the SBU, which could have been organised as part of the NATO-Zelensky alliance, falsely claim that he, and the WSWS, are propagators of Russian propaganda. The Zelensky regime has manipulated this sort of scenario to call for their cowardly war against socialist opposition, including the ICFI and its public organ, the WSWS. This incident has taken place amid rising Ukrainian working-class solidarity against the war provoked by Western capitalism and Zelenskys puppet regime. It demonstrates that the Zelensky regime is brutally suppressing all left-wing movements. Darshana Medis, poet and Marxist art critic: I strongly denounce the foul arrest and subsequent imprisonment of Bogdan Syrotiuk, leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL) in Ukraine, by the fascistic forces of the Zelensky regime. His detainment one month ago due to his so-called high treason is based on false and absurd allegations. Reports confirm that he is being held under atrocious conditions in a high security prison in southern Ukraine, with no sign of release. Darshana Medis It is clear that Comrade Bogdan is not just an individual target but the victim of a state frame-up against the YGBL and its political allies. The YGBL, active not only in Ukraine but also in Russia and Eastern Europe, is affiliated with the ICFI, the world Trotskyist movement. It is a well-known fact that the ICFI is the only truly Marxist force in the world today, and fights against both imperialism and its puppets, on the one hand, and pseudo-leftists on the other. It fundamentally opposes the invasion of Ukraine by Russias Putin regime and US-NATO backed Zelensky regime as well. Both regimes do not wish to see the unity of Russian and Ukrainian workers and here lies the real concern in targeting Bogdan. The recent activities by Comrade Bogdan and his YGBL, a socialist and internationalist opponent of wars waged by the ruling class along the above Marxist lines, are becoming popular among war-torn masses. This reveals a profound truth: Whatever political pressures, including the fatal physical blows experienced since Lenins demise, Trotskyism is not dead, and it cannot simply be destroyed in former USSR states. It will continue to hold its head high and will fulfill its obligations for the elimination of world capitalism from the planet once and for all. Malaka Devapriya, an award-winning filmmaker and radio playwright: The Zelensky regime in Ukraine has made an absurd charge that anti-war activists opposing the Ukraine war are pro-Kremlin. Throwing out these vicious charges, Bogdan Syrotiuk, who opposes the war on the basis of a socialist program, has been arrested and labelled pro-Russian. I think that this is serious evidence of the fate facing anti-war activists in Ukraine. As an artist, I express my full support to the international campaign by the ICFI for the release of this young socialist fighter and demand he be immediately released. Malaka Devapriya I assume that artists around the world do not express a pro-war standpoint. With various conflicts taking place in Sri Lanka and internationally we see a divided social environment where human lives and properties have been destroyed. We can see in the regimes formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the restoration of capitalism how the Russian people have been subjected to poverty, the looting of state property, war and other disasters. The eruption of the Russia-Ukraine war is intimately bound up with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. People must have a correct understanding of the material factors leading to war, such as the contradictions of capitalism and that there is the real threat that the Ukraine war and anti-Palestine genocide by Israel are developing into a Third World War. At the same time, we have the historical experiences of human lives claimed in wars. Millions of lives were lost during World War II, and we also experienced the racialist war in Sri Lanka, which spanned three decades and claimed more than one hundred thousand lives. Sujith Ratnayake, a painter: The Ukraine regime has arbitrarily taken Bogdan Syrotiuk into custody because he fights against war on behalf of the workers and youth that are being killed. He bases himself on socialism. It is true that when a war mindset is created, there is no place for opposition. As a painter I condemn the arrest of Bogdan Syrotiuk and as a painter I use art as Bertolt Brecht did art against Hitler and the war. Sujith Ratnayake It is the oppressed people who lose their lives in Ukraine and Russia, without any reason. As Brecht stated, when a war begins there will be no brakes and there are no good wars and bad wars. War is war. Wasantha Wijesiri, a cartoonist and government schoolteacher It is clear Bogdan Syrotiuk has been arrested by the Zelensky government in Ukraine on bogus charges. I think that this is an attack on the world Marxist-Trotskyist movement, the ICFI, which publishes the WSWS. Wasantha Wijesiri The aim of this arrest was to block the important struggle of Syrotiuk and his comrades to mobilise the Ukrainian and Russian working class on the program of the ICFI and a malicious attempt to cover up the true situation of this barbaric war. A mass movement must be built against this repressive and arbitrary arrest and capitalist war. We should oppose Americas world order and its attempt to seize power in the region through NATO. It should be exposed. In this way we must support the anti-capitalist and anti-war struggle of Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk and wish this struggle to be successful. A massive landslide in Papua New Guineas central Enga province has killed at least 670 people, according to state officials, with the exact toll unlikely to be known for several days. The affected area is accessible on land by only one highway, a section of which was covered by rubble. Injured person is carried on a stretcher to medical assistance after a landslide in Yambali village, Papua New Guinea, May 24, 2024. The landslide struck Enga province, about 600 kilometres northwest of the capital, Port Moresby, at roughly 3 a.m. [AP Photo/Benjamin Sipa/International Organization for Migration] The landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused major destruction to buildings, food gardens and caused major impact on the economic lifeline of the country, Lusete Laso Mana, director of Papua New Guineas National Disaster Centre, wrote in a letter to the United Nations. The isolated rural Yambili village, with an estimated 4,000 residents, was almost entirely submerged by the landslide. Local reports indicate this may have been triggered by an earthquake, following extended heavy rains. Photo and video reports show terrible scenes, with massive boulders and dense earth covering an estimated 600 homes. Part of a small mountain range sheared off, creating debris that initial emergency responders have estimated is up to eight metres deep, covering more than 200 square kilometres. The Red Cross in Papua New Guinea reported that the emergency response at the site consisted of police, military, officials from the provincial governors office, and local nongovernmental organisations. The disaster struck at around 3 a.m. on Friday, when residents were sleeping. Care Australia, a charity working in the area, issued a statement Saturday that with regard to the destroyed homes, all the members of these households remain unaccounted for. It added that in addition to Yambilis 4,000 residents, more people may be affected after fleeing to the village from neighbouring areas hit by tribal violence. UN official Serhan Aktoprak yesterday told the AFP news agency that only five bodies had been removed from the wreckage by Saturday night. In addition to destroyed homes, Aktoprak reported that a makeshift school and several trading stalls were buried. He explained that emergency rescue work was hampered by ongoing risks: Working across the debris is very dangerous and the land is still sliding, he said. Vincent Pyati, president of a local Community Development Association, told the New York Times that the affected area was a transport node where many came from remote areas overnight to catch public motor vehicles, a popular method of transit, probably adding to the toll [] there was also a drinking club popular with people from all over the district. Papua New Guineas tropical weather, mountainous terrain especially in its Highlands region, and proximity to the earthquake-prone Pacific Oceans Ring of Fire, has triggered numerous incidents like the latest crisis in Enga province. The landslide and its devastating impact cannot be understood, however, only in terms of it being another natural disaster. PNG was an Australian colony until 1975, and it remains dominated by the imperialist powers. Its lucrative natural resources, including oil and gas, gold and silver, and timber, are siphoned off by giant transnational corporations, while the population remains among the most impoverished in the world. Basic services including electricity, healthcare, and education are limited or nonexistent for the rural poor like those in Yambili. The devastated village included residents who eked out a living through alluvial mining. This involves panning and manually digging for specks of gold, a dangerous process. Miners health is frequently affected by the use of mercury and cyanide to separate gold from rock and earth. Alluvial mining has been encouraged by successive PNG governments, and produces an estimated 5 percent of the countrys gold exports. The exploitative industry sees impoverished miners, some of them children, bear all the risk while a chain of commercial gold dealers reaps large profits. Most of the gold ends up in Australian vaults. The Yambili landslide struck near the giant Porgera gold and silver mine that is co-owned by Canadian-based Barrick Gold (with a majority stake) and Chinas Zijin Mining. The disaster has reportedly blocked an access road to the mine. A Barrick Gold spokesperson told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News that the extent of the damage was still being assessed. We are supporting provincial authorities in their assessment and initial response efforts, they said. Porgera currently has sufficient supplies at site to operate normally in the short term. PNG Prime Minister James Marape has declared that his government was doing everything possible to provide relief work, recovery of bodies, and reconstruction of infrastructure. In fact, the government is responsible for the appalling conditions confronting PNGs working class and rural poor. Since taking office in September 2022, Marape, like his predecessors, has worked to advance the interests of transnational corporations and the domestic wealthy elite. His tenure has been marked by escalating social tensions, with frequent violent tribal clashes as well as rioting in the capital, Port Moresby, last January. Marape may lose office within weeks, as numbers of government parliamentarians are switching to the opposition ahead of a planned no-confidence motion. The PNG government has closely aligned itself with US and Australian imperialism. Last year both powers signed sweeping military cooperation deals with the Pacific state, with Washington and Canberra seeking PNGs alignment with their aggressive preparations for a war against China. The US-PNG Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in May gives Washington uninhibited access to numerous locations, including the Manus Island naval base, which served as a vital deep-water American port during World War II. Both Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden issued public pledges of sympathy and offers of assistance over the landslide disaster. Previous responses demonstrate, however, that help will be minimal and short-lived. Nothing will be done to invest the necessary resources to protect rural communities in PNG from the impact of earthquakes and landslides. The latter are now at least partly predictable. University of Sydney lecturer in geomechanics Benjy Marks explained in the Conversation: Huge advancements have recently been made in remote sensing, so that planes and satellites can be used to extract this vital [geological] information. Using sophisticated sensors, they can see past foliage and map the ground surface in high resolution. As satellites orbit quite regularly, small changes in the surface topography can be monitored. Scientists hope that by using this information, unstable regions that havent yet failed can be identified and monitored. This data from planes and satellites, however, can only be gathered and interpreted if the necessary investments are made. That is unlikely to be provided either by the government, its imperialist backers or the giant mining corporations that have considerable resources devoted to sophisticated geological surveys. French President Emmanuel Macron ended an 18-hour emergency visit to the riot-torn Pacific colony of New Caledonia on Friday, declaring that France would not force through contentious laws to expand the countrys voter rolls, but he has not withdrawn the legislation. French President Emmanuel Macron visits the central police station in Noumea, New Caledonia, May 23, 2024 [AP Photo/Ludovic Marin] Widespread rioting, largely by indigenous Kanak youth, has devastated the islands capital Noumea and nearby districts. Unrest erupted on May 13 as the French National Assembly pushed through a constitutional amendment to allow French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for ten years the right to vote in local elections. The move is opposed by pro-independence leaders who claim it will dilute the vote of Kanaks who make up over 40 percent of the population. Addressing media after separate meetings with independence leaders and three pro-France parties, Macron stressed that he had made a very clear commitment to ensure that the controversial reform is not rushed by force and that in view of the current context, we give ourselves a few weeks so as to allow peace to return, dialogue to resume, in view of a comprehensive agreement. Macron said that if such a deal is reached it would become part of the French Constitution and replace the constitutional amendment focusing on the electoral changes. He has appointed a team of three negotiators to attempt to carry this through. A spokesman for the pro-independence Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS) alliance told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the measure should be formally withdrawn or suspended to create clear space for talks. For us we cant be holding, you know, peaceful discussions while we have this deadline of first of July above our head for the bill to proceed to the Congress at Versailles, he said. Whatever the outcome of any talks, which will no doubt proceed despite the professed misgivings, Macron made it clear that full independence for the colony is off the agenda. He told the leaders that the third self-determination referendum, held in December 2021 but boycotted by the pro-independence parties during the COVID pandemic, would not be relitigated. I will not go back on this, he insisted. Following pro-France majorities in referendums held in 1998, 2020 and 2021, Macron bluntly declared that New Caledonia had chosen to remain French. Declaring that a return to calm and security was the absolute priority, Macron condemned the unprecedented movement of insurrection and warned that massive new operations would be scheduled. Republican order in its entirety will be re-established Step by step we will take back every neighbourhood, every roadblock, every roundabout, he proclaimed. Macron said that the 12-day state of emergency could only be lifted if the local pro-independence leaders called explicitly for all protest blockades to be dismantled. Once these are withdrawn and this is confirmed the state of emergency will be lifted, he said. French security forces, now numbering about 3,000 with possibly more to come, will stay as long as necessaryincluding during the Paris Olympic GamesMacron said. He praised the security forces and vowed to go until the end to put down violence. Tensions are far from subsiding. Police shot dead a man on Friday with the officer claiming he and a colleague were attacked by a group of 15 people. The death of the 48-year-old man brought to seven the number killed, including three Kanak youthtwo by anti-independence vigilantesand two gendarmes, during the 12 days of upheaval. Over 230 people have been arrested and 300 injured. Christian Tein, leader of the Field Action Coordination Cell (CCAT) which is reputed to have organised the protests, said they would keep pushing for a withdrawal of the electoral reform, as well as, eventually, independence for the territory. We remain mobilised, we maintain the resistance in our neighbourhoods, in a structured, organised way, he said on Facebook. Tein, despite being under house arrest and promoted as public enemy number one, was invited by Macron to join the meetingsto the surprise of observers, according to Radio NZ. CCAT was set up in 2023 by Union Caledonienne, one of the components of the FLNKS alliance. Tiens invitation and acceptance was a clear sign that the pro-independence groupings are directing workers and youth into futile appeals to the French state. The FLNKS represents an indigenous layer given limited influence through the 1998 Noumea Accord which set up a power sharing arrangement as part of a phony decolonisation process. Seeking a larger slice of the economic pie and greater political say, they are part of the political and business establishment working with Macron to strangle the movement that erupted, in opposition to them, from below. New Caledonias President Louis Mapou, from the National Union for Independence, part of the FLNKS, condemned the rioters, saying anger cannot justify harming or destroying public property, production tools, all of which this country has taken decades to build. On the eve of Macrons arrival, the FLNKS issued a statement saying that it hoped his visit would give new life to a calm and serene dialogue. Behind the pro-independence slogans, the riots have been driven by deepening social and economic misery, particularly affecting young Kanaks who are alienated from the colonys entire ruling elite. The poverty rate among Kanaks, the largest community, is 32.5 percent, compared to 9 percent among non-Kanaks. Youth unemployment is 26 percent. Radio Djiido journalist Andre Qaeze told RNZ Pacific young people on the streets are saying they will never give up pushing back against Frances grip on the territory. He noted that the political problemthe voting lawis just the visible part of the iceberg. The deeper problem was economic. Pointing to drawn-out negotiations over independence, Qaeze noted, for 30 years the young generation, they have seen this kind of game, and for them we cannot continue like this. A group of unidentified Kanak youth told an ABC film crew: They talk about us as terrorists, but its them, they are the ones who are terrorists hereWe protect our families, we have children. The voiceover noted: most of all, they speak of neglect. One young man said They should not be surprised. The suburbs have always been left behind. The movement was taking place because no one is listening to us. We are marginalised here. After witnessing some of the areas of destruction by helicopter, Macron was forced to admit that social inequalities had continued to increase. However, he refused to accept that France had any responsibility for the situation and the riots, claiming: They [the pro-independence leadership] rely on delinquents who have sometimes overwhelmed their order-givers. Further slandering Kanak youth, he fraudulently condemned the uninhibited racism that has re-emerged over the past eleven days. The colony, with a population of 270,000, faces an escalating economic crisis, with the vital nickel industry in turmoil and people reeling from escalating living costs. All the official parties, from both pro-independence and rival anti-independence factions, stand on the side of the business elite, opposing any meaningful measures to end poverty and social inequality. In reality, none of the impoverished Pacific Island countries is fully independent: All of them rely heavily on aid from the imperialist powers and their governments are subject to routine interference from Australia, New Zealand, the US and France. As Washington and its NATO allies, including France, wage war in Ukraine and escalate conflict with China in the Pacific, Macron is determined to keep a tight grip on the mineral reserves and strategic military bases in New Caledonia. Along with workers in mainland France, Kanak youth and workers are directly confronting the geo-political interests of French imperialism. Defying Fridays order by the International Court of Justice, Israel has carried out more than 60 bombings in the city of Rafah over the past two days. On Sunday, millions of people around the world were horrified by footage of an Israeli massacre at a refugee camp in one of the safe areas of Rafah that killed at least 35 people, including women and children. A bulldozer unloads the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israel in a mass grave in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. [AP Photo/Fatima Shbair] Rafah has been under continuous bombardment for three weeks, with Israeli tanks advancing into the city street by street every day. The intensity of the bombardment and ground attacks has led to the total suspension of humanitarian food distribution in the city, and Israel has shut off nearly all food aid into the territory. In contrast with what millions of people see with their own eyes, the US and British governments have publicly declared that there is no large-scale offensive in Rafah. They claim that, to the extent that Israel is carrying out limited military operations in the city, it is, in the words of Biden, doing all it can to ensure civilian protection. This preposterous and absurd lie was the subject of a highly revealing exchange Tuesday in the British House of Commons. UK Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell was asked by opposition Labour MP Andy McDonald how the government could declare that there is no significant military offensive in Rafah when 800,000 people have been forcibly displaced from the city. To this, the deputy foreign secretary replied that the 800,000 displaced people had chosen to go. McDonald asked, What choice did they have to move? Was this just, I think I want to go and live somewhere else? Is that not a preposterous suggestion to make? The declaration that the Palestinians had chosen to flee, while certainly preposterous, carries with it immense historical resonance. It is a restatement of what the world-renowned Israeli historian Ilan Pappe (who was interrogated for hours upon a recent trip to the US) called the foundational myth of Zionism: that the 1948 Nakba, in which 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes, was a voluntary resettlement on the part of Palestinians, unprompted by the actions of Israeli forces. Pappes 2006 book, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, is a devastating exposure of all the lies of official Israeli historiography. It demonstrates that the 1948 displacement and mass killing of Palestinians was the outcome of a detailed and conscious plan. In a chilling parallel to the events of the present day, Pappe explained that Israel cloaked its plans as a response to attacks by an Arab militia, noting, The Zionist policy was initially based on retaliation against Palestinian attacks in February 1947, but it eventually evolved into an initiative to ethnically cleanse the entire country in March 1948. He added: Once the decision was taken, it took six months to complete the mission. When it was over, more than half of Palestines native population, close to 800,000 people, had been uprooted, 531 villages had been destroyed, and eleven urban neighbourhoods emptied of their inhabitants. The plan decided upon on 10 March 1948, and above all its systematic implementation in the following months, was a clear-cut case of an ethnic cleansing operation, regarded under international law today as a crime against humanity. (P. 14) The Gaza genocide marks a culmination of what Pappe explained were the goals set by the Zionist movement very early on, when it had appeared in Palestine: to have as much of Palestine as possible with as few Palestinians in it as possible. That the present genocide is the expression of a conscious plan is not a secret. On September 22, 2023, one month before the onslaught on Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displayed a map at the United Nations General Assembly of the new Middle East. The map showed Israel encompassing all of the Palestinian territories, as part of a geopolitical framework with the US-aligned Middle Eastern states of Egypt, Sudan, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu made this provocative display just two days after meeting with President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington. During that meeting, Biden declared that the dream of generations will be fulfilled in the US-led reorganization of the Middle East, adding, Youve heard me say many times: Were there no Israel, wed have to invent one. That meeting took place three weeks before the events of October 7, in which Hamas forces overran the Gaza border following the deliberate withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area, in execution of a Hamas plan the Israeli government had in its possession for over a year. The events of that day set into motion what Israeli security cabinet member and Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter called Nakba 2023. Last week, Blinken made what appeared to be two identical verbal slips in two separate Senate committee hearings, which revealed the underlying genocidal intent of American imperialism. In testimony on May 21 before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken declared: Theres an opportunity for Israel to become integrated in the region, to get the security, fundamental security it needs and wants, and to have the relationships that it has sought going back to its founding. But in order for that to actually go forward, there has to be an end to Gaza. At another Senate committee hearing the same day, Blinken used the same formulation, declaring that normalization requires an end to Gaza. Every day, the actual US-Israeli policy of genocide and ethnic cleansing is becoming clearer. Securing the US-dominated reorganization of the Middle East, what Biden called the dream of generations, does, in fact, require the end of Gaza, i.e., the systematic crushing of organized resistance by the Palestinian people to Israeli domination. The outbreak of global war, with the imperialist powers targeting Russia, China and Iran, is giving Israel and its imperialist backers the occasion to carry out the Final Solution of the Palestinian question. For decades, every war launched by the United States and all the imperialist powers has been justified as an operation for preserving human rights and stopping genocide. Everything from the bombing of Yugoslavia to the regime-change operation in Libya was sold as the only way to prevent an imminent genocide. Even the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine was sold to the public as an effort to stop what Biden called a genocide in which Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being able to be Ukrainian. The events of the past seven months have made it clear, however, that the greatest state sponsors of genocide and ethnic cleansing are the United States and its imperialist allies. Join the rank-and-file movement against war! Fill out the form at the bottom of this article for help setting up a rank-and-file committee at your workplace. Sign calling for a general strike on the picket line at University of California Santa Cruz, May 20, 2024 On Saturday, May 25, the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) hosted a meeting titled Mobilize the working class to defend the University of California (UC) strike against genocide! More than 200 people registered for the meeting, including UC workers and other workers from the railroads, the auto industry, public schools and healthcare. The wide-ranging discussion connected the struggle against the genocide in Gaza and the attack on peaceful protests with workers struggles against mass layoffs and other cuts. WSWS writer Tom Hall began the meeting with a report that stressed the importance of the protests and the strike by academic workers, who are members of United Auto Workers Local 4811. What makes the strike which began this week at the University of California so important is that it poses the entry of the working class into the struggle as the basic political force against war and attacks on free speech. He continued: As horrible as it is, the genocide in Gaza is only one front in the emerging Third World War. This also includes the US proxy war in Ukraine and advanced plans for war against China. Hall also connected the attack on campus protests with the arrest of anti-war socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk by the Ukrainian state security services and urged attendees to join the campaign for his release . On top of expanding the strike immediately to all 10 UC campuses, Hall called on workers to build rank-and-file committees to establish lines of communication and prepare nationwide and globally coordinated actions. The decision of the union bureaucracy to limit the strike to a single campusnow set to expand Tuesday to UCLA and UC Davisexpresses the class function of the union bureaucracy, which works on behalf of management and the government to suppress the working class. He ended the report by urging, Once you leave this meeting, you have to take action yourself. Speak to your co-workers about what youve learned here. Start building committees at your own workplaces. Dont wait for the leadership to be provided by others. It can only be provided by you, by the workers themselves. Following the opening report, Tamino, a member of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Germany, reported on the government crackdown on anti-genocide protests by university students in Berlin. Tamino explained that the government responded to a protest at the Free University by mobilizing hundreds of police. At Humboldt University, the police responded to the occupation of a campus building by brutally dissolving the peaceful blockade, whereby one person even became unconscious and had to be medically treated, he said. The global crackdown, he explained, is about suppressing every opposition to the genocide in Gaza and the German governments war policy. If today critical students are being beaten down, tomorrow it will be striking workers and other opponents of war. We are therefore calling on all workers to defend the students at the universities. Like in the US, the German trade unions fully support the genocide in Gaza and do everything to suppress any opposition. The German metal workers union (IG Metall) even has a cooperation agreement with the German arms industry. Workers must therefore organize themselves independently of the trade unions in rank-and-file committees and unite internationally to beat back the attacks on democratic rights and stop this insane war policy. Early on in the meeting, one worker asked how the UAW leadership justified the so-called stand-up strike tactic of only calling out a fraction of the membership and how workers could counter it. In response, Will Lehman, a socialist autoworker who ran for president of the UAW in 2022, explained that the stand-up strike is designed to isolate workers and impose a defeat, as was the case in the auto strike last year. Lehman noted, The UAW is not informing any other members, including autoworkers, of the strike thats going on [at UC]. He added, The idea that any one of us is fighting alone, when were paying dues to this organization, and when there is an overwhelming strike authorization by 79 percent [to strike] the idea that the UAW is conducting any sort of struggle is ridiculous. Following up on Lehmans report, Hall reviewed numerous meetings between UAW President Shawn Fain and President Biden, including public appearances where the union threw out anti-genocide protesters or worked with riot cops to shield Genocide Joe from protests. He also explained how Fain himself came to power as the result of a federal intervention into the UAW. A federal monitor oversaw a rigged election in which the turnout was reduced to 9 percent, and hundreds of thousands never even got ballots. Voter suppression was particularly intense against UC and California State University academic workers. Actually, one of the main reasons for this was that another person who was on the ballot was Will Lehman, who ran on a campaign of rank-and-file committees and abolishing the bureaucracy. That was totally out of bounds, as far as the ruling class was concerned. They need this bureaucracy, with some semblance of credibility, in order to play the role that its seeking to play. He concluded: The question of the transfer of power from the bureaucracy to the rank and file is not just a tactical question. Its a strategic and a political question, because its bound up also with a fight against the two pro-war parties which this bureaucracy serves. Connected with that is also the fight of the working class against capitalist exploitation and against capitalism. Workers from other industries connected their own experiences with those of students and academic workers, especially the role of the government and the pro-corporate union bureaucrats. William, a member of the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee, spoke about the contract fight by 120,000 railroad workers in 2022. Despite the vote by 95 percent to authorize the strike, the railway union bureaucrats kept workers on the job even after legal anti-strike restrictions expired. This bought the Biden administration and Congress crucial time to pass legislation to pre-emptively ban a national rail strike. When it came time to put the screws to the working class, there was no opposition. They held hands, and they enacted legislation to ban our strike. Joe Biden, despite all of his big talk about being the most union-friendly president ever, signed that legislation into effect. So-called socialists, such as AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] and the Democratic Socialists of America, were in support of this legislation. The capitalist state could not allow railroad workers to strike. That would severely hamper their war production. He finished by calling on the working class to build organizations independent of the unions. There is no independence with these bureaucracies. They are attached to the state 100 percent. Clare, an educator who used to teach in Alabama, also tied the struggle against war with the fight by teachers to close schools in the opening months of the pandemic. She said: They literally let teachers die. In my own city, we had eight teachers die, four within the span of about 48 hours. It wasnt until the eighth teacher died that they let us go home. Not only are teachers dying, students are getting sick. I had one student, at the beginning of the month, his mother died. And by the end of the month, his father died. So he went from being a student with two parents to an orphan in a matter of a month. They didnt care. So the fact that as the working class, we need to understand that they dont care about our lives, they really dont even care about the law. One academic worker reiterated that their union was not working in their interests or representing rank-and-file workers and asked how to organize rank-and-file committees on their campuses. In response, WSWS writer Norisa Diaz said that the first concrete step is to begin having discussions with coworkers about the union bureaucracies and who they fundamentally serve, which is the Democratic Party and the ruling class. Workers need to begin having discussions, organizing, building, having democratic discussions amongst yourselves about the conditions and what needs to be done to actually organize a joint action. Hall added that a committee can be started by just a few people and stressed that the power of the committee was that it articulated and gave organized expression to the strivings of the rank and file. The meeting closed after a contribution from the Socialist Equality Partys vice presidential candidate, Jerry White. The strike, he said, is an expression of the growing radicalization of the working class and youth in the United States and, in fact, internationally. And this is leading to a direct political conflict with the capitalist parties and governments around the world, including the Biden administration. He continued: The emphasis of this meeting very much has been the development of rank-and-file committees to give a conscious, organized expression to the immense opposition, which can find no expression through the old union bureaucracies. It can only be expressed through the independent organization and the independent initiative of rank-and-file workers in the United States and around the world. Joseph Kishore is running for US president and myself as vice president in order to raise the political consciousness of the working class and to make the connection between Gaza and the broader wars of US imperialism. None of the problems that workers confrontwhether its social inequality, war or the danger of fascismcan be resolved outside of the independent political mobilization of the working class to take political power into our own hands, abolish the capitalist system and reorganize economic life in the US and internationally on the basis of socialism, on the basis of social equality. Join the rank-and-file movement against war! Fill out the form below for help setting up a rank-and-file committee at your workplace. On May 15, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an investigation into Kentuckys eight juvenile detention facilities and one youth development center run by the states Department of Juvenile Justice. The investigation follows continued reports of excessive force by staff, prolonged and punitive isolation and inadequate protection from violence and sexual abuse, according to the DOJ Civil Rights Divisions Special Litigation Section. The federal investigation comes less than six months after former prisoners held in a juvenile detention facility filed a lawsuit detailing abuse, neglect and humiliation that they experienced at the hands of jail staff. One of these cases was a 17-year-old girl who had spent much of the summer of 2022 locked inside a filthy isolation cell in unsanitary conditions, sometimes naked, while the jail staff ignored her cries for help and mocked her body odor. The lawsuit stated that because she was neglected for weeks, the girl grew increasingly confused and paranoid. She reached her hands through a narrow flap in her cell door and called out, They are going to kill me. The rampant abuse within the states juvenile justice system has been documented for nearly a decade with repeated investigations, state audits and outcry by youth advocates, often met with platitudes by state legislators and officials. Meanwhile, former jail and nursing staff at these facilities have experienced retaliation for whistle-blowing about the inhumane and dangerous mistreatment of children in custody. In 2023, there were three different occasions when this occurred. In January of this year a state audit revealed systematic abuse within Kentuckys juvenile detention facilities. The report, Juvenile Justice Performance Assessment of Facilities, was only initiated due to a series of assaults, escapes and riot situations in these brutal, overcrowded prisons. The audit found facilities had not implemented protocols recommended back in 2017. Those protocols called for better security and medical staffing, on-site mental health care and less use of solitary confinement for the teenagers in its custody. Kentucky presently operates eight prisons designed to house young people throughout the state, incarcerating around 163 per 100,000 youth a year. This is more than double the national average of 74 per 100,000. Though the number of incarcerated youths has followed a decreasing national trend, the intake numbers demonstrate a sharp increase between 2021 (1,861 detainees) and 2022 (3,044 detainees) as pandemic policies were ended. A large portion of incarcerated youths in Kentucky are considered status offenders, charged with minor and age-specific violations like truancy, or they have run away from home. On average, they spend about a week in custody, although there are many more who have been locked up for a month or more in pre-trial detention. Many of these children are not considered to be significantly more violent nor are they a danger to society. In reality, they are victims of a cruel social order that has produced mass poverty, a raging opioid epidemic, and destroyed the basic safety net. None of the investigations or policy proposals by state or federal agencies are capable of addressing the role, let alone the underlying causes, of mass incarceration in contemporary American society. In launching the federal investigation, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke commented: Confinement in the juvenile justice system should help children avoid future contact with law enforcement and mature into law-abiding, productive members of society. Too often, juvenile justice facilities break our children, exposing them to dangerous and traumatic conditions. By productive members of society, the Justice Department expresses the concerns of the Biden administration and the entire political establishment that many in an entire generation of young people are not integrated into the capitalist profit system or the war machine. These children have been raised in an age of continuous war, unprecedented inequality, police violence and the destruction of public schools and other social infrastructure. Poor youth are expected to either enlist in the military or condemn themselves to low wages shoveling the furnaces of Amazon, Walmart and other corporations helmed by billionaires. For his part, Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has dismissed the investigation into juvenile prisons as a political tool used by the Republican-controlled state legislature, after the State Auditor of Public Accounts said a lack of leadership in the governors office was to blame for the way these facilities had been run. Despite the divisions between the Democrats and Republicans, the ruling class in Kentucky is united in preventing any substantial change in the juvenile justice system. Even cosmetic reforms to the prisons have been blocked. Senate Bill 242, which stalled in the House, would have put $165 million into building three new detention centers, two to be designated as female only. It would have renovated existing facilities, including a 16-bed complex at Louisvilles Central State Hospital for high acuity youths most in need of mental health services. Though SB 242 would have addressed funding issues in renovating existing facilities and separating female and male youths, it would not have addressed the use of solitary confinement, which was used 1,579 times last year, or in nearly 150 cases per month. Nor would it address the violent use of force employed by jail staff by means of chemical agents, tasers, and other security control devices. Instead of addressing the abuse or the long-term physical and mental impacts it has on young people, the state has sought to double down on being tough on crime. Most notably, through the Safer Kentucky Act signed into law in April, punishments have been stiffened for various crimes and homelessness is now a criminal offense. Luke David Yates is the witness who got away. The 51-year-old Appomattox resident was supposed to testify in the recent murder trial of an Albemarle County man, but failing to appear Yates was instead recently convicted of contempt. I was scared, Yates said during his contempt trial earlier this month. I panicked. Yates had been subpoenaed for the mid-March trial of Kevin Michael Moore, a former jail cellmate. While people connected to the Moore case have been tight-lipped about what Yates might have revealed had he taken the witness stand, they have hinted that it had a forensic aspect that would have cemented the case against Moore. Despite Yates absence, an Albemarle County jury found the 39-year-old Moore guilty of the first-degree murder of 47-year-old Fluvanna County man Jesse Hicks, who disappeared in 2004 and whose remains were found 10 years later. Much of the evidence against Moore was his own words, surreptitiously recorded by an ex-convict in a specially outfitted van courtesy of local law enforcement. Unlike some so-called jailhouse snitches, who have been accused of concocting tales to please prosecutors in hopes of winning a reduction of their own sentences, Yates had no pending criminal matters at the time of the trial. In the surreptitiously recorded tapes, Moore can be heard boasting of a killing that matched key details in Hicks slaying. Even at the May 3 contempt trial, which took place in the Albemarle County Circuit Courts main courtroom, what Yates heard Moore say behind bars was not publicly revealed. He had made some specific statements about the crime? prosecutor Richard Farley asked Yates. Yes, answered Yates, without elaborating. Why were you concerned about your safety? Farley asked. Although Yates has his own criminal past, which includes an abduction conviction, he told Farley that he felt rattled by the prospect of testifying against an accused killer such as Moore. One of my family members put the idea in my head that he could wind up coming after me, said Yates. Yates court-appointed attorney Anthony Martin emphasized the potential danger of testifying against Moore, part of a large family that operates a Scottsville-area general store and hunt club, the latter of which is where Hicks body was found. Moores father, Richard Glenn Spradlin, was also implicated in the slaying, but Spradlin died of cancer the year before the trial. This wasnt a run-of-the-mill burglary or shoplifting case, said Martin. This was a homicide case. It was someone who was violent. Even the prosecutor seemed eager to absolve Yates. Frankly, his safety concerns are justified, said Farley. Despite the understanding words from both sides of the aisle, Albemarle Circuit Judge Claude Worrell convicted Yates of contempt. It doesnt sound like the commonwealth was really enthusiastic about prosecuting him, said local legal analyst David Heilberg, taking note of a widespread desire for prosecutors to avoid punishing their witnesses. Although Virginia law gives Worrell the right to jail a contempt violator for up to 10 days, Heilberg suspects that Yates will emerge with nothing more than a fine. One thing that Worrell has ordered is that Yates return Sept. 3 for his sentencing. And in an unusual twist, Worrell also ordered Yates to return the prior week to attend Moores sentencing, which is set for Aug. 30. Donald Trump Is Seemingly Trying Everything He Can to Stop The Apprentice Film From Hitting Theaters Warning: This post contains descriptions of sexual violence. With The Apprentice nearing completion, it seems former US President Donald Trump is ready to do anything to prevent its release in theaters. While the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Trumps team is trying to prevent it from being shown in theaters in the US. More from SheKnows Per Variety, his attorneys sent a cease and desist letter to the filmmakers. The film, directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman, stars Sebastian Stan as Donald, Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. THE APPRENTICE, from left: Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, 2024. Mongrel Media / Courtesy Everett Collection. The two-hour-long film follows Donalds rise to fame when he started his real estate business alongside lawyer Roy Cohn, along with his first marriage to Ivana Trump. The film is also said to depict his plastic surgeries, a scene where he rapes his first wife Ivana, abuse in many forms, and more. The cease and desist letter is the first time Donald has responded to this project, despite it being first announced in 2018, per Variety. In response to the letter, the producers said in a statement, per Variety that, The film is a fair and balanced portrait of the former president. We want everyone to see it and then decide. The film has already received positive reviews and has distributors in Canada and Ireland already, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Despite this, it seems Donalds team is working hard to ensure that the filmmakers wont find a distributor in the US, and apparently, they plan to sue over that rape scene. Donald Trump with his first wife, Ivana. Photo by Tom Gates/Archive Photos/Getty Images. Steven Cheung, a communications director for the Trump campaign, said, via People, that: We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunkedThis film is pure malicious defamation, should not see the light of day, and doesnt even deserve a place in the straight-to-DVD section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store. It belongs in a dumpster fire. However, Ivana did say that he raped her in a fit of rage, but he denied it, per Vice. Before you go, click here to see the biggest presidential scandals in US History. Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Renner said he realized the show itself could be a motivator. For Jeremy Renner, getting back to his Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown after a devastating snowplow accident in January 2023 was an important step in his recovery literally. I knew how exhausting it is, even when Im perfectly healthy, he told Yahoo Entertainment about starring in and executive producing the series, which launches its third season on June 2. I can maybe walk 100 yards normal. But whats my endurance? My endurance was crap. On Jan. 1, 2023, the Mayor of Kingstown star, 53, who is also known for his Hawkeye role in Marvels Avengers franchise, got run over by his 14,000-lb. snowplow at his home in Nevada. Renner was airlifted to the hospital and sustained multiple broken bones, chest trauma and a collapsed lung. Getting back on two feet alone was going to be a long road. After a solid year of physical therapy and recovery, the Oscar-nominated actor and father of one began production on the Kingstown crime drama, which is about a family of power brokers in Michigan who work as mediators between the local prison, law enforcement and gangs. Asking himself How do I come back a year after the accident, Renner said he realized the show itself could be a motivator. This is my getting outside the front gate, he said. Stop just doing recovery and just go out and live life, do life stuff. And let that be part of the recovery. In January 2024, Renner rejoined the production and is now ready to launch Season 3 a mere five months later. He credits the show itself and his devotion to character Mike McLusky, aka the titular mayor, for helping him on that journey. Jeremy Renner is back for Season 3 of "Mayor of Kingstown," premiering June 2 on Paramount+. (Dennis P. Mong Jr./Paramount +) You gotta just take the Band-Aid off and go for it While he concedes that his work on the show requires a lot of effort, and theres a lot he has to shoulder, Renner also said that he has had a lot of support from his team. I had a lot of people helping, listening to my body as much as I had to listen to my body. And we did it as a unit. It took all of us to kind of get through it, he said. You gotta just take the Band-Aid off, right, and go for it, he added. Like anything, youve got to be courageous enough. What am I going to do, just fail? Failure, for Renner, was not an option. He knew the show and its future affected more people than just him alone. Then everybodys out of a job. That sucks, he said. And were not going to allow that to happen either, especially after the long break that a lot of people had with the strikes the writers strike, the actors strike and there's a lot of people out of a job for a long time. So that was also really important to me to get people employed again. And important for me to get on my feet again. Tobi Bamtefa and Jeremy Renner star in "Mayor of Kingstown." (Dennis P. Mong Jr./Paramount+) A safe landing spot The show itself, which doesnt shy away from violence, has been called dark by critics. I wouldnt disagree, Renner said. I do like dark. But my argument always is the safe landing spot for our audience. For me, when I watch it, I'm like, I need time to breathe a little moment away from the chaos the death, the destruction, the fires, explosions, all this stuff, right? Give us a reason to care more, to fall for our characters more or to feel more for our main players. Well, on Season 3, I think we get a lot more of that. So, hows the actor feeling now? Feeling strong, feeling happy, he said, and proud. Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 starts streaming on Paramount+ June 2. Megan Bayne could be back in AEW sooner than we think. The American star has made a name for herself in Japan in recent years, wrestling for Stardom between 2023 and 2024. She also starred in OVW, where she is a former Womens Champion in the promotion. It was previously reported that she had been under contract with AEW for some time. This was despite rarely appearing for the company She left Stardom earlier this year, with many expecting her to show up in AEW. This hasnt happened yet, but Megan Bayne could be returning to the company sooner rather than later. Fightful Select reported that backstage, there have been pitches to re-debut Megan Bayne in the company. The plan is to bring her back as a heel, although nothing has been confirmed yet. Fightful Select has learned that creative pitches have been made for Bayne, for a possible re-debut in All Elite Wrestling. Early indications were that she would be in a heel role. The 25-year-old last appeared for the company in 2023, wrestling in a match on AEW Dark. Megan Bayne In Stardom Was A Dream Come True In a recent interview with WrestleZones Ella Jay, Rebecca Scott spoke about her and Megan Baynes time in Stardom together. She called it a dream come true, and talks about how insane it was that Bayne made it to Japan to wrestle in one of the worlds top womens promotion. Years before, when me and Megan were really heavy in the gym, when we were training all the time and she was starting her momentum, I was just starting in pro wrestling, we would sit on my couch. She might murder me for saying, but we would sit on my couch watching these STARDOM matches, taking notes, thinking how insane it would be to be there, Scott recalled. Specifically, we would watch Giulia matches. So when she got to wrestle Giulia and they did what they did insanity. Weve had so many conversations about this. We cant believe it. This is the example of dreams come true. We would sit on my couch, like, Look how cool these girls are. One day, were gonna be over there. Were gonna be doing this, Then she went over and did it. The post Megan Bayne Is Reportedly Set To Return To AEW appeared first on Wrestlezone. How do you not just set everything on fire?: A film about a Zambian familys dark past sets Cannes ablaze The final, searing shot of Rungano Nyonis On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is a convergence of everything thats come before. The film, about a sudden death and family secrets in Zambia, comes to a thundering conclusion in a shouting match that threatens to drown out all empathy. Trauma, misogyny and Kafkaesque logic combine in a toxic brew thats difficult to stomach, for us as well as its main character. For a film that has remained even-tempered in its study of family values and the groupthink family can foster finally, its pulse quickens. You realize that rage, that had felt disquietingly absent before, was there all along. Nyonis first movie I Am Not A Witch broke through at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and won her a BAFTA. The Zambian British filmmaker returned to the festival with another acerbic work, this time with heavyweight backing in the form of US distributor A24 (Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Zone of Interest) and producer Element Pictures (Poor Things), winning the award for best director in the Un Certain Regard competition on May 24. Like her debut, a satire on the practice of witch camps, also set in Zambia, the country of Nyonis birth, Guinea Fowl deals with injustice in tragicomic fashion. This time the writer-directors target is historic abuse, and what happens when the perpetrator cant or wont be held accountable. The idea came from a scrapped plotline for Nyonis previous film, she told CNN, in an interview during the festival. She revived it through intensive research, interviewing survivors in Zambia for her Bemba and English-language screenplay. What I found quite remarkable was how casual people are about sexual abuse, she said. Sometimes everybody knows the perpetrator and sits at the (same) dinner table. How do you cope with that? How do you cope with somebody, that everybody knows they do that, and then ask them to pass the salt? Its bizarre to me. How do you not get up and just set everything on fire? Writer-director Rungano Nyoni during the production of "On Becoming A Guinea Fowl." The director was born in Zambia before moving to Wales as a child. Both her feature films have been set in the country of her birth. - Chibesa Mulumba/A24 That most people dont is the thread Nyoni wanted to pull at. The difficulty of speaking up and the submissiveness you experience in that silence, she said, is an ongoing subject in her filmmaking. Her sophomore feature concerns Shula (Susan Chardy), a middle-class Zambian who has recently returned from a life abroad. One night, on the way back from a fancy dress party, she discovers her uncle dead by the roadside. She reports this to her father only to be met with the first of a series of bizarre responses to the news. Uncle Fred cant die. Just sprinkle some water on him, shes told. Her father is right, albeit for the wrong reasons: Uncle Fred has been living in Shulas head ever since he abused her as a child. Shes not the only survivor in the family, we learn, nor was any of this much of a secret. Nevertheless, theres a funeral to be arranged, public displays of mourning to wail through, and a lot of history to be swept under the carpet. Spiking her drama with surreal images and poetic flourishes, Nyoni sends audiences through the looking glass, then pulls them back with pitch black humor, asking us to question whether what were watching is all that absurd in the first place. You dont even look traumatized, one affronted aunty tells Shula in the aftermath of Freds discovery. Later at a gathering of mourners, another aunty instructs her to cry a bit. Why are you so cold hearted? she adds, Youre embarrassing us. Nyoni sees her film as corrective to how abuse is often depicted. Its not what you see in a lot of movies, she explains, (where) you say your secret, and everyone comes around you. From my experience and from what I saw from other people sometimes that doesnt happen. Then how do you live with that? Guinea Fowl zeroes in on a bitter irony: the same conspiracy of silence that is breaking apart individuals is also holding the family together. Deference and duty remain paramount, and to the mourners who descend on the family home to pay their respects, everyone appears outwardly functional. (That this is happening in a matriarchal society, where men are largely side-lined, makes it even more confounding.) I know quite well about keeping secrets, said the writer-director, cryptically. Of the films family dynamics, I know this subject, she elaborated, but this is definitely a fictionalized version of whatever it is Ive experienced. Maggie Mulubwa in "I Am Not A Witch," Rungano Nyoni's 2017 film. Mulubwa's character is also called Shula, the name of Nyoni's great grandmother, which the writer-director has given to three characters in her career to date. - Kinology Faced with a family omerta and a dead perpetrator, theres nowhere for Shula to place her anger. You cant question a corpse, her father says, imploring her to let bygones be bygones. Its taboo to speak ill of the dead. But as memories continue to hemorrhage through, her reaction to her abusers death poses questions of his enablers. In her feature debut, Chardy rises to the challenge of playing Shula. I empathize with her a lot, said the actor. As a person I have a lot to say, and to find this medium where youre trying to say something without saying something, its a push and pull between feeling powerless and powerful at the same time. The writer-director also sees some of herself in her lead. I have this rage, Nyoni said. You can see it, but maybe its more subtle, its somehow repressed. Screenwriting is always a reflection of what Im going through, she added, I try not to get in the way of that. Writer-director Rungano Nyoni (left) and actress Susan Chardy (right) pose during a photocall at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2024. - LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images Shula is not the only perspective the director was interested in, however. Nyoni increasingly folds in the narrative of Freds young widow (played by Norah Mwansa) a victim herself, further victimized by his death. The widow I struggled with, so we found people whove been in the same situation, Nyoni said. They were very candid, and told me about their stories and were really open. Ive got worse stories to tell about what happens (than what appears in the film), she added. Widows end up being a scapegoat for a lot of peoples frustrations. In its final act, Guinea Fowl shows how difficult it can be to truly break the cycle of abuse. Yet Nyonis complicated portrait of family trauma is not without hope, thanks to Shula and a last gasp moment full of sound and fury, signifying everything. For me, its the most powerful shot in the film, said Chardy. Its bigger than (Shula) finds strength; she owns what happened to her and wants to take everybody else with her. Chardy hopes the films sense of resolve will resonate. There are a lot more women in the world who have gone through this, and you really dont know until you speak to someone, she added. I hope that (audiences) will be able to find some strength from the journey that Shula finds herself on. On Becoming A Guinea Fowl premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is coming soon to theaters in the US and UK. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com RHODubai's Chanel Ayan Says 'Nobody' Reached Out After Childhood Circumcision Reveal: 'Not Even My Closest Friends Knew' "I was on my own in my house crying, closing the curtains, now knowing that the whole entire world knows this," she said on the May 27 episode of the 'Two Ts in a Pod' podcast Dave Benett/Getty Images for Perfect X AMI Chanel Ayan attends the Perfect Magazine and AMI Paris LFW Party at Dovetale at 1 Hotel Mayfair on February 19, 2024 in London, England Nearly two years ago, Chanel Ayan revealed on an episode of The Real Housewives of Dubai that she and her older sister Ifrah were circumcised as children without her familys knowledge. Now, Ayan, 45, is opening up about that moment, telling Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp on the May 27 episode of their Two Ts in a Pod podcast that not even my closest friends knew I don't have a most of my vagina. The Kenya-born model also shared that, after her story aired on the August 2022 episode of RHODubai, she didnt receive the reaction she expected. When my story aired, Tamra, nobody reached out to me, and I mean nobody reached out to me, Ayan claimed. I was on my own in my house crying, closing the curtains, now knowing that the whole entire world knows this about me. Trae Patton/Bravo via Getty From left: Sara Al Madani, Caroline Brooks, Lesa Milan, Francesca Amiker, Chanel Ayan, Caroline Stanbury and Taleen Marie of 'The Real Housewives of Dubai' at BravoCon 2023 Related: Chanel Ayan of 'RHODubai' and Her Sister Reflect on 'Unbreakable Bond' as Circumcision Survivors Ayan said that in her predominately Muslim culture, people dont typically discuss this type of subject matter. Everything I'm doing is, like, the opposite of what I'm supposed to be doing, she said. And then I got the worst backlash, man. We don't accept you. We don't want you. Who the do you think you are? Like, I was being crazy. I was on my own. I was, like, so stressed. I was having bad thoughts. I was so angry with myself. The mom of teenage son Taj said she tried to amp up myself by listening to Nicki Minaj songs after filming because I was really scared of what I did. I had to tell my husband. I had to tell my son. I had to tell my sisters because I knew I'm gonna get a lot of backlash, Ayan continued. She called the fallout after the episode aired the worst moment of my life," adding, "Every time I walk around, I don't think people see me as this girl that's, like, funny. I feel like the first thing they see me is they know my story, and I'm OK with that now." Some good did come out of going public with her genital mutilation experience, though. Literally in the worst moments of my life, the messages I got from women that have gone through the same thing as me was insane, Ayan said. It was insane. I think that's one of the things that kept me going. And then listening to the stories, and then me sitting there and replying back. Cedric Ribeiro/Getty Images for HUDA Beauty Chanel Ayan with her famiily at a beach clean-up at The Secret Beach, Al Sufouh on June 07, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates Ayan previously told PEOPLE that her husband Christopher supported me and loved me for who I am after he learned about her circumcision at age 5. "Nobody has ever heard me talk about it, she said. It wasn't a plan for me to do it. I was so embarrassed my whole entire life. I never slept." Related: 'Real Housewives of Dubai' 's Chanel Ayan Reveals the Dark Reason She Snapped at Caroline Stanbury The reality star ended up opening about it during a hypnotherapy session with fellow Housewife Dr. Sara Al-Madani. For Ayan, it helped her reclaim control of her narrative. "Yes, I am a victim, but I have my power now because I talked about it," Ayan said. "I feel like saying it [helps me] to get me my power back and confidence that I've always lost in it with my body and things like that." 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. Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Dubai premieres Sunday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Brain-computer interface ushers in mind-control era Xinhua) 16:46, May 27, 2024 TIANJIN, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A stroke patient who donned a brain electrode cap was attempting to lift a bottle from the table using her fingers and an additional "sixth finger" device mounted on the wrist. "Try again, focus your attention, and see if you can lift the bottle," said a neurological physician encouragingly. With each attempt -- once, twice, thrice, -- the patient who had been unable to grip a pen witnessed the bottle slowly detach from the tabletop. The expression transformed from initial despair to incredulous astonishment, culminating in a moment as tears brimmed in her eyes. Wang Zhuang, a third-year doctoral student and a member of the neural engineering team at Tianjin University, intently watched the patient and the "sixth finger" device on her hand, while meticulously recording every fluctuation in the data. The team has crafted an innovative finger-worn device, leveraging non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to harness the patient's brainwaves, enabling stroke patients to mentally "command" an extra digit. Also, the device serves to revitalize the patients' compromised central and peripheral nervous systems, thereby facilitating the rehabilitation of hand motor functions. The BCI, a technology heralding the future, is swiftly emerging as a focal point for global investment. Scientists and engineers are eager to integrate this pioneering tech into the realm of medical practice, embracing a new era of therapeutic possibilities. "Stroke stands as a significant threat to the health of our nation's populace, often leaving patients with varying levels of physical impairment," said Wang. "Our aspiration is to harness the power of technology to offer them enhanced opportunities for a life of completeness and fulfillment," he added. In January, a Chinese clinical team from Xuanwu Hospital had implanted a wireless processor into the skull of a paralyzed man, and this significantly assisted him to recover his motor skills, including drinking a bottle of water on his own. China has unveiled guidelines to support the technological innovation, industrial cultivation and safety governance of future industries, including the BCI industry. According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology's report on the development and application of BCI (2023), medical treatment stands as the predominant application domain for BCI technology in China. Approximately 200 medical BCI enterprises operate in China, with a quarter of them pioneering in the field of implantable technology, while the remaining are dedicated to the development of non-implantable technologies, according to the report. Mei Jie, a colleague of Wang, has uncovered additional potential within the BCI system. After six months of dedicated effort, he has successfully engineered a drone that can be controlled by brain signals. "We have achieved for the first time the continuous brain control of a drone in four degrees of freedom," said Mei. "This technology holds expansive potential for applications in various fields, including the identification of distant targets, thorough environmental surveillance, and the monitoring of anomalies." In pursuit of evaluating and fine-tuning the operational capabilities of the "brain-controlled drone," Mei dedicated an entire three-month period to conducting experiments at the outdoor research facility. "Scientific research mirrors the process of cultivating crops that demands patience and persistence as the fruits of one's labor are not instantly harvested, but rather mature over an extended period of growth and fruition," said Mei. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) As a senior about to graduate with a weighted grade point average of 4.49 from Albemarle High School in a few weeks, Kawika Keys has already achieved a lot. His high school transcript is but a glimpse: president of the AHS Black Student Union and captain of the forensics and wrestling teams all while reaching proficiency in both computer programming and Spanish. His next four years will be spent studying political science, history, African studies and business to round it out on a full-ride Karsh STEM scholarship to Howard University. Before he starts his freshman year, Keys is participating in the historically Black universitys Summer Bridge Program, in which incoming Karsh Scholars spend six weeks immersing themselves not only in academic subjects such as calculus, Afro-American studies and chemistry, but also other critical skills helping set students on track toward PhDs, JDs and other professional degrees. The course culminates with a two-week trip to Ghana to develop scholars cultural and research experiences. Though these accomplishments are a testament to his own determination and intellect, Keys said he first had to believe such feats were even attainable for himself, a young Black man raised by a single mother alongside two brothers in not the most stable of housing. That belief was instilled in him from an early age, when, in elementary school, he first became involved with the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mentoring Black boys and closing the achievement gap between them and their schoolmates of other races. Theyve instilled in me this belief that whatever I do believe I can genuinely achieve it, Keys told The Daily Progress, and they provide the resources there for me to be able to do it as well. Keys was one of 48 recipients honored by the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia with a $1,000 scholarship designated for high school seniors in the greater Charlottesville area in recognition of their academic achievements and involvement in their communities. The 100 Black Men of Central Virginia has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarship funds to 288 seniors since 2011. While the focus was originally only for young men, the group expanded its reach to include young women starting last year. This year, 21 female seniors were among the 48 scholarship winners, the most the organization has ever awarded, according to Vice President Dan Sparks. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, students must earn an overall GPA of at least 3.0, have participated in some of the organizations initiatives and be enrolled in college courses beginning next fall. These accomplished students are the trailblazers of tomorrow, and their dedication to education and leadership radiates joy and inspiration within our community, the groups incoming President James Watson said in a statement. It is our privilege to support them in achieving their dreams. The students received their scholarships at a ceremony on May 4 at Union Run Baptist Church marked by a keynote address delivered by Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade, a longtime member of the 100 Black Men. Of the 2024 recipients, five came from Charlottesville High School, another five from Monticello High School and 11 from Albemarle High School. One of the first opportunities students have to participate in 100 Black Men programs locally is the Central Virginia chapters M-Cubed Summer Academy. M-Cubed stands for math, men and mission, and the program is open to rising fifth through eighth graders to help them hone their understanding of algebra as well as academic leadership. Teachers from the organizations coverage area which encompasses the city of Charlottesville and counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson and Orange volunteer their time throughout the year to provide additional instruction. The M-Cubed program, I think it really strengthened my views and helped me in terms of cultural experiences, said Keys, who was first introduced to the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia in second grade through his older brother. It helped me further deepen my understanding of who I am and where my people come from. Additionally, it helped me learn leadership, which is why I want to become such a figure in order to help others. Sparks told The Daily Progress that another key component of the organizations mission is to incorporate both children and their parents in lessons to build more of a support system for students throughout their education. Families are welcome to join in the Circle of Brothers program, which meets every Monday to provide lessons and bring in speakers on a variety of subjects not just in math, but financial literacy, American and African American history and life skills, said Sparks. Parents are also encouraged to accompany their high school students during the college trips that the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia organizes each year, taking rising juniors and seniors to tour Virginia State University, University of Virginia, Hampton University and Coastal Carolina University, among others. Keys said one of the memories hell treasure most is the commencement luncheon for the M-Cubed summer session when he was in middle school, during which incoming students have the opportunity to interact with various figures in the local Black community. We just talked to them about what they do for a living and just being able to see people like that who look like us and have had these experiences that are similar to us, but being able to see them succeed in this world, said Keys, and not only succeed but be able to succeed and give back to us. This blueprint giving back to those who gave in the first place has motivated Keys to return as a mentor for younger students in the M-Cubed program over the past couple of summers. And its also shaping his plans for the future, of which he has many. Key said hed liked to acquire some commercial real estate to offer both affordable housing to low-income households but also mental health and financial support to those families families like his which have not always been able to access such a safety net. He also wants to obtain a law degree, run for public office and conduct political research. While he credits his mother, a longtime Albemarle County teacher who recently became assistant principal of his high school, with instilling in him a strong work ethic and desire for academic success, Keys said growing up surrounded by both admirable mentors and peers in the Black community has had a profound impact on him. Being surrounded by other Black, African American males, who are just as dedicated as I am to pursuing the goals that I want to pursue, thats been a major source of encouragement for me, he said. Thats another reason why I chose to pursue Howard University, because of the fact that I know I will be surrounding myself, just as I was in this program, by other Black or African American people who want to see me succeed just as much as I want to see them succeed. If it werent for the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, Keys said he might not have even been able to attend Howard University. The Karsh STEM scholarship requires applicants meet three requirements: an application, a test and an interview. When it came time to travel to Washington, D.C., for the interview, Keys said he wasnt sure if he would be able to go, as the university didnt provide transport or housing. Whether Keys would make it to his interview wasnt a question for the organizations founding president and former assistant superintendent for Albemarle County Public Schools, L. Bernard Hairston. Hairston drove Keys to the capital, covered the cost of a hotel room and chauffeured the young man back and forth to interviews and other events. Though he, along with the other 47 scholarship recipients, are about to embark on their own individual journeys, Sparks said they will always remain a part of the family. With more than 116 chapters of the 100 Black Men of America, members can access that community almost anywhere in the country. As for Keys, he is already looking forward to returning to Charlottesville next summer to serve as a mentor for next years M-Cubed Academy. I genuinely mean it, this program helps us become better humans; it helps us to understand the importance of bettering ourselves, bettering our community, bettering our families as well, Keys said. I think what Im going to take with me is being able to see the Black excellence that is embodied in these men and being able to use that in my own life, being able to give back to not only the same people who give it back to me, but give back to those who didnt have opportunities like this, he added. Thats really what theyve instilled in me. I think thats the most beautiful thing you can do. In recent years, Jaws star Richard Dreyfuss has come under fire for speaking out on subjects such as Oscar diversity requirements and the use of Blackface. At a Jaws retrospective screening in Beverly, Mass. on Saturday evening, he appeared to take his inflammatory remarks even further as he ranted about subjects reported to include trans people, Barbra Streisand, the MeToo movement and women in general. As attendee Diane Wolfe described it to the Boston Globe, [Dreyfuss] said that the parents of trans youth, allowing them to transition, was bad parenting and that someday those kids might change their minds. More from Variety In a statement, Cabot executive director J. Casey Soward apologized for not anticipating that Dreyfuss might say provocative things on stage. We regret that an event that was meant to be a conversation to celebrate an iconic movie instead became a platform for political views. We take full responsibility for the oversight in not anticipating the direction of the conversation and for the discomfort it caused to many patrons, Soward said. We are in active dialogue with our patrons about their experience and are committed to learning from this event how to better enact our mission of entertaining, educating and inspiring our community. The Cabot also sent an email to those who purchased tickets to the event according to New Bedford, Mass. radio station WBSM, and apologized for comments it characterized as offensive and distressing. According to WBSM, which obtained the email from a patron, it read: Dear Cabot Patrons, I am writing to address an important matter concerning last nights event with Richard Dreyfuss at The Cabot. We deeply regret that Mr. Dreyfusss comments during the event were not in line with the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold at The Cabot. We understand that his remarks were distressing and offensive to many of our community members, and for that, we sincerely apologize. At The Cabot, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community. The views expressed by Mr. Dreyfuss do not reflect our beliefs, and we do not endorse them in any way. We take full responsibility for the oversight in not anticipating the direction of the conversation and for any discomfort it caused. We are taking immediate steps to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. This includes more rigorous vetting of our event participants and more proactive communication strategies to keep our audience informed. Thank you for your understanding and continued support of The Cabot. We value your feedback and are dedicated to learning from this experience to better serve our community. In a video an attendee posted to YouTube, Dreyfuss comes onstage to applause while a Taylor Swift song plays, wearing a dress over his clothes, which stagehands then remove before he sits down. Facebook commenters expressed anger over his comments, characterizing them as vile, dehumanizing, abhorrent things about trans youth, LGBTQ+ people, women and survivors of sexual violence. A young family with a 10 year old daughter had to leave, recounted another commenter. Dozens of patrons reportedly walked out of the venue. After the screening, another video posted to YouTube. shows him talking about a book he published in 2022. Why dont you tell us about your new book? the moderator says. Its called One Thought Scares Me,' Dreyfuss answers, And its about how 50 years ago, without telling anyone, they took civics out of the curriculum. Which means we have no knowledge of who the hell we are. His remarks are met with applause from the remaining moviegoers. Dreyfuss could not immediately be reached for comment during the holiday weekend. Representatives for the Cabot did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Business 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. While I wasnt especially fond of this weeks Top Chef because of an unfortunate boot, some lackluster food, some odd alumni decisions, and my favorite cheftstant having to jet to urgent care for a deep cut, the episode did indeed elucidate two fascinating Wisconsin food customs that were, up until this week, entirely foreign to me: fish boils and meat raffles. While the meat raffle is somewhat common sense, the fish boil is . . . anything but. As "Torch" the essential master of ceremonies, kerosene-thrower, master boiler and Fish Boil expert present in the episode shared, a fish boil involves someone throwing kerosene on a large pot of boiling water (or other liquids) in which fish is being cooked relatively quickly. The kerosene conflagration causes the water itself to boil over, releasing a fireball and enormous amounts of smoke, which in turn also happens to remove all scum and impurities, allowing for the fish to then be served without unappetizing crud decorating it. Personally, from a culinary perspective alone, the idea of a fish boil isn't the most appetizing; as Dan noted in the episode, he had been taught that fish should be poached, not boiled. For me, the major issue is the lack of texture. Boiled fish no matter what it's boiled in or flavored with is, at the end of the day . . . boiled fish. While the sides allow for some excitement and textural differentiation, the focus of the custom is most certainly on the fish itself. While the food may not be exorbitantly appealing to me, though, the history of the fish boil itself was really fascinating. As host Kristen Kish explained when she told the cheftestants about the elimination challenge, fish boils are a common, cherished occurrence in Wisconsin, particularly in Door County. The challenge itself took place on a beautiful beach complete with Torch acting as kerosene-thrower. (In the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Rachel Bernhard writes about her experience in Grant Park Beach when the challenge was filmed, noting that while the beach setting was lovely, the challenge honoring a Door County custom didn't take place in Door County). While a traditional tourist custom, fish boils often occurr at various Wisconsin restaurants throughout the year, with many locals enjoying the familiar flavors and the requisite heat from the boil-overs and the smoke billowing, In this video, Torch, whose real name is Jeremy Klaubauf, explains the custom: a fish boil is "kind of a simple meal: Fresh, locally-caught whitefish that we buy from local fishermen here, boiled potatoes, baby onions, you put melted butter all over it, salt, it's all cooked in a big cauldron outdoors using firewood as your main heat source. [It] would've been done by Swedish and Norwegian loggers back in the 1800s." Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to Salon Food's newsletter, The Bite. Some, though, call into question the true origins and inspirations of what became the now widely-known Door County fish boil. In "Sagamite and Booya: French Influence in Defining Great Lakes Culinary Heritage," Janet C. Gilmore of the University of Wisconsin states that while many attribute the fish boil to Scandanavian fishermen, many other groups, such as the indigenous and Native peoples of the area, as well as other European immigrants, all consumed lots and lots of boiled fish at the time. "Notably, however, boiling chunks of lake trout and whitefish without much in the way of seasoning or other ingredients was a common meal for the western Great Lakes fishing Indians, Ojibwas, Odawas, and Hurons especially," Gilmore wrote. This is distinct from a "fish booya," which is "more like a soup than the fish boil incorporating other vegetables like carrots, onion, corn and celery, as well as even some chicken booyas, which do away with the fish entirely. Gilmore notes that the "booya" culture has a lot in common with succotash, mulligans, burgoos, and even turtle soup, as in a "catch-all, 'everything-but-the-kitchen-sink'" type of nourishing meal. According to Gilmore, traditional fish boil kettles generally hold two stainless steel baskets, which can be "lowered and raised easily from the boiling water, and which protect the ingredients from disintegrating as they are cooked and then retrieved." "The handles of the top basket fit inside the handles of the lower," she wrote. "Potatoes first, and then onions, go in the lower basket, and fish in the upper one. Each ingredient has a different cooking time, with potatoes of fairly uniform size added first, smallish onions second, and fish for the last 5 to 8 minutes or so." Of course, with so many variables from smoke, fire, ash, firewood, heat and wind fish boils can be a particularly challenging task from a logistics perspective, and it's also quite taxing physically, especially with hauling these enormous cauldrons. A traditional fish boil is certainly more streamlined than the dishes we saw on "Top Chef," with simple potatoes and corn on the side. These are obviously classic flavors and ingredient combinations, which bring to mind those steampots that various seafood chains sell, oftentimes containing seafood of all sorts, plus corn, potatoes and sometimes sausage. "The salt about a pound or two for every gallon of water helps in the boiling process. It causes everything to float, like the fish oils and debris from the vegetables that we dont want to eat," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Rachel Bernhard wrote. "With the water goes the unwanted oil and debris, and once the fish and potatoes are filtered out, its time to eat." Rumor has it that the fisherman at the "turn of the 20th century" turned to fish boil for simple reasons: It was a cinch to feed a large group this way, with locally caught seafood and classic accouterments. Fish, oftentimes coupled with onions, corn, potatoes or other vegetables, easily became a full, nourishing meal for hungry workers, and also sometimes their families. Bernhard notes that the idea of a fish boil as an event or hosted at a restaurant didn't occur until the 1960s, though, when Door County's Viking Grill and White Gull Inn started to embrace and celebrate the local custom in a restaurant setting for patrons. The official Door County website calls them a "one-of-a-kind epicurean event," noting some other sides that aren't as often mentioned, from lemon wedges, coleslaw and bread to "fresh-baked Door County cherry pie" for dessert. Gilmore also acknowledges the spectacle aspect of the fish boil, the way that it became "a bit of public theater" while simultaneously also helping to feed large crowds, host tourists, foster a sense of community and utilize the local fish and produce. So while I may not be enamored with the food from an epicurean perspective, there's so much more to it: The lore and history of the custom is as rich as can be. As Gilmore wrote, "it is especially important to include the broader region's indigenous peoples, especially in the Green Bay and Upper Peninsula area, the former nexus of the fishing Indian domain, where fish in many forms was once an important ingredient in the one-pot boiled meal." "You're Next": People Are Sharing The Last Words They Heard Someone Say As They Were Dying, And They're Not All Inspiring "You're Next": People Are Sharing The Last Words They Heard Someone Say As They Were Dying, And They're Not All Inspiring Recently, we shared a post where Quora users shared their experiences being present for the final moments of someone's life...and hearing their last words. Shapecharge / Getty Images Well, as it turns out, BuzzFeed's readers wanted to share their experiences hearing someone's last words too, so we rounded them up here: 1."A young woman was being run by gurney to the operating room, but the staff didn't think she would make it in time and charged into a room in the intensive care unit. The young woman had carried a full-term but not alive fetus for a couple of days and came to the hospital septic and bleeding out. During all the chaos, she was conscious. Within minutes, an emergency hysterectomy was attempted, during which she coded. I was positioned by her head, and she spoke, 'I'm going,' before her head fell to the side, and she was gone. I'm not sure anyone else heard. Was she announcing her passing to tell us we could stop? It was a gentle utterance within a nightmare." anonymous 2."My girlfriend, gasping for her last breath, looked at me and said, 'You're next!' That spooked the crap out of me, and I made a quick exit!" anonymous 3."I was a respiratory therapist, and a man said, 'Look at all the beautiful flowers!' He then passed away." anonymous Simonbradfield / Getty Images 4."My son passed away at 35. He had an addiction to alcohol. In April 2022, he was admitted to a hospital in San Francisco and had to be revived by the staff in the ICU. Magically, he survived that incident. On the day he was released from the hospital, I walked with him, and he told me the ICU nurse advised him, 'Don't come back here again! People never survive a second time in ICU with the illness you have.' He told me it scared him, and he would do what it took to be sober. That same year, he called me on Thanksgiving day and said, 'I wish I were with you in Hawaii so we could walk together again.' That night, he was rushed to the hospital. We were never able to talk again as the brain damage caused by his heart-stopping for 15 minutes was too much. I still long for a walk with my boy." smartlegend40 5."As a hospice nurse, I had the privilege of hearing many last words, but the most beautiful one came when I entered a patient's bedroom and almost sat down in her bedside chair. She stated: 'Oh please don't sit there my angel is sitting there!'" anonymous 6."I'm a former pediatric emergency registered nurse and have a heartbreaking one. I'm crying even now remembering it. A 5-year-old girl was about to die, and she said to her mother, 'Oh, look, Mama! Grandma is coming to take me to that park! She said she loves you and we'll see you later. Love you, Mama! Bye bye.' She fell asleep. And she was gone 15 minutes later." awfulpenguin75 Shapecharge / Getty Images 7."I once cared for an elderly gentleman with dementia who was slowly declining. He didn't speak much, and when he did, he didn't make sense. One of my co-residents had developed this very nasty rash around his eye, and when we went to see this patient together, he sat upright. Looking horrified, he pointed a finger at my co-resident's face and said, 'What happened to your eye?!' That night, he was transferred to the ICU and passed away. That was the last thing he ever said." fluffyalligator20 8."I heard a dying mom say to her 45-year-old son: 'I know you so little but love you so much.'" anonymous 9."A friend of mine, a Buddhist, was dying of cancer. It is said that when you die you will be greeted by a thousand Buddhas. After being comatose for several hours without opening her eyes she began saying 'Hello' and 'Im feeling wonderful, thank you' and 'Im pleased to meet you' and similar phases for about 10 minutes. She then passed away with a smile on her face." pinkraptor928 Dianahirsch / Getty Images 10."My father-in-law was known for his lectures on life. It drove me up the wall when he'd come over unannounced. It was then you'd know you were in for a 'lecture' and couldn't just hide or, better yet, lie and tell him we were leaving. So, anyway, in his last 10 years, he was experiencing a lot of health issues, and they didn't diagnose him with mesothelioma until six months before he died. When he went to hospice, I was the only one who would sit with him." "I was studying for my Medical Assistant license, and at first, he would talk with me in between his morphine-induced deliriums, then it was nothing except opening his eyes and smiling and drifting off again. The last night, he 'woke' up and said, 'Hi Brenda, how are you doing?' He sounded so happy! Then he went back to dreaming in his morphine land. About midnight, I got up to go and bent down to kiss his forehead. He grabbed my hand and said, 'I've got to go.' And he went." anonymous 11."Our youngest son had many health issues from severe hemophilia and HIV, as well as primary pulmonary hypertension (which is what did him in at age 32). As he lay on the floor in my arms at our local drug store, felled by his bad heart, he struggled to sit up as if he recognized someone or something and said, 'Y'all gotta be kidding me!' We were not Southerners, nor did we live in the South. I'd never heard such a deep and incredulous Southern accent from him before. And those were his final words. I felt the life leave his body then, and I told the EMTs to stop with the CPR. He was gone." anonymous 12."I'm an ER doctor. One afternoon, a young man in his late 30s came in with chest pain. He was having an ST elevation MI (heart attack), which was surprising given his young age. I called the cardiologist, and as we were getting him ready to take him to the cath lab to open up his coronary arteries, the patient told me that he didn't want to go until he saw his wife. She was still about 45 minutes away from the hospital. He looked absolutely terrified. I told him that time was muscle and that the sooner we could open his arteries, the better he would be. I looked him straight in the eye and said, 'You're going to be fine. We do this all of the time.' I promised that I would meet his wife as soon as she arrived and bring her to the cath lab. He died on the table. His artery dissected (tore) during the procedure. It haunts me to this day." anonymous Fotostorm / Getty Images 13."My husband died of ALS in his 50s. In the ER, he opened his eyes, and his last words to me were, 'You're the best.'" anonymous 14."My dad had serious heart issues but felt well enough one Sunday morning to go on a trip to Florida. He woke up and told my mom this was the best he had felt in years. A few minutes later, he told my mum his stomach was really hurting. Mum told him she would make him some tea. When she returned to the bedroom, he was down on his knees talking to some unseen person. He looked at my mum, said, 'I'm going now,' and then passed away. Mum always believed some heavenly person had come to get him." anonymous 15."Years ago, my uncle was in the process of dying. He took in his last breath, then woke up and said to his mother, 'Oh, Mom! You have to get ready it's so beautiful over there.' He died peacefully, having given the family a glimpse of heaven." anonymous Romolotavani / Getty Images 16."My husband had a tragic accident with multiple broken bones and punctured lungs. Before he lost consciousness, he said, 'I'm so sorry. I love you.' He died two days later, having never regained consciousness." anonymous 17."I was on my morning walk with my late husband when he grabbed his heart and said, 'I'm fine, keep walking.' I sat him down on a bench in a gazebo and saw his last breath he died in my arms. That was 24 years ago (he was 54). He made dying look so peaceful." anonymous 18."Working as a paramedic, a lady in the ambulance looked up at me and said, 'Thats it, goodbye.' She went into cardiac arrest and died." anonymous Mattgush / Getty Images/iStockphoto 19."My 89-year-old mother told my father, 'Bill, lets make a break for it.'" anonymous 20."A young man in his 20s received a cut at work that would not heal. He went to the doctor to find out he had leukemia. Treatment failed, and he went into hospice care. When he asked us to call his family to his side, we knew the time was close. After loving goodbyes to his loved ones, he stated, 'Time for me to go. The Angels are here.' He died shortly after these last words a beautiful exit from this world." anonymous 21."My brother-in-law was dying. It was sudden. My husband, his brother, and I stayed during the night shift. His breathing took a bad turn, and the nurses said we should call in family. My husband left to do that, leaving me in the room with him. He shot up suddenly, reaching out toward something, and said one small word: 'Oh!' It was said with incredible reverence, and it was like he was shocked and overwhelmed, but in a good way. It was a pure moment of total vulnerability and innocent beauty. And then he laid there and just died. I was in awe of it, and I still am." anonymous Rapideye / Getty Images 22."A friend's brother-in-law was dying of cancer when, near the end, he got very excited and said, 'He's here! He's here! He's all around us.' The man then put his head down on the pillow, went to sleep, and never woke up." anonymous 23."My Dad collapsed suddenly in our hallway. After he fell down, I yelled, 'Should I call an ambulance?' and he clearly replied with 'No!' despite already no longer breathing. We did, of course, call emergency services immediately after realizing it was serious and started reanimation. The emergency doctors took over and tried everything for almost an hour before one very kindly asked whether they should carry on and transport him or stop." "I knew that my Dad didn't want life-prolonging measures, but the situation was so sudden that I panicked and wasn't immediately sure how to respond...until I realized that my Dad, who had been severely ill for a long time, probably understood what was happening when he didn't want to call an ambulance so we stopped CPR. Thank you so much for that, Dad. Your last word made it an easy decision." anonymous 24."My friend hadn't spoken for days when, out of the blue, she said to someone unseen, 'Where the hell are we going?!' Those were her last words. She was 106." Anni Eddie Jeremy Poland / Getty Images 25."I was working as a nurse in a nursing home, doing the morning med pass. We had a husband and wife on our unit that the family had requested be in different rooms because although she had Alzheimer's (and was otherwise in great health), she would wear herself out taking care of him and fussing over him as she had done for all of their marriage (he had significant medical needs). I was in front of his room with the med cart when she pushed past it. I reminded her she wasn't supposed to go into his room until he was out of bed. She said, 'I just need to say goodbye. I'm going to see my mother, and I probably won't be back.' I chuckled to myself, thinking (since she was 85), If you're going to see your mother, you definitely won't be back. (Of course, I assumed it was a declaration she had made because of Alzheimer's dementia)." "Not two minutes after she kissed him goodbye, the alarm went off, signaling a door had been opened by someone who hadn't used the code. The staff went running to catch her while I continued passing out meds. The next thing I see, the staff is dragging her body back into the unit to get the crash cart. She had literally walked out the door and dropped dead. Or, as she put it, she went to see her mother and didn't come back." anonymous 26."My father served his country for 24 years in the United States Air Force and always gave great life advice. For example, he told me that once you become a parent, the job is for life until the day you die. Anyway, my father was on his deathbed at the age of 86. Two days before he passed, my younger brother and I started to fuss about Dad's condition in the ICU. I saw my father move his head and say to my brother and me without missing a beat: 'Cut it out!' I had to laugh, but in my laughter, I started to cry because right then and there, I remembered that he told me in my 20s that the job of a parent lasts a lifetime until death does us part. Dad winked at me and said, 'I'm ready to go home, son.'" anonymous Did you hear someone's last words that really made an impression on you? Let us know in the comments below or via this anonymous form. A cake made for celebrations: Doberge and its history in New Orleans NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) A celebration arguably isnt complete without a cake, and for some New Orleans families, that cake is a doberge cake. This crowd-pleasing cake, typically flavored with chocolate or lemon, originates in New Orleans. But how did it get here, and how have modern bakers been adding their own twist to the classic cake? Did you know bananas foster was born at this New Orleans restaurant? To get some answers, WGNO talked with Charlotte McGehee and Charles Mary IV from Debbie Does Doberge. Mary said that the tradition of doberge cake dates back to the 1930s, with the original recipe coming from a baker named Beulah Ledner. Beulah Ledner came up with a great idea and made this wonderful dessert and started a little bakery and that bakery went on for a little while and became extremely popular, Mary said. Where to get beignets in Greater New Orleans He said the name derives from a similar baked good called a dobos torte but has changed over time to reflect the new cake and a Frenchified name. It been a celebratory cake for New Orleanians and a pretty well-kept secret for almost 80 years now, Mary said. McGehee said that doberge cake is comprised of three components: an oil or butter-based cake, a custard, pudding or ganache filling and poured fondant icing. The cake typically contains six to eight layers of cake with custard between each layer. However, McGehee said her cakes only contain seven. When making cakes, McGehee said she likes to keep her recipe closer to Ledners take on the dobos torte with a lighter cake and pudding filling. Why do Louisianians eat red beans on Monday? New Orleans chef dishes the details We use pudding rather than custard and no eggs, just like as light and fluffy as possible. We try to focus on the flavors being as impactful as possible, she said. For the traditional chocolate and lemon flavors, McGehee said she uses a white butter cake rather than a yellow cake, noting that she does not use any butter or egg yolks. We kind of wanted to keep in the same tradition that Bulah adapted dobos torte from what we were reintroducing to the city that was Charlottes particular style of doberge which was again, making it lighter for the modern palate, Mary said. McGehee enjoys experimenting with new flavors. She said she has a different rotation of flavors for every holiday as well as some boozy flavors. The rainbow wedding cake flavor is definitely the most popular outside of the chocolate and lemon, McGehee said. Is there a right way to make gumbo? New Orleans chefs weigh in Some of the more unique flavor combinations McGehee and Mary have tried include fig and white chocolate goat cheese, peanut butter and jelly, nectar sno-ball and a red hot velvet Elvis. In addition to cakes, McGehee makes dobites, mini cake squares similar to petit fours. Our doberge petit fours are completely encased in fondant as opposed to other petit fours where theyre just iced on top, Mary said. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts 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 WGNO. ORLANDO, Fla. The magic of Walt Disney World notwithstanding, it takes more than fairy dust to keep things in the realm maintained and moving forward, and so the scaffolding I spy on the exterior of Disneys Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on approach gleaming and gorgeous despite the construction-related accouterments is a tell that brings to life the work thats been going on here for the past several years. Updates, or reimaginings, as the team often calls them, abound. Citricos, the newly Michelin-starred Victoria & Alberts and other spaces within have been retooled in recent years in this circa-1988 spa resort. The latest upgrades were revealed recently when its buffet-style eatery, 1900 Park Fare, reopened its doors last month. The Grand is WDWs most opulent stay, its look and design inspired by the seaside resorts of the Victorian era. 1900 Park Fare, with its carousel theming, fits right into the wheelhouse. Those who remember Big Bertha the antique French pipe organ has been a fixture here since the resort opened will find her as a focal point in the redesign, along with brand-new touches. Weve stuck to the roots, says 1900 Park Fare chef Michelle Schutte, who is new to this post but a veteran of this and other resort restaurants since joining the cast in 2019. Its inspired by the playful nostalgia of the carousel, and the reimagined space really reflects that as does the new Impressionist-style artwork that features our beloved characters in their moment of making a wish. Indeed, the wishmakers, as they are called, figure prominently. The characters of Cinderella, Aladdin, Tiana (The Princess and the Frog) and Mirabel (Encanto) have a home here, greeting guests and inspiring them to make wishes, as well. The food and menu was largely inspired by our wishmakers and the places that they come from, says Schutte. For example, Prince Aladdin and our dishes with Moroccan flavors, like the spice-roasted turkey and couscous salad. My personal favorite was Tianas Gumbo, a hearty nod to New Orleans with a welcome kick that lands harder than one might expect for a buffet. You can put it over rice, sure, but Id rather save room. In fact, I saw a few slick folks grabbing up a 1900 Park Fare returning favorite the peel-and-eat shrimp and adding them to the gumbo. This, of course, is one facet of buffets thats inarguably fun. Those more attuned to desserts will find myriad options and longtime fans of 1900 Park Fares strawberry soup will see it remains as a staple sweet ending, even amid this eaterys new beginning. And speaking of which, plenty of other beginnings are going on elsewhere in the realm. Shiki-Sai Sushi Izakaya, Epcot This World Showcase table-service eatery debuted in April 2019 and has re-emerged, following its reimagining, as a more authentic representation of what youd find in Japan today, says Bob Miller, manager of special projects for Mitsukoshi USA. A sushi counter is among the new features. We wanted it to be more interactive and engaging to guests without taking away from the beautiful view of the promenade and lake, Miller said. Interestingly, wishes figure into the mix here, as well. Guests can fill out a note on supplied paper and depending on which season, either tie their wish on one of our bamboo trees by the entryway or leave a piece of paper under our cherry tree in the spring. Menu-wise, more small plates allow for an even better shared experience. The changes have been well received, says Miller, and thats not surprising, as it was a collaboration of years of guest feedback [creating] a destination where guests can find something on the menu and, with the popularity of sushi, especially with young children, is a place that all can enjoy. Flying Fish This signature spot for seafood, a favorite among locals as well as guests on Disneys BoardWalk, Flying Fish has gotten a menu makeover courtesy of its new chef, Matthew Eiler, and sommelier, Michael Scheifler. Longtime food and beverage veterans both, Eiler hails from Phoenix, Arizona, and Schleifer from Vienna, Austria. They have been with the company since 2012 and 2008. Recently, the restaurant got a sleek, sexy new look, but, says Eiler, its the quality of the food and dining experience that will ultimately determine its success in the long run. A new chef will bring a fresh perspective to the kitchen, culinary ideas as well as new flavors. While Eiler and his team have stayed true to the foundation of Flying Fish, which is seafood and steak, some of the exciting new dishes we are showcasing are the Hawaiian hamachi with strawberry verjus using local Florida berries, as well as the new pork belly with peach bourbon glace, finished with charred onion vinaigrette. The Chilean sea bass with asparagus and ras el hanout adds an inclusive cultural flair Both hamachi and sea bass have proven to be new guest favorites, he says, but as always, there are old favorites that even new chefs must respect. The potato-wrapped snapper persists as a perennial favorite, says Eiler. Its a dish that has stood the test of time with its charm and culinary allure, he says. It has been on the menu since Day One, but each chef, including myself, has added their culinary spin in terms of presentation. Disney Springs Newcomer: Summer House on the Lake There are Summer House restaurants in Chicago, Las Vegas and North Bethesda, Maryland. There are even a few airport versions (including the one at MCOs new Terminal C). Chef Ben Goodnick, who oversees all of them, falls short of calling the brands Disney Springs location, Summer House on the Lake, the fairest of them all (though that would be very Disney of him), but it is the largest venue in the portfolio to date. And I dont know that theres anyplace more summery, with more of a vacation vibe, than Disney Springs, Goodnick told the Orlando Sentinel. Even if you live here as a local, I feel like when you come to Disney Springs and step foot into that space, onto this lakeside property its like you dont have a care in the world, its a feeling thats intrinsic to Disney, to Orlando. Central Floridas weather helps, to be sure, and its prime location on Lake Buena Vista doesnt hurt. Prime patio and other al fresco space, light colors, airy rooms and lots of plants keep the atmosphere breezy and bright. Theres a preponderance of natural light, Goodnick notes. Indeed, even with its high volume, the place feels more spacious than you might expect. We have plenty of tables, and we dont try to cram people in. Weve made huge efforts to keep things moving while still providing our style of service. Which is based on summer, on vacation, and so relaxed is what theyre going for. Its evident in two features prominent at all the brands venues: the cookie counter and the Rose Cart. The first thing you see when you walk into every Summer House, the thing thats right in your face, is the cookie counter, says Goodnick. In Disney. its three times as big as other places. There are also Disney-exclusive flavors, like the Orange Dreamsicle and Fudge Bomb. Even better, you can take your cookie, your iced coffee even your rose for a walk since beverages are allowed out the door at Disney Springs. Rose aficionados might even find varieties new and exciting. We try to focus primarily on American and California wines, but there are areas in California that arent necessarily the heart of Napa, like Santa Barbara and the Russian River Valley, that make some fun and interesting rose which of course is incredibly summery. The new place, he adds, has been welcomed in by its neighbors, and its a nice feeling. I think a little healthy competition is good for all of us; it keeps us sharp and fresh, Goodnick says, noting some of his favorite fare here (Fronteras queso fundido, the coconut shrimp from The Boathouse, and everything at Morimoto is so good!), but everyone has been amazing. There was even a time I ran out of butter and needed to borrow some, and it was like going to a neighbors house for a cup of sugar. We trade family meals [with teams from other restaurants], have taco parties, ice cream, whatever. Six months in, he says that the staff is finding its groove. Lots of specials are on deck to give returning locals new and exciting options, the Disney location has inspired some whimsical offerings you cant find elsewhere, and local purveyors Lake Meadow Naturals, Frog Song Organics, others are making it into the menu mix as relationships develop. ________ Powerful testimonies were shared to honor the impact Gladys Alexander has had in people's lives during a celebration held for her 100th birthday. "I give God the glory," said Alexander during the celebration that took place Saturday at Greater Bethel AME Church. "They are beautiful people. I know them from different walks of life. These are good people. They wanted to do this and they wanted to do this in the name of Jesus." The second oldest of 10 children, Alexander was born on May 28, 1924. She was converted, baptized and joined Mount Zion AME Church in Cherry Lake at the age of 13. Alexander graduated valedictorian from her high school and continued to pursue a higher education. She earned degrees from Florida A&M University, Wayne State University in Detroit University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University in Broward County. She taught English at Mayhaw High School in Blountstown before relocating to Gainesville in the 1950s. Alexander developed and directed a county-wide speech therapy program for students and in-service education for teachers in 12 Black elementary schools for 12 years. She was the director of the Florida Learning Resource Center that provides on-site, hands-on and in-service programs for teachers in seven counties. The mother of two sons - Dennis Wesley and Doyce Maurice Alexander joined Greater Bethel in 1951. Guardian Newsletter: Gainesville Guardian will transition to an email newsletter format "I love you and appreciate all the words of wisdom you have shared with me throughout the years," said the Rev. Ron Rawls, pastor of Greater Bethel. Gladys Alexander, left, stands next to her pastor, the Rev. Ron Rawls of Greater Bethel AME Church in Gainesville, during her 100th birthday celebration on Saturday. (Credit: Photo provided by Voleer Thomas) There were speeches from Dennis Wesley, grandson Wesley Alexander, her niece Demoris Rose, a family friend Jamea Harper-Foy and many more. Alexander received a proclamation from Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut stating that May 28, 2024, is Gladys Dolores Flowers Alexander Day in the city of Gainesville. Congratulatory remarks were given from the Alachua County chapter of the Florida A&M University National Alumni Association by its past president G.W. Mingo, Ph.D. Alexander will be recognized at a FAMU conference in Tampa next week and a letter from U.S. President Joe Biden is on its way to her, Mingo said. "She is a woman of integrity who loves people and lives a fulfilling life," Mingo said. "You have provided a firm example of support to your family and community and set the standard for others to follow. She is a beacon of light that will shine for generations to come." Paula Kay, Florida president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., and members of the sorority thanked Alexander for her service and gave her a bouquet of flowers. Alexander from 1980-84 served as the 11th president for Florida of the sorority. Alexander was also a charter member of the Delta Sigma Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority in Alachua County, making it the first Black Greek organization in the county, and helped in establishing the Mu Epsilon chapter of the sorority at the University of Florida. "For 76 years, she stood on our principles and continues to leave a legacy," Kay said. "We are better because of you. Thank you for the love you shared with us. You are a phenomenal and finer woman." The Rev. Willie G. Mayberry, a prominent pastor in Alachua County who has been in ministry for 45 years, thanked Alexander for helping him become a better speaker in his youth when he was enrolled at Newberry Elementary School as a first grader. Mayberry talked about the challenges he faced in grammar and his speech. All of that went away with the help of Alexander and Alachua County's Speech Therapy Program, Mayberry said. "She started working with me week after week," Mayberry said. "I didn't know how to talk and I had trouble with phonics. People said I was a hopeless case. I continued learning because of Mrs. Alexander. I started building my vocabulary. Because of her push, I became an educator myself. Because of her push, I was able to talk across the country through my ministry." This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: SE Gainesville church celebrates birthday of distinguished centenarian Editors Note: This CNN series is, or was, sponsored by the country it highlights. CNN retains full editorial control over subject matter, reporting and frequency of the articles and videos within the sponsorship, in compliance with our policy. On a trip to Florence in 2015, while immersing herself in Italian food and history, Nada Badran had a eureka moment. The former management consultant wanted tourists to experience culture and history like this in her home city, Dubai. The Middle Eastern metropolis largely built in the past 50 years off the back of the discovery of oil in the Arabian Gulf in the 1960s is a far cry culturally from the medieval Tuscan city that Badran was inspired by. But she was tired of hearing people say, Dubai has no soul or it could be anywhere in the world, and felt that this perception was the result of shortcomings in the tourism industry, rather than the city itself. I started looking at the local tourism scene, and it wasnt really anything special, in my opinion: it catered to the mass tourists, people that maybe go on buses, see things to take a few photos, and then go, says Badran. And while theres no denying that the superlative skyscrapers, sprawling maze of malls, and glamorous beach resorts are what attract most tourists to the city, Badran wanted to show them the Dubai beyond that one with culture, history and traditions, a place with distinctive dishes, people and memories; the Dubai that she grew up in. So in 2016, Badran set up her own tour company, Wander with Nada, to show a different side of Dubai to travelers. Her bespoke private tours are designed to suit the interests of each visitor, but her favorite itinerary is Dubais old town, a group of small neighborhoods around Dubai Creek where the city began and Badran spent her childhood. I think it has a very unique personality, she says. Nada Badran launched her tour company, Wander with Nada, in 2016. - Rebecca Cairns/CNN A historic neighborhood History is often equated with soul. Cities that wear their past lives on their sleeves, like Rome, Athens, or Edinburgh, have a certain character or gravitas: the architectural equivalent of wrinkle lines and graying hair. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a relatively new country, formed in 1971. Yet Dubai, one of its seven emirates and most populous city, has a much longer history: strategically located on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Dubai has been a trading port for centuries, particularly between Oman and todays Iraq. People made their livelihood through pearl farming, and the settlement was little more than a fishing village before the Al Maktoum family, descendants of a semi-nomadic Bedouin tribe called the Bani Yas, settled there in 1833. This is where Badran starts our tour (which took place just before Dubai experienced historic flooding) in Al Shindagha, the neighborhood where the citys first homes were built around 200 years ago. While theres little left to show for the pearl diving trade that put Dubai on the map, Badran feels it is important context to understand the city including the acknowledgment of some of its more controversial history, including exhausting and brutal working conditions for divers. In Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, Badran stops at Suadna, a textile store weaving traditional rugs, bags and decorative hangings. - Rebecca Cairns/CNN Plastered in coral and gypsum, the burrow-like homes have small windows to keep the heat out, with a myriad of small rooms around a central courtyard, designed to host multiple generations of a family under one roof. The Al Maktoum family home is still there, where the citys current ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was born in 1949. Today, no one lives in the neighborhood. Instead, these homes are museums, each paying tribute to a different aspect of Emirati heritage, like Al Talli, a traditional embroidery skill that was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2022; or the complicated manufacturing of Arabic perfume scents and the role of fragrance in Emirati hospitality. Theres a house dedicated to fishing, and another to the multitude of uses for palm trees, where craftspeople turn rough palm brush into rope in front of your eyes. From house to house, Badran weaves historical tales, painting a picture of what life was like for early settlers in the city, and carefully explaining how each element relates to life in the historic Dubai Creek. If you ask me what my profession is, I dont say tour guide Im a storyteller, says Badran. Badran introduces her tour guests to people along the way, including shop owners and staff in the gold souk. - Rebecca Cairns/CNN A temporary population An oft-cited fact about Dubai, and the UAE in general, is that its a diverse melting pot of 200 nationalities. But its not just in the present day that it hosts a culturally varied population: even the original pearl fishing communities were a mix of Arabs, Persians, Sudanese, and Balochis, an ethnic group from South and West Asia. Dubai has a very fluid population people come and go, come and go, Badran says. The influence of other cultures is woven into the fabric of the city, and Badran points this out at the souks, across the creek from Al Shindagha: Indian agarwood used to create oud for perfume, Persian saffron, and rich Medjool dates from Saudi Arabia. In the historical Al Fahidi district, we wander through a maze of alleys, between the former homes of Iranian traders who settled there in the 1890s. A little over 10% of the original dwellings remain there and like Al Shindagha, no one lives there: it was revitalized in the 1990s to host shops, cafes, and boutique hotels. While beautiful, it feels oddly empty soulless, some might say. Its an area thats frequented by people, but theyre mostly tourists, says Badran, adding, Try telling Dubai residents to come here youll have to pay them. And thats a problem. Heritage is not just historic buildings, but the communities that build them. As architecture professor Djamel Boussaa put it in his 2014 paper on Dubais urban heritage, its the inhabitants of a city that bring life to the built environment and so social communities need to be conserved alongside heritage sites. A mural at Al Shindagha Museum pays tribute to the city's history of pearl diving. - Rebecca Cairns/CNN Urban conservation does not necessarily mean preserving a building but reviving its spirit and life, Boussaa writes. It means being flexible enough to adapt the objectives of rehabilitation to the needs of modern living while respecting the local community values. Today, the citys largely migrant population, accounting for 92% of residents, is temporary; there to work without putting down roots, as there are no long-term permanent residency options. Dubais transient population, from the deep past to the present day, leaves very little room for community culture to settle, or grow. A changing city Badran, despite feeling deeply rooted in the city she has called home for the best part of three decades, has experienced this too. She saw a high turnover of school friends, most of whom she hasnt seen since they were children, and her own family, who moved to Dubai from Jordan in the 1980s, will ultimately leave the city. But as a frequent traveler herself, she also knows that people make a place, and has endeavored to make the people who live in the city an integral part of her tour. At the museum, Badran facilitates conversations with craftspeople who have inherited their perfume-making or fabric-stitching trade from their parents, and wandering through the Deira souks, she hands over her storytelling platform to Rashid Haghaght, an Iranian spice trader who has taken over his fathers store. (He talks me through how to spot real and fake saffron in the market a useful skill for the worlds most expensive spice.) Rashid Haghaght, pictured, runs Zafran Isfahan Herbs Trading Co, a store in the spice souk. - Rebecca Cairns/CNN The most important part (of the tour) is the conversations and interactions with the community, Badran adds. I want (visitors) to actually have a conversation with someone whos from here, who can tell them something they didnt know before. While Old Dubai is one of Badrans most popular tours, she also creates itineraries for other districts, as well as neighboring emirates Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. For visitors who really want to get off the beaten track, Badran recommends exploring Al Rigga in Deira, an area adjacent to the souks thats home to an eclectic mix of stores and Naif Souk, a clothing market; and Al Karama, a neighborhood filled with South Asian restaurants and fabric stores. Knowing the city inside-out, Badran creates itineraries that are a careful curation of places shes frequented over her years living in the city. Time has not affected some corners, and those are the parts that I love to go to, she adds. Of course, though, things change. Badran leads me through the narrow alleys around the Dubai Old Souk, home to stores run by Indian-origin families. You wont find the clutter of tourist souvenirs here instead, brightly colored floral garlands, Hindu god figurines and prayer beads adorn the doorways. Stores in Old Dubai Souk. - Rebecca Cairns/CNN But many of the stores are closed or boarded up. One of the citys two Hindu temples, located a stones throw from these alleyways, was closed in January and relocated 35 kilometers (22 miles) away, near Jebel Ali, Badran explains. Many businesses are moving with it, fragmenting a community that has been here since the two temples opened in 1958. When I ask her how she feels about the way the city constantly changes, Badran describes it as humbling. I always say, in one year, if you come back, you will find it to be a different place, she adds. Its hard not to see things like the temple relocation as a loss of culture. But spending time in Dubais old town, drifting between century-old homes built by once-nomadic people, and souks run by migrant merchants, tasting spices from Iran, touching textiles from India, sipping tea from China and scents from Oman, the restless churn becomes the common thread connecting disparate peoples, products, places. Dubai is about opening your mind, Badran says, and embracing this diversity that makes it unique. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com As you enjoy Delaware's outdoors this summer, here's how to protect, help wildlife Delawares sandy beaches and pristine walking trails are perfect for a summer getaway, but theyre also home to thousands of animal species that are sharing the land. Every year, hundreds of seals, turtles, birds and other animals are found on Delawares beaches and trails, some critically injured. Luckily, hundreds of volunteers and expert organizations specialize in wildlife rehabilitation and are ready to step in to help them. Here is how to enjoy the Delaware outdoors this summer while being mindful of the creatures that live there and what to do if you encounter an injured animal. Know the rules The Kemp's ridley sea turtle the Lewes-based Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute responded to after it was hooked by a fisherman in Slaughter Beach July 25, 2023. Delaware is blessed with thousands of acres of trails and wildlife areas for people to enjoy, but its important to know the wildlife restrictions before making the trip to avoid disturbance or in some cases, a hefty fine. Between May 1 and Sept. 30, dogs and other animals are not permitted on the boardwalks or beaches at any time. Pets are allowed in seashore parks. Steer clear of sandy dunes in any Delaware State Park because theyre very fragile and protected by state law. At the beaches, seals are found most often because they naturally beach on dry land to rest, even if theyre not stranded or injured. Federal law requires that if a seal, dolphin or sea turtle is stranded or resting on the shore, people must remain a minimum of 150 feet away. North Atlantic right whales require a distance of 500 yards and other types of whales require a range of 100 to 600 feet. A wildlife professional should be on-site to perform crowd control and ensure that everyone is keeping a safe distance. If youre walking on a trail, be cautious about stepping off and disturbing any delicate ecosystems. Dont remove any naturally occurring items from the trail and, of course, dont litter. The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife has an extensive list of what you can and cant do in state wildlife areas on its website. In state wildlife areas, its prohibited to operate radio-controlled devices like drones, let dogs off their leashes, cut or remove any trees or plants and more. Specific areas have their own rules too, so be sure to check on the departments website when planning a visit. There also are seven wildlife viewing platforms throughout the state: two in the Augustine Wildlife Area, two in the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area, and one each in the Little Creek Wildlife Area, Mispillion Harbor Reserve and the Assawoman Wildlife Area. All of these locations require a Conservation Access Pass, available for purchase as annual passes, three-day passes or lifetime passes for seniors. Anyone accessing a wildlife area with a motor vehicle for hunting, birdwatching, hiking and other activities must have a pass displayed on their vehicles dashboard. Who to call with an injured animal? A young harp seal found Feb. 25, 2024, just north of the Indian River Inlet Bridge. Finding an injured or endangered animal can feel helpless and scary. Luckily, there are experts around the state who are equipped to jump in and make necessary rescues. According to Delawares Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, stranded animals usually are in a stressed state due to injury or illness, exposure to toxins or pollution, habitat loss and more. More on helping injured wildlife: What to do if you find baby animals this spring in Delaware The Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute in Lewes has trained volunteers on call 24/7 and answers between 250 and 300 calls every year. If you find a dolphin, manatee, whale, sea turtle or more commonly a seal, call MERR at 302-228-5029 to report it. MERR also conducts annual counts of local bottlenose dolphin populations using the publics observations. If you see a dolphin in Delawares waters, you can submit a quick report online. MERR also accepts volunteers year-round who can help with data collection, educational outreach, response and rescue and more. For those who are interested in volunteering, contact merrinstitute@gmail.com. Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research near Newark, shown on Aug. 8, 2023, has experts to help injured birds. The Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators is another nonprofit group that cares for sick and injured wildlife and returns them to the wild. They cover the entire state and have three different phone lines for wildlife rehabilitation incidents. New Castle County: 302-834-4604 Kent County: 302-270-9256 Sussex County: 302-228-1063 If you stumble across an injured bird, Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research has the regions experts in helping all feathered friends. People can bring a bird to the facility located at 170 Possum Hollow Road near Newark any day of the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nature Centers gude: Need a low-cost day trip? 12 Delaware nature centers with indoor and outdoor programs Reward for info on seal: Seal that died after being found in Fenwick Island had been shot. Reward offered for info Bird injuries are not always easy to decipher, and some birds may be dangerous to interact with. Tri-State can be reached by phone at 302-737-9542, where an attendant can give you advice and potentially send a staff member to the site. Delawares Natural Resources Police are also on call to report a sick, injured or dead animal. The Environmental Crimes Unit responds to reports of crimes like illegal dumping, open burning violations, water quality violations and more. To report a crime to this unit, call 800-662-8802 or text ECUTIP to TIP411 (847411). The Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources Police can also be called for hunting or boating accidents, illegal hunting or fishing and other boat safety concerns. To make a report with this unit call 800-523-3336 or text FWTIP to TIP411 (847411). Molly McVety covers community and environmental issues around Delaware. Contact her at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: How to enjoy and protect Delaware wildlife this summer The increase in temperatures brings with it an increase in flies. Flies, if left unmanaged, can present a significant challenge to the welfare and production of all our livestock species. Fly control is not a one-and-done treatment strategy. They require season long management, that may require a variety of approaches to seasonally address. The three main types of flies we are concerned about are face, horn and stable flies. The species have similarities but also some subtle differences you need to take into account when selecting potential control options. Horn flies are the most economically damaging species for livestock. Research has shown calf weights can be reduced by 4% to 15% and replacement heifer weights of up to 18% when populations reach a threshold of 200 flies/animal. Milk production, for dairy cattle, can be decreased by up to 15%. Horn flies are blood feeders and will consume about 30 meals per day. They spend the majority of their time on the animal and will congregate along the withers, back and sides. Females will only lay eggs in fresh manure, where the eggs will hatch and larva mature. More: Poison hemlock, a member of the carrot family, can cause paralysis, suffocation in animals Face flies use a sponging type mouth, with prestomal teeth, to rasp, scrape, and penetrate tissue to feed on secretions. They will most likely be found, as the name implies, on the face and any open wound. They spend little time on the animal but can be a vector to transmit pinkeye and IBR. Females also lay their eggs in fresh manure and are more of a pasture problem. They can produce three to four generations each year. Stable flies are believed to only spend 2-5 minutes on an animal each day. They consume one blood meal and will spend the rest of their time out of the sun in barns or trees. Unlike the other species, females prefer to lay their eggs in soiled bedding, algal mats, wet grass clippings, and older manure piles. Their bites are very painful to livestock causing general irritation which may lead to reduced feed consumption and subsequent performance. Stable flies are known to breed in manure or seaweed that washes ashore. While they may be unpleasant nuisances, they are among a group of insects that help break down all the gross, decomposing things that we humans would rather not have to deal with. Fly control doesn't happen overnight Adequate control will vary dependent on where your livestock are housed and other management factors. Again, fly management is not a one application and done process. Consequently, a monthly, or more frequent, comprehensive management strategy will need to be deployed to keep populations at bay. Due to their relatively short lifespan, the most effective seasonal control should focus on limiting larval development and controlling breeding sites. For confinement housing situations, facility sanitation is a key control factor. Timely removal of manure and soiled bedding is crucial to limiting populations. Careful attention to bunk management and cleaning up spilled feed will also reduce potential breeding sites. In addition to facility sanitation, larvicides and fly predators are other tools available to producers to lower fly populations. These products do not kill adult flies, but stop larval development, or in the case of the predators feed on growing larva. There is a multitude of feed through larvicides that can be added to your TMR or provided with your mineral supplementation to prevent larval development in the animals manure. Although they will not control adult flies, they will reduce populations over time. John Yost Fly predators can be effective The fly predators are parasitic wasps that feed on growing fly larva. They are not a pest to livestock or humans and can be extremely effective if used properly. Species have been developed for different production systems. They can be used around confinement operations or in pasture situations. The manager will get a shipment of new wasp eggs every couple of weeks. Typical instructions are to wait for 2 to 7 days after receiving your shipment, which allows for some of the parasites to hatch in the bag and then the contents can be spread around the barn, across a pasture, or in areas were the livestock may congregate for long periods of time (i.e under shade trees or around waterers). To control adults, topical insecticidal products are available. These can be applied to livestock as a pour on or can be applied via face or back rubbers. Insecticidal ear tags are also very effective in controlling face flies. Whenever using chemical control methods, thought should be given to control potential pest resistance. Fly populations have shown resistance to many of the organophosphate insecticides. Producers should read the product label and remove/replace eartags based on manufacturer recommendations. Producers should also be aware of any meat or milk withdrawal restrictions provided on the product label. There also is an emerging line of high-tech fly mitigation tools. The Cow-Vac is one unique option. It is just what is says. A fly vacuum that the cows walk through to vacuum flies off the animal and deposit them in a containment device. This tool could be useful in dairy situation, or located at a pinch point that animals traverse daily. Dairy producers summit, Manure Science Review The Wayne-Ashland Dairy Service Unit has set the date and location for this years dairy producers summit and Twilight Tour. This years event will be held on July 16 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. The dairy producer summit will be held 2-5 p.m. The Twilight tour will run 6-9 p.m. and feature a farm to table program. Attendees will get to experience how their food is grown and will get to sample menu options from many of our local businesses. The 2024 OSU Manure Science Review will be held at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio, on Aug. 6. This years program will feature presentations and demonstrations on: manure placement and subsurface drainage, 360 RAIN liquid manure application, best manure applications practices, H2Ohio updates, manure spill mitigation, spreader calibration, and autonomous tractor demos. ou can find the event flyer and registration materials at https://ocamm.osu.edu. As always, if you have any livestock or forage management questions, please feel free to contact me at the OSU Extension office Wayne County at 330-264-8722 or email me at yost.77@osu.edu. John Yost is an Extension Educator IV, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at OSU Extension-Wayne County. This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Fly control is season-long management for faming community Kayla Bouwens was excited to talk to Walter Fuller just before she and husband Kevin Bouwens left Ormond Beach at the end of a recent weekday. Theres a lot of baby bunnies running around, she told Fuller, who has volunteered for almost 30 years at the 2-mile beach in Oxnard that stretches between Port Hueneme and Naval Air Station Point Mugu. Fuller, who lives by the beachs small parking lot off Arnold Road in a recreational vehicle owned by the city of Oxnard, smiled and chatted with the Ventura woman. Afterward, she called the 70-year-old caretaker one of my favorite people in the entire world. The praise came as yellow-headed blackbirds, one of Fullers favorite bird species, rested on fences and bushes near him. Fullers long-term future at the site is uncertain. Recent events put his role into question. In a Feb. 10 letter to the city, Fuller said he would watch his behavior after learning of three complaints alleging his loss of temper and inappropriate conduct. For now, he continues as caretaker under a yearslong agreement that expires June 30, 2025. Fuller lives rent-free in the RV in exchange for his unpaid caretaker duties, said Kenneth Rozell, the chief assistant city attorney. The city doesnt plan to continue its agreement, he said. After that, Fuller must live elsewhere, Rozell reminded Fuller in a letter dated March 6. The city of Oxnard is working to help him find permanent housing, said Michael Skinner, homeless programs administrator with the Oxnard Housing Department. No specific location has been identified just yet, but we will be working with Mr. Fuller until we find a place that meets his needs and keeps him connected with the community he loves, Skinner said in an email Tuesday. Fuller, who grew up in Ojai and graduated in 1972 from Nordhoff High School, said he would like to move from the single-room RV into permanent housing. But he added he wants to continue his duties at the beach. Walter Fuller stands outside his RV at Ormond Beach in Oxnard on May 8. The caretaker lives in the city-provided RV and uses the shipping container at rear as an office, but the yearslong arrangement is coming to an end. The caretaker, whose jobs elsewhere varied from roofer to security guard and janitor, said he started volunteering at the beach in 1996 when he was living with his mother in a Ventura apartment. He said he couldnt afford an apartment after she died in 1999 and ended up living in his Ford Explorer or with a friend. Fuller said he moved in 2008 into a city-owned shipping container at Ormond Beach, but was glad to switch to the much warmer RV when the city offered him use of it in 2014. While he isn't charged rent, the agreement with the city requires him to pay renter's insurance. A fan of the 1966 wildlife movie Born Free, Fuller said he loves watching birds and noted they need protection. The data he logged over years on avian activity at Ormond Beach has been used by researchers and government officials. Fuller has done his part by keeping dogs off the beach and away from birds such as the western snowy plover and their nests, said Cynthia Hartley, shorebird recovery program lead for Ventura Audubon. Hartley, who noted she has always felt comfortable around Fuller, said Ventura Audubon leaders felt the need to report three complaints it received in 2022 and 2023 about Fullers behavior to the city of Oxnard and its partners at the beach, the California State Coastal Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy. She said Ventura Audubon later put the complaints in a document at the request of the conservancies and the city. The individuals, who have not been identified, complained Fuller yelled at them during discussions about beach events or birds. One person said Fuller gestured angrily and swore. Another individual complained about being kissed on the neck and hugged without giving Fuller consent, according to the Ventura Audubon document. Hartley said organization leaders know the three individuals and find them to be credible. During a recent interview outside his RV, Fuller denied wrongdoing in most of those instances and said he doesn't kiss visitors he meets at the beach. He said he almost hugged a woman whom he believed made the complaint but stopped short of touching her when she backed away. Fuller said he raises his voice at people not out of anger, but because hes hard of hearing. He conceded he swore once at someone who silently stared at him after Fuller wished him a nice day. Fuller said he regretted losing his temper. Hartley said Fullers behavior, as described in the three complaints, isnt typical of him and attributed it to the stress of his job. Fuller said the job is tougher than he expected. He said he works 12-hour days, seven days a week, opening the beach gate at 6 a.m. and closing it at dusk. In between, he watches the parking lot to prevent break-ins and walks the beach to spot problems. Hartley said she would like to see the city hire private security to take the load off Fuller and allow him to focus on talking to visitors about birds. Meanwhile, Ventura Audubon plans to place volunteers and interns soon on Arnold Road on Saturdays to teach people about shorebirds, Hartley said. Biologists are also at Ormond Beach on Saturdays. Hartley said the entire effort will support Fuller. Theres a huge community that has rallied around Walter all the years hes been out there," she said. 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: Future uncertain for longtime Oxnard beach caretaker Editor's note: This is one of several feature stories The Advocate is publishing this graduation season about Licking County graduates. For more, visit newarkadvocate.com. While in high school, Dimi Martinez wanted to be involved in as many extra curricular activities as possible. He excelled as he played the saxophone in multiple bands, was involved in chess and birdwatching clubs, played on the tennis team and more. Granville's Dimi Martinez plays at second singles in April 2022. "Some people say be involved for colleges, and that is true. But it's not just for the colleges; it's also for the experiences that you make. You should be involved to find your passion," he said. "If you're going home straight after school every single day and not doing anything, you're doing something wrong. You should dip your feet somewhere and try new things." Martinez was one several 2024 Licking County graduating seniors who spoke to The Advocate about their high school years and their plans after graduating this spring. Martinez and his family emigrated from Mexico when he was a toddler and lived in Texas where they struggled financially after the move. When they settled in Ohio about five years ago, it was important to Martinez to make the most of opportunities in front of him. "When I was living in Texas, I didn't have as many resources and I wasn't able to explore my interests and talents as much as I was able to now," he said. "I'm grateful to be at Granville because it's just great and I have resources and I'm able to play my music and have a great band next to me." He's played the saxophone since fifth grade, and in high school he has been a member of the jazz band, wind ensemble, and pit orchestra. He's also played with Granville's steel drum band, known as Blue Steel. Dimi Martinez, a 2024 Granville High School graduate, during a Spring Band Concert on May 9. Martinez has played the saxophone since the fifth grade and he is headed to Denison University where he'll major in music with an emphasis on performance. "There's nothing better than the rush of a performance," Martinez said. He'll continue to follow his passion for music and the saxophone at Denison University, where he'll major in music with an emphasis on performance. He also wants to double major in a science discipline, but he's unsure which one, to possibly follow in the footsteps of his dad, Dimitrio Martinez, an anatomy and physiology professor at Denison, and his mother, Sofia Davila, a pediatrician at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "I'm hoping to get the qualifications that I need to go to graduate school, and while I do that, I want to study music and get better at my instrument for my own passion," he said. Dimi Martinez, a 2024 Granville High School graduate, has seized every opportunity to be involved at Granville after immigrating from Mexico as a toddler. mdevito@gannett.com 740-607-2175 This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville's Dimi Martinez seizes every opportunity after immigrating Woman ignoring a gaslighting man When you were growing up and dealing with a bully, did an adult ever tell you to, Just ignore them? Its common advice when someone is causing us to experience emotional turmoil, since oftentimes, the bully is looking for a rise or a reaction out of you. Unfortunately, childhood bullies arent just limited to childhoodbullies can find their way into adulthood as well, and if you have someone in your life who is being less than kind to you, you may go with the old advice of ignoring them. But is that the best way to go about it? And what about those bullies who are also known as gaslighters? We've asked the experts exactly what happens when you ignore a gaslighter, and healthy, psychologist-backed ways to handle this type of person. Related: Do Gaslighters Know What They're Doing? Psychologists Share the Truth What Is a Gaslighter? Lilit Ayrapetyan, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist, defines a gaslighter as someone who manipulates another person into questioning their own sanity, memories or perception of reality. It's a form of emotional abuse that can be very subtle and is often used to gain power and control, she explains. According to Dr. Nick Bach, PsyD, gaslighters frequently use various tactics such as denial, lying, blame-shifting, defensiveness and invalidating the victim's feelings and experiences to make them doubt their own reality. Dr. Richard Davis, organizational psychologist and author of GOOD JUDGMENT: Making Better Business Decisions with the Science of Human Personality (HarperCollins, June 11, 2024), also calls this sowing seeds of doubt in the other persons mind. He says that gaslighters can leave you thinking, Did that happen, or am I crazy? Related: 35 Common Gaslighting Phrases in Relationships and How To Respond, According to Therapists What Are the Negative Outcomes of Being Close to a Gaslighter? The good news is that you are not crazy. You are being manipulated by someone, and you dont deserve to be treated that way. If you continue to stay close to someone who is gaslighting you, there are negative outcomes you can expect. For example, as Dr. Ayrapetyan details, you might constantly feel confused, anxious and unsure of yourself. It can erode your self-esteem and make it hard to trust your own judgment, she says. Imagine constantly being told you misplaced the keys you're holding, making you question your memory and reality. Over time, this can lead to a sense of helplessness, a loss of personal identity and difficulty in trusting your own judgment and the intentions of others. Dr. Bach says that gaslighting is a highly damaging form of emotional abuse that can have long-lasting effects on the victim's mental health and well-being. He adds, It creates a dynamic where the victim becomes dependent on the gaslighter for validation and approval, further reinforcing the power imbalance in the relationship. Gaslighting is never a way to carry out a healthy, harmonious relationship. As Dr. Davis stresses, in any relationship, balance and accountability are critical. However, when one person constantly shifts blame to the other, untethered from reality, it is nearly impossible to have a truly healthy relationship, he explains. You cant get close to someone when facts dont matter and everything is your fault. Related: 14 Genius Phrases To Shut Down Gaslighting, According to Psychologists What Happens When You Ignore a Gaslighter? It Could Cause Their Behavior to Escalate When you feel powerless and exasperated by the other persons behavior, you may think that ignoring them is a solution to their gaslighting. But as Dr. Ayrapetyan says, unfortunately, it often doesnt deter the gaslighters behavior. In fact, it may make things worse. And it doesnt get down to the root of the problem. They may escalate their tactics to regain attention and control, leading to increased stress for the victim, she says. Ignoring such behavior doesnt address the underlying issues of manipulation and control and may inadvertently signal to the gaslighter that their behavior is acceptable or effective. This is one probable way it could go, but as Dr. Davis says, when you ignore a gaslighter, a number of outcomes are possible. Actually, Dr. Bach seems to think that ignoring them may work in your favor. You May Feel More Empowered He says, When you do not feed into psychological abuse by adjusting to their manipulative behavior, you strip away their power to control you. You strip away an important tactic for the abuser, which diminishes their ability to exert their dominance over you. By ignoring the abuser, you are likely to protect your mental health and well-being. Healthy, Effective Boundaries Could Be Created Dr. Bach adds that by ignoring their gaslighting comments, you are setting clear boundaries that communicate that you are an independent person and can have thoughts, beliefs and emotions that are your own. But he goes on to say that while this is a desirable outcome, it depends on your specific situation and whether there will be good or bad consequences. They Might Cut You Off For instance, if it goes in a negative direction, the gaslighter may cut you off emotionally as a manipulative way to get you to come back to them. They Could Try to Turn Others Against You They may solicit help from others. They might call your family members and ask them to confront you about your unreasonableness. A person who has a strong pattern of gaslighting will recruit whoever they can, so they maintain control, Dr. Bach says. Should You Ignore a Gaslighter? Dr. Davis breaks it down if youre torn between ignoring the gaslighter or confronting the situation: he says that if the gaslighting is mild and merely annoying, ignoring it is perfectly fine. If you cant ignore it because it is either too intense or the gaslighter is someone you simply cant ignore, you must deal with it more directly. Its ultimately your choice on whether you ignore the person or not. Related: 13 Red Flags of Gaslighting at Work and How to Respond, According to Psychologists What Are Some Healthy Ways to Deal with a Gaslighter? If ignoring them doesnt seem like the best way to handle your unique scenario, there are additional, healthy ways to deal with a gaslighter and protect your mental health. As shared by our experts, these approaches include: Seeking support: Talk to friends, family or a mental health professional who can provide perspective and validation of your experiences. Create a support system. Setting clear boundaries: Be clear about what is acceptable behavior and what is not, and enforce these boundaries consistently. Documenting interactions: Keep a written or audio record of interactions that can help maintain your sense of reality and can be useful in therapy or legal settings. Focusing on yourself: Prioritize your mental health and emotional well-being. Distance yourself: Whether its temporary or permanent, it might be important to get some distance between you and the gaslighter. Consider confronting: Confront the gaslighter if you believe there is a low risk they will become violent. Be assertive and point out the behaviors that the gaslighter continues to use to manipulate. Express your thoughts and feelings and let them know what consequences they will face given their behavior. If you are thinking about confronting the gaslighter directly, Dr. Davis says that while you will likely not change them, you may feel better by calling them out on the behavior and explaining exactly what they are doing. And of course, this is only appropriate if you feel its safe enough to do so. You may protect your self-esteem by standing up to the person or naming the gaslighting when it happens, Dr. Davis says. Even better, it would be wise to seriously consider whether you need this person in your life. A friend who constantly gaslights you may not deserve your friendship and a romantic partner who does this may not deserve your love. No matter what, keep in mind that your highest priority should be your own mental health. Dr. Ayrapetyan says, Remember, its not your responsibility to change someone who is manipulating you. Focusing on your own well-being and seeking help when needed is crucial. In cases where gaslighting is severe, creating physical and emotional distance or ending the relationship might be necessary. Next up, pick up on the subtle signs of gaslighting, according to psychologists. Sources It was on a visit to Ikaria, the island where Icarus supposedly fell into the sea, that I first saw the Fourni Islands. I was standing on a headland by the Tower of Drakono, built over two thousand years ago by the Athenians and their Delian league to protect these Aegean waters from the Persian threat. The tower was high and honey-coloured and a tremendous lookout point, facing east towards the rising sun. Below me on a small outcrop, I could see the small Orthodox Greek chapel of Agios Giorgiou, and below that a beach of the same name, with immaculate turquoise and translucent water, completely empty. But the distant view was even more enticing. A sightline had opened up through and into the much smaller and wild islands of Fourni, a scattered archipelago used by pirates for many centuries; a place I had heard of but, like so many Greek islands, never reached. Now I could see in their centre the little port of Fourni Korseon, whose white houses were glittering in the sun. I knew a little of these islands fearsome history; how for centuries a freebooting group of French corsairs, Maltese adventurers and fast Arabic boats had used them as a base from which to raid more settled neighbouring islands. So much so that on Ikaria, villages had been built high up from the shoreline, with caves to retreat to if the Fourni pirates raided. There was even a rule that no Ikarians were allowed to have dogs in case passing pirates heard them as they sailed by and came to investigate. The main harbour of Fourni Korseon, where white houses glitter in the sun - Hemis / Alamy When I finally had the opportunity to visit them, they proved even more entrancing than I had suspected. Lying at the northern end of the Dodecanese, not far from the coast of Turkey, this whole area is far less visited than Rhodes or Kos to the south or even nearby Patmos, which every summer now sees its population swell tenfold, helped by celebrity visitors such as Julia Roberts and William Dalrymple. The Fourni archipelago is made up of three big islands: Fourni itself, where most visitors base themselves, Agios Minas and Thymaina and 10 other beautiful small islets. One is listed as having a population of just three shepherds and an unspecified number of goats. The main island only got electricity in 1969, and today the population of the whole archipelago hovers at around 1,200 people. Whereas there are tales of 70 sunbeds on Mykonos, theres not a single one to be rented here although beachside bars have some for free if you buy a drink and instead the rare and happy feeling that the local population still outnumber the summer visitors. Its the quintessence of everything you might want from a Greek island experience, yet few people come here for what, in an old joke among the English-speaking visitors (who will hate me for publicising the place) is a Fourni-cation. Agia Marina Church on Fourni Island - robertharding / Alamy The little harbour port of Fourni Korseon has one of everything: baker, post office and candle-stick maker, or the equivalent, a small store selling beeswax and honey, and delicious home-made pesto. There are some of the cheapest fruit and vegetables Ive found in Greece for those who are self-catering (most rooms for rent have simple two-pan stoves). This can be supplemented by enjoyable foraging: wild thyme and fennel to flavour orzottos; and plenty of ripe prickly pears to pick from cacti, delicious chilled and scooped from the shell. Just be careful not to touch the skin the prickles have an annoying habit of lingering and being too small to remove easily. Yes, I speak from experience. A few cafes line the waterfront crayfish is a local speciality and a delightful tree-lined street leads back to a small square. Wander that way and plenty of cats will give you the eye as locals greet you with kalimera. A handsome marble sarcophagus from classical times stands beside one of the more exuberant bars. Fourni harbour from above - Hemis / Alamy Stock Photo The Greeks have a charmingly casual attitude to their own past, partly because they have so much of it. The church above the port is built on the foundations of what was once a classical acropolis, not that any sign tells you if you visit. Prices are noticeably lower than on fancier islands. Hiring a scooter the perfect way to get around costs half as much as say Kos or Zante. And having a scooter, or car if a family, is ideal for exploring the island as there is only one taxi and its driver, George, is a busy man. It can also be necessary. Theres a reason Odysseus and his fellow Greeks got blown to pieces when they tried to sail past the Dodecanese on the way back from Troy. Theres a lot of wind. But an advantage Fourni has over some islands is that with beaches on every side, theres always one that is sheltered: from Kamari with its excellent small taverna the centre for shipwreck investigations to Vlyhada in the south, empty often apart from a few goats, with a strip of perfect sand and some tamarisk trees for shade. Those same strong winds may have caused all the sailing accidents over the millennia. For shipwreck investigations have gained pace in recent years with the realisation that around the Fournis lie a greater concentration of wrecks than almost anywhere else in the Aegean. An astonishing 23 shipwrecks of ancient vessels were found by diving archaeologists at the rate of almost one per day when they explored these waters in 2016; many more are presumed still to be on the seabed. The earliest dates to roughly 525BC, while others range right across the classical period up to medieval times. Tension arose when the Greek authorities the wonderfully named Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities then declared an extensive archaeological zone around the shores, which meant local fishermen could not go there. As almost every family has a boat and the islanders define themselves by their relationship with the sea, this was not popular. The island's tree-lined roads provide welcome shade - Hercules Milas / Alamy Which is not to say locals are not proud of their pirates. Indeed, some might say they were obsessed by them. In almost every house or restaurant, youll see ancient amphorae displayed that have been caught by local fishermen in their nets. Archaeologists have been able to use the amphorae recovered from shipwrecks to analyse what was being traded or taken: garum, the fermented fish sauce the Romans so liked, along with cargoes of olive oil and wine so the pirates must often have been wealthy from their spoils. An old man in a cafe tells me he and his friends have often gone searching for the pirate gold which is supposed to be hidden somewhere on the island. He was also proud of their cosmopolitan nature: We didnt just have Greek pirates. We had pirates from France, from Turkey, from Malta, from Africa they all based themselves here! We probably had the odd pirate from England as well. The islands are known for the wild thyme which gives such a strong flavour to their honey. One of the charms of walking over the hills is the way the wild thyme and oregano releases its scent on being brushed against. On my last day on the Fournis, I was very fragrant by the time I had walked over the maquis of myrtle and laurel to a headland in the south, from which I could just make out the tantalising silhouette of double-backed Agathonisi in the evening sunlight. I had heard it was even less visited, with just one taverna and a handful of sugar-cube pension-houses; only one ferry a week went there. In Greece, there is always another island to explore. Essentials Fly to either Kos or Mykonos from the UK with Easyjet, and take a ferry via Ikaria, using Ferryhopper (ferryhopper.com) . There are also fast ferries from Athens to Ikaria if you want to combine a visit to the Greek capital, as well as direct flights to Ikaria from Athens with Olympic Air (olympicair.com) or Sky Express (skyexpress.gr). Accommodation at the various hotels along the quayside averages around 40 a night per room and scooters can be rented from 12-15 per day. 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. Im an ER doctor dont bring these 5 foods to the beach An emergency room physician is sharing the five foods he would never bring to the beach for fear of food poisoning -- cold cuts, fresh salads, anything with mayo, raw meat, and pre-cut fruits. Hes not so shore about your holiday menu. An emergency room doctor is sharing the five foods he would never bring to the beach for fear of food poisoning cold cuts, fresh salads, anything with mayo, raw meat, and pre-cut fruits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 48 million people get sick from foodborne diseases each year in the US, sending 128,000 to the hospital and killing 3,000. Food poisoning is more common in the summer because bacteria can thrive in warm, moist environments. The last thing you want is for people to go home and remember the beach trip because they got sick, Dr. John Torres, a Colorado-based physician and NBC News senior medical correspondent, said last week on TODAY. Dr. John Torres, a Colorado-based physician and NBC News senior medical correspondent, said sandwiches with lunch meats need to be refrigerated until they are ready to be eaten. Getty Images Cold cuts Torres said sandwiches with deli meats or cold cuts need to be refrigerated until they are ready to be eaten. The US Department of Agriculture recommends using an insulated bag or cooler that can keep contents below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Bacteria grow most rapidly between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, a range known as the danger zone. Once you take the sandwiches out of the cooler or refrigerator, you generally have two hours to eat them or one hour if the outdoor temperature tops 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the USDA says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 48 million people get sick from foodborne diseases each year in the US. Prostock-studio stock.adobe.com Fresh salads A new study published in the Journal of Food Protection finds that leafy green vegetables especially romaine and iceberg lettuce, spinach, and cabbage are a major source of foodborne illnesses. The USA recommends washing your hands before and after preparing your salad, cleaning and sanitizing all dishes and utensils, and using different kitchenware for ready-to-eat cold dishes and raw foods. Keep your salad in an airtight container until youre ready to serve it, Torres counsels. Keep your salad in an airtight container until youre ready to serve it, Torres advises. Getty Images Anything with mayo Mayo-based potato salad is always one of those big things that cause a lot of issues, Torres said. While the USDA has concerns about homemade mayo, when it comes to cold salads, the agency says the danger of foodborne illness lies with the main ingredient, such as eggs or chicken. Eggs should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit while chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The salads should be refrigerated until serving. While the US Department of Agriculture has concerns about homemade mayo, when it comes to cold salads, the agency says the danger of foodborne illness lies with the main ingredient, such as eggs or chicken. Getty Images Raw meat Torres advises against bringing raw or uncooked meats to the beach. The USDA says if you decide to do a beach cookout, scrub the grill before use; wash hands before and after handling raw meat and poultry; separate raw meat, cooked meat, and vegetables; and use a food thermometer. The USDA says if you decide to do a beach cookout, scrub the grill before use; wash hands before and after handling raw meat and poultry; separate raw meat, cooked meat, and vegetables; and use a food thermometer. Getty Images Whole cuts of meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit with a three-minute rest time. Fish should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, ground meats to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and ground or whole poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Eat the meat within two hours of cooking or one hour if the outside temperature reaches above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Pre-cut fruits Torres recommends bringing the whole fruit (like watermelon) to the beach to slice there, making sure to clean your hands, knife, and cutting board before doing so. Getty Images A 2021 study noted that fresh-cut fruit products can be contaminated during the peeling, slicing, and packaging phases of processing, with salmonella, E. coli, listeria and norovirus among the major pathogens of concern. Torres reports that pre-cut fruit can also get warm faster and attract insects he recommends bringing the whole fruit (like watermelon) to the beach to slice there, making sure to clean your hands, knife, and cutting board before doing so. Henderson County Meals on the Bus program rolls to a park near you this summer Henderson County Public Schools will continue serving the health and wellness of students over the summer months through the Summer Food Service Program, which begins Monday, June 3. From June 3 through Friday, July 26, the HCPS Child Nutrition Department will operate four open sites, consisting of stops along two Meals on the Bus routes. New this year are the park locations, ensuring children can comfortably enjoy meals on-site. Each stop features picnic tables and plenty of outdoor space, enhancing the experience for the community while following federal regulations. Henderson County Public Schools will continue serving the health and wellness of students over the summer months through the Summer Food Service Program. Lunch meals will be available to children ages 2-18 at no cost to families Monday-Friday on the following schedules: Route 1: Weekdays June 3-July 26, Jackson Park Shelter 4 11-11:45 a.m. and East Flat Rock Park noon-12:45 p.m. Route 2: Weekdays June 3-July 26, Edneyville Community Center 11-11:45 a.m. and Dana Community Park noon-12:45 p.m. HCPS Child Nutrition Department annually participates in the USDA-funded, state-administered SummerFood Service Program, and this year will be providing meals at no cost to children at a total of 32 closed and open meal sites. Closed sites include several partner organizations serving children over the summer months requiringregistration and enrollment such as the Boys & Girls Club, The Salvation Army of Hendersonville andWNCSource early childhood centers. All 23 HCPS schools are also considered closed sites since meals will be provided specifically to students participating in summer learning at their schools. Open sites along the Meals on the Bus routes are open to the public, where any child aged 2-18 may receive lunch meals during the designated times June 3-July 26. These state-administered SFSP meals and Meals on the Bus operations must follow the traditional federal regulations, requiring meals to be distributed to eligible children and eaten at the Meals on the Bus mobile feeding site. Federal laws and food safety standards also determine the length of the Meals on the Bus stops, which are annually reviewed and planned by the Child Nutrition Department in cooperation with the Transportation Department. Henderson County Public Schools will continue serving the health and wellness of students over the summer months through the Summer Food Service Program. During the summer, North Carolina families can also text FOOD or COMIDA to 304-304 to find summer meal open sites by location. Contact the HCPS Child Nutrition Department at 828-891-6310 for more information. Sites will be closed, and the Meals on the Bus routes will not be operating on Thursday, July 4, when the district is closed in observance of the Independence Day holiday. More: Steve Dozier, long-time chair, steps away from Henderson County planning board This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Meals on the Bus program rolls to a park near you this summer When pups fly: BARK Air, the world's first airline for dogs, take first flight The first jet charter company in the world in which every passenger is a VIP (very important pup) is now off the ground. BARK Air, launched by dog toy company BARK in partnership with a jet charter service, is a luxury airline for man's best friend that transports dogs of all sizes along with their owners in comfort and in style, CEO Matt Meeker said in a video provided by Reuters that takes the public behind the scenes of the new airline. "Were here to revolutionize flying for dogs," says BARK Air's website. Tickets sold out for BARK Air's first flight, which took off at 4 p.m. ET from New York, headed to Los Angeles. And flights are filling fast for the month of June. Here's what you need to know about the new airline, including how much flights cost. Dogs get treated like they're in first class. Dogs take first Bark Air flight BARK Air shared details of the company's first flight on Thursday in an Instagram post. "Right now, at an altitude of 30,000 feet, there is a flight filled with dogs. Unlike any flight before it, these dogs are not merely an afterthought, nor are they treated as cargo or a burden to the crew and fellow travelers. Here, dogs are the foremost priority," the company posted. BARK Air continued to say that the effort took 10 years, "but we are finally confident that we can provide all dogs with the air travel experience they deserve: one that puts them first." One user commented that "this really is the pawfect flight!" Another said: "We woof to see this." BARK Air's prices aren't cheap Pet owners can expect to pay $8,000 for a one-way international flight and $6,000 one way for a domestic flight that covers both them and their dog. For now, routes will serve the New York City metro area via Westchester County Airport (HPN), with flights to the Los Angeles area via Van Nuys (VNY) and London, England via Biggin Hill (BQH), according to BARK Air's website. What to expect flying BARK Air The company says that it has taken the white glove experience typical of a humans first-class experience and redirected all that pampering to pooches. Meeker said that the airlines caters everything to the dog, "trying to lower their anxiety and their stress, so they have the most comfortable, fear-free experience on an airplane." Food and water are provided for the pooches, and there's "even a spa treatment that happens in air," Meeker said. BARK Air says that a concierge will learn a dog's temperament and sensitivities before the flight for the best placement on the plane. Dogs will not be caged or on leashes but will be free to sit on the seat, their human, a bed or wherever comfortable, the company says. There are designated areas before flights for dogs to go potty and emergency pads will be available during flights. BARK Air takes away the stress of air travel for dogs and their owners. How many dogs can fit on a flight? Each flight fits 15 dogs and their humans, according to BARK AIR's website, but it never sells more than 10 tickets per flight. Space while flying is important to how animals roam, the company says. Though there are additional tickets available if more than one human needs to accompany a dog, kids are not allowed to fly BARK Air. Each passenger must be at least 18 years old. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: BARK Air, world's first airline for dogs, takes off. So how much? Its break time during my weeklong psychodrama retreat, where 11 (mostly) strangers from all over the country are gathered in a mansion underneath the northern lights of Fairbanks, Alaska, reenacting and healing our complex traumas. I feel seen, understood and accepted in this container we created to keep us resourced, regulated, connected and safe as we confront some of our deepest, darkest memories. In between sessions, I sneak a peek at my work phone and immediately wish I hadnt because reading an anonymous eight-word text message immediately undoes all of that. You look very Asian with your single eyelids. I dont recognize the number. My heart sinks all the way down to my feet. Instantly, I feel the same survival responses as if my life were in danger: freeze, fight, flee or fawn. I am a target. Im othered. I dont belong. They dont want me here. I am unwelcome. Im not safe. Immediately, I remember the embarrassment I felt every time a kid at school made jokes about my eyes. Can you even see? Do Asians see in wide-screen? I think of all the times people have made the slanty eye gesture to me. I think of all the times Ive had to laugh it off or sit there frozen and silent. The words alone may seem innocuous, but they trigger years of traumatic memories buried deep within my nervous system. I block them and put my phone away, but all it took was this one random text message from a complete stranger to send me back in time to when I felt ugly and defective. Why are my eyes like this? Its not fair. I take a breath, stand back up, regain my composure, and walk back down the stairs and rejoin this group that, minutes ago, represented safety and connection. Now, my body is full of fear and anger because of a message from someone who isnt here, as I take my seat again and pretend like nothing happened just like I always do. I wish the message at home had been different, but unfortunately it wasnt, at least not in my Korean American family. One of the most defining differences between those of Asian and those of Western descent is the presence of the upper-eyelid crease, or double eyelid. About 50% of Asiansdo not have this double eyelid. Blepharoplasty, the surgery to create this extra crease, is the most common cosmetic procedure requested in Asia and the third most common procedure requested by Asian Americans. I grew up bracing myself for this surgery. It was a rite of passage. My mom got it, her sisters got it, and my Korean girlfriends got it. Before I was old enough for surgery, I would wear double eyelid tape. Nowadays you can buy mass-produced double eyelid tape at Walmart and Amazon, but back in the day, I had to cut them up myself. When I got tired of putting tape on my eyes every day, I did what a lot of Korean girls do over the summer. At 14 years old, I went under the knife and got plastic surgery to try to look more Western and less Asian. I lay on the operating table anxious, alone and very awake. The Korean surgeon spoke with a calming voice, explaining the process to me in Korean as I struggled to understand surgical jargon. He jabbed me with local anesthetic and made the first incision in my eyelid. He cut a line above my eye and then sewed it closed, creating a crease that didnt exist before. I was awake, eyes wide open, for the entire hour. I felt a mix of feelings: fear, shame, sadness, and also hope. I got braces around the same time and I rationalized that the double eyelid surgery was similar. Its painful and unpleasant but youll get a prettier smile, or, in this case, prettier eyes. Afterward, while I recovered, my eyes were bruised, swollen and tender for the rest of the summer. I rarely left my house and if I did, I wore sunglasses everywhere. I told my friends I was out of town. My parents encouraged it. They had been wanting me to do this since I was born. They would have been relieved if I had been part of the 50% that was born with a double eyelid because that would have saved them thousands of dollars they barely had at the time. I come from an entire country that has adopted the belief that an extra line above your eyes adds value to your life. But the sad truth is that, in my case, the rest of the world cant even tell the difference post-surgery. This crease is so subtle, its almost invisible. My non-Asian friends dont even notice until I point it out. Im still bullied by anonymous trolls who cant even tell that I cut my eyelids to conform to their beauty standards. And now, as I am confronted by these childhood memories in my adult body, I cant help but question who decided this is beautiful? This pressure to assimilate to Western beauty ideals hits home extra hard for Korean women because the surgery was first developed in the Korean War by an American military plastic surgeon for Korean war brides to look more appealing to American soldiers. Whenever I watch Korean dramas or listen to K-pop, I quickly notice that every Korean on the screen has double eyelids. For most of my life, Id been so conditioned to believe my Asian eyes were ugly that I couldnt even accept compliments about them. When I heard, Your eyes are beautiful, I immediately assumed that I was being fetishized or made fun of. They cant possibly actually think that. The author at 7 years old, before she had eye surgery. Photo Courtesy Of Sharon Kwon I thought I would feel that way forever, but 11 years ago, when I was a senior in college, I was run over by a taxi while waiting to cross the street in Chicago. I was in the ICU for weeks, couldnt walk, and had gashes and stitches all over my body, including on my face. I broke the bone under my eye and had to have surgery to replace it. The doctor said I should be grateful because, if it wasnt for this bone, I would likely have lost my eyeball. I almost lost the very eyes that I was conditioned to feel were broken. I almost lost my ability to see. This time, when I lay on an operating table, I felt scared and resentful yet also grateful as the anesthesia slipped me into unconsciousness. I left the hospital after a few weeks and my mother flew in from Los Angeles and lived with my roommates and me for a month to take care of me bathing me, cooking for me, and coming with me to many follow-up appointments. After a couple of months, I was walking again, back at school, and back to life as usual except now I have a scar across my forehead, one that Ive grown to love and appreciate as one of my many battle wounds. And I can still see. I can still see the sky, sun, mountains and trees. I can see whats in front of me and behind me. I can see the world in all its beauty and grief. The day after I read the text message, I chose connection over isolation and shared what was bothering me at my psychodrama retreat. They held me close in a group hug as we let out collective screams of anger and frustration at the world and the systems designed to keep us separated. I felt seen, understood, and supported by this group of both Asian and white bodies. I noticed a shift within me. I didnt want to give this stranger the satisfaction of making me feel inferior. When I look in the mirror these days, I can see my grandparents, born in Japan-occupied Korea, who got their first taste of freedom and globalization after World War II. I can see my parents, born just after the Korean war in a time when our little country became trapped in an endless battle between communism and capitalism. I see my ancestors, family, friends and a country full of people like me. I see our shared humanity and longing to belong and to feel valued and worthy. I see our stories and Im inspired to give them life. I can see myself a Korean American immigrant and I feel gratitude and pride. This is what these eyes are made for: to see the world, ourselves and each other. Do you have a compelling personal story youd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what were looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com. Related... A statue of James Joyce in Trieste commemorates the Irish novelist who lived in the city for some time. Slovenias national rail provider has re-opened a train line with a new-old Trieste-Rijeka route that takes two hours to pass through 8 cities in 3 countries. Maurizio Valdemarin/PromoTurismo FVG/dpa To some, the Italian city of Trieste is best known for being where James Joyce wrote most of Ulysees, which he signs off with 'Trieste-Zurich-Paris.' Slovenias national rail provider has re-opened a train line variation of Joyces famous dateline, with a new-old Trieste-Rijeka route that takes two hours to pass through 8 cities in 3 countries. Joyces sojourn in Trieste came during the final years of the Habsburg Empire. Fittingly, the revived ink to Rijeka on Croatias Adriatic Sea coast passes through Slovenia and was laid in the late 19th century when the region, Trieste included, was part of Habsburg domain. The line will be open until the end of September - though there are plans to make it run year-long - and a single or one-way ticket costs 8. Slovenian Railways said the line is being operated in partnership with Croatian Railways Passenger Transport. The route revival comes as Europe sees something of a revival of international and long-haul train travel, with European Sleeper recently extending its Brussels-Berlin overnight route to Prague. Slovenias national rail provider has re-opened a train line with a new-old Trieste-Rijeka route that takes two hours to pass through 8 cities in 3 countries. Alexandra Stahl/dpa Rules of the road: Do you know these driving dos and don'ts in Florida? Do you have to stop for a school bus letting children off on the opposite side of the road from you? What about driving while wearing earbuds. Is that ok? Heres another one what are you supposed to do if youre on a two-lane road and theres a disabled vehicle off to the side? There are lots of rules of the road you need to know before getting behind the wheel. Well go over some of the most important ones to make sure you, and other drivers, are safe. Are you allowed to text and drive in Florida? A car crash at the intersection of Woolbright Road and Jog Road in Boynton Beach, Florida That would be a big fat no. As of July 1, 2019, law enforcement is able to issue citations to anyone operating a motor vehicle while manually typing or entering multiple letters, numbers or symbols into a wireless communications device to text, email and instant message. This includes a cell phone, tablet, laptop, two-way messaging device or an electronic game that can be used in a handheld manner. What is the penalty for texting and driving in Florida? The first offense is considered a non-moving traffic violation. It comes with a minimum $30 fine. No points are assessed against the driver license. A second offense, within five years of the first one, will get a minimum $60 fine. Youll also get three points against your driver license. Commit the violation in a school or work zone and youll be awarded a moving traffic violation with a minimum fine of $60 and three points assessed against your driver license. Are there exceptions to the texting and driving rules? The law does not apply to motor vehicles that are stationary, such as at a stop light. Motorists also are exempt if they are reporting emergency or criminal activity to law enforcement or using a device for navigation purposes. Are earbuds allowed while driving in Florida? Earbuds may allow you to drive hands-free, but they are halfway prohibited while driving. Lets explain. Wearing earbuds, a headset or headphones over both ears is a no-go. However, if you just have one earbud in, thats allowed because it allows surrounding sounds to be heard with the other ear. What are the rules when you see a disabled vehicle on the side of the road? Drivers fail to move to the other lane while driving past a police car with its lights on during a traffic stop. While driving youve likely passed a disabled vehicle or a law enforcement officer pulled over attending to another driver. Whats the protocol? Move over thats the Florida law. It requires motorists to move over a lane for stopped law enforcement, emergency, sanitation, utility service vehicles, tow trucks or wreckers, maintenance or construction vehicles with displaying warning lights and well as any vehicle on the side of the road. If youre on a two-lane road or not able to move over, you must slow down to a speed that is 20 mph less than the posted speed limit. If youre in an area where the posted speed limit is 20 mph or less, you must slow down to 5 mph. In 2022, there were 170 crashes and more than 14,000 citations issued for motorists failing to move over in Florida, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What about ebikes? Can they drive on roads? Ebikes, which have been gaining popularity in recent years, are under the same guidelines as bicycles, according to Florida statute. They are allowed on: bike lanes, streets and roads, sidewalks and multi-use paths. Similar to bicycles, motorists must provide a minimum of three feet of clearance when passing an e-bike rider. Most e-bikes go as fast as 20 mph, but some get as high as 28 mph. Spitzer is a trending reporter. She can be reached at MSpitzer@floridatoday.com This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida driving rules to know: Texting, school buses, earbuds SC has 2 of the 20 friendliest towns in the South, Southern Living says. Heres where and why South Carolina has more than its fare share of towns, some large, some small and many with their own quirks and charms, be it a vibrant downtown, a strong art scene or historic architecture. And given that were talking about the South, chances are the town you visit will be fairly friendly. But are some towns much friendlier than others? Plus, whose town is the friendliest? Southern Living may have some answers. The popular publication recently surveyed readers, asking them to share their favorite friendly places. More than 20,000 people responded with comments about their hometowns and places theyve visited. The locations range from the beach, to the mountains, to the Texas hills, but they all have one thing in common: A desire to make everyone feel welcome, no matter where they are from, Southern Living writes. Southern Living narrowed the list down to the 20 friendliest towns in the South, two of which are in South Carolina. Covington, Louisiana earned the top spot on the list, while Fernandina Beach, Florida came in last. So, which two towns from the Palmetto State made the cut? Check them out below. For the full list, click here. Spartanburg Spartanburg took the fourth spot on the friendliest towns in the South list. Spartanburg also earlier made Southern Livings Best Cities on the Rise for 2024 list for its notable growth and new development projects. Theres a simple reason for this population boom: Its a really nice place to live, according to readers, Southern Living states. Readers noted that Spartanburg has a fantastic library worth visiting with a helpful staff. Other readers wrote that city employees are helpful and friendly and that Spartanburg is a great, welcoming place to retire. Beaufort The town of Beaufort snagged second place on the list. This charming spot is not a newcomer to Southern Living lists its landed on their annual Souths Best Awards several times over the years. Visit there and youll understand why. Beaufort is loaded with historic architecture, gorgeous beaches and plenty of little restaurants and shops. Id prefer to keep it a secret, but yall have let that cat out of the bag. The city itself is like a warm hug, her people are icing on the cake, one Southern Living reader wrote. Folks greet each other on the street, share stories over ice cream cones on benches, kids play and engage in the riverfront park, folks will scooch over a seat or two to make room for others. Its just a lovely corner of home in this crazy world. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." You can taste the salt in the air in this four-story Southern California gem. Its proximity to the sea is what drew the homeowner to the Spanish Colonial in the first place. Hed always wanted a surf shack, Jon De La Cruz says of his client, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and avid surfer. While far from a shack, the four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 6,000-square-foot home sits on a cliff overlooking the water just steps from the beach. Its the perfect getaway to roll out of bed and hit the waves or to use as a relaxing yoga retreat, another one of the homeowners passions. When De La Cruz toured the place, he was immediately blown away by its beauty. The only real issue was that the property hadnt been touched in almost 50 years and needed updating. For De La Cruz, who previously worked with the homeowners on renovating their primary Northern California home, the challenge was making the beach house feel lighter, brighter, and cleaner without destroying any of the original architecture or removing any of the patina. We liked the beachy casual, sort of weatherworn driftwood feeling of the place, says the designer. And we didnt want to make it feel brand new. We wanted it to feel old. To strike the right balance between authentic and contemporary, the designer and his team avoided structural changes (It was really just a facelift and a furnish). Instead, they mindfully modernized the home by installing new durable teak floors, plastering the exposed ceilings to brighten the rooms, and restoring and refreshing fitting and finishes. In addition to the bones of the home, another key factor informed the design: the location. It is pretty close to Mexico, says De La Cruz. You could smell that when you walked through it. So we didnt want to harm any of that charm, because you couldnt pay for that now in a new property. Living Room Douglas Friedman It was like a portfolio of an artist, De La Cruz says of the whimsical series of paintings lining the living room wall, which he sourced locally from a vintage store. Im assuming an art student had done them. They were very gestural. I liked the pop of color, and it just felt very easy and unpretentious. Another design element used for its breezy appeal was slipcovers. They are very approachable and easy to clean. Another vintage element is the Louis XVIstyle limestone mantel, sourced from Pittet Architecturals. One striking feature throughout the home is the exposed ceiling beams. We put plaster in between them so that we could lighten it up and feel a little more finished, says De La Cruz. This allowed the designer and his team to tuck in some new ceiling tracks and new low-voltage fixtures to light the place without having to cut holes everywhere. Sofas: Sixpenny. Rug: Mansour Modern. Coffee table: Arturo Pani. Floor lamp: Phoenix Day. Side table and wingback chair: Obsolete. Textiles, pillows, and accessories: Schuyler Samperton and Jennifer Shorto from Nickey Kehoe. Family Room Douglas Friedman When the family of five wants to plop down in front of the TV, they head in here, where the sofa has cushions upholstered in beach- and sand-friendly outdoor fabric. The Melissa Chandon painting on the wall echoes the view outside. Its like adding a window to the space, says De La Cruz. Sofa: custom, in Zak & Fox fabric with vintage blankets. Ottoman: Lucca Antiques. Glass side table: Lawson-Fenning. Floor cushion: Nickey Kehoe. Rug: Mansour Modern. Wall paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore. Kitchen Douglas Friedman De La Cruz and his team did minimal work in the kitchen. They painted the upper cabinets and stained the bright red mahogany bottom ones, which, according to the designer, were beautiful in the 80s but not now. Then they changed the backsplash to a hand-painted Mexican tile, put in new counters, added a butcher block on the island, installed new light fixtures, and called it a day. Floor tile: Country Floors. Dinnerware: Sarah Kersten and Jereds Pottery. Cutting boards: Black Creek Mercantile & Trading Company from March SF. Dining Room Douglas Friedman The dining room has a Murano chandelier that looks like a sea creature, De La Cruz says. The table and chairs, from Lucca Antiques in Los Angeles, felt very Spanish but a little bit more modern, he adds. The reclaimed teak floors were sourced from IndoTeak. Chandelier: vintage, from Pegaso Gallery. Shell lamps: Object Culture. Painting: Jeff Peters. Breakfast Area Douglas Friedman I wanted to introduce some softness, says De La Cruz of juxtaposing a wooden antique Spanish refectory table with the showstopping Holland & Sherry fabric he used to create a slipcover for the banquette in the breakfast area. He chose the spot for its versatility. Thats a place where you can sit in the morning and look at a laptop and have a cup of coffee, have a sandwich in between surfing trips, even have an informal dinner or set out charcuterie boards and just graze while everyones enjoying the sunset, he says. It just gave the place a whole new vibe. The gorgeous floor tile came with the property. Theyre beautiful and theyre old and theyve been waxed and polished and mopped for 50 years, says De La Cruz. Thats a patina that we couldnt replace with new. So we left it alone and embraced it. Table and dining chairs: Obsolete. Chandelier: Palecek. Jars: vintage, from Nickey Kehoe. Mudroom Douglas Friedman While the homeowner was pretty hands-off during the design process, one item on his wish list was a room for all his surfboards. He needed a spot where he could store all his boards and be able to wax them and change and decompress after surfing or mentally prepare for that, De La Cruz says. To create this man cave, the designer converted a stand-alone garage. We put up a wetsuit drying rack, carpeted a little bit so it would feel good with bare feet, and then set up a little mini bar where he can store cool drinks. Primary Bedroom Pictured on main. This was a very easy room, Del La Cruz says of the main bedroom, which has a giant window overlooking the ocean. The designer didnt want to distract from that feature, so he kept the furnishings sparse and the art minimal. Its just about the sounds and the smell of the ocean, he says. Upgrades included new floors, plaster, and electrical. De La Cruzs team designed the modern Moroccan-inspired headboard. The architecture spoke to me in a way that it felt very Spanish, Mexican, but also kind of moorish, the designer says. So we played up a little bit of that Moroccan vibe, because that also felt very southern California. Paintings: Robin Harker. Console: vintage. Settee: vintage, in Larsen fabric. Cocktail table: Sirmos Plaster Quarry. Table: Mansour Modern. Bed skirt, curtains, and pillows: custom, in Schumacher fabric. Throw: Nickey Kehoe. Bed: custom. Bunk Room Douglas Friedman The bunk bedsdesigned to be both kid and adult friendly with queen-size mattresses on the bottom bunkscan easily accommodate the homeowners children and their friends or office associates during company retreats. We approached the room like a little micro hotel, De La Cruz says. We wanted everyone to have their own little area. A closer look at the custom bunks reveals another cool design feature: the fluting on the wood is actually morse code for surf. I don't like to just pick pretty things, De La Cruz says. I like everything to have a meaning or a story so that when you invite people over, you have things to talk about, to share and to show why you chose an item. Bed scarves: Beach sarongs from Anthropologie. Carpet: Stark. Curtains: custom, in Zak + Fox fabric. Guest Bedroom Douglas Friedman For the ground floor guest bedroom, De La Cruz decided to use a four-poster bed. It just gave it a little more architecture. It made it feel a little more private, he says. Rug: Aga John. Settee: vintage, in Zak + Fox fabric. Douglas Friedman A beautiful Spanish desk is accompanied by a traditional Mexican equipale chair. Theyre handcrafted and they're very comfortable and we just love them, De La Cruz says. The chairs along with the waxed saltillo tiles sprinkled throughout the hacienda are a quiet salute to Michael Taylor, one of my design heroes and the benchmark of California-Mexico coastal style. Primary Bathroom Douglas Friedman When you have a room like this, you have to leave it alone and not fight it, De La Cruz says of the stunning primary bath. My clients wife didnt care as much about what we did with this house. This was the house for him, the designer explains. But he said, Lets make it as comfortable for her as possible because I want her to come here and enjoy it Since she loves taking a bath, the designer created this serene spa moment complete with a hot Waterworks tub. Now she loves coming there and hosts her girlfriends on yoga retreats, he says. Bathtub: Waterworks. Faucet and fixtures: THG Paris. Rug: Pottery Barn. Table: vintage Sirmos Plaster Quarry. Curtains: custom, in Coraggio fabric. Office Douglas Friedman Its not all surf and sand. For those unavoidable Zoom meetings and conference calls, De La Cruz created a sophisticated office just off the primary bedroom on the fourth floor. He is literally sitting on top of the ocean looking up at the whole coast of California, and theres nothing you cant accomplish sitting on that desk, he says. While all the other rooms of the house have beach-centric art, the office is adorned with a more businesslike abstract work in black-and-white. We wanted him to have a very serious, doesnt-look-like-Im-at-my-surf-shack Zoom background, De La Cruz says. And we wanted it to look good at night in case he is taking a call in the evening. Art: Tom Hausken. Rug: Aga John. Side chairs: Ranier Daumiller from Obsolete. Desk: Lawson-Fenning. Q&A House Beautiful: How did you save money/DIY/get crafty? Jon De La Cruz: When it came time to furnish the project, we were able to tighten the budget with an aggressive mix of restored antique and vintage focal pieces, mid-level retail furnishings that were reupholstered or modified to stay on concept, and a scant few hero pieces that were benchmade for the project to maximize our trifecta: luxury comfort and functionality. Critical to this success was the freedom to exercise our own creative discretion without having to chase the client down for a line-for-line approval on each piece. They trusted us to assemble a beautiful beach house. Sure, there were a few minor adjustments we made after they acclimated to the house, but in the end it was far less time and money and headache with this approach. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok . You Might Also Like 1 man dead after being shot near the Trap Music Museum, APD investigating The Atlanta Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred in northwest Atlanta, police told Channel 2 Action News. Police say they responded to a person shot call just before 8 p.m. in the area of 630 Travis Street. The address corresponds with the Trap Music Museum. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] When police arrived, they said they found a 60-year-old man who had been shot multiple times. The victim died at the scene, first responders said. According to police, the victim helped keep the parking lot clean and helped with parking. The suspect is described as tall with dread locks. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: 10, 12-year-old missing after getting into car in South Memphis UPDATE: Both children have returned home safely. ** MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis Police are searching for two children who were last seen getting into a car in South Memphis. Jaylen Mays, 12, and Jayla Mays, 10, were last seen in the 200 block of Bullington Avenue. Memphis Police say they left home without permission and have not returned. They were last seen getting inside a gray Hyundai being driven by an unknown male juvenile. Jaylen is 46 and 65 pounds with a low-cut hairstyle. Jayla is 48 and 97 pounds with her hair in twists. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. If you see Jaylen or Jayla Mays, call MPD at 901-545-2677 or the Missing Person Bureau at 901-636-4479. 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. Butler Martin's photos from his time as a Montford Point Marine are peppered throughout a booklet from a commemorative ceremony held in the nation's capital more than a decade ago. A Congressional Gold Medal the highest civilian award from that event sits on display in his living room, alongside a black and white picture of the 101-year-old as a young Marine in uniform. Martin is one of the last known surviving members of the Montford Point Marines, the first African American men to enlist in the Marine Corps after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order banning job discrimination in the defense industry a move that allowed African Americans to join all branches of the military after the start of World War II. Up until that point in June 1941, African Americans were barred from serving in the Marine Corps since its founding in 1775. Montford Point Marine Butler Martin, 101, of Inkster, talks about what It was like for him being a part of the the first group of African Americans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. While sitting at his home in Inkster on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Martin who was given the Congressional Gold Medal with other members of the Montford Point Marines, was also honored by the city of Southfield at a ceremony put together by the Southfield Veteran's Commission. It was 1942 when Martin began his journey in the Marine Corps. He initially intended to join the Air Corps but wasn't able to because he didn't have an associate's degree, he recalled in an interview in his Inkster home. He had heard there were no Black units in the Marine or Air Corps, and wanted to be a part of changing that. "We helped break the barrier," Martin said. Coping with segregation Martin trained at Montford Point, a segregated site for African American recruits at Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina. He had to sleep in tents with oil heaters, he recalled. Dilapidated huts served as barracks, and the Marines were forced to build their own facilities on camp, according to the booklet from the Congressional Gold Medal commemorative ceremony. Black recruits were trained harder to prove they were just as capable as their white counterparts, he said. "They were a lot rougher on us," he said. Montford Point Marine Butler Martin, 101, of Inkster, and his wife Anna Martin, 85, sit at their home as he talks about what It was like for him being a part of the the first group of African Americans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. While sitting at his home in Inkster on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Martin who was given the Congressional Gold Medal with other members of the Montford Point Marines, was also honored by the city of Southfield at a ceremony put together by the Southfield Veteran's Commission. Martin said he had to be careful outside of camp during that time, too, when racial segregation and discrimination ran rampant in the South. When they went into town, the recruits had to stick together and could visit only Black bars, restaurants and cafes. "We couldn't go nowhere in the white neighborhoods. ... You went into town, they got a white fountain that you drink water out of and a black fountain. They got signs up 'white only' and then they got another sign for Blacks," he said. Martin remembers during a train trip to California in 1943 when restaurants in New Orleans denied service to the 500 Marines in his group because they were Black. "The Marine commander got buses to take us to the Black side of town and found every restaurant they could find to feed us," he said. From Hamtramck to the Pacific theater Martin was deployed to the Pearl Harbor naval base, Guadalcanal in the South Pacific, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guam. Martin was responsible for supplying ammunition. "We had to handle a lot of ammunition. It was real dangerous," he said. On the battlefield, Black and white Marines fought side-by-side, but afterward the Marines separated to their segregated camps, with their own huts, kitchens and mess halls. A photo of Montford Point Marine Butler Martin, 101, of Inkster, and his Congressional Gold Medal sit on a piano in his home in Inkster while talking about what It was like for him being a part of the the first group of African Americans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Martin who was given the Congressional Gold Medal with other members of the Montford Point Marines, was also honored by the city of Southfield at a ceremony put together by the Southfield Veteran's Commission. Martin served in the Marines until 1946. He had enlisted for the duration of the war and decided to leave after it ended. Martin was born in South Carolina and raised in Hamtramck, in a house with Polish neighbors who lived upstairs. After he left the Marines, Martin worked as a Detroit bus driver for a decade. Then, he went to cosmetology school and opened up his own shop Mr. Martin's Salon in Detroit which he ran for nearly 40 years, making toupees for men and styling women's hair. He retired in 1990. One of Martin's children followed in his footsteps and joined the Marines. Martin also paved the way for Marines like Ramon B. Rogers, a veteran who now serves as vice commandant of the Detroit-based nonprofit Montford Point Marines of America. People gather for pictures with Montford Point Marine, Butler Martin, 101, outside of the Southfield Municipal Campus after a Memorial Day ceremony on Friday, May 24, 2024. Martin was honored for his sacrifice and service by the City of Southfield during the ceremony. "Obstacle after obstacle, these gentlemen overcame and continued to be treated as second-class citizens in that they had to fight for the right to fight for their own country," Rogers told the Free Press. Rogers said if the Montford Point Marines had given up along the way, he would not have seen his own military success, let alone been allowed in the Marines in the first place. 'Forgotten Warriors' ... 'were set up to fail' On Friday, Rogers spoke during a Memorial Day ceremony held by the city of Southfield at which Martin was honored for his service. More: Potentially stormy Memorial Day weekend delivers diverse arts options in metro Detroit As African Americans, the Montford Point Marines were underestimated yet they persisted, Rogers said. Instead of going to traditional camps at Parris Island, South Carolina, and San Diego, they were relegated to a separate site, forced to train in the backwoods, he said. Recruits dealt with snakes, swarms of mosquitoes and a lack of fresh running water. It was uninhabitable for humans, Rogers said. The Montford Point Marines, or the "Forgotten Warriors," were given menial tasks, not allowed in combat roles and denied promotions for their achievements, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. "These individual men, they were set up to fail. ... Yet these Black men were committed to becoming a United States Marine," Rogers said. Montford Point Marine Butler Martin, 101, of Inkster, shows photos of himself that he has circled while talking about what It was like for him being a part of the the first group of African Americans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. While sitting at his home in Inkster on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Martin who was given the Congressional Gold Medal with other members of the Montford Point Marines, was also honored by the city of Southfield at a ceremony put together by the Southfield Veteran's Commission. About 20,000 African Americans trained at Montford Point. More than 12,700 were deployed overseas. There are approximately 200 surviving Montford Point Marines in the U.S., according to a press release from the city of Southfield. Martin, in a black Montford Point Marines cap, sat with his wife, Anna, on Friday as he received his honorary plaque from the Southfield Veteran's Commission. "The Black Marines made a difference," he told the Free Press. Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @NushratR. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Butler Martin, 101, is one of the first African American Marines MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) The Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) and Maryland-National Capital Park Police were at the scene of a double homicide on Sunday evening. Someone called the police just before 7 p.m. to report a shooting in the 500 block of Thayer Avenue. ACPD: Maryland man arrested for seriously hurting police officer Officers found two 20-year-old men who had been shot and killed at the Parkside Terrace Apartments. They were found near a playground and basketball court at the back of the complex. There were no suspects in custody as of 10:15 p.m. Police said the investigation is still active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call police. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. 2 inmates still at large after 4 escaped from Louisiana jail A manhunt for two young men who broke out of a Louisiana jail is ongoing after two other escapees were found hiding in a dumpster behind a Dollar General store, authorities said. The four inmates, all held in connection with violent crimes, escaped from the Tangipahoa Parish Jail north of New Orleans, according to a Facebook post from Sheriff Daniel Edwards. Two were taken into custody Monday morning. The sheriffs office identified the two inmates still at large as Omarion Hookfin, 19, and Jamarcus Cyprian, 20. We feel that theyre no longer in Tangipahoa Parish, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office Chief of Operations Jimmy Travis said Monday. He added anyone who assisted the escapees in leaving the area would also face charges. Authorities believe two inmates left the facility in southeastern Louisianas Amite City Saturday afternoon and the other two left Sunday afternoon, Travis said at a news conference. From top left, Jamarcus Cyprian and Avery Guidry. From Bottom left, Omarion Hookfin and Travon Johnson - Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff The sheriffs office did not learn the inmates had escaped until Sunday afternoon, when a concerned citizen contacted the warden and reported two of the escapees had come to a relatives house looking for a place to stay, Jail administrators then realized a total of four inmates were missing. The four inmates were able to escape the perimeter fence of the Parish Jail while participating in their recreation time on the yard, the sheriff said. A section of the fence was found in an inspection to be vulnerable and easily maneuvered as to allow a small statured body to slide through, the Facebook post said. The two captured inmates, Avery Guidry, 19, and Travon Johnson, 21, were found hiding in the dumpster Monday morning, the sheriffs office reported. They were unarmed when found, Travis said. Hookfin, Guidry and Johnson were charged in connection to a 2022 home invasion that left a man dead and his 12-year-old daughter injured, CNN affiliate WDSU reported. They were awaiting trial. Cyprian was serving time for armed robbery and weapon charges, the sheriff said. It is very concerning authorities did not realize the inmates were missing until someone reached out, Travis said. If the proper headcounts had been conducted, we would have known about it immediately. Travis said lack of correctional supervision as well as corroded wire in a perimeter fence made the escapes possible. Were short-staffed its no excuse but were short-staffed, he added. Its a failure. We had a failure within. The Louisiana State Police told CNN in an email the agency is in contact with Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office and assisting where needed. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com 2 Men Arrested in Connection with Death of Missing Man Whose Remains Were Found Buried in a Freezer Edward Elliott, 64, was last seen in late January or early February, police said Carter County Tennessee Sheriff's Office Edward Elliott Two men have been arrested in connection with the death of a man whose remains were found in a buried freezer. The remains of Edward Elliott, 64, were found on May 15 inside a freezer that was buried off a remote road in Hampton, Tenn., WJHL reported. The Carter County Sheriffs Office said Elliott was last seen in the Roan Mountain area in either late January or early February. He was reported missing to the Carter County Sheriffs Office on March 31 by a family member. At the time, authorities said he was wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt with cut-off sleeves. Authorities also reported that he suffered from a medical condition that could impair his ability to return safely home without assistance. Last week, Jim Chambers was taken into custody in connection to Elliott's death. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced on May 22 that Chambers was apprehended in Louisiana with the help of the FBI office in New Orleans, Louisiana State Police and Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office. Carter County Sheriff's Office; Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Joey Guinn; Jim Chambers He has been charged with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, per Kingsport Times-News. His alleged accomplice, Joey Guinn, 46, was charged with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in mid-May, per WJHL. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The investigation heated up in mid-April after police received an anonymous tip that Elliott was severely beaten by Guinn and another man, according to an affidavit obtained by WJHL. The attack allegedly happened outside Guinns Hampton home, per WJHL. Investigators searched Guinns home and nearby properties and found Elliott's remains. With the assistance of a cadaver dog, we pinpointed a location that made a positive hit on it, Sheriff Mike Fraley said at a May 16 press conference announcing Guinn's arrest. We asked for metal detectors to be brought up and they were, and they actually confirmed there was something in the ground. Several hours later a box was exhumed, and a human body was found in that small freezer. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. 2 shootings in 2 days in Myrtle Beach. Both occur after verbal altercation. One was deadly A second shooting has occurred in Myrtle Beach after a verbal altercation, according to Myrtle Beach Police. It comes after a Columbia man was killed the day before during a shooting stemming from an altercation on Ocean Boulevard. The shootings happened during the busy Memorial Day weekend, in which thousands of people come to the Myrtle Beach area, including the annual Atlantic Beach Bike Fest. On Sunday, police responded to multiple areas regarding a rolling shooting incident, according to a Facebook post. About 11:47 p.m., officers went to the area of 14th Avenue South and Kings Highway, 13th Avenue South and Beaver Road and also to 3rd Avenue South and Kings Highway. After further investigation, it was learned that the defendant was involved in a verbal altercation with the victim, stemming from a dispute over goods. It is not clear what goods were involved. No injuries were reported. During the incident, the defendant fired his weapon while chasing two victims in the fleeing vehicle. The defendant has been detained and the case is ongoing, the post said. Dwight McCarn, 34, of Lumberton, North Carolina, was charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Sundays shooting comes after Cedric Reddick, 31, died Saturday from multiple traumatic gunshot injuries on North Ocean Boulevard. Police responded to the shooting about 10:49 p.m. Saturday in the 2300 block of North Ocean Boulevard. One person was arrested, according to a text from Cpl. Chris Starling with the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Anthony Maurice Garner, 44, of Albemarle, North Carolina, was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, Starling said. Garner was involved in a verbal altercation with an associate of the victim, stemming from a road rage incident. During the incident, Garner allegedly fired his weapon, fatally striking the victim, Starling said. Garner remains in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center without bail. AKRON, Ohio (WJW) Police on Friday arrested a 23-year-old man in connection to a shooting that injured a man and a woman. The man, identified as Gregory Z. Prunty, 23, of Akron, was jailed and is now charged with felonious assault in Akron Municipal Court. Child on bicycle hit, killed by alleged drunk driver Police responded just after 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 24, to the 2000 block of 6th Street Southwest, where they found Prunty with an unloaded gun at his feet, according to a Monday news release. This embedded content is not available in your region. Prunty told police that someone pulled a gun on him and he shot in self-defense, according to the release. Police found two gunshot victims, a 36-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman, around the corner along Sharon Street. The man was struck multiple times and the woman was grazed. Both were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The shooting stemmed from an ongoing dispute between Prunty and the victims, reads the release. Man found dead in water at Wildwood Park Officers collected several shell casings and other evidence from the scene. Prunty was handed a $50,000 bond at his Saturday arraignment, court records show. His case is now pending before a Summit County grand jury. 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. Mike Waldner, the states broadband project manager, gives a status update during the April 10, 2024, Broadband Summit in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) Mike Waldner, the states broadband project manager, gives a status update during the April 10, 2024, Broadband Summit in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) About 91% of South Dakota has access to broadband service, putting the statewide ConnectSD high-speed internet initiative in its final stretch. Thats a lot of work, look at that, said Mike Waldner, the states broadband project manager, to attendees at the recent 2024 Broadband Summit in Sioux Falls. About half of South Dakota had access to high-speed internet before the initiative began in 2019. The effort now totals over $300 million, connecting over 31,000 locations that previously had slow or no internet. Setting aside projects already planned and funded, the number of locations yet to be connected is about 11,000. Funding for ConnectSD has included $85 million from the state, $89 million of federal funds, and $127 million of private investment from broadband providers. Waldners summit presentation was a status update on the initiative, launched by Governor Kristi Noem when she took office. Waldner said the last stretch of the project focuses primarily on the Black Hills, which will be expensive. Thats because of costs associated with cutting through rock and reaching remote residents who have 6-mile driveways, Waldner said, making the infrastructure per customer expensive. He said the state has been awarded another $207 million from the federal government, which will help complete the effort. Waldner said the initiative is an essential infrastructure investment for the state, given that rural areas with few internet customers are rarely a profitable private investment. If the free market could handle it, it already would have, he told South Dakota Searchlight. Waldner said connectivity is critical for education, work and health care. He said todays average home has 17 devices connected to the internet. Waldners presentation was followed by testimonies from people who have received new or improved service since the initiatives inception. Roni Daale, who runs Roni Daale & Co. Greenhouse in Fairview, said her shop and home had terrible internet before the broadband initiative improved it. Now, her business relies on it every minute of the day, she said, for online transactions, orders and more. 2024-04-10-BB Summit (1) Slides from a presentation at the 2024 Broadband Summit in Sioux Falls. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post $300 million statewide high-speed internet initiative enters final stretch appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. 3 of the escapees are accused of breaking into a home and killing a man and his 12-year-old daughter Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office From left: Jamarcus Cyprian, Travon Johnson, Omarion Hookfin and Avery Guidry A manhunt is underway for four inmates who escaped a Louisiana jail including three charged with murder. The four men escaped the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on Sunday, May 26, while participating in their recreation time in the yard, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards said in a statement shared on Facebook that night. When authorities inspected the fence, they found a section of it was maneuvered in a way that a small body could slip through. The inmates were identified in the statement as Omarion Hookfin, 19, of Hammond; Avery Guidry, 19, of Natalbany; Jamarcus Cyprian, 20, of Amite; and Travon Johnson, 21, of Natalbany. Sheriff Edwards said Johnson, Hookfin and Guidry were in jail following their arrests in connection with a 2022 homicide in Hammond, La., and Cyprian was doing time for armed robbery and weapon charges. Hookfin is also charged with aggravated battery for an unrelated incident at a separate jail. According to local station WWL-TV, authorities said that Johnson, Hookfin and Guidry are accused of breaking into a home and fatally shooting Donte Perry and his 12-year-old daughter. The girl was shot 10 times, the outlet reports, citing authorities. The sheriff asks if anyone has information on the whereabouts of the suspects to call 911 or Crime Stoppers Tangipahoas anonymous tip line at 800-554-5245. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. 6 NATO countries are planning to build a 'drone wall' to defend themselves against Russia, reports say 6 NATO countries are planning to build a 'drone wall' to defend themselves against Russia, reports say Six NATO countries are planning a "drone wall" to defend against Russia. Finland, Norway, Poland, and the Baltic states want to prevent smuggling and Russian provocations. Further details on when such a system could be in place and how it would work are unclear. Six NATO countries are joining forces to create a "drone wall" to defend themselves against Russia. Over the weekend, ministers from Finland, Norway, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania convened to discuss a coordinated system to help defend against Russian provocations and smuggling attempts, per the Financial Times. "This is a completely new thing -- a drone wall stretching from Norway to Poland, and the goal is to use drones and other technologies to protect our borders," Lithuania's interior minister Agne Bilotaite reportedly told the Baltic News Service. Further details on when the wall could be in place and how it would function remain unclear, but Bilotaite said that EU funding could be used to support the project. Estonia's Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets said of the proposed wall: "Drone surveillance and anti-drone capability is crucial both for deterrence and for countering the influence activities of our eastern neighbor." "The one who is even a step ahead of the adversary will succeed, but this advantage can be measured in days, as a countermeasure will be found to each measure very quickly, and the cycle will repeat itself," he added. Business Insider has contacted Agne Bilotaite's office for comment. It comes after a series of provocations involving Russia and the Baltic region. Last week, a draft Russian decree proposing revised maritime borders with Lithuania and Finland in the Baltic Sea sparked concern in the region. The Lithuanian foreign ministry said it was a calculated provocation designed to intimidate neighboring countries. "This is further proof that Russia's aggressive and revisionist policy is a threat to the security of neighbouring countries and Europe as a whole," the department's statement said, per Lithuanian National Radio and Television. Russian border guards last week also removed around 24 of 50 buoys that mark shipping routes on the Narva River which marks the border with Russia in an incident that EU High Representative Josep Borrell labeled "unacceptable." The Institute for the Study of War think tank said the move "set conditions to further question maritime borders and test NATO resolve." Some officials have warned that Russia may launch an attack on NATO within the next few years. Troels Lund Poulsen, the Danish defense minister, told the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in February: "It cannot be ruled out that within a three- to five-year period, Russia will test Article 5 and NATO's solidarity. That was not NATO's assessment in 2023. This is new knowledge that is coming to the fore now," per Reuters. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told Der Tagesspiegel in January that while he didn't expect a Russian attack on Nato "for now," it could be possible within "a period of five to eight years." However, some experts have said that Russia is in no position to make such a move, particularly after being weakened by the Ukraine conflict. Putin himself said in March that he doesn't intend to attack any NATO members, saying such claims were "complete nonsense." "The threat posed by Russia to NATO is unlikely to be an invasion; it's more likely to come from a range of other military and nonmilitary threats what are often called hybrid threats," Ruth Deyermond, an expert on the Russian military at King's College London, previously told BI. Read the original article on Business Insider Wildlife authorities in Sri Lanka on Sunday found seven carcasses of young elephants believed to have drowned in the biggest single loss of the animals in five years. An official said the onset of the southwest monsoon had led to flooding in the elephant habitat in Dimbulagala, about 155 miles northeast of the capital Colombo. "We were alerted by villagers to three young elephants who had drowned last evening, but when we went to the marshy area we found four more," a regional wildlife official said. He said autopsies will be carried out on the seven carcasses on Monday, but a preliminary investigation suggested that the animals had gotten bogged down in the marsh and drowned. A carcass of a wild elephant, believed to have drowned following the onset of the South-West monsoon in Dimbulagala, 250 kilometres north-east of Colombo on May 26, 2024. / Credit: -/AFP via Getty Images In 2019, seven elephants were similarly found dead in the north-central region of the country. A year earlier in 2018, another seven drowned closer to the area where the latest deaths were reported. Sri Lanka's wild elephant population has dwindled to just over 7,000, according to the latest official data, down from an estimated 12,000 at the beginning of the last century. They are increasingly vulnerable because of the loss and degradation of their natural habitat. Many venture closer to human settlements in search of food, and some are killed by poachers or farmers angry over damage to their crops. According to the World Wildlife Fund, "the Sri Lanka elephant is protected under the Sri Lankan law and killing one carries the death penalty." Conservationists and veterinarians have previously warned that plastic waste in a landfill in eastern Sri Lanka was killing elephants in the region. In 2020, drone footage captured more than a dozen hungry elephants scouring for food in the landfill. In 2021, an elephant gave birth to male twins for the first time in nearly 80 years in Sri Lanka. Sen. Chris Murphy says the civilian death toll in Gaza is a "boon" to terrorist organizations Daria Kasatkina, the world's bravest tennis player Recording World War II veterans for posterity (KRON) Eric Ferguson was arrested for a sexual assault that was committed in 2002, according to the Oakley Police Department. Oakley PD received a notification from the Combine DNA Index System (CODIS) regarding a possible DNA match from a 2002 kidnapping and sexual assault of a minor in early May. The department subsequently coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service and a Coeur dAlene Police Department detective. The suspect was identified as 49-year-old Eric Ferguson, who was currently residing in Rathdrum, Idaho. Ferguson formerly lived in the east Contra Costa County area at the time of the rape. San Jose police investigating homicide near Blossom Valley Lake On May 12, Oakley detectives, along with the United States Marshals Service, Coeur dAlene Police Department and the Kootenai County Sheriffs Office, traveled to Idaho to serve a search warrant for DNA collection from Ferguson for the case. Oakley PD detectives returned to the Bay Area to ask the Contra Costa Sheriffs Office Laboratory to compare the samples from the search warrant and the original case. According to Oakley PD, Fergusons DNA directly matched the DNA collected in 2002. A judge signed a formal complaint that was filed against Ferguson on May 16. The same day, the involved agencies utilized their SWAT team to apprehend Ferguson. Ferguson was arrested and booked into the Contra Costa County Jail for rape of an incompetent person, forcible oral copulation and kidnapping for rape. 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 KRON4. Elizabeth Barber - Photo: ACLU of NC Just when you thought we were starting to put some of the more contentious debates that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic to rest, the North Carolina legislature has revived the argument over face masks. Under a bill recently passed the by the state Senate, not only would penalties be increased for protesters who break the law while wearing face masks, but the very practice of wearing a mask in public even for public health reasons would be banned. Meanwhile, in another proposal moving quickly through the legislature, a large part of the states groundbreaking 2019 Raise the Age law that ended the automatic treatment of 16- and 17-year-olds accused of crime as adults would be repealed, and recently Newsline caught up with one of most thoughtful and articulate critics both measures ACLU of North Carolina Policy Director Liz Barber. The post ACLU of North Carolinas Liz Barber discusses a pair of controversial legislative proposals appeared first on NC Newsline. ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) Police in Arlington County said a man from Waldorf, Md. was arrested Sunday for assaulting a police officer. Just before 1 a.m., an officer with the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) was conducting parking enforcement in the 2900 block of Columbia Pike when he saw a man trying to confront a security person. The officer approached 29-year-old Otis Brown and tried to intervene. Girl, man hurt in broad daylight shooting in Southwest DC Police said Brown shoved the officer into a car, causing property damage. He then hit him multiple times before fleeing the scene with a woman. He was arrested at Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. The officer was taken to the hospital and treated for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. Brown was charged with Assault on Police, Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Felony Destruction of Property. He is being held without bond at the Arlington County Detention Facility. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call ACPD at (703) 228-4180. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) The Lansing Police Department is investigating a mass shooting on Monday morning where a 17-year-old died and six others are injured, including one in critical condition. Around 2:50 a.m., LPD responded to the 300 block of Riverfront Dr. where officers found a large crowd of people where seven people sustained gunshot wounds. One advocate against gun violence told 6 News hes tired of waking up and seeing similar instances of shootings like these. Lansing Police responded to an early morning shooting in downtown Lansing. The shooting left 6 injured and one dead. (WLNS) At the end of the day, as a society, we have to stand up and say, we dont want to live like this anymore, Executive Director of End Gun Violence Michigan Ryan Bates said. It doesnt have to be this way where were afraid that when our kids go out to school or, in this case, at a party that theyre not going to come back. Police believe the situation is an isolated incident, with the shooting victims ranging in age from 15-20 years old. Bates said that it was time to make some changes. As this incident shows, guns remain the number one cause of death for young people in our state. So, theres lots of work we need to do to keep young people out of harms way, the executive director said. I would be curious to know how that firearm ended up in the situation because theres a lot more we need to do as a society to make sure that guns dont end up in the hands of the wrong people. This embedded content is not available in your region. Lansing Mayor Andy Schor released a statement to 6 News sending his thoughts to those affected and adding that access to guns is too easy. My thoughts to go out to the victims and their families. The fact simply remains that access to guns is too easy. These young people should not have had these guns. We take hundreds of illegal weapons off the street every year, yet continue to face these tragic incidents. We need more action by the state and federal governments to control access to guns. We will work with all of our law enforcement partners, and use all tools at our disposal, to find who is responsible for this and make sure they are held accountable. And we will aggressively hold responsible the owner of the guns that were used. Access to and willingness to use a gun is too easy and we will arrest all parties responsible. This has to stop, Schor said. Monday evening, U.S. Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich. 7) took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to voice her concerns about the shooting. Her thoughts were expressed over four posts. Screenshot of Congresswoman Elissa Slotkins reaction to the early Memorial Day morning shootings in downtown Lansing. (WLNS) Screenshot of Congresswoman Elissa Slotkins reaction to the early Memorial Day morning shootings in downtown Lansing. (WLNS) Screenshot of Congresswoman Elissa Slotkins reaction to the early Memorial Day morning shootings in downtown Lansing. (WLNS) Screenshot of Congresswoman Elissa Slotkins reaction to the early Memorial Day morning shootings in downtown Lansing. (WLNS) Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Lansing Police Department at (517) 483-4600 extension 5, Crime Stoppers at (517) 483-7867, or send a private message through the Lansing Police Department Facebook page. UPDATE: This story has been updated to include X posts by U.S. Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich. 8). 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. San Clemente's North Beach is shown in 2022. A shark knocked a surfer off their board on Sunday night in the Orange County city, prompting ocean access closures. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Water access at all San Clemente beaches was closed Monday due to "aggressive shark behavior," according to city officials. The Memorial Day edict came after a shark knocked a surfer off their board Sunday evening. The ocean will remain closed until 8 p.m. Monday night, pending no additional shark sightings, according to the city. Beaches in the Orange County city are still open, but visitors will not be able to wade into the waves or swim. A San Clemente lifeguard first received a report of a shark encounter at the popular surfing destination T-Street Beach just before 8 p.m., according to San Clemente Marine Safety Lt. Sean Staudenbaur. "The surfer and one other surfer were sitting on their boards waiting for a wave when they saw a dark gray object approach and knock one of the surfers off their surfboard," Staudenbaur said. The surfers then came to the shore and reported the incident, at which point officials made the decision to close water access for 24 hours. Staudenbaur said it was "unusual" for a shark to get that close to a surfer, noting that "the majority of our shark sightings are just sightings where there's no signs of aggressive behavior." A photo taken by San Clemente lifeguards and shared with The Times showed damage to the surfboard, with two indentations near the tip of the board where the shark was thought to have knocked it. "We have pretty-good-sized crowds on the beach, obviously not in the water today, but it is typically one of our busier weekends of the year," Staudenbaur said of San Clemente beaches Monday. 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. Ahead of summations in Trump trial, here's a brief look at what every witness said on the stand Over the last five weeks, the jury in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial witnessed a marathon of testimony. Among the 22 witnesses who took the stand, jurors heard from Trump's former lawyer, an adult film actress, two of Trump's executive assistants, a tabloid executive, a top White House aide, and a flurry of custodial witnesses as prosecutors sought to show that Trump falsified business records to hide the reimbursement of a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to boost Trump's electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election. PHOTO: David Pecker, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Rhona Graff, Jeffrey McConney and Hope Hicks. (Getty Images) Defense lawyers told a markedly different story, pinning the responsibility for the invoices on Cohen and suggesting that Trump -- who has denied all wrongdoing -- was simply protecting his family from false allegations. Ahead of closing arguments on Tuesday, here is a summary of what each witness said on the stand. David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer Pecker told jurors that he agreed to serve as the "eyes and ears" of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign by flagging any potentially negative stories to Cohen, who could then coordinate a way to kill them. Pecker testified that his company made two catch-and-kill payments to honor his agreement with Trump, paying $30,000 to a former doorman who falsely alleged that Trump had a child out of wedlock, and $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump that he denied took place. Pecker also said he flagged Stormy Daniels' potential story to Cohen in October 2016, but declined to make the $130,000 hush money payment out of his own pocket. Rhona Graff, Donald Trump's longtime executive assistant During 35 minutes of testimony, Graff testified that she created contact entries in the Trump Organization's computer system for both McDougal and Daniels. She also testified that at one point she saw Daniels in Trump Tower on the same floor as the former president's office. Gary Farro, former managing director at First Republic Bank Farro described what he said was Michael Cohen's frantic effort in October 2016 to create bank accounts for two shell companies, Resolution Consultants LLC and Essential Consultants LLC, which were described in applications as real estate consulting companies. Farro said that had Cohen been truthful about the purpose of the accounts -- which were created to make hush money payments as part of the catch-and-kill plan --the accounts and wire transfers would have likely been delayed or not approved. Robert Browning, executive director of C-SPAN archives Browning served as a custodial witness to verify two campaign videos of Trump in 2016, and one speech after Trump was elected. In one of the videos, Trump denied any of the allegations made against him by women and suggested that the accusations could result in him losing the 2016 election. Prosecutors say that concern prompted Trump to make the Stormy Daniels hush money payment. Philip Thompson, Esquire Deposition Solutions Thompson served as a custodial witness to authenticate the transcript and video from Trump's deposition in E. Jean Carroll's defamation case. Keith Davidson, ex-attorney for Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels Davidson testified about his role brokering the hush money payments for Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels. While Davidson testified that Cohen ultimately made Daniels' payment out of his own pocket, he said that he understood that Trump would effectively fund and be the beneficiary of the payment. During his testimony, jurors also heard a secretly made recording of a conversation between Davidson and Cohen, in which Cohen spoke about Trump's alleged take on the Daniels payment. "I can't even tell you how many times he said to me, you know, 'I hate the fact that we did it.' And my comment to him was, 'But every person that you've spoken to told you it was the right move,'" Cohen said in the recording. Douglas Daus, analyst for Manhattan DA's office Daus testified as a custodial witness about his work extracting the contents of Michael Cohen's two iPhones. During Daus' testimony, prosecutors introduced into evidence a recording that Cohen secretly made of a 2016 conversation with Trump. "I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend, David, you know, so that -- I'm going to do that right away," Cohen said on the recording. "So, what do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?" Trump said in an apparent reference to the $150,000 hush money payment to Karen McDougal. Georgia Longstreet, paralegal for Manhattan DA's office Longstreet testified as a custodial witness to introduce evidence that included Donald Trump's social media posts. Hope Hicks, former White House Communications Director Hicks, formerly one of Trump's most trusted advisers, told jurors that Trump told her in 2018 that he preferred the story of Stormy Daniels' affair allegations come out then, rather than before the 2016 election. "I think Mr. Trump's opinion was it was better to be dealing with it now, and that it would have been bad to have that story come out before the election," Hicks said before breaking down on the witness stand. Hicks also said Trump told her that Cohen had made the payment to Daniels on his own -- but that she doubted that was true, because, she said, "I didn't know Michael to be an especially charitable person, or selfless person. He was the kind of person who seeks credit." MORE: What are the potential outcomes of Trump's hush money trial? During her cross-examination, Hicks helped corroborate a defense argument that Trump was a family man who cared about the impact of the allegations on his family. "I don't think he wanted anyone in his family to be hurt or embarrassed by anything that was happening on the campaign," Hicks said. "He wanted them to be proud of him." Jeffrey McConney, former Trump Organization controller McConney told jurors about his role reimbursing Michael Cohen in 2017 for his $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels and other expenses. According to McConney, then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg instructed him to approve twelve $35,000 payments to Cohen for the Daniels payment reimbursement, as well as for another reimbursement and his annual bonus. Deborah Tarasoff, Trump Organization accounts payable supervisor Tarasoff testified about her role processing Michael Cohen's 2017 invoices, which were labeled as payment for legal services but actually reimbursed Cohen for the Daniels payment and other expenses. According to Tarasoff, McConney instructed her to approve the invoices as legal expenses, which she did when she processed the invoices in the Trump Organization's system. Sally Franklin, Penguin Random House executive Testifying as a custodial witness, Franklin read quotes from two of Trump's books, "Think Like a Billionaire" and "How to Get Rich" that highlighted Trump's frugality and hands-on approach to business. Stormy Daniels, adult film actress and producer Stormy Daniels, the stage name of Stephanie Clifford, detailed her alleged sexual encounter with Trump that prosecutors say the then-Republican nominee attempted to illegally hide from voters before the 2016 election. Trump has denied the encounter ever took place. PHOTO: Stormy Daniels is questioned in Manhattan state court in New York City, May 7, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) "When I opened the bathroom door to come out, Mr. Trump had come into the bedroom and was on the bed, basically between myself and the exit," Daniels told jurors about the alleged 2006 sexual encounter. "I wasn't expecting someone to be there, especially minus a lot of clothing. That's when I had that moment where I felt the room spin in slow motion. I felt the blood basically leave my hands and my feet." According to Daniels, Cohen's offer to buy her story for $130,000 in 2016 was the "perfect solution" because it allowed her to profit from the story without having to go public and put her safety at risk. Rebecca Manochio, Trump Organization junior bookkeeper Manochio testified about the next step in the process to repay Cohen in 2017: taking unsigned checks from Tarasoff and sending them to the White House for Trump's signature. Tracy Menzies, HarperCollins executive Menzies read quotes from Trump's book "Think Big" to highlight the former president's emphasis on loyalty. Madeleine Westerhout, former Director of Oval Office Operations Westerhout told jurors that she normally received bundles of checks in the mail from Manochio, which she would hand to Trump for his signature. Once Trump signed the checks, Westerhout said she mailed the checks back to the Trump Organization in New York. Westerhout offered conflicting descriptions of Trump's attentiveness and intentionality when signing checks, first telling jurors that Trump examined all documents before signing them, then later testifying on cross-examination that Trump sometimes signed documents without looking them over. Daniel Dixon, analyst for AT&T Dixon testified as a custodian of records for AT&T, allowing prosecutors to enter Michael Cohen's cellphone records into evidence. Jenny Tomalin, analyst for Verizon Tomalin testified as a custodial witness to allow prosecutors to get Allen Weisselberg's cellphone records into evidence. Jaden Jarmel-Schneider, paralegal for Manhattan DA's office Jarmel-Schneider testified that he created several summary charts to simplify the display of the phone records and the allegedly falsified business records in the case. Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney Across four days of testimony, Cohen testified that he was acting on Trump's orders when he worked to kill negative stories, and that he kept Trump apprised of every step along the way, telling jurors "everything required Mr. Trump's signoff." "What I was doing, I was doing at the direction and for the benefit of Mr. Trump," Cohen testified. Cohen said he spoke with Trump more than 20 times in October 2016 to discuss how to handle the allegations from Stormy Daniels. "He said to me, 'This is a disaster, total disaster. Women are going to hate me,'" Cohen testified about a meeting in Trump Tower.. "Guys may think it's cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign."' PHOTO: Michael Cohen is questioned during former U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan state court in New York City, May 13, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Cohen also recounted a 2017 meeting with Trump and Weisselberg in Trump Tower just days before the inauguration where Trump agreed to the plan to reimburse Cohen for the Daniels hush money payment. "He approved it,' Cohen said. "And he also said, 'This is going to be one heck of a ride in D.C.'" Defense lawyer Todd Blanche delivered his most successful blow to Cohen's credibility when he presented evidence to suggest that an Oct. 24, 2016, phone call -- which Cohen testified he made to confirm the plan to go forward with the $130,000 payment to Daniels -- was actually just Cohen complaining about a teenage prank caller to Trump's security guard. Defense lawyers also confronted Cohen about stealing $30,000 from the Trump Organization when he requested a $50,000 reimbursement for an IT expense that actually cost him $20,000. Daniel Sitko, legal analyst at Blanche Law Sitko testified about a summary chart he created about phone calls between defense witness Bob Costello and Michael Cohen. Robert Costello, former legal adviser to Michael Cohen Costello, then a close associate of Rudy Giuliani, told jurors about his meetings and phone calls with Cohen in 2018 after FBI agents raided Cohen's office and hotel room seeking evidence in the Stormy Daniels case. Costello advised Cohen and offered to pass messages to the White House through Giuliani, according to Cohen, but Costello never formally represented Cohen as his lawyer. "Michael Cohen said, numerous times, that President Trump knew nothing about those payments, that he did this on his own, and he repeated that numerous times," Costello testified about the Stormy Daniels hush money payment. But Cohen testified that he lied to Costello about Trump's involvement in the arrangement because he didn't trust him. Prosecutors also cast doubt on Costello's credibility by highlighting a series of emails that suggested he was acting to advance Trump's interests, not Cohen's. During one of the most dramatic moments of the trial, Judge Juan Merchan cleared the courtroom during Costello's testimony and threatened to kick Costello off the witness stand for his "contemptuous" conduct. Following Costello's testimony, the defense rested without Trump taking the stand in his own defense. Ahead of summations in Trump trial, here's a brief look at what every witness said on the stand originally appeared on abcnews.go.com FILE PHOTO: A food aid truck sits abandoned near the entrance to the Kerem Shalom border crossing, as military operations continue in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, at an area outside Kerem Shalom CAIRO (Reuters) - More than 100 aid trucks managed to reach the Gaza Strip by Monday morning after an agreement to reroute aid through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, but supplies have not been distributed amid an ongoing Israeli assault, sources said. Deliveries are badly needed as little aid has reached southern Gaza since May 6, when Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, about 3.5 km from Kerem Shalom and the main entry point into Gaza for humanitarian and commercial supplies. The latest arrivals would be the biggest aid delivery into southern Gaza by far since the launch of Israel's attacks in Rafah, with most days seeing no trucks crossing the border. Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over three weeks ago. An Israeli airstrike on Sunday triggered a fire that killed 45 people in a tent camp in Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders. Egyptian security sources told Reuters that 123 aid trucks had crossed the border and handed over the goods to the United Nations. An Israeli source confirmed that aid had been brought into the Gaza side and handed over to partners. An Egyptian aid source said that four fuel trucks had also crossed the border. But Palestinian trucks that went to pick up the aid at the crossing returned empty, U.N. and Palestinian officials told Reuters. "Trucks moved through but it was not possible to collect them due to the rocket attacks yesterday and the IAF (air force) strikes overnight," said a U.N. official in Gaza, adding that the supplies belonged to the U.N.'s Palestinian aid agency UNRWA and the World Food Programme. On Friday, Egypt and the United States agreed to utilise Kerem Shalom until arrangements were made to re-open Rafah from the Palestinian side, the Egyptian presidency said. Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel on the crossing. About 200 trucks were expected to come in on Sunday, still below what officials say is needed in the strip, home to 2.3 million people, where monitors say famine in some parts is imminent. KSrelief, a Saudi-funded charity, on Monday sent a ship carrying nearly 500 tonnes of aid including food, medical supplies and shelter material for Gaza, the group's supervisor general Abdullah Al Rabeeah told Reuters. It is due to arrive at Egypt's El Arish port within a day and then be offloaded for eventual delivery in southern Gaza. (Reporting by Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Nidal Al Mughrabi in Cairo, Yusri Mohamed in Ismailia, Emma Farge in Geneva; writing by Nafisa Eltahir; editing by Nick Macfie) It's always Memorial Day for Providence man who honors 4 cousins killed in World War II PROVIDENCE James Draper's extended family paid a high price in World War II, losing three young sailors and a soldier, but Draper continues honoring them and keeping their memories alive decades later. The four men, cousins, all came from Rhode Island. Their names, Charles M. Hird, Donald Leonard Draper, James Walter Hird and Raymond Alvah Draper, are engraved in the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. James Draper never met his four "uncles," but he visits the memorial annually, carrying their photographs and typically handing out cards to visitors so they can get to know a little more about his relatives. James Draper visits the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., with photographs of three of his four cousins who died in the war. "They were all young men," Draper said, noting the oldest was 26. "They never got to live some modicum of life." "These are Rhode Islanders. They're Providence guys," said Draper, himself a Providence resident and business owner. RI has a strong connection to World War II Memorial He's especially pleased that they're among the 405,399 Americans honored at the memorial designed by Rhode Island architect Friedrich St. Florian because the memorial's construction was funded primarily by private donations from regular people. What's toughest for Draper, and can still choke him up after all these years, is that the bodies of "two of the boys" were never recovered. Born in 1953, Draper will soon turn 71. The four men were cousins of Draper's father. Draper refers to them as his "uncles," although they are technically cousins once removed. As a boy, Donald Draper was photographed wearing a Navy cap. He would later join the Navy. He was named for a relative who died in World War II Born too late to have met his cousins, Draper remembers photographs of them in his grandparents' home. Draper, whose middle name is Hird, was named for one of them, James Walter Hird. "We know my parents honored him by doing that," Draper said. Draper's father, Richard Alan Draper, served as a Navy salvage diver during World War II. He fought in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and other major Pacific engagements. He made it home. Richard Alan Draper, James Draper's father, served as a salvage diver in the Navy. They died in some of the war's most important battles The four cousins joined the war effort early, when Germany and Japan were racking up big victories over the allies. They "all have amazing stories tied to the war and some of the most important battles fought," Draper said. Donald Leonard Draper Donald Leonard Draper died at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal when his light cruiser, the USS Juneau, was torpedoed and sank on Nov. 13, 1942. The explosion and sinking killed 687 soldiers and sailors, including, infamously, the five Sullivan brothers of Waterloo, Iowa. Only 10 men survived. James Walter Hird was killed in action when his ship was blown up off Normandy in June 1944, according to James Draper. "He's buried there," James Draper said. Hird had previously served in the Pacific and survived a ship sinking. Raymond Alvah Draper Raymond Alvah Draper was serving aboard the USS St. Augustine, which was escorting a convoy from New York City to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, when it was accidentally rammed by a merchant ship off Cape May, N.J., on Jan. 6, 1944. The collision killed 115, and just 30 were rescued from the icy water. Charles M. Hird died while serving with the U.S. Army in North Africa, where German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the "Desert Fox," was leading German and Italian forces. A chance meeting with a veteran from RI in Washington, D.C. James Draper has done a lot of research to learn what he could about his cousins, but he may know the least about Charles Hird, which is one reason he was so pleased about a serendipitous meeting he had with a veteran at the World War II Memorial. James Draper began a conversation with the veteran, told him about his relatives and was surprised to learn the veteran had grown up with Charles Hird in the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence. They played ball together as kids. He was "one of the first" to enlist, the veteran told James Draper. When Draper thinks about his cousins, he feels a "quiet respect" and finds himself wondering what their lives might have become if they survived the war. As his relatives felt a duty to fight for their country decades ago, Draper believes it's his duty "to venerate them, to remember them." This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Memorial days: Providence man honors 4 relatives lost in World War II I am so blessed; Man shocked after tree smashes into house amid tornado-warned storms A tree smashed into a house in Miami County as tornado-warned storms moved through the area Sunday afternoon. As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, John Durbin detailed the sounds he heard and the damage he discovered after the severe weather passed. It was the boom, I (didnt) see anything, Durbin said. >>PHOTOS: Storm damage reported across the Miami Valley Durbin said he has lived in his house for 10 years but has never experienced anything like this. I opened my back door very slowly and I said Oh my goodness, my tree fell on my house, Durbin said. When he saw that the tree had snapped in half, he was at a loss for words. What am I going to do? Durbin said. The tree caused significant damage to his roof, cracks in his kitchen walls, and left him without power. Durbin wasnt the only Miami Valley resident who experienced damage. News Center 7 received dozens of reports that trees and power lines were down across Montgomery, Clark, Greene, and Miami counties. >>RELATED: Damage reported as severe weather moves through Miami Valley At the time of the storms and immediately after, nearly 4,000 AES Ohio customers were without power. As of 10:30 p.m., less than 2,000 customers are without power. Durbin said he was grateful for the crews that responded quickly. I am so blessed by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and Our Lady, Durbin said. He cant stay at his house tonight but hopes to return tomorrow. We will continue to follow this story. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Damaged Tree in Englewood Tree snapped Huber Heights Tree down in Clayton Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Tree down Clayton Storm damage has been reported throughout the Miami Valley. Storm damage has been reported throughout the Miami Valley. Storm damage has been reported throughout the Miami Valley. Storm damage has been reported throughout the Miami Valley. Storm damage has been reported throughout the Miami Valley. Storm damage has been reported throughout the Miami Valley. Storm damage has been reported throughout the Miami Valley. Storm damage has been reported throughout the Miami Valley. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Storm damage reported on May 26. Photo by Susan Demas | Michigan Advance My parents came to America in their early 20s with nothing but one suitcase and $100 in their pocket. Graced with student visas and a goal of pursuing higher education, they wanted a better life in the land of the free. Ill never truly understand the fear they must have faced, packing up their lives to move 7,513 miles from their family. I cant relate to living on a $90 budget each week, sharing a tiny house with a local family who generously agreed to rent them a room at a discounted price. I cant imagine eating pork parts that a nearby restaurant gave to them for free for a whole two years. This essay from an Arizona high school student was the winning entry in the Veterans of Foreign Wars 2023-24 Voice of Democracy contest and is republished here with permission. Yet looking back, my mother has never characterized her American experience as one of hardship. She has always said, Every day was lled with hope a hope that was enough to wake us up every morning. That same hope is what fueled my father as he earned his Ph.D, despite broken English and a limited vocabulary. It took them 11 years from the day they landed in this country to nally become ofcial US. citizens. I asked my mother why she kept persevering in hopes of one day becoming an American citizen. She said: Because to be a citizen is to be a part of democracy, Americas democracy where dreams and visions gracefully advance through ballots-cast and voices heard. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX She remembers the excitement of ying for the rst time, passport in hand, to the land of freedom. She remembers the day of her naturalization marked with nebulous joy and bittersweet victory. She remembers proudly parading her I voted sticker after her rst time voting, because America welcomed her to its democracy and she had a say. A say in a country she couldnt originally call home, but now can. A say in their newfound responsibility to help steer the ship of democracy theyd chosen. She remembers signing the contract to our rst American house with tears in her eyes, a small two-bedroom, one-bathroom building, the house she was able to call home. My parents journey is a testament to the ideals that underpin our democracy. Its a place where every person, irrespective of their origin, has the chance to rewrite their own story. This opportunity, liberty, equality, and responsibility are what drive individuals to sacrice their lives to protect. In my quest to delve deeper into the greatest attributes of our democracy, I have also embarked on a mission to explore democracy from the perspective of those whove defended it. Through the Veterans Heritage Project, I had the honor of interviewing a lOO-year-old Jewish Navy veteran, Dolly. Despite our 84-year age gap, we bonded over the traits that make us both American. Dolly was only 20 when she rst enlisted. As one of the rst cohorts of Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) during World War II, she was transported to New York, Oklahoma, and Washington, D.C., for rigorous Naval assignments. Dollys enlistment was initially inspired by her father, a World War I Navy veteran, and even though her Jewish family painfully experienced American antisemitism post-World War I, she joined 550,000 other American Jews without any hesitation, to ght for justice, human rights and equality. That is the pride of American democracy a pride to resist aggression and terminate discrimination. She described an era when democracy was threatened, and young Americans like her rallied to preserve it. Dolly underscored that democracy is not just about casting votes; its about ghting, both physically and literally, for a set of ideals that make life worth living freedom, justice, and the pursuit of happiness. People like my parents, the hardest workers I know who will give anything to ensure I have what I need to live out my American Dream, people like Dolly, a 100-year-old whose age provides no barrier to her relentless passion for our country, and people like me, a 16-year-old who constantly seeks to understand our nations past and present, in hopes of changing our future, make up our democracy. My parents gratitude to those who uplifted them and Dollys lifelong dedication to our country motivate me to be an active participant in our democracy. The greatest attributes of our democracy lie in the stories of individuals who strive for a better future, the principles of justice that uphold our society, and the strength that diversity brings to our nation. A beacon of hope, a promise of opportunity, and a symbol of resilience: These are the attributes that make up our democracy. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post American democracy is built on hope, opportunity and resilience appeared first on Arizona Mirror. Analysis-Mexico's Sheinbaum may be no puppet but her mentor looms large Presidential candidates' arrival for the last presidential debate at the Tlatelolco University Cultural Center, in Mexico City Presidential candidates' arrival for the last presidential debate at the Tlatelolco University Cultural Center, in Mexico City By Ana Isabel Martinez MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mexico City's then-Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum made a point of always donning a face mask and firmly recommending others also do so as the virus devastated Mexico. By contrast, her political patron President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador refused to wear a mask, even after he fell ill, in line with his government's guidelines that did not mandate mask use. Mexico suffered the fifth-worst COVID-19 death toll in the world. That difference between the president and Sheinbaum, the firm favorite to win the Mexican presidential elections on June 2, was seen by some as a point of tension and a small act of rebellion against her mentor, who cannot run for re-election by law. Sheinbaum denied it, saying the two were part of the same "project" to transform the country. But people close to Sheinbaum cite this anecdote as an example of how the former scientist will not govern as a "puppet" of Lopez Obrador, as her political opponents claim. Instead, they say, she will veer away on key issue such as the environment and energy, security and even corruption, while maintaining the president's principally state-led economic vision and key welfare programs. "They have a collaborative relationship, it is not one of submission," said one member of Sheinbaum's team, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It's very unfair that they say she will be a puppet because in the five years of governing Mexico City she did totally different things to the president," he added, citing investments in electric bus and train routes and the installation of solar panels. Sheinbaum has run a cautious campaign, careful not to criticize Lopez Obrador, an outsized, polarizing figure who is both her mentor and the source of much of her electoral support. A lack of detail around her government plans has also served her well with Mexico's middle class and business community who have tended to project onto her hopes for a more moderate and pragmatic leader. To what degree she will deviate from policies of Lopez Obrador is one of the key questions going into the elections, closely watched by investors after Lopez Obrador largely shut out private companies from key parts of the economy, such as power generation. BALANCING ACT Analysts say Sheinbaum faces a delicate balancing act between her own policy goals and maintaining the legacy of Lopez Obrador who wields considerable influence in the ruling MORENA party. "If she wins she will have an internal struggle between her genuine loyalty to Lopez Obrador and her reality of not having her own political capital because she does not have his strength," said Agustin Basave, politician, academic and former congressman, who recently chaired the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution. "The first years of her government could be limited," Basave added, saying that Lopez Obrador will likely exert influence behind the scenes rather than publicly. In a clue about Lopez Obrador's continuing influence, Sheinbaum has indicated that several of his high-ranking officials will remain in their posts if she takes over, including Finance Minister Rogelio Ramirez de la O. Two sources close to Sheinbaum's camp say Lopez Obrador's former foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, as well as current Security Secretary Rosa Rodriguez are likely to remain key players. Analysts point to Interior Minister Luisa Alcalde and Economy Secretary Raquel Buenrrostro as also remaining important. Another hint at Lopez Obrador's expectations for Sheinbaum's administration, analysts say, is the package of ambitious constitutional reforms he proposed in February knowing they had almost no chance of passing during his term. They were a blueprint for her administration, analysts say. Sheinbaum, meanwhile, has ruled out speculation there would be a "red telephone" to receive instructions from Lopez Obrador. "I am the one who is going to govern," she said. (Reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez, additional reporting by Diego Ore, writing by Drazen Jorgic, editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Alistair Bell) WELLSBORO, P.A. (WETM) People lined up at the Grand Canyon Regional Airport for the annual fly-in breakfast event to raise money for aviation related scholarships. The proceeds will go towards benefiting kids who are training to be pilots or aircraft mechanics. People who were at the breakfast visited from long distances to make the trip. What times do Memorial Day parades start in the Twin Tiers? Visitors such as Alison Haines came from Chester County, PA said, Were not from around here, were about three and a half, four hours away but we come up for Memorial Day, every year and we always come and its a lot of fun. First-time visitor Barry Ferris mentioned, Its the first time living in this area that Ive ever been here. I wanted to see what it was like so far has been a joy. Weve had pancakes, eggs, ham, all cooked to your liking, with a lot of good camaraderie going around here, and I enjoyed it today. Spent a day out with a wife and see how things are going. The breakfast event is held twice a year and will be taking place again on Labor Day weekend. 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Twelve people were injured after turbulence struck a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin on Sunday, officials confirmed. Six passengers and six crew were initially identified with injuries after the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner hit turbulence while flying over Turkey. Although flight QR017 landed safely at Dublin Airport shortly before 1 p.m. to a throng of waiting emergency services Sunday, eight people were eventually taken to a hospital, Dublin Airport confirmed. The nature of the injuries is unclear, but passengers described crew members limping and others wearing bandages. The turbulence is said to have hit during food and drinks service. Severe Turbulence on Singapore Airlines Flight Was So Bad It Killed a Passenger The plane just seemed to go... stopwhich it didnt but then dropped, quite a severe drop, one passenger said in a video published by The Guardian. Fortunately the captain got it under control quite quickly, because I was thinking, Oh, its going to keep falling. But unfortunately there were a couple of passengers that didnt have seatbelts on in front of us so they were thrown out of their seats and hit their head. Another passenger, identified as Conor, told Irish broadcaster RTE, We saw the flight attendant go up in the air and come straight back down. His traveling companion, Emma, said she was half-asleep when the plane suddenly dropped, describing the look of panic on everyones faces. Passenger Cathal, who was traveling home to Ireland from Doha, told RTE he was eating dinner and said the seatbelt signs were off just prior to the incident. Just food all over the plane, on the ceiling, everywhere, he said of the scene afterward. Qatar Airways has launched an internal investigation after passengers and crew were injured during turbulence on a flight from Doha to Dublin. 12 people were injured, eight of whom were taken to hospital | https://t.co/XkruwzQHZa pic.twitter.com/uOVvEjviSw RTE News (@rtenews) May 26, 2024 In a statement posted to X, Qatar Airways confirmed the flight had landed safely, adding, A small number of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries in flight and are now receiving medical attention. The matter is now subject to an internal investigation. The safety and security of our passengers and crew are our top priority. Despite the claims of minor injuries, some passengers said they were left terrified by the ordeal. To be honest, Im still shivering, a man named Mufassal Ali said after the flight, according to the New York Post. That was the worst 15 seconds of my life. Ali said he had witnessed a few people literally flying in the plane. Another passenger, Philomena Prendergast, described contemplating her mortality during the incident, which lasted less than a minute. It was so scary at the time, you just dont knowis this it, or not? she said. Some of the flight attendants had scratches to their face, ice to their face one girl had a sling on her arm, a third passenger, Emma Rose Power, recounted. Flight operations were unaffected at Dublin Airport, Qatar Airways said in a statement. The return flight to Doha was still scheduled, though delayed. The incident comes less than a week after a 73-year-old man died on a Singapore Airlines flight when the aircraft hit extreme turbulence, while 22 passengers suffered spine and spinal cord injuries, six others skull and brain injuries, and another 13 suffered bone, muscle, or other injuries. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) blasted an Israeli strike on Rafah that killed at least 45 people over the weekend as an indefensible atrocity, as criticism rises of the Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city. The Israeli strike on the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah targeted a humanitarian zone filled with tents, where Israels military previously instructed displaced Palestinians to shelter from the ongoing war against militant group Hamas, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The Israeli military claimed the strike killed two senior Hamas leaders. The IDFs attack on a tent camp of innocents in Rafah is an indefensible atrocity, Ocasio-Cortez wrote Monday on the social platform X. This was done in open defiance of President Bidens red line and the ICJs call for a ceasefire. She added that it is long past due for Biden to live up to his word and stop military aid shipments to Israel, following through on a threat made earlier this month in an attempt to prevent Israeli attacks on Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strike a tragic mistake and called for an investigation into the civilian deaths Monday. Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake, Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israels parliament. We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion, because this is our policy. The attack comes just days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to stop its operations in Rafah, the last remaining major settlement in Gaza that has not been invaded by the Israeli military. The strike was widely denounced, as criticism rises on the Israeli military operation in Rafah. A White House National Security Council spokesperson told Axios on Monday that the attack was heartbreaking. Israel has a right to go after Hamas but as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians, the spokesperson said. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened. French President Emmanuel Macron used the strike as an opportunity to again call for a cease-fire in the conflict. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians, Macron wrote in a post on X. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. The Israeli military has slowly encroached on Rafah, despite strong warnings from the Biden administration. More than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million people are believed to be sheltering in Rafah, and more than 80 percent of the territorys population overall are displaced from their homes. The U.N. said famine has begun in parts of the region as civilians struggle to get access to humanitarian aid. 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 The Hill. Argentina's President Milei commemorates the 214th anniversary of the May Revolution, in Cordoba (Reuters) - Argentina's President Javier Milei is set to meet with top-level executives from Google, Meta and Apple during a trip to the United States this week, his spokesman Manuel Adorni said on Monday. Libertarian Milei is set to travel to San Francisco late on Monday and stay through Friday, during which time he is set to meet Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Timothy Cook and Open AI CEO Sam Altman. He will also speak at the Bay Area Council's Pacific Summit and Stanford University's Hoover Institution, a think tank which promotes limited government, and meet with the university's chancellor and the think tank's director, Condoleezza Rice. Rice served as U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor in the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush. Milei is also scheduled to meet with economists from the think tank as well as investors and entrepreneurs linked to artificial intelligence (AI). The president is set to fly back on Friday evening, after a stopover in El Salvador where he will attend the inauguration of the second term of President Nayib Bukele, who won a landslide re-election in February. Milei met Tesla CEO Elon Musk in Texas in April, when they discussed a variety of topics, from the need to boost declining birthrates worldwide to pursuing technological development and defending "liberty." (Reporting by Peter Frontini; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Gabriel Araujo and Brendan O'Boyle) Protesters attend a rally against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, May 26, 2024. Tens of thousands of demonstrators have held a protest in the center of the capital of Armenia, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after Armenia agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan. (Stepan Poghosyan/Photolure via AP) YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) Tens of thousands of demonstrators held a protest Sunday in the center of the capital of Armenia, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after Armenia agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan. The demonstration was the latest in a weekslong series of gatherings led by a high-ranking cleric in the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bagrat Galstanyan, archbishop of the Tavush diocese in Armenia's northeast. He spearheaded the formation of a movement called Tavush For The Homeland after Armenia in April agreed to cede control of four villages in the region to Azerbaijan. Although the villages were the movement's core issue, it has expanded to express a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan and his government. Movement leaders told the rally Sunday that they support Galstanyan becoming the next prime minister. The decision to turn over the villages in Tavush followed the lightning military campaign in September in which Azerbaijans military forced ethnic Armenian separatist authorities in the Karabakh region to capitulate. After Azerbaijan took full control of Karabakh, about 120,000 people fled the region, almost all of its ethnic Armenian population. Ethnic Armenian fighters backed by Armenian forces had taken control of Karabakh in 1994 at the end of a six-year war. Azerbaijan regained some of the territory in fighting in 2020 that ended in an armistice that brought in a Russian peacekeeper force, which began withdrawing this year. Pashinyan has said Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. ___ Follow AP's Europe coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/europe A new front in the legal war over Arrowhead bottled waters access to natural springs in the San Bernardino Mountains has opened up, reports the Los Angeles Times. While previous legal wrangling has sought to answer the question of whether Arrowhead parent company BlueTriton Brands is legally allowed to use water from the springs bottled water has been taken from the creek and sold since 1906 environmental activists are now petitioning the state to say the companys use of water is hurting wildlife. According to Rachel Doughty, lawyer for the environmental nonprofit Story of Stuff Project, BlueTriton has dewatered Strawberry Creek. Doughty explained to the Times that if the company werent siphoning water in its network of pipes, Strawberry Creek would be habitat for endangered species, it would be providing a downstream water supply, it would support fish, and it cant do any of those things without water. In an email to the Times, BlueTriton Brands said the company will partner with people in our communities, governments, policy makers, businesses, and consumers to sustainably protect and shape our shared future. Responsible and proactive water stewardship is central to everything we do, the company said. Were proud of the work weve done and continue to do in Strawberry Canyon, studying, reporting, and managing our operations to help protect the land and natural resources. We will continue to operate in compliance with all state and federal laws. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is evaluating the activists petition. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A patient of Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital has filed a class action lawsuit against the hospital group over what she says is the unauthorized breach of medical information stemming from a cyberattack earlier this month. In the complaint, the patient says the hospital failed to undertake adequate measures to safeguard the private information of its patients, including failing to implement industry standards for data security and failing to properly train employees on cybersecurity protocols, which resulted in the May 8 breach of patient data. According to the hospital, officials noticed unusual activity on select technology network systems and determined it to be a cybersecurity event. Later on, officials identified the incident as a ransomware attack, according to the lawsuit. Chaos: Nurses, visitors describe conditions inside Ascension hospitals after cyberattack Despite promising to notify patients if their personal identifying information was affected in the attack, the complaint says the hospital group has obfuscated key details of the data breach, including failing to disclose to affected patients whether or not their information was unauthorizedly disclosed. The suit also claims the hospital has not revealed the identity of the ransomware criminal, if they paid the ransom, if the cybercriminals have said the private information was taken and other pertinent details necessary for affected patients to take appropriate measures to protect themselves from the Data Breach. Click HERE to read the full lawsuit against Saint Thomas Health The patient believes their personal identifying informationincluding names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, medical history, health insurance information and payment informationwas illegally obtained in the cyber attack, citing media reports stating as such in the complaint. Further, the lawsuit claims Ascension failed to take necessary precautions required to safeguard and protect their information, putting their patients at risk of identity theft, financial fraud and other harms. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com They claim Ascension failed to meet minimum cybersecurity standards recommended by the Center for Internets Securitys Critical Security Controls, which contributed to the hospital groups vulnerability in the ransomware attack. They are asking the Court to certify the class action lawsuit, allowing many others to join in the lawsuit, as well as to award restitution and damages to each member of the certified class. They also seek a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief as necessary to protect their interests. 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 WKRN News 2. Telkom South Africas planned US$355 million selloff of its Swiftnet tower business to infrastructure-focused private equity firm Actis cleared another hurdle on Friday after its shareholders unanimously voted in favor of the deal. According to a statement issued to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) on Friday, Telkom announced that the Ordinary Resolution required to implement the Disposal was approved by the requisite majority of votes. The statement also said that no one voted against the resolution. Telkom cautioned that the sale of Swiftnet to Actis remains subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions. In March, Telkom confirmed its deal to sell Swiftnet to Actis in a move to pay down debts, balance its books and free up cash to invest in its core businesses and other growth opportunities. Actis had also confirmed the deal in a separate statement. However, at the time, the deal had not yet received the blessing of Telkoms shareholders. Telkom distributed a circular in April saying that a resolution to approve the sale would be on the table at a general meeting on 24 May. Swiftnet owns around 4,000 high sites around South Africa. MTN South Africa and Cell C have also sold off their tower infrastructure to focus on core business operations. Vodacom is the only major mobile operator in South Africa that still owns its towers and has announced no plan to divest them. Chase Oliver, 37, a Libertarian activist from Atlanta has become the partys nominee for president. The Libertarian Party held their convention on Sunday and Oliver won the nomination, rejecting former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after they each spoke. Oliver ran for Congress in 2020 for John Lewis seat and ran for Senate in 2022 against Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. We did it! I am officially the presidential nominee, Oliver posted Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. Its time to unify and move forward for liberty. We did it! I am officially the presidential nominee. But the work is not done, please help me nominate my running mate @terMaatMike . There is no better unifying ticket in this party than this one. Its time to unify and move forward for liberty. pic.twitter.com/0vFMmvmXa1 Chase Oliver (@ChaseForLiberty) May 27, 2024 Trump appeared Saturday night in Washington at the convention to give a speech that was repeatedly booed by many in the room. It did not pay off with the endorsement he requested, though his Republican allies on Sunday praised him for choosing to go before an unfriendly crowd. Kennedy got a friendlier reception when he spoke on Friday and attacked both Trump and Biden for how they addressed the COVID-19 pandemic. He had talked up his support for the Libertarians and an endorsement could have helped him expedite the process of gaining ballot access in all 50 states, perhaps the biggest hurdle he faces in qualifying for the first presidential debate in June hosted by CNN. Libertarians prioritize small government and individual freedoms, with a mix of policy positions that could be seen as liberal, conservative or neither. His campaign website calls for major cuts to the federal budget with an eye toward balancing the budget, the abolition of the death penalty, and the closure of all overseas military bases and ending of military support to Israel and Ukraine. The Associated Press contributed to this article. TRENDING STORIES: IN OTHER NEWS: Rob Ranieri, CEO of House of Hope, stands in the food pantry, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Stuart, Fla. House of Hope offers food, clothing, financial and life skills to residents of Martin County. The Community Foundation of Martin - St. Lucie counties has overhauled its approach to disaster response by creating a permanent fund and establishing preemptive agreements with nonprofit partners like House of Hope to deploy funds to them immediately when a storm is forecasted. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) After the collapse of a condominium tower in North Miami in June 2021, Rebecca Fishman Lipsey realized her organization needed to overhaul how it responded to disasters. As CEO of the Miami Foundation, the citys primary community foundation, Fishman Lipsey got to work coalescing support for victims of the tragedy that killed 98 people and destroyed the 136-unit building. Funders were eager to help, but there was a problem. She remembers corporate partners calling her saying, "We are in, we are with you. Just fill out this application and the money will be there in six weeks. Those who lost homes and loved ones couldnt wait that long. As Fishman Lipsey and her team scrambled to raise and disperse funds, she imagined the next crisis. Its not going to be one building in an isolated neighborhood, she said. It is going to be a climate disaster, and Im not going to have internet to fill out an application. I cannot wait six weeks for the check to clear. I need everybodys ACH information already. I need to know what supplies people need, before the disaster. To meet those needs, the Miami Foundation set out to build a new model of crisis response. With help from several foundations and partners, including Citadel and the Miami Heat, it created the Miami Disaster Resilience Fund, a permanent, revolving fund, the earnings of which could be used to support a network of nonprofits across Miami before, during and after a disaster. Establishing a permanent fund allows the Miami Foundation to issue grants as soon as hurricane season begins and, if a storm does strike, send help quickly. Money remains in the fund, which increases through investments, until it is needed. In the last year, the Miami Disaster Relief Fund grew by more than 17% to about $8 million. Were coming into this season with $1 million that no one had to donate, said Fishman Lipsey. Community foundations tax-exempt philanthropic institutions that manage a variety of funding sources to donate to other groups and individuals typically focus their giving on their local populations. But as community leaders, they are also called on to aid in crises, a role they may fill more often as climate events become more frequent and intense. Last year, the United States broke its record for the most disasters with damages exceeding $1 billion. A forecast of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1, issued last week from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association predicted at least 17 named storms and four to seven major hurricanes. Foundations need new strategies to prepare, said Patty McIlreavy, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. There is space across all types of philanthropic entities to explore how you set money aside for this and to be much more proactive, she said. We need all types of foundations to explore the realities of the disasters that are coming for communities. Having funds ready ahead of time can also save money and possibly lives because foundations can direct money toward preparation. It will be a lot less costly, said McIlreavy. Its a lot harder to get yourself out of a disaster and to recover from it than it is to have something mitigated and never occur. On the first day of hurricane season, the Miami Foundation will issue a round of proactive grants supporting programs to educate residents about what supplies to stockpile, how to prepare their homes and when to evacuate. It will help provide sandbags, tarps, and other protective equipment. If a storm is forecasted, the foundation will be able to move money to those same partners right away. When I see the storm is going to hit in three days, I can send them the resources immediately, said Fishman Lipsey. I dont need to wait for the checks to clear. About 100 miles north of Miami in Stuart, Florida, a much smaller community foundation is about to launch its own permanent disaster fund. The Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie has raised $300,000 for its Local Disaster Relief Fund, with a goal to raise $500,000 by mid-summer. When CEO Elizabeth Barbella heard Fishman Lipsey speak at a meeting of community foundation leaders last year, she related to the frustration of having to wait too long to help in a crisis. Historically, in the middle of the storm, I would be preparing something to reach out to our clients and friends to say, Okay, its real. The storm hit. Were going to need to help the frontline organizations really quickly, Barbella told the Associated Press. And when the dust settled, wed be reaching out to organizations asking for some type of simple application and then deploying the resource. To speed up that response, the foundation is creating agreements ahead of time with half a dozen local nonprofits that can supply basic needs like food, medicine and housing after a storm. One of those partners is House of Hope, based in Martin County, Florida. It began as a food bank 40 years ago and has grown to offer a range of essential services like job and housing support to around 21,000 residents per month. With a grant from the Local Disaster Relief Fund, House of Hope will spend the summer distributing hurricane kits to its clients filled with food, water and batteries. Without this assistance, most of the organizations clients wouldnt be able to stockpile supplies, said House of Hope CEO Rob Ranieri. Its a couple hundred bucks they dont have in their budget. If a storm does hit, the fund will support House of Hopes work to replace what clients lose, such as perishable food that spoils in a power outage. Most of the people it assists are hourly workers, who don't get paid if businesses shut down, so the organization will be ready to help them with rent and medical bills. Paying House of Hopes own employees to work overtime, or adding temporary staff to provide services, gets expensive too. The agreement with the community foundation gives Ranieri confidence that he will have the funds to meet the need. Now we can plan, know we will have the resources, have things in place and ready to go, he said. It will make us an effective resource for the lower income community, and it will be almost instant, like flipping a switch. ______ 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. Jackson Township firefighters and police and the State Fire Marshal are investigating a fatal fire that occurred Saturday night on Harris Avenue NW in Jackson Township. JACKSON TWP. Authorities have identified the victim of a fatal apartment building fire Saturday night as 13-year-old Joshua Terry. The Jackson Township Fire Department responded at 9:47 p.m. to the three-unit building on Harris Avenue NW following a 911 call about fire with an occupant inside. The Stark County Coroner's Office released the victim's name and age on Monday. The Fire Department issued a news release early Sunday morning about the fire, noting that the victim was transported to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton. The release didn't state a cause of the fire, but noted that the Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal and Jackson police are assisting with the investigation. Our hearts go out to the family that lost a loved one today," Jackson Fire Chief Tim Berczik said in a prepared statement issued Sunday. "We want to urge all of our residents to have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and if you hear those alarms sound, please, get out, stay out and close the doors on the way out. Further details weren't available. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jackson Township fire victim identified as 13-year-old Joshua Terry The nose of the B-17 Flying Fortress "Sentimental Journey," which is believed to be the only B-17 still flying. The bombardier and navigator sat in the glassed-in nose of the aircraft with only two side-firing machine guns as defense. Memorial Day honors those service men and women who gave their last full measure of devotion to preserve America, so it was particularly fitting that a B-17, the bomber that played a key role in the Allied victory in the air war with Germany during WW II, arrived here in Savannah on Friday. Now dubbed Sentimental Journey, she is believed to be the only B-17 still flying thanks to the efforts of the Commemorative Air Force Museum, based in Arizona. Up close, these are impressive four-engine ships that took 10 men to fly them on combat missions two pilots, a flight engineer, a radio man, a navigator, a bombardier, a tail gunner, and three more gunners -- to man the 10 .50-caliber machine guns. Little wonder they earned the nickname the Flying Fortress. With missions as long as 11 hours, it must have been torture in the cramped quarters, particularly for tail and turret gunners curled in a fetal-like position without relief. The nose of the B-17 Flying Fortress "Sentimental Journey," which is believed to be the only B-17 still flying. The bombardier and navigator sat in the glassed-in nose of the aircraft with only two side-firing machine guns as defense. The B-17 was the heart of the U.S. Armys Eighth Air Force, a force conceived, planned and organized here in Savannah before migrating to England to take on the German war machine. The planes were developed by Boeing in the 1930s and dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during World War II. Author Donald L. Miller recounted the personal stories of some of the airmen in his book, Masters of the Air, which was the basis of the Apple TV limited series of the same name, which aired earlier this year. Sentimental Journey flies next to Atlanta. The visit was part of a national tour by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) which tours classic aircraft in its effort to preserve key elements of military history. CAF is entirely self-supporting through memberships and donations. The nose of the B-17 Flying Fortress "Sentimental Journey," which is believed to be the only B-17 still flying. The bombardier and navigator sat in the glassed-in nose of the aircraft with only two side-firing machine guns as defense. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: B-17 "Sentimental Journey" makes tour stop in Savannah GA BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The Bakersfield Police Department is asking the community to keep a look out for a runaway juvenile. Benito Juarez Ybarra, 15, was last seen on May 25, according to BPD. Ybarra was seen on Saturday near the 3000 block of Hughes Lane, around 8:40 a.m. Police say he is considered at-risk due to having no history of running away. 1,000 Flag Ceremony takes place at The Park at River Walk Ybarra is described to be 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 140 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information regarding Ybarra`s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Bakersfield Police Department at 661-327-7111. 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 KGET 17. Baltic officials say they could send troops to Ukraine without waiting for NATO if Russia scores a breakthrough: report Baltic officials say they could send troops to Ukraine without waiting for NATO if Russia scores a breakthrough: report Baltic officials told German representatives they might send troops to Ukraine, Der Spiegel reported. The report says their condition for moving in troops is if Russia achieves a breakthrough in the war. The warning was part of an argument for Germany to up its support in Ukraine, the outlet reported. Members of parliament for the Baltic states warned German officials last week that their governments were poised to send troops to Ukraine if Russia achieved considerable gains, Der Spiegel reported. The German outlet reported Sunday that the Baltic officials issued the warning while speaking with representatives for Berlin at the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Estonia. Der Spiegel neither named any of the officials nor identified which countries they represented but said they raised concerns about German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's current policy toward the war. Scholz has been denying Ukraine permission to use German-supplied weapons in strikes on Russian soil, in line with Washington's stance of not allowing Kyiv to use donated weaponry for attacks beyond Ukraine's own borders. Der Spiegel reported that the Baltic officials were concerned that such policies created a half-hearted attempt to help Kyiv and might allow Russia to gain the upper hand in Ukraine. They said that if Moscow did gain significant ground in eastern Ukraine, their governments and Poland could move troops into the conflict zone even before Russia deployed its soldiers on their borders, the outlet reported. The officials' argument, Der Spiegel reported, was that treating Moscow with restraint could backfire and instead create an escalation. Soliders taking part in the combat shooting exercises of the Lithuanian army and the French-German brigade at the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade, Lithuania, earlier this month. PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP via Getty Images Like Ukraine, the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were previously part of the Soviet Union. They've been some of NATO's most vocal members in pushing the rest of the alliance to intensify support for Kyiv, fearing that Russian President Vladimir Putin may seek to continue his conquest in the region if he seizes Ukraine. Together with French President Emmanuel Macron, they've repeatedly hinted that they aren't ruling out sending NATO troops to Ukraine. Officials in Estonia recently signaled the possibility of deploying its troops to fill non-combat roles and free up Ukrainians to fight on the front lines. There are concerns that such actions could escalate the conflict quickly into a direct war between NATO and Russia. A spokesperson for Estonia's defense ministry told Business Insider the country wasn't discussing deploying troops to Ukraine for active combat roles. "Tomorrow, the EU defense ministers will discuss the expansion of the EU training mission EUMAM, which until now has trained Ukrainian combatants on EU territory," the spokesperson said, referring to the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine. "The discussion will mostly focus on the quantity of personnel to be trained. However, it may also touch on the location of the training." When contacted by BI, a spokesperson for Poland's ministry of national defense said: "We are not considering the idea of sending Polish soldiers to Ukraine, so it is difficult for us to comment on such media reports." Press services for the defense ministries of Latvia and Lithuania didn't immediately respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular business hours. Why Russia's western neighbors are getting skittish The concerns reported by Der Spiegel have come after Russia launched a renewed assault in northeastern Ukraine, striking the city of Kharkiv and capturing several settlements in the surrounding region. Military observers say the Kremlin can't take Kharkiv with the resources it's deployed there so far, but Russia has been shelling the city and inflicting civilian casualties. On the main front in the east, Ukraine has been struggling for months to hold back a grinding Russian advance after its supplies from the US began to dwindle. The aid has resumed after months of stalling in Congress, but Kyiv says Western equipment often arrives too late to turn the tide of the war because conditions keep changing. A Ukrainian serviceman entering a trench at an artillery position of an American M777 howitzer in the direction of Kreminna, Ukraine, in April. Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images Russia meanwhile stoked alarm among its neighbors last week with a draft proposal from its defense ministry to change its maritime borders with Finland and Lithuania in January 2025. The draft was uploaded to Russia's registry of laws on Tuesday but was later removed. On Thursday, Tallinn officials said Moscow had removed 24 of 50 buoys marking Russia's borders with Estonia on the Narva River. The officials said Russia had been contesting the buoys' locations. On Sunday, six NATO nations Norway, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania said they'd construct a unified "drone wall" with unmanned aerial vehicles and more advanced technologies to strengthen their borders. Their concerns aren't just centered on a full-scale Russian invasion. Finland, for example, said Russia had been trying to overwhelm Finnish border officials with waves of migrants trying to enter its borders. Norway, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia share land borders with mainland Russia, and Poland and Lithuania share land borders with Belarus, a close ally of the Kremlin. Correction: May 27, 2024 A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Poland was once part of the Soviet Union. This story has also been updated to reflect comments from the Polish and Estonian defense ministries. Read the original article on Business Insider Digital infrastructure company Equinix is claiming that its third data centre in Rio de Janeiro state, RJ3, is the largest investment ever made by the sector in the Brazilian state. It is said to have an initial budget of US$94 million. According to the BNamericas news service, RJ3 was announced in May last year, and was expected to go into operation in the first quarter of next year, a schedule that has now been extended to the first half of next year. RJ3 will have 560 racks and 1,467 square metres of colocation space in its first phase. Equinix says that all of its core digital and interconnection services will be available to customers from the start of operations, including Equinix Fabric and Equinix Fabric Cloud Router, both of which provide direct interconnection with cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, as well as easy access to several other network and security services offered by partners. The data centre will be close to the Via Dutra highway, providing access to optical fibre that connects Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo along the highway, with redundant connections between the two state capitals. The company says that all three of its data centre sites will be connected to each other. In addition, eight submarine cables connect to the state. The region is also supplied by two power substations. Equinix also says that RJ3 is to adopt 'Cool Array' cooling technology, which consists of more efficient refrigeration systems, and that it will be supplied with 100% renewable energy from wind and solar sources through certified suppliers. BBC news presenter Martine Croxall has returned to screen after being off-air for more than a year, while her legal battle with her employer still plays out. Croxall was one of four senior female BBC journalists who brought a tribunal claim against the BBC earlier this month, alleging they had been snubbed for chief presenter roles on the merger of the BBC News and BBC World News channels. More from Deadline Ahead of her on-air presenting duties Sunday evening, Croxall announced her return on X (formerly Twitter), with a video of her back in the presenters chair in the studio, saying, Now, where were we? Yall ready for this? Back on #BBCNews at 1100 BST pic.twitter.com/ip53REDPpJ Martine Croxall (@MartineBBC) May 26, 2024 Deadline previously reported that Croxall and three other female presenters complaints over gender pay discrimination were thrown out of their lawsuit at a London Central Employment Tribunal. During a preliminary hearing, the judge said Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Kasia Madera, and Annita McVeighs equal pay complaints will not be heard as part of a full tribunal. The four presenters allege that they were forced off air for a year and harassed as a result of a rigged recruitment process, according to witness statements submitted to the court. This central claim will still move forward to a full tribunal. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Bear Mauls 15-Year-Old Boy as He Watches TV in Arizona: Got Him on the Nose and the Cheek Brigham Hawkins was attacked at his family's cabin on May 23 Getty Images A black bear A 15-year-old boy is recovering from injuries after being attacked twice by a bear in Arizona. Brigham Hawkins was mauled across the face and body by a bear in a surprise attack while watching TV at his family cabin in Alpine, Arizona, at night on Thursday, May 23, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) said in a news release. The bear had made its way through an open door of the cabin towards the teenager, where it proceeded to swipe at him from behind, according to the release. It then left the cabin and approached other family members before entering the cabin a second time and swiping at the victims arm, AZGFD said. Getty A black bear Related: Hiker Played Dead While Being Mauled by Grizzly Bear, Who May Have Been Protecting Cub The bear, which was cited to be a 3-year-old male, was killed 120 feet from the cabin by officers from the department shortly after they arrived at the scene, KCTV reported. Hawkins was then taken to the hospital and treated for his injuries. A photo released of the teen after the attack showed him with bloody gashes and cuts on his nose and cheek as well as on the inside of his elbow. The teenager's mother Carol shared that her son has a rare neurological disorder, making it hard for him to move quickly, as the bear approached him a second time, per Arizona Family. Getty Images The Apache and Sitgreaves National Forest near Alpine, Arizona Related: 35-Year-Old Man Seriously Injured After Surprise Grizzly Bear Attack in Grand Teton National Park Never in our wildest dreams did we think (a bear) would come in the home, she told the outlet. He hadnt realized it because it came in from behind, and it reached over and, like, swiped at his face twice. Got him on the nose and the cheek and then went ahead and got his forehead and the top of his head. Hawkins was saved by his father and older brother Parker in the incident as they chased the bear away, per KCTV. It was thanks to the quick reaction by his brother and his family that they were able to distract the bear from what very easily in a matter of seconds could have turned into a real tragedy there, AZGFD Law Enforcement Supervisor, Shawn Wagner, told Arizona Family. Hawkins was put on the rabies vaccine as a precaution and is expected to recover, per the outlet. Everybody that came into help him, he had a big thank you and so hes handling it well. And hell be okay, Carol said. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. This is the 16th bear attack in Arizona since 1990, AZGFD stated, per the release. Two of these were fatal and the most recent attack happened last year in Prescott. AZGFD has reminded the public to be "bear aware" and look out for the wildlife animals in their area, following the latest incident, per the release. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. This picture, taken after the end of the war in Europe but while combat was still underway in the Pacific, shows members of the Womens Royal Navy Service, posing with double-decker buses their supposed service to mask that they were involved in a top secret decoding program. Jean Watters, then Jean Briggs, is pictured in the back row, sixth from the left. (Courtesy of Robin Watters) LINCOLN For years, Jean Watters kept secret her critical role in helping defeat Hitler in World War II. Watters, who was born in Suffolk, England, worried that shed slip up and accidentally reveal what she had sworn to withhold she even had nightmares about it. Jean Briggs, then an 18-year-old girl in Britain, turned down a deferment to attend an art school to enlist in the Womens Royal Navy Service, known as the Wrens. For three decades, she kept a sworn secret: She worked on a clandestine program that deciphered Hilters military orders during World War II. (Courtesy of Robin Watters) But for more than three decades, long after the war was over, she withheld her past from her husband, American pilot John Watters, as they made a new life, with six children, in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue. Eventually, after the British government declassified the existence of the Ultra programme to decipher the codes used by the German Armed Forces, Jean could reveal her wartime work. Now, her story of heroism might get a much wider audience. A documentary on her work as one of the British code breakers was posted recently on a YouTube channel operated by a partnership that highlights the exploits of military veterans. All-out war effort A 20-minute film, Decoding Jean: Secrets of WWII, focuses on a then-18-year-old girls sacrifice during the war as part of the all-out effort in England to defeat Hitler, as well as Watters dedication to her duty to keep unsaid her work as a code breaker. If the video gets enough views and finds financing, the amazing story of a young English womans work to crack the codes used by the German Army may become a feature length film. They werent unique. They were surrounded by people doing this. But these were a different kind of people, with stunning courage. Robin Watters She and her husband were interesting people that told an increasable story of WWII, said filmmaker Daniel Bernardi, president and director of El Dorado Films, which produced the documentary. We are looking at turning it into a feature-length story, and bring in more of her husbands story, he said. But for that to happen, we need to raise additional funds. El Dorado Films, in conjunction with San Francisco State University, are partners in the Veteran Documentary Corps, which posts its work on a YouTube channel. Two of Jean Watters children, Pete of Lincoln and Robin of Jamestown, Rhode Island, said turning the story of their parents into a full-length film would be a fitting tribute to their service and sacrifice during the war. Top aide to Gen. LeMay John Watters, who died in 2018 at age 101, flew more than 25 missions as a navigator and bombardier aboard a B-17 bomber from his base in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, Jeans hometown. He insisted on flying more than the required 25 missions most didnt survive 10 so he would obtain better information about the bombing runs because of his role as the planner for the next missions. The wedding picture for John and Jean Watters. John Watters, a navigator for the U.S. Army Air Corps, fought to obtain permission to marry his British sweetheart, who was still enlisted in the Royal Navy, and move to America. Eventually, the pair married, then obtained permission to leave. (Courtesy of Robin Watters) He served as a top aide to Gen. Curtis LeMay at Offutt Air Force Base before his retirement. His wife, as one of the 10,000 people involved in the Enigma codebreaking program, fed intercepted German messages into an electromechanical machine known as a bombe. The machine, which has been described as an early version of a computer, deciphered Nazi military commands, providing a warning for the Allies of troop movements and impeding submarine attacks. It shortened the war and prevented countless deaths, officials have said. We were reading their military mail, we knew where their people were going, Robin Watters said. It was really, really advantageous to know that. Jean Watters, a talented artist, turned down a deferment to attend art school to enlist in the Womens Royal Navy Service, known as the Wrens. At one point, she told her family she was being trained as a driver, concealing her top secret service. Robin Watters said his mother avoided coming home on weekends, perhaps as a way to avoid slipping up and revealing what she was doing. Its hard to convey to people today the mindset of people like my parents, he said. They werent unique. They were surrounded by people doing this, he said. But these were a different kind of people, with stunning courage. Sought advice from Churchill His father, he said, pledged to marry Jean Briggs the first time he laid eyes on her at a dance at the base in Bury St Edmunds. They dated throughout the war, but when it came time to plan a new life in the United States, they faced roadblocks because of Jeans secret service during the war and because she was still a member of the British Navy. It wasnt until John Watters wrote to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, then the leader of the opposition party in the United Kingdom, that he found out how he could marry his sweetheart: Get married first, an aide to Churchill advised, then request a move to America. Robin Watters, a Navy retiree, said his mother was old school, which meant that when she signed a pledge to keep her top secret war work secret, she kept it secret. He said he was too young to really process that shed been a key contributor in Hitlers defeat when his mother finally told her family. His father, as a military member himself, understood why she had kept her wartime heroism from him. Having secrets is just part of the job, Robin Watters said. To do something of that importance, that young, its pretty impressive. Jean Briggs, at left, and John Watters, at right, staring at her, met at a dance while he was stationed in her hometown in England during World War II. He told others that after she first saw her, he wanted to marry her. (Courtesy of Robin Watters) SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Bellevue womans unspoken heroism during World War II may soon become a full-length film appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Veterans, their families and others came together in Huntersville Monday to remember those who died serving the country. The event, hosted by the local American Legion post, drew hundreds to Veterans Park on Memorial Day. Mayor Christy Clark, a local JROTC program, the North Mecklenburg Community Chorus and others participated. They were brothers in arms, but also brothers bonded by sacrifice, said American Legion Post Commander Ross Monks, a retired Army officer and former candidate for the countys board of commissioners. Among those remembered Monday were Navy SEALs Nathan Gage Ingram and Christopher J. Chambers, who died this year trying to board an unflagged ship that reportedly was carrying Iranian-made weapons to Yemen. Others who served in World War II, the Korean War, the war in Vietnam and in Iraq also were honored. As proud Americans, we should all remember that our freedom is not free, said Monks. It is only possible because of heroes. Some from our own families and neighborhoods have paid a high price. There are about a million Americans whove died serving, said Joseph Reale Sr., a retired lieutenant colonel after 30 years in the Army, who also was in attendance Monday. We benefit from that sacrifice, he said. Reale, 78, recalled growing up in a time when military service was a rite of passage. And through his years working with the American Legion, hes seen the militarys ties run deep, especially in smaller towns such as Huntersville. Still, the military has struggled to recruit in recent years. I think the last few generations have missed that concept of serving putting their hand up and volunteering, Reale said. People will often walk up to him and thank him for his service. His response: Thank you for allowing me to serve, he says while shaking their hand. Because thats the freedom that we have, that if you want to serve you can serve, he said. BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Bentonville Schools says their schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year, according to an email sent to parents. Given the significant storm damage, we will cancel classes for the remainder of the school year for K-8th students. High school students should review their testing options, the district said. Should a high school student not take finals, he or she will accept the current grade in that class. All absences will be excused. The district said limited bus routes will be offered for students in grades 9th through 12th because of impassable roads to accommodate those wishing to take a final. Buses will provide service for both Bentonville High and Bentonville West. Morning pickups are from 8 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. and the drop-off time at both high schools will be 8:20 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Rogers Public Schools closed for remainder of school year Afternoon drop-off will be 4:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Here are the pickup and drop-off locations for both schools: Pick-up/Drop-off locations for Bentonville High Allans Parking Lot Metfield Parking Lot Lancashire Rd. Goodwill Parking Lot Fulbright Jr. High Washington Jr. High Pick-up/Drop-off locations for Bentonville West Centerton Harps Creekside Park Grimsley Jr. High Bus Loop All early childcare, Discovery Program, Adventure Club and pre-K classes will be closed this week, according to the district. An update will be sent to parents updating when childrens belongings can be picked up. Rogers Public Schools announced on Sunday they will be closing for the rest of the 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 KNWA FOX24. Bibb County bus drivers could see pay increase with new budget. Will vacancies be filled? The Bibb County School District lost seven bus drivers Wednesday and Thursday, the last day of school and the first day of summer break. BCSD was left with 136 full-time bus drivers as of Thursday, according to Anthony Jackson, the districts director of transportation. BCSD needs 150 to cover all routes. Jackson said the 14-seat vacancy may seem like an insignificant number, but its a big challenge for the school district to solve before the next school year begins. We have 136 drivers, but we have 144 planned routes. That alone lets you know the challenges that we would face on a day-to-day basis with getting all the routes covered if we were actually operating today, he said. Jackson, who has worked in the school system for 23 years, said gaining and losing drivers over the summer isnt unusual nor is the districts ongoing bus driver shortage, which reflects a national issue. As the district faces new vacancies, the district has already considered raises for bus drivers and bus monitors. How much do Bibb County bus drivers, monitors make? The Bibb County Board of Educations recent tentative adoption of the 2024-25 school year budget includes a pay raise up to 10% for bus drivers and monitors with severe salary gaps. The budget simply allows us to remain competitive in the marketplace for these positions, Jackson said. Now, the challenge becomes to just get out there and find those individuals who are interested in this type of work. Chief Financial Officer Eric Bush said those in line for a raise are in positions making 30% less than the average salary compared to similar-sized school districts in the surrounding Middle Georgia area. The comparisons were identified in the BCSD salary study, he added. Bibb Countys current starting pay for bus drivers with zero experience is $20.49 an hour. Jackson said the 10% increase would raise the hourly wage to $22.54. The current starting pay for BCSD bus monitors is $12.49 an hour, in which the 10% raise would increase their hourly pay to $13.74, he added. The current pay range for Houston County School District bus drivers is $20.87 to $32.72, depending on their experience. Bus monitors in HCSD earn between $12.03 and $18.86, according to district spokesperson Jennifer Jones. But Houston Countys 2025 proposed budget includes a 5.16% cost of living raise for all employees, and those numbers will increase next school year if the Houston County Board of Education approves, Jones said in an email. Even if Bibb County meets its target of filling all 150 bus driver positions, Jackson said the next challenge would be determining who is available each day for work because attendance problems play a role in everything. No money for more bus monitors In early May, Macon parent Heaven Smith raised concern that her sons BCSD school bus didnt have a bus monitor after an alleged bullying incident. Smith recently said she spoke with Jackson about the incident and that his response referenced the school districts lack of funding for more bus monitors. All 35 full-time bus monitor positions in the Bibb County School District have been filled, but there arent enough to cover all 44 special needs bus routes, Jackson said. On the outside, I could see why it may not make sense, but it is way more detailed and deeper than that ... because you have to understand the needs of students versus wants and desires, Jackson said when asked why the district doesnt have more bus monitor positions. Jackson said the pay raise for bus monitors and drivers would mostly impact transportation efficiency and possibly safety issues. If were able to hire more people, then were able to reduce ride times and reduce load counts, which in some ways you can maybe tie those factors back to safety. Bibb Countys 2025 school budget would give teachers raises. But there are tax concerns Macon mom says students hit her kid, took shoes, cut hair on bus. She wants investigation. In recent years Cuban mothers have been the protagonists of several protests demanding better living conditions, in the face of the serious deterioration of the country's economy. Some have even made it to Miguel Diaz-Canel's house to voice their demands. Many of these complaints have spurred State Security to threaten them with imprisonment or lost custody of their children. One of the last events occurred in Pinar del Rio on May 17, when four mothers stood with their children in front of the provincial government building there to demand a solution to their housing problems. Two of these mothers spoke to DIARIO DE CUBA about the desperate situations that prompted them to protest. "The one on the 17th was my third protest in front of the government. The first was on November 24 last year, together with another mothers, in front of the Ministry of Public Health, in Havana. I have a six-year-old son with Child Cerebral Palsy and a "guarded prognosis," says Rosalba Castillo Barrios, a mother of three. "I need a house, as I live crowded into a small room with my three children," explained Castillo Barrios, who resides in the Maica district in the city of Pinar del Rio. "Apart from housing, I've asked to be granted the opportunity to buying liquefied gas, as, with the blackouts, many days my sick son goes without food. The authorities always tell me that they don't 'respond to pressure,' and that I must understand 'the economic situation of the country,'" she added. "What I don't understand is that in February they responded to five requests for liquefied gas, but not mine, because we aren't affected by hurricanes, they said, but my son has a rare disease, and needs a room just for him, because of his illnesses," she complained. "In addition, they have given houses to numerous mothers at Km 2 in La Coloma, and in the El Calero area, and they always tell me that I have to wait," Castillo said. On the 17th, Marisleydi Benitez Hernandez, a 27-year-old teacher and single mother of three children, joined her protest. "The first time I asked for a home I addressed the first secretary in Pinar del Partido (Communist Party of Cuba), Yamile Cordero Ramos, who asked me what I'd ever done for the country, and why I'd had so many children. Then I went to see the Intendant, who told me that I had to pay 32,000 pesos for a plot of land, but I don't have that, as I barely have enough to feed my children. It's nothing but mistreatment and refusals from them," says Benitez Hernandez. "The only solution offered by the government was a house in the town of Briones Montoto, but that's in a very remote place, way out in the countryside, and with nothing, not even water. I have an epileptic daughter and I can't live that far away," said the mother. At this time Benitez Hernandez is squatting on state-owned property dedicated to the inspection of vehicles, a situation that has resulted in constant threats that she will be sent to prison. "The police tell me that they're going to prosecute me for usurpation of property, for having settled on state premises that were abandoned. They've even threatened to take my children away from me if I don't leave, but I don't intend to leave until they give me a home," says Benitez. Rosalba Castillo reports that after having participated in the protest in front of the Ministry of Public Health last year, she received visits from State Security agents. "These agents come and tell me that I must give the government some time, that I shouldn't post anything else on social media. My neighbors have informed me that Security agents are keeping an eye on me, as they've been asking about me on the block," the mother explained. "I won't stop fighting for my son's rights, and I'll continue until my problems are resolved. It's the least I can do, despite all the threats and stonewalling." By Jarrett Renshaw ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden honored fallen soldiers during the 156th observance of Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery outside the nation's capital on Monday. Biden placed a wreath of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in a solemn ceremony, where he was accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. "We gather at this sacred place, at this solemn moment, to remember, to honor the sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of women and men who have given their lives for this nation," Biden said afterward at the cemetery's amphitheater. Earlier in the day, Biden hosted a White House breakfast in honor of Memorial Day that included administration officials, military leadership, veterans and so-called Gold Star family members, referring to those who have lost an immediate relative in military action. The Memorial Day ceremony is the latest in a string of events where Biden has focused on active and retired military personnel, including delivering the commencement speech on Saturday at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Next week, the president will travel to Normandy, France, to participate in ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. He is expected to give a major speech about the heroism of Allied forces in World War Two and the continuing threats to democracy today. Thursday will mark the ninth anniversary of the death of Biden's son Beau, who served in Iraq as part of Delaware's National Guard. Beau died from glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer that his father believes was possibly a consequence of exposure to military burn pits in Iraq. "This week marks nine years since I lost my son, Beau," Biden said. "Our losses are not the same. He didn't perish on the battlefield. He was a cancer victim. "The pain of his loss is with me every day ... so is the pride in his service," the president said. On Memorial Day, each grave site at Arlington will have a small American flag carefully positioned exactly one boots length away from the headstone. The flags were placed by 1,500 soldiers from the Armys 3rd Infantry Regiment, better known as The Old Guard. The regiment has carried out the tradition, known as Flags In, just before Memorial Day every year since 1948, when it was designated as the Armys official ceremonial unit. (Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Mark Porter) TOPEKA (KSNT) A group of Kansas wildlife biologists on the hunt for invasive species made a surprising discovery in April when they found a fish thousands of miles away from where it spawned. Biologists with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Aquatic Invasive Species Crew were conducting sampling operations on the Kansas River near Kaw Point in April when they came across a rarely seen native fish species. The fish in question is known as an American eel. These fish are not often seen in Kansas waters, mostly due to the many dams which get in the way of their ability to move freely through U.S. streams and rivers. The last time the KDWP made note of the appearance of one of these eels was in 2015 when a Kansas angler caught one while fishing below the Bowersock dam near Lawrence. At the time, this was the first confirmed sighting of an American eel in Kansas in a decade. Biologists remove 61,000 pounds of invasive carp from Kansas River (Photo Courtesy/KDWP) Despite their rarity in the Sunflower State, the species is not considered endangered and the KDWP does keep a fishing record for the elusive eels. The current state record for American eel in Kansas was set on June 23, 1987 by Ralph B. Westerman on the Kansas River. He landed an American eel weighing 4.44 pounds and measuring 35 and a quarter inches in length while using a rod & reel. American eels make an astounding 3,500-mile migration from their spawn point in the Sargasso Sea, located in the Atlantic Ocean, to the rivers and streams of North America where they live for around 10-25 years before returning home to reproduce. They are also the only species of freshwater eel found on the continent, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS). Man has close encounter with wild owl at Lake Shawnee For more Kansas Outdoors, 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 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. TOPEKA (KSNT) A group of Kansas wildlife biologists on the hunt for invasive species made a surprising discovery in April when they found a fish thousands of miles away from where it spawned. Biologists with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Aquatic Invasive Species Crew were conducting sampling operations on the Kansas River near Kaw Point in April when they came across a rarely seen native fish species. The fish in question is known as an American eel. These fish are not often seen in Kansas waters, mostly due to the many dams which get in the way of their ability to move freely through U.S. streams and rivers. The last time the KDWP made note of the appearance of one of these eels was in 2015 when a Kansas angler caught one while fishing below the Bowersock dam near Lawrence, Kansas. At the time, this was the first confirmed sighting of an American eel in Kansas in a decade. (Photo Courtesy/KDWP) Despite their rarity in Kansas, the species is not considered endangered and the KDWP does keep a fishing record for the elusive eels. The current state record for American eel in Kansas was set on June 23, 1987 by Ralph B. Westerman on the Kansas River. He landed an American eel weighing 4.44 pounds and measuring 35 and a quarter inches in length while using a rod & reel. American eels make an astounding 3,500-mile migration from their spawn point in the Sargasso Sea, located in the Atlantic Ocean, to the rivers and streams of North America where they live for around 10-25 years before returning home to reproduce. They are also the only species of freshwater eel found on the continent, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS). 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 Queen City News. The story of John Doe 1 of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is tucked in a lawsuit filed five years ago against several U.S. tech companies, including Tesla, the worlds largest electric vehicle producer. In a country where the earth hides its treasures beneath its surface, those who chip away at its bounty pay an unfair price. As a pre-teen, his family could no longer afford to pay his $6 monthly school fee, leaving him with one option: a life working underground in a tunnel, digging for cobalt rocks. But soon after he began working for roughly two U.S. dollars per day, the child was buried alive under the rubble of a collapsed mine tunnel. His body was never recovered. The nation, fractured by war, disease, and famine, has seen more than 6 million people die since the mid-1990s, making the conflict the deadliest since World War II. But, in recent years, the death and destruction have been aided by the growing number of electric vehicles humming down American streets. In 2022, the U.S., the worlds third-largest importer of cobalt, spent nearly $525 million on the mineral, much of which came from the Congo. As Americas dependence on the Congo has grown, Black-led labor and environmental organizers here in the U.S. have worked to build a transnational solidarity movement. Activists also say that the inequities faced in the Congo relate to those that Black Americans experience. And thanks in part to social media, the desire to better understand whats happening in the Congo has grown in the past 10 years. In some ways, the Black Lives Matter movement first took root in the Congo after the uprising in Ferguson in 2014, advocates say. And since the murder of George Floyd and the outrage over the Gaza war, there has been an uptick in Congolese and Black American groups working on solidarity campaigns. Throughout it all, the inequities faced by Congolese people and Black Americans show how the supply chain highlights similar patterns of exploitation and disenfranchisement. Bakari Height, the transit equity organizer at the Labor Network for Sustainability, says the global harm caused by the energy transition and the inability of Black Americans to participate in it at home are for a simple reason. Were always on the menu, but were never at the table, he said. The space of transportation planning and climate change is mostly white people, or people of color that arent Black, so these discussions about exploitation arent happening in those spaces it is almost like a second form of colonialism. Read More: Will the Electric Vehicle Push Bring Black Americans Along on the Ride? Height says, however, when Black people are in the room, these conversations are not only more prevalent, but also more action-oriented. His organization supports Black workers and helps craft policies that support bold climate action in ways that address labor concerns without sacrificing what science is telling us is necessary. Were always on the menu, but were never at the table. Bakari Height, the Labor Network for Sustainability While the American South has picked up about two-thirds of the electric vehicle production jobs, Black workers there are more likely to work in non-unionized warehouses, receiving less pay and protections. The White House has also failed to share data that definitively proves whether Black workers are receiving these jobs, rather than them just being placed near Black communities. Read More: Tennessee Wants to Take Land from Black Residents So a Ford Plant Can Benefit Automakers are moving their EV manufacturing and operations to the South in hopes of exploiting low labor costs and making higher profits, explained Yterenickia Bell, an at-large council member in Clarkston, Georgia, last year. While Georgia has been targeted for investment by the Biden administration, workers are refusing to stand idly by and let them repeat a cycle that harms Black communities and working families. Morehouse College professors Samuel Livingston and Cynthia Hewitt unfurled a Congolese flag behind President Joe Biden as he gave his commencement address at the school on May 19. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) Solidarity activism reached a national stage last week at the Morehouse College graduation ceremony, when professors at the school sent clear messages to President Joe Biden. Samuel Livingston and Cynthia Hewitt unfurled a Congolese flag as Biden gave his speech. And Dr. Taura Taylor, wearing a DRC pin on her cap, stood up, raised her fist and turned her back to the president. Yet, less publicized has been the work of Congolese and Black American groups building bridges, including the Congo Initiative based in the Congo and the D.C.-based group Friends of the Congo. Friends of the Congo has worked on several educational campaigns at home, brought Black Americans to the Congo for activism trips, and offered regular support to Congolese youth leaders. The work is necessary as John Doe 1s story has only become more common in the country. Roughly 75% of the worlds reserves of cobalt, the precious mineral with a sometimes reddish, teal, or violet tint needed for cellphones, laptops, and electric car batteries, lie under the chalky surface. On average, an electric vehicle battery requires 30 pounds of cobalt, meaning millions of tons of the mineral is needed for Americas EV boom, which will continue to push thousands of Black women, men, and children into pits and tunnels. In the U.S., these battery packs range from around $7,000 to nearly $30,000, while Congolese miners make mere dollars for mining most of the material found in them. The country, explained Maurice Carney, executive director of Friends of the Congo, was designed for extraction, not development. Cobalt mining is the slave farm perfected Of the 255,000 Congolese mining for cobalt, 40,000 are children. They are not only exposed to physical threats but environmental ones. Cobalt mining pollutes critical water sources, plus the air and land. It is linked to respiratory illnesses, food insecurity, and violence. Still, in March, a U.S. court ruled on the case, finding that American companies could not be held liable for child labor in the Congo, even as they helped intensify the prevalence. Companies operating in the country are primarily concerned about their own welfare, filling their own pockets. Theyre not really concerned about the welfare of the Congolese people, Carney said earlier this year. Carney, a former research consultant for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, has spent years pointing out the link between the Congolese and Black American struggles. What we say to people is that in a country thats so critical to the future of the planet, a country that were all connected to through our cellphones and iPads or electric vehicles, [is that] even if youre in California, youre connected to the Congo, he said. Congolese women have the highest metallic content in the body in the world because theyre digging in the soil to get those minerals, he added. People work at the Shabara mine near Kolwez, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 2022. At that time, some 20,000 people worked at Shabara, in shifts of 5,000 at a time. (Junior Kannah/AFP via Getty Images) Similarly in the U.S., as poor birth outcomes have been linked to higher exposure to pollutants, pregnant Black women are more likely to live in poor-quality environments compared to white women. Cobalt accounts for as much as 60% of the batteries that drive our lives because the mineral possesses a unique electron configuration that allows the battery to remain stable at higher energy densities. This means cobalt-heavy batteries can hold more charge. While there has been a push to use alternative minerals in electric batteries, most other options are unstable and unsafe for the user. Some experts have argued that the U.S. should turn its attention to Canada, which is in the top five countries producing cobalt and the only nation in the Western Hemisphere with deposits of all the minerals required to make next-generation electric batteries. But it is a more costly venture that, to this point, has yet to make waves in the U.S. In the interim, no one knows how many women, men, and children have been killed in the Congolese operations, but the tally, which is likely to be thousands of lives per year, is expected to rise, researchers believe. In the coming years, it is estimated that more than half of the worlds cobalt will be used just for EVs. The federally subsidized push to increase electric vehicle production by 2030 calls a 15-fold increase in battery production. Already, the nations imports of cobalt increased by 35% from 2021 to 2022. Still, the U.S. has been slow to acknowledge its role. In a February White House press briefing about the U.S. effects and efforts on the environment across the African continent, the Congo and cobalt were never mentioned. And earlier this month, Amos Hochstein, White House senior adviser for energy and investment, encouraged mining minerals in risky countries in the name of the clean energy transition. We can all live in the capitals and cities around the world and say, I dont want to do business there. But what you are really saying is were not going to have an energy transition, he said. Because the energy transition is not going to happen if it can only be produced where I live, under my standards. The Congo is home to more than 90 times the amount of cobalt reserves found in the U.S., where Native American tribes are being exploited for the resource. (Over two-thirds of Americas cobalt is on Native American land.) It is one of several movements around the clean energy transition where workers and activists are highlighting how the greening of the world is coming at the expense of Black and Native lives. Recently, the push for mining in the Congo has reached new heights because of a rift in China-U.S. relations regarding EV production. Earlier this month, the Biden administration issued a 100% tariff on Chinese-produced EVs to deter their purchase in the U.S. Currently, China owns about 80% of the legal mines in the Congo, but tens of thousands of Congolese work in artisanal mines outside these facilities, where there are no rules or regulations, and where the U.S. gets much of its cobalt imports. Cobalt mining is the slave farm perfected, wrote Siddharth Kara last year in the award-winning investigative book Cobalt Red: How The Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives. It is a system of absolute exploitation for absolute profit. While it is the worlds richest country in terms of wealth from natural resources, Congo is among the poorest in terms of life outcomes. Of the 201 countries recognized by the World Bank Group, it has the 191st lowest life expectancy. Dreaming of actual societal benefits The exploitation of Black workers in the Congo has contributed to some Black transit activists in the U.S. not fully supporting the transition to electric vehicles despite the pollution and health benefits for some Black communities at home. The American Lung Association says 110,000 lives would be saved and 2.7 million childhood asthma attacks avoided by 2050 if Bidens goals are reached and transportation pollution is lowered. But today, although EVs do not directly emit fossil fuels, the energy generated to charge an EV mainly comes from polluting fossil fuel power plants, which are disproportionately found in Black communities. Read More: A Detroit Community Fights to Survive as Its Industrial Neighbor Grows The activists say that moving toward more mass transit options would create actual societal benefits. We dont all live in big cities, but mass transit is still 100% the better option, Height said. More investment in mass transit options gives us different ways and methods of looking at how we can clean up many of these systems. While Americas dependence on cars has grown to the second highest globally, American buses, subways, and light rail lines consistently have lower ridership levels, fewer service hours, and longer waits than those in virtually every comparable country. It is true, Height acknowledged, that electric buses still rely on cobalt, but investment in mass transit options would dramatically lower the nations dependence on the mineral and the need for new infrastructure. Infrastructure, he said, that is not being used. Since 2021, the federal government has doled out nearly $10 billion for public electric vehicle charging infrastructure, for example, but only four states have built stations using the money. Read More: The Countrys Largest Climate Bill Threatens to Leave Black Communities Behind As it is now, EVs are also perpetuating economic inequality. Statistically, most households purchasing EVs earn more than $100,000 per year. The median Black household takes in just $46,000 annually, which could explain why only 2% of EV drivers are Black. Height believes that these discrepancies show the need for other investment options. While the Biden administration has allocated more than $65 billion for electric vehicles, the nations biggest climate spending bill allocated just $1 billion for clean heavy-duty vehicles like buses. The investment, Height said, also needs to come with a behavioral shift. People need to question: Do you really need a vehicle if youre going to the same place that your neighbor is going, or the same direction as the people down the street? We need to do it before this next individualistic idea of you get an EV, you get an EV, and you get an EV takes root, he argued. The post How Black Lives Became The Hidden Cost of Clean Energy appeared first on Capital B News. Vennard Wright, co-founder of PerVista and Wave Welcome, speaking at an event in 2023 shortly after PerVista started. Photo courtesy of Janelle Wright/Wave Welcome By James Matheson A yellow bus filled with middle schoolers heading home slowed to a stop at the corner of Sutler Drive and Iverson Street in Prince Georges County. It was just before 5 p.m. on a spring Monday in May 2023. Three young people hidden behind black face-coverings burst onto the bus, past the driver and the bus aide. The masked juveniles held a handgun to the chest of the lone middle schooler who remained on the bus, according to Prince Georges County Police. The trigger was pulled, but the gun jammed three times. The assailants beat the boy and fled the scene. Although disaster was averted that day, the incident weighed on Vennard Wright, a security and technology specialist who a few years earlier formed a cybersecurity firm called Wave Welcome. As a native of Prince Georges County, Wright had seen enough gun violence and wanted to do something about it. Thankfully the gun jammed, Wright said of that day last May. But because of that, we developed a technology that uses AI (artificial intelligence) to detect firearms and notify police. Wright is among a growing number of African Americans who in recent years have formed companies in Prince Georges County, which has become the leading county in the state for the number of new businesses, according to data from the Census Bureau. Wrights newest company, which he founded last year with his wife Janelle, is called PerVista. It uses AI to scan surveillance footage alongside a database of firearms. The system triggers an alert and sends the portion of video to public safety officials and police if anything from the footage matches the database. The company hopes to sell its services to schools, shopping malls, sporting venues and office buildings. Wright says the technology can detect firearms if any part of the gun is showing, but wont alert police unless the gun is produced and can accurately be verified as a weapon. The technology also utilizes a drone called WatchWing to verify the softwares finding. Right now, PerVista does not target concealed-carry and doesnt scan the inside of backpacks. Our goal is to reduce the impact and number of active shooter events in schools, hospitals and other public places, Wright said. Janelle Wright is now CEO of Wave Welcome while Vennard took the reins at PerVista, which has six full-time employees. The couple is committed to developing an AI workforce in the county. Vennard Wright, who graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in business administration, is author of Cracking the C-Code, a book to help readers become C-level executives. He was also director of technology for Hillary Clinton during her successful U.S. Senate reelection campaign in New York in 2006 and for her unsuccessful presidential run in 2008. He also served as Prince Georges Countys chief information officer from 2010 to 2017 and was honored as Innovator of the Year in 2023 by the Prince Georges County Chamber of Commerce. The post A Black-owned startup in Prince Georges County aims to prevent active shooters appeared first on Maryland Matters. Bloomberg: EU wants to follow up peace summit with conference with Russia in autumn, sources say The EU is discussing how to progress from Ukraine's global peace summit in June to a possible meeting with Russian participation in Saudi Arabia in autumn, Bloomberg reported on May 27, citing undisclosed official sources. Bloomberg's sources did not provide further details on the supposed plans. The summit will take place on June 15-16 in Switzerland, and some 80 countries have already confirmed their participation. The conference will be centered around Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, a plan first outlined by President Volodymyr Zelensky in fall 2022 that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands. Russia was not invited to the talks, but the Swiss hosts said that Moscow's representation will have to take part in the process "sooner or later." Kyiv has warned that Russia is attempting to disrupt the summit. The outlet wrote that EU foreign ministers will discuss how to achieve a "face-saving" outcome from the summit during their meeting in Brussels on May 27. Bloomberg wrote earlier that U.S. President Joe Biden is likely to miss the conference as it clashes with a campaign fundraiser, while China has not yet officially confirmed its attendance. According to the outlet, China may send a senior civil servant to Switzerland. On May 26, Zelensky called on Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to "show their leadership in advancing the peace" and participate personally in the upcoming summit. Read also: Kuleba: Putin wants to derail Ukraines peace summit by claiming readiness for ceasefire Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa Board of Medicine) The Iowa Board of Medicine has revoked the license of a physician convicted of assault and accused of having sex with a patient. State records indicate Scott Piper was issued an Iowa medical license in April 2002, after which he practiced family medicine in Cedar Rapids. In March 2023, Piper was criminally charged with sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. Police alleged Piper engaged in sex with the female victim at her home while she was a patient of his and while he was providing mental health services for her. According to police, Piper confessed to the offense. The charge was later amended to assault causing mental illness. Linn County prosecutors then agreed they would not resist Pipers request for a deferred judgment that would wipe the public court docket of any mention of the case once he successfully completed two years of probation. In addition, prosecutors agreed that while Piper, as a condition of his probation, must enroll in a sex-offender treatment program, his name would not be added to the states registry of sex offenders. Earlier this year, Piper pleaded guilty to the amended charge. The court granted Piper the deferred judgment in the case and placed him on probation for two years. The Iowa Board of Medicine, meanwhile, had renewed Pipers medical license in October 2023, seven months after the criminal charges were filed against him. After Piper entered his plea in court, the board charged him with sexual misconduct. Piper recently agreed to resolve that matter by consenting to the revocation of his license. Lawsuit: Piper complained of booty call Still unresolved is the civil lawsuit filed against Piper by his former patient. In that case, the woman alleges Piper served as her primary care provider as far back as 2013, treating her for anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder and polysubstance abuse. In October 2020, Piper allegedly sent the woman a message that said, So after I cut you off your mom messaged me on Facebook. Accusing me of giving you prescriptions basically for sex. And she supposedly had messages or texts where i asked you to breakfast. I had no idea what she was talking about She was going to turn me in to the state medical board. It was all weird. I just didnt answer. Later, Piper allegedly wrote again to say, I certainly dont recall asking you to breakfast. And even if I did, there is nothing wrong with that. Im friends with a lot of my patients. In May 2021, Piper allegedly sent messages inviting Doe to talk, and after receiving no response, wrote: Time for a booty call but no time to get your meds. I see how it is, and later wrote: You suck. In September 2021, after another series of exchanges, Piper allegedly messaged Doe: Dont you dare get pissy and cut me off like this yet again. I mean, wtf. Im trying my -ing hardest to help you despite being treated like -. In October 2021, Doe alleges, she and Piper engaged in sex, which reportedly led to messages in which Doe accused Piper of prescribing her drugs to control her behavior an allegation Piper denied. In December 2021, Piper allegedly sent Doe a message, offering to run up and drop off your keys and then, in an apparent reference to her treatment, informed her that from now on I cant do anything without a legit appt. Doe allegedly responded: Right, and what about less 3 am visits for sex with your patient then stop all meds and contact and make it then feel like they did something wrong. The lawsuit alleges Piper knew or had reason to know that Doe was significantly impaired with regard to her ability to withhold consent to sexual conduct, and also claims Piper inappropriately treated her for mental health and substance abuse issues. In the civil case, Piper has denied any wrongdoing. A trial is scheduled for Nov. 12, 2024. The post Board revokes license of physician accused of assault, having sex with patient appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. COEUR D'ALENE A jury has awarded more than $1.1 million to an Idaho drag performer who accused a far-right blogger of defaming him when she falsely claimed that he exposed himself to a crowd, including children, during a Pride event in June 2022. The Kootenai County District Court jury unanimously found Friday that Summer Bushnell defamed Post Falls resident Eric Posey when she posted a doctored video of his performance with a blurred spot that she claimed covered his fully exposed genitals, the Coeur d'Alene Press reported. In reality the unedited video showed no indecent exposure, and prosecutors declined to file charges. The judicial system did what needed to be done, Posey said after the verdict. Jurors awarded Posey $926,000 in compensatory damages for defamation. Because Posey proved that Bushnell knew her allegations were false when she made them or that she made the accusations with reckless disregard for the truth, the jury awarded $250,000 in additional punitive damages. Posey, who uses the stage name Mona Liza Million, performed three times at the Pride in the Park celebration wearing a long-sleeve leotard, black shorts and tights, with a shiny metallic boa around his waist. He did not remove clothing. The Pride event made national news at the time not because of Poseys performances, but because 31 members of a white supremacist group called Patriot Front were arrested nearby and charged with conspiracy to riot. Bushnell posted a video that day of herself discussing the mass arrest as well as footage from Poseys performance. Why did no one arrest the man in a dress who flashed his genitalia to minors and people in the crowd? she said. No one said anything about it, and theres video. Im going to put up a blurred video to prove it. The next day Bushnell published the edited version of the video, which she obtained from a local videographer. It garnered many thousands of views, sparking national news coverage and a police investigation. She suggested he had committed a felony and urged people to call police and have him arrested. Bushnell was expressionless as she hurried out of the courtroom Friday. The platform adopted Saturday by delegates to the Texas State Republican Convention would all but erase the line separating church from state, declare most abortions to be homicides and force the federal government to disclose what it knows about unidentified flying objects. It also declares that "antisemitism is incompatible with the Republican Party" and affirms "Israels rights ofsovereignty, self-determination, and self-defense." In all, it's a 50-page document that reinforces the state party's accelerated move to the right while at the same being more of a wish list for the most activist members of the GOP than a road map that will be followed to the letter by lawmakers in Austin or Washington. The Texas State Republican Convention ran Thursday through Saturday in San Antonio. Here's a look at some of the planks: Border security, immigration and foreign affairs U.S. aid to Ukraine as it continues to fight the invasion by Russia would end. "The Republican Party of Texas calls for an immediate cessation of further taxpayer-funded financial, military, andhumanitarian aid to Ukraine and urges Congress and the President to prioritize the allocation ofresources towards securing the United States-Mexico border and deporting illegal aliens," according to the platform's adopted language. The unauthorized crossing of Texas' southern border would be officially called an "invasion" to be repelled at the state level, if necessary. The platform says, "The Republican Party of Texas calls upon Texas law enforcement, the Texas judiciary, and the Governor to act to protect Texans from the border invasion and imminent danger ... as the Governor or Legislature sees fit to protect Texas, without paying heed to any stays or opinions of the federal judiciary or other branch of federal government." Donald Trump's plans for a return to the White House The Texas GOP backs them in full: "The Republican Party of the State of Texas fully endorses President Trumps Agenda 47 visionary positive solutions for the reconstruction of America, and will use these to recruit independent and traditional Democrat voters for a landslide victory in November 2024." As the MAGA Super Store booth indicates, former President Donald Trump was popular at the state convention. The document also condemns the legal actions taken against the former president and presumptive GOP nominee in this election cycle. National restrictions on abortion The state GOP wants Texas' restrictions on abortion in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision striking down Roe v. Wade to be applied nationally. Here's what the Texas party's platform says: "We urge lawmakers to enact legislation to abolish abortion by immediately securing the right to life and equal protection of the laws to all preborn children from the moment of fertilization, because abortion violates the United States Constitution by denying such persons the equal protection of the law." Another section declares, "Abortion is not healthcare it is homicide." Texas GOP bullish on energy The platform urges the federal government to get out of Texas' way when it comes to energy, especially oil and gas. "We fully support and encourage greater energy production in the Permian Basin and throughout Texas, as well as the necessary policies and infrastructure investment in roads, pipelines, and ports," the platform states. More: Top elected Republican leaders urge unity during Day 2 of Texas GOP Convention The document is not anti-renewables but says, "We support ... the immediate removal of governmentbarriers and direct subsidies to the production, transportation, reformulation, refining, and distribution ofenergy. We oppose federally directed plans and proposals that favor renewable energy sources thatmay constitute a nuisance, or otherwise have a substantially negative impact on neighboringlandowners, including harming property values of our neighborhoods, farms, and ranch areas." Should Texas secede from the United States? The answer in the platform is nuanced. "Texas retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum consistent thereto and pass the Texas Sovereignty Act" that was introduced but not passed in the 2023 legislative session. But the action would be conditioned on whether Congress enacts "federally mandated legislation that infringes upon the 10th Amendment rights of Texas." Public school prayer and Bible study The Texas GOP platform says the 1962 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prayer in public schools violates the principle that the government cannot establish a religion and the high court's decision a year later regarding classroom Bible study that does the same are being interpreted too broadly. Here's what the platform says: More: Texas GOP committee considers IVF restrictions at convention: 'Maybe a later fight' "We urge the Legislature and the State Board of Education to require instruction on the Bible, servant leadership, and Christian self-governance. We support the use of chaplains in schools to counsel and give guidance from a traditional biblical perspective based on Judeo-Christian principles with the informed consent of a parent." 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena' These are probably better known as unidentified flying objects, or UFOs. Either way, the Texas GOP platform questions whether the federal government is telling the American people exactly what it knows about what is out there. Here's the plank: "We call on the United States Congress and the Executive Branch to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability by disclosing to the American people all pertinent information and knowledge held by United States government agencies and departments regarding the nature and origins of non-American Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). "This is essential for public trust, national security, and the integrity of our government institutions." Newly elected Texas Republican Party Chairman Abraham George addresses the delegates Saturday at the state GOP convention in San Antonio. The delegates adopted a 50-page platform that reinforces the party's accelerated move to the right. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Republicans adopt conservative wish list as their 2024 platform Sometimes you spot something so ridiculous that you have to question whether or not it is satire. Last weeks head scratcher was a job advert for a joint chief executive that sought applicants from the criminal class and/or underclass a phrase so bizarre and insulting that it was quickly ridiculed. The classification is reminiscent of Charles Booths 19th century poverty maps, wrote one social media user. Who identifies as criminal class? The Krays?, asked another. It is obviously derogatory to associate being working class with being a criminal, but depressingly this is no one-off. The Camden Peoples Theatre changed the phrasing of its advert a few days after we reported on it, but the fact nobody thought it might be offensive to lump working-class, benefit class, criminal class and/or underclass into one category highlights one of the many reasons why Britains class ceiling barely has a crack in it. The Camden People's Theatre was ridiculed for 'Victorian' terminology - Camden People's Theatre This might be a niche example from a small and no doubt well-meaning charity, but it does suggest that the arts industry is shot through with elitism. Despite its efforts to diversify, examples such as this highlight a fundamental misunderstanding about what needs to be done. Using Victorian-era language about class is clearly not going to inspire anyone and only highlights the divisions in our country. Id bet a small underclass fortune that not a single working class person looked at this ad before it went out, said Sophie Pender, the founder of state school network the 93% Club, among the many arguing that this is part of a wider problem. When she asked at a London art fair this year where she could find pieces from working class artists, she was told that there was a charity that sells work from prisoners. Botched efforts to shatter the class ceiling have caused working class representation to plummet. In film and TV it is at its lowest level in a decade, according to research by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, with fewer than one in 10 UK arts workers now from a working class background. Vicky McClure, the Line of Duty star who grew up in Nottingham, argued last week that the industry has gone backwards in terms of opportunities as working class actors are priced out. It is not the only field that is becoming closed to poorer students. Spiralling student loan costs are discouraging working class young people from going to university at all. On average, students now leave university in England with 44,940 worth of student loan debt, compared to 3,190 20 years ago. One graduate reportedly has a 231,000 bill. Class is the forgotten corner of diversity. Elite professions across the country continue to miss the mark. Despite spending millions on their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, businesses hire people from the same backgrounds over and over again. Lady Blair, one of the UKs top barristers and wife of Sir Tony, made this point last year when she said the lucrative legal sector has just replaced posh boys with posh girls. Its all about who you know. Politicians are aware that this is a subject which could win people over as the nation prepares to go to the polls on July 4. What exactly has happened to social mobility and where do the problems start? Its a question voters are increasingly asking. A poll published late last year found that only 44pc of working class voters who voted Conservative in 2019 say they will do so again this time. Improving opportunities from an early age is the most obvious starting point. Labour has vowed to smash the class ceiling via an education overhaul, noting how private schools sell themselves on teaching the things which employers in the arts industry want such as confidence and public speaking. Speaking skills are a massive part of the class ceiling, Sir Keir Starmer said at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama earlier this year. A lack of arts subjects in state schools puts students at a further disadvantage to their privately educated peers, and theres a valid argument in the long-running battle over grammar schools that they can transform the lives of working class children who go to them. The ideal scenario is that the standard of all state schools increases, something Sir Keir is hoping Labour can achieve via a tax raid on private school fees although the reality is far more complicated. The fear is that an exodus of pupils from private schools to state schools will offset any increase in funds. In the meantime, businesses need to recognise their own failings in this area. The employee class gap is all around. A report published last year by diversity group Progress Together found that socio-economic background has more of an impact on career progression than gender, ethnicity or sexuality. Only 7pc of the general population went to a fee-paying school, but around 65pc of senior judges, 48pc of FTSE 350 chief executives and 44pc of politicians, newspaper columnists and top actors were privately educated. Theres little sign of that changing. The Social Mobility Commission found in 2020 that teenagers growing up poor in the 1980s were four times more likely to be poor as adults, whilst in the 1970s they were only twice as likely. Class should be becoming increasingly irrelevant. Sadly, the opposite is happening. 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. Since it seems inevitable that we will soon have a Labour government it is worth pondering now what manner of monstrosity it might be. The Conservatives have spent recent days warning about the known knowns of the Labour Party. Which is perhaps inevitable. But to continue with the Rumsfeld-ism, we should spend at least some time dwelling on the known unknowns. The things that we know that we do not yet know. Of utmost importance is the question of the vast number of Labour MPs who will come in on the expected landslide. Have any of the public got an idea of what this avalanche of new Labour MPs will be like? Or how they will act once in Westminster? I doubt it. Sources inside Labour have in recent months tried to assure me that they have got the partys candidate selection technique tied up. That is, that the moderates in the party have tried to make sure that the people standing at this election are dont scare the horses leftists rather than Corbyn-ista head-bangers of the type one might have feared would dominate after the partys recent years. Yet I suspect that, after the election, we will discover two things about the new MPs. The first is that there will certainly be a cohort whatever their number who will represent the worst of the modern Left. They will include demagogues and fanatics. People who wish to pull their party and this country in a radical leftist direction. The party leadership may keep these people on the backbenches, but still they will pull things their way to some extent. The second discovery we are likely to make is that the new intake will include a larger number of people who knew to perform at their partys selection process as moderates but will turn out to be redder once they are inside the House of Commons. But as I say, these are things we know that we cannot at present. We can only expect. What we do know with considerable certainty is what the top of the Labour party will look like. The first thing to note is the astonishing, almost unbelievable lack of talent. Keir Starmer himself is a man of some distinction as a lawyer, but he is a weak man. Indeed his idea of leadership is to say that he is a strong leader. The facts prove otherwise. Whenever a wind blows on any area not in his immediate area of expertise he bends to it. Consider the moment in 2020 when politicians were encouraged to take the knee because of the actions of one rogue policeman in Minnesota. Did the killing of George Floyd say anything about the state of America? Personally I think not. But did it say anything about the state of Britain? Absolutely not. Yet Starmer was one of those weak leaders around the world who found a mainly online movement of ideologues intent on interpreting the whole of Western history through the lens of George Floyd that he was willing to abase himself with this pointless sign. An act that his deputy, Angela Rayner, joined him in. Will that same wind blow at some point? Possibly. But what is certain is that there will be other winds that will blow, and the chances that they will take our next Prime Minister with them are sure. To what destination we cannot yet know. The same pattern has occurred with the stupid gender debate which has wasted so much of everybodys time. Thanks to a couple of scientifically illiterate academics in America, much of the Western world has been swiftly persuaded that our species is an essentially hermaphroditic one. We are expected to pretend that biological sex is not a fixture of our species and that human beings can become whatever sex they like. To say that this is scientifically illiterate is obvious. To say that it leads to dangerous outcomes is obvious. But the misapprehension has taken most of the Labour Party with it. At no stage has Keir Starmer stood up for the lone voice in his party Rosie Duffield who has pushed against this palpable nonsense. In fact, he left her out to dry. At the same time, his Shadow Foreign Secretary has shown the kind of biological illiteracy which we must assume is the norm at the top of the Labour party. This is a man lest we forget who on a radio programme once said that it is possible for a born male to develop a cervix. This is as worrying in a person about to assume one of the great offices of state as it would be if Lammy had gone on live radio and proclaimed that it is possible to turn base metals into gold. Except that such a belief would be relatively harmless by comparison. If our future Foreign Secretary believed in alchemy, at least it would not give the green light for medical frauds to mutilate the bodies of children. Again, this is a wind that has blown. And the adults in the Labour Party have utterly failed to stand against it. Expect similar failures to inform their decision-making on every issue from carbon Zero to immigration. Talking of Lammy, we can seem many other directions in which this country will go. Last week he gave a worryingly statesman-like pronouncement in the House of Commons. Specifically, he gave his partys fulsome support to the actions of the ICC. This is an organisation which no sovereign democracy should ever either acknowledge or participate in. It is currently seeking to prosecute a democratically elected leader for the first time in its history. America and Israel are among the democracies wise enough never to have signed up to this political and partisan sham of a body. A body advised by the campaigning leftist lawyer Helena Kennedy. But this country and the incoming Labour government in particular seem utterly at ease with the idea that the conduct of wars involving allies (and in the future no doubt ourselves) should be adjudged by sectarian campaigners. Good luck with that. Finally, of course, we know that the Labour high command was opposed to the public vote we took part in eight years ago. Will Labour decide to take us back into the EU during their time in office? It seems inconceivable to me that they will not be at least tempted to do so through some door or other. Meaning that a decision that this country seemed to have put to bed will be opened up once again. These, then, are some signs of what our country will soon be. One led by people who believe in the out-sourcing of foreign and domestic policy, and the turning of the UK into a sort of medium-sized NGO. What an indictment it is of the current government that this wholly inadequate B-team should be regarded as so vastly preferential to them. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. On Memorial Day, Brookline residents honored U.S. military personnel by recognizing a new historic monument in their neighborhood. The Brookline War Memorial Cannon was declared a historic monument ahead of the neighborhoods Memorial Day Parade. The declaration featured a playing of taps by a local Boy Scout and a 21-gun salute. City officials said they couldnt think of a better piece of history worth the dedication. Were proud of that. Were proud of our heritage here, and were proud of service members who again paid the ultimate sacrifice and the families as well, City Councilman Anthony Coghill said. In addition to this historic recognition, the neighborhoods parade billed as the largest in southwestern Pennsylvania celebrated its 90th anniversary this year. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Adult entertainment club in Bloomfield ordered to close by health department 911th Airlift Wing to conduct Memorial Day flyovers in Pittsburgh area Tornado with preliminary EF-0 rating touched down in Beaver County Saturday, NWS says VIDEO:USS Requin veterans hold memorial ceremony honoring submarines on Eternal Patrol DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts New Caledonia state of emergency to be lifted, says Paris PARIS/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Seven more mobile force units will soon arrive as reinforcements in New Caledonia, the Elysee said in a statement on Monday, also indicating a state of emergency would end as planned in the French Pacific territory on Tuesday morning local time. The state of emergency would end on Monday evening at 8:00 p.m. in Paris (Tuesday 5:00 a.m. in Noumea). Seven people have been killed, hundreds arrested and large numbers of buildings and cars destroyed in a fortnight of upheaval triggered by a contested electoral reform and fuelled by sharp economic disparities between the indigenous Kanak population and people of European background. Police shot dead a man on Friday evening, a day after French President Emmanuel Macron visited to try to calm tensions. The arrival of an additional 480 gendarmes will bring the number of French security forces in the Pacific territory to some 3,500. Macron's decision not to renew the state of emergency illustrates Paris's desire to start the process of de-escalation and re-establish conditions for dialogue, the statement added. The main pro-independence political coalition, FLNKS (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front) issued a communique on Saturday saying the priority was easing tensions and the only viable solution was a "political and non-repressive solution". Lifting the state of emergency was intended to allow FLNKS to meet, the French statement said. Macron "recalls that the lifting of the roadblocks is the necessary condition for the opening of concrete and serious negotiations", it added. Christian Tein of the Field Action Coordination Cell (CCAT), which organised the roadblocks that are impeding movement and supply of food and medicine across the island, said on Friday it "remain mobilised, we maintain the resistance in our neighbourhoods, in a structured, organised way". No announcement was made on a night curfew imposed by local authorities in New Caledonia. The operator of Noumea international airport has announced it will remain closed until June 2. (Reporting by Jean Terzian in Paris and Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) The animal exited the home through a side window while carrying the package of cookies in its mouth ABC7/YouTube Bear nicknamed Oreo stealing a package of Oreos from a Monrovia, California, home This wild animal has a sweet tooth! A bear with the well-earned nickname Oreo has been spotted around the Monrovia neighborhood in Los Angeles County ransacking homes for desserts, according to ABC 7, KTLA5, and KNBC. On Friday, May 24, the bear broke into a home on Canyon Crest Drive and made off with a bag of Oreo cookies. Residents believe the treat is the furry animal's snack of choice, hence the bear's nickname. In video footage obtained by ABC 7 of the May 24 bear break-in, the Oreo the bear makes its way out of a home through a side window while carrying a package of the iconic cookies in its mouth. The animal pauses outside the house after its exit to paw at the bag of cookies. Per KTLA5, the adult bear was seen leaving a home with another bag of Oreo cookies the next day. "That's why we named him Oreo," resident Vina Khoury told KTLA5. "He's not just roaming around. He's actually going into the houses. So now, it's a very scary thing to leave a window open or your backyard door open or anything." Last year, Khoury left her garage door open, and a bear entered, raided her refrigerator, and left with a chocolate cake. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! In an interview with KNBC, the longtime resident said the bear has gotten "too comfortable opening screens, getting inside the house, and pushing windows." Related: Bear Kept in Tiny Indoor Cage Sees the Outdoors for the First Time in 20 Years During His Rescue "I don't want them to hurt or kill the bear," she said. "I would hate that, but at the same time, maybe relocate him." Due to Monrovia's proximity to the San Gabriel Mountains, animals such as bears, coyotes, deer, mountain lions, and bobcats are often spotted in the area, according to the city's website. The website further explains that the primary goal of most police calls regarding wildlife sightings is to "allow the animal to leave the area and return back to the foothills." Related: Sanctuary's 'Most Traumatized Bear' Is Living a Life 'of Hope and Happiness' a Year After Her Rescue Earlier this month, a mama bear with two cubs broke into a backyard in the same neighborhood and swam in an in-ground pool. Monrovia residents Rick Martinez and Brian Gordon told The Guardian that they have gotten used to the bear visits. "We realized they were passing through," Martinez said. "They stay away from us." 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. "I think one of the neighbors got 400,000 Likes on Instagram. She's swinging on a swing. She was at an open house in somebody's hot tub down the street. So, we see her quite a bit. She's even crashed our pool parties. If we're barbecuing, she'll show up and scare everyone," Martinez added of the mama bear. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. (FOX40.COM) A Cal Fire firefighter who is also a registered sex offender was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly exposed his genitals to a woman in public, according to the Rancho Cordova Police Department. On March 30, RCPD said they responded to a car wash on Sunrise Boulevard for a report of a man who exposed his erect penis to a woman and tried to talk to her. The woman drove away and reported the incident to law enforcement who later identified the suspect as 32-year-old Clifford Robinson. Its not just marijuana: 7,000 plants and $60K bust in Northern California RCPD said Robinson was arrested for a similar offense several years ago. In addition, Robinson was an active firefighter for Cal Fire. On May 23, officers said they arrested Robinson at his residence for alleged indecent exposure of private parts in a public place and was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail. RCPD said Robinson paid his $10,000 bail and was released just hours later. Three arrested, $2k of merch recovered during Rancho Cordova retail theft operation Due to Robinsons position in public trust and frequent and intimate access to the community, detectives are seeking assistance from the public to help identify additional potential victims, RCPD said. Anyone with information related to Robinson is advised by law enforcement to call the sheriffs office at (916) 874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357). 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. Canada pledges more visas for Gazans, says it's 'horrified' by Israeli attack in Rafah FILE PHOTO: Aftermath of an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced people, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip By Ismail Shakil OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada said on Monday it will issue visas to 5,000 Gazans, more than it originally pledged, and said it was "horrified" by an Israeli airstrike in Rafah that triggered a blaze causing 45 deaths. The visas for Canadians' relatives living in the enclave represent a five-fold increase from the 1,000 temporary resident visas allotted under a special program that Canada announced in December. "While movement out of Gaza is not currently possible, the situation may change at any time. With this cap increase, we will be ready to help more people as the situation evolves," Immigration Minister Marc Miller said. A spokesperson for Miller said 448 Gazans had been issued a temporary visa, including 254 under a policy not related to the special visa program, and 41 have arrived in Canada so far. An Israeli airstrike late on Sunday night triggered a fire in a tent camp in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, prompting an outcry from global leaders including from Canada. "We are horrified by strikes that killed Palestinian civilians in Rafah," Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement, adding that Canada does not support an Israeli military operation in Rafah. "This level of human suffering must come to an end. We demand an immediate ceasefire," Joly said, echoing global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court order to halt Israel's assault. Canada has repeatedly supported calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, including at the United Nations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that the strike in Rafah had not been intended to cause civilian casualties and that something had gone "tragically wrong." Israel's military, which is trying to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, said it was investigating. Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive in Gaza, according to the local health ministry, and an estimated 1.7 million people, more than 75% of Gaza's population, have been displaced, according to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. Israel launched its military campaign after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Rod Nickel and Mark Porter) Discover more Ai business tools: Typli is an advanced AI writing tool designed to supercharge your writing process and optimize your content creation efforts. 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Typli Features Blog Article Writing AI Autocomplete AI Content Planner SEO-Optimized Content Creation AI Generated Content Commands Email Writing AI Image Generation 116+ AI Writing Tools Typli Pricing Typli offers three pricing plans: Basic for $7.99/month, Unlimited for $39.99/month, and Plus for $11.99/month. All plans include AI writing tools, image limits, and the ability to cancel at any time. Annual pricing saves up to 43%. Visit typli.ai for more. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter , Facebook and Instagram. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A popular cruise line responded to calls for help and detoured from its normal vacation route on Saturday to help two dozen people stranded at sea off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico. Sailing from its homeport of Long Beach in Southern California, a Carnival Cruise Line ship responded to a call from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Saturday about a small boat full of people that were stranded at sea in the area. The Coast Guard said it received reports of a boat that was reported overdue on Thursday, and launched several assets including a search boat and helicopter in an effort to find it. 2 climbers rescued from Mt. Shasta after surviving avalanche According to the cruise line, Carnival Radiance was sailing toward Ensenada, Mexico Saturday afternoon when the Coast Guard informed the officers on board about the distress call. An Air Force C-130 was able to locate the boat, and the Coast Guard diverted the cruise ship to rescue the group. The Carnival ship was routed to the location provided by the Coast Guard, and was able to rescue all 25 people, including three children, that were stranded on a small boat. Carnival Cruise Line ship rescues 25 people stranded at sea off Pacific Coast (Photo Courtesy Carnival Cruise Line) Woman says shes helped rescue 3,000 border dogs in California Carnival says it then provided food, water and medical assistance to the rescued boaters, while a rendezvous was coordinated with Coast Guard officials. The cruise line noted Carnival Radiances three-day cruise from Long Beach will remain on schedule despite the small detour to rescue the boaters in need. 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. SAN DIEGO (KSWB/KUSI) A Carnival cruise ship responded to calls for help and detoured from its normal vacation route on Saturday to help two dozen people stranded at sea off the coast of Mexico. Sailing from its homeport of Long Beach in Southern California, the cruise ship responded to a call from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Saturday about a small boat full of people who were stranded at sea in the area. 2 climbers rescued from Mt. Shasta after surviving avalanche According to the cruise line, Carnival Radiance was sailing toward Ensenada, Mexico, Saturday afternoon when they got the call from the Coast Guard. Carnival said the ship was then routed to the location provided and they were able to rescue all 25 people, including three children, who were stranded on a small boat. The Coast Guard said it also launched a small boat and helicopter to assist. Carnival Cruise Line ship rescues 25 people stranded at sea off Pacific Coast (Photo Courtesy Carnival Cruise Line) Woman says shes helped rescue 3,000 border dogs in California Carnival said it then provided food, water and medical assistance to the rescued boaters, while a rendezvous was coordinated with Coast Guard officials. The cruise line noted Carnival Radiances three-day cruise from Long Beach will remain on schedule despite the small detour to rescue the boaters in need. 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 Queen City News. Cellphone ban pitched at Millcreek schools. Why teachers want them kept in lockers Millcreek high school students might have some separation anxiety this fall. The Millcreek Township School Board is considering revising district policy to require McDowell and McDowell Intermediate high school students to keep their mobile phones turned off and in their lockers through the school day. The goal is to reduce distractions in the classroom as well as cyberbullying and social media drama playing out at school, building administrators said in outlining the proposed changes last week. School directors are expected to vote on the revised policy on Tuesday. Students need to disconnect from their phones at school, McDowell Intermediate High School Principal Scott Quivey said. "We're here to educate our students," Quivey told school directors. "The main focus in the building needs to be on learning, and right now there is a definite battle between learning and this social interaction through the phone... that we are competing with every single day." 'Just a constant buzzing' McDowell students currently are allowed to keep their mobile phones with them at school and to use them between classes, in the cafeteria and in some study periods. The phones are a major distraction, school administrators said, even when they aren't in use. Phones buzz or chirp with notifications of a new text message or social media post. During an 80-minute period in 15 grade 9-12 classrooms, teachers allowed students to have their cellphones on their desks to tally those alerts, McDowell High School Principal Sandra Means said. During that period, students received 4,273 notifications, or an average of 285 per classroom and 16.5 per student. "It's just a constant buzzing," Means told school directors, and students anxious to read new social media posts or reactions are distracted from learning. Also, students are socially isolated, interacting with their cellphones rather than each other, Means said. Smartphones are a distraction to learning, Millcreek educators said. "They have trouble interacting with each other," she said. "You walk into the cafeteria and many times they're buried into their cellphones, their earbuds are in and they can't even hear you talking." And with students having access to their phones during the day, cyberbullying and social media drama playing out in school cause anxiety and some disciplinary problems, school administrators said. Similar concerns have prompted school officials in some districts nationwide to ban mobile phones in schools or require students to check them at the classroom door. Legislation signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine this month mandates a policy for cellphone use in all Ohio school districts and seeks to minimize cellphone use in schools. But a September report by Common Sense Media found that almost all students participating in its study use their cellphones during school hours, even when they are prohibited. Rules often vary from classroom to classroom and aren't always enforced, students said. Poll: Should students be allowed to keep their cellphones in class? Vote in our poll How the policy would work Revised rules at the high schools, Quivey said, "will look exactly like our middle schools', where phones are off and in the lockers all day." Students and parents will have concerns about students not having access to their phones in an emergency, but students will be able to use landline phones in school offices in cases of family emergencies, Quivey said. Students also will continue to have access to email on their school Chromebooks, he said. During a school-wide emergency, such as a shooting, school administrators and teachers will have access to landline and mobile phones, and students on mobile phones could spread misinformation or overload communications networks, Quivey said. "There are channels of communication in place that students could interfere with," he said. And students without phone distractions would be better able to focus on being safe, Quivey said. Individual exceptions to the mobile phone ban will be made for students who use their phones for health reasons, such as monitoring a medical condition, school officials said. Several school directors questioned why mobile phones should be banned through the entire school day. "I understand that completely," School Director Jason Dean said of banning phones in classrooms. "I don't see the lunch and the tutorial piece of it." Allowing students to use their phones during lunch would perpetuate social media anxieties and pressures during school, Means said. "They go to lunch and the drama starts again," she said. Tutorial periods are set aside for special help in a subject when needed, for studying and for other educational purposes, schools Superintendent John Cavanagh said. Banning mobile phones in school will prompt students to turn to smartwatches and other personal devices, School Director Mike Lindner said. "How far down this rabbit hole are you going to ban?" Lindner asked. Administrators said that they will monitor the situation. "It may be something that we need to address," Quivey said. What do you think?: Should students be allowed to keep their smartphones in class? Vote in our poll Students react Several students interviewed by the Erie Times-News said they understand the need to keep phones turned off in class but not between classes or in the cafeteria. "They should enforce not using phones in class," said Ella Bohrer, a freshman. "We should be able to use our phones at lunch." One student said that he leaves his computer in his locker and uses his phone for some purposes in classes because it's easier to carry. Some classrooms have wall cases where students deposit their phones. Some teachers have caddies where students place their phones when entering class and retrieve them when they leave. Those could be used in every class, students said. "We're in high school. We're supposed to be old enough to be responsible," said Jalilah Clyburn, a freshman. "We should be able to have our phones. They just need to enforce the rules they have. "And in an emergency when I want to use the phone and she wants to use the phone and she wants to use the phone," Clyburn said, pointing to friends, "how's that going to work when we're supposed to use landlines in the office?" 'It's not going to be easy' Students' "knee-jerk" reaction to being disconnected will be negative at first, school officials said. "I think right now it's hard for students to process," Means said. "(Having their cellphone) is so ingrained, they can't imagine going seven hours without it." It could take a few months for students to become accustomed to the new policy, School Director Sallie Newsham said. "It's not going to be easy in the beginning," Newsham said. If the phone ban is implemented, the district should review how it's working after one year, School Director Shirley Winschel said. The review, she said, should include student reactions. The proposed revisions to the electronic devices policy are attached to the May 13 School Board personnel and policy committee agenda on the Millcreek Township School District website at mtsd.org. Adding a bus run could help: Millcreek school buses are often overcrowded, late Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Millcreek school administrators propose McDowell, MIHS cellphone ban WEBB CITY, Mo. For the first time since COVID, a local organization is paying tribute to the more than 1,100 veterans at rest in Mount Hope Cemetery. Charlie 22 Outdoors, a Webb City-based organization helping veterans with PTSD, hosted a Memorial Day ceremony Monday at the cemeterys open-air pavilion. The gathering paid tribute to the 1,100 veterans, representing all branches of the military, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. Charlie 22 Outdoors: A Ministry of Healing for Veterans Webb City Mayor, Lynn Ragsdale, offered opening remarks, while the Webb City High School Junior ROTC program presented the colors. Retired United States Army Colonel, Mark Costello, was Mondays featured guest speaker. You cant describe the importance of this day in a sentence or two. But its about remembering honoring those that died for what were doing, for what were doing today, and were doing the rest of the week and rest of our lives. So, you really cant put into words these days about but its about trying to honor them for the death for us, said Scott Hettinger, Charlie 22 Outdoors Director. Its quite personal because having been injured in Iraq and my son being injured in Afghanistan. We bothwe both understand the difference between being a veteran. Veterans Day and Memorial Day and having lost friends and folks in combat. And my son also losing friends in combat. We just understand that this day has got to be remembered, said Mark Costello, Retired U.S. Army Colonel. The ceremony wrapped up with the playing of Taps. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA The Cherokee Nation youth leadership program is accepting applications for the tribes ambassadors. The top ambassador, Miss Cherokee, promotes the tribes government, history, language and culture in state and national events. The Little Cherokee Ambassadors Competition will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, on Aug. 16 followed by the Miss Cherokee Leadership Competition and Junior Miss Cherokee Competition set for 6 p.m. on Aug. 17. Both events will be held in Tahlequah. Miss Cherokee will receive a $6,000 scholarship, the first runner-up will receive a $3,000 scholarship, and the second runner-up a $2,000 scholarship. In previous years, Miss Cherokee has visited the White House and historic sites in Washington D.C., including the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian. She has also visited the Oklahoma Capitol and Cherokee Nation community meetings across the country. Click here to download an application. Applications are also available at the Cherokee First desk at the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah. We look forward to these competitions every year, they are part of Cherokee Nations rich history and also allow contestants an opportunity to share their knowledge and personalities with the judges. Lisa Trice-Turtle, Education Services Youth Leadership manager As ambassadors of the Cherokee Nation, these young Cherokees will spend the year sharing their knowledge of culture and heritage, Turtle said. Qualifications All candidates must be Cherokee Nation citizens and live in the 14-county Cherokee Nation Reservation. Miss Cherokee contestants: A high school graduate. Age 18 to 22 by Aug. 17. Cannot have previously served as Miss Cherokee. Application deadline is July 11. Junior Miss Cherokee contestant: Must be a middle or high school student. Age 13 to 8. Application deadline is July 11. Little Cherokee Ambassadors: Must be between the ages of 4 and 12 years old on Aug. 16. Application deadline is Aug. 1. For more information on the Miss Cherokee and Jr. Miss Cherokee Leadership Competition and or the Little Cherokee Ambassadors Competition, call Lisa Trice-Turtle at (918) 207-4991. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. A 9-year-old boy was injured in a Memorial Day shooting in a shopping center parking lot in Lauderhill, according to the Broward County citys police department. The incident took place around 10:45 a.m. at 1531 N. State Road 7. The child received a wound to his right ankle during an altercation which resulted in someone discharging their firearm, the agency said in a press release. The altercation did not involve the child or his family. Lt. Antonio Gonzalez, a Lauderhill Police Department spokesperson, said that the child had been treated for his wound as of Monday afternoon and was expected to be released from the hospital later in the day. The Lauderhill Police Department said in the press release that a white Chevrolet SUV, a white Toyota and a black Chevrolet SUV were involved. The driver of the black Chevrolet returned to the scene and spoke with investigators. A witness told Local 10 that people at the mall had been getting groceries and items to commemorate Memorial Day, a federal holiday that honors fallen U.S. soldiers and military personnel. His mom was panicking. His two sisters they [were] freaked out, like past freaked out. I was doing my best to keep them calm, the witness said. The investigation remains active and open. The Lauderhill Police Department encourages the public to call its investigators at 954-497-4700 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 with tips. This breaking news story will be updated. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (C) speaks during a joint news conference meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (L) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang after their talk during their trilateral summit at the guest house of the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, in Seoul. -/YNA POOL/dpa East Asian powerhouses China, Japan and South Korea on Monday agreed to deepen economic relations and revitalize negotiations on a free trade agreement. In a joint declaration after a summit in Seoul, the powers emphasized their commitment to the goal of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula and political solutions for issues between South Korea and North Korea. The statement also included calls for cooperation on sustainable development, health care, science and technology, and disaster management. The countries were represented in the South Korean capital by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Yoon said at a press conference that the three countries "have decided to hold regular trilateral meetings." The powers agreed the format has "valuable significance for the revitalization of trilateral cooperation." The meeting was the countries' ninth trilateral summit, but the first since December 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic coupled with tensions between South Korea and Japan. Relations have since improved between the two nations, both allies of the United States. Both are closely linked to China through trade ties while also sharing Washington's concerns about Beijing's expanding reach. China is the largest trading partner for both South Korea and Japan. The focus is now on how the talks can be accelerated to reach a comprehensive and mutually beneficial agreement, they said. The summit in Seoul was initially overshadowed by North Korea's announcement that it intended to launch a satellite into space in the next few days. According to reports from the Japanese news agency Kyodo, North Korea had informed Japan that the launch of the carrier rocket was to take place in the next few days. South Korea's military had recently spoken of signs that North Korea was making preparations for the launch of a second spy satellite. The US and its allies South Korea, Japan and Australia imposed new sanctions on North Korea because of the satellite launch. They accused Pyongyang of using technologies related to its intercontinental ballistic missile programme. Yoon and Kishida urged North Korea at the tripartite summit to refrain from the launch as it would be a violation of UN prohibition resolutions. "I think the international community must respond resolutely," warned Yoon. China's premier called for restraint. China remains determined to maintain peace on the peninsula, he said. "We hope that the parties concerned will exercise restraint and prevent any further complication of the situation," Li said. Beijing continues to have good relations with Pyongyang. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (C) speaks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a meeting on the sidelines of their trilateral summit at the guest house of the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, in Seoul. -/YNA POOL/dpa South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang attend a meeting on the sidelines of their trilateral summit at the guest house of the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, in Seoul. -/YNA POOL/dpa (Bloomberg) -- China hit back at the Group of Seven nations over their criticism of Beijings global trade practices, accusing members of exaggerating the threat of overcapacity posed by the worlds second-largest economy. Most Read from Bloomberg The club of rich-world finance ministers and central bankers accused China in a communique on Saturday of hurting the economies of its trade partners through its comprehensive use of non-market policies and practices, adding that members would continue to monitor the negative impacts of overcapacity. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning dismissed such claims during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday. The G-7 hypes up the so-called overcapacity of China and attempts to set obstacles and limitations to Chinas progress, she said. Its essentially protectionism, she said. Its not in the interest of any party. The spat is the latest display of mounting tensions between China and the worlds industrialized nations. The Biden administration announced Friday its reimposing tariffs on hundreds of goods imported from China and has moved to quadruple US duties on Chinese electric vehicles. The EU launched a probe of Chinas EV industry last year and is nearing a decision on raising levies. China, meanwhile, has signaled its ready to unleash tariffs as high as 25% on imported cars with large engines. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Angel Colonneso, clerk of the Circuit Court and comptroller for Manatee County, photographed at the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington. Angel Colonneso, clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for Manatee County, was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar on May 9 in Washington, D.C. Colonneso and 28 fellow New England Law Boston alumni were sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court Bar by taking an oath administered by the clerk of the court in a swearing-in ceremony presided over by the Supreme Court. Before entering the chambers, the group met with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. in a special event coordinated by the school. Preceding the oath, Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Elena Kagan read a summary opinion in two cases, Culley v. Marshall and Warner Chappell Music, Inc. v. Nealy. To be part of a formal procession into the highest court in our nation and witness the marshal call the court to order as the justices took their seats was a very moving experience for me, recalled Colonneso. As a U.S. Supreme Court Bar member, Colonneso can argue a case before the Supreme Court, access special seating to hear oral arguments and access the Supreme Court library. U.S. Awning hires designer United States Awning, of Sarasota, has hired Joey Tippen as a full-time designer. Tippen, who previously worked for the company when he was still in high school, will support the design and production teams by designing awnings and other shade structures using Solidworks, a computer-aided design system. Weve known Joey and his family since he was born, said Mark Schwalm, president of United States Awning. Now that hes had a chance to explore a few different career paths, we are thrilled he decided to return to United States Awning as a full-time designer. Tippen graduated from Suncoast Polytechnical High School, in Sarasota, in 2020. He studied business management at Tallahassee Community College before returning to his hometown of Sarasota and working for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee County clerk can now argue before the U.S. Supreme Court As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting becomes a top priority for businesses, the pressure to avoid misleading information, known as greenwashing, is intensifying. Here is the detailed early ASIC guidance on the mandatory climate disclosure regime Australian regulators like ASIC are sharpening their focus on sustainability claims, making it crucial for companies to ensure their ESG reporting is credible and transparent.This is where digital ESG tools come in they can be the key to unlocking accurate, efficient reporting and safeguarding businesses from hefty greenwashing fines. Some of Australias largest organisations, including Deloitte Australia and PwC Australia, would support mandatory digital ESG reporting as incoming sustainability regulations act as a catalyst for much-needed innovation. Speaking at corporate reporting cloud platform provider, Workivas, Accelerate event in Sydney, attended by the likes of Challenger, Yancoal, UNSW, and others, some of Australias largest organisations talked about the challenges they face when meeting Australias frequently evolving ESG regulatory requirements. The general consensus at the event centered around the merits of nationwide digital reporting, which would provide companies with a standardised reporting framework and ASIC with standardised reports and information, free of common errors, that is more easily and quickly assessed. Also discussed was how ESG reporting might complement finance reporting and capitalise on the synergies between science-based data and financial data. By integrating both, companies have the opportunity to alleviate workload, share department skillsets, and better represent value. As part of Workivas 2024 research that polled 140 ESG practitioners in Australia, 90 per cent said they find it challenging to adapt reporting processes to comply with new regulations. 87 per cent of companies are prioritising ESG reporting more than in previous years, and 78 per cent are concerned with their companys ability to collect and share information with other organisations in their value/supply chain. In the wake of the most recent new guidance from ASIC, its looking more likely that Australia will adopt standards and processes very similar to those in Europe. Those Australian companies already meeting Europes CSRD requirements will have an advantage, said Andromeda Wood, VP of Regulatory Strategy, Workiva. The proposed climate-related financial disclosure legislation in Australia now brings the focus of the law and ASIC to some of that reporting. The draft Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards are aiming to support this effort and have been based on the new standards drafted by the ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board), she added. Mandatory digital reporting Speaking at the Workiva event, Christopher Brown, Partner, Accounting & Reporting, at Deloitte Australia said: Amidst the global shift towards sustainability-focused financial disclosures, it is imperative that finance teams bring to bear their corporate reporting experience; to support sustainability teams in understanding the requirements, establishing appropriate governance and control, and digitally enabling ESG reporting. Its time for Australia to accelerate its transition to digital reporting. This will help us keep pace with our trading partners, such as the US, UK, Europe, and Japan. They have mandated digital corporate reporting and have already seen the benefits we can see those same benefits too. Through its research with ESG practitioners in Australia, Workiva found that 87 per cent of companies are planning to allocate more budget to technology for ESG initiatives in the next three years, and85 per cent believe that access to technology and data will play an important role in making decisions to advance their companys ESG/sustainability strategy for the future. In preparation for the new ESG regime, 90 per cent of the ESG practitioners surveyed said their organisations are planning to undertake digital transformation projects to improve collaboration, and 86% of respondents agree that gen AI will make ESG/sustainability reporting more efficient in the next five years. Joanne Gorton, Managing Partner, Audit and Assurance, Deloitte Australia, added: Its time for Australia to accelerate our transition to digital reporting. This will help us keep pace with our trading partners, such as the US, UK, Europe, and Japan. They have mandated digital corporate reporting and have already seen the benefits we can see those same benefits too. Unintentional greenwashing With ASIC sharpening its teeth when it comes to greenwashing which was recently called out as a specific area of focus by the regulator PwC Australias Carolyn Cosgrove, reminded the audience that, among others, Australian Institute of Company Directors has continually warned that the liability for non-compliance of ESG obligations, or the practice of intentional or unintentional greenwashing, now falls firmly on the heads of company directors. Organisations that are not implementing digital ESG reporting may leave their directors walking a tightrope of risk, and those directors could be made an example of, if ASIC discovers that they are intentionally, or unintentionally, overstating their sustainability actions or impacts. Digital reporting may reduce unintentional greenwashing by providing a standardised and error-free framework where multiple measurement methodologies can be compared, and the correct measurement can be selected for the relevant and correct protocol. Talking about the challenges that Australian business leaders see in their role, Carolyn Cosgrove, Partner, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance, PwC Australia, said: Organisations are facing increasingly challenging sustainability reporting requirements, which are getting sharper focus from stakeholders and come with expanded liability for company directors. Leveraging existing skillsets from finance functions, establishing accountability across the organisation and enabling technology solutions will be integral in delivering credible, accurate, and timely reporting. Each company has its own trajectory to realising the future of the finance function, depending on its specific starting point and goals. But it is clear that more must be done to establish enabling relationships, ways of working, and competencies using technologies to meet regulatory challenges head on. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Tunis Cole was obviously proud of his service in the war and his role in the fight for American freedom. And the Revolutionary War veteran hoped that he could have some measure of financial security in his old age. So Cole wrote to the U.S. government to ask for a pension made possible by a series of laws passed in the 1800s. "...That having been encouraged to do so, (Cole) prays Government to look favorably upon his claims and grant him something to relieve his wants and give him comfort in this Autumn of his Earthly existence, that he may close his eyes in gratitude upon a nation upon whose altar of Freedom he has devoted many of the best years of his youth" Cole's 1848 pension application was written, like thousands of other veterans' applications, by hand sometimes by the vets themselves, sometimes by their widows, sometimes by friends who helped the elderly farmers and tradesmen who'd taken up arms for their new country. Because the records of the day weren't always reliable or consistent, many veterans had to include details to prove their service: their units, their deployments and leaves, their comrades in arms and commanding officers, the places they fought, and even the horrors they witnessed. Now, almost 250 years later, Americans are hearing a new call to arms. Citizen archivists are needed to transcribe original pension applications from the nation's first veterans into a massive database and help reveal their extraordinary and untold stories. Jason Wickersty shows Jay Hinesley a digitized version of the pension narrative written by Samuel Waples of Virginia, a Revolutionary War veteran. The National Park Service and National Archives are working with volunteers to transcribe the pensioners' writing. Who are citizen archivists? How this history fan gets to read JFK's telegrams, Titanic insurance claims, UFO docs 'America's first veterans' and the country's 250th birthday The collaborative effort by the National Park Service and the National Archives targets the roughly 2 million pages of handwritten pension applications from the Revolutionary War that are already scanned and digitized. Organizers want a database that can be searched by battles, names, dates and more. The pensioners' applications can be as short as a couple of pages or as long as 100 pages, Suzanne Isaacs and Nancy Sullivan, community managers with the National Archives, told USA TODAY. There are about 83,000 of them, Isaacs said, and the park service and Archives are really only at the start of what will likely be a multiyear project. .So far, according to Jason Wickersty of the park service, 52,360 pages have been transcribed, and 1,602 pensions completed. The goal? To have as many records transcribed by citizen volunteers as possible ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 so that park service guides can incorporate some of the stories into their tours of historic sites and so that historians and genealogists can have a searchable database of information. Samuel Waples of Virginia wrote in his pension application about being held as a prisoner of war in the Pennsylvania State House, or the building we now know as Independence Hall in Philadelphia. "It's a huge project," Isaacs said. "But these are America's first veterans," men who can offer a glimpse into everyday conditions. Their widows' accounts also provide a look at life on the homefront, Sullivan said. Some vets couldn't write, so they dictated their stories to others, signing the applications with an "X" or other mark. Black soldiers and Native Americans also served, and their accounts will help the Park Service tell a far more complete story, Wisckersty said. Isaacs and Sullivan, archivists but not historians, said they've learned a lot, even in the project's nascent stage. 'A particularly revealing snapshot' of soldiers' lives Wickersty is the park service's liaison to the pension project and one of the people who came up with the idea to enlist volunteers to transcribe accounts. A New Jersey resident who originally had an interest in the Civil War, he realized he was surrounded by Revolutionary War history. He turned his attention to that war and, working with fellow park service coordinators Joanne Blacoe and Cris Constantine, as well as Isaacs and Sullivan, started transcribing. After the War of 1812, a crisis was brewing among America's first veterans, and many of them were sliding into poverty as they aged, he said. President James Monroe, a veteran himself, was behind the first service-based pension in 1818. Four major pension acts would be passed from 1818 to 1836 to expand eligibility to more veterans and their survivors. After an initial lump sum, enlisted soldiers received $96 annually and officers, $240. Pensions were meant for veterans in need, and in 1820 pension rolls were voided to keep out wealthy vets. Within months, most veterans reapplied but had to provide proof of their financial situations, so the second round of applications included not just the vets' experiences during the war, but also lists of assets (down to individual pieces of furniture and housewares in some cases), family members and dependents, information about their health and more. Jason Wickersty looks at a Revolutionary War-era map on the second floor of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. He's among National Park Service and National Archives employees working with volunteers to transcribe war veterans' pension requests. "This is a particularly revealing snapshot of America's first veterans as they aged into their 60s, how hard the service was on their bodies, and how little they improved in their station," Wickersty said. "Most veterans were racked by rheumatism, and several owned nothing but the clothes they wore and a single smoking pipe." An 1832 law opened eligibility to militia members, not just those who had served in the Continental Army. However, since militias didn't usually issue discharge papers, veterans had to give oral testimony and provide witnesses, adding even more detail to their accounts. Pensioners were paid on a pro-rated basis depending on their rank and time of service, anywhere from $20 for a private who had served six months to the highest-paid pensioner, New Jersey's William Gamble, a major who was awarded $600 per year. The 1832 cohort of pensioners, Wickersty said, allows "the story of the American Revolution to reach beyond the places where it was fought, and shows just how mobile the Revolutionary generation was as the United States expanded westward." 'Paperwork done in their own words' Isaacs said veterans without discharge papers whether they were lost or never existed provide the most detail. "It's a lot, and it's paperwork done in their own words. They'll drop names, talk about seeing General Washington or Lafayette, talk about what they saw." Isaac Quigley was in Burlington County, New Jersey, in 1778 when he served. But by the time he applied for a pension in the 1840s, he lived in Michigan. Some veterans moved as far west as Missouri and Mississippi. Later amendments to the law expanded widows' eligibility, too, so applications continued: One widow, Sarah Shephard, was still due money when she died in 1863. Four years later her son Ezekiel, an officer in the Union regiment in West Virginia, hired a lawyer to claim the money, and his lawyer had to show that neither Ezekiel nor his mother had supported the Confederacy. Sarah Martin, living on the front lines in Middlesex County, New Jersey, while her husband served, wrote about British soldiers bursting into her home, threatening to shoot her and her young son if she didn't feed them. She wrote about having her house plundered by British troops multiple times during the war. "This was life for her, living in terror for the knock on the door," Wickersty said. "Is it going to be her husband coming home, or someone threatening to burn her house down and kill her children?" A second floor room at Independence Hall in Philadelphia was used by the Pennsylvania Assembly as a meeting room and library. But it was later used by the Militia of the City of Philadelphia to store small arms like the ones shown here. Some widows, Sullivan said, weren't sure of their exact wedding dates or didn't have access to their church's records, because they'd moved away or their clergyman died, among other reasons. So they'd tear out pages from their family Bibles, often the only written record many families kept of their lineage, and include it with their application. Wickersty transcribed one veteran's record that highlighted a little-known bit of history from one of the United States' most famous historical sites: Samuel Waples was captured during the Battle of Germantown and held prisoner in a long room on the second floor of Independence Hall then the Pennsylvania Statehouse, site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence during the 1777 British occupation of Philadelphia. (He didn't remain there long, escaping soon after his capture.) Those are just some of the stories they're uncovering, and they hope more volunteer transcribers and citizen archivists discover more of these types of narratives, the ones not always heard from generals or historians. "Its a really cool thing to have people be part of," Wickersty said. "How often can you say you worked on something thats part of National Archives?" Contact Phaedra Trethan by email at ptrethan@usatoday.com, on X (formerly Twitter) @wordsbyphaedra, or on Threads @by_phaedra This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Revolutionary War veterans' stories revealed in new pension project LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The City of Las Vegas hosted a meeting at the East Las Vegas Community Center to talk about roadwork plans for the east valley. The project will focus on Stewart Ave from Sixth Street to Nellis Boulevard. Melissa Ocaranza works and lives on the east side and said the area is in desperate need of wider sidewalks and better lighting. We see a lot of people walking from Stewart Avenue to our store and they always talk about how dark it is. Lighting would be a good thing for us, she said. Ocaranza hopes that with these improvements she will see fewer car crashes and less congestion. We see a handful of accidents here. Whether these drivers are speeding or running red lights. Since Ive been here, Ive probably seen two pedestrian fatal accidents, Ocaranza added. The City of Las Vegas obtained $24 million in federal grants for construction and renovations. Project goals include flood channel improvements, additional shade, and upgrading the landscaping in addition to making the roads more user-friendly for walkers, bicyclists, and transit riders. The meeting, which is open to the public, is Wednesday, May 29th at 5:30 p.m. 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 KLAS. Signage alerts passers-by of rules at the mouth of the Black River Canal on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. The city of Port Huron is hosting a roundtable talk on Wednesday for local boaters looking to learn more about maritime issues, particularly ongoing issues addressing the closed Black River Canal. City Manager James Freed announced the event last week, setting it for 7 p.m. at Caseys on the Plaza, the bar in McMorran Place. Although the canal and long-term replacement of its Tainter gate was expected to be a main topic of discussion, Freed said other things like sonar dredging for the canal or the citys recent taking back of operations of the James C. Acheson Marina, formerly named for River Street, from Acheson Ventures Desmond Marine were examples of other topics they could touch on. Theres a lot of interest in the Black River Canal from the boating community, Freed said on Wednesday. A lot of misinformations been (posted) on social media. We want to help provide an opportunity for people to ask questions and understand the process, and then, understand where were at in the process. The city manager provided a similar update at Thursdays City Council meeting, emphasizing the roundtable is a public event but specifically an invitation to boaters. The citys harbormaster and city engineers are expected to attend. This is for people who boat the Black River, boat the canal. This is for the boating community, Freed told the Times Herald. This is not a general town hall about citywide issues. Its for the boaters. Floodwaters first heavily damaged the Black River Canals Tainter gate in late January after an unseasonably early ice jam driving down the river spurred a rare reversal in water flow in the canal back toward Lake Huron, ultimately sending a surge of debris that tore the gate from its substructure. Soon after, city officials said the gate would likely close the water, connecting boaters from the Black River to the lake without having to go up the St. Clair River instead, for this years season. Debris is shown piled up around the Tainter gate structure of the Black River Canal. After the gate was opened to help relieve floodwater pressure on Jan. 27, Port Huron officials said the reverse flow managed to pick up some wooded material heavy enough to pull the gate down. As of earlier this month, no timeline had been formally set to begin implementing solutions to replace the damaged gate while the city worked through the permitting process with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. In a news release last Tuesday, the city updated boaters on its state permit status, confirming and clarifying online chatter over why an application hadnt been submitted. EGLE reportedly requires a joint permit application, or JPA, for long-term Tainter gate repairs and armoring the canals eroding shoreline, as well as the installation of a cofferdam in the interim. The city cited the projects unique circumstances in leading officials to seek out more specific details on what documentation was required for its application. Confirming the requirements resulted in several meetings with different representatives from EGLE, which transpired over several weeks, the city said in its May 21 release. The alternative would have been to submit the JPA without consulting with EGLE and risk the permit being put on hold due to administrative incompleteness, which would have required permit revisions (additional consultant fees and time), additional permit review time, and likely would have led to the same conversations that have been transpiring over the last several weeks. At this point the city of Port Huron is waiting for information from (the) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will be used to analyze the hydraulics of the Black River Canal with both the short-term and long-term plans in place to confirm that there will be no adverse effects of upstream properties during storm events. A permit application cannot be submitted until this information has been received and analyzed. For more information on city facilities, visit www.porthuron.org. Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: City hosting boaters' roundtable to talk Black River Canal, more 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. How the climate establishment went to war over net zero jargon To be an expert on the decades-long shift to green energy is to speak in a language alien to the rest of us. Concepts such as Scope 3 emissions, carbon sinks and offsetting trip off the tongues of the evangelists behind the shift away from fossil fuels much to the confusion of the public at a time when the green lobby is desperate for their support. It is perhaps no surprise then that some insiders are demanding an end to the terminology of net zero. But the discussion over whether to dumb down the language of climate change has prompted one of the biggest rifts since the movement began. David Wright, the chief engineer of National Grid, denounced the phrase net zero for having little public recognition, suggesting it was green jargon that blocked understanding by businesses and the public. The criticisms echoing those of Chris Stark, who just stepped down as chief executive of the Climate Change Committee prompted an immediate angry reaction. One leading Oxford University academic who helped pioneer the phrase suggested that abandoning it would confuse people even more. Mr Wright claims the words 'net zero' do not resonate with the public - Heathcliff O'Malley Mr Wright said it was crucial for the UK to cut its carbon emissions, but this would only be politically achievable if people understood why it was necessary. I think the words net zero do not resonate with the public I think a lot of people dont really understand what it means, he told the New Statesman Energy and Climate Change conference earlier this month. I think we need to be really clear about the opportunities for the country associated with the energy transition, and we should use plain English to really get that over to tell people what its going to mean. Wright is one of the UK engineering communitys leading experts on climate change, setting National Grids engineering strategy and also advising the Government on the move to cleaner energy. However, he said he was feeling growing impatience with the language used by climate change experts because it had become jargonistic and confusing. Net zero implies a trade off with choices, he said. We need to use plain English and we need to stop using this sort of jargon and admit this is a real issue. Abandoning the phrase could prove awkward for the Government, which last year expensively rebranded its energy and business department as the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Desnz). It follows similar criticism by Mr Stark, who recently stepped down as chief executive of the Governments Climate Change Committee itself overseen by Desnz. Mr Stark says the 'net zero' phrase is now occassionally 'unhelpful' - GARY DOAK / Alamy Stock Photo His objection to the phrase was different suggesting it had become politicised and was being exploited by populist culture warriors. He said in a recent interview that he would be intensely relaxed about dropping the term, adding: Net zero has definitely become a slogan that I feel occasionally is now unhelpful, because its so associated with the campaigns against it. The concept of net zero arose from the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in a report published just over a decade ago. It said humanity could not stop all greenhouse gas emissions so it would have to find ways of removing CO2 from the atmosphere as fast as it was emitted. That idea was embodied in the 2015 Paris climate agreement which set a goal of achieving a balance between anthropogenic emissions and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century. That language got shortened to net zero a simpler phrase which appealed to experts but still often baffles the public. And it also allowed many companies and countries to avoid making real cuts by instead using creative carbon accounting. The power of key phrases to promote brands or to articulate complex political and social issues is well known and often exploited by communications experts and marketing companies. Phrases such as white van man, or lycra louts coined in the 1990s, highlighted dangerous driving by delivery drivers and cyclists, and helped prompt safety crackdowns, while Nikes Just Do It slogan took the brand to new heights. In UK politics the Conservatives 1979 election slogan Labour isnt Working campaign was highly effective perhaps trumped only by the pro-Brexit slogan Take Back Control. Few would argue that net zero can reach such heights. But communications experts warn that changing it could cause even more confusion. Net zero is not a perfect phrase, said Simon Lewis, former director of corporate affairs at Vodafone, Centrica and NatWest, and ex-communications secretary to the late Queen, who now runs Lewis Advisors, a PR consultancy. But it is a term that is now broadly understood by the public to mean an overall and enduring reduction in carbon emissions. In communications terms, I think trying to introduce any new terminology now may confuse and dilute the message, which would ultimately be unhelpful. A Desnz spokesman said it had commissioned research to see how well people understood the phrase. Achieving net zero is very much part of the public conversation, with research showing almost 90pc of people are aware of it. Those whose research actually prompted the phrase are mounting a powerful defence against ditching it arguing that changing it would lead to even more confusion. Myles Allen, professor of geosystem science at Oxford University, co-authored the IPCC research that led to the idea of net zero and strongly defends the phrase against attacks from what he calls the climate establishment. In a lecture last week he said: The solution is absolutely not, as Chris Stark recently suggested, just to stop talking about net zero altogether and focus on reducing emissions. Net zero means what it says. It means were actively taking carbon out of the atmosphere and getting rid of it permanently at exactly the same rate that we are still releasing it by burning fossil fuels. It would be a great idea to tighten up the definition of net zero so as to exclude the more creative offsetting schemes and carbon accounting wheezes. If were going to meet our climate goals, we have to stop fossil fuels from causing global warming before the world stops using fossil fuels. And the only way of doing that is net zero. The jargon may be alienating, but the climate lobby is not willing to let go of it just yet. 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. Coe College will launch a flight school and aviation management program in partnership with the Eastern Iowa Airport. (Photo courtesy of Coe College) As demand for pilots grows, Coe College is partnering with the Eastern Iowa Airport and aviation services company Revv Aviation to create a flight school and aviation management program. Pending approval from the Higher Learning Commission, the four-year program will earn students their Federal Aviation Administration pilot certification alongside a business administration degree with a concentration in aviation management, according to a news release. Students can also pursue the aviation management concentration without joining flight school. A donation of $200,000 to Coe College helped get the initiative going, according to the release, and the college will also seek federal funding for the program in partnership with the airport. The college plans to begin welcoming students to the program in fall 2025, but, if a sizable cohort shows interest in immediate enrollment, the program could start this fall instead. Coe College spokesperson Natalie Milke said in an email the first cohort can take as many as 24 students, with possible expansion in future years. Cedar Rapids is an aviation rich town, said Coe College President David Hayes in the release. With the presence of national and international companies in the area, there is a concentration of pilots and aviation professionals, so Coe will build a program with highly skilled experts to teach courses and mentor students. Revv Aviation will run the flight school, the news release stated, having produced more than 3,000 flight school graduates in other programs. Coe College will also seek Part 141 certification with the FAA, which includes a training program for professional pilots that could help students get their certification more quickly and find a job in the industry while still logging flight hours, according to the release. Coe College faculty and Revv Aviation will lead the program together, according to the release. Students will take courses on campus and at the colleges aeronautical field station at the Eastern Iowa Airport, where they will have exclusive use of a hangar and office area and chances to work with pilots and other aviation experts. The airport is in the final phase of its modernization project, and is currently adding 32,000 square-feet and four more jet bridges, giving students a better and more cutting-edge experience, according to the release. Eastern Iowa Airport Director Marty Lenss said in the release that Coe College is a forward-thinking educational leader, and he is proud to be helping the school in attracting and retaining talent. According to the release, there is an expected gap of 17,000 pilots as current pilots begin to reach their age-mandated retirement. We are thrilled to be partners on this new program, Lenss said in the release. This announcement is another step toward creating the aviation education campus at CID. In addition, it will open doors to new economic development opportunities. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Coe College partners with Eastern Iowa Airport, Revv Aviation to open flight school appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. A Santa Monica paint-your-own-pottery studio issued an apology on social media after the incident went viral Javi Sanz/Getty A stock image of a woman looking at ceramic products A national paint-your-own pottery studio is apologizing after employees at a Santa Monica, California, location were caught dumping pottery glaze into a storm drain in a viral Instagram video. In the video, two people, identified as unnamed employees of the Color Me Mine ceramics studio, are seen dumping pottery glaze into a drain clearly marked No dumping, this drain leads to [the] ocean. One of the people in the video can be heard saying Who cares? Itll rain as they dispose of the liquid. The Color Me Mine location in Santa Monica did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment but did post an apology on the store's Instagram account, saying that they "take accountability for our employees' actions." 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. "These actions were not enforced, condoned, nor recommended by management nor ownership. [and] we are ashamed that such a huge mistake was caused by one of our own. Color Me Mine which has over 130 locations also posted a statement on the brand's main Instagram, confirming that "all Color Me Mine studios are required to conduct business in a manner that respects and preserves the environment." "This video shows an isolated incident at one of our locally-owned franchise locations and it goes against our standard operating procedures for disposal of our non-toxic, water-based glaze." Color Me Mine shared in their statement that the employees in the video have been reprimanded and the staff has gone under training on how to properly dispose of glaze in the future. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty A photo inside of a Color Me Mine ceramic pottery store in Florida In an interview with the Santa Monica Daily Press, store manager Adelaide Gault said that the employees have been physically threatened online in the wake of the video's release, and that others promised to leave bad reviews of the pottery studio. Gault also said that the liquid being disposed of in the clip was mostly water used to clean a paint receptacle. "We do have a sink with a trap, but the sink trap has to be cleared out because all the paint builds up, its clay, you know. And same with the glaze, it has clay in it," Gault said. "So, it builds up and hardens in our pipes and water builds up and will come up in the sinks. So she was simply trying to avoid that. And that is nothing that we would never condone for someone just to dump something outside. Thats ridiculous, of course. But does it warrant this kind of abuse? I don't think it does." Mayor Phil Brock of Santa Monica told CBS Los Angeles that he was shocked by the video and immediately forwarded it to our city administration for action. In the city of Santa Monica's code of ordinances, it is illegal for anyone to dispose of any liquid or solid waste in a storm drain within the city and violators can be fined for their actions. The store has also confirmed that they are working with the city to pay for fines and the clean up process as well. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. DENVER (KDVR) On Monday, the Colorado Air National Guard F-16C Vipers flew over nine Colorado communities in honor of Memorial Day, according to a press release from the Department of Defense. The flyovers were a tribute to military lives lost while serving the country, according to the release. The F-16C Vipers in formation symbolize strength, vigilance and respect, the National Guard said in its release. Memorial Day flyovers are more than just a display of aerial precision, they are a solemn salute to our fallen heroes, 140th Wing Commander U.S. Air Force Col. Jeremiah Weed Tucker said in a release. Each pass through the sky honors their bravery and reminds us of the high price paid for our freedom. Coloradans may have seen these jets on Saturday when the 140th Wing flew over the Colorado Freedom Memorial in Aurora on May 25 and the service at Silverton Town Park in Silverton, also on May 25. Memorial Day tribute honors fallen Colorado war heroes This is what they look like in action: F-16C Vipers flying over Boulder on Monday, March 27 (KDVR) F-16C Vipers flying over Boulder on Monday, March 27 (KDVR) F-16C Vipers flying over Boulder on Monday, March 27 (KDVR) Nine more flyovers will take place on Monday. F-16C Vipers flyovers on Monday Heres where eagle-eyed viewers might see the jets on May 27: Linn Grove Cemetery, Greeley 10:30 a.m. Parker Cemetery, Parker 10:35 a.m. Veterans Memorial Park, Silver Cliff 10:50 a.m. Homelake Cemetery, Monte Vista 11:00 a.m. Western Colorado Veterans Cemetery, Grand Junction 11:15 a.m. Grand Lake Memorial Day Parade, Grand Lake 11:35 a.m. Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver 11:40 a.m. Olinger Highland Cemetery, Thornton 11:50 a.m. University of Colorado Boulder, Folsom Stadium, Boulder 12:07 p.m. Interested viewers might also see the aircraft between these locations as they travel to each Memorial Day celebration. 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. COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) Columbus is a city that boasts many historic accomplishments, but one shaped how the nation honors those who gave their lives for freedom. According the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration (NCA), Prior to its founding on May 5, 1868, by Major General John A. Logan, communities across the nation honored fallen soldiers by decorating graves with flowers on decoration days. However, since no official day of remembrance or decoration had been established, the Columbus cemetery was in disarray. In an effort to improve the city cemetery, a Ladies Memorial Association (LMA) was formed. These LMAs were created in an effort to honor Confederate soldiers and organize memorial days. With the formation of the LMA in Columbus, a media campaign to raise awareness was made. LMA Secretary Mary Ann Williams wrote a letter to the Columbus Daily Enquirer, in which she advocated to set apart a certain day to be observedand be handed down through time as a religious custom of the country, to wreathe the graves of our martyred dead with flowers. After this letter was published, the LMA of Columbus established their official Decoration Day as April 26, 1866. However, there was competition brewing for who was going to hold the first official celebration a couple states away. 74 years later, Opelika man still waiting for fathers remains to be returned from North Korea According to the NCA, the Mississippi city of Columbus held its event one day earlier than the Georgia association planned; thus it claims to be the first actual memorial day event. The Mississippi event was later memorialized by the poet Francis Miles Finch in a piece called, The Blue and the Gray. The April 25 and 26 Memorial Day events were some of the first official events in the country, and efforts such as these reached the ears of Maj. Gen. Logan. The NCA says Maj. Gen. Logan added several paragraphs to his original draft of what was to become General Orders 11. Two years after the celebrations in Georgia and Mississippi, General Orders No. 11 or the Memorial Day Act were put in place. These orders formally established Memorial Day as a Decoration Day on which the nation would remember those who died in service of their country and decorate their graves with flowers. 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 WRBL. I owe less than 1 US cent in taxes, will I be banned from leaving Vietnam? May 26, 2024 | 03:01 pm PT An employee counts Vietnamese banknotes at a bank in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy I checked my account and found that I owe VND12 (0.05 US cent) in taxes. Will I be banned from leaving Vietnam? Worried after reading news that a CEO was banned from leaving Vietnam for owing less than VND1 million (US$39) in taxes, I decided to check my tax account through the General Department of Taxations mobile app and discovered that I owe VND12 in taxes. Currently, the law broadly states that individuals who have not fulfilled their tax obligations may be prohibited from leaving the country. Therefore, my VND12 tax liability could potentially lead to complications. I think the authorities should clearly specify a threshold amount for tax debt that would result in a travel ban. This would help prevent situations where individuals, like myself, who unintentionally owe a small amount in taxes, are barred from leaving the country. Additionally, tax authorities should consider waiving small tax debts to avoid overburdening the management system. This would save time and resources spent on drafting and submitting documents for minor tax-related decisions. For instance, to pay the VND12 I owe, I would need to link my tax account with a bank, check the debt, and then file for tax payments, which is quite a complicated procedure. What are your thoughts on this issue? Reader Pham Van Sinh (A lawyer in HCMC) *This opinion was translated into English by AI. Readers views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress viewpoints. Lawyer Marvin Schroth (l) stands next to the accused Bundeswehr officer in the espionage trial before the Higher Regional Court. The accused was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for being a Russian spy. The Dusseldorf Higher Regional Court found the confessed man guilty of secret service agent activities. David Young/dpa A 54-year-old German army officer who confessed to spying for Russia has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison by a court in Dusseldorf. The man, a captain, had acknowledged betraying sensitive military information to the Russian secret services. He also joined the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party around the same time he offered himself up to Russian intelligence. Prosecutors accused him of serving as an agent for a hostile, ruthlessly aggressive foreign power. German police officers arrested the man in Koblenz on August 9, and he has been held in custody since then. The incident was one of several Russian spy scandals that have rocked Germany in recent months and heightened concerns about security in the country. He faced a shorter prison sentence because the information he offered to the Russians was classified as official secrets. If he had also betrayed more sensitive state secrets, he could have faced more severe punishments up to a life sentence. The captain had claimed that he was driven by fear of a nuclear escalation during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His defence lawyer argued that he began consuming fake news, propaganda and conspiracies on the social media platforms Telegram and TikTok during a difficult stretch of professional work. "It's the biggest cock-up I've ever made in my life," the defendant said in a closing statement to the court. He said that depression caused by chronic overwork had impaired his rational thinking. Lawyer Marvin Schroth (l) talks to the accused German army officer in the espionage trial before the Higher Regional Court. The defendant was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for being a Russian spy. The Dusseldorf Higher Regional Court found the confessed man guilty of secret service agent activities. David Young/dpa The defendant (L, front) stands next to his lawyer Marvin Schroth (R) in the courtroom of Duesseldorf Higher Regional Court. A 54-year-old German army officer who confessed to spying for Russia has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison by a court in Dusseldorf. Oliver Berg/dpa The defendant (L, front) stands next to his lawyer Marvin Schroth (R) in the courtroom of Duesseldorf Higher Regional Court. A 54-year-old German army officer who confessed to spying for Russia has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison by a court in Dusseldorf. Oliver Berg/dpa A 54-year-old German army officer who confessed to spying for Russia has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison by a court in Dusseldorf. The man, a captain, had acknowledged betraying sensitive military information to the Russian secret services. He also joined the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party around the same time he offered himself up to Russian intelligence. He also wrote to a politician with the far-left Die Linke party and made contact with a pro-Russian social media activist around the same time, expressing vehement opposition to German support for Ukraine in its war against the ongoing Russian invasion. The verdict is not yet final and could still be appealed. Prosecutors accused him of trying to serve as an agent for a hostile, ruthlessly aggressive foreign power. German police officers arrested the man in Koblenz on August 9, and he has been held in custody since then. The incident was one of several Russian spy scandals that have rocked Germany in recent months and heightened concerns about security in the country. The officer burned 123 documents - including 1,400 pages of classified material - onto a CD on May 3, 2023 and printed out a few excerpts on paper. He was then photographed dropping an envelope into the letter box of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn the next day. He contended that the CD was not in the envelope, but the court found that claim implausible. The captain was employed in a military office responsible for the development of military equipment and information technology. The documents likely contained classified details of German military procurement projects for electronic reconnaissance and combat management. Prosecutors argued that, in the hands of a foreign power, that information would have disadvantages for Germany's defence capabilities. The defendant himself advertised the value of the information in an accompanying letter to the Russians, saying that it could mean "a considerable plus for the Russian armed forces and the Russian Federation." He included his name and a telephone number, but did not hear back from Russian officials. He did not give up, however, and also wrote to the Russian embassy in Berlin to offer information. "What in God's name caused the defendant to do what he did?" asked presiding judge Lars Bachler during the sentencing hearing. He faced a shorter prison sentence because the information he offered to the Russians was classified as official secrets. If he had also betrayed more sensitive state secrets, he could have faced more severe punishments up to a life sentence. The court also considered it a mitigating factor that the man would lose his position in the German military, as well as his civil service pension, as a result of the verdict. The captain had claimed that he was driven by fear of a nuclear escalation during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His defence lawyer argued that he began consuming fake news, propaganda and conspiracies on the social media platforms Telegram and TikTok during a difficult stretch of professional work. "It's the biggest cock-up I've ever made in my life," the defendant said in a closing statement to the court. He said that depression caused by chronic overwork had impaired his rational thinking. His defence lawyer said that the decision came during a four-day period in which he destroyed everything he had built over a years-long career as a professional soldier: "Four days of betrayal in which he crossed red lines. Four days of complete failure." At times, he was far removed from reality, his defence lawyer said. He also noted that the man has since quit the AfD party. According to the court, he also claimed to be suffering from health problems which he blamed on a coronavirus vaccination. A series of other espionage cases in Germany involving alleged Russian agents have attracted widespread attention. In April, two Russian-German dual nationals were arrested for allegedly scouting potential targets for sabotage attacks on Gemran soil. A high-ranking officer in Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency, meanwhile, remains on trial in Berlin on charges of treason for allegedly passing top secret information to Russian spies with the help of a co-defendant. Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he claimed that Israels bombing of Rafah was a mistake. An Israeli airstrike on tents in Rafah, meant for displaced Palestinians, killed at least 50 people and injured dozens more on Sunday, according to Gaza health authorities. Prime Minister Netanyahu subsequently called the strike a tragic mistake and said that it would be investigated. But Rep. Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, hit back at the Israeli leaders explanation. This was intentional, she wrote on X. You dont accidentally kill massive amounts of children and their families over and over again and get to say, It was a mistake. This was intentional. You don't accidentally kill massive amounts of children and their families over and over again and get to say, "It was a mistake." Genocidal maniac Netanyahu told us he wants to ethically cleanse Palestinians. When are you going to believe him @POTUS? https://t.co/QqrwDgwvHT Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 27, 2024 Ms Tlaib also criticised President Joe Biden in her post. Genocidal maniac Netanyahu told us he wants to ethically cleanse Palestinians, she said. When are you going to believe him @POTUS? Ms Tlaib has been heavily criticized in Congress since the Israel-Hamas war began last October when the militant group killed more than 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. An estimated 35,000 people have died in Gaza since Israels invasion. Last year 22 Democrats joined with Republicans to censure her for her remarks about the war, specifically her invocation of the term from the River to the Sea, which she claimed was a statement of liberation for Palestinians but that many perceive to call for the destruction of Israel. Ms Tlaib has also heavily criticised Mr Bidens support for Israel throughout the war, and backed efforts in the Michigan Democratic primary to vote uncommitted. Horrific and gut wrenching images coming out of Rafah last night. How much longer will the U.S. stand by while the Israeli military slaughters and mutilates Palestinian babies? Where is our humanity? #CeasefireNOW https://t.co/iiU90s9LfU Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) May 27, 2024 Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, a fellow member of the progressive coterie of Democrats known as the Squad, also condemned the bombing of Rafah on Monday. Horrific and gut wrenching images coming out of Rafah last night, she posted on X. How much longer will the U.S. stand by while the Israeli military slaughters and mutilates Palestinian babies? Where is our humanity? More than half of Gazas 1.5million people have sought refuge in the southern city of Rafah, and the Biden administration has repeatedly called invading Rafah a red line for this reason. Mr Biden said in April that the US would not supply Israel with weapons for an attack on Rafah and confirmed that there was a hold on the shipment of 2,000-pound US bombs meant for Israel. National Security Spokesman John Kirby told Axios on Monday that the images emerging from the Rafah strike were heartbreaking. The devastating images following the IDF strike in Rafah last night that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians are heartbreaking, he said. Israel has a right to go after Hamas... but as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened. Consumers Energy fined $1M over complaints of faulty meters, delays in electric and gas services A Consumers Energy bill | Susan J. Demas Consumers Energy, one of the states largest energy providers, has agreed to pay $1 million after state energy regulators investigated complaints of malfunctioning electrical meters, violations of rules on estimated billing and significant delays in providing new electric and gas service. The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), which regulates energy and telecommunications companies within the state, learned about the issues in March 2023 from customers who attended a town hall hearing in Jackson focused on taking comments from people impacted by power outages that winter. The commissions customer assistance staff also took complaints from customers about broken electrical meters, extended billing cycles with excessively high estimated electrical use, and lengthy delays in gas and electric service hookups. Consumers Energy has faced repeated criticisms on the quality and reliability of its services, with members of the House Energy, Communications and Technology Committee pressing the company on its plan to address future long-term outages after an ice storm in February 2023 left thousands of Michigan households without power for days. In October, the commission instructed consumers energy to show cause as to why it should not be held in violation of the MPSCs rules governing billing and service quality and reliability. According to a statement from the commission, the metering issue was tied to Consumers transition from 3G cellular meters to 4G meters, with staff investigating the issue finding that supply and staffing constraints prevented the company from meeting its expected time frame for replacing older meters, with the company neglecting to inform the commission about the delays and service issues. Staff also discovered Consumers Energy was estimating electric bills for customers with 3G meters before cellular phone companies discontinued 3G Service because the meters were not working and showed blank screens, meaning Consumers and its customers could not determine the meters actual readings. It is a fundamental job for a utility to measure the amount of electricity used and then accurately bill their customers, MPSC Commissioner Katherine Peretick said in a statement. There was a clear and obvious failure here, and this $1 million fine and the corrective actions required in the settlement agreement will hopefully ensure this doesnt happen again. The commission also investigated the complaints about establishing new service, which violated its standard requiring 90% of new service installations to be completed within 15 days. According to the commission, Consumers acknowledged its customer service issues and did not contest the commissions enforcement recommendations, saying it would focus on rectifying the problems and working to prevent them in the future. Consumers Energy has not responded to a request for comment as of the time of publication. With MPSC staff determining the company had shown significant improvements in addressing the metering and estimated billing issues and the delays in service, the parties in the case which include Consumers Energy, the MPSC and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel agreed on the $1 million fine, which Consumers cannot recover through customer rates. Under the requirements of the settlement, Consumers Energy must also: Disclose any known issues that may affect future company requests for waivers of MPSC rules. Not seek recovery of company costs resulting from estimated customer bills. Submit semiannual reports for two years detailing consecutive meter reading estimates, timelines for new electric and gas service installations and reporting meter failures. Improve its processes for new service installations. The post Consumers Energy fined $1M over complaints of faulty meters, delays in electric and gas services appeared first on Michigan Advance. For nearly a month, a Fresno police officer and his family were the targets of a relentless campaign of harassment and revenge by a man furious over being given a ticket for jaywalking, according to a civil lawsuit. The officer, who is identified in the lawsuit as John Doe, was on duty Oct. 25, 2019, about 2 p.m. when he spotted a man, later identified as John Christopher Spatafore, illegally crossing the street in downtown Fresno near Fresno City Hall and the railroad tracks. The 55-year-old Spatafore worked in information technology for Community Regional Medical Center and was about a block away from his workplace. A police report described Spatafore as extremely confrontational during questioning, but he took the ticket and both men went on their way. The encounter should have been over at that point, but what followed was a series of bizarre events that the officers lawyer, Brian Whelan, called a cyber campaign of hate and revenge against the officer, his wife and daughter. The officer is suing Spatafore and the hospital for, among other things, invasion of privacy, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent supervision of an employee. The officer is seeking no less than $5.5 million each for himself, his wife and daughter. Punitive damages are to be determined by a jury at trial. A pre-trial discovery conference is scheduled for June 6 and a trial potentially later this year. A sign points pedestrians to a new crosswalk near the Tulare Street Amtrak station and tracks at Tulare and R streets in downtown Fresno where construction is close to wrapping up on Monday, May 20, 2024. The crossing is at the center of a jaywalking incident that turned into a nightmare for a Fresno police officer. Harassment against Fresno police officer and family Court records and police reports detail the lengths Spatafore took to carry out his plan of revenge. A few days after writing the jaywalking ticket, the officer began receiving password reset codes, indicating someone was trying to hack his email account. The attempts continued at least 10 more times over the next several days. Then the phone calls, emails and text messages began. Spatafore had unleashed thousands of information requests to car dealers, solar companies and retailers, according to the lawsuit. In one day the officer received 100 texts to his personal phone. Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, and Maserati dealerships started to deluge John (the officers pseudonym) with calls responding to your request concerning online orders and online inquiries that John never made, according to the lawsuit. Further, there were also indications of attempted intrusion into Plaintiffs wireless internet which suggested that Spatafore lurked outside Plaintiffs home at all hours of the day and night to hack into Plaintiffs wireIess internet and was within the short radius of the wireless internets reach. In a deposition, Spatafore denied hacking into the officers email account. Still, the harassment escalated. He filed a false police report accusing the officer of being involved in a hit-and-run on Oct. 1, 2019. In the narrative portion of the police report, Spatafore wrote: Police motorcycle riding on sidewalk without lights or sirens. Appeared intoxicated on drugs all while laughing aloud. An investigation by Fresno police found that the incident didnt happen, and a search warrant later revealed the online report was tied to Spatafores IP address at the hospital. Spatafore filed a second false report, this time alleging the officers wife was the victim of domestic violence. He also told police the officers sister-in-law had photographic evidence of the abuse. Although a police investigation found the report to be false, it took a toll on the couple. The humiliating false reports of false domestic violence spread in the community and in the Fresno Police Department and John and Jane have been humiliated and forced and compelled to refute defamatory claims, according to the lawsuit. Fresno hospital fires IT worker Despite the fear of getting caught, Spatafore was relentless in his vindictive attacks. The officer and his wife received a message indicating their personal computers camera had been hacked and the hacker had compromising videos of them that he threatened to release unless his demands were met. I require your 100% attention for the up coming 24hours, or will certainly make sure you live out of guilt for the rest of your life span...I know nearly everything about you ... Spatafore is alleged to have written, according to the lawsuit. While some of the harassment was threatening, other incidences were infuriating. Spatafore allegedly tried to get the officers water and trash services turned off on Thanksgiving Day. The officer was forced to intervene with city staff to stop it from happening. Nearly a month after he began his online harassment, Spatafore was arrested by Fresno police on Nov. 21, 2019. He was driving within a mile of the officers home when police pulled him over. Inside his car was a loaded .38 caliber revolver that was not registered. Spatafore also didnt have a license to carry the handgun and denied being the owner. The hospital fired Spatafore on Nov. 21, 2019 after finding he used the organizations equipment, including laptop computer, to carry out his revenge plan. During an interview with police, Spatafore admitted to the online harassment, adding that he used public information websites and Facebook profiles to gain information, not hospital records. Hospital officials declined to comment on the civil lawsuit. Because this case is pending, we are unable to comment, said Michelle Von Tersch, senior vice president, communications and legislative affairs. Criminal case suspended Spatafore was charged with two counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying Information, one count of having a concealed firearm in a vehicle, one misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property and one misdemeanor count of making a false report. There was also a restraining order issued against him by the court, forbidding him from contacting the officer or his family. But the criminal case against Spatafore was suspended after his lawyer, Corina Burchfield, was successful in getting him into a mental health diversion program. The program is designed to provide treatment for defendants with mental health issues instead of sending them straight to prison. Treatment can last up to two years. Burchfield, a senior associate attorney with the Sawl Law Group in Fresno, defended the decision to have Spatafore treated for mental illness, saying he was not in the right mental state at the time. She said Spatafore is a changed man who is active in his church and is also a grandfather. When all of this happened, when he was arrested, he apologized and has been remorseful and apologetic, she said. He lost his job of 17 years over this. It was very out of character for him. It ruined his life. Burchfield, however, also understands the incident was traumatic for the officer and his family. He was incredibly upset because this crossed over into his family life and he is using every possible outlet to punish my client and get some sort of compensation, she said. But he (Spatafore) got the help he needed and he is no danger to anybody. A sign points pedestrians to a new crosswalk near the Tulare Street Amtrak station and tracks at Tulare and R streets in downtown Fresno where construction is close to wrapping up on Monday, May 20, 2024. The crossing is at the center of a jaywalking incident that turned into a nightmare for a Fresno police officer. Cops shut brazen illegal Brooklyn pot shop for second time after dealers returned in weed truck An unlicensed cannabis shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn called Gelato got shut down for the second time in a matter of weeks after workers tried to reopen in the same location using a weed-dealing truck. Last month, cops raided and padlocked the business after a defiant pot-puffing worker dared authorities to shut down the shop during a Post interview. On Friday, the illicit pot peddlers brazenly parked a mobile pot-selling truck in front of the same address of their shuttered storefront. An unlicensed cannabis shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn called Gelato got shut down for the second time in a matter of weeks. Community Board 10 The vehicle had the same marijuana logo emblazoned on its side as the padlocked storefront. Neighbors were not amused. They took pictures and notified their local Brooklyn Community Board 10 and authorities of the defiant weed dealers. The citys cannabis cops swooped in and seized the truck filled with marijuana and other cannabis products. Its not an ice cream truck, said Community Board 10 district manager Josephine Beckmann. Its quite brazen. They had not received a cannabis license and they were already closed by the sheriffs office and the NYPD, she said. The city estimates there are more than 2,000 shops illegally selling cannabis and other smokes, so theres a ways to go. Aristide Economopoulos Mayor Eric Adams cannabis enforcers said theyre not going to be treated like suckers by illegal pot peddlers. Were closing the brick and mortar stores, so theyre now using mobile trucks, said city Sheriff Anthony Miranda, who oversees cannabis enforcement with the help the NYPD. They had the same artwork from the store painted on the truck, he said adding the the sheriffs office seized the vehicle. Under a new state law, local authorities have more power to close illicit cannabis storefronts and mobile trucks. About 200 cannabis stores have been padlocked following joint inspections by the sheriffs office and the NYPD. The city estimates there are more than 2,000 shops illegally selling cannabis and other smokes, so theres a ways to go. The citys cannabis cops swooped in and seized the truck filled with marijuana and other cannabis products. Aristide Economopoulos Currently, there are just 58 licensed cannabis operators in New York City, and 130 statewide, according the state Office of Cannabis Management. People are bent on breaking the law. They have no intention of participating in the legal market, Miranda said. On Saturday, police discovered millions of dollars worth of illegal marijuana products in a Brooklyn warehouse. The vehicle had the same marijuana logo emblazoned on its side as the padlocked storefront. Gregory P. Mango Cops responded to a burglary in progress at 65 Adelphi Street around 5:30 a.m. when they found three men inside and a large quantity of marijuana and THC products, police said. The products were unregulated cannabis sent from overseas to be distributed to illegal pot shops throughout the Big Apple, a source told The Post. Among the pre-packaged contraband were marijuana and THC gummies. Cops hope that cutting off the illegal pot suppliers will help choke off the unlicensed market. The Adams administration launched Operation Padlock three weeks ago, utilizing a tougher state law recently approved by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislature, to speed up the crackdown of unlicensed pot shops. In other matters, OCM executive director Chris Alexander announced hes stepping down after Hochuls team issued a damning report on the office, called for an overhaul and admitted the rollout of the legal cannabis market was a disaster. His resignation was first reported Saturday by NY1/Spectrum News and The City. 20 People In Swing States Confessed How They REALLY Feel About The 2024 Election, And I Appreciate The Brutal Honesty 20 People In Swing States Confessed How They REALLY Feel About The 2024 Election, And I Appreciate The Brutal Honesty Hi everyone, we're back with BuzzFeed's 2024 Election Diaries! Inspired by one of the most divided election years in US history, I asked different groups of voters what their #1 political issue is AND which candidate they plan to vote for in November. Canva This week, we're focusing on battleground state voters. FoxysGraphic / Getty Images Recently, I asked voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania to anonymously share their plans for the 2024 presidential election. 78% of voters voiced support for President Biden, but there were also responses in support of Donald Trump, RFK Jr., Jill Stein, Cornel West, and Nikki Haley. Excel Here are 20 political confessions from real-life voters in swing states: All voter images used are AI-generated. 1."The economy is my top issue because I can't afford to live in 2024. I'm voting for Trump." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 2."My top issue is ending US imperialism. I believe that Cornel West will truly fight for the people instead of attempting to maintain the status quo like one of the main party candidates." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 3."My top issue is education. There are far too many people running for seats in NC that aim to dismantle public education. I'm not sure any candidate, particularly at the federal level, is worth a vote. Nobody actually cares about us, but rather the money big corporations can offer." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 4."Women's rights is my top issue. I want my rights back. I can't believe we've gone back in time, and unfortunately, what Trump set up in the Supreme Court allowed it. I could never vote for him, though Biden is definitely getting old, and I worry about our future as a country." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 5."My top issue is the economy. I live in a write-in state, and I will be writing in Nikki Haley. I wrote her in last time. Trump and Biden will not receive my vote. It is pitiful that two old men are all America has to offer voters." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 6."My top issue is women's rights. I'm voting for RFK because he's the only candidate addressing issues and suggesting what his solutions would be instead of finger-pointing at the other two. He is the only candidate actually speaking on our economy, big government, policy, and the current state of the US." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 7."The border and the economy are my top issues. Im voting for Trump because hell close the border and deport millions of people here illegally, and he will restore our economy, military, and law enforcement." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 8."I am absolutely disgusted with the way Biden has been handling the genocide in Gaza and is still sending Israel money and bombs. I voted for Biden last time, but I refuse to this time." "Im also not voting for Trump because hes a white supremacist and a nutcase. Id rather not vote at all than vote for a genocidal maniac or a racist idiot, and many of my generation feel the same." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 9."My top issue is the continuation of democracy. I'm a veteran who views Trump as a traitor to his oath of office, and his authoritarian views are the antithesis of what made America great." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 10."Trump made America great back in 2020. If we dont have borders, we dont have a country." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 11."My top issue is preserving the rights of everyone: women, minorities, LGBTQ+ people, etc. I'm voting for RFK because what other choice is there? Is this really the best the country has to offer for president?" Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 12."My biggest issue is education and the public school system. I'm voting for Biden because he actually cares about public schools. He has people on his board who didn't all go to private school. He isn't saying schools are indoctrinating our children, and he wants free universal preschool." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 13."Our southern border and immigration are my top issues. Donald Trump's lack of morals makes me sick, but he's a businessman, and that's what our country needs right now." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 14."My top issues are healthcare and gun control. I think the cost of healthcare is the biggest scam in this country. The premiums, deductibles, in-network/out-of-network, its all ridiculous and confusing." "My third child was born recently. I had no epidural, no induction medicine, and was in the hospital for less than 12 hours; our bill was $17k. What exactly am I paying for?!" Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 15."Women's healthcare is my top issue. As a woman and a mother with daughters, I want to ensure my daughters' freedom to make decisions about their own bodies. I served my country yet have fewer rights than a fetus in my state! Also, as someone in healthcare, I believe in access for all without fear of going bankrupt." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 16."The preservation of democracy is my most important issue, so Im voting for Biden because Trump is the most unqualified person to ever run for president." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 17."My top issue is the cost of living. There are six months until the general election, and very little has been said about the cost of living. I am fed up with having to pay astronomical prices for groceries and energy due to ongoing shortages from supply chains, yet companies are posting record profits." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 18."My top issue is the economy. Ultimately, Im supporting RFK because the two main candidates are too old and incompetent to be running for office." "I also want to support a third-party candidate to try and hopefully make it feasible. By no means do I expect RFK Jr. to win, but hopefully, he will be able to prove that third-party candidates are feasible." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine 19."I truly think that things were better under Trump. While my main concern is the border, my next biggest issue is the economy. I'm just about to graduate high school, and I know for a fact I'm not moving out of my parents' house for at least five years because everything is so expensive. I also think prioritizing random people who just come across the border over our own citizens is wrong. This is the very basic reason why the first vote I'll ever cast will go for Trump." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine And finally... 20."My #1 issue is the economy. Im voting for Jill Stein because, despite all the crowing about unemployment rates and the stock market, ordinary people are struggling to make ends meet while corporations gloat about record profits." "Dr. Stein has concrete, actionable plans for remedying this, as well as codifying abortion access, which Democrats have failed to do for 50 years and instead used it as leverage for votes." Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! In the next round, we'll focus on LGBTQ+ voters nationwide ahead of Pride Month. If you're a voter who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, we want to hear from you via this anonymous Google form. Your response may be featured in an upcoming post! Responses have been edited for length/clarity. Don't forget to check out last week's post about senior voters here. Counties with the most veterans in Ohio Counties with the most veterans in Ohio There are roughly 19 million veterans living in the U.S., according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Though, the VA anticipates the percentage of the U.S. population with military experience will continue to decline over the next couple of decadesby 2046, it expects the number of living U.S. veterans to decrease by 35%. Stacker compiled a list of the counties with the most veterans in Ohio using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percent of residents that are veterans based on the Census 2020 5-year estimate. California, Texas, and Florida are home to the most veterans, and Wyoming, Vermont, and Washington D.C. home to the least. American veterans live in virtually all of the countrys 3,142 counties. Keep reading to see where the most veterans live in Ohio. #50. Sandusky County Percent of residents that are veterans: 7.9% (3,606 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 157 Korean War: 277 Vietnam War: 1,193 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 671 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 507 #49. Logan County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.0% (2,779 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 52 Korean War: 240 Vietnam War: 1,116 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 548 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 378 #48. Scioto County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.0% (4,722 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 55 Korean War: 351 Vietnam War: 1,906 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 735 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 556 #47. Muskingum County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.1% (5,353 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 200 Korean War: 202 Vietnam War: 1,793 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 851 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,329 #46. Tuscarawas County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.1% (5,749 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 257 Korean War: 520 Vietnam War: 2,380 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 848 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 884 #45. Clermont County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.1% (12,816 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 218 Korean War: 783 Vietnam War: 4,903 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 2,142 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 2,448 #44. Shelby County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.1% (2,957 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 60 Korean War: 157 Vietnam War: 1,175 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 508 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 482 #43. Carroll County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.1% (1,758 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 41 Korean War: 120 Vietnam War: 729 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 233 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 209 #42. Paulding County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.2% (1,168 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 24 Korean War: 132 Vietnam War: 486 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 157 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 87 #41. Allen County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.2% (6,453 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 253 Korean War: 585 Vietnam War: 2,048 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,082 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,179 #40. Stark County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.2% (23,845 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 829 Korean War: 2,041 Vietnam War: 8,554 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 4,421 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 2,775 #39. Coshocton County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.2% (2,300 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 52 Korean War: 171 Vietnam War: 1,070 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 211 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 152 #38. Fairfield County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.2% (9,767 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 210 Korean War: 837 Vietnam War: 3,234 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 2,270 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,835 #37. Morrow County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.3% (2,254 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 72 Korean War: 137 Vietnam War: 841 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 472 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 395 #36. Pickaway County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.4% (3,825 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 53 Korean War: 255 Vietnam War: 1,535 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 515 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 812 #35. Lawrence County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.4% (3,947 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 114 Korean War: 302 Vietnam War: 1,658 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 631 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 539 #34. Harrison County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.6% (1,021 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 33 Korean War: 93 Vietnam War: 455 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 155 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 114 #33. Morgan County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.6% (988 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 37 Korean War: 65 Vietnam War: 477 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 97 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 165 #32. Crawford County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.7% (2,819 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 83 Korean War: 266 Vietnam War: 970 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 545 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 496 #31. Ross County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.7% (5,260 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 69 Korean War: 198 Vietnam War: 1,821 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,319 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 762 #30. Meigs County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.7% (1,553 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 55 Korean War: 175 Vietnam War: 626 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 237 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 163 #29. Knox County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.7% (4,157 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 84 Korean War: 270 Vietnam War: 1,686 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 818 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 476 #28. Hocking County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.8% (1,947 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 92 Korean War: 121 Vietnam War: 796 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 433 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 247 #27. Monroe County Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.9% (977 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 35 Korean War: 195 Vietnam War: 421 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 90 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 112 #26. Guernsey County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.0% (2,720 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 62 Korean War: 191 Vietnam War: 1,264 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 405 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 370 #25. Miami County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.0% (7,311 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 261 Korean War: 441 Vietnam War: 2,344 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,795 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,160 #24. Preble County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.0% (2,858 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 100 Korean War: 242 Vietnam War: 1,125 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 657 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 293 #23. Champaign County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.1% (2,755 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 31 Korean War: 187 Vietnam War: 1,030 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 587 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 414 #22. Marion County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.1% (4,694 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 134 Korean War: 335 Vietnam War: 1,453 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,003 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 570 #21. Trumbull County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (14,546 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 426 Korean War: 1,367 Vietnam War: 5,903 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,931 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,597 #20. Adams County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (1,937 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 24 Korean War: 132 Vietnam War: 744 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 483 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 201 #19. Perry County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (2,546 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 28 Korean War: 116 Vietnam War: 994 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 552 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 437 #18. Pike County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (1,971 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 40 Korean War: 133 Vietnam War: 744 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 410 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 212 #17. Richland County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (8,741 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 329 Korean War: 589 Vietnam War: 3,219 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,806 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,471 #16. Erie County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.3% (5,487 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 156 Korean War: 521 Vietnam War: 2,122 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 827 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,070 #15. Licking County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.3% (12,545 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 364 Korean War: 900 Vietnam War: 4,766 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 2,592 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,731 #14. Jefferson County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.3% (4,971 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 131 Korean War: 373 Vietnam War: 1,824 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,026 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 641 #13. Brown County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.3% (3,138 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 198 Korean War: 371 Vietnam War: 1,239 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 376 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 308 #12. Jackson County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.4% (2,316 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 27 Korean War: 246 Vietnam War: 728 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 337 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 389 #11. Henry County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.4% (1,942 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 22 Korean War: 178 Vietnam War: 689 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 277 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 223 #10. Montgomery County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.4% (38,803 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 1,186 Korean War: 2,578 Vietnam War: 13,285 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 9,024 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 7,619 #9. Highland County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.4% (3,098 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 107 Korean War: 286 Vietnam War: 1,038 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 584 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 380 #8. Ashtabula County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.5% (7,218 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 208 Korean War: 463 Vietnam War: 2,597 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,099 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 978 #7. Clinton County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.7% (3,121 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 65 Korean War: 172 Vietnam War: 968 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 800 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 523 #6. Washington County Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.8% (4,748 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 172 Korean War: 391 Vietnam War: 1,615 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,081 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 840 #5. Ottawa County Percent of residents that are veterans: 10.0% (3,291 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 250 Korean War: 180 Vietnam War: 1,224 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 457 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 620 #4. Columbiana County Percent of residents that are veterans: 10.4% (8,458 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 204 Korean War: 545 Vietnam War: 3,084 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,728 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,161 #3. Noble County Percent of residents that are veterans: 10.5% (1,229 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 23 Korean War: 108 Vietnam War: 491 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 116 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 93 #2. Clark County Percent of residents that are veterans: 10.7% (11,087 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 355 Korean War: 575 Vietnam War: 4,275 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 2,591 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,726 #1. Greene County Percent of residents that are veterans: 11.9% (15,544 veterans) Veterans by war: World War II: 336 Korean War: 1,047 Vietnam War: 4,531 Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 5,058 Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 5,392 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. Its been two years since one of the worst school shootings in American history. On May 24, 2022, a gunman killed 21 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Nineteen children were among the victims, and two teachers. Its the kind of tragedy so horrific that outsiders to the community of 15,000 will think of it first whenever they hear the name Uvalde. And probably will for decades to come. ABC News Investigative Unit wanted to go deeper. A couple of days after the shooting, the news network committed to a program called Uvalde: 365, in which they would keep journalists in Uvalde for an entire year to better understand how a small town handles the aftermath of such a tragedy, and how life goes on. The result is a unique documentary called Print It Black, referring to how the local newspaper, the Uvalde Leader-News, chose to run an edition the day after the shooting where the entire front page was black. Print It Black shares hallmarks of the kind of news docs ABC often runs it doesnt have a credited director, but rather three producers, Tomas Navia, Megan Hundahl Streete, and Andrew Fredericks but by any standard goes well beyond what youd see on ABCs World News Tonight or 20/20. More from IndieWire Rather than merely dispensing information, Print It Black provides an expansive look at Uvalde through the lens of the journalists at the Leader-News. We get to know their personalities, and the extraordinary challenges they face just keeping the lights on, as most local journalists do these days. Every journalist here wears multiple hats: One of the top editors is also the papers lead photographer; while Kim Rubio, who was the crime reporter, has also been involved in selling ads. Rubio becomes the emotional heart of the film, as her daughter, Lexi, was among the 19 children murdered. This is ultimately a documentary not just about these soul-scarring events that occurred, but about how you go about telling the story of such unimaginable events at all and how precious it is that this local outlet was still able to do so, even as endless other small towns across the U.S. are now news deserts without local media at all. Print It Black world premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival in April, where it won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary. The 85-minute film is now streaming on Hulu. IndieWire interviewed Cindy Galli, the Executive Producer of ABC News Investigative Unit, about the film. IndieWire: I assume ABC News already had a relationship with the Uvalde Leader-News from the live coverage of the shooting two years ago. How did that come about in the moment and how has that relationship been maintained over time? Cindy Galli: Actually, we didnt already have a relationship with the paper when Robb occurred. Like many local and national media, we immediately reached out when news broke to see what information and pictures they had since they were on the scene first, but we quickly discovered that the ULN was concerned more with serving their community first than partnering with other, bigger news outlets. Frankly, its what we respected most about the staff as we watched the coverage unfold. A couple of days after the shooting, ABC News made a commitment to stay in Uvalde for at least one year, opening a bureau and ensuring producers would be on the ground every day. We called it Uvalde: 365. Flowers outside the school in the days after the shooting. We needed to cover the chaos of the police response that was just coming to light but also wanted to tell the stories of this small community that had just been ravaged by gun violence. Two team members, Jim Hill, our senior producer, and Megan Hundahl Streete, one of our first producers on the ground who had also lived in Uvalde, spoke about capturing all of this through the perspective of those who know the community best the local paper. We made a decision that Jim and Megan would approach the ULN to pitch that idea. IndieWire: How did the idea of the Print It Black documentary itself come about? It must have been quite quickly because much of the footage in the film is from 2022, in the months after the shooting Galli: In their first conversations with Craig Garnett, the owner and publisher of ULN, Jim and Megan spoke about the need to tell the full story of the paper from the day of the shooting and every day after that. They wrote a pitch for a feature documentary and later met with Craig and two of his senior leaders in person. They were trepidatious. The Robb shooting was still fresh, we were still outsiders, and it would take some time before the trust was built. We promised them that we would not make any assumptions about the narrative outcome until after the year was finished and we were done shooting. We also promised them that we would respect them, their work and their wishes if there were times they didnt want us following them, we wouldnt. While Craig became more comfortable once he knew of the ABC News commitment to stay in Uvalde, he still wanted to test the waters. He did a two-week test run, allowing the producers to follow the staff so they could become accustomed to the team and then he asked his staff what they should do. They agreed to let us follow them for the year. Craig saw the rapid decline in the local news business and viewed this as an opportunity to educate others on the role of community journalists. Meanwhile, we worked behind the scenes at ABC News to figure out where a feature film would actually air. Were used to producing short documentaries or longer investigations for our ABC News shows, but this was new territory and we needed a commitment so we could keep our promise to Craig. Thankfully, the head of our streaming channel, Seni Tienabeso, took a complete leap of faith and gave it a home. IndieWire: Was there any resistance from the Uvalde News-Leader in wanting to make this documentary? Or from Kim Rubio herself? Or did she understand, as a journalist herself, the importance of documenting this moment even as she was experiencing unimaginable pain? Galli: Any resistance was overcome with the building of trust. As it would turn out, Kim and Felix were the first to commit to the project, even before the ULN did. Kim, having been a journalist, instinctively knew that talking about Lexi and her desire for gun reform would help push her advocacy forward. Kim often says that she will take any opportunity she has in front of her to speak about Lexi, to keep her front and center and shes told us that this is why she agreed to be followed for the film. Kim Rubio looking at a mural depicting her daughter. Kim, Felix and many of the other families we met in Uvalde told us that the most meaningful thing we could do as journalists was to say their childrens names whenever possible. We strove to do that in every one of our stories. IndieWire: What steps did you take to avoid in any way exploiting the pain of Kim Rubio or the other families? I think its impressive how measured this documentary is, how very much its about the practice of journalism in a situation of unimaginable grief. But what was your own editorial process like of deciding what should go in/not go in, what space was appropriate given the grief involved, how you wouldnt have anything overly sensationalistic? Galli: When we first arrived in Uvalde, knowing that we were planting roots for a while, we changed our normal business model. Instead of knocking on all the doors we could, asking people if theyd talk to us, we introduced ourselves and then hung back. This is a small town that had been thrust into the national spotlight and they were getting bombarded by the media. We told people that we werent leaving, that we would be here when they were ready to talk. We sat in living rooms for hours, had quiet coffee conversations. No pressure. First getting to know Kim, Felix, and other families we met, allowed us a window into who they really are, not identified or defined solely as parents of a mass shooting victim. That was important and it guided what the producers felt was most important to include. Additionally, we sought guidance from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University, which trains journalists how to best deal with victims of trauma. We had two training sessions one halfway through the year and one as we were coming to the one-year mark and the takeaways were invaluable. Of many lessons, the team learned that victims of tragic events have a deep sense of betrayal even arriving late to a scheduled interview may trigger this understandable emotion and as a result, the feelings of our subjects were top of mind for everything we did there. IndieWire: How many camerapeople were following each of the participants? How many people did you have on the ground at any time? Galli: Our Uvalde: 365 team was intentionally small: we wanted people to see the same faces day in and day out. We wanted the families and other community members we worked with to know well the reporters who would be telling their stories. For this reason, there were only two producers Megan Hundahl Streete and Andrew Fredericks who followed the ULN staff and the Rubios consistently for the film. The staff became very comfortable with them going in and out of the back door of the office each day. When the Rubios would travel to Austin or Washington DC for rallies, either or both of them would follow their journey. And there were days when they didnt even take out a camera they were just there to talk or listen. The consistency was key to build trust and a level of comfort. At the end of our year, all of our 365 producers had built very strong bonds with the community members they followed and found it very difficult to say goodbye to them. Craig Garnett, the owner and publisher of the Uvalde Leader-News. We carried this philosophy into post-production and it was a very small team, led by producer Tomas Navia, who spent the year in Uvalde filming with survivors and families including the Rubios. He painstakingly screened all of the very candid and heartbreaking moments to weave the narrative threads. We felt strongly that only producers who had spent the year in Uvalde and could feel the heartbeat of the community could tell this story appropriately. IndieWire: What does ABC News see as its role in helping to promote local journalism? Galli: I think the film is representative of what we set out to do with Uvalde: 365, which was to first shine a light on a community that deserves it but then to keep the light trained on it after others have left, telling its stories and keeping accountability at the forefront. This is what local, community journalists do every day and their work is vital. We were fortunate at ABC News to be given the resources to stay in Uvalde and for many of our producers who stayed, it changed their perspective on the reporter-subject relationship. We move on to the next story, the next city but our subjects are still there, living their lives, fighting their fight. Local journalism can ensure that the light doesnt go out when its needed the most. Print It Black is now streaming on Hulu. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A home was shot at in Northeast El Paso earlier this month, placing several residents, including a child, in danger, according to Crime Stoppers of El Paso. This is this weeks featured Crime of the Week. El Paso woman dies after striking median on I-10 East Both Crime Stoppers of El Paso and the El Paso Police Department are asking for help in identifying the shooters involved in this crime. Images of suspect vehicle courtesy of Crime Stoppers of El Paso. A little after 10:15 p.m. on Friday, May 17, multiple shots were fired into a home around the area of Branon Street and Rushing. Several residents were inside the home when the shooting took place, including a child under 10 years of age, Crime Stoppers said. Large fire in Alpine destroys local businesses No injuries were reported; however, the shooting did cause damage to the home, Crime Stoppers said. Investigators found images of a vehicle believed to be involved in the shooting. The vehicle is described as a red or orange Dodge Challenger with chrome rims and tinted windows. Anyone with any information on the identity of those involved in this shooting should call Crime Stoppers of El Paso immediately at (915) 566-8477 (TIPS) or online at www.cselpaso.org. You will remain anonymous, and if your tip leads to an arrest, you may qualify for a cash reward. 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. On the last Monday in May, the United States honors those of its citizens who laid down their lives in service to their country. This year, on May 27, small American flags will sprout by the thousands on headstones and memorial plaques in cemeteries across the country, each marking the grave and honoring the sacrifice of a fallen hero. Every year, as a nation, we undertake this rite of remembrance, for we must never forget the price that was paid to protect our democracy, said President Joe Biden. We must never forget the lives these flags, flowers, and marble markers represent: a mother, a father, a son, a daughter, a sister, a spouse, a friend. An American. From coast to coast, citizens will celebrate Memorial Day with parades that incorporate military personnel and members of veterans organizations. Politicians will make speeches about courage, dedication and sacrifice, and Americans everywhere will pause for a moment of silence: in prayer, or just a fond memory of the dead. Throughout the annals of history, our troops have fought for our democracy and, if necessary, died for it, said President Biden. Today, their service and sacrifice, and that of their families, echoes far beyond those silent stones out there. We see it in the strength of our NATO Alliance, built from the bonds that we forever forged in the fires of two World Wars. We see it in the troops still standing sentinel on the Korean Peninsula, preserving peace side-by-side with our allies. We see it at every base, every barrack, every vessel around the globe where our military proudly serves and stands as a force for good in the world, President Biden said. On this day, we come together again to reflect, to remember, but above all, to recommit to the future our fallen heroes fought for, that generations of servicemembers who died for a future grounded in freedom, democracy, equality, tolerance, opportunity, and, yes, justice. As NASCAR drivers and more than 80,000 fans got ready for the start of the Coca-Cola 600, Donald Trump was part of the excitement before Sundays big race. The Republican presidential candidate met with Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 car for Richard Childress Racing on the track. Fans and potential voters cheered and showed their admiration for Trump, while taking pictures on their cell phones. As he made his way toward Dillons pit box the crowd chanted USA, several times. Former President Donald Trump, center, waves to fans along pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway prior to the running of the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, NC on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Trumps visit marks the first time a sitting or former president has attended a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It also shows the importance of North Carolina in the 2024 election as Trump campaigns to get back into the White House. North Carolina is considered a swing state in the election and NASCARs fan base has long been perceived as conservative-leaning. The motorcade arrived Sunday evening after Trump Force One flew over the racetrack before landing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Before he came to the track, Trump met with Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Christopher Tolley one of four officers shot in a deadly shooting in east Charlotte on April 29. He also spent time with the family of CMPD officer Joshua Eyer, one of four officers killed during the incident. Trump also met with Gold Star families of service members who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Former President Donald Trump sits in the pit box of driver Austin Dillion with Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing. The Coca-Cola 600 is one of NASCARs major races. The others are the Daytona 500, the Southern 500 at Darlington, and the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. Cruise ships set sail out of Baltimore for the first time since bridge collapse Two cruise ships set sail for the sea from Baltimore this weekend for the first time since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. Royal Caribbeans Vision of the Sea left Baltimore on Saturday for a five-night voyage to Bermuda, according to Port of Baltimore Director Jonathan Daniels. Cruising is back at the Port of Baltimore, Daniels said in a video posted on X from the Port of Baltimore account. Carnival Cruises Pride followed suit on Sunday when the ship headed off for a 14-day voyage to Greenland and Canada. Just a week ago, this terminal was being used as an incident command post. In one week, its been transformed back to starting out that guest experience, Daniels announced in the video, as tropical cruise music played in the background, The Port of Baltimore is back, cruising is back. Its absolutely great to be able to welcome everybody here. In a news release posted on the states website Tuesday, the Port of Baltimore administration had said, The Port of Baltimores permanent 700-foot wide, 50-foot-deep channel is expected to be reopened by the end of May. The Port of Baltimore was temporarily blocked following the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The 1.6-mile structure fell after the 213-million-pound cargo ship Dali collided with the bridge and struck one of its crucial support columns. In 2023, 444,000 passengers departed on cruises from the Port of Baltimore. The Port supports 15,330 direct jobs and 139,180 jobs in Maryland, according to the states website. The cruise industry adds $63 million to Marylands economy, the website notes. CNNs Kathleen Magramo contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Commuters travel on a motorised three-wheeler along a road as rain clouds loom over the sky, due to the effect of cyclone Remal, in Kolkata on 26 May 2024 (AFP) Strong winds and heavy rain battered the coastal regions of Bangladesh and India as severe cyclone Remal made landfall late on Sunday. Remal, the first cyclone of the year, started lashing Bangladeshs southern coast of Mongla port and the adjoining Sagar Islands in Indias West Bengal state with wind speeds measuring up to 135 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Dozens of Bangladeshi coastal villages were flooded after flood protection embankments were either washed away or damaged by the force of the storm surges. While there are not yet any official figures for casualties, Dhaka-based Somoy TV reported that at least two people died. The storm was forecast to weaken gradually into a cyclone over the course of Monday, and then move northeast and gradually weaken further, the IMD said in its latest weather update. The landfall process began around 9pm local time in India on Sunday and continued for about five hours, the regional meteorological office in Kolkata said. People walk past a fallen tree branch as Cyclone Remal hits the country, in the Shyamnagar area of Satkhira (Reuters) People walk along flooded shrimp and crab farms due to heavy rain as Cyclone Remal passes the country in the Shyamnagar area of Satkhira (Reuters) Volunteers of the Cyclone Preparedness Programm (CPP) use a megaphone to alert people asking them to evacuate as a preventive measure in Kuakata on 26 May 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) One person was killed in the city of Kolkata when concrete chunks fell on him during the peak of the storm, police said. Roofs of thatched huts were blown away while mud houses were flattened in the coastal areas of both countries as authorities waited to ascertain the full scale of losses. Bangladesh moved about 800,000 people from the port areas of Mongla and Chittagong and nine coastal districts to storm shelters from Sunday morning. As many as 110,000 people were also taken to shelters in India. Indias Kolkata airport was closed for the day on Monday, while Bangladesh shut down the airport in the southeastern city of Chattogram and canceled all domestic flights to and from Coxs Bazar. People walk along a beach during rainfall following the landfall of Cyclone Remal in Kuakata on 27 May 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) People move with their belongings to the cyclone shelter before Cyclone Remal in Satkhira (Reuters) Normal airport operations will resume from 9am, said C Pattavi, the director of the Kolkata airport, adding that the airports operational areas were clear from waterlogging. Bangladesh also suspended loading and unloading in the countrys largest main seaport in Chittagong and moved more than a dozen ships from jetties to the deep sea as a precaution. While early warnings and timely evacuations helped both countries avert major casualties from the storm, there was a heavy toll on power infrastructure. A man waits as flights are suspended at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport due to an approaching cyclone in Kolkata, India 26 May 2024 (EPA) A man salvages a cart and other material as water flows on to the Kuakata beach on the coast of Bay of Bengal caused by the advancing Cyclone Remal in Barisal, Bangladesh, Sunday, 26 May 2024 (AP) (AP) Reports of at least 356 uprooted electricity poles and damage to scores of transformers were received during the first hour of the landfall process, said Arup Biswas, the minister for power in West Bengal government. Authorities in Bangladesh shut down electricity supply to many areas in advance to avoid accidents while many coastal towns were left in the dark as fallen trees and broken lines disrupted supply, power ministry officials said. We have no electricity since night, my mobile battery will run out anytime. By the grace of Allah, the cyclone was not as violent as we thought, said Rahat Raja, a resident in the coastal district of Satkhira in Bangladesh. Dhaka set up nearly 8,000 cyclone shelters and mobilised 78,000 volunteers ahead of the storm while the Indian navy said it had kept ships, aircraft, divers and medical supplies on standby for deployment if required. Additional reporting by agencies FILE PHOTO: A crane lifts material onto a cargo vessel expected to take aid to Gaza from Cyprus, at the port of Larnaca NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus has scrapped a 1.2 billion euro ($1.30 billion) concession agreement for the development of Larnaca port, in a legal wrangle that the state and the contractor traded blame for on Monday. Operator Kition Ocean Holdings held a long-term lease to develop and operate both a yachting marina and a commercial port in the southern port town. The Cypriot government said Kition were in breach of contract for failing to renew a letter of guarantee. The company countered, saying in a statement that the government's action coincided with separate legal proceedings Kition had initiated to seek implementation of the concession agreement. Larnaca is the staging post of a maritime shuttle of international aid into Gaza. The issue will not affect activity at the port, government officials said. Kition Ocean Holdings had failed to renew a letter of guarantee for the project which legal authorities considered a contractual breach, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said. "This effectively activates a process where the port and the marina... are reverting to the administration of the state," Vafeades said. Kition Ocean Holdings said the government's decision was in breach of the terms of its agreement with the state. "We applied to the court two months ago to force the Government to follow their own agreement and to meet and solve the disputes in line with the agreement. "The Governments behaviour undermines the rule of law that should exist to protect investors," it said. ($1 = 0.9208 euro) (Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Jan Harvey and Jonathan Oatis) My father, Clarence Davenport Jr., was the first African American from Michigan admitted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. This happened in 1939. In the entire 20th Century, my dad was only the third African-American to graduate from West Point, and the sixth in its history. His rare accomplishments resulted from numerous circumstances, key among them African Americans growing local power at the ballot box. Clarence grew up in Detroit, the son of a blue-collar worker at Ford Motor Co. and a mother who worked as a dry cleaners assistant. So how did he earn a place at West Point, which requires a nomination from a member of Congress or another such dignitary? First, he was a prodigy, extremely gifted in his studies, particularly at math. In his family, education came first, last and always. And dad was a striver, he pushed himself, he saw himself as a kind of pioneer for his community. A second unusual factor was that he attended Pershing High School, whose students were then predominantly white, which meant it got reasonable amounts of funding, unlike schools in minority areas. He was able to do so because the Davenports Detroit home was located at the border of the school district that included Pershing. In high school, my dad was very much in the racial minority, but he still thrived academically. Toward the end of his senior year, the principal told him that he would have graduated as president of his class, but for his being African American. Clarence Davenport Jr. was the first Black Michigander to attend the U.S Military Academy at West Point. Simultaneously, changing politics directly impacted my fathers life. In 1938, a Republican defeated incumbent Democratic Congressman George D. OBrien of Detroits 13th Congressional District, where my father lived. Representative OBrien, of course, was white, and he was not finished with politics. Looking ahead to the 1940 election, he knew he needed more Black votes. So how to get them? Easy nominate an African American from the 13th District to West Point. A Democratic precinct official approached Clarence about the Congressmans interest, my father pulled together the necessary paperwork, and OBrien agreed on the nomination. This was a big deal in those days. The prospect of an appointment made headlines in the African American press and elsewhere: Admit Davenport to West Point ... Former Congressman OBrien Makes Recommendation. Did my dads appointment and ultimate West Point graduation pay off for the Congressman? Most certainly. With the aid of Black votes, OBrien won the 1940 election, and two more after that. Black votes mattered then, and they still do. 70 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, we've lost desegregation gains Many years later, my father reluctantly spoke of his personal experiences at West Point, where he endured greater challenges than other cadets. Like General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., dad had to endure the silence of his classmates for all four years at the Point nobody would speak to him except for official tasks. He was isolated, and unlike other cadets had no roommate. His meals were constantly interrupted. There were countless other abuses, not merely verbal, but Dad bore them with determination, stoicism, dignity. And he graduated with the class of 1943 and built a distinguished military career, retiring as a full colonel. Nowadays, you don't have to count on your fingers how many graduates of West Point are African American. There have been hundreds, including many females. And they are treated more fairly than in the old days of segregation and silencing. But I do fear for the future, for two reasons. First, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action last year, and although it exempted military academies from its ruling, a conservative group filed suit challenging that exemption. Recent history shows that Republicans blocked President Barack Obama from putting Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court and enabled Donald Trump to appoint the three justices who killed Roe v. Wade. Voting matters. Wayne County GOP canvassers tried to steal my vote. I won't be able to forget it. Second, the degradation of voting rights in Michigan (and throughout the country) is deeply troubling. Republicans continue to thwart the will of the people in several states by using gerrymandering to preserve control, even when they get fewer votes. And it has been only four years since fake electors appeared in Michigan and tried to steal the election for Donald Trump by disenfranchising the voters of Detroit. Memorial Day celebrates those who gave their lives for this country and the values Americans hold as a nation: duty, honor, country and civic responsibility. It follows, then, that the best way citizens can protect their rights is also the best way to honor those who sacrificed for the United States. It is to live up to the civic responsibility my father and so many like him fought for. It is to vote. Elizabeth Davenport McKune Elizabeth Davenport McKune served as U.S. Ambassador to the State of Qatar from 1998-2001. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: On Memorial Day, I honor my dad, first Black Michigander at West Point Dairy farmers protest in Brussels for better pay for their produce European dairy farmers take part in a protest calling for better income for their produce on the side European Agriculture ministers' meeting in Brussels. James Arthur Gekiere/Belga/dpa European dairy farmers took to the streets of Brussels with their tractors on Monday calling for better income for their produce. Farmers demonstrated under the slogan "Fair income for farmers now." In contrast to previous demonstrations of angry farmers, the protests remained peaceful. The protests took place as EU agriculture ministers met in the Belgian capital to address their concerns. The European Milk Board (EMB), an umbrella farming group, organized the demonstration with farmers from more than 15 countries taking part. Demonstrators brought big life-sized plastic cows in different national colours to demonstrate the diversity of the farmers in the protest. Official numbers of participants were not initially available. Prior to the demonstration, the police had asked citizens not to travel to the city by car but by public transport. The local transport company announced that several buses would be diverted due to the protests. European dairy farmers hold banners and flags during a protest calling for better income for their produce on the side European Agriculture ministers' meeting in Brussels. James Arthur Gekiere/Belga/dpa On This Day, May 27: Tornado outbreak kills 27 in Central Texas On May 27, 1997, an F5 tornado half a mile wide ripped through the small Texas town of Jarrell, killing 27 people, including a family of five. File Photo courtesy of the National Weather Service On this date in history: In 1703, Czar Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg as the new capital of Russia. In 1930, Richard Gurley Drew received a patent for his adhesive tape, which was later manufactured by 3M as Scotch tape. In 1937, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was opened. An estimated 200,000 people crossed it the first day. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI Smoke rises from the German battleship Bismarck shortly before it sinks May 27, 1941. File Photo courtesy of the Royal Navy In 1941, after attacks by British ships and planes, the German battleship Bismarck sank 400 miles west of the French port of Brest. In 1943, former Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini's B-24 bomber crashed in the Pacific Ocean during a rescue mission. He and one other survivor were captured by the Japanese and made prisoners of war. His story became the subject of the book Unbroken and a film by the same name directed by Angelina Jolie. Salvation Army volunteer Ed Wizeman secures wrapping paper on a Christmas gift using Scotch tape during the first day of the Salvation Army's Toy Lift in St. Louis on November 30, 2004. On May 27, 1930, Richard Gurley Drew received a patent for his adhesive tape, which was later manufactured by 3M as Scotch tape. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI In 1968, the U.S. nuclear submarine USS Scorpion was reported overdue in the Atlantic with 99 men aboard. The wreckage was located in October 1968. In 1990, Cesar Gaviria, 34, was elected president of Colombia after a campaign in which three candidates were killed. He vowed to make no deals with the cocaine cartels. On May 27, 1943, former Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini's B-24 bomber crashed in the Pacific Ocean during a rescue mission. File Photo courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration File Photo by Ricardo Watson/UPI In 1992, hours after a Russian-brokered cease-fire went into effect in Bosnia, Serb guerrillas launched a surprise mortar bombardment on Sarajevo, killing at least 20 people and injuring up to 160 more waiting in lines to buy bread. On May 27, 1968, the U.S. nuclear submarine Scorpion disappeared in the Atlantic with 99 men aboard. The wreckage was located months later. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy In 1997, an F5 tornado half a mile wide ripped through the small Texas town of Jarrell, killing 27 people, including a family of five. In 2004, a federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld Oregon's law authorizing doctors to help their terminally ill patients kill themselves. In 2006, an earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Java, killing approximately 5,000 people and leaving an estimated 200,000 homeless. In 2023, the Republican-led Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was under scrutiny for alleged abuse of office and other scandals for nearly a decade. He was acquitted on all charges in September 2023. File Photo by Justin Lane/UPI MEMPHIS, Tenn. During the day of remembrance, an annual service at Memorial Park Cemetery in East Memphis reflected on those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. We always get a very very nice turnout. We definitely have a lot of families calling in who want to know about our event. We share that with them and again its just growing every year, said Terry Richards, Memorial Park Funeral Home. The service was all about those who are no longer with us. Family desperate for answers after father of three shot to death Its about pausing though and remembering the brave men and women who gave their lives so we could live our lives free of oppression and terrorism, said Jim Purdy, Retired United States Navy. Many people also had their own personal reflections. Both of our parents were in World War Two. They didnt die in the battle, but they served our country. And not only does it honor the fallen ones, but both of our parents have passed away and we honor them in this way as well, said Jim Smith, East Memphis resident. For my wife and I each year we remember her brother Charles Ray Kelly, who was on a ship where the boiler blew up and unfortunately, he succumbed to that boiler explosion and then my own family member Robert Forman, Jr. from Lake Charles, Louisiana, was killed in a tank battle in the army. And so every year we remember him. They are stalwarts and giants in our respective families, said James Barnes, Arlington resident. Memorial Day marks beginning of deadliest months for teen drivers During the service, a wreath was laid in honor of those who sacrificed their lives. There was also a Cannon salute. Many are grateful for what we have today that came from the sacrifice of those who served. It instills this into our hearts, honoring our country, Smith said. Its important for young people to understand that our freedom is not free, Barnes said. Great sacrifices made for what we enjoy today. The memorial service was followed by free hotdogs and ice cream for those who were in attendance. 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. TO ACCESS THIS CONTENT YOU MUST OPEN A SESSION OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT MEMBER LOGIN CREATE YOUR USER ACCOUNT Iberdrola has today (May 17) signed an agreement to acquire the 18.4% minority stake in its US subsidiary Avangrid, which it previously did not own.. . . WASHINGTON (DC News Now) D.C. police said someone fatally shot a man in Northeast Monday afternoon. MPD responds to 2 separate shootings 30 minutes apart in Northwest DC The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said the incident happened in the 4000 block of Minnesota Ave. at around 2:46 p.m. The man was neither conscious nor breathing when officers arrived. He died there. He was identified as 23-year-old Chidozie Njoku, of Temple Hills, Md. Responding officers saw a man, who matched the suspects description, running from the scene. Officers followed the man and then placed him under arrest. They recovered a firearm, MPD said. The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Shannon Updike. He was charged with first degree murder while armed. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. KHARKIV, UkraineValentina Lavrinenko, 60, is fighting back tears while trying to heat some Ukrainian borscht over a small gas stove at her daughters apartment in Kharkiv. The city in eastern Ukraine is being pounded by Russian bombs daily, resulting in frequent power cuts. It has been over a year and a half since Skyler Gregg, an American volunteer in the Ukrainian army, died at the front line. The nearby city of Kupiansk, where Valentina used to live with her husband Viktor, had been under Russian occupation for seven months until the Ukrainian Army sent the Russians fleeing in September 2022. She recalled the young American arriving almost like a knight on a white horse. His Colgate smile and kind soul are impossible for her to forget. Skyler, from Washington state, helped Valentina and Viktor reconnect with their daughter and son via Starlink in 2022 after the liberation. It melted Valentina's heart. He was so kind. I showed Skyler photos of my family, and he showed photos of his. He didnt speak Ukrainian, but somehow, we managed to communicate, Valentina told The Daily Beast, I gave him coffee, tea, soup, and cookies. I even gave him some socks. The 23-year-old American, who died in an artillery attack about two months later, told Valentina about his wish to help the Ukrainians. Skyler showed Valentina the scars on his hands from being wounded a few months before. It made her cry. American Who Snuck Out of Dads House to Fight Putin Is Dead I told him that he should go home. He understood me but disagreed. He just smiled, says Valentina, who had a special bond with Skyler, So, I told him that I will pray for him. He almost became like a son for me, she adds. Valentina Lavrinenko says she forever thanks Skyler. She finds it hard to understand that someone would come from America to help liberate her. Stefan Weichert Making Connections When the Russian tanks rolled over the Ukrainian border in 2022, Skyler snuck out of his fathers house in the U.S. to join the International Legion of the Ukrainian Army despite having no prior military experience. Steve Gregg tried to talk his son out of it but he failed. The Daily Beast first met Skyler at a hospital in the summer of 2022 after a Russian drone at the front line had wounded him. He had bandages on his right arm and leg. I felt heat in my arm. Dogs around were just screaming. It rang in my ears, and I ran to an outdoor bathroom and shut the door. I was trying to hold my arm together, Skyler said about the attack, where one French volunteer fighter died and another got wounded. Despite his ordeal, Skyler was eager to return to the frontline. I have not finished what I came to do, he said in the hospital before taking part in the Ukrainian counteroffensive in September. That was when he helped liberate Valentinas family. Since Skylers death, his father has been fighting his own battles. The loss of his son has sent him on the path towards depression. Steve was considering counseling and the possibility of taking antidepressants when he managed to connect with Valentina. He had received her contact from another foreign soldier in Ukraine, who told him about the special bond between Valentina and Skyler. Steve wasnt sure if it was a good idea to get in touch. The first time he spoke to Valentina, Steve showed a photo of Skyler with a Ukrainian flag hanging on his wall. It made Valentina burst into tears. Since then, Steve has been frequently texting with Valentina and her daughter, Irina. Irina and Valentina outside their apartment in Kharkiv. They are uncertain about going to the U.S. They say it is difficult to leave one's own country. Stefan Weichert A Special Bond After the liberation in 2022, Skyler and his unit moved into a house close to Valentina and Viktor. She would continue to cook for Skyler and help out whenever she could. When I heard that he died, I just couldnt believe it. He was such a good boy. He wanted all the best for us. He did much more than many Ukrainians are doing. He was not afraid of anything, Valentina says, while tears are running down her cheeks. Steve used to have a Ukrainian flag and a photo of Skyler with Valentina hanging on his wall. Steve Gregg She shows The Daily Beast a water bottle and towel that she got from Skyler. Valentina gave him some small presents. She couldnt stop crying when she saw Skyler the last time in Kupiansk as if she knew it would be the last. Again, Valentina tried to convince the young American to go home to Steve and his mother, but she couldnt get through to him. I told him to take care of himself. And dont forget about me, Valentina says, adding that Skyler kept smiling at her, I will be here if you need me. I told Skyler that. This American Snuck Out of His Dads Houseand Got Bombed by Putin Steve, 58, who only had sporadic contact with Skyler once he had arrived in Ukraine said: I am just so grateful to Valentina. That she could be there for Skyler when I could not. It is like she was the one who was able to say goodbye to Skyler I have lost my son, but I have gotten another family. I have gotten a new meaning in my life this way. Steve, who is divorced and also has a daughter, has started the process of sponsoring Valentinass family to come to the U.S. through the Uniting for Ukraine program. The program allows Ukrainians fleeing the war to come to the U.S. if they have a sponsor. It helps me to know that I can help them, says Steve. The war is just so awful. Its evil. Its hell. It is just awful in every way. I need to do something. Steve, who used to be an engineer, says that Skyler always wanted to help people and embrace the world without considering the consequences. Steve, who had to quit working when he got diagnosed with cancer a few years back, is now cancer-free and starting to look for jobs so that he can better take care of Valentinas family if they arrive in the U.S. I am trying now to speak Skylers language. Do what he would do, says Steve, Not everyone understands me, but it is something that I really want to do. Steve says that he is much different from Skyler, but his son's death has taught him to be more like his son. Steve Gregg New Futures Back in Kharkiv, Valentinas daughter, Irina, says that Skyler left a unique mark on her mother. Her father is still in Kupiansk caring for the house despite the Russians being only five miles away. Steve is desperate to give them the opportunity to hide from the Russian missiles in the safety of the U.S. My father really wants to go to America. It is something that he had been dreaming about even before the war. But my mom and I are scared, says Irina, worrying about the language barrier and saying goodbye to Ukraine. Valentina says that Skylers death has forged a special bond between her and Steve. Even if they dont make it to the U.S., she hopes that they will meet one day. She will invite him to Ukraine after the war to show him where they lived and tell stories about her meetings with Skyler. Steve explains that simply being in contact with the Lavrinenko family means a lot. This has all given me a sense of purpose in my life, and I am trying to figure everything out. But if they do come, I will do everything to help them learn English and find a job, says Steve, who also would like to travel to Ukraine in the future. You know, this Ukrainian family is like a gift to me. All of this has saved me from depression. I had lost the why in my life. I have gotten it back, he says. I will always be grateful for that. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A dead whale that was floating off the Oregon Coast near Rockaway Beach for more than a day has washed ashore a mile north of the north Nehalem Jetty in Nehalem Bay State Park. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the dead humpback whale was spotted off the coast Sunday and was located on the beach Monday morning. Officials said the whale appears to be bloated, which means its likely been dead for serval days. whale The deal humpback whaled washed ashore near the north Nehalem Jetty. (Oregon State Parks) NOAA Fisheries spokesperson Michael Milstein told KOIN 6 News that experts will examine the dead whale later today. Milstein said that people and pets are strongly advised to keep a safe distance from the carcass. We are asking people to please stay away from the carcass so it remains undisturbed until our stranding team can arrive and conduct an exam, Milstein said. We want the best possible chance to try to determine the cause of death. The dead whales location is also a nesting area for threatened western snowy plovers, Milstein said, and beach access is limited for their protection. 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 KOIN.com. CLEVELAND (WJW) The Fox 8 I-Team has confirmed one person died after multiple people were shot early Sunday morning, in downtown Cleveland. The shooting happened around 3 a.m. near East 13th Street and St. Clair Avenue. Officers immediately responded and located four individuals, a 24-year-old male, a 19-year-old male, a 26-year-old female, and a 28-year-old male, all victims of gunshot wounds, police stated in a press release. Unfortunately, one of the victims, a 28-year-old male, was pronounced deceased at the hospital. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this unfortunate incident, said Deputy Chief Schlacht. The Cuyahoga County Coroners Office confirmed the man killed was Tavon Thompson. A relative told FOX 8 the victim had been out celebrating someones birthday that night and was caught in the crossfire during the shooting. The relative said Thompson was the father of three. Theres no word yet on if anyone was arrested. Photos: Sinkhole collapses busy road in Akron Sources also tell the I-Team that a gas main line was struck during the shooting and leaking outside of Reads Jewelry and Loan store. Cleveland Fire Department secured the leak. The shooting happened just days after Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced his summer safety plan. Nearly 1.9 million bottles of water impacted by FDA recall The plan follows a whole-of-government approach by coordinating the deployment of city resources, expanding community partnerships, and encouraging active engagement of citizens. Bibb released the following statement regarding the incident: I am both saddened and angered by this thoughtless and cowardly act of violence. It has claimed one life and deeply impacted many others. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. It is time to break the cycle of violence and find better ways to resolve conflicts. Clevelanders deserve to feel safe in our city. My administration will continue to collaborate with law enforcement, local partners, faith leaders and community members to reduce the number of guns on our streets, target hot spots for violent crime and focus resources where they are needed the most. The Cleveland Division of Police is investigating this incident and I encourage anyone with information to come forward. 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. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, stands on the floor of the Alabama Senate on April 25, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A bill that would have made Juneteenth a state holiday died in the Alabama Legislature, leading to accusations from the sponsor about the reasons why. HB 4, sponsored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, would have made Juneteenth, commemorating the end of American slavery, a state holiday. The legislation would not have created a mandatory day off for state employees. Instead, the bill, amended in the Republican-controlled chamber to match a version of the legislation by Rep. Chris Sells, R-Greeneville, would have required state agencies to grant that day off or Jefferson Davis Birthday. Jefferson Davis Birthday is a state holiday on the first Monday of June that commemorates the former Confederate president, a slaveholder and the head of an explicitly white supremacist government. We live in a state where theres an attempt to eradicate Black history, Givan said in a Friday phone interview. We can no longer teach it in schools. So, all those things, and I just believe that it, a, it deserves a standalone holiday. The bill passed the House of Representatives in April but was never assigned to a Senate committee, the first step in getting legislation through a chamber. Givan accused Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, of preventing the bill from moving forward. He was angry with me because I told him that I want the same level of respect as a legislator that he expects as a senator, she said. Im saying it very slow because I want you to quote me, because you cannot go into the district which he represents and do anything or nor ask any other legislator to sponsor something in the district he represents without him going from zero to 60 in less than point zero seconds. Smitherman told the Reflector Wednesday that he supported Givans bill and did not kill it. I dont know what you referring to in terms of the validity or anything of that, but I dont have that authority to do what shes talking about, he said Wednesday. Four follow-up attempts were made to Smitherman on Friday. Givan claimed that the Juneteenth bill was targeted because legislation that would have extended a financial lifeline to Birmingham-Southern College, a liberal arts school that will shut down this week, failed to come to a House vote. I think is absolutely, it was a sad day for the state of Alabama that a Black man which I said on the floor, a Black man in leadership would kill a bill, not only my bill he killed several bills, as retribution regarding the Birmingham-Southern situation, she said. Givan also said that House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, held Smithermans bills. It takes two houses, please put this in here to pass a bill, and what I saw this year from the legislators in the house, the Speaker, when he found out what was going on, he held the remainder of Smithermans bills, and thats why those five bills did not get out, and I want you to print it just like I gave it to you, she said. A spokesperson for Ledbetter on Friday said that was incorrect. Givan also said that Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed, R-Jasper, informed her that Smitherman requested the bill stay in the basket. Many pieces of legislation require extensive work and consideration both before moving and while moving through the Senate, wrote a spokesperson for Reed over text Friday. This would certainly seem to be one of those many cases. Givan said she was planning to file the bill again next year. Smitherman said he would support the bill. President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2021 making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Gov. Kay Ivey proclaimed Juneteenth a state holiday last Monday. Unless legislation is passed establishing Juneteenth as a state holiday, it will be up to governors to set the holiday. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST This story was updated to reflect that four, rather than two, follow-up calls were made to Smitherman. The post Death of Juneteenth bill in Alabama Legislature sparks accusations appeared first on Alabama Reflector. The aftermath of the Russian strikes on Kharkiv on 25 May. Photo: Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration The death toll from the 25 May Russian attack on the Epicentr home improvement hypermarket in Kharkiv has risen to 18, and 48 people have been injured. Source: Oleh Syniehubov, the Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration Quote: "The information about the fatalities at the shopping centre has been updated. The death toll has risen to 18. A total of 48 people have been injured." Details: Five people are reportedly missing. Background: On Saturday afternoon, Russian forces struck the Epicentr home improvement hypermarket in Kharkiv. Earlier reports indicated that 15 people had been killed and 25 injured in the attack. It took over 16 hours to extinguish the fire. On the morning of 27 May, Serhii Bolvinov, Head of the Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine branch in Kharkiv Oblast, reported that the body of a teenage boy, 17, who had been in the Epicentr hypermarket in Kharkiv at the time of the attack, was found and identified using DNA samples. Support UP or become our patron! The number of casualties from the Russian strike on the Epicentr hypermarket in Kharkiv may reach 18 people as of the morning of 27 May. The prosecutor's office relies on data about the bodies of those identified, those whose identities have not yet been established, body fragments, and statements from relatives about missing persons. Source: Dmytro Chubenko, a spokesperson for Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office; Yuliia Chudnovets, Communications Manager at Epicentr K, in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda; State Emergency Service of Ukraine on Telegram; Serhii Bolvinov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Police Investigative Department, on Facebook; Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office on Telegram Quote from Chubenko: "The death toll has now risen to 16. A total of 45 people have been injured. Five people remain missing. 16 are the 16 bodies of different people. This is our latest accurate information. 13 of them have been identified. We had seven reports of missing persons. Now, there are five missing persons. Sadly, two of these missing persons have been reported killed. Additionally, there are body fragments, but it is unclear whether they belong to one person or several, so we are not stating a specific number of fatalities. Therefore, the likely number of fatalities at the moment is 18 individuals. This includes the 13 identified individuals plus the five reported missing." Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine Details: Chubenko explained that the search and identification of bodies or their fragments are complicated by the explosion, the intense fire and the large area affected by the fire. "The search for bodies is very difficult because some bodies were torn into fragments after the explosion; there were collapses of walls and ceilings; the fire was very extensive; the situation is very complex. Also, after conflagrations, very small fragments remain, and it is difficult to understand exactly what these fragments are. Therefore, the search for traces of the peoples presence is currently ongoing," Chubenko explained. He added that theoretically, even the complete disappearance of a person is possible after such intense fires. The spokesperson for the prosecutor's office also did not rule out the possibility that the number of casualties could be higher. "The search process is ongoing. Theoretically, there could have been people in the store whose relatives are unaware that they were in this hypermarket, or their relatives may have left and are abroad, so they do not know anything about those who remained here (and accordingly did not file missing persons reports). We are checking the cameras. There were 20 people at the explosion site. What happened to them is currently unknown because the cameras were turned off after the explosion. Perhaps they were in a state of shock but managed to quickly leave; maybe they are among the wounded; or maybe they left in a shocked state with minor injuries and went home without reporting it," Chubenko explained. Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine He added that, in order to assist with the identification of individuals, the prosecutor's office has posted videos from surveillance cameras without faces blurred. Law enforcement officials hope that someone may recognise their relatives or friends and can report to the 102 hotline if the identified person does not respond. Epicentr K Communications Manager Yuliia Chudnovets reported that they currently know about two employees of the store being killed, and another 12 are not in contact. "We currently have officially two employees killed and eight who are not in contact. Also, four of our promoters are not in contact. Unfortunately, we do not have any other information at the moment," Chudnovets said. As of the morning of 27 May, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported 15 people killed in a Russian strike on a home improvement store and 44 injured. The same figure is given by Serhii Bolvinov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Police Investigative Department. The day before, Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, said that 16 people were killed in the attack on the Epicentr hypermarket in Kharkiv on 25 May, including a 12-year-old girl. Quote from Bolvinov: "Last night, another body was found at the site of the lighting sales department. The death toll is now 15. The work in the laboratory continues; during the night, experts were able to identify two more bodies. At the same time, the search continues; unfortunately, there may still be bodies in the hypermarket." The State Emergency Service reports that, as of Monday morning, emergency workers had cleared about 30% of the rubble. "We have to suspend work during air-raid warnings. This is not the first time the occupier has used double-tap strike tactics. Emergency workers continue to clear the rubble and search for bodies and the remains of the deceased. Psychologists of the State Emergency Service are providing assistance to the relatives of the deceased and the survivors," the service summed up. This news has been updated since publication. Support UP or become our patron! Karl Lauterbach (C), Germany's Health Minister, sits at the start of the "Progress Conference on the Heat Protection Plan for Health" at the German Ministry of Health. Christoph Soeder/dpa The number of people in need of medical care in Germany rose much faster than expected last year, according to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. "For demographic reasons, an increase of only around 50,000 people would have been expected in 2023. But the increase is actually over 360,000," Lauterbach, a Social Democrat (SPD), told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland news agency on Monday. "We don't yet understand exactly why this is the case," Lauterbach said, but there is "an acute problem" in long-term care insurance. "The number of people in need of care has exploded in recent years," said Lauterbach. The minister said the issues confronting the long-term care system potentially stem from two generations - the baby boomers and their parents - both seeking care at the same time. Researchers have previously forecast that the number of people in need of care in Germany would grow from around 5 million today to more than 6 million within the next 15 years, although figures vary greatly by region due to demographic trends. According to a February forecast from the Federal Statistical Office, there will be a shortage of between 280,000 and 690,000 workers in the care sector nationwide by 2049. That will put an immense strain on Germany's long-term care insurance system, Lauterbach said. Current contributions alone cannot maintain the level of benefits. Last July, Germany's centre-left coalition government decided to increase contributions for those without children to 4% and for those with one child to 3.4%. At the beginning of May, company health insurance funds sounded the alarm after projections showed that the long-term care insurance system is facing a deficit of 1 billion ($1.1 billion) this year and 4.4 billion by 2025. Maria Loheide, director of social affairs at Diakonie Deutschland, the social welfare arm of the mainstream Protestant churches in Germany, warned earlier this month that health insurance companies and local authorities weren't doing enough to address rising costs due to wage increases. "If the money from care insurance is no longer sufficient, the care of people in need of care will be at risk," Loheide told dpa. Nevertheless, there is no immediate remedy in sight. A comprehensive financial reform in the care sector is unlikely to be achieved before the next parliamentary elections in 2025, said Lauterbach. An inter-ministerial working group is "unlikely to come to a uniform recommendation," he said, citing differences of opinion between the three parties in the coalition government. The conservative opposition CDU/CSU bloc criticized Lauterbach's comments as an admission of failure and urged action to address the financial problems in long-term care. "If the coalition partners can no longer find solutions because their views are too far apart, then they should give up their claim to shape the healthcare sector," said the CDU's Tino Sorge. TO ACCESS THIS CONTENT YOU MUST OPEN A SESSION OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT MEMBER LOGIN CREATE YOUR USER ACCOUNT Highlights The utility will supply 100% clean electricity to a plant of the laboratories in Italy for 11 years. Iberdrola's operating po. . . From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch Happy Monday! We hope that you take some time today to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our continued freedom and safety. Quick Hits: Todays Top Stories Remembering the Fallen Heroes of the Long Wars Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. (via Getty Images) Editors note: Today is Memorial Day, when a grateful nation honors those who gave the last full measure of devotion. Doug Ollivant is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army who served in Iraq and Afghanistan during Americas long wars there, and on the site today, he reflects on his yearly pilgrimage to Arlington National Cemeterythe final resting place of many of the men and women we lost in those conflicts. Section 60 can be described as an accidental memorial. It is not as if someone planned a place where the hallowed dead of the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would be laid to rest. This was just bureaucratic inertiaSection 60 happened to be the place that, bluntly, had vacancies. As the number of war dead increased, Section 60 became the area in which such graves claimed a majority stake, occupied by force, in military terms. Other honored servicemembers are sprinkled throughoutpassed from accident, disease, or age but entitled by service to placement in Arlingtonbut the war dead claimed primacy of place by raw numbers. A decade or so ago, Section 60 looked like a pilgrimage site and trended distinctly younger. The past few years, the crowds have been smaller. We are aging, memory is fading, arguably wounds have healed as much as they ever will. Interestingly, the visitors to Section 60 are, in my experience, almost evenly divided between men and women, despite the fact that the fallen are overwhelmingly male. While the public consciousness absorbs the stories of the women more deeplyShannon Kent, Laura Walker, Ashley Whitethe hard numbers tell another story. More than 97.5 percent of the Iraq and Afghanistan war fatalities have been men. Of course, for every fallen male soldier there is a mother and often a wife or fiance or girlfriend, just as for the women there are husbands and fathers. So while the parity makes sense, it is still notable, the brothers of the fallen mixing with the women who mourn them. I go to Arlington only on Memorial Day, so Im not certain what the traffic looks like on other days. And frankly, Im not sure my friends there would still want me visiting at all anymoreI removed my memorial bracelet years ago on similar suspicions. It has been years, after all. Decades, in a growing number of cases. Would they want me to continue making this observance? Would they tell me I should be moving on and not be haunted by their deaths? Ill assume they wouldnt begrudge me a short drop-by on the holiday. Barring illness, Ill again be on that minor pilgrimage to Section 60 again. Perhaps at some point the murmurings that its been long enough will grow loud enough for me to listen. To leave the dead to their own quiet whispers as they wait for uswe gathered observants on this dayto one day join them. But not this year. Worth Your Time Its never easy to grieve the loss of a loved one. But in the military, it can often be hard to find the time to grieve. The unique demands of military service mean that soldiers experience loss differently from the vast majority of civilians, our old friend David French wrote in the New York Times. In the civilian world, death interrupts our liveswe drop everything to rush to the side of a dying relative or friend. In war, death interrupts nothing. Time doesnt stop; it seems to accelerate. And thats deeply unnatural, he wrote. When I came home, all the grief that I had pushed away came flooding back. To fully grieveand to even begin to healI had to be with my brothers. So, in the summer of 2011, we traveled together to Avon Lake, Ohio, to remember Mike Medders. He was the last of us to fall, and his death shattered us. We were gathered at his sisters house, swapping stories and toasting Mike, when we heard the sound of bagpipes. One of Mikes neighbors was standing by himself, shrouded in darkness at the end of the driveway. He played Amazing Grace and everyone fell silent. We raised our glasses in quiet tribute. Then, just as suddenly, the bagpipes stopped. The song was over, and the neighbor walked back home without saying a word. Presented Without Comment CNN: Trump Loudly Booed at Libertarian Convention When He Asks Attendees to Nominate Me or at Least Vote for Me Also Presented Without Comment New York Times: Hillary Clinton Has Some Tough Words for Democrats, and for Women The people, the voters who left me, were women, [Clinton] said. They left me because they just couldnt take a risk on me, because as a woman, Im supposed to be perfect. They were willing to take a risk on Trumpwho had a long list of, lets call them flaws, to illustrate his imperfection because he was a man, and they could envision a man as president and commander in chief. Also Also Presented Without Comment NBC News: Sedition Panda Convicted of Assaulting Officer on Jan. 6 After Judge Calls Defense Argument Absurd In the Zeitgeist We think its stoopid with two Os that we have to wait until next year for the third installment in Rian Johnsons whodunnit series starring Daniel Craig as the inimitable detective, Benoit Blanc, but at least we know what its called now: Toeing the Company Line TMD s own Grayson Logue answered member questions in this months Mailbag ()! To learn about his dog Lola, his favorite cocktails, his time studying history, and how he approaches TMD , be sure to click here. In the newsletters: The Dispatch Politics crew reported on the double standard reactions in Congress to the Alito flag-gate, Mike and Sarah examined the evidence in Trumps New York criminal trial now that both sides have rested their cases, Jonah reflected on moral panics on the left and right, Jonah wrote about competing moral panics on the left and right, Nick dove into () the flag flap and the importance of ambivalence, and Chris introduced () a new presidential polling average breakdown for each week between now and election day. On the podcasts: Jonah ruminated on the gap between left-wing media and average American values, Justice Samuel Alitos flag-gate, President Bidens speech at Morehouse College, and more on The Remnant . On the site over the weekend: Reilly Stephens argued against ceding historically patriotic symbolslike the Appeal to Heaven flagto bad actors, and Thomas Koenig explored the leadership lessons offered by James Longstreet, a Confederate general who turned on the South. Let Us Know Who are you thinking of this Memorial Day? Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. Should we ditch the names of Hitler beetles, Mussolini butterflies? The photo shows an Anophthalmus hitleri, a "Hitler beetle" under a microscope in the State Zoological Collection in Munich. Streets are renamed, monuments removed and books rewritten. A debate is buzzing in the zoology world: Should Hitler beetles and Mussolini butterflies be renamed? Matthias Schrader/dpa It is just 5 millimetres long and tends to live hidden in caves and although many experts have never seen this beetle, it is causing quite a stir. Its scientific name is Anophthalmus hitleri. The brown, eyeless beetle was named after Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler - and is very popular with certain collectors because of its name. There are several examples of animals with controversial designations. Another bone of contention is on display at Berlin's Museum fur Naturkunde (Natural History Museum) - the dinosaur Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki, named after Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who was involved in atrocities in Africa as commander of the German colonial army. Most animals were given their scientific names a long time ago but are they still acceptable today? As streets are renamed, monuments removed, and language scrutinized - should we reconsider these designations too? Controversial animal names are a hot topic discussed within the scientific community but nothing is likely to change any time soon. How new animal species get their scientific names Every year, thousands of new animal species are designated worldwide. The international rules for zoological nomenclature define how taxonomists should proceed. According to Berlin-based zoologist Michael Ohl, the nomenclature does not specify the content. Researchers are free to choose the names as long as they are technically correct. "These apply as soon as they are published and can then no longer be deleted," Ohl explains. There is a long tradition of naming newly discovered animal species after people - to flatter a generous donor, to honour family or friends or to attract attention with the help of prominent namesakes, as Ohl writes in his book "The Art of Naming." Pop star Taylor Swift has inspired the naming of a millipede species, beetles have been named after actor Leonardo DiCaprio and climate protection activist Greta Thunberg. One moth is now called "Neopalpa donaldtrumpi" due to the striking golden flakes covering its head, which scientists found resemble the former US president's striking hairstyle. Ethical concerns with naming practices Naming animals after people can pose problems, as seen with examples like the Hitler Beetle and a butterfly honouring Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. But it's not just historical figures, even contemporary individuals can complicate matters. What if a politician takes a turn towards extremism or a film star faces allegations of misconduct? Some scientists argue that species names can also carry discriminatory or racist connotations. A group of experts scrutinized the names of over 1,500 known dinosaurs. While the scientists are tight-lipped about the study's findings until publication, reports from the scientific journal Nature suggest troubling discoveries. Among them, fossils unearthed in Tanzania between 1908 and 1920 often bear names of German researchers rather than local expedition members, or they derive from colonial place names. Additionally, a majority of gender-specific names tilt towards males. Is this really a big deal? According to an estimate by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) - the body that publishes the naming rules - around 20% of animal names are eponymous. These are names that are intended to honour individuals. These are therefore the largest group of names that could offend, the commission writes in a statement. Toponyms, or location names, could also be perceived as offensive. They account for around 10% of names. Several hundred thousand accepted scientific names could therefore be called into question, it says. In the case of dinosaur names, the researchers rated less than 3% as problematic. In terms of numbers, the problem is insignificant, explains Evangelos Vlachos from the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio in Argentina, in the Nature report. Nevertheless, the issue is of great relevance. It is necessary to critically review previous practice and try to correct mistakes, he says. What the scientific community thinks The ICZN refuses the renaming of animals based on ethical concerns. "Of course, we recognize that some names can cause discomfort or offence," says Daniel Whitmore, a taxonomist who is a member of the commission. "It's not our job to judge whether names are offensive or ethically unacceptable, because that's a very subjective and personal matter," he adds. The focus is on maintaining a universal and clear classification system, he says. While zoologist Ohl agrees that renaming species poses challenges, he emphasizes the need for the ICZN to address ethical issues, even though it would be like opening "Pandora's box," he says. Exploring solutions Renaming controversial species, like the Hitler Beetle, may not fundamentally alter perceptions. "In a case like the Hitler beetle, renaming it wouldn't change much at all," says Ohl. Anyone who wants to collect the Hitler beetle because of its name will continue to do so, he adds. One way of taking a critical look at controversial animal names would be to contextualize their history in museums, to encourage reflection. The Berlin Natural History Museum has already done this with Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki. A display board reads: "Unfortunately, the strict rules of taxonomy preclude any subsequent changes to species names once they have been assigned." A skeleton of a Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki is on display at the Museum fur Naturkunde (Natural History Museum) in Berlin. The name of the dinosaur refers to Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, a German officer who was involved in the genocide of the Herero and Nama. Sebastian Gollnow/dpa A skeleton of a Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki is on display at the Museum fur Naturkunde Berlin. The name of the dinosaur refers to Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, a German officer who was involved in the genocide of the Herero and Nama. Sebastian Gollnow/dpa Protesters gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, while justices hear oral arguments about whether federal law protects emergency abortion care. (Sofia Resnick/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON Doctors from throughout the country posted a public letter last week, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure health care professionals can perform abortions in every state when that procedure is essential stabilizing treatment under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Thousands of doctors, organized by the advocacy group The Committee to Protect Health Care, signed the letter that calls on the justices to decide in favor of the Biden administrations interpretation that the law protects doctors who provide abortions in emergency circumstances. We know firsthand how complications from pregnancy can lead very quickly to a medical crisis, requiring immediate care and treatment, the letter states. These patients complications can range from a miscarriage to heavy bleeding, from placental abruption to a stroke from severe preeclampsia and doctors and health professionals in emergency departments must be allowed to use the full range of medical options to save these patients lives, including abortion, the doctors wrote. The Committee to Protect Health Care writes on its website that through earned and paid media, grassroots advocacy campaigns, and other tools, we help pass policies that expand health care and abortion access, elect health care champions, and hold anti-health care politicians accountable. A letter is not the official way for experts or interested parties to weigh in with the justices when they are considering a case. Typically, individuals or organizations file an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, brief before oral arguments. The publication of the letter, however, comes a full month after that took place in this case and likely after the majority has begun writing the ruling. The Committee to Protect Health Care confirmed Friday the group didnt file an amicus brief. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case, Idaho v. United States, on April 24. The justices are expected to release their ruling before the Fourth of July break. Biden administration interpretation The case centers around whether a federal law, known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or EMTALA, protects doctors and other healthcare professionals who provide abortions as stabilizing treatment during a medical emergency, even when those doctors actions might go against state bans or restrictions. The case in front of the Supreme Court, in part, stems from the Biden administrations interpretation of the 1986 law. That law requires emergency departments to either provide stabilizing care or transfer a patient with an emergency medical condition, regardless of their insurance status. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced in July 2022 that under EMTALA no matter where you live, women have the right to emergency care including abortion care. Today, in no uncertain terms, we are reinforcing that we expect providers to continue offering these services, and that federal law preempts state abortion bans when needed for emergency care, Becerra wrote in a statement. Protecting both patients and providers is a top priority, particularly in this moment. The announcement came shortly after the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide, constitutional right to an abortion that was established in the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision. The post Doctors urge U.S. Supreme Court to include abortion as stabilizing care under federal law appeared first on Utah News Dispatch. Dolton man charged with attempted murder after shooting, robbery on Far South Side Dolton man charged with attempted murder after shooting, robbery on Far South Side CHICAGO A Dolton man accused of shooting a woman during an armed robbery on the citys Far South Side is now facing a handful of felony charges. Chicago police say 29-year-old Terrance Griffin has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with the discharge of a firearm, and armed robbery. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines According to police, the charges stem from a robbery that allegedly unfolded in the early morning hours on Friday, May 10, in Roseland. Officers say Griffin allegedly shot a 28-year-old woman, just before 1 a.m., in the 11000 block of South Vernon Avenue before robbing her. Officers have not provided updates on the condition of the victim. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Authorities eventually caught up with Griffin on Friday and he was taken into custody in the 600 block of West State Street in Rockford. Griffin appeared in court on Saturday for a detention hearing. 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. Twelve people aboard a Qatar Airways flight were injured Sunday after the plane was hit with turbulence on its way to Dublin, airport officials announced. The flight, which came from Doha, landed at the Dublin Airport shortly before 1 p.m. and was met by emergency services after six passengers and six crew members reported injuries, the Dublin Airport said Sunday on the social platform X. The 12 individuals were assessed on the aircraft, eight of whom were taken to the hospital, the airport added. The Qatar Airways flight QR017 experienced turbulence while flying over Turkey, per the statement. The Hill reached out to Qatar Airways for further comment. The return flight to Doha was expected to take off as normal Sunday afternoon, and Dublin Airports flight operations were unaffected by the incident, the airport said. It comes days after a passenger on a Singapore Airlines flight died and dozens of others were injured after it hit severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean. The flight was forced to suddenly divert to Bangkok. The cause of the deadly turbulence has not yet been determined, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it would send a team of investigators to look into the incident. The incident prompted questions about turbulence and whether customers should anticipate more of it due to stronger jet stream winds driven by climate change. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday warned climate change is already impacting modes of transit. He noted that while incidents like the Singapore Airlines flight are rare, the U.S. needs to be prepared to adapt to the changing climate. Weve seen that in the form of everything from heat waves that shouldnt statistically even be possible, threatening to melt the cables of transit systems in the Pacific Northwest, to hurricane seasons becoming more and more extreme and indications that turbulence is up by about 15 percent. That means assessing anything and everything that we can do about it, he said in a Sunday interview on CBS Newss Face the Nation. 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 The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- At least 40 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike at a camp for displaced people in the southern city of Rafah late Sunday, the Hamas-run ministry of health said. Most Read from Bloomberg The strike came two days after the International Court of Justice issued a ruling that many interpreted as ordering Israel to halt its operations so as to save civilians. The Israeli military said it carried out the strike based on precise intelligence against legitimate targets under international law and that it killed two senior Hamas officials responsible for operations in the West Bank. Read more: World Bank Tallies Up Wars Ruinous Cost for Palestinian Economy The area, in Rafahs northwest, was overcrowded with tents from people fleeing the assault on the city, which the Biden administration has warned against because of the risk to civilians lives. Footage on social media showed fire spreading across tents as people pulled out the dead and injured. Our teams are doing their best to save lives, the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement, adding that it was treating people from the strike at a field hospital. Its imperative to protect civilians. The area wasnt among those ordered to be evacuated by the Israeli military as it prepared for the assault on Rafah, and it attracted many people fleeing areas deemed more dangerous. The Israeli military said it was aware of reports that civilians were harmed due to the strike and the fire it ignited, and that its reviewing the incident. Israel says the operations in Rafah will continue until the several thousand Hamas fighters there are crushed or surrender. Officials say they interpret Fridays ruling in The Hague as permitting the incursion to continue as long as its done with care, adding that the military is carrying out targeted strikes in Rafah, far short of a full invasion. Negotiations over a Gaza cease-fire had been set to resume this week following a meeting in Paris among Israels intelligence chief, the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency and the Qatari foreign minister. The talks, aimed at exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners and reaching an extended pause in combat, have fallen apart over Hamas insistence that they lead to an end to the war. Israel says the war can only end with the defeat of Hamas. The mediators are seeking language that both sides can accept. Read more: Israel Ordered by UN Court to Halt Rafah Military Operations In a ruling on Friday, the ICJ said Israel must immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. The wording of the sentence has led to diverging interpretations. Many regard it as as an order to stop the offensive, and thats how it was widely reported on Friday. But Israeli officials say the order is conditional that their military must stop any action that could destroy civilians. The campaign in Rafah will not lead to the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, Israels National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a joint statement with the Foreign Ministrys legal advisers. Speaking later on Israels Channel 12, Hanegbi said, What they are asking us is to not commit genocide in Rafah. We did not commit genocide and we will not commit genocide. Tel Aviv Strikes Sirens sounded around Tel Aviv on Sunday, driving residents into bomb shelters after eight missiles were shot from Rafah, according to the military. Hamas claimed responsibility. Israels air defense system intercepted them all. It was the first such volley of missiles to reach Tel Aviv in months, a sign, military spokesmen said, that Hamas has been smuggling new weapons into Rafah from Egypt and a key reason why Israel contends it needs to send its forces there. Whatever the majority meant in its 13-2 ruling, member countries can take their case to the United Nations Security Council, which could order Israel to stop its military incursion into Rafah at risk of sanctions. To avoid that, Israel would rely on the US veto in the Security Council. Given recent tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden, theres concern in Jerusalem that Washington may not rush to its aid, although it seems likely to issue a veto in the end. The strain with the US, which has built over the course of the seven-month war in Gaza, has intensified over Rafah. Some 1.4 million Palestinians were sheltering in Rafah when Israel said they should move to safer areas within the coastal enclave in preparation for its invasion, which is aimed at taking out what it says are the four remaining Hamas battalions there. The US said theres no safe place for those internal refugees to go and that the flow of badly-needed humanitarian goods into Gaza would again be halted if the Rafah operation went ahead. Nearly a million Palestinians have fled Rafah to parts of Gaza that are at least partly destroyed, many without proper sanitation or water supplies. Read more: Gazans Flee Danger of Rafah for Uncertainty of Crowded Camps David Satterfield, a senior adviser for Gaza to the US State Department, said that as a result of the Rafah operation, a humanitarian crisis that was slowing down is again at risk of spinning out of control. Among the problems has been the stoppage of aid from Egypt since the Rafah operation began. On Sunday, some of that aid was starting to enter Gaza through Israels Kerem Shalom crossing, according to an Israeli military spokesman. The war began on Oct. 7 after thousands of Hamas operatives crossed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 and abducting 250 more. Israels counterattack has killed some 35,000 Gazans, according to Hamas officials who dont distinguish between civilians and fighters. The US and European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization. --With assistance from Fares Akram. (Updates with death toll.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Drone shot down near Moscow, Russian governor says Russian air defense intercepted a drone over the town of Balashikha near Moscow the evening of May 27, Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyov claimed. The drone was shot down at around 9 p.m. local time, Vorobyov reported. Wreckage from the downed drone fell on a home, but the residents were not injured. Photos and video footage appear to show the damage caused by the drone debris and the sound of explosions. Moscow Oblast residents said they could hear the drone explosion from several kilometers away. The Kyiv Independent could not verify Vorobyov's claims. Ukraine has hit targets within Russia, aiming primarily at the country's oil infrastructure and defense industry, with increasing attacks throughout winter and spring. Kyiv does not always claim official responsibility for reported attacks on Russian soil. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Kyiv strikes early-warning radar system 1,800 kilometers deep inside Russia Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian authorities claim that Ukrainian drones attacked targets in the city of Gelendzhik, Russia's Krasnodar Krai, not far from the palace of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, on the night of 26-27 May. Source: Veniamin Kondratiev, the governor of Russia's Krasnodar Krai; Radio Liberty's Russian Service Quote from Kondratiev: "The wreckage of one of the aircraft damaged an unfinished building in the village of Krinitsa. A drone crashed into trees in the village of Dzhankhot, and the fire has been put out. Early reports indicate no casualties." Read also: From Moscow to Urals up to 200m underground: Russian investigative journalists reveal Russian presidents chain of bunkers Details: Kondratiev claimed that all drones had been destroyed by Russian air defence units. An estate and the palace, reportedly built for Putin according to numerous investigations, are located near the village of Dzhankhot on Cape Idokopas. A winery called Old Provence was being built in the village of Krinitsa to process grapes grown in the estate. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed that four drones had been destroyed in the Krasnodar Krai overnight. Support UP or become our patron! DUI suspect hits power pole and knocks power out to a Sedro-Woolley neighborhood Around 2:15 a.m., a driver charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) crashed into a power pole and knocked the power out to many residents in Sedro-Woolley. Sedro-Woolley Police arrived on F&S Grade Road and found a pickup truck and a downed power pole. According to police, the pickup left the roadway, impacted a driveway, and flew about 20 feet before hitting the pole. Police say the driver had minor injuries and showed signs of intoxication. The driver failed the field sobriety test given by officers and was arrested and charged with DUI. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) crews arrived to restore power to residents. KILGORE, Texas (KETK) The executive director of an organization that assists East Texas local governments was elected to serve on the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) board. 60th Annual Mount Pleasant Rodeo bucks into East Texas David Cleveland, courtesy of the East Texas Council of Governments According to a release, David Cleveland, East Texas Council of Governments executive director, will represent the southwest chapter on the national 66-member board. I am excited to serve in this new role! The opportunity to work collaboratively with my colleagues across the country to bring new and innovative solutions to the challenges faced by our cities and counties is a privilege and an honor, Cleveland said. NADO was founded in 1967 and now serves local governments by diversifying local economies, assisting businesses and creating jobs, a release said. Miranda Lamberts nonprofit awards grants for animal services in East Texas We are honored to have David serve on NADOs Board of Directors. David brings a wealth of expertise, knowledge, and leadership on regional community and economic development issues to the national level, Joe McKinney, NADO executive director, said. Most importantly, David is focused on helping our nations local communities pursue comprehensive regional strategies for remaining economically competitive in todays rapidly changing global environment. 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. Dmytro Dienkov, editor-in-chief of Ekonomichna Pravda, joins the Armed Forces of Ukraine, after being held for almost a day by the staff of a military enlistment office. Source: Dienkov on Facebook Quote: "Friends, thank you very much for your support. I have never felt anything like this before. I'm fine. We have reached an agreement with the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi military enlistment office, and I will soon join the unit I wanted to join before this incident. I'll tell you soon. It's the best option for me." Background: On the afternoon of 27 May, it became known that staff of the military enlistment office in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast, had been holding the editor-in-chief of Ekonomichna Pravda, Dmytro Dienkov, for about a day, preventing him from contacting his family. It was only after his parents filed a missing person's report with the police that it became clear that Dmytro was being held in the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi military enlistment office. Support UP or become our patron! Egypt says one soldier killed in shooting near Gaza border Egyptian Army Soldiers stand guard at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. An exchange of fire has taken place at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the Israeli military reported on Monday. Gehad Hamdy/dpa An Egyptian soldier has been killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli troops near the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip, Egypt's armed forces said on Monday. This was announced by the spokesman of the Egyptian military on Monday. It is the first publicly known fatality in the ranks of the Egyptian military since the start of the Gaza war almost eight months ago. The situation at the Rafah border crossing has become increasingly tense. Israeli troops recently took control of the crossing on the Palestinian side as well as a border strip between Egypt and Gaza. Dmytro Dienkov, editor-in-chief of Ekonomichna Pravda, has been held for almost 24 hours now by staff at the military enlistment office in the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast. He has not been permitted to contact relatives. Source: Sevgil Musaieva, Editor-in-Chief of Ukrainska Pravda Quote: "According to our information, Dmytro has been detained and his phone and other communication devices have been confiscated. We had no idea where he was for nearly 24 hours because he had not contacted us. It was only after his parents went to the police and asked them to find him that it became clear that Dmytro was at the military recruitment office in Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky." Support UP or become our patron! El Paso voters go to polls Tuesday for handful of runoff races El Paso voters go to polls Tuesday for handful of runoff races EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Residents in El Paso County will be heading to the polls Tuesday, May 28, to decide party nominations in a handful of races where candidates failed to get a majority back during the March primary. Early voting lasted from Monday, May 20 through Friday, May 24. There are two county-wide runoff races involving Democrats. For district attorney, James Montoya, a public defender and former assistant district attorney, is facing off with Alma Trejo, a lawyer and a retired county criminal court at law judge. The winner will face off with Republican incumbent Bill Hicks in the November general election. For El Paso County sheriff, Democrats Oscar Ugarte and Robert Bobby Flores are facing off. Ugarte is the county constable for Precinct 1, while Flores is a retired assistant chief for the El Paso County Sheriffs Office. The winner will face Republican Minerva Torres Shelton in the general election. There are two other Democratic runoff races and one on the Republican side, depending on where you live in the county. In House District 77, former County Commissioner Vince Perez is facing off with former state Rep. Norma Chavez. There is no Republican running in this race. In constable Precinct 1, Democrats Frank Almada and Andrea Andi Baca are facing off. Again, there is no Republican in the race. On the Republican side of the ballot, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales is in a runoff with Brandon Herrera in Congressional District 23. This congressional district stretches from San Antonio along the border to East El Paso County. The winner will face Democrat Santos Limon. After five days of early voting, 15,491 Democrats voted in El Paso County and 303 Republicans voted. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28. You can find an Election Day voting center by clicking here. You can now vote at any voting center on Election Day. 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. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda speaks during a meeting at the presidential palace. Lithuania's newly re-elected President Nauseda on 27 May called for a further increase in the Baltic country's military spending. "I think we should aim for at least 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the coming years," said Nauseda at a press conference in Vilnius. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Lithuania's newly re-elected President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday called for a further increase in the Baltic country's military spending. "I think we should aim for at least 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the coming years," said Nauseda at a press conference in Vilnius. Nauseda, who secured a second five-year term with a landslide win in a run-off election on Sunday, said the modernization of the Lithuanian army, the implementation of universal conscription and the stationing of a German brigade in Lithuania would require extra financial resources. Vilnius currently spends 2.7% of its GDP on the military, with the figure set to reach 3% in 2025 under proposals submitted last week by the Finance Ministry. "In my opinion, this is insufficient," said Nauseda, who has repeatedly called on other NATO states to increase military spending. In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the German government pledged to permanently station a combat-ready brigade of up to 5,000 German soldiers in Lithuania. Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas has said the German force could cost the country 800 million ($870 million) in the coming years. Election Day: Heres what to know about Tarrant County area primary runoffs Voters will determine party nominees Tuesday in a handful of primary runoffs in Tarrant County. Registered voters can vote in either the Republican or Democratic runoff but if you voted in the March 5 primary, you must cast a ballot in the same party. Here are key Tarrant County area races: Republicans U.S. Representative District 12: State Rep. Craig Goldman faces John OShea, a former banker and investment firm owner. The seat is being vacated by Republican Rep. Kay Granger, who is not seeking reelection. She has been in Congress since 1997, and is the longest-serving Republican in the Texas delegation. Texas District 64: Rep. Lynn Stucky faces Andy Hopper in this district that covers Denton and Wise County. House District 91: Rep. Stephanie Klick faces David Lowe in this district which covers parts of Fort Worth, Haltom City, Watauga and North Richland Hills. House District 97: Small business owner John McQueeney faces Cheryl Bean, a business owner/engineer in this southwest Tarrant County district. The seat is held by Goldman, who is running for Congress. Democrats District 97 : Carlos Walker, director of the Fort Worth school districts Family Action Center, faces Diane Symons, a county presiding election judge. Tarrant County Commissioners Court Precinct 1: Roderick Miles faces Kathleen Hicks in the race to replace longtime Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks. Miles is Brooks executive administrator. Hicks served eight years on the Fort Worth City Council. The winners advance to the general election on Nov. 5. ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) Elmirans gathered at Grove Park today to spread awareness to end violence in the community. What times do Memorial Day parades start in the Twin Tiers? Joshua Marcelle, a DJ from Baltimore, helped put together the event for the community to come together as a family and bring peace and unity to Elmira. We brought together for different families of having four different cookouts, just to show that it can come together and all the kids are playing, said Marcelle. I come from Baltimore, where there is a lot of violence. To live in upstate New York I dont want to see the same type of violence here. Sean White, who attended the event said, A community can stick together. A community can work together. Everybodys not a killer and a shooter in my community. Theres a few bad apples. 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, has raised $6 billion in a new funding round, it said today, as Musk shores up capital to aggressively compete with rivals including OpenAI, Microsoft and Alphabet. Valor Equity Partners, Vy Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Fidelity, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and Kingdom Holding are among the backers that have invested in xAI's Series B funding, the startup wrote in a blog post. The funding confirms TechCrunch's reporting from April that xAI was looking to raise $6 billion at a pre-money valuation of $18 billion. At the time, TechCrunch also reported that Musk has seen to it that X, the social network he now owns and controls, also owns a stake in xAI so will benefit from whatever upside the AI outfit sees. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1794975702812426595 Musk is one of the earliest and highest-profile entrepreneurs in the AI space. Tesla, a car company he leads, is the top EV carmaker with self-driving technologies. He is also a co-founder of OpenAI, a startup in which he has invested tens of millions of dollars. Musk's love for OpenAI has waned since: In March, he sued OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman for allegedly betraying its mission statement and becoming a "closed-source de facto subsidiary" of Microsoft. He has also accused Google of coding bias into its AI products. After forming xAI year, Musk released its chatbot ChatGPT-rival Grok 1.0 model in November. Later, the company made the model available through a chatbot to Premium+ users who pay $16 a month on X. In April, the company released the new Grok 1.5 model and also allowed Premium users on X to access the chatbot. Additionally, the Musk-owned company previewed Grok's multimodal capabilities in April. Earlier this year, the company open sourced the Grok model but without any training code. xAI plans to deploy the funds from the new financing round to take its first set of products to market, build advanced infrastructure and accelerate the research and development of future technologies, it said in its new blog post. The company is likely to look for partnerships to introduce Grok to users beyond X. The company -- whose new backers also include individuals with whom Musk has close ties, including Ken Howery, a co-founder of PayPal and Founders Fund -- claims that it aims to develop "truthful" AI systems. Still, as with other AI chatbots, Grok's news summary feature on X is reported to hallucinate and generate misleading information. We're launching an AI newsletter! Sign up here to start receiving it in your inboxes on June 5. The end of an ERA: A look back and a look ahead at the fight for equal rights in Minnesota As the 2024 Minnesota legislative session lurched to a close, howls of rage filled the Senate chamber. "Traitors," Republican lawmakers shouted across the aisle. They yelled, they booed, they melted down like toddlers at Build-A-Bear. And those were the guys who got their way on one issue at least. The clock had run out on the Equal Rights Amendment. Again. The end of an ERA. The start of the next. Before the dust settled in St. Paul, organizers were planning to try, try again to place the ERA on the ballot for Minnesotans to decide for themselves. Shall the state Constitution be amended to guarantee equal rights? Do Minnesotans have a right to expect their state to protect them from discrimination based on their race, disability, sex or sexual orientation? Do Minnesotans have a constitutional right to make their own decisions about their own pregnancies, gender identity or gender expression? The House said yes. The polls said yes. The Senate said yes last year to a similar version of the bill that didn't spell out reproductive rights. "We're on the right side of history," said Betty Folliard, founder of ERA Minnesota. "We won't take no for an answer. And we will prevail." The National Archives once dubbed the ERA America's "most popular never-ratified Amendment." Alice Paul, a leader of the suffrage movement, wrote the first draft in 1923, just three years after women won the right to vote: "Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction." The last time the archivists counted, about a decade ago, the ERA had been reintroduced in Congress 1,100 times. One out of every 10 proposed amendments to the Constitution has been about an Equal Rights Amendment. It came close after the second world war. Alice Paul lived long enough to see the ERA pass Congress and sweep triumphantly through a swath of state legislatures including Minnesota, which ratified the amendment in 1973. She did not live long enough to watch it fall three states short of the 38 it needed for ratification before an arbitrary time limit set by Congress expired. University of Minnesota law professor Jill Hasday could fill a book with the myths, misconceptions and misogyny deployed against the ERA over the years. Or at least an entire chapter of her book, "We the Men: How Forgetting Women's Struggles for Equality Perpetuates Inequality," coming in 2025 from Oxford University Press. "One of the arguments people who are against the ERA will say is, 'We already have sex equality, we don't need this," she said. "At the same time they say that though, they'll talk about all the terrible things that the ERA will allow especially abortion." Over the past 101 years, the ERA has enjoyed the support of presidents and lawmakers. It's been a plank in the Republican and Democratic party platforms. But there were always those who balked and fought and dragged their heels just enough to ensure it never happened. There were always supporters afraid to bring race, sexual orientation, gender identity or abortion into the ERA, fearful that controversy would cost votes and we'd never get a 28th Amendment. "The fact that there is such strong opposition, year after year, tells you why we need it," said Megan Peterson, executive director of Gender Justice and part of the dogged coalition that helped push the ERA so close to the finish line this year. "Even from some of our own folks, we sometimes hear, 'Do we even need this? Don't we already have these rights?'" she said. "Look, if we already had these rights, people would not be willing to filibuster to the end of time and bring down the institution of the state Legislature to stop it from happening. Clearly, there's something we don't currently have, that they don't want us to have." Minnesotans have introduced equal rights amendments to the state Constitution almost every legislative session since 1973 which was as far back as the heroic researchers at the Legislative Reference Library could dig without actually digging through boxes of paper documents. Most states have equal rights provisions in their own constitutions. Nevada voters added an equal rights amendment to the state constitution in 2022. The ERA will be on the ballot in New York this November. For those without a constitutional guarantee, the past few years as the Supreme Court overturned Roe and conservative lawmakers legislated against pronouns and targeted trans kids have been a harsh reminder. The rights you take for granted today could vanish in the next election if you don't spell them out somewhere. Eric Trump drew ire over Memorial Day weekend with a post about sacrifice on X, formerly Twitter. Eric, whose father is former President Donald Trump, shared another users post that featured a photo of the Trump family and the claim that theyd given up everything to Save America. And we will do it again! Eric wrote. And we will do it again! https://t.co/i593rwYHT8 Eric Trump (@EricTrump) May 24, 2024 The image showed Donald Trump and wife Melania Trump, Eric Trump and wife Lara Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. and fiancee Kimberly Guilfoyle. Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner were not in the photo. Critics argued that the post was in poor taste, given how the weekend is supposed to be about honoring Americas fallen service members. I wasnt going to tweet anything political this weekend, but i have to make an exception for this, wrote former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a former Air Force second lieutenant who is a fierce critic of the Trumps. Your family has sacrificed nothing, your name will become synonymous with Benedict Arnold and how dare you tweet this, THIS weekend, he wrote on X. You dont know the first thing about service you child. Conservative commentator Bill Kristol, meanwhile, called Eric Trumps tweet particularly disgusting to post... on Memorial Day weekend. Others recalled presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trumps past derogatory comments about members and veterans of the U.S. military such as calling fallen soldiers suckers and his five deferments to avoid the Vietnam draft. I wasnt going to tweet anything political this weekend, but i have to make an exception for this. Your family has sacrificed nothing, your name will become synonymous with Benedict Arnold and how dare you tweet this, THIS weekend. You dont know the first thing about service https://t.co/SxDAKyBpeI Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) (@AdamKinzinger) May 26, 2024 Particularly disgusting to post this on Memorial Day weekend. https://t.co/cBifiFOmkY Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) May 25, 2024 The grift from this family never ends. Stolen valor. Claiming to have served the country without being in the military. How many years in service or # of deployment you all have? FYI, Taking part in the events leading up to J6 doesnt count as military service. https://t.co/05mRPhUSKz Staff Sergeant Gonell, Aquilino (@SergeantAqGo) May 26, 2024 A big FU to Gold Star families on Memorial Day. #TrumpIsUnfitForOfficehttps://t.co/fVC7jGHm0q Devin Nunes cow (@DevinCow) May 26, 2024 The families that gave up everything for this country have family members buried at Arlington. How tone deaf can you be? It's Memorial Day weekend, FFS!! We are remembering those who actually did give it all. Even for a Trump, this is shockingly awful. Leslieoo7 (@Leslieoo7) May 25, 2024 Your family hasnt struggled at any point your life. On Monday you should sit down and think about the people who truly gave up everything. Top (@topusmc1775) May 25, 2024 You havent sacrificed a damn thing for America. The stones to say something like this on Memorial Day weekend. Unbelievable. https://t.co/elkINqWjGV Downtown Dems (@DowntownDems) May 26, 2024 Memorial Day weekend is to honor our fallen members of the military who sacrificed their lives so we could be free. This family has been dishonoring our Military and yet, fake patriots still support them. Its sickening. https://t.co/5XyKkqxCN9 Real Americans despise Trump (@DawnOBrien55) May 26, 2024 Stop Acting like ANY OF YOU decided to Volunteer for U.S. Military Service during a War. - Did you give up ANYTHING? NO! - Did you leave your families for years and go FIGHT in a WAR with a REAL CHANCE of DYING? NO! None of you gave up ANYTHING! Each and EVERY SINGLE Uncle Chad (@GIGACHAD2021) May 25, 2024 Yup, Donald even gave up his bone spurs after the draft was over. SnarkTank (@TheSnarkTank99) May 26, 2024 Your family hasn't "gave-up everything"; your father still has most of his freedoms. OnTheFritz (@fritzinmo) May 25, 2024 Gave up everything? On Memorial Day no less Name one member of your family that served in the military. ZERO. Chris Cost, CFA (@ChrisCostCFA) May 25, 2024 Related... High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (L) talks with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna during the EU Foreign Ministers Council. -/European Council/dpa Hungary came "under great pressure" to explain their continued obstruction of EU military aid for Ukraine at a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Monday. Budapest is blocking reimbursements from the European Peace Facility (EPF), an off-budget fund used for military equipment, as well as payments from the profits of immobilized Russian assets in the European Union, Tsahkna said in an interview with dpa. "We have always topics with Hungary," he said, referencing previous disputes about financial aid for Ukraine and opening EU entry negotiations with the country. "But now we have to deliver." Currently 1.5 billion ($1.63 billion) from the EPF is blocked by Hungary. A further 5 billion from the Ukraine Assistance Fund, a specific sum of 5 billion from the EPF, is also blocked. Tsahkna noted the growing exasperation among EU countries. Nobody understands the reason "why they're blocking" now, he said. Frustration was clearly on display among EU foreign ministers in Brussels with Hungary's continued blockade on EU decisions requiring unaminity. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that "apparently, about 41% of resolutions by EU on Ukraine have been blocked by Hungary." "We have to start seeing this as a systematic approach towards any efforts by [the] EU to have any meaningful role in foreign affairs," he said. Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said the bloc can not let EU military support to Ukraine be taken hostage "of other decisions which [have] nothing to do with the specific issue." Hungary has previously linked EU aid for Ukraine with the disbursement of EU funds for Budapest, which had been frozen over corruption and abuse of power allegations. The European Union has established a new sanctions regime against Russia in connection with the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the "accelerating and systematic repression in Russia," the Council of the EU announced on May 27. Navalny, Putin's main political opponent, died on Feb. 16 in a penal colony in northern Russia, after being convicted in several fabricated criminal cases as part of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent. The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, proposed that the EU set up a new framework of sanctions in response to Navalny's death and serious human rights violations in the country. The new framework includes a ban on selling or exporting equipment to Russia that could be "used for internal repression," including certain firearms, ammunition, and barbed wire, as well as technology or software intended for the "monitoring or interception of telecommunication." The sanctions also target 19 individuals, including 13 judges deemed responsible for human rights violations, and one entity, Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service. Read also: EU sanctions Medvedchuk, Marchevskyi, Voice of Europe The Federal Penitentiary Service is "known for its widespread and systematic abuses against, and ill-treatment of, political prisoners in Russia" and is responsible for the penal colony where Navalny was held, the Council of the EU said. Two judges from Russia's Supreme Court are among those sanctioned for their role in ensuring Navalny was imprisoned. "Those designated today are subject to an asset freeze and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them," the Council of the EU said. The individuals on the sanctions list are also subject to a travel ban. Earlier on May 27, the Council of the EU announced new sanctions against pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk and Ukrainian-Israeli citizen Artem Marchevskyi for spreading disinformation through the Voice of Europe website. Read also: How Czechia busted Russian propaganda network targeting European elections Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A general view of the EU Foreign Ministers council. Foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states are meeting in Brussels to discuss the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the forthcoming election in Venezuela and Georgia's new "foreign agents law." Francois Lenoir/European Council/dpa EU foreign ministers on Monday adopted a new sanctions regime to punish serious human rights violations in Russia, multiple diplomats confirmed to dpa. The new system of sanctions was established following the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and targets individuals and organizations responsible for the repression of the opposition. The EU sanctions regime is specifically set up for human rights abuses in Russia in honour of Navalny. Around 20 targets have been selected for inclusion in a first listing, diplomats said. These punitive measures are separate to the wide-ranging economic sanctions imposed on Russia for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions still include punitive measures like entry bans to the European Union and a freeze on assets held in the bloc. A guest takes photos of Enshi Yulu Tea during the "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon in Bath, Britain, May 24, 2024. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua) BATH, Britain, May 24 (Xinhua) -- After a tea master elegantly rinsed the teapot and teacups with hot water, brewed the tea and poured it, a dozen of people from across Britain lifted their cups and tasted the tea with great appreciation. And the room was suffused with a refreshing aroma of tea. The Chinese tea-serving ceremony and tasting took place during the "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon on Friday in the English city of Bath. The salon featured various tea and tea culture from Hubei Province, central China, including black brick tea, Yihong black tea and Enshi Yulu Tea. "The ceremony, which is quite calm in itself, prepares you to enjoy and also builds up the expectancy," Neil Beer from Wales told Xinhua after experiencing all three kinds of tea. He was especially impressed by the black brick tea because it had "layers in terms of taste." This marked the first time he was involved in a tea ceremony, which he thought could set a peaceful tempo and slow one's pace down in a world where everything is "rush, grab, drink, go." "Culture and food are two wonderful ways to bring people together in harmony and friendship, and it is wonderful to be here at such a prominent event to celebrate one of China's most fascinating cultural experiences, which is the tea ceremony," said Dianne Francombe, chief executive officer of the Bristol and West of England China Bureau. Apart from tea ceremonies and tastings, other performances such as Chinese calligraphy and music played with traditional Chinese instruments were also showcased during the salon. "Tea culture exchanges between China and Britain have a long history and are inseparable from the communication between China and the world over centuries," Zhang Wenqi, vice chairperson of the Hubei Provincial Tea Association, told Xinhua. He said events like the salon would help the world to know more about Chinese culture as well as the development of tea culture in China. The "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon is a global event aimed at promoting Chinese tea culture. It is expected to be held in more than 40 places around the world in celebration of this year's International Tea Day, which fell on Tuesday. A guest tastes Yihong black tea during the "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon in Bath, Britain, May 24, 2024. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua) A tea specialist performs tea art with black brick tea during the "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon in Bath, Britain, May 24, 2024. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua) Guests taste Enshi Yulu Tea during the "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon in Bath, Britain, May 24, 2024. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua) Yihong black tea is poured into a cup during the "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon in Bath, Britain, May 24, 2024. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua) A tea specialist performs tea art with black brick tea during the "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon in Bath, Britain, May 24, 2024. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua) A guest tastes Yihong black tea during the "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon in Bath, Britain, May 24, 2024. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua) Editor: WXY A general view of the EU Foreign Ministers council. Foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states are meeting in Brussels to discuss the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the forthcoming election in Venezuela and Georgia's new "foreign agents law." Francois Lenoir/European Council/dpa EU foreign ministers on Monday adopted a new sanctions regime to punish serious human rights violations in Russia, diplomats confirmed to dpa. The new system of sanctions was established following the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and targets individuals and organizations responsible for the repression of the opposition. The EU sanctions regime is specifically set up for human rights abuses in Russia in honour of Navalny. Around 20 targets have been selected for inclusion in a first listing, diplomats said. These punitive measures are separate to the wide-ranging economic sanctions imposed on Russia for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions likewise include punitive measures, notably entry bans to the European Union and a freeze on assets held in the bloc. After Navalny's death in a penal camp in Siberia in mid-February, EU members imposed sanctions on 33 people from the Russian judiciary and political system in an existing sanctions regime. The two penal colonies where Navalny was last imprisoned were also added to the EU sanctions list in a symbolic move. There is still no agreement reached on a 14th round of sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine. For the first time Russia's lucrative liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector is under consideration. EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to review the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the forthcoming election in Venezuela and Georgia's new "foreign agents law." Among other things, the use of profits from Russian assets frozen in in the EU to buy military aid for Ukraine is up for discussion. Last Tuesday, EU finance ministers gave final approval to use the proceeds of the assets - but not the underlying assets themselves - for "Ukraine's military self-defence and reconstruction," said a post on the X account of the Belgian government, which is chairing talks. The G7 - which includes the United States, Canada, Britain, and Japan, as well as three EU countries - is also discussing the possibility of using the proceeds of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected to brief them on the progress of the war by video link at the start of the meeting. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced 60 million ($65 million) in new humanitarian funding for Ukraine on arrival at the meeting. Another topic for discussion is the tense situation in the Middle East and the war in Gaza. EU foreign ministers plan to hold informal talks with their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, plus the secretary-general of the League of Arab States. Germany is to increase humanitarian aid for Gaza by nearly 39 million, diplomats told dpa, with the emergency health aid used to help with outbreaks of disease. Baerbock said the situation in Gaza was terrible and that "this suffering cannot continue for another day" in her call for a humanitarian ceasefire. Ministers are expected to discuss whether or not to send EU election observers to monitor the forthcoming presidential in Venezuela, due to be held on July 28. Also on the agenda is Georgia's recent adoption of a law requiring foreign-funded organizations to register as "foreign agents." On May 15, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said in a statement: "the spirit and content of the law are not in line with EU core norms and values." At first, the European Commission also jointly attributed the statement to EU enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, but it removed his name later. Varhelyi was nominated for the commission by Hungary, which in 2017 adopted a law requiring foreign-funded organizations to register as "organizations supported from abroad." Late last year, Hungary adopted a "Defence of National Sovereignty" law allowing authorities to investigate foreign-funded organizations. EU foreign ministers adopt new sanctions regime against Russia due to Navalny death EU foreign ministers adopted a new sanctions regime on Monday to punish serious human rights violations in Russia. Source: several diplomats told this to dpa news agency, cited by European Pravda Details: The new sanctions regime was created after the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The measures target individuals and organisations responsible for repressing the opposition. The diplomats said about 20 individuals were selected to be included in the first list. These measures are separate from the wide-ranging economic sanctions imposed on Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions still include measures such as the EU entry ban and the freezing of assets held in the bloc. Background: Last week, the permanent representatives of the EU states agreed on new sanctions against about 20 individuals suspected in being responsible for Navalny's death in prison. In February, eight EU countries urged Josep Borrell, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to impose sanctions on Russian prosecutors, judges and prison officials in connection with Navalny's death. On the afternoon of 16 February, Russias Federal Penitentiary Service reported the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny at Correctional Facility No 3. in the town of Kharp in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, northwestern Siberia. Western countries put the blame for Navalny's death on Russian ruler Vladimir Putin. At the same time, US intelligence agencies believe that Putin likely did not order the murder of Alexei Navalny. Support UP or become our patron! High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell attends the EU Foreign Ministers council. Foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states are meeting in Brussels to discuss the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the forthcoming election in Venezuela and Georgia's new "foreign agents law." -/European Council/dpa EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday to hold a meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council to assess Israel's compliance with the association agreement's human rights obligations. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced the move in Brussels as he stepped up pressure on Israel to comply with a ruling from the International Court of Justice to halt an offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Contrary to obeying the ICJ ruling, Israel has carried out "an increase on the military activities, an increase in the bombing and increase on the casualties to the civilian people," Borrell said. The EU foreign policy chief said EU foreign ministers asked him "to propose further concrete measures" to ensure Israel's compliance with the ICJ ruling. The European Union has continuously condemned the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel that killed over 1,200 people and 250 people taken hostage but criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza has been growing. An Israeli airstrike that hit tents housing displaced people near Rafah, reportedly killing 45 people, sparked outrage on Monday. Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin condemned the attack as "barbaric." "Horrified by news coming out of #Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of displaced persons, including small children. I condemn this in the strongest terms," Borrell said on X, formerly Twitter. EU foreign ministers also held informal talks with their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, plus the secretary-general of the League of Arab States. After the meeting, Borrell said that foreign ministers from the Arab states proposed holding an international conference to implement a two-state solution to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Borrell said the bloc's counterparts from the Middle East and the Gulf were challenging to EU member states to show their practical commitment to ending the fighting. On 27 May, the Council of the European Union imposed sanctions on two individuals, including Viktor Medvedchuk, a former pro-Russian member of the Ukrainian parliament and close friend of Vladimir Putin, who is the godfather of Medvedchuks daughter; and one organisation spreading anti-civil society propaganda in the EU and adjacent countries. Source: press service of the Council of the EU, as reported by European Pravda Details: In particular, the EU Council has imposed restrictions on the resource Voice of Europe an online media outlet, which, according to the Council, is involved in a systematic international campaign of media manipulation and fact distortion in order to destabilise Ukraine, the EU, and its member states. Furthermore, Voice of Europe was utilised to direct money resources meant to pay propagandists and to establish an influence network among European political party officials. Two people with close ties to the Voice of Europe are also on the authorised sanctions list: Artem Marchevskyi, who was instrumental in the acquisition of the media brand Voice of Europe. As a covert head of Voice of Europe, he has played a key role in propagating disinformation and skewed narratives aimed at weakening the legitimacy and public image of Ukraine and its efforts to defend itself against Russia's invasion; Viktor Medvedchuk, who has advocated for policies and actions that undermine the credibility and legitimacy of Ukraine's government. Medvedchuk has deep personal ties to Vladimir Putin and is affiliated with his administration; through his cronies, especially Artem Marchevskyi, he controlled Ukrainian media outlets and utilised them to spread pro-Russian propaganda in Ukraine and elsewhere. Medvedchuk, Marchevskyi, and Voice of Europe were added to the EU sanctions list at the request of the Czech Republic. Also on 27 May, the Council of the EU authorised a new sanctions framework against persons responsible for human rights violations in Russia and approved the first sanctions under it. Support UP or become our patron! At Czechia's proposal, the EU has sanctioned former Ukrainian politician and pro-Russian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, the Czech Foreign Ministry said on May 27. Two new additions also include Ukrainian-Israeli citizen Artem Marchevskyi and the Voice of Europe site, reportedly used by the two men to spread pro-Russian propaganda in Europe. "Three entities working for the Kremlin regime have been added to the EU sanctions list at the proposal of Czechia," the Czech Foreign Ministry said on X. "All restrictions previously imposed by Czechia are now valid in all 27 EU Member States." The sanctions mean that Medvedchuk and Marchevskyi are prohibited from entering or transiting into EU states. All funds belonging to the two men or Voice of Europe are to be frozen across the bloc. While Medvedchuk resides in Russia after being exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war in 2022, Marchevskyi moved to Czechia after the outbreak of the full-scale war and then to Slovakia after Prague imposed sanctions against him. Czechia announced in early April that it had uncovered a propaganda network controlled by Medvedchuk that had been spreading pro-Kremlin narratives and paying Russian-friendly politicians in the EU. The EU Council suspended Voice of Europe and three other outlets recognized as Russian propaganda channels on May 17. Read also: How Czechia busted Russian propaganda network targeting European elections Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell attends the EU Foreign Ministers council. Foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states are meeting in Brussels to discuss the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the forthcoming election in Venezuela and Georgia's new "foreign agents law." -/European Council/dpa The European Union targeted multiple Russian judges with punitive measures through a new sanctions regime adopted on Monday to punish serious human rights violations in Russia. The new system of sanctions was established following the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and targets individuals and organizations responsible for the repression of the opposition. Navalny's death was "another sign of the accelerating and systematic repression by the Kremlin regime," top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said in a statement to announce the sanctions. In total, 19 persons have been targeted including members of the Russian judiciary, state prosecutors and security officials linked to the imprisonment of Navalny. Russian officials involved in the prosecution of human rights activist Oleg Orlov were also included. The Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation (FSIN), the central agency for managing prisons in Russia, was also included for abuse of prisoners like Navalany's case, according to the EU. The EU sanctions regime is specifically set up for human rights abuses in Russia in honour of Navalny. These punitive measures are separate to the wide-ranging economic sanctions imposed on Russia for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions likewise include punitive measures, notably entry bans to the EU and a freeze on assets held in the bloc. After Navalny's death in a penal camp in Siberia in mid-February, EU members imposed sanctions on 33 people from the Russian judiciary and political system in an existing sanctions regime. The two penal colonies where Navalny was last imprisoned were also added to that EU sanctions list in a symbolic move. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Brussels to review the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza. There is still no agreement reached on a 14th round of sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine. For the first time Russia's lucrative liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector is under consideration. Among other things, the use of profits from Russian assets frozen in the EU to buy military aid for Ukraine is up for discussion. Last Tuesday, EU finance ministers gave final approval to use the proceeds of the assets - but not the underlying assets themselves - for "Ukraine's military self-defence and reconstruction," said a post on the X account of the Belgian government, which is chairing talks. The G7 - which includes the United States, Canada, Britain, and Japan, as well as three EU countries - is also discussing the possibility of using the proceeds of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba briefed EU foreign ministers on the progress of the war by video link at the start of the meeting. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced 60 million ($65 million) in new humanitarian funding for Ukraine on arrival at the meeting. Another topic for discussion is the tense situation in the Middle East and the war in Gaza. EU foreign ministers plan to hold informal talks with their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, plus the secretary-general of the League of Arab States. Germany is to increase humanitarian aid for Gaza by nearly 39 million, diplomats told dpa, with the emergency health aid used to help with outbreaks of disease. Baerbock said the situation in Gaza was terrible and that "this suffering cannot continue for another day" in her call for a humanitarian ceasefire. DENVER (KDVR) AAA is projecting that 43 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this holiday weekend, with 38 million choosing to travel by car. With increased travelers, AAA is also expecting traffic delays across Colorado, with the drive from Denver to Fort Collins taking 56% longer than usual. AAA projects 56% longer commute from Fort Collins to Denver on Memorial Day FOX31 spoke to tourists from across the nation enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery. Some are choosing to leave a day early in order to beat expected traffic delays. Its not as bad as yesterday or (as) tomorrow will be, said one tourist from Grand Junction. Travel experts advise parents to pack extra supplies for kids. We pack lots of snacks, said one mother visiting from Louisville, Kentucky. These roads will be closed during Memorial Day weekend The Colorado Department of Transportation told FOX31 that deadly accidents in Colorado increase by 30 percent over the summer, so everyone should drive responsibly. Last summer, 91 people lost their lives during one month, marking the highest number of traffic deaths ever recorded in a single month in the state. Expect sobriety checkpoints and extra patrols. Through June 5th CDOT will support the Colorado State Patrol and 72 local law enforcement agencies for the 21-day The Heat Is On Memorial Day DUI enforcement period. Best times to hit the road and avoid traffic this Memorial Day weekend There were 479 reported DUI arrests over last years Memorial Day weekend enforcement period, according to CSP. CSP is also reminding drivers that alcohol impairs the ability to concentrate while driving and increases the risk of a crash, and that buzzed driving is drunk driving and can result in a DUI. 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. Zhong Liansheng and a craftsman apply filigree on Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. Introduced from the Arabian countries during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and became popular during the "Jingtai" years of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), "Jingtailan" represents a special localized cloisonne wrought of copper and porcelain. With patterns structured with copper wires and painted with enamel glaze all on a copper body, dozens of procedures including burning, grinding and gilding are applied to make a Jingtailan piece. Within 600 years, the craftwork are integrated into the traditional Chinese art. Beijing Enamel Factory, first set up in 1956, is the only China Time-honored Brand in Jingtailan making now also serves as a production and protection base of the crafts. Over the past 60 plus years, the factory cradled a team made up of professional Jingtailan craftsmen, and Zhong Liansheng, a Chinese Master of Arts and Crafts, is one of the best. Zhong Liansheng, general manager of the Beijing Enamel Factory, is a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor for the Jingtailan cloisonne. Zhong started his career in 1978 when he began to learn the art in a school, and one of the masterpieces that he is most proud of is the enamel watch invented by his team. The piece, featuring an exquisite pattern lined with fine pure gold or silver wires of a diameter of 0.045 millimeters and filled with glaze on the dial, is completed with a help of a 40x microscope. Zhong insists that the intangible cultural heritage can be passed to generations only by integrating it into people's daily life. With their efforts, Jingtailan art is accepted in common people's life and recently even is applied into wider aspects as architecture decorations. Short before his retirement, Zhong's daily work includes patrolling on the production line of Jingtailan and teaching apprentices among whom some are honored titles as city-level masters of arts and crafts to pass on the technique. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu) Zhong Liansheng works on a piece of Jingtailan artwork at a workshop of Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Zhong Liansheng checks Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin) A workshop is pictured at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu) Craftsmen work on Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Tian Weiwei) Craftswomen talk on the skills of making Jingtailan at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu) A craftsman makes Jingtailan patterns on a dial under a microscope at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu) A craftswoman works on a piece of Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2019 shows a piece of Jingtailan artwork being burnt in fire at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China.(Xinhua/Li Xin) This photo taken on May 15, 2024 shows a watch made with Jingtailan technique displayed at the Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Tian Weiwei) A piece of Jingtailan artwork is displayed at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Tian Weiwei) Zhong Liansheng talks with his colleagues on the skills of making Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin) A designed pattern of Jingtailan and shaped copper wires are pictured at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu) Zhong Liansheng works on a large scale pattern of Jingtailan artwork at his workshop of Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2019 shows a piece of Jingtailan artwork being burnt in fire at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2019 shows a piece of Jingtailan artwork being burnt in fire at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2019 shows Jingtailan artwork in making in fire at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Editor: WXY What to expect from Zelensky's visit to Spain today President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Spain on May 27, after Russia's Kharkiv offensive forced him to cancel a planned trip to the country earlier this month. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez "will receive the president of Ukraine" at noon (10:00 a.m. GMT) before both men hold a press conference, the Spanish prime minister's office said in a statement on May 26. The trip had originally been scheduled for mid-May but according to CNN Portugal, the change in plans was forced by the "serious internal situation in Ukraine at the moment." Russia launched a new offensive on May 10 in northern Kharkiv Oblast. Moscow's forces had reportedly managed to advance as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) into the region but had been halted by the first line of defense. Although Kharkiv continues to be heavily bombed with large numbers of civilian casualties, and Russia reportedly masses another concentration of troops near Ukraine's border, the situation has reportedly stabilized, and Ukraine's General Staff said on May 24 that its forces were conducting counter-attacks. What's on the agenda? One of the main items on the agenda for the canceled visit was the signing of a bilateral security agreement with Spain. The U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Latvia have already signed bilateral agreements with Kyiv, and Ukraine is preparing more with seven more countries, including Spain. The security guarantees would entail explicit and long-lasting obligations and bolster Ukraine's ability to resist Russian aggression. The guarantees would also cover sanctions, financial aid, and post-war reconstruction. On May 22, after the original trip was canceled, Sanchez confirmed this was still on the agenda, telling parliament that his government had made "decisive progress in our bilateral relations with the Ukrainian government." "So much so that I can announce to you today that, as soon as the situation on the front allows, we will sign an agreement with Ukraine that will increase economic, social, and institutional cooperation between our countries," he added. The two countries concluded talks on the content of the agreement on May 7 when Sanchez also confirmed his participation in Ukraine's global peace summit to be held in Switzerland on June 15-16. "I am grateful to Prime Minister Sanchez for his active support of the peace formula and its promotion among countries in Latin America and Africa," Zelensky said at the time. Read also: Ukraine holds 3rd round of negotiations with US on bilateral security agreement What else is planned for the trip? Spain's royal family also said in a statement that King Felipe VI would receive Zelensky at the palace, where "King Felipe and Queen Letizia will host a lunch in his honor." It will be Zelensky's first visit to Spain since he took office in 2019. On May 27, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that a new military aid package worth 1.13 billion euros ($1.23 billion) would also be announced during the trip. Citing unidentified sources, it said the package would include over a dozen Patriot anti-aircraft missiles and 19 second-hand German-made Leopard 2A4s as well as other Spanish-made weapons. It would be Spain's largest military aid package for Ukraine to date. The bigger picture The trip comes amid continued and heightening calls from Ukraine for allies to provide more air defenses to fight off Russian aerial attacks, particularly in Kharkiv Oblast, where 16 people were killed and 25 injured after a Russian strike on a hypermarket on May 25. Zelensky is also calling on Western allies to allow Kyiv to use Western weapons to strike military targets in Russia, a topic that is likely to come up again in Spain. "We see every point of concentration of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and combat aircraft are launched," Zelensky said in his evening address on May 26. "Destroying this terrorist force, and thus saving thousands of lives and guaranteeing that the expansion of the war will be stopped, is purely a political decision. A decision that needs to be made." Ukraine's allies have discussed Kyiv's calls to greenlight the use of Western weapons on military targeting within Russia. German Green Party politician Anton Hofreiter recently spoke in favor of the idea in order to protect Ukrainian civilians. Read also: As Russian losses in Ukraine hit 500,000, Putin buries future demographic risks at home Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Explosions were reported in Russian-occupied Luhansk in the evening of May 27 as Moscow-installed head of the region Leonid Pasechnik claimed a missile attack on the city. Telegram channels shared photos and videos showing a major fire in Luhansk. It broke out near the infrastructure facilities of the former Luhansk Higher Military Aviation School and the nearby aircraft repair plant, Luhansk Oblast Governor Artem Lysohor said. Russia's Pasechnik said that information on damage and casualties "is being clarified." The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the reports. Ukraine targeted a Russian military base in Luhansk's suburb of Yuvileine on May 20, Lysohor said. A week before, a Russian ammunition depot reportedly exploded in the occupied town of Sorokine (Krasnodon) in Luhansk Oblast. Russia had occupied Luhansk and a significant part of the region since the start of its war in 2014. Read also: The origins of the 2014 war in Donbas Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. This photo showing the site where drone debris landed in Balashikha has been posted on Russian Telegram channels Explosions were heard in the town of Balashikha, near Moscow, on the evening of 27 May. Local authorities say that a drone was downed. Source: Moscow Oblast governor Andrei Vorobyov; local Telegram channels Details: Vorobyov claimed that an air defence system shot down a UAV at around 21:00 in the Kuchino microdistrict of Balashikha, and the debris fell on a house. The residents of the house were not injured. The site where the drone debris landed in Balashikha (Russian Telegram channels) Vorobyov also said the residents of Balashikha had heard several "bangs". [Russian propaganda, initially refusing to use the word vzryv (explosion), used khlopok (a bang) instead ed.] Support UP or become our patron! Fact Check: The Truth Behind Claim '10 to 27%' of Noncitizens in US Are Illegally Registered to Vote Claim: A new study found that "10 to 27%" of noncitizens in the U.S. are registered voters. Rating: Rating: False No "new study" concluded that 10 to 27% of noncitizens in the U.S. are registered to vote. Instead, one independent researcher, James Agresti, published a re-interpretation of a widely discredited 2014 paper to make untenable conclusions about non-citizen voting behavior in 2024. The paper on which this claim is based produced estimates of noncitizen voter participation that even its author, Jesse Richman, no longer agrees with. The scientists responsible for collecting the data Richman used say it was a wildly inappropriate use of their data. Despite these new developments, Agresti still relies on outdated estimates from that paper that are widely considered to be useless. Nonetheless, Agresti told Snopes he stands by his work. In mid-May 2024, several conservative influencers began posting a new voter fraud talking point on social media platforms: "A new study shows that between 10% and 27% of noncitizens are illegally registered to vote." The assertion was amplified by the conservative Heartland Institute and reshared by many conservative news and conspiracy theory websites. For example, Not The Bee, the right-leaning news arm of the satirical website Babylon Bee, posted a story based on these claims with the headline "up to a third of illegal immigrants are registered to vote, according to new study." That headline garnered a repost from tech billonaire Elon Musk, who asked if the claim was accurate: This claim was not accurate. It was merely the latest in a long line of mathematically misguided, headline-generating assertions originating from an organization named Just Facts, which describes itself as "a research and educational institute dedicated to publishing facts about public policies and teaching research skills." President and Co-Founder James Agresti authors most of the content on the site. Since 2017, Agresti has repurposed the findings of a controversial 2014 study about noncitizen voting, conducted by Old Dominion University political scientist Jesse Richman, to argue the plausibility that noncitizens illegally participate in U.S. elections and that noncitizen votes have swayed past elections in favor of Democrats. Agresti uses Richman's research as the primary academic foundation for his claims. That 2014 study used as its primary dataset a survey on voter behavior carried out every two years by polling firms on behalf of a Harvard University-led initiative now known as the Cooperative Election Survey (CES). The CES asks respondents "more than 100 questions regarding electoral participation, issue preferences, and candidate choices." In 2017, over 200 political scientists and statisticians signed an open letter rejecting the reliability of Richman's findings. "The scholarly political science community has generally rejected the findings in the Richman et al. study and we believe it should not be cited or used in any debate over fraudulent voting," they wrote. In 2018, Harvard's Stephen Ansolabehere, one of the principle scientists behind CES, testified in a trial challenging the constitutionality of a Kansas voter-registration law that Richman's estimates of noncitizen voter participation were "not statistically different than zero." In this piece, Snopes explains why Agresti's claim that "between 10% and 27% of noncitizens are illegally registered to vote" is unsupported by the evidence he cites, and we place this new claim in the context of the long-standing, misinformation-generating debate from which it originated. For this story, Snopes spoke by email with Agresti, Richman, and Brian Schaffner a Tufts political scientist and another primary investigator on CES. Schaffner rejects Richman and Agresti's use of the CES to study noncitizens entirely, and Richman disputes some of Agresti's claims. Agresti told Snopes he stands by his work. A Decade of Dubious Deductions Through online surveys, CES generates a dataset of tens of thousands of voting-age Americans every two years. This large dataset is then adjusted to match a random sample of voting-age Americans based on census data. In his 2014 paper, Richman studied a small subset of individuals from CES surveys for the 2008 and 2010 elections the people who said in a voluntary survey regarding U.S. voting behavior that they were noncitizens. In 2008, from a pool of 32,800 CES respondents, 339 people indicated that they were noncitizens. Out of 55,400 respondents in 2010, 489 people indicated they were noncitizens. Richman's conclusion that about a quarter of noncitizens are registered to vote stemmed, in 2014, principally from these two pools of self-described noncitizens. As described in the 2014 paper, his best "adjusted estimate" came from those pools of people and from a database, Catalyst, that CES uses to match respondents to voter records. The paper said in part (emphasis ours): Our best guess at the true percentage of noncitizens registered uses the 94 (weighted) noncitizens from [the 2008 CES] for whom Catalyst obtained a match to commercial and/or voter databases to estimate the portion of noncitizens who either claim to be registered when they are not (35%) or claim not to be registered when they are (18%). We then use these numbers to extrapolate for the entire sample of noncitizens in 2008 and 2010. Because most noncitizens who said they were registered were in fact registered, and quite a few who said they were not were actually registered, the adjusted estimate is the highest of the three estimates, indicating that roughly one quarter of noncitizens were likely registered to vote. Much of the debate surrounding the 2014 Richman study, which Snopes covered in detail in 2017, focused on the fact that this sample size was so small relative to the larger pool that it could be accounted for, in large part, by actual citizens who did indeed register to vote but hit the wrong box on the citizenship question. A 2015 study by Shaffner and other CES colleagues published in 2015 raised this issue. Schaffner and his colleagues identified a significant number of citizens who did incorrectly state they were noncitizens in those CES surveys, as he told Snopes in 2017: In 2012, we re-interviewed 19,000 people who had been respondents for the 2010 [CES]. We asked them the same question about citizenship status as we had asked them in 2010. Of these 19,000, 121 had claimed to be noncitizens in 2010. In 2012, 36 of the 121 had changed their response to "citizen." Additionally, 20 people who had clicked on the "citizen" option in 2010 changed to "non-citizen" in 2012. Thus, it is clearly the case that a small share of respondents were misclicking on response options to that question in at least one of the two surveys (about 0.3%). Since 2016, when Agresti's claims about massive noncitizen election participation first went viral, the author says he has used an improved version of the method employed by the Richman study to calculate noncitizen voter registration rates in recent years. In his most recent post, Agresti argued that "the latest available data and an enhanced version of a stress-tested methodology from a scholarly journal," i.e., the Richman study "has found that about 10% to 27% of non-citizen adults in the U.S. are now illegally registered to vote: The U.S. Census recorded more than 19 million adult noncitizens living in the U.S. during 2022. Given their voter registration rates, this means that about two million to five million of them are illegally registered to vote. These figures are potentially high enough to overturn the will of the American people in major elections, including congressional seats and the presidency. While this latest version of the "enhanced" Just Facts method does factor in CES data from 2022, it still fundamentally relies on the analyses of datasets from 2008 and 2010. Agresti's use of this old data is crucial, because Richman himself has largely moved on from the more sensational claims made in that study. As an expert witness in several voter fraud-related cases since 2018, Richman has stated under oath that he believes the best estimate of the registration rate by noncitizens in the U.S. is below 1 percent. An Expert Report Complicates Agresti's Claim Richman's 2014 paper re-emerged as a topic of discussion in March 2024 before Agresti made his most recent claim thanks to documents produced in a 2023 case challenging the constitutionality of recently enacted voter ID laws in Arizona. As an expert witness, Richman was given access to Arizona Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) records and voter rolls. He conducted two studies to identify noncitizens who registered to vote in Arizona using that data and an additional study with more recent CES data. Those reports were initially filed under seal, but they were unearthed thanks to a public records request by Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post. In a March 2024 story, Kessler described what Richman found (emphasis ours): Richman said he found [using Arizona DMV and voter records] that 1,934 voters (0.43 percent of Arizona voting-age noncitizens) had records that indicated they were not citizens at the time they registered or after registering to vote. Richman also examined 2022 data from the Cooperative Election Study, which now has a more precise way of asking a question about a voter's citizenship and a larger sample size than the surveys he studied for his 2014 paper. He found that just under 1 percent of noncitizens indicated they had registered to vote again, much smaller than his previous findings. Via email, Snopes asked Richman if he felt as though these new analyses validated his critics' concerns about his earlier work. In response, Richman argued that the analyses lent some credence to the criticism, but also ameliorated other specific concerns with the work: In terms of credence, the fact that the estimates are lower supports the possibility that there was some bias generated by response error on the citizenship status question as the critics alleged. [But] there is no evidence in the recent [CES] data of the kind of inconsistent responses to the citizenship question that critics hypothesized, so there isn't direct evidence for the critics' main claim [of response error]. There may have been no "direct evidence" for error on the citizenship question in the 2022 CES dataset, as Richman argues, but it would be misleading to suggest this silenced critics about the possibility of response error in earlier CES datasets, on other questions within that dataset, or with clerical errors in the datasets against which they were validated. Agresti, in an email to Snopes, falsely claimed that Richman's expert report "completely debunked" the notion of incorrect answers to the citizenship question. Factually, there is evidence of citizens incorrectly stating they were noncitizens in those earlier CES datasets. And those datasets are the ones that provided the estimates with much higher figures that Agresti continues to cite. Agresti dismissed Richman's new numbers as merely "lowball estimates" that unfairly undercount noncitizens. Even Richman told Snopes such a conclusion is in error: I think the 10 percent figure has a foundation in my work, though it needs to be caveated more clearly to indicate the risks of being biased upwards, and I think it is absolutely inappropriate as a lower bound. The appropriate lower bound should be based upon individuals with validated registration status who said they were registered (i.e. less than one percent in 2022). I don't think the 27 percent figure is reasonable, partly because of changes in the methodology of the CES, and partly because I don't fully understand how it was calculated. Agresti, in an email to Snopes, argued that Richman was wrong, in part because "Richman used and defended the same methodology in 2016 and 2017." The inexorable forward march of time, such as it is, often produces new information that challenges previous work. Thanks to new data and enhanced methodologies, Richman does not agree with the high-end conclusions he produced a decade ago, and Agresti continues to rely on them in spite of that fact. 'Squeezing Blood from a Turnip' It might be easy to get lost in the minutiae of Richman's work and Agresti's apparent misuse of it. A much more simple rebuttal to the claim that up to 27% of the noncitizen voting population is registered to vote comes from the fact that the CES survey underlying the claim is fundamentally unsuited to answer any question about noncitizens. Schaffner told Snopes: The CES is designed to sample American adults. Once the weights are applied, it is therefore a representative sample of American adults on a wide variety of demographic, socioeconomic, and political variables. It is not designed to be a sample of noncitizen adults and therefore it is not fit for the purpose of studying that subset of respondents. Agresti, in a Just Facts post and in discussion with Snopes, employed a rhetorical sleight of hand to justify his use of the purported noncitizen data pool in CES in spite of this criticism. In essence, Agresti argues that because the CES itself used modeling to make its sample representative, he, too, can weight his noncitizen data pool in his case to match the demographics of the noncitizen population. "The data used for the 2014 Electoral Studies paper and the 2017 Just Facts study were both weighted to make the results nationally representative of the non-citizen population," Agresti explained to Snopes in an email. That's not how any of this works, according to Schaffner. There are some things you simply cannot model away. One situation in which such modeling fails is when the pool of survey respondents you draw your study group from was collected in such a way that would exclude or undercount the very group you are studying, something known as a "noncoverage bias." "No amount of adjustment or modeling like what Agresti describes is going to actually fix the issue that the CES is never intended to include a representative sample of noncitizens," Schaffner told Snopes. "Many or even most noncitizens are not going to be eager to sign up to take a survey that requires them to provide identifying information," he argued. "There are much better ways to analyze whether noncitizens register to vote," Schaffner told Snopes. These methods, some of which Richman used in his recent expert reports, involve looking voter rolls and other state records to identify any individuals who appear to be noncitizens. Studies like these, including the Richman expert reports, "overwhelmingly resulted in finding very few noncitizens registered to vote," Schaffner told Snopes. "The fact that people are still trying to use the CES to do a study like this reflects that they don't like the result one gets from using a much more valid approach and therefore they are trying to squeeze blood from a turnip instead," Schaffner argued. The Bottom Line The claim that 10 to 27% of noncitizens in America are registered to vote is not rooted in an academic, peer-reviewed study. It is, instead, based on one person's interpretation of a controversial, decade-old paper that the political science field has since overwhelmingly rejected. Because no "new study" has come to this conclusion, because the "groundbreaking study" from 2014 on which the claim is based has been widely rejected, and because the author of that (discredited) study rejects its present use, we rate the claim as "False." Sources: Ansolabehere, Stephen, et al. "The Perils of Cherry Picking Low Frequency Events in Large Sample Surveys." Electoral Studies, vol. 40, Dec. 2015, pp. 40910. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2015.07.002. Cooperative Election Study. https://cces.gov.harvard.edu/home. Accessed 23 May 2024. Just Facts - About Us. 25 Nov. 2023, https://www.justfacts.com/aboutus.asp. Just Facts - Immigration. 23 May 2024, https://www.justfacts.com/immigration#electoral. Kessler, Glenn. "Analysis | The Truth about Noncitizen Voting in Federal Elections." Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/06/truth-about-noncitizen-voting-federal-elections/. Mueller, Zachary. "Fish v. Kobach Trial - Day 6 Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights." Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, 14 Mar. 2018, https://irehr.org/2018/03/14/fish-v-kobach-trial-day-6/. Office of Public Affairs | Court Finds That Arizona Voter Registration Provisions Violate Federal Law | United States Department of Justice. 1 Mar. 2024, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/court-finds-arizona-voter-registration-provisions-violate-federal-law. "Peter Schweizer: Border Crisis Could Increase Number of Illegal Ballots Cast in 2024 up to 2.7M." Breitbart, 15 May 2024, https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/05/15/peter-schweizer-biden-border-crisis-could-increase-illegal-ballots-cast-in-2024-up-to-2-7-million/. "Quantifying Illegal Votes Cast by noncitizens in the Battleground States of the 2020 Presidential Election." Just Facts, 8 Nov. 2020, https://www.justfactsdaily.com/quantifying-illegal-votes-cast-by-noncitizens-in-the-battleground-states-of-the-2020-presidential-election. Richman, Jesse T., et al. "Do noncitizens Vote in U.S. Elections?" Electoral Studies, vol. 36, Dec. 2014, pp. 14957. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2014.09.001. "Study: 10% to 27% of noncitizens Are Illegally Registered to Vote." The Heartland Institute, 14 May 2024, https://heartland.org/opinion/study-10-to-27-of-noncitizens-are-illegally-registered-to-vote/. Study Finds Up to a Third of All noncitizens in the United States Are Illegally Registered to Vote | The Ohio Star. 15 May 2024, https://theohiostar.com/news/study-finds-up-to-a-third-of-all-noncitizens-in-the-united-states-are-illegally-registered-to-vote/ohstarstaff/2024/05/15/. "Study: 'noncitizens' Are Registered to Vote, Could Decide next President | WND | by WND Staff." WND, 15 May 2024, https://www.wnd.com/2024/05/study-noncitizens-registered-vote-decide-next-president/. "Substantial Numbers of noncitizens Vote Illegally in U.S. Elections." Just Facts, 15 Dec. 2016, https://www.justfactsdaily.com/substantial-numbers-of-noncitizens-vote-illegally-in-u-s-elections. Tesler, Michael. "Methodological Challenges Affect Study of noncitizens' Voting." Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2021. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2014/10/27/methodological-challenges-affect-study-of-noncitizens-voting/. Up to a Quarter of Illegal Immigrants Are Registered to Vote, According to New Study: "Potentially High Enough to Overturn the Will of the American People." https://notthebee.com/article/up-to-a-third-of-all-illegal-immigrants-in-the-us-are-registered-to-vote-just-in-case-you-wanted-to-know-how-2024-is-going-to-go. Accessed 23 May 2024. Claim: A photograph genuinely shows the gravesites of a Catholic wife and Protestant husband, situated in separate cemeteries because the couple was not permitted to be buried together. Rating: Rating: True For years, a photograph allegedly showing the gravesites of two people, a Catholic and a Protestant, in separate cemeteries, has circulated online. Social media users claimed the photo showed a grave of a married couple barred from joint burial because their churches were of different denominations . "A protestant husband and Catholic wife were not allowed to be buried together in the same cemetery. Love finds a way. 1888," one X post with the photograph read. A protestant husband and his catholic wife were not allowed to be buried together. Here are their headstones reaching across the two cemeteries in 1888. pic.twitter.com/8dviY2ic1G Fascinating (@fasc1nate) March 13, 2024 "Irish couple, one Catholic and one Protestant, who were buried in separate cemeteries but wanted to be together," another X post captioned the photograph. Google reverse-image search results showed that the photograph also spread on other social media platforms, such as Reddit, Pinterest, 9GAG, and Facebook. "Graves holding hands. Catholic woman and her Protestant husband who were not allowed to be buried together (1880s Holland)," a 2018 post with a similar photograph read. "Makes me sad to see that religion tries to seperate [sic] people even in death," one user commented under the post. In short, the photograph is authentic and shows the so-called "Grave with the Hands" located in Roermond, Netherlands (not Ireland). When the husband, Jacobus Warnerus Constantinus van Gorkum, died in 1880, he was buried in the Protestant section of the cemetery. His wife, Josephine van Aefferden, who passed away in 1888, could not be buried with him due to the religious segregation in the cemetery at that time. Because of that, we have rated this claim as True. Strictly speaking, they were buried in separate sections of the same cemetery, known as Kapel in 't Zand in Roermond, Netherlands, on opposite sides of a wall that divides the two sections by religion. The viral photograph shows a grave monument consisting of two parts situated on either side of that wall. We found its exact location via Google Maps: This embedded content is not available in your region. (Google Maps) The monument is registered in the Dutch National Register of Monuments. The register's website described it as a "grave monument consisting of two parts on either side of the cemetery wall that separate the Roman Catholic and Protestant parts of the cemetery" (we translated it using Google Translate): JWC van Gorkum, Colonel of the Cavalry, Militia Commissioner in Limburg, is buried on the Protestant part. His wife Jonkvrouwe JCPH van Aefferden is buried on the Catholic part. The lady died eight years after her husband. Her grave monument reaches over the wall to her husband's grave monument. There is a semi-circular wrought iron fence around both grave monuments. The website explained that both grave monuments consist of a sandstone column placed on a hardstone base. "The two hands, a woman's hand and a man's hand, symbolize the bond between both spouses after death and across the borders of different religions," the description continued, concluding that it serves as a special reminder of the wish of the wife and husband to remain connected after death, despite their different religions. Similarly, Roermond's Old Cemetery Foundation wrote that "the mutual love between a Roman Catholic woman and a Protestant man after death is expressed in a very creative way." We found an article with the title "Roermond leaves 'Tomb with the Hands' untouched despite new law" published in 1991 by De Telegraaf, the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper. We it accessed via Delpher, a website hosting digitized historical Dutch newspapers. The article informed that the graves remained "undisturbed despite the new law" (we translated it using Google Translate): At the old general cemetery near Kapel in 't Zand in Roermond there are two graves that are connected in a unique way. Separated by a wall several meters high, the lady J.C.P.H. van Aefferden and her husband Colonel J.W.C, van Gorkum, each on one side of the stone barrier. They have been reaching out to each other across the wall for more than a century. If it is up to the municipality of Roermond, it will remain that way. Until eternity. Even after the new funeral law comes into effect, possibly this spring. This includes a provision that perpetual burial rights can lapse. (delpher.nl) "Lady and colonel together forever," the article continued, explaining in detail the history of the married couple. "After a happy marriage of almost forty years, the colonel of the cavalry J.W.C, von Gorkum, died on August 29, 1880. The high-ranking soldier, who was also militia commissioner of the province of Limburg, was buried at the general cemetery near Kapel in 't Zand in Roermond," it explained. "Eight years later, on November 29, 1888, the colonel's widow, the 68-year-old lady Josephine van Aefferden, died," it continued, explaining that the wife's grave was initially expected to be placed in a different part of the cemetery: The general expectation in Roermond was that her body would be interred in the family grave of the Van Aefferdens, which is (still) located approximately in the middle of the Catholic section of the cemetery near Kapel in 't Zand. The express wish of the lady, however, was that her final resting place would be erected against the wall, behind which, in the Dutch Reformed part of the cemetery, her husband had been buried for eight years. The article also reported that the love between the two "caused a lot of commotion during their lifetime," since theirs was a mixed marriage: Not only was there an age difference of eleven years, but there was also a difference in status because the soldier was not of nobility. Moreover, in 1842, when both agreed to [marry] each other, there was talk of a mixed marriage. Especially at that time, much value was attached to the saying: "Two faiths on one pillow the devil sleeps between them." According to traditions, soldiers had to be deployed on the day of the wedding to prevent irregularities. Perhaps all the resistance to their love gave the couple the idea of the very special grave monument. One Reddit user claimed that "It's not like there's a law against a Catholic and Protestant being buried next to each other. It's just the Catholic couldn't be buried at the Protestant church, and the Protestant couldn't be buried at the Catholic one. Most cemeteries affiliated with a religion make being that religion a requirement." In fact, an article with the title "The 'grave with the hands'" shared by an official website of Roermond's local authorities explained that in the 19th century it was customary that Catholics and Protestants were generally not allowed to be buried or interred in the same area of faith. The article also noted that some believe (though Snopes is unable to confirm) the remains of the couple actually do rest next to each other under a wall, as per the wife's undocumented but likely wishes, ensuring the couple remains together eternally: It is believed that their remains are present under the foundation of the wall so that, despite all objections to their union, the spouses rest eternally next to each other after their death. It is assumed that the damsel had this method of burial recorded on paper, but to date no document referring to this has been found in archives. However, it is likely that Josephine van Aefferden discussed some things with her five children, who were all raised Catholic, and that her wish was carried out in this way. Neither man nor death could separate them. Sources: "Grave with the Hands 6045 AR Roermond, Netherlands." Grave with the Hands 6045 AR Roermond, Netherlands, https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grave+with+the+Hands/@51.1811281,5.9974293,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x47c0b4a645a416c9:0x37a883013bec77c0!8m2!3d51.1811248!4d6.0000042!16s%2Fg%2F12bffywbs?entry=ttu. Accessed 22 May 2024. "Het 'graf met de handjes.'" Het 'graf met de handjes' Gemeentearchief Roermond, https://www.archiefroermond.nl/nl/roermonds-verleden/verhalen/verhalen-rond-het-oude-kerkhof/het-graf-met-de-handjes. Accessed 22 May 2024. "Historie." Stichting Oude Kerkhof te Roermond, https://www.oudekerkhofroermond.nl/historie/. Accessed 22 May 2024. "Josephina Van Gorkum Broke the Rules by Marrying a Protestant. Here's How She Ensured Eternity with Him." Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2018. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/gender-identity/josephina-van-gorkum-broke-the-rules-by-marrying-a-protestant-heres-how-she-ensured-eternity-with-him/. "Roermond Laat 'Graf Met de Handjes' Ondanks Nieuwe Wet Ongemoeid Door THEO JONGEDIJK Jonkvrouw En Kolonel Eeuwig Samen." De Telegraaf, Dag, 5 Jan. 1991. Delpher, https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010646420:mpeg21:a1080. Tegenover Weg Langs Het Kerkhof 1, 6045 AN Te Roermond | Rijksdienst Voor Het Cultureel Erfgoed. https://monumentenregister.cultureelerfgoed.nl/monumenten/520489. Accessed 22 May 2024. Roermond laat 'Graf met de Handjes' ondanks nieuwe wet ongemoeid door THEO JONGEDIJK Jonkvrouw en kolonel eeuwig samen. "De Telegraaf". Amsterdam, 05-01-1991, p. 17. Geraadpleegd op Delpher op 22-05-2024, https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010646420:mpeg21:p017 Factbox-South Korea, China, Japan joint declaration after first summit in four years SEOUL (Reuters) - The leaders of South Korea, China and Japan on Monday issued a joint declaration covering cooperation in a range of areas from trade to climate change and ageing societies. The statement was agreed after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a three-way summit for the first time in more than four years. Here are some of the main agreements from the declaration: TRILATERAL COOPERATION The countries will strive to hold the trilateral summit and ministerial meetings on a regular basis, and work to ensure that people in the three countries "can enjoy substantive benefits emanating from this cooperation". Japan will host the next summit. PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES They aim to boost the number of people-to-people exchanges to 40 million by 2030 through exchanges in culture, tourism and education. CLIMATE CHANGE The three recognised a need to work together in transitioning toward net zero greenhouse gas emissions and carbon neutrality. They pledged to take solid action and support efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement temperature goal. CONSERVATION They agreed to collaborate to reduce dust and sandstorms in East Asia. They will also promote marine conservation and work to complete an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, as well as curb illegal fishing. ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND TRADE The countries agreed to back discussions for speeding up negotiations for a trilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA). They reaffirmed support for an open, rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core. "We will continue to work to ensure a global level playing field to foster a free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, inclusive, and predictable trade and investment environment," they said. The countries reaffirmed their commitment to keeping markets open and boosting supply chain cooperation. HEALTH AND AGEING The countries adopted a joint statement on preventing future pandemics. They also agreed to jointly tackle challenges over low birth rates and ageing societies through exchanges between the governments and experts. REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PEACE They reaffirmed a common interest and responsibility to maintain peace, stability and prosperity on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia. The countries reiterated positions on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the abductions issue. Source: Joint Declaration of the Ninth South Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit (Compiled by Ed Davies; Editing by Jan Harvey) Families of those killed in Russian strike on hypermarket in Kharkiv to get US$24,800 each The administration of Epicentr home improvement hypermarket has announced that they will pay UAH 1 million (approx. US$24,800) to the families of all those killed in the Russian strike on Epicentr on 25 May. The administration will also financially support the minors who have been orphaned due to the attack. Source: Yuliia Chudnovets, the Head of Public Relations Department of the Epicentr Quote: "The families of all those killed during the enemy strike on the shopping complex will get one million UAH each. The corporation will fund the entire expense of the burials. The Epicentr will offer a monthly allowance of UAH 10,000 (approx. US$248 ed.) to families with young children until the child reaches the age of 18." Details: The Epicentr also provides comprehensive medical care and covers the costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation for families of the victims. Background: On Saturday afternoon, Russian forces struck the Epicentr home improvement hypermarket in Kharkiv. Earlier reports indicated that 15 people had been killed and 25 injured in the attack. It took over 16 hours to extinguish the fire. On the morning of 27 May, Serhii Bolvinov, Head of the Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine branch in Kharkiv Oblast, reported that the body of a teenage boy, 17, who had been in the Epicentr hypermarket in Kharkiv at the time of the attack, was found and identified using DNA samples. Subsequently, the head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration said that the death toll from the Russian attack on the Epicentr home improvement hypermarket in Kharkiv has risen to 18, and 48 people have been injured. Support UP or become our patron! Election workers count the ballot papers for the mayoral election at the polling station in Arnstadt town hall. Jacob Schroter/dpa Local election results in the central German state of Thuringia showed gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on district and city councils, but no major breakthroughs. In Thuringia, 13 district administrators and 94 local mayors were elected on Sunday. Hundreds of local councils were also replaced. The AfD, whose state-level party in Thuringia is considered particularly far-right, did not win the first round of the district administrator elections - but could become the strongest force in some of the district councils. The Thuringian AfD is being monitored as a known right-wing extremist group by the state's domestic security service and the state-level AfD's firebrand leader, Bjorn Hocke, was recently convicted in court for knowingly using a banned Nazi slogan. AfD candidates remain in the running for nine top municipal offices in run-off elections in two weeks. However, according to the results so far, an AfD candidate only appears to be leading in one district, Altenburger Land. According to interim results, the AfD appears to be challenging the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), which has been the strongest political force in the state, which used to be part of the former East Germany. Initial election results suggest the AfD could become the largest party on eight of the state's 17 district councils, as well as on the city council in Gera. Some ballots were still being counted as of on Monday afternoon. Partial results showed the CDU with 27.6% of the vote after 2,581 of the 3,047 constituencies had been counted. The AfD followed closely behind with 26.4%. Voters sit behind polling booths at the polling station in the Rutheneum secondary school. Thuringia holds local elections for mayors, district councillors, city councillors, and municipal councillors. Heiko Rebsch/dpa Julian Vonarb (L), Lord Mayor of Gera, casts his ballot paper into the ballot box at the polling station in the Rutheneum secondary school. Thuringia holds local elections for mayors, district councillors, city councillors, and municipal councillors. Heiko Rebsch/dpa Voters sit behind polling booths at the polling station in the Rutheneum secondary school. Thuringia holds local elections for mayors, district councillors, city councillors, and municipal councillors. Heiko Rebsch/dpa Local election results in the central German state of Thuringia showed gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on district and city councils, but no major breakthroughs. In Thuringia, 13 district administrators and 94 local mayors were elected on Sunday. Hundreds of local councils were also replaced. The AfD, whose state-level party in Thuringia is considered particularly far-right, did not win the first round of the district administrator elections - but could become the strongest force in some of the district councils. The Thuringian AfD is being monitored as a known right-wing extremist group by the state's domestic security service and the state-level AfD's firebrand leader, Bjorn Hocke, was recently convicted in court for knowingly using a banned Nazi slogan. AfD candidates remain in the running for nine top municipal offices in run-off elections in two weeks. However, according to the results so far, an AfD candidate only appears to be leading in one district, Altenburger Land. According to interim results, the AfD appears to be challenging the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), which has been the strongest political force in the state, which used to be part of the former East Germany. Initial election results suggest the AfD could become the largest party on eight of the state's 17 district councils, as well as on the city council in Gera. Some ballots were still being counted as of on Monday afternoon. Partial results showed the CDU with 27.6% of the vote after 2,581 of the 3,047 constituencies had been counted. The AfD followed closely behind with 26.4%. It is quite possible that the result will still shift, as the count in the state capital of Erfurt has not yet been completed. While the AfD improved by almost 10 points compared to 2019, the CDU kept its share of the vote largely stable at this stage of the count. The far-left Die Linke (The Left), the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens suffered losses. Those three parties currently govern Thuringia in a left-wing coalition government. Mainstream parties in Germany have maintained a so-called "firewall" against forming coalitions with the AfD or cooperating with them in government. But further gains in some local elections could make freezing them out of government and maintaining the firewall harder. "It will be even more difficult to exclude them, in some cases it will no longer work at all," Oliver Lembcke, a political scientist at the Rhur University in Bochum, told dpa. The CDU will be under particular pressure because of the strength of the far-right at the local level, Lembcke said. The president of the Thuringian Association of Municipalities and Towns, Michael Brychcy of the CDU, took a similar view. When elected AfD politicians sit on local councils, you can't act "as if there is a firewall," Brychcy said. However, official CDU policy forbids any cooperation with both the AfD and Die Linke. The national AfD has struggled with a series of embarrassing scandals in recent weeks, including Hocke's criminal conviction. The AfD's top candidate for the upcoming European Parliament elections, Maximillian Krah, recently made comments defending some members of the infamous Nazi SS paramilitary organization and has also been caught up in a Chinese espionage scandal involving a top aide. The number two on the AfD's European election list, Petr Bystron, is under investigation over suspicions of bribery and money laundering following Czech newspaper reports alleging he had accepted payments from a pro-Russian propaganda outlet. "The AfD has messed up in this way because it has presented the worst possible image in recent weeks," said Lembcke, the political scientist. In the district of Hildburghausen, where no AfD candidate was on the ballot, a well-known neo-Nazi candidate from the Alliance for the Future of Hildburgshausen (BZH) also made it into the run-off. A 2022 report from Germany's domestic intelligence agency said the BZH is "developing into the leading neo-Nazi group in the district of Hildburghausen." Election workers count the ballot papers for the mayoral election at the polling station in Arnstadt town hall. Jacob Schroter/dpa SHANGHAI, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A collaborative research team from China and Ukraine has been monitoring near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) through regular observations to attain accurate positioning and precise orbit determination for those celestial bodies. The NEAs are asteroids whose trajectories are in close proximity with Earth's orbit. The possibility of it having an impact on our planet presents a grave threat, underscoring the imperative need for prompt follow-up observations of newly identified NEAs for rapidly assessing their orbital elements. However, observing rapidly moving objects with extended exposure times can result in streaked images, thus markedly diminishing the accuracy of astronomical measurements. The researchers from Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory pioneered an innovative method known as the rotating-drift-scan (RDS) charge-coupled device (CCD) technique, which allows the asteroid to be imaged as a point source, even with a long exposure time. Their work leveraged an extensive dataset comprising more than 11,000 positional measurements of nearly 500 NEAs, captured by the two 50-centimeter telescopes, located, respectively, in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an, over the period from 2019 to 2023, and in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, over the period from 2011 to 2022. Employing this innovative technique, a network of small-aperture telescopes can be effectively utilized to significantly enhance the global NEA monitoring system to safeguard Earth from potential asteroid impacts, according to the study published recently in the Astronomical Journal. Editor: ZAD (Bloomberg) -- A leading female opposition lawmaker will challenge Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike for control of the capital, setting up a rare race between two women for one of the highest-profile posts in Japanese politics. Most Read from Bloomberg Former opposition leader Renho Saito, who usually goes by her given name, will take on Koike for the Tokyo governorship, she told reporters Monday. An upper house lawmaker with the Constitutional Democratic Party, Renho is known for her tough questioning in parliament and her dislike of wasteful public spending. Incumbent Koike, the first woman to head the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, intends to run for a third consecutive four-year term in the July poll, according to the Asahi newspaper and other media. The people clearly want a re-set of Koike politics in Tokyo, which has helped extend the life of the LDP government, Renho said. Its my duty to take the helm. Renhos move presents a fresh headache for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as he struggles to shore up his support ahead of a race for the leadership of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in September. The CDP has consistently attacked him over his handling of a widespread party funding scandal. While Koike once sought to oust the LDP national government, she is a former party member and has more recently toned down her criticism. A battle between two well-known women both are former television presenters is a rarity in a country where politics is male-dominated. Japan ranks 162 out of 181 in terms of female representation in parliament, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, lower than Saudi Arabia. Read more: Tokyo Elects First Woman Governor by Landslide Over Abe Pick Koike has smashed glass ceilings throughout her political career. In 2008, she became the first woman to run for leadership of the LDP and in 2017 she launched her own party, though its initially strong support rapidly fizzled. As environment minister, she spearheaded efforts to promote casual dress for office workers in the summer to cut back on air conditioning use. Since defeating an LDP candidate to become governor in 2016, Koike has sought to bolster Tokyos status as a global financial center and introduced local certification for same-sex partnerships in a country that doesnt recognize gay marriage. Nonetheless, Renho accused her of failing to fulfill seven pledges, including a promise to enable people to stay in work while caring for elderly relatives. Renho was known for an aggressive cost-cutting drive during the 2009-2012 administration of the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan. She also briefly led a later version of the party during a period of internal disputes and was criticized for having dual nationality. She stood down after less than a year at the helm, citing an insufficient ability to lead and a poor showing in a Tokyo local assembly election. The CDPs policies include reducing income disparities and bolstering support for families with children, according to its website. Renhos announcement comes after the LDP lost a closely watched election for the governorship of Shizuoka prefecture on Sunday. The latest blow for Kishida and the party follows the loss of three parliamentary seats in special elections last month. Polls show support for Kishidas cabinet remains under 30%, a level seen as a danger zone for Japanese leaders, amid public dissatisfaction with his handling of a long-running party funding scandal. The election for Tokyo governor often attracts a slew of candidates and at least one man has also thrown his hat into the ring Shinji Ishimaru, the mayor of a small city in Hiroshima prefecture. --With assistance from Jon Herskovitz. (Updates to change sourcing from first paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Daken Kramer, 11, raised over $7,300 in an online fundraiser to pay off the lunch debt of his middle school (KMBC9) An 11-year-old fifth-grader has raised $7,300 to pay off his entire elementary schools lunch debt, and now has his very own award named after him. Daken Kramer raised twice the amount of money needed for the lunch debt at Thomas Ultican Elementary School in Blue Springs, Missouri through an online fundraiser. Dakens original goal was $3,500, a little more than the total outstanding, but in two years he more than doubled his goal. Daken said that he wanted to show gratitude to his school, and donated the leftover funds to Blue Springs High School for its own lunch money deficit. Children in elementary school should not have debt tied to their name. We have found out that there are high schools that keep seniors from attending prom or walking at graduation if they have stuff like student lunch debt, his mother Vanessa Kramer told CNN. Some families cant help it. They cant pay it off. The elementary school staff, where lunch can cost up to $2.55 per day, says they were impressed with Dakens determination. In a surprise announcement during the fifth-grade graduation last Tuesday, the school announced it was creating the Daken Kramer Legacy Award, an annual honour that will be given to future fifth-graders who strive to make a difference. Daken was able to pay off the entire lunch money debt at Thomas Ultican Elementary School (pictured) as well as helping out a local high school too (KMBC9) Your selfless actions will impact dozens of students throughout the district, Kristi Haley, Dakens teacher, said as she announced the award. Its not the amount of money you raised, although that was absolutely incredible. Its your heart, your drive, your determination and your grit to help others that inspires us. Daken told CNN that he was not expecting the award. It was definitely a surprise. I had no idea that they were going to do that, he said. And I definitely started to feel a lot of emotions. A plaque listing all the future recipients of award will hang outside the schools front office, KMBC reports. Dakens mother told CNN that they are now fundraising for the entire state as more and more students have qualified for school lunch programs in recent years. The United States Department of Agricultures 2023 report showed that 7.3 million children live in food-insecure households, and the National School Lunch Program cost $14bn pre-Covid. A question Ive asked many pro-life conservatives but have never gotten a satisfying answer: If abortion is murder, why not treat everyone who actively participates in the procedure like a murderer? In every other circumstance, we treat someone who commits premeditated murder, well, like a murderer. Issac Bailey I raise the question again because of a recent development in a fight between Republicans to represent South Carolina House District 6 in Anderson County. It illustrates the untenable, yet revealing, position the Republican Party has adopted nationally. Challenger Kyle White made a political video about opponent April Cromers contradictions and it included a doozy. White says of Cromer, an incumbent S.C. state representative, in the video: You also mentioned that you voted to protect life, but what you neglected to mention was that you also supported women who have abortion being prosecuted for murder, Its true. Cromer co-sponsored a bill so radical that it went nowhere in one of the most right-wing male-dominated legislatures in the country. Republicans and Democrats condemned it. Called the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act of 2023, the bill said an unborn child who is a victim of homicide should have equal protection under homicide laws in the state. It defined an unborn child as a person at any stage of development. In South Carolina, the penalty for a murder conviction can include death by firing squad or the electric chair. Cromer, and other co-sponsors, have since pretended they had nothing to do with the bill. On Mothers Day and as a proud mother of two, Cromer claimed on X that she was proudly pro-life and have supported equal protections for the unborn. But I have never and would never advocate for punishing women. Thats not who we are as a community. To be frank, thats just a flat-out lie. The bill she sponsored, had it become law, would have opened up women who had abortions to decades or life in prison the death penalty. That can be chalked up to cynical politics, with those elected to represent us breezily telling falsehoods to regain or retain power. Cromer isnt the first to tell easily disprovable lies during a campaign, but that doesnt impress me much. It still doesnt answer my original question. If pro-lifers truly believe abortion is murder, why wouldnt they want to treat those involved like murderers? Why not enact the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act of 2023 instead of disavowing it? Murder a 3-month-old newborn, you will be arrested, charged and face a long stint in prison, maybe not death row. If you believe a 3-month-old fetus is a full human being, why wouldnt you want the same to happen if that fetus is aborted? Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for N.C. governor revealed that he had his wife made the decision to have an abortion three decades ago, though now he says abortion is wrong. He also said society will feel the wrath of God because abortion is acceptable. Nowhere did he say he should have been treated as an accessory to murder. Donald Trump, presumptive GOP nominee for president, has been inconsistent on abortion but recently said it should be left up to the states. In no state is murder legal. Even if the state refuses to prosecute, the federal government would. Sen. Lindsey Graham stands firm in his belief there should be a national abortion ban. Even that ban would allow murders to take place for at least 15 weeks during a pregnancy. Thats one of the reasons we cant have a serious grappling across the ideological and political divide about abortion in the U.S. The rhetoric is overheated and purposefully misleading, which is what we saw from the three Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices who uprooted a half-century precedent that was Roe v. Wade. If pro-lifers really believe abortion should be curbed because it is murder, they should proudly and openly stand on that conviction. If not, they should stop pretending it is a conviction at all. Issac Bailey is a McClatchy Opinion writer in North and South Carolina. Eden Garrity says she is no longer able to do her dream job after the incident - Eden Garrity/SWNS A flight attendant who broke her leg in seven places during severe turbulence has won a six-figure payout. Eden Garrity, 31, was pushing a trolley as the Thomas Cook flight from Cuba to Manchester entered a violent Atlantic hailstorm in August 2019. The impact of the turbulence thrust the flight 500ft upwards, pinning her to the ground and snapping her ankle. She was unable to walk for two months after the incident, and underwent numerous operations and intense rehabilitation. Ms Garrity has been left with nerve damage, which makes it painful for her to stand up for long periods and means she can never return to work as cabin crew. She said: It has left me bitter, Im resentful for it. Its just frustrating. It was the best job in the world, and I feel like Ive lost a piece of my personality. You see people youre friends with and theyre travelling in the skies and Im not, Im forever grounded. Ill never be able to fly for work again. I appreciate the payout, but it doesnt bring back what Ive lost. It helps in terms off getting my own property, but Im 31 and I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I cant do what I want to do I suffered from depression and was diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety. Ms Garrity, of Leigh, Greater Manchester, was left on the floor of the plane for an hour while seats were cleared after the turbulence hit. She was able to lie across the back row of seats, and taken to hospital as soon as the flight landed in Manchester. Doctors said the impact of the plane floor was like a sledgehammer hitting her foot. Ms Garrity needed surgery to insert screws and metal plates in her leg, as well as a huge external metal brace. Doctors said the impact of the plane floor was 'like a sledgehammer' hitting Eden Garrity's foot - Eden Garrity/SWNS The aircraft had taken a detour of around 100 miles to avoid adverse weather conditions as it crossed the Atlantic, but she said she and other crew members had not been made aware, either during the journey or at the pre-flight staff briefing, of the risk of turbulence. She said: Usually, if were going to have some turbulence, theyll tell us before the flight and let us know what the plans are. For example, they might say were going to put the seatbelt signs on or were not going to release you. Lawyers from Thompsons Solicitors argued that staff should have been made aware that the flight would encounter poor flying weather and additional precautions should have been put in place. While Thomas Cooks insurers denied responsibility for her injuries, Ms Garrity has received an undisclosed compensation care package worth six figures. Neil Richards, the injury law expert who represented her, said: The circumstances surrounding the incident in which Ms Garrity sustained her injuries should have been foreseen. The issue of inflight safety, especially when working in certain geographical regions including the Caribbean, carries a known health and safety risk. Turbulence also represents an obvious and serious danger to all those onboard, and especially to airline staff who are required to work in and around the cabin in such environments. Stephen Pinder, the Unite unions legal director, said: I am pleased with the result achieved for our member and their family. Unite will be taking the lessons learned during this case back into our industrial work to help ensure other airline staff are protected from similar incidents. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) A flood advisory was issued for New York City and parts of New Jersey Monday afternoon as the tristate area prepared for a Memorial Day storm. The flood advisory went into effect around 2 p.m. and is expected to last through 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. New York City forecast and PIX11s Weather Center Severe rain was expected to cause flooding in the following areas: Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties, all five boroughs of New York City, Nassau County and Westchester. The region is expected to see between half an inch and an inch of rain Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Locals are encouraged to avoid flooded roads while driving and report flooding to local emergency services. The National Weather Service also issued a severe thunderstorm watch for all of New York City and parts of New Jersey and New York Monday. 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. 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. A Florida man, nicknamed 'Sedition Panda' for the panda costume head he wore during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was convicted of multiple charges Friday. Jesse James Rumson, 38, of Lecanto, was found guilty on Friday of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, both felony offenses, following a bench trial in District Court, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Additionally, Rumson was convicted of six misdemeanor charges: 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 Disorderly conduct in a Capitol building Act of physical violence in a Capitol building Parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. What did 'Sedition Panda' Jesse Rumson do on Jan. 6, 2021? According to authorities, Rumson drove with a friend from his Florida home to Washington D.C. and attended the 'Stop the Steal' rally wearing a headpiece appearing to belong to a panda costume. After the rally, Rumson reportedly marched with the crowd to the Capitol building, breached the restricted perimeter and entered the Capitol building wearing the panda headpiece. After an altercation with the police inside the building, Rumson emerged in handcuffs, this time without the panda headpiece, and with red eyes and skin from pepper spray, DOJ reported. Jesse James Rumson, 38, of Lecanto, Florida, was convicted on May 24, 2024 on multiple charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Rumson was arrested in Florida by the FBI on Feb. 27, 2023. During the trial, U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols reportedly called Rumson's version of events absurd and patently incompatible with the objective evidence and testimony. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 5, 2024 This embedded content is not available in your region. How do voters weigh insurrection? He went to prison for Jan. 6. Now he's running for Congress. How many were charged in Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot? Nearly 1,400 individuals have been charged for crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and over 1,000 have been convicted or have pleaded guilty. More than 870 have been sentenced, with over 500 receiving prison terms, according to data compiled by the Associated Press. Support local journalism by subscribing to a Florida news organization. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: 'Sedition Panda': Florida man convicted in Jan. 6 assault on officer Detainees attend a press conference on their release by the Houthi group in Sanaa, Yemen, May 26, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SANAA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group unilaterally released 113 detainees in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. "We are pleased to see that humanitarian considerations are being prioritized, particularly for the families eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones, especially with the approach of the Eid al-Adha celebrations in a few weeks," said Daphnee Maret, the ICRC's head of delegation in Yemen. "We hope this paves the way for further releases," Maret said. The ICRC said it had conducted private pre-departure interviews with the detainees to confirm their identities, and "listen to any concerns they may have about the release process, ensure they have been in contact with their families, and gather the necessary information to follow up on their condition if needed," said Alessia Bertelli, protection coordinator of the ICRC in Yemen. The ICRC said the latest release, as well as previous ones in 2023 and 2020, is a positive step towards reviving negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis. In April 2023, nearly 900 prisoners were released following UN-sponsored negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group. High-profile figures, including Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and Mahmoud Al Subeihi, the country's former defense minister, were among those who were freed. The UN has been making efforts to release all detainees, mostly political opponents, human rights activists and journalists, and reach a political settlement between the Yemeni warring parties. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed internationally-recognized government out of Sanaa. Detainees walk to attend a press conference on their release by the Houthi group in Sanaa, Yemen, May 26, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) Editor: WXL Preparing to decorate graves, May 1899. Photo from the Library of Congress In the years following the bitter Civil War, a former Union general took a holiday originated by former Confederates and helped spread it across the entire country. The holiday was Memorial Day, an annual commemoration was born in the former Confederate States in 1866 and adopted by the United States in 1868. It is a holiday in which the nation honors its military dead. Gen. John A. Logan, who headed the largest Union veterans fraternity at that time, the Grand Army of the Republic, is usually credited as being the originator of the holiday. Yet when General Logan established the holiday, he acknowledged its genesis among the Unions former enemies, saying, It was not too late for the Union men of the nation to follow the example of the people of the South. Im a scholar who has written with co-author Daniel Bellware a history of Memorial Day. Cities and towns across America have for more than a century claimed to be the holidays birthplace, but we have sifted through the myths and half-truths and uncovered the authentic story of how this holiday came into being. Generous acts bore fruit During 1866, the first year of this annual observance in the South, a feature of the holiday emerged that made awareness, admiration and eventually imitation of it spread quickly to the North. During the inaugural Memorial Day observances which were conceived in Columbus, Georgia, many Southern participants especially women decorated graves of Confederate soldiers as well as, unexpectedly, those of their former enemies who fought for the Union. Civil War Union Gen. John A. Logan. Library of Congress Glass negatives Shortly after those first Memorial Day observances all across the South, newspaper coverage in the North was highly favorable to the ex-Confederates. The action of the ladies on this occasion, in burying whatever animosities or ill-feeling may have been engendered in the late war towards those who fought against them, is worthy of all praise and commendation, wrote one paper. On May 9, 1866, the Cleveland Daily Leader lauded the Southern women during their first Memorial Day. The act was as beautiful as it was unselfish, and will be appreciated in the North. The New York Commercial Advertiser, recognizing the magnanimous deeds of the women of Columbus, Georgia, echoed the sentiment. Let this incident, touching and beautiful as it is, impart to our Washington authorities a lesson in conciliation. Power of a poem To be sure, this sentiment was not unanimous. There were many in both parts of the U.S. who had no interest in conciliation. But as a result of one of these news reports, Francis Miles Finch, a Northern judge, academic and poet, wrote a poem titled The Blue and the Gray. Finchs poem quickly became part of the American literary canon. He explained what inspired him to write it: It struck me that the South was holding out a friendly hand, and that it was our duty, not only as conquerors, but as men and their fellow citizens of the nation, to grasp it. Finchs poem seemed to extend a full pardon to the South: They banish our anger forever when they laurel the graves of our dead was one of the lines. Almost immediately, the poem circulated across America in books, magazines and newspapers. By the end of the 19th century, school children everywhere were required to memorize Finchs poem. The ubiquitous publication of Finchs rhyme meant that by the end of 1867, the southern Memorial Day holiday was a familiar phenomenon throughout the entire, and recently reunited, country. General Logan was aware of the forgiving sentiments of people like Finch. When Logans order establishing Memorial Day was published in various newspapers in May 1868, Finchs poem was sometimes appended to the order. The blue and the grey It was not long before Northerners decided that they would not only adopt the Southern custom of Memorial Day, but also the Southern custom of burying the hatchet. A group of Union veterans explained their intentions in a letter to the Philadelphia Evening Telegraph on May 28, 1869: Wishing to bury forever the harsh feelings engendered by the war, Post 19 has decided not to pass by the graves of the Confederates sleeping in our lines, but divide each year between the blue and the grey the first floral offerings of a common country. We have no powerless foes. Post 19 thinks of the Southern dead only as brave men. Other reports of reciprocal magnanimity circulated in the North, including the gesture of a 10-year-old who made a wreath of flowers and sent it to the overseer of the holiday, Colonel Leaming, in Lafayette, Indiana, with the following note attached, published in The New Hampshire Patriot on July 15, 1868: Will you please put this wreath upon some rebel soldiers grave? My dear papa is buried at Andersonville, (Georgia) and perhaps some little girl will be kind enough to put a few flowers upon his grave. President Abraham Lincolns wish that there be malice toward none and charity for all was visible in the magnanimous actions of participants on both sides, who extended an olive branch during the Memorial Day observances in those first three years. Although not known by many today, the early evolution of the Memorial Day holiday was a manifestation of Lincolns hope for reconciliation between North and South. Richard Gardiner, Associate Professor of History Education, Columbus State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The Conversation The post The forgotten history of Memorial Day appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Preparing to decorate graves, May 1899. (Library of Congress) The Conversation In the years following the bitter Civil War, a former Union general took a holiday originated by former Confederates and helped spread it across the entire country. The holiday was Memorial Day, an annual commemoration born in the former Confederate States in 1866 and adopted by the United States in 1868. It is a holiday in which the nation honors its military dead. Gen. John A. Logan, who headed the largest Union veterans fraternity at that time, the Grand Army of the Republic, is usually credited as being the originator of the holiday. Yet when General Logan established the holiday, he acknowledged its genesis among the Unions former enemies, saying, It was not too late for the Union men of the nation to follow the example of the people of the South. Im a scholar who has written with co-author Daniel Bellware a history of Memorial Day. Cities and towns across America have for more than a century claimed to be the holidays birthplace, but we have sifted through the myths and half-truths and uncovered the authentic story of how this holiday came into being. Generous acts bore fruit During 1866, the first year of this annual observance in the South, a feature of the holiday emerged that made awareness, admiration and eventually imitation of it spread quickly to the North. During the inaugural Memorial Day observances which were conceived in Columbus, Georgia, many Southern participants especially women decorated graves of Confederate soldiers as well as, unexpectedly, those of their former enemies who fought for the Union. Civil War Union Gen. John A. Logan. (Library of Congress Glass negatives) Shortly after those first Memorial Day observances all across the South, newspaper coverage in the North was highly favorable to the ex-Confederates. The action of the ladies on this occasion, in burying whatever animosities or ill-feeling may have been engendered in the late war towards those who fought against them, is worthy of all praise and commendation, wrote one paper. On May 9, 1866, the Cleveland Daily Leader lauded the Southern women during their first Memorial Day. The act was as beautiful as it was unselfish, and will be appreciated in the North. The New York Commercial Advertiser, recognizing the magnanimous deeds of the women of Columbus, Georgia, echoed the sentiment. Let this incident, touching and beautiful as it is, impart to our Washington authorities a lesson in conciliation. Power of a poem To be sure, this sentiment was not unanimous. There were many in both parts of the U.S. who had no interest in conciliation. But as a result of one of these news reports, Francis Miles Finch, a Northern judge, academic and poet, wrote a poem titled The Blue and the Gray. Finchs poem quickly became part of the American literary canon. He explained what inspired him to write it: It struck me that the South was holding out a friendly hand, and that it was our duty, not only as conquerors, but as men and their fellow citizens of the nation, to grasp it. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Finchs poem seemed to extend a full pardon to the South: They banish our anger forever when they laurel the graves of our dead was one of the lines. Almost immediately, the poem circulated across America in books, magazines and newspapers. By the end of the 19th century, school children everywhere were required to memorize Finchs poem. The ubiquitous publication of Finchs rhyme meant that by the end of 1867, the southern Memorial Day holiday was a familiar phenomenon throughout the entire, and recently reunited, country. General Logan was aware of the forgiving sentiments of people like Finch. When Logans order establishing Memorial Day was published in various newspapers in May 1868, Finchs poem was sometimes appended to the order. The blue and the grey It was not long before Northerners decided that they would not only adopt the Southern custom of Memorial Day, but also the Southern custom of burying the hatchet. A group of Union veterans explained their intentions in a letter to the Philadelphia Evening Telegraph on May 28, 1869: Wishing to bury forever the harsh feelings engendered by the war, Post 19 has decided not to pass by the graves of the Confederates sleeping in our lines, but divide each year between the blue and the grey the first floral offerings of a common country. We have no powerless foes. Post 19 thinks of the Southern dead only as brave men. Other reports of reciprocal magnanimity circulated in the North, including the gesture of a 10-year-old who made a wreath of flowers and sent it to the overseer of the holiday, Colonel Leaming, in Lafayette, Indiana, with the following note attached, published in The New Hampshire Patriot on July 15, 1868: Will you please put this wreath upon some rebel soldiers grave? My dear papa is buried at Andersonville, (Georgia) and perhaps some little girl will be kind enough to put a few flowers upon his grave. President Abraham Lincolns wish that there be malice toward none and charity for all was visible in the magnanimous actions of participants on both sides, who extended an olive branch during the Memorial Day observances in those first three years. Although not known by many today, the early evolution of the Memorial Day holiday was a manifestation of Lincolns hope for reconciliation between the North and South. The post The forgotten history of Memorial Day appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle. Lanny Davis, a former attorney to Michael Cohen, said Monday that the evidence against former President Trump in his criminal hush money trial could be enough to convict him, brushing aside concerns over Cohens reliability as the case heads to closing arguments and jury deliberations this week. Davis, in an MSNBC interview with guest host the Rev. Al Sharpton, argued that the jury doesnt even need Cohens testimony to come to a conclusion. The testimony and the documents speak for themselves, he said. In the testimony from Donald Trumps adherence and loyalists, David Pecker, Hope Hicks all testified that the money that Donald Trump directed Michael Cohen to give to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, to keep her quiet before the election. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents in the case, which marks the first criminal trial of a sitting or former president. Prosecutors claim Trump illegally covered up hush money payments made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels in the weeks before the 2016 election to buy her silence over an alleged past affair, which he denies. Questions have surrounded Cohens testimony given his prior conviction for lying under oath, and a harsh cross-examination by Trump attorneys earlier this month. Davis represented Cohen in the case he was convicted for, and said he instructed him to admit to lying in 2019. In February 2019, I said, Michael, the only way youre going to be believed is to own your lies, and admit them on national television under oath before Congress, and thats what he did, Davis said. So the long journey with Michael Cohen, including being cross-examined by the same kind of prosecutor, the same kind of defense attorneys for Michael Cohens prior employer, Donald Trump, he continued. He was subjected to cross-examination in the [New York] Attorney General Tish Jamess case, and the judge found him to be credible and truthful. Davis argued that the smoking gun in the case is not Cohens testimony, but evidence from former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, who signed documents recording reimbursement payments from Trump to Cohen for keeping Daniels quiet. Documents speak for themselves. Believe your lying eyes is whats going to happen in the jury room, he said. They dont have to use anything that Michael Cohen said. All the jury has to do is believe [Weisselbergs] document and know that they were reimbursements that Michael Cohen was paid back for what he advanced for the crime of paying off Ms. Daniels before the election, he added. And thats enough for them to convict beyond a reasonable doubt without relying on Michael Cohen at all. Despite his confidence in the evidence, Davis did not predict an outcome to the case. Closing arguments will begin Tuesday, and jury deliberations immediately after. If he is convicted, Trump could face as much as four years in prison, as well as be named a felon. Davis called the claims against the former president, also the presumptive GOP nominee for the White House, an impairment of our democracy. Theres plenty of evidence here for the jury to convict beyond a reasonable doubt, Davis said. But whatever happens, I will respect the jurys verdict. 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 The Hill. AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) A former Georgia Department of Corrections Officer has been arrested after the death of an Augusta State Medical Prison inmate. According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Roderick Hayes, 39, died as a result of an altercation. Roderick Hayes Authorities state that Lloyd Edward Hopkins, 51, was fired from the Georgia Department of Corrections and arrested on Sunday for failing to follow policies and procedures while working at the Augusta State Medical Prison. Lloyd Edward Hopkins ALSO ON WJBF: 17-year-old dies after collapsing at Augusta Youth Development Campus Hayes had been sentenced to 25 years in state custody for Trafficking of Person for Labor or Sexual Servitude and was serving 10 years for another charge, and Hayes was committed to state imprisonment in July 2018. Authorities state that Hayes body has been turned over to the county coroner and will be transported to the GBI Medical Examiners Office to determine the official cause of death, and the death is being investigated by the GDCs Office of Professional Standards. According to authorities, Hopkins has been charged with Party to the crime of Murder, Party to the crime of Aggravated Assault, and Violation of Oath of Office, and he is currently being held at the Columbia County Detention Center without bond. Brendon Moore Andy Ulysse The Georgia Department of Corrections also stated that two inmates have been charged with Felony Murder and Aggravated Assault in this investigation: Brendon Lamar Moore, who is serving a Life sentence for Rape, Hijacking, Aggravated Sodomy, 2 counts of Armed Robbery, 3 counts of Kidnapping, and 3 counts of Terroristic Threats and Acts, and Andy Ulysse, who is serving a 20-year-sentence for a 2015 kidnapping and state time, which also includes sentencing for Armed Robbery, False Imprisonment, and Theft by Taking, Possession of Marijuana, and two counts of Possession of Knife During Crime. 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 WJBF. CONCORD, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Sundays sold-out Coca-Cola 600 brought tens of thousands of life-long and first-time fans out to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Some came with high hopes of getting to see former president Donald Trump. Around the Track: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Were excited to see President Trump, said longtime racing fan DJ Drake Itd be cool to have a president here just in North Carolina at the race. How cool would that be to have the president come see the race? Trump arrived in Concord about an hour before the race. Small business owners who sell Trump merchandise said they had more customers than a typical race weekend. Its big. Its big because I think it gives, it gives celebrity status to events like this, not that it needs more celebrity status, but its great, said NASCAR fan John Bow. Trump sat with owner Richard Childress to watch the race. The former president will return to New York later in the week for closing arguments in his ongoing hush money trial. NASCAR Xfinity Series draws new fans Fans said a day at the track is a great stress reliever for anyone. I love this crowd, man. These are my people. I love this stuff, said Bow. Im all about this all year. I wait for this all year long. Trumps attendance required a large police presence in and around the speedway. Hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement agents assisted. 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 Queen City News. A former St. Paul police officer and Golden Gloves boxer died in a single car accident last week. At about 4 a.m. on Friday morning, Clemmie Howard Tucker Sr., 73, was driving a 2015 Ram 1500 truck eastbound on Interstate 94 near Dale Street when the pickup veered off the road to the right and struck a guardrail, according to a report by the Minnesota State Patrol. While the airbag was deployed, authorities said, Tucker was not wearing a seatbelt. It was unknown if alcohol was involved, according to the incident report. Tucker served as a St. Paul police officer for 23 years until his retirement in 1998. The former boxer also ran the now-defunct B.T. Bombers gym in St. Paul. In 2017, Tucker was found guilty of malicious punishment of a child and fifth-degree assault charges for shoving and striking a teen at a group home where he worked as a counselor. Earlier, in 2007, Tucker was sentenced to federal prison for possessing more than 500 grams 17.6 ounces of a methamphetamine mixture with intent to distribute it. Tuckers daughter, Roxanne Tucker, has started a GoFundMe account for help raise money for funeral expenses. To his family and friends, she wrote, her father was known as Clem, Pops or Papa T. She said he was the best father a child could ask for and that being a father was a responsibility he took very seriously and wholeheartedly even if it was to his own detriment and/or self sacrifice! Related Articles Former Washington Post editor Cameron Barr admitted he should have pushed harder to publish the outlets reporting on the upside-down American flag flying from the Virginia home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. back in 2021. In January 2021, Alitos wife, Martha-Ann, told Washington Post Supreme Court reporter Bob Barnes that the upside-down flag which was embraced by Trump supporters following the 2020 election was an international signal of distress, though the Post never published the report. That is, until the New York Times broke the story earlier this month. I agreed with Bob Barnes and others that we should not do a single-slice story about the flag, because it seemed like the story was about Martha-Ann Alito and not her husband, Barr told Semafor in a Sunday interview, referencing the neighborhood dispute that appeared to be the impetus of the flag. Barr told Semafor he had suggested the story would focus on the neighborhood disagreement that would include mention of the flag, though that story was never published either. In retrospect, I should have pushed harder for that story, Barr said. In the Posts 2024 story on the flag, a Post spokesperson stated the incident was not initially published because the flag-raising appeared to be the work of Martha-Ann Alito, rather than the justice, and connected to a dispute with her neighbors, leading to uncertainty if the argument was rooted in politics. While the upside-down flag has long stood as a sign of distress used by the military and protestors in situations of civil unrest, in the months following the 2020 election, Trump supporters used the flag as part of the Stop the Steal movement, which claimed President Joe Biden stole the election from Trump. Several upside-down flags appeared during the Jan. 6 insurrection. The Posts reporting of the upside-down flag at the Alitos home in Fairfax County marks one of two flags associated with Jan. 6, as an Appeal to Heaven flag was flown from Alitos beach house in New Jersey. That flag dates back to the American Revolution and is used in far-right circles to signify a right to revolution. Amid reports of the flags, pressure is mounting on Alito to recuse himself from two Supreme Court cases: one regarding Trumps bid for immunity and the other surrounding Jan. 6. The post Former Washington Post Editor Admits He Shouldve Pushed Harder to Publish Alito Flag Story in 2021 appeared first on TheWrap. A man holds the body of a victim at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, May 26, 2024. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) GAZA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 35,984, health authorities in the Palestinian enclave said in a press statement on Sunday. The Israeli army killed 81 Palestinians and wounded 223 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 35,984 and injuries to 80,643 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in October 2023. The statement noted that some victims remained under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of rescue crews. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on social media X that the war in Gaza continues to be a war on civilians, noting that "civilian casualties, displacement, the destruction of homes and essential civilian infrastructure continue unabated." "Nowhere is safe in Gaza, we need a ceasefire now," UNRWA added. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage. People mourn their relatives at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, May 26, 2024. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Editor: GSY MOUNT HOPE, WV (WVNS) Four people from out-of-state face felony charges after a traffic stop in Fayette County. Fayette County man arrested following car chase 25-year-old Corayma Daritza Colon and 25-year-old Edison Roberto Antonio, both of Palm Bay, Florida, and 22-year-old Amelia Celeste Garnica and 20-year-old Angel Joel Santiago Colon, both of Buffalo, New York, were charged with the felony offense of Possession With Intent to Deliver Narcotics and Felony Drug Conspiracy. On May 27, 2024, at around 3:00 a.m., deputies held a traffic stop of a car for a minor traffic violation on U.S. Route 19 in the Mount Hope area of Fayette County. Deputies smelled marijuana coming from the car when talking to the driver, which led to the car being searched. Once the car was searched, deputies found bags with large amounts of pills and marijuana. 80 grams of Oxycodone pills, 174 grams of Adderall pills, and 334 grams of Xanax pills were seized by officers during the traffic stop. Four men arrested in Wyoming County after coal mine break-in Daritza, Antonio, Garnica, and Colon were taken to Southern Regional Jail to wait on further court proceedings. The Fayette County Sheriffs Office stated that all defendants are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law, and that criminal complaints are only a document that alleges a criminal charge. 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 WVNS. Burnt vehicles can be seen at an independantist roadblock at La Tamoa. The capital of the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia was rocked by riots after France's National Assembly approved contentious voting reforms to the territory that angered independence supporters. Delphine Mayeur/AFP/dpa France is lifting a state of emergency in its overseas territory of New Caledonia after 12 days, the office of President Emmanuel Macron announced in Paris on Monday. The measure, introduced on May 15 amid unrest in the South Pacific overseas territory, will not be extended and will end on Tuesday morning at 5 am local time (1800 GMT Monday), French media quoted the Elysee Palace as saying. French media reported that the French government was hoping the move would help dialogue. However, it went on to say that the prerequisite for concrete negotiations was for roadblocks set up by the demonstrators to go. Paris also announced the deployment 480 additional police officers, bringing the number of French security forces in New Caledonia to around 3,500. Although the situation has largely calmed down, the airport in the capital Noumea, which has been closed since 14 May, is to remain closed to all commercial flights until at least June 2. Macron flew to the island state in the South Pacific last week for a short visit to discuss solutions with the political forces and defuse the crisis. The pro-independence protests, in which seven people died and hundreds were detained, were triggered by a constitutional amendment planned by Paris. This would grant thousands of French-born inhabitants of the archipelago the right to vote in provincial elections and give them more political influence. The indigenous Kanak ethnic group in particular has long hoped for its own state and now fears that it will be at a disadvantage. In three referendums in 2018, 2020 and 2021, the inhabitants of the former French colony voted in favour of remaining part of France. However, since the last vote, boycotted by the separatists, talks on a new status have stalled. New Caledonia has historically been important to France in military and geopolitical terms, as well as due to its large nickel deposits. France to send troops to Ukraine to train soldiers Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron - Alamy France will soon start sending troops to train Ukrainian forces in the war-torn country, Kyivs top commander said on Monday. General Oleksandr Syrskyi said paperwork had been signed to allow French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres, following talks with Sebastien Lecornu, the French defence minister. I welcome Frances initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian military personnel, Gen Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app. I have already signed the documents that will allow the first French instructors to visit our training centres soon and familiarise themselves with their infrastructure and staff. I believe that Frances determination will encourage other partners to join this ambitious project. Ukraines commander-in-chief offered no details on the first French deployments. The French defence ministry said: As already mentioned several times, training on Ukrainian soil is one of the projects discussed since the conference on support for Ukraine convened by the President of the Republic on February 26. Like all the projects discussed at that time, this track continues to be the subject of work with the Ukrainians, in particular to understand their exact needs. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, raised eyebrows in February when he said sending Western troops to Ukraine could not be ruled out. The intervention created divisions within Nato as the alliances member states ruled out combat deployments that could risk escalation with Russia. Britain and Germany were vocal in their opposition to Mr Macrons suggestion. Moscow claimed the deployment of Western troops would inevitably trigger an all-out war between Russia and Nato. But the French presidents move prompted some of Ukraines most ardent backers in Eastern Europe to also consider sending troops. Gabrielius Landsbergis, the Lithuanian foreign minister, last week said: Lithuania is ready to be part of a coalition of countries that could be led by France or another country, which could organise the training of Ukrainians on their territory. Britain, America and EU countries have trained more than 100,000 troops on European soil since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The surface of Venus is littered with thousands of volcanoes, some of which may still be active until today. A fresh look at 30-year-old radar images captured by the Magellan spacecraft revealed new lava flows on Venus, suggesting that the planet was volcanically active between 1990 to 1992. NASAs Magellan mission arrived at Venus in 1990 and became the first spacecraft to image the entire surface of the planet before plunging into the Venusian atmosphere on October 12, 1994. Since its dramatic ending, no other spacecraft has been dedicated to exploring Venus. Although the radar images captured by Magellan are more than three decades old, scientists have developed new instruments to probe at the data and weave new discoveries about the hellish planet. Thirty-two year old Davide Sulcanese, a graduate student at the Universita dAnnunzio in Italy and lead author of a new paper on Venus volcanism, jokes that the radar images examined by him and his team are of his exact age. This is very old data but with the new technology, we can still make it very useful even for new discoveries, Sulcanese told Gizmodo. The team poured over two sets of Magellan radar data obtained in 1990 and 1992 to look for evidence of volcanic activity. In the images, team members found surface changes in two areas, the western flank of Sif Mons, a volcano on Venus, and in western Niobe Planitia, a large volcanic lowland province on the planet. Scientists have previously found volcanic-related features on both of those areas, but the team behind the new study discovered variations in the radar backscatter between different images taken by Magellan over a period of two years. The variations are likely indicative of new lava flows on the surface of Venus, according to the study published in Nature Astronomy. Image: Nature Astronomy The new findings not only support an earlier study on Venus volcanic activity, but also suggest that present-day volcanism on Venus is rather widespread. In March 2023, a group of scientists found a volcanic vent on Venus changing shape and increasing significantly in size in less than a year. That was the first indication of recent volcanic activity on Venus, but now scientists can better understand the scale of Venus volcanism. Our findings allowed us to estimate the flow rate, and it turned out that Venus is actually much more active than expected and the level of of activity is comparable, or similar, to Earth , Sulcanese said. Studying active volcanoes can help scientists understand how a planets interior can shape its crust and affect its habitability over the years. Venus is sometimes referred to as Earths twin because both planets are almost the same size and mass, and have similar composition. By studying Venus, we can better understand Earth, Sulcanese said. Its a volcanic world so its a very hostile environment, at least to us...I hope not, but maybe this is something that will happen to Earth. Its been a long time in the making, but NASA is finally sending a new mission to Venus. VERITAS, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2031, will study Venus surface and core to understand how a rocky planet about the same size as Earth evolved in a very different path. More: How Did Water Escape From Venus? A New Study May Have Solved the Mystery For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Two drones crashed into a fuel station in Livny, a town in Russia's Oryol region, overnight on May 27, according to the local governor. Oryol Oblast Governor Andrei Klychkov said that part of the building facade was damaged. First responders have been dispatched to the scene when another drone reportedly crashed at the same station. A driver of the local fire station was killed in the attack, according to Klychkov, and three other rescuers were injured. The Kyiv Independent can't immediately verify those claims. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry, which is crucial to sustain Moscow's war efforts, as well as its military hardware. Oryol Oblast is located in western Russia, and borders Kursk region to the southwest, Bryansk region to the northwest, and Tula region to the east. Read also: Russian media: Oil refinery in Russias Krasnodar Krai damaged after drone attack Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The man accused of stabbing four young girls at a Braintree movie theater and two McDonalds employees in Plymouth during Saturdays brazen string of violence is slated to be arraigned Tuesday morning on a slew of charges. Terrified: Mother of girls stabbed in Braintree theater says suspect was laughing during attack Jared Ravizza, a 26-year-old resident of Chilmark on Marthas Vineyard, was arrested after allegedly leading police on a chase down to Cape Cod, Plymouth Country District Attorney Tim Cruz said. Following a fiery crash in Sandwich, Ravizza was taken into custody and transported to South Shore Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A DA spokesperson confirmed Ravizza was released from the hospital Monday and is being held without bail at the State Police Bourne barracks. He will appear in Plymouth District Court on Tuesday to face charges including assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the Plymouth stabbing. Charges in connection with the Braintree attack have not been announced. New video shared with Boston 25 News showed state troopers escorting Ravizza into an awaiting cruiser for transport to court. A law enforcement source tells Boston 25 that Ravizza is also being investigated for his connection to a death in Connecticut earlier Saturday before he drove to the South Shore. DEATH INVESTIGATION IN CONNECTICUT - 3:30 P.M. While Massachusetts State Police would not confirm, a law enforcement source tells Boston 25 that Ravizza was wanted in connection with a death investigation that began in Deep River, a small town just a few miles from the eastern Connecticut coast and around 120 miles away from Braintree. Connecticut State Police responded to an address around 3:36 p.m. Saturday for a reported disturbance. Arriving officers found a deceased individual, who has yet to be identified. A suspect in the investigation was taken into custody in Massachusetts, Connecticut State Police noted Saturday evening. They did not identify the suspect as Ravizza. Neighbors like Charlie Brashears were shocked to see an active crime scene in the sleepy town. Many many many police cars showed up and they barricaded, first looked like a little bit of an ambush down there, said Brashears. They had both the cars backed up into two of my neighbors, and they were on the hoods, I dont know if they had guns or not but they were on the hoods, then eventually they just barricaded the area. Brashears told Boston 25 affiliate Fox61 that the suspect and a man had been renting a house in the neighborhood but could be heard having loud arguments a few days ago. Its hard to wrap your brain around it, Brashears said. STABBING AT BRAINTREE MOVIE THEATER- 6:00 P.M. Around 6:00 p.m. Ravizza allegedly entered the AMC Braintree 10, walked past the ticket counter, and entered one of the theaters, Braintree police said. Inside the auditorium, without saying anything and without warning he allegedly stabbed and attacked three sisters and their friend, ranging in age from 9-years-old to 17-years-old. Lisa Dembowski said her three daughters and a friend went to see the movie IF when they were attacked. Shaken up, they are physically fine I think they are, kids are resilient but I think they are terrified, said Dembowski. She said the four kids were the only ones in the theater when the suspect came up behind them. Dembowski said her oldest daughter was leaning forward when she was stabbed. Terrified: Mother of girls stabbed in Braintree theater says suspect was laughing during attack He got her in the back and then my other daughter in the top chest and then my last daughter across her arm, laughing the whole time and then got their friend and ran off, she said. The four young girls were taken to Boston area hospitals to be treated for their non-life-threatening wounds. Braintree police officers and detectives reviewed surveillance footage that showed the suspect racing off from the area in a black SUV. Police were able to capture Ravizzas license plate and share the information with other Massachusetts law enforcement agencies. In a statement sent Monday an AMC spokesperson said The welfare of our guests and associates is AMCs top priority, and we are saddened by this senseless act of violence. We are heartened to learn the victims are recovering, and we are reaching out to their families privately. At all of our locations, AMC has multiple security features and procedures in place, the specifics of which we do not disclose or discuss publicly. We have already begun to conduct a thorough review of this incident. Based on theatre associate accounts and video footage, the theatre team jumped into action immediately, calling emergency services and administering aid to the victims. STABBING AT PLYMOUTH MCDONALDS - 7:00 p.m. Around an hour later, Massachusetts State Police said they responded to the McDonalds at the Route 3 rest area for a reported stabbing. Surveillance video from just after 7:00 p.m. shows Ravizza reaching through the McDonalds drive-thru window, stabbing a 28-year-old male employee with a large knife, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said Sunday. Ravizza then allegedly parked his black Porsche, went inside the McDonalds and stabbed a second employee, a 21-year-old woman. Cruz says the suspect then drove away in the Porsche but a witness inside the restaurant was able to report the cars license plate to investigators, who determined the vehicle, a 2018 Macan, belonged to Ravizza. The injured man was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth while the woman was transported to South Shore Hospital, Cruz said. Both employees injuries are considered to be non-life-threatening. A McDonalds spokesperson said in a statement on Monday, we are shocked and devastated by this senseless act of violence. The safety of our crew and customers is always our top priority. We are grateful to law enforcement for their quick response in protecting our Cape Cod communities and will continue to assist them in their investigation. CRASH, ARREST IN SANDWICH- 7:15 p.m. State police cruisers picked up the chase as the suspect raced away from the plaza. The vehicle crashed in Sandwich and Ravizza was taken into custody at 7:15 p.m., Cruz said. Photos shared with Boston 25 News showed the suspected Porsche blackened and charred on Cotuit Road after catching on fire following the crash. Ravizza is currently being held at South Shore Hospital while he is treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Ravizza will be arraigned in Plymouth District Court Tuesday on charges of assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the Plymouth stabbing, Cruz says. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Just after noon on a Monday, John Motley Morehead High School principal Jason Tuggles laptop dings with the notification of a new email. Assistant principal Landon Kimreys phone vibrates at the same time. Vape event detected, the subject line reads. A detector has gone off in the boys bathroom. Tuggle checks the time stamp on the email and heads over to a TV monitor in his office to check the hallway cameras. Just minutes before the vape alert was sent, the recording shows six boys walking into the bathroom. Crude NO VAPING signs made with laminated pieces of printer paper are tacked to either side of the doorway. After some time, the boys meander back out of the bathroom one by one. Tuggle and Kimrey recognize it as the typical signs of a group vaping session. Later, theyll call the boys into their office to talk with them about the incident. If they find an e-cigarette, itll be confiscated, and the students could face suspension. Somewhere hidden in the administrators office is a box full of confiscated vapes. Kimrey estimated that he receives about 10 vape alert notifications on a typical day at the 800-student school in Eden, a small town 40 miles north of Greensboro close to the Virginia border. After Rockingham County Schools received a grant several years ago to install vape detectors in all of their high schools and middle schools, Morehead was chosen to pilot the program. The HALO Smart Sensor devices that the school has in nearly every bathroom detect changes in the atmosphere in order to identify vapor from e-cigarettes, THC and even masking agents like perfume or body spray. Tuggle said the detectors have been a useful tool for addressing instances of vaping during school, although some students remain undeterred. We think [e-cig usage among students] has been steady, Tuggle said. And, you know, the market has increased. The size of them has gotten smaller. The power of them has gotten stronger. The mens bathroom at Morehead High School, pictured on April 15, 2024, is one of several student restrooms at the Eden school equipped with vape detectors. Vape detectors are one example of how schools are attempting to address the youth vaping epidemic. However, researchers and public officials have struggled to keep up with a global vape market that is constantly adapting to new trends and technologies. Ilona Jaspers, a professor at UNCs Gillings School of Public Health, has conducted significant research on popular e-cig flavorings. She likened the effort to curb youth vaping to a game of Whack-a-Mole. Were always chasing something that by the time we actually have it set up in our lab and do controlled experimental designs, do the research to understand causality, dosing, toxicity, all of these things, its either off the market because they got shut down or something else is a shinier object and really has taken the market by storm, Jaspers said. The newest concern for regulators is the rise in popularity of disposable e-cigarettes devices packed with nicotine that are designed to be thrown away after a short period of use. Popular disposable brands like Elf Bar are cheap and widely available at convenience stores and vape shops despite being illegal to sell in the U.S., making them a favorite among young people. One 19-year-old student at Appalachian State University who asked to remain anonymous said shes used vapes on and off since she first tried e-cigarettes as a sophomore in high school. She called the habit embarrassing and gross but admitted that she likely wouldnt be quitting any time soon, partly because of how accessible vapes are on college campuses. Right now, her brand of choice is Lost Mary, a popular disposable vape manufactured in Shenzhen, China. The legal age to buy tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, under federal law is 21, but the student said everyone knows which stores in Boone dont check IDs. Sometimes she shares devices with her underage friends. Youre always gonna find somebody who has something, she said. Its not hard. How did we get here? Electronic nicotine delivery systems more commonly known as vapes or e-cigarettes were first introduced to the U.S. market in 2007 as a safer alternative for adult cigarette smokers. However, youth e-cigarette use exploded in the mid-2010s as brands like JUUL introduced flavored e-liquid cartridges and used influencer marketing tactics that appealed to young people. Facing pressure from the federal government, academics and activists, JUUL discontinued certain pod flavors like fruit, cucumber, creme and mango in 2019. After losing several high-profile lawsuits, including one brought by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein that settled for $40 million, JUULs once-powerful vaping empire has shrunk into relative obscurity. In its place, disposable products have flooded the market and become the preferred e-cigarette of school-age users. According to the latest National Youth Tobacco Survey, more than 2.1 million middle school and high school students currently use e-cigarettes. Of those students, nearly 57 percent reported using Elf Bar vapes. These products are appealing to young people because they come in dozens of flavors with names like Blue Razz Ice and Malibu. Theyre packaged in bright colors, are easily concealable and guarantee 5,000 puffs per device the equivalent of about 20 packs of cigarettes in terms of nicotine delivery. FDA crackdowns threaten disposables In December, the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 41 shipments containing approximately 1.4 million illegal e-cigarettes, including Elf Bar, all of which originated from China. The estimated retail value of the seized e-cigarettes was more than $18 million. The manufacturers of these devices smuggle them into the United States by mis-declaring them as toys or shoes, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Those shamelessly attempting to smuggle illegal e-cigarettes, particularly those that appeal to youth, into this country should take heed of todays announcement, Brian King, director of the FDAs Center for Tobacco Products, said in a press release following the operation. Federal agencies are on to their antics and will not hesitate to take action. There isnt an explicit ban on disposable vaping devices or flavored e-cigarettes, but no fruit- or mint-flavored e-cigarettes have been authorized by the FDA to date. Thats because, according to the FDAs premarket tobacco product application, e-cigarette vendors must prove that marketing their products would be appropriate for the protection of the public health before they can be approved. The agency has ramped up its efforts to penalize retailers that sell illegal e-cigarettes, issuing at least 80 warning letters to brick-and-mortar stores across the country for selling unauthorized products, including Elf Bar, since February. Retailers who are found to still be operating out of compliance after being issued a warning letter may be served a civil money penalty upwards of $20,000. Last year, the FDA fined six North Carolina retailers $19,192 each for selling Elf Bar products. However, thats just a tiny sliver of the total number of North Carolina retailers who sell unauthorized e-cigarettes. For example, there are at least six retailers in downtown Chapel Hill a college town of 60,000 people that currently sell Elf Bars and other unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes. Disposable e-cigarettes line the shelves of a Chapel Hill convenience store on April 25, 2024. In an attempt to curb the sale of these products, some states have taken regulations and enforcement into their own hands. Last year, Louisiana passed a law prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes that arent on the FDAs regulated list of vapor or alternative nicotine products. Businesses that do not adhere to the law are subject to fines and penalties from the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. North Carolina has no such law targeting the sale of illegal e-cigarettes. And state Rep. Maria Cervania, a Democrat from Wake County, said the legislature doesnt seem interested in making it a priority. Cervania co-sponsored the Youth END Act, a bipartisan bill that would establish a fund to prevent the use of new and emerging tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, especially among youth and people of childbearing age. That bill, which was filed concurrently in both chambers, passed first readings in the House and the Senate but never made it out of committee. Its uncertain if it or any other vaping-related bills will be picked back up in the near future. Theres no legislation, and in fact I think if anyones going to put anything forward, itll probably be me, Cervania said. While the state is, at least for the meantime, turning a blind eye to retailers who sell illegal e-cigarettes, it has been using the JUUL settlement money to fund media campaigns and cessation programs aimed at young people. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services spent $730,000 in the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years on these efforts, according to the latest JUUL settlement progress report submitted to a legislative oversight committee in February. The NCDHHS Division of Public Health is also working with schools across the state to offer education on vaping prevention and cessation as an alternative to suspension, NCDHHS spokesperson Hannah Jones said in an email. The Rescue Agency has a vaping cessation program that assigns youth aged 13-17 to Instagram groups where they work for five weeks with an adult facilitator, Jones email said. Members of the group also help each other in their efforts to quit vaping. What are the health risks of e-cigarettes? While e-cigarettes may not have the same carcinogens as combustible tobacco products, a growing body of research shows that heavy use can cause decreased lung function, shortness of breath and other asthmatic symptoms in otherwise healthy young people. Its this different manifestation of kids who have never smoked a cigarette at all have started with e-cigs [and] are now coming down with potentially something thats unique to e-cigs that we would have not seen in cigarettes, Jaspers said. Jaspers said that part of the difficulty in determining the risks of e-cigarettes is that the ingredients found in vapes are always changing. In 2019, researchers determined that the vitamin E acetate, which used to be found in some vaping products, was associated with EVALI, a serious lung condition that could lead to hospitalization or death. Jaspers past research also found that vaping cinnamaldehyde a flavoring agent used in cinnamon-flavored vapes causes damage to lung cells. Currently, she is looking into the effects of the synthetic coolants used in ice-flavored e-cigarettes, although that research is still ongoing. Because e-cigarettes are a relatively new phenomenon, its still unclear what the long-term health effects of vaping could be. The Appalachian State student said she sometimes experiences shortness of breath, nausea and shakiness after she vapes. Still, the side effects shes experienced havent been severe enough to deter her from vaping. The only thing that would convince me [to quit] is if somebody close to me had a bad experience with it, she said. Because we see things all the time on social media about popcorn lung, about peoples (expletive) collapsing, diseases. And thats not me. Hasnt happened to me yet. Unless that kind of serious health event happens, she said shell continue to frequent the vape shop near her that doesnt check IDs. UNC Media Hub is a collection of students from the various concentrations in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media working together to create integrated multimedia packages covering stories from around North Carolina and beyond. Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder, rape, and assault. Reader discretion is advised. Gary Heidnik, widely known as the Bishop, was a murderer and serial rapist who lured six women and held them captive in his Philadelphia home between November 1986 and March 1987. He reportedly served in the army many years before that and lived a lonely life after he briefly served time in prison and lost custody of his three children. However, as per a report by People Magazine, he abducted women and attempted to impregnate them. ABC 6 reported that he was caught after one of the victims, Josefina Rivera, managed to flee from captivity and alerted authorities. Rivera was a sex worker and was picked up by Heidnik in 1986. At that time, Heidnik had started the United Church of the Ministers of God. He ordained himself as the Bishop and ran the church out of his living room. The Bishop held Josefina Rivera in his basement when she was just 25 years old and a mother of three. She was reportedly his first victim before Gary Heidnik kidnapped 24-year-old Sandra Lindsey, 19-year-old Lisa Thomas, 23-year-old Deborah Dudley, and 18-year-old Jackie Askins subsequently. Rivera, according to Oxygen, began cooperating with Heidnik and helped him torture the other victims. When Deborah Dudley and Sandra Lindsey died from the torture, she reportedly assisted Heidnik to dispose their bodies and kidnap another victim, Agnes Adams. However, Josefina Rivera only helped Gary Heidnik to earn his trust. When he was convinced of her loyalty, he let Rivera make a phone call to her parents. Per Oxygen, she then took the opportunity to call the police, which led to Heidnik getting caught in March 1987. The surviving victims were subsequently freed. What happened to Gary Heidniks victims? According to a report by CNN, disabled and vulnerable women were Gary Heidniks victims. Moreover, his six victims, who were either Hispanic or Black, were chained and kept half-naked state in his basement. He reportedly fed them dog food and repeatedly raped them. Gary Heidnik inflicted torture on his victims through electric shocks and other mental and physical methods. This included stabbing the women in the ear with a screwdriver. The Bishop also left the radio on at high volumes when he left the house to ensure that no one could hear the womens screams. Gary Heidnik killed Deborah Dudley and Sandra Lindsay while they were in captivity. The latter was reportedly hung by her wrist to a ceiling beam for days before she died, according to Oxygen. He then allegedly sawed her remains and forced the surviving women to eat parts of her. Deborah Dudley died after all the victims, except Josefina Rivera, were coerced to be in a pit of freezing water. Rivera was then asked to drop a live wire into the pit, which generated an electric shock and killed the victim. His double life as a bishop reportedly helped him to stay in peoples good books and not attract unwanted attention. ABC 6 reported that according to Gary Heidniks lawyer, Chuck Peruto, the killer wanted to kidnap women and impregnate them so that his future children could not be taken away from him. He also allegedly wished to create a perfect race of children and raise them away from exterior influence. What was the Bishop convicted of? Prior to his months of crime, Gary Heidnik was reportedly discharged from the military after serving for 13 months on the grounds of mental illness. However, he didnt get any access to help and pursued a nursing degree instead. Fox News reported that he had worked at a veterans hospital before he was fired due to his rudeness and poor attendance. After his mother died by suicide, he started the church a year after his mothers death. After he started kidnapping women and torturing them, his neighbors had complained about a stench coming from his home. However, the police did not discover Gary Heidniks crimes and the body of two victims until Josefina Rivera contacted them. Per a report by Fox News, Gary Heidnik was charged with kidnapping, rape, false imprisonment, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, unlawful restraint, and interfering with the custody of a committed person. According to court documents, he was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, six counts of kidnapping, five counts of rape, four counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. He was sentenced to death. Gary Heidnik was executed on July 6, 1999, at the State Correctional Institution at Rockview in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Per his request, his last meal was black coffee and two slices of cheese pizza. The Bishop was reportedly the last person to be executed in Pennsylvania. He also made his way into pop culture, with the character of Buffalo Bill partially inspired by him. An episode of People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer is titled, Surviving the Bishops Basement. It explores the crimes of Gary Heidnik through the lens of his surviving victims. The episode aired on ID on Sunday, May 26, 2024. The post Gary Heidnik: How & When Did the Killer Bishop Get Caught? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that eight combat clashes have taken place on the Kurakhove front since the beginning of the day: the situation is difficult south of Kostyantynivka. The situation is also tense on the Pokrovsk, Kupiansk, Kharkiv and Vremivka fronts. Source: General Staff report as of 22:30 on 27 May Quote: "Eight combat clashes took place on the Kurakhove front. Fighting continues in the area of Krasnohorivka. The situation is tense south of the village of Kostiantynivka, where our soldiers are taking active stabilisation measures." Details: A total of 97 combat clashes have taken place in the contact line over the past day. The Russians launched two missile attacks using two missiles and 43 airstrikes using 50 guided aerial bombs, and deployed 418 kamikaze drones. They fired on Ukrainian positions and settlements more than 2,900 times using various types of weapons. There have been 10 combat clashes on the Kharkiv front since the beginning of the day. On the Kupiansk front, seven attacks by Russian forces were repelled in the vicinity of Petropavlivka, Stepova Novoselivka, Hrekivka and Nevske. In one of the areas, the Russians had partial success. In addition, two combat clashes continue near Myasozharivka. On the Lyman front, the Russians made five attempts to advance towards Terny. Three attacks were repelled. Two other combat clashes are ongoing. Quote: "On the Siversk front, over the past day our defenders have repelled five enemy assaults in the areas of Verkhniokamianske, Spirne and Vyimka. The enemy had no success. The situation remains tense near Bilohorivka, where the fighting is currently ongoing. On the Kramatorsk front, Ukrainian defenders stopped eight enemy attempts to approach Chasiv Yar. On the Pokrovsk front, Ukrainian troops repelled 21 enemy attacks. Eleven Russian assault attempts to break through further than Ocheretyne were unsuccessful. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers prevented five enemy attacks in the area of Novoselivka Persha. Fighting continues near Sokil, Novoselivka Persha, Yasnobrodivka and Nevelske. The situation is tense in some areas. The defence forces are taking active measures to prevent the enemy from advancing. On the Vremivka front, four enemy assaults towards Urozhaine were repelled, and two towards Staromaiorske. At the same time, the enemy continues to attempt to break through our defences near Staromaiorske, where three battles are currently underway. On the Orikhiv front, the Russian invaders suffered another failure when they tried to assault our positions near Robotyne. On the Prydniprovske front, at the bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro River, seven enemy attempts to push back our units in the vicinity of Krynky failed. Since the beginning of the day, our aviation units and Rocket Forces and Artillery have struck 24 Russian personnel clusters and two artillery systems." Support UP or become our patron! On Friday, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) celebrated a provision he secured in the 2024 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill that will help protect local control of Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL). >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The Senators provision provides additional protections and clarity in the event that the state legislature attempts to wrestle control of ATL away from the City of Atlanta, as it often threatens. Hartsfield-Jackson is the busiest airport in the world, connecting tens of millions of travelers to the incredible history, culture, and businesses that make up The A. Its only right that the City of Atlanta continues to control this gateway to the city, said Senator Reverend Warnock. My provision helps protect millions in revenue flowing from Hartsfield-Jackson to Atlanta, and helps enable the city to continue supporting minority-owned small businesses. I was proud to secure these meaningful protections to guard against cynical state politicians trying to seize control of the airport. Read: Terrified: Mother of girls stabbed in Massachusetts theater says suspect was laughing in attack The Georgia State Legislature passed a measure in 2019 to take over control of ATL from the city of Atlanta. The Senators provision, which he secured after offering it as an amendment during the Commerce Committees FAA markup earlier this year, codifies certain protections and processes in the event of a disputed change of sponsorship at a federally obligated, publicly owned airport. CLICK HERE for full story by WSB-TV. Read: JSO: Man shot while driving, crashes car in Englewood neighborhood [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Demonstrators with Georgian national, U.S. and EU flags rally during an opposition protest against the foreign influence bill and celebrating of the Independence Day in the center of in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, May 26, 2024. 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. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze) TBILISI, Georgia (AP) A Georgian parliament committee on Monday rejected the presidents veto of the foreign agents legislation that has sparked massive protests for weeks. The move by the parliaments judiciary committee sets up the possibility of a vote of the full legislature on Tuesday to override President Salome Zourabichvilis veto of the measure, which she and other critics say will restrict media freedom and obstruct Georgias chances of joining the European Union. The law would require news media and non-governmental organizations that get more than 20% of their budget from abroad to register as carrying out the interests of a foreign power. Opponents denounce it as the Russian law because it resembles measures pushed through by the Kremlin. The ruling Georgian Dream party has insisted that the bill is needed to stem what it deems to be harmful foreign actors trying to destabilize the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people. It's absolutely important for Georgia, Maka Bochorishvili, a ruling party member who heads the parliamentary EU integration committee, told The Associated Press. She argued that the bill should help make the country stable and peaceful and rejected the opposition's labeling of it as the Russian law as unfair. I do believe that if there is proper understanding of the objective of this law, nobody would prove why transparency can go against European integration, Bochorishvili said, adding that she expects the country's Western partners to have better understanding of the necessity of this legislation for Georgia. Zourabichvili vetoed the law on May 18 after it was passed in parliament by deputies from the Georgian Dream and its allies. That bloc has sufficient votes in parliament to override the veto. Large protests have repeatedly gripped the capital, Tbilisi, as the measure made its way through parliament. On Sunday, Zourabichvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze assailed each other in speeches at a ceremony marking Georgia's Independence Day. As the specter of Russia looms over us, partnership and rapprochement with Europe are the true path to preserving and strengthening our independence and peace. Those who sabotage and undermine this path trample upon and damage the peaceful and secure future of our country, hindering the path towards becoming a full member of the free and democratic world, Zourabichvili said. Kobakhidze shot back, accusing Zourabichvili of betraying the country. It was the unity and reasonable steps of the people and their elected government that gave us the opportunity to maintain peace in the country for the past two years despite existential threats and multiple betrayals, including the betrayal of the president of Georgia. he said. The European Unions foreign policy arm has said that adoption of the law "negatively impacts Georgias progress on the EU path. Critics say it may have been driven by Russia to thwart Georgias chances of further integrating with the West. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday announced that travel sanctions would be imposed on Georgian officials who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia. He added that it remains our hope that Georgias leaders will reconsider the draft law and take steps to move forward with their nations democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The German government will provide Kyiv with an additional 60 million euros ($65 million) in humanitarian assistance, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on May 27. "The Russian terror is specifically targeting people and ordinary life in Ukraine by attacking shopping centers only to kill people and spread fear and terror," Baerbock said during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. Russia launched a deadly attack against Kharkiv on May 25, hitting a supermarket and killing 16 people. Over 40 civilians were injured. According to Baerbock, the newly allocated aid is primarily meant to alleviate the situation in eastern Ukraine. The German foreign minister pledged that Berlin would provide further assistance to eastern Ukraine in cooperation with international organizations. EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss the ongoing Russian war of aggression. Ukraine's head of diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba, is expected to join as well via videoconference. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian strike on Kharkiv supermarket kills 16; Zelensky says Moscow increasing presence near northern border Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A former German military officer accused of throwing CDs containing official secrets over a wall into the Russian consulate in Bonn has been convicted of spying. Thomas H admitted to contacting the Russians with secrets a number of times because he wanted to prevent a nuclear escalation of the Ukraine war, claiming he feared for his familys safety in a nuclear conflict. He was convicted on Monday at the Dusseldorf higher regional court of giving up military secrets and sentenced to three and a half years in prison. The 54-year-old former army captain from Koblenz worked at the agency responsible for equipping the Bundeswehr the German army with hi-tech weaponry. State prosecutors accused him of serving a state which had committed proven violations of international law. They said he had put military secrets on CD-Roms and thrown them over the wall into the Russian consulate in brown envelopes. Thomas H denied throwing CDs but acknowledged approaching the Russians. He attempted to make contact multiple times to offer his services to both the consulate and the Russian embassy in Berlin in 2022. A protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine outside the Russian embassy in Berlin in March - Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu At around the same time he joined the far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which advocates for trade with Russia. He was arrested in August 2023, and has been held in custody since then. Thomas Hs defence lawyer blamed his very poor psychological condition and chronic overwork. He added his clients hard-earned career was in ruins after four days of treason, when he crossed red lines, dubbing his actions four days of total failure. He said his client had been drawn into an obsessive spiral of fake news on TikTok and Telegram, which gave him the push to contact the Russian consulate in Bonn in May 2023. Thomas H himself said in a summary statement: Its the biggest mess Ive ever made in my life. Before approaching the AfD, he had tried to contact the German Left Party, which also opposes Nato. The troubled party, which recently split with its more pro-Russian wing, refused Thomas Hs advances due to doubts about his integrity, German press reported. 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. Palestinians inspect their destroyed tents after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa The German government has described a deadly Israeli airstrike near Rafah that killed at least 35 Palestinians as presumably "a mistake" and again defended Israel's "right to defend itself within the framework of international law." The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are currently investigating whether their strike near Rafah in the Gaza Strip was a targeted attack, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin on Monday. "In any case, a mistake has been made, that can already be said," Hebestreit added. The question of the motivation for the attack still had to be examined, Hebestreit said. Asked about allegations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, Hebestreit said that the German government would withhold judgement. "The conclusion as to whether this is a war crime in terms of international law is something that must be left to lawyers who know the exact facts," Hebestreit said. If there is evidence of such a crime, the German government would certainly condemn it, Hebestreit said. But he warned that such conclusions cannot be drawn from gruesome photos of the aftermath of the strike, and noted recent rockets launched from Rafah toward Tel Aviv. "First investigate what exactly happened and then make a judgement. And not make an immediate judgement based on pictures," Hebestreit said. When asked whether Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck's statement at the weekend that military attacks on refugee camps were incompatible with international law represented the position of the entire German government, Hebestreit said: "Yes." Palestinians inspect their destroyed tents after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Palestinians inspect their destroyed tents after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Germany to allocate another 60 million for humanitarian aid to Ukraine German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has announced Germany's plans to allocate another 60 million for humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Source: She said this at a meeting with her EU counterparts in Brussels, DW reports. Details: Baerbock said that this humanitarian aid is intended specifically for residents of the eastern regions of Ukraine, where the most basic necessities are often lacking. The German government is working with international players to deliver humanitarian aid there, she added. Background: Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Germany has donated more than 1,400 tonnes of equipment and materials to Ukrainian power engineers to restore the power system. Support UP or become our patron! Germany is planning to allocate an additional 60 million for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Source: German TV news channel n-tv, citing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, as reported by European Pravda Details: The German minister stressed that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine's east remains highly challenging. "There is a lack of everything. People have been suffering under Russian terrorist occupation for more than two and a half years," she said. She added that the German government is working together with its international partners to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine. In light of the recent Russian attacks on Ukraine, Baerbock stressed that comprehensive support for Ukraine is even more critical in these times. Ukraine needs support in all dimensions in order to achieve peace, the German foreign minister stressed. Background: On Thursday, 23 May, Berlin announced a new batch of military aid to Ukraine, which included artillery shells, Leopard 1 AP tanks, machine guns, drones, rifles and ammunition. Last Friday, the German government officially confirmed that it had delivered another IRIS-T air defence system to Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attend the second day of the NATO Defence Ministers Council at the Alliance headquarters -/NATO/dpa The German government remains opposed to the idea of setting up a defensive shield from NATO territory to protect against Russian airstrikes in western Ukraine, a top spokesman said on Monday. "From our point of view, that would be an involvement, a direct involvement in this conflict. And that is something we are not aiming for," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin on Monday. He also referred to statements made by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. There have been calls from some recently for NATO powers to bolster Ukrainian air defences by establishing some sort of protective shield over Ukraine. Hebestreit did not want to comment specifically on a question as to whether and in what form Ukraine had given assurances that it would not carry out attacks on targets in Russia with the weapons systems supplied from Germany. These regulations were subject to confidentiality and had proved their worth, Hebestreit said. He also noted that international law stipulates that a state under attack can also defend itself outside its own borders. BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and France's President Emmanuel Macron warned in a joint opinion piece for the Financial Times that the European Union had to make dramatic efforts to improve its competitiveness or risk seeing its way of living undermined. Among the reforms needed were further efforts to decarbonize the economy, while leaving the precise means of doing so up to member states, they wrote, in what seemed to be a boost for the French nuclear power industry. The leaders also urged European Union member states to complete the single financial market by introducing common insolvency, tax and investment frameworks. "We can't take for granted the foundations on which we have built our European way of living and our role in the world," they wrote in the article, due to appear in Tuesday's edition of the newspaper. "Our Europe is mortal, and we must rise to the challenge." (Reporting by Thomas Escritt, Editing by Rachel More) 'It has gone very far:' EU countries voice exasperation over Hungary's vetoes on Ukraine aid 'It has gone very far:' EU countries voice exasperation over Hungary's vetoes on Ukraine aid Foreign affairs ministers of the European Union did not mince words on Monday when expressing their exasperation about Hungary's long-running veto on military assistance for Ukraine, covering 6.5 billion. "It has gone very, very far," said Lithuania's Gabrielius Landsbergis. The blockage began a year ago when Budapest refused to endorse a 500-million tranche under the European Peace Facility (EPF), an off-budget tool that allows member states to obtain partial reimbursements for the military equipment they send to Kyiv. The dispute, which has caused a great deal of frustration among EU diplomats, was exacerbated after member states reached in March a hard-fought deal to top up the EPF with an additional 5 billion, designed to be rolled out until the end of the year. Hungary's veto on the 500-million envelope has affected two others of the same size, amounting to 1.5 billion in total. The impasse also means the next 5 billion cannot move forward, creating an across-the-board obstruction of EU aid. As a result, countries have shifted to bilateral donations that bypass Brussels. The delays have become an embarrassment for the bloc, as Ukraine battles a new hard-hitting offensive by Russian troops in the northeast region and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleads with the West to step up supplies of weapons and ammunition. On Saturday, Russian air strikes against a supermarket in Kharkiv killed at least 16 people and left 65 injured, according to local authorities. Frustration grows "We cannot accept that a single country, which also signed in favour of this amount a few months ago during a summit between heads of state, is now blocking this crucial aid for Ukraine," said Belgium's Hadja Lahbib, upon arriving at the meeting. "We must absolutely assume our responsibilities and do what is necessary to help Ukraine militarily," she added. Her Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, said that "every time" ministers come to Brussels, they are faced with Hungary's vetoes on "very important initiatives." "We have to take down the (blockage) in the meaning that we have to convince Hungary. But it's crucial that Ukraine needs this kind of support," Tsahkna told reporters. Latvia's Baiba Braze said the EU's political unity should translate into "actual, practical deliverables" and lamented a "number of issues" being held up in the Council. "We expect those member states to relent," she said. Lithuania's Landsbergis delivered the most scathing assessment, decrying the Hungarian attitude as a "systematic approach towards any efforts by the EU to have any meaningful role in foreign affairs." The minister referred to Ukraine's accession process and Georgia's "foreign influence" law as instances in which Budapest attempted to derail collective decisions. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has defied the Western consensus by conducting overt Russian-friendly policy and demanding concessions to water down sanctions. "It's not case by case. And we have to start talking about this," Landsbergis said. "I know that in some cases it might look as a non-diplomatic thing to do because, you know, we're kind people and polite people." 'A problem of human lives' The reasons for the veto have baffled officials in Brussels. Budapest initially refused to approve the 500-million tranche because Ukraine's anti-corruption agency had blacklisted Hungary's OTP Bank as an "international sponsor of war." The designation infuriated Orban's government and triggered a spat between Budapest and Kyiv, with Brussels awkwardly caught in the middle. OTP Bank was eventually removed from the name-shaming catalogue but Hungary kept its veto firmly in place, arguing it needed unconditional guarantees it would not happen again. On Monday, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto upped the ante and claimed Hungarian companies were "systematically discriminated against" in Ukraine. Szijjarto acknowledged a "huge row" with his German, Lithuanian, Irish and Polish colleagues had taken place during the meeting and vowed to stand his ground. "We continue to insist on the need to make peace, to stop the senseless killing and to prevent the escalation of this war, so we have not and will not contribute to the release of another 6.5 billion to finance arms shipments to Ukraine," he said. Diplomats have rolled their eyes at Hungary's reasoning, which they see as capricious and unfounded. They now fear the EPF obstruction could derail the new agreement to use the extraordinary revenues stemming from Russia's immobilised assets. The project could raise between 2.5 billion and 3 billion annually, 90% of which would go into supplies of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine. While Budapest did not block the legal deal on immobilised assets, it could still use its veto power to thwart the release of fresh money. At the end of Monday's meeting, Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, said that any move should be "proportional with the issue at stake" and called on Hungary to break the gridlock, which has led to "seven legal texts pending of approval." He noted that Budapest had secured an "opt-out" clause to ensure its national contributions would not finance any sort of military equipment bound to Kyiv. "We cannot let the European Union's military support for Ukraine be taken hostage by other decisions which have nothing to do with this specific issue," Borrell said. "Ukraine needs the arms now, not next year," he went on. "This delay can be measured in terms of human lives. It's not a financial problem. It's a problem of human lives." This article has been updated with more reactions. Former 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley reiterated her support for Israel over a Memorial Day trip to the country this weekend. Haley, who served two years as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, visited the countrys southern sites that were targeted by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks, which set off more than seven months of war between Israel and the governing power in Gaza. Danny Danon, a member of the Knesset, Israels parliament, left, and Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, react as they visit the home of the Bibas family, who are in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, in Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, Monday, May 27, 2024. A quarter of Nir Oz residents were killed or kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) She was greeted by Danny Danon, a current member of Israels Knesset who served as Israels ambassador to the U.N. during Haleys time in the international body. Danon posted an edited video on the social media platform X, in which Haley pledged to the Israeli people Americas support. What I will tell all Israelis: America is with you. Americans are with you 1,200 people were brutally murdered. Lets not forget what happened on Oct. 7. Because Hamas has said theyre going to do it again. We owe it to make sure it never happens again, Haley said in the video, which Danon posted. Dont listen to what is being said in the media. I reassure you: America stands with Israel! Danon quoted Haley as saying, in a separate post on X. Haley was the last candidate standing against former President Trump in the race to become the Republican Partys 2024 candidate for president. Haley, both in her time in the U.N. and throughout the months she served as a presidential candidate, made her support for Israel central to her political identity which Danon noted in his post this weekend thanking Haley for her visit. It is with the greatest pleasure that I extend a warm welcome to our esteemed friend, Ambassador Nikki Haley, as she arrives in Israel, Danon posted Sunday. @NikkiHaley is a steadfast ally of Israel and a sincere advocate for the Jewish people. It is with immense honor to host her during this significant visit of solidarity. 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 The Hill. General view of tents in which displaced Palestinians take refuge in, next to the Egyptian border with the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. An Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah hit tents housing displaced people, Palestinian medics said on 27 May evening. The Palestinian Red Crescent said on X that there were "numerous" people killed and injured in the bombardment north-west of Rafah. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa The Hamas-run health authority in Gaza on Monday said 35 people have been killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike near the southern city of Rafah. Most of the victims were women and children, the health authority said, describing the bombing on Sunday night as a "massacre." The information could not initially be independently verified, but the Palestinian Red Crescent earlier said on the social media platform X that there were "numerous" people killed and injured in the bombardment north-west of Rafah. Medics in the Gaza Strip on Sunday evening said at least 28 people were killed when the airstrike hit tents housing displaced people. Footage from the scene showed the makeshift shelters on fire. It was not clear how many people were trapped or under the debris. The Palestinian Red Crescent said that the air raid hit a designated humanitarian zone for those who had been forced to evacuate Rafah due to the Israeli fighting. The aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that a medical facility it supports in the area treated dozens of wounded and more than 15 dead people were brought to their trauma stabilization point. "We are horrified by this deadly event, which shows once again that nowhere is safe. We continue to call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza," MSF said on X. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said via X that two senior Hamas officials were killed in the airstrike. "The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, through the use of precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area," the IDF said in a statement. "The IDF is aware of reports indicating that, as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review," the statement added. The strike came just days after the International Court of Justice in The Hague ordered Israel to halt its assault on Rafah. The war in Gaza was triggered by the unprecedented massacre of more than 1,200 people by militants from the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group and others on October 7. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. The criticism of Israel has grown as the death toll among Palestinians has increased. It currently stands at over 35,000 people dead, according to Hamas authorities in Gaza. Back in 2017, Honolulu's police chief abandoned a contentious plan to confiscate firearms from residents who use marijuana for medical purposes, which the state has allowed since 2000. But law enforcement agencies still reject applications for the permits required to legally possess guns in Hawaii when the would-be owners have state-issued medical marijuana cards. Last year, according to a recent report from the state attorney general's office, that was by far the most common reason for denying gun permits, accounting for two-fifths of rejections. Under 18 USC 922(g)(3), it is a felony for any "unlawful user" of a "controlled substance" to receive or possess a firearm. Since the federal government does not recognize any legitimate use of marijuana, that disqualification applies to all cannabis consumers, even in states that allow medical or recreational use. And under Hawaii law, it is a felony to own a gun if you are "prohibited from possessing a firearm" under federal law. In addition to documenting the prominent role of medical marijuana approvals in gun permit denials, the attorney general's report revealed an inconsistency between Hawaii County (the Big Island) and the state's three other major counties. While the denial rate averaged less than 1 percent in Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai counties, it was nearly 7 percent in Hawaii County. The Big Island's outlier status was news to Hawaii County Police Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz, who took office in January 2023. While his department automatically rejected gun permit applications from residents with inactive medical marijuana cards, he discovered, the other counties granted permits to people whose cards had expired a year or more before. Moszkowicz told Hawaii Pubic Radio that "75% of those who initially received medical marijuana denials were later approved after returning with documentation from a doctor or counselor saying they were no longer adversely affected." In light of that pattern, he said, Hawaii County has aligned its policy with those of the other counties and from now on will issue gun permits to residents who were once registered as medical marijuana patients but have not held active cards in the previous year. That is what passes for enlightened policy in Hawaii, where the combination of gun registration and patient registration highlights the absurdity of assuming that cannabis consumers are ipso facto so dangerous that they cannot be trusted with firearms. Survey data suggest that something like 20 million American gun owners are also marijuana users, making them guilty of a federal felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. But those cases are rarely prosecuted, mainly because the government generally does not know who owns guns or who uses marijuana. Because Hawaii tracks both kinds of information, its practices underline the injustice of denying people the constitutional right to armed self-defense for arbitrary reasons that have nothing to do with public safety. The Biden administration has steadfastly defended this policy, despite the president's avowed concern about the "needless barriers" erected by the federal government's "failed approach to marijuana." The government's lawyers liken cannabis consumers, including medical marijuana patients, to "lunatics" and violent criminals. They even argue that marijuana use, which Biden says should not be treated as a crime, excludes someone from "the people" whose "right to keep and bear arms" is protected by the Second Amendment. In 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, which includes Hawaii, upheld the policy of banning gun sales to people who are known to have medical marijuana cards, even if they do not currently consume cannabis. The appeals court reasoned that possessing a medical marijuana card is a good, if imperfect, indicator of illegal drug use, which is in turn associated with violence, "impaired mental states," and "negative interactions with law enforcement officers." The 9th Circuit concluded that there was a "reasonable fit" between the challenged policy and a substantial government objective, which meant it passed "intermediate scrutiny" and was consistent with the Second Amendment. Six years later in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the U.S. Supreme Court explicitly rejected the sort of "interest-balancing" test that the 9th Circuit applied in that case. "When the Second Amendment's plain text covers an individual's conduct, the Constitution presumptively protects that conduct," Justice Thomas wrote for the majority. "The government must then justify its regulation by demonstrating that it is consistent with the Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. Only then may a court conclude that the individual's conduct falls outside the Second Amendment's 'unqualified command.'" The Hawaii Supreme Court takes a dim view of Bruen and the Second Amendment decisions that preceded it. In a unanimous decision last February, the justices said there is no such thing as an individual right to arms, which they deemed inconsistent with "the Aloha Spirit." That spirit may help explain why Hawaii is so keen to ensure that no one who uses marijuana for symptom relief is allowed to own a gun. But it does not override the precedents upholding the right that Hawaii's top jurists say does not exist. Since Bruen, at least four federal courts have concluded that prosecuting marijuana users for possessing firearms does not meet the test established by that decision. Last year, for example, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit overturned a cannabis consumer's conviction under Section 922(g)(3), rejecting the Justice Department's argument that it was consistent with Bruen. That defendant had received a prison sentence of nearly four years after he was caught with two guns and the remains of a few joints during a traffic stop. Other courts have ruled that at least some applications of Section 922(g)(3) are constitutional. Last month, for example, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit rejected a facial challenge to that provision. This month, a federal judge in Delaware relied heavily on that ruling when she declined to dismiss the federal gun charges against Hunter Biden, the president's son, who cited the 5th Circuit's decision in arguing that the policy his father defends violates the Second Amendment. Even as the 8th Circuit rejected the argument that Section 922(g)(3) is unconstitutional on its face, the appeals court was skeptical of the main historical precedent that the Justice Department has cited to justify it. The government's lawyers argued that a categorical ban on gun ownership by illegal drug users is "relevantly similar" to early laws aimed at people who publicly carry or fire guns while intoxicated. Although the 8th Circuit was unpersuaded by that inapt analogy, it allowed that some drug users might be similar to people who are "mentally ill and dangerous" or to people who "tak[e] up arms to terrify the people." The 8th Circuit nevertheless conceded that "not every drug user or addict will terrify others, even with a firearm." The court said it is "exceedingly unlikely," for example, that "the 80-year-old grandmother who uses marijuana for a chronic medical condition and keeps a pistol tucked away for her own safety" will "pose a danger or induce terror in others." In Hawaii, however, that grandmother would be unable to obtain the permit she needs to legally keep a gun "for her own safety." Likewise for the other 32,000 or so patients whose medical use of marijuana the state has recognized as legitimate. Under state and federal law, one kind of permission precludes the other. In the 24 states that have legalized marijuana for recreational as well as medical use, that grandmother could more readily exercise her Second Amendment rights, because she could legally buy marijuana without creating a record that would prevent her from buying a gun. But if she evaded the ban that Hawaii is so eager to enforce, she would be committing up to four federal felonies. In addition to Section 922(g)(3), she would be violating two other provisions, 18 USC 922(a)(6) and 18 USC 924(a)(1)(A), if she bought a gun from a federally licensed dealer and checked "no" on the federal form that asks whether a buyer is an "unlawful user" of "marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance." Those felonies are punishable, respectively, by up to 10 years and up to five years in prison. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which President Biden signed into law in 2022, added yet another potential charge, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. All told, the 8th Circuit's hypothetical grandmother could face combined maximum sentences totaling 45 years for trying to exercise her Second Amendment rights. Does that situation make any kind of sense? Hunter Biden thinks not, but his father disagrees. The post In Hawaii, Permission To Use Medical Marijuana Precludes Permission To Own a Gun appeared first on Reason.com. HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) The Hays Consolidated Independent School Districts Board of Trustees approved a list of hazardous traffic zones so it can receive additional funding from the state for students to access bus services. There are around 2,500 students in the district living in hazardous traffic areas, according to the board. The Texas Education Association allocates $1 per mile to a school district, for students who live in areas more than two miles away from a school, said Hays CISD assistant director of transportation Cassandra Behr. A school district has the ability to designate areas as hazardous routes, if it is less than two miles away from the school and could be unsafe for a student to walk. This allows a district to get additional funding for bus services for those students, Behr said. Hazardous is anything under two miles [from a school] that would be an unsafe path for a child to get to school. Generally, if the parents choose for their child to walk to school [but would require] walking on a freeway, crossing a major road crossing, or walking over railroad tracks, Behr said. On Monday, the Hays CISD board of trustees removed some areas considered hazardous and added others to its list. Some areas lost their designation because there is now a safe path for them to get to school, Behr said. The amount of money the district gets for hazardous routes depends on how much funding it gets for non-hazardous routes. Generally, a district will get around 10% of the non-hazardous miles budget for hazardous routes, she said. Hays High School crossing concerns Jack C Hays High School is on Jack C Hays Trail in Kyle, Texas. This road was considered hazardous, but this year was removed from the list, Behr said. Still, students park in a new development across the road from the High School, around eight minutes away from a crosswalk, and cross to school from there. These kids are trying to navigate and essentially play human Frogger after school, said Christina Bell, a parent of kids who attend the school. Its just so dangerous. Behr said the reason why the road lost its hazardous designation was because of the crosswalk. Still, she understands many students are not taking the time to cross safely. Our suggested safe-to-school path is for them to walk down to Koehlers Crossing and cross there at that crosswalk, Behr said. Students like to take the path of least resistance. So that is not their preferred path to get there, she added. Behr said she would like a crosswalk in front of the new development, but that is challenging because its a state-owned road. We continue to have those conversations when we have those opportunities, Behr said. We know where the students would like to cross and so we want to recommend it. For parents, they continue to hope changes to the road will eventually be made. I just hate the fact that its going to take something completely tragic [for something] to be done, Bell said. Why not, as the adults in this situation, do something to prevent a serious accident. 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 KXAN Austin. Hennepin County has the largest homelessness prevention and housing stability effort in Minnesota, working to shelter thousands of people each year and hopefully get them into permanent housing. The county has nearly 200 people working on homelessness and housing stability and will spend nearly $200 million in local, state and federal dollars in 2024. A new 0.25% sales tax approved by the Legislature will raise about $29 million annually for rental assistance and affordable housing. The county partners with cities and local nonprofits to provide shelter and other services to residents experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Hennepin County leaders say they are one of the last jurisdictions in the U.S. that promises to shelter all families with children so no child sleeps outside. "We believe that homelessness is unacceptable and that government can do something about it," said David Hewitt, human services director for housing stability. "This crisis is very visible. The successes are, almost by nature, invisible because it is people, in their homes, doing OK." The county's work has grown considerably since the coronavirus pandemic, when a combination of financial, health and social factors pushed many residents to the edge or over it. Last year, 9,000 people found shelter in the 13 year-round facilities the county funds. Other shelters come online in winter months when demand for space spikes. In 2023, county workers helped 2,171 people who were homeless transition into permanent housing. That was a 18% increase over 2022 and a 57% jump since 2021. County leaders focus on making homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring; a popular approach with state and local governments across the U.S. Supplementing that work are ongoing investments to create and preserve affordable housing. Here's the focus of each of those efforts: Rare: With a staff of 31 and budget of $19 million, the aim of this team is to help residents keep the housing they have already. That means providing emergency rental assistance or connecting tenants facing eviction with lawyers for housing court. Staffers also help residents with unstable housing find temporary solutions so they don't have to go to a shelter. "We are here to advocate for you," said Brittani Walker, a case management assistant. "A lot of people are scared and don't know where to go." Brief: This team of 120 with a budget of $46 million works to get people who are living outside, in shelters or in unstable housing into a permanent place to live. Anyone who interacts with a county social worker at a shelter or an encampment can have their name and contact information entered into a database. A case worker will reach out to get them into permanent housing as quickly as possible. "We work with people where they're at," said Phyllissha Butler, a supervisor for the youth homeless to housing team. She added that unhoused clients almost always face multiple challenges that contributed to why they lost their homes including mental health problems, substance abuse and financial challenges. "We are looking to break down any barriers they have to housing," she said. Nonrecurring: A team of 18 with a budget of $103 million is focused on keeping people who have struggled with homelessness in permanent housing. Clients receive housing aid, which in February helped 2,300 households pay rent, and have a case worker who helps them avoid the problems that contributed to their housing instability. Nathan Nyren, a housing support program manager, said one of the biggest challenges is finding landlords who will rent to people who were homeless or have a criminal record. The housing aid is typically considered an ongoing income supplement, but sometimes the help is time limited. Nyren says providing rental assistance is cheaper than having homeless residents in shelters or ending up in the emergency room or jail. "This program is saving taxpayers money," he said. "Our goal is always to try to get people to be as independent as they can." Affordable housing: Hennepin County will invest about $23 million this year in affordable housing with plans to create about 1,000 new units. The staff of 27 works to maintain existing affordable housing and bring new units online through forgivable loans and other incentives for providers. There are also grants and assistance to help lower-income residents become homeowners. Hennepin County has a shortfall of more than 34,000 deeply affordable units for low-income residents. Nearly half of the county's tenants are cost-burdened by rent, according to the Minnesota Housing Partnership. Hennepin Healthcare is phasing out the use of handcuffs by its paramedics to secure unruly patients, after its leaders checked and discovered that its urban ambulance agency was among the last in the nation to still use them. The switch should take place this summer, after medics have been trained on alternatives that can protect them from being assaulted by agitated or delirious patients, said Dr. Nick Simpson, medical director for Hennepin County EMS. The elimination of handcuffs is part of the agency's broader shift to clarify roles of first responders at emergency scenes. "This is just an attempt to make sure law enforcement does law enforcement duties and EMS does EMS duties," he said. "That's kind of at the heart of where the change away from handcuffs came from." It's a substantial change; Hennepin EMS reported that handcuffs were used on more than 2,000 patients last year, or about 2.5% of ambulance runs. Some medics balked at the change when it was announced this spring, arguing that they should reduce the use of handcuffs but still carry them as a last resort because of the increasingly hazardous environment in which they work. Rising drug overdoses and mental health crises have resulted in more threats to medics during ambulance runs. A survey of paramedics by their union found about 80% still wanted to use handcuffs, which with a "click and a clack" can secure threatening patients faster than other restraints, said Shane Hallow, president of the Hennepin County Association of Paramedics and EMTs. He viewed Hennepin EMS as a model for how to use handcuffs appropriately to protect medics and patients, even if it has become an outlier nationally. "It's not all the time, but in certain circumstances we are dealing with incredibly violent people, or people under the influence of drugs or alcohol who have incredible amounts of strength," Hallow said. Handcuffs weren't used or have been phased out by many ambulance agencies, including Robbinsdale-based North Memorial health. The Edina Fire Department stocks them on ambulances and receives police training on how to use them. The National Association of EMS Physicians allowed for their limited use in its policy guidance for two decades, but stated in a 2021 update that "rigid restraints, such as handcuffs, should not be used by EMS providers." If patients are handcuffed by police officers, the national organization recommends that the officers ride along in ambulances. Hennepin medics will have other physical restraints at their disposal, such as heavy Velcro straps that secure patients' wrists or keep them bedbound during ambulance rides. The agency is reviewing other options, such as oversized mitts that prevent patients from hitting or scratching anyone. The switch recognizes that handcuffs are different, both in their severity as restraints but also as symbols of criminal wrongdoing. "Their use in a medical setting seems out of place and sends the wrong message," said Sue Abderholden, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "People are not being arrested, they are receiving care and being brought to a hospital." Handcuffs can evoke "profound historical trauma" in the impoverished and racial minority groups that make up many of Hennepin's patients, said Dr. Tim Kummer, assistant medical director of Hennepin EMS, but also a "sense of false security" for the medics who carry them. "It is not what they think it is" in terms of the protection they afford, he said. High-profile legal cases have motivated EMS agencies to protect themselves and their medics from civil or even criminal liability related to overused or misused restraints. Colorado paramedics were convicted in December for giving a fatal sedative overdose to an agitated man being subdued by police. Sacramento, Calif., reached a $4.4 million settlement last month with the family of a man who was handcuffed by police officers because he was acting out amid a diabetic episode. Media reports indicate that firefighters and paramedics should have relied on their training and intervened, instead of allowing officers to cuff the man with his hands behind his back and place him in a medically hazardous face-down position. The man died of cardiac arrest. Training in hospital and pre-hospital settings increasingly has focused on de-escalation strategies that rely on words and body language to calm patients without physical confrontation. It doesn't always work. Kummer said he is adept at these techniques, and yet he was "punched, tackled and strangled by a patient" whose attitude shifted within seconds in the Hennepin emergency room last year. Kummer took four months of leave to recover, but he said an overcorrection toward more use of punitive restraints isn't the right choice. His hospital often subdued agitated patients with sedative injections, but Kummer said it has switched and found success by offering sedative pills and telling patients why it will help if they take them on their own. "You see patients light up with empowerment and that has been really powerful for us," Kummer said. Research has identified medical concerns with restraining patients with their arms behind their backs, including the risks of breathing problems and asphyxia and the delays in taking vital signs and freeing patients in order to provide tests and treatments. Some EMS agencies require that patients, placed by police in handcuffs, be switched to medical restraints for their ambulance rides. However, there is limited research on handcuffs specifically and whether they produce better or worse safety and medical outcomes than other restraints. Medics are concerned that they will be forced to increase their use of controversial chemical restraints. Federal authorities faulted Hennepin EMS in 2021 for overusing a sedative called ketamine in real-world research to see if it subdued agitated patients. Hallow, the union president, said that Hennepin leaders already told him that his medics likely will be administering more sedatives, despite the recent increase in de-escalation training. Simpson, the medical director, disagreed with that assessment. Chemical restraints are rarely used independently, he said, so he doubts their use will increase just because medics are using less-invasive physical restraints. Many EMS agencies got their beginnings a half-century ago as arms of police departments or law enforcement agencies, while others were formed by hospitals or funeral homes that dispatched hearses to transport patients. Simpson said the origins of EMS agencies often explain how likely they have been to incorporate law enforcement tools such as handcuffs into their work. Simpson said he is coordinating with local police departments and sheriff's offices in his efforts to uncouple his medics from quasi-law enforcement situations in which they end up assisting officers in subduing people. That includes empowering medics to call police and ask for help if they arrive at a scene where a patient appears unstable even when a dispatcher has declared a scene as a "code 4 that is supposed to present no imminent threats. Medics should be using restraints of any kind only to safely transport patients for treatment, he added, and not for criminal apprehension. Star Tribune staff writer Andy Mannix contributed to this story. Here's what happened during the 82nd Airborne's All American Week on Fort Liberty The 82nd Airborne Division hosted current and former paratroopers, their families and the community last week for the All American Week on Fort Liberty. The annual event, which took place Monday through Thursday last week, is dedicated to maintaining close ties among the division's veterans, families and the Fort Liberty community. Check out our coverage from this year's All American Week. Maj. Gen. Pat Work, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena, right, congratulate the elementary school 82nd Airborne Division Junior Paratrooper of Year Aspynn Forsman on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, on Fort Liberty. 82nd names Junior Paratroopers of the Year FORT LIBERTY The 82nd Airborne Division named its junior paratroopers of the year Tuesday, this year expanding to include three winners. Maj. Gen. J. Patrick "Pat" Work, the division's commander, told Tuesdays crowd that military service is a family business. We enlist the soldiers, but we reenlist the families, he said. None of these young people asked for this, yet they handle it so marvelously. Read the full story here. Gold Star family members place yellow roses at a memorial for the fallen during the 82nd Airborne Divisions Memorial ceremony on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, on Fort Liberty. Honoring the fallen at 82nd's memorial ceremony FORT LIBERTY Several family members traced letters with their fingers on the 82nd Airborne Division monuments Tuesday at Fort Liberty. One woman kissed a yellow rose before tapping a name on the monument and pressing her hand on it. Gage Bell, 12, buried his head into his mother LaToya Bells chest as he wept for the father he never knew, 1st Sgt. Ryan Russell Bell, who was killed in action Aug. 2, 2012, while in Afghanistan. All the family members are Gold Star families and attended the divisions annual memorial ceremony, which is part of All American Week. Read the full story here. Maj. Gen. Pat Work, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena, right, place a medal on inductee Command Sgt. Maj. (retired) Lamarquis Knowles during the 82nd Airborne Divisions All American Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, on Fort Liberty. Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena, right, looks on. Paratroopers inducted into 82nd Airborne Division Hall of Fame Retired Command Sgt. Maj. John Wayne Troxler was running on the beach several months ago when he received a phone call from Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena. Delapena is the senior enlisted leader for the 82nd Airborne Division. Troxler is a former senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Delapena told Troxler that he was one of seven paratroopers selected by 82nd veterans and military leaders within the division to be inducted into this years 82nd Airborne Division Hall of Fame. Troxler stopped running, bent over with his hands on his knees to take in the moment, and called his wife, he said following an induction ceremony Wednesday. Read the full story. Roses line the U.S. Army Special Operations Command's memorial after a ceremony Thursday, May 23, 2024. U.S. Army Special Operations Command memorial ceremony The U.S. Army Special Operations Command added five new names to its memorial wall during a ceremony Thursday, bringing to 1,273 the total number of command soldiers who died in the line of duty. The five USASOC soldiers, with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Fort, Cambell, Kentucky, were killed Nov. 10 when the Black Hawk helicopter they were on crashed in the Mediterranean Sea. They rapidly and bravely deployed without hesitation and volunteered to be upfront where the mission is hard, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of USASOC, told the crowd gathered at Fort Liberty for Thursdays ceremony. Read the full story. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: All coverage of the 82nd Airborne's All American Week on Fort Liberty WEBER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) When storm clouds rolled into northern Utah on Saturday, a hiker became stranded on Lewis Peak, prompting a rescue that lasted until the early morning hours. Weber County Sheriffs Office Search and Rescue said the hiker became disoriented amid the bad weather, and couldnt find his way off the 8,000-foot mountain overlooking North Ogden. Levi Wrights family taking it day by day as toddler remains hospitalized after near-drowning The search team was able to determine the hikers general area from a cell phone ping, and later a drone honed in on his exact location. Climb, horse and motorcycle crews responded. A rescue crew member is seen on Lewis Peak on May 25. (credit: Weber County Sheriffs Office Search and Rescue) However, due to wet conditions and temperatures dropping into the evening, the Department of Public Safetys helicopter was called to lift the man off the mountain. At around 1 a.m. Sunday, the rescue was completed. Officials said that neither the hiker nor the rescuers were hurt. 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 ABC4 Utah. Related video: A DUI driver in a Tesla hit a concrete wall and nearly crashed with other cars on the Howard Frankland Bridge on Sunday night. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) Officials made dozens of arrests over Memorial Day Weekend, including those driving- and boating under the influence. In a joint operation with the Florida Highway Patrol, Tampa police and Plant City police, officials in Hillsborough County conducted 367 traffic stops and 17 vessel stops. FHP: DUI driver in Tesla hits concrete wall, nearly crashes with cars on Howard Frankland Bridge Within those traffic stops were 38 DUIs, 34 citations, and 333 warnings. A 58-year-old man, Jose Eyngonesz Castillo, was arrested and charged with a DUI and refusal to submit to testing on Sunday afternoon after he was caught driving the wrong way on North 50th Street in Tampa. Out on the water, the Marine Unit made 17 stops resulting in two BUI arrests, 26 warnings and 10 citations. Hero of the day: Parent drove in front of bus transporting Sebring students, stopped suspected DUI driver Our deputies have made substantial DUI and BUI arrests over Memorial Day weekend, demonstrating our commitment to keeping Hillsborough County safe, Sheriff Chad Chronister said. Its never okay to drink and drive, and if you do, be assured that we will catch you, and you will face the consequences. We are here to protect our citizens and ensure everyone can enjoy the holiday responsibly and safely. The sheriffs office said they continued their heightened patrol throughout Monday. 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 WFLA. (Illustration by Eamonn Fitzmaurice for The 74) This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news organization covering Americas education system from early childhood through college and career. Indiana and Ohio joined the growing number of states last year mandating teachers use the science of reading, but the neighboring states have gone in opposite directions with another reading strategy holding back struggling third graders. In Ohio, where students who scored poorly on state reading tests had to repeat third grade for the last decade, the state legislature ended the requirement last summer in a bill that also adopted the science of reading. In Indiana, state officials just restored mandatory retention of low-scoring third graders after a seven year absence. Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a law this month requiring students that dont score as proficient on the states IREAD-3 tests to be held back in third grade, with few exceptions. The state estimates the new law will hold back 18 times as many third graders when it takes effect in 2025 7,500 compared to just over 400 today. Third grade retention and science of reading are two strategies for improving reading that have sparked similar excitement more than a decade apart and a rush of states to adopt them. Both Ohio and Indiana joined the third grade retention movement in 2012, though Indiana later backed away before rejoining it this spring and Ohio never fully embraced it. Both states have also seen reading scores drop on NAEP, the nations report card, even before the pandemic, then decline more after. Such results make it only natural for legislatures to shift gears, experts said. Third grade is obviously a critical moment, said American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Robert Pondiscio. Theres nothing to be gained by giving kids more of what hasnt worked. It should trigger different, intensive efforts. He and others like Timothy Shanahan, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, said the key is not just adopting something that sounds good, but making sure it changes classroom instruction. Both Ohio and Indiana seem to be covering those bases, with more teacher training, new textbooks, and other student supports. Whether those are enough and how well they are used by teachers, schools and parents is still to be determined. Related Critics Call Consumer Reports of Curriculum Slow to Adapt to Reading Reforms Right now, the desire for immediate change, particularly in Indiana, is clear. About one in five students in Indiana cant read effectively by the end of third grade, said Indiana State Rep. Linda Rogers, one of the laws authors. This is not acceptable. If a child hasnt learned basic reading skills by that point in school, theyre going to struggle to learn almost every other subject. Both Ohio and Indiana are taking strong steps to change how reading is taught to young students, just in different ways. (Patrick ODonnell/The 74) Indiana education superintendent Katie Jenner told the legislature the state cant have 14,000 third graders scoring below proficient on Indianas IREAD-3 test, as happened in 2023, without taking real steps to catch them up. The students who are just moving on are never passing. Ever. Ever, Jenner said. Its hard to say that, but its honest. Indianas new law also requires more testing of second and third graders to identify struggling readers and for more interventions, such as summer reading classes after second and third grade for students who are behind. Jenner said adding these interventions and the retention mandate is a natural second step in the states literacy plan after focusing on having the right reading lessons through the science of reading and training teachers to teach them last year. Requiring students to repeat third grade after not passing reading tests became law in California in 1998, rising to national prominence after Florida adopted the policy in 2002 under then-Gov. Jeb Bush. Since then, several states have passed similar laws, though with differing policies on which students such as special education, English Language Learners or students who have already repeated a grade are exempt. All shared a similar reasoning: Third grade is where students usually shift from learning to read to reading to learn, or needing to read well enough they can read and learn other subjects. Students need to master reading by then, backers argued, or they will fall behind in 4th grade and beyond or may never learn to read. Mandatory retention also gives students, parents and teachers a deadline for taking reading seriously. Related California Considers Science of Reading Bill, as 6 in 10 Students Lag Behind The strategy has promising early results, with some studies showing students making strong reading gains in the first few years after retention, though gains often faded by high school. Some of the most dramatic results came in Indiana under an earlier version of third grade retention that was dropped in 2017, a Brown University study showed. But opponents in multiple states raised objections each time bills were introduced, usually citing studies that show smaller gains and psychological damage to students who are held back because of teasing, feelings of failure and being separated from friends. The studies have also noted Black and Hispanic students are usually held back at higher rates than white students. Indiana was an early state in the third grade retention movement when former state superintendent Tony Bennett pushed for it in 2010. The legislature did not agree, but the state board of education mandated it with an administrative rule in 2012. The Indiana Department of Education eased that requirement in 2017-18, telling schools to consider student performance in all subjects, even if not scoring well in reading, to decide if a student should move to fourth grade. Third grade reading also had big changes in 2012 in Ohio, when then-Gov. John Kasich won approval from Ohios state legislature for his Third Grade Reading Guarantee that required more tests to identify students having trouble reading and for schools to hold back students who score poorly. Unlike Indiana, which always made proficiency the threshold for promotion, Ohio set a lower score that needed to be raised over time. That set off constant debates each time the state school board had to decide how much to increase the score. Over time, the score crept higher but too many board members had reservations for the needed score to ever reach the proficiency level. About 3,600 students were held back each year under Ohios retention law before several Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it last year. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to literacy that currently exists, (a change) will give local and parental control to districts when deciding to retain a child, Republican Rep. Gayle Manning told legislators in pushing an opposition bill last year. In the end, a joint House and Senate committee chose to give parents the final say in holding back their children as part of a compromise state budget bill. Though many Ohio Senate Republicans wanted to keep the retention requirement, they relented because the bill included the shift to the science of reading and a requirement that students keep receiving extra reading help until they can catch up. I wasnt in favor of it (ending retention), but we put some things in that I wanted, said Senate Education Committee Chairman Andrew Brenner, also a leading backer of science of reading. I think that will help immensely to get kids back on track over the next couple of years. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce does not yet know how many students avoided retention this fall because of the law change. In Indiana, attempts by Democrats to give parents the final say in whether a child has to repeat third grade, like Ohio decided last year, were voted down by Republicans. Attempts to delay the law until the state could see how science of reading changes affect scores also were voted down. This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your inbox. The post To hold back struggling readers or not: Indiana & Ohio take different paths appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. HOLLAND After years of hard work, Holland has officially become a HeartSafe Community. The designation comes from a national preparedness program that measures 13 criteria each of which demonstrates a communitys commitment to improving sudden cardiac arrest outcomes and saving lives. Those requirements include establishing an organization to guide local efforts, training 15% of the community in hands-only CPR annually, developing strategies to improve public awareness and bystander intervention, and placing AEDs. More: 'It's everything': Locals hope to make Holland a HeartSafe Community Hollands efforts to become a HeartSafe Community began in September 2022, when retired paramedic Steve Stegeman approached the Holland Fire Department. The result was HeartSafe Holland. The organization includes members from HFD, Holland Hospital, American Medical Response, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, the Ottawa County Central Dispatch Authority, Holland Rotary Charities, the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, Evergreen Commons, Holland and local cardiac arrest survivors John Shea and Lisa Cardillo. After years of hard work, Holland has officially become a HeartSafe Community. The group held numerous training sessions and events to work toward HeartSafe status. During a training at Park Theatre in November, Cardillo and Shea spoke to The Sentinel about the importance of the designation. "Honestly, as a survivor, for me it's almost a dream come true to be part of a community where people care about others enough to take an hour out of their Wednesday and come push on some mannequins so we can reach this goal, Cardillo said. For me and my family, I think it's everything." Having a large portion of the community trained in hands-only CPR is critical because quick intervention, before an ambulance arrives, greatly increases the odds of survival. A sign designates Holland's status as a HeartSafe Community along River Avenue. HeartSafe Holland also helped bring PulsePoint to Ottawa County. Two apps PulsePoint Respond and PulsePoint AED are available and active. When a cardiac event is called into 911 from a public place, PulsePoint Respond alerts users within 0.8 miles, including directions and the location of the nearest AED. PulsePoint AED is a database of available AEDs. Members of HeartSafe Holland are planning to gather at Van Bragt Park at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, to commemorate the designation. A road sign noting Hollands status as a HeartSafe Community has already been placed along River Avenue. Subscribe: Receive unlimited access to your local news coverage The HeartSafe Community Program is similar to the MI HeartSafe Schools Program, which recognizes school buildings that are prepared for cardiac emergencies. Twelve local schools currently have an active HeartSafe designation. They include Fennville Elementary, Fennville Middle School, Fennville High School, Bentheim Elementary, Blue Star Elementary, Sandyview Elementary, Hamilton High, Holland Language Academy, Holland High School, Saugatuck High School, Harbor Lights Middle School and Macatawa Bay Middle School. The three Fennville buildings are part of a group of nine schools in Michigan that've been continuously recognized as HeartSafe since the program began. Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland is officially a HeartSafe Community An aerial view shows homes on December 20, 2023 in Jesup, Iowa. In 2021, Iowa passed a law barring cities and counties from protecting voucher holders from overt discrimination by landlords. Scott Olson/Getty Images Stephanie Quinn was forced to move out of her Farley, Iowa, apartment this spring. Quinn's Section 8 voucher and her children's schooling hinge on finding new housing by July 11. Iowa law allows landlords to refuse vouchers, complicating Quinn's search for a new home. Stephanie Quinn was at work when her kids, 10 and 12, received a paper notice from their landlord informing them that the family wouldn't be offered a new lease on their three-bedroom apartment in Farley, Iowa. A 43-year-old mother of two, Quinn had 30 days to move out of the place she and her kids had called home for five years. The family has spent the last nearly two months staying with Quinn's boyfriend in his one-bedroom apartment, so that the kids can finish out their school year. But the living arrangement isn't sustainable, and Quinn has a looming deadline to find a new home. That deadline July 11 is imposed by the state housing authority and applies to Quinn's Section 8 housing choice voucher, which she's had for about 12 years. Quinn suffers from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which affects her motor and sensory nerves, compromising her mobility in her arms and legs. Though she receives about $1,000 per month in social security disability insurance, she also works at a local Subway sandwich shop to make ends meet. If Quinn doesn't find a new apartment with a landlord who will accept her voucher before July 11, she'll lose the crucial housing benefit, according to paperwork she received from the housing authority, which Business Insider reviewed. With the voucher, Quinn paid up to about $250 of her $875 rent each month, as the program requires tenants to spend no more than 40% of their income on rent. If she loses her voucher, it would likely take years to get another. "I'd have to go back on waiting lists, and I'm actually on a whole bunch of other waiting lists for income-based places, too, and they're about five years away," Quinn told Business Insider. Iowa lets landlords refuse voucher holders Quinn says she's contacted close to 30 landlords since March. Many have simply told her they don't accept housing vouchers. In 17 states and Washington, DC, turning an applicant down solely because they have a voucher is illegal the practice is known as "source-of-income discrimination." But in Iowa, the practice is allowed. In 2021, the state passed a law barring cities and counties from protecting voucher holders from overt discrimination by landlords. Story continues Quinn received a list of apartment options from the local housing authority, but the listings are mostly outdated. So she's turned to looking for rental listings on Zillow, Trulia, and even Facebook and Craigslist. But when she's inquired with these landlords and informed them that she has a voucher, they've largely rejected her outright. "It was a complete 'no' right away and 'no we don't do that, no we don't accept it,'" she said. "If it wasn't on the housing list, I pretty much got a no." Quinn has found a few property owners who say they'll take her voucher, but they're almost an hour away from Farley and Quinn needs to stay in the area to keep her kids enrolled in their school. Once school lets out for summer break, Quinn's kids will move in with a close friend in Dubuque until Quinn can find a new apartment. If she doesn't find a new home in the area before July, she's worried she'll have to temporarily put her kids in foster care so they can continue attending their school. Quinn is also concerned she won't live close enough to her 83-year-old grandmother, who she's the sole caretaker for. And she fears having to give up her job. The managers at her Subway shop have been very accommodating of her needs, purchasing special knives she can use and exempting her from finding replacements to take her shift when she's out sick. "I'm so upset that if I can't find something nearby, I have to leave this job," she said. A crucial but flawed benefit The federal Housing Choice Voucher Program is the biggest and most effective American housing assistance program. It aids about 5 million people in 2.3 million households who make less than 50% of their area median income to find rental housing on the private market. But a declining number of landlords across the US are accepting the vouchers, and a growing number of recipients are failing to secure housing through the program, Business Insider recently reported. At the same time, the program is severely underfunded. Quinn is among the one in four eligible Americans who actually receive a voucher. And the average wait time for recipients is two and a half years. About 10 million additional low-income households are going without the help they qualify for. Like Quinn, many voucher holders struggle to find a home that meets the program's requirements and a landlord willing to accept the applicant within the limited time as short as 60 days allotted to find a unit. Nationwide, only about 60% of voucher recipients are successful in finding a home with the subsidy. Housing experts have found that the home inspection process is a major pain point in the program. Before a voucher recipient can sign a lease on a home, it must be inspected by the local housing authority to make sure it meets a slew of health and safety standards. But that process can create lengthy delays, cause landlords to keep a unit empty and miss out on rent payments, and ultimately result in the voucher holder losing out on the home. But before a voucher recipient can even get to the inspection process, they need to find a suitable home that will take a voucher. Many landlords reject voucher holders even in places where source-of-income discrimination is illegal. The deck is even more stacked against low-income people in a state like Iowa. Quinn hopes her story will help others in even worse situations. "I've got a good family support system, and I know a lot of people don't have that," she said. Are you a housing voucher recipient or a landlord who's struggled with the housing voucher program? Reach out to this reporter at erelman@businessinsider.com . Read the original article on Business Insider Temperatures soared to a high of 92 degrees in the Texas city on the day of the hot car rescue Facebook Houston firefighters saved a dog from an abandoned, hot car on May 21 After a dog was left in a scorching hot car, a group of firefighters got the pup to safety! Houston's Northwest Volunteer Fire Department detailed the rescue in a May 21 Facebook post, which included several photos of the tiny canine including a shot of the dog looking up at rescuers inside the car through the passenger-side window. "Heroes in Action!" the post read. "Our incredible firefighters rescued a furry friend from a dangerously hot, abandoned car. With temperatures soaring, every second counted." Related: Bear Kept in Tiny Indoor Cage Sees the Outdoors for the First Time in 20 Years During His Rescue On the day of the rescue, temperatures reached a high of 92 degrees in Houston, according to Weather.com data. Thanks to the firefighters' "quick thinking and expert skills," the little tan-and-white pooch was "rescued safely and is now in good hands," per the post. And several of those "good hands" were on display in the fire department's post, which included photos of volunteer firefighters nursing the pup back to health with water and cuddles. "We're grateful for our local heroes who go above and beyond every day!" the post finished. Community members seemed to agree, lauding the firefighters with comments like "Great work" and "Thank you to all involved in this rescue!" Related: Man Rescues 1-Lb. Kitten from Busy New York Street After She Is Tossed Out of a Car Window Also, in the comments, the fire department shared more about what happened after the hot car rescue. The Northwest Volunteer Fire Department responded to someone inquiring about the dog's owner, writing that "authorities were notified" about the incident. "We cooperated fully to address the situation," the comment read. "Thank you for your concern." Earlier this month, a similar rescue occurred several states over, but with an unfortunate casualty. Related: Abandoned Dog Left Strapped to a Tree by His Collar in Connecticut Is Ready for a Loving Home In Orange County, Florida, four Bernedoodle puppies were found stuck in a hot car at a Disney Springs parking garage on May 4, according to a release from the Orange County Government. The dogs' owner left the puppies in a locked, unairconditioned car, "assuming the covered parking garage and cracking a window would be okay for the dogs," the release noted. By the time help arrived, the puppies had been stuck in the hot car for 90 minutes, and though they were all rescued from the vehicle, one of the pups died after the incident. Rescuers adopted the other three. 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. One of PEOPLE's must-know tips for a safe, pet-friendly summer is to keep pets out of parked cars. "Do not leave your dog in the car on a hot or warm day," Dr. Michelle Oakley, Dr. Oakley Yukon Vet star, tells PEOPLE. "It's unreal how deathly hot a closed car can get in the sun and the shade, even with the window cracked." "On a modestly warm day, around 75 degrees, it takes minutes for a closed car to reach 140 degrees, and even in the shade, that car will reach 100 degrees and over quickly," Oakley says, adding, "That can easily kill your dog in a very short period." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. An Idaho jury awarded a drag performer more than $1.1 million in damages on Friday after a far-right blogger defamed him and spread false claims that he exposed himself to children during a pride event. Eric Posey, who performs under the drag name Mona Liza Million, sued blogger Summer Bushnell in 2022 after she posted a doctored video that showed Posey appearing in drag at the event in Coeur dAlene, Idaho. The video included supposed footage of Posey dancing in drag with a blurred area around his waist. Why did no one arrest the man in a dress who flashed his genitalia to minors and people in the crowd? Bushnell said in an earlier post. No one said anything about it and theres video. Im going to put up a blurred video to prove it. The blurred footage sparked national outcry and was ultimately seen by thousands of people. In truth, the unedited video showed Posey performing in an outfit with a boa around his waist, with no inappropriate behavior. But Bushnells repeated posts about the performance sparked a police investigation and prompted city prosecutors to publicly state that Posey had not exposed himself to the crowd. Posey told the jury during the trial that the episode became a flashpoint in the conservative war against LGBTQ+ Americans and drag performers, saying he received death threats and harassment as a result of Bushnells posts. The pride event at the center of the case became a lightning rod in that fight after 31 members of a white supremacist group were arrested nearby and later charged with conspiracy to riot at the event. Eric Posey of Post Falls, Idaho, embraces a supporter in court after a jury awarded him more than $1.1 million in damages in his defamation lawsuit against conservative blogger Summer Bushnell, May 24, 2024. Kaye Thornbrugh via AP Imagine being in a dark hole where you have nobody and you felt the whole world turn their back on you, Posey said in court on Thursday, per the Coeur dAlene/Post Falls Press. But somehow, you were surrounded by warriors, true people of Idaho not transplants, true people of this soil. I am fortunate to say I have people like that around me, people that lifted me up. The jury found Bushnell liable for damages, awarding Posey $926,000 in compensatory damages for defamation and $250,000 in punitive damages, as his attorneys had shown that Bushnell knew her statements were false but shared them anyway with reckless disregard for the truth. Jurors had asked the judge if they could order Bushnell to take down her posts, but the judge said this was not possible. The videos were still on Bushnells page as of Friday, according to the Coeur dAlene Press. I am so grateful that the jury was attentive, and that they rejected the lies that put me in a dark place for nearly two years, Posey said after the verdict, according to The New York Times. The North Idaho Pride Alliance, which put on the initial pride event that Bushnells post claimed to depict, championed the jurys findings. The group said it was deeply appreciative of the jurys dedication and careful consideration of facts presented. In light of recent events, our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Idaho is stronger than ever, the group said in a statement. We will persist in our efforts to provide resources, education, and advocacy, fostering a culture of acceptance and understanding. Related... EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) IDEA Public Schools Child Nutrition Program (NCP) will be serving free meals during the summer to children. According to the news release by IDEA Public Schools, the program is for children aged 18 years and younger whether they are an IDEA student or not. Free meals will be served from Monday, June 17 through Friday, July 26. Healthy nutrition is important for all children in our community, not just while they are in a classroom learning, but year-round. With nearly 1.7 million children across Texas at risk of going hungry this summer, we are excited to be able to provide nutritious meals while relieving families of the potential financial burden they can experience over the summer time, said Vice President of the Child Nutrition Program at IDEA Public Schools Fernando Aguilar. The summer meals will be held in the cafeterias of any IDEA El Paso campus and will include breakfast and lunch. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, according to IDEA Public Schools. The food service program will be closed on federal holidays including Wednesday, June 19 and from Monday, July 1 through Friday, July 5. 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. MARION, Va. (WJHL) A globally-known organization, the Sentinel Foundation, is hosting a free public information session on Friday in Marion, Virginia to help the community identify and prevent human trafficking locally. The event is taking place at the historic Lincoln Theatre, 117 E Main Street, from 3-6 p.m. Although the event is free, reservations can be made and questions can be directed to Billy Evans at (276) 759-8135. According to the Sentinel Foundation, the non-profit works to educate others on identifying the signs of sex trafficking, and it helps prevent it by hunting down and apprehending the traffickers. According to the organizations website, foundation members include federal agents, intelligence agents, special forces, military individuals and other law enforcement from different facets. Sheriff identifies man killed in Dickenson Co. ATV accident The Sentinel Foundations mission statement can be found below: Sentinel Foundation was founded with one goal in mind to end underage children being exploited around the world. While this cause isnt new, our method to achieve it is. We have the personnel, technology, the law enforcement support, and more importantly the perseverance to see it through. The Sentinel Foundation Operations team focuses on targeting elusive child traffickers that use highly skilled methods to find and exploit their victims. Children in underdeveloped and under resourced countries have virtually no defense against these networks. FoundationSentinel.org According to a news release from Marion leaders, the event will bring several of the organizations key members to the area to teach the community how to recognize and prevent human trafficking in Southwest Virginia. Glenn Devitt and James Guroni co-founded the organization, and this will be their first-ever event in the region to bring awareness to how we can join the fight, the release states. The Sentinel Foundation has partnered with many other national organizations such as Samaritans Purse, Lifesong for Orphans and the Tim Tebow Foundation. Recently, Jason Aldeans wife Brittany raised $500,000 for the Sentinel Foundation to assist with its efforts. 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 WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Impasse resolutions create new hole in Memphis budget | The Week in Politics Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert speaks during a Shelby County Board of Commissioners budget committee meeting in Downtown Memphis, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The Shelby County Clerk's Office location in Raleigh received a two-year lease renewal during Monday night's Shelby County Commission Meeting. During committee meetings the week prior, Commissioner Mick Wright questioned Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert on the space and if she wanted to renew the lease. Halbert has repeatedly claimed the spaces the clerk's office operates out of are "illegal." During committee meetings the week prior, Halbert asked that the lease be approved. The lease will run from April 1, 2024, until December 2026. It will also go month to month for three months after the expiration of the lease. Property tax hike, solid waste fee hike go to final votes Multiple ordinances pertaining to tax hikes were moved forward without any discussion during Tuesday night's Memphis City Council meeting. The property tax and solid waste fee increase both received ceremonial passage votes through the chambers. These votes are not the final votes. The solid waste fee tax hike and the property tax increase both require one more reading and vote. The solid waste fee increase, Director of Solid Waste Phillip Davis said previously, would bring in more employees, bring employee pay up to market rate and provide for fleet increases. Without the hike, the division would be facing a $5 million shortfall. The fee increase, proposed by the Division of Solid Waste, would be spread over three years. The first increase would be a 23% increase from $29.96 to $36.85. The second increase would be 8%, from $36.85 to $39.80. The final increase would bring the solid waste fee over $40. Solid waste fees are included in monthly Memphis Light, Gas and Water bills. Without paying for any utilities, the monthly MLGW bill would start at $56.05 during the first year of the fee increase. Memphis Mayor Paul Young proposed the 75-cent increase in the city's property tax rate based on home value during his first budget proposal as mayor last month. The current property tax rate for Memphis residents is $2.70. Memphis residents pay both city and county taxes and pay the most in property taxes in all of the state. Mayor Paul Young speaks during an event to celebrate the new critical care expansion at Le Bonheur Childrens Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Prior to the start of the meeting, Chairman JB Smiley Jr., Councilwoman Jerri Green, Jana Swearengen-Washington, Michalyn Easter-Thomas and Councilman Dr. Jeff Warren announced they would be proposing a one-month-long citation abatement program to raise up additional funds. Green stated the goal of the citation abatement program is to avoid a property tax increase. There is no estimate on how much funds could be raised by the abatement, but according to Green, there is over $265 million in outstanding citations since 1991. The hike, Young has said in the past, is to account for a $30 million budget shortfall caused by the loss of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. The citation abatement began May 21 and ends June 31. City Council sides with municipal unions Memphis City Council also passed a set of six impasse resolutions for various municipal unions. The benefits proposed in Young's budget included a 3% employee raise and a one-time $1,500 raise for every employee. Unions argued that in order to retain their employees, a higher wage increase was needed to compete with the various surrounding municipalities. The passage of the impasse resolutions would add $12.7 million to the city's proposed budget. Councilman JB Smiley Jr. speaks during a Memphis City Council committee meeting at city hall on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Now, the council will have to figure out where to find the additional funds in their budget discussion. Smiley said the council could begin to look at how Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris used vacancy savings from positions that have been left unfilled for more than 20 months. In Harris's budget proposal, positions that have been left vacant for more than 18 months will be removed giving additional funds in the already tight budget. Notably, Sheriff Floyd Bonner said that he would sue the county if the over 400 positions from his department were cut. Bonner said previously that state law requires his consent if the county wants to cut the sheriff's office's budget. Harris' proposed budget includes cutting 441 vacant positions. Elected officials from around the county discuss civic engagement At New Memphis's "Conversation with Elected Officials" event Wednesday evening, Young and Harris were in the hot seat, answering questions from other elected officials from around the county. The question-and-answer style panel highlighted public leadership, civic engagement and how to push Memphis and Shelby County forward. Each elected official had the opportunity to answer questions from others. Shelby County Commissioners Brandon Morrison and Michael Whaley were present from the county side, Memphis Shelby County School Board member Amber Huett-Garcia represented the school board and State Rep. Torrey Harris was also present. While there were some softball questions, like what Young's favorite 90's R&B song was and where Harris's go-to barbeque spot is, there was an insightful look into how public officials from around the county have a need, and want, to work together to make the county a better place for all. Catch up on the week: Got a question for us? Got a question for the metro reporting team you would like us to take on? Send an email to metro@commercialappeal.com. Week ahead The Shelby County Board of Commissioners will meet on Wednesday, May 29 at 8:30 a.m. Watch the livestream via the website, or attend in person at Vasco A. Smith, Jr. County Administration Building, located at 160 N. Main St. in Memphis. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis City Council sides with unions on budget issues, creating gap Increase in number of homeless people? Annual count says yes, though results imperfect Pierce Countys annual Point In Time (PIT) count recorded a nearly 24% percent increase in the number of people living unhoused in the region in 2024 compared to the previous year. In a single night in January, the county counted 2,661 people sleeping in shelters, vehicles and in tents on the streets. The previous year, 2,148 people were counted. The Point In Time Count is not a perfect measure of the entirety of the people living unhoused in the county. Steve Decker is CEO for Family Promise of Pierce County, an organization that uses intensive case management to get families experiencing homelessness back on their feet. Decker called the PIT count falsehood, as the data it reports is limited both by the number of volunteers that turn out to conduct it and the fact that they are attempting to quantify a largely unseen population. Devon Isakson is the social service supervisor for Pierce County Human Services, the department that coordinates the annual count. Isakson told The News Tribune that approximately 250 volunteers helped conduct the survey, which took place across all corners of the county during a period of 24 hours. Isakson said that the count is not the end all be all and serves as a snapshot to inform the county of the population it is trying to serve. The count is usually lower than what we think the information is really, Isakson said during a Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness meeting on May 24, a day after the data was released. Like all surveys, the PIT Count has limitations, the countys website stated of the process. Results from the Count are influenced by the weather, by availability of overflow shelter beds, by the number of volunteers, and by the level of engagement of the people we are interviewing. The survey is a method used by many counties, as it is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Washington State Department of Commerce. The Point-In-Time Count provides the homeless assistance community with the data needed to understand the number and characteristics of persons who are homeless at one point in time, the Housing and Urban Development stated regarding the requirement. The broad majority of people identified in 2024 were counted in shelters or transitional housing. According to the data, 54% of those counted were staying in shelters or transitional housing, with 21% accounting for folks living outdoors either on the street or in a tent. Sixteen percent of those surveyed did not report where they were sleeping. Isakson said this years effort included a larger emphasis on counting people who were living in vehicles than in previous years. This year, 8% of all the people counted were living in vehicles, compared to 6% in 2023. According to the 2024 PIT data, 33% of the people counted were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color), 37% were female, 20% were over 55 years old, 8% were veterans and 25% were considered to be chronically homeless. Those percentages were comparable to the 2023 numbers, with the largest difference being that 41% of people counted in 2023 were of the BIPOC community. Isakson said explanations as to why the number of BIPOC people identified during the 2024 count was less than the previous years were speculative, as the county works to better understand the significance of the data. It could mean we have more culturally competent services, or it could mean that we just surveyed less, she said during a Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness meeting. Forty-three percent of those surveyed in 2024 reported living in Pierce County before becoming homeless, with 13% reporting having previously lived in other counties in Washington or in another state. Forty-four percent did not report where they had lived previous to becoming homeless. Pierce County staff member Valeri Almony said the count is not just a data point, its an educational tool, as it allows volunteers to both better understand the circumstances faced by the unhoused in Pierce County as well as an opportunity for them to be educated about available resources. The survey also asks people about disabilities they have. Alimony said during the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness meeting that disabilities are self-reported and that people can report having more than one disability. This year, 26% of people reported having a substance-use issue, 25% reported a chronic health condition, 22% reported a physical disability, 20% reported a mental health issue and 8% reported a developmental disability. The largest difference from 2023, was that 37% of those surveyed reported mental illness. In 2024, the top reasons why folks became homeless were no affordable housing, followed by family crisis and eviction. The previous year, family crisis was the No. 1 cause reported for homelessness, followed by lack of affordable housing and eviction and mortgage foreclosure. My military career was bookended by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which began in response to the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Many of us who served in that time lost friends on the battlefield or in support of combat operations. Sadly, many of us also lost friends to suicide. I remember learning of the suicide of my shipmate almost 18 years ago. I was still a fairly young Navy lieutenant, having only read about the impacts of suicide in the military, and attending briefings on it at safety stand downs and annual training. But this was different. This was my shipmate, a fellow aircrewman, someone I deployed with, joked around with, worked with. He was, in simple terms, a great man and a great sailor. Over the next 10 years, I would personally know 4 more veterans and service members who would make the decision to take their own life. Sadly, that number is lower than many other veterans I know. Hoosiers are veteran-friendly and pro-military, and we have higher numbers of veterans in our state than most 9% of Indiana residents are veterans compared to 7% of the total U.S. population. Not only do we have more veterans per capita than about 30 states, we also have more monuments to veterans than any other state, with only Washington, D.C., having more. Sadly, we also have a per capita veteran suicide rate that is higher than many other states. The numbers are especially alarming for Hoosier veterans aged 18-44, almost triple that of the civilian population in Indiana. Vincent Bumbaca, GM2 (EXW), strikes a bell that had been on the USS Indianapolis, during a ceremony at the Indiana War Memorial, Thursday, May 26, 2022. In 2019, then-President Trump signed the governors challenge to end the epidemic of veteran suicide. Indiana did not begin implementing the program until 2023, despite having a veteran suicide rate that is higher than the national average, and the highest in the Midwest, and a recent study showing that Indiana ranks near the bottom of the country for quality of life for veterans. Honoring our veterans is more than statues, it means being committed to providing the infrastructure we need to thrive in society, from mental health care, to outreach, to education and job opportunities. This Memorial Day, while we honor those who lost their lives in service to this country, let us also commit to doing more for those who are still with us. We owe it to those we lost, on and off the battlefield. Matt McNally is the Senior Vice Commander of Carmel VFW Post 10003, a retired military pilot, Afghanistan veteran, and advocate for the prevention of veteran suicide. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: On Memorial Day, commit to ending Indiana's veteran suicide epidemic A package of health insurance reform measures that Gov. JB Pritzker called for at the beginning of the legislative session will soon be headed to his desk for his signature. The Illinois House gave final approval Saturday to a pair of bills that limit the ability of insurance companies to deny coverage or steer individuals toward lower cost, and sometimes less effective, treatments and medications, strategies sometimes referred to as utilization management. The package also includes measures giving the Illinois Department of Insurance authority to approve or deny premium rate changes in large-group health insurance plans while banning the sale of short-term, limited duration individual health plans, which are sometimes derisively referred to as junk insurance. In a statement issued moments after the House vote, Pritzker called it a historic win. When I first proposed this legislation in my FY25 Budget Address, I said we would put power back into the hands of patients and their doctors and reform predatory insurance companies and their unfair practices, he said. Thats exactly what we did. Pritzker first called for the changes in his State of the State address in February, saying they would save lives and lower healthcare costs for millions of Illinoisans. The biggest changes are included in House Bill 5395, dubbed the Health Care Protection Act. Among other things, it requires insurance companies to use generally accepted standards of care when deciding whether to cover certain treatments or services. It also bans the use of step therapy requirements in prescription drug plans that require a patient to show that a lower-cost alternative drug is ineffective before covering a more expensive drug recommended by their physician. The bill also prohibits insurance plans from requiring prior authorization before covering in-patient psychiatric care. For other kinds of care, it requires insurers to post publicly on their website when prior authorization is required. It also requires insurers to maintain accurate, up-to-date lists of providers who are included in their networks. And it gives the Illinois Department of Insurance authority to approve or reject proposed premium rate changes in large-group health insurance plans, similar to the authority it already has over small-group plans. Another provision which the Senate put into a separate bill, House Bill 2499, would prohibit the sale of one type of insurance known as short-term, limited duration health policies sometimes derisively referred to as junk insurance that do not have to meet minimum standards under the federal Affordable Care Act. Those changes apply only to the types of insurance plans regulated by the state. Those include employer-based group plans that are fully funded by the insurance carrier as well as plans offered by local governments and plans provided under the state Medicaid program. They do not apply to plans regulated under the federal law known as ERISA the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The package originally passed the House as a single bill in April with bipartisan support, 81-13. Pritzker spent the next several days touring the state to drum up public support, making appearances with doctors and patients at health care facilities in Belleville, Peoria, Rockford, and other cities. Meanwhile, talks continued behind the scenes between advocates for the changes and the Illinois Life & Health Insurance Council, the insurance industrys main lobby group. Over the next several weeks, those talks led to compromise language on the use of step therapy and prescription drug formularies, as well as Department of Insurance review of large-group rate changes. I appreciate having a seat at the table throughout this legislative process and thank the governor for hearing our concerns and engaging us as a partner, ILHIC president Laura Minzer said in a statement Saturday. While we may not find agreement on every provision, being heard, and listened to, is integral to finding the best solutions for this meaningful legislation. It is with this spirit of cooperation that the council will continue working to make improvements during the legislations implementation phase. Talks in the Senate also led to the decision to separate the package into two bills, splitting off the more contentious proposal to ban the sale of short-term limited duration policies into separate legislation. Those policies are typically sold to people who are temporarily unemployed or have some other circumstance in their life that causes them to need coverage for only a short period. But while they often cost less than traditional policies, many of them also have high deductibles and do not offer the same types of benefits that are mandated in other plans, such as coverage for emergency treatment, laboratory services or preexisting conditions. I have had people reach out to me who thought they had coverage when they had these short-term limited duration plans, only to find out that they were not covered, Sen. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, said during Senate debate Thursday. Their prescription drugs were not covered. Their emergency services were not covered. And it ended up costing them a whole lot more than it would have, had they had the insurance that they thought was possible and that they thought that they were paying for. Republicans, however, argued that for many people, short-term limited duration plans are a more affordable alternative than continuing an employer-based policy through a COBRA plan or buying an individual plan on the Affordable Care Act exchange market. They argued consumers should be allowed to choose the option that is best for them. Sen. Win Stoller, R-East Peoria, compared short-term policies to mobile homes, which may be built of inferior materials compared to a traditional home, but which are still suitable for some people. And I would never be so audacious to suggest that we should ban mobile homes. I think thats absurd, he said. But thats exactly what were doing here in relation to these short-term health plans, saying that we know better than you, we know whats best for you. We dont think you can make an informed decision. The stand-alone bill, HB 2499, passed the Senate on a straight party-line vote, 40-19. The remainder of the package contained in HB 5395 passed with a handful of Republican votes, 45-14. Likewise, the vote in the House to concur with the Senate changes to the ban on short-term limited duration policies fell along party lines, 72-35. The concurrence vote on the remainder of the package passed with a handful of Republican votes, 83-23. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association. Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bogota Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bogota By Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - The international community should insist to Israel and its allies that the country negotiate a peaceful solution to the conflict in Gaza, Colombia's foreign minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said. Murillo said actions in Gaza, where Israel's military campaign has killed some 36,000 people according to local authorities, constitute genocide. Israel has energetically rejected South Africa's accusations before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it is committing genocide, arguing the operations are in self defense and targeted at Hamas militants who attacked Israel on Oct. 7. "We must really insist, not just to the government of Israel but to its most important allies, many in the global north," Murillo told Reuters over the weekend. "It is they who have the chance right now to convince (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu that it is important to reach a ceasefire, that it is key to permit humanitarian aid for Gaza and that it is central to sit down to negotiate a peaceful end to the conflict," Murillo said. Murillo did not name the Israeli allies he was referring to, but the country has received military aid from the United States for decades and is still due to get billions of dollars of U.S. weaponry, though the Biden administration has said it remains concerned about the possible use of heavy bombs against civilians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. About 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel in October, while another 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. 'INEFFECTIVE MEASURES' Judges at the ICJ, the top United Nations court, ordered Israel on Friday to immediately halt its military assault on Rafah, in a landmark emergency ruling. While the court has no means to enforce its orders, the ruling was a stark sign of Israel's global isolation over its campaign in Gaza. Measures adopted by the United Nations have been ineffective so far, Murillo said, and the international community should redouble its pressure on Israel. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has heavily criticized Netanyahu and earlier this month broke relations with Israel, before ordering the opening of an embassy in the Palestinian city of Ramallah. Colombia is open to reestablishing relations if there is a ceasefire and access to humanitarian aid, Murillo said. Colombia is closely watching Venezuela's presidential election process, he added. The Venezuelan opposition is participating in the contest for the first time in a decade, though it was forced to replace its candidate after the winner of its primary was barred from office in a decision the opposition says is illegal. "We have confidence the process will go well," Murillo said. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Andrea Ricci) VIENNA Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, according to a confidential report on Monday by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the latest in Tehrans attempts to steadily exert pressure on the international community. Iran is seeking to get economic sanctions imposed over its controversial nuclear program lifted in exchange for slowing it down. This is all under the guidance of Irans supreme leader and likely wont change after last weeks helicopter crash that killed Irans president and foreign minister. The report, seen by The Associated Press, said Iran now has 142.1 kilograms (313.2 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 percent an increase of 20.6 kilograms (45.4 pounds) since the last report by the watchdog in February. Uranium enriched at 60 percent purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. According to the report, Irans overall stockpile of enriched uranium at the current moment stands at 6201.3 kilograms (13671.5 pounds), which represents an increase of 675.8 kilograms (1489.8 pounds) since the last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to the IAEAs definition, around 42 kilograms (92.5 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent is the amount at which creating one atomic weapon is theoretically possible if the material is enriched further to weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. Iran has maintained its nuclear program is peaceful, but the IAEA chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has already warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make several nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. He has acknowledged the agency cannot guarantee that none of Irans centrifuges may have been peeled away for clandestine enrichment. Grossi has acknowledged the agency cannot guarantee that none of Irans centrifuges may have been peeled away for clandestine enrichment. Tensions have grown between Iran and the IAEA since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers. Since then, Iran has abandoned all limits the deal put on its program and quickly stepped up enrichment. Under the original nuclear deal with world powers, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67 percent purity, maintain a stockpile of about 300 kilograms and use only very basic IR-1 centrifuges machines that spin uranium gas at high speed for enrichment purposes. In an effort to ensure Iran could not develop atomic weapons, world powers struck a deal with Tehran in 2015 under which it agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. U.N. inspectors were tasked with monitoring the program. The latest IAEA report also said that Tehran has not reconsidered its September 2023 decision to bar nuclear inspectors from monitoring its nuclear program and added that it expects Iran to do so in the context of the ongoing consultations between the (IAEA) agency and Iran. According to the report, Grossi deeply regrets Irans decision to bar inspectors a reversal of that decision remains essential to fully allow the agency to conduct its verification activities in Iran effectively. The IAEA report also said that the deaths of Irans President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have triggered a pause in the IAEAs talks with Tehran over improving cooperation. Iran has suggested that discussions related to the cooperation between the IAEA and Iran be continued in Tehran on an appropriate date that will be mutually agreed upon, the report said. Iran and the IAEA are still negotiating over how to implement a deal struck last year to expand inspections of the Islamic Republics rapidly advancing atomic program. The latest report also said Iran has still not provided answers to the IAEAs years-long investigation about the origin and current location of manmade uranium particles found at two locations that Tehran has failed to declare as potential nuclear sites, Varamin and Turquzabad. The report said that the IAEAs request needed to be resolved otherwise the the agency will not be able to confirm the correctness an completeness of Irans declarations under the deal. The report also said there was no progress so far in reinstalling more monitoring equipment, including cameras, removed in June 2022. Since then, the only recorded data is that of IAEA cameras installed at a centrifuge workshop in the city of Isfahan in May 2023 although Iran has not provided the IAEA with access to this data. The IAEA stated that on May 21, IAEA inspectors after a delay in April successfully serviced the cameras at the workshops in Isfahan and the data they had collected since late December 2023 were placed under separate Agency seals and Iranians seals at the locations. The Iranian flag flutters in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) organisation's headquarters in Vienna By Francois Murphy VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran is enriching uranium to close to weapons-grade at a steady pace while discussions aimed at improving its cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog are stalled, two confidential reports by the watchdog showed on Monday. The International Atomic Energy Agency faces a range of difficulties in Iran, including the fact it only implemented a small fraction of the steps IAEA chief Rafael Grossi thought it committed to in a "Joint Statement" on cooperation last year. "There has been no progress in the past year towards implementing the Joint Statement of 4 March 2023," one of the two reports to member states, both of which were seen by Reuters, said. Grossi travelled to Iran this month for talks with Iranian officials aimed at improving cooperation and IAEA monitoring in Iran. Follow-up talks have stalled, however, after the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last week. "The Director General reiterates to the new government of Iran his call for, and disposition to continue with, the high-level dialogue and ensuing technical exchanges commenced ... on 6-7 May 2024," the report added. It is 18 months since the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors last passed a resolution against Iran, ordering it to cooperate urgently with a years-long IAEA investigation into uranium particles found at three undeclared sites. While the number of sites has since been reduced to two, Iran has still not explained how the traces got there. "The Director General regrets that the outstanding safeguards issues have not been resolved," the report said, referring to those traces. France and Britain are pushing for a new resolution at next week's Board meeting, which the United States has so far not supported, diplomats say. Iran usually bristles at such resolutions, taking nuclear-related steps in response. The other report said Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% of weapons-grade, grew by 20.6 kg over the quarter to 142.1 kg as of May 11, and Iran later diluted 5.9 kg to a lower enrichment level. That means Iran now has roughly enough material enriched to up to 60% purity, if enriched further, for three nuclear weapons in theory, according to an IAEA yardstick. It has enough for more at lower enrichment levels. Western powers say there is no credible civil reason for Iran to enrich to that level. Iran says its aims are peaceful. (Reporting by Francois Murphy, Editing by William Maclean and Nick Macfie) As the Israel-Hamas war crosses the seven-month mark, negotiations are apparently stalled to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, and Israeli forces continue to launch incursions in the southern Gazan town of Rafah ahead of a possible large-scale invasion. Latest Developments May 28, 5:17 PM Newly released video shows Israeli hostage in captivity A video showing Israeli hostage Alexsander Trufanov, who was captured by Hamas on Oct. 7, was publicly released by the Hostage Families Forum on Tuesday. "The proof of life from Alexsander (Sasha) Trufanov is additional evidence that the Israeli government must give a significant mandate to the negotiating team, which will be able to lead to a deal for the return of all the hostages - the living to rehabilitation and the murdered to burial," the Hostage Families Forum said in the release with the video. PHOTO: In this still from a video originally released by Hamas, Alexsander Trufanov is shown. Hostage Families Forum subsequently released the video and the family wanted the image released. (Hostage Families Forum) Israel submitted a new cease-fire proposal to negotiators in Egypt on Monday. They are now awaiting a response from Hamas, according to an Egyptian security source who spoke with ABC News. -ABC News' Dorit Long and Marwa Mouaki May 28, 5:07 PM 21 killed as explosions continue in Rafah following Sunday's deadly strike At least 21 people were killed in an attack near the International Medical Corps American hospital as explosions continue in Rafah on Monday night and Tuesday, according to Palestinians on the ground and local authorities. Of the 21 people killed, 14 of them were female, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said Tuesday. Their ages have not yet been released. These bombings were not in the exact same location as the strike on May 26 that killed 50 people and injured at least 249 others. -ABC News' Diaa Ostaz May 28, 4:53 PM Nikki Haley signs artillery shells in Israel: 'Finish them! America loves Israel!' Former U.S. presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley visited the northern Israeli border on Tuesday, meeting with Israeli soldiers and Israelis. During her visit, Haley visited an Israel Defense Forces post with soldiers serving on the northern border. PHOTO: Former U.S. presidential candidate Nikki Haley signs artillery shells near the northern border of Israel on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (Courtesy Nikki Haley) Haley stopped and signed artillery shells, writing, "Finish them! America loves Israel!" on some of them. -ABC News' Ellie Kaufman May 28, 5:15 PM 1 million Palestinians have now fled Rafah: UNRWA One million Palestinians have been forced to flee Rafah over the last three weeks in search of safety, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Heavy bombardment continued in Gaza overnight, including in Tal Al Sultan, where the U.N. main offices in Gaza are located, according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. PHOTO: Palestinians flee the area of Tal al-Sultan in Rafah with their belongings following renewed Israeli strikes in the city in the southern Gaza Strip, May 28, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images) Most of the UNRWA staff could not make it to work as they are packing up and moving. The UNRWA is also running out of medical supplies and basic human medicines, according to Lazzarini. Just over 200 trucks with humanitarian supplies were picked up in southern Gaza in the last three weeks as needs continue to increase exponentially, Lazzarini said. -ABC News' Will Gretsky May 28, 4:48 PM UN secretary-general condemns Rafah strike, says ICJ ruling is 'binding' The United Nations secretary-general has condemned the deadly strike on Rafah "in the strongest terms," saying Antonio Guterres is "heartbroken by the images of the killed and injured," his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement Tuesday. "The Secretary-General reiterates his demand for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. He recalls the recent orders of the International Court of Justice, which are binding and must be complied with," Dujarric said. "The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is now compounded by the unconscionable prospect of a man-made famine," Dujarric said. -ABC News' Ellie Kaufman May 28, 4:49 PM Sunday's Rafah strike 'shouldn't have happened,' IDF says Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani admitted to a "mishap" in Sunday's Rafah strike that killed 50 Palestinians and injured at least 249 others, saying it was a "tragic incident that shouldn't have happened." "The outcome is not the outcome we had in mind when this operation started. That's why we're investigating it. It's a tragic event and it's not the way we operate. We are fighting with Hamas terrorists. We are trying to kill them specifically in a very precise way, intelligence based. And that's why we look at this as a tragic incident that shouldn't have happened," Shoshani said. Over 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strike a "tragic mishap" on Monday. "The mishap was the fire that carried out after the targeted attack, and we are looking into why this fire caught on," Shoshani said. "The attack, per se, was according to procedure, with surveillance before the attack, a very precise attack based on intelligence." -ABC News' Britt Clennett May 28, 4:50 PM Barely any medical facilities functioning, Palestinian Ministry of Health says There are barely any functioning medical facilities in Rafah as the Israel Defense Forces continue its operations, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said Tuesday. Both the Indonesian field hospital and the Tal Al-Sultan Clinic in Rafah Governorate have ceased service, leaving only the Tal Al-Sultan Maternity Hospital struggling to survive and continue providing service to patients in Rafah, according to the ministry. PHOTO: Palestinians mourn relatives killed in an overnight Israeli strike on a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah, at the city's Tal al-Sultan clinic morgue on May 27, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images) -ABC News Will Gretsky May 28, 4:51 PM Israel makes new cease-fire proposal, now awaiting Hamas response Israel put forward a new cease-fire proposal and hostage release deal on Monday, which has now been passed on to Hamas, an Egyptian security source told ABC News. Mediators are awaiting a response from Hamas within 24 hours, the source said. This is the first time Israel has taken the first move to submit a draft proposal since the war began, according to the source. Previous proposals have been initiated by Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The source said talks could resume soon, without providing an exact timeline. -ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy May 28, 4:52 PM 'Tragic doesn't even begin to describe it,' Harris says of IDF strike in Rafah Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in on the IDF strike in Rafah that killed 50 civilians and injured 249 more, saying, "The word 'tragic' doesn't even begin to describe it." She did not comment when asked if this crosses a red line for the administration. President Joe Biden has yet to weigh in. May 28, 4:52 PM Aid for Gaza through pier paused after weather causes parts of port to detach: US official The flow of humanitarian aid for Gaza over the U.S. Armys temporary Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) system has paused after rough seas caused parts of the pier to detach, a U.S. official told ABC News on Tuesday. PHOTO: A truck carries humanitarian aid across Trident Pier, a temporary pier to deliver aid, off the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near the Gaza coast, May 19, 2024. (U.S. Army Central/Handout via Reuters) Due to high sea states in the North African weather system earlier today, a portion of the Trident pier separated from the pier that is currently anchored into the coast of Gaza. As a result, the Trident pier was damaged, and sections of the pier need rebuilding and repairing, she said. The pier will be removed from its place near the Gazan coast and towed back to Ashdod over the next 48 hours, where U.S. Central Command will make repairs, according to Singh. The rebuilding and repairing of the pier will take at least over a week, Singh said, adding that after repairs, it will need to be re-anchored to the Gazan shore. -ABC News Matt Seyler Click here to read the rest of the blog. Israeli army: Exchange of fire at the border with Egypt Egyptian Army Soldiers stand guard at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. An exchange of fire has taken place at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the Israeli military reported on Monday. Gehad Hamdy/dpa An exchange of fire has taken place at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the Israeli military reported on Monday. The Israeli military said the incident is being investigated and that talks are being held with Egypt. According to Israeli media, an Egyptian soldier was killed in the incident. There was no official confirmation from Egypt. The background to the incident was initially unclear. It would be the first death of a soldier on the Egyptian side of the broder since the start of the Gaza war last October. The situation at the Rafah border crossing has become increasingly tense. Israeli troops recently took control of the crossing on the Palestinian side as well as a border strip between Egypt and Gaza. At the beginning of the Gaza war on October 7, Israel said it had accidentally fired on an Egyptian military post near the Kerem Shalom border crossing. According to the Egyptian army, several Egyptian border guards were slightly injured. The Israeli military apologized for the incident at the time. Before the war began, there were also several deadly attacks by militant groups on the border between the two countries. Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 after several conflicts. However, the relationship between the two countries has been put to the test since the outbreak of the current Gaza war. A barber works next to a destroyed mosque after an Israeli air strike in the city of Deir al-Balah, during fierce battles between Israel and Hamas. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has sharply criticized International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan for applying for the arrest of top Israeli politicians in remarks to the Israel Bar Council reported in The Times of Israel. "The decision of the prosecutor ignores, among other things, the fact that the Israeli legal system has proved its independence in the past, its impartiality, and its commitment to the values of truth and justice," Baharav-Miara said. Khan announced a week ago that he was seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as for Hamas leaders. Baharav-Miara said the Israeli justice system was fully competent to enforce the law. "We do not shy away from enforcing the law against any person, even with the heads of the military and the state, if there are well-founded suspicions of violations of the law," she told the Bar Council. "We don't need outside help to clarify suspected criminal activity." The Israeli military was currently conducting investigations into possible violations during the Gaza War, she said. The attorney general noted that the ICC had been established to deal with situations where the law was dysfunctional. "That is not our situation," she said. "The steps taken by the ICC prosecutor contravene the basic legal idea on which the court was founded, the principle of complementarity," she said, referring to the principle under which functioning states have jurisdiction within their own territory. While many countries have signed and ratified the 2002 Rome Statute establishing the ICC, thus becoming states parties, Israel, the United States and Russia have all indicated that they do not intend to become states parties. Israel nevertheless agreed to defend its position in the genocide allegation brought by South Africa to a separate UN court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in relation to the Gaza War. A child takes a photo of a destroyed mosque after an Israeli air strike in the city of Deir al-Balah, during fierce battles between Israel and Hamas. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa People walk next to a destroyed mosque after an Israeli air strike in the city of Deir al-Balah, during fierce battles between Israel and Hamas. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa At least 35 Palestinians were killed Sunday in an Israeli strike on a Rafah tent encampment, Gaza health officials said, that the Israeli military claims targeted two senior Hamas officials. The strike targeted a humanitarian zone in Rafah where the Israeli military previously instructed displaced Palestinians to shelter from attacks, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The ministry said most of the 35 dead were women and children, and that the death toll is likely to rise as countless are trapped in rubble. The attack comes just days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to stop its operations in Rafah, the last remaining major settlement in Gaza that has not been invaded by the Israeli military. The Israeli military has slowly encroached on the city despite strong warnings from the Biden administration. President Biden warned earlier this month that he would stop military aid shipments to the country if it invaded Rafah without a plan approved by U.S. leaders to limit civilian casualties. More than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million people are believed to be sheltering in Rafah, and more than 80 percent of the territorys population overall is displaced from their homes. The United Nations said famine has begun in parts of Gaza as civilians struggle to get access to humanitarian aid. More than 120 aid trucks entered Rafah on Sunday from Egypt, the first since the Israeli military seized the crossing earlier this month. It was not immediately clear if local aid groups could access the humanitarian supplies, however, The Associated Press reported, as fighting in the area has made humanitarian work difficult. Much of southern Gaza, including Rafah, has been mostly cut off from humanitarian aid since the Israeli military began what it described as a limited operation into Rafah early this month. An American-built floating pier has begun to deliver some aid to the area, though aid groups say it is much less than promised and that there are not enough trucks to adequately distribute supplies. 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 The Hill. Firefighters put out a fire following an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced Palestinians, Al-Mawasi area, west of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Sunday. Photo by Palestinian Civil Defense/UPI May 27 (UPI) -- The death toll from an Israeli Defense Force attack on a displacement camp in city of Rafah grew to 45 on Monday as nations condemned the airstrikes, including France, Turkey and Egypt. The Palestinian Red Crescent said the attacks Sunday night were carried out over "displaced persons' tents near the United Nations headquarters northwest of Rafah," saying that the location was designated as a humanitarian zone by Israel, The Times of Israel reported. The Hamas-run health ministry claimed that most of the casualties were women and children. Around half of the population was estimated to have been sheltering in Rafah until May 6 when the IDF began its controversial military operation in the city. Video obtained by CNN shows people digging through rubble and removing debris near a collapsed building. At least 45 were killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah camp for displaced people on Sunday night. Photo b Haitham Imad/EPA The IDF said a Hamas compound was struck in the Tel Sultan area of northwestern Rafah where senior officials in the terror group were gathered. "The attack was carried out against terrorists who are a target for attack, in accordance with international law, using precision munitions, and based on intelligence indicating the use of the area by Hamas terrorists," IDF said, IDF noted that there were reports of a strike and a fire that spread into a camp for displaced Palestinians. The military said it was investigating and is "committed to seeing it through to conclusion." People transport casualties of Israeli bombardment on Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Monday. Israel reportedly bombed tents of displaced Palestinians living near the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees warehouses of Rafah. Photo by Kuwait Hospital Office/UPI "Despite our efforts not to hurt them, there was a tragic mishap. We are investigating the incident," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. "For us it's a tragedy, for Hamas, it's a strategy." A spokesman for the National Security Council spokesperson the United States is "actively engaging" with officials in Israel to determine what precisely happened. "The devastating images following the IDF strike in Rafah last night that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians are heartbreaking," the spokesperson, who went unnamed, said in a statement. "Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians. But as we've been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians." IDF later said the strike killed Yassin Rabia, the commander of Hamas's so-called West Bank headquarters, and Khaled Najjar, another senior member. This Hamas unit is charged with advancing attacks against Israel from or in the West Bank. Hours earlier, Hamas fired rockets at Tel Aviv for the first time in months. Officials from Hamas and the Palestinian Authority said the attacks were deliberate. "In light of the horrific Zionist massacre this evening committed by the criminal occupation army against the tents of the displaced ... we call on the masses of our people in the West Bank, Jerusalem, the occupied territories and abroad to rise up and march angrily against the ongoing Zionist massacre against our people in the sector," Hamas said in a statement. The West Bank-based office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the strike a "heinous massacre," and "deliberately targeting" the tents of displaced people. The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees described the situation in Gaza as "hell on earth." "Information coming out of Rafah about further attacks on families seeking shelter is horrifying," UNRWA said. "There are reports of mass casualties including children and women among those killed." French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" about the strike. "These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians," Macron said Monday in a post on X. "I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire," Macron added. Days earlier, Macron welcomed the Foreign Ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in Paris for talks on the situation in Gaza. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his nation "will do everything" to hold Israeli officials accountable after the strike. "As Turkey, we will do everything in our power to hold these killers, who do not have a shred of humanity, accountable," Erdogan said in a post on X. Erdogan said the strike was "a massacre which took place after the International Court of Justice's call to halt the attacks" and called Israel a "terrorist state." "As Netanyahu and his murder network fail to break the heroic resistance of the Palestinian people, they are becoming increasingly backed into a corner in their own country, trying to extend their political life by spilling more blood," he added. "But they will soon see that this doesn't do any good." Egypt, which condemned the strike, will host another round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas on Tuesday. Qatar said the strike could "hinder" negotiations aiming for the release of hostages and reaching a ceasefire in Gaza. The knock at the door came at nighttime on Mother's Day 2008 in Oregon, where Jessica Ellis' parents lived. It was around 9:20 p.m. and his wife, Linda, was already in bed; her father Steve Ellis told CBS News, that he thought someone let their animals out but two soldiers in Class A uniforms were standing at the door. "You know why they're there. I mean, they don't have to say a thing," Steve Ellis said. Corporal Jessica Ellis was killed in action in Iraq in 2008. She was 24 years old. / Credit: Military Women's Memorial Ellis, a combat medic assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division in Iraq, had volunteered a second time for a mission to clear a route. It was her second deployment to the region. She primarily accompanied combat engineers on clearance missions to look for roadside bombs, but this time, their vehicle was hit by three projectiles. Everyone had to exit through a back door. Ellis didn't make it. She was 24 years old. "Neither one of us envisioned losing a daughter in combat," her father said. "Life is never really the same after that." Rising numbers of women in the military, rising fatalities Women make up about 16% of the nation's military the largest percentage in America's history, partly fueled by the opportunity to serve in all positions including combat. But as the number of women serving in the military has grown, so have fatalities. Since the global war on terror began in 2001, 179 female military members have been killed in action surpassing other U.S. wars or engagements. Eight military women were killed in Vietnam. "The Department of Defense is proud of the bravery and sacrifice made by all service members who have given their lives in defense of our nation," a spokesperson told CBS News. A special tribute exhibit at the Military Women's Memorial on Jessica Ellis and the women military soldiers killed in action during the Global War on Terror. / Credit: Military Women's Memorial Still, said Marilla J. Cushman, the president's senior adviser at Military Women's Memorial, a D.C.-based organization that tells the collective story of women's service, women have made great strides and are now serving at every level in the military. She said women are "driving tanks, commanding thousands of people, and flying fighter planes," something that wasn't possible when she served in the Army for 25 years. "I would be proud to stand beside any of these women," Cushman said. The ultimate sacrifice Ellis' parents met their daughter's colleagues at Fort Campbell in Kentucky so they could learn more about what happened that night. "She was such a happy child, she had a warm personality and she lifted her unit up we got met by hundreds of men and women there," said Steve. Her father said they gave her the nickname "Doc Ellis." He said her buddies told them that even after she was gone "she kept saving lives." They explained to her parents that she trained them all to stop bleeding and they used her technique often after she was gone. Corporal Jessica Ellis received a combat medic badge. / Credit: Courtesy Steve Ellis Just a few weeks before she was killed in action, her father said she had gone out on a similar mission. Her vehicle got hit and she called her parents to them, her father recalled. "She said her vehicle burned and her aid bag burned," Steve said. "We told her to be careful. But that was the last time we ever talked to her about three weeks later she was killed." Her colleagues helped them piece together what happened. Ellis borrowed an aid bag and volunteered to go back out again. Last April, one of her female medic buddies told her parents that Ellis' injuries from the first blast were worse than they knew. One of her legs got infected from the burn, he said the friend told them. But she didn't want to let her buddies down, Ellis said. Ellis family camp chair they use when visiting Jessica's grave in Arlington Cemetery. / Credit: Courtesy Steve Ellis "Talk about courage she went back out there, she volunteered to go back to our on the mission. There were 21 guys and her, she volunteered to go out again with burns on her leg," said Steve. Ellis was emblematic of a combat military that is sacrificing so much to safeguard our freedoms, he said. These women, he said, were dedicated in their service, their sacrifice, and for some "the ultimate sacrifice for their country." Sen. Chris Murphy says the civilian death toll in Gaza is a "boon" to terrorist organizations Daria Kasatkina, the world's bravest tennis player Recording World War II veterans for posterity Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised. John List was a Sunday school teacher and a Boy Scout troop leader alongside being a rather strict father who imposed rigid rules on his children, according to the History Channel. On November 9, 1971, John Emil List murdered his entire family which included his mother, Alma, his wife, Helen, and their three children. He then escaped from the crime scene. List was on the run for nearly 18 years before he was finally caught and convicted. On the morning of November 9, List sent his children to school. He then got hold of two handguns from his garage. He lived with his family in the Breeze Knoll, a luxurious 19-room mansion. List then made his way up and shot his wife, Helen in the kitchen. They had been married for 20 years. His mother Alma was 84 and lived on the third floor which was converted into an apartment. John List made his way up to her room and killed her too, according to People magazine. John List reportedly dragged his wifes body into the ballroom and mopped the kitchen floor. He then made himself a sandwich and ate it as he waited at the kitchen table for his children to return home. 16-year-old Patricia and 13-year-old Frederick were reportedly killed by one bullet each while 15-year-old John, who reportedly put up a tough fight, was shot ten times. He then laid the bodies of his three children beside that of his wife in the ballroom. The List family murders were not exposed until a month after the incident as John List had written to the childrens school that theyd be away for a bit to visit their ailing grandmother. Why did John List murder his family? According to ABC News, John List killed his family to spare them the shame of losing their New Jersey mansion. He also claimed it was a way to make sure they went to heaven and said he was waiting to join them there. When authorities discovered the bodies of Lists children and wife, they also found a letter that List had left for his pastor. In the letter, he claimed that he was losing his money and was broke. He claimed that he didnt want to subject his children to poverty. The letter also revealed that the murders were planned in advance. He also reportedly canceled milk, newspaper, and mail deliveries to his home over the days preceding the murders. This made it unlikely for anyone to find the crime scene. Meanwhile, John List fled to Colorado and began living a new life. He changed his name, remarried, and evaded coming onto authorities radar for 18 long years. It was in 1989 that he was finally arrested after a neighbor of his identified him from a profile on Americas Most Wanted. John List was sentenced to five consecutive life prison terms. Lists mother was a strict Lutheran and the family reportedly attended Church every week. List was a symbol of success and propriety in their Westfield neighborhood. He allegedly feared that the loss of money would tear his family apart and lure them away from faith. In 2008, John List died at the St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton while he was serving time at the New Jersey State Prison, the New York Times reported. He died from complications of Pneumonia and was 82 years old at the time of death. The post Who Was John List and What Did He Do? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Joseph Erb arrested in May 2 daylight stabbing near historic apartments on Chandler St. A 35-year-old city man was arrested Saturday in connection with a May 2 afternoon stabbing outside a Chandler Street apartment building that left a man hospitalized. Joseph S. Erb, who is listed in court paperwork as living on Austin Street, was arrested Saturday, Worcester police wrote in a news release posted to Facebook Monday. Court records show Worcester Police Officer Joshua Monfreda requested a warrant for Erb out of Central District Court May 3 on charges of assault to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Police had converged on the apartment buildings at 23 Chandler St. around 3:45 p.m. the previous day after multiple callers reported a man had been stabbed. Police investigate a reported stabbing on Chandler Street May 2. Their investigation focused on the area around the front steps of the historic St. Ives apartment building, where blood stains and a small stereo playing music could be seen as detectives spoke to witnesses. Monfreda wrote in court documents that a male victim had been stabbed twice once in the upper right portion of his chest and once to the upper right of his back and rushed to UMass Memorial Hospital - Lake Avenue, where he was sedated and intubated. Upon being stabilized, the victim was transported to a Boston hospital where he is currently undergoing multiple cardiovascular surgeries stemming from his injuries, Monfreda wrote May 3. Monfreda said video obtained from several locations in the area showed a male suspect with long black hair tied up in a ponytail, wearing a black tank top and jean shorts to be in a physical altercation with the victim prior to fleeing the scene. Police investigate a reported stabbing on Chandler Street May 2. The officer said a witness identified the suspect as Erb through the video and told police Erb had approached that witness hours after the stabbing wearing different clothing before fleeing again. Police did not list any updated information on the condition of the victim in Mondays news release. They said their investigation is ongoing and urged anyone with information on the stabbing to send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD or an anonymous web-based message at worcesterma.gov/police. Calls can also be made to the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Joseph Erb arrested in May 2 daylight stabbing on Chandler Street The Alaska State Capitol and Dimond Courthouse are seen on Thursday morning, Jan. 18, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) The Alaska State Capitol and Dimond Courthouse are seen on Thursday morning, Jan. 18, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) The Alaska Judicial Council has voted to recommend that state voters retain all 19 judges on the November election ballot, but the recommendation didnt come without dissent. Meeting Wednesday, two of the councils six members voted against the recommendation for Judge Adolf Zeman, citing Zemans recent ruling on the constitutionality of the states allotment system for students in correspondence programs. The no votes came Kristie Babcock and Denny DeWitt. Both are appointees of Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who as a state senator authored the allotment system that Zeman struck down. DeWitt, who abstained from voting on all other 18 judges facing retention, said during a meeting before the vote that theres a whole broad area of folks, Alaskans, who were disenfranchised unnecessarily and traumatized to a point by the decision. That could have been avoided, in my judgment, and I will be voting against his retention, he said. While Zeman was still recommended for retention on a 4-2 vote, council member Jonathon Katcher, an appointee of the Alaska Bar Association, said he was very concerned about the idea that the council would make a recommendation based on a single verdict, rather than a judges overall record. As I understand it, in the history of this body, this council has never taken a position on the retention of a judge based upon his or her decision or decisions, he said. And for us to start doing this now, especially on an issue of this emotional intensity is I just think its a dangerous precedent. The councils six members include three public members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alaska Legislature. The other three members are selected by the Alaska Bar Association, a system enshrined by the Alaska Constitution, which calls on members to recommend judges based on merit, rather than political leanings. The constitution also requires regular public votes to determine whether judges should be retained or fired. Before those votes, the council meets to make a recommendation. If at least four members vote yes, the councils subsequent ads say it has endorsed a particular judge for retention. If the council splits 3-3, the Alaska Supreme Courts chief justice in this case, Peter Maassen casts the tiebreaking vote. On Wednesday, that occurred only once, when three members abstained from voting on Herman Walker Jr., forcing Maassen to cast a vote, the fourth in favor of retention. Though the council considered the suitability of 19 judges, its members spent more time considering Zeman than the other 18 judges combined. Each judge is the subject of surveys that ask attorneys, police, members of the public and others who work with the judge to gauge their performance. Those surveys, conducted before Zemans ruling on the correspondence issue, didnt show significant dissatisfaction. At a May 8 in-person and telephonic hearing, testifiers urged the council to recommend that Zeman stay a judge. But after that hearing, the council received dozens of emails urging members to reject Zeman for his decision on the correspondence issue. Im disgusted and hope this man will not be retained, wrote Eleanore Ostler, one correspondent. DeWitt, speaking to the council, said he feels that the council has historically made judgments based on survey data, mostly on how lawyers rate a judge, and that may not be the best approach. It seems to me there needs to be a little more input from the public, and thats what Im trying to bring, he said. Katcher said hes sure every member of this council can come up with an Alaska Supreme Court decision that we dont agree with, but that basing a recommendation on only one decision risks undermining judicial independence. Steven Hansen, another bar association-appointed member, noted that Zeman previously ruled in favor of the governor in a dispute over the status of the states higher-education investment fund. That decision, later upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court, included many of the same figures as the correspondence case. Hansen said that track record shows that he is able to come to conclusions that favor different sides of the issue and has not been errantly in favor of one side wholly or the other. Of the 19 judges on ballots this fall, only Zeman earned two no votes. Babcock also voted against the retention of Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Henderson. All of the 17 other judges were recommended by 4-0 votes that saw at least two council members abstain from voting. On multiple occasions, Babcock said she was voting no recommendation because she didnt have enough experience with or direct knowledge of the judge to recommend them. Those votes were recorded as abstentions because the councils bylaws dont allow a vote to be recorded as no recommendation. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Correction: The first name of Kristie Babcock was misspelled in a prior version of this article. It has been corrected. The post Judicial Council recommends Alaskans keep all judges, including figure behind correspondence ruling appeared first on Alaska Beacon. U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall and other members of the Kansas delegation worked to add names of more than 600 fallen soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division based at Fort Riley to a monument located on White House grounds in Washington, D.C. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from photograph provided by U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall's office) U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall and other members of the Kansas delegation worked to add names of more than 600 fallen soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division based at Fort Riley to a monument located on White House grounds in Washington, D.C. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from photograph provided by U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall's office) TOPEKA Gov. Laura Kelly participated in a Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Dodge Veterans Cemetery by honoring fallen service members and taking part in the ribbon cutting for expansion of a columbarium memorial wall. She was among Kansas politicians who recognized the commitment of U.S. Armed Forces personnel who put their lives on the line for the country. Whether they served in combat or during peacetime, our veterans represent the very best of America, Kelly said. They deserve to be treated with dignity in life and in death. On Memorial Day, and every day, we owe them our deepest gratitude for their service. Kelly said the $640,000 expansion of cremation niches at the columbarium wall brought the total to 620. The addition of 160 niches could meet projected demand of servicemembers and their families for an additional decade. She also issued an executive order directing that flags in Kansas to be flown at half-staff from until noon Monday. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, the ranking Republican on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, paid tribute to the late Sgt. John Herrick, a Kansan who died during the Normandy invasion in World War II. There are many heroes like Sergeant Herrick whose names are only remembered in the hearts of their descendants and etched into the stone at places like the Vietnam Memorial Wall and the white crosses of Arlington Cemetery, the Kansas senator said. How we memorialize and how we honor our veterans, when they have passed, sends a message to their families, our current and future servicemembers. Kansas Gold Star families associated with Fort Riley soldiers were the focus on U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall during Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C. He was among Kansas lawmakers who successfully urged Congress to pass a measure allowing more than 631 names to be added to the 1st Division Infantry Monument near the White House. The names immortalized on the monument and unveiled this weekend were of Big Red One soldiers killed in action during Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Nothing will ever be enough to honor and thank these men and women for their service to our nation and their sacrifice, Marshall said. I am honored to be a part of this ceremony and ensure our fallen soldiers are engraved and recognized at this monument forever. Fatima Jaghoori, wife of the late U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Zachary Hargrove, a 32-year-old Wichita resident who died May, 3, 2012, in Bagram, Afghanistan, said she appreciated the opportunity to take part in Memorial Day events in Washington. To be able to come here in honor of Zac and to see how much all of the people involved in it, how much they really care about everybody that has given their life in war and throughout their services, is beautiful, Jaghoori said. The post Kansas politicians honor sacrifice of states Armed Forces members on Memorial Day appeared first on Kansas Reflector. Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised. Gary Heidnik, widely known as the Bishop, abducted six women between November 1986 and March 1987. He held the women in his basement until one of the victims managed to call the authorities. He was then caught in March 1987 and was subsequently found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, six counts of kidnapping, five counts of rape, four counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, according to court documents. Heidnik was sentenced to death and executed on July 6, 1999. The Bishop was reportedly put to death by lethal injection at the State Correctional Institution at Rockview, Pennsylvania. According to CNN, His last meal reportedly consisted of two slices of cheese pizza and black coffee. Gary Heidnik was the last person to be executed in the state of Pennsylvania. The New York Times reported that he was 55 years old and an army veteran who earned a good amount of money in the stock market. Although he served in the army for about 13 months, Gary Heidnik was reportedly discharged once he was found to be mentally ill, Fox News reported. However, he never managed to get help for his illness. His mother died by suicide in 1970, after which he started the United Church of the Ministers of God, which he ran in his living room. He ordained himself the Bishop and held regular meetings. Although neighbors and those who attended the church did complain about a strange smell from his house, he was only caught when Josefina Rivera, his first victim, managed to contact authorities while she was in captivity, as per People Magazine. What did Bishop Gary Heidnik do to his victims? After he kidnapped Josefina Rivera, Gary Heidnik reportedly kept her locked up and chained in his basement. She was 25 and a mother of three when he abducted her. This was followed by the abductions of Sandra Lindsay, 24, Lisa Thomas, 19, Deborah Dudley, 23, and Jacqueline Askins, 18. All the victims were held in the basement, half-naked and chained. According to People Magazine, Gary Heidnik was separated from his wife and lost custody of his three children years before. He attempted to impregnate the women he kidnapped and make sure that his children would grow up with him and stay away from external influence. So the Bishop repeatedly raped the victims and tortured them. He frequently inflicted electric shocks onto them. Two of the Bishops victims died during their time in captivity. Sandra Linsay died after she was made to hang by her wrist from a ceiling beam for days together. After she died, Gary Heidnik reportedly cut her remains and fed them to the other victims. He also killed Deborah Dudley, who was put in a pit of cold water with the other victims except Rivera. Rivers was then asked to drop a live wire into the pit, giving them an electric shock and killing Deborah. According to Oxygen, Josefina Rivera pretended to side with the Bishop and cooperate with him. She helped Gary Heidnik dispose of the dead victims remains and assisted him in kidnapping his last victim, Agnes Adams. When he trusted her completely, he let her call home. But Rivera telephoned the police, and the victims were rescued. Surviving the Bishops Basement is an episode of People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer that aired on Sunday, May 26, 2024, on ID. It explored the crimes of Gary Heidnik. The post The Killer Bishop: When Was the Serial Killer Gary Heidnik Executed? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Editors note: This story has been updated to correct the day of the election. Mexico is set to go to the polls Sunday in a critical presidential election to decide who will replace the outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a populist whose nationalist stances have defined an on-and-off again relationship with the U.S. Lopez Obrador was elected in 2018. Mexicos presidents are barred from running for a second six-year term. Who are the Mexican presidential candidates? The races front-runner is former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, who is from Lopez Obradors Morena party and received his endorsement, though questions about her background have left some wondering if she will fully follow in his footsteps. Sheinbaum faces a pair of rivals: Xochitl Galvez from the opposition alliance led by the conservative National Action Party and Jorge Alvarez Maynez from the minor Citizens Movement. FILE This combination of two file photos shows Xochitl Galvez, left, arriving to register her name as a presidential candidate on July 4, 2023, in Mexico City, and Claudia Sheinbaum, right, at an event that presented her as her partys presidential nominee on Sept. 6, 2023, in Mexico City. The two women, considered the frontrunners in Mexicos presidential election, discussed social spending and climate change in the races second debate Sunday, April 28, 2024, which also included Jorge Alvarez Maynez. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File) Either Sheinbaum or Galvez would be the countrys first female president, and Sheinbaum its first Jewish head of state. Galvez trails Sheinbaum by double digits in polls of the race, with Maynezs support falling below 10 percent. What does Morena support? Lopez Obrador founded Morena in 2014 and has molded the partys left-leaning populist platform in his image. Sheinbaum has embraced Lopez Obradors policies, including oil expansion, railroad construction and government-backed welfare, but The Associated Press reported that her more traditional left-wing background could see some ideas fall to the wayside. Who is Claudia Sheinbaum? Sheinbaums background is in academia, achieving a Ph.D. in environmental engineering before going into government. Despite four years at the helm of the countrys largest city, her personal life remains an enigma to many, and she carries a very reserved character. Now the likely successor to her mentor in the gregarious Lopez Obrador, she faces a balancing act between clinging to his popular policies and forging her own path in national politics. That path could include taking power away from the army and giving it to police, the opposite of Lopez Obradors strategy; investing in renewable energies; and embracing modern technology in government. She comes from a family of leftist political activists and became politically active as a student, far from Lopez Obradors quick rise and populist appeal that has drawn comparisons between him and former President Trump. Sheinbaum also speaks fluent English, unlike Lopez Obrador. She did postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, and her daughter lives in the U.S., meaning her presidency could lead to a more positive relationship with the U.S. than Lopez Obradors at times standoffish tenure. Whats at stake for Mexico? USMCA, legislative elections The 2020 successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement, the USMCA, is also up for renegotiation in 2026, meaning the next president will take Mexicos seat at the table in the critical economic pact. All 628 seats in Mexicos Senate and Chamber of Deputies will be up for election this weekend, adding weight to the elections importance. About 100 million people are expected to go to the polls nationwide. Updated May 28 at 1:30 p.m. 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 The Hill. Ukraine has been discussing with France and other countries the presence of foreign instructors on the ground to train the Ukrainian soldiers since February 2024, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on May 27. The statement came after Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said that he had already signed documents "that will allow the first French instructors to visit training centers soon." France's Defense Ministry told Reuters that training in Ukraine is one of the projects that is still being discussed, which was later confirmed by Kyiv. "As of now, our discussions with France and other countries on this issue are still ongoing," Ukraine's Defense Ministry said. The ministry and Ukraine's General Staff began "internal work" on the relevant documents "in order not to waste time on coordinating bureaucratic issues when the decision is made," the statement read. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Some NATO member states are discussing the possibility of sending military instructors or contractors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian troops and assist with equipment repairs, the New York Times reported in mid-May. Kyiv has asked the U.S. and other NATO countries to help train 150,000 soldiers closer to the front lines, the outlet wrote. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in late May that "there are countries who are training soldiers on the ground already," without naming any specific countries or provide any further details on their purported operations in Ukraine. Read also: Estonian defense minister: No new development on idea to send troops to Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su Over the past three-plus years there are few if any areas of public policy in which the Biden administration has been more active in advancing rules and practices designed to lift average people and those long left behind by the American economy than in the realm labor relations. Whether its promoting better wages and working conditions, creating more good, living wage jobs, or developing new and innovative strategies to help women and other underrepresented populations gain access to those jobs, the Biden team has been determined and persistent. And recently, as part of that effort, the nations Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su traveled to North Carolina for a series of events in which she met with local elected officials, labor leaders and average workers. And in between appearances, she was also kind enough to join Newslines Rob Schofield to share some of the details. The post Labor Sec. Julie Su on the Biden administrations efforts to expand access to good paying jobs appeared first on NC Newsline. By Andy Bruce (Reuters) - Britain's Conservative Party will introduce mandatory national service for 18-year-olds if it wins the national election on July 4, comprising military or community participation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday. Young adults will be able to choose between spending one weekend a month volunteering over the course of a year, or take up one of 30,000 spaces to spend a year in the armed forces, Sunak said. The announcement followed Labour Party leader Keir Starmer's comments on Saturday that he was in favour of allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote. Sunak's Conservatives lag Labour by a wide margin in opinion polls, which have shown little change in fortunes for the prime minister since his surprise election call last Wednesday. "Britain today faces a future that is more dangerous and more divided. There's no doubt that our democratic values are under threat. That is why we will introduce a bold new model of national service for 18-year-olds," Sunak said in a statement. The Conservative Party said the proposal would be funded by cracking down on tax avoidance and evasion, and by diverting money from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which existed to reduce regional economic inequality. Labour politicians derided the announcement. "The national service we need from our young people is to vote for change on 4th July," said Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester. Interior minister James Cleverly told broadcasters there would be no criminal sanctions for skipping mandatory service but that people will be compelled to do it, without providing further details. Asked by the BBC if forcing adults to volunteer was at odds with the Conservative Party's liberal tradition, Cleverly said: "We force people to do things all the time." He cited compulsory education or training for teenagers until the age of 18 as an example. (Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) (Photo by Douglas Sacha/Getty Images) A LaPorte City man who has been engaged in a long-running dispute with the police department is now suing the city for malicious prosecution and false arrest. John Grote, a 44-year-old Black Hawk County truck driver, is suing the City of La Porte as well as officers Garrett Husmann and Nicholas Hall and Police Chief Christopher Brecher in federal court. Grote alleges that on June 21, 2022, he was sitting inside his car outside a La Porte City business where Husmann was conducting a routine check and standing outside his patrol car. According to the lawsuit, the two exchanged words, and Grote made a comment suggesting that he believed Husmann was bribing someone. Grote alleges he continued to ask Husmann questions as the officer turned and walked away, and the conflict escalated. The lawsuit alleges that Husmann turned back toward Grote, pointed at him and said, Raise your fist at me and see what happens. I am going to drag you out of the car and take you to jail. That marked the end of the exchange, Grote alleges, but two days later Husmann arrested Grote for assault on a police officer. In his arrest report, Husmann reported that Grote had used his own vehicle to block Husmanns patrol car and then began asking the officer questions about a criminal case of some kind. The officer reported that when the discussion escalated, Grote became very angry that I had pointed at him and took his seat belt off and climbed halfway out of his window. (Grote) then raised his left arm with a closed fist as if to punch at me This encounter was captured on my body camera. A jury later acquitted Grote of the charge of assaulting a police officer. Court records show that on Nov. 16, 2023, Hall arrested Grote for disorderly conduct, alleging that Grote told me to go f myself and called me a stupid pig while inside of Caseys General Store. Grote challenged the arrest, claiming his statements were protected by the First Amendment. The state then agreed to dismiss the case. According to the newly filed civil lawsuit, in April of this year, Police Chief Brecher called Grote and then left him voice mails and sent him emails indicating he wanted to meet with him discuss a possible agreement they might reach that would cause the chief to refrain from writing Grote a ticket for reckless driving a charge that would impact Grotes ability to work as a truck driver. On April 22, the lawsuit claims, Grote met with Brecher for 45 minutes at the La Porte City Police Department where the chief allegedly told Grote that things were escalating between Grote and his officers and he accused Grote of following the officers and yelling at them when they passed by. Brecher allegedly told Grote that he wanted peace and that if Grote did, too, the department would not cite him for reckless driving and would only him cite for him driving on the wrong side of a highway. Ive got a year to charge reckless driving, the chief allegedly told Grote. I would like you to leave the officers alone Stop yelling at them, stop shouting at them, let them do their job. The meeting allegedly ended with Brecher citing Grote for driving on the wrong side of a highway on March 18, 2024. That charge is still pending. Grotes lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for alleged violations of his constitutional rights, false arrest and malicious prosecution. The city has yet to file a response. Court records show that in August 2018, La Porte City police arrested Grote for harassment of public officials. Police alleged he had been taunting city utility workers, asking them if they were still on lunch, and that Grote was shouting profanities at the mayor. Grote later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of honking his car horn at the city workers. The post LaPorte City man sues police after a series of encounters with officers appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. Photo illustration by Getty Images. Billings Public Schools, the largest district in Montana, used to get a flood of applications when it posted a teaching job. Now, Superintendent Erwin Garcia said its getting one application for every 10 positions, roughly a reverse of the 10 apps to one single job it used to get. He said teachers apply from other states They love Montana but they change their minds once they realize the pay compared to the cost of housing. We are scratching our heads right now, Garcia said. What are we going to do? This month, Billings moved ahead on a deal that will mean a significant increase for rookie teachers, he said from $41,803 to $46,900. What we want is to be the best paying district in Montana, so we want to be sure beginning teacher pay jumps up significantly, he said. However, data Garcia presented last week to the school board shows Billings is still behind at least a couple of nearby and competing districts in Wyoming. For example, his data shows Sheridan School District pays $54,525 to new teachers. We still have a long way to go compared to Wyoming salaries, especially at the base, he said. Montana has long been at the bottom of the heap for starting teacher pay, and Garcia told the school board that even with some increases, teachers are still behind with the rising cost of health insurance. In 2021, the Montana Legislature created the TEACH Act to try to help increase starting teacher pay. However, a report to lawmakers earlier this year said starting pay is still low, citing a national benchmark that ranked Montana 51 in 2023. It said new teachers here earn $6,000 to $13,000 less than in neighboring states. The act creates a payment that goes to districts, not directly to teachers, and the report from the Montana Legislatures Office of Research and Policy Analysis said the number of teachers who qualify for the incentive increased a bit from 2023 to 2024, but the number of school districts receiving the money dropped. On Friday, Garcia said more seasoned teachers in Billings also will see increases following recent negotiations, generally to the tune of 5.9%, and he said teachers who have masters degrees and more experience are very competitive with Wyoming. For example, a teacher moving from year five to year six will go from $61,671 to $65,242. However, Garcia said if Montana doesnt address the cost of housing, day care, and health insurance, teachers wont be able to afford to take jobs in this state. Eventually, we are going to run out of teachers in the profession. And then were just going to have to use AI (artificial intelligence). Isnt that sad? Its the reality, Garcia said. He said he doesnt want people to take his remarks as a threat, but he does want to be transparent about the limited alternatives. They include bringing in teachers from overseas, who sometimes struggle with the language, he said and AI, which he said would represent a decline of civilization. If we do something like that, were in trouble. Thats why we need to increase teacher salaries, Garcia said. He said in some cities in Montana, teachers dont have certificates, which he doesnt want to see either. His focus is on quality education for students and a strong workforce for the future of the state. But Montana is behind, he said; by comparison, Montana spends $315 million less on education on average on a per pupil basis than other states. The Billings Education Association could not be reached Friday for comment. In an earlier interview, Amanda Curtis, president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees, said year after year, elected officials dabble around the edges at school funding during legislative sessions. She said Montana recently has seen 1,000 open teacher jobs, but the teachers Montana is graduating arent taking jobs here, and the fix doesnt require rocket science. Im tired of people pretending theres some other complicated solution, Curtis said. Just f**king pay them. The post Largest school district in Montana raises pay, still behind Wyoming appeared first on Daily Montanan. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Las Cruces Police are asking for the publics help in locating a missing 12-year-old Las Cruces boy who has not been seen since Sunday afternoon, May 26. Xavier Baeza was last seen at about 4 p.m. Sunday on the 2300 block of Don Roser. He was last seen wearing a black and blue hoodie, black pants and white shoes, Las Cruces Police said. Baeza is 5-feet tall and weighs approximately 100 pounds. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes. Police believe Baeza left his home voluntarily but, because of his age, he may be in danger. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 12-year-old Xavier Baeza is asked to call Las Cruces police at (575) 526-0795. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Latvia said it wants to establish a drone army as part of efforts to boost production of the local defense industry and strengthen military capabilities in the Baltic region. Most Read from Bloomberg The government will invest some 20 million euros ($22 million) this year to develop the project, Defense Minister Andris Spruds said in a post on X. It follows a similar move last week by his counterpart Laurynas Kasciunas in neighboring Lithuania, which announced it would invest 10 million euros in local production, with 3 million euros dedicated for drones to be sent to Ukraine. Countries in the Baltic region are developing new defense capabilities to fend off threats from neighboring Russia and Belarus amid spiraling tensions between the Kremlin and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization over the war in Ukraine. Separately, the Baltic interior ministers said last week that Russias European neighbors from Norway to Poland are considering establishing a drone wall to track migration, maintain surveillance and to combat smuggling. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. A congressional delegation, which traveled to Taiwan Monday to meet with newly elected Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te, vowed support for the island nation against increasing tension with China. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), the co-chair of the Taiwan caucus, said the U.S. is committing to supporting Taiwans military both diplomatically and economically, The Associated Press reported. There should be no doubt, there should be no skepticism in the United States, Taiwan or anywhere in the world, of American resolve to maintain the status quo and peace in the Taiwan Strait, Barr said at a new conference in Taipei after meeting with Lai. Days ago, China launched new military exercises around Taiwan, just after the self-governing island swore in Lai. China criticized the new leader of escalating tensions in his inaugural address and the military drills, which include ships and aircraft, followed. Lai called the U.S. delegations visit an important gesture of solidarity at a critical time, the AP reported. Reps. Young Kim (R-Calif.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.) were joined by Rep. Michael McCaul, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on the trip. Their visit follows the approval of a military aid bill, which sends U.S. funds to countries in need, including Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Chinas Foreign Ministry Mao Ning said in a press conference Monday that the lawmakers visit sends a signal to China, who firmly opposes the trip and made serious protests to the U.S. China firmly opposes military contract between the US and Taiwan and any attempt to arm Taiwan, Mao said. We urge relevant members of the US Congress to stop playing the Taiwan card, stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs, stop supporting and conniving at Taiwan independence separatist forces, and stop undermining China-US relations and cross-Strait peace and stability. Lai won the election in January after campaigning on closer relations with Washington, despite the U.S. not formally recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign nation due to its one China policy. In January, China warned that it would not make any concession or compromise on the self-governing nation. The Biden administration said Saturday that U.S. officials are deeply concerned about the drills and warned China to act with restraint. Taiwans Ministry of National Defense said the military exercises were jeopardizing peace and stability in the region. Earlier this year, U.S. Adm. John Aquilino, the head of the Indo-Pacific Command, said all indications point to Chinas military being ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. He argued that China will try to unify with Taiwan through other means by force but has not ruled out military force if other efforts fail. 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 The Hill. Leaders in Congress join together to honor the fallen on Memorial Day Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle came together Monday to honor fallen soldiers this Memorial Day. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said America honors the brave men and women of the U.S. Military who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while defending our country. We owe them, and the families they left behind, an eternal debt of gratitude, he posted on social media platform X. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) shared a video honoring the military members who defended the freedoms that we enjoy so dearly today. Never forget what this day is really about, Scalise wrote on X. God Bless the heroes who sacrificed their own lives to defend America and our FREEDOM. GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) said that on Memorial Day and every day, we honor the brave men and women whove made the ultimate sacrifice. May we never forget that freedom is not free, he said. Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told his X followers to hold the memory of our fallen heroes close and thank the servicemembers standing watch today as our nation faces growing threats. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) added, also weighed in, writing: May we always remember their service and sacrifice to our country. Democrats echoed similar sentiments Monday, the 156th observance of the holiday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said today America pauses to honor and remember the men and women in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and democracy. America is a grateful nation, he said. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said this holiday honors the selfless Americans who protected the country and defended democracy. On this solemn day and every day, we remember our fallen heroes and offer our gratitude and deepest respect to them and their loves ones, she wrote. As we pay tribute to the patriots who fought with valor to ensure our Flag is still there, let us always strive to build a future worthy of their sacrifice. Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) shared a similar message. As we stand together this Memorial Day: We honor the brave service members who laid down their lives for our country. We will not ever forget them, he wrote. We remember them today and every day. We owe them and their families the deepest of debts we can never fully repay. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said her heart goes out to the families in Michigan who have lost a loved one in the military. Lets surround them with love and honor their heroic sacrifice, she wrote. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) said he and his wife, Gayle, are encouraging every West Virginian to join us in honoring and remembering our Fallen Heroes. Their comments come as President Biden delivered remarks at Arlington National Cemetery Monday morning and participated in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider to mark the somber holiday. Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves as president of the Senate, also took to social media to pay her respects. We owe these heroesand their loved oneseverything, she wrote. 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 The Hill. China premier agrees on cooperation with Seoul, Tokyo but issues veiled rebuke against their US ties Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, third left, holds a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, third right, in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Chinas premier agreed Monday to revive three-way cooperation with South Korea and Japan in the face of shared challenges, but issued a veiled rebuke against the two countries expanding security cooperation with the United States. Chinese Premier Li Qiang met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul in what was their countries first such trilateral meeting in more than four years. Many experts say just restarting the countries highest-level annual meeting and agreeing on the need to improve ties is a positive sign for cooperation among the three Northeast Asian neighbors, as they all face economic uncertainties caused by wars and instability around the world. But how drastically their cooperation will be promoted is unknown as the three countries have a range of long-running complex issues. In a joint news conference after the meeting, Li said China wants to cooperate with South Korea and Japan on economic issues, especially on supply chains and the restart of talks on a three-way free trade deal. Yoon said the three leaders agreed to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, establish safe supply chain networks and work together to tackle shared environmental, health and other issues. Kishida said the three countries share a big responsibility for regional peace and that Japan will chair the next round of the trilateral leaders meeting. Despite the seemingly amicable mood of the meeting, however, Li at one point expressed Chinese uneasiness about Japan and South Koreas moves to beef up their security partnership with the U.S., which Beijing views as an attempt to form a bloc to contain China. We need to have honest dialogues to better enhance trust and resolve doubts. We must uphold the spirit of strategic autonomy and maintain our bilateral relations, Li said in comments at the start of the meeting with Yoon and Kishida. We need to promote multipolarity in the world and oppose the formation of blocs or camps. China is wary of Japans plan to deploy 400 U.S. Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles and allow repair and maintenance of U.S. warships in Japan to support their operations in the western Pacific. The expansion of military drills among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have also drawn protests from China. The trilateral meeting was also briefly overshadowed by North Koreas abrupt notification to Japan of its plan to launch a satellite by early next week, an apparent bid to place its second spy satellite into orbit. The U.N. bans any satellite launches by North Korea, viewing them as disguised tests of the countrys long-range missile technology. North Korea has said it needs spy satellites to better monitor South Korea and the U.S. and enhance the precision-attack capabilities of its missiles. Yoon called for stern international action if North Korea goes ahead with the launch. Kishida urged North Korea to withdraw its satellite launch plan. But Li didnt mention the launch plan as he offered general comments about promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through a political resolution. South Korea, Japan and the U.S. have long urged China North Koreas major ally and economic pipeline to use its leverage to persuade the North to abandon its nuclear ambitions. But China is suspected of avoiding fully implementing U.N. sanctions on North Korea and sending clandestine aid shipments to its impoverished, sociality neighbor to stay afloat and continue to serve as a bulwark against U.S. influence on the Korean Peninsula. In a bilateral meeting with Li on Sunday, Yoon asked China to contribute to promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula, while speaking about North Koreas nuclear program and its deepening military ties with Russia. After meeting with Li on Sunday, Kishida also told reporters that he expressed serious concerns about the situations in the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Chinas northwestern Xinjiang region. He said Japan was closely monitoring developments on self-governed Taiwan as well. Kishida referred to Chinas military assertiveness in the South China Sea, clampdowns on pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong and human rights abuses against minorities in Xinjiang. Last week, China also launched a large military exercise around Taiwan to show its anger over the inauguration of the islands new president who refuses to accept its insistence that Taiwan is part of China. On Monday, Li still didnt respond directly to the outside accusations against the Chinese actions in the South China Sea or surrounding Taiwan. China, Japan and South Korea should appropriately handle sensitive issues and points of difference, and take care of each others core interests and major concerns, Li said. And truly construct a real multilateralism. The three Asian nations together represent about 25% of global gross domestic product, and they are closely linked to one another economically and culturally. But their relations have suffered on-again, off-again setbacks owing to issues stemming from Japans wartime aggression. Chinas ambitions of greater global influence and a U.S. push to bolster its Asian alliances have also threatened to hurt ties among the three Asian countries. The China-South Korea-Japan trilateral meeting was supposed to happen annually following their first meeting in 2008. But the sessions stalled since the last one in December 2019 in Chengdu, China because of the COVID-19 pandemic and often-complicated ties among the three countries. Experts say the three countries all want better relations. China is the biggest trading partner for both South Korea and Japan. Analysts say China likely thinks any further strengthening of the South Korea-Japan-U.S. security ties would not serve its national interests. Washington can trust its allies in their diplomatic efforts with Beijing, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. The China-Japan-South Korea trilateral summit is more about reducing frictions than reshaping geopolitics. __ Wu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report. Israeli strike that killed 45 at camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah a tragic error, Netanyahu says Editors Note: A version of this story appears in CNNs Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the regions biggest stories. Sign up here. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday an airstrike that killed dozens of people at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah, Gaza, was a tragic error. Despite our best effort not to harm those not involved, unfortunately a tragic error happened last night. We are investigating the case, Netanyahu said in a speech at the Israeli Knesset. At least 45 people were killed and more than 200 others injured after a fire broke out at the camp following the strike, most of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Palestinian medics. No hospital in Rafah had the capacity to take the number of casualties, the ministry said. Footage obtained by CNN showed the camp in flames, with scores of men, women and children frantically trying to find cover from the nighttime assault. Burned bodies, including those of children, could be seen being pulled by rescuers from the wreckage. Several civilians are still trapped inside the camp, which was attacked without warning, a Palestinian man filming the fire said. This was declared a safe zone. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a blistering condemnation on Monday. I condemn Israels actions which killed scores of innocent civilians who were only seeking shelter from this deadly conflict, he said on X. There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop. A UN diplomat told CNN that the Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss the airstrike at the request of Algeria. It will hold private discussions at 3.30 p.m., the diplomat said. A US official told CNN Monday that Israel had told the Biden administration it used a precision munition to hit a target in Rafah, but that the explosion from the strike ignited a fuel tank nearby and started a fire that engulfed a camp for displaced Palestinians and led to dozens of deaths. We cant confirm that but its what Israel shared with us, the official said, and we assume we will learn more once Israel completes its investigation. The attack came after Hamas launched rockets at Tel Aviv on Sunday for the first time in months. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that eight rockets were fired from the Rafah area, and that a number of projectiles had been intercepted. The IDF said it destroyed the rocket launchers used by Hamas shortly after the strikes. Palestinians mourn over the bodies of relatives killed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, the Gaza Strip on Monday. - Jehad Alshrafi/AP The Israeli military said in a statement earlier on Monday that it had struck a compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating. It said the strike killed two Hamas officials West Bank Chief of Staff Yassin Rabia and senior Hamas member Khaled Nagar. CNN cannot verify these claims. The IDF said in a later statement Monday that its Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism an independent body responsible for examining allegations of misconduct in conflict will investigate the circumstances of the deaths of civilians in the area of the strike. It was among the deadliest strikes by the Israeli military on Gazas southernmost city since Israel began its operation there on May 7. It also came just days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations top court, ordered Israel to immediately halt its military operation in Rafah, and any other action in the city, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. The IDF said the attack was conducted based on prior intelligence indicating that senior officials of Hamas West Bank wing were present at the site. The IDF said it had assessed there would be no expected harm to uninvolved civilians. More than 36,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military operation there, according to the Ministry of Health in the enclave, which started after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Hell on earth Footage of the aftermath shared on social media showed chaotic scenes. In one video, the lifeless body of a man was seen being dragged by the legs out of the flames. Hes dead, hes dead, a rescuer says before moving on to find others. In another video, a man wept as he held up the headless body of a toddler for the camera. Women shrieked in grief as children peered into the fire. A man with a bloodied face stood in apparent shock, examining his wounds with one hand, as he held an infant with blood-stained clothes in the other arm. One of the bodies pulled out of the fire was charred-stiff. By Monday morning, the camp was in ruins with small fires still burning. Men and boys gathered around, rummaging through the burned and smoking wreckage for food and their belongings as drones hovered above. One of the structures still standing was a sign that read: Kuwait peace camp 1. Children and women living in makeshift tents were among those killed, according to a post on X from UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. The images from last night are testament to how Rafah has turned into hell on earth, the commissioner-general said Monday. Others were reportedly burnt to death, Lazzarini said. The reporting is based on open-source photos and videos which were shared with UNRWA, including from social media, UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told CNN. Palestinians gather around a burnt car after an Israeli airstrike on a camp in the southernmost city of Rafah, the Gaza Strip on Monday. - Abed Rahim Khatib/picture alliance/Getty Images Mohammad Abu Al Subeh, a displaced Palestinian man who survived the strike, said as he was lying in bed in the evening when he saw rockets fired down at us. It shook the earth like an earthquake, Abu Al Subeh, who fled his home in Nuseirat some five months ago, told CNN. He had to escape through the window of his makeshift house in the desert area where the camp is located. I came here based on the leaflet that was dropped (by Israel) saying go to this humanitarian area, he said. Its just civilians here. Abu Nidal Al Attar, another displaced Palestinian who witnessed the attack, told CNN: We were sitting as normal people do when they suddenly saw strikes and fire. We went to see, and they were pulling out burned people. Hamas called the attack a horrific war crime and terrible massacre. International outrage International condemnation was swift, with UN agencies, aid groups and governments calling on Israel to respect the ICJ ruling and halt its Rafah operation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned the airstrike. There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop, he said in a post on X. Despite the ICJ binding ruling, Israel struck Rafah and Hamas fired rockets to Israel, the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, wrote Monday on X. On Monday, in a meeting with Arab leaders to discuss Gaza and the Middle, Borrell said that what we have seen in the immediate hours is that Israel continues the military action that it has been asked to stop. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it was horrified by this deadly event, which shows once again that nowhere is safe. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said Gaza is hell on earth, referring to the Rafah attack. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was outraged and called for an immediate ceasefire. Critics have pushed back on Israels claims. Already worried about an intensifying war right on its border with Gaza, Egypt on Monday condemned Israels strike on Rafah, calling on the Jewish state to implement the ICJ ruling of halting military operations in Rafah and to comply with its responsibilities as an occupying power. A mediator in the war, Egypt is set to host another round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas on Tuesday. Qatar, another key mediator, said Israels strike could hinder ongoing negotiations, and called the attack a serious violation of international law. Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp housing internally displaced people in Rafah, Gaza on Monday. - Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images Over a million Palestinians had been sheltering in Rafah before Israel began its operations there, having fled there from other areas of Gaza after Israel began its military campaign in the territory. Israel has said it had ordered civilians to leave some areas of Rafah, but many remain there, sheltering in what Israel designated as safe zones. More than 800,000 people have fled Rafah since May 6, according to UN figures. Israel has vowed to press on with its Rafah operation despite international outrage and a US warning not to proceed. In response to the ICJ ruling last week, Israel said it has not and will not conduct military actions in the Rafah area which may inflict on the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. Clarification: This story has been updated after additional review of the translation from Hebrew to English, to clarify the wording used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he referred to a deadly Israeli strike on Rafah, Gaza. The word errorwas originally translated as mistake. CNNs Zeena Saifi, Hamdi Alkhshali, Mostafa Salem, James Frater and Lauren Kent contributed to this report. Nadeen Ebrahim wrote from Abu Dhabi. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Letters to the Editor: One problem for 'divest from Israel' protesters in California, it's probably illegal Students and others supporting University of California divestment from Israel camp out at UC Berkeley on April 26. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) To the editor: The protesters in California calling for university endowments to divest from Israel fail to acknowledge that their central demand may be against the law. ("Divestment from Israel roils universities. Would it work? Some are dubious," May 21) In 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2844. As your article on divestment alludes to, the law forbids awarding state grants or contracts of $100,000 to government and state organizations that support the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, known as BDS. California law specifically prohibits funding from being awarded to organizations that discriminate against foreign countries and it explicitly mentions Israel. The BDS movement is often criticized as being anti-Israel because it fundamentally challenges the legitimacy and sovereignty of the Jewish state. The controversy surrounding BDS is intensified by accusations that it fosters antisemitism. The movement's rhetoric and actions often cross the line from legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies to outright hostility toward Jewish people and their right to a homeland. Eric Rose, Simi Valley .. To the editor: BDS activists should be careful what they wish for. There are numerous American companies that have research and development in Israel, using Israeli engineers and technicians. Almost every cellphone has a part that was developed in Israel. If a doctor suggests you ingest a PillCam to see inside your body before an operation, would you refuse? I can go on and on. Dave Simon, North Hollywood .. To the editor: As a third-generation Japanese American whose parents and grandparents were wrongly imprisoned in internment camps during World War II, I have great empathy and support for both the Israelis and Palestinians. However, the students at Cal State L.A. you profiled who cannot protest because they commute to campus and work have an important point of view on the war in Gaza. I went to a junior college for my nursing degree. I had no extra money, so I had to work part-time while being a full-time student. I did not have the luxury of skipping classes or work to participate in extracurricular activities. That didn't mean I was indifferent to social inequalities. I just didn't have the time to protest. I support these young and not-so-young students. I applaud their determination to make life better for themselves so they can eventually be in the position to make a difference in our society. Cynthia Kokawa Lerner, Los Angeles .. To the editor: I find myself alternating between anger at the campus protesters and anger at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The protesters ignore that about 1,200 people were butchered in Israel on Oct. 7 and 250 more were taken hostage by Hamas. They also ignore the failures by Palestinian leaders to seriously negotiate for peace, even when Israeli governments were willing to compromise. As for the Israeli government, the religious nationalists in it do not truly reflect Zionism; rather, they are a disgrace to it. They are delusional to think they can go on occupying the West Bank and expanding settlements while playing the Palestinian Authority and Hamas off each other. David Perel, Los Angeles This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. After a two-year professional sabbatical from the Central Valley, a career change and a season of personal growth, I am looking forward to coming back to the Valley with a new perspective as Fresno Pride coincides with the launch of Pride Month on June 1. In my new professional role, I have the opportunity to learn about peoples personal stories stories that are similar to my own. Growing up as a closeted gay teen during the era of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage, I witnessed much of the hatred directed toward LGBTQ+ folks. Recently, The Source LGBT+ Center located in Visalia, where I work, received a donation from a generous donor who I met at the church I was actively attending when I was in high school. I hadnt spoken to this person in close to six years. The donation I received had his name on it, and it was the exact money I was looking to raise from my personal network: $250. Opinion I was apprehensive about asking personal acquaintances for donations. So receiving the email about the donation was a surprise that led me to wonder why someone I knew years and years ago would donate a sum of money that generous. I took to Instagram and sent a message of thanks to him. Composing the message, I realized my heart was beating fast it was a feeling of pure shock and overwhelming gratitude. One of the first things they teach you in Development 101 is to always ask new donors what inspired them to give. So I did. He said he donated because his sister was traumatized when she came out as a lesbian in the Central Valley. Their father was someone who stuck a YES on Prop 8 sign in their front yard. Seeing his sisters own coming out experience, my acquaintance said he felt for the cause to create a sense of belonging for everyone here in Visalia, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, despite having moved to San Diego years ago. Many LGBTQ+ people often leave the Valley due to the shame and stigma that comes with being openly queer. His insight and explanation for donating was a reminder that the work The Source does is crucial to community well-being. Our community needs people like me to be bold and live proudly and openly to allow others in the LGBTQ+ community who are not yet ready or able to do the same. It took years of therapy and support to be writing a column like this publicly. Through my new job, I can give back to the community that helped me grow into the person I am today: a proud young professional who happens to be gay. With June 1 just around the corner, I am looking forward to being authentic with others and celebrating what unites the queer community and our allies: a desire for a sense of belonging and pride in the Central Valley. I am thankful for the local leaders and business members that have taken the leap of faith to live publicly as members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is not lost on me that there are others who cannot come out publicly due to the industry that they work in, or their familial or religious affiliations. This was constantly a fear when I was dating someone from our agricultural sector. My partner at the time risked being ostracized by the farming community, and so I never crossed over to his work events, even though we were living together at the time. I hope one day that fear is eradicated. As I work on my first fundraiser for The Source LGBT+ Center, I encourage you to follow us on social media and consider donating $10 toward our Give Out Day fundraiser so that we can fulfill our dream of creating belonging for LGBTQ+ folks in the Central Valley. A monetary gift is one way we can grow toward becoming a community more full of love and centered in equity for all, no matter what color of the rainbow. Stetler Brown (he/him) is the fundraising and donor relations manager at The Source LGBT+ Center located in Visalia. Last year, Joanna Smith went to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and smeared paint on the case and pedestal of Edgar Degas sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. She did so as a protest urging President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency. The Earth is beautiful, and were destroying it with climate change, Smith said as part of the protest. Smith was sentenced last month to 60 days in prison and two years of supervised release. During her sentencing hearing, the liberal judge specifically compared Smith to several insurrectionists who punched and kicked in windows at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as rioters stormed the building seeking to stop the nations peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Biden. Now, everyone is looking at me Jan. 6, you cant compare us to those people. And, yes, some of them were truly violent, said District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, appearing to realize how strange the comparison sounded. I do think that the ones who destroyed property are fair comparators, continued Jackson, a Barack Obama appointee, adding that this defendant is not in some separate category because of the nature of her cause. Jacksons comments mark what appears to be a developing and relatively bizarre trend: Liberal judges are making a habit out of comparing defendants in completely unrelated cases to the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. As liberal tax policy expert Bob Lord noted in a recent commentary piece for Rolling Stone, District Judge Ana Reyes did the same thing as she sentenced Charles Littlejohn, an IRS whistleblower who leaked the tax returns of Trump and other billionaires, exposing their tax avoidance. Reyes asserted that Littlejohns actions were a greater threat to our democracy than the Jan. 6 rioters she had sentenced herself. I have reacted so strongly to your case because it engenders the same fear that Jan. 6 does that we have gotten to [the] point in our society in which otherwise law-abiding, rational people believe that they have no choice but to break the law to further their political agendas, Reyes said to Littlejohn, telling him that my Jan. 6 cases to-date are not appropriate comparators for the sentence I will hand down in your case. Regarding Smiths case, climate activist Michael Greenberg, the executive director at Climate Defiance, tells Rolling Stone that comparing her to the Jan. 6 insurrectionists wasnt fair. The rioters took action because they wanted to see our democracy fail, he said. Joanna took action because our democracy has failed. Phil Andonian, the lawyer who represented Smith in the case, tells Rolling Stone that the judge was a coward in drawing the comparison, adding that he was appalled when the judge went there, and it was all I could do to keep my composure. Andonian has led two lawsuits against Trump and Capitol rioters over the insurrection one on behalf of Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), and the other on behalf of the partner of a Capitol Police officer who died after suffering two strokes one day after the Jan. 6 assault on Congress. He argues members of the judiciary, the Biden administration, and politicians on the left have been capitulating to this false equivalence of Jan. 6, and that comparing any actions to it that arent an an out-and-out insurrection is ridiculous. I consider myself a liberal Democrat for the most part, says Andonian. This is kind of the classic Democratic playbook. You get backed into a corner by a fake argument on the other side that the Jan. 6 people were just protesting, and theyre being treated too harshly, and rather than tell them to go pound sand and continue to treat this as the unprecedented insurrection that it was, they start rushing to say, Well, look, were treating people on the left just as harshly, you cant accuse us of playing favorites. And then it turns into this game of false equivalence, which just drives me insane. He believes thats what happened with Jackson at Smiths sentencing: She was not going to be the judge that let a protester who did something that I think everybody probably can agree was off-putting off the hook without referencing J-6 and without appearing to be treating her on the same plane. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Libertarians Name 2024 Pick As Trump Says He Couldve Won Nomination If Hed Wanted The Libertarian Party on Sunday announced that its delegates selected Chase Oliver to lead them into the 2024 presidential election while former President Donald Trump claimed he would have absolutely won the partys nomination if hed wanted it. The delegates have selected Chase Oliver as the Libertarian Partys presidential candidate. pic.twitter.com/M8c5IhKWez Libertarian Party (@LPNational) May 27, 2024 Oliver welcomed the news in a post on his account on X, formerly Twitter. There is no better unifying ticket in this party than this one. Its time to unify and move forward for liberty, Oliver, a party activist who previously ran for Congress from Georgia, wrote. The announcement came at the conclusion of the Libertarian Partys national convention in Washington, D.C., which grew tense at times, including during Trumps speech on Saturday, which was met with boos. You should nominate me or at least vote for me, Trump told the audience. Only do that if you want to win, he continued. If you want to lose, dont do that. Keep getting your 3% every four years. Libertarian candidates have struggled to get traction in elections, as demonstrated by the results of the 2020 presidential race, when Jo Jorgensen, the partys candidate, got just over 1% of the vote. Still, Libertarians could play a role in critical swing states that could determine the outcome of the 2024 race, prompting Trumps decision to address the convention. Libertarian Party Chair Angela McArdle announced Trump had not filed the required paperwork, making him ineligible to seek her partys nomination. But he was nominated, and its nice to be nominated, McArdle added. Trump explained the move in a post on his Truth Social platform Sunday. The reason I didnt file paperwork for the Libertarian Nomination, which I would have absolutely gotten if I wanted it (as everyone could tell by the enthusiasm of the Crowd last night!), was the fact that, as the Republican Nominee, I am not allowed to have the Nomination of another Party, Trump wrote. His attendance at the convention was also seen as a move to court voters who might back Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy, running as an independent, also addressed the crowd Friday and got a warmer reception than the former president, according to The Associated Press. Kennedy has been trying to trying to secure ballot access in more states and grow his base as he is racing to meet the requirements to join the upcoming CNN presidential debate next month. Getting the Libertarian Partys nomination would have helped him advance that goal. While Kennedy was nominated, he was quickly eliminated in the first round of voting. Still, he appeared to welcome the development. What an unexpected honor to wake up this morning to a groundswell in the Libertarian Party seeking to nominate me, he said Sunday. I would have accepted the nomination if offered because independents and third parties need to unite right now to reclaim our country from the corrupt two-party system, he continued. Kennedy had previously told CNN he had no plans to seek the partys nomination. Trump has said he would be open to debating Kennedy, while President Joe Bidens campaign has suggested they would only be open to a one-to-one debate between the two major candidates. Related... FILE - Libertarian Chase Oliver, candidate for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat, listens during a debate, Oct. 16, 2022, in Atlanta, Ga. The Libertarian Party on Sunday, May 26, 2024, nominated party activist Oliver for president, rejecting former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after they each spoke at the party's convention. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File) WASHINGTON (AP) The Libertarian Party on Sunday nominated party activist Chase Oliver for president, rejecting former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after they each spoke at the party's convention. Third parties have rarely been competitive in U.S. presidential elections and the Libertarian candidate four years ago won 1% of the vote. But the partys decision is getting more attention this year due to the rematch between Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden, which could hinge again on small vote margins in a handful of contested states. We did it! I am officially the presidential nominee, Oliver posted Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. Its time to unify and move forward for liberty. Trump appeared Saturday night in Washington at the convention to give a speech that was repeatedly booed by many in the room. It did not pay off with the endorsement he requested, though his Republican allies on Sunday praised him for choosing to go before an unfriendly crowd. Kennedy got a friendlier reception when he spoke on Friday and attacked both Trump and Biden for how they addressed the COVID-19 pandemic. He had talked up his support for the Libertarians and an endorsement could have helped him expedite the process of gaining ballot access in all 50 states, perhaps the biggest hurdle he faces in qualifying for the first presidential debate in June hosted by CNN. Libertarians prioritize small government and individual freedoms, with a mix of policy positions that could be seen as liberal, conservative or neither. Oliver is an activist from Atlanta who previously ran for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House from Georgia. His campaign website calls for major cuts to the federal budget with an eye toward balancing the budget, the abolition of the death penalty, and the closure of all overseas military bases and ending of military support to Israel and Ukraine. The Libertarian Party selected former Georgia Senate candidate Chase Oliver as their presidential nominee on Sunday, spurning appeals for support over the weekend from both Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The selection of Oliver, who has described himself as armed and gay and whose third-party candidacy helped force a runoff in the Georgia Senate race in 2022, came a day after Trump suggested he would be the best nominee for the party, drawing a sustained chorus of boos. The former president was deemed ineligible for the nomination by the Libertarian Party chair Trump wrote on his social media platform that, as the Republican Partys presumptive nominee, he could not have accepted the nomination, anyway while Kennedy was eliminated in the first round of voting, receiving only 19 votes. But even as they rejected him, Libertarian Party members feared Kennedys candidacy could do significant damage to their party, which typically receives around 1 percent or less of the national vote share with Gary Johnson in 2016 being a notable exception, garnering more than 3 percent. Many Libertarian Party members predicted Kennedy who is polling historically high for a third-party candidate would cut into the small share of the protest vote the party typically benefits from in presidential elections. We're gonna lose ballot access in probably 22 states. Were not gonna make more than half a percent, said Larry Sharpe, a longtime Libertarian Party member who lost his bid for vice president at the convention. RFK sucks the money out of the room and he gets the I'm mad at the system votes that we used to get because were the only other guy on the ballot. While Libertarian Party delegates said they werent persuaded by Trump or Kennedy, libertarians know that members arent the only ones who account for their vote share. And most states require a certain percentage of votes to maintain ballot access for the next election. Oliver who is aligned with a more traditionalist faction of the Libertarian Party, the Classical Liberal Caucus clinched the nomination after almost 8 hours and seven rounds of voting. He defeated a more hard-line Mises Caucus candidate by less than 1 percent in the penultimate round of voting, before delegates were asked to choose between Oliver and no candidate. Mises caucus pretty much versus everyone else is where we're at, said Adrian Malagon, the Mises-aligned chair of the California Libertarian Party. I think there has to be a better understanding of what the mission is going to be going forward and better organization. I just don't think it's sustainable. Oliver is best known outside the party for his role in Georgias Senate race. He garnered just more than 2 percent of the vote, forcing a runoff election between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Republican Hercshel Walker. In 2020, he was a congressional candidate in the states 5th district, also earning about 2 percent support. As a presidential contender, Oliver focused his pitch to Libertarians on his effort to build the party nationwide. He said he has made campaign stops in all 50 states and has 500 volunteers. I wanted to demonstrate to the delegates and to the voters that we have the drive and energy to push ourselves everywhere to grow our party's foundation in every state, Oliver said in an interview with POLITICO. Oliver said his foray into politics came as an anti-war protester in the early 2000s, and that he plans to target young voters angry about the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses, Twitch and TikTok. We were looking at who are the most likely populations to be ready to go outside of the two-party system, and we've identified young people, and in particular those who are upset with the war going on in Gaza, upset with the immigration crisis, and upset with cost of living, Oliver said. Those are the young people that we're going to target. Peder Schaefer contributed to this report. Lithuanian Foreign Minister condemns West for its fear of Russia: You are inviting Moscow to act in our countries Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has stated that Western countries should overcome their fear of Russia when it comes to supporting Ukraine. Source: Landsbergis ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, as reported by European Pravda Landsbergis emphasised that fear of Russia is currently "the biggest issue in almost all the matters we address". Quote: "We are afraid of what Russia might think, how Russia might react, how Russia might act, and this fear of ours looks like an invitation not only to take more aggressive actions in Ukraine through horrific attacks on civilian facilities, destruction of supermarkets, killing children, women, and innocent people, but also in an invitation to act in our countries," the minister stressed. He recalled the sabotage campaigns and hybrid attacks that Russia has recently conducted in a number of NATO countries, and it acts "only because it feels that it has been invited and counts on the fact that we will not react in any significant way." The minister said that the only way to respond to Russia's aggression in Ukraine and in other countries is to support Ukraine. In this context, he emphasised the need to give Ukraine permission to use Western weapons to strike Russian territory. Background: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called on NATO allies supplying weapons to Ukraine to lift the ban on their use in attacking military targets in Russia. The New York Times reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wants Ukraine to be allowed to strike Russian territory with US-supplied weapons. He is seeking to convince President Joe Biden to lift the restrictions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed in an interview with Reuters that Ukraine is in talks with international partners about the possibility of striking targets in Russia with their weapons. Support UP or become our patron! Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda speaks to the crowd before a speech of the U.S. President Joe Biden at Vilnius University in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12, 2023. On Sunday, Nauseda won re-election to a second five-year term. File Photo by Eitvydas Kinaitis/ Lithuanian President Press Office/ UPI May 27 (UPI) -- President Gitanas Nauseda of Lithuania easily won re-election Sunday, securing nearly three-fourths of the vote in a contest held amid soaring tensions in Europe over Russia. Nauseda, who assumed Lithuania's highest office in 2019, secured another five-year term with nearly 75% of voters who cast ballots on Sunday doing so in his name. Challenger Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte netted a little more than 24% of the vote, according to results from the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Lithuania. Voter turnout was 1.1 million, nearly 50% of Lithuania's 2.4 million voters. In a statement to the country early Monday, Nauseda framed his victory as approval of his first term in office. "The trust shown to me by the people of Lithuania is a recognition of five years of work into which I have put my whole heart," he said. "It has not been easy. The term was marked by the challenges of the pandemic, illegal migration and the terrible Russian war against Ukraine. I have always tried to find solutions. I have tried to achieve the goals of the welfare state that I set before my first term, primarily to reduce social and regional disparities." He continued by thanking the people of Lithuania for voting for him, stating their votes "compel" him to cat. "I will continue to strive for results," he said. "I will strive for our political parties to agree on the issues that are most important for Lithuania." Nauseda and Simonyte advanced to a run-off election after neither garnered more than 50% of vote to win the presidency outright in the first round of voting held earlier this month. During the first round on May 12, they bested six other candidates with the president winning nearly 44% of the vote and the prime minister taking a little more than 20%. Lithuania sees itself as a potential target for Russia and has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv's defense against the Kremlin's invasion, which began in February of 2022. According to Vilnius, it has pledge more than $504.4 billion in military support to Ukraine. The Ukraine Support Tracker from the Kiel Institute states that represents 1.2% of its gross domestic product, making it the third largest contributor by GDP behind only Estonia at 1.6% and Denmark at 1.2%. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was quick to congratulate Nauseda on his victory online. "You have been by our side every day and night throughout these most difficult years," he said on X. "I appreciate all of your genuine support for Ukraine, and I am confident that working together, we will ensure freedom, peace, and security in Ukraine, the Baltic states, and throughout our Europe." Lithuania's incumbent President Gitanas Nauseda declared a landslide victory in the presidential runoff vote on May 26, securing his second term in office. Official data shows that Nauseda won 74.43% of the votes, putting a safe distance from his challenger Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte with 24.06%. Simonyte conceded defeat before all the votes were counted. Lithuania has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion, and Nauseda pledged that this support would continue into his second term. Rising tensions with Russia have been an important topic in the election campaign, and both candidates backed increased defense spending to counter the Russian threat. Nauseda, 59, has been serving in the top role since winning the previous election in 2019 as an independent candidate. Simonyte, 49, a fiscal conservative with liberal views on social issues, has been serving as prime minister since 2020. She previously lost to Nauseda in the 2019 presidential election. "Dear @GitanasNauseda, congratulations on your reelection! You have been by our side every day and night throughout these most difficult years," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X. "I appreciate all of your genuine support for Ukraine, and I am confident that working together, we will ensure freedom, peace, and security in Ukraine, the Baltic states, and throughout our Europe." Lithuania remains among the top supporters of Ukraine globally in terms of the share of GDP, with bilateral aid to Ukraine reaching 1.5% of GDP. Read also: Baltics, Poland, other countries agree to create drone wall Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Mykola first thought it was a dream. The windows of his home blown out. The whistle of a shell landing. An explosion. But as the 10-year-old younger son of Larisa and Mykola Glushko staggered in the dark, toward his mothers room, he realized he was awake, and that his mother lay before him, crushed beneath a collapsed concrete baton. Something fell, he recalled. Mom was saying, Kolya, Kolya. I shouted, Mom, Im alive. He said he frantically scraped the dust from his face and eyes. I saw my Mom crushed down by the ceiling. I tried to pull it away, but I couldnt. Mom was moaning and shaking her legs. And I was shouting, Mother, mother, its just a dream, a horrible dream. Mykola had a similar nightmare days earlier, and felt it might be recurring. Then there was darkness. His mother died in front of him. His father was killed by the initial explosion. Hours earlier, the family had a barbecue, and Mykola senior drank one beer too many and talked passionately about enlisting. In the pitch black, his son clambered outside, the front of their comfortable family home beyond recognition, its gates torn clean away. The shelled-out home of the Glushko family in Pokrovsk. - Mick Krever/CNN Mykola said: I was screaming, God, why did you do this to me? I was running in underwear asking for help. For Mykola, the act of survival stretches what any 10-year-old could be expected to bear. His loss, part of a patina of suffering across Ukraines two years of war, where Russian missiles that slammed inexplicably into civilian targets, claim lives that do not make the headlines, and unravel childhoods in ways that will echo for decades in Ukraine. Mykola was given a shot of medicine to calm him in hospital, and his brother came to explain what had happened. He told me now its only me and him left. He repeated it four times. I was trying to calm myself down, but also hated myself. Because I couldnt save my mom. The graves of Larisa and Mykola Glushko in Pokrovsk. - Mick Krever/CNN He has spoken with his new guardian, his godmother, who lives nearby, and is clear he will stay in the military town of Pokrovsk to tend their graves. I will visit them, he said. (I will) apologize for not able to save them. Will apologize to my father that I couldnt save my mom, his wife. He said his dream now is different, to ask his parents important questions. What should I do now? How do I live? Another dream is to take revenge on the one who launched the missile. Across the eastern frontline, notably around Pokrovsk, the pace of Russias advance appears to quicken, and with it the unspeakable loss of families like Mykolas. At the ruins of his home, neighbors said there is no military target nearby. Workers sifted through the dust. The smell of the decaying family dog lingered. On a nearby radio, Russians are so close their stations were audible, explaining to their audience how the West refuses to give Ukraine modern equipment and so the ordinary boys from Ukrainian armed forces will be the ones to suck it up. A short drive away, at a stabilization point in an eastern town, the life-changing hideousness of even light injuries wasapparent. Sunset means frontline units can begin the task of evacuating their wounded, safe from the Russian attack drones that haunt daylight hours. The medical point waited in complete darkness, and a car raced out from the night. Two wounded soldiers from Klishchiivka a town where Moscow has recently claimed success, partially owing to Ukraine having to relocate forces from there to defend against the onslaught in Kharkiv region emerged from the car. One has his head fully bandaged up and talked, his arms outstretched, as groped his way forward. The other was laid flat on a gurney. They were quickly tended to. Clothes were gently cut away. One had damage to his eyes, swollen shut, yet appearedotherwise less badly hurt. The other had shrapnel in his leg, flesh injuries to his arm, and was peppered with shrapnel on his back. His face was covered with dirt and his eyes also struggled to open. A mortar landed about four feet (1.2 meters) from their dugout. It is a matter of luck and a few feet that they are still physically intact. The staff swiftly tried to clean their eyes. When I open the eye like this, do you see the light? a doctor asked. What about people? The patient could only see light. A nurse noticed damage to his right hand. They examined his back and saw a morass of tiny wounds. Suddenly, the patient worsened. Something on my side, he screamed. It is possible the force of the blast caused internal injuries. The doctors moved to quickly intervene. Anaesthetic was injected into his lung, and a tube inserted. Cough, and it will get better, a doctor told the patient. Around the pair, there were four empty beds. A year ago, one doctor, Ivan, told us, they could have 250 patients a day, when the Russian assault on Bakhmut was at its peak. Yet the drop in patients does not herald an improvement in Ukraines war. The 93rd mechanized brigade lacks infantry, and finds it hard to resupply and position them on the frontline because of the threat of Russian drones, an official told us, and so this stabilization unit lacks patients. It is a chilling reminder of the manpower shortage Kyiv is dealing with after two years of war. The patients were led to a waiting ambulance, which left in the pitch black, its headlights off. Russia has targeted medical facilities before. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Vincent Del Giudice, a longtime Brooklyn judge who has drawn both praise and fury across his 22-year career on the bench, is slated to retire in June amid sharp criticism leveled by activists. An analysis by the Center for Community Alternatives said that over the years, appellate courts have reduced 19 of Del Giudices sentences for being too extreme, knocking a total of 503 years off of them. The 19 sentencing reversals are twice as many as for any other active New York judge, and the amount of time eliminated was six times more than for any other judge, the group said. Earlier this year, the center mounted a campaign to pressure Gov. Hochul not to reappoint Del Giudice to the bench. As word of his retirement spread in the past two weeks, the group took credit for it. We are proud that our advocacy has compelled Justice Del Giudice to announce his retirement, Peter Martin, the director of judicial accountability for the Center for Community Alternatives, told the Daily News. Del Giudice did not reply to inquiries from The News, but the judges chief law clerk said hes been planning to step down. He was planning to retire and he is retiring, said William Neri, organizer of a retirement event. Neri declined to comment further. Others said it was unfair to tag Del Giudice as being too tough, given his caseload. Del Giudice has his supporters, and has earned the respect of defense lawyers who have appeared before him many of whom point out that he deals almost exclusively in homicide cases, often dispensing justice for loved ones of victims in horrific murders. I have had successes as well as losses in front of him, but not due to him, said defense lawyer Sam Karliner. I think attacking him for heavy sentences is unfair because he deals with some of the worst cases in the city. He has an exclusive homicide caseload. Hes not dealing with minor crimes. Hes dealing with the worst of the worst. Karliner, who has tried murders and high-profile cases before Del Giudice for more than a decade, described him as extremely fair. Hes one of the longest-tenured judges in, certainly in Brooklyn, and one of the very few judges who has a prosecutors background as well as a defense attorneys background, Karliner said. So he brings a very, I think, unique and fair perspective and understands both sides. Lawyer Gary Farrell, who conducted two trials before Del Giudice, said the jurist had the benefit of prior experience as a prosecutor and a defense attorney prior to ascending to the bench. He gave defense counsel leeway on cross-examination that other judges would not, Farrell said. He was tough as a sentencer during his stint as a judge who handled almost exclusively murder trials. However, these were defendants who were convicted of the most serious crimes and for many it was not their first conviction. Farrell noted that Del Giudice did not levy the maximum sentence in a gun possession case he had even though prosecutors argued for it. He was also respectful of lawyers schedules. Martin, of the Center for Community Alternatives, called on Hochul and the state Senate to move to a new system where the tenure of judges is not automatically continued without review. His group was part of the coalition that scuttled the nomination of Hector LaSalle for chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, and helped get Rowan Wilson elected to the post. The worst judges in our court system are allowed to spend decades on the bench, Ismael Diaz, a community organizer with the Center for Community Alternatives, said May 9. In 2018, Del Giudice was famously caught vaping on the bench during a murder trial, a definite no-no under city rules that was captured in one tabloid headline after another. The state Office of Court Administration declined to comment. Hochul spokesman Avi Small refused to answer when asked by The News whether the governor had declined to reappoint Del Giudice. As she has done since taking office, Gov. Hochul will select judicial nominees based on their experience, qualifications and judicial temperament, Small said. Giudice, 69, is slated to be feted at Gargiulos restaurant in Coney Island on June 27, according to the event flyer. Tim Balk contributed to this story Im a flight attendant I broke my leg in seven places because of extreme turbulence An air hostess left unable to do her dream job after breaking her leg in seven places during severe turbulence has won a six-figure payout. Eden Garrity, 31, was pushing a trolley as the Thomas Cook flight from Cuba to Manchester entered a violent Atlantic hail storm. The impact of the turbulence thrust the flight 500ft upward, pinning Eden to the ground and snapping her ankle. Eden was unable to walk at all for two months after the incident and underwent numerous operations and intense rehabilitation. Eden Garrity broke her leg in seven places during severe turbulence. Eden Garrity / SWNS She has been left with nerve damage which makes it painful for her to stand up for long periods, meaning she can never return to work as cabin crew. And while the payout has been a massive help for her financially, Eden says it doesnt make up for the fact that shell never do her dream job again. She said: It has left me bitter, Im resentful for it. Its just frustrating. It was the best job in the world and I feel like Ive lost a piece of my personality. You see people youre friends with and theyre travelling in the skies and Im not, Im forever ground grounded. Ill never be able to fly for work again. I feel lost, Ive got a family and a son and it is great, but Im very restricted in terms of what I can do. I miss making memories, seeing different countries. If not for the accident Id have been able to fly in the future and its horrible. I appreciate the payout but it doesnt bring back what Ive lost. It helps in terms off getting my own property, but Im 31 and I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I cant do what I want to do. It has left me bitter, Im resentful for it. Its just frustrating. It was the best job in the world and I feel like Ive lost a piece of my personality, she said. SWNS.com Eden, of Leigh, Gtr Manchester, was left lying on the floor of the plane for an hour while seats were cleared after the turbulence hit the flight. She was laid across the back row of the plane in agony and eventually rushed to hospital as soon as they landed in Manchester seven hours later. Doctors said the impact of the plane floor was like a sledgehammer hitting her foot. Shed broken her fibula in five places, her tibia once, fractured the side of her foot and cracked her ankle bone. Eden was unable to walk at all for two months after the incident and underwent numerous operations and intense rehabilitation. SWNS.com Devastated Eden needed surgery to insert screws and metal plates inside her leg, as well as a huge external metal brace, and couldnt walk for two months. The aircraft had taken a detour of around 100 miles to avoid adverse weather conditions as it crossed the Atlantic in August 2019. But Eden says she and other crew members had not been made aware of the risk of turbulence either during the journey, or at the pre-flight staff briefing. She said: Usually if were going to have some turbulence on the there, theyll tell us before the flight and let us know what the plans are. For example, they might say were going to put the seatbelt signs on or were not going to release you. The doctor said it was like a sledgehammer hitting the bottom of my foot. Six passengers lifted me up and over to lay me across three seats at the back of the plane and the ambulance was waiting at the airport for me. I wasnt one of those people who always knew what they wanted to be when they grew up. The impact of the turbulence thrust the flight 500ft upward, pinning Eden to the ground and snapping her ankle. SWNS.com I wasnt particularly academic, and I didnt go to university, but when the opportunity to become an air hostess came my way, I felt like I had found my path in life. I absolutely loved my job, and I knew I had found my calling, so to speak. So to suffer from injuries that were so severe that I literally couldnt return after the incident has been utterly heartbreaking. I suffered from depression and was diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety. Lawyers from Thompsons Solicitors argued staff should have been made aware the flight would encounter poor flying weather and additional precautions should have been put in place. While Thomas Cooks insurers denied responsibility for her injuries, Eden has received an undisclosed compensation care package worth six figures. To suffer from injuries that were so severe that I literally couldnt return after the incident has been utterly heartbreaking, she said. Eden Garrity / SWNS Injury law expert Neil Richards, who represented Eden, said: The circumstances surrounding the incident in which Miss Garrity sustained her injuries should have been foreseen. The issue of inflight safety, especially when working in certain geographical regions including the Caribbean, carries a known health and safety risk. Turbulence also represents an obvious and serious danger to all those onboard, and especially to airline staff who are required to work in and around the cabin in such environments. Unite legal director Stephen Pinder said: I am pleased with the result achieved for our member and their family. Unite will be taking the lessons learned during this case back into our industrial work to help ensure other airline staff are protected from similar incidents. French President Emmanuel Macron waves to visitors after his speech during the European Youth Festival at the Neumarkt in front of the Frauenkirche. Jan Woitas/dpa Europe is at a crossroads, French President Emmanuel Macron said while on a visit to the German city of Dresden on Monday. Speaking in front of the city's Church of Our Lady, Macron called for a strong and sovereign Europe. "Europe is a history of peace, prosperity and democracy," he said, but all of this was under threat if Europe did not act. "Europe is a guarantor of peace. For many of us, this argument long sounded outdated, but war rages again in Europe," he said. Pointing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Macron said Europe had to formulate its own independent security and defence policy and called for Europeans to act as allies within NATO. In economic policy as well, Europe had be become more sovereign and more independent with respect to competition from China and the United States. "Europe needs a growth model for future generations," the French president said, stressing the need for pushing both economic growth and climate protection to the same extent. French President Emmanuel Macron attends the European Youth Festival at the Neumarkt in front of the Frauenkirche. Macron and his wife are on a three-day state visit to Germany at the invitation of the German President Steinmeier. Jan Woitas/dpa Palestinians inspect a burnt car after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa French President Emmanuel Macron has reacted with outrage to an Israeli airstrike near Rafah in the Gaza Strip that left at least 35 people dead. "These operations must stop," Macron wrote on the social media platform X on Monday. "There are no safe zones for Palestinian civilians in Rafah." He was outraged, Macron wrote, and called for an immediate ceasefire and full compliance with international law. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, at least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured in the Israeli airstrike on a tent camp near the southern city of Rafah on Sunday. According to the Red Crescent, the tents of fleeing civilians were hit in the attack. The Israeli military spoke of an attack on a compound belonging to the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement. Senior Hamas members were killed in the attack, it said. On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to end the military operation in Rafah immediately. Palestinians inspect their destroyed tents after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Emmanuel Macron, President of France, speaks at the medal ceremony at the French Embassy in Berlin. Kay Nietfeld/dpa-Pool/dpa French President Emmanuel Macron waves to visitors after his speech during the European Youth Festival at the Neumarkt in front of the Frauenkirche. Jan Woitas/dpa French President Emmanuel Macron drew an enthusiastic response from a youthful audience in calling for Europe to defend its values of peace, prosperity and democracy at a ceremony in the German city of Dresden. Speaking alternately in French and German in front of the city's Church of Our Lady, Macron called for a strong and sovereign Europe. "We have to retrieve the strength, and the engagement to defend (Europe) everywhere," he said. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Macron joined a youth choir and the audience in singing the European anthem, just days before elections to the European Parliament. Europe was at a crossroads, Macron said during a 40-minute address. "Europe is a history of peace, prosperity and democracy," he said, but all of this was under threat if Europe did not act. "Europe is a guarantor of peace. For many of us, this argument long sounded outdated, but war is raging again in Europe," he said. Pointing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Macron said Europe had to formulate its own independent security and defence policy and called for Europeans to act as allies within NATO. In economic policy as well, Europe had be become more sovereign and more independent with respect to competition from China and the United States. "Europe needs a growth model for future generations," the French president said, stressing the need for pushing both economic growth and climate protection to the same extent. Europe was more than a supermarket and not merely a place of common rules. "It is a pillar of the values and the culture of individual and political freedoms," he said, calling for a Europe "that in a certain way builds a humanism from the ground up." Steinmeier responded: "Europe did not arise from doubts and fear. Europe is the outcome of courage and confidence, and we have to show it now too." Looking ahead to the elections, he said that generations had worked at making Europe a continent of freedom and democracy and that it was now up to the current generation to continue the work. Earlier Macron commemorated victims of the Holocaust, visiting the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, near the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building in the heart of Berlin's government district along with Steinmeier,. Both presidents laid wreaths with flowers in the colours of their national flags. They were accompanied by their wives, Brigitte Macron and Elke Budenbender. Around 6 million Jews were systematically killed by Germany's Nazi regime throughout Europe during the Holocaust. At the French embassy in Berlin, Macron honoured the persistent work of renowned Nazi hunters Beate and Serge Klarsfeld, who spent decades documenting Nazi crimes and tracking down war criminals. Just a month ago, Macron caused a stir in Europe by calling for greater EU independence, economic strength and security in a keynote speech and warned that Europe "can die." Macron argued that - in the face of military threats, anti-democratic populism and competition between the United States and China - the EU must expand its sovereignty, defend its values and protect its interests and markets. On Tuesday, Macron is expected to conclude his state visit in the western German university city of Munster, where he is to be awarded the International Peace of Westphalia Prize. This is to be immediately followed late on Tuesday afternoon by Franco-German government consultations at the Meseberg Palace, a German government guest house to the north of Berlin. French President Emmanuel Macron waves to visitors after his speech during the European Youth Festival at the Neumarkt in front of the Frauenkirche. Jan Woitas/dpa Macron to visit Saxony on second day of state visit to Germany Emmanuel Macron, President of France, speaks at the medal ceremony at the French Embassy in Berlin. Kay Nietfeld/dpa-Pool/dpa French President Emmanuel Macron was due to continue his official state visit to Germany on Monday with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin before leaving the capital for the eastern German state of Saxony. Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, plan to pay their respects at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located near the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building in the heart of Berlin's government district. Around midday, the Macrons are expected to arrive at Moritzburg Castle near the city of Dresden, accompanied by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Budenbender. The highlight in Dresden will be Macron's speech on European policy in front of the city's well-known Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). The speech is expected to be directed toward young people in Europe, and thousands of people from Saxony as well as Poland, the Czech Republic and France are expected to attend. A visit to the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems in Dresden is also planned for Monday, where an expert discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) and the European microchip industry is planned. On Tuesday, Macron is expected to conclude his state visit in the western German university city of Munster, where he is to be awarded the International Peace of Westphalia Prize. This is to be immediately followed late on Tuesday afternoon by Franco-German government consultations at the Meseberg Palace, a guest house belonging to the German government located north of Berlin. Macron visits memorial in Berlin to Jews murdered in the Holocaust (L-R)President of France Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Buedenbender visit the Holocaust Memorial. Kay Nietfeld/dpa French President Emmanuel Macron commemorated victims of the Holocaust in Berlin on Monday morning during the second day of his official state visit to Germany. Macron, along with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located near the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building in the heart of Berlin's government district. Both presidents laid wreaths with flowers in the colours of their national flags. They were accompanied by their wives, Brigitte Macron and Elke Budenbender. The couples walked into the memorial, which consists of rows of large concrete blocks, and then visited the museum. Around 6 million Jews were systematically killed by Germany's Nazi regime throughout in Europe during the Holocaust. Later on Tuesday, the Macrons are expected to arrive at Moritzburg Castle near the city of Dresden in the eastern German state of Saxony, accompanied by Steinmeier and Budenbender. The highlight in Dresden is expected to be Macron's speech on European policy in front of the city's well-known Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). It is thought that the speech will be directed toward young people in Europe, and thousands of people from Saxony as well as Poland, the Czech Republic and France are expected to attend. A visit to the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems in Dresden is also planned for Monday, where an expert discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) and the European microchip industry is planned. On Tuesday, Macron is expected to conclude his state visit in the western German university city of Munster, where he is to be awarded the International Peace of Westphalia Prize. This is to be immediately followed late on Tuesday afternoon by Franco-German government consultations at the Meseberg Palace, a guest house belonging to the German government located north of Berlin. French first lady Brigite Macron (L) visits the Holocaust Memorial, along with German first lady Elke Buedenbender. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Emmanuel Macron (R), President of France, visits the Holocaust Memorial along with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Michael Kappeler/dpa Emmanuel Macron (R), President of France, visits the Holocaust Memorial along with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Emmanuel Macron (C-R), President of France, visits the Holocaust Memorial, along with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (C-L). Kay Nietfeld/dpa Macron visits memorial in Berlin to Jews murdered in the Holocaust Emmanuel Macron (l), President of France, visits the Holocaust Memorial, the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, together with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Kay Nietfeld/dpa French President Emmanuel Macron commemorated victims of the Holocaust in Berlin on Monday during the second day of his official state visit to Germany. Macron, along with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located near the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building in the heart of Berlin's government district. Both presidents laid wreaths with flowers in the colours of their national flags. They were accompanied by their wives, Brigitte Macron and Elke Budenbender. The couples walked into the memorial, which consists of rows of large concrete blocks, and then visited the museum. Around 6 million Jews were systematically killed by Germany's Nazi regime throughout Europe during the Holocaust. At the French embassy in Berlin, Macron honoured the persistent work of renowned Nazi hunters Beate and Serge Klarsfeld, who spent decades documenting Nazi crimes and tracking down war criminals. Later on Monday, the Macrons arrived at Moritzburg Castle near the city of Dresden in the eastern German state of Saxony, accompanied by Steinmeier and Budenbender. Saxony's state premier, Michael Kretschmer, welcomed them at the castle. The highlight in Dresden is expected to be Macron's speech on European policy in front of the city's well-known Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) on Monday evening. It is thought that the speech will be directed toward young people in Europe, and thousands of people from Saxony as well as Poland, the Czech Republic and France are expected to attend. Just a month ago, Macron caused a stir in Europe by calling for greater EU independence, economic strength and security in a keynote speech and warned that Europe "can die." Macron argued that - in the face of military threats, anti-democratic populism and competition between the United States and China - the EU must expand its sovereignty, defend its values and protect its interests and markets. A visit to the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems in Dresden is also planned for Monday, where an expert discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) and the European microchip industry is planned. On Tuesday, Macron is expected to conclude his state visit in the western German university city of Munster, where he is to be awarded the International Peace of Westphalia Prize. This is to be immediately followed late on Tuesday afternoon by Franco-German government consultations at the Meseberg Palace, a guest house belonging to the German government located north of Berlin. Emmanuel Macron (2-L), President of France, and his wife Brigitte (right), visit the Holocaust Memorial, the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, together with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender and are surrounded by reporters. Michael Kappeler/dpa Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and his wife Brigitte, together with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender, visit the Holocaust Memorial, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and are surrounded by reporters. Michael Kappeler/dpa CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio (WCMH) A 29-year-old man was arrested and charged on Sunday after allegedly threatening an off-duty Carroll, Ohio police officer by firing shots in Canal Winchester. According to the Fairfield County Sheriffs Office, an off-duty officer from Carroll called authorities after a reported shooting at the 7000 block of Pickerington Road. The off-duty officer said he stopped in a driveway after an apparent road rage incident and tried to talk to the driver. The highly poisonous plant spreading throughout Ohio; how to recognize and get rid of it The driver, Anthony Duggar, got out of his vehicle and threatened the officer by firing a gun three times. Duggar then fled to a residence and refused to come out, prompting the sheriffs office to call in a SWAT team for assistance. Duggar was arrested without incident and was charged with felonious assault. He is being held in the Fairfield County Jail. This embedded content is not available in your region. 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The Salt Lake City Police Department has arrested a man they say was involved in an April shooting in the Poplar Grove neighborhood that left two men injured. According to court documents, Luis Alfaro, 24, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. He faces two second-degree felony charges for discharging a firearm, and third-degree felony charges for aggravated assault, obstruction of justice and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon. Police responded to the initial incident on April 6, 2024, just after midnight in the area of 1000 West and 300 South. Upon arrival, police found a man who had been shot in the left arm and right leg walking away from the home. Police said the man was extremely uncooperative and did not easily provide information. The victim did say he was shot by a man driving a black vehicle. PREVIOUS: Two shot in Salt Lake City overnight, SWAT called in Police later learned a man, later identified as Alfaro, had been admitted to the University of Utah hospital with a bullet wound in the abdomen. Detectives met with Alfaro, who reportedly said he was at a car meet when multiple people began firing. University of Utah security told detectives Alfaro drove to the hospital in a black sedan. According to court documents, detectives received anonymous tips in the days following the shooting that stated Alfaro was involved in the shooting in the area police had been called to. Detectives also executed a search warrant of Alfaros social media accounts and reportedly found messages from Alfaro confirming he was involved. Police say Alfaro admitted in these messages that he was shot and that he ran up to the person who shot him and shot back. Video surveillance obtained from a nearby school allegedly confirmed the detectives investigation. Police say the video shows a man who matches Alfaros appearance in a physical altercation with another man. Alfaro then allegedly runs back to the black vehicle before running back to the other mans driver-side window and extending his right arm as if he were shooting. The cars then flee the area at a high rate of speed. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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 ABC4 Utah. A man is dead, and three others are hurt after a shooting Sunday morning in Ohio. >>Several Memorial Day events scheduled today across area Cleveland Police officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of St. Clair Avenue at around 3 a.m. on initial reports of a shooting, according to CBS affiliate WOIO. Officers found three men and a woman with gunshot wounds when they arrived at the scene, Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz said. Medics transported all victims to the hospital. One of the victims, a 28-year-old man, died of his injuries. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office identified him as Tavon Thompson, WOIO said. This senseless act of violence does not and will not define our great city, said Chief Public Safety Director Wayne Drummond. We will utilize all our technological resources to piece together this incident, and our investigators will work to find answers for those affected by this senseless act. No arrests have been made, and motive has been revealed, according to Diaz. The shooting remains under investigation. TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (ABC4) A 35-year-old Taylorsville man is dead this afternoon after police say he drowned while swimming with his children at their apartment complex. First responders pulled the man from the bottom of the pool after responding to the 4100 block of S. Oak Meadows Dr., according to Taylorsville Police Sgt. Corey Lavin. The drowning victims name was not released, pending fuller notification of family members. While responders attempted life-saving measures, he was not able to be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at the scene. The only witnesses to the drowning were his two young children, said Lavin. The children are now with family members, he said. No others were around at the time of the drowning. The man was eventually found by another tenant, who called 911. The investigation into the drowning is ongoing, but at the moment Lavin said the death appears to have been a tragic accident. 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 ABC4 Utah. Man hospitalized in shooting, no arrests made, Tampa police say Man hospitalized in shooting, no arrests made, Tampa police say TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Tampa police are investigating a Sunday evening shooting that left a man hospitalized. At 6:17 p.m., officers responded to the intersection of North Albany Avenue and West Pine Steet, where they found a man with lower-body trauma. PHOTOS: Barn with RV attached destroyed in fire in Hernando County The victim was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, but his current condition was not released. Police are still investigating the cause of the shooting, and as of this report, there have been no arrests made. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the police department at 813-231-6130 or through the TampaPD app via Tip411. Anonymous tippers can contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-8477 or 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 WFLA. On 27 May, the Russians attacked the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with kamikaze drones. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration Quote: "Almost a dozen strikes in Nikopol district in a day. Mostly with kamikaze drones. However, there were also some attacks with artillery. The aggressor targeted Nikopol, Myrove, Chervonohryhorivka, Pokrovske and Marhanets hromadas [an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories]. A 56-year-old man was injured; he received a shrapnel wound. He was hospitalised in a serious condition." Firefighters putting out a fire after Russian attack on Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Photo: Serhii Lysak Cars were damaged after Russian attack on Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Photo: Serhii Lysak Aftermath of Russian attack on Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Photo: Serhii Lysak Details: The Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration reported that an outbuilding was destroyed in a Russian attack. The outbuilding and a nearby residential building caught fire, which has been extinguished. In total, four houses and an apartment building were damaged. Outbuildings, a garage and cars were damaged. The strikes also damaged an infrastructure facility, a hotel and a private company, along with power equipment and power lines. Support UP or become our patron! Homicide detectives on Monday morning were investigating the shooting death of a man who was found in a North Highlands office complex parking lot. The deadly shooting was reported about 2:15 a.m. in the 3300 block of Myrtle Avenue, between Roseville Road and Watt Avenue. The man who was killed was found near the rear entrance of a small office complex. A 911 call reporting the shooting initially went to California Highway Patrol dispatchers before it was transferred to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office. CHP officers were the first to arrive at the shooting scene and found the man suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies arrived moments later as CHP officers were providing first aid, sheriffs officials announced in a news release. Medics from the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District arrived shortly after and pronounced the man dead at the scene. Sheriffs homicide detectives and crime scene investigators were speaking to witnesses and gathering evidence at the scene. Sheriffs officials did not release any suspect description. The Sacramento County Coroners Office will release the mans name after his family has been notified. Detectives asked anyone with information about the fatal shooting to call the Sheriffs Office at 916-874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357. Man pleads no contest to manslaughter in 2022 shooting BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A man has pleaded no contest to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in the 2022 shooting death of a man in east Bakersfield. Victor Rivera, 37, pleaded no contest on Friday and a charge of first-degree murder was dismissed, according to court records. Sentencing is set for June 26. Filthy conditions not bound children led to arrests at Bakersfield home: reports Rivera was arrested two days after the Nov. 1, 2022, death of Andrew John Camacho, 27. Witness statements, surveillance video and the recovery of handgun parts in a van driven by Rivera led to his arrest, according to court documents. The owner of a Ford Mustang seen on surveillance video at the time of the shooting was tracked down and interviewed, documents said. He told police that just before the shooting a man later identified as Rivera accused him of popping his tires. Rivera was driving a GMC Yukon. The Mustang owner said he didnt know what Rivera was talking about. Another man approached while they talked. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage That person and Rivera began arguing and the Mustang owner said he heard Rivera say, Youre the (expletive) I was looking for, and You want to do this? according to the documents. Soon after, Rivera, standing by the rear of the Mustang, fired multiple shots, the man told detectives. The Mustang owner sped away. Detectives arrested Rivera on Nov. 3 after stopping him in a white work van. Rivera gave a false name, the documents say, and police seized a handgun barrel and firing pin from his right pocket. 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 KGET 17. Seattle Police are investigating a shooting that took place at Dr. Jose Rizal Park on Sunday morning. Around 2:30 a.m., police answered a 9-1-1 call about a man shot that was being driven to the hospital. Seattle Fire Department medics began to treat the man and transported him to Harborview Medical Center. During the investigation, officers determined that the shooting occurred at the park and returned to look for evidence. According to police, several shell casings were found. The Gun Violence Reduction Unit leads the investigation and asks anyone with information to call the SDP Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said a man was shot in Northeast D.C. on Monday morning. MPD said that at about 7:55 a.m., it responded to the 4000 block of Minnesota Ave. for the report of a shooting. MPD responds to 2 separate shootings 30 minutes apart in Northwest DC When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been shot. He was conscious and breathing. The man was transported to the hospital to be treated. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. Since the beginning of the day, Russian troops have already carried out at least 25 strikes with guided aerial bombs in the north of Kharkiv Oblast. In particular, two such bombs were used in Kharkiv. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 19:00 on 27 May Details: Since the beginning of the day, the total number of Russian attacks along the entire combat zone has reached 80. The Pokrovsk front remains the area of the most intense combat activity. On the Kharkiv front, 10 combat clashes took place, some of which have been going on for a long time. The total Russian losses of the day amounted to 137 killed and wounded soldiers and 18 pieces of weapons and military equipment. One Russian tank, four vehicles and special equipment were destroyed. Two armoured combat vehicles, two vehicles and four artillery systems were damaged. On the Kupiansk front, Russian troops tried to break through Ukrainian defences nine times. The Russians here also suffered significant losses about a dozen soldiers were killed, and 50 were wounded. Among the destroyed Russian weapons is a modern electronic warfare station, Serp-VS5. Two Russian artillery pieces were damaged. The number of Russian assaults on the Siversk front has increased to six, and on the Kramatorsk front to eight. The Russians continue to increase pressure on Chasiv Yar and its surroundings. On the Pokrovsk front, Ukrainian troops have repelled 21 Russian attacks since the beginning of the day. The situation is under control. On the Vremivka front, the Russians continue their attempts to carry out assaults, using aircraft and anti-aircraft guns. Nine Russian assaults were repelled near the settlements of Staromaiorske and Urozhaine. The Russians also carried out airstrikes on the same villages. On the Prydniprovske front, five combat clashes took place at footholds on the left bank of the Dnipro River. On other fronts, the situation has not changed significantly. Quote: "Our troop grouping has defined and communicated tasks to strengthen the resilience of the defence. Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back the enemy and inflict maximum losses on them." Support UP or become our patron! May 26 (UPI) -- A suspect in a Massachusetts stabbing spree is facing charges of assault with intent to murder and two counts of battery with a dangerous weapon after police say he stabbed two people in a Plymouth restaurant Saturday. Twenty-six-year-old Jared Ravizza was arrested at 7:15 p.m. Saturday night but is in the hospital receiving treatment for non-life threatening injuries, District Attorney Tim cruz of Plymouth County said in a statement. Ravizza is also believed to be connected to the stabbing attack of four girls in a nearby AMC movie theater about an hour earlier, as well as a murder that took place in Connecticut. Ravizza allegedly stabbed a 21-year-old female and a 28-year-old male, both employees of a McDonald's in a highway rest area in Plymouth, Mass., at about 7 p.m. Saturday, shortly before being arrested in the town of Sandwich, according to the District Attorney's office. Both victims were both transported to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. Security footage showed a person thought to be Ravizza stabbing the male employee through the drive-thru window before parking his car, entering the McDonald's and stabbing the female victim, prosecutors said. They said he left in the car he was driving following the attacks. About an hour before the attacks at McDonald's, the suspect, believed to Ravizza, entered an AMC movie theater in Braintree and allegedly stabbed four girls between the ages 9 and 17 years old, police said. Braintree police Department in a statement said the suspected entered the theater without paying. "Without saying anything and without any warning, he suddenly attacked and stabbed the four young females," the department said in a statement. "The attack appeared to be unprovoked. After the attack, the man ran out of the theater and left in a vehicle." The four victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Boston hospitals for treatment, it said. Police said they arrested Ravizza at about 7:15 pm Saturday after he fled the theater in a black Porsche SUV. Police tracked him down using a license plate number they could see in video surveillance footage, which they shared with other law enforcement agencies. Police linked the vehicle to both stabbing incidents and were able to arrest Ravizza. Ravizza could also be linked to a murder investigation at a home in Deep River, Connecticut. Connecticut State Police said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a disturbance at a Deep River address. Upon arrival, they located a dead body. Though Ravizza was not identified by name, Connecticut State Police said "a suspect in this investigation has been taken into custody in the State of Massachusetts." Ms Martinez describes herself as a 'specialist in the cleansing of energy' The mayor of Europes swinging capital is being held by police over accusations he spent taxpayers money on a ventriloquist fortune teller who bewitched him into thinking she had contacted his dead father. The French Mediterranean town of Agde is notorious for its wild sex parties, which every year attract tens of thousands of partner-swapping couples from across the continent. It is now in the national spotlight for the scandal involving Sophia Martinezs witch-like powers of persuasion over the mayor, Gilles dEttore, a former officer with both the police and secret service. Both are in custody while under investigation. Ms Martinez faces charges of embezzlement. Mr Ettore, mayor of Agde since 2001 and a former conservative MP for the area, has been accused of corruption over allegations he spent vast amounts of taxpayers money on the fortune teller. Ms Martinez, 44, had a reputation for being able to speak to the dead, with a long list of clients who wished to contact deceased relatives and access her powers as a medium, hypnotherapist and healer. I am a specialist in the cleansing of energy for people and places, her Facebook page says. Among the charges against her is tax fraud. Police found large sums of cash at her home. Mr d'Ettore is being held on suspicion of corruption It is claimed that when the mayor, 55, asked her to put him in touch with his deceased father, she was able to mimic the dead mans voice with uncanny accuracy. Mr Ettore also received regular anonymous calls from someone claiming to be Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Agde, who spoke in a raucous voice from beyond the grave and told him to protect Sophia and her loved ones. The mayor was so infatuated with Ms Martinez that he considered her to be his daughter. He even walked her down the aisle last year at her lavish third wedding said to have cost 80,000 a bill footed by Mr Ettore. To pay her, Mr Ettore allegedly enlisted the help of municipal employees and companies with links to the town hall, via a system of false invoices. Nothing was too good for Ms Martinez: she was treated to a new kitchen and veranda, trips to Polynesia and Thailand, and school fees for two of her six children, who were regularly driven there by the mayors chauffeur, according to the claims. It is also alleged that he gave council jobs to her husband and five family members. After a complaint from Mr Ettores ex-wife, who claimed he had been bewitched into embezzling council funds, police set up wiretaps and were amazed by her ventriloquist skills. At their request, she agreed to demonstrate these during her interrogation, which was filmed. From beyond the grave Prosecutor Raphael Balland said: Her strategy consisted of modifying her voice, including with members of her family and close friends. By using this male-sounding, hoarse voice, she succeeded in making them think they were talking with a supernatural being from the beyond. An officer told Midi Libre, the local newspaper: When you watched this woman and heard that mans voice resounding, you couldnt imagine that it was coming out of her body. Its astonishing. When the footage was shown to Mr Ettore, he couldnt believe it, said Jean-Marc Darrigade, his lawyer. We had to show him this video for him to realise that he had been duped, he told Le Parisien. He found himself involved with a perfectly malevolent character. This is the first case of misappropriation of funds that does not result in enrichment, but in personal impoverishment. Agde is a magnet for swingers - UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP EDITORIAL But Luc Abratkiewicz, Ms Martinezs lawyer, said that while she has admitted betraying his confidence, its not a case of manipulation because she has owned up to what she did and other clients including doctors and architects said she had mystical powers. One former customer, who claimed to have witnessed such powers, said objects moved inexplicably in her home during visits and Ms Martinez was able to provide details about her life, such as where she had scattered her best friends ashes. Rival politicians have expressed astonishment at the case. Thierry Nadal, leader of the Agde council opposition, said: This has stunned the whole population. Its a really sad affair that is damaging our town, especially with this bizarre stuff with the clairvoyant.. Fabienne Varesano, a local politician from Marine Le Pens National Rally party, has called on the mayor to resign. He has made a mockery out of our town, she said. Mr Darrigade denied his client used council funds to pay for his seance, arguing that the investigation has not yet formally proven this. 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. Mediterranean in better shape than in the 1980s, say marine biologists New laws have been put in place to protect the Mediterranean coastline - MANUEL BREVA COLMEIRO The Mediterranean is making a tentative comeback with various species reappearing and pollution going down, according to a groundbreaking French study using environmental DNA from the sea off its coastline. Under pressure from over-tourism, intensive fishing, and industry and human pollution, the Med has seen the number of marine vertebrates halve over the past 30 years as the sea warms and acidifies. All is not lost, according to marine biologists from the Rhone Mediterranee Corse water agency and Montpellier University, who have just published the findings from an unprecedented 10-month study on the sea conducted last year between France, Italy and Spain. Scientists used environmental DNA from the sea off the French coastline to draw up an exhaustive inventory of marine animals - BALATE DORIN Pierre Boissery of the water agency told La Provence newspaper: Were moving away from the very gloomy picture of a sea that is already said to be dead. Its doing better and that means a lot of people have been working hard. We have improved sanitation by creating water treatment plants and laws to protect the coastline. We have created marine reserves and raised awareness. He pointed to marine aid groups such as Ecocean, which are repopulating the Mediterranean seabed by rearing larvae and creating artificial habitats. That doesnt mean we should stop. But we have more resources than we did 40 years ago and were more aware of whats at stake. Their BioDivMed mission spent that time drawing up an exhaustive inventory of sea animals detected by sequencing the DNA of matter taken from the Med that marine organisms leave behind. In an unprecedented sea sweep, the scientists used four synchronised filters to trap marine DNA from waters stretching over 1,240 miles, enabling 700 samples to be collected. Human pollution has had a big impact on the Med over the past 30 years - FRASER HALL David Mouillot, the expeditions scientific director, said: The DNA is more exhaustive, more precise and easier to use than traditional methods. It helped us to determine the presence of more than 300 fish, whereas divers would only have recorded around 50. Our filters picked up traces of scales, spines and humus, a bit like hunters pick up droppings. Its like a police investigation. We have to move fast, because this DNA degrades and disappears quickly in water. Groupers are making a tentative comeback, the researchers found. The mission detected species that we thought had become extinct, including angelsharks and blue sharks. Mr Mouillot said their findings suggested marine animals were adapting. We all remember caulerpa taxifolia, the seaweed that ended up being less devastating than expected. We feared the disappearance of groupers because of a virus, and of nacres and gorgonians last year. But theyre still there, he told La Provence. Ecosystem disruptors have not yet arrived The mission also picked up on invasive species, notably blue crabs, which became a blight in Turkey, where they are now a delicacy, helping limit numbers. They were heartened by the slow progress of exotic predators, such as lionfish and rabbitfish, which have crossed the Suez Canal but remain in the warmer Mediterranean waters between Greece, Crete and Turkey, some venturing as far as Sardinia. Contrary to alarm bells that we have heard, these ecosystem disruptors have not yet arrived and we have been able to observe this formally, which is rather good news, said Mr Mouillot, pointing out that the rabbitfish had only made it to the waters off Turkey, Greece and Israel. Others have started arriving, however, including the odd stone fish, coral-crunching triggerfish and pufferfish. Dolphins and turtles are now regular visitors to Porquerolles or the calanques of Marseille. The situation is improving, Mr Boissery said. Overall, the Mediterranean is in better shape than in the 1980s. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The closing arguments on Donald Trumps hush money trial are expected to begin on Tuesday, May 28, but theres one thing that is still weighing down the former presidents legal issues. While Eric and Donald Trump Jr. have been spotted supporting their father in the courtroom, Melania Trump has been absent and we dont blame her. Much of the testimony in the trial revolves around his alleged affair with adult star Stormy Daniels and the $130,000 he had former lawyer Michael Cohen pay to buy her silence ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Theres no reason for Melania to be listening to the details of how her husband reportedly stepped out on their marriage, but at least one legal expert is telling the Daily Mail that might have been a strategic mistake. More from SheKnows NEW YORK, NY APRIL 21: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sits with his wife Melania Trump while appearing at an NBC Town Hall at the Today Show on April 21, 2016 in New York City. It seems that there are often psychological factors in how a jury votes, in addition to the evidence presented by the defense and prosecuting attorneys. Generally speaking, jurors pay attention to who is seated in the courtroom, Anna Cominsky, Managing Attorney of New York Law School Legal Services, told the U.K. outlet. Defense attorneys usually like to have support for their client evidenced by friends and family its something that humanizes the client. That said, this is a very different case. The jurors know that this is the former president. However, Cornell law professor Randy Zelin thinks that if Melania had shown up to support Donald Trump it would look contrived and likely be labeled a dramatic political stunt. National Review Online journalist John Fund told GB News that the former first lady continues to be a supportive spouse, but I think the last thing she wants is to stir up more media coverage by attending the trial or by engaging in some blatantly public show of support. She may not be pleased about the details, but Fund believes shes used to a lot worse. She knows Donald Trump hasnt changed in the two decades theyve been married, but shes in it for the long haul. Melania married Donald Trump over 20 years ago. She was prepared for everything, and she knew who she was marrying. So, its a package, he summed up. And I think that as much as she would like to avoid being in the public spotlight, she knew this was going to be in the public spotlight so long as he was. Donald Trumps legal team will find out if their courtroom strategy worked soon, but no matter what, Melania has avoided the spotlight in a mess that is not her own. Before you go, click here to see the biggest presidential scandals in US History. Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015, at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001, to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service can and I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. The bill would also permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015 at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service canand I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015, at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Alex Wong | Getty Images) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001, to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service can and I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. MOUNT VERNON, VA - JUNE 09: A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015 at George Washington's Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held celebration for its 240th birthday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service canand I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Virginia recognizes Purple Heart recipients and their service in a variety of ways and has historic connections to the award. The oldest military honor in the United States, the Purple Heart dates back to 1782 when it was established by then-General George Washington a native of Westmoreland County, Virginia to commemorate the bravery of select Continental Army soldiers during the American Revolution. Sergeant William Brown was awarded the decoration for his gallantry while assaulting British positions at Yorktown in October 1781, according to the Army Historical Foundation. The Military Order of the Purple Heart, the only veterans service organization comprised strictly of combat veterans, is headquartered in Springfield, Virginia. The organization created the Purple Heart Trails program; the trails origin point is in Virginia at Mt. Vernon, where Washington is buried, and extends the length of Interstate 95 through the state. Gov. Glenn Youngkin decreed August 7, 2023 as Purple Heart Day in Virginia and the state offers special license plates commemorating the prestigious award. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on Virginia Mercury. A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015 at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service canand I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. : A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015 at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) : A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015 at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service canand I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on Tennessee Lookout. A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015 at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service canand I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony in June 2015 at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service canand I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015, at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) A Purple Heart medal is seen during a Purple Heart ceremony June 9, 2015, at George Washingtons Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The U.S. Army held a celebration for its 240th birthday. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Committee Chair U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) speaks during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee at Dirksen Senate Office Building on Nov. 8, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service canand I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldnt transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasnt expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview. With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didnt want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldnt transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service. Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole. The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, Ive seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive, Murray said in a statement Thursday. It doesnt make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service cant transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service canand I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention, continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and Ill be working hard to get it passed into law. Glitch in education benefits Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Irans retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times. As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service. My thought was, I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally. I just thought, you know, people probably just didnt think about how that happens that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, theyre delayed. So its not like an unusual thing, Pat said in a phone interview. I wasnt thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, Thats an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that. Pat said hes grateful for Sen. Murray and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said. Benefits and dependents Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset. And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died. Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately, Tillis said in a statement Thursday. I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education, continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee. The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murrays office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, not every veterans service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while theyre still in uniform, IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans whove endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but werent recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. More Purple Heart recipients The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It wasnt until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service. The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin. Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic. The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) The Town of Jonesborough hosted its Memorial Day Celebration on Monday to honor those who died while serving in the military. The event was held downtown in front of the old Washington County Courthouse and featured a free lunch for veterans and Gold Star families. Festivities began with the Daniel Boone Jr. Marine Corps ROTC Color Guard presenting colors and the playing of Taps. Event coordinator T McLeod told News Channel 11 that he was proud of the turnout because it shows the respect residents have for military veterans. WWII planes returning to Tri-Cities Airport for tours, flights It was very heartwarming to see just such a good crowd because I think its important for us as American people to remember those who paid the ultimate, ultimate sacrifice throughout all these wars, he said. And so its just good to know people embrace that and love what this country is all about and then the freedom that we live under. Volunteers then read citations honoring those who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the War in Afghanistan. McLeod said with Jonesborough being the oldest town in Tennessee, countless veterans have come and gone from the area. The backdrop and the history, and this being the oldest town in Tennessee; it just makes for a very special ceremony. To be able to do it around this historic courthouse and to be able to shut the streets down for a short while just to pay honor and respect. Numerous musical performances were provided by the Jonesborough Repertory Theatre, the Appalachian Express Chorus and the Jonesborough Novelty Band before the hotdog lunch for veterans began. 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 WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Hundreds of people gathered in Atascadero for the 16th annual Veterans Memorial Foundations Memorial Day ceremony at the Faces of Freedom Memorial on Monday. The ceremony included a special flyover by the Estrella Warbirds, featuring planes that have been preserved by the Estrella Warbirds Museum. There was also a presentation of colors displayed by the Welcome Home Military Heroes flag line, accompaniment by Central Coast Pipes and Drums and a performance of the national anthem by the Atascadero High School choir. Robert Bob Wilkins, Atascaderos first mayor and a veteran of the Navy Reserves, was honored in the laying of the wreath presentation. According to master of ceremonies Andy Morris, Wilkins was a founding board member and supporter of the Faces of Freedom Memorial. He died in February. Wilkins family Joyce Wilkins, Jane Hilty and Jim Wilkins laid the wreath in his honor. The Estrella Warbirds flew over the Atascadero ceremony. During the ceremony, retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Todd Frederick shared an emotional memory of serving overseas, describing when a bomber drove into his military compound and detonated thousands of pounds of explosives on Oct. 23, 1983, leaving a building disintegrated. Frederick said they lost 241 souls that day, which according to him was the worst single loss for the Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima. My yearning is that as a nation, we strive to be worthy of their sacrifice to live lives of purpose and meaning and to be dedicated to the ideals of justice, equality and freedom, Frederick said. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Todd Fredricks speaks during the Memorial Day Ceremony held at the Faces of Freedom Memorial in Atascadero, on May 27, 2024. California State Assembly member Dawn Addis also spoke at the ceremony, thanking Frederick for his service and for sharing his story. Addis extended thanks to all those who have served, their families and especially those who are no longer with us. We came here today because we are bound by our mutual American values of freedom, of honor, of service and of community, Addis said. And as I was sitting here, looking at this memorial and looking at the names on the bricks when people served in Vietnam or World War II or Korea or different wars across time, and I can feel the love of those families. Califiornia State Assembly member Dawn Addis spoke during Atascaderos annual Memorial Day ceremony on May 27, 2024. In attendance Monday were veterans organizations, including the Estrella Warbirds Museum, the countys Veterans Services office, Wreaths Across America and Honor Flight Central Coast California. A hot dog barbecue followed the speeches. Other notable Memorial Day celebrations throughout San Luis Obispo County on Monday included events in Cambria, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo. The Central Coast Pipes and Drums bagpipe band began the 16th annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the Faces of Freedom Memorial in Atascadero with a solemn march on May 27, 2024. Mya Nelson, a member of the Atascadero High School choir, sang a solo in front of the memorial during Atascaderos annual Memorial Day celebration on May 27, 2024. Taps was played by Alexander Castellanos during the memorial ceremony in Atascadero. Cal Polys ROTC honored the tradition of retiring the flags and brought the ceremony to a close. Medal of Honor recipient Dwight Wayne Birdwell was the featured speaker for the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center Memorial Day Ceremony, which honored those who made the ultimate sacrifice. President Joe Biden gave Birdwell the Medal of Honor in 2022 for his heroic actions, saving multiple lives during the Vietnam War. It took over five decades for Birdwell to get honored for his heroic actions in 1968 to save his fellow soldiers. Medal of Honor winner Dwight Wayne Birdwell addresses the audience Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. The crowd stands to honor the POW/MIA Flag Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Among those in attendance at Monday's ceremony in Amarillo was Navy Veteran Ronny Jackson, who also serves as the U.S. Representative for the 13th District of Texas. Rep. Ronny Jackson addresses those in attendance Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. This is what this day is about: to remind those families and all Americans that freedom isn't free, Jackson said. There are a lot of people who paid with their very lives so that we can enjoy the freedom and privilege to live in the United States. We can never forget their sacrifices and of their families. Abby Eastman, with her daughters Joy and Klohe, know firsthand the pain of losing a loved one to the ultimate sacrifice with her husband Christopher Eastman falling in battle in 2010. Abby Eastman and Marines stand to salute the Marine colors Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. We honor my husband every day, but to see so many come out and show their respect for our fallen veterans is an amazing feeling to know that you are not alone, she said. We love America and are thankful to be surrounded by friends and family." The Gold Star family of Christopher Eastman shares a moment with medal of Honor winner Dwight Birdwell Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Birdwell said it was his great honor to be the featured speaker, and it was not about him but the others who gave all. The honor goes to those that departed this world early defending the freedom that we enjoy, Birdwell said. It is a day to give honor and thanks to those that defend our freedom. Two members of Volleys for Veterans salute the wreath Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Adam Wilcox of the Amarillo Fire Department plays "Amazing Grace" as he walks past the Gold Star Families [Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Gold Star families in attendance stand Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. A Gold Star family member is given a rose Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Six vintage planes from Panhandle Warbird Flight do a flyover Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Two members of Volleys for Veterans play "Taps" Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. The Palo Duro Air Force JROTC present the colors Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Members of Volleys for Veterans raise the flags to full staff Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Fallen veterans, families honored at Texas Panhandle War Memorial SANNERVILLE, FRANCE - JUNE 05: Poppies blossom in the grass as 280 paratroopers take part in a parachute drop onto fields at Sannerville on June 05, 2019 at Sannerville, France. Veterans, families, visitors and military personnel are gathering in Normandy on June 6th to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Normandy Landings which heralded the Allied advance towards Germany and victory in Europe 11 months later. Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images. Courtesy of the Poetry Foundation In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. The post A Memorial Day poem: In Flanders Fields appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. The annual Memorial Day program held at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Park on Monday honored those who gave their lives to protect America and preserve freedom. This years program included the placing of a ceremonial wreath by the family of a local man killed in Afghanistan in 2012 and acknowledgement of several World War II and Korean War veterans in attendance. Hundreds of people attended the Memorial Day remembrance and honor at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park on Monday. The annual event honors fallen service members that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Live music was provided by the Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band while honoring all branches of the military. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2024 (Credit: Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner) Shakeli Sims, widow of Army PFC. Markie Sims, placed a wreath representing her husband and all those who died for the country. Shakeli Sims was accompanied by their son, Kayden, 11, and her mother, Shenita Boone. Everyday is Memorial Day for us, Shakeli Sims, 30, said, adding she felt her husbands presence during the ceremony. Markie Sims died on Dec. 29, 2012, at age 20 in Panjway District in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom as the result of an improvised explosive device, according to Military Times/Honor the Fallen at www.the fallen.militarytime Landmark Monument: 'Landmark Monument' would be a beacon, drawing people to Ocala-Marion County veterans park Retired Army Col. Craig Ham opened the ceremony as upwards of 600 attendees sat in the parks gazebo and in stands and benches surrounding the grounds. This is not Veterans Day or Law Enforcement Day or First Responders Day but a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the countrys freedom and liberty, he said. Ham spoke of the late Lewis Alston, a Vietnam Veteran and member of the Marine Corps who was an integral part of the events and ceremonies at the park for years. Alston participated in events wearing his dress blues uniform and was a member of the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard . John Earl plays the bagpipes to close out the Memorial Day service as hundreds of people attended the Memorial Day remembrance and honor at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park on Monday. The annual event honors fallen service members that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Live music was provided by the Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band while honoring all branches of the military. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2024 (Credit: Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner) Alston, who died last year, performed hundreds of military funerals with the honor guard. This is a sad day and the first Memorial Day without Lewis Alston, he said. About 60 members of the Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band under Director Craig Lilly provided patriotic music and a solemn air to parts of the ceremony. The band played Largo, a selection from a symphony, as the ceremonial wreath was placed. Several veterans were honored during the ceremony including World War II veterans Robert Anderson and Howard Mautner, Army and Korean War veterans Walter Lane, Navy; Alfred Merrill, Navy; and Ralph Mueller, Air Force. We honor you, said Marion County Veteran Service Officer and Navy veteran Jeffrey Askew as the veterans were presented certificates of appreciation by county officials and Sheriff Billy Woods. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, Charles Barrack, who was to be honored with the group, passed away in the early hours of Memorial Day, according to ceremony information provided by Todd Belknap with Marion County Veterans Helping Veterans. Mueller drew loud applause from the gathering after playing a version of God Bless America on his harmonica. William Lee and Bob Vogel, also World War II veterans, and Johnny Hayes, a Vietnam War veteran and Korean War and Vietnam War veteran Frank Rasbury, 96, came to observe Memorial Day. Keynote speaker Col. Janet Horton - a decorated Army chaplain who was at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and aided and prayed with those suffering from casualties when the building was struck - was introduced by her husband, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Harvey. Harvey described his wife as a pioneer female Army chaplain with many firsts including the first female Army chaplain on the Division level and to attend War College. Harvey cited his wifes military decorations including the Legion of Merit and Defense Superior Service medals. Horton spoke of the history and importance of Memorial Day. The Ocala chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution provided support for the ceremony and Sam Coventry, president of Ocali Society, Children of the American Revolution, the DARs youth group, recited In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, the ceremony program stated. Sams father, Walter Coventry, 53, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, was also on hand for the ceremony. Vietnam War veteran Johnny Burns, Coast Guard veteran Mike Kelso and Korean War veteran Carl Vollmer, 95, all joined the ceremony. Husband and wife veterans Jerry and Doris Miller were on hand. He served in the Marine Corps and she served in the Navy. Theyve been married for 61 years. The Marion County Memorial Honor Guard provided a color guard and rifle salute followed by Taps. John Earl played bagpipes during the ceremony. Four Humble Squadron aircraft performed two flyovers during the ceremony. Patriotic themed artwork by students at Sunrise Elementary, Madison Street Elementary and Belleview Middle schools was on display at the park. Cub Scout Pack 18 led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance and Hannah Stuckey sang the National Anthem. Retired Army Lt. Col. Carolyn Smith began the ceremony with an invocation and closed with a benediction. Keynote speaker Horton said in her talk that patriots would want to know their sacrifice was not forgotten. (Patriots) would want to know that they are not forgotten, (that) their service was not in vain and freedom has been defended, Horton said according to a transcript provided by Marion County Veterans Helping Veterans. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Honor given in Ocala to those who gave their lives to protect freedom On Memorial Day, remembering our heroes: A tribute to Asa Benson Miner and his sacrifice North Kingstown's Will Kin, a retired Army Vietnam veteran, inspired me to write this column for Memorial Day. For a long time, Will wanted to add more of a human element to the towns ceremony. The names of our war dead are inscribed on these monuments, he said. I just wondered if anyone at our Memorial Day events ever wondered who these people were, where in town they lived, what they did before they served and where their families are today. Will visited North Kingstowns World War II memorial and selected a name, hoping he could track down a living descendant. The genesis of Memorial Day in RI: Why we remember our fallen heroes The name he chose was Asa Benson Miner, known by friends as 'Benson' The name he chose was Asa Benson Miner, known by friends as "Benson." Miner was born in the village of Saunderstown in January 1921. His father, Asa L. Miner, was a World War I veteran who later commanded the American Legion post in North Kingstown. Four months before his 1939 graduation, Miner enlisted in the National Guard. He joined the Searchlight Battery of the 243rd Coast Artillery, headquartered at the Varnum Armory in East Greenwich. Working as a field lineman, he was promoted to private first class by early 1940 and to corporal in May 1940. As the situation worsened in Europe, Rhode Island Guard units were federalized one by one starting with the 243rd, which was inducted into federal service on Sept. 16, 1940. Miner as a PFC in 1940 in the Searchlight Battery of the 243rd Coast Artillery, RI National Guard. He is in the center of this image. The regiment moved to Fort Adams in Newport; then the various units were deployed to other Harbor Defense forts in Narragansett Bay. The Searchlight Battery (later known as Battery K) was assigned to Fort Getty in Jamestown. By this time, Benson Miner had been promoted to sergeant. On Nov. 7, 1941, he became engaged to Barbara Ann Garlick of Jamestown, daughter of Capt. and Mrs. Rueben Garlick. Her father was a Jamestown ferryboat captain. Miner goes to the Caribbean In early 1942, Sergeant Miner and a few other members of the 243rd were selected for deployment to the British West Indies as part of a buildup of coast artillery strength to counter the growing German submarine threat and to protect the Panama Canal. American coast artillery units were based in Jamaica, Trinidad, Bermuda, Bahamas, St. Lucia and Antigua. For whatever reason I could find no record of these assignments in the National Guard archives. Fortunately, however, Benson wrote a letter on March 28, 1942, detailing his travels. First stop was Camp Pendleton, near Virginia Beach, for about 11 days. Realizing that he was going overseas for many months, he and Barbara decided to get married. On the day before they left Virginia, an Army chaplain tied the knot. According to a 1998 interview with his widow, the Army allowed them only their wedding night before shipping him off to the Caribbean for 22 months. Sergeant and Mrs. Benson Miner as they left the chapel at Camp Pendleton, Va., after their wedding on Feb. 12, 1942. The next day Miner and his group left for New Orleans awaiting sea transport to Puerto Rico. After a few weeks of training in San Juan, Miner embarked on the final leg of his journey to St. Johns, Antigua, 300 miles from San Juan. Antigua, the government seat of the Leeward Islands, is only 12 miles long but, as the northernmost link in a chain of airbases and coast artillery installations, it was extremely important. Benson and his comrades manned a shore defense battery on the island. As the U-boat threat diminished, a drawdown in the West Indies began. Fulfilling a childhood dream to fly, Sergeant Miner was accepted into the Air Cadet program. He returned to the U.S., arriving home in Wickford on Dec. 27, 1943. Sergeant Miner after his return from the British West Indies in 1943. Twists of fate take Miner out of the air In January 1944, he entered the University of Arkansas for the year-long Air Cadet training program. However, the demand for pilots lessened as casualty rates dropped and the Allies gained air superiority. The entire Air Cadet program was abruptly canceled, and all cadets were reassigned. Unfortunately for Miner, the demand for ground combat officers was growing. By 1944, he was serving in a field artillery assignment at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. By mid-October, he was on a troopship headed for New Guinea. When he arrived he was assigned to the 148th Infantry Regiment of the 37th Infantry Division, an Ohio National Guard unit that had been in the Pacific since 1942. They fought at New Georgia and Bougainville islands. Miner saw his first action when he was sent to Bougainville as part of the mop-up operation. Then, the 148th participated in the first assault on the Philippines. The artilleryman quickly adapted to infantry combat. He fought in the Central Luzon plain (especially in the Clark Field area) and advanced on Manila. The 148th fought to reclaim the Philippines capital from 20,000 entrenched Japanese naval and marine forces. On Feb. 4, units from the 37th Division seized Bilibid Prison, freeing 800 civilians and soldiers who had been captured on Bataan and Corregidor in the spring of 1942. The 3rd Battalion, 148th Infantry (Miners unit) pushed deeper into the heart of fiercely defended Manila. In February 2024, This Week in Military History reported, As the Pacific Theaters only example of sustained urban warfare during World War II, the Battle of Manila was a harbinger of what an actual assault on the Japanese home islands would have looked like and the monumental casualties it would have incurred. From his discharge document, he earned the Combat Infantry Badge on Luzon which later qualified him for the Bronze Star Medal. Back to Rhode Island, where he starts a family Miner returned home in August 1945 and was discharged. The North Kingstown Standard covered his return to Wickford, reporting he had seen eight months of combat on Bougainville and Luzon. Ironically, Miner then registered for the draft. He signed up from Jamestown, his wifes family home. A week later he was assigned to the Enlisted Reserve and returned to active duty in February 1946. Shortly thereafter, he was assigned to the ROTC cadre at Rhode Island State College (which became the University of Rhode Island in 1951). Readjusting to a peacetime Army, he and Barbara settled in North Kingston and eventually had three daughters Barbara, Susan and Patricia. By 1947, he had been promoted to staff sergeant, and by 1949 he was a sergeant first class. Peace ends for Benson Miner In June 1950 the Korean War began and, with his considerable wartime experience, Miner was called for combat duty. His third daughter, Patricia, was born on June 16, 1950, amid this turmoil. Around that time Benson accepted an invitation to attend Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning. By mid-July, the Standard reported that the newly minted Lieutenant Miner was home on a short furlough having graduated on July 10, 1951, from the Infantry Officers Course. He was due to report to the West Coast on July 31 for deployment to Japan, then Korea. His orders posted him to the 2nd Infantry Division, where he was assigned as a platoon leader in the 9th Infantry Regiment. Called to fight. This time in Korea. On Sept. 1, his first day in combat in Korea, he led his troops in an assault during the battle for Bloody Ridge. The lead company suffered such heavy casualties (including the company commander) that Miners unit went to their aid. Miner took over both units. In a letter to his wife, Miner said he stooped to pick up a grenade, and as he came back up an enemy machine gun round hit him in the right shoulder. After recuperation, he again assumed command of his platoon," which was engaged in the famous Heartbreak Ridge battle. Heartbreak Ridge was the longest and most costly hill battle of the war, and the Americans did not plan or execute well. The North Koreans had turned a four-mile ridgeline into a fortress with 1,000 bunkers so sturdy that even direct artillery sometimes bounced off. The terrain was the most difficult in Korea. An honor guard of North Kingstown Legionnaires stands by on Feb. 6, 1952 as the flag-draped caskets of three fellow townsmen killed in action in Korea are moved down the platform after arriving at the Kingston station the day before. Two units of the 2nd Division bore the brunt of this battle; the 23rd Infantry Regiment lost 1,650 men, half its strength. The 9th Infantry lost 200 men in three days at the beginning of the battle. On Oct. 9, 1951, Asa Benson Miner was killed in action taken out once again by a North Korean machine gunner. He would posthumously receive his second award of the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal with the V device for valor and his second Purple Heart. Epilogue North Kingstowns Memorial Day observances will begin May 27 at 9 a.m. Gold Star Father Richard August will emcee. After a wreath laying, Will King will tell Lt. Asa Benson Miners life story. Patricia Miner Szarek, Miner's daughter, will accept a proclamation from U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, along with a flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: North Kingstown's Memorial Day: More than just names on monuments David Loesch, a 101st Airborne Veteran of the Vietnam War, wipes rain water from the name of a soldier from his unit amongst the names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during Memorial Day on May 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. The U.S. celebrates Memorial Day each year to honor those who have died while serving in the armed forces. Samuel Corum/Getty Images The last Monday in May has been established by Congress as Memorial Day, the day to remember, honor and mourn the Americans who have died in the countrys wars. We should all put aside our differences on May 27 to thank those who gave their last full measure to protect Americas government of the people, by the people and for the people as President Abraham Lincoln described it. Memorial Day encompasses the almost 1.4 million Americans who have died in the countrys wars and conflicts, beginning with the Revolutionary War. That figure does not tell the full story of our war dead because each conflict leaves a broad wake of destruction, including future deaths of service personnel from war-related physical and psychological wounds, substance abuse, suicide and exposure to harmful substances like Agent Orange and burn pit emissions. Our recent conflicts, starting with the Korean war, had disappointing outcomes, which left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, including some veterans who fought in them. I remember going overseas in 1968 with a country generally in support of the Vietnam War and returning in 1969 to a fiercely divided country. Even though the 58,220 Americans who died in the Vietnam War served honorably, they did not get the measure of respect owed to them by a broad spectrum of their countrymen. It took years for many Americans to separate their anger against the war from their feelings toward those who served in it. The dead, and the survivors, were doing just what was asked of them. The politicians, not the soldiers, were responsible for the unfortunate outcomes. When I returned from Vietnam, I was proud of my service and felt like we had kept South Vietnam from being taken over by the Communists. When Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese on April 30, 1975, it was like a knife to the heart for me and many other Vietnam veterans. All of those lives had been wasted with nothing to show for it, not to mention the many thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who died, the American troops who returned home with serious health problems that would plague them for years to come and the lingering hard feelings of Americans on both sides of the war issue. Was it all for naught? There was nothing to do for it those years later, but Americans could step forward to remember and memorialize the brave Americans who lost their lives in service to the country. An Idaho Falls group, the Freedom Bird, named after the flights that took the troops home from Vietnam, decided to do just that. Freedom Bird announced plans in 1984 to construct a state memorial to recognize and honor those who died in the war. The funds were raised, the state designation was obtained and the Idaho Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on August 4, 1990. The point is that we all have the ability, just like the Freedom Bird members, to take the time and effort to honor those who have died in the United States wars and conflicts. Dislike for the conflict itself is beside the point. It is incumbent upon Americans, regardless of political leanings, to pay respects to the men and women who have given their all for the Land of the free and home of the brave. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST David Loesch, a 101st Airborne Veteran of the Vietnam War, wipes rain water from the name of a soldier from his unit among the names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during Memorial Day on May 29, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The U.S. celebrates Memorial Day each year to honor those who have died while serving in the armed forces. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) The last Monday in May has been established by Congress as Memorial Day, the day to remember, honor and mourn the Americans who have died in the countrys wars. We should all put aside our differences on May 27 to thank those who gave their last full measure to protect Americas government of the people, by the people and for the people as President Abraham Lincoln described it. Memorial Day encompasses the almost 1.4 million Americans who have died in the countrys wars and conflicts, beginning with the Revolutionary War. That figure does not tell the full story of our war dead because each conflict leaves a broad wake of destruction, including future deaths of service personnel from war-related physical and psychological wounds, substance abuse, suicide and exposure to harmful substances like Agent Orange and burn pit emissions. Our recent conflicts, starting with the Korean War, had disappointing outcomes, which left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, including some veterans who fought in them. I remember going overseas in 1968 with a country generally in support of the Vietnam War and returning in 1969 to a fiercely divided country. Even though the 58,220 Americans who died in the Vietnam War served honorably, they did not get the measure of respect owed to them by a broad spectrum of their countrymen. It took years for many Americans to separate their anger against the war from their feelings toward those who served in it. The dead, and the survivors, were doing just what was asked of them. The politicians, not the soldiers, were responsible for the unfortunate outcomes. When I returned from Vietnam, I was proud of my service and felt like we had kept South Vietnam from being taken over by the Communists. When Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese on April 30, 1975, it was like a knife to the heart for me and many other Vietnam veterans. All of those lives had been wasted with nothing to show for it, not to mention the many thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who died, the American troops who returned home with serious health problems that would plague them for years to come and the lingering hard feelings of Americans on both sides of the war issue. Was it all for naught? There was nothing to do for it those years later, but Americans could step forward to remember and memorialize the brave Americans who lost their lives in service to the country. An Idaho Falls group, the Freedom Bird, named after the flights that took the troops home from Vietnam, decided to do just that. Freedom Bird announced plans in 1984 to construct a state memorial to recognize and honor those who died in the war. The funds were raised, the state designation was obtained and the Idaho Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on Aug. 4, 1990. Freedom Bird members followed up with a book recognizing the 251 Idahoans who were listed as dead or missing. The book, Reasons to Remember: A tribute to the unsung heroes of the Vietnam War was written by Marilyn Whyte of Blackfoot and published in 2002. It included biographies of the fallen, as well as stories based on input furnished by their survivors. It provided an insight into the character of many of these individuals who died in service to their country. The book is, unfortunately, out of print, but used copies are available on Amazon. More can be found about the Freedom Bird project in my book, Vietnam Cant Get You Out of My Mind, which is also available on Amazon or from Ridenbaugh Press. The point is that we all have the ability, just like the Freedom Bird members, to take the time and effort to honor those who have died in the United States wars and conflicts. Dislike for the conflict itself is beside the point. It is incumbent upon Idahoans and other Americans, regardless of political leanings, to pay respects to the men and women who have given their all for the land of the free and home of the brave. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The post Memorial Day is a time to honor those who died in service to our nation appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. David Loesch, a 101st Airborne Veteran of the Vietnam War, wipes rain water from the name of a soldier from his unit amongst the names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during Memorial Day in 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) The last Monday in May has been established by Congress as Memorial Day, the day to remember, honor and mourn the Americans who have died in the countrys wars. We should all put aside our differences on May 27 to thank those who gave their last full measure to protect Americas government of the people, by the people and for the people as President Abraham Lincoln described it. Memorial Day encompasses the almost 1.4 million Americans who have died in the countrys wars and conflicts, beginning with the Revolutionary War. That figure does not tell the full story of our war dead because each conflict leaves a broad wake of destruction, including future deaths of service personnel from war-related physical and psychological wounds, substance abuse, suicide and exposure to harmful substances like Agent Orange and burn pit emissions. Our recent conflicts, starting with the Korean war, had disappointing outcomes, which left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, including some veterans who fought in them. I remember going overseas in 1968 with a country generally in support of the Vietnam War and returning in 1969 to a fiercely divided country. Even though the 58,220 Americans who died in the Vietnam War served honorably, they did not get the measure of respect owed to them by a broad spectrum of their countrymen. It took years for many Americans to separate their anger against the war from their feelings toward those who served in it. The dead, and the survivors, were doing just what was asked of them. The politicians, not the soldiers, were responsible for the unfortunate outcomes. When I returned from Vietnam, I was proud of my service and felt like we had kept South Vietnam from being taken over by the Communists. When Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese on April 30, 1975, it was like a knife to the heart for me and many other Vietnam veterans. All of those lives had been wasted with nothing to show for it, not to mention the many thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who died, the American troops who returned home with serious health problems that would plague them for years to come and the lingering hard feelings of Americans on both sides of the war issue. Was it all for naught? There was nothing to do for it those years later, but Americans could step forward to remember and memorialize the brave Americans who lost their lives in service to the country. An Idaho Falls group, the Freedom Bird, named after the flights that took the troops home from Vietnam, decided to do just that. Freedom Bird announced plans in 1984 to construct a state memorial to recognize and honor those who died in the war. The funds were raised, the state designation was obtained and the Idaho Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on August 4, 1990. Freedom Bird members followed up with a book recognizing the 251 Idahoans who were listed as dead or missing. The book, Reasons to Remember: A tribute to the unsung heroes of the Vietnam War was written by Marilyn Whyte, of Blackfoot, and published in 2002. It included biographies of the fallen, as well as stories based on input furnished by their survivors. It provided an insight into the character of many of these individuals who died in service to their country. The book is, unfortunately, out of print, but used copies are available on Amazon. More can be found about the Freedom Bird project in my book, VietnamCant Get You Out of My Mind, which is also available on Amazon or from Ridenbaugh Press. The point is that we all have the ability, just like the Freedom Bird members, to take the time and effort to honor those who have died in the United States wars and conflicts. Dislike for the conflict itself is beside the point. It is incumbent upon Idahoans and other Americans, regardless of political leanings, to pay respects to the men and women who have given their all for the Land of the free and home of the brave. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Memorial Day is a time to honor those who died in service to our nation. appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment places flags at the headstones of U.S. military personnel buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in preparation for Memorial Day, on May 26, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) The last Monday in May has been established by Congress as Memorial Day, the day to remember, honor and mourn the Americans who have died in the countrys wars. We should all put aside our differences on May 27 to thank those who gave their last full measure to protect Americas government of the people, by the people and for the people as President Abraham Lincoln described it. Memorial Day encompasses the almost 1.4 million Americans who have died in the countrys wars and conflicts, beginning with the Revolutionary War. That figure does not tell the full story of our war dead because each conflict leaves a broad wake of destruction, including future deaths of service personnel from war-related physical and psychological wounds, substance abuse, suicide and exposure to harmful substances like Agent Orange and burn pit emissions. Our recent conflicts, starting with the Korean war, had disappointing outcomes, which left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, including some veterans who fought in them. I remember going overseas in 1968 with a country generally in support of the Vietnam War and returning in 1969 to a fiercely divided country. Even though the 58,220 Americans who died in the Vietnam War served honorably, they did not get the measure of respect owed to them by a broad spectrum of their countrymen. It took years for many Americans to separate their anger against the war from their feelings toward those who served in it. The dead, and the survivors, were doing just what was asked of them. The politicians, not the soldiers, were responsible for the unfortunate outcomes. When I returned from Vietnam, I was proud of my service and felt like we had kept South Vietnam from being taken over by the Communists. When Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese on April 30, 1975, it was like a knife to the heart for me and many other Vietnam veterans. All of those lives had been wasted with nothing to show for it, not to mention the many thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who died, the American troops who returned home with serious health problems that would plague them for years to come and the lingering hard feelings of Americans on both sides of the war issue. Was it all for naught? There was nothing to do for it those years later, but Americans could step forward to remember and memorialize the brave Americans who lost their lives in service to the country. An Idaho Falls group, the Freedom Bird, named after the flights that took the troops home from Vietnam, decided to do just that. Freedom Bird announced plans in 1984 to construct a state memorial to recognize and honor those who died in the war. The funds were raised, the state designation was obtained and the Idaho Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on August 4, 1990. Freedom Bird members followed up with a book recognizing the 251 Idahoans who were listed as dead or missing. The book, Reasons to Remember: A tribute to the unsung heroes of the Vietnam War was written by Marilyn Whyte of Blackfoot and published in 2002. It included biographies of the fallen, as well as stories based on input furnished by their survivors. It provided an insight into the character of many of these individuals who died in service to their country. The book is, unfortunately, out of print, but used copies are available on Amazon. More can be found about the Freedom Bird project in my book, VietnamCant Get You Out of My Mind, which is also available on Amazon or from Ridenbaugh Press. The point is that we all have the ability, just like the Freedom Bird members, to take the time and effort to honor those who have died in the United States wars and conflicts. Dislike for the conflict itself is beside the point. May 27 will soon be upon us and it is incumbent upon Idahoans and other Americans, regardless of political leanings, to pay respects to the men and women who have given their all for the Land of the free and home of the brave. The post Memorial Day is a time to honor those who died in service to our nation appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. Metro Move driver Ken Jilk lowered his bus ramp to carefully board a passenger, then rushed to the door of the ProAct center in Eagan to meet several others ready to catch a ride home after a day of classes or volunteering at Feed my Starving Children. His was one in a row of Metro Move and Metro Mobility vehicles parked outside ProAct last week. The buses looked almost the same. But Metropolitan Council leaders hope Metro Move, which launched this month, will be a better choice for hundreds of people with disabilities who need to regularly get to work or to community services. It aims to provide people with certain Medicaid waivers more reliable rides across a broader range of cities during extended hours. The new service debuts as passengers and disability rights advocates continue to raise concerns with Metro Mobility's delays, lengthy ride times and inconsistent hours. "It's a sad state of affairs for our transportation for people with disabilities and seniors," said Joan Willshire, former executive director of the Minnesota Council on Disability. "We've got to get better at this because transportation is the heartbeat of everybody." This new option is a good addition to the transportation system, Willshire said, but more is needed. Metro Move drivers transported roughly 100 riders a day last week, Metropolitan Council officials said. They anticipate it will serve up to 900 or 1,000 people by the end of the year. "A thousand folks may not sound like a lot, but the impact, when you're considering many of these folks will travel four, five, six days a week, it's pretty substantial," said Sheila Holbrook-White, the Met Council's waiver transportation program manager. She said they designed the service after hearing from riders and their family members, who said they like having a consistent driver. Jane Snyder, who coordinates transportation at ProAct, said that helps people feel less anxious. "There's a trust and a connection. They get to know each other," Snyder said Thursday as she watched Jilk help people board his bus, including holding one man's hand and carrying his bag down the sidewalk. Holbrook-White said people also told them: "I have opportunities to work, but I can't make the hours I work align with the service for which I'm eligible." Metro Mobility is often the option for people who have disabilities or health conditions that prevent them from using regular transit routes. The hours someone can catch a ride with that service vary depending on what city they live in. Wide swaths of the suburbs, including much of Blaine, Lakeville, Eden Prairie and Woodbury, fall outside of Metro Mobility's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) zone. That means people living there can be placed on standby and can only catch a ride if it works with other already scheduled trips. With Metro Move, no one is on standby. And while Metro Mobility needs to build a "brand new system of routes" every day based on shifting ride requests, Metro Move's routes will be shaped by "repeatable and reliable" standing orders from people who need to get to the same destination every day or week, said Charles Carlson, executive director of Metropolitan Transportation Services at the Met Council. Metro Move serves people who have certain waivers available through Minnesota's Medical Assistance program. People can use it if they have waivers for brain injuries, developmental disabilities or if they require a nursing facility level of care. Waivers are funded through a mix of state and federal dollars. The new transportation offering will cost around $16 million this year, Carlson said, but he said since they can draw on federal waiver dollars it will save the state money. This new option is years in the making, said David Fenley, the ADA director for the Minnesota Council on Disability. He is "extremely optimistic" about the transportation alternative he said would provide people with more independence. Metro Mobility previously had a program that would pick up people with disabilities and take them to day programs, some of which pay subminimum wages for repetitive work, he said. Fenley, a staunch opponent of subminimum wage programs, said the new transit option is part of a shift away from the practice he described as "subsidizing the exploitation of disabled labor." Dan Meyer, with nonprofit Rise, Inc., is also excited about the change. He helps people with disabilities get jobs in the community, from Hy-Vee to a Montessori school to Jo-Ann Fabrics. He said while most employers are fairly accommodating, people risk losing their jobs if they are late. "Metro Move, we hope, is going to be an improvement," Meyer said. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) For the fourth time in less than four days, members of the Metro Nashville Police Department responded to a shooting in the JC Napier neighborhood. According to Metro Nashville dispatch, the incident was reported shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 26 in the 100 block of Charles E. Davis Boulevard. Officers at the scene told News 2 an 18-year-old man ended up with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg and was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). MNPDs Non-Lethal Shooting Team is reportedly investigating the incident. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts Authorities said the victim was found between two buildings. In addition, shell casings were discovered where the shooting allegedly occurred. Police said they detained a person for carrying a rifle and wearing body armor as a precaution, but they have yet to determine if he was the shooter. After investigators figure out whether this individual was involved in the incident, they will deal with him accordingly. No additional details have been released about Sunday nights shooting, which was the fourth shooting in the JC Napier area within 79 hours, but the previous three incidents were all deadly. 3rd deadly shooting in just over 3 days reported in JC Napier area The first shooting occurred just after 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23 in the 100 block of Fain Street, led to the death of 63-year-old Alan Howard and the arrest of 30-year-old Timothy Gibbons Jr., according to officials. Gibbons told officers he and Howard had been drinking since the night before, but after one of Howards friends come to the home and Howard got into that persons vehicle, Howard allegedly became aggressive and started hitting Gibbons, so Gibbons pulled out a gun and Howard was shot in the chest. Then, shortly before 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, 29-year-old Bryan Lewis was shot in the 600 block of Charles E. Davis Boulevard and reportedly died at a local hospital. A 23-year-old told detectives that he shot Lewis because he believed that Lewis was about to shoot him, so police said they are investigating the self-defense claim. Almost 24 hours later, just before 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, authorities said they responded to the 600 block of Lewis Street after a man was shot while exchanging gunfire with another person. The victim was taken to VUMC, where he was pronounced dead. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. 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 WKRN News 2. Mexicos buscadoras, or searchers, are seeking political support in the United States after finding little more than closed doors in their home country. Raul Servin, a member of the Madres Buscadoras, or Searching Mothers, collective, looks for his missing son at the Aqua section 6 neighborhood in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, Jalisco State, Mexico, on Aug. 31, 2023. The term searchers refers the often gruesome task of physically sifting through dirt in search of human remains ignored by Mexicos professional forensic services. The buscadoras are mainly mothers and sisters of Mexicos more than 100,000 disappeared people who have gone missing with no trace, presumed victims of criminal activity. Forming collectives throughout the country, the searching relatives are doing work they say Mexican authorities at local, state and federal levels wont, including President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whose six-year term ends Oct. 1. The government of Mexico is on the way out. There will be elections soon, and in these six years, he never had five minutes for the victims of the country. In the whole six-year term, he didnt receive a single buscadora in the country, said Bibiana Mendoza, who contributed to the creation of Hasta Encontrarte, Until We Find You, a searching collective from the city of Irapuato in the central state of Guanajuato. According to the United Nations, 97 percent of the disappearances have taken place since 2006, when Mexico militarized its response to cartel violence. The homicide rate jumped from 4 per 100,000 inhabitants that year to 12 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2012. The official murder rate in Mexico correlates with presidential administrations and their public safety policies. Former President Felipe Calderon, a traditional conservative who ordered the militarization of the countrys policing, oversaw the rise until 2012. Calderons successor, Enrique Pena Nieto, governed as a centrist, but his administration came to be more associated with corruption than any particular policies, though under his government, homicide rates dipped down to 8 per 100,000 inhabitants before jumping back up to 12 per 100,000. Lopez Obrador, whose hugs not bullets police strategy has long been the focus of criticism, oversaw a spike to 15 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants and back down to 12 per 100,000 inhabitants. Mexicos abysmal public safety results over the past two decades seem to be regardless of party the last three presidents had three distinct political affiliations something Mendoza connected with the countrys rabid partisanship. I see public officials in Mexico, like from the moment they take a government job, it would seem they lose their humanity and they trade it for defending a political party, Mendoza said. Over there they all say, My party did things right. My party did this for the disappeared or my party isnt to blame for the violence, thats from the previous party, and they want to insert the social causes, the searches women conduct in Mexico, into a political game that they use as a campaign, conveniently. And once were in the way, theres this new rhetoric, Youre either with me or against me, so the state ceased to be an ally long ago. But Lopez Obrador, who campaigned as a leftist, made sweeping promises to the families of disappeared individuals, including the relatives of the 43 student activists who were abducted in the state of Guerrero in 2014 and are presumed dead. Those promises included strengthening a national search commission and allowing independent investigations, but Lopez Obradors perspective as an outside critic of Pena Nietos handling of the case and other disappearances changed once in power. There was a certain level of attention and progress that was possible for a while on the Ayotzinapa case in particular during this government certainly there wasnt that type of dialogue and collaboration and attention given in general to search collectives, said Stephanie Brewer, director for Mexico at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a human rights research and advocacy organization. So thats the context, but what has happened, especially in the last year to year and a half, is that the Lopez Obrador administration seems to have decided that it no longer wants to pay the political costs of facing this crisis. In November, Lopez Obrador accused former officials from his own administration of inflating the number of disappearances to affect his government. He called for a new census of disappearances, following whistleblowing from Karla Quintana, who in August resigned as head of the National Search Commission, denouncing attempts to scrub official numbers in Lopez Obradors favor. With the federal government turning its back and often facing threats from criminal organizations eager to keep evidence of their crimes under wraps, the collectives have continued their search, but have also looked abroad for attention. Earlier this month, Mendoza and Olimpia Montoya of Proyecto de Busqueda search project were recognized with WOLAs Human Rights Award at the groups 50th anniversary gala in Washington. The group also paid visits to administration and congressional offices, looking both for increased visibility and for U.S. oversight of forensic equipment given to Mexico. My heart goes out to the families who have had a loved one forcibly disappeared in Guanajuato or other parts of Mexico, many of whom have searched for the missing without many resources and little to no support, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told The Hill in an email. I am concerned by the alarming number of disappearances, low convictions, and staggering impunity in Mexico. I urge the Mexican government to work with the U.N. Committee on Enforced Disappearances to strengthen its transparency and methodology mechanisms. I will continue to monitor this situation closely and work with key stakeholders to find effective ways to work together to address these serious problems. But U.S.-Mexico relations are at a standstill, with federal elections coming soon in both countries. Mexicos election is June 2, with former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum the heavy favorite, though opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez has somewhat reenergized her campaign during the final stretch. Sheinbaum, Lopez Obradors handpicked successor, is widely expected to continue his policies if she is sworn in Oct. 1, a month before the U.S. election. Thats the Biden administrations current top interest in bilateral affairs, as Lopez Obrador has effectively reduced migrant border crossings through enforcement throughout Mexico, giving the Biden administration political breathing space on a critical issue. The United States praises the vibrancy of Mexicos democracy, even amid very clear and very troubling signs of democratic backsliding under the Lopez Obrador administration. The United States is not being as vocal on some of the human rights issues in Mexico as we might see with a different country, Brewer said. So all would indicate that what Lopez Obrador gets in exchange for these migration enforcement actions on the Mexican side is largely the spoken or unspoken agreement that certain other thorny issues will not be brought up to criticize him or will not be used in the same way in the bilateral relationship. Amid the high diplomacy and politics, the buscadoras say they will keep trying to find closure for their disappeared relatives, who are often revictimized with allegations of criminality or racialized dehumanization. Mendoza and Montoya said they remain unaided in their search for their relatives in their specific cases, their brothers shunned by a society that often views the victims as criminals who are unworthy of public resources. Unfortunately they ask us to be perfect in a country where they dont give the tools to everyone to be equal. They ask us to have the way of being and to behave like privileged people when we didnt have any privilege, Mendoza said. Updated May 28 at 5:18 p.m. ET 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 The Hill. A 29-year-old man was stabbed and killed by a fellow immigrant outside an East Harlem migrant shelter on Sunday morning. A migrant was stabbed to death on Sunday morning after getting into an argument with another man outside the East Harlem migrant shelter where they both lived, police said. Argeyeris Martinez, 29, got into a dispute with a fellow migrant, Oscar Gonzalez, 30, when he was stabbed in the chest at around 4:02 a.m. on Third Avenue and East 97th Street, NYPD cops said. Martinez was rushed to Mount Sinai Morningside hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A 29-year-old man was stabbed and killed by a fellow immigrant outside an East Harlem migrant shelter on Sunday morning. Google Maps Gonzalez was taken into custody and charged Sunday evening with murder and aggravated criminal possession of a weapon. Police said an investigation was still ongoing. The incident took place outside the 500-family migrant shelter that the city opened last year at the former dormitory complex for Hunter College and Baruch College students. The 19-story building, located at 1760 Third Ave. between 97th and 98th streets, was touted as the citys 12th Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center meant to house migrants with children. It was not immediately clear if Martinez and Gonzalez are fathers to children living in the shelter. This isnt the first time a dispute broke out into a fatal stabbing at one of the new migrant shelters in the city, with another man stabbed to death on Jan. 7 at the nearby Randalls Island shelter. The safety concerns had triggered police to install security cameras around the migrant shelters to try and curb the growing number of violent incidents, law enforcement sources said. By Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Ruma Paul and Subrata Nag Choudhury SATKHIRA, Bangladesh (Reuters) -Strong gales and heavy rain triggered by the first major cyclone of the year lashed the coastlines of India and Bangladesh on Monday, killing at least 16 people and cutting power to millions. The winds had not stopped as night fell, with water rising in many places and overwhelming drainage systems, Bangladeshi climate expert Liakath Ali said. "Many people are stranded - it will be another long night ahead with millions not having electricity or shelter," he said in a statement. "And people having no idea of how damaged their homes, land and livestock are." Cyclone Remal is the first of the frequent storms expected to pound the low-lying coasts of the South Asian neighbours this year as climate change drives up surface temperatures at sea. Packing speeds of up to 135 kph, it crossed the area around Bangladesh's southern port of Mongla and the adjoining Sagar Islands in India's West Bengal late on Sunday, weather officials said, making landfall at about 9 p.m. More than 8.4 million people, including 3.2 million children, are at high health, nutrition, sanitation and safety risk, said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh. At least 10 people were killed in Bangladesh, disaster management chief Mijanur Rahman told Reuters, adding some victims died en route to shelters or when their homes or walls collapsed, or drowned during the storm. "People are usually very reluctant to leave their livestock and homes to go to cyclone shelters," he said. "They wait until the last minute when it is often too late." State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Mohibbur Rahman said the cyclone destroyed nearly 35,000 homes across 19 districts. An additional 115,000 homes were partially damaged. "Many areas remain waterlogged, and fish enclosures and trees have been devastated. As more information becomes available, the full scope of the impact will be clearer." MANGROVE FORESTS FLOODED In India's West Bengal state, four people were electrocuted, authorities said, taking the death toll in the state to six. Bangladesh shut down electricity supply to some areas in advance to avoid accidents, while in many coastal towns fallen trees and snapped electricity lines further disrupted supply, power ministry officials said. Nearly 3 million people in Bangladesh were without electricity, officials added. West Bengal authorities said at least 1,200 power poles were uprooted, while 300 mud huts had been razed. Bangladeshi State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid said in a Facebook post that Remal has caused extensive damage nationwide, urging people to be patient as repairs were under way. "Our crews began repairing the lines as soon as the wind speed subsided," he said. The cyclone also disrupted around 10,000 telecom towers, leaving millions without mobile service. The rain and high tides damaged some embankments and flooded coastal areas in the Sundarbans, home to some of the world's largest mangrove forests, which are shared by India and Bangladesh. Flooded roads disrupted travel in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. Rain also flooded many streets in the Indian city of Kolkata, with reports of wall collapses and at least 52 fallen trees. Kolkata resumed flights after more than 50 were cancelled from Sunday. Suburban train services were also restored. Both nations moved nearly a million people to storm shelters, about 800,000 in Bangladesh and roughly 110,000 in India, authorities said. (Reporting by Mohammad Ponir Hossain in Satkhira, Bangladesh, Ruma Paul in Dhaka and Subrata Nag Choudhury in Kolkata; Writing by Sudipto Ganguly; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Nick Macfie) Karen Nickel, left, and Dawn Chapman flip through binders full of government documents about St. Louis County sites contaminated by nuclear waste left over from World War II. Nickel and Chapman founded Just Moms STL to advocate for the community to federal environmental and energy officials (Theo Welling/Riverfront Times). Over the course of half a dozen trips to Washington, D.C., Dawn Chapman has become accustomed to long days of congressional meetings and questions about St. Louis decades-long struggle with radioactive contamination. Chapman, co-founder of Just Moms STL, wraps her feet with duct tape to keep her shoes from giving her blisters, and she and fellow advocates pack their schedules with meetings to ask lawmakers to expand compensation for those exposed to the U.S. nuclear weapons program. The months-long fight has drained the budget of the small nonprofit, founded about 10 years ago to advocate for communities exposed to nuclear waste in the St. Louis region. Despite efforts by St. Louis activists, as well as communities across the southwest, Congress has yet to act. And with the federal governments existing compensation program set to expire in two weeks, the decision has come down to the wire. I definitely think we are on the winning side of this, Chapman said in an interview with The Independent, and I do feel hopeful. Its just Im tired. Chapman and fellow advocates are asking Congress to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, originally passed in 1990 to compensate uranium miners and those who were exposed to atomic bomb testing in parts of Nevada, Utah and Arizona. But it excluded parts of the southwest, including New Mexico, where residents have developed cancer or had children with birth defects because of exposure to World War II-era bomb testing. It also didnt include St. Louis communities that have struggled for decades with lingering contamination left over from efforts to develop the first atomic bomb. The existing RECA programs June 10 expiration date has set up a standoff between lawmakers from states already covered by the program and states, like Missouri, hoping to be included. But Chapman said she and fellow St. Louis-area activists will keep pushing even if the program isnt expanded in the next two weeks. The reasons for RECA, the people that need it they dont disappear after June (10) regardless of what happens with this program, she said. Parts of St. Louis have been contaminated for 75 years with radioactive waste left over from the effort to build the worlds first atomic bomb. Uranium refined in downtown St. Louis was used in the first sustained nuclear chain reaction in Chicago, a breakthrough in the Manhattan Project, the name given to the effort to develop the bomb. After World War II ended, uranium was trucked from St. Louis to surrounding counties and dumped near Coldwater Creek and in a quarry in Weldon Spring, polluting surface and groundwater. Remaining waste was dumped at the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, where it remains today. Generations of St. Louis-area families lived in homes near contaminated sites without warning from the federal government. A study by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found exposure to the creek elevated residents risk of cancer. Residents of nearby communities suffer higher-than-normal rates of breast, colon, prostate, kidney and bladder cancers and leukemia. Childhood brain and nervous system cancer are also higher. An investigation by The Missouri Independent, MuckRock and The Associated Press revealed last summer that the government and companies that handled the waste knew of the dangerous contamination for years before they informed the public. Those revelations inspired a push by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley to expand RECA to cover those exposed to waste in St. Louis. Hawleys legislation, which passed the Senate again in March, would expand RECA to remaining parts of Arizona, Nevada and Utah as well as to Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Guam, where residents were exposed to radiation from nuclear bomb testing. It would also expand coverage to those exposed to radioactive waste in Missouri, Tennessee, Alaska and Kentucky. Stalled in the House The expansion of RECA sponsored by Hawley, a Missouri Republican, has twice passed the Senate. But its been stuck for months in the U.S. House of Representatives. Members of the Missouri Congressional delegation hoped it would be included in a federal appropriations bill in March and were outraged when it wasnt included. U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, a Democrat from St. Louis, called its exclusion an insult to our communities. Since then, Bush has joined advocates in a last push to get RECA expanded before it expires next month. Bush has written letters to each of her 434 House colleagues, calling on them to support expanding RECA, and organized a meeting between advocates and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York. Bush said it had been frustrating that the legislation hasnt made it through the House because this legislation is a no-brainer. Were talking about compensating people at home who have been victims of war and continue to be victims of World War II, she said. The reality is that the people in St. Louis as well as across the country have been poisoned by the federal government, and the government has a responsibility to compensate those victims no matter the price tag. Bush said she needed colleagues to listen to victims. The cost has already been paid, she said. The cost is the human lives that have been taken because of our governments negligence, the cost is those who are here on the Hill over and over again that are bringing stories forward saying, My kids, my grandkids, me, my parents have all been sick or died. On the other side of the aisle, U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, a Republican from the St. Louis suburbs, snagged a surprise meeting for advocates earlier this month with staff of House Speaker Mike Johnsons office. Wagners office declined an interview but said she will continue to fight for reauthorization and expansion of RECA. Chapman said staff from Johnsons office didnt promise to bring RECA to the floor. But, she said, what they told us is that it is absolutely on their radar. Theyre not ignoring it, Chapman said. They know its there. They are aware of it now and that there is a tremendous amount of Republican colleagues that are writing letters and that are reaching out to their office to have this hit the floor. The post Missouri advocates push for compensation for radioactive waste victims as deadline looms appeared first on Missouri Independent. The dog, who had gotten loose and strayed from his owner Nicholas Hunter, was shot on Sunday, May 19 City of Sturgeon Missouri/Facebook Teddy the Shih Tzu A Sturgeon, Mo., officer shot and killed a blind and deaf dog after it wandered into a neighbor's yard, according to body-camera footage published by ABC affiliate 17 News. The unidentified officer shot the dog within a couple of minutes of arriving on the scene, after an unidentified homeowner called the city to report spotting a dog in her yard on Sunday, May 19, per HuffPost. The city shared a post on Facebook on May 19, saying that the dog appeared to be in "need of medical attention." The dog was a Shih Tzu named Teddy, according to his owner Nicholas Hunter, who spoke to HuffPost. Hunter can be heard on the footage, which was viewed by PEOPLE, telling the officer his dog was "completely deaf and completely blind." The unidentified homeowner told HuffPost she called the city in the hopes that officials help the missing dog or reunite him with his owner. "I am sorry this happened. I'm not happy I had to shoot a dog," the officer told Hunter in their conversation caught on the footage. He also told Hunter that the city didn't have a humane society for missing dogs. City of Sturgeon Missouri/Facebook Teddy on May 19 "The dog drank water from a bowl I provided and licked my arm and leg. He was in no way a threat," the woman, who feared retaliation if she shared her name, told HuffPost. On Thursday, May 23, the city of Sturgeon released an updated statement about the shooting incident on Facebook. "The City has reviewed the dispatch report and body camera footage regarding the recent dog at large incident," the statement began. "The City believes that the officer acted within his authority based on the information available to him at the time to protect against possible injury to citizens from what appeared to be an injured, sick, and abandoned dog." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The statement continued on, noting that the woman who reported the dog missing told officials the dog wasn't "in her view dangerous." "The dogs strange behavior appeared consistent with the dispatch report of an injured or possibly sick dog," the statement continued, before concluding by assuring the public that officers would be sent for better training on how to handle missing dogs as a result of Teddy's death. Im at a loss. It still hasnt kicked in, the reality of it," Hunter told HuffPost regarding Teddy's death. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The Missouri state flag is seen flying outside the Missouri State Capitol Building on Jan. 17, 2021 in Jefferson City (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images). Missouris legislative session closed with a sad and stunning display of how little the loudest lawmakers identifying as pro-life care about helping children and families or governing at all. Even in a session that was historic for its dysfunction and rancor, there were a handful of bipartisan bills that would have made life somewhat better for Missouri families that should have made it to the governors desk. Instead, Freedom Caucus Republicans denied us those modest improvements in order to show off their anti-abortion, anti-democracy, pro-MAGA cred. Republican legislators expect voters to overturn Missouris criminal abortion ban if given a fair chance to vote on a reproductive freedom proposal in November. So they made thwarting the will of the people their number one priority this legislative session. Weeks of session were lost to their effort to gut the initiative petition process, ultimately fizzling out over the Freedom Caucus insistence that it include ballot candy aimed at tricking Missourians into voting against their own interests. The gridlock caused by a handful of obstructionists killed the final week of the session and along with it important policies that enjoy the support of a majority of legislators and citizens. Its especially problematic that the ploy to further enshrine minority rule was undertaken in the name of protecting life while tanking bills protecting children and pregnant women. Missouri is emphatically not a pro-child, pro-mother or pro-family state to begin with. The legislature regularly refuses to accept federal funds to help struggling Missourians. It took a ballot initiative and litigation to finally expand Medicaid. When our legislature managed to accept federal funds so postpartum women could have a year of Medicaid coverage, it was celebrated as a rare bipartisan win. But that took a year longer than it should have thanks to hardliners fighting it on the theory that a woman who had an abortion might get coverage. The delay likely resulted in additional preventable postpartum deaths. Missouri has a maternal mortality rate that is more than double that of the nations already unacceptable one. Close to half of Missouri counties have no maternity care and another 21% have as few as one OB/GYN. Missouris OB/GYN shortage is being exacerbated by the abortion ban. Missouris infant mortality rate is higher than that national average and our preterm birth rate earned us a D- from the March of Dimes. Missouri has a syphilis crisis that is causing women to give birth to stillborn babies, yet Republicans prioritized passing a (likely unconstitutional) bill that prohibits low-income individuals on Medicaid from using their health insurance to receive testing or care at Planned Parenthood, despite the lack of other providers in the state. Missouri has been kicking eligible kids off Medicaid in large numbers thanks to poor management of the eligibility review process. A federal judge ruled that Missouri is illegally denying food insecure Missourians SNAP benefits. Missouris understaffed foster care system separates children from their parents at twice the national rate and then loses track of them. I could go on. There are Missourians working very hard to address problems for kids and families. Some of them are Republican legislators. But their work this session was thrown away by a minority of their colleagues. Take the child care bill. Half of Missouri children under 5 live in child care deserts. This has devastating impacts on parents ability to work to provide for their children and on Missouris economy. The bill would have used tax credits to make child care more available and affordable. It had bipartisan support and was a top priority that Gov. Parson touted in consecutive State of the State speeches. But Freedom Caucus members and their sympathizers decried it as welfare. Sen. Mike Moon implied that mothers ought to stay home with their children like his wife did. Of course, Freedom Caucasers are fine with Missouris astronomical tax credits for donors to anti-abortion pregnancy resource centers. In their view, tax credits should go to misleading and pressuring women to continue pregnancies, but not to caring for their children once born. Moon was the only senator to vote against a bipartisan bill that would have banned child marriage (he famously endorsed 12-year-old marriage last session). The bill, intended to end forced marriages, ultimately died as time ran out in the House after being stalled by a few Republicans who argued it was an intrusion on parental rights that could lead to pregnant minors ending their pregnancies rather than getting married. A bill with no apparent opposition would have barred the state from taking benefits owed to orphaned and disabled foster care children to pay for their care. Another bipartisan bill lost to a combination of Republican infighting and anti-abortion extremism would have enacted health protections for women and babies. It would have added additional prenatal testing for treatable conditions that are harmful or fatal to babies, like syphilis and HIV. It would have improved regulations related to mammograms, STI treatment, and access to rape kits. It would have helped Missouri women (375,000 of whom live in contraception deserts) to avoid unintended pregnancy by requiring their private insurance to cover dispensing of a years worth of contraception at once, as 26 other states do. The bill was held up by House Republicans confused about the difference between birth control and abortifacients before it made it to the Senate, where it died amidst the Freedom Caucus chaos. It is well documented that anti-abortion states have worse outcomes for women and children. Abortion restrictions correlate with a lack of policies aimed at protecting their health and well-being. That might seem like a hypocrisy problem, until you recognize that the most powerful abortion opponents are ideologically opposed to public support of women, children, and families. What it is, is a democracy problem. If you have a minority viewpoint, the only way to impose it is through antidemocratic means. That is as true of blocking child care as it is of outlawing abortion. [Disclosure: I support the reproductive rights initiative petition and volunteered collecting signatures for the campaign.] The post Missouri lawmakers chose anti-abortion antics over helping children and families appeared first on Missouri Independent. Tammy Tesson Puhlmann, 63, who now lives in Villa Ridge, Missouri, shows photos of her son Drew as she sat in the Russell Senate Office Building on May 22, 2024. Puhlmanns son died of cancer at age 30, and she was among 10 eastern Missouri residents speaking to lawmakers on Capitol Hill about expanding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON A fund to compensate Americans sickened by exposure to atomic bomb tests, uranium mining and radioactive waste expires in just under 20 days, and activists and lawmakers are scrambling to keep the fund active and open to additional victims. A bill to reauthorize and expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, often shortened to RECA, sailed through the U.S. Senate in early March on a bipartisan 69-30 vote, but the House has yet to take it up for a vote. Critics cite high costs. But bipartisan lawmakers and activists rallying in favor of the bill say the victims have already paid the price through medical bills and lost loved ones, and that its ultimately the governments wrong to make right. The U.S. Senate-passed legislation, championed by Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, aims to extend the program by six years and expand eligibility to several new locations, including his state of Missouri where, over decades, residents witnessed numerous rare similar cancers among neighbors in and around St. Louis. Chemical plants in downtown St. Louis and Weldon Spring, Missouri, processed uranium during the nations WWII effort to build the first atomic bomb. Radioactive waste from the plants were stored and dumped around the area. States Newsrooms Missouri Independent, in collaboration with the Associated Press and MuckRock, obtained and combed through thousands of government records that revealed the government downplayed and ignored the dangers of the radioactive waste. The government has done this Tammy Tesson Puhlmann, 63, who lived for decades in Florissant, Missouri, sat in the Russell Senate Office Building Wednesday showing photos of her son Drew first, as a baby who was born with a rare blood disease, and then as a thin 30-year-old man just a week before he died of cancer. If I can prevent one mom from having to go through something like this, I would do anything, she said through tears. Its the most unbearable feeling in the world to know that there is nothing you can do for your child, and to know that the government has done this. Puhlmann was among 10 eastern Missouri residents and state representatives who met with 10 lawmakers on Wednesday, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise; U.S. Reps. Ann Wagner and Blaine Luetkemeyer, both Republicans of Missouri; and the states GOP Sens. Eric Schmitt and Hawley. Missouri state Reps. Tricia Byrnes and Richard West, both Republicans, who represent districts just outside St. Louis, flipped through maps and photos documenting the contaminated sites, including where a uranium processing plant and byproduct dumping ground were located next to Francis Howell High School, which Byrnes attended. Look how close it was to all of the contamination. That high school is still there, Byrnes said, pointing to a map. To Byrnes left sat Kristin Denbow, a 1988 Francis Howell graduate who has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer in the bone marrow. We have memories of men in full containment suits walking around the grounds of our high school while we were there, Denbow said. This has been our lives Three generations of Susie Gaffneys family made their homes in the suburbs of St. Louis near Coldwater Creek, unaware that radioactive waste relocated from the downtown uranium plant was leaking into the water. Susie Gaffney, 66, who now lives in OFallon, Missouri, holds a packet of papers that she distributed to lawmakers on Capitol Hill on March 22, 2024. The packet contained photos of her son Joey, 45, who developed thyroid cancer at 18, and her husband, Jim, 68, who survived bladder cancer and now lives with myelodysplastic syndrome. Three generations of her family lived along Coldwater Creek, which is contaminated with radioactive waste. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom) Susies husband, Jim, grew up in a house beside the creek and not far from Jana Elementary School, which closed in 2023 because of radioactive contamination. Jim grew up playing in the creek, everybody did. Everybody who tells the creek stories played (there). It was awesome, it wasnt deep. Kids fished, they made mudslides. It was a great place to live, Gaffney said. Jim, whose mother died of colon cancer after being diagnosed in her 40s, developed lymphoma at the age of 24. When Susie and Jims son Joey was an infant, they moved to a nearby subdivision named Wedgewood, a few miles down the creek. Joey also played in the water as a child. Joey was diagnosed at 18 with thyroid cancer and eventually underwent a thyroidectomy. Gaffney, now 66, recalls the doctors telling her, This kid is Chernobyl. This is what happened in Chernobyl. He has metastasized thyroid cancer. This is what happened there. He had to be exposed to radiation and naively I said, Well, where? And so this has been our lives, she said. Joey is now 45. Jim, 68, was also diagnosed with bladder cancer and is now living with myelodysplastic syndrome, Gaffney said. Hes living on blood transfusions, she said, pointing to a photo of him on a packet of papers she was handing out to lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Below the photo of Jim was a map of the region with red dots for each cancer case. I just want people to tunnel in, Gaffney said. Pretend youre on Google Earth, zoom all the way down and get on those front doors and picture our lifespan with health care, with depression, with anxiety, fear. Our quality of life has definitely been affected, all of us. Debate on Capitol Hill The governments nearly expired compensation program pays one-time sums of $75,000 to those who developed certain diseases after working on U.S. nuclear tests before 1963. It pays $50,000 to those who lived in select counties downwind from test explosion sites between January 1951 and October 1958, and the month of July in 1962, in Arizona, Nevada and Utah. Uranium industry workers who were employed in 11 states from 1942 to 1971 and subsequently developed eligible illnesses qualify for $100,000. Hawleys bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, would also expand to include the entirety of Arizona, Nevada and Utah, and include downwind and affected areas in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Guam. Additionally, the one-time compensation sums to victims or surviving family members would increase to $100,000. If enacted, the legislation would reach areas including ZIP codes in Alaska, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, where communities were impacted by radioactive waste dumping, uranium processing and other related activities surrounding the testing. The bills estimated cost of $50 billion to $60 billion has drawn criticism. Hawleys office confirmed the estimate. There is not an official budget score. On Thursday, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, asked for unanimous consent on the Senate floor for his proposed clean extension of the program as it exists for another two years only covering those affected in areas of Arizona, Nevada and Utah. Lee cited the risk of inflating the deficit by at least $60 billion and questioned whether enough data backs contamination in the additional areas in Hawleys bill. You see, the House of Representatives has thus far declined to take up and pass Sen. Hawleys previous bill, with some signaling concern and raising some of the concerns that I just restated, the Utah Republican said. Hawley objected, and Lujan spoke in support of the objection. Study after study has shown the expanse of the nuclear radiation. Here is a study from 1997, from 2005, another from 2005, from 2023, all showing that the nuclear radiation is far beyond the contours of the original RECA bill passed in 1990, Hawley said. Yet my friend from Utah wants to keep doing the same old thing, leaving out in the cold hundreds of thousands of Americans. I will not consent to it. Lee responded, saying he understood the impassioned pleas from Hawley and Lujan. He offered an updated version that includes Missouri and New Mexico, but leaves out other states and Guam. His office cites an unofficial budget score of $30 billion. There are other states in (Hawleys) legislation pending in the House that deal with law in the Marshall Islands, Idaho, Kentucky, Ohio, Alaska, and perhaps one or two other jurisdictions. The claims of those states are not on equal footing, Lee said. That is where a lot of the not all, but a lot of the expense is accrued and a lot of concerns expressed in the House impeding its quick passage over there that might lead to it not being able to be passed at all, he continued. Hawley again objected, saying he will not be party to any attempt at some halfway measure, some short stopgap bill, or some effort to sweep this under the rug. A spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson, of Louisiana, told States Newsroom on May 15 that The Speaker understands and appreciates Senator Hawleys position and is working closely with interested members and stakeholders to chart a path forward for the House. RECA was established in 1990. The U.S. conducted more than 1,000 atomic weapons tests from 1945 to 1992 the first at the Trinity Test site near Alamogordo, New Mexico, where scientists detonated the Manhattan Projects first atomic bomb prior to the U.S. dropping the weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, at the end of World War II. As of June 2022, the government has approved more than 36,000 RECA claims for more than $2.3 billion in benefits. Unless the fund is extended, claims have to be postmarked by June 10, 2024, according to the Department of Justice, which administers the payouts. The post Missouri residents affected by radiation exposure push Congress to extend benefits appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. The 26-year-old man who allegedly stabbed four girls at an AMC theater in Massachusetts on Saturday was laughing the whole time during the attack, the mother of three of the victims said in a new interview with CBS affiliate WBZ-TV. They had just sat down, they had just got their concessions. I guess he came up behind them. They were in like the second row, said Lisa Dembowski, who added that 17-year-old daughter and 9-year-old twins and their friend were alone in the auditorium at the time. My oldest was leaned over to get something, he got her in the back. My other daughter in the chest. My last daughter across her arm, Dembowski, who has a 17-year-old and 9-year-old twins, continued. The attacker was laughing the whole time. Then [he stabbed] their friend and ran off. The two older girls chased him outside, then they realized what was going on. The suspect was later identified as Jared Ravizzaa resident of Chilmark, on Marthas Vineyardwho reportedly serves as CEO of his own marketing firm. He was arrested on Saturday. The four AMC victims are expected to recover from their injuries. An AMC staffer previously said the attacker was wearing an oversized trench coat, sunglasses, and a long blonde wig, though it isnt clear whether the blond hair was actually natural. Wig-Wearing Slasher Stabs 4 at AMC Theater, 2 More at McDonalds Before Leading Police in Wild Car Chase Ravizza is accused of carrying out a string of attacks over the weekend. According to the Vineyard Gazette, he was taken into custody Saturday night after he crashed a Porsche while fleeing police. Earlier that evening, he allegedly stopped at a McDonalds drive-thru, reached through the window and grabbed the 28 year-old man working there before stabbing him. He then allegedly went inside and stabbed a 21 year-old woman working there. The victims were transported to the hospital for treatment. Preliminary investigation suggests a likely connection to an earlier incident at a movie theatre in Braintree resulting in non-life threatening injuries to four juveniles, the police said. The Vineyard Gazette reported that Ravizzas arraignment is slated for Tuesday. He was hospitalized after Saturdays Porsche crash but has since been released and is being held without bail. He is expected to be charged with assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for the Plymouth incidents. WBZ-TV further reported that Ravizza is is believed to be connected to a murder in Deep River, Connecticut. Dembowski, who works as a guidance counselor, said she wants the attacker to be held accountable. I hope he gets what he deserves, she said. I understand mental health. Im a counselor. I understand it. I think its a pretty sick individual to harm children. She said her children were shocked and petrified by the ordeal. They dont want to go to the movies ever again, she said. Kids are resilient. But I think they are terrified that they could just go to a movie on a Saturday night, and this could happen. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A 70-year-old Alaska man who was attempting to take photos of two newborn moose calves was attacked and killed by their mother, authorities said Monday, May 20. The man, killed Sunday, May 19, was identified as Dale Chorman of Homer, Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, said, according to The Associated Press (AP). The female moose had recently given birth to the calves in Homer. As they were walking through the brush looking for the moose, thats when the cow moose attacked Dale, McDaniel said, according to the AP. The attack happened as the two were running away, he said. The second man, who has not been publicly identified, was uninjured. That person did not witness the attack, so authorities cannot say if the moose killed Chorman by kicking or stomping him, or a combination. Medics pronounced Chorman dead at the scene. The cow moose left the area, Alaska State Troopers said in an online post. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game normally receives reports of aggressive or unusual moose behavior, said Cyndi Wardlow, a regional supervisor in the Department of Wildlife Conservation told the AP in a later story about Chormans death. In this case, were obviously very concerned about public safety, she said. If there was an animal that was behaving in a way that continued to present a public safety threat, then we could possibly put that animal down but were not specifically pursuing that course. How many moose are in Washington? Staci Lehman, the communications manager for Region 1 of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) told MyNorthwest in an email that moose in this state are Shiras moose, which are a little smaller than those located in Alaska. As of 2015, there were approximately 5,000 moose estimated to live in the state of Washington, the WDFW website states. It goes on to say the majority are in the Selkirk Mountains (Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry, and Spokane counties) with smaller populations in the north Cascades, Okanogan, and Blue Mountains. Meanwhile, there are up to 200,000 moose in Alaska, a state with a human population of about 737,000, the AP explained. Do moose pose a danger to people in Washington? People and moose generally live in harmony in Washington and other places. In fact, there has been an increased number of sightings of moose entering areas where larger populations of people reside. An even greater testimony to the parallel growth of both human and moose populations in Washington is the increased incidence of moose wandering into the suburban and urban areas of Spokane. Moose sometimes take up residency where water and succulent vegetation is more readily available. By 2015, almost daily reports of problem or nuisance moose were received by the (WDFW), the state agencys website states. The incident in Homer, Alaska, is just the second fatal moose attack in Alaska in the last three decades with the last coming after students in Anchorage harassed one in 1995, the AP reported. The WDFW stated Moose attacks on humans are considered very rare. If you encounter a moose in Washington, its a really cool thing, Staci Lehman wrote in her email to MyNorthwest. We have them in yards and parks and even business parking lots often in the Spokane area but that doesnt happen in most of the state. Be cautious: Moose are still considered dangerous wildlife But the WDFW website also states it is important to remember that anything as large as a moose can be dangerous; this is why these animals are classified as Dangerous Wildlife. Moose are not normally aggressive, they can become so if theyre provoked, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Games website. Also, while the Shiras moose may be a bit smaller, theyre still large animals. as adults measure nearly six feet at the shoulder. The adult male moose (bulls) weigh between 850 and 1,100 pounds and adult females (cows) weigh between 600 and 800 pounds, the WDFW says. While Lehman may have praised a moose encounter as something cool, she also cautioned what people should do if they discover one while out. If you see one in the woods, it is best to give it plenty of space, dont approach it, and back up and leave the way you came into the area, she said. Also, as the WDFW website explains, moose consider dogs, which are close relatives of wolves, to be a direct threat. Theyve been known to go out of their way to kick at a dog, even one on a leash or in a fenced yard. Therefore, those people who do have a dog where they live should bring their dogs inside. In addition, they shouldnt be loud if theyre out with their owners in the woods. If you are hiking with a dog, keep it on a leash and try to keep it quiet, Lehman said in her email to MyNorthwest. The WDFW also stated that moose can be aggressive at any time of the year, but this time of year May through June is when cows give birth to calves and can feel provoked. Cow moose with calves are going to be some of the more aggressive moose youre going to come in contact with, McDaniel told the AP. For those who see a calf in the area, be extremely careful, because the cow probably is close by. Moose can get defensive during the mating season or when a female moose has young with her so the main thing is to give them lots of space, Lehman said. Contributing: The Associated Press Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here. WASHINGTON (KSNW) Kansas Senator Jerry Moran spoke on the Senate floor Friday. Moran spoke about the Memorial Day holiday and about his own late father, a World War II veteran. Senator Moran also spoke about Sgt. John O. Herrick of Emporia, Kansas. Sgt. Herrick was assigned to the 149th Engineer Combat Battalion. On June 6, 1944, Sgt. Herrick was among 200 soldiers, and 25 US Coast Guard crew members onboard a landing craft, approaching Omaha Beach at Normandy on D-Day. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, The ship was struck by enemy mortars and shells before it struck a mine, igniting the fuel in the forward troop compartment, killing the men inside instantly. Why flags are at half-staff only part of Memorial Day Remains of the soldiers in the compartment were eventually recovered, but remain unidentified. They were interred in as Unknowns in Normandy American Cemetery. In 2021, the unidentified remains were transferred to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis. The lab was able to identify one set as belonging to Sgt. Herrick in August of 2023. Sgt. Herricks remains will be returned to Kansas, and a memorial service will take place Nov. 11, on Veterans Day. Congressman Ed Rees of Emporia introduced the bill creating the Veterans Day holiday, which was signed into law by Kansan, World War II General, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954. 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 KSN-TV. A week after the death of Fort Campbell soldier Katia Duenas Aguilar, her mother and sister are pleading for any information about her death. During a news conference Saturday afternoon in Texas, mother Carmen Duenas Aguilar and daughter Cecilia Ruiz Aguilar stood behind a podium with tears in their eyes as they spoke of the pain in dealing with Katia's death. "My daughter is dead, and no one is going to stop it," Carmen said, her voice wavering before taking a breath. "Help me get justice for her and those who passed away. I never thought I'd be living this, and now I am." On Saturday, May 18, the Clarksville Police Department responded to a call on Tiny Town Road where Pfc. Katia Duenas-Aguilar was found and pronounced dead. On Tuesday, the Clarksville Police Department announced that it is working in conjunction with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division on Fort Campbell into the death of Aguilar. "Detectives with CPDs Special Operations Homicide Unit and Army CID Special Agents are actively following leads," said CPD spokesman Scott Beaubien. "With regards to the integrity of the investigation, specific information will not be released." The 23-year-old was a decorated soldier from Mesquite, Texas. She enlisted in the Army in 2018 and completed her basic training at Fort Eisenhower, Georgia. In 2019, she was stationed at Fort Campbell. Katia Duenas-Aguilar, 23, was a soldier at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. She joined the Army in 2018 at Fort Eisenhower, Georgia before moving to Fort Campbell in 2019. Aguilars awards and commendations include two Army Achievement Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon, Fort Campbell said in a release. According to her mother and sister, Katia Duenas Aguilar told them she wanted to go home to Texas in May but changed her mind after deciding her goal in the Army was incomplete. "She told me that she was told not to live for my mom, she needs to live for herself," Cecilia Ruiz Aguilar said. "I asked if she was happy, and she said no. I told her to think about it because we want you here." Her mother said she didn't understand why her daughter changed her mind and that she and Katia had plans to move and buy a house together. "She told me to pick a state for us to go," Carmen Duenas Aguilar said. "I keep turning in my head what happened, why the drastic change." Her mother wishes her daughter had more support. "I don't understand why they don't have better psychological assistance because those people are the ones who take care of us and our community," Carmen Duenas Aguilar said. Increase in reward money On Thursday, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the death of Katia Duenas-Aguilar. We will not rest, nor will we let the investigation into the killing of this Army soldier go cold," LULAC national president Domingo Garcia. "Our military service members must know that we stand with them and that their safety in the ranks is now the law thanks to the Vanessa Guillen Act that we fought to get passed and won. During the news conference, Garcia announced that the reward had increased to $55,000 after Carmen Duenas Aguilar contributed $30,000. "I want this case to continue and have the support of the authorities," she said. Garcia said LULAC fully supports Carmen Duenas Aguilar and Cecilia Ruiz Aguilar as they work through the grieving process while also pursuing justice. For this mother to commit, not just money but her total soul, to finding whoever did this deserves our complete and unequivocal support," Garcia said. "LULAC urges anyone with information to come forward and speak to law enforcement to help identify, arrest, and convict the person responsible. CPD has not released any details about Aguilar's death, including how or when she died, though they said in a previous news release that it appeared to be a "shooting." Police are asking anyone with information regarding the woman's death to call the department at 931-648-0656, ext. 5720. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward, call the Clarksville/Montgomery County Crime Stopper tip line at 931-645-8477 or go online. Kenya Anderson is a reporter for The Leaf-Chronicle. She can be contacted at kanderson@gannett.com or on X at kenyaanderson32. Sign up for the Leaf-Chronicle to support local journalism at www.theleafchronicle.com. This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Mother pleads for info on death of daughter, a Fort Campbell soldier Motorcyclist killed in crash at I-24W exit, Metro police say NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A motorcyclist has died following a Sunday evening crash at an exit along Interstate 24 West, Nashville authorities reported. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), the crash was reported at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 26 at Exit 53 on I-24 West toward Interstate 440 West. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts Authorities reported the 23-year-old was traveling on a Honda CBR motorcycle onto the I-440 westbound ramp from I-24 when, for reasons unknown, he went off the right shoulder of the exit ramp and ran into a guardrail. The motorcyclist who has not been identified was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died. Efforts are underway to notify the mans family, police said. Texas man identified as motorcyclist killed in crash on I-24E in South Nashville According to MNPD, the man was wearing a helmet when the crash occurred. Toxicology testing will be conducted by the Medical Examiners Office to determine if impairment was a factor in the crash. No additional details have been released about this incident. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. 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 WKRN News 2. DENVER (KDVR) A motorcyclist was killed in a crash in Lakewood Sunday afternoon. The Lakewood Police Department told FOX31 that it happened in the 14800 block of West Alameda Parkway, just outside of the exit of Forsberg Iron Spring Park. The call came in at 4:28 p.m. According to police, a motorcycle and another vehicle crashed, and the driver of the motorcycle died. Everyone who was involved stayed on the scene and police said they were cooperating with police in the investigation. The name of the motorcyclist who died will not be released until next of kin have been notified. No further information was immediately 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 FOX31 Denver. I moved to Thailand, started a family, and can't picture ever returning home to Scotland It's been 14 years since Duncan Forgan left Scotland and he's unsure whether he'll ever return home. He says that bad air quality and traffic congestion can make Bangkok a difficult city to live in. But shares four reasons he's continued living in Southeast Asia after all these years. A friend recently said that living in Southeast Asia was akin to winning one of Willy Wonka's golden tickets. And it's impossible to dismiss a long list of advantages that include the cuisine, cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, low cost of living, and generally friendly, laid-back hosts. There are trade-offs, including terrible air quality, horrendous traffic congestion, and temperatures that veer toward the inhumane. But on the plus side, I get sun-kissed winters, palm-fringed beaches, and a less stringently regulated existence. Like anywhere, life in Bangkok has its difficulties. The city is enervating, largely incomprehensible, and as batty as Mr Wonka. Yet, overall, I do feel like I was handed the keys to the proverbial chocolate factory. With its gilded temples, sci-fi-worthy skyline, and heady melange of sights, sounds, and smells, Bangkok could barely be more vivid. This intensity helped me fall for Thailand's lovably deranged capital when I first traveled here 14 years ago. It's been 14 years since the author arrived in Southeast Asia. Duncan Forgan Here are four other things that have kept me in Southeast Asia's occasionally grubby grasp. 1. Food is one of the city's chief keepers. From pavement vendors serving up banquets for just a few dollars to bustling markets packed with produce and vibrant with color, the city has a knack for whetting appetites, including my own. Bangkok is often cited as the planet's street food capital. For high-quality street food in a safe, clean environment, it's hard to beat Or Tor Kor Market. It's a great place to sample a wide range of tasty creations, from som tam (spicy green papaya salad) and kao ka moo (braised pork served with rice) to mango sticky rice. Another choice destination is Yaowarat Road in Chinatown where delicious noodle dishes and roast meats such as pork, duck, and goose are the order of the day. The diversity of options still floors me. On a recent Sunday, I started my day with a bowl of Chinese-Thai jok (rice porridge) from Jok Prince, where charcoal fire imparts added smokiness. I then had lunch at South Indian stalwart Tamil Nadu and finished the day off with a dinner at Ojo, the sky-high signature Mexican restaurant at the crown of the MahaNakhon Tower, Thailand's tallest building. 2. It's easier to tune out of the news cycle This one is such an exile privilege that it comes with caveats. Many Thai friends despair about the country's broken politics and surface-level media which favors soap opera-style stories over critical analysis. But personally, I find it liberating to detach from the yoke of everyday consumption of Western news outlets through choice or osmosis. The pandemic was a giant story in Thailand, as it was everywhere. Yet Western media obsessions US presidential elections and divisive identity politics, to name but two are not given the same relentless prominence here. Social media makes it difficult to ignore the vicissitudes of the global news agenda. However, I appreciate the added scope to tune out the noise. After years of travel including motorbike tours in Vietnam the author feels he's barely scratched the surface. Duncan Forgan 3. The amazing destinations on my doorstep I've experienced some transcendent moments across the Asia-Pacific region. My travel writing gigs have encompassed dancing to obscure soul music in a sweaty underground club with Kansai's mod contingent, piloting a vintage Royal Enfield to hunt down the best bowl of khao soi in Chiang Mai, and hacking my way along the Nullarbor Links from South to Western Australia. Recently, I visited Phong Nha in north-central Vietnam for the first time and spent three days exploring the karst scenery. A motorbike loop from the Phong Nha Farmstay was a worthy introduction to the area. But the grand finale a one-day trek involving waterfall jumps and a swim into the extremities of a river cave was unforgettable. The cliche about there always being something new to discover is well-worn. And, in the case of Asia, it's true. The author traveling back to Scotland with his son. Duncan Forgan 4. Life at home gets harder to visualize I'd be lying if I said I never feel the call of home. When I left London for Asia at the end of 2010, I felt pretty done with the UK due to a combination of factors, ranging from relationship woes to despair about my spluttering career. For a while, I was happy enough to redeem the return portion of my airfare whenever I made my yearly trip home. The arrival of my son, Alexander, along with a nearly three-year pandemic-imposed gap between trips, and a long-term Bangkok resident's gratitude for clean air and quiet have helped soften my perspective. These days, the annual pilgrimage to Scotland is something to anticipate rather than to tick off. For all my renewed appreciation of my homeland, relocating there still feels like a stretch. I've not lived in Scotland since 2007, and the axis of my life wife and son, friends, work networks, clients is almost entirely Asia-orientated. Also, years of encountering diverse cultures, ways of life, and perspectives in Asia have altered me to the point where I'm not confident of readjusting to home. We are heading back to Scotland this July, and I can't wait to catch up with friends and family and show my son Alex the Highlands for the first time. But post-trip, I'll resist the temptation to place rose-tinted spectacles on overly misty eyes. Got a personal essay about living abroad that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com . Read the original article on Business Insider Visitors at the opening of the Cannstatter Wasen folk festival. Organizers of the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich will not allow the song "L'Amour Toujours" to be played at the beer festival after a series of incidents where crowds in Germany shouted far-right chants to the melody of the decades-old pop tune. Bernd Weibrod/dpa Organizers of the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich will not allow the song "L'Amour Toujours" to be played at the beer festival after a series of incidents where crowds in Germany shouted far-right chants to the melody of the decades-old pop tune. "We want to ban it and I will ban it," Oktoberfest boss Clemens Baumgartner told dpa on Monday with regard to the song by Italian DJ Gigi D'Agostino. "There's no place for all that right-wing bullshit at the Wiesn," he said, referring to the Theresienweise fairgrounds where Oktoberfest is held each year The song itself does not contain any right-wing extremist content, but it has taken on "very clear right-wing extremist connotations" in Germany in recent months, said Baumgartner. Several ugly incidents involving racist chants to the song have caused outrage in Germany after videos went viral online. Police in several German states have also launched criminal investigations on suspicion of incitement to hatred. A video of revellers outside a pub on the chic, exclusive North Sea island of Sylt shouting "Foreigners out - Germany for Germans" to the tune of the party hit has prompted condemnation and nationwide headlines. Baumgartner said Oktoberfest's operating conditions allowed them to ban particular slogans or content from the festival, which he described as a "light-hearted and beautiful" that welcomes many foreign guests. Right-wing slogans have been prevented in the past and should not occur in the future either, Baumgartner said: "The Wiesn is apolitical." Oktoberfest is particularly well-known internationally for the huge volume of beer consumed by revellers at the festival, with many of them donning traditional Bavarian garb for the event. WACO, Texas (KSNW) A man arrested last year in Wichita who was wanted on Texas murder charges has been returned to Texas. Derek Joseph Daigneault (McLennan Co. Jail) Our sister station, Fox 44 in Waco, reports that Derek Daigneault was returned to McLennan County, Texas, where he was booked into jail Monday. He is a suspect in the death of 26-year-old Mandy Rose Reynolds, whose body was discovered in a brush fire in April 2023. KBI investigating fatal officer-involved shooting in Haskell County He was arrested on April 9, 2023, in Wichita inside a grocery store at 13th and Tyler after leading Wichita police on a high-speed chase. He pleaded guilty in January to fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and theft. Daigneault was sentenced to just over nine years in prison in March. Hes being held in Texas on a $1 million bond. Robinson Police, who investigated the homicide, say neither Reynolds nor the suspect had ties to the area where she was found. 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 KSN-TV. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) A pair of high-profile shootings across Myrtle Beach this Memorial Day weekend left one person dead and several others behind bars. As the traditional launch of summer tourism season in South Carolinas vacation capital, the holiday violence left some visitors shaken as city leaders including Mayor Brenda Bethune worked to quell fears. For years, public safety has been a top and expensive priority at City Hall. When the new fiscal year begins on July 1, more than 15% of Myrtle Beachs $330 million budget is dedicated to policing: $50.4 million. Meanwhile, the department has seen its staffing grow from 348 employees in 2021-22 to 371 last year, while Part I crimes that include arson, theft, assault, burglary, murder and theft have dropped by more than 40% since 2018. Given Myrtle Beachs 60 miles of coastline and attractions such as Market Common, two locals told News13 they have no plans to avoid being outside during the citys peak months. Being a vacation capital of the whole southeast basically means youre going to bring the good, the bad and the ugly, one resident said. So many people in the younger generation have not been taught patience, and so they react. Officials have said in the past that technological enhancements like more surveillance cameras and implementing an acoustic detection system has allowed for faster responses and better tools for investigators. Police over the weekend announced arrests within hours of two crimes: First, Anthony Maurice Garner, 44, of Albermarle, N.C., was charged on Sunday in the shooting death of Columbias Cedric Reddick. Both men were involved in road rage incident along North Ocean Boulevard around 11 p.m. on Saturday Garner was in front of a judge Sunday afternoon, where he was denied bond. Then on Sunday just before midnight, officers were sent to four locations between 3rd Ave. S. and 14 Ave. S. for a rolling shooting incident. Nobody was injured, but police on Monday morning said Dwight McCarn, 34, of Lumberton, was charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession with a weapon during a violent crime. One resident said that after living in Myrtle Beach for so long, theyre used to hearing about altercations. I think its a symptom not just of Myrtle Beach but of the entire country, the entire world, he said. The police, I think, are doing a fantastic job, as well as they can, with the resources they have. Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said incidents like the ones over the weekend impact not only those visiting the Grand Strand, but those who live here as well. Bethune said it makes her upset to think many people have to settle their differences with violence. She said its a testimony to the many things happening in the U.S. right now, not just in Myrtle Beach, but she thinks the city has a great image that people often lose sight of. They dont want to focus on the good things that we have here, and the truth is our violent crime is down over 40%, Bethune said. We cant just focus on two incidents that happened, especially when we had so many people in town over this weekend. We need to focus on the good things that are happening and that gets lost, it gets lost in our messaging, it gets lost in what people want to think about us. * * * 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. * * * Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook and Instagram. You can also read more of her work here. * * * 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. 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 WBTW. A supposed member of a white supremacist group was arrested Sunday after swastikas and hate messages were spray painted on five Sylvan Park area homes in Nashville last year. A 19-year-old from Alabama, who was not named by police, is the suspect in the case. Surveillance video from the vandalism showed two people in masks when the vandalism occurred during the early morning hours of March 19, 2023. More: 'Hate has no home in Sylvan Park': As neighbors come together, some fear white supremacists are 'emboldened' More: Nashville police searches for suspects in vandalism in Sylvan Park neighborhood The suspect arrested is "an alleged member of a white supremacist group," a news release by Nashville police said. Charges include five counts of vandalism, five counts of engaging in a criminal conspiracy, five counts of criminal trespassing, five counts of civil rights intimidation, and one count of theft. The suspect was 17 when the alleged crimes took place, police said. Video from one of the homes showed two masked men approaching the porch, police said. One of the individuals sprayed paint over the camera lens before hate messages were spray painted on the property and a Colombian flag was taken, according to police. Nashville police have made an arrest for swastikas and hateful messages spray painted on homes in the Sylvan Park neighborhood in March 2023. Detectives had information the 19-year-old was likely to be at a concert event in the Madison area Sunday night. The suspect was spotted and taken into custody without incident. The vandalism occurred at homes on Westlawn Drive and Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho avenues, according to police. 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: Nashville make arrest for 2023 swastikas, hate messages in Sylvan Park More competitive than Oxford: What National Service looks like in other countries In January, Norways Princess Ingrid Alexandra, second in line to the throne, reported for duty as a conscript. For 12 months, she will serve as an engineer in Brigade Nord the only brigade in the Norwegian army. Winning a place on the Scandinavian countrys military service programme is a badge of honour afforded to only the brightest and best, not unlike the selection process for a highly competitive graduate scheme. Last year in Norway, 9,840 conscripts were accepted; roughly 17 per cent of the available cohort. Around a quarter go on to pursue a career in the armed forces. A national service programme has not operated in Britain since the 1960s. But that could soon change. In the first major policy announcement of the election campaign, Rishi Sunak has vowed to introduce a bold new model of National Service to give 18-year-olds a renewed sense of pride in our country. Some see it as a bid to shore up Conservative support among potential Reform voters, among whom the idea of National Service is very popular. This is not a policy that is going to get majority support or unite the country necessarily, says James Johnson, a political adviser and pollster, but thats not really what the Conservatives need to do. They need to shore up their vote. And with the groups that they have the best chance of doing that with, this seems to go down very well indeed. A similar promise was made by David Cameron in the run-up to the 2010 election. This became the National Citizen Service, which was mostly defunded by Sunak in 2022 when he was chancellor. According to the PM, the scheme is designed to instil a shared sense of purpose in Britains young people. Under the proposals, school leavers would either have to enrol on a year-long military placement in the Armed Forces or the UKs cyber defences, or spend one weekend each month volunteering in their community. Rishi Sunak with soldiers at the Julius Leber Barracks in Berlin earlier this year - Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street These weekend placements could be within the NHS, fire or police service, or with charities supporting older people or tackling loneliness. There would be a proposed 30,000 places available in the Armed Forces, which represents only about four per cent of 18-year-olds according to todays figures. So, one can assume only a small percentage of conscripts would actually be expected to complete military service. In a report last year, the centre-Right think-tank Onward argued that National Service could have a transformative effect on young people who were currently unhappy, unskilled and unmoored, helping them to develop skills, improve mental health, and forge patriotism. It was supported at the time by Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, who said it was a way to tap into the energy and imagination of an exciting new generation, and promote good mental health and resilience. Opinion polling by Onward found that, while 57 per cent of the population support some kind of National Service scheme and three times as many young people support the idea than oppose it most people would reject the idea of mandatory National Service, including two thirds of young people. Despite this, James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, said the Conservatives envisage there will be a very high level of take-up. If Sunaks National Service scheme goes ahead, Norway is the example to follow, where selective military conscription has not only put the country on a war footing but become a valuable addition to young peoples CVs, opening the door to a greater range of professional opportunities. What can Britain learn from Norway, and other Scandinavian countries that have adopted its approach? Like the National Service that was introduced in Britain in 1947, military service in Norway is technically mandatory. Everyone young men and women must enlist. But, crucially, not everyone is selected to serve. National Service recruits training in North Frith Barracks, Hampshire, 1953 - Harry Todd/Hulton Archive All eligible 18-year-olds are asked to fill out an online questionnaire, and those who are selected are screened through tests which determine their physical capability, stamina, teamwork and mental aptitude. Since expanding its national service scheme to include women in 2016, it has had an even larger pool of potential recruits to choose from. Norway is the country that originated this competitive model after the Cold War when they didnt need so many soldiers anymore, explains Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a proponent of National Service. She has written a research paper on what Britain could learn from the Scandinavian approach. In modern armed forces, you dont need every young man (and now woman), so the Norwegian [model] is selecting the best, she says. They turned military service into something very prestigious if you make it, you have a massive asset on your CV. Conscripts are high in demand for employers after they have completed their service. The unexpected downside, considering how much money the government spends on training these recruits, is that they are often poached by the private sector. Nevertheless, Braw believes, this model could be a blueprint for the UK, and the US, which similarly faces a crisis in military recruitment. Braw argues this system also gives disadvantaged young people a step up, as these are the top performers as measured in aptitude and skills and thinking and so forth. Where you went to school has no significance. Broadly, it seems to work and is respected by young people. While there is an obvious opportunity for anyone who doesnt want to join up to deliberately fail the initial tests and this must happen in a small number of cases Braw says there is no evidence of widespread purposeful flunking. Sweden adopted a similar approach when it reintroduced gender-neutral conscription in 2017. While the British armed forces are in the midst of a recruitment and retention crisis, Sweden, like Norway, has so many new recruits that the majority are turned away. Fewer than 10 per cent of teenagers gain a place on its selective conscription system, making it more competitive than admission to Oxford University, where 13.7 per cent of applicants are successful. The recruitment process is the same as in Norway, with an initial online assessment, followed by more detailed tests. Those who succeed go on to basic training and a placement of up to 15 months. After they complete their service, they join the reservists for 10 years. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (centre), who is taking part in her country's military service programme, with her parents earlier this month - Heiko Junge/NTB Scanpix The story is similar in Denmark, where all physically fit young men over the age of 18 are called up for roughly four months of military service. However, as there are enough volunteers, the system operates as a lottery and not all men serve. Earlier this year, the Danish government announced it will start conscripting women as well as men from 2026 and will expand the service time from four to 11 months. A study of Denmarks draft lottery, cited by Onward, found it not only bolstered the armed forces; it also improved numeracy and literacy among participants, with the largest improvements for men with the lowest previous skill level. Braw says the real benefits are management training, leadership training. These young men and women have been taught to not just staff a coffee machine, as you do at age 18 ordinarily, as a barista. You have a real responsibility and I think that is really the massive advantage that military service provides, especially when only the top performers are selected. It remains to be seen if the same will happen in Britain. 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. NATO: members should allow Ukraine to use Western weapons in Russia NATO has called on its member states to authorize Ukraine to use Western weapons against military targets in Russia during a spring session in the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Monday. NATO's Parliamentary Assembly (PA) adopted a corresponding declaration vowing support of Ukraine until victory is achieved. The time has come to lift some restrictions on the use of the weapons provided, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg cited the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, where the front line and the border with Russia more or less coincided, as an example of a possible use of Western weapons. Ukraine would be weaker if NATO members continued to support it only halfway, warned the president of NATO's Parliamentary Assembly, Micha Szczerba from Poland. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov appealed in a video message for the allies to close the airspace over western Ukraine with their air-defence systems. Umerov reiterated that his country was striving for full NATO membership. Parliamentarians from NATO member countries and partner states took part in the PA spring meeting. A delegation from the German Bundestag also travelled to Sofia. Stoltenberg named three topics for the upcoming NATO summit in Washington in July: improving the defence capabilities of member states, support for Ukraine and global partnerships with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. The Parliamentary Assembly also called for the creation of a centre at NATO headquarters in Brussels to combat disinformation. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a NATO Parliamentary assembly. -/NATO/dpa NATO Parliamentary Assembly calls for Ukraine to be allowed to strike Russia with Western-supplied weapons The NATO Parliamentary Assembly has urged the governments of the Alliances member states to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets in the Russian Federation. Source: Yehor Cherniev, Head of the Ukrainian Parliament's Permanent Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA), as reported by European Pravda Details: Cherniev noted that the decision was pushed through at the last moment, as the original version of the declaration passed by the NATO PA members did not contain this paragraph. "The NATO Parliamentary Assembly has urged Allied governments to give Ukraine permission to use Western weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation. This is about lifting certain restrictions on hitting legitimate targets deep inside Russia," the lawmaker said. From now on, parliamentarians will have legal grounds to put even more pressure on their governments to implement the decision, Cherniev said. Updated: The text of the declaration urges Allied governments to "support Ukraine in its international right to defend itself by lifting some restrictions on the use of weapons provided by NATO Allies to strike legitimate targets in Russia". Background: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has urged the allies to reconsider the restrictions on Ukraine striking Russia with Western weapons amid border fighting in Kharkiv Oblast. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposes the idea of authorising Ukraine to use weapons provided by Western allies to strike Russia. Support UP or become our patron! NATO allies should lift restrictions that prohibit Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons against military targets inside Russia, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly said in a declaration adopted on May 27. Some of the countries that supply the most military aid to Ukraine, namely the U.S. and Germany, are against Ukraine using their weapons to strike Russian territory due to fears this would lead to an escalation of the war. Other partners, such as the U.K., have said that Ukraine has the right to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russian territory. NATO member states should "support Ukraine in its international right to defend itself by lifting some restrictions on the use of weapons provided by NATO allies to strike legitimate targets in Russia," the declaration said. "Ukraine must be provided with all that it needs, as quickly as possible and for as long as it takes for it to win." The declaration was approved by a majority of the 281 lawmakers in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and received support from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said that "the right to self-defense includes hitting legitimate targets outside Ukraine." "Ukraine can only defend itself if it can attack Russias supply lines and Russian bases of operation," the NATO Parliamentary Assembly President Michal Szczerba said. Read also: Zelensky: Russia forming another grouping of forces near Ukraines northern border Ukraine has repeatedly said that the restrictions meant Ukraine was unable to attack Russian forces as they were building up before crossing the border into Kharkiv Oblast in the renewed Russian offensive that began on May 10. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis criticized the restrictions on May 20, arguing that the decision was "dominated by fear of Russia" and that Ukraine "must be allowed to use the equipment provided to them so that they can achieve strategic objectives." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on May 26 that Germany gave clear rules to Ukraine prohibiting the use of German weapons on Russian soil and that he sees no reason to change this. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. ASHEVILLE - State health regulators are conducting another inspection of Mission Hospital following patient deaths and other compliance problems. A nurse union representative, meanwhile, welcomed the visit, saying management improves conditions when the regulators are present something a hospital spokesperson denied. The inspection, which began May 20, comes after the hospital was placed under an "immediate jeopardy" status in December 2023 following patient deaths and other situations that North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services staff said represented eminent threats to patients. The status is the most serious regulators can assign and can result in the loss of Medicare payments to a hospital. Corrections made by Mission a former nonprofit bought by the for-profit HCA corporation in 2019 ended the immediate jeopardy status Feb. 28. But the hospital is still at risk of loss of the government funding due to remaining problems regulators said they found with Mission's governing body, patients rights, quality assessment and performance improvement, nursing, laboratory services, emergency services and emergency screening. The inspection was an unannounced visit that was expected sometime before June 5 to determine if Mission has fixed the many problems. If the hospital has not, Mission could be put on 15-day notice that Medicare payments will be terminated. The hospital can appeal that decision. State health department staff declined to talk about the inspection. NCDHHS spokesperson Hannah Jones confirmed May 23 inspectors were on site, but added, "we cant comment on ongoing surveys." The Citizen Times reached out May 24 to see if the survey was continuing, or if it had ended. Asked about the inspection, Mission spokesperson Nancy Lindell pointed out that the state had previously accepted the hospital's plan of correction. "We are grateful to our team at Mission Hospital for their participation in creating successful improvements since our last visit and for their diligent work to address the issues raised and improve the overall patient experience of those who come to us. We are dedicated to providing safe, quality care to the people of Western North Carolina," said Lindell. Kerri Wilson, a member of the nurses' union told the Citizen Times it was "great to have" the inspectors. "As we have seen in the past, when they are there, we actually have full staff or close to it," said Wilson, an eight-year specialist of the medical cardiology stepdown unit and member of the union bargaining team now negotiating a new contract with Mission/HCA. Kerri Wilson, a registered nurse at Mission Hospital, speaks at a press conference February 6, 2024. A chief complaint of nurses has been a lack of staffing that they say endangers patients and exhausts nurses, leading to turnover. They have called for higher pay for on-call nurses to incentivize them to come in when staffing is short. That hasn't happened, except when inspectors are present, Wilson said. "We have been asking for incentive pay to be increased for our PRN (on-call) staff," Wilson said. "And they were not doing that until this week." HCA Strategic Communications Vice President Katie Czerwinski denied that inspectors had anything to do with changes. "We have not offered anything different this week than is regularly offered when staff are needed," Czerwinski told the Citizen Times. The union, now in its fourth year, is negotiating its second contract. Nurses and management have met three times, with a fourth bargaining session planned for May 31. Asheville diesel mechanic turned Mission ICU nurse talks challenges, passions in industry Federal lawsuit: Mission/HCA illegally kept pay of 1,000 hospital, other workers Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: NC regulators inspect Mission/HCA in Asheville after patient deaths SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) Next year will mark 90 years since the establishment of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in San Marcos, but there are real concerns among those who keep it running that it may not make it to that milestone. Without this space for veterans in San Marcos, theres not many other spaces that we can call our own, honestly, said Stephanie Brown, the post commander at the Maurice T. Suttles VFW Post 3413. On the evening of May 9, a strong storm blew through the community, bringing with it large hail and damaging winds. Browns husband Aaron, the post quartermaster, happened to be inside the post at the time. A theater group was using the large community space for rehearsal and he ushered them to hunker down in an interior hallway. They literally and I mean literally sat here and sang Kumbaya while we rode out the worst of the storm, Aaron said, not realizing that at the time, part of the roof was getting detached. The wind had essentially peeled back the edge of the roof on the southern side of the metal building. Hail stones also pummeled that side of the building, leaving sizable dents, and the gusts caused the siding to buckle in spots. Tape is currently holding down the edges of the roof now that volunteers helped the post flip back over parts of the roof. Repairs are expected to cost about $16,000, but that does not include fixing the other exterior damage. Roof damage to the San Marcos VFW Post from the May 9, 2024 storm. (Courtesy Aaron Brown) Roof damage to the San Marcos VFW Post from the May 9, 2024 storm. (Courtesy Aaron Brown) Roof damage to the San Marcos VFW Post from the May 9, 2024 storm. (Courtesy Aaron Brown) Roof damage to the San Marcos VFW Post from the May 9, 2024 storm. (Courtesy Aaron Brown) Roof damage to the San Marcos VFW Post from the May 9, 2024 storm. (Courtesy Aaron Brown) Water damage inside the San Marcos VFW Post from the May 9, 2024 storm. (Courtesy Aaron Brown) Exterior damage to the San Marcos VFW Post from the May 9, 2024 storm. (Courtesy Aaron Brown) Exterior damage to the San Marcos VFW Post from the May 9, 2024 storm. (Courtesy Aaron Brown) However, the VFW post is facing another significant expense. It also needs about $140,000 to install a fire suppression system, which is now required by the City of San Marcos, and possibly another $40,000 for the electrical upgrades needed to run it. Aaron said those costs are seemingly insurmountable at this time, especially when he pointed out the post typically brings in $35,000 to $40,000 each year. That money is mostly from renting out the building and opening up the space for others to use. Its come to the point where the veterans now have no choice but to do something that they say is not easy for them: asking the community for help. Just in the last five years Ive had as quartermaster, this post has showed up whenever possible, however possible for this community, Aaron said, but now were asking the community to show up for us. We need your help. How to donate Donations are what the veterans said will make the difference to help them stick around and still serve the community. The VFW post set up an online fundraiser where people can go and contribute money to help it make the needed capital improvements. Anyone with questions about other ways to help can send an email to the posts leaders at vfwpost3413@gmail.com. Aaron had a message for his neighbors in the San Marcos area who might have something to give to the VFW post, which opened in the community on Dec. 5, 1935. What this post does, we try to help with every fiber of our being, he said. Were now having to ask for help. Were having to ask for something that is extremely hard for us to ask. It doesnt matter what you can donate, what you can give its going to come back to the community. This post is part of this community. This post continues to be part of this community and will be for as long as we can keep it open. 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 KXAN Austin. Negotiations on receiving instructors from France are still ongoing Ukrainian Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has clarified that negotiations on the admission of instructors from France to Ukrainian training centres are still ongoing, following a statement by Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Source: Ministry of Defence press service Quote: "Ukraine has expressed interest in the prospect of receiving foreign instructors in Ukraine since February 2024. We are still in the process of discussions with France and other countries on this issue as of now." Details: The press service noted that the Ministry of Defence, together with the General Staff, has begun internal work on the relevant documents on this issue in order not to waste time on coordinating bureaucratic issues when the decision is made. Background: On 27 May, Oleksandr Syrskyi announced that he had signed documents allowing the first French instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres and get acquainted with their infrastructure and personnel. Afterwards, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces has stated that the deployment of French military instructors to Ukraine to train soldiers is still under consideration. Support UP or become our patron! Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an Israeli strike that killed at least 45 Palestinians over the weekend a tragic mistake and called for an investigation into the civilian deaths Monday. The Israeli strike on the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah targeted a humanitarian zone filled with tents, where Israels military previously instructed displaced Palestinians to shelter from the ongoing war against militant group Hamas, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The Israeli military claimed the strike killed two senior Hamas leaders. Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake, Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israels parliament. We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion, because this is our policy. Gaza health officials said most of the dead were women and children, and noted that the death toll is likely to rise as countless were trapped in rubble. The strike was widely denounced, as criticism rises on the Israeli military operation in Rafah. A White House National Security Council spokesperson told Axios on Monday that the attack was heartbreaking. Israel has a right to go after Hamas but as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians, the spokesperson said. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened. French President Emmanuel Macron used the strike as an opportunity to again call for a cease-fire in the conflict. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians, Macron wrote in a post social platform X. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. The attack comes just days after the United Nationss International Court of Justice ordered Israel to stop its operations in Rafah, the last remaining major settlement in Gaza that has not been invaded by Israel. The Israeli military has slowly encroached on the city, despite strong warnings from the Biden administration. President Biden warned earlier this month that he would stop military aid shipments to Israel if it invaded Rafah without a plan approved by U.S. leaders to limit civilian casualties. More than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million people are believed to be sheltering in Rafah, and more than 80 percent of the territorys population overall are displaced from their homes. The U.N. said famine has begun in parts of the region as civilians struggle to get access to humanitarian aid. More than 120 aid trucks entered the city Sunday from Egypt, the first since the Israeli military seized the crossing earlier this month. It was not immediately clear if local aid groups could access the humanitarian supplies, however, The Associated Press reported, as fighting in the area has made humanitarian work difficult. Much of southern Gaza, including Rafah, has been mostly cut off from aid since the Israeli military began what it described as a limited operation into the area early this month. An American-built floating pier has begun to deliver some aid to the area, though aid groups say it is much less than promised and that there are not enough trucks to adequately distribute supplies. 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 The Hill. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted on Monday that his militarys gruesome attack that killed dozens of displaced Palestinians in Rafah was a tragic mistake, as his government faces international condemnation for the strikes that engulfed the tent camp in flames. On Sunday night, Israeli forces began bombing a tent camp in the southern Gaza citys Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, which was designated as a safe zone for displaced Palestinians to shelter. Local health officials said the strikes have killed at least 45 people, and that the number is expected to rise as people continue to dig through the rubble. Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake, Netanyahu told Israels parliament. We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy. Israel has long been notorious for saying it is capable of investigating itself over alleged crimes, despite rights groups pointing out that authorities regularly fail to conduct a thorough probe of violence against Palestinians. In instances where Israel does follow through with imposing punitive measures on accused soldiers, the consequences usually lean on the lighter end. Footage of the massacre spread quickly on social media, showing extremely graphic scenes of people burned alive and childrens bodies, including babies, torn up as screaming civilians try to escape while surrounded by flames. We pulled out people who were in an unbearable state, Gaza civilian Mohammed Abuassa told The Associated Press. We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal. A Palestinian woman at a health clinic holds the shrouded body of a child killed in Israel's attack on a tent camp in Rafah's Tel al-Sultan neighborhood on May 26, 2024. Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images According to the Gaza Health Ministry, most of the dead and wounded were women and children, bringing the Palestinian death toll from Israels military offensive to more than 36,000. Netanyahus statement, which does not elaborate on the mistake, contradicts his own militarys claim hours earlier. The Israel Defense Force said on social media that soldiers carried out an intelligence-based precise strike that targeted senior Hamas officials. The IDF claimed on Monday morning that Tel al-Sultan or Zone 2371, as the military calls it was not part of its designated humanitarian area, and so therefore soldiers were allowed to bomb the refugee camp. Anyone arguing otherwise is pushing Hamas propaganda, it argued. But aid groups with staff on the ground during the attack maintained that the tent camp was in a designated safe zone. Israeli officials eventually said they were looking into the strikes and that the military regrets the loss of civilian life. According to the AP, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the Israeli militarys top legal official, said that such incidents happen in a war of such scope and intensity echoing Netanyahus comments from earlier in the war when he said Palestinian deaths were merely collateral damage. We will never forget the images emerging from Rafah tonight, pro-Palestinian group Jewish Voice for Peace said in a statement. Human beings, including babies, were burned alive and torn apart. This genocide must end, it must end now. Netanyahu faced swift condemnation from the international community for the attack, with human rights groups, aid organizations and Western leaders calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. The UN agency that provides aid to Palestinians said Monday that it has been unable to reach its teams on the ground in Rafah. Outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah, French President Emmanuel Macron, one of Israels top allies, posted on social media. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for a full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. The massacre occurred just two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to pull its military out of Rafah. Israel stands accused before the ICJ of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and the International Criminal Court recently announced that it is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders. An infographic on Israel's latest attack in Rafah, created in Ankara, Turkey on May 27, 2024. The attack comes despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice that ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah. Omar Zaghloul/Anadolu via Getty Images The attack also came as Spain, Ireland and Norway plan to diplomatically recognize a Palestinian state, a move that Israels foreign minister said was rewarding terror. This is really a dilemma. How can the international community ... enforce the implementation of the decisions of the International Court of Justice? I suppose that today, we are going to discuss about it, Josep Borrell, high representative for the European Union, told the EUs Foreign Affairs Council on Monday. The White Houses National Security Council called the devastating images from Rafah heartbreaking, saying Israel has a right to go after Hamas but that the military must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. The statement, which does not mention any potential consequences for Israel, is virtually the same response the Biden administration has given after the IDF killed Palestinians, aid workers, children and medical staff and blocked necessary humanitarian assistance. The U.S. government, specifically President Joe Biden, has not escaped similar condemnation for supporting and supplying the Israeli military. Biden has continued to back Netanyahu despite the prime minister regularly ignoring his strongest allys pleas to further reduce civilian harm. Enough is enough. If President Biden sends even one more missile to the Israeli government after seeing the apocalyptic footage of headless Palestinian children and civilians burned alive using U.S. bombs in a so-called Rafah safe zone, he will once again cross his own red line and every red line of U.S. law, international law and basic human decency, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director for Muslim civil rights group CAIR, said in a statement on Monday. No more shifting red lines, no more calls to Benjamin Netanyahus government to investigate itself, and no more military, financial or diplomatic support for this genocide, he continued. All Americans are being stained with the blood of innocent Palestinians by the Biden administrations support for this slaughter. It must end. Now. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday called the countrys deadly weekend strike on a Rafah displacement camp a tragic mistake, as global outrage over the number of civilians killed in its war in Gaza mounted. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Sunday nights strike killed at least 45 Palestinians and wounded almost 200 others taking shelter in tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where roughly 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge during Israels military offensive. Many have fled the area since the start of Israels ground invasion of the city three weeks ago, though hundreds of thousands are estimated to still remain. In a speech to Israels parliament on Monday, Netanyahu said that Israel would investigate Sundays incident and obtain a conclusion. Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake, Netanyahu said. We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy. Shortly after the attack, the Israel Defense Forces announced that two senior Hamas officials had been killed in a strike carried out on the basis of precise intelligence, though the IDF also acknowledged reports that several civilians in the area were harmed. The National Security Council appeared to support Israels statement that the strike killed two top Hamas operatives. A NSC spokesperson, granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue, added that the U.S. is actively engaging the IDF to assess the attack. The devastating images following an IDF strike in Rafah last night that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians are heartbreaking. Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians, the spokesperson said. But as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. Doctors Without Borders said it had treated 180 injured people with shrapnel wounds, fractures, traumatic injuries and burns. Women and children were among the people that were brought to the stabilization point, and once again, civilians are paying the price of this war, Samuel Johann, the organizations Gaza coordinator, said in a statement. This Israeli attack on a populated camp in a so-called safe zone in Rafah shows the complete disregard for the lives of civilians in Gaza. Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), lambasted Israel over the attack. The Israeli bombing of a refugee camp inside a designated safe zone is horrific. Israel has a duty to protect innocent civilians and Palestinians seeking shelter in Rafah have nowhere safe to go, Warren posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. Netanyahus assault of Rafah must stop. We need an immediate cease-fire. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) added: Netanayhus reckless prosecution of Hamas has killed Israeli hostages, aid workers, and innocent Palestinians. And nothing changes. The same tactics by the same leaders will only produce same or worse results. Top EU officials were also quick to condemn the strike, with French President Emmanuel Macron expressing outrage over the civilian deaths and demanding full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. In an unusual rebuke, the German Foreign Office posted a similar message to X. The images of charred bodies, including children, from the airstrike in Rafah are unbearable, the statement said. The exact circumstances must be clarified and an IDF investigation launched swiftly. The civilian population in Gaza must urgently be better protected. United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk echoed the call for an investigation, saying the outcome of the strike was entirely predictable and noting that the IDFs review must lead to accountability and changes in policy and practices. The images from the camp are horrific and point to no apparent change in the methods and means of warfare used by Israel that have already led to so many civilian deaths, said Turk. Sundays strike underscores once again that there is literally no safe place in Gaza. The strike comes just days after the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel must halt its offensive in Rafah an order that, while legally binding, the court has no power to enforce. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) invoked the ICJ ruling in a post denouncing Israel's strike and calling on President Joe Biden who previously said an Israeli incursion into Rafah would be a "red line" to terminate military aid to Israel. "The IDFs attack on a tent camp of innocents in Rafah is an indefensible atrocity. This was done in open defiance of @POTUSs red line and the ICJs call for a ceasefire," Ocasio-Cortez wrote. "It is long past time for the President to live up to his word and suspend military aid." Nahal Toosi and Erin Banco contributed to this report. WORCESTER Each Memorial Day, as city veterans line up before 9 a.m. at Hope Cemetery to honor their fallen comrades, Thanh Nguyen is waiting. As the bagpipes wail and service members stand to attention, so too does Nguyen. Thank you all American soldiers, veterans and your families, reads the sign he raises in silent gratitude as soldiers pass. Thanh Nguyen holds a sign during a Memorial Day ceremony in Hope Cemetery Monday. Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee who came to America in the 1980s, spoke with emotion in his voice Monday as he vowed to never forget the soldiers who died fighting communism in his country. I come here just to say thank you, he said. Nguyen was among a small but dedicated crowd of onlookers who stood watching Monday as Worcester Police Officer and U.S. Army veteran Sean Lovely, as he has for years, led a procession through the cemetery playing bagpipes. As Lovely played "The Marines Hymn," onlookers waved to veterans they knew, saluted or held their hands over their hearts. Members of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Willie Grout Camp 25 Worcester and others march through Hope Cemetery to a Memorial Day ceremony Monday. The greatest casualty is being forgotten, Tracy A. Racine, whose son, Army Pvt. First Class Brian M. Moquin Jr., died in Afghanistan in 2006, told observers a few minutes later. So Memorial Day is a very important day to remember all our fallen and say their names. Moquin, an adventurous 19-year-old with a love of art and skateboarding, was one of several Worcester residents Mayor Joseph M. Petty mentioned by name Monday as he thanked all those who have paid the ultimate price for freedom. The heartbreak of loved ones hearing that a child, parent, spouse, friend or family member has been lost will never be understood by the average person, the mayor said. It is important for us to remember that hundreds of Worcester residents who died on the battlefield had their own stories cut short. We remember people like (Marines) Pvt. First Class John Shiraka and Pvt. First Class David Roy, good friends who grew up off of Hamilton Street whose parents begged them to stay in school before joining the service. Worcester Veterans Service Officer Joe Robinson, left, and Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty place a wreath during a Memorial Day ceremony in Hope Cemetery Monday. They instead chose to go to Vietnam together and they died less than one month from each other. They were 21. The mayor also recalled Pvt. Thomas Flanagan, the son of Irish immigrants, killed in France at age 25 during World War I, and Buglemaster 2nd Class Lionel W. Lescault, a sailor who may have been the first person from the city to die in World War II. We (also) remember Pvt. First Class Brian Moquin, who died at the young age of 19 in Operation Enduring Freedom, Petty said, as he gestured toward Racine. Petty said there is beauty in knowing that Worcester residents have, since 1887, come to Hope Cemetery to honor their war dead. He closed with a quote from Roy, shortly before his death. 'If this war calls for my life, I only hope I can give it as bravely and honorably as I know only too well that my fellow Marines have,' Petty read. We should all be so lucky to have that level of courage and dedication. Racine then spoke of her son, who died in a helicopter crash May 5, 2006. Gold Star Mother Tracy Racine speaks during a Memorial Day ceremony in Hope Cemetery Monday. Her son Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr. was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2006 while serving in the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division. He loved being in the Army. He said he finally found a place for him, she said. He loved the brotherhood. He loved the freedom for which he fought. Hes greatly missed, by me and all his family and friends. Other ceremony participants Monday included Janet Knowlton, who sang the national anthem, Worcester Veterans Services Officer Joe Robinson and Belinda Morrone, adjutant of American Legion East Side Post 201, and retired Col.. US. Air Force. We pray remembering those who have passed. Were asked to carry their faith, love, honor and duty forward to the future generations, our youth, Morrone said. They must know what our warriors, our brave patriotic men and women, did. Morrone added those who died created a clear pathway for us to continue on. We must never waver from that path of freedom and democracy, she said. Morrone and the Commander of East Side Post 201 Larry Sasso (U.S. Marine Sgt., retired) said afterward its difficult to see the dwindling crowds at services honoring veterans over the years. Thats why I feel like its my responsibility really to bring in the younger adults and children, said Sasso, noting that many kids recently helped place thousands of flags at veterans graves this week. Marine Corps League Worcester Detachment 144 member Steven Cheney Sr. plays "Taps" during a Memorial Day ceremony in Hope Cemetery Monday. It was so gratifying to see, he said. Tracy (Racine) said it so well its our responsibility to make surewe remember the sacrifices they made. Monday mornings ceremony and wreath laying at Hope Cemetery was one of several events the city was to hold to remember the fallen. Memorials were also to be laid at the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Green Hill Park at 11 a.m. and at the Korean War Memorial on Foster Street at 1 p.m. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Never forgotten: On Memorial Day, Worcester remembers the fallen NEWPORT NEWS Aaron Lin has already prepared his valedictorian speech. The 18-year-old Woodside High School student has one big piece of advice for fellow students: Structure your time. He wants them to envision their life in five or 10 years and then create a path to get there. Even if their goals change, he says, the structure will take them where they need to go. Lin knows what hes talking about. Hes been managing his time since he was a child, at first with the help of his parents, then later on his own. It has allowed him to be involved in a variety of extracurricular activities at school, help out at his familys restaurant, serve as the student liaison to the school board, volunteer within the community, keep up with his studies and still find time to enjoy archery and watching classic movies. And it has all paid off. Lin was recently named a Gates Scholar. The award means he has a full ride to Yale University, where he plans to study economics and statistics. The experience was a little bit surreal, Lin said about finding out he won the award. He was one of 750 recipients this year, out of more than 53,000 applicants. I was so proud of him, said his mom, Jing Xiao. She said its a recognition of his hard work through high school. The Gates Scholarship, awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is given to exceptional student leaders, according to its website. Lin said being recognized for his leadership potential means the most to him. He will be the first in his family to attend college. He is interested in a career as a financial analyst. Xiao said it means a lot to her that her son will get this opportunity she believes he will be a changemaker of this generation. The scholarship removes an enormous financial weight. Lin said he now wont have to worry about getting a part-time job and hell have time to take extra classes or explore other interests at college. The experiences hes had at Woodside and the teachers and counselors who supported him are a big part of his story, Lin said. Serving on the school board and watching as statewide issues were debated has been eye-opening. The board exposed me to a lot of different problems, or conflicts, in the school system that we wouldnt really notice in an everyday setting, and exposed me to more problems that we have to work towards solving in the future, he said. Theres a lot of groups of people who dont have the voice or the platform to speak about what they feel. So its just a takeaway of trying to listen to more people and try to help as many as we can. Lin has also prioritized supporting his family. Hes spent evenings and weekends at the familys Jing Jing Asian Restaurant running the cashier, cooking with the deep fryer, restocking produce, cleaning and sweeping. Hes also kept in touch with his Chinese roots, learning Mandarin and volunteering with the Peninsula Chinese American Association. Xiao, who came to America from China more than 20 years ago, said it was important that her children hold on to their culture. She said the connection to their heritage helps them define who they are. After graduation, Lin will go to Yale for a six-week summer session to participate in the First-Year Scholars program. The program allows new students to get a head start on coursework and meet other incoming freshmen. Hes looking forward to graduation next month and shared some more of his planned speech: Every one of us has a different path. So some of us might become future engineers, doctors, maybe artists, musicians, any of those. But we all came from the same roots. Nour Habib, nour.habib@virginiamedia.com On May 8, lawyers for Gov. Gavin Newsom, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate Leader Mike McGuire appeared before the California Supreme Court in an effort to invalidate the Taxpayer Protection Act, a duly qualified statewide ballot measure slated for the November 2024 ballot. It is nearly unprecedented for opponents of a hotly debated measure to use the courts to take something off the ballot before voters have had the chance to decide at the ballot box. Californians have a protected right to use direct democracy via initiatives and referendums. Opponents typically defer to voters before trying to use the courts to effectively cancel an election, but that is not the case here. And we learned why on May 8, when opponents and proponents of the Taxpayer Protection Act made their case before the California Supreme Court. Opinion The governor and legislative leaders using taxpayer dollars no less are arguing that the Taxpayer Protection Act is an illegal revision of the California constitution. Why? Because it lets voters, not politicians, have the final say on all future new and higher taxes. They argue that this is a fundamental shift in power and that it would drastically change how the legislature operates. But during arguments at the Supreme Court, we had the opportunity to better understand the true motive behind the Democrat effort to remove the act from the ballot before voters can weigh in: Their lawyers told the court that voters are not capable of making informed decisions about when their taxes are raised and how their taxes are spent. Yes, you read that correctly. Newsoms lawyers made it clear to the court that politicians in Sacramento are the professionals and voters just cant grasp the intricacies of tax policy and, therefore, cannot be trusted with that power. While running his shadow campaign for president, Newsom loves to lecture other states about the need to protect democracy and peoples rights. Apparently, his support ends at Californias borders. Newsom seems eager to roll back our voters rights to democratically make decisions about how they are taxed. You just cant make this kind of hypocrisy up. These arguments come on the heels of the governors narrow victory with Proposition 1, which asked the voters to approve a bond to help address the states out-of-control homelessness crisis. Maybe its a bit of sour grapes from Newsom, who was so shocked by the results of Prop. 1 that he postponed for months his constitutionally required State of the State address. Over the past five years, the state has spent more than $24 billion of taxpayer money to address homelessness. Is the states homelessness crisis $24 billion better? No. In fact, its worse. So where did the billions go and how many homeless people were served as a result? Well, according to a recent hearing at the State Capitol, Newsoms administration admitted that no one really knows the answers. No one was held accountable for results, and state officials dont know who ultimately got the taxpayer funds, how it was used and how many homeless people were served. Maybe thats why voters were so hesitant to support Proposition 1: not because theyre not smart enough to understand taxation, but because they are smart enough to know when their tax dollars are being wasted. The Taxpayer Protection Act will hold Newsom and state legislators accountable for the tax dollars they spend and make them accountable to the people of California. Its this accountability that the governor and legislature are so desperate to stop. It will force our elected officials to be better stewards of Californians money and ensure they are spending that money on voters priorities, not helping out special interest allies behind closed doors, under the protection of non-disclosure agreements. I am optimistic that the Supreme Court will see through the governors political posturing and respect 130 years of precedent to uphold voters constitutional right to act as the final check and balance of their government. Asm. James Gallagher represents Assembly District 3, located in the northern Sacramento Valley. Niagara Falls man accused of DWI with one-year-old, eight-month-old infant in vehicle BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A Niagara Falls man was arrested for allegedly driving while impaired by drugs with a one-year-old and an eight-month-old infant in the vehicle on Sunday, the Niagara County Sheriffs Office said. According to officials, at 4 p.m., 20-year-old Mekhi Miller allegedly made multiple abrupt lane changes and failed to signal. During a traffic stop, the deputy observed signs of drug impairment from Miller. Both the one-year-old and eight-month-old were allegedly in improper child restraints, the sheriffs office said. Further investigation revealed that Miller was allegedly driving while impaired by drugs, where he was then evaluated by a drug recognition expert, officials said. The children were turned over to a family member. Miller was remanded to the Niagara County Jail where he will be held for centralized arraignment. He was charged with the following: DWI drugs Aggravated driving while intoxicated Leandras Law Two counts of endangering the welfare of a child Multiple vehicle and traffic law violations, which include: improper child restraint, improper turn signal, and moving from the lane unsafely Latest Local News Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work 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 News 4 Buffalo. Nigerian official says gunmen made tea as they kidnapped at least 160 in hours-long deadly raid Ten people were killed and 160 others, including children, were abducted during a raid by suspected Boko Haram militants on a remote village in north-central Nigeria, a local official told CNN on Monday. The attack occurred in Kuchi village, Munya district, in Niger state, beginning at about 5:30 p.m. on Friday and lasting until 4:00 a.m. Saturday, according to district official Aminu Abdulhamid Najume. Niger state, which borders Nigerias capital Abuja, has experienced repeated kidnappings for ransom by armed groups, including mass abductions, in recent years. Najume reported that about 300 gunmen arrived on motorbikes and stayed for several hours, making themselves at home before leaving with the abductees. They made a fire to curb the cold because it was raining throughout that day, Najume said. They cooked and made tea; they made Indomie (instant noodles) and spaghetti. Some of those killed were members of a local vigilante group who confronted the attackers but were overpowered. Najume added that security forces had not yet started rescue operations. The police visited Kuchi yesterday [Sunday] and left, nothing else. A spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command did not respond to CNNs request for comment. This is not the first or second time Kuchi village has been attacked. This is the fifth time, Najume said, noting that the area frequently suffers from kidnappings for ransom. The kidnappers have not yet made any demands regarding the latest abduction, he said. Amnesty International said in a post on social media platform X on Sunday that it was deeply concerned by the abduction, criticizing Nigerian authorities for leaving rural communities at the mercy of gunmen. Since 2021, gunmen have been consistently attacking Kuchi village and raping women and girls in their matrimonial homes, the agency stated. The invasion of the village by the gunmen is yet another indication of the Nigerian authorities utter failure to protect lives, Amnesty added. Nigerias security forces have struggled for years to control insurgent groups in the north of the country. The Kuchi abduction comes two months after 21 people, including a newlywed, were killed when gunmen described locally as bandits stormed a market in Rafi, another affected district in Niger. At least 137 schoolchildren were kidnapped earlier in March in Nigers neighboring Kaduna state but were later released after the kidnappers made an initial demand of 1 billion naira (over $675,000) and threatened to kill them all if their demands were not met. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Miniature flags are planted next to gravesites at Fargo National Cemetery. (Contributed/Fargo National Cemetery/Fort Snelling) Efforts are underway to expand the Fargo National Cemetery, modeling it after the state-run Veterans Cemetery south of Mandan. The Fargo National Cemetery, dedicated in September 2019 on about 5 acres of land northwest of Fargo in Harwood, is about to get a larger footprint. Newly purchased land will allow the cemetery to expand to 35 acres. It was very clear that we needed a larger cemetery, said U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., a member of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Committee. Hoeven said the next major project for the site will be the construction of a visitors center. Were kind of using the state Veterans Cemetery in Mandan as a model because its one of the nicest state-run veterans cemeteries in the country, Hoeven said. Marshall Murphy, deputy director of the Fort Snelling National Cemetery Complex, said the National Cemetery Administration is in the preliminary planning stages of Fargos expansion. He said he expects new additions to take at least a few years to complete. In the meantime, the Department of Veterans Affairs has leased the newly acquired land back to a farmer while plans are being developed, Murphy said. Stakeholders including the Fargo Memorial Honor Guard, veterans groups and a cemetery steering committee are providing input, Hoeven said. We are hopeful that we can reach a final plan and get going on the project by this fall or next spring, Hoeven said. The closest federal veterans cemeteries are in Spearfish, South Dakota, and Minneapolis. The Fargo National Cemetery averages about 185 burials per year, said Jennifer Lieder, the cemeterys manager. It serves almost all of North Dakota and then a big portion of Minnesota and even into South Dakota, Lieder said. The Department of Veterans Affairs announced plans for the Fargo cemetery in 2012 as part of its Rural Initiative plan to expand burial options in rural areas. Until 2019, the only veterans cemetery in the state was the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery south of Mandan. The cemetery, which opened in July 1992, is operated through the Office of the Adjutant General. It sits on 70 acres of land, 35 acres of which are undeveloped. Last November, the cemetery dedicated a columbarium, a notched wall used to store cremation urns. The project was funded through a $1.86 million grant from the National Cemetery Administration and more than $600,000 from the cemeterys foundation. Pamela Helbling-Schafer, director of the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, said the cemetery continues to provide underground cremation burial for family members who want the iconic veterans headstone, but the columbarium gives people another option. At the current rate, the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery should have enough burial space for the next 15 years, not including the 35 acres that are undeveloped, Helbling-Schafer said. Were talking many, many, many more years of space for interment, she said. More than 2,000 visitors are expected to attend the Mandan cemeterys Memorial Day ceremony, which starts at noon Monday. Volunteers will arrive at 8 a.m. to set flags on each of the more than 9,000 gravesites. The Avenue of Flags will feature 50 American flags flying along the roadway all day. If folks want to see that Avenue of Flags up, its so breathtaking when you drive in to see them all placed, Helbling-Schafer said. For more information on bus locations and schedules for the Memorial Day event in Mandan, check the North Dakota National Guard Service Member and Family Support Facebook page. The Fargo National Cemetery is expected to see more than 1,000 visitors over the holiday for its program at 3 p.m. Monday. For more information, check out the Fargo National Cemetery Committee Facebook page. The post North Dakota veterans cemeteries prepare for the future, ready for Memorial Day crowds appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. North Korea said its recent attempt to launch a new rocket, reportedly carrying its second military spy satellite, failed after an engine exploded midflight and crashed into the nearby water. North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency said it launched the satellite on a new rocket from its northwestern space center. The agency said it blew up soon after liftoff and the issue was suspected to be an engine problem, The Associated Press reported. Earlier Monday, North Korea notified Japans coast guard about its plan, warning the country to exercise caution in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and China, and east of the Philippine island of Luzon. Japans NHK public TV station reported an image captured by a camera in northeastern China showing an orange light in the sky and an apparent explosion. South Korea also tracked the launch trajectory and within four minutes, the country spotted fragments in the water, according to the AP. The launch came hours after leaders from South Korea, China and Japan met in Seoul for their first meeting in more than four years. In November, North Korea successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite, called the Malligyong-1, atop a Chollima-1 rocket in the countrys main launch center after two prior failures, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The country says the Malligyong-1 is still functioning. The spy satellites are part of North Koreas efforts to increase space surveillance against the United States. The news comes months after the United Nations Security Council banned North Korea from launching satellites because it views them as a disguised test of missile technology. The U.S. condemned the first launch, citing the violation of the U.N. resolution, which bars the country from ballistic missile technology. The president and his national security team are assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners, the Biden administration said in a statement at the time. We urge all countries to condemn this launch and call on [North Korea] to come to the table for serious negotiations. North Korea has previously warned that any interference with its spy satellite mission would be a declaration of war. 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 The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- North Korea has given Japan notice that it plans to launch a rocket by June 4 to deploy a satellite, signaling it will attempt to send a second spy probe into orbit months after its first successful launch. Most Read from Bloomberg Officials from Japan, the US and South Korea held talks and called on North Korea to halt the launch, which it says helps Pyongyangs ballistic missile program and is a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, Japans Foreign Ministry said Monday in a statement. North Korea typically sends notice ahead of launches that point out where rocket stages may fall along a southerly path over the Yellow Sea and waters near the Philippines. Pyongyang says it has a right to conduct a civilian space program. South Korea conducted an air exercise near its border with North Korea in a show of force hours after Japan received the notification. The drills comprised about 20 fighters including F-35A stealth jets, South Koreas military said in a notice sent to reporters. Pyongyang had two failed attempts prior to the launch in November that successfully deployed a satellite. North Korea claims the probe it put into orbit has taken photos of sites including the White House. South Korea has questioned the operational capability of a satellite it believes to be rudimentary at best. Kim Jong Uns regime has said it wants to use spy satellites to keep an eye on US forces in the region, and the probes could help it in its targeting as it steps up its ability to deliver a nuclear strike. New Push Pyongyangs space program has diminished in importance over the years as the state greatly enhanced its ability to build intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads that could strike the US. That trend started to change last year when Kim made placing spy satellites in orbit a priority. He went to Russia in September to meet President Vladimir Putin, who pledged to assist Pyongyang with its space program. The US and others have accused Kim of sending massive amounts of munitions to Putin to help in his war on Ukraine in return for aid that is advancing North Koreas military and economy. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the claims. After the summit last year, a large number of Russian experts went to North Korea to help with satellite development, South Koreas Yonhap News Agency reported over the weekend, citing a senior defense official it did not name. North Korea has conducted multiple rocket engine tests since then, likely to meet the standards of the visiting Russian technicians, Yonhap cited the official as saying. The report did not say how many Russian experts have visited or when exactly any visit took place. One problem that has plagued Kims space program has been stage separation, which caused two missions to fail last year and led to rocket debris falling into the sea. South Korea fished out a North Korean satellite from Yellow Sea waters some 70 meters (230 feet) deep, which gave it a rare look at the state of Pyongyangs technology. Read more: South Korea Salvages Norths Satellite in Intelligence Win The launch notification comes after China, Japan and South Korea held their first three-way summit since 2019. Tokyo and Seoul have long encouraged China to use its role as the biggest benefactor to Pyongyang to rein in Kims atomic ambitions. Read more: China Discusses Supply Chains With US Allies Japan, South Korea Kim aims to launch three spy satellites in 2024, the official Korean Central News Agency reported after a policy-setting meeting of top officials in the last days of December. By placing another spy satellite into orbit, the North Korean leader can demonstrate to his top cadres and his people that the countrys military is making great strides in keeping an eye on the US, reinforcing the message in propaganda that its expansion is essential to prevent an invasion from American forces. --With assistance from Soo-Hyang Choi and Sam Kim. (Updates with South Korean military drill, details.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. (FOX40.COM) A Northern California man was recently arrested after a search of an illegal marijuana dispensary revealed a massive amount of drugs including cocaine, Xanax, and chocolate bars containing psychedelic mushrooms. The Yuba County Sheriffs Department said the man, 20 from Yuba City, was selling the drugs under the business name Linda Exotics. Video Above: What do the different schedules of drugs mean? If you happen to have ordered products from Linda Exotics, your package will NOT be arriving soon, the agency said on Facebook. Northern California deputies take down illegal marijuana operation; seize nearly 1,000 plants On Thursday, Yuba County deputies said they arrested the 20-year-old after catching him trying to sell over 100 marijuana vape pens out of the state. Because he was already on probation, deputies were able to search his home, leading to the discovery of an enormous amount of marijuana, nearly 200 grams of cocaine, and 5,000 Xanax pills that were all marked for sale. The man was booked into a Sutter County jail on various possession charges and attempted transport for sale out of state of more than four grams of concentrated marijuana, the Yuba County Sheriffs Department said. The drug bust comes days after the Yuba County Sheriffs Department said it seized almost 10,000 marijuana plants and $60,000 across four locations in the area that were operating illegal grow operations. 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. NY school aide yanked arm of third grader with autism in scream-laden assault but was allowed to keep job: suit A New York school aide violently yanked the arm of third grader with autism while shouting so loudly a teacher intervened but was allowed to keep her job, the kids family claims. The staffer at Ward Elementary School in suburban New Rochelle allegedly yanked 8-year-old Nathan Pauly by the arm after the boy disrupted a classroom reading in March 2023 part of trend of troubling confrontations between the young student and aide, according to a lawsuit filed in March that the childs mother recently spoke out about. The Westchester County schools principal called parent Leah Griggs Pauly the following day after the alleged assault to tell her the school was conducting an investigation into an incident where someone put their hands on N.P., according to the lawsuit. A Ward Elementary School school aide violently yanked a third graders arm while shouting so loudly a teacher intervened. Google Maps The aides screams were allegedly so loud during the encounter with Nathan that it was heard in the hallway and the classroom teacher had to tell her to stop, according to legal papers. Griggs Pauly said she didnt hear anything else about the investigation even after following up with school leaders. While the aide was no longer assigned to work directly with Nathan, the school still allowed her to work with another special needs student, according to the family. The aide also continued to have contact with Nathan because she was working on the bus for special needs students during dismissal, the lawsuit states. New Rochelle continued to subject the child to ongoing, and frequent, contact with the aide despite the physical and emotional harm caused, the lawsuit alleges. It was very confusing and unnerving for him, Griggs Pauly told The Post. Like he didnt understand if he had done something wrong, why she was still there and in charge of him. And it was surprising to me as a parent, like I didnt want this woman anywhere near my kid. A spokesperson for the school district declined comment, citing a policy where New Rochelle doesnt issue statements on pending litigation. But legal papers filed by district lawyers either stated the district didnt have enough information on certain allegations or denied the accusations as they called for the case to be dismissed. The elementary school student and his mother. Pauly family Following the March incident, the child informed his mother of other times his arm was forcefully pulled through hallways and staircases and was even prevented from going outside for recess in part of 2022, the lawsuit alleges. While other students were allowed to run around outside, Nathan and a physically disabled child allegedly were left to hang out in the auditorium with their aides. Because of the awful experience, Griggs Pauly said her family had no choice but to send him to a private school in New York City. The student moved to another school this school year. Pauly family We were really desperate to find a school where he could learn and be safe, she said, adding her son, now in fourth grade, is doing better in the new setting. A second legal action from the Pauly family demands that New Rochelle school system pay for his new schooling, outlining other issues the school had serving Pauly and other special needs children appropriately. New Rochelle needs to do better by its disabled students, Griggs Pauly said. Nathans experience shouldnt happen to any other kid. NYC flooded with illegal flavored vapes from China despite ban to protect kids: study The Big Apple is being flooded with illegal flavored e-vapes made in China after banning the smokes sale in 2020 to prevent youths from getting hooked on their addictive nicotine, a new study shows. Altria, which sells disposable legal vapes under the label Njoy, commissioned the market research group WSPM to survey more than 100 locations and neighborhoods through the citys five boroughs. The workers collected empty discarded packets from the street and garbage bins from Feb. 1 through March 21 of this year. According to a new study, New York City is being flooded with illegal flavored e-vapes made in China. pavelkant stock.adobe.com Of the 2,000 discarded vape samples collected, 99% were exported from China, and 99% were flavored which is outlawed. China-based Air Bar Disposables vapes accounted for half of all of the disposed packs collected, said the survey, which was obtained by The Post. Other discarded packets of e-cig brands found included EBCreate with 6.8% of the total, BREEZE SMOKE with 5.3% and LAVA Plus with 4.6%. This study shows how illicit flavored disposable vapes have flooded the entire state, including brands cited as most popular with kids, said Altria spokesman David Sutton. We strongly support greater enforcement efforts in New York to get these illicit products out of the market, he added. The illicit sales take a chunk of the legal market for companies playing by the rules, such as Altria and convenience stores who sell allowed vapes. About half of the discarded packets found were from China-based Air Bar Disposables vapes. ziipstock.com The survey collected samples of discarded vape packets from 82 zip codes and 106 locations throughout the city including 612 from Brooklyn, 510 in Queens, 380 from Manhattan, 368 from the Bronx and 150 from Staten Island but industry experts said the issue is even more widespread. Were not just having this problem of banned vapes being sold in the city its the entire state, said Kent Sopris, president of the New York State Association of Convenience Store owners. We cant have products banned when there is no enforcement mechanism. They have done nothing on the vape front. I dont know why, Sopris said. The citys sheriff office and the NYPD, as part of their crackdown of illegal cannabis shops, have discovered that some of the illicit operators are also selling the banned flavored vapes. Sopris said he hopes law enforcement and cannabis regulators will make enforcing the ban on illegal vapes a priority, too. A NYSACS poll released earlier this year found a majority of Empire State residents said government officials were doing a crummy job in enforcing the flavored-vapes ban. Flavored vape and e-cigarette products were made illegal in 2020. Getty Images Federal regulators also sent warning letters last year to Chinese-based firms responsible for two popular flavored disposable e-cigarette products Shenzhen Innokin Technology Co. Ltd., which make Esco Bars products and Breeze Smoke, LLC, which import and distribute Breeze products. These firms have been manufacturing, distributing, and/or importing unauthorized tobacco products in the United States, the FDA said. Brian King, director of the FDAs Center for Tobacco Products, said, The science clearly shows that a majority of youth who use e-cigarettes report that the products they are using are disposable and flavored. Given their appeal to youth, these products are a priority for FDA compliance and enforcement action. An Adams spokesperson said the administration is on the case. We are facing an epidemic of e-cigarette and vape use among young people, and we will not stand by while manufacturers and wholesalers supply our city with illegal, harmful products that target our most vulnerable New Yorkers children, the City Hall spokesperson said. The city has already taken action against 15 wholesalers for their part in the illegal sale of flavored disposable e-cigarettes, and, just yesterday, the Sheriffs Office and NYPD tackled a major distributor with millions of dollars worth of illegal vape products from foreign distributors that were ending up in bodegas, smoke shops, and other retailers across the city. We know where these illegal products are coming from, and we are doing our part to stop them. Part of protecting public safety means protecting the health of New Yorkers, including our most vulnerable our children and this administration is committed to enforcing the law when it comes to illegal vape sales, Adams said when announcing the lawsuit last month. We will not stand by and allow this greedy, harmful, and openly illegal behavior to continue. A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul responded, We take this issue seriously and will work closely with our partners at the city level to review and address it. Hochuls office noted the use of vapes/e-cigarettes among high school-aged youth in New York declined from a peak of 27.4% in 2018 to 18.7% in 2022, per state Department of Health data. . NYC grocers gripe over fruit vendors so close to their stores: Pick off our customers City grocery-store owners are blasting Big Apple officials for allowing licensed fruit and vegetable vendors on the same block as their shops -- in some cases fewer than 30 feet away -- eating into their profits. City grocery-store owners are blasting Big Apple officials for allowing licensed fruit and vegetable vendors on the same block as their shops in some cases fewer than 30 feet away eating into their profits. In Forest Hills, Queens, a fruit and vegetable stand is located just 25 feet from a Key Food supermarket on the northern side of Queens Boulevard between 71st Avenue and 71st Road. They know they can pick off our customers, fumed Nelson Eusebio, political director of the National Supermarket Association, which reps 600 Key Food, C-Town, Associated, Bravo and other grocers in the city. The fruit and vegetable stand is located just 25 feet from a Key Food supermarket on the northern side of Queens Boulevard between 71st Avenue and 71st Road. Gregory P. Mango City grocery-store owners are blasting Big Apple officials for allowing licensed fruit and vegetable vendors on the same block as their shops. Gregory P. Mango The window alongside the Key Foods has pictures promoting the sale of blueberries and asparagus while the vendor sells the same fruit and veggies within eyeshot. Its just one one example of vendors and grocers operating almost cheek-to-jowl. There are about 500 licensed fruit and vegetable vendors across the city aimed at providing fresh produce to neighborhoods that lack access, according to the city Health Department, which regulates them. Fashionable Forest Hills is not a neighborhood with limited access to healthy fruit and vegetables, so to allow such streetside competition is unfair, grocers say noting the overhead costs they have to pay such as for unionized labor, property and utility bills. This is a big burning issue, Eusebio said. Were not against the vendors making a living. But dont put them next to any store. Its gotten out of hand. Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis said permitting food vendors to locate so close to his stores destroys our produce department. The vendor sells the same fruit and veggies within eyeshot. Gregory P. Mango Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis said permitting food vendors to locate so close to his stores destroys our produce department. Gregory P. Mango He said its just another example of New York being anti-business. Business is down. Shoplifting is up, Catsimatidis said. A lot of drugstores have closed. Maybe the grocery stores will close. Catsimatidis joined Eusebio in lamenting that neither Mayor Eric Adams administration nor the City Council have addressed the gripes. Forest Hills shoppers were divided on the grocers vs. vendor spat. Paula, 75-year-old retiree who shops at both, sided with the vendors, saying she has a limited income and needs to watch her spending. Forest Hills is very, very expensive, Paul said. Key Food has everything, but prices are high. At the fruit stand, lemons are cheaper, broccoli is cheaper, tomatoes are cheaper, grapes are cheaper. Dont blame the vendor. Theyre looking to survive, she said. These supermarkets make a lot of money. Theyre selling a ton of products. They make money on everything. There are about 500 licensed fruit and vegetable vendors across the city aimed at providing fresh produce to neighborhoods that lack access. Gregory P. Mango But Shawn, a Forest Hill office worker, said he doesnt shop at fruit stands and agreed with grocers that putting vendors on the same block is unfair competition. Theyre taking business from the supermarket. They should give a percentage of the business to the supermarket, he said. The fruit and veggie vendors pay a $200 annual permit to operate, plus $300 to $500 to store their carts though some keep their tables on sidewalks 24-7. Its definitely competition, but its not unfair competition, said Matthew Shapiro, legal director of the Food Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center, an advocacy group. Its true that grocery stores have a lot of expenses, a lot of overhead. But they got a lot in return. Vendors get a fraction of the return. We got vendors, farmers markets, grocery stores. Theres something for everyone, he said. The city Health Department defended the food-vendor program and brushed off complaints of grocers regarding location. Its important for communities to have a good mix of supermarkets, bodegas, farmers markets, green carts, etc. Its easier to make healthy choices when healthy, affordable food is readily available, a Health Department spokesman said. NYCs Hot Dog King and disabled Vietnam vet has cart shut down again, claims city out to get him The citys Hot Dog King has been banned from peddling franks from his sidewalk cart because he allegedly lacks the proper permit but he says its just part of a nonsense campaign to harass him out of business. Beloved Manhattan street vendor Dan Rossi, 73, was ordered to close up his cart outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 23 after a city Department of Health inspector cited him for selling without the Disabled Veteran Vendor permit required for that location. But Rossi, a disabled veteran of the Vietnam War, told The Post hes had that permit for decades and that the inspector simply scraped the decal off his cart before writing him up. New York City Hog Dog King Dan Rossi, 73, claims a city inspector scratched the permit decal off his cart so the Health Department could close him down. Jeenah Moon for NY Post Its a game that they play with me all the time, Rossi said, claiming the DOH has pulled a similar stunt at least five times before, including as recently as last year. This is not the first time they did it, but this time its right in front of the Memorial Day weekend, he said, adding the timing of this closure is like spitting on veterans both living and dead. It really pisses me off that they have no respect for nobody, he said. Rossi has been selling hot dogs on the streets of New York City for just shy of 40 years with a Disabled Veteran Vendor permit, which allows vets injured in the line of duty the unique privilege to sell food most anywhere around the Big Apple. Rossi claims the city is trying to harass him out of business. Jeenah Moon for NY Post The street-meat merchant said he believes that the DOH is trying to drive remaining veterans like him out of business so that they can tighten their grip on the street vending market with new laws restricting where people can sell. He believes his veterans permit issued in 1983 is probably the oldest in the city. He said there are probably just about five or six veterans left with one of the permits, created under a historic law first drafted to benefit veterans of the Civil War. Rossi, who gained his Hot Dog King moniker for a years-long strategy of sleeping in his van to hold his coveted spot outside the Met, said, Its just, Keep hitting them until you wear them out, you know? He added that as the citys oldest veteran vendor, he knows more about the laws than anybody else and that its made him a target, too. He said he expects his cart to be shuttered for about two weeks this time around, as it has been in the past, while he works his way through the bureaucracy and proves once again that he is properly permitted. Its gonna be the same as always. Im gonna go down there on Monday to Health Department. Theyre gonna play all kinds of games with me for a few days, he said. When I get to court, the judge throws it out like they do all the time, he said. This is what I do for a living. This is my livelihood. So I cant play games. Rossi, a disabled veteran, says hes been selling got dogs in the Big Apple since 1983 and has the citys oldest veterans permit. Jeenah Moon for NY Post A GoFundMe has been set up in Rossis name to tide him through his latest closure. The DOH did not respond to requests for comment on Rossis harassment allegations but said he was selling without a permit. The Health Department closed this food cart because it was operating in front of the Met Museum, and the vendor did not have a NYC Specialized Disabled Veteran Vendor permit or an agreement with the Parks Department, a DOH representative said in a statement. One of those is required to vend at that location. NYCs sanctuary laws still a hurdle to deport illegal immigrants charged with crimes, but ICE official sees progress in Adams admin The Adams administration has been working with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to work around New York Citys strict sanctuary city laws which a top ICE official said have been hamstringing the federal agencys efforts to remove violent criminals. Ken Genalo, the Brooklyn-born field director for the agencys New York office, has for months been pushing back against city policies that bar local authorities from cooperating with his 360-person staff. After years of what he describes as hostile treatment from the administration of former Mayor Bill de Blasio Genalo said the agency was kicked away from the table he seems to have met a more willing partner in Mayor Eric Adams. Ken Genalo, the field director for ICEs removal operations in New York City, said hes been talking with Mayor Adams and making progress with regard to the agencys concerns about the citys sanctuary laws. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Shutterstock Adams seems to be open to the idea that the sanctuary city laws need to change. Robert Miller Ive been working with the mayors office, I have had dialogue with them, Genalo told The Post in an exclusive interview this week. I give them kudos the prior administration under Mr. de Blasio there was no dialogue at all. With Mayor Adams office, weve had numerous dialogues, he continued. At least were back at the table and speaking with one another again. City Council sources confirmed this, telling The Post on Sunday that the two sides have talked about how to possibly amend city laws that prevent any and all coordination between local and federal law enforcement. The law went from, We will welcome undocumented immigrants, to We will protect violent criminals under de Blasio as progressive ideology went from compassion for the poor to cuckoo for cocoa puffs, one council source said. When asked if he had made progress with city officials, Genalo said he had but he wouldnt elaborate on specifics. I wish progress would come faster, he said. But at least I can say there has been progress. Neither the mayors office nor city council representatives immediately responded to comment Sunday. NYCs sanctuary laws hurt public safety: director The directors comments come as some local lawmakers including Adams himself have softened to the idea that the citys sanctuary laws might have to change so migrants accused of crimes can be more easily deported. In 2014, de Blasio signed a law that largely barred the NYPD from working with federal immigration officials. ICE was booted from the table by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, Genalo said. AP He went even further four years later, issuing citywide guidance and NYPD protocols that codified the Big Apples policy of not cooperating with the feds immigration enforcement activities. Genalo a decades-long veteran of ICE who oversees removal operations in New York City, all of Long Island and seven counties in the lower Hudson Valley said he desperately wants the city to change that by honoring the agencys detainer requests, which it issues when they ask a local agency that has made an arrest to hold a non-citizen in custody. The detainers are particularly important with criminal suspects, since ICE can only deport those directly in its custody, he said. Until we arrest the individual, we cannot initiate removal proceedings, Genalo said. So when these individuals that you see across New York City that have been arrested [ICE] wants to take them into custody as soon as possible, he added. The NYPD and Department of Correction have been ignoring such detainers for years, at the behest of the citys elected officials. The agency wants New York City authorities to start honoring detainers and sharing information with federal immigration officials, Genalo said. The Washington Post via Getty Images This puts ICE at a tremendous disadvantage, Genalo said. The agency will find out when an undocumented immigrant is arrested it has its own databases, and it knows when people get collared. But its not a real-time notification, Genalo said. When the New York courts cut loose a suspected criminal, it forces his officers to start from scratch if they want to track that person down, he said. They release them back into the community at large, Genalo said. And then once again, my staff has to go and arrest them. If we dont find out right away, were already behind the eight-ball, he said. A lot of times these individuals, theyll change addresses, theyre transient, they change names, they might go to different states. If local authorities would honor detainers, federal agents could take custody of the suspect in a safe, secure setting, he said. All of this could be taken care of, basically, upon the arrest and release from Rikers, Genalo said, adding that the agency once had a unit based out of the city jail that took hundreds of people into custody on a daily basis. Now, all those people are released back into the community, he said. And, you know, the recidivism rate is high on these individuals. Because the sanctuary laws ban all cooperation with ICE, the agency sometimes has to find out about suspects in roundabout ways like newspaper or TV reports. ICE wont start deportation proceedings until a suspect is in their custody, the director added. Paul Martinka A lot of the time, were getting our leads and our intelligence through you guys from the media, Genalo said. Once ICE collars a suspect, the agency must by law start deportation proceedings, the director added. We cannot hold someone in federal immigration custody for the purpose of them being prosecuted on a state or local level, he said. But even though ICE wont hold illegal immigrants ahead of a local trial, it will reach out of the local district attorney and offer to turn the suspect over as long as local authorities promise to return them to ICE afterward. We offer them that ability, Genalo said. But if the case is not a high-profile case, or a violent case, the majority of time the DA is going to be like, Go ahead, just proceed with your removal proceedings. Theyre not going to want to see the case go to completion because theres going to be probably a lot of cases misdemeanor charges, he said. Adams, for his part, seems to be coming around. In March, he said his administration was parsing through legal options after the City Council torpedoed his bid to change the Big Apples sanctuary policies. Were not going back and forth. I stated my position, they stated their position, and so the legal team is now looking at what are the options we have, Hizzoner said at the time in an interview with Fox 5s Good Day New York. But with the ban on information sharing, it can be difficult for ICE to find the suspects that New York releases ahead of their trial. MediaNews Group via Getty Images But the City Council seems less receptive to budge with Council Speaker Adrienne Adams saying in late February that Adams suggestion was harmful and lawmakers didnt plan to make any modifications. We are not considering changes to laws, she said bluntly. These laws have been in effect for decades. Despite this, Genalo was adamant that he wants local and federal law enforcement to start sharing information again and he invoked the specter of 911 as an example of what happens when they dont. I was actually there on 911, and deployed at Ground Zero, Genalo said. I never want to see that again. And when we have law enforcement agencies not cooperating I just wish there was something that I can get to change peoples minds to ensure that nothing [like that] ever happens again. NYC subway rider burned after man threw flaming liquid on him, police say NEW YORK -- A man is accused of setting a subway rider on fire on Saturday afternoon and the NYPD says he was behind a similar attack a few months ago. Officers were called for an assault in progress on the 1 line platform at the Houston Street station and when they arrived saw 23-year-old Alijaj Petrit with his shirt off and badly burned. Investigators say a homeless man, now identified as 49-year-old Nile Taylor, threw a flammable liquid on the victim for no reason and took off. Taylor was arrested near the Holland Tunnel and is now facing charges, including attempted assault, reckless endangerment, and arson. Police said the victim is recovering at NewYork-Presbyterian and is expected to survive. "This is horrifying," subway rider Chloe Leone said of the alleged attack. Detectives say back in February Taylor threw a lit container of flammable liquid at a group of people standing on the southbound 1 train platform at the West 28th Street station. No one was hurt. NYC cracking down on subway crimes While violent crime is rare in the subway system, which serves about 3 million riders per day, there have been some high-profile attacks, including the death of a man who was shoved onto the tracks in East Harlem in March. Earlier this year, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced hundreds of National Guard members would be going into the subway system to boost security. The NYPD said 800 more officers would be deployed to the subway to crack down on fare evasion. At around the same time, city officials announced plans to use weapon-detection technology in the subway after they said crime in the transit system was up 4% in 2024 compared to 2023. Subway riders say they are always on guard Leone, like others who ride the rails, said she keeps her head on a swivel when underground. "Hopefully, people are traveling in pairs so they can stay safe," Leone said. "I'm praying for the person burned. It's very tragic." As for commuters who have no choice but to use the subways, "You just have to be alert and keep your eyes open," Leone said. "Crazy stuff happens, everything. It's awful. I take this train a lot," another woman said. "We are in New York City. I feel like we are risking it every day." Sen. Chris Murphy says the civilian death toll in Gaza is a "boon" to terrorist organizations Daria Kasatkina, the world's bravest tennis player Recording World War II veterans for posterity BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) Governor Kathy Hochul announced that 16 landmarks in New York will be illuminated red, white and blue Monday night to commemorate Memorial Day. The following landmarks will be illuminated: 1WTC Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Kosciuszko Bridge The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building State Education Building Alfred E. Smith State Office Building Empire State Plaza State Fairgrounds Main Gate & Expo Center Niagara Falls Grand Central Terminal Pershing Square Viaduct Albany International Airport Gateway Lake Placid Olympic Center MTA LIRR East End Gateway at Penn Station Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal Moynihan Train Hall Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park Today we pay tribute to those who put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms of our country, said Hochul. New York is committed to upholding the values they fought so bravely for. Memorial Day is a day for remembrance, a day for reflection, as we mourn the sacrifices of our service members. Latest Local News Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. 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 News 4 Buffalo. NYT: Russia steps up sabotage operations in Europe to undermine Ukraine aid, intelligence officials say U.S. and allied intelligence officials have noted a growing number of low-level sabotage operations in Europe that seem to be a part of Russia's effort to undermine assistance for Ukraine, the New York Times (NYT) reported on May 26. The news comes only days after Poland arrested at least 12 residents over alleged spying and planning sabotage on behalf of Russia on Polish soil. These operations, spearheaded by the Russian military intelligence agency (GRU), are mostly arsons or attempted arsons targeting non-military targets and aimed at creating the impression of a domestic opposition against aiding Kyiv, the outlet wrote. As examples, the NYT listed successful or attempted arsons at a warehouse in England, a paint factory in Poland, homes in Latvia, and an Ikea store in Lithuania. While the attacks have not slowed down the weapons flow, they aim to instill fear and force European countries to increase security in their arms supply chain, driving up costs and slowing down the pace of supplies, the NYT reported. NATO ambassadors are reportedly due to meet Avril D. Haines, the U.S. director of national intelligence, in June in order to discuss the situation in Ukraine but also Russian sabotage operations in Europe. While tensions between European NATO members and Russia have surged after the outbreak of the full-scale war, Moscow's operatives have been accused of sabotage operations carried out years before the all-out invasion. Czechia said that a unit of the GRU has been responsible for deadly ammunition depot blasts on its territory in 2014. In January, Bulgaria issued European Arrest Warrants for six Russian citizens over a series of ammunition warehouse explosions in Bulgaria between 2011 and 2020. Read also: Germany accuses Russia of cyberattack against governing party in 2023 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ohio father indicted after allegedly using cattle prod to discipline children An Ohio father accused of using a cattle prod to discipline his two young kids has been formally charged, our CBS affiliate WOIO-19 reports. Robert Bores, 34, was indicted by an Erie County grand jury on three counts of domestic violence and three counts of endangering children. >>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man accused of using cattle prod to discipline children Bores was arrested on March 13 after Children Services called the Erie County Sheriffs detectives to his home on State Route 113 in Florence Township, WOIO-19 reported. Detectives said the children, who are 7 and 8 years old, are being cared for by a relative. A cattle prod was taken from the home as evidence, according to detectives. WOIO-19 reports that Bores is out of jail on a $10,000 bond. FirstEnergy's headquarters in Akron. (Photo from Google Maps.) This monthly newsletter, published by the Energy News Network, provides updates on Ohios ongoing utility corruption scandal. Click here to subscribe. Regulators cut most of FirstEnergys energy efficiency proposal when they modified and approved the companys latest rider plan on May 15. The plan would have been the first time FirstEnergy offered energy efficiency programs to most residential ratepayers after 2019, when lawmakers passed House Bill 6. The nuclear and coal bailout law at the heart of Ohios ongoing corruption scandal gutted the states energy efficiency and renewable energy standards. Other new developments include: Ohio regulators approvals also include an extension and increases to one of the riders at issue in cases linked to HB 6. FirstEnergy must produce its internal investigation about the HB 6 corruption scandal to plaintiffs in shareholder cases, a federal court ruled. Yet the company still wont give the reports to the Ohio Consumers Counsel and others in cases before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Recently produced documents revealed more information about money flowing from FirstEnergy to dark money groups that supported Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman. State criminal cases against two former FirstEnergy executives are moving ahead, while government briefs are expected soon in the federal court appeals for former Ohio House speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges. Efficiency proposal limited Ever since the states infamous 2019 energy law gutted utility-run energy efficiency programs, Ohioans have been on their own when it comes to finding ways to conserve energy. In a significant test of state regulators interpretation of that law, FirstEnergy recently proposed collecting money from ratepayers for a portfolio of energy efficiency programs, including rebates, energy audits, and educational campaigns to help residential and some business customers lower their energy use and monthly bills. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio last week mostly rejected the proposal, approving education programs plus financial incentives for low-income customers. Yet the order also concluded that HB 6 does not prohibit utilities from voluntarily offering such programs a reversal from its position in a 2020 Duke Energy case under former PUCO chair Sam Randazzo. [T]he repeal eliminated the mandate that utilities run energy efficiency programs, the May 15 order says, leaving intact other important statutory provisions that allow for voluntary programming, if approved by the Commission. Energy efficiency programs can save money on customers energy bills because it reduces the need for electricity. The need for less electricity also cuts greenhouse gas emissions that drive human-caused climate change. And lower demand reduces strain on the electric grid, which can bolster resilience and reduce capacity market costs. Nonetheless, the regulators accepted arguments by the Office of the Ohio Consumers Counsel, the Retail Energy Supply Association and others that FirstEnergys broad program isnt needed because competitive markets offer opportunities for energy efficiency. The Environmental Law & Policy Center, Ohio Environmental Council and Citizens Utility Board of Ohio had argued that utility-sponsored programs are cost-effective and allow for hassle-free energy savings. Supporters hope a bipartisan bill to allow utility-run energy efficiency programs on a broader, voluntary basis will soon be back on track and get a vote by the full Ohio House of Representatives. Last-minute objections by a Koch-linked group delayed a vote last fall. Read more: Rider renewed The PUCOs other rider approvals with changes include a charge for called a Delivery Capital Recovery rider. The charge is meant to spur the utility to make capital investments in its infrastructure beyond charges that are already covered in its regular distribution rates. The PUCOs modifications exclude charges for equipment which isnt in service yet. Regulators also limited charges to particular categories used for federal regulatory reporting. The ruling approves higher caps for annual increases. At the same time, the order also states charges for the DCR rider will be set back to zero once FirstEnergys new distribution rates take effect. The commission can consider the rider on a more holistic basis, the 163-page order said. Earlier years charges for the DCR rider are at issue in one of the PUCOs four HB 6-linked cases. The PUCOs May 15 order refused to hold off on new charges until that case is resolved. A 2021 audit report in that case found roughly a quarter of the DCR rider charges for earlier years were improper. Those charges include some linked to Cleveland entrepreneur Tony George, whose name came up multiple times in exhibits introduced at last years criminal trial of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges. Its unclear yet whether any parties to the newer rider case will ask for rehearing or file an eventual appeal. Read more: New rate case FirstEnergy plans to apply for new distribution rates on May 31, said spokesperson Lauren Siburkis. Standard rates for households using 1,000 kilowatts per month could increase nearly $6 for customers served by FirstEnergys Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, according to a May 1 filing. Projected increases would be lower for customers in the Ohio Edison and Toledo Edison territories. The companys last full rate case was in 2007. The new case results from a PUCO order issued soon after Randazzos connections to the HB 6 scandal became public and he resigned from the agency in late 2020. A 2019 order while he was still chair would have let FirstEnergy avoid filing a rate case by any certain date. Pending legislation calls for utilities to file full rate cases at least once every five years. Yet the House and Senate bills would still let utilities add extra charges between rate cases, while limiting fact-finding in matters before the PUCO. Other provisions in HB 260 cut back on requirements for notices about rate cases and could more generally limit groups ability to participate in those proceedings. Read more: What did the investigation find? FirstEnergy should produce its internal investigation to plaintiffs in shareholder litigation, U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley held on May 6. FirstEnergy hadnt met its burden to show the two reports were protected by either attorney-client privilege or a doctrine to protect attorneys work product. The judge also agreed there was a substantial business reason for the reports, which weighs against a finding of privilege. The Office of the Ohio Consumers Counsel has since repeated its request for FirstEnergy to produce the internal investigation in pending regulatory cases. The company refused, based on a PUCO ruling from three years ago. A hearing officer refused to allow a mid-case appeal of that ruling to the full PUCO on April 25. It is disappointing (but not surprising) that FirstEnergy continues its lawyered-up efforts to block public scrutiny of information that could provide much needed answers to consumers about the HB 6 scandal, said spokesperson Merrilee Embs at the Office of the Ohio Consumers Counsel. Read more: Judge rules FirstEnergy must share HB 6 probe OCC has been pushing to gain access for years (Akron Beacon Journal) More dark money Recently produced documents continue to shed light on FirstEnergys spending on dark money groups, consultants and more. Materials produced to Floodlight, the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, the Ohio Capital Journal and the Energy News Network show an additional $2.5 million went from FirstEnergy to dark money groups that supported Gov. Mike DeWine. DeWines office has denied knowing about the donations. The funding was in addition to more than $1 million of spending reported back in 2021. Other recently produced documents show $300,000 went from FirstEnergy to a dark money group called Liberty Ohio in 2019 and 2020, Cleveland.com reported. Emails and text messages suggest the payments were meant to help Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, who denied knowledge about the funding. As Senate President, Huffman has substantial control over which bills make it to the floor for a full vote. Additional materials suggest some bills submitted to FirstEnergy in 2018 for a company called Jobob, Inc. were meant to secure payments for Dennis Kucinich, Cleveland.com reported. The time period coincides with when FirstEnergy was making separate payments through dark money groups to entities controlled by Householder. Kucinich, a former Cleveland mayor and congressional representative, had recently lost a bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Earlier this year, he broke with his former party, attended the Conservative Political Action Conference and is now running as an independent congressional candidate. Kucinich has denied any financial relationship with FirstEnergy, including statements in a lawsuit against the Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com. The invoices purport to be for consulting on blockchain technology. FirstEnergy spokesperson Jennifer Young said she could not comment on past consulting contracts due to ongoing litigation. Read more: Criminal case updates The federal governments briefs in Householders and Borges appeals are currently due May 28 and May 22, respectively, unless further extensions are granted. Householders arraignment on state court charges has been postponed until May 23. Technical glitches prevented Householder, who is at a federal prison in eastern Ohio, from participating remotely on May 13 to hear the charges against him and enter a plea. The states other criminal case is also moving ahead against former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, despite co-defendant Randazzos death last month. State prosecutors have opposed Jones and Dowlings motion to find that FirstEnergy was not a victim of their alleged crimes. In addition to its May 2 brief, a May 10 filing provided additional details about their alleged theft from FirstEnergy. Lawyers from the office of Ohio Attorney General David Yost are working with local prosecutors on the case. Yost had been identified as a possible government witness in the criminal case against Householder and Borges last year. Read more: Ohio AG Yost is prosecuting others in utility scandal, but he wont discuss his own involvement(Ohio Capital Journal) This article first appeared on Energy News Network and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Ohio HB 6 Updates: FirstEnergy riders approved, with changes appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Ohio man plans to take a 2-person submersible to Titanic depths to show the industry is safe after the OceanGate tragedy A submersible imploded last year as it descended to view the wreck of the Titanic. All five passengers on board the OceanGate vessel were killed. Two men are now planning a trip in a new submersible to try to prove the industry is safe. An Ohio real-estate investor is planning to take a two-person submersible down to Titanic-level depths to prove that the journey can be carried out safely following the Titan sub's implosion last year. The investor, Larry Connor, told The Wall Street Journal: "I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way." He's working with Patrick Lahey, a cofounder and the CEO of the submersible manufacturer Triton Submarines. They aim to show that such an expedition can be carried out repeatedly and safely despite the implosion of the OceanGate sub in June, which killed all five people on board, including the company's CEO, Stockton Rush. Stockton Rush. AP Photo/Bill Sikes Lahey said that Connor called him a few days after the implosion and said: "'You know, what we need to do is build a sub that can dive to [Titanic-level depths] repeatedly and safely and demonstrate to the world that you guys can do that, and that Titan was a contraption.'" Connor, who has been to the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench on Earth, said they planned to do the journey in a two-person vessel called the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer, named "4000" for the depth in meters it can reach. He did not say when the trip would take place. Lahey was one of the many industry figures who criticized OceanGate before and after the disaster, accusing it of questionable safety standards. After the implosion, he described Rush's approach to persuading people to get on board as "quite predatory." Others in the industry and the company also voiced their concerns. An OceanGate tourist submersible descending from the surface. Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A former chief submersible pilot for the company said years before the fatal trip that he was worried Rush would get himself and others killed in a "quest to boost his ego." The filmmaker and Titanic explorer James Cameron also weighed in, saying he and some engineers had told OceanGate officials that using the Titan could lead to "catastrophic failure." The waiver that Titan passengers were required to sign mentioned multiple ways that passengers could die and described the vessel as "experimental" three times. Previous passengers had also described errors, failed trips, and feeling unsafe. CBS News' David Pogue said his trip on the submersible was canceled after the Titan reached 37 feet because of an equipment malfunction, while one diver who made it to the wreckage said there were multiple aborted attempts, calling it a "suicide mission." Nevertheless, Rush and his company repeatedly defended the submersible and its design. The Titan sub. OceanGate The subsequent disaster raised concerns, with some experts calling on the industry to reassess taking people to such a remote location. But Lahey said he believed that OceanGate's problems weren't reflective of the wider industry, adding that classed submersibles were considered very safe because of the extensive testing they undergo. Rob McCallum a former OceanGate consultant who had warned Rush about the safety of the Titan agreed with that assessment. "In that sense, OceanGate didn't make the industry look bad," McCallum told the Journal. "It made us look good." Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- US energy magnate Harry Sargeant III secured a license to continue importing asphalt from Venezuela without breaching US sanctions. Most Read from Bloomberg Oil firms that want to stay or operate in Venezuela have been applying for permits from the US Treasury after Washington reimposed sanctions last month. Texas-based Global Oil Terminals, owned by Sargeant, signed a contract with state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA in January to import six 95,000-barrel cargoes of asphalt for infrastructure projects in the US. The two-year waiver, obtained on May 24, will allow Global Oil Terminals to continue purchasing and transporting asphalt to the US and the Caribbean region, Sargeant said in an interview. A US Treasury press official didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The US is trying to use sanctions as leverage to ensure fairer presidential elections in July. President Joe Bidens administration recently reimposed restrictions on Venezuelas gold and oil sectors after the Nicolas Maduro government backtracked on some electoral guarantees he agreed on last year. Other oil companies with existing operations in Venezuela, such as French driller Maurel & Prom and Spanish oil major Repsol SA, have also been awarded licenses this month to continue their activities under sanctions. Additional firms such as Reliance Industries and Ecopetrol SA are also requesting waivers. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The Quapaw Tribe is one of more than 30 tribal nations in Oklahoma that issue license plates to citizens. Gov. Kevin Stitt told 35 tribal leaders Thursday he would immediately sign license plate compacts with them if they agreed to clear up his top concerns about tribal plates. Under one of his proposed key terms, tribes would share drivers personal information with the state to ensure public safety and resolve outstanding turnpike toll concerns. The Oklahoman was provided a copy of Stitt's letter by a tribal official. Stitt has incorrectly claimed police only have reliable information about drivers with Chickasaw Nation and Choctaw Nation plates and has faulted other tribal nations over Oklahomas inability to collect tolls from drivers with their license plates. Tensions over tags have simmered since last fall and have fueled the latest fraught chapter in tribal relations during Stitts time in office. State troopers set off a wave of panic in November after they ticketed at least two drivers who had current plates issued by their tribes. More: An Oklahoma trooper ticketed a driver over her tribal license plate. What happened next? Stitt has urged tribal leaders to sign compacts to clear up any confusion over the validity of their plates. He reiterated his stance at a May 17 press conference, saying tribal citizens are racking up millions of dollars in unpaid tolls because turnpike officials lack their plate information. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has criticized tribal plates because of concerns over officer safety and unpaid tolls. The governors insistence on compacting doesnt appear to be gaining much traction, however. Many tribal nations have issued tags to their citizens since the late 1990s without conflict and depend on plate revenues as a key funding stream. In contrast to some of Stitts public remarks, the database used by police to run plates contains tag and registration information from at least 24 tribal nations that do not have plate compacts with Oklahoma, according to the Department of Public Safety. That leaves six tribes out of 34 that do not upload their citizens vehicle data into the state law enforcement database. Tribal leaders have also pointed out that turnpike officials did not make sure Oklahomas new cashless tolling system had access to tribal plate data before it was powered on last year. The governor addressed his new offer letter to every federally recognized tribe in Oklahoma except the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations, the three tribes that already have license plate compacts with the state. Stitt proposed modeling any new plate agreements on Oklahomas recently renewed compacts with the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations, which allow state tag offices to issue plates on their behalf. Service Oklahoma stores tribal citizens plate information, which is shared with law enforcement and turnpike authorities. The state remits a portion of the fees paid by tribal citizens back to the tribes. The governor set out similar terms in his letter to other tribal nations, saying the deal would cover all non-commercial plates issued to a tribes citizens for the next 10 years. If these terms meet your approval, my counsel stands ready to immediately finalize and circulate the agreed model compact for signatures, Stitt wrote in the letter, which he apparently meant to address to the top elected officials of 35 tribes. One of the listed recipients passed away in September, one was voted out of office and a few others represent tribal nations that do not issue plates. More: Why the future of Oklahoma's car tag compact with the Cherokee Nation is in dispute The governors letter arrived three days after a Seminole Nation tax official told state lawmakers that one-size-fits-all license plate compacts likely wouldnt work for many tribes, including her own. We all have different needs, said Sharon Scott, director of the tribes Business and Corporate Regulatory Commission. We all have different jurisdictions. Trevor Pemberton, the governors general counsel, said at the same legislative hearing that Stitts office had previously sent license plate compact offers to tribes. Abegail Cave, a spokesperson for the governor, said Tuesday that the governor's office had previously sent letters to six tribes, including the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw nations. The other letters went to tribes that requested compact offers, including the Caddo Nation, Delaware Nation and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. Negotiations with those tribes are ongoing, Cave said. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comment from a spokesperson for Gov. Kevin Stitt. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Amid tensions over tribal tags, Oklahoma governor makes compact offer CAMBRIDGE, Ohio (WCMH) A Coshocton man is dead after a single vehicle crash involving a motorcycle Sunday afternoon. The crash occurred at 2:50 p.m. in Guernsey County, according to a release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The release said a 2003 Harley Davidson Motorcycle driven by Raymond Guinther, 73, was traveling northbound on Eighth Street Road before traveling off the right side of the roadway. The motorcycle struck a ditch, ejecting Guinther and overturning the vehicle. Guinther was pronounced dead at the scene. Father, son killed in Pickaway County crash The Cambridge Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. One person seriously injured following semi crash in Wisconsin POPLAR, Wis. (WFRV) Authorities in Wisconsin say one person was taken to the hospital late Friday night with serious injuries following a semi crash in northwest Wisconsin. Wisconsin man arrested for OWI twice in same night, roughly 5 hours apart According to a release from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office, deputies responded at around 10:30 p.m. to reports of a two-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck on Highway 2 in Poplar. Officials say only one man was injured in the crash and he was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Courtesy of the Douglas County Sheriffs Office Courtesy of the Douglas County Sheriffs Office The Douglas County Sheriffs Office was assisted by Poplar Fire, Maple Fire, Amnicon Fire, Parkland Fire, Hawthorne Fire, Mayo Ambulance, Douglas County Highway Dept, Dukes Towing, and Lake City Towing. Crews were reportedly on the scene until roughly 2:00 a.m. and no other information is available at this time. 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. One-third of Grinnell College's energy needs will come from solar power with the completion of a new solar array. (Photo courtesy of Grinnell College) Grinnell College has made a decisive step forward in the direction of operating without emissions with the completion of a 9,000-panel solar array. One-third of Grinnell Colleges campus is now running on renewable energy with the array, the largest private solar installation in the state, Grinnell College President Anne Harris said. As Grinnell College reaches this milestone in its goal of hitting net-zero emissions by 2040, a community-wide solar project could have more than half of the universitys power come from renewable sources. This is a prime example of how knowledge and education moved through the institution out into the world at Grinnell, Harris said. A third-party developer, Sunlight General Capital LLC, owns the array, and Grinnell College has purchased all of the energy generated from it for the next 20 years, with the possibility of a 10-year extension. The array, which Grinnell College environmental and safety manager Chris Bair said has been in operation for around one month, provides four megawatts of power that flows to almost every building on campus. There are six other smaller solar power stations utilized by the university, he said, which provide energy to buildings off of the main meter like the facilities building and environmental education center. Each of the panels is double-sided, Bair said, allowing them to gather energy from reflected light like that off snow, and are able to follow the path of the sun from east to west to more efficiently absorb power. Beyond the daily power the solar array provides, a battery connected to the system can store a certain amount of energy for when its needed. Bair said this will be most useful when the universitys energy usage is at its highest, like on a hot day in August with all of the air conditioning units on campus running constantly. The battery will help curb the peak, at least a little bit, helping save some money on the energy bill. When we know were in a hot day when were going to generate our likely peak for the month, well start taking electricity from the battery and shaving that peak, Bair said. Renewable energy years in the making Before Grinnell College began utilizing solar energy to power a large portion of its operations, Harris said the college board of trustees created the Fossil Fuels and Climate Impact Task Force in 2017 to explore how the university could fight climate change after students brought up concerns about fossil fuels. Grinnell College made a sustainability plan in 2018 with the goal of having net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, and through collaboration with students, campus environmental organizations, faculty and staff, including Bair, the university landed on solar power as the right fit to become more sustainable moving forward. The array has been working smoothly so far, Bair said, with some tweaking still going on to fix small problems. It had been nearly complete mechanically for around a year, but further review and approvals from Alliant Energy were needed before the college could plug in. Bair got used to telling people any day now, with nothing coming of it. I drive by that site four times a day and those panels have been out for a long long time, Bair said. Ive just been staring at them, and it was really frustrating, and now that its finally on its a big, probably more relief than anything. Another solar array project spearheaded by Alliant Energy and community partners will provide the university with an additional two megawatts of solar energy, Bair said, ensuring more than half of campus power will come from solar once it is up and running. Array offers education opportunities More than just a source of power, Harris said the solar array can also be a source of education and inspiration for Grinnell students. Those involved in the Grinnell College Student Environmental Committee, other organizations and certain classes have been a part of this process and the colleges overall efforts to become more sustainable, and future students will be able to learn about both the hows and whys of using solar energy. Students will be able to take this knowledge elsewhere after graduation, Harris said, hopefully showing other communities in Iowa and beyond solutions for the future. Grinnell College is one of many institutions with sustainability plans and practices, Harris said, and all universities should be thinking about solutions like these because they can make a tangible impact on more than just the campus itself, but the community that houses it. We are employers, we are neighbors, we are co-constituents of all these different communities, Harris said. And I do think that energy consciousness is a very palpable and real way that all colleges and universities can contribute to the environmental well-being of the communities that they call home. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post One-third of Grinnell College power to come from solar energy with new solar array appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. James Khatiblou, the owner and CEO of Onyx Motorbikes, was watching his e-bike startup fall apart. Onyx was being evicted from its warehouse in El Segundo, near Los Angeles. The companys unpaid bills were stacking up. Its chief operating officer had abruptly resigned. A shipment of around 100 CTY2 dirt bikes from Chinese supplier Suzhou Jindao was delayed, and customers were starting to demand refunds -- a major problem considering Khatiblou already owed both lenders and shareholders a lot of money. Khatiblou, known for his warm and outgoing personality, was fearful and stressed, according to interviews with people who worked alongside him. In the waning months of 2023, he was so distracted by the startups increasing debt and legal problems, he was unable to follow through on basic tasks. At the same time, his health was deteriorating, according to his mother, Diane Khatiblou. The vibrant and active man with the toothy smile was having trouble breathing and even walking, she said. Then Onyxs problems escalated in a way nobody expected. At 37 years old, Khatiblou -- who loved riding the halfpipe at the company warehouse and traveling the world -- died unexpectedly. The Los Angeles County Coroners Office determined Khatiblou suffered a pulmonary embolism, listing deep vein thrombosis as a secondary cause. His death on December 12, 2023 added a new layer of uncertainty to the future of Onyx and its assets. Khatiblou left behind no will and no succession plan only millions of dollars in debt and questions from staff, creditors and customers about how to proceed when the sole owner of a company dies. Today, no one owns Onyx Motorbikes, which means all operations customer deliveries, payments to suppliers and creditors have ground to a halt. Oxygen Funding, an Orange County-based creditor to which Onyx owes around $2.2 million, is petitioning the Los Angeles County probate court to become the administrator of Khatiblous estate. [Onyx] had such good prospects. It had such a loyal fan base and such a good product, and it was all just basically put in limbo the day James passed away, Adam Lomax, chief executive officer of Oxygen Funding, told TechCrunch. And it has remained in limbo all the way up to the point where we are now. As administrator, Oxygen could help put some pieces together. But numerous legal wrinkles threaten to derail those plans. A battle between Oxygen Funding, two former shareholders and Onyxs Chinese parts supplier is now raging over who controls Onyxs remaining assets bikes, chargers and batteries and who gets to be made whole first. Based on interviews with creditors, lawyers and multiple former employees at Onyx, the company's story highlights how complicated things can become if the sole owner of a business doesnt make a plan for what happens when they die. A life changed by $1 Khatiblou didn't create Onyx Motorbikes. Its founder is Tim Seward, who is now VP of product and design at e-bike company Ubco, and who initially just wanted to make a cool electric moped to impress his friends. I grew up loving Volkswagens and vintage cars and motorcycles, Seward told TechCrunch. I loved that style and wanted to make an electric moped version of that. Seward started building out what would become the prototype for Onyxs popular RCR electric dirt bike in 2016 while a designer at LG Electronics, where he worked alongside Khatiblou. The look of the bike is actually an eagle with its wings folded together as it dive bombs, Seward told TechCrunch. The two side panels are the wings. The wood part is kind of the body or the torso, and the seat would be the tail of the eagle. As Seward drove his bike around San Francisco, people kept stopping him to ask where they could get one. After saying, Its not for sale, enough times, Seward finally decided that maybe it should be. He launched an Indiegogo campaign for Onyx Motorbikes in 2018, raising nearly $1 million. Onyx promised to deliver American-made bikes, which Seward said would help the company maintain better quality control, create local jobs and avoid import tariffs. Onyx Motorbikes James Khatiblou The bikes were an instant hit. People loved the 1970s and 1980s appeal of the design, the wooden body, the made-in-the-USA-style. And, most importantly, the bikes could shred. Seward hired out a team of technicians to help him fulfill his growing order count. Khatiblou, who lived near Onyxs San Francisco shop, would often come in after his new day job at Amazon to blow off steam. He even built his own Onyx bike after buying one on Indiegogo, said Seward, who shared a video that showed Khatiblous excitement for his new toy. By early 2019, Seward was getting burned out with the responsibilities of running a business. He wanted to focus on designing and building bikes, not deal with purchasing agreements and payroll. He started shopping for a merger. What he ended up getting was an acqui-hire deal from Bird, the struggling shared e-scooter company. Instead of acquiring Onyx and its assets, Bird paid Seward a lump sum in the hundreds of thousands to come and work for them full time. As part of the deal, Seward had to find a replacement for himself at Onyx. He ended up landing on Khatiblou, who had offered to quit his Amazon job and step up into the CEO role. Eager to offload the business responsibilities of Onyx, Seward sold Khatiblou his company in May 2019 for $1. My tax advisor had said to do that to avoid paying taxes, or something like that, but also James didnt have a lot of money at the time, said Seward. Mainly, it was because of what Bird was offering me, which more than supplemented what I thought I should have been paid for the company. Khatiblou stumbled a bit when he took over the business, says Seward. After all, he had never run a company or dealt with e-commerce before. But it was clear he was dedicated to running Onyx and getting cool bikes into the hands of loyal customers. He lived and breathed Onyx, Diane Khatiblou told TechCrunch. It was everything to him, and he put everything into it. While Seward had no official ties or claims to Onyx at this point, he continued to advise Khatiblou as a friend and to produce content for Onyxs social media. That relationship continued until the two fell out over a dispute regarding new shareholders Khatiblou took on. Per Sewards retelling, Khatiblou had decided to bring on backers who would invest millions in the business. Despite the potential financial upside of the arrangement, Khatiblou wouldnt stop complaining about how the deal would reduce his ownership in Onyx. Seward -- frustrated by his friends doubts -- took a step back from Khatiblou and Onyx, doubling down on his work at Bird building new e-scooter and e-bike models. A web of legal and financial troubles As a first-time business owner navigating the suddenly hot e-bike space, Khatiblou made some mistakes. He signed himself as the personal guarantor for lending agreements; and he overspent on supply and accounting costs. And even toward the end, as the business spiraled, Khatiblou turned down what could have been a lifeline: a buyout offer from a competitor. He also mismanaged the relationship with his two shareholders, who bought into the business and would eventually sue him: Kenneth Ames, a former engineering and sourcing executive in the LED lighting business based in Simi Valley, and Troy Smith, a self-employed accountant based in Carlsbad. In September 2019, through a shareholders agreement, Ames purchased 2.2 million shares of common stock in Onyx Corp., and Smith bought 800,000, leaving Khatiblou the remaining 5 million shares. TechCrunch was unable to learn the original dollar amount of these equity investments. Under an operating agreement, Ames and Smith also collectively held a 37.5% percentage interest in Onyx LLC. Onyx filed as a corporation in California and Delaware in 2018. The separate LLC entity was set up in California a year later, when Ames and Smith came onboard. Typically, a company will set up a corporation in addition to an LLC to isolate liabilities, for more flexible tax planning, to customize ownership structure or to protect assets listed under the LLC. TechCrunch was unable to obtain a copy of Onyx LLCs operating agreements with Ames and Smith, which might have given the shareholders the authority to participate in day-to-day management and operation of the business. The two did not respond to repeated requests from TechCrunch for more information, but it appears they did have a hand in company affairs at least, in the beginning. Seward told TechCrunch that, while he wasnt aware of Smith at the time, he had met Ames and thought he was a good guy. He was smart and knew business and thats what Onyx needed, said Seward, noting that Ames helped enhance the manufacturing process he had started. From my perspective, he was making Onyx healthy. A month after signing the operating agreement, Khatiblou signed a trademark assignment agreement, transferring ownership of Onyxs branding from Onyx Corp. to Onyx LLC. Khatiblou couldnt shake his mistrust of his new business partners, however, according to the accounts of people close to him at the time. Less than a year after Ames and Smith had become shareholders, Khatiblou took action to take away their decision-making powers. In August 2020 and December 2020, Khatiblou unilaterally removed Ames and Smith, respectively, as officers, directors and managers of the Onyx companies. Around the same time, Oxygen Funding, an invoice factoring company that provides cash flows to small- and medium-size businesses, entered the picture. Khatiblou and Oxygen signed a trade payables agreement in December 2020. Under the agreement, which TechCrunch has viewed, Oxygen purchases bikes and parts directly from suppliers and vendors on behalf of the e-bike company, and Onyx pays it back plus various fees. Per the terms of the agreement, Onyxs supplies and assets would be held as collateral. Khatiblou was personally liable if Onyx failed to make payments. Will Drewery, founder and CEO of Diagon.ai, a startup building a platform for equipment financing, told TechCrunch that creditors' fees are pretty standard in the industry. Signing on as a personal guarantor, however, is not. Its legal to do it, but its dumb, Drewery told TechCrunch. And places like Y Combinator, Techstars, any advisor or investor will tell you, like, Are you an idiot? Why would you sign a personal guarantee? Dont ever do that. Clara Brenner, co-founder and managing partner of VC firm Urban Innovation Fund, had a similar sentiment. Personal liability is something you actively run from, Brenner told TechCrunch. It's something we strongly dissuade our founders from doing because most of the time theyre not super sophisticated about these mechanisms, and its just really risky. Oxygen Fundings Lomax, for his part, said making the borrower a personal guarantor is standard protocol when a business doesnt have enough assets to back up the credit line. But now that Khatiblou has passed away, all Oxygen and other creditors can fall back on is whatever e-bike supply remains. Oxygen and Ames, together with Smith, are now duking it out for access to those assets. The CEO was slipping Days before Khatiblou died, Mig Cernicky, Onyxs purchasing director, said his CEO was slipping. Several of us were working closely with James to try to get him on the ball and take care of these eviction notices, Cernicky told TechCrunch. At that point, his mental capacity had declined to the point that he was having a hard time even carrying on a simple conversation. Diane Khatiblou told TechCrunch that in addition to stress, her son was also in and out of the hospital and was very ill for a couple of months before he died. He was initially diagnosed with pneumonia. It turns out that it was a blood clot that caused Khatiblou trouble breathing and difficulty walking to the point that he started using a cane, according to Diane Khatiblou. I didn't realize how much pain he was in because, of course, he was trying to pull himself up and not complain, she said. Realizing that Khatiblou wasnt in a fit state to handle the pressing matters at hand, Cernicky said he started pressuring Onyxs COO, Tay McDaniel, to step up to which she replied with a resignation letter. At a loss for what to do and desperate to try to save Onyx, Cernicky drafted a document on December 8 naming himself as president and COO of Onyx Motorbikes for Khatiblou to sign. It is the last document that James signed, Cernicky said. Khatiblou died four days later, and Cernicky stepped in as acting CEO to try to keep Onyx alive. Khatiblou was unmarried and had no children when he passed away, so his mother, Diane Khatiblou, became his sole heir. That didnt mean she was automatically in charge of Khatiblous assets, which includes Onyx -- only that she had first rights to them. According to the California Probate Code, in cases like this, the court needs to appoint an administrator to decide what to do with the company. After initially petitioning a Los Angeles probate court in March 2024 to step in as administrator of her sons estate, Khatiblous mother reversed course and withdrew her petition. Now, Oxygen Funding is petitioning the court to become the administrator, its chief executive Lomax told TechCrunch. Thats one way for the creditor to ensure that it gets its money back. Lomax wouldnt confirm whether Oxygen would sell company assets to pay itself and other creditors back or find someone else to pick up the pieces and keep the company alive. Creditors become secured creditors when they file a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) form. Oxygen filed one of these with Delawares Secretary of State in December 2020, which the creditor says makes it first in line to be paid back its $2.2 million. There are other creditors waiting in line too. JP Morgan Chase claims to be owed $43,323.29, according to probate court documents. In mid-May, a customer who had purchased an RCR dirt bike and some accessories back in November 2023 also filed as a creditor in probate court to get his $6,019.97 back. Sources say Shopify, the platform under which Onyx made its sales, is also owed money but has yet to file a claim. Ames and Smith are also claiming to be creditors. The pair filed UCC forms in California for both Onyx Motorbikes Inc. and Onyx Motorbikes Global Holdings LLC on May 26, 2021 the day after Khatiblou signed a settlement agreement that would see him buying back their shares for some $10,000 per month over the span of 80 months. By filing those UCC forms, Ames and Smith essentially turned a share buyback into a loan agreement -- and they are holding Onyxs assets, tangible and intangible, as collateral against their security interests. Counsel for Ames and Smith told TechCrunch that Onyx had breached its repayment agreement when Khatiblou passed away and could no longer continue buying back shares. Accordingly, Mr. Ames and Mr. Smith, as secured creditors, are taking steps to foreclose on Onyx LLCs assets, reads a statement from the lawyer. The two shareholders earlier this month gave notice of a lien sale to Khatiblous estate and acting CEO Cernicky, according to several people familiar with the matter. The notice advises that Ames and Smith plan to sell Onyx LLCs collateral sometime on or after May 21. In the notice, collateral is defined as a general all-assets description. At the time of publication, none of Onyxs disputed assets had been sold. In addition to Ames and Smith, their counsel did not respond to TechCrunchs requests for more information, like what assets they have in their possession and plan to sell. E-bikes stuck in storage Since theres no money in Onyxs coffers, the only way for Oxygen or anyone else to be made whole is to sell whatever assets and supplies remain. Oxygen posits that since it paid for Onyxs supply and since the e-bike company defaulted on its payments, it is the rightful owner of any remaining assets. Theres just one problem. Those assets are being held split between at least two parties. Oxygen is in possession of about 100 batteries and chargers as well as 25 CTY bikes, confirmed Lomax. The remaining 74 bikes are in a warehouse used by Suzhou Jindao, the e-bike assembly manufacturer in Suzhou that was Onyxs supplier. Suzhou Jindao is waiting for a court order that directs where the inventory should go. The Chinese supplier has also been pressured by Ames and Smith to hold onto the bikes and ensure they dont make it into Oxygens hands. In an email that TechCrunch has viewed, counsel for the two investors asked the supplier to hold off on delivering the bikes in light of the liens held by Troy Smith and Ken Ames. With assets split between two parties and a web of legal claims, its unclear exactly who will be the victor or if Onyx will ever exist again. There are several possibilities. Ames and Smith could use the trademark assignment to block Oxygen and others from selling Onyx-branded gear. The pair could use the tactic to not only wrest control of the assets but as a strategy to bring the Onyx brand back. To make matters more tricky, Ames and Smith who claim to be creditors per the share buyback agreement -- now appear to have regained full ownership of their shares, making them active shareholders. This is because their shares were being held in escrow while Onyx was paying them back; when Khatiblou died and Onyx defaulted on payments, those shares moved out of escrow, which Smith has confirmed to TechCrunch. Either youre an owner or youre not an owner, said Lomax. Which is it? Because if youre an owner, then we need to talk to you about how Oxygen Funding gets repaid. Editors Note: Joey Jackson is a criminal defense attorney and a legal analyst for CNN. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion on CNN. Closing arguments will get under way Tuesday at Manhattan Supreme Court in former President Donald Trumps hush money trial. After hearing from 22 witnesses 20 from the prosecution and two from the defense a 12-member jury is on the verge of deliberations. But not before both sides present their dueling narratives for the jurys consideration. Joey Jackson - Jeremy Freeman/CNN After hearing the closing arguments from both sides, the jury will decide whether Trump is guilty of any of the 34 charges contained in the indictment brought by District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg. Prosecutors allege that Trump falsified invoices and business ledgers and issued checks under false pretenses to reimburse his former attorney Michael Cohen. They must also show that Trump did so to conceal some other crime. Prosecutors have not been clear as to what that other crime might be, but have alluded to a campaign finance violation. In doing so, prosecutors say that Trump engaged in a conspiracy and cover-up to pay off Stormy Daniels in order to conceal his alleged liaison with the adult film actress, who received $130,000 to keep quiet. His motive, prosecutors claim, was to hide this information from voters to increase the likelihood that hed be elected in 2016. If the jury agrees, Trump would become a convicted felon, and could face up to four years in prison. Although there are multiple counts, any potential jail time would run concurrent for each count, meaning the four years represents his total exposure. But Trumps defense attorneys will have much to say Tuesday about the evidence presented by prosecutors in an attempt to avoid that outcome. There are two ways for Trump to prevail: First, the jury could acquit him based upon the presence of reasonable doubt that he committed the alleged crimes. Second, there could be a mistrial if one or more jurors refuse to convict. This would result in a new trial for Trump before a new jury. Should that happen, Trump would essentially be exonerated. Heres why: There would be insufficient time to try him again before the November election. And if he wins the election, prosecutors would almost certainly put the trial on hold until after his presidency in keeping with guidance from the Department of Justice, which forbids trying a sitting president. If he loses the election, it would be hard to imagine that there would be much interest in trying him again. What would be the point? The defense will present its closing argument first. Since prosecutors have the burden of proof, they will have the last word. Neither side will be entitled to rebut the other once they sit down. Drawing from my experience in the courtroom, heres what I predict you will hear from both sides. The defense will likely maximize the importance of Trumps former fixer, Cohen, in this scheme. In doing so, they will argue that the entirety of the case is built upon Cohens word. And since he has zero credibility because of his documented lies, they will say, all charges must fail. Prosecutors, however, will minimize the significance of Cohen, noting that virtually all other witness testimony along with emails, text messages, audio recordings and other documents supports Cohens claims. The defense will assert that Trump did nothing illegal. They will no doubt highlight the fact that catching unfavorable media stories and killing them (buying rights to the stories and then stopping their publication) is an accepted and legal practice, as is the signing of non-disclosure agreements. Its also not illegal to desire to win an election or to protect your family or yourself from the revelations of embarrassing information. As for Daniels, the defense will contest the affair (which Trump has consistently denied), while pressing the claim that Cohen went rogue and acted on his own accord in making the payoff deal. They will argue that he did so without Trumps knowledge or consent. And while the details she gave about their alleged encounter may have been salacious and entertaining, even if the jury believes it happened, a dalliance is not illegal. Regarding the payment of invoices or reimbursing Cohen for the expenses he incurred, again, this is not in itself illegal. Yes, Trump wrote out checks, which is perfectly appropriate, whether with a Sharpie pen or otherwise. As to ledgers and invoices keeping track of these checks, Trump is the owner of the organization, not the bookkeeper or finance person. He has nothing to do with ledgers or invoices. And, by the way, he was pretty busy running the free world back in 2017, having little time to micromanage or even care about business records. None of Trumps financial people testified to Trump directing them to falsify anything. The defense will remind the jury that the only witness who directly implicates Trump is Cohen. And they will have a field day pointing out that he is a Trump-hating disbarred lawyer and convicted felon, who lied to Congress, lied to banks, lied to business associates and even hid information from his own wife. The thousands of dollars he stole from the Trump Organization will certainly be mentioned, along with the millions he made for bashing Trump. In short, the defense will argue that the credibility-challenged Cohen desperately wants to see Trump convicted, and has a vendetta against him for not offering him a job in the White House. The defense will certainly highlight what they will style as the biggest lie of all: Cohens testimony in which he claims that he briefed Trump and obtained approval for the Daniels deal during a 96-second phone call he made to Trumps bodyguard. Cohen claims Trump was with the bodyguard at the time, and that he handed Trump the phone. When it was pointed out that in the lead-up to that call Cohen had sent numerous text messages to the bodyguard about being harassed by a 14-year-old, with no mention of Daniels at all, Cohen seemed to be caught off-guard. Finally, the defense will reinforce that you cannot convict someone because you dont like their politics that would be anathema to our entire system of justice. And, by the way, how about the mysterious other crime that Trump was concealing? Why didnt the prosecution spend more time on that? Not guilty. But not so fast, prosecutors will say. We told you that this case was about a conspiracy and a cover-up, and thats exactly what weve proven, the prosecution will argue. The defense would have you believe that this case hinges entirely on Cohens word. It does not. Virtually every witness came in here and corroborated just about everything he said. His motivation for doing so was obvious. Given the release of the Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump bragged on a hot mic about committing sexual assault, he could ill afford to be embroiled in yet another scandal. You heard the communications director of his campaign, Hope Hicks, speak to the dire issues the campaign was confronting and how they were in full damage control after the tape was released. You also heard from her that Trump is a micromanager who knew exactly what was going on around him at all times. She also told you that Cohen is simply not the type of person to front money based upon the kindness of his heart. And, by the way, we know that Trump was fully aware of another deal the agreement with Playboy model Karen McDougal. We all heard the tape of Trump and Cohen plotting to pay her off so that she would not reveal their affair. How likely is it that Trump would be fully involved and engaged when it comes to that agreement, but be completely clueless about the payoff to Daniels? Not very. McDougal and Daniels even had the same lawyer negotiating the payments, Keith Davidson. Yet, amazingly, the defense wants you to believe that the only direct evidence regarding Trumps involvement in this fraud is Cohen. Nonsense. And by the way, did we all not hear the audio of Cohen speaking to Davidson in which he talks about Trump lamenting the payment to Daniels even though Cohen says that everyone else told Trump it was the right thing to do? And think about what else proves Trumps awareness of this deal his annoyance with having to make it in the first place. According to Cohen, Trump made every effort to slow roll the payment to Daniels, asking him to delay it until after the election, saying: If I win, it will have no relevance because Ill be president, and if I lose no one will care. Then theres Cohens meeting with Trump at the White House, directly before the reimbursement payments began. We know the meeting was not to discuss a Cohen appointment to be attorney general of the United States. And immediately following this meeting, Trump started sending Cohen retainer payments in his signature Sharpie pen. Interestingly, though, Cohen wasnt doing any legal work on Trumps behalf. The evidence shows that in order for checks to be issued to Cohen, Trump would have had to give his approval. And the reason they were framed and structured as they were was to avoid detection for what their real purpose was reimbursement to Cohen, along with a bonus for a job well done. And if everything was so innocent, why send the unsigned checks to Trumps head of security via FedEx so they could be carried into the White House, signed by him and FedExd back? Seems like a rather elaborate arrangement to merely pay a lawyer for retainer fees. The defense would have you believe that the man who wrote The Art of the Deal had no clue what the $35,000 monthly checks to Cohen were actually for, or if he even knew he was signing them at all, because he was so busy multitasking. How plausible is that? Not only did he know exactly what he was doing, but he knew exactly how the books would have to be manipulated to avoid questions of illegality, the prosecution will no doubt say. In directing that the books be structured in a certain way, Trump was involved in the conspiracy concerning fraudulent ledgers and invoices whether he personally prepared them or not is immaterial. One thing he did personally sign was the checks themselves. What better speaks to personal involvement than his signature? And why did he engage in this conspiracy and cover-up? To circumvent campaign finance laws during a presidential election. Do we need Cohen to tell us that or is that what our common sense and good judgment tell us? You can also trust the cell phone records, text messages, emails, audio you heard and other documents. Trumps guilt on all counts is undeniable. The defense spent a significant amount of their time and energy undermining Cohen, who claims he talked with Trump about the Daniels scheme more than 20 times in October 2016. If jurors discount Cohens testimony, there could be a problem for prosecutors as he provides the direct link to Trumps guilt. Alternatively, if prosecutors are successful in downplaying Cohens significance, and focusing on all the other evidence showing Trump would not only be aware of the Daniels deal but establishing motive and reason to ensure the agreement got done, prosecutors could prevail. Why? Because that would make Trumps involvement in falsifying records obvious as would be his motivation to do so. What will the ultimate verdict be? The jury will decide. In making that decision, they have an awful lot to consider. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Editors Note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radios daily program The Dean Obeidallah Show. Follow him on Threads. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN. Donald Trump is accustomed to adoring fans packing his rallies. These MAGA faithful including some supporters who travel hundreds of miles to attend repeated rallies are only too eager to laugh at his jokes and applaud his bombastic rhetoric. Thats why Trump being loudly and repeatedly jeered and heckled throughout his speech at the Libertarian Partys national convention in Washington, DC on Saturday had to be jarring for him. Dean Obeidallah - CNN And while Trump did attract some cheers when he nakedly pandered to the crowd, such when he promised to appoint a Libertarian to his cabinet if he wins, the headlines across the nation told the story of Trump getting repeatedly heckled unlike anything weve seen before in this campaign. Trump had lobbied for an invitation to the event, hoping to convince some of the attendees to support his presidential bid in Novembers election. The New York Times reported that the former president appeared irked by the chaotic atmosphere, which led him to seemingly rush through his speech. In fact, things got so rough for Trump that when he received a chorus of boos after urging the attendees to make him their 2024 presidential nominee that like a comedian bombing who lashes out at the audience he mocked the Libertarian Party, saying that they could either choose to nominate him or keep getting your 3% every four years. It might have been even worse for Trump if the Secret Service hadnt reportedly confiscated the rubber chickens that squawked loudly when squeezed, that had been distributed to attendees by a PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (Of course, this raises the question of why the taxpayer funded Secret Service was being used to silence people who wanted to show their disapproval for Trumps political speech.) To put it bluntly, the booing of Trump is what patriotism sounds like. Those people were loudly warning Americans about who Trump is and the danger he poses to our republic. There were various reasons cited by those attending the Libertarian Party convention for why they adamantly opposed Trump, such as his running up huge federal deficits when he was in the White House. But what jumped out to me was that so many people cited Trumps threat to our very way of life. One delegate to the convention told the Times ahead of the address that Trump tries to make himself sound Libertarian but hes the ultimate authoritarian. Some attendees yelled during the speech that, Donald Trump is a threat to democracy! While another person held up a sign that read, No wannabe dictators! before being dragged away by security. Days before the speech, Peter Goettler, president and chief executive of the libertarian think tank Cato Institute, penned an op-ed for The Washington Post explaining why so many libertarians oppose Trump. Libertarians core beliefs, he noted, include individual freedom, equality under the law, pluralism, toleration, free speech, freedom of religion, government by consent of the governed, the rule of law and limited constitutional government. Trump, Goettler continued, does not subscribe to those views. He went on to list a litany of issues Trump has embraced that are anathema to Libertarians, including increasing the national debt by $8.4 trillion during his presidency. He also cited the threat Trump poses to our freedoms, noting that if he wins the White House he plans to crack down on political enemies suggesting he plans to expand government power to silence critics and opponents. Goettler then powerfully explained that while both Democratic and Republican presidents were not above using extralegal means to accomplish policy objectives, Trump was far more dangerous with the supreme example being the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021, a tragic event that celebrated a total disregard for the peaceful transfer of power and constitutional order. He added, Libertarians know that the Constitution and the rule of law are essential elements in keeping government power constrained. You dont need to be a member of the Libertarian Party to understand that if Trump had been successful in his efforts to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election, our democratic republic as we know it would have ended. Elections would no longer matter if Trump or any candidate without credible evidence and after losing all judicial appeals could declare that he or she could remain in office simply by alleging there was widespread fraud. That is why he has been charged with numerous felonies in both the federal courts and in Fulton County, Georgia. In December, former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney a fierce Trump critic made a comment that has stuck with me. Speaking of the threat posed by a second Trump term, she warned, One of the things that we see happening today is a sort of a sleepwalking into dictatorship in the United States. I hope people across the country read about what took place Saturday night at the Libertarian convention. Maybe, just maybe, the loud jeers and boos by those patriotic Americans directed against Trump will wake up their fellow citizens to the threat he poses if hes elected again to lead our country. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com No one can predict a criminal jury verdict with anything approaching scientific accuracy. This includes lawyers, judges, and, most certainly, political commentators. This is the mystery of the truth-divination system we call a criminal justice system. We let two white knights (the presumption of innocence clothes both prosecution and defense in white) joust and whoever wins is determined to be representing the side of truth. Juries decide which side wins. After the Trump trial verdict, we will never know exactly what factored into the jurys decisionwhether it be conviction, acquittal or hung jurybecause no one account can capture even how one human mind makes decisions, much less twelve of them. But heres what to watch for. Trumps Cronies Are Prepared if He Loses Hush Money Case The prosecution bears the burden of proof and in some jurisdictions that means they go first and lastmeaning the prosecution gets to rebut the defense. However, in New York, the defense goes first and then the prosecutionno rebuttal. Then judge Juan Merchan will instruct the jury on the law before giving them the case to decide. The best defense closings are not scattergun approaches that rely upon lofty rhetoric or anecdotes about the meaning of reasonable doubt. Nor do they talk much about the prosecution bearing the burden of proof and the fact that a defendant is presumed innocent. The reality is defendants tend to face a presumed guilty attitude that the defense must overcome. To do so, defense counsel needs to present a coherent theory or theories. For example, the defendant wasnt present at the crime scene and the eyewitnesses are suspect because they either have bad eyesight or are biased against the defendant. What the defense should not do is present multiple, conflicting defenses: The defendant was not present at the murder scene, but if they were then it was self-defense. Thus far, Trumps defense team seems to use a throw-everything-at-the-kitchen-wall strategy with a particular emphasis on Trumps favorite foods: insult and shame. The cross-examination of Stormy Daniels tried to discredit her not through inconsistencies in her testimony but by trying to make the jury believe that her acting and directing were shameful pursuits that should preclude anyone from thinking she can tell the truth. It didnt go well for the defense. Daniels came across as genuine and smart and slam-dunked a few times right in the defense counsels face. For Michael Cohen, the defense seemed to have so embraced the media and former Trump attorneys disparagement of Cohens honesty that they focused on calling him a liar instead of showing the jury where he might have been wrong or lied. 5 Criticisms of Trumps New York Hush Money Trial That Are Just Wrong To salvage their inept case, the defense needs to give a closing which is tightly focused on facts and not their clients penchant for insult. The best way for them to treat the Stormy Daniels testimony is to argue it is not really relevant to whether Trump engaged in falsification of business records since she has no knowledge of accounting details. If, on the other hand, they try to satisfy Trump by arguing that the sexual encounter never took place, then they not only put the jurys focus on a legally irrelevant factor but also risk setting up a credibility contest between Trump and Daniels. Thats not a contest Trump is likely to win. With Michael Cohen, they need to play up the slim amount of testimony that Trump gave specific instructions given to falsify the reimbursements to Cohen as legal invoices. That leads to the defenses strongest argument, which is that there is insufficient evidence of Trump directing or knowing how the reimbursements were recorded. Its their best argument because it attacks the foundation of the case. The prosecution theory requires the misdemeanor falsification being proven and then proof that the falsification was meant to further another crime: election interference. So without a determination by the jury that Trump knew about the falsification then the prosecution cannot win. Such an approach allows the defense to parry the onslaught of records and testimonysome by witnesses sympathetic to Trumpevidencing that the falsification happened and Trump likely knew about it. Good-Natured Trump Trial Lawyer Is Turning Into His Accomplice In contrast, the prosecution has an abundance of actual evidenceversus personal attacksto use in its closing, but the evidence must be carefully woven into a simple tale the jury understands. Something along the lines of: Trump tried to cover up his payments to cover up his sexual encounter because he worried the publicity might hurt his election chances. The timeline they walk the jury through needs to be both easy to follow and densely documented by supporting evidence. Stormy Daniels testimony will be a gift to the prosecutions closing. They can simply reference it as part of the story and let her excellent performance speak to the contrast in credibility between her and the defense arguments as well as the defense witness Robert Costellowho came across as so arrogant and disrespectful that Judge Juan Merchan had to dress him down after clearing the courtroom. Michael Cohen should be used by the prosecution as both a guide to and a victim of Trumps world. Cohen weathered his cross-examination well and the prosecution would be smart to reference his testimony without any defensiveness. Certainly any snark thrown at Cohen by the defense can be handled by prosecutors literally pointing to Trump and saying: If you dont like Michael Cohen, if you found what he did to be distasteful, then just remember who hired him. The jury instructionswhich we have not yet seensound like they will be particularly helpful to the prosecution on the element of unlawful means. Namely, the judge will not require the jury to agree unanimously on which unlawful means were used in the crime. Some jurors may conclude that tax fraud arising from Trumps treatment of the reimbursements as invoices paid to Cohen was the unlawful means for the case while others may conclude that the unlawful means was that the falsification concealed what should have been reported to the Federal Election Commission as an in-kind campaign contribution. This lack of a unanimity requirement is very helpful to the prosecution because the jury can pick and sample as it chooses from evidence of unlawful means without having to agree on only one. This also provides insulation on appeal should there be a conviction. As one experienced legal commentator has observed: Juries surprisesometimes. The New York Trump jury is no exception. They may acquit or they may hang. But for me, any outcome other than a conviction will be a surprise given how the prosecutions evidence has been presented, combined with the likelihood that Trumps defense team will likely continue its scattergun tactics in their closing. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Orlando to receive over $500M in federal grants for high schoolers and low-income seniors Orlando is set to receive more than half-a-million dollars that will support programs aimed at helping high schoolers and low-income seniors, according to a recent announcement from Congressman Maxwell Frost. The City of Orlandos Operation AmeriCorps program, and non-profit organization Volunteers for Community Impact Incorporated programs will receive $652,727 in total funding from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and service. This funding will support initiatives for both high school students and low-income seniors across Central Florida. Read: State House, congressional districts draw challenge According to a new release, $337,727 of the grant will help the Citys 15 AmeriCorps members to start up advocacy and counseling programs for high school juniors and seniors at Colonial, Edgewater, and Jones High Schools. This initiative is expected to benefit over 700 students. Read: Light up your summer nights at a new after-hours event at Aquatica Im thrilled to announce that our district will receive over $600,000 in federal funding from AmeriCorps to support our Orlando community, said Congressman Frost. These funds will provide essential resources for students in marginalized communities striving to complete their high school education and low-income seniors seeking support to maintain their independence. This is a prime example of how we can put federal dollars to work for all generations in Central Florida. The other $315,000 will fund the AmeriCorps Senior Companion program at local, non-profit Volunteers for Community Impact, which will add 35 new volunteers. These volunteers will assist seniors with tasks such as companionship, running vital errands, and transportation to medical appointments across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola Counties. Read: Central Florida continues a very hot Memorial Day Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Update: 1:45 p.m., May 28 District Attorney Doug Pewitt confirmed the sentencing date for Charalana Kelly was moved to July 3. Pewitt said the delay was because prosecutors didnt receive Kellys presentencing investigation report until Friday and needed time to review it MAMI, Okla. The wife of a double murder convicted felon will learn her fate on Tuesday as she appears in Ottawa County District Court for a sentencing hearing. Charlana Nichelle Kelly, 54, of Miami, pleaded guilty in February to accessory to felony murder in the death of Toni Moran by providing a false alibi to investigators about her husband. Jimmy Kelly and Charlana Kelly/OSBI/Ottawa County Jail Moran, 47, also known as Tony Elizabeth Torres, of North Miami and Quapaw, died from multiple gunshot wounds to her head and body on Nov. 1, 2021. Tragic and violent lives intersect ending in Oklahoma womans death, mans prison sentence The sentencing hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Ottawa County Courthouse before District Judge Jennifer McAffre. She faces up to 22 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Jimmy Kelly Jr., 53, Charlanas husband of over five years, told federal investigators he was having a relationship with Moran that caused his wife, Charlana to become jealous and arranged a confrontation between both women, according to federal court records. Jimmy Kelly and Moran had met while both in prison, Kelly for the murder of a Picher man, and Moran was being held in the Oklahoma Forensic Center in Vinita in connection with the drowning death of her 17-month-old son, Alex. Investigators believe the plot was to have Moran meet Jimmy Kelly on a rural county road where the town of Picher used to be, early in the evening of Halloween 2021. Moran thought it was to use methamphetamine, according to a sentencing memorandum dated May 31. Jimmy Kelly was sentenced in June 2023 in US District Court in Tulsa to 303 months, or more than 25 years, for second-degree murder in Indian Country and 120 months, or 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm, for Morans brutal slaying. Kellys new sentences will run concurrently but wont begin until he serves 57 months for violating the terms of his release on a 1991 murder conviction. Morans body had 12 abrasions, including a laceration to the victims tongue and a contusion to the left side of her head. A toxicology report showed Moran had methamphetamine in her system and a trace of amphetamine. Antidepressants were also detected in Morans system, but not confirmed. Toni Morans Autopsy Report When she died, Moran was homeless, after being evicted from her apartment, and had just found out her best friend started a relationship with the man with whom she had been involved, according to court records. Floyd McKibben, Morans brother has refuted the court records through emails and social media messages. Prison Time In October 2004, Torres was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of her son and was committed to a mental hospital. She was released from the mental hospital seven years later because it was ruled, she was no longer a danger. In 1991 Jimmy Kelly was convicted of murder for the beating death of Vernon C. Moyer, of Picher. Testimony showed Kelly beat Moyer with a tire jack and nearly decapitated the man decimating his neck, larynx and voice box. Kelly then disposed of the body in a nearby pond. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison and was released on April 30, 2018, where he began serving five years of supervised release, according to court records. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. General view of tents in which displaced Palestinians take refuge in, next to the Egyptian border with the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. An Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah hit tents housing displaced people, Palestinian medics said on 27 May evening. The Palestinian Red Crescent said on X that there were "numerous" people killed and injured in the bombardment north-west of Rafah. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa The Hamas-run health authority in Gaza on Monday said 45 people were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike that hit tents housing displaced people near the southern city of Rafah. Most of the victims of the airstrike were women and children, the health authority said, describing the incident as a "massacre." The information could not initially be independently verified, but the Palestinian Red Crescent earlier said on the social media platform X that there were "numerous" people killed and injured in the bombardment north-west of Rafah. The incident has sparked international horror and outrage. Meanwhile, an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian troops near the border to the Gaza Strip also caused new concerns that the Gaza war could escalate. An Egyptian soldier was killed, an Egyptian military spokesman confirmed on Monday. It is the first publicly known fatality in the ranks of the Egyptian military since the start of the Gaza war almost eight months ago. Israel's army confirmed an exchange of fire. The Israeli military said the incident is being investigated and that talks are being held with Egypt. The situation at the Rafah border crossing has become increasingly tense. Israeli troops recently took control of the crossing on the Palestinian side as well as a border strip between Egypt and Gaza. Aid organizations report dozens dead in Israeli strike The Palestinian Red Crescent said that the air raid hit a designated humanitarian zone for those who had been forced to evacuate Rafah due to the Israeli fighting. Footage from the scene showed the makeshift shelters on fire. It was not clear how many people were trapped or under the debris. The aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that a medical facility it supports in the area treated dozens of wounded, while more than 15 dead people were brought to their trauma stabilization point. "We are horrified by this deadly event, which shows once again that nowhere is safe. We continue to call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza," MSF said on X. Israel investigates incident The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said via X that two senior Hamas officials were killed in the airstrike. "The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, through the use of precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area," the IDF said in a statement. "The IDF is aware of reports indicating that, as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review," the statement added. The strike came just days after the International Court of Justice in The Hague ordered Israel to halt its assault on Rafah. Israel's top military lawyer on Monday described the incident as "very serious." "It is in the nature of things that serious incidents happen in a war of this scope and intensity," Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi said at a legal conference in the southern Israeli port city of Eilat on Monday. "Some of the incidents - like the one yesterday in Rafah - are very serious." Israel's army always regrets when innocent bystanders are harmed, she said. Arab countries react angrily Several Arab countries on Monday condemned the Israeli airstrike. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the "deliberate bombing of displaced people's tents in the Palestinian city of Rafah" was a "new and blatant violation of the provisions of international law." Qatar also condemned the attack as a "grave violation of international laws that will aggravate the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip." The Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed concern that the latest strike would complicate ongoing mediation efforts and obstruct a permanent ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. Hamas later confirmed to dpa that it was suspending ceasefire negotiations which were expected to restart this week. In separate statements, Jordan and Kuwait condemned "war crimes" committed by Israel in Gaza and urged the international community to compel Israel to adhere to the ICJ ruling on Rafah. Germany calls strike "a mistake" German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit on Monday said the airstrike was presumably "a mistake" and again defended Israel's "right to defend itself within the framework of international law." Asked about allegations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, Hebestreit said that the German government would withhold judgement. "The conclusion as to whether this is a war crime in terms of international law is something that must be left to lawyers who know the exact facts," Hebestreit said in Berlin. If there is evidence of such a crime, the German government would certainly condemn it, Hebestreit said. But he warned that such conclusions cannot be drawn from gruesome photos of the aftermath of the strike, and noted recent rockets launched from Rafah toward Tel Aviv. "First investigate what exactly happened and then make a judgement. And don't make an immediate judgement based on pictures," Hebestreit said. Macron condemns Israeli airstrike in Rafah French President Emmanuel Macron, in Germany for a three-day state visit, reacted much more strongly, calling for an immediate ceasefire and full compliance with international law. "These operations must stop," wrote an "outraged" Macron on X. "There are no safe zones for Palestinian civilians in Rafah." The war in Gaza was triggered by the massacre of more than 1,200 people by terrorists from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and other militants on October 7. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. International criticism of Israel has grown as the death toll among Palestinians has increased. It currently stands at over 35,000 people killed, according to Hamas authorities in Gaza. Palestinians inspect their destroyed tents after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Palestinians inspect their destroyed tents after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa OVERLAND PARK, Kan. Overland Park will be opening a storm debris drop-off site after overnight thunderstorms swept through the metro area. The site will be at 11921 Hardy St. from Wednesday, May 29 to Saturday, June 1 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. UPDATE: Evergy reports about 45k without power in Kansas City metro Proof of residency will be required. Residential debris will only be accepted. No commercial vehicles are allowed to drop of debris. Residents should plan to remove debris from vehicles themselves, or bring help. Overland Park will also be doing curbside debris pickup for a limited area beginning on Tuesday. to see a map of of where pickups will be, you can click here. The curbside pickup area will expand, with more locations to be announced later in the week. 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. Paid family leave would mean fewer parents have to choose between their jobs and caring for their family. (Getty Images) Sleep deprivation, mental health challenges, breastfeeding, child care, family dynamics and body image are just a few of the challenges many new parents face when expanding their families. As a fierce maternal and child health advocate, Louisville Metro Office for Women ambassador and lactation consultant who supports new parents, I know that providing access to paid leave is imperative in addressing these challenges and keeping Kentucky families healthy. This is especially true when it comes to breastfeeding. Breastfeeding requires practice, and establishing a healthy milk supply generally takes between six and eight weeks. Countless studies indicate that breastfeeding is directly associated with increased infant bonding and reduced perinatal mood disorders, like postpartum depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder associated with a traumatic birth experience, and in extreme cases psychosis. Access to paid leave would also address Kentuckys abysmal maternal mortality rates. Kentucky consistently ranks in the top 10 states for maternal mortality. Lack of access to paid leave is a social determinant of health that directly contributes to these numbers. Fathers need access to paid leave too. When fathers have paid leave from work, the parental partnership is strengthened, and positive involvement increases parental confidence. Early and continued infant bonding with fathers has lasting and enriching impacts on child behavioral outcomes, academic success, and maternal mental health. Very few families in Kentucky have access to paid leave. The United States is one of the few countries that does not have federal laws offering parental leave. Thirteen states have parental leave policies, but sadly, Kentucky isnt one of them. The good news is there is an opportunity to change this, at least for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) employees at the boards budget meeting on Tuesday, May 28. Paid leave is a common sense investment in the JCPS workforce. Not only does paid leave demonstrate a commitment to employees physical and mental health, and the health of their families, it could save the district thousands of dollars. Paid leave fosters employee retention, offers work-life balance and invests in the future of retirees through the savings of paid time for sick leave. On average, urban school districts spend more than $20,000 on each new hire, on expenses related to separation, recruitment, hiring and training. These investments dont pay their full dividend when teachers leave within one or two years. Implementing paid leave is imperative to attract and retain faculty and reduce the 26.1% teacher turnover rate. No new parents should be forced to choose between their job and caring for their family. I challenge the JCPS board to adopt a paid leave policy to foster a better school district, community and Kentucky by ensuring all new parents and children can thrive. The post Paid family leave would be a win-win for Jefferson County Public Schools appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. By Akhtar Soomro and Ariba Shahid MOHENJO DARO, Pakistan (Reuters) - Temperatures rose above 52 degrees Celsius (125.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Pakistans southern province of Sindh, the highest reading of the summer and close to the countrys record high amid an ongoing heatwave, the met office said on Monday. Extreme temperatures throughout Asia over the past month were made worse most likely as a result of human-driven climate change, a team of international scientists have said. In Mohenjo Daro, a town in Sindh known for archaeological sites that date back to the Indus Valley Civilization built in 2500 BC, temperatures rose as high as 52.2 C (126 F) over the last 24 hours, a senior official of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Shahid Abbas told Reuters. The reading is the highest of the summer so far, and approached the town's and country's record highs of 53.5 C (128.3 F) and 54 C (129.2 F) respectively. Mohenjo Daro is a small town that experiences extremely hot summers and mild winters, and low rainfall, but its limited markets, including bakeries, tea shops, mechanics, electronic repair shops, and fruit and vegetable sellers, are usually bustling with customers. But with the current heatwave, shops are seeing almost no footfall. "The customers are not coming to the restaurant because of extreme heat. I sit idle at the restaurant with these tables and chairs and without any customers," Wajid Ali, 32, who owns a tea stall in the town. "I take baths several times a day which gives me a little relief. Also there is no power. The heat has made us very uneasy." Close to Ali's shop is an electronic repairs shop run by Abdul Khaliq, 30, who was sat working with the shop's shutter half down to shield him from the sun. Khaliq also complained about the heat affecting business. Local doctor Mushtaq Ahmed added that the locals have adjusted to living in the extreme weather conditions and prefer staying indoors or near water. Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to the impact of climate change. We have witnessed above normal rains, floods, Rubina Khursheed Alam, the prime ministers coordinator on climate, said at a news conference on Friday adding that the government is running awareness campaigns due to the heatwaves. The highest temperature recorded in Pakistan was in 2017 when temperatures rose to 54 C (129.2 F) in the city of Turbat, located in the Southwestern province of Balochistan. This was the second hottest in Asia and fourth highest in the world, said Sardar Sarfaraz, Chief Meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department The heatwave will subside in Mohenjo Daro and surrounding areas, but another spell is expected to hit other areas in Sindh, including the capital, Karachi - Pakistan's largest city. (Reporting by Akhtar Soomro in Mohenjo Daro, Ariba Shahid in Karachi, additional reporting by Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Editing by Toby Chopra) Papua New Guinea cries out for help after landslide buries an estimated 2,000 people Papua New Guinea is slowly receiving international aid after a massive landslide buried an estimated 2,000 people in a remote village Friday. A Papua New Guinea government official told the United Nations that more than 2,000 people were believed to have been buried alive and was formally asking for international help to excavate the land, The Associated Press reported. The U.N. currently estimates the death toll at 670 and said it hasnt changed that, despite the local governments estimate. But, it noted, the number will remain fluid. Only the remains of six people have been found so far. The International Organization for Migration, part of the U.N., is taking a leading response for international aid so far. Since the landslide happened in a remote mountainous region, its difficult to bring equipment and machinery. There also is tribal warfare nearby, which has forced aid workers to travel in convoys and be escorted at night by soldiers, Reuters reported. The first excavator reached the site late Sunday, a U.N. official told Reuters. Australia has announced an initial $2.5 million in local currency or 1.66 million in American dollars and said it would send technical experts to help. China also said it would provide assistance within its disaster relief capabilities and reconstruction, Reuters reported. We believe that the people of Papua New Guinea will be able to overcome difficulties and rebuild their homeland at an early date, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, according to Reuters. The AP also noted that its difficult to determine the scale of the disaster since the village is in a remote location with a lack of telecommunications. The government did not explain what the 2,000-person estimate was based on, and its difficult to track the population since the country lacks accurate and updated census data. Luseta Laso Mana, the acting director of the South Pacific island nations National Disaster Center, visited the landslide with Papua New Guineas defense minister, Billy Joseph, and delivered emergency supplies to the 4,000 survivors. In some places, like the main highway, debris was piled up 20 to 26 feet high. As excavation continues and more tools arrive, villagers are divided over whether they want heavy machinery digging up the bodies of their relatives, the AP reported. President Biden issued condolences Friday for those who lost their loved ones in the landslide. Our prayers are with all the families impacted by this tragedy and all the first responders who are putting themselves in harms way to help their fellow citizens, he wrote in a statement, pledging to aid the country in its recovery efforts. We stand ready to assist, he added. And at this dark hour, we will continue to coordinate with Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand, and our Quad partners to ensure were meeting our commitment to partner in delivering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief across the Indo-Pacific. 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 The Hill. The body of an infant child was found near a lake in Northwest Missouri over Memorial Day weekend. Police say an employee at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park discovered the body Saturday as they were doing routine maintenance in a remote area of the park. The park employee called police and officers responded just before 11 a.m. to secure the scene. Maryville police are investigating the circumstances of the babys death. A gender and approximate age of the infant were not immediately available. No other information about the investigation was available Monday. Police ask anyone with information about the deceased child to call 660-562-3209. Maryville is about an hour and 30 minutes north of Kansas City. Iranian lawmakers take an oath during the opening ceremony of the new parliament term in Tehran. 27 May marked the start of Iran's newly elected parliament, which followed a March election with the lowest turnout since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Hard-liners now hold over 230 of the 290 seats. Rouzbeh Fouladi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa A new parliament convened in Iran's capital Tehran for the first time on Monday, days after a deadly helicopter crash which killed the country's president and foreign minister. State radio reported that lawmkers in the Islamic Consultative Assembly opened the first session of the legislative period with a recitation from the Koran. A new parliamentary speaker is set to be elected in the coming days. Incumbent Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is running for re-election against religious hardliner Mojtaba Zonnour and former foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Elections in Iran are widely seen as neither free nor fair, as the country's Guardian Council, a supervisory body of Islamic clerics and lawyers, must approve all candidates before they can run. Hardliners won this year's parliamentary elections, which were held over two rounds in March and May amid a historically low turnout of around 40%. Many Iranian citizens have become disillusioned in the face of political repression, an economic crisis and failed attempts to reform the country's political system. A wave of protests in September 2022 following the death of a young Kurdish woman, Masha Amini, was violently suppressed by authorities. Political power in Iran is concentrated in the hands of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were killed in a helicopter crash near the border to Azerbaijan more than a week ago. The state news agency IRNA said more than 3 million people attended Raisi's funeral in the north-eastern city of Mashhad on Thursday after days of national mourning. Parts of Delaware County still without power and water COLCORD, Okla. Hundreds of Colcord residents are without water and power and town officials believe it may be days before utilities are restored. Storms kill 2 in northeast Oklahoma, 23 injured Mary Pipins, Delaware County Emergency Management duty officer for the area has worked 36 straight hours since Saturday nights storms ripped through Colcord. Colcord and its 750 residents are located in the southeast area of Delaware County near the Arkansas and Missouri state lines. It (storm) hit everything east of Colcord, Pipins said. Some houses were destroyed, she said. Utility companies have been out since daylight setting up poles, said David Beck, County Commissioner for the southern part of Delaware County. Beck has also been without power and water since Saturday nights storm. Two tornadoes occurred near Decatur, in Benton County, Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service in Tulsa. Decatur and Colcord are separated by 18 miles. Damage to the northwest part of Decatur was rated EF3, the weather agency reported. The weather center reported one tornado likely began in eastern Delaware County. Weather crews are in Colcord on Monday tracking the storms path and assessing wind damage before releasing the storms rating. One fatality was reported in a mobile home east of Rogers and near Beaver Lake. Estimated wind speeds were 80 to 95 mph, the weather agency reported. Two fatalities and four injuries were reported in Mayes County. Elsewhere, the National Weather Center reported a tornado developed northeast of Owasso in Rogers County, moved through Claremore, and then onto Mayes County. The Red Cross is set up at the Colcord Community Center where they are offering shelter and food. A donation center is set up at the Colcord Emergency Management building for water and other supplies. Colcord Schools have opened their gymnasium for residents to shower, Residents need to reach out to the Colcord Emergency Management for access to the gymnasium. Cherokee Nation is also encouraging residents who need assistance to call (918) 453- 5422. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. PATERSON City police officers will be stationed at Patersons parks on weekends under a new summer public safety strategy unveiled on Friday. The plan covers enforcement strategies, such as increasing the number of cops at crime hotspots and reassigning officers from desk duty to street patrols, as well as community relations programs, including an Anti-Violence Day of Play in each of Patersons six wards during the summer. We want the people of Paterson to feel safe as they enjoy the summer months, and I have confidence this strategy will do just that, said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, who seized control of the citys police department in March 2023. Story continues below photo gallery Isa Abbassi, the man Platkin appointed to run the Paterson police department, noted that his summer strategy for 2023 which featured the Neighborhood Stabilization Initiative along Broadway brought substantial reductions in violent crime last year. We are building on our successes with this years summer strategy to make sure every person in Paterson feels safe as they enjoy the warmer weather, said Abbassi, whose title is officer in charge. As all law enforcement officers know, major cities can see an increase in violent crime during the summer months. Parts of the summer program will be paid for with the infusion of funding Trenton has provided for the Paterson Police Department after the state takeover. 20% jump in Paterson police funding The current state budget includes an extra $10 million for Paterson police and Gov. Phil Murphys proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 has another $10 million for the citys law enforcement programs. Those allocations represent more than a 20% jump in police funding in Paterson. Mayor Andre Sayegh did not immediately respond to a message seeking his comments on Abbassis summer strategy. Sayegh has a pending lawsuit against the state that seeks to nullify the AGs takeover. Sep 21, 2023; Paterson, NJ, USA; Rookie Paterson Police Department officers (right) Shahed Rahman and Omar Morrison during their walking patrol on Broadway. Activist Ernest Rucker, who has been one of the Paterson police departments most vocal critics in the past decade, said he endorses Abbassis plan 100%. I was involved in the planning process, said Rucker, a member of Abbassis advisory council. I think its a great start to unite and build trust between the police department and the community. Another activist, Sebastian Mejia, also praised the strategy. I appreciate the plans emphasis on community engagement through initiatives like the Safe Parks/Safe Spaces Program, which provides safe recreational spaces for youth, Mejia said. Additionally, the collaboration with local organizations and advisory councils shows a commitment to incorporating community input and fostering trust between residents and the police, Mejia said. Paterson PBA President Angel Jimenez said the extra state funding has paid for overtime assignments he said are being used to compensate for the resignations of city police officers taking better-paying jobs in the suburbs. Jimenez said the department appreciates the states financial support, but warned that the funding infusion was only a Band-Aid on the fact that the citys police labor control expired five years ago. Of course its going to work, Jimenez said of the summer strategy, because of all that overtime. Assigned to designated city parks on weekend nights Abbassi announced that police officers would be assigned to designated city parks from 4 p.m. to closing on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the summer. Officials have not revealed exactly which parks would be covered by the program, nor how many officers would be deployed. Under the Operation All-Out plan, officers assigned to the traffic division, emergency response team, and some investigative squads will be repurposed this summer to patrol sections of the city with high crime and large numbers of quality of life complaints. Additionally, designated personnel who handle administrative duties at PPD will be required to spend time on patrol during the summer months to enhance police presence in the city, improve police accountability and supervision, and ensure that the members of the PPD gain greater familiarity with the community members they serve, said Abbassis press release. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson summer policing plan: more patrols, park presence Former Democratic Rhode Island congressman Patrick J. Kennedy has joined other members of the family to endorse President Joe Biden instead of his own cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for president in 2024. During an interview on CNNs State of the Union, Kennedy, a mental health and addiction advocate, called Biden the best president weve ever had on mental health. And frankly, hes also put the most money to community mental health around the country. So there is no other choice than Joe Biden. If you care about this addiction crisis and this mental health crisis, Joe Biden is your candidate, he said. CNNs Dana Bash pushed him further, asking if he meant his statement to be an endorsement of Joe Biden. In response, Kennedy doubled-down. Patrick Kennedy endorses Joe Biden over his cousin RFK Jr.: "There is no other choice than Joe Biden." Author of the new book "Profiles in Mental Health Courage" @PJK4brainhealth joins @DanaBashCNN to talk about addiction, mental health and the 2024 election. pic.twitter.com/p2obWwDyA2 State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) May 26, 2024 Of course it is. Hes the best, and he knows this issue, as you know, its personally affected him, and I think that every American can relate to what its like for Joe Biden because weve all had similar circumstances, he said. The Rhode Island Democrat is the latest in a slate of Kennedys which have defected from the struggling independent candidate. Kennedys Endorsed Biden Because RFK Jr. Is Not Like His Dad In April, more than a dozen members of the Kennedy family announced that they would not be backing their own blood. The group included RFK Jr.s sister, Kerry, as well as Rore Kennedy, Joe Kennedy III, Ted Kennedy Jr., and Christopher Kennedy. RFK Jr.s own sister decried his dangerous bid, while explaining that her family would support Biden in the upcoming presidential election. The family had previously rebuked RFK Jr. for disseminating conspiracy theories and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. RFK Jr. has insisted that the family remains close, despite their obvious political rifts. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. HANOVER TWP., LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) A man was arrested after police say a traffic stop found he was driving in a car stolen from New York City. The Hanover Township Police Department says they arrested Amadeo Batista-Damaso from East Orange, New Jersey after a traffic stop. Arrest made, over 100 bags of fentanyl seized Police said the car Batista-Damaso was driving had altered VIN plates and was stolen out of New York City. Batista-Domaso was taken to The Luzerne County Correctional Facility for overnight arraignment on the charges of receiving stolen property and disposition of vehicle with altered vehicle identification number. 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 PAhomepage.com. "Peace is not capitulation": Macron warns against easing support for Ukraine French President Emmanuel Macron has called for continued assistance to Ukraine, against which Russia is waging a war of aggression. Source: German TV news service Tagesschau, citing Macron after talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, as reported by European Pravda He said that standing on the side of peace today means providing Ukraine with the means to defend its borders and its sovereignty. Quote: "Peace is not capitulation. Peace is not abandoning principles," Macron noted. At the same time, Steinmeier also emphasised that assistance to Ukraine should not be suspended. Background: On Sunday, 26 May, Macron arrived in Germany for a three-day visit. This is the first state visit by a French president to Germany in 24 years. Macron's visit is seen as a test of the "health" of Franco-German relations, as there have been prolonged tensions between Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Earlier, the French president stated that in the third year of the full-scale war, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is not ready for peace. Prior to that, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed that he does not fully understand the idea of a "truce" during the Paris Olympics, calling the proposal "a story born dead." Support UP or become our patron! DENVER (KDVR) An Xcel Energy truck was involved in a crash that left a pedestrian with serious injuries Monday morning, according to the Denver Police Department. The crash happened at the intersection of West Exposition Avenue and South Federal Boulevard. Police said the initial investigation indicated the pedestrian was walking against the signal and was hit by the truck when it had a green light. Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather Police said the pedestrian was taken to the hospital, but was expected to survive. This embedded content is not available in your region. Xcel provided FOX31 with the following statement: Our thoughts are with the person who was injured this morning in [an] auto accident at South Federal Boulevard and West Exposition Avenue in Denver, CO, the statement said. First responders took the pedestrian to the hospital and our team is working with local authorities. 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. Pennsylvania Mom Whose 2 Sons Died Is Now Looking for Her Missing Daughter I'm asking for prayers from the community as we once again navigate an incredibly painful situation, Sue Quackenbush said NJ State Police Danielle Lopez A Pennsylvania mother is speaking out about her family's latest challenge: After her two sons died in recent years, her daughter is now missing. ln a statement on social media, the New Jersey State Police said that Danielle Lopez, 37, was last seen on April 13 at a Wawa store in Vincentown, New Jersey. Police added that Lopezs 2008 two-door blue Hyundai Accent was found disabled in Woodland Township. She is known to frequent the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, Pemberton Township, and Willingboro Township, state police said. Related: Man Disappeared Nearly 30 Years Ago After Leaving for Work. His Remains May Have Just Been Found Lopez is described as 5-foot-4-inches tall and 135 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. Sue Quackenbush, Lopezs mother, put out an appeal for information on the whereabouts of her daughter in a May 22 Facebook post. I'm asking for prayers from the community as we once again navigate an incredibly painful situation, Quackenbush wrote. The police continue to search for Danielle to bring her home for me. Please pray for the first responders in their search and if you can provide assistance, do so under their direction. 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. Danielle was sweet, creative, and loving, Quackenbush added. She was a wonderful daughter and a vibrant light in my life. I ask that you respect my need to grieve and mourn this difficult loss." Lopez is reportedly Quackenbushs last surviving child. According to Fox News, who spoke with Quackenbush, her eldest son, Eric, died by suicide in 2015 and her younger son, Michael, a Marine who had returned from Afghanistan, was killed in a crash the following year in Florida. Related: Badly Decomposed Human Remains Found Over 3 Decades Ago Identified as Man Who Went Missing in Niagara Falls Quackenbush, who did not immediately respond to a message from PEOPLE, told Fox News that her daughters vehicle was found on the day she went missing but Quackenbush has no idea what happened to Lopez. She also said she believes Lopez was with someone when she was seen in footage leaving the Wawa. "I went out to where her car was found, Ive been to the campground, Ive been looking for about six weeks now, Quackenbush said. In her Facebook post, she urged others to come forward if they have information on her daughter. Related: Missing California Woman's Car Found Abandoned in Remote Arizona Desert: Very Odd Please pray for the first responders in their search and if you can provide assistance, do so under their direction, she wrote. If you have any information, please contact the New Jersey State Police - Missing Persons Unit at (609) 882-2000 or missingpinformation@njsp.gov. I appreciate all those who are working tirelessly to find my daughter, she wrote. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says a non-Los Angeles County resident with a confirmed case of measles had a connecting flight at LAX earlier this month. Now, officials are warning anyone who may have been at the airport on May 19 to check if they were exposed. The individual in question arrived at Gate 156 at Tom Bradley International Terminal on May 19 at 3:04 p.m. aboard Lufthansa flight LH452, which according to online flight tracking service FlightAware, is the airlines Munich, Germany to Los Angeles route. Southern California man shot by police after following estranged wife onto freeway, shooting at her After a five-hour layover, the traveler connected to Lufthansa flight LH7852 out of Terminal 7, Gate 82 around 8 p.m., the health department said. Flight LH7852 goes from LAX to Fresno; according to FlightAware, the route is operated by SkyWest Airlines as flight SKW5591. There are no other locations where possible exposures to this traveler may have occurred, public health department officials confirmed. Individuals who were at LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal from approximately 3:04 p.m. to 9 p.m. may be at risk of developing measles due to exposure to this traveler, L.A. County Public Health officials said. Local health departments, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control, are notifying passengers assigned to specific seats that may have been exposed on LH452 on May 18-19 and LH7852 (SKW5591) on May 19. Grayson Murrays parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide Exposed individuals should confirm if they have been vaccinated against measlesif they have not had measles in the past and have not yet obtained the measles vaccine, they are at risk of contracting measles if they have been exposed, L.A. County health officials said. Unimmunized persons or those with unknown immunization status who were at this location during the date and time are at risk of developing measles from seven to 21 days after being exposed. If potentially exposed victims do not show symptoms by 21 days after exposure which would be June 9 they are no longer at risk, the health department added. Measles is spread by air and by direct contact even before you know you have it and can lead to severe disease, Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer, said. Measles is highly contagious for those who are not immune to itit can result in serious complications for young children and vulnerable adults. According to public health officials, common measles symptoms include: High fever (higher than 101 degrees) Cough Runny nose Red and watery eyes Tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth 2-3 days after symptoms begin Rash 3-5 days after other signs of illness; typically starts at the face and then spreads to the rest of the body Individuals who develop symptoms are urged to stay at home and avoid school, work and any large gatherings. Notify a healthcare provider immediately but do not enter any healthcare facility before calling them and making them aware of individuals exposure and symptoms, the health department said. Cars intentionally torched by arsonist in Southern California neighborhood Most health insurances cover the cost of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR); uninsured or underinsured children and adults can access free or low-cost vaccines at clinics enrolled in the Vaccines for Children and Vaccines for Adults programs. More information can be found here. To view the L.A. County Health Departments measles information page, 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 KTLA. MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines has protested China's imposition of a unilateral four-month long fishing ban in the South China Sea, its foreign ministry said on Monday. The annual imposition of a fishing ban raises tensions in the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said, calling on Beijing to "cease and desist" from "illegal actions" that violate the Philippines' sovereignty and sovereign rights. China imposes an annual fishing ban on South China Sea waters and the Philippines routinely opposes it. This year's ban is expected to last until September. The Philippines' foreign affairs department (DFA) has protested the ban through a diplomatic note, saying the fishing moratorium covers waters within its maritime zones. "The Philippines stressed that the unilateral imposition of the fishing moratorium raises tensions in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea," the DFA said in a statement. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro last week said China's rules about how its Coast Guard can operate in the South China were a "provocation". China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its territorial claims overlap with waters claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal said China's claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected. (Reporting by Mikhail Flores and Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by John Mair) Television host Piers Morgan backed a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war Monday morning, saying in a string of social media posts that a recent Israeli strike in a Rafah safe zone that killed more than 40 people was too far. The scenes from Rafah overnight are horrific, Morgan wrote on the social platform X. Ive defended Israels right to defend itself after Oct 7, but slaughtering so many innocent people as they cower in a refugee camp is indefensible. He added a message for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Stop this now. The Israeli strike on the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah targeted a humanitarian zone filled with tents, where Israels military previously instructed displaced Palestinians to shelter from the ongoing war against militant group Hamas, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The Israeli military claimed the strike killed two senior Hamas leaders. The death toll was at least 45 people, the Gaza health officials said, adding that most of the dead were women and children. The ministry also noted that the death toll is likely to rise as countless were trapped in rubble. The attack comes just days after the United Nationss International Court of Justice ordered Israel to stop its operations in Rafah, the last remaining major settlement in Gaza that has not been invaded by the Israeli military. Morgan also endorsed French President Emmanuel Macrons statement Monday denouncing the attack and again calling for a cease-fire. Outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah. These operations must stop, Macron wrote on X. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. Morgans statement was met with pushback, with one Israeli Foreign Ministry official calling out the British news host for mischaracterizing what he said were precision strikes on Rafah. Well it wasnt very precise, was it, Morgan retorted. He also shot back against another detractor, media host Shmuley Boteach, who said he was only showing sanctimoniousness and self-righteousness. When the IRA were murdering people in England, we didnt drop 2000lb bombs on Belfast because the terrorists were living among civilians, Morgan said. More than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million people are believed to be sheltering in Rafah, and more than 80 percent of the territorys population overall are displaced from their homes. The U.N. said famine has begun in parts of the region as civilians struggle to get access to humanitarian aid. More than 120 aid trucks entered the city Sunday from Egypt, the first since the Israeli military seized the crossing earlier this month. It was not immediately clear if local aid groups could access the humanitarian supplies, however, The Associated Press reported, as fighting in the area has made humanitarian work difficult. Much of southern Gaza, including Rafah, has been mostly cut off from aid since the Israeli military began what it described as a limited operation into the area early this month. An American-built floating pier has begun to deliver some aid to the area, though aid groups say it is much less than promised and that there are not enough trucks to adequately distribute supplies. 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 The Hill. For a decade, counselor Keisha Etienne has guided abused children in processing their trauma. But she, too, has reckoned with the years of sexual assault she experienced as a child. Etienne remembers being 9-years-old the first time she was assaulted by her aunts boyfriend. The cycle of abuse didnt end for close to a decade and she didnt open up about it until she was in her 30s. In 2019, Etienne, now 36, came forward to Miami-Dade police. That same year, Albert Bassett, now 90, was charged with four counts of sexual battery on a minor and three counts of lewd and lascivious conduct. An undated photo of Keisha Etienne. On Tuesday, almost five years after his arrest, Bassett is expected to accept a plea deal before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Alberto Milian. Etienne, however, is frustrated by the offer, which her attorneys have likened to a slap on the wrist. Under the agreement, negotiated by Bassetts defense team and approved by the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office, Bassett would plead guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and be ordered to complete 10 years probation and stay away from the victim, according to attorney Aaron Karger. Etienne hired Karger in February 2023 after feeling like she was being disregarded throughout the judicial process. According to Karger, Chief Assistant State Attorney Kathleen Hoague, in conversations about the plea deal, said a jury could interpret Bassetts payments for braces and other expenses from Etiennes childhood as reparations. Hoague, he said, also expressed that it would be too much of a burden to make Bassett move from his North Miami home, as he would be required to by law if he were a registered sex offender. Public records indicate Bassett lives within a mile radius of several schools. As this is an open, active criminal case, presently before the court, it would be inappropriate for the [Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office] to comment, a spokesperson told the Miami Herald on Monday morning. In a statement, defense attorney Dianne Carames backed the plea agreement and suggested that Etienne turned to the media in a strategic move rather than a pursuit of justice. This case, which has been pending for nearly five years, has received thorough scrutiny from the State Attorneys Office, Carames said. The issue extends beyond Mr. Bassetts age; it centers on the conveniently timed report of Ms. Etienne, which surfaced two decades after the alleged abuse and soon after he stopped providing her financial support. The plea offer is substantiated by evidence, taking into account the delayed reporting and inconsistencies in Ms. Etiennes narrative. A slap on the wrist? Etienne said the first prosecutor assigned to her case involved her in talks about a possible plea agreement, frequently stayed in touch with her and supported her through the process. The offer discussed, she said, would have included Bassett pleading guilty to the current charges and would have ordered him to register as a sex offender, attend sex offender therapy and be barred from unsupervised contact with minors. In late 2020, however, she was assigned to a new prosecutor and quickly felt like she wasnt being considered at the negotiation table. In discussions about the plea, the state attorneys office would reference Bassetts age. I want him to admit his wrong, to apologize, to be charged and to register as a sex offender, she said. Just imagine this 90-year-old living next to your family. For Etienne, bringing up Bassetts age is just an excuse. She believes the same thing would happen if he were younger and that her age and the racial undertones in the case, how she, a Haitian American, was abused by a white man, plays a role in how shes perceived. If Im honest, they see a 36-year-old, she said. They see a 36-year-old. They see my profile picture of me smiling. But look at that 9-year-old. Look at the picture of the 9-year-old girl who we... failed. An undated photo of Keisha Etienne as a child. Overcoming the trauma, Etienne said, was a constant fight. She said she hopes anyone who has been abused speaks out. I really truly do this for the children that dont have a voice, Etienne said. The people whose family came to this country for the better and have experienced [the worst.] The children who I serve every day... the hundreds of brilliant kids who I have reached. For my son, my niece who are nearing the age when I was abused. My niece is eight years old, and when I look at her, I see me. Im not going to be silenced Etienne says she vividly recalls the sexual abuse, which was often masked by gifts. Bassett, she said, would take her but not her two older sisters out to eat at restaurants. He bought her clothing and when she turned 16, a fully paid-for car. He made her pinky promise to keep the abuse a secret, she said, even telling her that if she said anything, he would go to jail and the family would lose everything. Im getting all these things to silence me, but Im not going to be silenced anymore, she said. Etienne moved away from South Florida to run track and field at Clayton State University in Georgia, where she studied psychology. In 2010, she was admitted into a masters program in counseling at Nova Southeastern University. Moving back to Florida came with angst, especially since she briefly lived with her aunt and Bassett in North Miami. Any time I step back into Miami, its tough, Etienne said. When she returned, she said she confronted Bassett about the sexual abuse, during which he pulled out a checkbook and told her It wasnt that bad. Speaking up about how she was molested and exposed to inappropriate content caused rifts in her family. It wasnt until Etienne started working at alternative schools that she fully understood what happened to her. In 2019, she attended a training held by Darkness to Light, a nonprofit aiming to preventing child sexual abuse. She said it empowered her to come forward and exposed how she was groomed, through tactics including isolation, manipulation and threats. The All-American track and field me has been running all her life, she said. I refused to be silenced, even if hes 90. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, May 27. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan reached $150.6 million from January through April this year, Trend reports. According to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, these values are almost two times less than the trade turnover between the two countries in the same period last year, which amounted to over $296.5 million. During this period, Turkmenistan's exports to Azerbaijan amounted to $124.9 million, which is more than twice as much as in the same period in 2023, when the volume of supplies amounted to almost $268.4 million. Turkmenistan's share in the total volume of Azerbaijani imports for the reporting year amounted to 2.29 percent, compared with 5.07 percent in the first four months of 2023. At the same time, Turkmenistan's imports from Azerbaijan decreased by almost 9 percent from January through April this year, reaching $25.6 million, compared with $28.1 million for the same period in 2023. Turkmenistan accounted for 0.31 percent of Azerbaijan's total exports in the reporting period, compared with 0.22 percent in the first four months of last year. Meanwhile, the volume of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan for the whole of 2023 reached $773.9 million, which is 44.5 percent more than in the same period of 2022 ($535.39 million). (Bloomberg) -- Poland has decided to curb movement of Russian diplomats living on its territories amid rising concern over alleged sabotage operations. Most Read from Bloomberg The decision stems from the participation of the Russian state in the hybrid war against the European Union, including Poland, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in Brussels on Monday. Sikorski added that the ministry will soon notify the Russian Federation about the steps, which will also affect its consular staff in Warsaw. Last week, Polish authorities announced that theyre stepping up security around the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport, the main transit hub for foreign military aid to Ukraine. The announcement came just hours after a series of arrests of people allegedly involved in acts of sabotage directed from Russia. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Defense officials in NATO member Poland presented plans on Monday for fortifying its eastern border with Moscow ally Belarus. The government says that Poland, which supports Ukraine in its defense against Russias aggression, is being targeted by hostile actions from Russia and Belarus. They include cyberattacks, attempted arson and migrants being pushed illegally across the border, which officials describe as intended to destabilize the European Union, of which Poland is a member. The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk has planned a range of security measures including in cyberspace, as well as some $2.5 billion investment into eastern border security, known as Shield-East. He said last week that work on the shield has begun. Defense Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and the armed forces chief of staff, Gen. Wiesaw Kukua, are presenting the details of the border protection enhancement, including modern blockades, fortifications and surveillance that seek to deter any potential aggressor. The Defense Ministry says the system will be an element of regional defense infrastructure built jointly with the Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia that are also on NATOs eastern flank. Shield-East will significantly strengthen the nations resilience to military threats from the east, it will limit the mobility of the adversarys troops while offering a greater freedom of action and survival to our own troops and to civilians, the ministry said. Polands previous right-wing government built a $400 million wall on the border with Belarus to halt a massive inflow of migrants that began to be pushed from that direction in 2021. The current pro-EU government says it needs to be strengthened. The three Baltic states were once part of the Soviet Union, while Poland was a satellite state of the USSR before the 1990s. Moscow still regards the area as within its sphere of interests. Defence officials in Poland have presented a plan to strengthen security on the country's border with Belarus. The plan involves beefing up anti-drone surveillance and on-ground military defence through a system of fortifications and barriers along about 700 kilometres of its eastern border with the Russian ally. Poland, which supports Ukraine against Moscow's full-scale invasion, is being targeted by hostile actions from Russia and Belarus, according to Warsaw. They include cyberattacks, attempted arson and pushing migrants illegally across the border, which officials describe as intended to destabilise the European Union. The Polish government is also preparing for possible military attack while stressing the primary role of deterrence. On Saturday, Polands airforce scrambled jets to protect the country's airspace from Russian missiles targeting western Ukraine. Poland's Shield East Prime minister Donald Tusk has announced more than 2.3 billion investment in strengthening the eastern border with a system known as Shield East, set to be completed in 2028. Work on it has started, officials said. The goal of the shield is to protect the territory of Poland, hamper the mobility of our adversary's troops while making such mobility easier for our own troops and to protect civilians, defence minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said at a news conference. Polish armed forces' Chief of Staff. Gen Wieslaw Kukula and Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk speak about Poland's defence in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, May, 27, 2024, - Associated Press He stressed Poland had started the biggest programme to strengthen NATO's eastern flank since the end of World War II in 1945. Officials said Shield East will form part of a regional defence infrastructure built jointly with the Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia also on NATO's eastern flank. Funding will come from government, as Poland spends over 4% of its GDP on defence, but help will also be sought from the EU because the system will also strengthen the eastern border of the 27-member bloc, they said. Some observers noted that the much-publicised presentation came two weeks ahead of elections to the European Parliament, and could be partly seen as a part of a campaign to boost support for the government that took office in December. Polands previous right-wing government built a 368 million wall on the border with Belarus to halt a massive inflow of migrants that were pushed from that direction in 2021. The current pro-EU government says that the wall also needs to be strengthened. The three Baltic states were once part of the Soviet Union, while Poland was a satellite state before the 1990s. Moscow still regards the area as within its sphere of interest. Polish Minister of Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz holds a press conference with his German Counterpart Pistorius (not pictured). Poland on Monday announced details on the planned fortification of its eastern border. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Poland on Monday announced details on the planned fortification of its eastern border, including drones, anti-tank barriers and new operating bases. The plan, called Eastern Shield, envisages investments totalling around $2.5 billion and should be completed by 2028. "We have 700 kilometres of border to secure, 400 kilometres of which are with Belarus," said Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk in Warsaw. Along with authoritarian Belarus, Poland shares borders with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and with Ukraine, which has been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion for more than two years. Over the course of the war in Ukraine, fears have grown in Warsaw that Poland, a member of the European Union and NATO, could find itself in Russia's crosshairs. Defence Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Monday the new plan would include "fortifications, various types of barriers, but also ultra-modern air surveillance systems." The main objective is deterrence, but also the defence of the border, emphasized Wiesaw Kukua, chief of staff of the Polish Armed Forces. The plan is set to protect against potential surprise attacks, make the mobility of enemy troops more difficult and improve defensive positions. Both soldiers and the civilian population are also to be better protected. Kukua said drones would play a decisive role in Poland's defence, with a network of drone bases to be set up along the border. "We expect to install high-resolution thermal imaging cameras. The stations will have electronic reconnaissance sensors," he added. Highly sensitive microphones are to be used to pick up sounds indicating an enemy drone mission, while jamming transmitters capable of disabling the drones and disrupting communications are also to be installed. There are plans to set up at least eight forward operating bases for the Polish army to allow for emergency deployment. More fortified shelters are to be built to protect soldiers, civilians and ammunition supplies. Eastern Shield is also set to include physical barriers, including anti-tank obstacles and retractable barricades on major roads. Poland says it will cover part of the costs for the new plan, with the EU expected to assist with financing. "The EU will have to spend more on defence if it wants to remain a zone of peace and development," said Kosiniak-Kamysz. The Polish plan is set to become part of a regional defence structure established alongside Baltic NATO members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski takes part in a press conference to mark the 20th anniversary of Poland's accession to the EU. Patrick Pleul/dpa Poland is to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats on the grounds that Russia is engaging in hybrid warfare targeting Poland and the European Union, Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski announced in Brussels on Monday. Sikorski said a diplomatic note to this effect would soon be sent to the Russian embassy in Warsaw. The restrictions will not apply to the Russian ambassador but to all other diplomats working at the embassy and at consulates, who will be restricted to the regions around their respective locations. "I hope that Russia will understand this as an extremely serious warning," Sikorski said. The Polish government attributes cyberattacks and several large fires to Russian intelligence agencies. According to information from Prime Minister Donald Tusk, 12 people accused of sabotage, have been arrested over the past week. Poland functions as a key logistics hub for Western support for Ukraine and has drawn a hostile response from Russia as a result. Polish armed forces' Chief of Staff. Gen Wieslaw Kukula, right , and Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk, second right, speak about a program of strengthening the defense of NATO'S eastern flank in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, May, 27, 2024, during a presentation of a program to upgrade the security of Poland's border with Russia and Belarus, which is also European Union's eastern border. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) WARSAW, Poland (AP) Defense officials in NATO member Poland on Monday presented a plan to strengthen anti-drone surveillance and on-ground military defense through a system of fortifications and barriers along about 700 kilometers (430 miles) of its eastern border with Russia and Russian ally Belarus. The government says Poland, which supports neighboring Ukraine in its defense against Russias aggression, is being targeted by hostile actions from Russia and Belarus. They include cyberattacks, attempted arson and migrants being pushed illegally across the border, which officials describe as intended to destabilize the European Union, of which Poland is a member. The government is also making preparations in the case of a military attack, while stressing the primary role of deterrence. The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk has planned a range of security measures including in cyberspace, as well as a more than $2.5 billion investment in strengthening surveillance, deterrence and defense along the eastern border, a system known as Shield-East that is to be completed in 2028. Work on it has started, officials said. The goal of the shield is to protect the territory of Poland, hamper the mobility of our adversary's troops while making such mobility easier for our own troops and to protect civilians, Defense Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said at a news conference, adding that local communities understand the need for such steps. The shield will include all kinds of fortifications, barriers, monitoring of the air space on every level and upgrading the existing systems, and will be integrated with the defense system across the country, Kosiniak-Kamysz said. He stressed it was the biggest program to strengthen NATO's eastern flank since 1945, when World War II ended. Chief of Staff Gen. Wiesaw Kukua said it will include a network of state-of-the-art anti-drone monitoring and defense towers, anti-tank barriers and ditches, bunkers and shelters, as well as space for potential mine fields. He stressed their primary role is to deter any potential aggressor. The officials said the system will be part of a regional defense infrastructure built jointly with the Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia that are also on NATO's eastern flank. The funding will come from the government, as Poland spends over 4% of its GDP on defense, but help will also be sought from the EU because the system will also strengthen the eastern border of the 27-member bloc, they said. Some observers noted that the much-publicized presentation came two weeks ahead of elections to the European Parliament, where Poland, a nation of some 38 million, holds 52 seats, and could be partly seen as a campaign element for the government that took office in December. The opposition also supports strengthening Polands defense. Polands previous right-wing government built a $400 million wall on the border with Belarus to halt a massive inflow of migrants that began to be pushed from that direction in 2021. The current pro-EU government says that needs to be strengthened, but will be a separate project from Shield-East. The three Baltic states were once part of the Soviet Union, while Poland was a satellite state before the 1990s. Moscow still regards the area as within its sphere of interest. To its east, Poland borders Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad, as well as NATO ally Lithiania, Moscow's ally Belarus, and Ukraine. FILE - Poland's President Andrzej Duda gives a statement to the media in Warsaw, Poland, on Jan. 10, 2024, after the arrest of two politicians convicted of abuse of power who had taken refuge for hours in the presidential palace. The office of Poland's president says Abdrzej Duda has spoken on the phone with Congolese president in an effort to obtain the release of a Polish traveller sentenced there for life in prison on charges of sabotage. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File) WARSAW, Poland (AP) Polands President Andrzej Duda has spoken on the phone with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in an effort to obtain the release of a Polish traveler who was sentenced to life in prison in the vast Central African country on espionage charges, an aide said Monday. The 52-year-old Pole, Mariusz Majewski, was detained by Congolese forces in February and later faced a military court in the restive nation, accused of spying. The allegations against him said that he had approached the front line with Mobondo militiamen," moved along the front line without authorization and "took photos of sensitive and strategic places and secretly observed military activities. The Mobondo is a militia group that has been involved in intercommunal violence in southwestern Congo since 2022. Majewski was convicted last week and sentenced to life in prison. No details were released as to where he is held. Duda's aide, Wojciech Kolarski, did not say what the outcome of the conversation between the two presidents was but stressed that the state had the obligation to take care of its citizens who find themselves in such dramatic situations overseas. Majewski's family says he is in poor health and insists that he is just a traveler. Last week, Poland's Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski said without elaborating that Majewski is not a spy, he is a member of a travelers club" and was just following his passion in life. Wronski said it was due to a chain of coincidental circumstances and events that he found himself in Congo and his "behavior was the result of a lack of knowledge of local customs. Polish authorities are aware of the very difficult political situation in Congo" and a recent coup attempt there but expressed hope that Majewski will not be implicated in a situation he has no connection to. Poland does not have a diplomatic mission in Congo. Earlier this month, the Congolese army said it had foiled a coup attempt and arrested the perpetrators, including some foreigners. Several U.S. citizens are among those arrested. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk takes part in a press statement after a joint meeting in the Federal Chancellery. Tusk will announce details of the planned security reinforcement of his country's eastern border on 27 May.The plan, called Protective Shield East, envisages investments totalling the equivalent to about $2.5 billion to secure the border, which is also forms part of the European Union's external border. Christoph Soeder/dpa Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will announce details of the planned security reinforcement of his country's eastern border on Monday. The plan, called Protective Shield East, envisages investments totalling the equivalent to about $2.5 billion to secure the border, which is also forms part of the European Union's external border. Poland, a member of NATO, has an eastern border with Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. Poland also shares a border with authoritarian Belarus, an ally of Moscow, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. In the course of the war in Ukraine, fears have grown in Warsaw that Poland could find itself in Russia's crosshairs. Tusk, during a visit to the north-eastern city of Biaystok last week, said "fortifications and changes to the terrain that will make the mobility of a potential attacker very difficult" are planned along the border. LANSING - Seven young people were shot and a teenager is dead after a shooting early Monday morning on Riverfront Drive, police said. Lansing police responded to the incident in the 300 block of Riverfront Drive at approximately 2:50 a.m., according to a news release from the department. Seven people between the ages of 15 and 20 were shot, according to police. A teenage boy, age 17, died at a local hospital and at least one person is in critical condition, according to the release. The age of the person in critical condition was not released. "When officers arrived, they found a large crowd of people and multiple shooting victims," said the release. "The Lansing Fire Department responded to treat and transport several of the victims to a local hospital." Members of the Lansing Police Department work at the scene of an early morning shooting, on Monday, May 27, 2024, in the 300 block of Riverfront Drive. Seven people between the ages of 15 and 20 were shot, according to police. A teenage boy, 17, died at a local hospital and at least one person is in critical condition, according to police. The incident is the latest shooting in a violent two months for Lansing. After having no homicides in the first three months of the year, the city has had eight in April and May, according to Lansing police. No arrests had been made in the Riverfront Drive shootings Monday morning. The shooting "is believed to be an isolated incident," police said. The investigation is ongoing, they added. Several dozen yellow evidence tags were visible on the pavement at the scene after 7 a.m. Monday morning and police were still at the scene. In the most recent homicide before Monday morning, Cynthia Marek, 65, was pronounced dead at a hospital after officers responded about 7 p.m. Friday to the 2100 block of Bruce Avenue, just north of Interstate 496 and west of the Capitol, and found her with substantial injuries, Lansing police said. Police haven't said how she was killed, but the Lansing Fire Department also responded at about the same time as police did to Bruce Avenue for a report of two stabbing victims, one who died, the department said. Members of the Lansing Police Department work at the scene of an early morning shooting, on Monday, May 27, 2024, in the 300 block of Riverfront Drive. Seven people between the ages of 15 and 20 were shot, according to police. A teenage boy, 17, died at a local hospital and at least one person is in critical condition, according to police. Three people have been charged in connection with the death of Zacarri Marquise Taylor, 25, of Battle Creek on May 12 in Lansing. His dismembered body was found on Malcolm X Street, hours after a fight involving "multiple suspects." Police have said they are searching for additional suspects in Taylor's death. Police have yet to announce an arrest in the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy early in May on the city's west side. Lansing police Chief Ellery Sosebee said investigators have a person of interest in that case and were still gathering information. In a late April incident, police and prosecutors say Dennis Whaley shot and killed two people - a woman he had previously assaulted months earlier - and another man in a Lansing home in April. Although Lansing police obtained a warrant for domestic assault for Whaley on Jan. 4 in connection with an assault on the woman last fall, he was never arrested before the killings. Anyone with information about the most recent shooting is asked to contact the Lansing Police Department at 483-4600 ext. 5 or Crime Stoppers at 483-7867. They can also send a private message through the Lansing Police Department's Facebook page. Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ . This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Police: 7 shot, 1 dead in Lansing shooting Police are investigating after a plastic pink flamingo was stolen and vandalized Saturday morning. The flamingo was located at the Parma sign near the splash pad on W. Ridgewood Dr., according to Parma police. Around 5 a.m., police say someone removed it. >> One decision can quickly change your life; Today starts 100 deadliest days on Ohio roads The flamingo was recovered approximately 50 feet north of its original location but has been damaged, police said. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Parma Police Departments non-emergency line at 440-885-1234. Unknown offenders unlawfully removed the pink flamingo that was previously situated next to the script Parma sign near... Posted by City of Parma Police Department on Saturday, May 25, 2024 BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. Preparations for COP29 are proceeding very productively, given the short time frame for Azerbaijan, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva said at a conference themed Education in the Green Growth Agenda in Baku today, Trend reports. "Countries usually have about two years to prepare for this type of climate conference. In the case of Azerbaijan, the timeframe is quite constrainedroughly ten months. By October, all preparations will be completed, and what I have seen so far is evidence of the impressive work done by the COP29 chairing team," she pointed out. According to her, Azerbaijan plays a very important role by hosting this conference, which has a global scale. "We need to ensure that the world reaffirms its commitment to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. There are a number of recommendations that we hope will be agreed upon in November," she emphasized. Andreeva mentioned the importance of involving every part of society in the fight against climate change. "Education is fundamental in these terms, primarily for raising awareness about climate change measures. We would like to see more investment and cooperation between the economy, private sector, industry, and education sector for their interaction and provision of a more flexible approach to revising the education system, developing new skills, and creating new curricula," she added. To note, a conference themed Education in the Green Growth Agenda is being held within the framework of the Green World Solidarity Year with a joint organization from the Ministry of Science and Education and the State Agency for Vocational Education of Azerbaijan. 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. The 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 Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said a man was arrested in connection to a shooting that happened on Sunday morning. Police said that on Sunday at about 5:00 a.m., they responded to the 1800 block of M Street for sounds of gunshots When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been shot. The man was transported to the hospital to be treated for his injuries. Man shot in Northeast DC Soon after, police found and arrested the suspect in the shooting. He was identified as 39-year-old Donte Francis Scott, of Northwest. Francis Scott was charged with Assault with Intent to Kill. A gun was also recovered at the scene. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. Polish official claims the US told Russia it would strike Russian targets in Ukraine if Putin used nuclear weapons Polish official claims the US told Russia it would strike Russian targets in Ukraine if Putin used nuclear weapons A Polish official said the US told Russia it would strike Russian targets in Ukraine if Putin used a nuke. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said such US strikes would result in a "world war." Putin has regularly issued nuclear threats since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Poland's foreign minister said the US had told Russia that it would strike Russian targets in Ukraine if Putin were to use nuclear weapons. In an interview with the Guardian, Radosaw Sikorski seemed doubtful of Russia's threats about using nuclear weapons, saying: "The Americans have told the Russians that if you explode a nuke, even if it doesn't kill anybody, we will hit all your targets [positions] in Ukraine with conventional weapons, we'll destroy all of them." "I think that's a credible threat," he said. "Also, the Chinese and the Indians have read Russia the riot act. And it's no child's play because if that taboo were also to be breached, like the taboo of not changing borders by force, China knows that Japan and Korea would go nuclear, and presumably they don't want that." Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hit back at Sikorski's comments in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying that US strikes on Russian targets would result in a "world war." "Americans hitting our targets means starting a world war, and a Foreign Minister, even of a country like Poland should understand that," Medvedev said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently threatened to use nuclear weapons since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In September of that year when Russia began the partial mobilization of reservists for the war Putin raised the specter of a nuclear conflict, adding that his warnings were " not a bluff ." In February of this year, Putin made one of his most explicit threats after French President Emmanual Macron suggested NATO troops could be sent to Ukraine. Western nations "must realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory," Putin said, adding: "All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don't they get that?" In February, the Financial Times reported on the criteria that would lead Russia to consider a nuclear response, citing leaked documents. The criteria included conditions such as the destruction of 20% of Russia's strategic ballistic missile submarines or an enemy incursion on Russian territory, per the FT. In his interview with the Guardian, Sikorski also said that Europe had to learn to play the escalation game better by not fully revealing its hand to Putin. "Always declaring what our own red line is only invites Moscow to tailor its hostile actions to our constantly changing self-imposed limitations," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis used a highly derogatory term towards the LGBT community as he reiterated in a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops that gay people should not be allowed to become priests, Italian media reported on Monday. La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera, Italy's largest circulation dailies, both quoted the pope as saying seminaries, or priesthood colleges, are already too full of "frociaggine", a vulgar Italian term roughly translating as "faggotness". The Vatican did not respond to a request for comment. La Repubblica attributed its story to several unspecified sources, while Corriere said it was backed up by a few, unnamed bishops, who suggested the pope, as an Argentine, might have not realised that the Italian term he used was offensive. Political gossip website Dagospia was the first to report on the alleged incident, said to have happened on May 20, when the Italian Bishops Conference opened a four-day assembly with a non-public meeting with the pontiff. Francis, who is 87, has so far been credited with leading the Roman Catholic Church into taking a more welcoming approach towards the LGBT community. In 2013, at the start of his papacy, he famously said, "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?", while last year he allowed priests to bless members of same-sex couples, triggering substantial conservative backlash. Nevertheless, he delivered a similar message on gay seminarians - minus the reported swear word - when he met Italian bishops in 2018, telling them to carefully vet priesthood applicants and reject any suspected homosexuals. In a 2005 document, released under Francis's late predecessor Benedict XVI, the Vatican said the Church could admit into the priesthood those who had clearly overcome homosexual tendencies for at least three years. The document said practicing homosexuals and those with "deep-seated" gay tendencies and those who "support the so-called gay culture" should be barred. (This story has been refiled to correct a typographical error in paragraph 2) (Reporting by Alvise Armellini; editing by Jonathan Oatis) A swimming and fishing area in the Pisgah National Forest is getting a little too popular, leaders in Caldwell County are saying. Sheriffs deputies tell Channel 9s Dave Faherty that the Wilson Creek area is getting so many visitors that they had to shut down the road that leads to it this past weekend. Faherty found most of the nearly 140 parking spaces were filled up, and families were still arriving from as far away as Charlotte and South Carolina. We come like in summertime every weekend. We love this place, Wilbur Ramos said. The water is perfect for us. SEE WHY: Ruling limits hikers access to Hibriten Mountain in Caldwell County But over the weekend, deputies had to close the road because there were twice as many cars as parking spots. Because of the overcrowding, the sheriffs office has assigned a half-dozen deputies to patrol the area on the weekends. Thats costing the county more than $100,000. Another area of concern in the Pisgah National Forest is the amount of trash piling up along Wilson Creek. Caldwell County hauled away 35,000 pounds of garbage along the creek last year. We have a high influx of people from out of county coming in. Roads are blocked, said Maj. Kevin Bean with the Caldwell County Sheriffs Office. Yesterday between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., there were 488 cars in the gorge where there should be 200 parking places. Monday morning, Faherty spotted overturned portable toilets. Deputies spoke about their concerns over getting first responders through the area in an emergency. For those folks that need an ambulance or a fire truck or something like that, the roads are blocked and they cant get through without an escort from us, and its just becoming a real problem, Bean said. The U.S. Forest Service is working with the county and local nonprofits to improve parking and facilities. Theyll also get public input on a possible permit system for the parking spaces. On Tuesday, a meeting will be held with Keep Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic. County commissioners and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx will talk with the community to try and find a solution. Sarah Shepherd found Wilson Creek on Memorial Day by looking up popular swimming holes nearby. Its beautiful. Its exactly like the pictures, she said. Its still pretty crowded and probably only going to increase. We just texted our friends who were supposed to to meet us. That maybe is a no-go. (WATCH: Family helps save man, son from Wilson Creek) A new study out of Sweden finds that people with tattoos have a 21% higher risk of developing lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. A new study out of Sweden finds that people with tattoos have a 21% higher risk of developing lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. It is important to remember that lymphoma is a rare disease and that our results apply at the group level, Lund University researcher Christel Nielsen, who led the study, said in a statement last week. The results now need to be verified and investigated further in other studies, and such research is ongoing. One can only speculate that a tattoo, regardless of size, triggers a low-grade inflammation in the body, which in turn can trigger cancer, said the researcher who led the study. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS stock.adobe.com For the study, published in eClinicalMedicine, 11,905 participants were directed to answer a questionnaire about lifestyle factors to determine if they were tattooed. The risk associated with tattoo exposure appears to be highest for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (a fast-growing curable cancer that starts in white blood cells) and follicular lymphoma (a slow-growing incurable cancer). We already know that when the tattoo ink is injected into the skin, the body interprets this as something foreign that should not be there, and the immune system is activated, Nielsen explained. A large part of the ink is transported away from the skin, to the lymph nodes where it is deposited. Nielsens team hypothesized that the size of the tattoo would affect the lymphoma risk, but they determined thats not the case. These are cells of Burkitt lymphoma, one of the cancers researched in this new study. Dr_Microbe stock.adobe.com One can only speculate that a tattoo, regardless of size, triggers a low-grade inflammation in the body, which in turn can trigger cancer, Nielsen reasoned. The picture is thus more complex than we initially thought. Nielsen said her study underscores the importance of oversight of the chemical composition of tattoo ink. In the US, nearly a third of adults have a tattoo, including 22% who have more than one. The Food and Drug Administration considers tattoo inks to be cosmetics and their pigments to be color additives. The FDA says it has traditionally not regulated the color additives in tattoo ink pigments, while local municipalities establish rules for body art businesses. Nielsens team plans to look for links between tattoos and other types of cancer as well as other inflammatory diseases. A study presented last year at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting found a potential association between having several large tattoos and the risk of blood cancers. The risk was particularly strong for people who were tattooed at a young age. People will likely want to continue to express their identity through tattoos, and therefore it is very important that we as a society can make sure that it is safe, Nielsen said. For the individual, it is good to know that tattoos can affect your health and that you should turn to your health care provider if you experience symptoms that you believe could be related to your tattoo. A sign for concrete company Ozinga is posted near the Smith Ready Mix concrete plant on Walnut Road on April 25, 2024, near New Carlisle. With the promise of massive construction this year east of New Carlisle, the need for concrete is so significant that the Smith Ready Plant is leasing part of its lot to a competitor, Ozinga, to make even more concrete. But as Ozinga started to build its temporary operations, St. Joseph County officials realized there was a problem. It appeared that the expansion may violate the countys overlay district, which restricts what kinds of businesses can set up in the more than 3,000 acres that make up the Indiana Enterprise Center. The district is there to prevent industry that local residents wouldnt want, like sand, gravel and mining operations, slaughterhouses, shredder plants and junkyards, as Amazon builds a data center and GM-Samsung builds an electric vehicle battery plant. Overlay district's passage in 2023: St. Joseph County sets the table for AM General expansion; possible EV battery project So, now county officials are trying to reword the overlay districts regulations to avoid such dilemmas. But, when The Tribune on May 22 called the area manager for Ozinga, he said he wasnt aware of the overlay district or that the concrete operations may be out of compliance with it. The Tribune is waiting on a returned call from Smiths owner. A day earlier, on May 21, the countys Area Plan Commission questioned the proposed change before they ultimately tabled it until their meeting on June 18. It was also headed to the county council for consideration in committee on May 28, then final vote on June 11. But the matter has since been removed from the council committees agenda for May 28. The planning commissioners frustrations sparked discussion, too, about the ongoing delay for the countys 20-year comprehensive plan for development. More immediately, the proposed regulation change would apply to businesses that dont conform with the permitted uses within the overlay district but that had existed before the county approved the district one year ago. The regulation currently allows them to continue operating, but it doesn't allow them to grow operations. The change would allow them to grow by 50%. So, while this would allow concrete operations to grow at the Smith Ready Mix site, southeast of Edison and Walnut roads, it actually would permit the same growth to other legally established nonconforming businesses that had pre-existed in the overlay district, too. Were accommodating someone who breaks the rules; thats what were doing, New Carlisle resident Dan Caruso told the Area Plan Commission. Steve Francis of Granger echoed that, saying, What youre doing to the citizens is saying, Oh, its OK, if you violate the law, it will get changed. Its not only changed for one user, its changed for others. Both questioned whether they could still put faith in the protections of the overlay district, for which they both had advocated. And it doesnt sit well with them after Kuert Concrete had to try three different agricultural sites near New Carlisle thanks to residents resistance before it found one that gained a county use variance. Kuert will set up a temporary concrete mixing plant at 56180 Larrison Blvd., just north of Indiana 2. Kuerts dilemma was different. It didnt already have an existing site within the overlay district. And county planner Shawn Klein told the Area Plan Commission, There was no possible means forward for these existing uses to get even a limited expansion, and we feel its only fair they should have that limited expansion. Abby Wiles, executive director of the Area Plan Commission, said there had been similar language in the original overlay district that would have allowed this sort of expansion for nonconforming businesses up to a certain percent. But Klein said it was never finalized. Wiles explained that there was a quite extensive list of exceptions that faced public opposition in the districts original draft. So, she said, county planning staff withdrew that portion of the district when it came for a vote before the county council. Commission members were puzzled. Two of them asked why the concrete business couldnt have come and asked for a special exception. Klein said theres no means for a special exception, and Wiles said that, instead, the county would have to amend the overlay district to remove that one parcel. Wiles said county officials still think they need to bring a full version of the overlay district, with restrictions, for approval. But, she said, officials need to first talk with the business interest community. At the May 21 meeting, Wiles and Klein avoided naming Smith and Ozinga or even the type of business. But, when asked about Ozinga, Klein said the expansion is not even close to the full 50% that would be allowed in the proposed change. Caruso had noticed the work at the Ozinga plant and started contacting officials. Wiles said that, after the countys Department of Infrastructure, Planning & Growth was alerted to the business in question, it had the project submit its plans for review to the county. She said that various departments are still in the midst of reviewing whether other requirements need to be met. This is a stinky one, commission member Molly Hannon said, adding that she struggled to separate the issue with the business and the overlay district. Theres no good answer. But as a business owner, Id hate for someone to tell me I couldnt do what I wanted, if I was there before. As the commission voted to table the matter, Wiles agreed to come back to the June 18 meeting with a breakdown of all nonconforming uses in the overlay district. Wheres the countys comprehensive plan? The planning commissioners frustration also led them to press Wiles on when the countys 20-year comprehensive plan for growth and development would be finished. Lack of the plan and reliance on the county plan from 2002 has been a sore point at several county meetings recently as officials have had to make key decisions about plans for massive development near New Carlisle. We could cut down on a lot of time if we had a comprehensive plan, commission member Robert Kruszynski said. I know its a process, but it needs to get done. But commission member DJ Tavernier lamented his frustration over the amount of complaining and nitpicking at task force meetings from everyone that wants to be involved with this. Id like to deliver a comprehensive plan thats largely vetted, Wiles responded. Weve spent a lot of time to ensure that it reads in a neutral voice, that the agreements are agreed to by multiple parties. That takes time. She said the county signed on with a contractor to help develop the plan in July 2021, originally set for two years of work, though it has now been almost three years. She said comprehensive plans take years and pointed to the one for New Carlisle that took five years to develop. The commissioners had just approved it at their meeting. Wiles pledged to provide a timeline for the countys comprehensive plan to the commissioners by their June meeting. She said there was a task force meeting on May 14. She said they had the least amount of edits and that theyre working to finalize the land use maps. Public presentations will be scheduled in person and online, she said. South Bend Tribune reporter Joseph Dits can be reached at 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com. This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: St. Joseph County seeks fix to IEC overlay district One of Minnesota's largest farming operations has sued the White Earth Band of Chippewa after the tribe sought to regulate its water use on its reservation and surrounding land. In a move that could shape tribal treaty rights and water use across the state, the tribe started requiring anyone who pumps more than 10,000 gallons of water a day or more than 1 million gallons a year on its reservation or within 5 miles of it to get a tribal permit. That would be in addition to any permits that heavy water users need from the state. But only the state can regulate the water use of non-tribal members, argued R.D. Offutt Farms, a potato producer that owns or operates about 50 farms with high capacity irrigation wells in and near the reservation. R.D. Offutt has asked the court to throw out the band's permit, saying the costs and uncertainty in getting approved could force farms to shut down. "This will have a profound impact not just on our farms, but on the farms of our neighbors, our team members, our suppliers, our customers who have already purchased the crop, and our communities who rely on the stability of the regional agricultural economy," R.D. Offutt spokeswoman Jennifer Maleitzke said in a statement. Farmers need clarity from the courts about water permitting in Minnesota, Maleitzke said. "We believe and the evidence supports the state should be regulating water use throughout Minnesota," she said. Minnesota is in the grip of a water crisis, White Earth Chair Michael Fairbanks said in a statement. "The White Earth Nation is dedicated to using sound science for a fair and balanced review of water resources, ensuring equitable decisions while safeguarding the health and welfare of everyone within the Nation's boundaries," he said. The case was filed early this month in U.S. District Court in Minnesota; no hearings have yet been set. White Earth enacted the water permit requirement on the heels of explosive growth in irrigation in the state and region. The reservation occupies about 1,000 square miles in northwestern Minnesota, just west of Itasca State Park at the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Its borders cover Mahnomen County and parts of Becker and Clearwater counties. Irrigation in the area has more than doubled since the late 1980s, from 3.5 billion gallons of water a year to more than 8 billion gallons, according the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. That extra water use does not seem to have had much effect on nearby surface waters, the agency said in a recently released report of the Straight River area. But more intensive modeling and studies would be needed to measure whether some of the wells closest to the Straight River are reducing stream flows during the driest times of the year when irrigation is at its highest, the report said. Regulators with Gov. Tim Walz's administration said they will watch how the case plays out in federal court. "We understand that the Band's action has raised many questions and concerns for farmers and other landowners in and near the White Earth Reservation," Minnesota Department of Natural Resource officials said in a statement. "However, whether the Band has the legal authority to require non-band members to obtain a Band water appropriation permit when they are appropriating water on private property within or outside the boundaries of the Reservation is a question of Federal law." Under federal law, White Earth can regulate non-members if their actions threaten the security and subsistence of the tribe, band lawyers argued when creating the permit requirement. The cumulative impacts of high-capacity irrigation wells pose "significant threats" to the health, welfare and subsistence of the tribe, the tribe's governing body wrote. To get a tribal permit, farmers would need to pay a $5,000 application fee. The review process could take three years and the band would impose usage limits and inspect wells. The state charges farmers $140 a year to pump up to 50 million gallons of water. All usage is self-reported and the state didn't fine any of the roughly 800 farmers who broke their permits and pumped a total of 6.5 billion gallons more than they were allowed during the 2021 drought. R.D. Offutt is one of the largest potato growing operations in the world. It rapidly expanded in Minnesota in the past two decades, becoming one of the state's biggest water users. By 2018, the company's growth concerned state water regulators to the point that they stopped approving its well permit applications. The Department of Natural Resources said a comprehensive study was needed to find out whether increased water use was drying up lakes and streams or degrading water quality in wells in the region. Rather than fund the study, the company reached a deal with the DNR that withdrew all but five permit applications. The DNR asked lawmakers to fund the study. They did not, and it was never done. The company operated 47 permitted irrigation wells drawing roughly 25 million gallons each within the reservation and its 5-mile buffer in 2022, the latest year data is available. Those wells drew a total of 1.1 billion gallons of water that year, according to state usage reports. Title icon The Scoop In January 2021, the Washington Posts Supreme Court reporter and his editors agreed: The upside-down American flag seen flying outside Justice Samuel Alitos Virginia home was not, on its own, a story. Earlier this month, that same story broke in The New York Times, which reported that Alito said his wife had raised the flag a symbol adopted by supporters of former President Donald Trump who believed the election had been stolen from him amid a neighborhood dispute. Nine days after the flag scoop, a deadpan Post report acknowledged that the D.C. paper learned of the upside-down flag incident more than three years ago, but chose at the time not to report on it. The decision was a matter of consensus, said Cameron Barr, the former senior managing editor, who said he takes responsibility for the decision not to run the story. The Posts then-editor-in-chief, Martin Baron, told Semafor that he had been unaware of the story at the time. I agreed with [Supreme Court reporter] Bob Barnes and others that we should not do a single-slice story about the flag, because it seemed like the story was about Martha-Ann Alito and not her husband, recalled Barr of the deliberations. Instead, Barr said, he suggested a story on the bitter neighborhood dispute that Alito told them had prompted his wife to raise the flag. They would use the flag itself, he thought, as a detail in the story. But that story never took shape. In retrospect, I should have pushed harder for that story, Barr said in a phone interview with Semafor Sunday. Title icon Bens view Coverage of the Supreme Court can be divided into pre-Dobbs and post-Dobbs or, more specifically, into the period before and after May 2022, when Politico published a leaked draft of the decision that would overturn Roe v. Wades federal protection of the right to an abortion. The leak and its aftermath exposed the courts internal politics and further damaged its carefully-cultivated reputation as an institution above the partisan fray. The ruling also played into a long-running argument among journalists: Should justices be covered as politicians appointed to powerful roles? Or should they be seen as a class apart jurists covered for their ideas, rather than their personalities or interests? Barnes, who is now retired, was part of a generation of Supreme Court reporters made up largely of institutionalists who afforded justices a level of distance from the day-to-day of political coverage unknown to almost any other contemporary government figures. The deeply polarized American moment and the Roberts courts life-altering rulings appear to have resolved that argument in favor of making the justices private actions subjects for investigative reporting. Well before the Times coverage of Alito, ProPublica won a Pulitzer Prize for a series revealing that Justice Clarence Thomas had relied financially on a conservative donor. Stories about the court are different than they used to be, Barr noted. The Posts move was cautious and deferential, and very pre-Dobbs. Now, its hard to imagine. Title icon Room for Disagreement Chris Geidner, who covers the Court for his Law Dork Substack, wrote that a truly remarkable and truly disappointing aspect of this situation, to my mind, is the fact that the had to have, at least passively, made the decision to report this news over the past three-plus years, he writes even as the Post broke news on the involvement of another justices spouse, Ginni Thomas, in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Title icon Notable Any judge with reasonable ethical instincts would have realized immediately that flying the flag then and in that way was improper. And dumb, a federal judge wrote in the Times. People who are judges on the Supreme Courts have personal lives, they have families, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn said in Alitos defense. And I dont think theyre necessarily responsible for everything their families do or say. A review of public opinion research in Science found that knowledge of the Court, and support for key democratic values, no longer protect the Court after in the way they once did. These findings suggest that at least part of the public increasingly sees the Court as politicians in robes, with troubling implications for its role in our democracy. Semafor Logo BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The Baku Network expert platform has aired the next episode of the Dialogue with Tofig Abbasov analytical video project, Trend reports. A composer and People's Artist of Azerbaijan Faig Sujaddinov joined the program as a guest. Addressing Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization, he noted that there are forces that oppose peace in the South Caucasus. "There is significant external pressure on Armenians, preventing them from making independent decisions. The people of Armenia must realize that their enemy is not Azerbaijan. We have demonstrated our love for our land and our desire to reclaim what is rightfully ours, without coveting others' property. I recently visited Shusha city and noticed the destroyed houses along the way. For 30 years, Armenians built nothing and did nothing, knowing it was temporary and not theirs," Sujaddinov said. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel A boy washes his head to cool off on a hot summer's day. Due to extremely high temperatures of around 50 degrees Celsius, the Pakistani authorities issued a heat warning for pregnant women and the elderly on 27 May. Ppi/PPI via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Pakistani authorities issued a warning on Monday to pregnant women and elderly about the dangers posed by a sweltering heatwave sweeping the country, with temperatures soaring as high as 53 degrees Celsius. Intensity, frequency and duration of the heatwaves in Pakistan is increasing as compared to previous years. Pregnant women, children and the elderly are the vulnerable, Muhammad Saleem, spokesman for the climate change ministry, told dpa. On Sunday, the mercury in Mohenjo Daro, one of the world's ancient major cities in Sindh province, was recorded at 53 degrees Celsius, according to the Pakistan Metrological Department. Temperatures in May are 5 to 7 degrees Celsius higher than the past this year. Saleem said that the heatwave is expected to continue until the end of this month, with two additional heatwaves anticipated to affect more regions in June. He added that the heat index would worsen due to low green cover and vegetation. The Pakistani government ordered the closure of schools, postponed exams, declared emergencies at hospitals and set up thousands of heat relief camps due to the extreme weather. Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of global carbon emissions but is among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations. Flash floods, land erosion, cloudbursts, droughts and smog resulting in low air quality have been on the rise in Pakistan in recent years. Hundreds of people are killed in Pakistan every year in climate-induced disasters while thousands lose their habitat and livelihood in a country that contributes little to global carbon emissions. Nomadic families are moving to colder areas after the heatwave intensified. Due to extremely high temperatures of around 50 degrees Celsius, the Pakistani authorities issued a heat warning for pregnant women and the elderly on 27 May. Ppi/PPI via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa President Biden is set to deliver remarks Monday on the 156th observance of Memorial Day from Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. He will also participate in the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solder. The White House flag is flying half-staff in honor of the holiday. Biden posted a graphic Monday on social media platform X, honoring the fallen for their sacrifice. Since Americas founding, our service members have laid down their lives for an idea unlike any other: the idea of the United States, he wrote. Today, as generations of heroes lie in eternal peace, we live by the light of liberty they kept burning. May God bless them, always. He is scheduled to give remarks at 11:15 a.m. EDT. Watch the live video above. 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 The Hill. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, calls on the U.S. Education Department to cut ties with Missouri student loan servicer MOHELA on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, outside the U.S. Capitol. WASHINGTON A group of advocates and progressive Democratic lawmakers called on the U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday to end its contract with MOHELA, a Missouri-based student loan servicer. U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Greg Casar of Texas and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts urged the department to cut ties with MOHELA, also known as the Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri, during a press conference hosted by the Debt Collective, which advocates for canceling student debt. Advocates and the lawmakers accused MOHELA of being a predatory loan service and failing student borrowers, citing mismanagement, administrative failures and hours-long wait times for assistance. It is time to stop their contract, it is time to fire them, it is time to listen to the borrowers that have been speaking up about the struggles that they are facing, and it is time for us to do the right thing, Omar said. We are asking the administration to take this step forward because it is past time that we listen to the borrowers that have been suffering under the incompetence of MOHELA. The Education Department did not respond on the record to a request for comment Wednesday. In moves it has characterized as bolstering protections for borrowers, the department launched a new accountability initiative in November and has transitioned to new loan servicing contracts. Nothing short of a nightmare MOHELA is at the center of two class-action lawsuits in recent months accusing the nonprofit of a failure to timely process and render decisions for student loan borrowers enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. One of the lawsuits names MOHELA alone, while the other names both the nonprofit and the U.S. Education Department. More: What is MOHELA, the Missouri agency at the center of the student debt relief court battle? The student loan servicer has also taken heat from the Student Borrower Protection Center, an advocacy group, and the American Federation of Teachers, a major teachers union. In a report from February, the two entities accused the nonprofit of failing to perform basic servicing functions. They also claimed that more than four in ten student loan borrowers MOHELA services have experienced a servicing failure since loan payments resumed in September 2023. In March, MOHELA sent a cease and desist letter to the Student Borrower Protection Center, accusing its report of making false, misleading and sensationalized claims and insinuations regarding MOHELA and its business activities. A spokesperson for MOHELA said in an emailed statement Wednesday that borrowers are not better off when outside groups spread false and misleading information about our work as a federal contractor for FSA. The spokesperson added that MOHELA remains committed to continuing to provide the highest quality of customer service to the borrowers that we serve. Student loan servicers are companies contracted by the federal government to handle billing and other administrative tasks regarding federal student loans, according to Federal Student Aid. MOHELA services nearly 8 million borrowers after winning a contract in 2022 to handle the Education Departments Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, said during Wednesdays event that at every step, MOHELA has failed student loan borrowers. Theyve lost paperwork, theyve given people the runaround, Pierce said while standing next to an exhibit displaying what appeared to be a nine-hour hold time when trying to reach one of MOHELAs customer service representatives. More: In Missouri, 18,800 student loan borrowers eligible for forgiveness worth $956M Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, at Wednesdays press conference said MOHELA has a call-deflection scheme. When it is critical for people to be on the phone with someone, they cant get on the phone with someone, Weingarten said. Shamell Bell, a member of the Debt Collective, said her interactions with the student loan servicer have been nothing short of a nightmare. Bell said she was in a labyrinth of just false information, false promises and failures that are not just administrative errors but also systemic obstacles that jeopardize the financial stability and mental wellness of countless borrowers like myself. More student loan forgiveness Meanwhile, the Biden administration said earlier Wednesday that it had approved an additional $7.7 billion in student debt relief for 160,500 borrowers. The bulk of the relief more than $5 billion went to nearly 67,000 borrowers partaking in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Wednesdays move brought the administrations total loan forgiveness to $167 billion for 4.75 million Americans. The Biden-Harris Administration remains persistent about our efforts to bring student debt relief to millions more across the country, and this announcement proves it, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. One out of every 10 federal student loan borrowers approved for debt relief means one out of every 10 borrowers now has financial breathing room and a burden lifted. This story was first published at www.missouriindependent.com. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Biden administration asked to cut ties with student loan servicer The number of those who were killed in the May 25 attack on Kharkiv may rise to 18 as the search operation continues, Dmytro Chubenko, the spokesperson of the regional prosecutor's office, told Ukrainska Pravda on May 27. Russia hit a building materials supermarket, "Epicenter," in Kharkiv in the middle of the day on May 25. Local authorities reported the following day that at least 16 people, including a 12-year-old girl and her mother, were killed, while other 44 people were injured. Chubenko said that there were 16 killed and 45 injured as of May 27. Five people are still missing, while 13 out of the 16 killed people were identified. "We had seven requests on missing people. Five remain as of now. Unfortunately, two missing people were among those who were killed," Chubenko said. Read also: Kuleba calls for more Patriots, support for striking military targets in Russia after barbaric attack on Kharkiv The spokesperson added that the search operation continues, but it is complicated by the consequences of the explosion and a severe fire. "Some bodies were torn into pieces after the explosion, and the walls and ceilings collapsed," he said. "Also, after strong fires, very small (body) pieces are left, so it is difficult to understand what the body piece is and what is not." Chubenko does not rule out that the fire could cause the complete disappearance of body parts. According to the spokesperson, 20 people remained in the supermarket at the time of the explosion. What happened to all of them remains unclear, as the surveillance cameras turned off after the explosion. "Maybe they were in shock but managed to leave (the supermarket) quickly. Maybe they were among the injured, or maybe they suffered minor injuries, went home in the state of shock, and did not report on that," Chubenko said. Yuliia Chudnovets, the spokesperson of the "Epicenter," told Ukrainska Pravda that at least two workers of the supermarket were confirmed killed, and the other 12 are still missing. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian strike on Kharkiv supermarket kills 16; Zelensky says Moscow increasing presence near northern border Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Putin arrives in Uzbekistan, marking third international visit of his new term Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrived in Uzbekistan's capital on May 26 to hold discussions with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations. Putin paid his respects by laying a wreath at the Monument of Independence in Tashkent and engaged in what the Kremlin described as informal talks with Mirziyoyev. The formal meeting between the two leaders is scheduled for May 27. This visit marks Putin's third international trip since his inauguration for the fifth presidential term, secured in the March election broadly seen as rigged. His first trip was to China, where he praised China's "active efforts to find a political solution" to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war and claimed that Moscow is seeking a "settlement of this conflict through peaceful means." Putin then went to Belarus where he reportedly planned to discuss the possible involvement of the Belarusian military in Russia's non-strategic nuclear drills. Belarus has been a key ally to Moscow and supported Russian aggression against Ukraine, though it has not committed its own forces directly to hostilities. The country is also reportedly hosting Russian tactical nuclear arms on its territory. In preparation for the Uzbekistan visit, Putin and Mirziyoyev discussed a range of bilateral cooperation topics, including trade and economic relations, according to the Kremlin. Read also: Putin wants to involve Belarus in nuclear drills Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia is to increase cooperation on energy with Uzbekistan by building a gas pipeline and several hydroelectric and nuclear power stations in the country, President Vladimir Putin announced while on a state visit to Tashkent on Monday. "The area of energy is a strategic direction," Putin said. The construction of the pipeline aims to boost Russian gas exports to 11 billion cubic metres annually from next year from 2.8 billion cubic metres currently. While Uzbekistan has its own large gas reserves, extraction and distribution equipment are obsolete, with the result that demand currently exceeds supply. Moscow and Tashkent also plan to cooperate on the construction of small nuclear power plants in the country, which is regarded as a zone of relatively high seismic activity. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said an agreement on the construction of several such plants would be signed during Putin's visit. The plans are reported to involve six 55-megawatt reactors. In 2018, the two countries agreed on a 2.4-gigawatt nuclear power plant, but start of construction has been delayed. This project is now to be accelerated, according to the reports. Putin referred to "good perspectives for cooperation on hydropower." According to the information released, Russian specialists are to build two hydroelectric plants on Uzbek lakes. Uzbekistan's energy security would be assured with Russian assistance, Putin said. The visit is Putin's third trip abroad since the start of his fifth period in office earlier this month. He has also visited China and Belarus. The visit to Uzbekistan is being seen in Russian media as evidence of his attempts to boost Russian influence there. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace. -/Kremlin/dpa Mark Robinson, the hardcore conspiracy-theorist Republican running for governor in North Carolina, has been posting through it ever since his rise to power in 2021 as the states first-ever Black lieutenant governor. Hes called the Holocaust hogwash and described the Nazis as upstart amateurs in terms of manipulation and murder. Robinsons also drawn the attention of online extremist groups, including the white supremacist forum Stormfront, a website founded in the 1990s by a Ku Klux Klan leader in Alabama. Robinsons ties to the forum were previously reported in a Washington Post story in March, which mentioned a 2021 thread praising him as the negro N. Carolina Lt. Gov who goes off on CRT, trans, jews, and anti-Americans. LOL! North Carolina Guv Frontrunner Had Secret Meeting With Ginni Thomas After Jan. 6 The candidates name has appeared in nine separate posts on Stormfront between 2021 and 2023, according to documents obtained by The Daily Beast. Robinson has also drawn a following on the QAnon forum The Great Awakening, appearing on at least 77 message board threads between April 2023 and March 2024. Hes an opposition researchers dream, veteran North Carolina Democratic strategist Morgan Jackson told The Daily Beast. Robinson serving as a fount of social media conspiracy theories and vile proclamations about the LGBT community, Jews, and other minority groups was one thing when he was running in a sleepy lieutenant governors race. Now, hes facing the heat that comes with one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the country, in which the spending will go from the six-figure tallies of his last race to likely more than a hundred million this cycle, Jackson said. As the opposition researchers gift that keeps on giving, Robinson might be such a uniquely bad candidate that he could not only throw the governors race to the Democrats, but also jeopardize former President Donald Trumps efforts to hold onto the state he won in 2020. DJT likes him a lot, a Trumpworld strategist told The Daily Beast, requesting anonymity to relay private concerns over Robinsons viability. But the ticket-splitting in North Carolina is a real problem. Democrats have won seven out of the last eight governors races in North Carolina, while Republicans have won seven out of the last eight presidential contests. If Robinson gets wiped out in the general electioneven though hes currently running neck-and-neck in early polls against his Democratic opponent, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Steinboth Democrats and Republicans wonder if it could cut into Trumps vote total and give President Joe Biden a fighting chance at winning the battleground state. Paul Shumaker, a longtime North Carolina GOP strategist who worked for Robinsons opponent in the primary, said a so-called reverse coattails effect is entirely possible, where some voters back off from voting for Trump because of Robinsons antics. Shumaker has previously said Democrats have been given the greatest messenger against Mark Robinson, and thats Mark Robinson. In his interview with The Daily Beast, he added that Robinson is the Democrats best hope at putting North Carolina in play at the presidential level, where Trump has been averaging a 5-point lead in the most recent polling. The Biden campaign will attempt to tie the two together, Shumaker said in a text message. Democrats have a major turnout problem and Trump will distance himself and withdraw his endorsement if Robinson becomes too much of a liability. Cant underscore Ds turnout problems enough. Inside QAnons Rise and How Trump Became Its God Emperor Both Shumaker and the Trumpworld strategist said another complicating factor over the next few months will be Robinsons relationship with the business community, where his anti-Jewish and anti-LGBT remarks could lead firms to reconsider moving to the state or staying there if he takes over the governors mansion. Mark Robinson is the most extreme candidate for public office, period, in North Carolinamuch less the race for governor, Jackson said. If youre a CEO and youre thinking of moving your business to North Carolina, and Mark Robinson is the governor, I think your employees are going to tell you they want to go somewhere else. The Robinson and Trump campaigns did not return a request for comment. Even if Trump remains a fan of Robinson, those around the former president have begun to realize what kind of potential nightmare they might face in November. Clearly, the Trumpworld strategist said, its not great. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. France must acknowledge that its campaign against Azerbaijan, along with disrespectful statements and provocations, will face consequences, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aykhan Hajizada said, answering the question of local media about France's calling Azerbaijan a "dictatorship", Trend reports. "The French side not only refuses to apologize for its irresponsible and unacceptable statements but has also intensified its smear campaign against Azerbaijan in Le Point and other similar French media outlets. France's campaign against Azerbaijan, cloaked in the guise of 'democracy,' is merely an attempt to conceal the shortcomings of its foreign policy," the spokesperson remarked. He underscored that France's activities, including its endeavors to impart a "lesson in democracy" to the world, are widely recognized, encompassing international transgressions, neo-colonial policies, racism, discrimination, Islamophobia, and human rights restrictions. "Hence, before labeling Azerbaijan as a 'dictatorship,' France should reflect on its own actions. The French side must realize that its campaign against our country, coupled with its offensive statements and provocations, will not go unchallenged," Hajizada concluded. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Abiageal Emery's grandfather was just 21 years old when he served aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Essex during the Cuban Missile Crisis. She asked him to share his memory of that time for her award-winning Voice of Democracy essay. (Photo by PHCS Jackman, U.S. Navy - U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.242.072, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6803795) This essay by Westerly High School sophomore Abiageal Emery won first place in the 2023-2024 Rhode Island Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy essay competition. The theme was What are the greatest attributes of our Democracy? Emery will read her essay as the featured speaker for the states 50th Annual Memorial Day ceremony taking place Monday at 1 p.m. at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter. Her essay has been lightly edited for republishing here. I type the word America into my Google search bar. It suggests my next words should be the land of opportunity. Opportunity is such a broad term, and I think thats why its so special. I may find an opportunity to go to my friends house, but some may find an opportunity to turn their life around, or quit an addiction, or buy a car; the possibilities are endless, and can vary to so many situations. To be considered the land of opportunity is to be considered as free. However, these opportunities are not free, they are not a given, and they are not easily obtained. Each opportunity was earned. As was our democracy. The freedoms we have now we didnt always have. I believe in my core, the greatest attribute of Americas democracy is that it was earned. My grandfather, who is 82 years old, is a retired Navy veteran. He served in the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 when he was 21. Ive always admired him for that and acknowledged how thankful I am for him, however Im not sure I truly ever understood his story until recently. During the time of my grandfathers service, the Soviet Union was trying to place nuclear-armed missiles into Cuba land to attack America. My grandfather can still recall many details from this experience. He arrived at the Cuban border on a Friday night aboard the first ship to reach the island country. He describes the dilemma as both hectic and dangerous. He remembers being confused and had no idea what was going on. The crew was not sure why, but on Sunday morning when they woke up, the ships were in the middle of the ocean, departing back. As I listened to his story, I kept thinking how much I would despise being on that boat. I would be scared, hungry, tired, and without the willpower to stand those conditions. My grandfather, and so many others, were ready to fight for our country and keep Russias nuclear missiles out, even if they had fears about their own safety. His story is so powerful to me because its a direct example of protecting American democracy and the publics welfare. The willingness and sacrifice of those involved in the Cuban missile crisis helped to secure what America has built: democracy, freedom, and opportunity. I believe in my core, the greatest attribute of America's democracy is that it was earned. My grandfathers story and those of other veterans have a connection. No matter how much research I do and questions I ask, as someone who has never gone to war, I can never truly understand it. However, I can have respect and great compassion for the work and dedication my grandfather and others had for our country. They put their lives on the line for our democracy. In my eyes, my grandfather is the bravest person I know. However, he is just one of the 41 million individuals who have served in the U.S. military in our nations history. He is one of 41 million individuals who helped earn the opportunities I often take for granted. He and so many others are the reason I am here today. They are the greatest attributes of American democracy. For some individuals, the importance of our country outweighs the importance of their own life. There is never a resting moment for our veterans, past or present. They will always have their stories and experiences and the right to share their stories and experiences. They could stop and give up the fight for America, but they dont. They fight for a democracy so the rest of us can enjoy it. At every point in time, a person who served is responsible for earning democracy. That is what makes it so special. America was not born with freedom and opportunity, those who had enough courage, fought and earned it for everyone. The post This R.I. teen looked for a way to consider what democracy means. She found her grandfather. appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Rain is likely this week, South Florida. But dont expect a break from extreme heat yet South Florida can expect some rain after Memorial Day. But its still going to be scorching hot this week, despite the likelihood of precipitation. South Florida broke temperature records last week. This week, there will be highs in the 90s, little wind and lots of humidity, according to the National Weather Services station at Miami International Airport. Ana Torres-Vazquez, a meteorologist at the agency, said the region will see temperatures in the mid-upper 90s at least until the end of the workweek. The heat index could again hit the triple digits. The chances of rain shoots up after tomorrow and could include classic South Florida summer afternoon thunderstorms. There is going to be a bit of a front, though not very cold, moving into the Florida peninsula. So that will help drive conditions to develop for showers and thunderstorms, Torres-Vazquez said. The meteorologist had some tips to keep South Floridians safe in the sweltering heat: Stay very hydrated, seek out shelter and be sure to take rest breaks if you have to be outdoors for prolonged periods of time. Saturday also marks another dreaded milestone: Hurricane season is set to begin on June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its preseason hurricane forecast last week, announcing yet another busy hurricane season. The federal agency predicts there will be 17 to 25 named storms and eight to 13 hurricanes. Between four to seven are predicted to reach major hurricane status, according to NOAA, which forecasts an 85% chance of an above-normal season. Severe weather and emergencies can happen at any moment, which is why individuals and communities need to be prepared today, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks said in a recent press release. New preseason hurricane forecast is highest ever issued. Brace yourself, Florida A 51-year-old rancher and 34 of his cattle became the latest victims of a spate of severe weather over the weekend. According to press accounts in Jackson County, Colorado, rancher Mike Morgan was feeding his cattle with hay from his trailer on Saturday when a bolt of lightning killed him and knocked over 100 of the animals, roughly a third of which died. As best I can tell, it hit him on the trailer. The cattle were bunched up around the trailer and it hit them all, county coroner George Crocket said, as reported by the Colorado Sun. The outlet noted that Morgans father-in-law and wife were both in the vicinity and survived. They had spent the early part of the day branding cattle. By early afternoon storm clouds engulfed the sky as they were feeding the herd. Crocket described the incident as unusually deadly. Ive seen horses get killed, but its usually one at a time, he said, according to the Sun. He added that his grandfather once lost seven cattle to a lightning strike. The outlet described Morgan as an outspoken rancher who was vocal about issues stemming from the reintroduction of wolves in the area. We need to get our way of life out to the people because they dont understand our livelihood, the emotional impact and the financial impact, he said in 2022. Elsewhere in the country over the weekend, more than two dozen tornadoes touched down in five states, killing at least 20 people and injuring scores more. Texas was especially impacted, with more than 100 injuries reported and disasters declared in 106 counties, the Associated Press noted. In Cooke County, two young children from the same family were fatally wounded. Deaths were also reported in Oklahoma and Arkansas, with additional twisters sighted in Missouri and Kansas. Arkansas also suffered from a landslide over the weekend that off traffic on some sections of a highway in both directions. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. DENVER (KDVR) A Colorado rancher and 34 head of cattle were struck by lightning and killed in Jackson County over Memorial Day weekend. Jackson County dispatchers received the call at 2:08 p.m. Saturday and responded to a ranch in Rand, Colorado. Living in Denver? Your building could be hit by lightning and you wouldnt know it The Jackson County Sheriffs Office said the rancher, identified as 51-year-old Mike Morgan, was feeding his cattle when the lightning struck. Bystanders and first responders provided life-saving efforts, but Morgan died at the scene. Our deepest condolences go out to family and friends during this difficult time, JCSO said in a release. Colorado among highest rates of lightning deaths, injuries The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Colorado has had one of the highest rates of lightning deaths and injuries of all the U.S. states in recent years. Counties in Colorado with the highest injuries, deaths from lightning strikes The National Weather Service has kept records of lightning-related deaths and injuries in Colorado from 1980 to 2021 and there hasnt been any reported in Jackson County during that time. El Paso and Larimer counties had the most lightning-related injuries and deaths in the state over those 41 years, based on the available data. The NWS said the best way to stay safe during a lightning storm is to go inside, however, there have been incidents in which people were struck while indoors. The CDC says to avoid water, windows, porches, concrete and electrical equipment while sheltering from lightning. 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. I ranked 12 fast-food double cheeseburgers from worst to best, and my favorite was also a great value I ranked 12 fast-food double cheeseburgers from worst to best, and my favorite was also a great value In honor of National Cheeseburger Day, we ranked double cheeseburgers from 12 fast-food chains. White Castle surprised me with its small, cheap, and super-flavorful sliders. I thought In-N-Out's famous Double-Double was great value and undeniably delicious. September 18 marks National Cheeseburger Day, but which fast-food chain has the best one? Burgers remain one of the most popular foods in the US throughout the rest of the year. A 2023 report by Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation found that 79% of Americans order burgers at restaurants at least once a month. Over the years, I've tried practically every fast-food double cheeseburger on the market. For a definitive ranking, I tried double cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Shake Shack, White Castle, Whataburger, P. Terry's, Five Guys, Cook Out, Checkers, Sonic, and In-N-Out. Here's every fast-food double cheeseburger ranked from worst to best. My least favorite double cheeseburger was from Burger King. It cost me $3.89. Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger was under $5, but I'm not sure it was worth the price. It comes with two of the chain's beef patties, American cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on a sesame-seed bun. Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It comes with one slice of cheese. This burger was super filling, but I liked the other burgers I tried more. Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Right away, I tasted the thick beef patties. The burger had traveled a little more than 15 minutes from my local Burger King to my apartment, but the meat was still juicy and the cheese nicely melted. The pickle slices were thick and crunchy, and I enjoyed the sesame-seed bun, which added a nice textural element. But I thought there was just a little too much ketchup, which will likely vary depending on who's making your burger that day. It was also a little heavy for my liking. It filled me up a little more than I had anticipated before jumping into the rest of the burger comparison. Still, for a burger that costs just under $4, that might be more of an asset than a hindrance if you want a filling, inexpensive lunch. Next was Wendy's double cheeseburger, which the chain calls a Double Stack. I ordered it for $4.49. Wendy's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It was about the same price as the burgers from McDonald's and Burger King, though it landed squarely in the middle in terms of value. A Wendy's double cheeseburger comes with two junior-size hamburger patties, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and sweet onion. The Wendy's Double Stack. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The toppings looked a little stingy, and they were clustered in the middle of the sandwich. I would have liked to see them more spread out. The burger bun was fluffy and light, and the toppings had a ton of flavor. Wendy's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider But I had to get a few bites in to reach the toppings in the center. The toppings themselves were amazing. I thought the pickles were the most flavorful out of the burgers I tried, and I liked the use of an onion ring rather than diced onion, although I would've liked more. The McDonald's double cheeseburger cost me $5.79. McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It was slightly more expensive than Wendy's version but had more toppings. It came with an extra slice of American cheese plus chopped onions, and I thought it was still relatively affordable. The double cheeseburger from McDonald's comes with two beef patties, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and two slices of American cheese. McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I was interested to see if the added toppings would amp up the flavor. I thought the ingredients came together well in this burger, but the bun was a little lackluster. McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The bun held everything together and was a good size, but it was a little too soft and didn't have a lot of flavor on its own. But I enjoyed the amount of condiments and didn't find them overpowering. The chopped onions added a lot of flavor, and the burger patties were juicy despite being thinner than the Burger King ones. I liked the added cheese but didn't think it was necessary. In ninth place was the double-meat Whataburger with cheese. Whataburger double meat burger with cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It costs $9 at a Whataburger in Austin, excluding tax and fees. I ordered it with a large bun, American cheese, grilled peppers and onions, pickles, and ketchup. Whataburger double meat burger with cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger was a decent size and I could see the gooey cheese peeking out from underneath the soft potato bun. Unlike the other double cheeseburgers, this burger had sliced jalapeno peppers that I imagined would add quite the kick. Whataburger double meat burger with cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The ingredients definitely set this burger apart from the others. I thought the burgers had a delightfully crispy texture to them, and the toppings added a ton of flavor. Whataburger double meat burger with cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The bun was light and fluffy, but I did think the burger patties could have been a little thicker and juicier. Coming in eighth was the double cheeseburger from P. Terry's Burger Stand, a regional chain I visited in Austin, Texas. P. Terry's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger cost only $5, making it one of the cheaper burgers I tried. Despite being less expensive than the Whataburger double cheeseburger, the P. Terry's burger was larger. P. Terry's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I ordered it with pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, and American cheese. I again thought the cheese could have been more melted, but the size definitely made up for that small detail. P. Terry's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider One of the benefits of ordering from P. Terry's is that you can easily customize your burger and add a number of toppings including grilled onions, the chain's special sauce, tomato, lettuce, and more. I thought the burgers were juicy and the pickles had a tart crunch to them. P. Terry's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The bun was slightly underwhelming, but I thought it was an excellent, large burger with tons of flavor, especially for the low price. I also thought the mustard really came through and added a lot to the burger. The double cheeseburger from Shake Shack was the second most expensive burger I tried. Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I paid $12.49 for a double cheeseburger. I could customize my toppings, but I went with pickles, onions, and Shack sauce. Right away, I thought the burger was massive. Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger patties were perfectly crispy on the outside and covered in gooey melted cheese. The pickles also looked large and homemade. It was even heavy to pick up. The toppings were generous and the chain's signature Shack sauce, which is a mayo-based sauce with a slight mustard flavor, made it really tasty. Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The cheese was thick and perfectly melted. However, biting into the Shake Shack burger was a little overwhelming, in my opinion. Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger was huge, which was both an asset and a hindrance. I struggled to get through more than a few bites. However, despite being the second most expensive burger, I thought it was worth the price. The burger patties were much thicker than the other burgers I tried, and the toppings took it over the edge in terms of flavor. Overall, I was impressed ... but stuffed. In sixth place was the double-decker burger with cheese from Checkers. Checkers double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger has since been replaced with the Big Buford, which has all the same ingredients but a bakery-style bun instead of a sesame-seed bun. The burger costs $7.69 at my local Checkers in Brooklyn. I thought this burger was a little pricey for the size. Checkers double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It was smaller than my hand, though it did include a variety of toppings like tomato, lettuce, and red onion. The burger also comes with American cheese, dill pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise on a toasted bun. The burger patties were very juicy and the toppings tasted fresh. Checkers double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I also thought the American cheese was very tangy and flavorful. Overall, I enjoyed the combination of flavors. However, the price prevented this burger from ranking higher. I also tried the double cheese slider from White Castle. White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider White Castle sliders tend to be eaten in pairs, so I ordered two. Each burger cost me $3.55, so I ended up paying $7.10. The burgers were small but packed with flavor. White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burgers smelled strongly of onions and condiments the second I removed them from the bag. The amount of toppings on each burger was generous. White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The pickles were crunchy and flavorful. Though the burgers each had a bun sandwiched in the middle of the burger, it wasn't too bready instead, it allowed the flavors to really come together while still being filling. I was blown away by the cheeseburgers from White Castle, a result I admittedly wasn't expecting. White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider As the cheapest and smallest burgers, I was expecting them to be a little lackluster. However, I found that good things definitely come in small packages. The onions, condiments, and pickles were flavorful, but it was the beef that really impressed me. The small-but-mighty burger was one of the most flavorful out of the ones I tried, easy to eat, and perfectly priced. My fourth-favorite double cheeseburger was from Five Guys. Five Guys cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Five Guys doesn't technically have a "double cheeseburger" its regular cheeseburgers already come with two slices of cheese and two beef patties. My burger cost $13.55, excluding taxes and fees, making it the most expensive burger I tried. I was able to customize my toppings, but I ordered the burger with pickles, grilled onions, ketchup, and mustard. Five Guys cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Right away, I noticed that the toppings were generous. The pickle slices were large, and none of the toppings cost extra to add. The burger was large without being too intimidating. Five Guys cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I thought it was a perfect size. It required two hands to pick up and eat, but it wasn't as heavy as the burger from Shake Shack. Slices of melted American cheese coated each burger, and there wasn't so much sauce that it dripped out from underneath the sesame-seed buns. The burger patties were crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. Five Guys cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I thought the pickle slices were thick, crunchy, and tart. I also really enjoyed the choice of a sesame-seed bun it added a bit of texture to each and every bite. The grilled onions also really impressed me. They were soft and almost caramelized, adding a lot of flavor that I didn't get from any other burger. My third-favorite double cheeseburger came from Sonic Drive-In. SuperSonic double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The SuperSonic double cheeseburger was the only burger I tried that came with lettuce and tomato. Since this was the default option, I decided to try it with these toppings rather than specifically remove them. The burger cost me $9.75, excluding taxes and fees. The burger came with a hearty serving of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, two slices of cheese, diced onions, pickles, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Sonic double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Unlike Sonic's quarter-pound double cheeseburger, which comes with two junior patties, the full-size burger has a combined half-pound of meat. The bun was perfectly soft but still held the sauce-covered burger together. Sonic double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The ingredients tasted fresh and vibrant. The tomato wasn't too watery, the lettuce was crisp, and the burgers tasted well-seasoned and juicy. Plus, the burger was a very generous size. However, despite all these accolades, I thought the price was a little steep compared to what I got from Cook Out and In-N-Out. My second-favorite double cheeseburger came from Cook Out, a regional chain I visited in South Carolina. Cook Out big double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider You can order a "big double" from Cook Out any way you wish, but I ordered mine with cheese, ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles. It cost me $4.99, not including tax. The burger came wrapped in foil and featured two juicy patties. Cook Out big double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It also had thick slices of fresh onion and large pickle spears layered on top of the burger. For the price, I thought the burger was out of this world. Cook Out big double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The cheese slices were thick and tangy, and the burger was perfectly moist and medium-rare. It was also very large, and, after already eating dinner, I struggled to get through more than a few bites, though I kept wanting to go back for more. At an amazingly low price, this burger definitely earned the second-to-top spot on my ranking. In my opinion, the best double cheeseburger I tried was the famous Double-Double burger from In-N-Out. In-N-Out Double-Double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It cost me $4.90, which I thought was an excellent deal for the large burger sitting in front of me. One of the first things I noticed was how thick the burger patties were they were much thicker than other burgers I tried at a similar price point. Most Double-Double burgers come with lettuce, tomato, onions, and spread. In-N-Out Double-Double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider To keep my burger similar to the other burgers I tried, I ordered it with onions, pickles, and spread, which I thought tasted similar to Thousand Island dressing. The first thing I noticed about the In-N-Out burger was how juicy the burger patties were, followed by the incredible layers of cheese. In-N-Out Double-Double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The cheese slices were perfectly melted and coated each part of the burger, something I couldn't say about any other burger I tried. The bun was perfectly soft and held everything together perfectly, while the special spread had my mouth watering for another bite. Of all the burgers I tried, I thought the In-N-Out double cheeseburger packed the most flavor for the best price. In-N-Out Double-Double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider When it came to a double cheeseburger, the West-Coast chain really nailed it. The burger was beyond flavorful, the perfect size, and, in my opinion, very good value for money. The next time I'm in a state with an In-N-Out, I know where I'll be filling my burger craving. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine returned home an 11-year-old boy who had been separated from his mother in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast for two years, the Reintegration Ministry reported on May 27. The boy was living with an elderly relative in Russian-occupied territory near Mariupol. The city was besieged by Russia at the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 and came under Russian occupation in May 2022. As his mother serves in the Ukrainian military, she was unable to enter Russian-occupied territory, and the boy could not leave the area without being accompanied by an adult. Representatives from the Reintegration Ministry and the Ukrainian Network for Children's Rights, a union of NGOs focused on children's rights, helped return the boy. "Finally the boy is safe with his mother," the Reintegration Ministry said. At least 19,500 Ukrainian children have been confirmed as abducted by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and less than 400 have been returned home, according to the Ukrainian government's Children of War database. Read also: Ombudsman: 13 more children return to Ukraine from Russia with Qatars assistance Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Like always, this coming Thursday, May 30, is expected to pass without fanfare. No public celebrations, no parades scheduled, no fireworks or drone shows. This, despite the fact one of the most momentous historical events as it pertains to the ground were standing on happened 176 years ago, on May 30, 1848, when the countries of Mexico and the United States ratified the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In the treaty, which followed two years of war, Mexico ceded to America what is known as the Mexican Cession, an area that includes the states we now know as Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, California, Nevada and parts of Wyoming. Some people count Texas, too, since in the treaty Mexico also agreed to absolve all future rights to that vast territory. How big a deal was it? At least as significant as the Louisiana Purchase, says Westminster College professor Jeff Nichols, referencing the 1804 acquisition from France that nearly doubled the size of the country. And arguably more significant, given the circumstances of today. Look at just California alone our most populous state and if it were its own country, it would be the fifth largest economy on earth. Nichols more fully appreciates the significance of the treaty because, A) he teaches history for a living, and B) he didnt grow up here, and as is often the case, he knows and prizes the local history more than the locals. Nichols, who grew up in Hudson Falls, New York, came to Utah in the 1990s courtesy of the U.S. Navy, which he was a member of and which gave him a choice of where to go to school to teach ROTC: the University of Arizona or the University of Utah. He chose Utah because cue the No. 1 answer he liked to ski. After he got his graduate degree in history from Utah, Westminster hired him and he moved to Mountain Green, the little Weber Canyon town with a commanding view of Snowbasin Resort, where Nichols is a longtime season pass holder. It was while working toward his masters degree that Nichols got fascinated by Utah history. My goodness, its pretty different and its so relatively recent and relatively well documented. Its kind of a wonderful thing, for a historian, he says. The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is a case in point. When Latter-day Saint pioneers first arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in the summer of 1847, the Mexican-American War was ongoing and the area still belonged to Mexico. America wouldnt take over until Mexico surrendered in early 1848 and the treaty was signed in the village of Guadalupe Hidalgo (which today is a Mexico City suburb). The Mexican-American War was never about who got to own the Great Salt Lake, of course, and no shots were fired during the war in the desolation that was then Utah. But history begs questions, and one of the questions Utahs history begs is did Brigham Young, when he led his religious crusade here, know what was about to happen with the land he was fleeing to? Did he expect to live in Mexico or the United States? Did he care? Its a great question, says Nichols, but one we dont know the answer to. I dont think anyone knows, really, what Brigham Young knew and what he was thinking. Did he think it through: Is it going to be easier to do this under a relatively weaker Mexican state than this expanding United States? Did he sit around with his high council and speculate, well, if this happens, well do that? We apparently dont have a record. We can only guess. Nichols doesnt think it was the first thing on the Latter-day Saint leaders mind. He was an eminently practical guy, his default setting was always a kind of autonomy. Its us, just us. Lets create our world, our kingdom, and well deal with outsiders when and if we have to. We do know what Brigham Young was thinking after the war ended. Wasting no time, he petitioned the U.S. Congress to approve a new state hed mapped out called Deseret. The boundaries entailed almost all of the newly acquired Mexican Cession. Dr. Jeff Nichols, Westminster College history professor, is photographed in his office in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 26, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News If hed prevailed, wed be living in the middle of 490,000 square miles today instead of Utahs present-day 85,000. But as Nichols points out, Brigham Youngs plans, like Mexicos, ran head-long into Manifest Destiny President James K. Polks grand quest to expand the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Manifest Destiny was largely responsible for the Mexican-American War. The timeliness of the California gold rush in 1849 taking place on land that only 11 months ago belonged to Mexico only heightened the exodus to the West. Whether the U.S. was justified in acquiring 55% of Mexico by military force Polk had first tried to buy California and other parts of the Mexican Cession only to be turned down is what Nichols calls the classic question. Did the Spanish steal the territory from the Aztecs? he asks rhetorically. The answer is yes, this is what human beings do. In any event, the Mexican Cession is one of the great monetary bargains of all time, Nichols says of the 529,000 square miles (not counting Texas) the United States acquired 176 years ago for just under 5 cents an acre. Had it never happened, The state of Deseret might have continued, the professor says. I cant imagine the Mexican government able to exert much control, that far away. Indigenous people were effectively in control, so I think it would have been fascinating to see if that state of Deseret had succeeded. What would Las Vegas look like in the state of Deseret? Would it be eight families around the existing meadows? It would be different, for sure. I wish we knew more of what Brigham Young was really thinking. A GOP candidate has come under fire in Texas after he posted a video of him wielding an assault rifle and joking about the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The 2023 video unearthed by The Daily Beast is by Brandon Herrera, a YouTuber-turned-politician running against incumbent GOP representative Tony Gonzales in this weeks primary runoff election. Mr Gonzales represents Texas 23rd district home to Uvalde, the site of a 2022 elementary school shooting that left 19 students and two staff members dead. Mr Gonzales was censured by his party last year after voting in favor of gun control legislation introduced following the shooting. Mr Herrera, meanwhile, has run on a platform centering on unrestricted access to firearms. In the video titled The AR-180: The IRAs Lucky Charm, Mr Herrera wears a balaclava and wields the AR-180 while making jokes about the IRA and the British. Of course, in making this video, I am not doing it because I like or support the IRA, Mr Herrera told his viewers. They were pretty heavily socialist, of course, and really hurt a lot of innocent people. Brandon Herrera pictured in his 2023 video titled The AR-180: The IRAs Lucky Charm. Mr Herrera is running for a congressional seat in the Texas district that is home to Uvalde, the site of a 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School (Brandon Herrera) So Im not doing this video because I like the IRA or I support them, he continued. Im doing this video because I f****** hate the British. Im kidding, Im kidding, mostly. At one point, Mr Herrera turns to the camera and says: Do you actually believe the Queen died of natural causes? In another clip, while dealing with a jammed gun, Mr Herrera also said: This is why Ireland isnt free. The IRA [were] very famously unhappy for a certain group of folks going after their Lucky Charms, Mr Herrera also said. At the end of the video, Mr Herrera told his viewers: All of this was all in good fun. But Aidan McQuade, former director of Anti-Slavery International, told The Daily Beast the video was full of jaw-dropping stupidity. From a human perspective, Herreras attitude to violence seems that of an adolescent video gamer blissfully ignorant of the trauma that war inflicts on a society, and the unending grief of victims devastated families, Mr McQuade told the outlet. The Provisional IRA was the dominant republican terror group during the Troubles the conflict in Northern Ireland lasting from the late 1960s until 1998. The Provisional IRA is estimated to have killed nearly 2,000 people during the conflict, many of them civilians. Coming from a comedian, as Herrera attempts to be, such attitudes would be tiresome, Mr McQuade told The Daily Beast. But coming from someone who hopes to be an elected representative such callous and facile thinking is inexcusable. Two years ago, Mr Herrera also posted a video about a German Second World War-era submachine gun, calling it the original ghetto blaster. The Independent has contacted Mr Herrera for comment. Researchers have discovered microplastics in the soil at two archaeological sites in England, raising questions about how archaeologists might go about protecting historic sites in the future. What happened? A team of scientists analyzed soil samples from two archaeological sites in York, England, and found microplastics in the soil at depths of 24.11 feet below the surface, Smithsonian magazine reported. The soil dates back to the first or early second century C.E. While the risk for false positives in microplastic detection are possible and have happened, the researchers discovered 66 particles consisting of 16 polymer types, according to data published in Science of the Total Environment, making the prospect of false positives unlikely in this case. Why is this research concerning? While just two archaeological sites were studied here, it is likely to be a problem in other sites, as nearly a third of all plastic waste ends up in soil or freshwater, Smithsonian reported, citing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Currently, "in situ" or on-site preservation is preferred among archaeologists, according to the Smithsonian article. That's because this method helps prevent site and artifact damage, preserves the contextual setting, and allows for future researchers to gather information. However, microplastics will change soil chemistry, which could cause organic remains to decay, according to David Jennings, chief executive of York Archaeology. This, in turn, could affect how archaeologists carry out their job in the future. "While preserving archaeological remains in situ has been the favored approach in recent years, the new findings could trigger a change in approach, as microplastic contamination could compromise the remains' scientific value," according to CNN's Jack Guy. Microplastics also affect the living, as they are now abundant in our environment as well as in the foods and drinks we consume. For instance, a single tea bag can dump nearly 12 billion microplastics into your beverage and most salt brands contain these tiny particles as well. They've also been found in protein sources like chicken nuggets and tofu, water, fruits and vegetables, sugar, rice, milk, and beer. Plus, microplastics are inundating our oceans, putting marine life and habitats in peril. In fact, one study found that coral reefs are at risk of becoming "microplastic sinks." What's being done about microplastics? It is essential that humans cut down on plastic consumption in order to slow down the amount of microplastics entering the environment. Some governments are leading initiatives to this end. For example, England and France have banned plastic cutlery for most fast food and takeout meals. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has banned Styrofoam takeout containers, and California banned plastic produce bags from grocery stores. Plus, scientists are finding new innovative ways to break down plastic using hungry wax worms and fungus. Alternatives to plastic are also becoming more popular. You can help by cutting your own plastic use at home and investing in reusable items like metal razors and non-plastic sandwich bags. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Restricting Kyiv from using Western weapons to strike Russian territory makes defending Ukraine more difficult NATO Secretary General NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg asks that the allies review the constraints on Ukraine's ban on using Western weaponry against the Russian Federation in the midst of border fighting in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: Stoltenberg at a press conference in Sofia on Monday, as reported by European Pravda Details: Stoltenberg noted that Ukraine is fighting an aggressive war and, under international law, it has the right to self-defence. Quote: "The right to self-defence includes the right to strike legitimate military targets outside Ukraine. Thats part of self-defence. And we see this very clearly demonstrated now in the fighting in Kharkiv [Oblast ed.]. Because they are actually Russian forces on Russian territory, attacking [Ukraine - ed.] just over the border." The front line runs roughly parallel to the border, and if you can't attack Russian forces on the other side of the front because they're on the other side of the border, you severely limit Ukrainian forces' ability to protect themselves, the NATO Secretary General said. He stated that in such circumstances, the Russians can attack without being attacked in return. In this context, Stoltenberg urged the Allies to review their limits on the weapons use. "My message is that I think we should now consider those restrictions, because by having too many restrictions we are tying one hand of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Stoltenberg added. Stoltenberg recently expressed a similar stance in an interview with The Economist. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposes the idea of Ukraine using weapons supplied by Western allies to attack Russia. Support UP or become our patron! BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The meeting of Azerbaijani Parliament's Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, and Entrepreneurship has put up a draft law "On amendments to the law On the State Budget of Azerbaijan for 2024 for discussion, Trend reports. Finance Minister Samir Sharifov, Chairman of the Accounts Chamber Vugar Gulmammadov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Anar Karimov, First Deputy Minister of Economy Elnur Aliyev, Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee Natig Shirinov, Chairman of the State Social Protection Fund of Azerbaijan Himalay Mamishov, and other officials are taking part in the meeting. To note, the meeting will also discuss amendments to the laws On the budget of the State Social Protection Fund for 2024 and On the budget of the Unemployment Insurance Fund for 2024. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Reuters: US to participate in peace summit, official says without specifying delegate The United States will participate in the upcoming global peace summit but has not revealed who will attend it yet, Reuters reported on May 26, citing an undisclosed U.S. official. The summit will be held on June 15-16 in the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland. Over 80 countries have confirmed their participation in the event, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. On May 26, Zelensky called on the presidents of the U.S., Joe Biden, and China, Xi Jinping, to "show their leadership in advancing the peace" and participate personally in the upcoming summit. "Please, show your leadership in advancing the peace the real peace and not just a pause between the strikes," Zelensky said. Beijing "was considering" joining the event but has not officially confirmed it. Ukraine is keeping diplomatic channels with China open, even though Beijing has maintained close ties with Moscow during the war. Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said in early May that China's attendance would be very important and that Ukraine was making every effort to engage its delegate to participate. The U.S., in turn, confirmed its participation to Reuters on May 26 but declined to reveal who would attend and at what level. Biden will likely miss the upcoming peace summit, Bloomberg reported on May 23, citing its undisclosed sources. The media outlet reported that the U.S. president is set to attend a campaign fundraiser on June 15 in Los Angeles, which clashes with the summit schedule. The summit will be centered around Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, a plan first outlined by Zelensky in fall 2022 that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands, among other steps. Zelensky previously ruled out Russia's participation in the event, as it continues to attack Ukraine on a daily basis. Read also: Modi confirms Indias participation in Ukraines Global Peace Summit Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was quickly eliminated from contention for the Libertarian Partys nomination Sunday in the first ballot, ending speculation that he could receive the backing of a major third party before the November election. Kennedy received support from just 19 delegates, about 2 percent of the vote, during the partys nominating process at its Washington convention. He addressed the convention Friday, despite saying last month he didnt intend to seek the partys nomination. The delegate who nominated Kennedy from the floor Sunday was met with loud boos from the crowd. Kennedy used his Friday speech to spar with former President Trump, who also made an appearance at the convention a day later. I think he had the right instinct when he came into office, Kennedy said of Trump. He was initially very reluctant to impose lockdowns, but then he got rolled by his bureaucrats. He caved in, and many of our most fundamental rights disappeared practically overnight. President Trump allowed his health regulators to mandate science-free social distancing, which undermined our First Amendment rights to freedom of assembly. We could no longer peacefully gather, he later added. Trump drew a worse result in the nomination process, garnering only two write-in votes despite a speech that repeatedly urged Libertarians to nominate him. He was forced into a write-in campaign after the party deemed him ineligible for not filing the correct paperwork. In a shot against Trump, one delegate wrote in adult film actor Stormy Daniels, who is at the center of the criminal hush money trial against the former president. That case is expected to be decided by a jury this week. Kennedy has raised a strong profile among centrists, selling himself as an anti-establishment figure suspicious of the traditions of government. Though Kennedy is widely seen as a long-shot contender against Trump and President Biden, recent polling has suggested he could be a spoiler for Trump in November. The ex-Democrat has about 8 percent support in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ average of polls, where Trump leads Biden by just more than 1 percent. 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 The Hill. RFK Jr once claimed he was shot at with arrows in Peru. His traveling companions tell a different story Independent presidential candidate and conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr has said many wild things over the years. And now, a claim he once made four decades ago appears to be a total fantasy. In the 1984 book The Kennedys: An American Drama, the political dynasty heir regaled a story about a time he said he was shot at with bows and arrows by Indigenous people while traveling in Peru. RFK Jr claims that the ambush unfolded while they rafted along a river. One of his friends was almost hit in the leg by an arrow, he claims prompting him and his cousin Christopher Kennedy Lawford to heroically leap into action. RFK Jr and Mr Kennedy Lawford lit a stick of dynamite and threw it at their attackers, causing them to retreat, the story goes. Lawford was standing there holding it, telling me to hurry, Bobby recalled later, the book reads. We could hear the Indians coming at us through the bush. We put a blasting cap and a fuse on the dynamite. As the Indian whod shot at us stepped out on the bank of the river, I lit the dynamite. Lawford held it until the fuse had almost burned down, then threw it. It landed in the water right next to the Indian. Then it exploded, sending water thirty feet in the air. He and all the rest of them took off. But RFK Jrs traveling companions have told a somewhat different story. Presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr speaks at the Washington Hilton during the Libertarian Party national convention on 24 May 2024 (Getty Images) As HuffPo first reported, Blake Kenneduy a longtime friend who was on the rafting trip with RFK Jr dismissed the tale almost as soon as the 1984 book was published. Mr Fleetwood told The Washington Post at the time that the attack never occurred and that many of RFK Jrs claims in the book were just fantasy. Lawford, who died in 2018, also offered a far less dramatic version of events in his own 2005 book Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption. We floated by Indian villages, once having to avoid the arrows being shot in our direction by a drunken tribe on the shore, he wrote. The books authors previously said that RFK Jr had a bit of an agenda in his cooperation with them on the book claiming that he had a twisted mind. The Independent has contacted the Kennedy campaign for comment. Fictitious or real, the story is far from the only wild thing that RFK Jr has said as he tries to compete with Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former president Donald Trump in the November election. The son of US attorney general and senator Robert F Kennedy and nephew of president JFK has notoriously touted conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 vaccine. Earlier this month, it emerged that he once regaled in a 2012 deposition a story about a parasitic worm eating part of his brain and then dying inside his head. In the deposition, first reported by the New York Times, RFK Jr said he was suffering cognitive problems and initially feared he had a brain tumour like his uncle, former Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy, who died in 2009. But after tests, a doctor told him that the dark spot on his brain scans was actually caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died. Last week, he was also accused of lying about his voting address as his Westchester County residence enters foreclosure and neighbours said they dont believe he lives there. Despite his political ambitions, the Kennedy clan has made it clear they dont support him and have instead publicly endorsed Mr Biden in the 2024 race. On Friday, he appeared at the Libertarian Convention where his speech was something of a flop. When the party voted for its nominee on Sunday, he was quickly eliminated. I had been dreading Rishi Sunaks attack of election fever, the mystery disease that can cause the death of entire governments. So far 78 Tory MPs have removed themselves from the danger zone. Now Conservatives like me will have to fight the much deadlier Starmer Disease earlier than we expected, and with no vaccination in development. With the Tories polling 22 per cent, far worse than their performance under John Major, the party may face a death toll of 1997 proportions. It is equally depressing to note that while Major was more popular than his party, the opposite is true of Mr Sunak. Personally, I cannot fathom this. Keir Starmer is the titan of tedium; the emperor of emptiness. Does he even exist in any meaningful way? At times Sir Keir seems operated by aliens of extraordinary inefficiency; hence his recent assertions that a vote for Labour was a vote for stability but also change. Over the weekend he pledged to enfranchise 16-year-olds, on the grounds that if they can work, they can vote. I dont know about you, but I have yet to meet a 16-year-old who works at anything, except extracting money from their parents. But why do focus groups dislike Mr Sunak so? The words frequently used to describe the PM are elitist and unrelatable. This is focus group speak for nasty. It was in 2002 that Theresa May announced that the reason the Tories had lost two elections was that they had been thought of as the Nasty Party, though no one called Margaret Thatcher Lady Nice. Yet I sometimes feel the electorate could relate to Thatcher in a way that the self-pitying modern voter cant to Mr Sunak. His proposal to bring back National Service, which, as Sir Keir might recall, was introduced by a Labour government, could be the salvation of Generation Z, but is too nasty for Broken Britain, which sees patriotic activity as akin to being in a chain gang. But Rishis real trouble lies in his inability to play the victim card. We used to love a winner, but now we love a loser more. Pump envy out of this election and you pump it of its lifeblood. The result will be immovably grounded upon voters hatred of the person who is having a better time. Labour calls this by other names, such as brotherhood and altruism. All such descriptions are in error. There is only one impulse at the bottom of modern Britain and that is to punish the person with a superior capacity for happiness. The new woke-addled voter feels no desire to punish Starmer because it does not envy him. Who would, with his lack of tradition, intellectual honesty, and any opinion that marks him out as a courageous individual? Starmers main characteristic is timorousness. Thus he is pro-women, but doesnt know what they are. He is patriotic, but abhors much of our past; he is pro-Israel, but, to appease Muslim voters, he has called for a ceasefire that would inevitably lead to its destruction. Who would want to be this pitiful mass of contradictions? But voters envy Mr Sunak. Consider his career trajectory; Winchester, Oxford, Stanford University, Goldman Sachs and then Westminster. Nothing today is more prestigious than pain, and it is unfortunate that Rishi has sidestepped all the afflictions of life. The electorate would like to bring him down to their own miserable level of stupidity and chronic unhappiness. It is a crime for any man to hold himself out as better than other men and, above all, a most heinous offence to prove it. Rishi isnt helping himself. The Prada loafers of which he is so enamoured dont exactly scream humble. Perhaps he should have taken lessons in the art of political dressing from George Osborne and David Cameron, whose success with voters was in part due to their introduction of downtrodden Toryism. I happened to be present the night this policy was born. It was the late 1990s, and Osborne and I were at a dinner party during which the subject turned to that of Gandhi, the first world leader to deliberately adopt I feel your pain clothing. Gandhi was a monied lawyer and a member of a high Indian caste, but had concluded it would be more effective if he ceased to wear suits and went about in a loincloth. He liked it when Churchill called him a half-naked fakir because it made him seem oppressed and a man of the people. Osborne thought Ghandis acuity genius, and it is instructive to remember that both he and David Cameron often wore no ties and North Face-style windbreakers. I am not suggesting that Sunak or any other Tory should wear a loincloth (one would not like to imagine a half-naked Grant Shapps) but the principle is sound. In Broken Britain, we venerate those who can claim some sort of victimhood. Sir Keir was a human rights lawyer, so he has the additional advantage of actually knowing victims. Cameron and Osborne, meanwhile, were elitists to their capped teeth, but they succeeded in making people forget it. There are thumping paradoxes in democracy and it has an increasingly suicidal smack. 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. Roundup: Man struck with box cutter in Simi Valley, T.O. residents upset by racing, more Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies: Simi Valley Police Department Assault with box cutter reported in Simi Valley A 36-year-old Simi Valley man was struck in the head with a box cutter and transported to a hospital after a fight reported late Saturday night in the city, police said. The man sustained a laceration over his left eyebrow and was taken to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. His condition was not believed to be life-threatening, Simi Valley Police Sgt. Danny Frates said late Sunday afternoon. The incident was reported around 11 p.m. Saturday at a party in the 4700 block of Adam Road in Simi Valley, a residential area located east of Tapo Street and north of Highway 118. Police said the assault occurred when an argument between the two men turned violent. The suspect is a 35-year-old Simi Valley man who was arrested early Sunday and booked into the main jail in Ventura on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was initially being held there Sunday in lieu of $20,000 bond but had been released by that afternoon. He is due to appear in court June 10. More than 100 motorists converge in Thousand Oaks, drawing complaints of illegal street racing More than 100 vehicles converged on a major thoroughfare in Thousand Oaks last Sunday evening, drawing complaints from residents about illegal street racing, sheriff's officials said late last week. Authorities said the scores of motorists were spotted May 19 as they raced from Bridgegate Court to East Potrero Road on Westlake Boulevard. The first caller to the Ventura County Sheriff's dispatch center reported seeing more than 100 vehicles racing on the boulevard, going southbound toward East Potrero Road, just east of Lake Sherwood. Within minutes, residents made more calls to report seeing 100 to 150 cars in a pack that were driving "recklessly, aggressively and racing each other," sheriff's officers said. Pedestrians and bicyclists were in the vicinity at the time, according to sheriff's officials. Patrol and traffic officers already on duty in the area arrived quickly and found several motorists racing in speed contests, officials said. The initial investigation showed an out-of-county car club came into the affluent city for an organized event and multiple members started engaging in illegal racing and speed contests once they got to the boulevard. Although most of the motorists left the area and headed south on Highway 23, sheriff's deputies stopped several who were seen racing. Two individuals from Harbor City and Los Angeles were arrested on suspicion of engaging in a speed contest and their vehicles were impounded for 30 days. City and sheriff's officials noted in a news release that they have a "zero-tolerance policy" for any illegal street racing. Sheriff's deputies will arrest individuals engaged in racing or speed contests and any involved vehicles will be seized and impounded for 30 days, officials said. Minor boat fire reported at Channel Islands Harbor A small electrical fire was reported Sunday morning on a boat tethered at Channel Islands Harbor, but the blaze was quickly extinguished at the Oxnard venue. Harbor Patrol Officer Evan Clayton said the owner of the 40-foot power boat and another individual on board extinguished the fire reported at 8:30 a.m. They put out the fire before emergency crews arrived, he said, and no one was injured. Damage to the boat appeared to be superficial, he said. These items may be updated. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Assault in Simi Valley, boat fire in Oxnard, more news Rulings highlight how Trumps classified documents case could have gone differently had it been brought in DC Before indicting Donald Trump last year for allegedly mishandling classified documents, federal prosecutors had to decide where to bring the charges: Washington, DC, or Florida. Ultimately, they charged the former president in Florida, a decision that has proven to be a fateful one underscored by the vastly different approaches taken by DC judges as compared to the federal judge now presiding over the criminal case in Florida. Those approaches became apparent in the past week as opinions were unsealed from two DC federal judges indicating how much more quickly and harshly for Trump the case might have played out had it remained in Washington. And over the long weekend, the federal judge overseeing Trumps case now in Florida has been thrust into a new debate about a gag order for the former president an issue judges in DC already tackled. In the recently unsealed opinions, DC District Court Chief Judge James Jeb Boasberg and his predecessor, Judge Beryl Howell, demonstrate a deep skepticism to arguments by Trump and his co-defendants on questions of attorney-client privilege and grand jury secrecy that Judge Aileen Cannon has spent months deliberating over in Florida. Though its been nearly a year since special counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump for mishandling classified documents, the case remains stalled amid Cannons reluctance to rule on issues before her and appears unlikely to go to trial before the November election. Cannon now is being asked to respond to a new request from prosecutors to curtail Trumps ability to comment about law enforcement and witnesses involved in the documents case, because he keeps suggesting misleadingly the FBI was prepared to use deadly force against him during the search of Mar-a-Lago in 2022. A federal judge in DC, Tanya Chutkan, whos handling a separate criminal case against the former president related to the 2020 election, placed a gag order on Trump months ago preventing him from commenting about witnesses and others in that case in a way that could intimidate them or hurt the proceedings. Cannon hasnt yet responded to prosecutors imploring her to limit Trumps speech in a filing Friday night. Investigation moved to Miami in final weeks The bulk of evidence against Trump in the documents case was taken in through a DC federal grand jury that continued to hear testimony months after the FBI seized hundreds of classified documents from Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence in August 2022. But the Justice Department moved the investigation to a Miami grand jury in its final few weeks before charging Trump in South Floridas federal court because much of Trumps allegedly criminal actions took place at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida. Prosecutors have publicly disclosed little about the choice to move the case to Florida, though it has become a topic of discussion in the fights with the defense teams over secrecy, especially at a recent hearing before Cannon. I can say that the investigation that was ongoing before the DC grand jury had had adequate nexus to continue in Washington. Im not prepared to comment on the date on which a decision to charge in Florida was made or what the internal deliberations were on that subject, special counsels office prosecutor David Harbach told Cannon at a hearing last week. Trump and his co-defendants attorneys have spent months trying to exploit that move, with the hopes that Cannon may think differently from Howell and Boasberg and want to scrutinize the prosecutors choices. Cannon is now being asked to re-examine fundamental portions of the case that Howell and Boasberg had already ruled on, including prosecutors ability to secure testimony in the DC grand jury from Trumps former attorney Evan Corcoran. Trumps team is seeking to cut that testimony out of the prosecutors case entirely an approach that might have been harder for the defense if the case had stayed in DC. US District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon. - From United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida Last year, Howell ordered Corcoran to testify in front of the grand jury after finding that his conversations with Trump were not protected by attorney-client privilege because they were in furtherance of a crime. Corcorans testimony ended up informing key portions of the indictment against Trump and included detailed accounts of Trumps alleged efforts to keep the classified materials hidden from federal authorities. Bradley Moss, a DC-based lawyer with extensive national security experience, said that the ruling from Howell provided Cannon a clear road map to consider the attorney-client privilege issues. But Cannon hasnt even scheduled a hearing on the topic, which the parties began arguing over in court papers in February. That she continues to sit on the matter is inexcusable, Moss said. Compared to the DC judges, Cannon has been more reluctant to rule on issues before her, often giving wide latitude for defendants claims to be argued over several rounds in court and has entertained attempts to pull the case away from its central issues and into arguments viewed as fringe by a broad spectrum of legal scholars. Strong evidence Trump hid documents Howell, in a pre-indictment ruling that let investigators obtain details of conversations Trump had with his attorney that otherwise would have been protected by privilege, said that there was strong evidence that Trump intended to hide the classified documents. Howells 84-page opinion last March agreed with prosecutors arguments of potentially criminal obstructive behavior by Trump that is now central to the criminal case. Howell analyzed much of the same Trump conduct that girded charges that were filed roughly three months later, and the judge found that prosecutors had put forward sufficient evidence of a crime to allow for the privilege to be breached. That is a lower bar than what an eventual jury will have to grapple with in the case. Judge Beryl A. Howell - Alex Wong/Getty Images/File But the exercise required Howell to confront some of the very same Trump defenses that his lawyers are now putting before Cannon. For instance, Howell made the point that even if Trump, as a former president, had the authority to keep the classified materials, he was required by a relevant law to safeguard the information, and in this case the classified documents were stored in unauthorized and unsecured locations, she said. A similar argument Trump made in his trial court has tied Cannon up in knots. While she ultimately rejected a Trump bid to dismiss the case on the grounds he could have kept them post-presidency, she did so after hours of oral arguments, an additional round of written arguments and with a ruling that sidestepped the legal merits of the argument. A fishing expedition The newly unsealed ruling from Boasberg, meanwhile, rejected a request this month from Trump and his co-defendants that the DC-based judge hand over to Cannon several records of confidential grand jury proceedings. The effort to transfer the records is being spearheaded by Trumps valet and co-defendant Walt Nauta, who is seeking to bring scrutiny to a 2022 interaction his attorney had with prosecutors after Nauta stopped cooperating against Trump. Boasbergs ruling included a word of caution perhaps an implicit jab at Cannon about the possibility that the confidentiality of the grand jury would be hurt if its records were handed over to another court that is not fully steeped in that grand jurys history. It was an apparent dead end with the DC-based judge. Such a court, venturing beyond its expertise, may disclose more material than warranted, Boasberg wrote. Boasberg, an Obama appointee, cited extensive case law and even prior decisions in DC. He has also sent a recommendation to Cannon on how to handle secrecy of other grand jury records more relevant to the case, which Boasbergs court has provided to the Florida court. Judge James Boasberg - Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File Boasbergs ruling called out Nautas lawyers for trying to game the system with Cannon in Florida in a search for past secret courts records that they think could help him. Boasberg deemed it, bitingly, a fishing expedition. His request extends to matters he knows nothing about, Boasberg wrote. He imagines that upon transfer to Florida, the court presiding over his criminal case would sift through the records docket by docket and entry by entry, plucking out whatever material it deems relevant to his defense. Still, Nautas attorney continued to argue to Cannon last week that even without the older records from DC, she could reopen the dispute Boasberg previously handled in her court. High-stakes implications Cannon, a Trump appointee confirmed to the bench in late 2020, has far less experience than the DC court handling cases where high-stakes political implications intersect with national security interests. For instance, Boasberg previously served as the chief judge on another powerful judicial bench that works almost solely in the national security space, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The court looks at surveillance warrants related to national security intelligence matters, and it handles extensive classified issues from its base out of Washington. And Howell, also an Obama appointee, is one of the most seasoned judges in the country on the sort of attorney-client privilege disputes that occurred during the Trump grand jury investigations, with more public opinions on the topic in politically charged investigations than perhaps any other judge in the country. Cannon, conversely, has presided over only four criminal trials since Trump appointed her to the bench in 2020, in a courthouse so sleepy it didnt have a secured facility to look at classified records until months after Trumps case landed on her docket last June. She is taking months to work through classified records issues in the case, and hasnt even scheduled hearings on a major set of disputes to come over the national security records the defense lawyers may want to use at trial. Simply greater exposure to this litigation process alone speaks to the speed and detail with which these two DC judges handled these matters in comparison to Judge Cannon, Moss said. CNNs Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com According to data collected and analysed by experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russians are amassing their forces on the border with Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts in order to stretch the front and to draw back and entrench Ukrainian forces in the border area. Source: ISW Details: Russian forces are reported to be concentrating unspecified numbers of troops in western Russias Belgorod Oblast near the border with Ukraine, likely to make Ukrainian forces go to the area and in order to prepare for offensive operations aimed at expanding Russia's foothold in the border area in Ukraines north-east. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 26 May that Russian troops were preparing for new offensives and were concentrating groups of undetermined size near the Ukrainian border, 90 kilometres north-west of Kharkiv. Analysts stressed that Zelenskyy was referring to the Graivoron-Borisovka-Proletarsky area in western Belgorod Oblast. Satellite imagery of the area suggested that Russian troops had stepped up activities at bases and storage points in the area in recent weeks. However, the current size of the possible concentration of Russian troops in the Graivoron-Borisovka-Proletarsky area remains unclear. On 26 May, Andrii Demchenko, the spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, stated that Russian troops might launch offensive operations in Sumy Oblast or in areas of Kharkiv Oblast bordering Sumy Oblast in order to stretch and consolidate Ukrainian forces further along the border in Ukraines north-east. Quote: "The Graivoron-Borisovka-Proletarsky area would notably offer Russian forces opportunities to launch offensive operations to the south in the direction of Zolochiv and Bohodukhiv, two Ukrainian towns north-west of Kharkiv City within 25 kilometres of the international border, or to the west in the direction of settlements along the P-45 highway that connects Bohodukhiv with Sumy City." More details: In addition, experts pointed out that Russian troops could conduct offensive operations on either or both fronts and the Russian concentration here could be aimed at forcing Ukrainian forces to redeploy to a wider stretch of the border in Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts. Russian forces are also concentrating limited forces in Russias Kursk and Bryansk oblasts near the border with Sumy Oblast, and even a limited concentration in these areas could have the likely desired effect of further delaying and entrenching Ukrainian forces in the border area. Russian forces are currently bringing their Northern Grouping of Forces near the border to its intended end strength and are likely to launch only limited offensive operations along the Sumy-Kharkiv line until the Northern Grouping of Forces is closer to its end strength. Even limited Russian offensives in these areas would add pressure that would stretch Ukrainian manpower and equipment over a wider front and possibly allow Russian forces to establish tactical bridgeheads to support further operations either north-west of Kharkiv or towards the city of Sumy. However, the Northern Grouping of Forces, even at the upper end of its stated end strength, would lack the manpower necessary to conduct a successful operation to surround or capture the cities of Kharkiv or Sumy. To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 26 May: Russian forces are reportedly concentrating forces of unspecified size in western Belgorod Oblast near the border with Ukraine, likely to fix and draw Ukrainian forces to the area and prepare for offensive operations that aim to expand the Russian foothold in the international border area in Ukraines north-east. Western officials continue to publicly debate Ukraine's right to use Western-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russia amid Russian efforts to persuade the West to continue its self-imposed limitations and divide the NATO alliance. Russia's defence industrial base (DIB) will reportedly manufacture and refurbish three times as many artillery shells as the West will produce in 2024, although Russian shells reportedly suffer from quality-control issues and Ukrainian artillery is reportedly more precise than Russian artillery. Kremlin officials continue to indicate that Russia is not interested in meaningful negotiations with Ukraine and promote Kremlin information operations that aim to push the West to make concessions on Ukraine's sovereign territory and people. Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Svatove, Avdiivka, and Donetsk. Former Wagner Group fighters reportedly continue to form new units under Rosgvardia and Chechen Akhmat Spetsnaz. Support UP or become our patron! Russia has admitted that it has detained Viktoriia Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist and freelance writer for Ukrainska Pravda who disappeared on 3 August 2023 in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. The Russian Defence Ministry has sent a letter confirming this to her father, Volodymyr Roshchyn. Source: The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, who were informed by Viktoriia's father about the letter from the Russian Defence Ministry Details: The letter was dated 17 April and Viktoriia's father received it around 22 April. He also wrote to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which confirmed that Viktoriia is in captivity, but there is no access to her yet. Quote from the letter: "Based on the information available, Viktoriia Volodymyrivna Roshchyna, born on 6 October 1996, has been detained and is currently in the territory of the Russian Federation." Details: Members of Viktoriia's family had already submitted an enquiry to the occupation Prosecutor's Office of Mariupol, who said no case had been opened against her. Letters to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, Investigative Committee and Human Rights Commissioner remain unanswered. The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Viktoriia Roshchyna and other illegally detained journalists. Background: In March 2022, Roshchyna was captured by Russian occupiers and held in Berdiansk for 10 days. In order to get to the occupied territories, Roshchyna left Ukraine for Poland on 25 July. She planned to travel through Russia to the occupied east of Ukraine in three days. Viktoriia Roshchyna disappeared on 3 August 2023 in the Russian-occupied territory she was reporting from. Support UP or become our patron! BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. Iran hopes for the implementation of an agreement on reopening the Azerbaijani embassy, Spokesperson of Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanaani said at today's press conference in Tehran, Trend reports. According to him, relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are developing in the right direction. Kanaani emphasized that the resumption of the activities of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran is also one of the agreements reached within the framework of the development of bilateral relations. "The Iranian side hopes that this agreement will also be implemented within the framework of joint agreements reached between the two countries," he added. An armed attack took place at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Iran on January 27, 2023, at about 8:30 (GMT+4). The gunman turned out to be a man in his 50s who drove up to the administrative building, armed with a Kalashnikov automatic rifle. Earlier reports from the Chief of Tehran Police said there were two children in the car with the gunman, the security camera footage released later proved the man was alone. He entered the building after briefly waving hand to the Iranian security guard outside. No attempts were made to detain the gunman, as he freely entered the embassy. The man managed to kill head of the security service and wounding two embassy guards. The shooter was eventually detained. The incident is currently being investigated. Following the deadly assault, Azerbaijan evacuated its officials from the embassy, including those who suffered as a result of the attack and completely suspended the work of the embassy in Tehran. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Update: Russia attacks Kharkiv with guided aerial bomb, kills 1, injures at least 12 Editor's note: This story is being updated. Russian troops dropped a guided aerial bomb on the city of Kharkiv on May 27, killing a woman and injuring at least 12 other people, local authorities reported. The industrial area of the Kholodnohirskyi district reportedly came under fire. Russia attacked a local civil enterprise, damaging production facilities, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Moscow's forces also attacked an area near the residential buildings in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. No casualties or damages were reported. "Two enterprises were hit, one of which produces sweets and the other specializes in agricultural machinery," said Serhii Bolvinov, the head of the investigative department of the police of Kharkiv Oblast. "There was not a single military object at these enterprises. This is another war crime." Russian forces launched new offensive operations in the north of Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, exposing Kharkiv and a number of border settlements in the region to heavy attacks. Moscow hit a building materials hypermarket, "Epicenter," on May 25. The attack killed at least 18 people and injured 48, the governor said. Read also: 48 hours in Kharkiv, Ukraines most-bombed major city Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia says its forces have captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine one in the Donetsk region, and another in the northeastern Kharkiv region. The defence ministry said its troops had liberated the village of Netailove in the Donetsk region and Ivanivka in the Kharkiv region, the latest in a string of Russian territorial gains over recent weeks. Russia launched a major new ground assault on the northeastern Kharkiv region two weeks ago, though the latest claim of captured territory is in a part of the front line further east, where fighting has been raging for months. Moscow is looking to press its advantage on the battlefield while long-awaited US weapons are making their way to Ukrainian troops on the front lines. Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, urged Western partners last night to allow Kyiv to strike military targets in Russia to help it defend from the Kremlins forces. We see every point of concentration of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and combat aircraft are launched, Mr Zelensky said. 05:29 PM BST Thank you for following todays coverage On May 27, Russia said its forces had captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine one in the Donetsk region, and another in the northeastern Kharkiv region. As more troops amassed on the border, Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western partners to allow Kyiv to strike military targets in Russia to help it defend from the Kremlins forces. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg weighed into the debate, also calling on leaders to end the ban. If (Ukraine) cannot attack military targets on Russian territory then it ties one hand of the Ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct defence, he said. The Kremlin condemned his appeal, accusing Nato of increasing the degree of escalation. Other key developments from the day were: Russia is amassing its forces on the border with Kharkiv and Sumy as Moscow prepares for a new attack. Ukraines top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said he had signed paperwork allowing French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres. Poland will restrict the movement of Russian diplomats, the foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said, calling it a response to what he termed Moscows hybrid warfare. A Russian attack on a village in the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv left three people dead, including two teenagers, and wounded six more, the regional governor said. Russia will build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the first such project in post-Soviet Central Asia, the Uzbek president said at a meeting with visiting Vladimir Putin. Russian forces have dropped about 3,200 guided aerial bombs on Ukraine this month, according to Mr Zelensky. Spain will grant one billion euros (850 million) worth of military equipment to Ukraine throughout 2024, according to a bilateral deal signed Mr Zelensky and prime minister Pedro Sanchez. A Ukrainian drone hit a Russian radar station capable of tracking nuclear missiles for the second time in three days. A German former soldier was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for sharing secret military information with Russia in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine. 05:12 PM BST Watch: Russian soldiers raise flag in captured village 05:11 PM BST Zelensky to visit Portugal tomorrow Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Portugal on tomorrow, at the invitation of the countrys leadership. The office of the Portuguese president said that Zelenskys visit is part of a common intention to deepen excellent relations between the two countries, with a special emphasis on strengthening cooperation in the field of security and defence. During the visit, Mr Zelensky will hold working meetings with Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro and meet with president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. 05:03 PM BST Kremlin condemns Nato bosss appeal for Ukraine to use Western arms in Russia The Kremlin scolded Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg for suggesting alliance members should let Ukraine strike deep into Russia with Western weapons. Mr Stoltenberg told The Economist that Nato members supplying weapons to Ukraine should end their prohibition on using them to strike military targets in Russia. Nato is increasing the degree of escalation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian daily Izvestia when asked about the remarks. Nato is flirting with military rhetoric and falling into military ecstasy, Mr Peskov said, adding that the Russian military knew what to do. When asked if Nato was approaching a direct confrontation with Russia, Peskov said: They are not getting close; they are in it. 04:48 PM BST Ukraine commander says French instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres Ukraines top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said he had signed paperwork allowing French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres soon. I am pleased to welcome Frances initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian servicemen, Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app. I have already signed the documents that will enable the first French instructors to visit our training centres shortly and familiarize themselves with their infrastructure and personnel. 04:38 PM BST Poland to curb Russian diplomats movements Poland will restrict the movement of Russian diplomats, foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Monday, calling it a response to what he termed Moscows hybrid warfare. I just announced a Polish decision in connection to Russias participation in hybrid warfare against the European Union, including Poland: a restriction of movement for Russian diplomats in our country, Mr Sikorski told reporters in Brussels after meeting with his EU counterparts. The minister said the new measures will restrict the movement of consular staff to the Warsaw region, but will not impact the Russian ambassador, Sergei Andreyev. 04:31 PM BST Three killed and six wounded in Russian strike on south Ukraine A Russian attack on a village in the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv has left three people dead, including two teenagers, and wounded six more, the regional governor said. Three people were killed and six injured in the Russian attack on Snigurivka. Two of the victims are a 17-year-old girl and boy, the official, Vitaliy Kim announced on social media. 03:22 PM BST Pictured: Zelensky welcomed by Spains royals Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia welcome Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky - BALLESTEROS/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 03:02 PM BST Zelensky rejects Russian participation in Switzerland peace summit Volodymyr Zelensky has excluded Russias participation in an upcoming peace summit in Switzerland, which he said dozens of foreign leaders would attend. We do not see Russia there, because Russia will block everything. Its clear, he said, adding that Moscow does not benefit from peace. It wants to destroy Ukraine and move on. 02:34 PM BST Russia to build Central Asias first nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan Russia will build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the first such project in post-Soviet Central Asia, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Uzbek president, said on Monday at a meeting with visiting Vladimir Putin. The nuclear deal, if implemented, will showcase Russias ability to export not only energy, but also high-tech products to new Asian markets, at a time when the West is increasing pressure on it through sanctions. Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoye - SERGEI BOBYLYOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Mr Mirziyoyev also said Tashkent was interested in buying more oil and gas from Russia, a reversal of decades-long practice where Moscow imported hydrocarbons from Central Asia. The Uzbek president described Mr Putins visit as historic. 02:13 PM BST Kremlin says Nato is in direct confrontation with Russia over Ukraine The Kremlin said on Monday that Nato was already in direct confrontation with Russia and that the US-led military alliance was escalating the Ukraine conflict with military rhetoric. The Interfax news agency cited Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, as saying that comments made by Jens Stoltenberg, Natos secretary general, were contradictory. Mr Stoltenberg told the Economist that Nato members supplying weapons to Ukraine should end their prohibition on using them to strike military targets in Russia. 02:01 PM BST Listen: Exclusive interview with Sir Lawrence Freedman 01:43 PM BST Zelensky says Russia dropped 3,200 bombs on Ukraine in May Russian forces have dropped about 3,200 guided aerial bombs on Ukraine this month, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. Speaking at a press conference in Madrid, he added that Ukraines military does not have enough air-defence missiles to stop Russia from dropping thousands of bombs per month. 01:41 PM BST Russian forces massing on Ukrainian border Russia is amassing its forces on the border with Kharkiv and Sumy as Moscow prepares for a new attack, experts say. The Institute for the Study of War said the move is likely intended to fix and draw Ukraines army to the area and prepare for operations that aim to expand the Russian foothold in the international border area in northeastern Ukraine. Russia sent troops across the border north of Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, earlier this month, and have been slowly making gains. Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western partners last night to allow Kyiv to strike military targets in Russia to help it defend from the Kremlins forces. We see every point of concentration of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and combat aircraft are launched, Mr Zelensky said. US and German officials have repeatedly said that they do not support Kyivs strikes with the Western-supplied arms inside Russia, but the tide appears to be shifting. Jens Stoltenberg, Natos secretary general, was one of the latest high-profile Western leaders to call for an end to the ban. If (Ukraine) cannot attack military targets on Russian territory then it ties one hand of the Ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct defence, he said. 01:27 PM BST Russia invites Taliban to major economic forum Russia has invited Afghanistans Taliban to its biggest annual economic forum as Moscow moves to remove a ban on the Islamist movement, a senior Russian diplomat was quoted as saying on Monday. Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as US-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war, Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban, though the movement is still officially outlawed in Russia. Russias foreign and justice ministries have reported to president Vladimir Putin on the issue of removing the ban, Zamir Kabulov, director of the Second Asia Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told state news agency TASS. Zamir Kabulov, director of the Second Asia Department at the Russian foreign ministry was quoted as saying that an invitation to attend the June 5-8 St Petersburg international economic forum had been extended to the Taliban. Afghan leaders, he said, were traditionally interested in the purchase of oil products. The St Petersburg forum, which once hosted Western CEOs and investment bankers from London and New York, has changed significantly amid the Ukraine war which has triggered the biggest crisis in Russias relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Western investors seeking a slice of Russias vast resource wealth have now been replaced by businesses from China, India, Africa and the Middle East. 01:15 PM BST Spain to grant 1 billion euros worth of weapons to Ukraine this year Spain will grant 1 billion euros (850 million) worth of military equipment to Ukraine throughout 2024, according to a bilateral deal signed between president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and prime minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday. 12:58 PM BST Sweden indicates support of Ukraine striking targets on Russian soil Sweden has indicated that it supports Ukraine in striking targets on Russian territory with Western-made weapons. US and German officials have repeatedly said that they do not support or encourage Kyivs strikes with the Western-supplied arms inside Russia. But the tide appears to be shifting as leaders say that the ban stopped Ukraine from attacking Russian forces building up before crossing the border into Kharkiv Oblast in early May. Ukraine has the right to defend itself through military actions aimed at the enemys territory as long as the military actions comply with the laws of war, Pal Jonson, the Swedish defence minister, said in answer to a question about the possible use of Swedish arms against Russian territory. Mr Jonson added that Sweden stands behind international law and Ukraines right to defend itself. 12:30 PM BST Zelensky in Madrid to sign Spain security deal Volodymyr Zelensky is welcomed by prime minister Pedro Sanchez upon his arrival at La Moncloa Palace in Madrid - OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images Volodymyr Zelensky has landed in Spain for talks with prime minister Pedro Sanchez, with the pair due to ink a deal increasing Madrids military aid to Kyiv. As he touched down at Madrids Barajas airport, Mr Zelensky was met on the tarmac by King Felipe VI before heading straight into the Spanish capital to meet Mr Sanchez. The two leaders are expected to sign a security agreement and then hold a news conference. Later, Mr Zelensky is due at the Royal Palace for talks followed by a lunch in his honour hosted by King Felipe and Queen Letizia, a palace statement said. The visit had initially been planned on May 17, but was postponed after Russian troops began a major assault on the Kharkiv region. According to El Pais newspaper, the deal will include 1.1 billion euros worth of military aid and new Patriot missiles and Leopard tanks. 12:15 PM BST EU sanctions Voice of Europe, Czech ministry says The European Union has added Voice of Europe and two businessmen connected to the news website to an EU-wide sanctions list, extending sanctions imposed by the Czech Republic, its foreign ministry said on Monday. The sanctions on the two individuals, Viktor Medvedchuk and Artem Marchevskyi, and the website will consist of travel bans and asset freezes, the ministry said. In March, the Czech Republic sanctioned the Prague-based company, which runs the news website voiceofeurope.com, alleging it was a tool of Russian propaganda. It said the pro-Russian Ukrainian politician and businessman, Mr Medvedchuk, who was exiled to Russia in 2022, had been covertly financing the Voice of Europes influence operations ahead of this years European parliamentary election, including financial support for European politicians. Mr Marchevskyi led the news website for Mr Medvedchuk, it has said. Voice of Europe did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 11:56 AM BST Pictured: Attack on hypermarket in Kharkiv Firefighters remove rubble after a Russian attack on May 27 - Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images An aerial view of a hypermarket destroyed by a Russian aerial bomb attack in Kharkiv - Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images 11:45 AM BST Kyiv hampered by limits on using Western arms in Russia, says Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of Nato, has said that Western powers should reconsider restrictions on Ukraine using weaponry they supply to strike inside Russia as it is hampering Kyivs ability to defend itself. The time has come to consider whether it will be right to lift some of the restrictions which have been imposed because we see now that especially in the Kharkiv region the front line and the border line is more or less the same, Mr Stoltenberg told Nato lawmakers. If (Ukraine) cannot attack military targets on Russian territory then it ties one hand of the Ukrainians on their back and makes it very hard for them to conduct defence. Jens Stoltenberg speaks during the spring session of the Nato Parliamentary Assembly in Bulgaria - ASSIL DONEV/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Ukraine has been pressing its Western backers to allow it to use the longer-range weaponry they supply to hit targets in Russia. Washington, and other allies, have been reluctant to permit Kyiv to strike over the border out of fear that it could drag them closer to direct conflict with Moscow. Mr Stoltenberg said some allies have lifted restrictions enabling the Ukrainians to better defend themselves, without giving details. It is clear that Ukraine has the right to defend themselves, the secretary general of the Western alliance said. Self-defence includes the right to also attack legitimate military targets inside Russia. 11:33 AM BST Russia captures two villages in eastern Ukraine Russia says its forces have captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine one in the Donetsk region, and another in the northeastern Kharkiv region. In a daily briefing, the defence ministry said its troops had liberated the village of Netailove in the Donetsk region and Ivanivka in the Kharkiv region, the latest in a string of Russian territorial gains over recent weeks. Russia launched a major new ground assault on the northeastern Kharkiv region two weeks ago, though the latest claim of captured territory is in a part of the front line further east, where fighting has been raging for months. 11:31 AM BST Ukrainian drone hits second Russian nuclear radar station A Ukrainian drone has hit a Russian radar station capable of tracking nuclear missiles for the second time in three days, Ukrainian sources have said. The unnamed intelligence service source told Ukrainska Pravda that the drone had travelled more than 1,000 miles across Russia to strike the Voronezh-class radar station in Orsk on the border with Kazakhstan. Russian media also quoted a regional government official confirming the drone attack and saying that there had been no civilian objects damaged and no threats to residents. Last week, satellite images showed that a Ukrainian drone had hit a Voronezh-class radar station in Krasnodar, southern Russia. Voronezh-class radars are some of the Kremlins most sophisticated radars and are tasked with providing an early warning alarm against a nuclear attack. The attacks have worried Ukraines Western allies as they debate whether to give Kyiv permission to strike targets in Russia with Western missiles. They are worried that Ukraine will use Western missiles to escalate the war in Ukraine. 11:23 AM BST Pictured: Funeral of child killed in Russian war Mother Nadiia and father Vyacheslav bury their five-year-old daughter Zlata Rostochil, who was seriously wounded during a Russian missile attack - REUTERS/Nina Liashonok The memorial service for Zlata Rostochyl who died in hospital from wounds sustained in a Russian missile attack in Odesa - Nina Liashonok / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images 11:05 AM BST German ex-soldier sentenced to 3.5 years for spying for Russia A German former soldier has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail for sharing secret military information with Russia in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine. A court in Duesseldorf found the defendant, named only as Thomas H., guilty of passing on information on his own initiative from his post in the military procurement service. The 54-year-old had admitted the crime during his trial, claiming he was hoping to obtain information in return that would help him get his family to safety in time in the event of the conflict escalating into a nuclear war. The espionage case is one of several uncovered in Germany since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Prosecutors had accused Thomas H. of photographing old training documents related to munitions systems and aircraft technology and dropping the material through the letterbox of the Russian consulate in Bonn. The defendant approached the Russian general consulate in Bonn and the Russian embassy in Berlin and offered his cooperation in May 2023, prosecutors said. He passed on information he had obtained in the course of his professional activities for it to be passed on to a Russian intelligence service. Thomas H. admitted at the opening of his trial in April that the accusations against him were broadly accurate. Thomas H. said his concern about a possible escalation in the war in Ukraine led him to reach out to the Russian side. 10:43 AM BST Russia issues journal instructing soldiers to mortally hate the enemy Russias Ministry of Defence has issued a new journal for the political education of soldiers, according to the UKs Defence Intelligence. The journal draws heavily on the legacy of Soviet era military publications and cites Stalin on the need to mortally hate the enemy, said the UKs Ministry of Defence. The journal emphasises that the enemy in Ukraine today is the same as the enemy the Soviet Union was fighting, namely the Nazis, the statement reads. A map of Ukraine published in the journal is used to support arguments, casting doubt on the authenticity of Ukrainian statehood, and hence to justify the invasion. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 27 May 2024. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/YKHA9tW6JW#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/YBadCUTRXH Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) May 27, 2024 10:31 AM BST Scholz: Russian casualties amount to 24,000 soldiers per month Around 24,000 Russian soldiers are killed or seriously injured each month of war, German chancellor Olaf Scholz has said. While the exact numbers have not been independently verified, Ukraines military said that Moscows losses throughout the full-scale war recently hit half a million killed or wounded. There is a figure that says there are 24,000 killed or seriously injured Russian soldiers per month, Mr Scholz said during a citizens dialogue. All of this for the Russian presidents imperialist megalomania. 10:16 AM BST Pictured: Russian prisoners of war Security guards search captured Russian soldiers at the prisoner of war detention center in Ukraine's Lviv region - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Russian prisoners of war eat lunch at the detention center - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka Russian prisoners of war shelter during a potential rocket attack. AP visited the center as part of a small group of journalists on the condition that its exact location be withheld - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka 09:59 AM BST Spain to send Patriot missiles and Leopard tanks to Ukraine Spain plans to send Patriot missiles and Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of a 1.13 billion euro weapon package announced last month, El Pais newspaper has reported. Spain will hand over a dozen crucial Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine and 19 second-hand German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks and other Spanish-made weapons, such as anti-drones gear and ammunition, the newspaper said. The new weapon delivery commitment will be announced during an official visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Madrid on Monday, where he will meet with prime minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe, the paper said. The worth of the package was approved last month by the government, though it did not specify which weapons were included. 09:37 AM BST Nato nations plan drone wall to protect from Russian aggression Six Nato nations have agreed to build a drone wall along their borders to defend themselves against Russian threats. Norway, Poland and Finland will work with the three Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to prevent Russian aggression, including forcing migrants across the border. This is a completely new thing. A drone border from Norway to Poland, Agne Bilotaite, Lithuanias interior minister, told broadcaster Baltic News Service. This will allow us to protect ourselves from provocations by unfriendly countries. EU countries bordering Europe have become increasingly nervous that an emboldened Vladimir Putin will turn his sights on Russias Western neighbours if he succeeds in his war in Ukraine. In anticipation, Poland has spent billions upgrading its border defences with Belarus, Estonia has built a network of frontier army bunkers and Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia, has joined Nato. Read the full article here 09:35 AM BST Hungary systematically obstructing support for Ukraine, says Lithuania Hungary is systematically blocking all efforts at the European Union level to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielis Landsbergis said on Monday, adding the bloc must find a way to work around this. We have to start seeing this as a systematic approach towards any efforts by the EU to have any meaningful role in foreign affairs, Landsbergis said, adding: It has gone very, very far. His statement comes the day after president Gitanas Nauseda was elected to a second term, with voters overwhelmingly backing continuity in foreign policy and a hard line on the threat of Russian aggression. Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda was elected to a second term on Sunday - AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis Mr Nauseda won 74 per cent of the vote in a runoff against his political rival Ingrida Simonyte, Lithuanias prime minister, according to electoral commission. Russias war in Ukraine dominated the presidential campaign. Lithuanias independence, Lithuanias freedom is a fragile thing that we must cherish and prevent from cracking, the president told reporters on Sunday. This is the reason why a lot more needs to be done for collective security. 09:31 AM BST Ukraine drone attacks Russian early-warning radar at record distance, Kyiv source says A Ukrainian drone attacked a Russian Voronezh M early-warning radar near the city of Orsk in the Orenburg region at a record distance, a Kyiv intelligence source said on Monday. The source told Reuters the attack was conducted by Ukraines military spy agency on Sunday and did not say whether it caused any damage. Russian news outlets reported that a UAV went down near Orsk and that the drones target may have been a military facility. The city of Orsk lies around 1,500 km from the nearest parts of Ukrainian-controlled territory. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on May 27 that its forces had captured the villages of Netailove in Donetsk Oblast and Ivanivka in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast. Ukrainian officials have not commented on Russia's claims. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports. Netailove lies less than 15 kilometers northwest of occupied Donetsk's outskirts. Ukraine's General Staff said on May 27 that fights are ongoing near Netailove, adding that the situation there is "tense." The crowd-sourced DeepState monitoring site reported overnight on May 27 that Russian forces had advanced near several settlements in Donetsk Oblast and occupied Netailove. Ivanivka lies around 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Kupiansk, a town close to Kharkiv Oblast's administrative border with Luhansk Oblast in the east. The Ukrainian military recently said that Russian activity sharply increased in the Kupiansk sector. Moscow's troops also recently launched a new offensive in Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, but Kyiv said their advance there had been halted. Read also: General Staff: Russian troops halted in Kharkiv sector, Ukraine conducts counterattacks Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. 8 M-8 and M-24 helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces arrived in Baranavichy from Seshcha (Russia) on 25 May. Photo: Belarusian Hajun Russia has sent more than ten aircraft to Belarus, where joint exercises by the air forces and air defence troops have begun. Source: the monitoring project Belarusian Hajun on Telegram; Ministry of Defence of Belarus on Telegram Quote: "According to reports yesterday, two Russian Aerospace Forces helicopters, a Mi-24 and a M-8, arrived at the Baranavichy airfield on 25 May. It subsequently became clear that more helicopters had been transferred from Russia to Belarus. According to an update, eight helicopters in total (M-24s and M-8s of the Russian Aerospace Forces) arrived in Baranavichy from Seshcha (Russia) on 25 May." Details: According to observers, the following Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are currently stationed in Baranavichy: two Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft at least four Su-30SM fighter jets eight Mi-24 and M-8 helicopters. The Defence Ministry of Belarus, for its part, has reported that in the period from 27 to 31 May they will be "conducting joint flight tactical exercises with the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation under the leadership of the commander of the air force and air defence forces, within the framework of improving the unified regional air defence system of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, and in the interests of increasing the interaction and training of command and control bodies and flight personnel". The drills will involve Belarusian military aviation units, anti-aircraft missile troops and radio-technical troops and Russian reconnaissance, fighter, and army aviation crews. Quote: "The training will address issues of managing diverse aviation forces and organising interaction during combat training missions. The primary focus during the exercises will be to cover the responsibilities of protecting state and military facilities from air assaults. Furthermore, at aviation ranges, crews will need to work on a number of practical challenges in order to cover ground forces." Previously: On the evening of 23 May, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin visited Belarus and met with its self-proclaimed president, Alexander Lukashenko. Putin also stated that during his visit to Belarus, he plans to discuss security problems with Lukashenko, as well as the Belarusian side's participation in exercises with non-strategic nuclear weapons. On 24 May, Russia's new Minister of Defence, Andrei Belousov, arrived in Belarus. Support UP or become our patron! Facebook photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Russia keeps suffering losses in its war against Ukraine, and Russian forces have lost 1,150 more soldiers, 15 armoured combat vehicles and 9 tanks over the past 24 hours. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 27 May 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses ed.]: 502,340 (+1,150) military personnel; 7,671 (+9) tanks; 14,818 (+15) armoured combat vehicles; 12,981 (+28) artillery systems; 1,084 (+1) multiple-launch rocket systems; 815 (+1) air defence systems; 357 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft; 326 (+0) helicopters; 10,467 (+42) strategic and tactical UAVs; 2,221 (+12) cruise missiles; 27 (+0) ships and boats; 1 (+0) submarines; 17,694 (+55) vehicles and tankers; 2,118 (+7) special vehicles and other equipment. The data is being confirmed. Support UP or become our patron! Russia loses up to 24,000 soldiers a month in its war against Ukraine Scholz German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that Russian forces are losing 24,000 soldiers every month in its war of aggression against Ukraine. Source: European Pravda with reference to German TV news channel n-tv Quote from Scholz: "There is a figure that says 24,000 Russian soldiers are killed or seriously wounded every month." Details: He also noted that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is ready to sacrifice a large number of his soldiers in the war of aggression he has unleashed. Scholz emphasised that Putin does not take into account the losses of his army in the war "for the sake of imperialist megalomania." Background: Russia's losses in the war against Ukraine have reached more than 500,000 soldiers. In early May, UK intelligence forecasted that Russian losses would increase in the next two months. UK intelligence has also analysed the impact of Russian losses in the war against Ukraine on the 9 May parade in Moscow. Support UP or become our patron! Russias most modern battle tank has been struck down by a disco head glitch that sends its turret spinning out of control. The mysterious fault has hit the T-90 dubbed the best tank in the world by Vladimir Putin on numerous occasions after it has come under fire from Ukrainian forces. The worst example of the flaw came during a battle in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region, when Ukrainian troops in two US-supplied Bradley fighting vehicles engaged one of the Russian tanks. The Ukrainians opened fire from close range, peppering the tanks armour with projectiles from a 25mm Bushmaster chain gun. Footage of the clash appears to show the T-90 losing control, its turret spinning in a frenzy, before smashing into a tree. Unable to fight back against the pair of Bradley armoured machines, its crew fled on foot and the tank was destroyed by a Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) attack drone. A similar malfunction was captured on video when another T-90 came under attack by a strike drone company from Ukraines battle-hardened 47th mechanised brigade. The tank can be seen taking several hits from above as it travels down a road, presumably in eastern Ukraine. The second blow, which appears to strike the rear of T-90s hull, sends the turret into a spin, with its operators seemingly unable to regain control. In a social media post, the 47th Brigade speculated that the strike had damaged one of the tanks guidance optics. Unlike older, Soviet-era tanks, the T-90s 125mm smoothbore cannon has an automatic targeting system. The electrical turret responds to laser warning sensors dotted around the tank and turns its gun towards the target. Both the US-made Abrams and British Challenger 2 tanks have similar features, known as hunter-killer systems. Itll likely be a combination between inexperienced crews and poor electronics, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British Army tank commander, said. He added: Its very easy for inexperienced people to become very disoriented in a tank, because a tanks hull can move in one direction, the turret could be in another direction and the commanders sight could be in a completely other direction, which is why we get the term disco head because people can easily become disoriented and the tank spins out of control. It could also be an electronics failure. Western tanks have a quite sophisticated fire control system, and the Russians dont appear to have got it right. Ukrainian soldiers scavenging an abandoned T-90 near Kharkiv - Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP I cannot say definitively, but some of the electronics in a T-90 are from Western sources, so sanctions are likely to exacerbate the situation. More and more T-90 tanks, which cost about $4.5 million, appear to be reaching the battlefields of Ukraine as Russia grapples with significant losses to older T-72 and T-80 models, built more than 40 years ago. Russia has an even more advanced tank, the T-14 Armata, which was first displayed to the world during the 2015 Victory Day Parade in Moscow. The Armata has made no appearance in Ukraine, prompting speculation that Moscow can ill-afford to lose its flagship tank because its destruction would lead to significant reputational damage. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 - Azerbaijan's Independence Day, Trend reports. "Your Excellency, On behalf of the government of Georgia and myself, I sincerely congratulate you and your people on the occasion of Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Allow me to express my deep respect to you and the people of Azerbaijan, and wish peace, prosperity, and success. The strategic partnership between Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan is based on a deep, centuries-old tradition of friendship, which is a crucial factor for the development of fruitful cooperation between our countries. I would like to emphasize that the deepening of bilateral and friendly neighborly relations with Azerbaijan is our governments key priority. The strategic partnership between Georgia and Azerbaijan, based on the principles of mutual trust and support, has positively impacted the strengthening dynamics of relations between our countries. I am confident that our cooperation will further strengthen and contribute to prosperity and stability in the region. Your Excellency, I take this opportunity to once again express my deep respect to you and wish the brotherly people of Azerbaijan happiness, tranquility, and success," the letter reads. A Russian missile attack against the town of Snihurivka in Mykolaiv Oblast on May 27 killed three people and injured at least six, Governor Vitalii Kim reported. The strike hit a self-service car wash, the governor said. Two of the injured are a girl and a boy aged 17, Kim added. No further details were provided at the moment. Snihurivka, a town with a pre-war population of around 12,000, lies around 50 kilometers (around 30 miles) east of the regional center, Mykolaiv, and about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the front line. Mykolaiv Oblast is regularly targeted by Russian strikes due to its proximity to the front lines. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian strike on Kharkiv supermarket kills 16; Zelensky says Moscow increasing presence near northern border Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day killed at least seven people and injured at least 15, regional officials reported on May 27. In Kharkiv Oblast, a Russian airstrike against Bohuslavka in the Izium district killed a woman, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Two other women, as well as one man and two boys aged 13 and nine, were injured. One person was killed and three injured elsewhere in the oblast, according to the governor's report. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 69-year-old woman was injured in a Russian attack against Nikopol on May 26, Governor Serhii Lysak said. Russain attacks against Donetsk Oblast over the past day killed two civilians in Antonivka, one in Krasnohorivka, one in Chasiv Yar, and one in Siversk, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. One civilian in Antonivka, one in Krasnohorivka, and one in Chasiv Yar were reportedly injured. Russian strikes against Kherson Oblast injured three people over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Multiple buildings, including a humanitarian assistance point, were damaged. Chernihiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy oblasts also came under attack, but no casualties were reported. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian strike on Kharkiv supermarket kills 16; Zelensky says Moscow increasing presence near northern border Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. As part of a criminal proceeding, Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is studying the circumstances of the border breakthrough by Russian forces in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: SBI on its website and in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda Quote: "The invaders managed to break through the first line of defence and capture several settlements along the Ukrainian-Russian border on 10 May 2024, inflicting losses on the Armed Forces of Ukraine and civilians. Given the high-profile nature of the proceedings, the best investigators and management of the SBI Main Investigation Department are involved in the case, with close cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine's (SSU) operational units. [We also have] Full communication and support from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the Kharkiv Operational Group and the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group." Details: The SBI noted that as part of the pre-trial investigation, investigators are comprehensively checking the level of supply and staffing of the AFU units, the erection of fortifications, interaction between military units, etc. The actions of the command at all levels in Kharkiv Oblast during, before, and after the Russian offensive are also being investigated, as well as possible instances of unjustified abandoning of combat positions by AFU units. The SBI says that it has already established the minute-by-minute development of events. The prosecutors have ordered a number of important examinations, which they plan to complete shortly. The preliminary qualification of these events is AWOL from the battlefield and negligence of military service. It is noted that all procedural actions are carried out taking into account the actual circumstances in the places of deployment of the units and without compromising their combat missions. The SBI told Ukrainska Pravda that the case is based on facts, and there are currently no suspects. Background: The investigation came to light through the court register. The SBI is investigating why the command of the 125th Brigade, 415th Separate Rifle Battalion, 23rd Mechanised Brigade, 172nd Separate Rifle [Battalion of the 120th Brigade of Territorial Defence Forces] and other units failed to properly organise the defence of positions on the border of Kharkiv Oblast and the Russian Federation, leading to the loss of positions, military equipment and personnel. Support UP or become our patron! Aftermath of russian attacks on Donetsk oblast. Photo from Telegram of Vadym Filashkin At least 5 civilians were killed and 3 others were injured as a result of Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast on 26 May. Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote from Filashkin: "Russia is killing civilians! Russians killed 5 residents of Donetsk Oblast on 26 May: two in Antonivka, and one in [each of the settlements of] Siversk, Krasnohorivka and Chasiv Yar. Another 3 people were injured in the oblast over the day". Details: In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russians have killed at least 1,978 and injured at least 4,925 civilians in Donetsk Oblast. Filashkin emphasises that these figures do not take into account the casualties caused by the Russians in Mariupol and Volnovakha. Background: Earlier it was reported that three people had been killed and three others injured as a result of attacks on Donetsk Oblast on 26 May. Support UP or become our patron! Russia's Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry have proposed that Russian President Vladimir Putin could remove the Taliban from the list of banned organizations, Russian state-controlled news agency TASS reported on May 27, citing a Foreign Ministry official. According to TASS, the step would pave the way for Russia to officially recognize Afghanistan's Taliban government, which seized power in 2021 and has not received de jure recognition from any country in the world. The Taliban previously ruled over Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and enforced strict Sharia, religious law, that brutally persecuted women, political opponents, and religious minorities. Since returning to power in 2021, the UN estimates that 1,000 civilians in Afghanistan have been killed. News emerged in April that a delegation from the Taliban had been invited to the International Economic Forum of Russia and the Islamic World in Kazan in Tatarstan, despite the fact that the Taliban is officially banned in Russia. Russia designated the Taliban a terrorist group in 2003, along with Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood. Nouruddin Azizi, the Taliban's acting industry minister, reportedly traveled to Kazan to attend the event, which took place between May 14 and May 19. TASS quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying that Russia does not plan to mark the upcoming 105th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Afghanistan, but this is "for a purely formal reason," namely the "lack of official recognition" of the Taliban. Russia's Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry are now awaiting a formal decision from the Kremlin, TASS said. Read also: Opinion: Russias shadow fleet strategy draws from Irans playbook Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Russian attack on May 26 hit the Zaporizhzhia International Airport, said Volodymyr Marchuk, an official at the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, in a comment for the Kyiv Independent on May 27. Lawmaker Musa Magomedov reported on the strike on May 26, publishing a picture capturing heavy damage dealt to the airport's terminal building. No further details have been provided at the moment. Governor Ivan Fedorov has not commented on the attack at the time of the publication, but said that Zaporizhzhia was hit by a Russian missile on that day. Before the strike, an air raid alert went off in the oblast, along with the warning of a potential Russian attack with Kh-59 cruise missiles. Explosions were reported shortly after the warning. The targeted terminal was opened in October 2020, and has repeatedly come under fire by Russian forces, the Liga outlet wrote. According to Liga, over half of Ukrainian airports and airfields have been damaged by Russian strikes since the outbreak of the full-scale war. Ukraine closed its sky for civilian transport when the invasion began. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian strike on Kharkiv supermarket kills 16; Zelensky says Moscow increasing presence near northern border Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian strike kills 18 people in Kharkiv megastore, the deadliest attack Ukraine has seen in weeks Eighteen people, including a 12-year-old girl, are among those killed in a Russian strike that hit a large store in Kharkiv at the weekend, regional officials have said, making it the deadliest attack Ukraine has endured in several weeks. Five people remain missing, Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv region military administration, said Monday. He said that 48 people were injured in the strike that hit the Epicenter hypermarket shopping center building while nearly 200 people were inside. Kharkiv, Ukraines second biggest city, which sits near its border with Russia, has seen a spate of Russian attacks in recent weeks. Security camera footage of the moment of the strike shows the building shake on impact, with the whole site immediately engulfed in thick smoke and flames. Police and witnesses described at least two explosions taking place. Oleksandr Lutsenko, director of the Epicenter shopping center, said he was in his office on the second floor at the time of the two explosions. I started to make my way down the corridor to the evacuation exit, but it was dark and the whole corridor was covered in dust. There was no air to breathe, he told CNN over the telephone. The employees were also leaving. Everyone was groping, and people were holding each other. We could hear the ceiling falling. Once outside, he saw the hypermarket was on fire. There was black smoke everywhere, and it was hard to breathe. Some people were jumping out of the windows, Lutsenko added. Ukraines interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said the hours following the strike were hellish and thanked everyone who helped to put out the fires. Photographs from inside the store following the attack show the building in complete ruin, with burnt stock and collapsed walls. Emergency workers carry out the body of a victim of a Russian strike that hit a large store in Kharkiv. - Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images Ukrainian Catholic University identified the killed 12-year-old as Maria Myronenko, saying in a Facebook post that she had died in the strike alongside her mother, Iryna, who was a student at the institute. Her father had also been injured and was being treated in hospital, it said. Serhii Bolvinov, Chief of the Investigative Department of the Kharkiv Regional Police, said the family had been shopping when the two bombs hit. Marias elder sister, Nadiya, 20, was not with them at the time, and learned of the deaths only after finding her father in hospital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the strike as a brutal attack, saying that Russia is run by men who want to make it a norm burning lives, destroying cities and villages, dividing people, and erasing national borders through war. Zelensky, who was in Spain for an official visit on Monday, urged Ukraines allies to provide it with more air defenses. Meeting with Zelensky in Madrid, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Monday a new $1.08 billion weapons deal for Ukraine that aims to reinforce air defense systems and protect Ukrainian citizens and infrastructure from Russias attacks. We are sending Patriot missiles, Sanchez said of the American-built air-defense system. Zelensky asks for the platforms to launch those, asking how many we can give. We are sending another batch of Leopard tanks and above all, munitions that the [Ukrainian] troops need. Zelensky was due to visit Spain earlier this month but postponed the trip due to Russias offensive around Kharkiv and other parts of Ukraine. That offensive appears to continue, with Kharkiv enduring intense attacks daily. The United States announced on Friday that its sending $275 million in military assistance to Ukraine as part of efforts to help Ukraine repel Russias assault near Kharkiv, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The top US diplomat said the new tranche of assistance contains urgently needed capabilities for Ukrainian troops as they fight to hold back Russias advances toward the key northeastern city. Ukraine tamps down French trainer comments News of the new military assistance came as Ukraines Defense Ministry tamped down expectations that French military trainers could soon be in Ukraine after online comments from army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi appeared to suggest their arrival in country was a done deal. I welcome the initiative of France to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian military personnel, Syrskyi had written on Telegram following a video conference between himself and the two countries defense ministers. I have already signed the documents that will allow the first French instructors to visit our training centres and get acquainted with the infrastructure and personnel. Syrskyis statement gave no possible timeline, but seemed to indicate France was ready to make what would be a very significant shift in NATO countries involvement in Ukraines war with Russia. Further heightening that sense, Syrskyi went on to write, I believe that Frances determination will encourage other partners to join this ambitious project. I thanked the minister for the friendly support of the French people and military and economic assistance to Ukraine to repel Russian military aggression. In a later comment to CNN, apparently designed to lower expectations, and possibly soothe key allies, Ukraines Defense Ministry toned down the language, saying Kyiv had expressed interest in the prospect of welcoming foreign instructors in Ukraine ever since a conference in Paris at the end of February. We have ongoing discussions with France and other countries on this issue and have started internal paperwork to move forward when the decision is taken, the short statement concluded. The French Defense Ministry, in a comment to CNN, had a similar message about military trainers. As with all the projects discussed at the conference, we are continuing to work with the Ukrainians to understand their exact needs, the statement said. At the Paris conference, French President Emmanuel Macron had floated the idea that sending military trainers to Ukraine was one way Kyivs western allies could deploy troops in the country. Additional reporting from Victoria Butenko and Daria Tarasova Markina in Kyiv and Xiaofei Xu in Paris For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Fire at the scene of the strike in Nikopol district. Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Russian forces bombarded Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the evening of 26 May and on the night of 26-27 May, damaging the premises of a private company and two houses. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote from Lysak: "The occupiers attacked Nikopol district again. Last night, a kamikaze drone attacked Marhanets hromada. At night, Nikopol itself was shelled with heavy artillery. The district centre was also hit in the morning. A fire broke out. Premises belonging to a private company and two houses were damaged." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.] Damaged house in Nikopol district. Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Details: Lysak stressed that there were no casualties, and the inspection of the areas is still ongoing. Damaged house in Nikopol district. Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Support UP or become our patron! (FOX40.COM) A Memorial Day event planned to be held at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium on Monday was canceled due to Pro-Palestinian protests in the area, event organizers told FOX40.com. The Sacramento Police Department shared just before 11 a.m. that J and 15th streets near the Memorial Auditorium would be closed due to the protests. Sacramento firefighters provide tips to ensure a safe Memorial Day The City of Sacramento was scheduled to hold a Memorial Day Community Event at the auditorium from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday. The event description reads that was to be a flag ceremony and speeches in Memorial Plaza before a concert featuring patriotic music played on the Estey Municipal Organ. At 1:22 p.m. on Monday, police shared that all roadways were cleared and reopened. 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. Support, Advocacy and Learning Community Services is hosting a family fun festival at Longview Park in Rock Island on June 8. Rock Island, Henry and Mercer County families with children under the age of four are encouraged to attend the event. The festival will begin at 10 a.m. Food, family activities and giveaways will all be part of the fun. SAL representatives will be present to discuss early child education and care services. SAL is a nonprofit organization that offers early education, child care services and family support. SAL offers high quality care and services to families with children up to the age of 13. They also offer specialized early care programs for children ages zero through three years. Our early education and care programs provide a nurturing and welcoming space for both parents and children, says Marcy Mendenhall, president and CEO of SAL Community Services. We know that children who receive quality early care experience less abuse and are 93 percent less likely to be removed from their home. Parents leave our workshops with tools to create a positive and nurturing atmosphere at home. Seeing their success and watching their children grow is an inspiration. Were committed to bringing these services to as many families as possible. Studies show that families that participate in SALs Early Head Start program have better parenting and family outcomes, including lower levels of parenting stress, more supportive home environments, and less family conflict. This lowers the risk of child maltreatment by 10 to 22 percent and decreases the likelihood of child welfare system involvement. Parents involved in SALs early care program have seen the same positive impact on their families. No parent wants to abuse their child, says Nicole Carroll, a parent ambassador for the Illinois Head Start Association who also has children enrolled in SALs Early Head Start program. Parents from all backgrounds face so many challenges and frustrations. Without the right tools, frustration can lead to abuse. If we can meet parents needs, we can prevent a lot of violence. Carrolls son was born during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she considered his social and emotional growth a priority. At SAL, his development took off immediately, she says. He was in a small group with lots of direct contact with his teacher. He created a bond with his teachers, and I did, too. The care there felt incredibly personal, and it made a huge difference for him. By age two, Carrolls son was communicating his likes and dislikes, counting to 13, and identifying his shapes, colors, and sounds. SALs safe and enriching environment prepares children for continued growth and learning leading to success in school and beyond, all while giving parents the tools they need to be wonderful, self-sufficient caregivers. During that time, Carroll became increasingly involved as a parent advocate. I had the opportunity to connect with other parents through SALs workshops and events for parents, she says. The community I made through those groups and the tools we received really changed the way I thought about parenting, both for me individually and for parents generally. Carroll has become involved in efforts to support Early Head Start at the state and national levels. As a parent ambassador for the Illinois Head Start Association, Carroll has traveled from Springfield to New Orleans and Washington D.C., speaking at conferences and in the offices of lawmakers about the critical importance of funding early child care and education. If my story can help tip the scale even a little bit and help other parents like me, then I feel like I have a responsibility to share it, Carroll says. To learn more about SAL click here. To arrange an interview with SAL staff email Amber Wood at awood@salcommunityservices.org or call 309-429-5512. 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The Baku Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Gabil Mammadov has considered and rejected the appeal of Ruben Vardanyan, who held the position of the so-called state minister of the separatist regime in Azerbaijan's Karabakh, Trend reports. Vardanyan had appealed the court's ruling to continue the preventive action of arresting him. To note, on September 27, Vardanyan, was detained by the State Border Service of Azerbaijan and brought to criminal responsibility as an accused. A court ruling decided against him, imposing a preventative measure of arrest. He was accused under Articles 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 279.3 (participation in the organization and activities of armed formations or groups not stipulated by law), and 318.1 (illegal crossing of the state border of Azerbaijan) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Salt Lake man arrested after allegedly attacking churchgoers at random at Cathedral of Madeline SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A man was arrested after Salt Lake City Police say he walked into a Catholic cathedral during Mass Sunday morning and started attacking people with both a wooden sword and his fists. Chandler Grillone, 31, faces two felony charges of aggravated assault, one felony charge of property damage under $5,000, a misdemeanor assault charge, as well as charges of disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer. He was taken into custody shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday morning, May 26. According to probable cause documents, Grillone entered the Cathedral of the Madeline on E. South Temple St. in Salt Lake City and without provocation or any indication of reasoning, began his attack. Two victims were allegedly struck with a bamboo wooden sword, before Grillone allegedly attacked a third person with his fists, breaking their glasses. He also allegedly fought police officers, twisting away and refusing to get into the patrol car. Grillone was eventually restrained and transported to jail. None of the victims knew Grillone, and there appeared to be no motive for the alleged attack, according to court documents. It was unclear if any wounds or injuries were sustained in Grillones alleged attack. 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 ABC4 Utah. San Juan County Fire & Rescue has received federal funding for a new fire engine, but it could be quite some time before the vehicle is delivered. Chief David Vega told members of the San Juan County Commission during their May 21 meeting in Aztec that the countys request for approximately $1 million for the vehicle through congressionally authorized spending through the office of U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-Las Vegas, N.M., had been approved. The county applied for the money earlier this year, Vega said. But the money will not be available until fall, he said, when Leger Fernandez is planning on visiting San Juan County to celebrate the grant. David Vega Shes looking forward to bringing us a big check, Vega said. The new vehicle will serve the southeastern portion of the county, he said, including the communities of Blanco and Navajo Dam, and various Navajo Nation chapters. County spokesman Devin Neeley said the county would have to wait until it has the money in hand to order the vehicle, and the delivery time is expected to take anywhere from two to three years. Work on Totah Subdivision project will begin soon Commissioners also received good news at the May 21 meeting about the status of another federal government-funded initiative in the county. County Manager Mike Stark told the commission that a groundbreaking ceremony for the long-planned Totah Subdivision water and wastewater improvement project is set for 3 p.m. Monday, June 3 at the development just south of the Farmington city limits. Its time to get the golden shovels out, Stark said, referring to the countys traditional groundbreaking ceremony equipment. The commission has awarded a contract of more than $8 million for the project to TRC Construction of Flora Vista. The project is being funded through the Gold King Mine spill lawsuit settlement the state of New Mexico reached with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as administered through the New Mexico Office of the Natural Resources Trustee, and the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package adopted by Congress in 2021. This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Delivery of new fire engine not expected for two to three years SC event venue draws threats, calls for a boycott over planned drag show. Heres what to know KC Chen and Beth Velmer bought a 5,000 square-foot rundown mansion in the heart of Pickens, renovated it and opened a venue for weddings, luncheons and the like. They rocked along for a year and a half, gaining flowing reviews for the house and their hospitality. Then came word last week of a drag show luau to be held there during Pride Month, the second LGBTQ event at the Historic Hampton House 1908. Now they are being pelted with angry emails, a couple of cancellations and social media posts suggesting they are encouraging perversion, grooming children and bringing filth into town. Some are calling for a boycott of the business and a petition is circulating calling for banning drag shows in the town of 3,300 in northwestern South Carolina. The city released a statement saying, The City of Pickens cannot regulate or ban a drag show at a private event facility due to several key legal principles that protect such activities under the United States Constitution. Chen and Velmer have had to take extra precautions for security. They once had all 5-star reviews on Google. Now people who have not staged an event there are leaving 1 star. Its shocking, Chen said. Its difficult. Among the most outspoken has been Justin Kelley, a Pickens resident who has called for the ban on drag shows. He could not be reached for comment, but he said on Facebook he thinks the venue owners were duplicitous in opening a wedding venue and then changing their business model and go a different direction of hosting drag shows which are NOT beneficial to our city. I do not hate the Hampton house nor the lgbtq, he wrote. I actually love them which is where my concern draws from. The drag queens invited to perform are from Spartanburg, a fact Kelley described as bringing strangers with an agenda to the town. These are not upstanding people with an agenda to better the city of Pickens. I do not believe that our small city can afford to have these radical groups come into our city., he said. I believe the majority of Pickens citizens would appreciate if the Hampton House would stop the drag shows and go back to conducting the original business services that they were approved to do by the City of Pickens. The owners spent a year renovating the 5,000-square-foot mansion. The house was designed by a former Pickens mayor, Waddie McFall, whose family lived there after he died for 50 years. A doctor owned it next, then a woman described on the Hampton House website as spirited and a legend, Margaret Gilstrap. An entrepreneur, real estate investor, and owner of the Pickens Flower Shop, she hosted elaborate Christmas celebrations and gave tours of the house. After she died in 2016, the house fell into disrepair. Roof leaks, ancient electricity and plumbing fell to Chen and Velmer to repair. But they had the original blueprints and any number of early 1900s details like ornate banisters to help. Chen said shes been told Gilstrap had felt the house was perfect for a wedding venue. As renovation continued, people would stop by and say the same. They finished the house and designed the Carriage House with indoor/outdoor space for up to 120 guests and added The Pavilion tent for events of up to 200 guests. The property covers 3.5 acres. Earlier this year, people approached them about having an LGBTQ community party. They didnt want to go to a bar, Chen said. It was such a success, they asked for another. Thats when the luau was planned. It is a ticketed event, 21 and older, on June 8. Advance sale is $15, $20 at the door. Scheduled to perform are Sincere Letoile, Amelia Chanel, Big Poppah Cherry and Xinaja. Chef Nicci Hughes at Graze Daze is catering. Chen said an event venue is for everyone from all backgrounds. We are not backing down, Chen said. Russia suffers around 24,000 soldiers killed or seriously injured per month during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, as reported by n-tv on May 26. While the exact numbers cannot be independently verified, Ukraine's military said that Moscow's losses throughout the full-scale war recently hit half a million killed or wounded. "There is a figure that says there are 24,000 killed or seriously injured Russian soldiers per month," Scholz said during a citizens' dialogue. "All of this for the Russian president's (Vladimir Putin) imperialist megalomania." President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that 180,000 Russian troops had been killed since the start of the all-out war. The president said that over 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed during the same time. Western officials gave similar estimates about Russian battlefield losses. Leo Docherty, the British minister of state for the Armed Forces, said in late April the U.K. estimates Russian losses to be over 450,000. Russia remains tight-lipped about its losses and only acknowledged around 6,000 soldiers killed as of September 2022. Read also: As Russian losses in Ukraine hit 500,000, Putin buries future demographic risks at home Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. [Source] An exhibit that aimed to confront hate against minority communities led to the temporary closure of Seattle's Wing Luke Museum after pro-Palestine staffers walked out over concerns with the program's language. Key points: More than 20 staffers participated in the walkout on May 22 after the museum opened its Confronting Hate Together exhibit. The employees demanded revisions to a part of the exhibits language that allegedly associated Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism with antisemitism. The museum has vowed to engage in a dialogue with the staffers and reopen its doors "at a future date." The details: Trending on NextShark: U.S. to restrict Chinese students in STEM fields Confronting Hate Together, co-produced by the museum, the Black Heritage Society of Washington State and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, aims to shine a spotlight on antisemitism, bigotry and racism that foster division and hatred within minority communities. The protesters, comprising nearly half of the museums staff, announced their actions in a dedicated Instagram page. Of the group, 18 are front-of-house, public-facing workers, while 10 are part-time, non-benefited staff. The group reportedly raised their concerns to the museum's leadership after seeing "Zionist language" in a media preview of the exhibit on May 14. The original text read in part: Today, antisemitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism, with Jews everywhere expected to defend the actions of Israels right-wing government. Examples of this locally can be seen in the wake of Hamas horrific terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. While the museum had applied revisions to the panel, the group said the edits made still conveyed Zionist perspectives. Wing Luke Museum addressed the walkout in a Facebook post on Saturday, stating that it acknowledges and supports the rights of staff members to express their beliefs and personal truths. The museum said it closed "to listen and earnestly engage in dialog with our staff." The staffers started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for lost wages amid the walkout. As of this writing, the campaign has raised $4,619. Reactions: Trending on NextShark: American interviewed by Japanese kids in viral vid wants to 'give them a gift in return' The walkout has drawn mixed reactions. One Facebook user commented: Why does one opinion get to dictate to everyone else what is OK or not ok? It seems to me that those walking out are showing why we need more exhibits like this, and more education in general. It's fine to disagree and have dialog, but to state your demands as if they are facts for the rest of us to accept goes to far. Please also end all partnerships with the ADL including Kendall Kosai and instead start figuring out how to repair the relationships youve trashed with Palestinian community and listen to voices supporting liberation, another pleaded. Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! Decades ago, she imagined having a senior apartment tower near Birmingham City Hall. She fought for it as the embattled mayor. These days, she's embattled again, trying to keep the quality of life she envisioned for that senior tower, where now she lives. But for how much longer? Dorothy Conrad, with a worried glance, deflects the question. In 1978, Conrad was recalled as mayor by Birmingham voters, who feared that Baldwin House, with its segment of affordable units, would bring in Blacks. Her recall led to a lawsuit against the city by the U.S. Department of Justice, which charged Birmingham with violating the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968. From left, Dorothy Conrad, who lives Birmingham's Baldwin House senior tower, stands with senior advocate Linda Buchanan next to the building's sign. Managers plan to change the sign by removing "Senior Living" and having it say "The Baldwin on Chester." The verdict? Guilty. Birmingham was forced to build the tower, with 40% of its 131 units reserved for low-income residents. Fast forward: Conrad, approaching 90, is fighting again, but not against the racist bloc of voters that recalled her. Now shes up against the managers and owners of Baldwin House. Step by step, they've been chipping away at the lifestyle she sought. On April 24, Baldwin House managers announced that the buildings daily meal plan, which dates back decades, would end on May 31. I found a letter under my door. No explanation. They just said this was ending, Conrad said, adding: Can they do that? The letter came along with other surprises: the Baldwin House van with its wheelchair lift was no more, as was the in-house hair salon. A sign on the lawn outside says Baldwin House Senior Living. It may soon change to The Baldwin on Chester, Birmingham Planner Nick Dupuis said. Already, a receptionist in the office answers the phone with Baldwin on Chester, a link to the address 200 Chester Street and a break from "Senior Living." Dropping senior worries Conrad. I think they want us old people to leave. They want this to be a regular apartment building so they can raise the rents, said Conrad. That might be the landlords ultimate plan. For now, managers still call Baldwin House in Birmingham a 55+ Independent Senior Living Community in recent advertisements. But the legal requirement to offer units at below-market rents is scheduled to end in 2025. When the Free Press asked Baldwin House about the changes, a response came by email from Joe Schwartz, listed online as the chief investment officer of Baldwin House Senior Living in Birmingham. Schwartz also helps to oversee at least five other senior apartment buildings called Baldwin House, at sites in Clinton Township, Hazel Park, Pontiac, and Grand Rapids. His email stated: Please be advised that less than 50% of our current residents subscribe to weekly food plan (sic). We are simply making changes to how we make food service accessible to senior citizens who desire the optional food service program. Schwartz also said that free van service will always continue via a traditional minivan," although he did not say whether a vehicle might again be available with a wheelchair lift, needed by some seniors who struggle to climb into vans. Schwartz is one of five brothers. In partnership, the brothers own the Baldwin House in Birmingham, according to their father, Gregory Schwartz Sr., who described the partnership to the Free Press in 2022. Gregory Schwartz Sr. is the founder and chairman of Gregory J. Schwartz & Co., an investment advisory company in Bloomfield Township. The situation sounds ironic: well-heeled renters upset by changes at their luxury apartment building. Yet, the tenants' worries and fear some were seen weeping about the loss of meals, Conrad said represent the predicament of many renters. Compared to most other states, Michigan has few protections for those who rent their housing. A renters rights bill is stalled in the Legislature, said state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, who visited Baldwin House last year to hear residents concerns, well before the current round of changes. New business model The owners of Baldwin House would seem to have the right to change their business model, McMorrow said. That assumes that tenants' lease agreements allow the change, she said. Oakland County officials said they had no jurisdiction over Baldwin House. It's one of numerous fully legal but unlicensed senior housing sites in Michigan, according to Julie Edgar, a senior advocate with federally funded AgeWays Non-Profit Senior Services, formerly the Area Agency on Aging. AgeWays, based in Southfield, aids low-income seniors in Oakland, Macomb, and five other counties, although not Wayne County. AgeWays' income limits rule out helping most but not all of those living at Baldwin House in Birmingham, Edgar said. Although many low-income residents have moved out, We still have three participants in Baldwin House. They have been getting home-delivered Meals on Wheels, she said. Others there, regardless of income, could also begin receiving the free Meals on Wheels, she said. The only requirement is that someone is homebound, and even that restriction is leniently enforced, Edgar said. At the other end of the spectrum from free, Baldwin House residents could order from nearby restaurants, and then pay for deliveries. Management says it will help them do that. Tenants were recently offered the chance to order five days of restaurant dinners, delivered to their door, at $25 each weekends and holidays not included. Conrad said that's too costly for some residents, and it eliminates socializing at meals. Thats why people move to a place like this, so you can be with other people, not eating alone, she said. Whether managers can abruptly cancel services in residential leases might be vulnerable to a court challenge. But no one seems willing to step up with a lawyer, including Conrad. Im tired of fighting them. I guess they can do this, she said. Conrad pays the market rate of $4,090 for her monthly rent and the daily meal plan for her one-bedroom unit. An on-site rental agent told her that her rent would drop by $600 when the meal plan ended, Conrad said. She thinks thats not enough, after seeing recent advertisements for Baldwin House touting Apartments starting at $2,450/month. After the $600 discount, she'd pay $3,490. She planned to protest. Its not as if Baldwin House tenants are truly suffering. The building is luxurious, recently repainted inside, with thick carpeting, elegant furniture and a spacious library. Whats not visible is the tension among residents, several of whom said theyre afraid to talk to a reporter, afraid of being forced out of their apartments, as Conrad almost was. Parking scandal Two years ago, in an incident some now call "Dorothy-gate," Baldwin House managers suddenly tried to terminate Conrads lease. That happened after Conrad spread the word that management shouldnt have been charging residents $90 a month to park in the city parking deck across the street. Parking should've been free for Baldwin House seniors, Conrad insisted, under a contract inked in 1990 between the city and the building owners. To avoid being pushed out of her unit, Conrad called a reporter. She also hired a lawyer. News coverage sparked a one-day picket line of Dorothys friends, including city and county political leaders. Soon, the building managers backed down. They declared that Conrad could stay. After that, the city ordered them to audit their years of overcharges for parking. Eventually, after months of delays, the Baldwin House owners paid hefty refunds totaling nearly $100,000 to residents and former residents, and even to the heirs of those whod overpaid but since had died. The dust settled. The managers seemed chastened. Conrad said shed go back to taking in her third-floor view, socializing with neighbors, enjoying the hot meals in the dining room, and occasionally riding to go shopping on the Baldwin House bus. But her hopes for a calmer future didn't last. By the end of this year, even Birminghams limited city jurisdiction over the parking will end, when the 30-year consent agreement ordered by a federal judge expires, Birmingham City Attorney Mary Kucharek said, in an email. We too have heard the very serious and unfortunate concerns of the residents. The city manager and staff are aware and we have been discussing it, Kucharek said, adding: Unfortunately, the city of Birmingham has no legal authority or jurisdiction over the private corporation of Baldwin House." Also seeing dim prospects for resisting the changes are members of Baldwin House Inc. It's an advisory board of representatives from five Birmingham churches, the successors of what some have termed do-gooders who, along with Conrad, pushed in the 1970s to see the senior tower built. In the consent agreement, the church board was given an advisory role, yet it has no power to enforce anything, said Linda Buchanan, vice president of the board. Buchanan represents First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham. The impending end to the consent agreement means that, by this time next year, Baldwin House could discontinue offering apartments for low-income residents, at below market rate, Buchanan said. Members of the church group said Schwartz agreed to meet with them in early June. They felt good that he was willing to do that, they said. But at their board meeting on May 13, held at the Birmingham United Methodist Church, they wondered aloud about whether they could influence the owners to unwind any changes. Profit motive You think they want to get rid of the low-income people? said Janice Rowe, president of the board, and member of Sanctuary, formerly First Baptist Church of Birmingham. No one could be sure. A landlord's profit motive, at a time of skyrocketing rents nationwide, would seem to say, yes. A week later, speaking on the patio outside Baldwin House, Conrad said she hoped not. As far as I know, our low-income units are filled. I had a friend who applied and she was told theres a waiting list a mile long. Conrad said she could well afford to move out of Baldwin House. But the expense of moving, as well as the difficulty of finding affordable options, would be hard on some of her neighbors, she predicted. What I want is a fair chance for everybody. Thats all I ever wanted, way back when, she said. Contact Bill Laytner: blaitner@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Baldwin House in Birmingham ends daily meals, special bus in cost cuts Today is Memorial Day and there will be several events across the area to honor the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country. >>RELATED: Memorial Day 2024: Quotes about patriotism, freedom Centerville The public is invited to a ceremony in Centerville this morning starting at 9 a.m. It will be at Cornerstone Park, 5210 Cornerstone N. Blvd., a temporary location while Stubbs Park is under location, according to a city spokesperson. Color guard presentations will be given by Centerville VFW Post 9550, Centerville Police Department, and Washington Township Honor Guard. >>RELATED: Very moving; 101-year-old World War II Veteran to visit Normandy Dayton There will be two events taking place in Dayton today. The annual Memorial Day ceremony is scheduled, rain or shine, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park today at 11 a.m. at the northwest corner of Patterson Boulevard and Stewart Street. The public is asked to bring a chair if seating is needed. The Dayton VAs Memorial Day event starts at 11 a.m. at Dayton National Cemetery. Parking is available in the lots on Connecticut and Maine Avenues on the VA Campus and shuttles will take attendees to and from the ceremony location. >>RELATED: Governor orders flags to be lowered for Memorial Day Troy Troys Memorial Day ceremony is at 11 a.m. at Riverside Memorial Cemetery. The city thanked American Legion Post #43 for organizing the event, according to its social media page. The event ends with a short ceremony at Old Solders Circle. Beavercreek The City of Beavercreek hosts its Memorial Day ceremony this afternoon at 2 p.m. It will be at Veterans Memorial Park at the 1900 block of North Fairfield Road. This ceremony is dedicated to commemorating the honorable men and women who lost their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces, the city said on social media. There will be limited seating and the city is encouraging people to bring a lawn chair. >>RELATED: Whats open and closed on Memorial Day Huber Heights The City of Huber Heights will host its Memorial Day event at Cloud Park at the 4700 block of Brandt Pike. It starts this afternoon at 4 p.m. Join us as we pay tribute to all service members who have gone before us and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, a city spokesperson said. She was Americas first woman POW in Vietnam and was never found In the dense jungle terrain in Darlac Province, near the provincial capital of Ban Me Thuot, South Vietnam, American doctor Eleanor Ardel Vietti had found her calling to heal. Yet that same calling led her to become Americas first female prisoner of war in Vietnam. To this day, Vietti remains the only American woman POW whose fate remains unknown. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, 1,244 Americans are still unaccounted for in Vietnam. Fifty-nine civilian women were killed during the war. Called to service, Vietti, alongside the Christian and Missionary Alliance and tribal nurses, worked to treat those afflicted with leprosy within South Vietnams largest ethnic minority, the Montagnards a French phrase for mountain people. Within Montagnards communities the rates of the disease could reach a staggering 30 percent, among the highest in the world. However, amid escalating tensions between guerrilla factions under Ho Chi Minh and South Vietnamese forces and their foreign advisors, the U.S. State Department cautioned all American expats to leave the country. Targeted attacks against the Montagnards were also on the rise, but despite that and government warnings, Vietti and other missionaries notably, Daniel Gerber, a member of the Central Mennonite Committee, and Rev. Archie E. Mitchell believed they were in no inherent danger and continued their work within the Leprosarium compound. The night of May 20, 1962, was one of the last nights Vietti and the two men were ever seen alive. That evening 12 armed guerrilla fighters descended on the colony, tying up Archie Mitchell and Gerber, and ordering Vietti out of her house. Vietti and the other two captives were bound and taken away. With no ransom demands ever made, it remains unclear why the three prisoners were taken. Mitchell, incidentally, was the lone survivor of the 1945 Japanese balloon-bombing attack off the coast of Oregon that killed his first wife, Eloise, and five neighborhood children. The Japanese strike was the only successful enemy attack on mainland America during World War II. It seems likely that the Viet Cong raid was aimed at obtaining hospital equipment, with Rev. T. Grady Mangham, director of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, telling the New York Times in 1962, I rather think they were in need of medical supplies. Since that evening Viettis status remains Unaccounted For, with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency concluding, The three missionaries were forced to march south, and were eventually executed while in Viet Cong custody. The exact locations and circumstances surrounding their deaths are unknown. Rumors remain about their status, with jungle tribesmen through the years claiming that they spotted a white woman with two white men. These assertions have never been substantiated. Since 1994, the official position within the U.S. government has been that no American captured during the war remains alive. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. King Carl XVI Gustaf has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28, Independence Day, Trend reports. "Dear Mr. President, On the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I wish to convey to Your Excellency my sincere congratulations and my best wishes for your health and happiness, as well as for the prosperity of the people of Azerbaijan," the letter reads. Silfab Solar site gets a new permit. Its not what skeptics think, York County says York County this week responded to online rumors and clarified it hasnt permitted Silfab Solar to build its manufacturing facility in Fort Mill. Interest remains high at the Silfab site, though its unclear what will happen at the controversial manufacturing property after the county Board of Zoning Appeals decided solar panel manufacturing shouldnt be allowed in light industrial areas. This week, the county issued a statement because of questions that arose after a permit related to the Silfab project was approved May 14. This is a permit to alter the design of a parking lot and relocate utilities, and nothing more, the county said. It is not a permit for construction of a solar cell facility. Hundreds of community members packed out York County Council chambers May 9 for a county Board of Zoning Appeals hearing. Most of them celebrated the boards decision that solar panel manufacturing should be a heavy industrial use and thus not allowed at 7149 Logistics Lane in Fort Mill. The more recent questions from the same protesters came after Silfab submitted a stormwater construction permit to realign the parking lot and underground utilities, according to the county. It was approved and sent to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The May 14 decision was an approval by the state agency of a permit reviewed by the county before the zoning appeals board decision. Zoning rules still limit Silfabs ability to operate at the site, and the latest permit isnt related to zoning, according to the county. In surprise move, zoning board upends plans for $150M York County solar panel site So whats next at Silfab site? Silfab this week announced a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy award on its website that references its new South Carolina facility. The release mentions a $20 million project at the site with zoning problems. It also describes the new factory as adding 1 gigawatt of cell production and 1.3 gigawatts of module production. But beyond the county statement and company release, details are sparse about whats next. The county declined further comment. Silfab issued a statement May 10 expressing disappointment in the county decision. We are reviewing the community comments from the public forum and are waiting for an official letter of determination, it reads. This was not a final determination, and we are exploring the various options that will lead to a resolution. York County has several options for property owners whose zoning doesnt allow for certain land uses. They can request rezoning. There are variances, too. But those options require public hearings and numerous votes. In Silfabs case, it could look for another site that already has the zoning designation it needs. County permit records show the Silfab site has three construction permits and one zoning permit in addition to the stormwater one recently approved by the state. All those are complete. There is an open permit request for upfitting of the Silfab site. It mentions the addition of a clean room for solar panel manufacturing, three buildings on the northern part of the property for manufacturing and bulk gas storage on the northern part of the existing building. The upfit request was issued in February and is listed as under review. A sign permit associated with it is listed as not approved. The parking lot and utility permit finalized by the state also is part of that upfit permit listing. Why are people opposed to Silfab site? Objections to the Silfab site largely focus on its proximity to two new Fort Mill schools under construction and the potential for dangerous chemicals to be used at the facility. The company contends it doesnt create hazardous waste. But resident pushback began almost immediately after the company promised 800 jobs with a request for tax incentives last year, which were granted. The two York County Council members whose districts are closest to the site voted against the first reading of that the tax incentive deal last year after numerous property owners spoke out against it. An online group called Stop Silfab Solar has more than 650 followers. That group posted plans for a rally on neighboring property in early June. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in recovery after he was shot four times in an attempted assassination earlier this month, the government and hospital said Monday. Fico, 59, was shot at close range while greeting supporters in Handlova, in central Slovakia, on May 15. He was quickly rushed to a nearby hospital and underwent two multihour surgeries to tend to his wounds. He is now in improving health, the F.D. Roosevelt University Hospital said in a statement Monday. Based on the examination results, todays medical board meeting confirmed the gradual improvement of the Prime Ministers health condition, the hospital said. The shooting underlines a stark divide in Slovak politics. Fico, described as a populist, is the countrys longest-serving prime minister and has faced mass protests against his leadership. Ficos attacker, identified as Juraj C., was quickly apprehended at the scene by nearby police. The 71-year-old man told the court he had wanted to hurt, but not kill, the Slovak prime minister over policy disagreements. The Specialized Criminal Court in Slovakia ordered him to be detained after prosecutors said they were worried he could flee the country or carry out other crimes if he was free. But, The Associated Press reported, he could appeal the order to the nations Supreme Court. Its also not clear how the suspect obtained the gun, since Slovakia has strict firearm rules. The attack was the first assassination attempt of a European leader in more than 20 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 The Hill. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A counselor from Chester E. Jordan Elementary has been named the Lone Star State School Counselor Association (LSSSCA) 2024 Texas School Counselor of the Year, according to Socorro ISD. Rosie Rodriguez won the LSSSCA School Counselor of the Year and will now represent Texas at the national level in the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) counselor of the year program, according to the news release by Socorro Independent School District (SISD). This is a huge surprise. I wanted to be a representative for school counselors all over Texas, but just to know that I can be that voice, and I hope to be a proud voice for them, Im just overjoyed, Rodriguez said. According to SISD, the LSSSCA honors professional school counselors in Texas who advocate for Texas students and ensure student success. Rodriguez was selected as Texas top winner from five finalists based on several criteria including school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills, and contributions to student advancement, according to SISD. This is my 11th year of being a school counselor. You learn as you go, and I think the biggest thing for me is having incredible guidance from our district, being partnered up with mentors and just learning and grasping and just taking as much in as possible because the ones that are going to benefit are our little ones in every campus. So, sharing those ideas, making sure that we collaborate because we cant do it all by ourselves, having those mentors and that guidance has truly made the biggest, biggest difference, said Rodriguez. Two other SISD counselors were also recognized by the LSSSCA counseling award program: Angie Lopez, a counselor at Jane A. Hambric School; and Patsy Carrillo, a counselor at Sgt. Jose F. Carrasco Elementary School. We are so proud of Ms. Rodriguez, Ms. Lopez, and Ms. Carrillo for their dedication, passion and commitment to their students and community. We cant wait for them to be honored at the LSSSCA conference in November and then cheer on Ms. Rodriguez as she rises to greatness at the national level with ASCA. We appreciate everything that these three counselors and all of our counselors do for students, said SISD Director of School Counseling Tammi Mackeben. 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. Editor's note: The article was updated with information gained from the satellite imagery, which was taken by Planet Labs and shared by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Schemes project later on May 27. A long-range drone operated by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) attacked early-warning Voronezh M radar in Russia's Orsk city in Orenburg Oblast on May 26, a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent on May 27. For the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine attacked facilities in Orsk, some 1,800 kilometers (around 1,200 miles) from the drone's launch location, according to the source. Russian media claimed on May 26 that a drone fell in the Orsk suburbs in the Novoorsk district, allegedly targeting a military facility. No damages or casualties were reported. The military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent that the consequences of the May 26 attack are still being clarified. Later during the day, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Schemes project published satellite imagery of the radar system after the attack. While the low resolution of the footage does not allow to accurately assess the extent of the damage, dark spots visible on May 27 possibly traces of fire caused by the drone strike seem to confirm the attack. 1800 - ( ) , 27 () - . pic.twitter.com/Fl2o1Zbeha (@cxemu) May 27, 2024 Ukraine's military intelligence also struck another Voronezh radar in the village of Glubokii in Krasnodar Krai on May 23, causing a fire at the facility, according to the source. Voronezh radar is an early-warning equipment that provides long-distance airspace monitoring, focusing on ballistic missile attacks and aircraft. Its operational range is up to 6,000 kilometers (around 3,700 miles). In early May, another Ukrainian long-range drone hit an oil refinery, Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, in Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan. The drone, operated by the State Security Service (SBU), covered 1,500 kilometers (around 930 miles) to strike the target, a record-breaking distance for Ukraine at the time. In April, Ukraine hit production facilities in Russia's Tatarstan Republic, 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the state border. Read also: Fuel station in Russias Oryol Oblast damaged following drone attack Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Joe Bavier JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South Africa's election this week could present a golden opportunity for the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and its leader John Steenhuisen if the ruling African National Congress loses its majority this week, as early election results suggest. The party of Nelson Mandela, in power for the last 30 years, has little to boast about. The economy has barely grown in the last decade. The jobless rate is among the world's highest. Infrastructure is crumbling. The DA, the country's second biggest party, can point to an objectively better track record in Western Cape, its stronghold and the sole province not controlled by the ANC. With results in from 13.9% of polling stations, the pro-business Democratic Alliance's (DA) vote in Wednesday's election stood at 25.8%, behind the ANC's share at 42.6%, with the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 8.5%, data from the electoral commission showed. Despite campaign missteps and the DA's struggles to broaden its support, Steenhuisen could find himself in a pivotal position if the final result were to resemble the early picture and the ANC would be forced to make a deal with one or more party to continue governing. And though Steenhuisen, 48, has vowed that the ANC must go, he has not excluded a post-election deal if it keeps the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) out of government. The EFF promises to nationalise industries and seize white-owned land. "I'm not ruling out anything depending on what the election results are going forward," he said in an interview with Reuters in March. NO VOTES FOR WHITE PRIVILEGE The pro-business DA has long struggled to shake off its image as a party of South Africa's privileged white minority and appeal to Black voters, a cause that has not been helped by a succession of defections by Black DA lawmakers. Steenhuisen, 48, who is white, became leader in 2019 after his Black predecessor Mmusi Maimane resigned, accusing some within the party of undermining his efforts to court Black voters. Steenhuisen, who comes from South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, has been immersed in the DA his entire adult life, starting as an activist before his election as a DA city councillor in Durban at the age of just 22. He told Reuters the DA was the party of all South Africans. "I don't want people to vote for the DA if they think that we're here to protect and entrench white privilege," he said. "Our policies are the best mechanism to deliver people from living a life of abject poverty amidst failing services." A March opinion survey by the Brenthurst Foundation and the SABI Strategy Group suggests many South Africans do have faith in the DA's ability to govern. DA-run Western Cape and its capital Cape Town were considered by far the best governed province and major city. And 37% of respondents had a favourable view of the party. Steenhuisen's own favourability, however, lags well behind at 19%. "Part of the reason the DA is not doing better is because there is a question mark around the leadership," said Melanie Verwoerd, an independent South African analyst. "It's both in tone and then also in content." Under Steenhuisen, the DA has doubled down on economically liberal policies that could struggle to gain traction among poor Black South Africans. And the decidedly negative campaign he is leading has been dogged by a series of own goals. A recent DA advert, for example, depicted a South African flag burning. The image meant to symbolise the risks should the ANC go into coalition with left-wing parties, but it provoked an immediate backlash. Opponents pounced. President Cyril Ramaphosa called the ad "treasonous". National broadcaster SABC refused to air it. So when it should have been focusing on rallying last-minute support, the DA found itself playing defence. Still, it is on course to retain its position among South Africa's major parties, with Steenhuisen enduring as a political force set on fending off an ANC tie-up with the EFF or MK in what he's dubbed "a doomsday coalition". "We will do whatever we can to prevent that," he said. (Reporting by Joe BavierAdditional reporting by Tim Cocks and Nellie Peyton, Editing by William Maclean and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Southern California man shot by police after following estranged wife onto freeway, shooting at her A man was shot by police in San Bernardino after he opened fire on his estranged wife on a freeway off-ramp, authorities said. According to a news release from the San Bernardino Police Department, officers were initially dispatched to the northbound 215 Freeway Base Line Street off-ramp just after 12:30 p.m. Sunday on reports of a shooting. The victim of the shooting told police that her estranged husband followed her onto the freeway, where he exited his vehicle and fired multiple rounds at her, the SBPD release said. The victim was able to escape without injuries and called the policeupon contacting the victim, officers discovered several bullet holes in the drivers side door of her car. Johnny Wactor of General Hospital shot and killed in downtown Los Angeles The police departments preliminary investigation identified the suspect as 48-year-old San Bernardino resident Michael Vargas, who was found to have an out-of-county felony warrant for spousal abuse which stemmed from an earlier altercation with the same victim, law enforcement officials said. Vargas was later seen leaving his residence around 1:15 p.m., and when officers went to conduct a traffic stop near Base Line Street and Mt. Vernon Avenue, he abruptly exited his vehicle. The suspect abruptly exited the vehicle armed with a loaded firearm, and an officer-involved shooting occurred, San Bernardino police said. Vargas firearm and holster were recovered at the scene, along with an additional loaded magazine in his front pocket. Paramedics transported Vargas to a local hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, authorities confirmed. Orange County minors stole vehicle, caused deadly hit-and-run crash, police say The San Bernardino Police Department Homicide Unit and members of the San Bernardino County District Attorneys Office are handling the investigation. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Detective N. Alvarez by calling 909-388-4851 or Sergeant J. Plummer by calling 909-384-5613. 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. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Madrid to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday, 27 May. Source: Spanish government Details: The Spanish government stated that Zelenskyy will meet with Sanchez, followed by a joint press conference in Madrid at 12:00 (local time). Zelenskyy will also meet with King Felipe VI of Spain. Background: Spanish international news agency EFE, citing sources in the Royal Household of Spain, reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had cancelled his visit to Spain, scheduled for 17 May, due to the challenging frontline situation. Later, it was stated that Zelenskyy had given instructions to postpone all international events with his participation due to the complicated situation surrounding the Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! Spain to send Ukraine aid package with Patriot missiles and Leopard tanks, media says Spain will send Patriot air defence system missiles and Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine as part of a previously announced aid package. Source: Reuters, citing Spanish newspaper El Pais, as reported by European Pravda Details: Sources told El Pais that the package will include a dozen Patriot missiles, 19 used German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks, as well as other Spanish-made weaponry, including anti-drone systems and ammunition. The total value of the package will be US$1.23 billion. It was approved by the government last month, although at that time it was not specified what weapons would be included in the package. Spokespersons for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declined to comment on El Pais's report. The new arms supplies will be announced during an official visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Madrid on Monday. Background: On 20 May, Margarita Robles, Minister of Defence of Spain, announced the delivery of the second batch of Leopard tanks and other military aid to Ukraine. Back in March, there were media reports that Madrid was preparing a batch of 19 Leopard 2A4 tanks for Kyiv. Robles did not officially disclose neither the quantity nor the type of tanks Ukraine would receive. Support UP or become our patron! BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The compilation and verification of the single voter list for 2024 have been completed, Trend reports. Azerbaijani Central Election Commission (CEC) members examined the most recent version of the unified voter list and the storage requirements in front of media representatives today. Following the requirements of Azerbaijan's Election Code, the compilation and verification of the unified voter list across the country begins in early January each year. The voter lists are compiled by precinct and district election commissions and submitted to the CEC in the manner prescribed by law, primarily based on information about voters with active voting rights provided by the heads of relevant executive authorities and municipalities, as well as by the commanders of military units. Once the necessary steps and work have been taken in this direction, voter lists are approved by lower-level election commissions and published through the state's automated information system. This process is generally completed by May 30. Since the beginning of the refinement of the voter list in the current year fell on the period before the extraordinary election of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on February 7, 2024, the CEC has further intensified the processes, paying special attention to the refinement of the voter lists as one of the main priorities, which is important for more effective provision of the electoral rights of citizens, and has implemented consistent measures following the requirements of the legislation. Thus, in the process of clarifying voter lists, several campaigning activities were conducted, and video and audio clips prepared by the CEC were regularly shown through TV and radio broadcasters, the official website of the Commission, online media portals, and social networking platforms and communicated to the public. Also for the first time within the framework of the joint project, the smart monitors located in the ASAN xidmet centers provided an opportunity to select a service on the voter list, which allowed voters to check their data and, in case of need for amendments, promptly contact the CEC right on the spot, as well as receive information about the point where they could vote. Besides the above-mentioned targeted projects, a significant role in improving the efficiency of the work carried out and better preparation of the lists was played by the activity of voters in the refinement process, extensive use of information and communication technologies, and mass media. It should also be noted that the process of refining the lists, which involved more than 38,000 members of lower-level election commissions, was carried out in close cooperation with the relevant bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, local executive structures, and municipal institutions. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel More than 200 people gathered in Springfield on Memorial Day to honor Airman Trinity Reinhart and others who have died in the line of duty. The Memorial Day service was held near the Women Veterans Memorial at the Springfield Veterans Plaza. Members of the American Legion Post #40, city of Springfield officials and the Willamette Leadership Academy color guard were part of the service. The service started with a F-15 flyover that arched over the park Monday morning. Following speeches from American Legion Post #40 representatives, Lane County Commissioner David Loveall and Springfield Mayor Sean VanGordon, Reinhart's mother unveiled a new plaque dedicated to her daughter. The city also planted a tree that Reinhart's family can watch grow for years to come. Rachael Sandlin, left, is comforted by Air Force veteran David Mashburn during a plaque dedication and tree planting ceremony in honor Sandlins daughter Airman Trinity Reinhart at the Veterans Plaza in Willamalane Park in Springfield on Memorial Day. Remembering Trinity Reinhart Reinhart, 19, died on Sept. 16 in a Humvee accident while serving at a U.S. Air Force base in northeast Colorado. Her mother, Rachel Sandlin, said Reinhart had known since she was 7 years old that she wanted to serve in the military. Sandlin described her daughter as a "beautiful badass." "She was strong, and she was smart, and she was gracious and humble," Sandlin said. "She stood up to a bully for you. She would protect you, no matter what. She had the sweetest heart, the most pure heart, but so strong and fierce. She was an incredible person." Sandlin said Reinhart was born at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, just across the street from the memorial. Reinhart grew up in Springfield and attended Willamette Leadership Academy, which put her in line to pursue a career in the military. Once she joined the Air Force, Sandlin said Reinhart excelled in every area, becoming a leader among her peers. "It is just an honor that the city of Springfield and the mayor ... they go so above and beyond in honoring our veterans," Sandlin said. "I'm so glad that we got to live here and be a part of this community, and that this is the community that supports her still." Springfield honoring those who have served This year marks the 75th year the American Legion Post #40 has held Memorial Day services in Springfield. "We're glad that the city makes us a high priority they do every year," said Nick Gillaspie of the American Legion. "They want to make sure that we honor our fallen veterans, and they're very diligent about it." There were few dry eyes during the emotional service as different speakers took to the microphone. "I'm always moved every year," Mayor VanGordon said after the service. "The city is always so proud of people that have served. Frankly, it is just a moving experience to do it for 75 years and to do it consistently and to make sure that Memorial Day is a living holiday in this city." A color guard from Willamette Leadership Academy prepares to raise the flag during a ceremony at the Veterans Plaza in Willamalane Park in Springfield. Memorial Day's meaning to women veterans Several women veterans were in attendance Monday. The service took place near the Oregon Women Veterans Sculpture at the park, which was established in 2017. Lois Price and Ree McSween were on the committee that collaborated on the statue. They said it represents the past, present and future of women veterans. "We did not want it to be just for people who've passed, it is also for (people like) Trinity's mother and family," McSween said. "All the family members who have lost or who have women veterans in their life." Price, who served in the Marine Corps in the 1960s, and McSween said military service for women looks much different not than it did in the past,. The statue is meant to represent women veterans and the unique experiences they have while serving. Air Force veteran Irene Beltzer, left, and Marine Corps veteran Lois Price, right, pay a visit to the Women Veterans Memorial at the Veterans Plaza in Willamalane Park in Springfield. "(Memorial Day) reminds me of Iwo Jima," Price said. "It reminds me of my uncle, my father, and those friends of mine that have passed that served this country that sometimes in the present day, youth do not respect or honor." "It's about remembering people who volunteered freely, knowing that they may never come back, and those that didn't come back" McSween said. "If we don't remember those that didn't come back we're going to forget an essential part of our history." Danielle Woolgar, who was a staff sergeant in the Marine Corps in the 1990s, attended the Memorial Day service with her daughters who are following in her footsteps. One was participating in the Willamette Leadership Academy color guard and the other plans to join the Marine Corps. Woolgar said she believes Memorial Day extends even beyond honoring veterans and those who have died while serving. "It's a day to remember, your veterans, your family, anyone who's touched your life in a positive way who's no longer around," she said. "It's a day to really think about how I got here, and how I was able to have what I have, and who helped make that happen through their sacrifice." Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr. This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Memorial Day in Springfield: Honoring Trinity Reinhart SSA responds to Sen. Rick Scott following an 8 On Your Side investigation into special needs trusts SSA responds to Sen. Rick Scott following an 8 On Your Side investigation into special needs trusts TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) The head of the Social Security Administration is responding to Sen. Rick Scott. It comes after an 8 On Your Side investigation found millions of dollars missing from a St. Petersburg trust fund meant to help disabled people. Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin OMalley said his agency does not provide oversight to special needs trusts, adding a trust is a legal arrangement generally regulated by state law. Back in April, investigative reporter Brittany Muller brought the story of the missing millions to Sen. Scott. Ill look at it first, he said. That would surprise me that if theres no oversight, but Ill find out and if so, Ill propose something. Between 2009 and 2020, court records show that Leo Govoni, the founder of the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration, loaned $100M from the Center to his own company, Boston Finance Group. The Center has said Govoni has not paid that money back. Its affected more than 1,000 vulnerable families, including 41-year-old Sarah Hall of Fort Myers. This is the most the most disabled you can be there isnt a degree beyond this, said Theresa Schlosser, Sarahs mom. How in your conscience, do you decide to take what is helping her to live every day the best that she can live and take it away from where do you find that in your soul? Schlosser said her daughter, Sarah, was 18 when she was in a car crash. Sarah was awarded money and monthly annuity payments so her family could take care of her for the rest of her life. My lawyers advised me to put the money with the center which I did in 2003, she said. I didnt think twice about it. I trusted these people. She said that money has vanished. Sen. Scott wrote a letter to SSA Commissioner OMalley demanding answers. Now, OMalley is responding. He wrote, The Social Security Act provides the agency with limited authority regarding financial trusts. He also said his agency does not regulate trusts; state laws do. SSA said it does not investigate trusts, unless there investigating the misuse of someones benefits and that it remains focused on how the trust is treated for social security income. 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 WFLA. State Department says it is in contact with Israel after Rafah strike Palestinians inspect their destroyed tents after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Following the deadly airstrikes by Israel near Rafah in the Gaza Strip, the US government says it is in dialogue with the Israeli army and partners on the ground to clarify the circumstances. "The devastating images following an IDF strike in Rafah last night that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians are heartbreaking," a State Department spokesperson said on Monday. Dozens of innocent Palestinians were killed in the attack, he told dpa. "Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians," the spokesperson added. But as weve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened, and understand that the IDF is conducting an investigation." According to the Palestinian health authority, the Israeli military killed at least 45 people and injured dozens more in an airstrike on Sunday evening. Most of the dead were women and minors. The incident sparked international outrage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly described the airstrikes as a "tragic mistake". The tragedy had occurred despite Israeli efforts to prevent harm to civilians. Netanyahu intends to continue the offensive in Rafah, however. Palestinians inspect their destroyed tents after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Palestinians inspect their destroyed tents after an Israeli air strike, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, in the Al-Mawasi area, which was bombed with a number of missiles on the tents of displaced people west of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Maine just got its first Tesla Supercharger as part of the federally funded National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. The Supercharger is located at a shopping center in Rockland, and the installation is also in part thanks to a statewide initiative called Recharge Maine. The state has been working to build a network of high-speed electric vehicle chargers available to the general public. This EV project stands out because it features eight Tesla Supercharger ports for EVs with SAE J3400 and CCS connectors. The bipartisan infrastructure program is funding five of the ports. "This funding will help expand our state's EV charging network, reducing range anxiety for EV users who live, work, and travel in Maine," said Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note, per Drive Electric. Range anxiety concerns are finally becoming a thing of the past as Tesla introduces long-range models that can last for a week without charging and as access to fast chargers becomes more available. The new federal EV program requires charging stations to be placed every 50 miles and within a mile of the Alternative Fuel Corridor. The program also requires stations to be able to charge multiple EVs at once, have 24-hour access, and offer amenities like food and restrooms. With these attractive consumer incentives, electric vehicles are now more practical for drivers who care about sustainability and the environment. In Maine and other places across the U.S., it's becoming increasingly affordable and convenient to make your next car an EV. The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program is underway in all 50 states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, to bring cleaner, greener energy to our roadways. Stations funded by the program already exist in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Hawai'i. "Maine's efforts are an excellent example of how states can work to advance equity by creating access to lower-cost electrified transportation that also reduces emissions in disproportionately impacted urban communities," said Gabe Klein, director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. "Together, we're creating a national charging network that serves and benefits all Americans in their own backyards." Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. WHO states decide not to invite Taiwan to annual assembly FILE PHOTO: Shadows of journalists are reflected on a wall next to WHO's logo while Lance Rodewald, team leader of the Expanded Program on Immunization of WHO China, speaks at a news conference in Beijing GENEVA (Reuters) -Member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday decided not to invite Taiwan to the organization's annual assembly in Geneva after China appealed for it to remain sidelined. Taiwan is excluded from most international organisations because of objections by China, which considers the democratically governed island its territory. Taiwan attended the WHO's World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer from 2009 to 2016 under the administration of then-President Ma Ying-jeou, who signed landmark trade and tourism agreements with China. But Beijing began blocking Taiwan's participation in 2017, after President Tsai Ing-wen won office, for her refusal to agree to China's position that both China and Taiwan are part of "one China". Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the U.N. in Geneva, said there was no political basis for Taiwan to participate in the WHA, and accused Taiwanese officials of deliberately politicizing the issue of health. "The so-called gap in the global epidemic prevention system is pure nonsense," he said, referring to calls by Taiwan and its allies for it to be included to better prevent pandemics. Ahead of the decision, Taiwanese Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan's said Taiwan's absence from the assembly was hindering pandemic prevention efforts. "Taiwan's participation in the WHA and WHO is a matter of health, not politics," he said. (Reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Emma Farge, Editing by Rachel More) Here are the states that have laws protecting abortion and gender-affirming care The bad news first... There are currently more states that have restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming care than states that have protections. The good news? There are still a significant number of states that have policies ensuring access to the vital care, whether through legislation or an executive order. Twelve states have shield laws on the books that prevent health care providers licensed in the state from being prosecuted by other states where abortion or transgender health care are criminalized, including protecting them from having to provide documents or patient information even upon subpoena, according to the Movement Advancement Project. D.C. also has a shield law, and three other states currently have executive orders defending the care. One other state is on the brink of passing such legislation. So, here are the states that protect your right to bodily autonomy. California GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock SB 345 was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 27, 2023. Colorado GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed SB 23-188 into law on April 23, 2023, alongside two other laws one that require insurance companies to cover treatment, and one that cracks down on crisis pregnancy centers. Connecticut GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Connecticut became the first state to protect the care on May 5, 2022 after Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont signed Public Act 22-19. Illinois GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock HB4664, signed by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker on Jan. 13, 2023, also explicitly protects abortion medications and PEP/PrEP. Maine GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Democratic (noticing a theme there?) Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 227 just a few weeks ago on April 23, 2024. Massachusetts GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Massachusetts quickly followed Connecticut in passing their own shield law, signed by Democratic Gov. Charlie Baker on July 29, 2022. Minnesota GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed reproductive health care and gender-affirming care bills, HF366 and HF146, into law on April 27, 2023. New Mexico GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock SB 13, the Reproductive Health Provider Protections Act, was signed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on April 5, 2023. New York GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images On June 25, 2023, in the midst of Pride Month, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed S2475B. Oregon GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Despite Republican legislators staging a six-week walkout, Oregon Democrats managed to push through HB 2002 last year, with Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek holding a ceremonial signing of the bill on August 15, 2023. Vermont GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed HB 89, the first bill in the nation to explicitly include medication abortion, on May 10, 2023. Washington GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock HB 1469 was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee on April 27, 2023. Washington, D.C. GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock D.C. Law 24-307, the Protecting Health Professionals Providing Reproductive Health Care Amendment Act of 2022, protects abortion and gender-affirming care in the District of Columbia. Arizona* GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Several executive orders from Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in June, 2023 put in place protections on abortion and gender-affirming care while also banning conversion therapy. Maryland* GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Democratic Gov. Wes Moore's executive order from June, 2023 protects the right to seek gender-affirming care in Maryland, and the state Senate recently passed a bill that would codify the protections into law. New Jersey* GALLERY - States with Shield Laws Shutterstock Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed executive order No. 326 on April 4, 2023, establishing New Jersey as a safe haven for gender-affirming health care. The state passed a shield law for abortion, which Murphy signed in July, 2022, following the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. Rhode Island? Rhode Island Shield State Shutterstock The Rhode Island state Senate passed S 2262 on Monday, sending it to the state House of Representatives for consideration. NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA Two Mayes County residents were reportedly killed after heavy storms ripped through northeast Oklahoma overnight. More storms this evening The Mayes County Emergency Management Agency said the two deaths were in the small community of Osage Hills just west of Pryor. In Salina, a rural community just miles from the Delaware County line, seven businesses were damaged and numerous trees destroyed or damaged homes leaving the community of around 1,400 without power. Cindy Eaton, who lives in rural Delaware County, but owns Titonka Trading Company, a pawn shop in Salina, said she lost her roof on her home and lost her business. The shop has been a fixture along Ferry Street since 2003. I dont have insurance. Cindy Eaton Storm winds uprooted trees in the Colcord area of Delaware County. Power is expected to be restored to the community in a few days, said David Beck, Delaware County District 3 Commissioner. Crews of area volunteer fire departments, the Delaware County Sheriffs Office and Emergency Management teams have been on site since 1:30 a.m. trying to clear roads for the power company trucks to get through to restore power, he said. Lots of utility poles are broken in two, Beck said. Around 10 homes were either damaged or destroyed, Beck said. Several barns were destroyed, and two RVs were flipped over. Elsewhere in Delaware County tree limbs were reported down. In Claremore there were 23 storm-related injuries with 19 individuals transported to area hospitals, the Claremore Police Department confirmed. Three of those individuals have possible life-threatening injuries, according to a statement released by the police department. Only residents with an identification card can enter the city until further notice. The community of less than 20,000 is without power and no fuel is available in Claremore. In Ottawa County several trees were down, with some wind damage and power outages reported in Miami. The National Weather Service in Tulsa issued a tornado watch today, until 9 pm for Delaware and Ottawa County and for Benton and Carroll Counties in Arkansas. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on awarding state prizes of the Republic of Azerbaijan in technical and cultural spheres for 2024, Trend reports. The full text of the decree of the head of state can be found at the link. Will be updated Storms leave at least 22 dead, thousands without power over Memorial Day weekend Severe storms hit parts of the U.S. over Memorial Day weekend, leaving at least 22 people dead and injuring hundreds. The storms hit worst in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky, before moving toward the East Coast on Monday evening. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced at a press conference Monday that five people in his state died, including a 54-year-old man who had a heart attack while cutting fallen trees. The governor had declared a state of emergency earlier Monday, citing reports of wind damage and tornadoes. In Oklahoma, two people died in Mayes County, officials said. Seven people died on Saturday in Cooke County, Texas, after a tornado swept through a rural area near a mobile home park, The Associated Press reported. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said there were two children, ages 2 and 5, among the dead. About 100 people were injured, and more than 200 homes and structures were destroyed. Wind gusts in the Valley View community reached an estimated 135 mph, according to officials. The hopes and dreams of Texas families and small businesses have literally been crushed by storm after storm, Abbott said. Abbott made a disaster declaration for 108 counties in Texas as of Sunday. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday evening that eight people died from the storms in Arkansas. Two deaths were attributed to circumstances of the storm but not directly from the weather, since one person suffered a heart attack and another lost oxygen after losing electricity. Other deaths in Arkansas included a 26-year-old woman found inside a destroyed home in Boone County, officials said. One person died in Benton County and two more died in Marion County, per records. As the storms approached the eastern U.S. late afternoon Monday, residents from North Carolina to Maryland were under tornado watches, while residents from Alabama to New York were on the highest alert for severe weather. By Monday afternoon, more than 400,000 customers were left without power, mostly in the eastern part of the U.S. including approximately 125,000 customers in Kentucky. President Biden offered his condolences for the storm victims Sunday evening, saying he and the first lady were praying for those who lost their lives. This comes as communities across the Midwest and South are still reeling from deadly storms and severe weather, Biden said in a statement, committing to send federal disaster relief to the area. The Associated Press contributed. Originally published at 9:04 a.m. 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 The Hill. (The Hill) Severe storms hit parts the U.S. over Memorial Day weekend, leaving at least 18 people dead and injuring hundreds. The storms hit worst in parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas before moving east. There were several deaths reported in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border after a tornado swept through a rural area near a mobile home park Saturday, The Associated Press reported. Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) said there were two children, ages 2 and 5, among the dead. About 100 people were injured and more than 200 homes and structures were destroyed. Wind gusts in the Valley View community reached an estimated 135 mph, according to officials. The hopes and dreams of Texas families and small businesses have literally been crushed by storm after storm, Abbott said. A man looks at a damaged car after a tornado hit the day before, Sunday, May 26, 2024, in Valley View, Texas. Powerful storms left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where drivers took shelter during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.) said Sunday evening that eight people died from the storms in Arkansas. Two deaths were attributed to circumstances of the storm but not directly from the weather, since one person suffered a heart attack and another lost oxygen after losing electricity. Other deaths in Arkansas included a 26-year-old woman found inside a destroyed home in Boone County, officials said. One person died in Benton County and two more died in Marion County, per records. In Oklahoma, two people died in Mayes County, officials said. A Louisville, Ky., man was killed when a tree fell on him, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg confirmed. Tens of thousands of residents were also without power in the central region of the country, with Kentucky having the most outages. As of Monday morning, more than 100,000 residents were without power in the Blue Grass State, according to poweroutage.us. The National Weather services predicted that thunderstorms, frequent lightning, severe wind gusts, hail and a few tornadoes would hit parts of the midwest. The Associated Press contributed. 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. NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) New Yorkers will commemorate fallen military personnel with a number of parades Monday for Memorial Day, meaning many street closures across the city. With parades in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, drivers should be aware of the following closures: Rain, thunderstorms expected on Memorial Day in NY, NJ Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, starting at 11 a.m. 3rd Avenue between 71st Street and 75th Street 3rd Avenue between 75th Street and Marine Avenue Marine Avenue between 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue 4th Avenue between Marine Avenue and 101st Street 101st Street between 4th Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway Little Neck, Queens, starting at 2 p.m. Northern Boulevard between Nassau Road and Morgan Street Northern Boulevard between Morgan Street and 244th Street Northern Boulevard between 245th Street and 244th Street Ridgewood, Queens, starting at 11 a.m. Cypress Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and Putnum Avenue Myrtle Avenue between Cypress Avenue and Cooper Avenue Myrtle Avenue between 70th Street and Cooper Avenue Rockaway Beach, Queens Rockaway Beach Boulevard between Beach 129th Street and Beach 130th Street Rockaway Beach Boulevard between Beach 129th Street and Beach 95th Street Rockaway Beach Boulevard between Beach 95th Street and Beach 94th Street Staten Island, starting at 12 p.m. Hart Boulevard between Forest Castleton Avenue Forest Avenue between Hart Boulevard and Jewett Avenue Forest Avenue between Jewett Avenue and Decker Avenue Increased NYPD surveillance will crack down on drunk, speeding and reckless drivers during the holiday weekend. Beyond the parades, there are a number of Memorial Day events Monday to commemorate the holiday, like a free concert at Green-Wood Cemetery and a New York Philharmonic show. 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. 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. George Welch from Delaware was one of the few pilots able to take off after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and he shot down at least four Japanese planes Dec. 7, 1941. Now, students and staff at the elementary school named in his memory have reignited the campaign for Welch to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest recognition for valor in action against an enemy for U.S. armed forces personnel. Dressed as Major George Welch, student Channing Hooser accepts the state legislature's proclamation declaring May 10 as Major George Welch Day in Delaware, presented by state Rep. Lyndon Yearick (left) and state Sen. Eric Buckson at Welch Elementary. At Maj. George S. Welch Elementary at Dover Air Force Base, teacher Stephanie Cummings organized the school campaign at the request of Lt. Gen. Bill Welser. Welser was researching the topic and asked if the school would collaborate with him in preparing the application. We engaged students in coloring pictures and writing letters to President Biden, highlighting Welchs achievements and the strong sense of community at our school, Cummins said. As Welch has no surviving family, we believed it was fitting for all the students at Maj. George Welch Elementary School to champion and preserve Welchs legacy. The submission was sent to Sen. Tom Carpers office in February. During the Welch birthday celebration at the school May 10, Cummings announced that Bidens staff received the application, but an answer may be three to six months away. Its important that students know the history of who their school is named for, said Cummings, and we think he deserves the nations highest honor for his heroism during the war. Teacher Stephanie Cummings, in front, third from left, leads the Major George Welch Day ceremony at the school named in memory of the World War II hero, Welch Elementary, at Dover Air Force Base on May 10. More Dover Air Base events: Delaware's first Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day for students interested in military Why wasnt the Medal of Honor awarded? The Caesar Rodney School District compiled a biography of Welch with information from the school dedication in 1962, Delaware Today magazine, and The Army Air Force in World War II, Vol. 1. Welch is from Wilmington, attended Friends School and graduated from St. Andrew's School near Middletown. He attended Purdue University, but with the war raging in Europe, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and graduated from flying school on Oct. 4, 1940. During the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941, Welch shot down four Japanese aircraft, and squadron mate Ken Taylor reported that Welch hit at least two more that crashed too far out at sea to be confirmed. Staff officers in Oahu, Hawaii, recommended Welch for the Congressional Medal of Honor, but it wasn't approved because the U.S. wasn't officially at war with Japan at the time of his actions, and he took off without official orders. Welch was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest military decoration for a member of the Army. At the time, the Air Force wasnt a stand-alone branch of the military. President Franklin D. Roosevelt honored Welch in ceremonies at the White House in May 1942. More than 70 years later in The News Journal on Dec. 8, 2014, Harry Themal wrote an editorial column, Why a Delaware hero wont ever win a Medal of Honor. Themal recounted how Welch and Taylor raced to their planes when they realized Hawaii was being attacked. Gen. Henry H. (Hap) Arnold, chief of the Army Air Corps, thought Welch and Taylor should receive the Medal of Honor. He was apparently rejected for the outrageous reason, that the men acted without direct orders, Themal wrote. A group including Sen. Carper appealed to the Army in 2004 and again in 2007, asking for the Medal of Honor for Welch. Supporting information was gathered from the Army, Air Force, Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs and much published material. The key potential source, the National Personal Records Center in St. Louis, turned out to be a stumbling block because in July 1973, fire destroyed up to 18 million Army and Air Force early records of many discharged personnel. They included Welchs files, Themal wrote. The nomination for the medal was denied. The official explanation was the Army needed "a copy of the original recommendation to determine if the original board made an error in its decision. Once a decision was made to award the Distinguished Service Cross instead of the Medal of Honor, it was considered an administrative finality, Themal wrote. More military tributes: Observe Memorial Day in the Delaware city named a top US destination for the holiday Breaking the sound barrier was Welch the first? Welch flew 348 combat missions during WWII and shot down 16 enemy aircraft before a case of malaria ended his tour in the Pacific. He went to work with North American Aviation as a test pilot and is credited with being the second person to break the sound barrier on April 26, 1948. The first to fly at mach 1 was Chuck Yeager in Air Force testing of the X-1 jet Oct. 14, 1947. But is that the whole story? On Oct. 1, 1947, almost two weeks before Yeagers historic flight, Welch was testing the new XP-86 Sabre jet. The biography compiled by the Caesar Rodney School District details how Welch flew the plane to 35,000 feet and then went into a hard dive. He reported a slight wing roll and an odd jump in the airspeed indicator. Some witnesses on the ground reported a noise like thunder from a clear blue sky. In the book Aces Wild: The Race for Mach 1, author Al Blackburn details accounts by some people at the tests who say Welch was the first to break the sound barrier. North American Aviation aerodynamicist Ed Horkey made a speech in 1994 to the F-86 Sabre Pilots Association and said Welch hit mach 1.02 on Oct. 19, 1947. That would still make Welch second to Yeager, but by only five days instead of six months. Part of the controversy is because many of the records were classified and have been difficult to find. A journalist at the Smithsonian magazine, Linda Shiner, researched information for a September 2014 story and concluded that all available records show that Yeager was first on Oct. 14, 1947. "Between the top secrecy surrounding early supersonic flight and the Air Forcesrecord-keeping, its still unclear if the J35-powered XP-86 [Welch's plane] got past Mach 1. There is no doubt that the X-1 [Yeager's plane] did, Shiner wrote. She said because of the controversy, U.S. Air Force historian Richard Hallion researched the topic and wrote a letter in 2009 to the president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Hallion said, I have never seen any record or indication that George Welch ever publicly claimed in any forum (or, so far as I know, to anyone at all) that he exceeded Mach 1 prior to Chuck Yeager. Tributes to the hero from Delaware Welch died while testing a plane for North American Aviation on Oct. 12, 1954. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Delaware honored him with a portrait by Peter Hurd that was hung in Legislative Hall. In 1962, one of the schools at Dover Air Force Base was dedicated in Welchs name and is now Maj. George S. Welch Elementary. He still deserves the highest military honor our country can award, Themal wrote. The staff and students at the school agree, as they remember the WWII hero and continue to push for him to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. The schools principal, Jason Payne, said the Medal of Honor is not only a tribute to the sacrifice of military heroes but it also serves as an example for future generations. As our schools namesake, we feel it is important to celebrate both Major George S. Welchs accomplishments and inspire our students to strive for greatness, as we are housed on Dover Air Force Base, Payne said. He commended Cummings for a fantastic job coordinating the observance of Maj. Welch Day and helping to lead the effort to apply for Welchs medal. We are so thankful for all she has done to bring attention to our schools namesake, Payne said. At Welch Elementary at Dover Air Force Base, students and staff decorated the hall with photos, art and facts in memory of Maj. George Welch, a World War II pilot who was able to take off during the Pearl Harbor attack Dec. 7, 1941, and shoot down enemy planes. In addition to the birthday ceremony, the staff and students created a Hallway of Honor with information about Welch along with classroom lessons and artwork related to Welch and his accomplishments. State Sen. Eric Buckson and Rep. Lyndon Yearick attended the ceremony and Yearick read a proclamation from the Legislature, ending with, May 10th is hereby recognized as Major George S. Welch Day to honor and celebrate his service and life as a Delaware-born American hero. Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Dover students remember WWII pilot with request for ultimate tribute Gen Yasser al-Atta, the deputy commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, says Russia will provide 'vital weapons and munitions' - Shutterstock/Marwan Ali The Kremlin has offered weapons to Sudan in exchange for a naval logistics base on the Red Sea, a Sudanese general has said. Gen Yasser al-Atta, the deputy commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, said that Russia will provide vital weapons and munitions for a harbour that is not exactly a military base. With Russia, we proposed military cooperation, or they proposed military cooperation to us in exchange for an urgent supply and ammunition point, he told the Saudi-linked al-Hadath TV channel on Saturday in a translated clip uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter. Gen Atta is a senior member of the Sovereign Council, a military junta that has ruled Sudan sporadically since 2019 and is fighting a civil war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The war started in 2023 and analysts have said that it may have already killed 150,000 people. Iran sends drones Iran, an ally of Russia, has already backed the Sovereign Council by sending drones but Russias allegiances had been unclear. The Kremlin has previously hosted the leader of the Rapid Support Forces and its Wagner mercenaries have been spotted advising his forces. But in April, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russias deputy foreign minister, visited Sudan and said that links would be strengthened. Reuters has also reported that trade data showed Russian diesel supplies being sent to Sudan. Rybar, a Russian military blog on the Telegram social messaging app that is considered to be close to the Kremlin, said that a Sudanese delegation would travel to Moscow soon to sign a comprehensive economic deal. Russia has long coveted a Red Sea outpost for its navy and had signed a deal to open one with Omar al-Bashir, the former dictator of Sudan. He was overthrown in a popular uprising in 2019 and the base was never opened. Russia views Africa as a weak spot for the West that it has tried to exploit. Its Wagner mercenaries have operated across Africa for nearly a decade and increased operations there after being banished from Ukraine following a failed mutiny last year. Analysts have linked Russia to a series of coups across sub-Saharan Africa. 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. Sun-worshippers flock to NJ beach as it opens on Sunday morning for first time in 155 years Hundreds of sun-worshipers flocked to a New Jersey beach for the first time in 155 years Sunday morning after state officials ordered the Christian sect that owns the sandy stretch to stop blocking it for prayers. The beach-hungry throngs took advantage of the holiday weekend miracle after the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association a Methodist group that began shutting the beach off on Sunday mornings to worship in 1869 grudgingly agreed to open its sunny shores to the public, at least for now. We were walking around [at] eight or nine [a.m.], we were going to the bathroom, said college student Daniel San Giuliano, 21, who was among the first to hit the beach with his pals Sunday and didnt realize they made history. People enjoy Ocean Grove Beach, NJ, for the first time on a Sunday morning since 1869. LP Media The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association had been shutting its beach down for morning services for 155 years. Daniel William McKnight There was an elderly couple sitting on the bench feeding the birds, and they told us it was the first time in 155 years that the beach was open before noon, San Giuliano said. Kevin Juarez, another morning arrival at the Ocean Grove beach, said it was a breeze getting onto the sand compared to past Sunday trips to the shore. Its nice you can come early, Juarez told The Post. Last year a lot of people waited on line! The beach is finally open to the public during the previously forbidden hours thanks to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which ordered the Christian landowners to open up. The ban had been part of the core pillar of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, which revolves around its massive Great Auditorium on the waterfront property where pilgrims come to pray from far and wide. The rep for the Methodist group did not respond to a request for comment from The Post on Sunday but issued a statement about the flap last week. For 155 years we have closed our beach on Sunday mornings to honor God a core pillar of this community since the founding of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, the statement said. Now the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is ordering us to open our privately owned beach on Sunday mornings. We are challenging this order to preserve our property rights and religious freedom, it said. Among the first sun-worshippers to walk on Ocean Grove beach on Sunday morning were (from left) college students Daniel San Giuliano, 21, Tejan Poage, 21, Benjamin Macabe, 20, and Deepak Mohan, 21. Marie Pohl We are currently compelled to comply with the NJDEP order but have not ceased nor abandoned our quest to protect our religious and property rights. The group, which is providing lifeguards during the new hours, calls the beach just north of Asbury Park, Gods Square Mile at the Jersey Shore. The rule that the beach was off-limits during Sunday morning prayers went largely unchallenged for decades until the surrounding neighborhoods grew and more locals sought sun and sand. After people increasingly started to defy the rule and sneak onto the sand early, the issue came to a head. In court papers, the association argued that its beach is open to the public for 99.5% of the time, calling that abundantly reasonable. But the DEP ruled otherwise and ordered that it cease its use of chains and padlocks or any other barriers that restrict reasonable public access to the beachfront. In a ruling Tuesday, DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette denied the associations request to rescind the order, dismissing the claim that it was doing the right thing most of the time. The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association said it will abide by a state order, at least for now, to open its beach during Sunday morning prayers. Daniel William McKnight The Great Auditorium of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is what life revolves around for the group on the Jersey Shore. LP Media While [Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Associations] intent to comply with the Public Access Law during the majority of the calendar year is acknowledged, the associations legal compliance at most times does not justify its illegal violations at other times, LaTourette wrote. The DEP order dictates that the association could be fined $25,000 per day if it violates it. Not all locals agree with the state agency seeing no harm in a Sunday morning shutdown. It gave you time to pause, it was like a reprieve, the quiet Sunday morning, said retiree Jackie Smith, who is from Staten Island but has a place in Ocean Grove. It was very lovely and very special. She said that to seen the crowd early Sunday confused me. I was like, what day is it? But Smiths friend Elyce Rivera, 66, who is from Hoboken, NJ, said, I was supportive of the tradition for many many years up until the point that they aggressively started putting up chains and padlocks. At that point, I no longer supported the church, she said. Initially it was just a rope, a nice little polite rope, she said of the church blocking access. Some locals say they dont agree with opening the beach on Sunday mornings. AP Then after a protest last year, they pushed back with the chains. Still, resident Kathleen Pisano said, People didnt buy a house in Ocean Grove without knowing the rules. When you bought a house, you had to sign an agreement saying you understood what the Blue Laws were and that you couldnt take your car out and so forth, Pisani, 71, said, referring to local regs that once prohibited such things as driving or even bike-riding on Sundays. So most people knew what was expected of them. Massachusetts prosecutors charged a 26-year-old man Sunday with attempted murder over a stabbing spree that left at least two people injured at a rest stop the day before. Authorities charged Jared Ravizza over the two stabbings at a Plymouth, Mass., McDonalds on Saturday and said that he could also be the alleged attacker in a nearby movie theater stabbing earlier that day. He was charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Police claim Ravizza stabbed a McDonalds worker through the drive-thru window while sitting in his car at about 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. He then entered the restaurant and stabbed a second worker before fleeing the scene in his car. The two victims, a 28-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, were transported to a nearby hospital with knife wounds. Ravizza was arrested by police at about 7:15 p.m. The movie theater stabbing occurred about an hour earlier in nearby Braintree, Mass. The attacker entered an AMC theater and stabbed four girls between the ages of 9 and 17 before fleeing. The four girls sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Boston hospitals for treatment, police said. The vehicle used in the McDonalds stabbing matched a description of the vehicle belonging to the suspect in the theater stabbing, police said. Ravizza has not been charged over the theater stabbing, though authorities believe the incidents could be connected. 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 The Hill. Swedish minister on Kyiv striking Russian soil with Western arms: 'Ukraine has right to defend itself' Sweden has indicated support for Ukraine in striking targets on Russian territory with Western-made weapons, the Swedish media Hallandsposten reported on May 26, citing Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson. U.S. officials, as well as German ones, have repeatedly said that they do not support or encourage Kyiv's strikes with the Western-supplied arms inside Russia. The tide nonetheless appears to be shifting amid arguments that Washington's ban meant Ukraine was unable to attack Russian forces as they were building up before crossing the border into Kharkiv Oblast in early May. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was one of the latest high-profile Western leaders to call for an end to the ban. "Ukraine has the right to defend itself through military actions aimed at the enemy's territory as long as the military actions comply with the laws of war," Jonson said in answer to Hallandsposten's question about the possible use of Swedish arms against Russian territory. Jonson added that Sweden stands behind international law and Ukraine's right to defend itself. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in contrast, reiterated Rome's opposition to Ukraine using Western-provided weapons for targeting facilities inside Russia, according to AFP. "I do not know why Stoltenberg said such a thing, I think we have to be very careful," Meloni told Italian television, referring to the latest Stoltenberg's statement. "I agree that NATO must remain firm, not give the signal that it is giving in," Meloni added. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said earlier in May that Italy supplies Ukraine with weapons only for use within the country's borders. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also opposed Stoltenberg's call. President Volodymyr Zelensky urged on May 26 Ukraine's partners to allow Kyiv to use Western weapons to strike military targets in Russia. "We see every point of concentration of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and combat aircraft are launched," Zelensky said in his evening address. Some countries, such as the U.K., Lithuania, or Finland, have said they do not oppose Ukraine using their arms to strike inside Russian territory. Read also: Sweden plans to allocate $7 billion in military aid to Ukraine between 2024-2026 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (R) meets with US Rep. Michael McCaul and US Congressional delegation at the Presidential Office. The visit was the first by American politicians since Lai took office last week. Liu Shu Fu/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Monday received the first US official delegation since his inauguration last week, saying that the visit showed Washington's firm support for Taiwan's new government as well as the people of Taiwan. Lai said that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, a cornerstone in the development of Taiwan US relations. "We will continue to deepen cooperation with the United States and other like-minded countries to jointly maintain regional peace, stability and prosperous development, Lai told visiting US lawmakers. The bipartisan group, led by Republican Michael McCaul, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, arrived in Taipei on Sunday, shortly after China conducted two days of military drills last week, which included a simulated blockade of the island in a display of displeasure at Lais inauguration on May 20. During the meeting with Lai, McCaul first said We love Taiwan" in Mandarin. McCaul said China conducted intimidating military exercises last week sending 111 aircraft and 46 warships, demonstrating that "they are not interested in taking Taiwan by peaceful means." Stressing that all democracies must stand together against aggression and tyranny, McCaul said that "an unholy alliance is eroding peace around the world," citing Russia, Iran, and China. "Americans and Taiwanese working side by side can supercharge emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing to enhance our prosperity," McCaul said. The US delegations Taiwan visit, which is due to end on Thursday, is part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region. The United States maintains a certain amount of strategic ambiguity when it comes to Taiwan, officially recognizing only the Beijing government, but it is required to support Taiwan's defence capabilities through the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. Andy Barr, who co-chairs the Taiwan caucus in Congress, at a news conference stressed the US resolve to maintain the status quo and peace in the Taiwan Strait. The United States is fully and completely committed to deterrence, supporting Taiwan militarily, diplomatically and economically," Barr said. McCaul told reporters that China had sent him a warning not to visit Taiwan. China opposes any form of official visit to Taiwan, which it views as its territory despite that fact that the island has had an independent government since 1949. In Beijing, on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning protested the US congressional visit to Taiwan. Mao said that the US move also violated the political commitment made by the US government to "maintain unofficial relations only with Taiwan" and sent a seriously wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatist forces. "China firmly opposes US-Taiwan military ties and arming Taiwan, and urges relevant US lawmakers to stop playing the Taiwan card, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, stop supporting and condoning Taiwan independence separatist forces, and stop undermining China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Mao said. The delegation in the following days plans to meet senior Taiwan leaders and members of civil society to discuss US-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, and other significant issues of mutual interest, according to according to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto US embassy to Taipei. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (R) tries on a cowboy hat gifted him by US Rep. Michael McCaul during a meeting at the Presidential Office. The visit was the first by American politicians since Lai took office last week. Liu Shu Fu/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. President of the State of Palestine, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Mahmoud Abbas has congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28, Azerbaijan's Independence Day, Trend reports. "Dear Mr. President, I extend my sincerest congratulations to Your Excellency and, through you, to your government and the brotherly people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of your country's national holiday - Independence Day. I wish you good health, happiness, and success, and your people affluence and progress. Taking this opportunity, I praise the bonds of solidarity that unite our countries and peoples, and express our pride in it. I highly appreciate your position supporting the rights of freedom and independence of our people. Please accept my best wishes," the letter reads. Jacksonville beaches were a hotpot for Memorial Day, packed with visitors throughout the holiday weekend. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Its pretty crowded. Im not surprised. Parking was tough, but I found a spot, Marissa Laganas, a Jacksonville resident, said. Crowds on the beach kept lifeguards busy. Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue reportedly responded to at least one rescue over the weekend. But calls for missing kids kept them busier. It is one of our most frequent calls. When the crowd is dense, its easy and fast for you to lose children, JBOR Capt. Rob Emahiser said. Lifeguards responded to five calls for missing children on Sunday and already had several before noon on Monday. It does take up resources. There can be other emergencies that are life-threatening that wed rather have resources available for, he explained. Lifeguards recommend taking a picture of your child that day, making a note of what beach access point you are near, and have your child remember your phone number in case they do go missing. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The ocean also presents dangers. There was a yellow flag warning over the Memorial Day weekend which means a moderate rip current risk. It can be deceptive, but theres still enough movement and current that someone out floating and relaxing can find themself farther from shore than you planned on, Capt. Emahiser said. Ocean Rescue is fully staffed on holidays with lifeguards at each of the 13 stations up and down Jax Beach. JBOR recommends swimming near a lifeguard. Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day make up the three busiest holidays for lifeguards at the beach. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. A tech company in Virginia has been fined thousands of dollars by the Justice Department over a job advert seeking whites only candidates. In March 2023, a recruiter for Arthur Grand Technologies, an information technology services firm based in Ashburn, posted a job advertisement on the recruitment website Indeed for a business analyst for the companys sales and insurance claims team. The job posting said that the company was looking for US Born Citizens [white] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Dont share with candidates], according to the DOJ. After the posting went viral on social media, an investigation was launched by the DOJ and the Department of Labor. The company meanwhile denied it had approved the posting and instead blamed a disgruntled employee working for its subsidiary in India. One year on, the DOJ said its probe found the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by discriminating against potential candidates based on citizenship status and national origin. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division described the companys actions as shameful. It is shameful that in the 21st century, we continue to see employers using whites only and only US born job postings to lock out otherwise eligible job candidates of color. I share the publics outrage at Arthur Grands appalling and discriminatory ban on job candidates based on citizenship status, national origin, color and race, Ms Clarke said in a statement. The discriminatory job posting by Arthur Grand (Indeed/X) The Justice Department, working with other government agencies, will continue to hold employers accountable when they violate our nations federal civil rights laws. In a press release, the DOJ said both it and the Department of Labor have now reached separate agreements with Arthur Grand over the matter. The company was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $7,500 as well as $31,000 compensation to those who filed complaints with the Department of Labor. Arthur Grand has also promised to provide training for all company employees involved in recruiting, selecting candidates or tracking expressions of interest for open positions. A tech company that posted a 'whites only' job ad was ordered to pay $7.5K and give staff better training A tech company that posted a 'whites only' job ad was ordered to pay $7.5K and give staff better training Virginia tech services firm Arthur Grand posted a job ad seeking only white, US-born candidates. The Justice Department found the ad violated the Immigration and Nationality Act. The company must now pay a $7,500 fine and implement training to comply with federal laws. The US Department of Justice has fined a Virginia-based tech company $7,500 after it posted a discriminatory job listing in March 2023 seeking only white candidates. The DOJ secured the agreements with Arthur Grand Technologies Inc., an information technology services firm, earlier this month. The company is also required to give its employees comprehensive training on the Immigration and Nationality Act. The job ad said it was after "only US-born citizens [white] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX." The ad quickly spread on social media, drawing widespread criticism. The Justice Department said that the advertisement deterred qualified individuals, including US citizens born outside the US and non-US citizens, from applying. Investigations by the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, or OFCCP, found that a recruiter from the company's Indian subsidiary posted the job ad on Indeed. Arthur Grand apologized and said that an employee added discriminatory language to the listing and published it without authorization. "At Arthur Grand, we do not condone or engage in any type of discrimination based on race, color, or religion," the company said on LinkedIn. It added: "We conducted an investigation and discovered that a new junior recruiter at our firm was responsible for the offending job posting. We have taken immediate action and terminated their employment for violating our policy." The Justice Department determined that the ad violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by excluding eligible candidates based on citizenship status and national origin. The Department of Labor also found that the job posting breached Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division called the incident "shameful." As part of its settlement with the Justice Department, Arthur Grand will pay the US Treasury a civil penalty of $7,500 and implement comprehensive training for its staff on INA compliance. The settlement also requires the company to revise its employment policies, which will be subject to ongoing monitoring. The agreement with the Labor Department requires that Arthur Grand compensate individuals who filed complaints with the OFCCP. "We are committed to holding federal contractors accountable for outrageous discriminatory practices like this advertisement," said Acting Director Michele Hodge of the OFCCP, per the DOJ. Racial bias still plays a part in job hiring in the US. Last month, Business Insider reported on a study that showed CVs with Black-sounding names are less likely to get callbacks. AI tools are increasingly being integrated into hiring processes and were initially touted as a means to reduce bias. But AI is not exempt from echoing human racial bias. OpenAI's ChatGPT over-selected Asian women candidates and under-selected Black men in a recent experiment, Bloomberg reported. OpenAI told Bloomberg that recruiters can add their own safeguards against bias, such as stripping names from the screening process. Arthur Grand didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider A teenager is dead after a weekend crash in Butler County. >>Several Memorial Day events scheduled today across area Butler County Sheriffs deputies were dispatched around 2:30 a.m. early Sunday morning to Cincinnati Brookville Road near Scott Street and Alert New London Road on initial reports of a crash, according to Cincinnati TV Station WXIX. The teen was riding in the passenger side and died as a result of the crash, dispatchers told WXIX. Brian Martin, Ross High School principal, said in an email to students that the teen dead is a 17-year-old student from Ross High School, according to our news partner WCPO in Cincinnati. The Butler County Coroners Office has not released the name. The crash remains under investigation. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) More than a year after swastikas and hate messages were spray-painted on five homes in Nashvilles Sylvan Park area, police announced a young Alabama man an alleged member of a white supremacist group has been arrested. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, the vandalism occurred at homes on Westlawn Drive, and Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho Avenues during the early morning hours on March 19, 2023. MARCH 2023: Search for suspects underway after Nazi graffiti, hate messages spray-painted on homes in Nashville neighborhood Officials said surveillance video from one of the houses shows two masked men approaching the porch before one of them quickly sprayed paint over the camera lens. Then, the pair reportedly spray-painted hate messages on the property and stole a Colombian flag. In response to the hate messages, Metro Police Chief John Drake immediately ordered an enhanced law enforcement presence in the Sylvan Park area. MARCH 2023: Neighbors respond with love following Sylvan Park vandalism Authorities said they identified the 19-year-old who was 17 when the vandalism occurred at the end of 2023 and obtained Juvenile Court arrest orders. Earlier in the week, detectives from the Specialized Investigations Division learned the 19-year-old was likely to be at a concert event in the Madison area on Sunday, May 26, according to police. The teen was spotted and taken into custody without incident. APRIL 2023: TSU professor speaks out after home vandalized with racist, anti-Semitic graffiti The 19-year-old whose identity has yet to be shared is being charged with five counts of vandalism, five counts of engaging in a criminal conspiracy, five counts of criminal trespassing, five counts of civil rights intimidation, and one count of theft. 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 WKRN News 2. After four special legislative sessions pushing a failed school voucher plan, Gov. Greg Abbott is ignoring Texas students. Across the state, school districts, including Austin ISD, are in financial distress. But this month, when 39 House Democrats requested a special session to help, Abbott refused. In doing so, the governor denies Texas students their constitutional right to quality public education. The Democrats ask was reasonable: 30 days to hash out more state funding per student and for school safety needs. Numerous districts are reeling from inflation, campus safety costs, and a basic per-student funding level that's been stagnant since 2019. Austin ISD, struggling with a n $89 million deficit, announced plans to shrink it to $59 million with cutbacks such as 42 layoffs in the central office, and trimming overtime, contracts and other costs. The school board also is mulling a request for a tax hike that could bring $44 million into the district's budget of $956 million, enabling a three percent pay raise for teachers along with other needs. The tax hike would need voter approval. The focus in this crisis should be Texas kids. Instead, Abbott lambasts schools for the deficits, citing overdependence on temporary federal COVID funds and lower enrollment. He blames the funding freeze on lawmakers who rightly balked at sharing their voters public education funds with private schools. In truth, under Abbotts influence, legislation for public school funding was pulled from a vote after House members voted to strip out an attached voucher plan. The school budget crisis has been a long time coming. The biggest reason that schools are in financial trouble now is because the state legislature was unable to pass a bill for public school funding, said David DeMatthews, a University of Texas associate professor specializing in education policy. Like districts in other states, Texas school districts are grappling with inflation in goods, utilities, and technology, wage competition and the academic and mental health fallout of COVID. AISD additionally has been slammed by lower-than-expected property tax growth, and cost of state and federal special education requirements. Districts overall are shouldering unique new expenses. After the mass shooting of Uvalde elementary school students, House Bill 3 required each school to hire an armed guard, allotting $15,000 per campus plus $10 per student, or about $2.5 million for AISD. But AISD estimates that the new hires will cost $8 million plus related costs, leaving an unfunded state mandate of about $5.5 million a year. Underlying the school emergency is years of underinvestment. An American-Statesman analysis found that once adjusted for inflation, Texas per-student funding from state and local sources has dropped by 12.9% since 2020. Texas ranks 42nd in the country for per-student public education funding. The states share of ISD funding dropped from 44 percent in 2011 to 31 percent in 2022, education consultant Paul Colbert said. Other states are dealing with the same problems and taking steps to remedy them," DeMatthews told the Editorial Board. "But they dont have the history that Texas does. Also distinctive to Texas: the backdrop of a history-making budget surplus of $32.7 billion last year. The Legislature tapped existing revenue for $4 billion in school funding. But under Abbott's sway, these funds were tied to voucher approval, a package repeatedly rejected by House members. Among them were 21 Republicans, many from rural districts where public schools are cherished community centers. Texas has $5 billion in unspent school funds, Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, wrote Abbott, who is still stinging over the defeat of vouchers at the legislature. To access that money, Abbott wrote back, lawmakers need to muster the votes to get it passed. In short, they must vote for a program their voters dont want, or Abbott holds billions of school dollars hostage. Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at the Texas State Capitol to supporters at a Texas Public Policy Foundation Parent Empowerment rally on March 21. Abbott had called lawmakers to Austin for a special session aimed at passing private school vouchers. (Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman) Texas has a constitutional obligation to provide free public schools This isnt how government should work. As the Texas Constitution states, It shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State, to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools. If Abbott valued Texas students as much as he does vouchers, he would call a special session so lawmakers can help Texas students. The need is urgent. The money is there. And Texans have a right to adequately funded public schools. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas districts are hurting. Gov. Abbott should call special session. Move Forward politician Chonthicha Lookkate Jangrew outside the Thai Parliament in Bangkok last July. Credit - Jack TaylorAFP/Getty Images Thai activist-turned-lawmaker Chonthicha Lookkate Jangrewa prominent figure of the countrys pro-democracy movement and a member of the Move Forward Party that galvanized the public during last years parliamentary electionswas sentenced on Monday to two years in prison for royal defamation related to her involvement in a 2021 demonstration. Lookkate, who was recently included in TIMEs list of Next Generation Leaders, which published in print also on Monday, denies the charge and has filed an appeal. The court has granted her bail until a final decision is made. If the conviction stands, however, Lookkate would be stripped of her MP status. TIME Magazine looks at me like [a] next generation leader trying to change the world, Lookkate told TIME after leaving the court in Pathum Thani, a province just north of Bangkok, on Monday. But in Thailand, they look at me like someone dangerous to the society, or a criminalwhich is really sad. Lookkates prosecution is the latest blow to the countrys pro-democracy movement, which has been growing since a decade ago when thousands of young protesters took to the streets to call for reform of the countrys conservative, royal- and military-linked government. Its not just only about my story, but its about political activists in Thailand, Lookkate says, claiming that her criminalization under the countrys controversial lese-majeste law, which bars criticism of the monarchy, makes all the activists feel unsafe. The lese-majeste conviction against Ms. Chonthicha, unfortunately, does not come as a surprise, Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, a representative from legal advocacy group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), tells TIME. It is consistent with Thai courts practice of using the lese-majeste law to silence and punish legitimate criticisms of the monarchy. According to TLHR, there are around 2,000 people who have been prosecuted for political expression since 2020, 272 of whom have been charged with lese-majeste offenses. As the protest movement has faced intense pushback from authorities over the years, Lookkate is among a new generation of Thai activists who have sought to bring their reform agenda into government through politics. I realized one thing, she told TIME in an interview in April. If we want to make a sound, we cannot only make change on the street. We also need to get into power, and use this power to make a changeto build a society that we want to see. The Move Forward Party, which advocated for sweeping change, earned a shock victory last May when it emerged as the biggest vote-getter in national elections, winning a plurality 151 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives. But the party has since been hampered by political and legal challengesfrom being blocked from taking the premiership and forming a ruling coalition to the ongoing threat of dissolution by the Constitutional Court for its efforts to amend the lese-majeste law. In December, Rukchanok Srinok, another Move Forward lawmaker, was sentenced to six years in prison for charges including royal defamation. (She was similarly granted bail.) As Thailands government, under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, tries to project a renewed image of political stability and economic viability, it has recently made a push for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council. But critics say high-profile cases such as Lookkates as well as that of Netiporn Sanesangkhoma 28-year-old detained activist who died earlier this month after going on hunger strike to protest the judicial system and imprisonment of political dissentershighlight the glaring inadequacy of the countrys human rights record. As long as the price for fundamental freedoms are the lives of Thais or their imprisonment, Akarachai says, Thailand does not deserve a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council. Contact us at letters@time.com. What are those floating objects in the sky in the Tampa Bay area? What are those floating objects in the sky in the Tampa Bay area? TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Mysterious floating objects were spotted in the Tampa Bay area skies on Sunday evening. A video sent to WFLA.com from Betty Hicks in Avon Park shows these mysterious objects floating around, what appears to look like a string of lights. SpaceX to launch 23 Starlink satellites from Florida on Tuesday It looks like shooting stars, a child is heard saying in the video. So what are those things? Well, we dont know for sure, but it is possible the objects were Starlinks from a previous space launch. According to findstarlink.com, a website that tracks SpaceX Starlinks, shows three coordinates tracked at 9:17 p.m., 9:22 p.m. and 9:26 p.m. in Tampa. Tampa International Airport now offering daily nonstop flights to Germany On Thursday, SpaceX deployed 23 Starlink satellites from Florida, which made their way around Earth. SpaceX is targeting a 7:30 a.m. launch of 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday morning. The live stream of the launch can be found on the WFLA.com home 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 WFLA. Thunderstorms with high winds down trees and cause power outages in metro-east Severe thunderstorms swept through southwestern Illinois on Sunday evening, bringing high winds, rain and hail to parts of the region. As of 10:15 p.m., at least 30,600 Ameren Illinois customers were without poer, including about 950 in the Belleville area, according to the Ameren Illinois power outage site. High winds brought down trees and limbs throughout the region, according to reports from Belleville, Swansea, Mascoutah and elsewhere. Trees reportedly fell on homes in Troy, Aviston, Dupo and Swansea, while photos show a roof removed from a building and another damaged at a business in Carlyle, according to the National Weather Service website. A power pole was snapped in New Baden, and Scott Air Force Base reported winds over 61 mph. Hail at least an inch in diameter also was reported in Belleville, Fairview Heights, Swansea, Cahokia Heights, Marine, St. Jacob and Pontoon Beach . The St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency is asking county residents with damage to send photos to its Facebook page. As the storms swept through parts of the St. Louis region and moved in to Illinois, a number of tornado warnings and watches were issued, including in St. Clair County. No confirmed tornadoes were reported. Numerous severe thunderstorms occurred this afternoon and evening, and we are in need of your reports! If you observed large hail or wind damage in your area, please let us know. #MOwx #ILwx #STLwx pic.twitter.com/dPH3jMZ9Mi NWS St. Louis (@NWSStLouis) May 27, 2024 The National Weather Service in St. Louis is asking people who had suspected wind damage or hail over an inch in diameter to reach out to the agency. One way to do that is to respond to this tweet on X (formerly Twitter.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The number of voters in Azerbaijan has been disclosed, Trend reports via the Central Election Commission (CEC). At the commission meeting today, CEC Chairman Mazahir Panahov reported that there are 6,326,764 million voters in the entire country. Among them, 47.55 percent are men and 52.45 percent are women. The unified voter list for 2024 has been finalized and updated. Today, members of the CEC familiarized themselves with the updated version of the unified voter list and the conditions of storage of the lists in the presence of media representatives. In accordance with the requirements of the Election Code of Azerbaijan, the compilation and updating of the unified voter list throughout the country starts at the beginning of January each year. Voter lists are compiled by precinct and district election commissions and submitted to the CEC in accordance with the procedure established by law, primarily on the basis of information provided on voters with active voting rights by the heads of relevant executive authorities and municipalities and commanders of military units. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) slammed a recent ad from President Bidens campaign that targets Black voters, calling it insulting Sunday while touting former President Trumps work for the Black community. When asked on CNNs State of the Union for his reaction to the ad, Scott said, Well, heres what I can tell you, is that under Donald Trump, we were better off. There are two things that are driving Black votes back to Donald Trump: jobs and justice. No. 1, under Donald Trump, our wages were going up. Right now, fairness is going down, he continued. The ad from the Biden campaign levied a series of attacks against Trump and his treatment of the Black community. Donald Trump disrespecting Black folk is nothing new. Its why Trump stood with violent white supremacists, warned of a blood bath if he loses the next election, and, if hes president again, vowed to be a dictator who wants revenge on his enemies, the narrator said in the ad. Scott on Sunday sought to discredit Bidens record with the Black community by pointing to the presidents past controversial remarks. But if youre really concerned about racial justice in America, lets not forget, Joe Biden is the guy that talked about racial jungles as a result of desegregation, Scott said, in an apparent reference to a comment made by Biden in 1977 in which he said orderly racial integration policies would cause his children to grow up in a racial jungle. Lets not forget the fact that Joe Biden is the president who said, If you dont vote for me, you cant be Black. An old white dude telling me I cant be Black if I dont vote for him? This is the president who said the Republican Party wants to put you back in chains, he added. Ahead of the 2020 election, Biden told radio host Charlamagne tha God that if he supports Trump, then you aint Black. Scott then accused Biden of backing educational segregation without providing evidence. The only person I have seen restraining Black folks economically is the Joe Biden economy. So, I find it quite insulting to suggest that Joe Biden does not have serious concerns, when his own vice president, Kamala Harris, said he supported segregation, he said. CNN anchor Dana Bash pressed Scott if claiming Biden supports segregation is a little too far, to which he argued the Biden administration has halted the growth of charter schools that provides greater diversity and opportunities. Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that operate as a school of choice and are backed by federal government grants through the Charter Schools Program. The program has received an allocation of $440 million, the same it has received since 2019 under Trump. Debate has persisted over whether charter schools create more diversity or promote segregation of races. In a study earlier this year from Stanford University and the University of South Carolina, researchers found segregation is creeping back up again, in part due to the rise of charter schools, contrary to Scotts point. The Hill reached out to the Biden campaign for comment. Recent polls have shown the incumbent losing support among Black voters, a crucial demographic for his reelection. One poll from the New York Times/Siena College/Philadelphia Inquirer, released earlier this month, found Biden leading Trump among Black voters, 63 percent to 23 percent. This is a significant decrease from the 87 percent of Black voters who voted for Biden in 2020. Scott, who has suspended his own GOP presidential bid, has been floated as one of Trumps potential picks for vice president. He has appeared with the former president on the campaign trail in recent months and is expected to appear next month at an event alongside several political mega-donors. 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 The Hill. Tim Scott Won't Condemn Trump Over Claim Biden Was Prepared To Kill Him In Mar-a-Lago Raid Tim Scott Won't Condemn Trump Over Claim Biden Was Prepared To Kill Him In Mar-a-Lago Raid Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), one of the candidates at the top of Donald Trumps vice-presidential shortlist, refused to condemn the former presidents false allegations that the FBI was locked & loaded ready to take him out during the 2022 raid of his Mar-a-Lago property. In a fundraising email sent last week, Trump claimed the FBI agents who searched his Florida home for classified documents he took with him upon leaving the White House were prepared to shoot him, in a move he alleged was orchestrated by President Joe Biden in order to intimidate him. Its just been revealed that Bidens DOJ was authorized to use DEADLY FORCE for their DESPICABLE raid in Mar-a-Lago, the email reads. You know theyre just itching to do the unthinkable Joe Biden was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger. Trump appeared to be twisting the essence of standard language used in the search warrant that authorizes the use of deadly force only if necessary. Attorney General Merrick Garland said this standard operations plan for searches was even used when the FBI searched Bidens home for documents, and called Trumps claims extremely dangerous. (Biden was under investigation over his handling of classified documents but was ultimately not charged.) In an interview with CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, Scott took Trumps side as he repeatedly deflected questions about the former presidents comments. I havent found myself agreeing with Attorney General Garland on any issue, Scott said. I will say I saw the video of the SWAT team from the FBI raiding Mar-a-Lago. I have not seen the same video of them raiding Joe Bidens garage. So Id love to have that comparison. The South Carolina Republican claimed that Trumps treatment in this case indicates the existence of a two tiered justice system, even though the same policy was followed for the search of Bidens home. It is very difficult to see this justice system currently playing out where it is fair to both Donald Trump and Republicans as we have seen the kid gloves and the insulation around Joe Biden and his family, Scott said. Following repeated questioning from CNNs Dana Bash about whether Trumps comments about the raid concern him, Scott switched to a different subject: student protests over the Gaza war. Well, the rhetoric that really concerns me is not coming out of [Trumps] emails, he said. Theyre coming on college campuses, when were seeing the actual physical violence against our Jewish students playing out. In an interview with @DanaBashCNN, Republican Sen. @VoteTimScott didnt condemn Trumps recent inflammatory and false rhetoric about the FBIs 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago resort in the classified documents case. pic.twitter.com/i9xt3RELhl State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) May 26, 2024 Scott, a former candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, is reportedly among the top contenders to be Trumps running mate in Novembers presidential election. Federal prosecutors on Friday asked the judge presiding over Trumps classified documents case to impose a gag order on the former president, saying his words have endangered law enforcement officers involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case and threatened the integrity of these proceedings. The trial in the case has been postponed indefinitely. Related... People in Orange County came together earlier today to honor this countrys fallen heroes on Memorial Day. In what has become a tradition in Orange County, dozens gathered to pay respect to all service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The Memorial Day event was held by Orange County Mayor Jerry Deming and his Veterans Advisory Council. It is important to remember that Memorial Day is a time for reflection, Demings said. Read: Sanford honors military service and sacrifice during Memorial Day ceremony Which is exactly what the Jacobs family did. Tara, she was killed in action back in April 27th, 2011 in Kabul Afghanistan, Jim Jacobs said. The Jacobs were one of four Gold Star families recognized during the event. Families that have experienced a loss of an immediate family member who died as the result of active-duty military service. Read: People died so we could have our freedom: families observe Memorial Day in Sanford Mondays wreath-laying ceremony wasnt just a time to remember but also to celebrate loved ones who died protecting American freedoms. Memorial Day is celebrated once a year, but for these families, the loss will be felt for generations. Ceremonies like this ensure these heroes will never be forgotten. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man is facing federal child pornography charges after an operation conducted by the Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office. On Friday, Ronald Gooch was found hiding at a home on Antioch Church Road in Halls, Tennessee. He was taken into custody and is being held at the Lauderdale County Jail until he is released into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Ronald Gooch is involved in crimes that are predatory and perpetuate the exploitation of innocent youth. Predators like Gooch have no place in Lauderdale County and will face the swift hand of justice by our department, said Sheriff Brian Kelley. The sheriffs department says the investigation is ongoing. 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. When a powerful EF-4 tornado ripped through Greenfield, Iowa, last week, TJ Oder, the chief of the town's volunteer fire department, said his house took a direct hit. Still, his family was saved by a private tornado shelter he had installed when he built his residence in 2014. Oder said that when the twister struck, he was helping to prepare a triage center to treat injured neighbors and get them to hospitals while his family members were hunkered down in his personal shelter. My grandmother, my girlfriend and her son, and all my animals were in it, and they all survived when it directly hit my house," Oder told ABC News. At least four people were killed and 35 were injured in the Greenfield twister, but throughout the area, many lives were saved due to people being close to a public shelter as the twister bore down or having one like Oder just steps away in their own home, officials said. PHOTO: A flag flies nears a tornado damaged home, May 23, 2024, in Greenfield, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/AP) A lot of people I've talked to since this happened said that they were going to rebuild and are thinking about putting one in," Oder said. Craig Ceecee, a meteorologist in Mississippi, said he created the website findyourtornadoshelter.com, which maps out every public tornado shelter available in the nation, while he was a doctoral student at Mississippi State University. He said his dissertation was focused on the availability of public tornado shelters, how much they're used and how they are publicized. "First, we need to be knowledgeable that they exist, which is basically where the map came from," Ceecee told ABC News. "It's something I feel is important in a lot of areas because many people live in mobile homes, or they don't have basements, or their buildings are a lot weaker than people realize." Ceecee said his research found that most people didn't know the location of their closest public tornado shelter when a twister hit and were forced to use an interior room or bathroom of their residences to ride out the storm. PHOTO: Victoria Turner walks by the remains of her home which was lifted of its foundation and moved about 30 feet while she sheltered in the basement during Tuesday's destructive tornado, May 23, 2024, in Greenfield, Iowa. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Over the past four decades, advances in radar technology and storm modeling have improved tornado warning lead times dramatically, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In the 1970s and 1980s, the average tornado lead time to get to a shelter following a tornado warning was three minutes. "Now the average lead time for a tornado warning is 13 minutes," Ceecee said. "That's still not a lot of time." Ceecee said some tornado-prone areas in rural counties don't have public tornado shelters or are miles away from people's houses, making it too dangerous to attempt to get to during a rapidly approaching funnel cloud. "You've got to make sure you get there in advance, and it's open because you don't want to be driving when there's a tornado coming your way. A car is extremely dangerous to be in," Ceecee said. "You're better off in the interior room of a home as opposed to a car." Steve Strum, a meteorologist who lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, in the heart of what's been dubbed "Tornado Alley," said he had a private in-ground tornado shelter installed in his garage about five years ago after his town applied for and received a FEMA block grant to help residents pay for them. PHOTO: Steve Strum, a meteorologist in Oklahoma, sits in an inground private tornado shelter on May 23, 2024, he had installed the garage of his suburban Tulsa, Oklahoma, home with the help of a FEMA grant. (ABC News) Strum said his prefab shelter, which seats eight people, cost about $3,500 to $4,000, not including installation. He said he received about $2,500 from the FEMA to help defer costs. "My family is just three of us: My wife, my son and then we have two 90-pound labs. So we can all fit in here," said Strum, who fitted his shelter with battery-operated lights and a portable toilet and stocked it with water, food and other supplies to last more than a day. MORE: 11 dead, dozens injured after apparent tornadoes tear through Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, officials say But Strum said some smaller shelters cost as low as $2,000 and are available at some hardware stores. "The biggest cost is actually the installation. The installation costs can be higher than the actual shelter in some cases," Strum told ABC News. MORE: 11 dead, dozens injured after apparent tornadoes tear through Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, officials say Strum said that while he and his family have had some close calls, they've yet had to use their shelter in a tornado. Before installing the shelter, he said he and his family would put on bicycle helmets and get into an interior room of their home, cushioning themselves with pillows, pads and blankets. "We mainly got it for those events where you would have a storm in the middle of the night, and you had to take shelter right away," Strum said. "Having something that's easily accessible is kind of why we have it. So we can quickly open the door, and in a matter of seconds be safe from those tornadoes that might hit like 3:00 in the morning and you're sleeping." ABC News' Jennifer Vilcarino contributed to this report. As tornado season ramps up, more people are turning to private home shelters to survive originally appeared on abcnews.go.com At least 14 dead from storms in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky Wreckage is strewn across a property the day after a deadly series of tornados in Texas Wreckage is strewn across a property the day after a deadly series of tornados in Texas By Maria Caspani and Steve Gorman (Reuters) -Search teams on Sunday picked through wreckage left by tornado-spawning thunderstorms that swept the U.S. Southern Plains and Ozarks, killing at least 14 people and wrecking hundreds of buildings as forecasters warned of more severe weather over the holiday weekend. In Indiana, storms delayed Sunday's scheduled start of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or Indy 500, the premier U.S. auto racing event traditionally held over the Memorial Day weekend. At least seven people perished and nearly 100 were injured on Saturday night when a powerful tornado struck communities in north Texas near the Oklahoma border, Governor Greg Abbott said at a news conference the next day. He said two children, aged 2 and 5 from a single family, were among the dead in and around the tiny Cooke County town of Valley View, which bore the brunt of the twister. More than 200 homes and other structures were listed as destroyed, with another 120 buildings damaged in a zone that stretched over 50 miles, Abbott said. Dozens of motorists abandoned their vehicles on a highway and fled to a nearby truck stop seeking shelter as the twister struck. According to Abbott, about 125 people took cover inside the gasoline station as the tornado shredded the facility. Everyone there survived, but it took rescue teams about an hour to free scores who were trapped in the wreckage. "I was just waiting for it to pick us up or slam something on top of us," Elizabeth Hernandez, who had huddled inside a restroom in the building, recalled in an interview with Dallas television station WFAA. "I don't know how that didn't kill us." MOBILE HOMES 'COMPLETELY GONE' A National Weather Service official said the Valley View tornado packed top winds of 135 miles per hour. Multiple twisters hit the region, but the precise number had yet to be determined, she said. As the scale of the disaster came into fuller view on Sunday, officials were wrapping up initial search-and-rescue operations, the governor said. He said authorities would make one final sweep of damaged buildings for possible additional victims but that nobody else was reported missing by day's end. Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said some of the many trailer homes in the area were "completely gone" after the storm. Video footage from the aftermath of the disaster showed wide swaths of homes and other buildings in shambles or reduced to piles of rubble, with vehicles smashed and trees uprooted or stripped of limbs and foliage. A tornado also crossed into Denton County, northwest of Dallas, on Saturday night, damaging homes and other property, and knocking down power lines. Officials said that "a number of individuals" with injuries were transported to area hospitals. More than 450,000 utility customers were without electricity across a 10-state region on Sunday stretching from Texas to Michigan, according to the website poweroutages.us. Officials in Arkansas also reported at least three storm-related fatalities from late Saturday, including a 73-year-old woman in Baxter county. Responding authorities described roads closed and clogged with debris, downed trees and power lines, homes and businesses destroyed, as well as numerous injuries. Storms caused widespread damage and at least two deaths on Saturday night in parts of Oklahoma. On Sunday, as storms shifted to the northeast, unleashing more extreme weather across the U.S. heartland, a landscaper was killed by a tree toppled in winds that gusted to 80 mph in Louisville, Kentucky, police said. The Weather Service warned of additional storms moving through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, bringing a mix of damaging winds, large hail and more tornadoes, as well as heavy downpours capable of triggering flash floods. As Texas residents struggled to regain their footing from a night of thunderstorms and tornadoes, excessive heat warnings and heat advisories were posted on Sunday across the southern tier of the state and along the Gulf Coast into most of Louisiana. The latest bout of extreme weather came just days after a powerful tornado ripped through a rural Iowa town, killing four people, and more twisters touched down in Texas last week. Meanwhile, the U.S. was preparing for what government forecasters have called a potentially "extraordinary" 2024 Atlantic hurricane season beginning June 1. (Reporting by Maria Caspani in New York and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Devika Nair and Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; editing by David Evans, Diane Craft and Aurora Ellis) Zeinab Faraj spent Monday's Memorial Day much like she and her family did 30-plus years ago. In those days, her father would wake her and her little sister up early and together they'd gather their gear. The goal was to get out the door in time to snag the best viewing spot possible along Dearborn's parade route. "We literally lived down the street ... we used to walk down there where the Montgomery Ward was down there on the corner," said Faraj. "Our parents used to bring us and it became a tradition." The 41-year-old, now living in Melvindale, has switched roles. Today, she's the point person to rouse her 12-year-old son Ibrahim to join her in lawn chairs perched along Michigan Avenue on Monday morning, with her sister, Wadad Ramos, of Dearborn, and her family. The sisters say they love the tradition and the meaning behind the holiday, honoring those who died while serving in the U.S. military. "It's important," said Faraj, whose parents immigrated to Dearborn from Lebanon. "(Our kids) all know why, they learn about it in school and they learn about it in the community. It does mean a lot to us." Zahraa Alkhalidi, 18, of Dearborn, holds up an American flag Monday as she watches the 98th annual Dearborn Memorial Day parade on Michigan Avenue with Khaled Alsharifi ,16; Anfal Alkhalidi, 33; Zainab Alsharifi, 17; Husam Alsharifi, 9; and Mohammed Alsharifi, 6. This years parade paid special tribute to Purple Heart recipients in partnership with the Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council. Communities across metro Detroit commemorated the holiday this year with special events, including in Dearborn, where the city boasts it has the state's oldest Memorial Day parade. This year was the 98th. The morning event was filled with police and fire vehicles on display and the sounds of area high school and middle school marching bands, along with military veterans chauffeured in classic cars. More: 101-year-old Butler Martin is among the last surviving Montford Point Marines U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, walked the route, while Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud waved at the crowd while riding in an antique Ford. A military funeral procession begins the 98th annual city of Dearborn Memorial Day parade on Michigan avenue in west Dearborn, on Monday, May 27, 2024. This years parade will pay special tribute to Purple Heart recipients in partnership with the Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council. Michael Beurer and wife, Staci Beurer, both Dearborn residents, had a prime spot at Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street Michael Beurer said he joined the U.S. Navy when he was still a teen and served eight years, spending time in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf area. He now works for the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, helping grant compensation benefits to fellow veterans. "Memorial Day is a very important day. You look at all the people who basically volunteered, or I like to say 'wrote a blank check to the government to ... protect what we stand for,' " he said. Staci Beurer said while some people confuse the goals of Veterans Day and Memorial Day, the holiday "really is about honoring all of those who have given their life for ... our freedom." "It's honoring their service and their life and showing the appreciation to their family members," said Staci Beurer. A few yards from the Beurers sat Jordan-Lin Holland, 16, of Lansing, who came with family to enjoy the parade and reflect. "I get to think about the people that gave their lives," she said. "I get to think about my family (serving in the military). My great grandpa fought in World War II. ... Seeing the city come together to do that is cool." Contact Christine MacDonald: cmacdonald@freepress.com or 313-418-2149. Follow her on X: @cmacfreep. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Memorial Day in Dearborn: Tradition, reflection bring out paradegoers GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) A local dentists license was revoked by the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners due to multiple alleged violations of the Dental Practice Act. The accused dentist, Andrew W. Kelly, DDS, of the Dental Center of the Carolinas, had been licensed to practice dentistry since 2001, according to the boards findings. NCDMV giving misleading information about license production delays: documents Per the Dental Center of the Carolinas website, it has two locations, one at 4550 Country Club Road in Winston-Salem and one at 5509B West Friendly Avenue Suite 200. The website describes the practice as a cosmetic dentist that offers services like checkups, teeth cleaning, crowns, veneers and more. Other services listed include emergency dentist services that include bonding, root canals, crowns, and bridges. Due to multiple allegations of Dental Practice Act violations, Kellys license to practice dentistry in the state of North Carolina was revoked as well as his sedation permit in a decision made by the NCSBDE on April 22. Initially, the decision to revoke Kellys license would have gone into effect on Wednesday, May 1. The board said that the time between the decision was to allow for Kelly to complete patients in mid-treatment and refer all existing patients to another provider to ensure continuity of dental care. Kelly was not allowed to accept any new patients or begin any new treatments during that time. On April 30, a temporary restraining order was filed in Davie County by Kelly. Kelly claimed that the May 1 date of the boards final decision would cause immediate and irreparable harm to his dental practice. Both parties agreed to push the date back of the final decision to May 8. The decision to push back the date of the final decision has no bearing on the merits of the allegations made by NCSBDE. FOX8 reached out to the Dental Center of the Carolinas for comment and a statement has not been returned as of the writing of this article. Calls to both the Greensboro and Winston-Salem locations say they are under new management and that Dr. Kelly is not available at this time. NCSBDEs allegations *Editors note: For the sake of the privacy of the patients involved placeholder names are used* Patient A The first of the allegations against Kelly involves a patient who came to Kelly for an implant consultation after getting a Groupon issued by Kelly in Oct. 2018. The board claims that Kellys treatment notes for the patient contained incomplete, contradictory and confusing entries, which failed to include an adequate description of treatment rendered, including when and by whom. One of the boards examples of contradictory notes includes an instance where notes state that Kelly performed a comprehensive examination on Patient A. However, Kelly later stated he did not perform such an examination. Despite the fact that Kelly claimed not to have performed a comprehensive examination, he still recommended an extensive treatment plan to Patient A. Patient A later agreed to have a tooth extracted and impressions taken for study models at an appointment on Oct. 4, 2018. The board says that Kellys treatment notes indicate he performed a simple extraction of the tooth. However, he billed Patient A for a surgical extraction. An image that Kelly took on the day of the Oct. 4, 2018, appointment showed an infection and significant bone loss around the tooth that was extracted. Later at a pre-hearing conference, the board states that Kelly stated he also performed a bone graft for ridge preservation with osteogenic plugs after extracting Patient As tooth. However, the aforementioned procedure was not included in the treatment note for the Oct. 4, 2018, appointment nor was Patient A billed for such a procedure. Patient A returned to Kelly for the placement of the implant at the site of the removed tooth on Nov. 29, 2018. The board says that Kellys notes for the Nov. 29, 2018 visit describe a surgical extraction of the tooth that was removed on Oct. 4, 2018. This contradicts the original notes that claim the Oct. 4, 2018 tooth removal was a simple extraction. Kelly allegedly later claimed at a pre-hearing conference that the Nov. 29, 2018, note was an error. The bone graft procedure that Kelly claims was performed during the Oct. 4, 2018, visit was not actually billed to Patient A until the Nov. 29, 2018 visit. The same visit where Kelly placed the implant. Treatment notes for both of Patient As visits do not contain a description of any technique used to perform a ridge preservation graft, despite Kellys claims that he did perform such a procedure. The board states that Kellys records do not contain a CT scan or radiograph of the area of Patient As extracted tooth before placing the implant. A radiograph of the area was later taken after the implant was placed and showed that the site did not have sufficient bone to place an implant, and that Kelly placed the implant improperly. One set of the notes for the Nov. 29, 2018 visit is date-stamped as being entered on March 28, 2019, months after Patient A had been dismissed by Kelly. NCSBDE says that Kellys treatment notes for the procedure are inadequate because they do not contain the following information: Whether a flap was made and, if so, the type and size of the incision and whether any releases were necessary; A description of the bone at the implant site; The size, lot number, expiration date, or platform size of the implant placed; Whether any bone graft material was used; The torque value of the implant; and The type of suturing technique used Images taken during the Nov. 29, 2018, visit that were included in Kellys records indicate that they are for a different tooth than the one Patient A had removed. The board says Kelly claimed this was an error and the images were actually of the tooth that was removed. The board claims that images taken of the extracted tooth site show a clear bony defect in the area. Patient A came back to Kelly for a post-operative appointment on Dec. 13, 2018, and images were taken at the site of the extraction and implant. Notes from that visit indicate Patient A had no pain and was healing well. Once again, Kellys records state the image is for a different tooth than the one Patient A had removed. The board says Kell claimed this was also an error and the image was actually of the tooth that was removed. The board claims that the image shows that the implant was placed in insufficient bone and was starting to fail. The board says that Kelly contradicted his notes that the area was healing well when he noted that there was still infection around the apex of the implant and prescribed Clindamycin to attempt to clear the infection. Kelly told Patient A to come back in 7-10 days. Clindamycin is an antibiotic used to treat infections. On Dec. 20, 2018, Patient A returned to Kellys office and told him that the implant had fallen out since his last visit. During that visit, Kelly told Patient A to return in a few weeks to have the implant replaced. The board claims that the initial note for the Dec. 20, 2018 visit makes no mention of a bone graft. The board says Kelly advised that Patient A have the implant replaced despite the fact the image taken of the extracted tooth area showed Patient A still had a huge bony defect. Thus, making it not an appropriate site to place a new implant in a few weeks. According to Kellys treatment records, he dismissed Patient A from his practice on Jan. 25, 2019, due to derogatory emails and threats from patient. NCSBDE says that an additional note indicating that the area of the tooth extraction was grafted at the Dec. 20, 2018 appointment is date-stamped as being entered on March 27, 2019. Which was several months after Patient A was dismissed from Kellys practice. Allegedly, Kellys additional treatment note for the Dec. 20, 2018 appointment does not accurately reflect what occurred on that date and is not credible. Violations The board says that Kelly failed to apply the standard of care for dentists licensed to practice in North Carolina by failing to: Adequately assess Patient As periodontal condition and bone loss to determine if he was an appropriate candidate for implant treatment; Take diagnostic radiographs to assess Patient As condition both pre-and post-treatment; Maintain adequate patient records that accurately documented the diagnosis and treatment performed for Patient A, including teeth extractions and implant surgical techniques and the dates they were actually performed; Stage and sequence treatment appropriately for Patient A and use appropriate implant surgical techniques; Use adequate procedures to eliminate any infection Patient A had prior to placing implants; and Manage Patient As complications. Witness testimony The expert testimony of another dentist and his related written report also concluded that Kelly violated the standard of care in his treatment of Patient A. The dentist provided evidence that: srcset="?w=160 160w, ?w=256 256w, ?w=320 320w, ?w=640 640w, ?w=876 876w" sizes="(max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px" Kellys records for Patient A included conflicting and contradictory information regarding the treatment provided; After Patient A initially presented with a periapical infection and extensive bone loss around the apex of tooth #5, Kelly placed an implant approximately two months later at the next office visit without taking an image to determine if the area had healed and the bone was ready for placement of an implant; The implant at tooth #5 was improperly placed where there was still a bony defect and only the apical third of the implant engaged bone; The implant at tooth #5 began to fail and became infected but Kelly did not inform Patient A that the implant should be removed; and The implant ultimately failed and Kelly advised Patient A that he could come back to his office in a few weeks to have the implant replaced. The board concluded the dentists testimony was credible and said that Kellys violations of the standard of care caused harm or injury to Patient A. Kelly did not offer expert testimony or other evidence regarding his treatment of Patient A. Patient B On Nov. 23, 2020, Patient B came to Kellys office for an implant consultation. The board says Kelly developed a treatment plan that included extracting her remaining teeth, placing implants and performing a sinus lift of the upper right and upper left. On May 19, 2021, Patient B came for a pre-operative appointment. Kelly prescribed antibiotics and Patient B signed all necessary consent forms. However, Kelly did not make a conventional denture to assist him in determining where to place the implants. The board says Patient Bs health history included that she is allergic to penicillin and has sinus problems. However, Kelly either failed to ask necessary follow-up questions on those issues or failed to record her responses in treatment notes. On June 7, 2021, Patient B came to Kellys office to complete the procedures outlined in the treatment plan. Kellys notes indicated that eight of Patient Bs teeth were extracted and implants were placed in those areas. Kellys notes also state that there were no complications in the procedure and that no pain medication was prescribed for Patient B. NCSBDE says that Kellys treatment notes for Patient B contained incomplete, contradictory and confusing entries, which failed to include an adequate description of treatment rendered, including when and by whom. One example included notes from the June 7 visit which state that Patient B presented for ext and implants. However, another dentist extracted Patient Bs teeth after the Nov. 23, 2020 consultation and before the May 19, 2021, pre-operative appointment with Kelly. Also, the board claims that the local anesthetic recorded in Kellys treatment note contradicts his sedation record which indicates he administered more anesthetic than indicated in his notes. NCSBDE says that Kellys treatment notes for the procedure are inadequate because they do not contain the following information: Type of sinus lift performed; Method for lifting sinus membrane; Perforations or complications; Type, amount, and where graft material was used; Use of membranes; Residual bone height to stabilize the implant; and Method of placing implants, including the type of incision and sutures, bone quality and any reduction of bone, and use of a surgical guide. Kelly claimed in his treatment notes for Patient B that the CT scan showed no complications. However, the board claims that the CT scan shows that the implants were placed incorrectly. The board says that Kelly failed to place any of the implants in the correct position. On June 16, 2021, Patient B came back to Kellys practice for a post-operative appointment. He took another CT scan and stated that the implants were doing great and requested Patient B return in a month. The board says that the treatment notes contradict what the CT scan actually showed; which was inflammation of the sinus with the extrusion of graft material into the sinus and substandard placement of implants. On July 14, 2021, Patient B presented for a soft reline. She stated that the temporary dentures were horrible and that she was not able to eat at all. During this visit, Kelly tried to trim off the excess and adjust the dentures to make them comfortable but was not able to do so. He added a permanent reline to Patient Bs treatment plan. From Aug. 23, 2021, through March 2, 2022, the board claims that Kelly and the dental lab unsuccessfully worked with Patient B to try and fabricate dentures that would correctly seat with the improperly placed implants. On March 2, 2022, Kelly advised that Patient B should have the implants removed and start over with a hybrid denture. Notes about the removal of the implants are date-stamped as being entered on Sept. 13, 2022, which is after Patient B left Kellys practice and another dentist requested her records from Kelly. On March 15, 2022, Patient B told Kelly that she had a sore implant and Kelly took a CT scan to check the area. She came back on March 29, 2022, for a wax try-in and signed for dentures which were supposed to be delivered at the next appointment. However, the dentures were not delivered because Patient B wanted to be sedated for the procedure. Patient B returned to Kellys office on May 10, 2022. Kellys notes state he sedated Patient B and removed the closure caps for all implants. Also on May 10, 2022, Kelly documented that one of the implants perforated the sinus. The term perforation refers to something being pierced with a hole. The board says Kellys treatment notes for the May 10, 2022, procedure failed to include an adequate description of the treatment rendered and of Patient {Bs} dental condition. For example, there is no description of how the surgery was performed or of the bone loss that is noticeable on CT scans. Kelly then prescribed amoxicillin tablets to Patient B despite her prior reports of a penicillin allergy. Patient B says that her pharmacist noticed before it was filled. Kelly failed to file an antibiotic replacement until five days later. Between May to July 2022, Patient B returned to Kellys office for impressions, try-ins and attempted delivery of her dentures. On Aug. 9, 2022, Patient B came to Kellys office for what would ultimately be the final attempted try-in for the dentures. Notes for that last visit are date-stamped as being entered on March 21, 2023, which is months after Patient B left Kellys practice but only a short time after the board told Kelly that Patient B had filed a complaint against him. In the note entered on March 21, 2023, Kelly noted the following: Documented marked recession around multiple implants; Acknowledged in his treatment record for the first and only time the bone loss that could be seen on the prior CT scans; Stated that the patient purportedly advised him she was smoking during the treatment process; Claimed that he advised Patient B that she should have a medical evaluation and then he would make an upper and lower hybrid denture for her at a reduced cost or refund her money so she could seek care somewhere else; and Wrote that due to her high esthetic demands, she would need to have a fixed full-arch prosthesis similar to what was offered to her on her initial visit. The board says that the note for the Aug. 9, 2022, visit does not accurately reflect what occurred on that date and is not credible and that Kelly never provided Patient B with a refund of the substantial funds paid to his office for her treatment. On Sept. 1, 2022, Patient B went to another dentist for evaluation. The board claims that the new dentist tried several times, unsuccessfully, to get Patient Bs records from Kellys office. On Sept. 15, 2022, the new dentist noted that he received a blank disc from Kellys office. The new dentist eventually received some images from Kellys office. However, he never received Patient Bs implant information. On March 1, 2023, Patient B was referred to a periodontist who determined that the implants Kelly placed were not in the proper position and needed to be removed. An oral surgeon removed Patient Bs implants on Nov. 28, 2023. However, the board claims that due to the large amount of funds that Patient B spent on having the implants placed by Kelly, none of which has been refunded, Patient B has been able to have implants replaced as of April 22, 2024, and is wearing interim dentures. Violations The board says that Kelly failed to apply the standard of care for dentists licensed to practice in North Carolina by failing to: Properly assess Patient B to determine whether she was an appropriate candidate for implants and snap-in dentures and did not obtain a detailed history, particularly concerning her allergy to penicillin; Perform appropriate treatment and pre-surgical planning, including taking diagnostic radiographs and fabricating a proper overdenture to use as a surgical guide for the appropriate placement of implants; Maintain adequate patient records, including accurately documenting Patient Bs diagnosis, dental condition, treatment rendered, and surgical techniques; Utilize proper surgical techniques in determining where implants should be placed and stage the sinus lift and implant procedures; and Communicate all complications to Patient B. Witness testimony The expert testimony of another dentist and his related written report also concluded that Kelly violated the standard of care in his treatment of Patient B. The dentist provided evidence that: Kellys records did not accurately document Patient Bs diagnosis, dental condition, treatment rendered, and surgical techniques, and failed to indicate a clear restorative plan; Kelly poorly planned Patient Bs treatment; Kelly did not perform a prosthetic work-up prior to the implant surgery on June 7, 2021, and did not use an appropriate surgical guide for the surgery; The post-operative CT scan taken on June 7, 2021, the same day the implants were placed, showed that none of the implants were placed in an acceptable position; The implant placed at tooth #3 perforated the sinus membrane with extrusion of material into the sinus; Performing a lateral window sinus lift while also attempting to stabilize implants at teeth #s 3 and 14 was risky and aggressive and should have been a staged procedure; vii. Implants placed at teeth #s 3 and 14 were placed in a very small amount of residual bone height and did not have primary stability; The implant at tooth #6 was angled too far to the buccal preventing the fabrication of a denture flange that fit correctly in the maxilla; The implant at tooth #1 was angled too far to the buccal and was sticking into the sinus with no associated graft; No bone was reduced prior to placing lower implants; xi. Lower implants were placed with a significant portion of the buccal aspect of the implant entirely outside of the bony housing, were not placed deep enough, and impeded the ability to place a denture due to lack of restorative space; and Kelly did not inform Patient B of complications as they arose during treatment. The board concluded the dentists testimony was credible and said that Kellys violations of the standard of care caused harm or injury to Patient B. Kelly did not offer expert testimony or other evidence regarding his treatment of Patient B. Patient C On March 15, 2021, Patient C came to Kellys office for an implant consultation and stated that he did not want removable dentures. Kelly took a CT scan during the initial consultation and created a treatment plan that included placing six implants and an upper anterior hybrid. On May 6, 2021, Patient C presented for the extraction of his remaining upper teeth and the placement of six implants and a hybrid prosthetic in the maxillary with IV sedation. The board claims that Kellys notes are inadequate; partially because they did not contain the following necessary information: The type and size of the incision and whether any releases were necessary; Whether any bone graft material was used; The torque values of the implants; and The type of suturing technique used. Patient C came back to Kellys office for a post-surgical follow-up appointment on May 12, 2021, and Kelly took a CT scan that noted that Patient Cs implant was doing great. The board says Kelly did not indicate a reason for taking the scan and that despite taking the scan, Kelly either did not recognize or did not notify Patient C that a root fragment of one of the extracted teeth remained and the implant was placed up against the remaining infected root fragment from the May 6 extraction. On May 17, 2021, Patient C came back to Kellys office because the temporary prosthetic for four of his teeth had broken. Kelly told Patient C that he would leave the broken part off and smoothed the edges where the hybrid had broken. On June 1, 2021, Kelly took another CT scan during a follow-up appointment and did not indicate a reason for taking the scan or prescribing Augmentin in his treatment notes. Augmentin is an antibiotic used to treat infections. The board says that Kelly told Patient C that the hybrid was doing great. However, Kelly either failed to recognize or inform Patient C of the retained root fragment. During the June 1, 2021, visit, Patient C complained about discomfort in his lip and tongue due to rough edges and food becoming stuck in the hybrid prosthetic. Kelly responded by adjusting the hybrid prosthetic with a handpiece. On June 16, 2021, Patient C came back to Kellys office for another follow-up appointment. Kelly again took a CT scan and did not provide a reason for doing so in his treatment notes for doing so. The board says Kelly once again failed to recognize or inform Patient C of the retained root fragment. The final upper hybrid prosthetic was delivered to Patient C on Dec. 21, 2021, after Kelly took impressions and performed a final try-in. The board claims that Kellys treatment notes about the delivery of the final upper hybrid prosthetic did not include the following necessary information: The material of the hybrid; The occlusion and whether any adjustments were necessary; The torque applied to the abutment screws; Whether the multi-unit abutments were re-torqued to ensure implant integration; Whether radiographs were taken to ensure the prosthetic was fully seated; Whether instructions were provided to the patient regarding how to clean and care for the hybrid; and Whether the patient was provided with a recall schedule concerning srcset="?w=160 160w, ?w=256 256w, ?w=320 320w, ?w=640 640w, ?w=876 876w" sizes="(max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px" when to return for follow-up care. In Jan. and Feb. 2022, Patient C complained about his bite being off and Kelly sent the hybrid to the lab for repair. Patient C says that the bite was never correct on the hybrid prosthetic, even after Kelly attempted repairs. A year later in Jan and Feb. 2023, Patient C came back to Kellys office because the anterior of the hybrid had chipped and broken. However, he was unable to be seen by Kelly. On March 21, 2023, Patient C came to the office of another dentist for a second opinion about the broken hybrid. The testimony of that dentist and his treatment records about Patient C were presented to the investigative panel. The other dentist had treated Patient C for unrelated issues since 2014. During the March 21, 2023, visit, the new dentist took intraoral photographs of the hybrid. Those photos showed broken anterior teeth on the prosthesis and also took PAs of the implants. The dentists office requested implant information from Kelly and was told they would charge Patient C $8,000 to replace the broken prosthesis. PAs refer to Periapical Film, a radiographic X-ray film that shows the whole tooth including the root and the area around it, according to Lee Dental Office. On April 6, 2023, during a return visit, the new dentist took PAs with the prosthesis in place and after he removed it. Patient C felt significant pain on the upper left implant while the hybrid was being unscrewed and reported that the implant had always been painful when the prosthesis was attached or removed. The dentist noted that one of the implants was mobile with necrotic-looking bone on the mesial and took a PA of the area. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine says that avascular necrosis is a disease that results from the temporary or permanent loss of blood supply to the bone. When the blood supply is cut off, the bone tissue dies and the bone collapses. If avascular necrosis happens near a joint, the joint surface may collapse. During the April 6 visit, the new dentist removed the loose necrotic piece which was touching the implant and that piece was a tooth rot. He photographed the tooth rot and then reattached the prosthesis to give the area time to heal. On April 24, 2023, the new dentist removed the prosthesis and the implant had not improved and was still painful. He then removed the implant and re-attached the prosthesis. The dentist then conducted an analysis which demonstrated that the prosthesis placed by Kelly was not correct for Patient Cs bite, including at the locations where it had broken, which is why he determined it should be replaced rather than repaired. Patient C chose to proceed with a new prosthesis from the new dentist on the remaining implants which were noted to be stable. On Aug. 25, 2023, the new upper prosthesis was delivered to Patient C and he has had no issues with breaking or chipping since. Violations The board says that Kelly failed to apply the standard of care for dentists licensed to practice in North Carolina because he: Failed to accurately document and list the materials used in the surgical techniques and treatment rendered to Patient C Took an excessive number of unnecessary images during Patient Cs treatment; and Failed to recognize or communicate complications to Patient C, specifically that a tooth root was left behind after a tooth was extracted, was adjacent to implant #13, was infected, and could be causing pain and other complications that Patient C experienced. Witness testimony The expert testimony of another dentist and his related written report also concluded that Kelly violated the standard of care in his treatment of Patient C. The dentist provided evidence that Kelly: Failed to recognize and diagnose an infected root tip that was left behind at the area of tooth #13, near an implant; Failed to inform Patient C that an infected root tip was left behind at the area of tooth #13; and Took multiple CT scans without justification subjecting Patient C to unnecessary radiation. The board concluded the dentists testimony was credible and said that Kellys violations of the standard of care caused harm or injury to Patient C. Kelly did not offer expert testimony or other evidence regarding his treatment of Patient C. Failure to produce timely records While the board was investigating complaints made by Patients A, B and C, they claimed that Kelly repeatedly failed to respond and provide complete treatment and other records, in a timely manner and in response to the boards multiple requests, despite submitting verification he had provided complete records. False statements and evidence about expiration of permit The boards findings state that Kelly was first issued a moderate conscious sedation permit on Nov. 28, 2006. Permits are required to be renewed on an annual basis and NCSBDE sends emails, postcards and letters to dentists reminding them that the renewal date is approaching each year. Kellys renewal payment of $100 and application for the permit was due by Jan. 31, 2021, for the 2021 year. If the application and payment, including the $50 late fee, were not submitted by March 31, 2021, his permit would expire. Once renewed, dentists are required to print their renewal permit and display it in their office along with their dental license. The board says they did not receive Kellys renewal application and payment by March 31, 2021, and thus his permit expired. On April 8, 2021, the board sent a certified letter to Kelly informing him of his permits expiration for nonpayment. The letter stated that an application for reinstatement and a check for $150 would need to be submitted to apply for reinstatement. On April 29, 2021, Kelly emailed the board in response to the letter stating I am certain that I paid my sedation renewal at the same time that I paid for my dental license renewal. As a matter of fact, I made a copy of the check before I mailed it. Kelly sent a second email on April 29, 2021, attaching a copy of a check which was dated Jan, 22. 2021, and represented that it was a copy of the check he sent the board for renewal in January. However, the check was written for $150 which was not the correct amount due at the time the check was allegedly dated. Kelly renewed his dental license on Dec. 21, 2020, and did not renew his permit at the same time as he stated in his email. The board claims that Kellys bank statements indicate that the check he sent in the email was not in sequence with checks written in Jan. 2021, but rather checks written in April and May 2021. Kelly later submitted an application and payment to reinstate his permit which the board received on May 3, 2021. His permit was then reinstated on May 4, 2021. NCSBDE claims that Kelly did not issue or sign the check in the April 29, 2021, email at the same time he paid for his dental license renewal and that he did not issue or sign that check on or about Jan. 22, 2021. Instead, the board claims that Kelly fabricated the check after he got the boards notice in an attempt to conceal that he had failed to renew his permit before its expiration and thus his April 29, 2021 statement was a false and material misrepresentation. Administration of sedation while permit was expired The board claims that Kelly administered moderate conscious sedation to numerous patients between April 1, 2021, and May 3, 2021, while his permit was expired. In the boards findings, nine patients are listed as having been sedated during that time frame. NCSBDE claims that Kelly should have known his permit was expired while administering those sedations. Inspection and fabricated drug labels After Kelly failed to have his permit reinstated, an NCSBDE investigator inspected his office on June 20, 2022. Kelly gave the investigator his sedation drug logs. The board claims that when he presented the sedation logs to them, he failed to disclose that the logs had: Had not been maintained contemporaneously, Had been created after getting notice of the upcoming inspection, and Were not an accurate representation of the drugs Respondent or others working in his office administered to patients. Both of the random sedation records chosen by the board investigator failed to appear in the sedation drug logs, including for two of the patients who were sedated while Kellys license was expired. The board says that Kelly later admitted the following about the drug logs he gave to the board at the June 20, 2022, inspection: They were not maintained contemporaneously; He had staff members create the drug logs prior to and in anticipation of the Board inspection; He did not see the drug logs until the date of the Board inspection; and The drug logs are inaccurate and do not reflect the type and amounts of controlled substances administered to patients. NCSBDE says that Kelly failed to maintain accurate drug logs for controlled substances as required by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and that the logs he provided at the June 20, 2022 inspection were created after the fact and did not accurately represent the controlled substances administered to patients. Conclusions of Law The board concluded that Kelly: Violated the applicable standard of care for dentists practicing in North Carolina in his assessment and treatment of Patient A Violated the applicable standard of care for dentists practicing in North Carolina in maintaining inadequate patient treatment records for Patient A Was negligent in the practice of dentistry in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 committed acts constituting malpractice in the practice of dentistry in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41(a)(19), and engaged in acts violating Article 2 of Chapter 90 of the North Carolina General Statutes in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 (a)(6) and 21 NCAC 16T .0101 in his treatment and care of Patient A, as set forth in Conclusions of Law 2 and 3 and Findings of Fact 6-43 Violated the applicable standard of care for dentists practicing in North Carolina in his assessment and treatment of Patient B Respondent violated the applicable standard of care for dentists practicing in North Carolina in maintaining inadequate patient treatment records and failing to promptly provide or transfer records for Patient B Respondent was negligent in the practice of dentistry in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41(a)(12), committed acts constituting malpractice in the practice of dentistry in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. 5 90-41(a)(19), and engaged in acts violating Article 2 of Chapter 90 of the North Carolina General Statutes in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 (a)(6) and 21 NCAC 16T .0101 and .0102 in his treatment and care of Patient B, as set forth in Conclusions of Law 5 and 6 and Findings of Fact 44-102 Violated the applicable standard of care for dentists practicing in North Carolina in his assessment and treatment of Patient C Violated the applicable standard of care for dentists practicing in North Carolina in maintaining inadequate patient treatment records for Patient C Was negligent in the practice of dentistry in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 (a)(12), committed acts constituting malpractice in the practice of dentistry in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 (a)(19), and engaged in acts violating Article 2 of Chapter 90 of the North Carolina General Statutes in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 (a)(6) and 21 NCAC 16T .0101 in his treatment and care of Patient C., as set forth in Conclusions of Law 8 and 9 and Findings of Fact 103-133 Committed unprofessional conduct in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 (a)(6) and 21 NCAC 16V .0101(2), (14), and (17) by repeatedly failing to respond and provide complete treatment and other records in a timely manner and by verifying that he had provided all records when he had not done so, as set forth in Findings of Fact 134-144 Violated N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 (a)(26) by presenting false or misleading statements or records when communicating with the board or its agents, pursuant to 21 NCAC 16V .0101 (2), as set forth in Findings of Fact 145-160 Violated the board regulations in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41(a)(6) and 21 N.C.A.C. 16Q .0301 (a) and .0305(a) by administering moderate conscious sedation when he did not have a Permit, as set forth in Findings of Fact 161163 Violations of 21 N.C.A.C. 16Q .0301 (a) and .0305(a) may result in suspension or revocation of Respondents Permit or license to practice dentistry in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 and 21 NCAC 16Q .0701 Violated N.C. Gen. Stat. S 9041 and (26) and 21 NCAC 16V .0101 (28) by committing an act that violated state or federal statutes or regulations governing controlled substances, as set forth in Finding of Fact 168-169 Violated N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 and (26) and 21 NCAC 16V .0101 (2) by providing inaccurate drug logs that he had fabricated prior to the Board inspection, as set forth in Findings of Fact 164-172 Violated N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 (a)(6), by violating the Rules and Statues set forth in Conclusions of Law 1-16 and Findings of Fact 6-172 above Additional findings and disciplinary conclusions The board also concluded that: Kelly committed multiple instances of negligence or malpractice in treating Patients A, B and C Kelly intended to treat Patients A and B in a manner where the potential harm was foreseeable Kellys violations resulted in harm to Patients A, B and C, and potentially serious or catastrophic harm to the patients sedated while Respondents Permit was expired and his violations also resulted in harm to the dental profession Kellys violations adversely affected Patients A, B and C because they received negligent treatment and suffered resulting harm. As a result of Kellys negligent treatment of them, Patients A, B and C were required to have additional treatment at their own expense Kellys actions have had a negative impact on Patients A, B and Cs perception of the dental profession Kelly did not make restitution to Patients A, B and C for his negligent dental treatment or attempt to rectify the consequences of his negligent treatment of them Kelly elevated his interest above that of his patients or the public and demonstrated a selfish motive by negligently performing dental services and failing to refund fees for services he performed in a negligent manner Kelly failed to respond or provide responsive documents or information upon request and in a timely manner during the Boards investigation of his treatment of Patients A, B and C Kelly demonstrated a dishonest motive by providing false information to the Board regarding the purported renewal of his sedation permit for 2021 Kelly submitted false evidence, statements, or engaged in other deceptive practices during the Boards investigation or disciplinary proceedings, including: Creating false verifications stating he had submitted all treatment records for Patients A, B and C when he had not done so; Fabricating or creating after-the-fact controlled substance drug logs prior to the Board inspection; and Submitting false or inaccurate drug logs at the inspection and failing to disclose or inform Board Investigators that the drug logs he presented to them were not maintained contemporaneously Kelly engaged in fraud, dishonesty, misrepresentation, deceit, or fabrication related to the practice of dentistry, including by: Making false statements regarding the purported renewal of his Permit for 2021; Fabricating or creating after-the-fact controlled substance drug logs prior to the Board inspection; and Fabricating or creating after-the-fact false or inaccurate and self-serving entries in his patient treatment record that did not accurately describe what occurred and doing so after he was no longer treating the patient and, in at least one instance, after he was notified that the patient had filed a complaint with the Board Kellys violations, including the false statements and other misconduct indicated in Nos. 9-11 above, demonstrate a lack of honesty, trustworthiness, or integrity On August 18, 2011, Kelly voluntarily signed a Consent Order with the Board (2011 CO). The 2011 CO found that Respondent violated the standard of care in his treatment of three (3) patients in several respects spanning from 2005-2009, including: Perforating a patients tooth and failing to inform the patient; Failing to manage a patients sequence of treatment; and Failing to provide a patient with a proper denture and obtain adequate informed consent before placing implants On April 9, 2013, Kelly was issued a Reprimand for causing a left lingual nerve injury during the extraction of a patients tooth and then failing to refer the patient to a specialist to address her resulting paresthesia in 2010-1 1 (2013 Reprimand) On December 11, 2015, Kelly voluntarily entered into a Consent Order with the Board (2015 CO). The 2015 CO found that Respondent violated the 201 1 CO and violated the standard of care in his treatment of three (3) patients in several respects spanning from 2009-12, including by failing to: Appropriately select patients for sedation and implants; Obtain informed patient consent for sedation and placement of implants; Administer the appropriate dosage of sedation medication to patients; Perform appropriate pre-operative planning and proper monitoring and airway management of patients during procedures; Maintain proper recordkeeping during procedures; Promptly recognize when a patient is in distress or danger and take appropriate action, including involving emergency services; and Select appropriate abutments with which to restore implants. The 2015 CO also found violations of the standard of care for an additional nine (9) patients up through 2015, including that Kelly: Repeatedly used an anesthesia medication, propofol, that is contraindicated and unsafe for general practitioners with a moderate conscious sedation permit, risking unanticipated deep sedation, general anesthesia, and significant respiratory depression; Administered propofol to patients while also performing procedures on those patients; Administered excessive amounts of local anesthetics; Sedated patients to a level of deep sedation or general anesthesia resulting in apnea or significant respiratory depression and hypoxemia; Used a monitor on sedation patients that was subject to interference by his electrical handpiece; Failed to recognize and adequately treat patients for hyper- and hypotension and respiratory depression when immediate treatment was indicated; Failed to properly select and evaluate patients to undergo sedation procedures; Failed to evaluate the airway prior to sedation procedures; Failed to obtain a comprehensive medical history for patients; Failed to consult with patients treating physicians when indicated by their disclosed medical histories; and Failed to maintain adequate recordkeeping Over the past at least 18 years since 2005, Kelly has provided negligent dental care in the following clinical practice areas: Pre-operative planning; Pre-sedation patient assessment, evaluation, and selection Informed consent; Sequence of treatment, addressing periodontal disease; Dentures, partials, and other restorations, including a tooth perforation not disclosed to the patient; Extractions resulting in nerve injury and paresthesia, Referral to specialists when clinically necessary; Kelly has been repeatedly negligent, committed malpractice, violated the standard of care, and committed numerous other violations in the past as set forth in the 201 1 CO, 2013 Reprimand, and 2015 CO. Kelly engaged in a lengthy and extensive pattern of violations, as demonstrated by the standard of care violations in this matter and the prior disciplinary actions issued by the board in the 2011 CO, 2013 Reprimand, and 2015 CO. (21 NCAC 16N .0607(3) srcset="?w=160 160w, ?w=256 256w, ?w=320 320w, ?w=640 640w, ?w=876 876w" sizes="(max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px" Kellys violations in his prior discipline through the current matter span from 2005 through 2023 and are not remote in time. (21 NCAC 16N .0607(3)(s)) The probationary period in Kellys 2015 CO was still in effect when he began treating Patient A and committed negligence. The 2015 CO prohibited Kelly from violating any of the Boards statutes or rules for a five-year probationary term. Kelly failed to comply with the 2015 CO in his negligent treatment of Patient A from Oct.4, 2018, through Dec. 20, 2018. When combined with the numerous violations in this matter, the extensive pattern of providing negligent care and committing malpractice for numerous patients over the past 1 8 years in a wide range of practice areas spanning most aspects of dental care with failed attempts at remediation demonstrates that Kelly is incompetent in the practice of dentistry. Kelly has refused to acknowledge the wrongful nature of any of the violations included in the Notice of Hearing and found in this matter. Kelly has practiced dentistry in North Carolina for more than twenty (20) years and numerous attempts to rehabilitate Kelly through remediation measures contained in prior discipline have been ineffective because the same or similar pattern of violations or misconduct has continued to recur. The Hearing Panel individually considered all remaining factors set forth in 21 NCAC 16N .0607 and determined that the following factors are not applicable or relevant to the discipline in this case: I(a), (b), 2(a), (b), (g), and (3)(g), (i), (n) (p)(r), (u), and (v). The conclusion that Kelly is incompetent in the practice of dentistry noted above independently and separately warrants revocation of his dental license and Permit to protect the public, even without any evidence, findings, and conclusions on unrelated issues set forth in the Final Agency Decision. Kellys compounded acts of dishonesty and misrepresentation demonstrating a lack of honesty, trustworthiness or integrity warrant revocation of his dental license and Permit to protect the public, even without any evidence, findings, and conclusions on unrelated issues set forth in the Final Agency Decision. Kellys conduct and violations for administering sedation to patients without a valid Permit, combined with his extensive and significant past violations involving sedation established in the 2015 Consent Order, and the serious potential harm to patients and others, independently warrants the revocation of his dental license and Permit to protect the public, even without any evidence, findings, and conclusions on unrelated issues set forth in the Final Agency Decision. The board has attempted without success to address Kellys lengthy history of prior violations through the other disciplinary options available to it under N.C. Gen. Stat. S 90-41 (a). Attempts at remediating past violations while under probation, and even an active suspension, were unsuccessful in preventing further violations and thereby failed to adequately protect the public. Kellys numerous, compounded acts of negligence, malpractice, and other violations cannot be adequately remediated as prior attempts at remediation ordered by the Board were unsuccessful. Kellys numerous, compounded violations and other conduct demonstrate that if Respondent is permitted to continue practicing dentistry, there is a substantial risk that he will engage in further misconduct and violations and pose a significant risk to public safety and well-being. All lesser discipline and other options authorized by N.C. Gen. Stat. S 9041 (a) were considered but all are insufficient to protect the public pursuant to 21 NCAC 16N .0607. Respondents misconduct and violations, along with his lengthy and extensive disciplinary history involve such serious, numerous violations of the Dental Practice Act that revocation of his dental license and Permit is the only discipline or disciplinary measure sufficient to protect the public. Placement of implants on numerous occasions; Administering and monitoring sedation on numerous occasions; Recognizing and treating clinical emergencies; and Sedation and treatment records As a result, Kellys license to practice dentistry in the state of North Carolina as well as his sedation permit have been revoked. 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 Queen City News. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. A meeting of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan was held today after familiarization with the conditions of printing and storage of voter lists, Trend reports. The meeting considered the issue of revision, approval, and promulgation of permanent voter lists. The CEC members noted that with the use of information and communication technologies, the process of revision of lists and the work done are further improved, and efficiency is increased. At the meeting, detailed information was provided on the extensive activities in this field, carried out from the beginning of this year until the end of May. The Chairman of the CEC, Mazahir Panahov, expressed gratitude to the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Justice, local executive authorities, and other relevant structures for their active support in the process of clarifying voter lists. Furthermore, it was decided at the meeting to declare the work on compilation and refinement of voter lists for 2024 completed and to send the lists to the relevant district election commissions for approval by the precinct and district election commissions, and to entrust the relevant district election commissions with the work on the approval of the compiled voter lists in the order and timeframe established by the legislation by compiling a permanent voter list through the state automated information system in Azerbaijan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel I tried Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute steak-sandwich recipe. It was delicious but took me almost an hour to make. I tried Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute steak-sandwich recipe. It was delicious but took me almost an hour to make. I tried making Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute steak-sandwich recipe. The sandwich took much longer to make than I expected, but it tasted delicious. I spent a little under $50 for all the ingredients and had plenty left over for additional meals. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay might be almost as well known for his big personality as he is for his cooking talents, which have won him 17 Michelin stars and helped him launch restaurants around the world. The British restaurateur, who is estimated to have a net worth of about $220 million, is known for his signature beef Wellington so he clearly knows how to cook a steak. That's why I jumped at the chance to try a slightly less ambitious recipe that features bavette steak as its centerpiece. Ramsay's 10-minute steak sandwich, which is part of the "MasterChef" star's "Ramsay in 10" series, features grilled bread, portobello mushrooms and onions, and a tangy mustard-and-Worcestershire-based sauce. Unfortunately, the directions for his 10-minute steak sandwich aren't posted on his website, so I carefully scanned the YouTube video of the recipe to make sure I understood all the steps and ingredients. Here's how it went. To start, I gathered my ingredients, which included two types of lettuce and many different sauces. Ramsay didn't always specify how much of each ingredient I would need in his video. Lara Walsh Gathering ingredients was surprisingly tricky, as Ramsay didn't always specify how much of each ingredient I would need in his video. I ended up buying a pound of steak, one large red onion (he used two small ones in his video), and two large portobello mushrooms. I substituted the bavette cut for the very similar flank steak, and grabbed arugula instead of watercress, but kept the rest of the ingredients the same. I also took stock of the cookware and kitchen gadgets I needed. I didn't have a grill pan for my stovetop, so I used two cast-iron skillets instead. I cut the Ciabatta bread in half and prepped it according to Ramsays instructions. I used a bowl to push the bread down and help it sear. Lara Walsh I poured a generous amount of olive oil on the bread and sprinkled it with a healthy serving of salt, pepper, and red-pepper flakes. Meanwhile, I heated up both cast-iron skillets and put half of the bread in each skillet (since it was too big to fit in one). Copying Ramsay's technique, I used a bowl to push the bread down and help it sear. As the bread was toasting, I seasoned the steak with salt and pepper. Ramsay's instructions called for seasoning the steak generously. Lara Walsh I prepped the flank steak by sprinkling plenty of salt and pepper on it, per Ramsay's suggestion to add more seasoning than I'd think I'd need. While I was prepping the steak, the bread began to burn. Some of the bread burned in spots. Lara Walsh As much as I love steak, I don't usually make it at home because I'm scared of overcooking it but it turns out that I had to worry about other ingredients getting overcooked, too. I turned to pull my sandwich bread off the cast iron skillet and realized one was almost burned in places while the other had the perfect golden shade. I was annoyed at myself for not checking it sooner, but I'd been busy prepping the steak. Once the bread was done, I added the steak to one of the skillets. I added the steak to the skillet. Lara Walsh After the steak was perfectly seasoned, I added some oil to the skillet and started cooking the beef. I then combined portobello mushrooms and onions in the other skillet. The recipe called for Portobello mushrooms and thick-cut onion slices. Lara Walsh Once the steak was cooking on the stove, I added the whole Portobello mushrooms and thick-cut onion slices to the other skillet. Next, I created the glaze. I made the glaze using a combination of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Lara Walsh I started working on the glazing sauce, which is made from a combination of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Using a brush, I began painting the steaks and the veggies with the mixture to create a glaze. After glazing the steak and veggies, I created the second sauce. The second sauce was used for drizzling and spreading. Lara Walsh For the second sauce, which is used for drizzling and spreading, Ramsay said to mix 2 teaspoons of mayo, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. In the video, however, he added heaping spoonfuls of each ingredient. I initially tried measuring the ingredients in teaspoons and tablespoons, but the resulting color and flavor were mostly that of Worcestershire sauce. I tried Ramsay's more informal method and added mayo until the sauce resembled the one he made in the video. When the steak looked done, I added Guinness to both the steak and the veggies. Ramsay didn't specify how much Guinness to put in the pans. Lara Walsh Although the instructions said to assemble the sandwich next, the steak looked like it was done. So, I skipped ahead and added Guinness beer to both the steak and the veggies. Ramsay didn't specify how much Guinness to put in, and I think I may have added too much because the liquid didn't burn off quickly. After letting them simmer in the beer for about five minutes, I took the steak and veggies off the stove to rest. Next, I finally started assembling the sandwich. I layered the ingredients on the bread. Lara Walsh I brushed the sandwich with the mayo mixture, added a layer of peppery arugula and crunchy lettuce, and seasoned it with salt and pepper, per Ramsay's suggestion. After that, I cut the steak against the grain and was pleased to see that although it wasn't as pink as I normally liked, it wasn't dry, either. Trying Ramsay's layering method, I drizzled more sauce, added the whole portobello mushrooms, and then put the sliced steak on top of that. Another drizzle of sauce and some sprinkles of blue cheese later, I was ready to put the top of the sandwich on and cut it in half to serve. The sandwich was delicious, but getting all the different layers in each bite was hard. The steak wasn't tough or chewy. Lara Walsh This was the first time I'd ever made a steak sandwich, and I was happy that it wasn't tough and chewy when I bit into it. Every ingredient really seemed intentional and had complementing flavors. The Worcestershire, blue-cheese chunks, and dijon went well with the grilled meat and mushrooms. The fresh and peppery greens added some crunch to the sandwich. I'm a big fan of red onion, and I think I'd add some more if I were to make this again, as it was hard to get every ingredient into each bite. A surprising star of the show was the red pepper flakes on the bread, which added a delicious yet subtle heat to the meal. Labeling this as a 10-minute sandwich makes it seem deceptively low-effort, but I still enjoyed it. In total, I spent a little under $50 to make the sandwich. Lara Walsh The recipe was pretty hands-on and stressful, as all the ingredients needed to be cooked in a particular order and, in some cases, at the same time. Taking too long on one step could lead to a component getting overcooked. In addition, Ramsay didn't really give exact timing for each step, so it was hard to know when things were "done." An experienced cook might have a better idea of timing, but I'd recommend avoiding multitasking if you're less experienced. This way, you can keep a close eye on the food as it cooks. Even though Ramsay initially emphasized how important it is to rest the meat (which I typically do for 10 minutes), I didn't see him doing that during the video, which made me feel like some of the steps maybe weren't shown on camera for the sake of time. Overall, it ended up taking me 50 minutes to make this sandwich instead of 10, but I'm still really happy with how the finished product turned out. Each ingredient in Ramsay's steak sandwich added a delicious pop of flavor, and it wasn't as expensive to make at home as I'd anticipated. I spent a little under $50 for all the ingredients and had plenty left over for additional tries. One sandwich was more than enough for two people, so I'll definitely be trying to recreate this meal again. Next time, however, I'll hopefully nail the steak and bread a little better. Read the original article on Business Insider Former President Trump marked Memorial Day with attacks on the judges overseeing civil and criminal trials against him and calling his political opponents human scum. After a Truth Social post somberly remembering the fallen early Monday, Trump blasted President Biden and the judges in a lengthy statement. Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, wrote on Truth Social. He specifically called out Judge Lewis Kaplan, calling him a Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge. Kaplan oversaw a pair of defamation cases from writer E. Jean Carroll, which Trump lost and was ordered to pay more than $80 million in damages for. He is appealing the ruling. The former president also attacked Judge Arthur Engoron, who ruled over a civil business fraud trial in New York, which resulted in Trump being ordered to pay more than $450 million in fines. Trump called Engoron a wacko and implied that he will soon levy the same attacks against the judge of his ongoing criminal hush money trial, Juan Merchan. The statement is a stark difference from President Biden, who gave a somber address at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday. Biden used the opportunity to remark on the death of his own son, Beau Biden, who died from brain cancer believed to be caused by exposure to toxic chemicals during his service in the Iraq War. I know it hurts, Biden told the families of fallen veterans. The hurt is still real. Still raw. This week marks nine years since I lost my son Beau. The pain of his loss is with me every day, as it is with you, he said. Still sharp. Still clear. But so is the pride I feel in the service. As if I can still hear him saying, Its my duty, Dad. Its my duty. Dozens of congressional leaders similarly remarked on the holiday with statements of remembrance and gratitude Monday. 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 The Hill. Former President Donald Trump spent the weekend attacking Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan as his New York hush money trial enters its final stages. The defense rested its case last week without Trump taking the stand. Closing arguments are now scheduled to start Tuesday. Merchan will then give the 12 jurors instructions, which are expected to last an hour, before they can proceed with closed-door deliberations to reach a verdict in the case. In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, the former president once again complained about the charges leveled against him, claiming the entire case is led by his main rival in the 2024 race, President Joe Biden, in order to damage his chances in November. There is NO CASE, just a Democrat Persecutor controlled by Crooked Joe Bidens White House, a Democrat Judge, and a biased venue, Trump wrote Sunday. This is nothing but an Election Interfering Witch Hunt, and the American People know it! MAGA2024. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records over a hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to all charges. On Saturday, the former president also blasted special counsel Jack Smith for seeking a gag order for him in the classified documents case over his latest false allegations that FBI agents were prepared to shoot him during the 2022 raid on his Mar-a-Lago property. I guess theyre hoping they can silence me from telling the TRUTH like the Corrupt and Highly Conflicted Judge in New York City has done, Trump wrote. Prosecutors said Trumps comments have endangered law enforcement officers involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case and threatened the integrity of these proceedings. Trump has been charged with 40 felony counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House in January 2021. He has denied wrongdoing. Smith is also prosecuting a second case against Trump over the former presidents efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Aug. 12, 2023. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) On September 13, the judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and his co-defendants threw out three counts in the indictment including two counts against Trump. In order to make sense of the often-overlapping election and court dates for Trump the first former American president to be convicted of a crime weve put together a comprehensive timeline that is being updated regularly. Below is a breakdown of what Trump is being charged with along with the names of those prosecuting him, his co-defendants, judges overseeing them and key dates in each case: Big picture Manhattan hush money case Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump walks to speak to the press after he was convicted in his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 30, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN LANE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Outcome: Guilty on all 34 counts. Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 26. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement What to know: Trump was indicted last March over his role in the so-called hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who said she'd had an affair with Trump, on the eve of the 2016 election. Michael Cohen Trumps longtime fixer who went to federal prison for orchestrating payments to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal (who also said shed had an affair with Trump), as well as for lying to Congress testified multiple times before the grand jury voted to indict the former president. What is Trump charged with? 34 identical criminal counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. [Click here to read the full indictment] Lead prosecutor: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Attorneys representing Trump: Susan Necheles, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove Judge presiding: Juan Manuel Merchan ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read more on Yahoo News: Are prosecutors piling on Trump with too many indictments? Classified documents case This image, contained in the indictment against Trump, shows boxes of records stored in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago. (Justice Department via AP) Outcome: On July 15, Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case, ruling that special counsel Jack Smith's appointment was unlawful. Smith appealed the decision. What to know: Trump was indicted last June on charges stemming from the Justice Departments investigation into his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., after he left office as well as alleged efforts to obstruct the probe. What Trump was charged with? 40 criminal counts in the classified documents case, including: Willful retention of national defense information Conspiracy to obstruct justice Withholding of a document or record Corruptly concealing a document or record Concealing a document in a federal investigation Scheme to conceal False statements and representations [Read the full indictment] ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Who else is being charged? Walt Nauta, Trumps valet and personal aide; and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago. Lead prosecutor: Special counsel Jack Smith Lead attorney representing Trump: Todd Blanche Judge presiding: U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon Read more on Yahoo News: Will Trump's federal trials be televised? Georgia election conspiracy case Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. (Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images) What to know: Trump and his allies were charged in a 41-count indictment stemming from a years-long investigation into their efforts to overturn Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Biden carried Georgia by just 11,779 votes. Three of the counts against Trump were later dismissed, though Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis appealed their dismissal. On Sept. 13, two more counts against Trump were thrown out. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement What is Trump charged with? 8 criminal counts, including: Violation of the Georgia RICO Act Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings False statements and writings [Click here to read the full indictment] Who else is being charged? Eighteen of Trumps allies, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Ray Stallings Smith, Robert Cheeley and Kenneth Cheseboro; former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark; Republican strategist Michael Roman; chairman of the Georgia GOP David Shafer; Georgia Republican state Sen. Shawn Still; police chaplain Stephen Lee; Blacks for Trump organizer Harrison Floyd; publicist Trevian Kutti; former Coffee County GOP chair Cathleen Latham; Fulton County GOP poll watcher Scott Hall; and Coffee County elections supervisor Misty Hampton. Lead prosecutor: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Lawyers representing Trump: Steven Sadow Judge presiding: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee Read more on Yahoo News: Geoff Duncan, a witness in Trump's Georgia case, has a warning for the GOP Jan. 6 case Trump arriving at Reagan National Airport following his arraignment in Washington on Aug. 3, 2023. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) What to know: Last August, a federal grand jury voted to indict the former president over his efforts to hold on to power following his loss in the 2020 election, including his actions leading to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol. On Aug. 27, Special counsel Smith filed a new indictment against Trump that, according to the AP, "keeps the same criminal charges but narrows the allegations against him following a Supreme Court opinion conferring broad immunity on former presidents." What is Trump charged with? Four criminal counts: Conspiracy to defraud the United States Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding Conspiracy against rights ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement [Click here to read the full indictment] Who else is being charged? The indictment lists six unnamed co-conspirators. Lead prosecutor: Special counsel Jack Smith Lead attorney representing Trump: John Lauro Judge presiding: Judge Tanya Chutkan Read more on Yahoo News: No, Trump's poll numbers don't 'go way up' every time he gets indicted Former President Donald Trump fired off a series of furious social media posts the night beforeand in the days leading up tothe final crucial stretch of the former presidents hush-money trial in New York. Both prosecutors and Trumps defense lawyers on Tuesday will begin their week by addressing the jury in closing arguments. It is unknown how long the process will take but is expected to last all day, according to the Associated Press. Once closing arguments are complete, the jury will go into deliberations. On Monday night, Trump once again criticized the judge in the case, Juan Merchan, and complained about the so-called FAKE & MADE UP CASE against him. He referenced Bob Costello, a Trump witness whose testimony was widely panned as a failure. Trump, however, questioned why Costello was so horribly treated and completely shut down by the Conflicted Judge. Trumps Cronies Are Prepared if He Loses Hush Money Case Trump noted another complaint, but said he could not divulge the BIGGEST EVENT OF THEM ALL because of his gag order in the case, incorrectly claiming it was illegal and unconstitutional. He added: This is the Biden White House at work. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! In another post, he whined about the order in which the jury will hear the closing arguments from his legal team and from the prosecutions attorneys. WHY IS THE CORRUPT GOVERNMENT ALLOWED TO MAKE THE FINAL ARGUMENT IN THE CASE AGAINST ME? WHY CANT THE DEFENSE GO LAST? he wrote. BIG ADVANTAGE, VERY UNFAIR. WITCH HUNT! As former federal prosecutor and The Daily Beast commentator Shan Wu noted, The prosecution bears the burden of proof and in some jurisdictions that means they go first and lastmeaning the prosecution gets to rebut the defense. However, in New York, the defense goes first and then the prosecutionno rebuttal. Good-Natured Trump Trial Lawyer Is Turning Into His Accomplice Trump has continually taken aim at Judge Merchan. Days before closing arguments, the former president unleashed on Merchan in an all caps-laden social media post. The reason the Radical, highly Conflicted Judge Juan Merchan had to come up with three FAKE options for the jury to choose from, without requiring them to be unanimous, which is completely UNAMERICAN AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL, is because the Corrupt, Soros backed D.A., Alvin Bragg, couldnt come close to proving that any crime was committed, Trump wrote. THERE WAS NO CRIME, he continued, arguing in a meandering way that he had legally paid a non-disclosure agreement to former porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 electionwhich prosecutors have argued was an illegal attempt to shore up his chances of defeating Hillary Clinton. There is NO CASE, just a Democrat Persecutor controlled by Crooked Joe Bidens White House, a Democrat Judge, and a biased venue, he added. Trump also railed against the week-long recess now underway, asserting that Merchan should have sequestered the jury. How Trumps Defense Could Salvage Its Inept Case at Hush-Money Trial Separately, in an unusual attempt to commemorate the Memorial Day holiday, Trump wrote, Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesnt count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for DEFAMATION. The jury could begin deliberating as soon as the middle of this week. Trump faces 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. If convicted, he could be sentenced to jailan unprecedented scenario for a former president and a leading candidate heading into the November election. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. On a solemn day of remembrance and honoring the nation's fallen heroes, former President Donald Trump posted rival messages honoring America's military war dead and wishing a "Happy Memorial Day to All," including, he wrote, "the Human Scum" involved in his New York legal cases. A lengthy mid-morning missive on his Truth Social platform focused exclusively on his court battles, primarily in New York state. The post took aim at the proceedings by a writer who won a sexual assault and defamation civil case against Trump as well as the business fraud case brought by the New York attorney general that has resulted in an almost $500 million judgment against him, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric and the family empire, the Trump Organization. It also included a swipe at the judge presiding over the ongoing criminal case against him in Manhattan, in which closing arguments are expected to begin on Tuesday. A screen grab of a Memorial Day message former President Donald Trump has posted on his social media platform. Trump also pinned to his Truth Social account a photo of him at attention and saluting at a war memorial with the following quote: "We can never replace the, We can never repay them. But we can always remember. Today, that is what we are doing we remember." Trump's dual messaging contrasted with other expressions of remembrance. U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat whose district includes Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, issued a message of gratitude and respect on X, formerly Twitter. "Im grateful every day that my son returned home safely from two deployments, but not all families can be so lucky," she wrote about her son, who served in the U.S. Marines. "On this Memorial Day, we honor those servicemembers who gave their lives defending our freedoms, and we keep their loved ones in our thoughts." At Arlington National Cemetery, President Joe Biden said every fallen American service member is "a link in the chain of honor stretching back to our founding days. Each one bound by common commitment not to a place, not to a person, not to a President, but to an idea unlike any idea in human history: the idea of the United States of America." He also reflected on the loss of his own son, Beau, a U.S. Army veteran who died in 2015 from cancer the president explained was contracted from his proximity to a toxic burn pit while serving in Iraq. "And as it is for so many of you, the pain of his loss is with me every day, as it is with you -- still sharp, still clear," Biden said. "But so is the pride I feel in his service, as if I can still hear him saying, 'Its my duty, Dad. Its my duty.' " The 2024 presumptive Republican nominee's Memorial Day messages also drew attention as his reverence of U.S military casualties has been called into question in the past. Last fall, former White House chief of staff John Kelly confirmed in a statement that then-President Trump disparaged American service members and veterans. "A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all suckers because there is nothing in it for them,'" wrote Kelly, a retired four-star general whose son was killed in combat in Afghanistan. "A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because it doesnt look good for me. A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family for all Gold Star families on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in Americas defense are losers and wouldnt visit their graves in France. Trump has denied the claim. And he rifled off a scathing attack on Kelly on social media after the general issued his statement. John Kelly, by far the dumbest of my Military people, just picked up the theme of the Radical Lefts lying about Gold Star Families and Soldiers, in his hatred of me, Trump wrote. He was incapable of doing a good job, it was too much for him, and I couldnt stand the guy, so I fired him like a dog.' Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump Memorial Day missive includes 'human scum' in NY legal proceedings Former President Trump and Manhattan prosecutors are gearing up to make their final pitch to a jury before beginning deliberations over whether to convict Trump for a hush money scheme that led to charges of falsifying business records in New York. Both sides will deliver their closing arguments Tuesday, attempting to weave together testimony from 22 witnesses into a narrative they each believe will persuade the 12 New Yorkers in their favor. Judge Juan Merchan, who oversees the trial, has warned jurors that closings could extend into a second day. In a case like this, which is a rather long case, summations will not be quick, Merchan told them. The jurors will return to the courtroom a full week after witness testimony concluded. Merchan reluctantly excused jurors early last week until after the Memorial Day holiday, lamenting to the lawyers that he had never given such a long break. Unfortunately, the calendar is what it is, the judge remarked. When the trial does reconvene Tuesday morning, New York state law prescribes that Trumps lawyers will deliver their closing argument first. Trump attorney Todd Blanche previously told the jury that they would be left with plenty of reasonable doubt at the end of the trial and swiftly acquit the former president on all charges. Hes cloaked in innocence, Blanche told the jury. And that cloak of innocence does not leave President Trump today. It doesnt leave him at any day during this trial. And it wont leave him when you all deliberate. You will find that he is not guilty. Many legal experts doubt all 12 New Yorkers would unanimously agree to acquit Trump, suggesting the defense will instead be inclined to hope for a lone holdout who could create a hung jury, which would end with Merchan declaring a mistrial. If I were advising defense counsel, I would say dont go for an acquittal, said John Coffee, a Columbia Law School professor whos closely followed the case. You can talk about it, but really emphasize on getting a hung jury, making a speech to each juror that it is your duty, regardless of what others tell you, to decide for yourself, he continued. To do so, much of the defenses strategy has relied on attacking Michael Cohen, prosecutors star witness who made the hush money payment at the center of the case, portraying Trumps former fixer as a serial liar. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records that accuse him of covering up Cohens $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels by disguising reimbursements to Cohen as a monthly retainer fee. Trump pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing. Cohen arguably provided the most damning testimony against Trump of any witness, saying the former president was informed about the hush money arrangement and the repayment scheme at every turn. The defense did throw a few punches, highlighting Cohens past admission to lying under oath, insinuating he had lied about a key phone call with Trump and having him acknowledge he stole from the Trump Organization. Catherine Christian, a former Manhattan special assistant district attorney now in private practice, called those blows minor hiccups for the prosecution but said she expects the defense will return to them. Whoever is going to give the summation is going to call Michael Cohen a liar, a thief, you cant trust him, vindictive, hates him, wrote a book called Revenge, Christian said. The defense could also return to their primary witness, Robert Costello, a former legal adviser to Cohen who contested Trumps involvement in the hush money deals and an alleged pressure campaign on Cohen to not flip when federal investigators closed in on him in 2018. But Costellos appearance quickly turned chaotic, leading the judge to clear the courtroom as he lambasted the witness for improper decorum. The jury was removed before that admonishment, but it did observe some of the witnesss audible reactions. Its going to be heavy, heavy, heavy on horrible, horrible Michael Cohen that will be the defense, and itll be interesting if they even mention Costello, Christian said. The defense has previewed several other strategies they may also raise: the hush money payment was intended to prevent embarrassment to Melania Trump, not the campaign; the 34 allegedly falsified records were truthful; and prosecutors didnt prove Trump had an intent to defraud. After the defense finishes Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorneys office will get one last chance to rehabilitate Cohen, whom they called as their 20th and final witness. Coffee, the Columbia Law School professor, said the strategy lessens Cohens role by having earlier witnesses carry the load of explaining the purpose of the alleged conspiracy. The prosecution will be emphasizing that Mr. Cohens testimony overlaps with most other witnesses. Its like a jigsaw puzzle; he is the one piece that fits and makes everything else consistent, Coffee said. Its a theme prosecutors have regularly emphasized to jurors as they watched the roughly four weeks of testimony and examined dozens of emails, text messages, phone records and other documents. After all of that evidence is in, well have a chance to speak to you again during closing arguments, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told jurors at the start of the trial. My colleague, Joshua Steinglass, will go through all of that evidence and explain that it, inescapably, leads to only one conclusion: Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. 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 The Hill. Its not a pretty picture: What a second Trump presidency could mean for Ukraine Former U.S. President Donald Trump has remained largely silent about foreign policy lately. Amid his hush-money trial in New York City, he has focused on attacking campus protesters over the war in Gaza, criticizing U.S. President Joe Biden, and attempting to undermine court proceedings. As the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Trump has barely mentioned Ukraine or articulated any policy positions regarding the country or Russias war against it. With less than six months away from the U.S. presidential election, Trumps vague past remarks on foreign policy, his public admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the varied views within and outside the GOP are shaping the discourse in his absence. I will have the disastrous war between Russia and Ukraine settled, Trump claimed in early 2023 at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Itll take me no longer than one day." Despite posting frequently on his social media network Truth Social, he has mentioned Ukraine only a few times in recent months. We should never give money anymore without the hope of a payback, or without strings attached, one of Trumps Truth Social posts read in February. Another from April said, As everyone agrees, Ukrainian Survival and Strength should be much more important to Europe than to us, but it is also important to us! GET MOVING EUROPE! Donald Trump speaks at a presidential campaign event at Crotona Park in the South Bronx in New York City on May 23, 2024 (JB Lacroix/GC Images) Trumps calls for Europe to provide more aid and his repetition of the claim that Russia wouldnt have invaded Ukraine had he been in office are among his few public comments on the issue. Experts on the topic, like Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, are critical of Trumps claims. He talks about they havent paid their money to NATO, he doesnt understand its not about paying money to NATO, its a commitment to devote 2% of your GDP to defense spending, Pifer said. Thats someone who doesnt understand the American national security interest in having a stable and secure trans-Atlantic region. Strategic silence Last month, as the U.S. Congress passed $61 billion in U.S. aid for Ukraine, Trumps strategic ambiguity, at least, was loud and clear. He softened his opposition to aid in April, aiming to avoid public backlash as his trial for falsifying business records began. He publicly supported U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson as he navigated the aid packages passage. Johnson did, however, include a provision, supported by Trump and many Republicans, directing the president to seek repayment of $10 billion in economic assistance starting in 2026. A "Trump 2020" hat is seen as U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks in opposition to funding for the war in Ukraine on the House steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., United States, on Sep. 26, 2023. (Elizabeth Frantz for The Washington Post via Getty Images) Trumps insistence on a loan reflects a sentiment among the MAGA right, influenced by Russian propaganda, that the war is an easily solvable border dispute. Without specifics, Trump has repeatedly claimed that he can resolve Russias war in Ukraine before Inauguration Day. Privately, he has said he would pressure Ukraine to cede territory to Moscow, including Crimea and the Donbas, according to The Washington Post. I will say certain things to each one of them that I wouldnt say to the rest of the world, and thats why I cant tell you much more than that, Trump said in a March interview with former aide Sebastian Gorka, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin. At a rally in New Jersey this May, Trump mentioned Ukraine in the context of claiming that the Palestinian militant group Hamas wouldnt have attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, nor would Russia have invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, if he had been president. The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment, but Trump repeated the same remarks at a rally in New York City this May. Admiring autocrats Trump has voiced in public his admiration of autocratic leaders like Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Despite this, many Americans fail to grasp the dangers a second Trump presidency could pose, according to Jacob Heilbrunn, author of the new book, America Last: The Rights Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators. Its not a pretty picture, Heilbrunn told the Kyiv Independent, noting the false belief that Trump fits into traditional presidential molds. (Electing Trump) is the equivalent of electing Viktor Orban or Vladimir Putin to become President of the United States, Heilbrunn said. Heilbrunn predicts Trump will immediately abandon Ukraine, while others suggest his presidency could exacerbate the conflict in other ways. Michael Kimmage, a Cold War historian who held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio for the State Department during the Obama Administration, posits two scenarios: the war could continue as before, or the United States could become more deeply involved. Kimmage himself believes Trump might escalate the war to distinguish himself from his predecessors or to strengthen his case for holding negotiations. Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and US President Donald Trump arrive for a group photo at the G20 Summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images) Currently, the void left by Trumps limited comments on Ukraine has been filled by conservative voices: Former CIA Director and Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently criticized Biden administration restrictions on Kyiv using U.S.-supplied weapons on targets in Russia. He also told the BBC that the U.S. hasnt provided Ukraine with the resources needed to win the war. And in a recent New York Times essay, What Trump Could Do in Foreign Policy Might Surprise the World, Curt Mills, executive editor of The American Conservative, repeated themes of Trump being a skilled negotiator and that his return to the White House could offer surprising opportunities for peace. Who is going to be in front of Trump is what actually matters, Mills said, who spoke with the Kyiv Independent about the team forming around Trump and the impact they might have on policy toward Ukraine in a presumptive Trump 2.0 administration. The bar has been lowered unbelievably, Mills said, discussing what has become possible for a U.S. president to do. If Trump doesnt withdraw from NATO its going to be a surprise. Pifer, the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, emphasized the concerns over a possible U.S. withdrawal from NATO, given Trumps experience in staffing decisions in his first term, and the loyalists he is likely to bring into a second term. Ominous silence While a recent NYT/Sienna College poll indicates that Ukraine is not a top issue for U.S. voters in crucial swing states, and the more than a dozen Republicans who voted to pass the $61 billion aid package faced no backlash in their subsequent primaries, foreign leaders and conservative politicians continue to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, convinced they can influence his thinking on Ukraine. Orban, after visiting in March, said Trump wouldnt give a penny to Ukraine, while former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently said hes tried to convince Trump that aiding Ukraine is in U.S. interests. Meanwhile, the Trump-affiliated America First Policy Institute (AFPI) recently published a national security book advocating that any future U.S. aid to Kyiv be contingent on Ukrainian participation in peace talks with Russia. One of AFPIs chairpersons is Robert Lighthizer, Trumps former trade ambassador and a current policy adviser. Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in the South Bronx in New York City, United States on May 23, 2024. (Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images) As U.S. cable networks no longer air Trumps speeches, speculation on how Trump feels about Ukraine is growing, and current GOP leaders are speaking up. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, the Republican of Kentucky, told ABC News in April that Trumps silent support for Speaker Johnson was crucial for passing the aid package, potentially swaying part of the Republican party towards a more engaged global stance and away from Trumps isolationism. However, A CBS News poll that surveyed U.S. voters found that among Republicans, Trump remains the most trusted source for information on Russias war in Ukraine. Republicans who trust Trump are also unlikely to support further aid to Ukraine, according to the poll. If his voters put their trust in him to inform them on the war in Ukraine, some also put their faith in him to end it. One Trump supporter at his rally in New York City this May, Drew, a 25-year-old who requested only his first name be shared, said he believes Trumps priority is to end the war immediately. I think he can do it, I think he has good negotiation skills and has prior experience with Putin and Zelensky. Read also: Politico: Biden to shift public focus from Ukraine to economy during election campaign Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Donald Trump has told a group of wealthy donors that he will crush pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses if he is returned to the White House. The former president and presumptive Republican nominee called the demonstrations against Israels war in Gaza part of a radical revolution and promised the predominantly Jewish donors that he would set the movement back 25 or 30 years if they helped him beat Joe Biden in Novembers presidential election. If you get me re-elected, were going to set that movement back 25 or 30 years, Trump replied, according to the Washington Post, which first reported the event. Trump also said his administration would expel any foreign students found to be taking part in the protests, which have recently taken the form of tented encampments in colleges across the US. Addressing the meeting in New York on 14 May, Trump heard one donor complain that many of the students and faculty academics taking part in the protests could, in future, hold positions of power in the US. He praised New York police for clearing the encampments at Columbia University and said the approach should be emulated by other cities, adding: It has to be stopped now. Republicans have increasingly sought to make the campus protests an election issue, depicting them as a manifestation of chaos rampaging unchecked on Bidens watch. Congressional Republicans have staged a series of hearings on Capitol Hill to highlight the trend, focusing on reports of antisemitism among protesters and alleging multiple failures of university presidents to combat it. In the latest hearing last week, GOP members of the education and the workforce committee assailed the presidents of Northwestern and Rutgers universities for negotiating voluntary dismantlements of the encampments, rather than calling in the police, as advocated by Trump. In further remarks to the donors, Trump performed an apparent U-turn on Israels offensive in Gaza after months of equivocating by saying that he supports the countrys right to continue its war on terror. He has previously said Israel is losing the PR war with its actions in Gaza. More than 36,000 Palestinians have so far been killed in an operation originally launched in retaliation for last Octobers murderous assault by Hamas, which resulted in about 1,200 Israelis being killed and another 253 being taken hostage. Related: Trump revives false claim that Biden authorized deadly force for Mar-a-Lago search Speaking to the mass-circulation Israel Hayom newspaper in March, Trump said: You have to finish up your war You gotta get it done. He has also said Israel should get back to peace and stop killing people. In his donor meeting which he joked was attended by 98% of my Jewish friends Trump reportedly failed to mention the name of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, who he resents for recognising Bidens victory in the 2020 election and has not spoken to since. But he boasted of his policies towards Israel, namely the decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the recognition of the Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights, which Israel took from Syria in the 1967 six-day war. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has amended the Procedure for granting interest subsidies to entrepreneurs through the Entrepreneurship Development Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan on loans received by entrepreneurs in manats from credit organizations, approved by the decree of February 1, 2024, Trend reports. President Ilham Aliyev signed a new decree in this regard. According to the decree, the payment of interest subsidies to entrepreneurs whose loans were restructured due to late payments for more than 90 days will not be suspended from now on. Donald Trump recently told a group of donors that if he wins the 2024 presidential election, he will throw out students who attend pro-Palestinian protests, according to the Washington Post. One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country. You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, theyre going to behave, Trump said, according to donors at the event, whom the Post did not name. It is unclear if he meant he would throw out all students, regardless of their nationality, or only non-U.S. citizens studying here. Over the past several months, anti-war protests have cropped up at dozens of schools and universities across the country, beginning with Columbia University in New York, where tent enclosures and campus occupations disrupted final weeks of class, canceling its graduation ceremony. Though the demonstrations have been largely peaceful, the NYPD violently cracked down on them, arresting hundreds of people in April and May. (Many of those charges were later dropped, according to the news organization The City.) During the donor event, which per the Post occurred on May 14 in New York City, Trump called the protests a radical revolution and commended the NYPDs reaction to the organizers, which he said [have] to be stopped now. If re-elected, he promised, were going to set that movement back 25 or 30 years. This is not the first time the former president has threatened student protesters. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Trump told attendees at a campaign rally that he would not tolerate foreign students participating in demonstrations. If you come here from another country and try to bring jihadism or anti-Americanism or antisemitism to our campuses, we will immediately deport you, youll be out of that school, Trump told a crowd in Wildwood, New Jersey on May 11. According to the Washington Post, Trump joked at the private donor event that 98 percent of my Jewish friends were present in the room, and went on to promise support for Israel in the event that he wins in November. He said he believes Israels actions to be a justified war on terror and as president he would support the country. This is also not the first time hes expressed support for Israel in the current Gaza war. During an appearance on Fox News in March, Trump said that he was firmly in Israels camp, and said of Israels strikes on Gazans, you have to finish the problem. According to Al Jazeera, at least 36,050 Palestinians have been killed in the war so far, as have at least 1,139 people in Israel. Though the Post noted that a representative for Trump did not answer detailed questions about their reporting, they did receive an email from the campaigns national secretary, Karoline Leavitt. When President Trump is back in the Oval Office, Israel will once again be protected, Iran will go back to being broke, terrorists will be hunted down, and the bloodshed will end, she wrote. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Donald Trump told campaign donors that, should he return to the White House in November, he would deport pro-Palestinian student demonstrators in order to get them to behave. The former president promised a crackdown on campus protests that have swept across the country over the past few months as he spoke at a roundtable event in New York earlier this month. One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country. You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, theyre going to behave, Mr Trump said, according to event attendees, who spoke to The Washington Post anonymously. According to the sources, the former president joked that the group of donors at the event encompassed 98 per cent of my Jewish friends. Protests have swept US college campuses since the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people. The ensuing Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place at campuses across the US in recent months, including at New Yorks Columbia University, where more than a hundred protesters were arrested late last month (AFP via Getty Images) At the roundtable event on 14 May, one of the donors present complained that many of the students and professors protesting on campuses could one day hold positions of power in the US. Mr Trump said that the demonstrations were a radical revolution that he promised to defeat, per The Post. Referencing efforts by the New York Police Department (NYPD) to clear protests at Columbia University last month, he praised the force and said that nationwide protests needed to be stopped now. Well, if you get me elected, and you should really be doing this, if you get me reelected, were going to set that movement back 25 or 30 years, he said, according to the donors who spoke to The Post. The former president has made sweeping statements about the war in the Middle East, saying that it is time to get back to peace and stop killing people. According to The Post, Republican donors have recently lobbied him to take a stronger stance backing Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The Post reported, per its sources, that Mr Trump told donors behind closed doors that he supports Israels right to continue its war on terror. He has repeatedly claimed that the attack by Hamas on 7 October would have never happened if he were president at the time. Republican donors have reportedly lobbied Mr Trump in recent months to take a stronger stance backing Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu (Getty Images) The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment about reports. It comes as the Biden administration faces strong calls to condemn Mr Netanyahu, after Israeli forces conducted an airstrike on tents in Rafah, meant for displaced Palestinians. The attack on Sunday killed at least 45 people and injured dozens more, according to Gaza health authorities. Mr Netanyahu subsequently called the strike a tragic mistake and said that it would be investigated. On Monday, Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, wrote on X: Genocidal maniac Netanyahu told us he wants to ethically cleanse Palestinians. When are you going to believe him @POTUS? TUSCUMBIA, Ala (WHNT) The Tuscumbia Police Chief says one man is dead and another is charged with manslaughter after a shooting in Tuscumbia Sunday. According to Police Chief Tony Logan, 72-year-old Jerry Wayne Fisher was arrested and charged with manslaughter after a shooting on his property on Foster Nolan Place Road. The chief said the shooting happened around 2:50 p.m. on Sunday. Mike Tyson suffers medical emergency on flight Logan said 49-year-old John Kevin Farley was shot and airlifted from the scene but died of his injuries while en route to the hospital. The chief said the two men had a history regarding a property dispute before the shooting. 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. A damaged gas station in Russia. Photo from the Astra Telegram channel Two drones have fallen at an oil depot in the town of Livny in Russia's Oryol Oblast. Source: Andrei Klychkov, Governor of Russias Oryol Oblast Quote: "A drone fell at a fuel station in the town of Livny during another large-scale attack on Oryol Oblast this morning. Part of the facade of the office building was damaged. Emergency services as well as city administration representatives promptly arrived to contain the fire and deal with the aftermath. Another drone crashed while they were working at the fuel station." Details: Klychkov added that a fire appliance driver had been killed at the scene. He added that three other emergency service employees had been injured. Background: At the beginning of May, authorities in Russia's Oryol and Kursk oblasts reported drone attacks and damage to energy infrastructure facilities. Support UP or become our patron! Two Quincy residents killed in wrong-way crash on I-93 in Methuen Two people were killed in an early morning wrong-way crash involving three vehicles on Interstate 93 in Methuen, state police announced. The crash happened just after 2 a.m. Monday on the southbound side of I-93 near Exit 43. A preliminary investigation indicates that a 2020 Toyota Rav4 was traveling in the wrong direction, northbound in the southbound lanes, according to state police. Police said the Rav4, operated by a 53-year-old Quincy resident, struck a 2021 Toyota Camry head-on. The driver of the Camry, a 21-year-old Quincy resident, was determined to be deceased on the scene, police said. State police said after the head-on crash, the Camry came into contact with a third vehicle. The driver of that vehicle was not injured, according to police. The driver of the Rav4 was transported to an area hospital where they were pronounced dead, police said. All three lanes of I-93 were closed for approximately three hours while authorities investigated this crash, according to police. The crash remains under investigation. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The Defence Intelligence of the United Kingdom has dedicated its review to the recently published Politruk Russian journal, aimed at aiding in the education of Russian soldiers. Source: UK Defence Intelligence review dated 27 May, as reported by European Pravda In the introductory article by Deputy Defence Minister General Colonel Viktor Goremykin, who heads the Main Political Directorate of the Armed Forces, it is clearly stated that the new journal heavily draws on the legacy of Soviet military publications aimed at the political education of military personnel. Goremykin quotes Stalin, speaking about "the importance of political education of soldiers and the need to mortally hate the enemy." Quote: "The journal emphasises that the enemy in Ukraine today is the same as the enemy the Soviet Union was fighting, namely the Nazis. A map of Ukraine published in the journal is used to support arguments, casting doubt on the authenticity of Ukrainian statehood, and hence to justify the invasion," the review states. The intelligence emphasises that this journal reflects the politicised use of history, which has become a noticeable feature of Russian educational policy in recent years, especially after the invasion of Ukraine, and continues to fuel military narratives that Russia uses to influence its servicemen and the population at large. Background: In a previous review, the intelligence stated that the Russian forces failed to achieve Vladimir Putin's declared goal of creating a "buffer zone" in the north of Kharkiv Oblast. Previously, UK Defence Intelligence had drawn attention to the entrenched corruption within the structures of the Russian Defence Ministry and expressed expectations of new arrests within the ministry. Support UP or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- The Labour Party pledged to review plans to cut the UK governments stake in NatWest Group Plc if it wins the upcoming general election. Most Read from Bloomberg Efforts to sell shares in NatWest to the public have been put on hold after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unexpectedly called the elections for July 4, Bloomberg News reported last week. Labour will review the details if we form the next government after the general election, a party spokesperson said. Any decisions we take will be about ensuring value for money for the taxpayer and investors. The Treasury remains NatWests biggest shareholder after its 46 billion ($59 billion) bailout of what was then Royal Bank of Scotland during the financial crisis, though its no longer considered a controlling shareholder after its ownership of the bank dropped below 30% in March. UK Government Investments, the Treasury-owned company that holds the stake in NatWest, had previously said it could be ready to proceed with the retail offering as early as June. The government has already hired advisers including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Barclays Plc for the work. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The Azerbaijan Armys Training and Educational Center hosted a meeting between civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) experts from the Ministries of Defense of Azerbaijan and Serbia, Trend reports via the ministry. The Azerbaijan Army's efforts and foreign experience in military-civilian cooperation were highlighted in a detailed presentation given to the guests. In response, Serbian delegates lauded the CIMIC program and its achievements in this area. Prior to the meeting's conclusion, attendees reviewed the briefings and asked and answered questions about topics of interest to both parties. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel (Bloomberg) -- Ukraine is preparing for a possible initial visit from French military instructors as the government asks NATO allies to help train Kyivs troops to the fight against the Russian invasion, according to commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Most Read from Bloomberg The statement on Monday came after a phone call that the army chief and Ukraines Defense Minister Rustem Umerov held with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu. Syrskyi praised France for its initiative to send instructors to train Ukrainian troops, without saying when they would arrive or for how long. Paris has given no public indication yet that such a visit was imminent. Ive already signed the documents that will allow the first French instructors to visit our training centers soon and familiarize themselves with their infrastructure and staff, Syrskyi said on Telegram. Training troops inside Ukraine has been one of the options discussed since a conference that President Emmanuel Macron convened in Paris in February, according to a French defense ministry official. France continues to work with Ukraine to understand their exact needs, the official said. With Russia advancing on the battlefield, Ukraine has pushed the US and other NATO allies to send instructors to train its depleted forces and to deliver more weapons and ammunition. Macron sparked tensions with allies earlier this year when he said nothing should be ruled out when asked about sending Western troops to Ukraine. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, who was re-elected for a second term on Sunday, has said repeatedly that his country is prepared to send professional soldiers for training missions to Ukraine should Kyiv request it. Czech President Petr Pavel said in March that sending instructors would be possible, but ruled out combat troops. The New York Times reported earlier this month that member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are moving closer to sending instructors into Ukraine to train its troops. --With assistance from Ania Nussbaum. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Ukraine to sign security agreement with Lithuania soon Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has stated that a bilateral security pact with Lithuania will be signed soon. Source: Zelenskyy on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy stated that while on his way to Spain on Monday, he spoke by phone with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and congratulated him on his convincing election victory. Zelenskyy and Nauseda talked about preparations for major international events like the Peace Summit in Switzerland, the European Council Summit, and the NATO Summit. Quote: "Lithuania and President Nauseda are personally making every effort to ensure that these events are successful for Ukraine, European unity, and global security. We also agreed to sign a bilateral security agreement in the near future based on the G7 declaration signed right in Vilnius," Zelenskyy said. President Zelenskyy arrived in Spain on a visit on Monday, where, as expected, a security agreement will be signed between the two countries. On 24 May, media reported on the start of official negotiations between Ukraine and Poland on a bilateral security agreement. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement between the two countries on May 27. Spain has become the 10th country to sign such an agreement, together with the U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Latvia. The treaties are based on a pledge made by the Group of Seven (G7) countries last July and are designed to help Kyiv fend off Russian forces and deter future aggression. Under the agreement, Spain will provide Ukraine with the support of 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in 2024 and 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) by 2027, Sanchez said during a press conference. This year's package will include air defense support to help Kyiv repel Russian aerial attacks, he added. Spain will also continue to supply Ukraine with modern military equipment, support medical training and prosthetics for soldiers, and strengthen Ukraine's maritime security. The two countries will deepen cooperation in intelligence, fight against organized crime, and defense industry. The agreement also covers humanitarian aid, recovery assistance, and support for Ukraine's EU and NATO membership and its 10-point peace formula. The document also addresses sanctions against Russia and mechanisms to compensate for war damages and for bringing the aggressor to justice. Zelensky arrived in Spain earlier on May 27, announcing the plans to sign a bilateral deal later during the day. The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the new military aid package would include over a dozen Patriot anti-aircraft missiles and 19 second-hand German-made Leopard 2A4s as well as other Spanish-made weapons. Read also: Zelensky arrives in Spain to sign bilateral security deal Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. During his visit to Madrid, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a security cooperation agreement between Ukraine and Spain. Source: broadcast of the event on Zelenskyys Facebook page, as reported by European Pravda Details: The terms of this deal have not been released officially. After signing the agreement and meeting with Zelenskyy, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that it was Spain's responsibility to support Ukraine in a variety of ways during the war that has been raging for two years now. He stated that Spain became the eighth country to sign a bilateral deal with Ukraine. The agreement, among other things, will focus on arms support, reconstruction assistance and mine clearance. "Ukraine can count on Spain in its struggle for peace, in protecting all the values that unite us," Sanchez said. Background: Zelenskyy arrived in Spain on his first official visit on 27 May. Zelenskyy had to postpone his visit to Spain 10 days ago due to the Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky (L), is received by the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez (r), upon his arrival for a meeting at La Moncloa Palace. During their meeting, Sanchez and Zelensky signed a new bilateral security agreement, as Ukraine has already done with other EU and NATO countries. Carlos Lujan/EUROPA PRESS/dpa Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday signed a bilateral security agreement in the Spanish capital. The deal provides for more than 1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in aid for Kiev, including anti-aircraft missiles, Leopard tanks and ammunition. "The agreement is based on a comprehensive vision of security and therefore covers various areas such as the military sector, financial support and cooperation between the military industries," Sanchez said at a press conference. Zelensky called the deal "live-saving aid in these difficult times," saying it would be crucial in defending Ukraine against Russian forces. Spanish media said it was the largest military aid package in the country's history. Sanchez was also asked about Ukraine's demands for authorization to use Western weapons against targets on Russian territory. He responded: "We certainly don't have this will, this intention, and I have no information about it." The Ukrainian president arrived in Madrid earlier on Monday on his first state visit to Spain. He was greeted by King Felipe VI on landing at Madrid-Barajas airport before meeting Sanchez. Zelensky later attended a reception at the Royal Palace and met with parliamentary leaders Francina Armengol and Pedro Rollan. His visit to Spain and Portugal was originally planned for the middle of the month. However, the Ukrainian president was forced to postpone following the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region. A new date for a visit to Portugal has not yet been officially announced, although there was speculation in Lisbon that Zelensky could fly on to Portugal from Spain. The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky (L), is received by the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez (r), upon his arrival for a meeting at La Moncloa Palace. During their meeting, Sanchez and Zelensky signed a new bilateral security agreement, as Ukraine has already done with other EU and NATO countries. Carlos Lujan/EUROPA PRESS/dpa Key developments on May 27: Ukrainian drone strikes Russian early-warning radar 1,800 kilometers away France to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian soldiers, Syrskyi says NATO Parliamentary Assembly supports Ukraine's right to hit targets inside Russia using Western arms Ukraine, Spain sign bilateral security agreement Russia claims capture of 2 villages in Kharkiv, Donetsk oblasts, Ukraine hasn't confirmed Russian attack on Mykolaiv Oblast town kills 3, injures 6 A long-range drone operated by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) attacked an early-warning Voronezh M radar system in Russia's Orenburg Oblast on May 26, a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent on May 27. For the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine attacked facilities in Orsk, some 1,800 kilometers (around 1,200 miles) from the drone's launch location, according to the source. Russian media claimed on May 26 that a drone fell in the Orsk suburbs, allegedly targeting a military facility. No damages or casualties were reported. Voronezh M radar system. (Russian Defense Ministry) The military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent that the consequences of the May 26 attack are still being clarified. Later during the day, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Schemes project published satellite imagery of the radar system after the attack. While the low resolution of the footage does not allow to accurately assess the extent of the damage, dark spots visible on May 27 possibly traces of fire caused by the drone strike seem to confirm the attack. Ukraine's military intelligence also struck another Voronezh radar system in the village of Glubokii in Krasnodar Krai on May 23, causing a fire at the facility, according to the source. The Voronezh radar is an early-warning equipment that provides long-distance airspace monitoring, focusing on ballistic missile and aircraft. Its operational range is up to 6,000 kilometers (around 3,700 miles). Read also: Ukraines drone companies face death, migration, or global acquisition amid defense spending squeeze France to send instructors to Ukraine to train soldiers, Syrskyi says France is planning to send instructors to Ukraine to train the military, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 27 after a call with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu. The announcement comes after reports that some NATO member states are discussing the possibility of sending military instructors or contractors to Ukraine to train troops and assist with equipment repairs. Kyiv has asked the U.S. and other NATO countries to help train 150,000 soldiers closer to the front lines, according to the New York Times. Syrskyi said he had already signed documents "that will allow the first French instructors to visit our training centers soon and see infrastructure and staff." "I believe that France's determination will encourage other partners to join this ambitious project," the general said, without disclosing further details. France's Defense Ministry told Reuters that training in Ukraine "is one of the projects discussed since the conference on support for Ukraine" hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in February. "Like all the projects discussed at that time, this track continues to be the subject of work with the Ukrainians, in particular to understand their exact needs," the ministry said. The U.S. and multiple European allies, as well as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, have distanced themselves from the French president's statement. However, several countries have not ruled out sending troops for non-combat missions, such as training the Ukrainian military. NATO PA supports Ukraine's right to hit targets inside Russia using Western arms NATO allies should lift restrictions that prohibit Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons against military targets inside Russia, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly said in a declaration adopted on May 27. Some of the countries that supply the most military aid to Ukraine, namely the U.S. and Germany, are against Ukraine using their weapons to strike Russian territory due to fears this would lead to an escalation of the war. Other partners, such as the U.K., have said that Ukraine has the right to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russian territory. NATO member states should "support Ukraine in its international right to defend itself by lifting some restrictions on the use of weapons provided by NATO allies to strike legitimate targets in Russia," the declaration said. "Ukraine must be provided with all that it needs, as quickly as possible and for as long as it takes for it to win." The declaration was approved by a majority of the 281 lawmakers in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and received support from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said that "the right to self-defense includes hitting legitimate targets outside Ukraine." Read also: Swedish minister on Kyiv striking Russian soil with Western arms: Ukraine has right to defend itself "Ukraine can only defend itself if it can attack Russias supply lines and Russian bases of operation," the NATO Parliamentary Assembly President Michal Szczerba said. Ukraine has repeatedly said that the restrictions meant Ukraine was unable to attack Russian forces as they were building up before crossing the border into Kharkiv Oblast in the renewed Russian offensive that began on May 10. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis criticized the restrictions on May 20, arguing that the decision was "dominated by fear of Russia" and that Ukraine "must be allowed to use the equipment provided to them so that they can achieve strategic objectives." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on May 26 that Germany gave clear rules to Ukraine prohibiting the use of German weapons on Russian soil and that he sees no reason to change this. Subscribe to newsletter War Notes Subscribe Ukraine, Spain sign bilateral security agreement Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement between the two countries on May 27. Spain became the 10th country to sign such an agreement, together with the U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Latvia. The treaties are based on a pledge made by the Group of Seven (G7) countries last July and are designed to help Kyiv fend off Russian forces and deter future aggression. Under the agreement, Spain will provide Ukraine with the support of 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in 2024 and 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) by 2027, Sanchez said during a press conference. This year's package will include air defense support to help Kyiv repel Russian aerial attacks, he added. Spain will also continue to supply Ukraine with modern military equipment, support medical training and prosthetics for soldiers, and strengthen Ukraine's maritime security. The two countries will deepen cooperation in the defense industry, fight organized crime, and bolster intelligence coopertion. The agreement also covers humanitarian aid, recovery assistance, and support for Ukraine's EU and NATO membership and the country's 10-point peace formula. The document also addresses sanctions against Russia and mechanisms to compensate for war damages and for bringing the aggressor to justice. Read also: What to expect from Zelenskys visit to Spain today Zelensky arrived in Spain earlier on May 27, announcing the plans to sign a bilateral deal later during the day. The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the new military aid package would include over a dozen Patriot anti-aircraft missiles and 19 German-made Leopard 2A4s. The package would also include Spanish-made weapons. Russia claims capture of 2 villages in Kharkiv, Donetsk oblasts, Ukraine hasn't confirmed The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on May 27 that its forces had captured the villages of Netailove in Donetsk Oblast and Ivanivka in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast. Ukrainian officials have not commented on Russia's claims. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports. Netailove lies less than 15 kilometers northwest of occupied Donetsk. Ukraine's General Staff said on May 27 that fights are ongoing near Netailove, adding that the situation there is "tense." The crowd-sourced DeepState monitoring site reported overnight on May 27 that Russian forces had advanced near several settlements in Donetsk Oblast and occupied Netailove. Ivanivka lies around 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Kupiansk, a town close to Kharkiv Oblast's administrative border with Luhansk Oblast in the east. The Ukrainian military recently said that Russian activity had sharply increased in the Kupiansk sector. Moscow's troops also recently opened another front in the north of Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, but Kyiv said Russian advances there had been halted. Read also: Russias latest offensive into Kharkiv Oblast is stretching Ukrainian defenses Russian attack on Mykolaiv Oblast town kills 3, injures 6 A Russian missile attack on the town of Snihurivka in Mykolaiv Oblast on May 27 killed three people and injured at least six, Governor Vitalii Kim reported. The strike hit a self-service car wash, the governor said. Two of the injured are a girl and a boy aged 17, Kim added. No further details were provided at the moment. Snihurivka, a town with a pre-war population of around 12,000, lies 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of the regional center, Mykolaiv, and about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the front line. Mykolaiv Oblast is regularly targeted by Russian strikes due to its proximity to the front lines. Russian troops also dropped a guided aerial bomb on the city of Kharkiv on May 27, killing a woman and injuring at least 12 other people, local authorities reported. The industrial area of the Kholodnohirskyi district reportedly came under fire. Russia attacked a local civil enterprise, damaging production facilities, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Moscow's forces also attacked an area near the residential buildings in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. No casualties or damages were reported. Russian forces launched new offensive operations in the north of Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, exposing Kharkiv and a number of border settlements in the region to heavy attacks. Read also: Governor: Death toll in May 25 attack on Kharkiv rises to 18 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Defence Minister Rustem Umierov during a Conversation with Sebastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces of the French Republic. Photo: Syrskyi on social media Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has signed documents allowing the first French instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres and get acquainted with their infrastructure and personnel. Source: Oleksandr Syrskyi on social media Quote: "I welcome France's initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian servicemen. I have already signed the documents that will allow the first French instructors to visit our training centres and get acquainted with their infrastructure and staff." Details: Syrskyi also expressed hope that soon other partners will also join this project. He thanked the French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu for the support of the French people and the states military and economic assistance to Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's Foreign Minister asks EU counterparts for air defence and support in attacks on Russian territory Kuleba shows the ministers a photo of an 8-year-old boy, whose father may have been killed in a home improvement hypermarket shattered by Russia.Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs press service Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in his online appeal to the EU Council of Foreign Ministers on Monday, appealed for faster delivery of more air defence systems and asked the diplomats to support Ukraine's attacks on military targets on Russian territory. Source: press service of Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by European Pravda Details: Kuleba opened his online statement by showing the ministers a photo of an 8-year-old boy named Mykhailo from Kharkiv, whose father may have been killed in a home improvement hypermarket shattered by Russian forces on Saturday 25 May. Quote: "In the photo, you see a police officer taking a sample of DNA from the kid, which is necessary to identify his father among the potential victims of this attack," the minister told his European colleagues. Kuleba underlined that this cruel war crime is part of Russia's continuous attempt to ruin the life in Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities and people. "There is no time for reflection, action is needed. What needs to be done is quite clear. To provide Ukraine with additional Patriot and other modern air defence systems, as well as to support Ukrainian attacks on military targets in Russia," Kuleba said. The minister emphasised that, while some in the West remain concerned about escalation, the free world's foes, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, are increasing cooperation and mutual support. Providing Ukraine with the required support for the sake of victory and superiority on the battlefield will alter the circumstances and force them to reconsider their plans, Kuleba said. The minister also urged European countries to invest in Ukraine's defence industry and purchase weapons directly from Ukrainian manufacturers. The minister specifically advocated for the use of a portion of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets to fund such purchases. Kuleba also emphasised the importance of increasing sanctions pressure on Russia, particularly in energy, finance, metallurgy, and other sectors. He advocated stopping all attempts to circumvent sanctions, delivering key components and denying Russia access to any contemporary technology, and placing more restrictions on Russian propagandists. Prior to the meeting, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated that Western countries should overcome their fear of Russia when it comes to aiding Ukraine. As UP reported earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg feels it is time for individual partners to reconsider limits on the use of weapons delivered to Ukraine against targets on Russian territory. Support UP or become our patron! BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog will take part in COP29 in Baku, a congratulatory letter sent by Herzog to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28, Azerbaijan's Independence Day said, Trend reports. "Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the kind invitation to participate in COP29. I wish you much success as you prepare to host this central international gathering focused on finding solutions to the pressing global priority of climate change. I personally look forward to joining these important conversations later this year," the letter reads. Ukraines Defence Forces have struck 16 clusters of Russian military personnel during the day. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 22:30 on 26 May Quote: "[A total of] 95 combat clashes have occurred since the beginning of the day. The situation on the Kupiansk and Pokrovsk fronts remains the most difficult, where more than half of today's battles have taken place. The Russian aggressor is trying to use its advantage in manpower and equipment, along with support from the air. Ukrainian soldiers are fighting the enemy and, on some fronts, are conducting successful assault actions to improve defence resilience and regain positions. [Ukraine's] Rocket Forces and Artillery struck 16 clusters of enemys manpower today (26 May)." Details: The General Staff reported that the Russians launched four missile strikes using 14 missiles, 46 airstrikes using 69 guided bombs, and 311 attacks by kamikaze drones. They also fired around 2,600 times at the positions of Ukrainian troops with various types of weapons. On the Kharkiv front, 12 combat clashes occurred since the beginning of the day. Ukraines Defence Forces repelled 10 Russian attacks near the settlements of Lyptsi and Ternova. The battles are ongoing near the settlements of Vovchansk and Starytsia. The General Staff noted that the situation is under control and there are no losses of positions. Russia's total losses on this front during the day amounted to 118 personnel. Ukrainian soldiers destroyed two tanks, seven UAVs, eight vehicles and four pieces of special equipment. They also damaged four artillery systems and three vehicles. In addition, Ukrainian defenders continue to eliminate bunkers, with eight of them destroyed on Sunday alone. On the Kupiansk front, the Russians tried to drive Ukrainian units from their positions 22 times. The fighting occurred near the settlements of Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Novoiehorivky, Druzheliubivky, Hrekivky and Nevske. Battles are ongoing near Petropavlivka, Berestove and Novoiehorivka. The situation is under control. Russia has lost 69 personnel in the past day on the Kupiansk front. A Russian air defence system and two guns were destroyed, with another artillery system damaged. On the Lyman front, Ukrainian defenders repelled three Russian attempts to advance. Fighting continues near the village of Terny. On the Kramatorsk front, Ukrainian defenders repelled an attack near the village of Ivanivka. Another combat clash is ongoing near the village of Andriivka. The situation is under the control of Ukrainian units. On the Pokrovsk front, the Russians continued attempts to penetrate the defence in the vicinity of Ocheretyne, where four combat clashes are ongoing. Battles are also taking place near the settlements of Sokol and Umanske. In total, 31 combat clashes have occurred on this front. The Russians achieved partial success in some areas. Ukrainian defenders are taking active measures to stabilise the situation. The General Staff added that no significant changes have been recorded on other fronts. Support UP or become our patron! The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has reported that Ukrainian troops repelled a Russian offensive on the settlement of Lyptsi on the Kharkiv front. Source: report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 10:30 Details: On the Kharkiv front, the Defence Forces of Ukraine repelled a Russian attack in the direction of Lyptsi on 27 May. Ukrainian units are strengthening the defence lines, enjoying success in certain areas. Over the past day, the Russians lost 191 members of personnel on this front, 63 of them were killed. In addition to this, Ukrainian forces destroyed two tanks, two artillery systems, nine UAVs, 11 vehicles and seven units of special equipment. 24 dugouts of the Russians were struck as well. On the Kupiansk front, the Russians have attempted to improve their tactical positions four times since the beginning of the day. The situation is tense near the settlement of Petropavlivka. Russian attacks near the settlements of Stepova Novoselivka and Nevske were repelled. The fighting is ongoing near the settlement of Hrekivka. The situation is under control, the General Staff says. Support UP or become our patron! A drone belonging to Defence Intelligence of Ukraine attacked the Voronezh M long-range target detection radar station located in the city of Orsk inRussias Orenburg Oblast on 26 May. Source: Ukrainska Pravda source in Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) Quote: "A Ukrainian drone has covered a distance of more than 1,800 kilometres to the enemy's facility, setting a new record for the range of destruction for kamikaze drones." Orsk on a map Details: The aftermath of the attack is being ascertained. Russian news outlets wrote that a UAV "went down" near Orsk and that the drone's target "may have been a military facility." Previously, the most distant target attacked by Ukrainian drones was a facility in the city of Salavat in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, which is 140 kilometres closer to the Ukrainian border than Orsk. For reference: Voronezh M is part of a family of Russian long-range stationary over-the-horizon radars. It is designed to detect space and aerodynamic targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles. This radar operates in the one-metre waveband and has a target detection range of up to 6,000 kilometres. Background: Earlier, there was information that a DIU drone had hit another radar station of this family, Voronezh DM, located in the village of Gluboky in Russias Krasnodar Krai. It was attacked on 23 May, which resulted in a fire at the site. Support UP or become our patron! Photo: Official website of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev has sent a congratulatory letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 - Independence Day, Trend reports. "Dear Mr. President, Please accept my heartfelt congratulations for peace and prosperity of the Azerbaijani people on the occasion of the National holiday of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Allow me to express my satisfaction with the fruitful interaction and cooperation between our two countries and peoples and to reaffirm that the Republic of Bulgaria highly values its excellent relations of friendship and strategic partnership with the Republic of Azerbaijan. I am confident that following our latest talks and the signing of the Joint Declaration on Strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Azerbaijan on 8 May this year in Baku, the intense bilateral political dialogue of recent years will acquire new dimensions. I believe that the pragmatic approach followed by us in our bilateral relations will continue its positive dynamics in the future. Wishing you good health and success in your highly responsible work, please accept, Dear Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration," the letter reads. NAPERVILLE, Ill. A home in Naperville was damaged after an unattended candle sparked a fire in the kitchen on Sunday afternoon. According to officials from the Naperville Fire Department, crews were called to the scene, in the 2800 block of Ledgestone Drive, just before 2 p.m. after a resident in the area reported smoke coming from their neighbors home. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Crews arrived at the home within five minutes of the call and found a fire had broken out in the kitchen. Crews were able to enter the home and put out the fire, using a fire extinguisher, less than five minutes after arriving on the scene. Officials say they believe the fire was caused by an unattended candle and say it caused an estimated $5,000 in damage. According to fire officials, no residents were home at the time and the home remains habitable. 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. Gather the stars if you wish it so. Gather the songs and keep them. Gather the faces of women. Gather for keeping years and years. And then ... Loosen your hands, let go and say good-by. Let the stars and songs go. Let the faces and years go. Loosen your hands and say good-by.Carl Sandburg Sonja Jane Ghaner joined the ancestors on Feb. 15, 2024. She was 77 years old. Her husband, Doug Mason, read this Sandburg poem last week as he scattered her ashes at the Spring Creek Canyon Bridge, one of Sonjas favorite spots. Nearly 200 friends and relatives attended her celebration of life ceremony, which was held at the Centre Region Active Adult Center in the Nittany Mall. The service was organized by Erika Mann, Lu Skidgel and Dawn Barner. It was officiated by the Rev. William Osman. Musicians and artists were Charles Chip Coggins, Mike Coo, and Karen Keifer-Boyd. Sonjas lasting legacy is one of love, laughter and a profound appreciation for the beauty of life journey. Good-bye, dear friend. On Monday, Boalsburg, known as the birthplace of Memorial Day, holds its annual festival that includes food, fun, museum tours, and of course the laying of the wreaths on the graves of the fallen, by the three women depicting the Civil War heroines, Emma Hunter, Sophie Keller, and Mrs. Elizabeth Meyer a ceremony unbroken in 161 years. We are mindful of those who have lost family members and other loved ones in the service of our country. Both my wife and I have family members who served in the armed forces from our generation going back to the Civil War. As we approach an election in which the very concept of democracy is on the ballot, we appreciate and honor the sacrifices our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines have made. We honor them by our participation in the democratic process. Register and vote. Patriots have given their lives and livelihoods so that we can exercise that right. Elsewhere in the community, good wishes to John Hayes, who was appointed to the State College Borough Council replacing Divine Lipscomb. And State Rep Paul Takac threw a party at Boal City Brewery for a hundred or so folks. Good weather provided the opportunity for a lovely outdoor gathering. Continuing his public service, Takac sponsored a well-attended Senior Fair at Centre Care. A panel of experts from the state Attorney Generals office, AARP, PA Banking and Securities Agency, Schlow Library and Centre County Office of Aging discussed how to spot and avoid senior scams. *** There seems to be no sensible solution for the tragic situation in the middle east. Some Israelis, while protesting the ineffectual military campaign, are demanding an immediate rescue of the hostages, a cessation to the killing of children, and an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Can this bring about a change of policy? Norway, Spain and Ireland recently recognized an independent Palestinian state. Is a two-state solution a pathway toward peace? The International Criminal Court has brought charges of war crimes against Hamas Yahya Sinwar and Israel s Netanyahu. At a recent community gathering, a Palestinian woman left paralyzed by a bomb told us about her father, a brother and three cousins who had been killed in the conflict. We, Americans, bear some responsibility. The United States has no combat troops on the ground there, but our country has provided 300 billion in aid to Israel since its founding. We are Israels most important donor. But, at what cost? Remember, the expenditures for the war in Vietnam liquidated the resources that President Johnson had available for his domestic social programs. Thousands of students across the country have been demanding that the U.S. economically divest from this war. Perhaps it is time we listened to the children, loosened our hands and said good-bye? Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Partys nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He was the 2022 Lions Paw Awardee and Living Legend honoree of the National Black Theatre Festival. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College. Start your week in North Carolina politics with our latest Under the Dome podcast, for the week of May 27, 2024. Dawn Vaughan here, your podcast host and The News & Observers Capitol bureau chief. On this episode, Im joined by Democratic Rep. Caleb Rudow of Asheville. Rudow led a bipartisan sing-along with his fellow lawmakers this past week under a tent on Halifax Mall between the Legislative Building and Legislative Office Building. We sat down in his office the next day to talk about why he wanted to host the sing-along. Heres a snippet of what he said: I think you build relationships when you share memories with people, Rudow said. And I believe in the power of people singing together. Rudow was joined by both Republicans and Democrats to sing. He talked about a moment when they were singing The Weight and the real power in singing together and building camaraderie. Youll also hear a clip of Rudow leading a rendition of Will the Circle Be Unbroken. He told me hes not naive to believe that we can solve our partisanship problems with sing-alongs and everything else, and goes on to say what he thinks he can solve as a House member in the minority party. He also talks about his friendships in the General Assembly and even how those play out when there are contentious votes on the floor. Particularly when Rudows mom was one of the protesters in the House gallery as Republicans passed Senate Bill 20, which bans abortions after 12 weeks gestation, with exceptions. N.C. Rep. Caleb Rudow, center, an Asheville Democrat, leads a bipartisan sing-a-long on Halifax Mall outside the Legislative Building in downtown Raleigh, on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. On the left are 2023 Miss North Carolina Taylor Loyd and on the right is Rudows father, Marc Rudow, on fiddle. Running for Congress in a R+8 district Rudow was appointed to his seat and is in his subsequent first full term. Hes leaving at the end of the year because he is running for a different office: Congress. Rudow is challenging the Republican incumbent, U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, in the 11th Congressional District. That district heavily leans Republican, but Rudow says it is the second most flippable contest in 2024. Listen to why hes running now, what he says about toxic politics and how he wants to leave his mark on Raleigh. Plus, I ask my usual question of lawmakers, about what they eat at the legislature. Spoiler: its not anything from the cafeteria, but it is something you might expect from a Buncombe County legislator. Stay tuned until the end for our picks for Headliner of the Week. Rudow talks about Attorney General Josh Steins lawsuit against Pactiv Evergreen, which abruptly shut down its Canton paper mill in Western North Carolina. And I talk about the latest in this sessions state budget battle. Listen to our latest episode below and catch up on previous episodes. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Audible, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon Music and Stitcher. Investigators found an unexploded aerial bomb near the Kharkiv hypermarket that Russia targeted on May 25, killing over a dozen civilians, Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reported on May 27. Russia used two aerial guided bombs to hit the busy building materials hypermarket in Kharkiv on a Saturday afternoon, killing at least 18 people and injuring 48 others. Investigators found a third aerial bomb around 80 meters from the hypermarket as operations to recover bodies from the burned wreckage of the building continued. If the bomb had hit the hypermarket and exploded, "there could have been many more victims," the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said. Investigators also found evidence that Russia adjusted fire on the building with the help of reconnaissance drones, which demonstrates Russia is deliberately aiming to harm civilians, the Regional Prosecutor's Office said. Among the people killed in the strike were a 12-year-old girl and her mother, and a 17-year-old boy. Kharkiv and the surrounding oblast are particularly vulnerable to guided bomb attacks due to the close proximity to the Russian border, as the bombs are launched from aircraft in Russian airspace. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia launched a total of 3,200 guided bombs against Ukraine in April alone. Read also: Glide bombs help Russia gain land in Ukraine. What makes them so effective? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Theres a unique way to fly the flag for Memorial Day: Do you know it? (NEXSTAR) Memorial Day has a relatively simple purpose: honor those who have died in American wars. What isnt as simple is how the American flag should be flown to mark the holiday. Three years after the Civil War ended, Decoration Day was established. It was intended as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It was later set for May 30 to correspond with flowers being in bloom. Years later, the holiday would be renamed Memorial Day. According to the VA, while about 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, the official birthplace was declared Waterloo, New York, by Congress and President Lyndon Johnson in 1966. A ceremony was held there on May 5 of that year, honoring local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and flags were flown at half-staff. Storms, heat likely to impact Memorial Day weekend: What to know Up until the end of World War I, the day continued to honor those who had fought in the Civil War. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by Congress, placing the day on the last Monday in May to honor those who have died in all American wars. For many, part of honoring those individuals entails flying the flag proudly in their front yards. However, according to the United States Code, Old Glory is flown a little differently on Memorial Day. The code which officially addresses dozens of subjects says the American flag should fly at half-staff from sunrise until noon on Memorial Day. Then, it should be raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, according to the VA. This is one of only six occurrences in which the flag flies at half-staff. The others are the recently-observed Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15, as well as Korean War Veterans Armistice Day on July 27, Patriot Day on September 11, Pearl Harbor Day on December 7, and any day when the president issues an order lowering the flag as a mark of respect for the death of a principal figure or others, the American Flagpole & Flag Co. explains. Want to dodge Memorial Day crowds? You may want to avoid these destinations Whether the flag is flying at half-staff or full-staff, it should only be displayed from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. When raised, it should always be done briskly; when lowered, it should be done so ceremoniously. If illuminated at night, the flag can remain up at all times. American flags on walls should be hung so the union, or stars, are in the top left corner. The same should be said for those hanging in windows but the union should be in the upper left corner for those viewing it from the outside. In only one situation can a flag or pennant be displayed above the U.S. flag: During church services conducted at sea by naval chaplains for personnel of the Navy, the church pennant may appear above the American flag. 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 Queen City News. Russian forces struck the Zaporizhzhia airport terminal with a Kh-59 cruise missile on May 26, destroying the terminal building, Ukraine's Southern Operational Command confirmed on May 27. No people were injured in the attack, officials said. Volodymyr Marchuk, an official at the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, earlier reported in a comment for the Kyiv Independent that Russian forces hit the Zaporizhzhia International Airport, but did not provide details. Lawmaker Musa Magomedov also reported on the strike on May 26, publishing a picture capturing heavy damage dealt to the airport's terminal building. Before the strike, an air raid alert went off in the oblast, along with the warning of a potential Russian attack with Kh-59 cruise missiles. Explosions were reported shortly after the warning. Ukraine's Southern Operational Command confirmed on May 27 that a Kh-59 cruise missile struck the airport terminal. The Prosecutor General's Office announced that it had opened a criminal investigation into the missile attack, as it targeted civilian infrastructure. The targeted terminal was opened in October 2020, and has repeatedly come under fire by Russian forces, the Liga outlet wrote. According to Liga, over half of Ukrainian airports and airfields have been damaged by Russian strikes since the outbreak of the full-scale war. Ukraine closed its sky for civilian transport when the invasion began. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Kyiv strikes early-warning radar system 1,800 kilometers deep inside Russia Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. US law firms ramp up London talent war with huge junior lawyer salaries and high-profile hires US law firms ramp up London talent war with huge junior lawyer salaries and high-profile hires US law firms are increasingly poaching top UK lawyers. Latham & Watkins has been particularly aggressive in its targeting of London-based talent. Latham's tactics point to a wider trend in the industry. US law firms are pushing ahead with their bid to dominate the City of London's legal scene. Latham & Watkins, the world's second-largest law firm by revenue, is just one such firm targeting the UK market. Last year, Latham poached top capital markets lawyer Mark Austin from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, a member of the "magic circle" a term used to describe five elite UK law firms. While he wasn't the first lawyer in the City to depart for a US company, the move for Austin, who had worked on the listings of companies like Deliveroo, was big. "To get the guy who has the longest IPO list in the country and is now synonymous with the capital markets through his work with the government . . . was a big hire," one partner at a magic circle firm told the Financial Times. Latham & Watkins now counts almost 500 lawyers in its London office, according to its website. It has lured at least 15 partners from rivals in the City over the last three years, the FT reported. The firm has also been involved in a number of high-profile deals in the capital this year, including advising UK cybersecurity company Darktrace plc on its $5.3 billion acquisition by Thoma Bravo. Latham's aggressive plays point to a wider trend in the industry that is seeing elite UK firms forced into submission by more profitable US counterparts. "The problem for UK firms is that there is only so much truly premium local legal work around," Scott Gibson, a director at London legal recruiting firm Edwards Gibson, told Bloomberg Law. "As long as US private equity continues to drive the market, the rest of the UK global elite will keep trying to break the US. They have no choice if they want to stay elite," he added. And thanks to a weakened pound post-Brexit, it has been easier than ever for US firms to attract British legal talent. Earlier this month, US firm Quinn Emanuel raised its starting salaries for junior lawyers in the UK to 180,000, or nearly $230,000, putting pressure on others to follow suit. The move followed news that UK firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer had increased base pay for new lawyers to 150,000, which is around $192,000. Another blow to the magic circle came in May 2023, when another elite UK firm, Allen & Overy, merged with New York-based Shearman & Sterling, creating a huge new firm with around 3,900 lawyers and 800 Partners across 49 offices. It remains to be seen how the rest of the magic circle will try to keep pace with the US. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- US lawmakers expressed support for Taiwans defense in a trip to the self-ruled democracy just two days after China ended its biggest military exercise in a year around the island. Most Read from Bloomberg We have to provide that deterrence here, said Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a joint press briefing with Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung on Monday. Lin called the trip an important gesture of solidarity that shows America stands firmly with democratic Taiwan. The bipartisan delegation were the first US lawmakers to meet with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te since his inauguration on May 20. It comes days after Beijing staged expansive military exercises around Taiwan in what the US called military provocations. Lai met the lawmakers in the morning and said Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with the US. He also cited former US President Ronald Reagans notion of peace through strength and pledged to bolster national defense. McCaul said he had very direct conversations with Lai about the threat Taiwan faces from China. What they did in the last couple of days was essentially a preview of what a blockade would look like, he told reporters. The key is to make sure the island has the weapons necessary for deterrence. He said he had put pressure on defense contractors and the Biden administration to get a backlog of weapons bought by Taiwan shipped as quickly as possible. Beijing has signaled its displeasure with Taipeis new government in recent days, accusing Lai of seeking independence and destabilizing the region. The Chinese militarys latest drills were the biggest around the island since April last year. Read More: Why Taiwans Status Risks Igniting a US-China Clash: QuickTake The trip is part of a broader visit by the delegation to the Indo-Pacific region, according to the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy in Taipei. Also in the group were Representative Young Kim, Republican of California; Representative Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina; Representative Jimmy Panetta, Democrat of California; Representative Andy Barr, Republican of Kentucky, and Representative Chrissy Houlahan, Democrat of Pennsylvania. Nvidia boss Jensen Huang arrived separately in Taiwan on Sunday. He is expected to make public appearances in an upcoming tech expo in Taipei. Huang has frequently mentioned the critical role Taiwan plays in the global AI supply chain, as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. makes the bulk of the worlds cutting-edge chips, including those designed by Nvidia. Read More: Nvidia CEO Says We Need Taiwan to Do Our Job (Video) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States on themed Charting the course toward resilient prosperity, Trend reports. "Ladies and gentlemen, Azerbaijan has always been in solidarity with the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and promoted their legitimate interests and concerns. During the 4-year-long Azerbaijani Chairmanship to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), we spared no effort to advance the Movements agenda. Special emphasis was placed on the institutional development of the NAM, strengthening the unity of the Movement and increasing its visibility. Leading the NAM gave Azerbaijan an opportunity to better understand the needs and concerns of all its Member States, including SIDS. As the NAM Chair, Azerbaijan led global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and initiated the UN Special Session on this matter. Azerbaijan spoke against vaccine nationalism advocating for fair and universal access to vaccines for all countries. During the pandemic Azerbaijan also provided more than 80 countries, including around 20 SIDS, with financial and humanitarian support. Last March, in my capacity of the NAM Chair, I made a Global call to action on supporting post-pandemic recovery in SIDS. With that call I invited the international community to render financial assistance and direct economic support to SIDS to address socio-economic consequences of the pandemic. Azerbaijan was the first country to allocate funds to this call. Ladies and gentlemen, This year, Azerbaijan has the honor to host the COP29. The unanimous support to Azerbaijans COP29 bid reflects the international communitys respect and trust in Azerbaijan. Climate change affects all countries across every continent. Azerbaijan is also negatively impacted by climate change. Our rivers are losing water, the Caspian Sea is shrinking. Yet, SIDS are the most vulnerable nations to climate change. Despite no contribution to climate change these nations face its worst effects and even existential threat. Climate change also impedes their progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. During our COP29 Presidency addressing the challenges posed by climate change to SIDS will be among our priorities. We are planning to hold SIDS Summit during the Baku COP. We will do our best to ensure that the voices of small island developing nations are heard loud and clear. I call on all countries to exert maximum effort to make a deal during the COP29 that meets the needs and priorities of SIDS. From our side, Azerbaijan has already been rendering its support to eliminating the consequences caused by the hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters in a number of SIDS. We will continue to take practical steps to further assist these countries. Azerbaijan will allocate funds for the technical assistance programs through the Commonwealth where 33 SIDS are represented, and other international institutions. We will also extend scholarship opportunities for SIDS nationals to study at the universities of Azerbaijan. So far, more than 10 SIDS have benefited from the Educational Grant Programs provided by Azerbaijan for the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the NAM. Azerbaijan will also facilitate the participation of SIDS at the COP29. Ladies and gentlemen, The slogan we have chosen for the Baku COP In solidarity for a Green World reflects the spirit of our COP29 mission. As we are all facing this situation together, I call on all countries to act in solidarity to save our planet. To achieve this goal, we need political will and multilateralism which Azerbaijan has always been advocating for. I am looking forward to the valuable participation of SIDS heads of States and Governments at the Baku COP29 this November, and wish success to the 4th International Conference on SIDS. Thank you, the head of state said. US to lift ban on selling offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia within weeks Saudi Arabia is the biggest buyer of American-made weapons - FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP VIA GETTY The United States is expected to lift a ban on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, potentially in the coming weeks. Washington has already signalled to Saudi Arabia that it was prepared to lift the ban. Soon after taking office in 2021, Joe Biden adopted a tougher stance over Saudi Arabias campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, which has inflicted heavy civilian casualties, and over Riyadhs human rights record, in particular the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist and political opponent. Saudi F-15 fighter jets were used in the campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen - FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP VIA GETTY Saudi Arabia, the biggest US arms customer, has chafed under those restrictions, which froze the kind of weapons sales that previous US administrations had provided for decades. Last week, negotiators sought to complete a bilateral accord expected to call for formal US guarantees to defend the kingdom, as well as Saudi access to more advanced US weaponry, in return for halting Chinese arms purchases and restricting Beijings investment in the country. Negotiators have been discussing US sales of F-35 fighter jets and other weapons to the Saudis as part of the deal, a US official said. The potential sale of the F-35s to the Saudis was not guaranteed for a variety of reasons, but its inclusion in the discussions was significant because Riyadh has desired the stealthy fighter jet for years. Any deal must satisfy a longstanding agreement with Israel that US weapons sold in the region must not impair Israels qualitative military edge, guaranteeing US weapons furnished to Israel are superior in capability to those sold to its neighbours. Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said on Wednesday that the US and Saudi Arabia were very close to concluding a set of agreements on nuclear energy, security and defence co-operation, the bilateral component of a wider normalisation deal with Riyadh and Israel. However, lifting the ban on offensive weapons sales was not directly linked to these talks, the Financial Times reported. The White House and Saudi Arabias government communication office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Growing numbers of Vietnam veterans are being laid to rest in recent years, and in many cases their families are attending military funerals. Every eligible veteran can receive military funeral honors. Among military burial traditions, the 21-gun salute is the oldest. In the 14th century, warships and shore forces fired off their guns to show that their weapons were empty and they were friendly. Also of artillery origin, dating at least to the 18th century, is the custom of carrying a head of state or high-ranking military official on a two-wheeled horse-drawn caisson. Taps referring to a soft triple beat on the drum was composed by Union Brig. Gen. Daniel Adams Butterfield in 1862 as a quieter substitute for gunfire to signal the end of the days activities. It was later adopted to a soldiers final rest. A 20th century tradition among Air Force personnel is the Missing Man formation, in which a finger four flight of warplanes approaches the burial site from the south and the second elements leader breaks formation to climb westward, into the sunset. The Royal Air Force used a flyover at the funeral of British King George V in 1936, and the U.S. Army Air Corps used a similar flyover at the funeral of Maj. Gen. Oscar Westover in 1938. The flyover became standard after the April 1954 funeral of Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg. A universal honor in American military funerals is the presentation of the flag that draped the coffin before burial. It is folded 13 times (for the 13 original states in 1776) into a triangular shape and given to the nearest kin. The heavily-guarded Bushehr nuclear plant on the Persian Gulf. The IAEA believes Iran has enough enriched uranium for three bombs - Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Shutterstock The US has cautioned Britain against censuring Iran over its nuclear programme amid high tensions in the Middle East and with the presidential election in November, US media reported. European powers, including Britain and France, are believed to be preparing a censuring resolution against Iran at next weeks meeting of the board of directors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The move reflects mounting frustration over Irans refusal to cooperate with the IAEA, which polices nuclear proliferation. The Biden administration has asked other countries to abstain from the resolution and said it will do the same, the Wall Street Journal reported citing diplomats familiar with the matter. The decision reflects the White Houses wish to avoid further escalation of tensions with Iran ahead of US presidential elections in November as well as fears that Iran may be more unstable than usual following recent clashes with Israel and the death in a helicopter crash last week of its president, Ebrahim Raisi. US officials denied lobbying against the resolution. British officials are understood to think Irans nuclear programme has never been more advanced, and are deeply concerned about escalation. The agencys 35-member board of governors will gather for a quarterly meeting from June 3 to 7. Concern about Irans atomic ambitions have grown steadily since 2019 when Donald Trump pulled the US out of a deal offering sanctions relief in exchange for curbs to its nuclear programme. Iran has been enriching uranium to 60 per cent purity for three years, it is believed. It needs roughly 90 per cent purity to build a weapon. It has enough uranium to build three nuclear bombs if it was refined further, according to an IAEA yardstick. Joe Biden is keen not to ruffle Iran's nuclear feathers ahead of a US election in November - AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and says all its activities are peaceful. The IAEA counters that no country has enriched to that level without going on to build a bomb. A senior European diplomat told Reuters last week that the level of Irans violations was unprecedented. There is no slowing down of its programme and there is no real goodwill by Iran to cooperate with the IAEA, the diplomat said. All our indicators are flashing red. A rift between the US and the E3 powers of Britain, France and Germany about how to respond has been growing for months. In November 2022, they all backed an IAEA resolution censuring Iran, but the US cautioned the E3 against a repeat at the last quarterly meeting in March. Mohammad Mokhber, who took over as acting president on Mr Raisis death, addressed parliament in Tehran for the first time on Monday. Nasser Kanaani, a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, said Mr Raisis death had not changed Irans approach to getting US sanctions lifted. 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. MOBILE, Ala (WKRG) The USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park kicked off Memorial Day Monday with a special flag-lowering ceremony at the Vietnam Memorial. Pastor arrested after extensive sexual assault investigation Earlier today at 7 a.m., the park lowered the American flag halfway while holding silence in honor of the service members who died fighting for this country. Several armed forces members were in attendance. A flag-lowering ceremony took place at the USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park on Monday, May 27. (Courtesy: Nick Johnson) The ceremony was free and open to the public. The Battleship Memorial Park is open for tours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The latest time to buy tickets will be at 4 p.m. Woman hit by truck, killed Sunday night in Pensacola: FHP Several Memorial Day events will be continuing throughout the Gulf Coast. 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 WKRG News 5. Vacation is over: New regs tamp down Narragansett Airbnbs as RI studies short-term rentals NARRAGANSETT The summer tourist season here began with a cloud hanging over property owners like Joseph Volpe, who rent a room, apartment or house on websites like Airbnb and VRBO. One of the most aggressive local ordinances in Rhode Island to curtail the short-term rental of homes is set to go into effect here in September, so this may be the last summer Volpe who is also Narragansett Fire Department captain offers his four-bedroom house online for use by visitors. "It is not going to create affordable housing. It is not going to help the economy," Volpe said last week. "People like myself, if they can't rent short term or feel that the restriction is limiting them too much, they are just going to rent to college students." Conflict over short-term online vacation rentals has risen in Rhode Island and across the country in parallel with the exploding cost of housing in recent years. While the roots of the housing crisis clearly run far deeper, people buying houses to turn them into high-turnover vacation rentals are easy targets for locals wondering how their neighborhood got so expensive. Many Narragansett Airbnbs could be put out of business with new regulations. Is the sale and conversion of homes from year-round use to vacation rental contributing to the shortage of apartments and houses on the market? Yes, according to most observers, including state Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor at a recent State House hearing. Will cracking down on vacation rentals actually make the problem better or worse? That's unclear. How are short-term rentals regulated in Rhode Island? Three years ago, the General Assembly legalized what had been a totally unregulated short-term rental market operating in a gray area of land use and property law. But the statewide 2021 law didn't resolve the underlying discomfort many residents have with short-term rentals, prompting their local officials to try to tackle the matter themselves. Tourist-centric Newport led the way in identifying and then limiting short-term rentals. That city's current ordinance bans short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods unless the owner lives on site. Cities and towns from Providence, Westerly, Johnston, Middletown, Portsmouth, East Providence and Warwick followed nine communities by 2022 and more since with some form of restrictions, including permitting requirements and bans in certain neighborhoods. Cumberland, where demand for vacation homes is minimal, shocked many last year when it banned short-term rentals outright, townwide, with no exceptions and argued that the 2022 state Airbnb law does not prevent them from doing so. But the new law in Narragansett, a community synonymous with cabana life and with by far the most registered short-term rentals in the state, is now in the spotlight. It will prohibit any rental stay shorter than a week. Volpe, who says he can live with and even support most of the rest of the new rules, says this minimum stay is untenable in all but the summer high season. At a hearing on the ordinance in March, George Nonis, president of property owners group Narragansett 2100, called it a move to make the town an "elitist, exclusionary, non-welcoming community." What about the General Assembly? Like last year, and the year before, state lawmakers have introduced a number of bills on each side of the issue. And like last year, there's no sign the most significant ones will go anywhere. Instead, the House is extending for another year the work of a study commission chaired by Newport Democratic Rep. Lauren Carson on short-term rentals. Carson said she is working on improving the state short-term rental registry and combining it with local registries, studying how the building code treats vacation rentals and the zoning code. "I think we've waited a long time to deal with it," Carson said about the issue last week. "I think the municipalities have acted and they're out of step with the state." House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi: "There's some people who use it to supplement their income to stay in their home, and there's some people who treat it as a business, and there's some people who want to tax it a different way, and there's some people who want to regulate it, and some people want to change the fire codes," he said Wednesday. "It's complicated." This year's list of General Assembly bills dealing directly with short-term rentals statewide includes: The college student question Especially in Narragansett, homes that are rented to vacationers in the summer are often rented to college students when it gets cold, and H7382 from Cranston Democratic Rep. Jaquelyn Baginski targets a long-running dispute over that part of the market. After a series of court battles over the issue, the Narragansett Town Council last year voted to reduce the number of unrelated people who can live together in the town from four to three in an effort to encourage single-family use of houses instead of occupancy by students from the nearby University of Rhode Island. Baginski's bill, which was passed out of committee Thursday for a full House vote this week, would allow each dwelling in the state to have "one person per bedroom," up to five total unrelated people. All in the family? Why these RIers support letting more unrelated people live together A House committee hearing on the bill drew several hundred people to submit written testimony in support almost all of them residents, visitors or property owners in Narragansett. (The volume of testimony, closer to the interest level in abortion or gun bills, was so large that 36 people whose first names began with the letter C alone wrote in.) Among them, landlord and state Commerce Corporation Board member Carol O'Donnell, who wrote that "we need to house more individuals and families, not exclude them with laws and regulations." Dialing down Airbnbs Can discouraging students, short-stay vacationers and real estate investors reverse a plummeting year-round population and bring back 20th century-style single-family affordability? Narragansett Town Council President Ewa Dzwierzynski says that's the goal and sees the limits on short-term rentals in Newport and Nantucket as positive models for Narragansett. The ordinance that goes into effect Sept. 1 was written with the help of Granicus, a company that provides services and software to enforce short-term rental rules. It will cap short-term rentals at 1,100 the year starting Sept. 1, 1,000 the following year and 900 the third year, with permits issued first-come, first served. (According to the state's short-term rental database, there are 1,158 active rentals in Narragansett now, more than 20% of those registered statewide.) To rent on an online platform, property owners will need to clear fire and building code inspections and pay permit and permit application fees: $425 combined for town residents and double for outsiders. The requirements to get a rental permit are strict and may not be met by many smaller, older cottages that have been rented for generations. Bedrooms must be at least 70 square feet to rent, or 120 square feet if used by two people Each rental needs one off-street parking space per bedroom and a minimum of two, even for a one bedroom Each parking space must be 20 feet long and 10 feet wide and cannot be grassy. (For properties of five bedrooms or more, each off-street parking space must be 300 square feet, or a minimum of 90,000 square feet of parking lot.) Short-term rentals cannot host "weddings, banquets, bachelor parties, bachelorette parties or corporate events" Storage sheds, trailers, garages, tents or tree houses cannot be used as part of the rental Minor violations start at $250 per offense and climb to $1,000 (the fine for major violations) starting at the third offense The town this month went out to bid for a private vendor to enforce the short-term rental ordinance. The firm selected will search online hosting platforms, monitor a round-the-clock complaint hotline, create a map of listings in town and generally track properties for compliance, according to the RFP. Dzwierzynski said the firm will be paid from permit fees and Granicus is expected to bid. If the new rules prompt owners to rent to college students year-round instead of to vacationers, is that a win for the town? "I think so," Dzwierzynski said. "I think students contribute more to the community being here during the school year, or even year round if that's what it ends up being, than transient visitors where you have strangers coming in and out of neighborhoods." Is Narragansett built out? In addition to the short term-rental and student housing battles, Narragansett has also banned duplexes and pushed back against Shekarchi's efforts to make it easier to build more homes. And unlike Newport, Narragansett has few hotels. Is the town doing anything to encourage new construction of new homes or hotel rooms? "I think new construction, where there's an opportunity, yeah that's great, but Narragansett is pretty much built out," she said. Like the limits on the number of unrelated people who can share a house, Narragansett's short-term rental ordinance could end up in court. Nonis, of Narragansett 2100, said his organization is waiting until the current General Assembly session concludes before deciding on any legal challenge. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Airbnbs in Narragansett are in danger under new regs. What to know Mr Burke was attacked at Grand Teton National Park An army veteran survived an attack by a grizzly after it accidentally bit into his can of anti-bear spray. Shayne Patrick Burke was bitten, clawed and trampled on by the creature while out photographing owls in Wyomings Grand Teton National Park. Mr Burke, 35, noticed a cub a short distance ahead of him before being attacked by its mother in what he later described as the most violent thing I have ever experienced. He had attempted to ward off the bear by shouting and tried using his spray but did not have time before the animal set upon him. Instead, Mr Burke threw himself face-first onto the ground and braced for the ride, he wrote on Instagram. Still holding the canister, he interlocked his hands behind his neck to protect himself. Mr Burke attempted to ward off the bear by shouting and tried using his spray - JeannetteKatzir He screamed as the bear female grizzlies can weigh up to 25 stone in the US stood on his back, biting and clawing his shoulder. She bit one of my legs, picking me up and slamming me on the ground multiple times, Mr Burke said. She bit each leg from my buttocks to my inner knee about three times each. The final time I screamed again. This, unfortunately but fortunately turned her attention to my head. I believe she went in for a kill bite on my neck. I still had my hands interlocked and my arms protecting my carotid arteries. When the bear attempted to latch onto his neck it inadvertently bit into the canister, which exploded in its mouth and caused it to flee. Bear repellent canisters often hold capsaicin, an irritant to the eyes and lungs, which can be sprayed in the event of an attack. Mr Burke, who has been shot at, mortared and [encountered] IED explosions, later described the attack as the most violent thing I have ever experienced. Mr Burke described the bear attack as 'the most violent thing' he has ever experienced He made tourniquets to stem the bleeding from a ruptured artery and called the emergency services, but feared he would die as he waited for them to arrive. I recorded a short video telling my people that I loved them, he said. Mr Burke, from Massachusetts, was eventually transported to the hospital and underwent surgery. Grand Teton National Park said he was expected to make a full recovery after being discharged on Monday. The army veteran said he did not want the bear to be killed, saying on social media: I love and respect wildlife. Park officials said the bear was acting defensively after a surprise encounter and that it would not be killed or captured. 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. Daniel Connery, left, Dane County Veterans Service Office director, talks to Sen. Tammy Baldwin at a round table discussion about the PACT Act Friday. (Wisconsin Examiner photo) Dan Stormer was serving on a U.S. Navy warship in the Persian Gulf in 1991 when a smoky cloud enveloped the vessel. Outside the ship, he recalled Friday, Everything was gray. What was it? I dont know. The fumes from whatever it was lingered for days. Commanders sealed the ship off and confined those on board inside, but that didnt keep out the chemical haze completely. Fifteen years later, Stormer was hospitalized with collapsed lungs. He applied for health coverage from the Department of Veterans Affairs, blaming his Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm wartime exposure. What had happened to me was not normal, he said. His claim was denied, and his appeals dragged on for more than a decade. That changed in early 2023, when a Dane County Veterans Services Office caseworker told him about the PACT Act, signed into law the previous August. He applied again and got coverage. I was ecstatic, Stormer said. Stormer was among a group of veterans and veterans counselors who met Friday with Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin to talk about the impact of the 2022 PACT Act. The laws full name is The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act. It commits the federal government and the Department of Veterans Affairs health system to covering countless ailments for armed forces personnel exposed to toxic chemicals. The Biden administration last week announced that 1 million claims have been approved since the laws passage. That problem became particularly acute among service members who took part in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq starting in 2001 and were exposed to chemical burn pits. The law extends to exposure from chemicals on battlefields around the world, going as far back as the conflict in Southeast Asia more than 50 years ago. Baldwin had a staffer who was a Gulf War vet. He had a horrible, hacking cough, she told those assembled for the discussion. Rebuffed when he sought VA coverage, he felt like he was fighting his own government for recognition of his condition. At the time Baldwin, a Democrat, was representing Wisconsins 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House before being elected to the Senate in 2010. Moved by her staff members experience she began working to address the issue. The PACT Act was the product of many, many years of advocacy, she said. It was the largest ever expansion of VA disability services. Gratitude from veterans Baldwins Madison session was the fourth around Wisconsin that she has conducted to learn how the PACT Act has been rolling out since President Joe Biden signed it into law in August 2022. Whether its physical or something like post-traumatic stress disorder thats a consequence of your service seeing your government recognize that and seeing the VA recognize that is really important, and I hear a lot of gratitude from veterans, Baldwin told the Wisconsin Examiner. During the hour she spent Friday she heard stories about the difference the expansion of coverage had made for veterans like Stormer and veterans spouses like Nancy Henderson. Henderson said her husband, a Vietnam veteran named George Heideman who died two months ago, was able to be covered in the last couple of years of his life because of changes the PACT Act made. Heideman had hypertension and hypertension-related dementia when he died, she said. Under the PACT Act, for Vietnam vets exposed to the defoliant Agent Orange during their service, hypertension later in life is presumed to have been a result of that exposure. Baldwin also asked the round table participants what could be done to make sure more people who might qualify learn about how the PACT Act could help them. Stormer told Baldwin that, until his Dane County Veterans Office caseworker told him about it, I had no clue it was passed. Outreach is never-ending, said Daniel Connery, Dane County Veterans Service Office director. We find people all the time who are unaware of their benefits. A surprise letter The VA has also been going through the records of people previously denied coverage and inviting some who might now qualify to apply again. Thats how Air Force veteran Gary Streufert got coverage for exposure to Agent Orange in the early 1970s in Thailand. You saw people spraying outside the perimeter all the time, Streufert told Baldwin. He didnt know what it was until many years later. Although it coincided with the American war next door in Vietnam, his deployment in Thailand was secret at the time. The government didnt admit we were there until 1989, Streufert said. In 2017 Streufert applied for coverage for diabetes medication, presumed to be service-related among veterans exposed to Agent Orange. But when he applied, only limited Vietnam-era service in Thailand was covered. His wasnt. The PACT Act expanded VA coverage to service throughout Thailand from 1962 through mid-1976 and several other previously excluded locations. Streufert got a surprise notice in the mail from the VA telling him he could be eligible, and he was soon enrolled. Until then his diabetes medication was costing him $1,000 a month even after insurance coverage, Streufert told the Wisconsin Examiner. Now the VA coverage has wiped away that expense. If it wasnt for the PACT Act, I probably wouldnt be as healthy as I am, he said. Unaccredited profiteers Baldwin also asked the group about for-profit businesses that have wormed their way into the PACT Act enrollment process. The Washington Post reported last week that unaccredited, for-profit companies have made hundreds of millions of dollars purporting to help veterans sign up, despite a law that bars charging veterans for helping apply for disability benefits. Veterans assistance workers taking part in the round table exchanged nods of recognition when Baldwin raised the question. One called the outside agencies claim sharks. Shawn Rivers, Racine County Veterans Service Officer, said hes encountered at least three vets who have gotten that sort of help spending money needlessly for the assistance that his office or its counterparts across the state would provide for free. Rivers told the Wisconsin Examiner after the round table talk that in at least one instance the applicant missed the opportunity for back pay because the outside consultant didnt instruct the applicant to file an intent to make a claim before completing the paperwork. That would have set the applicants effective date for benefits sooner, he explained. Connery, the Dane County official, agreed that outside businesses in the application process are a problem. Overwhelmingly these outside third parties are not vetted and not accredited through the VA, he told the Wisconsin Examiner. Official veterans caseworkers such as those in his office arent in the role of approving or denying claims, Connery said, but they try to guide applicants to focus their claims on elements most likely to be accepted as valid. He told Baldwin that the outside businesses appear to be clogging up the system with bogus claims. Baldwin told the Wisconsin Examiner she wants to look into the findings that the Post article reported, but that she needed to research the topic more deeply before prescribing a policy. One issue that caught her attention, though, was the decision to not impose criminal penalties when someone illegally charges veterans for helping them apply for benefits. We should maybe reexamine that move and see if we should strengthen that law to create a greater disincentive from exploiting veterans, Baldwin said. The post Veterans describe PACT Acts benefit for covering illness from toxic exposures appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. Tucked between Interstate 494 and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary sits a small, old parish cemetery. And on this rainy Monday morning, as is traditional on Memorial Day, a bell rang out. By the time Carl Rudolph, a Vietnam-era veteran, finished his task, the bell, glistening with rainwater, had rung 86 times once for each U.S. military veteran buried in the cemetery. Across Minnesota, people gathered in cemeteries to honor and remember those who served in American wars. In Richfield, attendees gathered under gray skies. Betsy Sullivan and her mother, Mary, sat in the front row, under a red tent. They come yearly. Mary's husband, Bill, who served in the National Guard, is buried near the Virgin Mary statute. "Because we were the holy people," Mary said with a smirk. Memorial Day in the U.S. evoked a somber mood, as the nation, ever divided by partisan politics and an upcoming presidential election, breathed with the remembrance of men and women who served in the U.S. military, from wars in Europe to the Middle East, from the Civil War to southeast Asia. While Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, serves as the unofficial beginning to summer, for many it remains a day of hallowed retreat. An umbrella-toting crowd gathered at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, where Gov. Tim Walz remarked that the rain felt fitting for the somber occasion. About 258,000 veterans and their family members are buried at roughly 190,000 grave sites. Volunteers place a flag on every grave in the days leading up to Memorial Day. "All of you here made a choice, a choice to spend your holiday with us to honor and remember our veterans," said Andrew Motzko, assistant director of the 436-acre cemetery. This year's Memorial Day program included keynote speaker Lisa Anderson, deputy comptroller for Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). The Buffalo, Minn., native is stationed in Pearl Harbor and works to recover and identify remains of missing service members sometimes decades after they made the ultimate sacrifice. Anderson said a 25-member team is in the Normandy region of France searching for three missing airmen whose C-47A aircraft was presumably shot down by German anti-aircraft fire on D-Day. Nearly 81,000 U.S. personnel from World War II to the present day are unaccounted for, she said. One of their most recent identifications is Private Robert W. Cash, a graduate of Washburn High School and former student at the University of Minnesota. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces at Fort Snelling on May 8, 1941. Cash was captured following the American surrender of the Bataan Peninsula in 1942 and was forced on the 65-mile Bataan Death March. The camp was liberated in early 1945, but Cash was buried in a common grave with other American prisoners. While identification efforts began in 1947, Cash's remains weren't sent to Anderson's Hawaii laboratory until 2019. Just this last April, Cash was finally identified. "As we look ahead to the coming year, I hold firm in the belief that, by next Memorial Day, we'll witness a reduction in the number of 'unknown' grave markers and an increase in the number of families finding the answers they rightfully deserve," Anderson said. In Richfield, an intimate, quieter ceremony unfolded. The parish cemetery harkens back to days when cornfields and hay bales populated Richfield. The church in the first-ring suburb of the Twin Cities sits just east of a Best Buy store. A credit union and apartment complex loom over the parish cemetery. Joe Novak, who volunteers with the Knights of Columbus, organizes the annual event. Novak didn't serve in the military but got to know veterans by helping them attend mass in wheelchairs at a veterans home. Through research, he keeps growing the list of veterans in the cemetery, created by a parish couple. The ceremony opened with an invocation and a Boy Scout troop presenting the colors. Then Novak read the names as Rudolph chimed the bell. "Benajamin E. Haeg." "Ferdinand M. Bunger." "Bernard F. Fritz." Eighty-six names for the small cemetery. Eighty-six families and their stories. When the names had all been read, a Boy Scout played taps on the trombone. The cemetery stretches back to the parish's founding by German immigrants in the 1870s. In a far corner, mottled headstones, rounded by the years, carry the names of children with a lamb and a cross. "Josephine Biott, May 6, 1880, to Sept 9, 1881." "It really gives you a sense for how tough times were," said Betsy Sullivan, who now serves as the parish's music director. The cemetery is a window to the past. On Monday, American flags also dotted the base of gray headstones. A number of interred bear the name of the military conflict that they served in. "World War II." "Korea." Novak estimates veterans of the Spanish-American War, possibly even the Civil War, are buried in the small cemetery. After the ceremony, attendees munched on cookies and sipped coffee in the church entryway. Dick DeGonda recalled that his brothers, from Le Center, Minn., both served in WWII. By pure chance, the brothers bumped into each other on an island in the Pacific. "It made the Le Center paper," Dick's wife, Mary, said. Across the room, two sisters and a cousin spoke about their father's time in liberated France. Susan Poquette Keenan said her father walked under the Eiffel Tower. "Only once did we see him cry," said Keenan, describing when their father saw a dead U.S. serviceman clutching the wheel of an American tank. When they returned to the U.S., many of the veterans bought homes in Richfield and other suburbs on the G.I. bill. The postwar boom would soon engulf the region's farmland. But not the church. And not the cemetery, where Keenan's father is buried. So, for another Memorial Day, while rain fell, families under umbrellas and carrying flowers walked through the grassy aisles of the small burial ground, under the buzz of interstate traffic. On Wednesday, 88 military veterans flew from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to Washington D.C. for a whirlwind tour of monuments and memorials put on by Honor Flight Tri-State. But the tour is just part of it. The nonprofit, with its 18 years of experience, has made it so the typical hassles of travel disappear and the vets can focus on connecting with each other and the public. Director Cheryl Popp has led 87 flights herself. More: Cheryl Popp 'lives the mission of Honor Flight Tri-State,' says volunteer They shared laughs and tears and a raucous homecoming that many of them missed the first time they returned from overseas. After the veteran's return to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, they are greeted by a massive crowd that includes veteran's groups, their families and many former participants in the honor flight. At nearly 10 p.m. on a Wednesday night, about 2,000 people packed the lobby as the veterans came back home. Honor Flight Tri-State started in 2006. Over the years, their flights and buses have gone from being filled with World War II veterans to nearly all Vietnam- and Cold War-era veterans. Even those who served during the Korean War are seldom seen these days. The organization tries to accommodate everyone with the smoothest trip possible. The normal security checks are bypassed, there are always enough wheelchairs and there's a team of volunteer medics that accompany every trip. In D.C., the buses even get the occasional police escort. As one volunteer said, the military is a lot of hurry-up-and-wait, so on these trips, they've removed as much waiting as possible. The veterans and their guardians gathered early Wednesday morning at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The Hamilton County Pipe & Drum Corps kicked off the day, followed by a speech from Cheryl Popp, the director of Honor Flight Tri-State. It's made possible with an army of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of dollars of donations. "We will leave no one behind," the organization states. Honor Flight Tri-State is doing four trips a year. The trips cost veterans nothing. They just have to apply online. Any veteran 65 or older is eligible whether they served overseas or stateside. Here are some of their stories. Reynolds Robertson Reynolds Robertson flew to Washington, D.C. with Honor Flight Tri-State Wednesday. Reynolds Robertson, a Clermont County Air Force veteran, touches the flag as he passes underneath it with his daughter Amandalouise Robertson. The flag send-off has become a tradition for Honor Flight Tri-State. Robertson said his family has over 300 years of military service dating back at least three generations. On Memorial Day, he'll be cleaning up five small cemeteries around Clermont County with other Disabled American Veterans members. Terry Reid Terry Reid, a Marine who served in Vietnam, and his daughter Karla Tolbert visit the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial with Honor Flight Tri-State. Terry Reid is a Marine who served in Vietnam. He was enlisted from 1963 to 1967 and served in a mortar infantry battalion there. After he returned home, he was in the Reserves for over 22 years, worked as a police officer at the University of Cincinnati for 31 years and worked another 11 years at Hughes High School. His daughter, Karla Tolbert also served in the Army Reserves. "I just feel my patriotism has grown 100%," Tolbert said of the trip. David Barry David Barry visits the Arlington National Cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater with his daughter Sonya Williams. David Barry visited the Arlington National Cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater in Washington, D.C., traveling with other veterans and his daughter, Sonya Williams, on the honor flight from Ohio. Barry served in the Marines from 1966 to 1970. He was wounded twice in Vietnam and had to be taken to Japan on a medevac helicopter. "This is the welcome home," Barry said of the trip. "When I came back from Vietnam there wasn't anybody there. A lot of vets didn't even say they were in Vietnam back in the day." Paul Dargis Paul Dargis, an Army veteran, watches the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Paul Dargis calls people "man" and sometimes "dude." He is an Army veteran who spent his service from 1968 to 1972 in Key West and Germany. His brother was a Vietnam vet "who didn't talk about it," Paul said. He said his time was "like heaven" with real food, a bowling alley and even a bar. Dargis said he hesitated to go on the honor flight and felt guilty because his service was relatively easy, but his brother reassured, saying, "You served. You served." Russel Abney Russel Abney is a Navy veteran visiting Arlington National Cemetery with Honor Flight Tri-State Russel Abney is a Navy veteran. He was on the USS Belknap, a guided missile frigate, during the Vietnam War cruising the Tonkin Gulf and coordinating strike groups. "The hardest thing to do was to keep the pilots from trying to run down the MIG-15s," he laughed. "They would come out and they'd tease and they'd get them to chase them back, but that was nothing more than a trap." He said the attitudes toward the military have changed so much in 50 years. "If you wore a uniform back then, they just assumed you were over there killing people who should have been killed," he said. "Today, it's so much different. I can go to Kroger and people will come up to me say, 'Thank you for your service.'" Air Force veteran Randall Roth speaks with Air Force Master Sergeant Tiffany Davis at the U.S. Air Force Memorial. Randall Roth Air Force veteran Randall Roth enlisted in 1966, about 24 years before Air Force Master Sgt. Tiffany Davis, a soldier also visiting the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Washington, D.C., was even born. He spent time in the Philippines and then was assigned to an Air Force base in Louisiana servicing B-52 bombers. Roth said he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and wanted to relist, which would have let him rise to the rank Davis had achieved. However, he ended his service after four years because his parents got sick. Vince Albers Army veteran Vincent Albers was looking for people he remembered from basic training in 1968. Albers served stateside during the Vietnam War. He mainly did funeral details for returning veterans. Army veteran Vincent Albers became close to a set of twins during his basic training back in 1968. He had heard rumors they were both killed in Vietnam. He asked for help looking up their names at the Vietnam Memorial during the trip, but the guide could not find them. "Maybe that's good news," he said. Albers served stateside during the Vietnam War. He mainly did funeral details for returning veterans. The secondary job of his unit was being stationed on White House grounds during the massive protests during the war. "To keep your sanity, you had to separate yourself from your job because we were burying on average three people per week," Albers said. "It takes a toll. It could have been us." Today's news brings a lot of it back for Albers. "The lack of empathy in the world that we still have wars. Thousands of people dying because of political idiots," he said. "The amount of death, unnecessary. It brings back a whole lot of memories. The death is what brings back the memories." Jim English Air Force veteran Jim English brought a handwritten list of people he had lost in the Vietnam War. Air Force veteran Jim English brought a handwritten list of people he had lost in the Vietnam War. During his honor flight visit Wednesday, he found all their names on the memorial wall and photographed them. During the early years of Honor Flight Tri-State, the organizers spent the longest stretch of the day at the World War II Memorial. Now, most of the veterans on the trips served during the Vietnam War so the tour spends more time at that memorial. The names of the Vietnam War Memorial are listed in chronological order of when they died. Jim English paused at one spot with his son, James English. Together they found five names grouped together. "They were all on the same plane," he told his son. All told, English said he lost nine people in Vietnam. "It's stupid having wars," he said. "The whole secret, it's like when somebody calls you a name, don't call it back." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Veterans visit D.C. ahead of Memorial Day with Honor Flight Tri-State BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 28. SIDS are the most vulnerable nations to climate change, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in his address to the participants of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity held in Antigua and Barbuda, Trend reports. Emphasizing that climate change also impedes Small Island Developing States' progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the head of state added: "During our COP29 Presidency addressing the challenges posed by climate change to SIDS will be among our priorities. We are planning to hold SIDS Summit during the Baku COP. We will do our best to ensure that the voices of small island developing nations are heard loud and clear." A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment places flags at the headstones of U.S. military personnel buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in preparation for Memorial Day, in May 2022. Service members place a flag in front of more than 260,000 headstones. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Remembering comes easy to Nebraskans. We remember as we watch our kids on the same playgrounds and ballfields where we once played. We remember long-ago picnics and absent faces when a summer holiday draws us back to a park we loved as children. We remember especially on Memorial Day, when we visit a church cemetery off a gravel road and stand among the graves of generations of relatives, the past and future running through us in an unbroken line. But how can we remember who we are as Americans? Earlier this month I walked through Arlington National Cemetery with former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb. We came together over a shared interest in books and military service. For me, Webbs life encompasses the ideals of what it means to be an American: Marine and wartime hero; peacetime public servant and officeholder under both political parties; and prolific and successful writer, of novels, nonfiction works and Hollywood screenplays. And, Webb has Nebraska roots: He graduated from Bellevue High in Sarpy County, while his father was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base. I never yearned to visit Arlington. As a child, there had been an uncomfortable trip to a national cemetery on Long Island, watching my father page through a thick directory to locate the grave of my grandfather, who served on a destroyer in the Pacific during World War II. When I moved east to attend the Naval Academy, I saw little more than white markings on a green lawn as I sped to and from Washington, D.C. National cemeteries invoked the grandeur and vastness of America, not the feeling of home. On the occasion of my first visit, Webb, like the Ghost of Christmas Past, showed me the stories of Arlington. There was the father who long ago might have spread a blanket on the ground to protect his knees as he planted seedlings around the grave of his 19-year-old son, one of some 58,000 lost in the Vietnam War. Those plants now envelop his sons headstone. At another marker, we placed two burning cigarettes in remembrance of the heroic young squad leader who served under Webbs command in Vietnam. Our final stop was at the grave of Webbs father, James Henry Webb, who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam before dying from illness at age 79. Arlingtons 639 acres comprise the graves of some 400,000 souls veterans and their families a number equal to the population of an entire city. Less than four miles from the Capitol, but a world apart. Each headstone a representation of the veteran buried there: steadfast and uniform; young or old; some scarred and seasoned, others eternally young, charged with the passion of their final act. War destroyed many of the bodies of these men and women, but their idealism in America, in their friends remains undefeated. Arlington brings together those who, regardless of origin, race or religion, shared a common belief in country that transcends time and circumstance. Im glad I finally walked in Arlington. Someday, I might take my children. Until that day, well stay close to home. Well find our way to a little cemetery that overlooks the Missouri River. It has iron gates and a chain-link fence. The ground is flat, but the blue sky rolls out in waves overhead. The names have become familiar over the years. The story of my mothers ancestors is carved into the monuments, each as distinctive as the person buried beneath the soil they spent their lives working. The post A walk in Arlington appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. The Washington Post published previously unreported details about a flag associated with former President Donald Trumps Stop the Steal movement that was flown outside Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alitos home in 2021. On Saturday, the Post revealed it first spoke with Martha-Ann Alito, the justices wife, in January 2021. Alito told the Post the flag an American flag flown upside down was an international signal of distress that was present as part of a dispute with her neighbors. That reporting corroborates a statement Justice Alito gave The New York Times, which released an investigation into the flag earlier this month. I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag, Alito said. It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbors use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs. According to The Washington Post, reporter Robert Barnes, now retired, first visited the Alitos home to report on the flag on Jan. 20, 2021 President Joe Bidens inauguration day. The Alitos, who did not attend the inauguration, ran into Barnes while exiting their home, and Martha-Ann Alito shouted that Barnes should ask them [her neighbors] what they did! Cameron Barr, the former senior managing editor of the Post, told Semafor he decided not to run the story in 2021 because it seemed like the story was about Martha-Ann Alito and not her husband. The actions of the Supreme Court justices and their significant others have come under considerably more scrutiny in recent years after it was revealed Ginni Thomas, Justice Clarence Thomas wife, attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally at the U.S. Capitol and made efforts to overturn Bidens election win. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr., left, and his wife Martha-Ann Alito, pay their respects at the casket of Reverend Billy Graham at the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington in Feb. 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Following its investigation of the upside-down flag, the Times published a report on another flag embraced by far-right groups being flown outside the Alitos beach home in New Jersey. The Appeal to Heaven flag, linked to the Christian nationalist movement, flew outside the beach home in the summer of 2023. Some Democrats have asked Chief Justice John Roberts to meet as soon as possible to discuss the flag controversy, arguing Alito should recuse himself from Supreme Court cases relating to the 2020 election. Medically reviewed by Patricia Mikula, PharmDMedically reviewed by Patricia Mikula, PharmD Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) are medications that can help lower your blood sugar, especially if you live with conditions such as diabetes or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). These medications may also improve your heart health and encourage weight loss. While both medications have many similarities, some differences set Ozempic and Wegovy apartsuch as what they're approved for and what they help your body do. What Do Ozempic and Wegovy Do? The active ingredient of Ozempic and Wegovy is semaglutide, which belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. These drugs act like the hormone GLP-1, which tells your body to create more insulin to help naturally lower blood sugar levels. High GLP-1 levels send a message to your brain telling your body that you are full, which can help reduce your appetite. Semaglutide also helps slow food digestion, making you feel full faster. Ozempic Ozempic is a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that can help: Control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes Reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease Though not FDA-approved for weight loss, a healthcare provider may also prescribe Ozempic off-label to aid weight management. Off-label means a healthcare provider prescribes a drug for a purpose other than what it is FDA-approved for. Wegovy Wegovy is an FDA-approved medication for treating obesity. Currently, the drug is only approved for adults and children over the age of 12 who are living with obesity. Because these medications are new, research on their effectiveness and uses is ongoing. In March 2024, Wegovy was also FDA-approved to help reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with a history of cardiovascular disease. Similarities Ozempic and Wegovy are both prescription-only medications that you can inject subcutaneously (under the skin) once a week. Both medications can: Reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke Aid weight loss Have similar side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation Differences The main difference between Ozempic and Wegovy is the FDA-approved reasons for use: Ozempic is a once-a-week injection approved to control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes. Wegovy is a once-a-week injection that can help with weight loss and lower the risk of cardiovascular events in people with a history of heart disease. Effectiveness Both Ozempic and Wegovy can help you control blood sugar and reduce body fat. However, their effectiveness can differ. Numerous studies have found that Ozempic is effective at lowering hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) and weight in people with diabetes when compared to other diabetes medications. One study in adults with type 2 diabetes also found that those taking 1 milligram (mg) of Ozempic once a week lost about 10 pounds over 30 weeks. Wegovy may have greater weight loss effects. In one study conducted by the drug manufacturer, 50.5% of adults with obesity and no history of diabetes saw nearly a 15% decrease in their body weight when taking 2.4 mg of Wegovy once a week for more than a year. This weight loss was equivalent to about 33.7 pounds over the course of 68 weeks. The study also noticed improved metabolic health, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Ozempic and Wegovy may help with blood sugar management and weight loss, but they do not cure either. Both medications should accompany lifestyle changes, such as eating in a calorie deficit and increasing your activity levels. Dose and Administration Ozempic and Wegovy are available as injection pens that come pre-filled with the medication. For both medications, your healthcare provider will prescribe the smallest initial dose. They will increase your dose over time based on your outcomes, treatment goals, and side effects. Currently, Ozempic is available in four different pre-filled, multi-dose syringe pen doses. These include 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, and 2.0 mg. Generally, each pen contains four doses, which equals a 30-day supply. The exact number of pens you receive will depend on your exact dosage. The maximum recommended dosage is 2 mg once a week. Wegovy, however, comes in five different pre-filled, single-dose syringes. The dosages for Wegovy are 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg. Each pen contains one dose, so you'll need four pens for a 30-day supply. Healthcare providers recommend a maximum dosage of 2.4 mg once a week. Risks and Side Effects The side effects for both Ozempic and Wegovy tend to be similar. However, side effects are typically more common and severe if you're using Wegovy. These may include: Nausea and vomiting Abdominal pain Constipation or diarrhea Headache Fatigue Belching or burping While side effects can occur at any dose, higher dosages of this medication may also increase your risk of other health conditions, such as: Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) Gallstones Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) Kidney injury Eye damage High heart rate Suicidal thoughts Looking for Support? If you are experiencing a crisis, or know someone who is, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential support 24/7. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources or call the number below to reach the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hotline. Cost Generally, Wegovy is more expensive than Ozempic. In the United States, one month of Ozempic (1.0 mg dose) costs about $900 without insurance, while Wegovy (2.4 mg dose) costs about $1,350 without insurance. The cost of Ozempic and Wegovy depends on various factors, including your dosage, whether the medication is covered by your insurance, and whether you are eligible for a drug savings program. The drug manufacturers of both medications also offer numerous programs to help you save on the cost of Ozempic or Wegovy. If you're taking either of these medications, contact your insurance provider or pharmacy to learn more about your coverage and savings options. Due to the increase in demand for these medications, both Ozempic and Wegovy are listed on the FDA's Drug Shortages list. You may have difficulty finding these medications in stock at your pharmacy, leading to delays in treatment. However, it's important to only take the approved versions of these medications from a safe and reliable source instead of taking off-brand alternatives. Alternatives may not be as safe or effective as the FDA-approved products. Can You Switch from Ozempic to Wegovy or Vice Versa? Ozempic and Wegovy are not interchangeable medications. They are approved for different reasons and are only available in different dosages. However, if you are taking one medication for weight loss and your healthcare provider believes the other product may be better for you, switching from one medication to the other is safe. Do not take both Ozempic and Wegovy at the same time. Both medications should also not be combined with other GLP-1 receptor agonists or products used for weight loss, including prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, or herbal remedies. Which Is Better? It's hard to dictate which of these medications is better overall. The medication that's right for you may not be right for someone else. It depends on factors like your health history, medical needs, and treatment goals. While Ozempic is the preferred option for blood sugar control and cardiovascular risk in adults with diabetes, Wegovy may be a better option for people living with obesity. Talk with your healthcare provider about both options. They can help you weigh the pros and cons and determine which is best for your individual needs. A Quick Review Ozempic and Wegovy both contain the active ingredient semaglutide. While Ozempic can help lower blood sugar, Wegovy can aid with weight loss. Both medications can also improve your overall heart health. While these medications are similar, they differ in effectiveness, side effects, dosage, and cost. If you may benefit from these medications, your healthcare provider can help you determine which one is right for you. For more Health.com news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Health.com. Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised. In November 2019, the Guardian reported that Ian Simms, the man convicted of Helen McCourts murder, was to be released from prison after serving 31 years behind bars. He was released in 2020 and was reported dead in June 2022 at the age of 66, according to Wigan Today. Helens mother, Marie McCourt expressed hope that someone of Simms friends and family might come forward to reveal where he buried Helen as he is now dead. Ever since the courts decision to release Ian Simms was made public, Marie McCourt has fought for the court to consider whether murderers have revealed the whereabouts of the victims remains when releasing them on parole. Over the three decades when Ian Simms was behind bars, he denied guilt. He also did not reveal where Helen McCourts remains were. Even upon his release in 2020, there was no information from his end. Sky News reported that Marie McCourt campaigned for the Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Act. It later came to be known as Helens Law. She argued that it was unfair to let convicted murderers free without compelling them to reveal information about the victims whereabouts. The law was reportedly enacted in 2021. Helen McCourt was a 22-year-old British insurance clerk who disappeared on her way home from work in 1988. She lived in Merseyside and was reported missing by her mother. The police investigated and found out that Helen McCourt was killed after she vanished that day. How was Ian Simms caught? As soon as Helen McCourt was reported missing, authorities searched the area near her home in Merseyside. Only a few meters away from her residence, was George and Dragon on Main Street. Ian Simms worked as the pub landlord there. He soon became the primary suspect in the case and his home and car were searched. Although Helen McCourts remains were never found, he was found guilty based on overwhelming DNA evidence, Wigan Today reported. According to court documents, forensic evidence suggested that he strangled her with a ligature. He reportedly lied about his whereabouts at the time of the crime. He also gave false reasons behind certain injuries he had on him at the time. This made authorities even more suspicious. Ian Simms received a life sentence and was to serve a minimum sentence of 16 years and one day. He also attempted to appeal his conviction but failed. In 2019, the court decided that the risk posed by Ian Simms release would not be too high. This was because of the fact that his behavior towards the later part of his sentence was considerably better. Although his motive and reason behind the murder remained unknown due to his repeated denials, several psychiatrists had studied the case and suggested that the risk he posed would be minimized. Additionally, no offense-related activity was carried out by him during his time in prison. Ian Simms stuck to his statement that he was innocent till the very end and the search for the location where Helen McCourt was buried, continues. The post Where Is Helen McCourts Killer Ian Simms Now? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Where is Jimmy Hoffa? A look at searches in Michigan. Former Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in 1975 and hes never been seen since. On July 30, 1975, Hoffa had scheduled a lunch meeting with Anthony (Tony Pro) Provenzano, a mob-connected New Jersey Teamster official, and Anthony (Tony Jack) Giacalone, a Detroit Mafia captain at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant on Telegraph Road just south of Maple. Teamsters union boss Jimmy Hoffa's car, a green Pontiac Grand Ville, was found July 31, 1975, in the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Township. Hoffa called his wife from a pay phone to say hed been stood up at the meeting. He was never heard from again. The FBI theorized that the mafia had Hoffa killed to keep him from returning to the union presidency. His disappearance prompted decades of investigations, conspiracy theories and searches. A Bloomfield Township police officer stands beside Jimmy Hoffa's car after the labor leader's disappearance. Heres a look back at some of the searches in Michigan. Andiamo: Italian restaurant in Bloomfield Twp. has new menu item named for Jimmy Hoffa June 2013: Field in Oakland Township, Michigan A tip from the son of a former Detroit mob boss prompted the FBI to search a field in Oakland Township. Investigators use a backhoe dig through a foundation of what used to be a barn in Oakland Township, as they search for the remains of Jimmy Hoffa on June 18, 2013. Acting on a tip, the dig hoped to find Hoffa, the Teamsters boss who went missing in 1975 from a restaurant parking lot in Bloomfield Township. Anthony Zerilli, whos father Joe Zerilli was running the Detroit mafia when Hoffa disappeared, told a television interviewer that the former union president was buried on the property, which once belonged to another Detroit mafia leader, Jack Tocco. Because Anthony Zerilli came from the inner circle of Detroit organized crime, a former FBI case agent John Anthony called the tipster the most credible I've seen in 30 years. Zerilli was 85 at the time he offered the tip and was attempting to sell a manuscript online that detailed his theory of the case. FBI and local law enforcement officials walk back to their staging area after holding a press conference where they told the media that they had given up their search for the remains of Jimmy Hoffa at an overgrown farm field in Oakland Township on June 19, 2013. The three-day search brought crowds of onlookers to the site, but it ended as the others had. After a diligent search we did not uncover any evidence relevant to the investigation on James Hoffa, Detroit FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Foley III said. September 2012: Roseville Driveway A tipster said that a man who formerly owned the home at 18710 Florida Street, near 12 Mile and Gratiot, had served as a bookie for Giacalone and was up all night pouring concrete on the day that Hoffa disappeared. The FBI initially brushed off the tip, but Roseville police decided it was worth checking out. The home at 18710 Florida in Roseville, Mich. where Jimmy Hoffa could be buried beneath the driveway on Sept. 26, 2012. They asked the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to scan the property with ground penetrating radar. The scan detected an anomaly. That prompted the drilling of holes six feet deep in the driveway to check for possible human remains. The holes were dug as police and the FBI watched. Gawkers looked on as a television news helicopter circled overhead and satellite trucks parked nearby. "It's not him," Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said after an initial examination of a soil bore failed to show any signs of human remains. May 2006: Hidden Dream Horse Farm, Milford Township, Michigan Several dozen FBI agents spent two weeks and about $250,000 searching the 87-acre farm once owned by former Hoffa associate Roland McMaster. The search included pulling down a horse barn. McMaster was long suspected of being involved in Hoffas disappearance. A tip from federal prisoner Donovan Wells, who once lived on the farm with McMaster, was used to secure a search warrant. The FBI wouldnt say what Wells divulged but said that he did pass a polygraph examination. McMaster had sold the farm in 1977 and by the time of the search, he was 93. He denied any knowledge of Hoffas disappearance and told the Free Press that he welcomed the search. "That's the poorest reporting I've ever heard," he said. July 2003: A backyard in Hampton Township, Michigan Acting on a tip from a Michigan prisoner serving a life sentence for murder, the Oakland County Sheriffs Office obtained a search warrant for the backyard of a home in Hampton Township, outside Bay City. The tipster, Richard Clarence Powell, told investigators that a briefcase buried there contained evidence of Hoffas death including a syringe used to inject drugs or poison. In an apparent move to bolster his credibility, Powell told investigators to search under the crawl space of the house for the body of an autoworker missing since the 1970s, which they found. The backyard dig included removing an above ground pool but nothing was found there. Then Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said it would have been an absolute dereliction of our duty, to not pursue the tip. Then Bay County Sheriff John Miller told the Free Press Powell had twice failed a polygraph test, including the day before the search. "This guy is a car thief and a liar and a murderer," Miller said. May 2004: Detroit house A deathbed confession from Frank The Irishman Sheeran, published in the book I Heard You Paint Houses prompted a search of a home in northwest Detroit. Sheeran, a longtime mob enforcer, claimed in the book that he killed Hoffa with two gunshots inside a home in the 17800 block of Beaverland near Grand River and Telegraph. Sheeran was a friend of Hoffa but said he killed Hoffa for Pennsylvania mob boss Russell Buffalino. Sheeran said he would have been killed himself if he didnt carry out the hit. A forensic team led by Bloomfield Township Police and the Oakland County Prosecutors Office spent about two hours in the house, pulling floor boards from the hallway and vestibule of the house, where Sheeran described the shooting as happening. Lab tests found evidence of blood in the boards, but it wasnt Hoffas blood. "I feel like we're where we were the day before we got the tip," then-Bloomfield Township Police Chief Jeffrey Werner said when the lab results came back. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jimmy Hoffa: Searches in Michigan for former Teamsters president Though it was a big part of the last-minute budget deal between the governor and Republican leaders in the Oklahoma Legislature, a planned pay raise for some members of the judiciary isn't going over so well with those who would get the increase. This week, Gov. Kevin Stitt backed off trying to tie the FY 2025 budget to a cut in the state income tax. Instead, the governor who returned to the budget summit after several absences told lawmakers he would sign the budget if lawmakers would agree to allocate $20 million to the governor's Quick Action Closing Fund, approve a judicial pay increase but cap it at 7% and limit it to district judges continue to fund tribal litigation efforts and launch a task force to create a state business court. Stitt's change of heart surprised some lawmakers. "We didn't anticipate the governor doing that," Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat said. "But I thought it was a very fair deal for us." The governor's move eliminated the debate about a second tax cut and appeared to solve a second problem worry that he would veto the budget agreement and that those vetoes could not be overridden. Why the Oklahoma Judges Association asked members to ush back against Gov. Stitt's budget proposal But not everyone was pleased with the proposal. This week, the president of the Oklahoma Judges Assocation, a judicial advocacy group, emailed its members asking them to contact their state lawmakers and push back against the governor's proposal. A copy of the email, obtained by The Oklahoman, indicates the judges' group wasn't pleased by Stitt's pay idea. "The time is now at hand where judges should contact their Representatives and Senators and urge them to oppose any resolution that disapproves of the 17% recommended pay raise," Judge Thad Balkman wrote in an email to the association's membership. "Our District Courts and appellate courts have sufficient funds to cover the $8.6M cost of the raises for this year, and we will need to ask for supplemental funding next session and an annual appropriation next session if the Legislature is not inclined to appropriate the money to fund the raise. But the message for now is simple oppose any resolution that disapproves and reduces the 17% raise in judicial compensation. Please contact your legislators now! Contact them individually and not with a generic email sent to multiple legislators at the same time," the email urged. More: House, Senate GOP leaders reach agreement on budget with no income tax cut Balkman, a district judge in Cleveland County, is president of the association. He said the 17% pay increase would have gone into effect automatically had it not been included in the budget proposal. "As a reminder, the 17% pay raise recommended by the Board on Judicial Compensation goes into effect absent a resolution reducing it is passed by both the House and Senate and signed by the governor," Balkman wrote. "No such resolution has been filed by either the House or Senate, but it looks like that may be very likely as the session winds down and the pressure is mounting to pass a budget before Sine Die adjournment." Gov. Stitt wants to focus on district courts only Stitt, however, said a 17% or 18% pay increase "seemed like a big bump right off the start." "Our judges do a great job," the governor said. "We need to make sure we pay market. The only caveat is, let's focus on district courts only." Stitt said he chose to focus on district courts because the courts in eastern Oklahoma "are being picked off by the federal bench." "I've been an advocate for tax cuts this whole time," the governor said. "And giving people pay raises is a noble cause, but at the same time if we have all this money to give public employees pay raises, we should give Oklahomans a tax cut." Appellate courts, the governor said, don't have any problems recruiting people. "An 18 percent (pay increase) in one year? I haven't gotten an 18 percent pay increase," the governor said. "The average Oklahoman's salary is $55,000 per year, and we thought that giving that much across the board was probably a little bit much this session." Balkman said his group has continued to monitor budget discussions and has been in contact with legislators nearly every day of this session. "Until now, legislators have been unclear and non-committal about their support of the 17% recommended pay raise," Balkman wrote. "Since Monday, budget discussions have revealed that the Governor is conditioning his approval of a budget on capping pay raises at 7%, and only for trial level judges. The Governors position is that pay raises should be focused only on trial judges because, of the possibility that judges can be recruited to the federal bench." Lawmakers expect to have a final version of the budget ready by Tuesday. The second session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature adjourns at 5 p.m. on May 31. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma judges group opposes Gov. Stitt's pay raise plan BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 28. Azerbaijan will also facilitate the participation of SIDS at the COP29, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed to the participants of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity held in Antigua and Barbuda, Trend reports. "The slogan we have chosen for the Baku COP In solidarity for a Green World reflects the spirit of our COP29 mission. As we are all facing this situation together, I call on all countries to act in solidarity to save our planet. To achieve this goal, we need political will and multilateralism which Azerbaijan has always been advocating for," the Azerbaijani President mentioned. Wide scope of presidential emergency powers could be reined in by Congress this year Former President Donald Trump used his emergency powers to construct a border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. In this photo, construction continues on a new section of the barrier on Jan. 8, 2019, as seen from Tijuana, Mexico. (Photo by Mario Tama, Getty Images) WASHINGTON Senators from both political parties at a Wednesday hearing appeared to be on the same page about limiting presidential emergency powers, striking a bipartisan agreement that Congress should take steps this year to rework a decades-old law. The National Emergencies Act, approved during the 94th Congress, provides the president with powers they wouldnt otherwise have and was intended to give lawmakers oversight of those emergencies. Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, said there are common sense reforms that would strengthen Congress role in exercising oversight of these emergency powers. Peters said he looks forward to collaborating with Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, ranking member on the committee, as the panel works diligently to make that happen in the coming months. Reforming the National Emergencies Act is not about thwarting the policy goals of either party, Peters said. Its about strengthening our democracy and ensuring Congress maintains the responsibility to oversee executive power. Dangerous imbalance Paul said the current structure of the 1976 law, which was affected by a Supreme Court ruling in the 1980s, creates a dangerous imbalance of constitutional separations of powers. Congress has been complicit and made itself a feckless branch of the federal government by granting the president so many emergency powers and refusing to regularly vote on termination of national emergencies as required by current law, he said. Paul said he hoped the hearing marked the beginning of a serious and sustained effort to restore the Constitution, reclaim the authority of Congress and protect the liberties of the people by paring back the vast emergency powers delegated to the president. Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the liberal-leaning Brennan Center for Justice, testified there are 43 emergency declarations under the National Emergencies Act in place today, out of 79 total declarations. That is especially concerning, Goitein said, because an emergency declaration unlocks powers contained in more than 130 statutory provisions, and some of these carry enormous potential for abuse. One emergency power allows the president to take over or shut down wire or radio services, a process last used during World War II when that applied to telephones and telegrams that werent in many American homes, she said. Today, it could arguably be used to exert control over U.S.-based internet traffic, Goitein said. Other laws allow the president to freeze Americans assets without any judicial process, to control domestic transportation and even to suspend the prohibition on government testing of chemical and biological agents on unwitting human subjects. It would be irresponsible of Congress to continue hoping for presidential self-restraint to ensure that an executive doesnt take their emergency powers too far, she testified. Trump border wall emergency Former President Donald Trump, Goitein said, opened the door to abusing statutory emergency powers when he declared a national emergency to secure funding for the border wall after Congress had refused to provide that funding. President (Joe) Biden nudged the door open a little bit more when he relied on emergency powers to forgive student loan debt, she added. Again, after Congress had considered legislation to forgive debt and had not passed that legislation. There are several proposals that would require Congress to approve a presidents emergency declaration within 30 days, otherwise it would terminate. And even if a president received congressional approval, they would have to go back to lawmakers a year later to renew the emergency, Goitein said. Gene Healy, senior vice president for policy at the libertarian Cato Institute, testified that it is remarkable that we havent seen far greater abuses of presidential emergency powers under the National Emergencies Act. Congress should reset how emergency powers work by sunsetting presidential emergency declarations after a matter of weeks and requiring actual authorization from Congress to extend them further, Healy testified. Lawmakers should review what emergency powers were granted to presidents under the nearly 50-year-old law and take away any that wouldnt be necessary during a true emergency or that are especially susceptible to abuse, he said. Satya Thallam, senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation and a former senior staff member for the panel, said the sweet spot for any reform is one that is on its face policy neutral and designed to service only the interests of Congress lawmaking role vis-a-vis the president, rather than any particular political agenda. The Foundation for American Innovation writes on its website that it was established in 2014 in Silicon Valley as Lincoln Labs. Its mission is to develop technology, talent, and ideas that support a better, freer, and more abundant future. Disruption of peaceful transfer of power In response to a question from Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff about how a president could disrupt a peaceful transition of power, Goitein reluctantly testified that she was concerned about the Insurrection Act, which exists outside of the National Emergencies Act. The Insurrection Act is a law that allows the president to deploy federal military troops to quell civil unrest or to execute the law in crisis, she said. It gives the president extremely broad and judicially unreviewable discretion to deploy troops in ways that could certainly be abused. Healy said it would be prudent for Congress to tighten up the authorities that a president holds under the Insurrection Act. Paul said he was fully supportive of re-working the Insurrection Act to avoid potential abuses by presidents. The Insurrection Act is a thousand times more potent and has the potential for turning the place into, you know, military rule overnight, Paul said, adding that hes introduced a bill that would bar presidents from sending the military anywhere without the explicit approval of Congress. Our soldiers are great, but theyre not trained to obey the Fourth Amendment, our police are. And even thats imperfect, Paul said. But our police know about the Fourth Amendment. They know they have to get warrants. Armies dont get warrants. Paul said any changes to the Insurrection Act must be more strict than changes to the National Emergencies Act, because youre talking about putting troops in our cities. Paul also said the committee should look closely at the emergency power that could allow a president to essentially turn off the internet during a national emergency, referring to that as the internet kill switch. You could become dictator in a day, in a moment, in one executive order, Paul said. The post Wide scope of presidential emergency powers could be reined in by Congress this year appeared first on Michigan Advance. New Jersey officials declared an overnight state of emergency early Monday in response to civil unrest throughout the weekend along the Wildwood boardwalk near the states southern tip. The boardwalk was reopened by 6 a.m. on Monday when Wildwood was able to effectively address numerous incidents of civil unrest and ensure the safety and welfare of our residents and visitors, officials said. The Wildwood Police Department said it began to respond to an irrepressible number of calls for service Saturday night as an extremely large number of young adults and juveniles arrived for Memorial Day weekend. The high volume of calls left authorities unable to respond to some calls for service throughout Cape May County, officials said. A state of emergency was declared in the first minutes of Monday, when conditions again began to deteriorate despite the presence and efforts of local police officers and multiple mutual aid law enforcement agencies, according to a joint press release issued by the city of Wildwood and its police force Monday afternoon. City officials posted online just after the start of Memorial Day, stating, Out of an abundance of caution due to emergency conditions that have resulted from civil unrest threatening the public health, safety and welfare of our residents and visitors alike, the city of Wildwood has declared a state of emergency in order to maintain law and order within our jurisdiction. Beyond crowding, the specific nature of any activities that might have caused access to the boardwalk to be restricted is unclear. We had measures in place ahead of the Sunday night crowds so that the police department could take these preemptive actions should the need arise, according to public safety chief Steve Mikulski. Unfortunately, the crowds necessitated the state of emergency to which our police department and other responding departments worked together to maintain order in the city. Authorities said that, out of respect for the somber Memorial Day holiday, they would make no further addresses regarding the weekends chaos. A 15-year-old boy was reportedly stabbed during a Saturday night fight on the boardwalk near Ocean City. CBS News said that incident appeared unrelated to Mondays state of emergency. Popup parties along the boardwalk were a problem for law enforcement officials around this time last year. In late April 2023, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland alerted organizers and attendees of any such unsanctioned and promoted events that they would be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible under the law. ______ WASHINGTON (DC News Now) One of D.C.s major indoor aquatics facilities could be reopening after serious issues forced the city to close it in August 2023. The list of issues at Wilson Aquatic Center in Tenleytown in Northwest was extensive. Chief among them were troubles with the HVAC system. In February, Councilmember Matt Frumin, who represents Ward 3, shared an update on the work taking place in one of his weekly newsletters. The update included information from the Department of General Services (DGS) and the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) which noted the scope of the $2.5 million project would include installation of new rooftop units, fans, and ductwork. DGS said it also was redesigning the HVAC system to allow for more efficient and timely maintenance and inspections. Study: Retirees in Arlington, DC area have highest retirement income DGS and DPR said they would announce a reopening date when the project was closer to completion. In February, the indication was that the date, which already slid from the end of 2023 to sometime in the winter, would be in the spring. In an Instagram post the week of May 19, 2024, Frumin shared pictures from inside the aquatic center, which he toured with the director of the Department of General Services. Frumin noted that DGS was in the home stretch. Crews were to begin filling the pool and give the center a final deep clean, followed by the necessary infpections. Frumin said although the pool would not be open by Memorial Day, the director was confident that the city would meet its spring 2024 window. Frumin expected an opening day announcement to come by the end of the week of Memorial Day. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. SANDY, Utah (ABC4) A woman was taken into custody on Sunday, May 26, after allegedly killing her roommate at a Sandy medically vulnerable assistance facility. Laura Darlene Northrup, 60, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. She faces a first-degree felony murder charge as well as a third-degree felony charge for evidence tampering. According to a probable cause document, Northrup was staying at the Sandy Medically Vulnerable People Shelter, a former hotel that was recently renovated to house seniors, veterans and the medically frail experiencing homelessness. Northrup reportedly had two roommates at the shelter including the victim, identified as Stephanie Lynee Hackett Carrasco, 62. Police said Nothrup can be seen on video surveillance footage entering the shared room just before midnight on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Carrasco can be seen coming and going, moving items into the room between midnight and 1 a.m. on Sunday. Police said Carrasco can last be seen entering the room just after 1 a.m. and Northrup can be seen leaving just before 2 a.m. with an armful of clothing and personal items. SLCPD arrests over 30 people on popular Utah trails The second roommate reportedly did not stay the night in the shared room and was not seen until about noon on Sunday when she returned to take a nap. The second roommate told police she didnt notice anything amiss until she woke up several hours later and spotted Carrascos body face down mostly underneath her own bed and covered in bed sheets. Police and medical staff were called around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday and declared Carrasco dead at the scene. Medical personnel said Carrasco had an injury to the back of her dead consistent with blunt force trauma. An investigation into the alleged homicide is still in its early stages. According to the probable cause statement, detectives are searching for the suspected item used in the alleged murder as well as any other items with blood on it. A possible motive for the alleged murder was not disclosed in court documents. Northrup reportedly refused to make a statement with police and requested an attorney. Court documents show she is being held without bail, pending a pretrial hearing. In a statement to ABC4, The Road Home Executive Director Michelle Flynn called the incident tragic, adding that the hearts of those in the organization are with those involved. Flynn said the Medically Vulnerable People program provides a safe and supportive environment where residents can rehabilitate from illness by accessing the necessary health care and care management services to find stability and eventually move toward permanent housing and other long-term solutions. We are unwavering in our commitment to safety, ensuring a welcoming and secure environment for all those who seek refuge with us, Flynn said. We are working closely with law enforcement and other crisis services to support residents and staff. We will continue to work with our community partners to support ongoing needs as they arise. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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 ABC4 Utah. Woman who attempted to have boyfriend killed resentenced under domestic violence act BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A Cheektowaga woman received a lower sentence Friday following an attempt in 2018 to have her boyfriend killed, The Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo announced last Monday. According to the Erie County District Attorneys Office, 52-year-old Vivian Rodriguez conspired with another individual and allowed them to enter her boyfriends home on 10th Street in Buffalo. The individual then attempted to kill him with a machete, but the victim killed the attacker in self-defense. Rodriguez was subsequently charged with attempted murder and tampering with physical evidence, and sentenced to nine years in prison. Under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, Rodriguez was resentenced Friday. The court of the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo found that she was a victim of domestic abuse, a significant contributing factor to the attempted murder charge. Rodriguez is now sentenced to a determinate sentence of five years in prison and five years post-release supervision. Latest Local News Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. 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 News 4 Buffalo. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A womans body was found floating in a South Florida canal on Memorial Day, according to NBC affiliate WTVJ. Officers with the North Miami Beach Police on patrol in the area told NBC6 they were flagged down by a group on Monday at the Snake Creek Canal. Hero of the day: Parent drove in front of bus transporting Sebring students, stopped suspected DUI driver In the water was a womans body, floating south down the canal. Police said they used a floating device to get the body. The video shows officials blocking off the area before pulling the victim from the canal and taking a water sample for further investigation. WTVJ reported that police are treating this incident as a death investigation. They reported no signs of foul play. 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 WFLA. A Paulding County woman was killed in a house fire during strong storms Monday morning. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Firefighters said a man called 911 around 10:36 a.m. to report that his home in Dallas was on fire and that his wife, who is disabled, was trapped inside. TRENDING STORIES: When fire crews got to the scene they found heavy black smoke billowing from the home. Crews searched the home and found the 62-year-old woman unconscious in a rear bedroom. She was pulled from the house, but pronounced dead at the scene. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Its unclear if the fire was storm-related. The woman was not identified. The State Fire Marshalls Office and the Sheriffs Office are both investigating. A 93-year-old woman was killed in a three-vehicle crash Sunday in South Strabane Township. Just after 2 p.m., first responders were called to a vehicle accident at the intersection of E. Beau Street and Davis School Road. One person was extricated from a vehicle and taken to an area hospital by ambulance, while another person was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital from the scene. Two more people were taken to an area hospital by ambulance, with one of them later being transferred to a Pittsburgh hospital by medical helicopter. Rose Marie Gillespie, 93, of Washington, died at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiners office. The condition of the other people was not released. East Beau Street was closed for approximately two hours. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Western Pennsylvania hit by severe weather twice on Memorial Day weekend, more rain expected 2 men shot in McKeesport PHOTOS: Severe thunderstorms hit Western Pennsylvania for second time in 2 days VIDEO:USS Requin veterans hold memorial ceremony honoring submarines on Eternal Patrol DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 28. Today, Azerbaijan celebrates the Independence Day. The 20th century went down in history not only as a century of science and technology, but also as a century of national awakening, the liberation of peoples from colonialism and the creation of national states. The Revolution of 1917 in Russia ended the rule of the Romanov dynasty. As a result, the Russian Empire collapsed. The peoples had to decide their own fate. The peoples had to decide their own fate. On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was proclaimed. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic became the first democratic republic not only on the territory of modern Azerbaijan, but also in the whole East. It was a parliamentary republic. Its state attributes were adopted - a flag, an anthem. However, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic lasted only 23 months. On April 28, 1920, Azerbaijan was occupied by the 11th army of the Bolsheviks, and the republic fell. Meanwhile, until 2022 May 28 was celebrated as the Republic Day. For the women who accused the Trump campaign of harassment, its been more harassment Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the stage a the conclusion of a campaign rally March 9, 2024, at the Forum River Center in Rome, Georgia. Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the stage a the conclusion of a campaign rally March 9, 2024, at the Forum River Center in Rome, Georgia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Nearly eight years ago, convinced that shed been treated unfairly, Jessica Denson sued Donald Trumps campaign for workplace harassment. Then she discovered the lengths Trumps attorneys would go to hit back and their unwillingness to stop. Immediately, the campaign filed a counterclaim for $1.5 million. It won a $52,229 judgment, and the campaign froze her bank account and almost forced her into bankruptcy. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. She found it humiliating when the campaign lawyers branded her a judgment debtor in a subpoena. They monitored her Twitter account, which had 32 followers, and submitted hundreds of pages of printouts to a judge. They even deposed her mother, grilling her about the familys religious practices. The judgment was ultimately thrown out by a judge, but her legal fight continues. The process has been unbearable, Denson said, describing the unrelenting pressure she felt from Trump campaign attorneys. This had become my life. I had no income and had this lien against me. It crippled my ability to work. The legal resources deployed to try to crush Densons case are not unusual. At least four women of color involved in the 2016 operation have been embroiled in legal fights with the campaign over workplace harassment, discrimination or violations of nondisclosure agreements. They have been subjected to scorched-earth tactics. For years, the Trump campaign has persisted, despite losing consistently, in at least some cases after it was clear that its efforts had damaged the women. Trump was regularly updated on the womens cases, according to two people familiar with the matters. In one, he wanted to escalate the dispute by filing a federal defamation lawsuit against the former employee, but his lawyers persuaded him it was best handled through confidential arbitration. Campaign lawyers urged him to settle the ongoing legacy lawsuits from 2016 before the 2020 election, but he declined. Now as Trump engages in another presidential run, a judges order in one of those cases may force into public view the new details about staffers who lodged similar accusations. A federal magistrate judge has ordered the campaign to produce by May 31 a list of all discrimination and harassment complaints made during Trumps 2016 and 2020 presidential runs, allegations that the campaign initially tried to keep confidential through rigorously enforced NDAs. Last year, a federal judge freed 422 employees of the 2016 campaign from confidentiality agreements in a class-action lawsuit brought by Denson, a major crack in the campaigns strategy. As the media has chronicled, Trump is a well-known bully. He has belittled and sought to dominate political rivals like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former allies like Bill Barr, who was his attorney general. Trump and his surrogates have appeared to relish hounding or humiliating women who have verbally crossed him, including media and Hollywood stars and a long list of accusers who have complained over the years about sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct. (He has denied all of the allegations.) But ProPublica found that Trumps campaign used similar bullying tactics against its own workers. These fights have been waged out of the public eye against women with few resources to stand up against the campaigns battery of lawyers, paid from a seemingly bottomless trove of campaign money. The campaign is still litigating these ridiculous cases that should have been settled long ago, said campaign finance authority Brett Kappel of Harmon Curran, who has been tracking Trumps civil and criminal cases. Trumps strategy is the same one hes used in other lawsuits: Drag it out and make it as painful and expensive as possible for the opponent, and maybe theyll go away, he said. The Trump campaign did not respond to a detailed list of questions. Spokesperson Steven Cheung in an emailed statement said one of the cases filed by a former campaign worker was an absurd and fake story. Supporters are giving him money earned with blood, sweat and tears, Denson said. And it is being turned around to terrorize people. As is being revealed now in the Stormy Daniels case, Trumps chaotic 2016 campaign was governed by one overriding public relations strategy: Lock down any whiff of scandal that could be unflattering or compromising to the candidate. Trumps campaign used a trio of tools, borrowed largely from the Trump Organization, to ensure that. Allegations were met with swift denials. Employees were bound to silence by onerous NDAs that imposed a lifetime ban on disparaging Trump, his extended family or any of his companies. And the campaigns lawyers brought in a phalanx of Trump-savvy outside lawyers prepared to crush. Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump gestures to members of the audience as he leaves a Get Out The Vote rally at Coastal Carolina University on Feb. 10, 2024, in Conway, South Carolina. How much the campaign has poured into such efforts is unclear, but it is likely millions, according to spending reports. Trumps bills for all his many legal challenges workplace harassment claims arent broken out have topped $100 million. Trumps use of donor money to fight lawsuits against the campaign is legal, but experts say he has pushed the limits of laws that forbid using campaign contributions for legal matters that have nothing to do with running for office. The campaign faced its first-known discrimination complaint in January 2016 when Iowa field organizer Elizabeth Davidson filed a case with a local civil rights agency claiming she had been underpaid because she was a woman. The law student had been fired and accused of violating her NDA by making disparaging comments to the press, according to the complaint. Davidson dropped her case without explanation in 2018. She did not return phone calls. The Trump campaign brought out heavy artillery to try to discredit another female employee who filed a federal lawsuit in February 2019. Alva Johnson, a field operations director from Alabama, alleged pay disparities and a hostile workplace in 2016, but her most explosive allegation was that Trump engaged in sexually predatory conduct by kissing her without permission during a Florida campaign event. To handle her case, the campaign hired attorney Charles Harder, best known for winning a privacy case in 2016 that financially destroyed the gossip website Gawker. Harders firm was paid $4.3 million for legal work on a number of campaign cases between 2018 and 2021, according to spending reports. Trump was then in the White House, and spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders called Johnsons accusation absurd. Harder produced a video filmed by an unnamed supporter. It showed Trump kissing Johnson near her mouth as he approached her for the first time in a reception line. Harder argued the video showed the kiss was not forced; Johnsons lawyers argued it proved the kiss was real and unwelcome. A Trump-appointed judge threw out Johnsons case in 2019, calling the kissing allegation a political attack, and gave her a chance to refile a complaint focused only on alleged pay disparities. She said recently in an interview she chose not to do so, largely because she was frightened for herself and her family as Trump supporters rallied to the presidents defense. I definitely heard about every possible way I could die, she said. We lived in a cul-de-sac, and they would just drive around with their Trump flags. Harder subpoenaed Johnsons bank statements, extensive news media contacts and communications with potential employers. At one point, Johnson said, Harder offered to withdraw the complaint if she would apologize to Trump and leave the NDA in place. She refused. At another point, Trump wanted to countersue her for defamation, but his lawyers talked him out of it, according to two people. In response to questions, Harder said his legal tactics were 100% permissible discovery in an employment case and her attorneys did not object. Its called litigation, and its part of the legal process, he said. Johnsons arbitration case dragged on long after Harders firm withdrew. The campaign brought in new outside lawyers, but by then, judges in Densons New York case had found the NDA invalid and other courts seemed likely to follow. If Johnson won, Trumps NDA said the losing party must pay legal fees. In August 2022, the arbitrator found Johnsons NDA unenforceable and ordered the campaign to pay her lawyers $303,285. She said she personally received no money but won the ability to speak. In a statement, Cheung, the spokesperson for Trumps 2024 campaign, called Johnsons account an absurd and fake story that has previously been debunked and contradicted by multiple, highly credible eyewitness accounts. The campaign also relied on Harder in an NDA case it brought against former White House official Omarosa Manigault Newman, a Black former contestant on The Apprentice who wrote a 2018 tell-all book describing Trump as a racist. Trump smeared her on Twitter as a low life. Harder said he withdrew from the case before its conclusion. Newman had signed an NDA in 2016 when she joined the campaign, and its lawyers demanded $1.5 million for violating the secrecy agreement. The case plodded along until 2021, when an arbitration judge ruled in Newmans favor and found Trumps NDA too vague to enforce. He ordered the campaign to pay $1.3 million to Newmans lawyers. The bully has met his match, Newman declared at the time. She could not be reached for comment. Donald Trump dances in front of the crowd at the Atkinson Country Club in New Hampshire A discrimination case pending in a Manhattan court, however, might force the culture of Trumps previous campaigns and their suppression efforts into the light. Arlene AJ Delgado sued the 2016 campaign and three senior officials for discrimination after she became pregnant by her supervisor, Jason Miller, then the campaigns chief spokesperson. Trump had called Delgado a rising star when she went on the campaign trail as one of his Hispanic surrogates, and she expected an administration job. But she claimed that when she confronted Miller about her pregnancy, he told her Trump could not afford to have her waddling around the White House pregnant. Other senior officials shut her out of work discussions until her transition job ended with Trumps inauguration, she claimed. Ten days after Delgado delivered her baby, the Trump campaign filed a $1.5 million-claim against her for NDA violations. Delgados main offense, according to the campaign, was a series of angry tweets about Miller and Trumps decision to promote him to White House communications director. The attorney on the case, Lawrence Rosen, who left LaRocca Hornik Rosen & Greenberg, as it was then known, late last year, and his former partners did not return calls or emails. Miller did not respond to repeated attempts to seek comment. The firm, now named LaRocca, Hornik, Greenberg, Kittredge, Carlin & McPartland, leases space in a Trump office building, and it has long been a favored legal vendor for the Trump campaign. Its been paid at least $2.8 million since 2016 by the Trump campaign and its affiliated PAC, Make America Great Again, according to campaign reports. Rosen was described on the firms website as a bulldog litigator, and he recently surfaced in testimony from Trump fixer Michael Cohen as a lawyer involved in his effort to silence Daniels, a porn star. Delgado, a Harvard Law School graduate, claims in the lawsuit filed in December 2019 that the campaign deprived her of a job and hurt her other employment prospects. Squaring off against campaign lawyers, she serves as her own attorney and has raised money for legal expenses, including taking depositions from top former White House officials, through GoFundMe. Delgado recently accused the campaign of withholding information about its handling of harassment and discrimination cases. A LaRocca partner said in a court filing the campaign has disclosed all of the information it has on womens complaints. The judge ordered the campaign to produce a full list of cases by May 31. (Its unclear whether there are any cases that have not emerged yet into public view.) The LaRocca firm abruptly withdrew from the case, citing irreparable differences with the campaign, after five years pursuing Delgado in court. As for former 2016 campaign staffer Denson, now an actress currently hosting a podcast, she continues to pursue her personal discrimination and retaliation suit, saying she wants her persistence to inspire others. The federal judges decision in October 2023 to void NDAs for all 2016 employees, vendors and volunteers was a blow to the campaign. The campaign agreed to pay $450,000 to Densons lawyers and to no longer pursue employees for NDA violations. Denson said her problems began when she went to work for the campaigns data division as a national phone bank administrator, one of a dozen employees who reported to director Camilo Sandoval. She had no experience and believed she and another woman, a model, were hired simply because of their looks. She claimed that Sandoval, who later worked in several high-ranking Trump administration jobs, made inappropriate comments and assigned end-of-day tasks to make her stay late. In one private meeting, she said, he reclined on a sofa. In a deposition, Sandoval denied many of Densons charges. He did not respond to calls or email. Densons work on a Spanish-language project caught the attention of Steve Bannon, then the campaigns CEO, who moved her to work on Hispanic outreach and raised her pay by $3,000 a month, her complaint said. Sandoval reacted angrily to the transfer and scolded her immediate boss for letting his sheep wander. He told her, I hired you and I can also fire you, she alleged. Denson introduced emails Sandoval sent to senior officials describing her as a security risk who should be reported to the police and the Secret Service. He suggested she was stealing documents and may have had a role in mailing Trumps 1995 personal tax return to a reporter at The New York Times, court records show. She claimed he hacked into her personal laptop while she was traveling. In a deposition, he denied accessing her personal information. Trump hats for sale outside of the Whittemore Center Arena at the University of New Hampshire Based on Bannons encouraging emails about her performance, Denson thought she would be hired for Trumps transition. But documents showed the campaigns human resources director telling others, Jessica is NOT ever to be hired onto transition, inaugural or brought to DC! An email from Sandoval to senior official Stephen Miller said, This bitch is out of control. She filed a lawsuit in New York state court in November 2017 claiming emotional distress as a result of pervasive slander, discrimination and harassment. A month later, Rosen pounced. On Christmas Eve, Denson got papers demanding that she face arbitration for violating her NDA by filing the suit. The campaign sought $1.5 million in damages. Denson declined to go to arbitration, arguing that her right to a safe workplace was unrelated to the NDA, and the campaign won the judgment for legal fees by default. Rosen had her bank account frozen and went after $1,200 she had raised through GoFundMe. This is how cruel and scorched earth they were, she said in a recent interview. Denson said in her deposition that Trump campaign lawyers grilled her aggressively about her whereabouts. Their obsession with my location was very frightening, she said. The fear has lived with me ever since. She felt further traumatized when the campaign demanded to see mental health and medical records. She was upset when they suggested to her during her deposition that her emotional damage was not extreme. Densons cases followed a circuitous path, and at first she served as her own lawyer because she had no money to pay attorney fees. She remembered crying inconsolably late one night, fearing her situation was hopeless, then waking up to learn a judge had sided with her and had thrown out the judgment in the campaigns favor as unfair. In March 2021, a federal judge declared her individual NDA invalid under New York state contract law and said the campaign had used NDAs repeatedly to suppress free speech. Denson and her legal team moved forward to extend her victory to all 2016 staffers. Legal experts say the class-action victory established a precedent that should deter future campaigns from trying to quash employees free-speech rights. Denson and other women fighting the campaign have been struck by Trumps repeated assertions in his own cases that his right to speak freely has been violated. I came to the campaign as someone who cared deeply about human rights, First Amendment, individual liberty; I thought I was working on a campaign that supported those values, Denson said. Then I saw the opposite of what this country stands for, going after perceived critics and trying to destroy them. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post For the women who accused the Trump campaign of harassment, its been more harassment appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Workers leg amputated after getting tangled in concrete machine on Georgia construction site Family members are working to raise money for a worker whose leg was amputated in the field after a terrible construction accident in east Georgia. WJBF reported that the accident happened in a Grovetown subdivision on May 22 when a worker got entangled with a concrete curb machine. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Grovetown Fire Rescue determined that they would have to amputate the workers leg on-site and called in a team of surgeons to help. He was then flown to the hospital. TRENDING STORIES: Family members have identified him as Brad Santiago. Were thankful he is still here with us today. He will continue to undergo surgeries and be in the hospital for quite some time, Kayla Craig wrote on a GoFundMe. Anybody that knows Brad knows he is always a happy person and loves what he does out in the field with his brothers. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The family is hoping to raise $20,000 to help with medical bills, physical therapy and making adjustments to his home. They also hope the money will help his fiance, Shelby, stay with him as he recovers. An Israeli strike on a camp near Rafah that had been designated as a "safe zone" for displaced Palestinian civilians killed at least 45 people on Sunday and injured more than 200 others, according to multiple media reports and the Gaza Health Ministry. CNN reported that video apparently shot at the Tal al-Sultan camp showed "scenes of horror: charred bodies being pulled from rubble, a man holding the headless body of a child, fire raging from tents in the background." Reaction from around the world included many expressions of outrage, with the EU's foreign policy chief, the German foreign minister and French President Emmanuel Macron all calling for an immediate ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset on Monday, according to media reports, that the killing of civilians had been a tragic mistake. "Despite our utmost effort not to harm noncombatants," he said, "something unfortunately went tragically wrong." Earlier Monday, the Israel Defense Forces announced it would launch an investigation into the "circumstances of the deaths of civilians in the area of the strike," under the auspices of a semi-independent fact-finding body. Israeli officials initially stated that the attack had killed two senior Hamas commanders, and that they had not expected significant civilian casualties. On Friday, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its military operation in Rafah. On Monday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the ICJ's rulings as "binding," adding, "of course they have to be followed." Speaking before a special meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Baerbock continued, We are currently experiencing the opposite. ... At the same time we see that it is no gain for Israel's security, that no hostage will be freed when right now people are being burned in tents. International humanitarian law applies to everyone, including Israeli warfare." This may represent a significant change in tone. For obvious historical reasons, Germany has long been Israel's closest European ally. At the same Brussels conference, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell criticized Israel for continuing "the military action that it has been asked to stop, adding that it was "completely unacceptable" for Israeli officials to accuse the International Criminal Court or the ICJ of antisemitism. Macron, who has held a series of talks in Paris aimed at resolving the Gaza conflict, said Monday that he was "outraged" by reports of the devastating strike on the Rafah camp. "I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire," the French president concluded. How to find if water at New York City beaches is safe NEW YORK (PIX11) The beaches in New York City are now open, but that doesnt mean the waters are safe to swim in. According to the New York Citys Health Department, three areas were under an advisory on Sunday. The waters at Douglaston Manor, White Cross Fishing Club and Whitestone Booster Civic Association all had advisories. NYC to ease lifeguard requirements to keep beaches open When the Health Department issues an advisory for water, it means that swimming is not recommended according to the department. An advisory can be issued for the following: Water quality concerns Presence of: Floatable debris Medical or infectious waste Toxic contaminants Petroleum products Other contamination Sewage and wastewater discharge following heavy rainfall To check the status of New York City beaches, you can call 311, text BEACH to 55676 or check the NYC Beach Water Quality map by clicking here. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sealed a security agreement with Spain that involves 1 billion ($1.1 billion) in military supplies this year to aid Kyivs war effort. Most Read from Bloomberg Spain will deliver weapons and munitions to Ukraine, including missiles for Patriot air-defense batteries deployed in the country, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during a joint briefing in Madrid on Monday. The most important thing is to help Ukraine as quickly as possible, Sanchez said. That is what Spain is doing. Zelenskiy urged allies to force Russia to seek peace by all means as he welcomed Spains deliveries of Patriot equipment and ammunition. Ukraine needs at least seven more Patriot systems to ensure basic protection from Russian jets dropping an average of 3,000 glide bombs a month. Spains weapons package this year will be the largest single contingent of military aid provided to another country by Madrid, El Pais newspaper reported earlier. In addition to the missiles, it will include 19 Leopard battle tanks and other weapons manufactured in Spain, the paper said. The aim is to deliver the first 10 Leopards by the end of June along with the missiles and additional ammunition, El Pais added. Sanchez said hed push for the broadest possible participation of countries at next months summit meeting in Switzerland aimed at moving forward Ukraines peace blueprint. As the gathering risks being downgraded by no-shows and a rival plan, European Union officials are seeking a face-saving outcome next month. For the 27-member bloc, the important issue is how to progress from next months conference to a possible meeting in Saudi Arabia in the autumn with the participation of Russia, according to officials familiar with the discussions. Zelenskiy will travel on to Portugal, where hell meet with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro on Tuesday, the premiers office said. --With assistance from Thomas Gualtieri and Henrique Almeida. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Zelensky to meet Prime Minister Sanchez and King Felipe in Spain Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) shakes hands with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez ahead of their meeting. Zelensky is due to visit Spain on 27 May where Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will receive him, Spanish government announced on 27 May. According to the Spanish royal family, a meeting with King Felipe VI is also on the agenda. -/Ukrainian Presidency/dpa Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to visit Spain on Monday. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will receive the guest at 12 noon (1000 GMT), his left-wing government announced in Madrid on Monday. The signing of a bilateral security agreement is planned, the television station RTVE reported. According to the Spanish royal family, a meeting with King Felipe VI is also on the agenda at around 2 pm. Spanish media further reported on a possible visit to the House of Representatives of the Spanish Parliament later in the afternoon. The visit to Spain and Portugal was originally planned for the middle of the month. However, Zelensky cancelled these and other foreign trips following the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region. A new date for a visit to Portugal has not yet been officially announced, although there was speculation in Lisbon that the Ukrainian president could fly on to Portugal from Spain. President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Belgium on May 28 to sign a bilateral security agreement, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo announced in a television news broadcast on May 27. Belgium will become the 11th country to sign such an accord with Ukraine, following Spain, the U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Canada,the Netherlands, Finland, and Latvia. The treaties are based on a pledge made by the Group of Seven (G7) countries last July and are designed to help Kyiv fend off Russian forces and deter future aggression. Zelensky will fly into Brussels directly from Spain, where he finalized a security deal with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on May 27. He will meet with the prime minister and Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder, de Croo announced on the Belgian television channel Play4. Zelensky will hold a joint press conference with de Croo after the leaders sign the security agreement. The visit will also include a tour of a military airbase, where Zelensky will meet with flight instructors who are training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. De Croo said on April 26 that Belgium hopes to begin shipping F-16s to Ukraine later this year. Belgium was among the first countries to join the F-16 training coalition established in the summer of 2023 to bolster Ukraine's Air Force. The initiative was spearheaded by the U.S., Denmark, and the Netherlands. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Kyiv strikes early-warning radar system 1,800 kilometers deep inside Russia Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that 90 countries have already confirmed their attendance at the Peace Summit in Switzerland in June. Source: Zelenskyy at a press conference in Madrid on Monday during his visit to Spain, as reported by European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy noted that Spain's attendance at the first Global Peace Summit would be historic. "A total of 90 countries have confirmed their attendance so far, and we continue to work with world leaders to ensure broader representation," Zelenskyy said. The president expressed gratitude to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for confirming his attendance at the summit. "It is there, at the summit, that we will see who really believes in international law and is ready to protect it effectively. Every leader who does not want this war to go on and the Russian Federation to continue its aggression can demonstrate their true interest in peace at the summit," Zelenskyy added. Background: The United States government has announced that it will be represented at the Peace Summit in Switzerland next month, but it is not yet known who will go there. Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the leaders of the US and China to personally attend the Peace Summit. At a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in May, Zelenskyy stressed that it was crucial that President Joe Biden attend the Peace Summit. Support UP or become our patron! BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. Another ten units of Revival P mechanical demining machines produced by the Improtex group of companies under the Made in Azerbaijan brand have been handed over to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), the agency told Trend. It was highlighted that, in compliance with international demining standards, mechanical demining tools are utilized for detecting anti-personnel and anti-tank mine lines, preparing land clearing sites, and reducing areas of suspicion with the assistance of demining dogs. Mechanical demining equipment, a key technique in demining operations, ensures efficient and safe execution. The Revival P anti-personnel mechanical demining equipment withstands 7-kilogram TNT explosions, weighs 6.5 tons, and has a remote control range of 2,000 meters. These machines, capable of cleaning up to 300 millimeters in depth, are suitable for use in areas with dense ground cover and steep slopes. Ground verification using front-mounted hammers adheres to established norms, ensuring effective operations on challenging terrain. Remote control ensures personnel safety. The Revival P demining tools will significantly contribute to reconstruction efforts under the Great Return program and humanitarian demining activities, facilitating the safe return of former IDPs to their homeland, ANAMA said in a statement. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Zelenskyy: Agreement with Spain provides for 1 billion in military aid this year Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has announced the terms of the military aid agreements outlined in the security agreement with Spain. Source: Zelenskyy at a joint briefing with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid, as reported by European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy called the security agreement signed with Spain "a substantial strategic document." Quote: "We agreed upon 1 billion of military assistance for this year, as well as 5 billion from Spain to Ukraine through the European Peace Fund until 2027," the president said. He also commended Spain for its decision to provide extra shells and armoured vehicles for the Ukrainian military. This concerns the aid package announced on 20 May that included Leopard tanks and 155 mm ammunition. Unofficial reports say that as part of this arrangement, Spain will provide missiles for Patriot air defence systems. Support UP or become our patron! Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Spain. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, arrived in Spain on his first official visit on 27 May. Source: European Pravda Details: The plane with Zelenskyy on board landed in the Barajas airport in Madrid. Zelenskyy was personally greeted by Felipe VI, the King of Spain. The video of the meeting was published on Zelenskyys official social media pages. Spanish media note that this is an unusual step of support from the King, since he traditionally does not make such gestures during visits. Last time Felipe VI greeted US President Joe Biden like this was when the latter came to Spain in June 2022 to participate in the NATO Summit. Within his visit, Zelenskyy will meet with Pedro Sanchez, Head of the Spanish government. They are expected to sign a bilateral security agreement. Background: Zelenskyy had to postpone his visit to Spain 10 days ago due to the Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast. Reportedly, Spain will supply Ukraine with missiles for the Patriot air defence system and the Leopard 2A4 tanks within the US$1.23 billion aid package announced earlier. Support UP or become our patron! Russian forces use over 3,000 guided aerial bombs every month in their attacks on Ukraine, which lacks sufficient air defence systems to protect itself from them. Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his first visit to Madrid, at a joint briefing with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Quote: "The main problem today is that Russia is launching over 3,000 guided aerial bombs a month directly on civilians. We think this may increase to 3,500 next month. This month 3,200 bombs were launched." Details: Zelenskyy said Ukraine does not have a sufficient quantity of air defence missiles and relevant systems to repel these attacks. He stressed that Ukraines immediate need is for at least seven additional Patriot air defence systems, two of which need to be deployed for the protection of Kharkiv alone. This would prevent Russian aircraft from flying close enough to launch attacks. However, Ukraine needs dozens of such air defence systems to cover its skies completely, he added. Zelenskyy says it is necessary to put pressure on Ukraines Western partners in order to receive this quantity of weapons from them. "Partners who are afraid to provide a particular weapon must understand that air defence is about defending [ourselves], not attacking; this is protection, not an offensive," Zelenskyy stressed. Support UP or become our patron! Zelenskyy says Ukraine has taken back control in areas of Kharkiv region, aerial attacks continue Firefighters put out a fire after two guided bombs hit a large construction supplies store in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 25, 2024. Writing reads "Garden Center". (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian forces have secured combat control of areas where Russian troops entered the northeastern Kharkiv region earlier this month, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Meanwhile, two people were killed Saturday in an aerial attack on the city of Kharkiv, which is the region's capital, according to local officials. Kharkiv is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border. Moscows troops have in recent weeks captured villages in the area as part of a broad push, and analysts say they may be trying to get within artillery range of the city. Ukrainian authorities have evacuated more than 11,000 people from the region since the start of the offensive on May 10. Our soldiers have now managed to take combat control of the border area where the Russian occupiers entered, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on Friday evening. Zelenskyys comments appeared to be at odds with those made by Russian officials. Viktor Vodolatskiy, a member of Russias lower house of parliament, said Russian forces now controlled more than half of the town of Vovchansk, 3 miles (5 kilometers) inside the border, Russian state news agency Tass reported Friday. Vovchansk has been a flashpoint for fighting since Russia launched the offensive in the Kharkiv region. Vodolatskiy was also quoted as saying that once Vovchansk was secured, Russian forces would target the cities of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk in the neighboring Donetsk region. Independent confirmation of the claims wasn't immediately possible. Russias Kharkiv push appears to be a coordinated new offensive that includes testing Ukrainian defenses in the Donetsk region further south where Russia's Defense Ministry said Saturday that its forces had taken over the village of Arkhanhelske while also launching incursions in the northern Sumy and Chernihiv regions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Kremlins army is attempting to create a buffer zone in the Kharkiv region to prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks. The Russian push is shaping up to be Ukraines biggest test since Moscows full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, with outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian forces being pressed at several points along the about 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line that snakes from north to south in eastern Ukraine. In addition to the ground offensive operation along Ukraine's northeastern border, Russia is continuing to bombard the Kharkiv region with missiles, guided aerial bombs and drones. Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said that two people were killed and 33 others wounded when an aerial bomb hit a large construction supplies store in the city of Kharkiv on Saturday afternoon, causing a huge fire to break out. He said that more than 200 people could have been inside the store, later noting that the fire had been contained. A second bomb hit the city's central park, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Zelenskyy called the airstrike on the store a manifestation of Russian madness" and appealed to Western countries to provide Ukraine with air defense systems. When we tell world leaders that Ukraine requires adequate air defense protection ... we are literally talking about how not to allow such terrorist strikes, he said in a post on X. Ukraines problems have been mounting in recent months as it tries to hold out against its much bigger foe, and the war appears to be at a critical juncture. ___ Elise Morton reported from London. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Americas military has the edge in space. China and Russia are in a counterspace race to disrupt it As Russian forces rolled over the Ukraine border in the first moments of their invasion, another, less visible onslaught was already underway a cyberattack that crippled internet linked to a satellite communications network. That tech offensive conducted by Russia an hour before its ground assault began in February 2022 aimed to disrupt Kyivs command and control in the pivotal early moments of the war, Western governments say. The cyberattack, which hit modems linked to a communication satellite, had far-reaching effects stalling wind turbines in Germany and cutting the internet for tens of thousands of people and businesses across Europe. Following the attack, Ukraine scrambled for other ways to get online. For governments and security analysts, the cyberattack underscored how satellites which play an increasingly critical role helping militaries position troops, run communications, and launch or detect weapons can become a key target during war. As countries and companies build out satellite constellations, a growing number of governments are vying for technology that could disrupt or even destroy adversaries assets not just on land, like Russias alleged cyberattack but in space too. Enter signal jamming and spoofing, high-powered lasers to dazzle imaging sensors, anti-satellite missiles and spacecraft with the capacity to interfere with others in orbit counterspace technologies that analysts say leading powers like the United States, Russia and China could use to target each others satellites. An extreme example of a potential counterspace weapon was thrown into the spotlight earlier this year when US intelligence suggested, according to CNN reporting, that Russia was attempting to develop a space-based, anti-satellite nuclear weapon a claim Moscow has denied. Far from only affecting military-use satellites, such a weapon could have broad, devastating impacts for example, upending satellites the world relies on to predict the weather and respond to disasters, or even potentially affecting global navigation systems used for everything from banking and cargo shipping to hailing a ride share and ambulance dispatch. Last week, the US accused Russia of launching a satellite presumably capable of attacking others in low Earth orbit, with American officials saying it follows prior Russian satellite launches of likely counterspace systems in 2019 and 2022. Tracking countries development of counterspace capabilities is difficult, given their closely guarded nature and the dual use ambiguity of many space technologies. Both Russia and China have advanced their development of tech that could be used for such purposes in recent years, while the US builds on related space research and capabilities, according to experts and open-source reports. Development of counterspace technologies is playing out amid a new era of focus on space where the US and China are competing to put astronauts on the moon and build research bases there and advances in satellite launch technology mean a growing number of actors, including US adversaries like North Korea and Iran, are putting assets in orbit. And as geopolitical rivalries mount on Earth, experts say Beijing and Moscow are increasingly interested in finding ways to deny the US as the country with the most ground-based capabilities linked to space the ability to use them. A rocket carrying the Queqiao communications relay satellite takes off from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center in 2018. China's 2007 anti-satellite missile test was launched from the same center. - AFP/Getty Images Counterspace race The idea of weapons aimed at or positioned in space remains highly controversial, but it isnt new. Decades ago, the US and the Soviet Union vied for technologies to knock-out each others satellites, with Russias 1957 launch of Sputnik the worlds first artificial satellite quickly followed by US counterspace tests. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, America has become the pre-eminent power when it comes to capabilities in space linked to conducting military operations on Earth, analysts say a strength Russia and China have hoped to turn against it to even the battlefield. Developing counterspace capabilities such as (anti-satellite) weapons provides a means to disrupt your adversarys space-based capabilities, whether it is communication, navigation, or command and control systems and logistics networks that rely on space-based systems, said Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, director of the Center for Security, Strategy & Technology at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. Denying the US any advantage it may have from the use of space in a conventional military conflict is what is driving Russia and China in terms of their capability development and strategies, she said. Direct-ascent anti-satellite missiles are fired from Earth to take out a satellite target in space. - Illustration by CNN To this end, Russia is believed to have dusted off Cold War-era anti-satellite research programs, such as for the development of an aircraft-borne laser system to disrupt imagery reconnaissance satellites, according to an annual report by the independent US-based Secure World Foundation (SWF) released in March. New evidence suggests Russia may also be working to expand on its ground-based electronic warfare capabilities with the development of space-based technology for jamming satellite signals in orbit, said the report, which is compiled using open-source intelligence. Co-orbital anti-satellite technologies could be placed into orbit before moving toward their target for operations including attack. Satellites with robotic arms could both repair or interfere with other satellites. - Illustration by CNN In recent years, Russia has also launched spacecraft that appear able to surveil foreign satellites with the high velocity of two of these devices and suggestions others were able to release aerosols indicating they could be weapons tests, according to SWF. China announced its own counterspace ambitions in 2007 when it launched a missile some 500 miles into space to take down one of its own aging weather satellites. The move broke a decades-long, post-Cold War lull in such destructive, direct ascent anti-satellite missile testing, and was followed by similar operations from the US, India and Russia. Since then, China is believed by analysts to have conducted multiple, nondestructive missile tests that could advance its ability to target satellites. The most recent of those was last April, according to SWF, though, like others, that was described by Beijing as a missile intercept technology test. Jamming devices can disrupt communications to or from a satellite. Uplink jamming will interfere with the signal on its way from Earth to a satellite, while downlink disrupts the signal from a satellite to a ground-based user. - Illustration by CNN China is also believed by the US Space Force to be developing jammers to target a wide range of satellite communications and to have multiple ground-based laser systems. Other Chinese operations in space are difficult to explicitly classify as weapons research but could have a military purpose, experts say. Those include satellites that can approach or rendezvous with others in orbit, such as for support and maintenance purposes, like the Shiyan-7, launched in 2013 and likely equipped with a robotic arm. There is suggestion from within China of the potential dual use of such technology. In a 2021 state media interview, Zang Jihui, a Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) engineer, described Chinas experiments with a satellite equipped with a robotic arm, able to change orbit and conduct all-round detection of other satellites as part of its anti-satellite capabilities. Beijing included safeguarding its security interests in outer space as among its national defense goals in a 2019 white paper, but has long said it stands for the peaceful use of outer space and opposes an arms race there. SWF says there is no confirmed public evidence of China using counterspace capabilities against any military targets. Russia has also said it opposes weapons in space. Both countries in recent years have established military forces dedicated to aerospace, as has the US, which launched its Space Force in 2019 as the first new military branch since 1947. US officials have described America as a leader in advancing the responsible and peaceful use of outer space. And given its reliance on space for its defense, experts say the US military has the most at stake when it comes to ensuring countries dont use technologies against satellites there one reason analysts say the US policy community has long shunned placing weapons in space. Among all nations, only non-destructive capabilities like signals jamming have been actively used against satellites in current military operations, according to SWF. Deny China Since it took down one of its own malfunctioning satellites with a missile in 2008 after Chinas test, Washington has pledged to no longer conduct such destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests, which can generate dangerous space debris, and is not believed to have an operational program for such capabilities. It also doesnt have an acknowledged operational program to target satellites from within orbit using other satellites or spacecraft, though it could likely quickly field one in the future, according to SWF. Cyberattacks could target the operating systems and data of satellites or ground-based receivers and equipment to disrupt, intercept or break communications. - Illustration by CNN Thats because the US has done extensive non-offensive testing of technologies to approach and rendezvous with satellites, including close approaches of its own military satellites and several Russian and Chinese military satellites, SWF says. The US only has one acknowledged, operational counterspace system electronic warfare capabilities to interfere with satellite signals and its army is widely seen to have advanced abilities to jam communications and capabilities to interfere with certain navigation satellites. It also has considerable research on ground-based lasers that could be used to dazzle or blind imaging satellites, according to SWF, which says theres no indication those have become operational. Directed energy weapons, like lasers, could be used to temporarily dazzle or permanently disable a satellites image sensor or potentially damage its internal function. - Illustration by CNN Speaking in Washington in November, US Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman explained why the US felt it needed to be able to counter other countries space capabilities. He pointed to what he described as a kill web strategy used by Chinas PLA to enhance the range and accuracy of its weapons within the strategically important second island chain, running from Japan to Guam. That is all a space-enabled capability, Saltzman said. And should Beijing decide to use those weapons, We have to be able to deny (China) access to the information to break that kill chain so that our joint forces are not immediately in target and in range inside the second island chain, he said. Meanwhile, concerns about potential adversaries space activities have pushed US allies, including France and Australia, to seek counterspace abilities often non-destructive ways to interfere with enemy satellites, known as soft-kill capabilities, such as lasers to disrupt surveillance and jamming. Israel has also said it used GPS jamming in its war in Gaza to neutralize threats, likely ground-based efforts to avert missiles that reach their target using GPS tracking. More broadly, there has been a trend toward shorter-term-impact measures like jamming, spoofing and cyberattacks that dont permanently damage or destroy a target, according to Juliana Suess, a research fellow for space security at London-based defense think tank RUSI. (Actors) dont need to invest a whole lot of money into manufacturing these big sci-fi sounding anti-satellite weapons they can just disrupt a whole network through a cyberattack, she said. US Vice President Kamala Harris receives a briefing on the work of US Space Force and US Space Command at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. - Etienne Laurent/EPA/Bloomberg/Getty Images Wipe out More than 7,500 operational satellites are orbiting the Earth, according to the most recent figures from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in May 2023. Of those satellites, more than 5,000 were US-owned, with most of them commercial. Nearest competitor China which has been increasing its satellite launches had 628, followed by Russia with fewer than 200, according to UCS. Since it invaded Ukraine, Moscow has accused the West of using commercial satellite systems for military purposes and warned that quasi-civil infrastructure may become a legitimate target for retaliation. Russia has also been accused of mounting cyberattacks against the largest commercial satellite constellation, American company SpaceXs Starlink, which has been an asset for the Ukrainian military. When it comes to allegations of developing a nuclear space-based weapon, Moscow has slammed the West as attempting to assign to us a certain plan of action which we do not have. A nuclear weapon in space would be a potential last-resort option or hanging sword for its potential to wipe out a wide swath of satellites, albeit indiscriminately. If Russia is developing such a weapon, its concerns about American constellations like Starlink that have shown military utility are likely a key motivating factor, according to Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank in Washington. One reason is that as satellite constellations proliferate aided by advances that have made launches in low Earth orbit (no more than 1,200 miles above the planet) cheaper and easier it could be difficult for an attacker to cause an impact by simply targeting a single satellite. By contrast, employment of such (nuclear) weapons in space could wipe out large satellite constellations, potentially creating long-lasting debris and radioactive remnants that render orbits unusable for military and civilian purposes, Zhao said. That, he added, could also inflict an inconceivable setback on the preservation of space as a common domain for future human development. Chinese scientists have expressed concern about a potential national security risk of Starlink, with a group writing in the peer-reviewed domestic publication Modern Defense Technology in 2022 that a combination of soft and hard kill methods should be adopted to incapacitate some Starlink satellites functioning abnormally and destroy the constellations operating system. Its unclear whether this view reflects thinking within the Chinese government. Chinese researchers have also considered the ramifications of nuclear detonation in space, with a separate group at a nuclear technology institute publishing research last year on computer simulations of the impact of such blasts at different altitudes, in which they noted there could be potential effects on satellites and other aircraft. The fallout from the 1962 Starfish Prime test was visible in the sky over Honolulu, Hawaii. - EMP Commission Space treaty Nuclear weapons already have a controversial history linked to space. Americas 1962 Starfish Prime nuclear test some 250 miles over Earth damaged at least a third of the 24 satellites operating around that time, according to military documents. It also knocked out powerlines in Hawaii and turned the sky above it a violent shade of orange for hours. The test, launched from Earth, was part of series to evaluate the effect of such explosions, including against ballistic missiles. Five years later, countries concerned about the heating space race and nuclear standoffs banned the stationing of weapons of mass destruction in space with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which doesnt explicitly ban conventional weapons in orbit or missiles launched from Earth. Though decades old, experts say that treaty which affirms that space should be used for the benefit of all countries and is endorsed by Washington, Beijing and Moscow remains a bedrock for a domain that lacks extensive international norms to ensure peace. Its tenets may be more relevant now than ever but potentially under greater threat amid a new focus on military and space. Last month, Russia vetoed an effort in the United Nations Security Council led by the US and Japan to reaffirm the Outer Space Treaty principles, including the obligation not to place nuclear weapons in space. The resolution would have been the councils first on outer space and was supported by all other members besides China, which abstained. Instead, China and Russia, which have long worked together to shape rules around weapons in outer space, pushed for that resolution to be broadened to ban the placement of any weapons in space. Using language that appeared to target the US, it called on all states, and above all those with major space capabilities to prevent the threat or use of force in space. A second draft resolution backed by Russia that included that amendment, was rejected by the council last week, with the US calling it disingenuous. Any future efforts to agree on rules for space face a complicated outlook, experts say. For example, placement in space of a nuclear weapon like the one Russia is reportedly considering would have far-reaching implications on how space is used and how weapons are controlled, according to RUSIs Suess. If the Outer Space Treaty was broken in such a way, it would make it even harder to imagine where multilateral efforts can go from here, she said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The US is actively blocking China from acquiring the latest technologies, with Washington stopping the export of advanced chips and chipmaking tools to the Asian power. Due to this technological blockade, DigiTimes Asia reported that Ye Tianchun, the President of the Integrated Circuit Branch of the China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) and Secretary-General of the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance (CICIA) is encouraging companies to focus on building innovations in mature nodes and back-end technologies. This focus should take precedence over trying to catch up with Western and Western-allied semiconductor companies like Intel, Nvidia, and TSMC. Although China is working hard to develop homegrown chips, with Chinese CPU-maker Loongson releasing processors that match 10th-gen Intel chips in April, it is still at least five years behind the performance of current chips from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm. The US is also blocking ASML from servicing its lithography systems in China, negatively affecting Chinas top foundry, SMIC. China-based Shanghai Micro Electronic Equipment Group (SMEE) already makes lithography tools, with another one, Naura Technology, looking to break into the industry as well. However, they are still far behind ASMLs capability to produce chips for the latest nodes. Unless China can find a way to overcome these challenges in three to five years, it risks falling behind in cutting-edge chips against its Western rivals. Ye Tianchun believes that China could forge a new path towards technological superiority. Instead of following the top global chipmakers, like TSMC, into the nanometer race, he suggests that Chinese companies should instead focus on more mature nodes and architectural innovation. After all, out of the 12 million 12-inch wafers that TSMC makes annually, almost 80% of those use older nodes instead of the cutting-edge designs on the latest SoCs. American sanctions have made China one of the leaders in mature-node chips; so, it makes sense for China to play to its core strengths and pivot towards producing high-quality legacy chips that most, if not all, electric and electronic equipment needs. Tianchun also recommends focusing on architectural innovations and back-end processes. As Moores Law suggests that 3nm and 2nm chips are hitting current architectural limitations, companies like Arm and Samsung seek new advancements to maximize transistor density. Since Chinese semiconductor firms are still a few years away from this technology, he said that they should consider working on architecture innovations as early as 7nm. Chip designers should work with system packaging firms to deliver these innovations, allowing them to gain a comparative advantage in this field. Many Chinese tech companies want to follow into the nanometer race that companies like Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and Qualcomm have long since dominated. However, China will have a difficult time catching up to these tech companies, especially as the US is blocking it every step of the way. So, instead of following them, Chinese tech companies should forge their own path and create innovations for technologies that the US and its allies are neglecting. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The Commission for the Rational Use of Water Resources was established by the decree of the head of the Azerbaijani state on April 15, 2020, to ensure the rational use of water resources, improve water management, and coordinate activities in this field, which included representatives of relevant state structures, Trend reports. A delegation of the Commission members headed by its Chairman Shahin Mustafayev became familiar with the current situation at the Mingachevir reservoir on May 27. Then the meeting of the commission was held. Additionally, within the framework of its activity, the Commission for Rational Use of Water Resources exercises strict control over the operation regime of the country's main reservoirs and regularly takes necessary measures for planned, coordinated, and optimal use of water resources for irrigation, provision of drinking water to the population, needs of the energy sector, and other needs. Some of the main objects to which close attention is paid are the Shamkir, Yenikend, Mingachevir, and Varvarinsk cascade-type reservoirs located on the Kura River. In connection with the increase of water resources on the Kura River recently, based on the principle of multi-year regulation and taking into account various factors, including seasonal factors, the water volume in these reservoirs is promptly regulated and maintained at an optimal level, and these processes are monitored daily. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel xAI, Elon Musk's AI startup, plans to build a massive supercomputer to enhance its AI chatbot, Grok, reports Reuters citing The Information. The supercomputer, which Elon Musk refers to as the Gigafactory of Compute, is projected to be ready by fall 2025 and might involve a collaboration with Oracle. With this development, Musk aims to significantly surpass rival GPU clusters in both size and capability. In a presentation for investors, Elon Musk revealed that the new supercomputer will use as many as 100,000 Nvidia's H100 GPUs based on the Hopper architecture, making it at least four times larger than the largest existing GPU clusters, according to The Information. Nvidia's H100 GPUs are highly sought after in the AI data center chip market, although strong demand made them difficult to obtain last year. But these are not the range-topping Nvidia GPUs they once were, with the green company about to ship its H200 compute GPUs for AI and HPC applications and is prepping to ship its Blackwell-based B100 and B200 GPUs in the second half of the year. It is unclear why xAI decided to use essentially a previous-generation technology for its 2025 supercomputer, but this substantial hardware investment must reflect the scale of xAI's ambitions. Keep in mind that we are dealing with an unofficial report and the plans could change. Yet, Musk reportedly holds himself 'personally responsible for delivering the supercomputer on time' as the project is very important for developing large language models. xAI seeks to compete directly with AI giants like OpenAI and Google. Musk, who also co-founded OpenAI, positions xAI as a formidable challenger in the AI space, which is exactly why he needs the upcoming supercomputer. The Grok 2 model required around 20,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs for training, and future iterations, such as Grok 3, will need as many as 100,000 GPUs, according to Musk. Neither xAI nor Oracle provided comments on the collaboration when approached. For obvious reasons, this silence leaves some aspects of the partnership and supercomputer project open to speculation. Nonetheless, Musk's presentation to investors underscores his commitment to pushing the boundaries of AI technology through substantial infrastructure investments and strategic partnerships. German Minister of Transport and Digital Affairs Volker Wissing attends the weekly cabinet meeting in the Federal Chancellery. Germany and the Baltic States plan to campaign for the European Union to pursue a new digital agenda, and recently presented a list of demands. Michael Kappeler/dpa Germany and the Baltic States plan to campaign for the European Union to pursue a new digital agenda, and recently presented a list of demands. The countries want the next European Commission, which will be formed after the upcoming European Parliament elections in June, to tackle the agenda. German Transport Minister Volker Wissing said on Monday in Berlin that the goal is to create less state intervention and more freedom for European companies. According to Wissing, the "innovation club" should reduce unnecessary reporting obligations, increase data availability and promote common standards in the EU. Regulators and government officials should concentrate on core tasks such as investment and competition-friendly framework conditions for broadband expansion, Wissing said. Wissing made his comments following a digital meeting with counterparts from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Wissing said that the club was also open to other EU countries. Lithuanian Minister of Economy and Innovation Ausrine Armonaite explained that the aim was to make the EU a leading global digital location and boost the competitiveness of the EU's tech sector. Apple has been devoting extra attention to its Pro phones in recent years, adding features that make the higher-end models really stand out from the standard iPhones. That bodes well for the iPhone 16 Pro, which figures to pick up some key new features, especially with its cameras, when it arrives later this year. Will that be enough to propel the new device to a win in an iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra showdown? We can't say for certain until the iPhone 16 Pro arrives, and we get a chance to test it. But initial rumors have us excited about the new device since it should adapt the improved telephoto camera that debuted on last year's iPhone 15 Pro Max. A more powerful processor, larger display and bigger battery could all be in store for the iPhone. It's going to need those features because the Galaxy S24 Ultra is already one of the best phones you can buy right now. Samsung's premier device has a giant screen, top-performing cameras and a powerful system-on-chip that not only helps the phone last a long time on a charge, but also outperforms Apple's best silicon in some tests. The iPhone 16 Pro Max may be the closest match to the S24 Ultra. (And we've got an iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra preview to see how those phones might measure up.) But the iPhone 16 Pro potentially offers the chance to match the Ultra feature for feature, but at a much lower cost. Here's how our iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comparison is looking with a few months to go before the iPhone 16 Pro's release. iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Specs iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Price The Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the most expensive phones you can buy certainly the priciest without a folding screen. It costs $1,299, reflecting a $100 price hike from the Galaxy S23 Ultra. We don't know what the iPhone 16 Pro is going to cost pricing rumors really don't pick up until we get closer to a phone's launch date but it's safe to assume it's not going to be as expensive as the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The current iPhone 15 Pro comes in at $999 not cheap by any means, but still $300 less than what Samsung asks. We're going to assume the iPhone 16 Pro will come in at that same amount until new pricing rumors convince us otherwise. One note about the price disparity between the two phones Apple typically includes 128GB of storage in the base model of the iPhone Pro, compared to 256GB for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. There's a possibility that Apple bumps up the base storage on the iPhone 16 Pro to 256GB, but nothing concrete. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has been available since the end of January 2024. We're not expecting the iPhone 16 Pro to arrive until September when the entire iPhone 16 lineup should make its debut. iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Design and display Unofficial renders of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max from the front Apple made its big design changes with the iPhone 15 Pro models, switching to a titanium frame and adding a USB-C port to replace Lightning connectivity. Those changes are all but certain to stick around for the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple's likely to double down on another iPhone 15 Pro addition the Action button that replaced the mute switch on Pro models, giving users a way to customize a shortcut that they could launch with the press of that button. The Action Button isn't going anywhere on the iPhone 16 Pro, and it's likely to be joined by a new Capture button. That addition should make it easier to snap photos without having to launch the Camera app. The Galaxy S24 Ultra's biggest design change mirrored an iPhone addition, as Samsung also used titanium in the frame of its premium phone. In addition, the curved display on previous Ultra models gave way to a flat edge-to-edge panel that worked better with the S24 Ultra's included S Pen. While we're on the subject of screens, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 6.8-inch panel should continue to loom over the iPhone 16 Pro's screen, though the disparity may not be as big as in the past. Apple reportedly plans to move from the 6.1-inch display that the iPhone 15 Pro used to a new 6.3-inch panel for the iPhone 16 Pro. At the same time, the iPhone 16 Pro's bezels are supposed to shrink to 1.2mm from 1.71mm on the current model. That will give iPhone users more screen space to work with, though obviously the Ultra will continue to be the best device for people who want the most display. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in hand. One iPhone 16 Pro rumor claims that Apple's looking to boost display brightness on that phone by 20%. Considering the iPhone 15 Pro panel claims a peak brightness of 1,600 nits (with a peak of 2,000 nits in direct sunlight), that would improve the overall peak brightness to around 2,000 nits (and 2,400 nits in direct sunlight). That's an impressive gain, but it would still be short of the 2,600 nits Samsung promises for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It's fairly early for iPhone 16 Pro color rumors, but the initial favorites are Rose, Gray, Silver and Space Black options. That compares to Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet and Titanium Yellow for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Cameras iPhone 16 Pro render blue bg Camera comparisons always turn out to be an interesting battleground for Apple and Samsung phones, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra claiming a hardware advantage. Samsung equips that model with a 200MP main camera, compared to the 48MP sensor that Apple's Pro models use. Recent Ultra phones have had a big advantage on the zoom front, with dual telephoto lenses that let you get incredibly close to faraway subjects. Yet, the Galaxy S24 Ultra arguably took a step back by replacing the 10MP telephoto lens that supported a 10X optical zoom for 50MP sensor that tops out at 5x. Put another way, Samsung exchanged power and distance for a sharper picture. The iPhone 16 Pro could be in a position to take advantage, should it end up adopting the tetraprism zoom lens Apple debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro Max last fall. Rumors tip that feature to come to both Pro phones in the iPhone 16 lineup, which would give the Pro model a 5x optical zoom. The Galaxy S24 Ultra would still have the greater zoom range, as it suports Samsung's 100x Space Zoom feature (though at that distance, you really need to use a tripod to steady your phone). Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in hand. A new telephoto lens isn't the only camera change rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro. The ultrawide lens has been tipped to jump from 12MP to 48MP, which should produce crisper images than the S24 Ultra's 12MP ultrawide shooter. One rumor also predicts that Apple will adopt a new lens coating meant to mitigate the effects of lens flare on your shots. As always, hardware only tells some of the story with smartphone cameras, as photo processing and editing features are a key part of the comparisons, too. We're unlikely to know what to expect from the iPhone 16 Pro on that front until we have a chance to test the phone for ourselves. iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Performance Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review. Once a dominant area for Apple's phones, performance comparisons between the top handsets have gotten much closer, thanks to recent Qualcomm silicon powering the best Android phones. In the Galaxy S24 Ultra's case, that's the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system-on-chip, which delivers the kind of performance to challenge Apple's current iPhones. In our Galaxy S24 Ultra benchmarks, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 actually posted better numbers on some graphics tests than the A17-powered iPhone 15 Pro models. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 also bested the A17 on Geekbench's multicore test, though the iPhone 15 Pro was able to transcode a video faster in Adobe Premiere Rush. The iPhone 16 Pro will get its chance to go up against the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Galaxy S24 Ultra with the likely help of Apple's new A18 silicon. (In fact, all iPhone 16 models are supposed to feature the A18 system-on-chip, though the Pro handsets should get a more powerful variation.) We'd expect improvements from the A18 over the A17 Pro, but that's only a guess until we have a chance to benchmark the phone ourselves. Leaked A18 benchmark scores paint an impressive picture. iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Battery life and charging Four molds of the iPhone 16 The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 helps the Galaxy S24 Ultra in areas other than performance. Qualcomm's chipset also has excellent power management features that combine with the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 5,000 mAh battery to help the Samsung phone last a long time on a charge. Specifically, the Galaxy S24 Ultra lasted 16 hours and 45 minutes on our battery test, which is more than 6.5 hours longer than the average smartphone's result. That puts the S24 Ultra in the upper half of our best phone battery life list where it's the longest-lasting Samsung phone that we've tested. The iPhone 16 Pro is at something of a disadvantage here, given how its smaller size limits just how big of a battery Apple can use. For comparison's sake, the iPhone 15 Pro features a 3,290 mAh power pack, though the iPhone 16 Pro is rumored to be getting a slightly larger cell. At any rate, we'd expect the iPhone 16 Pro to improve on its predecessor's battery test result of 10 hours and 53 minutes, just about an hour better than the category average. The Galaxy S24 Ultra features 45W charging, not as fast as some Android phones, but certainly faster than the iPhone 15 Pro's 27W charging speed. (Note that Apple only lists 20W charging speeds for its phones, but it's believed that the devices can charge a little faster than advertised.) We haven't heard any rumors about charging improvements to the iPhone 16 Pro, but last year's switch to USB does give Apple the theoretical option of speeding things up. iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Software and special features iOS 18 logo on iPhone AI figures to be the talking point here, and Samsung has already thrown down its marker with Galaxy AI features debuting on its flagship phones with the Galaxy S24 release earlier this year. Features that you can enjoy on the Galaxy S24 Ultra include Circle to Search, assistance writing chats and summarizing web pages, and photo-editing tools that let you adjust the composition of photos. That puts the Galaxy S24 Ultra well ahead of Apple's phone when it comes to AI capabilities, but that figures to change now that Apple has unveiled its take on AI, dubbed Apple Intelligence. In addition to a revamped Siri that can handle more sophisticated tasks, Apple Intelligence features writing tools and generative image capabilities. It's all part of the iOS 18 that's currently availaable as a developer beta. We'll know a bit more about how the iPhone 16 Pro's AI capabilities will measure up the Galaxy AI features on board the Galaxy S24 Ultra once the iOS 18 public beta arrives in July and we can install it on the current iPhones capable of supporting Apple Intelligence (just the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max). Even then we may not have the complete picture, as Apple may reserve some AI capabilities for its iPhone 16 models that are tied specifically to the hardware on board those phones. If that's the case, don't expect any details until the new phones launch in the fall. iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Outlook As you can see, a lot of unknowns remain about the iPhone 16 Pro, and those blanks are unlikely to get filled in until the phone arrives. But from what we have heard about Apple's less expensive Pro model, any iPhone 16 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra face-off figures to be a lively one. Samsung's phone may have the larger display, but it sounds like Apple is ready to match the rest, feature for feature. More from Tom's Guide A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink satellites is launched from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida on April 18. It will launch a new round on Monday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI May 27 (UPI) -- SpaceX's planned launch of 23 Starlink Internet satellites from Cape Canaveral into low-Earth orbit on Monday from Florida was delayed until Tuesday. The launch from Complex 40 was expected to take off at about 11:29 a.m., marking the 10th flight for the first stage booster being used. That stage is expected to return to Earth and land on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean about eight minutes after launch. The new four-hour launch window begins at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. No reason was given by the private company for the delay but Florida Today reported heavy marine traffic in the area. Weather conditions for the launch window are predicted to be 90%, according to the 45th Weather Squadron. SpaceX will broadcast the launch. The mission, expected to be SpaceX's 55th Falcon 9 launch of the year, will increase the company average launch rate at one every 2.7 days. Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president of build and flight reliability at SpaceX, told Congress last October that the company has a goal of 144 launches in 2024. The current place it at 135, according to SpaceFlightNow.com. However, the next flight would be SpaceX's 12 flight this time, tying it with the most March and April monthly highs, indicating the company's increased effort in reaching their 2024 goal. Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX's vice president of launch, said on X last week that he believes the company still has a shot at 14 launches this month. Why the US can't send humans to Mars Humans have long imagined life on Mars, though our understanding of the planet has changed a lot. Some of the US's earliest plans assumed humans could reach the Red Planet by the 1980s. Over the decades, technology and funding challenges have hampered the nation's hopes of crewed flights. Earlier this month, NASA announced it was funding a revolutionary high-thrust rocket called a Pulsed Plasma Rocket that could make crewed missions to Mars in just two months. That's seven months faster than it'd take with current technology, and it would drastically reduce the risk and cost of a crewed Mars mission, according to Howe Industries, which is developing the concept. It "holds the potential to revolutionize space exploration," NASA said in a statement. The PPR is just one of the latest developments in the US's decadeslong discussion to send humans to Mars. In the early '60s, for example, nuclear-bomb-powered spaceships were proposed for the trip. Since well before NASA landed the first humans on the moon, the US has poured money and time into proposals for a crewed Mars mission, only to see its attempts never leave the ground. But technology isn't the only thing standing in the way. Politics also plays a big role. "That's kind of like a joke within the space community or the Mars community," Matthew Shindell, a curator with the National Air and Space Museum, told Business Insider. "Putting humans on Mars is always 20 years away." He said it was short enough to seem tangible but long enough that the political situation would change before it could be realized. To fully understand why the US hasn't sent humans to Mars despite sending more robots there than any other country, it just takes a trip down memory lane. Here's a history of the US's most promising crewed Martian missions that never were. 1950s: The Mars Project Wernher von Braun helped shape NASA's space program and was director of Marshall Space Flight Center. Marshall Space Flight Center In the '40s and '50s, no one really knew what they might find on Mars, but they knew getting there would be tricky. One of the first to seriously tackle the problem was Wernher von Braun. During World War II, von Braun was a member of the Nazi party and created V-2 missiles. After the war, he continued his work on missiles with the US Army as part of Operation Paperclip while also working on a novel called "The Mars Project." In it, he laid out the first detailed plan to send humans to the Red Planet. He envisioned a 260-day mission that would launch in 1985 with 10 spaceships and 70 crew members. "He sat down and did the math and created a whole story around it," Shindell said. In the late '50s, von Braun consulted on NASA's very first 10-year plan, which included sending the first probes to Mars. (Sending humans to Mars would come later.) What started as fiction got closer to reality when von Braun started working at NASA a couple of years later. 1960s: Mars by 1965 This concept drawing for Project Orion shows a spacecraft powered by nuclear fission. Marshall Space Flight Center In the late 1950s, Theodore Taylor, who worked on nuclear weapons at Los Alamos, and the theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson embarked on an ambitious plan to build a nuclear-explosion-powered spaceship. Named Project Orion, the resulting ship would take 12 years to develop, cost $100 million a year, and comfortably hold 150 people. Their motto was "Mars by 1965, Saturn by 1970." But NASA was concerned about what would happen if any of the hundreds of bombs required to fuel the rocket exploded. By 1963, the team was having trouble getting increased funding. That same year, the Limited Test Ban Treaty was signed, hampering the team's ability to test its vehicle. The project was canceled a year later. 1965: Mars' first close-up An enhanced version of the first Mars photograph shown on TV in 1965. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Dan Goods Though NASA was feverishly working toward the moon in the '60s, it didn't fully abandon its plans for Mars. In 1962, the German rocket scientist Ernst Stuhlinger was working at NASA on a project to get five crewed ships to the Red Planet by the early 1980s. Stuhlinger's planned ships were huge, almost 500 feet long. For comparison, NASA's Space Shuttles are under 200 feet. But as NASA raced to land the first humans on the moon, it shifted focus to smaller, lighter spacecraft. This helped speed things along toward the moon, but it was a step back for Mars. This pivot "reduced Apollo's utility as a technological stepping stone to Mars," David S. F. Portree wrote in "Humans to Mars: Fifty Years of Mission Planning, 1950-2000." In the meantime, NASA knew it needed more information about Mars before it landed humans there. So, in 1964, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory launched the very first probe to fly by Mars: Mariner 4. The images the probe transmitted to Earth were fuzzy and showed a desolate, barren planet. But they were the first close-up images of Mars's surface that anyone on Earth had seen. 1970s: The post-Apollo plans An artist's concept from 1969 of a spacecraft for a crewed Mars mission. Marshall Space Flight Center NASA had just landed the first people on the moon in 1969 as part of its Apollo Program and was ready for the next big step. That same year, a Space Task Group appointed by President Richard Nixon issued a report that supported human flights to Mars in 1982. But Nixon ignored most of the 1969 report's suggestions in favor of what would become the Space Shuttle program, which didn't involve going to Mars. It was a turning point for NASA. During the height of the Apollo era, NASA didn't have to compete for funding, Shindell said. Now, Nixon's administration started cutting its budget. This was during the Vietnam War, and many Americans wanted the government to focus on poverty, the environment, and other domestic issues. "If you're a proponent of human Mars exploration, this is the problem you've faced ever since the 1970s," Shindell said. Sending humans to the moon was already incredibly expensive, and it's a lot closer than Mars. 1980s: Sally Ride's report Sally Ride communicating with ground controllers from the flight deck of the Challenger during its six-day mission in 1983. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration In 1985, President Ronald Reagan appointed the National Commission on Space to envision the next 50 years of space travel, which involved the possibility of piloted vehicles to Mars. But then NASA's Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. The disaster affected how the agency thought about human space travel as a whole. "In general, there was a great deal of soul-searching within NASA about the use of expensive and risky human-rated launch vehicles like the shuttle," William Sheehan and Jim Bell wrote in "Discovering Mars: A History of Observation and Exploration of the Red Planet." Just a year later, though, NASA's administrator tasked the astronaut Sally Ride with laying out the agency's future space explorations. In her report, she explained what it would take for the US to land an astronaut on Mars by 2005. To meet that timeline, NASA would need to triple its current budget in the next decade. That didn't happen. 1989: 20 years to Mars Twenty years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, George H.W. Bush announced the US would attempt to go to Mars. Robert Trippett/Pool via CNP/Getty Images By 1989, a crewed mission to Mars seemed back on the table, according to a speech by the newly elected president, George H.W. Bush. "Why Mars?" he asked. "Because it is humanity's destiny to strive, to seek, to find. And because it is America's destiny to lead." NASA's response was the Space Exploration Initiative, an analysis of Bush's space-exploration goals, which would cost an estimated $400 billion to $500 billion. At that point, Mars was still a long way off. The missions weren't expected to begin until after 2010. But Sheehan and Bell said a lack of congressional funding and political support led to the demise of Bush's Martian mission a few years later in 1993. 1990s: "Better, faster, cheaper" Pathfinder delivered Sojourner, the first rover to successfully operate on Mars. NASA/JPL By the 1990s, Mars enthusiasts were dreaming of getting humans there by the end of the millennium. The aerospace engineer Robert Zubrin formed the Mars Society, an advocacy group pushing for the planet's exploration and eventually establishing a human settlement there. NASA was meanwhile trying to figure out how to study Mars after losing contact with the robotic probe Mars Observer in 1993. With so much still unknown about the planet, uncrewed missions continued to be the focus. The agency's new administrator, Daniel Goldin, was pursuing a new mantra for the robotic missions: "better, faster, cheaper." This decade saw success with the uncrewed Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor missions. Pathfinder delivered Sojourner, the first operational Mars rover, while MGS sent back incredible images and data from the planet. Just a couple of years later, though, NASA lost two more uncrewed spacecraft, the Mars Polar Lander and the Mars Climate Orbiter. 2000s: But first, the moon Images from Spirit (top) and Opportunity (bottom), two successful Mars rover missions. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ.; NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/ASU Despite the setbacks of the Polar Lander and MCO, NASA again had success in 2004 with rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Though NASA had recently suffered another tragedy with the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew in 2003, the agency's rovers seemed to reignite some of the desire for human missions to Mars. In 2004, 15 years after his father's space speech, President George W. Bush announced what would become the Constellation Program. The ultimate goal was to put people on Mars, though there was no exact date given for this part of the plan. A large part of Bush's vision involved returning to the moon before heading to the Red Planet. In 2010, President Barack Obama canceled Constellation but set a timeline of getting astronauts to Mars by the 2030s. 2010s: Mars goes commercial SpaceX CEO Elon Musk first hoped to go to Mars by the mid-2020s. Mark Brake//Getty Images In the 2010s, private space companies such as SpaceX started planning projects to get crews to Mars. SpaceX's founder, Elon Musk, said in 2016 that he'd get people there in less than a decade. He later revised the date to 2029 with robust colonization by 2050. So far, SpaceX hasn't sent anything to Mars. President Donald Trump meanwhile reversed the Obama administration's space-exploration plans. NASA was again planning for a moon-first agenda. Established in 2017 under the Trump Administration, NASA's Artemis Program is its latest and current mission for crewed deep-space exploration. It aims to return humans to the moon and create a lunar space station where astronauts can live for weeks or months at a time. But this moon-first agenda doesn't completely rule out Mars. Dayna Ise, who leads NASA's Mars Campaign Office, said it would actually help us get to the Red Planet. "You learn a lot by going to the moon, but you learn even more by staying at the moon," she said. "And so whatever we learn there will help with Mars." She also said private space companies had a role to play. "It's all hands on deck," she said. "It is such a difficult engineering problem that we cannot exclude anybody from helping." 2020s: Simulating life on Mars SpaceX's huge Starship had a successful launch in 2024. Timothy Clary/AFP/Getty Images The private space companies have been busy this decade. This year, SpaceX had its first mostly successful Starship launch after several fiery attempts. The mega-rocket is set to play a huge role in Musk's plans to colonize Mars. The Biden Administration has meanwhile continued to support the Artemis lunar missions. There have been a few setbacks, though. Citing safety and technical challenges, NASA recently pushed back its first crewed Artemis mission to the moon, which is now scheduled for 2025. Artemis IV, NASA's mission to deliver part of a lunar space station to the moon, is still scheduled for 2028. Ise said having a long-term presence on the moon would help experts learn more about how crews could survive on a different world for longer than a few days. The agency is also studying how people will fare in isolation. NASA's CHAPEA missions put volunteers in a simulated Mars habitat for a year. The "analog astronauts" follow strict schedules, have limited contact with loved ones, and are closely monitored. The first crew is set to emerge from the habitat this year on July 6. 2030s and beyond: Getting humans to Mars There are many challenges to solve before humans can safely travel to Mars. JPL/NASA Despite its moon-first agenda, NASA knows Mars has its own challenges that the lunar surface can't prepare them for. In addition to taking a lot of time and fuel to get there, the trip is expected to result in communication delays of at least 20 minutes between the crew and Earth. Ise said the travelers would need to be able to take care of their own health emergencies and fix hardware issues. But NASA is also working on making some systems more autonomous. "If there is an issue, they don't have time to troubleshoot with someone on the ground to fix their life support system," she said. "So we need those life support systems to be smarter." Other problems include keeping the crew safe from radiation, dealing with the planet's skin-irritating dust, and developing a food source. "We have to build an ecology inside a transit vehicle to keep everyone alive and healthy," Ise said. All that will take time. NASA's administrator, Bill Nelson, has said there's potential for the agency to send humans to Mars by 2040. Ise compared it to eating an entire elephant. "We're doing it one bite at a time and building on everything that we learn," she said. It remains to be seen whether private US companies will reach Mars first. Correction May 28, 2024: An earlier version of this story misstated Virgin Galactic's space exploration goals. Virgin Galactic has not announced plans to send robots or humans to Mars. Read the original article on Business Insider The Empire State Building, built from Legos, is part of the "Towers of Tomorrow with Lego Bricks" exhibit at the Museum of History & Industry. (Courtesy of MOHAI) Individual voters like these two in Peachtree Corners, Ga., in 2020 might not feel like they're making a difference. But in Idaho, a vote or two could change everything in local precincts. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. 06:40:21 AM Today Mostly clear. Low 72F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 72F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Mainly sunny. Hot. High 103F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. A draft amending the On State Budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2024 law has been recommended to the plenary session of Milli Majlis (Parliament) at today's meeting of the Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Enterprising, Trend reports. Finance Minister Samir Sharifov, Chairman of the Chamber of Accounts of the Republic of Azerbaijan Vugar Gulmammadov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Anar Karimov, First Deputy Minister of Economy Elnur Aliyev, Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee Natig Shirinov, Chairman of the State Social Protection Fund of Azerbaijan Himalay Mamishov, and others attended the meeting. The meeting also discussed amendments to the On State Budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2024 law and On the Budget of the Unemployment Insurance Fund for 2024. To note, in the revision of the state budget for 2024, revenues are projected at 36.35 million manat, or $21.38 million, which is 2.18 million manat ($1.28 million) or 6.4 percent more than the approved figure. With the revision, expenditures in the state budget for 2024 are projected at 39.7 million manat or $23.35 million, which is 2.94 million manat ($1.72 million) or 8.0 percent more than the approved figure and 3.25 million manat ($1.9 million) or 8.9 percent more than the actual performance of 2023. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Hungarians and Bulgarians are bound by a shared destiny and by friendship, President Tamas Sulyok said after talks with Rumen Radev, his Bulgarian counterpart, in Budapest. Topics discussed by the two presidents included the issue of ethnic minorities and bilateral economic relations, with special regard to energy security, Sulyok was quoted as saying in a press statement. Sulyok and Radev were in agreement that illegal migration must be stopped and its causes must be addressed rather than managing the symptoms. He noted that dozens of Hungarian police officers were serving in Bulgaria in the framework of border police cooperation. They also agreed that the war in Ukraine must be resolved through diplomatic efforts, and urged a ceasefire and a just and sustainable peace. Sulyok said Hungary remained committed to the full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Unions passport-free Schengen zone. He said ethnic minorities were an important link in Hungarys relations and the countrys Bulgarian minority is represented by a national minority advocate in the Hungarian National Assembly. Sulyok noted that promoting the EU accession of the countries of the Western Balkans was among the priorities of Hungarys upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU. Radev said the two countries faced multiple challenges, so we need even closer cooperation between Bulgaria and Hungary to bridge these. He said the discussions had touched on the issues of trade, finance and tourism, but there were many other opportunities for cooperation. He cited as examples sectors with high value-added such as the defence sector. He said energy security was of key importance and pledged that Bulgaria would remain a stable partner in gas transit deliveries in future. Later on Saturday, the two presidents attended the inauguration and consecration of the Bulgarian Cultural and Educational Centre in Budapests 9th district. In his address at the ceremony, Sulyok said the inauguration of the centre was about the vitality of Hungarys ethnic Bulgarian community. The Bulgarian community had a lot to draw on, he said, adding that their culture was a combination of accumulated knowledge and preserved traditions. Hungarians and Bulgarians, he said, were bound by the similarities in their history and by the Danube River, but even more importantly, by friendship, shared values, and the appreciation of each others culture. Orban Holds Talks with Bulgarian President Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Bulgarian President Rumen Radev for talks at his office on Saturday, the PMs press chief said. Orban and Radev reviewed Hungarys programme for its upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union, one of whose key elements is the stability of the Western Balkans, Bertalan Havasi told MTI. The two leaders were in agreement that cooperation between their countries played a key part in promoting peace and development in the region. MTI Photo: Tibor Illyes ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! Democratic Coalition list leader Klara Dobrev is initiating an amendment motion which would state that a president who is obliged to step down before their term ends for instance due to resignation or dismissal should not be eligible for lifelong allowances from the state. She told a press conference on Saturday that heads of state who leave early should not be entitled to a lifetime monthly salary of Ft 5 million, a flat, a three-member secretariat, free top class healthcare services, a car and driver, as well as more than Ft 70 million annually for charity purposes, adding that the only exception would be if the president resigns due to a severe health problem. Those presidents who served a full term already cost enough to Hungarian taxpayers and this largesse should not be granted to those who failed, Dobrev continued. The Sandor Palace is the workplace of the highest constitutional dignitary rather than a stepping stone to an eternal life of luxury, she said. A related bill will be submitted by the Democratic Coalition caucus and she is asking all democratic opposition parties with parliamentary representation to support the initiative. MTI Photo ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! Parents and grandparents spend HUF 5,000-10,000 on Children's Day, the last Sunday of May, based on the sales data of Regio Jatek and the results of a survey of 2,500 people, writes the online business daily Vilaggazdasag. According to the study, half of the respondents are looking for games between HUF 5,000 and HUF 10,000; 30% spend less than HUF 5,000, and another 20% spend more than HUF 10,000. The research also covered what parents and grandparents expect from a game. Some 90% of respondents are looking for an educational game rather than a fun one. They consider it more important that the gift be timeless than trendy. To avoid accumulating gifts, most people plan what toys they will buy during the year. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! New Delhi: How many lies does it take to conceal a murder? In the tangled web of ZEE5s upcoming movie, House of Lies, deception knows no bounds. Prepare to be enthralled by a sinister tale of betrayal, greed and malice as ZEE5, Indias largest home-grown video streaming platform and a multilingual storyteller, unveils the trailer of its latest murder mystery, House of Lies. Produced by Kali Movies Private Limited and Sebhariya Pictures, and directed by Saumitra Singh, this gripping thriller will premiere on ZEE5 on 31st May as part of its free-to-stream library. Starring Sanjay Kapoor, Ssmilley Suri, Simran Kaur Suri, Hiten Paintal and the late actor Rituraj K Singh among others, House of Lies is an intriguing murder mystery that unravels the suspicious death of Albert Pinto, the morning after his birthday party. Investigators Rajveer Singh Choudhary and Abhay along with officer Sashi from Enforcement Directorate interrogate the guests - Albert's wife Ragini, brother Anthony, sister-in-law Aastha, lawyer Karan Sinha, doctor Fernandis, friend Col. Verma, and house help Zaid and try to uncover the many layers of complexities. With conflicting statements from all witnesses, officer Rajveer and Sashi's old rivalry adding friction and betrayal, greed and malice at the centre of it all, the investigation grows complex as motives of the suspects start to emerge and entangle the case further. Abhirup Datta, Head of AVOD Marketing, ZEE5 India said, "After the success of recent free-to-stream titles like Ardh, Kaam Chalu Hai and 8 A.M. Metro, we at ZEE5 are excited to bring forth another exciting film, House of Lies. Murder mystery as a genre has consistently performed well on our platform, tapping into our viewers innate fascination with enigmatic crimes and decoding complex human psyches. With House of Lies, we at ZEE5 are confident of delivering another exciting, multi-layered story that will keep the viewers hooked and on the edge of their seats. Director Saumitra Singh said, As an ardent admirer of the murder mystery genre, from the mind-bending classics by Agatha Christie to edgy modern noir thrillers, I have always been captivated by their ability to challenge and thrill audiences. Bringing House of Lies to life in collaboration with ZEE5 and my writer, Abhiraj Sharma has truly been a dream project, allowing me to craft a twisted psychological ride that will keep viewers guessing until the end. We have meticulously crafted each character as a deliciously layered and deceitful puzzle piece, brought to life by an extraordinarily talented ensemble cast. This flick is a delirious descent into the darkest depths of human nature that will have you clinging to the edge of your seat. From start to finish, I can guarantee that viewers will be utterly transfixed, unable to take their eyes off the screen as the shocking truths are revealed." Actor Sanjay Kapoor said, Playing Rajveer Singh Chaudhary in House of Lies' was an incredibly enriching experience. This character is relentless and deeply intuitive, traits that are essential when navigating through such a convoluted mystery. The complexity of the plot and the depth of the characters make this film a must-watch. I believe that ZEE5 viewers will be hooked from the very first scene and will enjoy every twist and turn that the story takes. Brace yourselves for a twisted tale of deception and murder with 'House of Lies' premiering on ZEE5 on May 31st! BSEM Result 2024: The Manipur Board of Secondary Education is set to release the Manipur 10th result 2024 today, May 27, 2024. Students can verify and download their results from the official website. The admit card should be kept handy because they will need to enter the roll number to download the scorecard. According to reports, the BOSEM HSLC Result 2024 is set to be announced at 3 PM. Once the results are available, students can view and download the provisional marksheet. The schools will distribute the original marksheets later on. The details mentioned on the scorecard will comprise the candidate's name, roll number, name of exam, subjects, marks scored, and minimum needed marks. The total marks scored, Grade and Percentage. BSEM Result 2024: Steps to download here 1. Visit the official website, manresults.nic.in. 2. On the webpage, click on High School Leaving Certificate Results 2024. 3. A new website will launch. 4. Enter the roll number. 5. Your BSEM Result 2024 will display on the screen. 6. Download the results and preserve a copy for reference. BSEM Result 2024: Last year trends The High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Exam took place from March 16 to April 3. In 2023, 82.82 percent of students qualified for the exam, and approximately 31, 576 students passed. This year's pass % will be announced alongside the results. MSBSHSE SSC Class 10 Result 2024: The Maharashtra Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has announced the SSC or class 10 results for 2024 today, May 27. A total of 95.81 percent of students passed the Maharashtra Board SSC exam. However, the result link will be activated at 1 pm. Once released, students who took the Maharashtra SSC exam 2024 can check their scores on the official websites mahresult.nic.in and mahahsscboard.maharashtra.gov.in by entering their seat number and mothers name. About 15 lakh students participated in the SSC exam this year, held from March 1 to 26. Students need to score a minimum of 33 percent in each subject and overall to pass the MSBSHSE 10th exams. Maharashtra SSC Result 2024: District Wise Pass Percentage Konkan - 99.01% Kolhapur - 97.45% Mumbai - 95.83% Amravati - 95.58% Pune - 96.44% Nashik - 95.28% Latur - 95.27% Sambhajinagar - 95.19% Nagpur - 94.73% Maharashtra Board Class 10 Result 2024: Grading System 75% and above: Distinction 60% and above: First Distinction 45% to 59%: Second Division 35% to 44%: Pass Grade Below 35%: Fail Maharashtra SSC 10th Result 2024: Websites To Check Scores - mahahsscboard.in - mahresult.nic.in - sscresult.mkcl.org - results.digilocker.gov.in Maharashtra SSC 10th Result 2024: How To Check Scores - Visit any of the official websites: mahahsscboard.in or mahresult.nic.in. - Click on the direct result link for Maharashtra SSC Results 2024 on the homepage. - A login page will appear. - Enter your roll number and mother's first name. - Click the submit button. - Your 10th result will be displayed. - Review your scores carefully. - Download, save, and print a copy for future reference. Maharashtra SSC Result 2024: Toppers The Maharashtra Board publishes its toppers list every year. This list includes the names of the top students, their ranks, and their total marks. It will be available here soon. Maharashtra SSC 10th Result 2024: Exam Details The MSBSHSE Class 10 exams were held from 1 to 26 March 2024. After the release of the Maharashtra SSC 10th Result 2024, students can check details like gender-wise and division-wise results. Over 16 lakh students are eagerly awaiting the results. The Maharashtra HSC Results, declared on 21 May, had an overall passing percentage of 93.37%. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. This year, the salary fund in the State Social Protection Fund (SSPF) of Azerbaijan will be brought to 23 billion manat, or $13.5 billion, Chairman of the Chamber of Accounts of the Republic of Azerbaijan Vugar Gulmammadov said, Trend reports. He made the statement during the discussion of amendments to the On State Budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2024 law at the meeting of the Milli Majlis' (Parliament) Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, and Enterprising. "The State Social Protection Fund's main concern remains the salary fund," he stated. Gulmammadov highlighted that, based on last year's data, the salary fund is just over 21 billion manat, or $12.35 billion. "However, this amount is relatively small, not even reaching 18 percent of GDP. This year, we expect it to increase to 2223 billion manat ($12.9$13.5 billion). The most important issue for us is ensuring that the wage fund across the country grows and that the State Social Protection Fund can effectively utilize these funds," the chairman added. To note, from January through April 2024, Azerbaijan's GDP grew by 4.3 percent compared to the same period in 2023 - up to 38.181 billion manat, or $22.46 billion, while the value added in the non-oil sector grew by 7.7 percent. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday seeking a seven-day extension on his interim bail in connection with the alleged liquor policy case. Aam admi Party (AAP) informed that the PIL of extension is sought on medical grounds as Kejriwal has lost 7 kilogrammes of weight since his arrest and his ketone level is high, which could signal some serious disease. The AAP convenor was out on bail until June 1. Delhi CM was released from Delhis Tihar jail on May 10 after the Apex Court granted him bail with the condition that he has to surrender to authorities on June 2. Several other implications included that he was not to attend his office as Chief Minister but could participate in the election campaigning. Kejriwal was released after spending 50 days in jail on corruption charges related to the alleged liquor policy scam. The party said doctors recommended Kejriwal get a PET-CT (positron emission tomography and computed tomography) scan and other tests, so he asked for more time on his interim bail. Since getting out of jail, Kejriwal has been busy campaigning for the INDIA bloc in the current Lok Sabha elections. Days after the dates for Lok Sabha elections were released, the Delhi CM was arrested in an excise policy scam on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are taking place in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1, with counting and results scheduled for June 4. With a massive roadshow in Kolkata, Prime Minister Modi is expected to mount a last-ditch effort in the Bengal electionsthis will be his final face-to-face meeting with Mamata Banerjee. The "Bangalir Mone Modi" roadshow will travel through important historical sites. Modi will travel in a hi-tech bulletproof car, showcasing a grand spectacle of Bengali culture. The theme of Modis roadshow, Bangalir Mone Modi, translates to Modi is in the heart of Bengalis. The Prime Ministers 2-km roadshow will commence from Vidhan Saryan of Shyam Bazar and conclude at Swami Vivekanandas house. This route holds historical significance as it was frequently used by Swami Vivekananda to visit his Guru, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. In today's DNA, Zee News' Saurabh Raaj Jain, analysed the final round of the 'battle of bengal' lok sabha elections. He also analysed the roadshows by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. Modis roadshow, the first by a sitting prime minister in Kolkata in 38 years, will be a grand spectacle of Bengali culture, with 40 stages set up along the route showcasing Chhau dance, kirtan, and Rabindra Sangeet. Mamata Banerjee, on the other hand, has been seen to strategically position her campaign events to coincide with or follow Modis. She will hold a rally in south Kolkata at the same time Modi is in North Kolkata and will campaign along the same route in North Kolkata the following day to counteract the Modi effect. The seventh phase of the election will decide the fate of 9 seats in Bengal, all of which were won by the TMC in 2019. The BJP is focused on winning these seats, while Mamata Banerjees mission is to retain them. The campaign has been charged, with both parties making strong allegations against each other. Watch tonight's episode of DNA for a detailed analysis here: Usually, the hill stations of North India remain pleasant from March to the end of May. However, these months have alternated between severe cold and scorching heat this year. In 2024, the spring season was essentially lost between winter and summer. The number of tourists and locals in Kashmir has far exceeded its capacity. The increasing number of concrete buildings to accommodate them and the huge crowd of vehicles have disrupted nature, resulting in variable weather conditions. Kashmir, which has always been a top choice for tourists, is now disappointing them due to uncertain weather conditions. March and April, which mark the beginning of spring, had unexpected snowfall, rain, and severe cold until the third week of April. Suddenly, it became scorching hot with temperatures 5-7 degrees above normal. April was the coldest month in the last 20 years, and now May is the hottest month in the last 35 years. In recent years, whenever temperatures in the plains have soared and there has been no respite from the scorching sun, millions of tourists have flocked to the hill stations of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. This has led to massive traffic jams and tourist footfall far beyond the capacity of these ecologically sensitive areas. Experts say this can irreversibly damage the fragile ecosystem of these areas. The same is happening with Kashmir, where famous hill stations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg, and many other places are overcrowded. The rapid construction of hotels, huts, and resorts is leading to the felling of green trees for new developments. As a result, the scorching heat in Kashmir has made life miserable. The Director of the Kashmir Meteorology Department said there will be no respite from the heatwave in Jammu and Kashmir for at least the next 15 days. He further stated that the region is facing variable weather, with sudden heat and heavy rains, and these conditions will increase. He noted that humans will have to adapt to this variability, which is largely due to large-scale urbanization. Mukhtar Ahmed, Director of the Kashmir Meteorology Department, said that the temperature in Jammu and Kashmir has been dry for the last few weeks, and the heat is continuously increasing. Even in the hilly areas, the mercury has risen to 30 degrees Celsius. In the hilly areas of Jammu, temperatures are around 35 degrees, and in the plains of Jammu, they have reached 43 degrees. The heat is expected to continue in the coming days. He added, "Of course, the uncontrolled temperature of the Earth is increasing globally, and this is true for Jammu and Kashmir as well. Rapid urbanization is contributing to higher daytime temperatures. Our infrastructure, urbanization, massive transportation, and increased factory activities all impact the temperature. Infrastructure development at tourist spots, and increased tourism in recent years, also contribute to rising temperatures." The number of tourists in Kashmir has increased by 200 percent in the last five years. COVID-19 restrictions have changed people's mindsets, making them more willing to spend money on domestic travel. They are prioritizing domestic travel over international travel. Air travel to Kashmir is more expensive than to Delhi-Dubai, yet people choose Kashmir. Tourists now spend large amounts on domestic travel, a trend not seen earlier, and they visit Kashmir even in the off-season. Last year, Jammu and Kashmir received the highest number of tourists since independence, with 21.1 million tourists, including pilgrims. There was a 700 percent increase in foreign tourists in the valley. In 2024, more than 1.1 million tourists have reached Kashmir so far, excluding pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi. Eight more flights are operating compared to last year, with an average of 18,000 tourists arriving in Kashmir daily, and more than 5,000 arriving by road. According to available data, Kashmir has 100 percent occupancy until July. The sharp rise in tourism is not limited to Kashmir alone. Tourist places in North India like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie, Nainital, and Dalhousie are also packed with tourists. The increasing rush from the plains to the mountains has further aggravated environmental problems, such as damage to the fragile hill ecosystem, plastic pollution, air pollution, unpredictable traffic jams, and the construction of new concrete buildings to host tourists. Many in the tourism industry are concerned about these changes and want Kashmir to become a sustainable tourist destination for future generations. They warn that if the current trend continues unchecked, it will destroy the glory of Kashmir. Manzoor Pakhtoon, General Secretary of the Kashmir Houseboat Association, said, "Kashmir is a famous place in summers. It is hot during the day, but not unbearably so. Our virgin destinations are crowded with tourists. We should take care of them. Whether it is the government or the common man, we should see how we can make it a sustainable place and save our wetlands and glaciers." Pakhtoon added, "When it comes to the environment, it is not just about tourism. We also live here and need to take good care of our forests and mountains. A pressure group should be formed to protect the environment and our future. New destinations should be built with an eco-friendly approach, not as concrete jungles. This is just the beginning. If we take care today, maybe things can improve." Nowadays, tourists visiting Kashmir already feel the change in its climate and say they did not expect such heat in hill stations like Kashmir. Many compare it with their previous visits and note significant changes. They report heavy traffic jams and widespread pollution as reasons for the change. A tourist, Sharda Jain from Gwalior, said, "We came to Kashmir for the cold and thought the weather would be pleasant, but we encountered scorching heat. Global warming and a lot of tourist traffic could be reasons." A tourist from Mumbai, Ashok, said, "Globalization is also having a significant impact. Many hotels are being built, affecting the environment. Nature is getting destroyed. It is everyone's responsibility, whether common people or the government, to work for a better future." Ashok's daughter, Aayushi, added, "I visited Kashmir in 2006. The Kashmir I saw then is not the same as today. There is much more population, pollution, and crowding. The weather was cold then, but now it is hot." A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggests that sudden floods, cloudbursts, and intense rains will become more likely in mountainous regions. The report states that rising temperatures and melting glaciers will seriously impact plant and animal species already struggling with heatwaves, droughts, forest fires, and floods. It further states that climate change will cause temperatures to rise in all regions in the coming decades, especially in South Asia. Heatwaves will increase, the hot season will become longer, and the cold season shorter. Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the Kashmir Meteorology Department, said, "This temperature increase is what we call variable climate. It is going to increase over time. For every 1-degree increase in temperature, the moisture-holding capacity of the air increases by around 7 percent. This will result in sudden heavy rains and prolonged dry weather. We must be prepared for this variability." A climate scientist from Kashmir University said that the current temperatures align with predictions made about climate change impacts. What India is experiencing is due to the warming of the Earth. He warned that the worst is yet to come, saying, "As the Earth gets hotter, we will see more extreme heat conditions. This year, we have seen hotter weather than ever before. The kind of heat we saw in April-May was expected in June-July." Climate experts say that the ever-increasing influx of tourists to the mountains of North India has made the current situation very difficult. A long-term strategy is urgently needed to mitigate the impending disasters of climate change and over-tourism. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had a close call on Monday when a portion of the stage for one of his election rallies in Bihar collapsed. Gandhi was in Paliganj, on the outskirts of the state capital, to campaign for RJD president Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti, a candidate for the Patliputra Lok Sabha seat. Bharti was guiding Gandhi to his seat when he was observed battling with balance as a section of the makeshift stage fell. An alert Bharti instantly grabbed Gandhi's hand and helped him regain his balance, and they smiled as they assured frightened security staff who ran to help that the Congress leader was alright. VIDEO | A portion of the stage set for Rahul Gandhi's rally in Bihar's Paliganj collapsed as the Congress MP arrived with other party leaders. #LSPolls2024WithPTI #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/lDeQjTUnq6 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 27, 2024 Here's What Rahul Said In Back-To-Back Rallies In Bihar Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that if elected, the INDIA alliance would end the Agnipath plan for recruitment in the defence services and deposit Rs 8,500 in women's accounts each month. Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Bakhtiyarpur (Patna Lok Sabha seat), Paliganj (Patliputra Lok Sabha seat), and Jagdishpur (Arrah) in Bihar, he claimed that Narendra Modi will be unable to become prime minister again due to a "storm" in favour of the INDIA bloc across the country. "There is a definite storm (toofan) in favour of the INDIA bloc throughout the country, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Narendra Modi will not be India's prime minister after June 4, he declared. "When the INDIA bloc forms the government, the Agnipath scheme will be withdrawn," Gandhi stated at the Bakhtiyarpur rally. The initiative, proposed by the Narendra Modi government in 2022, envisages recruiting young troops, known as 'Agniveers' after appointment, on a contractual basis for four years and retiring 75% of them without the advantages enjoyed by those who were not engaged under this programme. "If elected, the INDIA coalition will abandon the Agnipath proposal. Modi ji has converted soldiers into workers. The Centre has divided the Army into two categories: Agniveer and Others. If an Agniveer is harmed or martyred, he will not receive martyr status or compensation. "Why is this discrimination?" Gandhi spoke. The policy, launched by the Narendra Modi government in 2022, envisions recruiting young troops, known as 'Agniveers' after appointment, on a contractual basis for four years and retiring 75% of them without certain advantages enjoyed by those not hired under this programme. "If the INDIA alliance wins power, the Agnipath scheme would be abandoned. Modi ji has transformed soldiers into labourers. The Centre has divided the Army into two categories: Agniveer and others. If an Agniveer is harmed or martyred, he will not receive either martyr status or compensation. Why is there discrimination? Gandhi stated. "He (Modi) calls him a true patriot but he insulted jawans by implementing the Agnipath scheme," claimed Gandhi. Taking a shot at the prime minister's'sent by God' remark, the Congress leader said, "After June 4, if ED asks Modi about corruption, he will say I don't know anything... I was told by God to do this." This is why he invented this story: he claims to be a divine messenger rather than a biological being. Did God send him to serve the billionaires?" "He (the Prime Minister) has devised tactics to deflect people's attention away from serious issues. Gandhi stated, "Sometimes he talks about crocodile attacks, and sometimes he starts walking on the Ganga." Gandhi saidthat Modi had generated 22 billionaires, whereas the INDIA bloc government will generate crores of 'lakhpatis'. While Congress leader Anshul Avijit is running for Patna Sahib Lok Sabha, RJD leader Misa Bharti is the Mahagathbandhan nominee for Pataliputra parliamentary constituency. Sudama Prasad, the sitting CPI (M-L) Liberation MLA from Tararai, is the Mahagathbandhan's nominee for the Arrah Lok Sabha seat. On June 1, the final phase of voting will be held in the Lok Sabha constituencies of Sasaram, Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Karakat, and Jehanabad. New Delhi/ Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she will not attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc on June 1 due to the last phase of Lok Sabha polls and ongoing relief work after cyclone 'Remal' hit the state's coastal regions. According to sources, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened a meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders in the afternoon of June 1, coinciding with the last round of polling. Addressing an election rally in Kolkata, Banerjee mentioned her inability to attend the INDIA bloc meeting due to the scheduled elections in the state on that day. "The INDIA bloc meeting has been fixed on June 1. But I have already said I cant go on June 1 as there is an election in our state on that day. So far I know there are elections in Punjab, UP and Bihar. Voting will continue till 6 pm, and at times it extends beyond that (6 pm), she said. Banerjee highlighted the dual challenges of post-cyclone relief work and ongoing elections, emphasising her priority towards relief efforts. How can I leave everything behind and go? My priority is relief work. Even if I am holding a meeting here, my heart goes out to those people (affected by the cyclone), she said at the Kolkata rally. Cyclone Remal, with wind speed reaching 135 kmph, claimed four lives in West Bengal and caused extensive damage to infrastructure and property in the state's coastal areas as it tore through West Bengal and Bangladesh, officials reported on Monday. The TMC had withdrawn from the INDIA bloc in West Bengal in January but affirmed its commitment to remain part of the opposition alliance at the national level. During the election campaigns in the last two months, Banerjee had expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would win the Lok Sabha elections and affirmed her involvement in the anti-BJP alliance at the national level. Sources in the TMC revealed that voting will be conducted on nine seats, including two seats in Kolkata, in West Bengal on June 1, which are crucial for the party. Apart from the Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar, other constituencies in the state that will go to polls on that day include Jadavpur, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other top leaders will exercise their franchise on the day, and, therefore, they will be unable to attend the meeting, a source said, adding that the party has attended all meetings of the opposition bloc so far. The source added that the TMC has conveyed this to the organisers. The first meeting of the opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was held in Patna on June 23 last year, followed by meetings in Bengaluru on July 17-18, 2023, and in Mumbai between August 31 and September 1, where the opposition parties adopted resolutions to contest the Lok Sabha elections unitedly. The fourth meeting of the opposition bloc was held in Delhi on December 19. The next gathering of opposition leaders took place in Delhi on March 31, where top leaders shared the stage at the "Save Democracy" rally held against the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. A similar 'Ulgulan' rally was held in Ranchi on April 21. The TMC has been part of all these meetings and rallies. At the March 31 rally in Delhi, TMC's parliamentary party leader in Rajya Sabha, Derek O'Brien, announced that the party would remain part of the INDIA bloc. The TMC, which is in power in West Bengal, does not have any seat-sharing deal with the Congress or any other INDIA bloc partner in its home state. But its candidate Laliteshpati Tripathi in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi has been supported by ally Samajwadi Party. Twenty-eight opposition parties came together to form the INDIA bloc. However, some parties such as Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) later switched over to the NDA. New Delhi: Two doctors from Sasson Hospital were detained on Monday for manipulating the blood samples of a minor accused of the luxury car accident case where two motorcycle-borne persons were killed. The minor accused was taken to the hospital on the day of the accident for a medical check-up. The police informed that the doctor was arrested in charge of manipulating the blood samples of the minor accused. The arrests occurred after it was discovered that the minor's blood test report was changed to someone who had not consumed alcohol. Earlier, the grandfather of the minor accused was arrested by the Pune police crime branch under IPC sections 365 and 368. The Pune police commissioner, Amitesh Kumar said that the accused grandfather was arrested and a separate FIR has been filed against the grandfather under IPC sections 365 and 368. The accused teenager's father was also arrested in Yerawada Central Prison after he was granted judicial custody for 14 days. Meanwhile, the protest was held in front of PMC by the victim's friends and colleagues on Sunday demanding justice for them. Rajkot Game Zone Fire: The tragic blazing down of a gaming zone in Gujarats Rajkot has stunned the entire country as 28 innocent lives were lost on Saturday. To express condolences over the deaths, several associations in the city have announced a half-day shutdown (Rajkot Bandh) on Monday. As per reports, 25 bodies have been identified so far. A massive fire broke out in the TRP gaming zone around 6:00PM in the evening when the establishment was running at full capacity, eyeing the weekend. The fire spread hastily as the gaming zone was allegedly constructed of rubber, plastic, and fiber. The situation got out of control, claiming the lives of 28 individuals, including 12 children trapped inside the establishment. According to officials, 27 DNA samples were submitted. Since blood samples couldn't be obtained from some bodies, bone marrow samples were collected instead Cause of Fire Two days after the incident, CCTV footage surfaced, revealing that the flames may have started from sparks produced during a welding activity near the establishment. "According to the preliminary investigation, some fabrication work was happening there. There were many inflammable materials, and the fire occurred possibly because of welding activity," Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava said. VIDEO | CCTV footage of fire that broke out at game zone in Rajkot yesterday, leading to the death of 27 people.#Rajkotfire pic.twitter.com/bvmi1YQ36I May 26, 2024 15 Out Of 19 Gaming Zones Temporarily Shut As per reports, all gaming zones in the city are temporarily closed. Following the deaths of 28 individuals, city authorities conducted inspections of all 19 gaming zones currently operational in Rajkot. They discovered deficiencies in 15 zones, leading to their temporary closure. The remaining four had already been shut down by the administration prior to these inspections. Considering a recent government circular, discussions have begun on the potential reopening of the remaining gaming zones. Six Charged With Culpable Homicide The Gujarat police have booked six people, including its owner and the manager, on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. In a press conference on Sunday, Bhargava informed, "A case under IPC sections 304 (for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (for attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (for causing hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (for causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 114 (for abettor present when the offence is committed) has been registered against six people, out of which two are in custody." Financial Assistance The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have both extended their heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families in the wake of this tragic incident. PM Modi also declared ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PM's National Relief Fund for the families of each deceased individual. The Prime Minister's Office announced that the injured individuals will receive Rs 50,000. The Gujarat government has declared an ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. New Delhi: JDS Leader and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of sexually abusing many women, has said that he will appear before the SIT on May 31. In a self-made video, Revanna said that he will appear before the SIT at 10 am on May 31 and cooperate with the investigation. "I will personally on Friday, May 31 at 10 am will come before the SIT and will cooperate with the investigation and will respond to it (charges). I have faith in court and I am confident I will come out of false cases through court," Pajwal said in a video statement aired on Kannada TV channel Asianet Suvarna News. "Let God's, people's and family's blessing be on me. I will surely come before SIT on May 31, Friday. After coming, I will try to put an end to all this. Keep faith in me," he added. However, there was no independent confirmation from the JD(S) or the family of the suspended party MP immediately over the matter, reported PTI. The 33-year-old Prajwal, the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda and the NDA candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women. Prajwal reportedly left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to polls, and is still at large. A 'Blue Corner Notice' seeking information on his whereabouts has already been issued by the Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant on May 18 against Prajwal Revanna, following an application moved by the SIT. The Congress-led Karnataka government has urged the Centre to cancel his diplomatic passport. In a self-made video, JDS MP Prajwal Revanna says, "I will appear before SIT on 31 May." He said, "...When elections were held on 26th April, there was no case against me and no SIT was formed, my foreign trip was pre-planned. I came to know about the allegations while I was on my trip... Rahul Gandhi and many other Congress leaders started talking about it and against me and a political conspiracy was formed against me... On Friday 31st May at 10 am I will appear before SIT and provide all information related to the investigation. I will support the investigation. I have faith in the judiciary..." Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge made a jab at Prime Minister Narendra Modi while reminiscing about his own teenage years. Kharge said that he was interested in politics since his childhood. He recalled, The village I used to live in and houses were burnt during the Razakar movement. I lost my family. Only my father and I survived. However, he highlighted that unlike Modi he never seeks sympathy. Modi claims he was poor and sold tea, but his father was a contractor, Kharge added. Taking a dig at the Prime Minister's tactics Kharge said that strong men never rely on others pity. Mallikarjun Kharge mentioned that during his 53 years in office, he was never questioned about his experiences; it was only after becoming president that he shared them. Many people leave party leave the ideology but I have been in the same party since 1969. I want to say have patience, you will get everything, reported ANI quoting Congress president. Pointing out the works undertaken during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Kharge said that he has a complete list while he challenged the PM to enumerate the achievements of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. We brought the MNREGA scheme, the Food Security Act. And we promise to give daily wages of Rs 400 to workers in MNREGA. We will give 10 kg of grain free instead of 5 kg. Further, Congress guarantees Rs 1 lakh every year in the accounts of poor women, the apprenticeship of Rs 1 lakh to educated youth, and 30 lakh government jobs for youth. We will fulfil all our promises. We do what we say," he added. Kharge stated that people are tired of Prime Minister Modi's speeches and noted the need for the Election Commission of India to address individuals delivering hate speeches. A Delhi court on Monday denied bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's close aide Bibhav Kumar, who is accused of assaulting AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the CM's residence. After hearing arguments from both sides, Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal denied Kumar, the CM's personal assistant, bail. A detailed order on the subject is pending. During the proceedings, Rajya Sabha MP Maliwal informed the court that Kumar's release would endanger her life and her family. She said that a "one-sided video" about the incident "was made by a YouTuber" after which she began receiving threats. A couple of videos from the chief minister's residence from the day of the incident on May 13 have surfaced on social media. One shows Maliwal arguing with security officers, while the other shows her going out of the CM's mansion in the Civil Lines. Maliwal's lawyer said that despite Kumar's imprisonment, Maliwal was receiving threats. He questioned Kumar's innocence, claiming that he formatted his phone and destroyed the CCTV footage from the incident. Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava stated that Maliwal did not enter the CM's home. He further stated that Kumar was a "influential" individual notwithstanding the termination of his employment. Kumar's attorney sought bail, claiming that his client met the "triple test" for bail: he was not a flight risk, was unlikely to tamper with evidence, or influence witnesses. Kumar's counsel said that despite collaborating with the police, Kumar was arrested, and that the FIR in the matter was registered three days later as a "afterthought." Kumar was ordered to four days in judicial jail on Saturday and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. The court observed that his anticipatory bail plea filed on May 18 had become "infructuous" following his arrest. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 27. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has met with Turkmenistan's Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov, who arrived in Astana on an official visit, Trend reports. Welcoming the Turkmen diplomat, President Tokayev expressed satisfaction with the current state of Kazakh-Turkmen relations, which are steadily strengthening in the spirit of friendship, good neighborliness, and strategic partnership. "We view Turkmenistan as a reliable strategic partner, a nation close to us in spirit and history. Indeed, in recent years, cooperation between our countries has been on the rise, gaining new momentum, particularly in strategic economic sectors," Tokayev noted. Rashid Meredov expressed gratitude for the traditionally warm reception and confirmed Ashgabat's commitment to further enhancing bilateral cooperation with Astana across all areas of intergovernmental relations. During the meeting, they reviewed the progress of major projects in the trade, economic, energy, and transport-logistics sectors, emphasizing the importance of bringing these projects to completion, which will further affirm the special nature of the relationship between the two brotherly nations. The sides also focused on deepening cultural and humanitarian ties, which are being enriched with new content each year. The discussions included current regional and international issues, as well as the schedule of upcoming high-level contacts. You must have heard that thieves these days have turned tech-savvy. But a recent case from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh has shocked the people. In this case, a techy turned out to be the main accused. The Hathras police arrested a gang of motorcycle thieves who were responsible for dozens of thefts. After a week-long operation, the police have arrested eight inter-district thieves and recovered a total of 37 stolen motorcycles from their possession. The modus operandi of the thieves was quite different as they not only used to change the number plates but also the chassis numbers, thus making the identification of the stolen vehicle tough. They then used to sell the vehicle at a good price. What is shocking is that one of the accused, who has been arrested, is an engineer. Those arrested have already several cases registered against their names. The thieves, including an engineer, were caught by the Sadar Kotwali police station and the Special Operations Group (SOG) team. One of the arrested, Aniket or Ankush is B. Tech in mechanical engineering graduate. Ankush used to flee to Mumbai after each theft. He is involved in the transport business and has 36 criminal cases against him. He has been to prison multiple times earlier as well. "Sadabad police station arrested three inter-district notorious vehicle thieves along with 15 stolen motorcycles. The arresting police team was given a cash reward of Rs 25,000 by the Superintendent of Police, Hathras," said the police department. Superintendent of Police, Nipun Agarwal, led the operations against the motorcycle theft gang. On May 20, the Sarsni police station and SOG team apprehended three cunning inter-district vehicle thieves and recovered several stolen bikes from their possession. The police launched a second operation on May 25 in collaboration with the Sadar Kotwali police station and the SOG team. This led to the arrest of two more inter-district vehicle thieves and another 15 stolen motorcycles were recovered from them. The police team also seized one kilogram of narcotics from them. The third operation in the series took place on May 26 when the Sadabad police station arrested three more inter-district vehicle thieves and recovered 15 stolen motorcycles. Rajkot Gaming Zone Fire: After a gaming center in Rajkot caught fire, resulting in the deaths of 28 people, including nine children, the Gujarat High Court criticised the city's municipal authorities for not certifying at least two similar buildings in the city. The court asserted that it has lost its trust on the Bhartiya Janta Party-led state government. The HC was outraged after learning that two gaming zones had been operating for over 24 months each without the necessary permits, including fire safety certificates. "Have you gone blind? Did you fall asleep? Now we do not trust the local system and the state," the court said. As per reports, Rajkot gaming zone was granted a license by local cops in November last year and was further renewed to December 31, 2024. The Rajkot municipal authority showcased some photographs of officials at the gaming zone, to which the court furiously asserted, "Who were these officers? Did they go there to play?" The court allegedly said that it can no longer trust the local system or the state, the court fumed when informed that fire safety certification hearings had remained unresolved for four years. Advocate Manisha Luv Kumar Shah, representing the state government, admitted that two additional gaming zones in Ahmedabad were operating without permission. She informed the court that a special team had been established to investigate these issues and submit a report within 72 hours. The court was also told that this investigation includes mini-gaming zones inside malls, totalling 34 in the city, of which three lack the mandatory no-objection certificate from the fire department. Meanwhile, the state reassured the court by highlighting the arrests of all three owners and said that the probe is ongoing to nab the remaining suspect. Mumbai Rains: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted cloudy skies and mild rainfall for Mumbai for the next three days. According to the weather office, the monsoon is likely to arrive in Mumbai between June 10 and 11. IMD stated that the date for the arrival of rain in Mumbai will be established after observing its progression. According to reports, the monsoon will arrive in Mumbai on time, as it has in the past. As a precaution, marine tourism in the Konkan region would be suspended for the next three months. Mumbai had a partially cloudy sky on Sunday morning, as predicted by the IMD. After experiencing a scorching heatwave, Mumbai residents are eagerly awaiting the arrival of rain. The Indian Meteorological Department has anticipated pre-monsoon showers in several districts, including Maharashtra's metropolis, Mumbai, in recent days. According to the latest update by the Regional Weather Centre, there is a probability of light rain in Mumbai and nearby areas over the next 24 hours, with a partly overcast sky forecast. The highest and lowest temperatures are expected to reach 34 and 29 degrees Celsius, respectively. The Meteorological Department predicts mild to moderate rainfall in isolated areas of Marathwada districts, along with severe thunderstorms and Sosatyacha winds gusting at speeds of 40-50 km/h. Similarly, isolated regions of South Konkan, South Central Maharashtra, and Vidarbha may receive light to moderate rain. Akola recorded a scorching top temperature of 45.6C. In contrast, Dharashiv had the lowest minimum temperature, 22.0 Celsius. Furthermore, locations like as Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola, Chandrapur, Parbhani, Hingoli, and Nanded are expected to experience a heatwave in the coming 48 hours, maybe alleviated by evening showers. The meteorological bureau predicts that Akola and Chandrapura would have the highest temperatures of these places One of the most enigmatic scandals took place in the town of Agde on the Mediterranean coast which has always stolen the hearts of people with its beautiful sandy beaches and year-round sun. This place is the home of Europes biggest swinger community. Many couples come across the Europe swap partners. It also gained a reputation for wild sex parties. But recently, the place has gained an entirely new scandal which left the rest of France shaking its head in dismay. This scandal involved a Fortune Teller and the towns mayor, Gilles dEttore, a former secret service officer and police officer. Fortune teller Sophia Martinez and the mayor are now behind bars. While Martinez, faces charges of embezzling the mayor, dEttore is accused of corruption for spending lavish amounts of taxpayers money on her. How The Case Started? The Fortune Teller is famous for allegedly being able to speak to the dead. Mayor dEttore got in touch with her asking her to put him in touch with his deceased father. The fortune teller allegedly succeeded in doing that. While performing seances, her voice suddenly changed taking the tone of the mayors father, said the BBC report. Dubious Calls However, the Fortune Teller allegedly manipulated the Mayor with her unmatched ventriloquist skills as dEttore got mystery calls in the last four years. The mayor received thousands of mysterious calls from voices of the dead, including angels. In the call, some of them urged the mayor to help the Fortune Teller, which led to corruption. The mayor used the public funds to pay a lavish holidays for Martinez and her family, from Polynesia to Thailand. It is purported that the 'voices' convinced him to hire several members of her family to work for the town council. Not only this, also asked to renovate her home. The mayors lawyer Jean Marc Darrigade said that the Fortune Teller found a mental weakness in the Mayor and exploited it for personal gain. Fortune Teller Martinez's lawyer Luc Abratkiewicz countered the allegations by saying it is not a manipulation because she has owned up to what she did. Malaysia Airlines MH370 Google Maps: A Malaysia Airlines flight, MH370, which mysteriously disappeared from radar screens on March 8, 2014, while flying over the South China Sea, has once again captured public attention. An expert has made a peculiar claim, asserting that he 'found' the MH370 plane deep within the Cambodian jungle using Google Maps. The disappearance of MH370 remains one of Malaysia's most tragic aviation incidents. The aircraft, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, had 239 people on board, including 227 passengers and 12 crew members, all of whom were presumed dead. On Saturday (May 25), British tabloids published a report based on the statements of UK-based expert Ian Wilson, originally made in 2018. Daily Mirror, Daily Star, and Daily Record published his comments, claiming that he found remains of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 while scanning satellite imagery on Google Maps. According the reports, Wilson said- "I was on there (Google Earth), a few hours here, a few hours there. If you added it up I spent hours searching for places a plane could have gone down. And in the end, as you can see the place where the plane is. It is literally the greenest, darkest part you can see." However, Wilson's claims are not supported by any official statement. The authorities did not find any trace of MH370 yet and no one knows what exactly happened to the plane. After a decade of incident, the disappearance of MH370 from radar is still a mystery. In March, 2024, a Texas-based company, Ocean Infinity, proposed a new search with "no-cure, no-fee" approach to find the plane, in the southern Indian Ocean where it is believed to have crashed. Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was heartbroken after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final. Big B shared that he felt bad to see SRH owner Kavya Maran hiding her tears after her team was defeated. Taking to his blog, Big B penned his feeling, he wrote, "The IPL Final is over and KKR have WON a most convincing victory .. SRH were simply outplayed .. disappointing in many ways because SRH is a good team and one has seen their very grand performances over the days when they played other matches." "But what was most touching to observe was the pretty young lady , .. the owner of SRH, in the Stadium, get emotional after the loss and break into tears, turning her face away from the cameras, so as not to display her emotion .. I felt bad for her !! Never mind .. tomorrow is another day .. my dear !!" he added. Coming to the match, SRH won the toss and elected to bat first. KKR rocked SRH with continuous wickets, with the big buy Mitchell Starc justifying his hefty price tag. Only skipper Pat Cummins (24 in 19 balls, with two fours and a six) and Aiden Markram (20 in 23 balls, with three fours) touched the 20-run mark and SRH was bundled out for 113 in 18.3 overs. Andre Russell (3/19) was the top bowler for KKR. Starc (2/14) and Harshit Rana (2/24) also contributed well with the ball. Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Vaibhav Arora took a wicket each. KKR pulled off the run-chase of 114 run-target in just 10.3 overs with eight wickets in hand. Venkatesh Iyer (52* in 26 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (39 in 32 balls, with five fours and two sixes) shined for KKR in the final match of the tournament. Meanwhile, on the acting front, Amitabh Bachchan is busy shooting for 'Vettaiyan', which also stars Rajinikanth. Pictures from Big B and Rajinikanth's reunion on the sets of TJ Gnanavel's upcoming film have gone viral. In a photo, the megastars, wearing sleek suits, posed stylishly together. Rajinikanth and Amitabh also hugged each other, and another photo showed them deeply engrossed in discussion. Before this, they were featured together in Andhaa Kaanoon (1983), and Geraftaar (1985). Their last film was Hum, which was released in 1991. Big B will also be seen with Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Kamal Haasan in 'Kalki 2898 AD'. The film will hit the theatres on June 27. New Delhi: Actor Karan Singh Grover has been ruling hearts as an actor, but now, he's making his fans go gaga over him for his real-life personality. The actor is an all-rounder who not only aces his roles to the T but is also a perfect family man and a friend. He perfectly juggles between work and family time, and his latest video is proof. In the video, shared by Bipasha Basu, Karan is seen painting with his daughter Devi. Ever since the video made it to the social media platform, fans have been pouring their love for Karan as well as his daughter. "Her cute little fingers and those hair uff mashaallah. And K you got a painting partner now fr life," a fan's comment read, while another comment read, "This is so lovely!! All love all around." Not just a doting father, Karan is also an equally great partner to Bipasha. The actress has often spoken about her bond with Karan and how he is an equal partner to her. She has also spoken about how he took care of her during and post the pregnancy. In fact, Grover served some major son-in-law goals when he dropped a post for his mother-in-law on her birthday. "Wish you a very very very happy birthday Ma! @mumu_basu Thank you for Ma for manifesting this beautiful reality that we are all a part of. You are the creator of all of this! You are a true goddess! Happy happy happy birthday Ma! Love you so much," the post read. On the work front, the actor, who has been ruling the screens for over a decade, recently showcased his acting prowess as Squadron Leader Sartaj 'Taj' Gill in Siddharth Anand's Fighter. The actor, who has been receiving immense love for his role, is now looking forward to several interesting projects, which he will announce soon. New Delhi: In a heartbreaking turn of events, actor Johnny Wactor, best known for his role as Brando Corbin on ABC's 'General Hospital,' was tragically killed at the age of 37. The incident occurred early Saturday morning when three suspects attempted to steal the catalytic converter from Wactor's vehicle, as confirmed by Deadline. According to a law enforcement source, when Wactor confronted the thieves, he was shot by the suspects, who then fled the scene. Wactor was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The suspects responsible for this heinous act remain at large, and the investigation is ongoing. Wactor's mother, speaking to TMZ, expressed her devastation over the loss of her son, "Johnny was a wonderful person and a talented actor. He had so much more to give to the world, and this senseless act of violence has taken him from us far too soon." Johnny Wactor's career spanned both television and film. His role as Brando Corbin on 'General Hospital' from 2020 to 2022 won him a loyal fanbase. The character, initially presumed dead, made a dramatic entrance as Gladys Corbin's (played by Bonnie Burroughs) son. Brando's storyline included a poignant marriage to Sasha (Sofia Mattsson) and a tragic end, mirroring the untimely demise of Wactor himself. Beyond 'General Hospital,' Wactor's versatile acting skills were showcased in a variety of television series. His credits included appearances in 'Army Wives' (2007), 'Siberia' (2013), 'Agent X' (2015), and more recent shows like 'Station 19' (2023) and 'Barbee Rehab' (2023). His talent was not confined to the small screen; Wactor also had significant roles in films such as 'USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage' (2016) alongside Nicolas Cage and Tom Sizemore, as well as other projects like 'Sisters of the Groom' and 'Cold Soldiers.' His latest film, 'Dead Talk Tales: Volume I,' released this year, saw him portray Marcus, which garnered much love from his fans. New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan's younger son, AbRam, turned 11 on May 27. It was a double celebration as his birthday coincided with KKR's victory at IPL 2024. Suhana Khan shared a cute post for her birthday after the match. Taking to Instagram stories, Suhana posted a picture of AbRam and wrote, "Good day to be the birthday boy." AbRam dressed in a KKR T-shirt with 'Champions of 2024' printed on it looking away from the camera. After KKR victory, AbRam walked through the stadium with his family. Shah Rukh and Gauri had turned parents to AbRam in 2013 through surrogacy. In an interaction with the media in 2013, after his son's birth, he had explained the meaning of AbRam. He had said, "AbRam is a Jewish connotation of Hazrat Ibrahim, so I think it is a good mix. ... It sounds very nice with the name of Hindu god Ram in it." May 26 was a day of celebration for Shah Rukh and his team KKR as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL final match which was held at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. King Khan was seen celebrating the victory with his team. SRK met the players of his team and congratulated them for winning the IPL final. In the video shared by JioCinema uncapped pacer Harshit Rana can be seen hugging the 'Jawan' actor and lifted him up with excitement. In one of the pictures shared by the official page of IPL, Shah Rukh Khan can be seen kissing Gautam Gambhir on the forehead in a heartwarming moment. After his team won the match, he hugged his wife Gauri and planted a kiss on her forehead. He also hugged Suhana Khan and AbRam. King Khan then proceeded to celebrate with people around him. KKR clinched the IPL 2024 title with a dominating all-round performance against SRH in the final. Their third title celebrations began at the same ground Chepauk where they lifted their maiden title in 2012 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir. They scripted an encore to lift their third trophy. The KKR bowlers left the Sunrisers dumbstruck to restrict the free-scoring SRH batting line-up to 113. In reply, KKR chased down in only 10.3 overs with eight wickets in hand. New Delhi: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Space X, is planning to give tough competition to Alphabet's Google and Microsoft-backed OpenAI by building a supercomputer, termed the "gigafactory of compute". The billionaire tech mogul has planned this move to support the development of his artificial intelligence startup xAI, as per reports. Elon Musk also told investors that he wants to get the proposed supercomputer running by the fall of 2025. He will also hold himself personally responsible for delivering it on time. Adding further, Musk mentioned that xAI may partner with Oracle to develop the massive computer. During a presentation to investors this month, Elon Musk said that he will connect groups of GPU chips - Nvidias flagship H100. This will make the anticipated semiconductor would be at least four times the size of the biggest GPU clusters that exist today" including those utilized by Meta for AI model training. To recall, Elon Musk said training the Grok 2 model took about 20,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, adding that the Grok 3 model and beyond will require 100,000 Nvidia H100 chips. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI has developed a Grok AI chatbot and the company will need 100,000 specialised semiconductors to train and run the next version of its conversational Al Grok reportedly. Notably, Elon Musk is one of the world's few investors with deep enough pockets to compete with OpenAI, Google or Meta on AI. The field of AI has become intensely competitive, with major players like Microsoft, Google, and Meta, and startups such as Anthropic and Stability AI vying for dominance after the debut of OpenAI's generative AI tool, ChatGPT, in 2022. To recall, Elon Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left in 2018, later saying he was uncomfortable with the profit-driven direction the company was taking under the stewardship of CEO Sam Altman. New Delhi: Chinese smartphone brand Realme has launched the Realme Narzo N65 smartphone in India. The newly launched smartphone comes in Amber Gold and Deep Green colour options. It runs the Android 14 operating system topped with the companys layer of Realme UI. The smartphone also offers an HD+ display and is powered by a MediaTek chipset. The brand claims the phone will get three years of security updates and two years of software updates. Realme Narzo N65 Storage And Price: The smartphone comes in two storage variants- 4GB+128GB and 6GB+128GB. The price of both models stands at Rs 11,499 and Rs 12,499 respectively. Realme Narzo N65 Availability And Discount Offer: The company is offering a discount of Rs 1,000 as part of the launch offer. Consumers can purchase the smartphone Amazon.in and realme.com. The first sale is slated to begin on May 31 this year. (Also Read: Airtel Best Offer: Enjoy Benefits On Five Numbers In Just One Recharge; From OTT To Free Calling, Check Details) Realme Narzo N65 Specifications: The handset comes with a 6.67-inch HD+ display with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate and up to 625 nits of peak brightness levels. It packs a dual SIM and packs 128GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 2TB by adding a microSD card. The smartphone is loaded with a 5000 mAh battery which comes with 15W fast charging support. In the camera department, the smartphone packs a 50MP main camera. For selfies and video chats, there is an 8MP camera on the front. (Also Read: Moto G04s Smartphone Launch Date Confirmed In India; Check Expected Specs And Other Features) On the security front, the IP54-rated Realme Narzo N65 smartphone is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. While the growing network of online sales is promoting business by globalising themselves, it is also creating fertile ground for illicit trade practices to flourish on. One such case has landed the feds of both the USA and UK in hot waters. The USAs Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is probing the sale of potentially stolen artefacts from the British Museum to US buyers. As per a BBC report, these ancient jewels and gems went missing from the British Museum last year and were allegedly sold to a collector in Washington DC. As per the BBC, the British Museum reports that out of around 1,500 items they think were stolen or are missing, 626 have been recovered, and another 100 have been located but not yet returned. Most of the stolen items hadn't been officially recorded, and the museum is still trying to figure out how to prove they belong to their collection. British Treasures America Connection Multiple solen items are believed to have been sold to buyers in the United States through online business channels, making the sales nearly untraceable. Following this, the FBI is actively investigating these sales, working in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police in the UK. Notable among those is a buyer in New Orleans, Tonio Birbiglia, who bought an amethyst gem and an orange scarab-beetle gem on eBay. The collector was later contacted by the FBI regarding these two pieces. However, the seller is identified as "sultan1966. This ID is further linked to Dr. Peter Higgs, a former British Museum curator. Curator Accused Of Theft At British Museum The BBC report suggests that Peter Higgs, a senior curator at the British Museum, has been accused of stealing, damaging, and selling artefacts over the past decade. The museum alleges he stole items worth approximately 100,000, mainly from its storerooms, and sold them to at least 45 buyers on eBay. However, Higgs denies these allegations and is defending himself in a civil lawsuit. Israels fresh strike in Gaza on Sunday claimed the lives of 35 people and left dozens injured, according to CNN, citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. As per the ministrys statement, the majority of those killed and injured are women and children. The airstrike struck a refugee camp, according to officials from Gaza and the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Social media videos depicted a significant fire, with paramedics and firefighters striving to handle the aftermath. The targeted area included a sizable container serving as a shelter for numerous families, surrounded by numerous tents. In an earlier statement, the ministry said, "There is no hospital in Rafah with enough capacity to take this number of killed and injured, causing confusion among ambulance teams on where to transfer them." According to a CNN report, Gaza's government office stated that the Israeli army had marked these areas as safe zones, urging citizens and displaced individuals to seek shelter there. However, when displaced people sought refuge in these areas, they reportedly came under attack. In a post on X, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) stated, "An IDF aircraft struck a Hamas compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating a short while ago. The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law through the use of precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area. The IDF is aware of reports indicating that, as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review." As per the IDF, those killed in the airstrike include the Hamas Chief of Staff in Judea and Samaria, along with another senior Hamas official. According to the Israeli health ministry, CNN reported that the airstrike was detected after sirens were activated in Tel Aviv and certain areas of central Israel on Sunday following rocket fire directed at the city. Since January of last year, there have not been any rocket launches in the city. (Based on inputs from ANI) China has been holding military exercises around Taiwan. It has also entered into skirmishes with India on multiple occasions. China's People's Liberation Army recently carried out a two-day large-scale military exercise surrounding Taiwan. During a recent joint military exercise with Cambodia, the PLA displayed the capabilities of its robotic dog which has been equipped to handle and shoot using high-end guns. The video of the robotic dog participating in the military drill has gone viral on social media. Chinese state media Global Times reported that the technical sophistication of the intelligent equipment shows that it can greatly enhance combat efficiency and reduce casualties. As per reports, countries like China, America, and other developed countries are working to develop human like robots that can be deployed in wars. Chinese Robot Dog Soldier The robotic dog weighs 15 kilograms and is equipped with a 4D super-wide-angle sensing system. As per the reports, the robotic dog has a battery and power system that allows it to operate for two to four hours. It can also perform manoeuvres such as forward and backward movement, jumping, crouching, and independently arranging movement routes to avoid obstacles to close in on its target in less time. It's operated using a remote control and sends data to the command centre in real-time. Chinese PLA armed robot dogs demonstrate their capabilities in military exercises in Cambodia. https://t.co/SMU9ScixAP pic.twitter.com/OKeTwMDdlx Clash Report (@clashreport) May 26, 2024 During the recent drill, the robot was using QBZ-95 assault rifle. As per Chinese media reports, another bigger version of the robot dog weighs more than 50 kilograms and can conduct armed assault missions. The Global Time said, "The drills show that the PLA has been intensively testing multiple types of robot dogs in terms of technologies and tactics....Capable of accompanying troops in high-risk tasks, robot dogs can greatly enhance combat efficiency and reduce casualty." Chinese PLA soldier walking with his armed robot dog. pic.twitter.com/KPsA2oL1eT Clash Report (@clashreport) May 23, 2024 The world is already witnessing the extensive use of explosive drones by Ukraine against Russia. The drones are so lethal that it doesn't give time to soldiers or tanks to escape. Where Does the Indian Army Stand? Countries across the globe are increasingly using modern warfare equipment including drones and robots. The Indian Army is still behind China or the United States in this. At present, the Indian Army has been spotted only with the reconnaissance robotic dogs. However, as per reports, the army is looking to procure or develop AI-enabled tactical combat robots also called a tactical Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle (UGCV), similar to one being used by China. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. Azerbaijan is embarking on ambitious initiatives in the energy transition, Deputy Energy Minister of Azerbaijan Samir Valiyev said during the Education in the Green Growth Agenda conference in Baku, Trend reports. "Azerbaijan faces significant goals and challenges in the energy transition sector. Historically reliant on oil and gas exports due to abundant resources, the country actively participates in international efforts to combat climate change and reduce emissions. As part of this commitment, Azerbaijan has set voluntary targets and designated 'green days' to facilitate a shift towards sustainable development," he highlighted. The deputy minister mentioned ongoing considerations for implementing projects involving 1,870 MW of renewable energy sources integrated into the power grid by 2027. "Simultaneously, Azerbaijan holds considerable potential for offshore wind energy, with plans to export generated power to European nations. ACWA Power is set to launch a $300 million wind farm project, 'Khizi-Absheron,' with a capacity of 240 MW. Furthermore, Masdar, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, has already commissioned a 230 MW solar energy system, operational since October 2023, and intends to initiate three additional renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 1,000 MW (or 1 GW) in the near future," he added. To note, Masdar, established in 2006, is one of the world's largest renewable energy companies, having executed projects in over 40 countries with a total capacity exceeding 20 GW. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, May 27. Georgia supports new projects for the transportation of Turkmen gas through its territory to Turkiye and is ready to assist in them, Trend reports. According to an official source, Georgian Ambassador to Ashgabat Konstantine Sabiashvili wrote about this in an article dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of his country's independence. According to him, Turkmenistan has been and remains a reliable partner in the energy sector, and Georgia hopes that the existing relations will develop in new directions. "The Georgian side supports and expresses its readiness to actively assist new projects for the transportation of Turkmen gas through Georgia to Turkiye and further westward through the pipelines of the Southern Gas Corridor, including green energy," the Ambassador noted. Meanwhile, the Turkmengaz State Concern estimates the nation's hydrocarbon resources at over 71 billion tons of oil equivalent. This volume includes more than 20 billion tons of oil and more than 50 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is participating in COP29 preparations to contribute to its successful outcome, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Teresa Czerwinska said in an exclusive interview with Trend. "As EU Climate Bank, EIB is one of the largest providers of climate finance, supporting climate change mitigation projects such as green energy and green transport as well as climate change adaptation projects. Together with the group of multilateral development banks, we are participating in COP29 preparations to contribute to a successful outcome of the climate summit in November 2024. These aspects were discussed by EIB President Nadia Calvino and COP29 President Designate, Minister Mukhtar Babayev in Washington DC in April this year," she said. Czerwinska noted that EIB is dedicated to promoting flagship initiatives of the Economic Investment Plan such as improving access to finance for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with special attention to young entrepreneurs, women in business, and rural development. "Our MSME Outreach Initiative for the Southern Caucasus will help create or sustain approximately 26 500 jobs in the region, fostering private sector-driven growth and social inclusion. As part of the initiative, we recently signed a 10 million loan agreement with Bank Respublika to provide funding for MSMEs at favourable loan conditions, including longer term funding," she added. The Vice-President pointed out that in addition to financing, EIB Global provides advisory support and technical assistance for project preparation and implementation. "Currently, we are providing advisory support for safety enhancements at level-crossings along the Baku - Boyuk Kesik Railway Corridor, an important TEN-T link in the Middle Corridor. This support is helping Azerbaijan Railways in analysing and prioritising interventions and in scoping the related design studies. The EIB provides this support under the Facility for Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity (EPIC). Funded by the European Union and managed by our advisory programme JASPERS, EPIC offers Eastern partnership countries free advisory support and technical assistance to improve transport connections," said Czerwinska. Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,00080,000 foreign guests. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The parties to the convention are 198 countries. Unless the parties have decided otherwise, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The Azerbaijani government has allocated 940 hectares of public land in Jabrayil district, part of the East Zangezur economic zone, for the building of the 240 MW Shafag solar power project (SPP), Trend reports, referring to the resolution signed by Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov. The area is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture and Ecology of the Cabinet of Ministers, which is responsible for overseeing the renewable energy sources (RES) zone designation. As explained to Trend by bp (through its Lightsource bp subsidiary, the project operator), the final investment decision on the Shafag solar power plant is anticipated by the end of 2024. This decision will clarify the SPP's cost by reviewing contractor proposals for solar panels, equipment, and servicing. Following this, a decision will be made regarding the involvement of Socar (the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic) and Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC) in the project in terms of shares and costs. Until then, bp will cover all expenses for the Shafag project independently. To note, construction of the solar energy system is slated to commence this year. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The first-ever EU rules to curb methane emissions from the energy sector in Europe and globally have become law today, Trend reports via the European Commission. This milestone marks another step in implementing the European Green Deal and REPowerEU, underscoring Europes commitment to tackling harmful emissions both domestically and internationally. The new regulation mandates that the fossil gas, oil, and coal industries in Europe measure, monitor, report, and verify their methane emissions according to the highest standards. It requires EU operators to eliminate avoidable and routine flaring, limiting flaring and venting to emergencies, technical malfunctions, or safety-related situations. Given that Europe imports a significant portion of its fossil energy, the regulation also aims to reduce methane emissions from imported fossil fuels. Over time, it will introduce more stringent requirements to ensure exporters gradually adopt the same monitoring, reporting, and verification standards as EU operators. The new rules mandate the Commission to establish a global methane emitter monitoring tool, utilizing satellite data to provide information on the magnitude, occurrence, and location of high methane-emitting sources within and outside the EU. Additionally, the Commission will create a rapid alert mechanism for "super-emitting" eventsincidents where facilities, equipment, or infrastructure emit exceptionally high levels of methane. This mechanism will serve as an early warning system, detecting super-emitting events and alerting the relevant EU or non-EU authorities to take prompt action to mitigate or prevent them. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. A memorandum of cooperation was signed between the State Agency for Renewable Energy Sources under the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan (BOEMDA) and the human development platform SMARTNATION within the "Year of Solidarity for a Green World" on May 27, Trend reports. The document was signed by BOEMDA director Javid Abdullayev and founder of the human development platform "SMARTNATION," a member of the COP29 organizing committee Shabnam Mammadova. The paper states that the parties will work together to combat climate change, promote green growth, and increase public awareness of the need to safeguard the environment. "The memorandum of cooperation calls for supporting "Made in Azerbaijan" brand, green technology, product, and service production and use," the information noted. 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. The COPthe Conference of the Partiesis the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. 198 countries 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. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 27. KazMunayGas (Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company) has extended the current agreement for the supply of Kazakh oil (from Karachaganak Petroleum Operating Resources) to Germany (Schwedt refinery) until the end of 2024, Trend reports. According to the KMG, the volume of oil transportation is 100,000 tons monthly. To note, from January through April 2024, Transneft PJSC transported 420,000 tons of Kazakh oil through its trunk oil pipeline system to the Adamova Zastava oil delivery point for export to Germany. This value is 330,000 tons, or more than four times more than in the same period last year. At the same time, KazTransOil plans to transport 120,000 tons of Kazakh oil to Germany in May 2024. In addition, KazTransOil also plans to transport 993,000 tons of Kazakh oil to Germany in total in 2024. Russian and Kazakh authorities inked a relevant agreement on June 7, 2002, and it governs the current transit. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 27. KazMunayGas (KMG), Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company, plans to conduct deep drilling at 5,500 meters in the Torgai Paleozoic area in the Kyzylorda region and drill a well in the Abai area of the Caspian Sea, Chairman of the Management Board of the company Askhat Khassenov announced at a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Trend reports via Akorda. Khassenov provided an update on the company's financial and operational performance for the first quarter of 2024 during the meeting. When compared to the same time last year, KMG showed improvement in the majority of critical metrics. He also updated on major investment projects, including the construction of a hybrid power plant in Zhanaozen city, a polyethylene plant with a capacity of 1.25 million tons in the Atyrau region, the development of a petrochemical cluster, and the development of the Kalamkas-sea, Khazar, and Auezov fields in the Caspian Sea. He mentioned the gas fields launched in 2023 and ongoing geological exploration to replenish reserves and maintain oil production levels. Additionally, Khassenov discussed social projects and the company's participation in flood control measures. Meanwhile, the volume of sales of KazMunayGas' own-produced oil and gas condensate in 1Q2024 amounted to 6.124 million tons. This marked an increase of 3.2 percent compared to the same period last year. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 27. Kyrgyzstan's parliament has approved in its first reading a bill that will allow the development of uranium and thorium deposits in the country, Trend reports. According to the Kyrgyz parliament, this bill, initiated by the Chairman of the Cabinet of the Ministers, proposes to repeal the law of December 14, 2019, which prohibits activities related to the geological exploration of subsoil for the purpose of searching, exploring, and developing uranium and thorium deposits. The Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, Melis Turgunbaev, presented the project and pointed out that the main goal is not the extraction of uranium and thorium but other valuable minerals like titanium magnetite, using state-owned companies. To note, there are two deposits in Kyrgyzstan: Kyzyl-Ompol and Tash-Bulak, containing 3.5 tons of uranium and 10,000 tons of thorium. According to Turgunbaev, the development of the Kyzyl-Ompol deposit could create at least 1,000 jobs and generate approximately $150 million in tax and non-tax revenues for the budget. The minister also emphasized that if environmental regulations are violated, those responsible will be held accountable according to the law. New rail links enable convenient regional commutes 08:13, May 27, 2024 By Qiu Quanlin ( Chinadaily.com.cn A staff member welcomes passengers for the intercity railway at Machong Station in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong province, May 26, 2024. (Photo/Xinhua) Two new intercity railways linking the cities of Guangzhou, Foshan and Dongguan in Guangdong province were put into use on Sunday, redefining regional travel with their unique subway-style operation and enabling flexible commutes between key cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Guangzhou-Foshan South Ring and the Foshan-Dongguan intercity railways, which connect with the already operational Dongguan-Huizhou and Foshan-Zhaoqing intercity railways, form a 258-kilometer railway corridor that serves as a vital east-west artery in the Greater Bay Area. Trains can run at a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour, with more direct trains and shorter travel times, according to the Guangzhou Metro Group, which operates the lines. Lin Feiming, Party chief of the Guangdong Department of Transport, said, "In addition to increasing the happiness of visitors in their travels, the improved connectivity will enhance regional coordinated development, playing a crucial role in strengthening the core engine function of the Greater Bay Area as a bridge between different areas." Also, better connectivity supports the implementation of the provincial strategic project to facilitate coordinated development between urban and rural areas, Lin said. Starting from Panyu Station in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, passengers can arrive in Foshan or Dongguan within 30 minutes, and can reach Zhaoqing or Huizhou in just one hour. The minimum fare between Guangzhou and Zhaoqing, and from Guangzhou to Huizhou intercity stations, is five yuan (69 US cents), with a maximum one-way fare of 153 yuan. A multipayment system has been introduced, by which passengers can either buy tickets in advance on the 12306 ticket-booking platform, which is the usual practice for most passengers, or board the trains directly by scanning their regular bus or subway payment QR code or swiping transportation cards. "It is so convenient to board the intercity train now, with just scanning the payment QR code of my digital transportation card, just like taking a subway," said Wang Xuelin, a 38-year-old woman who was going back to Huizhou from Guangzhou with her child on Sunday. For Wang, it will take less than two hours by the intercity railway to travel from Panyu Station in Guangzhou to Xiaojinkou Station, the final stop in Huizhou. "I will travel frequently between the two cities now" because of the convenient new link, she said. Some netizens called the new intercity railway links "the subway of the Greater Bay Area". Furthermore, passengers can enjoy better service and smoother transfers inside stations. For example, at Panyu Station and several subway stations in Guangzhou, specialty products including food are available so that passengers can buy in a "one-stop" manner. With the operation of the four lines, multiple stations have implemented mutual security recognition with national railway stations, facilitating convenient and smoother transfers. There are a total of seven stations along the intercity lines where passengers can transfer to national railway lines and to subway lines, according to the intercity railway operator. Among them, passengers can transfer to the national railway at Foshan West Station and Dongguan West Station through convenient transfer passage, without the need for secondary security checks. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Wu Chaolan) BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 27. Russian Ural Airlines has resumed flights from Sochi to Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek, Trend reports. According to Sochi International Airport, the first flight departed with 112 passengers on board. Flights from Sochi on Airbus A320 aircraft will depart every Saturday at 9:30 a.m., arriving in Bishkek at 4:25 p.m. local time. The flight duration is 3 hours and 55 minutes. The return flight departs from Bishkek on Saturdays at 5:40 p.m., arriving in Sochi at 7:10 p.m. local time. The flight duration is 4 hours and 30 minutes. Ural Airlines is the only carrier on this route, successfully operating since 2021. Over the past years, more than 25,000 passengers have been transported. It is noted that the airline plans to continue these flights until October. Ural Airlines is a Russian passenger airline that operates both regular and charter flights domestically and internationally. Its headquarters are in Yekaterinburg. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, May 27. Chinese investments in the Tajik economy have totaled $3.8 billion in the past decade, Trend reports. This information was revealed during a meeting between Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as reported by the Tajik president's press service. During the meeting, it was emphasized that China is one of Tajikistan's largest partners in the trade, economic, and investment sectors. The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in various industries, particularly mining, transportation, energy, and agriculture. The Tajik side expressed a strong interest in active collaboration with China on joint projects related to the "green" and digital economies, artificial intelligence, and establishing green technology-based production in Tajikistan. The conversation also covered potential cooperation in cultural and humanitarian fields. To note, China is Tajikistan's second-largest trading partner and has a significant share of investments in the national economy sectors. In 2023, Tajikistan's foreign trade volume with China amounted to $1.5 billion, which is 24.2 percent higher compared to 2022. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, May 27. Delegations from Tajikistan and South Korea discussed the results of the first stage of studying the possibilities of building a metro in Dushanbe, Trend reports. According to the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan, an expanded meeting of delegations of specialists and companies' representatives from Tajikistan and South Korea was held under the leadership of the Minister of Transport of Tajikistan, Azim Ibrohim. Representatives from the Korean National Railway Company noted that Dushanbe, with a population of over 1.2 million people, is in urgent need of such safe and environmentally friendly transportation routes. They proposed building an underground metro using the Light Rail Transit system. At the same time, both parties expressed interest in continuing to the next stage of the metro construction project in the city. On March 14, 2022, a memorandum of understanding on studying the possibilities of metro construction in Dushanbe was signed online between the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan and the Korean National Railway. Based on this document, specialists from both countries analyzed and studied the organizational and legal aspects of metro construction in Dushanbe for 11 months. On August 22, 2023, the Ministry of Transport signed a memorandum of understanding with the Export-Import Bank of South Korea for financing the preliminary study and technical-economic justification of the project. It was also agreed to finance the detailed project development. To note, a permanent working group consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan, the executive body of state power of the city of Dushanbe, and the Korean National Railway was previously established to timely discuss metro construction issues. Within the framework of the working group, 17 meetings have already been held, including the current one. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, May 27. Turkmenistan to get acquainted with the new developments of Austrian companies, Trend reports. This was announced by the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Turkmenistan, Batyr Atdaev, at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers. According to him, Turkmenistan is preparing for the next, 12th meeting of the Joint Turkmen-Austrian Commission and within its framework a business meeting scheduled for June 4-5 this year. "The agenda of the meeting includes issues of further development of interstate relations in such areas as innovative technologies in industry, energy, renewable energy sources, environmental projects, waste management, construction, transport infrastructure, services, healthcare, pharmaceutical industry, agriculture and processing of agricultural products. Joint documents are also expected to be signed," he said. Furthermore, Atdaev added that during the business meeting, presentations of developments by Austrian equipment manufacturers will be presented, as well as prospects for increasing cooperation in a number of areas, identifying new vectors of fruitful partnership will be discussed. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan and Austria continue to strengthen their trade relations, maintaining stable and mutually beneficial trade turnover, since the amount of trade transactions between the two countries from the beginning of 2018 through the end of 2023 amounted to more than 132.9 million euros. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 27. The volume of natural gas production in Uzbekistan amounted to 15.2 billion cubic meters from January through April 2024, Trend reports. According to the data from Uzbekistan's Statistics Agency, this figure represents a decrease of 6.1 percent year-on-year (16.2 billion cubic meters in JanuaryApril 2023). At the same time, the volume of produced gas condensate reached 432,700 tons from January through April 2024. This indicator is 2.2 percent higher than the same period last year (423,100 tons in JanuaryApril 2023). Meanwhile, Uzbekistans trade turnover of natural and artificial gas reached $515.1 million from January through April 2024. This figure shows a hike of 137.3 percent versus the same period last year ($217 million in JanuaryApril 2023). Uzbekistans exports amounted to $52.3 million from January through April 2024, which is 55.6 percent less than the same period last year ($117.9 million in JanuaryApril 2023). The imports of natural and artificial gas totaled $462.8 million during this period. This indicator has increased by 202.2 percent year-on-year ($153.1 million in JanuaryApril 2023). TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 27. The Polish Glinik Drilling Tools company plans to implement an investment project on the production of drilling equipment for the mining industry in Uzbekistan, Trend reports. The matter was discussed at a meeting between Ambassador of Uzbekistan Amirsaid Agzamkhodjaev and the president of Glinik Company, Wojciech Tomkiewicz. The head of the Polish company noted that he is ready to open a joint venture in Uzbekistan. As a result of the meeting, the sides reached agreements on working out the issue of opening a joint venture with representatives of Uzbekistans Ministry of Mining and Geology, Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company, and Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine, as well as organizing a visit of the company's delegation to Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Uzbekneftegaz (Uzbekistan's oil and gas company) and Russia's Gazprom launched a drilling control center. The creation of centralized organizational and digital management allows the company to reduce the duration of drilling wells by 45 percent and reduce the cost of their construction by 3 percent. It will be possible to save from 4 billion soums to 10 billion soums (from $316,702 to $791,756) on the construction of each well. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 27. The portfolio of Uzbekistan's and Russia's joint projects has amounted to $45 billion, Trend reports. This was revealed during a meeting between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin. Uzbekistan's president emphasized that the Russian president is making one of his first foreign trips to Uzbekistan after his re-election. During the meeting, the sides discussed further development and deepening of Uzbek-Russian relations of comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance. Both officials noted the growing dynamics of trade and economic cooperation. The volumes of trade turnover and Russian investments in Uzbekistan are growing, and industrial cooperation is developing. The sides reached an agreement to establish Joint Investment Platform to support joint projects by leading enterprises. The presidents stated the importance of further development of inter-regional cooperation. Both leaders also talked about the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in energy, including nuclear energy, agriculture, innovations, migration, security and other spheres. During the visit the Program of Cultural Cooperation will be adopted. Uzbekistan's president with Russian president paid attention to cooperation in the field of education and training of engineering personnel. They reached agreements to open branches of the Bauman Moscow Technical University and the All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade in Uzbekistan. The heads of states also exchanged views on issues of regional and international agenda of mutual interest. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 27. Russia is ready to increase the volume of gas supplies to Uzbekistan, President of Russia Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Trend reports. Now that gas exports are running ahead of schedule, we can raise the amount of gas sent to Uzbekistan, the president of Russia said. Meanwhile, according to Kazakh Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev, Russia's gas supplies to Uzbekistan are planned to quadruple in 2026up to 11 billion cubic meters per year. "Last year, with the participation of the president of the state, the transit of Russian gas in the amount of up to 3 billion cubic meters per year was initiated through our country's territory to Uzbekistan," Kazakh Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev said at a board meeting of the Energy Ministry. Furthermore, Uzbekistan planned to increase imports of Russian gas from the current 9 million to 32 million cubic meters per day (11.68 billion cubic meters per year). As part of the investment program for gasification of Uzbekistan worth $500 million, Russia's Gazprombank loans will be used to modernize 511 km of gas trunk pipelines and 10 gas pumping stations. On October 7, 2023, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave a start to the transit of Russian natural gas through the territory of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan. Gas transit is carried out through the Central Asia-Center gas trunkline. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 27. Uzbekistan and Russia will launch a joint investment platform, Trend reports. This was announced during a meeting between the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, in an extended format with the participation of official delegations of the two countries. The platform will promote new industrial cooperation projects in energy, metallurgy, petrochemicals, machine building, mining, agriculture, logistics, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and many other areas worth over $20 billion. Meanwhile, according to the Uzbek president's office, the country expects to utilize $5 billion of Russian investments in 2024. At the same time, Uzbekistans trade turnover volume with Russia amounted to $3.8 billion from January through April 2024. This figure has increased by 31 percent compared to the same period last year ($2.9 billion in JanuaryApril 2023). Russia is Uzbekistan's second-largest foreign trade partner. The country accounts for 18.4 percent of Uzbekistan's trade turnover. Furthermore, Uzbekistan and Russia agreed to increase trade turnover volume to $30 billion in the near future. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 27. Russian investments in Uzbekistan have already reached almost $10 billion, President of Russia Vladimir Putin said, Trend reports. He spoke during a meeting with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in extended format with the participation of official delegations of the two countries. Favorable conditions for direct investments are being created, and direct Russian investments in Uzbekistan are increasing every year. Now they have already reached a solid figure of almost $10 billion. I am convinced that if all our plans are realized, and I have no doubts about it, these direct investments will increase substantially and will contribute to the development of Uzbekistan's economy," the president of Russia noted. At the same time, Uzbekistan and Russia agreed on launching a joint investment platform. The platform will promote new industrial cooperation projects in energy, metallurgy, petrochemicals, machine building, mining, agriculture, logistics, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and many other areas worth over $20 billion. Meanwhile, according to Uzbek president's office, the country expects to utilize $5 billion of Russian investments in 2024, which is more by 66.6 percent year-on-year ($3 billion investments in 2023). TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 27. Uzbekistan and Russia signed an agreement for the design, supply, and construction of a low-capacity nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, Trend reports. The document was signed within the framework of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Russia's Rosatom (State Atomic Energy Corporation), in addition to a two-block nuclear power plant with a total capacity of 2.4 GW, will build up to 6 low-power nuclear power plant units of 55 MW each in Uzbekistan. The first nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan is scheduled to be put into operation in 2033; its construction is estimated at $11 billion. Earlier in 2017, Russia and Uzbekistan concluded an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy. In 2018, an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the construction of a Russian-designed nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan consisting of two power units with a capacity of 1.2 GW each with VVER-1200 reactors was signed. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 27. Uzbekistan and Russia signed 27 documents during the state visit of the President of Russia to Uzbekistan, Trend reports. Specifically, the following documents were signed: 1. Joint statement by President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev 2. Agreement between Russia and Uzbekistan on rendering technical assistance to Uzbekistan in the field of metrology . Plan of joint actions to expand industrial cooperation in order to increase trade turnover between Russia and Uzbekistan 4. Plan of joint actions to expand interaction in priority areas of cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan 5. Agreements between Russia and Uzbekistan on cooperation in joint film production 6. Agreement between Russia and Uzbekistan on cooperation in the field of ensuring sanitary and epidemiological well-being of population 7. Protocol on amendments to the agreement between Russia and Uzbekistan on cooperation in the field of fisheries (signed on November 17, 2021). 8. Protocol on amendments to the agreement between Russia and Uzbekistan on cooperation in the construction of a nuclear power plant on the territory of Uzbekistan dated September 7, 2018 9. Design contract for the supply and construction of a Low Capacity Nuclear Power Plant in Uzbekistan 10. Agreement between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan on joint competitions in the field of scientific research 11. Agreement between the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia and the Agency for Plant Quarantine and Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan on digital cooperation in the field of plant quarantine. 12. Plan of main directions of activity of the working group on increasing trade turnover between Russia and Uzbekistan for 20242030 years. 13. Memorandum between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of Uzbekistan on the establishment of a branch of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University (National Research University) in Uzbekistan. 14. Program of cooperation to increase tourist flow between Russia and Uzbekistan for 20252026. 15. Program of cooperation in the field of culture between the Ministry of Culture of Russia and the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan for 20242026. 16. Plan of practical measures (road map) on development of cooperation in the field of plant quarantine and plant protection between Russia and Uzbekistan for 20242025. 17. Protocol of Intentions between the Ministry of Health of Russia and the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan on issues of health care organization 18. Protocol of Intentions between the Ministry of Health of Russia and the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan in the field of regulation of medicines for medical use, medical devices and high-tech methods of treatment on the territory of Russia and Uzbekistan 19. Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in the field of transport machine building between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia and the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan. 20. Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia and the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan on the exchange of experience in the formation and development of the aviation systems industry, as well as the study of the legal basis for their application to improve the efficiency of socio-economic development 21. Agreement on opening a branch of the All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade 22. Agreement between Sberbank (Russia) and the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan on mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of tourism 23. Plan of practical measures for implementation of pilot projects of Sberbank (Russia) in Tashkent 24. Roadmap for expanding cooperation between Gazprom and the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan 25. Agreement on comprehensive support of priority projects in Uzbekistan with VEB.RF 26. Agreement on implementation of projects for development of agro-logistic centers in Uzbekistan with VEB.RF 27. Agreement on organization of production of chemical products in Uzbekistan with Rosatom BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The process of exchanging messages on the nuclear issue and lifting sanctions continues between Iran and the United States, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanani said during a press conference in Tehran on May 27, Trend reports. According to him, the indirect negotiations between Iran and the US are aimed at the issues of Iran's nuclear program and lifting sanctions, and they have never left this framework. Kanani noted that media reports by some Western countries about the termination of indirect discussions between Iran and the US do not reflect reality. The spokesperson also stated that reports about Iran's negotiating a council change are not true. Iran's negotiating council continues its work. Additionally, it should be noted that after the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and the people who were with them at the time of the helicopter crash, there were reports of the termination of indirect negotiations between Iran and the US, as well as changes in Iran's negotiating team on policy issues. In mid-May, indirect negotiations between the US and Iran were held in Oman. The talks discussed the possible consequences of Iran's activities and its proxy forces in the region, as well as the US concern over Tehran's nuclear program. To note, the US imposed new sanctions on Iran in November 2018 over Iran's nuclear program. Over the past period, the sanctions have affected Iranian oil exports and more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions led to the freezing of Iran's assets abroad. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. Iran's strategy in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is constructive, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanani said during a press conference in Tehran on May 27, Trend reports. According to him, the visit of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to Tehran and the holding of negotiations are a continuation of Iran's strategy of constructive understanding with the IAEA towards overcoming unknown issues and developing cooperation. Iran has always stated that the IAEA should focus on Iran's nuclear issue as part of its professional strategy. Political strategies and the intervention of some players in this issue cannot contribute to the development of cooperation between Iran and the IAEA. It is expected that other players will pay attention to Iran's constructive strategy, he noted. Meanwhile, the 3-day 1st International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology kicked off May 68 in Iran's Isfahan. The conference was attended by high-ranking Iranian officials. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi also visited Iran to attend the conference. To note, in March last year (2023), an agreement was reached between Iran and the IAEA, and a statement on the agreement was made. According to the agreement, Iran's cooperation with the IAEA is within the framework of the Convention on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and safeguards, and the parties are to cooperate on allegations of the existence of enriched uranium substances in connection with Iran's nuclear program. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. Protests have resumed in Armenia, Trend reports. Supporters of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan try to block the main central streets and avenues. Police are detaining the participants of the rally. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili addressed the diplomatic corps, opposition leaders and supporters at her residence in Tbilisi in honor of the republic's Independence Day. She presented her plan to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary elections in October, calling it the "Georgian Charter", Trend reports. Zurabishvili invited the leaders of pro-Western and pro-European parties to sign this charter and join forces to win the elections. She stressed that preparations for the elections must be peaceful. "This is not the time for infighting between opposition parties and political ambitions. Therefore, I decided to present an action plan - the Georgian Charter, around which I propose to unite pro-European political parties," she said. The President of Georgia noted that the upcoming elections will be a referendum between the European and Russian future of Georgia. Zurabishvili's plan calls for early parliamentary elections that will be truly "free and fair" after the victory of the opposition forces in the elections in October BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The riots in New Caledonia have become one of the most challenging crises of Macron's presidency, Correspondent at large for The Sunday Times Matthew Campbell said, Trend reports. According to Campbell, France's violent colonial history strongly influences its current politics. The article's author emphasizes Paris's search for a scapegoat for the failure of its policies, which triggered widespread protests in New Caledonia. "France has accused external forces of exploiting old colonial grievances to fuel unrest in a territory spanning 140 islands and inhabited by 270,000 people," the author notes, mentioning Paris's claims of identifying social media posts with the hashtag EndFrenchColonialism, allegedly originating from users in Azerbaijan. Referring to a French diplomatic source, Campbell highlights the significant importance of the overseas territory to Paris. "New Caledonia boasts a quarter of the world's nickel reserves, crucial for battery production in hybrid cars as well as in coins, armor, and turbine blades," the article states. The correspondent remarks on the recent visit of the French president to New Caledonia, noting that before departing 12 hours after meetings with both French loyalists and pro-independence supporters, Macron consented to delay voting reform that would grant recent arrivals the right to vote. The anticipated reform scheduled for a special session of the French Congress in Versailles in the coming days sparked the protests. Kanaks, constituting 40 percent of the population and eligible to vote in French and European elections, feared that extending voting rights to immigrants would dilute the voting influence of natives and pose obstacles on the path to independence, he says. Approaching the conflict from a historical perspective, Campbell emphasized that the roots of the conflict go deep. In the early 19th century, he said, the area attracted only whalers and slave traders, and local Kanaks were kidnapped or captured. Presently, the territory faces deeper divisions than ever before, with the Kanaks advocating for a second vote in pursuit of secession from France, while the Caldoche (French-speaking people of European descent) desire to maintain ties with France, the article also said. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. France continues to actively arm Armenia, Trend reports, referring to the Forces Operations Blog (FOB), a French defense media website. According to the information, Armenia is expected to receive more than 20 French ACMAT Bastion armored vehicles this summer. "More than 20 Bastion armored vehicles have been exported to Armenia as part of a defense cooperation agreement between Armenia and France. This shipment marks the first phase of the contract, with a second batch of similar size expected to be delivered this summer," FOB says. The ACMAT Bastion was initially designed for deployment by French troops in the country's former African colonies. Last November, French media reported plans to provide these armored vehicles to Ukraine free of charge, but the Ukrainian government declined the offer due to concerns over the equipment's suitability. Subsequently, Paris opted to sell the armored vehicles to Armenia as a means to dispose of them. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. French authorities are lifting the state of emergency in New Caledonia, declared on May 15 following the protests, the office of the High Commissioner of New Caledonia said, Trend reports. The decision to lift the state of emergency was made due to the stabilization of the situation. The state of emergency is lifted effective May 28, 5:00 local time, while the curfew will still be in effect. Additionally, law enforcement will maintain a state of heightened readiness. To note, protests recently occurred in New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the Pacific Ocean, highlighting issues such as social unrest, unemployment, and discrimination. A clash between protesters and police resulted in the deaths of two police officers and three protesters. Despite being located 16,000 kilometers away from France in the Pacific Ocean near the Australian continent, New Caledonia remains a French colony and is subject to exploitation, leading to protests from the local population. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the next few months will be decisive for Georgia's accession to the European Union, the US State Department said, Trend reports. According to the information, Blinken congratulated the Georgian people on the occasion of Independence Day and noted the importance of the last twelve months for the people of Georgia, including Georgias historic achievement of European Union candidate status. "The next several months will be pivotal in seeing this opportunity become real," US Secretary of State stressed. He added that The United States will continue to strongly support the aspirations of the Georgian people for a Euro-Atlantic future. and called on the Georgian leadership "to take the steps necessary to move Georgia forward in the right direction". A dispute erupted between Dominican actress Massiel Taveras and a security guard at the Cannes Film Festival because the latter was preventing photographers from taking a picture of the black star. She prevented the actress from unwrapping her dress with a long train depicting Jesus Christ. ADVERTISIMENT This situation angered the Dominican, so she first cursed at the guard and then pushed her. The footage that spread online shows Taveras ignoring any instructions from the film festival worker and barely untangling the long train of her dress and throwing it down the stairs. At first, several employees tried to help the actress "disassemble" the dress, and she, in turn, raised her arms to attract the attention of fans. However, the arm of one of the employees, which was outstretched to the side and did not allow the actress to be photographed properly, made the Dominican very angry, and she threw the train down in frustration. ADVERTISIMENT This was the reason why Taveras pushed the worker away from her and wagged her finger as if trying to intimidate her. "The magnificent image of the living Christ is about 15 meters long, it has about 10 thousand Swarovski crystals and a crown of kilometer-long art, the basic dress of black siberian blue completes the masterpiece," Taveras posted on Instagram. ADVERTISIMENT This image was conceived specifically for the screening of El Cristo in Cannes. It is worth noting that a few days ago at the festival, the same security guard was scolded by black actress Kelly Rowland for the same actions. At that time, the employee was suspected of racism, but her colleagues stood up for the woman and said that she was just doing her job. Her task was allegedly to stimulate the actors to move faster on the red carpet so as not to create a crowd, the Daily Mail reports. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! It's probably no secret that the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, has a warm relationship with his wife Olena, who has been married to him for over 20 years. Many Ukrainians are touched by the romantic nature of the "iron man", and a new selfie with his beloved is proof of this. ADVERTISIMENT In the latest photo, which has more than 43 thousand likes on Facebook, the couple looks happy. The retired general's subscribers pelted him with compliments in the comments. Therefore, OBOZ.UA decided to recall other photos of the Zaluzhnyis family, which show that true love is timeless. As the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine previously wrote, his wife is the closest person to him. So, on her birthday, Zaluzhnyi wrote a post where he talked about his crazy love, which has already withstood more than 20 years of marriage. ADVERTISIMENT "I can't imagine how much patience, courage, and wisdom it takes to be there for me. Even when I didn't believe in myself, you believed in me and supported me. All I have and all I have achieved is you. Thank you for the air, for the heartbeat, and for the dreams that come true. Happy birthday, my love," he wrote. Not much is known about the "iron general's" chosen one. Before the full-scale war of the Russian Federation, she worked as a financier in a bank, but there is no information on whether she kept her job. Olena and her husband used to go on hiking trips around Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT The couple is raising two children: Khrystyna and Arina. The older one is a soldier in the Kyiv garrison, and the younger one plans to become a doctor and is studying in Odesa at a medical institute. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Johnny Vector, an actor in the films General Hospital, Siberia, and USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, was found shot dead in the middle of the street in Los Angeles, USA. The 37-year-old man was robbed around 3:30 am on May 26. ADVERTISIMENT The actor's mother, Scarlet, told TMZ that he was with a colleague at the time and noticed three people hanging around his car. According to the woman, her son did not get into a fight and did not even try to stop the robbers, but he was shot anyway. It is known that paramedics immediately arrived at the scene, but the actor's life could not be saved. The police did not provide any description of the killers, but the media speculated that the robbers were trying to steal the catalytic converter, as a similar incident was reported at the same time. Later, the actor's mother told ABC7 that at first her son thought his car was being towed and approached the man to find out why. Then the suspect looked up and opened fire. At the time, the robber was wearing a mask. ADVERTISIMENT "Not just a talented actor who was dedicated to his work, but also a real moral example for everyone who knew him. He stood for hard work, perseverance and never gave up. In the ups and downs of a difficult profession, he always kept his chin up and continued to strive for the best," his agent David Schaul described the deceased in a conversation with People. Johnny Vactor is best known for his role as Brando Corbin, the husband of drug addict Sasha Corbin, on the 61-season series General Hospital. The man played in almost 200 episodes from 2020 to 2022. The series itself is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-running in the world, and has won the most Emmy awards during its run. It focuses on the events taking place in the city hospital in the port city of Port Charles. "General Hospital has been running for 15,407 episodes, covering medical topics, love stories, intrigue, and family dramas. It is still on the air. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that DNA testing confirmed the death of Ukrainian puppet actor and warrior Yevhen Nevynsky. He went to war as a volunteer, and since July 2023, he has been considered missing. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! More than a week after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's trip to Nigeria, the country's first lady, Remi Tinubu, criticized the image of the prince's wife for her alleged frankness. At an official event, she spoke about the "ideal of beauty" of her compatriots, mentioning the Duchess of Sussex as an example of immorality. ADVERTISIMENT In her speech at an event marking the anniversary of President Bola Tinubu's rule, the woman said she had to "save children" from nudity in the images of American and European stars. According to the Mirror, the first lady of Nigeria took Meghan Markle's expensive jewelry and bare arms, back, and legs as an insult. "We have to save our children. We see how they dress. They keep forgetting that Nigeria, that we are beautiful. You can see what they show on stage, I said: 'We are fashionable, we see what's going on,'" said Remi Tinubu. ADVERTISIMENT She said that any nudity is ugly and unfashionable. In particular, the first lady spoke for all Nigerian women, saying that they do not want to look like Hollywood stars. "We're not going to have a Met Gala. And nudity is everywhere, and men are well-dressed. So we have to do something. Tell them that we don't accept nudity in our culture. It's not beautiful. It's not beautiful at all. And they are all beautiful girls, but they have to be confident in who they are. They don't want to imitate and try to emulate movie stars from America," Tinubu continued. ADVERTISIMENT That's when she mentioned Meghan Markle with a touch of hate for her allegedly self-serving trip to Nigeria: "Why did Meghan come here looking for Africa? We have something to take home with us. We know who we are. Don't lose who you are." On social network X, some Internet users defended Meghan Markle and suggested that it was not about her at all: "The message is not for her. Stop worrying about her." However, it was the criticism that was the most critical. People consider the extravagant outfit to be the Duchess of Sussex's lack of manners and her desire for another PR stunt: ADVERTISIMENT "It's hard to believe that after allegedly studying international relations in college, she doesn't know the first basic rule of international relations - always respect another country and its culture." "Meghan obviously lacks both border recognition and respect." "A carefully planned trip to Nigeria only shows what they wanted to show... I wonder if this will end up on a Netflix show... I highly doubt it." "The skin show put her back in the news because what else has she been doing lately?" "She could care less about 'her country' and its culture. This trip was for the PR audience of American celebrities and it was all about her, not Nigeria." "Considering she is supposed to be a duchess, she dresses like a cheap cake." ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! In Russia, on the night of May 27, unidentified drones attacked a fuel station in Livny, Oryol region. While a fire was being extinguished, another UAV crashed on the territory, causing a casualty. ADVERTISIMENT The local governor reported the situation. At the same time, residents of the city also wrote online about the arrival of an oil depot. In a statement, the head of the region, Andrey Klichkov, said that a drone had crashed into the territory of a fuel station in Livny. As a result, the facade of the administrative building was allegedly damaged. "Employees of operational services and the city administration immediately arrived to eliminate the consequences. As they were working, another UAV crashed on the territory of the gas station," the Russian official said. ADVERTISIMENT According to him, the driver of the 8th fire department of the region was killed, and three other employees of the services were injured. For their part, residents online reported a fire at the Livny oil depot that also occurred during the drone attack. However, the governor did not mention this. Russian "opposition" Telegram channel ASTRA published a possible photo of a fuel station after a UAV attack. It is noted that it is located on Frunze Street, near the Livne oil depot. ADVERTISIMENT Later, the propagandists showed a number of other shots from the arrival site. And the Russian Defense Ministry reported on the "cessation of the Kyiv regime's attempts" to attack targets in Russia with drones. They claim that regular air defense systems "destroyed and intercepted" as many as six UAVs over the territory of the Oryol region, four in the Krasnodar region, and one each in the Belgorod and Bryansk regions. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA reported, on the night of May 26, a fire broke out in Moscow's Podolsk. A warehouse for the sale of technical and medical gas cylinders on Kutuzovskaya Street was on fire. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykhailo Vynnytskyi said that in September 2024, schoolchildren will receive new textbooks on the history of Ukraine, which will include a section on a full-scale war with Russia. The official noted that in the 11th grade, students study modern history, so high school students will study the subject with changes. ADVERTISIMENT Vynnytskyi said this in an interview with UNN. He said that a working process is currently underway to ensure that all terms and content are accurate. "Textbooks will appear in schools in September. It means that the 11th grade begins with the liberation struggle of 2014-2021 and continues to modern times. Intensive work is now underway to verify both the terminology and substance of everything related to the most recent era, meaning the Russian invasion. The work process is underway," said Deputy Lisovyi. As a reminder, in addition to the history of Ukraine, schools will update the teaching of the subject "Defense of Ukraine." The new program will no longer separate boys and girls in teaching the subject, and will include more practical skills. Students will also learn information security, first aid, and drones. The discipline will eliminate the Soviet Union's legacy and emphasize technology and intrinsic motivation to defend one's country. ADVERTISIMENT *original quote taken from the source Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! According to Polish legend, in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, Antoni Jachewski, a con man who claimed to heal people, lived in Kielce, a town near the Jelenia Ridge. Thanks to donations, he became so rich that he turned his hermitage into a fortified fortress. ADVERTISIMENT A research team from Swietokrzyskie found a cache of gold and silver coins hidden in a mountain range in Poland. After conducting relevant research, the group confirmed that these coins indeed belonged to the legendary swindler, Zwiadowca Historii reports. At the end of the seventeenth century, the Republic of Poland was swept by another wave of plague, which easily spread across the country with the outbreak of the Great Northern War. Desperate people indulged in religious rituals, wishing to pray for salvation. Fraudsters took advantage of the state of anxiety, promising to cure the sick or protect the healthy from disease. One of these fraudsters was Antony Jachevsky, who even claimed that he received his healing power from the Virgin Mary, who lived with him in a hermitage. ADVERTISIMENT His fraud worked: people went to him and gave him substantial donations, hoping for healing. In a short time, the hermitage turned into a stronghold with hired guards, with which he robbed pilgrims and, as some claimed, also the surrounding estates. Eventually, the local gentry captured Jacewicz and handed him over to the Krakow episcopal court. However, he escaped from prison, returned to his former hermitage, and resumed his "work" of healing. He was arrested again, but this time he was sentenced to life imprisonment. ADVERTISIMENT "We have waited a long time to announce this find, but it was worth it. Today we can say that we have confirmed the true story of a certain legend. Until now, Anthony was considered a fictional person/myth/legend. And by finding his treasure, we have confirmed that such a person really existed," commented Sebastian Grabowiec, president of the Swietokrzyska Exploration Group, which discovered the treasure. In addition to the coins, the group also discovered a golden Hamburg ducat from 1648, which contained an image of the Madonna and Child. Since the piece was pierced, experts believe it may have been worn as a medallion. ADVERTISIMENT Authorities have not yet announced how many coins have been found as the investigation is ongoing. "I can only say that there are a lot of them. We have coins from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, mostly made of silver," Sebastian said. As you can see, not every legend is just folk tales that have been passed down and embellished for generations, each of them may contain some truth or even the whole truth. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT Tutankhamun's tomb is not only one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century. It is also another source of myths and pseudo-archaeological theories, including the so-called "Curse of the Pharaoh". ADVERTISIMENT In particular, it was brought up after the mysterious death of Lord Carnarvon, the sponsor of the expedition to find Tutankhamun. The lord died just a few months after entering the tomb, IFLScience writes. But the head of the expedition, Howard Carter, for example, lived for another 17 years after visiting the final resting place of the Egyptian ruler. As for Carnarvon, he suffered from persistent lung infections for many years after being injured in a car accident in 1903. The researcher died of blood poisoning from a mosquito-borne infection in May 1923. However, Carnarvon may well have brought the curse upon himself through his business dealings. To finance the famous expedition, he sold the rights to information about the tomb to the London Times, effectively giving the newspaper a monopoly on all facts related to Tutankhamun and his discovery. ADVERTISIMENT The whole world was fascinated by the story that hit the Times. Other publications desperately tried to get at least something to publish and began to invent legends. After Carnarvon's death, journalists started writing speculative stories. David Silverman, curator of the world-famous Tutankhamun exhibition at the Pension Museum, wrote in 1987 that many reporters at the time deliberately misinterpreted the inscriptions on the tomb to imply the existence of a curse. One source, for example, claimed that the passage read: "I will kill anyone who crosses this threshold of the sacred environs of the royal king who lives forever," although no one has ever actually seen such a message. Another mistakenly translated a fragment of the Egyptian Book of the Dead carved on the tomb: "Those who enter this sacred tomb will be quickly visited by the wings of death." ADVERTISIMENT However, although there is no curse near Tutankhamun's body, something similar was sometimes written on other ancient Egyptian tombs. One famous example warns that "those who break this tomb will die of a disease that no doctor can diagnose," although it is unclear on whose tomb this threat was written. In general, curses were engraved only on the tombs of individuals. The Egyptian kings were already protected by a series of spells known as the Pyramid Texts, and therefore did not need additional protection in the form of a curse. Despite the absence of actual curses in the tombs of the pharaohs, overzealous observers have repeatedly searched for reasons to believe that disturbing an ancient king could have deadly consequences. One article even suggests that the Egyptians hid nuclear waste in "vaults" under some tombs, leading to fatal health complications for archaeologists due to radiation. ADVERTISIMENT Despite the ridiculous assumptions, some legitimate research has shown that ancient tombs may contain potentially harmful fungi, mold, or other microbes that could endanger researchers who inhale them. However, there is currently no indication that any Egyptologist has ever been affected by such a pathogen, so this is an additional nail in the coffin of the pharaoh's curse. Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram and Viber channels to keep up with the latest developments. The salon featured various tea and tea culture from Hubei Province, central China, including black brick tea, Yihong black tea and Enshi Yulu Tea. BATH, Britain, May 25 (Xinhua) -- After a tea master elegantly rinsed the teapot and teacups with hot water, brewed the tea and poured it, a dozen of people from across Britain lifted their cups and tasted the tea with great appreciation. And the room was suffused with a refreshing aroma of tea. The Chinese tea-serving ceremony and tasting took place during the "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon on Friday in the English city of Bath. The salon featured various tea and tea culture from Hubei Province, central China, including black brick tea, Yihong black tea and Enshi Yulu Tea. "The ceremony, which is quite calm in itself, prepares you to enjoy and also builds up the expectancy," Neil Beer from Wales told Xinhua after experiencing all three kinds of tea. He was especially impressed by the black brick tea because it had "layers in terms of taste." This marked the first time he was involved in a tea ceremony, which he thought could set a peaceful tempo and slow one's pace down in a world where everything is "rush, grab, drink, go." "Culture and food are two wonderful ways to bring people together in harmony and friendship, and it is wonderful to be here at such a prominent event to celebrate one of China's most fascinating cultural experiences, which is the tea ceremony," said Dianne Francombe, chief executive officer of the Bristol and West of England China Bureau. Apart from tea ceremonies and tastings, other performances such as Chinese calligraphy and music played with traditional Chinese instruments were also showcased during the salon. "Tea culture exchanges between China and Britain have a long history and are inseparable from the communication between China and the world over centuries," Zhang Wenqi, vice chairperson of the Hubei Provincial Tea Association, told Xinhua. He said events like the salon would help the world to know more about Chinese culture as well as the development of tea culture in China. The "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon is a global event aimed at promoting Chinese tea culture. It is expected to be held in more than 40 places around the world in celebration of this year's International Tea Day, which fell on Tuesday. Ukrainian drones attacked a radar station on the territory of the aggressor country Russia. It is noteworthy that the object was hit at a distance of over 1800 km. ADVERTISIMENT It is an over-the-horizon radar "Voronezh M". This was reported to OBOZ.UA by informed sources. The strike UAV covered a distance of more than 1800 kilometers to the enemy's facility. Thus, the DIU drones set a new record for the range of destruction for kamikaze drones. The Voronezh M long-range target detection radar station, which was targeted by the Ukrainian UAVs, is located in the city of Orsk, Orenburg region. On May 26, local propagandists confirmed that Ukrainian UAVs flew to Orsk and attacked military facilities. At the same time, the Russian Federation claims that no damage was allegedly recorded. So far, the most distant target attacked by Ukrainian drones was a facility in Salavat (Republic of Bashkortostan), which is 140 kilometers closer to the Ukrainian border than Orsk in the Orenburg region. ADVERTISIMENT The Voronezh long-range over-the-horizon radar is designed to detect space and aerodynamic objects, including ballistic and cruise missiles. The family consists of stations of the meter (Voronezh-M, Voronezh-VP), decimeter (Voronezh-DM) and centimeter (Voronezh-CM) wavebands. The Voronezh M station in the Orenburg region can detect targets at a distance of up to 6000 km. The Russian Federation claims that this particular radar controls the sector from the Takla Makan Desert (China) to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Since 2015, it has been operating in a test mode to track ballistic targets, and in 2017 it was put into operation. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, in Russia, on the night of May 27, unknown drones attacked a fuel station in Livny, Oryol region. While the fire was being extinguished, another UAV crashed on the territory and caused a casualty. As reported by OBOZ.UA, on the night of May 26, a fire broke out in Moscow's Podolsk. A warehouse selling technical and medical gas cylinders on Kutuzovskaya Street was on fire. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The Russian occupation army continues to concentrate forces in the western part of the Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine. In this way, the enemy is trying to concentrate and attract Ukrainian troops to the area and prepare for offensive operations. ADVERTISIMENT Putin's troops will try to expand their foothold near the international border in northeastern Ukraine. This is stated in the analysis of the Institute for War Studies. The analysts noted that the occupiers are concentrating troops near the settlements of Hraivoron, Borysivka, and Proletarskyi in the western part of the Belgorod region. Satellite imagery of the area suggests that Russian forces have expanded their activities at warehouses in the area in recent weeks. However, the current size of the possible concentration of Russian forces in western Belgorod Oblast remains unclear. A representative of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, said that the Russian occupiers may launch offensive operations in Sumy region or areas of Kharkiv region bordering Sumy region to stretch and consolidate Ukrainian forces further along the international border in the northeast of the country. ADVERTISIMENT The ISW noted that the area of Hraivoron Borysivka Proletarsky would provide Russian troops with an opportunity to launch offensive operations southward toward Zolochiv and Bohodukhiv, located 25 kilometers from the state border, or westward toward settlements along the P-45 highway connecting Bohodukhiv to the city of Sumy. The occupiers may also conduct offensive operations in one or both directions, and the concentration of Russian troops here may be aimed at forcing Ukrainian forces to redeploy manpower and equipment to a wider section of the border in Kharkiv and Sumy regions. As a reminder, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the aggressor country Russia continues to amass occupation troops on the border a few dozen kilometers from the site of the current offensive in Kharkiv region. Obviously, the enemy is preparing new offensive actions. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine stated that Russian occupation units continue to be located near the border with Sumy region, but the size of this group is insufficient to launch full-scale hostilities, as is happening in Kharkiv region. In any case, the Defense Forces are prepared for various scenarios. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has spoken out against the use of weapons provided to Ukraine on Russian territory. According to her, NATO should be "very careful". ADVERTISIMENT Meloni made the statement on Italian television on May 26, commenting on NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's call to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western equipment. "I don't know why Stoltenberg said such things, I think we have to be very careful," Barron's magazine quoted her as saying. At the same time, the Italian prime minister recognized that the Alliance should not show weakness: "I agree that NATO should remain firm and not signal that it is giving up." As the magazine notes, Stoltenberg's words sparked a protest from officials in Italy, "which provides military aid to Ukraine but fears the conflict could spread." ADVERTISIMENT Speaking at an election rally in Naples, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the anti-migrant League party Matteo Salvini criticized Stoltenberg's remarks, saying: "This gentleman either apologizes, corrects his remarks or resigns." Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that "military equipment sent by Italy" should be "used inside Ukraine." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Berlin provided weapons to Ukraine on the condition that they would not be used for attacks outside Ukraine. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Sweden allowed Ukraine to use the weapons it supplied to destroy targets in the Russian Federation. Defense Minister Paul Johnson said that Ukraine has the right to defend itself through military action directed against the enemy's territory. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on the Alliance to lift "some restrictions" on the use of weapons provided to Ukraine. According to him, Ukraine has the right to defend itself, and this defense should include strikes on military targets in Russia. ADVERTISIMENT U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken recently said that the United States does not encourage the use of Western weapons to strike Russia, but Ukraine has the right to decide how to wage war. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! The Spanish government has decided to send another military aid package to Ukraine. It will include missiles for Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and Leopard 2A4 tanks. ADVERTISIMENT The total amount of the military aid package will be $1 billion 230 million. This was reported by El Pais. It is expected that new commitments to supply weapons to the Ukrainian army will be announced during the official visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Madrid. The Spanish government announced its intention to provide Ukraine with a new military aid package last month. However, at the time, Spanish officials did not specify what kind of weapons would be transferred to the Ukrainian army. At the same time, the Spanish media claim that the new military aid package will include dozens of missiles for the Patriot air defense system and 19 German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks. In addition, Ukraine will receive other Spanish-made weapons, including anti-drone equipment and ammunition. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Spain would provide Ukraine with 1 billion in military aid this year. Moreover, over the next three years, Ukraine will receive another 5 billion in aid from Spain. ADVERTISIMENT In addition to military assistance, Madrid will provide humanitarian support, as well as promote economic recovery, support for Ukrainian reforms on the path to EU and NATO membership, and the Peace Formula. Zelenskyy also emphasized that he had spoken with the Spanish prime minister about further strengthening air defense and how Spain could help. As a reminder, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Berlin provided weapons to Ukraine on the condition that they would not be used for attacks outside of Ukraine. Following Germany, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also spoke out against the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine in Russia. According to her, NATO should be "very careful". Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! NATO countries are considering the possibility of protecting the airspace of the western regions of Ukraine. For this purpose, the anti-aircraft missile systems of the North Atlantic Alliance members can be used. ADVERTISIMENT It is noteworthy that the initiator of this idea is allegedly Poland. This was reported by the German edition of BILD. According to sources, there are no final decisions yet, as the West continues to study this possibility. Moreover, NATO is negotiating to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities in other areas. In particular, some NATO countries are ready to expand their support for Kyiv and act directly on the territory of Ukraine. Estonia, the United Kingdom, Poland, Canada, Lithuania, and France are in favor of expanding assistance. The United States and Germany are against it. In addition to closing the skies over western Ukraine, the Alliance is discussing training Ukrainian military personnel by NATO instructors directly on the territory of Ukraine. According to the former head of the German Ministry of Defense's operational headquarters, Nico Lange, it is more reasonable and economical to send instructors to Ukraine rather than to transport hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers across Europe for training. It is noteworthy that the day before, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed similar thoughts. ADVERTISIMENT NATO is also considering changing its logistics. The West wants to make the supply of weapons to the front more efficient and effective. Several NATO countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Estonia, are ready to deliver weapons and ammunition not only to Ukraine's borders but also further to the front line in the future. Several Western countries are currently developing the concept of advanced logistics. As a reminder, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that NATO countries could shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine if they were flying in the direction of Western countries. A decision similar to the one made for Israel during the Iranian shelling is possible, but it requires a will. Earlier, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that no legal, moral, or security arguments prevent or can prevent Western partners from shooting down Russian missiles over Ukraine from their territory. Anyone who claims otherwise and talks about the threat of escalation is engaged in manipulation. ADVERTISIMENT By the way, Poland has responded to Ukraine's request for assistance in shooting down Russian missiles. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that this issue can be discussed. At the same time, the ministry noted that many conditions would need to be taken into account. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A Russian missile attack on the Epicenter hypermarket in Kharkiv on May 25 killed a mother and her twelve-year-old daughter Maria. A 20-year-old girl was looking for her relatives after the attack by the aggressor country. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the Parish of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Kharkiv on its Facebook page. The head of the family is currently in intensive care, he is perforated. "Unfortunately, our parishioners Irina and her twelve-year-old daughter Maria were killed during a treacherous Russian strike on 25.05.2024 on the Epicenter construction hypermarket in Kharkiv," the message says. Earlier, Serhiy Bolvinov, head of the Investigation Department of the Kharkiv Oblast Police, said that the whole family had gone shopping on a day off where two Russian bombs had hit. A 20-year-old girl was looking for her family. ADVERTISIMENT "My 12-year-old sister and mother are no longer answering the phone, and they have not returned home. Their father was with them. Now he is in the hospital with a concussion. This girl returned to the scene late in the evening. She has already given DNA samples. We will search for her relatives, unfortunately, among the dead," he wrote. As of the evening of May 26, the Kharkiv Prosecutor's Office showed the video from the surveillance cameras in the hypermarket and reported that 44 people were injured and 14 people were killed. Four human body fragments were also found. Seven people are currently missing. Meanwhile, the National Police showed a video from inside the Epicenter that captured the moment of the hit. "American aid", "the headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" and other "military targets", which, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, the occupiers hit in a peaceful city, are not visible in the footage. ADVERTISIMENT The West reacted to the terrorist attack on the Epicenter. The United States and Europe pledged to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes. And UN representatives in Ukraine called Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure "absolutely unacceptable." Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov declared May 27 a day of mourning for the victims - he has already signed a corresponding order, the mayor's office said. As a sign of mourning, the national flag with a black ribbon will be at half-mast on buildings and structures of local government, enterprises, institutions and organizations. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! On the evening of May 22, a passenger plane allegedly flew over the territory of Ukraine. Ukraerorus explained that there was a malfunction and what happened. ADVERTISIMENT This flight of a passenger plane over the territory of Ukraine was reported by the monitoring website Flightradar, which tracks the movement of aircraft around the world in real time. OBOZ.UA investigated the situation. According to the service, the plane appeared on the radar at about 21:30 on May 22. According to the information, it was a passenger Boeing of Turkish Airlines. It appeared on the radar near Bila Tserkva and landed near Vinnytsia half an hour later. Therefore, if this flight did take place, it was a domestic flight. According to Flightradar, the Boeing 737-800 passenger plane with the tail number THY3901 belongs to Turkish Airlines. According to open sources, on the night of May 23, it was indeed flying near Ukraine. However, the plane was not flying from Bila Tserkva, but from Romania to Antalya, and this flight successfully completed in the morning. ADVERTISIMENT Telegraph journalists contacted Ukraerorukh, the state-owned enterprise responsible for maintaining the airspace over Ukraine, and received a comment from its head, Andriy Yarmak. He said that there was a technical failure in the Flightradar. It is worth noting that since the airspace over Ukraine has been closed to civil aviation, this is the second time that Flightradar has reported a passenger plane flying over Ukraine. Thus, on June 23, 2023, the monitoring website Flightradar24 recorded that a Polish passenger plane flew into the airspace of Ukraine, which was closed due to the full-scale war. It flew over the Zakarpattia region, flying around a storm front. Enter Air confirmed the incident and said that everything happened in accordance with safety procedures. ADVERTISIMENT It was also reported that a Norwegian charter plane with passengers en route to Turkey flew over Ukraine on July 25, 2023. The Airbus A320-200 aircraft, owned by BBN Airlines, was en route to Antalya via Ukraine. The company itself does not say that it was flying through Ukraine. Resumption of air traffic in Ukraine Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the airspace over Ukraine has been closed to civilian aircraft. Therefore, the issue of resuming flights in Ukraine is becoming increasingly relevant, and the requirements for this process are determined by several key factors. One of them is an effective air defense system that will ensure flight safety. Olivier Yankovec, Director of Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE), said that air traffic in Ukraine could be resumed by the end of 2024. ADVERTISIMENT "I would hope so. I think it is highly likely. Despite the military risks, Ukraine does not stop trains, and they are very slow, unlike airplanes. However, for some reason, everyone has decided that aviation is more dangerous. This is not entirely correct in terms of risk assessment. Especially since there are technologies to make flights safe even in the current environment," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. He noted that this requires making sure that the air defense system is functioning properly. In addition, it is necessary to resolve the issue with insurance companies. Earlier it was reported that Ukraine is waiting for F-16 fighter jets from its Western partners. Thus, on Wednesday, May 8, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. They discussed solutions that would help speed up the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has warned the nations of Asia against friendship with the aggressor country of Russia. According to the head of the Ukrainian state, those who resist the compulsion to become part of Russia will face death and war. ADVERTISIMENT Zelensky made the statement during an interview with journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan on May 24 in a printing house in Kharkiv that was destroyed by a Russian strike. The video of the interview was published on Sunday by the Office of the President of Ukraine. In particular, Zelensky answered the question of why he invited press representatives from Central Asian countries. "I think it's important that you get the information, that you see everything with your own eyes, that no one promotes their own narratives, Russian narratives. And I don't want to tell you anything informational, I want you to see it all, to see it for yourself, to travel," he said. ADVERTISIMENT The president added that it is very important for him that "people in Central Asia see the real consequences of the war, what the 'Russian world' brings and what it will definitely try to bring" to their territory. "I don't want to scare anyone, I think that those who are informed and warned are stronger. And that's why I think that everything they do and say, for example, that we are "friends with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, they are our brothers, etc."- is all a lie. Believe me, this will all happen in a second: first, the occupation of something, especially where there are Russians, where there is something to cling to," Zelensky warned. According to him, refusing to become part of the "Russian world" will inevitably lead to Moscow's aggression. "I'm not saying that there should be persecution of certain minorities or communities that exist on the territory of your countries. But everything will end up with the fact that they just need a reason. Then they will occupy a certain area. They will say that we are just calming down, we are just helping, and the end is clear. If your people, you, resist becoming part of Russia, you will inevitably face a full-scale invasion, and, of course, death and war await," the Ukrainian leader said. ADVERTISIMENT Kyiv believes that the Baltic states are primarily under attack: Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, as Kyiv has already told all its partners. These countries can be used to test NATO's response to an invasion or illegal border crossing, Zelensky said. "Yesterday and the day before yesterday, I think it already happened, they were moving buoys, there was a crossing of maritime borders. There was no reaction, respectively, because NATO countries are very cautious. And Russia needs to show strength. We are receiving information that the Baltic countries, Moldova, and Kazakhstan are among their priorities - these are the closest targets of the Russian Federation," the President of Ukraine warned. As reported by OBOZ.UA, in the same interview, Zelensky said that because of Russia's brutal attacks, most Ukrainians have developed a hatred for everything Russian. According to the president, even speaking Russian has become difficult for many. ADVERTISIMENT He also said that Russia was gathering a new group of troops on the border northwest of Kharkiv and preparing an offensive. In addition, Zelensky named three key topics that will be the main ones at the peace summit in Switzerland: nuclear energy security, food security, and the exchange of "all for all," including Ukrainian children. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! After the Peace Summit in Switzerland in June, the European Union plans to join the organization of a dialogue on peace in Ukraine in Saudi Arabia in the fall with Russia's participation. Details on the time and format of a possible meeting with Russia are currently unknown. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Bloomberg. Russia has not been invited to the summit in Switzerland, as its participation could lead to the disruption of the event. The publication also notes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls on the leaders of key countries to take part in the summit, but Moscow is actively trying to prevent this. The journalists also noted that US President Joe Biden currently has no plans to attend the summit, scheduled for June 15-16 in the Swiss resort of Burgenstock. On these dates, he prefers to attend his campaign fundraiser in Hollywood. It is also reported that China and Brazil are planning an alternative event on the Ukrainian issue. Bloomberg notes that Brazil and India will send junior foreign ministry officials to Switzerland, while China will be represented only by a senior state counselor, presumably Li Hui, China's special representative for the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian war. ADVERTISIMENT "And, of course, there is another aspect that I consider dangerous. This is the absence of leaders. According to all intelligence reports, the Russians are doing this. They plan to disrupt the possibility of the leaders' arrival as much as possible. To show the illegitimacy of this summit as much as possible. To show that the majority of leaders do not support this summit. We know who they are asking for, which countries they are meeting with, their dialogues with China," Zelenskyy said in an interview with journalists from Central Asia. Earlier it was reported that the United States had confirmed its participation in the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. However, it is not yet known who will represent the country at the event. Representatives of more than 80 countries have also confirmed their participation in the summit. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his address on May 26 that US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping "are still on the sidelines of global efforts to prepare the Peace Summit." Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! The head of the Estonian government, Kaja Kallas, has claimed that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin tried to prevent her from becoming NATO Secretary General. One of the parts of this plan was to put her on the wanted list by Russian special services. ADVERTISIMENT Callas said this in an interview with Svenska Dagbladet. The prime minister emphasized that in this way Russia wanted to show that Estonia is a "fake country" in which Russian laws are in force and that Kallas herself is an "anti-Russian provocateur." "Seriously, Putin wanted to show with the wanted notice that we are not a real country. Russian laws apply here too. But they are invalid," the Prime Minister said. According to her, in addition, such a step by the Russian Federation was a signal to Kallas' European colleagues. "When we talk about various positions at the European level or in NATO, the main argument against me is that I am an anti-Russian provocateur. That's why they put me on this list, to make it clear that I am provoking them," the head of the Estonian government said. As a reminder, in February 2024, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the aggressor state of Russia put several dozen European officials on the wanted list, including Kallas, Estonian Secretary of State Taimar Peterkop, Lithuanian Minister of Culture Simonas Kairis, and two-thirds of the previous Latvian Saeima. ADVERTISIMENT Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Kallas and Peterkop were wanted for "destroying monuments to Soviet soldiers." Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! * As of Saturday, the total number of China-Europe freight train trips has surpassed 90,000. * "The China-Europe freight train service has, to a certain extent, ensured the security and stability of industrial and supply chains," said Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. * Along with the network expansion, the China-Europe freight train service has also experienced impressive enhancement in transport capacity, efficiency, and service quality. * "The freight train is the link which can help us even work stronger and tougher together," said Markus Bangen, CEO of Duisport, a German company running the port of Duisburg. BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- In 2011, a train loaded with electronic products sounded its horn and embarked on a journey from Tuanjiecun Station in southwest China's Chongqing to Duisburg in Germany, marking the inauguration of the China-Europe freight train service. Initially, the small station saw only one train depart each month. Now, it has become a first-class terminal, from which over 10 trains leave daily, reaching more than 100 cities across Asia and Europe. This epitomizes the rapid growth of the China-Europe freight train service. As of Saturday, the total number of China-Europe freight train trips has surpassed 90,000. This extensive network currently serves 223 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries, with its service covering almost the entire Eurasian continent, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway). With deepening regional economic ties, the China-Europe freight train service -- a flagship program of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -- has proven to be both a vital artery ensuring the continuous flow of commodities and a stabilizer enhancing the resilience of global supply chains amidst global turmoil. GROWING POPULARITY From 2016 to 2023, the annual number of China-Europe freight train trips surged from 1,702 to over 17,000. The value of goods transported by this service skyrocketed from 8 billion U.S. dollars in 2016 to 56.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. As the Red Sea crisis disrupts vital shipping lanes and global supply chains, the China-Europe freight train service has attracted an increasing number of freight forwarders due to its efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. The Suez Canal, through which 12 percent of global trade used to pass, saw traffic drop by 66 percent at the start of April, compared with a year earlier, said a recent report by British newspaper The Guardian. Many shipping firms are now diverting vessels to the safer, but much longer and more costly, route around the tip of southern Africa, passing the Cape of Good Hope. This can add 10 days to a journey and increase fuel costs by 40 percent. Some companies have switched to rail freight, with the number of trains leaving China for Europe dramatically increasing in recent months, Marco Forgione, director general at the Institute of Export & International Trade, told the newspaper. The China Railway reported earlier this month that 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. With an office in Chengdu, China, Polish company Real Logistics has been engaged in the China-Europe freight train service business for nearly a decade. General Manager Pawel Moskala told Xinhua that after the outbreak of the Red Sea crisis, maritime transport between China and Europe was severely affected, while the China-Europe freight train service has played a significant complementary role in supporting goods transportation. "Currently, the advantages of the China-Europe freight train service are evident, and demand remains relatively high. Although it is difficult to predict long-term trends in sea freight prices, overall, given the current international situation, rail transport is expected to grow substantially, and the China-Europe freight train service will also see growth and will continue to play an indispensable role," he said. Echoing this sentiment, He Daoguo, general manager of Chongqing Meilian International Warehouse & Transport (Group) Co., Ltd., stated, "Train trips departing from Chongqing to Europe can now arrive within 15-20 days, which is 7-10 days faster than shipping through the Red Sea. China-Europe freight trains have acted as a stabilizer for global supply chains due to their resilience, stability, and punctuality." Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, noted that in the unstable geopolitical context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sea transportation has been affected and prices are rising, whereas land transportation remains relatively cheap and safe. "The China-Europe freight train service has, to a certain extent, ensured the security and stability of industrial and supply chains, injected stability into economic and trade exchanges, and played a significant role in maintaining stable trade relations worldwide," the scholar added. EXPANDING SERVICE Last Monday, a cargo train carrying 50 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods departed from Huanghua Port in Cangzhou, located in north China's Hebei Province, en route to Moscow, the capital of Russia, launching a new international route for the China-Europe freight train service. Less than two months ago and also in Hebei, a new international freight train route linking the city of Shijiazhuang with Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, began operations. Hailing the China-Europe freight train service as a more efficient way to connect China with Europe, Bojan Stanic, assistant director for Strategic Analysis & Data at Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, said that Serbia is a key point in the BRI, and this train will reduce logistics costs and bring benefits to both countries. As the demand for rail transport between China and Europe grows, the China-Europe freight train service has seen significant network expansion and service upgrades in recent years. Chongqing launched its first China-Europe freight train to Istanbul, Turkiye in February. Industry insiders believe that amidst frequent conflicts, the Istanbul train service has enhanced the corridor connecting western China with Europe, and bolstered the risk resistance and development resilience of the China-Europe freight train service. "The train services provide a guarantee for the timely arrival of our goods and effectively reduce our operational risks," said Zhang Rong, deputy general manager of Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd., the operator of China-Europe freight train service in Chongqing. Along with the network expansion, the China-Europe freight train service has also experienced impressive enhancement in transport capacity, efficiency, and service quality. "To ensure the smooth operation of the trains, we have maintained timely communication with export enterprises and enhanced the application of 'automatic clearance.' We efficiently connect the processes of declaration, document review, and inspection, continuously monitoring the progress of customs clearance and railway manifests," said Chen Yuanjun, deputy director of Yuzhou Customs in Chongqing, adding they also maintain close contact and coordination with the customs authorities of the destination countries to ensure smooth transit and loading processes. In Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, a freight terminal was jointly launched by KTZ Express -- a subsidiary of Kazakhstan's national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ)-- and Xi'an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation earlier this year. The China-Kazakhstan (Xi'an) Trade Logistics has been built to further facilitate goods transportation between China, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Europe. Alebekov Olzhas, vice general manager of the Chinese branch of KTZ Express, has been actively involved in the planning and construction of the terminal since 2023. "In the past, customs declaration could take an entire day. Now, with our companies sharing information and data, KTZ prepares for clearance procedures before the trains arrive at the port, reducing the process to less than 15 minutes," he noted. DELIVERING PROSPERITY As an exemplar of win-win cooperation, the China-Europe freight train service has enhanced regional opening-up, expanded economic and trade exchanges, and improved people's well-being in countries along the routes. Duisburg, located in Germany's industrial heartland Ruhr area, is one of the most important hubs for China-Europe freight trains. Having once witnessed coal and steel drive its prosperity, the city is now renowned as Europe's key trading gateway to Asia thanks to the arrival of the railway route, which continues to inject vigorous impetus into Chinese-German exchanges and cooperations. Soeren Link, mayor of Duisburg, has seen the comings and goings of the China-Europe freight trains for over a decade. Thanks to the China-Europe train route, Duisburg has been the European logistics hub under the BRI for a decade, said the mayor. "Trains carrying goods from China arrive at the port of Duisburg every day, which are then forwarded directly to over 20 major European cities." Link noted that the freight train connection between China and the city of Duisburg remains a preferred alternative to sea and air freight for companies. He added that Duisburg is now home to more than 100 Chinese companies across various industries, including logistics and e-commerce. "We welcome Chinese specialists and managers who enrich the local economy with their business projects," he said. The China-Europe freight train is a tool and an instrument to connect many more parts of the Chinese and European economies than by sea and air cargo, said Markus Bangen, CEO of Duisport, a German company running the port of Duisburg. "The freight train is the link which can help us even work stronger and tougher together," he said. On the other end of the rail route, China's Chongqing has been leveraging the advantages and brand effects of the China-Europe freight trains to promote high-quality development of industries such as electronics, automobiles, and machinery. Changan Auto, a major carmaker in the city, achieved record-high overseas sales of over 230,000 units of its own brand vehicles in 2023, many of which were new energy vehicles (NEV) and transported by rail. Since the beginning of 2024, Changan has exported 11,550 vehicles via China-Europe freight trains. Since 2023, an increasing number of Chinese-made "tech-intensive green trio" products -- lithium-ion batteries, photovoltaic products, and NEVs -- have been transported through the China-Europe freight trains, reflecting strong market demand, said the China Railway. Thomas Krajnicki, 57, is a staff member at Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd., the operator of the railway express linking Duisburg and Chongqing. Having worked for the company for five years, he said it is not common to get such a secure job at this age and he feels comfortable working for the company. "I hope the traffic of goods will increase, my job will be stable ... and the contacts and cooperation between Duisburg and China will be further deepened," said Krajnicki. (Video reporters: Mu Xuyao, Yin Jiajie, Li Linxin, Li Hengyi, Li Aibin, Yu Xiaosu, Zhao Xiaoshuai, Sha Qing, Yang Zhennan, Zhao Yingbo, He Zhanjun, Zhang Sijie, Wang Jialin; video editors: Wu Yao, Zhao Xiaoqing, Jia Xiaotong, Liu Ruoshi) If Russia attacks one of the NATO countries, this state will have to wait at least two weeks for its allies to come to the rescue. It will all depend on whether the country has a warning of a potential attack and whether its leaders dare to act before the attack. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by the former commander of the US Army in Europe, retired General Ben Hodges in an interview with Romanian television. He criticized some Western leaders who do not want to take any action because of the risk of "escalation." If they show courage, the two weeks could be significantly reduced. "Assuming we didn't start moving in advance (of a potential attack Ed.), Romania and all the other countries Poland, Lithuania, all of them would have to wait probably two weeks before additional forces arrive," Hodges said. At the same time, the American general noted that each country should understand that it would have to be one-on-one with the enemy for about two weeks. This time will be needed to organize the troops of NATO countries, as well as all ground forces in the country under attack. ADVERTISIMENT "The air force will be able to arrive earlier, the naval forces of other countries Turkey and Bulgaria could also arrive a little faster," he said. As reported by OBOZ.UA, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana said that Russia currently has neither the intention nor the ability to attack any of the bloc's countries. However, Moscow is waging a hybrid war against the West. At the same time, NATO Military Committee Chairman Rob Bauer warned that civilians in the West should prepare for a possible conflict with Russia. He noted that the armed forces are already prepared in case of war. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recalled his meeting with Russian dictator Putin in February 2022, on the eve of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The head of the terrorist state spouted nonsense about Ukraine "belonging to Russia." ADVERTISIMENT Putin also demonstrated his imperialist ideas that borders "can be changed by force." The German chancellor said this during a conversation with citizens at the Democracy Festival, Ukrinform reports. For four hours, Putin tried to convince Scholz that Ukraine and Belarus "are parts of Russia." Among other reasons for the war, the dictator said that "Ukraine is heading to NATO." Scholz emphasized that he had told Putin that as of now (February 2022) and for many years to come, Ukraine's accession to the bloc was out of the question. The dictator also voiced fabrications about a "Nazi regime" in Ukraine. "Talking about this when the president is a Jew... It's hard to imagine how absurd and shameful this explanation is to justify the war," the politician said. ADVERTISIMENT The chancellor said that Berlin provides Kyiv with maximum support to prevent this "imperialist attack on a neighboring state from succeeding." But at the same time, he emphasized, Germany is making sure that it does not come "to a major war between Russia and NATO." Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Following a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at La Moncloa, the seat of government, and without changing his now instantly recognizable attire of olive green short-sleeved shirt and military trousers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attended a lunch hosted for him at the Royal Palace by the king and queen of Spain. Earlier on Monday morning, Felipe VI had personally met Zelenskiy at the capitals Barajas airport, an unusual gesture of deference that the Spanish monarch last made for U.S. President Joe Biden when he attended the NATO summit in Madrid in 2022. During his meeting with Sanchez, according to sources familiar with the operation, an arms package worth almost 1.3 billion ($1.41 billion) was presented to Zelenskiy, an unprecedented figure in Spanish military aid to Ukraine or to any other country. Zelenskiy and Sanchez were expected to sign a bilateral security agreement that includes supplies of a wide range of military equipment, including Patriot missile systems and Leopard tanks. Unlike past military aid to Kyiv, most of the material will not come from the arsenals of the Spanish Armed Forces but will be manufactured specifically by Spanish industry. The security agreement between Spain and Ukraine will be similar to those that Kyiv has already signed with the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, and Canada, which aim to guarantee long-term sustained military support and serve as a bridge until Ukraine becomes a full member of NATO and the EU. During his speech at the Royal Palace later in the day, Felipe VI said that Ukraine knows that it can continue to count on Spain and, we trust, on the rest of the allies for as long as necessary. Endorsing the peace plan put forward by the Ukrainian president, to be discussed at a conference in Switzerland in June, the king added that the complete, immediate, and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces from the territory of Ukraine within its international borders is essential. Those borders include Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. The Spanish monarch also stated that Spain will work, together with Ukraine and its international partners, to hold Russia accountable for all the crimes committed. In his response, Zelenskiy revealed that he had traveled to Madrid with a very distinguished mission. The Ukrainian leader posthumously awarded the Golden Heart decoration to Spanish aid worker Emma Igual, who was killed in a Russian strike last September. Zelenskiy concluded the program of his visit to Madrid by attending the Congress of Deputies to meet with the various political spokespersons. On Tuesday he will travel to Portugal, thus continuing the tour he was forced to postpone 10 days ago due to the renewed Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition He wears a feathered head dress, a white shirt, and a colorful beaded necklace covers his chest. Ako Kamanawa, an indigenous Noke Koi from the Brazilian Amazon, answers questions from the Mexican Prosecutors Office in a room for protected witnesses. His video statement is transmitted to a room where, in addition to the judge, lawyers, and translators, his two co-defendants in the case are present, Mexican citizens with whom he was arrested almost two years ago, on June 8, 2022, following the largest seizure of ayahuasca in the countrys history. It took place at Mexico City International airport, when authorities discovered that the 16 suitcases being carried by the three men contained 141 kilograms of this plant-based concoction with psychoactive effects. Where is your house, Ako? prosecutor Kenia Maldonado Munoz asks him at the beginning of the interrogation. A translator communicates the question in Portuguese to Itsomi Vari Isko, chieftain of the Noke Koi people, who has traveled to the Mexican capital to cooperate in the process. Itsomi Vari Isko, in turn, translates into Katukina, from the Pano linguistic family. Ako Kamanawa responds in his mother tongue, then the chief translates into Portuguese and the translator back into Spanish. And so, through this linguistic process, the 27-year-old is able to explain that he lives in a village in the Amazon jungle, in the State of Acre in Brazil; that his house is very simple, like all those in the jungle; that he cultivates the land, is a musician, and that he is one of the four payes, or shamans, in the village. The paye is chosen by the spirit of the snake, which is incorporated and becomes part of that person. He is a traditional doctor who takes care of the people in the village and performs treatments in the community, says Ako Kamanawa in his mother tongue. One of his working tools is ayahuasca, which he refers to as the medicine, and is made from at least two plants native to the Amazon (Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria Viridis). It has accompanied dozens of indigenous peoples living in the jungle for hundreds of years. Its use is permitted in Brazil for religious purposes and in Peru ceremonies associated with the drink are recognized as intangible cultural heritage. In Mexico, however, there is a legal vacuum. Neither ayahuasca nor the two plants that compose it are listed as restricted substances, unlike with other plant species or the fungi kingdom, such as is the case with coca leaves or psilocybin mushrooms. In only a few countries has ayahuasca been expressly controlled, for example in France or Russia. But one of the active compounds in the mixture is DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine), an alkaloid that is controlled under the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, to which Mexico is a signatory. However, the UN International Narcotics Control Board recognized in 2001 and 2010 that no plant or preparation containing DMT is included in the Convention. Several other species contain this substance, for example Mimosa tenuiflora or tepezcohuite, used in traditional Mexican medicine as an antiseptic and healing agent. Can you tell us how ayahuasca is taken? the prosecutors interrogation continues. There is a first moment of concentration; then comes the strength of the medicine and, through it, the shama plays the music and the paye will reveal the illness or ailment that the person has and what kind of protection he needs. Ako Kamanawa describes the ceremonies in his community: he says they are held every weekend and involve an average of 40 men and women of all ages. They are seen as an opportunity to purify and heal the body, but also to generate and share joy. As a paye, he is empowered to serve medicine; he also sings and plays the guitar along with the rest of the musicians. Some songs are to cheer people up, others to chase away evil spirits and others for healing. Each song has a meaning, he says. In this hearing, held on April 12, 2024, Ako Kamanawa explains his version of events prior to his arrest. He says that Saul, one of the two co-accused, came as a visitor to his village with the intention of learning about the traditions and medicines of his people, as other foreigners often do. It was Saul who invited him to Mexico on a couple of occasions to sing in ayahuasca ceremonies, and he accepted because of the need to support his family, since he is fatherless and has a young son. According to him, Saul took care of all the expenses and logistics of the trips. He cannot read or write, nor can he make himself understood in Portuguese or Spanish. Regarding his first trip to Mexico, which took place between February and June 2021, Ako Kamanawa says he sang in 24 ceremonies, organized and managed by Saul, as well as having returned to the jungle in the company of the Mexican. On the second occasion, he says he left his village carrying only a backpack, met Saul in a nearby village and they then continued together to the airport in Lima, where he met Alain, the second Mexican. He claims that it was there where he first saw the 16 suitcases, without knowing that some had been documented in his name, and that he only became aware of their contents when they were opened by the Mexican authorities. Ako Kamanawa spent nearly a year in jail after being bound by a judge to the criminal proceedings without access to an interpreter or consular representation. This violation of his fundamental rights allowed his defense to file and win an injunction to get him out of prison. One of his two lawyers, Alfonso Jose Jimenez, says they are confident that the Mexican Attorney Generals Office will act with an inter-cultural perspective, as it did in the cases of at least three South American indigenous healers imprisoned in 2022 for traveling with ayahuasca, who were finally released. In the meantime, Ako Kamanawa lives in Mexico City on bail, hoping to be able to return home. The chief of the Noke Koi tribe, Itsomi Vari Isko. Eugenia Coppel Ochoa Medicine in the lungs of the world Chief Itsomi Vari Isko, Ako Kamanawas translator, told EL PAIS that the Noke Koi people live in the lungs of the world, in the extreme west of Brazil, that there are 830 people distributed in 11 villages, and that life in the jungle is full of difficulties: We no longer have anything to fish or hunt, so people like Ako go out in search of resources to support their families. In these communities, ayahuasca ceremonies which they call uni are held frequently, and this has been the case, according to the Indigenous leader, since the first generation of their ancestors: God gave us these medicines because we have no laboratories, no pharmacies, no hospitals. Before the foundation of Brazil, we already used ayahuasca, it is still being used and will continue to be used. It is a tool that keeps our culture alive. Of Ako Kamanawa, whom he has known since he was born, he says that he is a young man with no schooling, who from a very young age decided to dedicate himself to the practice of traditional medicine. The person who invited him to Mexico bought large quantities of medicine, which was not from Brazil or our people, but from Peru. Ako did not know what was in the suitcases and was imprisoned. He is here because of other people who made a mistake. Even so, Ako does not lower his head and will not give up because God placed him on the sacred path of medicine, says Noke Koi. The Brazilian government liberalized the use of ayahuasca in 2010, during Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas first term, with the condition that it be limited to religious rituals. The decision was made based on the report of a commission that, in line with multiple scientific studies, defended the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca to treat various mental disorders, as long as it is used in appropriate contexts. Chief Itsomi Vari Isko had already defended his medicine in the Mexican Senate. It was January 2023, when he traveled from his village to support Ako Kamanawa in the criminal process. His stay coincided with the celebration of the Intercultural Forum of Enteogenic Medicine, organized in the upper chamber, where he was invited to say a few words: Our medicine is not a drug: it really helps many people who need health and who come to our community from different continents to receive cures from the payes. Sitting next to the then-Senator Xochitl Galvez, today a candidate for the presidency of Mexico, the chief shared his concern for the growing consumption of alcohol among indigenous peoples: It is very difficult to see that what does good is forbidden and what does bad is allowed. Our medicine does not produce dead people, nor sick people, nor criminals. Despite having spent a year in prison and another on bail, far from his village, Ako Kamanawa says he is happy and grateful to the spirit and to all the people who have helped him in Mexico. Chief Itsomi confirms this: He is responding to justice and is happy, eager to return to Brazil to continue his work in the jungle, organizing ceremonies, bringing joy to the people. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Two days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ordered Israel to immediately stop its offensive in Rafah, an aerial bombardment led to a massacre on Sunday in Tel al-Sultan, one of the citys camps for displaced people. The attack caused a fire that spread through the camps makeshift constructions, made from sheet metal, plastic and fabric. At least 45 people were killed in the strike, including 23 women and children, according to the count from the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is controlled by Hamas. The Israeli army is reviewing whether the precise targeted assassination of two local commanders of the armed wing of Hamas in the Tel al-Sultan camp also caused civilian casualties. According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, it had been designated by Israel as a humanitarian area, meaning it was safe. Most of the victims were reportedly burned to death or suffocated due to smoke inhalation. Images recorded by journalists and local residents show burned bodies, including those of babies and teenagers, while a fire consumes part of the camp. From dawn, there were images of the remains of charred tents, people mourning their loved ones and corpses wrapped or shown to the press. One of the witnesses interviewed by the media, Muhamad Ahmed Abu Sibah, recounted that he had been in the camp for five months and until then, had felt relatively safe. Until this Sunday, when he was in his tent between Maghrib and Isha [prayers] late in the afternoon and heard an explosion. Then another. It was at least two missiles. The fire started coming in this direction. There were burned cars, martyrs [killed]..., he explained. Israel struck the camp shortly after Hamas the Islamist movement fighting in parts of Gaza that was responsible for the October 7 attack on Israel made a show of force with its first barrage of rockets in four months against the Tel Aviv region. The attack showed that eight months of Israels invasion have not destroyed their ability to reach important and distant cities. Despite ICJ court order, the Israeli army has not lowered the intensity of its offensive in Rafah, and continues to bomb other parts of the Gaza Strip. Fire after the Israeli bombing of a displaced persons camp in Rafah on Sunday night. Reuters TV (REUTERS) According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, Tel al-Sultan was not one of the areas that Israel ordered to be evacuated as part of its offensive on Rafah, which began on May 6. These evacuation orders, and the populations widespread fear of a large-scale land invasion, had already pushed out many Gazans from Rafah, where they had been living for months in search of a refuse from the Israeli armys advance in the north. An estimated 1.4 million people were living in Rafah, after fleeing from the nearby city of Khan Yunis. The United Nations estimates that 900,000 have left by force, some of them towards Al-Mawasi, the expanded humanitarian area designated by Israel, where international and non-governmental organizations have raised concerned about the living conditions. The massacre in Rafah sparked small early morning demonstrations in various parts of the West Bank. In response, Hamas called on Monday for people to escalate public activities of anger and pressure to stop the aggression and genocide war. This massacre exceeds all boundaries, said Nabil Abu Rudeina, the spokesman for the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who stressed the urgent need for an intervention to stop the crimes committed against the Palestinian people immediately. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Several research studies conclude that artificial intelligence (AI) has already surpassed humans in some tasks. The Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2024, published by Stanford University, claims that this technology is already better at image classification, visual reasoning, and English comprehension. However, for the time being it, lags behind in more complex tasks such as advanced-level mathematics, common-sense visual reasoning, and planning. In the view of Kilnam Chon, artificial intelligence will be smarter than us in 10, 20 or, at most, 30 years. The 81-year-old computer scientist, known as the father of the Internet in South Korea, warns of the consequences of AI by comparing humans to monkeys: We can control monkeys, but they cant control us. If the AI becomes smarter, it will become the human being and we will become the monkey. It will control us humans, and not us it. If AI is on its way to becoming smarter than humans, should its development be slowed down? Chon recalls that in 2023, there was a proposed moratorium to halt the development of some tools for six months. More than 1,000 entrepreneurs, intellectuals and top researchers involved in this technology signed an open letter urging AI labs to immediately pause for at least six months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4, the latest version of the large language model that ChatGPT uses. Now, OpenAI has introduced GPT-4o and is expected to launch its new model, GPT-5, in mid-2024. It didnt work, says Chon, who underlines that companies continue to develop AI technology in order to make a fortune. But then, how can it be guaranteed that AI is a tool for good and not for evil? Unfortunately, nobody knows, says the expert in an interview conducted during Kasperskys Cyber Immunity conference, an event held in April in Dubai and to which EL PAIS was invited by the organizing cybersecurity company. The current strategy of several countries and regions, such as Europe, is to regulate artificial intelligence. Asias first Internet Chon, professor emeritus of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, is best known for his contributions to the development of the Internet. He developed the first two Internet nodes in Asia, called the Software Development Network, or SDN, which began operating in 1982. By 1985, it connected some 20 universities, national research labs, and corporate labs in South Korea. Two years later, it was connected to other parts of Asia, such as Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. Chon, who holds a bachelors degree in engineering science from Osaka University in Japan and a PhD in computer science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), says there was a time when the Internet was for select people. Until the 1990s, only the elite had access. But once the web was invented, the Internet became accessible to everyone. Thats the world we live in now. We cant go back to the 1980s anymore. In 2012, Chon was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame, an honorary recognition by the Internet Society for individuals who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the web. Upon collecting the award, he posed this question to the audience: Imagine that when you leave this room, you cant use the Internet anymore. What would you do? When asked this again during the interview, the expert laughs out loud: Are you asking me the same question I asked so many years ago? Thats what I ask students as a teacher. He could not leave the room where this interview took place, in the Museum of the Future in Dubai, and do without the Internet, he acknowledges: Its unavoidable. You cant live without it anymore. He gives as an example the situation in China, which he describes as an extreme case: You cant get a ticket or take a cab or buy anything without the Internet. The Chinese dont use cash anymore. Ask a Chinese person what they would do if the Internet didnt work. They wouldnt even be able to give alms to a beggar, says Chon, who adds that those who beg on the street often carry a QR code with them so they can receive money. This is the direction we are heading in, he warns. Exclusion and insecurity on the Internet Despite this, 2.6 billion people still did not have access to the Internet in 2023, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It may be due to lack of financial resources, living in a remote area, or even having a visual impairment, such as blindness. In these cases, using the Internet is much more difficult. The computer pioneer considers it unacceptable that part of the population is excluded from the opportunities offered by the web: The whole world should have access, not just part of it. Still, Chon has one concern about Internet use: security, and in particular ransomware, the malicious software that locks a victims data or device and threatens to keep it locked. They force you to pay a huge amount of money, millions of dollars, or else you cant use a hospitals systems or other critical systems. Its terrible and we dont know how to control it, he says. Despite multiple experts trying to make the internet a safe place, Chon warns that cybercriminals always find a way in: Unfortunately, we are not winning. Various cybersecurity companies use AI to detect malware. But cybercriminals also use it for their own purposes. With AI, the threats from attackers will be much greater. They might get smarter. We might have to beg them: Please can you help us? he predicts. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A Sunday sermon in a Latino evangelical church in the United States takes place between moving songs with a live band and speeches from a pastor who uses familiar, even colloquial, language. It is not a particularly solemn event. The only thing that makes it similar to Mass is the constant mention of Jesus. Empirical evidence says that this is a good for the churchs goal, which is one of the foundations of evangelism: increasing followers. While other religious denominations are losing members, the Latino evangelical churches are growing at a remarkable pace. It is a phenomenon that is going a little under the radar religion in general is of less and less interest but that, in a planned way, is changing the balance of religions immense power in the United States. It is also fragmenting the Latin electorate, traditionally closely aligned with Democrats: amid the rise of evangelism, these voters are becoming increasingly conservative. A congregant during service at New Life Church in Chicago in mid-April. Mustafa Hussain At the New Life church in Chicago, the sermons are in Spanish and its most important goal is ensuring that all newcomers return to the church. There is a carefully designed protocol because people decide if they are going to come back in the first five minutes, says Pastor Jaro Medina one Sunday morning in mid-April. At the door, there is someone welcoming everyone in with a warm smile and blessings. Once inside the church a three-story building, which if it were not for the immense cross on the facade, could be just an old theater in a neighborhood that has seen better days the new arrivals are offered coffee, asked how they are and listened attentively to as they share any hardships they may be suffering. Then, the sermon kicks off as if it were a party: there are 15 minutes of music, a kind of modern, pop, Latin gospel. The rhythm gets the congregants out of their chairs and dancing. The church is carpeted like a convention center and has giant screens, which the people look at, as they raise their arms in ecstasy and follow the lyrics, as if they were in a collective karaoke. Pastor Jaro, a 40-year-old Puerto Rican who has been leading this congregation for a decade, has seen and encouraged that growth himself. In 2014 things were very different. We were opening the third Sunday service. We started the fourth when the pandemic hit. It hit us hard. But when the restrictions were eased, and the border began to open, many immigrants entered, he explains between sermons in his parish, which now has around 500 members. Pastor Jaro is part of a group that has more than 5,000 followers, which is considered small. Pastor Jaros experience is reflected in the data, but it is important to dig a little deeper. Between 2008 and 2022, the percentage of Latinos who identify as evangelical has remained stable at around 25%. In the rest of the groups, the figure has fallen, most notably among the white population, where it has dropped from 33% to 25%. The growth comes amid the demographic changes in the United States. In 2008, there were around 50 million Latinos in the United States, now there are around 65 million and by 2050 there will be almost 100 million. In other words, that 25% represents more people every day. Furthermore, trends indicate that this 25% which has remained stable over the last 15 years is also increasing. Driving this growth are two specific groups: immigrants, 22% of whom identified as evangelical in 2008, a figure that rose to 32% by 2022; and second and third generation Latinos, where the percentage of evangelicals rose from 23% to 29% and from 27% to 31% respectively, in the same period. Given Latino evangelicals are also having more children than the national average, it is foreseeable that within a few years the Latino religious panorama, and even the broader one, will be dominated by this amalgam of Christian denominations known as evangelicals; and that its political agenda will play an increasingly important role. Evangelicals have no qualms about being clear that their goal is to grow their number of followers. It is considered as a matter of religious conviction: when the end comes, only those who have accepted Jesus in their hearts will be saved. And if it is in their hands to save souls, there will be no idle hands. The entire community works together in this mission and the process to retain followers extends far beyond the first minutes. Members follow up with newcomers the week after they first attend church. They call them up to three different days to ask them how they are going, to invite them to dinner, to make them feel like they are already a brother or sister. A family during a service at New Life Church in Chicago. Mustafa Hussain This is precisely what Lizbeth Rodriguez says after listening carefully to Pastor Jaro. For me, the church gives me family, it gives me this companionship Although we are going through things, for example my husband passed away, here I have a sister or a brother who helps me in this journey and encourages me, gives me encouragement, visits me. They are family in this world. For migrants, arriving in a new country after a painful journey and with hardly any English, this somewhat theatrical kindness is seen from a different perspective. In these churches, they are considered family from the first greeting, the accents remind them of home, as do the food and affection. For many it is an overwhelming sensation. It doesnt matter how much the Bible and Jesus have been in their previous lives. Now, more than a thousand miles north, perhaps it is a reminder of their roots or a sanctuary to keep demons at bay. These migrants are also especially willing to listen if it comes with a hot dinner. There is yet another attraction, in the form of an idea, that paves the way for the other notions that make up the evangelical political imagination to be received. It is the idea of personal progress, quantifiable and linked to economic prosperity. In these churches, poverty is not a virtue. For people who have largely grown up with poverty and in many cases are fleeing from it, this message finds fertile ground. Suddenly, Jesus is, in addition to being a martyr for humanity, a believer and guardian of the American dream. In this way, the defense of the family, the rejection of vices a huge umbrella that includes any behavior considered reprehensible, from the consumption of alcohol and other drugs, to the excessive use of social media fit neatly into the picture. Its a picture in which the state is painted as the protector of moral depravity for its support of progressive policies. With these policies perceived as a threat to evangelical values, the church has strengthened its conviction that it has the solutions to the most pressing questions facing the United States. People come with questions and we have to be able to answer them. And if we dont know the answer, we have to find it... There are questions about the future. Whats coming now? Who should we trust? Who shouldnt we trust? explains Pastor Daniel Matos, who has led the Agape Christian church in Chicago for more than four decades. Matos who was also born in Puerto Rico, but has lived in Chicago since he was three is the Midwest regional director of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), the leading association of Latino evangelism in the country, which brings together more than 40,000 churches. The NHCLC actively supports the creation of new congregations Pastor Matos says it is the Amazon for new churches, offering them everything they may need and is not shy when it comes to deploying its political power. Several congregants follow the words of Pastor Jaro Medina at the New Life Church in Chicago. Mustafa Hussain The 2018 NHCLC vision statement sheds even more light on the political and social agenda of Latino evangelical churches. Is central mission includes reforming culture by creating influencers in all spheres of society and the market, transforming the image of evangelism from angry white evangelicals who oppose everything to a multiethnic community, and building a firewall against moral relativism, spiritual apathy, cultural decadence, and ecclesiastical lukewarmness while simultaneously elevating biblical marriage, championing life and protecting religious liberty. Its the usual ultra-conservatism disguised as a multiethnic community to make it slightly more digestible. The comments made by NHCLC leader Samuel Rodriguez who is a recurring guest on the far-right news network Fox and a figure within the religious lobby in Washington make it clear that Latino evangelism is flexing its political muscle. It has built on the foundations of white evangelicalism, which has had an enormous influence on both Republican and Democrat administrations. This influence rose to the fore in 2016, with the evangelical communitys mass support for Donald Trump; who returned the favor by appointing three justices to create the most conservative Supreme Court in decades a move that culminated with overturning of the federal right to abortion in 2022. In the November election and in the elections to come, it remains to be seen exactly what a much more powerful Latino evangelical lobby will seek. Undoubtedly, abortion will remain a central battleground, with a total ban the ultimate goal. But that may be aiming for too much, in the current landscape openly committing to ban abortion would be electoral suicide. Then there are the broader cultural battles, in which the collective has been supporting the conservative side. It could follow the model of Florida, where the Latino evangelical community has perhaps the greatest presence and sway. Under Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the state has passed laws banning LGBTQ+ content in schools, introduced a six-week ban on abortion, one of the most restrictive in the country, and also banned more books than any other state. The big question, however, is what position Latino evangelicals will take when it comes to immigration. While they support legal immigration, they do not reject the undocumented migrants who come in search of a better life in the United States many of whom are their new members. Two women in an emotional moment during the service at New Life Church in Chicago. Mustafa Hussain In any case, when sermons ring out in the halls of the thousands of Latino evangelical churches in the country, there is no talk of politics. It is a time to feel part of a community and to be faithful to Gods teachings. The average congregant is not necessarily very politic, for them, the church is the reason they were able to save their marriage, give up alcohol or adapt to a new country. However, these voters trust in the pastors word. But votes mean nothing, if there is not a lot of them, and the Latino evangelicals plan to grow is in full swing. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition By Tomoyuki Tachikawa, KYODO NEWS - May 27, 2024 - 19:00 | World, All, Japan Japan confirmed with South Korea and China the importance of North Korean denuclearization at a trilateral summit on Monday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, hours after Pyongyang announced a plan to launch a satellite-carrying rocket. But a joint statement issued after the meeting of the three leaders did not mention their commitment to the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," as agreed at the previous summit in December 2019 in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu. At a joint press announcement with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang following the gathering in Seoul, Kishida said that stability on the Korean Peninsula is in the "common interest" of the three Asian countries. The statement only said, "We reiterated positions on regional peace and stability, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the abductions issue, respectively. We agree to continue to make positive efforts for the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue." North Korea said Monday it "strongly denounces and rejects" the joint declaration as "a blatant challenge" to the nation's sovereignty and "wanton interference in its internal affairs," according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The North Korean Foreign Ministry criticized South Korea in a statement carried by KCNA, saying Seoul has brought a "grave security crisis" to the Korean Peninsula "by frantically strengthening military alliance for aggression with hegemonic forces outside the region," referring to the United States. The trilateral summit took place with the regional security environment becoming more severe amid nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, which has been bolstering its economic and military ties with China. The Japanese government said earlier Monday that North Korea has notified Tokyo of its plan to launch a satellite-carrying rocket before June 4. The launch might involve the use of ballistic missile technology, a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. At the outset of the trilateral summit, Kishida urged North Korea to cancel its planned satellite launch, with Yoon, the chair of the meeting, saying it would endanger regional and global peace and stability. Li, who took office in March 2023, did not touch on the issue, saying only that the role of China, Japan and South Korea is "to promote development, boost cooperation in East Asia and safeguard peace and prosperity in the region and the world." The statement also said, "We reaffirmed our commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and to an international order based on the rule of law and international law," apparently targeting Russia. The phrase might have been added to the statement as requested by Japan and South Korea despite opposition from China, effectively ruled solely by the Communist Party, as Tokyo and Seoul share common values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights, pundits said. China has been trying to deepen relations with North Korea and Russia, while Japan and South Korea have been strengthening security cooperation, criticizing Beijing's increasing military assertiveness and Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. On Monday, the leaders of Japan, South Korea and China agreed to work together in a wide range of fields, including people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation, at their first trilateral summit in more than four years. On the economic front, the three leaders pledged to speed up negotiations toward the signing of a three-way free trade agreement, which stalled in early 2020 against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the joint statement showed. Kishida, Yoon and Li also reaffirmed that they will join hands to enhance supply chains that are vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, natural disasters and epidemics, causing disruptions in production and business operations. Nevertheless, the outlook for trade and economic talks is gloomy as it is uncertain how much China will satisfy Japan's demands to rectify Beijing's alleged unfair business practices, such as strict information regulations and opaque benefits to state-owned companies. In principle, the Asian countries hold trilateral summits annually on a rotating basis, but they have occasionally been suspended as Japan's ties with its two neighbors have soured over historical and territorial disputes. Recently, Tokyo and Beijing have been at odds over trade after China imposed a blanket ban on Japanese seafood imports in the wake of the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that began in August 2023. At their bilateral meeting on Sunday, Kishida asked Li for an immediate lifting of the import ban. But Li expressed Beijing's anxiety about the discharge, referring to the water as "nuclear-contaminated," according to Chinese state-run media. Last week, meanwhile, China carried out two-day military drills around Taiwan, arguing that they are a "strong punishment" for those seeking the island's independence and a "stern warning" to "external forces" against interference and provocation. The military exercises followed last Monday's inauguration of Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te, whom China condemns as a separatist. He is the leader of the ruling, independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party. Kishida said Sunday that he conveyed Japan's "serious concern" about China's expanding military activities, emphasizing that Tokyo believes stability in the Taiwan Strait is "crucial" not only for the region but also for the international community. China's Foreign Ministry, however, said Li told Kishida that Taiwan is at the "core" of Beijing's interests and a "red line" that must not be crossed. The joint statement released after the trilateral summit on Monday did not refer to Taiwan. Related coverage: Japan, South Korea to deepen ties ahead of 60th anniv.: Kishida Japan PM to discuss N. Korea in summit with S. Korea, China leaders Kishida conveys Japan's concern about China military activities KYODO NEWS - May 27, 2024 - 20:19 | All, Japan High-profile opposition lawmaker Renho said Monday she will run in Tokyo's gubernatorial election in July, setting the stage for a likely showdown with incumbent Yuriko Koike, who is seeking reelection for her third term. The bid to run for governor by the 56-year-old House of Councillors member, who belongs to the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, came after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party fared poorly in recent elections, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet unpopular amid a political fundraising scandal that has engulfed the party. Serving her fourth term as an upper-house member of a Tokyo constituency after first being elected in 2004, Renho could be a leading contender to replace Koike, who is expected to launch a bid in the July 7 election to secure her third four-year term. The upper house member is known for her combative stance and often blunt remarks, particularly during public discussions about weeding out waste in government programs that took place when the Democratic Party of Japan, a predecessor of the CDPJ, was in power from 2009 to 2012. "It's my mission to take the lead in resetting the Tokyo government led by Koike, who is a helping hand in the LDP's survival," Renho told a news conference, referring to the incumbent's recent rapport with the ruling party. Renho said she will run as an independent candidate in the hope of drawing wider support. The Japanese Communist Party will support Renho in the election, Akira Koike, head of the party's Secretariat, told a press conference. Born to a Taiwanese father and a Japanese mother, Renho has also faced scrutiny over her former dual nationality status, which is not allowed under Japanese law. The TV anchorwoman-turned-politician goes by her given name, although her full name is Renho Saito. She served as administrative reform minister when the DPJ was in power. She became the leader of the then leading opposition party that took over from the DPJ in 2016, but gave up her post following its poor performance in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election the following year. Yuriko Koike, a 71-year-old adviser to a regional political party and who also served as Japan's first female defense minister, left the LDP to run in her first gubernatorial race in 2016 and beat her rival backed by the party. She kept her distance from the LDP in the metropolitan assembly but recently worked with the party in some mayoral elections in Tokyo. With the scandal-hit LDP unlikely to field its own candidate, Koike may explore working with the LDP and its junior coalition ally the Komeito party, according to LDP sources. The governor is expected to stand as an unaffiliated candidate as she did in the past. The ruling party lost three seats in House of Representatives by-elections in late April and a candidate it backed was defeated by his rival, supported by the CDPJ and another opposition force, in Sunday's gubernatorial election in Shizuoka, central Japan. At least 20 individuals intend to run in the Tokyo gubernatorial election, including Shinji Ishimaru, the mayor of Akitakata in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan. The head of the mountainous city of around 26,000 people has become popular online for his fierce exchanges with a local media reporter, as well as with municipality assembly members during news conferences and council sessions. Related coverage: Tokyo Gov. Koike plans to run for third term: source Japan PM's LDP loses 3 Diet seats to main opposition amid scandal Opposition-backed candidate wins in Shizuoka governor race XI'AN, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A train fully loaded with diverse goods departed from Xi'an, the capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Saturday morning, bound for Malaszewicze, Poland, marking a significant milestone as the total number of China-Europe freight train trips has surpassed 90,000. To date, China-Europe freight trains have transported more than 8.7 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods, valued at 380 billion U.S. dollars, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd (China Railway). From 2016 to 2023, the annual number of China-Europe freight train trips surged from 1,702 to over 17,000. The value of goods transported by this service skyrocketed from 8 billion U.S. dollars in 2016 to 56.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. The types of commodities transported via the China-Europe freight trains have expanded from IT products such as laptops and printers at the beginning to over 50,000 different types, including clothing and footwear, automobiles and parts, daily necessities, food, timber, furniture, chemicals and machinery. So far, the China-Europe freight trains have reached 223 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries, with the service network covering almost the entire Eurasian continent, it added. "The China-Europe freight trains represent a new model of international transportation with advantages such as convenience, speed, safety, stability and green economy. They have become widely popular as an international public product," said Huang Xin, deputy director of China Railway's cargo department. "They have injected new momentum into serving the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and promoting economic and trade exchanges between China and Europe," Huang added. CONTINUOUS VITALITY Inside the intelligent workshops of Shaanxi Konka Smart Home Appliance Co., Ltd, production lines hum with activity as workers help assemble dishwashers and washing machines for its overseas orders. Here, a washing machine can be produced within 20 seconds. "Many of our factories were previously located in the eastern and southern regions of China. We were drawn to establish our operations here in western Xi'an due to its strategic position as a key hub for China-Europe freight trains, along with the supportive government policies and abundant talent pool," said Chen Zhao, the company's general manager. Starting operations in November 2022, the company has now seen 80 percent of their dishwashers and 20 percent of washing machines destined for international markets, according to Chen. In late November 2022, a China-Europe freight train carrying the company's home appliance export products embarked on its journey. As of April this year, Shaanxi Konka has exported 135,000 units of home appliance via 30 dedicated China-Europe freight trains. "Thanks to the China-Europe freight trains, our products now reach various European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Russia, as well as Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan. This mode of transportation not only reduces costs but also significantly shortens delivery time," said Chen, adding that sea shipping typically takes 45 days, while China-Europe freight trains expedite this process, completing deliveries in just 15 to 20 days. "Our overseas clients appreciate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the China-Europe freight train service, which not only enhances their experience but also reduces their transportation expenses. It's become the preferred and secure choice for them," Chen added. Since 2023, an increasing number of Chinese-made "tech-intensive green trio" products -- lithium-ion batteries, photovoltaic products, and new energy vehicles (NEVs) -- have been transported through the China-Europe freight trains, reflecting a strong market demand. Cao Ping, from the Xi'an branch of China Railway Special Cargo Services CO., LTD, a professional transportation enterprise mainly engaged in railway transportation of vehicles, oversized cargo and refrigerated goods, has had some experience with this. "Since the beginning of this year, this trend has become more pronounced. All the vehicles exported via the China-Europe freight trains from our company are produced by local companies in Shaanxi, and they are all new energy vehicles, which are quite popular abroad," said Cao, adding that the number of monthly exported NEVs handled by her company would exceed 1,300 units, and main destinations are Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The rapid development of the China-Europe freight trains has opened up a new channel for the inland regions of Asia and Europe, enhancing their economic and trade cooperation. Xi'an-based TERRAcont International Logistics Co., Ltd was established two years ago, with only three workers in its earlier days. Over the past two years, the number of workers at this company has increased to more than 20, said Zholbaskanova Nursulu, CEO of the company, who is from Kazakhstan. "Our containers depart via the China-Europe freight trains every month, some from Xi'an and others from Chongqing and Chengdu," Nursulu said. "I've witnessed the rapid development of the China-Europe freight trains and received a lot of support from the Chinese government over the years. It has significantly strengthened China's relations with BRI participating countries, fostering closer trade ties between them," she added. "The spillover effects of the China-Europe freight trains are becoming increasingly prominent, facilitating better integration of related countries and regions into the open world economy, and greatly enhancing the well-being of people from BRI countries," Huang said. KYODO NEWS - May 27, 2024 - 18:33 | World, All, Japan Business organizations from Japan, South Korea and China decided Monday to set up a working group to study economic cooperation in the private sector after their nations agreed to deepen economic ties at a trilateral summit in Seoul. The "Business Summit" was held by the Japan Business Federation, also known as Keidanren, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. The organizations said in a joint statement, "Growing uncertainties in the global economic environment have triggered the necessity for a joint trilateral response and preemptive coordination on trade issues." Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang participated in the gathering after they agreed at their summit to resume negotiations toward signing a three-way free trade agreement. Kishida said in his speech, "We will strive to ensure a free and fair business foundation so that private companies in the three nations can make the most of their capabilities." Related coverage: Japan, South Korea, China to pursue North Korea denuclearization: Kishida Japan, South Korea to deepen ties ahead of 60th anniv.: Kishida KYODO NEWS - May 28, 2024 - 11:44 | All, World, Japan North Korea launched a military reconnaissance satellite on Monday but failed to put it into orbit due to engine problems, the country's state media said, prompting Japan to condemn it for firing a projectile using ballistic missile technology. The satellite-carrying rocket exploded in midair after the launch, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The incident came after North Korea notified Japan of a plan to launch the rocket before June 4 and after neighboring countries held a trilateral summit in Seoul. North Korea last launched a reconnaissance satellite in November and has since said it planned to launch three more this year. The country is banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions from conducting any launches using ballistic missile technology. Around 10:46 p.m., debris was detected in North Korean waters, it added. KCNA reported on Monday that an "accident" occurred during the launch of the military reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1-1. A preliminary assessment attributed the accident to the "reliability of operation of the newly developed liquid oxygen plus petroleum engine," according to KCNA. North Korea appears to believe that a military reconnaissance satellite is necessary to detect any unforeseen attacks by the United States and South Korea. In Tokyo, the Japanese government said the projectile disappeared from radar above the Yellow Sea and that Japan was still analyzing whether it was indeed carrying an artificial satellite. Japan, through its embassy in Beijing, lodged a stern protest with North Korea over its repeated launches, including the latest one, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference. Hayashi, who is Japan's top government spokesman, cautioned that Pyongyang may take further provocative actions. He also said Japan did not try to shoot down the projectile and that no damage was reported after the launch. Japan's J-Alert early warning system had triggered an advisory for people in Okinawa Prefecture to take cover, but it was soon lifted. The launch came despite calls from neighboring countries for North Korea to refrain from doing so. Japanese Prime Minster Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a trilateral summit in Seoul on Monday and reaffirmed their commitment to pursue the denuclearization of North Korea. Related coverage: North Korea informs Japan it will launch satellite before June 4 North Korea tested tactical ballistic missile with new navigation technology Japan, South Korea leaders to agree in Seoul to tackle North Korea threats KYODO NEWS - May 27, 2024 - 22:38 | World, All A South Korean government-backed foundation tasked with paying compensation to plaintiffs who won lawsuits over wartime labor during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula is short some 12 billion won ($8.8 million) in paying damages to the plaintiffs, the foundation's chief said Monday. Shim Kyu Sun, director of the foundation, told JoongAng Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper, that he hopes the Japanese business sector will contribute to the group so it can pay damages to plaintiffs, including those who won their lawsuits recently. In March last year, the government of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol decided to compensate the plaintiffs and bereaved family members with money from the government-backed fund, rather than seeking restitution directly from the Japanese companies that were sued, in a bid to improve ties with Japan. Due to the 12 billion won shortfall, compensation payment by the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan is now "at a crossroads," Shim said. "The solution (of compensating through the foundation) would gain the support from the South Korean public only if Japanese businesses participate in" the funding, Shim said, while also requesting further donations from South Korean companies. The foundation has received 4 billion won from South Korean steelmaker POSCO Co. Ties between Seoul and Tokyo deteriorated after South Korea's top court in October and November 2018 upheld orders in separate judgments against Nippon Steel Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., requiring that they pay damages for forced labor during the colonial rule between 1910 and 1945. The top court in December last year and January this year made similar rulings, ordering several Japanese companies, including Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy, to pay damages to South Korean plaintiffs. Japan has said all issues stemming from its colonization of the Korean Peninsula were settled "completely and finally" under a 1965 bilateral agreement. Shim said the majority of plaintiffs in wartime labor cases are willing to accept payments from the government-backed foundation. Related coverage: Japan, South Korea to deepen ties ahead of 60th anniv.: Kishida Japan PM aims to boost "practical cooperation" with China, S. Korea Families of late "comfort women" suing Japan government, 1st case in China KYODO NEWS - May 27, 2024 - 08:38 | Expo, All Although commonly associated with bold and vibrant aesthetics, China appears to have chosen a more sleek, minimalistic look for its pavilion at the 2025 World Exposition. Dubbed the "inscribed slips of China," the architectural design of the pavilion is inspired by traditional bamboo slip scrolls used for writing on in ancient times. The combination of bamboo, scrolls and Chinese characters showcase the spiritual and cultural essence of Chinese civilization, while also embodying the country's commitment to green development in the new era, according to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. The pavilion will accentuate the Chinese philosophy of living in harmony with nature, aligning with its theme of "Building a Community of Life for Man and Nature -- Future Society of Green Development." Gaps in the facade designed to resemble those in an ancient bamboo scroll will allow sunlight to filter through to provide natural light to the inside. The motif continues into the interior, where the layered exhibition space symbolizes the evolution of civilization from past to future. "We will endeavor to make the pavilion the most dazzling business card for China," Ren Hongbin, the council's chairman, said at the groundbreaking ceremony held at the expo's venue on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, in February. Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said at the ceremony, "I am confident that the China Pavilion at the Osaka expo will act as the starting point for deepened bonds of friendship between Japan and China." One of the largest self-built pavilions with an area of around 3,500 square meters, the China Pavilion will be positioned near the center of the Grand Roof, a ring-shaped wooden symbol of the expo with an expected circumference of around 2 kilometers. At the Shanghai Expo in 2010, China's pavilion, dubbed the "oriental crown," featured a red exterior that blazed in the skyline of the venue. Related coverage: A guide to 2025 World Expo in Osaka KYODO NEWS - May 27, 2024 - 13:48 | All, World, Japan Chinese ships were spotted near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Monday for the 158th straight day, hitting a fresh record since the Japanese government put the islets under state control in 2012. A total of four China Coast Guard ships were found sailing just outside Japan's territorial waters by a Japan Coast Guard ship. One of the four vessels was equipped with what is believed to be a cannon, according to the Japanese coast guard. The continued presence of Chinese vessels around the uninhabited islets, which Beijing claims and calls the Diaoyu, highlights the ongoing tensions between the two Asian neighbors over them. The situation is "extremely serious," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference. "We will be vigilant in monitoring (Chinese ships) with a sense of urgency and respond to China in a calm and resolute manner." The Japanese coast guard detected the four Chinese ships a day after Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held his first formal bilateral meeting with China's Premier Li Qiang. Kishida called for the removal of a buoy installed by China within Japan's exclusive economic zone near the Senkaku Islands during the talks, which took place on the sidelines of a trilateral summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Monday. Chinese vessels have repeatedly entered into Japanese territorial waters around the uninhabited islets since the Japanese government bought the islets from a private owner and put them under state control. Japan maintains that the Senkaku Islands are its inherent territory and that its claim has a clear basis historically and in international law. China began claiming the islets in the early 1970s after U.N. studies indicated potentially lucrative gas reserves might be located around them. Chinese vessels sailing around the islets have become larger and the change in size allows them to navigate even under rough weather conditions, a Japanese government official. Chinese sailed near the islets for 157 consecutive days through late July 2021 until a typhoon approached. Related coverage: Kishida conveys Japan's concern about China military activities Japan vows to promote strategic, mutually beneficial ties with China Japan drops new SDF training site plan in Okinawa amid local protest KYODO NEWS - May 27, 2024 - 08:38 | Expo, All Switzerland says its pavilion for the 2025 World Exposition is set to be its "lightest ever," and will feature four interconnected spheres made of special film showcasing robotics and other innovative technologies. With the hope that the pavilion structure will create a magical atmosphere, visitors will be welcomed by an area designed to recreate the nature of the Swiss Alps. There will be different touchpoints involving the world of Heidi, a children's novel about the life of a girl in the Alps as a feature throughout the pavilion, the organizer said. Switzerland's pavilion is expected to produce the "smallest ecological footprint" ever for the country at the event thanks to the use of very light membrane material made from a durable, fluorine-based plastic film known as ETFE for the spheres. The material that will form the spheres' surfaces is recyclable and will be made into furniture after the expo, weighing about 450 kilograms in total. Switzerland's exhibition will focus on three themes during the expo period. "Augmented Human" features robotics and artificial intelligence and will run from April 13 to June 4. "Life" looks at life sciences, education, and nutrition, and will feature from June 5 to Aug. 12, while "Planet" will focus on the environment and sustainability from Aug. 13 to Oct. 13. A souvenir shop offering goods such as wooden toys will also be set up, while coffee, croissants, bubble tea, ice cream and other food and drinks will be available at its rooftop bar overlooking the pavilion. The organizer said it expects around 1.5 million visitors to the pavilion. Switzerland's participation in the expo represents "a major opportunity" to strengthen bilateral ties with Japan, as 2024 marks the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, brought about by the pioneering spirit of Swiss watchmakers seeking trade with Japan, according to the Swiss government. Related coverage: A guide to 2025 World Expo in Osaka KYODO NEWS - May 27, 2024 - 10:28 | All, World, Japan North Korea has notified Japan of a plan to launch a satellite-carrying rocket before June 4, the Japanese government announced Monday, putting the region on high alert over the possible use of ballistic missile technology. The notice, which came ahead of a trilateral summit between Japan, China and South Korea in Seoul on Monday, designated three maritime danger zones believed to be the areas where rocket debris may fall -- two west of the Korean Peninsula and the other to the east of the Philippines' island of Luzon, the Japan Coast Guard said. In reaction to the notification, officials from Japan, the United States and South Korea confirmed during phone talks that they will urge North Korea to cancel the plan as any launch of a projectile using ballistic missile technology constitutes a violation of U.N. resolutions, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is currently in South Korea for the summit involving the East Asian leaders, told relevant ministries and agencies early Monday to make maximum efforts to gather and analyze information about the possible satellite launch. On Sunday, Kishida and his South Korean counterpart President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed to work together in addressing Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats during bilateral talks in the South Korean capital. An official of the South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday the country had detected activity indicating North Korea was likely preparing to launch a reconnaissance satellite. Signs of preparations for a military spy satellite launch were seen in the Tongchang-ri area in North Korea's northwest, the official told reporters. Pyongyang last launched a reconnaissance satellite in November and has since unveiled a plan to launch three more this year. North Korea said the satellite was successfully placed into Earth's orbit but South Korea said in February that it did not appear to be operational. Related coverage: Japan, South Korea, China leaders likely to agree on broad cooperation ACCRA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of seven trade unions in Ghana on Monday called on the government to reverse the depreciation of the local currency to protect businesses in the country. A statement, signed by representatives of the Automobile Dealers Union and six other unions of various sectors, said the depreciation of local currency has increased the cost of imports, pushing up operational expenses to unsustainable levels. According to the unions, the fluctuations in the value of the currency put undue financial pressure on many companies, threatening their ability to stay afloat and retain their workforce. "The depreciation of the cedi (local currency) is not only affecting businesses but also eroding the capital of traders. We call on the government to prioritize the needs of businesses and take decisive steps to lower the exchange rate to provide a lifeline to struggling enterprises," said the statement. According to the Ministry of Finance, the Ghanaian cedi has depreciated about 14 percent against the U.S. dollar this year. NEW DELHI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The owner of a baby care center in east Delhi has been arrested after the facility caught fire on Saturday night, an officer of Delhi Police confirmed on Monday. The owner, Naveen Khichi, had been on the run ever since Saturday night. Seven newborn babies were killed and five others injured in the fire. Besides, the doctor on duty at the time was also arrested, he added. According to media reports, the baby care center was operated despite its registration with the Directorate General of Health Services expiring nearly two months ago. Meanwhile, aggrieved parents who had lost their newborn babies demanded for justice and a strict action against the owner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a monetary compensation of 200,000 Indian Rupees (around 2,407 U.S. dollars) to the next kin of each deceased. "The fire tragedy at a hospital in Delhi is heart-rending. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this incredibly difficult time. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest," Modi posted on X on Sunday. Around 11 a.m. on May 25, a small drone vertically ascended from the Zhongmiao Postal Branch in Chaohu City. After flying for 4 minutes along a predetermined route, it smoothly landed on Mushan Island in Chaohu Lake, marking the successful maiden flight of Hefei's first drone delivery route. This route is expected to officially open in early June. Mushan Island is the largest island in Chaohu Lake, with a circumference of 4 kilometers and a total area of about 1 square kilometer. Currently, more than 100 residents live on the island. According to reports, the island residents had to rely on postal workers traveling by boat to send and receive packages, a round trip that took over two hours, making deliveries difficult and time-consuming. "We have established two drone logistics takeoff and landing sites on Mushan Island and at the Zhongmiao Postal Branch. The direct flight route is 4 kilometers, replacing the traditional postal delivery method," said Cheng Bingheng, the leader of Hefei Post's low-altitude economy project. He explained that drone deliveries can achieve autonomous takeoff, landing, and return, significantly reducing delivery time and cost, thereby providing more convenient services for island residents. The soon-to-be-deployed Antwork RA3P logistics drone currently has a maximum payload of 5 kilograms and can ensure one round trip per day initially. "In the future, we will establish drone logistics hubs at the takeoff and landing points to enable automatic charging and takeoff for drones," Cheng Bingheng added. Once the drone delivery route is officially operational, it will also be used in some remote villages to provide precise delivery services for elderly people with mobility issues. In recent years, with the development of the low-altitude economy, the application range of drones has become increasingly extensive. As of now, Hefei has opened more than 30 routes in 7 categories, including drone delivery of medical supplies, rail inspection, and power inspection. Additionally, the city is advancing 13 application scenarios, such as long-duration inspections of expressways and manned cultural tourism. Source: Hefei Daily Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea together with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul, South Korea, May 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Monday that China, Japan and South Korea should stay committed to the original aspiration for cooperation and make joint efforts to resume and accelerate China-Japan-South Korea cooperation so as to make greater contributions to regional prosperity and stability. Li made the remarks at the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the China-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation mechanism, Li said that at this new starting point, China, Japan and South Korea should stay committed to the original aspiration for cooperation and uphold openness, inclusiveness, mutual respect and trust, mutual benefit and mutual learning. He said that the three sides should upgrade and speed up China-Japan-South Korea cooperation, embark on a new journey of comprehensive development, and contribute more to regional prosperity and stability. Li put forward a five-point proposal on deepening China-Japan-South Korea cooperation. The first is to promote the comprehensive restart of cooperation, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, fully tap the potential for cooperation, steadily facilitate growth, and foster positive interplay between bilateral relations and trilateral cooperation. The second is to deepen economic and trade connectivity, maintain the stability and smoothness of the industrial chain and supply chain, and resume and complete the negotiations of the China-Japan-South Korea free trade agreement as soon as possible. The third is to lead scientific and technological innovation cooperation and strengthen collaborative innovation and cooperation in frontier fields. China will establish a China-Japan-South Korea Innovation Cooperation Center in China to help the three countries accelerate the cultivation of new growth drivers. The fourth is to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges and take the opportunity of the China-Japan-South Korea 2025-2026 Year of Cultural Exchange to bring closer the hearts of the three neighbors. The fifth is to strive to promote sustainable development, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of low-carbon transformation, climate change, aging population, and epidemic response, among others, and explore and carry out more "China-Japan-South Korea + X" cooperation projects. Li pointed out that the current situation on the Korean Peninsula remains tense. All parties should play a constructive role by staying committed to easing tensions, restarting dialogue as soon as possible, and advancing the political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue, so as to safeguard peace and stability in the region. China, Japan, and South Korea should leverage their respective development strengths to create a new engine for regional cooperation that actively addresses the needs of ASEAN and other neighboring countries. The three countries should work together to boost the momentum of ASEAN Plus Three cooperation, he said. China is willing to work with South Korea and Japan to vigorously promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and jointly safeguard long-term stability and security in the region and the world at large, Li said. The leaders of South Korea and Japan said that the resumption of trilateral cooperation after more than four years is of great significance. They hoped that the three countries will take this summit as a new starting point to maintain the stability and continuity of cooperation and deepen cooperation in six key areas: culture and people-to-people exchanges, sustainable development, economy and trade, public health, science and technology, and disaster relief. They also hoped that the three countries will resume the trilateral FTA negotiations, jointly promote regional cooperation in East Asia, tackle climate change and other global challenges, and foster the steady development of relations among South Korea, Japan, and China so as to bring greater benefits to the peoples of the three countries and make greater contribution to world peace and prosperity. After the meeting, leaders of the three countries jointly met the press. Li said that in the face of new challenges and new opportunities, China-Japan-South Korea cooperation should shoulder new responsibilities and make new progress. China is willing to take this summit as an opportunity to work with South Korea and Japan to promote steady and sustained China-Japan-South Korea cooperation, Li said. The three sides issued the Joint Declaration of the Ninth China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Summit, the Joint Statement on a 10 Year Vision for Trilateral IP Cooperation, and the Joint Statement on Future Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. They agreed to deliver on the Trilateral Cooperation Vision for the Next Decade adopted at the eighth Trilateral Summit Meeting, set up mechanisms for the trilateral cooperation, maintain close communication and cooperation under APT and other multilateral frameworks, and jointly uphold peace, stability and prosperity of the world. The three sides agreed to designate 2025-2026 the China-Japan-ROK Year of Cultural Exchange. This photo taken on May 27, 2024 shows a collapsed residential building in Datong Township of Tongling City, east China's Anhui Province. A residential building partially collapsed Monday afternoon in Datong Township of Tongling City, east China's Anhui Province, according to local authorities. The collapse occurred at around 1:40 p.m. Monday. Rescue efforts are underway. (Xinhua) HEFEI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A residential building partially collapsed Monday afternoon in Datong Township of Tongling City, east China's Anhui Province, according to local authorities. The collapse occurred at around 1:40 p.m. Monday. Rescue efforts are underway. BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- China supports Pakistan in continuing investigation into a deadly terror attack on Chinese nationals and bringing to justice all the perpetrators, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday. China attaches great importance to the key progress made by the Pakistani side on the investigation, and will continue to work with Pakistan to strengthen security cooperation and ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan, Mao said at a press briefing. On March 26, a suicide bomber riding on an explosive-laden vehicle attacked a convoy of Chinese nationals heading towards a hydropower project, killing five Chinese and their Pakistani driver in the Besham area of Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan's National Counter-Terrorism Authority Coordinator Muhammad Tahir Rai said Sunday that security forces have arrested 11 suspects accused involved the attack. Mao said that terrorism is a common enemy of humanity and a scourge against regional development and stability. China calls on countries in the region to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, root out all terrorist organizations, remove their breeding ground, and protect the common security and development interests of all countries, she said. ISLAMABAD, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Seven soldiers and 23 terrorists were killed in three separate operations in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the military said on Monday. The security forces conducted intelligence-based operations in Peshawar, Tank and Khyber districts of KP, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a statement. Six terrorists were killed during a clash between security forces and terrorists in Hassan Khel area of Peshawar, the statement said, adding that two soldiers including an officer were also killed. In a separate operation in Tank district, security forces effectively engaged the terrorists' location, killing 10 terrorists on the spot, said the ISPR. In the operation in Khyber district, security forces killed seven terrorists and injured two others. However, five soldiers lost their lives. The ISPR said that weapons and ammunition were also recovered, adding that the killed terrorists were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces and civilians. Clearance operation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. JERUSALEM, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Monday that an Israeli aircraft killed Yassin Rabia, the Hamas Chief of Staff in the West Bank, Sunday evening in the southern Gazan city of Rafah. The strike was carried out in the area of Tal as Sultan in northwest Rafah, based on precise intelligence, said an IDF statement, noting that Rabia "managed the entirety" of Hamas' activity in the West Bank, transferred funds to targets and planned Hamas attacks throughout the West Bank. Rabia had carried out "numerous murderous attacks," including those in 2001 and 2002, in which Israeli soldiers were killed, it said. According to the statement, Khaled Nagar, a senior official in Hamas' West Bank Headquarters, was also killed by Israeli airstrike. He allegedly directed attacks in the West Bank and transferred funds intended for Hamas' activities in the Gaza Strip. "The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review," it added. CAIRO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (AL) Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Monday criticized Israel for bombing tents for the displaced Palestinians in the southern Gazan city of Rafah. In a post published on social media platform X, Aboul-Gheit called the bombing, which took on Sunday, a "war crime" and urged "the international courts to bring those responsible to international justice." Meanwhile, Egypt also condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli forces' bombing of tents, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The bombing that left hundreds of casualties was a "blatant violation" of the International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention of 1949 over the protection of civilians during the time of war, the statement added. Egypt called on Israel to comply with its legal obligations as an occupying force and to implement the measures issued by the International Court of Justice for the immediate halt of military operations and any other measures in the Palestinian city of Rafah. On Sunday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired about eight rockets toward the tents in a newly established camp crowded with thousands of displaced people near the warehouses of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), leaving at least 40 people killed. Israel confirmed on Sunday that it launched the attack to kill two senior Hamas leaders. On Monday, Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, the IDF's chief prosecutor, acknowledged that the bombing of the Rafah camp was a "very grave" incident. "The details of the incident are still under an investigation, which we are committed to conducting to the fullest extent," Yerushalmi told a conference. SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday called on relevant parties to exercise restraint and prevent further complication of the situation on the Korean Peninsula. China has always been committed to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and promoting the political settlement process of the issue, he added. Li made the remarks when jointly meeting the press with leaders of South Korea and Japan following the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The State Council announced Monday the appointment of Hua Chunying as China's vice foreign minister. It also announced the removal of Qu Yunhai from the post of deputy head of the National Immigration Administration. SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- It is hoped that Japan will honor its promise and create a positive atmosphere for the continuous development of bilateral relations, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Sunday. Li made the remarks during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. Li and Kishida, gathering for the summit from Sunday to Monday, shared a common view on building constructive and stable bilateral relations. It is hoped that the two countries will continuously consolidate mutual trust, deepen cooperation, properly manage differences, and build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era, Li said. Kishida said Japan is willing to build constructive and stable relations with China and promote the sound and long-term development of strategic and mutually beneficial bilateral relations. The two heads of government discussed a wide range of topics covering economic cooperation, scientific and technological innovation, digital economy, green development and people-to-people exchanges. The development of China and Japan is an important opportunity for each other, Li told Kishida, noting that the two economies are closely intertwined and their cooperation has brought tangible benefits to their people. Kishida, for his part, said maintaining a sound development momentum of Japan-China relations is not only conducive to both countries, but also beneficial to the world. For China and Japan, the two close neighbors and major economies in the region and the world, peaceful coexistence, lasting friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation serve the fundamental interests of both sides. China and Japan realized the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1972, and the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed in 1978 provided new impetus for bilateral cooperation. Over the past more than a half-century, despite the ups and downs in bilateral relations, the two countries' economic and trade cooperation has maintained steady development. China has been Japan's largest trading partner since 2007. Due to the complementary nature of their industrial frameworks, the two countries have the potential to enhance their economic cooperation. In the meantime, there is a strong desire for interaction between the people of the two culturally connected nations. Climate change, public health, old-age care, and disaster responses are also realms where China-Japan cooperation is much needed. Li Zhengyang, a lecturer at the Institute of Asian Studies at the China Foreign Affairs University, told Xinhua that China-Japan relations have been at a crucial moment for improvement. "Both bilateral and trilateral (China-Japan-South Korea) mechanisms should take the lead in furthering China-Japan pragmatic cooperation in fields such as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, economy and trade, combating protectionism, and coping with the population aging," he said. The scholar noted that China-Japan relations should be kept on the right track. Both sides share the common goodwill of improving bilateral political relations, yet some negative practices from the Japanese side need to be regulated. During their bilateral meeting, the Chinese premier said history and Taiwan are the major issues of principle concerning the political foundation of China-Japan relations, as well as the basic issues of faith and integrity and the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and a red line, he said. The release of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater bears on the health of humanity, the global marine environment and international public interests, Li pointed out, expressing the hope that Japan will seriously address legitimate concerns both at home and abroad, and earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations. BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- No country, organization or individual shall imagine that they could step on or even cross the line on the Taiwan question without paying any price, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday. Mao made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to the China's countermeasures against 12 U.S. defense corporations and 10 senior executives. It is believed that the countermeasures was China's response to U.S. sanctioning of Chinese companies for Russia-related issues and the U.S. side attending the "inauguration" of the leader of the Taiwan region. Mao said China announced the relevant decision in the No.7 decree of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 22, and China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or authorization of the UN Security Council. "We will continue to take all measures necessary to protect our legitimate and lawful rights and interests," Mao said, adding that China urges the U.S. to deeply reflect on its behavior, face up to its responsibility for the outbreak and escalation of the Ukraine crisis, stop vilification and pressuring, and stop abusing illicit unilateral sanctions. Mao said the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations. "No country, organization or individual shall underestimate the strong determination, will and ability of the Chinese government and people in defending our nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity, or imagine that they could step on or even cross the line on the Taiwan question without paying any price," she added. WARSAW, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Poland has unveiled details of its "East Shield" program, aimed at strengthening its eastern border, which is the country's largest border defense initiative since 1945, the Ministry of National Defense announced on Monday. "This is a strategic operation for our government and the security of Poland," Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized the significance of the Polish security operation during a press conference held together with Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk and Chief of Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Wieslaw Kukula. The defense minister outlined the program, which includes fortifications, various types of barriers, and modern airspace monitoring systems at every level. He highlighted that the program's task includes hindering the movement of hostile forces, facilitating the movement of Polish troops, and protecting civilians. Deputy Defense Minister Tomczyk said Poland's border extends approximately 700 km, with 400 km bordering Belarus. "We want this program to be implemented immediately, and completed by 2028, the estimated cost is approximately 10 billion zloty (2.55 billion U.S. dollars)." At the press conference, the officials indicated that the "East Shield" project will be funded by Poland's state budget but the country also seeks to apply for additional support from the European Union. Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized the need for increased EU investment in security. "The EU must invest much more in security," he said. BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Over 49,000 criminal suspects of telecom and internet fraud have been handed over to Chinese custody by Myanmar since July 2023, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Monday. Several notorious criminal groups linked to the fraud have been dealt crushing blows with a number of major criminal suspects arrested, the ministry said at a press conference. Since the beginning of 2023, the number of telecom and internet fraud cases in north Myanmar involving Chinese citizens had remained high, often resulting in other criminal acts such as illegal border-crossing and detainment. The MPS had prioritized the situation and launched high-pressure crackdowns on such crimes, yielding significant results. Over the last five years, public security agencies across the country have cracked more than 1.94 million cases of telecom and internet fraud, the ministry said. Notably, the monthly number of new cases of such fraud has been declining for eight consecutive months, indicating that the rise in such crimes has been effectively curtailed, according to the MPS. People visit Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, South Korea, on May 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin) Cultural affinity and similarities in traditions make China an attractive destination for Japanese and South Korean tourists, some of whom are fascinated by the diverse landscapes of the vast nation. While many Japanese and South Korean tourists love to visit China, the two countries are also favored destinations for Chinese holidaymakers. by Xinhua writer Tai Beiping SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- China, Japan and South Korea agreed at their ninth trilateral summit here on Monday to designate the year 2025 and 2026 as the China-Japan-South Korea Cultural Exchange Year. Geographically close and culturally connected, the three East Asian neighbors boast robust people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and thriving tourism is giving a further boost to interactions among their people. Masato Takashima, a Japanese travel magazine writer who recently paid a five-day visit to China, was deeply impressed by people's love for traditional Chinese attire Hanfu. "Chinese Hanfu culture is amazing. In Xi'an and Luoyang, people don't just wear Hanfu at tourist sites, they incorporate it into their daily lives. You can see people wearing it on the streets. It gives you a sense of traveling through time," Takashima told Xinhua. "The article I wrote for a famous travel magazine is about to be published. I hope more Japanese people can understand the prosperous and beautiful China," said the Japanese writer. Cultural affinity and similarities in traditions make China an attractive destination for Japanese and South Korean tourists, some of whom are fascinated by the diverse landscapes of the vast nation. "The buildings in Shanghai are tall and gorgeous, and the people there are friendly," Kim Rin, a South Korean tourist who recently traveled to China with her boyfriend, told Xinhua. The number of South Korean tourists traveling to China has increased significantly lately. Figures from South Korea's largest travel agency Hana Tour showed that bookings for package tours to China in May increased by 608 percent year-on-year. Apart from large cities like Beijing and Shanghai, places like Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province and Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province are also among the most favored choices by South Korean travelers. Tourists visit the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, on Jan. 3, 2024. (Photo by Wu Yongbing/Xinhua) The fascination with pandas is also attracting visitors to China. After Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in South Korea returned to China, some South Korean travel agencies launched "panda tourism" itineraries, taking tourists to China's Sichuan Province to see the adorable pandas. "I am looking forward to my next trip to China, and I hope to visit cities with more local characteristics," Kim said after concluding her trip to China's modern metropolis of Shanghai. While many Japanese and South Korean tourists love to visit China, the two countries are also favored destinations for Chinese holidaymakers. Latest data from Ctrip, a leading travel platform in China, showed that Japan and South Korea are among the top three international destinations for Chinese tourists during the Labor Day holiday. In the first quarter of 2024, South Korea received around 3.4 million foreign tourists, of which 1.01 million were from China, ranking first among all foreign tourists, government figures showed. Xu Qing, a 76-year-old Chinese tourist who recently traveled to Seoul with her daughter and granddaughter, told Xinhua: "South Korea is very close to China. It is very convenient to travel in Seoul." "The people here are very friendly. The city is very clean and very safe," she said. China is also an important source of tourists for Japan and the purchasing power of Chinese visitors is loved by business operators in the tourism sector. Data released by the Japan Tourism Agency revealed that Chinese tourists in Japan had the highest average per capita spending among all foreign visitors in the first quarter, amounting to 293,100 yen (1,867 U.S. dollars). Apart from shopping, Chinese tourists are getting increasingly focused on experiencing the local culture and traditions, Japanese media reported. A recent article in The Yomiuri Shimbun said that Chinese tourists visiting Japan seem to be changing their spending habits and are more focused on experiencing the Japanese culture. Held after a hiatus of more than four years, the trilateral summit in Seoul is expected to add momentum to cooperation among the three East Asian neighbors. Cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation will get a further boost. Enditem (Xinhua reporters Feng Yasong in Seoul, Guo Dan and Tu Yifan in Tokyo also contributed to the story.) LIMA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and 36 others injured when a freight train collided with a passenger bus in the predawn hours of Sunday in central Peru, said the Highway Police. The accident occurred at around 4:30 a.m. local time (0930 GMT) at kilometer 156 of the central highway in La Oroya, a town in central Peru's Junin department, as the bus driver tried to overtake the train, Justo Venero, the head of La Oroya's Highway Police, was quoted by the state-run Andina news agency as saying. "The deceased have been taken to the central morgue. What I have been able to observe is that they are between 25 and 35 years old. Some of them are still inside (the bus) ... we cannot get them out," Venero said. The bus, en route from Lima to the city of Huancayo, was operated by a company called Apocalipsis and the train belonged to Ferrocarril Central Andino. According to the train conductor, the train crashed into the rear of the bus but the fault was with the bus driver because "the signals were visible and the train was running with its lights on." The freight train has a minimum braking margin of 100 meters, said Venero. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. "The forum reflects a strong desire to build a robust relationship between the two sides," said Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit. #GLOBALink GAZA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Hamas has informed the mediators that it would not participate in any negotiations on a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal after Israel's Rafah attack on Sunday night, a source in the movement told Xinhua on Monday. NAIROBI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The next phase of socio-economic transformation in Africa will hinge on upgrading the vocational and soft skills of the continent's youthful workforce, senior officials said on Monday. Speaking on the sidelines of the African Development Bank's (AfDB) 2024 Annual Meetings underway in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, the officials pressed the case for skills development as a prerequisite for achieving Africa's envisaged growth targets. Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning Njuguna Ndung'u said that as Africa transitions to a knowledge-based economy, the imperative to improve access to advanced training among the youth has become urgent. "We need to harness education and training as we embark on modernizing our economies, making them resilient and responsive to the needs of the next generation of Africa's workforce," Ndung'u said. Kenya is hosting the AfDB's Annual Meetings under the theme "Africa's Transformation, the African Development Bank Group, and the Reform of the Global Financial Architecture." More than 3,000 delegates, including heads of state and government, ministers, central bank governors, representatives of regional blocs, civil society, the private sector and academia, are expected to attend the five-day event starting Monday. Martha Phiri, director of human capital at the Youth and Skills Development of the AfDB Group, said the continent should leverage innovation and digital skills of the youth to realize inclusive growth. According to Phiri, many African countries stand a higher chance of leapfrogging into middle-income status once they absorb a critical mass of the skilled workforce in the mainstream economy. She called for reorienting the continent's education system to market demands to tackle unemployment and security threats including crime and civil strife. Victor Murinde, executive director of the Nairobi-based African Economic Research Consortium, said African governments should invest in research, training and reskilling of workers in the public and private sectors in order to tackle poverty and economic malaise. Murinde added that for African economies to remain competitive and resilient, governments should ensure that formal education fosters innovation while improving the vocational skills of the youth. MOSCOW, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is in direct confrontation with Russia over conflict in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday. Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for lifting the restrictions on Ukraine using weapons supplied by NATO members to attack Russian territories, according to media reports. Commenting on Stoltenberg's statements, Peskov noted that "this cannot be his personal opinion," given his position as NATO chief. Peskov said that NATO is directly involved in the Ukraine conflict, adding that the alliance is increasing the degree of escalation. Russia repeatedly warned the West about allowing Ukraine to use supplied weapons to strike Russian territory over the past month, with some Western leaders having talked up the possibility. The Russian military earlier launched military drills involving tactical nuclear weapons as a "response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation," according to the defense ministry. BRUSSELS, May 27 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell issued a stern condemnation on Monday regarding Israeli strikes that killed dozens of displaced persons in Gaza. "Horrified by news coming out of Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of displaced persons, including small children. I condemn this in the strongest terms," the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, expressed through social media platform X. "There is no safe place in Gaza," he said, urging the immediate stop of the attacks and adherence to the orders of the International Court of Justice and international humanitarian law by all parties involved. Forty-six people, including children, women, and the elderly, were killed during Sunday's Israeli bombing of tents for displaced people in Rafah, the enclave's southernmost city where more than 1 million Palestinian refugees are seeking shelter amid the intense conflict. The Israeli forces said they bombed the tents to kill two senior Hamas officials and claimed the army is investigating the incident. SAN FRANCISCO, May 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people have died in the southern U.S. states of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky after powerful storms and tornados hit the region. In Texas, the storm destroyed a roadside travel stop and a community of mobile homes in Cooke County. Texas Governor Greg Abbot said at a press briefing on Sunday that seven people were killed and more than 100 others injured. Over 200 homes and other buildings were destroyed, and another 120 structures were damaged, he added. In Arkansas, at least five people died in storms, local authorities said on Sunday. In Oklahoma, at least two people were killed in Mayes County after a tornado ripped through the northeast part of the state, the Mayes County Emergency Management Agency said. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said that one person died in Louisville. More than 300,000 residents in Texas, Arkansas, and Kentucky were without power, according to the PowerOutage.us website. More severe weather is expected to hit the region throughout Sunday and move to the east through Memorial Day, the National Weather Service warned, adding that severe storms were shifting east to parts of the Mid-Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee valleys on Monday. Storms are expected "to grow upscale and merge into a larger complex," expanding through parts of Missouri, Illinois, western Kentucky, and other neighboring states, according to the weather warnings. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 In April, customs cleared 400 cars at Khorgos port, bringing the total number of vehicles exported to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and other Belt and Road Initiative countries to 90,000 in the first four months of 2024. A motorcycle gallery in Istanbul exhibits a collection of Chinese brands, capturing the attention of both seasoned riders and curious enthusiasts. Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. "A few hours ago there was a shooting incident on the Egyptian border, the [incident] is under investigation, and dialogue is taking place with the Egyptian side," the IDF said. Israel's Jerusalem Post reported that an Egyptian soldier was killed in the exchange of fire, while the Israeli Channel 14 said there were no casualties. Israel's Maariv daily newspaper quoted sources in the IDF as saying that Egyptian soldiers fired first at Israeli soldiers, who returned fire. However, the Al Araby, a news outlet headquartered in Qatar, cited an Egyptian source as saying that the IDF started the fighting, Israeli Channel 13 reported earlier on Monday that an "unusual incident" occurred between the Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing. Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on May 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah crossing on Monday. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) German supermarket brand ALDI is actively expanding business in China, and has "ambitious" plans ahead for the competitive Chinese market. Find out what is driving this confidence. Produced by Xinhua Global Service A person looks on at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) ISTANBUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Widespread protests erupted overnight in Istanbul following Israel's attack on a Palestinian camp in the Gaza Strip, local media reported on Monday. Many demonstrators gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate General in the Levent neighborhood on the European side to denounce the attack, the state-run TRT broadcaster said. Protesters urged the international community to intervene and stop the Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians. Demonstrations also occurred in the Sariyer district, home to the U.S. Consulate General. A banner bearing the message "Free Palestine" was unfurled, and the group chanted, "Down with Israel, collaborator U.S." Another group gathered in Sarachane Park in the Fatih district, where they prayed for the civilians who lost their lives. At least 40 people were killed on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents of Palestinians in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip. People are seen at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) People are seen at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) People look on at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) People are seen at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) A person is seen at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) A person reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) People look on at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. At least 40 people were killed and some others injured on Sunday evening in Israel's bombing of tents in northwestern Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Chinese Premier Li Qiang jointly meets the press with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida following the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, May 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Monday that China, Japan and South Korea should properly handle sensitive issues and differences, and take care of each other's core interests and major concerns. Li made the remarks when jointly meeting the press with leaders of South Korea and Japan following the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. SUVA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit Vanuatu on Sunday and Monday. During the visit, Liu met and exchanged views with Nikenike Vurobaravu, president of Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai, president of the Reunification Movement for Change and prime minister of Vanuatu, Seoule Simeon, president of the Laverwo Movement and parliament speaker, as well as leaders of the country's main political parties. The two sides agreed to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, intensify party-to-party exchanges, as well as deepen exchanges and mutual learning on experience in governance. They also expressed the willingness to strengthen cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road and other fields, promote the development of China-Vanuatu comprehensive strategic partnership, and push for an even closer community of shared future between China and Pacific island countries. CAIRO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of a border guard at the Rafah border area with the Gaza Strip in a shooting incident. The Egyptian military is investigating the incident, which killed one of the Egyptian personnel in charge of guarding the area, the spokesman of the Egyptian Armed Forces said in a statement. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire erupted between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers near the Rafah crossing on Monday. "The (incident) is under investigation, and dialogue is taking place with the Egyptian side," the IDF said. A person walks near a pro-Palestine encampment at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, May 27, 2024. Student protesters have defied an order to leave a pro-Palestine encampment at the ANU. The ANU on Monday officially ordered protesters to pack up and leave the encampment at its main campus in Canberra's northern suburbs, citing serious safety concerns that the camp is blocking an emergency evacuation site. After voting to defy the order and remain at the site, protesters on Monday morning formed a human barrier around the edge of the encampment, according to state media the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua) CANBERRA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Student protesters have defied an order to leave a pro-Palestine encampment at the Australian National University (ANU). The ANU on Monday officially ordered protesters to pack up and leave the encampment at its main campus in Canberra's northern suburbs, citing serious safety concerns that the camp is blocking an emergency evacuation site. After voting to defy the order and remain at the site, protesters on Monday morning formed a human barrier around the edge of the encampment, according to state media the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Located in the center of the ANU's Kambri precinct, the encampment was set up in late April as an act of protest against the university's ties with Israeli institutions amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In a statement issued on Monday, occupants of the encampment said they would continue their peaceful demonstration. A pro-Palestine encampment is seen at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, May 27, 2024. Student protesters have defied an order to leave a pro-Palestine encampment at the ANU. The ANU on Monday officially ordered protesters to pack up and leave the encampment at its main campus in Canberra's northern suburbs, citing serious safety concerns that the camp is blocking an emergency evacuation site. After voting to defy the order and remain at the site, protesters on Monday morning formed a human barrier around the edge of the encampment, according to state media the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua) A pro-Palestine encampment is seen at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, May 27, 2024. Student protesters have defied an order to leave a pro-Palestine encampment at the ANU. The ANU on Monday officially ordered protesters to pack up and leave the encampment at its main campus in Canberra's northern suburbs, citing serious safety concerns that the camp is blocking an emergency evacuation site. After voting to defy the order and remain at the site, protesters on Monday morning formed a human barrier around the edge of the encampment, according to state media the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua) A pro-Palestine encampment is seen at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, May 27, 2024. Student protesters have defied an order to leave a pro-Palestine encampment at the ANU. The ANU on Monday officially ordered protesters to pack up and leave the encampment at its main campus in Canberra's northern suburbs, citing serious safety concerns that the camp is blocking an emergency evacuation site. After voting to defy the order and remain at the site, protesters on Monday morning formed a human barrier around the edge of the encampment, according to state media the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua) A pro-Palestine encampment is seen at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, May 27, 2024. Student protesters have defied an order to leave a pro-Palestine encampment at the ANU. The ANU on Monday officially ordered protesters to pack up and leave the encampment at its main campus in Canberra's northern suburbs, citing serious safety concerns that the camp is blocking an emergency evacuation site. After voting to defy the order and remain at the site, protesters on Monday morning formed a human barrier around the edge of the encampment, according to state media the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua) A pro-Palestine encampment is seen at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, May 27, 2024. Student protesters have defied an order to leave a pro-Palestine encampment at the ANU. The ANU on Monday officially ordered protesters to pack up and leave the encampment at its main campus in Canberra's northern suburbs, citing serious safety concerns that the camp is blocking an emergency evacuation site. After voting to defy the order and remain at the site, protesters on Monday morning formed a human barrier around the edge of the encampment, according to state media the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua) SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday called for the comprehensive resumption of trilateral cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea with an open attitude and transparent measures in line with the principle of non-exclusivity and non-discrimination. Li made the call here during his opening remarks at the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. by Xinhua writer Tai Beiping SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- China, Japan and South Korea agreed at their ninth trilateral summit here on Monday to designate the year 2025 and 2026 as the China-Japan-South Korea Cultural Exchange Year. Geographically close and culturally connected, the three East Asian neighbors boast robust people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and thriving tourism is giving a further boost to interactions among their people. Masato Takashima, a Japanese travel magazine writer who recently paid a five-day visit to China, was deeply impressed by people's love for traditional Chinese attire Hanfu. "Chinese Hanfu culture is amazing. In Xi'an and Luoyang, people don't just wear Hanfu at tourist sites, they incorporate it into their daily lives. You can see people wearing it on the streets. It gives you a sense of traveling through time," Takashima told Xinhua. "The article I wrote for a famous travel magazine is about to be published. I hope more Japanese people can understand the prosperous and beautiful China," said the Japanese writer. Cultural affinity and similarities in traditions make China an attractive destination for Japanese and South Korean tourists, some of whom are fascinated by the diverse landscapes of the vast nation. "The buildings in Shanghai are tall and gorgeous, and the people there are friendly," Kim Rin, a South Korean tourist who recently traveled to China with her boyfriend, told Xinhua. The number of South Korean tourists traveling to China has increased significantly lately. Figures from South Korea's largest travel agency Hana Tour showed that bookings for package tours to China in May increased by 608 percent year-on-year. Apart from large cities like Beijing and Shanghai, places like Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province and Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province are also among the most favored choices by South Korean travelers. The fascination with pandas is also attracting visitors to China. After Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in South Korea returned to China, some South Korean travel agencies launched "panda tourism" itineraries, taking tourists to China's Sichuan Province to see the adorable pandas. "I am looking forward to my next trip to China, and I hope to visit cities with more local characteristics," Kim said after concluding her trip to China's modern metropolis of Shanghai. While many Japanese and South Korean tourists love to visit China, the two countries are also favored destinations for Chinese holidaymakers. Latest data from Ctrip, a leading travel platform in China, showed that Japan and South Korea are among the top three international destinations for Chinese tourists during the Labor Day holiday. In the first quarter of 2024, South Korea received around 3.4 million foreign tourists, of which 1.01 million were from China, ranking first among all foreign tourists, government figures showed. Xu Qing, a 76-year-old Chinese tourist who recently traveled to Seoul with her daughter and granddaughter, told Xinhua: "South Korea is very close to China. It is very convenient to travel in Seoul." "The people here are very friendly. The city is very clean and very safe," she said. China is also an important source of tourists for Japan and the purchasing power of Chinese visitors is loved by business operators in the tourism sector. Data released by the Japan Tourism Agency revealed that Chinese tourists in Japan had the highest average per capita spending among all foreign visitors in the first quarter, amounting to 293,100 yen (1,867 U.S. dollars). Apart from shopping, Chinese tourists are getting increasingly focused on experiencing the local culture and traditions, Japanese media reported. A recent article in The Yomiuri Shimbun said that Chinese tourists visiting Japan seem to be changing their spending habits and are more focused on experiencing the Japanese culture. Held after a hiatus of more than four years, the trilateral summit in Seoul is expected to add momentum to cooperation among the three East Asian neighbors. Cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation will get a further boost. Enditem (Xinhua reporters Feng Yasong in Seoul, Guo Dan and Tu Yifan in Tokyo also contributed to the story.) PHNOM PENH, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Monday called on entrepreneurs to use e-commerce platform like China's Alibaba to sell their products to the international market. Speaking at a seminar on "Beyond borders: bringing Cambodian products to the global market through Alibaba.com," Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul said his ministry and the Alibaba Group inked a Memorandum of Understanding to directly sell Cambodian products on the Alibaba e-commerce platform in October 2023. "To date, about 10 Cambodian enterprises have put up their products such as peppercorns, mango jam and bird nest for sale on the e-commerce platform," she told some 320 participants. "I'd like to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to market their products on the platform in order to help boost the exports of Cambodian products to China and the global market," she added. Nimul said Cambodia will launch a national pavilion on the Alibaba.com in September on the sidelines of the 21st China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo. The minister highlighted that under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement, Cambodia is able to export its products to the fellow RCEP members and China with preferential tariffs. Cambodia exported products worth 8 billion U.S. dollars in the first four months of 2024, up 15.2 percent from 6.94 billion dollars over the same period last year, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise's report. GAZA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Hamas has informed the mediators that it would not participate in any negotiations on a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal after Israel's Rafah attack on Sunday night, a source in the movement said on Monday. The source told Xinhua that the decision came in response to the Israeli army targeting the tents of displaced civilians in the northwest of the city of Rafah, killing and wounding dozens of them. The source also said that the Hamas leadership had not received any official notification from the mediators in Egypt or Qatar regarding the resumption of negotiations. YANGON, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities have seized 123.2 kg of heroin, 5.65 million stimulant tablets and 52 kg of opium in eastern Myanmar's Shan State, the state-run television channel MRTV citing police sources reported late Monday. Acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotics police searched a vehicle in Nawnghkio Township of northern Shan State on May 19 and confiscated the narcotics, the report said. A total of eight suspects were arrested, it said. The seized narcotics are worth 4.75 billion kyats (over two million U.S. dollars), the report said. NEW DELHI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Two doctors have been arrested in India's Pune city for allegedly tampering with the blood sample of a 17-year-old boy involved in a fatal Porsche car accident under the influence of alcohol, as confirmed by a senior police officer on Monday. The two victims, identified as Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, were on a motorcycle when they were reportedly struck by the 17-year-old boy, believed to be the son of a rich real estate developer Vishal Agarwal. Speculation has been rife that the boy's father allegedly "bribed" the doctors in a bid to save his child from being prosecuted. Vishal Agarwal was also detained by the local police over his role of "influencing" the two doctors. The two doctors, Ajay Taware, head of the forensics department at Sassoon Hospital, and Shrihari Halnor, the doctor on duty, have been charged with several crimes including criminal conspiracy, forgery, and destruction of evidence. Soon after the incident on May 19, the boy was granted bail, leading to an uproar among the country's general public with allegations of corruption made against the doctors. KABUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The counter-narcotic police have seized 403 kg of illicit drugs in western Afghanistan's Nimroz province over the past four days, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said Monday. The contraband was confiscated during several counter-narcotic operations conducted in various parts of the province, the ministry said. Meanwhile, Afghan police have apprehended 32 suspects including 10 drug smugglers over the past 24 hours throughout the country, the ministry said in another statement. They were arrested following operations launched by counter-narcotics police in the provinces of Balkh, Herat, Takhar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Parwan and Kunduz, the statement added. Most of the detainees were involved in murder and theft cases, the police said, adding that the suspects were taken to concerned departments for investigation and possible legal process. BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday made remarks regarding that the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) rejected the so-called proposal of "inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer" submitted by certain countries. The spokesperson said that the General Committee and the Plenary Session of the 77th WHA respectively decided to reject the so-called proposal. This has been the eighth year in a row that the WHA has rejected the so-called proposal concerning Taiwan. China's position on Taiwan-related issues at the WHA is widely understood and supported by the international community. Over 100 countries explicitly expressed support for China's position by writing to the WHO Director-General and through other means. This fully demonstrates that the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and the arc of history bends, and must not be challenged. The Chinese central government attaches great importance to the health and well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan, said the spokesperson. Taiwan's medical and health experts can participate in the World Health Organization (WHO) technical meetings under the prerequisite that the one-China principle is upheld. Over the past year alone, medical and technical experts from China's Taiwan region took part in WHO technical activities 24 times, and all the applications were approved by the 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. The Taiwan region has sufficient and unimpeded channels to participate in the technical communication and cooperation in the WHO. There is no such thing as a "gap" in global anti-epidemic efforts. Compared with a handful of countries' political manipulation that trumpets Taiwan's participation in the WHA, the central government's proper arrangement and concrete actions demonstrate real meaning and sincerity for the livelihood and well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan, said the spokesperson. "Once again we would like to make it clear to the Democratic Progressive Party authorities: the abiding commitment of the international community to the one-China principle is unshakable and the trend that China will be reunified is not to be reversed. 'Taiwan independence' runs contrary to the interests of our compatriots in Taiwan, and any attempt to seek 'Taiwan independence' by relying on external forces leads nowhere," the spokesperson said. "We urge certain countries to stop distorting and challenging United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, stop fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, stop politicizing health issues, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs by exploiting the Taiwan question. Using Taiwan to contain China will only end in failure," the spokesperson said. The ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) has been held in Seoul. GENEVA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Assembly (WHA), the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization, decided on Monday not to include in its agenda a proposal on Taiwan's participation as an observer. ISLAMABAD, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's National Counter-Terrorism Authority Coordinator Muhammad Tahir Rai said Sunday that security forces have arrested 11 suspects accused involved in an attack on Chinese nationals in March this year. Addressing a joint press conference here with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, he said the arrested are in police custody on physical remand, adding that they would face trial in local anti-terrorism court where charge sheets would be submitted after completing legal formalities. Naqvi said that foreign land had been used to attack Chinese nationals in Pakistan, which is a "matter of great concern for Pakistan." The authorities have all the evidence that the attack was planned and operated from Afghan soil by the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the minister said, adding that "the adversary intelligence agencies" funded them heavily for the attack. Pakistan has raised this issue with the Afghan interim government, he added. No official response has been made by the Afghan side. On March 26, a suicide bomber riding on an explosive-laden vehicle attacked a convoy of Chinese nationals heading towards a hydropower project, killing five Chinese and their Pakistani driver in the Besham area of Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Longest intercity railway in Greater Bay Area put into operation Xinhua) 08:31, May 27, 2024 A ceremony marking the connection of four intercity railways linking cities of Zhaoqing, Foshan, Guangzhou, Dongguan and Huizhou is held at the Panyu Station in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, May 26, 2024. Intercity railways from Guangzhou to Foshan and from Foshan to Dongguan were officially put into operation on Sunday. The two newly opened intercity railways are connected with the already opened ones from Foshan to Zhaoqing and from Dongguan to Huizhou, forming a 258-kilometer railway line linking the five cities from east to west in Guangdong. The railway is the longest intercity railway in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and is of great significance in accelerating the formation of a one-hour life circle in the area. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) GUANGZHOU, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Two sections of railway in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area were put into operation on Sunday, marking the opening of the longest intercity railway route in the area. The line, linking cities including Huizhou, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Foshan, and Zhaoqing from the east to the west, is 258 kilometers long with a total of 39 stops for ordinary trains, but fast trains only stop at 14 of them. The maximum speed of a train is 200 kilometers per hour, while the average interval between trains is 26 minutes. Passengers can either buy tickets using the official railway ticket-booking app 12306 or swipe their public transportation cards. Zhang Qiao, a senior engineer with the Guangdong Intercity Railway Operation Co., Ltd., noted that the railway will bring convenience to local people, who will be able to take it like taking a subway. China has, in recent years, boosted the connectivity of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. According to the Guangzhou Metro, it is expected that by 2035, the operational scale of rail transit in the Greater Bay Area will reach 7,500 kilometers, covering all cities above county-level and 80 percent of the towns with a planned population above 50,000. A group of tourists pose for photos at a ceremony marking the connection of four intercity railways linking cities of Zhaoqing, Foshan, Guangzhou, Dongguan and Huizhou at the Panyu Station in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, May 26, 2024. Intercity railways from Guangzhou to Foshan and from Foshan to Dongguan were officially put into operation on Sunday. The two newly opened intercity railways are connected with the already opened ones from Foshan to Zhaoqing and from Dongguan to Huizhou, forming a 258-kilometer railway line linking the five cities from east to west in Guangdong. The railway is the longest intercity railway in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and is of great significance in accelerating the formation of a one-hour life circle in the area. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) Railway workers pose for photos at a ceremony marking the connection of four intercity railways linking cities of Zhaoqing, Foshan, Guangzhou, Dongguan and Huizhou at the Panyu Station in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, May 26, 2024. Intercity railways from Guangzhou to Foshan and from Foshan to Dongguan were officially put into operation on Sunday. The two newly opened intercity railways are connected with the already opened ones from Foshan to Zhaoqing and from Dongguan to Huizhou, forming a 258-kilometer railway line linking the five cities from east to west in Guangdong. The railway is the longest intercity railway in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and is of great significance in accelerating the formation of a one-hour life circle in the area. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) The first train of the intercity railway from Foshan to Dongguan is seen at Machong Station in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, May 26, 2024. Intercity railways from Guangzhou to Foshan and from Foshan to Dongguan were officially put into operation on Sunday. The two newly opened intercity railways are connected with the already opened ones from Foshan to Zhaoqing and from Dongguan to Huizhou, forming a 258-kilometer railway line linking the five cities from east to west in Guangdong. The railway is the longest intercity railway in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and is of great significance in accelerating the formation of a one-hour life circle in the area. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) A staff member welcomes passengers for intercity railway at Machong Station in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, May 26, 2024. Intercity railways from Guangzhou to Foshan and from Foshan to Dongguan were officially put into operation on Sunday. The two newly opened intercity railways are connected with the already opened ones from Foshan to Zhaoqing and from Dongguan to Huizhou, forming a 258-kilometer railway line linking the five cities from east to west in Guangdong. The railway is the longest intercity railway in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and is of great significance in accelerating the formation of a one-hour life circle in the area. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) Passengers are seen on the first train of the intercity railway from Foshan to Dongguan in south China's Guangdong Province, May 26, 2024. Intercity railways from Guangzhou to Foshan and from Foshan to Dongguan were officially put into operation on Sunday. The two newly opened intercity railways are connected with the already opened ones from Foshan to Zhaoqing and from Dongguan to Huizhou, forming a 258-kilometer railway line linking the five cities from east to west in Guangdong. The railway is the longest intercity railway in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and is of great significance in accelerating the formation of a one-hour life circle in the area. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that China, Japan and South Korea should strive to reject external disruption and stay committed to harmonious coexistence and mutual support. Li made the remarks at the eighth business summit among China, Japan and South Korea. ULAN BATOR, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A commissioning ceremony for the new building of the National Library of Mongolia was held here on Monday. After 73 years, the National Library of Mongolia has moved into the new building for the first time, according to the library. Situated in Ulan Bator's Sukhbaatar District, the new library building boasts 11 floors and spans 9,948.2 square meters. Housing a collection of 534,000 books and publications, it can serve up to 530 readers simultaneously. The unveiling of the new library building, built to international standards, is heralding numerous opportunities including expanded cultural access, enhanced public understanding of science and cognitive knowledge, heightened interest in literature, and fostering constructive leisure activities for children and youth, the country's Ministry of Culture said in a statement. With a population of 3.5 million, the Asian country persists in implementing numerous measures to foster a reading culture among its citizens. Notably, it hosts the National Book Festival twice a year nationwide -- one in spring and the other in autumn. VIENNA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is bringing stability to people and trade routes, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB) has said. Geopolitical conflicts and crises, which are harmful to rail transport and the economy, have made the BRI "even more important," Andreas Matthae said in a recent interview with Xinhua. As of Saturday, the total number of trips under the BRI flagship program -- China-Europe freight train -- has surpassed 90,000. This extensive network currently serves 223 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.. Before the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted supply chains and rail transport between China and Europe, Matthae said OeBB had "good growth figures and high hopes that rail traffic would increase significantly." The freight train service between Vienna and the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu was launched in 2018. However, Matthae said he is confident that "we will soon reach the previous levels again," and remains stubborn on the positive development of China-Europe relations. As a leading freight transport company in Austria and Hungary, OeBB stands ready to contribute to expanding China-Europe economic relations with its transport and logistic services, he added. Matthae also told Xinhua that OeBB has expanded its footprint in China, with its subsidiary, Rail Cargo International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd., established in Shanghai last year. The subsidiary focuses on providing rail freight services for Chinese and European exporters. The OeBB CEO is set to visit China in the coming weeks for talks with officials on deepening cooperation on logistics and the railway sector in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou. RAMALLAH, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian presidency expressed on Monday its readiness to immediately work on reopening the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. In a statement carried by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, the presidency said that the Palestinian side is ready to immediately work on reopening the Rafah crossing under the agreement signed for the management of crossings in 2005. It came in response to statements by the European Union (EU)'s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, who announced earlier that the EU agreed to reactivate its border assistance mission in Rafah. Borrell said during a press conference in Brussels that the border mission's revival will require support from Egypt, Palestinians, and Israel. Borrell's statements came as the Rafah crossing, a main entry point for aid to Gaza, has been closed for nearly three weeks since Israeli forces took control of it from the Gazan side. The border assistance mission, deployed by the EU to Rafah in 2005, has suspended its operation since 2007 following the control of Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). HONG KONG, May 27 (Xinhua) -- John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said on Monday that the HKSAR government will take forward the relevant work and continue strengthening cooperation and exchanges with other Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities and international maritime organizations to inject new impetus into Hong Kong's maritime and port development. Lee made the remarks when meeting with visiting Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco and Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Guy Platten. Lee said that as an international shipping center, Hong Kong has been maintaining close communication with international maritime partners and actively participating in the IMO's meetings and various committees to stay abreast of the latest global shipping and maritime developments. Hong Kong updated local marine legislation from time to time to meet the IMO's latest requirements and ensure its alignment with relevant IMO regulations. The ICS has long supported the development of the maritime industry in Hong Kong and established its first-ever overseas office in Hong Kong in 2019, Lee added. Lee pointed out that Hong Kong ranks fourth globally in the 2023 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index Report, and that fully reflects Hong Kong's comprehensive strengths in such areas as port conditions, maritime services, and business environment, serving as strong evidence of Hong Kong's globally recognized status as an international shipping center. The chief executive noted that the country firmly supports Hong Kong's status as an international shipping center as stated in the national 14th Five-Year Plan and the Outline Development Plan for the GBA. He said that the HKSAR government promulgated the Action Plan on Maritime and Port Development Strategy at the end of last year, setting out strategies and action measures to enhance the competitiveness of the Hong Kong Port and accelerate the growth of Hong Kong's high value-added maritime services cluster. The HKSAR government will take forward the relevant work. MAPUTO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique's southern province of Gaza is set to resume wheat production in the current quarter, aided by Chinese technology through a Chinese-invested company, local media reported Monday. The inaugural sowing is scheduled to begin within days at the Lower Limpopo Irrigation in Xai-Xai, the capital of Gaza Province, Margarida Chongo, the provincial governor, was quoted by Radio Mocambique as saying "In the initial phase, over 150 hectares will be designated for wheat cultivation," said the governor. The revival of wheat production at the Lower Limpopo Irrigation, nearly 50 years later, was made possible through cooperation with Chinese technology, facilitated by the company Wanbao. Wanbao, a Chinese investment focusing on technology transfer in agriculture and financial support for rice cultivation, will now extend its support to wheat farming in the Lower Limpopo Irrigation district in Gaza. Currently, Mozambique produces only 20,000 tons of the 450,000 tons of wheat it consumes annually, with the remainder imported. Chongo said that wheat cultivation aims to address the shortage and high cost of this cereal in the country, exacerbated by the situation resulting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. SANAA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A military spokesman for Yemen's Houthi group announced on Monday that the group had launched attacks on three ships in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. "The first (attack) targeted the American ship Larego Desert in the Indian Ocean, the second targeted the Israeli ship (MSC Mechela) in the Indian Ocean. The third targeted the ship (Minerva Lisa) in the Red Sea," Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV. Sarea said that his group also launched drone attacks against "two U.S. warships in the Red Sea, and the hits were accurate," vowing to continue attacks until Israel stops its war in the Gaza Strip. No public information could be found for the first two ships, but multiple maritime traffic trackers showed a Marshall Islands-flagged Largo Desert tanker en route from Durban, South Africa to Beira, Mozambique had been active in the area. Online tracker Marine Traffic showed Minerva Lisa was a crude oil tanker located in the Red Sea earlier in the day. On Friday, the Houthi group claimed they launched a missile attack against Israeli ship Essex in the Mediterranean Sea. The Houthis began last November to launch anti-ship ballistic missiles and drones targeting what they said were Israeli-linked ships transiting the Red Sea, to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In response, the U.S.-British naval coalition stationed in the waters has since January conducted air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen to deter the group, but only led to an expansion of Houthi attacks to include U.S. and British commercial vessels and naval ships. TASHKENT, May 27 (Xinhua) -- President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a meeting on Monday in Tashkent, according to the press service of the Uzbek leader. "During the meeting, issues of further development and deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance between Uzbekistan and Russia were discussed," the statement said. It was noted that both sides were pleased with the growing dynamics of trade and economic cooperation. "The volume of trade turnover and Russian investments in Uzbekistan is increasing, and industrial cooperation is developing. The portfolio of joint projects has reached 45 billion dollars," the statement emphasized. During the negotiations, an agreement was reached on the launch of a joint investment platform to support joint projects of leading enterprises. In addition, the presidents stressed the importance of further developing interregional cooperation. CAIRO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has warned against the safety risks facing its army personnel deployed on the border with the Gaza Strip, Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV channel reported Monday, citing a high-ranking security source. Commenting on the killing of an Egyptian soldier near the Rafah crossing earlier in the day, the source said investigation committees have been formed to find out the details of the incident to determine responsibilities and prevent its future recurrence. The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of an Egyptian border guard in the Rafah border area with Gaza in a shooting incident. The Israel Defense Forces also confirmed that a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border," after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers near the Rafah crossing on Monday. Meanwhile, the Egyptian security source said initial investigations into the incident indicated that a shooting incident erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants, leading to gunfire from several directions and prompting the Egyptian soldier to take "protective measures." The source affirmed that the international community must bear its responsibilities regarding the seriousness of the situation on the Egyptian border with Gaza, not only for security purposes but also for the entry of humanitarian aid into the war-torn enclave. Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh (C) attends an inauguration ceremony of a China-funded road project in As-Salt, Jordan, on May 27, 2024. (Jordanian Ministry of Public Works and Housing/Handout via Xinhua) AMMAN, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Monday inaugurated a China-funded road project in the western region of the country. The inauguration ceremony, which was held in As-Salt, a city about 30 km northwest of the Jordanian capital Amman, was also attended by Jordanian Minister of Public Works and Housing Maher Abu Al-Samen and Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Chen Chuandong. In September 2018, China and Jordan signed an agreement to renovate and expand the 12.5-km mountainous road, connecting the Jordan Valley with As-Salt, the capital of the Balqa Governorate. While the majority of the project's funding came from China, Jordan also covered some of the project's expenses. The Chinese ambassador said the project reflects the enduring friendship between the two countries. He expressed hope that the road would improve convenience for Jordanians, particularly those in the region, and serve as a pathway to security, development, and prosperity. Abu Al-Samen underscored the road's importance for Jordan, stressing its role in connecting agricultural areas in the Jordan Valley to As-Salt and Amman, as well as its importance in bolstering both the tourism and agricultural sectors of the country. Photo taken on May 27, 2024 shows part of a China-funded road project in As-Salt, Jordan. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua) Vehicles pass a sign of a China-funded road project in As-Salt, Jordan, on May 27, 2024. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua) Photo taken on May 27, 2024 shows part of a China-funded road project in As-Salt, Jordan. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua) KIEV, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said on Monday that he has signed documents allowing French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centers. "I welcome France's initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian military personnel," Syrsky said in a Telegram post after a meeting via a video link with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu. Syrsky thanked Lecornu for France's support, as well as military and economic assistance to Ukraine. The Ukrainian commander also voiced his hope that other countries would join France's initiative. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he doesn't rule out sending troops to Ukraine, according to media reports. People take part in a pro-Palestinian rally at St. George Campus of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada, on May 27, 2024. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) TORONTO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Pro-Palestinian demonstrators who have been camped out at the University of Toronto, Canada, for 25 days held a solidarity rally on Monday. University officials issued a trespass notice on Friday ordering demonstrators to remove the encampment by 8 a.m. Monday, but the student-led demonstrators said they would not leave until their demands were met. Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto, said in an online post on Monday that the university's lawyers served documents seeking an injunction order from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and asked the court for an expedited case conference for scheduling. Protesters and their supporters, including some university faculty and staff and members of the Ontario Federation of Labour, were holding a rally when Gertler's statement was posted online. Sara Rasikh, one of the spokespeople for the demonstration, told the crowd that protesters tried for months to get the university to listen to their demands, but only received acknowledgment after setting up the encampment. "The university has made it clear they want to clear this encampment, they have issued us a trespass notice and now an injunction, and the reason for this is because the people's strength is threatening to them. It is threatening to the legitimacy of this institution," said Rasikh. Organizers called on the university to cut its ties with Israel, divest from companies profiting from Israel's offensive in Gaza, and terminate partnerships with the country's academic institutions deemed complicit in the war. A person is seen in a pro-Palestinian encampment at St. George Campus of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada, on May 27, 2024. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) A person walks past a pro-Palestinian encampment at St. George Campus of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada, on May 27, 2024. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) Security members stand guard outside a pro-Palestinian encampment at St. George Campus of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada, on May 27, 2024. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) People take part in a pro-Palestinian rally at St. George Campus of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada, on May 27, 2024. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) NAIROBI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Irene Wairimu has been selling cereals for the past 10 years along the 84-km Kenol-Sagana-Marua Highway, which links Nairobi, Kenya's capital, to the agriculturally rich central region. Before its upgrade to a four-lane dual highway, it was a congested two-lane road that travelers often avoided. Since the new road opened, vehicle traffic has more than doubled, bringing more customers to her roadside stall brimming with agricultural produce from nearby farms, Wairimu said. "I am receiving more customers because the road was widened, allowing more people to reach my stall," she said. Wairimu is among hundreds of vendors who sell various agricultural products along the Kenol-Sagana-Marua Highway. The road improvement project, which began in 2020, is being undertaken by Jiangxi Transportation Engineering Group and China Wu Yi Company. It aims to link Nairobi to the agriculturally rich central regions and Moyale town, near the Ethiopian border. The highway passes through the counties of Muranga, Kirinyaga and Nyeri, easing traffic congestion and enhancing Kenya's status as a regional transport and logistics hub. The new road also provides people traveling from Nairobi to the Mount Kenya tourism circuit with uninterrupted dual carriageway, significantly enhancing road safety. Cleophas Makau, deputy director of the Kenya National Highways Authority and the project's coordinator, said the four-lane highway is set to be completed by August. Makau noted that the business community along the highway is already benefiting, with travel time between Sagana town and Nairobi reduced from an average of two hours to about one hour. The road is the main artery for transporting agricultural produce, the backbone of central Kenya's economy. Food items, including bananas, rice and tomatoes, are transported from farms to feed the growing population in Nairobi and other markets in cities like Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru and Kisumu. It is also the main transport corridor for tea and coffee, two of Kenya's primary cash crops, which are mainly exported. AbdiAziz Mohamed, human resource manager at a local avocado products company, said that since the road was expanded, farmers from central Kenya can easily access their facility and deliver their commodities. As a result, the company has expanded its capacity and can now process about 70 tons of avocados daily. Gladys Wairimu, another trader of agricultural produce along the road, also benefits from the project. She said that her business has picked up since the road was expanded from a single lane to a double lane. The road project is a key artery in Kenya, forming part of the Trans-African Highway that runs from Egypt to South Africa, said Richard Malinga, principal transport engineer at the African Development Bank that financed the project. Artists perform at the opening of the 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts in Cairo, Egypt, on May 26, 2024. Egypt's 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts kicked off here on Sunday night, attracting participants from 30 countries and regions. Under the slogan of "Drums for Peace Dialogue," the festival, which runs through June 1, calls on artistic groups from many countries to share their musical vision, encourage cultural dialogue and embrace peace and inclusiveness worldwide. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts kicked off here on Sunday night, attracting participants from 30 countries and regions. Under the slogan of "Drums for Peace Dialogue," the festival, which runs through June 1, calls on artistic groups from many countries to share their musical vision, encourage cultural dialogue and embrace peace and inclusiveness worldwide. The festival's events will be held in various venues in Cairo, including the Northern Wall Theater, the Cairo Opera House, the Sinnari House in Sayyida Zainab neighborhood, and Prince Taz Palace. During the opening ceremony at the Northern Wall Theater in old Cairo, Intisar Abdel-Fattah, president and founder of the festival, held an artistic workshop in the presence of all participating teams. Noting that the festival reflects Egypt's openness to others throughout history and is a journey through which different cultures meet, Abdel-Fattah said the heritage of drums is evoked and presented in renewed artistic forms. "The festival represents a distinguished artistic platform that seeks to promote positive spiritual values, by embracing traditional arts and presenting them as a means of strengthening relations between people," Rafiq al-Tawil, head of Palestine's Falouja troupe for traditional arts, told Xinhua. He said that his team had participated in the festival over the past six years, and the event is a perfect platform to show the traditional Palestinian arts to the whole world. Artists perform at the opening of the 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts in Cairo, Egypt, on May 26, 2024. Egypt's 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts kicked off here on Sunday night, attracting participants from 30 countries and regions. Under the slogan of "Drums for Peace Dialogue," the festival, which runs through June 1, calls on artistic groups from many countries to share their musical vision, encourage cultural dialogue and embrace peace and inclusiveness worldwide. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Artists perform at the opening of the 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts in Cairo, Egypt, on May 26, 2024. Egypt's 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts kicked off here on Sunday night, attracting participants from 30 countries and regions. Under the slogan of "Drums for Peace Dialogue," the festival, which runs through June 1, calls on artistic groups from many countries to share their musical vision, encourage cultural dialogue and embrace peace and inclusiveness worldwide. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Artists perform at the opening of the 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts in Cairo, Egypt, on May 26, 2024. Egypt's 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts kicked off here on Sunday night, attracting participants from 30 countries and regions. Under the slogan of "Drums for Peace Dialogue," the festival, which runs through June 1, calls on artistic groups from many countries to share their musical vision, encourage cultural dialogue and embrace peace and inclusiveness worldwide. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Artists perform at the opening of the 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts in Cairo, Egypt, on May 26, 2024. Egypt's 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts kicked off here on Sunday night, attracting participants from 30 countries and regions. Under the slogan of "Drums for Peace Dialogue," the festival, which runs through June 1, calls on artistic groups from many countries to share their musical vision, encourage cultural dialogue and embrace peace and inclusiveness worldwide. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Artists perform at the opening of the 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts in Cairo, Egypt, on May 26, 2024. Egypt's 11th International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts kicked off here on Sunday night, attracting participants from 30 countries and regions. Under the slogan of "Drums for Peace Dialogue," the festival, which runs through June 1, calls on artistic groups from many countries to share their musical vision, encourage cultural dialogue and embrace peace and inclusiveness worldwide. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) ZANZIBAR, Tanzania, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The 33rd batch of the Chinese medical team in Tanzania's Zanzibar provided free medical services to more than 100 patients in rural areas last week. Li Guang, deputy head of the Chinese medical team, said on Monday that the free medical services provided on Thursday to the Chabani rural community on Pemba Island were joined by local doctors. "We provided the patients with consultations on health assessment, internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, otolaryngology and orthopedics," Li told Xinhua, adding that they also provided blood pressure measurement, blood sugar testing, health counseling, emergency treatment and other services, and distributed medicines free of charge. Li said the doctors also educated local women about cervical cancer screening and encouraged them to visit the hospital for a free examination. He added that early detection, diagnosis and intervention can prevent the progression of diseases, ultimately enhancing the overall health of the community. Haji, head of the Chabani community, expressed his gratitude to the Chinese medical team for providing medical services to the local people. Haji said many people in his community face challenges accessing essential medical services due to the remote location and inconvenient transportation. "This free medical consultation provides free medical services, enabling the masses to understand their health status promptly and obtain corresponding treatment," he added. COLOMBO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Bodies of seven wild elephants were found by wildlife officials at the Flood Plains National Park in Polonnaruwa in north central Sri Lanka on Sunday, wildlife officials told the media on Monday. The bodies have been handed over to the wildlife veterinary unit for further investigation, officials said. The officials said they suspected a herd of wild elephants were swept away while attempting to cross the Ode Ela, a waterway in the area. The bodies of five young elephants, aged between eight and 10 years, and two adult elephants, aged between 30 and 35 years, were found, according to the officials. Sri Lanka has been experiencing heavy rains for the past few weeks. BRUSSELS, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The Council of the European Union (EU) on Monday announced a new framework for restrictive measures against Russia over the alleged poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The sanctions regime involves trade restrictions on equipment, technology and software intended primarily for use in information security and the monitoring or interception of telecommunications, the Council said in a statement. It also sanctioned one entity and 19 individuals alleged to have played key roles in the imprisonment and ultimate death of Navalny. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been one of the biggest driving forces behind the current bull market. In the 18 months since OpenAI released ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, the S&P 500 has produced a total return of 33%. The AI trend has been fueled by announcements from Microsoft, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), and practically every other major tech company in the world. There's no doubt AI development has advanced considerably in a relatively short amount of time. One company has been relatively quiet when it comes to what it's working on, but management promised to "break new ground" in generative AI this year. And those groundbreaking announcements could come in just a few weeks. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is set to take the wraps off its AI development and partnerships at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which starts June 10. Here's what investors can expect and what it means for the stock. Image source: Getty Images. Apple's AI ambitions are different from the rest of big tech Central to Apple's brand is a focus on data privacy and security. As such, it'll highlight the fact that most of its AI features will work on your personal devices. Apple has built its own large language model capable of features like summarizing missed notifications, providing a synopsis of a news article, or transcribing voice memos, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It'll also improve upon existing features like auto-populating your calendar, suggesting apps, and editing photos. None of these features are particularly groundbreaking in and of themselves. But the promise of more on-device AI capabilities down the road as Apple improves its LLM could be the bigger story. As AI features play an increasingly larger role in our digital lives, the ability to keep data private and secure with on-device processing may be the next big step forward in AI, with Apple leading the charge. In the meantime, though, Apple knows there's huge demand for AI features it can't necessarily deliver with its current on-device capabilities. As such, it's struck a partnership deal with OpenAI to integrate some of its technology into the next iteration of iOS. It's also held talks with Google to use its Gemini model, but they have yet to come to an agreement. Apple's secret weapon as it races to catch up in AI One of the biggest limiting factors in developing AI technology is the need for compute power. Nvidia has a stranglehold on the high-end GPU market, and it can't make chips fast enough to keep up with demand. While that's been great for Nvidia's bottom line, it makes it extremely costly for big tech companies building out data centers full of Nvidia GPU clusters. Story continues Almost every big tech company that's currently using Nvidia chips for their AI data centers is developing their own chips for training large language models, including Microsoft and Alphabet. But developing cutting-edge chips is hard, and getting them manufactured takes a long time. Apple is using its own chips in its AI data centers, which saves it money and reduces the potential for bottlenecks other big tech companies may experience as they procure Nvidia chips and print their own. Apple is currently using the M2 Ultra chips found in the Mac Pro computer for its data centers. Next year, it could switch to the M4 chips found in the latest version of the iPad Pro released earlier this month. Its existing manufacturing relationships mean it can be very fast and cost effective in building out data centers as it ramps up its AI efforts. The fact that it's using the same chips to train its LLM as it uses in its devices is also promising for the future of on-device AI capabilities for Apple's products. What it means for investors It's unlikely Apple will monetize many of its new AI features directly. Instead, the new capabilities may push a large portion of Apple's 2.2 billion user base to upgrade their devices. On-device AI capabilities may only be available on the latest hardware and may encourage more device storage for all those AI-edited photos and videos. The majority of iPhones in use in the United States are more than two years old, with about one-third of users holding their phones for three years or longer. These devices are ripe for an upgrade, especially if Apple gives iPhone owners a bit of a push. That could lead to a surge in sales for fiscal 2025, which starts in October. New iPhone models typically come out in September. Meanwhile, advanced AI capabilities built into the iPhone could open the door for developers to build new AI-powered apps. Apple could capitalize by building what analyst Dan Ives is calling an "AI App Store." AI-enabled features, such as circle-to-search found on Google's Pixel phones, could drive more traffic to search engines. And Apple could see a nice boost to its services revenue if it does. Court documents revealed Apple receives a 36% cut of all of Google's search revenue on iPhones, Macs, and iPads. AI could fuel sales in the two biggest segments of Apple's business in fiscal 2025. The announcements next month could be just the start. While shares are approaching their all-time high again, the stock still looks attractive. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio approaching 30 may curb its appeal for some, but a premium price is justified due to its massive share repurchase program, its existing net cash position, and the long-term outlook for another period of strong earnings growth next year and beyond. Should you invest $1,000 in Apple right now? Before you buy stock in Apple, 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 Apple 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 $652,342!* 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 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Adam Levy has positions in Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. 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. 1 Stock to Buy Before It Breaks New Ground in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Next Month was originally published by The Motley Fool Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) shares advanced 1,080% during the last four years, meaning $10,000 invested in the semiconductor company in May 2020 would now be worth $118,000. To put those numbers in context, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) returned 91% during the same period, such that $10,000 invested four years ago would now be worth $19,100. Nvidia brought its share price down with a 4-for-1 stock split in July 2021, and the company now has a 10-for-1 stock split planned for next month. After the market closes on Friday, June 7, shareholders will receive nine new shares of Nvidia stock for every share owned at the previous close. To be clear, the split will have no direct impact on the value of the company, but it will make shares more affordable. Despite Nvidia's phenomenal run, 90% of Wall Street analysts that follow the company still rate the stock a buy, and the other 10% rate the stock a hold. Not a single analyst recommends selling. Nvidia bears a median price target of $1,200 per share, implying about 13% upside from its current price of $1,064 per share. Here's what investors should know about this artificial intelligence stock. Nvidia is a leader in accelerated data center computing Nvidia is best known for its graphics processing units (GPUs), chips that are the gold standard in (1) rendering ultra-realistic computer graphics in multimedia like video games and (2) accelerating complex data center workloads like artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The company has an exceptionally strong presence in both markets, though its largest growth opportunities lie in the latter category. For context, Wells Fargo data compiled by Eric Flaningam suggests that Nvidia accounted for 98% of data center GPU spending in 2023, and the company is expected to capture 94% market share in 2024. Perhaps more important, Nvidia accounted for 92% of spending on data center GPUs used for generative AI workloads in 2023, according to IoT Analytics. That dominance is due in part to its full-stack strategy. GPUs are only one element of the data center stack, but other components are needed to build and run complex applications. That includes central processing units (CPUs), networking platforms, and software development tools. Nvidia addresses every layer of the stack. That makes the company a one-stop shop for AI training and inference, and it supports the rapid innovation that has kept Nvidia ahead of its peers. CEO Jensen Huang commented on that advantage during the latest earnings call. "We're moving so fast and advancing [our systems] quickly because we have all the stacks here. We literally build the entire data center and we can monitor everything, measure everything, optimize across everything," he told analysts. "This deep intimate knowledge at the entire data center scale is fundamentally what sets us apart today." Story continues Nvidia just delivered another blockbuster financial report Nvidia reported financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 (ended April 28, 2024) that easily surpassed Wall Street's expectations. Revenue rose 262% to $26 billion on exceptional sales growth in the data center product category, which itself was driven by demand for generative AI systems. Meanwhile, non-GAAP net income soared 461% to $6.12 per diluted share. The chart below provides more detail on first-quarter revenue growth across Nvidia's four primary product categories. Nvidia's revenue growth by product category in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 (ended April 28, 2024). OEM & Other was excluded because it represented just 0.3% of total revenue. Looking ahead, Nvidia guided for $28 billion in second-quarter revenue, implying 75% growth. That easily beat the $26.6 billion Wall Street analysts anticipated. Management also guided for roughly $15.5 billion in non-GAAP net income, implying about 130% growth. More importantly, CFO Colette Kress recently told analysts that "demand may exceed supply well into next year" due to the upcoming launch of Blackwell, the name given to Nvidia's next-generation AI factory platform. The Blackwell GPU architecture delivers up to four times faster AI training and 30 times faster AI inferencing as compared to the previous Hopper GPU architecture. Nvidia stock trades at a somewhat reasonable valuation The graphics processor market is forecasted to compound at 28% annually through 2030, and AI spending across hardware, software, and services is projected to grow at 37% annually during the same period, according to Grand View Research. Based on those estimates, Nvidia has a good shot at annual earnings growth in the low-30% range (plus or minus a few points) through the end of the decade. Indeed, Wall Street expects the company to grow earnings per share at 38% annually over the next three to five years. That consensus estimate makes the current valuation of 62.3 times earnings seem relatively reasonable, especially compared to other AI stocks. I say that because those values (the price-to-earnings ratio divided by the forecasted earnings growth) give Nvidia a PEG ratio of 1.6. Meanwhile, chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices has a PEG ratio of 5.8, and cloud services providers Alphabet and Microsoft have PEG ratios of 1.5 and 2.7, respectively. That does not mean Nvidia shares are cheap, but the stock is (arguably) cheaper than AMD and Microsoft, and nearly as cheap as Alphabet. I think investors can buy a few shares of Nvidia right now, provided they keep their purchases small (maybe 2% of their portfolios). Investors should also understand the risks associated with Wall Street's lofty expectations. Nvidia stock could implode if the company fails to match earnings growth projections set by analysts. 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 $652,342!* 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 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Wells Fargo is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Trevor Jennewine has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Nvidia. 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. 1 Stock-Split Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Up 1,080% in 4 Years to Buy Now, According to Wall Street was originally published by The Motley Fool Investing in high-yield dividend stocks is an easy way to turn idle cash sitting in your portfolio into a lucrative income stream. High-quality income producers can provide you with a steadily rising stream of dividend income. Pipeline giants Enbridge (NYSE: ENB) and Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) are no-brainers among high-yield dividend stocks. They have superior track records of increasing their already sizable payouts. With low share prices, they're ideal for those with less than $200 to invest right now. Lots of fuel to grow its payout Canadian pipeline and utility operator Enbridge has a forward dividend yield approaching 7.5%. That implies you can earn nearly $7.50 of annual dividend income for every $100 invested in the energy infrastructure company. While U.S. investors are subject to a 15% withholding tax (unless held in an individual retirement account, or IRA), they'd likely pay dividend taxes anyway for companies owned in a regular brokerage account. Enbridge pays a very sustainable dividend. The company generates extremely durable cash flow (98% comes from stable cost-of-service agreements or long-term contracts) and pays out 60% to 70% of that steady income in dividends. It retains the rest to help fund expansion projects. Enbridge also has a strong balance sheet, with its leverage ratio well within its target range. That gives it additional financial flexibility to fund its growth. The company currently has a massive backlog of expansion projects under construction, primarily lower-carbon energy infrastructure, like gas pipelines and renewable energy projects. Enbridge also has additional investment capacity to make acquisitions. Those drivers help fuel its view that it can grow its cash flow per share by around 3% annually through 2026 before accelerating to 5% per year after that. That growing cash flow should give Enbridge the fuel to continue increasing its dividend. The company has raised its payout for 29 straight years, including by more than 3% late last year. A rock-solid income stream Master limited partnership (MLP) Enterprise Products Partners currently has a forward yield of more than 7%. As an MLP, its income is largely tax-deferred, making it an excellent way to generate passive income. However, there's a caveat: MLPs send Schedule K-1 tax forms each year (often later in the filing season), which can complicate your taxes. The MLP's sustainable and growing distribution payments can make those tax complications well worth it, though. Enterprise has increased its payout every year for a quarter century, including by more than 5% over the past year. Story continues Enterprise Products Partners generates very stable cash flow, with the bulk coming from assets backed by long-term contracts and government-regulated rate structures. The MLP currently produces enough cash to cover its high-yielding payout by a comfy 1.7 times. That enables it to retain some money to fund expansion projects. It also has a very strong balance sheet (it has the highest credit rating in the midstream sector), giving it even more financial flexibility to fund its continued expansion. The MLP has several billion dollars of expansion projects under construction, which should come online by the first half of 2026. It has several other projects under development as well, including a potentially needle-moving offshore oil export facility, giving it lots of visibility into future growth. The company also has the financial flexibility to opportunistically make acquisitions. With a strong financial profile and visible growth ahead, Enterprise Products Partners should be able to continue increasing its high-yielding distribution. High-quality, high-yielding dividend stocks Enbridge and Enterprise Products Partners have exceptional track records of increasing their dividend payments. With more growth likely, they're no-brainer buys for those seeking to turn some idle cash into a lucrative and growing income stream. Should you invest $1,000 in Enbridge right now? Before you buy stock in Enbridge, 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 Enbridge 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 $652,342!* 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 Matt DiLallo has positions in Enbridge and Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Enbridge. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 No-Brainer High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now for Less Than $200 was originally published by The Motley Fool If you're putting your money to work on Wall Street, volatility is something you'll have to get used to. Prior to 2024, the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average, broad-based S&P 500, and growth stock-powered Nasdaq Composite traded off bear and bull markets for four consecutive years. When the going gets tough on Wall Street, professional and retail investors generally seek out the safety of industry-leading companies and perennial outperformers. While the FAANG stocks are a good example, investors have wisely gravitated to companies enacting stock splits over the last three years. Image source: Getty Images. Stock-split stocks take center stage A stock split is a cosmetic event that allows a publicly traded company to alter its share price and outstanding share count by the same magnitude. I say "cosmetic" because stock splits have no impact on a company's market cap or operating performance. Stock splits take two forms: forward splits and reverse splits. A forward stock split involves reducing a company's share price to make it more nominally affordable for investors who may not have access to fractional-share purchases with their broker. Meanwhile, reverse stock splits are designed to increase a public company's share price to ensure continued listing on a major stock exchange. Most investors tend to pile into companies enacting forward splits and for good reason. These companies are typically firing on all cylinders from an operating standpoint and have handily out-innovated their competition. In many instances, companies undertaking forward stock splits have well-defined competitive advantages. However, Wall Street's billionaire money managers have mixed views on what to expect from the 2024 class of stock-split stocks. Following the release of Form 13F filings, which details buying activity for institutional money managers during the first quarter, we can see that billionaires were eager to add to two stock-split stocks while heading to the exit with another. Stock-split stock No. 1 that billionaire investors are buying hand over fist: Chipotle Mexican Grill The first stock-split stock billionaires were happy to add to their respective funds during the March-ended quarter is fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG). In March, Chipotle announced plans to conduct a 50-for-1 split that'll take effect before the opening bell on June 26, assuming it gets the green light from shareholders at the company's upcoming annual meeting. During the first quarter, Chipotle had four billionaires who were enthusiastic buyers, including (total shares purchased in parentheses): Story continues Ken Griffin of Citadel Advisors (135,356 shares) John Overdeck and David Siegel of Two Sigma Investments (20,163 shares) Jeff Yass of Susquehanna International (9,381 shares) Chipotle Mexican Grill has proved to be practically unstoppable since its January 2006 initial public offering. Just as grocery stores beefed up their margins by offering healthier and organic food options, Chipotle's management team quickly realized that consumers would pay a premium for higher-quality food. Chipotle has shunned freezers, uses only responsibly raised meats, and sources its vegetables locally when possible. Arguably, even more important has been Chipotle's decision to limit the size of its menu. Keeping its menu rather small ensures that its staff can quickly prepare meals and keep in-store and drive-thru lines moving. A smaller menu also allows for more buzz when Chipotle introduces a new item. Chipotle's innovation beyond the grill also deserves plenty of credit. Roughly six years ago, the company began introducing dedicated mobile-ordering drive-thru lanes, known as "Chipotlanes," at a few of its locations. The idea has since taken off. Chipotlanes were especially helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic and are responsible for creating an entirely new revenue stream for the company. Despite trading at a nosebleed premium, shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill remain on the menu for select billionaire investors. Stock-split stock No. 2 that billionaire money managers are buying hand over fist: Sony Group The other stock-split stock prominent billionaire investors were gobbling up shares of during the March-ended quarter is Japan-based consumer electronics company Sony Group (NYSE: SONY). To be fair, Sony didn't announce its 5-for-1 forward split until well after the first quarter came to a close. The first split for Sony in 24 years is expected to take effect on Oct. 8 for shares listed in the U.S. Although foreign-based businesses rarely garner as much interest from billionaire investors as U.S.-based companies, two billionaire asset managers were big buyers of Sony stock in the first quarter (total shares purchased in parentheses): Ken Fisher of Fisher Asset Management (457,754 shares) Jeff Yass of Susquehanna International (104,859 shares) Fisher's purchase brought his fund's stake to more than 6.8 million shares of Sony. Meanwhile, Yass has increased Susquehanna's stake in the company by 829% since Dec. 31, 2023! If you're wondering why the dynamic duo of Ken Fisher and Jeff Yass are so bullish on Sony, look no further than its higher-margin operating segments. Although PlayStation 5 console demand has waned a bit since being introduced in November 2020, PlayStation Plus revenue is ticking up. PlayStation Plus is a service that allows friends to play multiplayer games and gives gamers access to the cloud, where their gaming data can be stored. This high-margin service, which has multiple tiers, can be paid for monthly or annually. Additionally, Sony is one of the world's leading providers of image sensors used in smartphones. The 5G revolution gave consumers and businesses every reason to trade in their devices for models that can take advantage of faster download speeds. With smartphone sales expected to grow in 2024, Sony's imaging and sensing solution sales should keep climbing. Don't overlook Sony's recently announced share repurchase program, either. If the company maximizes its buyback program, it could retire close to 2.5% of its outstanding shares and provide a modest boost to its earnings per share (EPS). Image source: Getty Images. The stock-split stock billionaires sent to the chopping block: Walmart However, not all stock-split stocks were on the shopping list for billionaire money managers during the March-ended quarter. Retail titan Walmart (NYSE: WMT), which completed a 3-for-1 stock split on Feb. 26, had four top-notch billionaires show it to the door, including (total shares sold in parentheses): Ken Griffin of Citadel Advisors (3,201,374 shares) Jeff Yass of Susquehanna International (1,540,745 shares) Steven Cohen of Point72 Asset Management (1,152,746 shares) Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates (745,275 shares) One possible reason billionaires headed for the exit from Walmart during the first quarter is the likelihood that the U.S. economy will dip into a recession in the quarters to come. Though economic data remains relatively strong, a historic drop-off in the M2 money supply suggests trouble lies ahead. Retailers like Walmart could struggle if consumers hang on to more of their disposable income. Another potential concern is Walmart's valuation. As of the closing bell on May 17, shares were trading at nearly 25 times the consensus EPS for 2025. This represents about a 6% premium to Walmart's average forward-year earnings multiple over the trailing-five-year period. To boot, the stock market is historically pricey and potentially due for a sizable pullback. Despite these headwinds, Walmart continues to move its profit needle in the right direction by using size to its advantage. Buying products in bulk and undercutting local stores and grocery chains on price has been a winning formula for driving traffic into its stores for decades. Nevertheless, Walmart is probably going to need a big uptick in high-margin Walmart+ membership purchases if it has any hope of sustaining a forward-earnings multiple of 25 over the short run. Should you invest $1,000 in Chipotle Mexican Grill right now? Before you buy stock in Chipotle Mexican Grill, 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 Chipotle Mexican Grill 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 $652,342!* 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 Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Stock-Split Stocks Billionaires Are Buying Hand Over Fist, and 1 They've Sent to the Chopping Block was originally published by The Motley Fool Private Islands Inc. Bora Bora is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. The island comes in at No. 2 on U.S. News & Worlds Reports list of Best Places to Visit for 2023-24. But a trip to this luxurious island is hardly cheap. According to the estimates of Bora Bora Insider, you can expect to pay anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000. Discover More: 3 Places To Travel That Are Like Hawaii but Way Cheaper Find Out: 4 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money Surely, Bora Bora is a special place, with its soft white sand beaches, translucent blue waters and reputation as the Romantic Island, but its not the only place with such gorgeous wonders and relaxing scenery. If youre on a frugal budget, you might want to consider visiting another equally enchanting island. Lets look at five island vacation destinations that are quite similar to Bora Bora, but much more affordable. Fiji Fiji, a fellow popular vacation spot and fave honeymoon destination, is an excellent alternative to Bora Bora. It also has white sand beaches and clean, aqua waters. Wed be amiss to describe this as a cheap place to visit, but it is generally more affordable than Bora Bora. According to Budget Your Trip, a one-week trip to Fiji typically costs around $1,205 per person. This price tag includes accommodation, food, local transportation and sightseeing. Check Out: 7 Vacation Destinations To Avoid on a Retirement Budget Moorea, French Polynesia Like Bora Bora, Moorea is part of French Polynesias Society Islands archipelago. Its a great spot for people looking to snorkel and scuba dive, or just soak up the sun in idyllic beach scenery. Budget Your Trip estimates that a one-week trip to this captivating island averages $2,302, which includes accommodation, food, local transportation and sightseeing. Maldives The Maldives, a tropical oasis in the Indian Ocean, is similar to Bora Bora in that it has overwater villas, shimmering clear lagoons and sugar-white sand beaches. But its generally a less expensive island getaway. According to Budget Your Trip, a one-week trip to the Maldives for a couple averages $4,244 and includes accommodation, food, local transportation and sightseeing. Jamaica Famous for its vibrant rainforests, lush waterfalls and pristine beaches, Jamaica is another tropical paradise that rivals Bora Bora but is cheaper to visit. Budget Your Trip estimates that a one-week trip to Jamaica for two costs $1,713, on average, and that includes accommodation, food, local transportation and sightseeing. Ksamil, Albania Never heard of Ksamil, Albania? Its time to get acquainted. Like Bora Bora, its famous for its white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. Its also one of the most affordable beach destinations in Europe, period. A one-week trip to Albania for two averages $1,125, a price tag that includes accommodation, food, local transportation and sightseeing, according to Budget Your Trip. Story continues More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Places To Travel That Are Just Like Bora Bora but Way Cheaper Stocks hitting their 52-week high and delivering consistent performance offer attractive opportunities to investors while building a portfolio. This is because stocks near that level are perceived to be winners. However, stocks touching a new 52-week high are often predisposed to profit-taking, resulting in pullbacks and trend reversals. Moreover, given the high price, investors often wonder if the stock is overpriced. While the speculations are not absolutely baseless, all stocks hitting a 52-week high are not necessarily overpriced. In fact, investors might lose out on top gainers in an attempt to avoid the steep prices. Stocks such as Wolverine Worldwide WWW, Signet Jewelers SIG, Tenet Healthcare Corp. THC, Louisiana-Pacific LPX and Silicon Motion SIMO are expected to maintain their momentum and keep scaling new highs. Extensive information on a stock is necessary to understand whether or not there is scope for further upside. Here, we discuss a strategy to find the right stocks. The strategy borrows from the basics of momentum investing. This technique bets on buy high, sell higher. 52-Week High: A Good Indicator Many times, stocks that hit a 52-week high fail to scale higher despite having potential. This is because investors fear that the stocks are overvalued and expect the price to crash. In fact, overvaluation is natural for most of these stocks as investors focus (or willingness to pay a premium) has helped them reach the level. But that does not always indicate an impending decline. Factors such as robust sales, surging profit levels, earnings growth prospects and strategic acquisitions that encouraged investors to bet on these stocks could keep them motivated if there is no tangible negative. In other words, the momentum might continue. Also, when a string of positive developments dominates the market, investors find their under-reaction unwarranted, even if there are no company-specific driving forces. Setting the Right Filters We ran a screen to zero in on 52-week high stocks (trading near the high level) that hold tremendous upside potential. The screen includes parameters to shortlist stocks with strong earnings growth expectations, sturdy value metrics and price momentum. Moreover, the screen filters stocks that are relatively undervalued compared to their peers in terms of earnings as well as sales, ensuring the continuation of their rally for some time. Current Price/52 Week High >= .8 This is the ratio between the current price and the highest price at which the stock has traded in the past 52 weeks. A value greater than 0.11 implies that the stock is trading within 20% of its 52-week high range. Story continues % Change Price 4 Weeks > 0 It ensures that the stock price has moved north over the past four weeks. % Change Price 12 Weeks > 0 This metric guarantees a continued upward price momentum for the stock over the past three months as well. Price/Sales <= XIndMed The lower, the better. P/E using F(1) Estimate <= XIndMed This metric measures the amount an investor puts into a company to obtain one dollar of earnings. It narrows down the list of stocks to those that are undervalued compared to the industry. One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) >= XIndMed This helps choose stocks that have higher growth rates than the industry. This is a meaningful indicator, as decent earnings growth adds to investor optimism. Zacks Rank =1 No screening is complete without the Zacks Rank, which has proved its worth since its inception. It is a fundamental truth that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have always managed to brave adversities and beat the market average. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Current Price >= 8 This parameter will help screen stocks that are trading at $8 or higher. Volume 20 days (shares) >= 100000 The inclusion of this metric ensures that there is a substantial volume of shares, so trading is easier. Here are five stocks of the 21 that made it through the screen: Wolverine Worldwide is engaged in the designing, manufacturing and distribution of a wide variety of casual as well as active apparel and footwear. The company also manufactures childrens footwear and specially designed boots and accessories for industrial purposes. Wolverine's transformation plan is yielding impressive results, spearheaded by the remarkable performances of Merrell and Saucony. Key product launches such as Saucony's Ride, Guide 17 and Merrell's Moab Speed 2 are driving growth. The company has strategically invested in brand marketing, fortified its balance sheet, and reduced debt and inventory levels. Wolverine is enhancing consumer engagement through innovative marketing campaigns and expanding its global footprint, notably in Japan. With a renewed focus on product innovation and market positioning, Wolverine is poised for continued growth and increased market share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WWWs 2024 earnings has moved north by 3.8% to 82 cents per share in the past 30 days. The company matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate twice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same twice, the average negative surprise being 6.25%. Signet Jewelers is a retailer of diamond jewelry, watches and other products. The company operates in the United States, Canada, the U.K., the Republic of Ireland and the Channel Islands. Signet Jewelers has been diligently fortifying its digital platform, underscoring its resilience and agility in the ever-evolving retail landscape. The company's core e-commerce operations remain robust, reflecting its adaptability to shifting consumer shopping behaviors. Enhancing the digital platform not only facilitates capturing a larger market share but also bolsters the development of a resilient business model. Signet leverages a sophisticated customer data platform to power targeted marketing initiatives, amplifying consumer engagement and driving sales, particularly in the bridal segment. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SIGs fiscal 2025 earnings has remained steady at $10.6 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 26.4%. Tenet Healthcare is an investor-owned healthcare services company, which owns and operates general hospitals and related health care facilities for urban and rural communities in numerous states, and has offices in California and Florida. Tenet Healthcare's revenue growth is propelled by rising patient admissions, while its strategy of acquisitions and alliances aims to expand its scale through inorganic growth. The company is undertaking divestitures to streamline operations, eliminating unprofitable businesses and allocating capital to higher-return investments. The strong performance of the Ambulatory Care unit is also driving results, with projected net operating revenues between $4.2 billion and $4.3 billion for 2024. Tenet also benefits from contractual rate increases in its Conifer JV business, further bolstering its financial performance. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for THCs 2024 earnings has moved north by 36.9% to $8.42 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 56.5%. Louisiana-Pacific or LP is a leading manufacturer of sustainable, quality engineered wood building materials, structural framing products as well as exterior siding for use in residential, industrial and light commercial construction. Louisiana-Pacific's growth strategy hinges on strategic acquisitions, business combinations, and the divestiture of low-profitability operations. The company is reaping the rewards of astute business investments and cost-saving initiatives. Its emphasis on the Siding and OSB business segments is paying dividends, underpinned by the belief that sustained demand for environmentally friendly engineered wood siding is supported by long-term market trends and demographic shifts. With a keen focus on optimizing its portfolio and capitalizing on emerging opportunities, Louisiana-Pacific is well-positioned to drive sustainable growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LPXs 2024 earnings has moved north by 29.5% to $5.79 per share in the past 30 days. The company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same once, the average surprise being 18.61%. Silicon Motion Technology is a leading developer of microcontroller ICs for NAND flash storage devices. The semiconductor company also designs, develops and markets high-performance, low-power semiconductor solutions for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and other customers. Silicon Motion is making strides in expanding its SSD controller program engagements with PC OEMs, as well as eMMC/UFS controllers for smartphones, automotive applications and IoT/smart devices. Equipped with a robust product portfolio and successful collaborations with flash vendors for developing proprietary controller technology, the company is well-positioned to adapt to evolving industry changes. Bolstered by an improving backlog, Silicon Motion is poised for steady growth through 2024, prompting an upward revision of its fiscal guidance, underscoring its positive trajectory. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SIMOs 2024 earnings has moved north by 2.1% to $3.47 per share in the past 30 days. The company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same once, the average surprise being 4.72%. Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and back testing software. The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your trial to the Research Wizard today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today. Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LPX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Signet Jewelers Limited (SIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (WWW) : Free Stock Analysis Report Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research SHANGHAI (Reuters) - As Starbucks faces stiff competition for its brew in China from fast-growing, low-cost rivals who have chipped into its market share, the coffee chain is increasingly being dragged into a price war it says it wants to avoid. The stakes are high for Starbucks, which has come under growing pressure from investors recently due to weaker sales in its two biggest markets - the United States and China. While the Seattle-based company has got its work cut out in the world's second-biggest economy, where its rival Luckin Coffee pipped it to the top spot on annual sales for the first time in 2023, management is convinced it does not need to get into a race to the bottom on prices. "We are not interested in entering the price war," Starbucks' China CEO Belinda Wong said in January. "We are focusing on capturing high quality but profitable, sustainable growth." Those sentiments were repeated by founder Howard Schultz on a visit to Shanghai in March. Starbucks emoji cups at a Starbucks store in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. (CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images) (Future Publishing via Getty Images) However, analysts, Reuters checks and Chinese consumers posting on social media point to an increase in discount coupons being offered by Starbucks through its own mini-programs, as well as via the coffee-maker's livestreams on Douyin, and third-party delivery platforms popular for ordering coffee. In effect, Starbucks has made it relatively easy for Chinese consumers to buy its most commonly ordered coffees with 30% discounts or two-for-one coupons without dropping their listed prices, sliding down a slippery slope of increased discounting towards a potential price war. While Reuters was unable quantify just how much Starbucks' use of discount coupons has increased and the firm declined to comment on its coupons policy, these types of discounting practices were once a rarity from the U.S. coffee maker. In 2024, however, they have become easily available. Walker Shen, 38, is an office worker from Shanghai who frequently uses discount coupons to buy his daily coffee. He has noticed an increase in push notifications from Starbucks in recent months offering him 30% off coupons. "I think less people are drinking Starbucks now," Shen said, adding that "most people aren't that demanding when it comes to quality," meaning fewer consumers were willing to pay a premium for Starbucks. The emergence of a price war in the coffee sector in China comes amid a persistent deflationary environment, exacerbated by weak consumer sentiment as the economy struggles to recover and wages stagnate. Unfortunately for Starbucks, says Jason Yu, greater China managing director of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel, it doesn't really have a choice but to compete to some degree on price in a market where low cost battles have become "the new normal". Story continues "Strengthening the promotional offers and increasing the intensity of their promotions, being very active on social media, are essential moves to maintain their position so market share is not further eroded," he added. In second quarter results released at the beginning of May, Starbucks said same-store sales in China - its second-largest market - fell 11%, prompting it to slash annual sales forecast. The coffee chain had a 13.6% market share of China's cafe and bar market in 2022, according to the most recent available data. Daxue Consulting, a market research firm, estimated China's roast coffee market at $11.7 billion in 2023 and projected it to grow to $13.25 billion by 2025. Starbucks remains more discerning in its approach to distributing discount coupons than others, says independent food and beverage analyst Zhu Danpeng. "Starbucks will do promotions, but their promotion volume will be small, they will be in a specific period of time, or for some specific products," he said. Starbucks China CEO Wong last year said "Deep Brew", the firm's AI data analytics engine, would allow it to pitch discounts to "the right customers at the right time" in China, though the firm declined to comment on the use of Deep Brew as part of its current strategy. COFFEE FOR BEANS The list price of a large Luckin latte at 29 yuan ($4.00) is not far off Starbucks' latte price (33 yuan), but Luckin actually often sells lattes at 9.9 yuan with a widely-available coupon. Offerings from other competitors are even cheaper, with Cotti, a chain launched by former Luckin Chairman Charles Lu, offering Americanos for 8.8 yuan with a coupon and KFC's KCoffee allowing members to buy 5 yuan coffees for 30 days on a 10-yuan membership fee. Helped by its steep discounts and quicker store expansion - with 18,590 stores already more than double the 9,000 Starbucks says it will open in China by 2025 - Luckin revenue reached 24.86 billion yuan ($3.45 billion) in 2023, surpassing Starbucks' comparable annual sales of $3.16 billion in China. A nearby Luckin Coffee and Starbucks store in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. (CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images) (Costfoto via Getty Images) Though price will be an important factor in consumer decision-making for the foreseeable future, Starbucks won't beat its competition in a race to the bottom, Kantar's Yu says, adding that the American firm should continue with its strategy of offering a premium in-store experience its competitors can't match. "Starbucks needs to compete on price but not only compete on price," he said. "They need to lead in innovation, lead in the conversation about coffee and lead in creating emotional value for consumers, or they will lose out more to the local competition." ($1 = 7.2444 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Casey Hall in Shanghai and Sophie Yu in Beijing; additional reporting by Shanghai newsroom.; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) Potential AEM Holdings Ltd. (SGX:AWX) shareholders may wish to note that the Independent Non-Executive Director, Andre Andonian, recently bought S$505k worth of stock, paying S$1.87 for each share. However, it only increased shareholding by a small percentage, and it wasn't a huge purchase by absolute value, either. View our latest analysis for AEM Holdings AEM Holdings Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Notably, that recent purchase by Andre Andonian is the biggest insider purchase of AEM Holdings shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of S$1.88. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. The good news for AEM Holdings share holders is that an insider was buying at near the current price. Andre Andonian was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months. 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! AEM Holdings is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Does AEM Holdings Boast High Insider Ownership? Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that AEM Holdings insiders own 7.1% of the company, worth about S$42m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment. What Might The Insider Transactions At AEM Holdings Tell Us? The recent insider purchase is heartening. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest AEM Holdings insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. 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. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with AEM Holdings and understanding this should be part of your investment process. Story continues If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Australia's Nuclear Science And Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has announced the launch of a new patient care project to enhance radiology services in the Asia and Pacific region. The Australian-led initiative has secured A$1.3m ($862,550) in funding from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over the next four years. It also received support from the government parties to the Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific (RCA-AP). The project, titled improving the quality and safety of diagnostic and interventional radiology services to benefit health care by enhancing the status, knowledge and skills of medical physicists (RCA), aligns with the IAEAs Rays of Hope initiative. IAEAs flagship programme seeks to assist low- as well as middle-income countries in accessing cancer diagnosis and treatment through radiation medicine. The new four-year project will focus on bridging the countrys existing gap in radiotherapy facilities, fostering capacity building in radiation oncology, and promoting cooperation in quality assurance, research, training and delivery of radiotherapy services. It further aims to strengthen the clinical role of radiology medical physicists to improve patient care in the participating Asian and Pacific countries. Leading the project is Dr Ioannis Delakis, with the assistance of Dr Zoe Brady, chief physicist (Diagnostic Imaging) and Melbournes Alfred Hospital radiation safety officer and Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM) Diagnostic Imaging Certification Panel chair. Dr Donald McLean, a partner of the IAEA and RCA-AP, also contributed to the virtual workshop that marked the launch of the project. The RCA-AP, a treaty-level agreement under the IAEA, encompasses 22 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos, Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia, among others. The regional programme includes 17 active technical cooperation projects across various sectors such as human health, radiation protection, environment, and other industries. Delakis said: The launch marked the beginning of collaborative, impactful discussions and activities focusing on the need to bolster the recognition of the medical physics profession in our region in a field where there is a critical shortage. "ANSTO launches project to improve radiology services in Asia-Pacific " was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. Story continues The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. South African self-regulation body The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has upheld a complaint by LOreal South Africa against Nutriwomen over packaging imitation. In a complaint, LOreal South Africa alleged that Nutriwomen's Dermacare range packaging imitated the distinctive elements of LOreal's Cerave skincare products. LOreal South Africa, through its legal representation ENS Africa, contended that Nutriwomen's Dermacare packaging closely resembled Cerave's, including fonts, and product design. The company argued that Dermacare "copies" its colours and product range descriptors. LOreal South Africa, in its complaint, said: The Cerave brands unique and exclusive combination of three scientifically identified essential skin identical ceramides, the blend of which is identical to the ceramides found naturally in skin, has been a major marketing point for the Cerave brand and is found in every Cerave product. The ARB ruled that Nutriwomens packaging indeed constitutes an imitation of the Cerave packaging, thereby violating Clause nine of Section II of the Code. The combination of design elements in Cerave's packaging had become distinctive and recognisable, thus deserving protection, ARB said. In its defence, Nutriwomen argued that the colour scheme used is employed commonly in the skincare products and that its packaging was "vastly different" from Cerave's. The packaging is overall vastly different to the current Cerave packaging; the packaging architecture is not unique in the skincare industry, both locally and globally, Nutriwomen said. "ARB rules against Nutriwomen in LOreal packaging dispute " 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. Aruma Resources has acquired a portfolio of copper and uranium exploration assets in South Australia (SA) and Queensland. In this regard, the company executed a share acquisition agreement to acquire the Wilan IOCG-Uranium Project in the Olympic Dam precinct and the Fiery Creek and Bortala Copper Projects in the Mt Isa region from NHM Holdings (Australia) (NHMHA). As per the agreement, Aruma proposes to issue 26.5 million shares to NHMHA shareholders, with a six-month voluntary escrow period. Additionally, 24.5 million options will be provided, exercisable upon securing necessary approvals for drilling at the Wilan Project. Another 28 million options are contingent on achieving significant drilling intercepts at any of the new projects. Moreover, Aruma has agreed to a 2% net smelter royalty to NHMHA shareholders on minerals extracted and sold from the acquired tenements. The acquisition positions Aruma in two of Australia's leading mineral precincts, with the potential to develop high-value exploration projects. Aruma has completed due diligence on the new projects and is now seeking shareholder approval for the acquisition. Upon completion, Aruma plans to commence targeted field work to define drill targets and test priority areas to realise the full value of the projects. Wilan Project, located on the Gawler Craton's eastern side, spans 1,993km2 and is known for hosting mining operations. The company aims to explore for IOCG mineralisation in this region. On the other hand, Bortala and Fiery Creek Projects are located in the northern Mt Isa copper-belt, are in an under-explored area with several significant copper mines. The strategic move into these projects is expected to leverage the region's mining potential and contribute to the company's growth in the copper and uranium sectors. Aruma managing director Glenn Grayson said: We are excited about the company-changing potential of this acquisition. In seeking to expand our asset portfolio we have assessed a number of projects against key criteria designed to drive market support for the company and value accretion for shareholders. We see the combination of quality exploration asset portfolio in high-demand commodities, located in active tier-1 mineral belts in progressive mining jurisdictions as the clear right-fit for Aruma Resources. "Aruma acquires copper and uranium assets in Australia" 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. Exploring the Sustainability and Growth of Barnes Group Inc's Dividends Introduction to Barnes Group Inc's Upcoming Dividend Barnes Group Inc (NYSE:B) recently announced a dividend of $0.16 per share, payable on 2024-06-10, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-05-28. 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 Barnes Group Inc's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does Barnes Group Inc Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 7 Warning Signs with B. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? Barnes Group Inc is a U.S.-based industrial and aerospace manufacturer and service provider. It leverages world-class manufacturing capabilities and engineering to develop various processes, automation solutions, and applied technologies for industries ranging from aerospace and medical & personal care to mobility and packaging. The company operates through two segments: Industrial and Aerospace. The industrial segment manufactures precision parts, products, and systems for critical applications in end markets including transportation, industrial equipment, and consumer products. The aerospace segment provides machined components and assemblies for original equipment manufacturer turbine engine, airframe and industrial gas turbine builders, and the military. Barnes Group Inc's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at Barnes Group Inc's Dividend History Barnes Group Inc has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 1985. Dividends are currently distributed on a quarterly basis. Barnes Group Inc has increased its dividend each year since 2010. The stock is thus listed as a dividend achiever, an honor that is given to companies that have increased their dividend each year for at least the past 14 years. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Barnes Group Inc's Dividend Analysis Breaking Down Barnes Group Inc's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, Barnes Group Inc currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.57% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 1.57%. This suggests an expectation of same dividend payments over the next 12 months. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate increased to 0.50% per year. And over the past decade, Barnes Group Inc's annual dividends per share growth rate stands at 4.60%. Based on Barnes Group Inc's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of Barnes Group Inc stock as of today is approximately 1.61%. Story continues Barnes Group Inc's Dividend Analysis The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. 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, Barnes Group Inc's dividend payout ratio is 0.50. Barnes Group Inc's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks Barnes Group Inc's profitability 7 out of 10 as of 2024-03-31, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported positive net income for each of 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. Barnes Group Inc's growth rank of 7 out of 10 suggests that the company's growth trajectory is good relative to its competitors. Revenue is the lifeblood of any company, and Barnes Group Inc's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. Barnes Group Inc's revenue has increased by approximately 8.80% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 51.06% 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, Barnes Group Inc's earnings increased by approximately -37.00% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 8.19% of global competitors. Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of -32.40%, which outperforms approximately 2.88% of global competitors. Conclusion Considering Barnes Group Inc's consistent dividend payments, solid dividend growth rate, reasonable payout ratio, strong profitability, and robust growth metrics, the company presents a compelling case for investors seeking stable dividend income with potential for growth. As Barnes Group Inc continues to navigate the complexities of its industry, it remains a noteworthy candidate for dividend investors. 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. We've recently covered a list of 20 Biggest Publicly-Traded Biotech Companies based on market caps that you can visit here. Biotechnology and Industry 2023: Market Growth, Transformations, and Technological Milestones The global biotechnology market was valued at approximately $1.55 trillion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.96% from 2024 to 2030, reaching a staggering $3.88 trillion by 2030. The United States is a world leader in biotechnology, with a market size valued at $246.18 billion in 2023, which is projected to reach $763.82 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 11.90% from 2024 to 2033. With 41.73% of revenue coming from applications in 2023, bio-pharmacy led the way, followed by bio-industries with 24.33%. Because of advances in healthcare infrastructure and favorable government laws, the Asia-Pacific area is expected to grow significantly, with a projected growth rate reaching 12.7% during the forecast period 2023-2033. The biotech sector had significant changes in 2023, including leadership changes and layoffs. Due to difficulties at Silicon Valley Bank, investors concentrated on smaller, more significant transactions. From over 1,500 deals totaling approximately $60 billion in 2021, the number of deals fell to about 840 deals worth $24 billion. Talking about milestones in the Biotechnology sector, the FDA approved the first CRISPR gene therapy for genetic illnesses in 2023, and whole genome sequencing was widely used in clinical practice to screen embryos in IVF facilities and diagnose genetic problems. Major Players in the Biotechnology Sector Major companies like Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB), and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN), among many others, have been at the forefront and have been largely contributing to global healthcare with their unique inventions. For example, Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) invested heavily in research and development, spending $4.8 billion in 2023, an 8% increase from the previous year. Amgen pursues external innovation through strategic acquisitions, such as the $27.8 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics in 2023, which established Amgen as a leader in treating rare inflammatory diseases. Financially, In Q1 2024, Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN)'s total revenues increased 22% YoY to $7.4 billion, driven by 25% volume growth. Their ten products delivered at least double-digit volume growth, including Repatha, TEZSPIRE, EVENITY, BLINCYTO, and TAVNEOS. Their sales from the Horizon Therapeutics acquisition contributed $914 million which was led by TEPEZZA, KRYSTEXXA, and UPLIZNA. Their product sales totaled $7.12 billion during the same period, a 21.7% increase year-over-year. Story continues Similarly, Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) has established itself as a leader in the field of neuroscience, developing life-changing therapies for devastating conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and Alzheimers disease. Their portfolio includes groundbreaking treatments like Tecfidera and Tysabri for MS, and Spinraza, the first approved treatment for SMA. In 2023, Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) employees and the Foundation contributed over $3.3 million to support disaster relief efforts, address food insecurity, and provide essential services. In Q1 2024, their total revenue declined 7% year-over-year to $2.3 billion which was driven by a 3% decrease in product revenue and significant reductions in contract manufacturing and other revenues. Their revenue from biosimilars increased 2%, partially offsetting declines in anti-CD20 therapeutics and other product lines. For the full year 2024, Biogen expects low- to mid-single-digit percentage revenue declines compared to 2023 but maintains its Non-GAAP EPS guidance of $15.00 to $16.00. Finally, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN)s unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to numerous FDA-approved treatments and a robust pipeline of product candidates. The companys proprietary VelociSuite technologies, including VelocImmune, which utilizes genetically humanized mice to produce optimized fully human antibodies and bispecific antibodies, have revolutionized the drug development process. Financially, In Q1 2024, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN)'s total revenues were $3.145 billion, a 1% decrease from Q1 2023. Excluding COVID-19 antibody Ronapreve, revenues grew 7% year-over-year. Their product, Dupixents global net product sales were $3.1 billion, up 24% year-over-year while Libtayos global net product sales increased 45% year-over-year. The Biggest Biotechnology Company in Europe A scientist examining a vial of drugs in a lab, representing the biotechnology company's research. The Biggest Biotechnology Company in Europe Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) Market Cap: $606.01 Billion Talking about the biggest biotechnology company in Europe, Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE: NVO) steals the position with it's amazing contributions in the field. The company pioneered the production of insulin which is a life-saving medication for people with diabetes. Today, Novo Nordisk is also referred as a world leader in diabetes care, offering a comprehensive portfolio of insulin and other diabetes medications. In 2014, they launched Saxenda which is a once-daily injectable medication for chronic weight management, and more recently, in 2021, they introduced Wegovy which is a game-changing once-weekly injectable for obesity treatment. Financially, in Q1 2024, Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s total sales increased by 24% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to Q1 2023 and their operating profit grew by 30% in the same period. Their Q1 2024 report also shows that their sales growth was driven by increased demand for Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 diabetes treatments (up 32%) and obesity care products (up 42%), especially Wegovy. The company expects to complete its acquisition of three fill-finish manufacturing sites from Catalent towards the end of 2024 to increase production capacity. While Novo Nordisk (A/S) ranks 1st in Europe, it ranks 2nd in the world on the list of biggest public biotech companies. To see which one ranks 1st, visit 20 Biggest Publicly-Traded Biotechnology Companies. Also check out 20 Highest-Paying Countries for Biotech Jobs. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as Microsoft but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Michael Burry Is Selling These Stocks and A New Dawn Is Coming to US Stocks. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. (Bloomberg) -- Asias richest man Mukesh Ambani is set to enter Africa with a telecom venture, seeking to win mobile broadband customers in a high-growth market. Most Read from Bloomberg Radisys Corp., a unit of Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries Ltd., will provide key network infrastructure, applications and smartphones for Ghana-based Next-Gen InfraCo., according to its Executive Director Harkirit Singh. He described the plans ahead of NGICs launch announcement on Monday in Mumbai, Indias financial hub. NGIC, which is planning to begin operations by the end of this year, will provide 5G broadband services to mobile operators and internet service providers in Ghana. The company is based on a premise of building affordable digital services in emerging markets, Singh told Bloomberg News. Other strategic partners in NGIC include Nokia Oyj, Indian outsourcer Tech Mahindra Ltd. and Microsoft Corp., which has increasingly sharpened its focus on the telecom business following an acquisition of two cloud networking firms in 2020. Sign up here for the twice-weekly Next Africa newsletter Ghana, a West African country with a population of just over 33 million, has three main operators: MTN Ghana, Telecel Ghana and AT, which changed its name from AirtelTigo last year after Bharti Airtel Ltd. and Millicom International Cellular SA sold their stakes. NGICs strategic partners, its technological prowess and the companys possession of Ghanas only 5G license will help it build broadband services at scale, a huge expense for individual mobile carriers, Singh said. Two African telecom firms Ascend Digital Solutions Ltd. and K-NET hold a combined stake of 55% in the new company, said Singh. The Ghana government will own just under 10% of NGIC, while local mobile operators and private investors will retain the remaining shares in the firm. Singh is also the chief executive of Ascend. NGIC has the exclusive right to offer 5G services in Ghana for a decade, though its license is valid for 15 years. The companys capital expenditure for three years is $145 million, according to Singh. The company is looking to emulate the success of Ambanis Jio Infocomm Ltd. in India. Jio launched telecom services in India in late 2016 with low-cost data and free voice calling, forcing some rivals to shut down and others to consolidate. It is widely credited for making mobile data affordable to hundreds of millions of Indians. Jio is currently Indias biggest mobile operator with 470 million users. Story continues Ghanas government has set an ambitious target to digitally connect the entire country over the next six years. NGIC will provide affordable mobile broadband services and devices to the people of Ghana, replicating the success of Indias low-cost mobile data revolution, Ghanas Minister for Communications and Digitalization Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said in a statement. The Reliance-NGIC partnership is also a diplomatic win for India, which has sought to counter Chinas surging influence in Africa via measures such as digital inclusion. None of the strategic partners, including Reliance, currently own any equity in NGIC. But the company will give them an option to accept part of their payments as equity in the future, Singh said. First we have to be successful to show the value that we create before they come in, Singh said. Thats the discussion were having with them. You can follow Bloombergs reporting on Africa on WhatsApp. Sign up here. (Updates to add Ghanas digital plan in 11th paragraph. A previous version of this story corrected the name of Ghanas mobile operators.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. BEIJING (Reuters) - Brazil has overtaken Belgium as the largest export market for Chinese new energy vehicles, industry data showed, as Chinese carmakers increase sales to non-European markets amid European Union's anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles. Exports of pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars to Brazil soared 13-fold year-on-year to 40,163 units in April, making it the biggest export market for a second straight month, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The steep increase in exports to Brazil, which was the 10th largest export market in January, comes ahead of a further increase in tariffs on EVs and hybrid vehicle imports from July as the South American country seeks to encourage local auto production. Several Chinese automakers have already started increasing investments for local production in Brazil. BYD has started building a manufacturing complex there to begin local production by year-end or in early 2025 and Great Wall Motor has said that its Brazil plant would begin operations this month. Brazil also became China's second-largest export destination for all cars in April, trailing Russia which retained its top spot. Russia, which is subject to Western sanctions, is expected to remain China's largest car export market, said CPCA secretary general Cui Dongshu. Spain, France, the Netherlands and Norway were among the countries that saw biggest falls in imports of China-made electric passenger vehicles in January-April, according to CPCA data. EU's anti-subsidy probe has disrupted Chinese vehicle exports to the bloc, but the country's carmakers have been actively exploring South America, Australia and ASEAN markets for exports, Cui said. In the first four months of this year, Chinese auto exports to Russia increased 23% to 268,779 vehicles. Exports to Mexico and Brazil jumped 27% and 536% to 148,705 and 106,448 respectively during the same period. (Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan and Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Tomasz Janowski) Ideally, your overall portfolio should beat the market average. But in any portfolio, there will be mixed results between individual stocks. At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (LON:BATS), since the last five years saw the share price fall 14%. If the past week is anything to go by, investor sentiment for British American Tobacco isn't positive, so let's see if there's a mismatch between fundamentals and the share price. View our latest analysis for British American Tobacco To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. In the last half decade British American Tobacco saw its share price fall as its EPS declined below zero. This was, in part, due to extraordinary items impacting earnings. Since the company has fallen to a loss making position, it's hard to compare the change in EPS with the share price change. However, we can say we'd expect to see a falling share price in this scenario. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of British American Tobacco, it has a TSR of 27% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective British American Tobacco shareholders are down 1.6% for the year (even including dividends), but the market itself is up 12%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 5% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for British American Tobacco you should be aware of. Story continues There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British 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. American specialty retailer The Buckle has reported $34.8m in net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $42.9m in the same period of fiscal 2023. The company's diluted earnings per share also declined to $0.69, down from $0.86 in Q1 FY23. During the 13-week fiscal quarter ending on 4 May 2024, Buckle registered net sales of $262.5m representing a 7.2% decrease from the $282.8m in net sales reported in the corresponding period of the previous year. The retailer's comparable store net sales for the quarter also saw a 9.0% decline from the comparable store net sales of the 13-week period ending on 6 May 2023. Buckle's online sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 amounted to $44.4m, which is a 13.4% decrease compared to the net sales of $51.3m for the 13-week fiscal quarter ending on 29 April 2023. The comparison of comparable store net sales for the quarter is against the 13-week period ending on 6 May 2023, due to the inclusion of a 53rd week in fiscal 2023, noted the company. Earlier in the month, Buckle reported that its April 2024 net sales decreased by 8.1% to $79.9m, compared to the net sales of $86.9m for the prior years four-week fiscal month ending on 29 April 2023. The retailer's comparable store net sales for the four-week period ended 4 May 2024 also decreased by 6.0% from the same period a year ago. Headquartered in Kearney, Nebraska, Buckle operated a network of 440 retail stores across 42 US states as of the end of the quarter. "Buckles net income drops to $34.8m in first quarter 2024" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Key Insights The projected fair value for PolyNovo is AU$2.59 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of AU$2.08 suggests PolyNovo is potentially trading close to its fair value Our fair value estimate is 23% higher than PolyNovo's analyst price target of AU$2.11 Does the May share price for PolyNovo Limited (ASX:PNV) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for PolyNovo What's The Estimated Valuation? We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$280.0k -AU$4.10m AU$7.74m AU$31.0m AU$50.0m AU$65.4m AU$80.0m AU$93.0m AU$104.2m AU$113.7m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x5 Analyst x5 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ 30.83% Est @ 22.26% Est @ 16.26% Est @ 12.06% Est @ 9.12% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 6.5% AU$0.3 -AU$3.6 AU$6.4 AU$24.1 AU$36.5 AU$44.8 AU$51.4 AU$56.1 AU$59.0 AU$60.5 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$335m Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.3%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.5%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$114m (1 + 2.3%) (6.5% 2.3%) = AU$2.7b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$2.7b ( 1 + 6.5%)10= AU$1.5b The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is AU$1.8b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$2.1, the company appears about fair value at a 20% 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 PolyNovo 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 6.5%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.925. 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 PolyNovo Strength Debt is well covered by earnings. Weakness No major weaknesses identified for PNV. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Australian market. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Looking Ahead: 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. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For PolyNovo, we've put together three pertinent items you should assess: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with PolyNovo , and understanding it should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does PNV's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. CareView Communications, an integrated virtual care solutions provider for the healthcare industry, has launched Software Version 5.12, marking a significant advancement in its virtual care technology and patient safety. The software update introduces Virtual Room Rails, a new feature designed to monitor patients at risk of elopement, by using computer vision to alert staff when such patients approach an exit. Besides, the latest update also includes a native integration with Spok, which allows virtual sitters to instantly communicate with unit staff, thereby improving the overall safety of patients. CareView said that this integration is part of its ongoing efforts to enable hospitals to maximise the use of their existing infrastructure. Additionally, Software Version 5.12 features the CareView Patient Observation module, which allows hospital staff to visualise and document patient information. The company stated that this module works in conjunction with the SitterView client, ensuring that the patient behaviour is documented without compromising safety or visibility. CareView chief product and technology officer Derek del Carpio said: Our team is excited to announce the release of Software Version 5.12, as it reflects our commitment to the evolving needs of the health systems we serve. Working with our hospital partners, we have designed and incorporated many new features that will positively impact patient safety and care. The companys latest software release underscores its goal to collaborating with hospital partners to develop new virtual care solutions. At present, CareView's virtual care solutions are aiding over 200 hospitals in the US, enhancing inpatient care and addressing staffing challenges. The CareView platform is said to be powered by predictive technology and supported by specialised hardware, catering to the specific needs of virtual nursing and sitting. The companys team collaborates closely with hospital partners to understand their needs and provide customised virtual care strategies that support their goals. Last year in December, CareView expanded its partnership with a regional health system in North Texas to deploy its mobile cameras to improve patient monitoring within the healthcare setting. "CareView updates software version to enhance patient safety and care " 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. (Bloomberg) -- China has set up the countrys largest-ever semiconductor investment fund to propel development of the domestic chip industry, the latest effort from Beijing to achieve self-sufficiency as the US seeks to restrict its growth. Most Read from Bloomberg The third phase of National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund has amassed 344 billion yuan ($47.5 billion) from the central government and various state-owned banks and enterprises, including Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., according to Tianyancha, an online platform that aggregates official company registration information. The fund was incorporated on May 24. The latest investment vehicle, known as Big Fund III, underscores a renewed push from Xi Jinpings government to build its own semiconductor industry as tensions with the US escalate. The Biden administration has imposed sweeping restrictions on Chinas ability to buy advanced chips and chipmaking equipment, and is now urging allies including the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea and Japan to further tighten curbs on China and plug holes in existing export controls. Shares of Chinas major chip stocks jumped on Monday. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., the largest chipmaker in China, rose as much as 8.1% in Hong Kong, while Hua Hong Semiconductor Ltd., a smaller competitor, climbed more than 10%. The largest shareholder in the latest fund is Chinas Ministry of Finance, and investment firms owned by local governments in Shenzhen and Beijing also contributed. The Shenzhen government has been supporting several chipmaking plants in South Chinas Guangdong province in an attempt to free Huawei Technologies Co. from years of US sanctions that cut it off from a great number of imported semiconductor components. Superpowers led by the US and European Union have funneled nearly $81 billion toward cranking out the next generation of semiconductors, escalating a global showdown with China for chip supremacy. The Biden administrations 2022 Chips and Science Act includes $39 billion in grants for chipmakers, as well as $75 billion in loans and guarantees. Why Computer Chips Are the Weapon in a New Arms Race: QuickTake China has long had a more proactive industrial policy, including an ambitious program called Made in China 2025 that sketched out development goals in biotech, electric vehicles and semiconductors. At least since 2015 when that program was unveiled, China has been a leading supporter of the sector, using state capital to fund local chipmakers such as SMIC. Story continues The national chip fund was inaugurated about a decade ago with roughly 100 billion yuan in investable capital. Xi, soon after becoming the Chinese president, started a massive overhaul of the countrys manufacturing industry, aiming for sophisticated technologies from robotics to advanced chipmaking. China more than doubled the size of the Big Fund II in 2019 as the race against the US for tech supremacy intensified during the Trump administration. The capital was used to fund some of the countrys most promising chip projects from SMICs new factories to chipmaking machine manufacturer Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. China. But Beijings generous investments havent always paid off. Chinas top leadership was frustrated with a years-long failure to develop semiconductors that could replace US circuitry. In addition, the former boss of the Big Fund was removed and investigated for corruption. The Biden administration has taken unprecedented steps to slow Chinas technological progress, arguing such measures are necessary for national security. Over the last two years, the US has cut off Chinas ability to buy the most advanced chips from Nvidia Corp., which are used to train artificial-intelligence models, as well as the most sophisticated chipmaking machines from the likes of ASML Holding NV and Applied Materials Inc. China has responded by ratcheting up its investments in less-advanced chipmaking capabilities, what some people in the industry refer to as legacy chips. China is now building a network of chip companies around its national champion Huawei for technological breakthroughs in advanced chip development and manufacturing. The newly created Big Fund III may provide funding for those projects. --With assistance from Jessica Sui. (Updates with Chinas chip strategy from seventh paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Exploring the Sustainability and Performance of Dividends China Everbright Ltd (CEVIF) recently announced a dividend of $0.1 per share, payable on 2024-06-14, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-05-28. 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 China Everbright Ltd's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does China Everbright Ltd Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with CEVIF. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? China Everbright Ltd is an investment management firm based predominantly in Hong Kong. The company's core activity includes investing in long-term investment vehicles to secure capital appreciation for its investors. Its investment portfolio is comprised of unlisted equity securities, equity derivatives, start-up, and development-stage companies, and long-term equity. The company's operating segments include Fund Management Business and Principal Investments Business. Geographically, it generates maximum revenue from Mainland China. China Everbright Ltd's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at China Everbright Ltd's Dividend History China Everbright Ltd has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2008. Dividends are currently distributed on a bi-annually basis. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. China Everbright Ltd's Dividend Analysis Breaking Down China Everbright Ltd's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, China Everbright Ltd currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 6.27% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 4.18%. This suggests an expectation of decreased dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, China Everbright Ltd's annual dividend growth rate was -6.80%. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate decreased to -15.40% per year. And over the past decade, China Everbright Ltd's annual dividends per share growth rate stands at 0.40%. Based on China Everbright Ltd's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of China Everbright Ltd stock as of today is approximately 2.72%. China Everbright Ltd's Dividend Analysis The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. A lower ratio suggests that the company retains a significant part of its earnings, thereby ensuring the availability of funds for future growth and unexpected downturns. As of 2023-12-31, China Everbright Ltd's dividend payout ratio is 0.00. Story continues China Everbright Ltd's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks China Everbright Ltd's profitability 4 out of 10 as of 2023-12-31, suggesting the dividend may not be sustainable. The company has reported net profit in 8 years out of past 10 years. Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook To ensure the sustainability of dividends, a company must have robust growth metrics. China Everbright Ltd's growth rank of 4 out of 10 suggests that the company has poor growth prospects and thus, the dividend may not be sustainable. Revenue is the lifeblood of any company, and China Everbright Ltd's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. China Everbright Ltd's revenue has increased by approximately 9.00% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 51.89% of global competitors. Conclusion: Evaluating Dividend Sustainability While China Everbright Ltd offers a compelling dividend yield, the sustainability of its dividends is under scrutiny due to its negative growth rates and low profitability rank. Investors should consider these factors along with the company's solid revenue growth when evaluating the stock for investment. For those looking to explore further, 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. (Bloomberg) -- China asked South Korea to maintain stable supply chains as the countries began their first three-way summit with Japan since 2019, with Premier Li Qiang also meeting the head of Samsung Electronics Co. Most Read from Bloomberg Li told President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Sunday that China wants the two to be trustworthy neighbors helping the other to thrive, according to a pool report. Li also told Yoon that both sides should avoid turning economic issues into political issues, and that Beijing welcomes South Korean firms including Samsung to expand investment in China, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Li told Samsung Chairman Jay Y. Lee that China would always remain open to foreign enterprises and pledged to improve the business environment, Xinhua reported. Lee vowed to contribute to mutually beneficial cooperation between South Korea and China, according to Xinhua. The three leaders had dinner together on Sunday and will meet for a three-way summit on Monday, followed by a session with business leaders after that. Read more: N. Korea Notifies Japan of Impending Satellite Launch: Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also arrived in Seoul on Sunday and met with Li and Yoon. The Japanese leader and Yoon agreed to continue the shuttle diplomacy that has symbolized the warming ties between the neighbors, and exchanged opinions on North Korea. They also agreed to speed up green energy cooperation in areas including hydrogen and ammonia. Kishidas talks with Li were a bit more pointed as he called on China to free detained Japanese nationals, and raised concern over Chinas actions in the East China Sea, where ships from the two sail near disputed isles on an almost daily basis. Kishida told reporters he also asked Beijing to end its ban on food imports from Japan in response to Tokyos release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear site into the Pacific Ocean. Read more: China Bans Japanese Seafood as Nuclear Wastewater Released Just before the formal summit, Japan said North Korean has given notice that it plans to launch a rocket to deploy a satellite. Japan, South Korea and the US have said North Koreas space program helps it develop ballistic missiles and the notice of a launch is set to focus attention on Pyongyangs weapons program at the trilateral meeting. Story continues The three countries are geographically close, but summits such as this are relatively rare. The leaders were supposed to convene annually but the meeting was on hold for nearly five years due to the pandemic and geopolitical tensions. Tokyo and Seoul have drawn closer to the US during this time, worrying China. While the summit brings risks and rewards for all three, the stakes are high for China. Its likely to try and push Japan and South Korea not to join US-led efforts in further restricting exports of advanced chipmaking equipment, after Tokyo imposed export controls last year. Japan has been resisting US pressure to further curb sales to China. The Biden administration is also trying to bring South Korea into the agreement that includes the Netherlands. This is an opportunity for China to try to improve relations with Japan and South Korea without the United States, said Naoko Aoki, an associate political scientist with the Rand Corp. in Washington. After Yoon took office about two years ago, South Korea saw an improvement in ties with Japan after several years of tensions. The two US allies have stepped up security cooperation with Washington and last year met with President Joe Biden for an unprecedented trilateral summit. Tokyo and Seoul have also expressed concern about security in the Taiwan Strait, and Kishida said he brought up the subject in his talks with Li. Tensions in the region have risen as China held its most expansive military drills in a year around Taiwan last week, ramping up pressure on the islands new president, Lai Ching-te, just days after he was sworn in. Read more: China Holds Biggest Military Drills in a Year Around Taiwan Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul will seek to cooperate in six main areas when they meet on Monday, including sustainable development, people-to-people exchanges as well as economy and trade. Japan and South Korea have also sought Chinas help to rein in North Koreas atomic ambitions. If there are to be any concrete accomplishments this time, I expect that to be on economic and other non-security issues, Aoki said. I dont think the meeting is going to change anyones security calculus, she said, pointing to a significant gulf between Beijing and the other two on issues including North Korea and Taiwan. Yoon and Kishida may be heading to the US in the next few months, possibly to hold a summit with Biden that will build on the meeting they had about a year ago, according to reports from Kyodo News and other media. Read more: Five Takeaways From the US, Japan and South Korea Summit Their meeting last year at the Camp David presidential retreat in rural Maryland included practical steps such as real-time data sharing to counter threats by North Korea, measures to de-risk global supply chains from exposure to China and steps to bind the trilateral relationship so tightly that it would be hard to unravel. --With assistance from James Mayger, Sam Kim, Daisuke Sakai, Shamim Adam, Phila Siu and Heejin Kim. (Updates with North Korea notice of satellite launch in paragraph seven.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. By Hyonhee Shin and Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) -Chinese Premier Li Qiang praised what he called a restart in relations with Japan and South Korea as he met their leaders for the first three-way talks in four years on Monday, agreeing to revive trade and security dialogues hampered by global tensions. The Chinese premier met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul with efforts to revitalise three-party free trade agreement negotiations, stalled since 2019, high on the agenda. As the summit opened, Li said the meeting was "both a restart and a new beginning" and called for the comprehensive resumption of cooperation between East Asia's economic powerhouses. But for this to happen politics should be separated from economic and trade issues, he added, calling for an end to protectionism and the decoupling of supply chains. "For China, South Korea, and Japan, our close ties will not change, the spirit of cooperation achieved through crisis response will not change and our mission to safeguard regional peace and stability will not change," Li said. The meeting itself was seen as a mark of progress for three countries whose relations are marked as much by suspicion and rancour as by constructive engagement. "The trilateral summit is more about reducing frictions than reshaping geopolitics," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. China and U.S.-allied South Korea and Japan are trying to manage mutual distrust amid the rivalry between Beijing and Washington, tensions over democratically ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own, and North Korea's nuclear programme. Yoon and Kishida have charted a closer course with each other and to Washington, embarking on unprecedented three-way cooperation with the United States on military and other measures. U.S. President Joe Biden has raised barriers to Chinese imports, hiking tariffs on an array of Chinese imports including electric vehicle (EV) batteries and computer chips. Donald Trump, his rival in the November presidential election, has floated tariffs of 60% or higher on all Chinese goods. "We need to promote multipolarity in the world and oppose the formation of blocs or camps," Li said. BOOSTING COOPERATION A joint declaration released after the meeting called for China, Japan, and South Korea to formalise regular communication at the highest levels, and collaborate on climate change, conservation, health, trade and international peace, among other areas. The declaration set a goal of boosting the number of people-to-people exchanges to 40 million by 2030 through exchanges in culture, tourism and education. Story continues The leaders also issued separate joint statements on pandemic preparation and intellectual property protection. On North Korea, Yoon and Kishida called on Pyongyang not to carry out a planned rocket launch carrying a space satellite, which they say uses ballistic missile technology banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions. North Korea ignored those calls and attempted to launch a satellite on Monday, but said it ended in failure when a newly developed rocket engine exploded in flight. Li called for all parties to practice restraint and prevent further complication of the situation on the Korean peninsula, but did not mention the satellite. China is North Korea's only military ally, its largest trade partner, and along with Russia, has called for U.N. sanctions on North Korea to be eased. North Korea condemned the three countries for committing to denuclearise the Korean peninsula, describing their joint declaration as a "grave political provocation" that violates its sovereignty. TRADE RELATIONS The increasingly competitive trade relationship between China, South Korea and Japan has been further tested by U.S. calls for its allies to shift their supply chains for key products, such as semiconductors, away from China. Yoon said the leaders agreed to build a transparent and predictable trade and supply chain environment, but did not elaborate. The leaders also attended a forum with top business executives from the three countries who noted that cooperation had not reached its potential due to the global challenges, but agreed that industry would work together to support trade and stabilise supply chains. "Relations would advance further if China allows better access for Japanese and Korean diplomats in Beijing and improves the business environment for foreign companies," Easley said. At their last FTA negotiation in November 2019, the three countries agreed on liberalisation at a level higher than the Regional Comprehensive Economic partnership (RCEP), of which they are all members, encompassing areas from trade of goods and services to investment, customs, competition and e-commerce. (Writing by Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang, Ju-min Park, and Jihoon Lee in Seoul, Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo in Beijing and Sakura Murakami and Nobuhiro Kobo in Tokyo; Editing by Stephen Coates, Michael Perry, William Maclean) TORONTO, May 27, 2024 /CNW/ - Collective Mining Ltd. (TSX: CNL) (OTCQX: CNLMF) (FSE: GG1) ("Collective" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results for three drill holes into the Apollo Porphyry System ("Apollo") at the Guayabales Project in Caldas, Colombia. The Company presently has five drill rigs operating at the project as part of its fully funded 40,000 metres drill program for 2024. Presently, drill rigs are operating at the Apollo, Box, Olympus and Trap targets. Drill cores from multiple holes are currently being assayed at ALS Laboratory in Lima, Peru with further results expected in short order. Ari Sussman, Executive Chairman commented: "Our 2024 exploration program continues to yield positive surprises with Apollo now materially expanding and widening to the northwest. Drilling over the balance of the year at Apollo will remain aggressive as we continue to push the limits of the system while simultaneously targeting high-grade sub-zones within the known mineralization envelope. Elsewhere on the Guayabales Project, we have completed the first two shallow drill holes at the Box target with core logging indicating there is a very large hydrothermal fluid system in place with deeper drilling required from the next set of holes (now underway). At the Trap target, we have refined the geological model and now interpret that mineralization is related to a wide deformation zone on the west side of a northwest trending fault. The current hole underway (TRC-11) was planned on this basis and visually has cut significant mineralization over 175 metres in length and counting (still drilling). Lastly, at the Olympus target, steeply dipping veins have been intersected at a shallow elevation and if assays are favourable, would connect Apollo with Olympus in the northeast corner of Apollo. We remain committed to our goal of outlining a series of closely spaced porphyry and porphyry related systems capable of producing at more than 400,000 gold equivalent ounces on an annual basis." Please click here to watch a video of David Reading, Special Advisor to the Company and a QP under NI 43-101 providing a detailed overview of drill hole APC-95. Highlights (see Tables 1-2 and Figures 1-4) Drill hole APC-95 was drilled northerly from Pad 14 and encountered outstanding continuous mineralization while expanding the Apollo System ("Apollo") locally to the north by 50 metres. On a gram X metre basis, APC-95 is the sixth highest-grade intercept at Apollo yielding 1,128 g/t AuEq. Additionally, APC-95 is the eleventh gram X metre intercept at more than 1,000 g/t AuEq drilled to date at Apollo (see Table 2). Assay results for APC-95 are as follow: Story continues Drill hole APC-97, which was drilled to the northwest from Pad 14, cut the second longest intercept drilled to date at Apollo (825.70 metres) while materially expanding the dimensions of the Apollo system to the northwest by 150 metres and encountering high-grade near the bottom of the hole. Apollo remains completely open in this direction for further growth with future step-out holes planned in this regard. Assay results for APC-97 are as follows: Partial results for the shallow portion of drill hole APC-93 were previously released where the Company drilled a long and continuous high-grade intercept through Apollo (see press release dated March 12, 2024). Final results for hole APC-93 are now in hand with the Company intersecting Olympus Deep mineralization approximately 125 meters east of discovery hole APC88-D1 (202.35 metres @ 2.16 g/t AuEq; see press release dated January 30, 2024) with results as follows: 560.05 metres @ 1.83 g/t gold equivalent from 127.25 metres (Apollo; previously released) 34.90 metres @ 1.10 g/t gold equivalent from 788.10 metres (Olympus) 42.00 metres @ 0.79 g/t gold equivalent from 898.00 metres (Olympus) 66.50 metres @ 1.18 g/t gold equivalent from 1,036.75 metres (Olympus) including: 16.75 metres @ 2.48 g/t gold equivalent from 1,049.15 metres. Table 1: Assays Results for Drill Holes APC-93, APC-95 and APC-97 Hole # From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au g/t Ag g/t Cu % Mo ppm WO 3 ppm AuEq g/t* APC-93 127.25 687.30 560.05 1.18 34 0.13 4 52 1.83** and 788.10 823.00 34.90 0.98 8 0.03 16 7 1.10 and 898.00 940.00 42.00 0.72 4 0.02 25 7 0.79 and 1,036.75 1,103.25 66.50 1.12 5 0.02 19 6 1.18 incl 1,049.15 1,065.90 16.75 2.40 9 0.02 22 6 2.48 APC-95 5.75 23.75 18.00 0.96 17 0.03 3 14 1.18 and 92.65 103.65 11.00 1.01 5 0.03 5 5 1.09 and 207.20 720.90 513.70 1.50 42 0.18 3 8 2.20 incl 295.40 412.35 116.95 3.73 76 0.26 2 10 4.88 APC-97 192.00 1,017.70 825.70 0.83 15 0.09 4 8 1.11 incl 205.30 310.55 105.25 0.78 52 0.48 9 18 2.02 & incl 479.10 554.00 74.90 1.81 19 0.05 5 7 2.06 & incl 825.05 879.60 54.55 1.91 7 0.02 1 8 1.97 & incl 909.30 927.35 18.05 2.37 11 0.03 2 7 2.46 *AuEq (g/t) is calculated as follows: (Au (g/t) x 0.97) + (Ag (g/t) x 0.014 x 0.88) + (Cu (%) x 1.47 x 0.90) + (Mo (%) x 7.41 x 0.85) + (WO3 (%) x 5.47 x 0.72) utilizing metal prices of Cu US$3.95/lb, Ag US$25/oz, Mo - US$20/lb , WO3 - US$32,500/t and Au US$1,850/oz and recovery rates of 97% for Au, 88% for Ag, 85% for Mo, 72% for WO3 and 90% for Cu. Recovery rate assumptions for metals are based on metallurgical results announced on October 17, 2023, and April 11, 2024. Recovery molybdenum is speculative as limited metallurgical work has been completed to date on this metal. True widths are unknown, and grades are uncut. **Previously announced on March 12, 2024. The robustness of the Guayabales Project is exemplified by drill results at the Apollo system which show extraordinarily consistent and continuous high-grade mineralization beginning at surface and continuing to depths of more than 1,000 metres. All of the intercepts drilled to date which average at least 1,000 g/t AuEq on a gram x metre basis are summarized in the following table. Table 2: Apollo Drill Holes at More Than 1,000 g/t Gold Equivalent on a Gram X Metre Basis Ranking Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Grade (g/t AuEq)* Gram x Metres Press Release Date 1 APC-72 2.00 521.10 519.10 2.74 1,424.29 October 30, 2023 2 APC-55 0.00 792.25 792.25 1.71 1,352.93 June 27, 2023 3 APC-64 33.40 484.80 451.40 2.67 1,205.24 September 7, 2023 4 APC-35 7.00 366.15 359.15 3.32 1,192.38 March 15, 2023 5 APC-60 41.60 599.45 557.85 2.10 1,171.49 August 15, 2023 6 APC-95 207.20 720.90 513.70 2.20 1,128.17 New (May 27, 2024) 7 APC88-D2 68.10 617.00 548.90 1.91 1,049.54 January 30, 2024 8 APC-93 127.25 687.30 560.05 1.83 1,026.08 March 12, 2024 9 APC-53 232.95 562.70 329.75 3.10 1,022.23 June 13, 2023 10 APC-65 0.00 503.25 503.25 2.00 1,006.52 September 26, 2023 11 APC-63 0.00 593.65 593.65 1.69 1,003.27 September 7, 2023 *See individual press releases on aforementioned dates for AuEq calculations. Figure 1: Plan View of the Apollo and Olympus Targets With an Overlay of Drill Holes Announced in This Release (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) Figure 2: Drill Core Tray Photo Highlighting APC-95 (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) Figure 3: Drill Core Tray Photo Highlighting APC-97 (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) Figure 4: Plan View of the Guayabales Project Highlighting the Apollo Target Area (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) About Collective Mining Ltd. To see our latest corporate presentation and related information, please visit www.collectivemining.com Founded by the team that developed and sold Continental Gold Inc. to Zijin Mining for approximately $2 billion in enterprise value, Collective is a copper, silver, gold and tungsten exploration company with projects in Caldas, Colombia. The Company has options to acquire 100% interests in two projects located directly within an established mining camp with ten fully permitted and operating mines. The Company's flagship project, Guayabales, is anchored by the Apollo system, which hosts the large-scale, bulk-tonnage and high-grade copper-silver-gold-tungsten Apollo porphyry system. The Company's 2024 objective is to expand the Apollo system, prove that the recent discoveries at the Olympus and Trap targets evolve into large scale systems and make a new discovery at either the Box, Tower or X targets. Management, insiders, a strategic investor and close family and friends own nearly 50% of the outstanding shares of the Company and as a result, are fully aligned with shareholders. The Company is listed on the TSX under the trading symbol "CNL", on the OTCQX under the trading symbol "CNLMF" and on the FSE under the trading symbol "GG1". Qualified Person (QP) and NI43-101 Disclosure David J Reading is the designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and verified that the technical information contained herein is accurate and approves of the written disclosure of same. Mr. Reading has an MSc in Economic Geology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and of the Society of Economic Geology (SEG). Technical Information Rock, soils and core samples have been prepared and analyzed at ALS laboratory facilities in Medellin, Colombia and Lima, Peru. Blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards are inserted into the sample stream to monitor laboratory performance. Crush rejects and pulps are kept and stored in a secured storage facility for future assay verification. No capping has been applied to sample composites. The Company utilizes a rigorous, industry-standard QA/QC program. Information Contact: Follow Executive Chairman Ari Sussman (@Ariski73) on X Follow Collective Mining (@CollectiveMini1) on X, (Collective Mining) on LinkedIn, and (@collectivemining) on Instagram FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. In this news release, forward-looking information relate, among other things, to: anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future operations; future recovery metal recovery rates; future growth potential of Collective; and future development plans. 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; the Company's financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of future economic evaluations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, precious and base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the annual information form of the Company dated April 7, 2022. Forward-looking information 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 and there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Collective Mining Ltd. Logo (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) SOURCE Collective Mining Ltd. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2024/27/c6407.html An air tanker makes fire retardant drop behind homes in Chino Hills in 2020. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Memorial Day weekend means the start of summer vacations and also the onset of wildfire season. Many Californians will be going naked. Lots more will be only partially covered, unable to afford so-called wrap-around protection. Were talking about home insurance. Hundreds of thousands of Californians have been abandoned by their property insurers because they live in risky fire-prone areas. Its one of the biggest challenges facing this state right now, says new state Senate leader Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), whose mostly rural district includes North Coast forests and world-class wineries. In his region, McGuire says, the topic of insurance is top-of-mind. You cant go into a coffee shop or grocery store without hearing about it. Thousands and thousands have been non-renewed by insurance companies. When a Californian loses fire insurance, there are two basic options: Go without protection and risk losing what for many people is their most valuable asset known as going naked. Or sign up with a last-resort insurer called the FAIR Plan. Going naked is practically impossible for mortgage holders because lenders insist on their homes being insured. But its tempting for some people whove paid off their home, are retired and living on fixed incomes without much spare change. Read more: California's home insurance crisis: What went wrong, how it can be fixed and what owners can do The FAIR Plan was created by the state in the 1960s after the Watts riots and some natural disasters prompted insurers to bail. Its funded by the insurers and has about 375,000 policyholders. But a FAIR policy is very costly and often covers only fire, not household goods or liability. I dont know how fair it is. Its so expensive its ridiculous, says Jodi Goodenough, who lost fire insurance for her modern Placer County home in a Sierra forest. Ironically, her husband, John, owns an insurance agency and they couldnt get traditional coverage despite their home being fire-hardened with a metal roof and stucco siding. They [insurers] dont care, Jodi says. Full confession: Shes my niece. In adjacent El Dorado County in the Sierra foothills, then-Placerville Mayor Michael Saragosa lost his home insurance two years ago despite living near two fire hydrants and a fire station. He got stuck with a FAIR policy that raised his insurance cost by 40%. I feel lucky, he says. I know people paying 100% more. Four out of five City Council members are now on the FAIR Plan. Political connections and insider insurance knowledge dont matter. Story continues Workers with the Santa Rosa Fire Department battle the Shady fire as it winds toward homes in Santa Rosa in 2020. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Former state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who lives in a wooded area of the Silicon Valley in Santa Clara County, was dropped by his insurer two years ago. Im a former insurance commissioner of California. If it happened to me, it can happen to you, Poizner wrote in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times. Poizner hooked up with an out-of-state carrier. It was half the coverage and twice the price, he told me recently. Eventually he found a willing California insurer. But now theyve just notified me theyre not going to renew, Poizner added. This is a broken system. It isnt broken just in California. Its a nationwide crisis. Climate change is the consensus culprit because its blamed for escalating wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes. The New York Times reported this month that insurers lost money on homeowners coverage in 18 states last year. The result, it wrote, is that insurance companies are raising premiums by as much as 50% or more, cutting back on coverage or leaving entire states altogether. Denni Ritter, a Western states lobbyist for the American Properties Casualty Insurance Assn., says: Whats unique to California is our regulatory system under Proposition 103. Insurers havent had the ability to adjust rates to absorb prices. In California, for every $1 in premiums, insurers paid out $1.13 in claims between 2012 and 2022. The California situation is untenable. Read more: Gov. Newsom seeks faster review of insurance rate hikes. What to know Proposition 103 was a citizens initiative approved by voters in 1988. It rolled back rates by 20% for home, fire, auto and many types of insurance. And it created an elected insurance commissioner who must approve rate hikes before they can take effect. But the insurance industry and current Commissioner Ricardo Lara insist it takes too long up to a year or more for approvals. Proposition 103 promised 60 days. Lara is aiming for that. Were clearly operating under 20th century regulations when its the 21st century, Lara says. Theres a lot of finger pointing. The problem is insurance companies are greedy and dont want to insure people without getting as much money from them as they can, says Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, which wrote Proposition 103. Our plan is to require insurance companies to insure everyone who hardens their home. And it should be reasonably priced. Something like that makes sense. McGuire, whos considering a race for insurance commissioner, promises legislation this year to provide incentives for owners to harden their homes make them more fire-safe. There should be insurer discounts and perhaps government tax credits, he says. Insurers want to be allowed to project their future liabilities when setting premium rates. Other states permit that. Sounds logical. And theyre asking to be reimbursed through premium rates for their cost of insuring themselves against claims resulting from natural disasters. Lara promises new regulations by years end. That seems too long. He blames the slowness on Proposition 103s rules. And Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing for legislation at least verbally. Theres little action so far. Weve got one more fire season to go through. This will be the last summer of risk before having a stable insurance market, predicts Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), whose wine country district was devastated by fire and has been active in fire prevention legislation. Now we have many cases of people going naked without any insurance. Way more than anybody knows. Theres no good excuse for them not being offered affordable coverage. 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. We recently conducted an in-depth analysis of the Asian countries with the best architecture and in this article we will take a look at the country that made it to the top of our list. Check out our free report on the 10 Countries With the Best Architecture in Asia. The Blends in Asian Architecture Asian architecture is particularly well-known for its unique blend of contemporary design styles with traditional architectural techniques. This is one of the reasons why UNESCO has an architectural heritage award for Asia-Pacific in the category of New Design in Heritage Contexts. This reward is meant to encourage architects to innovate their designs, while also preserving the cultural heritage of the region. This particular award was first introduced in 2005 and recognizes newly built structures with outstanding design and optimal integration with the region's historical context. The traditional and historical context is considered significant for Asian architecture because it offers ingenious solutions to the region's issues. A 2015 study by Rashid and Ara discussed how traditional Asian architectural design solved local problems. For example, the Mru Tribe of Bangladesh has hillhouse structures that are generally considered primitive architecture. However, the houses are balanced in such a way that any soil shifts or earthquakes in the region would not affect them. Another notable aspect of these houses is that the general living space, known as the Kim-Tom, is supported and propped up by five pillars. The five-pillar arrangement distributes the roof load more evenly. The study also noted that bamboo is a commonly used construction material in Southeast Asia. The material is worth focusing on because it surpasses even reinforcement steel in terms of tensile strength, as noted by Rashid and Ara. The researchers note other such traditional arrangements in Japan, China, Malaysia, and many other Asian countries. This is why Asia has several countries with the best architecture in the world. Architecture Awards Showcase Asias Domination as Well The Pritzker Architecture Prize is one of the worlds most notable architecture awards. Each year, the award grants $100,000 to an architect or a group of architects who have achieved something significant in their field. During the 15 years from 2010 to 2024, Asian architects received the award seven times. This is higher than every other continental region. European architects received the award in six different years. A South American and an African architect have won the award one time each. The 2024 award went to Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto. His work is recognized for balancing privacy within his buildings, while also finding a way to foster communal ties. He designed his own home, titled GAZEBO, in a manner that makes it easy to interact with the neighbors through the rooftops and terraces. Yamamoto is the ninth Japanese architect to receive this prestigious honor. Its the work of creatives like these that makes Japan one of the countries that produce the best architects in the world. Asian architecture has also received several awards from The International Architecture Awards, which are organized by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. In the 2023 awards, Asian buildings won at least one award in 22 out of the 25 categories. The winning categories included civic centers, commercial buildings, exposition centers, and monuments, among others. Architecture Contributes to Tourism The architectural landscape of a place is one of the many reasons why tourists might be attracted to it. In 2018, researchers from the University of Technology in Sydney conducted a study to map this phenomenon. They used the Dr. Chau Chak Wing building as a case study for determining potential tourist inflows. The research concluded that the building had a potential to contribute somewhere between AUD 48.8 million to AUD 97.6 million in tourism revenue, annually. This research presents just one example of how architectural buildings can become multipliers for tourism flows. This is especially pertinent for a continent like Asia which is laced with unique architectural styles in almost every country. Tourism and the Pandemic - A Contentious Pairing However, no amount of architecture could prevent tourism from taking a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a 2022 report by the Asian Development Bank, 2020 brought tourism to a standstill in the entire world. As vaccinations started rolling out, tourism recovery was expected to start in 2021, but the data showcased a different picture. From January to September 2021, international tourist arrivals in the Asia-Pacific fell by 94.9% as compared to the same period in 2019. Southeast Asia was one of the most affected subregions in the world, witnessing a 98% decrease in international arrivals. Furthermore, by November 2021, 65% of the destinations in Asia-Pacific were still completely closed to international tourism. One of the sectors hit hardest by this situation was the aviation industry. According to ADB, the Asia-Pacific region had the worlds largest aviation market, accounting for 35% of all global travelers. However, the pandemic reduced international passenger traffic by 80.3% from 2020 to 2021. Post-pandemic, tourism recovery has been a bit slow in the Asian region. On January 19, 2024, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported that in 2023, international arrivals reached 65% of pre-pandemic levels in Asia-Pacific. This was significantly lower than in Africa, where arrivals managed to reach 96% of pre-pandemic levels. Countries such as Morocco and Ethiopia had significant tourism recovery, and theyre also some of the African countries with the best architecture. Within the Asian subregions, South Asia showed the best performance by recovering 87% of its 2019 arrival levels. Other regions performed quite low, for example, North-East Asia, which only recovered 55% of its pre-pandemic levels. However, experts believe that the growth will continue in 2024. In a nutshell, tourism in Asia is recovering, even if slowly and gradually. As international travelers start flying into the Asian region again, one of the companies helping them make their travel decisions is Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP). Visitors can check out over 55 million reviews of Asian hotels, attractions, and restaurants, which makes Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) a valuable resource for the trip-planning process. In the 2024 Travelers Choice Awards by the company, Asian destinations received a lot of recognition. The first five Trending Destinations all belonged to Asia. The number one spot went to Tokyo, Japan. In the category of Top Destinations, Asian locations held three out of the top five spots. The first spot belonged to Dubai, UAE. In the 2024 award series, Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) also launched the category of Sustainable Destinations. For this category, Asia had only one mention in the top five, with Singapore coming in at number fifth. Lastly, the category of Culture Destinations also saw Asian mentions. Agra in India received the third spot, followed by Colombo (Sri Lanka) in seventh place, Hue (Vietnam) in the eighth, and Tokyo (Japan) in the tenth. Thus, data from Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) corroborates that the Asian region can expect its tourism to flourish in the upcoming months of 2024. Let's now look at the country with the best architecture in Asia. The Asian Country With the Best Architecture christian-joudrey-9bdt03k4ujw-unsplash Our Methodology In order to compile this list of the 10 countries with the best architecture in Asia, we adopted a consensus approach. First, we consulted ten reports and rankings on the internet, shortlisting countries that appeared in at least 50% of our sources. Then, we ranked the countries according to the number of tourists they received in 2023. Our hypothesis is that countries with good architecture attract a high number of tourists. We sourced our tourism data from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Further information from each country is sourced from Trip Advisor, The International Architecture Awards, and The Pritzker Architecture Prize. Note: China and India did not have data in UNWTOs 2023 database. However, both of these countries are extremely revered for their architecture, thus, we utilized their pre-COVID numbers to rank them. The tourist arrivals for these countries are from 2019. We have also looked up individual media reports for both of them in order to mention an updated figure from 2023. These figures are not corroborated by the UNWTO and come from media reports. For the purpose of this analysis, we have considered Macau and Hong Kong as regions separate from China. At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). The Asian Country With the Best Architecture China Tourist Arrivals (2019): 65.73 Million China ranks number one on our list of countries with the best architecture in Asia. The country received 65.73 million tourists in 2019, according to the UNWTO. A CNN report from January 18, 2024, revealed that the country received 35.5 million tourists in 2023. The UNWTO further reports that outbound and inbound tourism is expected to improve for the country in 2024. This is due to visa facilitation and advanced air capacity. China is providing visa-free travel to citizens from France, Malaysia, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain. This service is available until November 30, 2024. Chinese architecture has developed into its modern shape over millenniums. Today, it is characterized by elements such as open spaces, symbolic elements, symmetry, and feng shui. Feng Shui is the technique of optimizing buildings so they generate feelings of happiness and harmony. The stylistic development of Chinese architecture dates back thousands of years and can be studied in immense detail. Wang Shu, a Chinese architect, received the Pritzker Prize in 2012. The country was also immensely recognized in the 2023 International Architecture Awards, winning over nineteen awards. Some of the winning sites were the Guangzhou Julong Bay Civic Center, the Radisson Collection Resort Hotel, and the Zhuji Historical Memorial Hall. The Palace Museum of the Forbidden City is the top-rated Chinese architectural building on Trip Advisor, with over 14,000 reviews and ratings. The international recognition of these buildings shows why China has the best architecture in Asia. China ranks number 1 among the Asian countries with the best architecture. To learn about other Asian countries that are home to some of the most architecturally significant sites, check out our comprehensive report on 10 Countries With the Best Architecture in Asia. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Micron but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 24 Fastest Growing Economies in the World in 2024 and 15 Fastest Declining Economies in the World in 2024. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published on Insider Monkey. A striking disconnect remains in the US economy: continued growth and softening inflation along with Americans' pervasive pessimism and uncertainty about the future. "I think people are just uncertain," President Biden recently told Yahoo Finance in an exclusive interview. "And that's why we've got to be steady, stay the course, and continue to produce these incredible jobs." Insight into the disconnect arises from a deeper look into the lifeblood of the US economy: the states, cities, and towns that make it run. Data from the Economic Innovation Group's (EIG) Distressed Communities Index showed that as of 2023, local economies across America still hadn't fully recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to EIG, which uses US Census Bureau data to sort districts by economic well-being, roughly 52 million Americans live in a "distressed" zip code. That's up from 50 million in 2018. Distress scores are calculated based on weighted factors. Those factors include the number of residents with a high school diploma, the poverty rate, the number of adults not working, the housing vacancy rate, the median income ratio, changes in employment, and changes in the number of business establishments. EIG discovered that in recent years, urban areas across the country have become increasingly "distressed" while the surrounding suburbs are considered more "prosperous." Take Cleveland: August Benzow, research lead at EIG, told Yahoo Finance that "almost every zip code in the city itself is distressed, but then you definitely see a lot of prosperity in suburbs." 'The pandemic has exacerbated this trend' The health of a regions economy is generally correlated with the size of its population, and the pandemic saw major population changes across the country. Large urban counties, which EIG previously defined as intersecting with "an urban area with a population of 250,000 or higher," have experienced major losses: Between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021, those counties saw an aggregate decrease of 812,000 residents. According to the same report, exurban and suburban counties continued to grow the fastest in 2022 after seeing major influxes of domestic migration during the early pandemic era." After adding 931,000 people in 2021, the same counties added another 832,000 residents in 2022. Obviously, the pandemic has exacerbated this trend as well, where people are able to live further out from cities and still do their jobs either remotely or in a hybrid model, Benzow said. Story continues A recent note from Goldman Sachs reiterated this point: "Domestic migrants have left the largest cities, with about half moving to metro counties with populations of 250k to 1 million. ... The latest figures show that this demographic shift that began at the outset of the pandemic driven by virus fears and remote work opportunities not only had not reversed but, in fact, had continued through mid-2023." The pandemic also highlighted significant wealth disparities among populations: Those who had the financial means to move out of cities and into suburbs did so, leaving behind lower-income residents in urban areas. Look at Fort Worth, Texas. The 13th largest US city by population, Fort Worth saw 4.1% growth (nearly 1 million residents) between 2020 and 2023. But about 32.2% of those residents live in what EIG assessed as "distressed" zip codes, compared to 29.2% in "prosperous" ones. The urban core of the city is the most distressed area compared to the "comfortable" and "prosperous" outskirts. "People want to live in a place that has a high quality of life and [where] theres opportunity for them," Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker told Yahoo Finance. "A lot of the domestic migration youve seen across the country into places like Fort Worth is because of that." At the same time, the increase in housing demand between 2020 and 2021, the median property value in the city increased by 11.5% has exacerbated housing affordability issues. "Mixed-income housing and middle-income housing is a conundrum for a lot of cities, meaning a lot of times theres always this focus on low-income housing, and there are a lot of tools or government partnerships to make that happen," Parker said. "But oftentimes, the biggest sector of housing thats missing is middle income. A first-year teacher or first-year firefighter, a young family that cant afford to live in your city because theres no middle-income housing available to them." According to the Goldman note, "stronger population growth outside the largest urban counties has meant somewhat faster house price appreciation relative to pre-pandemic trends compared to the most urban counties. The post-pandemic migration trend is likely connected to changes in housing preferences more people say in surveys that they would prefer larger, more spread-out homes." Read more: Why are home prices so high? Karen Haun, of Lantana, Texas, uses solar glasses to watch beginning of a solar eclipse, as seen from Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) 'Cognizant of the inequality in our community' Oklahoma City is also facing a mixed economic picture. Prosperous communities make up 36.3% of the city and its surrounding areas, while distressed ones account for 26.4% dominated by its urban core. The citys poverty rate of 15% remains above the national average of 12.6%, while its owner-occupied housing unit rate lags behind the US average by more than 5%. "Were certainly cognizant of the inequality in our community, and were at least trying to do everything we can to address it," Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt told Yahoo Finance. Holt highlighted the Metropolitan Area Projects program, which in recent years invested heavily in the tourism industry, including for the construction of the Oklahoma City Thunders arena. That project is estimated to have created more than 3,000 jobs and generated roughly $590 million per year for the surrounding area. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives against Julian Champagnie of the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center on April 10, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) (Joshua Gateley via Getty Images) Holt stressed that the the city is focused on distressed communities in an attempt to provide more equal opportunity for residents. "We don't promise equal outcomes," he said, "but its evident when the outcomes continue to be disproportionate that youre not really providing equal opportunity." Adriana Belmonte is a reporter and editor covering politics and healthcare policy for Yahoo Finance. You can follow her on Twitter @adrianambells and reach her at adriana@yahoofinance.com. Click here for the latest economic news and indicators to help inform your investing decisions. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Question: How does a school district go broke with $1.1 billion in revenues? Answer: When it spends $1.3 billion. This macabre joke is all-too real for San Francisco Unified, where this spring a state oversight panel took control of all budget decisions until the district balances its spending. After reviewing the districts budget, the oversight panel decreed that the locally elected school board no longer has full authority over, any action that is determined to be inconsistent with the ability of [the district] to meet its obligations for the current or subsequent fiscal year. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter According to an independent fiscal analysis, the district has a number of budgetary problems: It paid for employee positions using one-time federal relief funds and will need to lay them off or find other revenues or savings; It has not adjusted student enrollment projections to account for continued declines; It does not track monthly attendance data and, as a result, overstates average daily attendance in projecting future revenues; and Its budget office is understaffed, leading to inadequate control over its payroll system and problems tracking employee overtime costs. Some parts of this story make San Francisco unique. For example, it spent $40 million in a failed effort to fix its payroll processing system. And, to avert a strike last fall, the district agreed to large salary increases 19% over two years for teachers and 16% for service workers. California is also unusual in that it has a powerful oversight agency. The Department of Educations Fiscal Crisis Team reviews district budgets to ensure they are financially solvent, and it can take over budgeting decisions if the need arises. Through these reviews, San Francisco was first put on qualified notice in December, which shifted to negative in May. The auditor in charge of San Franciscos review noted that the district now spends more money than it brings in, and with that will come added scrutiny over all its budgetary decisions until the district can demonstrate that its books are in order. Thats a different and more active oversight role than exists in many states. Still, in many ways, San Francisco is a canary in the coal mine for much of the country. There are a few common factors to look out for: Does the district have underenrolled schools? San Francisco has 4,000 fewer students than it did a decade ago and projects it will lose another 4,600 by 2032. In those same projections, the district leadership noted that nearly all schools in all grades had unfilled seats. Story continues Related Exclusive Data: Thousands of Schools at Risk of Closing Due to Enrollment Loss And yet, despite the enrollment declines, the district has not closed schools, and the citys teachers union has pushed for that moratorium to continue. But by delaying those hard decisions, the district has spread itself thin, because its harder to provide a full range of services at severely underenrolled schools. California schools have suffered bigger enrollment declines than other parts of the country and those are projected to get worse in the coming years. Still, more than two-thirds of public school districts nationwide have fewer students than they did pre-pandemic. Are the districts staffing ratios financially sustainable? San Francisco actually looks better on this metric than many other parts of the country. While three-quarters of districts nationwide have lowered their student-to-teacher ratios over the last few years, San Francisco has not. The district has also kept its total staffing levels in check. Unlike many others, it did not hire a host of new administrators, paraprofessionals, school counselors or other support staff. However, thats not for lack of trying. In December, one of the first steps the San Francisco school board took to reduce its long-term budget deficit was to eliminate 927 unfilled positions. This month, the district agreed to impose an immediate freeze on new hiring. Media reports last fall decried San Franciscos teacher shortages and cited the number of vacant positions the district had. But with a stroke of a pen those vacant positions went away once the district realized it could not afford to hire more people. In fact, San Franciscos actions are what make it such an important warning for other district leaders across the country. Many districts havent faced the same external pressures that San Francisco has, and yet, too many places are overstaffed and underenrolled. That combination could make for painful budget discussions in the coming years. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories' Russian subsidiary has signed an agreement with Novartis Pharma to carry out the sale and distribution of the anti-diabetes products, Galvus and Galvus Met. The distribution agreement outlines that Dr. Reddy's Laboratories LLC, Russia (DRL) will distribute these products within the retail sector and engage with healthcare specialists through its own sales force and pharmacy chain management. This deal does not include a licensing fee, upfront, or down-payment. Galvus and Galvus Met are prominent assets in the Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor category, with combined sales of nearly $30m as per IQVIA Moving Annual Total (MAT) March 2024, in the Russian retail market. As per the deal, Novartis Pharma will be responsible for the supply of Galvus and Galvus Met to DRL at a predetermined price and offer bonuses based on the achievement of key performance indicators (KPIs). DRL is expected to place purchase orders according to a rolling forecast and meet specific volume KPIs for each reporting period. The service agreement to be signed in the future will define the scope of work for this distribution arrangement between DRL and Novartis Pharma. This partnership is a strategic move for DRL as it aims to expand into the cardio and diabetes therapeutic areas. In addition, the latest deal could pave the way for future cooperation between DRL and Novartis Pharma in the cardiovascular domain. The announcement follows a recent collaboration between Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Alvotech, focusing on the commercialisation of AVT03 in the US, Europe, and the UK. AVT03 is a biosimilar candidate to the reference products Prolia and Xgeva (denosumab). Prolia and Xgeva are intended to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and prevent skeletal-related events in adults with advanced cancers. "Dr. Reddys and Novartis sign distribution agreement for anti-diabetes products" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical 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. PANAMA CITY A local shipbuilder recently landed a contract to build a vessel for a South Florida association. In a news release on Wednesday, Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City announced it would construct the newest ferry for the Fisher Island Community Association in the Miami Beach area. The vessel is slated to span about 152 feet in length, and it will boast a 150-passenger capacity. Joey D'Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding, announced the Panama City-based shipbuilder has landed a contract to build a new ferry for the Fisher Island Community Association. According to Joey D'Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding, the group built another ferry known as the Heron for the same association more than 20 years ago, and it "has been the most reliable ferry in (Fisher Island's) fleet." "We look forward to delivering another robust and reliable ESG-built ferry that will serve the residents of Fisher Island for decades to come," D'Isernia said in the release. "In collaboration with FICA and Elliott Bay Design Group, this ferry will be built with yacht-style finishes, and (it) will provide safe and comfortable transportation for residents of the Fisher Island Community." In an email on Thursday, D'Isernia wrote that he anticipates construction of the ferry will begin by the end of this year. He expects for it to take Eastern crews about 22 months to build the ship. Its delivery to the Fisher Island Community Association is scheduled for the spring of 2026. Past ESG reports: US Rep. Neal Dunn challenging Austal USA, which won $3B contract over Eastern Shipbuilding The ferry is slated to be constructed at Eastern Shipbuilding's Allanton and Port St. Joe facilities. Eastern officials would not release how much the company will be paid to build the vessel. "The Heron is probably the most reliable ferry in our fleet," Roberto Sosa, president and CEO of the Fisher Island Community Association, said in the release. "The quality and design of this specific ferry, along with their reputation in the industry, are the main reasons we chose Eastern Shipbuilding Group and Elliott Bay Design Group. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with them through the construction of this ferry." This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City lands new contract to build ferry (Reuters) - U.S. businessman Elon Musk recently told investors that his artificial intelligence startup xAI is planning to build a supercomputer to power the next version of its AI chatbot Grok, The Information reported on Saturday citing a presentation to investors. Musk said he wants to get the proposed supercomputer running by the fall of 2025, as per the report, adding that xAI could partner with Oracle to develop the massive computer. xAI could not be immediately reached for comment. Oracle did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. When completed, the connected groups of chips Nvidias flagship H100 graphics processing units (GPUs) would be at least four times the size of the biggest GPU clusters that exist today, The Information reported quoting Musk from a presentation made to investors in May. Nvidia's H100 family of powerful GPUs dominate the data center chip market for AI but can be hard to obtain due to high demand. Musk founded xAI last year as a challenger to Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Alphabet's Google. Musk also co-founded OpenAI. Earlier this year, Musk said training the Grok 2 model took about 20,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, adding that the Grok 3 model and beyond will require 100,000 Nvidia H100 chips. (Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Josie Kao) Amidst global financial scrutiny and regulatory actions, as evidenced by recent settlements involving major banks like JP Morgan, investors in the Singapore market may seek stability through dividend stocks. These stocks can offer predictable returns and a measure of safety in uncertain economic times, making them an appealing option for those looking to maintain steady income streams. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Singapore Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Civmec (SGX:P9D) 6.23% Singapore Exchange (SGX:S68) 3.62% Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) (SGX:BS6) 3.38% UOB-Kay Hian Holdings (SGX:U10) 6.97% UOL Group (SGX:U14) 3.64% BRC Asia (SGX:BEC) 7.58% Bumitama Agri (SGX:P8Z) 6.84% Singapore Airlines (SGX:C6L) 7.19% YHI International (SGX:BPF) 6.63% Sing Investments & Finance (SGX:S35) 6.12% Click here to see the full list of 20 stocks from our Top SGX Dividend Stocks screener. Below we spotlight a couple of our favorites from our exclusive screener. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: The Hour Glass Limited is an investment holding company specializing in the retail and distribution of watches, jewelry, and other luxury products across Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam with a market cap of SGD 1.03 billion. Operations: The Hour Glass Limited generates SGD 1.13 billion primarily through the sale of watches, jewelry, and luxury items. Dividend Yield: 5.1% Hour Glass's dividend yield of S$5.06% trails behind the top 25% of Singaporean dividend stocks, which average a 6.17% yield. Despite a history of volatility and unreliability in its dividend payments over the past decade, the company maintains a sustainable payout structure with a low payout ratio of 31.9% and cash payout ratio of 42.3%. This indicates that dividends are well-supported by both earnings and cash flows, providing some stability despite past fluctuations. SGX:AGS Dividend History as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd. is an investment holding company that specializes in shipbuilding, operating across Greater China, Canada, Japan, Italy, Greece, other European countries, and internationally with a market capitalization of approximately SGD 7.51 billion. Operations: Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd. generates revenue primarily through its shipbuilding segment, which accounted for CN22.79 billion, and its shipping operations, contributing CN1.02 billion. Story continues Dividend Yield: 3.4% Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd. offers a stable dividend yield of 3.38%, though it's lower than the top 25% of Singaporean dividend stocks at 6.17%. With a payout ratio of 33.6% and a cash payout ratio of 19.1%, dividends are sustainably covered by both earnings and cash flows, evidenced by a recent increase in earnings by 57%. Recent board changes could impact governance dynamics, potentially influencing future financial strategies and dividend policies. SGX:BS6 Dividend History as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Singapore Airlines Limited operates passenger and cargo air transportation services globally under the Singapore Airlines and Scoot brands, with a market capitalization of approximately SGD 23.82 billion. Operations: Singapore Airlines Limited generates revenue primarily through its Full Service Carrier segment, which brought in SGD 16.18 billion, and its Low-Cost Carrier operations, which contributed SGD 2.45 billion, along with Engineering Services adding SGD 1.09 billion. Dividend Yield: 7.2% Singapore Airlines has shown a robust increase in sales, reaching SGD 19.01 billion for the fiscal year ending March 2024, up from SGD 17.77 billion the previous year, with net income also rising to SGD 2.67 billion. Despite this financial growth, dividends have been inconsistent over the past decade and are expected to face challenges given a forecasted average earnings decline of 20.7% annually over the next three years. However, dividends are currently well-supported by earnings and cash flows with a payout ratio of 75.9% and a cash payout ratio of 45.9%. Recent executive changes could influence future strategic directions impacting dividend stability. SGX:C6L Dividend History as at May 2024 Summing It All Up Explore the 20 names from our Top SGX Dividend Stocks screener here. Invested in any of these stocks? Simplify your portfolio management with Simply Wall St and stay ahead with our alerts for any critical updates on your stocks. Maximize your investment potential with Simply Wall St, the comprehensive app that offers global market insights for free. Looking For Alternative Opportunities? This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include SGX:AGS SGX:BS6 and SGX:C6L. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com As global markets navigate through a complex landscape of varying interest rate expectations and economic signals, the Netherlands market remains an intriguing area for investors, particularly those interested in dividend stocks. Amid these dynamics, understanding what characterizes a resilient and potentially rewarding dividend stock becomes crucial, especially in a market environment where cautious optimism around corporate earnings and economic resilience prevails. Top 5 Dividend Stocks In The Netherlands Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Acomo (ENXTAM:ACOMO) 6.62% ABN AMRO Bank (ENXTAM:ABN) 9.75% Randstad (ENXTAM:RAND) 4.56% Van Lanschot Kempen (ENXTAM:VLK) 9.84% Koninklijke KPN (ENXTAM:KPN) 4.36% Koninklijke Heijmans (ENXTAM:HEIJM) 4.12% Click here to see the full list of 6 stocks from our Top Euronext Amsterdam Dividend Stocks screener. We'll examine a selection from our screener results. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Acomo N.V. is a company based in the Netherlands that specializes in sourcing, trading, processing, packaging, and distributing both conventional and organic food ingredients globally, with a market capitalization of approximately 514.16 million. Operations: Acomo N.V. generates revenue from various segments including Tea (120.62 million), Edible Seeds (257.29 million), Food Solutions (24.07 million), Spices and Nuts (429.96 million), and Organic Ingredients (436.38 million). Dividend Yield: 6.6% Acomo's dividend yield of 6.62% ranks in the top 25% in the Dutch market, offering an attractive return compared to the average of 5.58%. Despite trading at a significant discount to its estimated fair value, Acomo's dividends have shown volatility over the past decade and carry a high level of debt. However, dividends are well-supported by earnings with a payout ratio of 85.7% and robustly covered by cash flows at a cash payout ratio of 26.1%. ENXTAM:ACOMO Dividend History as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Koninklijke Heijmans N.V. operates in property development, construction, and infrastructure sectors primarily in the Netherlands, with a market capitalization of approximately 579.44 million. Operations: Koninklijke Heijmans N.V. generates revenue from three main segments: Real Estate (411.79 million), Infrastructure Works (800.03 million), and Construction & Technology (1.08 billion). Story continues Dividend Yield: 4.1% Koninklijke Heijmans offers a dividend yield of 4.12%, below the top tier in the Dutch market, yet its dividends are supported by a payout ratio of 37.1% and a cash payout ratio of 59%. Despite this reasonable coverage, dividends have been volatile over the past decade, reflecting an unstable track record. The company's earnings are projected to grow by 10.21% annually, but past earnings growth was impacted by significant one-off items. Recent events include a stock split effective May 7, 2024. ENXTAM:HEIJM Dividend History as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Van Lanschot Kempen NV operates as a financial services provider offering a range of solutions in the Netherlands and internationally, with a market capitalization of approximately 1.72 billion. Operations: Van Lanschot Kempen NV generates revenue primarily through its Investment Banking Clients and Wholesale & Institutional Clients segments, contributing 41 million and 83.10 million respectively. Dividend Yield: 9.8% Van Lanschot Kempen, despite a short dividend history of less than 10 years, shows promise with a growing dividend and a top quartile yield of 9.84% in the Dutch market. The company's payout ratio stands at 70.9%, indicating current earnings cover dividends well, with forecasts suggesting continued coverage at 66.6%. However, shareholder dilution occurred over the past year, and the company has only recently stabilized its dividend payments. Recent strategic moves include refinancing 100 million of Tier 1 notes and appointing a new Chief Risk Officer effective June 2024. ENXTAM:VLK Dividend History as at May 2024 Taking Advantage Unlock more gems! Our Top Euronext Amsterdam Dividend Stocks screener has unearthed 3 more companies for you to explore.Click here to unveil our expertly curated list of 6 Top Euronext Amsterdam Dividend Stocks. Have you diversified into these companies? Leverage the power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to keep a close eye on market movements affecting your investments. Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors. Contemplating Other Strategies? This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include ENXTAM:ACOMO ENXTAM:HEIJM and ENXTAM:VLK. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com The Switzerland market recently experienced a downturn, influenced by concerns over U.S. interest rates, with the benchmark SMI index closing lower. Amidst these fluctuations, companies with high insider ownership can offer potential resilience and alignment of interests between shareholders and management, which could be particularly appealing in uncertain economic times. 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% 21% Swissquote Group Holding (SWX:SQN) 11.4% 14.3% Temenos (SWX:TEMN) 17.4% 14.7% LEM Holding (SWX:LEHN) 34.5% 10.1% Sonova Holding (SWX:SOON) 17.7% 10.4% Sensirion Holding (SWX:SENS) 20.7% 78.3% SHL Telemedicine (SWX:SHLTN) 17.9% 96.2% Arbonia (SWX:ARBN) 28.8% 78.2% Click here to see the full list of 17 stocks from our Fast Growing SIX Swiss Exchange Companies With High Insider Ownership screener. We'll examine a selection from our screener results. Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: INFICON Holding AG specializes in developing instruments for gas analysis, measurement, and control, operating both in Switzerland and internationally, with a market cap of approximately CHF 3.52 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its global supply of instrumentation for gas analysis, measurement, and control, totaling $673.71 million. Insider Ownership: 10.3% INFICON Holding AG has shown a solid financial performance with a revenue increase to US$673.71 million and net income rising to US$105.68 million in 2023. While its earnings growth is forecasted at 9.85% per year, slightly ahead of the Swiss market average, this rate does not reach the high-growth benchmark of over 20%. The company's Return on Equity is expected to be strong at 27.6%, indicating efficient management and potentially attractive to investors focusing on corporate governance and insider stakes. SWX:IFCN Earnings and Revenue Growth as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Sonova Holding AG, with a market cap of CHF 17.54 billion, is a global provider of hearing care solutions for adults and children across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Operations: Sonova's revenue is primarily derived from its Hearing Instruments segment, which generated CHF 3.36 billion, and its Cochlear Implants segment, contributing CHF 282.40 million. Story continues Insider Ownership: 17.7% Sonova Holding AG, despite its high level of debt and highly volatile share price in recent months, trades at 35.6% below its estimated fair value, suggesting potential undervaluation. Its revenue growth is moderate at 7.1% per year, outpacing the Swiss market's 4.4%, with earnings expected to grow by 10.42% annuallyabove the market's 8.3%. The companys strong projected Return on Equity at 27.4% highlights efficient capital management amidst a backdrop of stable financial performance with CHF 609.5 million net income reported for the fiscal year ending March 2024. SWX:SOON Ownership Breakdown as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: VAT Group AG operates globally, specializing in the development, manufacture, and supply of vacuum valves, multi-valve units, vacuum modules, and edge-welded metal bellows; it has a market capitalization of approximately CHF 14.77 billion. Operations: VAT Group's revenue is primarily derived from its Valves segment, which generated CHF 782.74 million, and its Global Service segment, contributing CHF 172.87 million. Insider Ownership: 10.2% VAT Group AG, a Swiss company with high insider ownership, is poised for robust growth. Earnings are expected to increase by 21.17% annually over the next three years, outpacing the broader Swiss market's 8.3%. Similarly, VAT's revenue growth forecast at 15.5% annually also exceeds the market average of 4.4%. Despite this promising growth trajectory and a significant projected Return on Equity of 39.1%, the companys share price has been highly volatile recently, which may concern some investors. SWX:VACN Ownership Breakdown as at May 2024 Key Takeaways Gain an insight into the universe of 17 Fast Growing SIX Swiss Exchange Companies With High Insider Ownership by clicking here. Are you invested in these stocks already? Keep abreast of every twist and turn by setting up a portfolio with Simply Wall St, where we make it simple for investors like you to stay informed and proactive. Elevate your portfolio with Simply Wall St, the ultimate app for investors seeking global market coverage. Contemplating Other Strategies? This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.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:IFCN SWX:SOON and SWX:VACN. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com By Martin Coulter and Leigh Thomas PARIS (Reuters) - France is banking on a new push to integrate the European Union's fragmented capital markets to give them the scale needed to wean its flourishing startup sector off of dominant U.S. venture capital, ministers, CEOs and investors said. A hodgepodge of local regulations and oversight has kept Europe's financial markets largely shaped by national borders, preventing the emergence of deep capital markets to rival the United States. For startups in France and elsewhere in European Union that means they almost inevitably turn to U.S. venture capital - private equity funding of early stage promising companies - to fund growth as there simply is not enough big investors at home. While the U.S. funding is welcome, the result is a missed opportunity for Europe, said Matthieu Rouif, CEO of French startup Photoroom, which recently raised $43 million from UK fund Balderton and Silicon Valley's Y Combinator. "A huge amount of wealth has been created over the past 20 years, created off the back of tech innovation, and the fact Europeans don't have access to that is a big issue," he said at the Viva Technology fair in Paris last week. The 10 biggest venture capital firms are all from the United States and dwarf their European rivals in the amounts of money they can raise for investment, according to the French central bank. A report published by venture capital firm Atomico in 2023 estimated European startups would raise $45 billion that year, compared to the $120 billion raised in the U.S. The French government is therefore pushing for the next European Commission to make a priority of reviving long-stalled plans for EU capitals market union harmonising financial regulations and supervision across the 27-nation bloc. While a consensus is emerging among EU governments to move ahead at least in principle, in practice some remain reluctant to lose regulatory control of their financial markets. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned that Europe could not afford to keep dithering, citing the example of Mistral AI, France's answer to OpenAi. "Mistral needs to raise money in the next six months, it's going to be a lot of money. So either we move ahead with capital markets union or else they will go somewhere else," Le Maire said at the Paris tech fair. Another way to scale up EU venture capital would be to get public sector investors, such as the European Investment Bank, more involved in financing startups by accepting more risk than private investors, Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau said. Story continues Meanwhile, for European venture capital firms, a single unified market would make it more attractive to float the companies they fund in Europe rather than the United States. "As a French citizen, it's a shame to see that the value creation flywheel isn't spinning as fast in Europe as it is in the U.S.," said Antoine Moyroud at Silicon Valley venture capital fund Lightspeed, which is one of Mistral's investors. European startups that end up floating on markets at home could also expect a more stable investor base than in the United States, where investors are more likely to sell down holdings in foreign firms during a downturn, said Louis Dussart with venture capital group RTP Global. "It would truly be a pivotal moment if we could establish Europe as an attractive place to exit and bring liquidity back into the ecosystem," Dussart said. (Reporting by Martin Coulter and Leigh Thomas; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) Exploring the Sustainability of Globe Telecom Inc's Dividends Globe Telecom Inc (GTMEY) recently announced a dividend of $0.43 per share, payable on 2024-06-28, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-05-28. 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 Globe Telecom Inc's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does Globe Telecom Inc Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 10 Warning Signs with GTMEY. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? Globe Telecom Inc is a telecommunications company that provides mobile, voice, and broadband services. Its operating segments are Mobile Business, Fixed Line, and Broadband Business. Mobile involves traditional mobile services and contributes the majority of company revenue. Within the mobile division, the majority of subscribers are considered prepaid customers. The other division, fixed-line and broadband, provides fixed-line voice services, corporate data, and Internet for its customers. The company generates the vast majority of its revenue in the Philippines. Globe Telecom Inc's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at Globe Telecom Inc's Dividend History Globe Telecom Inc has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2011. Dividends are currently distributed on a quarterly basis. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Globe Telecom Inc's Dividend Analysis Breaking Down Globe Telecom Inc's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, Globe Telecom Inc currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 5.42% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 5.39%. This suggests an expectation of a slight decrease in dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, Globe Telecom Inc's annual dividend growth rate was -2.00%. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate increased to 3.00% per year. And over the past decade, Globe Telecom Inc's annual dividends per share growth rate stands at 4.40%. Based on Globe Telecom Inc's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of Globe Telecom Inc stock as of today is approximately 6.28%. Globe Telecom Inc's Dividend Analysis The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. 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, Globe Telecom Inc's dividend payout ratio is 0.76, which may suggest that the company's dividend may not be sustainable. Story continues Globe Telecom Inc's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks Globe Telecom Inc's profitability 8 out of 10 as of 2024-03-31, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported positive net income for each of 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. Globe Telecom Inc'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 Globe Telecom Inc's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. Globe Telecom Inc's revenue has increased by approximately 1.30% per year on average, a rate that underperforms than approximately 65.21% 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, Globe Telecom Inc's earnings increased by approximately -6.60% per year on average, a rate that underperforms than approximately 74.25% of global competitors. Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of -2.60%, which underperforms than approximately 73.79% of global competitors. Next Steps Given the analysis of Globe Telecom Inc's dividend payments, dividend growth rate, payout ratio, profitability, and growth metrics, investors should weigh these factors carefully. While the company shows strong profitability and a decent yield, the negative trends in growth rates and the high payout ratio may raise concerns about the long-term sustainability of its dividends. As always, it's crucial for investors to consider their own financial goals and risk tolerance when making investment decisions. 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. Flipkart, Walmart-owned Indian e-commerce marketplace, has secured an investment from multinational technology company Google. The retailer, which released a brief statement on its website, said that it will add Google as a minority investor. Flipkart did not disclose the value of the investment, but a report from Reuters said that the technology giant is investing $350m, valuing the Indian e-commerce firm at $37bn. The investment is part of a nearly $1bn funding round initiated by Flipkart in December last year. Walmart led the round with a $600m investment in late last year. As part of the deal, Google will also provide Flipkart with cloud offerings. The e-commerce marketplace will leverage the investment and cloud services collaboration to optimise its digital infrastructure and expedite the modernisation of its digital infrastructure to serve the growing customers base across the country. The Bengaluru-based company, which competes with Amazon in India, has been the subject of IPO speculation since Walmart's acquisition. US retail executives recently indicated that they are exploring the optimal timing for Flipkart's market debut, Reuters reported. With over 500 million registered users and more than 1.4 million sellers on its platform, Flipkart is one of the leading digital commerce marketplaces in India. The marketplace, which includes Shopsy sellers, offers a vast array of products across more than 80 categories. Recently, it announced the launch of Flipkart IRIS, an insights platform designed to provide brands with valuable data to inform their strategies and foster growth on the e-commerce platform. "Google invests in Walmart-owned Flipkart" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Great Eastern Holdings' minority shareholders are contesting a S$1.4bn ($1.03bn) takeover bid from Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), citing the offer as undervalued, reported Bloomberg. The proposed price of S$25.6 per share is seen as a 30% discount against the insurer's embedded value, a common valuation metric in the industry. Considering that measure, it is only half of the valuation the bank made when it made its previous bid to acquire the entire business. OCBC, owning over 88% of Great Eastern, aims to delist the company, a move that has sparked concern among investors. Ong Chin Woo, a shareholder in both Great Eastern and OCBC, said: "We are now caught between a rock and a hard place." Representing a group of over one hundred minority shareholders, Woo has been advocating for a more equitable exit offer since 2021. An OCBC spokesperson has defended the offer, highlighting its 40% premium over the past month and year, alongside other financial benchmarks. The 116-year-old insurer, contributing significantly to OCBC's profits, has faced shareholder pressure for increased dividends and liquidity. Great Eastern's executive compensation, paid in OCBC shares, has also been a point of contention. Great Eastern has informed investors of initiatives to enhance capital management and dividends, though it acknowledges that many factors influencing share prices are external. The insurer maintains that the current compensation structure promotes unity within the OCBC Group. Notable business figures with stakes in the outcome include Lee Thor Seng and Wong Hong Sun, who remains firm in not selling his shares at "half price." EY has been appointed as an independent financial adviser to evaluate OCBC's offer and advise Great Eastern shareholders. The offer document is set to be distributed by the end of May, with a minimum offer period of 28 days. "Great Eastern minority shareholders resist OCBCs $1bn buyout bid " 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. MADRID, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Voice Group (GVG) now features as one of the top 100 Africa-focused innovative RegTech organizations that are set to power Africa to a $1 billion market size by 2025. GVG featured on 2024 Africa RegTech Horizon-100 list This acknowledgment bears witness to GVG's compliance monitoring capabilities within the Mobile Money (MM) ecosystem. GVG developed the Mobile Money Monitoring (M3) solution, an intelligent data platform that supports East African regulatory authorities in monitoring the fast-expanding MM market. Through M3, the authorities can ensure the security and integrity of the related financial transactions, as well as transparency and compliance, for enhanced revenue assurance. M3 currently monitors approximately 25% of the financial flows passing through MM platforms in East Africa, verifying over 90 billion USD worth of transactions annually. Moreover, the platform is also in use in Central and West Africa, in the Republic of Congo and in Ghana. In Congo, M3 has brought the local telecommunications regulator, the ARPCE, 100% visibility and control over all utility payments made via Mobile Money to the government. In Ghana, it has contributed to an average annual growth of 20% in revenue since its deployment. Overall, M3 has captured, verified and analyzed 1 trillion USD in MM transaction value since 2014. After demonstrating the relevance, effectiveness, and innovation of the M3 solution to the jury, composed of recognized leaders of the Regtech industry, GVG was shortlisted and, following the voting phase, earned a place on the prestigious list. The M3 platform uses machine learning to ensure effective oversight of the MM market, ensure regulatory compliance and detect suspicious transactions. Since its first implementation in 2013, GVG's M3 solution has provided the relevant regulatory authorities with reliable MM ecosystem metrics to support data-driven decision-making, promote compliance within the market, and reduce fraud and revenue leakage. Responding to the announcement, James Claude, GVG's CEO, declared: "It is with a great sense of achievement that I see GVG featuring among the 100 top RegTech providers in Africa. On behalf of the whole company, I sincerely thank Africa RegTech Horizon, as well as our voters, for supporting us in what we do best: providing governments and regulatory authorities with the market insights they need to address the challenges related to the fast-expanding financial ecosystem." The Africa RegTech Horizon-100 list is a directory of African RegTech companies and solution providers compiled to showcase the products and services of the latter, as well as assist financial institutions, regulators, and governments in identifying high-performing and trustworthy RegTech providers. Story continues About GVG Founded in 1998 and present in 11 countries, Global Voice Group is a global provider of ICT and RegTech solutions for governments and regulatory bodies. GVG assists governments and authorities, through Big Data analytics, in their digital transformation and the effective promotion of compliant and truly inclusive digital ecosystems. The company monitors, collects and analyses data from crucial economic sectors and turns it into actionable information. We promote data-driven decision-making. Discover GVG's website: www.globalvoicegroup.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2421578/Global_Voice_Group_2024.jpg Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gvg-featured-on-the-2024-africa-regtech-horizon-100-list-302155182.html SOURCE Global Voice Group SA Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. 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 the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt. So, the natural question for Savannah Resources (LON:SAV) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of 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. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. View our latest analysis for Savannah Resources Does Savannah Resources Have A Long Cash Runway? You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. In December 2023, Savannah Resources had UK9.7m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was UK4.5m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 2.2 years as of December 2023. Arguably, that's a prudent and sensible length of runway to have. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Is Savannah Resources' Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Because Savannah Resources isn't currently generating revenue, we consider it an early-stage business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. While it hardly paints a picture of imminent growth, the fact that it has reduced its cash burn by 33% over the last year suggests some degree of prudence. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company. Can Savannah Resources Raise More Cash Easily? While Savannah Resources is showing a solid reduction in its cash burn, it's still worth considering how easily it could raise more cash, even just to fuel faster growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future 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. Savannah Resources' cash burn of UK4.5m is about 7.7% of its UK59m market capitalisation. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. Is Savannah Resources' Cash Burn A Worry? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Savannah Resources' cash burn. In particular, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. And even though its cash burn reduction wasn't quite as impressive, it was still a positive. Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we're not overly concerned about the company's cash burn, although we do think shareholders should keep an eye on how it develops. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 5 warning signs for Savannah Resources (of which 2 are significant!) you should know about. Of course Savannah Resources may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with high insider ownership. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. This High-Yield Renewable Energy Stock Offers An Attractive Dividend And Significant Growth Potential Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. As the world continues to recognize solar and wind as viable energy sources, the worldwide market for renewable energy is expanding at an exponential rate. In 2023, renewable energy contributed a record 30% of global electricity. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that by 2025, renewable energy will overtake coal to become the worlds leading source of electricity. Renewable energy stocks have surged strongly as stakeholders across the globe continue to invest trillions of US dollars into clean energy. The S&P 500 Indexs energy sector has gained 17% this year, becoming the second-best-performing category. Brookfield Renewable (NYSE:BEP) is a top pick among analysts for the best renewable energy dividend-paying growth stocks to buy in 2024. The Canada-based limited partnership has a market cap of $7.50 billion, making it the worlds eighth-largest renewable energy company. Brookfield Renewables share price has gained 37% since its 52-week low, with most of the gains being made in the last few weeks. The gains are driven by its strong balance sheet, quality partnerships, and a liquidity position of $4.4 billion. The company recently entered into a $10 billion partnership with Microsoft to provide more than 10.5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity in Europe and the US from 2026 to 2030. Brookfield Renewables strong fundamentals make it a strong buy for growth and income investors. Despite its massive investment in growth, the stock has paid quarterly dividends since 2020, with an impressive annual dividend growth rate of 6%. Brookfield Renewable has a trailing dividend yield of 5.50% and a forward dividend yield of 5.50%. The company sells the energy it produces under long-term, fixed-rate power purchase agreements (PPAs), with most sale contracts lasting an average of 13 years. These long-term contracts ensure business sustainability across all market cycles. Looking For More High-Yield Investments? Consider This Alternative Option While Brookfield Renewable is an attractive investment opportunity for those seeking growth and income in the renewable energy sector, investors should also consider alternative investments that offer high yields and short-term liquidity. One such opportunity is Basecamp Alpine Notes from EquityMultiple. Basecamp Alpine Notes are an innovative investment product designed to provide investors with a powerful short-term cash management tool. With a target APY of 9.00% over a 3-month term and a minimum investment of only $1,000, these notes offer an attractive blend of high returns and flexibility. Story continues What sets Basecamp Alpine Notes apart is their exclusive availability to first-time investors on the EquityMultiple platform. This means that new investors have a unique opportunity to take advantage of these favorable terms and start building their real estate portfolio with a low-risk, high-yield investment. Another key advantage of Basecamp Alpine Notes is its liquidity. Unlike many real estate investments that require long hold periods, these notes allow investors to access their funds after just three months. This makes them an ideal choice for investors seeking to balance their portfolios with a mix of long-term growth and short-term liquidity. With a proven track record of meeting all payment and funding obligations, and over 79% of investors choosing to reinvest, EquityMultiple has established itself as a trusted partner for investors seeking to diversify their portfolios with alternative investments. Click here to learn more about how you can boost your portfolio's income with Basecamp Alpine Notes. While renewable energy stocks like Brookfield Renewable offer attractive opportunities for growth and income, investors should also consider alternative investments like Basecamp Alpine Notes from EquityMultiple. By diversifying their portfolios with a mix of long-term growth and short-term liquidity, investors can create a more resilient and balanced approach to wealth-building in any market condition. This article This High-Yield Renewable Energy Stock Offers An Attractive Dividend And Significant Growth Potential originally appeared on Benzinga.com The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is pushing ahead with the next phase of its experiment with retail e-HKD, or central bank digital currency (CBDC), after gaining insight into its potential uses during a six-month pilot programme that concluded in October last year. The HKMA has said the next round of the trial with selected participants will delve deeper into the technology, business model and legislation surrounding e-HKD transactions. One of the potential uses could be for pricing and disbursing mortgages, with consumers and banks benefiting equally from the digital currency's adoption. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Traditionally, consumers turn to banks to help fund home purchases, at interest rates based on the amount and length of borrowing. But with the e-HKD, Hong Kong residents could potentially borrow from more than one lender at preferential rates and enjoy faster approval and disbursement. Loan applications and approvals for home mortgages could get faster with e-HKD, experts say. Photo: Reuters alt=Loan applications and approvals for home mortgages could get faster with e-HKD, experts say. Photo: Reuters> Boston Consulting Group (BCG), HKT Payment and ZA Bank devised this use case in the inaugural e-HKD pilot programme. Borrowers could obtain secured lending for smaller amounts by tokenising or fractionalising a property right. Meanwhile, lenders could offer more competitive rates for loans issued using a programmable e-HKD that ring-fences the proceeds, as credit risk diminishes. Loan disbursement could also be faster as smart contracts will be used to enable automation, they said. The use of the e-HKD could similarly be extended to tokenised assets. In Hong Kong, the size of assets potentially available for tokenisation is about HK$36 trillion (US$4.6 trillion), comprising mostly residential property, according to a BCG estimate. As financial institutions increasingly invest in virtual assets such as tokenised bonds, funds, gold and real estate, a digital currency on blockchains will make settlement easier and more efficient, according to Raymond Chan, vice-chairman of the Institute of Financial Technologists of Asia. The size of assets potentially available for tokenisation is about HK$36 trillion, comprising mostly residential property, according to Boston Consulting Group. Photo: Shutterstock alt=The size of assets potentially available for tokenisation is about HK$36 trillion, comprising mostly residential property, according to Boston Consulting Group. Photo: Shutterstock> Story continues "By tokenisation, [these assets] become more liquid and more accessible to all," Chan added. Many banks will be eyeing the custodian business from tokenised assets because there will be underlying physical assets, he added. A report jointly published this month by Arta TechFin, Web3 solutions company Emali and PwC said the e-HKD could find extensive use among retail investors to manage and make small investments. Retail investors often face onerous onboarding processes, minimum investment size, steep subscription fees and long settlement periods when accessing wholesale financial products, according to the report. "The new technology allows a better way to move money," said Eddie Lau, CEO of Arta Global Markets, a unit of Hong Kong-listed Arta TechFin, which took part in the e-HKD pilot last year. A smart-contract-embedded currency like e-HKD "will reinforce the status of fiat currency as the dominant tool in the financial world," he added. Eddie Lau, CEO of Arta Global Markets. Photo: Handout alt=Eddie Lau, CEO of Arta Global Markets. Photo: Handout> E-HKD, which uses distributed ledger technology to achieve programmability, tokenisation and instant settlement, can help investors generate investment income with a small balance and lower costs even for a short duration of days, according to Arta. Fund managers would be exposed to fewer counterparty risks, and at the same time grow their assets under management. Arta TechFin is exploring instant settlement of a fund order and streamlining the fund industry's processes via a hypothetical e-HKD, Lau said. To be sure, some experts argue that e-HKD has a long way to go and other tokenised payments such as tokenised deposits or stablecoins can provide the same benefits and temper credit risk. "In my view, as long as each is safe and secure and subject to robust regulatory scrutiny, then users should be able to benefit," said Peter Brewin, a partner at PwC Hong Kong. "Ultimately, users will decide which is best for them and their circumstances." People may realise the "trade-offs" between these digital currencies, depending on interest payments, use cases, acceptance ratio, convenience level, among others, said Allen Huang, associate dean of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology School of Business and Management. "When people look at different competitive landscapes brought up by CBDC, they say that it's during the time of crisis, people flock to sovereign money," said Huang. "If everything else is equal, people may choose e-HKD over tokenised deposits or something else. But e-HKD may not pay interest while tokenised deposits in the bank pay interest." While the e-HKD for public use is awaited, the financial, payments and technology sectors are seeing the potential benefits for themselves and customers. Financial institutions are likely to be the biggest users of tokenised payments, which allow them to offer the same services at dramatically lower costs, Brewin said. This will also open up opportunities for completely new products and services, he added. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Iberdrola is on the lookout for startups to provide advanced inspection and digitisation services for its offshore wind farms, using autonomous or remote-controlled technologies. The Spanish energy company said that the startups will join its PERSEO programme to offer comprehensive inspection solutions. These solutions should include 3D modelling or digital twins and on-site preventive maintenance and repair capabilities for turbines, substations, jackets, foundations, subsea cables. The focus is on utilising autonomous or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and inspection systems for various offshore wind farm components, as offshore environments are often harsh and experience extreme weather conditions. Startups interested in collaborating with the company can submit their proposals for consideration, the company said. The selected company will have the opportunity to test their solutions with PERSEO or another Iberdrola entity, which will fund the testing activities and provide necessary technical support. This includes real data environment testing, access to tools, equipment, infrastructure, and shared workspaces. The project will be carried out in partnership with Iberdrola's specialised technicians from its renewables and offshore divisions. Should the trials prove successful, Iberdrola may offer commercial agreements to scale the solution. Additionally, PERSEO may consider investing in the participating company or the winning solution. Since its inception in 2008, the PERSEO programme has invested over 175m in startups that contribute to the sustainability of the energy sector. The investments focus on electrification and decarbonisation of the economy, analysing business opportunities and fostering technological collaboration globally. Iberdrola has earmarked about 15.5bn for renewable investments between 2024 and 2026, with 54% directed towards offshore wind projects in the US, the UK, France, and Germany. The company recently achieved a significant milestone by installing the first of 50 turbines at the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea, a joint venture with Masdar. The installation of the remaining 49 turbines is planned for the second half of 2024. "Iberdrola to seek startup support for offshore wind farm inspections" 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. Tata Power, part Indian conglomerate Tata Group, is seeking to secure a loan of up to $1bn to finance its clean energy projects, Bloomberg has reported citing sources. This move could result in the largest local currency loan in India for the current year. The company is currently negotiating with several lenders, including the State Bank of India, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, and ICICI Bank. The loan is intended to support Tata Power's $1.6bn investment, announced in August, to develop pumped hydro storage projects in the state of Maharashtra. The structure of the loan could be either a bilateral agreement or a syndicated facility, th report said. Tata Power anticipates finalising the credit arrangements within the next three to six months. The funds will be disbursed in stages, aligned with the progress of the project development. Pricing for the loan may be set above benchmarks such as the Reserve Bank of India's repo rate or treasury bills. As discussions are still in progress, the specifics of the loan agreement are subject to change. India has an ambition is to nearly triple its renewable energy capacity by the end of this decade. Companies like Tata Power, Adani Green Energy, and Reliance Industries are actively increasing their renewable energy efforts. Tata Power itself aims to expand its renewable generation capacity by nearly four times by 2027. Earlier this year, Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL), a subsidiary of Tata Power, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Gujarat. This agreement, established during the Vibrant Gujarat summit, outlines the construction of 10GW of renewable energy projects in the state. The planned projects, covering an area of 50,000 acres (20,234 ha) of unencumbered government land, will encompass solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy. With an investment potential of Rs700bn ($9.4bn), these projects are expected to generate employment for 3,000 individuals. "Indias Tata Power looking to raise $1bn loan for clean energy projects" 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. Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Stemmer Imaging fair value estimate is 57.80 Current share price of 33.10 suggests Stemmer Imaging is potentially 43% undervalued Analyst price target for S9I is 45.88 which is 21% below our fair value estimate Does the May share price for Stemmer Imaging AG (ETR:S9I) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Stemmer Imaging Is Stemmer Imaging Fairly Valued? We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) 18.3m 18.3m 21.1m 20.7m 20.4m 20.3m 20.2m 20.2m 20.3m 20.4m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Est @ -1.97% Est @ -1.17% Est @ -0.62% Est @ -0.23% Est @ 0.04% Est @ 0.23% Est @ 0.37% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 5.8% 17.3 16.4 17.8 16.5 15.4 14.5 13.6 12.9 12.2 11.6 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 148m The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after 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 0.7%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.8%. Story continues Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = 20m (1 + 0.7%) (5.8% 0.7%) = 400m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 400m ( 1 + 5.8%)10= 228m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is 376m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of 33.1, the company appears quite undervalued at a 43% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Stemmer Imaging as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 5.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.114. 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 Stemmer Imaging Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Electronic market. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the German market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the German market. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Stemmer Imaging, we've put together three pertinent aspects you should assess: Risks: You should be aware of the 1 warning sign for Stemmer Imaging we've uncovered before considering an investment in the company. Future Earnings: How does S9I'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 German 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. Key Insights Delta Air Lines' estimated fair value is US$74.29 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of US$51.84 suggests Delta Air Lines is potentially 30% undervalued Our fair value estimate is 25% higher than Delta Air Lines' analyst price target of US$59.28 In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Delta Air Lines What's The Estimated Valuation? We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$3.59b US$3.79b US$3.46b US$3.28b US$3.19b US$3.15b US$3.14b US$3.16b US$3.19b US$3.24b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x6 Analyst x5 Analyst x2 Est @ -5.17% Est @ -2.90% Est @ -1.32% Est @ -0.21% Est @ 0.57% Est @ 1.11% Est @ 1.49% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 8.2% US$3.3k US$3.2k US$2.7k US$2.4k US$2.1k US$2.0k US$1.8k US$1.7k US$1.6k US$1.5k ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$22b We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.4%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.2%. Story continues Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = US$3.2b (1 + 2.4%) (8.2% 2.4%) = US$57b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$57b ( 1 + 8.2%)10= US$26b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$48b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$51.8, the company appears quite undervalued at a 30% 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 The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Delta Air Lines 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 8.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.274. 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 Delta Air Lines Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Airlines market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Delta Air Lines, we've compiled three essential aspects you should explore: Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Delta Air Lines you should know about. Future Earnings: How does DAL's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American 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. The World Health Organization (WHO) has secured $19.4m in funding from Saudi Arabias King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to enhance healthcare operations in Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. This collaborative effort of KSrelief and WHO aims to tackle global health challenges, particularly in emergency response situations. The agreements were signed between WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and KSrelief supervisor general Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah at the World Health Assembly's opening in Geneva. WHO and KSrelief mainly intend to reinforce their joint effort to ensure the availability of critical health services to vulnerable communities affected by disease outbreaks, conflict and feeble health services worldwide. In Sudan, a $5m contribution from KSrelief will support dialysis treatment across the countrys 77 renal dialysis centres. The funding will be used for the procurement of 100 dialysis machines, essential for individuals with kidney failure. Syria, which is still reeling from devastating earthquakes in 2023, will receive around $4.75m to aid recovery efforts. The earthquakes caused widespread destruction to various key infrastructure, including healthcare facilities. The funding will benefit an estimated 350,000 people with essential medications and supplies, while around 4.1 million are set to gain from the restored diagnostic services or/and ambulance referrals. Meanwhile, Yemen will benefit from nearly $9.5m investment to combat disease outbreaks such as measles and cholera and to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene services across the countrys healthcare facilities to ensure sustainable water supply for vulnerable populations. Through these efforts, the objective is to deliver essential, life-saving healthcare and medical services to about 12.6 million Yemenis by maintaining integrated health response. Saudi Arabia is WHOs long-term partner and aims to continue working alongside the organisation to address pressing global health issues. WHO Eastern Mediterranean regional director Dr Hanan Balkhy The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a valuable partner to WHO. "This contribution from KSrelief is instrumental in supporting our efforts to serve the most vulnerable communities as we continue to address the dire consequences of multiple emergencies in our region. In February 2024, the WHO announced setting-up 17 standard cholera treatment centres across Ethiopia, as part of its efforts to combat the cholera outbreak. "KSrelief offers $19.4m for WHO initiatives in Sudan, Syria, Yemen " was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. Story continues The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The future of a charter school in the east Las Vegas valley remains murky, as it owes the state more than $800,000, according to documents. Eagle Charter School, located near Sahara and Eastern avenues, finished its first full year on May 17, but the state agency in charge of policing charter schools accuses the school of misusing taxpayer dollars. If we have one school that makes a mistake, especially with money, it makes it look like, Oh see, all those charter schools are bad. They all manipulate the funds, Tamika Shauntee Rosales, a member of the State Public Charter School Authority, said at a May 17 meeting. That mistake has been a big one. The State Public Charter School Authority accuses Eagle of owing the Nevada Department of Education $837,000 and of giving them incorrect and inflated budget numbers. Did the board approve staff to spend the overpayment funds from NDE, or did staff go rogue and spend the funds without your approval? SPCSA member Kurt Thigpen said. Responding to that question at the May 17 meeting, a member of Eagle Charter Schools board denies administrators went rogue. There are some things we couldve done better, have stronger controls, Tyrone Johnson, who sits on the Eagle Charter School Board, said. I will be honest with you, I can tell you, no one here was going rogue. Eagles board acknowledged that it made mistakes, taking a different approach from April when its members openly pushed back against the SPCSA. A charter school in Las Vegas faces closure if more than $800K in taxpayer funds are not repaid In the last meeting, we get either silence or we dont know, Thigpen said. How did Eagle get here? According to SPCSA, the charter school projected last year to have 306 students enrolled by August, which is why it received $837,000. But, enrollment was nearly half that. As a result, the State Public Charter School Authority said Eagle will not receive any per pupil-centered funding until the Nevada Department of Education is paid back in full. I really want the board to know that weve put measures to make sure this does not happen again, Johnson said. Thats what Im really worried about because, at the end of the day, this money belongs to our kids. The State Public Charter School Authority announced at the May 17 meeting it would audit Eagle and its enrollment numbers on June 3. 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 KLAS. Key Insights Using the Dividend Discount Model, LHN fair value estimate is S$0.38 With S$0.34 share price, LHN appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value Analyst price target for 41O is S$0.42, which is 9.8% above our fair value estimate How far off is LHN Limited (SGX:41O) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for LHN The Calculation We have to calculate the value of LHN slightly differently to other stocks because it is a real estate company. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. Unless a company pays out the majority of its FCF as a dividend, this method will typically underestimate the value of the stock. The 'Gordon Growth Model' is used, which simply assumes that dividend payments will continue to increase at a sustainable growth rate forever. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.1%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.2%. Compared to the current share price of S$0.3, the company appears about fair value at a 9.1% 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. Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = S$0.02 / (8.2% 2.1%) = S$0.4 dcf The Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at LHN 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 8.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.318. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Story continues SWOT Analysis for LHN Strength Debt is well covered by earnings. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Singaporean market. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For LHN, there are three essential aspects you should assess: Risks: Be aware that LHN is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is significant... Future Earnings: How does 41O's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Singaporean stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Key Insights Mesiniaga Berhad's estimated fair value is RM1.33 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Mesiniaga Berhad's RM1.60 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate Industry average of 236% suggests Mesiniaga Berhad's peers are currently trading at a higher premium to fair value How far off is Mesiniaga Berhad (KLSE:MSNIAGA) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. Check out our latest analysis for Mesiniaga Berhad Is Mesiniaga Berhad Fairly Valued? We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM6.50m RM6.46m RM6.50m RM6.60m RM6.74m RM6.91m RM7.10m RM7.32m RM7.56m RM7.81m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -2.40% Est @ -0.61% Est @ 0.63% Est @ 1.51% Est @ 2.12% Est @ 2.55% Est @ 2.85% Est @ 3.06% Est @ 3.21% Est @ 3.31% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 11% RM5.9 RM5.3 RM4.8 RM4.4 RM4.0 RM3.7 RM3.5 RM3.2 RM3.0 RM2.8 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM41m After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (3.6%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 11%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM7.8m (1 + 3.6%) (11% 3.6%) = RM112m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM112m ( 1 + 11%)10= RM40m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM81m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM1.6, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Mesiniaga Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 11%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.140. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Looking Ahead: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Mesiniaga Berhad, we've put together three pertinent aspects you should assess: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Mesiniaga Berhad , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! Other Top Analyst Picks: Interested to see what the analysts are thinking? Take a look at our interactive list of analysts' top stock picks to find out what they feel might have an attractive future outlook! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Coastal Contracts Bhd fair value estimate is RM1.83 Coastal Contracts Bhd's RM1.62 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate Coastal Contracts Bhd's peers are currently trading at a premium of 132% on average How far off is Coastal Contracts Bhd (KLSE:COASTAL) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will 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. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for Coastal Contracts Bhd Crunching The Numbers We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM81.3m RM77.6m RM75.9m RM75.5m RM76.1m RM77.3m RM79.0m RM81.1m RM83.4m RM86.0m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -8.10% Est @ -4.61% Est @ -2.16% Est @ -0.45% Est @ 0.75% Est @ 1.59% Est @ 2.18% Est @ 2.59% Est @ 2.88% Est @ 3.08% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 10% RM73.7 RM63.8 RM56.6 RM51.1 RM46.7 RM43.0 RM39.9 RM37.1 RM34.6 RM32.4 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM479m The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after 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 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM86m (1 + 3.6%) (10% 3.6%) = RM1.3b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM1.3b ( 1 + 10%)10= RM499m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM978m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM1.6, the company appears about fair value at a 12% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Coastal Contracts Bhd as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.057. 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. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Coastal Contracts Bhd, there are three further aspects you should further research: Financial Health: Does COASTAL have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does COASTAL'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 Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Key Insights Eng Kah Corporation Berhad's estimated fair value is RM0.41 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Eng Kah Corporation Berhad's RM0.37 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate The average premium for Eng Kah Corporation Berhad's competitorsis currently 31% How far off is Eng Kah Corporation Berhad (KLSE:ENGKAH) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Eng Kah Corporation Berhad Is Eng Kah Corporation Berhad Fairly Valued? We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM2.94m RM3.14m RM3.32m RM3.49m RM3.65m RM3.81m RM3.97m RM4.12m RM4.28m RM4.44m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 8.05% Est @ 6.70% Est @ 5.76% Est @ 5.10% Est @ 4.63% Est @ 4.31% Est @ 4.08% Est @ 3.92% Est @ 3.81% Est @ 3.73% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 10% RM2.7 RM2.6 RM2.5 RM2.4 RM2.3 RM2.1 RM2.0 RM1.9 RM1.8 RM1.7 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM22m The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (3.6%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 10%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM4.4m (1 + 3.6%) (10% 3.6%) = RM69m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM69m ( 1 + 10%)10= RM26m 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 RM48m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM0.4, the company appears about fair value at a 9.4% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Eng Kah Corporation Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.042. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Looking Ahead: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Eng Kah Corporation Berhad, we've put together three further elements you should consider: PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. A Look At Japan's Reverse Housing Crisis Where Millions Of Homes Sit Vacant Japan's housing industry is facing the reality that it is possible to have "too much of a good thing." That's because while America's real estate industry is wrestling with a lack of availability that has caused a housing crisis, Japan has a housing crisis for the exact opposite reason. It's an oversupply of properties, not a lack of inventory, roiling Japan's housing market. According to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, nearly 9,000,000 vacant properties exist in Japan. The current tally represents an additional 500,000 vacancies that have hit the market since the last time the Ministry released these statistics in 2018. Japan's vacancy rate has surged by 80% in the last 20 years. Nearly 14% of Japan's homes are vacant, and the average in rural areas is closer to 20%. Don't Miss: Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are bullish on one city that could dethrone New York and become the new financial capital of the US. Investing in its booming real estate market has never been more accessible . Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." These high-yield real estate notes that pay 7.5% 9% make earning passive income easier than ever. Contrast that with the most recent housing data from the US Census, which shows that America's nationwide vacancy rate for rental housing is only 6.6%. The home buyers market in America is even tighter, and less than 1% of the total inventory is available. While America's vacancy rates have remained stubbornly low for several years, Japan's continue to climb. A report by Japan's Nomura Research Institute predicts that Japan's vacancy rate could surge to 30% by 2033, which is less than 10 years from now. The long-term implications of a 30% vacancy rate for any country's real estate industry and economy are frightening to contemplate. First, it means there is little chance that occupied homes will appreciate. Second, having that many vacant houses changes the entire character of most neighborhoods for the worse. Regardless of where they exist, vacant houses are targets for unsavory activity. Even in a country like Japan, with a famously low crime rate, having one vacant house out of every three would allow squatters and other destructive elements to take root. Trending: Warren Buffett flipped his neighbor's $67,000 life savings into a $50 million fortune How much is that worth today? The Nomura Research Group's study recognized this risk by saying, Unoccupied houses become sites for trash dumping, are susceptible to collapse, and attract suspicious persons. Having 30% of houses vacant is certainly not desirable from the perspective of safety and disaster prevention. Anyone who has ever had a group of squatters move into a vacant unit in their neighborhood can attest to the chaos they can cause. Story continues Unfortunately for Japan, the country's housing crisis reflects demographic trends that will be hard to reverse. The oversupply in housing reflects a decades-long population decline that Japan has been unable to reverse. The number of children being born in Japan has gone down for the last 43 years consecutively, and the country's population has fallen by 800,000 people since the last census in 2022. In other words, Japan's real estate developers have built more homes than the country needs, and it would probably take 50 years of sustained increases in birth rates to rebalance the equation. That leaves Japan with very few options for easing its housing crisis. To be specific, other countries worldwide are dealing with declining birth rates and an abundance of homes, especially in their rural areas. Many of those countries have responded to that population loss by encouraging foreign investment or immigration. One example is Italy, which has a program allowing foreigners to buy vacant homes in its deserted villages for $1 if the buyer agrees to renovate the home and take residence there. However, settling in a remodeled villa in the Italian countryside carries much more romance than moving to Japan. Although Japan is a popular tourist destination, its very insular culture and open ambivalence toward foreigners make it an unlikely destination for non-Japanese. Furthermore, Japan has a much more robust economy than Italy, which makes remodeling vacant houses an expensive proposition. In an interview with CNN, Jeffrey Hall, who lectures at the Kanda Institute of International Studies in Chiba, slammed the idea of foreigners rescuing Japan's housing market. He said, "The truth is most of these homes are not going to be sold to foreigners, or that the amount of administrative work and the rules behind it [are] not something easy for somebody who doesn't speak Japanese and read Japanese very well." If Japan shared a land border with the US, they might be able to set up some sort of guest residency program, thereby allowing both the American and Japanese governments to collaborate and help solve their dueling housing crises. Unfortunately, that's not possible, which means Japan's housing oversupply crisis will get a lot worse before it gets better. Keep Reading: "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article A Look At Japan's Reverse Housing Crisis Where Millions Of Homes Sit Vacant originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Flywheel isnt just any coworking space. Co-founder Peter Marsh likens it to a YMCA for businesses with a community of members and a thoughtfully designed workspace. Marsh uses the comparison to explain the individualized memberships available at Flywheel Coworking, the anchor tenant at Crescent Startup Community and Innovation District being created on Poinsett Highway in Greenville. Peter Marsh, a founder of Flywheel Coworking, is helping to develop the Crescent Startup Community and Innovation District on Poinsett Highway. Flywheel will be the anchor tenant in the project. Our members don't sign rental agreements. They don't have to sign a lease. It's month-to-month. They tailor their membership plans to their specific needs, says Marsh, who helped found Flywheel in 2014. If all you need is a corporate address and mail services, we do that. If you need that, plus you want to use our space five days a month to meet clients, we have a five-day plan. We have a 10-day plan. And we have monthly plans for people who want to base themselves primarily out of the space. Members pay to reserve desks, offices and suites. Or they can purchase a membership and grab whatever desk or space is open. Crescent One, the first building in what is planned to become a mixed-use district, is being developed and renovated by Hartness Development, Flywheel, Furman Universitys Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and other partners and entrepreneur support organizations. Flywheel will have 40 private offices and 60 coworking desks in addition to meeting and event spaces, a conference center, and a common social area with a beverage bar. Flywheel will use more than half of the 47,000-square-foot building. We provide a turnkey, shared workspace that's affordable, pre-furnished, has high-bandwidth internet, lots of amenities and spaces that our members can use for educational programming, seminars and conferences, says Marsh, whose job is to develop new locations as Flywheel expands its footprint. Coworking at its core is providing the economic efficiency of shared workspace to freelancers, solopreneurs, consultants, startup company founders. And a lot of our members are software developers and digital creatives. Other tenants in the building will complement, and perhaps become mentors, for earlier-stage companies in the Flywheel community, Marsh says. All tenants in the Crescent Innovation District will receive corporate memberships in Flywheel. The district at 701 Poinsett Hwy., about halfway between Furman University and Downtown Greenville, is the site of the former Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company, owned by the Hartness family since 1940. The developers also purchased the site of the Piedmont Shirt Factory at 111 Henry St. Story continues Crescent One is scheduled to open in July, and leasing is available. Olivia Evans, originally from Spartanburg, is the community manager for the property. All of our locations are locally operated by community managers and partners, Marsh says. Flywheel is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. But Marsh and others have been in and out of Greenville since 2019. The company has been offering social, networking and educational programs since 2021. Were excited to be opening in Greenville. Tremendous energy. Wonderful downtown revitalization. We're excited to be part of that community energy and to be part of the vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem that Greenville enjoys, Marsh says. He gives credit to Village Launch, Greenville Starts, NextGEN, the Small Business Development Center, Furmans Hill Institute, and other organizations that promote and provide resources to businesses of all sizes. Flywheel will coordinate with those organizations, some of which will have offices at Crescent One. But Marsh says Flywheel has also identified missing essentials, including a midsized conference center. There is a significant need in Greenville for an affordable conference center that can host meetings of 100 to 300 people. That's hard to find right now, he says. Crescent will ultimately offer the entrepreneur community a place to live, learn, work, play and innovate on one property including an outdoor space called The Shed. But what makes Flywheel different from other coworking spaces is its mission, Marsh says. The for-profit Flywheel LLC provides space, services and amenities. The nonprofit Flywheel Foundation runs investment funds; conducts events and conferences; and provides a guarantee to its members, Marsh says. We bring those two things together. The guarantee we make to all of our members is that we will accelerate their personal and professional development. That means we don't just give you a key to an office, and say, 'Let me know if you need coffee, he explains. We give you a key to an office and also ask, 'How can we help you connect to customers? Do you need capital resources? Do you need educational or professional development resources?' We actively look for ways to provide that to our members. Thats an extremely different business model from virtually all other coworking operators. One program, called a Retail Lab, is created for people who have side gigs. They might be building products or services that they're selling through e-commerce that could potentially become an entire product line or a brick-and-mortar presence in the community, says Marsh, a founding board member of the Flywheel Foundation. Our Retail Lab helps them understand how to tackle business basics and marketing and customer acquisition and how to go about brick-and-mortar if that's where they want to go. We focus as much time on developing the entrepreneur as we do on developing the business. Flywheel also hopes to involve residents who live nearby. An artist rendering of the open coworking space being developed by Hartness Development, Flywheel, and Furman Universitys Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It's essentially a revitalization zone, and we're one of the first major development commitments in that area, Marsh says. There is a rich history in the surrounding neighborhoods. And we want those neighbors to also be involved in our entrepreneurial activity. In Greenville and at four other locations currently, Flywheel is supporting businesses and creating an environment of mentorship. The idea that we're building a large-scale, dense community of entrepreneurs is something new in Greenville. There isn't anything like that, Marsh says. Our mindset is economic development through entrepreneurship. We do it by creating the infrastructure, then we bring in the programming with our foundation. That's our passion. That's our mission. Hartness Development is a collection of planning, design, construction, real estate and finance professionals who create community-oriented commercial, residential and hospitality projects. This article originally appeared on Greenville News: More Than A Workspace - Flywheel Coworking Vows To Help Entrepreneurs Roll In this article, we discuss the most powerful military in the world. We have created a list of 25 most powerful militaries, for full free list, visit Top 25 Powerful Countries in the World by Military Strength. Figures released last month by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated the global defense expenditure at $2.44 trillion for 2023, a record-high, having risen 6.8% compared to the previous year. This was the biggest spike in military spending since 2009, and the ninth successive year during which military expenditure had risen. The United States represented 37.5% of the worlds overall defense expenditure, having spent $916 billion during the year. This figure, which grew 2.3% from 2022, amounted to 68% of all NATO spending in 2023. In Europe, $588 billion were spent on military expenses, which made up around one-fourths (24%) of the global expenditure. This was 16% more than in 2022, and 64% higher than a decade ago in 2014. Both Moscow and Kyiv substantially increased their military expenditure, while several other countries in the continent also bolstered their defenses with war returning to Europe after decades of peace. Moreover, $560 billion was incurred on military expenditure in Asia, with the figure having risen 40% compared to 2014. The major chunk of this spending came from East Asia and South Asia, while countries in the Middle East also spent hefty amounts on bolstering their national security. The surge in global military spending since the beginning of the war in Ukraine has meant a boom for major corporations in the defense industry. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which started in October 2023, has also bolstered their finances. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)s stocks have spiked 29% since Russia invaded Ukraine. In 2023, the company generated $67.6 billion in revenue, which represented a 2.4% increase from 2022. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)s net earnings for the year were also $1.2 billion higher than the previous year. RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX)s numbers are also soaring. The company posted a whopping $68.9 billion in revenue in 2023, nearly 60% of which came from defense related sales. RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) has received orders worth $3 billion alone for its AMRAAM rockets that have been instrumental for Ukraine in pushing back advancing Russian troops. Last year in March, the company was awarded a $1.2 billion contract from Germany as well to develop Patriot air and missile defense systems for the country. Later in November during the same year, Hungary received the first two units of the NASAMS air defense system it ordered from RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace On the other hand, General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) recorded its highest revenue in history in 2023, totaling $42.3 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.3%. The companys artillery production went up last year from 14,000 rounds per month to 20,000. General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD)s 155-millimeter artillery replacements have played a vital role in leading Ukraines fightback against Russia. These have been regularly provided by the Americans to Kyiv as part of Washingtons military assistance. Nearly three-fourths of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD)s overall revenue comes from defense-related sales. The Most Powerful Country in the World by Military Strength BPTU/Shutterstock.com Methodology We have considered thirteen weighted metrics to rank the top 25 powerful countries in the world by military strength. These include GDP and defense spending (25%); strength of ground forces (25%) which comprised manpower, tanks, artillery, and nuclear weapons; fleet of military aircraft (20%); naval assets including aircraft carriers and submarines (10%); military technological advancement (10%); military satellites in orbit (5%); overseas military bases (3%); and cyber-capabilities (2%). It was observed where each country ranked on a given metric, and assigned them weighted ranking scores. Finally, weighted scores for each metric were summed to get an overall score. Additional 5%, or 0.05 points, were added to the tally of countries that had battle-hardened troops. The most powerful countries in the world by military strength are ranked in ascending order of their overall scores. Data related to GDP figures for countries in 2023 was sourced from the IMF, while SIPRI was consulted for figures related to defense expenditure during the year. For other metrics, we considered Insider Monkeys recent articles: 20 Largest Air Forces in the World Heading into 2024, 15 Countries with the Most Battle Tanks in the World, Artillery Strength by Country: Top 20 Militaries, 15 Navies with the Most Submarines in the World, 12 Countries With Most Aircraft Carriers, 13 Countries With The Most Overseas Military Bases, 15 Countries with the Highest Number of Military Satellites in Orbit, and 12 Most Advanced Countries in Cybersecurity. Moreover, for manpower we referred to the Global Firepower Index 2024, whereas Power Atlas was considered for information related to nuclear weapons. Lastly, the Global Innovation Index 2023 was referenced for technological capabilities. At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here). The most powerful country in the world by military strength is the United States. 1. United States GDP (2023): $27 trillion Defense Spending (2023): $916 billion Nuclear Weapons: 5,550 Manpower: 1,328,000 Tanks: 4,657 Artillery: 3,556 Aircraft/Fighter Jets: 5,209 Aircraft Carriers: 11 Submarines: 64 Military Satellites in Orbit: 218 Overseas Military Bases: 759 Cyber Capabilities Rank: 1 Technological Capabilities Rank: 3 Overall Score: 0.87 The United States is the most powerful country in the world by military strength. It outranks all countries of the world in three key areas of military power ground forces, air force, and navy. The country spent $916 billion on defense expenditure in 2023, which was equivalent to nearly two-fifths of the world military spending. Moreover, the country has the largest fleet of fighter jets and aircraft carriers in the world, which is testament to its military strength. Another vital factor that makes the US military so powerful is the geographic advantage it enjoys with its 759 overseas bases spread across 80 countries which allow Washington to strike any enemy anywhere at will. To find out the rest of the 24 countries, visit our free list of Top 25 Most Powerful Militaries in the World. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as Microsoft but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Michael Burry Is Selling These Stocks and A New Dawn Is Coming to US Stocks. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Insiders who acquired US$190.7k worth of Nutritional Growth Solutions Ltd.'s (ASX:NGS) stock at an average price of US$0.012 in the past 12 months may be dismayed by the recent 25% price decline. Insiders buy with the expectation to see their investments rise in value over a period of time. However, recent losses have rendered their above investment worth US$47.9k which is not ideal. 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. View our latest analysis for Nutritional Growth Solutions Nutritional Growth Solutions Insider Transactions Over The Last Year The insider John Tarrant made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for AU$138k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.012 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than AU$0.003 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. John Tarrant was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months. John Tarrant bought 15.97m shares over the last 12 months at an average price of AU$0.012. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. If investing in lesser known companies is your style, you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Insider Ownership Of Nutritional Growth Solutions Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Nutritional Growth Solutions insiders own about AU$216k worth of shares. That equates to 29% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Nutritional Growth Solutions Insiders? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Nutritional Growth Solutions shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders own shares in Nutritional Growth Solutions and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. To that end, you should learn about the 6 warning signs we've spotted with Nutritional Growth Solutions (including 4 which don't sit too well with us). Story continues Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Exploring the Sustainability and Growth of Dividends Introduction to Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's Upcoming Dividend Orient Overseas (International) Ltd (OROVF) recently announced a dividend of $0.04 per share, payable on 2024-06-28, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-05-28. 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 Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does Orient Overseas (International) Ltd Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Signs with OROVF. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? Orient Overseas (International) Ltd is engaged in container transport and logistics. The company's services include containerized shipping across major trade lanes such as Trans-Pacific, Trans-Atlantic, Asia/Europe, Asia/Australia, and Intra-Asia trades. It also offers integrated services for the management and control of the storage and flow of goods. The company's revenue streams include gross freight income, charter hire, service income, and rental income from investment properties. Its business is segmented into Container Transport and Logistics and Others. Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's Dividend History Orient Overseas (International) Ltd has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2019, distributing dividends bi-annually. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's Dividend Analysis Breaking Down Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's trailing dividend yield over the past 12 months stands at 19.02%, with a forward dividend yield projected at 4.81%. This indicates an expected decrease in dividend payments over the next year. Over the past three years, the annual dividend growth rate was an impressive 251.40%. Additionally, the 5-year yield on cost is approximately 19.02%. Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's Dividend Analysis The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. As of 2023-12-31, Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's dividend payout ratio is 1.63, which may suggest concerns about the sustainability of future dividends. However, the company's profitability rank of 7 out of 10, along with consistent net profit in 9 out of the past 10 years, indicates good profitability prospects. Story continues Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook Orient Overseas (International) Ltd's growth rank of 7 suggests a strong growth trajectory compared to its competitors. However, its revenue per share and 3-year revenue growth rate indicate a slight underperformance, with an average annual decrease of -0.90%. The company's 3-year EPS growth rate of 11.70% per year and a 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 125.60% reflect its capability to sustain dividends in the long run. Conclusion While Orient Overseas (International) Ltd demonstrates strong dividend growth and profitability, potential investors should consider the sustainability concerns indicated by the payout ratio and mixed growth metrics. For those interested in further exploring high-dividend yield opportunities, GuruFocus Premium users can utilize 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. The Philippines e-commerce market is growing at a fast pace and is expected to surge by 19.6% in 2024, driven by growing consumer preference for online shopping and strong internet penetration, reports GlobalData, publishers of EPI. GlobalData E-Commerce Analytics GlobalDatas E-Commerce Analytics reveals that Philippine e-commerce market registered a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.6% between 2019 and 2023 to reach PHP1.1trn ($20.1bn) in 2023. The market is set to reach PHP1.3trn ($24.1 bn) in 2024 Shivani Gupta, Senior Banking and Payments Analyst at GlobalData, said: The Philippines e-commerce market is growing at fast pace supported by a large young population, increasing confidence in online payments, improving logistics, and the availability of secure alternative payment solutions in the country. Online shopping festivals such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Singles Day have also contributed to the overall growth. One Town One Product Philippines programme The government is also taking various initiatives to boost e-commerce sales. In June 2023, the Department of Trade and Industry launched the One Town One Product Philippines programme, in partnership with e-commerce and logistics provider SOMAGO. Under the programme, SMEs are encouraged to set up their business online and sell their products via the SOMAGO platform. It also helps them to upgrade their skills and capabilities in online business and provide them with opportunities to sell their products both domestically and internationally via this platform. To leverage the growth potential in e-commerce space, international brands are also venturing into this space. For instance, in August 2023, Chinese e-commerce platform Temu launched its operations in the Philippines to compete with companies such as Lazada, and Shopee. Social media is also playing a key role as an e-commerce selling platform, with social media companies using their channels to enhance customer engagement and sales. TikTok shop, with millions of users, leads the way in social commerce by enabling direct product purchases on the platform. GlobalData 2023 Financial Services Consumer Survey In terms of payment methods, alternative payment solutions lead e-commerce space with a combined market share of 36.4% in 2023, according to the GlobalDatas 2023 Financial Services Consumer Survey. Gcash, Maya and PayPal are some of the popular alternative payment tools among online shoppers, which have gained prominence due to their simplicity, speed, and convenience. Gupta added: Payment cards are the second most preferred payment method, with debit, credit and charge, and prepaid cards collectively accounting for 28.2% share in 2023. This can be attributed to the value-added benefits offered on payment cards, including interest free instalment payments, reward programs, cashback, and discounts. Story continues Despite the rise in electronic payments, over 23% of e-commerce purchases in the Philippine are still made using cash. This highlights the traditional preference for cash among consumers especially among unbanked, rural, and elderly population. Gupta concluded: The uptrend in e-commerce sales is likely to continue over the next few years supported by the evolving consumer preferences, government initiatives, rise in social commerce and the entry of new e-commerce companies. The e-commerce market is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 13.2% between 2024 and 2028 to reach PHP2.2trn ($39.5bn) in 2028. "Philippines e-commerce payments to surge by nearly 20% in 2024, reveals GlobalData" was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Pinnacle Minerals, an ASX-listed mining company, has conducted a strategic review of its operations, leading to significant changes aimed at conserving capital. The company has decided to streamline its exploration activities and reduce discretionary expenditure. This move includes the surrender or ongoing process of surrendering several tenements in Western Australia (WA) and planning to offload others in South Australia (SA). The tenements in WA that are being surrendered include the Holly (E70/5690 and E70/5676), Bobalong (E70/6440 and E70/6441), and Tambellup (E70/6440 and E70/6441) sites. In addition, Pinnacle is looking to surrender the White Knight tenements (EL6789, EL6790, EL6791, EL6939) in SA. In Canada, Pinnacle intends to surrender the Lac Rug and Lac Bigniba properties. This rationalisation of exploration tenure is expected to reduce future capital commitments for the company. Pinnacle chairman William Witham said: The Board has taken appropriate actions to conserve capital by reducing discretionary expenditure, relinquishing non-core projects, whilst maintaining key projects and board expertise. Pinnacle continues to provide shareholders with exposure to high impact, future-facing commodities including Lithium (Adina East), Uranium and Rare Earths (Wirrulla) and Heavy Mineral Sands (Capel). Following the reduction of tenure, William Witham, the company's chairman, has transitioned to the role of non-executive Chairperson. Despite these divestments, Pinnacle continues to assess opportunities for acquiring complementary projects. Pinnacle's focus remains on delivering shareholder value through the systematic exploration and development of its portfolio, which includes battery and technology metals projects in Canada, Western Australia, and South Australia. In December 2023, Pinnacle entered an agreement with E&D Fund to acquire a 75% stake in the Adina East lithium project in Quebec, Canada. "Pinnacle to surrender non-core assets in Australia and Canada" 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. Kazakh oil transit to Germany has been secured following an agreement between pipeline operators in Poland and Russia, reported Reuters, citing sources. This agreement ensures the flow will not be interrupted in June as previously feared. It comes after a warning of potential halt due to certification issues with oil flow meters in Poland, which are essential for the transit. Poland's PERN, Russia's Transneft, and Germany's PCK Schwedt refinery have reached a consensus to appoint a non-Russian company to service the oil flow meters on the Polish section of the Druzhba pipeline. This move resolves concerns that PERN might violate Western sanctions against Russia. A Slovak company has been selected to provide the necessary metering services, thus mitigating the risk of sanctions for PERN. The certification of the meters, which must be conducted periodically to comply with Russian standards, had become a contentious issue. Transneft, the operator of the Druzhba pipeline, had last month warned Kazakhstan that its oil transit to Germany could be disrupted by the impasse. With a capacity to carry two million barrels of oil per day (bpd), the Druzhba pipeline is one of the largest in the world. Kazakhstan is heavily reliant on Russian infrastructure for its oil exports. The country's oil exports, amounting to 1.5 million bpd or 1.5% of the global supply, primarily traverse Russian pipelines. The northern leg of the Druzhba system, which services Germany via Poland and Belarus, is currently utilised for Kazakhstans KEBCO oil exports to the Schwedt refinery. This refinery is a key supplier of Berlin's fuel needs. Although the volume is relatively modest, with an anticipated 1.2 million metric tonnes this year, it has enabled Germany to reduce its dependence on Russian oila commitment made by Berlin in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Kazakhstan's state oil company KazMunayGaz has confirmed the extension of its contract to supply the Schwedt refinery until the end of the year. Meanwhile, a PERN spokeswoman stated that the company is collaborating with contractors to ensure a solution that aligns with current legislation. Kaztransoil, Kazakhstan's pipeline operator, has indicated that there are currently no restrictions on shipping Kazakh crude oil to the Adamowo base on the Polish section of the pipeline near the Belarusian border. The Energy Ministry of Kazakhstan, in a written response to Reuters, affirmed that "Kazakhstan and Russian parties have agreed to ship via Transneft and Druzhba trunk systems 1.2 million tons of crude from Kazakhstan to Schwedt refinery." Story continues Requests for comments were not answered by Transneft and Germany's economy ministry declined to comment on company-specific issues, the publication said. "Pipeline operators resolve issue securing Kazakh oil transit to Germany " was originally created and published by Offshore 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. Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of Vertu Motors plc (LON:VTU), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders. Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. Check out our latest analysis for Vertu Motors The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Vertu Motors The Independent Non-Executive Director Jonathan Mewett made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK40k worth of shares at a price of UK0.80 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being UK0.79). 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. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. While Vertu Motors insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Vertu Motors is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of under-the-radar companies with insider buying. Insiders At Vertu Motors Have Bought Stock Recently It's good to see that Vertu Motors insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. Specifically, Independent Non-Executive Director Jonathan Mewett bought UK40k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This is a positive in our book as it implies some confidence. Insider Ownership Of Vertu Motors Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Vertu Motors insiders own 3.2% of the company, worth about UK8.5m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. Story continues So What Do The Vertu Motors Insider Transactions Indicate? We note a that there has been a bit of insider buying recently (but no selling). Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. While we have no worries about the insider transactions, we'd be more comfortable if they owned more Vertu Motors stock. 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. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with Vertu Motors and understanding these should be part of your investment process. 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. Putin Takes Steps To Seize Property Owned By U.S. Citizens And Companies Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that would allow Russia to claim U.S. assets in retaliation for any Russian assets confiscated in the U.S. This move comes as Group of Seven (G7) nations continue to negotiate how to leverage around $300 billion worth of sovereign Russian assets frozen in the West to aid Ukraine in its defense against Russias unprovoked invasion. The decree, which was signed as G7 finance ministers were beginning a meeting in Italy to discuss the frozen assets, states that any property, real estate, securities and stakes in Russian companies belonging to American companies and citizens could be confiscated to compensate for Russian losses from seizures in the U.S., according to Russias state-backed media. Earlier this year, Russian state media claimed that the Kremlin had identified around $290 billion in U.S. and allied assets in Russia that could be targeted, although Reuters couldnt independently verify those claims. Russia has already seized physical assets from several different Western companies and millions of dollars held by European banks in Russia. Since the start of the Ukraine invasion, thousands of foreign companies have left Russia, often having to sell their assets at huge discounts before doing so. Trending: A new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offers a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends. Heres how you can invest today. The U.S. has proposed using revenue from some of the Russian assets to back $50 billion in aid to Ukraine, with German officials signaling their support for the proposal earlier last week. The European Union also formally adopted a plan last week to send Ukraine between $2.7-3.3 billion (2.5-3 billion euros) each year from interest generated by some of the frozen assets. Congress passed, and President Biden signed, legislation that empowers Biden to seize Russian foreign exchange reserves in the U.S. under provisions of the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act. A task force has identified at least $5 billion in Russian central bank assets in the U.S. banking system. Putins decree is a significant escalation in the ongoing economic conflict between Russia and the West, as governments continue to grapple with the legal and financial implications of seizing Russian assets. The move is likely to further strain relations between Russia and the U.S., as well as other Western nations, and could potentially lead to retaliatory measures from both sides. Read Next: Investing in real estate just got a whole lot simpler. This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, and you only need $100. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." These high-yield real estate notes that pay 7.5% 9% make earning passive income easier than ever. Story continues "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Putin Takes Steps To Seize Property Owned By U.S. Citizens And Companies originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at General Mills (NYSE:GIS) so let's look a bit deeper. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on General Mills is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.16 = US$3.7b (US$31b - US$7.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to February 2024). So, General Mills has an ROCE of 16%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Food industry average of 11% it's much better. See our latest analysis for General Mills roce In the above chart we have measured General Mills' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for General Mills . What Can We Tell From General Mills' ROCE Trend? General Mills has not disappointed with their ROCE growth. The figures show that over the last five years, ROCE has grown 21% whilst employing roughly the same amount of capital. Basically the business is generating higher returns from the same amount of capital and that is proof that there are improvements in the company's efficiencies. It's worth looking deeper into this though because while it's great that the business is more efficient, it might also mean that going forward the areas to invest internally for the organic growth are lacking. The Bottom Line To sum it up, General Mills is collecting higher returns from the same amount of capital, and that's impressive. And with a respectable 59% awarded to those who held the stock over the last five years, you could argue that these developments are starting to get the attention they deserve. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue. On a final note, we've found 1 warning sign for General Mills that we think you should be aware of. Story continues If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. In light of that, when we looked at Ouhua Energy Holdings (SGX:AJ2) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Ouhua Energy Holdings: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.15 = CN54m (CN1.0b - CN682m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023). Thus, Ouhua Energy Holdings has an ROCE of 15%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 5.5% generated by the Oil and Gas industry. See our latest analysis for Ouhua Energy Holdings roce While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you're interested in investigating Ouhua Energy Holdings' past further, check out this free graph covering Ouhua Energy Holdings' past earnings, revenue and cash flow. The Trend Of ROCE On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Ouhua Energy Holdings doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 15% from 19% five years ago. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se. On a side note, Ouhua Energy Holdings' current liabilities are still rather high at 65% of total assets. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks. Our Take On Ouhua Energy Holdings' ROCE We're a bit apprehensive about Ouhua Energy Holdings because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. Yet despite these poor fundamentals, the stock has gained a huge 254% over the last five years, so investors appear very optimistic. Regardless, we don't feel too comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now. Story continues If you want to know some of the risks facing Ouhua Energy Holdings we've found 3 warning signs (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you should be aware of before investing here. While Ouhua Energy Holdings may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. South Africas ruling African National Congress (ANC) swept to power in 1994 on a pledge to build a better life for all, winning almost 63% of the vote in the countrys first democratic election. Fast-forward 30 years and Nelson Mandelas erstwhile liberation movement, which triumphed over the racist apartheid government, risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time, according to opinion polls and analysts. When South Africans vote Wednesday, an unhappy combination of rampant corruption, soaring joblessness, crippling power cuts and feeble economic growth will likely be top of mind. The economy has gone backward over the past decade, evidenced by a sharp fall in living standards. According to the World Bank, gross domestic product per capita has fallen from a peak in 2011, leaving the average South African 23% poorer. A third of the labor force is unemployed, more than in war-torn Sudan, and the highest rate of any country tracked by the World Bank. Income inequality is also the worlds worst. There are 18.4 million people on welfare benefits, compared with just 7 million taxpayers, according to Oxford Economics, a consultancy. Black South Africans, who make up 81% of the population, are at the sharp end of this dire situation. Unemployment and poverty remain concentrated in the Black majority, in large part due to the failure of public schooling, while most White South Africans have jobs and command considerably higher wages. Moreover, the governments flagship policy for driving economic inclusion and racial equality in post-apartheid South Africa Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, known as triple-BEE or simply BEE has failed to achieve its aims, with wealth still concentrated in the hands of a few at the expense of the many. Three decades after the end of apartheid, the economy is defined by stagnation and exclusion, and current strategies are not achieving inclusion and empowerment in practice, Harvard University concluded in a report published in November by its Growth Lab following two years of research. Elite enrichment Under apartheid and colonial rule before that Black South Africans were violently oppressed and denied many basic human rights. They were also systematically excluded from owning land, living in certain areas, and accessing a decent education and jobs. The end of White minority rule could not on its own compensate for such extreme and prolonged injustice. Restitution was needed and thats what BEE set out to deliver. Story continues There is now almost universal agreement that the policy failed to transform economic reality for the majority of Black and other South Africans who were historically disadvantaged, including Indians and Coloureds, the official term for South Africans with mixed heritage who have a distinct cultural identity. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has previously described BEE as a must for (economic) growth, promised Saturday the ANC would do better if reelected, with a focus on creating more jobs. The Democratic Alliance, the official opposition party, has said it would replace BEE with an Economic Justice policy that targets the poor black majority for redress, rather than a small, connected elite. Alexandra township in Johannesburg, South Africa, seen in March 2022. Millions of South Africans still live in such informal settlements. - Leon Sadiki/Bloomberg/Getty Images Critics of BEE argue there has been an overemphasis on increasing Black ownership of established businesses through giant deals that have, in fact, enriched only a handful of politically connected people. This is a view held by Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of former President Thabo Mbeki and chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs, an independent think tank located at Wits University in Johannesburg. BEE creates a class of rich politicians who are then beholden to the people who are making them rich, but it disincentivizes people from becoming entrepreneurs, he told CNN. If I became president, the first thing I would do would be to scrap BEE, he added. By Moeletsis telling, White executives devised BEE as a way to coopt ANC leaders in the early years of democracy by giving them shares in companies that they would then be disinclined to nationalize, a policy many in the party favored. Still, despite tens of billions of dollars worth of BEE deals, Black ownership of companies stands at just 34% on average, according to the latest report by the B-BBEE Commission, which monitors adherence to the policy. Inroads are being made on the participation of Black people in the economy, although there is much further to go to realise the objectives (of BEE), Commission head Tshediso Matona told CNN. ANC supporters wait for President Cyril Ramaphosa to arrive during an election rally on May 19, 2024, in Isipingo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. - Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images Black people are also poorly represented in top management, another of the policys focus areas. According to a recent PwC report, just 19% of the 200 most valuable companies listed in Johannesburg are led by Black, Coloured, Indian or Asian CEOs. Many companies in the private sector are not implementing the spirit of the (BEE) legislation theyre (only) ticking boxes, said Kganki Matabane, the CEO of the Black Business Council, a lobby group for Black business. Businesses cannot continue to exclude the majority, theyll render the country ungovernable one day, he added. Matthew Parks, the parliamentary coordinator for the Congress of South African Trade Unions, an umbrella body for labor unions and an ANC partner, says BEE has helped grow South Africas Black middle class but that more must be done for workers, particularly those on minimum wages. He also argues that the policy needs more time to bear fruit. Three decades given to overcome the impact of three centuries (of White oppression) is not enough. According to Matona, of the Commission, BEE is only one part of a suite of policy tools to achieve transformation, which also includes laws around public procurement, competition, employment equity and skills development. The overall outcome of economic transformation requires an assessment of all of these policies, he said. The sharpest criticism of BEE is that it has been corrupted by private interests, leading to severe maladministration in the public sector. Its a huge driver of corruption in the country, said Mbeki. He and other experts who spoke to CNN explained that under the auspices of advancing empowerment, politically connected Black people have in some instances been put into senior positions in state-owned companies despite not having the right qualifications or experience. Similarly, some officials have abused public procurement rules that favor Black-owned businesses, awarding government contracts at inflated prices to underperforming companies in exchange for bribes, a phenomenon sometimes referred to locally as tenderpreneurship. Infrastructure collapse Tenderpreneurship has devastated state-owned companies and local governments across the country, said Ricardo Hausmann, the director of Harvards Growth Lab, a hub for research on economic growth and development. Poor implementation of affirmative action in the public sector has contributed to collapsing state capacity, he told CNN. The poster child of this is the electricity sector. For much of last year, South Africans were without power for at least some portion of the day. Loadshedding as its known locally hit a new record, with power cuts on 335 days, according to state-owned power utility Eskom. The years-long electricity crisis has abated in recent months, but it is not yet over. Widespread graft at Eskom and other government institutions, primarily under former President Jacob Zuma, has been a core reason for the collapse of South Africas electricity, transport and, latterly, water infrastructure, according to Haroon Bhorat, an economics professor at the University of Cape Town. A shop pictured during a period of loadshedding in June 2023, in the township of Namahadi outside Frankfort in South Africas Free State province. - Michele Spatari/Bloomberg/Getty Images The result has been to cripple economic activity. Economists estimate that GDP growth could be as high as 3%-5.4% this year were it not for crumbling infrastructure. Instead, the International Monetary Fund forecasts a paltry 0.9% expansion. The ultimate effect of collapsing infrastructure leading to lower economic growth rates is a governing party that is going to struggle to get urban voters to believe it can turn the economy around, Bhorat added. South Africas economy hasnt always been in dire straits. For the first 15 years of democracy, the ANC managed the economy relatively well, Bhorat said. Under Thabo Mbeki, public debt fell considerably and the government even recorded small budget surpluses between 2006 and 2008, meaning it spent less than it received in taxes. Economic growth averaged around 4% a year. In contrast, under Zuma, South Africas credit rating was downgraded to junk, or sub-investment grade, by S&P and Fitch. GDP growth averaged around 1.5% a year and the debt-to-GDP ratio more than doubled from a post-apartheid low of 24% in 2008, according to the IMF. It is now hovering around 75%. While South Africa was far from perfect under Mbeki violent crime was high, the country remained extremely unequal and public services, particularly education, needed considerable work it had a much stronger economic foundation on which to tackle its plentiful post-apartheid challenges. It is that foundation that the country must now painstakingly rebuild. A better future for all? One silver lining to South Africas economic crisis is a deepening partnership between government and business to meet the moment. Chief executives from more than 130 major South African companies, including the likes of Investec and Discovery, as well as the local leaders of JPMorgan, Shell and Unilever have formed an initiative called Business for South Africa. The group holds regular meetings with senior government officials, including President Ramaphosa and heads of state-owned companies, and is undertaking targeted interventions in areas including transport infrastructure and electricity. These are already yielding positive results and could mean that power cuts are banished for good next year, according to Cas Coovadia, the CEO of Business Unity South Africa, the countrys main business lobby group. This has proven to be real partnership we are making progress, he told CNN. The whole purpose of this intervention is to stop the slide and give us the space to begin to turn this big ship around. For Hausmann, of the Harvard Growth Lab, the ANCs waning influence might be just what the party needs. If political power is more contested, it puts more of the fear of the wrath of the people into government, so they feel the urgency to improve performance, he said. In general, what disciplines governments is the fear of losing elections. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Standard Chartered: Solana, XRP ETFs Could Be Next Standard Chartered, one of the leading global banks, has predicted that Solana and XRP will soon receive their own exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for digital assets. This statement comes in the wake of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) approval of eight spot Ethereum ETFs, allowing traditional investors to purchase shares tracking the price of the second-largest cryptocurrency. The SEC's decision marks a significant milestone and follows the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs earlier this year. Geoffrey Kendrick, head of crypto research and emerging market foreign currencies at Standard Chartered, believes it's only a matter of time before other major digital coins also receive ETF status. While he expects this development to occur in 2025 rather than 2024, Kendrick emphasizes the potential for Solana (SOL) and XRP to gain the ETF wrapper status. The approval of Ethereum ETFs surprised many industry observers and analysts, as the SEC had shown little engagement with asset managers seeking to launch these funds. However, fund managers adjusted their paperwork to expedite the process, leading to the SEC granting approval. This decision is unexpected given the SEC's previous crackdown on the crypto industry and allegations that Ethereum should be classified as a security rather than a commodity. Kendrick further explained that coins similar to Ethereum, including XRP, are likely not considered securities by the SEC due to their core technological similarities. The SEC previously claimed that certain coins, including XRP, constituted securities. However, a 2023 court ruling determined that programmatic sales of XRP to retail investors did not qualify as securities. Exploring the Upcoming Dividend Payment and Company Fundamentals Thai Beverage PLC (TBVPF) recently announced a dividend of $0.15 per share, payable on 2024-06-12, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-05-28. 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 Thai Beverage PLC's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does Thai Beverage PLC Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with TBVPF. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? Thai Beverage PLC is a Thailand-based company engaged in producing and distributing alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and food. The company's operating segment includes Spirits; Beer; Non-alcoholic beverages and Food. It generates maximum revenue from the Beer segment. The Spirits segment is engaged in the production and sales of branded spirits products and soda. Its Beer segment is engaged in the production and sales of raw materials and branded beer products. Geographically, it derives a majority of its revenue from Thailand and also has a presence in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Overseas. Thai Beverage PLC's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at Thai Beverage PLC's Dividend History Thai Beverage PLC has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2006. Dividends are currently distributed on a bi-annually basis. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Thai Beverage PLC's Dividend Analysis Breaking Down Thai Beverage PLC's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, Thai Beverage PLC currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.79% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 4.71%. This suggests an expectation of decrease dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, Thai Beverage PLC's annual dividend growth rate was 6.60%. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate decreased to -1.00% per year. And over the past decade, Thai Beverage PLC's annual dividends per share growth rate stands at 2.70%. Based on Thai Beverage PLC's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of Thai Beverage PLC stock as of today is approximately 4.56%. Thai Beverage PLC'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, Thai Beverage PLC's dividend payout ratio is 0.81, which may suggest that the company's dividend may not be sustainable. Story continues Thai Beverage PLC's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks Thai Beverage PLC's profitability 7 out of 10 as of 2024-03-31, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported positive net income for each of 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. Thai Beverage PLC's growth rank of 7 out of 10 suggests that the company's growth trajectory is good relative to its competitors. Revenue is the lifeblood of any company, and Thai Beverage PLC's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. Thai Beverage PLC's revenue has increased by approximately -1.30% per year on average, a rate that underperforms than approximately 84.8% 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, Thai Beverage PLC's earnings increased by approximately 0.80% per year on average, a rate that underperforms than approximately 69.36% of global competitors. Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 3.50%, which underperforms than approximately 59.84% of global competitors. Conclusion While Thai Beverage PLC shows a promising dividend yield and a consistent payout history, the sustainability of its dividends could be challenged by its payout ratio and mixed growth metrics. Investors should carefully consider these factors along with the company's profitability and market position when assessing the long-term viability of its dividends. For those looking to explore further, 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. We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com? Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether European Metals Holdings (LON:EMH) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. See our latest analysis for European Metals Holdings How Long Is European Metals Holdings' Cash Runway? A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. In December 2023, European Metals Holdings had AU$5.7m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$2.8m over the trailing twelve months. So it had a cash runway of about 2.0 years from December 2023. That's decent, giving the company a couple years to develop its business. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Is European Metals Holdings' Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Although European Metals Holdings reported revenue of AU$1.5m last year, it didn't actually have any revenue from operations. To us, that makes it a pre-revenue company, so we'll look to its cash burn trajectory as an assessment of its cash burn situation. With cash burn dropping by 12% it seems management feel the company is spending enough to advance its business plans at an appropriate pace. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company. How Easily Can European Metals Holdings Raise Cash? Even though it has reduced its cash burn recently, shareholders should still consider how easy it would be for European Metals Holdings to raise more cash in the future. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn. Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$88m, European Metals Holdings' AU$2.8m in cash burn equates to about 3.2% of its market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. How Risky Is European Metals Holdings' Cash Burn Situation? It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way European Metals Holdings is burning through its cash. In particular, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. Its weak point is its cash burn reduction, but even that wasn't too bad! Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we're not overly concerned about the company's cash burn, although we do think shareholders should keep an eye on how it develops. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 4 warning signs for European Metals Holdings (of which 2 are significant!) you should know about. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies with significant insider holdings, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) 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. Whether you're a growth, value, income, or momentum-focused investor, building a successful investment portfolio takes skill, research, and a little bit of luck. Should You Buy #1 (Strong Buy)-Ranked Howmet (HWM) for Your Portfolio? Howmet was upgraded to the Zacks Rank #1 list on May 24, 2024. The Zacks Rank is a unique stock-rating model that helps you take advantage of earnings estimate revision trends and provides a way to get into stocks highly sought after by institutional investors. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Howmet Aerospace Inc. engages in providing engineered solutions for customers in the transportation and aerospace (both defense and commercial) industries. Notably, it offers forged wheels for commercial use in the transportation industry. It also provides aerospace fastening systems, components used in jet engines and structural parts made of titanium used in defense and aerospace applications. For fiscal 2024, seven analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.22 to $2.39 per share. HWM boasts an average earnings surprise of 8.5%. Earnings are expected to grow 29.9% for the current fiscal year, while revenue is projected to increase 10.6%. Even more impressive, HWM has gained in value over the past four weeks, up 27.6% compared to the S&P 500's gain of 4.8%. Bottom Line With a #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, positive trend in earnings estimate revisions, and strong market momentum, Howmet could be just the stock to help your portfolio generate returns that could fund your retirement, your kids' college tuition, or your short- and long-term savings goals. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Zacks Investment Research (Bloomberg) -- A planned move by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to locate some of its chipmaking facilities abroad will be very beneficial for Taiwan because it will let the chipmaker work more closely with customers and help it recruit the best talent, according to a senior government official. Most Read from Bloomberg Fears about Taiwans manufacturing leadership eroding as TSMC sets up factories overseas have percolated among local commentators and shown up in newspaper op-eds. TSMC is the worlds biggest contract chipmaker, with Apple Inc. and Nvidia Corp. relying on it for their most important products, and the centrality of the island to the semiconductor supply chain is seen as an essential element of its international security. Our semiconductor investment overseas is actually very beneficial to Taiwan, both economically and from a security aspect, Taiwans Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs C.C. Chen said in an interview on May 21. First of all, they are close to their customers and they are close to the best talent, the best and the brightest. And thirdly, they will work with their customers to develop the most advanced, the most needed technologies. Striking a similar note, TSMC Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei in 2022 said that its not easy to replicate Taiwans chip industry in another country, as TSMCs success took more than 30 years to build with help from its suppliers. Major governments around the world are racing to boost chip output at home to avoid a repeat of supply disruptions that cost companies hundreds of billions of dollars in sales. Such efforts also act as a hedge against growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait, with China claiming Taiwan as part of its territory. TSMC and South Koreas Samsung Electronics Co. have been the most sought-after partners to help with semiconductor development. Hsinchu-based TSMC has now pledged to build three advanced plants in the US state of Arizona with total investments exceeding $65 billion, and it is slated to receive $11.6 billion in US grants and loans for the project. The third plant in the US is expected to make chips using 2-nanometer or more advanced technology, with production starting by the end of the decade. TSMC is on track to start churning out 2nm semiconductors in Taiwan next year. Story continues Chen said the Taiwanese government has granted approval for TSMC to make less advanced 3nm, 4nm, and 5nm chips in the US, but if the company wants to produce its most advanced chips overseas, the plan needs to be green-lit by Taipei first. Taiwanese officials will review outbound investments based on national and economic security considerations, he added. The minister said that he cannot predict the governments decision should TSMC decide to apply to roll out its latest technology on American soil, something that US officials including Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo have championed. While the American government hopes TSMC will help bring advanced chip manufacturing back to the US, the Taiwanese chipmaker has been grappling with labor issues. Chen identified management of the Arizona unit as one of the biggest challenge facing the chipmaker. They are becoming more internationalized, he said. The information on management is something they need to pick up how to manage an overseas subsidiary and then how to manage their activity or their talents and to be very in compliance with the local regulations and a different culture. At a time that Taiwanese companies are diversifying their production lines away from China, Asias largest economy remains Taiwans biggest trading partner. Chen described that relationship as mutually beneficial because the two sides collaborate closely in the global supply chain. We think its good to maintain stability and also to have working relations and collaboration in terms of trade investment with the Peoples Republic of China, he said. However, we also need to diversify our market and to become more resilient. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. (Reuters) - UBS has ruled out appointing an outsider as the successor to CEO Sergio Ermotti, and plans to choose from a shortlist of three internal candidates when he steps down in about three years, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The Swiss bank could signal the identities of the potential successors as early as next year's annual meeting, the newspaper said, citing people with knowledge of the plans. UBS did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The paper said that while no final decision had been made about the shortlist, Iqbal Khan, head of wealth management, is expected to be included. It also said Robert Karofsky, head of the investment bank, Beatriz Martin, who oversees UBS's non-core and legacy unit, and Sabine Keller-Busse, who is in charge of the bank's Swiss business, are also seen as potential candidates. (Reporting by Bengaluru Newsroom; Editing by Sonali Paul) (Bloomberg) -- A bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers and Nvidia boss Jensen Huang arrived separately in Taiwan on Sunday, a day after China ended its biggest military exercise in a year around the island. Most Read from Bloomberg The delegation was led by Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It was the first congressional group to visit Taiwan since the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te on May 20. Lai is scheduled to meet with the lawmakers on Monday to discuss peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan-US trade relations and other issues, according to a readout from his office. Also in the group were Representative Young Kim, Republican of California; Representative Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina; Representative Jimmy Panetta, Democrat of California; Representative Andy Barr, Republican of Kentucky, and Representative Chrissy Houlahan, Democrat of Pennsylvania. The US State Department on Saturday accused China of military provocations for staging expansive military exercises around Taiwan in the wake of the Lai inauguration. Meanwhile, Nvidias Huang landed in Taipei on Sunday evening, local cable news station TVBS reported. He is expected to make public appearances in an upcoming tech expo in Taipei. Huang has frequently mentioned the critical role Taiwan plays in the global AI supply chain, as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. makes the bulk of the worlds cutting-edge chips, including those designed by Nvidia. Taiwan is at the epicenter of the worlds technology supply chain, Huang said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on May 20. The technology industry depends very heavily on Taiwan and continues to for some time. The trip is part of a broader visit by the delegation to the Indo-Pacific region, according to the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy in Taipei. (Adds context of regional visit in final paragraph. A previous version of the story corrected the spelling of Republican.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. narvikk / Getty Images/iStockphoto Vivek Ramaswamy has no shortage of thoughts on politics and money. Hes familiar with both the former Republican presidential candidate is a biotech entrepreneur. According to his website, he started a biotech company, Roivant Sciences, where he oversaw the development of five drugs that went on to become FDA-approved. Check Out: How Obama, Biden and Other Elected Officials Have Made Millions by Being in Office Read Next: 5 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money According to Forbes, Ramaswamy is one of the richest thirty-somethings in America. Unlike Donald Trump, hes entirely self-made. In addition to his work in the biotech field, Ramaswamy became a billionaire through his expertise in finance. Ramaswamy has shared his thoughts on how politicians become millionaires. It is hardly an exclusive club according to a report from Open Secrets in 2020, More than half of those in Congress are millionaires. Ramaswamy Makes His Position on Political Influence Plain In an interview posted to Instagram, Ramaswamy told Yorkshire Trading Academy that many politicians become millionaires by being paid under the table. Ramaswamy went on to say that many of those deals are hiding in plain sight. Learn More: Grant Cardone Asks How Politicians Making $100K Suddenly Become Multimillionaires Ramaswamy, who has been at the center of his own controversies, gave some examples of the deals he said have helped politicians become millionaires: Taking a seat on the board of a major company for which you have done favors while serving as a lawmaker. He accused Nikki Haley of engaging in this practice with Boeing, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Starting a military contracting firm after representing the United States at the United Nations and exploiting your connections to advocate for policies that benefit your new firm, which he also indicated Haley was guilty of doing. Having your children involved in international deals while you as a lawmaker are deciding aid packages for those same countries. Ramaswamy pointed to President Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden, sitting on the board of a Ukrainian company collecting $5 million without having any requisite qualifications. Ramaswamy is likely referring to the Burisma issue, as NBC outlined. Ramaswamy went on to say that these types of deals happen often, involving both Republicans and Democrats. In fact, both Biden and former President Donald Trump have been criticized for their own deals, international engagements and the actions of their children though it should be noted that Ramaswamy has endorsed former President Trump in the past. Story continues More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Vivek Ramaswamy Offers His Take on How So Many Politicians Become Millionaires Ferrovials subsidiary and construction company Webber has secured nine new construction and maintenance contracts with a combined value of $1.2bn. The projects span various infrastructure developments, including roadway improvements, bridge construction, and water treatment plant expansions. The Texas Department of Transportation contracted Webber for the $312.5m IH 27 project in Randall County and the $69.9m US 60 Parmer County project in Friona. The IH 27 project will see the addition of an extra lane over a 6.9-mile stretch, while the US 60 project involves constructing new lanes, a bridge deck, and MSE walls over 5.3 miles. In Florida, the Department of Transportation has selected the company for the $236.3m I-10 at SR 95 project and the $55.5m I-10 at SR 10 project. These projects will involve widening and realignment of lanes, bridge replacements, and the construction of new bridges. The company has also marked its entry into Tennessee with a $66m contract for the maintenance of 286 centreline miles in the Nashville area, covering multiple counties. Webber CEO Jose Carlos Esteban said: Its exciting to reach new communities and provide additional growth and development opportunities for people, businesses, and our teams. In Canada, the company has been awarded two contracts worth $102m each in Niagara and Toronto. The Niagara project will focus on managing the high traffic of visitors and commercial vehicles, while in Toronto, Webber will handle the winter maintenance of the 407 ETR. PLW Waterworks, part of Ferrovial's water division, has also won several contracts in Texas. The $178m project will involve the deconstructing and decommissioning of the Walnut Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant and the expansion of the Geronimo Creek WWTP in Seguin to a capacity of 12.0 million gallons per day (MGD). Additionally, the Dr Paul Phillips Water Purification Plant in Weatherford will undergo an expansion from 12MGD to 18MGD, estimated at $90m. The South Water Treatment Plant Expansion, valued at $58m will increase capacity from 1.5MGD to 3MGD. Last year, Webber secured nine construction projects in two US states, worth more than $1bn. "Webber wins construction and maintenance projects worth $1.2bn " was originally created and published by World Construction 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. (Bloomberg) -- Ten years ago almost to the day, while checking out a handful of luxury sedans from one of Chinas largest automakers SAIC Motor Corp., President Xi Jinping gave a pivotal speech that would set China on the course to dominate the electric vehicle industry. Most Read from Bloomberg The path to becoming a strong automaking nation lies in developing new-energy vehicles, Xi said, according to a 2014 Xinhua report. Claiming a head start, or high ground, in this sector is key to the competition globally, Xi said. In 2014, China sold around 75,000 EVs and hybrids, and exported about 533,000 cars. The domestic market was dominated by international manufacturers such as Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co., which were allowed to enter by forming joint ventures with local players in the 1980s and 1990s. This helped China transform from a bike-riding nation to a car-driving one. Homegrown carmakers and brands that didnt work with foreign partners were seen as inferior and lagging behind in engine and other automotive technology. To get ahead and tackle environmental challenges, Beijing bet on fuel efficient and alternative energy vehicles. The state had published a guideline in 2012 that established ways to develop the industry by setting sales goals, providing subsidies and allocating resources for building charging infrastructure, among other things. Xis speech two years later signaled Chinas determination to use this as a way leapfrog traditional Western and Asian auto powerhouses, in particular Japan, home to Toyota Motor Corp. With the stage set, China needed a catalyst to spur consumer interest in EVs, which in the early 2010s were mostly cheap cars with short ranges. That ended up being Tesla Inc., which became the first foreign automaker to set up a wholly owned operation in China. With that special permission, Tesla completed its Shanghai factory in 2019. Its entry into the market motivated local players to come up with better EVs with longer ranges. Fast forward to 2024, and China has become the worlds largest auto market and sells more electrified vehicles than any other country, with 9.5 million cars delivered last year. It also controls the majority of the battery supply chain. Homegrown champion BYD Co. dethroned Volkswagen to become the best-selling brand in China and in the last quarter of 2023, surpassed Tesla as the worlds largest producer of EVs. China also overtook Japan as the largest auto exporter, sending 4.14 million units abroad with 1.55 million of them being EVs or plug-in hybrids. Story continues Read More: Chinas Stranglehold on EV Supply Chain Will Be Tough to Break The achievements proved that Beijings industrial policy and investments paid off. But theyre also adding to tensions with the West. Chinas success in EVs, which could disrupt traditional auto supply chains that employ millions of people, has become a key source of discomfort in Washington and Brussels. As a price war at home and slowing growth drives Chinese automakers to search for buyers for its affordable and tech-laden EVs elsewhere, theyre running into trade barriers, especially in the EU and the US, which are meanwhile trying to develop their own EV supply chains. Both have accused China of exporting its excess capacity. The US has quadrupled import tariffs on Chinese cars to more than 100%, while the EU is investigating Chinese EVs to see if there has been an unfair advantage from government subsidies. Brazil recently removed a tax break on imported EVs and even Russia, arguably Beijings strongest ally and the largest destination for Chinese auto exports since the war with Ukraine, has asked Chinese carmakers to consider localizing production. Beijing has threatened to hit back, with the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU on May 22 saying that the import tariffs on cars with large engines may be raised to 25% from 15%. Theres a June 5 deadline for the EU to inform Chinese EV exporters of preliminary findings and whether tariffs will be imposed. SAIC, the state-owned manufacturer whose facility Xi visited 10 years ago, happens to be one of the three Chinese automakers, along with BYD and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., selected for further scrutiny by the EU in its anti-subsidy investigation. SAIC owns the British-origin MG brand, which is one of the top selling EVs in Europe. At an event marking the 10th anniversary of Xis speech on Friday, SAIC officials including Chief Engineer Zu Sijie said theyve remembered the presidents instructions well, and the company has consistently innovated around technologies like smart driving and connected cars. Li Zheng, the co-founder of SAIC Qingtao New Energy Technology Co., a battery startup backed by SAIC, took the opportunity to promise executives wont be complacent as EV competition rises, noting that progress in solid-state batteries, which have a higher energy density and reduced fire risk, will be one way for China to maintain its edge. New-energy vehicles have become a strategic industry, fiercely contested by countries around world, Li said. Theyre a key supporting force to our countrys revitalization of green sectors. A lot can happen in 10 years, but with SAIC having invested about 150 billion yuan ($21 billion) into R&D over the past decade alone, even despite trade wars, 2034 looks bright. --With assistance from Jinshan Hong. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Memorial Day is traditionally a time of remembrance to honor U.S. service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice. But the weekend leading up to that somber day has come to signify the unofficial start of summer. In Colorado Springs, thousands of residents and visitors turned out to mark the occasion at two major local festivals. The MeadowGrass Music Festival, now in its 15th year, had its biggest turnout since 2021, according to director and founder Steve Harris. This festival has grown from two days of local concerts to three days of camping, fellowship and of course, music, said Harris, who established the festival in 2009. The event, which takes place at the La Foret Conference and Retreat Center in Black Forest, is a sprawling jubilee that features local and regional bands and artists playing a variety of music from bluegrass to indie rock. The music is great, but its about so much more than the music, said longtime volunteer Frank Case. Its about the moments between people. Its about people getting together, who havent seen each other in a year, and pick up a conversation like theyd just seen each other yesterday. Its about kids running around with painted faces and skinned knees. Theres a family feel here that you really dont get at any other festival. Jen Bernard, board president of the Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative, agrees. Its a community here, Bernard said. Thats what keeps so many people coming back year after year. I have an 18-year-old son, and Ive been coming here since he was 6. There are a lot of people here with similar stories. It takes about 200 volunteers to keep the three-day event running smoothly, according to lead volunteer Jenny Koch. From checking people in at the gate, to feeding the artists, it takes a lot of people, Koch said. But it doesnt feel like work to me. Its a fun thing that I get to do every year. Featured Local Savings In stark contrast to the intimate feel of the MeadowGrass festival, the streets of Old Colorado City were teeming with revelers for Territory Days, Colorados largest street fair. Live music pulsed from speakers as children played games, and hundreds of vendors offered everything from handmade jewelry to arts, crafts and alligator-on-a-stick. This has everything you could want food, fun, music and people, said Ken Stephens, who drove in from Boulder. Lots and lots of people. Created in 1975 to celebrate the regions Old West history, Territory Days has become Old Colorado Citys unofficial kickoff of the summer season. The free festival occupies five city blocks, running from 23rd to 27th streets along Colorado Avenue and featuring about two dozen live bands on three stages. Festival attendees could relive the gold rush days of the Old West at gold panning stations, ride mechanical bulls or get a henna tattoo like one extremely pregnant young woman who asked a skin artist to decorate her baby bump. The weekend blowout draws about 30,000 people a day and 100,000 over three days, officials said. To mitigate the logistical difficulties of parking at a jam-packed festival, shuttle buses ran from the Colorado Springs C.A.B Garage on South Nevada Avenue instead of Coronado High School. Angela Calhoun, who drove one of six shuttle buses, greeted each patron with a smile as they boarded. That adds up to more than a thousand smiles -- from a single driver -- over the holiday weekend, she said. Its super fun, said Calhoun, who also drives for Durham School Services in Woodland Park. I get to take people to the biggest festival in Colorado. What could be more fun than that? Across the world, about 81,000 American service members are unaccounted for buried in unidentified graves, still in their crashed planes their final resting place unknown to their loved ones. For many of the families, the wounds of uncertainty still remain very raw, said Denise To, with the U.S. Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. The agency strives to identify about 200 service members each year, To said, and the agency estimates about 38,000 are potentially recoverable. World War II Army Technician Clifford Strickland from Fowler was among those identified in December, more than 80 years after his death, said To, who is the federal supervisory and laboratory manager for the agency. She told Stricklands story Monday under brilliant blue skies at Pikes Peak National Cemetery during a Memorial Day ceremony expected to draw more than 1,000 people. Strickland was fighting in the Philippines when he was captured following the American surrender of the Bataan Peninsula in 1942, when 12,000 Americans became prisoners of war. He was among those who made the 65-mile Bataan Death March. He was buried in Common Grave 215 in a local cemetery, To said. Following the war, he was moved to the U.S. military mausoleum near Manila where some of his fellow troops were identified. Those who could not be identified, including Strickland, were buried in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. In 2018, his remains and others from the same common grave were exhumed again and brought to a laboratory in Hawaii for identification, To said. He is expected to be buried for the final time in Florence. Bio Box If you go: A celebration of life for Clifford Strickland will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. June 29 at the Runyon Field Sports Complex in Pueblo. World War II Army Pvt. James B. McCartney, from Ridgway, was also identified in the past year. He was killed in 1945 while his unit was on patrol near Wildenguth, France. In 1951, his remains were deemed nonrecoverable. In 2022, he was exhumed from his grave in France for an analysis of his teeth, DNA and other clues that led to his identification. In March, he was buried for the final time in California, she said. Featured Local Savings In recent years, the agency has had good luck identifying service members in unidentified graves, To said in an interview. But the work was slowed significantly during the pandemic that upended politics in foreign countries where investigators work. Some of the most important relationships are with local authorities who grant access to burial sites, she said. The agency has teams working in Vietnam, Kuwait, the Philippines, Germany, France and Bosnia. During fiscal year 2023, the agency identified 158 service members, and its building back to its pre-pandemic level of work. To identify more people annually would take additional resources, she said. We persist in our determination in achieving the most comprehensive accounting, she told the crowd. Skyler Holmes, Pikes Peak cemetery director, was unaware of any veterans identified through the agency buried at the new national burial ground. The cemetery opened in 2018 after 23 years of work to bring the community the cemetery it needed, retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Pete Tetley told the crowd. During the event, parking in the cemetery filled up and attendees parked along the narrow two-lane Drennan Road to attend and many wore hats, shirts, jackets, patches and other proclamations of their own service. Former American Legion State Commander Jay Bowen recounted for the crowd numerous tales of heroism of individuals and of the grand scale of D-Day, when about 156,000 troops landed in France. He also acknowledged that many in the crowd saw the sacrifices and fought alongside those honored Monday. Veterans have seen heroism in its purest form, Bowen said. Contact the writer at mary.shinn@gazette.com or (719) 429-9264. Residents in Rockrimmon living over a coal mine who have seen major damage to their homes plan to keep fighting after a state board recently confirmed they will not see any reimbursement for repairs from a state program. The Mined Land Reclamation Board was convinced during a board meeting last week expansive soils are causing extensive cracks in the homes, not a collapse of a historic coal mine that extends under large portions of the Rockrimmon neighborhood. The boards decision upheld the findings of the Mine Subsidence Protection Program, in the first appeal of its kind. The board also refused to take up the residents complaint that the Mine Subsidence Protection Program does not provide insurance for coal mine subsidence, despite federal law that says state programs like Colorados will insure private property. State law says its program will abide by the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. They dodged the core issue, said Austin Rivenburg, one of the homeowners. Standard homeowner policies do not cover mine subsidence, and no laws require insurance companies to cover it, according to the state Division of Insurance. So, Rivenburg and his next-door neighbors Ardith and Kenny Lindquist are on their own to pay for tens of thousands of dollars in repairs to stabilize their homes that are seeing extensive cracking in walls and floors. Based on the damage, the homeowners believe the houses are tipping backward. The state spent about $188,000 investigating the claim. Property owners who have their claims granted can receive $100,000 or the fair market value of the property before subsidence from the subsidence protection program. The homeowners represent the most recent of the 159 claims submitted to the Mine Subsidence Protection Program from Colorado Springs to cover damage related to a subsurface coal mine. The state has done 22 subsurface investigations in town and paid 17 claims, said Jeff Fugate, an attorney for the Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety. The state has never paid a claim to a Rockrimmon homeowner. State Rep. Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs, said she planned to ask for an audit of the program, after Rivenburg approached her office. He is hopeful the audit will not only examine financials but also determine whether the state program is abiding by federal law to provide insurance. He also wants the audit to examine whether the states program should be limited only to older homes built before 1989, as it is currently. The residents could also file a lawsuit against the state claiming it is not abiding by the law. The state said in an email its existing program is in compliance with federal law. In an initial grant application to the federal government for $3 million to set up the program, the state said it would provide insurance for coal mine subsidence. However, the state set up a trust fund instead after a study showed an insurance program would require high premiums, draw in people in high-hazard areas and lack state funds to reimburse high payouts to homes, according to a report provided to the board. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The states trust fund totaled $4.9 million in December. Since the program is limited to older homes, it is not available to those who may buy homes in the new Creekside at Rockrimmon development, along south Rockrimmon Boulevard. The neighborhood is underway and the first plan for a home is under review, according to the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. As part of the appeal to the state, Rivenburg recruited associate Professor Rennie Kaunda, with the Colorado School of Mines, to point out flaws in the investigation. The state relied mostly on the testimony of employees of Tetra Tech, the contractor that drilled samples near the homes and analyzed them. Kaunda told the board Tetra Tech only drilled one deep hole to 242 feet down between the two homes to take a sample of subsurface conditions and its possible the contractor could have missed the portion of the mine that collapsed. The Pikeview Coal Mine located between 200 and 250 feet below their homes is a room and pillar mine with pillars between 15 and 50 feet wide. Its possible the evidence of collapse would be highly localized, Kaunda said. The state did not provide the results of soil testing as part of its initial report, so Kaunda did not provide an analysis on the likelihood expansive soils were to blame. The state said it provided the soil sampling results later to the Lindquists. A Tetra Tech civil engineer, Max Johnson, said the company found no evidence of mine collapse. Rather, it found a layer of water, which would have drained away if rubble zones were present. The contractors also detected a musty smell associated with high carbon dioxide associated with empty space in the mines, he said. Tests also showed the soil around the home was 3% to 8% below the optimum moisture content, said Ken Temme, a geotechnical engineer for Tetra Tech. Those expansive soils can dry and consolidate, he said. Kaunda was not present to refute Tetra Techs presentation. But Ardith Lindquist pleaded with the board to consider where 2.5 truck loads of cement meant to stabilize her porch went, if not into voids created by the coal mine. She asked the board to consider stabilizing her house before it experiences more serious future damage. Today we are just trying to prevent disaster before it happens, she said. Board members called the investigation thorough and lauded the states work, while expressing sympathy for the homeowners. Board member Karn Stiegelmeier said if she were in the homeowners shoes she would want to blame the mine collapsing, but she was convinced changing soil moisture was at fault. She also noted the program is not preventive. It could be real subsidence, validated in 20 years, she said. Xiong'an New Area promotes high-quality education construction Xinhua) 08:45, May 27, 2024 Students do exercise at the Xiong'an campus of the Shijiahutong Elementary School in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 21, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students take classes at the Xiong'an campus of the Shijiahutong Elementary School in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 21, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) A teacher demonstrates as students look on in a handicraft class at a primary school in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 21, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students cook during a culinary class at a primary school in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 22, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students assemble robots at an activity room of a school in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 24, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students make batik works at a school in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 23, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students read loudly in a classroom at the Xiong'an campus of the Shijiahutong Elementary School in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 21, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students participate in outdoor activities at a kindergarten in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 23, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students harvest wheat at a school farm of a kindergarten in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 23, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 21, 2024 shows a view of the Xiong'an campus of the Shijiahutong Elementary School and Beijing No. 4 High School in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students learn about traditional Chinese medicine knowledge at a primary school in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 22, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students participate in a rehearsal at the Xiong'an campus of the Beijing No. 80 Middle School in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 24, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Students participate in outdoor activities at the Xiong'an campus of the Shijiahutong Elementary School in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 21, 2024. In recent years, Xiong'an New Area has continuously promoted the high-quality education construction. The area has introduced innovative education development system, constructed high-standard education facilities, and introduced professional education resources. Currently, the area has 717 schools, with 235,000 students and 20,000 teachers. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Press Release May 27, 2024 Villar wants to reinforce the LPD sector for food security Senator Cynthia Villar seeks to advance the development, promotion and competitiveness of the Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Industries in the country by the passage of Senate Bill No. 2558, under Committee Report No. 193 or "An Act Strengthening the Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Development and Competitiveness, Rationalizing the Organization and Functions of Relevant Government Agencies, Creating an Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Therefor." These industries play a significant role in food security, and accounts for more than a quarter of agricultural output in 2023. Pork and chicken accounts for approximately 29.8%percent of the Filipino protein consumption. The high cost of these commodities, making them unaffordable to most Filipinos, may lead to protein deficiency and contribute to malnutrition. Imported milk in the country accounts for 99 percent of supply which makes milk unavailable and unaffordable to our growing population. Local milk production is struggling and needs a boost to able to cope with and address the local demand, especially on the milk feeding programs in our schools and other institutions that take care of our children. The hog sector in the country is still struggling with against the African Swine Fever outbreak since 2019 and needs to bounce back to support small hold raisers and commercial farms to support of basic food needs for pork. The ASF is responsible for the P100-Billion loss to the sector. The poultry sector also needs sustainable inputs such as feeds, medicines against pest and diseases and more efficient production systems. For the longest time, the LPD sector has been left to be run by the private sector, now with this Act, the government will actively support and participate in the development of the sector. The Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Development aims to put in place - 1. Philippine Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Value Chain Road Map which shall serve as a guidepost in the priority setting for the development, modernization, protection, and promotion of the LPD Industry, with the aim in view of attaining food security and combating rural poverty. 2. The Office of the Undersecretary of the National Livestock, Poultry, Dairy and Other Animals Program shall be created to establish policies for the development of the country's Livestock, Poultry, Dairy, and other Animals sector. 3. For clarity and focus of purpose, the development of the LPD shall be under the Bureau of Animal Industry and the Regulatory functions shall be lodged with under the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) which shall be renamed as the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Inspection (BARI). 4. The government, through the BAI, with funds from our tariff earnings, will strengthen the system of preventing and addressing the outbreak of diseases in the LPD sector. 5. Our native animals, such as hogs, chicken, horses, carabaos, among others, will not only be preserved but promoted and their population multiplied. 6. The National Dairy Authority or NDA shall be the central policy determining, developmental and regulatory body tasked to ensure the acceleration of the local dairy industry. 7. The Philippine Carabao Center shall develop a holistic program to address the needs of farmers and their cooperatives in the breeding, dairy farm management of dairy buffaloes, including forage development and increasing the herd population. 8. Establishment of an inventory of LPD Farms and dairy herd. This LPD Registry System shall have the master list of the eligible farmer beneficiaries and shall be lodged with the DA in consultation with the industry and the LGUs. 9. Creation of the Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Competitiveness Enhancement Fund from tariff collected on imported LPD products which shall consist of P7.8billion annually for the next 10 years. This fund is over and above the regular funding under the National Livestock program of the DA in the General Appropriations Act. A mandatory review by the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) and the PIDS shall be conducted to come up with an impact evaluation of this Act. Villar, nais na palakasin ang paglago ng LPD sector para sa food security UPANG tiyakin ang food security ng bansa, isinusulong ni Sen. Cynthia Villar ang pag-unlad ng livestock, poultry at dairy industry. "These industries accounts for more than a quarter of agricultural output in 2023," ayon kay Villar, chairperson ng Senate committee on agriculture and food. Aniya, mula sa baboy at manok, tinatayang 29.8% percent ang Filipino protein consumption. Binanggit din niya na maaaring magkaroon ng protein deficiency at malnutrition dahil sa hindi kakayanin ang mataas na halaga ng mga ito. "The hog sector in the country is still struggling against the African Swine Fever outbreak since 2019 and needs to bounce back to support smallhold raisers and commercial farms to support of basic food needs for pork," ani Villar. Ang ASF ang responsable sa P100-Billion pagkalugi ng sektor. Kailangan din ng poultry sector ang sustainable inputs gaya ng feeds, gamot laban sam mga peste at mga sakit para sa mas efficient na sistema ng produksyon. "Imported milk in the country accounts for 99 percent of supply which makes milk unavailable and unaffordable to our growing population," sabi pa ng senador. Igiinit niya na kailangan din ng matinding suporta ng ating milk production upang matugunan ang local demand, lalo na sa milk feeding programs sa ating mga paaralan at iba pang institusyon na nangangalaga sa ating mga bata. Sa mahabang panahon, pinatatakbo ang LPD industries ng private sector. Sa panukalang ito, aktibong susuportahan at lalahok ang pamahalaan sapag-unlad ng sektor. Nais din ni Villar na maging competitive ang Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Industries kapag naipaasa ang Senate Bill No. 2558, sa ilalim ng Committee Report No. 193 or "An Act Strengthening the Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Development and Competitiveness, Rationalizing the Organization and Functions of Relevant Government Agencies, Creating an Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Therefor." Rachel Gabel is a longtime agriculture writer and the assistant editor of The Fence Post Magazine. At the Independence Day commemoration event, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused President Salome Zourabichvili of betraying the country and its interests during his speech in front of the National army."Georgia and its independence are still facing the most difficult challenges. However, today, Georgian society is much more experienced than it was in the first years of independence restoration, and the country is governed by a government that stands on guard for the sovereignty and independence of Georgia, protecting its national interests.It is the unity and reasoned steps of the people and their elected government that have given us the opportunity to maintain peace in the country for the past two years despite existential threats and multiple betrayals, including the betrayal of the President of Georgia," said the Prime MinisterOpposition party representatives have voiced their approval of President Salome Zourabichvili's Georgian Charter. The idea proposed by Zourabichvili has been accepted by Ahali, Lelo, European Georgia, United National Movement, Republican Party, Girchi - More Freedom, and Droa."It is a very important charter; it is necessary for the country, and it represents a significant commitment essential for the country's European future. Therefore, Lelo will certainly join this charter. We believe that its implementation will undoubtedly pave the way for the country to become a member of the European Union," Lelo's Badri Japaridze."I appreciate the President's speech, her spirit, and all the messages. This is the message that, in my opinion, our society and political parties need: to demonstrate that different political forces can agree on the steps we need to take to move away from the edge of the abyss that the Ivanishvili regime has led the country to and get back on the right path. My position is that all political parties should join these messages," said the leader of European Georgia, Giga Bokeria."Parties Girchi-More Freedom and Droa welcome the initiative of the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, which calls for parties to agree on a unified vision of the reforms necessary for initiating negotiations with the European Union. We hereby sign the Georgian Charter," as stated by Girchi - More Freedom and Droa. Official Solution: The existence of West Berlin, a conspicuously capitalist city deep within communist East Germany, "stuck like a bone in the Soviet throat," as Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev put it! The Russians began maneuvering to drive the United States, Britain and France out of the city for good. In 1948, a Soviet blockade of West Berlin aimed to starve the western Allies out of the city. Instead of retreating, however, the United States and its allies supplied their sectors of the city from the air. This effort, known as the Berlin Airlift, lasted for more than a year and delivered more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and other goods to West Berlin. The Soviets called off the blockade in 1949. After a decade of relative calm, tensions flared again in 1958. For the next three years, the Soviets emboldened by the successful launch of the Sputnik satellite the year before and embarrassed by the seemingly endless flow of refugees from east to west (nearly 3 million in the decade since 1948, many of them young skilled workers such as doctors, teachers and engineers) blustered and made threats, while the Allies resisted. Summits, conferences and other negotiations came and went without resolution. Meanwhile, the flood of refugees continued. In June 1961, some 19,000 people left the GDR through Berlin. The following month, 30,000 fled. In the first 11 days of August, 16,000 East Germans crossed the border into West Berlin, and on August 12 some 2,400 followed the largest number of defectors ever to leave East Germany in a single day. What is the primary purpose of the passage? A. Trace the existence of West Berlin within Soviet GermanyB. Explain the significance of the Berlin Airlift in the middle of the 20th centuryC. Examine the success of the Soviets in launching the Sputnik satellite and its impact on its relationship with the WestD. Describe the measures used by the Soviets and their failures to protect West Berlin from western influencesE. Evaluate how many defectors left East Germany through a decadeThe main idea of the passage is to explain the attempts of the Soviets to keep defectors from leaving the East. The passage also elaborates the outcomes of their plan. Option D correctly identifies the primary purpose.Answer: D_________________ CCTV: The ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and the ROK was held in Seoul. Premier Li Qiang attended the meeting. Could you share more details with us? Mao Ning: This morning, Premier Li Qiang, ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida jointly attended the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and the ROK in Seoul. As the trilateral cooperation mechanism marks its 25th anniversary, to hold the trilateral summit meeting among the ROK, Japan and China again after more than four years is highly meaningful and symbolizes the resumption and a new start for the trilateral cooperation. China attaches great importance to China-Japan-ROK cooperation. Premier Li Qiang put forward a five-point proposal to deepen the trilateral cooperation. First, fully resume China-Japan-ROK cooperation. The three countries need to respect each others core interests and major concerns, fully unleash cooperation potential, nurture new cooperation and make our bilateral relations and trilateral cooperation mutually reinforcing. Second, deepen economic and trade connectivity. The three countries need to keep industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded, and restart and complete negotiations on a China-Japan-ROK FTA as soon as possible. Third, champion cooperation in technology innovation. The three countries need to strengthen collaborative innovation and cooperation in frontier areas. Fourth, forge closer bonds for people-to-people and cultural exchange. The three countries need to seize the opportunity of the China-Japan-ROK Year of Cultural Exchange to promote heart-to-heart amity as close neighbors. Fifth, advance sustainable development. The three countries need to step up exchange and cooperation on low-carbon transition, climate change, aging societies and response to epidemics, and explore and develop more China-Japan-ROK+X Cooperation projects. China stands ready to take this summit meeting as an opportunity to work with the ROK and Japan to strengthen strategic communication, deepen political trust, demonstrate a new sense of responsibility and commitment, promote steady and sustained China-Japan-ROK cooperation and make greater contribution to regional stability and prosperity. Bloomberg: Chinas engagement in the global system of commerce was criticized by the G7 finance ministers. They pointed to things such as Chinas use of non-market policies and practices, saying that such activities undermine workers, industries and the economic resilience in G7 members. Whats the Foreign Ministrys comment on the G7 finance ministers criticism of its behaviors? Mao Ning: Id refer you to competent Chinese authorities for anything specific. Let me just say that Chinas economic success over the past 40-plus years is the success of reform and opening up, and the success of the effective combination of market and government. China does not accept G7s unilateral criteria of non-market policies and practices. It is the discriminatory practices of a handful of Western countries targeting particular countries and businesses that are the real non-market practices and distortive policies. The G7s Chinese overcapacity hype and attempt to restrict Chinas new energy products are completely against the facts and the laws of economics. They are the product of protectionism and serve no ones interest. Reuters: More than 2,000 people were buried alive in a landslide in Papua New Guinea last week and relief efforts have been challenging due to damaged roads and unstable terrain. We would like to ask if China will be offering any assistance to Papua New Guinea. And if so, what kind of assistance is being dispatched? Mao Ning: China is closely following the massive deadly landslide in Enga Province in Papua New Guinea. We mourn for the lives lost and extend heartfelt sympathies to their families and those hit by the disaster. President Xi Jinping has sent a message of condolences to Governor General Bob Dadae. China stands ready to help with the relief and reconstruction efforts in light of Papua New Guineas needs. We believe that the people of Papua New Guinea will get through this difficult time and rebuild their homes soon. Hubei Media Group: We have learned that Chinese nationals stranded due to the closure of airport in the French territory of New Caledonia have been safely relocated. Can you share more details? Mao Ning: Since unrest broke out in the French territory of New Caledonia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has attached great importance to the safety of Chinese nationals there, and directed the Chinese Embassy in France to closely follow the developments, get timely updates on the Chinese nationals, issue security alerts, and do everything possible to protect the safety of Chinese nationals there. Meanwhile, the Ministry has also instructed Chinese embassies in France, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore to help with the transfer and evacuation of Chinese nationals. With the concerted efforts of various parties, 18 previously stranded Chinese nationals safely left New Caledonia on a chartered plane of the French government on May 26. We thank relevant countries for their assistance. Antara: The tenth World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia was concluded last week and has adopted a Declaration on Water for Shared Prosperity, which covers the issues of the right to access safe drinking water and sanitation, also the importance of inclusive coordination and collaboration for integrated water resources management policies. How does the Chinese government support the declaration for this water preservation? Mao Ning: We noted that the Indonesian government successfully hosted the 10th World Water Forum, which has received positive response and extensive participation from the international community and provided an important platform for the world to address water challenges, build consensus on water issues and share successful experience in water governance. In recent years, extreme weather events have occurred frequently around the world, and floods and droughts have been more complex and unpredictable. The Chinese government attaches great importance to international cooperation in water conservancy. We are committed to working with archipelagic and small island countries, including Indonesia, to jointly address the challenge of climate change. In recent years, China and Indonesia have carried out exchanges and cooperation in sustainable water resources management, water conservancy construction, mountain disaster prevention and control, flood and drought disaster prevention and other fields. Under the framework of Asian regional cooperation and China-ASEAN cooperation, the two countries have carried out practical cooperation projects, involving dam construction and management and seawater desalination. These moves are of great significance for promoting the sustainable development of the economy and the society. Water is fundamental to human survival and development. China is ready to work with other countries to strengthen practical water cooperation, exchange ideas on water control, discuss water control strategies, share experience, jointly build water control platforms, accelerate the implementation of the water-related goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity. Reuters: Will China consider visa exemptions for South Korean and Japanese citizens as part of the trilateral cooperation announced? Mao Ning: China has always been an advocate of close people-to-people and cultural exchange under the framework of China-Japan-ROK cooperation. We stand ready to work with the other parties to raise the level of facilitation for cross-border travel. Shenzhen TV: The Wall Street Journal reported on May 19, citing US government officials, that undersea cables that ferry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean could be vulnerable to tampering by Chinese repair ships, and they have privately delivered an unusual warning to US companies including Google and Meta. US officials claimed that the cable maintenance ships of S. B. Submarine Systems have periodically disappeared from satellite ship-tracking services, and the US suspected that the vessels could engage in clandestine tapping of undersea data streams and mapping of the ocean floor to conduct reconnaissance on US military communication links, or theft of intellectual property. What is Chinas comment? Mao Ning: We noted that relevant company has issued a response to the false claims, saying that the company strictly complies with relevant laws and regulations, international practices and industry standards, and daily operations are in line with the regulations set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Chinese government always encourages our companies to observe market principles and international rules in their operations. US officials claims are completely baseless and constitute ill-intentioned vilification of Chinese companies. We firmly oppose such US moves of overstretching the concept of national security and attacking and smearing Chinese companies. By vilifying and suppressing telecommunications companies from China and the rest of the world, the US government intends to build a global monitoring system dominated by the US with no rival and under no oversight, so as to leave a door open for its blatant eavesdropping and espionage. In his book The Chip Trap, Marc Lassus, founder of French smart card producer Gemplus, revealed how US security services victimized him and seized control of Gemplus to eavesdrop on the rest of the world. The higher the pitch of the US framing of others, the clearer the world will see what a hacking empire the US truly is. We urge the US government, which is obsessed with perpetuating its supremacy in cyberspace and telecommunications, to reflect on its behavior, stop vilifying Chinese companies, and stop these thief-crying-stop-thief stunts. China News Service: We noted that Pakistan held a press conference on the investigation results of the March 26 terrorist attack on the convoy carrying Chinese personnel of the Dasu hydropower project. Whats Chinas response? Mao Ning: China attaches great importance to the important progress made by the Pakistani side on the investigation of the terrorist attack. China supports Pakistan in continuing to get to the full bottom of what happened, and hunting down and bringing to justice all the perpetrators. China will continue to work with Pakistan to strengthen security cooperation and ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan. Terrorism is a common enemy of humanity and a scourge against regional development and stability. China calls on countries in the region to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, root out all terrorist organizations, remove their breeding ground, and protect the common security and development interests of all countries. Bloomberg: US lawmakers have expressed support for Taiwans defense. This is during a trip to the island just days after China ended military exercises there. For example, Representative Michael McCaul said that he would be calling on relevant parties to speed up arms shipments for the purposes of deterrence. Whats the Foreign Ministrys comment on these remarks? Mao Ning: In disregard of Chinas strong opposition, relevant members of the US Congress still decided to visit Taiwan, which violates the one-China principle, the three China-US joint communiques, and the US governments own political commitment to maintaining only unofficial relations with the Taiwan region, and sends a severely wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces. China firmly opposes it and has made serious protests to the US. We will take necessary measures to firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. China firmly opposes military contact between the US and Taiwan and any attempt to arm Taiwan. We urge relevant members of the US Congress to stop playing the Taiwan card, stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs, stop supporting and conniving at Taiwan independence separatist forces, and stop undermining China-US relations and cross-Strait peace and stability. Global Times: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a decision on its website on May 22 on countermeasures against 12 US defense corporations and 10 senior executives. Is this Chinas response to US sanctioning of Chinese companies for Russia-related issues and the US side attending the inauguration of the leader of the Taiwan region? Mao Ning: China announced the relevant decision in the No.7 decree of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 22. China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or authorization of the UN Security Council. We will continue to take all measures necessary to protect our legitimate and lawful rights and interests. China urges the US to deeply reflect on its behavior, face up to its responsibility for the outbreak and escalation of the Ukraine crisis, stop vilification and pressuring, and stop abusing illicit unilateral sanctions. The Taiwan question is at the core of Chinas core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. No country, organization or individual shall underestimate the strong determination, will and ability of the Chinese government and people in defending our nations sovereignty and territorial integrity, or imagine that they could step on or even cross the line on the Taiwan question without paying any price. Reuters: Ukraines President Zelenskyy has appealed to Chinese and US leaders to attend the peace summit in Switzerland next month. Will China be attending? And if yes, who will China send? Mao Ning: On the Ukraine crisis, China has always upheld a just and objective position and worked hard to promote peace talks. We encourage and support all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis, and support an international peace conference held at a proper time that is recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties as well as fair discussion of all peace plans. China stands ready to maintain communication with the international community on pushing for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Bloomberg: I think theres talk that China will send the delegation, but not a high-level delegation. So I guess the question is, will you send the delegation or not to the Swiss peace forum? Mao Ning: I dont have anything to share on that right now. DECATUR Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois, Decatur Memorial Hospital and HSHS St. Marys Hospital will host a National Cancer Survivors Day event to celebrate local cancer survivors, whether recently diagnosed or in remission for years. The event will be 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Fairview Park's large pavilion, with food provided by Notorious P.I.G. and music by Pizzazz. The event is free and each survivor may bring one guest. Its inspiring to see how this event has become an annual tradition for many cancer survivors, said Jill Andrews, administrative director of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Cancer Care in Decatur. Its an opportunity to reflect and celebrate together. Valerie Jordan, director of oncology services at HSHS St. Marys Hospital, said those who are newly diagnosed often don't know what to expect, and the event helps them realize that there is life beyond diagnosis and treatment. Physicians, healthcare workers and volunteers will be stationed throughout the event to assist cancer survivors and their caregivers. For information, call 217-876-4749. Close Herald & Review, Jim Bowling From left, school district employees Rochelle Clark, Ashley Grayned, Randy Dotson and Suzannah Rotz give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise greeting upon walking in the door on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Suzannah Rotz, human resources assistant, awaits Sevie Jarretts arrival to present her flowers on Jarretts first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, receives a welcome from Kim Hulva, payroll insurance analyst, at the start of her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling School district employees surprised Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, by decorating her office with breast cancer survivor decor for her return to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, and Angela Bowman, administrative assistant, look over decorations that co-workers placed in Jarretts office in honor of her return to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. PHOTOS: Co-Workers Celebrate Breast Cancer Survivor's Return to Work Herald & Review, Jim Bowling From left, school district employees Rochelle Clark, Ashley Grayned, Randy Dotson and Suzannah Rotz give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise greeting upon walking in the door on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Suzannah Rotz, human resources assistant, awaits Sevie Jarretts arrival to present her flowers on Jarretts first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, receives a welcome from Kim Hulva, payroll insurance analyst, at the start of her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling School district employees surprised Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, by decorating her office with breast cancer survivor decor for her return to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, and Angela Bowman, administrative assistant, look over decorations that co-workers placed in Jarretts office in honor of her return to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Decatur school district employees give Sevie Jarrett, assistant to the director of human resources, a surprise welcome on her first day back to work at the Keil Administration Building after undergoing 6 weeks of breast cancer treatment. DECATUR During the Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln referred to those who died in service to their country as these honored dead and described their sacrifice as the last full measure of devotion. Speaker Gregory Sullivan, a U.S. Navy veteran, quoted that speech during his remarks on Monday at the Korean War Memorial in Graceland/Fairlawn Cemetery during the combined ceremony with the Veterans Assistance Commission of Macon County. Organizers opted to hold one joint ceremony this year. We gather, not merely to enjoy a long weekend or the onset of summer, but to honor and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, Sullivan said. Memorial Day is a solemn occasion, a time to reflect on the valor, courage and sacrifice of the 1.3 million men and women who have given their lives in service to our nation. For more than two centuries, Americans have answered the call of duty, bravely defending the ideas upon which our nation was founded. From the fields of Gettysburg, to the beaches of Normandy, to the jungles of Vietnam, to the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have fought and died to preserve freedom and to protect our way of life. Those who attended were greeted by Boy Scouts and adult troop leaders, given a program and a lapel pin marking the occasion. Graceland Cemetery once again hosted its Avenue of Flags. The flags were donated or purchased by local veterans families to be displayed. Along with the flag, a metal dog tag is engraved with the veterans name, year of birth and death, and the military branch and is attached to the pole. Volunteers spent Sunday night in the cemetery to guard the flags to prevent their being stolen. Sullivan asked family members who had lost someone in war to raise their hands, and raised his own hand. He thanked them for their sacrifice, too, as they wake up every day without a loved one's presence. We also remember the families of the fallen who have borne the burden of their loved ones' sacrifice, he said. We must never forget what they did on behalf of our nation. We thank you. You taught them how to do that, how to serve their country on behalf of others. Names of those who died in the Korean War were read during the service, followed by the laying of wreaths by veterans' organizations and Gold Star Mothers. Boy Scouts lined up along the front of the memorial to receive and salute the wreaths, and to hold them steady in the brisk breeze so they wouldn't fall over. During the benediction, Gary Bauerle, Macon County Honor Guard chaplain, prayed for blessings on the families left behind. Ray Ewing of Warrensburg, who served 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, is a regular attendee at Memorial Day services, he said. We've got to remember the people who gave their lives for us, he said. It's our history, said Shelba Donoho of Decatur. We should never forget our history and how we got to where we are today. Gallery: Decatur Memorial Day over the years Wavelink, a leader in providing enterprise solutions to the channel, has announced it has attained certification from Fortinet to become an Authorised Training Centre (ATC). This accreditation lets Wavelink offer comprehensive, in-person and virtual cybersecurity training using the curriculum developed for the Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) certification program. As an ATC, Wavelink will deliver training for the Fortinet Certified Professional (FCP) FortiGate Administrator course. With this accreditation, Wavelink will provide scheduled in-person and virtual training sessions, reinforcing the organisations commitment to offer interactive learning experiences. Wavelink will also provide the FortiGate Immersion Lab to customers, delivering an in-depth, practical learning environment in which individualsincluding Fortinet end-users, partners, and students looking to work in the cybersecurity fieldcan master complex security concepts. Wavelink will cater to specific company needs by offering private training events upon request. John Milionis, channel director, Fortinet, said, Fortinet is pleased to extend its partnership with Wavelink through its ATC certification and delivery of the NSE training programs to end-users, partners, and students. Wavelinks role as an accredited ATC provider aligns perfectly with Fortinets mission to address the cybersecurity skills gap through comprehensive training and will contribute to Fortinets pledge to train one million people by 2026. Ilan Rubin, chief executive officer, Wavelink, said, Cybersecurity threats are evolving at an unprecedented rate, posing a significant challenge for Australian businesses. Coupled with the ongoing labour shortages and cybersecurity skills gaps, its imperative for organisations to stay ahead in safeguarding their digital infrastructure. Achieving the ATC accreditation empowers Wavelink to play a pivotal role in bridging this gap. Through its specialised training programs and ongoing partnership with Fortinet, Wavelink is committed to its role as a trusted advisor, equipping professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to effectively counteract emerging threats, elevating cybersecurity competencies across Australia. The Fortinet NSE certification program has been carefully crafted and researched over several years to address the rapidly evolving threat landscape, as well as job-market needs. It includes a wide range of courses that demonstrate mastery of complex cybersecurity concepts, and each program assesses specific levels of cybersecurity expertise, from foundation to architect. Training programs are led by Fortinet certified instructors, use Fortinet developed courseware, and adhere to the rigorous quality standards set by Fortinet. Wavelinks Fortinet certified trainers play a fundamental role in empowering Fortinet end-users, partners, and students to develop into proficient cybersecurity professionals and gain recognition for their expertise in the field. The first course on offer from Wavelink is the FCP FortiGate Administrator, focusing on product version FortiOS 7.4. It will be virtually led by expert trainer, Dr. Shihab Haque, a distinguished computer scientist and cybersecurity professional with more than 16 years of experience in industrial research and development (R&D), academic teaching, and professional training. Dr. Haque has played a pivotal role as a cybersecurity consultant scientist for numerous national projects in Singapore and has taught at five universities in Australia, Singapore, and Bangladesh, including the University of New South Wales. For more information, or to enrol in the upcoming training sessions, visit https://www.wavelink.com.au/fortinet-authorised-training-centre/. About Fortinet Fortinet is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere you need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinets solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with high-profile, well-respected organisations from both the public and private sectors, including CERTs, government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinets commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinets elite threat intelligence and research organisation, develops and utilises leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet blog, and FortiGuard Labs. About Wavelink Wavelink specialises in providing leading-edge enterprise solutions to the channel. Wavelink distributes a range of products from Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Claroty, Fortinet, Garland Technology, Imprivata, Kontakt.io, MobiCall, Olinqua, Orca Security, Scandit, SOTI, Spectralink, Stryker, and Swimlane. For more information, please contact Wavelink on 1300 147 000. www.wavelink.com.au www.connected-health.com.au On May 27, the General Committee and the Plenary Session of the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) respectively decided to reject the so-called proposal of inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer submitted by certain countries. This has been the eighth year in a row that the WHA has rejected the so-called proposal concerning Taiwan. Chinas position on Taiwan-related issues at the WHA is widely understood and supported by the international community. Over 100 countries explicitly expressed support for Chinas position by writing to the WHO Director-General and through other means. This fully demonstrates that the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and the arc of history bends, and must not be challenged. The Chinese central government attaches great importance to the health and well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan. Taiwans medical and health experts can participate in WHO technical meetings under the prerequisite that the one-China principle is upheld. Over the past year alone, medical and technical experts from Chinas Taiwan region took part in WHO technical activities 21 times, which involved 24 participants, and all the applications were approved by the 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. The Taiwan region has sufficient and unimpeded channels to participate in the technical communication and cooperation in the WHO. There is no such thing as a gap in global anti-epidemic efforts. Compared with a handful of countries political manipulation that trumpets Taiwans participation in the WHA, the central governments proper arrangement and concrete actions demonstrate real meaning and sincerity for the livelihood and well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan. Once again we would like to make it clear to the DPP authorities: the abiding commitment of the international community to the one-China principle is unshakable and the trend that China will be reunified is not to be reversed. Taiwan independence runs contrary to the interests of our compatriots in Taiwan, and any attempt to seek Taiwan independence by relying on external forces leads nowhere. Meanwhile, we urge certain countries to stop distorting and challenging UNGA Resolution 2758, stop fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, stop politicizing health issues, and stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs by exploiting the Taiwan question. Using Taiwan to contain China will only end in failure. SPRINGFIELD Sections of Illinois 133 in Oakland and U.S. 40 in Casey were recently named in honor of two fallen soldiers from these communities in time for Memorial Day. State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, served as the Senate sponsor of House resolutions to designate the "Lt. Jared W. Southworth Memorial Highway" in Oakland and "Army Spc. Charles Lamb Memorial Highway" in Casey. Rose, a Charleston native, said in a press release that he is deeply honored to have passed this resolution, ensuring that their bravery and dedication will be forever honored. I hope that this action, over Memorial Day weekend, will remind all of us of the selfless courage and dedication of all of our servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country," Rose said. HJR 39 honors Southworth, born on May 28, 1982, in Mattoon. He was raised in Oakland, graduating from high school there in 2000. Southworth then attended Lake Land College and Eastern Illinois University, where he participated in ROTC. He married Chrissy Lynn Royer in 2001. They have four children. Southworth served in the HHC 2/130 Infantry Division of the Illinois National Guard and was a U.S. Army Ranger, living by the motto "God, Family, Country." He was also a part-time police officer in Oakland and an active member of the community. On Feb. 8, 2009, Southworth was 26 years old when he was killed in action by an improvised explosive device while serving in Helmand, Afghanistan. HJR 50 honors Lamb, who was born on Jan. 12, 1981, in Paris. He graduated from Casey-Westfield High School in 1999 and worked as an auto mechanic. He enjoyed fishing, riding four-wheelers and motorbikes, and spending time with family and friends. Lamb was a Specialist E-4 with the Paris-based 1544th Illinois Army National Guard Transportation Unit and was killed in a mortar attack near Baghdad on Sept. 5, 2004 at age 23. When funeral services with full military honors were held in their respective hometowns, large numbers of community members lined the procession routes to pay their respects. Reflecting on the loss of the two fallen soldiers, Rose quoted John 15:13 in saying "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down ones life for ones friends." "We are so grateful for these heroes and their Gold Star families, Rose said. Theres nothing more we can say, nothing more we can do, all we can hope is that our tributes today will bring peace to their loved ones and family that are still here. Photo recap: See how US honored its fallen military men and women This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Racine Lutheran High School Thrift Shop at 1222 Lathrop Ave. in Racine. During the past six decades, the Thrift Shop has contributed more than $4.8 million to RLHS, facilitating enhancements to educational programs, infrastructure and resources, and directly benefiting students and staff. On May 16, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone held a symposium on China-Sierra Leone relations themed "Reviewing the Original Intentions of Establishing Diplomatic Relations and Creating a Better Future Together". Ambassador Wang Qing, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alan Logan, Acting Director General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as well as Sierra Leonean think tanks, friendly organizations and media representatives, which are more than 50 people in total, attended the symposium. Ambassador Wang Qing reviewed the development history of China-Sierra Leone relations, appreciating Sierra Leone 's long-term adherence to the One-China Principle, supporting China's efforts to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity, and promoting China- Sierra Leone relations to become a good example of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation. He looked forward to working with Sierra Leone to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and further support each other and deepen cooperation. Deputy Speaker Conte and Acting Director-General Logan sincerely reviewed the history of exchanges between Sierra Leone and China. On behalf of the Sierra Leonean government and people, they reiterated their support for the One-China Principle and hoped that China- Sierra Leone friendly cooperation will continue to make new progress and better benefit the two peoples. Distinguished Guests attending the meeting said that the One-China Principle is an international imperative and a general trend. All sectors of Sierra Leonean society will continue to support the One-China Principle and inherit the traditional friendship between Sierra Leone and China. Craig Witt and his family are no longer tied to a rigid milking schedule. We dont have to get up for a 5:30 milking anymore, he said. The human milking routine has been replaced by a robotic milker that works 24/7 and never takes a vacation. It has revolutionized the familys farm operation and will be on display when the farm hosts the Monroe County Dairy Breakfast on Saturday, June 1. When it works the way it should, its life-changing, Witt said. Like every other industry, its all about technology. The Witts own and operate a 450-acre family farm between Kendall and Wilton. Craig Witt and his wife, Kathy, purchased the farm in 1983. His son and daughter-in-law, Eric and Lisa, live on the farm, along with their four young children Bella, Melanie, Paige and Kylie. Keith Giraud, dairy breakfast chair, said Monroe County is fortunate to find a family operation willing to host the event. Vernon County will host its breakfast on a small farm near Chaseburg, but La Crosse Countys breakfast June 15 will be held at the county fairgrounds in West Salem. If you go What: Area June Dairy Days When: June 1 - Monroe County Dairy Breakfast, 7-11 a.m., Witt Family Farm, 27432 Midway Ave., Wilton June 15 - La Crosse County Lion's Dairy Breakfast, 6-11 a.m., La Crosse Interstate Fairgrounds, West Salem June 22 - Vernon County Dairy Breakfast, 7-11 a.m., Goode Acres, LLC, S3803A Wire Hollow Rd, Viroqua Cost: Varies by site There arent that many small dairy farms anymore, Giraud said. Liza Schlintz, spokeswoman for the La Crosse County Dairy Breakfast, said the decision to hold the event at the fairgrounds is driven as much by volunteer numbers as available farms. Schlintz said more volunteers are needed to direct traffic and park cars in a farm field. She said the local Lions Club now runs the event. There are farms willing to host, but the challenge is finding volunteers, she said. She said the event is still important to local farmers and that the committee promotes local dairies through its Facebook page. She doesnt rule out returning to a farm if circumstances permit. Just because were not going to be on a farm doesnt mean were not committed to make this farmer-focused, Schlintz said. Changing landscape Kathy Witt said almost all of their neighbors used to be dairy farmers, but the number has been in decline since the 1990s. Now theyre the only dairy farm left in their hilly neighborhood. Part of the reason, she said, is most families have fewer children. For me it was very sad because I am very glad that we were able to have this lifestyle, said Witt. Economies of scale and stubbornly low milk prices have pushed many small dairy farmers out of the business. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of dairy farms in Wisconsin plunged from 16,000 in 2003 to 6,000 in 2023. Craig Witt said dairy prices dont cover the cost of production. The farm loses $4-$5 per hundredweight on the milk it sells. The price of milk is the same as when I started here, he said. The dairy industry is tough. You have no control over anything, really. Inputs keep going up. Like many family farmers, the Witts rely on off-farm income. Eric Witt is vice president of Ergo Bank in Kendall, where Kathy Witt is also employed. Craig Witts brother, Jay, owns a farm next door, and the two farms cooperate with field work and equipment repair. You really need that off-farm income, Kathy Witt said. Its tough to make it without it. Automation keeps farm competitive Technology is a critical survival strategy, but the Witts thought long and hard about taking the plunge into robotic milking. Kathy Witt said the farm has always scrutinized every expense but realized they couldnt handle the physical rigors of milking cows for much longer. She said if they hadnt bought the milking machine in 2023, they likely would have gone out of business. We would have been lucky if we could have made two years, she said. With the machine, Witt said theyre now able to spend more time with their family, especially one of their sons who lives in Iowa. A human is no longer necessary to lead a cow into the parlor and attach a milking device. Instead, the farms 80 cows enter the milking parlor on their own volition, either with the inducement of a treat or the need to empty their udders. Once they know theres a treat here, they catch on, Craig Witt said. We dont chase them. They come in there when they want. The system is computerized to provide data, including udder health, breeding status and weight. He said the process is more comfortable for the livestock. Craig Witt believes the system will pay for itself. He said the cows are producing more milk with less need for hired labor. This is the future of the family farm, especially when you cant find help, he said. Kathy Witt is hopeful the technology will extend the life of their farm operation and allow her grandchildren to grow up as farm kids. The biggest thing they learn at an early age is work has to be done, but you can still build forts in the trees and have adventures in the woods, Witt said. I believe there is no better place to raise a family, and Im glad they can experience that. - River Valley Media Group Visual Journalist Saskia Hatvany contributed to this story. Wisconsin Dairy Farmers turn to robotics to save business Most recent cars have an electronic key that lets the owner get into and start the car. The electronic key is called a fob to those who know about the technology. The fob sends a short-range signal to the car. As the owner gets close, the fob unlocks the door. But the new technology also makes it easier for criminals to open the car without the key. When you lock your car and take the key with you inside your home, the fob does not stop sending its signal. Thieves, who have special equipment known as scanners, will pass by streets with a lot of cars. If the scanner shows that a fob is sending a signal, the thieves use a device that clones the signal and opens the car doors. Government officials around the world have asked carmakers to warn car buyers of the risks of the new technology. They also have asked them to make the fobs more secure. Until then, what can you do to prevent your car from being stolen? Steve Launchbury has some suggestions he shared with the Associated Press. He is the head engineer of automotive security company Thatcham Research based in Britain. Place your key in a protective bag Its relatively easy for drivers to protect themselves, he said. The first tip is to put your key into a protective container or bag when you get home. One kind is called a Faraday bag. They are not very costly. The bag is made from a special metal material called mesh that blocks the signal from the fob. Just do not forget to put any extra keys you have into that bag, too. Some advice that is easy to find online says people should put their keys into the microwave or freezer to prevent their signal from being stolen. Launchbury said that does not work and it could harm your key. Get a steering wheel lock You may have seen large locks that go across the steering wheel in television advertisements many years ago. It turns out they are still useful. They may be considered old school, but the presence of big locks that are easy to see makes car thieves turn away. The only problem is that you must take extra time to unlock the device and put it away before you can drive away. Change the settings Some car makers permit owners to deactivate the signal sent out by the fob. For Ford, Honda and Audi, owners can use their cars touchscreen system to find the correct way to turn off the signal. For Toyota, you can turn off the signal by pressing a combination of buttons on the fob. Read your cars owners manual to be sure how to do this. Some car makers include motion sensors on their key fobs. If the fob has not been moved in a while, the fob turns off. If you buy a used car, some experts suggest that you get your keys reprogrammed in case the earlier owner still has a key. New theft techniques Launchbury said some cars have a new system called a controller area network, or CAN. The network permits different parts, or components, of the car to communicate with each other. He said some thieves are trying to join the CAN through some physical electronic connection to unlock the car. They can do this by removing a headlight and plugging in a device that lets them in the cars network. The device can send a signal, such as unlock or start to the central system. Launchbury said this is where the physical lock can cause thieves to change their mind and force them to move on. Owners can also consider electronic immobilizers. These devices prevent a car from moving even if a thief gets into the internal system. However, immobilizers can be costly. Im Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by The Associated Press. _________________________________________________ Words in This Story range n. distance thief n. a person who steals clone v. (technology) to make a copy digitally relatively adv. when compared to other similar things old school idiom in an old way or used by older people touchscreen n. a flat electronic screen that people touch with their fingers and use to control a computer manual n. a book or file that give instruction about how to use and maintain a device or product sensor n. a device that identifies a physical force such as motion, heat or light and communicates it electrically to another device A private company is working with the American space agency NASA to develop a new rocket that could greatly reduce space travel times. The engine for such a rocket will be designed to sharply increase the amount of thrust to speed up space travel and improve rocket efficiency. Thrust is the force that pushes a spacecraft through the air. It is produced by a propulsion system. Generally, a gas or liquid fuel is burned to produce thrust from the back of a spacecraft to propel it forward at high-speed. The new design, called Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR), is being developed by Arizona-based company Howe Industries. The company is currently in the early stages of studying the technology before building working engine models. In a recent statement, Howe Industries said such rocket technology will be needed to support NASAs plans to return humans to the moon and after that, possibly Mars. The space agency has also set a goal to build a long-term base in space. But one barrier to all these plans is the long travel times necessary with current spacecraft systems. NASA estimates the moon sits an average of about 382,500 kilometers from Earth. The exact distance changes because of the moons orbit around Earth. The average distance from Earth to Mars is 225 million kilometers. NASA says a trip to Mars with existing spacecraft would take at least 200 days each way. Developers of the proposed Pulsed Plasma Rocket have said it could reduce travel time to the Red Planet to about two months each way. Howe Industries said its new design gives the rocket the ability to reach extremely high speeds to complete reasonable space travel times. The development team estimates its PPR system could produce up to 100,000 N of thrust. The N at the end of the number stands for Newtons, a unit of measurement for thrust. NASA has described its Space Launch System (SLS) as the most powerful ever built. The agency has said the SLS rocket system is expected to provide nearly 53 million N of thrust during space travel. Developers of PPR say that in addition to a huge increase in thrust, the new design also provides a specific impulse rate of 5,000. Specific impulse is a method for measuring in seconds thrust and efficiency levels of rocket engines. The higher this rate is, the more efficient the rocket system is. By comparison, the SLS rocket has specific impulse rates below 500. Officials at Howe have said the PPR is based on another plasma-based technology known as pulsed fission fusion. NASA says this process involves quickly pressing plasmas into high pressures to produce thrust. But the developers say the PPR system is smaller, simpler and costs less to operate. Howes statement introducing the technology said the combination of extremely high thrust and higher specific impulse rate holds the potential to revolutionize space exploration. The team said such a system should be able to propel much heavier spacecraft and support much longer trips to more distant areas of space. The planned system could also make it easier for spacecraft to be equipped with heavy shields to protect traveling astronauts from Galactic Cosmic Rays. These are highly energetic particles that move through space at nearly the speed of light. The rays can be harmful to humans in large amounts. The PPR project is one in a series of NASA development projects that recently received additional financial assistance to keep running. The projects are part of a NASA program called Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC). PPR is currently in Phase I of development. The team said if chosen by NASA to continue with Phase II, it will be centered on improving the performance of the proposed engine, as well as carrying out experiments on major engine systems. The last phase will involve completing a spaceship design for carrying humans to Mars. Im Bryan Lynn Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from NASA and Howe Industries. Quiz - New Rocket Engine Could Cut Travel Time to Mars from Years to Months Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ___________________________________ Words in This Story efficient adj. working well and not wasting time or energy propulsion n. a force that pushes something forward plasma n. a collection of charged particles potential n. possible phase n. a specific period during which something happens From May 21 to 24, 2024, Mr. Sun Hongshan, Vice Governor of Jiangxi Province, led a delegation to visit Sierra Leone. Mr. Sun called on Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara, Mayor of Freetown Yvonne Denise Aki-Sawyerr, and attended China-Sierra Leone cultural exchange event together with Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Nabeela Tunis. The Delegation also visited the Confucius Institute at the University of Sierra Leone and held discussions with teachers and students. H.E. Wang Qing, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, attended relevant activities. Vice Governor Sun Hongshan said that in recent years, there have been many highlights in practical cooperation between Jiangxi Province and Sierra Leone in various fields. In particular, the Confucius Institute at the University of Sierra Leone, headed by a team of teachers and students from Gannan Normal University, has actively promoted educational and cultural cooperation between China and Sierra Leone. Ganzhou City of Jiangxi Province will continue to explore and deepen the sister-city relationship with Freetown City. Guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, Jiangxi Province will further expand and deepen practical cooperation in various fields with the Sierra Leonean side, and contribute to writing a new chapter of China-Sierra Leone friendly cooperation. Vice President Jalloh and other dignitaries welcomed the Jiangxi Province delegation, thanked Jiangxi Province for its long-term strong support for the social development of Sierra Leone, and looked forward to Jiangxi Province continuing to play an active role in promoting cooperation between Sierra Leone and China in the fields of culture, education, human resources training, and municipal construction and welcomed Jiangxi enterprises to invest and start business in Sierra Leone. At the China-Sierra Leone cultural exchange event, everyone reminisced over tea and talked about friendship. They enjoyed martial arts, cross talk, singing and dancing and other wonderful performances performed by teachers and students of the Confucius Institute. They were determined to further inherit and carry forward the traditional friendship of "China and Sierra Leone are one family". LEXINGTON On Memorial Day at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles, the Lexington community came together in remembrance and gratitude. Attendees gathered to honor the memory of the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation, ensuring that their legacy of bravery and devotion didnt go unnoticed. The ceremony began with remarks from Mike Zarate, a Lexington High School teacher and Army veteran. He articulated the significance of Memorial Day, emphasizing its sacred nature. Zarate said Memorial Day honors those who have dropped their burdens by the wayside of life and are gone to their eternal rest. Let us renew our pledge of loyalty to our country and its flag, Zarate said near the end of his remarks. Following Zarates address, 2023 Lexington High School graduate Rachael Kearney led singing of The Star-Spangled Banner. Representatives from the American Legion Auxiliary and Veterans of Foreign Wars took the stage. Mark Wigstone of VFW Post 5136 expressed profound appreciation for the attendees and reminded them to to take the opportunity to celebrate and honor the many men and women of the military who have died while protecting the nation. Wigstone said no words can properly reflect the magnitude of their sacrifice. Let every deed and act of each of our days be guided by the memories of those who gave their lives for greater freedoms, Wigstone said. Deb Brock of American Legion Post 111 echoed Wigstones sentiments, emphasizing the importance of honoring the more than 1 million men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the nation. We must always remember them, Brock implored before saying, May they all rest in peace. Thank you for being here. God bless America. Nebraska American Legion Auxiliary President Lisa Moore read the poem In Flanders Field by John McCrae, a tribute to those who have perished in service to their country. Kearney then returned with a performance of If Youre Reading This by Tim McGraw. As the event drew to a close, a solemn prayer and final salute to the fallen reverberated through the air as veterans fired their guns outside the museum. Jawaharlal Nehru, founder of modern India and its current prime minister, has died suddenly at the age of 74. He was taken ill in the early hours of this morning at his house in New Delhi. He had returned from holiday at a hill station near the capital the previous evening, apparently in reasonable health. It is believed he suffered a heart attack, and although specialists fought to save him for much of the day, he passed away early this afternoon with his daughter, Indira Gandhi, by his side. News of his death was broken to the lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, at 1400 local time (0830 GMT), by cabinet minister C Subramaniam. In a broken voice, he told colleagues, The prime minister is no more. The light is out. Politicians openly wept as party leaders paid tribute to the man who has led India since independence from Britain 17 years ago. The news spread quickly through the streets, and thousands of ordinary Indians began to converge on Mr Nehrus mansion in New Delhi. Within two hours of the announcement, tens of thousands of people had gathered, and truckloads of police took up positions outside the grounds to control the rapidly growing crowd. Mr Nehrus body was moved from his first-floor bedroom down to a makeshift bier in front of the house. Then began a long procession which lasted through the rest of the evening and into the night, as nearly 250,000 men, women and children filed past to pay their respects. The Home Minister, Gulzarilal Nanda, was sworn in as interim prime minister at midnight, although it is being emphasised that the appointment is temporary. Pandit Nehru had not indicated who he would prefer to succeed him. When the subject was raised just five days ago at a news conference, he said that although he had given some thought to the suggestion that he should retire, my lifetime is not ending so very soon. The man thought most likely to succeed him is Lal Bahadur Shastri, a Minister without Portfolio in Mr Nehrus cabinet with a reputation for moderation. He was a close political confidant of Mr Nehru. Other possible candidates are Mr Nehrus daughter, Indira Gandhi, and the former finance minister, Morarji Desai. Courtesy BBC News In context Lal Shastri emerged as the compromise candidate to succeed Nehru after none of the other contenders could find enough support within the Congress Party. He took office on 9 June 1964, but served for less than two years until he also died of a heart attack in office in January 1966. Lal Shastri was succeeded by Pandit Nehrus daughter, Indira Gandhi. This began the long Nehru-Gandhi dynasty which has dominated the top echelons of Indian politics to this day. Jawaharlal Nehru, the son of a lawyer, was a key figure in the struggle for independence from Britain. He was a confidant of Mahatma Gandhi, and was imprisoned several times. Independence was finally granted to India in 1947, and Nehru became Indias first prime minister. Over the next 17 years he took India along a socialist path, although he refused to align the country to either the Soviet Union or the United States in the Cold War. Although some of his policies have been discredited in recent years, he remains a legendary and much-loved figure in his countrys early history, and is justifiably known as the architect of modern India. The BEYOND Expo 2024 was held in Macau from Wednesday through Saturday last week, showcasing cutting-edge technologies while attracting over 1,000 companies to participate. The expo, with the theme Embracing the Uncertainties, featured an exhibition area of some 100,000 square meters and highlighted three subsections: healthcare, climate tech and consumer tech. The expo also achieved multiple partnerships. Macau, Hengqin Intensive Cooperation Zone and the Chinese battery producer CATL respectively signed framework cooperation agreements, covering industry funds, industrial implementation and renewable energy construction. Related Leaders of China and Japan arrived in Seoul to meet separately with South Koreas president yesterday, a day before they gather for their first trilateral meeting in more than four years. No major announcement is expected from todays trilateral South Korea-China-Japan meeting. But just resuming their highest-level, three-way talks is a good sign and suggests the three Asian neighbors are intent on improving their relations. A trilateral leaders meeting was supposed to take place annually following their inaugural gathering in 2008. But the meeting has stalled since the last one in December 2019 in Chengdu, China because of the COVID-19 pandemic and complex ties among the three countries. After their arrivals in Seoul yesterday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are to hold bilateral talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to discuss ways to promote cooperation and other issues, according to South Korean officials. Li and Kishida are expected to meet bilaterally as well. When Yoon, Li and Kishida meet for a trilateral session on Monday, theyll discuss cooperation in six specific areas people-to-people exchanges, climate change, trade, health issues, technology and disaster responses, according to South Koreas presidential office. Sensitive topics like North Koreas nuclear program, Chinas claim over self-governed Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea are not among the official agenda items. But some experts say North Koreas nuclear program which poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan will likely be discussed among the three leaders though its unclear whether and how much they would publicize the contents of their discussions. The three neighbors are important trading partners to one another, and their cooperation is key to promoting regional peace and prosperity. They together make up about 25% of global gross domestic product. But the three countries have been repeatedly embroiled in bitter disputes over a range of historical and diplomatic issues originating from Japans wartime atrocities. Chinas rise and a U.S. push reinforce its Asian alliances have also significantly impacted their three-way ties in recent years. South Korea and Japan are both vibrant democracies and key U.S. military allies in the region, but their ties in past years suffered a huge setback over the issue of Korean forced laborers during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial period. Bilateral ties have warmed dramatically since last year, when Yoon took a major step toward moving beyond historical grievances to cope with shared challenges like North Korean nuclear threats, the intensifying Chinese-U.S. rivalry and supply chain vulnerabilities. Since 2022, North Korea has been engaged in an unprecedentedly provocative run of weapons tests to build powerful nuclear missiles capable of hitting key sites in the mainland U.S., South Korea and Japan. In response, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. have expanded their trilateral security partnership, but that has drawn rebukes from China and North Korea. South Korea, Japan and the U.S. want China North Koreas major ally and economic pipeline to use its leverage to persuade the North to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Experts say South Korea, China and Japan now share a need to improve ties. South Korea and Japan want better ties with China because it is their biggest trading partner. China, for its part, likely believes a further strengthening of the South Korea-Japan-U.S. cooperation would hurt its national interests. Before his departure at Tokyos Haneda airport, Kishida said it is very meaningful for leaders of the three countries to get together and discuss areas of cooperation among them and other regional and international issues. South Korean and Chinese officials also expressed hopes that the trilateral meeting would enhance three-way cooperation. China, meanwhile, has always sent its premier, the countrys No. 2 official, to the trilateral leaders meeting since its first session in 2008. Observers say China earlier argued that under then-collective leadership, its premier was chiefly in charge of economic affairs and best suited to attend the meeting, which largely focuses on economic issues. But they say China may face more demands for President Xi Jinping to attend because he has concentrated power in his hands and defied the norms of collective leadership. HYUNG-JIN KIM, SEOUL, South Korea, MDT/AP The office manager of the Hong Kong trade office in London and another man will go on trial in February for allegedly helping Hong Kong authorities gather intelligence in the U.K. a judge said Friday. Chung Biu Yuen, 63, and Chi Leung Peter Wai, 38, appeared at Londons Central Criminal Court for a preliminary hearing, charged with agreeing to undertake information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service between December 2023 and May 2. Hong Kong authorities have confirmed that Yuen was the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. A third suspect, 37-year-old Briton Matthew Trickett, was also charged in the case, but he was found dead Sunday in a park under what police said were unexplained circumstances. Prosecutor Kashif Malik said during an earlier hearing that Trickett, reportedly a U.K. immigration enforcement officer and a former Royal Marine, had attempted suicide after being charged. He was also the director of a security company. Police said in an updated statement Friday that a coroner has completed a post-mortem and his death is not being treated as suspicious. Justice Jeremy Baker set a trial date for Feb. 10, set to last for about five weeks. The judge said the men were granted bail on condition that they observe a set curfew and other restrictions. The three men were charged under Britains National Security Act after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command. Prosecutors allege that the suspects also forced entry into a U.K. residential address. They were arrested earlier this month in London and Yorkshire in northern England by counterterrorism police, using provisions of a new law that allows suspects in national security and espionage cases to be detained without warrant. The case drew strong criticism from officials in Beijing and Hong Kong. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Friday that the charges were an act of political manipulation in the name of national security. It seriously infringed on the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the U.K., gravely undermined China-U.K. relations, seriously violated the principles of international law and the basic norms of international relations and badly harmed the image of the U.K., he told reporters. In Hong Kong, a government spokesman said the citys Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Algernon Yau, met with Britains deputy consul-general in Hong Kong last week to reiterate concerns about the case. Yau urged British authorities to handle the matter fairly and ensure the normal operation of the Hong Kong trade office in London. All of the Hong Kong trade offices activities have been conducted in accordance with the law, the citys government added. MDT/AP To uphold the one-China principle and the sanctity and authority of relevant United Nations General Assembly resolutions, China has decided not to approve the Taiwan islands participation in this years World Health Assembly, which commenced in Geneva on Monday. Chinas position has won wide support in the world community: more than 100 countries wrote to the director-general of the World Health Organization or expressed via other means their support for Chinas position. This once again epitomizes that the one-China principle is an international consensus, and any attempt to internationalize the Taiwan question will come to no avail. From 2009 to 2016, Beijing made a special arrangement for the islands participation in the WHA on the basis of the islands Kuomintang authorities upholding the one-China principle. But that political foundation no longer exists after the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party came to power in 2016. This year, the issue of Taiwans participation in the WHA flared up again before Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-tes inauguration as some ill-intentioned politicians in Washington sought to signal their support to Lai and his DPP and embolden them to walk even further along the dangerous road of Taiwan independence. Their aim has been to use the WHA to create confusion and mislead the public on Taiwan-related issues. Viewing Beijing as a strategic rival, Washington has long worked hand in glove with the pro-independence DPP authorities on the Chinese island. The attempt to manipulate Taiwans nonparticipation in the WHA is a trick it has repeatedly played in recent years. Selling arms to Taiwan, maintaining official contacts with the Chinese island, even at a high level, and sending warships to sail through the Taiwan Strait to raise tensions in the region, are other ways in which the US tries to interfere in the Taiwan question to put Beijing on the back foot. The US has also been enlisting the support of its allies to meddle in the Taiwan question, and Japan has proved to be a willing accomplice in this regard. Last week, in his inauguration speech, Lai revealed his true face as a radical agent of historical revisionism. Some in Japan who have claimed time and again that a Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency and that Japan would aid Taiwan in the event of an emergency have readily jumped at the opportunity to throw their weight behind Lai. This is a narrative peddled again and again by Japans right-wing politicians, who are caught up in their own fantasy of reviving Japanese militarism and intend to push Japan onto a road of remilitarization by means of sticking their noses into Chinas domestic affair. After his inauguration, Beijing has taken lawful measures to dispel any foolish notions Lai may have about Taiwan independence as a result of the noise emanating from Washington and Tokyo. These measures have included staging military exercises in waters around the island to prove the fallacy that outside support would enable the secessionists to cleave the island from the motherland. In the face of Beijings illusion-denying resolve to safeguard the nations sovereignty and territorial integrity, Lai and his like-minded fantasists should pull their heads out of the clouds and plant their feet firmly on the ground so they dont get pushed onto a dangerous path by their supposed friends. Editorial, China Daily Heavy rains and possible flash flooding are in the forecast for Macau starting today as a developing low-pressure system moves into the region, according to the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau. The bureau said the system over Guangdong is expected to bring intermittent heavy downpours and possible thunderstorms today into Tuesday, with flooding possible in low-lying areas. Strong, isolated storms also cannot be ruled out. Officials are urging residents to pay attention to weather updates and take precautions when outside. Midweek, the lingering effects of the trough will continue to bring scattered showers to Macau. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Ewinar, located southeast of Manila, is not presently expected to directly impact Macau. Related Nazrin Abdul The Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan has announced significant progress in the reconstruction and economic revitalization efforts in the liberated Garabagh and Eastern Zangezur regions, Azernews reports. Rapid measures are being undertaken to reintegrate the economy, laying a robust foundation for business resurgence. One of the key initiatives reported by the Ministry is the establishment of industrial parks in Agdam and the "Araz Valley Economic Zone," aiming to create favorable conditions for entrepreneurs and stimulate business activity. These parks offer various benefits, including minimal rent and state-funded communication and logistics infrastructure development. The comprehensive infrastructure comprises electricity, natural gas, potable and technical water, high-speed Internet, and transportation networks facilitating domestic and transit cargo movements. Such strategic placement enhances cost efficiency for businesses and streamlines product distribution. Moreover, the industrial parks provide essential support services such as management consulting, personnel training, and other state assistance measures, setting them apart from similar facilities in other regions. Residents enjoy a package of concessions covering utilities, raw materials, and social welfare. These concessions include tax exemptions for ten years, VAT and customs duty waivers on imports, subsidized social insurance fees, and financial assistance for communal service expenses. Additionally, entrepreneurs can access concessional loans, state guarantees, and subsidies to boost financial accessibility. The process for availing these benefits is streamlined through the "Electronic Credit and Guarantee" information system. Furthermore, specialists working in the liberated territories receive additional benefits such as extended leave and salary supplements, promoting human capital development. Agdam Industrial Park is already making strides, with plans to commence production of construction materials, ventilation and firefighting equipment, metal products, and footwear. Despite its recent inception, Agdam Industrial Park has emerged as the country's second-largest industrial park. In the "Araz Valley Economic Zone," technical service projects are underway, with future endeavors focused on logistics and equipment ventures. These new industrial parks and the associated incentives are expected to attract substantial investments, driving development and fostering business resurgence in the region. Finance officials from the Group of Seven rich democracies said they had moved toward agreement on a U.S. proposal to squeeze more money for Ukraine from Russian assets frozen in their countries. But the ministers left a final deal to be worked out ahead of a June summit of national leaders. We are making progress in our discussions on potential avenues to bring forward the extraordinary profits stemming from immobilized Russian sovereign assets to the benefit of Ukraine, the draft statement said, without providing details. Despite the progress made at the the meeting in Stresa, on the shores of Lago Maggiore in northern Italy, a final decision on how the assets will be used will rest with the G7 national leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, next month at their annual summit in Fasano, in southern Italy. Host Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said that progress has been made so far but that there were legal and technical issues that have to be overcome. It is not an easy task but we are working on it, he said at a news conference following the end of the meeting. Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko joined the finance ministers and central bank heads at their concluding session on Saturday. I am satisfied with the progress, he told journalists afterwards. He said the G7 ministers are working very hard to find a reliable construction for Ukraine. The U.S. Congress has passed legislation allowing the Biden administration to seize the roughly $5 billion in Russian assets located in the U.S., but European countries have a strong voice in the matter since most of the $260 billion in Russian central bank assets frozen after the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion are held in their jurisdictions. Citing legal concerns, European officials have balked at outright confiscating the money and handing it to Ukraine as compensation for the destruction caused by Russia. Instead, they plan use the interest accumulating on the assets, but thats only around $3 billion a year about one months financing needs for the Ukrainian government. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is pushing for borrowing against the future interest income from the frozen assets. That would mean Ukraine could be given as much as $50 billion immediately. But the proposal has run into concerns from European members about the legal complexities, and about concerns that Russia could retaliate against the diminished number of Western companies and individuals who still have holdings in Russia, or against the Euroclear securities depository in Belgium where the bulk of the funds is held. Russia has published a decree from President Vladimir Putin allowing confiscation of assets of U.S. companies and individuals as compensation for any Russian assets seized in the United States. The ministers also discussed what to do about Chinas outsized, state-backed production of green energy technology, which the U.S. considers a threat to the global economy. The U.S. has imposed major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China. Included is a 100% tariff on Chinese-made EVs, meant to protect the U.S. economy from cheap Chinese imports. The U.S. position has been that Chinese overcapacity is an issue not just for the U.S. but also for other G7 and developing countries. Thats because Chinas selling of low-priced goods threatens the existence of competing companies around the world. The G7 is an informal forum that holds an annual summit to discuss economic policy and security issues. The member countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Representatives of the European Union also take part, but the EU does not serve as one of the rotating chairs. DAVID McHUGH, FRANKFURT, MDT/AP Lawmaker Ron Lam is calling on authorities to improve mechanisms for road accident victims to access medical treatment. In a written statement to the government, Lam cited examples in which pedestrians who had been injured at crosswalks could not afford treatment costs. Lam wants changes to legislation on mandatory vehicle insurance. He said insurers often refuse to compensate victims, claiming costs cannot be calculated until treatment is complete. Lam recommended support measures like those in Hong Kong, where legislation addresses this issue. The deputy submitted several proposals in an interpellation seeking better protections for accident victims in need of healthcare. Related Government departments and universities of Macau and Guangxi signed seven cooperation deals covering economy, trade, culture, tourism, environmental protection, and traditional Chinese medicine late last week. Addressing the event, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said that Macao actively cooperates with Guangxi in comprehensively integrating into the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, supporting Guangxi in becoming a strategic hinterland of the Greater Bay Area connecting Hong Kong, Macau, and ASEAN countries in terms of industrial, innovation, supply, and financial chains. Related When Balu Natarajan became the first Indian American champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 1985, a headline on an Associated Press article read, Immigrants son wins National Spelling Bee, with the first paragraph noting the champion speaks his parents native Indian language at home. Those details would hardly be newsworthy today after a quarter-century of Indian American spelling champs, most of them the offspring of parents who arrived in the United States on student or work visas. This years bee is scheduled to begin tomorrow at a convention center outside Washington and, as usual, many of the expected contenders are Indian American, including Shradha Rachamreddy, Aryan Khedkar, Bruhat Soma and Ishika Varipilli. Nearly 70% of Indian-born U.S. residents arrived after 2000, according to census data, and that dovetails with the surge in Indian American spelling bee champions. There were two Indian American Scripps winners before 1999. Of the 34 since, 28 have been Indian American, including three straight years of Indian American co-champions and one year (2019) when eight champions were declared, seven of Indian ancestry. The experiences of first-generation Indian Americans and their spelling bee champion children illustrate the economic success and cultural impact of the nations second-largest immigrant group. As of 2022, there were 3.1 million Indian-born people living in the U.S., and Indian American households had a median income of $147,000, more than twice the median income of all U.S. households, according to census data. Indian Americans also were more than twice as likely to have college degrees. Indians received 74% of the H-1B visas for specialized occupations approved in fiscal 2021, and a record total of nearly 269,000 students from India were enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities in 2022-23, according to the Institute of International Education. Those numbers paint a picture of a high-achieving demographic that is well-suited for success in academic competitions. In his 2016 address to Congress, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned spelling bee champions among his countrys contributions to the U.S. while that years co-champs, Nihar Janga and Jairam Hathwar, watched from the gallery. Even among Indian American spellers, a particular subgroup is overrepresented: families from the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where Telugu is the primary language. Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, is Indias information-technology hub and the region supplies many H-1B visa recipients. Deval Shah, the father of last years champion, Dev Shah, grew up in the northwestern state of Gujarat and proudly noted Dev was the first spelling bee champion of Gujarati descent. The parents of the 2022 winner, Harini Logan, are from Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shah is an engineer, his wife is a physician, and both of Harinis parents were trained as software engineers. Indian-born parents of kids with an affinity for spelling have a network of similar families to provide guidance and support, as well as access to organizations like the North South Foundation, which offers academic competitions aimed at the Indian diaspora. The reason Indian American immigrants really dominate, the main reason is the North South Foundation, Shah said. When Harini won her first NSF spelling competition, Ganesh Dasari was one of the judges, and he was literally chasing us down to tell them Harini has tremendous potential to be on the national stage, said Rampriya Logan, Harinis mother. BEN NUCKOLS, MDT/AP North Korea appears to be preparing to launch its second military spy satellite into space, South Koreas military said Friday, as animosities remain high over the Norths continued weapons tests. Last November, North Korea placed its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit as part of its efforts to build a space-based surveillance network to deal with what it calls U.S.-led military threats. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later told a key governing party meeting that his country would launch three additional military spy satellites in 2024. On Friday, South Koreas military told local reporters at a background briefing that it detected signs that North Korea is engaging in activities believed to be preparations to launch a spy satellite at its main Tongchangri launch facility in the northwest. The military said South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are closely monitoring the North Korean moves. The contents of the briefing were shared with foreign media outlets including The Associated Press. The South Korean military didnt immediately explain exactly what North Korean activities were spotted in the Tongchangri area. After launching its Malligyong-1 spy satellite on Nov. 21, North Korea said it had transmitted imagery of key sites in the U.S. and South Korea, including the White House and the Pentagon. But it hasnt released any photos, prompting widespread doubts about the capacity of its satellite. In recent months, North Korea has extended its run of missile tests to expand its weapons arsenal. Analysts say North Korea likely thinks a larger arsenal would increase its leverage in future diplomacy with the United States. Last week, South Korea said North Korea fired suspected multiple short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast. North Korea later said it tested a tactical ballistic missile with a new autonomous navigation system. HYUNG-JIN KIM, SEOUL, MDT/AP A self-exiled wealthy Chinese businessman became an internet sensation and conned thousands of people worldwide into sending him $1 billion, enabling him to spend lavishly on a mansion, two yachts and even a $35,000 mattress, a prosecutor told a New York jury Friday at the start of his fraud trial. Guo Wengui, 57, promised his online followers that theyd get rich before he blew their investments on a lavish lifestyle and risky investments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Fergenson said. He said Guo ran a simple con on a grand scale. He lived a billionaires lifestyle from money he stole from people he tricked and cheated, Fergenson said. But defense attorney Sabrina Shroff said Guo was not guilty of any of the dozen charges lodged against him since his March 2023 arrest, a decade after he left China in 2014 during a crackdown on corruption that ensnared individuals close to him, including a topo intelligence official. She promised jurors trial developments that would be both surprising and eye opening and warned them not to let ornaments of Guos wealth cloud their judgment since Guo had been wealthy for a long time after making a fortune along with his seven brothers on real estate in China. Shroff said her client had intentionally developed a following as he formed a movement to let the people of China know that there was an alternative to the Chinese Communist Party. During opening statements, there was no mention of Steve Bannon and other associates of former President Donald Trump, although Judge Analisa Torres said during jury selection that the names of former Trump advisers could arise during a trial projected to last seven weeks. While living in New York in recent years, Guo developed a close relationship with Bannon, Trumps onetime political strategist. In 2020, Guo and Bannon announced a joint initiative to overthrow the Chinese government. After leaving China, Guo was accused by Chinese authorities of rape, kidnapping, bribery and other crimes. Guo said those allegations were false and designed to punish him for publicly revealing corruption as he criticized leading figures in the Communist Party. When he was first charged in Manhattan, prosecutors identified him as Ho Wan Kwok, but they recently changed how they refer to him in court papers, saying Miles Guo is how he is commonly known. That was the name Fergenson used as the prosecutor told jurors that Guo became an internet sensation after 2017 by speaking in videos about his wealth. He said Guo deceived thousands of people into contributing toward bogus investments so he could resume a luxurious lifestyle that he lost when he left China. The prosecutor said Guo and his family had various assets, including a $70 million apartment on Central Park, a $30 million yacht, a second luxury yacht, a 50,000-square-foot mansion, a $35,000 mattress, a $60,000 television and luxury cars, including a $4 million Ferrari. He said trial witnesses would include individuals who trusted Guo and believed the lies he told them before losing their life savings in the fraud. Shroff warned jurors not to be distracted by her clients lifestyle. It is easy for a person to judge another as either shallow or rich, she said. Shallow or rich does not mean a criminal. LARRY NEUMEISTER, NEW YORK, MDT/AP The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) believes that the local government must look to always adopt a balanced approach [] in treating drug addiction and overcoming a public health challenge, looking at conventions which explore the possibilities of treatments. During a visit to the city on Friday, Ghada Fathi Waly, executive director of the UNODC toured facilities belonging to the Association for the Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers of Macau (ARTM), an NGO that collaborates with the Macau government to provide prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services for those struggling with addiction. Waly emphasized the importance of a balanced approach to drug control, where governments treat addiction as a public health challenge and explore ways to make the judicial system more efficient. The director said that Macau could work on looking at how its judicial system could become a system that is efficient in addressing trafficking and related crime. The official has also expressed praise for Macaus unique public-private partnership in addressing substance abuse issues. I saw a very dedicated team of people working together to help other people, and also trying some innovative models of reintegration, rehabilitation, and vocational training, said the UNODC representative, who was in Macau after attending a conference in Hong Kong. I think these models are proving very positive, she stated. The fact that the government is providing funding for such an NGO and, therefore, funding for an NGO that is working towards harm reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and vocational training, is a positive step. It is positive when governments work closely with civil societies, the UNODC director said. The UNODC, as the UN entity responsible for monitoring international drug control treaties, emphasized the importance of a balanced approach to drug policies that both treats addiction as a public health challenge and adopts enforcement measures against trafficking. What we try to do is to provide every possible opportunity for governments to learn from each other, for governments to look at the whole continuum of interventions, starting with prevention, to treatment, to law enforcement, addressing trafficking and violence related to drug trafficking, but also protecting society, community, families and individuals, and giving them another chance, said the director. Meanwhile, the ARTM president has called for greater sentencing flexibility and has advocated for greater willingness among judges to find alternatives to prison for drug-related offenses in the territory. Augusto Nogueira argued that there should be a greater desire on the part of those judges who sentence to give people the opportunity to enter treatment, without having to send them to prison. Current Macau law criminalizes drug use, with offenders facing up to one year in prison or a fine. However, Nogueira rejected the need for legislative changes, noting that since 2009 the law has allowed for the suspension of sentences for those who voluntarily undergo treatment or hospitalization. We believe that people who use drugs should not go to prison. They should undertake alternative corrective measures, like treatment. Depending on the situation, there are a lot of alternatives that can be provided, Nogueira told the press. Any law that puts people who use drugs in prison is a harsh law, because there is no need; there are always other alternatives for people who use drugs, he said. The official said that placing drug users in prison will not work, and this is proven. In 2023, Macau recorded 119 known drug consumers, a slight increase from the previous year but down significantly from 2021. Nogueira acknowledged the territory has a very stable situation but warned of hidden cases, underscoring the need for persistent prevention and outreach efforts. Staff Reporters Continuing a stretch of severe weather for southern Wisconsin, three tornadoes touched down in Rock and Jefferson counties late Sunday afternoon, damaging residences and downing trees and power lines. The National Weather Service on Monday confirmed the twisters, all measuring EF-0, the lowest-rated tornado the service tracks but still packing winds of 65-85 mph. The first tornado touched down west of Janesville and Footville at around 5 p.m. and traveled northeast through parts of Janesville and Milton, according to the weather service. Winds during that weather event reached speeds of 80 mph, the weather service said, with the tornado remaining on the ground for 22 minutes. The storm damaged multiple residences and downed trees and power lines, Rock County Sheriffs Sgt. Allen Peters said in a statement Sunday night. No injuries were reported, Peters said. At 5:15 p.m., another tornado touched down east of Janesville and traveled northwest into Jefferson County, ending between Fort Atkinson and Whitewater. That tornado also reached peak wind speeds of 80 mph, the weather service said. Its not known how long that tornado was on the ground, but its track was 13.8 miles long. That tornado uprooted trees, and caused some structural damage to a barn and silo northeast of Janesville, the weather service said. The third tornado developed around 5:27 p.m. over the northeastern part of Lake Koshkonong and traveled northeast toward Fort Atkinsons southwestern side. That weather event mainly caused downed tree limbs. That tornado had a top wind speed of about 65 mph and was tracked for 2.5 miles. Alliant Energy and We Energies were working to repair the downed power lines, while the Rock County Highway Department, Milton Public Works and town of Koshkonong Public Works worked to clear roads of downed trees, Peters said. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 people Sunday and hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and numerous others were trapped in flaming debris. Gaza's Health Ministry said women and children made up most of the dead and dozens of wounded. The attacks came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population had sought shelter before Israel's incursion earlier this month. Tens of thousands of people remain in the area while many others have fled. Footage from the scene of the largest airstrike showed heavy destruction. Israels army confirmed the strike and said it hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants. It said it was investigating reports that civilians were harmed. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was in Rafah on Sunday and was briefed on the deepening of operations there, his office said. A spokesperson with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the death toll was likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continued in Rafahs Tal al-Sultan neighborhood 1.2 miles northwest of the city center. The society asserted that the location had been designated by Israel as a humanitarian area. The neighborhood is not included in areas that Israels military ordered evacuated earlier this month. The airstrike was reported hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive. There were no reports of casualties in what appeared to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January. Hamas military wing claimed responsibility. Israel's military said eight projectiles crossed into Israel after being launched from Rafah and a number were intercepted, and the launcher was destroyed. Earlier Sunday, dozens of aid trucks entered Gaza from southern Israel under a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of it earlier this month. Israels military said 126 aid trucks entered via the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing. But it was not immediately clear if humanitarian groups could access the aid including medical supplies because of fighting. The crossing has been largely inaccessible because of Israels offensive in Rafah. United Nations agencies say it is usually too dangerous to retrieve the aid. The World Health Organization last week said an expanded Israeli incursion in Rafah would have disastrous impact." With the humanitarian operation near collapse, the secretary-general emphasizes that the Israeli authorities must facilitate the safe pickup and delivery of humanitarian supplies from Egypt entering Kerem Shalom, the spokesperson for U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement. Egypt refuses to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until control of the Gaza side is handed back to Palestinians. It agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Kerem Shalom, Gaza's main cargo terminal, after a call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. The war between Israel and Hamas has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in dense, residential areas. Around 80% of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and U.N. officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds some 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas remaining battalions and achieve total victory over the militants, who recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza. The war has also heightened tensions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian authorities on Sunday said Israeli forces shot dead a 14-year-old boy near the southern West Bank town of Saeer. The Israeli army said the Palestinian male was shot dead after trying to stab Israeli forces at Beit Einun Junction. Southern Gaza has been largely cut off from aid since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion into Rafah on May 6. Since then over 1 million Palestinians, many already displaced, have fled the city. Northern Gaza receives aid through two land routes that Israel opened during global outrage after Israeli strikes killed seven aid workers in April. A few dozen trucks enter Gaza daily through a U.S.-built floating pier, far below the 150 trucks a day that officials hoped for. Aid groups say 600 trucks a day are needed. 17 political cartoons take on the campus protests Laman Ismayilova A film "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" (2019) has been screened at Landmark Baku Cine Club as part of the ArtVerg project, Azernews reports. Project curator Islam Mammadov and moderator Namig Hasanov provided detailed information about the film, revealing interesting forfeits and intriguing the viewer. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a 2019 French historical drama written and directed by Celine Sciamma. Set in France in the late 18th century, the film tells the story of a young artist, Marianne, who receives an order to create a portrait of Heloise, a bride from a noble family. After the film screening, participants shared their impressions. The event ended with dynamic and heated discussions of the film, allowing everyone present to fully immerse themselves in the analysis of the art of cinema. The event was co-organized by the NGO Arts Council Azerbaijan and The Landmark Hotel. The project features film screenings, discussions, and lectures by foreign and local art historians, film critics, etc. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az. If theres a common trait among effective entrepreneurs, its their tendency to follow unique paths to success. One Wisconsin example made news this week when Mirus Bio, one of the first biotechnology companies to get traction in Madison, was sold for $600 million to Merck KGaA, a global science and technology firm based in Germany. Mirus was born of a talented local team of business and science experts without relying on venture capital to fuel its growth. Specializing in making reagents for cell and gene therapy, Mirus was profitable from its birth about 30 years ago. It sold once before to Roche in 2008 but the founders bought back a portion a few months later. The part kept by Roche became Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, another successful Madison biotech firm. There was another partial Mirus sale in 2021 and the remainder will now become part of Merck. The early Mirus story involved not just one founder but four, business leaders Terry Sivesind and Ralph Kauten, and scientists Jon Wolff and Jim Hagstrom from UW-Madison. Illustrative of how startup companies evolve over time and enrich the very business soil from which they rose, the Mirus story is timely for another reason: It makes the point that different founders can and often do follow different paths to success. Two more prominent Wisconsin examples will speak June 6 in Milwaukee at the annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference, which exists to highlight best practices and to give startup leaders the kind of information and contacts they need to break through. Maneesh Arora is a serial entrepreneur whose company, Elephas, works to visualize how cancer cells respond to possible treatments an approach that can help patients faster and more effectively. Elephas has raised $116 million in venture capital thus far and which recently partnered with the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. Like the leadership team at Mirus, Arora has deep Madison roots. He was previously chief operating officer at Exact Sciences Corp. for 10 years, where he helped lead the growth of the company from three people to more than 3,000 employees. Before joining Exact in its earliest days, Arora worked for Third Wave Technologies Inc., a molecular diagnostics firm in Madison, from 2003 until it was acquired by Hologic Inc. in July 2008. Prior to starting Elephas in 2020, Maneesh was CEO of Farcast Biosciences, a venture-backed cancer diagnostics firm focused on improving treatment outcomes for cancer patients. Unlike the Mirus story, however, Arora has followed a financing strategy that he believes will lead to faster results in the cancer-fighting world ... pursuit of venture capital to ramp the best ideas quickly. He will speak the morning of June 6. Another indigenous but distinct story is embodied in Valerie Daniels-Carter, whose financial model for success was built around the time-honored technique of franchising. Raised in Milwaukee, Daniels-Carter epitomizes bootstrapping. V&J Foods Inc. was founded in 1982 by her and John Daniels Jr., launching operations in 1984 with a single Burger King restaurant and growing into 38 stores 12 of which are in greater Milwaukee and 26 in metropolitan Detroit. Related firms V&J National Enterprises LLC and V&J United Enterprises LLC are Pizza Hut franchisees, founded in 1997 and 1999, respectively. They operate in Syracuse, Rochester and Albany, New York, and western Massachusetts, where they collectively operate 64 restaurants and four nontraditional sites. With all restaurants combined, V&J is one of the largest restaurant franchisers in the country. Because she is known for her business acumen across industry lines, Daniels-Carter is a member of multiple civic, corporate and nonprofit boards, as well as being a board member of the Green Bay Packers and a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. She will speak the afternoon of June 6 as the latest recipient of the Ken Hendricks Memorial Seize the Day award for entrepreneurial excellence. Successful entrepreneurs come in all flavors. Those who are embarking on their own journeys today can learn by getting a taste of how others did it. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) recently concluded a successful investment mission to Germany, securing potential expansions and new investments from leading German companies. The PEZA delegation met with one of the worlds largest producers of electronic components for various industries, including automotive and medical, on expanding their Philippine presence. - Advertisement - PEZA said it also held talks with a pharmaceutical powerhouse engaged in life sciences, healthcare and electronics and a company specializing in pharmaceutical lab and medical equipment calibration, which is currently finalizing its application to join economic zone agency. A global leader in discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components, crucial for advancements in automotive, industrial and medical technologies, also expressed interest in expanding their Philippine operations to accommodate new product lines. PEZA collaborated with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) Berlin to bring one of the biggest industrial gas producers in Germany to the Philippines. It also coordinated with the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) for the upcoming business forum on May 29, 2024, focusing on sustainability in the Philippine economy. Meetings with the Department of Tourism (DOT) Frankfurt aimed to explore collaboration in promoting the Philippines to German companies in sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals, IT-BPM, automotive, and tourism facilities. Germany consistently ranks as a top trade and investment partner for the Philippines, with foreign direct investment inflow reaching $149.89 million and foreign-approved investments hitting P394 billion in 2023. PEZA houses 37 German locator companies, generating over P30 billion in investments and creating more than 20,000 jobs. With President Marcos as our best salesman and with Germany as our top trading partner, we are positive that more German investments will enter the Philippines and help in our goal of making the country the go-to investment haven in the region, said PEZA director-general Tereso Panga. The Philippines is seen becoming the worlds 13th biggest consumer market by 2030, fueled by a growing middle class, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said Monday. Recto said more Filipinos are engaged in the formal and stable jobs, an indication of an expanding middle class and reinforcing the Philippines path towards becoming an upper-middle-income country next year. - Advertisement - This expansion is seen to rapidly raise the countrys average income per person, nearly doubling from $3,541 last year to $6,500 by 2030, Recto said during the Philippine Economic Briefing. As a result, the Philippines is expected to become the worlds 13th-largest consumer market by 2030, offering vast opportunities for local and foreign businesses, Recto said. The Finance chief said the Philippine economic outlook is the brightest it has ever been. The Philippines has consistently become the brightest star in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the fastest growth in recent years. Despite external challenges, we are expected to outperform ASEAN economies with a projected growth between 5.8 to 6.3 percent in 2024. The forecast for 2025 is even higher at 5.9 to 6.5 percent, Recto said. He said this trajectory puts the Philippines firmly on course to become a trillion-dollar economy in less than a decade. This means that by 2033, our economy will nearly triple in size, placing us in the league of economic giants like China, Japan, India and South Korea, Recto said. And we are expected to continue outpacing the growth of Asias economic powerhouses in the years to come. Fast forward to 2075, the Philippines will overtake France to become the 14th largest economy in the world, he said. The Philippines on Sunday reiterated its calls for China to desist from any action that would undermine peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippine government is seriously concerned over the new China Coast Guard regulations, saying it is a direct violation of international law as it cannot be enforced in the high seas. - Advertisement - The department was referring to the Regulations on Administrative Law Enforcement Procedures for Coast Guard Agencies that was approved and announced on May 15, and is supposed to take effect on June 15. Every sovereign state has the right to formulate and enact laws, including the enforcement of domestic legislation within its jurisdiction. However, a states domestic laws may not be applied and enforced in the territory, maritime zones or jurisdiction of other states, nor violate other sovereign states rights and entitlements under international law, the DFA said in a statement. These same domestic laws cannot be applied nor enforced in the high seas under international law, it added. According to the DFA, the regulations are issued on the basis of the 2021 Coast Guard law, which also illegally expanded the maritime law enforcement powers of Chinas Coast Guard. China would be in direct violation of international law should it enforce these new regulations in the waters and maritime features within the illegal, null and void, and expansive 10-dash line, which would effectively cover areas of the West Philippine Sea, where the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, or in the high seas, the DFA emphasized. The department also said China must ensure that its relevant legislation clearly reflect and abide by its commitments and obligations under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the binding 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, as well as the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). Under the new Chinese regulation, the China Coast Guard is authorized to detain those who will illegally enter the waters under its jurisdiction for up to 60 days without trial. Earlier, President Marcos called the policy unacceptable. The Philippines on Monday rejected Chinas imposition of a unilateral, four-month fishing moratorium in the South China Sea that includes Philippine maritime zones. The Department of the Foreign Affairs said Beijings move heightens tension between the Philippines and China. - Advertisement - Chinas latest fishing ban, which is set to last until Sept. 16, directly contravenes the understanding reached by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their bilateral discussion last year. Beijings action came amid Chinas continued harassment against Filipino troops and fishers in the West Philippines Sea, which includes conducting dangerous maneuvers and firing multiple times water cannon on resupply and humanitarian missions, among others. The DFA called on China to cease and desist from the conduct of illegal actions that violates the Philippines sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in its maritime zones. It also urged Beijing to comply with its obligations under international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 arbitral award, as well as adhere to its commitments under the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The Foreign Affairs Department reasserted Paragraph 716 of the 2016 arbitral award which already ruled that Chinas fishing moratorium is against international law. Meanwhile, leaders of the House of Representatives vowed to create an inter-agency panel to look into the grievances raised by Zambales fisherfolk as well as the possible solutions suggested by stakeholders in the West Philippine Sea. Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said Congress will definitely take note of what transpired in the joint hearing of the House Committees on National Defense and Security and the Special Committee on the West Philippine Sea. The budget season is almost here. We have heard those of our fisherfolks. So rest assured that we will form an inter-agency [panel] to have an answer to this request and their feelings, he said. Iloilo Rep. Raul Tupas, vice-chairperson of the House Committee on National Defense and Security, said the problems faced by Zambales fishermen from the aggressions of China in Philippine territory may require a multisectoral or inter-agency approach. This issue is complex, this problem is complex. So we need the help of many government agencies, he said. Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said the House of Representatives will exercise its oversight functions to validate the grievances of the Zambales fishermen. The Atin Ito coalition, for its part, said they will launch an Adopt-a-Payao campaign in response to the ongoing challenges faced by Filipino fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in Subic, Bataan, and Masinloc. The initiative aims to provide much-needed assistance to local fishing communities by deploying payaos or fish-aggregating devices, to help sustain their livelihoods amid illegal Chinese presence and harassment in the area. Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement president and Atin Ito co-convenor Edicio Dela Torre said the continuous encroachment of China in the West Philippine Sea has significantly affected the livelihoods of Filipino fishers, hindering their ability to fish freely in their own waters. These fishers have fought bravely for our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. Now, it is our turn to stand by them and provide the support they urgently need, Dela Torre said. Akbayan President Rafaela David, also an Atin Ito co-convenor, said the Adopt-a-Payao campaign seeks to empower Filipino fishing communities and stand in solidarity with them against foreign aggression in the West Philippine Sea. Each payao deployed is not just a means of supporting our fishers but also an act of patriotism, a symbol of solidarity for our fellow Filipinos, and a firm stance against Chinas unlawful actions in the West Philippine Sea, David said. A payao is a traditional fishing device from the Philippines designed to aggregate or lure fish. It typically consists of an anchored floating or submerged structure made of materials such as bamboo, steel, or other available resources. Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Philippines protests Chinas unilateral 4-month fishing ban The Senate investigation into Bamban Mayor Alice Guos links to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) activities in Tarlac is not an attack on the Filipino-Chinese community, according to Sen. Risa Hontiveros. The senator said this was contrary to the statement of civic leader Teresita Ang-See, who accused the Hontiveros-led Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality of getting sidetracked in its investigation into the POGO industry. - Advertisement - Clarifying she is not against the Senate probe, Ang-See, however, said this something which originated from concerns about POGO got sidetracked and had become ridiculous zarzuela and the POGO investigation disappeared from the scene. She also said this kind of witchhunt and personal attacks are way below decency, reflecting badly on the Senate. With their budget, shouldnt the Senate do their background investigation first? What has her alleged boyfriend, her luxurious lifestyle, her ability or inability to speak Hokkien and Mandarin have to do with her being Filipino or not? Ang-See said. Noting that her own maternal great-grandmother was pure Chinese, Hontiveros insisted the probe was not an attack on Filipinos of Chinese heritage. She related that the revelations about Guo came out after evidence of her complicity in POGO-related crimes. The other pieces of evidence itself came from her, Hontiveros said. According to the senator, there has been so much evidence that they gathered against POGOs in their past eight hearings in the committee. Among these is the proliferation of fake identification documents from PhilHealth IDs to passports. This just shows how Chinese POGO syndicates have managed to obtain fraudulent Filipino identities through corrupt individuals in our government agencies. And what is worse with Mayor Guo, she is a public servant, Hontiveros said. Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Hontiveros: Senate probe on Guo not an attack against Filipino-Chinese The European Union (EU) and the Philippines are commemorating their decades years of diplomatic relationship through a multimedia exhibition titled Shared Journey: 60 Years of EU-Philippines Diplomatic Relations at the Yuchengco Museum in Makati City. The exhibition, which is ongoing until June 14, 2024, documents the 60 years of EUPhilippines relations since the presentation of credentials by the first Philippine Ambassador to the European Commission H.E. Vicente I. Singian, in 1964. The EU Delegation to the Philippines was officially opened on May 15, 1991. - Advertisement - The exhibition uses images sounds, and objects to chronicle the friendship and cooperation between the EU and the Philippines over the last six decades. The exhibition is one of a series of events organized by the EU Delegation to the Philippines to celebrate six decades of partnership and friendship with the Philippines. Recently it also conducted a choral festival Sounds of Celebration: Sixty Years of EU-PH Relations in partnership with the University of Santo Tomas, Manila. H. E. Luc Veron, European Union Ambassador to the Philippines together with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega opened the exhibition with Yuchengco Museum Executive Director and Curator Jeannie Javelosa. Veron underscored the longstanding partnership of the European Union with the Philippines and their shared commitment to a rules-based international order. The EU Ambassador also mentioned the collaboration on circular economy, sustainable energy and enhanced connectivity to build a greener and more interconnected future. Over the years, political and diplomatic relations between the EU and the Philippines have transitioned from being primarily focused on developmental goals to a wide range of areas, including political relations, trade and economic cooperation, security, transport, education and culture, health, etc. In 2018, the EU-Philippines Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation entered into force. This agreement signaled the initiation of collaboration across various areas of mutual interest, encompassing politics, society, economics, counterterrorism, transnational crime prevention, human rights, justice, peace efforts, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, trade, migration, maritime labor, employment, disaster risk management, and health. From 1991 to 1994, the Philippines served as country coordinator for ASEAN-EU Dialogue relations. The Philippines is once again the country coordinator from August 2021 until August 2024. Europe Day Reception 2024 Meanwhile, Europe Day reception was held on 9 May 2024 with Ambassador Veron and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Antonio Morales and the Dean of Diplomatic Corps, Most Reverend Charles Brown, leading the toast. Europe Day marks the founding of the European Union and is celebrated by EU Delegations across the globe. The award-winning choir in the choral festival Sounds of Celebration: Sixty Years of EU-PH Relations, Los Cantantes de Manila, conducted by Darwin Vargas, , rendered the anthem of the Philippines and the EU Hymn. The choir was the Grand Prix Winner 2015 Busan Choral Festival and Competition, First Prize 2017 and 2023 editions of Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition in Germany. In July of this year, the choir is set to represent the Philippines in competitions in Italy, Spain and Hungary. Atty Karen Jimeno was the master of ceremonies. Iconic buildings and monuments such as the Rizal Monument and Dancing Fountain in Rizal Park, the National Museum of the Philippines, the De La Salle University and Heroes Square hosting the Honorary Consulate of Georgia, in Manila, the Mabalacat City College, and the University of the Philippines in Miagao, were illuminated in the EU flag blue and yellow colors to mark this occasion. The chief of the Marion Police Department issued a statement about an incident that occurred Wednesday at the First Citizens Bank branch on the five lane. Some people talked on Facebook about the presence of numerous law enforcement officers at the bank branch on Wednesday. At least one person said on Facebook that a robbery had occurred there. Police Chief Allen Lawrence said Thursday morning that no such incident took place. I wanted to clarify the event yesterday from First Citizens Bank, Lawrence told The McDowell News. The bank had an individual come into the bank they were concerned about. Out of a precautionary measure, an alarm was activated by an employee which generated a law enforcement response. This was not a robbery of any kind, the police chief added. This individual had previously done banking with that particular branch. The individual left the bank after a few minutes and we later located them and was able to speak with them. Again, this was not a robbery like was being reported on social media. Additionally, there was no other crime committed. Ulviyya Shahin Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has expressed condolences in connection with the traffic accident that resulted in numerous casualties in Mersin city, Azernews reports via the ministry's X publication. We are deeply saddened by the news of the accident on the Mersin highway, which resulted in the death and injury of many people. We express our condolences for the loss of life and wish a speedy recovery to the injured, the publication said. To note, at least 10 people died and 30 received various injuries as a result of a collision that occurred on the Mersin-Adana highway on Sunday evening between a bus heading to Diyarbakir in the southeast of the country and a truck traveling in the opposite lane. Guineas military junta-led government has imposed a ban on four major private radio stations and one private television channel, while in a separate development, state prosecutors have demanded life sentences for former dictator and six other military or government officials over a 2009 massacre. In what is the latest in a string of restrictions imposed on the media, the ruling military government has withdrawn the operating license of radio stations FIM FM, Radio Espace FM, Sweet FM and Djoma FM, as well as Djoma TV, over a failure to comply with the content of the specifications, the ministry of information said last week. The media groups affected by the measures condemned oppressive behavior by the military in a joint statement. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the repression of the media must stop, adding that the Guinean authorities controlled by the junta, which seized power in the West African nation in 2021, had committed to unblocking an already dramatic situation for media outlets. Guinea is ranked 78th out of 180 countries in the watchdogs 2024 press freedom ranking. In a separate development, the countrys prosecutors demanded life imprisonment for former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara and six other military or government officials, who have been accused of responsibility in killing of 150 people and mass rape by Guinean forces during their crack-down on an opposition rally at a stadium in the capital Conakry in 2009. The chief prosecutor, Alghassimou Diallo, denied the seven defendants who have been found guilty of crimes against humanity any mitigating circumstances, pointing to their lack of regret since the landmark trial began in September 2022. The historic trial is due to resume this Monday May 27 with the defense case. The trial is expected to last several days before the judges give their verdict at a date yet to be determined. Following nationwide consultations in Ouagadougou on Saturday, the military leader of Burkina Faso has secured an extended five-year term through the signing of a new charter. The discussions involved civil society representatives, security forces, defense personnel, and members of the transitional assembly, although most political parties boycotted the talks. Colonel Moussa Diallo, chairing the national dialogue process, announced that the transition period is set for 60 months, effective July 2, 2024. Burkina Faso joins a growing list of West African nations where the military has assumed power, citing the elected governments failure to fulfill promises. The current junta seized control in September 2022, ousting the previous military regime led by Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, which had taken over about eight months earlier by removing the democratically elected President Roch Marc Kabore. The transitional government has been operating under a constitution approved by an assembly comprising army officers, civil society groups, and traditional and religious leaders. Initially, the junta aimed to hold elections and restore democratic rule by July 2024. Captain Ibrahim Traore was appointed as the transitional president. However, the junta has struggled to address Burkina Fasos security challenges, which prompted the September 2022 takeover. Approximately half of the country remains beyond government control due to escalating attacks by Islamic extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. To combat a surge in malaria infections caused by an invasive mosquito vector, genetically engineered mosquitoes have been released in Djibouti, one of Africas smallest nations with just over a million residents. This initiative, launched on Thursday, comes as the country grapples with a dramatic rise in malaria cases, skyrocketing from just 27 in 2012 to more than 70,000 in recent years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The health body attributes this spike to the arrival of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive Asian mosquito species that transmits the deadly disease. Unlike most malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in Africa that breed in rural areas, Anopheles stephensi thrives in urban environments, posing a significant challenge for the predominantly urban Djibouti. Grey Frandsen, CEO of US biotechnology firm Oxitec, which developed the gene-modified mosquitoes, stated that this mosquito species evade conventional tools, is resistant to insecticides, and is a daytime-biter, reducing the efficacy of bed nets. Djiboutis health minister believes the new technology could be a game changer in reducing malaria spread. Oxitecs genetic technique involves releasing genetically engineered male mosquitoes that mate with females, introducing a gene that prevents female offspring from surviving to adulthood, effectively reducing the population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. Frandsen said the technology has been effective in reducing other mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever elsewhere and is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Although the rollout in Djibouti is only the second in Africa, the idea is gaining traction on the continent, with Uganda also partnering with Oxitec to combat malaria. Africa bears a significant global malaria burden, accounting for 96% of malaria deaths worldwide in 2021, according to the WHO. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Some 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer's, and about 11 million provide unpaid care for them. Dementia caregiving can present unique challenges, including financial burdens and time constraints, as well as health complications. A report this year from the Alzheimer's Association demonstrates the true cost of caregiving for those with the disease and calls to establish dementia care navigation throughout the U.S. to lift this burden. Not only is the estimated value of unpaid care near $14 billion in Pennsylvania alone, the report also revealed emotional and physical tolls. Nearly 77% of Alzheimer's caregivers in the commonwealth reported a chronic health condition and a third reported depression. Alzheimer's was the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2021. Prior to death, years are spent with health challenges and progressive deterioration from the disease. "Most caregivers do fairly well in their role and report high levels of reward, but there is a small selection that experience adverse effects," said Jennifer Wolff, a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, specializing in older adult and caregiver quality of life. Those with issues tend to be providing high levels of care, she said. Wolff was not involved in the research. "These results raise a number of challenges," said Wolff. "We currently do not have system-level solutions." The report pulled data from dozens of databases and thousands of journal articles about dementia, caregiving, health, and economic costs. It examined metrics related to caregiver well-being and Alzheimer's disease projections over time, as well as solutions moving forward to address the crisis, namely bolstering dementia care navigation and easing access to resources. It encouraged private insurers and health systems to directly address dementia and dementia caregiving and called for better financial incentives for caregiving to expand the workforce. More than half of caregivers reported "high" or "very high" emotional stress due to their roles. "Dementia caregiving as a whole is very stressful and taxing," said Wolff. It can involve bearing witness to an array of behavioral changes and inconsistencies, including wandering, agitation, combativeness and, of course, memory lapses. These caregivers help with more daily activities compared to other kinds of caregiversincluding dealing with incontinence, bathing and feeding. More than other caregivers, they leave work early, take off work or quit their jobs entirely. And dementia caregivers are more likely to have had a stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer compared to other caregivers. Some physical ailments could be due to growing older themselves: A third of dementia caregivers are 65 or older, per the report. "There is evidence that they're in that age group where chronic conditions may (emerge)," said Karen Roberto, executive director of the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment and a senior fellow at the Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology, and who was not involved in the research. "They're dealing with their own issues." But these caregivers also report high physical stress from their roles. "The repetition and forgetting can grate on a caregiver," Roberto said. "This can trigger the stress of caregiving." Clay Jacobs, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Pittsburgh, said the results about chronic health issues with dementia caregivers were particularly concerning. "We don't see that same level of challenge with other diseases," he said. "Most people take care of their loved ones at home as long as they can. Certainly, it has a tremendous impact." These burdens are not equally distributed, either. Although Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely than whites to develop Alzheimer's, they're less likely to be diagnosed. Two-thirds of unpaid caregivers were white, per the report; 10% were Black. While Black American caregivers are more likely to experience a lack of resources from systemic health inequities, there's evidence that some report less of a sense of burden compared to other races. This could be because, in certain cultures, caregiving is seen as a family responsibility as opposed to something they should receive money or additional resources for, said Roberto. "If you have means, you have a leg up," she said. "You have opportunities. That doesn't always mean you're going to get the services you need, because there's a limited amount of services available." And even if they had access to services, Wolff said caregivers don't always want them or can't take time away to attend support groups. Roberto said her research suggests some caregivers actually report higher levels of stress when utilizing services, and the Alzheimer's Association report supports this. Unpaid caregivers cite additional work, burden and confusion involved in seeking out resources, coordinating and managing care, leading to nearly one in five stating the experience is "very stressful." The Alzheimer's Association report also estimates that 1 million additional care professionals will be needed by 2031 to manage the growing number of adults with dementia and Alzheimer'sthe most workers needed than in any other occupation in the U.S. And federal social security monies to support the older population could deplete as soon as 2035 unless Congress acts, according to an annual report from the U.S. Social Security Office, meaning patients and caregivers may not have the funds to hire in-home care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) model last year to fund dementia care and support patients and caregivers longer term. The pilot program is expected to launch in July and run for eight years. It includes a 24/7 helpline and increased support for care coordination, in an effort to improve patient and caregiver quality of life and the dementia care navigation system overall. Experts say it's a first step toward structural changes for dementia caregivers. The model is, for the first time, testing out built-in support for unpaid caregivers, and time will tell how it rolls out, said Wolff. "I'm excited for the new era we're entering in," Jacobs said. "My hope is that when a caregiver does decide to reach out, there's no shortage of ways for them to do so." Wolff is also researching how using the digital sphere can help support the dementia caregiver network. This might involve easier navigation of the patient portal or telehealth appointments for caregivers who can't leave their patients unsupervised. Or it could mean establishing support within the primary care model and dementia clinics, so resources can be deployed in-house during regular doctor's visits. Taking advantage of the digital sphere could be huge, said Carol Schramke, the director of behavioral neurology at Allegheny General Hospital and chair of the Ethics Committee for AGH and Allegheny Health Network. But it's important to note that many older adults aren't tech savvy, and symptoms can be improved with behavioral changes, she said. Healthy eating, regular exercise, social experiences and adequate sleep can all lower the risk of developing dementia. Taking a preventive approach may proactively chip away at the millions expected to develop the disease in the coming decades. And if you're going to help someone else, you should make sure you're taking care of yourself, said Schramke. "It's important to remember that helping other people is good for us," she said. "Especially if you're not completely at your wit's end, being able to provide care for someone who needs your help can be very rewarding. It's just about trying not to put the burden on one person." 2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Routledge Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology could offer companionship to lonely people amid an international epidemic of loneliness, says a robotics expert. Tony Prescott, a professor of cognitive robotics at the University of Sheffield, argues in his new book "The Psychology of Artificial Intelligence" that "relationships with AIs could support people" with forms of social interaction. Loneliness has been found to seriously impair human health, and Professor Prescott makes a case that advances in AI technology could offer a partial solution. He argues that people can spiral into loneliness, becoming increasingly disconnected as their confidence plummets, and that AI might help people to "break the cycle" by giving them a way to practice and improve their social skills. The impact of loneliness Lonelinessor social disconnectionis more harmful to human health than obesity, according to a 2023 report. A 2015 study showed it can increase the risk of premature death by 26% and is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression and anxiety. The extent of the problem is striking: In the U.K. 3.8 million people are experiencing chronic loneliness. A Harvard study in the U.S. found that 36% of US adultsand 61% of young adultsexperience serious loneliness. Professor Prescott says, "In an age when many people describe their lives as lonely, there may be value in having AI companionship as a form of reciprocal social interaction that is stimulating and personalized. Human loneliness is often characterized by a downward spiral in which isolation leads to lower self-esteem, which discourages further interaction with people. "There may be ways in which AI companionship could help break this cycle by scaffolding feelings of self-worth and helping maintain or improve social skills. If so, relationships with AIs could support people to find companionship with both human and artificial others." He does suggest this is not without risk, however, as it could be "designed to encourage users to interact for longer and longer periods and to keep them coming back," and suggests regulation may be needed. AI and the human brain Prescott is a leading expert on the relationship between the human brain and AI, combining expertise in robotics and AI with psychology and philosophy. He contributes to the scientific understanding of the human condition by researching the re-creation of perception, memory, and emotion in synthetic entities. As well as researching and teaching cognitive robotics at the University of Sheffield, Prescott is also the co-founder of Sheffield Robotics, which is a hub for robotics research. In "The Psychology of Artificial Intelligence," Prescott explores the nature of the human mind and its cognitive processes and compares and contrasts this with the way AI is developing. The book explores questions including: Are computers really like brains? Will AI surpass humans? Does AI have the ability to be creative? Would giving AI a robotic body enable it to create new types of intelligence? Could AI help us tackle climate change? And could humans "piggyback" on AI to extend their own intelligence? He concludes, "As psychology and AI proceed, this partnership should unlock further insights into both natural and artificial intelligence. This could help answer some key questions about what it means to be human and for humans to live alongside AI." More information: Tony Prescott, The Psychology of Artificial Intelligence (2024). DOI: 10.4324/9781003088660 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: Scanning electron microscope image of Vibrio cholerae. Credit: Wikipedia A 62-year-old woman has died of cholera in Mayotte, bringing to two the death toll from the epidemic on the French island in the Indian Ocean, health authorities said on Sunday. The woman died on Saturday at her home in Mamoudzou, the capital, the ARS health authority said in a statement. "Response teams went to the scene to disinfect the home and take care of the deceased's family and friends", the statement added. In May, the disease claimed its first life on the island when a three-year-old girl from the commune of Koungou died. Cholera is an infectious disease typically causing severe diarrhea, vomiting and muscle cramps, which spreads easily under insufficient sanitation conditions. In late April, Mayotte reported its first locally acquired cases of cholera, in addition to 10 imported cases detected over the past month. Mayotte's 10 previous cases arrived on the island from elsewhere, mostly from the neighboring Comoros which has been battling a cholera epidemic since the start of the year. Mayotte is France's 101st and poorest administrative region and anti-immigrant groups have launched protests against new arrivals despite a vow from Paris to tighten citizenship rules. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Stroke (2024). DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.045521 When it comes to responding to a stroke, speed is a crucial factor; the longer it takes for someone experiencing a stroke to get to a hospital, the worse the outcome will be. Yet across the United States, delays to treatment can be significant. A Yale study uncovers new insights into factors associated with treatment delays and where in the United States patients are more likely to experience slower responses. The findings, which were published May 24 in the journal Stroke, highlight where interventions should be focused in order to improve stroke outcomes across the country. During acute stroke, a blood clot reaches the brain, blocking blood flow and essential oxygen to brain tissue. The longer it takes to restore blood flow, the more tissue will be damaged, leaving patients with reduced abilities in those functions for which the affected brain region is responsible. Currently, there are two main treatments used in hospitals for patients experiencing a stroke; both aim to break the blood clot and restore blood flow. One involves a medicationa drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)and the other is a physical approach wherein doctors remove the clot with a tiny tube threaded through a patient's blood vessels. "Both are time-dependent," said Kevin Sheth, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine and senior author of the new study. "The window to use tPA closes four and a half hours after the stroke. Physical removal is more complicated but can be done up to 12 to 16 hours after the stroke begins. But every minute counts, and even within those windows earlier is better." To better understand what factors contribute to treatment delays across the country, the researchersin collaboration with researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusettsused data collected from the "Get with the Guidelines-Stroke" registry, a program launched in 2003 by the American Heart Association that distributes care guidelines and collects data from U.S. hospitals with the aim of improving patient outcomes. Across nearly 150,000 patients who experienced a stroke between January 2015 and March 2017, 54% arrived at a hospital more than two hours after the onset of stroke symptoms, the researchers found. Compared with patients who arrived earlier, those who took longer were more likely to be older, female, Black, and to have had a mild stroke, findings that align with those of previous studies. The researchers also looked at community-level social vulnerability. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculates social vulnerability scores for every U.S. census tract based on socioeconomic factors, household characteristics and disability, racial and ethnic minority status, and housing type and transportation availability. The scores serve to track factors that adversely affect communities, with higher scores indicating greater vulnerability. In the study, the researchers found that patients with longer delays to hospital arrival were more likely to live in communities with higher social vulnerability scores. Socioeconomic status, housing type, and transportation availability had the strongest associations with delay. The researchers also created an interactive map that shows how long it took for patients to arrive at hospitals in different communities nationwide, which they say could be used for targeting interventions. One important strategy to reduce delays, the researchers say, is the creation of education campaigns. "The most powerful motivator for going to the emergency department is pain," said Sheth. "But stroke isn't usually associated with pain. Plus, neurological symptoms can be weird, leaving people unsure what's occurring. So informing people about the signs of stroke could help motivate people to seek treatment earlier." There have been large-scale education campaigns, Sheth added, but they haven't made a sizable difference. Campaigns that target communities identified in this study as having longer delays, however, could be more effective. More ideas for interventions are also needed, said Sheth. "For how big a problem this is, there hasn't really been an effort to propose or test new interventions," he said. "So we need new ideas because the single biggest problem in treating acute stroke is getting people to the hospital fast enough." More information: Amar Dhand et al, Mapping the Ecological Terrain of Stroke Prehospital Delay: A Nationwide Registry Study, Stroke (2024). DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.045521 Journal information: Stroke 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 How employers behave toward workers experiencing thyroid dysfunction could play a critical part in addressing the UK's labor market challenges. With long-term sickness on the rise in the UK, researchers at the University of Aberdeen Business School have marked World Thyroid Day (May 25) by releasing new findings which, for the first time, explore the relationship between employer sympathy and the labor market prospects of people with thyroid conditions. One in 20 people in the UK have a thyroid problem, with a significant majority of sufferers being women. Posing serious implications for the physical, mental and emotional life of those affected, thyroid patients are at greater risk of experiencing long-term sick leave and impaired working ability. "Long-term sickness has emerged as the predominant reason for withdrawal from the workforce in the UK, accounting for 28% of total economic inactivity. This trend has been further highlighted by a rise in long-term health issues driving more women than men out of work," said Professor Catia Montagna of the Business School's Centre for Labor Market Research. "A recent TUC report indicates that long-term sickness is the primary cause for women's absence from the labor force, which has resulted in over half a million more women leaving the workforce due to sickness in the past five years. "This reflects a wider challenge in health-related economic inactivity that disproportionately affects women compared to men. In this context it is clear that renewed efforts are desperately needed to address these disparities and facilitate a more inclusive and supportive work environment." The study found that patients who were dissatisfied with their thyroid treatment they were receiving were more likely to have a discussion with their employer about their condition. The detrimental effects of their condition on their engagement levels at work were mitigated, however, when employers were sympathetic towards the challenges they faced. Where an employer lacked sympathy, the likelihood of the thyroid condition having a minimal impact on employees' work engagement decreased by around 13%. In contrast, for those whose thyroid conditions have little impact on their ability to work, the likelihood of them receiving a pay rise is around 18% higher, a promotion 17% higher and the probability of moving to a better job also increases by around 8%. Workers are also found to have a higher probability of working more hours, with the probability increasing by around 12%. "Thyroid dysfunctions represent a significant challenge to women's overall well-being and can exert adverse effects on their labor market outcomes and labor productivity, from pay rises, promotion and working hours to job mobility" added Centre director, Professor Alexandros Zangelidis "Understanding the influence of employer sympathy on women's productivity and labor market prospects is crucial for promoting inclusive and supportive work environments. "Our results highlight the importance of enabling employees to openly discuss their thyroid condition and its impact on their work with employers. This is crucial, as a key result of this research is that when employers are made aware of their workers' thyroid condition and respond with sympathy, the condition's adverse impact on employee engagement is diminished, leading to improved labor market prospects for affected individuals." The team, along with the Thyroid Trust and other stakeholders, are developing a thyroid workplace toolkit, the first of its kind in the UK. Designed to raise awareness of how the condition affects individuals, provide a framework that empowers staff to have an open discussion with their employer and provide guidance to businesses on the support that could be offered, it will shortly be piloted. More information: Discussion Papers in Economics and Finance: The Impact of Employer Sympathy on Women's Labour Market Prospects: A Focus on Thyroid Conditions. Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi has called for the removal of Miraa from the list of narcotics and psychotropic substances. Murungi stated that miraa supports about half a million people in Meru County, who have been adversely affected by lost markets both locally and abroad. Speaking at a forum on the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2024, known as the Miraa Bill, the senator emphasized the crops importance to a large population in Meru. Through the proposed bill, Murungi is leading efforts to delist miraa from the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act to promote its production, marketability, and development. In the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic (Control) Amendment Bill, 2024, the intent is to only remove cathine and cathinone as naturally found in miraa from the list of psychotropic substances, he said. These bring a contradiction, where three statutory instruments under the laws of Kenya provide for the development of the miraa industry while another Act continues to classify its components as psychotropic substances. The Bill seeks to correct these anomalies and inconsistencies and to do justice to farmers and traders, who have had to endure untold pain as their enterprise is victimised and criminalised, he explained. The deputy Senate Speaker noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) had not placed miraa under international control, as the level of abuse and threat to public health was not significant enough to warrant it. The presence of cathinone and cathine in miraa, which are classified under the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Control Act), remains a legal hurdle for the development of miraa. The entrepreneurs in the manufacture of the various miraa products expressed frustrations since their products could not be licensed, because cathine and cathinone are prohibited substances under the laws of Kenya, hindering their products from reaching the intended market. They, however, expressed optimism that such hindrances will be removed since the government has shown goodwill in supporting the miraa sector, Murungi remarked. Chinese premier urges Seoul to join Beijing in grasping general direction of bilateral friendship Xinhua) 08:54, May 27, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, South Korea, May 26, 2024. Li arrived here Sunday to attend the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea from Sunday to Monday. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) SEOUL, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday called on South Korea to work with the Chinese side to grasp the general direction of friendship and mutual trust between the two countries, and respect each other's core interests and major concerns. It is also hoped that the two sides can firmly be each other's friendly neighbor of mutual trust and partner of mutual achievement, and promote a sound, steady and substantial development of China-South Korea relations, he said when meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol here on the margins of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago, China-South Korea relations have grown rapidly with fruitful economic and trade cooperation, which has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, Li said. The two countries adhere to the ideas of mutual respect, openness, inclusiveness and mutual benefit, Li said, adding that such valuable lessons should be cherished and upheld by both sides in the long run. Noting that industrial and supply chains of China and South Korea are deeply intertwined, and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has a solid foundation and huge potential, Li said both sides should work together to explore new cooperation areas, expand the scope of cooperation, and seize more development opportunities. The two sides should also oppose turning economic and trade issues into political or security issues, and maintain stable and smooth industrial and supply chains of the two countries and the world, Li said. China is ready to work with South Korea to accelerate the second phase of China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement negotiations on a pragmatic and balanced basis, advance the building of the China-South Korea (Changchun) International Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and strengthen cooperation in high-end manufacturing, new energy, artificial intelligence, bio-medicine and other fields, he said. Li said China will further ease market access, provide better service for foreign investment, continue to foster a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized, and welcome more South Korean companies to invest and do business in China. The two sides should actively carry out exchanges at the sub-national level and in the fields of education, sports, media and youth, and continue to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, he said. China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with South Korea on the multilateral front and jointly promote peaceful development of the region and the world, Li added. For his part, Yoon said the close cooperation between South Korea and China is of great significance not only to the development of the two countries, but also to the realization of world peace and prosperity. South Korea adheres to the one-China principle and this position remains unchanged, and will, as always, be firmly committed to developing bilateral relations, he said. Noting that recently, South Korea and China have been actively engaged in dialogues in various fields and sub-national exchanges, Yoon said South Korea is willing to maintain high-level exchanges and close communication at all levels with China on the basis of mutual respect, expand economic and trade cooperation, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, expand common interests of the two countries, deepen cooperation among South Korea, China and Japan, and push for further development of South Korea-China relations. The two sides agreed to hold the high-level strategic dialogue between foreign ministries of the two countries and the China-South Korea "2+2" dialogue on diplomacy and security at the vice-ministerial level, and launch the China-South Korea 1.5-track dialogue and exchange mechanism at an appropriate time. They also agreed to accelerate the second phase of China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement negotiations, and make good use of the economic ministers' meeting and communication mechanisms such as industrial investment cooperation, production-supply chain cooperation and export control dialogue. It is also agreed that the China-South Korea Joint Committee on People-to-People Exchanges and youth exchanges will be restarted to facilitate bilateral interactions. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, South Korea, May 26, 2024. Li arrived here Sunday to attend the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea from Sunday to Monday. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) President of the Republic of India Droupadi Murmu has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 Independence Day. Azernews presents the letter: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, On behalf of the Government and the people of India, as well as on my own behalf, I extend warm greetings and felicitations to Your Excellency, the Government, and the friendly people of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the occasion of your Independence Day. India and Azerbaijan share historical and cultural links. Our multifaceted bilateral cooperation has registered significant consolidation in all spheres. I am confident that our engagement will expand to cover new areas of cooperation, demonstrating mutual respect for sensitivities and shared interests. I avail myself of this opportunity to convey to Your Excellency my sincere wishes for your good health and well-being, as well as for the continued peace, progress, and prosperity of the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration. Droupadi Murmu President of the Republic of India" The National Assembly Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations will this week hold public hearings to investigate allegations of human rights violations by the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk) in Samburu and Laikipia counties. From May 28 to May 30, the committee will conduct hearings at Jua Kali Centre, Kiwanja Ndege Centre, and Nanyuki Social Hall (Laikipia), and at Archers Post Chiefs Camp (Samburu). On May 28, 2024, the committee will hold hearings at Jua Kali Centre in Laikipia East and at Nanyuki Social Hall in Nanyuki Town. On May 29, 2024, the hearings will take place at Archers Post Chiefs Camp. The committee will conclude on May 30, 2024, with hearings in Doldol and Kiwanja Ndege Centre in Samburu county. A notice from the Clerk of the National Assembly indicated that the committee, chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech, will investigate alleged ethical breaches, including corruption, fraud, discrimination, abuse of power, and other misconduct. It will also assess Batuks operational integrity, especially safety protocols, compliance with legal requirements, and adherence to established military standards, the notice stated. The investigation will focus on alleged cases of rape in the military training zones and the Lol Daiga Hills Conservancy fire incident, which destroyed over 7,000 acres of vegetation and killed hundreds of wildlife, including elephants. The brutal murder of Agnes Wanjiru in 2012, whose body was discovered in a septic tank in a Nanyuki hotel two months after she went missing, is also expected to be discussed. The family of the late Wanjiru recently met with British High Commissioner Neil Wigan, accompanied by their lawyer Mbiyu Kamau and James Mwangi, chairman of the African Centre for Corrective Preventive Action. The lawyer stated that Wigan expressed condolences to the family. It was the first meeting, and we hope what was agreed upon will be honored, said Mbiyu, a human rights lawyer based in Thika. Laikipia MP Jane Kagiri urged locals to attend the hearings and present their grievances to the parliamentary committee. She noted that since last year, the soldiers have been involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, which include donating a years supply of sanitary towels to her office for schoolgirls. We have had a good working relationship with the soldiers through CSR, which is required in the areas where they train, she said. Roads and Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen has stated that the construction of a six-lane Nairobi-Mombasa expressway will complement rather than disrupt Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) operations. The 440-kilometer toll road, dubbed Usahihi Expressway, is expected to cut travel time between Kenyas capital to the coastal city from 10.5 hours to 4.5 hours. CS Murkomen explained that the expressway will enhance the Northern Corridors competitiveness by working alongside existing infrastructure. He reassured that the SGR will not lose cargo to road transport once the expressway is operational. I am the CS of both roads and rail [and can assure you] the government has no intention of prioritising one over the other, said the CS. Murkomen added that extending the SGR, along with constructing the Mombasa-Nairobi Expressway and later the Rironi-Mau Summit Expressway, will make the Northern Corridor an attractive option for many businesses in East and Central Africa. We shall ensure rail and road provide seamless flow of cargo from the port of Mombasa to other parts of the region, said Murkomen during the launch of the Kenya Railways Strategic Plan 2023-2027. We are challenging Kenya Railways to improve its services to attract more users so as to attain its vision. The government will not favour any mode of transport by issuing mandatory use of rail edicts to increase its volumes. Murkomens remarks follow a Kes.472.9 billion financing deal with Everstron Capital LLC for the expressway, which will operate under a 30-year Public-Private Partnership. The Usahihi Expressway will be built in 3-4 years. The road, dubbed Usahihi, is expected to have four to six lanes and will be constructed over the next 3-4 years. Usahihi will pay its way, not burdening the government as it is structured as a Public-Private Partnership with revenue coming from road users. Usahihi will organise finance, construction, tolling, operation, and maintenance of the expressway under a 30-year concession with construction lasting 3-4 years, a press release announcing the deal indicated. Additionally, the government plans to extend the SGR from Naivasha to Uganda, boosting the Northern Transport Corridors competitiveness. To this end, we will collaborate with the Interstate Ministerial Committee on the SGR Cluster to explore viable financial options to ensure that SGR extends from Malaba through Kasese in Uganda and finally Kisangani, in the DR Congo, to boost regional trade, CS Murkomen said. The Kenya Railways Strategic Plan 2023-2027 outlines goals to develop rail infrastructure, expand freight and passenger transport, and foster a skilled workforce while adhering to Environmental, Social, and Governance standards. Authorities charged a man on Friday, May 24, with forging a title deed and signatures, including those of the late Jonathan Kipkemboi Toroitich, son of former President Daniel arap Moi, to acquire a Kes.250 million piece of land in Karen, Nairobi. Eric Ogola Lugalia, as a 39-year-old pilot, denied 11 counts of creating false documents, forgery, and presenting false documents to a police officer at the land fraud department of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The charges claim Mr. Lugalia created a false document intending to defraud Stuart Gerald Cullinan Herd of parcel IR No1160/308 (Original No1160/248/2), located along Bogani Road and measuring 1.970 hectares. The pilot also faced charges of producing a false certificate of title IR No.99256 LR No.1160/308 (Original No.1160/248/2) dated August 2, 2005. Further accusations state Mr. Lugalia falsely represented the certificate as a genuine one issued by the Ministry of Lands, despite knowing it was false. According to the prosecution, Lugalia forged the signatures of three land registrars Fredric Indoko Lubullelah, George Gichimu Gichihi, and Peter Mburu Nganga, all stationed at Ardhi House, Nairobi. The court heard he also forged the signature of the late son of former President Daniel arap Moi on a sale agreement dated January 15, 2015. Another charge alleged he forged Mr. Toroitichs signature on the land transfer instrument dated March 12, 2015. The accused allegedly claimed this transfer document was genuine, attested by Sonye J. Ondari, an advocate of the High Court. On July 1, Mr. Lugalia presented the forged certificate, sale agreement, and transfer document to Sergeant Lawson Shuma at the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges before Milimani Principal Magistrate Muthoni Nzibe. His lawyers requested reasonable bail terms, citing a pending High Court civil case regarding the lands ownership. This case commenced while there is a pending superior court case to determine the true owner since both Lugalia and Herd claim to be the bona fide owner, the magistrate stated. State prosecutor Winnie Moraa did not oppose the bail application. Ms. Nzibe granted Mr. Lugalia release on a Kes.300,000 bond with one surety or Kes.150,000 cash bail. The magistrate rejected a request to bar the media from reporting on his arraignment. The court scheduled the cases mention for July 21. The war of words between Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua escalated over the weekend, with the former asserting that he would not be intimidated by the latter. Speaking on Sunday, May 26, 2024, at AIC Kipkorgot Church in Kapsoya Ward, Ainabkoi Constituency, Sudi stated that Gachagua cannot dictate where he goes or how he handles his political matters. This follows Gachaguas remarks on Saturday, where he cautioned leaders from Rift Valley, including Sudi, against interfering in Mt. Kenya politics. Some people here in Rift Valley and some youths from our region are planning politics for 2032. Do you want to succeed President William Ruto while hes still alive? Whats the meaning of this 2032 nonsense? Can we focus? So, the problem, Senator Mandago, is with a few leaders from this region who have close ties to the president. You are meddling in our politics, deceiving people to start planning things for 2032, Gachagua stated. According to Gachagua, each leader should concentrate on the politics of their region and refrain from meddling in the politics of other regions. I urge the people of the Rift Valley, we willingly and lovingly supported the president, and we continue to support him. We ask for a little respect, do not try to dictate to us the politics of Mount Kenya and its leadership. You plan your politics and leadership. When William Ruto retires after 10 years, we will not interfere with your plans; you will plan on your own. Our mountain politics is not something you can compete with; its very complex. Only those from the mountain can understand it, Gachagua said. In response, Sudi, a close ally of the president, said he was unfazed and affirmed that he would continue holding fundraisers across the country, a practice he inherited from President Ruto. You cannot control where I go. If we all stayed in our respective constituencies then we could not be in government. We had to fly all over the country to ask Kenyans to elect this government. I am not someone you can threaten. I have been threatened enough and this does not move me. You know I got this thing from Ruto. He passed it to me because now he is concentrating on national matters. So I have to continue doing this in any part of the country, Sudi retorted. Amid reports of emerging divisions within the Kenya Kwanza government, rumors suggest a rift between Ruto and Gachagua. However, Gachagua dismissed speculation of discord with Ruto, affirming a strong working bond. Speaking at a church service in Matharu, Kesses constituency, Uasin Gishu County, Gachagua reiterated their unity and effective collaboration. I and President Ruto are working seamlessly, with mutual respect and coordination. Our government remains steadfast, said the DP. In the ongoing operation against drug trafficking in the country, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested three suspects in the New Donholm area of Nairobi for possessing 298 pellets of cocaine concealed in teddy bears. Acting on intelligence, authorities intercepted Sharon Debra Achieng, 25, Leon Ochieng, 28, and Ronald Onyango, 25, at their residence. A team of crime busters from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) and the Operations Support Unit (OSU) conducted the operation, discovering a black suitcase containing a few clothes, toiletries, and three teddy bears. Upon examining the teddy bears, officers found 298 pellets of cocaine, weighing approximately 6.8 kilograms. The street value of the seized drugs is estimated at Sh27.5 million. Additionally, the police discovered several air tickets for different destinations in the name of Sharon Debra Achieng. They also seized Kes.37,000 in cash, suspected to be proceeds from the illegal drug trade. The DCI expressed gratitude to the public for their continued support and cooperation, particularly those who provide actionable information through the #FichuakwaDCI initiative. The agency emphasized that their vigilance plays a crucial role in combating drug trafficking and other criminal activities. The DCI thanks the members of the public who continue to #FichuakwaDCI by sharing actionable information, and warns traffickers that their misplaced efforts will only earn them tickets to courtrooms and correctional facilities, said the DCI. As investigations continue, the arrested suspects are expected to face charges related to drug trafficking. The DCI called on all citizens to remain vigilant and report any information that could assist in the fight against crime. See some photos of the cocaine bust below. Fatime Letifova The process of signing a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is progressing rapidly. The meeting held by the foreign ministers of the two countries in Almaty on May 10-11 indicates successful negotiations towards peace, with concrete agreements reached on continuing and accelerating delimitation and demarcation work. However, differences of opinion persist, necessitating more frequent meetings to resolve them. Achieving peace in the region aligns with the interests of partner countries, promising innovations and developments in political, economic, social, and infrastructure aspects. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia stand to break free from the long-standing conflict, allowing countries like Turkey and Kazakhstan to implement new projects. Some imperialist states oppose Armenia's intention to end the conflict, with France particularly concerned. Recently, the French government has emphasized that its cooperation with Armenia is solely based on business interests and not aimed at the welfare of the Armenian people. Since the end of the Second Karabakh War, the Macron government has actively worked to prevent the signing of a peace agreement in the South Caucasus. These efforts have led to occasional tensions in Armenia and baseless accusations against Azerbaijan. France's attempts to cover up the failure of its foreign policy by labeling Azerbaijan as a "dictatorship" should be reconsidered in light of its own activities, including international legal violations, neo-colonial policies, racism, discrimination, Islamophobia, and restrictions on human rights. Before labeling Azerbaijan as a dictatorship, France should learn from its own actions. The first step towards normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and France should be taken by Macron. While previous French presidents may have openly shown sympathy for Armenians, they did not escalate tensions with Azerbaijan or make anti-Azerbaijani statements. However, since Emmanuel Macron was elected president, he visited Armenia but did not visit Azerbaijan. Macron and his team have elevated their anti-Azerbaijan policy since the Second Karabakh War. Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty over Karabakh. The Armenian government seems interested in signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, as borders are being defined and direct negotiations between the parties are yielding positive results. In this situation, the Armenian government does not need France's anti-Azerbaijan policy. On the contrary, this policy may create unnecessary problems between the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments through negotiations. May 28th is Republic Day in Azerbaijan. Many state leaders have sent congratulatory letters to President Ilham Aliyev on this occasion. However, there is no news of a congratulatory letter from the French president to the Azerbaijani president. This indicates that Macron is not yet ready to normalize relations. Despite all of France's provocations, a return to relations between Baku and Paris is possible. For this to happen, the French president and members of the government should reconsider their policy in the South Caucasus, especially putting an end to their campaign against Azerbaijan and baseless accusations. Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Azerbaijan Independence Day, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, On behalf of the government of Georgia and myself, I sincerely congratulate you and your people on the occasion of Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Allow me to express my deep respect to you and the people of Azerbaijan, and wish peace, prosperity, and success. The strategic partnership between Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan is based on a deep, centuries-old tradition of friendship, which is a crucial factor for the development of fruitful cooperation between our countries. I would like to emphasize that the deepening of bilateral and friendly neighborly relations with Azerbaijan is our governments key priority. The strategic partnership between Georgia and Azerbaijan, based on the principles of mutual trust and support, has positively impacted the strengthening dynamics of relations between our countries. I am confident that our cooperation will further strengthen and contribute to prosperity and stability in the region. Your Excellency, I take this opportunity to once again express my deep respect to you and wish the brotherly people of Azerbaijan happiness, tranquility, and success. Sincerely, Irakli Kobakhidze Prime Minister of Georgia" From performing cartwheels to posing with the trophy, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner and Superstar Shah Rukh Khan couldn't stop himself from celebrating after his team lifted the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy for the third time. Taking to Instagram, SRK's wife Gauri dropped a picture featuring herself and her husband. https://www.instagram.com/p/C7cnu-_SgTG/ Shah Rukh and Gauri can be seen beaming with joy while posing with an IPL trophy in their hands. Sharing the image, she wrote, "Winners @kkriders." SRK's manager Pooja Dadlani treated fans with a glimpse of the post-match celebration. https://www.instagram.com/p/C7cizyGSm_z/? The first picture captures SRK with Gauri, children Suhana Khan, Aryan Khan, and AbRam, as well as Shanaya and Ananya Panday, joyfully posing for a picture on the field. The next photo features Juhi Chawla, her husband Jay Mehta joining SRk for a photo. After the match, KKR co-owner celebrated with each member of the team and even kissed mentor Gautam Gambhir's forehead. Gambhir's return did wonders for KKR this year. Their third title celebrations began at the same ground Chepauk where they lifted their maiden title in 2012 under the leadership of Gambhir. The victory in the IPL 2024 final had the KKR camp in a celebratory mood. SRK hurried to the field to congratulate his men on their decisive win. He couldn't resist showing his affection to the Kolkata Knight Riders players. He gave practically all of them hugs and even planted a kiss on Gambhir's forehead. King Khan was also seen doing the cartwheel during the celebration. Suhana Khan took to Instagram stories, shared a picture of her father doing a cartwheel and captioned it "mood." Talking about the match, KKR clinched the IPL 2024 title with a dominating all-round performance against SRH in the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The KKR bowlers left the Sunrisers dumbstruck to restrict the free-scoring SRH batting line-up to 113. In reply, KKR chased down in only 10.3 overs with eight wickets in hand. (ANI) Shah Rukh Khan's younger son, AbRam, turned 11 on May 27. It was a double celebration as his birthday coincided with KKR's victory at IPL 2024. Suhana Khan shared a cute post for her birthday after the match. Taking to Instagram stories, Suhana posted a picture of AbRam and wrote, "Good day to be the birthday boy." AbRam dressed in a KKR T-shirt with 'Champions of 2024' printed on it looking away from the camera. After KKR victory, AbRam walked through the stadium with his family. Shah Rukh and Gauri had turned parents to AbRam in 2013 through surrogacy. In an interaction with the media in 2013, after his son's birth, he had explained the meaning of AbRam. He had said, "AbRam is a Jewish connotation of Hazrat Ibrahim, so I think it is a good mix. ... It sounds very nice with the name of Hindu god Ram in it." May 26 was a day of celebration for Shah Rukh and his team KKR as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL final match which was held at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. King Khan was seen celebrating the victory with his team. SRK met the players of his team and congratulated them for winning the IPL final. In the video shared by JioCinema uncapped pacer Harshit Rana can be seen hugging the 'Jawan' actor and lifted him up with excitement. In one of the pictures shared by the official page of IPL, Shah Rukh Khan can be seen kissing Gautam Gambhir on the forehead in a heartwarming moment. After his team won the match, he hugged his wife Gauri and planted a kiss on her forehead. He also hugged Suhana Khan and AbRam. King Khan then proceeded to celebrate with people around him. KKR clinched the IPL 2024 title with a dominating all-round performance against SRH in the final. Their third title celebrations began at the same ground Chepauk where they lifted their maiden title in 2012 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir. They scripted an encore to lift their third trophy. The KKR bowlers left the Sunrisers dumbstruck to restrict the free-scoring SRH batting line-up to 113. In reply, KKR chased down in only 10.3 overs with eight wickets in hand. (ANI) Chopra took to her Instagram Stories to extend heartfelt congratulations to Anasuya Sengupta, Chidananda S Naik, and the team behind 'All We Imagine as Light,' and her posts were filled with pride and excitement over the remarkable wins. Anasuya Sengupta made history by winning the Best Actress award in the Un Certain Regard category for her role in Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov's Hindi-language film, 'The Shameless'. This accolade marks her as the first Indian actor to achieve this prestigious honour at Cannes. Sharing a clip of Sengupta's groundbreaking performance from the film, Chopra wrote, "Congratulations @cup_o_t on your incredible performance and the history you've created! Onwards and upwards." Chopra also gave a notable shoutout to the team behind 'All We Imagine as Light', which secured the Grand Prix at Cannes. She highlighted the significance of this victory for Indian cinema, writing, "It's a moment for Indian cinema at @festivaldecannes. Biiiig shout and congratulations to you all." In addition to these acknowledgements, Priyanka Chopra celebrated Chidananda S Naik's triumph. Naik, a student from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, won the La Cinef Award for Best Short with his film 'Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know'. The 2024 Cannes Film Festival, which ran from May 14 to May 25, became a historic event for Indian cinema, showcasing its talent and creativity on an international platform. The festival witnessed Indian artists not only participating but also excelling, thereby raising the global profile of Indian cinema. (ANI) Proud father Mahesh Babu penned a sweet note for his son Gautam Ghattamaneni after attending his graduation ceremony. Mahesh Babu along with his wife Namrata Shirodkar and daughter Sitara attended the convocation and shared glimpses of the event on his Instagram handle on Sunday. https://www.instagram.com/p/C7bnO4vvLzW/? Gautam has completed his studies and graduated from ISH, Hyderabad. Sharing the picture, in which Mahesh is seen posing with Gautam, he wrote, "My heart bursts with pride! Congratulations on your graduation, son! This next chapter is yours to write, and I know you'll shine brighter than ever. Keep chasing your dreams, and remember, you're always loved! I am a proud father today @gautamghattamaneni." Namrata Shirodkar also posted for her son on Instagram. She wrote, "My dear GG, as you stand on the threshold of a new chapter in your life, I want you to know how proud I am of you. Remember to stay true to yourself, follow your passions, and never lose sight of your dreams. Believe in yourself as much as I believe in you, and know that no matter where life takes you, you will always have my love and support. Congratulations on your big day. The world is yours here on. I love you so so much Gautam." https://www.instagram.com/p/C7brXtXPhEW/? Mahesh Babu and Namrata got married on February 10, 2005. They have a son and daughter- Gautam and Sitara Ghattamaneni. Meanwhile, on work front, Mahesh Babu was last seen in the commercial entertainer "Guntur Kaaram," directed by Trivikram Srinivas. The film featured a stellar cast including Sree Leela, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Prakash Raj, Ramya Krishnan, Jagapathi Babu, and others. On his upcoming projects, Mahesh Babu is gearing up for his role in SS Rajamouli's highly anticipated film, tentatively titled SSMB29. The pre-production phase is in full swing, with the script finalized. Recently, Mahesh embarked on a trip to Germany to prepare for his physically demanding character in the movie. (ANI) Actor Johnny Wactor, best known for his role as Brando Corbin on ABC's 'General Hospital,' was tragically killed at the age of 37. Now, his co-star Sofia Mattsson paid tribute to the late actor with a series of photos from the ABC soap and touching words, reported Deadline. The incident occurred early Saturday morning when three suspects attempted to steal the catalytic converter from Wactor's vehicle. According to a law enforcement source, when Wactor confronted the thieves, he was shot by the suspects, who then fled the scene. Wactor was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The suspects responsible for this heinous act remain at large, and the investigation is ongoing. "My heart is so utterly broken... Johnny was the absolute best," Mattsson posted on Instagram. "So genuine. So caring. Incredibly hard-working and humble. With a huge heart that spread so much kindness and joy. He always made sure everyone around him felt seen, heard and loved. I admire the man he was so much and I'm a better person for having known him." She continued, "We shared so many special moments, both on and off screen, and I will forever cherish them deeply in my heart. You will be so incredibly missed Johnny... I'm sure you're already busy taking care of everyone up there." https://www.instagram.com/p/C7c2MtIPGEO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Wactor appeared in the ABC daytime soap between 2020 and 2022, playing Brando Corbin's role. Brando joined the show and turned out to be Gladys's (Bonnie Burrough) son, previously thought dead. Wactor's character married Sasha (Mattsson) and ultimately died when he was stabbed by The Hook. In a post dedicated to Wactor, the official Instagram account for the soap shared a statement remembering the actor. "The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor's untimely passing," read the post. "He was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time." The incident occurred early Saturday morning when three suspects attempted to steal the catalytic converter from Wactor's vehicle, as confirmed by Deadline. (ANI) After mesmerizing the audience with her two-night performance at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, Taylor Swift has now written a loving thankyou note to Lisbon and its audience, reported Deadline. "It's official, I left my [heart] in Lisbon. My first time in Portugal and you all made me feel like I was right at home," she wrote on her Instagram handle. "I'll seriously never forget the way you treated us, the overwhelming love and passion and hands in the air and dancing and how you screamed every lyric!! Muito obrigada." https://www.instagram.com/p/C7cUr6zu-OA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== And in a video on X, Taylor referred to her previous music eras, naming her albums Red, Fearless, and Speak Now, which she toured throughout the world, "And during the course of those tours... we made so many fun memories, but the one thing that I wish I would have done differently is I wish I could have brought every one of those tours to come see you in Lisbon. "I have to say, I've just never seen a crowd like this in my life. There have been moments in this show already where I like, forget what I'm supposed to do next or what I'm supposed to say because I'm just so distracted by how much fun you're having and how you're performing in the audience. I love this." The Lisbon concerts came shortly after Swift's tour stop in Stockholm, Sweden, where she experienced a wardrobe malfunction during her May 19 show. As the Eras Tour continues its European leg, Swift's next destination is Madrid, Spain, for another highly anticipated two-night performance. Swift will now take the record-breaking tour onto Madrid, then Lyon in France this week, before arriving in the UK on June 7, reported Deadline. (ANI) Congress leaders on Monday paid tributes to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 60th death anniversary at his memorial at Shanti Van in New Delhi. Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, party's Parliamentary Chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken paid their tributes to the former PM. In a post on X, Kharge termed Nehru as "Jewel of India". "The history of India is incomplete without the incomparable contribution of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India, the one who took India forward in scientific, economic, industrial and various other fields, the dedicated guardian of democracy, the first Prime Minister of independent India and our source of inspiration. Our humble tribute to the "Jewel of India" on his death anniversary," he said. He also quoted former PM, "Defense of the country, progress of the country, unity of the country is our national duty. We may follow different religions, live in different states, and speak different languages, but that should not create a wall between us...all people should get equal opportunities for progress. We do not want some people in our country should be very rich and most of the people are poor." The Congress President also emphasized that even today the Congress Party is following the same path of "justice". Jawaharlal Nehru, a freedom fighter who played a pivotal role in India's freedom movement, went on to become India's first Prime Minister after independence in 1947. Nehru remained at the post for more than 16 years and died of a heart attack on 27th May 1964. After him, Lal Bahadur Shastri took over as the second Prime Minister of India. Nehru is considered the pioneer of India's Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). For his love for children, he was also called 'Chacha Nehru' and his birth anniversary on November 14, is also celebrated as Children's Day every year in India. (ANI) Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and the uncle of Prajwal Revanna has said that he supports the State government's request to the Centre for cancellation of the diplomatic passport of Hassan Janata Dal (Secular) MP amidst allegations of sexual abuse against him. "We are going to support it. We welcome if the Centre decides to cancel Prajwal's diplomatic passport," Kumaraswamy said while speaking to reporters here on Sunday. However, the JD(S) leader has criticised G Parameshwara for alleging there was "no response from Centre," and said that the latter being the home minister of the State should be aware of the legalities and protocol to be followed in the matter. The Karnataka government had requested the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for action to cancel Prajwal Revanna's passport and facilitate his extradition and arrest. "Does the Home Minister know the protocol or not? There are legalities and protocols to be followed. It's not possible to immediately cancel in 24 hours. Procedure is there," Kumaraswamy said. Parameshwara had recently taken a dig at External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's statement that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had received a request from the Karnataka government only on May 21 to impound the passport of Prajwal Revanna. "This shows that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has not informed the Foreign Ministry Office. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written a letter. What happened to the letter written by our CM to the Prime Minister?" the Karnataka Minister said. Jaishankar, in an exclusive interview with ANI, clarified the procedural aspects, saying, "To impound a passport is governed by an act called the Passport Act. We need a judicial court or a police request to do so. The MEA got this request from Karnataka only on May 21." Highlighting the adherence to legal procedures, Jaishankar emphasized that the external affairs minister acted promptly upon receiving the request. "We immediately acted on it. On 23rd of May... we have to follow a certain procedure and the procedure is initiated," he added. However, Parameshwara said that they did not get any written communication from the MEA in this matter. Revanna is facing a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in his household. Siddaramaiah wrote to PM Modi on May 1 and May 23 urging him to take action to cancel the diplomatic passport of the Hassan MP, who is said to have flown to Europe after being accused of sexually exploiting several women. In his letter to the Prime Minister, the Karnataka CM said that it is shameful that Prajwal Revanna fled the country on April 27, 2024, to Germany using his diplomatic passport shortly after news of his heinous actions emerged and just a few hours before the first FIR was filed against him. (ANI) Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Azerbaijan Independence Day, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, Raja Zarith Sofia joins me in extending our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Your Excellency and the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the auspicious occasion of the 106th anniversary of the Independence Day of Azerbaijan. We are confident that the strong bond of friendship and cooperation between Malaysia and Azerbaijan will continue to flourish, bringing tremendous benefits and prosperity to both our peoples. May Allah the Almighty continue to bless Your Excellency and the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan with continued peace, prosperity, and success. Sincerely, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim King of Malaysia" Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami slammed Congress for its "appeasement" politics, saying that it is a threat to the unity of India. "Congress' appeasement politics is dangerous to the unity of India. In appeasement politics, they have stooped so low that they're saying they will impose tax on your wealth," Dhami said while addressing a public rally in Patiala in support of BJP candidate Preneet Kaur from there on Sunday. "They [Congress leaders] say that if they come to power, 50% of your (people) wealth will be seized after your death and your children will only get to inherit the rest 50%...they are saying they will do an x-ray of people's wealth," he added. Dhami alleged that the Congress does this "appeasement" politics with the aim of coming to power and then to do corruption as they did before 2014. He highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's contributions to Sikh heritage, including bringing holy copies of the Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan, constructing the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, celebrating Veer Bal Diwas, and promoting the history of Guru Govind Singh Ji's Sahibzadas. "The Prime Minister has also done many things for the preservation, protection and expansion of the heritage of Sikhism. Three holy copies of the holy Guru Granth Sahib of Sikhism were brought to India from Afghanistan with full respect. Kartarpur Sahib Corridor has been constructed. Veer Bal Diwas is being celebrated in the name of the four Sahibzadas of Guru Govind Singh Ji. Modi ji also did the work of bringing their history in front of India and the world. The sacrifice of Sikhism has not been told to the country and the world till date. The doors of Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand have opened. To make Hemkund Sahib Yatra easier, Prime Minister Modi has laid the foundation stone of the ropeway there". The Chief Minister said that the people of Punjab want to make PM Modi, the Prime Minister for the third time. He said that for the development of Patiala Lok Sabha, BJP candidate Mrs. Preneet Kaur ji has to be sent to the House by winning with maximum votes. "Every vote of the public to BJP will strengthen the country and fulfill the resolve of developed India. Prosperity is going to come with the vote of the people. The vote of the people will directly provide new strength to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji," Dhami said.Dhami highlighted India's transformation into a manufacturing hub under Modi, attracting global companies and becoming the world's fifth-largest economy. He noted successful events like the G20 summit and various welfare schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and Ayushman Yojana, which have significantly impacted millions. He also cited the implementation of the CAA, the abrogation of Article 370, the ban on triple talaq, and the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as key achievements. Dhami criticized opposition's appeasement tactics, accusing parties like AAP and Congress of relying on specific vote banks. "AAP and Congress are continuously working in Delhi and other states to benefit their special vote bank. In Karnataka, Congress gave the reservation of other backward classes to a special class. These people work to change the Constitution. They make fun of people sitting on constitutional posts. BJP talks about Uniform Civil Code while Congress talks about implementing Muslim Personal Law. The opposition has neither any vision nor any ideology. These people only want to gain power," Dhami said. The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Modi ji, schemes worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore are underway for the development of Punjab. Which includes the gift of many green field highways, expressways, AIIMS. He asked the public to vote in maximum numbers in favour of BJP candidate from Patiala, Preneet Kaur, and contribute in making Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister for the third time by making her win. Punjab is witnessing a four-corner fight in the state. In Punjab, voting for its 13 seats will take place in a single phase, with the seventh and final phase on June 1 seeing voting in Gurudaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nandpur Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Firozpur, Bathinda, Sangrur, and Patiala constituencies. (ANI) Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi attended the Vice Chancellor's conference in Ooty on Monday, a two-day conclave focused on research excellence, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In his address, Governor Ravi said, "We should not wait for the next annual conference there should be your meeting at a smaller level and continue with this spirit of building a new higher education system for a new India, this should be our goal." Reflecting on India's educational challenges, he remarked, "The country which was far behind has left us far behind. If we continue like this, we have no future." Governor Ravi highlighted the historical context and progress with time and said that with time state university's conditions are improved. "A country which, At the time of independence despite all the exploitation by the colonial parts we were the sixth largest economy in the world. In the subsequent 6 decades we were reduced to the 11th economy. Fortunately, with new initiatives coming, we have become the 5th largest and we are very hopeful that in the next years, we will be the 3rd. We have lost a lot of time bez we have been following the education system which was largely bequeathed to us by the colonial rulers," Ravi said. This conference marks the third such conclave of university leaders in Tamil Nadu. Ravi explained, "When I came in 2021, and as chancellor when I started looking at the working of the universities I was disappointed that our universities were mostly working in isolation. I am talking about state universities largely. Each university was struggling with its problem and there was a strange lack of communication among these institutions. And that's why we thought that at least once a year we should have a get-together of all the eminent leaders of higher education. Because this is how knowledge prospers we prosper," Ravi said. Earlier on February 23, speaking on the cultural unity of India, RN Ravi said that Bharat is a cultural and civilizational evolution. He was speaking at an event organised to celebrate the foundation day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram here. "About 600 years back a great person from Kamrup in present-day Assam Maha Purushankar Dev at the age of 30 came all the way to Rameshwaram. He came to Kanchipuram and then went to Kashi and then returned to Assam. He then wrote a poem, 'Dhanya Dhanya Bharat Bhoomi'... People have been moving from one part to another living here, living there as a family. This is precisely what Bharat is," Governor RN Ravi said. "Bharat is a cultural and civilizational evolution. This sense of familyhood is what makes this country Bharat," he added. (ANI) Chief Minister Saha toured the hospital's various departments, interacted with the medical staff, and engaged with patients to understand their experiences and concerns during his visit. He emphasized the importance of Ayurvedic treatment in the healthcare system and assured that the state government would take necessary steps to address any shortcomings in the hospital's facilities. The Chief Minister was accompanied by senior officials from the Health Department, including the Director of Health Services and the Secretary of Health, Kiran Gitte. They discussed plans to upgrade the hospital's infrastructure, including the introduction of advanced diagnostic equipment and the expansion of patient wards. Patients and staff at the hospital expressed their appreciation for the Chief Minister's visit, hoping that it would lead to tangible improvements in the facility. Many patients shared their positive experiences with Ayurvedic treatments, underscoring its benefits in managing chronic illnesses and promoting overall well-being. Chief Minister Saha's visit is part of a broader initiative by the state government to promote traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH). This initiative aims to integrate these traditional practices with conventional medicine, ensuring a holistic approach to healthcare. In conclusion, Chief Minister Manik Saha's visit to the State Ayurvedic Hospital underscores the Tripura government's commitment to improving healthcare facilities and promoting the rich heritage of traditional medicine. This move is expected to enhance the quality of healthcare services and ensure better health outcomes for the people of Tripura. (ANI) Leader of Opposition of Madhya Pradesh assembly and Congress leader Umang Singhar on Monday demanded that the state government should conduct a judicial inquiry in connection with a fire incident at Lokayukta office. Singhar also alleged that various irregularities occurred in the state and their files were with the state Lokayukta. Therefore, the reason for the fire at the Lokayukta office was that the government was trying to suppress the issues. "A phase of fire incidents in government offices is going on in the state. First, a fire incident occurred in Satpura Bhawan (State Directorate), after that fire broke out at Vallabh Bhawan (State Secretariat), now there was a fire in the state Lokayukta office on Sunday. There may be excuses that it was a short circuit. But the information I have received is that there was a file related to an irregularity in the 'Simhastha' (it is a Hindu religious mela held every 12 years in the Ujjain city) in the Lokayukta office," the Congress leader told reporters while addressing a press conference in Bhopal. He further alleged, "Names of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's family were there in connection with the Simhastha land scam. Had it not been the situation that the incident happened with the intention of burning those scam files? The officers were also worried that if an investigation was conducted, then they would also be caught. I think that it is a serious matter and there should be an investigation into it." The Congress leader also said that he would raise the issue seriously in the upcoming assembly session. "Many scams have taken place in the state till now, why has a proper and clear investigation report regarding the scams not been brought in the assembly or among the public till now? There are various issues and its files were with the Lokayukta. Therefore, the main reason for the fire at Lokayukta is that the government is trying to suppress these issues," Singhar said. "I think a special committee should be formed or a judicial inquiry should be conducted by the state government," he added. Commenting on the nursing college scam, the Congress leader targeted the state minister Vishwas Sarang, saying the way affiliation was given to around 200 colleges during his tenure as medical education minister, action should be taken against him. "During the tenure of Vishwas Sarang as medical education minister, the way affiliation was given to 150-200 nursing colleges, the first action should be taken against him. I clearly say that the affiliation was given to various colleges by accepting lakhs of rupees in cooperation with officers," Singhar said. When CM Mohan Yadav would take action against his minister? the Congress leader asked. "A massive fire had broken out on Sunday (May 26) afternoon in unusable material of the maintenance work of the office kept near the boundary of the old building of F Block, Old Secretariat of Lokayukta Office, Bhopal. It was controlled in time with the help of fire tenders. Due to the fire, only unusable material was burnt, apart from that no other official documents were burnt and government records were also not damaged," MP Jansampark posted on X.(ANI) Continuing the party's attack on the government over the Agnipath scheme, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said that it is against the interests of the country's security and the future of the youth. He alleged that the scheme has compromised India's defence capabilities against China. In a video statement released on X, Jairam Ramesh said that the scheme is "a compromise with the country's security". He said after the scheme was implemented by the Modi government, the number of youth being taken into armed forces has reduced to about a fourth of nearly 75,000 recruited earlier. He said the youth taken through the scheme are given training for six months and are sent to the borders. He claimed that the service chiefs had opposed the Agnipath scheme. Jairam Ramesh also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at an all-party meeting in 2020 following border tensions with China and said these remarks had weakened India's negotiating position. He said the "outgoing PM" will have to answer for the scheme after results of Lok Sabha polls on June 4. In the post on X accompanying his video statement, Jairam Rames alleged that the Agnipath scheme had been brought by the Prime Minister without any consultations. "It has compromised our capabilities against China," he said. Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi have been raking up Agniveer scheme in their poll rallies. The Agnipath scheme was announced by the Centre in June 2022. It provides for recruiting soldiers for four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them in regular service. Those recruited under the scheme are called 'Agniveers'. The government has said there will be several job and other avenues open for the youth who are not retained in the defence forces after four years. Congress has said in its manifesto for Lok Sabha polls that it will "scrap the Agnipath Scheme and return to the normal recruitment processes followed by the Army, Navy and Air Force that will guarantee economic and social security for our soldiers". (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday predicted the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections while anticipating that the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi would blame EVMs for their loss on June 4. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Gosaipur, Shah said that Rahul Gandhi's people will also call a press conference post-polls, saying they lost due to EVMs. "On June 4, Rahul Gandhi will hold a press conference at 2 pm post polls and will blame EVM for their loss. Array Rahul Baba naach naa aaye aangan tedha. Bhaiya EVM will not make you lose but yeh mere Chandoli ke sher harane vale hai," Amit Shah. He further asked the people sitting at the rally will they would vote for Congress and the SP, who fired bullets at Ram Bhakts. "Narendra Modi built the Ram Mandir which was stalled by the Congress for 70 years. This election is between those who fired bullets at Ram bhakts and those who built the Ram Temple. Can you vote for the SP and Congress who fired bullets on Ram Bhakts? Narendra Modi, who built the Ram Mandir, has to be made the Prime Minister," he said. Shah further asserted that the two 'Shehzade' (Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi) were born with silver spoons. "The people of the nation have made up their minds to make PM Modi the Prime Minister for the third time. On June 4, the victory of the BJP is certain. There are these two 'Shehzade', who are born with silver spoons," he said. He further said that the INDIA bloc does not have a leader who can lead a country and become the Prime Minister. "They (INDIA bloc) do not have a leader who can become a Prime Minister. Okay tell me, can Sharad Pawar, MK Stalin, Mamata Banerjee and Uddhavji can become Prime Minister? Ab hasna mat, kya Rahul baba ban sakte hai kyaaa? When they are being asked who will be there Prime Minister they say that 'baari baari 5 saal ek ek ek..." he said. Shah further promised to return every penny of Sahara investors. "Akhilesh Yadav recently raised the issue of the Sahara Refund Portal. I want to know, under whose government did this Sahara scam occur? Narendra Modi began giving refunds. Till now, Rs 5000 crore has been returned to the people. We will return every penny. It is our guarantee," Shah said. Emphasising national security and economic progress under PM Modi, Shah questioned the opposition's capability to lead, describing their alliance as a coalition of dynasts. "Who can give a befitting reply to Pakistan, save you from Covid, end terrorism and Naxalism, and do welfare of 60 crore people of the country? Only Modi," he asserted. Shah also revisited the contentious issue of Article 370, asserting that its revocation did not lead to the predicted bloodshed. Uttar Pradesh is voting in all the seven phases of the Lok Sabha polls, the last phase of which is scheduled on Saturday. The Congress is fighting the polls in partnership with the Samajwadi Party in the state and have a seat-sharing agreement with each other. As per the seat agreement between the Samajwadi Party and Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Congress is contesting on 17 seats and the Samajwadi Party has the remaining 63 seats in the electorally crucial state. In the 2019 general elections, the BJP emerged triumphant, securing 62 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, supplemented by two seats clinched by its ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati's BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP garnered five. Conversely, the Congress party secured only one seat. The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of the votes will be held on June 4. (ANI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched fresh attacks against Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Monday, accusing them of looting Jharkhand, a mineral rich state. Singh addressed the public meeting in Sahibganj virtually as his chopper could not land due to inclement weather in the region. Singh addressed the rally as he campaigned for BJP candidate Tala Marandi from Rajmahal Constituency. He said Jharkhand state is rich in natural mineral resources but people of the state are poor. "Former CM of the state is in jail in corruption charges. Large amount of cash was confiscated at the house of the personal assistant of a Jharkhand government minister, which is a betrayal to the people of Jharkhand and the poor across the country," he said. Whenever Congress comes to power, corruption becomes rampant, the Defence Minister said as he mentioned scams like 2G scam, coal scam and sevral others adding that Congress is synonymous with corruption. Attacking opposition parties for their appeasement politics, he said because of appeasement politics, states like West Bengal have witnessed illegal immigration. The BJP government will identify and deport infiltrator out of the country, he said. Coming down heavily on opposition parties for their stand against CAA, the Defence Minister said, "We have implemented the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and other religious minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. CAA will not take away the Citizenship of legitimate Indian citizens. It is a law to give Citizenship to people who are facing religious persecution." He highlighted that as per NITI Ayog in last seven-eight years around 25 crore people have been helped out of poverty under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "During the pandemic, the Modi-led government ensured everyone received the COVID vaccine and distributed 5 kg of free ration to every household. The BJP government will not let anyone remain poor. BJP cannot forget the significant contribution of the tribal population in the formation of Jharkhand. BJP and Atal Bihari Vajpayee who initiated the creation of Jharkhand," he said. PM Modi has completed 10 years in office, yet no leader from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha can accuse him or any minister of corruption. The Modi government is unblemished when it comes to corruption, he said. (ANI) The police on Sunday implicated incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in eight more cases in connection with the May 9 protests, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. Currently, Qureshi is imprisoned in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail in multiple cases. Furthermore, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act earlier handed Qureshi 10 years in prison in the cipher case. Protests erupted on May 9 after Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest in the 190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were taken into custody over their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations in 2023. During the protests on May 9, the miscreants attacked the civil and military installations, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. Pakistan's army called May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act. On Sunday, a special team of police approached the anti-terrorism court in Lahore to seek permission to arrest, question and summon the PTI leader in an FIR registered with Police Station Sarwar Road. However, the court did not give the permission considering the "security concerns," Geo News reported. Meanwhile, the court permitted the investigation officer to visit Adalia Jail to question the accused within a period of three days instead. The court order reads, "The accused shall be deemed to be on physical remand for that purpose." The court ordered police to present the suspect before it through a video link on May 27. The court also directed the superintendent of the jail to make necessary arrangements in this regard. Later, the police recorded Qureshi's statement in the case in Rawalpindi prison. Reacting to the implication of Qureshi in more cases, a PTI spokesperson said that the court had already granted bail to Shah Mahmood Qureshi in these cases. PTI stated, "Law was flouted again to keep Qureshi behind bars by making the court's order ineffective practically," Geo News reported. PTI spokesperson said that Qureshi was being punished for sticking with the ideology of PTI founder Imran Khan. He further said that lawlessness was reaching new heights in Pakistan. He further said that every possible action will be taken against the cruel act. Earlier in January, a Pakistan court sentenced Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi to jail for 10 years each in a case involving the leaking of state secrets, local media reported. A special court established under the Official Secrets Act sentenced Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Khan and former Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi handed out the 10-year jail sentence in the cypher case, Dawn reported. The verdict was announced by special court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain during the hearing held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. (ANI) Pakistan's former National Assembly (NA) speaker Asad Qaiser on Sunday criticized the political victimization of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He said that PTI will only hold talks when the Imran Khan-founded party's concerns are addressed, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. Speaking at ARY News programme 'Sawwal Ye Hai', Qaiser called on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government to take concrete measures to restore the mandate of the party, which he claimed was stolen in the elections held on February 8. The PTI leader said that the government is speaking regarding negotiations. However, it needs to take trust-building steps first. He further said that the Imran Khan-founded party will hold negotiations when its concerns are addressed. Asad Qaiser called the government's offer of talks a 'public stunt', stressing that the PML-N was instead using force to suppress the voice of PTI. He also called for holding discussions on the issue of Form 45 in a joint session of parliament, noting that it was the only way to move forward and ensure the legitimacy of the electoral process. "[Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif does not have public support, how will the country be brought out of the crisis", Asad Qaiser asked, according to ARY News report. He warned that if PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif did not take a "principled stance", his position in future would be like Chaudhry Shujaat Earlier, PTI took a major U-turn on holding negotiations with the establishment after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General held a press conference, where he sought an apology from Imran Khan-founded party over the events held on May 9 last year. Speaking at ARY News programme 'Khabar', Asad Qaiser said that his party does not want to talk with anyone and stressed that PTI only seeks to uphold "constitutional and legal supremacy". He said that PTI believes in the supremacy of the Constitution and the law, and wants all institutions to work within their constitutional limits. Qaiser said that PTI wants to take along all those who have reservations regarding the February 8 elections, adding that PTI will not engage with PML-N. On May 13, Asad Qaiser asked the Pakistan Muslim League supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People's Party's co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari to make apologies to the nation first, in order to have any kind of potential dialogue with the party, reported ARY News. The PTI leader, in a program for a private channel, said that the authorities must form a judicial commission to investigate and hold those accountable in the May 9 riots. He emphasized Pakistan's need for stability and adherence to constitutional and legal frameworks. Qaiser also disclosed ongoing discussions within the government regarding negotiation offers, involving consultations with the PTI founder, Imran Khan, according to ARY News report. Qaisar voiced worries regarding the latest political developments and cited instances where PTI MNAs were forced to transfer parties. He also questioned the morality of engaging in negotiations with non-compliant entities. (ANI) Adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah has called for creating a 'mechanism' so that institutions do not interfere in each other's domain, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. His statement comes after judges wrote letters stating alleged interference by intelligence agencies in judicial work. During Geo News show "Naya Pakistan", Sanaullah said, "Writing a letter by the judges is enough (to prompt) the development of a mechanism so that institutions do not interfere in each other's domains." He made these remarks while referring to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges' letter that surfaced in March alleging interference by intelligence agencies in judicial matters, Geo News reported. The Islamabad High Court judges, including Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz had written the letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), requesting the body to hold a judicial convention over the alleged interference of intelligence agencies in judicial affairs. After the letter surfaced on March 27, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa chaired a full court meeting of the Supreme Court to hold discussion on the matter that sought guidance from the SJC "with regard to the duty of a judge to report and respond to actions on the part of members of the executive, including operatives of intelligence agencies, that seek to interfere with the discharge of his/her official functions and qualify as intimidation". On March 28, the CJP Isa held a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the advice of the full court in the presence of Pakistan's law minister, attorney general, senior puisne judge, and the registrar of the apex court. During the meeting, the Pakistan government decided to form a commission to carry out into allegations levelled by the IHC judges. On March 30, the federal cabinet approved the formation of an inquiry commission over allegations of the IHC judges and appointed former chief justice of Pakistan Justice (retired) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani as its head, according to Geo News report. However, Jillani recused himself from the commission and as a result, the apex court took suo motu notice of the issue. Meanwhile, Rana Sanaullah said talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were in a blind alley since 2014. He said PML-N kept waiting during the PTI government for talks. He stated that PTI founder Imran Khan's stance of not talking to lawmakers was the main reason behind the current situation. Referring to the PTI stance of holding talks with the establishment, Sanaullah said the Inter-Services Public Relations director general, had said that the lawmakers should talk with each other as there was no point of speaking to the military, Geo News reported. Rana Sanaullah said the PTI founder by adopting this strategy was inflicting damage upon himself, his party, and Pakistan. He said, "The ongoing situation is not suitable for anyone. The deadlock should end. There is no ego or reluctance on our part. It is from the other side." He said the other side called them names when PML-N spoke about holding negotiations. (ANI) Bajram Begaj, President of the Republic of Albania, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Azerbaijan Independence Day, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Honorable Mr. President! As your country celebrates its Independence Day, let me convey my warmest congratulations to you and the friendly people of Azerbaijan. With particular pleasure, I consider the great progress that Albania and Azerbaijan have made in promoting friendship and cooperation. We remain very interested in expanding our friendly relations and bilateral cooperation, and I take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of advancing these ties to further levels, in the interest of both our countries. I would also like to express my heartfelt acknowledgment for the hospitality extended to me during my visit to Azerbaijan in March. I wish continued success, progress, well-being, and happiness for Your Excellency and the people of Azerbaijan. Sincerely, Bajram Begaj President of the Republic of Albania" Pakistan has demanded the Taliban government in Afghanistan to hand over outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) terrorists, who were involved in the attack on Chinese engineers in Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported ARY News. The attack, which took place on March 26 in Bisham city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Shangla district, claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers along with one Pakistani citizen. The incident took place when the convoy was travelling between Islamabad and a hydroelectric dam construction site in Dasu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The District Inspector General (DIG) of Malakand said that a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese nationals, as reported by ARY News. Addressing a press conference along with officials of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Necta), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan has taken up the issue with the Afghan interim government and urged them to take action against terrorist activities being carried out on their land. The interior minister added that the TTP orchestrated the Shangla terror attack from inside Afghanistan. "We have requested the interim government in Afghanistan to arrest the leadership of banned TTP," he said. Following the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough joint investigation into the Shangla suicide attack on Chinese nationals, utilising all the resources of the state. PM Sharif chaired a high-level emergency meeting in the aftermath of the attack on Chinese nationals, further appreciating the alacrity with which law enforcement agencies and locals responded to the attack, saving many lives that could have been lost. "Terrorism is a transnational threat that has been instrumentalized by the enemies of Pakistan to stymie Pakistan's progress and development. The acts targeting Pakistan-China friendship are particularly aimed at creating mistrust between the two iron brothers," he said. However, on Sunday, while briefing the journalists, Interior Minister Naqvi said that the probe agencies have prepared an investigation report, adding that they had concrete evidence that the TTP used Afghan soil to carry out the terror attack on Chinese engineers, reported Al Jazeera. He further said they wanted friendly ties with Kabul, adding that "it is only possible if they cooperate with Islamabad." Noting Pakistan-China ties, the interior minister said that Pakistan gave great importance to its ties with China, adding that both friendly nations support each other at different global forums. "The security of Chinese nationals is very important to us," he said. Meanwhile, National Coordinator NACTA, Rai Tahir, said that investigations into the Bisham attack progressed with recovery of a mobile phone near the vehicle used in the attack. It is pertinent to mention, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the outlawed terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022, reported ARY News. (ANI) North Korea has notified Japan of its plans to launch a satellite-carrying rocket before June 4, the Japanese government announced Monday, according to a report by Kyodo news agency citing the country's coastguard. The development that came ahead of today's trilateral meeting in Seoul, involving leaders of South Korea, China and Japan- the first such summit in over four years. During a joint press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and China's Premier Li Qiang following the meeting in Seoul, Japan's Prime Minister Fumion Kishida emphasised on the importance of North Korean denuclearization and said that the stability of the Korean Peninsula is in the "common interest" of the three Asian countries. North Korea notified Japan about the satellite launch stating that the three "danger zones" where rocket debris may fall -- two west of the Korean Peninsula and the other to the east of the Philippines' island of Luzon, the Japan Coast Guard said. At the outset of the trilateral summit, Kishida urged North Korea to cancel its planned satellite launch, with Yoon, the chair of the meeting, saying it would endanger regional and global peace and stability, Kyodo reported. At the press announcement, Chinese Premier Li, who took office in March 2023, called for a "political settlement" of issues relating to North Korea through dialogue. Kyodo reported that officials from Japan, the United States and South Korea confirmed during phone talks that they will urge North Korea to cancel the plan as any launch of a projectile using ballistic missile technology constitutes a violation of UN Security Council resolutions that ban any launch using ballistic missile technology, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. North Korea's launch of a military reconnaissance satellite utilizing (intercontinental ballistic missile) technology is imminent," a senior presidential official said on Sunday as reported by Yonhap. "Given the possibility that various other missile provocations could accompany this, the government will maintain firm military readiness during and after the Korea-Japan-China summit," the official said. In November last year, North Korea said it placed its first military spy satellite into orbit and vowed to launch three more spy satellites this year. Meanwhile, South Korea successfully launched its second indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US. Yonhap News Agency reported on April 8 citing their defence ministry. It is the second military satellite launched under South Korea's plan to acquire five spy satellites by 2025 to monitor North Korea in a better way, Yonhap reported. Earlier on May 17, South Korea's military said that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast. Yonhap reported that said the launch came after the North fired 600-mm super-large shells, considered to be short-range ballistic missiles, toward the East Sea on April 22. In April this year, North Korea reportedly conducted a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack, featuring super-large multiple rocket launchers. Leader Kim Jong-un guided the drill to operate super-large multiple rocket units that will have an "important role in substantially strengthening the prompt counterattack capacity of the state nuclear force," Yonhap had quoted the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as saying. (ANI) The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) urgently called on the US Senate to pass the Uyghur Policy Act without delay to establish a Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues within the US State Department. The East Turkistani people have been advocating for such a position since 1997, seeking parity with Tibet in US policy. On February 20, 2024, the ETGE, leading a coalition of 60 East Turkistani and Uyghur organizations from across the diaspora, submitted a joint letter to Congress urging it to recognize East Turkistan as an occupied country enduring Chinese colonization and calling for the swift passage of the Uyghur Policy Act, read ETGE press release. "We urge the US Senate to act swiftly and decisively. The Uyghur Policy Act is not just a piece of legislation; it is a lifeline for millions suffering under China's brutal occupation in East Turkistan," stated the ETGE Minister for Foreign Affairs and Security, Salih Hudayar. The recent passage of the Resolve Tibet Act by the US Senate has brought hope to both Tibetans and East Turkistanis. However, there remains a clear inconsistency in US policy between its stance on East Turkistan and Tibet. In addition to the passage of the Uyghur Policy Act, the ETGE called on Congress to swiftly introduce and pass a Resolve East Turkistan Act, similar to the Resolve Tibet Act. Such legislation would reinforce the US commitment to addressing the root causes of the humanitarian crisis in East Turkistan and support the East Turkistani people's pursuit of justice and external self-determination. The ETGE is also called on the US to counter disinformation about East Turkistan propagated by the Chinese government and the CCP. This includes correcting historical narratives and using the native name East Turkistan instead of the Chinese colonial term "Xinjiang (New Territory or Colony)". The urgency of addressing the root cause of the ongoing Uyghur Genocide in East Turkistan cannot be overstated. Chinese colonization and occupation are at the heart of this crisis. The ETGE urged Congress to introduce and adopt a resolution recognizing East Turkistan's status as an occupied country, similar to US policy regarding Tibet. "The US Congress has a historic opportunity to lead the international community in standing up for justice, human rights, and self-determination. By passing the Uyghur Policy Act and recognizing East Turkistan's plight, they can help end the ongoing Uyghur Genocide and support our quest for freedom and self-determination in line with the existing US policies like the Captive Nations Law," said Dr Mamtimin Ala, President of the East Turkistan Government in Exile. The East Turkistan Government in Exile remains committed to advocating for the rights and freedoms of the East Turkistani people and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure their voices are heard and their plight addressed on the global stage. (ANI) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and a big part of his cabinet are likely to travel to India for intergovernmental consultation in the second half of 2024, said German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann on Monday. Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of an event, Ackermann said that the visit will help in preparing a roadmap for ties between the two nations. When asked about any upcoming visit by the German Chancellor or ministers, the envoy said: "We have to wait for the new government... In the second half of this year, we will have inter-governmental consultations in Delhi so the Chancellor and a big part of his cabinet will travel to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister...Sit together and try to figure out the roadmap for Indo-German relations in the coming years and I am looking forward to that." The German ambassador also lauded India's electoral process, terming it a fantastic exercise and said the participation of voters is unbelievable. General elections are being held in India from April 19 to June 1 in seven phases, to elect all 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on June 4. When asked whether he got a chance to go on the ground and see democracy in action, Ackermann said that his team travelled across India. "My team did all across India from Kashmir to Bangalore...It is a fantastic exercise...970 million voters, the logistical aspect alone is a masterpiece. We are looking forward to the 4th of June," Ackermann said. "...And I think it's a fantastic event. That's something that even in such a big country like India, you can organize so soundly and meticulously elections. And participation is unbelievable," he added. The German ambassador was speaking on the sidelines of a screening of a short film on wetlands. When asked how the two countries can work together on climate change, the ambassador said Germany and India have a sound partnership to tackle climate change. "With India, we are trying to develop wetlands. They are important in to fight against climate change. This is an enormous success story. We started 6-7 years ago. we started with 25 wetlands in India and now we are 80. It is a fantastic success story. We are very proud to be part of it," he said. Notably, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had visited India twice last year. It was in February 2023 that Scholz visited India. It was the first standalone visit by any German Chancellor since the commencement of the Inter-Governmental Consultation (IGC) mechanism between the two nations in 2011, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. He later came in September the same year to attend the G20 Summit under India's presidency. (ANI) The Baloch Yakjeheti Committee in a statement released on Sunday raised concerns over the alarming rise in the number of enforced disappearances, calling it an endless cycle of pain for the Baloch community. The statement also claimed that Pakistani law enforcement agencies in recent times have intensified the incidents of enforced disappearances especially in the Gwadar Area. According to the BYC statement enforced disappearances have plunged the entire Balochistan region into a cycle of trauma and suffering, creating endless anguish for the Baloch people. The increasing number of enforced disappearances and fake arrests in Gwadar remains a grave concern. https://x.com/BalochYakjehtiC/status/1794739047392223612 Reportedly, more than 25 incidents of enforced disappearances occurred in Surbandhan, an area of Gwadar district recently. While some of those who disappeared were later released, the whereabouts of Sameer, son of Hamza, Mohsin, son of Rahim Baksh, and Niaz, son of Abdaal, remain unknown. Additionally, on May 22, 2024, Muhammad Waheed and Nusrat were detained and forcibly disappeared by the forces in Gwadar, the report claimed. Enforced disappearance stands as the Pakistan security forces' primary tool to stifle Baloch's consciousness, viewing it as the key to suppressing Baloch's national identity. Hence, the BYC also demanded that the international community play a vital role in raising the voice of the Baloch community on the international level against the Pakistani administration. Previously, prominent Baloch leader Mahrang Balcoh, in her recent statement given at Oslo Norway stated that "during the last two decades, in the name of counter-insurgency operations and peace, a large number of people have been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces". "The area I belong to has been reeling from violence and insurgencies for the last seven decades. During these last two decades, in the name of counter-insurgency operations and peace, a large number of young men, mostly students, engineers, doctors, political activists, and journalists have been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security agencies," she said. She further stressed that these people have been detained in detention centres, and tortured, and their families didn't know about their whereabouts. "Not for days, but for years, even though there are cases that have been enforcedly disappeared for decades. And the family didn't know that their beloved ones were alive or dead," Baloch added. Mahrang Baloch emphasised that even today, it has been practised by fascist states, the oppressive states like Pakistan. While sharing her own experience of suffering at the hands of the Pakistani administration Baloch said, "I myself am a victim. My own father was disappeared by agents of Pakistani state in 2009. He was killed and his bullet-ridden body was found in 2011. When I was at 10th standard that was the day when my result was announced. That day, I found the body of my father, my younger brother disappeared when I was doing my graduation in medicine in 2017." "But my case is not exceptional. There are worse cases than this in Balochistan. Even though there are victims and there are families where no one is left to tell their stories. And even though there are villages that have been destroyed and no one is here to tell their stories."In her statement, she also said that there are hundreds of children, teenagers and young people whose fathers, uncles or brothers have been missing for weeks, months and in some of the worst cases years. "They do not know whether they are alive or not. Together with these youngsters, the majority of whom are women. I have been campaigning and pressing the Pakistan Supreme Court, Parliament and security forces to release those who have disappeared or at least present them before a court if they have committed any crime," she said. (ANI) Angry members of the Christian community took to the streets to protest after a Muslim mob attacked a Christian factory owner in Punjab's Sargodha district for alleged blasphemy, Union of Catholic Asian News reported. The incident occurred on May 25 when an angry mob, assaulted a Christian person, vandalized his house, and torched properties alleging an incident of 'blasphemy' in Mujahid Colony in Sargodha, Punjab province in Pakistan. "We demand justice for the [Christian] community. The tragedies are being repeated," said Nosherwan Iqbal, chairman of the Peace Committee in the Hazara division in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Christians gathered across th city from Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to southern Karachi in Sindh to protest against the mob attack on two houses and a shoe factory in Sargodha district in Punjab, as per UCA news. Following the incident, over 400 unidentified suspects have been charged, and 25 arrested, in Pakistan, under terrorism and other offences for attacking the Christian man and police officers in Sargodha district, approximately 200 kilometres from Lahore, Dawn reported. The Christian factory owner, Nazir Masih, is accused of burning the pages of the Quran in his residential area in Mujahid colony and was attacked by a mob, numbering over 400 and armed with batons, bricks, and stones. "Our brother, a businessman, was victimized. We are peaceful people being pushed to their limits," Iqbal told UCA News on May 26. The case was registered on behalf of the state under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 and sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). However, the police also registered a blasphemy case against the Christian man, a resident of Mujahid Colony, who was critically injured by the mob but survived the lynching attempt. He was booked on the report of an activist of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, identified as Muhammad Jahangir. A local resident, speaking to Dawn, reported that burnt pages of the Holy Quran were discovered on the cover of a water pump near the residence of a Christian man. However, no one witnessed him setting the pages on fire. The man's family is described as humble and not associated with such activities, as per Dawn. A mob of religious individuals attempted to lynch the Christian man on Saturday. According to a case filed by Station House Officer (SHO) Shahid Iqbal, locals, armed with sticks, stones, and weapons, gathered in front of the man's house and tried to break in. Amid police efforts, the Sargodha Peace Committee, and other residents tried to resolve the situation through dialogue, the mob set fire to a shoe unit owned by the man's son and attempted to enter his house from adjoining rooftops. The crowd also destroyed electricity meters and outdoor AC units outside the man's home and set them on fire. The situation was brought under control after a heavy contingent of police reached the spot. Station house officer Iqbal and other police officers on the scene saved the man from the burning house. However, as they brought him out, the mob surrounded them, threw stones, and beat them with sticks, severely injuring the man. According to the FIR, some women are also part of the violence. The case was registered under several sections of the ATA and PPC, including an attempt to murder, obstructing public officials in discharging their duty, assaulting a public official and mischief by fire or explosive material with intent to destroy a house or cause death or hurt. Following the incident, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar and Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal visited Sargodha and inspected the crime scene. In response to the incident, Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora took notice of the alleged blasphemy and contacted the Punjab home secretary. Under the supervision of Sargodha District Police Officer Asad Ijaz Malhi, the security of churches in the entire district was tightened and more than 1,000 security personnel were deployed at the churches on Sunday. Meanwhile, Sargodha District Police Officer Asad Ejaz Malhi told Dawn that the incident happened over an incident of alleged desecration. The police cordoned off two houses in the colony and "safely recovered all the residents," he said. Unverified footage on social media showed a mob surrounding an injured man and separate videos showing men, some of whom appeared to be teenagers, wrecking furniture outside a house, according to Dawn. Being asked about the videos, DPO Malhi said that these were "fake videos" and insisted that no one was hurt in Sargodha district. "Police is maintaining law and order," he added. More than 200 Christian families from Sargodha, half of them Catholics, have fled as the vital Punjab province witnessed another mob attack over blasphemy in August last year. This is one of the many episodes that highlight the precarious situation faced by religious minorities in Pakistan, who continue to face the threats of persecution and attacks. (ANI) The mood was solemn but the scene was admirable. Hundreds of U.S. flags most tiny, some towering waved under clear and sunny skies Monday at Springfield National Cemetery, where interred remains of Missouri veterans date back to the Revolutionary War. "You're a Grand Ol' Flag" filled the eardrums of dozens of families, groups and individuals who looked on near the white tombstones, courtesy of live music by the 135th Army Brass Band during a presentation of colors by the Republic Junior ROTC Honor Guard. Images from the Memorial Day commemoration ceremony at the Springfield National Cemetery on May 27, 2024. At the second annual Memorial Day event hosted by the Ozark Mountain Chapter Sons and Daughters of American Revolution, it was day of remembrance and tribute to the men and women who lost their lives serving their country. "If the flags around you don't inspire you for patriotism, check your pulse," said the chapter's president, Charles McMillan. Among the throngs of attendees, many who brought their own lawn chairs, were Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and state representatives Betsy Fogle and Stephanie Hein, who saw military garb represented from several wartime eras, including a musket salute near the conclusion of the event. Images from the Memorial Day commemoration ceremony at the Springfield National Cemetery on May 27, 2024. Retired Col. James Robinette, the event's keynote speaker and a Springfield native, gave praise to all who gave the ultimate sacrifice. He emphasized the service men and women who volunteered to serve following the 9/11 terror attacks. "We've all heard about the greatest generation of World War II," said Robinette, whose decorated military background includes time in Iraq. "I'd like to submit that the 9/11 generation is great as well." Retired Col. James Robinette speaks at the Memorial Day commemoration ceremony at the Springfield National Cemetery on May 27, 2024. Robinette discussed five Springfield and Greene County servicemen killed in Iraq during their respective tours, including Ronald Blystone, Jesse Givens, Randy Lamberson, Jessy Pollard and Joshua Peters. He touched on their duties, the families they left behind, and what they had previously done in their Ozarks community. "I ask you to reflect on these," Robinette said. "There are so many fallen, but so many times I feel like the young veterans in Springfield are invisible. They're not the ones who wear hats, they just don't, so I encourage you to seek them out, not only today, but all year." Images from the Memorial Day commemoration ceremony at the Springfield National Cemetery on May 27, 2024. Ozark Mountain Chapter chaplain Dan Philbrick gave the benediction to conclude the event, which, in an area that hosted several Memorial Day ceremonies, had a large showing in just its second year. "We want to preserve our history, the people who helped us become a free nation, educate the youth, and inspire patriotism," McMillan said. "It was a good showing today with some good groups." Ryan Collingwood covers a wide range of topics for the News-Leader with an emphasis on public safety. He can be reached by phone at 417-258-8174 and email at rcollingwood@news-leader.com. You can also follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Hundreds honor the fallen at Springfield Memorial Day event Workers with the Louisiana Secretary of State's office assemble voting machines in trailers at the Bourg Community Center in Terrebonne Parish on Nov. 8, 2021, ahead of the Nov. 13 statewide election. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) A voting systems law the Louisiana Legislature enacted three years ago to placate right-wing election deniers has made the task of buying voting machines so burdensome that lawmakers are now repealing parts of it. House Bill 856, sponsored by Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Pineville, would repeal requirements that the secretary of state use the states Administrative Procedure Act to purchase new machines and contract with at least three independent experts to certify the machines, among other stipulations in the law. The bill, which is pending a final concurrence vote in the House, sailed through both chambers without opposition, though the most significant parts of the legislation were only recently added through an amendment adopted Thursday on the Senate floor. The proposal repeals parts of a statute lawmakers passed in 2021, Act 480, which created the Voting System Commission within the Louisiana Department of State. Comprised of government officials who serve without compensation, the commission is charged with analyzing any available voting systems and recommending a specific type to the secretary of state. The 2021 law also created a separate Voting System Proposal Evaluation Committee to independently review vendors that submitted bids before making a final recommendation. Joel Watson, spokesperson for Secretary of State Nancy Landry, said the process involves multiple layers of bureaucratic red tape that will delay the purchase of new voting machines by an additional two years. No other agency has to go through this kind of process, Watson said. Johnsons bill would retain the Voting System Commission and the Voting System Proposal Evaluation Committee with some small changes. But it repeals requirements that the secretary of state create rules under the Administrative Procedure Act for the purchase of any voting systems and hire at least three independent experts to certify the machines. We didnt want to take away these parts of the bill geared toward transparency, Watson said. We just didnt want to have to go through a massive two-year-extra process The system we have now is far too old to go through a process that would add two additional years. The states current voting machines are almost 35 years old and have become difficult and costly to repair because parts are no longer made for such outdated systems. If Johnsons bill becomes law, it will take an estimated three years to acquire new systems as opposed to five, Watson said. Lawmakers created the Voting System Commission and all the other sweeping requirements under pressure from a small group of Trump supporters who went to the State Capitol several times during the 2021 legislative session and bogged down committee hearings with far-fetched election conspiracy theories involving the 2020 presidential election. They offered no actual evidence to support what they alleged, but some Republican lawmakers embraced the lies. Many of the baseless claims were about Dominion Voting Systems, a voting machine vendor that many Trump supporters falsely accused of rigging the election. In 2023, Dominion won a nearly $800 million defamation lawsuit settlement against Fox News, which spread some of the conspiracy theories. Court filings, as detailed in the New York Times and other sources, exposed scores of embarrassing internal emails and text messages showing Foxs biggest TV personalities and executives collaborating with top GOP operatives and knowingly repeating lies on the air. By that time, much of the damage caused by Trumps Big Lie had already taken its toll. In 2021, Louisiana Republicans had forced then-Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, also a Republican, to cancel open bidding for new voting machines because they said the bid language was too favorable to Dominion. When Landry attended a May 8 Senate committee hearing on the bill, Sen. Greg Miller, R-Norco, asked her for an update on the purchase of new voting machines. Landry was Ardoins first assistant secretary before replacing her former boss in January. It seems like forever weve been hearing about new voting machines, Miller said. I think really since before around 2015 or so. Landry said its her number one priority but told Miller the 2021 law has turned it into a long and drawn out process. The post Louisiana struggles to buy new voting machines after placating election deniers appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday said it has approved a loan of 500 million U.S. dollars to strengthen Indonesia's program to reduce plastic marine debris, Azernews reports citing Xinhua. The program will focus on supporting the country's National Action Plan for Handling Marine Debris, which aims to reduce plastic waste flow into the oceans by 70 percent by 2025, the ADB said. "ADB is pleased to partner with Indonesia to reduce marine debris while promoting the development of the blue economy," said ADB Country Director for Indonesia Jiro Tominaga. Rampant plastic pollution has threatened Indonesia's coastal areas, home to 70 percent of the country's population and vital for major economic contributors including marine tourism and fisheries. By approving the loan, the ADB promises to support Indonesia's action plan by improving plastic waste management, reducing problematic plastic production and consumption, and strengthening data and monitoring tools for policy making. Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert! SENATE CONFIRMS FEDERAL JUDGE FOR SACRAMENTO AREA Via Gillian Brassil... Judge Dena M. Coggins was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week to the federal court that covers Sacramento. Coggins, who since 2021 has been a judge on the Sacramento County Superior Court, will be the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. She is also of Asian American descent. Coggins will officially join the federal bench in September when Chief District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller takes senior status, a reduced workload that judges can take after meeting certain age and years of service requirements. A Sacramento native, Coggins will remain there as part of the federal bench. Since 2023, Coggins has been presiding judge of the juvenile court in the Sacramento Count Superior Court. Before this, she was an administrative law judge at Californias Office of Administrative Hearings, which oversees hearings for state and local agencies. She also previously served as a deputy legal affairs secretary to former Gov. Jerry Brown and was a supervising attorney on the California Victim Compensation Board. She earned her bachelors degree at California State University, Sacramento, in 2003 and her juris doctor at University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, in 2006. The Eastern District covers federal court matters from the California-Oregon border through Bakersfield along the Nevada border. There are four federal court districts in California. Coggins was the 201st judicial nominee that President Joe Biden has had confirmed by the Senate. Biden has picked more women, people of color and LGBTQ people as judicial nominees than any U.S. president, according to The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Among them is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the nations highest bench. QUOTE OF THE DAY Up next: birth control. - California Gov. Gavin Newsom, discussing the Louisiana Legislatures recent vote to declare abortion pills dangerous substances, via X. Best of The Bee: Fact check: California lawmaker statements about parents of transgender children are wrong, via Andrew Sheeler . Newsoms budget wont fund key homeless programs. Democrats want to claw money back, via Lindsey Holden . Can the California Coastal Commission decide if trans women get to surf in womens competitions? Via Jenavieve Hatch . Ending menstrual health stigma? Education may be the answer, lawmakers and educators say, via Emma Hall. State of emergency remains in parts of Oklahoma following deadly storms People help clean up storm damage at a family's home Sunday in Pryor. Two women were killed during the storm at a home next door. Two women were killed, dozens were injured and Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency in more than two-dozen counties after severe storms and tornadoes tore through parts of Oklahoma during the Memorial Day weekend. News outlets in northeast Oklahoma reported that Linda Lee, 62, and her daughter-in-law, Tawna Lee, in her 30s, died near Pryor when a tornado hit the area on Saturday. The city of Claremore and Rogers County confirmed 23 storm-related injuries as of early Monday. About 8,400 power outages remained Monday, with the highest outages in Rogers, Mayes, Delaware, McCurtain and Choctaw counties, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. The state Emergency Operations Center remained activated. Counties included in the state of emergency are Blaine, Carter, Cleveland, Canadian, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Custer, Delaware, Garfield, Hughes, Jackson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Love, Mayes, McClain, Murray, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Payne, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Tillman, Wagoner, Washington, Washita, Woods and Woodward. Our hearts are with our fellow Oklahomans impacted by yesterdays damaging storms, state Attorney General Gentner Drummond posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. We are also deeply thankful for the meteorologists, first responders & all others who work tirelessly this time of year ensuring that Oklahomans are informed and prepared. A line of severe storms formed Saturday afternoon and moved across Oklahoma through the night, producing large hail in some areas and at least three tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service in Norman. One tornado spotted in northwestern Oklahoma near Mutual tore down trees and caused damage to several structures. First responders continued to serve impacted communities across the state. Where to get help The state Emergency Management Department stated in a news release that The American Red Cross had opened two shelters for residents displaced by the storms. In Claremore, the shelter was set up at Memorial Heights Baptist Church, 1500 W Will Rogers Blvd. And, in Colcord, the shelter was at Colcord Community Center, 433 S Larmon St. Also, the Salvation Army and Oklahoma Baptist Relief were providing meals and snacks for responders in Claremore. The news release said Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief has volunteers in northeast Oklahoma to help residents with tree debris and other needs. To request assistance, call 1-844-690-9198 or go to www.okdisasterhelp.org. Additionally, Oklahoma Department of Transportation crews have been helping clear debris from roadways and provided additional road closure signage in Rogers County. And the Oklahoma Highway Patrol was assisting with traffic control in and around damage sites in numerous locations. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry requested support from the Oklahoma Large Animal Response Team and Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps to provide transportation for horses from the damaged Will Rogers Downs stables to the Tulsa Fairgrounds, the release stated. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management is asking residents impacted by the storms to report damages to their property at damage.ok.gov. The department noted that the states price gouging statute is in effect. The Emergency Price Stabilization Act prohibits an increase of more than 10% for the price of goods and services after a declared emergency. More storms? The National Weather Service is forecasting a risk of severe storms continuing Tuesday morning across Oklahoma and western and north Texas. Large hail and damaging wind are possible. Thunderstorms are possible each day through Sunday with most widespread storms predicted during overnight hours as they move into Oklahoma and north Texas from the high plains, according to the weather service. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Emergency crews continue to respond following deadly storms in Oklahoma OSAKA, May 27 (News On Japan) - In recent years, more companies have emerged to assist elderly individuals in decluttering their homes when moving into care facilities. While most of the collected furniture and items are typically discarded, one company in Sakai City has taken a different approach by showcasing these items in an exhibition titled 'Toki no Kotodute'. Stepping into this exhibit feels like a time slip, with retro items such as a brown tube television, a floral thermos, and a vintage refrigerator creating a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of a Showa-era living room. A visitor in their fifties remarked, 'It's nostalgic. It reminds me of my childhood and my father's belongings.' The furniture and appliances on display were once destined for disposal. However, Tatsuya Isono, who runs a decluttering business in Sakai City, saw potential in these items. He began the 'Toki no Kotodute' exhibition two years ago, showcasing the items at care facilities and events to bring smiles to people's faces. Isono's journey began when he was asked to assist an elderly couple whose sister was moving into a care facility. The couple couldn't take all their belongings to the small facility. As Isono and his team sorted through the items, they were struck by the quality and historical value of many pieces, such as a still-functional vintage vacuum cleaner and an old iron. These items, which might be considered treasures today, offer a glimpse into the past. Isono believes they hold sentimental value for the elderly, who often kept things from their era in excellent condition. The exhibition aims to reconnect people with these memories, creating a comforting and familiar space. The 'Toki no Kotodute' exhibit has been a great success, generating positive feedback and helping Isono's business thrive. It has evolved into a strategic initiative, not just a goodwill project, as it also serves as a marketing tool for his decluttering services. The increased exposure has led to a record year for the company. As the exhibition continues, Isono and his team bring new ideas to each display. The latest theme features an ordinary household from the 1980s, complete with a large brown tube television and a cozy child's room. The aim is to evoke memories and bring joy to visitors, especially those suffering from dementia. Through 'Toki no Kotodute', items that had once fulfilled their functional roles are given new life and continue to tell their stories. This initiative ensures that the baton of memories is passed on, creating a bridge between the past and present. Source: KTV NEWS FUKUOKA, May 27 (News On Japan) - Two 15-year-old boys were arrested on May 19 for an attempted robbery at the Lalaport Fukuoka shopping facility in Fukuoka City's Hakata Ward. The boys, a junior high school student from Fukuoka City's Hakata Ward and a high school student from Sasaguri Town in Fukuoka Prefecture, are both 15 years old. According to the police, around 7 p.m. on May 19, the two boys allegedly threatened four junior high school boys with a knife-like object at Lalaport Fukuoka, saying, 'I'll cut your throat,' and 'Do you have money?' They also kicked the boys in an attempt to rob them. Fortunately, a security guard arrived at the scene in time, preventing any theft or injuries to the four junior high school boys. Footage from security cameras and other evidence led to the identification of the two boys. The junior high school boy turned himself in to the police two days after the incident. The high school boy was arrested early Sunday morning (May 26). The police have not disclosed whether the two boys have admitted to the charges. Source: FBS TOKYO, May 27 (News On Japan) - With Japan facing a declining birthrate and aging population, inbound tourism is expected to be one of the few growth engines. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan welcomed around 32 million tourists. However, globally, France attracts about 89.3 million inbound tourists with a population of around 68 million, indicating significant potential for Japan. Targeting inbound tourists from Southeast Asia, ANA Group's new airline "AirJapan" aims to carve out a "third genre" that's neither a full-service carrier nor a low-cost carrier (LCC). "AirJapan" plans to attract foreign tourists to regional areas. Will the strategy of President Hideki Mineguchi, once called the "Regional Revitalization Contractor" at ANA, succeed? Meanwhile, a new company aims to democratize business jets, typically seen as the domain of the elite, by slashing prices. This company, Microjet, was founded by Shinichi Nishikubo, former president of Skymark Airlines. After disappearing from the public eye following Skymark's bankruptcy, Nishikubo was driven back to the aviation industry by young aviation graduates. Determined to create an unprecedented business jet, Nishikubo is on a mission. We follow the journey of these unconventional airlines as they break new ground. AirJapan just began operations in February. It's an unconventional airline. Pre-ordered in-flight meals can be chosen from 13 different options, all featuring Japanese cuisine such as oyakodon and sushi. One-way fares from Narita to Bangkok start at 17,000 yen, with high-season fares around 50,000 yen. All 324 leather seats are economy class, with more space than typical low-cost carriers since there is no business class. This airline aims to balance service and price, offering an unprecedented experience. The diverse menu allows foreign passengers to experience Japanese food culture while flying. The cabin attendants play a crucial role in this experience. They actively explore local attractions and products, bringing them back to the airline. Takeuchi commented, "We want to promote Japan's new charms and attract people to regional areas." For 18 months, we had exclusive access to the birth of this unique airline. Mineguchi, known for his regional revitalization efforts at ANA, commented, "Our mission is to invigorate Japan by bringing customers from Asia to not just major cities but also regional areas." This unconventional airline has started flying the skies of Japan, introducing a third option beyond LCCs and full-service carriers. Their strong desire is to attract tourists to regional areas. Mineguchi visits Tsunan Town in Niigata Prefecture, one of Japan's snowiest areas with up to 3 meters of snowfall in winter. He is welcomed by Mayor Kawahara, who became the youngest mayor in Japan at age 28 in 2018. The discussion revolves around attracting tourists. "The lack of transportation infrastructure is a weakness," says Kawahara. The nearest Shinkansen station is Echigo-Yuzawa, about 70 minutes from Tokyo Station. However, it's another hour by car from the station to Tsunan, making it difficult to attract tourists. Mineguchi considers the idea and says, "Events, no matter how silly, can be very effective." Source: BIZ YAMANASHI, May 28 (News On Japan) - To prevent issues caused by tourists littering and trespassing to take photos that appear as if Mt. Fuji is sitting atop the Lawson store, a black screen was installed. This measure, however, has sparked mixed reactions on social media. The installation of the black screen followed numerous incidents of poor behavior from tourists, such as littering, trespassing, and obstructing traffic. This screen, measuring 25 meters wide and 2.5 meters high, was put in place to block the view. Despite the screen, some tourists have found ways to capture images, including standing on each other's shoulders to take pictures over the barrier. Locals have expressed confusion and frustration over the lengths some visitors will go to for a photo. The director of the investigation, who has a diverse background including working as a bank employee and is from Aichi Prefecture, decided to visit Mt. Fuji Village early in the morning. Even though it was cloudy, the director was still fascinated by the beauty of Mt. Fuji. Upon reaching the Lawson, they observed fewer tourists than usual, possibly due to the screen. However, some tourists were still attempting to take pictures of the screen itself. One local taxi driver noted that traffic conditions had improved since the screen's installation. Interestingly, tourists have started visiting another Lawson about 1km away where they can still capture the iconic image of Mt. Fuji atop the store. This suggests that while the screen may have addressed issues at the original location, it has not entirely solved the problem. The local administration is now considering adding QR codes to the screen to direct tourists to other scenic spots in the town. They are also looking into changing the color of the screen, as the black color has been perceived negatively. The cost of the screen, approximately 1.3 million yen, was covered by the town. Local residents near the screen have expressed concerns about the aesthetics and the disruption caused by tourists. The situation remains complex, with ongoing discussions on how best to manage tourism and preserve local life. Source: ABEMA After another round of storms caused damage to both public and private property, emergency management officials continue to request damage reports and pictures from the public. Were now included in three active State Proclamations of Disaster Emergency, its almost unprecedented, Doug Reed, director of emergency management for Pottawattamie County, said in a news release. Covering a county of over 93,000 square miles can be challenging for our staff of three, so reports from the public are crucial in expediting the process to help identify needs and apply for assistance programs that can help our jurisdictions, residents and businesses." Damages for the most recent storms occurring in the county are being requested from those impacted. Any renters, homeowners, or businesses that have not yet reported their damages for the May 6 or May 20 through May 24 storms should do so on the emergency management website. Please indicate the exact date damages occurred and provide photos if possible. Currently, the following disaster declarations have been made: Severe storms and tornadoes on April 26: Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for FEMA Individual Assistance and Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance. FEMA Public Assistance program is being requested. Severe storms and tornadoes on May 6: Governors Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for state assistance to local governments, Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program, and Iowa Disaster Case Advocacy Program. Severe storms, tornadoes and derecho on May 20 through May 24: Governors Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for state assistance to local governments, Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program, and Iowa Disaster Case Advocacy Program. An expedited Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for FEMA Individual and Public Assistance is being requested. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved the governors request for the activation of U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster assistance in the state and Pottawattamie County. Impacted farmers in Pottawattamie County should report their damage and inquire on available assistance programs through their FSA Service Center in Oakland or Council Bluffs. Information and links to available assistance programs and ways you can contribute to disaster relief can be found through Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency at pcema-ia.org and Share Iowa at sharegoodiowa.org. Both websites are updated as information is received from partners and service providers. By Alimat Aliyeva On May 27, South Korean President Yun Seok-yeon, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold a trilateral meeting in Seoul, Azernews reports. This is the first joint meeting of the leaders of the three Asian countries after December 2019. The sides discussed deepening trade and economic cooperation, cooperation in the field of healthcare, science and technology, disaster management, as well as exchange between peoples. At the meeting, 2025 and 2026 were declared the Years of Cultural Exchange between China, Japan and South Korea. According to media reports, regional and international issues were also on the agenda of the meeting. A joint statement is expected to be adopted following the meeting. The leaders will also take part in a business forum, which will be organized with the participation of businessmen from all three countries. The bilateral meetings took place on May 26. It should be noted that although trade and economic cooperation between China, Japan and South Korea, which are economically large Asian countries, is quite widespread, there are dissatisfactions between the parties from a political point of view. China is a trading partner of both South Korea and Japan, and the United States is a political and even military ally of Tokyo and Seoul. In addition, Seoul and Tokyo want China to put pressure on North Korea, with which it has close relations, to stop its nuclear missile activities. Beijing, on the other hand, opposes an increase in the military presence of the Western bloc in the region, led by the United States through South Korea and Japan. Uganda and Kenya have expressed readiness to lease farming land to Indian firms, in a bid to attract investments, the Hindubusinessline.com reported. The Kenyan government has agreed to lease land with a condition that 20 per cent of revenue should be paid as an export tax, the Indian media reported. Meanwhile, Uganda agreed to provide a minimum of 100 acres to each investor, the media said. The two countries are also looking to cooperate with India on key crops such as rice, wheat, millets, livestock, biogas, and fertilisers. Uganda and Kenya have comparative populations of 49 million and 56 million respectively, as they also struggle to ensure their food security among adverse climate change impacts. Leasing lands, often described as land grabbing by foreign investors, has been criticized by rights groups and environmental NGOs as destructive to local farmers and detrimental to Africas food security. The emphasis on export-oriented corps meant that domestic African markets benefit little from leases. Nigerian president Bola Tinubu said Africas regional bodies should set up military forces to fend off terrorism and military coups. Speaking at a recent event in Abuja dubbed the State of Democracy in Africa, Tinubu said that empowering regional blocs to have their own stand by forces would thwart military coups and act as a bulwark against the surge of terrorism. Tinubu called for revitalisation of sub-regional blocs, like Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), East African Community (EAC), and Southern African Development Community (SADC), as vehicles to usher in an era of robust intra-African commerce, economic growth, and job creation. Of all African regional blocs, the Maghreb union (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania), remains the least integrated, due to Algerias border closure with Morocco. As African regional blocs forge ahead with open markets, cross border energy cooperation and freedom of movement, Algeria locks itself in, hosts and backs the Polisario separatists, and cuts ties unilaterally with its most industrialized neighbor Morocco. Managem, a Moroccan mining company, said it lowered cobalt production at its Bou Azzer mine due to falling prices, as it reports a drop in first quarter revenue. The company opted for preserving resources in this low prices context, it said in a statement, noting a 13% drop in first quarter revenue. Cobalt is a critical mineral in energy transition and a key component of electric batteries. Managem also reported a temporary halt at its Guemassa mine, as it pursues works to protect against earthquake. It said low cobalt sales were compensated by higher gold, copper and silver prices. Managem has previously announced a resumption of gold production in its Sudan mine. it successfully raised 3 billion dirhams (300 million dollars) in April to finance its expansion plans in Morocco and Africa. In January, Managem said it plans to increase its revenue by 50% from 9 billion dirhams currently, as it plans to increase gold and copper production starting from 2025. The military rulers of Burkina Faso extended their stay in power for five more years, state-owned broadcaster said. Current leader Capt Ibrahim Traore will be able to run for the next presidential elections, the broadcaster said, citing the conclusions of a national dialogue. Traore took power following a coup two years ago, setting the country on an anti-west track that led to sacking French troops and closer ties with Russia. Burkina Faso is the second coup-hit Sahel state to extend military rule, following Mali. Traore said the priority was to fight terrorist groups instead of holding elections. Terrorist activity worsened under-development in the poor country and pushed 2 million people out of their homes. As Jihadist groups continue to wreak havoc in the wider Sahel, Burkina Faso suffered the most, accounting for almost a quarter of people killed in terrorist attacks globally in 2023, according to Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace. The countrys army seized power in 2022, but more than a third of Burkina Faso is controlled by insurgents. The international community and human rights groups, including the European Union and UN, have accused Burkina Faso of serious human rights violations in its fight against Islamists, including the indiscriminate killings and forced disappearances of dozens of civilians. Photo: AFP via Getty Images Last week, Karim Khan, the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, announced that he is seeking a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three top figures in Hamas for war crimes and crimes against humanity. If the warrants which were vouched for by a committee of advisors who approved of Khans decision are granted by a panel of three judges considering the charges, it could place Israel and the United States in a difficult situation. To understand the significance and the limits of Khans decision, I spoke with William Schabas, an attorney and human rights scholar who has studied the ICC. What is your opinion of Karim Khans arrest warrant and the charges against both Netanyahu and Gallant and the leaders of Hamas? The application [for the warrants] has done a very unusual thing of being based on this statement from several very distinguished jurists who basically endorsed Khans approach. This gives it a lot of credibility. Although, of course, the judges who will rule on it are independent, theyre not bound by it. But its an unprecedented move. This has never been done. The idea that he had this committee of advisors who not only gave him the green light, but also wrote their own opinion about what hes proposing to do has never been done before. This is quite unprecedented. It seems significant that, on Israel, Khan has focused on the country abetting starvation and not allowing aid in, rather than civilian deaths caused by Israeli airstrikes. According to the rules of conflict, it is easier to prosecute those acts regarding starvation compared to the military actions? Prosecuting what we call the battlefield crimes, the targeting, the bombing and so on, is notoriously difficult to do because youre in an environment where heavy weapons are being used, where theres fighting going on, and one side says, Well, we thought that was a military objective, and the other side says, Well, but it wasnt. It was civilians. Its still a defense if you thought it was a military objective, and you have reasonable grounds to think it was. The issue of starvation is also a policy issue that goes right to the top, which may explain Khans choice of the charges. If he was going to prosecute for a bomb that was dropped on a civilian, that decision could be traced to a lieutenant or a colonel, but it would be hard to join up the dots to get to the Prime Minister or the Minister of Defense. But starvation is a crime of policy. Its much easier to join the dots up to the responsibility of the people at the top than when its about targeting issues on the battlefield. What will the three judges on the panel consider when theyre considering granting the warrant? What goes into that process? They have to make a decision that the evidence provides reasonable grounds to believe that the individual committed the crime, and they will also have to assess whether there is jurisdiction. The ICC has a limited jurisdiction because it doesnt apply to every country. It applies only to the countries that have joined the court, their territory, and their citizens. And in rare cases, it applies also when the Security Council has authorized it. But that doesnt concern us here. Its not relevant to the current situation of Israel and Palestine. They have to ensure that this jurisdiction exists, and that includes, of course, that the allegation has to be one of the crimes in the Rome Statute. In this case, its war crimes and crimes against humanity. There are four categories of crimes: war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression. So aggression doesnt apply here. It could be genocide, but the prosecutor has decided not to charge genocide. Palestine has signed the Rome Statute, but Israel has not. According to the ICC, is there jurisdiction here? Israel doesnt have to be a member for the court to have jurisdiction if the acts are committed on the territory of Palestine. And presumably, the basis of the jurisdiction for the Hamas attackers on the 7th of October is that they are considered to be citizens or nationalists in Palestine. How would it affect the court if the United States issues sanctions to ICC members related to this prosecution? I dont think it will. The only thing it would do would be to anger people at the court. There have been measures in the past. There were measures taken under the Trump administration. And these did not have any consequence in terms of intimidating people. It was visible. Of course, you never know. People who are intimidated, they give other explanations for why they take decisions. So its very difficult to measure the effect. But my impression is that the measures that were adopted under the Trump administration did not have any significant effect and didnt work. These involved things like denying visas to members of the court so that they couldnt travel to the United States. Its not the most painful thing you can inflict upon a person. In response to the warrant applications, Israel has said that it has not had enough time to investigate internally. I was wondering if you had an opinion on that defense. If were talking about atrocities, targeting issues and so on, committed by individual soldiers or units, Israel will contend that it has its own military justice system and that it investigates these matters. And if its successful in demonstrating that thats a reality, then the court could be blocked from proceeding with prosecutions. But once again, if its a policy issue that goes right to the top, like denying access to the Gaza Strip and preventing food and other necessities of life from getting there, these are not going to be crimes under Israeli law. I think it would be very unlikely that Israel would be able to suggest that its investigating that type of measure. Is there a possibility that the ICC judges could rule that the violence in Gaza is Israel conducting its right to defend itself? International law is very clear that in a conflict, in an armed conflict, you cant starve the civilian population. This is really fundamental. They used to do that in the Middle Ages, but its prohibited by international law. So the claim that its acting in lawful self-defense would be accepted by the judges, but it wouldnt be a defense that would be able to counter or neutralize these charges. For Netanyahu and Gallant and Hamas leaders like Sinwar, what will happen to them in the next few months if the judges approve the warrants? Israel, of course, is under no legal obligation to cooperate with the court. Assuming the warrant is issued, if Gallant or Netanyahu were to travel to a member state of the court, like Switzerland or France or the U.K. or Canada, then those countries would be under an obligation to arrest them. But if this is the outcome, they wont go there. The likelihood of them being apprehended is slim. The same, I think, with the people in Hamas. Although perhaps the difference is that the state of Palestine is under an obligation to cooperate with the court. And so if warrants are issued, against those people, the territory of Palestine will have a legal duty to do it if it can do it. But of course, the authorities in Ramallah dont actually control what happens on the ground in Gaza at present. Itll be impossible for them to implement this as well. The one thing that could happen on both sides is that for the people charged, it may have the effect of marginalizing them from future political life. One of the challenges here is that if theres going to be any realistic negotiation between the two sides, its kind of hard to do that when the people at the top doing the negotiation are both wanted men. So it may have the effect of having to put some distance between them and the people who will be in charge. This happened back in 1995 at the end of the war in the Bosnia and Herzegovina when the two leaders of the Bosnian Serbs were charged by the Yugoslavia Tribunal, which had only begun operations the year before, and they didnt get to go to Dayton. And so at the negotiations where the peace agreement was reached, it was Slobodan Milosevic who represented them in a way, although he wasnt loyal to them. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. There are new developments possibly coming to an area between Gateway Drive and Cunningham Drive, the Opelika City Council announced during Tuesday's meeting. The council approved amending the zoning ordinance and map of almost 100 acres between Gateway Drive and Cunningham Drive from various zonings to a planned unit development. "The planned unit development is a mix of various uses, including commercial uses, and also several types of multifamily residential uses," City Attorney Guy Gunter III said. According to the ordinance, the owners of the 98.8 acres of property are Gateway Development, LLC, Cornerstone, LLC and Clark-Adams Development, LLC. The owners submitted a development plan to the city that is known as the "Thomason Drive Extension Planned Unit Development." On March 26, the Opelika Planning Commission conducted a public hearing of the proposed development and then sent a positive recommendation for approval to the City Council. According to the ordinance, the proposed development is "a mixed-use master planned development, consisting of various commercial uses, as well as several types of multi-family residential uses with corresponding open space areas and on-site stormwater detention. Multi-family residential uses include town homes, twin homes, apartments and cottages. Commercial uses are to be determined, but may include a shopping center, climate-controlled storage and other commercial/light industrial uses." The development will be accessed primarily from Gateway Drive and Cunningham Drive, but there will also be access to Frederick Road through Center Hill Drive. According to the ordinance, the City of Opelika has plans to construct a collector roadway from Gateway Drive to Cunningham Drive that will facilitate development opportunities within the area. Other City Council business During Mayor's Communications, Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller recognized the Kilgore Scholarship and Opelika Power Services/Alabama Municipal Electric Authority Scholarship recipients. Kelli Fischer, the principal at Opelika High School, explained that the Kilgore Scholarships were started by the Kilgore family and the top students at the high schools in Lee County receive the scholarships. For male students, they get $1,000 and the female students receive $1,500. Each scholarship is renewable for four year as the high school students continue their education. For the OPS/AMEA Scholarship recipients, each student received $2,500 to go toward a college in Alabama, according to Fuller. The council approved demolitions for structures at 500 Martin Luther King Blvd, 502 Martin Luther King Blvd and 108 Plum Ave. The demolition at 401 N. 16th Place remained on the table. The council approved a downtown street closure for a Red Clay Brewing food truck event on June 6. The council voted unanimously to re-appoint Tom Morris to the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority Election Committee. During citizen's comments, several citizens brought attention to various areas of Opelika that they wanted the city to address. Johnny Ivey is an Opelika resident who brought concerns about overgrown weeds around Opelika, particular ones in his neighborhood. Ivey said there was a lot of weed growth in certain areas of town. He said he felt some of the right-of-ways in his neighborhood have been neglected to the point where he feels they are unsafe and can affect driver's ability to see down the street. Billy U. Allen is from Stone Mountain, Ga. and he said there needs to be something done about neglected properties in Opelika. Allen said there will be public demonstrations and protests, though he made no announcement on when or where the protests would take place. Allen showed off signs that read "regulate all blighted properties" and "hold all property owners accountable." He said the main goal of the protest was to keep Opelika beautiful for all five wards. Anthony Pogue is the pastor at Bethesda Baptist Church and he said that he feels that the Opelika City Council needs to clean up the neighborhood surrounding the church, which is located on the corner of Avenue A and S. Fourth Street. Pogue, who attended the meeting with Bethesda's Board of Deacons, said the church recently spent around $600,000 on upgrades and renovations to the property. He said they are looking to spend between $800,000 and $1.2 million more, but that it is hard to justify the cost. "How can I convince a group of people to spend a million dollars not knowing if we're going to be able to pay for it, as people don't want to enter our community," Pogue said. Pogue said his main issues include sidewalks that are obstructed with grass and trees, some that extend into the roadway, as well as some unsafe properties nearby. He said that Avenue A feels like a different city. Larry Gray said he was concerned about drainage issues at the corner of Darden Street, Avenue C and Palmer Avenue, and he hopes someone from the city will look into it. Before the meeting came to an end, Ward 2 Councilwoman and President Pro-Tem Erica Baker Norris left her seat at the city council to speak at the podium as a citizen and to respond to complaints raised by Ivey. "In 2022, he and I spoke by phone about the exact same complaints. And I bought those complaints forward as well. And those things were never addressed. In fact, Mr. Ivey came to a city council meeting to address them in 2022, as well. And he was, I'd say, evicted from the city council meeting by President Smith at that time," Norris said. "I do want to say for the record, I agree with him. ...since 2022, I have been actively trying to get that issue resolved as well." 'Seinfeld' star Michael Richards is more than the worst thing that ever happened to them https://t.co/RnbvN9jx5T Los Angeles Times (@latimes) May 26, 2024 only [ I rewatched it so you don`t have to ] * He repeats the phrase "You can talk, you can talk, you can talk" which some have interpreted as a reference to * He then screams "Throw his ass out! He's a n****r!" * He calls the audience member the N-word several more times * Audience members start to boo and catcall him * He mocks them, saying "Ooooh, ooooh...this shocks you? This shocks you?" * An audience member or multiple members repeat the phrase "That was uncalled for" * Richards screams that it's "uncalled for you to interrupt my ass, you cheap motherfucker!" * Finally talking in a normal voice, he claims he's about to be arrested for calling a black man the N-word * But he starts screaming again and using the N-word when an audience calls him a "cracker-ass motherfucker" * An audience member calls him a "reject," mocking him for his lack of post-Seinfeld success * Richards appears to mockingly(?) agree, saying "you got me there, you're absolutely right. I'm just a wash up" * At this point many members of the audience can be seen getting up and leaving * The back-and-forth with the audience continues for a bit, with Richards saying "That's what happens when you interrupt the white man!" * He paces back and forth a bit more, saying "You see? There's still those words, those words, those words..." then unceremoniously leaves the stage * After a few moments, somebody else comes on stage and apologizes * He starts by screaming "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have had you upside down with a fucking fork up your ass!"* He repeats the phrase "You can talk, you can talk, you can talk" which some have interpreted as a reference to the Simpsons parody of Planet of the Apes * He then screams "Throw his ass out! He's a n****r!"* He calls the audience member the N-word several more times* Audience members start to boo and catcall him* He mocks them, saying "Ooooh, ooooh...this shocks you? This shocks you?"* An audience member or multiple members repeat the phrase "That was uncalled for"* Richards screams that it's "uncalled for you to interrupt my ass, you cheap motherfucker!"* Finally talking in a normal voice, he claims he's about to be arrested for calling a black man the N-word* But he starts screaming again and using the N-word when an audience calls him a "cracker-ass motherfucker"* An audience member calls him a "reject," mocking him for his lack of post-Seinfeld success* Richards appears to mockingly(?) agree, saying "you got me there, you're absolutely right. I'm just a wash up"* At this point many members of the audience can be seen getting up and leaving* The back-and-forth with the audience continues for a bit, with Richards saying "That's what happens when you interrupt the white man!"* He paces back and forth a bit more, saying "You see? There's still those words, those words, those words..." then unceremoniously leaves the stage* After a few moments, somebody else comes on stage and apologizes [ If you can`t deal with the 2ndhand embarrassment ] *The clip starts with Letterman asking Seinfeld for his reaction to Richards' explosion. Letterman mentions that "audiences were frightened" at Richards' stand-up performances that he'd seen in the past, but that "it was all in good fun" * Seinfeld says Richards is "upset" and "mystified" about the racist shit he said on stage and calls it "just one of those awful, awful things", then announces that Richards is available to appear by satellite * Richards appears onscreen, Letterman asks how he is: "I'm not doing too good" * Richards says "I lost my temper on stage" after being heckled and "went into a rage" * He says he said "some pretty nasty things to some Afro-Americans [sic]" * At this point audible laughter is heard from the audience; Seinfeld weakly admonishes them: "Stop laughing. It's not funny" * Letterman asks Richards if he was being heckled or just having people talking loudly during his set, and Richards says "that was going on too." * What follows next is the longest five seconds in Michael Richards' life, as he sits there silently with a hunted look in his eyes until the audience breaks up laughing (I feel like Letterman knew what he was doing here) * Now Richards looks even more uncomfortable, saying that he's "not sure [Letterman's show] is where I should be addressing the situation" * He says he heard Letterman made jokes about the incident and says "that's ok" but that "I'm really busted up over this" * He says he's "very, very sorry" to "the blacks, the Hispanics, the whites" * He expresses concern that his racist rant will lead to a "black-white conflict" and muses on "how blacks [sic] feel about Katrina", i.e. the 2006 hurricane that devastated low-income neighborhoods in New Orleans and neighboring areas * He says he's going to get to "the forcefield of this hostility" * Letterman asks Richards how he would have reacted if the "people doing the heckling" had been "white or Caucasian"; Richards says "I'm a performer; I push the envelope, I work in a very uncontrolled manner on stage" * Richards then stammers and stutters for a good thirty seconds before saying "I'm not a racist, that's what's so insane about this" * At this point Richards is visibly drowning; Letterman tries to throw him a lifeline, asking him if screaming racial slurs had been his attempt to "defuse the situation or make it lighter than it was." Richards agrees with this, saying he "tried to jiu-jitsu that" but "it didn't work out" * Letterman asks if Richards tried to apologize to the audience members that night, Richards stated he got back on stage afterward and apologized but wasn't able to find the specific audience members he insulted, saying "then of course they'd gone to the press," quickly adding "as I think they should" * Richards says "I think it's important for the Afro-American community [sic] to make sure this kind of crap doesn't come about" * Letterman asks, "Having apologized, is there much more you can do?" Richards says "I just have to do personal work" * Letterman throws the floor over to Jerry, who says that nothing "justifies what happened" (there's that passive voice again) but that he knows "how shattered [Richards] is by this" and that "he deserves a chance to apologize" * Letterman wraps up the interview with Richards, saying "I hope you don't regret appearing on the show"; Richards only responds with a goodbye wave before his signal cuts out * Letterman jokes to Jerry, "I guess we can all go home now," to which Jerry remarks that "this will be a breeze to segue back to comedy" "Seinfeld" star Michael Richards says "I'm not racist" or "looking for a comeback" as he returns to the spotlight nearly 18 years after a racist outburst: I have nothing against Black people." My anger was all over the place and it came through hard and fast. Anger is quite a pic.twitter.com/nU3e3ZpER6 Variety (@Variety) May 22, 2024 Michael Richards Revisits "Kramer" and the rant that roiled his reputation https://t.co/L5cLJjccKC pic.twitter.com/Wo5qcMyzH2 Newsweek (@Newsweek) May 26, 2024 Former #Seinfeld star Michael Richards doesnt ever expect forgiveness for that racist rant while performing at the Laugh Factory in 2006 that tanked his career. In his words, hes not looking for a comeback. Read more https://t.co/8ZdPFq3GlD pic.twitter.com/Xhv1cISS9T TheWrap (@TheWrap) May 22, 2024 Why 'Seinfeld''s Michael Richards is Opening Up About His Life Now Including the Laugh Factory Incident (Exclusive) https://t.co/zJFAhm1vaw People (@people) May 22, 2024 Seinfeld actor Michael Richards reveals prostate cancer battle: I wouldve been dead in 8 months https://t.co/QujSu6oMAK pic.twitter.com/IW28lEv4x9 New York Post (@nypost) May 23, 2024 Once upon a time Michael Richards wasbest known as the nutty neighbor Cosmo Kramer on. That all changed in November of 2006, when he launched into a racist rant on the stage of the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. The backlash was swift, and despite a public apology delivered on Late Night with David Letterman, Richards' career has been dead in the water ever since. But now he's got a new book out, and he's doing a series of media appearances ostensibly to promote it but really to test the waters and see if America is willing to forgive his racist outburst 18 years later and allow him to return to some level of public fame once again. And the press and the media are happy to help (note the use of passive voice in the above tweet).Before something "happened" to Richards, he was of course beloved by America for his role as the pratfalling, scheming oddball Kramer on Jerry Seinfeld's hit sitcom. Richards was a regular cast member from the show's first episode, and largely due to his gift for physical comedy and his performance as the eccentric Kramer, the character quickly became a fan favorite. However, upon's run ending in 1998, Richards seemed unable to parlay the goodwill the Kramer character had engendered into further success; a sitcom,, designed as a post-Seinfeld star vehicle for him, cast Richards as an inept private detective. It only lasted a few weeks before being unceremoniously canceled. It was apparently an unmitigated disaster for Richards' career, as IMDb has no roles at all listed for him over the next several years.Unable to get TV or film work, Richards turned to stand-up to make a living (something that comedian friends of his later said he had little experience of), which is what he was doing on November 17, 2006. It was supposed to be just another Friday night at the Hollywood Laugh Factory, one of a franchise of stand up venues located throughout the US. However, according to reports from audience members, Richards took exception at a table of patrons who were apparently having a vocal conversation and being loud enough to disturb his performance. He reportedly said, "Look at the stupid Mexicans and blacks being loud up there." One audience member retorted that he didn't think Richards was funny, which appeared to provoke the below outburst from Richards:It's worth noting that Richards didn't just hurl racist slurs; he actively gloried in America's past of white supremacy and openly yearned for a time when he could have had his critics lynched for speaking out against him, as well as acting like his whiteness gives him carte blance (no pun intended) to speak uninterrupted. Everything about that clip betrays a man who feels like he's been disrespected by his inferiors and has free rein to react however he feels.It instantly ignited a firestorm in the media. Fellow comedian Paul Rodriguez told CNN, "Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don't happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining." One publicist said "I've never seen anything like this in my life...I think it's a career ruiner for him." Sinbad, who was actually at attendance in Richards' performance, just said he "went crazy." Other media outlets were similarly scathing. (Incidentally, " Kramer Loses His Damn Mind " may just win the prize for all-time great ONTD post title). In a way, it was almost serendipitous: TMZ and YouTube were both in their infancy, and the sudden virality of Richards' video set the tone for how future celebrity scandals would play out, with the raw footage spreading all over the internet before the major media outlets could even turn around. Nobody was able to spin this or excuse it. Not that someone didn't try; Seinfeld himself appeared onthe following Monday, and midway through his segment, Letterman brought up the Richards incident, at which point Seinfeld announced that Richards was available by satellite to appear on the show and make an apology. It turned out to be a fiasco:One thing that modern-day viewers might not realize is the context here. At the time, Letterman's show tended to be steeped in irony. He would regularly make up bits of "celebrity news" or other facts that were completely fictitious, or introduce a famous "celebrity" that turned out to be a poor-quality impersonator. Very little was taken seriously on Letterman's show. So when Richards was introduced, appearing massively uncomfortable in a strange drab room that looked like something out of a Motel 6 in the dark heart of West Virginia somewhere, the audience could be forgiven for thinking it was some kind of bit. It was also Richards' bad timing that his eruption happened on a Friday, and the whole world had had the weekend to absorb it before he was able to go on Letterman Monday and attempt damage control. Future celebs bedeviled by scandal would learn the magic of the Notes app and the carefully massaged PR message, but Richards blundered headlong into further trouble with his flailing and floundering, inarticulate appearance, his inartful references to "how blacks feel" and "the Afro-American community", as well as seeming to imply that black people were so naturally violent that a racist tirade from a comedian would be enough to cause a "black-white conflict" to erupt around the nation.National Lampoon, of all things, authored what remains the definitive statement on the matter:In addition to appearing on Letterman and facilitating Richards' apology, Seinfeld threw his friend a bone by letting him voice a character inthe following year. A couple of years later, Larry David let Richards make a few guest appearances onpoking fun at the Laugh Factory incident.Jason Alexander was asked about Richards' racism on The Adam Carolla show last December (hey don't laugh, it's the number 1 podcast in the country!):Summing up, Alexander says "I love him completely," but says "the four of us don't see each other a lot." He goes on to praise Richards' talent and performance as Kramer effusively, crediting him with a share of the show's success. He also says "I know his heart, and that's all I can say about it."Julia Louis-Dreyfus has not spoken about Richards' racist outburst publicly that I'm aware of; anyone who has more information, feel free to let me know in the comments. However, she has stated that Richards took his acting very seriously on the set of Seinfeld, to the point of getting angry with the other actors when they'd start laughing in the middle of filming or make other mistakes. At one point he reportedly "joked" about hitting Louis-Dreyfus with a 2x4 piece of wood if she didn't stop blowing takes.Ultimately, despite the support of his co-stars, the only other steady work Richards was able to get was as a supporting player in, a sitcom produced by the cable channel TV Land, starring racist Scientologist and MAGA nut Kirstie Alley as an actress attempting to reconnect with the son she gave up for adoption. Comedy gold. The show lasted one season.Earlier this month, it was announced that Richards had a memoir coming out, which I'm not even gonna bother mentioning the title of because fuck him. Immediately, somehow, a full-court press effort happened, with multiple major media outlets giving Richards column space to cry about how sorry he is and how miserable his life has been since then. God knows where he got the money for this PR push; maybe Seinfeld tossed him a bag of bills in sympathy now that Seinfeld has decided his new mission in life is to rage against " the extreme left and PC crap ." But anyway, now Richards is going to make his failure of a life everybody's problem:In addition to the expected claims that he is "not a racist" and has "nothing against black people," the articles contain some fairly polished bits of public relations, as Richards goes on at length about how wrong he was, how sorry he is, how people were right to condemn him and he accepts all that. Along the way, we learn a few fun tibits like how he's taken up photography, underwent Jungian therapy, and went to Cambodia to study Hindu philosophy at one point. And there's the requisite pictures of him posing with a cute dog. The Los Angeles Times article even throws his family under the bus by calling him "a lonely kid raised by a working mother" (how dare she) and mentioning that his grandmother suffered from mental illness. He also mentions that he was so insecure about his performance skills during his time onthat he turned down offers to hostand be granted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Feel bad for him yet? Oh by the way, he had prostate cancer. Which yes, is bad and scary for anyone, but things like this just feel so calculated:I don't know why this post is so long. We all know "ONTD doesn't read" and there probably could have been a lot less words to use to describe this whole thing; sorry about that. It was just such a bizarre, surreal moment in pop culture; it was impossible to sit there watching the Letterman interview without this feeling of "is this really happening?" It will, of course, be up to the individual public to decide if Richards has done adequate penance for his remarks; of course 18 years is a lifetime in the world of celebrity. And if we really want to give the devil his due, the one saving grace we can allow Richards is that he hasn't taken the obvious off-ramp to cry "canceled" and use his infamy to develop a following among the rabid far right, like Louis CK, Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais, and so many other people we'd like to forget exist. Bar on the floor, etc. But it just rankles that this guy is given such a wide-ranging platform for his belated apology tour when there's so many talented comics and other artists out there who aren't straight white men that can't get a fraction of the same attention. Another title could have been "Daily Mail Online suffering extra slow news day". Reply Thread Link She cant sing for shit, but thats not her fault. Reply Thread Link If she had different parents she would be one of those joke auditions on American Idol who butcher "I will always love you " because nobody ever told them they can't sing. Reply Parent Thread Link Shes inherited the talent gene from her mother def not her father Reply Parent Thread Link Worst thing adults can do is put down a child because they are jealous of their social status. Reply Thread Link The worst, really? Reply Parent Thread Link i can think of at least 10 things that are worse than that, just off the top of my head Reply Parent Thread Link I read this as Jason Sudeikis in Were the Millers when hes questioning Scottie Ps about his misspelled tattoo Edited at 2024-05-27 02:46 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link y'all dont know what hyperbole is all of a sudden? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I dont think it's status jealousy person, it's more like, why did this role go to her instead of a more talented child that likely AUDITIONED for this? Reply Parent Thread Link Did people pay to watch this ? Reply Thread Link YES. the tickets in the front were damn near 3k Reply Parent Thread Link Oh, i would be PISSED Reply Parent Thread Link Well the audience deserved what they got I guess Reply Parent Thread Expand Link My friend flew to LA this weekend just to see this. Not quite sure why. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I saw other clips and they had Jennifer Hudson singing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight!" and Jeremy Irons (at 75!) singing 'Be Prepared'. I'd for sure pay just to see those two and be super pissed that the Simba role went to a KK kid. Edited at 2024-05-27 04:21 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I think it was the 30th anniversary special so I'm not sure they advertised that NW was singing a song? Reply Parent Thread Link https://instagram.com/p/C5yNbe5LUsP https://instagram.com/p/C5yOHr9JbMr https://instagram.com/p/C7Z8BCNSjSv Edited at 2024-05-27 07:35 pm (UTC) They paid for the full concert and "Lion King" live experience. No one was told about the child in any of the promo. Reply Parent Thread Link She's not good but I'm not here for eviscerating a child. Her parents shouldn't have done this to her as it's obvious what the reaction would be. Reply Thread Link THIS. This is it, this is the answer. Yes, she's giving a local-middle-school level performance, as opposed to a Hollywood Bowl calibre one, but that's on the KarJennerWest faction and their bullshit machinations, and the one that's suffering is this kid who's been offered up for scrutiny and mockery that she never should have faced in the first place. Reply Parent Thread Link Yup, this would be a hilarious thing to look back on if it were a grade school production but who knows if this child is even going to a real school. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link The comments I've seen have been going after the parents for using their money to get the spot. But not spending money to get her acting and singing classes. Reply Parent Thread Link I swear Kim just wanted her name back in the spotlight cuz no one cares anymore and now she gets to come out and play good mommy and defend her child from the evil people mocking her. She knew damn well she would be able to use her kid to play victim in the press. And lord knows Kanye aint on this planet mentally to know well enough to tell his kid no. Reply Parent Thread Link mte she should be doing this type of shit for fun not professionally on stage. this is so exploitative and sad. Reply Parent Thread Link Another child being exposed to humiliation online because their parents are pathetic and absolutely thristy for attention? Must be a day & country where social media exists. Reply Thread Link Beautiful gowns, great gowns... Ngl, shame on Kim for putting North in the spotlight at her tender age Reply Thread Link My daughter had a rough time with her peers and social media as an average bear. I couldnt imagine her having that type of spotlight on her. Thousands of people commenting and giving their opinions. Thats too much for a kid/tween/teen etc. Reply Parent Thread Link I am super tired so Im probably missing something obvious but why was your daughter an average bear? Is this theatre language or was she in a sub-par bear costume? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link mte, and the criticism should be directed at Kim, not at her daughter. It's one thing if your kid can't sing in an elementary school play... but why embarrass her like this Reply Parent Thread Link you act like kim even has a limp grasp of the concept of shame Reply Parent Thread Link Shes been pushing her kids on social media since they were born. Its sad. North in particular seems like a handful and I hope she turns out ok since shes still so young. She probably has to deal with the worst from Kim and Kanye, too, since shes the oldest. Reply Parent Thread Link Yes. My son is a month younger than North and I just cannot imagine. Reply Parent Thread Link This is it, tbh, a bunch of adults made some terrible decisions on behalf of this child that will have lasting consequences...theyre already such a hated family and things like this only make it worse. Reply Parent Thread Link Shes so desperate for her to be like blue Ivy but forgot that both her parents are insanely talented and gave her a lot of training Reply Parent Thread Link Lets leave the nepotism conversation for the adult children of celebs. North looks like shes having fun, and shes just a kid, so people saying shit about her should just sit down and wait for Kim to do something dumb (which will be in about a week). Reply Thread Link Right? She's 10. This is all on her dumbass parents. Reply Parent Thread Link Oh yeah, this has Kim and Kris written all over it, so Ill clown on them all day long for it. But its gross that people are saying garbage about a ten year old. Reply Parent Thread Link Lets leave the nepotism conversation for the adult children of celebs I feel like calling it nepotism is essentially the most generous thing that can be said here tho bc they're not listing any of the child's obvious shortcomings but simply pointing out the only reason why she's there. Reply Parent Thread Link I mean, if she had posted a video of herself online singing or her parents had paid for her to put on a show, then I could see the who cares, shes just having fun. But this is a concert people paid money to attend and they have to be subjected to a bad performance just because the kid has famous parents. That is absolute nepotism. Yeah, Im sure North was having fun, but that could have been one of the probably hundreds of very talented kids who auditioned doing that that the audience would have enjoyed. No, people shouldnt trash north, but Im all for trashing her parents and pointing out the nepotism. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, theres no need to make fun of north but just to shame Kim for putting her daughter in a position to be potentially mocked. Kim also clearly has no interest in teaching her kids on how to work hard or earn their opportunities, because if she did North wouldnt be up there. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I read earlier people bought actual tickets to see herlike 3k worth tickets If I bought with that type of money to watch a nepotism baby caterwauling to a Lion King song, I hope to god that money funds her to some professional vocal lessons Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yeah, when they're under-age it's just an extension of their parents' vanity. Reply Parent Thread Link I guess Kim wants her to compete with Blue Ivy. That poor child doesnt stand a chance Reply Thread Link Isnt North a really good painter? Why not lean into that rather than something she doesnt have a natural talent for? Reply Parent Thread Link yeah she def has artistic abilities, just not singing Reply Parent Thread Expand Link She really is, and she seems to have a genuine interest in doing it which is such a huge part of art. It's something I'm glad her parents (or at least Kim idk about Kanye) actively seem to be encouraging her to do and I hope continue to do so. Reply Parent Thread Link Probably because Kris doesnt know how to make money out of that. Reply Parent Thread Link Damn, let the baby paint :( Reply Parent Thread Link Im sure Kim and Kanye will scam and hustle their way to get a North an exhibit at MOMA or something soon Reply Parent Thread Link There was a clip of Blue Ivy at the start of a tour vs at the end and she danced amazingly at the end! Reply Parent Thread Link I knew a set of parents like this. Their girls could not sing. They could act but singing? Now way. The parents wouldnt acknowledge it. Many years and thousands of dollars on singing lessons hoping to get to broadway and they were just both bad singers. Years of trashing the deserving girls that did get the leading roles in the musicals and convincing their daughters that they were better. It turned their daughters bitter. One year, they hired a professional singer to duet with one of their daughters for a high school talent show. The only reason they got away with it was because the professional singer did homeschooling and was a resident of their town. They hired him though, he would have never been in the talent show otherwise. Her peers made fun of her behind her back because of course they did. I blame the parents. Too self absorbed to realize money cannot buy talent or the respect of others. All that money bought was two life long entitled victim complex mentalities. Reply Thread Link I know its important to lift your kids up and support them, but you can support them in an honest way. I love to sing, but I cant carry a tune to save my life. When I was a kid I wanted to sing a solo at the schools concert, and my mom was like, I know you love to sing, but youre not good at it, and singing a solo at the concert is not happening. I felt bad, but it was honest, and she was right, the music teacher would not have given me a solo. Reply Parent Thread Link As a tween, my daughter went through a phase where she desperately wanted to be on the TV show, Americas Got Talent. She begged me to take her to the auditions which people were camping overnight in line for. What was her prime time tv show worthy talent? I couldnt tell you and neither could she but she was adamant. In a gentle attempt to help her see the light I asked her, have you seen the people that have passed their auditions and make it onto the show? Yes. How do you think your talent compares and what would you do for your audition? . That was pretty much the end of it but she probably still resents me till this day for it (she is the biggest Leo I know behind my older sister). How mom didnt support her Hollywood dream and clipped her wings before she was even old enough to fly. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I had a girl like that in my grade. IDK how many times she auditioned for American Idol. She was not good. Reply Parent Thread Link My sister in law (husbands brothers wife) has been like this with her daughter for years, and I feel soooo terrible every time they send me a video of her on stage bc its just rough! shell be starting college soon; on her own, she is understanding its just not her forte, which is great bc I wouldnt want her dreams shattered. Clearly its been her mothers dreams projected on her. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link we had a girl who was not a great singer but always wanted the solos, so her mom would bully the music department. until high school, where the music teachers didn't put up with that shit. I wanted to see her audition for American Idol in front of Simon so bad. Reply Parent Thread Link One of the first things that really struck me about parenthood is that, if you're paying attention, your kid's personality is very easy to grasp, as are the things they like and are good at. The more committed you are to seeing them as a mini version of you, however, the more likely you are to fail them. Reply Parent Thread Link lol sometimes you just gotta realize you aren't born with it. my mom thought i could sing bc i was a piano player so i could sing in tune for sure and had a good ear but i just didn't have a voice in the slightest, like just weak vocal chords and terrible timbre. you gotta have more than just learned skill to excel Reply Parent Thread Link did kanye forget to add the autotune??? Reply Thread Link theres a woman whose kid was in the final 3 audition round for this role, she said she ended up hearing that kim pulled strings to have casting see north last minute & then dropped some cash to make it happen. idk if thats all true but i am sick of seeing this kid. shes not the publics kid yet it feels like were always witnessing renditions of her spring recital. shes being introduced at the hollywood bowl as brilliant but the performance caliber was not there. like its all just so wild Reply Thread Link are you talking about that blonde woman on tiktok? she's playing out a skit. Reply Parent Thread Link lol no not her, but i did see that this woman had dark hair & mentions the skit wasnt so far off Reply Parent Thread Expand Link that tracks Reply Parent Thread Link Kim doesnt need to pay to get North in; the Kardashians literally have a deal with Disney, Reply Parent Thread Link I believe everything except the payola. The Hollywood Bowl (famous as it is) knew this would be a ticket seller regardless of how talented North was or wasn't. Reply Parent Thread Link it is very school recital, but let's put the blame on the parents for putting her in this position in the first place Reply Thread Link there are talented kids on broadway or trained kids trying to break into theater who would have benefited from this exposure so the blame lies with those who organized this concert that thought stunt casting based on famous parents was the way to go. and the two narcissist parents that thought this was a good idea to begin with. Reply Thread Link And this is the "liberal" Pope that the Italian right party criticizes for being too "left wing"... Reply Thread Link Oh fuck off with the not his mother tongue nonsense, that doesnt prevent you from apologising the moment you realise it was wrong, but he didnt. Old urn next! Reply Thread Link It's really a bullshit excuse, that also confirms that he indeed said it I genuinely think that he thought it wouldn't come out to the press, since it was a closed-door meeting with bishops, and that he probably used often that word before, but this time someone among the presents "betrayed" him and went to the press Reply Parent Thread Link yeah, I've accidentally said some very offensive things in foreign languages, so I generally grant people a lot of leeway when it comes to hearing something, assuming you understand the meaning and that it's appropriate to say, and then discovering very quickly that you were wrong. but you have to apologize and try to do better in the future. this... is not that. in his case, I remember hearing that he learned Italian before becoming pope from Italian family members, so it feels intentional. and very disappointing. not surprising, just very disappointing. Reply Parent Thread Link his parents were literal Italian immigrants! Reply Parent Thread Link Actually what's been sending me is WHERE on earth he would have learned that word. Like. It's not a word I've ever heard any straight people using. They may say frocio as a slur but "frociaggine"... is literally only a word I've heard queer people use (one of the whatsapp chats I'm in is named that.) Like, he should have apologised. But I'm absolutely dying to know in which context he heard it in the first place. lmao Reply Parent Thread Link Thank god I left church 5 years ago. You aint seeing my German church tax money no more bitch! Reply Thread Link Keep the document that they gave you at the Burgeramt/Rathaus after dropping out! Some churches ~magically~ start requesting taxes again after 10-ish years because they claim you never left. Edited at 2024-05-27 07:25 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link The fact that they claim to keep no proper digital trail and you have to rely on that one sheet of paper if push comes to shove is so fucking sus. I hate this whole system Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Wait, some churches tax people? This is beyond tithes? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I dropped 30 years ago and they haven't found me yet lol Reply Parent Thread Link Sameee, I'll be keeping my money, thanks for nothing. Reply Parent Thread Link As soon as i had to pay those taxes I went to the Standesamt. Best decision. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Should I start using fa***tism instead of fa.Tree ? Reply Thread Link don't most people use the cigarette emoji now? Reply Parent Thread Link I dont smoke Reply Parent Thread Link Suddenly that cigarette duck emoji has new meaning to me. Reply Parent Thread Link that'll do pig, that'll do. time to be turned into glue! Reply Thread Link Do we expect better from a religious leader? Reply Thread Link oh wow, i'm so surprised that a homophobic head of a homophobic institution is homophobic. Who possibly could've foreseen this. Reply Thread Link I am actually surprised, not that hes homophobic, but that he had the gall to use a slur in public Reply Parent Thread Link "in a closed-door meeting" Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It wasn't in public tho, it was a behind door clergy only event (at least from the article i read?) which makes me think he used in on purpose - also I love how dagospia is passed everyone is using "their" scoop without crediting them Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Lot of bullshit from the world of Catholicism this week Reply Thread Link Redirect this energy to all the child abusers. Reply Thread Link Nooo... They just need to be forgiven. They only destroyed countless lives. Not like the wretched gays, being attracted to the same sex. Good grief! Deepest pit in hell for them! Reply Parent Thread Link https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/louisiana-supreme-court-ruling-shields-priests-from-abuse-lawsuits-victims-seek-justice/ar-BB1lDaiW They continue to be shielded from any consequences at all, even from the secular direction: Reply Parent Thread Link Right!!!!! Having *gasp* some homosexuals in the clergy is the least of the Vaticans problems, esp with all the pedos Reply Parent Thread Link That'll probably be quite a shock to the religious gays who still delude themselves that the Pope (and the church) gives a fuck about their existence. Reply Thread Link ...genuine question, I swear I'm not trying to stir shit are there very many religious gays? how do they reconcile with the Bible and story of Lot etc? Reply Parent Thread Link One of my closest friends is a devoted catholic gay man and maybe its cause I live in a very religious country (Brazil), but yes, religious gay men (and women) are surprisingly common here. I know, it really doesnt make sense to me either lol Reply Parent Thread Link my cousin in Poland is a closeted and very religious gay. I... don't get it. His lifestyle is quite obvious and still he also goes to church every day, reading religious biographies and everything. Reply Parent Thread Link My cousin was in his 30s when he came out, but back in the 1980s when he was caping as a straight married man, he got his entire family (mom, dad, sister, brother) into evangelical christianity. To this day, he's still an evangelical gay republican, and I can't quite understand, and never will. Reply Parent Thread Link could be how they grew up and religion/faith is a safe space for them, or it feels like family. most don't consider the old testament to be relevant [though the new testament isn't very interesting either]. can only relate in that since I was so deeply immersed in religion my whole life, that even when I don't read the bible, go to church, pray etc... it's still hard for me to go "there is no god"...because what if there is lol. I just tell people jesus christ superstar is my religion and that's that Reply Parent Thread Link Fuck that bullshit. The fact that he spoke callously and offensively about a particular group when he was talking about minimizing that group going forward shows he knew exactly what he was saying and how he was saying it. Im surprised he has time to do much of anything other than secret more pedophiles away. Reply Thread Link I was going to say why is he worried about the gays when his church is rampant with pedophiles ?!?! but then I realized my comment was absurd because hes 100% the kind of man who believes these two words are synonyms. Anyway, the Catholic Church remains one of the most evil force in the world and, as a lapsed Catholic myself, I find its current resurgence absolutely terrifying. Reply Thread Link Do we know he's not a pedo himself? Reply Parent Thread Link Is there a resurgence? I admit I run in a circle of agnostic / atheists Reply Parent Thread Link ONHD Reply Thread Link Pope says pope stuff and everyone is surprised pikachu. Yes people say this is the "cOmMuNisT pope" that is open to the legbtqi+....like cmon now they were trying to be open and get more people to go to their churches, he's the Pope and regardless of his (alleged) personal views he also has to deal w a certain part of the clergy. This is not jude law in the white papal speedo. Reply Thread Link pope law getting read to "sexy and I know it" will never not be iconic Reply Parent Thread Link So many scenes still live rent free in my mind Reply Parent Thread Link Sam Altman backed nuclear startup Oklo inked a deal to supply 100MW of nuclear power to data center company Wyoming Hyperscale, it was announced last week. The news sent shares of NYSE-listed Oklo up more than 30% in trading on Friday. The companies signed a "non-binding letter of intent outlining plans for the PPA, which will last for 10 years," according to industry publication Data Center Dynamics. This comes on top of the revelation that, last month, Oklo signed to supply up to 500MW of power to another data center, Equinix. "Wyoming Hyperscale is building a data center campus on 58 acres of land," the report says. Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo, commented: As the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence increases, Oklo remains dedicated to providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions to meet the needs of our data center partners. Our partnership with Wyoming Hyperscale underscores our commitment to advancing sustainable energy practices and supporting high-efficiency operations within the data center industry. Trenton Thornock, founder of Wyoming Hyperscale, added: "Our goal is to create data centers with minimal environmental impact. This collaboration with Oklo perfectly aligns with our vision for sustainable, efficient operations. By merging sustainability with advanced technology, we are setting a new standard for the future of accelerated computing. As we wrote earlier this month, Oklo won shareholder approval on May 8 for its NYSE listing. The company's mission is "to provide clean, reliable, affordable energy on a global scale through the design and deployment of next-generation fast reactor technology". Backed by investors like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Peter Thiel, the who's who of the AI revolution, nuclear fusion startups are gaining traction. Sam Altman, who invested in Oklo in 2015, believes the company is "best positioned to commercialize advanced fission energy solutions," per a July press release. Last month, we published a lengthy report discussing why even as the AI trade may be fizzling, the "electrification" trade, aka the "Power-Up America" trade - so urgently needed to run all those electricity-gobbling data centers needed to run AI - is just getting started and has in fact outperformed substantially both the broader AI and Data-Center Equipment baskets over the past two months... ... and Altman - who teamed up with another power company, Exowatt, earlier this year to focus on clean energy for AI power -agrees: "Fundamentally today in the world, the two limiting commodities you see everywhere are intelligence, which we're trying to work on with AI, and energy," Altman told CNBC in 2021. For those who missed it, in "The Next AI Trade," we outlined various investment opportunities for powering up America, most of which have dramatically outperformed the market. In the next iteration, we will likely add Oklo to the list of beneficiaries certainly ahead of the inevitable cascade of Buy ratings sure flood the name over the next month. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Huge upticks in renewable energy capacity installations around the world are causing demand for key rare earth elements to skyrocket. While these materials arent as geologically rare as their name might suggest, their production is limited as a finite number of already developed supply chains struggle to keep up with demand. As a result, prices are skyrocketing. Not only is there therefore a huge economic opportunity in establishing new supply chains for rare earths, there are also major risks to allowing current market entities to continue consolidating influence over these essential clean energy building blocks. Currently, China dominates rare earth element supply chains. According to the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, Beijing alone is responsible for 70% of the worlds rare earth ore extraction and 90% of rare earth ore processing. Moreover, China is still the only large-scale producer of heavy rare earth ores on the planet. This isnt just because of Chinas own rich natural deposits of these ores. This dominance has been achieved through decades of state investment, export controls, cheap labour and low environmental standards, reports Oxford. The country has spent decades building up supply chains around the world, expanding its energy and industrial influence into emerging markets spread across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Now, the United States is making concerted efforts to build up its own homegrown rare earth supply chains for its own renewable energy needs, as well as considerable demand from the military. The Department of Defense has awarded more than $439 million to establish domestic rare earth element supply chains since 2020, and the Department of Energy has also been throwing billions of dollars into kickstarting the countrys lithium industry. The United States has been scouting out supply chains for key rare earth elements around the globe, intensifying efforts to secure its own supply in recent years by turning to nations including Mongolia, South Africa, and Mexico for potential trade deals. However establishing trade agreements that China hasnt already gotten to first has proven difficult. China has been busily expanding a green energy empire in lithium-rich Latin America, for example, but the United States has had a comparatively difficult time entering into the same market. Luckily, the United States is also geologically rich in many rare earth elements it will just require building an entire extraction and processing industry from the ground up. Considering the huge and rapidly growing demand for these elements, as well as the geopolitical risk associated with a one-nation monopoly on their supply chains, that kind of a timeline is less than ideal. But researchers at the University of Utah may have found a shortcut. Ironically enough, the key to powering the U.S. renewable energy industry may require partnering with the U.S. coal industry for quicker and more cost-efficient ore extraction. The research team has found elevated concentrations of rare earth elements in currently operational mines on the Uinta coal belt of Colorado and Utah. In theory, this could allow already active mines to extract rare earths along with the ore theyre already extracting with little additional overhead. "The model is if you're already moving rock, could you move a little more rock for resources towards energy transition?" said study co-author Lauren Birgenheier, an associate professor of geology and geophysics. "In those areas, we're finding that the rare earth elements are concentrated in fine-grain shale units, the muddy shales that are above and below the coal seams." While the United States is making a major place to become competitive in the rare earth element market, however, its still many years and billions of dollars behind China in terms of industrial development as well as deal-making diplomacy with ore-rich nations. Plus, it cant compete with the low labor costs, unilateral decision-making power, and lax environmental oversight that gives Beijing an edge on the market. But innovative approaches like the ones being tested by the University of Utah could open a potential avenue for regaining some of that ground. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: National Grid, one of the two surviving listed companies from Thatchers privatization of the electricity industry, is a giant firm that owns the electric transmission systems of England and Wales, electricity distribution networks in England, Wales, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, as well as gas storage facilities and renewable resources. National Grid, like most utilities normally is in the headlines only when the lights go out. However, the company recently shocked the investment public when it announced financing for its 60 billion five-year capital spending program. The company intends to raise 6.8 billion by selling discounted common stock in a rights offering (7 new shares for every 24 owned) to its shareholders, which will increase the number of shares by roughly 29%. This is a monumental offering by European standards. Now for the bad news. In order to save cash for the big spending program, the company will rebase ( euphemism for reduce) the common stock dividend so dividend outflow remains the same despite the higher number of shares outstanding. Not exactly share-owner-friendly. But lets be frank. Income-seeking investors with a low appetite for risk hate dividend cuts. Financing the 60 billion capital program, we estimate, might look roughly like this (rounded): rights offering 7 billion, depreciation 12 billion, retained earnings 4 billion, sale of assets 4 billion, debt and other 32 billion. Thats a lot of debt, but that is not what shocked the market. It was the size of the stock issue combined with a dividend cut. National Grid stock fell 20% in three days. Yet, even on a rebased basis, with a 4% dividend and a likely 6% growth rate, National Grid, to us, looks like a reasonable value. Stated differently, current income of 4% plus earnings growth of 6% suggests an implied total equity return for this company of 10%. That has traditionally been a very attractive level for a regulated utility. Maybe we are missing something. But we arent planning to discuss National Grids prospects or its communications with share owners, but rather to point out that National Grid's capital program will lead to growth in capitalization of roughly 10% per year. But like many utilities, its internally generated funds might only furnish less than one-third of the money needed for its capital program. American utilities, with increasing capital programs for electrification, are headed in the same direction in terms of spending and financing. The only difference is that US companies will not sell one huge equity offering but rather a number of smaller ones. The end result is the same in terms of equity dilution but equity investors feelings are less ruffled this way. Big electric utility spending plans will become commonplace. So will frequent common stock sales. Get used to them. And finally, shareholders of a properly regulated US investor-owned utility do not suffer meaningful earnings dilution when the company sells a considerable amount of common stock. Quite the contrary. Earnings can grow by a lot because regulators authorize rate increases that permit actual eps growth. Bottom line? Income-oriented investors react emotionally to dividend cuts. Lets put it this way. A decently run utility with a 10% total return potential should not be sold. By Leonard S. Hyman and William I. Tillles More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: While the global clean energy transition is well underway, there are still some unsolved technical hurdles standing between our current energy industry and our ability to meet global climate goals by mid-century. Most of the more obvious and accessible items on the decarbonization to-do list pushing electric vehicle adoption, installing solar and wind farms, and making our homes and appliances more energy efficient, for example are already being tackled at a wide scale around the globe. But other key platforms of a pathway to net zero rely on as-yet unproven technologies. Two of these tricky problems are the issue of finding a scalable long-term energy storage solution to enable reliance on a 100% renewable energy mix without compromising energy security, and decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy-duty trucking, shipping, aviation, iron and steel, and chemicals and petrochemicals. Unlocking the secret to solving these sticky issues has the potential to disrupt the clean energy industry as we know it and put us on track for carbon neutrality, as well as to create new economic sectors with massive potential for rapid growth. Now, here comes the amazing part. In the process of trying to solve the riddle of long-term energy storage, a green battery company accidentally discovered a solution to one of the other key wicked problems facing the decarbonization movement cleaning up the iron and steel industry. In a stunning development, Form Energy is using its innovative battery technology to solve two completely disparate problems plaguing the global energy industry. The Massachusetts-based green energy supplier uses an innovative iron air battery to store clean energy at longer intervals than standard lithium-ion batteries are able to. The battery stores clean energy by converting rust into pure iron, and feeds it back into the grid by turning that iron back into rust. And that very same process can be applied to cleaning up an essential part of the iron and steel industry. Purifying iron ore for use in steelmaking is traditionally one of the most carbon-intensive components of the extremely dirty steel supply chain. Generally, the process for purifying the iron oxide and iron hydroxide that are extracted from the Earth requires large amounts of high-emissions coking coal. As a result, steel production is the single largest-emitting manufacturing sector on the planet, solely responsible for at least 7% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions. There are already some existing options for cleaning up the steelmaking industry, but none have been a silver-bullet solution. But the team behind the new iron-air battery breakthrough says that it has the potential to be that kind of a disrupter. The new technology puts powdered iron ore in a low-temperature alkaline solution. When an electrical current is run through it, powdered metallic iron is produced. The team at Form Energy says that this process can be run continuously and at high efficiency. In fact, they contend that it has the potential to financially compete with conventional fossil-fuel powered furnace technologies. While Form still needs to prove that this is commercially viable, its competitive potential is significant. Furnaces entail a minimum investment in the billions of dollars, reports Canary Media. Forms electrolytic technique could be easier to deploy because it can be scaled up in smaller increments. We found a cheaper, more scalable, more efficient process for producing green iron, Form Energy co-founder and CEO Mateo Jaramillo told Canary Media. ?We know that it has a chance to create a ton of value, so were going to pursue it. Form Energys clean iron initiative was one of 13 projects selected to receive funding from the Department of Energys Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) last month. The potential impact of finding and developing a scalable technology for clean steelmaking is hard to overstate. As a building block of the global economy, steels carbon footprint touches almost every industry, from automotive and construction to machinery, transportation and energy, the World Economic Forum states. As a result, decarbonization of steel would have major downstream implications for a huge number of economic sectors. If the two billion metric tons of crude steel produced globally every year were green steel, it would not only shrink steels emissions but substantially cut emissions for all those industries dependent on steel. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Its a Monday afternoon at Georgias Rustavi auto market, and business is slow. Dealers wind their way among rows of imported European BMWs and Japanese Subarus, negotiating with potential customers on the phone while sipping coffee from nearby cafes. There are cars endless rows of them that need to be sold. The only problem is that there are barely any buyers. Gela Khachidze, 53, has been working in the market for about 10 years. In an interview in March, he said that business was the worst hed ever seen. Its never been like this before, he said. It wasnt even like this during the pandemic. Georgias re-export of cars the countrys single biggest export commodity is in the midst of a transition. In summer of 2023, the Georgian government, citing a desire to enforce Western sanctions, made it more difficult to re-export autos to Russia and Belarus. That move accelerated efforts by Georgian auto dealers to open and expand into different markets, including Central Asia. Those efforts have paid some dividends. For example, official customs records in Kazakhstan for 2023 show that Georgia shipped the second-highest number of autos to the Central Asian state of any foreign exporter. China was the top auto exporter to Kazakhstan: most of the Chinese vehicles going to Kazakhstan were new, while those coming from Georgia were second-hand. Total revenue generated by Georgian auto re-exports has risen for the past three years, topping $940 million in 2023. Data for January through April ($577 million in revenue) puts the country on pace to break 2023s total. It appears that for now at least, the pivot to Central Asia will continue to produce profits. But for many Georgian used-car merchants, the future is uncertain. Today Georgia functions as a motor hub in the region, but the future has both problems and prospects, said Aleksandre Noniadze, head of the Georgian Association of Auto Importers. The biggest challenge, Noniadze adds, is for Georgia to retain its market position as a major exporter of used American and European cars. If Chinese automakers fully develop the market in Central Asia and the Caucasus region, Georgia may lose its function as a hub, he said. For years, Rustavi has been the biggest auto market in the Caucasus. Wrecked cars from the West are often bought at a sizable discount and then shipped to Georgian ports. Once mechanics work their wonders, they wind up here and in other venues, ready to be sold for a sizable profit. Recent years have seen compounding challenges. First there was the Covid epidemic, then Russia invaded Ukraine. At that time, Armenia and Azerbaijan were some of the biggest auto export destinations, and Ukrainians comprised a sizable group of buyers. Now, on the paved show lots of Rustavi, Ukrainians are nowhere to be found, and Western cars no longer go to Russia in the huge quantities they once did. Its very hard because we lost Ukraine, said Lasha Darbaiseli, who also works for the Georgian Association of Auto Importers. Buyers from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan now make up the majority of customers at the auto market. In January, Kyrgyzstan became the top overall destination for Georgian exports, in terms of total value of commerce, helped in no small part by the used auto trade. In early 2024, Georgian investigative outlet iFact published evidence that the flow of Western cars from Georgia to Russia continues despite the ban. Industry experts acknowledge that Russians are likely just importing cars via Central Asian countries now, making the process of getting Western automobiles harder and more expensive but not impossible. Theres no data on how many people work in Georgias car industry, but it doesnt just consist of dealers. It employs mechanics, logistics experts, and office managers, many of whom are also upset with a government mandate that took effect this year under which cars assembled before 2013 cant be imported for domestic use due to concerns over auto emissions standards. Many will not be able to buy a new car, which will further increase the already old vehicle fleet, said Noniadze, adding that prices for cars made after 2013 are going up. For the average dealer who works on commission, the changes are challenging. Back at the Rustavi auto bazaar, Khachidze lamented the lost business. He estimated that before the pandemic, he used to sell 15-30 cars per week. Before Russias invasion, that number fell to 10 per week. Now, hes lucky to sell half that many over the same timeframe. To make his point, he waved his hands over the green frame of a Mercedes Benz S 500. This car has already been here for over a year. How do you sell it? Why bring a second one? When asked if theres anything people should know about the state of the re-export sector in Georgia, he pointed to the fallout from the governments restrictions, and Western sanctions. These bans sanctions dont attack Russia, they directly attack Georgia, he said, noting the large number of people that the countrys car trade employs. Everyone was making money with this [industry]. Now everyone has been let go from this business because there are no customers. By Brawley Benson via Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Guyana would welcome U.S. firm Chevron joining the major oil projects that its peer Exxon is currently developing offshore the South American country, Guyanas President Irfaan Ali has told the Financial Times. Chevron has proposed a multi-billion all-stock transaction to buy U.S. firm Hess, which is a minority partner of Exxon in Guyanas prolific Stabroek block with a 30% stake. While Hess shareholders are set to vote on the proposed deal, Guyana expresses concerns that Exxon raising further its stake in the Stabroek block could raise competition concerns. Chevrons proposal to buy Hess is getting increased scrutiny from regulators and politicians, while the supermajor is locked in an arbitration procedure with Exxon regarding Exxons right of first refusal for Hesss stake in the huge oil projects offshore Guyana. Exxon claims it has the right of first refusal (ROFR) to acquire the stake of Hess Corp in the Stabroek block, from which Exxon and its current partners pump more than 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude from several projects. Chevron, for its part, claims the ROFR doesnt apply to mergers and to this case. Chevron and Hess believe that ExxonMobils and CNOOCs asserted claims are without merit, Chevron said in an SEC filing, which cites a letter to shareholders by Hess. If the arbitration does not result in a confirmation that the Stabroek ROFR is inapplicable to the merger, and if Chevron, Hess, Exxon and/or CNOOC do not otherwise agree upon an acceptable resolution, then there would be a failure of a closing condition under the merger agreement, in which case the merger would not close, the filing says. If Exxon boosts its stake in the Stabroek development, this can cause concern, Guyanas President Ali told FT. We are of the view that the partnership works well, the president said. Hess shareholders are set to vote on Tuesday on the proposed takeover by Chevron in what is expected to be a vote too close to call, due to several shareholders saying they would abstain, which may not push the vote through the 50% threshold required for approval. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: While Asias LNG imports in May are set to exceed prior-year levels, purchases in price-sensitive buyers in South and Southeast Asia could soften going forward as the average spot prices in the continent rallied to a five-month high last week. Overall, LNG imports into the worlds top importing region, Asia, are on track to hit 23.61 million metric tons in May, slightly up from 23.23 million tons in April and noticeably higher than the 20.75 million tons imported in May last year, per data from commodity analysts Kpler cited by Reuters columnist Clyde Russell on Monday. India has shown strong LNG imports in the past weeks, while the biggest buyers China, Japan, and South Korea are all set to import lower volumes in May than they did in April, according to the Kpler data. India and another importer in South Asia, Pakistan, are on track to boost their LNG imports this month compared to April. However, the cargoes arriving in May have likely been contracted in March or April, when Asias LNG prices were not rallying as much as they are now. The average spot price for the front-month delivery into North Asia jumped from around $8.30 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) at the end of February the lowest in nearly three years to over $12 per MMBtu last weekthe highest price in more than five months. Earlier in May, heat waves in some parts of Asia including India and forecasts of above-average temperatures in Southeast Asia and China in the coming weeks prompted more spot LNG buying, which has raised the spot prices in Asia to the highest level since early January. An ongoing heatwave in India, Vietnam, and other countries in south and Southeast Asia have prompted higher demand for spot LNG cargoes from utilities. Last week, the spot LNG price hit $12.30 per MMBtu, the highest level since the middle of December 2023, and a jump from $10.90/MMBtu in the week to May 17. The rally in prices could now prompt price-sensitive buyers such as India and Pakistan to scale back imports in the coming months as they could be wary of contracting supply at the current prices. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Iran plans to increase its crude oil output to 4 million barrels daily, the countrys Tasnim news agency reported, as cited by Reuters. No specific sources for the plan were provided but the original report in Tasnim said that "An economic council headed by Iran's interim president Mohammad Mokhber has approved a plan to raise the country's oil output from 3.6 million barrels per day to 4 million barrels per day." Iran has been eager to increase its oil production despite U.S. sanctions that have significantly reduced the market for Iranian oil. Even so, Iran reported an increase in exports of crude recently, with the average daily for the first quarter hitting the highest in six years at 1.56 million bpd according to Vortexa data. Last year, the country exported 1.29 million bpd on average, which was 50% more than a year earlier. The Iranians have mastered the art of sanctions circumvention, Fernando Ferreira, head of geopolitical risk service at Rapidan Energy Group, told the FT at the time. If the Biden administration is really going to have an impact, it has to shift the focus to China. The news of production growth plans follows an earlier report that Tehran had inked oil project development plans worth a total $13 billion. Those were expected to add 350,000 barrels to Irans daily production. Irans oil production as of April stood at around 3.2 million barrels daily, per OPECs latest Monthly Oil Market Report. This compares with over 4.3 million barrels daily before the U.S. reimposed sanctions on Tehran, but there is space for growth. According to former oil minister Bijan Zanganeh, this growth could take the average daily all the way to 7 million barrels in less than ten years. The boost would cost about $70 billion, Zanganeh said recently, as quoted by Iran International. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: During a visit to Uzbekistan on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly agreed to a deal to build the first Central Asian nuclear power plant in history with Russian state-run Rosatom, Reuters reports, in a move likely designed to showcase Moscows adaptability under sanctions. Domestic Russian-language and international media reported on Monday that Putin had committed $400 million to a $500-million joint investment fund in Uzbekistan, which prompted Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to refer to the visit as heralding the beginning of a new age in the comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance relations between our countries, as reported by Reuters. Kremlin documents cited by Reuters indicate that Rosatom is planning to build six nuclear reactors in Uzbekistan, targeting 55 megawatts each. The new nuclear project, which, if pursued, would represent the first-ever nuclear power project in Central Asia, is smaller than a previous project agreed upon in 2018, according to Reuters, but which has not been finalized. Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are home to uranium deposits, making them prime ground for nuclear energy projects. Nor is it just nuclear energy Uzbekistan is now interested in from Russia. Mirziyoyev also reportedly expressed interest in Russian gas imports, which Putin obliged with a pledge to significantly increase gas exports to the Central Asian nation. Putin reportedly said during the meeting in Tashkent that work was under way to significantly raise gas export volumes to Uzbekistan to 11 billion cubic meters in 2025, Barons reported. Russian gas makes its way to Uzbekistan via a pipeline in Kazakhstan that began operations last year, with an expected 2024 capacity of 3.8 billion cubic meters. With its energy products cut out of European markets, Moscow has been reinvigorating energy and technology relations with Asian nations, beginning in its former Soviet satellite backyard, Central Asia. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The deceased was alone with her son in the house and grinding pepper for lunch with her local grinding stone when Ifesinachi descended on her with a cutlass and severed her head from the rest of her body. He was tied and forced to drink the pool of blood gushing out of his mothers lifeless body. He later died before the arrival of the officers of Nigeria Police Force. The screaming and groan of the deceased alerted the neighbourhood who chased the suspect in his attempt to escape. The incident set the community in a turmoil as an angry mob gathered to lynch the boy. Enugu Command Police spokesman, Superindent Ebere Amaraizu, said while confirming the incident, tragedy had allegedly struck at about 1:30 pm at Isiagu Ibagwa in Igbo -Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State when a son identified as Ifesinachi Ukwueze, allegedly murdered his mother identified as Beatrice Ukwueze with a cutlass over a yet to be established issues. The action of Ifesinachi Ukwueze allegedly angered irate mob who had descended heavily on him and left him lifeless before the arrival of the security operatives. No fewer than five witnesses and two banks officers in Nigeria have been lined up against Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters charged with treason and cybercrimes in the lead-up to the RevolutionNow protest aborted 48 days ago. The trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The witnesses include investigation officers and banking officials, including Paul Clement, Moses Amadi, Cyril Odawn and Paul Okafor. The investigative officers would reveal how Sowore allegedly mobilised youths across the country to embark on a revolution that will see to the end of the democratically elected administration. Two banking officials with the GTB and the UBA will also speak on how Sowores banking statements with the various banks were created. The federal government filed a seven-count charge against Sowore last Fridayfor tryig to upturn the government of President Muhammadu Buhari after the 2019 presidential election both contested. PV: 0 Aleksandra Sadowska A Polish model has gone completely blind in one eye and rapidly failing sight in the other after a tattoo artist made an attempt to dye her eyeballs black. 25-year-old Aleksandra Sadowska from the city of Wroclaw in the west of Poland reportedly went to the tattooist to dye her eyeballs black so that she can look like rap artist Popek, who also had his eyes dyed black. After the bungled procedure, Aleksandra started complaining of pains in her eyes with the tattooist telling her there was no cause of alarm and then instructed her to take painkillers as it was normal. But after losing complete sight in her right eye, doctors told the model that the damage was irreparable and that she would soon lose sight in her left eye too. The Polish tattoo artist, Piotr A, has been arrested is now facing three years in prison for unintentionally severely disabling the woman. He has pleaded not guilty. During the subsequent investigation, it was discovered that the tattooist had made serious mistakes in the process, including using body ink for tattooing skin, which should not come into contact with the eye. The womans lawyers told local media: There is clear evidence that the tattoo artist did not know how to perform such a delicate procedure. And yet he decided to perform it which led to this tragedy. Aleksandra also said: Unfortunately, for now doctors do not give me much optimism for improvement. The damage is too deep and extensive. Im afraid I will be completely blind. She added: I will not lock myself in the basement and get depressed. I have sadness behind me, but I live on. The court case is expected to start soon. The Police in Lagos have arrested a 58-year old woman, Mrs. Bena Odinaka, whose hungry dog reportedly pounced on a 7-year old girl, bit and ate her flesh. The incident happened at 15 Jakande Estate in Abesan area of Ipaja, Lagos, where they reside. It was gathered that the victim, Miss Adegun Alia, suffered her fate when she was returning to her house and met the dog, which was unchained by the owner, Mrs. Odinaka. The dog was said to be visibly angry probably because it was hungry. It was learnt that when the dog sighted the victim, Alia, it attacked, pounced on her left thigh and drew her flesh before she was eventually rescued by their neighbours. The manner in which the dog acted suggested that it had not eaten anything on that day and decided to feed on the victims flesh. The victim was rushed to the hospital and the matter was reported to the Police at Ipaja Division, who then arrested Mrs. Odinaka. After investigation, the Police found Mrs. Odinaka culpable for negligence. She was later charged before the Ejigbo Magistrates Court for allowing her dog to bite the victim, Miss Adegun Alia, and inflicting serious injury on her. She pleaded not guilty. The prosecutor, Supol Kenneth Asibor, asked the Court to give a date for trial to enable the Police to prove that she actually committed the offence. The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. T.O. Shomade, granted her bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. She was remanded in prison custody pending when she will perfect her bail conditions. The matter was adjourned till 29th July, 2019, for mention. Share this: During a recent Thought Leadership Seminar organized by Absa Banks Corporate Investment Banking (CIB) unit, leading financial experts and CIB clients put a specific focus on navigating economic challenges through robust risk management strategies. The event featured detailed discussions on the macroeconomic outlook and the application of derivative strategies to manage and mitigate economic risks. Adolf Kpegah, the Interim Managing Director of Absa Bank Ghana, emphasised the necessity of strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors to harness collective strengths during economic fluctuations. It is imperative that we continue to foster partnerships, encourage dialogue, and leverage the collective expertise of the private and public sectors, Mr Kpegah stated. Jeff Gable, Absa Group Head of Macro Research, provided an in-depth analysis of the global economic landscape, highlighting its impact on emerging markets, with a specific focus on Ghana. He elaborated on various derivative strategies that clients could employ to safeguard their businesses. While the global economy poses significant challenges, strategic use of derivatives will play a crucial role in navigating market volatility. Our goal today is to equip our clients with the knowledge to stabilize and grow their enterprises amidst these uncertainties, said Mr Gable. The seminar aimed to educate Absas clients on risk management products that are pivotal in managing economic risks. This session was part of Absa Bank Ghanas commitment to empowering its clients by providing innovative financial solutions and strategic insights to navigate and thrive in a fluctuating economic environment. In his closing remarks, Mr Kpegah encouraged continued engagement and learning, underscoring the banks commitment to leading change and fostering economic stability. Let us continue to work together, moving forward with the knowledge that our collective efforts will lead to a brighter, more empowered future for all. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The government's effort to treat childhood cancer has received a major boost with the donation of 1,510 vials of Amgen's rituximab worth GH8 million to the Ghana Health Service for onward distribution to specialist hospitals treating burkitt lymphoma. Burkitt lymphoma is one of the four most common childhood cancers which has been included in the benefit package of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Rituximab on the other hand is a critical medication used to treat patients with burkitt lymphoma, with each vial costing GH5,000. This donation was made possible through the joint efforts of the international pharmaceutical company, Amgen, and the Ghana Chapter of World Child Cancer (WCC), a UK-based non-governmental organisation, working in the area of childhood cancer. The shipment documents covering the 1,510 vials of rituximab, were formally handed over to the Ghana Health Service at a meeting on Friday, May 21. Donation The Project Coordinator of WCC, Juliet Akuamoah Boateng, who spoke on behalf of the Country Coordinator, Adwoa Pinamang Boateng Desu, said the donation formed part of several interventions being undertaken by her outfit to support victims of the cancer. She explained that the donation was to support the government to improve access to essential treatment for children with burkitt lymphoma in the country. Emphasising the commitment of WCC towards childhood cancers in the country, she said her organisation had, since commencing its operations in the country in 2010, embarked on capacity-building for healthcare professionals in early warning signs and symptoms of childhood cancer. Aside from that, she said WCC had also invested resources in nutritional and psycho-social support for both families and victims. She further commended the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service for their crucial role in absorbing all the four childhood cancers into the benefit package of the NHIS. Ms Akuamoah Boateng further announced that WCC was awarding scholarships to survivors of childhood cancers to support them from basic school through to the university. Commendation For his part, the Deputy Director-General, Dr Anthony Adofo Ofosu, expressed gratitude to Amgen and WCC for the kind gesture. Donations such as these go beyond physical relief; it communicates psychosocial support to families and children diagnosed with cancer. Indeed, investing in child health is an integral aspect of Ghanas roadmap towards attaining universal health coverage by 2030. Your donation is indeed timely, as it will complement Ghanas commitment towards improving the availability of childhood cancer medication for children across all treatment and shared-care centre, he said. He added that addressing childhood health issues, especially chronic diseases such as cancers, was crucial since it prevented long-term health complications and reduced future health financing challenges. In line with that, he said the government had fostered the necessary collaborations with both state and non-state actors to improve child health as one of the key indicators of universal health coverage. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In January 2010, Ghanaians woke up to the shocking news of a mother who had killed her five children and committed suicide. Georgina Akweley Pipson, who was in her early 30s, arranged her dead children according to their ages on her bed after she had given them a poisonous substance. She then committed suicide. The incident, which was reported in the Daily Graphic focused on her suicide note which said "My people deserted me," "God give me hope," and "Forgive me and my children, Nana, Kwaku, Angel, Kofi, Esi". "What a painful world? God have mercy on me and my children", "Why, Kojo, my husband," "Kojo, I do love you and will never forget you." Later it emerged that Georgina was mentally ill. She had postpartum depression. The circumstances of her death served as a wake-up call to the country on the need to overhaul its mental health services. Dr Akwasi Osei, who was then the Executive Director of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital (APH), was at the time one of the lone voices championing the need for the country to have a mental health law. To him, Georginas case at that time was evidence of inadequate mental healthcare in the country, lack of adequate and full complement of personnel, lack of modern mental health bill rooted in human rights, stigma among the populace towards mental illness, breakdown of family support and a lack of state machinery for the support of the mentally ill. It later emerged that every time Georgina gave birth, she suffered post-partum depression which went away untreated. It was only during her fourth and fifth births that she was given treatment but it had become too late. According to the Ashanti Regional Director of Health, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang, about 50 per cent of pregnant women experienced severe mental crises during pregnancy and a year after delivery. Dr Tenkorang said if a Maternal Mental Health Policy was instituted, it would help create awareness for caregivers to identify mental health conditions associated with pregnancy, as well as to prepare caregivers to critically examine pregnant women for early detection of mental conditions and to manage them. Awareness Month The Mental Health Authority has set aside the month of May for awareness creation of mental health. It is known as Purple Month, with the first week used to commemorate maternal mental health. This year's celebration is on the theme: Movement: moving more for our mental health. Depression in pregnancy which is perinatal depression, includes prenatal depression that occurs during pregnancy and postpartum depression that occurs weeks after childbirth these two types of depression are said to be the commonest mental health conditions associated with pregnancy and early detection and treatment were important to save more women. Maternal mental health Maternal mental health refers to the state of emotional and psychological well-being of the woman during pregnancy, delivery or the period of up to one year following delivery. The physiology of pregnancy and the stress that accompanies pregnancy and delivery trigger the occurrence of maternal mental health disturbance. Social factors such as marital problems and financial difficulties are major predisposing factors and even though sufficient evidence exists on the adverse impact of maternal mental health disorder on the mother and the infant, and the high prevalence of the disorder in Ghana, there is little provision in the country's current healthcare system for its screening, early detection and effective management. Health experts are therefore using the month of May to call for the need to integrate maternal mental health interventions within health systems from the level of the community and across all levels of health care in the Ghanaian setting. The prevailing significant challenges to providing adequate mental health care for new mothers include lack of trained staff, financial constraints, lack of affordable medications and social stigma. Mental Health Policy The Ghana Mental Health Policy and Plan advocates for integrating mental health services into primary health care, with a specific focus on vulnerable populations such as women during pregnancy and postpartum. As the commemoration of Mental Health Month comes to an end, improving maternal mental health care in the country requires national prioritisation, intentional high-level advocacy, multi-sectoral collaboration, and safeguarding of mental health of providers to guarantee the delivery of compassionate, respectful client-centred, integrated maternal mental health care routinely. Also, there is the need to provide adequate skills mix and equitable distribution of healthcare workers with the capacity to deliver mental health services at all levels, as well as improve physical access to maternal mental health services. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ten people have been killed and at least 160 other villagers have been kidnapped from a remote community in Nigeria's central Niger state, officials say. A large number of armed men, suspected to be from Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram, invaded Kuchi village on Friday night, local official Aminu Abdulhamid Najume told the BBC's World Service. Those kidnapped were mostly women and children, while those killed included local hunters who were providing security for the area, he said. The gunmen reportedly rode into Kuchi on motorbikes and even spent time cooking food, making tea and looting houses before leaving more than two hours later. Mr Najume, who chairs the Council of the Munya Local Government Area, said the Kurchi community had been left traumatised and anxious to hear news of those taken. Writing on social media, Amnesty International expressed its "deep concern" at the mass abduction. "The invasion of the village by the gunmen is yet another indication of the Nigerian authorities' utter failure to protect lives," it said. "Since 2021 gunmen have been consistently attacking Kuchi village and raping women and girls in their matrimonial homes. "From time to time, the gunmen demand millions of Naira as ransom from the people to avoid being kidnapped. "Amnesty International is calling on the Nigerian authorities to end these spate of abductions and bring suspected perpetrators to justice. Frequent mass abductions and killings are clear evidence of failure of authorities to protect the people." Attacks in Niger state have become increasingly common although it has often been unclear if the gunmen have any links to jihadist groups. Last month several villages were targeted by armed gangs kidnapping for ransom. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Burkina Faso's military government has announced it will extend junta rule for another five years. The country's ruler, Capt Ibrahim Traore, will also be able to contest the next presidential election, the state-owned broadcaster says. When he seized power in a coup nearly two years ago, Capt Traore pledged to restore the civilian government by 1 July this year. But Burkina Faso has now joined neighbouring Mali in extending military rule. The move was announced on Saturday, after a national consultation meeting in the West African country's capital city, Ouagadougou. An amended charter, signed by Capt Traore, states that the new 60-month transition period will take effect from 2 July this year. "The elections marking the end of the transition may be organised before this deadline if the security situation so permits," the Reuters news agency quoted the charter as saying. Burkina Faso has been governed by the army since January 2022, when Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba seized power from President Roch Kabore. Col Damiba justified the coup by saying the previous government had failed to deal with growing militant Islamist violence. Since 2015, jihadist rebels affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have waged a grinding insurgency that has killed thousands and displaced millions. In September 2022, Capt Traore ousted Col Damiba, arguing a second coup was necessary because Col Damiba was himself unable to tackle the insurgency. Capt Traore promised to improve the country's dire security situation within "two to three months" and restore civilian rule within 21 months. But since issuing the pledge, Capt Traore has warned that elections are not "a priority" until territory is recaptured from jihadist forces so that all citizens of the country can vote. Under the new charter, quotas will no longer be used to assign seats in the assembly to members of traditional parties, the AFP news agency reported. Instead, "patriotism" will be the only criteria for selecting deputies. The decisions made during Saturday's national consultation happened swiftly. Local media reports indicated that political parties were absent at the start of the meeting. International and human rights groups, including the European Union and UN, have accused Burkina Faso of serious human rights violations in its fight against Islamists, including the indiscriminate killings and forced disappearances of dozens of civilians. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Over 130 people have died at a single hospital in Sudan's besieged city of El Fasher, in the Darfur region, according to medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). Fighting between rival groups in Sudan's civil war in the battle for control of the city has recently intensified. The situation was "terrible," one resident told the BBC, with hospitals and markets experiencing "violent artillery shelling". El Fasher is the last major urban centre in Darfur that remains in the hands of Sudan's army. The army has been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for more than a year, in a civil war that has killed thousands and forced millions from their homes. The army remains in control of El Fasher. The city has become a refuge for people displaced by fighting in other areas. On 10 May the RSF intensified their assault on the city, in what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called "an alarming new chapter" in Sudan's conflict. MSF said one of its hospital was struggling to cope with the increased casualties. South Hospital had treated 979 casualties in just over two weeks, the charity said on Sunday. 134 had died, "a sign of the violent intensity of the fighting", it added. Supplies at the hospital are running low and will last barely a week, the UN said. On Friday MSF said that across the city, more than 700 people had died over the past 10 days. The medical director of El Fasher's government-run Saudi hospital told the BBC the situation was "terrible". "Since the early morning, the RSF began violent artillery shelling of the city, targeting residential areas, markets, and hospitals," Ibrahim Suliman said. The Saudi and South hospitals are the last functioning in the region. The Saudi Hospital was previously shuttered by the violence but it partially reopened to treat emergency cases. El Fasher residents say that access to food and water has become increasingly difficult. The RSF has been attacking the city from three sides and blocked all supply routes. Despite the hardships, many residents in the city are not leaving their homes because of the fighting, even for emergency medical care. Journalist Mohamed Zakaria said he had no plans to flee. "There is no place to go to... the road is very difficult and dangerous right now". Earlier this week, a UN expert warned civilians in El Fasher were being targeted because of their ethnicity. Special adviser Alice Wairimu Nderitu added that the Darfur region as a whole was facing a growing risk of genocide as the world's attention remained focused on conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ultra-Modern and multi-purpose office complex being constructed by the Minerals Commission as its Ashanti Regional office is nearing completion, with expectations high that the magnificent eight-story edifice will be ready for commissioning by October 2024. This assurance was given by the Project Consultant, Mr. Osei Tutu, when the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, visited the site to inspect the progress of work on the facility. On Monday, May 27, 2024, the Lands Minister embarked on an inspection tour of the facility to acquaint himself with the progress of work on the office complex, which, when completed, will become the hub for the Minerals Commission's regulatory and oversight activities in the Ashanti Region and the middle belt of the country. Addressing the press after his tour, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor underscored the importance of a fully operational and well-staffed Minerals Commission office in executing their regulatory duties, not only in the Ashanti Region but across the entire middle belt of the country, which includes the Western North and Central Regions. The Minister stated that the government has been on the path to completely decentralize the Minerals Commission, and the construction of the state-of-the-Art Ashanti Regional Minerals Commission office is evidence of the government's commitment and dedication to developing the mining sector. I have to commend the CEO of the Minerals Commission, the consultants, the contractors, and everyone who has worked so diligently to ensure that we put up this extraordinary office for the Ashanti Regional Minerals Commission. If we are going to come to grips with mining, particularly large-scale mining, which contributes significantly to the national economy, as well as small-scale mining, then the Minerals Commission must have the requisite structure, personnel, and operational capacity to regulate the mining sector. This government has taken the initiative to ensure that the regulation of mining activities is decentralized, and we are on course, he said. "This is a major investment by the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. I have been told that it is going to be the tallest building in Kumasi. It will be a place where we can conduct rigorous investigations of the mining sector and the products of the mining sector in the country, he added. "The contractors have given us the assurance that it will be handed over to the government by the end of September, and Im going to hold them to it. I will be knocking on the doors of Manhyia to seek the concurrence of His Royal Majesty Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, to commission this project in the first week of October," he said. The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Martin Kwaku Ayisi, disclosed that the project was initially estimated to cost GH80 million and that the commission already has plans to let out some offices in the edifice to generate revenue. Mr. Martin Ayisi also elaborated on the maintenance plan crafted by the commission, assuring that the facility will bring in significant benefits for the commission. Mr. Osei Tutu, the consultant, expressed confidence that the project, which is 71% complete, will be ready by the end of September 2024. Breaking down the completion rate, Mr. Osei Tutu said, Preliminaries are at 60%, the soft structure for the main building is 100%, the ground floor for the main building is at 63%, but the overall progress of work for the seven-story is at 63%. We have the laboratory and main block. The laboratory and main block are about 71% complete, so cumulatively, we are about 71%. Since 2021 the Minerals Commission has embarked on a massive infrastructural development drive nationwide, which has seen a number of edifice being constructed across ten (10) mining regions as part of decentralization drive to bring the services of the commission to the door step of all Stakeholders and also help in governments quest to among others streamline the operations of the mining sector. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Martin Amidu, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has launched a scathing attack on leading figures of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), including the National Chairman of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, over criticism of a petition he supposedly filed for the removal of the Special Prosecutor. The national chairman of the NDC expressed serious concerns about the petition to remove Kissi Agyebeng, which was reportedly filed by Martin Amidu, questioning his credibility. Nketiah said that he was surprised that Amidu, who previously referred to President Akufo-Addo as the "mother serpent of corruption," would now seek the president's help in a corruption-related matter. He asked Amidu, a former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, if his opinion of Akufo-Addo as the "mother serpent of corruption" had changed. "He shouldn't have done that at all. I am still trying to understand why. Comrade Martin, have you abandoned your view that Nana Akufo-Addo is the mother serpent of corruption? "Or do you still hold that view? If you still hold that view, when you came to a roadblock that I want to do this thing against the finance minister and the president said no way, you resigned and came to open up," Nketiah said. Reacting to this in a statement cited by GhanaWeb, Amidu accused Asiedu Nketiah of tarnishing his image without even verifying that he authored the said petition. He also indicated that the NDC national chairman is the last person to speak on matters regarding credibility. He accused Asiedu Nketiah of engaging in numerous illegal activities, including his role on the Parliamentary Service Board. "The Chairman of the NDC, a person presumed to be of high moral character and proven integrity, permitted himself to be appointed by a self-confessed corrupt NDC Speaker of Parliament onto the Board of the Parliamentary Service despite a glaring and impermissible conflict of interest under Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution. "Only idiots will cherish the moral values of such a Chairman of the NDC. In any case, Asiedu Nketiah and John Mahama, have you ever heard that as a politically exposed person, I set up a stevedoring company and was assisted by GPHA to milk Ghanaians during the regime of any of the Governments under which I served? Did I publicize the facts about Asiedu Nketiahs stevedoring business at Tema as the Special Prosecutor before I sent Joshua Hamidu Akamba to warn him about attacking my integrity?" he said. Amidu, a former Special Prosecutor, also accused the NDC national chairman of using his power to acquire an oil and gas company which is managed by his son. "Asiedu Nketiah, I wish to refresh your memory that the abbreviated name of the stevedoring company which was also involved in oil and gas, etc., is KMSC, and to remind you that the partners you used your public position to cheat out of the company for your son you brought from Canada to manage KMSC are still aggrieved and alive." Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a controversial move that has sparked outrage across the Awutu Senya West constituency, the NDC Member of Parliament, Gisella Tetteh-Agbotui, has allegedly instructed her supporters to rip up the sign boards and posters of her main contender, the NPPs parliamentary candidate, Mr. Eugene Arhin. This direct flouting of electoral laws has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in the constituency. According to multiple eyewitness accounts and reports from local residents, supporters of Mrs. Tetteh-Agbotui have been seen destroying Mr. Arhins campaign materials in several locations, including Bontrase, Amontrom, and Pobikwaa. The incidents have created a tense atmosphere in the constituency, with many expressing fears of potential clashes between the two political factions. Mr. Eugene Arhin, who has been the target of these acts of vandalism, has taken a measured and responsible approach in response to the provocation. In a statement, he condemned the actions of the NDC supporters and called for calm among his own supporters. I urge all NPP members and supporters to refrain from retaliating. We must uphold the law and maintain peace in our constituency. I have full confidence that the law enforcement agencies will take appropriate action and address this issue, Mr. Arhin stated. The destruction of campaign materials is a clear violation of Ghanas electoral laws, which are designed to ensure a fair and peaceful electoral process. The actions allegedly orchestrated by Mrs. Tetteh-Agbotui not only undermine the democratic principles that guide our elections but also threaten the peace and stability of the Awutu Senya West constituency. Local residents have expressed their disappointment and frustration over the incidents. This is not what we expect from our leaders. We want to see a clean and fair campaign where ideas and policies are debated, not a campaign marred by destruction and intimidation, Kofi Mensah, a resident of Bontrase, said. The police and other law enforcement agencies have been called upon to investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. The Electoral Commission has also been urged to take steps to prevent further occurrences and to ensure that all candidates adhere to the rules and regulations governing the electoral process. As the campaign period intensifies, it is crucial for all political actors to demonstrate a commitment to peaceful and lawful conduct. The actions of a few should not be allowed to disrupt the democratic process or tarnish the reputation of the constituency. In the face of these challenges, it is hoped that cooler heads will prevail and that the focus will return to the issues that matter most to the people of Awutu Senya West. The electorate deserves a campaign that is characterized by respect, decency, and a genuine contest of ideas. Only through such a campaign can the true will of the people be reflected in the upcoming elections. The coming days will be crucial as the constituency waits to see how the situation unfolds. All eyes will be on the law enforcement agencies and the Electoral Commission to ensure that justice is served and that the electoral process remains fair and credible. Source: movementtvonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video At the 8th Ghana CEO Summit debate, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia outshined former President John Dramani Mahama in a spirited exchange of ideas and policies. The debate, a highlight of the summit, brought together two of Ghana's prominent political figures to discuss critical issues affecting the country's economy and development. Dr. Bawumia, known for his economic acumen, presented a compelling case for the current administration's policies, emphasizing the strides made in digital transformation, financial inclusion, and infrastructural development. He highlighted the government's achievements in the various sectors of the economy and the social intervention programs that have positively impacted millions of Ghanaians. In contrast, Mr Mahama critiqued the government's performance, focusing on areas where he believes more progress is needed. He raised concerns about unemployment, the rising cost of living, and what he described as the administration's failure to effectively manage public resources. Mahama proposed alternative strategies to address these issues, drawing on his experience as a former president. Despite Mahama's strong arguments, many attendees and analysts felt that Bawumia's detailed responses and data-driven approach gave him the edge in the debate. Dr Bawumia's ability to clearly articulate the government's vision and achievements resonated with the audience, reinforcing his reputation as a knowledgeable and effective leader. The debate was a key event at the Ghana CEO Summit, which brings together business leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to discuss and shape the future of Ghana's economy. This year's summit focused on fostering innovation, driving sustainable growth, and building resilient institutions. The spirited exchange between Dr Bawumia and Mr Mahama underscored the importance of robust dialogue and debate in a democratic society, providing valuable insights into the policies and visions of Ghana's leading political figures. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Special envoy of Chinese president attends Comoros' presidential inauguration Xinhua) 08:56, May 27, 2024 MORONI, May 26 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of President Azali Assoumani of the Comoros, Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy He Baoxiang attended Azali's inauguration here on Sunday. He, also the vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, met with Azali in Moroni, the capital of the Comoros on Saturday. The envoy conveyed Xi's warm congratulations and best wishes to Azali, saying that China highly values the development of relations with the Comoros. China is willing to work with the Comoros to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests, advance Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields within the frameworks of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, aiming to elevate the traditional friendship between the two countries to a new level, He said. Azali expressed his gratitude to Xi for sending a special envoy to attend his inauguration ceremony and asked He to convey his highest respect and sincere greetings to the Chinese president. The Comoros appreciates China's long-term strong support for its national development and cherishes the traditional friendship between the two countries, Azali said. He affirmed that the Comoros will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China principle and is willing to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China so as to push bilateral relations to a higher level. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) It was an interesting spectacle to behold on Monday, May 27, 2024, at the 8th Ghana CEOs Summit in Accra, Ghana following developments as the event was ongoing. Organisers had arranged for the two main Presidential contenders for the 2024 polls, Vice President and flagbearer of the NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and former President and flagbearer of the main opposition party NDC, John Dramani Mahama to speak. Given his official trip to Canada and the USA, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia could not make a live appearance but opted to participate in the event through Zoom given its significance. Unknown that Vice President Bawumia was monitoring his presentation, former President Mahaha started on a spirited note, thinking he was the sole speaker. In a sudden twist to happenings, the host Jerry Adjorlolo read a text message message from the Vice President indicating that he has listened to former President Mahama and is prepared to respond to him. Mr Mahama's mood immediately switched, and he started to fumble over what was not immediately known. The message sent by Vice President Bawumia read: "Jerry, please let the moderator know I have been listening from the beginning, and Ive heard the entire submission of my brother, former President Mahama. I am poised and ready to respond to his boot for boot and ask that he sits and listens to my submission as I have done for him," In the ensuing melee, it was as if Mr Mahama was terrified to learn that his contender in the 2024 polls Dr Bawumia was listening to him and feared that he could be fact-checked. Immediately after the message was read, Mr Mahama's Hugh tempo presentation changed, and he started fumbling. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has expressed worry over the Finance Minister, Dr. Amin Adams decision, to pump GH 2.3 billion into the ailing National Investment Bank to resuscitate it. According to him, he does not see the need for investing such a huge amount into a financial; institution that has not made profit since 2013. Mr. Franklin Cudjoe made this assertion on his Facebook wall while reacting to the comments by the Finance Minister, Dr. Amin Adam, of governments decision to inject money into the bank to see its revamp. Mr. Cudjoe said, That bank must just be killed. Politicians of all shades have pillaged the state bank and yet, successive governments keep fueling it with our taxes, especially during elections! The states loot-happy bank, has never recorded a $1 profit since 2013. Even in debt-distressed state, we continue this shackling! This is completely unacceptable! The National Investment Bank has faced a plethora of financial challenges with liabilities exceeding 2 billion as at October, 2023. Following the challenges being faced by the Bank, the minority in Parliament had urged the government to undertake significant restructuring of the ailing NIB in order to prevent the Banks total collapse. Although this was greatly disapproved by financial experts such as Dr. Atuahene, the minority caucus posited that, there was a viable alternative to the Banks woeful predicament. Established through an act of parliament and regulated by the Bank of Ghana, the NIB bank currently has over 70% of the Banks portfolio made up of loans to the Ghanaian private sector who are yet to pay off the loans. With the current economic challenges and banking crisis, analysts suggest the banks Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) to both government and the private sector could be higher and negatively affect its financial standings. The Bank is experiencing turbulent waves following a switch from its primary duties as bank for local industries and companies to a universal Bank that focuses on development and commercial banking activities. In his monthly economic update report on Friday, May 24, Dr. Amin Adam stated that, The Bank of Ghana and the Minister of Finance have designed and would soon begin the implementation of a credible, comprehensive and cost-effective plan that seeks to address NIBs challenges, adding that the cabinet has approved a plan for the restructuring and recapitalisation of the National Investment Bank (NIB). Dr. Amin Adam said, As part of the implementation of the PCPEG, the cabinet has approved the plan for restructuring and recapitalisation of the National Investment Bank (NIB). This will require an injection of about GH 2.3 billion and this will be done over the next 12 months. He added that, The first tranche of GH400 million is expected to be transferred to the National Investment Bank before the end of this month. This demonstrates our commitment to implementing the recapitalisation and restructuring programme of NIB. The plan also includes measures to strengthen the governance structure. The government has intervened in NIB in the past and so this time around, the capital intervention is going to be backed by governance reforms in NIB in order to assure us and the people of Ghana to their money that would be put into NIB would be managed well. In the view of Franklin Cudjoe, it is an absolute waste of resources to inject funds of this magnitude into a bank that has not made any tangible gains since 2013. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Member of Parliament (MP) for Offinso North, Augustine Collins Ntim, has incurred the wrath of constituency secretaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region following remarks considered counterproductive to the Bawumia presidential bid. Ntim, a former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Offinso during the Kufuor presidency and a former Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development under the Akufo-Addo government, addressed a meeting of the constituency secretaries group at the Bawumia 2024 campaign office at Asokwa in Kumasi on Sunday, May 26, where statements he made relating to the choice of running mate of the flagbearer, did not go down well with the gathering. Stab in the back Ntim reportedly stated that there is no need for Dr Bawumia to pick his running mate from the Ashanti Region because the region will vote for the NPP no matter where the running mate comes from. On that score, he insisted that the Ashanti Region give their support to Irene Naa Torshie Addo, who is from the Greater Accra Region for the running mate position. Shock His pronouncement came as a shock to the gathering as they saw it as jittering the very region that had made him in politics. As an Ashanti, who at various times in his political career rode on the back of the NPPs stronghold to occupy respectable positions in government, Ntim, by his comments, was seen by the constituency secretaries as an ungrateful person. Staunch Christian Again, in his speech at the meeting of constituency secretaries, Ntim sought to create the impression that Dr Bawumia, in the present state, cannot win the votes of the Christian community. According to the former deputy minister, it is clear that many Christians will not vote for the NPP flagbearer if he doesnt get a staunch Christian as his running mate. Based on that, he suggested that Naa Torshie is the best fit for the running mate. Reaction of discontent This drew a reaction of discontent from the gathering. To the constituency secretaries, it is untenable for an experienced politician like Ntim to suggest that Dr Bawumia does not have the support of Christians. They rebuked him for trying to destroy the Bawumia campaign. Their position was based on the cordial relations Dr. Bawumia has built with the Christian community, which has been widely acknowledged by highly respected men of God, and the general Christian community. Personal gains The consensus among the constituency secretary caucus of the party was that Ntim was pursuing personal gains from Naa Torshie who is the administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to enhance his battered political image. Having lost his parliamentary primary, and also his position as deputy minister, the Offinso North MP may be looking for some support from the DACF administrator to salvage some of the lost image. Apology demanded As details of the former deputy ministers comments spread across the Ashanti region, a group calling itself Concerned Ashanti NPP Youth, has condemned the MP and asked him to apologise unreservedly or face their wrath. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Special Prosecutor Martin A. B. K. Amidu has raised serious concerns over what he describes as a targeted attack by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership, including high-profile figures like Alhassan Suhuyini and Sammy Gyamfi. Martin Amidu alleges that these attacks, spearheaded by NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, stem from unverified claims about a petition he allegedly submitted for the removal of the Special Prosecutor. Amidu expressed his bafflement over the situation, questioning why John Dramani Mahama, the leader and flagbearer of the NDC, would initiate such an aggressive campaign against him. "What has really baffled me, and which is what I have been trying to understand, is the reason for which John Dramani Mahama, who is the leader and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has unleashed his NDC attack dogs such as Alhassan Suhuyini, Sammy Gyamfi, and to crown it all, the Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, on me since 17 May 2024," Amidu stated in a statement released on May 26. The controversy revolves around a purported petition dated April 30, 2024, which allegedly called for the removal of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng. Amidu has challenged the authenticity of this document, claiming it lacks the necessary verification. "I cannot understand why the NDC will collaborate with Kissi Agyebengs preferred rented media house and his chief executioner, Sampson Lardy Anyenini, to make allegations against me without publishing the alleged petition on which the allegations are based to provide me the opportunity to confirm or deny my signature and rebut or admit the accusations," he said. Amidu also questioned the role of the Chief Justice in this matter, casting doubt on the legitimacy of a document attributed to her. He outlined several inconsistencies and procedural errors that led him to believe the document might be a forgery. "I have every reason to question the authenticity of the document attributed to the Chief Justice because I established with mathematical precision with the assistance of information and communication technologies (ICT) that a Joint Statement published at the instance of Kissi Agyebeng as a Joint Statement by the OSP and the Judicial Service of Ghana (JSG) was a forgery by the OSP," Amidu asserted. Furthermore, Amidu criticized the media's handling of the allegations, particularly targeting Joy FM for what he perceives as biased reporting. "Joy FM and the NDC have refused or failed to publish the letter from the Presidency to the Chief Justice or the alleged petition for purposes of authentication to enable a reasoned response from me as the Joy FMs accused in its trial in the court of public opinion," he argued. Amidu concluded his statement by affirming his commitment to fighting corruption and defending the 1992 Constitution, despite the personal attacks and public scrutiny. "I will continue to defend the 1992 Constitution against all greedy bastards abusing the rights of citizens under the guise of law enforcement," he declared. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Canadian Religious and Cultural Council (CRCC) has commended Vice President and flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his respect for tolerance and religious diversity. The CRCC, a multi-national group for the promotion of peace, diversity and the preservation of culture, hosted Dr. Bawumia and other dignitaries at the Miracle Arena for All Nations on Sunday May 26, 2024, in Ontario, Canada. With an inter-denominational audience and people from over 40 different nations in attendance, the ceremony centered on peace and tolerance, and the presence of Dr. Bawumia in the church auditorium was used as a shining example of religious tolerance. "Your presence here with us today is a shining example of diversity and what religious tolerance is", Hon. Member of Provential Parliament, David Smith who was one of the dignitaries present, said. Other speakers including the Head Pastor of the church, Prophet Dr. Kofi Danso also commended Dr. Bawumia for his deep appreciation of religious diversity. The Canadian MP, who revealed he has read about Dr. Bawumia, also lauded him for his remarkable leadership in pursuing policies which are impacting the Ghanaian nation positively. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Bawumia highlighted the significance of peace to human existence, stressing without tolerance and respect for diversity, there will be no peace. He spoke extensively about Ghana's globally acclaimed peace and said the heart of that enviable feat is Ghana's respect for religious diversity. "Peace is the foundation of our existence in the world. Without it, there will be no existence...Ghana is a very peaceful country. The second most peaceful country in West Africa and one of the most peaceful on the African continent. People wonder what is the secret? The secret is Ghana's religious tolerance and inter-faith dialogue." "Ghana is the country where the national Chief Imam visits the church as he celebrates his birthday. Ghana is also a country where priests find it comfortable to be in mosques with their Muslim brothers and pray for the nation. This is the sort of society we are building in Ghana in terms of inter-faith and respect for one another", Dr. Bawumia said. Dr. Bawumia assured the audience that Ghana's peace will not be taken for granted and the nation will continue to uphold the tenets that have made it so peaceful. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Renowned Kumawood actor Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as Lilwin, attended the premiere of his movie, A Country Called Ghana, on Saturday night, just hours after being involved in a vehicle accident. Multiple videos from the movie premiere captured Lilwin being ushered into the venue at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) with a plaster on his forehead, suggesting the severity of the injury he suffered from the accident. Reports indicate that he had undergone surgery after the accident and was deemed well enough to attend the ceremony. The accident occurred on Saturday in Amokom, a suburb of the Kumasi Metropolis, when Lilwins Benz car collided with another vehicle while he was on his way to a funeral. Social media videos captured the aftermath, showing onlookers assisting him from his branded Mercedes Benz and transferring him into another vehicle. The front bumper of his Mercedes Benz was severely damaged. Despite the ordeal, Lilwins presence at the premiere was a clear indication of his resilience and dedication to his job. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In 2019, Health Canada published an updated version of Canada's Food Guide. Its recommendations include drinking more water, eating more plant-based proteins, limiting the intake of highly processed foods, and cooking more meals at home. During the three-year review process, major Canadian agri-food players used a range of strategies to oppose the changes. In all, they conducted 366 corporate political activities (i.e. lobbying efforts) of which 82 (22%) involved criticizing the scientific data on which Health Canada based its recommendations and 76 (21%) involved submitting non-peer-reviewed, cherry-picked industry-friendly data. Those are the findings of a study published in the December 2023 issue of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada. Lead author Marie-Chantal Robitaille is a master's student at Universite de Montreal supervised by Jean-Claude Moubarac, a professor in the Department of Nutrition. Preventing undue corporate influence Health Canada set up a committee to review the scientific literature and hold public consultations in order to update Canada's Food Guide on the basis of three guiding principles. To ensure transparency and avoid conflicts of interest, representatives of the food industry and industry-funded experts and scientists were excluded from the consultations. "This decision by Health Canada was supported by the scientific literature and the World Health Organization, which has found that public-private collaboration can undermine the focus on the public interest and make it more difficult to establish public health policies," said Robitaille. The previous version of the food guide was considered outdated by many health professionals, who criticized it as "ineffective and lacking in credibility because it had become a marketing tool for certain products," she noted. Although excluded from the public consultations, food industry players expressed their views about the guidelines by submitting 11 briefs to the House Standing Committee on Health. A wide range of tactics Robitaille combed through these briefs and the websites of the 11 organizations that submitted them to survey their corporate political activities. Her analysis revealed four main strategies: Information management, e.g., suppressing information, using the credibility of a third party Discursive strategies, e.g., framing the debate on food and public health-related issues to favor industry interests Political influence, e.g. direct lobbying and indirect access to policy makers Coalition management, e.g., establishing a network of support, especially with health professionals and other opponents "I started by identifying the corporate political activities carried out by biofood industry players to influence the development of Canada's Food Guide and then documented and analyzed their discourses and positions on Health Canada's three guiding principles and the recommendations," Robitaille explained. All-out lobbying effort Three organizations accounted for the bulk of the 366 examples of corporate political activity Robitaille found: Dairy Farmers of Canada (24%), the Canadian Juice Council, which also represents manufacturers of sweetened beverages and soft drinks (20%), and the National Cattle Feeder's Association (16%). The most common practices were information management (197 examples, or 53.8%) and discursive strategies (108 examples, or 29.5%). Within the information management category, the most frequently used strategy was suppressing information, which consisted mainly of criticizing the scientific evidence and emphasizing its complexity and uncertainty (98 examples or 27%). Robitaille pointed to the Egg Farmers of Canada brief, which argued that "consultation and dialogue with both food producers and health professionals is an important step to ensure a balance of opinions are heard throughout the process." Similarly, the Canadian Meat Council maintained that it should be consulted because "it had extensive expertise in nutrition and science, as well as experience in consumer education." Industry messaging fell on deaf ears According to Robitaille, the pressure from the agri-food industry on the committee charged with revising Canada's Food Guide and on Health Canada had no effect. "This is a positive for Canada compared with other countries, where the food industry has succeeded in exerting considerable influence," said Robitaille. "Studies show that the same strategies have been used in other jurisdictions, most notably in the United States, where companies banded together in 2010 to 2012 to fight government efforts to combat obesity." According to the article, one of the industry's main tactics was to "exaggerate the cost of the proposed changes, using an alarmist narrative suggesting that the proposed recommendations will fail and that many undesirable health and economic problems will affect the whole of society." The new Canada's Food Guide: Guiding principles and recommendations Principle No. 1: A variety of nutritious foods and beverages is the foundation for healthy eating. Health Canada recommends: The regular intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and protein-rich foods, especially plant-based sources of protein Eating foods that contain mainly unsaturated fats as opposed to saturated fats The regular intake of water Principle No. 2: Processed or prepared foods and beverages high in sodium, sugars or saturated fat undermine healthy eating. Health Canada recommends: Limiting the consumption of foods high in sodium or saturated fat Avoiding beverages high in sugar Principle No. 3: Knowledge and skills are needed to navigate the complex food environment and support healthy eating. Health Canada recommends: Choosing healthy food options at stores and restaurants Planning and preparing healthy meals and snacks Eating meals with family or friends as often as possible More information: Marie-Chantal Robitaille et al, The bio-food industry's corporate political activity during Health Canada's revision of Canada's food guide, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada (2023). DOI: 10.24095/hpcdp.43.12.01 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 From massive kelp forests to monumental old-growth on land, British Columbia's biodiversitywhich is unrivaled in Canadaprovides an array of cultural, economic, social and other benefits. B.C.'s wide-ranging ecological zones are home to over 70 percent of Canada's mammal, bird and non-vascular plant species. The province is ostensibly proud of having a healthy environment, with its mottos "Splendor without Diminishment" and "Beautiful British Columbia" promoting its natural beauty. Yet despite this awareness, the province is hindered by a fragmented approach to biodiversity management. B.C. possesses considerable knowledge resources with a wealth of top biodiversity scientists, biodiversity-based industries and leading conservation organizations. It is also home to more than 200 First Nations with traditional knowledge systems closely tied with nature. However, current conservation initiatives lack coordination and there is no independent organization or provincial governing body overseeing the many actions underway. This must change. Uncoordinated approach The lack of coordination in B.C. makes it difficult to obtain a clear picture of ecosystem health across the province. This murky picture has negative implications for efforts to quantify, forecast and adjust to biodiversity changeswith further knock-on repercussions for efforts to hold people and organizations accountable for infractions. For example, when a species is listed on Canada's Species at Risk Act, the first step for legislated action by the province is to map locations of habitats that are necessary for the species' recovery. But, in part due to poor biodiversity inventories and low engagement across sectors, this information has been regularly delayed, by an average of 9.8 years. This is a costly time frame for an endangered species. We cannot manage what we do not monitor and this challenge will only get worse as climate change shifts the range of many species. Biodiversity work in B.C. is currently being performed by a passionate and engaged group of stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, academics, First Nations, local interest groups, federal and provincial agents as well as private consultancies. The breadth of work is vast and, despite having so many different groups involved, the goals are often aligned. Yet despite having similar goals, shared methods and the potential for combining knowledge across projects, fragmentation across individuals and groups persists. The fragmented nature of B.C. biodiversity work is a missed opportunity that can lead to gaps and blind spots that ultimately undermine action. Potential interconnected threats like diseases, invasive species, ecological impacts of new developments and a range of other issues may be missed. Biodiversity loss is too important to be detected by chance; it should be monitored in a systematic, open and inclusive way. New data New technologies are vastly increasing our capacity to monitor biodiversity. Advances in environmental genomics and the discovery that organisms leave traces of their DNA in the environment means biodiversity now can be assessed from samples of water, soil and even the air. NGOs, Indigenous stewards and conservation groups in B.C. are already using environmental DNA (fragments of DNA floating freely in the environment) to track biodiversity change. Remote automatic cameras deployed in a network can quickly and continuously record the distribution of certain species. What's more, the data from these cameras can be processed quickly using community science web-based platforms quickly using crowd-sourced knowledge and artificial intelligence. Satellite data can reveal the status of forests across the province. We are on the cusp of a deluge in biodiversity data, but data on its own is not knowledge. A video overviewing the important work of Indigenous guardians across Canada and B.C. To translate this data into actionable insights, collaboration and coordination is key. We need to work together to share knowledge and capacity for understanding change. User-friendly platforms are needed to make the data accessible, but it is equally important to integrate it with existing knowledge held by local communities and Indigenous groups. Establishing a system of natural capital accounts would provide a clear picture of the value our ecosystems provide empowering decision-makers to understand the economic and social consequences of their choices. Meeting our commitments In December 2022, Canada hosted the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal. In response to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Canada committed to protecting 30 percent of biodiversity by 2030. Canada also committed to developing a plan in response to the framework's four goals and 23 targets. Yet coordinated action is needed at the provincial level to achieve this. B.C.'s draft framework for biodiversity and ecosystem health is a positive step with its emphasis on "connecting initiatives," "providing accessible and credible data" and "fostering innovation, skills, and training"but much more work is still needed. We need a body that draws together independent expertise in biodiversity and social sciences with policymakers and interest groups. Importantly, this body would need to be transparent, track progress and provide research and synthesized information to support informed decisions. Crucially, any effort to coordinate biodiversity work in B.C. must inclusively engage with the many ongoing initiatives in the province to ensure it is adding value. We may not have to look far for an effective model. Quebec recently launched Biodiversite Quebeca partnership across government, scientific and Indigenous partnersto create an integrated monitoring system for nature. Drawing inspiration from such initiatives and its own capacity, B.C. can rise to the challenge of biodiversity loss. With coordination and sustained support of expertise, B.C. can set clear goals, leverage existing initiatives, ensure efforts are aligned and results are communicated and ultimately, ensure that B.C.'s natural splendor remains undiminished. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Health authorities are working to gather information on the spread of the H5N1 virus, or bird flu, in U.S. dairy cowsthe first confirmation of the virus in cattle. "We have moved into new territory," says Thomas Gillespie, professor and chair of Emory University's Department of Environmental Sciences. The dairy cow infections are simply the latest twist in a global pattern: since 2022, bird flu has been infecting a wide variety of mammals. "You can find this trend around the world, almost anywhere you look," Gillespie says. "This virus has an extremely broad range of hosts that it is able to infect." Gillespie is a disease ecologist, studying how pathogens jump across species in the environment. He is a leader in the "One Health" approachconsidering the deep connections between the health of people, domesticated animals, wildlife and ecosystemsto build pandemic control and prevention. Current risk to people is 'low' The avian influenza cases in cows have been mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed two human cases connected to the outbreakone in Texas and one in Michigan. Both cases were mild and involved people who worked on a dairy farm. The pasteurization process kills the H5N1 virus, and the CDC describes the current risk to the general public as "low." The H5N1 virus is known as avian influenza, or bird flu, because birds are its natural reservoir. Wild, migrating birds can spread H5N1 globally. The current version has been circulating since 2020 and has infected a greater diversity of bird species than past lineages. The virus has been reported in birds in the United States since 2022. Poultry producers have culled millions of their animals to try to control the spread of the virus. Massive die-offs of seals and sea lions It has long been known that mammals can become infected with H5N1 when they eat infected birds or are exposed to environments contaminated with the virus. What is unprecedented is the current scale and variety of mammals that have been infected. "Most of these are likely dead-end cases, where a predator eats an infected bird and gets sick but doesn't spread the virus," Gillespie says. He adds, however, that recent die-offs of thousands of elephant seals, sea lions and fur seals in South America caused by bird flu raises concerns about the possibility of mammal-to-mammal transmission. "Not enough surveillance is done in wildlife to know for sure how the virus is spreading," he says. H5N1 has also been reported in foxes, otters, lynx, polecats and badgers in Europe and in raccoon dogs and foxes in Japan. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recorded detections of H5N1 in 200 mammals in the United States since 2022, including a bottlenose dolphin, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, skunks, harbor and gray seals, opossums, squirrels, minks, otters and black and brown bears. Last December, a polar bear on Alaska's North Slope became the first of its species known to die of avian influenza. In 2023, the virus was also been detected for the first time in the Antarctic regionin birds, elephant seals and fur sealsraising fears for the health of the fragile ecosystem. A long-term view of risks "Some of the species that are at risk for bird flu are already battling the stressors of climate change and loss of habitat," Gillespie says. And each time H5N1 infects a new animal host, it gives the virus a chance to mix with other flu strains and rearrange its genetic material. Accumulating such mutations can change the virus in ways that make it more easily transmissible and more deadlyincluding to humans. Pigs' immune systems share similarities with humans, making swine especially efficient mixing bowls for viruses that can affect humans. Gillespie cites deforestation and industrialized animal production as major drivers for the risk of pandemics as well as climate change. Forests in tropical regions are rapidly degrading due to cattle ranching and the clearing of land for agricultural crops such as soybeanswhich are mainly used as feed for chickens and pigs on industrial farms. "The resulting cheap meat that we buy does not reflect the true costs to the ecosystems that sustain us," Gillespie says. "If we want to live sustainably, we need to cut down on the amount of animal products that we consume. That will be a win-win for human health and for planetary health." 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: Changes in the Earth's global magnetic field over six months in 2014 as measured by the European Space Agency's three-satellite Swarm constellation. The left map shows the average magnetic field and the right shows changes in magnetic field strength during that period. Credit: European Space Agency/Technical University of Denmark (ESA/DTU Space). The Earth's liquid molten outer core, composed mostly of iron and nickel, exerts an electromagnetic field extending from the north and south pole that protects the planet from harmful solar particle radiation. Fluctuations in the strength of Earth's magnetic fieldcaused by daily changes in solar wind structure and intermittent solar stormscan impact the use of geomagnetic field models which are essential for navigation in satellites, planes, ships and cars. Magnetic field models differ based on the location of data collectioneither on or near the Earth's surface or low Earth orbiting satellites. Past research has attributed model differences to space weather activity levels, but a recent analysis of six years of Earth and satellite magnetic field models found model discrepancies are also driven by modeling errors rather than geophysical phenomena alone. The results are published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics. The University of Michigan research team assessed differences between observations from the Swarm mission's low-Earth orbit satellites and a Earth magnetic field model, the thirteenth generation of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field or IGRF-13. They focused on differences during low to moderate geomagnetic conditions which encompasses 98.1% of the time between the years 2014 and 2020. Satellite observations collected at different locations above Earth are sensitive to magnetic field fluctuations, whereas Earth magnetic field models use observations to estimate the Earth's internal magnetic field without accounting for the influence of solar storms. Internal magnetic field models like IGRF-13 are used to track changes in the Earth's magnetic poles, like the North pole's shift of about 45 km north-northwest each year. Understanding these large differences are important for satellite operation when using IGRF-13 as a reference and for research on the physics of the Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere. Model uncertainty was highest in the north and south polar regions, and a statistical analysis revealed that the asymmetry between the north and south polar regions was a major factor driving model differences. "We often assume a nearly symmetrical magnetic field between the northern and southern polar regions, but they are actually very different," said Yining Shi, an assistant research scientist at the University of Michigan Climate and Space Science and Engineering and corresponding author on the study. The two geographic poles map to different geomagnetic coordinates. The North pole maps to around 84 Magnetic Latitude (MLAT) and 169 Magnetic Longitude (MLON) and the South pole maps to around 74 MLAT and 19 MLON. The Swarm satellites' polar orbit track creates a sampling bias with a high concentration of measurements around the geographic poles, which exacerbates the model differences. "Understanding that what has been attributed to geophysical disturbances is really due to the asymmetry of the Earth's magnetic field will help us better create geomagnetic field models as well as help with satellite and aviation navigation," said Mark Moldwin, an Arthur F Thurnau Professor of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at U-M and an author on the study. Another issue that is causing the navigation community concern, is that the polar magnetic field has been changing rapidly over the past decade or so. "This adds further complexity to creating accurate magnetic field models," said Moldwin. More information: Yining Shi et al, NonGeophysical Interhemispheric Asymmetries in Large Magnetic Field Residuals Between Swarm Observations and Earth Magnetic Field Models During Moderate to Quiet Geomagnetic Conditions, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023JA032092 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: Radboud University Certain invasive exotic species, such as the red swamp crayfish, are harmful to our environment because they nibble on aquatic plants, dig burrows in banks, and transmit crayfish plague to native species. "But there are also non-native fish and crayfish that are not harmful and do not need to be controlled," ecologist Pim Lemmers argues in his Ph.D. thesis, which he will defend at Radboud University on 30 May. The red swamp crayfish has a bad reputation, and not without good reason. "It really is the worst," says Lemmers. "It walks on land, destroys aquatic plants, and digs into banks, to the detriment of water quality. It is a real problem." The spinycheek crayfish, on the other hand, is currently causing far fewer problems in the Netherlands. It does not burrow in banks, although it did in the past transmit crayfish plague, thus contributing to the drastic decline of European crayfish in the Netherlands. Fishing net and waders For his Ph.D. research, Lemmers studied various exotic speciesanimal species that do not naturally occur in the Netherlandsand their ecological and socio-economic impact. To do so, he carried out a lot of lab and field work. Armed with a special fishing net and waders, he went into the Meuse, the Rhine, and several of their tributaries. "We used electro-fishing: an electrified fishing net that allows you to pull fish towards you. As soon as you switch off the current, the fish immediately swim away," says Lemmers. He counted, measured and determined the fish he caught in the rivers, and took some specimens to the lab to examine the ratio of stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon in their muscle tissue. "This data allowed me to deduce exactly what the fish were eating. If an exotic species eats totally different food from a native species, it is probably not causing harm," he adds. This method allowed him to carry out a risk analysis and determine which exotic species were dangerous and which not. Bullhead The bullhead, for example, is not doing so well because of an invasive exotic species. Lemmers explains, "The bullhead occurs naturally in the Meuse, but it has almost completely disappeared due to competition from the invasive round goby. That is a very nasty exotic fish that can find food very quickly and displaces other fish from their hiding places." A very similar fish is the Cottus rhenanus, which has actually been doing well since the 1990swhen the water quality of some streams improved. "The round goby has not yet invaded the natural habitat of the Cottus rhenanus. This shows that an invasive exotic species can really make a difference." The vimba bream is an example of an exotic species that causes little trouble. The ecologist says, "It used to only occur in the Danube, but has now reached the Netherlands through various canals. It can thrive here, and other fish are unlikely to be inconvenienced by it." Risk analysis Lemmers argues that not all exotic species have a negative impact, and we therefore do not need to fight them all. We can even benefit from their presence. Lemmers says, "The zander was also originally an exotic species that has now completely found its home here. It even plays an important role in commercial fishery." Proper consideration of all the positive and negative effects of an exotic species helps the government make decisions on exotic species management. Lemmers' research makes a substantial contribution to this process. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The developmental stages of a zebrafish (danio rerio). Credit: Ed Hendel, Wikimedia Commons Four zebrafish are alive and well after nearly a month in space aboard China's Tiangong space station. As part of an experiment testing the development of vertebrates in microgravity, the fish live and swim within a small habitat aboard the station. While the zebrafish have thus far survived, they are showing some signs of disorientation. The taikonauts aboard TiangongYe Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsuhave reported instances of swimming upside down, backward, and in circular motions, suggesting that microgravity is having an effect on their spatial awareness. The zebrafish were launched aboard Shenzhou-18, which carried them, as well as a batch of hornwort, to orbit on April 25, 2024. The aim of the project is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem, studying the effects of both microgravity and radiation on the development and growth of these species. As a test subject, zebrafish have several advantages. Their short reproductive and development cycle, and transparent eggs, allow scientists to study their growth quickly and effectively, and their genetic makeup shares similarities with humans, potentially offering insights that are relevant to human health. The zebrafish genome has been fully sequenced, and for these reasons zebrafish are commonly used in scientific experiments on Earth. Seeing how these well-studied creatures behave in such an extreme environment may have a lot to tell us about the life and development of vertebrates across species while exposed to microgravity. The taikonauts aboard Tiangong perform feeding and water sampling at regular intervals, and cameras allow scientists on the ground to monitor the aquarium. This is not the first time fish have been to space. Starting in 2012, a Japanese research project brought medaka and zebrafish to the International Space Station for study in a similar aquatic habitat. The results of those studies revealed a decrease in bone density in the fish within just ten days. Human astronauts experience similar effects in orbit, though not on such quick time scales, and they can be mitigated somewhat through rigorous exercise routines. Earlier fish in space include a mummichog aboard Skylab 3 in 1973 (and again in 1975 aboard Apollo-Soyuz), and zebrafish aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 5 in 1976. A variety of fish reached orbit aboard space shuttles in the 1990s, too. The health and sustainability of animal life in space is a key area of research for human spaceflight efforts. If humans are to travel on long-term space missions, like those required to reach Mars, then understanding the biological implications of space travel is vital. These zebrafish are the latest in a long line of experiments undertaken in this pressing area of research. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Is artificial intelligence an unprecedented opportunity, or will it rob everyone of jobs and creativity? As we debate on social media (and perhaps use ChatGPT almost daily), generative AIs have also entered the arena of university communication. These toolsbased on large language models that were optimized for interactive communicationcan indeed support, expand, and innovate university communication offerings. Justus Henke has analyzed the situation of German realities about six months after the launch of ChatGPT 3. "The research was conducted about a year ago when enthusiasm was high, but it was still early for people to understand the potential of the medium," he explains. This initial early monitoring showed that usage was already widespread at that point. Henke distributed a questionnaire to all press/communication offices of the country's universities, receiving 101 responses, about a third of the total. Practically all those who responded declared that they make some use of generative AIs. Translations, text corrections and text generation are the main uses recorded by Henke. The other functions suggested in the questionnaireimage creation, slide production, or document analysisare instead marginal. "What we observe in this initial work is that as far as communication is concerned, artificial intelligence is adopted by universities mainly to increase process efficiency, for example, to speed them up, doing more things in less time," explains Henke. What also emerges, especially in some open answers, is a certain caution and growing awareness towards ethical aspects. An example is data protection. "For instance, one wonders whether it is wise, or right, to feed these intelligencesowned by private companieswith university data. The issue of privacy is also important," says the researcher. In this sense, "more and more universities in Germany are releasing their own instances of generative AI chatbots, on dedicated servers," precisely to try to maintain control over these delicate aspects. "There is not only a technological shift underway but also a cultural one," adds Henke. "Usually the early adopters tend to be younger and fresher in the profession, more open to change." The problem highlighted, however, is that there is no policy that works for everyone. Many are also worried by the possibility that these technologies could replace jobs. "You need the social aspect of technology adoption to be taken seriously," Henke says. Henke, who is now working on a new survey to assess the situation a year after the first, believes he will observe further evolution of the situation: "I know that the use of generative AI tools is bound to increase," he says. "Last year people were experimenting, but in the comments, they also explained that sometimes they were not satisfied with the results. It was probably a matter of competence. They didn't know, for example, how to make an effective prompt for their goals. "Probably today this aspect will have improved. We have to now turn our head and focus on a more strategic and integrated AI approach," especially in light of the continuous updates and advancements of these tools (ChatGPT-4o was launched recently, sparking new controversies regarding security, even among the staff of Open AI, the company that owns Chat GPT). Henke believes it is important that universities learn to use these new instruments without calling into question the work they have done so far and the future goals they have already planned. "Communication is about building relationships and trust. In particular, one of the main purposes of science communication (of which university communication is a particular case) serves to build trust and relationships between the public and scientific research. "If you compromise these relationships using 'automated' press releases or mainly use bots to talk to the public, the latter will end up losing interest or worse, start having doubts about the institution itself. "It's important that humans remain part of the process. Artificial intelligence should enhance communication, not replace it," says Henke. The findings are published in the Journal of Science Communication. More information: Justus Henke, Navigating the AI era: university communication strategies and perspectives on generative AI tools, Journal of Science Communication (2024). DOI: 10.22323/2.23030205 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: Florian Weichelt via Unsplash In New Zealand, farmers and the largely urban general public are held to have differing views on what is meant by being a "good farmer." Anecdotally, farmers see themselves as stewards of the land for future generations, using management practices that would be considered environmentally sustainable, whereas the urban public disagrees with such a portrayal. But does a rural/urban difference of viewpoint about "good farmers" really exist? Recently, social scientists at Manaaki WhenuaLandcare Research have teamed up with researchers from the University of Otago, Cawthron, AgResearch and Lincoln University and partners Dirt Road Communications, Quorum Sense and Thriving Southland to dig a little deeper into public perceptions of the "good farmer." The study is published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. The research team undertook two surveys in 2023, one among farmers and one among the general public, to discover how well the public's perception of a "good farmer" and farmers' perceptions of a "good farmer" align. To do this, they used the idea of social license to operate (SLO)a wide-ranging concept that describes how expectations of behavior and actions are set between a community and a business or industry, often at a local level. If a group has SLO, its actions and behaviors are accepted by the society it operates within. SLO can extend into many aspects of what constitutes a "good farmer"and the surveys reflected this. Participants were asked, among other things, whether they thought farmers manage their farms in an ethical way, comply with government rules and regulations, use practices that focus on animal welfare, contribute to the local community, and reduce chemical inputs where possible. The survey results showed some differences in perceptions between the two groupsfor example, the public tended to mention treating staff well, keeping fences intact, minimizing the use of chemical inputs, ensuring they meet environmental requirements and legislation, and that they produce a good yield during harvest as being characteristics of good farmers, whereas farmers did not. By contrast, farmer respondents reported more often that a "good farmer" was one who gained "social acceptability" for their practices, and farmers expressed a belief that many members of the public do not understand what farmers do, and that this lack of understanding could affect public perception of the acceptability of farming. Overall, however, the study showed a much closer alignment between the groups about what is meant by a "good farmer." "Interestingly, both groups trusted farmers as a source of information more than they trusted the media," says Peter Edwards, senior researcher at Manaaki WhenuaLandcare Research. "These results, when taken with other work in the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, suggest that the perceived urban/rural divide between farmers and the public may not be as large as previously believedwhich is good news for farmers' continued SLO in New Zealand." Hugh Campbell, professor of sociology at the University of Otago, adds, "This is an encouraging outcome in an area where there has been a lot of discouragement lately. The gap between urban and rural isn't nearly as wide as it might appear in some social media discussions. "We need to build on this to avoid any further loss of trust between many parts of New Zealand society as we go about collaborating on finding solutions to some compelling farming challenges." More information: Pamela L. Booth et al, Perceptions of the 'good farmer' and social licence to operate in Aotearoa New Zealand, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand (2024). DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2351910 Provided by Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain NASA Langley researchers are heading to the Arctic Ocean to study the habitat's effect on climate worldwide. The ARCSIX, or Arctic Radiation Cloud Aerosol Surface Interaction Experiment, airborne campaign will fly out of Pituffik Space Force Base in Greenland for seven weeks this summer to gather measurements of the sea ice, clouds, radiation and aerosols that are affecting the ice melt. "The reason that we need this mission is because there are a lot of things that we don't know about how the Arctic climate system functions and operates," said Patrick Taylor, deputy mission science leader. "There's a lot of uncertainty in our projections of how fast they warm. We know that it's going to warm fast, but it can go really fast. "The idea of these observations is to understand how the sea ice is changing, so that we can use that data to improve our tests and hypotheses and improve our theories about how the sea ice is evolving. We can then put those ideas and our knowledge to improve our forecast models." Ice in the arctic has a pivotal role in cooling the Earth, and it's not every day that scientists are able to take detailed snapshots of the region. Taylor and Ewan Crosbie, platform scientists, said it's pivotal to learn about the Earth's warming climate now, and the data could be used to form strategies on how to reduce the effects of climate change. "Having boots on the ground (and) people out in this region of the Arctic only happens once or twice every five years," Taylor said. "It's not even that we get out there every year. We get these very periodic snapshots of what's happening there. We're going to have an unprecedented kind of dataset of it with all the different instruments." The mission is split into two. The group will go out to see how the ice is melting in late spring and early summer, and in July, a second part will collect data for the later parts of summer. Each flight will have two pilots, a flight scientist coordinating with researchers on the ground, a scientist for each of the three instruments collecting data and an extra seat for an additional scientist or operator. The aircraft is equipped with three components. The first are dropsondes, designed to be dropped from an aircraft at altitude and measure characteristics such as temperature, humidity and winds. Another is the AVIRIS, or Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer. AVIRIS is used as a very powerful camera, and will collect useful information about the sea ice clouds and aerosols. The third is HALO, or High Altitude Lidar Observatory. It uses a very short pulse of light to collect images, but where the AVIRIS takes images of what's happening horizontally, HALO collects data on what's happening vertically. "When the ice starts to melt, we get liquid forming on the surface. We can see what that looks like (with the instruments), even though you couldn't see with the naked eye," Crosbie said. "Also for clouds, an interesting science question that we'll go after is to try to understand the lifecycle of Arctic clouds. "So understanding the distinction between clouds that contain predominantly liquid droplets versus ice particles is a critical piece to understanding the behavior of Arctic clouds, their lifecycle and the radiation impacts." Crosbie said this could be one of the last times to observe "old ice," or ice that was able to survive the summer melt season and regrow during the polar night. He said the ice seen in the mission will be between 34 years old, and this could be one of the last chances to measure and collect data on it. "We're really excited about the science," Taylor said. "We don't get a dataset like this in this region of the Arcticor the Arctic at allvery often, so really, some things we think we'll learn will probably surprise us. There's probably some things we're not expecting will pop out of the data." Provided by The Virginian-Pilot 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 The government of British Columbia recently introduced a bill to ban people convicted of serious offenses from legally changing their name. The proposed amendment to the province's Name Act would also prohibit those found not criminally responsible due to mental disorder from changing their name. The government announced the move after media reports that Allan Schoenborn legally changed his name to Ken Johnson. Schoenborn was found not criminally responsible for the deaths of his children in 2010 because of a delusional disorder, and was placed at a psychiatric hospital. The amendment bill states that a person is not allowed to change their name if: They have been convicted of a prescribed offense; They've been found to be not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder; Or if they've been found to be a dangerous or long-term offender. The ban will also apply to children under 18 who have been convicted of a prescribed offense and are sentenced as adults. This proposed ban is unconstitutional. It diverges from the justice system's mandate of rehabilitation and does not make us safer. Name change bans Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have banned people convicted of certain sex crimes from changing their names. Ontario has a bill in the standing committee phase and Manitoba has a proposed bill. Alberta extended the ban to dangerous and long-term offenders in 2021. Under section 15(1) of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, "Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability." B.C.'s proposed ban has a host of implications for the Charter rights of a wide range of people. This includes people not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder, meaning they were not found guilty. It impacts convicted or not criminally responsible people who are trans seeking a name change to reflect their gender identity. It impacts Indigenous peoples, who are hyper-imprisoned in Canada, who want to reclaim Indigenous names. Facilitating Indigenous name reclamation is listed under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 17. Children sentenced as adults have much potential to live long, meaningful lives post-release, but would also be unable to change their name. Children are more likely to engage in risky and impulsive behaviors due to human brain development. It also has implications for convicted gang members trying to break ties or prevent retribution, and people seeking to change their last name after getting married or as part of other religious or spiritual commitment ceremonies. Undermining reintegration Changing identity is part of reintegration for many. Desistance means developing a crime-free identity to live a meaningful life as a contributing member of society. It entails recovering one's "core good self" and constructing a positive narrative about the future. It also means "generativity"; this is, giving back to society. Desistance has important connections to preventing recidivism. Barriers to desistance include the difficulty of gaining education, employment, housing and social acceptance. Banning name changes may further isolate convicted people or people found not criminally responsible, making it more difficult or impossible to reintegrate into society. Canada's justice system is mandated to support rehabilitation and reintegration. The vast majority of people in prison have a release date and will return to the community after serving time. B.C."s proposed bill extends punishment beyond the formal sentence, and works against purported goals of rehabilitation and reintegration. Banning legal name changes will not make us safer. Canada's criminal legal system has checks in place to assess the potential risk an individual could pose to the public upon and after release, including the parole system. Name changes also do not impact a person's criminal record, which allows employers, schools and other organizations to learn about someone's criminal history. Supporting desistance Rather than banning name changes in an effort to seek public safety, the focus should be on supporting desistance. To do so means helping people to rejoin society, including wrap-around supports for people who have been convicted or not criminally responsible. For example, the non-profit Circles of Support and Accountability is focused on providing social support to help people rejoin communities, but only exists in 15 locations throughout Canada. The program has contributed to a 71 percent reduction in all forms of recidivism, showing that guided community support greatly improves outcomes for former prisoners. Rather than ban name changes in an effort to seek accountability, governments must invest in restorative and transformative justice. Restorative justice focuses on rehabilitation of the person who did harm and reconciliation for their victims. It centers on repairing harm, the potential for healing, meaningful accountability and preventing further offending. What meaningful accountability looks like is determined with victims, and the person who did harm is required to acknowledge or accept responsibility for their actions in order to access these programs. Overall, name change bans are a step in the wrong direction. To support public safety and accountability, greater investment should be placed in community supported reintegration and restorative and transformative justice options. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. ATLANTIC CITY Marco Polo Smigliani described his longtime friend and World War II hero Bernie Friedenberg as someone with the heart of a lion despite being short in stature. Bernie Friedenberg and I were friends for over 25 years, said Smigliani, who is the chair of the Friends of Bernie Friedenberg Committee. I think soaking wet, he weighed 125 pounds. Nobody wanted him, but he was very determined. Eventually, the Army took him as a medic. He was in every battle once he got over there, and although he was a small guy, he was a giant on the inside. So when Friedenberg died in 2018 at 96, his daughter Susan Friedenberg approached Smigliani about honoring her fathers legacy with a statue, an idea Smigliani was instantly on board with. After 1,800 days, the memorial will be unveiled in ODonnell Memorial Park at noon June 6, the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. This is a labor of love, Smigliani said. This is about all of the sacrifices those who came before us made to allow us to stand here today and have all of the wonderful things we enjoy in this country. Freedom is not free, and they paid a big price for it. World War II veterans, Gold Star Mothers of America members and families of veterans are expected to participate in the festivities. Attendees also will be treated to a military flyover by the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard and hear remarks from several speakers, including Susan Friedenberg and retired Maj. Gen. John Hussey. Its going to be a cool event, said retired Gen. Doug Satterfield, co-chair of the committee. The ceremony will be very patriotic. You dont have to be a veteran to attend, and its free, so please come out and have a great time. The bronze statue, designed by Pennsylvania-based Fisher Sculpture, weighs 3,500 pounds and depicts Friedenberg holding a wounded soldier in his arms on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion in 1944. Atlantic City to unveil World War II memorial June 6 The Bernie Friedenberg World War II Memorial will be unveiled June 6, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, in a noon dedication at O'Donnell Memorial Park in Atlantic City. Smigliani used the radio and word of mouth to gather donations for the project, which originally cost $250,000 but skyrocketed to $1 million when Smigliani asked for changes. Originally, it was a simple statue, Smigliani said. Then I asked Tom Skyes from SOSH Architects if he could embellish it a little bit. He came up with a monument and the price jumped up to $1 million. Weve raised over $1 million, and were still looking for funds to cover some other expenses. Smigliani has been involved in other veteran projects across the area. However, he said getting this memorial built was the most challenging of them all as COVID-19 and supply chain issues hindered the project. COVID hit right when we started fundraising, so that hurt us because we had to get $1 million, Smigliani said. There were so many problems and red-tape obstacles. We were committed to push through it all though and get it done. Surrounding the Freedom Circle, where the statue was installed, are more than 28 granite inlays of each major battle during the war. Future plans include adding an educational element to the memorial in hopes of bringing in students from local schools and Stockton University, Satterfield said. There is going to be engraving around the base of the memorial, and well have kiosks at some point down the road, Satterfield said. Were short both time and money, so a lot of that stuff is going to come later. Friedenberg grew up in Atlantic City and was a freshman at Temple University in Philadelphia when Pearl Harbor was attacked Dec. 7, 1941. The following day, Friedenberg decided to enlist in the military but was rejected by the Marines, Navy and Army due to poor vision. Memorial statue honoring local World War II hero installed at O'Donnell Park A memorial statue honoring local World War II hero Bernie Friedenberg was installed at O'Donnell Memorial Park in Atlantic City on Wednesday. However, Friedenberg remained committed to serving his country, and his persistence paid off when the Army brought him in as a medic. Friedenberg served in many of the wars major battles, including Operation Torch in Algeria in 1942, the Fighting First campaign in Sicily in 1943, D-Day in 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge later that same year. Friedenbergs job was to get wounded soldiers away from the front lines and render medical care to them. Smigliani said during D-Day, Friedenberg ran through a minefield and managed to bring five wounded soldiers to safety before an explosion. He is a true American hero in every sense of the word, Smigliani said. Friedenberg received several honors for his service, including two silver stars for his actions on D-Day and in Germany, two bronze stars for valor and two Purple Hearts for wounds sustained in combat. Upon returning home to Atlantic City, Friedenberg served as a member of the Atlantic County Veterans Advisory Board and commander of a Jewish War Veterans post. He also regularly spoke at schools until his death. Satterfield, who spent 40 years in the military, retired as a one-star general in 2014 and moved to Galloway Township with his wife three years later. He got involved in the project after receiving a call from Smigliani and reading up on Friedenbergs past. A few years ago, Marco called me and said, Hey, you want to get involved in this memorial? I said yes and got the book on Bernie Friedenberg, Satterfield said. Im just glad to be part of this team. Contractor scheduling cited in Atlantic City World War II memorial dedication delay ATLANTIC CITY Dedication for a World War II memorial named after a local veteran as a way Smigliani said Friedenberg would be proud of what the group is doing for veterans if he were still alive. He would be thrilled that were doing the right thing, Smigliani said. Especially during this time because he loved America. He never imagined that hed be the face of all of this. Bernie is the face, but this is for all World War II veterans, all the 405,000 that never came home, the 760,000 that were wounded, the 120,000 MIAs, and the 16 million who returned. Mike Bongiorno, an Army infantry veteran from Egg Harbor Township, described his involvement in the project as the highlight of his life. It has been an absolute honor to be involved with this monument, said Bongiorno. A couple of things happened, and they (Smigliani and Satterfield) needed some extra help. So I decided to jump in a few months ago and help any way that I could. Its been a blast getting to work with so many great people on this. Weve had a lot of support from the community, and many have selflessly helped. When people walk through the park and see the memorial, Satterfield wants them to not only think of Bernie but all of the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. We hope they think about the veterans who died and those who were wounded, Satterfield said. There are huge numbers compared to other wars. I spent three years in combat, and that is nothing compared to what these guys went through. Those men and women gave a tremendous amount. It makes me emotional to think about this, and this memorial will give people a better understanding of what those veterans had to go through. For more information about the memorial or to donate, visit bfww2.com. GALLERY: Bernie Friedenberg World War II Memorial in Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY Two women were arrested after after an 11-year-old was struck by outside gunfire while inside a residence late Saturday night, police said. Yanirah Davis, 22, of Galloway Township, and Yontay Cooper, 33, of Egg Harbor Township, were each charged with 10 counts of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy. They are both being held at the Atlantic County jail. Police responded to a home in the 100 block of North Rhode Island Avenue for a report of a child suffering from a gunshot wound. Police found the boy and administered aid until he was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus. Police said his injuries were not life threatening. Police said Davis and Cooper arrived on the street with a hammer and a handgun to encounter a group with which they had an earlier altercation. Police said the women began to smash out a vehicle's window and then shot at the group. One of the gunshots entered a home and struck the boy, who was lying on the floor at the time. Egg Harbor Township police Officer Alexandros Doukopoulos found Cooper and arrested her Sunday morning. In the afternoon, Pleasantville police Sgts. Stephen Sample and Kendall Washington and Officer Musah Ali arrested Davis. Both suspects were turned over to Atlantic City police. The Press of Atlantic City is putting together a list of Memorial Day weekend events. Send events to newstips@pressofac.com. Use the subject line Memorial Day. ATLANTIC CITY The citys annual Memorial Day observance is scheduled for noon Monday at Browns Memorial Park, 135 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. AVALON American Legion Post #331 and the borough will present a Memorial Day parade and ceremony Monday. The parade will step off at 9 a.m. at 32nd Street and Dune Drive and proceed north to Veterans Plaza at 21st Street and Dune Drive. Guest speaker retired Brig. Gen. Patrick M. Kennedy most recently served as the assistant adjutant general-air for the New Jersey National Guard and now serves as superintendent of Veterans South Haven. An hour of free tolls coming to Atlantic City Expressway to kick off Memorial Day weekend Chickie's & Pete's will be paying tolls at the Egg Harbor Toll Plaza on the Atlantic City Expressway for drivers traveling east toward the Jersey Shore from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday. CAPE MAY COUNTY The countys annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Gerald M. Thornton Veterans Cemetery at 127 Crest Haven Road in Cape May Court House. BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP The township will host a Memorial Day event at 11 a.m. at the Municipal Complex, 890 Harding Highway. The service will begin at 11 a.m. The keynote speaker will be Air Force veteran and former Assemblyman John Armato. EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP The township will hold its annual Memorial Day parade at 9 a.m. Monday on Ocean Heights Avenue. A ceremony will follow at Veterans Memorial Park off Ocean Heights. MARGATE The city will host a Memorial Day parade at 10 a.m. Monday. The parade will go from City Hall to the All Wars Memorial. A ceremony will follow. OCEAN CITY The citys Memorial Day service will start at 11 a.m. Monday at Veterans Memorial Park in the 500 block of Wesley Avenue. Ralph Galati, a U.S. Air Force veteran, will be the keynote speaker. Galatis plane was shot down over Vietnam in 1972, and he spent 14 months as a prisoner of war. He has been a veterans advocate throughout his life. NORTH WILDWOOD VFW Post 5941 will hold a Memorial Day ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday at the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, 111 N. Central Ave. For more information, call 609-729-5832 or visit northwildwood.com. SEA ISLE CITY The city will hold a Memorial Day ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday at Veterans Park at John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Landis Avenue. SOMERS POINT The city will host a Memorial Day parade at 11 a.m. Monday. The parade will begin at Dawes Avenue and continue along Shore Road to City Hall, 1 W. New Jersey Ave., and then to Patriots Park on Bethel Road, where a ceremony will be held. UPPER TOWNSHIP A Memorial Day service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Sgt. William R. Godfrey Memorial Park, 1731 Route 9 in Seaville, hosted by Osprey Point resident James Joyce. Vocalist Jim Offner will sing the national anthem and patriotic songs. A flag honoring and memorializing Navy veteran Thomas Gardner, father of Osprey Point resident Lucille Carey, will be presented to the community. State Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cumberland, Cape May, Atlantic, will be the guest speaker. WILDWOOD American Legion Post 184 will host a Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday at the post at 4200 Atlantic Ave. For more information, call 609-522-3613 or visit legion184.org. GALLERY: Atlantic City Memorial Day ceremony A sea of uniform headstones and American flags set the backdrop for a Memorial Day ceremony on the Rock Island Arsenal on Monday. At the event, hosted at the Rock Island National Cemetery, hundreds came to honor fallen soldiers in the U.S. military and hear about the importance of the holiday. Leaders from across the Quad-Cities attended the event, including Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati and Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher. The Rock Island National Cemetery has around 30,000 soldiers buried, with its roots tracing back to the Civil War. Among those buried at the cemetery are two Medal of Honor recipients and John Junior Willie, a Navajo soldier who was one of the 29 original "code talkers" in World War II. At Monday's ceremony, the cemetery's director, Matt Tomes, took time to highlight the 80th anniversary of D-Day, an Allied sea invasion that he called the biggest invasion in modern history. On that day June 6, 1944 2,501 American soldiers died. Six of them are buried at the Rock Island National Cemetery. Tomes highlighted Pvt. Leonard Brown, of Appleton, Wisconsin, and Lt. Robert Smith, of Chicago, as two of the six who sacrificed their lives on D-Day and are now interred on the arsenal. He directed attendees to the Veterans Affairs memorial website www.va.gov/remember and asked that they share condolences on one of the 10 million pages dedicated to fallen soldiers. "We will tell our future generations who they are," Tomes said. "Let us never forget what they did for us." Following Tomes was Rep. Eric Sorensen, a United States congressman representing the 17th district in Illinois. Sorensen opened by emphasizing the importance of Memorial Day as not just a day to gather and barbecue, but rather a day to appreciate those who were lost. Sorensen shared his personal experience seeing veterans who participated in the Honor Flight out of Quad-City International Airport, an annual occasion that takes veterans, free of cost, to the various war memorials in Washington D.C. In September, 85 Vietnam War veterans from the Quad-Cities will participate in the flight. "I can't tell you the impact it has on me to shake (a veteran's) hand at a memorial that's dedicated to them," Sorensen said. "I encourage families with kids, let them stay up late one or two nights out of the year and take them to the Quad-City Airport so that they can give high-fives to our veterans." The ceremony's keynote speaker on Monday was Benjamin Enlow, veterans service officer for Scott County. Enlow served two tours in Iraq in the U.S. Army and shared memories of two soldiers he deployed with who died in action. In an interview prior to the ceremony, Enlow said he thinks about these friends he lost not just every Memorial Day, but every day. "It's tough, but we have to do it so we do not forget," he said. In his speech, Enlow described the significance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in D.C., which commemorates the tens of thousands of soldiers who have died and were never identified. The efforts to identify fallen soldiers are intensive, as described by Tracy Van Deest, a forensic anthropologist who works with the POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Van Deest spoke at Monday's ceremony about two Illinois World War II soldiers from Metropolis and Champaign whose remains were identified and returned to the U.S. almost 70 years after their passing. "As we look ahead to the coming year, I hold firm in the belief that by next Memorial Day, we will have even fewer unknowns and an increase in the number of families who have learned their loved one's story," she said. There are more than 5 million Americans buried at the 155 national cemeteries maintained by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. And that total is just scratching the surface of the growing number of fallen soldiers and deceased veterans of the 582,000 veterans who passed away in 2022, 22% chose to be buried at a national cemetery. That means the ocean of headstones speckling the Rock Island National Cemetery are simply the tip of the iceberg. Monday's ceremony was punctuated with a wreath laying by Tomes and Enlow, the playing of Taps by Tracy Hepner from the Moline American Legion and an honor salute by the East Moline American Legion. The Milan-based 123D Field Artillery Regiment also fired off a 21-gun salute with large cannons that rattled echoes across the Rock Island Arsenal. Wind carried smoke from the cannons past the sea of attendees and above some of the 27,000 American flags placed by volunteers on Thursday. In their speeches, both Tomes and Enlow cited a quote from General George Patton, as their message for how to spend Memorial Day: "Let us not mourn that such men died, but rejoice that such men lived." Photos: Volunteers place flags at Rock Island National Cemetery Rural housing issues land inheritance pitfalls, lack of affordable housing options and the nations history of housing discrimination will be the focus of a free workshop on Saturday, June 8. Listen and pose questions to experts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free workshop, hosted by Habitat for Humanity-Powhatan, with support from Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, serves to illuminate housing needs in rural communities. Approximately 1.4 million rural housing units are considered to be substandard in terms of plumbing, heating, electricity and maintenance, according to the December 2023 Taking Stock report by the rural Housing Assistance Council. Also the supply of homes in rural areas grew by only 410,000 units from 2010 to 2020 less than a 2% increase, accoding to the report. Although the households who rent their homes in rural areas is smaller than in urban areas 27% versus 52% this does not mean there is less need for affordable rental housing, the report concludes. Rural renters tend to have lower incomes than rural homeowners, with over half of rural renter households having an annual income of less than $35,000 compared to a quarter of rural homeowners, and rural renters are twice as likely to live in substandard housing, the report outlines. Also, the report said, nearly half of all rural renters spend more than half their income on housing costs, with Black and Hispanic communities particularly impacted. The doors for the Rural Housing Workshop will open at 9:30 a.m. at the Powhatan County Recreation Center at 4290 Anderson Highway, with speakers beginning at 10 a.m. Though the workshop is free and open to residents of surrounding counties, please register in advance. Register online at habitatpowhatan.org/events or call 804-594-7009, line 2. Lite fare will be served at a short lunch break. Elizabeth Palen, director of the Virginia Housing Commission, will speak about trends in housing throughout the state and will give updates on proposed legislation that the commission is studying, including one bill that would make it easier for churches to develop on-site affordable housing. Sean Clendening from Powhatans Planning Department will be on hand to discuss local land-use plans and processes. Ebonie Alexander, founder of the Black Family Land Trust, will return this year and address the need for wills and trusts to protect generational wealth. At the Black Family Land Trust, Alexander created the Wealth Retention and Asset Protection (WRAP) program and African American Land Ethic, two efforts that have helped landowners maintain family ownership and control of more than $12.5 million of their land assets and secured more than $500,000 of federal funding to support farmland conservation. Alexander also helped to lead the effort to make Virginia the 14th state to adopt the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act to ensure rightful ownership of inherited family land. Prior to joining the Black Family Land Trust, Alexander was the president of the North Carolina Community Development Initiative, Inc., a statewide funding intermediary supporting community-based economic development and affordable housing. She lives in Southside Virginia on a former tobacco farm that has been in her family for six generations. Another speaker will be Marlo Ford, AICP, who has worked in planning with the City of Alexandria for more than 25 years. When Ford explains what she does to the public, she sums it up this way: Planning is the built and the unbuilt environment. It is not only your neighborhood and your roads, but it is your schools, your police and fire departments. It is your parks and your waterways; it is also the areas of natural vegetation. Planning is, in fact your everyday experience in the world around you. Carey Blileys childhood was unique. He grew up roaming around the hallways of his familys business, Blileys Funeral Home. Fourth generation in the business, he quickly became familiar with the sights of caskets, hearses and the subject of death. I used to help at the original building at 3rd and Marshall Street. We had a garage across the street, where we kept all of our hearses and vehicles. Id help wash plenty of cars over there, said Bliley, 46, current CEO and president. Bad things happen to everyone, and everyones going to pass. Its how we can honor and support the family and the kind of loss. Thats the one thing Ive always been taught from a young kid. This year marks the 150th anniversary for Blileys Funeral Home, a historic Richmond pillar built on providing solace during times of grief and transition. Founded in 1874 by Joseph W. Bliley Sr., Blileys emerged during a critical period in Richmonds history. Amid the aftermath of the Civil War, Blileys stood as a beacon of support, offering critical services to the community. This foundation of supporting the community still stands today. What draws me to this is a sense of helping people. A lot of jobs are just that, theyre a job, Bliley said. Ive always thought that if youre able to help people through really difficult times, youre also able to develop a relationship with families that extends through multiple generations. And we have families that we serve here that have been calling us for their families for 100 years. Its a sense of doing something thats bigger than you and more important than just the job. Today, Blileys Funeral Home continues its legacy across three locations, with a team of 120 associates, serving 1,800 families annually. Bliley says the funeral home has committed to remaining a beacon for the community by providing the highest level of service and quality. Were very blessed that weve been able to stay in the position where we are because we do a good job, and thats something thats never lost on us: a commitment to our community, to do the best we can, Bliley said. Eric Bliley, 40, is also fourth generation to the Bliley legacy. Its an honor to walk with the families of Richmond through their toughest time and getting to know their stories, Eric Bliley, executive manager of family experience, said. Blileys Funeral Home has a long history in the Richmond community, but the business has adapted to handle new needs and the changing views around how people deal with death. In 2012, Blileys opened a standalone, 4,000-square-foot cremation center located at 6900 Hull Street Road. Designed with ceiling skylights and large windows, the center allows families to be present for reflection or a ceremony as the cremation occurs in an adjacent room. This addition has allowed families to rethink and customize rituals around saying goodbye to loved ones. Its becoming the most chosen form of dealing with the disposition of the body, Bliley said. Weve created a facility that allows families to really ritualize the cremation experience. So for us, thats been a real blessing, not just in the way that we really are able to serve families, but really for the families to find a way to be more involved. A new generation is now roaming the halls of the funeral home. Both Carey and Eric now have children that tag along to the office. Its a sense of something bigger than (a business) our grandfather started hundreds of years ago. It really is a labor of love, the sense of being able to give back, not just to the family, but to the community. And I think thats much more important to us than profits. Ive always believed that we do the best job we can in serving the community and the families that come to us. The rest takes care of itself, Bliley said. From the Archives: 250 photos of Richmond in the 1940s Belle Isle Bellwood Drive-In Bowler School Cowardin Avenue Christian Recreation Center Floods Glenwood Country Club Grace Street Maggie Walker Powerline Public bath house Schools Semmes Shawondasee Sixth Street Market Sixth Street Market Streetcars on Main Street Swimming and diving championship The Mosque Trolley Water tower Stockyards Richmond fires Trolley organ grinder Mail box Mooer's Field 1940s floods Cornshusk rug farmer Sixth Street Market Tredegar Sixth Street Market Sixth Street Market Patsy Garrett boys club Hunting draft pool hall Mosque pool rollerskate Times-Dispatch Beavers Blues Armory Boulevard Byrd Field C&O Central State Hospital Central Station Post Office Churchill City Stadium Cowardin Avenue and Hull Street Curles Neck Dairy Dixie Elba Fishing Forest Lodge Fountain Freedom Train Friendship Train 1947 Monument Avenue Grocery Ice Kensington Avenue apartments Main Street Main Street Mayo Bridge Memorial Day parade Mules Nickel prank Oilfield Old Manchester water works Shawondasee Shriners parades Skyline Sledding State toxicologist Street Sweepers Sunshine Sue Tickets Traffic Trolley Tuberculosis ward University of Richmond Valentine Museum Fire Cary St Paper Powhatan Hill Playground Street scene race car Doll hospital West Avenue Broad St. mill Main Street Station Churchill Draft Air Scouts Maggie Walker pinball machines 1945 Allied Victory Day American Red Cross American Red Cross Armistice Belgian Friendship Building and Bell Tower Blackout Bojangles Braille cookbook Broad Street Station Bryan Park Carter Sisters Cigarettes City Stadium Confederate Soldiers Home Defense Special No. 1 train Draft Elba School Executive Mansion Fire Gasless parade Grace Arents School Grace St Grace Street pollution Henrico Red Cross Motor Corps Highland Springs Volunteer Fire Department Holden Rhodes House Ice James River flood Magnet mailboxes Main St Mayo Bridge Medical College of Virginia Melons Military parade Miller & Rhoads wagon mobile canteen Mobile kitchen Mooers Mooers Field Pamunkey Indians Parade Parking ban Parking Lot Canteen Quiz Kids Ration tokens Rationing Red Cross Richmond Quartermaster Depot Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers Home Rosa D. Bowser library Scrap metal drive Shoe ration Sixth Street Market Street Sweepers Thomas Jefferson High School Cadet Corps Tin drive Toll house Trolley Typewriter repair Virginia Department of Agriculture War bonds Water tower Weimans Bakery Wilcox Lake WLEE WLEE Women in Production Service Womens Army Corps Works Progress Administration George Wythe Laundry Dog fortune teller Air Raid Wardens YMCA Charter Change Travelers Aid Society street sweepers Dupont 1940s floods Acca Temple elevator Restaurants Restaurants Red Cross Motor Corps shoe ration Air Raid WWII WWII Bikes sampson Dorothy Lamour Rationing typewriters Bellwood Native Americans Fort Lee ScrapMetal WWII WWII American Red Cross Production Corps archery bricklaying class Camp Lee Camp Lee Clark Gable Deep Run races Deep Water Terminal Em Bowles Locker First and Merchants National Bank of Richmond Gasless Sundays Liquid stockings Monument Methodist Mrs. Cupid nurses Old-fashioned swimsuit contest Pearl Harbor front page Rats Rockingham National Turkey Festival Sergeant Jack Blizzard Seven Pines Baptist Church Snowstorm Snowstorm State Library WWII Cavalier Arena Pamunkey Brookfield Patrick Henry carriages rollerskate Railroads Red Cross Richmond Terminal Richmond Colts 1940s floods In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it. former President Barack Obama Another Memorial Day nears, but lets never forget the real reason for the holiday and the great men whose ultimate sacrifices helped make this nation what it is today. Men like Medal of Honor recipients Sgt. Rodney M. Davis (U.S. Marines) and Navy Chaplain Vincent Capodanno and so many others whose riveting stories of honor, courage and commitment have made this country great. We plan to do just that when we head to Vietnam and pay homage to Davis and Capodanno by visiting the actual sites where they forever joined our nations pantheon of heroes during Operation Swift in September 1967. And our small group of U.S. veterans and Davis family members will be doing so in unison with some of their former adversaries in a magnanimous gesture of remembering and honoring the past, while collectively looking ahead to the future. The U.S. Army undertook a similar trip when former members of the 101st Airborne Division returned to Vietnam in 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the infamous battle at Hamburger Hill. Were aiming for more of that same magic. Davis, a 25-year-old African American married with two infant daughters at the time of his death on Sept. 6, 1967, lunged atop an enemy grenade to spare the lives of five fellow Marines during one of the nastiest fights of the Vietnam War. A Macon, Georgia, native, Davis was among the roughly 200 Marines from Second Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, who had stumbled into a trap set by an enemy force estimated to have consisted of 2,500 men. Second Platoon began Operation Swift on Sept. 4 with 48 men, including two machine gunners, a two-man sniper team and forward artillery observer. By the time major combat operations concluded two days later, there were just 11 Marines left in the platoon, the rest having been killed or wounded seriously enough for a medevac out. Of those 11, eight would later receive Purple Hearts for gunshot and shrapnel wounds suffered during combat, meaning there were nearly 100% casualties. Davis death came at time when America was bitterly divided over race, with more than 100 U.S. cities experiencing race riots that year. It takes a special man to fight for a country that denied him full rights as a citizen, a more extraordinary one still to willingly lay down his life for that country. It didnt matter to Davis at that critical moment in the Que Son Valley that the Marines closest to him in that trench happened to all be white. His fellow Marines were his brothers in every sense, and Davis had been raised in the Jim Crow South to always look out for his siblings. Color didnt matter along Vietnams dangerous frontlines, where every man depended on one another for survival. Necessity has long been the midwife for progress, but the irony is almost palpable as Davis and his fellow Marines had to travel 10,000 miles away from home and endure the closest thing there was to hell on earth to experience what America was always supposed to have been about. A place where a mans ability mattered more than the color of his skin, where his character superseded his pedigree. Its a powerful story of duty, brotherhood and, ultimately, sacrifice that America could use hearing right now. Davis oldest daughter, Nicky Davis, had just turned 2 when she lost her father. She will be among those joining us in early September. Capodanno, a lieutenant affectionately known as The Grunt Padre because of his affinity for the Marines he served, was killed in the same vicinity two days prior while trying to cover a downed Navy corpsman. Disregarding orders to remain in the rear, hed already been wounded in the right arm and shot in the right hand when he saw the corpsman cut down out in the open and immediately rushed out in an attempt to shield the injured sailor from further harm. Capodanno is one of just nine chaplains awarded the Medal of Honor in U.S. military annals. So as we contemplate Memorial Day, lets all be sure to take a moment to remember Sgt. Rodney M. Davis and Father Vincent Capodanno and others like them. They represented the best of America, and we could certainly use a lot more like them. Veterans are honored at ceremony in Richmond 111123-rtd-met-veterans 111123-rtd-met-veterans 111123-rtd-met-veterans 111123-rtd-met-veterans 111123-rtd-met-veterans 111123-rtd-met-veterans 111123-rtd-met-veterans 111123-rtd-met-veterans 111123-rtd-met-veterans American woman missing since March arrives at Riviera Maya hotel on company staff bus Riviera Maya, Q.R. An American woman missing in Playa del Carmen since early March has been located at a Riviera Maya hotel. The woman went missing March 12 of this year and was found over the weekend after she arrived at a hotel with a busload of staff. Hotel personnel called authorities after seeing the woman get off the staff bus with other hotel employees arriving for an afternoon shift. Police were called after she was questioned and hotel authorities realized she did not know anything beyond her name and did not speak Spanish. Responding officers arrived at the hotel where they found the 70-year-old woman in good health. She was part of a group of hotel staff arriving for work Friday afternoon from the Villas del Sol residential area of Playa del Carmen. Municipal Police did not provide details as to where shed been since March or how she ended up on a hotel staff bus. In a brief note, the Seguridad Ciudadana Solidaridad (SSC) said the Solidaridad Municipal Police located and provided care to a person who had an Alba Protocol missing person alert since March 12 of this year. On Friday afternoon, elements of the Preventive Police and GEAVIG went to a hotel located on Boulevard Playa del Carmen Puerto Morelos Km 300 from where they called the 9-1-1 emergency line since a woman of foreign origin arrived to the facility on the transport of personnel who were arriving from the Villas del Sol subdivision. Since she was not a collaborator, they asked her for some information, however, she only mentioned her name since she did not speak Spanish and did not know other general information. The multidisciplinary team of the Specialized Family and Gender Violence Care Group provided psychological support, as well as search and location work for her support network, finding that she had an Alba Protocol report since March of this year. Subsequently, the woman, Pamela Riebesehl, 70 years old, originally from the United States, was referred to the Delegation of the Attorney Generals Office for protection. Lopez Obrador says Mexico supporting Belize in terms of electrical power Mexico City, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says Mexico supports Belize in terms of electricity supply after curtailing the supply sent across the border earlier this month. We belong to the party of universal brotherhood, says the President after 18 states across Mexico were left in a blackout in May due to high demand. In a morning press conference, he clarified that the amount agreed to be awarded is truly minimal. (It is) an agreement that we have with Belize to help them so that they do not lack electricity. We are talking about a brother, a neighboring town that needs it, he said. We have to help. If we can, why dont we help other human beings if we belong to the party of universal brotherhood? Before the limits existed, all belonged to the great Mayan nation: Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, Chiapas, everything, he added. At the same time, Lopez Obrador said that the federation undertakes actions in the country in order to face the recent heat waves, which has caused greater demand for electrical energy. We are taking into account this situation that is occurring, very hot, very, very hot, and the forecasts are that there will be a lot of rain, hurricanes, so we are addressing this, he said. Earlier this month, 18 states across the country were left without power due to the high electrical demand. One of those regions was the Yucatan Peninsula. The demand is due to the extreme heat being recorded across the country. MONETA The Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire Department finally has a headquarters to call its own. After years of fundraising, planning and construction impacted by significant delays, members have spent the past few months moving into the newly constructed lakeside facility. The new headquarters is situated between the Oak Grove Boat Access Facility and the Smith Mountain Lake Coast Guard Auxiliary along the Roanoke River arm of the lake in Moneta. Construction was completed on the building last year with plans to have everything in place by the start of what is expected to be another busy summer on the lake for the department. It has taken just short of 20 years to finally get to this point, said Chief Todd Ohlerich. Appalachian Power Co. donated land for the new headquarters in 2005. Plans to construct the facility began to take shape in 2016, but delays due to construction costs and changes in the scope of the project slowed construction down several years. A groundbreaking for the headquarters was held in 2021 to finally mark the start of construction which was finally completed late last year. The building itself is 100% done, but we are still in the process of moving in and getting settled, Ohlerich said. The department set aside $350,000 raised through donations to construct the headquarters. Ohlerich said they originally thought that amount would only be enough to cover the cost to construct the shell of the building without any work being done on the inside. To the departments surprise, many local businesses donated labor and materials to allow those fundraising dollars to go further. The community was such a great help, Ohlerich said. There is no way it would be done without their support. Ohlerich estimates community support from donated labor and materials reduced the overall cost of the headquarters by as much as $200,000. The new headquarters has ample room for storage, a meeting room, a full kitchen and multiple offices. One office was given to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to provide them with their own place on the lake as well, Ohlerich said. With the new headquarters finally complete, volunteers now have a place to meet and train. For years volunteers would meet at other fire departments or lake organization offices. The wide variety of equipment the department needs can now also be stored in one place. Ohlerich said equipment was previously located in multiple storage facilities and even the garages of some members. Having a headquarters will also allow the department to apply for grants for additional funding, Ohlerich said. That had been a significant roadblock in past grant applications. Funding is still needed to complete one critical missing piece for the headquarters. Plans are to construct a dock along the nearby shoreline. Ohlerich estimates a dock could cost as much as $300,000 to construct. Some preliminary work such as permitting and shoreline stabilization has already been done, he said. Even so, he admits it could take some time to raise the funds. Keeping a fleet of nine fire boats in operation as well as maintaining the necessary equipment for the department is a costly endeavor. Ohlerich said the annual operating budget for the department is approximately $200,000 with 80% of that funding coming from the community and the remaining 20% from funding from surrounding Pittsylvania, Franklin and Bedford counties. Just the cost of fuel for the boats is around $40,000 annually, Ohlerich said. The department will be adding a 10th boat to the fleet later this year. A new, lake assault style boat is currently under construction with delivery estimated sometime in the fall. The new boat will be the first for the department since 2009. Some boats in the fleet are 25 years old or more. Ohlerich said purchasing new equipment is necessary as older boats begin to break down. We are trying to stay ahead of things, Ohlerich said. The new boat is estimated to cost $525,000 which was purchased through a loan. Ohlerich said $250,000 has been paid so far. The recent upgrades for the department come at a time were the lake is seeing a major increase in popularity. Since 2020, there has been a significant increase in home sales and tourism dollars generated around the lake community. That has coincided with an increase in emergency calls. Smith Mountain Lake recorded 20 boating incidents last year, more than twice that of any other body of water in Virginia. Boating incidents are reported when there is more than $2,000 in damage by or to a vessel or its equipment, injury requiring medical assistance beyond first aid, loss of life or disappearance of a person from a vessel. The department sees as many as 400 calls for service in recent years. Those calls can be for something as small as a boat breaking down to larger emergencies such as boating incidents with injuries or fires that occur on a boat or at the many homes located along the shoreline. We have seen an increase in calls, especially between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Ohlerich said. With Memorial Day marking the start of the busy season, the department is expected to on the water often over the next few month. Ohlerich said each of the 45 members is ready to quickly respond when needed, something they have prided themselves on since the department first started. We have never missed a call since 1975, Ohlerich said. Drill cores from the chalky subsoil in the North Sea. Credit: Thomas Steen Srensen At Technical University of Denmark (DTU) researchers are committed to developing the North Sea's decommissioned oil and gas fields for future carbon storage. Their in-depth knowledge of the underground in the Danish area of the North Sea will be the key to success. Permanent carbon storage is one of the tools needed to reduce the atmospheric content of the greenhouse gas that drives climate change. At the DTU Offshore research center, they are currently investigating whether we can utilize the underground of the North Sea for carbon storage. "The advantage of existing and decommissioned oil and gas fields is that the underground is already well-defined, because we have huge amounts of data on both the geological conditions and the installations out there. "During the first ten years of the center's existence, we have built up expert knowledge about how liquids, gases, and pressure behave in this area, and these things together are key to understanding carbon storage in the North Sea's subsurface," says Charlotte Nrgaard Larsen, Head of DTU Offshore's research into carbon storage. DTU Offshore was originally established in 2014 under the name Danish Hydrocarbon Research and Technology Center. As the name suggests, research into the utilization of Danish oil and gas fields was the priority. In 2022, the organization changed its name to DTU Offshore, Danish Offshore Technology Center, to better reflect the breadth of the center's focus, which today includes research into the offshore industry's environmental impact and offshore carbon storage. Regarding the latter, researchers are investigating how we can optimize utilization of North Sea oil and gas fields for carbon storage and for developing technologies that can help solve some of the environmental problems that may arise in relation to this. Important link to industry According to Nrgaard Larsen, the center's detailed understanding of the North Sea subsurface is a huge advantage, as a large part of the data collection needed elsewhere can be skipped. This makes it both easier and cheaper. In this way, the center's historical role as a research platform for the oil and gas industry gives DTU Offshore a head start in solving some of the challenges inherent in carbon storage. "The combination of geological knowledge and engineering does not exist anywhere else in the Danish research environment," explains Nrgaard Larsen, before pointing out another important element. "We have two handfuls of employees with backgrounds in the offshore industry, so we have this link to the industry. Over the years, we've built a role where we ensure that research in oil and gas extraction is brought together and used in the industry. This is a role and a connection that we can now use to accelerate carbon storage in Denmark." Denmark's chalk reservoirs The majority of the oil and gas extraction from the Danish part of the North Sea has come from chalk reservoirs a few kilometers below the seabed. Here, oil and gas has been stored in microscopic pores in underground chalk, which can now be used to deposit CO 2 . However, using the reservoirs for carbon storage creates a unique, because when CO 2 comes into contact with water, carbon dioxide is formed. Since acid dissolves chalk, unintentional dissolution of chalk in the reservoirs might be a risk, which could possibly affect the reservoir's strength properties. DTU Offshore has therefore conducted a number of laboratory experiments where they have pumped CO 2 into chalk samples from Danish oil and gas fields under the same temperature and pressure conditions as would be present in the underground. The experiments have shown that no issue will arise to prevent carbon storage. Sealed storage One thing is to fill a reservoir with CO 2 , but the carbon storage must also be properly sealed to prevent the greenhouse gas from fizzling back out. There are two essential elements to this: the wellbores and the sealant rock which is located right on top of the reservoir. The plan is to reuse some of the wellbores used for oil and gas extraction. But since a completely different gas will now run through the installations, it must be ensured that no unfortunate reactions will occur. Especially corrosion, i.e. undesired decomposition of metals, is a worry. In collaboration with DTU's academic environment within construction and mechanical engineering and with Aarhus University, model calculations to predict corrosion are carried out, and a coating that can prevent corrosion of the drilling pipes is being developed. In abandoned oil and gas fields, you will also typically find older wellbores that have been sealed with a certain type of cement. Here, it is important that the cement retains its seal integrity so that the stored CO 2 does not leak through the micropores in the chalk and reenters the atmosphere via the wellbore. This is one of the research areas that DTU Offshore is also working on. Oil and gas fields always have clay rock above the reservoir itself which functions as sealant. It is this geological seal that has kept the hydrocarbons in the ground for millions of years before we started extracting them. The seal will have the same role when the reservoir serves as carbon storage in the future. The research conducted by DTU Offshore aims, among other things, to assess whether it is possible to influence the clay rock so that it can enhance the sealing effect of the cement seal surrounding the abandoned wellbores. In addition, DTU Offshore performs model calculations to predict whether small fractures will occur in the sealing clay rock when pressure conditions change in connection with the injection of CO 2 . But it is not just decommissioned oil and gas fields that are of interest. DTU Offshore is also investigating whether some of the so-called saline aquifersi.e. porous geological layers with salty groundwater that occur in many places in the North Seacan be used for carbon storage. This may significantly expand storage potential. Storage monitoring According to the EU directive on carbon storage, there is a requirement to monitor the storage for any leaks. "This monitoring is clearly part of the basis for public acceptance that is needed when you start storing carbon in the underground," explains Simon I. Andersen, Professor at DTU Offshore. There are no methods for permanent monitoring of CO 2 leakage from carbon storages to the marine environment across large areas. This creates a problem, as it can be difficult to assess whether you are observing actual leakage or natural seasonal variations when you only carry out scattered measurements at large time intervals. DTU Offshore has therefore focused on developing sensors for continuous measurements of CO 2 at the seabed. The choice fell on a fiber optic technology where the sensors themselves consist of a micrometer-thin coating of a chemical substance composed of both metal ions and organic molecules. The amount of carbon in the coating varies according to the variations in carbon content in the water. This also affects the light signal sent through the optical fiber, and this change can then be recorded and converted into the precise carbon content in the seawater, explains the professor. The plan is to place sensor elements at intervals on the long optical fibers, which will then be laid out in a network on the seabed above the carbon storage. In this way, they can accurately record where a leakage occursif it occurs. This type of monitoring equipment is brand new and a patent is currently pending for parts of the equipment. Important for climate strategies Birgitte Dalsgaard Larsen, technical advisor at DTU Offshore, sees a great need to utilize DTU Offshore's competences in connection with carbon storage projects over the coming years. "Carbon storage will be an important part of Denmark's and the EU's climate strategies. The center's knowledge and expertise are therefore needed to solve the climate challenges." The center is able to contribute in two areas in particular, she points out, "One area is tailoring work programs to address the most uncertain parameters of carbon storage. The second is to develop new technologies to ensure efficient and safe carbon storage." Provided by Technical University of Denmark China's first national museum dedicated to scientists will open its doors in Beijing on Thursday, which is National Science and Technology Workers' Day. The China Scientists Museum aims to showcase the achievements of Chinese scientists and promote the spirit of scientific exploration. One of the museum's six opening exhibitions is Return Exhibition of US-educated Scientists Returning to China in the 1950s, which tells the stories of prominent scientists who returned to China from the United States after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Driven by patriotism, they played a crucial role in the development of China's science and technology sectors. The exhibition features 17 US-educated scientists, including missile control expert Liang Sili, aerospace pioneer Qian Xuesen, nuclear physicist Deng Jiaxian and microbiologist and molecular geneticist Shen Shanjiong. In 1949, Liang ignored an offer by US defense contractors and returned to China. When asked how he viewed a classmate who stayed in the US after graduation, he said, "The missiles he worked on were aimed at China, while the missiles I worked on were to defend our homeland." The museum also features exhibitions of senior scientists' academic materials, a commemoration of the centenary of Deng's birth, an exploration of Qian's motivations, a look at engineering culture through industrial heritage and a special display marking the 20th anniversary of the publication of Flora of China. "Many aspects of our life were created by the older generation of scientists. We live in a peaceful era, and we did not experience the history, so we need to understand their stories through exhibitions and revisit history," said Wang Fei, a guide for the exhibition on Qian from the Qian Xuesen Library at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Through repeatedly narrating the stories of the older generation of scientists, Wang said she felt fortunate to live in such an era and emphasized the importance of introducing the spirit of scientists to the public through exhibitions, especially hoping to sow a seed of patriotism in the hearts of children. "They don't necessarily have to become great scientists, but the spirit of scientists can help them grow better," she said. "People who love their country can go further. The most important spirit that the older generation of scientists has brought to us is that in doing anything, we must never forget our original intentions and we must have unwavering beliefs, so that when faced with difficulties, we can persevere for our beliefs and achieve our original intentions." The China Scientists Museum will draw on a rich collection of materials. Over the past 15 years, a collaborative project has collected academic materials from 674 scientists, resulting in a vast archive for future generations. Tens of thousands of demonstrators held a protest on Sunday in Armenia, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after Yerevan agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan. The demonstration was the latest in a series of weekslong gatherings led by Bagrat Galstanyan, a high-ranking cleric and archbishop of the Tavush diocese in Armenia's northeast, from the Armenian Apostolic Church. He spearheaded the formation of a movement called 'Tavush For The Homeland' after Armenia agreed to cede control of four villages in the region to Azerbaijan in April. Although the villages were the movement's core issue, it has expanded to express a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan and his government. Archbishop of the Tavush diocese in Armenia's northeast Bagrat Galstanyan addresses a crowd during a rally against PM Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, Armenia, May 26, 2024. - AP The decision to hand over the villages in Tavush came after a rapid military campaign in September, during which Azerbaijan's military pressured ethnic Armenian separatist authorities in the Karabakh region into surrendering. After Azerbaijan took full control of Karabakh, about 120,000 people fled the region, almost all of its ethnic Armenian population. Ethnic Armenian fighters backed by Armenian forces had taken control of Karabakh in 1994 at the end of a six-year war. Azerbaijan reclaimed some territory through fighting in 2020 that ended with an armistice, bringing in a Russian peacekeeping force, which began withdrawing this year. Pashinyan has said Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. TRENTO, Italy In a lush greenhouse high in the Alps, butterflies of various species and colors flutter freely while butterfly pupae are suspended in a structure as they grow into adult insects. This is the Butterfly Forest in the tropical mountain greenhouse in Trento, Italy, a project by the Museo delle Scienze, or MUSE, an Italian science museum. It's modeled on Udzungwa Mountains, a mountain range and rainforest area in south-central Tanzania that's one of the world's biodiversity hot spots. The Butterfly Forest features plant species endemic to the region, as well as birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates from different parts of the world, all inside about 6,400 square feet of forest with cliffs, inclinations and a waterfall. The Butterfly Forest was created this spring to create public awareness on some of the research MUSE is doing in Udzungwa Mountains to study and protect the world's biodiversity against threats such as deforestation and climate change. Deforestation leads to habitat loss, which causes declines in nectar sources for butterflies, changing the functioning of the ecosystem. It can also limit the movements of the insects, causing a decline in biodiversity and potential extinction of vulnerable butterfly species. Changes to soil and air temperatures are altering the life cycles of the insects, impacting their development rates, mating behaviors and migration patterns. Butterfly populations are declining in many areas, especially in places under intensive land use. "Our aim is that of being able to study better, to understand better what is happening," said Lisa Angelini, a botanist and director of the MUSE greenhouse. "Our work consists of monitoring and trying to develop projects in order to bring attention to biodiversity-related issues." Butterflies are pollinators that enable plants to reproduce and therefore facilitate food production and supply. They are also food for birds and other animals. Because of the multiple roles of butterflies in the ecosystem and their high sensitivity to environmental changes, scientists use them as indicators of biodiversity and a way to study the impact of habitat loss and other threats. "Insects in general play a fundamental role in the proper functioning of ecosystems," said Mauro Gobbi, an entomologist and researcher at MUSE. Through a partnership with the Tanzania National Parks Authority, MUSE established the Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Center in 2006 to support research as well as in development of environmental education programs for schools. "Research on butterflies is essential for informing conservation efforts and ensuring the long-term survival of the insects," said Arafat Mtui, research coordinator at Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre. Conservation efforts such as habitat restoration and good land management practices, which address climate change impacts, are essential for protecting butterfly populations, he added. With at least 2,500 plant species, more than 120 mammals and thousands of invertebrate species, Udzungwa Mountains is rich in biological diversity. It's part of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania that are a proposed UNESCO Heritage site. It has more than 40 endemic species of butterflies. MUSE's work here is vital because of this variety, said Sevgan Subramanian, principal scientist and head of environmental health at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi. "If you want to have a monitoring of the health of the ecosystem, monitoring such indigenous or endemic insect population diversity is very critical, so that we have an idea whether the ecosystem is still healthy or not," he said. Gobbi, the entomologist, said high-altitude environments like Udzungwa Mountains National Park are suitable for studying the effects of climate change because they usually have no direct human impact. He and other scientists warned that failure to protect insects from climate change effects will drastically reduce the planet's ability to build a sustainable future. Scientists at MUSE said the main challenge in butterfly conservation is changing the current farming policies to increase the amount of low-intensity farmland, and promote diverse landscapes preserving the remaining patches of natural habitats. "Often our grandparents used to say 'there are no longer as many butterflies as there used to be,'" he said. This is "absolutely supported by scientific research, which confirms that butterflies, like other insects, are in crisis. We are losing species, we're losing them forever, and this is going to break the balance of ecosystems." Close A Papilio Rumanzovia butterfly flies through flowers May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze, a science museum in Trento, Italy. Heliconius Melpomene butterflies mate May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. A butterfly nursery with chrysalises of different species is displayed May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. In the center is a Caligo owl butterfly newborn ready for its first flight. A Danaus Chrysippus, an African monarch, rests on a leaf May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. Morpho Helenor chrysalises, center, and other species of butterflies hang in the nursery May 6 in the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. A male Tauraco livingstonii, a species of bird, feeds a female to strengthen the couple's bond May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. A Morpho Helenor butterfly stands on a Scadoxus flower May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. A male Papilio lowi butterfly appears on a leaf May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. Italian museum hosts diverse range of species A Papilio Rumanzovia butterfly flies through flowers May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze, a science museum in Trento, Italy. Heliconius Melpomene butterflies mate May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. A butterfly nursery with chrysalises of different species is displayed May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. In the center is a Caligo owl butterfly newborn ready for its first flight. A Danaus Chrysippus, an African monarch, rests on a leaf May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. Morpho Helenor chrysalises, center, and other species of butterflies hang in the nursery May 6 in the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. A male Tauraco livingstonii, a species of bird, feeds a female to strengthen the couple's bond May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. A Morpho Helenor butterfly stands on a Scadoxus flower May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. A male Papilio lowi butterfly appears on a leaf May 6 at the greenhouse of the Museo delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. A former plastic surgeon from Iowa is denying allegations that he defrauded taxpayers and falsely billed Medicare and Medicaid for procedures he never performed. Dr. Adam B. Smith, also known as Adam Bryant, is being sued by the United States and the State of Iowa, which allege that for five years Smith submitted false claims for health care services to government payors such as Medicare and Medicaid. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, from August 2014 to August 2019 Smith was practicing plastic surgery at Sioux Citys Tri-State Specialists. While there, the DOJ claims, Smith engaged in a concerted pattern of fraudulent behavior in order to obtain or increase government reimbursement. Smith is accused of using templated medical records in which he repeatedly reported false, contradictory, or even fabricated information about the patients health status, the care he provided and the procedures he performed. The DOJ alleges Smith routinely attempted to mask the true nature of the surgical procedures he performed, in some cases by performing non-covered cosmetic procedures while documenting that the procedures were, in fact, medically necessary surgeries for which he could bill Medicare or Medicaid. Smiths records are replete with instances in which he billed government payors for complicated and highly compensated procedures that were performed in impossibly short amounts of time, the DOJ claims. As a result, Smith and his practice were paid hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars in excess of what they were entitled to. As an example, the government claims Smith performed whats commonly called a tummy tuck on one patient and then billed it to Medicaid as a medically necessary hernia repair. By doing so, the DOJ claims, Smith collected $3,750 he wasnt entitled to receive. Smith recently filed a response to the allegations, denying any wrongdoing. The United States alleges Smith submitted more than 1,000 false claims for payment. Under the federal False Claims Act, the United States is entitled to a judgment of between $13,000 and $27,000 for each false claim, as well as a judgement thats equal to three times the total cost of the false claims. Court records indicate that well before Smith began practicing as an Iowa-licensed physician, he was, in the view of the DOJ, fraudulently billing Medicare for services. From May 2011 through January 2014, Smith practiced plastic surgery in Traverse City, Michigan. In December 2021, the United States filed a civil suit against Smith alleging that during his time practicing in Michigan, he routinely billed Medicare for procedures he did not perform. That case resulted in a default judgment against Smith and his practice. Court records indicate that Smiths colleague at Tri-State Specialists, Dr. Matthew Steele, blew the whistle on Smith after becoming familiar with Smiths billing practices. In 2019, Steele initiated litigation against Smith through the False Claims Act. As the individual who initiated the case against Smith, Steele can now share in any money that might be recovered through the Department of Justices pursuit of the case. In 2021, Smith voluntarily surrendered his Iowa medical license after the Iowa Board of Medicine filed charges against him related to his billing practices. That same year, the United States entered into a settlement agreement with Smiths Sioux City employer, Tri-State Specialists, for $612,501. How compensation compares between Iowa staff and travel nurses How compensation compares between Iowa staff and travel nurses The Sympathizer, HBOs series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyens Pulitzer Prizewinning 2015 novel, came to a close with its seventh episode Sunday. The showco-created by Don McKellar and famed South Korean director Park Chan-wookhas been following an unnamed narrator, the Captain (Hoa Xuande), as he struggles with identity and morality as a communist mole for North Vietnam planted among South Vietnamese officials who have fled to America during the Vietnam War. The series has been well praised, not only for its deft handling of source material full of nonstop narration and symbolism, but also for its (classic Park Chan-wook) relentless style. Robert Downey Jr. plays a number of different American roles to impart how Americas power players are all in collusion, from Hollywood bigwigs to esteemed professors and politicians; characters, once dead, form a Greek chorus of ghosts; shadows meaningfully shroud characters who are hiding their identities; and a rotary phone morphs into a spinning tire in one of many visually playful crossfades. The final hour, aptly titled Endings Are Hard, Arent They? (after a line spoken in the episode), has to prove itself wrong. Not only does the episode complicate our understanding of the previous six, once the narrator is found to be unreliable, but it also must stick a difficult technical landing. Ahead of the finale, I spoke to co-showrunner Don McKellar about sewing together a handful of slippery conclusions on morality and the point of life, unifying a story that has always been about duality, and finding meaning in nothingness. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Advertisement Slate: I want to start with the title, because endings are hard, arent they? This one in particular is no small feat: It has to bring many different themes together and nail down a fairly intangible moral lesson. What was the biggest challenge in making this finale? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Don McKellar: Yeah, you said it, it was hard. The ending of the book, it encompasses many chapters and has a lot of torture and its quite grueling, so theres that, too. How can we not make it so depressing and bleak that viewers give up? That was part of it, because the lesson is disillusionment. Its about him, the Captain, realizing that he was deluded in his idealism and that hed been suppressing his humanity for the sake of a cause that couldnt fulfill its promise. Thats sort of a depressing lesson. Advertisement But of course its liberating, too. Thats the other side, that facing the nothingness is a sort of precondition to his consciousness and learning that theres a future ahead for him and his people. We had to tie up all the threads in a quite unconventional way because were in a new world, in a way. It is very unusual for a finale to start again in a whole new world. We hinted at it, but we never really dug in all the way, and so we had to establish the rules of that. Of course, its based on history, and reeducation camps were real, but its hard to explain that history. Its quite complicated. There were a lot of problems, but Im very proud of the way it came together. Advertisement Advertisement What were some of the ways that you tried to tackle introducing an audience to a very important, but almost entirely new, location for this finale? One of the things we did that the book didnt do was hint at it more in advance. We tried to give clues to the Commissars identity as early as the first episode, and then again in the fourth and then again later. One of the problems that Chan-wook and I talked about was the many compacted revelations one after the other, and we wanted to clear the ground a little bit and allow it to breathe. I think part of the work was subtly trying to hint at it through the tone of the Captains confession throughout, through the little glimpses we had. Advertisement Advertisement We havent explicitly said it, but the big reveal of the book and the show is that the Commissar is the Captains friend, Man (Duy Nguyen), who was his handler as a spy on the South Vietnamese plot. The Commissar, Man, has been keeping his friend in solitary confinement for a full year, forcing him to retell his confession, a confession full of stories that Man was already fully aware of because he was a part of them. Throughout the entire show, Man feels a lot like a ghost to me. He comes to the Captain in fantasized glimpses while the Captain is in America, then when we do see him in the end, donning a mask to cover scars from a napalm attack, he still feels ghostly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oh, thats interesting. I hadnt exactly thought of it that way, but youre right that there is a sense that, at the very, very end, we have this sort of revelation that theyre surrounded by ghosts. The ghosts are more and more present in the Captains consciousness, and at the end he sees these wandering figures, these rootless souls. Of course, most of the population has been displaced in that way. Hes become closer to this ghost world, which is deeply rooted in the Vietnamese tradition. They see them not as vengeful spirits, but as present memories of the past living with us in this world. I think that that interpretation is interesting. That the Captain is on this edge of the liminal world is definitely something we were playing withsometimes its not clear whether hes in his head, in a ghost world, or in the real world. Advertisement Did you always know that you wanted to end the show with that shot of the many souls of Vietnam standing in the water at night as the Captain sails away? Advertisement I think the idea came fairly early. Its not in the book. I cant remember if it was one of our very first ideas that came up in the writers room, but the more we talked about the ghosts and the presence of the ghosts and the function of the ghosts and what they represented, the more we started forming this ghost arc and realizing that thats where we had to end, with a sense that the Captain has to get beyond his own personal guilt and feelings of culpability and see the bigger picture. Thats really what the journey is about. Advertisement Advertisement Im glad you said that, because Ive been sort of going back and forth on whether I find the ending to be positive or ominous. To me it is positive in the sense that it was necessary. He learned it the hard way, this lesson. But I do feel that hes genuinely seeing the country, the story of his people, from a bigger perspective. Hes moved beyond his personal psychological hangups and now hes committed to the country moving forward. Hes realized that theyve all suffered the trauma of this war and have to overcome it together. I guess in my mind its positive because the Vietnamese people did overcome that, the country did, and the diaspora did too. I feel that, yes, history will prove that its a positive ending. Advertisement I want to ask about a small change from the ending of the book, in which Man lets the Captain and their friend, Bon, go and even helps pay for their escape. But in the show, its a little less clear. We dont see it, but when the Captain, in his last meeting with Man, says, We have to take action, we have to do something, I think the sense is that together, they come up with this plan. Its in the book, so youd have to talk to Viet about it, but I see Man as a kind of reclamation of the Kurtz character from Apocalypse Now, which always had slightly Victorian, racist overtones of this good soldier in the savage land overcome by the white mans burden. But here its more like the Vietnamese character who has gone mad seeing that his idealism and everything hes fought for has been dashed. They both go through this trauma, this existential crisis, and I believe that the friendship does endure, which is part of the story. Part of that is Man finally saving his friends. Though, in his deluded way, thats what he thought he was doing all along. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a line in the finale that really sticks with me; its where Man tells the Captain that the female communist agent we see getting tortured in Episode 1 was a better spy. At the end of the day, would you say that the narrator was a good spy? I love that moment too, because theres something tragic about it. I dont want to say that we made this spy show about a bad spy, but the Captain is the perfect spy, psychologically, because he saw everything from both sides. Naturally, in his mind, he saw himself as a born double agent, but that was also his tragedy, that he was cursed. He says in the book that he is cursed to see everything from both sides. He cant, in the end, be a good spy. His humanity is too strong. His humanism, his love for his friends. In Episodes 5 and 6, he was slowly coming at loggerheads with his instruction. He couldnt be a good spy on either side. Ultimately I think he learned that he had to let his humanity and let his consciousness free himself from his chosen job as a spy. Which had always been imposed on him in the first place. Advertisement Advertisement Yes! Thats even somewhat reflected in the repeated mantra about him being half of something versus twice of everything. Obviously, no one wants to be half of anything, no one wants to be told that. But I also dont want to be twice of everything. That seems like a lot to bear. Its a burden, yeah. And its a false burden thats been imposed upon him because of prejudice and preconceptions. He internalized it, but its not fair or realistic. Its a dualism that he deals with through the whole show. Its kind of bullshit. Thats what we were trying to say with the Prof. Hammer (Robert Downey Jr.) character. This East, West, all of that istheres bigger things, more basic humanity and basic truths, beyond that. Advertisement Advertisement Speaking of basic truths, I feel like a lot of the work of this episode is sort of debunking the myth of the narrator throughout the earlier episodes. We find out that the Captain had blocked some key, devastating moments out of his memory. How do you break that facade and depict an unreliable narrator when weve been relying on his narration for so long? Advertisement Advertisement Youre absolutely right. The thing is, we catch up with his narration, so, at that point, hes no longer the narrator. For the first time, were in a way freed from that and can see the full picture because hes not telling it anymore. Were still inside his mind because were in and out of his mind, but for the first time, were allowed to see beyond it because he no longer has control of the story. I think that questioning the narrator is what the Captain himself has to do. Thats his lesson, learning that he has been hiding the truth from himself and suppressing the parts that he couldnt face. We, the audience, have to learn that same lesson. Advertisement For six episodes, weve been dealing with all of the different characters Robert Downey Jr. plays, as well as the General and his family, and all of these significant figures whose stories take place in America. But theyre barely present in the final episode, even in flashbacks. Was that intentional, this sort of shift in focus? Thats one of the unusual things about this finale, but also one of the fun things. Were in another world. We dont see the General, really, we dont see Lana, all the characters weve been seeing throughout are gone and were stuck with the Captain. At the beginning, Claude is there, but basically the Captain chooses to refuse his help, and Claude says, OK, youre on your own, and so we are too. Of course, he still carries all of that weight with him, and thats what his final revelation is, that hes been carrying the psychological weight of this colonial presence that Claude and all those characters represent. Maybe hes projecting that thats part of him, literally part of his heritage, because of his father, so he cant avoid it. All those things are contained within him now. Advertisement Advertisement This quote in the finale from the Commissar before hes revealed as ManWrite truthfully, for what proves favorable or unfavorable to your fortune might be different than you think. Write precisely, for we have nothing but time. I think thats maybe a perfect tagline for the entire story. What were you trying to say about truth with adapting The Sympathizer? Well, thats a great choice of a quote. I guess what Im trying to say, and what Im thinking about when I think about the wars today, is partly that what the show is trying to say is that we have to get beyond ideology. That sometimes the thing we believe most passionately, and sometimes the justified side, the democratic side, the humane side, ends up doing the worst things because wars just suck everyone in. Once they start, the mechanism is merciless, right? To me, that quote is about saying, Dont be so sure your side is right. Advertisement I think this show is really about getting beyond that binary and having this deeper empathy for the other sides. At his best, the Captain does have that, because he can see both sides. Thats what redeems him. Thats what hes saying, like, Even though you might try and tell your story your way, the holes, the gaps, the lapses are always there. And they can be felt, too. Thats right, and we can feel them. The time part is important too, because hes saying, This is a big picture now. This is history. This is our people. This isnt about your little battles and your guilt. Its also another reason why I love the quote, because it gives us the importance of the concept of nothing before we get the actual final lesson about how nothing is the thing that is more important than independence and freedom. Hes giving him a hint, right? Because nothing is the answer. If ones computer hard drive provides a window to the soul, mine reveals a woman with a bit of an obsession: It is stuffed to the brim with pages grabbed from feminist and lesbian-feminist magazines of the 1970s. One reason is practicalI called upon their excitable news stories and impassioned editorials when writing my new book, A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Womens Culture. But another is a matter of pride: These grassroots publications provide an undeniable rejoinder to two of the most enduring but comically wrongheaded ideas about second-wave feminists: that they lacked a sense of humor, and that they had no style, particularly when compared with the campy, chichi reputation of midcentury gay men. Slate receives a commission when you purchase items using the links on this page. Thank you for your support. You need do no more than list the names of these publications to destroy that first notion. I put it to you that women who gave their magazines names like Sos Your Old Lady, It Aint Me Babe, Big Mama Rag, Off Our Backs, Better Homes and Dykes, the Leaping Lesbian, and Dykes & Gorgons were pretty darned funny, thank you very much. (Meanwhile, the Twin Cities publication Lesbinformed proves that cringe comedy was, in fact, invented by lesbians.) Advertisement Even more striking, though, is the radical and often unsettling beauty of the covers that adorned these periodicals. Looking through the 50-year-old newsstand that is my downloads folder, it seems clear that 70s lesbian-feminist aesthetics were raw, bold, and sometimes even chic, in spite ofor is it because of?the shoestring budgets and inexperienced volunteer crews that shaped them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The explosion of publications was a direct consequence of the new feminist ideas that emerged in the 1970s. Many, including Off Our Backs and It Aint Me Babe, had their origins in anti-war and campus-protest movements, but chauvinistic behavior by men in mixed groups quickly pushed women to focus on their own liberation and create their own magazines. Advertisement In the first issue of Iowa Citys Aint I a Woman?, which appeared in June 1970, the 14-woman collective wrote, We need to develop all kinds of abilities and know we have not been able to do this working jointly with men. We would tend to do mostly routine shit work even if this wasnt imposed on us. An article summarized the negative self-talk the collective was determined to help contributors overcome, including I cant write and I dont know how to draw and maybe no one else does either. The covers of the first two issues featured sketches of Sojourner Truth, along with a hand-lettered excerpt from her 1851 speech that was the source of the magazines name. But the DIY ethic that informed this and similar publications meant this consistency was short-lived. As collective members came and went, and as artists with differing levels of experience and skill contributed their work, one months exquisite cover might be followed by a less successful effort. The collective was more interested in building confidence and changing lives than maximizing newsstand sales. The cover of the Oct. 15, 1971, issue was drawn by a 12-year-old girl. Advertisement Advertisement Few of the women who worked on these magazines had a background in journalism or graphic design. According to 1973s New Womans Survival Catalog, the crew that put out Denvers Big Mama Rag included a bus driver, a painter, a mother of two, a legal secretary, an astrologer, a pre-med student, a welder, a draftsperson, a past treasurer of the National Honor Society, and an ex-nun. Advertisement It Aint Me Babe, which burst out of Berkeley, California, in 1970, managed to squeeze decades of outrage into 17 issues published over the course of one year. Even its name, a feminist twist on a Bob Dylan lyric, thumbed its nose at the icons of the day. (Dylans original line, To gather flowers constantly/ and to come each time you call/ a lover for your life and nothing more./ But it aint me, babe became To subsume me in your shadow/ to come each time you call/ a lover for your life and nothing more/ it aint me babe.) The volunteer staff sneakily typed up articles on university office equipment, thanks to a friend who allowed them into the sociology department after hours. They laid out the issues in staffers homes, and as co-founder Bonnie Eisenberg later noted, Headlines were sometimes hand-lettered, columns were sometimes crooked but the look of the paper improved greatly as time went on. Eisenberg credited a good deal of that glow-up to the arrival of cartoonist Trina Robbins, who contributed several comic strips and covers, including Issue 4s image of secretary Belinda Berkeley, who wanted to be a writer but her old man has talked her into taking a typing job so he could write his novel. The Babes most famous cover was Issue 8s, featuring a stars-and-stripes-painted papier-mache penis that had been dumped into the trash. The San Francisco Chronicles Herb Caen mentioned the striking photograph in his column, along with the papers address, which led to a circulation boost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A movement driven by new ideas was also inspired by imagery from the ancient past. Washingtons lesbian-separatist collective the Furies took its name, and the title of its publication, from the avenging Greek goddesses, because they, too, were angry because we are oppressed by male supremacy. The cover of the first issue, which appeared in January 1972, featured a naked man and two (mostly) clothed womenOrestes being pursued by two of the Furiesbut the collective consciously avoided graphics that depicted female nudity because they wanted to smash the notion that lesbianism was a purely sexual matter. Advertisement Advertisement Later that same year, on the West Coast, Gina Covina and Laurel Galana started Amazon Quarterly in an effort to find other lesbian-feminist artists. Or as they put it, We would spread the tantalizing bait of Amazon Quarterly across the waters and see who came to nibble. While Aint I a Woman? promised to print without editing any laid-out page from a Midwest (New Mexico thru Ohio) Womens Liberation group, Amazon Quarterly was selective. In the inaugural issue, the editors wrote, We simply want the best of communication from lesbians who are consciously exploring new patterns in their lives. Risk something, sisters. Standards werent the same as elitism, though. Over multiple pages in two issues of Volume 2, Galana painstakingly instructed readers on how to make a magazine, including typesetting, layout, and working with a print shop. The first and second issues of Amazon Quarterly featured the exact same cover image printed on different colored backgrounds (to be fair, she was a bad-ass Amazon astride a fine steed). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who knows what heights feminist publishing aesthetics might have reached were it not for restrictions imposed by male-owned and -operated print shops. Nudity was rare but not unknown, and while printers sometimes refused to reproduce images they considered pornographic and that risked running afoul of obscenity laws, they were just as likely to balk at basic medical information. A note in the eight-page November 1971 issue of Aint I a Woman? declared, This was to be a twelve page paper, with four pages of medical self-help material on menstrual extraction. However, we couldnt get them printed. (The offending content also included instructional photographs on cervical and breast self-examination.) In November 1970, collective members from Washington-based Off Our Backs had to schlep to New York to get an early issue printed when the regular shop refused a satirical center-spread ad for Butterballs, a genital deodorant for men. Advertisement Related From Slate Billie Eilishs New Album Is a Landmark, Whether She Wants It to Be or Not Read More Half a century later, one recurring cover topic does seem genuinely shocking: images of women holding guns. As the authors of a 2013 article in the feminist journal Frontiers observed, these images demonstrate how palpable and immediate revolution was for many feminists. This was a time when people believed that armed struggle was a viable way to make change. Advertisement Advertisement Fifty years on, its hard to track down much information about the women who created these publicationsstories and graphics were often anonymous, pseudonymous, or credited by first name onlybut the magazines they left behind are lasting expressions of their rage, curiosity, and excitement. The publications influence on the wider culture is debatable; most had limited and usually regional distribution, but unlike todays easily deleted web outlets, they live on in a few analog archives, my poor hard drive, and now in your imaginationa record of a unique taste and aesthetic sensibility that couldnt be bought or taught. It might not be as celebrated as the boys, but it should be: Lesbians hadand haveincredible style. Oh, stop ityoure making me blush, the throaty voice said, laughing off a compliment. Barret Zoph, whod given the compliment, looked pleased. As he shouldZoph represents OpenAI, the company behind the voice. ChatGPT-4o, OpenAIs most recent chatbot iteration, isnt an improvement in appearing intelligentits an improvement in appearing emotional. We are looking at the future of interaction between ourselves and the machines, promised Mira Murati, OpenAIs chief technology officer. ChatGPT-4o is just one of a wave of new conversational A.I., including the rollout of Meta AI last month. By the end of the decade, I think lots of people will talk to A.I.s frequently throughout the day, Mark Zuckerberg predicted upon its release. Zuckerbergs claim (self-aggrandizing though it may be) echoes much of the research on chatbots. A 2022 study published in Computers in Human Behavior claims that these conversational A.I. technologies can fill some of the same needs as human acquaintances and may soon provide personalized social support to a variety of users. As large language models improve, Zuckerberg and others suggest, humans will increasingly enjoy interacting with thema shift that will perhaps even assuage the loneliness epidemic identified by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy. According to this line of thinking, technical innovation is the only thing standing in the way of consistent, fulfilling humanA.I. interaction. However, the longer history of human communication suggests another factor: the expectations we bring to those interactions, shaped by more than 100 years of conversations with and through machines. Ever since the Victorian telegraph created real-time conversations at a distance, humans have been trying to envision the person who generated the words that theyre reading. Those imaginings have created criteria for authenticity that we bring to our interactions with chatbots todayand that transcend LLM accuracy. I dont know if chatbot conversations will ever satisfy human loneliness, but understanding their potential requires seeing how that historical context has shaped our very human interpretations of technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spread of telegraph lines during the mid-19th century presented a new possibility: Two people could have a synchronous conversation from hundreds or even thousands of miles apart. They might already know each other and enjoy this quicker form of communication, or they might be total strangers. It was the latter possibility that took hold of the public imagination. Telegraph operators were often women, and this novel form of communication raised the specter of what we now call catfishing: luring someone into a relationship by misrepresenting oneself. The telegraph ushered in innovative opportunities for womens independence and, with that, new metricsand a new urgencyfor differentiating the real from the fake. For example, a headline from the Feb. 13, 1886, issue of the trade journal the Electrical World warns of The Dangers of Wired Love. Maggie McCutcheon, a young Brooklyn telegrapher, was keeping up a flirtation with Frank Frisbie, the article said. But McCutcheons father discovered that Frisbie was married with a family in Pennsylvania. The article details the fathers attempts to keep McCutcheon away from the wires that allow her to communicate with Frisbie, and McCutcheons determination to find her way to a telegraph machine. Advertisement Advertisement McCutcheons father attempts to control her by sending her to the Catskill Mountains. He fires her from her post at his telegraph office and drags her home from a friends house by threatening violence. There is little mention of Frisbie other than his alleged family, who live conveniently far away. Much like a conversational A.I., he remains disembodied, amorphous, a presence only in and through the telegraph machine. The key points of this short news story spin out in the popular fictions of the day. Often called techno-romances, these stories and novels elaborate on the possibilities offered by the apparatus: By stripping away the trappings of beauty, status, and family, does the telegraph make it possible to truly know someone and be known in return? Or does it introduce a new kind of forgery, the ability to pretend to be anyone, with no body for evidence? Advertisement Advertisement Ella Cheever Thayers 1879 hit novel Wired Love: A Romance in Dots and Dashes suggests that both can be true. Recounting the courtship of two young telegraph operators, Clem and Nathalie, it shows how a bond can be formed with only words exchanged. But that doesnt mean that expectations just evaporate for the body on the other end. Midway through the novel, Clem shows up at Nathalies office unannounced. Far from the handsome man she has pictured, he struts in with an air of cheap assurance and flashes his trinkets, reeking of cheap cologne, hair coated in bear grease. Nathalie isnt just horrifiedshe feels cheated. Advertisement Advertisement And it turns out she has been. The visit was just a prank by another telegraph operator, who had been eavesdropping on the communications. Ultimately, the true Clem emerges, and the couples love survives the move from the disembodied wires to everyday life. The possibility of a hoax remains, but the novel ends by confirming the validity of the techno-romance: Genuine connection transcends material limitations and can occur solely in words exchanged, sight unseen. Advertisement Published more than 20 years later, Henry James novella In the Cage offers a more cautionary tale. At its center, a young, unnamed telegraph operator watches as the beautiful, married Lady Bradeen sends flurries of telegrams, hoping that no one will notice the messages to the dashing Captain Everard. But the narratortechnologically astute and, by proxy, fancying herself a savvy reader of peoplediscerns the clandestine love story. It might seem that disembodied communication wins the day once again, but the tale takes a turn. Lady Bradeens husband dies, and she presses Captain Everard to marry her, despite his loss of interest and his looming debts. The telegraph operator is shocked by what is revealed about the gross realities of high society existence. No longer bits of information transmitted over the wires, these lives take personal shape, and they feel sordid and deficient. The romance of the telegraph seduced both Lady Bradeen and the telegraph operator, but that seduction was temporary and disappointing. The novella ends with the telegraph operator leaving her dreams and delusions to return to reality. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate Sam Altman Is Showing Us Who He Really Is Read More Though the telegraph has long since been replaced, present-day interactions with chatbots are similar to those early interactions across the wires: Theyre also disembodied communications that happen purely through language. As in the 19th century, when new technology is introduced, we have to reconfigure our standards for trust. The more human-seeming the chatbot, the harder it can be to bear in mind that your interlocutor doesnt have feelingsfor you or for anyone else. As telegraph users discovered, with fresh possibilities for connection come fresh possibilities for misinformation, unhealthy dependence, even fraud. An authentic conversation with an A.I.which has artificiality in its namemust look different from an authentic conversation with a person. Not just a skillful imitation, but an unprecedented type of interaction entirely. Advertisement Preliminary research suggests that over-reliance on conversational A.I. for social fulfillment can lead to de-skilling, losing the ability to connect in person because chatbots are programmed to continue the interaction. Creating chatbots in the image of human conversation may lead to a one-sided belief in the authenticity of the relationshipan unfamiliar form of fraud in which users just hurt themselves. The past informs the assumptions and expectations we bring to conversational A.I., so with this knowledge, we can establish historically informed criteria for assessing the authenticity of a virtual relationship. Unlike the telegraph, however, there is no longer a human on the other end of the line. We need to reevaluate these mediated communications rather than turn to them as direct replacements for human contact. The techno-romance of our era is not with a stranger at the other end of the wire. Now the wire leads only to a server farm. Trevino wins grant from MLB Players Trust for charity that teaches art to those with special needs New York Yankees' Jose Trevino hits a two run-scoring single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) HOUSTON (AP) When Jose Trevino took a teen leadership class taught by Sherri Davis in high school the New York Yankees catcher couldnt have imagined the long-lasting impact it would have. It changed my life, Trevino told The Associated Press. She taught me a ton of lessons in high school, life lessons that help to this day. So, when Davis retired after a 47-year teaching career and started a nonprofit in his hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, called Special Hearts in the Arts in 2016 to provide arts education to those with special needs, Trevino quickly became one of the organizations most important benefactors. This week hell give the beloved group another gift to continue its work. Trevino has been selected as the first Most Valuable Philanthropist of the year by the MLBPA Players Trust and is receiving a $5,000 grant for Special Hearts. Trevino was selected for the award over more than a dozen other applicants by a panel of four former players. Amy Hever, the director of the Players Trust, said its focus is to help players create more impact for causes in their communities. So, this is a way to not only recognize them, but it also raises tremendous awareness for these causes, especially these hyper-local causes and organizations that some would argue are doing the greatest work in their local communities, Hever said. Davis raved about Trevinos generosity and the special bond hes built with the group. Trevino often visits Special Hearts in the offseason and the students rave about meeting him and covet the pictures hes taken with them. "Youll never have anyone say anything bad about Jose, Davis said. I think he just makes people feel worthy of whatever they do. Thats a Jose thing that he does." At Special Hearts, students, who range in age from 12-80, take classes in a variety of the arts including dance, theater, music and art. The group performs around the city and has become a favorite of Corpus Christi mayor Paulette M. Guajardo, who invites them to participate in the Fourth of July celebration each year. On Saturday morning, about three dozen Special Hearts performed a sign language version of the song Love Can Build A Bridge. Students beamed as they did the number, which theyve adopted as their theme song. Arts are the focus of the center, but perhaps more important is the confidence participation builds and the community that is forged through the classes. We dont say special needs in here, Davis said. We say Special Hearts. We never say disabilities. We always say special abilities. Before each of their performances Davis leads the group in a back-and-forth affirmation. I always ask them: Who are you? And they say: Special Hearts. And I say: What do you have? Special abilities? Victoria Hinojosa has been a Special Heart for about three years and is the center of the groups ballet folklorico performances, plays the guitar and takes art classes. When she first joined the group, she told Davis she couldnt dance because shes in a wheelchair. I said: dont say, I cant do, say do what you can, how you can, Davis said. And boy, can she swing that skirt. Hinojosa, who recently began volunteering to help others at the center, cant overstate the importance of Special Hearts in her life. I dont know where I would have been if it wasnt for Special Hearts, she said. It has really made me feel confident in what I do and how I look at things and I love the way I draw now, and it inspires me to do more. Though hes often almost 2,000 miles away in New York City, Trevinos presence is a huge part of Special Hearts. A big photo of him hangs in Davis office and posters featuring pictures of him and the students adorn the center. Davis sends him videos of their performances and she recently sent a picture of the group holding a Yankees banner they made with his name on it. Its amazing what hes doing for Special Hearts, Hinojosa said. He has really made us all happy, made us really look at ourselves and think we can do whatever we want. We can go out there and perform and show people what we can do. Though Davis and the students credit Trevino for his support, hes quick to point out that the most special heart in the organization is the one belonging to his former teacher. Thats what it is, its her heart, Trevino said. Her heart its ginormous. She has a big heart and shes always looking out for other people. Idali Duarte Montes, another former student of Davis who now works with her at Special Hearts, agreed. Without Sherri, of course, this wouldnt even be here, she said. It came completely from her 100%. And all her hard work was what started it. And then everybody, all the love that she exudes and gets from others that want to support and help has brought all that to Special Hearts in the Arts. Wiliam Rucizka, is another student who is known around Corpus Christi as Will The Thrill for his ability to hype up the crowds before performances. Constantly smiling and upbeat, Rucizka enjoys a variety of activities at the center. We do art, music, theater, dance and we do Love Can Build a Bridge every day, he said. We do celebrating every day. And because of Trevinos recent gift, Special Hearts will add a new program. Called The Remarkables, the group will dress as superheroes, each with their own special power, and perform at childrens hospitals and nursing homes. Though hes been out of high school for more than a decade, Trevino still leans on things Davis taught him. An important one is a breathing technique that the Gold and Platinum Glove winner uses to slow things down and really be in the moment before games. Its really cool what Ms. Davis is doing, and I have a lot of respect for her, and I appreciate everything shes doing, Trevino said. I think anybody whos around Ms. Davis is lucky because shes just a great person. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB Gao Qunshu's new blockbuster, "Three Old Boys," pays tribute to police veterans by vividly illustrating their intense and relentless battle against criminal gangs. Cast and crew pose for a photo at the premiere of "Three Old Boys" in Beijing, May 22, 2024. [Photo courtesy of CMC Pictures] Based on real-life events and a novel written by the film's screenwriter, Lyu Zheng, "Three Old Boys" depicts a trio of soon-to-retire police officers who put to use their "outdated" practices to confront unprecedented crimes and various criminal forces as they tackle a complex financial fraud case in an era of rapidly developing new and advanced technologies. The major financial case featured in "Three Old Boys" is based on true events. Between 2014 and 2015, Ezubao, a Chinese online peer-to-peer (P2P) lender, swindled more than 50 billion yuan ($7.7 billion) from roughly 900,000 investors through a Ponzi scheme. Twenty-six executives were convicted and imprisoned for the fraud, with some also found guilty of other crimes, including the smuggling of precious metals, illegally possessing guns and crossing borders without necessary documentation. As a consequence of this and other financial fraud cases, countless families have become hidden casualties. The film authentically portrays the predicaments ordinary people encounter in their daily lives. In response to societal expectations for more cautionary tales, the creators have produced this film to serve as a public warning. "The case background in the film is closely related to the experiences of many ordinary people today. In real life, many of our friends, including my own mother, have fallen into the trap of investing money in certain 'financial management' schemes, only to end up being deceived," director Gao said. Gao has also managed to truthfully portray the life and work of Chinese police officers in the film. With many intense action scenes, the audience was kept in suspense during the Beijing premiere on Wednesday. Some retired police officers and their families were invited to the premiere, where they praised the film for its authenticity. "They are retiring, but they are still fighting. I can resonate with them, as I am someone who should retire but still continues to make films," Gao said, reflecting on the film's three protagonists. Meanwhile, Lyu Zheng, a police officer himself, expressed that over time, he has come to see that veteran police officers in real life bear a kind of heaviness by shouldering a sense of mission and fate. Actor Jiang Wu, who portrays one of the protagonists in the film, shared his admiration and respect for the police. "A criminal policeman once told me that after closing a big case, he stayed in his car for three days at the doorstep of his own home, fearing revenge. I feel their lives are more challenging than what is portrayed in films and TV series," he said. A poster for "Three Old Boys." [Image courtesy of CMC Pictures] "Three Old Boys" was released in theaters on May 24 nationwide. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240526/orban-foresees-dire-consequences-if-eu-militarism-continues-unchecked-1118643830.html Orban Foresees Dire Consequences If EU Militarism Continues Unchecked Orban Foresees Dire Consequences If EU Militarism Continues Unchecked Sputnik International Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Sunday that he had never seen greater irresponsibility than Europe getting involved in the conflict in Ukraine without calculating what it would cost. 2024-05-26T20:07+0000 2024-05-26T20:07+0000 2024-05-26T22:59+0000 world viktor orban ukraine hungary nato radoslaw sikorski world war iii ukraine crisis europe nuclear war https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1a/1118644276_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_3add6953c0006503e3b76b8b6c93dd5b.jpg "Europe is becoming so involved in the war that it does not even have an estimate of the scale of the costs and means necessary to achieve its military objective. I have never seen anything more irresponsible in my life," Orban said in an interview with the Patriota YouTube channel. He added that, in his opinion, NATO wanted to become a party to the conflict in Ukraine and "the chances that the alliance can be kept from doing so are limited."Budapest is against having decisions on the service of Hungarian citizens made "in Brussels or Germany," Orban emphasized. Earlier in May, Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's Party, the largest one in the European Parliament, suggested reinstating compulsory military service across the entire European Union. In the years to come, current events may be seen as a prelude to World War III or even its first episode if Brussels' militarism is not countered, the Hungarian prime minister warned. Although European politicians see nuclear weapons as a deterrent, unforeseen worst-case scenarios could come to life, the Hungarian prime minister emphasized. Previously, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper that the United States threatened Moscow with the destruction of Russian forces in the special military operation zone if Russia uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitriy Medvedev said Poland should understand that an American strike on Russian troops would mean the beginning of a world war. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230311/sending-nato-troops-to-ukraine-could-have-world-ending-consequences-us-politician-warns-1108290806.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240227/macrons-posturing-about-nato-troops-in-ukraine-can-spark-full-scale-conflict-with-russia-1117016717.html ukraine hungary Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International third world war, european army, nato vs russia, us hegemony, western pressure, western world, western dominance, us dominance, nato vs russia, nato-russia war, ww3, wwiii, world war three, nato attacks russia, nato troops in ukraine, hungary against war, hungary supports russia https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/america-prepares-for-war-with-china-amid-latest-provocation-from-us-congress-1118643923.html America Prepares for War with China Amid Latest Provocation from US Congress America Prepares for War with China Amid Latest Provocation from US Congress Sputnik International The US is conducting war games near the South China Sea as US lawmakers visit Taiwan, undermining the United States long-held official commitment to a one-China policy. 2024-05-27T00:04+0000 2024-05-27T00:04+0000 2024-05-27T18:17+0000 world us joe biden michael mccaul china taiwan south china sea marines wall street journal daily mail https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1b/1118645144_0:170:3072:1898_1920x0_80_0_0_e9e6f4ffc59cb14271015aedccba11cd.jpg The United States is conducting military drills with its allies near the South China Sea as a congressional delegation visits Taiwan in Americas latest attempt to undermine its official one-China policy.Marines from the US and the Philippines have been carrying out ominous war games on small islands a short distance from Taiwan, according to British media, citing reporting by the Wall Street Journal from correspondents embedded with a US military regiment.The United States historical position on intervention in Taiwan has been one of so-called strategic ambiguity, with the country refusing to clarify whether it would send armed forces to the territory. However, President Joe Biden has broken with tradition by affirming he would be willing to send US troops.The US military would most likely pursue an island-hopping strategy, the Daily Mail reports, attempting to strain Chinese resources by fanning out across island chains off Chinas coast. But Chinas increasingly formidable naval power would complicate any US attempt, and the British tabloid admits that Beijing would hold a significant advantage fighting in its own backyard.US media correspondents reported from an attachment to the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, which has undertaken numerous exercises on Philippine islands after being created two years ago. American armed forces are restructuring to prepare for a major war in the Pacific after decades of combat against irregular forces in the Middle East, it has been reported.Figures within the countrys armed forces have predicted the United States must confront China militarily within the next few years in order to stem its economic rise.Rand Corporation warned about 10 years ago that they needed to go to war with China by 2025 in order to prevail, noted analyst KJ Noh.Meanwhile, a delegation of lawmakers has arrived in Taiwan to meet with local authorities in the United States latest provocation over the thorny issue of the territorys status. The bipartisan group was led by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.The visit comes amidst cross-strait tensions, with China conducting military drills after Taiwanese politician William Lai Ching-te made statements perceived as promoting separatism.Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin urged the United States to seriously abide by the one-China principle and not arrange for any visit by members of the Congress to Taiwan.The policy was reaffirmed in the 1979 Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, with the US recognizing the government of the PRC as the sole legal government of China and Taiwan as part of one China. The position was affirmed once more in a joint agreement between the US and PRC in 1982. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240228/world-war-iii-watch-us-army-restructuring-to-focus-on-large-scale-combat-1117030444.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/today-ukraine-tomorrow-taiwan-western-neocons-look-east-1117050517.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240524/philippines-opens-new-surveillance-station-near-taiwan-amid-us-led-militarization-1118612217.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240417/us-house-releases-ukraine-israel-taiwan-foreign-aid-bill-texts-1117983356.html china taiwan south china sea taipei Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg us one-china policy, us shanghai communique, us one-china 1979 joint communique, us one-china communique 1982, us china war games, us taiwan military drills, us taiwan invasion strategy, us war with china, when will the us attack china, us world war iii china, us vs china, nuclear war, taiwan war, americans in taiwan, war for taiwan, defend taiwan https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/dozens-killed-in-israeli-strike-on-rafah-refugee-camp--report-1118644818.html Dozens Killed in Israeli Strike on Rafah Refugee Camp Report Dozens Killed in Israeli Strike on Rafah Refugee Camp Report Sputnik International The attack comes shortly after the death of 81 people within 24 hours, according to Gazas health ministry. 2024-05-27T01:55+0000 2024-05-27T01:55+0000 2024-05-27T03:12+0000 middle east benjamin netanyahu palestinians israel rafah palestine hamas israel defense forces (idf) red crescent israel-gaza conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1b/1118645955_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d916b256f36dee3bcbd0bcf3eb598d18.jpg At least 35 people, most of them women and children, were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on a Palestinian tent encampment for refugees in western Rafah, according to Gazas Ministry of Health. Dozens more were reportedly injured.Witnesses alleged that at least eight airstrikes hit the camp of displaced people located 600 feet from a United Nations warehouse. A Palestinian Red Crescent spokesperson said the death toll is likely to rise, also claiming the camp had been identified by the Israeli military as a humanitarian area.A statement from the Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strike, alleging that it was carried out against legitimate targets.The IDF later said that the strike killed Yassin Rabia, the Hamas Chief of Staff in the West Bank, The Jerusalem Post reported.The attack comes shortly after a barrage of Hamas rockets reached central Israel Sunday, the groups first long-range strikes in months. No deaths or injuries have been reported as a consequence of the blitz.Hamas military branch justified the attack in a statement on Telegram as a response to Zionist massacres against civilians. Earlier in the day Gazas health ministry reported 81 people had been killed by Israeli attacks over the last 24 hours.The Hamas strike is a new sign of resilience more than seven months after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy the Palestinian group. Hamas fighters have reemerged in Northern Gaza in recent weeks, provoking domestic criticism of the Israeli leaders military strategy. Protesters have maintained a near-constant presence in the capital of Tel Aviv and outside Netanyahus home.Hundreds of thousands of Israelis remain internally displaced in Southern Israel as well as the northern portion of the country, where Hezbollah has launched frequent rocket and artillery strikes. It was reported late last year that nearly half a million Israelis have fled the country as armed conflict drags on.Almost 36,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israels military operation in Gaza, according to the local health ministry, although the death toll is thought to be higher given thousands of bodies still buried underneath the rubble of IDF airstrikes.UNICEF reports that almost all of the 600,000 children taking refuge in the southern Gaza city of Rafah are injured, sick or malnourished. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240521/russian-ambassador-slams-us-double-standards-on-icc-actions-toward-russia-israel-1118559169.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240523/israel-faces-diplomatic-defeat-as-european-countries-recognize-palestinian-state-1118593502.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240428/world-central-kitchen-to-resume-work-in-gaza-as-hunger-malnutrition-still-stalk-enclave-1118167268.html israel rafah palestine gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg israel airstrike rafah, israel refugee camp strike, israel displaced persons tent encampment strike, israel strike killed 35 people, israel hit tent encampment, hamas rocket strike central israel, hamas rockets tel aviv, genocide, ethnic cleansing, humanitarian disaster, humanitarian catastrophe, humanitarian ceasefire, shelling of gaza, gaza devastation, zionist regime, zionists, killings of civilians, civilian infrastructure, civilians dead, civilians die, israel kills civilians, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, indiscriminate shelling, indiscriminate killing, war crimes https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/estonian-drone-maker-expands-unmanned-ground-vehicle-production-1118653387.html Estonian Drone Maker Expands Unmanned Ground Vehicle Production Estonian Drone Maker Expands Unmanned Ground Vehicle Production Sputnik International Robotic vehicle manufacturer Milrem Robotics has announced the opening of its new ground drone production facility. 2024-05-27T12:54+0000 2024-05-27T12:54+0000 2024-05-27T12:54+0000 world estonia drones production https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1b/1118653115_0:131:3072:1859_1920x0_80_0_0_867a8a19b3e9a9554b9f2b8162853962.jpg Located near Milrems HQ in Estonias capital, this new plant ostensibly allows the company to manufacture more than 500 units of its THeMIS (tracked hybrid modular infantry system) ground drone.Many end-users, satisfied with the results of testing the robotic vehicles, are preparing to launch high-quantity procurements. With the opening of our new facility, we are better prepared to answer these calls, Milrem Robotics CEO Kuldar Varsi said in a press release issued by the company.THeMIS is an unmanned ground vehicle platform that can function as either a transport or combat drone. A number of these ground drones have been supplied by Milrem to the Kiev regime in August 2022, and it was reported that at least one THeMIS unit has been captured by Russian forces. Russian researchers have promised a reward for such a trophy, meaning they might have already got their hands on one of the platforms and if any new THeMIS vehicles arrive in Ukraine, they may meet a similar fate. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240417/russian-armys-robotization-advances-by-leaps-and-bounds-amid-ukraine-conflict-1117981229.html estonia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International tracked hybrid modular infantry system, themis, european drone production https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/idf-eliminated-head-of-hamas-headquarters-in-west-bank---statement-1118647641.html IDF Eliminated Head of Hamas Headquarters in West Bank - Statement IDF Eliminated Head of Hamas Headquarters in West Bank - Statement Sputnik International The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday that it had eliminated the head of Palestinian movement Hamas in the West Bank, Yassin Rabia, as well as another senior official, in an airstrike in the northwestern part of the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. 2024-05-27T05:24+0000 2024-05-27T05:24+0000 2024-05-27T05:24+0000 world israeli-palestinian conflict israel-gaza conflict palestine-israel conflict israel defense forces (idf) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0b/02/1114667692_0:0:1024:577_1920x0_80_0_0_e8f75079bde3e2d6e26bc0495e5d5ddb.jpg The statement noted that Rabia directed all Hamas activities in Judea and Samaria and "planned Hamas terror attacks" in the region. "The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review," the statement added. 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 35,900 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240524/bahrain-asking-for-moscows-support-for-gaza-peace-summit-another-sign-of-us-influence-waning-1118609305.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International israel-hamas conflict, israel-palestine conflict, palestine-israel conflict, gaza violence, gaza strip crisis, hamas, gaza genocide https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/natos-useless-drone-wall-just-another-step-towards-large-scale-confrontation-with-russia-1118653963.html NATO's Useless 'Drone Wall' Just Another Step Towards 'Large-Scale Confrontation' With Russia NATO's Useless 'Drone Wall' Just Another Step Towards 'Large-Scale Confrontation' With Russia Sputnik International A group of NATO members who share a border with Russia intend to ramp up the use of drones ostensibly to protect their territory against unspecified provocations. 2024-05-27T16:43+0000 2024-05-27T16:43+0000 2024-05-27T16:43+0000 analysis military & intelligence europe russia nato drones https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107878/97/1078789773_0:163:2100:1344_1920x0_80_0_0_6f6aeffffc82f48541da7bd2f0636fd2.jpg Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite has touted the so-called drone wall scheme, claiming that Estonia, Latvia Finland, Norway and Poland are also on board."This is a completely new thing, a drone wall stretching from Norway to Poland, and the goal is to use drones and other technologies to protect our borders," Bilotaite told media.This endeavor supposedly looks to help those countries involved to protect against provocations from unfriendly countries and to prevent smuggling, Bilotaite added.While this drone wall concept is a new idea, it is more evolutionary than revolutionary, said former Swedish Armed Forces officer and politician Mikael Valtersson.Drones are already in use for border protection, but a drone wall must mean that there will be around-the-clock surveillance with drones along the entire border, he told Sputnik.The problem with this drone wall scheme is that it is also expected to include an anti-drone component as well, and it remains unclear exactly how the countries involved are going to do that, Valtersson noted.Electronic warfare capabilities seem like a more efficient solution but, as Valtersson pointed out, their efficiency might be limited both in range, but also against totally independent drones that aren't remotely piloted.So far, the whole drone wall initiative appears to be just an attempt by the countries involved to show off their toughness against Russia and the [alleged] Russian threat, according to Valtersson.They do something with limited efficiency, but proclaim it like it was a revolutionary thing, he added. They might even believe that they are increasing their security, but in reality this is just another step down the slippery slope towards a large-scale confrontation between the Western powers and Russia. This heightens tension and lowers security, at a great cost, not the other way around. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/estonian-drone-maker-expands-unmanned-ground-vehicle-production-1118653387.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International europe drone defense, nato drone wall, drones border security https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/pentagon-seeks-to-establish-army-drone-corps-as-us-lags-behind-russia-and-china-1118653632.html Pentagon Seeks to Establish Army Drone Corps as US Lags Behind Russia and China Pentagon Seeks to Establish Army Drone Corps as US Lags Behind Russia and China Sputnik International Russias special military operation has revealed a brand new method of waging war. Drone combat has proven to be among the most impactful and cost-efficient on the battlefield, pulverizing expensive military equipment with a few high-precision strikes. 2024-05-27T17:07+0000 2024-05-27T17:07+0000 2024-05-27T17:07+0000 military ukraine china russia us army pentagon us house of representatives wwi wwii ukraine crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/11/1117384627_0:173:3026:1875_1920x0_80_0_0_324cfcb7c69545f16318127307e4a93e.jpg The US House of Representatives has proposed creating a new drone branch of its army. The initiative was part of a fiscal 2025 defense authorization bill prepared by the House Armed Services Committee. The effort aims to professionalize the area and put it in line with other disciplines of military service.No More Fog of WarRussia's special op has largely changed the approach to fighting between modern armies. High maneuver warfare, whose tactics and strategy were shaped during WWII, gave way to a positional trench standoff with the massive use of artillery more akin to that seen in WWI. Opponents no longer advances with divisions and corps, but operate in small groups.The main reason behind the change is the massive use of inexpensive commercial drones on both sides, which completely negates the very notion of the "fog of war". Because of the reconnaissance "birdies" constantly hanging in the air, it is near impossible to secretly maneuver large forces at the front line and in the close rear.Both Russia and Ukraine have formed reconnaissance and firing circuits that allow for high-precision attacks on the enemy shortly after detection.On the other hand, loitering munitions, copters carrying "loads" and first-person view (FPV) drones with handmade warheads are used very actively and have long turned from something exotic into something totally expendable.Drones have seriously changed the tactics of using military equipment, in particular the main strike force of the ground forces tanks. An experienced operator of a cheap FPV drone is able to easily smash a vehicle worth millions of dollars into a thin turret or engine room and knock out the armored giant.A New Military BranchUS officials, who study the special op under a microscope, have come to the conclusion that they are lagging seriously behind the latest military fashion trends and are risk of finding themselves in the position of the ones who have to play catch up. Washington has learned that in a major and protracted armed conflict, a piece of equipment being mass-produced is far more important than its technological sophistication. The new branch of the army looks to correct this imbalance.According to the Congress bill, a drone corps should oversee the development, deployment and combat use of small aircraft, as well as systems to combat drones of a potential enemy. The initiative seeks to organize mass training of small drone operators, both aerial and copters, including FPVs. The drone corps, allocated to a separate branch, will become the 22nd in the US Army, along with the army aviation, air defense, mechanized infantry, tank, and artillery troops.The shift in military tactics, as seen in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, demonstrates the increasing importance of drones on the battlefield, which should prompt the US to adopt a new strategy that fully leverages their capabilities, Robert Solano, commander of the Defense Contract Management Agency at Boeing underlined.Furthermore, he believes that the US military should establish a separate service drone branch, focusing on the Army, Air Force and Navy due to the increasing use of drones in warfare.Pentagon's PushbackAt the Pentagon, however, not everyone is in favor of the idea. US Deputy Commander Gabe Camarillo said that he understands the legislators' interest in the development of unmanned systems due to their mass use in Ukraine and the Middle East. Nevertheless, in his opinion, the creation of a separate kind of troops is not a proper approach, at least for the moment.So far, it is not the drones themselves that are the priority for the US Armed Forces, it is the defense equipment to counter them.According to Camarillo, since 2017, the US Army has spent $1.8 billion on developing electronic warfare systems, small air defenses, and additional refurbishing for armored equipment. When considering the 2026 fiscal budget, even more funds will be allocated for these needs.On the whole, drone development in China is likewise an issue of concern for the Pentagon. Chinese-made Mavic drones have been used by both sides of the Ukrainian conflict for more than two years now. This fact indicates that the rate and scale of their production are very high.Indeed, it is unlikely that the US and Chinese ground forces will engage in a direct armed conflict and will end up at an FPV drone flying distance in the foreseeable future.That said, in case of escalation, Beijing could resort to asymmetric measures. For example, China could liberally ship military drones to the US adversaries around the world. And there are quite a few such adversaries, from North Korea to the Middle East. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/ukraine-crisis-highlights-chasm-between-russian-us-electronic-warfare-capabilities-general-admits-1118424707.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240507/us-bid-to-strategically-weaken-russia-backfired-creating-army-adapted-for-postindustrial-warfare-1118318719.html ukraine china russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International military drones, combat drones, drones in the army, us army drones, drone us army corps, drones in the us army, drone military branch, drones on the battlefield, drones in the ukraine crisis, new russian military drones, us develops new drones https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/putin-holds-talks-with-uzbekistans-president--1118649205.html Putin Holds Press Conference After Talks With Uzbekistan's President Putin Holds Press Conference After Talks With Uzbekistan's President Sputnik International On May, 26 Vladimir Putin arrived in Uzbekistan for a two-day visit. Putin and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev are expected to discuss cooperation in economic and political spheres. 2024-05-27T07:36+0000 2024-05-27T07:36+0000 2024-05-27T12:17+0000 world russia vladimir putin uzbekistan shavkat mirziyoyev tashkent https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1b/1118649046_0:0:3070:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_0706ea3e477eb4f883caf6524584e447.jpg Sputnik comes to you live from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where Vladimir Putin is holding talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.The leaders will be discussing the construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, which will be based on a Russian project. In addition, they will also be focusing on the development of a plant equipped with small nuclear reactors. The meeting's agenda will also touch upon various aspects of Russian-Uzbek collaboration, including political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation.Follow Sputniks live feed to learn more! russia uzbekistan tashkent Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Putin Press Conf Sputnik International Putin Press Conf 2024-05-27T07:36+0000 true PT68M16S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia-uzbek relations, russia uzbekistan, putin uzbekistan, putin mirziyoyev, russia investments uzbekistan https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/ukraine-might-not-become-nato-member-within-next-30-years---scholz-1118644639.html Ukraine Might Not Become NATO Member Within Next 30 Years - Scholz Ukraine Might Not Become NATO Member Within Next 30 Years - Scholz Sputnik International German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday that Ukraine might not become a NATO member for the next 30 years. 2024-05-27T01:55+0000 2024-05-27T01:55+0000 2024-05-27T05:03+0000 world ukraine olaf scholz nato russia ukraine crisis ukrainian conflict ukrainian crisis nato membership nato members https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/02/1117089119_0:113:2216:1360_1920x0_80_0_0_174bb3300113f3eef9df11c29b94a0f7.jpg "You know the decisions, it is not expected in the near future. Maybe not even in the next 30 years," Scholz told German citizens at an event marking the 75th anniversary of the German constitution. Ukraine applied for accelerated NATO membership in September 2022, following the start of Russia's special military operation. In March, NATO Military Committee chair Rob Bauer said that the matter concerning Ukraines membership in NATO was settled, however, the discussion on the timeline was ongoing. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that NATO's expansion to include Ukraine would create a direct national security threat to Russia and that Moscow considers the non-aligned status of Ukraine to be extremely important to put an end to the years-long conflict. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230713/putin-ukraine-in-nato-will-create-security-threat-for-russia-wont-increase-own-security-1111856388.html ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nato, ukraine crisis, ukraine crisis, russia-ukraine war, russian aggression, russian intervention, russian invasion, ukraine in nato, nato membership, member of nato, nato member, scholz on ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/ukraine-sonference-will-be-propaganda-exercise-to-cover-up-zelenskys-illegitimacy--analyst-1118649380.html Ukraine onference Will Be Propaganda Exercise' to Cover Up Zelensky's Illegitimacy Analyst Ukraine onference Will Be Propaganda Exercise' to Cover Up Zelensky's Illegitimacy Analyst Sputnik International Moscow earlier said that the June 15-16 conference in Buergenstock, Switzerland, to discuss ways to end the Ukraine conflict will be "absolutely futile" without Russias participation. 2024-05-27T10:04+0000 2024-05-27T10:04+0000 2024-05-27T10:04+0000 analysis ukraine russia switzerland vladimir putin dmitry peskov conference security participation https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1b/1118647898_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_151bf479dd4fd3c91cb7de50be408daf.jpg Russian President Vladimir Putin "is correct" when he states that the goal of the upcoming Ukraine 'peace' conference in Switzerland is to try to confirm Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy to the Western community, Christopher C. Black, an international criminal lawyer with 20 years of experience in war crimes and international relations and a commentator on international affairs, told Sputnik.He was echoed by Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois' College of Law, who said in an interview with Sputnik that "everyone knows that the conference in Switzerland is a joke and a fraud that is based upon Zelenskys peace program."As for Zelensky, he "has never been a legitimate president of Ukraine," Black argued. According to him, the last legitimate president of Ukraine was Viktor Yanukovich, "who was overthrown in the NATO orchestrated coup d'etat of 2014" and who "has never served out his complete term.""So when the Kiev coup regime conducted subsequent elections they could not be considered free and fair by any standards in the world. They were all rigged to maintain the coup regime in power under different figures or puppets," the analyst noted.In this vein, he referred to the people of eastern Ukraine who "have never accepted the legitimacy of the regime installed by NATO in the coup of 2014 for two reasons - it was a regime that still regards them as enemies and their democratic choice was denied" and "their chosen president [Yanukovich] was overthrown."Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier confirmed that Russia was not planning to participate in the summit due to be held in Buergenstock, Switzerland, on June 15-16.She also said that Russia had no confidence in Bern, a supporter of the Ukrainian government in Kiev that has implemented several rounds of EU sanctions against Russia. "Under these circumstances, Switzerland cannot be a neutral host by definition, let alone a mediator," the spokeswoman underscored. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240526/expired-why-is-zelensky-no-longer-ukraines-legitimate-president-1118642457.html ukraine russia switzerland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg upcoming conference on ukraine in switzerland, the issue of volodymyr zelensky's legitimacy, the kiev coup regime the last legitimate president of ukraine Automakers and local governments have introduced preferential policies and activities to help the trade-in of vehicles, which is expected to boost market demand by 1 trillion yuan ($138 billion), say industry experts. China rolled out specific measures in April to assist trade-ins of polluting vehicles for new energy vehicles or fuel-efficient cars. It offers a subsidy of up 10,000 yuan for buyers who trade in older cars for new ones before the end of this year. The initiative, part of an action plan to foster large-scale equipment renewal and the trade-in of consumer goods nearly 15 years since the last such round of renewals is designed to stimulate domestic consumption and advance the country's green transition. The old-for-new promotional campaign has become a driving force in the automotive market, with a scale of 6-7 million units, said Zhao Chenxin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission. The demand for automotive replacements is expected to reach more than 1 trillion yuan, undoubtedly contributing to economic growth, Zhao added. By the end of 2023, China had 280 million passenger cars. Around 110 million vehicles fell within the replacement peak period of four to nine years, contributing significantly to the automotive market's replacement volume. Around 40 automakers from mainstream joint ventures FAW-Volkswagen and FAW Toyota to local marques BYD and Great Wall Motors, and luxury brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz have introduced trade-in subsidies, with cash incentives ranging from 5,000 to 55,000 yuan. For instance, FAW Toyota has offered a 2 billion yuan replacement subsidy, while Mercedes-Benz has provided qualified buyers with up to 15,000 yuan in subsidies. Geely offered a time-limited maximum subsidy of up to 63,000 yuan for such trade-ins; Dongfeng Group initiated a trade-in program covering more than 50 models with an estimated subsidy exceeding 10 billion yuan. The local governments of Jiangxi, Guangdong, Zhejiang and other provinces have also launched diverse old-for-new car trade-in programs and automotive consumption season activities. Wuhan in Hubei province provides a maximum subsidy of 8,000 yuan. The multiple incentives have sparked enthusiasm among the public for upgrading their vehicles, leading to increased orders. A sales manager of Xpeng in Hubei said that with the old-for-new policy, Xpeng's sales in Wuhan doubled compared with April. Xpeng offers an extra 10,000 to 15,000 yuan trade-in subsidy. During the May Day holiday, Nio's store traffic increased by around 20 percent year-on-year. The carmaker introduced a maximum subsidy of 1 billion yuan for gasoline car trade-ins. Customers in Hubei who purchase Nio vehicles will enjoy no down payment and up to 65,000 yuan in discounts. According to the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, approximately 93 percent of NEV models qualify for the subsidy. This round of the old-for-new policy is a timely boost to market confidence and consumer demand, said industry experts. Xu Haidong, vice-chief engineer of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, said that from the current market trend, the second quarter is likely to present a favorable development. The CAAM statistics show that April's vehicle sales reached 2.36 million units, a 9.3 percent increase year-on-year. Sales of NEVs rose 33.5 percent year-on-year to 850,000 units in April, accounting for 36 percent of total vehicle sales. Xu said the trade-in policy has promoted environmental upgrades and stimulated consumption. By subsidizing the replacement of high-emission vehicles, it reduces pollution and supports green transformation, he said. Additionally, it incentivizes consumers to purchase cars, boosting the auto market amid current economic conditions. The trade-in initiative also promotes the sales of used cars, with China's figures increasing by 14.68 percent year-on-year in April. The China Automobile Dealers Association reported that approximately 1.68 million used vehicles were traded in April, totaling 111.1 billion yuan in transactions. This rapid sales expansion was attributed to growing consumer demand, business promotion activities and government policy support for consumer goods trade-ins. The association anticipates even higher transaction volumes in May, driven by the trade-in promotion policies, increased local promotions and auto shows. Industry insiders said that the old-for-new policy not only increases the supply of used cars but drives the standardization of used car operations, raising industry management standards through regulated and efficient circulation. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/un-srebrenica-resolution-pandoras-box-likely-to-reignite-balkanization-1118635805.html UN Srebrenica Resolution: Pandora's Box Likely to Reignite Balkanization UN Srebrenica Resolution: Pandora's Box Likely to Reignite Balkanization Sputnik International Voted by 84 votes against 19 with 68 abstentions, UNGAs resolution on Genocide in Srebrenica made the Serbian nation collectively responsible for the tragic events of 1995, even though the West tries to deny it. However, just as the Serbia predicted, the resolution has deepened divisions in Europe and increased risks of disintegration of Bosnia. 2024-05-27T09:36+0000 2024-05-27T09:36+0000 2024-05-27T09:36+0000 world srebrenica bosnia serbia ratko mladic nato general assembly the united nations (un) european union (eu) efraim zuroff https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/12/1115665189_0:308:1992:1429_1920x0_80_0_0_fb212d80984002dc3fd7c41cb4c94418.jpg The United Nations General Assembly passed a controversial resolution Thursday naming July 11 as "International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica," and condemning without reservation any denial of the Srebrenica genocide as a historical event.The leaders of Serbia and Republika Srpska acknowledge the tragic deaths of thousands of Bosnian Muslim men in Srebrenica as a war crime perpetrated by certain individuals, but categorically reject its characterization as a genocide, and challenge the claims put forward by Bosnia's authorities and the West about the death toll.The backlash followed immediately. "This document will only step up the conflict potential of the Balkans, said Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman.Prior to the vote, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had been warning the US and the EU that the resolution would spell trouble for them.Russia's UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzya, predicted that the resolution would result in the "destruction of the Dayton peace accords," which brought an end to the Bosnian War in 1995 and established the current form of Bosnia and Herzegovina. His forecast began to materialize on May 23.Bosnia and Herzegovina: Fragile Peace Risks FragmentationMilorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, which is located within the federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has announced that within the next 30 days, Republika Srpska would present a proposal to its partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina outlining a peaceful separation plan.At its core, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a fragile structure. The Balkan state consists of two major entities, the first part consisting of Catholic Croats and Muslim Bosniaks - the Federation of BiH, and the second, Republika Srpska, the Christian Orthodox part, populated with Serbs.The emigration of Croats from BiH has been rampant, especially after 2013, when Croatia became a member of the EU. Since then, the 550,000 strong Croatian community has been melting away, as young Bosnian Croats leave for better jobs in large EU cities. Consequently, BiH has become more Muslim-dominated, thereby spurring Republika Srpska to seek reunification with Serbia.Resolution on Genocide Becomes the Last StrawThe mere method of counting the votes during the session of the UNs General Assembly on Srebrenica raised questions. The 87 countries that did not vote for the resolution actually exceeded the 84 of those that did back the draft, formally proposed by Germany and Rwanda.In an interview with Sputnik, Darko Mladic, the son of the Bosnian Serb leader Ratko Mladic, who is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in the Srebrenica events, explained why the resolution has provoked such outrage among the Serbian people. Despite the fact that only a few nations have supported the notion of labeling the events of 1995 as "genocide," Serbs feel as though their entire nation has been unjustly stigmatized as genocidal. Any future attempts to challenge this perception could be viewed as a form of "genocide denial," effectively making it illegal for Serbs to voice any objections.Bosniaks Behind Genocidal ResolutionDuring an interview with the Tanjug news agency, Efraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for hunting down Nazi war criminals, criticized the recent vote at the UN's General Assembly as being political in nature. Zuroff went on to describe the UN General Assembly as the "worst place" for such a vote. As a researcher of the Nazi genocide against the Jews during the 1930s and 1940s, Zuroff explained that the internationally accepted definition of 'genocide' goes beyond war crimes, encompassing premeditated murders with the intention of eradicating an entire ethnic group. He argued that this definition did not apply to the events in Srebrenica in 1995, where all Muslim women and children were evacuated, and most of the men who were killed were combatants who died in minefields or during gunfights.Zuroff also said that the resolution was actually drafted by Bosniak Muslims, who used the German and Rwandan envoys to the UN as proxies. The Bosnian Serbs and Serbia are aware of that, and this makes them ever more determined to have Republika Srpska leave BiH and rejoin Serbia.Collective Responsibility? No Longer Taboo for the WestHistory makes the Serbs skeptical of the promises made by German envoys to the UN regarding individual versus collective responsibility for "genocide". Out of the seven heads of post-Yugoslav entities, found guilty by The Hague and imprisoned, the majority were Serbs. Bosnian Serbs, Croatian Serbs, and even the late president Slobodan Milosevic were among those incarcerated, in contrast not a single Muslim or Croat representative faced that same fate.One glaring example of the West's double standards can be seen in the case of Milan Martic, the former president of the Republic of Srpska Krajina. In 1995, Croatian troops overran Srpska Krajina, leading to what has been described as an act of "ethnic cleansing". Despite this, the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia placed the blame solely on the leaders of the destroyed Serbian entity, and not on the Croatian political and military leaders responsible for its destruction. As a result, there are no longer any Serbs living in the region, yet not a single Croatian or Bosnian Muslim politician has been held accountable for their roles in these events.The UNs resolution on Srebrenica adds to a growing number of grievances inflicted on the Serbs, and BiH may be just the first victim of this injustice voted into legitimacy in New York City on May 23, 2024. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240525/un-vote-on-srebrenica-an-offense-that-will-be-remembered---balkan-affairs-expert--1118628033.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240324/putin-1999-nato-bombing-of-serbia---great-tragedy-war-launched-by-west-1117524169.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240521/romanian-senator-reveals-true-agenda-of-anti-serb-un-resolution-on-srebrenica-1118570794.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240523/west-hypocritically-backs-un-vote-on-srebrenica-genocide-while-supporting-extermination-of-gaza-1118606981.html srebrenica bosnia serbia yugoslavia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Dmitry Babich https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/0e/1116778495_0:120:720:840_100x100_80_0_0_9bf47040bc46073fb920d272be7bc29d.jpg Dmitry Babich https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/0e/1116778495_0:120:720:840_100x100_80_0_0_9bf47040bc46073fb920d272be7bc29d.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Dmitry Babich https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/0e/1116778495_0:120:720:840_100x100_80_0_0_9bf47040bc46073fb920d272be7bc29d.jpg srebrenica genocide, what happened in srebrenica, yugoslav wars https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/us-military-experts-nato-cant-take-on-russia-or-prevent-ukraines-defeat-1118654569.html US Military Experts: NATO Can't Take on Russia or Prevent Ukraine's Defeat US Military Experts: NATO Can't Take on Russia or Prevent Ukraine's Defeat Sputnik International The Parliamentary Assembly of NATO has passed a new declaration urging the alliance's members to lift some restrictions on Ukraine's use of their weapons on Russian soil as the Kiev regime continues to lose ground on the battlefield. 2024-05-27T17:55+0000 2024-05-27T17:55+0000 2024-05-27T17:55+0000 us jens stoltenberg joe biden scott ritter russia ukraine kiev nato cia army tactical missile system (atacms) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0a/1092152722_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_b8bf3abc14a3fe30ac66eb6dce6d464a.jpg NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told The Economist on May 24 that Western countries should lift their respective bans on Ukraine using their weapons inside Russia.The newspaper alleged that Stoltenberg's target was US President Joe Biden's policy of limiting Ukraine's use of ATACMS long-range missiles and other weapons inside Russia except for Crimea and the nation's new territories admitted in September 2022.On May 27, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) - the consultative interparliamentary entity passed Declaration 489 which urges the bloc's members to "lift some restrictions" on the use of their weapons by the Kiev regime against Russia's "legitimate targets."NATO PA representatives from nine countries have reportedly not supported the initiative. Earlier, Italy and Germany spoke against the proposal that could lead to the outbreak of a major war between Russia and NATO. The Biden administration has not granted Ukraine a free hand in using its arms against Russia, either.However, it's up to NATO member states to decide whether to authorize the use of their weapons by Ukraine against Russia, despite Stoltenberg's calls or NATO PA's non-binding declarations.Ritter pointed out that "NATO as an institution is not preparing for a larger war with Russia." He referred to the fact that so far NATO has conducted a policy to avoid escalation of the Ukraine conflict and prevent a full-fledged confrontation with Russia.The crux of the matter is that NATO member states are unprepared for a war with Russia, according to Michael Maloof, former senior security policy analyst in the US Office of the Secretary of Defense.The pundits believe that support for the use of NATO-grade weapons by Ukraine stems from the transatlantic alliance's desperation over the Kiev regime's continuous military failures.In early May, French President Emmanuel Macron told The Economist that Paris could put boots on the ground in Ukraine if frontlines are broken and Kiev officially requests such assistance.Almost at the same time, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron told Reuters that Britain had given the Kiev regime permission to strike targets on Russian territory with weapons it provided.Moscow has repeatedly warned the collective West against deeper involvement in Ukraine's conflict. Russia condemned Macron's statements as provocative and fraught with a risk of further escalation.Commenting on Cameron's words, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that the British foreign minister de facto confirmed that the West is waging a war against Russia using Ukrainians as proxies.Reflecting on Stoltenberg's remarks last week for The Economist, Zakharova drew attention to the fact that the NATO chief's warmongering rhetoric came ahead of the so-called "peace" conference on Ukraine in Switzerland that is advocating the unworkable Zelensky "formula" while ignoring Russia's position."Objectively, the reality is that NATO is in no position to escalate the war and sustain it," Larry Johnson, retired CIA intelligence officer and State Department official, told Sputnik, reiterating his forecast about the Kiev regime's imminent defeat. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/ukraine-might-not-become-nato-member-within-next-30-years---scholz-1118644639.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240526/prelude-to-wwiii-italy-slams-natos-chief-idea-to-allow-ukraine-strikes-deep-into-russia-1118640193.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240503/macron-and-camerons-threats-to-flood-ukraine-with-men-and-arms-signs-of-weakness-1118245543.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240525/stoltenbergs-call-to-untie-ukraines-hands-to-strike-russia-shows-nato-is-desperate-1118635150.html russia ukraine kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova nato pa, nato pa declaration on ukraine, jens stoltenberg, stoltenberg urges western countries lift ban on ukraine use of their weapons inside russia, escalation of ukraine conflict, war in ukraine, ukrainian military retreating, kharkov, kharkiv Grand River Raceway would like to inform horsepeople that training on Tuesday, May 28 has been cancelled as the track will be closed for maintenance due to excessive rain. Qualifiers will be held on Wednesday, May 29 and the regular schedule of training will resume on Thursday, May 30 at 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Regular training days are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 12 noon for the racing season. All horses must vacate the paddock by 1 p.m. The 2024 harness racing season at the Elora, Ont. oval is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 5. (Standardbred Canada) 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 For more than 50 years, Scott Snyder's family has grazed cattle on a 600-acre parcel of leased land on Wright's Mesa, a 7,000-foot plateau ringed by southwestern Colorado's San Juan Mountains. In the spring, the family brings cows and their new calves to the sunny, level parcel of sagebrush plain and pinyon-juniper woodlands. Their bulls winter on the land, close to their ranch headquarters outside Norwood. At first, the Snyders weren't too worried when a clause appeared in their lease with the Colorado State Land Board. It said their use of the parcel would be terminated if the county government approved a solar project on the land. "Then it kind of snowballed and caught fire," Snyder said. That parcel is now the proposed site for a large solar farm that is opposed by Snyder and many in neighboring Norwood who don't want solar panels on the beautiful, tranquil mesa. The opposition prompted San Miguel County to enact a moratorium on large solar developmentone of several such temporary local bans across Colorado. The fast expansion of large-scale solar projects, fueled in part by record federal investment, has prompted a wave of county governments to pass moratoriums on the construction of new facilities, often in response to local opposition. In the last two years, at least 10 counties in the mountains and on the Eastern Plains put temporary halts in place. More than 40% of the state's 4,112 megawatts of installed solar power were built last year, the vast majority from utility-scale projects. Solar facilities now provide 9% of the state's electricity and generate enough energy to power more than 838,000 homes, according to a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association. But to meet Gov. Jared Polis' goal of using 100% clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, the amount of solar power will need to quintuple, according to state officials. To reach that level, companies will need to roll out large-scale solar facilities, which require sunny tracts of land that are broad, flat, cleared of trees and close to transmission lines. Land meeting all of those criteria can be found in rural communities on the Western Slope, but some oppose giving up agricultural landand ceding land with a cherished undeveloped nature. Snyder isn't opposed to solar. He's attempted to lease other parcels he owns on the west side of San Miguel County to solar companies. But he questions why this project should go here, in his backyard, on the land he's grazed since he was in middle school. Across the state, few of the local opposition movements to solar projects are about party politics or the concept of solar energy, said Mike Kruger, the CEO of the Colorado Solar and Storage Association. Instead, they're typically about local concerns, he said, and NIMBYism, which stands for "not in my backyard." "The reactions are: 'I love solar, I just don't love it here,'" he said. "Congratulations, hillbillies." The solar proposal outside of Norwood would build panels on approximately 600 acres across three parcels of private land and the state land trust parcel leased by the Snyder family. The solar company, OneEnergy, is in talks with power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association to sell the electricity produced by the facility, according to the project website. Cattle can't graze land used for solar, but the company has said it would allow sheep to graze the land. Once the project has reached its end, the company said all the land would be returned to agricultural use. A town meeting with company representatives last year featured strong resistance from everyone in attendance, Norwood Mayor Candy Meehan said. It was the largest meeting in the town's recorded history, she said. "They came in like it was already a done deal, like: 'Congratulations, hillbillies. Here's how it's going to be,'" Meehan said. "It didn't respectfully take into consideration the nuances of our community as a whole." Residents of Norwood, population 536, are not opposed to solar and recognize the need for renewable energy, Meehan said. But they do oppose industrial development in their small, rural town, which is about 33 miles northwest of Telluride, the larger resort town that serves as the county seat. Construction alone would be a major disruption for Norwood, which has three full-time emergency medical workers and a grocery store the size of a large convenience store. "We live where we live for a reasonwe like the land the way it is," the mayor said. In response to the outcry on Wright's Mesa, San Miguel County in May 2023 enacted a six-month moratorium on all commercial and utility solar permitting to allow time to update its regulations. Twice, county commissioners have voted to extend the moratorium, which now lasts until November 15. The opposition and resulting county moratorium have pushed back the timeline of the Wright's Mesa project by at least two years. OneEnergy had hoped to begin construction in early 2024, said Nathan Stottler, its associate director for project development. Now the earliest likely would be in 2026if the county's new code is workable for the project. "The county, much to their credit, are being very careful and thorough in drafting their code," he said. A slew of moratoriums As of November, 39 Colorado counties had adopted detailed solar land-use regulations, according to a report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. Other counties did not have solar regulations, had non-specific solar rules or were under a solar development moratorium. "The cumulative effect is a wide variety of potential regulations for utility-scale solar in Colorado," the report states. A patchwork of county permitting processes and requirements can frustrate developers working on multiple projects in the state, Kruger said, but it's ultimately workable if the rules don't change. "What we can't have, from an industry perspective," he said, "is have developers do all the work and then the community objects to the projectthen the county commissioners go back and rewrite the rules." As of October, 143 utility-scale solar projects have been built in Colorado, within 28 of its 64 counties, according to a report by NREL. Combined, they produce about 1,900 megawatts of electricity. But at least 505 megawatts' worth of potential large solar projects have been killed or delayed since 2018, at least in part because of community pushback, according to a Denver Post analysis. The details of the proposed projects vary, but many communities faced with the potential of a large-scale solar farm as a neighbor voice similar concerns: aesthetics, reduced property values, the loss of agricultural land and a shift away from traditional rural culture. In other places, projects were able to proceed despite residents' original concerns. "Most communities that we engage with, we can find solutions," Kruger said. A proposed 472-acre solar farm five miles east of Delta faced vehement opposition when it began the permitting process in 2021. Delta County commissioners at first denied the 80-megawatt facility, called the Garnet Mesa Solar Farm. Months later, the commissioners reconsidered, in part because the developers agreed to continue irrigating the land and allow about 1,000 sheep to graze under the panels. In August 2022, the commissioners approved the project. But the ordeal prompted them to enact a moratorium on new solar development from September 2022 to September 2023. Moratoriums don't necessarily result in regulations that are hostile to solar. Mesa County commissioners on April 22 approved new solar rules that "won praise from nearly all sides of the issue," according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. The importance of personal property rights and the right to build solar on private property seemed to resonate with the commissioners, said Tom McCloskey, a volunteer with Western Colorado Alliance who advocated on the new regulations. "People talk game about personal rights and what we can and can't do, but then sometimes people impose things that are the opposite of what they stand for," he said. Colorado not alone Colorado is not the only state where local governments hold great sway over the future of utility-scale solar and other renewables. At least 15% of counties across the country have enacted regulations that permanently or temporarily halt the development of utility-scale renewables, an investigation by U.S. Today found. "In nearly every state, local governments have enacted laws and regulations to block or restrict renewable energy facilities, and/or local opposition has resulted in the delay or cancellation of particular projects," according to a study published in May 2023 by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School. Local impediments to solar have prompted some states to enact laws restricting local jurisdictions' power over the issue. The New York legislature in 2020 transferred permitting power for large-scale solar and wind projects from counties to the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting. Michigan and Illinois passed similar laws. A Colorado state senator considered pursuing such a measure here, then opted to introduce a bill that will direct state resources to local governments instead of attempting to supersede their authority. Senate Bill 212, signed into law Tuesday by Polis, directs the state to provide technical support for the development of renewable energy, establish best practices to minimize impacts to wildlife and create a library of model regulations. Sen. Chris Hansen, a Denver Democrat and primary sponsor of the bill, said he would be watching the rollout of local solar policies. "By and large, Colorado has done a good job of getting this done at the local level," Hansen said, citing Weld County as an example of a county with a productive solar code. To reduce the risk of local opposition, solar companies need to work with local communities earlier in the process and develop plans with community feedback in mind, said Larry Susskind, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies negotiations surrounding renewable energy siting. The old method of creating a plan without input, and then defending it from opposition, sows mistrust, he said. It results in delaysand, sometimes, the failure to gain approvalfurther slowing the clean-energy transition. "If you've already made all the decisions that are going to adversely affect people without them having a say, that's undoubtedly going to lead to local opposition, no big surprise!" Susskind said. "It's not about NIMBY, it's about trust." He said companies should also enter into legal agreements with local communities in which they lay out how they will mitigate any negative effects from their projects, such as the loss of property value or open space. "If the gains to the gainers outweigh the losses to the losers, it's OK to go aheadtoo bad for the losers," he said. "That's the logic now and it's not OK." The old method of "decide and defend" no longer works in Colorado, Kruger said. As the number of solar projects increases, communities are beginning to see a cumulative effect, and the industry must shift its practices. "This conversation will only intensify," Kruger said, "instead of going away." Provided by The Denver Post 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 Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk's startup xAI said it has raised $6 billion from investors in an increasingly crowded artificial intelligence market. The latest funding, including from well known venture capitalists and a Saudi prince, takes the firm's total valuation to $24 billion, based on a pre-infusion figure of $18 billion cited by Musk. "xAI is pleased to announce... Our Series B funding round of $6 billion," the company said in a blog post on Sunday. "The funds from the round will be used to take xAI's first products to market, build advanced infrastructure, and accelerate the research and development of future technologies," it added. Musk teased on his social media platform X that there would be "more to announce in the coming weeks". The latest round of funding came from Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital and Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, among others. Musk launched the company in July last year, shortly after he signed a letter calling for a pause in AI innovations. He is one of the world's few investors with deep enough pockets to compete in the AI sphere with the likes of OpenAI, Google and Meta. Building an AI model at the same scale as those companies comes at an enormous cost in computing power, infrastructure and expertise. xAI said Sunday its primary focus was to develop "advanced AI systems that are truthful, competent, and maximally beneficial for all of humanity". It is developing a chatbot named Grok, which can access X, the former Twitter, in real time. Musk earlier this month told investors that he planned to build a supercomputer dubbed "gigafactory of compute" to support the development of xAI. The planned supercomputer would be "at least four times the size of the biggest GPU clusters that exist today," such as those used by Meta to train its AI models, Musk was quoted as saying by an industry news outlet. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Bay Area air quality officials have launched an investigation into Tesla, charging the electric automaker with letting massive amounts of harmful toxins escape into the air from its Fremont car factory. In a double blow, an environmental group has filed a new lawsuit against the company over such pollution releases. Since 2019, Tesla, which made $17.7 billion in profit last year according to regulatory filings, has allowed 112 illegal toxic releases, each containing as much as 750 pounds of harmful contaminants, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said in a news release early this month. Even low levels of ozone created when the emitted chemicals meet sunlight can harm health, especially for children, older people and those with asthma, the district said. Other released contaminants can cause cancer and, even at low levels, neurological damage and reproductive and developmental damage, according to the regulatory agency, which pointed to Tesla's paint-spraying booths and paint-baking ovens as sources of the pollution. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment on the district's investigation and allegations or claims in the lawsuit. District officials announced May 2 that they were seeking an order to shut down the Fremont plant's two car-painting departments if Tesla would not agree to hire outside experts to help stop the emissions. The district said this week that it had previously probed Tesla's pollution from the factory and found it resulted from repeated problems in the painting departments' containment systems and production lines. "Operational changes were made by Tesla, but ultimately, they were not enough," said district spokeswoman Kristina Chu, adding that the agency may sue Tesla over the emissions. Despite "extensive discussion" between district officials and the company, Tesla has not stemmed the emissions, the district said in its request for an order from its hearing board, which rules on regulatory-compliance issues. Meanwhile, the car maker led by notoriously regulation-hostile CEO Elon Musk is facing a new lawsuit by a local environmental group claiming Tesla's "extensive and ongoing" pollutant releases are exposing residents and workers in the area to harmful chemicals, including arsenic. "It feels to us like profits are more important than actually being a good neighbor and supporting human health," said Tanya Boyce, executive director of the Environmental Democracy Project, a nonprofit corporation that filed the lawsuit last week in San Francisco U.S. District Court. Boyce noted that children attend Bringhurst Elementary school within a mile of the Tesla plant. Her group's lawsuit, which cites "a long history of noncompliance with environmental laws" at the factory, alleged Tesla broke federal air quality rules more than 160 times between January 2021 and January 2024. Records from Tesla submitted with the lawsuit list more than 90 violations between January 2022 and June 2023 of the company's permit from the air quality district. Tesla attributed the causes nearly every time to "unforeseen" breakdowns and malfunctions, according to the records. The air quality district in its news release described Tesla's emissions as "foreseeable." The Environmental Democracy Project targets pollution affecting communities of color. The City of Fremont describes itself as "one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the Bay Area," with 63% of residents speaking a language other than English at home. U.S. Census data show the city's population is 62% Asian, 21% White, 12% Latino and 3% Black. In a March letter to Musk, the Environmental Democracy Project said it was planning to sue Tesla in federal court over its alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act because the air quality district had not done so already, "leaving it to citizens like EDP to bring their own enforcement action." The nonprofit is seeking a court order barring Tesla from violating air quality regulations, and fines of up to $121,000 per day for each alleged violation of the Clean Air Act. The Fremont factory, where Tesla makes its models 3, X, Y and S, has long been a target for regulatory and legal action. In February, eight Bay Area counties sued Tesla, claiming it illegally dumped hazardous waste produced in its Fremont plant and its auto service centers around the region. District attorneys in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties along with 17 other California DAs allege in San Joaquin County Superior Court that the company broke a host of laws on labeling, transportation and disposal of toxic materials. In a February 2022 settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Tesla agreed to pay a $275,000 fine for breaking the Clean Air Act at the Fremont plant over a three-year period. Tesla in 2021 was fined $750,000 in a settlement with the air district for committing 33 air quality violations since 2015. In 2019, the company agreed to pay a $31,000 penalty over hazardous waste violations at the Fremont factory in another settlement with the U.S. EPA. Boyce believes the "very small" penalties are just "the cost of doing business" for Tesla. Musk has frequently defied and disparaged regulations and regulators and tweeted last year, "Like Gulliver, tied down by thousands of little strings, we lose our freedom one regulation at a time." In 2018, Musk agreed to pay a $20 million fine to settle a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charge that he misled investors with a tweet about taking Tesla privatethen he took to Twitter to mock the SEC. At the start of the COVID pandemic, Tesla kept the Fremont plant running for nearly a week in violation of a public health order, with Musk tweeting that an "ignorant" Alameda County health officer was violating "our Constitutional freedoms." The high-profile freight train service between China and Europe, supported by the Belt and Road Initiative, has recently achieved another significant milestone by completing its 90,000th journey as of Saturday. [Photo/Xinhua] The high-profile freight train service between China and Europe, supported by the Belt and Road Initiative, has recently achieved another significant milestone by completing its 90,000th journey as of Saturday, underscoring its crucial role in stabilizing global supply chains and driving economic development along the route. On Saturday morning, a freight train loaded with 55 containers carrying a diverse range of goods, including LCD monitors, auto parts, clothing, and daily essentials, departed from Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, marking the 90,000th service, according to the China State Railway Group, the operator of the service. The train will travel westward, exiting China through the Horgos border port in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, passing through Kazakhstan and Russia before reaching Malaszewicze in Poland in about 15 days. Began in 2011, the China-Europe freight train service has transported over 8.7 million containers with goods valued at more than $380 billion between China and Europe, according to the company. The remarkable growth in the number of services reflects strong market demand. This mode of transportation is more cost-effective than air travel and more reliable than sea transport, serving as a strategic and alternative option for international freight. The annual number of services has surged from a few dozen at the beginning to over 17,000 last year. The growth has become more prominent since 2016. Between 2016 and 2023, the annual number of China-Europe freight trains increased from 1,702 to over 17,000, representing nearly a tenfold growth with an average annual growth rate of 39.5 percent. The progression from the first service to the 10,000th service took 90 months, while the leap from the 80,000th service to the 90,000th service only required 7 months. Since May 2020, the monthly number of China-Europe freight train services has consistently exceeded 1,000. In 2016, the annual value of goods transported by the service was $8 billion, which soared to $56.7 billion last year. This rapid development signifies the increasing acceptance and recognition of the service by customers in China and abroad. Shaanxi Konka Smart Home Appliance, a company based in Xi'an, primarily manufactures white home appliances, with dishwashers being one of its main products sold overseas. Chen Zhao, the company's general manager, mentioned that about 80 percent of their dishwashers are exported to European countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Initially, the dishwashers were shipped to European destinations via sea routes from coastal cities like Qingdao in Shandong province, taking around 45 days. However, utilizing the China-Europe freight train service has significantly reduced the transportation time to about two to three weeks, he said. Chen also noted that Xi'an's strategic location as a hub for the China-Europe freight train service played a crucial role in their decision to establish a new factory in the city. He highlighted that all dishwashers manufactured in Xi'an are now transported to Europe via railway. Due to disruptions in sea transportation caused by the Red Sea Crisis, shipping from China to Europe has been delayed, extending the shipping time to up to 60 days, he said. "The advantage of the China-Europe freight train service is now more prominent," he said. Smartlog, an international transport and logistics company with a presence across Eurasia, established an office in Xi'an in 2022. "Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, overseas enterprises like us can experience a rapid development in China," said Nursulu Zolbaskanova, head of the company's Xi'an office. Over the past two years, the office's monthly usage of the China-Europe freight train service has increased from two to 70, reflecting the growing importance of this transportation mode. Shao Boer, general manager of Xi'an International Inland Port Multimodal Transportation, a logistics company based in Xi'an, said most of the company's logistics business is dependent on the China-Europe freight train service. "The China-Europe freight train is like a high-speed freight train service, which is more reliable, efficient and predictable," he said. So far, the network of the China-Europe freight train has reached to 223 cities in 25 European countries, connecting more than 100 cities in Asia. Tighter market regulation combined with a nuanced approach to building a multilayered capital market has accelerated China's attempts to provide easier financial services, especially funding, to technology companies as well as growth-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging or strategic sectors, market insiders said. While tighter regulation will help improve the quality of IPOs as well as provide easier exit route for early-stage investors (like private equity or PE firms) in startups, there are two other relatively recent and related developments that have brought glad tidings to the market in the last few months: the rapid growth of secondary funds, or S funds; and the establishment of a new board for small and medium-sized enterprises specializing in niche sectors. Together, these have the potential to significantly reshape China's capital market, experts said. S funds enable their investors to purchase equity in unlisted firms funded by PE firms; they can also buy limited-partnership interests in PE firms themselves. Their growth offers reassurance that PE firms can easily exit their primary investments (startups), which is said to encourage more PE investments in startups. There have been a slew of S fund launches in recent months. In early May, six State-owned enterprises in Southwest China's Sichuan province poured in 1.5 billion yuan ($207 million) to set up the province's first S fund. The aim is to seek investment opportunities in strategic sectors like electronic information, biomedicine, new energy, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing. In mid-April, East China's Anhui province completed registration of a 2.8 billion yuan S fund as part of its broader effort to build a multilayered capital market. Shanghai, the financial hub of China, of course, leads the S fund pack. Shanghai International Group or SIG, the investment arm for State-owned assets in the city, unveiled a 10 billion yuan S fund in late April. Less than a year back, SIG had initiated a 1.5 billion yuan S fund, the first of its kind launched by SOEs in the city. Zheng Siyuan, a Shanghai-based partner in market consultancy Bain& Co's Greater China PE practice, attributed the proliferation of S funds to the tightening regulatory grip on IPOs. Zheng said an S fund can be seen as PE firms' trading in the secondary market. This segment has, at times since 2022, overtaken direct investment in the primary market. A few common practices have since emerged: a limited partner (or capital provider) directly transfers his equity stake to another general partner (or fund manager); or one GP sells some of his/her assets to another GP. Apart from providing an exit channel for PE firms, S funds can serve as a "relay mechanism "between the primary market and the stock market by coming up with various products and professional practices, said Yang Bin, president of the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Fund, the manager of the newly launched 10 billion yuan S fund in Shanghai. In this sense, S funds can help better connect technology companies with providers of financial services and industrial capital, he said. The municipal government of Shanghai is well aware of the importance of S funds, which are indispensable in building a multilevel capital market. In September 2022, an S fund alliance was formed in Shanghai, comprising more than 80 leading securities firms, banks and funds of funds from home and abroad. At the beginning of this year, Shanghai introduced a set of 32 measures to facilitate the high-quality development of equity investment. Among them, the development of S funds in the city was stressed. Banks' asset management subsidiaries, insurers, trusts and State-owned funds of funds are encouraged to step up their investment in S funds and ensure their expansion. This is part of the city's efforts to better serve the real economy and stimulate technology innovation by giving more play to equity investment, according to the government document. Data from Beijing-based PE services platform FOF Weekly showed that the total trading value of China's S funds was around 60 billion yuan in 2023. Globally, the trading size surged rapidly to over 112 billion yuan last year from only 22 billion yuan in 2010. Microsoft is calling attention to a Morocco-based cybercrime group dubbed Storm-0539 that's behind gift card fraud and theft through highly sophisticated email and SMS phishing attacks. "Their primary motivation is to steal gift cards and profit by selling them online at a discounted rate," the company said in its latest Cyber Signals report. "We've seen some examples where the threat actor has stolen up to $100,000 a day at certain companies." Storm-0539 was first spotlighted by Microsoft in mid-December 2023, linking it to social engineering campaigns ahead of the year-end holiday season to steal victims' credentials and session tokens via adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) phishing pages. The gang, also called Atlas Lion and active since at least late 2021, is known to then abuse the initial access to register their own devices to bypass authentication and obtain persistent access, gain elevated privileges, and compromise gift card-related services by creating bogus gift cards to facilitate fraud. The attack chains are further designed to gain covert access to a victim's cloud environment, allowing the threat actor to carry out extensive reconnaissance and weaponize the infrastructure to achieve their end goals. Targets of the campaign include large retailers, luxury brands, and well-known fast-food restaurants. The end goal of the operation is to redeem the value associated with those cards, sell the gift cards to other threat actors on black markets, or use money mules to cash out the gift cards. The criminal targeting of gift card portals marks a tactical evolution of the threat actor, which has previously engaged in stealing payment card data by using malware on point-of-sale (PoS) devices. The Windows maker said it observed a 30% increase in Storm-0539 intrusion activity between March and May 2024, describing the attackers as leveraging their deep knowledge of the cloud to "conduct reconnaissance on an organization's gift card issuance processes." Earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released an advisory [PDF] warning of smishing attacks perpetrated by the group targeting the gift card departments of retail corporations using a sophisticated phishing kit to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA). "In one instance, a corporation detected Storm-0539's fraudulent gift card activity in their system, and instituted changes to prevent the creation of fraudulent gift cards," the FBI said. "Storm-0539 actors continued their smishing attacks and regained access to corporate systems. Then, the actors pivoted tactics to locating unredeemed gift cards, and changed the associated email addresses to ones controlled by Storm-0539 actors in order to redeem the gift cards." It's worth noting that the threat actor's activities go beyond stealing the login credentials of gift card department personnel. Their efforts also extend to acquiring secure shell (SSH) passwords and keys, which could then be sold for financial gain or used for follow-on attacks. Another tactic adopted by Storm-0539 entails the use of legitimate internal company mailing lists to disseminate phishing messages upon gaining initial access, adding a veneer of authenticity to the attacks. It has also been found creating free trials or student accounts on cloud service platforms to set up new websites. The abuse of cloud infrastructure, including by impersonating legitimate non-profits to cloud service providers, is a sign that financially motivated groups are borrowing a page out of advanced state-sponsored actors' playbooks to camouflage their operations and remain undetected. Microsoft is urging companies that issue gift cards to treat their gift card portals as high-value targets by monitoring for suspicious logins. "Organizations should also consider complementing MFA with conditional access policies where authentication requests are evaluated using additional identity-driven signals like IP address location information or device status, among others," the company noted. "Storm-0539 operations are persuasive due to the actor's use of legitimate compromised emails and the mimicking of legitimate platforms used by the targeted company." The development comes as Enea revealed details of criminal campaigns that exploit cloud storage services like Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Backblaze B2, and IBM Cloud Object Storage for SMS-based gift card scams that redirect users to malicious websites with an aim to plunder sensitive information. "The URL linking to the cloud storage is distributed via text messages, which appear to be authentic and can therefore bypass firewall restrictions," Enea researcher Manoj Kumar said. "When mobile users click on these links, which contain well-known cloud platform domains, they are directed to the static website stored in the storage bucket. This website then automatically forwards or redirects users to the embedded spam URLs or dynamically generated URLs using JavaScript, all without the user's awareness." In early April 2023, Enea also uncovered campaigns that involve URLs constructed using the legitimate Google address, "google.com/amp," which is then combined with encoded characters to conceal the scam URL. "This kind of trust is being exploited by malicious actors trying to trick mobile subscribers by hiding behind seemingly legitimate URLs," Kumar pointed out. "Attacker techniques can include luring subscribers to their websites under false pretenses, and stealing sensitive information such as credit card details, email or social media credentials, and other personal data." Diversify sources to ensure power supply: Prime Minister By Minh Hue Mon, May 27, 2024 | 8:13 am GMT+7 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to diversify their power sources, including imports, to ensure sufficient supply at the peak of the summer heat wave, especially in the northern region. This is to ensure there is no shortage of electricity for production, business, and people's lives in any circumstance, the government office quoted the Prime Minister as saying in a release. EVN workers conduct maintenance work on a power system. Photo courtesy of EVN. According to the ministry, in the first four months of the year, the country's electricity demand increased by 13% year-on-year, exceeding the forecast of 9%. In the northern region alone, the demand expanded 17%. Vietnam currently imports electricity from Laos and China through 220 kV and 110 kV lines, but the proportion is very low compared to the country's total demand. EVN's four-month data showed that imported electricity output reached 1.56 billion kWh, accounting for 1.6% of the network's total. The total electricity capacity imported from Laos will be at least 3,000 MW by 2025 and 5,000 MW by 2030 under a commitment between the two governments. The Prime Minister has approved a policy to import electricity, mainly hydropower, from projects in the neighboring country, with a total capacity of 2,689 MW. In early May, the government green-lighted the MoITs proposal to purchase electricity from the 250-MW Truong Son wind power project in Laos, starting Q4/2025. The move is part of an agreement between the two governments on power imports, said the ministry, adding that the move would improve supply and reduce the risk of power shortages in northern Vietnam. According to the release, the PM also asked the MoIT and EVN to take advantage of domestic sources, such as coal-fueled power, hydropower, renewable energy, and biomass power. "Coal-fueled power plants need to choose proper times for maintenance to avoid incidents." Vietnams national mining group Vinacomin and Dong Bac Corporation should increase exploitation to provide enough coal for electricity production, while minimizing coal imports. Meanwhile, hydropower plants must keep a close eye on the weather and hydrological conditions to operate their turbines, ensuring maximum capacity during peak times, the Prime Minister requested. The National Load Dispatch Center predicted that during the peak dry season this year (April-July), the highest power capacity demand in the North could reach 27,481 MW, an increase of 17% from the record level set in the same period last year. Meanwhile, the total produced and imported electricity output of the northern power system in this period is expected to rise 10% year-on-year to about 52.3 billion kWh. In the first four months, the total electricity output, both domestically produced and imported, was estimated to total 124.2 billion kWh, representing an increase of 12.1% over the same period last year. On April 27, when temperatures soared, consumption rose to a record of 47,670MW. However, electricity supply was basically ensured. EVN on May 22 rejected a Reuters article which quoted two sources as saying that Vietnamese authorities have called on Apple supplier Foxconn to "voluntarily cut power use by 30% at its assembly plants in the north of the country". Northern Vietnam saw electricity outages in summer last year, and there are concerns that this might happen again this year. An aerial drone photo taken on May 26, 2024 shows the short-finned pilot whale "Haitang" swimming in the sea. [Photo/Xinhua] With a splash, the short-finned pilot whale plunged from a scientific research ship back into the sea in south China's island province of Hainan on Sunday, 145 days after it was rescued. "This is the first short-finned pilot whale successfully rescued in China," said Pu Bingmei, secretary general of the non-profit organization BlueRibbon Ocean Conservation Association (BROCA), who noted that the case could offer important reference for marine rescue work. The male whale Haitang was found injured and stranded in the Haitang Bay of Sanya City on January 3. After coordinated efforts, it was sent to the Haichang animal conservation center and named after where it was rescued. Pu remembered that at the beginning, Haitang was so weak that it faced the risk of being drowned in the water. More than 100 volunteers of BROCA took turns to take care of it in the pond around the clock. Out of stress response, the whale once attacked a volunteer. But the behavior didn't stop volunteers from accompanying it. During the past months, Haitang has grown from 3.6 meters long to 3.7 meters, and its bust measurement from 1.9 meters to 2 meters. "It is now able to feed and dive normally," said vet Xiong Chunlin with the conservation center. On May 7, after investigation and discussion, experts agreed that the whale had already met the requirements for release into the wild. After determining the release plan, the Haichang animal conservation center made a special water tank for the whale, while BROCA found vehicles and ships for transportation. Haitang finally returned to the sea after several drills. To track and monitor its condition, scientists have attached a device on its back. "I'm sure that Haitang can find its home and live healthily in the sea," said Pu. Two Republicans will face off in the June 11 Republican primary for the right to take on a long-serving incumbent in S.C. House District 91. The district includes all of Allendale and Barnwell counties, along with thousands of people in western Orangeburg County in an area stretching from Springfield to Neeses, Livingston, Norway and Pine Hill on up to the Limestone One and Limestone Two area. S.C. House District Rep. Lonnie Hosey, D-Barnwell, has represented the district since 1999. He faces no primary opposition. The two Republican candidates are Williston resident Demaris Johnson and Barnwell resident and Barnwell County Councilman Ben Kinlaw. The general election is Nov. 5. Johnson Johnson, 47, said she seeks to connect with communities to truly represent their voices and needs. It is my desire to connect with the citizens in our local communities to hear their voices and hear their needs. I intend to make their voices heard in the South Carolina House of Representatives. "Economic development has evaded our communities for far too long, negatively impacting the quality of life and the financial success and independence of our citizens. I intend to fight tirelessly to make our area and the quality of life for our citizens something we can be proud of, she said. This is Johnsons first time running for political office, but she is preparing to accomplish her goals. I am compiling a list of priorities and issues in the town hall meetings I am hosting. This data will reveal the true needs and desires of my constituents. The people will decide. I am merely their voice, she said. Johnson said she will cultivate strong relationships and promote participation with the citizens in our communities. My town hall meetings in our communities will be a forum for the people to express their concerns and needs. Your voice will be heard on the floor of the SC House of Representatives. I will not sit by idly and allow the larger metropolitan areas like Charleston, Columbia and Greenville to continue to have their needs met while ours are not. I believe every South Carolinian deserves to live in a community that is safe and has adequate access to health care, to include quality mental health care services and substance-abuse treatment, she said. Johnson continued, Violent crime and drug abuse are destroying our youth. I will fight for additional law enforcement resources to combat these problems. Additionally, I intend to push for legislation that will mandate mandatory minimum sentencing for violent crime and the manufacturer and distribution of illegal substances. Johnson grew up in Williston, where she currently lives with her husband and son. As a teenager, I worked in our family bakery in Barnwell. During my senior year of high school, I worked at the Barnwell County Sheriff's Office as a data entry clerk, and I assisted with the training of the Explorers. While studying criminal justice at USC Salkehatchie, I continued my work at Barnwell County Sheriff's Office, she said. She said her education in criminal justice and work at the Barnwell County Sheriff's Office taught her the moral and ethical values that are essential for public service. After college, I relocated to Jacksonville, N.C., and became a nationally certified pharmacy technician. Upon completing my training, I worked at the New River Air Station Medical Clinic as a pharmacy technician. After my son was born, I moved back to Williston and worked for a local bank as a teller and later as a financial services representative. I have been fortunate to be a homemaker for the last several years, Johnson said. She is a member of Rosemary Baptist Church. I am also a proud member of the National Rifle Association and for many years have volunteered as a poll worker for our local elections, Johnsons aid. Kinlaw Kinlaw, 75, said he decided to run for the House District 91 seat after having already served two terms on Barnwell County Council. House District 91 has challenges, and I would like to take my business and government experience to move our district forward, he said. Barnwell is in the process of consolidating our three school districts. I would like to work with the school board to ensure this happens and be a resource to them, Kinlaw said. He said there are many issues of importance, including counties receiving inadequate funding from the state to fulfill mandates. The cost of county government to fulfill the mandates implemented by the state is less than the actual cost. Counties must step in and make up the difference from their general fund, Kinlaw said. He continued, High unemployment continues to be a challenge ... (and) workforce development is a challenge for our state and county. Kinlaw said he would continue his work with the Energy Communities Alliance, a nonprofit that brings together local government officials to share information, establish policy positions and promote community interests. I would partner with them as they work with counties who have Department of Energy sites located in their states. The ultimate challenge is to bring new mission work to the site, he said, noting that hed work to foster better relations with the Department of Energy and National Nuclear System Administration. The Savannah River Site is a 310-square-mile DOE site that includes parts of Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale counties. Kinlaw is a North Carolina native who has lived in Barnwell for the past 23 years. He is married to Peggy Russ Kinlaw, mayor pro tem for the City of Barnwell. They are the parents of a son and they have two grandsons. He attended Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, N.C., and has a background in the textile industry. (TBTCO) - Trong top 10 xe ban chay nhat thang 9/2024, tat ca cac mau xe gop mat eu co doanh so tang truong ang ke, at tren 1.000 chiec/thang. ieu nay kha de hieu boi ay thuong la thang bat au cho ot cao iem mua sam cuoi nam, cung nhu la thang au tien dong xe san xuat, lap rap trong nuoc uoc huong 50% le phi truoc ba tu chinh sach uu ai cua Chinh phu. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). The Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ant International, allowing the company to expand business in the kingdom. Ant Internationals President, Douglas Feagin, met Eng Saleh Khabti, Deputy Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia during a signing ceremony held in Riyadh, to welcome the new partnership and sign an agreement outlining shared goals for technological innovation and economic growth opportunities in Saudi Arabia. Through this partnership, MISA welcomes and supports Ant Internationals expansion plan to establish an entity in Saudi Arabia, enabling assistance when acquiring licences and certificates to expand and enhance its service offerings. Key gateway Ant International will use Saudi Arabia as a key gateway into the Middle East to further expand the reach of its payment and financial services. Local merchants of all sizes will benefit from riding the wave of digitalisation to achieve further growth. Khabti said: We have worked closely with Ant International on its expansion into the kingdom which will not only benefit thousands of merchants across the country but potentially hundreds of thousands of businesses right across the Middle East. We are seeing tremendous growth in digital payments in Saudi Arabia and we expect this trend to continue with Ant Internationals expansion which will further boost the financial services sector in the kingdom. Feagin said: We see an enormous opportunity for expansion in the Middle East and in particular Saudi Arabia, which has been supportive of technological innovations and digitalisation, empowering its businesses to thrive. Through our agreement with MISA, Ant International enters an exciting new chapter of opportunity within Saudi Arabia. Were will build upon our progress in the Middle East to support merchants access to our world class payment solutions and inclusive financial services, providing Saudi businesses with various tools to grow and benefit from international travel and trade. Ant Internationals strategy comprises four services for global merchants: (i) Alipay+ cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solutions, (ii) Antom merchant payment services, (iii) WorldFirst digital payment and financial services for cross-border trade, and (iv) ANEXT Bank, a digital wholesale bank regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and other embedded financial services.--TradeArabia News Service Beyout Investment Group (Beyout), a regional pioneer in providing comprehensive human resources and project lifecycle support complemented by real estate services, has set the final offer price for its IPO at 500 fils per share, which is at the top of the price range. This comes following completion of the bookbuilding process, culminating in an oversubscription for its private secondary offering, thus raising over KD767 million ($2.5 billion). A total of 90,000,000 ordinary shares, representing 30% of BIG Holdings issued share capital, were offered, which will generate approximately KD45 million of gross proceeds for the selling shareholders, upon settlement, said Beyout in its statement. The offering saw strong investor demand and oversubscription of over 17x. The total cumulative demand for BIG Holding shares amounted to KD767 million. According to Beyout, the final offer price of 500 fils per share would grant the company a market capitalisation at listing of KD150 million ($488 million). The subscription period closes on June 2. On the final pricing, CEO Abdulrahman Al Khannah said: "We are very pleased by these results which truly speak for themselves. It is fantastic to see these significant demand levels which are reflective of the investor confidence in our value proposition and excellent track record of delivering on behalf of our clients." BIG Holding shares are expected to commence trading on Boursa Kuwait next month under the symbol 'Beyout.' National Investments Company and EFG-Hermes UAE Limited (acting in conjunction with EFG Hermes UAE LLC) are the joint global co-ordinators and joint bookrunners. National Investments Company is the investment and listing advisor.-TradeArabia News Service HP Spring Studios, in collaboration with HQ by Hope and Startup Bahrain, successfully hosted an event titled "Bahrain as a Fintech Launchpad in the Middle East" recently. This event brought together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts to discuss Bahrain's emerging role as a thriving fintech hub in the region. The panel discussion, moderated by Sam Yearsley, Head of Venture Building in HP Spring Studios, featured panelists who shared their valuable insights and experiences. The panelists included Ali Ghuloom from the National Bank of Bahrain, Mohamed Alaali from Bahrain Islamic Bank, and Chris Purdie from Receiptable. Ghuloom, Group Head of Technology and Enterprise Architecture at the National Bank of Bahrain, highlighted the importance of fostering partnerships between financial institutions and fintech startups. He said: "Collaboration is key to driving innovation and delivering enhanced financial services to customers in Bahrain and beyond." Furthermore, he noted the critical role of Artificial Intelligence in enriching these offerings, explaining that AI's advanced analytics and personalized services are transforming customer experiences in the financial industry. Islamic finance Alaali, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer at Bahrain Islamic Bank, shed light on the significant role of Islamic finance in promoting fintech adoption. He stated: "Bahrain's Islamic finance ecosystem provides a unique platform for fintech companies to develop Sharia-compliant solutions, catering to the growing demand for ethical financial services." Purdie, Founder and CEO of Receiptable, said: "Bahrain's regulatory framework, access to funding, and supportive ecosystem make it an ideal launchpad for fintech ventures looking to expand their presence in the Middle East." Moderator Yearsley highlighted the aim of the panel, stating: "Our objective was to shed light on Bahrain's potential as a fintech launchpad, exploring the collaborative efforts between financial institutions, startups, and government entities to foster innovation and drive the growth of the fintech sector." The event served as a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and identifying opportunities for further collaboration. It showcased Bahrain's commitment to becoming a leading fintech hub, attracting entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators from around the world.--TradeArabia News Service Geberit, a global leader in sanitary products and systems, celebrated its 150 years of innovation and excellence in style with a grand event held recenty in Riyadh. Since its inception in 1874, Geberit has been at the forefront of revolutionising the plumbing and sanitary industry with its innovative solutions and commitment to sustainability. The event, held at at Nayyara Hall Riyadh, was attended by high-profile guests, including Swiss Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Yasmine Chatila Zwahlen, Managing Director Gulf Office Geberit Group Tamer Qazi, as well as its regional partners. Over the past century and a half, Geberit has continuously set new standards for efficiency, reliability, and hygiene in sanitary technology. The anniversary event served as a testament to Geberit's enduring legacy and global impact. In his address, Qazi lauded the Geberit partners, customers, and employees for their unwavering support throughout the company's journey. He emphasized Geberit's dedication to pushing boundaries and shaping the future of sanitary technology. A key highlight of the event was a showcase of Geberit's latest products and technologies, with focus on innovation and sustainability. Guests had the opportunity to engage with Geberit experts and learn more about the company's vision for the future of the industry. "We are incredibly proud to reach this significant milestone in our company's history," remarked Qazi. "Geberit's success over the past 150 years is a testament to our relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence. As we celebrate this milestone, we remain committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions that improve lives and contribute to a sustainable future," he stated. "Geberit looks forward to continuing its legacy of innovation and excellence as it embarks on the next chapter of its journey,:" he added.-TradeArabia News Service